Cuomo warns a vote for Mamdani, is a vote for Trump trying to ‘take over’ NYC

 https://www.newsweek.com/nyc-mayor-election-mamdani-cuomo-polls-live-updates-10980297

Former New York governor, and independent mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo, claimed on Monday that a vote for "poser" Zohran Mamdani, was a vote for President Donald Trump trying to "take over" New York City.

"If you want President Trump to try to take over the city - national guard on streets, choking federal funding - vote for @ZohranKMamdani because Trump just said he will be coming and this poser @ZohranKMamdani won’t be able to stop him," he wrote in a post on X.

"That is a fact. The next Mayor has to be able to get us more, not ensure our demise. I am the only person in this race who can do that," he added.

Trump to 60 Minutes: I had to push Netanyahu to agree to the ceasefire

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/417199

In interview with “60 Minutes”, Trump says he secured all Israeli hostages from Gaza, pushed Netanyahu, and “knocked the hell out of Iran.” He warns Hamas: “They’ll be taken out if they misbehave.”

Trump dismissed concerns that the ceasefire was fragile. “It’s not fragile. It’s a very solid - you know, I mean, you hear about Hamas, but Hamas could be taken out immediately if they don’t behave. They know that.”

Asked how he would disarm Hamas, Trump replied, “If I want 'em to disarm, I’ll get 'em to disarm very quickly. They’ll be - they’ll be eliminated. They know that.”

Shas spiritual leader: Confront anyone who says world created more than 6,000 years ago

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/shas-spiritual-leader-arrest-anyone-who-says-world-created-more-than-6000-years-ago

“If there are teachers who explain [to students] that the world has existed for millions of years — gentlemen, stop them, don’t stay silent and listen because it’s unpleasant to comment,” continues Yosef. “Don’t tell me when the world was created. The world was created less than 6,000 years ago.”

Dispute breaks out in Satmar Hasidic movement over NYC mayoral endorsement

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/dispute-breaks-out-in-satmar-hasidic-movement-over-mamdani-endorsement/

A dispute breaks out in the Satmar Hasidic movement in New York City over which candidate to endorse in the upcoming mayoral election.

Local media reported earlier today that Rabbi Moishe Indig, a prominent leader in the Satmar Ahronim faction, was set to endorse State Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, a far-left, anti-Israel candidate. Indig and Mamdani then met this afternoon.

Around the same time, three other leaders of the faction released a statement endorsing former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, a pro-Israel centrist and Mamdani’s leading challenger

Laura Loomer: Heritage Foundation president a ‘liability for GOP’

 https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5584479-laura-loomer-heritage-foundation-gop-ties-fuentes-carlson-roberts/?tbref=hp

Far-right activist Laura Loomer on Friday slammed the Heritage Foundation after its president, Kevin Roberts, spoke out in support of Tucker Carlson’s interview with white nationalist Nick Fuentes.

Her criticism of the Heritage chief and former Fox News host comes after GOP Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Mitch McConnell (Ky.) pushed back on Roberts, citing Fuentes’s history of antisemitism. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the highest-ranking Jewish member of Congress, also denounced the interview as “deeply disturbing,” and suggested the content was hazardous.

Trump administration tells Congress war law doesn’t apply to cartel strikes

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/11/01/trump-venezuela-war-drugs-law/

The president needs lawmakers’ approval for sustained military action under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which was passed in the wake of the Vietnam War to prevent another drawn-out, undeclared conflict.

The official said the administration does not believe U.S. troops are in danger in the ongoing operation, so the law did not apply. “The operation comprises precise strikes conducted largely by unmanned aerial vehicles launched from naval vessels in international waters at distances too far away for the crews of the targeted vessels to endanger American personnel,” the official said in an email.

Israel says the latest remains returned from Gaza by Hamas are not of hostages

 https://thehill.com/policy/international/israel-hamas-gaza-ceasefire-remains-not-hostages/?tbref=hp

The remains of three people Hamas handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza do not belong to any hostages, Israel said Saturday, in the latest setback to the U.S.-brokered ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

The handover followed Israel’s return on Friday of the bodies of 30 Palestinians to Gaza, which completed an exchange after militants turned over remains of two hostages earlier in the week.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the remains of the three people did not belong to hostages. It was unclear who the remains belonged to.

‘At What Point Does This Cross a Line Into International Criminality?’

 https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/11/01/trump-boat-strikes-international-law-interview-00632077

The Trump administration continues undeterred in its campaign to kill alleged drug traffickers in international waters near Central and South America despite an emerging consensus among legal experts who say that the effort is illegal.

As of this writing, the U.S. military has killed at least 61 people. On Friday, Volker Türk, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, condemned the killings and said they were illegal under international law. President Gustavo Petro of Colombia has accused the Trump administration of “murder” in connection with the death of a man that Petro described as a fisherman on one of the boats. Meanwhile, the administration is stonewalling Congress.

Two-thirds of Israelis believe US now calls the shots on IDF operations in Gaza

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/two-thirds-of-israelis-believe-us-now-calls-the-shots-on-idf-operations-in-gaza-poll

Two-thirds of Israelis believe the United States, not Israel, is now steering military operations in Gaza, according to a survey by Channel 12 released Friday evening.

The poll found that 67 percent of respondents think the US is the main decision-maker when it comes to Israel’s policy and IDF actions in the Strip.

Just 24% said Israel is the one calling the shots, while 9% were unsure.

Trump says he’s ordered Pentagon to ‘prepare for possible action’ in Nigeria

 https://edition.cnn.com/2025/11/01/politics/trump-pentagon-nigeria-action

US President Donald Trump said Saturday he has ordered the Defense Department to prepare for possible military action in Nigeria as he continues to accuse the nation of not doing enough to stem violence against Christians — an accusation Nigeria has repeatedly denied.

In a social media post criticizing what he called the “mass slaughter” of Christians in the country, Trump wrote the United States would “immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria” and warned the government there to “move fast.”

In the lengthy message, Trump said the US “may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.”

JD Vance epitomizes the GOP’s move from morals to whataboutism

 https://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/15/politics/jd-vance-young-republicans-texts-analysis

Pointing to recently disclosed violent messages from Democratic Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones, Vance basically argued Republicans should hold their tongues.

“This is far worse than anything said in a college group chat, and the guy who said it could become the AG of Virginia,” Vance wrote on X. “I refuse to join the pearl clutching when powerful people call for political violence.”

It’s hard to find a better epitome of the MAGA movement’s evolution on hateful rhetoric. The moral high ground is out; whataboutism is very much in.

It’s a remarkable entry in the GOP’s long-running shift toward a no-apologies approach to politics. The attitude seems to be that as long as the other side is perceived as worse, the GOP shouldn’t bother with policing its own.

Controversy over Tucker Carlson interview reveals conservative movement’s conflict over antisemitism

 https://apnews.com/article/heritage-foundation-roberts-tucker-carlson-nick-fuentes-e7347c9f414dfea41de7d63a0977d3b9

 As Republicans accuse Democrats of tolerating antisemitism in their party, the GOP on Friday was roiled by its own schism after the leader of a powerful right-wing think tank defended prominent conservative commentator Tucker Carlson for his friendly podcast interview with a far-right activist known for his antisemitic views.

The outrage began when Roberts on Thursday posted a video in which he denied his group was “distancing itself” from the former Fox News host, one of the most powerful voices on the right, after Carlson’s podcast hosted Nick Fuentes, whose followers see themselves as working to preserve America’s white, Christian identify.

“The American people expect us to be focusing on our political adversaries on the left, not attacking our friends on the right,” said Roberts, adding that, while antisemitism is wrong, conservatives do not need to always support Israel.

The flare-up comes as criticism of Israel and blatant antisemitism have risen in right wing circles. Activists such as Fuentes and Candace Owens have seen the popularity of their podcasts and videos grow, particularly among young conservatives who are increasingly skeptical of the notion that the Republican Party should stand by Israel’s side and support its war in Gaza, given President Donald Trump ‘s “America First” agenda

Heritage Foundation shakes up staff in wake of Tucker Carlson, Nick Fuentes controversy

 https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5584905-heritage-foundation-shake-up-carlson-fuentes-criticism

He made the announcement in an email to staff late Friday with the subject line: “Heritage’s Stand Against Antisemitism and for Civilizational Truth.”

The email, obtained by The Hill, opened by saying the thank tank had “launched and expanded numerous explicit efforts to combat antisemitism” under his leadership.

“Our position on Israel is principled and balanced: there’s a great deal of space between believing Israel can do no wrong and blaming it for every wrong,” the Heritage chief wrote.

ICE and Border Patrol’s use of tear gas injures, sickens and tests the law

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2025/11/01/dhs-ice-border-patrol-chicago-tear-gas

Federal officers have thrown chemical agents out of vehicles on city streets, creating a hazard for motorists. They have thrown tear-gas canisters near stores and schools, exposing children, pregnant women and older people to the noxious gas. And on numerous occasions federal officers have fired pepper balls directly at protesters — in one case, striking a pastor in the head.

The use of tear gas has persisted in recent days despite a court order forbidding officers from using chemical agents against demonstrators and journalists unless they pose a safety threat. Last week, Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol official leading the Chicago operation, was videotaped throwing a tear-gas canister into a crowd. In another incident, immigration officers deployed tear gas as families were walking to a Halloween parade.

On Oct. 9, U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis issued a temporary restraining order blocking DHS federal agents from using riot control weapons, including tear gas, on journalists, protesters and religious practitioners who do not pose an immediate threat. The temporary restraining order also required federal agents to give “at least two separate warnings when feasible” at an appropriate sound level before using a riot control weapon.

Ellis questioned Bovino on Tuesday and warned him that agents appear to be violating her temporary restraining order barring them from using chemical munitions on protesters or journalists who do not pose a threat.