Matzav

Zohran Mamdani’s long-anticipated visit to the White House unfolded with little of the diplomatic caution usually expected from a mayor-elect meeting the president. The encounter, which capped several weeks of public back-and-forth, quickly shifted from pleasantries to sharp political declarations.

Standing alongside U.S. President Donald Trump after their discussion, Mamdani once again leveled his harshest charge at Israel, insisting that the country is carrying out “genocide in Gaza” and asserting that American taxpayers are underwriting those actions. He told reporters, “I shared with the president in our meeting about the concern that many New Yorkers have about wanting their tax dollars to go toward the benefit of New Yorkers and their ability to afford basic dignity. There’s a desperate need not only for the following of human rights but also the following through on the promises we’ve made New Yorkers. We’ve spoken about the Israeli government committing genocide and I’ve spoken about our government funding it.”

Trump allowed the comments to pass without a direct answer. When the mayor-elect was questioned about Trump’s ongoing diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, Mamdani offered a restrained note of approval, saying, “I appreciate all efforts toward peace. We’re tired of seeing our tax dollars fund endless wars, and I also believe that we have to follow through on the international human rights, and I know that still today those are being violated, and that continues to be work that has to be done, no matter where we’re speaking of.”

The president was later pressed about Mamdani’s earlier warning that he would order the detention of Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu if he were to visit New York. Trump brushed the matter aside with a short reply: “We did not discuss that.”

Mamdani’s team also attempted to clarify his stance on protests surrounding the recent Nefesh B’Nefesh gathering at a New York synagogue. His spokeswoman, Dora Pekec, said, “The Mayor-elect has discouraged the language used at last night’s protest and will continue to do so. He believes every New Yorker should be free to enter a house of worship without intimidation, and that these sacred spaces should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law.”

The exchange ended on an unexpectedly playful note when reporters lobbed a loaded question at Mamdani about whether Trump is a fascist. Trump interjected before Mamdani could reply, joking, “Just say yes, it’s easier.”

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s dramatic decision to leave Congress has sent shockwaves through Washington, punctuating a bitter split between the Georgia firebrand and President-elect Donald Trump. Her resignation, set for January 5, 2026, followed weeks of escalating clashes over the long-frozen Jeffrey Epstein files—an issue she had been publicly hammering as a test of political courage.

In her resignation letter, released online, Greene lamented the personal attacks she said she endured from the president-elect. “Standing up for American women who were [assaulted] at 14, trafficked and used by rich powerful men, should not result in me being called a traitor and threatened by the President of the United States, whom I fought for,” she wrote. Calling his criticism “hurtful,” she added that she would not remain in office as a “battered wife” trapped in a toxic dynamic.

Greene’s outrage over the Epstein documents had been growing for months. Although she once stood firmly in Trump’s corner—both on his America First messaging and his contested 2020 election claims—she turned sharply on him, accusing him of dragging his feet on releasing the files. Her comments intensified as she criticized his tariff approach, his handling of the cost-of-living crisis, and what she characterized as a reluctance to confront entrenched elite wrongdoing. She took her grievances to major broadcast outlets, casting her demands as a push for accountability long overdue.

Her record on Israel resurfaced as well amid the uproar, with critics revisiting her unsuccessful attempt to slash aid to Israel by arguing the funds should be steered toward paying down the national debt. She had also previously charged that Israel was using U.S. assistance for genocide—statements that repeatedly put her at odds with many in her own party.

Trump eventually answered forcefully. After campaigning beside her in Rome, Georgia, early in 2024, he turned to Truth Social to denounce her. He branded her a “traitor” and “wacky,” and wrote, “For some reason, primarily that I refused to return her never ending barrage of phone calls, Marjorie went BAD.” He also hinted he would back a challenger to unseat her in the next primary.

That public rupture seemed to speed up Trump’s shift on the Epstein controversy. Under growing pressure from Republicans who saw the files as a key test of transparency, he suddenly moved to advance legislation compelling the Justice Department to make the documents public within 30 days. What had once been a unifying mission for many in the MAGA movement turned into a stark demonstration of fractures within its ranks.

Appearing on ABC News after Greene’s announcement, Trump celebrated her exit from Congress, calling it “great news for the country.” Yet on social media he tacked on a softer message, writing, “Nevertheless, I will always appreciate Marjorie, and thank her for her service to our Country!” He also referenced advice he had given her about her weak polling numbers for hypothetical statewide races, despite Greene’s insistence that she had no interest in those positions.

Her departure now leaves Republicans with an even thinner margin in the House, adding tension to an already fragile majority. The seat she is vacating—Georgia’s strongly conservative 14th district—was one she had consistently dominated, but her exit introduces fresh uncertainty for the GOP as the 2026 midterms approach. In her farewell video, she spotlighted what she saw as her congressional achievements, ranging from border security efforts to battles against “woke” initiatives, and insisted her resignation reflected a refusal to compromise her principles rather than a political retreat.

{Matzav.com}

Hamas delivered a sharp message to American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, telling them the cease-fire in Gaza is now “over” and that its fighters are “ready to fight,” according to Al Arabiya, as cited by the Jerusalem Post. The declaration marked a sudden shift by the terror group and signaled a return to hostilities.

The warning surfaced just hours after an Israeli strike in Gaza killed Alaa Hadidi, Hamas’ senior figure responsible for the group’s weapons pipeline. Hamas denounced the operation, claiming it violated the US-supported cease-fire arrangement.

Israel defended the action, saying its forces were responding to an attack that had already breached the terms of the truce. According to the IDF, a Hamas terrorist crossed into the designated humanitarian zone and opened fire at Israeli troops, prompting the retaliatory strike.

Footage released on X showed the armed assailant wearing black clothing and driving across the military withdrawal line while “exploiting” the humanitarian corridor, Israeli officials said. The video depicted the gunman exiting the vehicle and firing a long-range weapon before being shot by Israeli soldiers and collapsing moments later.

By day’s end, the IDF reported that five Hamas members were eliminated in three separate strikes targeting operatives in Rafah and Northern Gaza. Among those killed was Abu Abdullah Al-Hudaydi, identified by Al Arabiya as the operations staff commander of Hamas’ military wing.

American officials indicated to the Times of Israel that the White House supported Israel’s latest actions, citing assessments that Hamas leadership cannot control its fighters within Gaza despite the cease-fire framework.

Amid the escalating tension, Hamas issued another warning, insisting Gaza “will not become another Lebanon,” a reference to what the group views as a long-running cease-fire that leaves one side constrained while the other acts freely.

{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] What was expected to be a tense and awkward introduction between President Trump and New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani turned into an unexpectedly warm White House moment, with Trump expressing confidence in the socialist politician’s ability to lead the nation’s largest city.

The meeting, held in the Oval Office with Mamdani standing beside the Resolute Desk, quickly turned into a scene of bonhomie. Trump repeatedly praised the incoming mayor, even resting a hand on his arm as he eased him through a barrage of tough press questions and offered remarkable predictions about New York’s future under Mamdani’s leadership.

“I think he wants to make it greater than ever before,” Trump told reporters. “And if he can, we’ll be out there cheering. I’ll be cheering for him.”

Their surprising display of unity followed a 45-minute private discussion focused heavily on the theme of affordability—Mamdani’s signature issue. Both men described their conversation as constructive, and Trump went so far as to say Mamdani “has a chance to really do something great for New York,” adding, “He’s different than your typical guy.”

While Mamdani steered clear of praising Trump personally, he acknowledged that Trump’s improved performance in New York City during the 2024 election stemmed from his emphasis on economic concerns, noting that voters were focused on “kitchen table issues.”

Mamdani spoke of his desire to prioritize delivering tangible improvements to New Yorkers rather than sparring publicly with the president. “I think both President Trump and I, we are very clear about our positions and our views, and what I really appreciate about the president is the meeting that we had focused not on places of disagreement, which there are many, and also focused on the shared purpose that we have in serving New Yorkers,” he said.

Trump embraced the sentiment. “We have one thing in common. We want this city of ours that we love to do very well,” he said as they fielded questions together.

When reporters reminded Mamdani of his past descriptions of Trump as a “fascist” and a “despot,” Trump intervened playfully, sparing him from answering directly. “That’s OK, you can just say yes,” he quipped, patting Mamdani on the arm. He shrugged off the barbs himself. “I’ve been called much worse than a despot, so it’s not that insulting.”

Asked about accusations that Mamdani is a “jihadist,” Trump countered that he had just met “a very rational person.”

This was quite a reversal for Trump, who had once warned that New York would collapse if “my little Communist” Mamdani were elected. Now, he said he left their meeting “very confident” in the mayor-elect’s ability to succeed. “I think he is going to surprise some conservative people, actually, and some very liberal people,” he said.

Trump even appeared to take back earlier threats to dispatch the National Guard if Mamdani took office. “I expect to be helping him, not hurting him, a big help because I want New York City to be great,” he said, though he has previously suggested that federal funding could be endangered under Mamdani’s leadership.

The meeting came at Mamdani’s request, following a long-standing tradition of New York City’s incoming mayor meeting with the president. Before their policy discussion began, Trump gave the Astoria assemblyman a brief tour of the White House.

According to sources, the two then sat down with their chiefs of staff—Susie Wiles for Trump and Elle Bisgaard-Church for Mamdani—to hone in on issues related to affordability, including rent, utility costs, and grocery prices. Bisgaard-Church said the president “felt very interested in a kind of common-sense approach to reduce onerous burdens on the housing and development owners, actually,” describing that topic as one of their strongest zones of agreement.

A real-estate veteran himself, Trump echoed Mamdani’s campaign message that expanding the housing supply would help rein in rents. “Actually people would be shocked, but I want to see the same thing,” he said.

Mamdani, whose campaign emphasized his “freeze the rent” plan, had been criticized for lacking detail on how to increase housing stock—an issue that was now suddenly a point of accord between him and Trump.

Other topics included an impending Con Edison rate increase, with the president pressing the utility to bring costs down, and public safety. Trump lauded Mamdani’s choice to retain tough-on-crime NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. “Maybe more than anything else, he wants to have a safe New York,” Trump said. “Ultimately, a safe New York is going to be a great New York. If you don’t have safe streets, it’s not going to be a success.”

The amicable session contrasted sharply with the months of public jabs the two had exchanged as political opposites who often used each other as foils on the campaign trail. Yet in the days leading up to their meeting, both signaled an interest in a calmer conversation, with Mamdani expressing hope they could “speak plainly” about affordability. Trump, during an appearance on “The Brian Kilmeade Show,” predicted, “I think it’s going to be quite civil. We’ll find out.”

The civility exceeded even that expectation. Trump not only handled some of the most pointed questions Mamdani faced but also commended his unlikely rise to the mayoralty.

When asked whether Mamdani planned to arrest Israel’s Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu if he set foot in New York City—a campaign remark that drew intense criticism—Trump declined to escalate. He said the topic didn’t come up, though the pair agreed on a desire for peace in the region. “He’s got views out there, but who knows maybe we’re going to see what works, or he’s going to change,” Trump said. “Also, we all change. I change a lot. Changed a lot from when I first came to office.”

Despite Trump’s generous praise, Mamdani didn’t reciprocate directly. He sidestepped a chance to endorse Trump’s Gaza ceasefire deal and instead spoke more broadly about voters’ frustrations with endless conflicts. “I appreciate all efforts towards peace and I shared with President Trump that when I spoke to Trump voters on Hillside Avenue – including one of whom was a pharmacist that spoke about how President Trump’s father actually went to that pharmacy not too far from Jamaica Estates – that people were tired of seeing our tax dollars fund endless wars,” he said.

The meeting’s friendly tone now raises expectations for Mamdani to deliver on his bold affordability promises, while also unexpectedly boosting his stature as a national Democratic figure.

Political observers across New York were stunned by the dynamic. “Trump should move Bushwick how much he loves Z now,” one Democratic operative joked. Another said, “Unbelievably funny outcome,” adding, “I can’t even read it cynically. Trump loved him. It might even be reciprocated.”

When Trump was asked whether he’d feel comfortable living once again in New York City under Mamdani’s leadership, his answer was unequivocal. “I want him to do a great job, and we’ll help him do a great job,” he said. “I would feel very, very comfortable being in New York, and I think much more so after the meeting.”

WATCH:

Israeli security officials are signaling that the situation in Gaza may soon reach a breaking point. Kan 11 News reported Friday night that members of the Security Cabinet left a recent briefing convinced that Hamas’s accelerating military revival will eventually demand a forceful Israeli response.

The update came during a Cabinet session on Thursday, where defense officials laid out an extensive assessment of current realities in the Gaza Strip. Ministers were shown intelligence indicating that Hamas is both expanding its military capacities and consolidating political control. According to the report, the presentations also made clear that Hamas has shown no readiness to surrender its arsenal or scale back its operational capabilities.

One senior Israeli official put the dilemma starkly, telling Kan 11 News, “If the Americans do not succeed in bringing about Hamas’s disarmament, we will have the credit to do it ourselves.”

The briefing also addressed developments to Israel’s north. Defense personnel shared updated intelligence on Hezbollah’s intensifying military posture inside Lebanon. The ministers were told that Beirut’s leadership—already struggling to exert control—has proven unable to uphold its commitments under the ceasefire framework.

Israel, meanwhile, continues focusing its military pressure on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. However, it has avoided targeting Beirut itself, a restraint being exercised at Washington’s request.

Cabinet members quoted in the report acknowledged that the northern arena is trending in the same direction as Gaza, with some warning that the situation there, too, may eventually require what they described as “surgical treatment.”

{Matzav.com}

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. acknowledged in a New York Times interview released Friday that he was the one who instructed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to post a notice overturning its long-held assertion that childhood vaccines do not cause autism. “The whole thing about ‘vaccines have been tested and there’s been this determination made’ is just a lie,” Kennedy, 71, told the Times. “The phrase ‘Vaccines do not cause autism’ is not supported by science.”

This week, the CDC updated its “Vaccines and Autism” page with three new warnings. The agency now states: “The claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism,” along with “Studies supporting a link have been ignored by health authorities,” and “HHS has launched a comprehensive assessment of the causes of autism, including investigations on plausible biologic mechanisms and potential causal links.”

Although the page has been overhauled, the familiar line “vaccines do not cause autism” still appears further down — but now with an asterisk. The note explains that its continued presence is “due to an agreement with the chair of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee” — Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) — “that it would remain on the CDC website.”

Cassidy swiftly pushed back in a public statement on X Thursday evening. “I’m a doctor who has seen people die from vaccine-preventable diseases,” he wrote. “What parents need to hear right now is vaccines for measles, polio, hepatitis B and other childhood diseases are safe and effective and will not cause autism. Any statement to the contrary is wrong, irresponsible, and actively makes Americans sicker.”

Kennedy told the Times that the two had spoken directly about the policy shift. “I did talk to him,” he said, adding that Cassidy “disagreed with the decision.”

Gristedes CEO John Catsimatidis joins ‘Varney & Co.’ to discuss why high taxes, crime and mismanagement are driving wealth and business out of New York.

WATCH:

President Donald Trump joined Brian for a wide ranging interview in which he previews how he expects his meeting with Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will go. PLUS: The President responds to critics who claimed he called for the ‘executions’ of Senate democrats who urged servicemembers to refuse “illegal orders.”

WATCH:

Just hours before New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani was set to head to Washington for his first sit-down with US President Donald Trump, lawmakers in the House approved a measure condemning socialism, injecting fresh political tension into the moment.

The chamber voted 285–98 to advance the resolution, which was brought forward by Representative Maria Elvira Salazar. Every dissenting vote came from Democrats. The text of the measure includes a sweeping declaration: “Congress denounces socialism in all its forms, and opposes the implementation of socialist policies in the United States.”

Fox News noted that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries — who had thrown his support behind Mamdani in the closing days of the mayoral race — also backed the resolution.

Rep. Byron Donalds argued during the debate that socialism runs counter to the nation’s foundational commitment to individual liberty.

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, who likewise voted in favor, emphasized that socialist systems are fundamentally about domination rather than empathy. “Across the world, socialist regimes have delivered only misery, oppression, and economic ruin. After graduating college, I had the opportunity to work in Yugoslavia as the country prepared for the Olympics. I saw firsthand how everything was controlled by the state and nothing moved without political permission.” She added that New York is already seeing the early influence of that ideology.

“We cannot allow New York’s slide toward socialism to become a model for the nation.”

As the political clash played out on Capitol Hill, Trump offered an unexpectedly upbeat prediction about his upcoming meeting with the incoming mayor. He suggested that any earlier friction between them was behind him. “I was hitting him a little hard,” Trump told Fox News. “I think we’ll get along fine. Look, we’re looking for the same thing: we want to make New York strong.”

Mamdani, for his part, shared a smiling selfie from his plane seat as he departed for Washington. The day before, he outlined how he plans to approach the conversation. “I intend to make it clear to President Trump that I will work with him on any agenda that benefits New Yorkers. If an agenda hurts New Yorkers, I will also be the first to say so.”

{Matzav.com}

Jewish groups are expressing deep alarm after a shocking performance in Washington, DC, mimicked the classic blood libel—an accusation that has fueled hatred and violence against Jews for generations.

A circulating video shows actors donning masks of political leaders, among them Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, seated around a table smeared with red stains on an Israeli flag. The participants raise glasses filled with what appears to be fake blood as part of the spectacle.

The display goes even further, with artificial severed limbs and mock organ meat placed across the table. The performers rub red dye onto their faces and wipe it off with Israeli flags, while the characters portraying Netanyahu and Joe Biden tear apart a pile of imitation entrails.

Beside them stands a giant menu titled “Israel’s Friendsgiving Dinner.” Its list of “dishes” includes grotesque items such as “Gaza children’s limbs,” “stolen organs,” “illegally harvested skin,” and a beverage labeled “Gaza’s spilled blood.” A heart sits next to Netanyahu’s name at the bottom.

The demonstration was staged at Union Station, one of the capital’s busiest transit hubs and a gateway for visitors arriving by train or bus.

The American Jewish Committee denounces the performance, declaring, “Blood libel was on full display today.” The group continues, “Dressed up as ‘activism’ and ‘performance art,’ this was nothing less than the revival of one of the oldest and most dangerous antisemitic tropes in history,” adding that “Blood libel has fueled violence, persecution and massacres of Jews for centuries. Seeing it resurface in our nation’s capital is both horrifying and unacceptable.”

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater DC also issued a statement, describing the exhibit as “just steps away from the symbols and heart of American democracy, a scene that would have been right at home in Nazi Germany played out in the United States. Seldom have we seen such a sickening display of full-throated antisemitism.”

Pro-Palestinian activists in Washington have taken responsibility for the display via social media platforms.

{Matzav.com}

Newt Gingrich unloaded on the emerging U.S. peace proposal for Ukraine on Thursday, blasting the framework as a dangerous capitulation that would pave the way for Russia to eventually swallow the entire country. Taking to X, he denounced the plan with unmistakable force. “Any ‘peace’ agreement between Ukraine and Russia which weakens Ukraine’s ability to defend itself is in fact a surrender agreement which guarantees that in the next few years Putin will overrun all of Ukraine,” he wrote.

Gingrich argued that any pressure on Kyiv to shrink its military footprint or scale back its ability to fight would reward Moscow’s aggression and punish Ukrainian resilience. “Ukrainian courage and patriotism should not be betrayed by Americans growing tired of stopping evil. A Putin victory will be a stepping stone to a much, much more dangerous world,” he declared, framing the moment as a global crossroads rather than a localized dispute.

His warning lands at a sensitive time for U.S. policymakers involved in crafting the proposal, which would require Ukraine to swallow sweeping concessions in return for vaguely described Western security guarantees — guarantees that critics say are neither enforceable nor clearly defined. Gingrich’s comments cut directly against those efforts, arguing that a deal built around Ukrainian forfeiture is doomed from the start.

He cautioned that restricting Ukraine’s military — whether by capping troop levels, limiting weapons, or prohibiting strikes inside Russia — would erode the deterrent power that has kept the country standing. Any reduction in capability, he warned, would leave Ukraine exposed and invite the very escalation the deal claims to avoid.

Beyond the battlefield risks, Gingrich described such a deal as a betrayal of the people who have fought and bled to defend their country. In his view, urging Ukraine into a lopsided agreement does not merely constitute a strategic blunder; it represents a moral abdication that disregards the nation’s sacrifice.

His critique extended well past Eastern Europe. Gingrich framed the fallout of a weakened Ukraine as a domino effect: a triumphant Kremlin would radiate strength, NATO would look fractured, and authoritarian regimes worldwide would draw the conclusion that force is rewarded and resistance is futile.

He also tied his concerns to what he sees as American impatience — a belief that U.S. fatigue is being misread as a reason to push Ukraine toward a settlement that looks more like an ultimatum than a peace agreement. In his telling, any agreement rooted in exhaustion rather than strategy is a recipe for instability.

The Institute for the Study of War echoed that outlook in its own stark assessment of the proposal. Labeling the framework a near-total surrender, the think tank issued a caution of its own. It noted that “an agreement … based on those protocols would be a capitulation document … Ukraine is unlikely to accept any peace agreement based on the Istanbul negotiations,” arguing that the terms align closely with Russia’s maximalist objectives.

ISW further observed that the structural constraints embedded in the proposal — steep cuts in Ukraine’s forces, removal of long-range strike capabilities, and reduced defensive posture — would hand Russia an enduring advantage and all but guarantee future offensives.

In its analysis, Moscow would not treat such a deal as a resolution but as an intermission. The think tank warned that acquiescing to these demands would embolden Russia to renew its assault on Ukraine or even cast its ambitions farther into Europe, raising the stakes well beyond the current conflict.

{Matzav.com}

Airline passengers who show up at security without a REAL ID or passport may soon have to pay an $18 charge under a new Transportation Security Administration proposal. The fee is tied to TSA’s plan to replace its current identification process with a biometric-based verification system.

According to the proposal — which is scheduled to appear in the Federal Register on Thursday — anyone lacking the required identification would be processed through a new digital kiosk that confirms identity using personal biographic and biometric information before they can move forward at the checkpoint. The $18 cost would grant the traveler access to TSA checkpoints for a 10-day window and is intended to help fund the technology behind the updated system.

The timeline for launching the new identity system remains uncertain. Publication in the Federal Register triggers a public comment period before any rule can be finalized.

Congress passed the federal REAL ID Act in 2005 in response to the 9/11 attacks, but its rollout has faced repeated postponements. The Department of Homeland Security finally began enforcing the requirement for domestic travelers this past May.

A TSA spokesperson, responding to ABC News, framed the fee as part of the long-delayed compliance effort. “This notice serves as a next step in the process in REAL ID compliance, which was signed into law more than 20 years ago and finally implemented by Secretary [Kristi] Noem as of May 2025. TSA is working with stakeholders and partners to ensure both security and efficiency at our checkpoints. Additional guidance will be announced in the coming days,” the spokesperson said.

Travelers who reach the checkpoint without a REAL ID-compliant document would be routed into what TSA calls a “modernized alternative identity verification program,” relying on biometric matching to confirm who they are. But the notice makes clear there are limits: the system does not guarantee “that an individual’s identity will be verified or that the individual will be provided access to the sterile area of the airport.” Those using alternative methods could undergo extra screening and experience delays.

TSA argues the new setup will ultimately speed up the process by updating an outdated verification method. The $18 fee is designed to offset the cost of deploying the new system nationwide.

The proposal specifies that the $18 charge is nonrefundable, but valid for 10 days. A traveler who flies more than once during that period without a REAL ID or passport would not be charged a second time.

{Matzav.com}

Karoline Leavitt came out swinging Friday morning, accusing CNN of inventing turmoil inside President Donald Trump’s Cabinet to prop up a narrative that simply doesn’t exist. In a sharp post on X, the White House press secretary insisted the network had been told — repeatedly — that its reporting was wrong, yet “100% Fake News” still made it to publication.

According to Leavitt, the administration informed CNN “in the strongest possible terms” that its claims were false. Despite that, the network ran with a story asserting that the White House is bracing for Cabinet turnover, a claim she dismissed outright. “The truth is: President Trump could not be happier with his Cabinet,” she wrote, concluding with, “Shame on you, @CNN.”

CNN’s report leaned on unnamed voices claiming a post–first-year reshuffling was being prepared. Their narrative hinged on supposed friction at the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Energy, including speculation that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem might be pushed out due to tensions involving her longtime adviser Corey Lewandowski, who recently began working at the department in a temporary capacity.

The administration quickly and aggressively knocked down the entire storyline. Leavitt blasted the report as pure “wishcasting,” arguing that the network thrives on manufactured conflict because it has nothing else to offer its declining audience. “The Cabinet is not changing no matter how much CNN wishes that it would because it thrives off drama,” she told the outlet.

Senior officials also backed Noem without hesitation, making clear the president is fully behind her. One White House official told CNN, “The president loves Kristi. He loves the job she’s doing,” accusing the network of blowing minor internal friction into a full-blown Cabinet crisis.

Lewandowski, whose brash management style has attracted criticism inside DHS, received full-throated support from administration spokespeople as well. A DHS spokesman told CNN that Lewandowski “reprimands officials who impede or slow down the administration and undermine the will of the American people,” emphasizing that voters endorsed Trump’s agenda, not bureaucratic delays.

CNN also revived chatter about Energy Secretary Chris Wright, implying that some inside the administration viewed him as dragging his feet on energy reforms. The White House promptly shut down that claim. Taylor Rogers, a spokeswoman for the president, said, “Secretary Wright has been working lockstep with President Trump since day one,” pointing to record-setting oil output fueled by Trump’s aggressive “DRILL, BABY, DRILL” approach.

Not content with that lineup, the network also revisited old rumors involving War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard — both of whom remain solidly in their posts without any sign of instability.

Rather than entering a period of internal churn, officials say the reality is straightforward: the president is satisfied with his Cabinet, sees no cause for change, and views CNN’s portrayal of chaos as nothing more than another example of the media’s anti-Trump fixation.

{Matzav.com}

The latest American initiative aimed at ending the war in Ukraine is drawing intense scrutiny in Washington, where officials are struggling to understand why Kyiv would ever accept the terms being floated, the NY Post reports. The framework — crafted by President Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff after conversations with Ukrainian and Russian counterparts — asks Ukraine to relinquish nearly the entire Donbas region while giving up key strategic goals.

Under the outline circulated to senior officials, Ukraine would effectively abandon its claim to Donbas, ceding territory that Russia has failed to fully control since its initial incursion there in 2014. In addition, Ukraine would halt its pursuit of NATO membership, downsize its military from roughly 900,000 troops to about 600,000, and sign off on sweeping wartime amnesty that would prevent any future prosecution of Russian war crimes.

Experts familiar with the document are warning that the terms would leave Kyiv with more losses than gains. “The proposal is a bad deal and one that the Trump administration rightfully refused to accept in the past,” Institute for the Study of War Russia program lead George Barros told The Post. He stressed that real deterrence requires “a strong Ukrainian military, foreign support to Ukraine — ideally in the form of foreign troops in-country — and a defendable frontline.”

Inside the administration, one persistent challenge in discussions with Moscow has been getting Russian representatives to even contemplate stepping back from their long-standing ambition of overtaking the whole country. As one senior U.S. official put it, “I mean, look, everyone knows Vladimir Putin wants to take the whole country. That’s his been his long-sought goal. That is something he’s made quite clear. The president is very aware of that.”

The same official argued that, on paper, the plan would impose meaningful setbacks on the Kremlin. “This plan obviously stops [Putin] in his tracks, ends the war — and also forces him to relinquish some territory, which you know is a huge loss for him and for Russia,” the source said. “And there’s some other little details in there as well that are concessions from their side too, but yeah, sort of the overall point.”

Supporters of the draft deal say some elements came directly from high-level Ukrainian input. Officials told The Post that Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, offered “positive feedback” during recent talks with Witkoff in Miami. U.S. officials emphasized that Umerov had helped shape the contours of the proposal. “The plan was drawn up immediately following discussions with one of the most senior members of Zelensky’s administration, Umerov,” an official said. “So Umerov agreed to the majority of this plan, and he made several modifications to it, which we included and presented it to President Zelensky.”

Still, those same officials conceded that Kyiv has not locked itself into any agreement. “I don’t want to say that [Kyiv] full-heartedly … agreed to it and they’re ready to sign off. They agreed to the majority of the plan,” the source said.

One of the most controversial components — a full and unconditional amnesty for all parties — was, according to a senior White House official, an idea that surfaced directly from Ukrainian leadership. Before that, the draft had included stricter accountability measures. “Ukraine will conduct a full audit of all aid received and create a legal mechanism to recover any errors found and punish those who illegally profiteered from the war,” the source said, describing the original text.

But Umerov publicly rejected claims that he had approved, watered down, or embraced any part of the proposal. In a post on X, he wrote, “Media reports about alleged ‘approvals’ or ‘removal of points’ have nothing to do with reality. These are examples of unverified information that arose outside the context of the consultations.” He added, “We are thoroughly working through our partners’ proposals within Ukraine’s unchanging principles — sovereignty, the safety of our people, and a just peace.”

Requests from The Post seeking Kyiv’s official clarification on Umerov’s position have gone unanswered.

Some senior U.S. officials say the contradictions surrounding Umerov’s role raise questions. One official called it “fishy” that he would appear to distance himself from language that Ukraine itself had suggested. “You will see that point 26 gives amnesty to all parties, meaning both Russia and Ukraine. OK, that was not the idea of the United States; the Ukrainians inserted that language,” the official said.

According to that source, U.S. drafters had preferred stronger oversight instead: “The US had [that] ‘Ukraine will conduct a full audit of all aid receipts and create a legal mechanism to recover any errors found and punish those who illegally profited from the war’ — that’s something the American people want to see. That’s also something the Russians do support.” But, the official added, “The Ukrainians rejected that, and they said, ‘No, we’d rather give amnesty to both sides of the war.’”

{Matzav.com}

A serious breach of protocol occurred at the Kosel Plaza this morning, Rosh Chodesh Kislev, when members of the Women of the Wall group smuggled a Sefer Torah into the plaza through the public restroom stalls, in what authorities are calling a blatant act of disrespect toward the kedushah of both the Sefer Torah and the site.

Thousands of mispallelim gathered at the Kosel from vasikin onward, as is customary on Rosh Chodesh. Throughout the morning, a small group affiliated with Women of the Wall attempted to carry out a provocation by circumventing security procedures that govern the handling of Sifrei Torah at the site.

According to the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, the group brought the Sefer Torah into the public bathrooms and transferred it from there into the main plaza, an act the Foundation described as degrading and deeply offensive.

In a statement, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation said: “We view with extreme severity any attempt to undermine the traditions and kedushah of this holy site, and we will continue to act to preserve proper conduct and respect at the Kosel Plaza.”

This is not the first such incident. In July, the same group brought a Sefer Torah into the plaza against established regulations. At that time, the Foundation reported that the group hid the Sefer Torah inside a baby carrier, denouncing the act as “a violation of the sanctity of the site and the honor due to a Sefer Torah.”

The Foundation stressed that it remains committed to upholding the standards and minhagim of the Kosel, ensuring the area remains a place of tefillah, respect, and reverence for all who visit.

{Matzav.com}

A major storm has erupted in the public-health world after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quietly rewrote key language on its website, suggesting that a connection between vaccines and autism cannot definitively be ruled out. This represents a complete reversal of the agency’s decades-long—and unequivocal—position that no such link exists.

The move stunned experts because the scientific consensus on this issue has been settled for years. Research across multiple continents, involving millions of children, has thoroughly debunked the claim of any correlation. Nonetheless, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been pushing this discredited theory for years, now appears to be steering federal health messaging in a dramatically different direction.

Public-health leaders warned that this sudden about-face lands at precisely the wrong moment. Childhood vaccination rates have already slipped nationwide, leading to the revival of illnesses once nearly eradicated, including measles and pertussis. They fear the new CDC language will pour gasoline on the fire.

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website has been changed to promote false information suggesting vaccines cause autism,” said Dr. Susan J. Kressly, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She emphasized the overwhelming scientific record, stating, “Since 1998, independent researchers across seven countries have conducted more than 40 high-quality studies involving over 5.6 million people. The conclusion is clear and unambiguous: There’s no link between vaccines and autism.”

Dr. Kressly also criticized the agency’s direction in stark terms. “Anyone repeating this harmful myth is misinformed or intentionally trying to mislead parents. We call on the CDC to stop wasting government resources to amplify false claims that sow doubt in one of the best tools we have to keep children healthy and thriving: routine immunizations.”

Federal officials, however, doubled down. In a statement to NPR, Health and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon echoed one of the new website assertions: “The claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism.” He said the department “has launched a comprehensive assessment of the causes of autism, including investigations on plausible biologic mechanisms and potential causal links.”

The Autism Science Foundation sharply rebuked that explanation, saying the revised wording “shows a lack of understanding of the term ‘evidence,’” adding, “No environmental factor has been better studied as a potential cause of autism than vaccines.”

Dr. Paul Offitt of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia said the new wording is intentionally confusing. He called it a repackaging of familiar misinformation tactics: “These are the usual anti-vaccine tropes, misrepresentation of studies, false equivalence,” adding pointedly, “They might as well say chicken nuggets might cause autism because you can’t prove that either.”

Inside the CDC, the shift triggered alarm and internal turmoil. Dr. Demetre Daskalakis—who left the agency over the summer—said the changes “blindsided” longtime scientists. “The scientists did not participate in its creation,” he explained. “And the data are unvetted.”

Two current CDC employees, who contacted NPR anonymously, echoed that the new language signals that the agency’s vaccine information is being distorted. They described the updated website as “anti-science” and said they feared retaliation for speaking out.

These developments are only the latest in a series of moves by Kennedy that run counter to the positions of leading medical institutions, including the Infectious Disease Society of America and the American College of Physicians. Vaccine advocates warn that the administration’s new posture threatens to undermine trust built over generations.

This year alone, Kennedy dismissed every member of the CDC’s powerful Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and installed his own appointees. The newly reshaped committee quickly recommended eliminating thimerosal from the small subset of flu vaccines in which it still appears—despite years of evidence demonstrating its safety.

Federal agencies have also tightened access to COVID-19 vaccines and halted grants supporting new mRNA-based vaccines, cutting off development pipelines for future immunizations.

Alongside these moves, Trump administration officials have claimed a connection between acetaminophen and autism and touted leucovorin—a prescription form of vitamin B9—as a treatment for autism despite extremely limited evidence.

The current ACIP working group is evaluating additional sweeping changes, including removing aluminum-based adjuvants that have been safely used for nearly a century to boost vaccine effectiveness. They are also considering breaking up the single MMR shot into separate vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella—decisions experts warn would dismantle a vaccination system that has shielded American children for generations.

The committee is even debating delaying the hepatitis B vaccine, which has long been administered at birth to prevent severe liver disease and cancer.

In an unusual twist, the CDC acknowledged in a footnote that its site still features the longstanding header “Vaccines do not cause autism*.” The asterisk notes that the phrase remains only because of “an agreement with the chair of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee that it would remain on the CDC website.”

NPR contacted the office of Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who leads the HELP Committee and supported Kennedy’s confirmation, but received no immediate reply. Later in the day, Cassidy posted on X: “I’m a doctor who has seen people die from vaccine-preventable diseases. What parents need to hear right now is vaccines for measles, polio, hepatitis B and other childhood diseases are safe and effective and will not cause autism. Any statement to the contrary is wrong, irresponsible, and actively makes Americans sicker.”

Public-health officials fear that unless the CDC reverses course, vaccination rates could continue to fall—jeopardizing herd immunity, reviving diseases long under control, and placing millions of children at risk.

{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] At a time when the frum world is grappling with extraordinary communal challenges, Rav Kalman Epstein, Rosh Yeshiva of Shaar Hatorah in Queens, delivered a forceful and deeply reflective message about the escalating culture of extravagance in our community—lavish weddings, multi-course smorgasbords, and even the rise of private jets becoming a normalized symbol of status.

Speaking last night, he urged Klal Yisroel to confront the spiritual cost of this lifestyle honestly and courageously.

Rav Epstein began by reflecting on COVID, a period that disrupted every facet of Jewish communal life. With weddings limited, bar mitzvahs scaled down, and parlor meetings halted, he had hoped this would spark a long-needed cultural reset away from excess.

“One of the things that happened during COVID [is] that there weren’t any, at least most of the time, there weren’t any large gatherings. People stopped making big chasunas and big bar mitzvahs and parlor meetings. And we thought, I don’t know, we thought, at least I thought, that maybe this will be an impetus for the community. Here we’re not talking about yechidim. Yechidim really can’t change that…”

But instead of shifting permanently to simpler simchos, the Rosh Yeshiva lamented that the opposite has happened—extravagance has grown even more entrenched.

“And that affluence brought with it tremendous extravagance. And we thought that, again I say, at least I thought, that maybe that tekufah when that extravagance can’t be practiced will make it permanent, that we’ll learn that this is not the way we’re supposed to live.”

Rav Epstein explained that the Torah’s model of life is the very opposite of showiness. He invoked the pasuk of “hatzneia leches,” which he described as a mandate to live quietly, modestly, and without self-display.

“When we say, higid lecha adam ma tov u’ma Hashem doresh mimcha, asos mishpat v’ahavas chesed, and v’hatzneia leches im Hashem Elokecha, hatzneia leches means that you’re not supposed to have 20-man bands at weddings. You’re not supposed to have shmorgasbords, meals, and then something afterwards, whatever they call it. It means that Yidden are not supposed to show and not supposed to show themselves.”

In one of the most pointed comments of the evening, he highlighted the proliferation of private planes owned by members of the community.

“It means that we live in a situation where the airport in Lakewood is full of private planes. That’s not who we are supposed to be. Maybe it’s not even, most of us are, but it’s not who we’re supposed to be. We’re supposed to be… hatzneia leches means we’re supposed to be b’sheket, we’re supposed to be quiet, we’re not supposed to be showy. That’s what hatzneia leches means. And that’s the tzurah of Klal Yisrael.”

Rav Epstein drew a direct link between unchecked materialism and a weakening of spiritual sensitivity. Historically, he explained, our lack of material abundance actually elevated us.

“Because to the extent that we engage in gashmiyus, we lose ruchniyus. Yidden once upon a time when they were in the shtetlach and they were poor and they didn’t have much, but because they didn’t have much, because the gashmiyus wasn’t, the gashmiyus is a stirah to ruchniyus. Because the gashmiyus wasn’t there, then they felt closer to the Ribbono Shel Olam.”

He quoted Chazal’s instruction to daven not for luxuries, but for the ability to have Torah penetrate the heart.

“K’fi erech that is, Chazal say, k’fi erech ad she’atem mispallel that you should get parnasah, that you should get ma’adanim, you should be mispallel that you should get, that the Torah should go into libcha. You should be mispallel not to have ma’adanim. Ma’adanim and gashmiyus is a stirah to the feeling of kirvas Elokim, to the feeling of the Ribbono Shel Olam.”

The Rosh Yeshiva then shifted to a more recent chapter of suffering—Jewish hostages held in horrific underground captivity. Their plight, he said, should have stirred the community to more introspection and restraint.

“In the past few years when there were hostages who were in a horrible matzav, and if we were misbonein their matzav, it also should have been difficult for us to engage in extravagant gashmiyus.”

He told over the remarkable reaction of Rav Yitzchok Kolodetsky—son-in-law of Rav Chaim Kanievsky—who stopped sleeping in a bed during the hostage crisis.

“Rav Yitzchok Kolodetsky, the son-in-law of Rav Chaim Kanievsky, who comes to America sometimes, I’m told that when the hostages were taken a few years ago, he stopped sleeping in a bed. How could I sleep in a bed when there are hostages who are underground in a horrible matzav?”

And he shared a moving story about his own family—a young bar mitzvah boy who chose to sleep without a pillow.

“I have a niece who made a bar mitzvah recently. And her bar mitzvah boy, who at the time that the hostages were taken was 11 years old – this is on his own, they live in Lakewood, this is on his own – he decided that he can’t sleep, he stopped sleeping with a pillow. An 11-year-old boy, he had that hergesh that if there are hostages, if there are hostages who are in such a horrible matzav, how could I sleep on a pillow? How could I use things that are more gashmiyus than I need? I can manage to sleep without a pillow.”

Rav Epstein stressed that no one is asking people to sleep on the floor or deprive themselves of basic comforts. But he urged Klal Yisroel to take the message to heart: Hashem expects us to live as a mamleches kohanim v’goy kadosh, a nation that does not drown itself in luxury.

“And even though at this point in time maybe, at this point in time there are no hostages, at this point in time we don’t expect anybody to sleep without a pillow, we don’t expect anybody to sleep on the floor. But we still should be misbonen to what we’re supposed to learn from this. That even though we don’t have to, we don’t have to do things that are metza’er ourselves, but we should learn that the Ribbono Shel Olam wants us to live as a mamleches kohanim v’goy kadosh.”

Because spiritual depth, he emphasized, cannot coexist with unrestrained indulgence.

“And a mamleches kohanim v’goy kadosh doesn’t engage in this extravagant gashmius, because that’s the only way to engage and connect and feel the kirvas Elokim…and feel ruchnius is if we’re mema’et in the gashmius that we can afford and that we’re capable of.”

The Rosh Yeshiva closed with a heartfelt personal plea, one he said applies to himself as much as anyone.

“I just hope, one hopes, that this is not, I am saying this for myself too, I’m not just saying this for all of you. We just hope that we we all learn from these terrible years that passed, and hopefully the terrible years are over. The terrible years that passed, how we’re supposed to view things, what’s supposed to be important in life, what we’re supposed to be machshiv and what we’re not supposed to be machshiv.”

And finally, he reminded listeners of the promise embedded in living according to Hashem’s expectations.

“And if b’ezras Hashem if we’re mekayem what Hashem is doresh from us, which is ahavas chesed, asos mishpat, ahavas chesed, and hatznei’a leches, we’ll be zoicheh to see that b’karov, be zoicheh to see that the bracha and the tefillos that we’re mispallel on Rosh Chodesh that it should be a new beginning, a new start, and we should be zoicheh to geulos and yeshuos, the klal and the prat.”

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{Matzav.com}

Observers wonder how a highly-anticipated meeting between President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on Friday will go following their history of taking swipes at each other.

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{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] Candace Owens has been advancing a string of unproven theories about the killing of Charlie Kirk, and one of those theories appears to have led her straight into an embarrassing on-air prank. While hosting her show, she began reading what she described as a serious tip—only for viewers to quickly note that the address at the center of the supposed revelation belonged to her own legal team.

Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed on September 10 while attending an event at Utah Valley University. Since then, Owens has floated a variety of conspiratorial claims, including suggestions of Israeli involvement and even speculation about the Egyptian military. None of these assertions have been backed by evidence.

One of her favorite narratives has involved an Egyptian military plane. Owens claimed the aircraft departed Utah immediately after Kirk’s killing, but her timeline relied on confusing UTC with a Utah-based time zone—a mistake that placed the takeoff hours after the shooting when, in reality, the plane had left long before. Despite being corrected, Owens has continued promoting the idea.

Her latest twist came when she told viewers she received an email from a tipster alleging that “government entities” orchestrated Kirk’s assassination. The message insisted that the movements of the plane and certain government vehicles all traced back to a single Delaware address: 920 North King Street, also known as One Rodney Square.

Owens read the email aloud, describing the location as a hub for federal agencies such as the Department of Justice. But the clip quickly went viral for a very different reason. Online commentators pointed out that 920 North King Street is actually the office address of Richards, Layton & Finger—the law firm representing Owens in multiple legal matters, including the defamation suit connected to French President Emmanuel Macron and remarks Owens made about Brigitte Macron.

“Candace Owens appears to have been PRANKED on air by a tip,” wrote the account that shared the clip. “The tip said all directions pointed to the address: One Rodney Square, 920 North King Street, Wilmington, DE 19801. Which just so happens to be the address of Candace Owens’ lawyer.”

Even with that revelation circulating widely, Owens doubled down. On X, she dismissed criticism as coordinated government meddling, posting, “Looks like another round of a desperate and fake debunking regarding the Egyptian planes! These federally-sponsored trends are as fun as they are predictable now :-).”

She went on to write, “And I can tell you guys with absolute certainty that today I learned the Federal government is in a panic about the mention of their joint DHS, FBI, and DEA office at 920 N King. The tip proved absolutely solid and I was informed so. It is now a fact that a foreign dignitary was picked up after arriving from Provo the morning of Charlie’s assassination on the Egyptian plane, and then transferred to 920 King for some joint operation.”

Owens did concede, at least partially, that a law firm exists in the building, saying, “And yes, despite the massive office space, there is NOTHING else in that building except a law firm (and a place to eat). The law firm piece is an interesting side fact related to portions of the e-mail that I chose not to read on air.”

Yet she offered no explanation for why she didn’t mention that the law firm is her own counsel. Instead, she signed off with a promise of more revelations, writing, “Yet. Stay tuned!”

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{Matzav.com}

The Coast Guard issued an emphatic rejection of a Washington Post story that claimed the service was preparing to stop classifying swastikas, nooses, and similar imagery as prohibited hate symbols. Acting Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday stated plainly, “The claims that the U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses or other extremist imagery as prohibited symbols are categorically false. These symbols have been and remain prohibited in the Coast Guard per policy.”

According to the Post’s reporting, internal documents suggested the Coast Guard — which operates under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) — would soon categorize swastikas and nooses as “potentially divisive” rather than explicitly hateful. The paper said this policy shift would place such imagery in the same category as Confederate flags and would require supervisors to review complaints and consult with legal advisors before directing their removal once the change takes effect on December 15.

DHS blasted the article immediately. One message on X dismissed the piece as an “absolute ludicrous lie and unequivocally false,” while DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin posted, “The @washingtonpost should be embarrassed it published this fake crap.” The department followed with a second post saying, “Y’all are just making things up now.”

The Post reported that under the new guidance, Coast Guard members would have 45 days to report displays of swastikas or nooses. The newspaper also cited the service’s 2019 directives, which already empowered commanders to order the removal of such symbols even if they were not ruled a “potential hate incident.”

That 2019 guidance spelled out examples: “The following is a non-exhaustive list of symbols whose display, presentation, creation, or depiction would constitute a potential hate incident: a noose, a swastika, supremacist symbols, Confederate symbols or flags, and antiSemitic symbols, among many others.” The document added that these symbols are inherently connected to “supremacy, racial intolerance, religious intolerance, or other bias,” and that such imagery can appear in many forms, including images, wording, numbers, clothing, or materials.

The Coast Guard’s newly released policy, published this month, indicates that the term “hate incident” has been retired from official usage. It explains that “conduct previously handled as a potential hate incident, including those involving symbols widely identified with oppression or hatred, is processed as a report of harassment in cases with an identified aggrieved individual, or in accordance with Chapter 11 of this Instruction.” The service emphasized that the new terminology does not alter the prohibition itself.

Adm. Lunday reiterated that principle in his formal response: “The Coast Guard remains unwavering in its commitment to fostering a safe, respectful and professional workplace. Symbols such as swastikas, nooses and other extremist or racist imagery violate our core values and are treated with the seriousness they warrant under current policy.”

Later in the day, however, the Coast Guard told the Post that it was reevaluating the updated language. “We will be reviewing the language,” Coast Guard spokesperson Jennifer Plozai said.

The issue caught congressional attention as well. Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which oversees the Coast Guard, weighed in pointedly: “Lynching is a federal hate crime. The world defeated the Nazis in 1945. The debate on these symbols is over. They symbolize hate. Coast Guard: be better.”