Trump says Nikki Haley and Mike Pompeo won’t be asked to return in second administration

(Worthy Insights) – US President-elect Donald Trump ruled out on Saturday re-appointing two senior figures from his first administration, ex-secretary of state Mike Pompeo and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley.

Writing on his Truth Social social network, Trump said he “will not be inviting” either figure to join his administration as speculation swirls about the identity of his new team.

Pompeo had outlined a hawkish plan for Ukraine in July involving more weapons transfers and tough action against Russia’s energy sector which analysts noted on Saturday was at odds with Trump’s campaign statements. [ Source (Read More…) ]

German MPs pass resolution to defund BDS

(Worthy Insights) – An overwhelming majority of the German parliament’s lower house voted on Thursday in favor of a resolution that calls for excluding boycotters of Israel from public funding and acknowledges the link between Muslim immigration and antisemitism.

The motion received the support of all the parties of Germany’s left-leaning ruling coalition, which has 415 out of 733 seats in the Bundestag. The center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which helped co-author the resolution, added its 196 seats. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) also supported the resolution with its 76 seats, meaning it had the support of 93% of the Bundestag.

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The Left party, which has 28 seats, abstained during the vote, and the far-left Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, which has 10 seats, was the only political party that voted against the resolution, according to the Tagesschau news site. [ Source (Read More…) ]

IDF reveals footage of Hamas torturing Palestinians in Gaza (Warning: graphic content)

(Worthy Insights) – The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have unveiled a series of videos purportedly showing the interrogation and torture of Palestinian civilians by Hamas.

This revelation comes amid ongoing tensions in Gaza, where 101 hostages remain unaccounted for, more than 400 days after a significant escalation of violence.

The footage, which spans thousands of hours, was reportedly obtained from surveillance cameras installed between 2018 and 2020. It was discovered during a recent IDF raid on a Hamas facility located in the Jabaliya refugee camp. The videos depict disturbing scenes of detainees restrained with chains, their heads covered, and one clip showing a man in visible distress. [ Source (Read More…) ]

Federal judge tosses Illinois’ ban on semiautomatic weapons

(Worthy Insights) – A federal judge has overturned Illinois’ ban on semiautomatic weapons, leaning on recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings that strictly interpret the Second Amendment right to keep and bear firearms.

U.S. District Judge Stephen P. McGlynn’s said his Friday decision applied universally, not just to the lawsuit’s plaintiffs.

The Protect Illinois Communities Act, signed into law in January 2023 by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, took effect Jan. 1. It bans AR-15 rifles and similar guns, large-capacity magazines and an assortment of attachments largely in response to the 2022 Independence Day shooting at a parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park. [ Source (Read More…) ]

Jews being chased down in Amsterdam shows antisemitism is on the rise

(Worthy Insights) – Early Friday morning in Amsterdam, in the shadow of the house in which Anne Frank hid and where her family was betrayed, rampaging mobs of Muslim men targeted Israeli attendees of a soccer match featuring the Maccabi team.

They beat up men and women.

They broke into buildings searching for Israelis to attack.

They assaulted at least one child.

For hours, the streets were not clear of them, as the authorities in the Dutch city had no clue what to do or how to engage. [ Source (Read More…) ]

Israel signs $5.2 billion deal for next-generation F-15 fighter jets

(Worthy Insights) – The Defense Ministry signed a $5.2 billion agreement with Boeing on Wednesday to purchase 25 advanced F-15IA fighter jets, funded through U.S. military aid.

The deal includes an option for 25 additional jets in the future. According to the ministry, jet deliveries will begin in 2031, with 4–6 planes arriving annually.

The authorization was signed by Defense Ministry Director-General Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir during a visit to the U.S. last month, following negotiations led by Israel’s procurement delegation and the Israeli Air Force. [ Source: Ynet News (Read More…) ]

Governing Gaza after War: Israeli Attorneys Explore Plan to Keep Israel Secure

(Worthy Insights) – As fighting continues in Gaza with no ceasefire deal in sight, many wonder about the future of the region.

After studying similar situations over the past 100 years, one group of Israeli lawyers has a plan they believe is critical for Israel’s security.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is insisting Hamas be destroyed by the end of the war. Others believe the priority is a peace deal, and that Gaza can be dealt with later. [ Source (Read More…) ]

DOJ moving to wind down Trump criminal cases before he takes office

(Worthy Insights) – Justice Department officials have been evaluating how to wind down the two federal criminal cases against President-elect Donald Trump before he takes office to comply with long-standing department policy that a sitting president can’t be prosecuted, two people familiar with the matter tell NBC News.

The latest discussions stand in contrast with the pre-election legal posture of special counsel Jack Smith, who in recent weeks took significant steps in the election interference case against Trump without regard to the electoral calendar.

But the sources say DOJ officials have come to grips with the fact that no trial is possible anytime soon in either the Jan. 6 case or the classified documents matter — both of which are mired in legal issues that would likely prompt an appeal all the way to the Supreme Court, even if Trump had lost the election. [ Source: NBC News (Read More…) ]

America Has Become a ‘Surveillance Prison’ – Our Devices and Our Government Are Spying on Us

(Worthy Insights) – Many of us are under surveillance, at this very moment. No warrants are needed, and no laws are broken.

The most obvious culprit is all the cameras, and America has as many surveillance cameras per person as Communist China. Police departments in America’s largest cities, from New York to L.A., are combining these cameras with facial recognition technology to track everyone.

You’re also giving away your personal information, about where you are, what you like, even about your mental health without even realizing it. Every click, purchase, and “like” is harvested and sold for profit by data brokers, feeding a growing digital advertising market that is close to one trillion dollars in value. Even your car tire sensors allow you to be tracked. [ Source (Read More…) ]

43 monkeys escape South Carolina research facility; police warn residents to secure doors and windows

(Worthy Insights) – Authorities in South Carolina on Thursday warned residents to lock their doors and windows after more than 40 monkeys escaped from a research facility.

The primates broke loose from a Alpha Genesis facility in Beaufort County and traps have been set up and thermal imaging cameras are being used in an effort to locate the fugitive monkeys, the Yemassee Police Department said in a statement.

In an update posted Thursday, police confirmed 43 rhesus macaque primates escaped and none had been captured as of early afternoon. Authorities said the primates were “very young females weighing approximately 6-7 lbs” and had never been used for testing due to their age. [ Source (Read More…) ]

Franklin Graham Says God Spared Trump’s Life to Turn America ‘Back to God’

(Worthy Insights) – Evangelist Franklin Graham said Wednesday he believes God spared the life of Donald Trump from an assassin’s bullet so the former president could reclaim the White House. Graham made the remarks hours after Trump himself raised the possibility of divine intervention as he spoke to the nation on Election Night. Trump won back the presidency thanks to a strong showing in the South, Southwest, and industrial heartland.

“Many people have told me that God spared my life for a reason, and that reason was to save our country and to restore America to greatness, and now we are going to fulfill that mission together,” Trump said during his victory speech. “We’re going to fulfill that mission.”

Graham echoed those comments during an appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored. There is, Graham said, “no question” that God intervened. Graham is president of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. [ Source (Read More…) ]

How will Iran’s proxies in Iraq respond to US election? – analysis

(Worthy Insights) – Before the US election, the Iranian-backed militias in Iraq were increasing their drone threats to Israel. They have been launching drones and making more statements about potential involvement in attacks on Israel. The militias are part of the larger Iranian-backed milieu in the region.

There is no doubt that Iranian messaging after the US election is that Tehran and its axis of “resistance” will continue their attacks. Ali Fadavi, the deputy commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said, “Iran and the Resistance Front are ready, and the Zionists cannot confront us, and they must await our response.”

The Iraqi militias represent a clear and present danger to Israel and the region, as well as to US troops in Iraq and Syria. During the first Trump administration, the militias increased their power and role in Iraq, many bolstered after ISIS invaded in 2014, and recruited based on a fatwa by Ayatollah Ali Sistani. After 2017, they then turned their recruits to conduct other operations in Iraq, with some moving towards threats to Israel – including Kataib Hezbollah, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, and Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba. [ Source (Read More…) ]