New York
A federal judge has ordered New York City to comply with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement subpoena seeking the names and birth dates of certain male residents at a city-run homeless shelter in the Bronx.
The judge rejected the city’s objections, finding that ICE has a legitimate purpose in investigating whether any residents are in the country illegally and subject to deportation. The ruling limits disclosure to residents with serious criminal histories involving offenses, with an independent special master reviewing the records. The decision marks a setback for Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s sanctuary city policies after the administration had characterized earlier requests as an improper fishing expedition.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she would “find a creative path” to secure long-term funding for expanded childcare when asked whether she would raise taxes on high-income earners. She added that she would work within existing resources but indicated that if more funding proved necessary, “we’ll find a path.” Hochul did not rule out income tax increases and noted past measures such as the pied-à-terre tax on second homes and higher payroll mobility taxes for the MTA. The comments come after Hochul campaigned on a pledge of no new taxes. Mamdani, standing beside her, reaffirmed his support for raising taxes on the wealthy, saying he continues to hold those positions.
Nassau County police arrested Hasani Ferguson, 36, of Inwood, after he allegedly made antisemitic threats and simulated firing a weapon at shoppers inside a Bingo Wholesale supermarket in the Five Towns area. According to police and witness accounts reported by 5 Towns Central, Ferguson approached a 34-year-old woman and her 7-year-old daughter, shaped his hands like a gun, made shooting sounds, and shouted “Free Palestine,” “Heil Hitler,” “kill all the Jews,” and “kill Israel.” He then directed similar gestures and statements at other customers before fleeing the store. Officers had been dispatched around 10:35 a.m. following a disturbance report, and detectives located Ferguson later that evening, taking him into custody without incident. He faces charges of making a threat of mass harm, third-degree menacing, and disorderly conduct. Ferguson was arraigned in Nassau County District Court, where he pleaded not guilty and was released under nonmonetary conditions.
Thousands of Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries from around the world gathered outside 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights for the traditional group photograph at the annual International Kinus HaShluchim. The gathering brought together rabbis representing more than 4,000 Jewish communities in 111 countries, underscoring the movement’s global network of outreach. The conference, now in its 43rd year, features workshops, Torah study, and discussions on Jewish education, community needs, and security challenges facing Jewish populations. Participants include emissaries serving in all 50 U.S. states and more than 100 countries, with the worldwide network encompassing thousands of couples dedicated to strengthening Jewish life. The group photo, a longstanding tradition, captures the scale of the assembly in front of Chabad-Lubavitch world headquarters. Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, director of the conference, noted that the image conveys a message that “the Jewish people are alive, strong, proud, and we aren’t going anywhere.”
NYPD data shows that 26 of New York City’s 45 confirmed hate crimes in October, or 57.8 percent, targeted Jews. Anti-Jewish incidents have risen 4.1 percent so far in 2026, increasing from 268 during the same period last year to 279, and now account for nearly 53 percent of all confirmed hate crimes citywide. Overall confirmed hate crimes have climbed 15.2 percent year over year. Jews make up roughly 10 percent of the city’s population yet continue to represent the majority of bias-motivated cases each month. The October figures matched the number of anti-Jewish incidents recorded in October of the previous year, when they comprised 53 percent of the total.
U.S.
Democrats captured control of both the House and Senate in the 2026 midterm elections, delivering sweeping gains that reached deep into longtime Republican territory. In Texas, Democrat James Talarico defeated Ken Paxton for an open Senate seat, while Gina Hinojosa ousted three-term Governor Greg Abbott, marking the party’s first statewide victories in the state in decades. Kansas elected its first Democratic senator since 1932 as Adam Hamilton defeated incumbent Roger Marshall. Additional Senate flips occurred in Iowa, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, and South Carolina. Several candidates affiliated with or endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America also prevailed, including the reelection of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib, along with new House members such as Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez in New York. Overall House gains for Democrats were projected in the range of 30 to 40 seats.
Pro-Palestinian cyclists organized by Philly Bike On Your Left gathered at Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia for a “Boycott Ride” targeting six Jewish-owned restaurants they labeled “Zionist Establishments,” including Goldie, Dizengoff, and Schlesinger’s. The demonstration took place on the eve of the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the 1938 Nazi pogrom that destroyed Jewish businesses across Germany and Austria. Organizers had posted that riders should “show these zionist business owners that we see them for the disgusting humans they are.” Hundreds of counterprotesters waving Israeli flags turned out in force, forming long lines at the targeted restaurants in a show of support, while police reported roughly 300 participants on the boycott side and 200 opposing them. Verbal confrontations and scuffles broke out, leading to three arrests, including a 17-year-old for assaulting officers, and minor injuries to two police officers, though no property damage occurred.
President Trump has named longtime adviser Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles after Republicans lost control of Congress in the midterm elections. Trump called Miller “one of my most trusted advisors” and said he would begin the role while Wiles moves to the president’s political operation. Wiles, the first woman to hold the position, submitted her resignation and wrote that serving the president “has been the honor of a lifetime.”
Brett Shumate, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, submitted his resignation, Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed. Blanche praised Shumate’s leadership, noting that under him, the division “pursued important affirmative litigation to challenge sanctuary policies and delivered key wins in lawsuits against local policies that endangered federal law enforcement.” He also credited the division with securing “historic settlements to end illegal corporate DEI practices” and shuttering dozens of clinics that provided what he described as “so-called ‘gender affirming care’ to minors.” Shumate is the latest senior DOJ official to step down following the November midterm elections, in which Republicans lost control of Congress. His departure follows those of Civil Rights Division chief Harmeet Dhillon and National Security Division head John Eisenberg.
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky reintroduced eight articles of impeachment against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, accusing him of high crimes and misdemeanors, primarily for directing U.S. military operations against Iran without a declaration of war, statutory authorization, or an imminent threat. Massie, an outgoing lawmaker who previously introduced similar articles in September, filed the measure as a privileged resolution, requiring House leaders to schedule a vote within two legislative days and potentially forcing action as early as midweek. Hegseth dismissed the effort as a “farce” and a “stunt” driven by a “disgruntled, defeated congressman,” insisting that no prior defense secretary has been impeached for carrying out lawful military operations and that he is not concerned.
A judge has scheduled jury selection for June 21, 2028, in the trial of Tyler Robinson, the 23-year-old accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The judge reserved 105 court days for the proceedings after weighing competing requests from the parties, with the defense seeking a 2029 start, prosecutors proposing an early 2028 start, and Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, urging a 2027 date. Robinson has pleaded not guilty and could face the death penalty if convicted. The Kirk family described the timeline as deeply disappointing, noting that a trial three years after the assassination does not feel speedy, while accepting the court’s order.
The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations has suspended its operations indefinitely after a federal judge denied its request to block a state designation as a domestic terrorist organization. The group posted a notice at its longtime office near Tampa. The designation, approved by DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet in September under a law signed earlier this year, took effect after a judge rejected CAIR’s bid for a preliminary injunction. CAIR has said it will appeal the ruling, with support from the ACLU and Southern Poverty Law Center. State officials, including DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier, welcomed the outcome as a win for Florida’s enforcement of the law, which also restricts certain affiliations and funding for designated groups. CAIR-Florida has halted acceptance of donations from Florida residents as a result.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has moved to commute the death sentences of all 548 inmates on the state’s death row, converting them to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The action follows the moratorium on executions he imposed in 2019, in a state that has not carried out a capital sentence since 2006. Roughly 70 percent of the commutations, involving inmates with multiple felony convictions, require approval from the California Supreme Court, where four of seven justices must concur under the state constitution. Newsom wrote that he acted because “state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California’s values.” The decision does not abolish the death penalty, which remains on the books after earlier voter rejections of repeal measures. Victims’ families and prosecutors have criticized the move, and some organizations have indicated they will challenge the commutations in court.
U.S. employers added 165,000 jobs in October, a figure that substantially exceeded economists’ forecasts of roughly 65,000. The unemployment rate dipped to 4.1 percent from 4.2 percent the previous month, even as more people entered the labor force. Revisions also strengthened the picture for earlier months, with August’s gain raised to 186,000 from 133,000 and September’s to 60,000 from 29,000, for a combined upward adjustment of 84,000 jobs. Professional and business services led the October gains with 70,000 new positions, followed by healthcare with 42,000 and solid increases in transportation, warehousing, and manufacturing. Average hourly earnings rose 0.4 percent to $38.00, or 3.1 percent over the past year. The three-month average for payroll growth now stands at 137,000.
Israel
Israeli President Isaac Herzog formally presented Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot with the mandate to form Israel’s next government at a ceremony at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem. Eisenkot received recommendations from 67 members of the Knesset, more than the 46 who backed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Herzog stressed that Israel urgently needs a stable government capable of meeting its challenges and called on political leaders to set aside their differences. He added that he expects Eisenkot to establish a government that serves the entire public. Eisenkot now has 28 days to assemble a coalition, with the possibility of a 14-day extension if needed.
Israeli security forces arrested 10 terrorists during a coordinated operation in Arraba, northern Samaria. Soldiers from the Paratroopers Brigade Reconnaissance Battalion and the Duvdevan unit, along with Border Police officers, acted on Shin Bet intelligence to raid multiple locations simultaneously. The forces located and apprehended all 10 suspects, affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad, within approximately 30 minutes. The IDF said the cell had been working to establish a terror network and was planning an attack against Israeli civilians in the northern area. The operation took place near Jenin. All 10 individuals were transferred to the Shin Bet and Israel Police for further questioning.
Israeli police and the Shin Bet are investigating threatening flyers discovered in mailboxes across northern Tel Aviv. The flyers contained QR codes directing residents to a website associated with Handala, an Iran-linked hacking group that has previously published material taken from devices belonging to Israeli officials. Police described the linked page as containing threatening content under the title “Warning from Handala team.” The site warned that if Israeli leaders “once again act foolishly and attack the energy infrastructure of the resistance front, you must be prepared to pay the heavy price for this aggression,” adding that no power station, oil refinery, or water desalination facility would remain. A group identifying itself as Handala later claimed responsibility for the distribution.
The IDF announced that 285 Charedi men enlisted over the past week, with all assigned to combat-support roles as part of the November–December draft cycle. Additional enlistment dates, including opportunities in combat units, are scheduled over the next two months. The military said units and induction bases have prepared dedicated frameworks to accommodate the recruits’ Charedi lifestyles during their service. The new intake forms part of ongoing efforts to broaden Charedi participation amid manpower needs. Tracks available to the recruits include technical positions in the Air Force, Military Intelligence, and the Logistics Directorate.
Israeli defense company Elbit Systems demonstrated new battlefield technologies at its Robotics Day event, including drones launched from unmanned ground vehicles, coordinated drone swarms, self-driving military trucks, and armed robots designed to operate ahead of soldiers. The company says its FUSE autonomous systems have accumulated more than 1 million operational flight hours and 100,000 hours of autonomous ground operations, with thousands of platforms delivered worldwide. At the core of the portfolio is Dominion-X, an AI-powered operating system that enables real-time coordination of large numbers of aerial and ground platforms. FUSE CEO Eyal Dahan said robots are sent in ahead of soldiers depending on the scenario, entering buildings to scan and neutralize threats or conducting preliminary operations in open terrain. The systems support manned-unmanned teaming and are already deployed with customers in Israel, the United States, and Europe.
British music star Boy George was honored by United Hatzalah with the dedication of a new emergency response motorcycle bearing his name during a ceremony in Tel Aviv. Boy George met with United Hatzalah founder and president Eli Beer and five volunteer emergency medical responders representing the organization’s first responders. The ceremony took place during Boy George’s visit to Israel, where he performed two concerts in Tel Aviv, including a special performance dedicated to survivors of the October 7 Nova music festival massacre and their families. “I really connect to the way the Jewish community looks out for itself, but not just for Jewish people. These ambulances help anyone in need. It’s a real honor for me,” Boy George said. Eli Beer noted that Boy George has shown compassion and solidarity that transcend borders, values shared by the organization’s volunteers. The British singer has publicly expressed support for Israel and the Jewish community since the October 7 attacks.
World
French officials suspect Iranian state-backed hackers were responsible for cyberattacks that raised refrigerator and freezer temperatures to 50°C at hundreds of supermarkets in October, causing fires, widespread food spoilage, and millions of euros in damages. The hacks, which struck around 700 commercial sites, overrode temperature controls on systems at major chains, with some units catching fire as temperatures rose. A joint report by French agencies attributed the campaign to a cyber unit linked to the Revolutionary Guards, and named three alleged associates. Paris prosecutors have opened an investigation and requested international arrest warrants, while the Iranian ambassador was summoned.
China denied that it engaged in an attempt to ensnare Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, saying the spying allegations were unsubstantiated and a smear campaign against Beijing. The denial followed reports that U.S. intelligence officials determined a Chinese businesswoman linked to Jensen Huang was gathering information for Beijing. Nvidia announced that it was conducting an independent investigation into reports that Huang was the target of a foreign intelligence effort. The company has said it has no reason to believe secrets or national security were compromised.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of France’s hard-left La France Insoumise movement, has pledged to take direct action against Israel if elected president in 2027, including potentially deploying French naval vessels to escort pro-Palestinian flotillas. He promised to make opposition to Israel’s military policies a central element of his foreign policy. Mélenchon also rejected what he described as the gradual annexation of the West Bank, southern Lebanon, and the Golan Heights. He addressed the Israeli ambassador to France, stating that if the diplomat remained in the country, France would act directly to support the Palestinians. His remarks drew enthusiastic applause from thousands of supporters attending the rally.
