Wednesday, June 3, 2026

Israel placed its sovereignty in US hands, and Trump’s Lebanon ceasefire proved it

 https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sybsnh3xge

After Trump announced a Lebanon ceasefire and called his Netanyahu talk 'productive,' the PM again threatened Dahieh strikes, drawing a furious second call as Iran talks loomed; an Israeli official says Jerusalem is 'boxed in' by a recurring US pattern in Lebanon, Gaza and Iran

Even those close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledge that his late-night call with U.S. President Donald Trump was highly tense. The clash came not during the first conversation between the two leaders, but in a second call after Trump had already announced a ceasefire in Lebanon.

Trump’s post triggered a political storm in Israel. Opposition leader Yair Lapid described Israel as a protectorate, while former prime minister Naftali Bennett wrote: “Jerusalem. Beit Shemesh. Lebanon. Gaza. The location is different, the story is the same. A government that has lost control of Israeli sovereignty. Chaos everywhere. We will restore security to Israel’s citizens.”

Trump and Netanyahu Are Clashing Over How to End the Iran War

 https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/trump-netanyahu-iran-war-lebanon-8fdba5cb?mod=hp_lead_pos7

President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched the war against Iran with an unprecedented level of coordination. Now three months later, they are fighting over how to bring the conflict to a close.

Trump wants a diplomatic agreement that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, dispose of Iran’s enriched uranium and end a conflict that has driven up energy prices and divided his political base. Netanyahu faces pressure at home to intensify military operations against Hezbollah, Iran’s most important regional proxy and a U.S.-designated terrorist group.

Israel-Lebanon talks resume, Hezbollah keeps fighting in violation of agreement with Trump - report

 https://www.jpost.com/international/article-898158

During talks between Israel and Lebanon on Tuesday, senior members of the Israeli delegation said that Hezbollah did not stop fighting, despite promising US President Donald Trump to do so on Monday.

Delegations from both Lebanon and Israel met at the US State Department on Tuesday to begin a scheduled two-day resumption of negotiations.

Members of the Israeli delegation also said that Hezbollah publicly rejected the equation of a ceasefire in southern Lebanon in exchange for a ceasefire in northern Israel.

The negotiations come a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a strike on Beirut at the urging of Trump, with Iranian officials warning that military action taken by Israel against Lebanon would cause a halt in communication between Iran and the US. 

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Divine Providence

 Chovas Halevavos (04:03) G-d watches over and directs the lives of all men, He does not abandon any of them (from bestowing good or benefiting them according to their needs nor neglects any of them from saving them from damages. None of their matters, small or great are hidden from Him, and no matter can distract Him from remembering another matter, as written: "Why should you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, 'My way has been hidden from the L-ord, and my judgment  is passed over from my G-d'?" 

Chovas Halevavos (08:03 Examining the Soul) THE NINETEENTH: (disasters of the world) To make an accounting with oneself in that the Creator has spared him from the disasters of the world, its sufferings, the various diseases which strike people, the calamities which befall them such as imprisonment, hunger, thirst, cold, burning, lethal poisons, dangerous animals, leprosy, insanity, paralysis, or the like - all the while knowing that they are fitting for him and he deserves them due to his previous sins and iniquities before the Creator, and the greatness of what occurred in the past, of his rebelling against G-d, and disrespecting His words, and leaving his duty of thanking and praising Him, and turning away from His service, and neglecting repentance and confession before G-d for his prolonged rebellion despite G-d's continuous favors and constant good on him.

Netanyahu Is Getting in Trump’s Way in the Middle East

 https://mobileapp.newsweek.com/story/12020391/content.html

Iranian officials and U.S. President Donald Trump have balked at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pledge to escalate the war in Lebanon, exposing apparent daylight between American and Israeli leaders as talks to end the conflicts in the Middle East drag on.

Iran has said that the deal Trump seeks to end more than three months of war in the Middle East—triggered by U.S. and Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic on February 28—must include Lebanon. Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, who heads Iran’s negotiating team, told Lebanese parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri that Tehran would halt talks if attacks on Lebanon continued, according to the IRNA state news agency.

With the U.S. and Iran’s appetites for war waning, and Trump looking to secure a peace deal, Netanyahu becomes an “obstacle” to the White House if he steps up the intensity of the conflict, Mekelberg said

Lacking money and support, Trump’s Board of Peace stalls in Gaza

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/06/01/trumps-board-peace-stalls-out-gaza-reconstruction/

With Hamas disarmament negotiations deadlocked and Israel taking further territory, plans for a grand Gaza reconstruction appear distant.

Seven months after President Donald Trump announced his peace plan for Gaza and more than four months since he convened his Board of Peace to implement and pay for it, the plan is stalled and expected donations to the fund it created are nonexistent.

Security and reconstruction of the destroyed territory seem a distant dream. The glitzy proposal of apartment complexes, high-tech industries and waterfront tourist resorts displayed by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and Gaza negotiator, at the board’s February meeting has been shelved. For now, the most ambitious proposal is to build temporary housing for tens of thousands of Palestinians once still-unrealized governance and security plans are in place.

Trump, who declared the Gaza war “over” when the 29-member board of world leaders gathered in Washington on Feb. 19 for its first and only meeting, pledged “we’re going to make Gaza an example of success and safety and unity.”

Netanyahu rushed to threaten Hezbollah, and Israel lost its strongest leverage in Lebanon

 https://www.ynetnews.com/opinions-analysis/article/hyxykdhxfx

Analysis: Netanyahu was right to approve strikes on Beirut’s Dahieh, Ron Ben-Yishai argues, but by publicly threatening Hezbollah before acting, he allowed Trump to intervene and deprived Israel of one of its most effective pressure tools in Lebanon

Israel, in its current position, has little choice but to accept U.S. President Donald Trump’s dictate on Lebanon, wait to see whether his negotiations with Iran end in agreement or collapse, and only then recalculate its course on all fronts.

Israel was pushed into this position for several reasons. The first is that Trump is determined to reach understandings with Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while Tehran has conditioned any agreement on a ceasefire in the Lebanese arena as well. The second is Israel’s diplomatic, military and logistical dependence on the United States, a dependence Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cultivated, alongside the international isolation in which Israel now finds itself.

Netanyahu was therefore right to accept the recommendation of the IDF chief of staff and senior defense officials and approve a strike on the Dahieh. But instead of threatening on social media and announcing the plan in advance, he should have first allowed the air force to carry out what the IDF calls a “demonstration of capability”: bombing two or three important buildings to show Hezbollah, the Lebanese government and the Shiite community what awaits them.

Such a move would not have prevented Trump from becoming furious, shouting at Netanyahu, humiliating him and leaking the confrontation to the international media in order to appease the Iranians and keep negotiations with them alive, as he did yesterday. But at least there would have been a chance that Hezbollah and its Iranian patrons would lower the flames in Lebanon on their own initiative, to prevent the Israeli Air Force from continuing to topple buildings in the Dahieh.

The love trap: How the relationship with Trump went from gift to farce

 https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/06/02/the-love-trap-how-the-relationship-with-trump-went-from-gift-to-farce/

Negotiations with Iran are stuck because Trump has run out of cards. Every red line has been crossed, and Iran is dictating the rules. Against the backdrop of all the chatter about "love for Israel," the president continues to throw his greatest ally under the bus. There will be those who again portray the grim reality as an achievement, but the truth is that this is a terrifyingly weak president.

There is probably no way to sugarcoat the pill after the diplomatic circus we were subjected to on Sunday: Israel is being led by a sophisticated but blackmailable prime minister, trapped by his gamble from way back to put all his chips on Donald Trump; he himself is being led by that same Trump, who never ceases to surprise with the scale of his amateurism, his impatience and the fact that he is, quite simply, a terrifyingly weak president. Because what was in his post about the ceasefire? Fabrications (IDF forces were not on their way to Beirut), a deal that sells the fabrication in exchange for a real concession (the use of IDF force in response to Hezbollah's endless violations of the ceasefires), and above all, throwing an ally under the bus for the sake of "very good talks" with Hezbollah. Oh, how Ukraine understands us now.

This, incidentally, is an opportunity to recall: Beware of leaders who repeatedly remind us how much they love Israel. That simply has to set off warning lights. Why? Because at least some of them will use that card to turn an embrace into a chokehold. As one of the French marshals of the 17th century put it, although the line has been attributed elsewhere as well: "Lord, protect me from my friends. I can take care of my enemies myself."

Trump dealt Israel a strategic blow and eroded the gains against Iran

 https://www.israelhayom.com

Early fears that the US president would “turn” on Israel have become a resounding strategic blow with the leak of the harsh phone call. The operational restraint in Beirut and the jarring tones from the White House now place the flagship project of rolling back Iran’s nuclear program and striking Tehran under a major question mark. 

The Israeli leadership had early concerns about a scenario in which US President Donald Trump would "turn" on Israel, and there is no way to downplay the scale of the strategic blow contained in the "shouting call" Trump held Monday night with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and especially in its publication.

This war dragged on for quite some time largely because of Trump himself, who apparently believed it would be much faster. His administration officials did not foresee the Iranian regime's ability to ignore its military defeat and economic collapse, and to keep playing to the limit the remaining cards it held in the Strait of Hormuz and against the Gulf states.

Israel had warned, mainly during the latest round of negotiations, that Iran was seeking to drag out time in order to benefit from the unfreezing of funds that would help the regime recover. But Israel's firm opposition to the memorandum of understandings on the table triggered significant anger among the officials in the US administration promoting the move, and sparked suspicion that Israel was trying to torpedo it.

That is exactly how Washington interpreted Israel's expanding offensive in Lebanon. And although the administration knew in advance of Israel's intention to strike in Beirut because of Hezbollah's continued fire, the call between Trump and Netanyahu took a difficult and negative turn after Iran threatened to abandon the diplomatic contacts.

Divine Providence for Everything?

 Kuzari (5:20): … The Prime Will is manifest when the Divine Presence is amongst the Jews. However after the destruction of the Temple it became doubtful - except in the hearts of those who have faith - whether specific events were the result of the direct command of G d or the Heavenly spheres or were accidents. There is no definitive way to resolve this issue. Nonetheless it is best to attribute everything that happens to G d, especially major things such as death, victory, war, success and bad fortune.

Trump lashed out at Netanyahu over Lebanon: 'You'd be in prison if not for me'

 https://www.ynetnews.com/article/s1zx5riemg

U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his announcement that the IDF would strike Beirut, Axios reported, citing three U.S. officials. According to two of the sources, Trump called Netanyahu “crazy” and accused him of ingratitude during their phone call, before ordering him to cancel the strikes.


Axios said one U.S. official noted that Trump knew Hezbollah had been firing at Israel and that Israel needed to defend itself, but felt in recent days that Netanyahu was escalating in a disproportionate way. Another source said Trump was concerned that Israel had killed so many Lebanese civilians and objected to Israel knocking down buildings in Beirut to kill a single Hezbollah commander.

But despite the understandings, sirens continued to sound in northern Israel Monday night and into the early morning. After three hours of quiet following Trump’s post, alerts sounded in the Galilee Panhandle and then in the western Galilee, including Shlomi. The IDF said a rocket fell near Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. Under the understandings, Hezbollah apparently could still fire at Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, raising the question of whether fire at forces inside Israeli territory was also covered by the arrangement. Overnight, sirens sounded in dozens of northern communities and two launches crossing from Lebanon were intercepted. At the same time, a drone exploded near the border.

The difficult call between Trump and Netanyahu

 'You're f***ing crazy': The difficult call between Trump and Netanyahu

Axios reports that Trump fiercely berated Netanyahu in a phone call on Monday, forcing Israel to cancel its planned Beirut strikes.

A high-stakes telephone conversation between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deteriorated into a volatile, profanity-laced confrontation on Monday, according to accounts provided to Axios by two American officials and an additional briefed source.

The explosive clash was triggered after Iran threatened earlier in the day to walk away from diplomatic negotiations with the United States in protest of Israel's military operations in Lebanon.

Officials clarified that while the US president recognized Israel's inherent right to defend itself against ongoing rocket fire from Hezbollah, he believed Netanyahu's recent maneuvers - including a broadened ground incursion in southern Lebanon - had crossed into a disproportionate escalation.

Behind the scenes, however, American officials painted a vastly different picture of capitulation. The second US official claimed that Trump completely "steamrolled" the Prime Minister during the encounter. According to that official's account, Netanyahu ultimately yielded to the pressure, responding with: "OK, OK, just make sure everything is taken care of."

Iran Gets Trump to Rescue Hezbollah

 https://www.wsj.com/opinion/iran-hezbollah-lebanon-israel-cease-fire-donald-trump-1edf1c6a?mod=hp_opin_pos_3

Iran’s regime began Monday by throwing a wrench into negotiations with the U.S., and President Trump spent the rest of the day scrambling to satisfy Iran’s demand. The result is a new cease-fire in Lebanon, rescuing Hezbollah for the moment, though the terrorists didn’t abide by the first cease-fire for even a day.

Hezbollah began this war with Israel on March 2, firing on soldiers and civilian targets on the orders of its Iranian patrons. The first Lebanon cease-fire was announced April 17 after Iran’s regime had said Israeli retaliation against Hezbollah was preventing the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Mr. Trump pressured Israel and delivered the cease-fire, but Iran reneged on Hormuz—and its Hezbollah proxy kept firing.

Time to say no to Trump: Israeli officials condemn Netanyahu's decision to cancel Lebanon strike

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-898056

Multiple Israeli officials took to social media to criticize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to cancel a strike on Beirut at the urging of US President Donald Trump on Monday.

“This is the time to tell our friend, President Trump - ‘no’,” National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote on X/Twitter, reminding Netanyahu that he once said a strong prime minister would be able to tell the president of the US no when necessary. 

“Now is the time to do what is required and necessary to strike Hezbollah,” Ben-Gvir added.

'Thank you Bibi!' Trump thanks Netanyahu for halting Beirut strike

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/427972

US President Donald Trump thanked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for agreeing to stop a planned strike in Beirut, while also expressing hope that the ceasefire will last “for eternity".

Earlier on Monday, Trump wrote on Truth Social, following a phone call with Netanyahu, that Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to stop attacking each other.

Netanyahu also issued a statement following his conversation with Trump.

“I spoke this evening with President Trump and told him that if Hezbollah does not cease attacking our cities and civilians, Israel will strike terrorist targets in Beirut. This position remains unchanged. At the same time, the IDF will continue operating in southern Lebanon as planned," Netanyahu said.

Trump’s DOJ Says It Will Drop ‘Anti-Weaponization’ Fund Amid GOP Revolt

 https://www.newsweek.com/trump-doj-drops-anti-weaponization-fund-court-block-gop-revolt-12018512

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Monday it will comply with a federal court order temporarily blocking its proposed “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” despite strongly disagreeing with the ruling, as backlash mounted from Republicans over the initiative.

The judge ruled that the fund is on pause for the two-week period, according to court documents. President Donald Trump is now reconsidering whether to move ahead with a $1.8 billion fund intended to compensate his allies, a person familiar with his thinking told the Associated Press.

In a statement, the DOJ criticized a judge in the Eastern District of Virginia for the decision that delays the fund, which it said was intended to support individuals who believed they had been unfairly targeted or persecuted, regardless of political affiliation.

DOJ provided its statement to Newsweek via email, "The Department of Justice disagrees strongly with the decision on the Anti-Weaponization Fund put forth by the United States District Court Judge in the Eastern District of Virginia, wherein the Court stated that, under no circumstances, may the Department of Justice proceed with the Anti-Weaponization Fund recently established in order to make up for the tremendous abuse, harm, and hate unfairly shown to so many people. This Fund was open to anybody who was so weaponized, targeted, or persecuted, whether they were Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Independent, or otherwise. The Department will abide by the Court’s ruling."

Monday, June 1, 2026

Importance of a living teacher and not only Books

 LikuteiMoharan(19:09) Everyone wonders: Why is it necessary to travel to the tzaddik to hear ethical teachings directly from him, when it is possible to study the ethical teachings from books? But, the truth is that there is a great advantage to visiting the tzaddik. For there is a big difference between someone who hears directly from the true tzaddik himself and between hearing something from a teacher, from a student, or seeing it inside a book. Each time it descends from level to level, becoming increasingly distant from the tzaddik. So, too, between someone who hears it directly from the tzaddik and someone who studies from a book there is an even greater difference. For the tzaddikim are, “strong warriors doing His word.” Especially when trying to understand the word of G-d in Hebrew with which the world was created and also since G-d consulted with the souls of tzadikim before He created the world Thus the tzadikm are described as doing G-d’s word In fact each time the tzadik wants to understand properly the word of G-d he first concretises it through speech and doing mitzvos.. Thus, these words came into existence and were constructed by them. This corresponds to, “Doing His word, to hear the sound of His word.” When they want to hear G-d’s’s word, they first make the word—this being “doing His word.” Then afterwards, they hear that word from G-d—this being “to hear the sound of His word.” It is with this word that G-d talks to them

Tzadik debates Scholars

 Likutei Moharan (63:06) Now, there is a serpent with an ant inside its mouth. He signifies the scholar of the generation, The ant that lies inside the serpent’s mouth signifies the tzaddik of the generation, who is upright and righteous and possesses good character traits. Because he is wise and involves himself in scholarship and philosophical investigation, probing these wisdoms, this tzaddik suffers greatly when these scholars begin to engage in their philosophical investigation. He wages a fierce battle with them who are signified by the serpent—for he is greatly assailed by doubts, untrue assertions and false beliefs. That is because he is a confident traitor though he lacks complete condidence and lacks the proper truth. which is an inherent aspect  of false beliefs

Reported terms of Trump’s Iran deal would confirm the war as an epochal failure

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/reported-terms-of-trumps-iran-deal-would-confirm-the-war-as-an-epochal-failure/

US president claims to have almost finalized a ‘Memorandum of Understanding pertaining to PEACE’ with Iran; he’s also mused that Iran might ‘perhaps’ join the Abraham Accords. Wishful thinking cannot mask an unfolding catastrophe for Iranians, the free world and Israel

“We will ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon,” Trump vowed in an address that day, specifying what the campaign would achieve. And “when we are finished, take over your government,” he preemptively urged the Iranian public, assuring them, “It will be yours to take.”

Apparently over-confident after their 12-day war last June battered Iranian military targets, eliminated numerous key nuclear scientists, and bombed three key underground nuclear facilities, however, the US and Israel, it has become evident, underestimated the regime’s tenacity, and failed to carry out even basic strategic steps to ensure the success of the operation.

As of this writing, the “shortly” to be announced deal has not, in fact, been announced, and Trump has zigged and zagged about it. Its reported terms, quite apart from being humiliating for him, are nothing short of catastrophic.

And there is no agreement whatsoever at this stage on the key concerns that prompted the war, most importantly thwarting Iran’s path to the bomb. Rather, there is merely a vague requirement to discuss the nuclear issue in the coming weeks and months — a surefire recipe for endless foot-dragging by a regime that is tasting victory and knows it has the means to deter the US from resumed conflict and, in turn, complicate future Israeli attacks.

Trump's illusion: From Tehran 2026 to Munich 1938

 https://www.israelhayom.com/opinions/trumps-illusion-from-tehran-2026-to-munich-1938/

The initial drafts of the negotiations recall the sweeping concessions Chamberlain granted Hitler. Despite the massive bombing campaign Trump ordered, the US is on track to give Tehran billions and leave its nuclear program intact. If the West again chooses a false peace, the duty to stop this existential threat will fall on Israel. 

The initial leaks from the draft agreement with Iran horrified me and led me to reflect on the 1938 Munich Agreement, which was ostensibly a peace accord but in practice served as the West's surrender agreement to Nazi Germany. Instead of stopping the Nazis, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain gave Adolf Hitler a license to continue Nazi expansion in exchange for a false peace.

Precisely after the courageous leader of the free world, US President Donald Trump, launched a second campaign against the nuclearizing ayatollah state and commanded the largest bombing campaign in history by the tremendous forces of the Israeli and US militaries, we expected his envoys to complete the regime's subjugation at the negotiating table. But it appears that the US is capitulating in the talks.

The Israeli interest requires strikes against Iran's proxies wherever they are and stopping the Iranian nuclear program. Even before elections. On this issue, there is not and must not be any political consideration, political debate, political interest or political limitation. This is the existential interest of us, our children and our grandchildren. In the agreement now on the table, world leadership will choose again: a world under Nazi control, yes or no.

Trump blasts CNN over report claiming Iran agreement lacks nuclear provisions

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/427909

"Fake News CNN said today, routinely, that my Iran Nuclear Deal doesn’t talk about Nuclear, when actually it states, very clearly, that Iran will not have a Nuclear Weapon," Trump wrote.

According to the president, the preliminary text places a substantial emphasis on restricting the Islamic Republic's non-conventional capabilities. He asserted that the documentation goes beyond a generalized framework to lay out expansive guidelines regarding atomic material.

In its original draft, the memorandum of understanding bound Iran to a generalized commitment to forgo the pursuit of a nuclear weapon, but lacked concrete concessions beyond that vow. The existing framework outlines a 60-day diplomatic window to negotiate subsequent nuclear restrictions and corresponding American sanctions relief. The immediate priorities for those future talks were slated to be the disposal of Iran's enriched uranium reserves and caps on future refinement.

Trump added that he is in no hurry to reach a deal with Iran and once again stressed that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.

Sunday, May 31, 2026

Iran’s reopened underground missile sites show limits of US bombing plan

 https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/31/us/iran-tunnels-reopened-us-strategy-bombing-invs

Iran is poised to fire far more long-range missiles at Israel and other Middle Eastern nations after rapidly digging out its buried arsenals – an effort that highlights the limits to US bombing strategy, experts said.

For weeks, strikes by the United States and Israel restricted Iran’s access to its underground missile sites by destroying roads and burying tunnel entrances.

But satellite images reviewed by CNN show how Iran has used simple equipment such as bulldozers and dump trucks to counter those costly campaigns — suggesting that Tehran’s missile capabilities can’t be destroyed just by targeting tunnel entrances, experts said.

Iran has reopened most entrances to 18 underground missile sites struck in war

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-may-31-2026/

Regime has dug out buried arsenals, is ‘poised to fire’ long-range missiles again * Tehran’s Ghalibaf says no US deal without ‘tangible results’ * ‘We returned stronger than ever’: Netanyahu hails capture of south Lebanon’s Beaufort Castle

Iran has salvaged 50 out of 69 tunnel entrances at 18 underground missile facilities struck by the US and Israel in the recent war, CNN reports, citing satellite images. The regime is “poised to fire far more long-range missiles at Israel and other Middle Eastern nations after rapidly digging out its buried arsenals,” the report says.

Iran has salvaged 50 out of 69 tunnel entrances at 18 underground missile facilities struck by the US and Israel in the recent war, CNN reports, citing satellite images. The regime is “poised to fire far more long-range missiles at Israel and other Middle Eastern nations after rapidly digging out its buried arsenals,” the report says.

Iran can now “continue launching missiles so long as they have launchers and crews, even if production has halted,” Sam Lair, a research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, told CNN. “There’s nothing to prevent the launchers from being armed with the ample stockpile of missiles that the Iranians still have.”

Trump to headline fair for US’s 250th anniversary after artists drop out

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-to-headline-fair-for-uss-250th-anniversary-after-artists-drop-out/

As some performers back away from ‘Great American State Fair’ due to ties to president, he calls their music ‘boring’ and claims he gets ‘larger audiences than Elvis in his prime’

“I understand Artists are getting ‘the yips’ having to do with their performance,” Trump posted to his social media platform Truth Social Saturday, adding that he was thinking of bringing “the man who some say is the Greatest President in History (THE GOAT!), DONALD J. TRUMP, to take the place of these highly paid, Third Rate ‘Artists.“The fact is that I am, according to many, the Number One Attraction anywhere in the World,” Trump wrote. He added that he gets “much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime” and “does so without a guitar.”

“We should have a giant MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN RALLY, for 250, instead of having overpriced singers, who nobody wants to hear, whose music is boring, and yet who do nothing but complain,” Trump said on social media.

Michaels and other artists have said that they were misled about the theme of the shows or were otherwise wary of being caught up in a political fight. McBride, in a statement on Instagram, said she had been “presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading.”

Cancer jab can eradicate entire tumours in patients, trial shows

 https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/may/30/cancer-jab-can-eradicate-entire-tumours-in-patients-trial-shows

Doctors have hailed “unprecedented” trial results that show a triple-action cancer jab can eradicate entire tumours in patients.

In an international trial spanning 11 countries, the injection was offered to patients whose cancer had spread or come back and whose disease had failed to respond to other treatments.

The jab, called amivantamab, shrank the tumours of more than a third of patients, with dramatic changes seen within weeks. In 15 of them, doctors found the drug had melted away their tumours altogether.

Kevin Harrington, professor in biological cancer therapies at the Institute of Cancer Research, London (ICR), said: “These are unprecedentedly strong responses in patients whose disease has become resistant to both chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

Trump tells agencies to align with study calling for narrower childhood vaccine recommendations

 https://apnews.com/article/childhood-vaccine-schedule-trump-rfk-hhs-d04ba53d6820cc7194a4885e2418d132

Trump tells agencies to align with study calling for narrower childhood vaccine recommendations

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., listens during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., listens during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

President Donald Trump on Friday gave his endorsement to a January study by the Department of Health and Human Services that calls for cutting the number of vaccines recommended for every American child.

An executive order from Trump directs federal agencies to align their policies behind the study, which recommended an overhaul long called for by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The study found that the United States recommends more childhood vaccines than many peer nations.

The Trump administration previously moved to narrow the number of recommended childhood vaccines in response to the report, but the move was blocked by a federal judge in Massachusetts. The administration is appealing the decision.

The study recommends vaccinating all children against 11 diseases. Several others would be recommended only for high-risk groups or when doctors recommend them in what’s called “shared decision-making.” That includes vaccines for flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, some forms of meningitis and RSV.

Saturday, May 30, 2026

Pentagon’s $9B Dell deal sparks Trump conflict of interest concerns

 https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5901889-pentagon-dell-deal-trump-conflict-of-interest/?tbref=hp

The Pentagon’s new $9.7 billion contract with Dell is raising questions about potential conflicts of interest after President Trump touted the company’s products and purchased significant amounts of its stock.

“Awarding a nearly $10 billion contract to a company closely associated with a friend and donor to the president seems like an obvious conflict of interest,” Greg Williams, the director of the Center for Defense Information at the Project on Government Oversight, told The Hill on Friday.

Margaret Dylus-Yukins, senior legal counsel for ethics at Campaign Legal Center, echoed those worries, adding the contract raises conflict of interest concerns for Michael Dell, “who is subject to the federal ethics rules as a member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).”

Trump decries ‘rigged’ court system after Kennedy Center, tariff rulings

 https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5902534-donald-trump-criticism-court-system-kennedy-center-tariff-rulings/

President Trump described the U.S. court system as “rigged” on Saturday in the wake of recent decisions blocking a cornerstone of his economic policy agenda and the addition of his name to the renowned Kennedy Center.

The president has made a habit of lashing out at legal decisions he disagrees with throughout his second term, often leveling personal attacks against federal judges and conservative Supreme Court justices when they rule against him.

Trump also railed against the Supreme Court’s February decision that struck down the bulk of his sweeping tariffs, which the court said exceeded his constitutional authority.

Friday, May 29, 2026

How much does Orthodox life cost? Increasingly, more than US families can afford

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/how-much-does-orthodox-life-cost-increasingly-more-than-us-families-can-afford/

“If you do the math, a religious family has to effectively be among the top 3-4 percent of earners in the United States in order to keep up with the costs of living,” said Zvi (not his real name), an activist for financial education in the Orthodox world. “Basic Jewish needs cost a lot of money.”

A seminal 2024 survey of nearly 3,000 Orthodox Jews in the US, conducted by Langer’s podcast, offered a detailed look at the scope of the problem. Some 78% of respondents said finances were a major source of stress for them, and only about half of the respondents earning $250,000 to $300,000 said they felt like they were “making it.” Even above $300,000, more than 30% said they felt financially strained.

At the heart of the financial challenge is Jewish day school tuition, by far the single largest and most defining expense for most Orthodox families.

“We’re not talking about a situation where you can simply tell people to spend less to live within their means,” Zvi said. “You can always point to someone taking a nicer vacation or making a more expensive wedding. But even if you strip all of that away, you’re still left with a very high baseline.”

Insatiable personality cult: Trump administration pushes bill bearing his face

 https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/sjcrokuxze

Since returning to the White House for a second term, U.S. President Donald Trump has devoted much of his time to leaving a physical, personal mark on Washington and on American history in ways no sitting president before him has dared to attempt.

From plans for a new White House ballroom to renaming the Kennedy Center and building an “Arc de Triomphe,” Trump is acting as president much as he did as a real estate developer: attaching his name, in giant letters, to buildings and symbols. The difference is that these buildings and symbols do not belong to the president of the United States.

The legal restrictions on living people appearing on U.S. currency date back to 1866, after the image of a mid-level Treasury official appeared on a 5-cent note. Congress responded by passing a law requiring that only deceased individuals appear on U.S. banknotes, a rule intended to prevent practices associated with monarchs and dictators.

Iran is quickly unearthing its huge missile arsenal, CNN analysis shows

 https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/27/world/video/investigates-iran-unearths-missile-arsenal-digvid?iid=cnn_buildContentRecirc_end_recirc&recs_exp=most-popular-article-end&tenant_id=popular.en

Iran is regaining access to vast quantities of missiles stored in underground facilities, new satellite imagery analyzed by CNN shows, casting doubt on US President Donald Trump’s claims of having all but obliterated Tehran’s arsenal. During the war, Israeli-US strikes put many of these complexes out of commission by blocking their entry points, trapping a large portion of Iran’s launchers and crippling its ability to fire missiles. Now, using just bulldozers and dump trucks, Iran is undoing the effects of a strategy that involved an enormous amount of Israeli-US firepower. The Pentagon stands by the success of its campaign. CNN’s Tamara Qiblawi reports, with analysis from Thomas Bordeaux.

Torah law is used as long as society functions properly/Igros Moshe


Igros Moshe(C.M. 2:68):
… The Torah reserves capital punishment for those sins which are very serious such as murder, kidnapping, sexually prohibited relations and idolatry. The perpetrator in these cases is unrestrained and is capable of doing whatever disgusting and cruel acts in the world that are in his heart that he thinks are for his benefit. However the death penalty is not administered out of hatred to evildoers or fear for the welfare of society because Bava Metzia (83b) tells us that G‑d will punish transgressors. That in fact is the halacha as poskened by the Rambam (Hilchos Chovel u’Mazik 8:9) as well as all other poskim. So on the one hand the purpose of capital punishment is to let people know the severity of these prohibitions so that they will not transgress them. On the other hand the laws of capital punishment emphasize the importance of each soul and other concerns. Therefore we are commanded that only the Sanhedrin with proper semicha can judge these cases. Only the greatest people in Torah scholarship and other knowledge receives this semicha. In addition to their knowledge they also need to have perfected their character and be very humble as well as G‑d fearing people. They also need to hate money and love the truth as well as wonderful people who are beloved by all…They don’t have any imperfections or bad reputations and they are very merciful. That is why very old people are not appointed judges because they have forgotten the stress of raising children. Also people without children are not appointed because they lack mercy to some degree and they will be too angry at those who have committed sins. Even these great and good people cannot judge unless they constitute a Sanhedrin of 23 people. However it is not enough there are 23 such people to make a Sanhedrin. They also need to have before them 3 rows of very great Torah scholars who are not yet great enough to be part of the Sanhedrin – but are almost great enough. This is to protect the Sanhedrin from making a mistake in judgment. That is because when these three rows of scholars think that the Sanhedrin is mistaken in their ruling of innocence they will protest and will not listen at all to their words. Another safeguard against making a mistake is that they do not convict based on circumstantial evidence – no matter how convincing. They only convict a person based on two valid witnesses who have not the slightest bias in the matter... Furthermore the witnesses are warned concerning the severity of the sin of false testimony as well as the seriousness of the sin of murder so that they are very afraid of mistakenly convicting or mistakenly declaring the suspected murderer innocent. Even with all of this the witnesses also have to warn the person against murder and the suspected murderer has to acknowledge the warning by saying that even though he is aware of the seriousness off the crime he is still doing it. As a consequence of all these safeguards, only once in many years would someone be convicted of murder. In addition it was impossible to judge capital cases unless the Temple existed and that the Sanhedrin of 71 of the greatest scholars was in session on the Temple Mount. In fact capital cases were not judged even in those countries where the king gave the Jews permission to judge their own people according to the law of the Torah. As a consequence of these two factors there were almost no Jewish murderers because of the awareness of the severity of the prohibition of murder and because they were educated by means of the Torah and the punishments of the Torah to understand the seriousness of the crime. They were not simply afraid of punishment in the sense of getting caught but were afraid of the crime itself. However this use of the Torah system to run society was only when the crime of murder was not common but was simply the result of someone’s great lust or some quarrel concerning money or honor. But when people killed simply because it was viewed as an insignificant thing and the murderer was simply a callous and cruel person or similarly if there was a great deal of murders and wickedness – then a different system of law was utilized that was concerned with the pragmatic question of stopping killing and the goal became saving the society

Tzadik HaDor - Importance of Attatchment

 Likutei Moharan (123) The essence and foundation on which everything depends is one’s binding oneself to the tzaddik of the generation:accepting his word in whatever he says, “This is how it is,” in matters small and great; not deviating, God forbid, from his word “to the right or the left”, as our Sages teach: even if he tells you that right is left…  ;casting off from oneself all pseudo-wisdoms;and dismissing one’s knowledge as if one had no intelligence other than what one receives from the tzaddik and rav of the generation, because as long as one retains some of one’s own intellect, one lacks completion and is not bound to the tzaddik.