President Joe Biden’s apparent confusion over a key executive order left Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson questioning the president’s mental fitness and fearing for the nation’s future. The incident occurred during an Oval Office meeting in early 2024, where Biden seemed unaware he had signed an order freezing new liquid natural gas (LNG) export permits—a decision that had far-reaching economic and geopolitical consequences. The troubling exchange, described by Johnson in an interview with Bari Weiss for the Free Press, paints a chilling picture of a president who, at 81, appeared incapable of recalling critical actions taken under his own leadership.

Despite vocal opposition from Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a proposed hostage release deal with Hamas is expected to secure a majority in the Israeli government and move forward. Smotrich, leader of the Religious Zionist Party, condemned the agreement as “both bad and dangerous for Israel’s national security” during a statement Wednesday evening. While celebrating the potential return of hostages, Smotrich argued that the deal undermines Israel’s wartime achievements and could lead to further bloodshed. “We strongly oppose it,” Smotrich declared.

The Chareidi parties slammed the new clause introduced by Defense Minister Yisrael Katz in an outline of a Chareidi draft law he presented to the Knesset on Tuesday, which states that if Chareidi enlistment target numbers are not reached, personal sanctions will be implemented against lomdei Torah. The Hebrew-language Yated Ne’eman and Hamodia newspapers published reports on Wednesday morning decrying Katz’s decision to include the clause in the draft bill. The Yated report stated: “The Chareidi sector reiterates that it will stand with all its vigor and means at its disposal to ensure that any ben yeshivah who desires to devote himself to Torah can learn Torah without disturbance.

Senator Marco Rubio delivered a forceful condemnation of Hamas during his Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday, as he seeks to become Secretary of State under President-elect Donald Trump. Rubio’s comments underscored his intent to take a hardline approach against the terrorist group, which he described as a major obstacle to peace and stability in the Middle East. “Hamas sent a bunch of savages into Israel with the express and explicit purpose of targeting civilians,” Rubio said, referencing the Oct. 7 massacre. “How can any nation state on the planet coexist side-by-side with a group of savages like Hamas?” Rubio stated unequivocally that Hamas could not continue to govern Gaza, pointing to the group’s stated goal of Israel’s destruction.

A leaked draft of a potential ceasefire deal in Gaza reveals significant concessions and a detailed timeline for hostilities to ease. The document, reportedly obtained by a Palestinian close to the negotiations, outlines a phased agreement between Israeli forces and Hamas representatives. Under the terms of the draft, Israeli forces would withdraw from populated areas across the Gaza Strip during the initial phase of the ceasefire, which is expected to last approximately six weeks. During this period, a total of 33 hostages—both alive and deceased—would be released by Palestinian factions. In exchange, Israel would free 30 Palestinian minors and women from its prisons for each hostage released.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke about the situation in Syria in a speech to his party on Wednesday. Erdogan said that Turkey will crush terrorism in Syria, adding: “The aggressive attacks on Syrian territory, by Israel especially, must stop as soon as possible. Otherwise, it will cause negative  consequences for everyone.” Erdogan failed to mention the presence of Turkish forces in northern Syria and his threats of military actions against the Kurds in Syria, whom he calls a terror group.

A devastating five-alarm fire broke out early Friday at a Bronx apartment building, leaving at least seven people injured. Firefighters rushed to the scene at 2910 Wallace Avenue, a six-story residential building in the East Bronx, shortly after 1:40 a.m. Dramatic footage captured flames pouring from the roof as the blaze consumed the structure. The FDNY gave the following statement to the media: “We arrived here a little after 1:45 this morning. We found fire in the ceiling above the top floor, between the ceiling and the underside of the roof that’s called the cockloft. It’s an open area for the entire length and width of the building. This building is about 200 feet wide, about 100 feet deep, and we had fire throughout that cockloft.

MTA chair and CEO Janno Lieber shrugged off mounting fears over subway crime Monday, dismissing the very real concerns of New Yorkers as little more than paranoia. As congestion pricing forces more commuters into the transit system, Lieber’s tone-deaf remarks during a Bloomberg Surveillance interview seemed to imply that the wave of recent violence is more psychological than factual. “Some of these high-profile incidents… have gotten in people’s heads and made the whole system feel unsafe,” Lieber remarked casually, as though a string of stabbings and a woman being burned alive in full view of horrified riders were mere figments of public imagination.

IDF Captain Eitan Sheknazi (24), a resident of Eli in the Binyamin area, was killed in in Gaza on Monday. Eitan leaves behind a young wife. He is the tenth solider killed in battle from the community of Eli. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)