Macron deemed winner of fierce final TV debate with Le Pen

The debate climax of this twist-after-twist French presidential campaign was loud, fast, personal, riven with inaccuracies and thin on substance — and the candidate likeliest to become France’s next president, Emmanuel Macron, won the day. National Front candidate Marine Le Pen came out swinging in her opening remarks, calling Macron “the candidate of wild globalisation, […]

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International

Op-Ed: What Trump should do about Venezuela’s drift toward a full-blown dictatorship

President Trump has remained surprisingly silent about the recent events in Venezuela, which is drifting into a full-blown dictatorship under his watch. It’s time he does something to help restore democracy there. In recent weeks, Venezuela’s president, Nicolas Maduro, has curtailed some of the last remaining powers of the opposition-majority National Assembly, announced that he

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International, USA

Saudi Arabia will be Trump’s first foreign visit; Israel and Vatican will follow

WASHINGTON — Saudi Arabia will be the first country President Donald Trump visits since his inauguration, the White House announced Thursday. The president will then visit Israel and the Vatican before attending previously announced summits in Belgium and Italy, the White House said. Senior administration officials, briefing reporters on the condition of anonymity, said Saudi

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International, Middle East, USA

Trump signs order inviting more politics at church, but no ‘religious liberty’ clause involving LGBTQ debate

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aimed at protecting politically active churches from losing their tax-free status. The order, timed for Thursday’s National Day of Prayer, does not include the broad religious liberty provisions leaked in February that could have allowed businesses to discriminate based on sexual orientation and other

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USA

‘Just Kidding’: A Jewish fundraiser for the Wall

  By Joel H. Cohen NEW YORK –Apparently frustrated with the inaction of what he called “pathetic, so-called Congress” on the wall he wants built between the United States and Mexico, President Trump has hired a Jewish fund-raising firm to conduct the drive for contributions to pay for it. Press secretary Sean Spicer said at

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Joel H. Cohen, Trivia, Humor & Satire

United States Jewish roundup: May 4, 2017

Reform Judaism leaders oppose church-state changes WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) — In response to President Trump’s dangerously broad executive order masquerading as protection of religious freedom, Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, issued the following statement Thursday on behalf of the Union for Reform Judaism, the Central Conference

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Middle East, USA

Israel reprimands Swedish envoy over ‘nasty propaganda’ at UNESCO

Foreign Ministry expresses ‘bitter disappointment’ to only European country to back text rejecting Israeli claims to Jerusalem By Raphael Ahren Carl Magnus Nesser, Swedish ambassador to Israel (courtesy Swedish Embassy) Sweden’s ambassador to Israel was summoned Wednesday to the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, where he was dressed down over Stockholm’s support for an anti-Israel resolution

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International, Middle East

Israeli envoy: Weigh response to UNESCO decision carefully

Israeli envoy to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Carmel Shama-Hacohen responded to the UN body”s anti-Israel resolution passed Tuesday, which denied Israel”s sovereign control over the city of Jerusalem, and the angry response by Israeli lawmakers to the resolution”s passage. The UNESCO Street Committee voted Tuesday afternoon 22 to 10 to

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International, Middle East

Trump’s approach to Mideast peace deal: Get to yes, figure out details later

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump, hosting Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House, pledged Wednesday to attempt “the toughest deal” — peace between Israelis and Palestinians. “I’ve always heard that perhaps the toughest deal to make is the deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians,” Trump said, Abbas at his side. “Let’s see

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Middle East, USA