Another stabbing. Another headline. Another round of thoughts and prayers followed by absolutely nothing changing.
The day before this attack, a friend of mine had his front door kicked in. His wife was home with their baby when the attacker got inside and tackled her to the ground — both of them on the floor. My friend was able to get to her in time, fight the attacker off, and get his wife and baby out safely. It could have ended very differently. It didn&#8217;t, because he was there and he was ready.
These stories aren&#8217;t rare anymore. They&#8217;re routine. And every time one happens, the same question follows: what if someone there had been armed? The answer is simple. It would have changed everything.
I grew up in California, and firearms were part of my life from an early age. My family ran a nonprofit helping families with food, clothing, and furniture — the kind of work that puts you face to face with people at their most vulnerable. It also put a target on us. Before I turned 18, my family endured 14 attempted break-ins and two attempted murders. That reshaped how I saw the world. I got serious about firearms training, earned my National Rifle Association instructor certifications, and kept building from there. Then came the Chabad of Poway shooting. Watching an attack unfold in a synagogue — a place that&#8217;s supposed to be safe — prompted me to take action. I started teaching publicly, and it grew into a full training operation. Today I run &#8220;The Tactical Rabbi,&#8221; a firearms and security training brand with a YouTube channel that&#8217;s crossed 35 million views and a growing presence on Instagram, where I break down concealed carry, active-shooter response, and security preparedness for anyone wanting to learn.
I&#8217;ve spent years watching regular people — parents, business owners, synagogue members — try to navigate the maze of legal protections. In New York, that maze is a nightmare and for many, hard to work through.
New York is technically a &#8220;shall issue&#8221; state now, post-Bruen (the June 2022 Supreme Court decision in New York State Rifle &amp; Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen recognizing a constitutional right to carry a handgun outside the home for self-defense). On paper, the Supreme Court forced the state&#8217;s hand. In practice, New York found a new way to make the right to self-defense functionally unreachable for most people. To get a carry license, an applicant has to complete 16 hours of classroom instruction, plus two hours of live-fire training, submit four character references, sit for an in-person interview, and pass a background process that, in my experience, takes an average of six months — and commonly can stretch past a year.
An attorney once put it to me this way, and I haven&#8217;t heard it said better: if New York actually cared about safety, the ratio would be flipped — sixteen hours of live-fire and safe-handling training, two hours of legal seminar. Instead, it&#8217;s the opposite. The overwhelming majority of mandated time isn&#8217;t spent teaching people to operate a firearm safely. It&#8217;s spent walking them through everything they&#8217;re not allowed to do. That&#8217;s not a safety program. That&#8217;s a liability shield with a permit slip attached. And that&#8217;s before you factor in the cost — training, fingerprinting, application fees, lost work hours — which adds up to something far beyond a minor inconvenience. For someone working full-time or living on a tight income, six months to a year of cost and paperwork isn&#8217;t a deterrent. It&#8217;s often a hard stop.
Even after someone clears every hurdle and gets approved, New York&#8217;s list of &#8220;sensitive locations&#8221; strips the license of most of its value. Subways. Times Square. Public transit. The exact places where violent crime is most concentrated and where the value of self-defense is most needed are off limits. The state hands you a license in one hand and takes back the protection with the other. To be clear, I don&#8217;t think every requirement is worthless. A seminar on the legal use of force has real value. Live-fire training has real value. The problem isn&#8217;t that New York asks people to be trained and responsible. The problem is how it&#8217;s built — layered, slow, and expensive in a way that has far more to do with discouraging applicants than preparing them.
New Jersey&#8217;s process, by comparison, is a two-hour seminar plus a 50-round live-fire qualification across three to 15 yards. That&#8217;s it. It&#8217;s faster, cheaper, and — frankly — makes more sense as an actual proficiency test than New York&#8217;s process. Approval times run dramatically shorter than New York&#8217;s. I still don&#8217;t think New Jersey&#8217;s system is where it should be, constitutionally. But if I had to choose between the two states as they stand today, it isn&#8217;t close. Meanwhile, most of the country has moved toward constitutional carry — which is closer to how the Second Amendment was actually written and intended to function. More states should be moving in that direction, not away from it.
People will say these hurdles exist because lawmakers want gun ownership to stay rare. That misses the bigger picture. The Second Amendment wasn&#8217;t written to manage a hobby. It was written as a check against tyranny and, just as importantly, as a guarantee that every individual has the right to defend themselves and the people they love. That right doesn&#8217;t mean much if the state can regulate it into practical non-existence while still calling it &#8220;shall issue.&#8221;
And there&#8217;s a second half to this problem that doesn&#8217;t get talked about enough: the revolving-door approach to repeat offenders in cities like New York. When people with long, documented histories of arrests face little to no real consequence, you remove any incentive for a would-be attacker to hesitate. Deterrence works both ways — an armed, trained citizen is one form of deterrence; real consequences for violent behavior are another. Weaken both at the same time, and you shouldn&#8217;t be surprised when incidents like stabbings and other violent crimes keep happening.
I’m constantly asked where to start, and I always come back to the same comparison: learning to drive. The first time you get behind the wheel, it&#8217;s intimidating — you don&#8217;t know what you&#8217;re doing, and that uncertainty is real. But with the right instructor, proper training, and time behind the wheel, that discomfort turns into competence. A firearm is no different. It&#8217;s a tool. Treated seriously, trained on properly, and understood clearly, it becomes something you can rely on rather than fear. That&#8217;s the piece so many of these processes get backward. They spend their energy trying to make people afraid of the tool instead of competent with it. Fix that, and you fix most of what&#8217;s actually wrong with the system.
There are many fantastic resources and firearms instructors across the country — people who know the laws and people who follow everything Second Amendment-related. For example, if you are worried about owning or bringing a firearm into your home, Yehuda Remer, also known as The Pew Pew Jew, has a series of children’s books that talk about gun safety and living with firearms in your home. He also has a history of the Second Amendment so you and your child can learn about its importance and why we have it. He is a Second Amendment activist living in Texas who educates children and parents about those rights. His work and advocacy span the better part of 15 years, during which he has called for everyone to arm themselves, especially Jews. Since October 7, his voice has been an important wake-up call for Jews around the country to pick up a firearm, train, and survive.
If any of this resonates — if you&#8217;ve been sitting on the fence about getting trained, getting licensed, or just learning how to think about your own safety — don&#8217;t wait for the next headline to decide for you. Reach out. Find me on YouTube and Instagram as The Tactical Rabbi, or drop me a line at <a href="mailto:info@thetacticalrabbi.com">info@thetacticalrabbi.com</a>. I’m happy to help point you in the right direction.
Or you can reach out to The Pew Pew Jew at <a href="http://www.thepewpewjew.com/">www.thepewpewjew.com</a> or email him at thepewpewjew@gmail.com.
***
Rabbi Raziel Cohen is a firearms instructor and security consultant known as &#8220;The Tactical Rabbi.&#8221; His YouTube channel has surpassed 35 million views, and he shares ongoing training content on Instagram.
Yehuda Remer is an award-winning Second Amendment advocate who has published 10 books and has appeared on media outlets including Fox News, ABC News, and other publications.

Todd Settergren of Setterarms gun shop, handles pistols inside his display case on Friday Jan. 13, 2017, in Walnut Creek, Ca. Settergren says California gun laws have gone too far and he welcomes the chance that the federal government under the Trump admi

New York Doesn’t Want You Armed, The Bureaucracy Proves It

antisemitism

Chabad of Poway

Concealed Carry

DW Opinion

Gun Rights

Inc. v. Bruen

National Rifle Association (NRA)

New Jersey

New York

New York State Rifle &amp; Pistol Association

October 7

Second Amendment

Thousands of non-citizens were registered to vote in New Jersey in what officials are classifying as a &#8220;software error.&#8221;
Democratic New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill revealed Tuesday that she was made aware of the apparent mistake last week. She claimed that the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) registered roughly 6,600 non-citizens who indicated their status while applying for IDs and driver&#8217;s licenses between June 2023 and June 2024.
&#8220;These individuals answered &#8216;no&#8217; when asked on a keypad whether they were a U.S. citizen when applying for drivers&#8217; licenses and identification cards, but through no fault of their own, the system registered them anyway,&#8221; Sherrill <a href="https://x.com/GovSherrillNJ/status/2079602942722662725">wrote</a> in an X post.
Sherrill blamed her predecessor for the purported mistake.
The Garden State&#8217;s election office is investigating the voter rolls to remove any non-citizens, Sherrill said during a Tuesday press conference. Officials are also working to replace the vendor responsible for implementing the system that led to the error.
&#8220;This happened under the previous administration and, upon learning this information, I immediately ordered my chief counsel to launch an investigation to get to the bottom of what occurred,&#8221; Sherrill said.
&#8220;I also ordered the removal of any residents from our voter rolls who were erroneously added between June 2023 and June 2024,&#8221; she said.
Fewer than 400 of the non-citizens who were placed on the state&#8217;s voter rolls actually voted, Sherrill said, citing a &#8220;preliminary analysis.&#8221;
&#8220;I want to underscore how seriously I take this matter. As a military veteran who swore an oath to defend our Constitution, and as a former federal prosecutor, I believe the integrity of our elections is fundamental to our democracy,&#8221; Sherrill said.
&#8220;I am appalled by the reckless failures that allowed this to happen and the lack of transparency shown by those in charge at the time,&#8221; the governor said. &#8220;This failure didn’t occur under my watch, but accountability starts now.&#8221;
Sherrill also took aim at the Trump administration for attempting &#8220;to weaponize elections for political gain.&#8221;
&#8220;Let me be clear: Donald Trump has zero credibility on the issue of election integrity. For more than ten years, he has worked to undermine Americans&#8217; faith in our elections by spreading lies about legitimate election results, attempting to overturn a free and fair election, encouraging an attack on our Capitol when he couldn&#8217;t accept the will of the voters, and defunding election security at the federal level,&#8221; the governor said.
&#8220;The difference is simple: when we find a problem, we don&#8217;t hide it, deny it, or invent conspiracies. We investigate it, we fix it, and we tell the public. That&#8217;s what accountability and good governance look like, and that&#8217;s exactly what my administration is doing,&#8221; she said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I note that New Jersey is one of the states refusing to allow <a href="https://x.com/TheJusticeDept?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheJusticeDept</a> <a href="https://x.com/CivilRights?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CivilRights</a> to help them avoid exactly such “errors.”
Stay tuned. <a href="https://t.co/bObsAUA2zB">https://t.co/bObsAUA2zB</a>
— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) <a href="https://x.com/AAGDhillon/status/2079619785273298972?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Trump administration has sought to audit New Jersey&#8217;s voter rolls to ensure non-citizens aren&#8217;t registered to vote. The Justice Department <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-five-additional-states-failure-produce-voter-rolls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sued</a> New Jersey in February for its &#8220;failure to produce their full voter registration lists upon request.&#8221;
In response to Sherrill&#8217;s latest announcement, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon called out the apparent hypocrisy, adding, &#8220;Stay tuned.&#8221;

Untitled design – 2026-07-21T121316.741

New Jersey Registered Thousands Of Non-Citizens To Vote Due To ‘Software Error’

Election Fraud

election integrity

Immigration

mikie sherrill

A federal appeals court ruled Friday that New Jersey’s ban on semiautomatic rifles and high-capacity magazines violates the Second Amendment, marking the first time a federal appellate court has struck down a state ban on so-called assault weapons. 
The Third Circuit reached the decision by a 10-5 vote, expanding a lower court ruling that had found New Jersey&#8217;s <a href="https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-2c/section-2c-39-1/">ban</a> on Colt AR-15 rifles unconstitutional.
A lower court had previously ruled that New Jersey&#8217;s ban on Colt AR-15 rifles violated the Second Amendment while upholding the state&#8217;s large-capacity magazine restriction. The appeals court went further, concluding the constitutional protection extends to all semiautomatic rifles covered by the law.
“We agree with the District Court that New Jersey’s ban on Colt AR-15s violates the Second Amendment,&#8221; the court <a href="https://www2.ca3.uscourts.gov/opinarch/242415p.pdf">wrote</a>. It added that &#8220;the same result&#8221; applies to the broader class of semiautomatic rifles covered by the state&#8217;s assault weapons ban.  
The appeals court relied heavily on the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in New York State Rifle &amp; Pistol Association v. Bruen, which held that modern gun laws must be &#8220;consistent with this nation&#8217;s ⁠historical tradition of ​firearm regulation,&#8221; US News <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2026-07-17/us-appeals-court-declares-new-jerseys-ban-on-assault-rifles-unconstitutional">reports</a>. 
New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, a Democrat, blasted the ruling, saying it was “as unfortunate as it is legally incorrect”
“Assault weapons and large-capacity magazines play a dangerous role in the modern epidemic of mass shootings, and New Jersey acted reasonably and lawfully in restricting them,&#8221; Davenport said.
She added that the state was already exploring its legal options following the ruling.
The Firearms Policy Coalition, one of the plaintiffs in the case, celebrated the decision.
“This is a massive victory for the People and another devastating blow to the authoritarian war on gun owners,” FPC’s President Brandon Combs <a href="https://www.firearmspolicy.org/fpc-wins-major-third-circuit-victory-against-new-jersey-assault-weapon-ban">said</a>. 
The Supreme Court is currently considering challenges to similar bans in Connecticut and Illinois.

Second Amendment Concepts – Firearm on a scale

Gun Owners Just Scored A Huge Court Victory

Courts

Gun Control

Gun Laws

U.S.

A Canadian national learned the hard way that political rage can carry a hefty price tag — including a possible one-way ticket out of the country.
Kaitlyn Tracey, a 33-year-old living in Asbury Park, allegedly lost her cool on the Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk on Jersey Shore over the Fourth of July weekend and is accused of <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/07/15/us-news/canadian-woman-kaitlyn-tracey-detained-by-ice-after-allegedly-assaulting-teen-girl-wearing-trump-clothing-at-jersey-shore/">unleashing a physical assault</a> on a teenager whose only crime was her wardrobe choice.
According to authorities, Tracey filmed herself confronting a group of four young girls on July 3. The trigger? Two of the minors were wearing patriotic sweatpants emblazoned with the words &#8220;Trump&#8221; and &#8220;ICE.&#8221; Tempers flared, and Tracey allegedly smacked one of the young girls across the face and body. While the teenager escaped physical injury, Tracey couldn’t escape the law.
Cops used security footage to track down the angry Canadian. She was hit with a laundry list of charges, including endangering the welfare of a child, assault, harassment, and obstruction.
But her troubles didn&#8217;t stop there. On Monday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents snatched Tracey up and threw her into the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark.
Her husband, Matthew Geroni — who calls himself the &#8220;Clown of Asbury Park&#8221; and regularly mocks conservatives — scrambled to TikTok to beg his 140,000 followers for help, conveniently leaving out the part where his wife allegedly slapped a kid. A GoFundMe page he promoted for her legal fees was quickly yanked down after angry MAGA supporters reported it.
The leftist&#8217;s boardwalk tantrum is just the latest flashpoint in a years-long wave of violent outbursts targeting everyday Americans for wearing red hats or flying conservative flags.
Just two months ago, the hatred turned lethal. Kerry Sheron, a 69-year-old Army veteran known for his patriotic &#8220;Trump House&#8221; in Escondido, California, was brutally beaten in his own front yard. The elderly veteran <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/army-vet-dies-after-hes-beaten-outside-his-famed-trump-house">died of his injuries</a> days later.
The rage extends to even the most mundane settings. Back in July 2018, a Texas teenager sitting in a San Antonio Whataburger had his MAGA hat ripped off and soda thrown in his face by an angry patron. In August 2019, a man was jumped outside a Portland, Oregon bar by two thugs simply because he was <a href="https://www.opb.org/news/article/maga-hat-trump-portland-oregon-assault/#:~:text=By%20Rob%20Manning%20(OPB)%20Portland%2C%20Ore.%20Aug.,to%20the%20Multnomah%20County%20District%20Attorney's%20office.">wearing the signature red hat</a>.
Even law enforcement has been caught in the middle of the madness. A federal appeals court previously ruled that Trump supporters attacked at a 2016 campaign rally in San Jose could sue local police. Officers allegedly funneled attendees right into a hostile mob of anti-Trump protesters and stood by while they were pummeled and pelted with garbage.
For Tracey, her next date in court is on August 4 if Uncle Sam doesn&#8217;t deport her back to the Great White North first.

Nation’s Capital Prepares For President-Elect Donald Trump’s Second Inauguration

ICE Takes Action After Canadian Lefty Accused Of Slapping American Teen Over Trump Pants

Canada

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Trump Supporters

The roof of a wholesale store in Ocean Township, New Jersey, collapsed on Monday, trapping two shoppers inside.
There were 27 people inside the BJ&#8217;s Wholesale Club when a large section of the roof suddenly collapsed due to a heavy rain storm in the area, <a href="https://newjersey.news12.com/2026/07/06/roof-collapses-at-bjs-wholesale-club-in-ocean-township/128UzlO4BAdoGypMDmXBA6">according</a> to News 12 New Jersey. Two people were briefly trapped before safely exiting the building, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/bjs-roof-collapses-heavy-rains-new-jersey-rcna353205">according</a> to NBC. The security footage shows people running for safety as part of the roof collapsed and water started pouring in.
First responders, including officers with the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office and Ocean Township police, arrived at the store around 11:16 a.m, Syracuse.com <a href="https://www.syracuse.com/us-news/2026/07/roof-collapses-at-bjs-store-2-people-briefly-trapped.html">reported</a>.
“We did evacuate everyone out of the building. There were reports of two individuals trapped. They did escape the building,” said Chief Michael Sorrentino. 
Witness Ken Kalada was shopping for laundry detergent and first took a video of a large leak in the ceiling, according to NBC. He said a few seconds later the roof collapsed, and he was standing only 20 feet away. 
“I mean it was a thunderous boom. It made my ears ring,” Kalada said. “There was a girder nearby and I just leaned into that. There was a lot of yelling a lot screaming.”
He also said his instinct was to try to get out as quickly as he could because he feared more of the roof would collapse. 
A structural engineer will need to fully inspect the building and decide if it can be repaired or torn down. The Monmouth sheriff said 20% of the roof is now gone, but there were no injuries reported.
“We commend all first responders who worked with urgency under challenging circumstances,” said Sheriff Shaun Golden. “Despite the ongoing flooding and severe weather affecting our communities, all worked seamlessly together to ensure everyone was safely accounted for. Their dedication and teamwork exemplify the very best of public safety.”
On Monday afternoon, there were more than 60 million people that received flood watches across the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast.

WATCH: Insane Moment BJ’s Ceiling Caves In On Shoppers

Roof collapse

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) revealed Tuesday that the undisclosed medical condition that kept him away from Congress for nearly four months was depression, ending months of speculation about one of the House GOP&#8217;s most closely watched absences.
Returning to the House floor for the first time since early March, Kean disclosed that he was hospitalized after experiencing health concerns and was ultimately diagnosed with depression, a condition he described as far more debilitating than many people realize.
&#8220;Many people think it is feeling sad. It is so much more than that,&#8221; Kean told colleagues. &#8220;It is physical, it is emotional, and until you experience it yourself, it is difficult to fully understand how powerful this illness can be.&#8221;
The announcement comes after Kean missed more than 100 House votes and largely disappeared from public view, creating headaches for House Republican leadership as Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) attempted to navigate the chamber&#8217;s razor-thin majority.
Kean last cast a vote on March 5 before abruptly stepping away from Congress. His office initially described the situation only as a &#8220;personal medical issue,&#8221; repeatedly declining to elaborate while assuring constituents the congressman expected to make a full recovery.
Earlier this month, Kean&#8217;s political adviser, Harrison Neely, announced the congressman would return to Washington on June 30 and promised he would be &#8220;fully transparent&#8221; about his condition.
On Tuesday, Kean explained that he initially entered the hospital for medical testing before receiving his diagnosis. &#8220;I was given the diagnosis of depression,&#8221; he said. Kean said doctors advised him to remain hospitalized because it offered the quickest path to recovery. &#8220;I was hesitant,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I didn&#8217;t think I had time for it.&#8221;
The second-term Republican acknowledged that when he previously told constituents he expected to return within weeks, he believed that timeline was accurate. &#8220;But as the over 48 million of my fellow Americans being treated for this illness have come to discover, there is no timeline for healing,&#8221; Kean said. &#8220;Today I stand before you healthier, stronger and excited to return to the work that I love.&#8221; Kean characterized himself as &#8220;a private person by nature,&#8221; explaining why he chose not to disclose his diagnosis sooner.
He also encouraged others struggling with mental illness to seek treatment. &#8220;Asking for help is not a weakness,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It is a strength.&#8221; Despite revealing the reason for his prolonged absence, Kean left Capitol Hill immediately after delivering his remarks without answering reporters&#8217; questions, leaving several unresolved what initially prompted his hospitalization.
Speaker Johnson said he had repeatedly encouraged Kean to be more forthcoming with the public during his absence. &#8220;I encouraged him all along to be as transparent as possible,&#8221; Johnson told reporters. &#8220;I&#8217;m glad he finally has.&#8221; Johnson declined to criticize Kean further, saying the decision ultimately rested with the New Jersey congressman. &#8220;It&#8217;s his personal issue,&#8221; the speaker said.
Kean represents New Jersey&#8217;s highly competitive 7th Congressional District, one of the Democrats&#8217; top pickup opportunities heading into November. His absence became an issue in the race as Democrats questioned whether constituents were receiving adequate representation while Kean remained out of public view. Democratic nominee Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot, is expected to challenge Kean in what is projected to be one of the country&#8217;s most competitive House contests.
Before Tuesday&#8217;s announcement, President Donald Trump and House Republican leaders had continued backing Kean&#8217;s reelection campaign despite his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-rep-set-to-return-to-congress-after-he-went-mia-for-months">absence</a>. Trump endorsed Kean earlier this month, while Johnson repeatedly defended the congressman&#8217;s right to medical privacy and urged reporters to be patient.
Kean, the son of former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean Sr., missed more than 100 House votes during his absence, though his office maintained that he continued to perform constituent services and campaign activities remotely.
The congressman&#8217;s remarks drew support from some lawmakers who have publicly discussed their own struggles with mental illness. At the same time, critics argued that while Kean&#8217;s diagnosis deserved empathy, his constituents also deserved greater transparency during an absence that stretched nearly four months.
New York Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres, who has spoken openly about living with depression, wrote on <a href="https://x.com/RitchieTorres/status/2071993828534346043">X</a> that he had &#8220;deep sympathy for anyone struggling with mental illness,&#8221; but added that &#8220;public office carries a duty of transparency.&#8221;
&#8220;When a public official is absent for an extended period,&#8221; Torres wrote, &#8220;the public has a right to an honest explanation.&#8221;

NJ Rep. Kean Returns To Capitol Hill After Months-Long Absence

Congressman Gone MIA Reveals He Missed 3 Months Of Work Due To Depression

Congress

Depression

Mental Health

Politics

Tom Kean

A speeding New Jersey driver who struck and killed two World Cup fans before fleeing the scene was charged on Wednesday, authorities said. 
David J. Zapata-Vera, the 26-year-old driver, surrendered himself to authorities on Tuesday after speeding through a Newark intersection as two women were walking across the street.
He was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide, two counts of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in death, and two counts of endangering an injured victim, <a href="https://newjersey.news12.com/2026/06/24/newark-man-charged-in-fatal-hit-and-run-that-killed-two-women/7Bq8OuMsh2GYswRm00t1cz">according</a> to New Jersey News 12. He is currently being held in the Essex County jail without bond. 
The victims, Maria Isabel DeLos Angeles, 61, and Mariana Elizabeth Valverde Beltran, 58, were in the crosswalk when they were hit by Zapata-Vera, <a href="https://njecpo.org/arrest-in-fatal-hit-and-run-crash-that-killed-two-women-in-newark/">said</a> the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office. The two women were walking home from a World Cup watch party on Saturday night, The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/25/us-news/two-nj-women-killed-in-hit-and-run-crash-as-they-walked-home-from-world-cup-watch-party/">reported</a>.
Surveillance cameras on the street captured the red sedan speeding through the intersection before it struck the victims, sending them airborne.
Manuel Candelaria, a witness to the tragedy, claimed that Zapata-Vera accelerated through the intersection. “The light was changing, this side was red, this side was yellow, I don&#8217;t know if he was drunk, but anyway he put the gas and that&#8217;s what happens,” he said.
The two victims were rushed to the University Hospital Newark, where they were pronounced dead.
“You have to live with this for the rest of your life. I hope the person is found but also for that person it’s something you have to live with for the rest of your life, it’s on your conscience,” Jeffrey Chacon, Beltran’s cousin, said to WABC. “My dad is managing his emotions with trying to contact everyone in Ecuador, her sisters, her son.”

World Cup Watch Party Ends In Unthinkable Tragedy

Death

World Cup

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) will return to Capitol Hill on June 30 after nearly four months away from Washington due to an undisclosed medical issue, ending an absence that became a national political story and created a vulnerability for Republicans defending what has become a competitive House seat.
Kean&#8217;s political adviser, Harrison Neely, <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/06/18/congress/tom-kean-return-00967295">confirmed</a> Thursday that the congressman plans to return to in-person work at the end of the month after missing more than 135 House votes since March 5.
&#8220;Congressman Kean is eager to return to in person work on June 30 and resume a full schedule,&#8221; Neely said. &#8220;He plans to be fully transparent regarding the nature of his health issue and you should expect to hear from him in person June 30th.&#8221;
The announcement marks the first time Kean&#8217;s team has provided a specific date for his return after months of public speculation about his condition. His office has repeatedly attributed the absence to a personal medical issue but has declined to provide details.
The two-term Republican represents New Jersey&#8217;s 7th Congressional District, a closely contested seat that has changed hands between the parties in recent election cycles. Kean defeated Democrat Tom Malinowski in 2022 and successfully defended the seat in 2024, but Democrats view the district as one of their best pickup opportunities in the 2026 midterms.
Kean is expected to face Democratic nominee Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot and healthcare executive who won her party&#8217;s nomination earlier this month.
His prolonged absence has become a central issue in the race.
While Kean has remained active through social media statements and campaign communications, he has not appeared publicly in Washington or throughout his district since early March. The lack of information surrounding his condition fueled media scrutiny and questions from political observers about how the absence might affect both his re-election prospects and the House Republican Conference&#8217;s narrow majority.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) <a href="https://www.c-span.org/clip/news-conference/speaker-johnson-says-he-expects-nj-rep-tom-kean-to-return-soon-from-extended-absence/5200527">previously defended</a> Kean, telling reporters that the congressman was dealing with a legitimate medical issue and would eventually provide details about his condition.
In May, Johnson said he had spoken with Kean and expected him to return. More recently, the speaker acknowledged he had encouraged the New Jersey Republican to be transparent about his health situation.
Despite the absence, Kean has continued to receive support from top Republicans, including President Donald Trump. Earlier in June, Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116677963449948858">endorsed</a> Kean&#8217;s re-election bid, writing on Truth Social that the congressman was &#8220;working tirelessly&#8221; and giving him his &#8220;Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election.&#8221;
The return announcement comes as both parties prepare for what is expected to be one of the most expensive and closely watched House races in the country.
Democrats have already begun highlighting Kean&#8217;s absence, while Republicans argue the congressman deserves privacy while recovering from a medical issue. Bennett has largely avoided directly criticizing Kean&#8217;s health situation but has argued voters deserve active representation in Washington.
Kean, whose father, former New Jersey Governor Tom Kean Sr., remains one of the state&#8217;s most popular political figures, previously told local media that his condition is not chronic and will not affect his cognitive abilities.
According to Neely, the congressman intends to provide a full explanation of his medical issue upon his return to Capitol Hill on June 30, ending months of speculation surrounding one of the House GOP&#8217;s most closely watched members.

Visit Of The Bipartisan Delegation Of The U.S. Congress In Kyiv

GOP Rep Set To Return To Congress After He Went MIA For Months

House of Representatives

Republican

A New Jersey Democrat declared that she had to stop going to church because she &#8220;couldn&#8217;t stand&#8221; being around so many people who had voted for President Donald Trump.
Rebecca Bennett, the Democratic nominee to represent New Jersey&#8217;s Seventh Congressional District in the U.S. House, told a supporter about her decision to leave the church at a campaign event in February. Audio of their conversation was obtained and published Wednesday by <a href="https://freebeacon.com/elections/new-jersey-dem-running-in-house-district-trump-carried-said-she-stopped-going-to-church-because-she-could-not-stand-being-around-people-who-voted-for-trump-audio-shows/">The Washington Free Beacon</a>.
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The audio begins with Bennett thanking her supporters for coming out and offering to take some of their questions. The first question comes from a woman who identifies herself as &#8220;a former progressive Dem, now a moderate&#8221; who is happy to hear Bennett describe herself as a &#8220;patriot&#8221; but concerned that others might hear that word and think she leans to the Right.
&#8220;I loved hearing you say that you&#8217;re a patriot, but what are you going to do about that being a right-coded way of presenting yourself?&#8221; the woman asked.
&#8220;I will say I use that word intentionally, and the reason that I do it is because, so, I grew up in the Presbyterian Church, and after Trump got elected, I stopped going to church for the first time in my life, because I was like, &#8216;I cannot sit in this room of people,'&#8221; Bennett, a former Navy pilot, explained. &#8220;At the time, I was stationed somewhere that was pretty conservative. I was still in the military at the time. I was like, &#8216;I cannot sit in this church full of people who voted for Trump.'&#8221;
&#8220;And then, ultimately, I decided they do not get to decide what Christianity looks like, and to me, it&#8217;s the same thing about [how] they do not get to decide what patriotism is,&#8221; she adds. &#8220;You do not get to wrap yourself in the flag while you are literally murdering Americans in broad daylight.&#8221;

New Jersey Residents Vote In Primary Election

Dem Candidate Ditches Church Because She Can’t Stand Trump Voters

New Jersey Dem Ditched Church Because She Couldn't Stand Being Around Trump Voters

Donald Trump

Former reality star Spencer Pratt (MTV&#8217;s &#8220;The Hills&#8221;) raised eyebrows when he threw his hat in the ring to run for mayor of Los Angeles — but soon, Pratt may not be the only one.
Mike &#8220;The Situation&#8221; Sorrentino, who popularized the errands trifecta known as &#8220;GTL&#8221; (Gym, Tan, Laundry) on MTV&#8217;s &#8220;Jersey Shore,&#8221; said recently that he was thinking about a future run for governor in the Garden State.
Sorrentino has had his share of ups and downs since finding fame on the popular reality show, but has since parlayed his own previous struggles with addiction into a drug and alcohol rehab center called Archangels. At a recent launch party for VUE magazine in Wall Township, the former MTV star said that he planned to move into politics after he&#8217;d opened an Archangels Center in each of the 50 states.
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&#8220;I’d like to have an Archangels Center in every 50 states [sic], and after that, you know, I will introduce everybody to Governor Situation,&#8221; he explained.
He did not immediately give a party affiliation — but did offer a major hint in the form of a policy he might support: &#8220;I can’t announce it yet but I think the residents of New Jersey would like no property tax.&#8221;
New Jersey currently has the highest median property tax in the United States — meaning that residents pay more to own property in the Garden State than they would anywhere else in the country. Illinois ranks second, and Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Vermont round out the top five.
Sorrentino may be preparing to follow Pratt&#8217;s road map and capitalize on the failures of previous leadership — which, in New Jersey, might simply mean finding a way to provide meaningful relief from the high property tax rates.
Pratt used that strategy to great effect, pressing incumbent Mayor Karen Bass on her handling of the deadly Palisades fire (in which Pratt lost his own home as well as his parent&#8217;s home) and the homelessness crisis and rampant drug use in Los Angeles. With 62% of the votes counted as of Thursday afternoon, Pratt is holding steady at second place in California&#8217;s jungle primary. If he remains in second place, he will head into a November runoff against Bass, who has already secured the top spot in the primary.

me-spencer-pratt-south-la

Move Over, Spencer Pratt. Another Reality Star Wants A Political Shot.

The Spencer Pratt Political Effect Is Spreading To Another Reality TV Star

Media

Spencer Pratt

On Tuesday, Egyptian-born Adam Hamawy, a defense witness for a convicted terrorist dubbed the &#8220;Blind Sheikh,&#8221; won the Democratic primary for New Jersey&#8217;s 12th Congressional District.
Dr. Hamawy, a veteran U.S. Army combat surgeon, gained national attention when he scored endorsements from big-name &#8220;Squad&#8221; members, like far-Left Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). Democratic-socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) also backed Hamawy.
During his time as a combat surgeon, Hamawy helped save the life of Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), when her Black Hawk helicopter was struck down by a rocket-propelled grenade in 2004. However, he&#8217;s facing scrutiny for his role in a World Trade Center bombing trial, where he defended the so-called &#8220;Blind Sheikh,&#8221; and for his past work with a now-defunct organization that provided support to terrorist group al-Qaeda.
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In 1995, Hamawy testified as a defense witness during a terrorism trial for Muslim cleric Omar Abdel-Rahman, A.K.A. the Blind Sheikh. Hamawy said he had accompanied Abdel-Rahman to a conference in Detroit and disputed some allegations about the cleric&#8217;s statements. As <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/02/us-news/democrat-adam-hamawy-wins-nj-house-primary-after-volunteering-with-al-qaeda-linked-group/">highlighted</a> by the New York Post, he notably testified that Abdel-Rahman&#8217;s remarks about “conquering the land of the infidels” were being taken “out of context” by prosecutors.
Abdel-Rahman was convicted of helping plan terrorist attacks and was linked to the group responsible for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
A spokesperson for Hamawy has tried to distance the congressional hopeful from the terrorist, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/02/us-news/democrat-adam-hamawy-wins-nj-house-primary-after-volunteering-with-al-qaeda-linked-group/">stating</a> that, at the time, Abdel-Rahman &#8220;was one of very few religious figures in what was then a very small Muslim community in New Jersey,&#8221; adding, &#8220;Dr. Hamawy condemns that man’s violent rhetoric and actions, and all violence, hatred, and terrorism — and he will always. Dr. Hamawy had no contact with this person after they were arrested.”
In 1994, Hamawy also worked with the Benevolence International Foundation, a nonprofit where he helped deliver medical supplies to hospitals during the Bosnian War. However, in 2002, Bosnian authorities raided the group&#8217;s offices as part of a joint effort with the United States to dismantle Benevolence International Foundation, which they identified as a front for Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda, <a href="https://jewishinsider.com/2026/05/adam-hamawy-benevolence-international-foundation-bosnia-al-qaida/">according</a> to Jewish Insider. The 9/11 Commission also found that the group&#8217;s base was part of an &#8220;impressive array of offices [that] covertly provided financial and other support for terrorist activities” that Osama bin Laden established in the early 1990s.
Reacting to Hamawy&#8217;s win, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), posted, &#8220;How in the hell has a defense witness in the 1993 WTC bombing, with ties to Al-Qaeda been nominated by the Democrats to serve in Congress? If elected in November, Congress should fully investigate his ties to terrorist organizations and determine whether he is fit to serve.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
How in the hell has a defense witness in the 1993 WTC bombing, with ties to Al-Qaeda been nominated by the Democrats to serve in Congress?
If elected in November, Congress should fully investigate his ties to terrorist organizations and determine whether he is fit to serve. <a href="https://t.co/Ss5TqKmdU0">https://t.co/Ss5TqKmdU0</a>
— Mike Lawler (@lawler4ny) <a href="https://x.com/lawler4ny/status/2062002833801597149?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
Similarly, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) wrote, &#8220;This guy was a defense witness in the 1993 WTC bombing (allegedly with ties to Al-Qaeda). There is no way he can have a security clearance. National security risk.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This guy was a defense witness in the 1993 WTC bombing (allegedly with ties to Al-Qaeda). There is no way he can have a security clearance. National security risk. <a href="https://t.co/vyk1AlEE1I">https://t.co/vyk1AlEE1I</a>
— Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) <a href="https://x.com/realannapaulina/status/2062013036454449418?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
Hamawy will face off against Republican Gregg Mele on November 3 for the New Jersey congressional seat. He&#8217;s heavily favored to win, as the district is considered a safe Democrat seat.

US-POLITICS-GAZA-CONFLICT

Terrorist-Linked Dem Rides ‘Squad’ Support To Primary Victory

Squad-Backed Dem With ‘Ties To Al-Qaeda’ Wins NJ Primary 

As Democratic lawmakers and activists claim detainees at ICE&#8217;s Delaney Hall are engaged in a hunger strike, a different story is playing out inside the facility.
While detainees at the Newark, New Jersey, detention center <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-hunger-striking-ice-detainees-are-secretly-pounding-doritos-and-honey-buns?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+%E2%80%98Hunger+Striking%E2%80%99+ICE+Detainees+Are+Secretly+Pounding+Doritos+And+Honey+Buns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are opting not to eat</a> their regular meals, they&#8217;re going to the commissary to buy candy bars instead, a source familiar with the situation said recently. New data obtained by The Daily Wire shows that commissary sales at Delaney Hall surged 161%, rising from $11,498 on May 26 to $30,013 on June 1. While snack sales jumped, the detainee population fell from 724 to 621 during that same time period.
The so-called hunger strike stems from allegations of poor conditions inside the facility, where Democratic lawmakers like Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) have claimed that there are worms in the food.
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President Donald Trump&#8217;s border czar, Tom Homan, said Monday that he personally visited the facility and ate the same food being served to detainees, which he said he enjoyed.
&#8220;I even made a surprise visit this weekend and walked into the cafeteria and ate the same meal that the detainees around me were eating, and I made sure my tray equaled their tray. I had spaghetti and meat sauce, I had green beans, I had bread and rolls, I had drinks, I had dessert. The food was good, it&#8217;s all a false premise. There was never a hunger strike,&#8221; Homan said.
&#8220;They may not be eating in the cafeteria, but what I found out they&#8217;re ordering food from the commissary and eating it in their cells,&#8221; he added.
The Department of Homeland Security has also repeatedly hit back at the allegations, saying &#8220;all detainees are provided with proper meals, quality water, blankets, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers.&#8221;
Former ICE New York Field Office Deputy Director Scott Mechkowski recently told The Daily Wire that so-called hunger strikes where detainees are loading up on commissary snacks are all too common in immigration detention.
“I’ve seen real hunger strikes during my time as an ICE official, managing detention facilities. What’s happening at Delaney Hall is not a hunger strike,” Mechkowski said.
“When detainees are buying up Honey Buns and Snickers bars, and those with money are helping others get snacks, that’s not a hunger strike, it’s just a publicity stunt,” he added.
Meanwhile, Newark Democratic Mayor Ras Baraka announced Tuesday that he was expanding an existing lawsuit against Delaney Hall operator GEO Group. The state later announced a separate lawsuit against the private prison company, accusing it of refusing to allow state health inspectors inside.
Protesters have clashed with authorities for days outside the facility, leading to dozens of arrests.
New Jersey Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill held back state police from responding to the melee until nearly a week after the protests began. On Monday, Baraka instituted a curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Protestors Demonstrate And Clash With Officers Outside Delaney Hall Detention Facility In Newark

EXCLUSIVE: Snack Sales Inside Delaney Hall More Than Double Amid So-Called ‘Hunger Strike’

Delaney Hall

illegal immigrant

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

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