The head of the FBI’s New York field office, who was reported to have resisted Justice Department efforts to scrutinize agents who participated in politically sensitive investigations, has told coworkers that he has retired from the bureau after being directed to do so. James Dennehy said in a message to colleagues obtained by The Associated Press that he was told late Friday to put in his retirement papers but was not given a reason. The move comes in a period of upheaval at the bureau after new FBI Director Kash Patel took office last month and as conservative podcaster and Trump loyalist Dan Bongino has been named to serve as deputy director.

The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatened Tuesday to launch high-profile provocations in response to the arrival of a U.S. aircraft carrier in South Korea and other U.S. military activities, which she slammed as “confrontation hysteria of the U.S. and its stooges.” The warning by Kim Yo Jong implies North Korea will likely ramp up weapons testing activities and maintain its confrontational posture against the U.S., though President Donald Trump has said he would reach out to Kim Jong Un to revive diplomacy. In a statement carried by state media, Kim Yo Jong accused the U.S. of clearly showing “its most hostile and confrontational will” to North Korea with the deployments of the USS Carl Vinson and other powerful U.S.

Dozens of leading rabbanim from across Lakewood gathered on Monday afternoon to address the ongoing shidduch crisis that has left thousands of bnos yisroel waiting in pain for their zivugim. The atmosphere was heavy with emotion, as the gathered gedolim and roshei yeshiva wrestled with the plight of so many young women whose futures remain uncertain. The meeting, part of a nationwide initiative spearheaded by Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, was hosted by Rav Malkiel Kotler, rosh yeshiva of Bais Medrash Govoha. He, along with Rav Dovid Schustal, Rav Yisroel Neuman, and Rav Yaakov Forchheimer, all of BMG, made it clear: the status quo is untenable, and immediate action must be taken.

As his White House meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart devolved into a stunning blowup, President Donald Trump leaned on a familiar refrain to explain his unique kinship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. “Putin went through a hell of a lot with me,” Trump said Friday, raising his voice and gesturing with his hands as he recounted the long-since-concluded saga of a federal investigation in which both he and the Russian president played starring roles. “He went through a phony witch hunt where they used him and Russia. Russia, Russia, Russia, ever hear of that deal?” Trump said.

“The word happiness has taken on new dimensions,” said Shelly Shem Tov, the mother of freed hostage Omer in an interview with Kol B’Ramah on Monday morning. “I gave birth to a child anew… to see him smiling. Omer is with us and he is safe. We are full of gratitude to the Borei Olam. For 500 days, I recited Mizmor L’Todah next to a Sefer Torah as if he already returned and now he’s back.” Shelly mentioned the now well-known story of Omer making Kiddush in captivity, using a small bottle of  grape juice he received and salt he removed from pretzels for Hamotzi and a piece of toilet paper as a kippa.

Nine months have passed since Thomas Matthew Crooks, a seemingly ordinary 20-year-old, fired eight shots at then-presidential candidate Donald Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. And yet, despite federal investigations, private probes, and endless speculation, one glaring question remains unanswered: Why? Those searching for clarity have been met with silence—or worse, obstruction. The FBI, according to sources, has blocked efforts to uncover the shooter’s motives, leaving local authorities, former classmates, and the broader public frustrated. Crooks left no manifesto, no clear warning signs, no explanation for why he climbed onto a rooftop and attempted to assassinate a former—and now current—president. Even Crooks’ family has sealed itself off from the world.

U.S. stocks tumbled Monday and wiped out even more of their gains since President Donald Trump ’s election in November, after he said that tariffs announced earlier on Canada and Mexico would take effect within hours. The S&P 500 dropped 1.8% after Trump said there was “no room left” for negotiations that could lower the tariffs set to begin Tuesday for imports from Canada and Mexico. Trump had already delayed the tariffs once before to allow more time for talks. Trump’s announcement dashed hopes on Wall Street that he would choose a less painful path for global trade, and it followed the latest warning signal on the U.S. economy’s strength. Monday’s loss shaved the S&P 500’s gain since Election Day down to just over 1% from a peak of more than 6%.

President Donald Trump has halted all military aid to Ukraine, escalating pressure on Volodymyr Zelensky just days after a tense Oval Office exchange cast doubt on U.S. support for its key ally. A senior Defense Department official, who spoke anonymously about internal discussions, told Bloomberg News that the aid freeze will remain in place until Trump determines that Ukraine’s leadership is making a genuine effort toward peace.

The “Renewal of the American Dream” is the theme of President Donald Trump’s first address of his second term to a joint session of Congress.

James Dennehy, the head of the New York FBI Field Office, has been formally removed from his position.