https://www.israelhayom.com/2025/11/19/virginia-school-pays-jewish-students-antisemitism
The private Nysmith School in Northern Virginia will pay approximately $100,000 to a Jewish family whose three children were expelled. As previously reported, the school expelled three Jewish siblings last July who faced severe antisemitic harassment following the October 7 massacre, during a period when students at the school drew Hitler as a "strong leader."
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5613961-vindman-trump-saudi-call-transcript-khashoggi
Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-Va.), who served on the National Security Council (NSC) in the first Trump administration, called on President Trump to release the transcript of a “shocking” phone call that took place with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the aftermath of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s assassination.
Vindman — who played a key role in exposing details of Trump’s infamous call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2019 — said a second phone call exists with the Saudi crown prince that rivals the first as “the most problematic.”
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5612407-comeys-challenge-trump-prosecution/
The Justice Department on Wednesday admitted that the operative indictment against former FBI Director James Comey was never presented to the full grand jury — a procedural error defense attorneys say should bar the prosecution.
Instead of presenting a new indictment to the full panel after it rejected one of the counts, interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan gave the grand jury’s foreperson an updated version — not seen by the other grand jurors — to sign.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/11/18/saudi-prince-trump-visit-white-house
Mohammed arrived to a grand welcome from Trump at the White House on Tuesday, greeted at the South Portico with an Army honor guard of black horses and herald trumpeters, a remarkable turnaround for the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia who had been branded a pariah in 2018 after the CIA concluded that he had approved the killing of Khashoggi.
Trump’s embrace of the crown prince despite U.S. intelligence warnings of his complicity in Khashoggi’s murder recalled a similar moment in Trump’s first term, when he said he took Russian President Vladimir Putin’s vow over a U.S. intelligence assessment that the Kremlin interfered in the 2016 elections.
Mohammed’s arrival was filled with more pomp than for any world leader thus far in Trump’s second term. Trump treated Mohammed to a flyover of six F-15 and F-35 fighter jets that streaked across the Washington sky, as large American and Saudi flags fluttered from the black horses of an Army honor guard that walked across the South Lawn in procession. Trump escorted the crown prince into the White House, where the two leaders met in the Oval Office before a working lunch and then a grand dinner.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5611401-khashoggi-widow-slams-trump/?tbref=hp
When asked about Khashoggi’s death, the president defended Crown Prince Mohammed, telling reporters that the leader “knew nothing about that” and alleging “a lot of people didn’t like that gentleman.”
He also slammed a journalist from ABC News who pressed the crown prince for an answer on the subject.
“Your Royal Highness, the U.S. Intelligence concluded that you orchestrated the brutal murder of a journalist, 9/11 families are furious that you are here in the Oval Office,” White House correspondent Mary Bruce asked. “Why should Americans trust you? And the same to you, Mr President.”
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-874281
The story about a few hundred Hamas fighters trapped in the tunnels of Rafah is not much different. They could just surrender and then be repatriated to some Arab or Muslim countries. But the story is developing along the line of Beirut.
The American administration has been applying constant pressure on Israel to allow the trapped terrorists a victorious march, perhaps even with their weapons, out of the tunnels to freedom. As the result of the “deadlock” around this issue, Mr. Witkoff is about to directly meet Hamas representatives again to discuss possible solutions. Why he needs to meet with the heads of a terror organization directly and not through the “trusted” channels of Turkey and Qatar is explained as the penchant of the president for direct diplomacy.
It is also clear that the legitimization of Hamas, as a serious and recognized negotiating partner, is underway and perhaps has already been completed. That may explain why the president of the United States would personally guarantee the safety of Hamas leadership in Qatar. Those guarantees go beyond what president Reagan offered Yasser Arafat back in 1982. Then, Israel had no direct commitments to the United States and did strike at the PLO in Tunisia later when the situation demanded action.
It wasn’t long ago that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, or MBS, was declared a “pariah” in Washington. President Biden came to regret his remark to that effect as soon as he needed help on oil prices and diplomacy. By contrast, President Trump needs no reminders of the importance of U.S.-Saudi relations. The question after Tuesday’s love-in at the White House is whether he suffers from the opposite excess.
Mr. Trump showed the visiting Crown Prince a portrait of a Biden autopen signature, before saying ABC News should lose its license for unfriendly questioning. Not an advertisement for democratic values. On the substance, MBS knew what he wanted on this trip, and it seems he will go home with much of it.
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/11/18/politics/khashoggi-murder-trump-bin-saudi-crown-prince
President Donald Trump on Tuesday angrily dismissed a question about the 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi, claiming the Saudi dissident journalist was “extremely controversial” and insisting the subject was only raised during his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to embarrass his visitor.
“You’re mentioning somebody that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman that you’re talking about. Whether you liked him or didn’t like him, things happen,” Trump said in the Oval Office as he presided over a pageant-filled visit for the de facto Saudi leader.
Trump went on to insist Prince bin Salman — who the CIA assessed likely ordered the murder — wasn’t involved.
“He knew nothing about it, and we can leave it at that,” Trump said, turning toward the crown prince.
https://www.newsweek.com/epstein-trump-emails-house-vote-today-victims-live-updates-11063917
The Senate moved quickly Tuesday to approve legislation requiring the Justice Department to release records tied to its case against Jeffrey Epstein. The vote came just hours after the House overwhelmingly advanced the measure, sending it toward President Donald Trump’s desk.
The House passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act on a 427-1 vote earlier Tuesday
The Senate followed by unanimous consent, avoiding a roll call and speeding approval
The bill directs the Justice Department to disclose unclassified records related to Epstein
https://www.agudahaction.com/#/?affl=general
1) Rabbonim and Morei Derech (column 1);
2) Mental Health Professionals (column 2);
3) Kallah Teachers (column 2).
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/11/19/politics/trump-epstein-files-release-house-senate-analysis
Donald Trump is reeling from a spectacular defeat, easily his worst from his own party on Capitol Hill during two turbulent presidencies, after every step he took to stall and deflect the Jeffrey Epstein saga blew up in his face.
Beyond the difficulty of next steps for Trump, there are the questions of how much political damage he’s suffered in recent days, both within his own party and personal power base and in the country more broadly.
Bava Basra (74b) Once we were travelling on board a ship when we saw a precious stone that was surrounded by a snake. A diver descended to bring it up. Thereupon the snake approached with the purpose of swallowing the ship, when a raven came and bit off its head and the waters were turned into blood. A second snake came, took the head of the decapitated snake and attached it to the body, and it revived. Again the snake approached intent on swallowing the ship. Again a bird came and severed its head. Thereupon the diver seized the precious stone and threw it into the ship. We had with us salted birds. As soon as we put the stone upon them, they took it up and flew away with it.
Megila (7b) Rabbah and R. Zera joined together in a Purim feast. They became inebriated, and Rabbah arose and cut R. Zera's throat. On the next day he prayed on his behalf and revived him. Next year he said, Will your honour come and we will have the Purim feast together. He replied: A miracle does not take place on every occasion.
Kesubos (111a) The dead outside the Land will not be resurrected; for it is said in Scripture, And I will set glory in the land of the living, implying the dead of the land in which I have my desire will be resurrected, but the dead of the land in which I have no desire will not be resurrected.
Kesubos (111a) Thy dead shall live, my dead bodies shall arise; does not the expression ‘Thy dead shall live’ refer to the dead of the Land of Israel, and ‘My dead bodies shall arise’ to the dead outside the Land; while the text, And I will give glory in the land of the living was written of Nebuchadnezzar concerning whom the All-Merciful said, ‘I will bring against them a king who is as swift as a stag’? — The other replied: Master, I am making an ex position of another Scriptural text: He that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein. But is it not written, My dead bodies shall arise? — That was written in reference to miscarriages
Kesubos (111a) And spirit to them that work therein teaches, said R. Jeremiah b. Abba in the name of R. Johanan, that whoever walks four cubits in the Land of Israel is assured of a place in the world to come. Now according to R. Eleazar, would not the righteous outside the Land be revived? — R. Elai replied: They will be revived by rolling to the Land of Israel. R. Abba Sala the Great demurred: Will not the rolling be painful to the righteous? — Abaye replied: Cavities will be made for them underground.
Kesubos (111a) Thou shalt carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying-place. Karna remarked: There must be here some inner meaning. Our father Jacob well knew that he was a righteous man in every way, and, since the dead outside the Land will also be resurrected, why did he trouble his sons? Because he might possibly be unworthy to roll through the cavities.
