Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu insisted during testimony at his corruption trial on Monday that he never asked Walla to alter its coverage of him. He also pointed out that the way the site reported on other politicians was inconsistent, sometimes flattering and sometimes critical.
This stage of questioning marks a crucial point in Netanyahu’s legal defense and is expected to last about a week. The focus is now on the part of the trial where defense attorneys for the co-defendants—Shaul and Iris Elovich and Arnon “Noni” Mozes—are leading the examination before the prosecution begins cross-examination.

Since Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was eliminated by Israel, his brother, Mohamed, has been the most hawkish terror leader in the Strip, the one refusing any hostage release deal that didn’t include ending the war. It was only intense US pressure, combined with the unusual direct talks between Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and senior Hamas officials, that led to the release of US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander. A day later, Sinwar convened a meeting of the military wing’s top brass in the underground complex beneath the European Hospital in Khan Yunis, Walla reported. The complex includes a conference room and command center, from where Sinwar managed the war since his brother was eliminated.

The Senate has confirmed real estate developer Charles Kushner, the father of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France. Charles Kushner was pardoned by Trump in December 2020 after pleading guilty years earlier to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations. Prosecutors alleged that he hatched a scheme for revenge and intimidation after discovering his brother-in-law was cooperating with federal authorities in an investigation, arranging to have an encounter recorded with a hidden camera. Kushner, who was confirmed 51-45, is the founder of Kushner Companies, a real estate firm. His son Jared is a former White House senior adviser to Trump who is married to Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka.

Nebraska is the first state to receive a federal waiver to ban the purchase of soda and energy drinks under the benefit program for low-income Americans long known as food stamps. The move, announced Monday by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, would affect about 152,000 people in Nebraska enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which helps families pay for groceries. “There’s absolutely zero reason for taxpayers to be subsidizing purchases of soda and energy drinks,” Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said in a statement.

President Donald Trump will look to build momentum for his sweeping tax cut and immigration bill on Tuesday, taking a trip to Capitol Hill to address House Republicans as they try to work out their differences before a planned floor vote later this week. Trump will attend the GOP’s weekly conference meeting, according to a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss plans not yet made public. Republicans can afford only a few defections to get the bill through the House, and it’s clear differences remain. Some deficit hawks are insisting on quicker cuts to Medicaid and green energy programs before giving their full support. Others are seeking a large increase in the state and local tax deduction.

The Trump administration has agreed to pay just under $5 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit that Ashli Babbitt’s family filed over her shooting by an officer during the U.S. Capitol riot, according to a person with knowledge of the settlement. The person insisted on anonymity to discuss with The Associated Press terms of a deal that have not been made public. The settlement will resolve the $30 million federal lawsuit that Babbitt’s estate filed last year in Washington, D.C. On Jan. 6, 2021, a Capitol police officer shot Babbitt as she tried to climb through the broken window of a barricaded door leading to the Speaker’s Lobby. The officer who shot her was cleared of wrongdoing by the U.S.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson sparked online backlash over the weekend after making comments defending his practice of appointing large numbers of black employees to city government positions.
Speaking at the Apostolic Church of God in Woodlawn on Sunday, Johnson delivered remarks that were widely shared and criticized online, according to MRC-TV.
“Some detractors that will push back on me and say, ‘The only thing the mayor talks about is the hiring of black people.’ No, what I’m saying is when you hire our people we always look out for everybody else. We are the most generous people on the planet,” Johnson said.

UPDATE: The missing person who was reported missing earlier today has been safely located.

In a sweeping operation conducted by the Tel Aviv District Police’s central unit, five individuals were arrested Monday—including a resident of Bnei Brak and a member of a known crime syndicate—on suspicion of serious financial crimes. The allegations include large-scale money laundering, conspiracy to commit a felony, operating illegal gambling businesses, income tax violations, and running an unlicensed financial services operation.
According to police, the investigation was carried out by the unit’s Morality Division in collaboration with the Tel Aviv District Attorney’s Office (Criminal Division), the Investigation Division of the Insolvency and Economic Rehabilitation Commissioner, and the Israel Tax Authority’s Diamond Unit.