Uber strongly condemned recent anti-Semitic violence in Amsterdam and announced it is actively cooperating with law enforcement to determine if any of its drivers were involved, following calls from Jewish advocacy groups and YWN to boycott the company. “We were shocked and saddened to hear of the abhorrent violence in Amsterdam. While there were no reported incidents of violence on any Uber trip, we’re actively supporting law enforcement as they work to identify the offenders,” a spokesperson gold the Washington Free Beacon. Concerns from Jewish groups have mounted after reports surfaced that some rideshare drivers may have played a role in Thursday’s attacks on Israeli soccer fans visiting the Dutch city.

Hezbollah commander Salim Jamil Ayyash, wanted for his role in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, was killed in an Israeli airstrike, according to Saudi media reports on Sunday. Al-Arabiya reported Ayyash was targeted near the Syrian city of al-Qusayr, a known Hezbollah stronghold. Social media sources claimed the airstrike specifically targeted Ayyash, a high-ranking Hezbollah member with a $10 million bounty placed by the United States. Ayyash was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment by a UN-backed tribunal in 2020 for orchestrating the 2005 car bombing in Beirut that killed Hariri.

In an unexpected appeal for bipartisan support, President-elect Donald Trump suggested on Saturday that the Republican Party should assist in paying off Vice President Kamala Harris’s reported campaign debts. Trump’s comments, posted on his Truth Social account, come as reports indicate Harris left the 2024 presidential race with significant outstanding expenses despite raising over $1 billion during her campaign. Lindy Li, a Democratic National Committee official, described Harris’s campaign as a “$1 billion disaster” on Fox & Friends Weekend. Li reported that the campaign is burdened with debts estimated between $18 million and $20 million, with donors left questioning the return on their contributions.

In a message that raised eyebrows — and a few laughs — Vice President Kamala Harris’ former communications director, Jamal Simmons, suggested President Joe Biden should step down to give Harris a historic, albeit brief, stint as the first female U.S. president. Simmons, who served under Harris in 2022 and 2023, shared this “plan” on X and live on CNN, in the wake of Harris’ decisive defeat to President-elect Donald Trump. “Joe Biden has been amazing but he should fulfill one last promise — to be transitional. Biden should resign and make Kamala Harris the first woman president,” Simmons posted. His logic? It would “turn tables” on Trump and “make it easier for the next woman to run.” “Joe Biden’s been a phenomenal president, he’s lived up to so many of the promises he’s made.

The election of Donald Trump returns an ally of school choice to the White House, this time with a Republican-controlled Senate — and potentially House — that could be more supportive of proposals that fizzled during his first term. Although proposals to expand private schooling suffered high-profile defeats in several states, Trump’s victory has brought new optimism to advocates of supporting school choice at the federal level. One of their main priorities: tax credits for donations to organizations that provide private school scholarships. Jim Blew, who served as an assistant secretary in the U.S. Education Department in the first Trump administration, said he’s hopeful the new Congress will greenlight ideas like tax credits for scholarships.

Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, one of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s closest confidants, made a secret visit to Russia last week, Army Radio reported on Sunday. The visit is a result of US pressure on Israel to reach a ceasefire in Lebanon, with Dermer carrying out the negotiations on behalf of Netanyahu. Russia, which is entrenched in Syria, would play a significant role in any diplomatic arrangement between Israel and Hezbollah due to the close ties between Hezbollah and Syria and the transfer of arms and soldiers from Syria to Lebanon via Iran and its proxy states.

In a significant operation last week, IDF troops, alongside special units and intelligence teams, dismantled an underground Hezbollah terror compound hidden beneath a cemetery in southern Lebanon. The IDF’s 36th Division led the mission, supported by the Shaldag Unit, Yahalom Unit, Golani Brigade, 282nd Brigade, and engineering and logistics teams. Within the compound, forces discovered command rooms, living quarters, and extensive weapons storage. The facility, designed to facilitate infiltration attempts into Israel, spanned approximately one kilometer in length, was two meters high, and lay about one and a half kilometers from the Israeli border, without extending into Israeli territory.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has confirmed Israel’s involvement in the September pager and walkie-talkie attacks targeting Hezbollah terrorists across Lebanon and Syria. In today’s cabinet meeting, Netanyahu pointedly referenced opposition to the operation from within Israel’s defense establishment and political leadership, hinting at former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. “The pager operation and the elimination of [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah were carried out despite the opposition of senior officials in the defense establishment and those responsible for them in the political echelon,” Netanyahu reportedly stated, subtly criticizing Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and intelligence leaders.

Prime Minister  Netanyahu has announced that he has spoken with US President-elect Donald Trump three times since the election, emphasizing their shared perspective on the challenges posed by Iran. In a video message, Netanyahu said that these conversations aimed to deepen the robust Israel-US alliance. He noted that they see eye-to-eye on the Iranian threat and the risks it presents. Netanyahu also highlighted promising opportunities for Israel in advancing regional peace and cooperation. He described the discussions as “productive and highly significant.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

In a post on his Truth Social platform Saturday, President-elect Donald Trump announced that former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley would not be part of his upcoming administration. Both Haley and Pompeo, once close allies of Trump, had distanced themselves from him at times during the 2024 Republican primary campaign. Haley, who ran against Trump in the Republican primary, frequently criticized him during her campaign, including in recent remarks at a Madison Square Garden rally. Pompeo, though he ultimately endorsed Trump, had publicly defended Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during a period of intense rivalry between DeSantis and Trump. Despite expressing interest in a potential role, Pompeo did not make Trump’s shortlist.