Judge tosses Sidney Powell’s countersuit against Dominion Voting Systems

 https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/3665014-judge-tosses-sidney-powells-countersuit-against-dominion-voting-systems/

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday agreed to dismiss a lawsuit that pro-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell filed against Dominion Voting Systems as the voting machine company pursues a $1.3 billion defamation claim against her.

In a three-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols granted Dominion’s request to toss the case after finding Powell failed to show that Dominion’s defamation suit against her constituted an abuse of justice.

“Powell’s complaint fails to link her abuse-of-process claim to any act that Dominion has taken other than filing and pursuing its lawsuit,” wrote Nichols, who was appointed to the federal district court in D.C. by former President Trump. “She has thus failed to state a claim for abuse of process.”

Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott Need to Read the Bible

 https://www.newsweek.com/ron-desantis-greg-abbott-need-read-bible-1746804

If I had to boil the Bible down to 10 consistently repeated principles and lessons that are unmistakably clear throughout scripture, one of them would have to be the compassionate, generous, and ethical treatment of immigrants. It's not a riddle in scripture. You don't need a theologian to interpret those verses. They are about as plain any ancient text could ever be. And the Bible says it over and over and over again. Why? Well, the folksy way I was taught was that the Bible only repeats the same lesson over and over again for one key reason that is still clearly relevant today... the authors, whether you believe them to be divinely inspired or not, knew that this lesson would be so frequently ignored that telling it once, twice, or even ten times simply wouldn't be enough.

Eretz Hakodesh Chairman Calls For Freeze Of NIS 30 Million Transfer To Reform Movement In Light Of Findings Of An Investigation Against MK Gilad Kariv

 https://baltimorejewishlife.com/news/news-detail.php?SECTION_ID=1&ARTICLE_ID=157115

Rabbi Pesach Lerner, called upon the Israeli Supreme Court to place an immediate hold on the transfer of NIS 30 million to the Reform movement.

Rabbi Lerner, on behalf of the Eretz HaKodesh organization, recently filed an urgent petition to the Israeli Supreme Court for an immediate freeze of the transfer of funds to a joint venture of the Ministry of Diaspora and the Panim organization to establish a so-called “Office of Jewish Renewal,” which was approved from coalition funds of the Labor Party.

Muslim Brotherhood’s Qaradawi, who endorsed suicide bombings against Israelis, dies

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/muslim-brotherhoods-qaradawi-who-endorsed-suicide-bombings-against-israelis-dies/

In Israel, Al-Qaradawi was mourned by Safwat Frij, chair of the Shura Council of the Islamic Movement’s Southern Branch, the religious council behind the Ra’am party that is currently a member of the outgoing Israeli government.

Right-wing opposition parties have long sought to delegitimize the party and the government by accusing the faction of supporting terrorism.

“Al-Qaradawi dedicated his life for the benefit of the defense of Islam and Muslims,” Frij said, and expressed hope he would be rewarded in the afterlife.

Al-Qaradawi was a major religious proponent of terror against Israelis.

Muslim group mourns cleric who said Holocaust ‘put Jews in their place’

 https://www.thejc.com/news/news/muslim-group-mourns-cleric-who-said-holocaust-'put-jews-in-their-place'-3TAb9LAgKD4iWf2Z8Zd1wZ

The antisemitic cleric Yusuf Al-Qaradawi has been praised by a UK-based Muslim group following his death.

The prominent ideologue was known for repeated expressions of Jew-hate, including a call for the “annihilation” of Jews and his claim that the Holocaust “put Jews in their place”.

Don't push secular education on ultra-Orthodox public

 https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hkcpqwkbi

Someone in the political system actually thinks this is the right way to compel the ultra-Orthodox to teach secular curriculum. If you also think that, here's some news for you - this type of coercion has failed to yield results in the past 30 years, and it will not work in the future.

There is no argument that secular education is an important tool to be financially stable. Knowing English and understanding math is essential. But in order to have a proper discourse on the subject, we need to let go of the prejudiced perception and arrogant view that secular people know what's best for the "primitive" ultra-Orthodox public.

Children removed from Jewish sect's jungle compound in Mexico

 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-62372365

Two members of Lev Tahor were arrested on suspicion of human trafficking and serious sexual offences, including rape, Israel's foreign ministry said.

A three-year-old child removed from the compound has been flown to Israel.

Attack drones launched over Uman amid Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/360392

The special services noted that "planned acts of terrorism against Israeli citizens are one of the conditions for Iranʼs transfer of drones to Russia. As you know, this is not the first example of cooperation between two terrorist countries. Not so long ago, a Ukrainian civilian plane was shot down in Iran, apparently by mistake. But the interests of the Kremlin can be seen behind this case".

New Year

 Kesiva Vechasima Tova!

Convicted sex offender Eliezer Berland allowed to fly to Uman

 https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-716637

Thursday’s court ruling granting him the right to travel was especially shocking because Berland has fled Israel in the past to avoid law enforcement. It took years to catch him and eventually extradite him back to Israel in order to face justice.

The court did require Berland to post a NIS 650,000 guarantee, of which NIS 200,000 is cash.

דרמה בגבול רומניה: האוקראינים חסמו את כניסת הרב אליעזר ברלנד למדינה

 https://www.kikar.co.il/hasidism/428045

מנהיג קהילת 'שובו בנים' קיבל אישור מיוחד לצאת מגבול ישראל, חרף ההרשעות שיש כנגדו. בליל שישי, הוא ניסה להיכנס יחד עם חסידיו לאוקראינה, אך הוא נחסם על ידי חיילי צבא אוקראינה 

Annulling Vows on Erev Rosh HaShanah

 https://torah.org/learning/integrity-wrongturns/?printversion=1

Since women cannot be part of the beis din for hataras nedarim, should they do hataras nedarim for themselves altogether? Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach would not require women to do hataras nedarim on erev Rosh HaShanah, but would rather have them rely on the annulment that is done during Kol Nidrei, at the beginning of the Yom Kippur services (Halichos Shlomo 1: 10).

In order for the hataras nedarim of Kol Nidrei to be effective, a person must be present in shul and say the words together with the chazan (Mishnah Berurah 619: 2). If a woman’s hectic routine does not allow her to be in shul, her husband can act as an agent to terminate her vows (Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 234: 56). Even though one normally cannot appoint a shaliach to cancel a neder, based on the principle “ishto kegufo” (a man’s wife is like himself), a special exception is made (Shach, ibid., 70).

Party Switcher Data Doesn’t Lie, but It’s Easy to Misinterpret: Alarm & Optimism in Key States

 https://themessinagroup.com/alarm-optimism-in-key-states-for-party-switchers/

So, has there been a notable rightward shift post-2020?

Based solely on party switching, no, I don’t think the data point to a dramatic shift, and I think the AP’s claim that “More than 1 million voters switch to GOP in warning for Dems” is flawed.

Based on the data, the Democratic Party continues to lead total voter registration by a wide margin, but the system — the Senate and the Electoral College — favors Republicans.

Looking within states, the trends vary depending on the local political and cultural context. There is cause for alarm in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Florida. But there’s also hope: states like Maine, New Hampshire, Nevada, and Colorado may trend bluer over time if current trends continue.

So, should Democrats be worried about the fall? Of course, but not because of a relatively small number of party switchers.

Voters switch lopsidedly to GOP, in warning for Dems

 https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-biden-covid-health-presidential-e50db07385831e67f866ec45402be8b9

A political shift is beginning to take hold across the U.S. as tens of thousands of suburban voters who helped fuel the Democratic Party’s gains in recent years are becoming Republicans.

Across 31 states, about two-thirds of voters who have switched their official party registrations in the past year have switched to the Republican Party, according to voter registration data analyzed by The Associated Press. The phenomenon is playing out in virtually every region of the country — Democratic and Republican states along with cities and small towns — in the period since President Joe Biden replaced former President Donald Trump.

Nowhere is the shift more pronounced — and dangerous for Democrats — than in the suburbs. Over the last year, far more people are switching to the GOP across suburban counties from Denver to Pittsburgh. Republicans also gained ground in counties around medium-size cities such as Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Des Moines, Iowa.