Podcasts about The Jerusalem Post

PRESS REVIEW – Monday, June 30: The heatwave across Europe is making international headlines, with Spain and Portugal recording record temperatures. Next, settler violence is escalating amid what Haaretz calls a "West Bank pogrom". Also, The Washington Post tells the bittersweet story of a seven-year-old girl's last midsummer Christmas. Finally, we test if our anchor can differentiate an AI-generated video from a real one. The sizzling heatwave is making headlines across Europe. The Financial Times reports that Spain, Greece, Italy, France, Portugal and the UK have all been experiencing "unusually high temperatures" in recent days. British daily The Guardian reports that, in the UK, the heatwave could result in the "hottest ever start to Wimbledon". By Tuesday, temperatures in some parts of England are expected to reach 35°C. France isn't being spared from the heat. French daily Courrier Picard reports that 84 departments have been placed under orange heatwave alert. French left-wing Libération's headline reads “Heatwave: fire at home”. The paper reports from Aubervilliers – a northern suburb of Paris – where many people live in concrete buildings that retain heat and aren't equipped with air conditioning. Some apartments can reach 40°C inside when it's 30°C outside. Further south, Portuguese paper Diario de Noticias writes that Portugal reached a new heat record yesterday: 46.6°C was recorded in the region of Evora, in the centre of the country. That's the highest temperature ever recorded in Portugal in the month of June. A record was also broken in Spain, where the mercury reached 46°C in El Granado, Andalusia, the Spanish daily El Pais reports. That's almost one degree more than the previous record set in 1965.  We turn next to the West Bank, where violence has been escalating in the past few days. Last week, settlers set fire to Palestinian property and over the weekend, the IDF said they had detained Israeli settlers in the occupied territory after they attacked security forces. Israeli left-wing paper Haaretz reports that settlers rioted and attempted to break into an army base, after a 14-year-old Israeli was shot, possibly by the IDF. The officer involved said there was another riot, in which rocks were thrown at his vehicle. He shot into the air, thinking the rioters were Palestinian. Right-wing Israeli paper The Jerusalem Post writes that "Violent Jewish settlers are a moral and strategic liability". It says the last thing the country needs, amid the war with Iran and in Gaza, is IDF soldiers having to fight "Jewish extremists". Haaretz says that a "Quiet, West Bank pogrom" is in progress. The paper says that the condemnation of the attacks has been "very weak" and that it was only a matter of time before the settlers would start attacking Israeli soldiers "who prevent them from carrying out their wicked schemes against Palestinians".  Turning to the US, we bring you a bittersweet story reported by The Washington Post. A community in the DC region decorated dozens of houses for Christmas in the middle of summer. They did it to put a smile on the face of a little girl with terminal cancer who might not make it to December. The paper writes that in a period filled with global and local crises, the community felt grateful "to do something tangible" and help the family and little Kasey "find a moment of happiness in the face of a certain tragedy". And it certainly worked: she even got to meet Santa.   Finally, as artificial intelligence keeps progressing, it's getting almost impossible to differentiate an AI-generated video from a real one. The New York Times has generated several AI videos and put them together with real ones to create an online quiz. We test the skills of our presenter.  You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday.

Back this week with one final, somewhat nautical episode to round out the month of June. This week we're talking about the Great Flood of Noah's Ark fame. It's one of the best known bible stories. But did you know, it doesn't end there? Almost every other major culture or religion that we know of has almost the same flood myth. The ancient Babylonians, the Greeks, Hindu, Buddhist, Aztec, Chinese, Norse, Aboriginal Australian, various Native Americans groups, and the list goes on and on. This story is everywhere. But is it just a freakishly common legend, a recurring myth meant to teach a lesson, or did it actually happen? Let's fix that. Support the show! Join the Patreon (patreon.com/historyfixpodcast)Buy some merchBuy Me a CoffeeVenmo @Shea-LaFountaineSources: National Center for Science Education "Yes, Noah's Flood May Have Happened, But Not Over the Whole Earth"ABC News "Evidence Noah's Biblical Flood Happened, Says Robert Ballard"How Stuff Works "The Great Flood: More Than a Myth?" The Jerusalem Post "Durupinar Formation radar scans reveal hidden structures associated with Noah's Ark"PBS Independent Lens "A Flood of Myths and Stories"Wikipedia "Black Sea Deluge Hypothesis"Columbia University Record "Noah's Flood: Evidence of Ancient Disaster is Linked to Biblical Legend"Mini Museum "Revisiting the Black Sea Deluge Hypothesis"World History Encyclopedia "First Wave/Earliest Civilizations"Shoot me a message!

Newt talks with Yaakov Katz, former editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post, about President Trump's decision to deploy B-2 bombers to strike Iranian nuclear facilities, leading to a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Their discussion examines the implications of these bombings on Middle Eastern geopolitics, Israel's military strategy, and the potential for lasting peace. Katz highlights the historic nature of the U.S. and Israeli military actions, the strategic dismantling of Iran's nuclear capabilities, and the broader impact on regional stability. They also talk about the challenges of achieving regime change in Iran, the role of Sunni Arab states, and the future of Gaza post-conflict. Katz emphasizes the need for a new governing entity in Gaza and the importance of deradicalization for lasting peace.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jerusalem Post military correspondent Yonah Jeremy Bob, co-author of Target Tehran: How Israel Is Using Sabotage, Cyberwarfare, Assassination—and Secret Diplomacy—to Stop a Nuclear Iran and Create a New Middle East, explains how Israel coordinated hundreds of strikes and infiltrations across Iran, what the U.S. MOP strike on Fordow actually accomplished, and why Netanyahu's longtime caution gave way to a high-stakes gamble. He also delves into internal Israeli debates over assassinating Khamenei, the strategy behind targeting Iran's domestic enforcers, and why the Iranian nuclear threat is now both diminished and more unpredictable Plus: Mamdani's cheerful radicalism, Cuomo's glower, and a reminder that aspirational politics can veer into Theranos territory. Produced by Corey WaraProduction Coordinator Ashley KhanEmail us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠thegist@mikepesca.com⁠⁠⁠⁠To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠ad-sales@libsyn.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to The Gist: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠GIST INSTAGRAM⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow The Gist List at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Pesca⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tucker Carlson has been at the center of several high-profile media and political moments over the past few days. One of the most widely discussed developments was a heated interview between Carlson and Senator Ted Cruz, featured on Carlson's own show. During their exchange, Carlson pressed Cruz on the U.S. role in the ongoing strikes against Iran, challenging the senator to clarify whether the United States was at war with Iran or simply supporting Israeli actions. The spat quickly went viral, especially after Cruz accused Carlson of selectively editing the interview to create a “gotcha” moment and criticized Carlson's foreign policy views as “hardcore isolationist.” Cruz responded at length on his own podcast, “Verdict with Ted Cruz,” where he asserted that while he and Carlson agree on much, Carlson has “gone off the rails” when it comes to foreign policy. This exchange has drawn significant attention, amplifying debates within the conservative movement between interventionist and isolationist factions, with Cruz trying to carve out what he called a “non-interventionist hawk” position.Carlson's recent commentary has also generated international reaction. The Jerusalem Post ran a prominent opinion piece describing him as one of the most influential proponents of “replacement theology”—a term used in theological and political debates about Israel—and labeling him a dangerous voice when it comes to criticism of Israel. The article spotlighted his growing influence among American conservatives and his ability to stir controversy in U.S. foreign policy debates. This follows a pattern of Carlson's recent programming, which frequently addresses topics surrounding Christianity, Israel, and geopolitics.On the business side, Carlson continues to expand his independent media ventures following his exit from Fox News. He remains active with The Tucker Carlson Network, producing frequent shows and interviews available on his own website, tuckercarlson.com, and various podcast platforms. Recent episodes have included Q&A segments with audience members and interviews with guests like journalist Glenn Greenwald and author Vince Everett Ellison. Carlson is positioning his network as a home for what he calls “defending the truth” and offers community memberships for exclusive content.He remains a persistent presence in public discourse. Carlson is often cited in major debates about conservative strategy and the direction of the Republican party, especially as the 2024 presidential election approaches. His remarks and interviews continue to be heavily scrutinized and discussed on social media, and his platforms give him considerable reach even outside traditional television.There has been no major legal news or lawsuits involving Carlson in the past few days, nor has he announced any new partnerships or media deals; the focus remains on his content and the reactions he sparks. His influence remains a recurring topic within both conservative and liberal circles, as political figures and media analysts debate whether Carlson's assertive style and positions are shifting the boundaries of mainstream discourse or simply reflecting deeper divides in American politics.Thank you for listening to the Tucker Carlson News Tracker podcast and don't forget to subscribe. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai.

PRESS REVIEW – Monday, June 23: First, we look at global front pages reacting to US President Donald Trump's intervention in Iran. Next, papers are divided over the US bombing of Iran – it's an "illegal" act for some, but an opportunity for peace for others. Meanwhile, the Iranian press condemn Trump's move, saying the US "will pay". Finally, we look at illustrators' takes on the ongoing war. The news that the US has struck Iran's nuclear sites is making front pages worldwide. Spanish daily La Vanguardia headlines with "Trump goes to war". British paper The Financial Times writes that "Trump declares victory with massive air strikes". It then quotes Trump, who says that the US is "not at war with Iran but with its nuclear programme". "The gamble of the bombs", reads the headline in French conservative newspaper La Croix. The paper says that the attack marks a new phase in the ongoing conflict. Israeli right-wing daily The Jerusalem Post writes that "History remembers those who stand tall". The paper says that Israel and the US stand "shoulder to shoulder in defence of the free world". French left-wing paper L'Humanité takes the opposing view, with an apocalyptic front page of the bombings entitled "Peace according to Trump". The paper says that the latest actions are plunging the Middle East into chaos. Inside, papers are also reacting differently to Trump's decision to intervene. An editorial in the British daily the Guardian says that Trump's bombing is "an illegal and reckless act" and that "the world is likely to pay a steep price". The paper says that Trump's move is "handy for leaders like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping" who might want to carry out similar attacks. And although an immediate crisis in the Middle East "can be contained", the cost of his reckless act may not be fully felt and understood "for decades". Belgian left-wing paper Le Soir writes "Here lies the international order, blown up by the law of the strongest", adding that it isn't clear at all what's next. A column in Politico says that the strikes are showing us what kind of president Trump actually is. Politico says it's "hard to define Trump's foreign policy" because he has made many "contradictory moves". The paper says his latest decision shows that he is in a phase where he's willing to take "enormous risks with little concern about the blowback".  However, some analysis pieces are defending and praising Trump's move. The New York Times has an opinion piece entitled "Trump's courageous and correct decision". The article says that many US presidents have promised they will stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, but it was Trump who demonstrated that "those pledges were not hollow". The columnist writes calls it "a courageous and correct decision that deserves respect, no matter how one feels about the president". The Wall Street Journal has a similar opinion piece entitled "Trump meets the moment on Iran". It says that his actions "spare the world from an intolerable risk", adding that it creates "an opportunity for a more peaceful Middle East". The US intervention is of course the major story in the Iranian press, with all the papers condemning the move. "You will pay" writes the state-controlled Tehran Times – that's what Iran vowed after the US officially entered the war. According to the paper, Trump is wrong about the effectiveness of his attack. Iranian state-owned channel Press TV quotes the country's foreign minister, who says that the US attacks "mark an unprecedented collapse in international relations", warning that this could have "disastrous consequences". The opposition website Iran Wire reports on a division that's forming in Iran – hardline Iranian officials are calling for retaliation against the US, while many citizens blame their own government and its nuclear ambitions for bringing the war to Iran.  Finally, we look at illustrators and their cartoons in Cartoon Movement following the US strikes on Iran.  You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday.

Attention à ne pas crier victoire trop tôt… C'est ce que souligne le Washington Post après les frappes américaines sur les principaux sites nucléaires iraniens. « “Mission accomplie“, avait déclaré George Bush, en mai 2003, un mois après l'invasion de l'Irak », rappelle le journal. On se souvient de ce qui avait suivi. Tout comme son prédécesseur, Donald Trump crie victoire… Attention donc, prévient le Washington Post, « l'attaque contre l'Iran était certes audacieuse mais les conséquences pourraient être désastreuses » En effet, pointe Le Temps à Genève, « il paraît bien naïf de croire qu'il suffit de recourir à la force pour résoudre une fois pour toutes un problème nucléaire iranien qui empoisonne la communauté internationale depuis près d'un quart de siècle. (…) Le risque majeur est de voir l'Iran quitter le Traité sur la non-prolifération des armes nucléaires et développer la bombe atomique en catimini. Le régime des mollahs, personne n'en doute, est groggy. Il n'a pas de soutien populaire et dispose de très peu d'options en guise de représailles. Mais il ne va pas jeter l'éponge si facilement. Il pourrait bien recourir à ce qu'il a maîtrisé le mieux au cours des quatre décennies qui ont suivi la révolution de 1979 : la capacité de nuisance ». Le trajectoire nord-coréenne ? Attention, prévient également Le Figaro, à Paris, « Trump espère que sa démonstration de force suffira et qu'il ne sera pas entraîné dans un de ces longs conflits asymétriques où ses prédécesseurs ont tant perdu. Il décrit une opération ciblée et limitée que Téhéran aurait tort de prendre pour une déclaration de guerre ou une volonté de renverser le régime. Mais on ne peut clore un chapitre – celui du programme nucléaire iranien, supposément “anéanti“ – sans en ouvrir un autre ». Celui des représailles… Alors, s'interroge Le Figaro, « l'Iran des mollahs est-il prêt à aggraver son cas en cédant à ce réflexe ? Il dispose d'une autre voie, moins spectaculaire, mais aussi inquiétante à long terme : se retirer du traité de non-prolifération, passer totalement à la clandestinité et suivre la trajectoire nord-coréenne – qui a doté Pyongyang d'une soixantaine de bombes atomiques. Après son coup d'éclat, Trump doit encore travailler à la victoire ». Questions… « À ce stade, résume Le Soir à Bruxelles, rien ne permet d'estimer ou d'affirmer que la paix est au bout de ce chemin américano-israélien balisé par les bombes ». Et pour le quotidien belge, on entre dans l'inconnu : « le régime iranien va-t-il tomber ? La capacité nucléaire de l'Iran est-elle anéantie ? Les bases américaines au Moyen-Orient, leurs intérêts dans le monde et sur leur propre sol sont-ils menacés ? Quel nouvel équilibre géopolitique va émerger ? Le monde risque-t-il d'être entraîné dans la guerre ? Personne ne peut répondre à ces questions ». Ce qui est sûr, s'exclame Le Temps à Genève, c'est que « les bombardements de samedi ont fait deux victimes de choix : la diplomatie et le droit international ». Une opportunité ? Certains journaux se posent moins de questions et applaudissent l'intervention américaine… « Trump a fait preuve de courage et de capacité stratégique », affirme ainsi Die Welt à Berlin. « S'ils avaient laissé les mollahs continuer, les États-Unis auraient perdu leur pouvoir de dissuasion face aux États expansionnistes de Chine et de Russie. Avec son intervention audacieuse en Iran, Trump corrige les erreurs de ses prédécesseurs Biden et Obama, dont les politiques de faiblesse en Afghanistan et en Syrie ont entraîné une perte significative de crédibilité pour les États-Unis ». Pour le Wall Street Journal, à New-York, « la décision du président Trump de frapper les trois principaux sites nucléaires iraniens samedi a contribué à débarrasser le monde d'une grave menace nucléaire et a constitué un grand pas vers le rétablissement de la dissuasion américaine. Elle crée également une opportunité pour un Moyen-Orient plus pacifique, si les nations de la région veulent bien la saisir ». Enfin, veut croire le Jerusalem Post : « une nouvelle aube s'est levée. Les israéliens n'ont jamais été autant en sécurité depuis une génération ».

Ya'akov Katz and I get into the dramatic overnight developments in the Middle East and brace for the possible scenarios that may unfold. We discuss the US military action, Iranian retaliation so far, and how this global conflict may escalate, or resolve.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriberYaakov Katz is an Israeli-American author and journalist. Between 2016 and 2023, Yaakov was editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post where he continues to write a popular weekly column.He is the author of three books: “Shadow Strike – Inside Israel's Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power”, “Weapon Wizards—How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower” and “Israel vs. Iran: The Shadow War.”Prior to taking up the role of editor-in-chief, Yaakov served for two years as a senior policy adviser to Naftali Bennett during his tenure as Israel's Minister of Economy and Minister of Diaspora Affairs.In 2013, Yaakov was one of 12 international fellows to spend a year at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University.Originally from Chicago, Yaakov has a law degree from Bar Ilan University. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Chaya and their four children.Find Yaakov Katz on X @yaakovkatz This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

La presse internationale se réveille groggy. Hier encore, elle s'interrogeait sur la période de deux semaines que s'était donné Donald Trump pour prendre une décision quant à d'éventuelle frappes en Iran, et mettait en avant ses réticences à engager les États-Unis dans un nouveau conflit. Aujourd'hui, c'est chose faite et la photo de Donald Trump s'exprimant derrière un pupitre aux couleurs de l'Amérique fait la Une des journaux. « Trump affirme que les principales installations nucléaires iraniennes ont été totalement détruites par les frappes américaines », titre le Washington Post. « L'Iran, tyran du Moyen-Orient, doit maintenant faire la paix », a ajouté le président américain. « Les États-Unis entrent en guerre contre l'Iran » écrit de son côté le New York Times, qui précise : « dans toute la région, où plus de 40 000 soldats américains sont stationnés, sur des bases et des navires de guerre, les frappes américaines inaugurent une période d'alerte maximale, le Pentagone s'attend à des représailles quasi certaines de la part de l'Iran ». Ce que confirme le ministre iranien des Affaires étrangères, cité par le Jerusalem Post et le Times of Israël. Abbas Araghchi, « a prévenu que les attaques américaines contre les sites nucléaires de l'Iran, auraient des conséquences sans fin » et il a assuré « que l'Iran se réservait toutes les options pour riposter ». L'Iran qui a lancé ce matin plusieurs dizaines de missiles sur Israël. Succès Israël où le Premier ministre se félicite de l'attaque américaine. Benyamin Netanyahu qu'on voit, lui aussi, s'exprimer derrière un pupitre officiel. Il est notamment à la Une du Jerusalem Post, qui titre : « Netanyahu félicite Trump et les États-Unis ». « Le président Trump dirige courageusement le monde libre », a ajouté le Premier ministre israélien. « C'est un ami formidable d'Israël, un ami sans égal ». Pour le Jerusalem Post, pas de doute, l'attaque américaine est « non seulement un succès militaire mais aussi un succès diplomatique », c'est « un nouveau sommet dans la coopération entre les États-Unis et Israël. » Menaces iraniennes Côté iranien, le Tehran Times publie une déclaration de l'Agence de l'Énergie Atomique Iranienne. L'agence iranienne parle d'une « attaque brutale », « contraire au droit international, et en particulier au Traité de non-prolifération nucléaire ». « On attend », poursuit l'Agence de l'Énergie Atomique Iranienne, « que la communauté internationale condamne cette anarchie basée sur les lois de la jungle et qu'elle soutienne l'Iran, dans ses droits légitimes ». L'agence de presse Mehr News Agency, elle, annonce « une nouvelle vague de frappes aériennes, en représailles contre Israël ». Dans une dépêche publiée ce matin, l'agence de presse précise que Téhéran a lancé « un avertissement sévère, assurant que tout pays qui fournirait au régime israélien du matériel militaire de quelque nature que ce soit, serait considéré comme complice de l'attaque contre l'Iran ». Les États-Unis figurent sans aucun doute en bonne place sur la liste des mollahs. Colère des démocrates américains L'attaque américaine fait aussi la Une des journaux européens. Le Sunday Times publie la carte des sites visés par les États-Unis, avec notamment le fameux site souterrain de Fordo, que seules les forces américaines étaient en capacité d'atteindre. Un croquis donne une idée de la forme des chasseurs qui ont bombardé l'Iran, une forme aérodynamique… des chasseurs qui peuvent larguer des dizaines de bombes.  À Londres, encore, le Guardian met l'accent sur les démocrates américains qui ont ouvertement dénoncé l'attaque américaine. Il s'agit de l'ancien candidat à la présidentielle Bernie Sanders et de Ro Khanna, un député démocrate. « Trump a frappé l'Iran sans l'autorisation du Congrès », accuse ce député. Et il ajoute « nous devons immédiatement retourner à Washington et voter pour empêcher l'Amérique d'être entraînée dans une nouvelle guerre sans fin au Moyen-Orient ». Bernie Sanders, lui, a qualifié l'attaque « d'alarmante et tellement inconstitutionnelle ».   Dangereuse escalade Enfin en France, Libération parle d'une « opération mûrie et répétée depuis des années ». Ce sont plus précisément les propos de Brett McGur, ancien haut responsable des missions Moyen-Orient à la Maison-Blanche. Sur CNN, il a donc expliqué que l'attaque américaine avait été murement réfléchie. Il affirme aussi « que cette option s'est transmise d'une présidence à l'autre, avec l'espoir qu'elle n'aurait pas à servir. Mais aujourd'hui », reconnaît-il, « elle a servi ». Enfin, le Monde rappelle que les États-Unis ont également menacé l'Iran. « Il reste d'autres cibles », a remarqué Donald Trump. « Si on n'arrive pas rapidement à la paix, elles seront aussi visées, rapidement, avec précisions et efficacité ». Une escalade qui inquiète l'ONU. Le secrétaire général des Nations unies parle même « d'une dangereuse escalade, qui représente une menace directe pour la paix et la sécurité dans le monde ». Déclaration faite alors que ce matin, Israël et l'Iran échangent de nouveau les tirs de missiles. 

Israel has launched direct strikes inside Iran against its nuclear program, military leaders, and nuclear scientists. These events were predicted in detail more than a year-and-a-half ago in the book TARGET TEHRAN by Yonah Jeremy Bob, Senior Military and Intelligence Analyst for The Jerusalem Post, and fellow journalist Ilan Evyatar.Bob and Evyatar anticipated and warned of this precise escalation: Mossad's covert operations on Iranian soil, the doctrine of preemptive self-defense, and the strategic urgency surrounding Iran's nuclear and regional ambitions. Over two pages in TARGET TEHRAN the authors described a massive air assault on Iran carried out in three waves by more than one hundred Israeli aircraft and a similar number of drones. They detailed the routes taken, the types of aircraft and weapons involved, and the targets-Iran's heavy water reactors, uranium conversion plants, research reactors and other facilities involved in Iran's nuclear weaponization experiments. They addressed the questions of casualties and revenge attacks as well. TARGET TEHRAN serves as a live roadmap to what is unfolding right now.Being on the ground in Israel, with access to high-level military and government sources and classified top secret briefings, Evyatar is qualified to discuss other potential targets that Israel might hit. He can also offer detailed, up-to-the-minute insight into the current context of the conflict between Israel and Iran, and what it bodes for the future.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-like-it-s-live--4113802/support.

Cleverer Präventivschlag oder ordinärer Angriffskrieg mit Flächenbrandpotential?Ein Standpunkt von Wolfgang Effenberger.In der Nacht zum Freitag, den 13. Juni 2025, startete Israel einen Großangriff auf den Iran. Am Morgen des 13. Juni verkündete der israelische Premierminister Benjamin Netanjahu in einer bei X veröffentlichten Videobotschaft, dass vor wenigen Augenblicken Israel mit der Operation 'Rising Lion' (1) eine gezielte Militäroperation eingeleitet habe, „um die iranische Bedrohung für das Überleben Israels zurückzudrängen. Diese Operation wird so viele Tage andauern, wie nötig sind, um diese Bedrohung zu beseitigen. Jahrzehntelang haben die Tyrannen in Teheran unverfroren und offen zur Vernichtung Israels aufgerufen." (2)Er sprach von einem "sehr erfolgreichen Eröffnungsschlag", in dem die "Herzstücke Irans getroffen wurden “ (3). Ihre völkermörderische Rhetorik hätten die Iraner mit einem Programm zur Entwicklung von Atomwaffen untermauert. Das israelische Militär bestätigte einen "präventiven, präzisen und kombinierten Angriff auf das iranische Atomprogramm". Laut israelischen Angaben sollen dabei hochrangige iranische Militärs getötet worden sein.Der israelische Staatspräsident Izchak Herzog hat den Großangriff auf den Iran mit einer existenziellen Bedrohung des jüdischen Volkes begründet. Der israelische Armeesprecher Effie Defrin sagte, Israel habe zuletzt Anzeichen identifiziert, dass der Iran „erhebliche Fortschritte in Richtung nuklearer Fähigkeiten gemacht“ habe. „Das iranische Regime galoppiert in Richtung einer Atombombe“, sagte er. (4) Israels Belege für die Behauptung sind nicht bekannt – der Iran hatte Israels Vorwürfe stets dementiert.Bekannt ist vielmehr, dass die Vereinigten Staaten noch mitten in Verhandlungen mit Iran über eine friedliche Beilegung des Atomkonflikts steckten; die nächste Verhandlungsrunde war – auf Seiten der USA unter Führung des Sondergesandten Steve Witkoff – für den 15. Juni 2025 in Oman geplant.Nur wenige Stunden vor Israels Angriff hatte US-Präsident Donald Trump bekräftigt: „Wir setzen uns weiterhin für eine diplomatische Lösung der Atomfrage ein! Meine ganze Regierung ist angewiesen, mit Iran zu verhandeln.“ (5)Dessen ungeachtet flog die israelische Luftwaffe in mehreren Wellen hatte verschiedene Ziele im Iran angegriffen, darunter Einrichtungen im Zusammenhang mit Atomenergie (Atomanlage Natanz), Verteidigung (Hauptquartier der Revolutionsgarden in Teheran), Ölanlagen in Täbriz sowie städtische Zentren und infrastrukturelle Ziele. (6) Dazu kamen gezielte Tötungen hochrangiger Militärs und Atomwissenschaftler. (7) Die israelische Führung sprach von einem „Präventivschlag“ gegen mehr als 100 Ziele im Iran, darunter zentrale Anlagen des Atomprogramms und militärische Einrichtungen. (8)Zwei Tage später hieß es in der New York Times unter Verweis auf eine ganze Reihe westlicher Experten, (9) dass es Israel nicht darum gegangen sei, den Bau einer Atombombe zu verhindern, sondern vielmehr darum, den Verhandlungsprozess zum Scheitern zu bringen. Als eine Bestätigung für die Einschätzung wird gesehen, dass Israel in der ersten Angriffswelle Ali Shamkhani umbrachte; dieser hatte keine militärische Funktion inne und galt auf iranischer Seite als führender Kopf bei den Nuklearverhandlungen. (10)Kaum vorstellbar, dass Trump nicht über diesen wirkmächtigen Angriff informiert war. Ein israelischer Regierungsbeamter hat nach Angaben der Jerusalem Post mitgeteilt, dass es „eine vollständige und lückenlose Koordination mit den Amerikanern“ gab. (11)... https://apolut.net/israelischer-grossangriff-auf-den-iran-von-wolfgang-effenberger/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israel has launched direct strikes inside Iran against its nuclear program, military leaders, and nuclear scientists. These events were predicted in detail more than a year-and-a-half ago in the book TARGET TEHRAN by Yonah Jeremy Bob, Senior Military and Intelligence Analyst for The Jerusalem Post, and fellow journalist Ilan Evyatar.Bob and Evyatar anticipated and warned of this precise escalation: Mossad's covert operations on Iranian soil, the doctrine of preemptive self-defense, and the strategic urgency surrounding Iran's nuclear and regional ambitions. Over two pages in TARGET TEHRAN the authors described a massive air assault on Iran carried out in three waves by more than one hundred Israeli aircraft and a similar number of drones. They detailed the routes taken, the types of aircraft and weapons involved, and the targets-Iran's heavy water reactors, uranium conversion plants, research reactors and other facilities involved in Iran's nuclear weaponization experiments. They addressed the questions of casualties and revenge attacks as well. TARGET TEHRAN serves as a live roadmap to what is unfolding right now.Being on the ground in Israel, with access to high-level military and government sources and classified top secret briefings, Evyatar is qualified to discuss other potential targets that Israel might hit. He can also offer detailed, up-to-the-minute insight into the current context of the conflict between Israel and Iran, and what it bodes for the future.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-unplugged-totally-uncut--994165/support.

Since Chaya Leah is lost at sea somewhere between Cyprus and Natanz, I was joined by Jewish Insider's Lahav Harkov, formerly a senior contributing editor, diplomatic reporter and knesset Reporter for The Jerusalem Post, and of course former Ask A Jew guest. We talked Iran, Israel, Trump, Bibi, sexy war planes, and what it's like raising a family in war. You can follow Lahav on X and sign up for her newsletter on Substack of course.If you're a substack subscriber, you caught this live and got to ask your questions - so thank you for joining! Make sure to become a subscriber so you can watch the video, get more alerts and join us next time. Askajew.substack.comFrom our sister podcast edJEWcation, consider helping out the Chabad of Cyprus, which became a temporary shelter for a bunch of stranded, hungover and horny Birthright students who were evacuated from Israel.. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit askajew.substack.com/subscribe

It has been a five-day blitz of attacks by the Israeli Air Force over Iran. The IDF has taken out many key Iranian military and other strategic sites and capabilities. Civilians are very deliberately not targeted. In recent days Tehran has been evacuated—responding to IDF warnings. Based on photos we have seen, it is a ghost town. And now we are waiting to see what happens next. The nuclear centrifuges—located deep underground in a mountain bunker at Fordow, Iran—must be destroyed to truly end the country's nuclear ambitions. State of Tel Aviv and Beyond regular (and military expert) Ya'akov Katz gets into the details of what may be the next move in this critical military operation. Will the U.S. step in and finish off Fordow? Or will Israel continue to bear the burden, largely alone?For those of you continuing to enjoy our podcasts and articles—if you have not yet done so—please consider supporting our work with a paid subscription. We're going 24/7 here, getting very little sleep and continuing to bring you reports. Because we believe it is important to get quality information out there. And if you're here, then you agree. We are independent and supported by our listeners and readers. Please show your appreciation today. Many thanks.Also, there are some good visuals in the YouTube version of this podcast that you shouldn't miss. So consider watching/listening there—in particular, today. Podcast NotesState of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Yaakov Katz is an Israeli-American author and journalist. Between 2016 and 2023, Yaakov was editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post where he continues to write a popular weekly column.He is the author of three books: “Shadow Strike – Inside Israel's Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power”, “Weapon Wizards—How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower” and “Israel vs. Iran: The Shadow War.”Prior to taking up the role of editor-in-chief, Yaakov served for two years as a senior policy adviser to Naftali Bennett during his tenure as Israel's Minister of Economy and Minister of Diaspora Affairs.In 2013, Yaakov was one of 12 international fellows to spend a year at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University.Originally from Chicago, Yaakov has a law degree from Bar Ilan University. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Chaya and their four children.Find Yaakov Katz on X @yaakovkatz This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

Observing Shabbat is one of the most important markers of religious Jewish identity and defining rhythms for religious communal Jewish life. It's one of the 10 commandments, alongside not murdering people. When the Talmud gives an example of the ultimate religious transgression, it doesn't say eating a BLT—the example is public desecration of the sabbath. So last Friday, when the Israeli Rabbinate announced that synagogues would be closed for Shabbat, and that Jews shouldn't gather in prayer and community to honour the day, it was a big deal. They also reiterated a set of instructions that would typically be completely anathema to religious communities outside of wartime: leave radios and phones on silent, so you can hear sirens outside; and keep your phone on, in case ill or elderly relatives have an emergency. Since October 7, when Hamas terrorists attacked on Simchat Torah, observant Jews have begun striking a new balance between their religious commitments and the exigencies of the moment. On one hand, religious law seems too narrow and constricting for modernity—a survey held last year by the Jerusalem Post found a significant increase among Orthodox Jews using their cellphones on Shabbat, which is a trend growing among the Diaspora, too—but on the other hand, religious law can also show surprising flexibility and adaptability, even softening rules about public transit and airline travel on Shabbat. On this week's episode of Not in Heaven, rabbis Avi Finegold and Matthew Leibl describe how they've viewed this progression over the last two years, and what it means for the future of Jewish observance. Credits Hosts: Avi Finegold, Yedida Eisenstat, Matthew Leibl Production team: Zachary Judah Kauffman (editor), Michael Fraiman (executive producer) Music: Socalled Support The CJN Subscribe to The CJN newsletter Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt) Subscribe to Not in Heaven (Not sure how? Click here)

PRESS REVIEW – Tuesday, June 17: We start with a look at the global headlines discussing the Israel-Iran war. Next, we turn to analysis pieces discussing Trump's motives for (non)intervention in Iran. Meanwhile, the Trump family has a new venture: a golden smartphone "built in the US". Finally, a 135-year-old tortoise reaches a new personal milestone. For a fifth day in a row, the war between Israel and Iran is dominating global headlines. Iranian daily The Tehran Times reports on the attacks on Iran's state TV. Journalists there say they aren't "giving up". The Israeli right-wing daily The Jerusalem Post focuses on the Israeli Defence Forces' military gains: 80 to 90 percent of the Iranian missiles have been intercepted, according to the paper. The paper also says that Israel destroyed a third of Iran's ballistic missile launchers. French left-wing daily Le Monde reports that Iran was "hit from all sides and threatened with chaos". The left-wing British daily Morning Star headlines with "NO RESPITE". The paper says that the conflict shows no signs of slowing down. The Financial Times writes that Israel claims "control" of the skies of Tehran. It says that so far, the conflict has cost more than 260 lives.  Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is trying to position himself as a peacemaker in the new war. Al Jazeera writes that Trump's cabinet is "less hawkish" on Iran. The paper says that the US president has surrounded himself with supporters "possibly influencing his appetite for war" or his lack thereof. Al Jazeera writes that Trump's actions will reveal how the US president responds to the "deep ideological rift" within his Republican supporters. On the one hand are his "America First" supporters, who prioritise domestic policy and non-intervention. On the other are those who are more eager to pursue military intervention to force regime change abroad. The New York Times calls Trump's choice to intervene or not a "last-chance diplomacy or a bunker-busting bomb". The paper says that if Trump decides to get involved in the war, this will imperil any chance of a nuclear disarmament deal. The Times says that only America's "bunker buster" bomb can reach the nuclear enrichment facility at Fordow that Israel is trying to destroy. Launching it, however, would of course mean US involvement in the war. British daily The Guardian reports that a Democratic senator, Tim Kaine, has proposed to prohibit US forces from taking action against Iran without approval from Congress, in an effort to curb Trump's war powers. Staying with Trump, it seems that his family has another business venture on the way: this time, a mobile phone company. It's called "Trump Mobile" – a wireless service offer paired with a gold smartphone, as the Associated Press reports. The Trump company promises to have the phones ready by the summer. Trump's son Eric says that it's all about being patriotic, emphasising that the phones will the built in the US in the future. But The Wall Street Journal is sceptical, saying the phone cannot be made in the US for its announced price of $499 by August. The paper says that supply chain experts agree that because of Trump's tariffs, the US would need years and billions of dollars to establish factories that produce phone parts like those in China, and even if that's possible, the price would be many times higher than that of an iPhone, for instance. The tech magazine Wired has "9 urgent questions about Trump Mobile" – from privacy concerns to confusing promises. The final urgent question is "can you get a refund?"... and no, "you absolutely cannot", says the magazine that consulted Trump Mobile's terms of use.  Finally, a zoo in Miami is celebrating the world's oldest tortoise dad! He is 135 years old as he was born at the end of the 19th century. Goliath has gone through 25 American presidencies and two World Wars. He has now reached a new milestone – fatherhood – after unsuccessfully trying a couple of times before. Yogether with his girlfriend Sweet Pea – aged between 85 and 100 years old – they are the world's oldest tortoise parents. The Times reports that the couple is doing well after the birth, sharing a photo of the proud dad. You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday.

PRESS REVIEW – Monday, June 16: The conflict between Iran and Israel features on many front pages and is widely debated in the inside pages. Also, the controversial FIFA Club World Cup continues to make headlines, but perhaps not for the right reasons. Next, MI6 appoints a female head for the first time in 116 years. Finally, German soldiers get a telling-off for causing "romantic strife". The conflict between Israel and Iran continues to rage on, and features on many front pages this Monday morning. The Jerusalem Post leads with a photo of the destruction following a strike in the residential neighbourhood of Bat Yam. Iran Daily has photos of the aftermath of an Iranian strike on an Israeli power station in Haifa. Tehran Times, meanwhile, highlights the civilian victims of Israel's latest strikes on Iran. The Lebanese paper L'Orient-Le Jour points the finger at US President Donald Trump. French daily Libération says it is a "dynamic of the worst", saying it is in the interest of both parties to continue the conflict in order to stay in power. L'Humanité takes a clear stance on its front page, calling the conflict Benjamin Netanyahu's war without limits. The Guardian has an opinion piece by Simon Tisdall. He says that the behaviour of the three leaders involved in the war – Trump, Netanyahu and Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei – raises serious doubts about their judgment, common sense, motives and even their sanity. The New York Times, meanwhile, says that diplomacy with Iran is damaged but not dead. Foreign Policy discusses how the war might end. It says that darker scenarios are most likely, including a potential regional war. The past weekend has been a busy one for football fans after the launch of FIFA's controversial Club World Cup. The tournament is making headlines, but not for the best reasons. The Telegraph headlines with "Bayern thrash team of forklift drivers and fizzy drinks salesmen 10:0 in FIFA farce". Meanwhile, The Times reports that the Professional Footballers Association has joined a legal action against FIFA for abuse of power. In the UK, the Financial Times reports that Britain's foreign intelligence agency MI6 has appointed its first woman leader – a first in the organisation's 116-year history. Meanwhile in Germany, soldiers can now be punished for having an affair with each other's spouses because of the "danger of romantic strife eroding morale", as The Times reports. You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday.

First up, Georgetown law professor and former national legal director at the ACLU, David Cole, joins us to discuss the legal response to the Trump Administration's serial violations of the Constitution. Then Mike Ferner of Veterans for Peace checks in to update us halfway through his Fast for Gaza, 40 days of living on 250 calories per day, which is the average caloric intake of Palestinian survivors in Gaza. Finally, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Joe Holley, stops by to pay tribute to his mentor and colleague, the late crusading journalist, Ronnie Dugger, founder of the progressive Texas Observer.David Cole is the Honorable George J. Mitchell Professor in Law and Public Policy and former National Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). He writes about and teaches constitutional law, freedom of speech, and constitutional criminal procedure. He is a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books and is the legal affairs correspondent for The Nation.Trump is obviously not concerned about antisemitism. He's concerned about targeting schools because they are places where people can criticize the president, where people can think independently, are taught to think independently, and often don't support what the president is doing. He's using his excuse to target a central institution of civil society.David ColeThe decision on Trump versus the United States is only about criminal liability for criminal acts, not for unconstitutional acts. And violating the Constitution is not a crime. Every president has violated the Constitution probably since George Washington. That's not a crime.David ColeMike Ferner served in the Navy during the Vietnam War, and he is former National Director and current Special Projects Coordinator for Veterans for Peace. He is the author of Inside the Red Zone: A Veteran for Peace Reports from Iraq.Two hundred and fifty calories is technically, officially, a starvation diet, and we're doing it for 40 days. The people in Gaza have been doing it for months and months and months, and they're dying like crazy. That's the whole concern that we're trying to raise. And I'll tell you at the end of this fast, on the 40th day, we are not just going out silently. There are going to be some fireworks before we're done with this thing. So all I'm saying is: stay tuned.Mike Ferner: Special Projects Coordinator of Veterans for Peace on “FastforGaza”They're (The Veterans Administration is) being defamed, Ralph, for the same reason that those right-wing corporatists defamed public education. So they can privatize it. And that's exactly what they're trying to do with the VA. And I can tell you every single member of Veterans for Peace has got nothing but praise for the VA.Mike FernerJoe Holley was the editor of the Texas Observer in the early 1980s. A former staff writer at The Washington Post and a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial writer and columnist at the Houston Chronicle, he is the author of eight books, mostly about Texas.He would talk to people, and he would find out things going on about racial discrimination, about farm workers being mistreated, all kind of stories that the big papers weren't reporting. And this one guy, young Ronnie Dugger, would write these stories and expose things about Texas that a lot of Texans just did not know.Joe Holley on the late progressive journalist, Ronnie DuggerHe knew the dark side of Texas, but he always had an upbeat personality. I had numerous conversations with Ronnie (Dugger), and he was ferociously independent.Ralph NaderNews 6/13/251. On Monday, Israeli forces seized the Madleen, the ship carrying activist Greta Thunberg and others attempting to bring food and other supplies past the Israeli blockade into Gaza, and detained the crew. The ship was part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and Thunberg had been designated an “Ambassador of Conscience,” by Amnesty International. The group decried her detention, with Secretary General Agnès Callamard writing, “Israel has once again flouted its legal obligations towards civilians in the occupied Gaza Strip and demonstrated its chilling contempt for legally binding orders of the International Court of Justice.” On Tuesday, CBS reported that Israel deported Thunberg. Eight other passengers refused deportation and the Jerusalem Post reports they remain in Israeli custody. They will be represented in Israeli courts by Adalah - The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel. One of these detainees is Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament.2. Shortly before the Madleen was intercepted, members of Congress sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing concern for the safety of these activists, citing the deadly 2010 raid of the Mavi Marmara, which ultimately resulted in the death of ten activists, including an American. This letter continued, “any attack on the Madleen or its civilian crew is a clear and blatant violation of international law. United Nations experts have called for the ship's safe passage and warned Israel to “refrain from any act of hostility” against the Madleen and its passengers…We call on you to monitor the Madleen's journey and deter any such hostile actions.” This letter was led by Rep. Rashida Tlaib, and drew signatures from Congressional progressives like Reps. Summer Lee, AOC, Ilhan Omar, Greg Casar, and others.3. On the other end of the political spectrum, Trump – ever unpredictable – seemed to criticize Israel's detention of Thunberg. In a press conference, “Trump was…asked about Thunberg's claim that she had been kidnapped.” The president responded “I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg…Is that what she said? She was kidnapped by Israel?” The reporter replied “Yes, sir,” to which “Trump responded by shaking his head.” This from Newsweek.4. Of course, the major Trump news this week is his response to the uprising in Los Angeles. Set off by a new wave of ICE raids, protesters have clashed with police in the streets and Trump has responded by increasingly upping the ante, including threatening to arrest California Governor Gavin Newsom, per KTLA. Beyond such bluster however, Trump has moved to deploy U.S. Marines onto the streets of the nation's second-largest city. Reuters reports, “About 700 Marines were in a staging area in the Seal Beach area about 30 miles…south of Los Angeles, awaiting deployment to specific locations,” in addition to 2,100 National Guard troops. The deployment of these troops raises thorny legal questions. Per Reuters, “The Marines and National Guard troops lack the authority to makes arrests and will be charged only with protecting federal property and personnel,” but “California Attorney General Rob Bonta… [said] there was a risk that could violate an 1878 law that…forbids the U.S. military, including the National Guard, from taking part in civilian law enforcement.” Yet, despite all the tumult, these protests seem to have gotten the goods, so to speak: the City of Glendale announced it would, “end its agreement with…ICE to house federal immigration detainees.” All of this sets quite a scene going into Trump's military parade in DC slated for Saturday, June 14th.5. In classic fashion however, Trump's tough posture does not extend to corporate crime. Public Citizen's Rick Claypool reports, “Trump's DOJ just announced American corporations that engage in criminal bribery schemes abroad will no longer be prosecuted.” Claypool cites a June 9th memo from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, which reads, “Effective today, prosecutors shall…not attribute…malfeasance to corporate structures.” Claypool also cites a Wall Street Journal piece noting that “the DOJ has already ended half of its criminal investigations into corporate bribery in foreign countries and shrunk its [Foreign Corrupt Practices Act] unit down to 25 employees.”6. Americans can at least take small comfort in one thing: the departure of Elon Musk from the top rungs of government. It remains to be seen what exactly precipitated his final exit and how deep his rift with Trump goes – Musk has already backed down on his harshest criticisms of the president, deleting his tweet claiming Trump was in Epstein files, per ABC. Yet, this appears to be a victory for Steve Bannon and the forces he represents within Trump's inner circle. On June 5th, the New York Times reported that Bannon, “said he was advising the president to cancel all [Musk's] contracts and… ‘initiate a formal investigation of his immigration status'.” Bannon added, “[Musk] should be deported from the country immediately.'” Bannon has even called for a special counsel probe, per the Hill. Bannon's apparent ascendency goes beyond the Oval Office as well. POLITICO Playbook reports Bannon had a 20-minute-long conversation with Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterman on Monday evening – while Fetterman dined with Washington bureau chief for Breitbart, Matt Boyle – at Butterworth's, the DC MAGA “watering hole.” This also from the Hill.7. On the way out, the Daily Beast reports, “Elon Musk's goons at the Department of Government Efficiency transmitted a large amount of data—all of it undetected—using a Starlink Wi-Fi terminal they installed on top of the White House.” Sources “suggested that the [the installation of the Starlink terminal] was intended to bypass White House systems that track the transmission of data—with names and time stamps—and secure it from spies.” It is unknown exactly what data Musk and his minions absconded with, and for what purpose. We can only hope the public gets some answers.8. With Musk and Trump parting ways, other political forces are now seeking to woo the richest man in the world. Semafor reports enigmatic Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley and chaired Bernie Sanders' campaign in California, “talked with one of…Musk's ‘senior confidants' …about whether the ex-DOGE leader…might want to help the Democratic Party in the midterms.” Khanna added, “Having Elon speak out against the irrational tariff policy, against the deficit exploding Trump bill, and the anti-science and anti-immigrant agenda can help check Trump's unconstitutional administration…I look forward to Elon turning his fire against MAGA Republicans instead of Democrats in 2026.” On the other hand, the Hill reports ex-Democrat Andrew Yang is publicly appealing to Musk for an alliance following Musk's call for the establishment of an “America Party.” Yang himself founded the Forward Party in 2021. Yang indicated Musk has not responded to his overtures.9. Meanwhile, the leadership of the Democratic Party appears to be giving up entirely. In a leaked Zoom meeting, DNC Chair Ken Martin – only elected in February – said, “I don't know if I wanna do this anymore,” per POLITICO. On this call, Martin expressed frustration with DNC Vice Chair David Hogg, blaming him for, “[destroying] any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to.” Hogg meanwhile has doubled down, defying DNC leadership by “wading into another primary,” this time for the open seat left by the death of Congressman Gerry Conolly in Virginia, the Washington Post reports. The DNC is still weighing whether to void Hogg's election as Vice Chair.10. Finally, in some good news from New York City, State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani appears to have closed the gap with disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo began the race with a 40-point lead; a new Data for Progress poll shows that lead has been cut down to just two points. Moreover, that poll was conducted before Mamdani was endorsed by AOC, who is expected to bring with her substantial support from Latinos and residents of Queens, among other groups. Notably, Mamdani has racked up tremendous numbers among young men, a demographic the Democratic Party has struggled to attract in recent elections. Cuomo will not go down without a fight however. The political nepo-baby has already secured a separate ballot line for the November election, meaning he will be in the race even if he loses the Democratic primary, and he is being boosted by a new million-dollar digital ad spend by Airbnb, per POLITICO. The New York City Democratic Primary will be held on June 24th.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

Sans surprise, l'Iran a mené cette nuit une opération de représailles contre les frappes israéliennes. Le Jerusalem Post a passé, nous dit-il, « une nuit dans un abri israélien, sous les missiles iraniens ». L'un des habitants raconte : « j'étais à un dîner pour Shabbat lorsque les deux vagues de missiles ont été lancées depuis l'Iran (…) Nous étions une vingtaine, et nous avons été stupéfaits de voir la vidéo d'un missile s'écraser sur le centre d'Israël, d'autant que ça s'est passé à seulement quelques pâtés de maisons d'où nous nous trouvions ». Le reporter du Jerusalem Post raconte « les centaines de secouristes », qui sont sur place. « Plusieurs heures après le drame », ajoute-t-il, « des familles sortaient encore du bâtiment. Des parents portaient des bébés (…) je n'ai vu ni larmes ni panique. Seulement des gens qui en ont tellement vu, qui ont tellement vécu et qui sont terriblement fatigués. » Réactions en Iran De son côté, Courrier international a cherché à savoir comment les Iraniens réagissent aux frappes menées par Israël. « Réveillés en pleine nuit par le bruit assourdissant des multiples explosions dues aux frappes », nous dit-on, « les habitants de Téhéran sont descendus en panique dans les rues. Dès le matin, de longues files d'attente se sont formées devant les stations-services, aussi bien à Téhéran qu'ailleurs dans les grandes villes du pays, par crainte de pénurie ou de hausse des prix. » Courrier international reprend par ailleurs les propos du site réformateur Asr-e Iran, qui « reproche au régime "de ne pas avoir pris au sérieux les avertissements contre une possible infiltration" des services de renseignements israéliens ». Le même site d'information iranien ajoute que « si le régime n'est pas en mesure de faire "regretter aux Israéliens" leur attaque par une riposte d'envergure, il vaudrait mieux envisager "une révision de profondeur de sa politique", vis-à-vis d'Israël. » Pari risqué La situation, en tout cas, suscite l'inquiétude. Inquiétude exprimée notamment par le journal Libération, qui parle « d'un embrasement dangereux aux accents religieux ». « L'attaque israélienne spectaculaire contre l'Iran », poursuit le quotidien français (…) « représente d'un point de vue militaire une énorme réussite. Du point de vue politique, par contre, elle met en danger des millions de civils, y compris la population israélienne, et fait basculer le Moyen-Orient dans un embrasement que les pompiers habituels (les États-Unis, le Conseil de sécurité et les États avoisinants) ne peuvent ou ne veulent plus éteindre ». Enfin, en Espagne, El Païs parle « d'un pari risqué », estimant que « l'attaque israélienne encourage ceux qui, en Iran, voient la bombe atomique comme une garantie de survie du régime ».  

PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, June 13: Iranian state media say Tehran will punish the "Zionist regime" after massive Israeli strikes on nuclear sites and military commanders in Iran. Meanwhile, the Israeli press say Tel Aviv struck because a "point of no return" was reached over Iran's nuclear programme. We also look at reactions from the international press, with French daily Le Figaro calling the strikes a "bitter setback" for US President Donald Trump.  Iran's state-controlled channel Press TV confirms that commanders of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, including senior general Hossein Salami and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Mohammad Bagheri, have been "martyred". Press TV quotes the leader of the Islamic revolution in Iran, who says that the "Zionist regime has prepared a bitter and painful fate for itself", adding that Iran's defence ministry is "fully ready" to punish Israel severely. Press TV is actively tweeting too, claiming that Iranian civilian neighbourhoods and residential buildings in Tehran have been targeted. The news channel reports that in the Narmak neighbourhood of Tehran, five people were killed and 20 injured.  The Israeli press is also reacting. Left-wing daily Haaretz writes that Israel launched "pre-emptive strikes" and is preparing for retaliation from Iran. The paper says that although various reports state that the United States formally expressed its opposition to the attacks, it remains unclear whether the US offered to share intelligence or aerial refuelling capacity. The paper says this option would allow the White House to participate "while maintaining some sort of plausible deniability". The editor-in-chief of the right-wing Jerusalem Post quotes the IDF's chief of staff, who says the strikes were launched because Israel reached "a point of no return". "History taught us: when faced with threats to destroy us, we must never bow our heads." In an analysis piece, The Jerusalem Post writes that Israel struck because Iran's nuclear ambitions "are no longer hypothetical". The paper says that intelligence showed that Iran had enriched enough uranium to produce some 15 nuclear warheads and was actively conducting nuclear tests.  Finally, we turn to reactions from the international press. The New York Times writes that Israel's attack aims to "cripple" Iran's nuclear programme. The paper says that the major attack could escalate into a war involving the most powerful militaries in the Middle East. Al Jazeera calls it a "major strike". American broadcaster NBC News highlights the fact that the strikes were conducted without US involvement. French right-wing Le Figaro says that the Israeli strikes are a "bitter setback for Trump", who claims to be a "peacemaker". The paper writes that the US president asked Israel to choose diplomacy and not attack Iran, but only a few hours later, the strikes began. The Wall Street Journal reports that oil prices rose by more than 8 percent after Israel's attack, reaching their highest level since February. It adds that the rise shows that traders don't think the US will lift restrictions on Iranian barrels.  You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday.

[00:30] Celtic Throne in Israel (27 minutes) As world events heat up, Celtic Throne is bringing a message of hope and peace. This year, the group is touring Israel, a nation desperately in need of hope after nearly two years of war. After two shows in Tel Aviv, the reaction has been phenomenal. The Jerusalem Post wrote that “this show was two hours of sheer musical and dance energy that made you feel good, happy and very much alive. In these war-torn days, that alone is worth the price of admission.” [28:00] Fomenting Insurrection (18 minutes) The anti-ICE riots are spreading across the United States. Leaders at the state and city levels have shown they have no will to stand up to violence, opting to give the rioters “space to destroy.” Why are so many against upholding law and order? [46:00] Viewer Feedback (5 minutes) [51:00] Celtic Throne Feedback (4 minutes)

In recent days Hamas has shifted all of its attention to controlling the food supply for civilians in the Gaza Strip. They continue to hoard aid meant for the needy and then resell it at extortionate prices. The last two weeks have been especially chaotic as the food supply diminishes, and people are living meal to meal. Concerns regarding famine are real and the involvement of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is intended to address the food scarcity. But the rollout of this new initiative has been a mess. Shootings. Chaos. People walking 20k to arrive at one of the few distribution centers to find that there is no food left. State of Tel Aviv regular guest, Ya'akov Katz, joins us to get into the detail of what is going on in the Gaza Strip and why everything seems to be going so wrong. We discuss Hamas, criminal clans, hostages and more. Before wrapping we touch on the surge of Jewish vigilantism in the West Bank and why this seems to continue, uninterrupted.And you will probably be relieved to know we don't even mention Greta. I'll leave that to Piers Morgan.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Podcast NotesYaakov Katz is an Israeli-American author and journalist. Between 2016 and 2023, Yaakov was editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post where he continues to write a popular weekly column.He is the author of three books: “Shadow Strike – Inside Israel's Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power”, “Weapon Wizards—How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower” and “Israel vs. Iran: The Shadow War.”Prior to taking up the role of editor-in-chief, Yaakov served for two years as a senior policy adviser to Naftali Bennett during his tenure as Israel's Minister of Economy and Minister of Diaspora Affairs.In 2013, Yaakov was one of 12 international fellows to spend a year at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University.Originally from Chicago, Yaakov has a law degree from Bar Ilan University. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Chaya and their four children.Find Yaakov Katz on X @yaakovkatz This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

Le Premier ministre israélien pourrait être sur la sellette : « la guerre à Gaza menace enfin l'emprise de [Benyamin] Netanyahu sur le pouvoir », constate ainsi Haaretz. Puisque d'un côté, « le conflit ne peut pas se poursuivre sans nouvelles recrues », et de l'autre, « la population ultra-orthodoxe refuse d'envoyer ses fils combattre ».Il faut dire qu'il s'agit « d'un problème vieux de plusieurs décennies », rappelle le journal, qui s'est encore accéléré depuis le début du conflit : les partis concernés « font entendre leur désaccord avec le gouvernement depuis longtemps, et à présent, ils semblent plus près que jamais d'y mettre fin ». Au point que les partis ultra-orthodoxes ont menacé de quitter la coalition du Premier ministre. Un désaccord de longue date En fait, ces extrémistes religieux refusent de participer au service militaire – ils bénéficient d'une exemption pour consacrer leur temps à l'étude de la Torah. Pourtant, juge le Jerusalem Post, « du point de vue de la Torah », justement, « les arguments en faveur d'un service militaire partagé ne sont pas seulement défendables : ils sont irréfutables. » Le journal conservateur considère en effet que le service militaire « touche au symbolisme au cœur de l'identité israélienne : le retour à une terre promise autrefois perdue ». C'est bien là d'ailleurs qu'est tout le paradoxe, pointe Haaretz : d'un côté, les « haredim » sont « dédiés à la poursuite ad-vitam eternam de la guerre à Gaza, jusqu'à ce que leur rêve d'un nettoyage ethnique total soit accompli » ; de l'autre, l'armée a besoin de nouvelles recrues. Or, « la plus grande réserve d'effectifs potentiels est la jeunesse ultra-orthodoxe ». Et le résultat, conclut le quotidien, est que « Benyamin Netanyahu se retrouve coincé entre les menaces, les fantasmes et les peurs » de ses partenaires politiques. Alors, « pour l'heure, le Premier ministre joue la montre, comme il le fait toujours ». Au milieu du tumulte, des milliers d'oubliésAu milieu du tumulte figurent des milliers d'oubliés : les Gazaouis qui, chaque jour, subissent la faim, les bombardements, le deuil. « Ceux que la majorité des Israéliens ne veut pas voir, et dont on ne veut pas savoir l'histoire », accuse Le Temps en Suisse. « Les experts courent les plateaux pour analyser les dernières bisbilles politiques et les décisions militaires », occultant les récits des horreurs vécues par la population palestinienne.Conclusion, analyse le journal, « pour les Israéliens, Gaza est un territoire d'abstrait, l'enfer d'où sont sorties des cohortes sanguinaires un sombre jour d'octobre » et rien d'autre. « Cela doit cesser », martèle le titre : « Il faut sauver Israël de lui-même. » Sauver les États-Unis de Donald Trump ? Face aux dernières annonces du président américain Donald Trump, le New York Times s'insurge de l'« approche autoritaire de la présidence » et dénonce « son envie compulsive de dominer, sa quête égotique de pouvoir sur tout ce, et ceux, qu'il rencontre ». Pour Le Monde, cela ne fait pas de doute non plus : les États-Unis sont en pleine bascule vers « le nationalisme autoritaire », tandis qu'El Pais prédit que le pays « se dirige vers un État de surveillance technologique de masse », capable de « surveille[r] la vie de millions de personnes », même si son infrastructure, « pour le moment, se concentre sur la persécution des migrants ». Le quotidien espagnol énumère les outils de ce système de surveillance : « analyse massive et non autorisée des réseaux sociaux ; analyse des données biométriques (…) ; interception des communications téléphoniques ; géolocalisation », le tout « sans autorisation judiciaire ». Que le pouvoir espionne et contrôle, ce n'est pas nouveau - ce qui l'est, en revanche, s'inquiète le titre, c'est que « Washington se vante plus qu'il ne nie l'existence » de ce système de techno-surveillance.Une difficile marche arrièreLe New York Times exprime ses craintes : « nous devrions traiter Trump et son administration ouvertement autoritaire comme un échec », écrit le journal, pourtant, « il n'y a même pas de consensus public sur la nature de notre situation actuelle ». Dans ce contexte, « comment renverser la glissade de l'Amérique vers le despotisme ? » Et attention à ceux qui penseraient que ce qui se passe outre-Atlantique reste outre-Atlantique. Pour Le Monde, « certaines tendances observées » aux États-Unis et en France « sont comparables et susceptibles d'aboutir à une catastrophe de même ampleur ». « La désindustrialisation », d'abord, et son « désespoir teinté d'amertume ».La disparition, aussi, « des solidarités et des organisations syndicales », et le fait de se recroqueviller sur « [s]es proches. Ceux "comme nous" ». Contre les ‘autres, en résumé : « les immigrés et les profiteurs ». Autant de points communs qui n'encouragent pas le Monde à l'optimisme : « Si l'on se fie au miroir américain, les graines du désastre sont déjà semées ». 

The aid crisis in Gaza is deepening. This morning, Israeli soldiers opened fire near crowds of Palestinians approaching a new food distribution site in southern Gaza, the Israeli military confirmed. At least 27 people were killed and dozens more wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. This comes just days after a similar incident left 31 dead and nearly 200 injured, an event for which Israel has denied responsibility.As famine looms and disease spreads through the devastated territory, civilians are caught in an increasingly desperate struggle for survival. Aid is scarce, humanitarian convoys are often attacked or held indefinitely at the Gaza border, and the infrastructure needed to deliver essential supplies has collapsed.In this episode of The Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy is in Jerusalem, speaking to Milena Ansari, a Palestinian lawyer and researcher with Human Rights Watch, and Zvika Klein, editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post. They discuss how the crisis is unfolding, why so little aid is getting through, and who is being held accountable.

The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Show (05/29/2025): 3:05pm- In a hidden video interview conducted by Project Veritas, Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee David Hogg and former Biden Administration staffer Deterrian Jones revealed that Jill Biden's Chief of Staff Anthony Bernal “had an enormous amount of power.” Jones continued: “The general public wouldn't know how this man looked, but he wielded an enormous amount of power. I can't stress to you enough how much power he had at the White House.” 3:15pm- While appearing on CNN, Alex Thompson—Axios reporter and co-author of “Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again”—revealed that Biden Administration cabinet members were not confident that Joe Biden was capable of handling a “2 am crisis,” if one were to occur. So, who was in charge? 3:40pm- During a segment on PBS, host Judy Woodruff examined whether the president—Donald Trump specifically—has the authority to unilaterally launch a nuclear strike. Why wasn't PBS expressing similar concern when, according to recent reports, a cognitively fading Joe Biden held the presidency? 3:50pm- Rich and Matt debate whether Ben Affleck has made any good movies—or if Good Will Hunting, for example, is a great film in spite of Affleck…not because of him. 4:05pm- During an interview with Brett Baier on Fox News, FBI Director Kash Patel insisted that based on the evidence he has seen—Jeffrey Epstein killed himself. While on Fox & Friends, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said the agency plans on eventually releasing video definitively proving Epstein's death was suicide. 4:30pm- On Wednesday, the U.S. Court of International Trade blocked the Trump Administration's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 to impose tariffs on trading partners. The panel determined the unilaterally adopted tariffs “exceed” presidential authority. 5:05pm- On Wednesday, the U.S. Court of International Trade blocked the Trump Administration's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 to impose tariffs on trading partners. The panel determined the unilaterally adopted tariffs “exceed” presidential authority. BREAKING NEWS: A federal appeals court is—at least temporarily—preserving the tariffs. 5:20pm- In a series of articles published over the weekend, The New York Times examined the Democrat Party's continued struggles appealing to the American electorate. Shane Goldmacher writes that Democrats “are still searching for the path forward”—noting that the party spent $20 million studying their “erosion” of support with “young men” specifically. In another article, Goldmacher—alongside June Kim and Christine Zhang—evaluate “how Donald Trump has remade America's political landscape.” They document that 435 counties across the country became more “Democratic” from 2012 and 2024—however, 2,678 counties became more “Republican.” Further complicating matters is the 2030 census which is expected to cause comfortably blue states to lose electoral votes as citizens move to red states. You can read the articles here: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/25/us/politics/democratic-party-voters.html. And here: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/05/25/us/politics/trump-politics-democrats.html. 5:25pm- Rich announces he will be going to Israel for a fact-finding mission. Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy is organizing the event and invited him. On Thursday, Israel accepted a U.S. proposal for a temporary ceasefire with Hamas—however, according to The Jerusalem Post, Hamas is demanding some changes to the agreement. 5:40pm- Dr. EJ Antoni—Chief Economist at The Heritage Foundation—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to talk about his big promotion to chief economist at Heritage, President Donald Trump's use of tariffs to eliminate barriers to entry for American exports, and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act's fate in the U.S. Senate. 6:05pm- Jake Tapper's new book, “Original Sin: Pr ...

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 3: 5:05pm- On Wednesday, the U.S. Court of International Trade blocked the Trump Administration's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 to impose tariffs on trading partners. The panel determined the unilaterally adopted tariffs “exceed” presidential authority. BREAKING NEWS: A federal appeals court is—at least temporarily—preserving the tariffs. 5:20pm- In a series of articles published over the weekend, The New York Times examined the Democrat Party's continued struggles appealing to the American electorate. Shane Goldmacher writes that Democrats “are still searching for the path forward”—noting that the party spent $20 million studying their “erosion” of support with “young men” specifically. In another article, Goldmacher—alongside June Kim and Christine Zhang—evaluate “how Donald Trump has remade America's political landscape.” They document that 435 counties across the country became more “Democratic” from 2012 and 2024—however, 2,678 counties became more “Republican.” Further complicating matters is the 2030 census which is expected to cause comfortably blue states to lose electoral votes as citizens move to red states. You can read the articles here: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/25/us/politics/democratic-party-voters.html. And here: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/05/25/us/politics/trump-politics-democrats.html. 5:25pm- Rich announces he will be going to Israel for a fact-finding mission. Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy is organizing the event and invited him. On Thursday, Israel accepted a U.S. proposal for a temporary ceasefire with Hamas—however, according to The Jerusalem Post, Hamas is demanding some changes to the agreement. 5:40pm- Dr. EJ Antoni—Chief Economist at The Heritage Foundation—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to talk about his big promotion to chief economist at Heritage, President Donald Trump's use of tariffs to eliminate barriers to entry for American exports, and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act's fate in the U.S. Senate.

In the midst of the terrible Trump tax bill moving through Congress, Ralph invites Sarah Anderson who directs the Global Economy Project at the Institute for Policy Studies to discuss the massive tax loopholes huge companies like Amazon get that allow them to pay far less in taxes than ordinary working people. Then, Greg LeRoy from Good Jobs First joins us to discuss how state taxpayers are footing the bill for these massive data centers companies like Google are building all over the country. Plus, Ralph has some choice words for passive unions and responds to listener feedback about our guest last week, Nadav Wieman.Sarah Anderson directs the Global Economy Project at the Institute for Policy Studies and is a co-editor of the IPS website Inequality.org. Her research covers a wide range of international and domestic economic issues, including inequality, CEO pay, taxes, labor, and Wall Street reform.They're (Congress is) planning to give huge new tax giveaways to large corporations like Amazon and wealthy people like Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. And partially paying for those tax cuts for the wealthy by slashing programs that mean so much to so many Americans like Medicaid and food assistance.”Sarah AndersonWe're not going to have a healthy, thriving society and economy as long as we have the extreme levels of inequality that we have today.Sarah AndersonDubbed “the leading national watchdog of state and local economic development subsidies,” “an encyclopedia of information regarding subsidies,” “God's witness to corporate welfare,” and “the OG of ensuring that state and local tax policy actually supports good jobs, sustainability, and equity,”* Greg founded Good Jobs First in 1998 upon winning the Public Interest Pioneer Award. He has trained and consulted for state and local governments, associations of public officials, labor-management committees, unions, community groups, tax and budget watchdogs, environmentalists, and smart growth advocates more than 30 years.Public education and public health are the two biggest losers in every state giving away money to data centers right now.Greg Le RoyWe know of no other form of state spending that is so out of control. Therefore, we recommend that states cancel their data center tax exemptions. Such subsidies are absolutely unnecessary for an extremely profitable industry dominated by some of the most valuable corporations on earth such as Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, and Google.Good Jobs First report: “Cloudy With a Loss of Spending Control”They've (Congress has) known for years that the ordinary worker pays a higher tax rate than these loophole-ridden corporations.Ralph NaderIn my message to Trump, I ask him, "Why is he afraid of Netanyahu? And doesn't he want to come to the rescue of these innocent babies by saying, ‘Mr. Netanyahu, the taxpayers in this country are paying for thousands of trucks stalled at the border of Gaza full of medicine, food, water, electricity, fuel, and other critical necessities? We're going to put a little American flag on each one of these trucks, and don't you dare block them.'”…No answer.Ralph NaderNews 5/23/251. It seems as though the dam in Israeli politics against acknowledging the horrors in Gaza is beginning to break. In an interview with the BBC this week, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stated that what Israel "is currently doing in Gaza is very close to a war crime. Thousands of innocent Palestinians are being killed.” He went on to say, “the war has no objective and has no chance of achieving anything that could save the lives of the hostages.” These quotes come from the Jerusalem Post. And on May 21st, Haaretz reported that opposition party leader Yair Golan warned that Israel could become a “pariah state, like South Africa once was,” based on its actions in Gaza. Speaking a truth that American politicians appear incapable of articulating, he added, a “sane state does not wage war against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not set goals for itself like the expulsion of a population.”2. Confirming this prognosis, the Cradle reports “The Israeli military has admitted that more than 80 percent of the people killed in the attacks on Gaza since Israel breached the ceasefire two months ago are…civilians.” This fact was confirmed by the IDF in response to a request from Hebrew magazine Hamakom, wherein “the military's spokesperson stated that 500 of the 2,780 killed in the Gaza Strip as of Tuesday are ‘terrorists.'” Leaving the remaining 2,280 people killed classified as “not suspected terrorists.” The Cradle compares this ratio, approximately 4.5 civilians killed for every combatant, to the Russia-Ukraine war – a ratio of approximate 2.8 to one. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has “claimed that the ratio is just one civilian killed for each combatant killed.” At the same time, AP reports that while Israel has allowed a minimum of humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, under immense international pressure, “none of that aid actually reached Palestinians,” according to the United Nations spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric. The renewed offensive coupled with the barring of humanitarian aid has raised the alarm about mass starvation in Gaza.3. Developments on the ground in Gaza have triggered a new wave of international outcry. On May 19th, leaders of the United Kingdom, France and Canada issued a joint statement, reading in part, “We strongly oppose the expansion of Israel's military operations in Gaza. The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable… The Israeli Government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable and risks breaching International Humanitarian Law…We will not stand by while the Netanyahu Government pursues these egregious actions. If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response.” The Parliament of Spain meanwhile, “passed a non-binding motion calling on the government to impose an arms embargo on Israel,” per Anadolu Ajansı. This potential ban, supported by all parties except the conservative People's Party and the far-right Vox, would “ban the exports of any material that could strengthen the Israeli military, including helmets, vests, and fuel with potential military use.” Left-wing parties in Spain are now pushing for an emergency session to impose a binding decree to this effect.4. The United States however seems to be moving backwards. Drop Site news reports Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff made a deal with Hamas ensuring that, “the Trump administration would compel Israel to lift the Gaza blockade and allow humanitarian aid to enter the territory…[and] make a public call for an immediate ceasefire,” in exchange for the release of Edan Alexander. Of course, once Alexander was released Trump reneged completely. Basem Naim, a member of Hamas's political bureau, told Drop Site, “He did nothing of this…They didn't violate the deal. They threw it in the trash.” Besides prolonging further the charnel house in Gaza, this duplicity undermines American credibility in the region, particularly with Iran at a time when Trump is seeking a new deal to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.5. Democrats in Congress are inching towards action as well. On May 13th, Senator Peter Welch introduced Senate Resolution 224, calling for “the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to address the needs of civilians in Gaza.” Along with Welch, 45 Democrats and Independents signed on to this resolution, that is the entire Democratic caucus except for John Fetterman. On May 14th, Rashida Tlaib introduced House Resolution 409, commemorating the Nakba and calling on Congress to “reinstate support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which provides life-saving humanitarian assistance to Palestinians.” This was cosponsored by AOC and Reps. Carson, Lee, Omar, Pressley, Ramirez, Simon, and Coleman. And, on May 21st, a group of eight senators – Welch, Sanders, Kaine, Merkley, Murray, Van Hollen, Schatz, and Warnock – sent a letter urging Secretary of State Rubio to reopen the investigation into the death of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu-Akleh, per Prem Thakker. The Biden administration ruled the death “unintentional,” but a new documentary by Zeteo News reveals a “Biden cover-up.”6. More action is occurring on college campuses as well, as students go into graduation season. At NYU, a student named Logan Rozos said in his graduation speech, “As I search my heart today in addressing you all…the only thing that is appropriate to say in this time and to a group this large is a recognition of the atrocities currently happening in Palestine,” per CNN. NYU announced that they are now withholding his diploma. At George Washington University, the Guardian reports student Cecilia Culver said in her graduation speech, “I am ashamed to know my tuition [fee] is being used to fund…genocide…I call upon the class of 2025 to withhold donations and continue advocating for disclosure and divestment.” GWU issued a statement declaring Culver “has been barred from all GW's campuses and sponsored events elsewhere.” The moral clarity of these students is remarkable, given the increasingly harsh measures these schools have taken to silence those who speak up.7. Moving on, several major stories about the failing DOGE initiative have surfaced in recent days. First, Social Security. Listeners may recall that a DOGE engineer said “40% of phone calls made to [the Social Security Administration] to change direct deposit information come from fraudsters.” Yet, a new report by NextGov.com found that since DOGE mandated the SSA install new anti-fraud checks on claims made over the phone, “only two claims out of over 110,000 were found to likely be fraudulent,” or 0.0018%. What the policy has done however, is slow down payments. According to this piece, retirement claim processing is down 25%. Meanwhile, at the VA, DOGE engineer Sahil Lavingia, “found…a machine that largely functions, though it doesn't make decisions as fast as a startup might.” Lavingia added “honestly, it's kind of fine—because the government works. It's not as inefficient as I was expecting, to be honest. I was hoping for more easy wins.” This from Fast Company. Finally, CBS reports, “leaders of the United States Institute for Peace regained control of their offices Wednesday…after they were ejected from their positions by the Trump administration and [DOGE] in March.” This piece explains that On February 19th, President Trump issued Executive Order 14217 declaring USIP "unnecessary" and terminating its leadership, most of its 300 staff members, its entire board, installing a DOGE functionary at the top and transferring ownership of the building to the federal government. This set off a court battle that ended Monday, when U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled that the takeover was “unlawful” and therefore “null and void.” These DOGE setbacks might help explain Elon Musk's reported retreat from the political spotlight and political spending.8. On May 21st, Congressman Gerry Connolly passed away, following his battle with esophageal cancer. Connolly's death however is just the latest in a disturbing trend – Ken Klippenstein reports, “Connolly joins five other members of Congress who also died in office over the past 13 months…Rep. Raúl Grijalva…Rep. Sylvester Turner…Rep. Bill Pascrell…Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee…[and] Rep. Donald Payne Jr.” All of these representatives were Democrats and their deaths have chipped away at the close margin between Democrats and Republicans in the House – allowing the Republicans to pass Trump's “Big Beautiful Bill” by a single vote. Connolly himself prevailed over AOC in a much-publicized intra-party battle for the Ranking Member seat on the House Oversight committee. It speaks volumes that Connolly was only able to hold onto that seat for a few short months before becoming too sick to stay on. This is of course part and parcel with the recent revelations about Biden's declining mental acuity during his presidency and the efforts to oust David Hogg from the DNC for backing primaries against what he calls “asleep-at-the-wheel” Democrats.9. Speaking of “asleep-at-the-wheel” Democrats, Bloomberg Government reports Senator John Fetterman “didn't attend a single committee hearing in 2025 until…May 8, about a week after an explosive New York Magazine story raised questions about his mental health and dedication to his job.” Fetterman, who represents Pennsylvania on the Commerce, Agriculture, and Homeland Security committees skipped the confirmation hearings for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Budget Director Russ Vought, some of the most high-profile and controversial Trump appointments. Fetterman still has yet to attend a single Agriculture committee hearing in 2025.10. Finally, in more Pennsylvania news, the state held its Democratic primaries this week, yielding mixed results. In Pittsburgh, progressives suffered a setback with the ouster of Mayor Ed Gainey – the first Black mayor of the city. Gainey lost to Allegheny County Controller Corey O'Connor, the son of former Mayor Bob O'Connor, the Hill reports. In Philadelphia however, voters approved three ballot measures – including expanding affordable housing and adding more oversight to the prison system – and reelected for a third term progressive reform District Attorney Larry Krasner, per AP. Krasner has long been a target of conservatives in both parties, but has adroitly maneuvered to maintain his position – and dramatically reduced homicide rates in Philly. The Wall Street Journal reports Philadelphia homicides declined by 34% between 2023 and 2024, part of substantial decline in urban homicides nationwide. Kudos to Krasner.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

In this episode of the Touring the Holy Land Series, Jen has a conversation with Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, the executive director of Churches for Middle East Peace. Mae shares some of her transformative experiences traveling and leading trips in Palestine-Israel. She unpacks the role that privilege plays when foreigners travel to the region, emphasizing the cognitive dissonance  that travelers often face when encountering conflicting narratives and the systemic injustices that Palestinians endure. Mae shares about how Churches for Middle East Peace facilitates Christian Holy Land pilgrimages, fostering transformative possibilities for Christian peacebuilding through multi-narrative trips that uplift diverse perspectives from Palestinians and Israelis.In their extended conversation for our Patreon supporters, Jennifer and Mae discuss the impact of Christian pilgrimage on Palestinian communities, highlighting both the economic and emotional significance of solidarity. To access this extended conversation and others, consider ⁠supporting us on Patreon⁠. Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon is the executive director of Churches for Middle East Peace. Cannon formerly served as the senior director of Advocacy and Outreach for World Vision U.S. on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC; as a consultant to the Middle East for child advocacy issues for Compassion International in Jerusalem; as the executive pastor of Hillside Covenant Church located in Walnut Creek, California; and as director of development and transformation for extension ministries at Willow Creek Community Church in Barrington, Illinois. Cannon holds an MDiv from North Park Theological Seminary, an MBA from North Park University's School of Business and Nonprofit Management, and an MA in bioethics from Trinity International University. She received her first doctorate in American History with a minor in Middle Eastern studies at the University of California (Davis) focusing on the history of the American Protestant church in Israel and Palestine and her second doctorate in Ministry in Spiritual Formation from Northern Theological Seminary. She is the author of several books including the award-winning Social Justice Handbook: Small Steps for a Better World and editor of A Land Full of God: Christian Perspectives on the Holy Land. Her work has been highlighted in The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, Chicago Tribune, Christianity Today, Leadership Magazine, The Christian Post, Jerusalem Post, EU Parliament Magazine, Huffington Post, and other international media outlets.If you enjoy our content, please consider supporting our work on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/AcrosstheDivide Follow Across the Divide on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠⁠⁠‪@AcrosstheDividePodcast‬⁠⁠⁠Across the Divide partners with Peace Catalyst International to amplify the pursuit of peace and explore the vital intersection of Christian faith and social justice in Palestine-Israel.Show Notes:Vox article on the influence of the book Exodus by Leon UrisCMEP TripsCMEP Action alert

X: @americasrt1776 @ileaderssummit @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA @supertalk Join America's Roundtable (https://americasrt.com/) radio co-hosts Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy with Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz, the Senior Rabbi of Congregation Kehi-Lath Je-shurun on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. He has been a congregational Rabbi for over 30 years, and previously served pulpits in Montreal, Quebec and Mount Vernon, New York. This interview was recorded 12 hours prior to the heinous murder of two staff members of Israel's Embassy to the US, which took place in front of the Capitol Jewish Museum in Washington D.C. Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky were planning to get engaged when their lives were cut short by a pro-Hamas supporter. He is on the leadership team of the Zionist Rabbinic Coalition, on the board of directors of the American Jewish Committee, NY and American Friends of Open University Israel, and a founding board member of the Moral Hearts Alliance, which builds Jewish-Christian cooperation in support of Israel. His first book, “Despite Everything: A Chronicle of Jewish Resilience in the Aftermath of October 7th,” was published in September 2024. Rabbi Steinmetz writes a weekly column for The Jewish Journal, and has written for many other publications, including The Washington Post, The Daily News, The Globe and Mail, La Presse, Haaretz, and The Jerusalem Post. americasrt.com (https://americasrt.com/) https://summitleadersusa.com/ | https://jerusalemleaderssummit.com/ America's Roundtable on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-roundtable/id1518878472 X: @americasrt1776 @ileaderssummit @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA @supertalk America's Roundtable is co-hosted by Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy, co-founders of International Leaders Summit and the Jerusalem Leaders Summit. America's Roundtable (https://americasrt.com/) radio program - a strategic initiative of International Leaders Summit, focuses on America's economy, healthcare reform, rule of law, security and trade, and its strategic partnership with rule of law nations around the world. The radio program features high-ranking US administration officials, cabinet members, members of Congress, state government officials, distinguished diplomats, business and media leaders and influential thinkers from around the world. Tune into America's Roundtable Radio program from Washington, DC via live streaming on Saturday mornings via 68 radio stations at 7:30 A.M. (ET) on Lanser Broadcasting Corporation covering the Michigan and the Midwest market, and at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk Mississippi — SuperTalk.FM reaching listeners in every county within the State of Mississippi, and neighboring states in the South including Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee. Tune into WTON in Central Virginia on Sunday mornings at 6:00 A.M. (ET). Listen to America's Roundtable on digital platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, Google and other key online platforms. Listen live, Saturdays at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk | https://www.supertalk.fm

We spend the whole program with Nadav Wieman, a former IDF sniper and now executive director of Breaking the Silence, an organization of Israeli veterans who expose the reality of life in the Occupied Territories and work to end the occupation. He and Ralph discuss Nadav's experience in the IDF and his work trying to turn the tide of sentiment in Israel against the ongoing genocide.Nadav Weiman is the executive director of Breaking the Silence, an organization of Israeli veterans who expose the reality of life in the Occupied Territories and work to end the occupation. Mr. Weiman served in a sniper's team in the special forces of the Nahal brigade and attained the rank of staff sergeant. He also worked as a history and literature teacher and was the legal guardian at a home for underprivileged teens in Tel Aviv.Now the soldiers that gave us testimonies told us that they came to the commander and said, "Okay, this is too much." And the commander said, "Listen, we lost too many dogs in the dog unit, so we're using Palestinians as human shields."Nadav Wieman former IDF sniper and Executive Director of Breaking the SilenceWhen the first soldier came to us in December 2023 and told us about using Palestinians as human shields, I thought it was an isolated event. But then another soldier came and another soldier and another soldier, and then we understood. It's a new protocol. It's called the Mosquito Protocol. “Mosquito,” is a code name on the radio saying, take a Palestinian man and put him in an IDF uniform, and in some cases a GoPro camera on his chest. And then soldiers were ordered to send them into tunnels to sweep the tunnels or into homes to sweep the homes.Nadav WiemanYou have another protocol called “Wasp”. The Wasp Protocol is Palestinians sweeping tunnels, but this time our Palestinians working with the IDF were brought from the West Bank. And they were told that they will get something from us, a permit or something like that.Nadav WiemanNews 5/16/251. Trump has abruptly ended the American war on the Houthi militia in Yemen, saying in a press conference, “You know, we hit them very hard. They had a great capacity to withstand punishment…You can say there's a lot of bravery there…It was amazing what they took. But we honor their commitment and their word,” per Prem Thakker. Behind the scenes, a New York Times report exposes the jaw-dropping waste that precipitated the U.S. backing down from this campaign. Some highlights include that the Houthis almost shot down an F-35 fighter jet – which run about $100 million apiece – that this campaign used so many precision munitions that Pentagon contingency planners grew “increasingly concerned about overall stocks,” and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)'s reported metric of success was “bombs dropped,” evoking the failed campaigns in Vietnam, per the Stimson Center's Emma Ashburn. All in all, this campaign cost $1 billion over the course of just 30 days.2. In more stunning news of Pentagon profligacy, CNN reported on May 6th that a SECOND F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet fell off the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier into the Red Sea following the first lost jet by just over a week. Each of these planes bear a price tag of over $60 million, according to the Navy, just in case you were wondering where your tax dollars are going now that Trump and Musk have slashed the budget of anything resembling a social program.3. In more foreign policy news, Edan Alexander, the last remaining U.S. citizen hostage in Gaza, has been released. Alexander was born and raised in New Jersey, then moved to Israel to serve in the IDF after graduating high school in 2022. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was quoted saying “[Alexander's release] was achieved thanks to our military pressure and the political pressure exerted by President Trump. This is a winning combination.” Meanwhile Trump posted on Truth Social “Edan Alexander, American hostage thought dead, to be released by Hamas. Great news!” Despite this heraldry however, MSN reports Alexander “rebuffed” a personal meeting with Netanyahu. Counter Currents adds “In a video released by Hamas…last November, Alexander harshly criticized Netanyahu…[accusing] the Israeli leader of abandoning the…[hostages]…and urged Trump…to secure his release.” In this video, Alexander told Netanyahu, “You neglected us…We die a thousand times every day, and no one feels our pain.”4. In a similar vein, the Jerusalem Post reports, “The Trump administration's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, criticized Israel in a meeting with hostage families…[saying] ‘We want to bring the hostages home, but Israel is not willing to end the war.'” Witkoff added “Israel is prolonging [the war] despite the fact that we don't see where else we can go and that an agreement must be reached.” Further, the New Arab reports “The Trump administration has…dropped its longstanding demand for Hamas to disarm as a precondition for a Gaza ceasefire.” This willingness to call a spade a spade regarding Israel's intractable opposition to peace, or even a lasting ceasefire – coupled with a seemingly genuine willingness to realistically approach peace talks – has been a marked point of departure compared to the Biden administration, which “Never Pressured Israel for Ceasefire,” according to Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, as reported in Drop Site News.5. Turning to some positive consumer protection news, “Ticketmaster will now show how much you'll pay for tickets — fees included — before checkout,” the Verge reports. This “All In Prices” initiative is an effort by the company to comply with the Federal Trade Commission's ban on junk fees. The FTC cracked down on Ticketmaster following the 2022 Taylor Swift Eras Tour “ticketing catastrophe.” In addition to the FTC, the Department of Justice sued Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation in 2024, accusing them of “driving up prices as a result of their alleged monopoly,” while the House passed the TICKET Act in 2024, a law that would “force ticket sellers to show full prices upfront.” The Senate is considering that bill now.6. Meanwhile, Igloo has voluntarily widened a recall of their coolers, related to “possible amputation and crushing hazards,” per ABC. The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a recall notice for a little over a million Igloo 90 Qt. Flip & Tow Rolling Coolers back in February, on the basis that “the tow handle can pinch consumers' fingertips against the cooler,” risking “fingertip amputation.” ABC reports this recall now includes “130,000 additional coolers, as well as approximately 20,000 in Canada and 5,900 in Mexico.” According to the CPSC, “since the recall was initiated in February, Igloo has received 78 reports of injuries involving the recalled coolers, including 26 reports of bone fractures, fingertip amputations or lacerations.”7. The first American Pope, Leo XIV, addressed the College of Cardinals on Sunday, in part explaining his decision to take that particular name. According to Business Insider, AI played a major role. The Pope told the college, “I chose to take the name Leo XIV…mainly because Pope Leo XIII in his historic Encyclical 'Rerum Novarum' addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution…In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice, and labor.” In a January 2024 message, Pope Francis said “At this time in history, which risks becoming rich in technology and poor in humanity, our reflections must begin with the human heart.”8. Turning to domestic politics, 25-year-old Democratic National Committee Vice Chair David Hogg is fighting an uphill battle to remain in his post. The activist and survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting has been a target of the party hierarchs since he refused to disassociate himself from the mission of the organization he cofounded – Leaders We Deserve – which seeks to primary “asleep-at-the-wheel” Democrats. On May 10th, POLITICO reported that Hogg sought a compromise with the party, vowing that he would erect a “internal firewall,” barring him from “accessing any internal DNC information about congressional and state legislative races as long as he was supporting challengers.” The DNC flatly refused. Instead, it would seem they are trying to oust Hogg by voiding his election, claiming it violated “fairness and gender diversity,” rules, per Semafor. On May 13th, the DNC's Credentials Committee voted to nullify the results of the February election, the Hill reports. According to POLITICO, the full DNC could “opt to hold a virtual vote ahead of the meeting later this summer. Otherwise it will take the issue up during its August meeting.”9. In Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka was “arrested and detained by masked federal immigration police Friday when he joined three Democratic congressmembers set to tour a newly reopened 1,000-bed [ICE] jail run by GEO Group,” Democracy Now! reports. This is the latest installment in the power struggle between federal agents and local officials over immigration, an escalation from the arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan in April. Dugan herself was indicted this week for supposedly “obstructing or impeding a proceeding,” per Wisconsin Public Radio. Alina Habba, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, tweeted, “The Mayor of Newark…committed trespass…He has willingly chosen to disregard the law…He has been taken into custody.” She added in all caps, “NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.” Chilling words.10. Finally, we pay tribute to Uruguayan revolutionary, anti-dictatorship rebel and former president José “Pepe” Mujica, who passed away this week following a protracted battle with esophageal cancer. Mujica was celebrated throughout the world during his tenure as president for his humble lifestyle; He was called ‘the world's poorest president' famously driving a beat-up old VW bug and donating the bulk of his salary. In 2013, he delivered a bombshell speech at the United Nations in wherein he decried capitalism and the environmental destruction it has wrought. Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian Greg Grandin eulogized Mujica, writing “He was a member of the insurgent, armed Tupamarus, and served 14 years in prison, much of it in solitary, subject to extreme torture techniques taught by US advisors… Upon his release, he helped build the Frente Amplio into one of the most successful left coalitions. He radiated humility and humanity but he knew that power was meant to be taken and used, and behind his smile was steel. He was 89.”This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

This week on the Jerusalem Post Podcast, Tamar Uriel-Beeri and legal correspondent Sarah Ben-Nun discuss the largest events of the past week. Sarah discusses the view from the courtroom as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives testimony to the court. Jerusalem Post Editor-in-Chief Zvika Klein will also be giving a preview of the Post's upcoming conference in New York.

President Donald Trump on Monday signed a sweeping executive order setting a 30-day deadline for drugmakers to electively lower the cost of prescription drugs in the U.S. or face new limits down the road over what the government will pay. The order calls on the health department, led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to broker new price tags for drugs over the next month. If deals are not reached, Kennedy will be tasked with developing a new rule that ties the price the U.S. pays for medications to lower prices paid by other countries. Jimmy and Americans' Comedian Kurt Metzger discuss the high prices of pharmaceuticals in the United States and whether Trump's executive order will have the intended effect. Plus segments on Trump bypassing Netanyahu to negotiate the release of the last U.S. hostage in Gaza and reports in the Jerusalem Post suggesting that Trump is planning to declare U.S. recognition of an independent Palestinian state. Also featuring Stef Zamorano and Mike MacRae. And a phone call from Andrew Cuomo!

Hoy hablamos sobre la celebración del Día de la Victoria, el día en que la Unión Soviética derrotó al Ejército nazi en Berlín, terminando de manera efectiva la parte europea de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Vladimir Putin ha recibido una gran cantidad de mandatarios, que representaban aproximadamente a la mitad de habitantes del mundo. Sin embargo, en el contexto de la guerra de Ucrania, en Europa se han prohibido banderas rusas y se ha renombrado como "Día de Europa", minimizando y ocultando el papel de la URSS en el final de la II Guerra Mundial. También analizamos hoy el nuevo foco de conflicto mundial que ha surgido entre India y Pakistán. Dos potencias nucleares con un historial de hostilidades que ya se están enfrentando directamente. Por último, analizamos el aparente cambio de postura de Donald Trump respecto a Israel. Su próxima gira por Oriente Medio no incluirá una visita oficial a Netanyahu y el Jerusalem Post publica que tiene fuentes que afirman que Trump podría reconocer al Estado palestino. Con Íñigo Molina, Carlos García y Toni Hernández. Conduce Juan Carlos Barba. Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

This is the shocking true-life story of how PFAS—a set of toxic chemicals most people have never heard of—poisoned the entire country. Based on original, shoe-leather reporting in four highly contaminated towns and damning documents from the polluters' own files, Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America (Island Press, 2025) traces an ugly history of corporate greed and devastation of human lives. We learn that PFAS, the ‘forever chemicals' found in everyday products, from cooking pans to mascara, are coursing through the veins of 97% of Americans. We witness the pain of families who lost sisters and daughters, cousins and neighbors, after PFAS leached into their drinking water. We discover evidence that the makers of forever chemicals may have known for decades about the deadly risks of their products—because their own scientists have been documenting these dangers since the 1960s. And we see the failure of our government, time after time, to provide basic protections to its citizens. It is impossible to read this searing exposé without being infuriated by the recklessness of corporate America. But readers will also be awed by the spirit of ordinary people who, while fighting for their own lives, took it upon themselves to fix a broken regulatory system. Heart-wrenching and maddening, stirring and uplifting, Poisoning the Well offers a unique window into the worst and best of human nature. It is essential reading for anyone concerned about the unfettered power of industry and the invisible threat it poses to the health of the nation—and to each of us. Sharon Udasin is a reporter for The Hill, covering U.S. West climate & policy from her home base in Boulder, Colorado. She was a Ted Scripps Fellow in Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder and has also reported for The Jerusalem Post and The New York Jewish Week. A graduate of both the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia Journalism School, Sharon also received a 2022 SEAL Environmental Journalism Award and was honored by the Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership in 2013. Rachel Frazin covers energy and environment policy for The Hill: that's everything from climate change to gasoline prices to toxic chemicals to renewable and fossil energy. It was through this work that she learned about, and became alarmed by, "forever chemicals." She is originally from South Florida, and she studied journalism and political science at (the very cold) Northwestern University. Previously, her work has appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, The Daily Beast, the Tampa Bay Times, and The Palm Beach Post. Daniel Moran's writing about literature and film can be found on Pages and Frames. He earned his B.A. and M.A. in English from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. in History from Drew University. The author of Creating Flannery O'Connor: Her Critics, Her Publishers, Her Readers, he teaches research and writing at Rutgers and co-hosts the long-running podcast Fifteen-Minute Film Fanatics, found here on the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

Today, Michael speaks with Rabbi Sharon Brous. Sharon is the senior and founding rabbi of IKAR, a leading-edge Jewish community based in Los Angeles, and the author of The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Mend Our Broken Hearts and World, a national bestseller. She was named #1 on the Newsweek/The Daily Beast list of most influential Rabbis in America and has been recognized by The Forward and Jerusalem Post as among the most influential Jews alive today. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post, and her 2016 TED talk, “Reclaiming Religion,” has been viewed by more than 1.5 million people. Sharon is in the inaugural cohort of Auburn Seminary's Senior Fellows program, which unites top faith leaders working on the frontlines for justice, she sits on the faculty of REBOOT and serves on the International Council of the New Israel Fund, and the national steering committee for the Poor People's Campaign. Highlights from Michael's and Sharon's insightful conversation include:  -Sharon's spiritual awakening and a deep dive into her seminary journey, her love for Talmudic texts, and the realization that her feminist, activist voice was missing from the tradition, and needed to be included -The deep spiritual yearning among disaffected Jews and the need for a new, imaginative religious expression that is both prophetic and rooted in justice -The criticism and threats Sharon received for calling people to compassion, and the spiritual imperative to resist polarization by turning toward, not away from, each other -Poignant stories from Sharon's community and life, including a powerful lesson from her mentor that taught her the sacred responsibility of simply showing up -Themes from Sharon's celebrated sermon, The Amen Effect, and how it turned into a national best-selling book -The link between social disconnection and the rise of tyranny, and a story of how an ideological conflict helped catalyze a life-changing shift in someone -The “18 minutes of joy” practice from Sharon's grieving friend, redefining joy as a form of resistance and spiritual resilience, and so much more! Finally, Michael leads a guided meditation on expanding love from a personal to global scale, culminating in gratitude, spaciousness, and divine compassion.  Learn more about IKAR and Sharon's work at https://ikar.org/ and on social media. Remember to Subscribe or Follow and set an alert to receive notifications each Wednesday when new episodes are available! Connect with Michael at his website – https://michaelbeckwith.com/ – and receive his guided meditation, “Raise Your Vibration and Be Untouchable” when you sign up to receive occasional updates from Michael! You can also connect with him at https://agapelive.com/. Facebook: @Michael.B.Beckwith https://www.facebook.com/Michael.B.Beckwith  IG: @michaelbbeckwith https://www.instagram.com/michaelbbeckwith/  TikTok: @officialmichaelbeckwith   https://www.tiktok.com/@officialmichaelbeckwith  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqMWuqEKXLY4m60gNDsw61w  And as always, deep gratitude to the sponsors of the Take Back Your Mind with Michael B. Beckwith podcast: -Agape International Spiritual Center: https://agapelive.com/ and -NutriRise, the makers of Michael's AdaptoZen product line, a few of which include: -Superfood Greens: https://nutririse.com/products/greens-superfood  -Superfood Reds: https://nutririse.com/products/adaptozen-superfood-reds    -ELEVATE+: Organic Fermented Mushrooms: https://nutririse.com/products/elevate-fermented-mushrooms-powder

The Israeli cabinet have approved plans to seize the Gaza Strip and hold the territory indefinitely, which could push hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to the southward. Alistair Bunkall Sky News Middle East Correspondent brought us the latest. We also heard from Avi Mayer Editor of the Jerusalem Journal and Former Editor-In-Chief of The Jerusalem Post.

This is the shocking true-life story of how PFAS—a set of toxic chemicals most people have never heard of—poisoned the entire country. Based on original, shoe-leather reporting in four highly contaminated towns and damning documents from the polluters' own files, Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America (Island Press, 2025) traces an ugly history of corporate greed and devastation of human lives. We learn that PFAS, the ‘forever chemicals' found in everyday products, from cooking pans to mascara, are coursing through the veins of 97% of Americans. We witness the pain of families who lost sisters and daughters, cousins and neighbors, after PFAS leached into their drinking water. We discover evidence that the makers of forever chemicals may have known for decades about the deadly risks of their products—because their own scientists have been documenting these dangers since the 1960s. And we see the failure of our government, time after time, to provide basic protections to its citizens. It is impossible to read this searing exposé without being infuriated by the recklessness of corporate America. But readers will also be awed by the spirit of ordinary people who, while fighting for their own lives, took it upon themselves to fix a broken regulatory system. Heart-wrenching and maddening, stirring and uplifting, Poisoning the Well offers a unique window into the worst and best of human nature. It is essential reading for anyone concerned about the unfettered power of industry and the invisible threat it poses to the health of the nation—and to each of us. Sharon Udasin is a reporter for The Hill, covering U.S. West climate & policy from her home base in Boulder, Colorado. She was a Ted Scripps Fellow in Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder and has also reported for The Jerusalem Post and The New York Jewish Week. A graduate of both the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia Journalism School, Sharon also received a 2022 SEAL Environmental Journalism Award and was honored by the Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership in 2013. Rachel Frazin covers energy and environment policy for The Hill: that's everything from climate change to gasoline prices to toxic chemicals to renewable and fossil energy. It was through this work that she learned about, and became alarmed by, "forever chemicals." She is originally from South Florida, and she studied journalism and political science at (the very cold) Northwestern University. Previously, her work has appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, The Daily Beast, the Tampa Bay Times, and The Palm Beach Post. Daniel Moran's writing about literature and film can be found on Pages and Frames. He earned his B.A. and M.A. in English from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. in History from Drew University. The author of Creating Flannery O'Connor: Her Critics, Her Publishers, Her Readers, he teaches research and writing at Rutgers and co-hosts the long-running podcast Fifteen-Minute Film Fanatics, found here on the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/politics-and-polemics

This is the shocking true-life story of how PFAS—a set of toxic chemicals most people have never heard of—poisoned the entire country. Based on original, shoe-leather reporting in four highly contaminated towns and damning documents from the polluters' own files, Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America (Island Press, 2025) traces an ugly history of corporate greed and devastation of human lives. We learn that PFAS, the ‘forever chemicals' found in everyday products, from cooking pans to mascara, are coursing through the veins of 97% of Americans. We witness the pain of families who lost sisters and daughters, cousins and neighbors, after PFAS leached into their drinking water. We discover evidence that the makers of forever chemicals may have known for decades about the deadly risks of their products—because their own scientists have been documenting these dangers since the 1960s. And we see the failure of our government, time after time, to provide basic protections to its citizens. It is impossible to read this searing exposé without being infuriated by the recklessness of corporate America. But readers will also be awed by the spirit of ordinary people who, while fighting for their own lives, took it upon themselves to fix a broken regulatory system. Heart-wrenching and maddening, stirring and uplifting, Poisoning the Well offers a unique window into the worst and best of human nature. It is essential reading for anyone concerned about the unfettered power of industry and the invisible threat it poses to the health of the nation—and to each of us. Sharon Udasin is a reporter for The Hill, covering U.S. West climate & policy from her home base in Boulder, Colorado. She was a Ted Scripps Fellow in Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder and has also reported for The Jerusalem Post and The New York Jewish Week. A graduate of both the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia Journalism School, Sharon also received a 2022 SEAL Environmental Journalism Award and was honored by the Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership in 2013. Rachel Frazin covers energy and environment policy for The Hill: that's everything from climate change to gasoline prices to toxic chemicals to renewable and fossil energy. It was through this work that she learned about, and became alarmed by, "forever chemicals." She is originally from South Florida, and she studied journalism and political science at (the very cold) Northwestern University. Previously, her work has appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, The Daily Beast, the Tampa Bay Times, and The Palm Beach Post. Daniel Moran's writing about literature and film can be found on Pages and Frames. He earned his B.A. and M.A. in English from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. in History from Drew University. The author of Creating Flannery O'Connor: Her Critics, Her Publishers, Her Readers, he teaches research and writing at Rutgers and co-hosts the long-running podcast Fifteen-Minute Film Fanatics, found here on the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the shocking true-life story of how PFAS—a set of toxic chemicals most people have never heard of—poisoned the entire country. Based on original, shoe-leather reporting in four highly contaminated towns and damning documents from the polluters' own files, Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America (Island Press, 2025) traces an ugly history of corporate greed and devastation of human lives. We learn that PFAS, the ‘forever chemicals' found in everyday products, from cooking pans to mascara, are coursing through the veins of 97% of Americans. We witness the pain of families who lost sisters and daughters, cousins and neighbors, after PFAS leached into their drinking water. We discover evidence that the makers of forever chemicals may have known for decades about the deadly risks of their products—because their own scientists have been documenting these dangers since the 1960s. And we see the failure of our government, time after time, to provide basic protections to its citizens. It is impossible to read this searing exposé without being infuriated by the recklessness of corporate America. But readers will also be awed by the spirit of ordinary people who, while fighting for their own lives, took it upon themselves to fix a broken regulatory system. Heart-wrenching and maddening, stirring and uplifting, Poisoning the Well offers a unique window into the worst and best of human nature. It is essential reading for anyone concerned about the unfettered power of industry and the invisible threat it poses to the health of the nation—and to each of us. Sharon Udasin is a reporter for The Hill, covering U.S. West climate & policy from her home base in Boulder, Colorado. She was a Ted Scripps Fellow in Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder and has also reported for The Jerusalem Post and The New York Jewish Week. A graduate of both the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia Journalism School, Sharon also received a 2022 SEAL Environmental Journalism Award and was honored by the Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership in 2013. Rachel Frazin covers energy and environment policy for The Hill: that's everything from climate change to gasoline prices to toxic chemicals to renewable and fossil energy. It was through this work that she learned about, and became alarmed by, "forever chemicals." She is originally from South Florida, and she studied journalism and political science at (the very cold) Northwestern University. Previously, her work has appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, The Daily Beast, the Tampa Bay Times, and The Palm Beach Post. Daniel Moran's writing about literature and film can be found on Pages and Frames. He earned his B.A. and M.A. in English from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. in History from Drew University. The author of Creating Flannery O'Connor: Her Critics, Her Publishers, Her Readers, he teaches research and writing at Rutgers and co-hosts the long-running podcast Fifteen-Minute Film Fanatics, found here on the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Judges across the country are calling BS on the Trump administration's lies in court. But the government has come up with a genius plan to impress the judiciary by perpwalking a Wisconsin judge out of her own courthouse. If that doesn't work, they'll try contaminated milk. Links:   STRENGTHENING AND UNLEASHING AMERICA'S LAW ENFORCEMENT TO PURSUE CRIMINALS AND PROTECT INNOCENT CITIZENS https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/strengthening-and-unleashing-americas-law-enforcement-to-pursue-criminals-and-protect-innocent-citizens/   State of NY v. Department of Education [Docket via Court Listener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69944116/state-of-new-york-v-department-of-education/   American Bar Association v. DOJ [Docket via Court Listener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69934429/american-bar-association-v-us-department-of-justice/   NTEU v. Vought [DDC docket] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69624423/national-treasury-employees-union-v-vought/?   NTEU v. Vought [DC Cir docket] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69821739/national-treasury-employees-union-v-russell-vought/   Trump Administration Previews Genius New Legal Strategy https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/trump-admin-previes-genius-new-legal   US v. Dugan docket (E.D. Wisc.) https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69943130/united-states-v-dugan/   Russell W. Currier and John A. Widness, A Brief History of Milk Hygiene and Its Impact on Infant Mortality from 1875 to 1925 and Implications for Today: A Review, Journal of Food Protection (Oct. 2018) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X22087610   Could changes at the FDA call the kosher status of milk into question? Many are asking. Jerusalem Post, April 25, 2025 https://www.jpost.com/food-recipes/article-851470   Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod  

Please, feel free to send a text message here and give us feedback. Also, you may send a text msg or leave voicemail (425) 550-6670. Please DO NOT ask questions here because I have no way to respond to your questions. If you have questions, please send an email: questions@cominghome.co.ilToday, we will examine the controversial question of “When does a Biblical day start?” This is PART 1. Of course, whether a biblical day starts in the morning or with the previous evening, it has been a topic of great discussion, sometimes heated, for at least twenty centuries, and that is a long time! From my research, I have found that both sides (pro and con) present compelling evidence supporting their respective positions. Given this, you might ask, “Why even bring up the dispute if both sides seem to make a valid case for their beliefs?” I have my reasons, which you will learn in this study series. To begin, rather than argue about what this or that Bible verse says or does not say, I want to take a different approach to answer the all-important question, “When does a biblical day start?” Let's begin with learning about the known positions from within cultural Jewish history, then continue with more historical information on biblical authority and prophecy. Today, we will start with a teaching article from the Jerusalem Post published in 2009, "From Sun to Moon," when they interviewed Hebrew University Professor Rachel Elior to learn from her years of research and scholarship in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Please join me for today's Real Israel Talk Radio biblical study, Episode 175 PART 1. Support the show

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Ellis Shuman, author of the book Rakiya - Stories of Bulgaria. Ellis is an American-born Israeli author, travel writer, and book reviewer. His writing has appeared in The Jerusalem Post, The Times of Israel, World Literature Today, and The Huffington Post. His short fiction has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and has appeared in Isele Magazine, Vagabond, The Write Launch, Esoterica, Jewish Literary Journal, San Antonio Review, and other literary publications. He is the author of The Virtual Kibbutz, Valley of Thracians, The Burgas Affair, and Rakiya – Stories of Bulgaria.   In my book review, I stated Rakiya - Stories of Bulgaria is a collection of cultural short stories set in Bulgaria. In these short stories we follow such characters as pickpocketing Roma, a WWII veteran, refugees, authors, makers of rakiya, and hunters - all while learning about the rich history of the area.    As someone who knows little about the Bulgarian culture or the history, I was enchanted by the stories. I was also intrigued by the foods, drinks, mountains, and churches. By the time I was finished with the collection, I wondered if a trip to Bulgaria might be in order!   As an author, I was fascinated with how the author weaved these tales into a cohesive whole - and loved how a character from one story would inevitably end up in another. Despite being a series of short stories, it reads far more like a novel, with Bulgaria as the main character. It's a great read.   Subscribe to Online for Authors to learn about more great books! https://www.youtube.com/@onlineforauthors?sub_confirmation=1   Join the Novels N Latte Book Club community to discuss this and other books with like-minded readers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3576519880426290   You can follow Author Ellis Shuman Website: https://ellisshuman.blogspot.com/ FB: @Ellis Shuman Author   Purchase Rakiya - Stories of Bulgaria on Amazon: Paperback: https://amzn.to/3RwLK1L Ebook: https://amzn.to/4ja3EU6   Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor IG: @terimbrown_author X: @terimbrown1   Want to be a guest on Online for Authors? Send Teri M Brown a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors   #ellisshuman #rakiyastoriesofbulgaria #shortstories #contemporaryfiction #terimbrownauthor #authorpodcast #onlineforauthors #characterdriven #researchjunkie #awardwinningauthor #podcasthost #podcast #readerpodcast #bookpodcast #writerpodcast #author #books #goodreads #bookclub #fiction #writer #bookreview *As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

  Today on Unsupervised Learning Razib talks to Zineb Riboua, a research fellow and program manager of Hudson Institute's Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East. She specializes in Chinese and Russian involvement in the Middle East, the Sahel, and North Africa, great power competition in the region, and Israeli-Arab relations. Riboua's pieces and commentary have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, the National Interest, the Jerusalem Post and Tablet among other outlets. She holds a master's of public policy from the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University. She did her undergraduate studies in France, where she attended French preparatory classes and HEC Paris' Grande Ecole program. Her Substack is Beyond the Ideological. Razib and Riboua discuss the Trump administration's theory of tariffs as a tool of foreign policy and his attitudes toward multilateral diplomacy. They explore whether any principle beyond power and dominance underlies the current administration's approach, and consider the role of principles and values in foreign policy. Riboua elaborates a realist perspective in line with the thinking of Henry Kissinger. States have interests and abilities to execute on those interests; idealism is secondary. Riboua also discusses the fact that Trump seems attuned to how foreign politicians relate to the American domestic scene. He seems willing to punish those abroad whom he perceives to be favorable to his political enemies and reward those who are personally favorable toward him. Razib then asks Riboua about the geopolitics of her native Morocco, a relatively stable monarchy on northwest Africa's edge that has promoted moderate Islam, a good relationship with Europe and maintained a stable democracy.

Brooklyn-born Israeli cartoonist Yaakov Kirschen, whose iconic “Dry Bones” cartoons appeared in newspapers for decades, has died at Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba at the age of 87 after a lengthy illness. Kirschen, who made aliyah in 1971, began drawing his trademark cartoon “Dry Bones” in 1973—a series inspired by the biblical vision of the Valley of Dry Bones and featuring a main character named Shuldig (Yiddish for guilty or blame). The comic strip became internationally syndicated and was published in The Jerusalem Post for 50 years before Kirschen moved his work to JNS.Jeff Barak, a former editor in chief of The Jerusalem Post, says that Yaakov Kirschen was the “ideal cartoonist.” He told reporter Arieh O’Sullivan that Kirschen had a unique, original style and a joie de-vivre presence whose cartoons also resonated outside of Israel. (photo: Koren Jerusalem) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As countries in the Eastern Mediterranean - particularly Greece, Cyprus, and Israel - deepen their ties, they are also faced with the challenges posed by malign actors across the region. This includes countries like Russia, Iran, and Turkey, but also non-state actors like Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis in the Red Sea. Jonathan Spyer, director of research at the Middle East Forum and a contributor to the Jerusalem Post, the Wall Street Journal and The Australian, joins Thanos Davelis as we explore these security challenges and look at how East Med countries can work together to address them.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:No One Should Be Surprised About the Syrian MassacresTurkey, Israel have begun talks to avoid clashes in Syria, sources sayHigh-stakes poker over energy linkPM: ‘A trade war only produces losers'

Zvika Klein, Editor-in-Chief of the Jerusalem Post, was arrested by police last week as part of the investigation into the Qatargate affair. He was questioned under caution but eventually released without being charged. KAN's Mark Weiss spoke with him about his interrogation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ralph welcomes Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen, whose group has filed eight lawsuits that have significantly slowed the Trump/Musk cabal's attempt to dismantle the government. Then, our resident Constitutional scholar Bruce Fein reports on Public Interest Law Day at Harvard Law School and how important it is for law schools in general to step up to meet this constitutional crisis. Plus, Ralph answers listener questions!Robert Weissman is a staunch public interest advocate and activist, as well as an expert on a wide variety of issues ranging from corporate accountability and government transparency, to trade and globalization, to economic and regulatory policy. As the President of Public Citizen, he has spearheaded the effort to loosen the chokehold corporations and the wealthy have over our democracy.The efforts in the courts are really vital to stem the illegal, unconstitutional actions of the administration, but also to show that there's a way to fight back. In these early days and months of the administration, there's been a sense that Trump is inevitable and unstoppable. And the actions in the courts, I think, have been really critical to illustrating that that's not true.Robert WeissmanIt's open season for the polluters. And of course, they're also promoting in a variety of ways a rush towards climate catastrophe by undoing the positive measures that have come recently from the Biden administration to deal with the climate crisis.Robert WeissmanIf you pull back all the enforcement rules, and you say we're not going to enforce the rules that are left over, corporations get the message. And they're going to bemore reckless, and it's a near certainty that we're going to have many more serious industrial disasters as a direct result of what they're doing at EPA and other agencies.Robert WeissmanBruce Fein is a Constitutional scholar and an expert on international law. Mr. Fein was Associate Deputy Attorney General under Ronald Reagan and he is the author of Constitutional Peril: The Life and Death Struggle for Our Constitution and Democracy, and American Empire: Before the Fall.If we don't inform the public (with the law students as well as others in the lead), we're not going to have rule of law and Harvard Law School will become an irrelevancy. It will be a museum piece.Bruce FeinI think the country and the law students are going to pay a price. They're being very narrow and myopic with regard to their immediate preoccupation with their trade school, where they're going to work the next day, and very little given to the fact that if we don't have a country anymore, they aren't going to have a legal career.Bruce FeinIt's a more cowardly, timid type of law school whose explanations are still ready to be discovered. It's a real puzzle…because they have tenure, they have status, they have wealth, and they have the ability to defend themselves because they're skilled lawyers.Ralph NaderNews 4/2/251. Our top stories this week are on the topic of corporate crime. First, the American Prospect reports that the Trump administration is seeking to reverse a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau case against Townstone, a mortgage brokerage firm that blatantly discouraged potential Black borrowers. According to the Prospect, Townstone's owners Barry Sturner and David Hochberg vigorously promoted their firm though “personal-finance call-in infomercials,” on Chicago's WGN radio station. During these infomercials, which generated 90 percent of Townstone's business, Sturner and Hochberg “characterized the South Side of Chicago as a ‘war zone,' downtown Chicago as a ‘jungle' that turned on Friday and Saturday into ‘hoodlum weekend,'” and so on. As the Prospect notes, if Sturner and Hochberg were simply airing these views that would be perfectly legal, however unsavory. Instead, this program is “an informercial, which generates 90 percent of the brokerage's leads, which the brokerage pays WGN to air, presumably punctuated at regular intervals by some phrase along the lines of ‘an equal housing lender.'” Therefore, this rhetoric was determined to have violated the Fair Housing Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and the Community Reinvestment Act. The remarkable thing about this case is that it was brought by the Trump administration's CFPB between 2017 and 2020. Townstone eventually settled the case for a little over $100,000. Yet, just last week, the Trump administration 2.0 returned the money to Townstone posting “a long press release about how ‘abusive' and ‘unjust' the whole case had been.” This episode highlights just how much more extreme the new Trump administration is, even compared to the old one.2. Another outrageous case of corporate criminal leniency comes to us from Rick Claypool, a corporate crime expert at Public Citizen. For background, CNBC reports that Trump has “pardoned three co-founders of the BitMEX global cryptocurrency exchange, as well as…a former high-ranking employee.” As this piece explains, the co-founders received criminal sentences of probation…and were ordered to pay civil fines totaling $30 million,” after “Prosecutors accused the men of effectively operating BitMEX as a ‘money laundering platform' …[and] ‘a sham.'” But Trump went beyond pardoning the corporate criminals involved. As Claypool noted, “the crypto corporation pled guilty and was sentenced in January to two years' probation,” leading Claypool to wonder whether Trump would pardon the corporation itself. His question was answered on March 29th when Law360 reported that yes, Trump pardoned the business entity. This is the logical endpoint of regarding corporations as people. Not only will individual crooks be let off the hook, the whole crooked enterprise will come out unscathed.3. New evidence confirms the redistribution of wealth from working people to the capitalist class. A February 2025 RAND Corporation study titled “Measuring the Income Gap from 1975 to 2023” finds that, “the bottom 90 percent of workers would have earned $3.9 trillion more with..more even growth rates [since 1975],” resulting in a “cumulative amount of $79 trillion.” This study extends prior estimates by factoring in “inflation, growth in inequality, and a longer time frame.” And even more recently, an April 2025 article in the Journal of Political Economy, titled “How the Wealth Was Won: Factor Shares as Market Fundamentals,” finds that “40% of [the increase in real per capita value of corporate equity, which grew at an annual rate of 7.2% between 1989 and 2017]…was attributable to a reallocation of rewards to shareholders in a decelerating economy, primarily at the expense of labor compensation.” This study estimates “Economic growth accounted for just 25% of the increase,” and compares this period to the preceding era, “1952–88, [which] experienced only one-third as much growth in market equity, but economic growth accounted for more than 100% of it.” Taken together, these studies starkly illustrate an American economic machine built to make the rich even richer and the poor ever poorer.4. On the other end of the criminal penalty spectrum, the Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that they will seek the death penalty for alleged UnitedHealthcare assassin Luigi Mangione, the BBC reports. The first Trump administration saw the resumption of the federal death penalty after a 16-year hiatus; the Biden administration then issued a new moratorium and commuted the sentences of most federal death row prisoners. Since returning to power, Trump has aggressively pursued federal executions once again.5. In more positive legal news, NBC reports French far-right leader Marine Le Pen was found guilty Monday of embezzling over €3 million of European Union funds. The National Rally party leader was sentenced to four years in prison (with two on house arrest and two suspended), a €100,000 fine, and a ban on holding political office for five years – making her ineligible for the 2027 French presidential election, which polls showed her leading. Her party will, for the time being, be led by her protégé 29-year-old Jordan Bardella. It is unclear if he will enjoy the same popularity Ms. Le Pen held. She announced that she plans to appeal the verdict, but will remain ineligible for public office unless and until she wins that case.6. In more international news, British police last week executed a shocking raid on a congregation of the Quakers. The Guardian reports, “More than 20 uniformed police, some equipped with Tasers, forced their way into the Westminster meeting house…[and] seized attenders' phones and laptops.” In a statement, Paul Parker, the recording clerk for Quakers in Britain, said “No one has been arrested in a Quaker meeting house in living memory… This aggressive violation of our place of worship and the forceful removal of young people holding a protest group meeting clearly shows what happens when a society criminalises protest.” The stated charge is the absurd “conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.” A report on the incident in Church Times adds a statement from Oliver Robertson, head of witness and worship for Quakers in Britain, who said “This raid is not an isolated incident. It reflects a growing trend of excessive policing under new laws brought in by the previous government, which are now being enforced by the current administration.” Even former Tory minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, criticized the raid, stating “There has long been a tradition in this country…that religious spaces should not be invaded by the forces of law and order unless absolutely necessary.”7. Of course, the outrageous use of lawfare on Israel's behalf continues in the halls of Congress as well. In a letter, Congressmen Jim Jordan, Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, and Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Brian Mast – famous for his role as an American volunteer for the IDF – have announced their intention to investigate activist groups critical of the Israeli government – within Israel. According to the Jerusalem Post, these NGOs are being investigated to, “ascertain whether funding they allegedly received from the Biden administration was utilized for the judicial reform protests in 2023.” These groups include the Movement for Quality Government in Israel and Blue and White Future, among others.8. The government's use of brute force to muzzle criticism of Israel continues to rock academia. At Harvard, the Crimson reports 82 of Harvard Law School's 118 active professors have signed a letter which “accused the federal government of exacting retribution on lawyers and law firms for representing clients and causes opposed by President Donald Trump…described Trump's threats as a danger to the rule of law…[and] condemned the government for intimidating individuals based on their past public statements and threatening international students with deportation over ‘lawful speech and political activism.'” The letter reads, in part, “we share a conviction that our Constitution, including its First Amendment, was designed to make dissent and debate possible without fear of government punishment. Neither a law school nor a society can properly function amidst such fear.” This letter stands in stark contrast to the recent statement by Harvard President Alan Garber, in which he pledged to “engage” with the federal government's demands in order to protect the university's $9 billion in federal funding.9. Last week, we reported on the “lynching” of Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land – and how the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences dithered before ultimately releasing a milquetoast statement decrying violence against “artists for their work or their viewpoints,” with no mention of Palestine or even Ballal's name. This caused so much uproar among Academy members that nearly 900 of them signed a letter “denouncing the Academy's silence,” per Variety. The letter and full list of signatories can be found here. Shamed, the Academy leadership was forced to issue a follow-up statement expressing their “regret that we failed to directly acknowledge Mr. Ballal and the film by name.” This statement continues “We sincerely apologize to Mr. Ballal…We abhor the suppression of free speech under any circumstances.”10. Finally, speaking of shame, the Hill reports that the shame of Congressional Republicans is giving Democrats a golden opportunity. According to this piece, “House Democrats are ramping up their aggressive strategy of conducting town halls in Republican-held districts, vying to exploit the GOP's advised moratorium on the events to make inroads with frustrated voters, pick up battleground seats, and flip control of the House in next year's midterms.” One Democrat, Bernie Sanders' 2020 campaign co-chair Ro Khanna, has held three town halls in Republican-held districts, whose main takeaway was “People are mad.” Republicans who have bucked the GOP leadership and held town halls anyway, such as Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman and Indiana congresswoman Victoria Spartz have found themselves looking down the barrel of constituents furious at the conduct of the administration in general and DOGE in particular. This, combined with the upset Democratic victories in recent special elections, has the GOP on a defensive backfoot for the first time in months. Could we be looking at the beginning of a Democratic tea party? Only time will tell.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

Upcoming Event Notice: Dan Senor will be delivering this year's State of World Jewry Address at the 92nd Street Y (92NY) on Tuesday May 13 at 7:30 pm. To register: https://www.92ny.org/event/the-state-of-world-jewry-addressWatch Call me Back on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcastTo contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: https://arkmedia.org/Dan on X: https://x.com/dansenorDan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dansenorArk Media on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkmediaorgIsrael's pre-October 7th and post-October 7th worlds are colliding, as the war in Gaza resumes, along with the internal strife that preceded it. Today we discuss Israel's new and expanding military campaign in Gaza, its objectives, the difference in war-fighting strategy between the IDF's former chief-of-staff and new chief-of-staff, and the kind of enemy the IDF is facing now in Gaza compared to what the IDF was facing before the ceasefire. All of this is against the backdrop of domestic political tensions reaching a boiling point over the Government's efforts to remove the head of the Shin Bet and the Attorney General. Our guest is Seth Frantzman, who joins us from Jerusalem. Seth is the senior Middle East correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post. He is also an adjunct fellow at the Foundation For Defense of Democracies, and the author of three books. He received his PhD from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Seth has served as a research associate at the IDC in Herzliya and a lecturer at Al-Quds University. His latest book is The October 7 War: Israel's Battle for Security in Gaza: https://lnk.to/XGEe6bx0.CREDITS:ILAN BENATAR - Producer & EditorMARTIN HUERGO - Sound EditorYARDENA SCHWARTZ - Executive Editor, Ark MediaGABE SILVERSTEIN - ResearchYUVAL SEMO - Music Composer

Karen Kirsten joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about the messy complexity of family, asking the right questions, writing about a time in history when you weren't present in that history, utilizing and incorporating primary research, recorded interviews, archived documents, diaries, film, and photographs into memoir, writing fact-based vivid scenes, working with historians to accurately depict world-altering events, being honest with the reader and grappling with conflicting information on the page, changing the central question of your memoir, being a detective and being dogged, having a care plan and a nurturing creative community, writing about transgenerational trauma, inserting yourself into the narrative as a character, and her new memoir Irina's Gift.   Also in this episode: -structural changes late in the process -delaying reveals to add suspense -using image systems to address transgenerational trauma   Books mentioned in this episode:    The Fact of a Body by Alex Marzano-Lesnevich The Most Dangerous Book by Kevin Birmingham The Sinner and the Saint by Kevin Birmingham Fairyland by Alysia Abbott The Postcard by Anne Berest The Situation and the Story by Vivian Gornick Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel WIlkers The Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante Leviathan by Paul Auster Question 7 by Richard Flanagan Swimming in Paris: A Life in Three Stories by Colombe Schneck Who I Always Was by Theresa Okokon Karen Kirsten is the author of Irena's Gift, a National Jewish Book Award finalist for Autobiography & Memoir, winner of Zibby Awards for Best Family Drama & Best Story of Overcoming, and an Australian Jewish Book Award finalist. Irena's Gift is also The Australian newspaper's'notable book', and described by Pulitzer prize winning author Geraldine Brooks as ”a disturbing investigation into the power of secrets to harm and to haunt.”   Karen is an Australian-American writer and Holocaust educator who speaks around the world on the topics of hate and reconciliation. Karen's essay “Searching for the Nazi Who Saved My Mother's Life” was selected by Narratively as one of their Best Ever stories and nominated for The Best American Essays. Karen's writing has also appeared in Salon.com, The Week, The Jerusalem Post, Huffington Post*, Boston's National Public Radio station, The Boston Herald, The Sydney Morning Herald, and more.    Connect with Karen: Website: https://www.karenkirsten.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/findingbabcie/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karen.kirsten Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/747811/irenas-gift-by-karen-kirsten/   – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

We pulled one of our favorite interviews from the BLS interview archives where Derek Champagne interviews Michael Levin. This was a powerful interview and Michael overdelivered as our guest! As one of the most established writers in the nation, New York Times best-selling author Michael Levin has written or co-written more than 100 books, of which eleven are national best sellers.He appeared on ABC's Shark Tank on January 20th, 2012. In the past, Michael has published with Simon & Schuster, Random House, St. Martin's Press, Putnam/Berkley, and many other houses. His works have been optioned for film and TV by Steven Soderbergh/Paramount, HBO, Disney, ABC, and others. One of his own novels became Model Behavior, an ABC Sunday night Disney movie of the week. He has also made contributions to the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes.com, Politico, the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, the Jerusalem Post, Writers Digest, CBS News. Michael has had the experience to teach writing classes at the University of California – Los Angeles and New York University. As an Amherst College and Columbia Law School graduate, Michael served for many years as a member of the prestigious Authors Guild Council and as Treasurer of the Authors Guild Foundation.Michael currently resides with his wife and four children in Boston, Massachusetts. Learn more about Michael at www.businessghost.com