Israeli Gefen Bitton in critical condition after confronting Bondi Beach terrorist

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-gefen-bitton-in-critical-condition-after-confronting-bondi-beach-terrorist/

Thirty-year-old Israeli Gefen Bitton has been identified as one of the victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack. Bitton was shot three times and is fighting for his life after he rushed to confront one of the shooters in the antisemitic Hanukkah attack.

Bitton, an Israeli national who, according to Australian media, has worked in Australia for the past three years as a garage door technician, appears in dramatic footage from Sunday’s attack alongside Ahmed Al Ahmed, who wrestled a weapon from one of the two gunmen and aimed it back at the attacker, Sajid Akram.

MAGA civil war over Israel erupts into the open at Turning Point USA conference

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/maga-civil-war-over-israel-erupts-into-the-open-at-turning-point-usa-conference/

Shapiro attacks conservative leaders for not calling out conspiracy theorists; Bannon: Shapiro a ‘cancer’ who wants US to put Israel’s interests first; Kelly: Rift revolves around Israel

5 initial takeaways from DOJ’s release of Epstein documents

 https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5657940-epstein-justice-department-document-dump/

While Trump may have appeared sparingly in the Epstein documents, Clinton showed up in several photographs made public on Friday.

A spokesperson for Clinton said in response that the former president was among those who “knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light.”

“The White House hasn’t been hiding these files for months only to dump them late on a Friday to protect Bill Clinton. This is about shielding themselves from what comes next, or from what they’ll try and hide forever,” Clinton spokesperson Angel Ureña said in a statement. “So they can release as many grainy 20-plus-year-old photos as they want, but this isn’t about Bill Clinton. Never has, never will be.”

While Friday’s release featured thousands upon thousands of documents, it was not the entirety of the DOJ’s materials pertaining to Epstein. 

That prompted criticism from Democrats in particular who argued the administration was not in compliance with the law.

'Vulgar, repulsive': Trump receives backlash for mocking Biden, Obama in new White House plaques

Trump’s NIGHTMARE: 47 braces for Epstein evidence after NYT report on Epstein-Trump relationship

‘Don’s best friend’: How Epstein and Trump bonded over the pursuit of women

 https://www.deccanherald.com/world/dons-best-friend-how-epstein-and-trump-bonded-over-the-pursuit-of-women-3835940

To shed light on their friendship, the Times interviewed more than 30 former Epstein employees, victims of his abuse and others who crossed paths with the two men over the years. The Times also obtained new documents that illuminate their relationship and scoured court documents and other public records.

Minneapolis police chief criticizes ICE after officer drags woman through street

 https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5655923-minneapolis-police-brian-ohara-ice/?tbref=hp

Minneapolis Police Department Chief Brian O’Hara criticized federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents this week after an attempted arrest on Monday led to a chaotic scene in which an officer dragged a woman through the street as agents fended off protesters.

Video of the incident shows an agent kneeling on a woman’s back as she lies face down in the snow. Onlookers descended on the scene, yelling at ICE agents to release the woman, saying she’s pregnant and couldn’t breathe, according to The Associated Press.

An agent later dragged her by the arm, as she lay on her back, through the street toward a vehicle. Observers continued to yell, and the agent released her, the AP reported.

‘Ridiculous, preposterous’: Mika reacts to WH pushback over stunning Wiles interviews

Five Falsehoods From Trump’s Year-End Address

 https://www.newsweek.com/five-falsehoods-from-trumps-year-end-address-11231600

President Donald Trump opened his national address Wednesday night with a familiar phrase, one he’s used since returning to office nearly a year ago: “I inherited a mess.”

In a speech that moved rapidly from economic claims to immigration, energy, housing, health care and crime, Trump painted a sweeping picture of national revival under his leadership and offered a long list of promises and boasts

Instead of outlining new policy in detail, Trump leaned heavily on declarative claims about prices, border security, the job market and his own election results. He described a country that had been “absolutely dead” before his return, and one that is now, he said, “the hottest anywhere in the world.”

Inflation: Trump Says It’s Over, But Prices Are Still Rising

Gas Prices: No State Has Reached the $1.99 Trump Claimed

Investment: Trump Touts $18 Trillion, but Only $9.6 Trillion Is Logged

Not all of Trump’s claims during his national address were false. Several had a basis in real data, though many were overstated.

Lawrence: ‘Immoral’ is Donald Trump’s brand, and his chief of staff just proved it

‘Every word is on tape’: Vanity Fair reporter says ‘everybody was on board’ for Wiles interviews

New York Stands at a Crossroads: The Fight Over Legalized Killing

 https://vinnews.com/2025/12/15/new-york-stands-at-a-crossroads-the-fight-over-legalized-killing/

The bill is called the “Medical Aid in Dying” act. The name itself is a masterpiece of political dishonesty. “Aid” suggests help. “Dying” suggests something inevitable. But strip away the euphemisms and you find the truth: this is a law that would put poison in the hands of vulnerable people, with almost no way to take it back, and call the killing “medicine.”

Hochul agrees to sign Medical Aid in Dying bill

 https://www.cityandstateny.com/policy/2025/12/hochul-agrees-sign-medical-aid-dying-bill/410219/

After months of negotiations over a controversial measure that would permit doctors to help some terminally ill patients end their lives, sources told City & State that Gov. Kathy Hochul is expected to announce a deal to sign it on Wednesday. 

‘Extremely demoralizing’: Republicans respond to the bombastic Wiles interview

 https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/16/why-vanity-fair-aides-and-allies-wonder-what-wiles-west-wing-were-thinking-extremely-demoralizing-republicans-respond-to-the-bombastic-wiles-interview-00693821

White House aides and allies on Tuesday rushed to publicly defend Susie Wiles after a jaw-dropping interview in Vanity Fair had her pointedly criticizing the president and many in the Cabinet.