Feed aggregator

During an exclusive interview with Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic, President Donald Trump discussed the ongoing Signal messaging app controversy involving Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Trump expressed optimism that Hegseth would recover after facing early challenges.

“I think he’s gonna get it together,” Trump said in the Oval Office discussion, published by The Atlantic Monday morning.

“I had a talk with him, a positive talk, but I had a talk with him.”

Trump also voiced continued confidence in national security adviser Mike Waltz, who was implicated in the incident that mistakenly added Goldberg to a Signal chat. Goldberg later published a series of articles accusing Trump officials of mishandling classified material.

Waltz, according to Trump, handled the situation well despite the backlash he endured for mistakenly bringing Goldberg into a private chat about planned strikes on the Houthis in Yemen.

Waltz was “fine” after being “beat up” for the mistaken addition of the reporter to the Signal chat to discuss strikes on Yemen’s Houthi terrorists, Trump told Goldberg.

In light of the mishap, Trump reportedly advised his team afterward with a simple directive:

“Maybe don’t use Signal, OK?”

Hegseth, for his part, has pushed back firmly against accusations, blaming the media for distorting the story and vehemently denying any improper handling of sensitive information.

“We talking about a deceitful and highly discredited so-called journalist who’s made a profession peddling hoaxes time and time again – to including the, I don’t know, the Russia, Russia, Russia, the ‘fine people on both sides’ hoax, or ‘suckers and losers’ hoax: This is a guy that peddles in garbage,” Hegseth said in a sharp denunciation of Goldberg when the story about the Signal group first emerged this spring.

{Matzav.com}

China’s leaders are downplaying the potential impact from U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war, saying they have the capacity to protect jobs and limit damage from higher tariffs on Chinese exports. The briefing Monday by several senior officials of different government ministries appeared aimed at shoring up confidence with promises of support for companies and the unemployed, easier lending conditions and other policies to counter the impact of combined tariffs of up to 145% on U.S. imports from China. It followed a meeting of China’s powerful Politburo last week that analysts said had focused on ways to counter keep growth on track despite slowing exports. “Chinese policymakers are on heightened standby mode,” Louise Loo, lead economist at Oxford Economics said in a a report. She noted that the policies were similar to earlier pronouncements. The status of exchanges, if any, between the White House and Chinese leader Xi Jinping remains unclear. Trump said last week that he’s actively negotiating with the Chinese government on tariffs — while U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said talks have yet to start. Beijing has denied that any such talks were underway, and China has retaliated against Trump’s tariffs by putting 125% import duties on products from the U.S., among other measures. The officials who spoke Monday reiterated China’s rejection of what leaders there call bullying. “They make up bargaining chips out of thin air, bully and go back on their words, which makes everyone see one thing more and more clearly, that is the so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs’ severely go against historical trends and economic laws, impact international trade rules and order and seriously impair the legitimate rights and interests of countries,” said Zhao Chenxin, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s main economic planning agency. The trade war between the world’s two largest economies has the potential to bring on a recession in the U.S., with repercussions across the globe. China has been struggling to recharge its own growth after the job losses and other shocks of the pandemic. Economists at the International Monetary Fund and some investment houses have downgraded their estimates for growth in China this year, to about 4%. Millions of export oriented jobs are at stake. Still, Chinese officials say they believe the economy has the momentum to expand at the target rate of about 5% this year, in line with growth in 2024. Yu Jiadong, a vice minister of Human Resources and Social Security, told reporters in Beijing that a full and objective analysis shows China’s “employment policy toolbox is sufficient.” The government will step up support for companies to help them keep workers and also encourage entrepreneurship among the unemployed, Yu said. China also can manage without energy imports from the United States, said Zhao, the NDRC deputy director. “Enterprises reducing or even stopping energy imports from the United States will have no impact on our country’s energy supply,” he said. China has been gradually cutting its imports of U.S. grains and other farm products, and Zhao said that stopping such purchases would not compromise the food supply. Most grain purchases were for livestock feed and the international market has adequate stocks to make up for any reduction in imports of corn, sorghum, soy and oil from American suppliers, he said. A deputy governor […]

Mugshot-style posters featuring the faces of 100 illegal migrants, along with a list of heinous crimes they are accused of committing, were placed across the White House lawn.

The posters, boldly stamped with the word “ARRESTED,” were spotted early Monday morning lining the driveway to the White House. A White House official told The NY Post that they were put up to highlight some of the most serious offenders arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the first 100 days of President Trump’s new term.

“White House lawn looks a little different this AM,” Trump administration spokesperson Kaelan Dorr posted on X.

“And they say yard signs don’t win elections…”

Each sign prominently displayed the mugshot of an illegal migrant alongside the crimes they allegedly committed, which included “first-degree murder,” “abuse of a child,” “kidnapping …,” “murder,” “[assault] of a child,” and “distribution of fentanyl.”

Every placard also featured the official White House logo at the bottom, lending it an unmistakable stamp of authority.

According to an official speaking to Axios, which was the first outlet to break the story, the posters were deliberately placed in areas where television crews typically set up for live broadcasts to ensure the images would be visible on camera.

{Matzav.com}

Hatzolah of Central Jersey held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday morning to mark the addition of a brand-new, state-of-the-art paramedic vehicle to its fleet. The new vehicle was generously sponsored by Shloimy Heller and friends, l’zecher nishmas Rav Yitzchok Stefansky, z”l. Read the full story on Lakewood Alerts.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that before the “exploding pagers operation” was carried out last year, he was skeptical that the tiny amount of explosives in the rigged pagers would be enough to injure Hezbollah terrorists. Speaking at the JNS conference in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said: “In the third week of September, we learned that Hezbollah had sent three pagers to Iran for scanning. They had this minuscule amount of TNT. When the Mossad guy showed them to me three weeks earlier: ‘I said: ‘Is that really going to do the job?'” “I took it and threw it on the wood panel in my office and it dented it. So I said: ‘Go ahead.'” Netanyahu continued by saying that when he heard Hezbollah was inspecting some of the pagers for explosives, a process that would take only a day, he immediately ordered the launch of the operation.   (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

At a special gathering organized by the “Chelki VeTorasi” movement for working yeshiva graduates, the Slabodka Rosh Yeshiva, Maran Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, sharply criticized the classification and hierarchy that has emerged among some within the chareidi community. He stated emphatically that the label “second-class” for a working chareidi is completely incorrect.

The event, held in Rav Hirsch’s home, brought together rabbanim and organizers of Chelki VeTorasi, a group founded to support yeshiva graduates who have entered the workforce.

During the gathering, Rav Hirsch was asked: “Sometimes, the kollel community and the older shul members label the ‘Chelki’ community as second-class. Should we be concerned about this, or should we just do what is right for us without worrying about how others view us?”

The Rosh Yeshiva responded: “Look, it is not second-class. There’s a major difference between second-class and differences in status, like between a Kohein and a Levi — the Kohein gets called first, the Levi second, and the talmid chacham third. But no one views that as second-class.

“The ben Torah, the kollel yungerman, who doesn’t get the third aliyah doesn’t see himself as second-class because he didn’t get that honor. The Levi who isn’t called first isn’t second-class — he is first-class too. There are levels, yes, but everyone is first-class.”

Rav Hirsch further elaborated: “Of course, someone who learns Torah full-time is on a higher madrigah than a baal habayis (working man), but it is still a higher level within first-class. Like a Kohein and a Levi, a third and a fourth — it’s levels, not classes. The term ‘second-class’ is completely wrong; it implies something invalid. There is no second-class at all. We are all first-class, with different levels within that.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

A Texas judge earlier this month threw out a federal rule that would have capped credit card late fees at $8. The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau finalized the rule last year as part of the Biden administration’s efforts to do away with what it called junk fees. It was paused by the courts before it could take effect. At the time, the CFPB estimated that American families would have saved more than $10 billion in late fees annually had the fees been capped at $8, significantly less than the $32 average. Banks and industry groups argued that the rule didn’t allow card issuers to charge fees high enough to deter late payments and discourage repeat violations. The Texas judge’s ruling earlier this month came a day after a collection of major industry groups and the CFPB under President Donald Trump announced that they had reached an agreement to throw out the rule. Here’s what to know about credit card late fees: What is the average credit card late fee? The average late fee for major issuers has steadily ticked up since the 2010s, going from $23 at the end of 2010 to $32 in 2022, according to the CFPB. WalletHub, which tracks financial data, found the average late fee in 2025 to be $30.50, with the maximum $41. A September 2023 Consumer Reports study estimated that 1 in 5 American adults, or about 52 million people, paid a credit card late fee in the previous year. People with lower incomes pay proportionately bigger fees, according to the CFPB, with the highest burden falling on communities of color and those living paycheck to paycheck. How can consumers avoid the fees? Enrolling in auto-pay for your credit cards can help you avoid making late payments, and there are some credit cards that don’t charge late fees at all (though it’s important to note that these cards may have other fee or penalty structures, or higher interest rates.) Citi Simplicity and the Apple card do not currently charge late fees, and Discover offers a card that will automatically waive the first late fee. It’s also possible to appeal credit card late fees charged by your credit card company by calling them directly. The companies will often reverse the fees, especially if it’s your first late payment. You may also want to consider making payments on your credit card balances during the month. That means you’ll have paid more of the balance by the time the amount comes due, and keeping your balance low relative to your credit limit can improve your credit score. If you’re having trouble making ends meet, you can ask your credit issuers about hardship programs. These are typically available to people affected by job loss, illness or medical conditions, natural disasters, or other emergencies. What was the CFPB credit card late fee cap rule about? Concerned that credit card companies were building a business model based on high penalties, Congress passed the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 (CARD Act), which banned the companies from charging excessive late fees and established clearer disclosures and consumer protections. In 2010, the Federal Reserve Board of Governors voted to issue a regulation implementing the CARD Act, which said that banks could only charge fees to recover costs associated with late payment. However, the rule included […]

Marking the end of the shivah for the Rosh Yeshiva of Kisei Rachamim, Rav Meir Mazuz zt”l, a moving gathering took place at his gravesite for the unveiling of his matzeivah.

Admirers and talmidim, led by family rabbanim, including Rav Tzemach Mazuz and Rav Yitzchak Barda, president of Mosdos Yitzchak Yiranen, assembled for the solemn event ahead of the official hakamas matzeivah ceremony, which is scheduled to take place today.

According to the stirring wishes laid out in the Rosh Yeshiva’s will, the following deeply emotional inscription was requested to be engraved upon his matzeivah:

פ”נ

המזוכך ביסורין ר’ מאיר בן כמאסאנה והרה”ג ר’ מצליח מאזוז זצ”ל

מייסד וראש ישיבת “כסא רחמים” בתוניס

נלב”ע ביום כ”א לחודש ניסן בשנת תשפ”ה – “ואני קרבת אלקים לי טוב”

ת.נ.צ.ב.ה.

United Hatzolah took delivery today of a new ambulance donated in memory of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas hy”d, who were murdered in Hamas captivity.

Pakistan Army Aviation Corps helicopters were spotted flying low over towns near the Indian border earlier today.

Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif says a military incursion by India is imminent.

The IDF conducted their first operational use of the new Bar rockets, developed by Elbit, in southern Gaza, with the 282nd Artillery Regiment employing the rockets’ advanced navigation mechanism to swiftly strike targets in challenging combat environments during the ongoing offensive against Hamas.

Red Eléctrica, Spain’s national power grid operator, described the widespread blackout affecting Spain, Portugal, and parts of France as “exceptional and extraordinary,” projecting full power restoration within 6-10 hours, while withholding speculation on the cause pending an ongoing investigation.

Tom Homan sends strong message to anyone harboring criminal aliens from ICE: “You don’t have to support ICE’s operations…. But when you cross that line to impediment or knowingly harboring an illegal from ICE, you will be prosecuted. Judge or not.”

TOM HOMAN: “I started in Border Patrol in 1984. I’ve been at this for over 40 years. I’ve worked for 6 presidents. Every president I ever worked for took border security seriously because you can’t have strong national security without border security.”

Border Czar Tom Homan compares numbers at the border between Joe Biden and President Trump.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announces President Trump will be signing an Executive Order today cracking down on sanctuary cities: “President Trump will sign an Executive Order on Law and Order, and another on sanctuary cities.”

The deadly explosion at Iran’s Shahid Rajaee port reportedly killed 46 people and left 138 hospitalized, with the Interior Ministry summoning “some culprits” for alleged negligence, though specific details about the cause remain undisclosed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a surprise three-day ceasefire from May 8-10, coinciding with Moscow’s World War II Victory Day commemorations.