JUST NOW: MARSHALS DEPLOYED - Judge Caldwell Orders Arrests After Witness 14 Tape Leak!

Assisted-Suicide Chapter Amendments coming to a vote in Albany this week, by Wed

 BS"D

January 26, '26

Re: Assisted Suicide Chapter Amendments coming to vote in Albany this week, by Wed.

Ari David, and To Whom Else It May Concern,

The Assisted-Suicide "Chapter Amendments" sought by Gov. Hochul, S8835/A9515, are expected to be voted on in Albany this week, by Wednesday, at which point the legislature is expected to adjourn for the week.

On December 17, the Governor announced that she would sign the assisted suicide bill A136/S136, passed by the legislature on June 9, '25, only provided that the legislature would shortly pass her additional guardrails, ensconced in S8835/A9515, which is the product of her negotiations with bill sponsors.

The NY Legislature has one month to pass her Amendments, from when the initial bill was delivered to her desk, at the very end of December '25. Otherwise, the bill dies.

Many opponents of Assisted Suicide legislation have been opposing these Chapter Amendments as well, as serving to enable the signing of the initial bill passed in June by the governor, A136/ S138.

Some opponents have also voiced objections to the legislation - even according to the stated, secular "pro-Choice" position espoused by proponents - citing many and serious remaining loopholes, and the pronounced absence of a non-severability provision, as evidence that this type of legislation will invariably result in the termination of many people who either do not truly wish to die, or who are not capable of making such a decision.

Given the ease by which the ideological inconsistency of Ending-of-Life proponents can be highlighted, conservative and even Prolife reaction has been underwhelming. It seems like many conservatives prefer to focus on battles they think they can win, rather than ensure that they win battles that we cannot afford to lose.

Thankfully, there has been some significant opposition surfacing within Orthodox Jewish quarters, where opposition is pervasive (see for example the broad based Rabbinic Statement posted here: https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2025/05/psak-halacha.html, and the OU statement: 
https://links.mkt3536.com/servlet/MailView?ms=MzU5MDg4MDES1&r=MjM4MTI2NDI0ODIS1&j=MjkwMzAwMDg3MgS2&mt=1&rt=0.).

This includes coverage by some influential media outlets, including HaModia, The MonseyMevaser.com, the NJ Jewish Link, BeLaaz.com, VIN News, and Israel National News/ Arutz Sheva (a link to which I've sent previously). (More details available on request.)

The blatantly antireligious element of this legislation is highlighted here: https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2026/01/open-letter-vs-assisted-suicide-in-ny.html

Thank you for your attention to this far-reaching legislative matter, impacting all New Yorkers, and many others, especially inasmuch as NY is considered the medical education and training capital of the world.

Rabbi Noson Shmuel Leiter,

Executive Director,

Help Rescue Our Children

845.642.1679

Direct: 771.215.8892

Israeli Helpline: 03.721.3337

torahjewsfordecency@gmail.com

Tomim Tih'yeh [countering "New-Age" infiltration]: 

Tomim1679@gmail.com

Presentations on New-Age dangers: 605-313-6831 ext. 2

Heard weekly on New Jersey's WSNR Radio 620AM, co-hosting the renowned Levin At Eleven program, every Thursday evening, 11pm to midnight (ET).

The unjust killing of Alex Pretti marks a turning point in Trump’s second term

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/01/25/minneapolis-immigration-killing-government-shutdown-ice-alex-pretti/

The unjust killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse in Minneapolis, marks a turning point in President Donald Trump’s second term. His mass deportation campaign has been a moral and political failure, leaving American citizens feeling outraged and unsafe.

The outrageous refusal by the feds to allow local authorities to properly secure the crime scene or gather evidence further inflames tensions with state and city police. The lack of accountability for federal officers has undermined the administration’s claims that this is about law and order. The local population clearly wants the roughly 3,000 immigration officers now deployed around the Twin Cities to leave.

It’s essential that federal immigration officers don’t think they can act with impunity, because that will only encourage more fatal encounters. An independent probe of this shooting is an important step. On Saturday night, a federal judge ordered DHS not to destroy evidence related to Pretti’s killing in response to a lawsuit filed by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D).

Trump Says Administration Is ‘Reviewing Everything’ About Minneapolis Shooting

 https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-says-administration-is-reviewing-everything-about-minneapolis-shooting-a501f48e?mod=WSJ_home_mediumtopper_pos_1

President Trump declined to say whether the federal officer who fatally shot a man in Minnesota this weekend had acted appropriately and said the administration was reviewing the incident.

In a five-minute telephone interview with The Wall Street Journal on Sunday, Trump didn’t directly answer when asked twice whether the officer who shot Alex Pretti had done the right thing. Pressed further, the president said, “We’re looking, we’re reviewing everything and will come out with a determination.” Administration officials have publicly defended the officer

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara says "people have had enough" after Border Patrol shooting

Minneapolis: Bash presses Gregory Bovino on Alex Pretti shooting

Federal agent secured gun from Minn. man before fatal shooting, videos show

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2026/01/25/minneapolis-shooting-video-gun/

Federal agents who were wrestling a man to the ground in Minneapolis early Saturday secured a handgun he was carrying moments before shooting him multiple times, according to a Washington Post analysis of videos that captured the incident from several angles.

As many as eight agents were attempting to detain Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, videos show. One emerged from the scrum holding Pretti’s gun, and less than a second later, the first of what appear to be 10 shots was fired. It is not clear from the video whether the other agents realized Pretti — who local authorities believe had a permit to carry the weapon — had been disarmed

US immigration officers kill man in Minnesota, apparently falsely saying he brandished a gun

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-immigration-officers-kill-allegedly-armed-man-in-minnesota-sparking-protests/

Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said during a news conference that federal officers blocked his agency from the shooting scene, and when they returned with a signed judicial warrant, they were still blocked.

Anger in Israel at US special envoy Steve Witkoff

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/421404

Israeli official claims: “Witkoff pushed to bring our major rival Turkey to the border. The clock is ticking backward toward a confrontation with Turkey."

Officials in Jerusalem have expressed anger toward US special envoy Steve Witkoff, who is pressuring Israel to open the Rafah crossing before the return of the final hostage, Ran Gvili.

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, sharply criticized Witkoff in a conversation with Ynet: “Witkoff pushed to bring our major rival, Turkey, to the border. The clock is ticking backward toward a confrontation with Turkey, which would pose a real danger to our security."

AGUDACOLYPSE: Timing is not everything, but it is a statement about how unimportant Assisted Suicide in NY is on the Aguda Totem pole.

 Rabbosai,

Note the irony of this latest bout of Aguda fundraising, prominently featuring the "CEO" of Assisted Suicide in NJ, now Assemblyman Avi Schnall (D).  It is Schnall, performing as the Aguda lobbyist in NJ, who in early 2018 single-handedly ensured that R. Heshie Hirth didn't restrain the single vote in the Assembly (Passaic's own then-freshman Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese) to push Assisted Suicide over the threshold, as evident from the recording we publicized at the time Schnall initially ran for his current seat in the NJ Assembly.

Now, just as NY faces a looming specter of passage of similar Assisted Suicide/ Stealth Euthanasia legislation early this week [unless the oncoming snowstorm BE"H disrupts their evil designs] - Aguda's Schnall issues this fundraiser.

This diversionary schnorr hits Klal Yisroel just when attention and money is desperately needed to save countless lives -- by rallying enough opposition to pressure two key state senators and four key Assemblymen to switch to voting NO [on the Chapter Amendments (S8835/ A9515) - the "safeguards improvement" bill which would enable Gov. Hochul to sign the Assisted Suicide bill the legislature passed on June 9, '25, S138/A136].

And this - as Aguda has lately been eerily silent in combating the Assisted Suicide bill, leaving the heavy lifting to those far less endowed with resources needed to combat the Cannibal Lobby.

בס"ד

מוצ"ש בא תשפו

January '25, '26

AGUDACOLYPSE: Timing is not everything, but it is a statement about how unimportant Assisted Suicide in NY is on the Aguda Totem pole.

Rabbosai,

Note the irony of this latest bout of Aguda fundraising, prominently featuring the "CEO" of Assisted Suicide in NJ, now Assemblyman Avi Schnall (D).  It is Schnall, performing as the Aguda lobbyist in NJ, who in early 2018 single-handedly ensured that R. Heshie Hirth didn't restrain the single vote in the Assembly (Passaic's own then-freshman Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese) to push Assisted Suicide over the threshold, as evident from the recording we publicized at the time Schnall initially ran for his current seat in the NJ Assembly.

Now, just as NY faces a looming specter of passage of similar Assisted Suicide/ Stealth Euthanasia legislation early this week [unless the oncoming snowstorm BE"H disrupts their evil designs] - Aguda's Schnall issues this fundraiser.

This diversionary schnorr hits Klal Yisroel just when attention and money is desperately needed to save countless lives -- by rallying enough opposition to pressure two key state senators and four key Assemblymen to switch to voting NO [on the Chapter Amendments (S8835/ A9515) - the "safeguards improvement" bill which would enable Gov. Hochul to sign the Assisted Suicide bill the legislature passed on June 9, '25, S138/A136].

And this - as Aguda has lately been eerily silent in combating the Assisted Suicide bill, leaving the heavy lifting to those far less endowed with resources needed to combat the Cannibal Lobby.

Moreover, it's one thing to leave the heavy lifting to others.  However, to actively cause the tzibbur to move on - by insinuating that it's over (as Aguda did in their defeatist and deceptive Press Release in wake of the announcement of Gov. Hochul on Chanuka, Dec. 17, '25), and to distract attention with their PR (as they do here, and as they did in their self-adulatory promotional of Jan. 20, '26 - see further*), as if this crisis is altogether not an issue to us, is unforgivable.

And Schnall appears front and center... right where he belongs.

כל המיצר לישראל נעשה ראש...

וע' יחזקאל לד - כפשוטו ממש.

NSL

~~~~

* Here's the NY State segment of the Aguda promotional of Jan. 20th:

Fair Use - all emphasis added by me - NSL

"Agudath Israel Welcomes Governor Hochul’s State of the State as Legislative Session Begins

Agudath Israel of America applauds several positive priorities for our community outlined by Governor Kathy Hochul today at her 2026 State of the State address.  

The governor’s proposal to significantly expand childcare to include statewide Universal Pre-K, grow 3-K (childcare for 3-year-olds) support, and offer free childcare for 2-year-olds in conjunction with New York City, will be most helpful to our growing families. 

Agudath Israel has long advocated for programs to assist parents with childcare and notes Governor Hochul and the legislature’s landmark boost to the Empire State child tax credit last year, a priority for Agudah and its constituents.  

The Agudah also thanks Governor Hochul for supporting legislation introduced by Senator Sam Sutton and Assemblymember Micah Lasher to protect houses of worship from the type of protests and intimidation that has, sadly, been occurring around our shuls. The proposal would make it a crime to intimidate or interfere with someone seeking to enter a house of worship, and would introduce a buffer zone within which two or more individuals may not protest. Our shuls cannot be allowed to devolve into political flashpoints for opportunistic antisemites.  

The Agudah will be advocating for the fruition of these and many other priorities as the legislative session begins, including protecting the rights of parents with special needs in nonpublic schools; enhancing security for our schools; ensuring our yeshivas are fully reimbursed for mandated services; and other measures to protect our constituents and combat antisemitism.  

Agudath Israel looks forward to working with both the governor and the legislature to enact these legislative priorities. "

NSL: Note blatant absence of looming Assisted Suicide legislation... unless it is somehow alluded to via remez of a Gematria or Asmachta herein ...

Minnesota officials at odds with DHS over account of man killed by federal agent as new videos emerge

 https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/ice-minneapolis-shooting-01-24-26

• Deadly shooting: Video appears to show a federal officer had taken a gun away from a Minneapolis man prior to a Border Patrol agent fatally shooting him today. The man has been identified as Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old who sources say worked as an ICU nurse. Police said he’s believed to have been a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.

• Clashing narratives: The Department of Homeland Security has said the agent killed Pretti in self-defense — a narrative Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called “nonsense” and “lies.” Minnesota authorities also sued the Trump administration, claiming its officials “took from the scene” of the shooting and prevented state officials from inspecting.

US immigration officers kill man in Minnesota, apparently falsely saying he brandished a gun

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-immigration-officers-kill-allegedly-armed-man-in-minnesota-sparking-protests/

Video shows ICU nurse Alex Pretti, 37, was holding a phone, not a firearm, when officers accosted him and then shot him dead; local cops describe him as a lawful gun owner

Several bystander videos of the shooting emerged soon after. Pretti is seen with a phone in his hand, but none appears to show him with a visible weapon.

New video of federal agent shooting appears to go against DHS claim

State, federal officials offer starkly different accounts of Minneapolis shooting

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/01/24/federal-agents-minneapolis-shooting-investigation/

One of the officers pushes a person who appears to be a bystander or protester down onto the sidewalk. Pretti steps between them, and the officer pepper sprays him in the face.

Pretti begins to interact with the person who was pushed, but the exchange cannot be heard. An officer appears to try to pull him away, leading to the scuffle in which Pretti is fatally shot.

An unnamed witness to the shooting said in a sworn affidavit that they did not see Pretti with a gun.