Podcast appearances and mentions of Benjamin Netanyahu

Over the past few days, we've observed strong signs that Israeli leaders are moving to bring the Gaza war to a close, though it remains unclear how exactly this would take shape. On Tuesday, Israel's Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermermet with senior Trump administration officials in Washington, DC. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set […]

Prof. John Mearsheimer : Unpacking Netanyahu's next-steps. Why the DC visit w/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this special Independence Day episode, Ghost weaves an epic narrative tracing the origins of the American Revolution through the story of Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox, and connects those lessons to today's geopolitical chessboard. Ghost recounts Marion's improbable triumphs using irregular warfare and explains how his tactics and spirit echo in modern conflicts. Shifting to current events, the show dives into the escalating tension between Russia and Azerbaijan over organized crime raids, retaliatory arrests, and a media crackdown. Ghost analyzes why Zelensky has publicly sided with Azerbaijan, adding friction to the Russia-Ukraine dynamic. The discussion then pivots to Israel's Likud Party demanding annexation of the West Bank and how this push clashes with Saudi Arabia's clear rejection of any move erasing Palestinian sovereignty. With Saudi ministers flying to Moscow and Washington while Netanyahu seeks Trump's support, Ghost underscores how historic alliances are being tested. Rounding out the episode, he examines potential ceasefire developments in Gaza, the regional implications of a fragmented Lebanon, and why the Abraham Accords narrative may be shifting again.

Watch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcastCheck out Ark Media's other podcasts: For Heaven's Sake: lnk.to/rfGlrA‘What's Your Number?': lnk.to/rbGlvMFor sponsorship inquiries, please contact: callmeback@arkmedia.orgTo contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: arkmedia.org/Ark Media on Instagram: instagram.com/arkmediaorgDan on X: x.com/dansenorDan on Instagram: instagram.com/dansenorTo order Dan Senor & Saul Singer's book, The Genius of Israel: tinyurl.com/bdeyjsdnToday's Episode:Over the past few days, we've observed strong signs that Israeli leaders are moving to bring the Gaza war to a close, though it remains unclear how exactly this would take shape.On Tuesday, Israel's Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermermet with senior Trump administration officials in Washington, DC. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to visit the White House on Monday, July 7. This comes just over a week after Israel's 12-day war against the Iranian regime. The war also included, of course, a round of American strikes on Iran's three key nuclear facilities. Prime Minister Netanyahu spent his entire political career warning of the existential threat posed by Iran's nuclear program, and he is now largely being credited — even by domestic critics — with its destruction. As the post-Iran War geopolitical map is being drawn, we wonder, what could be Netanyahu's next moves in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria. Saudi Arabia, and domestically, in Israel?To discuss this we are joined by Israeli author and journalist Ari Shavit. Ari is the author of the award-winning book My Promised Land and was a senior correspondent at Haaretz for many years.To order Ari's book, My Promised Land: https://tinyurl.com/45jbnhbzCREDITS:ILAN BENATAR - Producer & EditorMARTIN HUERGO - Sound EditorMARIANGELES BURGOS - Additional EditingMAYA RACKOFF - Operations DirectorGABE SILVERSTEIN - ResearchYUVAL SEMO - Music Composer

Linda, Don and Noah discuss (1) U.S. President Donald Trump's Truth Social posts demanding the immediate cancellation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trial—calling Netanyahu a ‘great hero' who, along with Trump, ‘saved Israel'—and how figures across Israel's political spectrum have more or less fallen in line; and (2) what to make of a Haaretz “expose” about the IDF and the new humanitarian aid centers in Gaza. Plus, a simulated daughter offering real comfort, and the varied aftermaths of the “Twelve Day War.” Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: Def, def to the IDF?

Ian Bremmer sits down with New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman to dissect what may go down as the most consequential month in the Middle East in years. Just weeks after Israel launched a war against Iran—and after President Trump authorized US airstrikes—an uneasy ceasefire is in place. But what was actually achieved?Iran, the clear loser of the 12-Day War, entered as the most vulnerable player and emerged weaker still. Tehran stood largely alone, with Hamas degraded, Hezbollah decimated, Syria toppled, and Russia distracted. Yet the Islamic Republic can still claim regime survival, some damage inflicted on Israel, and a murkily intact nuclear program.Netanyahu, meanwhile, avoided a ceasefire until he had secured key gains: he crippled Iran's infrastructure, leveraged US firepower to hit targets beyond Israel's reach, and rescued his collapsing political career. As Friedman notes, “The people who won this war for Israel...were, for the most part, the very same people who were in the streets of Israel for nine months against Netanyahu and his judicial coup.” That tension will only grow in the months ahead.For Trump, this marks the biggest foreign policy victory of his second term—at least for now. He struck a blow to Iran's ambitions, avoided a broader war, and emerged politically unscathed. But what happens next, especially in Gaza, will test the durability of that win.Host: Ian BremmerGuest: Thomas L. Friedman  Subscribe to the GZERO World with Ian Bremmer Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform, to receive new episodes as soon as they're published.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode. As Israel is said to be hoping to finalize a comprehensive Gaza deal before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the White House next week, Magid discusses the details and complexities of the ongoing hostage negotiations, including a framework of a two-month truce in which 10 living hostages would be returned and the bodies of 18 deceased hostages. Magid reports on the political implications of Netanyahu's upcoming visit to the White House next week, and the possibility of the two leaders celebrating the successful military campaign against Iran. He also notes that while a ceasefire is being negotiated for Gaza, Netanyahu's rhetoric still suggests an ongoing military campaign. The humanitarian aid distribution in Gaza continues to be exacerbated by the conflict and Magid discusses the Ha'aretz report of excessive IDF fire at aid distribution sites, leading to an IDF investigation into potential war crimes. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Trump says Israel ‘agreed to necessary conditions to finalize’ 60-day Gaza ceasefire Trump says he will be ‘very firm’ with Netanyahu on ending Gaza war Netanyahu set to visit White House July 7 as US pushes for end to Gaza war IDF confirms probe into killings near Gaza aid site, denies troops ordered to shoot civilians Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. IMAGE: Mothers protesting the war in Gaza call on IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir to end the war, holding posters that read: 'How do you dare to send our children to die?', 'We don't have children for a political war', 'Zamir, the soldiers are dying in vain.' (Credit Danor Aharon/Pro-Democracy Protest Movement)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How has the media distorted Israel's response to the October 7 Hamas attacks? In this powerful conversation from AJC Global Forum 2025, award-winning journalist and former AP correspondent Matti Friedman breaks down the media bias, misinformation, and double standards shaping global coverage of Israel. Moderated by AJC Chief Communications and Strategy Officer Belle Etra Yoeli, this episode explores how skewed narratives have taken hold in the media, in a climate of activist journalism. A must-listen for anyone concerned with truth in journalism, Israel advocacy, and combating disinformation in today's media landscape. Take Action: Take 15 seconds and urge your elected leaders to send a clear, united message: We stand with Israel. Take action now. Resources: Global Forum 2025 session with Matti Friedman:: Watch the full video. Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus: Untold stories of Jews who left or were driven from Arab nations and Iran People of the Pod:  Latest Episodes:  John Spencer's Key Takeaways After the 12-Day War: Air Supremacy, Intelligence, and Deterrence Iran's Secret Nuclear Program and What Comes Next in the Iranian Regime vs. Israel War Why Israel Had No Choice: Inside the Defensive Strike That Shook Iran's Nuclear Program Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Transcript of the Interview: Manya Brachear Pashman: I've had the privilege of interviewing journalism colleague Matti Friedman: twice on this podcast. In 2022, Matti took listeners behind the scenes of Jerusalem's AP bureau where he had worked between 2006 and 2011 and shared some insight on what happens when news outlets try to oversimplify the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Then in 2023, I got to sit down with Matti in Jerusalem to talk about his latest book on Leonard Cohen and how the 1973 Yom Kippur War was a turning point both for the singer and for Israel.  Earlier this year, Matti came to New York for AJC Global Forum 2025, and sat down with Belle Yoeli, AJC Chief Strategy and Communications Officer. They rehashed some of what we discussed before, but against an entirely different backdrop: post-October 7. For this week's episode, we bring you a portion of that conversation.  Belle Yoeli:   Hi, everyone. Great to see all of you. Thank you so much for being here. Matti, thank you for being here.  Matti Friedman:   Thanks for having me.  Belle Yoeli:   As you can tell by zero empty seats in this room, you have a lot of fans, and unless you want to open with anything, I'm going to jump right in. Okay, great.  So for those of you who don't know, in September 2024 Matti wrote a piece in The Free Press that is a really great foundation for today's discussion. In When We Started to Lie, Matti, you reflect on two pieces that you had written in 2015 about issues of media coverage of Israel during Operation Protective Edge in 2014. And this piece basically talked about the conclusions you drew and how they've evolved since October 7. We're gonna get to those conclusions, but first, I'm hoping you can describe for everyone what were the issues of media coverage of Israel that you first identified based on the experience in 2014? Matti Friedman:   First of all, thanks so much for having me here, and thanks for all of the amazing work that you guys are doing. So it's a real honor for me. I was a reporter for the AP, between 2006 and the very end of 2011, in Jerusalem. I was a reporter and editor. The AP, of course, as you know, is the American news agency. It's the world's largest news organization, according to the AP, according to Reuters, it's Reuters. One of them is probably right, but it's a big deal in the news world.  And I had an inside view inside one of the biggest AP bureaus. In fact, the AP's biggest International Bureau, which was in Jerusalem. So I can try to sketch the problems that I saw as a reporter there. It would take me seven or eight hours, and apparently we only have four or five hours for this lunch, so I have to keep it short. But I would say there are two main problems. We often get very involved. When we talk about problems with coverage of Israel. We get involved with very micro issues like, you call it a settlement. I call it a neighborhood. Rockets, you know, the Nakba, issues of terminology. But in fact, there are two major problems that are much bigger, and because they're bigger, they're often harder to see. One of the things that I noticed at the Bureau was the scale of coverage of Israel. So at the time that I was at the AP, again, between 2006 and the very end of 2011 we had about 40 full time staffers covering Israel. That's print reporters like me, stills photographers, TV crews. Israel, as most of you probably know, is a very small country. As a percentage of the world's surface, Israel is 1/100 of 1% of the surface of the world, and as a percentage of the land mass of the Arab world, Israel is 1/5 of 1%. 0.2%.  And we had 40 people covering it.  And just as a point of comparison, that was dramatically more people than we had at the time covering China. There are about 10 million people today in Israel proper, in China, there are 1.3 billion. We had more people in Israel than we had in China. We had more people in Israel than we had in India, which is another country of about 1.3 billion people. We had more people in Israel than we had in all of the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa. That's 50 something countries. So we had more people in Israel than we had in all of those countries combined. And sometimes I say that to Jews, I say we covered Israel more than we covered China, and people just stare at me blankly, because it's Israel. So of course, that makes perfect sense.  I happen to think Israel is the most important country in the world because I live there. But if the news is meant to be a rational analysis of events on planet Earth, you cannot cover Israel more than you cover the continent of Africa. It just doesn't make any sense. So one of the things that first jumped out at me– actually, that's making me sound smarter than I am. It didn't jump out at me at first. It took a couple of years. And I just started realizing that it was very strange that the world's largest organization had its largest international bureau in the State of Israel, which is a very small country, very small conflict in numeric terms. And yet there was this intense global focus on it that made people think that it was the most important story in the world. And it definitely occupies a place in the American political imagination that is not comparable to any other international conflict.  So that's one part of the problem. That was the scope, the other part was the context. And it took me a while to figure this out, but the coverage of Israel is framed as an Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The conflict is defined in those terms, the Israeli Palestinian conflict, and everyone in this room has heard it discussed in those terms. Sometimes we discuss it in those terms, and that is because the news folks have framed the conflict in those terms. So at the AP bureau in Jerusalem, every single day, we had to write a story that was called, in the jargon of the Bureau, Is-Pals, Israelis, Palestinians. And it was the daily wrap of the Israeli Palestinian conflict. So what Netanyahu said, what Abbas said, rockets, settlers, Hamas, you know, whatever, the problem is that there isn't an Israeli=Palestinian conflict. And I know that sounds crazy, because everyone thinks there is.  And of course, we're seeing conflicts play out in the most tragic way right now in Gaza. But most of Israel's wars have not been fought against Palestinians. Israel has unfortunately fought wars against Egyptians and Jordanians and Lebanese and Iraqis. And Israel's most important enemy at the moment, is Iran, right? The Iranians are not Palestinian. The Iranians are not Arab. They're Muslim, but they're not Arab. So clearly, there is a broader regional conflict that's going on that is not an Israeli Palestinian conflict, and we've seen it in the past year. If we had a satellite in space looking down and just following the paths of ballistic missiles and rockets fired at Israel. Like a photograph of these red trails of rockets fired at Israel. You'd see rockets being fired from Iraq and from Yemen and from Lebanon and from Gaza and from Iran. You'd see the contours of a regional conflict.  And if you understand it's a regional conflict, then you understand the way Israelis see it. There are in the Arab world, 300 million people, almost all of them Muslim. And in one corner of that world, there are 7 million Jews, who are Israelis. And if we zoom out even farther to the level of the Islamic world, we'll see that there are 2 billion people in the Islamic world. There's some argument about the numbers, but it's roughly a quarter of the world's population. And in one corner of that world there, there are 7 million Israeli Jews. The entire Jewish population on planet Earth is a lot smaller than the population of Cairo.  So the idea that this is an Israeli-Palestinian conflict, where Israelis are the stronger side, where Israelis are the dominant actor, and where Israelis are, let's face it, the bad guy in the story, that's a fictional presentation of a story that actually works in a completely different way. So if you take a small story and make it seem big. If you take a complicated regional story and you make it seem like a very small local story involving only Israelis and Palestinians, then you get the highly simplified but very emotive narrative that everyone is being subjected to now. And you get this portrayal of a villainous country called Israel that really looms in the liberal imagination of the West as an embodiment of the worst possible qualities of the age. Belle Yoeli:   Wow. So already you were seeing these issues when you were reporter, earlier on. But like this, some of this was before and since, since productive edge. This is over 10 years ago, and here we are. So October 7 happens. You already know these issues exist. You've identified them. How would you describe because obviously we have a lot of feelings about this, but like, strictly as a journalist, how would you describe the coverage that you've seen since during October 7, in its aftermath? Is it just these issues? Have they? Have they expanded? Are there new issues in play? What's your analysis? Matti Friedman:   The coverage has been great. I really have very I have no criticism of it. I think it's very accurate. I think that I, in a way, I was lucky to have been through what I went through 10 or 15 years ago, and I wasn't blindsided on October 7, as many people were, many people, quite naturally, don't pay close attention to this. And even people who are sympathetic to Israel, I think, were not necessarily convinced that my argument about the press was right. And I think many people thought it was overstated.  And you can read those articles from 2014 one was in tablet and one was in the Atlantic, but it's basically the two chapters of the same argument. And unfortunately, I think that those the essays, they stand up. In fact, if you don't really look at the date of the essays, they kind of seem that they could have been written in the past year and a half. And I'm not happy about that. I think that's and I certainly wrote them in hopes that they would somehow make things better. But the issues that I saw in the press 15 years ago have only been exacerbated since then. And October seven didn't invent the wheel. The issues were pre existing, but it took everything that I saw and kind of supercharged it.  So if I talked about ideological conformity in the bureaus that has been that has become much more extreme. A guy like me, I was hired in 2006 at the AP. I'm an Israeli of center left political leanings. Hiring me was not a problem in 22,006 by the time I left the AP, at the end of 2011 I'm pretty sure someone like me would not have been hired because my views, which are again, very centrist Israeli views, were really beyond the pale by the time that I left the AP, and certainly, and certainly today, the thing has really moved what I saw happening at the AP. And I hate picking on the AP because they were just unfortunate enough to hire me. That was their only error, but what I'm saying about them is true of a whole new. Was heard. It's true of the Times and CNN and the BBC, the news industry really works kind of as a it has a herd mentality. What happened was that news decisions were increasingly being made by people who are not interested in explanatory journalism. They were activists. Activists had moved into the key positions in the Bureau, and they had a very different idea of what press coverage was supposed to do. I would say, and I tried to explain it in that article for the free press, when I approach a news story, when I approach the profession of journalism, the question that I'm asking is, what's going on? That's the question I think you're supposed to ask, what's going on? How can I explain it in a way that's as accurate as as possible? The question that was increasingly being asked was not what's going on. The question was, who does this serve? That's an activist question. So when you look at a story, you don't ask, is it true, or is it not true? You ask, who's it going to help? Is it going to help the good guys, or is it going to help the bad guys?  So if Israel in the story is the villain, then a story that makes Israel seem reasonable, reasonable or rational or sympathetic needs to be played down to the extent possible or made to disappear. And I can give you an example from my own experience.  At the very end of 2008 two reporters in my bureau, people who I know, learned of a very dramatic peace offer that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had made to the Palestinians. So Olmert, who was the prime minister at the time, had made a very far reaching offer that was supposed to see a Palestinian state in all of Gaza, most of the West Bank, with land swaps for territory that Israel was going to retain, and a very far reaching international consortium agreement to run the Old City of Jerusalem. Was a very dramatic. It was so far reaching, I think that Israelis probably wouldn't have supported it. But it was offered to the Palestinian side, and the Palestinians rejected it as insufficient. And two of our reporters knew about this, and they'd seen a map of the offer. And this was obviously a pretty big story for a bureau that had as the thrust of its coverage the peace process.  The two reporters who had the story were ordered to drop it, they were not allowed to cover the story. And there were different explanations. And they didn't, by the way, AP did not publish the story at the time, even though we were the first to have it. Eventually, it kind of came out and in other ways, through other news organizations. But we knew at first. Why were we not allowed to cover it? Because it would have made the Israelis who we were trying to villainize and demonize, it would have made Israel seem like it was trying to solve the conflict on kind of reasonable lines, which, of course, was true at that time. So that story would have upended the thrust of our news coverage. So it had to be made to go away, even though it was true, it would have helped the wrong people. And that question of who does this serve has destroyed, I want to say all, but much, of what used to be mainstream news coverage, and it's not just where Israel is concerned.  You can look at a story like the mental health of President Biden, right. Something's going on with Biden at the end of his term. It's a huge global news story, and the press, by and large, won't touch it, because why? I mean, it's true, right? We're all seeing that it's true, but why can't you touch it? Because it would help the wrong people. It would help the Republicans who in the press are the people who you are not supposed to help.  The origins of COVID, right? We heard one story about that. The true story seems to be a different story. And there are many other examples of stories that are reported because they help the right people, or not reported because they would help the wrong people. And I saw this thinking really come into action in Israel 10 or 15 years ago, and unfortunately, it's really spread to include the whole mainstream press scene and really kill it.  I mean, essentially, anyone interested in trying to get a solid sense of what's going on, we have very few options. There's not a lot, there's not a lot out there. So that's the broader conclusion that I drew from what I thought at the time was just a very small malfunction involving Israel coverage. But Israel coverage ends up being a symptom of something much bigger, as Jews often are the symptom of something much bigger that's going on.  So my problems in the AP bureau 15 years ago were really a kind of maybe a canary in the coal mine, or a whiff of something much bigger that we were all going to see happen, which is the transformation of the important liberal institutions of the west into kind of activist arms of a very radical ideology that has as its goal the transformation of the west into something else. And that's true of the press, and it's true of NGO world, places like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, which were one thing 30 years ago and are something very different today. And it's also true of big parts of the academy. It's true of places like Columbia and places like Harvard, they still have the logo, they still have the name, but they serve a different purpose, and I just happen to be on the ground floor of it as a reporter. Belle Yoeli:   So obviously, this concept of who does this serve, and this activist journalism is deeply concerning, and you actually mentioned a couple other areas, academia, obviously we're in that a lot right now in terms of what's going on campus. So I guess a couple of questions on that. First of all, think about this very practically, tachlis, in the day to day.  I'm a journalist, and I go to write about what's happening in Gaza. What would you say is, if you had to throw out a percentage, are all of them aware of this activist journalist tendency? Or you think it's like, like intentional for many of them, or it's sort of they've been educated that way, and it's their worldview in such a way that they don't even know that they're not reporting the news in a very biased way. Does that make sense? Matti Friedman:   Totally. I think that many people in the journalism world today view their job as not as explaining a complicated situation, but as swaying people toward the correct political conclusion. Journalism is power, and the power has to be wielded in support of justice. Now, justice is very slippery, and, you know, choosing who's in the right is very, very slippery, and that's how journalism gets into a lot of trouble. Instead of just trying to explain what's going on and then leave, you're supposed to leave the politics and the activism to other people. Politics and activism are very important.  But unless everyone can agree on what is going on, it's impossible to choose the kind of act, the kind of activism that would be useful. So when the journalists become activists, then no one can understand what's what's going on, because the story itself is fake, and there are many, many examples of it. But you know, returning to what you asked about, about October 7, and reporting post October 7, you can really see it happen. The massacres of October 7 were very problematic for the ideological strain that now controls a lot of the press, because it's counterintuitive. You're not supposed to sympathize with Israelis.  And yet, there were a few weeks after October 7 when they were forced to because the nature of the atrocities were so heinous that they could not be ignored. So you had the press covering what happened on October 7, but you could feel it. As someone who knows that scene, you could feel there was a lot of discomfort. There was a lot of discomfort. It wasn't their comfort zone, and you knew that within a few weeks, maybe a month, it was gonna snap back at the first opportunity.  When did it snap back? In the story of the Al Ahli hospital strike. If you remember that a few weeks in, there's a massive global story that Israel has rocketed Hospital in Gaza and killed about 500 people and and then you can see the kind of the comfort the comfort zone return, because the story that the press is primed to cover is a story about villainous Israelis victimizing innocent Palestinians, and now, now we're back. Okay. Now Israel's rocketing hospital. The problem was that it hadn't happened, and it was that a lot of stories don't happen, and they're allowed to stand.  But this story was so far from the truth that even the people involved couldn't make it work, and it had to be retracted, but it was basically too late. And then as soon as the Israeli ground offensive got into swing in Gaza, then the story really becomes the same old story, which is a story of Israel victimizing Palestinians for no reason. And you'll never see Hamas militants in uniform in Gaza. You just see dead civilians, and you'll see the aftermath of a rocket strike when the, you know, when an Israeli F16 takes out the launcher, but you will never see the strike. Which is the way it's worked in Gaza since the very end of 2008 which is when the first really bad round of violence in Gaza happens, which is when I'm at the AP.  As far as I know, I was the first staffer to erase information from the story, because we were threatened by Hamas, which happened at the very end of 2008. We had a great reporter in Gaza, a Palestinian who had always been really an excellent reporter. We had a detail in a story. The detail was a crucial one. It was that Hamas fighters were dressed as civilians and were being counted as civilians in the death toll, an important thing to know, that went out in an AP story. The reporter called me a few hours later. It was clear that someone had spoken to him, and he told me, I was on the desk in Jerusalem, so I was kind of writing the story from the main bureau in Jerusalem. And he said, Matti, you have to take that detail out of the story. And it was clear that someone had threatened him. I took the detail out of the story. I suggested to our editors that we note in an Editor's Note that we were now complying with Hamas censorship. I was overruled, and from that point in time, the AP, like all of its sister organizations, collaborates with Hamas censorship in Gaza.  What does that mean? You'll see a lot of dead civilians, and you won't see dead militants. You won't have a clear idea of what the Hamas military strategy is. And this is the kicker, the center of the coverage will be a number, a casualty number, that is provided to the press by something called the Gaza health ministry, which is Hamas. And we've been doing that since 2008, and it's a way of basically settling the story before you get into any other information. Because when you put, you know, when you say 50 Palestinians were killed, and one Israeli on a given day, it doesn't matter what else you say. The numbers kind of tell their own story, and it's a way of settling the story with something that sounds like a concrete statistic. And the statistic is being, you know, given to us by one of the combatant sides. But because the reporters sympathize with that side, they're happy to play along. So since 2008, certainly since 2014 when we had another serious war in Gaza, the press has not been covering Gaza, the press has been essentially an amplifier for one of the most poisonous ideologies on Earth. Hamas has figured out how to make the press amplify its messaging rather than covering Hamas. There are no Western reporters in Gaza. All of the reporters in Gaza are Palestinians, and those people fall into three categories. Some of them identify with Hamas. Some of them are intimidated by Hamas and won't cross Hamas, which makes a lot of sense. I wouldn't want to cross Hamas either. So either. And the third category is people who actually belong to Hamas. That's where the information from Gaza is coming from. And if you're credulous, then of course, you're going to get a story that makes Israel look pretty bad. Belle Yoeli:   So this is very depressing. That's okay. It's very helpful, very depressing. But on that note, I would ask you so whether, because you spoke about this problem in terms, of, of course, the coverage of Israel, but that it's it's also more widespread you talk, you spoke about President Biden in your article, you name other examples of how this sort of activist journalism is affecting everything we read. So what should everyone in this room be reading, truly, from your opinion. This is Matti's opinion. But if you want to you want to get information from our news and not activist journalism, obviously The Free Press, perhaps. But are there other sites or outlets that you think are getting this more down the line, or at least better than some, some better than others?  Matti Friedman:   No, it's just The Free Press. No. I mean, it's a question that I also wrestle with. I haven't given up on everyone, and even in publications that have, I think, largely lost the plot, you'll still find good stuff on occasion. So I try to keep my eye on certain reporters whose name I know. I often ask not just on Israel, but on anything, does this reporter speak the language of the country that they're covering? You'd be shocked at how rare that is for Americans. A lot of the people covering Ukraine have no idea what language they speak in Ukraine, and just as someone who covers Israel, I'm aware of the low level of knowledge that many of the Western reporters have. You'll find really good stuff still in the Atlantic. The Atlantic has managed, against steep odds, to maintain its equilibrium amid all this. The New Yorker, unfortunately, less so, but you'll still see, on occasion, things that are good. And there are certain reporters who are, you know, you can trust. Isabel Kirchner, who writes for The New York Times, is an old colleague of mine from the Jerusalem report. She's excellent, and they're just people who are doing their job. But by and large, you have to be very, very suspicious of absolutely everything that you read and see. And I'm not saying that as someone who I'm not happy to say that, and I certainly don't identify with, you know, the term fake news, as it has been pushed by President Trump.  I think that fake news is, you know, for those guys, is an attempt to avoid scrutiny. They're trying to, you know, neuter the watchdog so that they can get away with whatever they want. I don't think that crowd is interested in good press coverage. Unfortunately, the term fake news sticks because it's true. That's why it has worked. And the press, instead of helping people navigate the blizzard of disinformation that we're all in, they've joined it. People who are confused about what's going on, should be able to open up the New York Times or go to the AP and figure out what's going on, but because, and I saw it happen, instead of covering the circus, the reporters became dancing bears in the circus. So no one can make heads or tails of anything. So we need to be very careful.  Most headlines that are out there are out there to generate outrage, because that's the most predictable generator of clicks, which is the, we're in a click economy. So I actually think that the less time you spend following headlines and daily news, the better off you'll be. Because you can follow the daily news for a year, and by the end of the year, you'll just be deranged. You'll just be crazy and very angry.  If you take that time and use it to read books about, you know, bitten by people who are knowledgeable, or read longer form essays that are, you know, that are obviously less likely to be very simplistic, although not, you know, it's not completely impossible that they will be. I think that's time, that's time better spent. Unfortunately, much of the industry is kind of gone. And we're in an interesting kind of interim moment where it's clear that the old news industry is basically dead and that something new has to happen. And those new things are happening. I mean, The Free Press is part of a new thing that's happening. It's not big enough to really move the needle in a dramatic way yet, but it might be, and I think we all have to hope that new institutions emerge to fill the vacuum.  The old institutions, and I say this with sorrow, and I think that this also might be true of a lot of the academic institutions. They can't be saved. They can't be saved. So if people think that writing an editor, a letter to the editor of the New York Times is going to help. It's not going to help. Sometimes people say, Why don't we just get the top people in the news industry and bring them to Israel and show them the truth? Doesn't help. It's not about knowing or not knowing. They define the profession differently.  So it's not about a lack of information. The institutions have changed, and it's kind of irrevocable at this point, and we need new institutions, and one of them is The Free Press, and it's a great model of what to do when faced with fading institutions. By the way, the greatest model of all time in that regard is Zionism. That's what Zionism is. There's a guy in Vienna in 1890 something, and his moment is incredibly contemporary. There's an amazing biography of Herzl called Herzl by Amos Elon. It's an amazing book. If you haven't read it, you should read it, because his moment in cosmopolitan Vienna sounds exactly like now. It's shockingly current. He's in this friendly city. He's a reporter for the New York Times, basically of the Austro Hungarian empire, and he's assimilated, and he's got a Christmas tree in his house, and his son isn't circumcised, and he thinks everything is basically great. And then the light changes.  He notices that something has changed in Vienna, and the discourse about Jews changes, and like in a Hollywood movie, the light changes. And he doesn't try to he doesn't start a campaign against antisemitism. He doesn't get on social media and kind of rail against unfair coverage. He sits down in a hotel room in Paris and he writes this pamphlet called the Jewish state, and I literally flew from that state yesterday. So there's a Zionist model where you look at a failing world and you think about radical solutions that involve creation. And I think we're there. And I think Herzl's model is a good one at a dark time you need real creativity. Belle Yoeli:   Thank God you found the inspiration there, because I was really, I was really starting to worry. No, in all seriousness, Matti, the saying that these institutions can't be saved. I mean the consequences of this, not just for us as pro-Israel, pro-Jewish advocates, but for our country, for the world, the countries that we come from are tremendous.  And the way we've been dealing with this issue and thinking about how, how can you change hearts and minds of individuals about Israel, about the Jewish people, if everything that they're reading is so damaging and most of what they're reading is so damaging and basically saying there's very little that we can do about that. So I am going to push you to dream big with us. We're an advocacy organization. AJC is an advocacy organization. So if you had unlimited resources, right, if you really wanted to make change in this area, to me, it sounds like you're saying we basically need 15 Free Presses or the new institutions to really take on this way. What would you do? What would you do to try to make it so that news media were more like the old days? Matti Friedman:   Anyone who wants unlimited resources should not go into journalism. I have found that my resources remain limited. I'll give you an answer that is probably not what you're expecting or not what you want here. I think that the fight can't be won. I think that antisemitism can't be defeated. And I think that resources that are poured into it are resources wasted. And of course, I think that people need legal protection, and they need, you know, lawyers who can protect people from discrimination and from defamation. That's very important. But I know that when people are presented with a problem like antisemitism, which is so disturbing and it's really rocking the world of everyone in this room, and certainly, you know, children and grandchildren, you have a problem and you want to address it, right? You have a really bad rash on your arm. You want the rash to go away, and you're willing to do almost anything to make it go away. This has always been with us. It's always been with us.  And you know, we recently celebrated the Seder, and we read in the Seder, in the Haggadah, l'chol dor vador, omdim aleinu l'chaloteinu. Which is, in every generation, they come at us to destroy us. And it's an incredibly depressing worldview. Okay, it's not the way I wanted to see the world when I grew up in Toronto in the 1990s. But in our tradition, we have this idea that this is always gonna be around. And the question is, what do you do? Do you let other people define you? Do you make your identity the fight against the people who hate you? And I think that's a dead end.  This crisis is hitting the Jewish people at a moment when many of us don't know who we are, and I think that's why it's hitting so hard. For my grandfather, who was a standard New York Jew, garment industry, Lower East Side, poor union guy. This would not have shaken him, because he just assumed that this was the world like this. The term Jewish identity was not one he ever heard, because it wasn't an issue or something that had to be taught. So if I had unlimited resources, what I would do is I would make sure that young Jewish people have access to the riches of Jewish civilization, I would, you know, institute a program that would allow any young Jewish person to be fluent in Hebrew by the time they finish college. Why is that so important? Why is that such an amazing key?  Because if you're fluent in Hebrew, you can open a Tanakh, or you can open a prayer book if you want. Or you can watch Fauda or you can get on a plane to Israel and hit on Israeli guys. Hebrew is the key to Jewish life, and if you have it, a whole world will open up. And it's not one that antisemites can interfere with. It does not depend on the goodwill of our neighbors. It's all about us and what we're doing with ourselves. And I think that if you're rooted in Jewish tradition, and I'm not saying becoming religious, I'm just saying, diving into the riches of Jewish tradition, whether it's history or gemara or Israel, or whatever, if you're if you're deep in there enough, then the other stuff doesn't go away, but it becomes less important.  It won't be solved because it can't be solved, but it will fade into the background. And if we make the center of identity the fight against antisemitism, they've won. Why should they be the center of our identity? For a young person who's looking for some way of living or some deep kind of guide to life, the fight against antisemitism is not going to do it, and philanthropy is not going to do it. We come from the wisest and one of the oldest civilizations in the world, and many of us don't know how to open the door to that civilization, and that's in our hands. And if we're not doing it, it's not the fault of the antisemites. It's our own fault. So if I had unlimited resources, which, again, it's not, it's not going to happen unless I make a career change, that's where I would be putting my effort. Internally and not externally.  Belle Yoeli:   You did find the inspiration, though, again, by pushing Jewish identity, and we appreciate that. It's come up a lot in this conversation, this question about how we fight antisemitism, investing in Jewish identity and who we are, and at the same time, what do we do about it? And I think all of you heard Ted in a different context last night, say, we can hold two things, two thoughts at the same time, right? Two things can be true at the same time. And I think for me, what I took out of this, in addition to your excellent insights, is that that's exactly what we have to be doing.  At AJC, we have to be engaging in this advocacy to stand up for the Jewish people and the State of Israel. But that's not the only piece of the puzzle. Of course, we have to be investing in Jewish identity. That's why we bring so many young people to this conference. Of course, we need to be investing in Jewish education. That's not necessarily what AJC is doing, the bulk of our work, but it's a lot of what the Jewish community is doing, and these pieces have to go together. And I want to thank you for raising that up for us, and again, for everything that you said. Thank you all so much for being here. Thank you. Manya Brachear Pashman: If you missed last week's episode, be sure to tune in as John Spencer, Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at West Point, breaks down Israel's high-stakes strike on Iran's nuclear infrastructure and the U.S. decision to enter the fight. 

An explosive expose by Haaretz featured testimonies from IDF soldiers and officers that they were ordered to use live fire to disperse thousands of unarmed Palestinians in Gaza who had crowded the handful of stations set up to distribute humanitarian aid. The story grabbed international attention, and sparked fury among top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, who both called the article a “blood libel.” On the Haaretz Podcast, one of the three journalists who wrote the story, Nir Hasson, takes listeners behind the scenes of his reporting, explaining the reasons soldiers decided to speak to him and his fellow journalists. The soldiers’ motivations, he said, were two-fold. First the “moral issue” of being put in the position to use deadly force to stop “hungry people trying to get some food for their family” bothered them. “The second thing they spoke about was the fact that this was not the IDF that they used to know. These were not values of the army that these reservists used to serve in,” Hasson added. “They told me, this is not the way a professional army deals with a civil population. They were very angry at their commanders for telling them to use this kind of tool to control a crowd,” and even refused to employ non-lethal methods like tear gas. Also appearing on the podcast: Haaretz columnist Amir Tibon, who pointed out that the formation of these distribution centers appeared to be aimed at creating such intolerable conditions that Gazans seek to leave, while "doing nothing" to serve Israel's proclaimed war goals – returning the hostages and ridding Gaza of Hamas. The current operation, Tibon said, “is not serving real security interests of Israel, is not helping us get back the hostages, and it is part of a dangerous fantasy that is leading us into a ‘forever war’ in Gaza.” Read more: 'It's a Killing Field': IDF Soldiers Ordered to Shoot Deliberately at Unarmed Gazans Waiting for Humanitarian Aid Israeli Army Says 'Lessons Learned' From Army Fire Incidents on Gaza Aid-Seekers After Haaretz Exposé A Fatal Failure: Israel's Gaza Aid Policy Leaves Dozens Killed Daily as They Seek FoodSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is set to meet President Donald Trump at the White House next Monday; Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced plans to open a new embassy in Estonia & Edan Alexander met President Trump and the First Lady at the White House; Plus! A Torah though by Rabbi Yossi Madvig of Oswego, NY.Click that you heard about Hasod (gift boxes) from “a podcast” when you check out. https://www.hasodstore.com/shopsmallIsrael Daily News website: https://israeldailynews.orgIsrael Daily News Roundtable: https://www.patreon.com/shannafuldSupport our Wartime News Coverage: https://www.gofundme.com/f/independent-journalist-covering-israels-warLinks to all things IDN:⁠ https://linktr.ee/israeldailynews⁠Music: Hayati by Ariella Zeitlin - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je-XdcPXDek

Tommy and Ben lament Trump's travesty of a spending bill and the death of USAID, and how both will cost lives and further tank America's global reputation. They unpack the fallout from Israel and the US's strikes on Iran, the bizarre delusions and marginalization of Tulsi Gabbard, and the ending of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians. They also discuss Trump's interference in Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial, the latest horrors in Gaza, shocking settler violence in the West Bank, and anti-Israel speech at the UK's Glastonbury Festival. Also covered: new fighting between Ukraine and an emboldened Russia, Trump's shaky ceasefire and resource-grab masquerading as a “peace deal” between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and a triumphant pride parade in Budapest. Finally, they plan a trip to the world's next top spring break destination: Wonsan Kalma, North Korea.

Today's Headlines: Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote to advance Trump's budget bill in the Senate, though it now heads back to the House due to major revisions. Elon Musk—still unhappy about the bill's impact on his businesses—threatened to fund primary challengers, prompting Trump to joke about deporting him and downplaying his success. Meanwhile, Trump toured Florida's new “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center, touting its reptilian security. The DOJ is expanding efforts to denaturalize U.S. citizens under Trump's deportation agenda, while Trump floated a new “temporary pass” system for immigrant laborers—essentially a work visa. ICE is also using a newly revealed app called Mobile Fortify, enabling agents to identify individuals with facial recognition via smartphone. Trump claimed Israel has agreed to a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, though Hamas hasn't confirmed. This follows his threat to cut Israel's military aid unless Netanyahu's corruption charges were dropped. At the University of Pennsylvania, a federal deal has banned transgender athletes from competing in sports and revoked swimmer Lia Thomas's titles, aligning with Trump's reinterpretation of Title IX. And finally, the jury in Diddy's sex trafficking trial reached verdicts on 4 of 5 charges, but deliberations continue on the most serious racketeering count after jurors said they were deadlocked. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: PBS: Senate passes Trump's reconciliation bill with Vance casting tie-breaking vote NYT: On Pivotal Day for His Bill, Trump Leaves Washington for ‘Alligator Alcatraz' The  New Republic: Justice Department Announces Chilling Plan to Revoke Citizenship  NBC News: Trump says the administration is working on a 'temporary pass' for immigrants in certain industries  404 Media: ICE Is Using a New Facial Recognition App to Identify People, Leaked Emails Show AP News: Live updates: Trump says Israel agrees to 60-day ceasefire in Gaza  The New Republic: The Unbelievable Reason Trump Is Threatening to Cut Aid to Israel NYT: Penn Agrees to Limit Participation of Transgender Athletes  AP News: Jury reaches verdict on 4 of 5 counts in Diddy trial but is told to keep deliberating  Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

50:43- Corey Lewandowski, Trump 2024 Senior Official, joins Joe Piscopo to discuss the progress made in the White House since Trump stepped back into the Oval Office and the latest status on the Big Beautiful Bill. Topic: Big Beautiful Bill, joining Trump at Alligator Alcatraz 59:16- Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform, joins Joe Piscopo to discuss the plans for tax ramifications as a result of the Big Beautiful Bill being passed and how it positively affects New Jersey. Topic: Tax ramifications of Big Beautiful Bill 1:24:49- Daniel Hoffman, Ret. CIA Senior Clandestine Services Officer and a Fox News Contributor joins Joe Piscopo to discuss the latest surrounding Israel and Syria and what to expect when Netanyahu meets with Trump. Topic: Syria and Israel, Gaza ceasefire, Netanyahu to meet with Trump 1:34:29 - Dr. Theodore Strange, Chairman of Medicine at Staten Island University Hospital and Associate Regional Physician Executive for Northwell Health, joins Joe Piscopo to discuss the positive effects of napping for babies and the benefits of rest for the brain as you get older, but not a full night's sleep. Topic: How naps impact health 1:47:15- Congressman Mike Haridopolos, Republican representing Florida's 8th Congressional District, joins Joe Piscopo to discuss the Big Beautiful Bill and his role as representing the Florida 8th Congressional District. Topic: House to vote on Big Beautiful Bill, Alligator Alcatraz 2:01:10- Alan Dershowitz, Harvard Law Professor Emeritus, host of "The DerShow," and the author of "The Ten Big Anti-Israel Lies: And How to Refute Them with Truth" and the new book "The Preventative State.", joins Joe Piscopo to discuss the Diddy trial and the latest legal news of today. Topic: Trump's settlement with Paramount, Sean "Diddy" Combs' partial verdict, other legal news of the day 2:08:26- Michael Goodwin, Chief Political Columnist for the New York Post, joins Joe Piscopo to discuss the New York Democratic Mayoral race and Mamdani’s campaign. Topic: "Cuomo remains NYC’s best shot to keep socialist Mamdani from being mayor – or the city will never be the same" (New York Post op ed)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

C dans l'air du 2 juillet 2025 - Trump lâche l'Ukraine, Poutine avance ses pions - Alors que Donald Trump reste, depuis des semaines, ambivalent sur l'avenir de l'aide militaire à l'Ukraine, la Maison-Blanche a annoncé mardi avoir suspendu la livraison de certaines armes à Kiev. Une décision motivée, selon plusieurs médias américains, par les inquiétudes du Pentagone concernant le niveau des stocks de munitions de l'armée américaine.Parmi les équipements concernés figurent les systèmes de défense aérienne Patriot, l'artillerie de précision et les missiles Hellfire. Cette décision intervient alors que la Russie intensifie ses frappes. Rien que le week-end dernier, plus de 530 drones et missiles se sont abattus sur le territoire ukrainien. La défense antiaérienne en a intercepté la moitié. Les autres ont visé plusieurs villes, dont Kiev.L'Ukraine a déclaré mercredi ne pas avoir reçu de notification officielle de la part des États-Unis. "Nous sommes en train de clarifier la situation", a précisé Dmytro Lytvyne, conseiller de Volodymyr Zelensky. Il a assuré que les discussions avec Washington se poursuivent "à tous les niveaux".Le Kremlin, lui, a salué cette annonce. "Moins il y a d'armes livrées à l'Ukraine, plus proche est la fin de l'opération militaire spéciale", a déclaré Dmitri Peskov, porte-parole de Vladimir Poutine.Sur un autre front, Donald Trump a affirmé mardi sur son réseau social que l'État d'Israël a accepté un cessez-le-feu de 60 jours dans la bande de Gaza. Il espère "travailler avec toutes les parties pour mettre fin à la guerre" et met la pression sur le Hamas pour qu'il accepte cet accord, déclarant : "La situation ne s'améliorera pas — ELLE NE FERA QU'EMPIRER". Cette déclaration intervient alors que le ministre israélien des Affaires stratégiques, Ron Dermer, était en visite à Washington, en amont de la venue du Premier ministre Benyamin Netanyahou prévue lundi. Trump a aussi mentionné une rencontre bilatérale imminente avec l'Iran, sans en dévoiler les détails. Pendant ce temps, les interrogations persistent sur l'impact réel des récentes frappes américaines contre les installations nucléaires iraniennes.Selon le Washington Post, des échanges interceptés entre responsables iraniens laisseraient entendre que les dommages sont limités. De son côté, Donald Trump affirme que le programme nucléaire iranien a été "complètement anéanti". Les responsables américains se veulent plus prudents : l'évaluation complète des dégâts prendra du temps. D'autant plus que Téhéran a suspendu toute coopération avec l'Agence internationale de l'énergie atomique (AIEA), qui n'a désormais plus accès aux sites nucléaires du pays. Selon l'agence onusienne, l'Iran pourrait relancer son programme d'enrichissement d'uranium d'ici à "quelques mois".En parallèle, Donald Trump s'est livré à une nouvelle attaque verbale contre Elon Musk, n'excluant pas d'expulser du pays le patron de Tesla, naturalisé américain en 2002, et le renvoyer vers son pays d'origine : l'Afrique du Sud. Il a aussi évoqué la possibilité que la Commission pour l'efficacité gouvernementale (DOGE) – créée par et pour Elon Musk afin de réduire les dépenses fédérales – puisse se retourner contre son ex-directeur et remettre en question les fonds publics investis dans ses entreprises, notamment dans le domaine spatial.LES EXPERTS :- Anthony BELLANGER - éditorialiste à France Info TV, spécialiste des questions internationales- Nicole BACHARAN - historienne, spécialiste des Etats-Unis et également éditorialiste chez Ouest France- Isabelle LASSERRE - correspondante diplomatique pour Le Figaro- Général Jean-Paul PALOMÉROS - ancien chef d'état-major et ancien commandant suprême de la transformation de l'OTAN

We've seen this movie before. US President Donald Trump is talking up a ceasefire initiative, only for the killing to continue in Gaza; killing that is relentless and off-the-scales ever since the rollout of a US-Israeli aid delivery scheme that bypasses traditional international agencies.  We ask about Trump's claim that Israel has agreed to his 60-day truce and the reaction of a Hamas that's down but not completely out. We also ask what's changed since Benjamin Netanyahu walked away in March from a phased agreement that was to lead to a permanent ceasefire and the release of the remaining hostages. For starters: Israel's 12-day war with Iran, where it was the US president who told Netanyahu to declare victory and go home. Will Trump twist the Israeli leader's arm again when Netanyahu travels to Washington next week? All bets are off: will it be the Trump who gushes about a Gaza Riviera construction scheme that kicks out Palestinians, or the one who forces Netanyahu's hand by announcing Iran negotiations or recognising Syria's government? More broadly, when is enough enough? Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Aurore Laborie, Ilayda Habip and Yann Pusztai.

Chuck Todd begins by reacting to the senate passing Trump's signature piece of legislation: “The Big Beautiful Bill.” He reviews the excuses and rationales given by the senators who had expressed issues with the bill but still voted for it, and explains why the fear of Donald Trump's wrath is enough to get lawmakers to fall in line and explains why the bill's passage is emblematic of the broken state of Congress.Then, Chuck is joined by political scientist and Eurasia Group president Ian Bremmer to dissect the most pressing geopolitical challenges facing the world today. The discussion begins with analysis of recent Iranian strikes and the Middle East conflict, exploring whether Iran has been exposed as a "paper tiger" and examining the complex dynamics between Trump, Netanyahu, and regional powers like Saudi Arabia. Bremmer offers insights into Iran's domestic vulnerabilities—noting the regime's mere 20% public support—while assessing the likelihood of nuclear developments and potential exit strategies from current conflicts.The conversation expands to cover Trump's relationship with NATO allies, the slowly deteriorating situation in Ukraine, and Putin's potential next moves, including the concerning possibility of nuclear escalation if his regime faces existential threats. Bremmer and Todd also tackle the rise of populist movements globally, the erosion of democratic guardrails in America, and the fundamental shift toward reactionary politics that may define a generation. Throughout, Bremmer provides his characteristic blend of realpolitik analysis and concern for democratic institutions, culminating in a sobering assessment of how America's political system now rewards winners over leaders and creates conditions where "socialists can't beat capitalists, but they can beat kleptocrats."Finally, he answers listeners' questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment regarding the potential for erosion of Trump's support, election denialism and a fun alternate history theory where legendary Bears coach Mike Ditka beat Barack Obama for state office in Illinois.Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Introduction00:15 90 days from Liberation Day and “90 deals in 90 days”, there are two deals01:30 Trump will back off on tariffs again to avoid economic damage02:30 The Big Beautiful Bill passes the Senate04:15 Josh Hawley votes for bill despite promises not to cut health care06:00 Lisa Murkowski cites tax break expiration for her yes vote08:15 Murkowski has always been Alaska first over America first09:30 Republicans fall in line out of fear of Trump11:00 Congress is broken 13:00 Bipartisanship is dead in the 21st century14:30 Both parties have weaponized partisanship16:15 How do we fix the broken congress?17:30 The public needs to understand WHY congress is broken19:00 Independents could force congress to function better21:00 Bill was rushed due to Trump's impatience22:30 We're in the kleptocracy stage, headed toward authoritarianism24:00 Dysfunction in congress has created a more powerful presidency26:00 Ian Bremmer joins the Chuck ToddCast! 28:00 Media cycle has already moved on from the Iran strike 29:15 The strike wasn't meant to be a war 30:15 Steve Bannon's theory that we're on the brink of WW3 31:45 Trump wanted a negotiated settlement with Iran 33:00 Netanyahu was always going to force the US's hand 34:30 Trump is capable of telling Bibi "no" 36:15 Would Trump support a two state solution? 38:30 Iran has no friends on the global stage willing to support them 40:15 After investigators access Gaza, Israel will lose support 41:45 Saudis will demand a two state solution 43:15 Did we expose Iran as a "paper tiger"? 45:30 The Iranian regime only has 20% support from the public 46:30 Iran's strong enough to put down an uprising 47:30 The U.S. won't put boots on the ground in Iran 49:00 What is Iran's exit strategy from this conflict? 52:00 Iran is likely 3 years away from a bomb 53:15 Iran may be a theocracy, but doesn't act irrationally 54:45 The state of Iraq's leadership? 56:15 Is there global investment in Iraq? 57:15 Status of Trump + NATO? 59:30 Europe underinvested in defense for decades 1:01:15 Pushing Europe to spend more on defense is one of Trump's best achievements 1:02:00 Status of Russia/Ukraine war? 1:03:00 Ukraine is losing slowly 1:04:15 Chances Putin would attack one of the Baltic states? 1:06:15 Putin could use a nuke if he felt his regime was at risk 1:08:15 The rise of left wing populism 1:10:00 American elections will be free and fair, but public won't think so 1:12:00 Guardrails on the executive branch have been weakened 1:13:15 Are we stuck with reactionary politics for a generation? 1:14:45 Trump didn't attend funeral for assassinated Minnesota lawmakers 1:15:45 The U.S. doesn't create leaders, it creates winners 1:18:30 The lack of bipartisanship creates bad legislation 1:19:45 The Big Beautiful Bill will create more Mamdanis 1:20:45 Socialists can't beat capitalists, but they can beat kleptocrats1:23:30 Thoughts on conversation with Ian Bremmer 1:24:00 Mamdani beat Cuomo by double digits in final tally 1:25:30 There will be a fight for the soul of the Democratic party 1:26:15 Ask Chuck 1:26:30 Could Trump's support erode like Marion Barry's? 1:30:30 Election denialism now coming from both sides regularly? 1:36:30 How different would things look if Mike Ditka had beat Obama in Illinois?

On this episode of the MeidasTouch Podcast: The disastrous GOP budget bill barrels toward a potential late-night vote as even Elon Musk — and some Republicans — sound the alarm about its devastating impact. We break down Trump and Netanyahu's corrupt political alliance, and reveal new intelligence showing Trump once again lied about the success of U.S. strikes on Iran. Plus, we expose the cruelty behind Florida's so-called ‘Alligator Alcatraz' migrant detention facility and more. Subscribe to Meidas+ at https://meidasplus.com Get Meidas Merch: https://store.meidastouch.com Deals from our sponsors!  Timeline: Head to https://timeline.com/meidasgummies to claim your FREE 3-Day Trial ReMarkable: Get your paper tablet at https://remarkable.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=meidastouch|remarkableaudio2025&utm_term=a&utm_content=juneread today. OneSkin: Get 15% off OneSkin with the code MEIDAS at https://www.oneskin.co/  #oneskinpod Hexclad: Find your forever cookware @hexclad and get 10% off at https://hexclad.com/MEIDAS! #hexcladpartner Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast Cult Conversations: The Influence Continuum with Dr. Steve Hassan: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan Mea Culpa with Michael Cohen: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show Burn the Boats: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/burn-the-boats Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 Political Beatdown: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PREVIEW GAZA: Colleague Ahmad Sharawi reports word of a visit of PM Netanyahu to POTUS in order to end the Gaza conflict. More.

Elon Musk teases the launch of a new political party—The American Party—and Trump fires back with a scorching social post. Meanwhile, the White House quietly works to exclude illegal immigrants from the U.S. Census, as a new ICE-tracking app draws sharp criticism from Tom Homan and Karoline Leavitt.We break down a viral economic protest called “People's Sick Day” and whether it's a real movement.Plus:*Kayleigh McEnany's big baby news*Thomas Sowell turns 95*Trump hosts Bibi Netanyahu at the White House*CNN promotes a tool that tracks ICE agents*Fetterman melts down over a missed vacation*Candace Owens spills on a private convo with Trump*Stephen A. Smith warns Democrats about Mamdani*Did the controversial immigration bill pass? What it means for naturalized citizens*Bob Vylan's visa drama and a shocking IDF vs ISIS comparisonAnd don't miss: Jason Bateman's jab at Trump supporters, RFK Jr. on Trump's personality, and a My Pillow TikTok moment you have to hear.SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS TO SUPPORT OUR SHOW!Energize your brainpower with Healthy Cell! Visit https://HealthyCell.com/CHICKS and use code CHICKS to get Focus and Recall and save 20% off your first order.Try Lean for weight loss.  Use code FIREWORKS25 at https://TakeLean.com for 25% off everything!On the 4th of July, get your grill on with Omaha Steaks. Shop summer grilling favorites for Independence Day at https://OmahaSteaks.com and use promo code CHICKS for an extra $45 off!Savor the 4th of July Bundle and more from Republican Red Winery today. Visit https://RepublicanRed.com to join the wine club, save $5 on every bottle and bundle—just use promo code CHICKS at checkout.

SUPPORT MY WORK: Our new sponsor is Goldco. Please click on the link in the description below:  https://alanlIikesgold.com    SUBSTACK: https://dersh.substack.com/The Dershow staring Alan Dershowitz* APPLE PODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dershow/id1531775772SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/7Cx3Okc9mMNWtQyKJZoqVO?si=1164392dd4144a99_________________________________________________________FOLLOW ME:TWITTER: https://twitter.com/AlanDershRUMBLE: https://rumble.com/user/Sav_saysLOCALS: https://dershow.locals.com/YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheDershowWithAlanDershowitz________Youtube: @thedershowwithalendershowitz

Subscribe now to skip the ads and get more content! Get our "Welcome to the Crusades" miniseries! Derek welcomes back to the show Dalia Hatuqa, a journalist specializing in Israeli/Palestinian affairs and regional Middle East issues, to talk about the situation in Gaza and the West Bank. They recap what has been happening to Palestinians in Gaza while the world was distracted by Israel's war with Iran, discuss the lost generations of Gazan children, the massacres at “aid distribution centers,” increased home demolitions and settler violence in the West Bank, the current relationships of the Palestinian Authority and Jordanian government with Israel, the regional dynamics after the recent war with Iran, and what Netanyahu's next move might be. Read Dalia's piece from March in The Guardian, “For Palestinians, this was never a ceasefire.”       Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will embark on his third trip to to Washington early next week to meet with US President Donald Trump. This comes alongside increased pressure to end the war in Gaza and perhaps the potential of a domino-type deal between Israel and regional players. Berman speaks about reports that Israel and Syria are holding “advanced talks” on a bilateral agreement halting hostilities between the countries. Could this lead to Syria joining the Abraham Accords? And what position does this put Turkey in, even as its neighbor, Iran, just suffered a defeat at the hands of the US and Israel. Israel’s military chief has advised cabinet ministers against ordering the Israel Defense Forces to expand operations in the Gaza Strip, over fears that doing so could significantly endanger the lives of hostages still held in the Palestinian enclave, according to Hebrew media accounts Monday. Berman speaks about the terrible decision that has faced Israel's political echelons for almost 21 months -- hostages or defeating Hamas -- and how Israeli soldiers in Gaza will likely increasingly be on Hamas's radar as long as no decision is taken. At least 11 people in Gaza were killed yesterday in the area of a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution center, according to local Palestinian media outlets. Also Monday, the military admitted in a statement that it has killed several civilians near aid sites in recent weeks and said it has learned lessons that will avoid similar incidents in the future. Berman recently spoke with the head of GHF, Reverend Johnnie Moore Jr. He brings us highlights from their conversation. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Netanyahu set to visit White House July 7 as US pushes for end to Gaza war Israel in ‘advanced talks’ for deal to end hostilities with Syria, says senior official Israel says Hezbollah must disarm before any Lebanon peace talks can advance Dozens said killed in Gaza; IDF admits it has killed several civilians near aid sites Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. IMAGE: President Donald Trump, right, shakes hands with Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 14, 2025. (Bandar Aljaloud/Saudi Royal Palace via AP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Derek welcomes back to the show Dalia Hatuqa, a journalist specializing in Israeli/Palestinian affairs and regional Middle East issues, to talk about the situation in Gaza and the West Bank. They recap what has been happening to Palestinians in Gaza while the world was distracted by Israel's war with Iran, discuss the lost generations of Gazan children, the massacres at “aid distribution centers,” increased home demolitions and settler violence in the West Bank, the current relationships of the Palestinian Authority and Jordanian government with Israel, the regional dynamics after the recent war with Iran, and what Netanyahu's next move might be.Read Dalia's piece from March in The Guardian, “For Palestinians, this was never a ceasefire.” Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Honestly at this point they should just get Netanyahu his own room in the White House and a desk in the Oval Office. The prime minister of Israel is taking his third trip to the White House in the five months since Trump has been back in office. I have immediate blood family members who I love with all my heart and visit less often than this. Reading by Tim Foley.

Zohran Mamdani's campaigning and victory in the Democrat NYC Mayoral primary has been a hyper-polarizing issue. One side says he is the new Democrat, even more radical than the originals, as if this is a good thing. Another side says he is an antisemite, radical Social Democrat Muslim, which makes no sense because Muslims are a very conservative people. The entire race has been focused on Israel rather than NYC, with one Israeli newspaper claiming that anti-Muslim attacks on Mamdani are actually anti-Jewish. But, see, it's actually social democracy that is a byproduct of Jews like Karl Marx. The democrats get 50% of all their money from the Jewish lobby and nearly 3/4 of all Jews support Democrats. Yet Mamdani is painted as anti-Jewish for not seeking to visit Israel, which is a separate issue from the Jews of NYC, who he says he will help by cracking down on hate crimes and speech - why would some groups call on Jews to evacuate NYC then? And there it is; the same policies coming from the conservative White House. Mamdani also reinforces October 7 as a reason for this censorship and says Jews feel unsafe in NYC, all of which takes away from the fact Jews are citizens and it is the NY citizen who should be the focus of the Mayor, not a foreign state or individual people; that the crime in NYC is a result of people like Mamdani himself. Mamdani is therefore likely working for Israel or the Mossad, or something equivalent. He is a plant. As for the other news about a “death” threat on Trump and Netanyahu, Infowars says Islam and Iran have issued a “death fatwa.” But a “fatwa” is only “a ruling on a point of Islamic law given by a recognized authority,” and that is what Iranian religious leader Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi did when declaring anyone who threatens Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as “an enemy of God.” Infowars then goes on to say that it “potentially incites” violence, which is different than both a “death threat” and “fatwa.” The same things are falsely being reported about the Al-Asghar (PBUH) World Assembly in Iran, which occurs every year. Numerous sources are reporting that the Iranian women seen holding their babies in the air are offering them up as radical sacrifices to Islam, when what they are really doing is honoring mothers and remembering the infant martyrs in Iran and the Gaza Strip. A martyr is “a person who is killed or made to suffer because of their religious or other beliefs,” meaning one who is persecuted for being, in this case, Muslim. And these mothers are honoring the dead killed by Israel, who says their chants are meant to kill their own babies and those of Israel and the U.S., which is a disgusting display of propaganda that like the word “fatwa” completely demeans a language, culture and religion. The chants of “death” to America or Israel are always provoked - by starvation, war, peace deals broken, lies about diplomacy etc. - not a byproduct of hating American freedom. *The is the FREE archive, which includes advertisements. If you want an ad-free experience, you can subscribe below underneath the show description.-FREE ARCHIVE (w. ads)SUBSCRIPTION ARCHIVEX / TWITTER FACEBOOKWEBSITECashApp: $rdgable EMAIL: rdgable@yahoo.com / TSTRadio@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-secret-teachings--5328407/support.

In this wide-ranging episode, CannCon and Ghost tackle a mix of geopolitical intrigue, domestic policy battles, and cultural absurdities. They open with an in-depth exploration of Donald Trump's approach to leadership, comparing his tactics on The Apprentice to the current Middle East power struggle. Ghost outlines how Netanyahu's fragile hold on power relies on ultra-orthodox zealots willing to risk regional war, while Trump maneuvers to accelerate inevitable conflicts and force resolution. On the domestic front, the hosts dig into the DOJ's record-breaking $14 billion healthcare fraud bust, describing it as a milestone in accountability for grifters and cartels feeding off Medicare. They cover the One Big Beautiful Bill's Medicaid provisions, GOP infighting, and Elon Musk's fiery calls for an America Party to challenge the Republican establishment. Other highlights include a deep dive into an ICE-avoidance app, viral clips of Trump discussing “Alligator Alcatraz,” and the Idaho shooter's bizarre subculture ties. The show closes on why moral decay fuels societal collapse, and why Americans must rediscover first principles before real reform can take hold.

Jon Herold opens July with a deep dive into the Senate's nail-biter passage of Trump's massive “Big Beautiful Bill,” dissecting its blend of border security wins, record debt increases, and hidden giveaways to the renewable energy lobby. He details how a last-minute clause allows wind and solar subsidies to stretch into 2030 despite promises to end them, fueling Elon Musk's fury and threats to launch a third party. Jon also breaks down Trump's blunt comments about Musk's dependence on government cash, with a wink toward Doge enforcement if the feud escalates. Shifting gears, he highlights RFK Jr.'s bombshell interview exposing a 1,135% increase in autism risk among infants who received the hepatitis B vaccine, sparking reflection on how much other data may have been buried. Other stories include Iran-linked hackers threatening to release troves of Trump allies' emails, new pipeline permits in North Dakota and Montana, and Israel's court delaying Netanyahu's corruption trial right after Trump demanded the charges be dropped. Wrapping up, Jon wonders aloud whether any of this would pass without rigged elections and calls for a return to line-item votes, transparency, and accountability.

En el contexto de alto al fuego entre Israel e Irán, ¿cuáles son los complejos escenarios a los que se enfrenta la conflictividad actual? Hay muchas interrogantes y pocas certezas, pero hay algo seguro, “la era del dividendo de la paz, ya pasó” como dijo la Presidenta de la Comisión Europea, Ursula von der Leyen. Así las cosas, los acontecimientos deben monitorearse a diario. Por ejemplo, Trump salió triunfante de la cumbre de la OTAN con el perseguido acuerdo para que los aliados inviertan hasta un 5% en gastos militares y de seguridad al 2035. En el mismo contexto debe entenderse como esencial para la estrategia de seguridad europea, el alivio para Ucrania de la extensión de apoyo tanto de Estados Unidos como de los europeos, estos últimos doblando sus promesas de asistencia militar de 20 mil a 35 mil millones. Y en medio de todo, la impotencia de la crisis en Gaza. Trump añadió fuego a la hoguera inmiscuyéndose en la política interna de Israel amenazando con cancelar la multimillonaria ayuda anual estadounidense al país si la justicia no cierra los tres procesos de corrupción que enfrenta Benjamín Netanyahu, acusado de sobornos, fraude y abuso de confianza. Según Trump esos procesos interfieren las negociaciones en curso con Irán y Hamás. Este domingo hubo nuevas movilizaciones forzosas y ataques en Gaza. En tanto, el líder supremo de Irán asegura que no se rendirán y al tiempo que despliega más represión interna, muestra la tregua como una victoria del régimen. ¿Y cómo incide todo ello en la política interna de los Estados Unidos? Este es otro interesante ángulo del análisis, pues Trump debe enfrentar la batalla por el gigantesco presupuesto, aunque esté celebrando el espaldarazo de la Suprema Corte que falló que los jueces federales no pueden bloquear cautelarmente la aplicación en todo el país de los decretos ejecutivos de la Casa Blanca. Esta decisión afecta a uno en particular que es abiertamente inconstitucional, al permitir la anulación del derecho a la nacionalidad por nacimiento, pero en la práctica se extenderá a toda la agenda que el mandatario está implantando. Conversamos con el Dr. Constantino Urcuyo Fournier.

Dive into a dynamic discussion as Jason Baidya unpacks the latest developments in the Iran-Israel conflict, offering expert insights into America's interests and the shifting landscape of global geopolitics. This episode explores the religious dimensions shaping the crisis, with a deep dive into the roles of Xi Jinping, Iran, and Netanyahu's Israel. We analyze China's unique economic indicators and political ambitions, drawing connections to North Korea and the broader South Asian region. Discover how soft power, international institutions, and open borders influence today's conflicts, while Jason Baidya explains the critical role of advanced technologies like Palantir's AI in modern warfare and cybersecurity. From Palantir's global impact and AI capabilities to the significance of Boeing Dreamliners in defense, we cover the technological edge shaping the new domain of warfare. The conversation also addresses Nepal's current affairs, Modi's changing political influence, and what the future holds for South Asia. Whether you're interested in geopolitics, technology, or international relations, this podcast delivers comprehensive analysis and predictions. Don't miss Jason Baidya's expert take on Palantir, Iran-Israel tensions, and the next big shifts in global power.

It's make-or-break week for Congressional Republicans and their big policy and spending legislation, a.k.a. President Donald Trump's ‘One Big Beautiful Bill.' Trump says he still expects to see the final package on his desk by this Friday, even as new estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office show the latest version of the bill could add more than $3 trillion dollars to the national debt over the next decade. Is that deterring members of the party that professes to care about federal spending? Not really. Senate Republicans are expected to vote on the measures, after narrowly advancing it to the floor for debate over the weekend. Elana Schor, senior Washington editor for the online news publication Semafor, gives us an update on where the bill stands now and the possible speed bumps ahead.And in headlines: Trump hints at a possible TikTok buyer, the Supreme Court hands the White House another huge win by limiting the powers of lower court judges, and the president pressures Israeli officials to drop Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial.Show Notes:Check out Elana's work – www.semafor.com/author/elana-schorSubscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

SEASON 3 EPISODE 143: COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN A-Block (1:45) SPECIAL REPORT: Which is worse? That Trump is running a “Protection Racket Presidency” and bribed one Senator to vote for his Big Beautiful Soak The Poor Budget Bill while metaphorically bumping off one Senator who wouldn’t? Or that Trump threatened Israel, threatened the government of Israel, if Israel's courts don’t do what HE wants on behalf of Netanyahu – and nobody noticed. Which is worse? Well it’s a trick question because these are actually just two different aspects of the same story. It’s a protection racket. These are a) the domestic operations of the protection racket, and b) the international operations of the protection racket. Thom Tillis, the vaguely responsible Republican senator from North Carolina, refused to let Trump politically rape him Saturday night and would not vote to advance the budget bill. Trump had been threatening him for weeks, months, accelerated it, finally began to ask for volunteers to primary him, Tillis announced yesterday he will retire from the senate at the end of his term next year. So much for Mr. Tillis. So much for somebody, anybody, in the Republican party saying “I owe this country something.” So much for the thought that when the country is up against it and the breaks are beating the boys, tell ‘em to go out there with all they got and win just one for the Tiller. I don’t know where I’ll be then, but I’ll know about it and I’ll be happy.” Well I know where Thom Tillis will be: he’ll be back home in Cornelius, North Carolina. Presumably drinking heavily. Reflecting on how he represents the utter moral and ethical decline of the already near-bankrupt and nearly-totally-declined Republican Party. Meanwhile Senator Lisa Murkowski turns out to be Susan Collins with less Kibuki make-up. She sold her soul to get herself a carveout for Alaska, only to find out the Senate Parliamentarian says it violates the Senate's Byrd Rule and the carveout must be carved out. Lol. AND TRUMP THREATENED TO DEFUND ISRAEL - what would be the end of the political career of any other American figure - and nobody noticed. And it seems to have worked. ALSO: WHY KRISTEN GILLIBRAND MUST RESIGN (and get treatment), Stephen Miller has a financial interest in the ICE raids, the plot to make Eric Adams the Republican nominee for mayor of New York, and you missed the new SCOTUS rulings on porn! Pay attention, Mike Johnson! B-Block (37:32) THE WORST PERSONS IN THE WORLD: Jeopardy aficionados worried about a conflict of interest because the contestant was related to the person who was the answer to the question? I was on two episodes of Jeopardy in which a contestant had the same name as the answer to the question, and where a contestant wrote four of the five sketches that were all the answers in an entire category! Plus the Fox host who doesn't know when World War 2 was or which American party caused breadlines; Chris Cuomo thinks AOC destroyed the Democratic Party not, say, he and his brother; and idiot Senator Bernie Moreno discusses "anals" with Laura Ingraham. C-Block (56:00) THINGS I PROMISED NOT TO TELL: It's that time again. July 10 is the 46th anniversary of my first broadcast on my first full-time broadcasting job, which means you have a choice: you have to listen to it, or skip it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monday, June 30th, 2025Today, Republicans advance the Billionaire Bailout Bill in the Senate after promising hold-outs they could gut a provision of the Affordable Care Act as Tommy Tuberville calls for the parliamentarian to be fired; the Supreme Court kills the lower court's ability to issue universal injunctions AND allows parents to opt their kids out of LGBTQ books; Donald Trump threatens to withhold payments to Israel unless their courts drop the charges against Bibi Netanyahu; Cuomo will stay in the New York City mayoral race after conceding to Zohran Mamdani; Don Bacon of Nebraska and Thom Tillis of North Carolina say they will not run in 2026; the President of the University of Virginia has resigned because of pressure from the Trump administration; Republicans in the Senate have blocked the Iran war powers resolution; the Trump administration has freed a three time felon and five time deported migrant in exchange for his testimony against Kilmar Abrego; Governor Gavin Newsom sues fox news for 787M dollars for defamation; over 100,000 people marched in a Budapest Pride event in defiance of Hungary's ban; and Allison delivers your Good News.Thank You, Helix27% Off Sitewide, when you go to HelixSleep.com/dailybeansThank You, Mint MobileGet this new customer offer and your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for just $15 a month at  MINTMOBILE.com/DAILYBEANS.Check out Dana's social media campaign highlighting LGBTQ+ heroes every day during Pride Month - IG|dgcomedy, Dana Goldberg (@dgcomedy.bsky.social)John Roberts: "I Never Thought the Leopards Would Eat *My* Judiciary"  | MuellerSheWrote.comGuest: Noah Widmann - Candidate for FL-7Noah Widmann for Florida - campaign website@noahforflorida on Bluesky, NoahforFlorida - twitter, @noahforflorida | TikTok, Noah Widmann @noahforflorida - Instagram, @NoahForFlorida - Youtube StoriesStar witness against Kilmar Abrego García was due to be deported. Now he's being freed. | The Washington PostSenate Republicans advance Trump's tax and spending cuts bill after dramatic late-night vote | AP NewsSenate rulekeeper deals blows to revised ‘big, beautiful bill' | POLITICORepublicans scramble to save Trump's ‘big, beautiful bill' | The HillSupreme Court backs parents seeking to opt their kids out of LGBTQ books in elementary schools | NBC NewsCourt cancels Israel PM Netanyahu's trial hearings this week | ReutersSenate blocks Iran war powers resolution | The HillCuomo will stay on NYC mayor's ballot after conceding Democratic primary to Mamdani, sources tell CNN | CNNRepublican Rep. Don Bacon, a vocal Trump critic, won't seek reelection | The Washington PostSen. Thom Tillis announces he won't seek reelection after Trump threatens primary challenge | CBS NewsUniversity of Virginia president, pressured over DEI, resigns rather than 'fight federal government' | AP NewsCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom sues Fox News over alleged defamation in story about call with Trump | AP NewsAround 100,000 march in Budapest Pride event in defiance of Hungary's ban | NPR ‘GO **** YOURSELVES': National park visitors slam feds in leaked park comments | SFGate From The Good NewsTrump apparel store in Huntley reaches settlement in eviction case, agrees to vacate building by next monthIndivisibleUnited Against Hate Shop - HRC2025-2026 Bill 3457: Human Life Protection Act - South Carolina Legislature OnlineReminder - you can see the pod pics if you become a Patron. The good news pics are at the bottom of the show notes of each Patreon episode! That's just one of the perks of subscribing! patreon.com/muellershewrote Federal workers - feel free to email me at fedoath@pm.me and let me know what you're going to do, or just vent. I'm always here to listen.Share your Good News or Good TroubleMSW Good News and Good Trouble Check out other MSW Media podcastshttps://mswmedia.com/shows/Subscribe for free to MuellerSheWrote on Substackhttps://muellershewrote.substack.comFollow AG and Dana on Social MediaDr. Allison Gill Substack|Muellershewrote, BlueSky|@muellershewrote , Threads|@muellershewrote, TikTok|@muellershewrote, IG|muellershewrote, Twitter|@MuellerSheWrote,Dana GoldbergTwitter|@DGComedy, IG|dgcomedy, facebook|dgcomedy, IG|dgcomedy, danagoldberg.com, BlueSky|@dgcomedyHave some good news; a confession; or a correction to share?Good News & Confessions - The Daily Beanshttps://www.dailybeanspod.com/confessional/ Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:The Daily Beans on Apple PodcastsWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?Supercasthttps://dailybeans.supercast.com/Patreon https://patreon.com/thedailybeansOr subscribe on Apple Podcasts with our affiliate linkThe Daily Beans on Apple Podcasts

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:  First, Iran's top Shiite cleric issued a religious decree or "fatwa" on Sunday against President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and anyone else who threatens Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, claiming they are quote, "waging war against God" and should be punished by death. Later in the show — The Trump administration revokes the visas of a controversial British musical duo after a recent concert where they led thousands of fans in antisemitic chants of "Death to the IDF" and "From the river to the sea." We'll have the details. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief TriTails Premium Beef: Celebrate with steak worth standing for. Get a free ribeye with the Freedom Box at https://Trybeef.com/PDB. Birch Gold: Text PDB to 989898 and get your free info kit on gold Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start with heartbreaking news out of Idaho where brave firefighters were tragically gunned down—what we know so far. Then we head to the Middle East: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issues a bold warning to both allies and enemies.Meanwhile, Donald Trump holds nothing back in his fiery rebuke of Canada's digital service tax, sparking headlines across the continent.Plus:*SCOTUS sides with religious families in major LGBTQ curriculum ruling*Jamaal Bowman backs a radical new ticket*Rachel Zegler fans attack*Elon Musk impression that nails it*Greta Thunberg in Hungary draws major backlash*Kathy Griffin's shocking stunt returnsAnd is NYC on the verge of turning full socialist with Mamdani in charge? We break it all down.SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS TO SUPPORT OUR SHOW!Take back your child's education with Freedom Project Academy!Visit https://FreedomForSchool.com and save 15% off all courses with code CHICKS15.Get 2 FREE tickets to The Last Rodeo when you become a premium member of the Angel Studios Guild. Visit https://Angel.com/CHICKS and sign up today!Keep your pets clean and fresh this summer with Coat Defense shampoo—save 15% at https://CoatDefense.com with code CHICKS!Make your bed feel brand new with a MyMattress Topper from My Pillow. Visit https://MyPillow.com/Chicks and use promo code CHICKS to get the MyMattress Topper for as low as $99.99.VISIT OUR WEBSITE DAILY! https://chicksonright.comSUBSCRIBE TO OUR PODCAST: https://link.chtbl.com/BtHbvS8C?sid=y...JOIN OUR SUPPORTER COMMUNITY ON LOCALS: https://chicksontheright.locals.com/JOIN OUR SUPER DOUBLE AWESOME SECRET BUT NOT SECRET EXCLUSIVE GROUP:   / 388315619071775 Subscribe to our email list: https://politics.chicksonright.com/su...GET OUR BOOK! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08H5D3CF1/...Venmo: @chicksonrightPaypal: https://www.paypal.me/chicksonrightGet exclusive Chicks merch here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/InRealLifeC...Even more Merch: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/chickson...Thank you for the Superchats! Watch live to donate and be recognized!Facebook: Chicks on the RightFacebook Group: Chicks on the RightTwitter, IG, Parler, Rumble: @chicksonright

Today's Headlines: Trump's budget bill advanced in the Senate with a narrow 51-49 vote, cutting $1 trillion from Medicaid and handing massive tax breaks to the wealthy while adding $3 trillion to the national debt. Two Republicans voted no, and the final vote was delayed as Democrats forced a reading of the 940-page bill. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court ruled that parents can pull kids from public school over LGBTQ content and narrowed lower courts' power to block Trump's executive orders. A Honduran mother is suing ICE after she and her two kids—one of whom has leukemia—were detained during an asylum court date. DHS also announced the end of Temporary Protected Status for over 300,000 Haitians, forcing them to leave by September. Iran's top cleric issued a fatwa calling for the deaths of Trump and Netanyahu. At a Senate hearing, the U.S. military admitted it never used bunker-busting bombs in Iran strikes, contradicting Trump's “total obliteration” claims. Trump abruptly ended trade talks with Canada over its digital services tax, prompting Canadian retaliation. Consumer spending and income both dropped in May, sparking recession concerns. Miami postponed its November election by a year, extending current officials' terms—likely illegally. The University of Virginia's president resigned under Trump administration pressure over DEI efforts. And in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, an active shooter killed two firefighters in an ambush; the story is still developing. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: WaPo: GOP Sen. Thom Tillis won't seek reelection after opposing Trump tax bill  X: Elon Musk NBC News: Senate advances massive bill for Trump's agenda after GOP leaders sway holdouts NY Times: Justices Let Parents Opt Children Out of Classes With L.G.B.T.Q. Storybooks The Atlantic: The Supreme Court Put Nationwide Injunctions to the Torch Texas Publib Radio: ICE arrested a 6-year-old boy with leukemia at immigration court. His family is suing. CBS News: U.S. to revoke immigration status of Haitian migrants in September News 18: Top Iran Cleric Declares Trump And Netanyahu 'Enemies Of God' In New Fatwa | World News CNN Politics: US did not use bunker-buster bombs on one of Iran's nuclear site, top general tells lawmakers NBC News: Canada retaliates against U.S. steel imports after Trump terminates trade talks Bloomberg: US Consumer Spending Drops in May, Price Pressures Remain Muted Miami Herald: It's official: Miami cancels November election, postpones it to 2026 NYT: University of Virginia President Resigns Under Pressure From Trump Administration ABC News: 2 killed in Idaho after firefighters ambushed by gunfire, suspected gunman found dead: Sheriff Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR Daily for Monday, we cover Netanyahu shifting priority to rescue the hostages, GOP pushing new legislation to cut even more from Medicaid, Trump's upcoming visit to Alligator Alcatraz, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Watch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcastCheck out Ark Media's other podcasts: For Heaven's Sake: lnk.to/rfGlrA‘What's Your Number?': lnk.to/rbGlvMFor sponsorship inquiries, please contact: callmeback@arkmedia.orgTo contact us and sign up for updates visit: www.arkmedia.org/Ark Media on Instagram: instagram.com/arkmediaorgDan on X: x.com/dansenorDan on Instagram: instagram.com/dansenorTo order Dan Senor & Saul Singer's book, The Genius of Israel: https://tinyurl.com/bdeyjsdnToday's Episode:Now that the “12 Day War” between Israel and Iran has ended (for now), we are turning our attention back toward the war in Gaza, where 50 Israeli hostages remain. President Donald Trump has been advocating for an end to the war, saying that he believes a hostage-ceasefire deal might come within a week. This comes amid increasing doubts about IDF achievements in Gaza going forward, especially with IDF casualties on a near daily basis. This past Wednesday, seven Israeli soldiers were tragically killed when an IED hit the armored vehicle they were in. Joining us to discuss the ongoing IDF campaign in Gaza and the possibility for a new ceasefire deal —  and the events taking place in the West Bank — is Call me Back regular and political analyst at Yedioth Achronot, Nadav Eyal.–CREDITS:ILAN BENATAR - Producer & EditorMARTIN HUERGO - Sound EditorMARIANGELES BURGOS - Additional EditingMAYA RACKOFF - Operations DirectorGABE SILVERSTEIN - ResearchYUVAL SEMO - Music Composer

Israel has carried out waves of airstrikes and artillery fire in Gaza, reportedly killing at least 60 people, some of them while queuing for aid. Medical officials say about 20 people were killed in an airstrike on a beachfront site in Gaza City. One eyewitness said women and children were present when a warplane fired. What is the strategy of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, when it comes to the war in Gaza? Also in the programme: We get a rare glimpse of life in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, under Russian occupation for three years; and we hear from a Norwegian lottery winner who was a millionaire for 15 minutes. (File photo: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement during a visit to the site of the Weizmann Institute of Science, which was hit by an Iranian missile barrage, in the central city of Rehovot, Israel June 20, 2025. Credit: Jack Guez/Pool via Reuters)

Colonel Richard Kemp, former leader of British forces in Afghanistan, calls in to discuss the impact of U.S. and Israeli actions on Iran's nuclear program. Kemp emphasizes that significant damage has been done to Iran's capabilities, attributing this to President Trump's and Prime Minister Netanyahu's efforts. Kemp then touches on the potential for Iran to rebuild its program, contingent on future U.S. leadership strength. The Colonel also highlights the oppressive nature of the Iranian regime and suggests that internal opposition is the best solution for regime change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Howie Kurtz on GOP Senators in rural states pushing back on slashing Medicaid spending in 'big beautiful' bill, Trump threatening to suspend military aid to Israel if Netanyahu's prosecution isn't stopped and Trump getting a series of wins in Supreme court cases. Follow Howie on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠@HowardKurtz⁠⁠ ⁠⁠For more #MediaBuzz click here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Political correspondent Tal Schneider and settlements reporter Jeremy Sharon join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Israeli settlers torched a multi-million-shekel security installation used to “thwart terror attacks and maintain security” in the Ramallah area of the West Bank overnight, according to the IDF. This came after a riot by settlers outside a military base in the West Bank, where, according to the IDF, settlers attacked security forces, sprayed mace and vandalized army vehicles. Sharon and Schneider delve deeply into the issue of settler violence and how it is being fostered -- and even potentially funded -- by members of the coalition. Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer is now in Washington, DC, where he is expected to face pressure from the Trump administration during his meetings tomorrow in Washington to end the war in GazaIt appears from statements made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday that he, too, is on board with winding down the Gaza war. Schneider explains which ministers are against ending the Gaza war and whether this coalition crisis in the making could lead to early elections. Top security officials told judges presiding over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trial in a closed-door meeting yesterday that Netanyahu must be released from his testimony for the week because there is an opportunity to change the face of the Middle East and for Israel to expand its circle of peace, including with Syria. Sharon discusses the mechanisms of canceling the trial for the week. Then, Schneider speaks about reports claiming that Syria would be willing to give up its claim to the Golan Heights in exchange for a peace agreement. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Settlers torch West Bank security site, riot against ‘traitor’ IDF officer; no arrests PM: Iran war opened broad regional possibilities, ‘first we need to free the hostages’ Court agrees to cancel PM’s testimony this week after briefing by security chiefs Report: Syria not demanding Golan Heights as part of deal with Israel Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. IMAGE: A West Bank security installation that was torched overnight by settlers on June 30, 2025 (Israel Defense Forces)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Iran agreed to a ceasefire with Israel - but they haven't given up!Now, they're taking their war INSIDE America! On today's Terrorist Therapist® podcast, your host, Carole Lieberman, M.D.,  The Terrorist Therapist®, warns you about all the stealthy and dangerous ways Iran is bringing the war from the Middle East to America. After a brief summing up of the Iran-Israel-America war, you'll hear about the Fatwa declared against President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, by a top Iranian cleric, alleging they are “Enemies of God.” It begs for pro-Iranian supporters to assassinate them. Then you'll hear the note Dr. Lieberman sent to the Ayotollah, offering help to get him to destroy Iran's nuclear weapons in exchange for a prize for peace and why she sent it to him. Instead of Iran disclosing the progress they're making withenriching uranium, they're now disclosing sleeper cells on the brink of attacking America. You'll also hear about  the symbol of Radical Islam that's suddenly appearing on flags all over America and the British rapper, Bob Vylan, who's leading his fans in anti-Israel chants.Finally, you'll hear about the ‘Israel doomsday clock' in Iranthat is ticking down the days until Israel's destruction….The Soundtrack of your Life Sky Pilot Radio 60's thru the 80's

Welcome to Inside the Epicenter. In this episode, host Joel Rosenberg sits down with Dr. Hormoz Shariat, the founder of Iran Alive Ministries—a man often called the “Billy Graham of Iran.” Together, they unpack the aftermath of the “12 Day War” between Israel and Iran, examining the impact on the Iranian regime, the hopes and fears of the Iranian people, and how recent conflict fuels a spiritual awakening across the country. The conversation examines how Iranians perceive their leadership during a crisis, their unusual attitudes toward Israel and the United States, and the role of the church in a nation yearning for change. Joel and Hormoz also discuss what Bible prophecy—specifically Jeremiah 49 and Ezekiel 38—might reveal about Iran's future and what these tumultuous days mean for believers both inside and outside the country. 00:00 US-Iran Conflict and Church Dynamics03:13 Iran's Satellite Gospel Outreach08:21 Desperate Leadership Amid Collapse12:43 Iranian Uprising Hindered by Fear14:41 Fear Prevents Uprising in Iran18:16 Herzog and Netanyahu's Divergent Views23:33 Faith Flourishes Amid Iranian Struggles27:07 Iran's Role in End-Times Prophecy31:06 Journey from Israel Amidst War32:21 Surreal Gulf Journey and Appeal35:49 Democracy Challenges for Iranians41:11 "Israel Ascendant: Regional Superpower?"44:10 NATO Tensions and Middle East Conflict47:00 Iran's Spiritual Shift Amid Instability50:14 "Support and Pray for Iran" Bible Verse Jeremiah 49, focusing on verses 37–38:“So I will shatter Elam before their enemies and before those who seek their lives, and I will bring calamity upon them, even my fierce anger, declares the Lord, and I will send out the sword after them until I have consumed them. And then he says, God says through Jeremiah the prophet in verse 38, then I will set my throne in Elam and destroy out of it king and princes, declares the Lord.”(Jeremiah 49:37-38) Prayer Request Joel asked for prayer for:The liberation of IranGrowth and courage of the church in IranThe salvation of many more millions in IranJudgment on the wicked regime (unless they turn to Jesus and step down from power) Dr. Hormoz Shariat added:Pray for God’s intervention, as for the Iranian people, it’s a choice between “bad and worse.”Even if the government collapses, pray against greater suffering and confusion duringthe transition, and that Iranians would not be deceived.Pray for Iranian Christians to remain courageous and not be controlled by fear but by “faith, hope, and love,” gathering the harvest in these difficult times. Learn more about The Joshua Fund: JoshuaFund.comMake a tax-deductible donation: Donate | The Joshua FundStock Media provided by DimmySad / Pond5 Related Episodes:Joel at Refuge Church Pt.2 God Shaking Israel: A Biblical Perspective on Recent Events #296SPECIAL EPISODE: Trump SHOCKS world by ordering B-2 bombers to ATTACK Iranian nuclear sites #295SPECIAL EPISODE: Fmr VP Mike Pence "Trump & Israel must FINISH THE JOB of crushing Iran" #294Israel at War: Urgent Updates and The Humanitarian Response in the Epicenter #293Donate a generous monthly gift to The Joshua Fund to bless Israel and Her Neighbors now and for the long haul. Become an Epicenter Ally today! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

On COI #816, Kyle Anzalone discusses the latest news from Ukraine and the Middle East. The Kyle Anzalone Show Odysee Rumble  Donate LBRY Credits bTTEiLoteVdMbLS7YqDVSZyjEY1eMgW7CP Donate Bitcoin 36PP4kT28jjUZcL44dXDonFwrVVDHntsrk Donate Bitcoin Cash Qp6gznu4xm97cj7j9vqepqxcfuctq2exvvqu7aamz6 Patreon Subscribe Star YouTube Facebook  Twitter  MeWe Apple Podcast  Amazon Music Google Podcasts Spotify iHeart Radio  

SummaryIn this episode, Clayton Cuteri explores significant global events, including the Israel-Hamas conflict, NATO's defense spending commitments, and the Rwanda-Congo peace deal. He delves into the implications of these events on international relations and the humanitarian crises they create, while also reflecting on the need for strong leadership to address these complex issues.Clayton's Social MediaLinkTree | TikTok | Instagram | Twitter (X) | YouTubeTimecodes00:00 - Intro00:35 - Israel-Hamas Conflict and Civilian Casualties06:05 - Netanyahu's Legal Troubles and Political Landscape12:58 - NATO Summit and Defense Spending Commitments16:49 - Rwanda-Congo Peace Deal and Historical ContextIntro/Outro Music Producer: Don KinIG: https://www.instagram.com/donkinmusic/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/44QKqKsd81oJEBKffwdFfPSuper grateful for this guy ^Send Clayton a text message!Support the showNEWSLETTER - SIGN UP HERE

In these two explosive segments, Tara and Lee expose the alarming rise of extremist policies and the global forces emboldening them. First, they dissect New York socialist politician Zohran Mamdani's brazen defense of taxing neighborhoods by race, highlighting how the rhetoric of “equity” is just a pretext for classic political persecution—and a roadmap to punish dissenting constituencies. Tara warns this ideology is the natural endpoint of Democratic policies that demonize entire groups for political gain. Then, they pivot to the international stage, where Iran's top clerics have doubled down on fatwas calling for the assassination of Trump and Netanyahu. Tara reveals how Iran's nuclear program—propped up by Chinese scientists and oil revenues—is quickly rebuilding despite U.S. bunker-buster strikes. And she underscores the chilling historical parallels between today's socialist promises and the Marxist revolutions of the 20th century: seizing the means of production, dismantling law enforcement, and controlling food and energy to cement power over the population. From local race-based taxation schemes to international terror threats and economic subversion, Tara argues these stories are all part of a bigger, unreported pattern: an authoritarian vision that's far closer to home than many Americans realize.

Today's broadcasts uncover a sweeping arc of political extremism, failed leadership, and rising global threats—painting a picture of how socialist ideology and authoritarian ambitions intersect. Tara begins with New York's Zohran Mamdani, who unapologetically proposes taxing neighborhoods by race, sparking fears of targeted persecution dressed up as “fairness.” She connects this to the Marxist strategy of seizing the means of production—an approach echoed in Mamdani's calls to empty prisons and defund the police, recalling the tactics used in Stalin's and Mao's revolutions to consolidate power through engineered scarcity and fear. On the international front, the show spotlights the fatwas issued by Iran's top clerics demanding the assassination of Trump, Netanyahu, and U.S. officials—an escalation that underscores the Islamic Republic's alliance with China in building a deeply entrenched nuclear program. Tara details how Iran's underground facilities, partly staffed by thousands of Chinese scientists, survived American strikes and are already resuming operations. Finally, Tara breaks down Canada's sudden reversal of its social media tax after Trump retaliated by ending tariff negotiations, demonstrating how effective American leverage can be when it's actually used. She contrasts Trump's forceful approach with past Republican administrations' toothless condemnations. Taken together, these segments reveal a dangerous synergy: radical domestic agendas emboldened by global adversaries and enabled by complacent elites. From the push for race-based taxation and centralized control over food and energy, to the foreign plots that threaten American leaders, today's coverage shows just how close the country is to tipping point—and how quickly that danger spreads when no one is willing to say no.

Here we are, at the end of a long month, but David Waldman and Greg Dworkin still aren't tired and can keep it up as long as we can. Thom Tillis picked up his integrity at the coat check area and left the Senate, rather than having Trump's fat ugly bill become his epitaph. Of course, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski are oh-so-close to becoming Democrats… until right about now in the process, when someone offers them a “reacharound” or a “wraparound” or whatever the kids are calling it nowadays. No normal person would vote for this bill, but few in DC run into people outside of a photo op. Mayors, however, run into actual people no matter where their cities are, which is a shock to those politicians who aren't used to that. Donald K. Trump wants everyone to know that the people who leaked the truth about Iran are LYING and will be prosecuted to the full extent of the laws that will be disregarded in their prosecution. Alligator Auschwitz awaits them all. Trump will release an MS-13 friend of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele to get him to take back Kilmar Abrego Garcia and maybe lose him a little better this time. Bibi Netanyahu notes that the more Gazans he kills, the more open he feels towards a ceasefire deal. Pam Bondi, She-Wolf of the DOJ, finds her A-II solutions to be just as fun as her 2A ones. Here's what a $1 Trillion Medicaid Cut would look like. Here's a little of what it would feel like.

The pasuk at the conclusion of Parashat Beshalach reads: וַיִּבֶן מֹשֶׁה מִזְבֵּחַ וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ ה' נִסִּי Moshe built a Mizbeach after the Jews defeated Amalek, as a commemoration for the miracle that Hashem did for them. To defeat such a powerful nation, Moshe made this Mizbeach. Rabbi Menashe Reizman quoted the Ktav Sofer who asked: was this the only miracle that Hashem did for the Jewish people at that time? There were the Ten Makot, Keriat Yam Suf, the Man, the Be'er Shel Miriam. Why did Moshe make a Mizbeach only to commemorate the miracle of winning the war against Amalek? The Ktav Sofer answered that until that point, all of the miracles that the Jews had experienced were beyond the realms of nature, and it was obvious that Hashem and only Hashem performed them. However, the miracles in the war against Amalek came in the natural way of the world. Men were appointed to be soldiers and physically fight Amalek. It was people with swords doing battle, and there it may have seemed that it was their strength that enabled them to win the war. Therefore, specifically by that miracle, Moshe needed to do something to proclaim that it was Hashem's doing and that the people should recognize it through that Mizbeach and attribute the victory to Him. As we just experienced a victory in war, eliminating threats from Iran—who have been threatening to annihilate the Jewish people for decades—it behooves us to take a step back and recognize the Yad Hashem in this war as much as we can. We learn from Megillat Esther how to connect the dots of Hashem's involvement in world events from years before they take place. In Shushan HaBirah, the king moved his palace to where Mordechai and Esther lived. He killed his wife Vashti and then Esther came into the palace. Mordechai overheard the plot of Bigtan and Teresh and saved the king's life. It all came together when Haman decreed to annihilate the Jewish people. Hashem had been setting this stage from thirteen years in advance for those critical moments when everything had to be exactly the way it was to save the Jewish people. Here as well, Hashem was working in advance to pave the way for the destruction of our enemies. Chazal tell us we are like a sheep among seventy wolves, waiting to devour us, but we have Hashem—and therefore nobody ever will. In this instance, Hashem used America to assist us in this war, primarily through the actions of President Trump. Looking at it from the natural way of the world, which Hashem hides Himself inside of, it was because Trump is president that Israel had free reign to do as they pleased regarding their surrounding enemies. Nobody was putting restraint on them as previous administrations had done. It was the president's decision to enter the war and wipe out those dangerous nuclear facilities. The fact that this man is the current president is an open miracle. After the January 6th uprising on Capitol Hill after his defeat in the last election, it was obvious that Trump would never be back in politics. Yet, he was able to make the biggest comeback of all time. Obviously, Yad Hashem. Hashem made the man who he ran against in the last election feeble-minded to pave the way to his presidency. He was nearly assassinated, with bullets grazing his ear, yet he emerged alive and stronger than ever. When America got involved, it could easily have triggered World War III. Russia and China are great allies of Iran. However, Hashem had occupied Russia with their own war for the past three years, which kept them far away from this one. Trump decided to make tariffs on foreign countries, with China being the highest, and therefore they had back-and-forth negotiations over the past couple of months. China and America came to a happy agreement and made a peaceful relationship through those tariffs, so that they would stay out of this war as well. Hashem has heaped chesed upon His nation in wondrous ways, and it is incumbent upon us to show our hakarat hatov. We don't understand all the ways of Hashem, but we do know that since October 7th, there has been a renaissance of ba'alei teshuvah, people getting closer to Torah and mitzvot. Furthermore, the events of October 7th opened the door for Israel to decimate Hamas and Hezbollah. We pray for Hashem to bring back the rest of the hostages. We feel that we are very close to the geulah. Rabbi Reizman quoted the Chazal that says, "Whoever reports something in the name of the person who said it brings redemption to the world," and the Maharal there explains that to mean: the one who Hashem chooses to bring the geulah has to be someone who is going to give the credit of the salvation to Him. Someone who is able to give credit where credit is due is someone who will potentially be part of the upcoming geulah. We pray for the day when everyone in the world will recognize that Hashem is the King, and that He controls and rules over everything. We have just witnessed with our own eyes how President Trump thanked Hashem numerous times—first for saving his life and enabling him to do his mission, and now in his role in the war, Trump has said, "We love you, G-d." And then we saw Netanyahu tell the world that Israel's strength comes from Hashem's heavenly help. The world is hearing that success comes only from Hashem. We hope that we are at the doorstep of geulah. May we see the geulah sheleimah b'karov. Amen.