This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – Israelis were buffeted by a mixture of emotions on Saturday, as Hamas released another four female prisoners – a circus similar to the release of three female hostages a week earlier – and yet amid increasing concerns over the fate of other hostages, whose fate is still unknown.
Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag were released from their Gazan captivity, some 477 days since they were abducted from the Nahal Oz military base on Oct. 7, 2023. These were four of the five young women filmed by Hamas terrorists in their pajamas bloodied, bruised and dazed.
Agam Berger, a talented musician, who was also captured on that day from the base was reportedly held with the four who were released until a few days ago. It is said the distinctive hair braids many of the young women have sported on their return from captivity has been her doing. She is expected to be released next Saturday, although Hamas is endangering the current ceasefire for not yet having produced a list of hostages to be freed.
Yet again, Hamas paraded the young women among a baying mob of what appeared to be thousands of men. For their part, the now former hostages were determined to project an image of strength and not allow the terrorists the satisfaction of seeing them afraid.
As part of the psychological warfare Hamas continues to inflict, it released a propaganda video forcing the young women to thank their captors in Arabic for allegedly providing them with food, water and clothes. It was shown after their release but was filmed on their way to the packed square in Gaza City where they were handed over to the Red Cross, which again can facilitate a hostage handover but can't actually manage to visit any of those still held in captivity.
As with the female hostages released last week, Hamas gave each of the women a "prisoner release form," along with a framed certificate and a keychain with the Palestinian flag, the video shows, in a macabre twist as if the women had spent a summer at sleep-away camp. The hostages were also forced to wear badges with their personal details, attached to a lanyard with a Palestinian flag pattern.
As per the agreement, some 200 Palestinian prisoners were released according to the Israel Prison Service, with some of those serving life sentences for committing multiple murders. In a bizarre twist, two Palestinian prisoners refused the offer of being returned to Gaza, preferring to remain in an Israeli jail. On the bus to freedom, one of the prisoners was coaxed to go along with the release, while the other demurred and had to be replaced at the last minute by another prisoner. It isn't clear if that person was due to be let out at a subsequent date.
Meanwhile, the ceasefire agreement, which has enabled these releases is somewhat in a state of flux, with Israel accusing Hamas of serious breaches that could put it in jeopardy. In fact, Hamas has also accused Israel of breaching the terms because it will not permit thousands of Gazans to return to the north of the Strip.
As far as Israel is concerned, civilian hostages should have been released before female IDF soldiers, which Hamas clearly breached in Saturday's handover. Indeed, Israel explicitly said it would not allow Gazans to return north in retaliation for Hamas' failure to release female hostage Arbel Yehud, which it had made clear it expected last week. This decision, meant the military would not withdraw from the Netzarim Corridor – which was scheduled to take place on Sunday. In addition, Hamas failed to provide a list by the end of Saturday which of the remaining so-called humanitarian hostages of whom there are 26 – women, children, elderly individuals, and the infirm – are alive.
Yehud is thought to be held by Hamas affiliate Palestinian Islamic Jihad, who claim rather than being a civilian, she is in fact, a soldier, which Israel strenuously denies. Yehud had also been on the list of those supposed to be freed in November 2023, but that deal collapsed before the final round of releases took place.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A leftist ideologue who preaches at the Washington National Cathedral Tuesday ranted about transgenders and illegal aliens to President Trump, who had gone to the iconic church in the nation's capital for a prayer service.
Online reports said Trump and Vice President JD Vance were "blindsided" by the political activism in the National Prayer Service.
It was Marianne Budde, a bishop at the church, who "unleashed a wild sermon claiming trans kids were 'fearing for their lives' due to him being in the Oval Office," according to a Daily Mail report.
It said Trump "was left is disbelief as he was forced to listen to a woke bishop."
"Trump sat stony-faced in the front row, next to First Lady Melania Trump, as the bishop claimed some people in America were afraid following his election." The report said.
Her diatribe:
"I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country that are scared now. There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and Independent families, some who fear for their lives. The people who pick our crops, and clean our office buildings who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants, and work the night shifts in hospitals, they might not be citizens or have the proper documentation. The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. I ask you to have mercy Mr. President on those in communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away."
Trump and Vance visibly rolled their eyes during the remarks.
WATCH:
The report noted Trump showed no reaction, but "other members of the congregation looked uncomfortable."
When asked later Tuesday what he thought of the church service, Trump replied: "Not too exciting, was it? I didn't think it was a good service. They can do much better."
Additonally, the report said, Trump declined to criticize Budde, but others didn't hesitate.
"The person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list," said Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., on social media.
Budde, the report said, is notorious for calling, during President Trump's first term, for him to be replaced.
She also inserts her "racial equity, gun violence prevention, immigration reform, the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons" and more ideologies into her speeches.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Donald J. Trump winning two non-consecutive terms is a feat only one other president has done before: Grover Cleveland, who served as the 22nd president after the 1884 election, and as the 24th president after the campaign of 1892.
Watching Trump become America's 47th president of the United States, I was reminded of yet another president who also wasn't expected to win but did: Ronald Reagan, America's 40th president who served two consecutive terms from 1981-1989.
I'll never forget, in 1980, when Reagan was running for his first term. Like Trump, he was not a typical politician. That is why the Democratic Party was going to do everything possible to keep him from getting to the White House.
However, the people of America, including me, felt Reagan would be a great president. We all saw him as an impressive leader, a man of honor and a man who cared for all the people. He also had a great sense of humor, which was a further attraction.
When Reagan won the presidency in 1980, the Democratic Party couldn't believe they lost, just like when President Trump won the bid for the White House in both 2016 and 2024. The Democrats regarded Reagan similarly then as they view Trump today, not exactly with fondness.
While Reagan was the president of our great country, I had the honor of meeting him and the first lady.
One day Nancy Reagan's assistant called my office. She explained that the first lady was having a tennis celebrity event at the White House, and she wanted to invite me.
My assistant said she would call me and then let her know if I would be able to make it to the event.
When my assistant called and explained Mrs. Reagan's personal invitation, I replied that I definitely wanted to go.
But then when I hung up the phone, it dawned on me that I had never played tennis in my life!
So, I hired a tennis teacher to give me 10 days of intensive lessons before I had to fly to Washington, D.C.
It was a lot of fun playing in the White House tennis event. I had a great time. I didn't play so great, but at least I didn't embarrass myself.
After the event, those participating were all invited to a special evening at the White House, during which we would have the opportunity of meeting President Reagan.
When I met him in person, I immediately knew that he was not only a fine man but also a great leader for our country.
I remember when Reagan ran for his second term in 1984. The Democratic Party leaders again were trying their best to beat him with their presidential candidate, Walter Mondale of Minnesota.
But Reagan had done an incredible job in his first four years, so people from all political persuasions – Republicans, Independents and even Democrats – reelected him. And as history recorded, he went on to be an even greater second-term president, accomplishing things like bringing down the Berlin Wall.
I was again invited a few years later to an event at the White House. This time I had the pleasure and honor to talk a little more with the president and first lady. They were the most wonderful people I had ever met.
Now, let's talk about the second president who was also not supposed to win: that's right, Donald J. Trump.
Let me tell you how I first met Trump, in 1974. Yes, 1974, when Donald was only about 28 years old, and I was only 34. Even then he was doing well as a businessman.
I had won the World Martial Arts Championship in 1968 and held the title until 1974, at which time I decided to retire from professional fighting.
When I informed the promoter of the World Championship that I was retiring, he made a huge deal out of it. I recommended Bill Wallace fight in my place. Bill fought and went on to win the world title, too.
The promoter told me that Trump was going to be in the audience to see the world championships. Even as a young man, Trump was very well-known and liked.
As I walked down from the platform, he was standing there and came up to me, put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Why did you retire so soon?!"
I replied, "I am 34 years old, have held the world title for six years, and I have decided it is time to move on with my life."
Trump asked me, "What are your plans now?"
I explained that I had wanted to become an actor, and that I had filmed a movie with Bruce Lee in 1972 and really liked it.
Donald looked at me square in the eyes and said, "I have a feeling you are going to do well as an actor." Then, he simply turned around and walked off.
A decade or two later, after I filmed more than a dozen popular action movies, Trump and I encountered each other again at a professional wrestling event. In fact, someone captured the moment on video here (contrary to the title, it was not the first time I met Trump).
Over the decades, I watched Donald Trump grow as a businessman. I would read articles about him and read a few of his insightful books. I was very impressed by his optimistic and positive attitude.
I'm amazed it was 50 years ago that I first met Trump. Then and now, he hasn't changed a bit, except he's got a whole lot wealthier and serves in the most powerful role in the free world.
Though I was a little surprised when he initially ran for president, I honestly wasn't shocked when Trump won in 2016. It was time we had a real businessman deal with the mess in Washington, D.C.
He didn't come from "the establishment." He was an outsider. As everyone knows now, he's not a typical politician, not even close. Say what you will about him, anyone who has gone through what he has (including almost being assassinated twice), and is still willing to serve as president without pay a second time, has earned his place in history.
Democratic Party leaders swore that after Ronald Reagan won the presidency in 1980 and 1985, they would never allow a celebrity to win again. But one did.
When Trump was competing against Hillary Clinton in 2016, mainstream media and Democratic leaders unloaded on him and were absolutely convinced that Hillary would win. They were wrong.
In 2024, it was one big déjà vu. This time, not only the Republicans but Independents and tons of Democratic Americans reelected Trump when he competed against Biden and Harris. He even won all the swing states and the majority of the popular vote.
Many (if not most) thought lighting would never strike twice for Trump, especially after he stepped away from the White House in 2020 for four years. But it did, even after nearly a decade that his adversaries tried to disparage him, impeach him, imprison him and even assassinate him.
Amazingly, Trump has stayed strong and continues to fight (fight, fight) to make America great again. One thing that is difficult to deny: He definitely wants America to win.
Now, it's our turn to do our best to support and pray for him and his amazing league of Cabinet leaders, in order that America can finally experience a stronger economy, a secure border, lower crime and a better international position in the world.
America and Americans have been hurting and even in crisis for far too long, from natural disasters to economic freefall and global dominance, and it's high time we together turned that around.
In a past edition of WND's Whistleblower, recently deceased historian Dr. Lee Edwards, the author or editor of 25 books and the Former Distinguished Fellow in Conservative Thought at the Heritage Foundation's B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies, hit the nail on the head: "We shall come through this crisis as we have other challenges in our [248]-year history, following the example of leaders such as Reagan, who reminded us in his first inaugural address just what kind of people we are. The crisis we face, Reagan said, requires our willingness to believe in ourselves, 'to believe that together, with God's help, we can and will resolve the problems which now confront us. And after all, why shouldn't we believe that? We are Americans.'"
Dr. Edwards' thoughts remind me of the revolutionary giant Thomas Paine, who might as well have been speaking to our time in his work "The American Crisis," when he wrote: "These are the times that try men's souls; the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – With the release of the first three hostages on Sunday – named as Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbracher, all of whom are women – thoughts inevitably turn to just how much is being demanded in return with the potential release of more than 1,600 Palestinian prisoners, including more than 700 convicted murdrerers, if all the phases of the deal were to be completed.
As with the deal which secured the release of IDF soldier Gilad Schalit in 2011 – during which Israel's current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was also in charge – there seems to be a distinct imbalance as to the price Israel is being asked to pay. It must be remembered, the psychopathic former Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, who masterminded and orchestrated the Oct. 7 attacks – and who was imprisoned for killing Palestinians – was let out during that agreement. Despite the fact he was thankfully killed in October during a routine IDF operation in Gaza, the potential parallels are too stark to be overlooked.
And people should be under no illusions that any of these people are reformed characters. Indeed, one of Hamas' leaders Khalil al-Hayya, praised the Oct. 7 attacks, while threatening a repeat of them, which seems a strange thing to do for a people who were reportedly the victims of a genocide.
This rogues' gallery includes the likes of the following:
Ahmad Barghouti, a close aide and cousin of Marwan Barghouti, sentenced to 13 life terms for leading a "murder machine" that carried out attacks in which 12 Israelis were killed, including the suicide bombing at the Seafood Market restaurant in Tel Aviv.
Wael Qassem (head of the cell), Wassam Abbasi, Mohammed Odeh, members of Hamas's "Silwan Cell," responsible for attacks which killed 35 Israelis, including the bombing at Café Moment in Jerusalem where 11 Israelis were killed, the attack at the Spaghettim Club in Rishon LeZion where 15 Israelis were killed, and the bombing at the Frank Sinatra Cafeteria at the Hebrew University where 9 Israelis were killed.
Zakaria Zubeidi is a former commander of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades in Jenin, responsible for a series of attacks, including the attack at the Likud branch in Beit She'an where 6 Israelis were killed. He was also one of the terrorists who escaped from Gilboa Prison in 2021. Since he was not convicted of murder but other offenses, Zubeidi will not be deported abroad and is expected to be released back to Judea and Samaria.
Abdullah Sharabati, Majdi Zaatari, and Samer Alatrash, members of the cell responsible for a series of attacks on bus lines 2 and 14 in Jerusalem in 2003, one of which killed 23 Israelis, including 7 children, and carried out the suicide bombing on line 6 in the French Hill where seven Israelis were killed and 20 were injured. They planned a long series of additional attacks.
Mohammed Amoudi, who dispatched the suicide bomber for the attack at the "Mayor's Shawarma" stand in Tel Aviv in 2006, killing 11 people.
Mohammed Abu Warda, who sent the suicide bombers for the attacks on line 18 in Jerusalem in 1996, attacks in which 45 Israelis were killed. He is serving 48 life sentences in an Israeli prison.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
President-elect Donald Trump on Friday promised that he's "reviewing" the situation concerning the ultra-popular social media app TikTok and that he'll be choosing a path forward very soon.
The issue is that lawmakers had a high level of concern over the app's links to the Chinese Communist Party and the likelihood it was collecting detailed personal information about some 170 million Americans and making it available to the CCP.
Congress then set a deadline of Sunday for the Chinese ownership of TikTok, ByteDance, to sell the app or close it down in the U.S.
Users and creators sued and the Supreme Court on Friday affirmed the legislative action.
Immediately, Trump commented on the dispute online.
"Ultimately goes up to me, so you're going to see what I'm going to do," he explained. "Congress has given me the decision, so I'll be making the decision."
He called for everyone to respect the court's decision, but confirmed, "'My decision on TikTok will be made in the not-too-distant future,
The Supreme Court's Friday decision said the provisions of the law were content-neutral, and targeted a foreign adversary's control of a platform rather than targeting particular speech.
Some 170 million Americans use the app, which provides for posting short videos.
It was the Daily Mail that opined, "The path forward now depends on how the incoming Trump administration responds as the CEO of TikTok Shou Zi will be seated in a place of honor with other tech leaders at President-elect Trump's inauguration on Monday."
The Supreme Court heard arguments in the dispute just a week ago, and at that time Trump expressed support for TikTok and suggested a negotiated solution might be achievable.
On social media, Trump explained, "The Supreme Court decision was expected, and everyone must respect it. My decision on TikTok will be made in the not-too-distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned!"
Joe Biden, who is leaving office Monday, passed the buck. A White House statement said, "Given the sheer fact of timing, this administration recognizes that actions to implement the law simply must fall to the next administration, which takes office on Monday."
Trump during his first term opposed TikTok, but recently has expressed having "a little bit of a warm spot in my heart" for the app, through which he was able to reach millions of voters during the 2024 vote.
Trump recently confirmed on Truth Social that, "I just spoke to Chairman Xi Jinping of China. The call was a very good one for both China and the U.S.A. It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together, and starting immediately. We discussed balancing Trade Fentanyl, TikTok, and many other subjects. President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the World more peaceful and safe!"
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Another complaint has been filed against members of the Biden administration for using their tax-paid time for political purposes, and one critic of the agenda charges that they are treating the Hatch Act law as "a suggestion."
It is Michael Chamberlain, of the Protect the Public's Trust organization, that unleashed on the Democrats regarding the latest situation.
"The Office of Special Counsel's direction to all federal government agencies not to use the term 'MAGA' in official communications could not have been clearer. But in the Biden administration, the Hatch Act appeared to be only a suggestion, not a law," Chamberlain told Just the News.
PPT, a government watchdog group, obtained copies of communications that were passed back and forth in the Biden administration, and then identified three Biden officials in the Department of Transportation, assistant administrator for Communications Matt Lehner, press secretary Kerry Arndt and assistant to the Secretary and Director of Public Affairs Dani Simons."
The complaint has been delivered to the U.S. Office of Counsel and others.
The report explains PPT charges the various officials used "Extreme MAGA Republicans" and "Finish the Job," a Biden campaign slogan, while communicating officially with Pete Buttigieg, the transportation chief for Biden, and others.
That, the complaint assesses, likely is a violation of the Hatch Act, which is intended to stop federal workers from doing political campaigns while being paid by taxpayers.
Some of the comments apparently originated at the White House, too, the report said.
"The White House seems to have ignored OSC's mandate and advised the DOT (and perhaps many other agencies) to use that forbidden political language in a derogatory fashion in the run-up to the 2024 elections. Dutifully, DOT sent the standardized messaging to all of its political appointees. From both press secretaries to the chief of staff to numerous agency leaders and on down, contempt for the Hatch Act has permeated the federal government during the self-proclaimed most ethical administration in history," Chamberlain told Just the News.
The Office of Special Counsel had said, when Trump assembled a bid for his second term in the White House, that using "campaign slogans" was not allowed on duty.
PPT said it obtained emails that showed various political appointees referring to Republicans as "Extreme MAGA Republicans in Congress," and referencing Biden's slogan.
The report said another email pushed "investing" in America and blasted "extreme MAGA Republicans in Congress."
The OSC previously concluded White House press secretary Karine Jean Pierre was in violation of the Hatch Act for using "MAGA" to describe Republicans.
Further, WND reported when Kamala Harris came under the same suspicion when Rep. Cory Mills., R-Fla., filed a complaint about her.
He wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland seeking an investigation of Harris after she made "vicious" comments about Trump, including likening him to Adolf Hitler.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A "deranged Jack Smith," who was ruled to have been incompetently appointed "special counsel" by Merrick Garland because the Senate never confirmed him, in a final report on President-elect Donald Trump's alleged "election interference" has expanded his prosecutorial duties to take on the responsibilities of a judge and jury.
In his final report on Trump's comments and opinions after the 2020 presidential election, he insists that Trump would have been convicted, had not the case been dropped because Trump was re-elected to the White House. Smith was assigned by Democrats to handled two major components of the party's lawfare against Trump, which apparently was intended to prevent him from running for president again.
Trump took no hostages in his response.
"Deranged Jack Smith was unable to successfully prosecute the Political Opponent of his 'boss,' Crooked Joe Biden, so he ends up writing yet another 'Report' based on information that the Unselect Committee of Political Hacks and Thugs ILLEGALLY DESTROYED AND DELETED, because it showed how totally innocent I was, and how completely guilty Nancy Pelosi, and others, were. Jack is a lamebrain prosecutor who was unable to get his case tried before the Election, which I won in a landslide. THE VOTERS HAVE SPOKEN!!"
He continued, "To show you how desperate Deranged Jack Smith is, he released his Fake findings at 1:00 A.M. in the morning. Did he say that the Unselect Committee illegally destroyed and deleted all of the evidence."
A second half of Smith's claims, about government documents Trump had, isn't released, but these claims all circle the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, protest-turned-riot in Washington, in which a few hundreds of Trump supporters entered the Capitol without permission and did some vandalism.
The facts are that there were multiple undue influences on that election, such as the FBI's election interference, that gave rise to legitimate questions about the results. Further, a recording unleashed years later confirmed that Trump had suggested more National Guard troops for security that day, and Democrats in Washington and in Congress refused him. Nancy Pelosi later admitted culpability. And then her committee to investigate did orchestrate the evidence to try to make Trump look responsible, and then refused to preserve the evidence used in its work.
Smith, in fact, already has quit his position. It was a judge in the documents case that dismissed the documents claims earlier because Smith never was confirmed by the Senate after his appointment by Garland.
Fox News reported Smith's claims included that the "proof the most certain" in his allegations against Trump.
Smith claimed, according to Fox, the case was under review because of a Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity when the election made it clear Trump had won. The Department of Justice then dismissed the case.
"The Department's view that the Constitution prohibits the continued indictment and prosecution of a President is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government's proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Office stands fully behind," the report stated.
Smith brought his claims against Trump in U.S. District Court for Washington D.C. in his 2020 election case, but after Trump was elected president, Smith sought to dismiss the case. Judge Tanya Chutkan granted that request.
Smith's unproven claims were that Trump conspired to defraud the United States by expressing his doubts and concerns about the election processes, conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights.
Trump advocates, in fact, have already suggested that Smith could face investigation, and maybe even charges, on that last allegation, conspiracy against rights, for his attacks on Trump.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Monday "there should probably be conditions" on federal aid to California in the wake of catastrophic wildfires that have left at least 24 people dead in the Golden State.
"I think there should probably be conditions on that aid. That's my personal view," said Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana.
"We'll see what the consensus is. I haven't had a chance to socialize that with any of the members over the weekend because we've all been very busy, but it'll be part of the discussion, for sure."
"I think we've got to have a serious conversation about that," Johnson added.
"Obviously, there has been water resource management, forest-management mistakes, all sorts of problems, and it does come down to leadership, and it appears to us that state and local leaders were derelict in their duty, and in many respects. So, that's something that has to be factored in."
The Really American political organization called Johnson's comments "deplorable," saying on X: "REMINDER: There were ZERO conditions placed on aid that went to Florida or North Carolina after Hurricanes Helene and Milton. To suggest there should be for Californians is deplorable."
"The new Republican-led Congress is already off to a horrible start."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – The U.K.'s Lancet medical journal recently published a report in which it claims the number of traumatic deaths in Gaza between Oct. 7, 2023 and June 30, 2024 is actually closer to 64,000 than the semi-official account according to the Gaza Health Ministry, a.k.a. Hamas, which over that period stood at some 38,000.
According to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine website, which authored the report, the findings "indicate that approximately 3% of the population of Gaza has died due to violence with an analysis showing that 59% of these deaths were women, children, and the elderly."
Apparently, the researchers used a statistical method known as "capture-recapture analysis" to estimate the number of traumatic injury deaths, the LSHTM reported. This method overlaps data from multiple sources to arrive at estimates of deaths when not all data are recorded. The sources included Palestinian Ministry of Health hospital morgue records, a respondent-driven online survey, and social media obituaries. Needless to say, this method of data collection came in from some stern criticism, particularly from NGO Monitor.
Not least among the complaints regarding the findings is they did not provide an estimate of the number of fatalities of combatants, upon which it has proved extremely tricky to get an exact picture. Hamas and other Islamist groups, who for the exact purposes of being able to expand casualty numbers do not wear uniforms, and their numbers – at a minimum thought to be some 14,000 – were not separated out from the alleged overall number.
NGO Monitor has recorded its issues with the Lancet for more than a decade, remarking in Jan. 2015, "The Lancet has ostracized, and to a large extent, demonized Israel and the Israeli medical community."
In this latest case, NGO Monitor founder and president Prof. Gerald Steinberg, excoriated the flawed methodology. In a lengthy X post, Steinberg outlined the problems with the data, including accepting it uncritically from Hamas/Palestinian sources and parroting the information, as well as using the findings of something called Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, a Hamas-run NGO. He called on serious medical professionals to unsubscribe from the journal.
"The 'capture-recapture' analysis that is the heart of the statistics-heavy paper works like this. The authors took three different lists of victims – the hospital records, the online survey, and those found on social media obituaries," Sternberg wrote on X.
"Between the three they found very little overlap: Only about 15% of people in hospital records appeared on other lists. About 33% of people in the survey appeared on other lists.About 54% of people in social media appeared on other lists They used these overlap patterns to estimate how many deaths likely occurred but weren't captured on any list. A low overlap, they say, indicates that each list is a gross undercount of the total. Based on their analysis of the low overlap, they suggest that the three lists combined only captured about 45% of total deaths. This led to their estimate of about 64,260 total deaths during the study period, compared to the official count at the time of about 37,900 (which included unnamed people.) The assumptions behind this methodology are wrong."
"The third list, from multiple social media sources like Instagram, is not a random sample of the deceased at all. It could be updated by anyone anywhere in the world. It is self-defining and impossible to verify. Using it as an input to the analysis is questionable at best. To give it the same weight as the other two sources for the purposes of statistical analysis and estimations based on low overlap is almost certainly a poor assumption.
"There are other potential problems. The survey form does not distinguish between 'martyrs' and 'missing persons,' and many of those assumed to be dead may in fact be missing – the ICRC has managed to reunite thousands of people thought to be missing.(Albeit not something they've managed to achieve with the hostages). Altogether, this is a case where the authors try to misdirect the reader with lots of statistical formulas but their basic assumptions that the statistics are based on are worthless to begin with," he added.
Avi Bitterman MD responded to a X post about the Lancet report with a critique of his own. "Number 1 question about the methodology that makes all the difference here. Regarding the social media obituary list: When the authors say they 'excluded deaths attributed to non-traumatic injuries,' what did the authors do for obituaries that simply did not mention the death attribution?
"Recall that for the other data, the status was specifically asked. For example, for the survey data: 'The survey specifically asked respondents to enter details of those martyred, a term commonly understood to signify victims of war.' However for obituaries, this is not listed as the sort of information typically included in obituaries by the authors. Perhaps it is and perhaps it isn't."
In July, a non-peer reviewed letter published in the Lancet claimed the overall death toll in the Strip was some 186,000 people. This was a figure both disputed and ridiculed, not least for the insinuation that the IDF was responsible for all of those fatalities.
For those who wanted to belive the scale of the so-called "genocide" was indeed underreported it was proof-positive of Israel's crimes in Gaza; for many others it seemed to be yet more evidence of the slide in the veracity of so-called experts. There was significant pushback, the Lancet even published a letter rebutting the claim, but as is so often the case, deliberate misinformation was put into the public domain to create headlines for the news cycle.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A new report reveals that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who already is being blamed for contributing to this week's fire hellstorm that hit the city and destroyed thousands of homes by cutting some $17 million from the fire department's budget, did much worse.
In fact, the Daily Mail report accuses her of ordering another $49 million in fire department budget cuts only a few days before the city's world turned smoky as blazes erupted amid 100 mph winds, costing at least ten lives and literally uncountable home losses.
The report said the demands were found in a "leaked memo."
"The extra cuts, requested just days before fires broke out and devastated swathes of Los Angeles, would have shut down 16 fire stations and crippled the department's ability to respond to emergencies, sources said," according to the report.
The publication said current and former senior officers in the department were briefed on the "shocking" plan.
The memo comes from January 6, just hours before the Palisades Fire erupted.
The Daily Mail said the memo was sent by fire department officials at city hall to division chiefs and captains.
It threatened, "The LAFD is still going through an FY [financial year] 2024/2025 $48.8million budget reduction exercise with the CAO [City Attorney's Office]. The only way to provide cost savings would be to close as many as 16 fire stations (not resources, fire stations); this equates to at least one fire station per City Council District."
This week, an estimated 54 square miles of the city have been reduced to dirt, concrete, and rubble by five separate fires.
"The billionaire and celebrity-inhabited neighborhood of Pacific Palisades was almost completely wiped off the map," the report said.
There have been multiple calls for Bass, as well as Gov. Gavin Newsom, to leave as they failed to address a long list of issues that impacted the fires' lethality. Among them was a failure to make sure there was water for fire hydrants, and a long-standing problem with a failure to create fire breaks in the region.
The firestorm was aggravated by Santa Ana winds, which pushed the sparks and flames from neighborhood to neighborhood in literally seconds.
There also are charges the city had shipped some of its equipment to Ukraine.
The report said the damages, so far, have been estimated at $49 billion in homes, businesses, schools, and churches lost to the 120-foot-tall flames.
Reports Friday said the Palisades Fire in 8% contained, the Eaton Fire uncontained, the Kenneth Fire and Hurst Fire 35%, and the Lidia Fire 75%.