The Greenland War of 2026

 https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-greenland-war-of-2026-europe-trump-tariff-e27b8b98?mod=hp_opin_pos_1

Trump’s lesson in how to turn U.S. allies into China’s friends.

For more than 75 years, the fondest dream of Russian strategy has been to divide Western Europe from the U.S. and break the NATO alliance. That is now a possibility as President Trump presses his campaign to capture Greenland no matter what the locals or its Denmark owner thinks.

Mr. Trump on Saturday threatened to impose a 10% tariff starting Feb. 1 on a handful of European countries that have opposed his attempt to obtain U.S. sovereignty over Greenland. The tariff would jump to 25% on June 1. Presumably this tariff would come on top of the rates Mr. Trump already negotiated in trade deals last year (10% for Britain, 15% for the European Union).

Press secretary strains to make excuses for Trump

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Urgent Alert to NYers re/ Assisted Suicide:

 Rabbosai,

The Assisted Suicide bill in NY ("Chapter Amendments") S8835, is now on the Senate floor - and could be voted on by every Senator as early as Tues. Jan. 20th (see page copied below https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S8835).  In the Assembly we may have time - since A9195 is not listed on this week's agenda - but who knows what may happen if the Senate passes it...

So, we need to focus on state senators, especially getting KJ senator James Skoufis off of this bill, via pressure on a major enabler of his, Gedalye Segedin. See contact info below.

If anyone would like to assist, now is the time. Please call or text 771.215.8892.

Thank you in advance,

Rabbi Noson Shmuel Leiter,

Executive Director,

Help Rescue Our Children

845.642.1679

Direct: 771.215.8892

Israeli Helpline: 03.721.3337

torahjewsfordecency@gmail.com

Tomim Tih'yeh [countering "New-Age" infiltration]: 

Tomim1679@gmail.com

Presentations on New-Age dangers: 605-313-6831 ext. 2

Heard weekly on New Jersey's WSNR Radio 620AM, co-hosting the renowned Levin At Eleven program, every Thursday evening, 11pm to midnight (ET).

~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~  ~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~

See this excerpt from the NY Assisted Suicide bill A136, section 2899-m , page 10, lines 29-34 re העברה על הדת. It requires the health care provider to transfer patient medical records needed to kill the patient. Thus, this legislation is an antireligious edict, העברה על הדת, the likes of which Chazal apply the declaration of 

חנניא מישאל ועזריה: "את וכלבא שוין"

As quoted by Rashi near the beginning of sefer Doniel, and which has historically evoked epic מס"נ.

This particular provision was not modified in Gov. Hochul's Chapter Amendments.

See below, bolded section, especially the italicized part (all emphasis absent in original).  So much for all of their mantras about "Choice"...

~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~  ~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~

25    § 2899-m. Permissible refusals and prohibitions. 1. (a)  A  physician,

    26  nurse,  pharmacist, other health care provider or other person shall not

    27  be under any duty, by law or contract, to participate in  the  provision

    28  of medication to a patient under this article.

    29    (b) If a health care provider is unable or unwilling to participate in

    30  the  provision  of  medication  to  a patient under this article and the

    31  patient transfers care to a new health care provider, the  prior  health

    32  care  provider shall transfer or arrange for the transfer, upon request,

    33  of a copy of the patient's relevant medical records to  the  new  health

    34  care provider.

    35    2.  (a)  A  private health care facility may prohibit the prescribing,

    36  dispensing, ordering or  self-administering  of  medication  under  this

    37  article  while  the  patient is being treated in or while the patient is

    38  residing in the health care facility if:

    39    (i) the prescribing, dispensing,  ordering  or  self-administering  is

    40  contrary  to a formally adopted policy of the facility that is expressly

    41  based on sincerely held religious beliefs or moral  convictions  central

    42  to the facility's operating principles; and

    43    (ii)  the  facility  has  informed the patient of such policy prior to

    44  admission or as soon as reasonably possible.

    45    (b) Where a facility has adopted a prohibition under this subdivision,

    46  if a patient who wishes to use medication under this  article  requests,

    47  the patient shall be transferred promptly to another health care facili-

    48  ty  that is reasonably accessible under the circumstances and willing to

    49  permit the prescribing, dispensing, ordering and  self-administering  of

    50  medication under this article with respect to the patient.

    51    (c)  Where a health care facility has adopted a prohibition under this

    52  subdivision,  any  health  care  provider  or  employee  or  independent

    53  contractor  of  the facility who violates the prohibition may be subject

    54  to sanctions otherwise available to the facility, provided the  facility

    55  has  previously notified the health care provider, employee or independ-

    56  ent contractor of the prohibition in writing.

~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~  ~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~

Gedalye Segedin

Position: Clerk, Political Leader for Aharoni Faction in Kiryas Joel, NY

Kiryas Yoel, NY

gskjkj@gmail.com

C: 914-490-6111

H: 845.782.1974 

Clerk, KJ Village: 845-783-8300, ext.

9,3# 

Call 9-5, F Til 12.

Text first, ideally. If you can't text, consider paging him the number of the legislation in question, eg. 1378835 for the Senate bills (S136, S8835) or 1369515 for the Assembly bills (A136, A9515).

Inform him that if, R"L, Assisted Suicide/ A9515/ S8835 passes with support from either Assemblyman Chris Eachus or Senator James Skoufis, it will be on his shoulders (and the law will be gruesomely known by some as "The Gedalye Segedin Grandma Reduction Act of 2026").

~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~  ~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~

Also contact, ASAP:

NY State Senator James Skoufis:

188 State St. LOB, Rm 612

Albany,NY 12247 

845-567-1270 

518-455-3290

Fax: (845) 534-2520 

skoufis@NYsenate.gov

KJ, cosponsored s138 (A/S)

And, afterwards:

Assemblyman Chris Eachus: 

District 99

eachusc@nyassembly.gov

34 Smith Clove Road

Central Valley, NY 10917

845-469-6929

Fax: 845-460-2185

LOB 628

Albany, NY 12248

518-455-5441

Fax: 518-455-5884

https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Chris-Eachus

KJ, voted for A136 (A/S)

~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~  ~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~

Background Information:

~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~  ~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~

בס"ד

מוצ"ש פרשת וארא, תשפ"ו

R' ...

A gutt voch. As you know, NY State faces the spectre of passage of one of the most lethal bills in its' history.  Leading Rabbis across the Orthodox spectrum have urged us to do all we can to stop this type of legislation wherever it rears its' ugly head.

Rabbis, prominent Jewish advocacy organizations, activists, and Media (e.g. HaModia, VINNews.com, MonseyMevaser.com, Queens Jewish Link, NJJewishLink.com BeLaaz.com) in the Orthodox Jewish world have been raising the alarm.

Every community must do their part to oppose this.

History is being written NOW.

This bill was passed in June by both houses, having been cosponsored by your Sullivan County Assemblywoman, Paula E. Kay, Esq.

Unfortunately, she remains supportive, despite hearing some very serious Jewish objections.

It never became law - because Gov. Hochul insisted on additional "guardrails," called Chapter Amendments. Those Amendments are expected to be voted on shortly in the Assembly, as bill number A9515. 

If her Amendments pass, she signs the bill. If they don't, she doesn't, and the legislation dies.

Thus, the way to stop Assisted Suicide is to stop the Chapter Amendments. Tragically, Assemblywoman Kay is still planning voting Yes on the Chapter Amendments.

It's crucial to realize that even with her Chapter Amendments, this legislation would not only institutionalize assisted suicide, as terrible as that is from our Torah perspective -- it would also enable the outright murder of vulnerable individuals who do not wish to die - in blatant violation of the "Autonomy" and "Choice" mantras - "justifications" that bill proponents ceaselessly spout.

In other words, even with the protections added by the proposed "Chapter Amendments" required by Gov. Hochul, this bill would lethally undermine personal autonomy in the very name of advancing it.

This is due to remaining loopholes, and due to the absence of a non-severability clause -

בטלה מקצתה בטלה כולה.  

Q: Why is absence of non-severability clause so important, and even more revealing about their true intentions?

A:  In a bill without a non-severability clause  - even meaningful protections are ultimately worthless, because they can be easily eliminated over time, without fanfare - leaving the bill's killing machinery operating at full speed, without those protections.

Bill architects know this. They, like your Assemblywoman, are very knowledgeable about law and legislation.

Q: So what's really behind the talk about protections?

A: The primary purpose of the protections is to overcome opposition and enable passage. In other words, the protections ultimately serve to "Aid in Killing," by enabling initial passage - not to protect the vulnerable, in the long term.

In this case, "The Road to Hell is Paved With Amendment Protections."

And many of the bill proponents know this very well.

Perhaps it is for that reason that some of them seem to enjoy expending time on distractive matters - vibrant expositions pertaining to the lobbying and legislative process - as a means of shifting the conversation from the real point: confronting the inherent contradiction in their own ongoing support for this anti-Autonomy legislation - a contradiction which is "hiding in plain sight" for anyone who understands the issues.

Please see the Psak attached and posted online:

Broad Rabbinic Statement against Assisted Suicide: ver. 14

https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2025/05/psak-halacha.html

Please be in contact to discuss how we can help you share in your part of this ongoing effort to take a stand - for all New Yorkers, Jewish and non-Jewish, of all Faiths and of none, especially the most vulnerable, and to authentically advance Kovod Shomayim.

However, time is something we do not have.

May we merit the Ultimate Redemption in the merit of countering its' impediments.

Rabbi Noson Shmuel Leiter,

Executive Director,

Help Rescue Our Children

~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~  ~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~

---------- Forwarded message ---------

Date: Sun, Jan 18, 2026, 1:08 AM

Subject: senate committee vote on NEW assisted suicide vote

To: Rabbi Noson Leiter 

This terrible bill was also voted for in the Senate Rules committee as follows:

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S8835

Senate Bill S8835

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to requirements for the provision of medication for medical aid in dying

 DOWNLOAD BILL TEXT PDF

SHARE THIS BILL

 

 

SPONSORED BY

(02-05-25) Rivera-HS

 

Gustavo Rivera

(D, WF) 33RD SENATE DISTRICT

CURRENT BILL STATUS -

On Floor Calendar

Introduced

 

In Committee Assembly

In Committee Senate

 

On Floor Calendar Assembly

On Floor Calendar Senate

 

Passed Assembly

Passed Senate

 

Delivered To Governor

 

Signed By Governor

 

ACTIONS

HIDE ACTIONS (2)

Date of Action Assembly Actions - Lowercase

Senate Actions - UPPERCASE

Jan 12, 2026 ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.49

Jan 08, 2026 REFERRED TO RULES

VOTES

HIDE VOTES

JAN 12, 2026 - RULES COMMITTEE VOTE

S8835

AYE

13

NAY

7

AYE WITH RESERVATIONS 0

ABSENT 0

EXCUSED 0

ABSTAINED 0

HIDE RULES COMMITTEE VOTE DETAILS

Rules Committee Vote: Jan 12, 2026

AYE (13)

Addabbo Jr.BaileyComrieFernandezGianarisHarckhamKruegerLiuMayerMyrieParkerSepúlvedaStewart-Cousins

NAY (7)

GallivanGriffoHelmingLanzaO'MaraOrttStec

Fact check: Trump claim about Minneapolis ICE shooting false

 https://www.dw.com/en/fact-check-trump-claim-about-minneapolis-ice-shooting-false/a-75442390

Analysis of videos shows Renee Nicole Good was steering away from the ICE agent, and that he was not run over

Looking closely at the clip Trump shared — posted to his account in slow motion — one may indeed get the impression at the 5-second time stamp that the SUV has run the officer over, and that he starts shooting a moment later in response.

However, it is clear by the 8-second mark, at the latest, that the aforementioned ICE officer is standing upright and looking at the vehicle as it drives away.

Watching the clip at the original speed, it is evident that, although the SUV is moving, the ICE officer jumps back from it and is not run over.

Uncomfortable truth behind being a Diaspora Jew today - opinion

 https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-883184

Virtually all of the thousands of attacks upon Jews over the last several years have gone unpunished; it is extremely rare for any of these criminals to have been fined, let alone incarcerated. As an NYPD detective told me recently, “Jews are attacked with impunity on a daily basis, but the law favors the perpetrator, not the victim.”

The late Rabbi Sholom Gold tells the story of a young American yeshiva student who spent a year researching the halachic sources regarding the requirement to live in Israel. He then came to Jerusalem and sought out Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, of blessed memory, one of Jerusalem’s great sages.

He asked the rabbi, “The Rambam and the Ramban – Maimonides and Nachmanides – argue over whether living in Israel is one of the 613 commandments. Which one was right?” The Rav did not reply. So the student persisted: “While some scholars say that living in Israel is obligatory, others, such as Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, say it is optional.

Which one is right?”

Rav Auerbach turned to the young man. “You don’t need to know the opinions of these rabbinic leaders,” he said. Just walk into any Hebrew grade school and ask, “What country did God choose for the Jews to live in?” Each and every child will unanimously answer, “Israel!”

CNN analyst says ‘DOJ has lost its damn mind’ with Walz, Frey probe

 https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5694218-elie-honig-cnn-doj-walz-frey-probe-minnesota-immigration-enforcement/

CNN analyst Elie Honig blasted the Trump administration Friday evening after the Justice Department (DOJ) moved to subpoena Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey over the unrest following protests over immigration enforcement in the state.

Honig, a former federal and state prosecutor, cast doubt on the strength of the department’s accusations that the elected officials subverted federal law enforcement officers.

“If you have public officials, as we do here, making political speech, even if it’s explosive, inflammatory, aggressive, and then that causes people to protest, or to call 9-1-1, that is simply not obstruction of justice,” he added. “If they bring an indictment for obstruction, I promise you, they will lose.”

Paying the Price

 https://www.politico.com/sponsored/2025/12/paying-the-price/?utm_source=native&utm_medium=homepage

Health care affordability in the U.S. has reached a boiling point. Over the past decade, prescription drug prices have risen exponentially — with some medications increasing by as much as 5,000 percent — far outpacing inflation, wage growth and, increasingly, the patience of the American people. As the gap between what drugs cost and what families can afford widens, Americans are turning to dangerous measures such as rationing or omitting needed prescriptions to offset costs.

The first ‘across the bridge’: Man who received experimental pig kidney transplant now has a human organ

 https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/16/health/pig-kidney-human-organ-transplant

Xenotransplantation – the transplant of different species’ organs - has been touted as a possible solution to the current shortage of organ donors. The transplanted pig organs are genetically modified to control for rejection and size.

“Dialysis is not able to reproduce what the body needs in terms of clearing the waste,” said Dr. Leonardo Riella, medical director of kidney transplantation at Mass General Brigham hospital and Andrews’ doctor. “It has a huge burden on the patient, both in their quality of life but most importantly on their health.”

“Even if it is a bridge,” Riella said, “it would be better than [Tim] just staying on dialysis.”

Physician Aliyah accelerates as more than 1,000 doctors join Israel’s healthcare system in two years

 https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/syy2c9dsbe#:~:text=Hundreds%20of%20physicians%20immigrated%20to,The%20Jewish%20Agency%20for%20Israel.

Hundreds of physicians immigrated to Israel in 2025 through the International Medical Aliyah Program, a national initiative led by Nefesh B’Nefesh in partnership with the ministries of Aliyah and Integration, Health, and the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience, in cooperation with The Jewish Agency for Israel. Physicians arrived from North America, France, the United Kingdom, South America and other countries. According to current trends, hundreds of additional doctors are expected to make Aliyah in 2026, further strengthening the public healthcare system nationwide.

Data from the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration shows that 541 physicians made Aliyah in 2025, including 346 from the former Soviet Union, 93 from North America, 53 from France, 23 from South America and the remainder from other countries.

Carville predicts GOP ‘wipeout’ in 2026 midterms

 https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5694291-democrats-midterm-elections-james-carville/

Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville predicted Saturday that the 2026 midterm elections will be a “wipeout” for Republicans, with Democrats picking up 25 seats “at a minimum.” 

“Frankly, it’s going to be a wipeout,” Carville told host Kayleigh McEnany on Fox News’s “Saturday in America.” 

“Your viewers need to know that the Democrats are going to pick up at a minimum 25 seats, maybe as high as 45. In all likelihood, the Democrats will carry the Senate,” he added. 

In a sign of momentum for Democrats, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifted 18 House races in the party’s favor this week, citing Trump’s unpopularity in polling and a recent streak of Democrat wins in special elections nationwide.

Trump administration demands countries pay $1B for permananent spot on BoP - Bloomberg

 https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-883656

The Trump administration has told countries that want a permanent spot on the new Gaza Board of Peace (BoP), which will be responsible for rebuilding the Gaza Strip and ensuring Hamas's disarmament, that they must contribute "at least one billion dollars," Bloomberg News reported on Saturday night. 

The White House announced on Friday that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Tony Blair will be among the founding members of the new BoP.

"It appears that Trump is building an organization here that will deal not only with Gaza, perhaps 'a kind of Mini-UN'," Western diplomats told The Jerusalem Post.

Reports by Canadian media claimed that Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney was invited to join the board and accepted the invitation.

"Gaza is our show": U.S. pushes its plan over Netanyahu's objections

 https://www.axios.com/2026/01/17/gaza-phase-two-netanyahu-trump-board

President Trump's advisers have little patience for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's objections as they push ahead with "phase two" of the Gaza peace plan.

"This is our show, not his show. We managed to do things in Gaza in recent months nobody thought was possible, and we are going to continue moving," a senior U.S. official told Axios, referring to Netanyahu.

US official: Gaza is our way or the highway

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/421049

US President Donald Trump's advisers have rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statements regarding the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan, Axios reported.

A senior US official told Axios, "This is our show, not his show," referring to Netanyahu. The official added, "We managed to do things in Gaza in recent months nobody thought was possible, and we are going to continue moving."

The official said stressed, "If he wants us to deal with Gaza, it will have to be our way. We worked over him. Let him focus on Iran and let us deal with Gaza. We are not going to argue with him. He will do his politics and we will keep moving forward with our plan. He can't really go against us."

The official also said that the alternative to accepting the US dictations is sending IDF troops back into fighting in Gaza, and the US stepping out.