Trump Economic Chief Says Affordability Crisis Is ‘a Myth’: What Data Shows

 https://www.newsweek.com/trump-economic-chief-says-affordability-crisis-myth-what-data-shows-12623578

Kevin Hassett, the director of President Donald Trump's National Economic Council, has dismissed the country's much-discussed affordability "crisis" as a "myth," arguing that official spending data proves Americans are significantly better off under the current administration.

"The amount of consumption per household has gone up maybe around $5,000 per household," he said in an interview with Fox Business on Monday. "That's after inflation, because of the income boom, the capital spending boom, the fact that people aren't losing their jobs. All the things that have made the economy great means that 'affordability crisis'—it's a myth!"

But economists say looking at the figures in this manner neglects the economic reality for most voters in the U.S., with Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody's Analytics, calling affordability "a serious problem for the majority of Americans."

"After inflation, wages are falling, personal saving rates are low, and borrowing costs are on the rise," he told Newsweek. "Overall spending has held up, but only because the well-to-do are doing fine financially, as their AI-powered stock prices have lifted their wealth."

Research from Moody's in 2025 showed that the richest U.S. households represent a record portion of overall consumer spending—with the top 10 percent of earners now accounting for roughly half. Zandi added that most Americans own few if any equities and have been "locked out" of the real-estate market thanks to elevated mortgage rates.

Evil - What is the Source?

Berachos (11b) I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil; I the Lord do all these things.

Chagiga (015A) Acher became a heretic. Of him Scripture says: Suffer not thy mouth to bring thy flesh into guilt. What does it refer to? — He saw that permission was granted to Metatron to sit and write down the merits of Israel. Said he: It is taught as a tradition that on high there is no sitting and no emulation, and no back, and no weariness. Perhaps, — God forfend! — there are two divinities! Thereupon they led Metatron forth, and punished him with sixty fiery lashes, saying to him: Why didst thou not rise before him when thou didst see him? Permission was then given to him to strike out the merits of Aher. A Bas Kol went forth and said: Return, ye backsliding children — except Acher.

 Eicha (03:38)  Do not both evil and good come out of the mouth of the most High?

Moreh Nevuchim (03:010) I form the light and create  darkness: I make peace, and create evil for darkness and evil are non-existing things. Consider that the prophet does not say, I make darkness, I make evil, because darkness and evil are not things in positive existence to which the verb “to make” would apply; the verb bara “he created” is used, because in Hebrew this verb is applied to non-existing things e.g., “In the beginning God created”, etc.; here the creation took place from nothing. Only in this sense can non-existence be said to be produced by a certain action of an agent. …It is now clear that according to an these different views the action of an agent cannot be directly connected with a thing that does not exist: only indirectly is non-existence described as the result of the action of an agent, whilst in a direct manner an action can only influence a thing really in existence; accordingly, whoever the agent may be, he can only act upon an existing thing.

Moreh Nevuchim (03:010) It must be admitted as a fact that it cannot be said of God that He directly creates evil, or He has the direct intention to produce evil: this is impossible. His works are all perfectly good. He only produces existence, and all existence is good: whilst evils are of a negative character, and cannot be acted upon. Evil can only he attributed to Him in the way we have mentioned. He creates evil only in so far as He produces the corporeal element such as it actually is: it is always connected with negatives, and is on that account the source of all destruction and all evil. Those beings that do not possess this corporeal element are not subject to destruction or evil: consequently the true work of God is all good, since it is existence. The book which enlightened the darkness of the world says therefore, “And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good”. Even the existence of this corporeal element, low as it in reality is, because it is the source of death and all evils, is likewise good for the permanence of the Universe and the continuation of the order of things, so that one thing departs and the other succeeds. Rabbi Meir therefore explains the words “and behold it was very good” that even death was good in accordance with what we have observed in this chapter.

Moreh Nevuchim (03:10) All that the prophets and our Sages remarked about the perfect goodness of all the direct works of God. In Bereshis Rabba  the same idea is expressed thus: “No evil comes down from above.”

Rabbeinu Bachya (Bereishis 04:02) and Kayin had become,  The whole episode teaches that good and evil have the same root. The root by itself is totally good; after all when Adam was created he was totally good. Nonetheless we observe that from such a good “root,” two sons with totally different personalities emerged. Seeing that both wicked people and good people developed out of the same root is proof that there was only One Creator, that evil and good are not separate domains, that there are no two competing deities in this world, one promoting the source of all that is good and promoting it, and one which is the root of all that is bad and promoting same.

Ramchal (Derech HaShem 01:05.08) Created powers as the cause for the doing of evil: And you need to know that even though it is surely true that the cause of all good things in every place - meaning whether in the higher powers or in their outgrowths - is surely the emanation of His countenance and the cause of evil in every place is the hiding of His emanation; nevertheless only for the good is the Master described as the actual cause to its principles and its components. But as for the evil, we do not describe Him, as the actual cause. For the Holy One truly does not combine His name with evil. Rather it is the hiding of His light and the covering of His countenance that is considered its root. For that is its true cause; hence evil is actually the removal of good. However the Master who is omnipotent and who has no impediment to His will and no limit whatsoever to His ability - made a root and a specific source for the components of the contents of its existence, dedicated to this purpose of the expression of the components of evil, according to that which the Supreme Wisdom determined to be necessary for the desirable state for man and the world. And this is what is stated by the verse, "I form light and create darkness, I make weal and create evil." And the makeup of this root is the sum of the various powers. All of the matters of lacking and evil unfold from them in all of their aspects, whether regarding things that relate to the soul or that relate to the body in all of their components and sections. 

Yishaya (45:07) I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil; I the Lord do all these things.

Frailty in older adults is not inevitable. Here’s how to reverse it.

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/10/27/frailty-old-age-is-not-inevitable-these-exercises-prove-it/

Practically everyone accepts that adults inevitably become frail as they age. They walk more slowly, become weaker and struggle with everyday activities. This is just a normal part of growing older, according to conventional wisdom, as if aging were a one-way street of physical decline.

But this is a misconception. A growing body of research shows that improvements in cognitive and physical function are possible with age. In fact, a fascinating new study demonstrates that a structured program of vigorous walking can do more than just slow the progression of frailty; it can reverse it.

After 16 weeks, nearly 70 percent of participants in the high-intensity group became less frail, as assessed using the same measures of strength, activity and general health as at the start of the study. While there was also improvement in the casual walking group, the risk of frailty was nearly three times lower for those encouraged to walk at the faster pace.

Her overriding message is not to treat age alone as a limitation. “People in their 80s and even 90s have the capacity to get stronger, to move better and potentially reverse frailty,” Danilovich said. This is a hopeful — and evidence-based — insight that could help more people live better for longer.

Likud said already preparing to allege election was ‘stolen’ if Netanyahu loses

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/likud-said-already-preparing-to-allege-election-was-stolen-if-netanyahu-loses/

Party sources claim concern over possible voter fraud in Arab sector, say discussions have been held about contesting results in similar manner to Trump’s 2020 ‘rigged elections’ campaign

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party began preparing to challenge results from polling stations in Arab cities and towns before voting opened Tuesday morning, with Hebrew news sites on Monday quoting Likud operatives as saying that the party has discussed the possibility of claiming the vote was “stolen” if Netanyahu does not win.

'So STUPID': Joe SLAMS Trump reaction to Obama 'FAKE GOLD' White House joke

Scarborough: Blowback to Obama’s Cheesecake Factory quip is ‘stupid’

 https://thehill.com/homenews/media/6173373-scarborough-defends-obama-cheesecake-factory/

MS NOW’s Joe Scarborough on Monday slammed negative reactions to former President Obama’s recent joke about the Cheesecake Factory and the White House.

On Saturday, Obama made fun of President Trump’s multiple renovation projects in Washington while at a campaign stop in Cleveland.

“What’s with the gold? … He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory,” the former president quipped.

Obama added that he thought Trump was more focused on renovating the White House than on issues voters cared about.

Israel Election 2026: What do Arye Deri's Shas and Yakov Asher's United Torah Judaism stand for?

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-election-2026/article-907982

The issue of separating religion and state is another defining area of haredi politics, as both Shas and UTJ seek to preserve an Orthodox Jewish character for the country and maintain the authority of religious institutions, particularly the Chief Rabbinate.

They have firmly opposed expanding alternatives to religious law, including civil marriage, and support maintaining the existing system in which marriages are conducted through the Rabbinate.

The haredi draft is part of this broader religious debate. Both parties claim that full-time Torah study is a central religious value that should receive legal protection, while their opponents argue that this creates unequal civic obligations between haredi men and Israelis who serve in the IDF.

Israel is holding its most important election in years. Here’s what’s at stake

 https://edition.cnn.com/2026/10/25/middleeast/israel-election-2026-whats-at-stake-intl

For many voters, this is the first chance to pass judgment on the leadership that presided over October 7 failures, to decide who should lead the country in conflict and who should carry the burden of increased military service.

Netanyahu’s outgoing government – the first in decades to conclude a full four-year term – relied on far-right and ultra-Orthodox partners, who pushed Israel in a more nationalist and religious direction than ever before. He became the first sitting Israeli prime minister to stand trial on corruption charges as his government pursued a judicial overhaul aimed at weakening the supreme court and other checks on power. The overhaul effort sparked massive protests in 2023.

At stake in Tuesday’s election is whether Israel keeps moving in the nationalistic, conservative and religious direction – or changes course. The answer might not be clear for weeks, because of the way Israeli coalitions are built. Polls suggest neither Netanyahu’s bloc nor the opposition is likely to win a majority alone, meaning the vote may launch Israel’s next political crisis rather than settle it.

Lessons from the past to guide your hand on election day

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435162

Israel’s enemies are waiting for there to be just one government which is “temporarily focussed on the Hareidi issue," on fighting internally instead of fighting them. Remember the days of Oslo and the "peace camp"? Opinion.

The problem in 2026 is, in the same way, not Eisenkot. It’s not, but yet it is. Because Eisenkot, like Rabin, is a “top brass" figurehead, behind whom lurks an ideology which, without even knowing you, is way way far from, way way opposed to, your own beliefs - you reading this now. Do not make the mistake, now, that so many voters fatefully made in 1992.

Eisenkot (and Ofer Vinter, and Bennett) have themselves been duped. Don’t follow them down a path that’s dangerous for you, for them, for us all. Do the right thing on Election Day. Because the wrong slip of paper can cause so many lives to slip away, and some of those lives may, G-d forbid, belong to those you love.

Israel’s enemies are waiting for there to be just one government which is “temporarily focussed on the Hareidi issue" (for which purpose “leaders" will, our enemies hope, be empowered, by your hand, on Tuesday. “Leaders" who, politically, are NOT able to block our enemies’ nefarious aims, and that is the hidden real point). Don’t give those brutal enemies the months or years of grace they seek, with your own misguided hand.

Security threats have marred Netanyahu’s term. They might also keep him in power

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/security-threats-have-marred-netanyahus-term-they-might-also-keep-him-in-power/

The PM has a well-worn playbook: brand his opponents as left-wing, then warn that Israel is in danger, and only he can keep it safe. They haven’t figured out how to respond

The incumbent prime minister of Israel is telling voters that they should prepare for a reality in which their country is an economic pariah state at war with Iran for the third time in 18 months, and is at risk of being nuked. He is saying, in his own words, that three years after the worst attack in Israel’s history, following an exhausting multi-front war that has ruptured Israeli society and turned most of the world against it, the country is still in “real existential danger.”

To be clear, a Netanyahu victory is not a foregone conclusion. But nor is a loss. No matter who — if anyone — wins this election, the best they can hope for is a narrow coalition in a polarized Knesset. The vote will almost definitely not signal a historic political realignment, much less a resounding death knell for a prime minister who was in office on October 7, 2023.

Israelis to head to polls as voting begins in pivotal Knesset election

 https://www.jpost.com/israel-election-2026/article-912973

Polls opened across Israel on Tuesday morning as eligible voters head to the polls to elect the country's next Knesset in a pivotal race pitting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his sitting coalition against the opposition bloc seeking to replace him.

Within the opposition bloc, Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party has taken the lead ahead of Netanyahu’s Likud in the majority of recent polling, though neither bloc still appears able to secure a 61-seat Knesset majority.

Polling stations opened at 7:00 a.m., and exit polls are expected at 10:00 p.m., offering preliminary projections of the election results. The official results will be finalized in the coming days, following the completion of the vote count.

Biowarfare from "Vaccinated: One Man's Quest to Defeat the World's Deadliest Diseases" by Offit M.D., Paul A. -

 "But for demonstrating how infections can change the outcome of wars, no war matched the Spanish conquest of Mexico in the sixteenth century. With an army of only four hundred men, Hernando Cortez conquered an Aztec civilization of four million. Cortez didn’t defeat the Aztecs because his men were braver (the Aztecs were fierce, noble fighters) or because he was more adept at recruiting other Indian tribes to join him (allies joined Cortez only after they were sure he would win) or because he had more guns and horses (the guns were crude and the horses were of limited value). So what was it? What caused an Aztec civilization of millions to lay down its arms and wholly, unequivocally surrender to a few hundred Spanish invaders? The answer was an infection that had been circulating in Europe for centuries but had never crossed the Atlantic Ocean: smallpox. Within one year of the Spanish invasion, the smallpox plague had killed millions. The Aztecs interpreted the plague as punishment, convinced that their invaders enjoyed divine favor. “The religions, priesthoods, and way of life built around the old Indian gods could not survive such a demonstration of the superior power of the God the Spaniards worshipped,” wrote William McNeill, author of Plagues and Peoples. “Little wonder, then, that the Indians accepted Christianity and submitted to Spanish control so meekly. God had shown Himself on their side, and each new outbreak of infectious disease imported from Europe, and soon from Africa as well, renewed the lesson.”"

Start reading this book for free: https://read.amazon.com/kp/kshare?asin=B000ROKXVA&ref_=kar_wh_ca

Trump admin illegally fired Maurene Comey, judge rules

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/26/maurene-comey-firing-ruling

A judge ruled Monday that the Trump administration broke the law when it fired Maurene Comey from her job as a federal prosecutor last year — sharply curbing the administration’s attempt to advance a “sweeping theory” of executive power.

Comey’s abrupt termination from her longtime job as a federal prosecutor in Manhattan wasn’t authorized by any statute and violated the Civil Service Reform Act, U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman, an Obama appointee, wrote.

And he said the Justice Department’s argument that the Constitution's Article II, which outlines the powers of the president, bars Congress from regulating the removal of federal prosecutors “flies in the face of nearly two centuries of Supreme Court precedent.”

Judge rules James Comey’s daughter unlawfully fired as federal prosecutor

 https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/6172624-maurene-comey-justice-department-unlawful-firing/

A federal judge ruled Monday that the Department of Justice (DOJ) unlawfully fired and must provide back pay to Maurene Comey, former FBI Director James Comey’s daughter who was terminated as a prosecutor last year.

U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman rejected the Trump administration’s arguments that it had constitutional authority to fire her. 

“Defendants’ argument is contrary to an unbroken line of Supreme Court decisions dating back almost two centuries, and the Supreme Court itself has not formally overruled any of those decisions. That is sufficient, in itself, to reject the argument,” Furman wrote in his 55-page opinion.