Biden Wanted Trump Prosecuted Earlier, Regrets Garland Pick

President Joe Biden reportedly wanted the Department of Justice to target then-former President Donald Trump for prosecution far sooner and more aggressively than it did, and regrets naming Merrick Garland as Attorney General.

The report, published in the Washington Post on Saturday, echoes reporting nearly three years ago by the New York Times, which suggested in 2022 that Biden was frustrated with the slow pace of Garland, a “ponderous judge.”

The Post noted:

In private, Biden has also said he should have picked someone other than Merrick Garland as attorney general, complaining about the Justice Department’s slowness under Garland in prosecuting Trump, and its aggressiveness in prosecuting Biden’s son Hunter, according to people familiar with his comments.
…

Ron Klain, Biden’s incoming chief of staff, pushed for Garland. He stressed that Garland — a federal judge with a sterling reputation for independence and fairness — would show Americans that Biden was rebuilding a department badly shaken by Trump’s political attacks.

 

Biden was persuaded, and some Democrats believe the decision had devastating results. Had the Justice Department moved faster to prosecute Trump for allegedly seeking to overturn the 2020 election and mishandling classified documents, they say, the former president might have faced a politically damaging trial before the election. (Others blame the Supreme Court and a Trump-appointed judge in Florida for repeatedly siding with the former president and delaying the cases; the Justice Department declined to comment.)

The Biden White House claimed throughout his presidency that it was not politicizing the Department of Justice, and was in fact depoliticizing it. Democrats claimed that the department had been politicized by then-Attorney General William Barr, who refused to release grand jury materials related to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into so-called “Russia collusion.” Barr noted that it was against the law for him to release grand jury materials.

The Post omits one of the other reasons Garland was picked: he had been blocked from confirmation to the Supreme Court by Republicans in 2016, and his appointment was seen as a consolation prize, as well as a strike at the GOP.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.

 

An Islamic regime agent tried to attack an Iranian woman for not wearing hijab. But she bravely defended herself!

 

An Islamic regime agent tried to attack an Iranian woman for not wearing hijab. But she bravely defended herself! pic.twitter.com/xiPsoktGzO

— Dr. Maalouf ‏ (@realMaalouf) December 30, 2024

Soon the end of the line for barcodes after 50 years

 

Barcodes are set to disappear in favor of modern QR codes. After more than 50 years of ubiquity, the organization that oversees the world's barcodes is preparing to consign them to the bargain bin of history.

GS1, an international non-profit that maintains the global standard for barcodes, says they will be replaced by a new square version capable of storing much more information about products. Anne Godfrey, chief executive of GS1 UK, said almost half of British retailers have already updated their tills to accommodate the new codes. 'This has been in the works for some time, but Covid really accelerated it,' she said. 'During the pandemic, everyone got used to pointing their phones at QR codes in pubs and restaurants to access the menu.'

'Increasingly, QR codes that bring up bits of information are already appearing on the front of many products. Very soon we will say goodbye to the old-fashioned barcode and every product will just have one QR code that holds all the information you need.' Traditional barcodes can only hold seven pieces of very basic information — a product's name, manufacturer, type, size, weight, colour and, most importantly, its price.

They have become so crucial to the daily running of most supermarkets that it has become impossible to purchase a product unless it has a barcode on it. When they are scanned at the till, the number on the barcode is matched to an enormous database of products to ensure customers are charged correctly. The new QR codes contain much more information about products, such as their ingredients, any allergens they contain and even recipe suggestions, that can be accessed by consumers via their smartphones.

Mrs Godrey said: 'The old barcodes do what they say on the tin — they go beep, tell you the price and get you out of the store. But today's consumers want much more information about the products they buy. The next generation of barcodes will give greater power to the consumer. Retailers will have to upgrade or get left behind.' Barcodes were invented by US science graduates Norman Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver in the late 1940s, but didn't appear in shops until decades later.

The first barcoded product ever scanned was a pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit gum at a supermarket in Ohio in 1974. They arrived in the UK in 1979, first used on a box of teabags at a shop in Spalding, Lincolnshire. Since then, GS1 has registered barcodes for more than 200million products around the world.

Though they are basic by today's standards, no two barcodes are the same. The lines on a barcode could be rearranged to register up to ten trillion different products. A study commissioned by GS1 found that 96 per cent of leading UK retail executives expect to see another retail technology transformation.

It also found that 46 per cent of retailers have already upgraded their checkout technology to accommodate QR codes, and another 52 per cent will do so over the coming year. GS1's new codes are currently being tested in 48 countries, including at Morrisons supermarkets in the UK. Many leading brands including PepsiCo, Proctor & Gamble, L'Oreal, Amazon and US grocery giant Walmart are already on board.

A full international roll-out of the new QR codes is expected to be complete by 2027. Mrs Godfrey said: 'The invention of the barcode is one of the great, untold stories in the history of our modern world. It is more frequently used than Google. We won't celebrate the death of the humble barcode, but it is time to say a long goodbye to it.'

35 Chareidim will Join the Zionist Police Force ...Many live in Beit Shemesh!

 

*Beit Shemesh News*

Thirty-five Chareidi policemen, some from Beit Shemesh, have finished their training and are joining the police force

Thirty-five Chareidi policemen, several of whom live in Beit Shemesh, have just been certified to serve in the police force after completing the obligatory course in the Police Academy.

They each signed on to fill roles in patrols, detection, investigation and more, in order to contribute to the safety of their communities and the public at large. They are now awaiting their assignment.

The police see the integration of Chareidi individuals into the institution as an important part of improving police operation and the safety of civilians.

A Chanukah Message from all Types of Jews

 

Muhammad among the top 10 names for baby boys in NYC ... "Yoilie" Doesn't Appear on the list

The name Muhammad is now among top 10 names for baby boys in New York City, United States, for first time in American history.

 

Chazaan Nissim Saal Rehearsing for "Shabbas Chazonas" in Beitar!

 

New York Times Columnist a Gazan Hospital Director is a Hamas Terrorist!

 Israeli forces arrested the director of the last major hospital operating in northern Gaza and accused him and his staff members of being Hamas terrorists.

Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya has repeatedly criticized the Israel Defense Forces’ actions, including in opinion pieces he wrote for the New York Times.

He was among the more than 240 people arrested at Kamal Adwan Hospital by the Israeli military on Saturday on suspicion of being a “Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist,” the IDF said.

“We do not know the fate of Dr. Hussam. He was actually threatened by the army as soon as they arrived at the hospital,” nurse Rawiya Al Batsh told CNN.

The IDF said it conducted a raid on the hospital because it was allegedly being used as a shelter by terrorists looking to escape Israel’s bombardments in northern Gaza against their bases.

The Israeli military described the health facility as “Hamas’s last bastion in Jabalia,” which had last been cleared by the military in late October after Safiya’s predecessor was arrested and admitted to being a Hamas commander.

Prior to the raid, the IDF facilitated the evacuation of 350 patients, caregivers and staffers in the hospital, Israel said. Soldiers then entered the hospital and forced everyone remaining to leave.

While few weapons were found in the hospital, the IDF said a rocket was fired from the building and 19 terrorists were killed in the skirmish.

The Hamas-run ministry of health, however, said about 50 people were killed in the fighting, including medical staff. The health ministry does not differentiate between civilians and terrorists in its tallies.

Safiya said in a post on social media that the IDF was besieging the hospital, with the Israeli military screening nearly 950 people as they emptied the building.

Of the 240 people arrested, the IDF claims at least 15 were terrorists who took part in the Oct. 7 massacre that left more than 1,200 people dead in Israel.

Several staffers who were evacuated from the hospital told CNN the IDF soldiers forced everyone to strip naked for inspection and beat those who refused.

“The detention of suspects involved in terrorism, their arrest, and the search conducted on their bodies were carried out in accordance with international law,” the IDF said in a statement.

Safiya’s whereabouts remain unknown following his arrest on Saturday, triggering outcry from humanitarian groups who slammed the raid as effectively shutting down the last major hospital in war torn northern Gaza, where the IDF continues to struggle to eradicate Hamas.

Safiya’s last guest essay from the Times was published earlier this month and centered on him being one of the last doctors working at the Kamal Adwan hospital, pleading for help.

Hamas has called on the United Nations to investigate the arrests and shutdown of the Kamal Adwan Hospital.

“We demand the sending of international observers to these facilities to ascertain the truth of what is happening and to refute the lies and claims of the occupation regarding their use for military purposes,” the terror group said in a statement.

The patients who were evacuated from Kamal Adwan were moved to other hospitals, which Gaza health officials said are not equipped to handle their needs.

Many have criticized the operation against the hospital as a method to evacuate northern Gaza, which the IDF has repeatedly denied.

THE STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO

 

The following is an unedited JTA article that appeared after the historic meeting in December of 1979: 

President Carter told a group of Hasidic rabbinical leaders in what was described as the first time any President had ever received such a delegation that Hasidic Jews were making a lasting contribution to urban centers to stabilize neighborhoods and communities a Hasidic spokesman told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency today The 25 minute meeting was held in the Oval Office in the White House on Monday.

Rabbi Hertz Frankel chairman of Ravtov, the National Committee to Aid New Immigrants was the source of the assertion that the Monday meeting was the first by any American President with such a delegation He also told the JTA that at the request of the President no reporters were present during the 25 minute meeting.

The participants included Rabbi Moses Teitelbaum the rebbe of the Satmar movement Rabbi Solomon Halberstam the rebbe of the Bobover movement and Rabbi Mordechai Hager the rebbe of the Vizitzer movement Frankel who was a member of the Hasidic delegation said that other Hasidic leaders at the session were Rabbi Sander Deutsch vice president of the Satmar United Talmudical Academy Rabbi Naftali Halberstom the Bobover rebbe’s son and president of the Yeshiva B’nai Zion of Bobov and Rabbi Ephraim Stein administrator of the United Talmudical Academy.

Frankel said the meeting was arranged through a cooperative effort of the White House and the Central Rabbinical Congress of America the Hasidic rabbinical organization.

SPECIAL PRAYER OFFERED
The meeting was opened by Teitelboum who thanked Carter for receiving the delegation A special prayer for heads of state was recited by Rabbi Solomon Halberstam in Hebrew and translated for the President by Stein The rabbis offered their prayers and support to Carter for the position he has taken in handling the Iranian crisis.

The Hasidic rabbis expressed their appreciation to Carter for his accomplishment in preventing further bloodshed in the Middle East and recited a blessing asking the Almighty to give the President added strength for his efforts for peace in the Middle East and throughout the world

The rabbis asked Carter to use his good offices to help preserve the Jewish cemeteries in Eastern Europe “the last remnants of once proud and vibrant communities.” The Bobover rebbe made a presentation in Yiddish which was translated for the President by Frankel calling on all Jews who have ancestors buried in those resting places to strive to have them preserved and said that it was important to declare all Jewish cemeteries in Eastern Europe as historic shrines and monuments for the great Jewish communities that had existed for many centuries before World War II.

The rabbis also told the President that they felt that he should try to ease the burdens of nonpublic education through new programs of aid from the recently established federal Department of Education They expressed to Carter and his Administration their appreciation for his interest and help to Soviet Jews to absorb them as emigres into the United States.

Curter said that he appreciated the contribution of the Hasidic communities their lifestyle their family life and educational system He said he was very pleased to receive the blessings of such prominent rabbis at this time of crisis from a people who have themselves suffered so much and understand the agency and suffering of others He promised to continue his efforts to achieve a lasting world peace and said in reference to the current Chanukah holiday that “we could use those miracles today,” Frankel reported.

The President was presented with a silver goblet as a gift from the Central Rabbinical Congress as a symbol for good luck in his arduous undertakings.

Lower birthrates and increased use of Internet in Charedi sector

 

The Haredi Institute for Public Affairs published its report on the state of the haredi sector in 2024, which indicates significant changes in this society.

The document, authored by Dr. Eitan Regev and Yehudit Miletsky, shows that increasing economic pressures are accelerating significant changes in haredi lifestyles, and these are reflected in education, housing, employment, and digitization, among others.

In late 2024, about 1.26 million haredi Jews will be living in Israel, comprising about 12.5% of the population. One of the surprising findings is the sharp decline in birthrates among haredi couples, which has reached a 43-year low of 6.1 children per family on average. The percentage of the haredi community in the Israeli population in 2065 is expected to be significantly lower than previous estimates, and stand at about 20-22%.

The past decade has seen significant negative immigration from the haredi nuclear cities, with about 75,000 haredi individuals leaving Jerusalem and about 42,000 leaving Bnei Brak. At the same time, about 40,000 haredim moved to Beit Shemesh during the same period. The report points to a trend of haredi residence in peripheral cities, with the haredim becoming a significant majority of the population in some cities.

For the first time in seven years, there has been a drop in the rate of home ownership in the haredi community, from 69% to 65%. At the same time, there has been a significant increase in the rate of mortgage takers, which reached 43%.

The average price of an apartment purchased by haredi families jumped by 14% to NIS 1.6 million and the average mortgage repayment increased by 11% to NIS 3,840 per month.

The employment rates of young haredi women aged 20-24 have reached a peak of 89%, while a threefold increase since 2005, from 10% to 30%, has been seen among young ultra-Orthodox men of the same age. Even so, the overall employment rate of haredi men remains relatively low, at 54%.

The wage gaps between haredi men and non-haredi Jewish men continue to widen – with the wage of a haredi man less than 50% of that of a non-haredi Jewish man, compared to 70% in 2005. In contrast, the hourly wage of haredi women has reached NIS 73, which is 11% higher than the hourly wage of haredi men.

The report shows some improvement in the economic situation of haredi households. Between 2014 and 2022, the average net income from work in haredi households increased by 57%, compared to a 46% increase in the income from work of a non-haredi Jewish household. During the same period, there has been a decline in reliance on government allowances and subsidies, with the poverty rate among the haredi declining from 53% in 2014 to 39% in 2022.

One of the most significant findings highlights the digital revolution in the haredi society: the share of Internet users reached a record high of 71%, almost double the rate in 2014, when it stood at 39%. However, the use of social networks remains limited, with only 39% of haredim using WhatsApp, compared to 88% among non-haredi Jews.

Eli Paley, founder of the Institute, said, "The report attests to significant and profound changes in haredi society. Economic pressures have led to fundamental changes in the lifestyles of the haredi community, and this has been reinforced by the challenges of the Sword of Iron war."

Prof. Shai Stern, head of the Institute, concluded: "The State of Israel is standing at an important juxtaposition in its relations with the haredi community. The reliable data we provide is essential for setting informed policies and building long-term plans that will meet the challenges we face."

Chanukah Gelt from the Chashmonoim....Hasmonean Era Coins Found On Chanukah In Jordan Valley

In ongoing archaeological excavations taking place in the Jordan Valley under the auspices of the University of Haifa and led by Dr. Shay Bar from the Zinman Institute of Archaeology at the university, Dr. Yoav Farhi, and Dr. Michael Azband, a rare hoard of Hasmonean coins was discovered last Friday morning, coinciding with the Hanukkah holiday.

The hoard contained around 160 coins, all from the period of King Alexander Yannai, also known by his Hebrew name, Yehonatan. Alexander Yannai, who ruled from 104 to 76 BCE, was the son of Yochanan Hyrcanus, grandson of Shimon (brother of Yehuda Maccabee), and the great-grandson of Matisyahu, the leader of the revolt against the armies of Antiochus IV Epiphanes. This famous revolt, which began in 167 BCE, led to the purification of the Temple and the establishment of the Hanukkah holiday in Jewish tradition.

Yannai was the brother-in-law of Shimon Ben Shetach, one of the senior sages of the period, and was succeeded after his death by his wife Shlomtzion.

The hoard was found at an ancient road station previously unknown in research. “The site where the hoard was discovered is likely a road station that was not recognized in previous research, including a ritual bath (mikveh), a reservoir, and other structures, located along the banks of the Tirzah Valley, on the main road leading to the fortress of Herodium (Alexandrium), which was built by King Yannai,” said Dr. Bar.

According to Dr. Yoav Farhi, curator of the Kadman Pavilion at the Eretz Israel Museum, it appears at first glance before cleaning that all the coins in the hoard are of a single type. This type features on one side an eight-pointed star with the inscription “King Alexander Year 25” in Aramaic, while on the reverse is an anchor, surrounded by the Greek inscription “[coin] of King Alexander.” This type is dated to 80/79 BCE, the 25th year of Yannai’s reign.  Only a few hoards of Alexander Yannai’s coins are known to researchers, and those found in organized archaeological digs are particularly rare. This hoard is also one of the largest of its kind ever discovered in Israel.

“All the students and volunteers working on the excavation were very excited to find such a Hasmonean hoard, especially during Hanukkah, which added a special meaning to the holiday, particularly in these difficult times for our people,” added Dr. Bar. “I hope the site will become a public attraction and will join the archaeological and heritage sites of our land.”

Carter who gave legitimacy to Hamas and Champion Of Terrorists Drops Dead

The following are parts of a previous article from the Washington Examiner:

Who can forget the late President Jimmy Carter imploring the United States to “give Hamas a chance”? That was back in 2006. It wasn’t the first or last time Carter vouched for the theocratic death cult. He was a longtime fan.

Forgotten in the deluge of anti-Israel propaganda is the fact that Hamas was given a chance. In 2005, as a test run for a new state, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon evicted thousands of Jews from the Gaza Strip and handed the Palestinians autonomy for the first time in their history. When mobs of Palestinians in Gaza found no Israelis to murder, they destroyed millions of dollars in farming equipment left to them by American Jewish donors.

In any event, within a year, Hamas won a significant majority in the “Palestinian Parliament,” and Carter began imploring the U.S. to treat the group with the legitimacy it might the Swiss or Japanese governments. Soon enough, Hamas was defenestrating rival Fatah officials and smuggling weapons from the Islamic terrorism regime in Iran, ensuring war and destabilizing the region.

Carter likely first met with Hamas leaders in January 1996. In March and February of that year, Hamas participated in a string of suicide bombings, murdering 65 people, including three U.S. citizens. Dead Americans did not move Carter to admonish his friends in Gaza.

Carter again met with Hamas in April 2008 as it was launching hundreds of missiles every month at civilian targets within Israel, promising that the group wouldn’t undermine peace. After Hamas first attempted to launch an Oct. 7-style attack in 2014, Carter called on Israel and the U.S. to recognize the offshoot of the jihadist Muslim Brotherhood as the “legitimate political actor” that represents the “Palestinian population.” If our former president were sentient today, it is almost surely the case he would call for the U.S. to make peace with Hamas and castigate the Jewish state.

It should be said that Carter’s admiration of antisemitic terrorists did not begin with Hamas. The former president harbored a deep “fondness” for Yasser Arafat, the godfather of all modern terrorism, a relationship that “transcended politics” and was “based on their emotional connection and the shared belief that they were both ordained to be peacemakers by God,” according to historian Douglas Brinkley. (Carter tried to cram Arafat into the Camp David peace talks after Israel and Egypt had already cut a deal, which the president had very little to do with.)

To understand his motivations, one could read Carter’s demented book The Blood of Abraham or Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, which historian Kenneth W. Stein, a former longtime Carter adviser, noted was “replete with factual errors, copied materials not cited, superficialities, glaring omissions, and simply invented segments” and Michael Kinsley called “moronic.” Carter is a religious zealot with a messianic complex and a distorted understanding of history.

Interpol Issues Arrest Warrant For Lev Tahor Member

Interpol has issued an international arrest warrant for Lev Tahor cult member Jonathan Emmanuel Cardona Castillo, aged 23.

Cardona is a citizen of Guatemala, where Lev Tahor is based, and El Salvador, and speaks Hebrew and Spanish, the notice says. He is accused of human trafficking, forced pregnancy, rape and sexual abuse of young members of Lev Tahor, forced marriage and child abuse.

Guatemala has also issued an arrest warrant against Cardona, who has been declared a fugitive after apparently evading efforts to arrest him.

Two weeks ago, 200 children, teenagers, and women were rescued from the Lev Tahor compound in Guatemala and placed in protective custody.

 

Celebrating Flawed Jewish Sovereignty

 

 The mitzvah of Ner Chanukah commemorates the miracle of the oil, which symbolizes the triumph of Jewish resilience and faith over the mighty Greek armies of the Seleucid Empire.

 After Alexander the Great’s death in 323 BCE, the vast Greek empire fractured into rival factions, with the Seleucids located to the north of Israel imposing their dominance over the Levant. 

Setting their sights on Jerusalem, they waged not only a military campaign but also a cultural and spiritual assault against our people, enacting harsh decrees designed to extinguish Jewish religious life. 

 Our victory was nothing short of miraculous. Against all odds, a small band of devoted warriors overpowered the mighty Seleucid forces. Their triumph marked not only a military success but a spiritual revival, as they reclaimed the Beit Hamikdash, purified it, and rededicated the sacred korbanot. 

 The victory of the Chashmonaim over the mighty Greek empire was not merely a military success but a moral triumph. 

After their defeat, the once-dominant Greek empire entered a swift and irreversible decline. The miracle of the oil symbolized that our defeat of Greece was not just a moment of Jewish resilience but a decisive turning point in humanity’s spiritual history. Soon after these events, the Greek Empire began to crumble, finally disappearing in about 100 years after the Chanukah miracles. 

 The miracle of the oil is a poignant reminder of the fragility of earthly power when set against the eternal endurance of a people devoted to Hashem and His Torah. 

1,428 of the 1,463 political jokes by Late Night Comedians targeted Trump, according to Media Research

 

98% of the jokes told by Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, and Saturday Night Live leading up to the election were all about President Donald Trump.

1,428 of the 1,463 political jokes targeted Trump, according to Media Research Center.

What did it… pic.twitter.com/KcKEmJ2XrO

— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) December 27, 2024

Assad Forces that Fled to Lebanon are Shipped back to Syria ..Watch their "Kabalas Panim"

 

Assad’s forces who had fled to Lebanon have been returned by Lebanon and surrendered to Syria’s new regime.

Typical Day on the NYC Subways... Watch homeless man pull a kitchen knife on a rider

 

Rare 1931 footage captures London’s bustling streets, iconic landmarks, and everyday life, offering a nostalgic glimpse into a vibrant era.

 

Iranian plot to abduct Israeli journalist foiled

 

Babak Itzhaki

The Iranian opposition news website IranWire reports that the IRGC planned to kidnap the Israeli correspondent for Iran International Babak Itzhaki.

According to the report, Iran tried to use Mohammad Hawashmazada, a former political prisoner currently held in Armenia, to lure Babak and another journalist to the city of Van in Turkey, from where they were to be taken to Tehran. The plan failed due to the refusal of Hawashmazada and his cellmate to cooperate due to their personal connection to Babak.

Babak told Kan: "Iran International is the free voice of independent news in Iran, and for over seven years, my colleagues and I have been reporting the truth of what is happening in Israel to the Iranian people without censorship. This, of course, greatly angers the Iranian regime, which does not want the people to know the truth."

"Neither threats nor acts of terror will stop our revelation of the truth,' Babak stressed, adding that he is an Israeli citizen and trusts Israel's security agencies to protect him and the free press in Israel. "Threats against me are threats against all journalists who uphold free journalism, and I expect all journalistic organizations to issue a statement condemning attacks and threats by the Iranian regime against journalists," he concluded.

Is this guy really a "Tzaddik" or is he an "Evil Rasha" ..Who Hasn’t Seen Human Face In 40 Years Makes Appearance At Son’s Wedding

 

A video has surfaced featuring a man, his face entirely covered, reportedly attending the wedding of his son, Yaakov Amrani. The man is alleged to have lived in a stunning form of isolation, without having seen a single human face, for the past 40 years! Details about his identity and background remain unknown.

It’s also worth noting that Israel often sees the emergence of tzadikim whose backgrounds are not widely known.