Samson and the Rabbis

 https://www.torahmusings.com/2012/09/samson-and-the-rabbis

I often struggle with the vast differences between the plain meaning of biblical narratives and the understandings of the Sages. Among the most severe cases is that of Shimshon. The book of Judges portrays him as an intermarrying sinner while the Sages see him as a holy judge (see Samson’s Struggle). Which of these incompatible views is correct?

The dilemma can appear to be a case of the rabbis telling us to trust them over the plain evidence available to all. On the other hand, every reading involves interpretation, both our own and that of the Sages. Perhaps we need to recognize that what we see as facts are colored by our own, often only implicit, interpretations.

The case of a felon who paid lobbyists nearly $1 million to seek a Trump pardon

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/11/23/joseph-schwartz-trump-pardon-fraud

Liz Oyer, a former U.S. pardon attorney who was fired by Trump in March, said the involvement of the lobbyists — and the huge payment — heightens concern that there is “a special tier of justice for people who can afford to pay.”

She said the Schwartz case is notable because the pardon went against a March recommendation by Trump’s Justice Department, which cited the seriousness of Schwartz’s crime in seeking a sentence of a year and a day. The judge rejected that recommendation and in April imposed a three-year sentence. Schwartz had served three months when he was pardoned, according to his attorney.

The Story | Israel Greenwald

 https://israelgreenwald.com/?page_id=

Israel Greenwald was the picture of devotion — a kind, hardworking Orthodox Jew, a loving husband, and a proud father of two little girls. In Far Rockaway, New York, he built an honest life through grit and determination, founding Blue River Inc., a jewelry business respected by everyone who knew him.

Israel Greenwald’s body was finally recovered. After 19 agonizing years, he was laid to rest in Israel.

Trump's DARK DEAL with SAUDIS CONFIRMED

MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE ABRUPTLY RESIGNS

Bnei Brak officials take 'slide' trip

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/flashes/670819

A municipal delegation from the city of Bnei Brak flew to Miami last week, allegedly to review models of new slides intended for installation in city playgrounds, Kan Moreshet journalist Eli Bitan reported.

The delegation included the mayor, his deputy, and senior city officials.

According to the report, the delegation traveled first class, without obtaining the required approval from the City Council, as is required in such cases.

Israeli woman jailed for refusing to accept Jewish divorce in rare rabbinical court ruling

 https://www.ynetnews.com/article/s1bakawewx?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=internal

Tel Aviv Rabbinical Court imposed sentence after years of attempts to persuade the woman to accept the divorce, including efforts by police officers who brought the document to her home

Jewish boy, 12, brutally attacked by classmates in Vienna

 https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/s1nkmoo0eg

Two students beat a Jewish classmate while shouting antisemitic threats; family accuses school of ignoring earlier harassment and files police complaint

PM’s office says five senior Hamas officials killed in Gaza strikes over ceasefire violations

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-november-22-2025

Israel eliminated five senior Hamas officials in airstrikes on Gaza today in response to the terror group’s violations of the ceasefire, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says in a post on X.

“Today, Hamas violated the ceasefire again, sending a terrorist into Israel held territory to attack IDF soldiers. In response, Israel eliminated five senior Hamas terrorists,” the post reads.

“Israel has fully honored the ceasefire, Hamas has not,” the post continues, accusing “dozens” of Hamas terrorists of crossing into the IDF-controlled side of the withdrawal line in Gaza since the ceasefire came into effect.

Trump remains silent as Mamdani accuses Israel of genocide

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/418169

The New York City mayor-elect accused Israel before reporters and President Trump of carrying out "genocide" in Gaza, and said that "the U.S. government is funding it." President Trump did not contradict him.

"“I shared with the president in our meeting about the concern that many New Yorkers have about wanting their tax dollars to go toward the benefit of New Yorkers and their ability to afford basic dignity. There’s a desperate need not only for the following of human rights but also the following through on the promises we’ve made New Yorkers. We've spoken about the Israeli government committing genocide and I’ve spoken about our government funding it."

4 takeaways from the bizarrely chummy Trump-Mamdani meeting

 https://edition.cnn.com/2025/11/21/politics/takeaways-zohran-mamdani-trump-oval-office-new-york

Among Trump’s comments:

“I think he’s going to surprise some conservative people, actually.”

“Some of his ideas really are the same ideas that I have.”

“We agree on a lot more than I would’ve thought.”

“I think this mayor can do some things that are going to be really great.”

When a reporter noted Trump had threatened to cut funding to New York City if Mamdani were elected, the president suggested that he’ll play that card if he needs to. But he also downplayed the possibility.

“I expect to be helping him, not hurting him,” Trump said.

The Trump presidency is collapsing like the Berlin Wall collapsed

Robert F Kennedy Jr instructed CDC to change stance on vaccines and autism

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/21/rfk-jr-cdc-vaccine-autism

Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US health secretary, said in an interview with the New York Times that he personally instructed the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to change its longstanding position that vaccines do not cause autism.

Countering decades of science showing vaccines to be safe, the US public health agency’s website was changed to say: “The claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism.”

In the interview, Kennedy said that while the large-scale epidemiological studies of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine had found no link to autism, and that studies of the mercury-based preservative thimerosal had also shown no link, there are gaps in the vaccine safety science.

Trump meets Mamdani in the Oval Office: Winners, losers and takeaways

 https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5618271-trump-mamdani-meet-affordability

The oddest of political couples had a startlingly positive meeting Friday afternoon when President Trump came face-to-face with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani (D) in the Oval Office.

Biggest winner: Zohran Mamdani

The encounter was, by any reasonable measure, a big success for the 34-year-old incoming mayor.

Mamdani achieved his key objective in finding common ground with Trump without ceding any real issue of principle.