Matzav

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., criticized the Trump administration on Sunday for expanding federal law enforcement operations in Minneapolis, arguing that the effort wastes public money and instills fear in local neighborhoods even as the White House says it is intensifying actions against fraud and illegal immigration.

During an appearance on MS NOW with host Ayman Mohyeldin, Omar addressed the administration’s increased focus on immigration enforcement alongside investigations into a wide-ranging fraud case in Minnesota. She echoed Mohyeldin’s suggestion that officials were reacting to unfounded narratives and said Democrats were being unfairly portrayed.

“They are falling for this because it is a part of this PR that Democrats somehow condone this fraud and corruption,” she said.

Omar also pointed to the period when Elon Musk oversaw the Department of Government Efficiency, saying that effort failed to uncover wrongdoing while causing harm to vulnerable populations.

She further argued that the current administration has not produced new indictments tied to its fraud investigations in Minnesota, despite earlier cases that resulted in charges against dozens of defendants, many of whom were Somali.

“Again, I’m so exhausted in trying to ask, what any of this, you know, information has led to you finding any criminals that you have indicted, that explains why you are wasting so much of our taxpayer resources?” Omar said Sunday.

The Minnesota congresswoman went on to directly criticize the visible presence of federal agents in the state, saying the scale of enforcement has had a damaging effect on residents.

“And also terrorizing our communities in the amount of federal law enforcement agents that you have in the streets of our city and our state,” she said. “There needs to be some sort of justification, and every single case that they have, you know, put in front of us has been a case that has been investigated or adjudicated under the Biden administration.”

Omar’s comments came as Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that the federal government is deploying additional agents to Minnesota. The move follows rising tensions after last week’s fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent during an enforcement operation.

Speaking with Maria Bartiromo on “Sunday Morning Futures,” Noem said DHS plans to send hundreds more personnel to Minneapolis to ensure Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents can operate safely.

“If they conduct violent activities against law enforcement, if they impede our operations, that’s a crime, and we will hold them accountable to those consequences,” she said, referring to confrontations between protesters and federal officers outside an ICE facility and the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building over the weekend.

Demonstrations have since spread beyond Minnesota to cities such as Los Angeles, Portland, and New York. The protests erupted after Good was killed in the incident, which DHS claims occurred when she “weaponized her vehicle” and “attempted to run a law enforcement officer over.” Supporters of Good dispute that account, saying she was trying to flee and that the ICE agent used excessive force.

{Matzav.com}

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a sharp warning to the United States this week amid widening anti-government protests and escalating rhetoric from President Donald Trump, choosing to deliver his message through an unusual channel — his Russian-language account on X — a move analysts say highlights Tehran’s deepening alignment with Moscow as pressure on the regime grows.

In a Jan. 11 post written in Russian, Khamenei declared, “The United States today is miscalculating in its approach toward Iran.” Several hours later, he followed up with another Russian-language message cautioning that the United States had already suffered setbacks due to past “miscalculations” and would face them again as a result of “erroneous planning.”

Ksenia Svetlova, executive director of the Regional Organization for Peace, Economy and Security and an associate fellow at Chatham House, said the decision to use Russian was revealing, even if the wording itself was awkward.

“This is bad Russian,” Svetlova told Fox News Digital. “It seems that it’s translated by Google Translate, not by a human being.” Nonetheless, she said the choice to communicate via Khamenei’s Russian-language platform aligns with the increasingly close relationship between Tehran and Moscow.

The comments came as unrest inside Iran continues to intensify. According to HRANA, a human rights group monitoring the demonstrations, at least 544 people have been killed during protests across the country, with dozens more cases still being examined. The opposition group NCRI has asserted that the true death toll exceeds 3,000, though confirming figures has been difficult due to sweeping internet restrictions imposed by Iranian authorities.

President Donald Trump has been vocal in condemning the violence. Asked whether Iran had crossed a red line, Trump responded, “They’re starting to, it looks like. And they seem to be some people killed that aren’t supposed to be killed. These are violent. If you call them leaders, I don’t know if they’re leaders, or just they rule through violence. But we’re looking at it very seriously,” he said Sunday while speaking aboard Air Force One.

“We’re looking at some very strong options,” he added.

Iranian officials have rejected Washington’s criticism, accusing the United States of meddling in Iran’s internal affairs and warning that any American military action would prompt retaliation against U.S. forces and allies throughout the region.

At the same time, Tehran has indicated it does not want to sever diplomatic contacts entirely. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday that lines of communication remain open between Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff. Axios separately reported that Araghchi reached out to Witkoff over the weekend following Trump’s warnings about potential military steps.

Despite those contacts, analysts say Khamenei’s decision to address Washington in Russian underscores where Iran believes its strongest strategic backing lies.

Russia has emerged as a crucial partner for Tehran, particularly as Moscow depends on Iranian-made drones and other military hardware in its war against Ukraine. That reliance, Svetlova said, means instability inside Iran could have serious repercussions for the Kremlin.

“I think that could be a dramatic effect, because they do depend on Iran — specifically military production, the drones and ballistic missiles,” she said. “They need them to continue their war against Ukraine.”

The relationship has not been without tension inside Iran. Svetlova noted that after the 12-day war with Israel, many Iranians voiced anger at Moscow for failing to offer meaningful support.

“There was a lot of criticism in Iran against Russia that it did not come to help,” she said. “It didn’t reach out. It didn’t do anything, basically.”

Even so, she said Russia’s narrowing list of allies leaves it with few alternatives. With longtime partners weakened or removed, including Bashar al-Assad in Syria and Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, Moscow has grown increasingly dependent on Tehran, even as it has largely avoided commenting on the protests shaking Iran.

In that context, Svetlova said, Khamenei’s Russian-language warning appears intended as a message both to Washington and to Moscow — signaling that Iran views its standoff with the United States as part of a shared front with President Vladimir Putin.

{Matzav.com}

A Republican lawmaker is moving to formally back President Donald Trump’s long-standing push to bring Greenland under U.S. control, introducing legislation that would begin the process toward making the Arctic territory the nation’s 51st state.

Rep. Randy Fine of Florida is unveiling a bill Monday that would give Trump authority “to take such steps as may be necessary” to acquire Greenland and advance it toward incorporation into the United States.

“I think it is in the world’s interest for the United States to exert sovereignty over Greenland,” Fine said in an interview with Fox News Digital.

He stressed that the measure would not bypass Congress’ constitutional role in statehood decisions. “Congress would still have to choose to make it a state, but this would simply authorize the president to do what he’s doing and say the Congress stands behind him. And then it would expedite it into becoming a state, but it would still be up to Congress about whether to do that.”

The renewed discussion comes as Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday that he plans to meet with officials from Denmark this week to address issues related to Greenland.

Trump has openly promoted the idea of the United States purchasing Greenland dating back to his first term in the White House. He and other Republicans have repeatedly cited the island’s strategic military value, its location near Russia, and the presence of critical mineral resources as reasons the U.S. should seek control.

Fine echoed those strategic arguments while also asserting that U.S. governance would improve conditions for Greenland’s residents.

“Their poverty rate is high. Denmark hasn’t treated them well,” Fine said. “When war came to town, Denmark couldn’t protect them. Guess who protected Greenland during World War II? We did.”

Although many Republicans say they understand Trump’s rationale for pursuing Greenland, some in the party expressed unease earlier this month after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to rule out the potential use of military force to obtain the island.

When asked whether he would support military action, Fine emphasized a non-coercive approach. “I think the best way to acquire Greenland is voluntarily.”

He further argued that Greenland’s internal governance and economic conditions make U.S. involvement preferable. “The poverty rate in Greenland is much, much higher than it is in Denmark. The country is run by socialists, and it is not in America’s interests to have a territory that large between the United States and Russia run by socialists,” Fine said.

Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress holds the authority to admit new states. The process generally involves lawmakers first approving legislation to establish a territory, followed by the drafting of a state constitution that must be ratified by local residents.

After that step, Congress must pass another vote to formally admit the new state, with the process completed only once the legislation is signed by the president.

{Matzav.com}

A volunteer host affiliated with a college radio station resigned after law enforcement agencies confirmed they were alerted to a social media post that explicitly called for violence against Vice President JD Vance, Fox News reports.

The post appeared on Bluesky, a social media platform dominated by left-leaning users, and came from an account using the handle hanslopez.bsky.social. In the message, the user wrote, “It’s simple, we kill JD Vance.” The account holder identified himself as a host on WUML, a radio station funded by the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. The comment was posted in response to another Bluesky user who asserted that, “JD VANCE THINKS BRITAIN & FRANCE ARE AMERICAS [sic] LIKELY ENEMIES.”

According to its website, WUML has served as a broadcast outlet for both the UMass Lowell student population and the surrounding Lowell community for more than 60 years.

The station describes itself as follows: “Founded in 1952, WUML functions as a non-commercial FM station located in Lowell, Massachusetts, funded by the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, and fully managed and operated by student members, broadcasting both terrestrially and online.”

After university officials became aware of the post, they contacted law enforcement, the school told Fox News Digital. In a statement, the university detailed the steps taken immediately after discovering the online threat.

“UMass Lowell police promptly coordinated with the FBI, Secret Service and Haverhill police the same day to ensure an appropriate response,” the university said. “Contact was made with the individual in question, and the necessary assessments were conducted in collaboration with federal partners. Authorities confirmed there was no immediate threat.”

The Secret Service separately confirmed to Fox News Digital that it was aware of the online statement. The Haverhill Police Department referred inquiries to the FBI, which declined to issue a comment.

In a follow-up statement, the university emphasized its stance on violent rhetoric. “UMass Lowell takes seriously any threat of violence involving our community. Statements such as the post in question are inconsistent with the values of our democracy and our university,” the school said. “The individual in question has since resigned from his volunteer role at WUML and removed the post from his Bluesky account.”

University officials also disclosed that the individual responsible for the post is a graduate of UMass Lowell.

A review of the Bluesky account shows that multiple posts, including the one targeting Vice President Vance, have since been deleted.

President Trump warned on Monday that the United States could face massive financial consequences if the Supreme Court invalidates his reciprocal tariff program, saying the country would be forced to return enormous sums collected under the policy and could be exposed to additional claims tied to business investments.

“[I]f the Supreme Court rules against the United States of America on this National Security bonanza, WE’RE SCREWED!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

He said a negative ruling would not only require the government to refund tariff revenues already collected, but would also open the door to further financial obligations stemming from investments made by foreign governments and companies seeking to avoid the tariffs.

“The actual numbers that we would have to pay back if, for any reason, the Supreme Court were to rule against the United States of America on Tariffs, would be many Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and that doesn’t include the amount of ‘payback’ that Countries and Companies would require for the Investments they are making on building Plants, Factories, and Equipment, for the purpose of being able to avoid the payment of Tariffs,” he wrote.

Trump argued that once those private-sector investments are factored in, the total exposure could reach staggering levels.

“When these Investments are added, we are talking about Trillions of Dollars! It would be a complete mess, and almost impossible for our Country to pay. Anybody who says that it can be quickly and easily done would be making a false, inaccurate, or totally misunderstood answer to this very large and complex question.”

He continued by saying that even determining the scope and mechanics of any repayment would be extraordinarily difficult.

“It may not be possible but, if it were, it would be Dollars that would be so large that it would take many years to figure out what number we are talking about and even, who, when, and where, to pay. Remember, when America shines brightly, the World shines brightly.”

The Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision as soon as Wednesday on whether Trump had the authority to invoke emergency powers to implement the tariff framework announced last April. That plan included a 10 percent baseline tariff on most imports, along with steeper rates imposed in August on countries running trade surpluses with the United States.

Trump relied on those authorities to pressure major trading partners into making concessions, including commitments to invest in the United States and to reduce barriers facing American exports, while maintaining elevated tariffs on their goods.

Even if the justices strike down the reciprocal tariffs, several other trade measures would remain in place, including tariffs of up to 25 percent on automobiles and 50 percent duties on copper, steel, and aluminum.

Administration officials have said that if the Supreme Court rules against the emergency powers justification, Trump would look to reimpose the reciprocal tariffs using alternative legal grounds.

{Matzav.com}

Hessy Levinsons Taft, a Jewish woman whose baby photograph was once promoted across Nazi Germany as a supposed model of Aryan perfection, died last week at her home in San Francisco, according to a report by The New York Times. She was 91.

Taft was just six months old in 1934 when her parents, Latvian Jewish opera singers living in Berlin, brought her to a studio for a professional portrait. The photographer, Hans Ballin, later submitted the image to a Nazi-sponsored competition seeking the ideal Aryan infant.

The photograph was ultimately chosen by Joseph Goebbels, the regime’s propaganda minister, and featured prominently on the cover of Sonne ins Haus, a publication aligned with Nazi ideology.

From there, the image was reproduced extensively, appearing in magazines, advertisements, postcards, and private homes throughout Germany as a visual endorsement of Nazi racial doctrine.

According to Taft’s obituary in The Times, when her parents confronted Ballin after discovering what had happened, he told them that he was fully aware the child was Jewish and had entered the photo deliberately, intending it as a subversive act to ridicule Nazi racial theories.

In a 2014 interview with Reuters, Taft said she later expressed gratitude to the photographer for taking that risk, even though he himself was not Jewish. “It was an irony that needed to be exposed.”

For her parents, however, the episode was terrifying. Afraid that the truth could lead to their execution, they kept their daughter largely confined indoors and avoided public outings, determined to prevent anyone from uncovering her identity.

Taft eventually made the story public in 1987 through the book Muted Voices: Jewish Survivors of Latvia Remember by Gertrude Schneider. Over time, she came to view the incident with a sense of defiance, describing it as an act of “good revenge.”

Reflecting on it years later, she told Tablet magazine in 2022: “I can laugh about it now, but if the Nazis had known who I really was, I wouldn’t be alive.”

Although the Levinson family was living in Berlin when the photograph was taken, they were not initially subject to Nazi anti-Jewish laws because they were Latvian citizens rather than German nationals.

As the Nazi grip on Germany tightened, the family chose to leave in 1937. Their journey took them through Latvia, Paris, Nice, and Cuba before they ultimately made their way to New York City in 1949.

Taft later pursued a career in science, earning degrees in chemistry from Barnard College and Columbia University. She spent more than three decades at the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey, where she supervised Advanced Placement chemistry exams for high school students.

At 66, she began a new chapter as an adjunct professor at St. John’s University in Queens, where she taught chemistry and conducted research focused on water sustainability.

In 1959, she married Earl Taft, who died in 2021. She is survived by her sister, Noemi Pollack; her two children, Nina and Alex Taft; and four grandchildren.

{Matzav.com}

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the federal government is bleeding hundreds of billions of dollars every year due to waste, fraud, and abuse — money he argues could be redirected to national priorities without increasing taxes or debt.

In an interview with journalist Christopher Rufo that aired Sunday, Bessent said the annual cost of federal mismanagement ranges from $300 billion to $600 billion. He explained that the estimate is grounded in figures from the Government Accountability Office, which has calculated that fraud alone accounts for roughly 10% of the federal budget and between 1% and 2% of gross domestic product.

According to Bessent, even a partial reduction of those losses would unlock significant funding for national defense, aligning with President Donald Trump’s push to rebuild the U.S. military after what the administration views as years of neglect.

“If we can get rid of this waste, fraud, and abuse, we can finance a safer, sounder U.S. … without taking on more debt,” Bessent said during the Rufo interview.

The GAO analysis Bessent cited estimates that fraud costs the federal government between $233 billion and $521 billion each year, based on data collected from fiscal years 2018 through 2022.

Beyond outright fraud, the GAO has also warned about the enormous cost of so-called “improper payments,” a category that includes mistakes, overpayments, and other errors. Over time, those losses have added up to trillions of dollars, underscoring what watchdogs describe as deeply flawed oversight mechanisms in Washington.

Bessent also discussed the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency initiative, which aims to rein in federal waste. While he said he shares Elon Musk’s objective of eliminating inefficiency, he made clear that his strategy differs sharply.

Rather than Musk’s well-known Silicon Valley ethos of “move fast and break things,” Bessent said his philosophy is “move deliberately and fix things,” indicating that Treasury-led probes will focus on meticulous investigations designed to withstand legal scrutiny.

That enforcement-oriented approach is spreading across the administration.

At a White House briefing on Thursday, Vice President JD Vance announced the establishment of a new assistant attorney general position dedicated to pursuing fraud involving taxpayer funds, with authority extending nationwide.

Vance’s remarks came amid growing attention on alleged large-scale fraud operations in Minnesota, which has emerged as a focal point in the national conversation about oversight and accountability in blue-state governments.

Bessent said Minnesota will serve as a testing ground for broader enforcement efforts, adding that the administration plans to “take this … map to the other 49 states,” signaling an aggressive expansion of federal investigations.

The interview also highlighted another major fiscal problem: unpaid taxes.

Internal Revenue Service estimates indicate that the net “tax gap” — the difference between taxes legally owed and those actually collected on time — reached approximately $606 billion for the 2022 tax year.

Bessent’s broader argument is that before Washington looks to raise taxes or increase borrowing, it must first demonstrate that it can clamp down on fraud, inefficiency, and weak enforcement — and then channel recovered funds into essential priorities such as national defense and border security.

{Matzav.com}

A surprising discovery in a kosher poultry package has set off widespread discussion across the kashrus world after a consumer found what appeared to be a gallbladder embedded inside the thigh of a chicken. The unusual finding prompted confusion and concern, raising a fundamental question: How could an organ normally located near the liver end up in the leg and does such a chicken remain kosher?

Rav Yochanan Reichman, a well-known kashrus expert who fields halachic questions from around the world, said he never anticipated the reaction the image would generate. “I never imagined what kind of storm this picture would cause in the rabbinic world in general and in the kashrus world in particular,” he said.

The incident began when a woman opened a package of mehadrin-certified chicken legs in preparation for a Shabbos meal and was startled to find a greenish sac attached inside the thigh. She photographed the finding and sent it to Rabbi Reichman for clarification.

“At first glance, it was very puzzling,” Rabbi Reichman explained. “The gallbladder in a chicken is attached to the liver and sits right next to it, toward the front of the body. The thigh is located at the back, near the pelvis. The distance between the liver and the thigh can be several inches. So how did it get there?”

Recognizing the seriousness of the question, Rabbi Reichman consulted leading experts in shechitah and kashrus systems in Israel and abroad. Among those he turned to was Rav Shaul Askel, a senior shochet and bodek at the Oif Oz slaughterhouse in Shegev Shalom, which operates under strict mehadrin supervision.

What followed was an unexpected wave of inquiries. Rabbonim from Europe and North America—including the Netherlands, Antwerp, Chicago, and New York—requested to see the image themselves. Many noted that they had never previously encountered such a case.

After extensive halachic research and a close examination of the industrial poultry-processing process, a clear explanation emerged.

According to Rabbi Askel, the gallbladder does not grow in the leg. Rather, during automated processing, the internal organs are removed by machines. In many chickens, the gallbladder remains attached not only to the liver but also to ducts that connect to the intestines, which run close to the thigh area. When the machinery pulls the organs free, the gallbladder can detach from the liver while remaining connected to intestinal tissue and fat near the leg, causing it to appear embedded in the thigh.

“There is no change in the organ’s natural location,” Rabbi Askel explained in his written halachic response. “It is a result of the mechanical separation process. The gallbladder is pulled along with surrounding fat and connective tissue and can remain lodged near the thigh.”

From a halachic standpoint, the ruling was unequivocal: the chicken is kosher. There is no concern that the gallbladder changed its place of growth, nor is this a case of an additional gallbladder, which could raise halachic problems. Salting, cooking, or roasting the chicken does not create an issue, provided the gallbladder itself is removed, as usual, to avoid bitterness.

Rabbi Reichman emphasized that while the sight may be unsettling to consumers unfamiliar with poultry anatomy, there is no halachic reason for concern. “This is not a defect, not a sign of treif, and not a reason to discard the chicken,” he said. “Once the facts are understood, the ruling is clear and reassuring.”

{Matzav.com}

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Dear Matzav Inbox,

We love talking about kids and screens. Phones are ruining them. Screens are destroying their attention. Technology is poisoning the next generation.

And then we check our phones.

We tell teens to put their devices away while answering messages during supper. We complain about boys zoning out while scrolling through WhatsApp. We warn about addiction while saying, “I just have to check something quickly,” ten times an hour.

Children learn more from what they see than what they’re told. And what they see is very simple: Adults who can’t sit still without a screen.

A father tells his son to focus while his phone buzzes on the table. A mother lectures about limits while reading messages late into the night. A therapist speaks about self-control while glancing at updates between sessions.

Then we’re shocked when kids don’t take us seriously.

We banned phones. We made rules. We gave speeches. But we never looked in the mirror.

Teenagers aren’t inventing this behavior. They’re copying it. They see adults who are anxious without their phones, distracted during conversations, and irritated when interrupted from scrolling. They hear complaints about “this generation,” while watching the previous one refresh group chats over and over.

We say kids can’t handle responsibility. But how responsible do we look when we can’t leave our phones in another room for an hour?

The problem isn’t that teens love screens. It’s that they grew up watching adults love them first.

If we want our children to have boundaries, we need to show them what boundaries look like. If we want them present, we need to be present. And if we want them to believe that phones are tools—not lifelines—we have to prove it with our own behavior.

Otherwise, all our warnings sound hollow. And kids don’t rebel against hypocrisy. They tune it out.

Dovid Nachman

To submit a letter to appear on Matzav.com, email MatzavInbox@gmail.com

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{Matzav.com}

Amar’e Stoudemire, the former NBA star who has embraced Orthodox Judaism, met Monday night with Rav Dovid Yosef, the Chief Rabbi of Israel, during the Rishon L’Tzion’s trip to Miami.

During their meeting, Rav Yosef offered Stoudemire a warm bracha, encouraging him to persevere in his spiritual path and public example, telling him: “Continue to strengthen yourself and sanctify God’s name in the world of sports.”

The Chief Rabbi also bestowed a special bracha upon Stoudemire’s newborn son, expressing the hope that the child should be raised to a life of Torah, chupah, mitzvos, and maasim tovim.

Stoudemire, who enjoyed a long and accomplished career in professional basketball, has in recent years undergone a personal journey of geirus and growth in Yiddishkeit. He is now known by his Hebrew name, Yehoshafat ben Avraham.

That journey culminated in August 2020, following years of Torah learning in yeshiva, when he formally completed his geirus through the Beis Din Tzedek in Bnei Brak founded by Rav Nissim Karelitz.

He now spends most of his day learning Torah.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said in a recent interview that certain civil rights measures designed to combat racial discrimination ended up unfairly disadvantaging white Americans, particularly in college admissions and hiring, even as he acknowledged that those policies also achieved positive outcomes.

Speaking with The New York Times, Trump argued that some initiatives born out of the civil rights era produced unintended consequences that harmed people who were otherwise qualified for opportunities. “White people were very badly treated, where they did extremely well and they were not invited to go into a university to college,” he said, pointing to affirmative action practices in higher education. “So I would say in that way, I think it was unfair in certain cases.”

Trump added that while those policies helped address historical injustices, they also created new inequities. “I think it was also, at the same time, it accomplished some very wonderful things, but it also hurt a lot of people — people that deserve to go to a college or deserve to get a job were unable to get a job. So it was, it was a reverse discrimination.”

Those comments come as the administration presses forward with a broad effort to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across government and the private sector, framing the push not as an erosion of civil rights protections but as a restoration of equal treatment based on merit.

That approach is increasingly reflected in federal policy decisions.

Last month, the Justice Department announced a final rule revising regulations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, eliminating the use of “disparate impact” liability, a legal theory that allows penalties based on unequal statistical outcomes even without evidence of intentional discrimination.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the move is intended to reaffirm the constitutional requirement that individuals be treated the same under the law, arguing that prior regulations effectively encouraged race-based decision-making by institutions receiving federal funds.

“For decades, the Justice Department has used disparate-impact liability to undermine the constitutional principle that all Americans must be treated equally under the law,” Bondi said in a statement. “No longer. This Department of Justice is eliminating its regulations that for far too long required recipients of federal funding to make decisions based on race.”

{Matzav.com}

Leading rabbinic figures addressed the issue of yeshiva students and the draft on Sunday night at the “Levaker Beheichalo” chinuch conference in Yerushalayim, delivering sharp remarks in support of Torah learners facing increasing pressure from state authorities.

Speaking at the conference, former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel Rav Yitzchok Yosef called for strengthening those immersed in Torah study, particularly at a time when yeshiva students are being targeted. He stressed that Torah learning provides spiritual protection to the Jewish people, especially in times of war.

Referring to recent attacks in southern Israel, Rav Yosef said that terrorists had managed to seize 12 communities, but were stopped from advancing further due to the merit of Torah study. He said that without the protection generated by yeshivos and kollel families, additional cities would have fallen, asserting that the spiritual defense of Torah learners played a decisive role.

Also speaking at the gathering was Moetzes Chachmei HaTorah member and Porat Yosef Rosh Yeshiva Rav Shmuel Betzalel, who shared a personal story about a detained yeshiva bochur from Ponovezh.

Rav Betzalel said that the young man regularly discussed Torah learning with him at the Kosel and was exceptionally knowledgeable in the entire Shas. According to Rav Betzalel, the bochur’s father later informed him that his son had been jailed after arriving three days late to his initial draft summons. “Do you understand what this means?” Rav Betzalel said. “Shas is sitting in prison.”

The conference was organized at the initiative of Yerushalayim Deputy Mayor Tzvika Cohen and was attended by senior members of the Moetzes Chachmei HaTorah, including Rav Moshe Maya and Rav Avraham Salim, along with numerous roshei yeshiva and rabbonim

Among those present were Rav Chaim Cohen of Be’er HaTalmud, Rav Shmuel Beitan of Daas Chaim, Rav Zvi Cohen of Avnei Nezer, Rav Yitzchak Lasri of Eish HaTalmud, Rav Chaim Suissa of Torah V’Daas, and Rav Yisrael Rokach of Mishkan Chaim.

Earlier in the evening, Shas party chairman Aryeh Deri also addressed the conference.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump said Sunday night that he is unaware of any investigation targeting Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, even as the Fed chief disclosed that the Justice Department has subpoenaed the central bank and warned that Powell could face indictment for allegedly misleading Congress.

“I don’t know anything about it, but he’s certainly not very good at the Fed, and he’s not very good at building buildings,” the president told NBC News during a brief interview.

Powell, 72, sent markets reeling late Sunday after issuing a statement acknowledging the subpoenas and confirming that prosecutors have raised the possibility of criminal charges tied to his congressional testimony.

The controversy centers on a massive renovation of the Federal Reserve’s Washington headquarters, a project estimated at $2.5 billion that was first reported by The Post in April. During a June appearance before the Senate Banking Committee, Powell faced pointed questioning over the overhaul, which one former Fed board member derided as “the Palace of Versailles on the National Mall.”

At that hearing, Powell rejected claims that the renovation involved extravagant amenities described in internal planning documents approved in 2021.

“There’s no VIP dining room, there’s no new marble. There are no special elevators,” the Fed chair said under oath June 25. “There are no new water features, there’s no beehives, and there’s no roof terrace gardens.”

In July, Trump and Powell toured the construction site together, appearing side by side in business attire and hard hats as they fielded questions from reporters. During the visit, the two clashed publicly over the true cost of the project, with Powell disputing Trump’s assertion that the price tag had reached $3.1 billion and saying the president was counting expenses related to a separate building.

On Dec. 29, Trump complained that the renovation would exceed $4 billion and threatened legal action against Powell, accusing him of “gross incompetence.”

Trump has repeatedly faulted Powell for moving too slowly to cut interest rates. On Sunday night, Powell suggested the investigation was politically motivated, calling it “a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the president.”

“This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions — or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation,” Powell said.

Trump dismissed that characterization in his NBC interview. “I wouldn’t even think of doing it that way. What should pressure him is the fact that rates are far too high. That’s the only pressure he’s got,” the president said.

“He’s hurt a lot of people,” Trump added. “I think the public is pressuring him.”

Powell’s term as Fed chair expires in May, and Trump is expected to name a successor in the coming weeks. Powell is slated to remain a member of the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors through 2028 after stepping down from the top post.

{Matzav.com}

Israel and Iran narrowly avoided direct military confrontation on two occasions in recent weeks amid mutual misjudgments and Israeli concerns over a potential surprise attack, according to Tamir Hayman, a former head of Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate.

Speaking in an interview Monday with 103FM, Hayman said Iranian military preparations created what he described as a “coordination imperative” between Israel and the United States. He explained that the recent close calls stemmed from heightened risks of miscalculation, a dynamic that has pushed the IDF and U.S. forces into deeper operational coordination.

Hayman said American moves against Iran are already in progress and could expand in several directions, depending on how the situation evolves. These measures, he said, might include information and influence campaigns, cyber operations, covert actions, or, if tensions spiral, open warfare.

“There is no zero action at the moment,” Hayman said, indicating that U.S. pressure efforts are already underway.

He pointed to a surge of unexplained reports, rumors, and circulating videos inside Iran, suggesting they may reflect a coordinated cyber and influence campaign combined with internal disruption and subversion. While conceding that not every incident is necessarily connected, Hayman said the cumulative effect has been growing confusion within Iran’s domestic information environment.

Turning to Iran’s political future, Hayman said developments previously viewed as far-fetched can no longer be ruled out. He cited possibilities ranging from heightened nationalist messaging to more dramatic scenarios, such as an extended revolutionary phase led by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, potentially including a temporary ruler under a military dictatorship.

As long as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei remains in charge, Hayman said, Iran is unlikely to launch a full-scale attack on Israel, given Khamenei’s historically cautious approach. That assessment could change, he warned, if a more aggressive, IRGC-backed figure were to rise to power.

Hayman also reviewed Tehran’s handling of domestic unrest, arguing that attempts at economic relief have failed and that harsh security crackdowns have not succeeded in restoring stability. Under those conditions, he suggested, talks with Washington could become the regime’s only realistic path to easing economic pressure through sanctions relief.

Negotiations, he said, were “not an absurd scenario,” especially if Iran were to offer a dramatic concession on uranium enrichment that might draw the United States into serious talks.

“If the US conducts only a symbolic strike and we are attacked, we will not contain it,” Hayman said. “If Washington mounts a heavy response and our added value is marginal, we should act wisely.”

He stressed that any Israeli military response would be shaped by the scale and character of American action.

On the military front, Hayman said Iran has rebuilt its missile production lines following the Israel–Iran war but has not yet implemented the upgrades it had originally planned. He added that Tehran is now seeking Chinese assistance to significantly expand its manufacturing capacity.

Arguing against launching a new war with Iran at present, Hayman said such conflicts exact a heavy price and force large numbers of Israelis from their homes. Strategically, he said, Israel faces a choice between pursuing regime change or, if conflict becomes unavoidable, reaching a limited arrangement to constrain Iran’s capabilities—though he emphasized that “right now, an agreement is a mistake.”

He closed by outlining scenarios he described as unlikely but plausible, including a harsh IRGC-dominated military regime or a leadership change backed by outside actors. More probable, in his view, are internal reforms designed to reassert control over Iranian society.

The Iranian leadership, he added, continues to portray domestic unrest as the result of U.S. and Israeli interference, urging citizens to rally against external enemies. “There are two million people there whose identities are unclear and who are violent,” he warned, while noting that the regime still retains significant leverage.

{Matzav.com}

Rav Dovid Leibel, president of the Achvas Torah network and a figure involved in the establishment of the chareidi Chashmonaim Brigade, issued a blistering denunciation of extremist activists who broke into a brigade event Sunday night in Bnei Brak.

Addressing the incident, Rav Leibel said, “These are not kannaim and not chareidim. These are thugs who desecrate Hashem’s Name in public; they have no share in the Torah and no share among us.”

He continued with sharp criticism of the protesters’ methods and motives. “They wrap themselves in the cloak of zealotry, but in truth their lives contain nothing but destruction and ruin. The Torah world will not be protected with fists, but through adding goodness and building. I strengthen the hands of the soldiers,” Rav Leibel said.

As previously reported, police were dispatched Sunday night to remove roughly 100 demonstrators from extremist factions who attempted to force their way into a Chashmonaim Brigade conference held in Bnei Brak for parents of soldiers.

According to authorities, the protesters sought to breach the hall and disrupt the event of the newly formed chareidi brigade. Police intervened to disperse the gathering and restore order.

During the attempted break-in, physical confrontations erupted between the demonstrators and security personnel, as well as police officers. Several soldiers sustained minor injuries. The brigade commander, Col. Avinoam Emunah, was evacuated from the scene by police.

In a statement, the IDF spokesperson said: “During an appreciation event for parents of recruits to the Chashmonaim Brigade that took place tonight in the city of Bnei Brak, several protesters broke into the conference hall with the aim of disrupting it. Some of the protesters acted violently toward soldiers and commanders of the brigade.

“Israel Police forces were quickly called to the scene to restore order. The incident has ended. The IDF strongly condemns any manifestation of violence against its commanders and soldiers. Medical checks were conducted for several brigade personnel at the site. No injuries are known.”

A significant development took place Sunday night in efforts to forge a unified chareidi front regarding the emerging draft law. A pivotal meeting was held at the residence of the Sanzer Rebbe in Kiryat Sanz, Netanya, bringing together the Modzitzer Rebbe, Rav Tzvi Rabinowitz, rosh yeshiva of Bais Medrash Elyon of Boyan, and Rav Yaakov Valtzer, secretary of the Agudah’s Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah.

The meeting focused on coordinating the final steps ahead of a mission assigned to the Sanzer and Modzitzer Rebbes: to travel to the homes of Rav Dov Landau and Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch in order to present Agudas Yisroel stance on the so-called Bismuth draft bill and, in particular, to the sanctions it would impose on bnei yeshiva.

The gathering in Netanya followed directly on the heels of the dramatic session of the MAgudah oetzes Gedolei HaTorah held last week at Bais Malka Hall in Yerushalayim. That meeting was attended by the Rebbes of Gur, Belz, Vizhnitz, Sanz, Boyan, Seret-Vizhnitz, and Modzitz. At the conclusion of that assembly, a principled decision was reached to reject any draft legislation that includes sanctions, though the publication of concrete operational steps was deferred “until the appropriate time.”

Against this backdrop, the Moetzes published a sharply worded statement expressing deep disappointment, which appeared in the party-affiliated newspapers Hamodia and Hamevaser. The statement emphasized that any attempt to turn yeshiva students into criminals necessitates a firm and resolute response.

That position was reinforced by a forceful letter from the Slonimer Rebbe, who did not attend the Moetzes gathering but sent pointed remarks that were read aloud to its members. “We will not abandon the halls of the yeshivos under any circumstances,” the Rebbe wrote, making clear his opposition to any law that imposes penalties on those engaged in Torah study.

Attention is now focused on the anticipated meetings between the Chassidic Rebbes and the leading gedolim. The emissaries are expected to urge the leadership of Degel HaTorah to join a coordinated and public stance that will send a clear message to the government that the chareidi public cannot accept legislation that strikes at what it views as the very soul of chareidi Judaism.

President Donald Trump said Sunday that he intends to speak with billionaire Elon Musk about reestablishing internet access in Iran, where authorities have shut down online services for four consecutive days amid widespread anti-government demonstrations.

Responding to questions from reporters about potential involvement by Musk’s company SpaceX, which operates the satellite-based internet system Starlink, Trump said, “He’s very good at that kind of thing, he’s got a very good company.”

Neither Musk nor SpaceX immediately commented when asked about the possibility of providing service.

Access to information from Iran has been severely limited since Thursday, as the government imposed an internet blackout during what has become the most extensive wave of protests against the ruling clerical establishment since 2022.

The relationship between Trump and Musk has fluctuated in recent years, particularly after Musk played a role in financing Trump’s successful presidential campaign and later oversaw sweeping reductions across the federal government.

Their alliance fractured publicly last year when Musk opposed Trump’s signature tax legislation, though recent events suggest the billionaire has reestablished ties with the Trump administration.

Earlier this month, Trump and Musk were spotted dining together at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is scheduled to tour a SpaceX facility in Texas on Monday.

Musk has previously backed efforts to make Starlink available to Iranians as a way to bypass government-imposed restrictions, including during the protests that erupted in 2022. That year, the Biden White House worked with Musk to facilitate Starlink access after Iran was rocked by demonstrations following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody.

Starlink has also been deployed in other conflict zones, including Ukraine, where Musk ordered the service shut down in 2022 during a critical Ukrainian military offensive, according to Reuters.

The current unrest in Iran began on December 28 as protests over soaring prices, before evolving into broader opposition to the clerical leadership that has ruled the country since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Human rights organizations estimate that hundreds of people have been killed since the demonstrations began.

The U.S.-based group HRANA said it has confirmed the deaths of 490 protesters and 48 members of the security forces, with more than 10,600 people arrested over two weeks of unrest. Iranian authorities have not released official casualty figures, and Reuters said it was unable to independently verify the numbers.

{Matzav.com}

Federal prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, a development he confirmed late Sunday in a public statement, marking a sharp intensification of a prolonged challenge to the central bank’s independence.

According to Powell, the inquiry stems from testimony he delivered earlier this year concerning the long-running renovation of Federal Reserve facilities. He addressed the matter in a video message released by the Federal Reserve.

Powell made clear, however, that he believes the investigation fits into a broader effort by the administration of President Donald Trump to exert pressure on the Fed to reduce interest rates.

“This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions — or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation,” Powell said.

Responding to questions from ABC News, a spokesperson for Attorney General Pam Bondi said, “The Attorney General has instructed her U.S. Attorneys to prioritize investigating any abuse of taxpayer dollars.”

Tim Lauer, speaking on behalf of D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, told ABC News, “We do not comment on ongoing investigations.”

President Trump rejected any role in the investigation during a short interview with NBC News on Sunday night.

“I don’t know anything about it, but he’s certainly not very good at the Fed, and he’s not very good at building buildings,” Trump said.

Trump also pointed to current interest rate levels, saying, “What should pressure him is the fact that rates are far too high. That’s the only pressure he’s got,” according to NBC News. “He’s hurt a lot of people,” he added. “I think the public is pressuring him.”

In July, Trump made a highly publicized visit to the Federal Reserve, renewing his demands for lower rates while appearing alongside Powell.

Wearing matching white hard hats, Trump and Powell toured the central bank’s $2.5 billion renovation project. At the time, Trump repeatedly criticized Powell over what he described as excessive construction costs.

The Federal Reserve has said the higher expenses were driven by unexpected increases, noting on its website that the renovation will ultimately “reduce costs over time by allowing the Board to consolidate most of its operations.”

Following the tour, Trump took questions from reporters with Powell standing nearby. During the exchange, Trump asserted that the renovation costs were higher than previously reported, prompting Powell to correct him by explaining that Trump had mistakenly included expenses from an earlier, unrelated project.

Later that month, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican from Florida, sent an initial criminal referral to the Department of Justice, accusing Powell of misleading the Senate Banking Committee in his testimony about the renovation.

Luna alleged that Powell had made false statements regarding the scope and cost of the headquarters project.

On Sunday night, Sen. Thom Tillis, a member of the Senate Banking Committee, posted a statement on X saying, “If there were any remaining doubt whether advisers within the Trump Administration are actively pushing to end the independence of the Federal Reserve, there should now be none.”

Tillis added that he would “oppose the confirmation of any nominee” to the Federal Reserve, including the next chair, until the legal issue is resolved.

Powell’s term as chair of the Federal Reserve concludes in May, though he is expected to remain on the Board of Governors until 2028.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump circulated an image online depicting him as the “Acting President of Venezuela,” drawing attention for its unusual presentation.

The image appeared to be a doctored Wikipedia entry listing Trump as the “incumbent Venezuelan president” as of January 2026, while also noting his real positions as the 45th and 47th President of the United States.

The post surfaced as Trump spoke optimistically about U.S. engagement with Caracas, saying relations with Venezuela’s leadership are progressing smoothly, citing energy cooperation and diplomatic contacts as evidence.

“Venezuela is really working out well. We’re working along really well with the leadership, and we’ll see how it all works out,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One when asked about ties with the new authorities in Caracas following the U.S. operation that removed Nicolas Maduro from power.

Trump said Venezuelan officials had requested that the United States receive a massive oil shipment. “She asked us, can we take 50 million barrels of oil? And I said, yes we can,” he said. “It’s $4 billion, $4.2 billion, and it’s on its way right now to the United States.”

When questioned about a potential meeting with Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, Trump indicated openness to talks. “At some point I’ll meet. Yeah, she’s been very good.”

He also hinted that a sit-down with opposition figure Maria Corina Machado could take place soon. “I hear Tuesday or Wednesday. I look forward to that,” he said.

According to Trump, major energy companies are eager to do business in Venezuela, though he singled out ExxonMobil for criticism. “I didn’t like Exxon’s response,” he said. “They’re playing too cute.”

Addressing concerns from energy firms, Trump said the administration would provide firm assurances. “Guarantees that they’re gonna be safe, that there’s gonna be no problem, and there will be. There’s not gonna be a problem.”

He blamed earlier complications on past U.S. leadership. “They had problems in the past because they didn’t have Trump as a president,” he said.

Trump also alluded to wider regional negotiations, including discussions involving Cuba, though he declined to elaborate. “You’re gonna find out pretty soon,” he said.

In an earlier social media message, Trump declared that Venezuela would no longer be sending “oil or money” to Cuba and said the U.S. military would play a role in ensuring separation between the two nations.

“Venezuela doesn’t need protection anymore from the thugs and extortionists who held them hostage for so many years,” he wrote. “Venezuela now has the United States of America, the most powerful military in the World (by far!), to protect them, and protect them we will,” Trump said.