State Department reviewing plans to sanction IDF unit

 https://www.axios.com/2024/04/26/state-department-reviewing-plans-sanction-idf-unit

A senior U.S. official said Blinken's determination that the Netzah Yehuda Battalion committed gross violations of human rights in the West Bank has not changed, but a process of consultation with Israel on the issue is now underway to examine whether it is taking steps to address this.

The U.S. official said that if these steps are not satisfactory in accordance with the Leahy law and if it appears Israel has not held soliders and officers accountable and corrected the conditions that led to the violations, the U.S. will apply the law and withhold aid to this unit.

'Israel is not a banana republic,' official says amid Blinken-Halevi controversy

 https://www.israelhayom.com/2024/02/07/israel-is-not-a-banana-republic-official-says-amid-blinken-halevi-controversy/

On Tuesday Israel Hayom reported on Blinken making the unusual request to be briefed by Halevi one-on-one rather than as part of a meeting with the War Cabinet. 

An official told Israel Hayom that a meeting between a foreign minister and a military official without a civilian official present was not common practice in international relations and therefore Netanyahu's office refused to approve a private meeting between Blinken and the chief of staff. "Israel is not a banana republic," the official said.

Biden won't sanction Israeli military units accused of human rights violations in West Bank before start of war with Hamas

 https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-sanction-israeli-military-units-accused-human-rights/story?id=109651562

The Biden administration has determined that three military battalions with the Israel Defense Forces committed "gross human rights violations" against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank but will remain eligible for U.S. military aid regardless because of steps Israel says it's taking to address the problem, ABC News has learned.

The administration assessment, which has not yet been made public, was outlined in an undated letter by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to House Speaker Mike Johnson obtained by ABC News.

The U.S. determination "will not delay the delivery of any U.S. assistance and Israel will be able to receive the full amount appropriated by Congress," Blinken wrote.

Biden Admin. won't sanction Netzach Yehuda Battalion

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/389077

The Biden Administration has backtracked and will not impose sanctions on the IDF's Netzach Yehuda Battalion, ABC News reported this morning (Friday).

According to the report, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson explaining that the decision was made in light of Israel's commitment to addressing concerns over human rights violations by the IDF in Judea and Samaria.

..According to Blinken, the administration's concerns over alleged human rights violations by the Netzach Yehuda Battalion "will not delay the delivery of any U.S. assistance and Israel will be able to receive the full amount appropriated by Congress."

Scientist Challenges David Sinclair’s Best-Selling Book on Aging

 https://www.nad.com/news/charles-brenner-critiques-david-sinclairs-best-selling-book-on-aging

Pointing out two questions on the back cover of Lifespan, Brenner answers them. The first is “is aging a disease?” Brenner’s answer is that aging is a risk factor for many diseases, but aging is not a disease itself. He follows by saying that the most powerful genetic mutations to extend lifespan in animal models have been in genes that control growth, establishing that growth and development are intricately linked with aging, suggesting that aging is inevitable. 

“Is aging treatable?” Yes, says Brenner, in the sense that genes can be modified to change the rate of aging. He says, however, that it is easier to accelerate aging — by doing things like smoking or becoming overweight — than it is to slow aging. He then comments on well-known studies showing that caloric restriction (consuming fewer calories) extends the lifespan of mice. These studies suggest that fasting can treat aging, but Brenner disagrees with their framing, saying, “Caloric restriction extends animal lifespan when compared to caged animals with constant access to food. However, it is more accurate to say that unrestricted access to food is a life-shortening condition that is unlike conditions in the wild to which animals are adapted.” 

A Science-Based Review of the World’s Best-Selling Book on Aging

 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9669175/

Members of the general public and investment community have caught the longevity bug and appear to believe that major breakthroughs have been made in extending human lifespan

Lifespan, a book by Harvard scientist David Sinclair, has become an influential source of misinformation on longevity, featuring counterfactual claims about longevity genes being conserved between yeast and humans, the existence of supposed activators of these genes, and claimed successful age reversal in mice based on partial reprogramming

The book has popularized a stack of drugs and supplements with significant potential to harm the general public

The reviewer suggests that scientists and physicians emphasize to the general public that aging is known to be a highly polygenic developmental process and that the most important things that people can do to age better are to maintain high physical and mental activity

IDF rejects ‘baseless’ claim it dug mass graves at Gaza hospital; analysts also doubt charge

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-rejects-baseless-claim-it-dug-mass-graves-at-gaza-hospital-analysts-also-doubt-charge/

Hamas officials in Gaza claimed on Saturday to discover a mass grave with more than 200 bodies at a hospital in Khan Younis that was recently the target of a military raid.

The officials claimed the dead were buried in a mass grave by Israeli forces, but evidence suggested this claim was false, with the bodies having previously been buried at that same location by Palestinians amid the fighting between Israeli forces and terror operatives in the area.

The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday rejected Hamas’s allegation as “baseless.”

It said forces searching for Israeli hostages had examined bodies previously buried by Palestinians near Nasser Hospital and had returned the bodies to where they were buried after they were examined.

It has been documented that Palestinians buried their dead at the hospital grounds both before and while Israeli troops operated in the area.

Trump Is Flat-Out Lying About Having the ‘Most Secure Border in History’ as President

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-is-flat-out-lying-about-having-the-most-secure-border-in-history-as-president

In a Jan. 8, 2019, address to the nation, Trump described the border under his watch as a “crisis,” and pleaded with Congress to pass most of the exact same proposals that were in the bipartisan border bill in the Senate that was negotiated by Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) with Democrats earlier this year, but ultimately rejected by Republicans.

Dershowitz: Trump 'can call me crazy American Jew,' but he may vote for Biden

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

Dershowitz said that, despite his criticism of the current president, he may vote for Biden in the November elections and rejected Trump's description of any Jew that would vote for the president as crazy. "If he wants to call me a crazy American Jew, that's fine," he concluded.

Terrorist who murdered Jewish shepherd is arrested

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/388892

On Sunday night, the ISA, Israel Police, and IDF arrested Ahmad Dawabshe, the terrorist who murdered Binyamin Achimeir, a Jewish shepherd, in a bloody and brutal terror attack last week.

How to Wish "Happy Passover"

 https://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/3584633/jewish/How-to-Wish-Happy-Passover.htm#:~:text=But%20what%20to%20say%3F,sah-MAY-ach).

The traditional Ashkenazic greeting is “gut yom tov” (with “u” as in “put”). “Yom tov,” which literally means “good day” in Hebrew, denotes a holiday. In Yiddish, it is normally mangled into something that sounds more like “YON-tiff.” Thus, the greeting can sound like “gut YON-tiff” or even “gutJONtiff.” (Translated into English, the “gut yom tov” greeting is strangely redundant, meaning “good good day.”)

Sephardic Jews prefer the biblical term for a festival, “chag.” Thus, when wishing someone a joyous festival, they say “chag same’ach” (pronounced CHAG sah-MAY-ach). This greeting has its roots in the Torah, where forms of these two words are used in the commandment to rejoice on the festivals.1

Now, not all holidays are considered equal. The intermediate festival days of lesser sanctity, when many of the work restrictions are relaxed, are called Chol Hamoed. On those days, the traditional Ashkenazic greeting is “gut mo’ed” (or “gut MOY-ed”), and Sephardim say “mo’adim l’simchah,” to which some respond “chagim u’zemanim l’sason.” (As before, the Sephardic salutation has liturgical roots; these phrases are lifted straight from the holiday kiddush.)

If you want to greet someone, but are not sure what to say, just let the other person greet you first, and then repeat the greeting. Works every time.

Lastly, have you ever wondered what to wish people after Passover has ended? The traditional Yiddish Post-Passover greeting is for “a gezuntn zumer,” a healthy summer.

NYC Mayor on Columbia protests: 'We will not be a city of lawlessness'

 https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-798189

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he is “horrified and disgusted” with the antisemitism being spewed at and around Columbia University’s campus, according to a statement from the mayor’s office on Sunday night. 

Adams said he condemns the hate speech heard during the protests such as a woman who yelled ‘We are Hamas’ and another woman who held a sign with an arrow pointing to Jewish students stating ‘Al-Qasam’s Next Targets.’

Adams said supporting an organization that threatens to kill Jews is “sickening and despicable.”

‘Antisemitic, unconscionable, and dangerous’: White House responds to chaos at Columbia

 https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/21/chaos-columbia-jewish-moskowitz-santos-white-house-00153545

“Silence is complicity,” Biden’s statement read. “Even in recent days, we’ve seen harassment and calls for violence against Jews. This blatant Antisemitism is reprehensible and dangerous — and it has absolutely no place on college campuses, or anywhere in our country.”

Biden denounces antisemitism in Passover message: Reprehensible and dangerous

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/388878

“My commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad. My Administration is working around the clock to free the hostages, and we will not rest until we bring them home. We are also working to establish an immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza as a part of a deal that releases the hostages and delivers desperately needed humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians. We will continue to work toward a two-state solution that provides equal security, prosperity, and enduring peace for Israelis and Palestinians. And we are leading international efforts to ensure Israel can defend itself against Iran and its proxies, including by directing the U.S. military to help defend Israel against Iran’s unprecedented attacks last weekend.”

Infected houses never happened?

 The Netziv notes that we have the famous statement of the Rashby that houses were infected as a present from G-d to reveal the hidden treasures and we have the contrary statement from his son that there never was an infected house

He concludes that this halacha is actually concerned with describing the proper foundation of a Jewish home, the Caanites were merchants who as a class are prone to lashon harah, slander etc etc - as opposed to farmers. So their houses were built on immoral foundation also on idolatry. The halacha advises removing (when possible) the moral decay and replacing it with a holy foundation. However sometimes the structure needs to be totally replaced. That is why only a cohen can decided whether the infection is impure and not a talmid chachom

Interestingly the Rambam also says it is a miraculous sign indicating spiritual impurity

Number of people seeking conversion to Judaism surges amid Gaza war

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

In the aftermath of these developments, a notable number of Israelis, including a substantial portion of the roughly 560,000 "unaffiliated" people in the country, reported feeling a deeper affinity to their Jewish heritage and traditions. A significant segment of this secular population, who identify as Jews but aren't recognized as such by Halacha, initiated a conversion process.

Israel aghast as US said poised to sanction IDF unit with history of abuses

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-aghast-as-us-said-poised-to-sanction-notorious-idf-unit-netanyahu-a-moral-low/

Centrist war cabinet minister Benny Gantz joined the criticism, saying the infantry unit was “an integral part of the IDF” and was bound by military and international law. He added that Israel has “strong and independent” courts capable of dealing with alleged violations.

“We have great respect for our American friends, but imposing sanctions on the unit is a dangerous precedent and sends the wrong message to our shared enemies at a time of war,” Gantz said, while pledging to “take action so this decision does not pass.”

The US is expected to announce sanctions against IDF unit for human rights abuses

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-798035

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to announce sanctions against the IDF’s Netzah Yehuda Battalion in the next few days, according to three American sources.  

The sanctions are a result of human rights violations against Palestinians in the West Bank. 

This will be the first time that the United States government has imposed sanctions on an Israeli military unit for its activities in the West Bank.

Fred Neulander, rabbi serving life sentence, dies in prison at 82

 https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-797974?obOrigUrl=true

In a case that riveted the Philadelphia area and American Jewry for years, Neulander, the founding rabbi of the 1,000-family M’kor Shalom in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, was convicted in 2002 of paying confessed killers Len Jenoff and Paul Michael Daniels to murder his wife so that he could freely carry on a love affair with former Philadelphia radio personality Elaine Soncini.

Israeli weapon damaged Iranian air defenses without detection - NYT

 https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-798022

An Israeli weapon launched in the strike against Iran on Friday damaged a defense mechanism responsible for detecting and destroying aerial threats near Natanz without detection, The New York Times (NYT) reported on Saturday, citing two Western and two Iranian officials.

The weapon struck an S-300 antiaircraft system at a military base in Isfahan province. Natanz is a central city in Iran and a base for Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

What the data says (and doesn’t say) about crime in the United States

 https://www.pewresearch.org/short-read/2020/11/20/facts-about-crime-in-the-u-s/

Both the FBI and BJS data show dramatic declines in U.S. violent and property crime rates since the early 1990s, when crime spiked across much of the nation.

In 20 of 24 Gallup surveys conducted since 1993, at least 60% of U.S. adults have said there is more crime nationally than there was the year before, despite the generally downward trend in national violent and property crime rates during most of that period.

While perceptions of rising crime at the national level are common, fewer Americans believe crime is up in their own communities. In all 23 Gallup surveys that have included the question since 1993, no more than about half of Americans have said crime is up in their area compared with the year before.

The Making of a Hetter

 Kuntress Kedushas Yisrael

The Making of a Hetter

An Analysis of the Recent

Hetter of a Giyores to a Kohen

Click Link to download 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sj37JRqPHzoAoTbMNSH1w3-SpxfZQxk2/view

kedushasyisrael7@gmail.com

Recently, many Gedolim and Roshei Yeshivos signed letters opposing a hetter that was given to allow someone who was muchzak as a kohen to marry a giyores. The Rabbonim did not mince words and blatantly called this hetter a great pirtzah in kedushas yisroel. Unfortunately, the wedding has already taken place, however the primary pirtzah is not merely the specific details of this particular hetter, rather the Rabbonim felt that the entire approach upon which the hetter was based was disturbing.

This presentation is being made in an effort to bring the details of this story to light. We welcome any response or feedback, and we would be grateful if this kuntress would provide the impetus for further clarification of the issues being raised. Much effort has been made to document factual and verifiable information, and to source the information as much as possible. The information presented is based on documents from the Beis Din being mattir, conversations with Rabbonim involved in the issue, and independent investigation of the facts presented.

We will begin with a timeline of events, after which we will present the written hetter of the Beis  an analysis of this information

Iran’s State TV Laughs Off Israel’s Retaliation Attack

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/irans-state-tv-laughs-off-israels-retaliation-attack?ref=home?ref=home

As reports of the Israeli attacks grabbed world headlines, an extraordinary segment unfolded on Iran’s pro-regime Press TV, where correspondent Gisoo Misha Ahmadi totally dismissed Israel’s retaliation.

“I would suggest our viewers—if they want to have a good laugh—they can check social media reports from citizens who are there, who are actually making fun of all the commotion that was made by Israeli media about a possible attack,” she said.

Ahmadi conceded that Iran is on a high state of alert and took down a series of drones that were approaching Iranian airspace but she claimed that was the extent of the threat.

“Everything is completely normal,” she said. “And people are enjoying the weekend.”

Sinai is hollow?

 The gemora says that G-d held Mt Sinai over the Jews like a barrel and threaten to kill them if they didn't accept the Torah

Shabbos (88a) And they stood under the mount:15 R. Abdimi b. Hama b. Hasa said: This teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He,  the mountain upon them like an [inverted] cask, and said to them,’If ye accept the Torah, ‘tis well; if overturnednot, there shall be your burial.

Rashi  says a barrel is lethal because of the gas it contains

Sanhedrin (77a) It has been stated: If one overturned a vat upon a man who then died of suffocation, or broke open a ceiling above him, Raba and R. Zera differ One ruled that he is liable, the other that he is not. 

Ben Yehoyada (Shabbos 88a) מְלַמֵּד, שֶׁכָּפָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת הָהָר כְּגִיגִית. יש להקשות למה עשאו 'כְְּגִיגִית' שחפרו ועשה בו בית קיבול כמו גִיגִית, ודי להניחו כמו שהוא למעלה מראשיהם? ואם כדי שלא יברחו וינוסו מתחתיו, מי זה יברח מיד ה'? שאם יצאו מתחתיו גם ההר ילך על גבי ראשיהם! ועוד יש כאן קושיא ידועה הלא הם קבלו ברצון לב את התורה שהקדמו נעשה לנשמע? ועוד יש להקשות אומרו שָׁם תְּהֵא קְבוּרַתְכֶם, והוה ליה למימר 'כַּאן' דהא עומדים תחת ההר? ונראה לי בס"ד כי הם קבלו תורה שבכתב כפי מה שיגידו המקראות כמו הקראין דאזלי בתר פשט המקרא, ולא היו רוצין לקבל תורה שבעל פה אשר בכל תיבה ותיבה של המקרא תולה בה תלי תלים של הלכות, ולכך אמרו 'נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע' רצונו לומר נַעֲשֶׂה כפי אשר נִשְׁמָע מן פשט המקראות. והוא יתברך כָּפָה אותם על תורה שבעל פה, ולכן עשה את הָהָר לעיניהם חפור בתוכו כמו 'גִיגִית' לרמוז להם שכל תיבה ותיבה של המקרא היא כמו גיגית שיש לה בית קיבול ומטילים לתוכה יין אשר תכיל אלף אלפים טיפות יין בקרבה, ועל מנת כן אתם חייבים לקבל את תורה שבכתב. וידוע כי המאמין בדרשות של תורה שבעל פה ורמזים אשר בזה הוא מבין דבר מתוך דבר ומוציא הלכה מתוך הלכה, הנה זה הוא 'בן עולם הבא' שהיא סוד בינה, יען כי משמעות בינה הוא כך שיבינו דבר מתוך דבר, מה שאין כן מי שאינו מודה בכך הרי זה אין לו חלק לעולם הבא! ומפורש בדברי רבינו האר"י ז"ל על מה שנאמר 'אין לו חלק לעולם הבא' היינו שישאר במלכות שהיא סוד העשיה. וזה שאמר כָּפָה הָהָר כְּגִיגִית שיש לה בית קבול, לרמוז על תורה שבעל פה שעושה לכל תיבה בית קבול שתכיל בקרבה כמה אלפים הלכות שבזאת תהיה עיקר קבלת התורה, ואמר להם אִם אַתֶּם מְקַבְּלִים הַתּוֹרָה, הידיעה היא תורה שבעל פה שעליה נאמר (איוב יא, ט) וּרְחָבָה מִנִּי יָם, מוּטָב, אִם לָאו, שָׁם, במלכות הנקראת 'שם' שה"ס [שהוא סוד] עשיה, בסוד (שמואל ב' ח, יג) וַיַּעַשׂ דָּוִד שֵׁם תִּהְיֶה קְבוּרַתְכֶם, כלומר מקום שלכם שלא תזכו לעולם הבא שה"ס בינה, אלא תשארו במלכות שנקראת 'שם'. 

What's safer? Jerusalem and Tel Aviv or NYC, Chicago and San Francisco?

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/388767

Terrible and terrifying for Jews. Israelis are overwhelmingly not leaving Israel for many reasons, including the fact that many are scared to travel to the US, especially to New York City and San Francisco.

Anti-Israel Protesters Confused About Meaning of 'Ceasefire'

 https://www.newsweek.com/anti-israel-protesters-confused-about-meaning-ceasefire-opinion-1891343

As a Palestinian human rights activist who supports the peaceful coexistence of Israelis and Palestinians, I am deeply troubled by the reactions of certain anti-Israel groups in the United States to the Islamic Republic of Iran's recent attack on Israel. Their exuberant celebrations and justifications for such aggression starkly contradict their professed commitment to peace and reveal a profound hypocrisy that undermines diplomacy and dialogue in the Middle East.

This weekend's Iranian attack was a calculated military aggression involving more than 300 projectiles, with around 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles, and more than 120 ballistic missiles aimed and fired directly at Israeli territory. The assault is simply a more overt continuation of the war that Iran has been waging since the 1979 seizure of power by the jihadist Ayatollahs, which it promotes in the chant: "Death to America, Death to Israel."

Iran asserts that the attack was an act of "revenge" or "punishment" against Israel for its targeted killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard General Mohammad Reza Zahedi in Damascus in recent weeks. The truth is that Iran launched this round of violence: Zahedi is known for his involvement in orchestrating the Oct. 7 massacre of more than 1,200 Jews in Israel by Hamas, including 30 Americans.

Biden urges Congress to act on Israel aid, says Iran aims ‘to destroy Israel forever’

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/biden-urges-congress-to-act-on-israel-aid-says-iran-aims-to-destroy-israel-forever/

 US President Joe Biden called on Congress to immediately pass an aid package for Israel and Ukraine, in an op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.

Legislation has been stalled for months amid opposition from House Republicans fueled by former US president Donald Trump. House Speaker Mike Johnson, however, informed GOP lawmakers on Wednesday that he will begin the days-long push to hold votes on the funding packages for Israel and Ukraine, as well as one earmarked for allies in the Indo-Pacific.

While both Israel and Ukraine “can capably defend their own sovereignty, they depend on American assistance, including weaponry, to do it, and this is a pivotal moment,” Biden wrote, pointing to strikes by Iran and Russia on Israel and Ukraine over the weekend.

US and Israel meet on Rafah days after Iran’s attack

 https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/18/us-israel-rafah-meeting-00153043

The U.S. and Israel are holding another tense meeting on a future Rafah operation Thursday, a sign that Iran’s attack isn’t halting negotiations over Israel’s conduct in the war against Hamas.

Both sides are attending a virtual session, a senior Biden administration official and Israeli official told POLITICO, where senior leaders discuss how to target Hamas’ roughly 3,000 fighters in Rafah while protecting the city’s 1.4 million Palestinians. National security adviser Jake Sullivan is expected to lead the conversation for the Biden administration. Sullivan’s Israeli counterpart, Tzachi Hanegbi, is heading his nation’s delegation.

Russia Calls on UN to Sanction Israel

 https://www.newsweek.com/russia-calls-un-sanction-israel-1891924

Russia is urging the United Nations (U.N.) to sanction Israel for failing to comply with a resolution that demanded a Gaza cease-fire during Ramadan.

U.N. Security Council Resolution 2728, which was passed by the council amid the Muslim holy month on March 25, called for an immediate halt to the hostilities, which began following the October 7 surprise attack by Hamas.

The resolution was passed by a 14-0 vote, with the United States abstaining over the omission of a clause condemning Hamas. Israel ignored the cease-fire demand, continuing its assault on Gaza through the end of Ramadan on April 9 and beyond.

Russia, which remains buried under an avalanche of its own international sanctions due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, objected to the lack of punishment for Israel during a U.N. Security Council meeting on Thursday.

America's zombie "crime wave"

 https://popular.info/p/americas-zombie-crime-wave

But is there a crime wave in America? Without a doubt, people believe that crime continues to surge. A Gallup poll found that 78% of Americans believe that there was more crime in 2022 than in 2021. (Only 13% believed it declined.) 

US vetoes, Security Council resolution accepting PA as full member fails to pass

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/388754

The US on Thursday vetoed a Security Council resolution to admit the Palestinian Authority as a full member state of the United Nations.

12 countries voted in favor of the resolution: Slovenia, Sierra Leone, Russia, South Korea, Mozambique, Malta, Japan, Guyana, France, Ecuador, China, and Algeria.

Two countries abstained – Britain and Switzerland.

Israel Launches Retaliatory Strike on Iran

 https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iran-activates-air-defenses-and-cancels-flights-27b6d416

Israel retaliated overnight against Iran’s massive drone and missile attack on its territory, people familiar with the matter said—with what appeared to be a limited strike aimed at avoiding an escalatory cycle that could push the countries closer toward war. 

The strike targeted the area around Isfahan in central Iran, one of the people said. Iranian media and social media reported explosions near the city, where Iran has nuclear facilities and a drone factory, and the activation of air-defense systems in provinces across the country after suspicious flying objects were detected. 

Senate squashes historic impeachment charges against Mayorkas

 https://www.axios.com/2024/04/17/senate-dismisses-historic-impeachment-mayorkas-border-immigration

Senate Democrats on Wednesday quickly squashed impeachment charges against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, a swift end to the GOP's attempt to oust him.

Why it matters: 

Killing the charges without a full trial highlights how Democrats saw the impeachment as political theater, but Republicans argue it sets a dangerous precedent.

Senators voted along party lines to rule the articles of impeachment unconstitutional for not meeting the standard of high crimes and misdemeanors.