Judge excoriates Trump for pardoning January 6 'poor losers' as debacle grows

Did Donald Trump define all Americans as females in his executive order?

 https://www.jpost.com/omg/article-838803

According to his executive order, "female” means a person belonging at conception to the sex that produces the large reproductive cell, whereas "male” means a person belonging at conception to the sex that produces the small reproductive cell.

Biologically, however, all fetuses at conception are female until about six or seven weeks of gestation. 

The sexual organs (gonads) of a fetus remain undifferentiated up until this point, meaning that all fetal genitalia are female until 6-7 weeks post conception.

Justice Department issues freeze for civil rights division

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/01/22/justice-civil-rights-freeze-shutdown/

“It’s beyond unusual — it’s unprecedented. We’ve never seen this before at this scale with any transfer of power, regardless of the ideology of any incoming president or administration,” said Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “This should make Americans both angry and deeply worried. This is more than just a changing course of philosophy — this is exactly what most people [in the civil rights community] feared: a Justice Department that was created to protect civil rights literally abdicating its duty and responsibility to protect Americans from all forms of discrimination.”

Trump’s executive orders are not exactly crowd-pleasers

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/01/22/trump-mandate-polls-unpopular/

It is invariably the case that a winning political candidate casts his success as a stamp of approval for his campaign promises. Particularly in a political system dominated by two parties, this is misguided; voters are identifying the more palatable slate of proposals (when they’re not simply voting along party lines in the first place). It’s dishonest to suggest that every voter agreed with every proposal. But it’s politically useful, as it suggests that disagreement with those proposals is a rejection of the will of the people.

There’s one last useful question from the Journal poll that bears mentioning. It asked respondents which came closer to their view: that voters gave Trump a mandate to govern as he sees fit or that Congress has a duty to check Trump’s power.

By more than a 2 to 1 margin, respondents chose the latter option.

As Jan. 6 leaders call for retribution, judges warn against revisionism

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/01/22/tarrio-rhodes-retribution-jan6-revisionism/

Two newly freed leaders of the far-right Proud Boys and Oath Keepers groups called for investigations into the prosecution of people charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, assailing judges, jurors and prosecutors as they sought “retribution” after being granted clemency from President Donald Trump.

On Wednesday, several federal judges granted the Justice Department’s pardon-based requests to dismiss cases while saying in their rulings that the true story of Jan. 6 could not be whitewashed.

“Dismissal of charges, pardons after convictions, and commutations of sentences will not change the truth of what happened on January 6, 2021,” U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly wrote in dismissing one riot defendant’s case.

President Trump, Crypto Billionaire

 https://www.wsj.com/opinion/donald-trump-crypto-token-melania-securities-and-exchange-commission-8cb7abf2?mod=hp_opin_pos_0

Donald Trump doesn’t always separate his personal interests from his public obligations, and a howling example is his sudden new status as a crypto billionaire. The President is inviting trouble with what looks like remarkably poor judgment.

Crypto markets have boomed since Mr. Trump’s election in part on expectations of friendlier regulation. And so be it. Animal spirits have been rising all around. But Mr. Trump and his family have tried to cash in on the mania by minting Trump-branded coins.

In sign of priorities, Trump’s first call with foreign leader held with Saudi prince

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-sign-of-priorities-trumps-first-call-with-foreign-leader-held-with-saudi-prince/

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday became the first foreign leader to hold a phone call with US President Donald Trump since his return to office this week for a second term.

The decision to first speak with the de facto Saudi leader, known by his initials MBS, indicated the Trump administration’s priorities, with the president expressing his desire to expand the Abraham Accords with a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The deal would likely be part of a massive defense agreement that Riyadh is looking to sign with Washington, which would provide Saudi Arabia with security guarantees from the US if it faces attack and also lead to huge investments into the American economy.

But the Saudis have long made clear that such a deal would require the establishment of a pathway to the eventual establishment of a Palestinian state. Since the outbreak of the Gaza war sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terror onslaught, Riyadh has intensified that rhetoric, with those in touch with the crown prince saying he would no longer be able to accept more symbolic steps from Israel, and that concrete steps would be required. Moreover, Saudi Arabia has made clear that an end to the war in Gaza is also a necessity before normalization talks can proceed.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long rejected a two-state solution, and even small steps in that direction would likely lead to the collapse of his hardline government.

A Eulogy for my Father by Rav Shalom C. Spira

  My father, Dr. Alexander Spira (Yeshayah Zvi ben Avraham Eliezer), ascended to the Heavenly Academy on 8 Shevat, 5784, and his aron was brought to Eretz Yisrael four days later on 12 Shevat. Hence, I recently completed the requisite twelve months of mourning with a eulogy delivered on this past Leil Asarah be-Tevet (corresponding to Jan. 9, 2025). The hesped, which took place at the beit midrash of R. Ephraim Chaim Crémisi [one of the dayanim of Jewish Community Council of Montreal] is audio-recorded at <https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wbzc0hqk46uz0k20qcyu2/Rabbi-chalom-spira.m4a?rlkey=zw5vcrv6idjzc0rfdwrif5uta&e=3&st=ho5y3pyg&dl=0>. Special thanks are hereby extended to Reb Shmuel Yisrael (Sheldon) Keesel for enhancing the eulogy with his Siyum Mishnayot Seder Kodashim [commencing at 39:52 into the recording.]

      My father was born on March 17, 1941 in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia. Miraculously, he survived the Holocaust with his parents and siblings (be-chasdei Ha-Kadosh Barukh Hu, Yishtabach Shemo) and subsequently moved to Montreal, Canada, where my father overcame the foreign language barrier to become certified as a dental surgeon and serve the public oral health for 50 years. My father's commitment to loving Ha-Kadosh Barukh Hu via the Maimonidean path of studying both Torah and science was recognized by the late R. Moses J. Burak in a personal inscription that I read at 13:46 during the eulogy (a photo of which accompanies this column).

 A true hero, my father ultimately gave his life al Kiddush Ha-Shem rather than accept a heart-transplant that could have reversed his terminal cardiac failure, for the reason identified at <https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2023/05/celebrating-siyum-on-sotah-managing.html>.

      My father also generously supported my publications analyzing the agunah problem, which have appeared on this blog. He enabled me to plead before the Chief Justice of Quebec to explain my prenup agreement that ameliorates the plight of agunot. Importantly, at 32:15 into the eulogy recording, I call the audience's attention to my related essay "Response to R. Shmuel Kamenetzky on the Methodology of Resolving Cases of Iggun." The essay was already showcased on this blog [at <https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2021/05/daas-torah-and-legacy-of-rabbi-joshua-h.html>] as flowing from the legacy of the late R. Joshua H. Shmidman [himself tangentially mentioned at 7:08 into the eulogy recording]. My father was indeed a devotee of the late Rabbi Shmidman. [To that effect, Rabbi Shmidman would invite my father to commence birkot ha-shachar on the Days of Awe, apparently because "all beginnings are difficult" (as per Rashi to Exodus 19:5), such that my father's musical talent was required to inspire the congregation to duty.] Hence, my father derived nachat ru'ach from my aforementioned essay which clarifies how the Orthodox Jewish faith considers Ms. Tamar Epstein as still being the wife of Reb Aharon Friedman. 

      As referenced in my essay, the Beit Din Tzedek of Edah ha-Charedit of Jerusalem has asked all rabbinical judges throughout the globe to announce the same. And on p. 15 of Contemporary Halakhic Problems Vol. 4 (which my father purchased for me as a gift soon after its release), Rabbi J. David Bleich identifies that Beit Din Tzedek of the Edah ha-Charedit as the gold standard Beth Din in the world. Ergo, pursuant to the Gemara, Kiddushin 31b that a son is obligated to honour his father even after the latter's ascent to the Heavenly Academy, the values of my father are now perpetuated by my essay which upholds the sanctity of marriage.

Rabbi Spira works as the Editor of Manuscripts and Grants at the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, a Pavilion of the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, Canada.

Trump Finds Crazy Excuse for Pardoning Violent Rioters

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-finds-crazy-excuse-for-pardoning-violent-rioters/

“These people have already served years in prison, and they have served them viciously. It’s a disgusting prison. It’s been horrible. It’s inhumane. It’s been a terrible, terrible thing,” he said.

After another digression about Portland, Seattle and Minneapolis, Trump reiterated, “So, these people have already served a long period of time, and I made a decision to give a pardon.”

Officer Michael Fanone, who was Tasered by Rodriguez, said upon hearing about the thousands of pardons: “I have been betrayed by my country.”

Police union that endorsed Trump condemns Jan. 6 pardons

 https://www.yahoo.com/news/police-union-endorsed-trump-condemns-144718975.html

President Donald Trump's mass pardon of Jan. 6 rioters, many of whom assaulted police officers defending the U.S. Capitol, has provoked a furious response from the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) on Tuesday.

The FOP, the nation's largest police union, endorsed Trump in 2024 and in his previous two campaigns, declaring even after the 2021 insurrection that it was "clear he supported law enforcement and border security."

"When perpetrators of crimes, especially serious crimes, are not held fully accountable, it sends a dangerous message that the consequences for attacking law enforcement are not severe, potentially emboldening others to commit similar acts of violence," the statement continued.

Harvard and Students Against Antisemitism Announce Settlement of Lawsuit

 https://www.harvard.edu/media-relations/2025/01/21/press-release-settlement-harvard-saa/#:~:text=As%20part%20of%20this%20settlement,Harvard%2C%20represented%20by%20new%20counsel.

Today, Plaintiff Students Against Antisemitism and Harvard University announced that they have reached an agreement to resolve Students Against Antisemitism’s claims against Harvard. As part of the settlement, Harvard has agreed to undertake important actions to combat antisemitism on its campus, building on measures it has implemented over the past year. This resolution aligns with Harvard’s commitment to combating antisemitism and ensuring that its Jewish and Israeli students are welcome and able to thrive on its campus and that complaints of discrimination and harassment against Jewish and Israeli students are treated in the same manner and with the same urgency as all protected groups.

https://x.com/ShabbosK/status/1881832732118151220?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

Shabbos Kestenbaum

@ShabbosK

OUR STATEMENT ON HARVARD’S SETTLEMENT TODAY. PLEASE READ AND SHARE. 

A year ago, I decided to sue Harvard over their blatant Civil Rights violations and normalization of antisemitism on campus. 

Although certain Jewish nonprofits discouraged us, we charted a new path forward for young American Jewry, and I’m delighted that there are now more than a dozen such cases filed by heroic Jewish students across the country.

I am deeply grateful for the 4 other plaintiffs at Harvard who decided to join me. Although I wish they weren’t anonymous, their bravery is commendable.

Harvard, rather than apologize or recognize antisemitism on our campus, filed two separate motions to dismiss our case with prejudice. They lost. We are the first case of its kind to go to trial. 

President Trump Freed Drug Offenders. Candidate Trump Wants To Kill Them.

 https://reason.com/2023/10/24/trump-who-freed-drug-offenders-also-wants-to-kill-them/

https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2025/01/white-drug-dealers-should-not-be.html?showComment=1737565514824#c5733017844764656108

In response to the above linked post 

Jacob SullumJanuary 22, 2025 at 7:05 PM

If you think that headline is an accurate description of my position, I invite you to check out what I have written about the war on drugs during the last three or four decades, which includes much discussion of its disparate racial impact. I have just completed a book, Beyond Control, that explores this theme at length. But maybe you were referring to Trump's attitude, which I agree is completely incoherent: https://reason.com/2023/10/24/trump-who-freed-drug-offenders-also-wants-to-kill-them/

The FIRST STEP Act signed by Trump eased drug sentencing. He's running away from that accomplishment in the 2024 election.

Elon Musk’s ‘Nazi’ salute sparks fury from Europe’s left wing

 https://www.politico.eu/article/elon-musk-salute-sparks-fury-from-europe-left-wing/

The salute immediately generated a viral and divided response, with online critics attacking Musk for the gesture and supporters minimizing its significance.

“I will start by talking about the response, or perhaps the lack of responses of the EU to Trump’s inauguration. It represents a threat to the whole of the European Union,” said French member of the European Parliament Manon Aubry, co-chair of The Left group, at a press conference Tuesday morning. “Let’s start by keeping things simple, I am sure everyone saw the Nazi salute, I select these words carefully, the Nazi salute of Elon Musk.”

In Germany, where Musk’s political backing for the far-right Alternative for Germany has already caused issues ahead of a snap election on Feb. 23, the government hit out over the controversial salute.

“I definitely don’t think highly of Elon Musk as a politician, from what we know so far. But such a gesture, given his already known proximity to right-wing populists in the fascist tradition, must worry every democrat,” said German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach from the center-left Social Democratic Party.

In Italy, popular journalist Roberto Saviano — famous for crusading against the mafia and, latterly, Italy’s right-wing government — rained down invective on the Tesla and SpaceX supremo.

Musk responds to backlash over gesture at Trump rally

 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy48v1x4dv4o

Andrea Stroppa, a confidant of Musk who has connected him with far-right Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, was reported by Italian media to have posted the clip of Musk with the caption: "Roman Empire is back starting from Roman salute".

The Roman salute was widely used in Italy by Benito Mussolini's Fascist Party, before later being adopted by Adolf Hitler in Germany.

Stroppa later deleted his post, Italian media said. He later posted that "that gesture, which some mistook for a Nazi salute, is simply Elon, who has autism, expressing his feelings by saying, 'I want to give my heart to you'".

The gesture comes as Musk's politics have increasingly shifted to the right. He has made recent statements in support of Germany's far-right AfD party and British anti-immigration party Reform UK.