Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) made it clear that Democrats are not stepping in to help Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) as he struggles to navigate turmoil within his own party over a government funding bill. On Tuesday, Johnson introduced a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through March 14, averting a shutdown scheduled for December 21. However, the proposal quickly unraveled. While some conservative House members voiced concerns, the real blow came when Elon Musk launched a social media barrage against the bill, posting over 70 tweets, many of them inaccurate. President-elect Donald Trump soon joined the fray, threatening to primary Republicans who supported the measure. Facing mounting opposition, Johnson scrapped the plan entirely.

In a joint operation earlier today, the IDF and Shin Bet security agency successfully eliminated Tarek Doush, a senior figure in the Tulkarm terrorist network, in an airstrike. Tarek Doush had been a central figure in recruiting and coordinating terrorists over the past year, supported by Iranian funding and Lebanese operatives linked to the Maqdah family. His network was responsible for numerous attacks, including shootings targeting IDF soldiers, checkpoints, and nearby communities along the Judea and Samaria security fence. The network also plotted attacks within Israeli territory. The strike also eliminated Dossam Awfi, another key operative within the network, along with two additional terrorists.

Sunni Sheikh Hassan Mourab, who is considered a supporter of Hezbollah, acknowledged in an interview with Lebanese television that the terrorist organization is in a very difficult situation – in fact, “Israel has left nothing of Hezbollah.” Referring to the series of assassinations of senior Hezbollah figures, he said: “The organization has suffered severe blows at the high command levels, the lower levels, and in the infrastructure in southern Lebanon. What else is left that the enemy has not achieved? What else is left for them to do?” he wondered. “What is left for us? Tell me.” “Southern Lebanon has been completely destroyed. And at the end, Hezbollah was also forbidden from operating weapons inside Lebanon and outside it. Okay? So what is left of Hezbollah? Nothing.

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby delivered an emotional moment at the Israeli Embassy’s annual Chanukah celebration in Washington, D.C., as he recited a prayer for hostages being held in Gaza. Wearing a black yarmulke, Kirby, who is not Jewish, solemnly recited the prayer in English. After concluding, he declared in Hebrew, “Am Yisrael Chai,” meaning “The Nation of Israel Lives.” Kirby’s heartfelt gesture resonated deeply with attendees, many of whom applauded his steadfast support for Israel. Over the past year, Kirby has become a prominent figure in the pro-Israel community, consistently defending Israel’s actions against Hamas during White House press briefings.

The IDF has carried out a huge attack in Yemen early Thursday morning local time. Massive explosions were reported in multiple locations, with strikes primarily reported in the Houthi-controlled capital, Sana’a. Israel has not attacked Yemen for about three months, since the end of September, although the missiles continue to be fired multiple times a week into Israel, including tonight. Thankfully, Israel’s missile defense systems have been successfully intercepting them, though tonight’s attack caused significant damage due to falling debris.

The United Nations Security Council convened for a session on the Middle East, where Michael Levy, the brother of Hamas hostage Or Levy, delivered a poignant plea for action. Speaking through a video message, Levy detailed the anguish his family has endured and called on the council to fulfill its humanitarian duty. “For 439 days, my family has lived in fear, anguish, and an unbearable silence that echoes louder than any words ever could,” Levy began. He described his brother Or as more than just a statistic: “He is a real human being.

In a glittering display of media excellence—or perhaps something closer to self-parody—an illustrious panel of truth-tellers and bias-watchers at Newsbusters has crowned MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough as the reigning champion of absurdity in journalism. Yes, it’s official: Scarborough has won the Media Research Center’s (MRC) coveted Brian Stelter Award for Worst Quote of the Year award for 2024. And not for the first time—he’s now a two-time back-to-back winner in this highly competitive field of media melodrama. The selection process was grueling, as MRC’s finest minds—including President L. Brent Bozell, Vice President for Research Brent Baker, and a cadre of other deeply impartial observers—sifted through the crème de la crème of left-wing lunacy.

Louis Har, who was rescued about 10 months ago from the heart of Rafah in a heroic operation by Yamam special forces after 129 days in captivity, went to Yeshivas Bnei Akiva in Givat Shmuel on Wednesday to bentch HaGomel. He was greeted by the talmidim who surrounded him, dancing and singing and waving flags, in a moving display of joy and unity. Afterward, a Rav helped him to recite the bracha. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul said Tuesday he believes unidentified drones recently spotted over New Jersey and New York may be “spy drones” from China, even as Biden administration officials downplay the concerns, claiming many of the sightings involve commercial or benign aircraft. “We want answers, but the response I’m getting is we don’t know whose drones these are,” McCaul told reporters ahead of a classified briefing for the House Intelligence Committee. “I was with the NASA administrator, Bill Nelson. He said these drones have been reported over military sites, military bases. I would not think those are friendly. I would think those are adversarial,” McCaul said.