Trump’s hypocritical crusade on violent rhetoric — and the country’s emerging split reality

 https://edition.cnn.com/2026/04/27/politics/trump-violent-rhetoric-analysis

A month ago, President Donald Trump unabashedly celebrated the death of former FBI Director Robert Mueller. “Good, I’m glad he’s dead,” Trump said. “He can no longer hurt innocent people!”

On Monday, Trump and his White House responded to a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner this weekend by decrying Democrats’ supposedly beyond-the-pale rhetoric and labeling them a “cult of hatred.”

Their chief example of this kind of rhetoric? ABC comedian Jimmy Kimmel telling a joke that made light of Trump’s potential demise. Days before this weekend’s shooting, Kimmel joked that first lady Melania Trump had “a glow like an expectant widow.”

Apparently, it’s OK for Trump to celebrate a public servant’s death; it is not OK for Jimmy Kimmel to joke about Trump’s.

IDF strikes Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley for first time in 3 weeks as some towns in north cancel school

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-strikes-lebanons-beqaa-valley-for-first-time-in-3-weeks-amid-shaky-ceasefire/?utm_source=The+Daily+Edition&utm_campaign=daily-edition-2026-04-27&utm_medium=email

The IDF said it launched a wave of airstrikes Monday against Hezbollah infrastructure in the Beqaa Valley and several areas of southern Lebanon as a fragile ceasefire appeared to be rapidly unraveling just days after it was extended.

The strikes came following repeated recent attacks by the Iran-backed terror group on IDF troops and Israel during the truce, including a deadly drone attack in Lebanon the previous day that killed an IDF soldier and wounded six.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted Israel’s freedom to strike Hezbollah targets throughout Lebanon on Monday, while Lebanon’s president, whose government is holding historic direct talks with Israel amid the ceasefire, condemned Hezbollah for attacks it has launched.

Correspondents’ dinner lacked highest security level despite presence of top officials

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/04/26/white-house-correspondents-dinner-security-status/

The Trump administration provided a lower level of security for the White House correspondents’ dinner than it has for other gatherings of high-ranking officials, even though the president and many Cabinet members were in attendance, according to officials familiar with the plan.

When so many officials gather in one place for official functions such as an inauguration or State of the Union address, the secretary of homeland security typically puts the Secret Service in charge of coordinating all security through a formal designation known as a “National Special Security Event.”

The Simple Security Flaws That Exposed Trump to Another Gunman

 https://www.wsj.com/us-news/trump-shooting-correspondents-dinner-security-e1483305?mod=WSJ_home_mediumtopper_pos_2

Dinner guests said getting into the hotel was remarkably easy; “What the hell is the Secret Service doing?”

At the same hotel where then-President Ronald Reagan was shot 45 years ago, it was remarkably easy for a shooter to charge toward a ballroom where President Trump—along with his cabinet members and the reporters who cover his administration—were dining Saturday night. 

The sprawling Washington Hilton, located about 1½ miles north of the White House, for decades has been home to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner because of its capacity to host a large crowd and the Secret Service’s familiarity with securing it. More than 2,500 people attended the event, including five of the top six officials in the presidential line of succession. Hundreds more gathered for parties that media outlets hosted on site before the main festivities began.

Tzadikim try to deceive G-d

Tehilim (19:13) Who can discern his errors? Clean me from hidden faults.

Yalkut Shimoni (677) Who will understand the errors? Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said, "The righteous are mighty, they know how to praise their Creator, and they know how to deceive their Creator. See how David praised. He began to praise in the heavens. The heavens tell of the glory of God. The heavens said to him, "Do you need anything?" He said And the skies tell of the work of his hands. The skies said to him, "Do you need anything?" He began to sing and began to praise the Torah, the Torah of the Lord is perfect. G-d said to him, "David, what  do you need? He replied, Who will understand the errors?The errors done before You do you permit?

Vayikra Rabbah (05:08) David was a clever tenant. He commenced a Psalm with an expression of praise, saying, The heavens declare the glory of God. Said the heavens to him:Do you require anything? And the firmament showeth His handiwork. Said the firmament to him: ‘Do you require anything?’ He went on with his Psalm: Day unto day uttereth speeches, etc.. Said G-d to him: ‘What do you require?’ Said David: Who can discern errors?, meaning, ‘What of the sins I have committed before Thee in error?’ G-d answered: ‘For unintentional transgression you are forgiven, for that you are granted remission.’ David continued: Clear Thou me from hidden faults  i.e. from sins which I have committed before Thee in secret. He answered: ‘For transgression committed in secret you are forgiven, for that is remission granted you.’ David went on: Keep back Thy servant also from such as are presumptuous, i.e. from deliberate transgressions. That they may not have dominion over me; then shall I be faultless. This speaks of the gravest of transgressions.-And I shall be clear from great transgression. David said before G-d: ‘O Master of the Universe! Thou art a great God, and my sins are great. It is only the great God who is fitted to forgive great sins.’ This is indicated bywhat is written, For Thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity, for it is great.

Midrash Tehillim (19:16) Who will understand mistakes? Give me Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, who the righteous are that know how to entice their Creator and know how to rebuke. See how David rebuked his Creator, he started by rebuking the heavens, as it says "The heavens tell of the glory of God." They replied, "Do you need anything?" "No," he said, "but the work of His hands proclaims the firmament." Then he began to rebuke with the Torah, as it says "The fear of the Lord is pure." God said to him, "David, what do you want?" He replied, "Who will understand mistakes? Your servant has committed many sins." God said to him, "I forgive you, and leave your sins." Even willful sins, which are the worst kind. They shall not rule over me. These are sins of passion. As it is said, "Let not those who are wrongfully my enemies rejoice over me." This is the sin of the great transgression. Rabbi Levi said that David said to God, "Master of the Universe, You are a great God, and I owe a great debt to You. Help me pay my debts." As it is said, "For Your Name's sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great." Rav Acha the Kutite said of these sinners, that they know how to go around doors. At first, they say, "Give the poor man a little water." When they change their mind, they say, "Give him one onion," and they give it to him. Then they say, "Give him an onion without bread," and they give it to him. The righteous also know how to please their Creator, as it says, "The lips of the righteous know what is pleasing." This refers to Moses. But the wicked have twisted lips, because they do not know how to please God. 

Sanhedrin (107a) Unto whom may David be likened? Unto a heathen merchant. David said before G-d Sovereign of the Universe! Who can understand his errors? He replied, They are forgiven thee. Cleanse thou me from secret faults he pursued I grant it thee. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins! Tis granted. Let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright: so that scholars may not discuss me.Granted.And I shall be innocent from the great transgression: so my sins may not be recorded.He replied, That is impossible. If the single yod which I removed from Sarai continuously cried out in protest for many years until Joshua came and I added it to his name, as it is written, And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua: how much more so a complete section! And I shall be innocent from great transgression. He pleaded before Him, Sovereign of the Universe! Pardon me that sin completely as though it had never been committed. He replied, It is already ordained that thy son Solomon should say in his wisdom, Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent. He lamented, Must I suffer so much He replied, Accept thy chastisement, and he accepted it.

The Trump Staged Shooting Conspiracies Need to Stop

 https://www.newsweek.com/the-trump-staged-shooting-conspiracies-need-to-stop-opinion-11881629

A lone gunman stormed the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner and was quickly detained after injuring a Secret Service agent. Almost immediately, people on both sides of the conspiracy spectrum claimed this was another staged assassination attempt orchestrated by President Donald Trump, this time to divert attention from embarrassing headlines tied to his failure to negotiate with Iran.

This same bipartisan conspiracy culture also believes Trump and his allies orchestrated the previous assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania—an attack that killed a person in the crowd, seriously injured two others, and resulted in the immediate killing of the would-be assassin after Trump himself was struck in the ear.

The Only Cure by Mark Solms review – has modern neuroscience proved Freud right?

 https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jan/12/the-only-cure-by-mark-solms-review-a-bold-attempt-to-rehabilitate-freud

I read The Only Cure through the lens of its bold – perhaps too bold – title. It contains two claims. First, that psychoanalysis is a cure in the sense that its benefits are lasting and may continue after treatment has been completed. Second, it is the only cure since rival treatments – notably drugs – may lose their effect when they are discontinued because they do not address underlying causes. Solms cites overviews of clinical trials that he believes support these claims. The story he tells seems extremely encouraging – unless, like me, you are obsessional enough to read the papers to which he refers.

When Solms homes in on the evidence for what he calls “good old-fashioned psychoanalysis”, he cites the positive findings of an authoritative systematic overview, but omits reference to the final lines of the paper, which warns against drawing hasty conclusions and calls for “larger studies of higher quality”. A more recent systematic review published in the Lancet Psychiatry was similarly cautious. Admittedly, the treatment schedule was brief. More relevant, perhaps, is an examination of the effectiveness of long-term psychoanalytic therapy (at least 50 sessions over a year). This seems to show clear benefit, but again the authors counsel caution “given the low quality of available evidence”.

The jury is still out, therefore, as to whether psychoanalysis is a cure, never mind the only cure. At best one can conclude it is as effective as other psychological treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy, which are, however, less labour intensive.

Netanyahu cancels Lag Ba’Omer Meron celebrations over mass-casualty concerns

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/426118

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu early Monday morning ordered the cancellation of the annual Lag Ba’Omer celebrations in Meron, citing the fragile ceasefire with Lebanon. The decision was made following several security assessments chaired by the Prime Minister.

It was stressed that the directive stems from “concerns over a potential mass-casualty event due to the fragility of the ceasefire with Lebanon, the site’s proximity to the Lebanese border, the possibility of rocket fire toward the area, and the difficulty of carrying out a large-scale evacuation of participants within the necessary timeframe."

Entire NSF science advisory board fired by Trump administration

 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/entire-nsf-science-advisory-board-fired-by-trump-administration/#:~:text=The%20Trump%20administration%20proposed%20two,proposal%20for%20the%202026%20budget.

All 22 members of the advisory board that advises and oversees the US National Science Foundation (NSF), a leading funder of basic science, were fired on 24 April without explanation. Each member of the NSF’s National Science Board (NSB) received an email Friday afternoon saying that “on behalf of President Donald J. Trump,” their positions were “terminated, effective immediately”.

Zoe Lofgren, a member of the US House of Representatives from California and the ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, criticized the move. “This is the latest stupid move made by a president who continues to harm science and American innovation,” she said in a statement. “It unfortunately is no surprise a president who has attacked NSF from day one would seek to destroy the board that helps guide the Foundation.” House science committee chairman Brian Babin, a Republican from Texas, did not respond to a request for comment.

This is not the first time the Trump administration has ousted federal science advisors en masse. Last year, the administration fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which played a critical part in US vaccine policy, and eliminated 14 advisory committees at the NSF. Also last year, Trump issued an order eliminating several advisory committees, including one on long COVID, to reduce government spending and “promote American freedom and innovation.”

Senior IDF officials: Netanyahu shifts blame for Lebanon failures onto military

 https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/04/27/senior-idf-officials-netanyahu-shifts-blame-for-lebanon-failures-onto-military/

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that he had instructed the IDF to respond forcefully against Hezbollah in Lebanon, but senior IDF officials made clear that in practice, there has been no change in the rules of engagement.

The officials added that Netanyahu's statement was no coincidence and was intended, as they put it, "to shift the blame" onto the IDF, portraying the military as the party failing to deliver. In reality, they added, the activity is being carried out precisely according to the directives of the political echelon and, in effect, according to the guidelines dictated by President Donald Trump in Washington, who announced the ceasefire in Lebanon and, this past weekend, its extension by another three weeks.

PM instructs IDF to strike Hezbollah targets ‘with force’ after repeated truce violations

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/hezbollah-fires-rockets-at-north-israel-hits-terror-targets-in-lebanon-amid-shaky-truce/

Smoke billows from explosions in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam on April 25, 2026 (AFP)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the IDF to go after Hezbollah targets “with force” on Saturday, as the terror group and the Israeli military continued to trade fire in northern Israel and southern Lebanon, despite the extension of the tenuous ceasefire between the warring sides by several more weeks.

The premier’s order to “strike Hezbollah targets in Lebanon by force” was published in a terse statement by his office after two rockets and a drone were launched from Lebanon at northern Israel on Saturday afternoon, activating sirens in several towns.

The incidents came despite an ongoing ceasefire in Lebanon, which US President Donald Trump said Thursday night would be extended by three weeks, while noting that Israel could carry out strikes in Lebanon in self-defense

After 20th Hezbollah ceasefire breach, Netanyahu orders strikes in Lebanon

 After 20th Hezbollah ceasefire breach, Netanyahu orders strikes in Lebanon

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the IDF to vigorously attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, the Prime Minister's Office said Saturday night.

The incident was not the first: At around 5:15 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, sirens sounded in the western Galilee following a UAV infiltration. The IDF said, "Following the sirens that were sounded in several areas in northern Israel, the Israeli Air Force successfully intercepted a suspicious aerial target that was launched from Lebanon toward Israeli territory. Contact with an additional suspicious aerial target was lost. No injuries were reported.

HOW TRUMP ENDS: Megyn & Tucker BURN bridges, Rogan shreds war, MAGA MOVES ON

Reality of Magic and Astrology

 Rav S. R. Hirsch (Letter to R. Hile Wechsler,published by Mordechai Breuer in Hama’ayan 16:2 (Tevet 5736/1976) p. 6) A related topic is the question of the nature of magic, astrology, demons, and suchlike... Who dares get involved in a dispute between Rambam and Ramban,following whom the camp of Israel is split in two on such matters? ...And if so,every intelligent person is entitled to adopt either view in the absence of either being ruled out. Alternatively—and in my view, this is the more correct approach—he can admit that he has no clarity in the matters.And I will admit without shame that I have never bothered to investigate and analyze the nature of these things, just as I have never been curious to investigate and inquire as to the nature of the World-to-Come, the world of the resurrection,and so on. For the truth of these things is concealed from everyone, and it is impossible to attain clarity on these things with decisive proofs... What difference does it make if with regard to matters of witchcraft and suchlike, the truth lies with Rambam or Ramban? Either way, we have to distance ourselves from such things, whether they are genuine or nonsensical. (