What a week it's been... my son was born last Sunday and we named him today: Rafael Micah Pollak. A symbol of life and continuity, amid the war of the past year -- and what a series of victories Israel and America can finally celebrate.
We begin with the latest on Hurricane Helene, which has left 64 dead in a trail of destruction across Florida and the South. Then the latest on Israel, which is on a roll against Hezbollah. Naturally, Biden wants a ceasefire, lest Israel win...
And that brings up China, a topic that never came up during the ABC debate, but which JD Vance should bring up this week in his debate with Tim Walz. We will talk to Gordon Chang about the big picture in U.S. foreign policy in 2024.
Also: what kind of prosecutor was Kamala Harris, really? Jeff Clark, a former DOJ official under Trump, has been doing some digging, and has come up with... nothing. It turns out she may never actually have led a case in court.
Special guests:
Jeff Clark - former DOJ official, on Kamala Harris's prosecutorial record
Lee Smith - author, on Israel's successful war against Hezbollah, and Iran
Gordon Chang, author of “China’s Project to Destroy America”
Tune in: SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 p.m. PT
Call in: 866-957-2874
This is my first broadcast from the new office and studio in Washington, DC, where I'll be for a couple of years my neighborhood back in L.A. cleans up -- and as we follow the Trump administration from a little closer up than usual.
Topics:
- The anniversary of the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump
- The escalating tariff battle with various different trading partners
- The future of the Middle East peace talks, and ongoing antisemitism
- The Jeffrey Epstein files and whether they mean anything at all
- The continued crisis of the Texas floods, and stories of heroism and survival
And more!
Special guests:
- James Rosen - Newsmax chief Washington correspondent
- Bob Price - Breitbart News Texas reporter, on the ongoing floods
- Robert Cahill - Trafalgar Polling, on a new alliance of reliable pollsters
- Rabbi Yaakov Menken - Coalition for Jewish Values - on Israel & antisemitism
Tune in: 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 p.m. PT
Call: 866-957-2874
This week’s portion tells the grand story of the prophet who tried to curse people of Israel and instead ended up blessing them.
I am reminded that these portions continue to be relevant anew, as this particular reading lent the title for Israel’s recent 12 Day War against Iran, “Operation Rising Lion.”
This week's portion includes the commandment of the red heifer -- one of the classic "irrational" commandments whose fulfillment is an expression of faith. It also includes the regrettable episode in which Moses strikes the rock.
I referred to this story in a wedding speech last night. Why was Moses punished for striking the rock in Numbers, when he struck the rock without incident in Exodus -- both for the purpose of providing water to the people?
The answer is that in the interim, the Jewish people had received the Torah, which is like the marriage contract between the people of Israel and God. In a marriage, you do not resolve things by breaking boundaries, but through love.
The additional reading, from Judges Chapter 11, is the story of Jephthah (Yiftach), a man whom the leaders spurn, but to whom they must turn to save the nation. The parallels to our present political circumstances are striking.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Fourth of July!
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