President Trump on Friday outlined what he described as the key conditions of a developing agreement with Iran, declaring that Tehran must permanently abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to unrestricted shipping, and surrender its highly enriched uranium for destruction.

In a lengthy statement posted on social media, Trump said, “Iran must agree that they will never have a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb.”

The president also demanded the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes, saying it must be open “with no tolls” and unrestricted traffic in both directions.

Trump further claimed that any naval mines placed in the waterway would be removed, saying the United States has already detonated numerous mines and that Iran would be responsible for eliminating any that remain.

According to Trump, ships that were trapped due to what he described as America’s “amazing and unprecedented Naval Blockade” would now be allowed to begin returning home.

On the nuclear front, Trump said Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium—referred to in the statement as “Nuclear Dust”—would be excavated from heavily damaged underground facilities and destroyed under international supervision.

He asserted that the United States, working in coordination with Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency, would oversee the operation.

“The enriched material… will be unearthed by the United States… and DESTROYED,” Trump wrote.

Trump also stressed that no money would change hands as part of the arrangement “until further notice,” while indicating that several other components of the agreement had already been settled.

The president concluded by announcing that he was heading into the White House Situation Room to make a final determination on the proposed deal.

The statement comes amid reports that Washington and Tehran are nearing a framework agreement following months of negotiations and the devastating U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran earlier this year.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

By JBizNews Desk

Kevin Warsh got the job he wanted.

Now he has to make the kind of decision new Federal Reserve chairmen almost never face immediately: whether to raise interest rates, cut them, or do nothing — at a moment when every option risks making the economy worse.

Warsh was sworn in May 22 as the 17th chairman of the Federal Reserve, replacing Jerome Powell after a closely watched Senate confirmation vote.

President Donald Trump picked him for a simple reason: Trump wants lower interest rates, and Warsh spent much of the past year arguing they could eventually come down.

As recently as December, Warsh publicly argued that advances in artificial intelligence would improve productivity, cool inflation pressures and open the door for future rate cuts.

Then the Iran war happened.

And suddenly the economy stopped cooperating.

To understand the problem Warsh faces, you only need three numbers.

The first is the federal funds rate itself — currently sitting between 3.50% and 3.75%.

That rate influences mortgages, auto loans, business borrowing and credit-card costs across the economy. The Fed cut rates three times in late 2025 before pausing earlier this year.

The second number is inflation.

Consumer prices in April rose 3.8% from a year earlier — the highest inflation reading in nearly three years and far above the Fed’s official 2% target.

Energy prices drove much of the increase after the Iran conflict sent oil prices sharply higher. Gasoline prices alone rose more than 28% year over year.

The third number is what makes the situation genuinely difficult:

The labor market is weakening.

Job growth has slowed for months. Hiring is softer. Economic momentum is cooling.

So at the exact moment inflation is rising again, the economy itself is no longer clearly overheating.

That creates the trap.

Normally, the Fed’s dual responsibilities point in the same direction. A strong economy with rising inflation usually calls for higher interest rates. A weak economy with slowing inflation usually calls for cuts.

Right now, those signals are pointing opposite ways.

Inflation argues for a rate hike.

The labor market argues for a cut.

And doing nothing risks satisfying nobody.

Cut rates too early, and the Fed could fuel inflation that is already approaching 4%.

Raise rates to fight inflation, and the Fed risks crushing an already fragile labor market while directly frustrating the president who appointed Warsh in the first place.

That leaves the third option: pause and wait.

At the moment, that appears to be Warsh’s instinct.

Traditional central-bank thinking often treats oil shocks differently from broader inflation. Energy spikes can temporarily push inflation numbers higher without necessarily meaning prices across the wider economy are spiraling out of control.

Warsh has long favored looking at “trimmed average” inflation measures that remove the most extreme price swings to identify underlying trends.

Under those measures, inflation appears calmer than the alarming 3.8% headline number suggests.

But even that argument is becoming harder to make.

Core inflation — which strips out food and energy entirely — still climbed to 2.8% in April. Shelter costs continued rising as well.

The oil shock may be the loudest part of the inflation story.

It is no longer the only part.

Warsh also inherits a Federal Reserve that is already deeply divided internally.

At Powell’s final meeting in April, Fed officials split 8-4 — the largest level of dissent inside the central bank since 1992.

And the divide was not simple.

Some officials objected to language hinting future cuts might come later this year, arguing the Fed should keep the possibility of rate hikes on the table instead.

At the same meeting, Governor Stephen Miran, whose seat Warsh now fills, dissented in the opposite direction and argued aggressively for immediate cuts.

That means Warsh is not stepping into a committee unified around caution.

He is stepping into one split between policymakers who think the next move could be a hike and others who think it should already be a cut.

Building consensus out of that may be harder than setting rates themselves.

There is another issue that could matter even more to Wall Street.

Warsh wants to change how the Federal Reserve communicates.

For years, the Fed has publicly telegraphed its thinking through press conferences, forecasts and the famous “dot plot” — a quarterly chart showing where officials expect interest rates to go.

Markets have built entire trading systems around interpreting those signals.

Warsh believes the Fed became too dependent on its own forecasts and trapped itself into policies it should have abandoned earlier during the inflation surge of 2021 and 2022.

He has floated scaling back press conferences and potentially eliminating the dot plot entirely.

“If one has a press conference,” Warsh previously said, “one wants to deliver some important news.”

Critics argue that approach could inject even more uncertainty into already fragile markets.

Former Fed economist Claudia Sahm said she was stunned by how far Warsh appears willing to reduce communication.

The concern is straightforward: markets can tolerate bad news more easily than uncertainty.

And uncertainty is exactly what a less communicative Fed could create.

Investors themselves are already shifting expectations sharply.

Markets now see little chance of rate cuts this year.

According to CME Group’s FedWatch tool, traders increasingly expect the Fed to hold rates steady through the summer, while expectations for a possible rate hike later this year have risen sharply.

Bank of America has projected no rate cuts until the second half of 2027.

That leaves Warsh in an uncomfortable position.

He was selected largely because the White House wanted lower rates.

But the economic data may force him to do the opposite.

As Jim Bianco, president of Bianco Research, summarized it: “He’s got a tough job there now.”

Warsh’s first major test comes June 17, when he chairs his first Federal Open Market Committee meeting.

The most likely outcome, according to nearly every major forecast, is that he does nothing at all.

He pauses.

For a chairman brought in to lower rates, the safest first move may simply be proving he can wait.

New York — JBizNews Desk

© JBizNews.com All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited.

By Duvi Honig
Founder & CEO, Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce; Co-Founder and Secretary, Multicultural Business Coalition

America’s economic dashboard is flashing green.

The S&P 500 trades near 7,400, a record. The Nasdaq has pushed past 26,000, also a record. The Dow sits near all-time highs. On paper, the message could not be clearer: the economy is booming.

Now ask the average American how the economy feels. You will hear a completely different story.

Families are rationing groceries. Total household debt has climbed to a record $18.8 trillion, with credit-card balances alone near $1.25 trillion and a rising share of borrowers falling behind. Homeownership is slipping out of reach for millions. More Americans are working second jobs just to hold their ground.

Both of these realities cannot be equally true. And yet we are told they are.

The uncomfortable fact is that America’s most-watched economic indicators have stopped telling the full story.

For generations, the stock market served as a rough proxy for the nation’s economic health. Manufacturing, transportation, retail, energy, banking, healthcare, and consumer spending all fed into it. When the market rose, it usually meant the broad economy was rising too.

That link is now breaking.

A handful of companies tied to artificial intelligence are increasingly responsible for driving the major indexes. The “Magnificent Seven”, Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Nvidia, Meta, and Tesla, now make up roughly 35% to 40% of the entire S&P 500 by market value. Forty cents of every dollar flowing into a passive S&P 500 index fund now pours into just seven companies.

Think about what that means. The benchmark most Americans treat as a measure of the whole economy has quietly become a concentrated bet on a single industry. When those seven names rise, the index rises, and the country is told it is prospering, even if the other 493 companies and the families who depend on them are struggling.

There is nothing wrong with innovation. AI may prove to be one of the most important breakthroughs in modern history. But when one industry grows powerful enough to pull the entire market higher while much of the country feels left behind, the market stops working as an honest barometer.

The market is supposed to reflect the economy. Instead, the economy is being overshadowed by the market.

It gets harder still. Some of Wall Street’s strongest performers are thriving precisely because of conditions that hurt ordinary Americans.

Oil companies post record profits when energy prices spike. Banks post record profits when interest rates stay high. Shareholders cheer those earnings. But many of those profits are built on the very pressures crushing families trying to cover a mortgage, a car payment, the grocery bill, and the credit-card minimum.

In plain terms: some of the most celebrated corporate earnings in America today are being fueled by the financial pain of the middle class.

That should stop policymakers cold.

Consider one striking, and openly debated, statistic. Moody’s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi estimates that the top 10% of American households, those earning roughly $250,000 or more, now account for nearly half of all consumer spending, around 49%, the highest share since the data began in 1989. Three decades ago it was about 36%. Zandi estimates this single sliver of households drives close to a third of the entire economy.

Some economists dispute Zandi’s exact figures, and that debate is healthy. But even the more conservative estimates from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and the New York Fed confirm the underlying truth: spending by the wealthy has pulled far ahead of everyone else since 2020, while the bottom 80% have merely kept pace with inflation. As Zandi himself put it, it is no mystery why most Americans feel the economy isn’t working for them.

When economic growth leans this heavily on the spending of the richest Americans, it manufactures the appearance of broad prosperity while millions quietly fall behind. And it builds that prosperity on a dangerously narrow foundation. Consumer spending drives about 70% of the economy. If the fortunes of the wealthy turn, say, a sharp market drop that dents their confidence, the spending that props up the whole system could pull back overnight.

Meanwhile, a growing number of Americans are taking on second jobs, side gigs, and extra shifts, not for ambition, but for survival. Housing, groceries, insurance, healthcare, transportation, and interest payments have all outrun household incomes. For millions, one paycheck is no longer enough.

That is a warning sign, not a footnote.

An economy where record market gains sit alongside record consumer debt, rising financial anxiety, and a growing need for multiple jobs is not a balanced economy. It is an economy sending two contradictory signals at once.

Now look at the moment we are living through. The Middle East remains unstable. The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most vital energy corridors, faces ongoing risk. Oil prices are volatile. Consumer debt is at historic highs. Affordability is strained across much of the country.

And still, the stock market sets records.

If that does not raise hard questions about how we measure economic health, what will?

Here is the heart of it: America does not have a market problem. It has a measurement problem.

We need a new economic scorecard, one that tracks not just stock prices and corporate profits, but the things families actually live:

• Wage growth versus inflation
• Consumer debt burdens
• Housing affordability
• Small-business health
• Household savings
• Middle-class purchasing power
• Workforce participation
• Economic mobility
• Sector balance across the broader economy

And we must ask, seriously, whether any single industry should be allowed to dominate the indexes Americans treat as a proxy for national health. Perhaps AI deserves its own dedicated benchmark. Perhaps the broad indexes should be reweighted to reflect real economic diversity. Perhaps we need entirely new measures built for a new economy.

The specific solution is open for debate. What is no longer debatable is that the current system is losing credibility.

I write this because someone needs to say plainly what millions of Americans already know in their gut: the economy being celebrated on Wall Street is not the economy being lived on Main Street.

The market is strong. AI is creating staggering value. Corporate profits are climbing. But beneath those headlines, millions of Americans are working longer hours, carrying record debt, and watching the American Dream drift further away.

If one industry can drive the indexes higher while much of the country struggles, if oil profits rise while families pay more at the pump, if banks book record earnings while Americans pay record interest, and if growth increasingly depends on a thin slice of high earners, then our dashboard is no longer measuring the health of the nation.

It is measuring the success of a select few while ignoring the reality facing everyone else.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, members of Congress, state legislators, economists, regulators, and business leaders should come together to modernize how America measures its economy, building a scorecard that captures affordability, debt, wages, household stability, and middle-class prosperity alongside stock prices and earnings.

This is not about politics. It is about credibility.

Because if Americans keep being told the economy is thriving while their own lives say otherwise, trust in our institutions, our markets, and our data will keep eroding. And once people stop believing the scoreboard, they stop believing in the system itself.

America deserves an economic dashboard that reflects reality, not just market performance.

America needs a new economic scorecard for a new economy.

The time for lawmakers, regulators, and business leaders to act is now.

New York — JBizNews Desk

© JBizNews.com All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited.

34 KRIAS HATORA when weeke not alligned with ey

Pushing back against the Park Slope Food Coop’s decision to boycott Israeli products, the UJA-Federation of New York, which said the boycott is “divisive and hate-driven,” bought 20,000 bags of Bamba and said it would distribute them at Sunday’s Israel Day Parade in New York City.

The food co-op is popular for selling food and fresh produce at low prices to its members in exchange for a once-in-six-weeks work shift.

In a vote that was moved online due to security concerns, 8,400 out of 17,000 members voted in a landslide, 67 percent to 31 percent, to boycott Israeli products, while 2 percent abstained.

The co-op sells a few Israeli products, such as Bamba, Dorot frozen herb and garlic cubes, a few brands of tahini and Equal Exchange olive oil. Equal Exchange is particularly notable because it uses olives grown by Arab farm owners in Judea and Samaria. The boycott thus hurts not only Jews but the very people the boycotters purport to care about.

The UJA-Federation posted about the Bamba purchase on X.

The UJA-Federation manufactured a new slogan in response to the boycott. (From the UJA-Federation X account)

“Bamba, anyone?” the group wrote. “In response to the divisive and hate-driven boycott of Israeli products at the Park Slope Food Coop, UJA is buying those very products, starting with a purchase of 20,000 bags of Bamba.”

“Stay tuned as we distribute these beloved Israeli snacks at community events over the next few weeks — because we’re all better with Bamba,” the statement added.

Mark Goldfeder, director of National Jewish Advocacy Center, threatened the co-op with a lawsuit.

“Dear Park Slope Food Coop,” he wrote on X. “Today, NJAC Law sent a demand letter on behalf of members and importers harmed by PSFC’s illegal Israel boycott. Your mission statement says diversity and equality.”

A note left outside the co-op expresses the frustration and anger of many. (From a post on X)

“Prove it. Sell kale,” he demanded. “Stop discriminating. Do it, or we’ll see you in court.”

The Anti-Defamation League also weighed in with a withering condemnation.

“Isn’t the Park Slope Food Co-op supposed to be about community?” the group said in a statement. “Instead of bringing neighbors together, this community institution chose to alienate many of its longtime Jewish members and their allies by banning a handful of Israeli products. This move does nothing to advance peace in the Middle East; instead, the heinous rhetoric about Israel and Jews invoked in the process to ban these products contributes to the intense climate of antisemitism in NYC.”

An unknown person left a note on a bag outside the store that summed up the feelings of outrage sparked by the boycott.

“To the co-op members who voted to boycott Israeli products (aka hypocrites),” the person wrote. “Have you looked into products from Italy or are you giving the Vatican a pass for protecting pedophiles?”

“Enjoy your mediocre hummus!! xo,” they concluded.

Sen. Cory Booker sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s immigration policies during a CNN appearance Thursday, describing the administration’s enforcement efforts as “chaotic, cruel and corrupt” after visiting a detention facility in Newark, New Jersey.

During an interview on The Lead, host Jake Tapper asked the New Jersey Democrat about his visit to the center and what he learned from speaking with detainees housed there.

“Senator, you went inside the facility yesterday. You said it is a moral stain in our nation. What did you see? What did the detainees tell you?” Tapper asked.

Booker responded by focusing on the facility’s private ownership and the conditions he said detainees are facing inside.

“Well, remember this is being run by a private corporation that showered Republicans with cash. Have $1 billion operation. So it is a private, for profit prison now profiting off of people’s pain. Inside, the conditions were insufficient and unacceptable. From lots of complaints about medical conditions, not getting the proper treatment from women, not getting the proper gynecological care when they were in severe crisis. And obviously, we’re hearing complaints about the food and more. Remember, these people are New Jersey’s neighbors. There are people in there that I talked to that have been in our country not years but decades, who have American children and grandchildren who have committed no crimes. A majority of the people there have committed no crimes. And so this is a problem and a moral abomination on multiple levels.”

Booker said his visit reinforced concerns he already had about the administration’s approach to immigration enforcement, arguing that Newark has become a focal point in the broader national debate over the issue.

“I now see again, this is a president with a chaotic, cruel and corrupt, immigration enforcement. And we’re seeing the epicenter now moving to Newark, New Jersey.”

JBizNews Desk — May 29, 2026

Lawyers for Jonathan Andic, the son and heir of late Mango founder Isak Andic, filed an appeal Thursday seeking to overturn the provisional detention order against him, arguing that the evidence surrounding his father’s death points to an accidental fall rather than homicide, according to court filings accessed by Spanish news agency Europa Press.

The case has rapidly evolved from a family tragedy into a corporate-governance crisis surrounding one of Europe’s largest privately held fashion retailers.

Mango, founded by Isak Andic in Barcelona in 1984, grew into one of the world’s largest fast-fashion brands and a direct rival to Inditex-owned Zara, operating in more than 100 countries and generating approximately €3.8 billion ($4.4 billion) in annual sales last year. The company remains overwhelmingly controlled by the Andic family through their holding company Punta Na Holding, making the legal fight deeply tied to the future leadership and stability of the business itself.

The appeal, led by prominent defense attorney Cristóbal Martell, directly challenges the forensic foundation underlying prosecutors’ allegations.

Investigators from the Mossos d’Esquadra Mountain Intervention Unit had previously conducted a series of simulations at the scene of Isak Andic’s fatal fall, concluding that marks discovered near the location appeared inconsistent with a simple accidental slip. According to the investigative report cited by the judge, recreating the marks required repeated deliberate pressure against the ground rather than a single uncontrolled fall.

The defense argues the opposite.

Martell’s filing contends the police analysis itself admitted investigators could not determine whether a slip occurred before the fall and further argues the scene had not been properly secured, potentially contaminating evidence and undermining the reliability of later forensic testing.

The legal fight has also turned heavily toward medical evidence.

The judge’s original detention order reportedly cited the absence of palm injuries and the positioning of the body to argue against a forward accidental fall. The defense counters that forensic experts found no evidence pointing toward homicide or third-party involvement.

Defense lawyers additionally submitted an independent multidisciplinary expert report concluding the injuries remained fully consistent with an accidental fall.

A central argument now emerging from the defense is physical health.

According to the filing, Jonathan Andic’s legal team argues that his father suffered from knee weakness and mobility issues that could have contributed to an accidental stumble and fatal tumble.

The case carries unusually high stakes because of Jonathan Andic’s position inside the company.

Together with sisters Sarah and Judith Andic, he controls roughly 95% of Mango through the family conglomerate. Earlier this week, Jonathan announced he would temporarily step aside as Mango’s vice chairman while focusing on his legal defense.

The appeal also attempts to dismantle prosecutors’ claims that father and son maintained a deeply deteriorated relationship.

Defense filings reportedly include statements from Jonathan’s sisters, Isak’s brother, close family associates, household staff, Mango executives, and company leadership, all describing the relationship between father and son as positive rather than hostile.

The filing also references private therapy emails beginning in early 2024 that, according to the defense, contain no expressions of hatred or resentment toward his father.

That sharply contrasts with the narrative presented by investigators.

The judge’s earlier arrest warrant stated there was sufficient evidence suggesting Jonathan Andic may have played an “active and premeditated role” in his father’s death, citing alleged tensions surrounding money, inheritance issues, and WhatsApp messages prosecutors described as reflecting anger and resentment.

Jonathan Andic became an official suspect late last year after investigators identified what they described as inconsistencies in his testimony and seized his mobile phone during the investigation.

The defense closed its appeal by condemning what it called a premature public judgment campaign, arguing that Jonathan’s highly publicized arrest and media exposure amounted to “social condemnation as anticipated punishment” before a trial has even begun.

For Mango, the implications stretch well beyond the courtroom.

The company itself remains financially healthy and globally competitive, but the future control of one of Europe’s most important privately held fashion businesses is now tied directly to the outcome of a criminal case unfolding in Spain’s courts rather than its boardrooms.

Barcelona — JBizNews Desk

© JBizNews.com All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited.

ALBANY, N.Y. (VINnews) — More than 8 million New Yorkers are expected to receive one-time energy rebate checks of up to $200 under a $1 billion relief program included in the state budget, officials announced.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said the rebates are intended to help residents cope with rising utility costs and broader affordability challenges facing households across the state.

Under the program, known as the Protecting Our Wallets Energy Rebate, or POWER initiative, eligible residents will automatically receive payments without having to apply. Checks are scheduled to be mailed between September and December.

State officials said eligibility is based on 2024 tax returns. Joint filers with incomes below $150,000 will receive $200, while those earning between $150,000 and $300,000 will receive $150. Single filers with incomes below $150,000 will receive $100.

Hochul said the rebates are part of a broader effort to address the rising cost of living in New York, including increasing utility expenses that have strained household budgets.

“We know New Yorkers need relief,” Hochul said while discussing the program earlier this month. “The bills are getting higher and higher, and families are feeling the impact.”

The rebate program comes as many residents have voiced concerns over increasing electricity and gas costs. Consumer advocates and lawmakers have pointed to utility rate hikes as a growing burden for households already facing high housing, food and transportation expenses.

Republicans criticized the program as a temporary fix that does not address the underlying causes of rising energy costs.

Joseph Griffo, a Republican state senator from upstate New York, said residents need long-term relief rather than a one-time payment.

Despite the criticism, state officials said the rebates will provide direct financial assistance to millions of households and are expected to begin reaching mailboxes this fall.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from paying any claims through a new $1.776 billion settlement fund for the Republican president’s allies who believe they were victims of a weaponized government.

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria, Virginia, on Friday also barred the government from moving forward with the fund’s creation while litigation is pending to challenge it.

The judge, who was nominated to the bench by President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, scheduled a June 12 hearing for arguments on whether to extend the order blocking payouts from an “Anti-Weaponization Fund.” The government created the fund to resolve Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns.

The fund has created a fierce backlash since it was announced last week, with even Republicans pressing acting Attorney General Todd Blanche over the eligibility considerations and the possibility that even violent rioters at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, would be free to seek compensation.

The Justice Department hasn’t formed the five-member commission that will decide on payout criteria, so there has been no money paid out yet or claims accepted.

Plaintiffs’ attorneys from the legal advocacy group Democracy Forward are seeking a court order halting the fund’s implementation and preventing the Trump administration from disbursing any payouts from it. The federal suit claims there is no legal basis or accountability behind the fund.

Americans who are retired or are approaching retirement and are evaluating their investment portfolios can turn to exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that may offer built-in diversification for core holdings or exposure to specific sectors.

ETFs are securities that typically track indexes and allow investors to get exposure to a number of companies included in the index. For example, an ETF that tracks the S&P 500 allows an investor to purchase a single share of the ETF that holds shares in all 500 companies in the index, making it easy to get exposure to a broad swath of companies. 

Other types of ETFs may focus on providing investors with yield from dividends or bonds, classifications of companies like growth or value-oriented firms, specific sectors of the economy. Some may be actively managed to maximize returns, which typically entails higher expense ratios, while many ETFs are passively managed, which can involve lower expenses.

Retirees considering investing in ETFs will want to consider their risk tolerance, along with the diversification of a given ETF, its expense ratios, trading volumes and liquidity, as well as other factors like tax efficiency as they weigh an investment.

WHAT ARE ACTIVE ETFS AND HOW ARE THEY RESHAPING HOW AMERICANS INVEST?

“In retirement, simplicity and discipline often matter more than complexity and ETFs can help deliver both when used thoughtfully,” Carole Okigbo, global head of ETF capital markets and broker and index relations at Vanguard, told FOX Business. 

“Retirees should start with their goals, including how much income they need, their time horizon, and their comfort level with market swings. ETFs can be very effective building blocks, but it’s important to focus on total return, not just yield, and ensure each investment plays a clear role in supporting long-term retirement income needs,” Okigbo added.

US ETF ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT TO MORE THAN DOUBLE TO $25T BY 2030, CITIGROUP SAYS

Inga Rachwald, senior investment strategist at Schwab Asset Management, told FOX Business that “the selection of highly liquid ETFs would be of high importance to a retiree so that they have the ease of accessing their money when needed.” 

“Many ETFs track broad asset classes or indices so you get the benefit of diversification. Potential tax efficiency is another likely important component for retirees,” Rachwald added.

IS BUYING A SINGLE INDEX ETF SMARTER THAN PICKING INDIVIDUAL STOCKS?

Schwab’s Rachwald cited several examples of ETFs offered by her firm, such as SCHD provides dividend income and focuses on companies that grow their dividends.

“SCHZ could serve as the core of a fixed income portfolio, providing high quality income with intermediate duration exposure. SCCR is an alternative to SCHZ if investors would like to source an active strategy in the high-quality, intermediate duration core bond space,” Rachwald said. 

“SCHI would similarly provide some incremental yield coming from investment grade corporates who have bolstered balance sheets through the economic cycle,” she added.

Vanguard’s Okigbo noted similarly that her firm’s ETF offerings include broad market ETFs as well as bond ETFs that can serve as core components of a retirement portfolio.

“Many retirees benefit from starting with low-cost, broadly-diversified ETFs like Vanguard Total Stock Market (VTI) and Vanguard Core Bond (VCRB) and building from there,” Okigbo said.

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Syria’s transitional government announced that it has uncovered additional remnants of Bashar Assad’s long-concealed chemical weapons program and detained 18 individuals allegedly connected to its development and operation, marking one of the most significant investigations into the former regime’s weapons activities since Assad’s downfall.

Assad was driven from power in December 2024 and later fled to Russia, one of the key allies that supported his government throughout Syria’s devastating civil war. Following his removal, control of the country passed to a transitional administration led by a coalition of insurgent and jihadist factions under Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former member of al-Qaeda.

Since taking power, Syria’s new leadership has distanced itself from both Russia and Iran, Assad’s longtime backers, while seeking closer ties with Western governments. Among its initiatives was joining the Global Coalition to Defeat the Islamic State in November 2025.

The government has also expanded cooperation with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), headquartered in The Hague. On Tuesday, the OPCW reported that inspectors had gained access to multiple chemical weapons facilities that had never previously been disclosed by the Assad government. During those inspections, teams discovered “dozens of undeclared chemical munitions such as aerial bombs and rockets, as well as separately found chemicals and related equipment.”

Authorities working alongside OPCW personnel have so far identified more than 70 rockets and aerial bombs apparently built to deliver chemical agents, similar to munitions linked to attacks carried out by Assad’s forces against opposition-held areas in 2013 and 2017.

Investigators also located materials associated with the production of sarin nerve gas. Among the substances recovered was hexamine, a compound with legitimate industrial uses that was previously identified as a component used by Assad’s chemical weapons specialists in the manufacturing process for weaponized sarin.

Previous investigations by OPCW and United Nations teams uncovered stores of chlorine and mustard gas used by Syrian military units. Officials say nearly 100 additional sites across Syria remain on the list for future inspection.

Mahamad Katoub, the transitional government’s representative to the OPCW, described the discoveries and arrests as a major victory for both Syria and the international community.

“Today we delivered for the Syrian people and for the world, despite the secrecy, the danger, and the enormous security challenges,” he said.

“It is the first time such munitions could be recovered before they were used in crimes against the Syrian people,” he added.

Katoub declined to publicly identify the 18 people taken into custody but said those arrested include “high-level military, political, and technical officials.” He noted that at least four of the suspects are already under sanctions imposed by the United States, the United Kingdom, or the European Union.

Earlier this month, on May 8, Syria’s Interior Ministry announced the arrest of former Brig. Gen. Khardal Ahmed Dayoub, a senior Assad-era military commander accused of involvement in a 2013 chemical attack near Damascus. Authorities also linked him to chemical assaults in Eastern Ghouta.

Officials charged Dayoub with “direct involvement in systematic violations against civilians,” including responsibility for attacks that killed approximately 1,400 people.

OPCW Director-General Amb. Fernando Arias said Wednesday that the latest findings reinforce longstanding conclusions that Assad’s government concealed critical information about the scope of its chemical weapons activities.

“confirms the Secretariat’s repeated assessment since 2014 that the former Syrian regime withheld information and unsuccessfully attempted to mislead the Secretariat and the international community on the extent of its chemical weapons program.”

Arias praised the cooperation shown by Syria’s current authorities during the investigation.

“I welcome Syria’s cooperation and support for this deployment,” Arias said.

He stressed that substantial work remains ahead and called on Syrian officials to fully account for and eliminate the materials that have been uncovered.

“The Syrian authorities now need to declare and destroy what has been found, under the Secretariat’s verification and to continue supporting the Secretariat in unveiling the full scope of the chemical weapons program they have inherited,” he added.

{Matzav.com}

A Toms River man who authorities say was driving more than 100 miles per hour, under the influence of drugs, and with a suspended license has been indicted in connection with a fatal crash that killed a 76-year-old resident earlier this year.

Jamie Doyle, 40, was indicted by an Ocean County Grand Jury on charges including Aggravated Manslaughter, Vehicular Homicide, Strict Liability Vehicular Homicide, and Operating a Motor Vehicle with a Suspended Driver’s License While Involved in a Crash Causing Death.

The charges stem from a January 23 crash at the intersection of Route 37 westbound and Romana Lane in Toms River that resulted in the death of Ronald Bucher, 76, of Toms River.

According to investigators, Doyle was driving a white Nissan Maxima westbound on Route 37 when he slammed into Bucher’s Chevrolet Trax as it crossed the highway from Romana Lane.

Authorities said witnesses reported Doyle had been driving erratically and ignoring multiple traffic signals before the crash.

Investigators later determined Doyle was traveling approximately 106 miles per hour just five seconds before impact and struck Bucher’s vehicle at approximately 65 miles per hour in a 50 MPH zone.

Officials said Doyle was also operating the vehicle with a suspended driver’s license at the time of the crash.

Responding officers reportedly observed Doyle displaying erratic behavior, irregular speech, and constricted pupils at the scene. A court-authorized blood draw later allegedly revealed the presence of Phencyclidine (PCP) and Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in his bloodstream.

Bucher suffered catastrophic injuries in the collision and was pronounced deceased despite life-saving efforts.

Doyle was initially charged the night of the crash with multiple offenses, including Driving While Intoxicated, Reckless Driving, Careless Driving, and Driving While Suspended. Following further investigation, prosecutors upgraded the case to include Aggravated Manslaughter and Vehicular Homicide charges.

After being released from the hospital, Doyle was transported to the Ocean County Jail on January 30, where he has remained detained pending trial.

Questions swirl around the disappearance of a Jewish 14-year-old girl named Esther, or Esti, who was found safe Thursday in a 1960s-era bungalow in the Rexdale neighborhood of Etobicoke, a district in the western end of Toronto.

The tip that led to her discovery came from a call Wednesday night that she had been spotted in a Walmart at the corner of Rexdale Boulevard and Islington Avenue near the location where she was found. Police examined security cameras but did not know where she had gone from there. It was believed that she had entered a residential neighborhood nearby.

“They went up and down the street to check to see if neighbors had security video,” Joe Warmington, a reporter for the Toronto Sun, quoted a resident as saying.

The owner of the home where Esti was found answers a reporter’s questions. (From Joe Warmington’s X account)

A neighbor who observed police talking to someone nearby with a security camera said that suddenly they started sprinting toward a particular house.

“They were all running there toward the house,” Warmington said a neighbor offered, adding that there were at least “six officers and five police cars.”

“They brought out a white man of about 30 and put him in a police car,” the neighbor said. Esther followed soon after.

“She was wearing a black hoodie and a jacket and seemed to be walking fine,” the neighbor added. “They put her in a police car as well and then left.”

The Rexdale home where Esti was found. (From Joe Warmington’s X account)

The owner of the house, identified as Devon, told Warmington that his tenant, Duffy, works in construction. He said he has never had a problem with the construction worker, who always paid his rent on time. He also said he had no idea a girl was being kept in his house and was completely in the dark about what had transpired during the day, having been away at work.

Devon was brought in for questioning and remained at the police station late into Thursday night. It is unclear if he has been charged with anything, but his tenant is still in custody.

Devon, the owner of the home where Esti was found. (From Joe Warmington’s X account)

Esti disappeared on Friday, May 15, prompting a massive search organized by the Toronto Police Service and Shomrim. Shomrim set up a tip hotline manned by volunteers, and thousands of volunteers spread through the streets of Toronto hanging missing-child posters throughout the city. The TPS escalated the search to Priority 1, allowing the police to use canine and mounted units, and a $25,000 reward was offered for information leading to her safe return.

“Like everyone, I was relieved to hear that Esther had been found,” Toronto Police Association President Clayton Campbell said.

“I’m so proud of our members who have worked tirelessly around the clock,“ he said. “From our frontline to our investigative experts to our specialized search professionals, no one ever gave up.”

“They couldn’t have done this without the community input and support, and we are grateful,” he added.

An investigation is ongoing, which will hopefully uncover what transpired during the nearly two weeks Esti was missing and what criminality was involved on the part of the person with whom she was found in his basement apartment.

By JBizNews Desk

NEW YORK — May 29, 2026 — Investors have pulled approximately $2.8 billion from U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds over nine consecutive trading days, marking the longest withdrawal streak since the products launched and signaling a major shift in institutional sentiment as capital increasingly flows toward artificial intelligence investments.

According to data compiled by Bloomberg and analytics firm SoSoValue, the selling streak began on May 15 and continued through May 28, surpassing every previous run of ETF outflows since spot Bitcoin ETFs debuted in January 2024.

During the same period, Bitcoin fell from roughly $80,000 to around $73,000, reflecting growing pressure from sustained institutional selling.

The pace of redemptions accelerated significantly this week.

The largest single-day withdrawal occurred Wednesday when investors removed approximately $733 million from the funds. More than $528 million came from BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) alone, representing the largest single-day outflow in the fund’s history.

Market analysts linked part of the move to a large institutional transaction executed through private trading venues known as dark pools, where sizable trades can occur outside public exchanges.

The withdrawal streak matters because spot Bitcoin ETFs have become the primary gateway through which pension funds, wealth managers, institutions, and traditional investors gain exposure to cryptocurrency.

Unlike direct cryptocurrency ownership, the ETFs allow investors to buy and sell Bitcoin through conventional brokerage accounts. When investors add money, ETF managers purchase Bitcoin. When investors redeem shares, the funds must sell Bitcoin holdings.

As a result, ETF flows provide one of the clearest indicators of institutional demand.

Right now, that demand appears to be weakening.

Many analysts believe the outflows are less about Bitcoin itself and more about competition for investment capital.

Artificial intelligence and semiconductor stocks have dramatically outperformed cryptocurrency investments throughout much of 2026, drawing significant amounts of institutional money.

Companies tied to AI infrastructure, cloud computing, advanced chips, and data-center expansion continue to attract investors seeking exposure to one of the fastest-growing segments of the global economy.

Recent gains in major technology names have reinforced that trend.

As AI-related stocks have surged, Bitcoin has struggled to generate comparable momentum, leading many portfolio managers to shift capital toward sectors producing stronger returns.

The concentration of withdrawals suggests the selling is being driven primarily by institutions rather than retail investors.

BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC accounted for the overwhelming majority of recent outflows, a pattern that analysts say is consistent with large asset allocators reducing exposure rather than individual investors making small portfolio adjustments.

Researchers at Galaxy Research described Wednesday’s redemptions as among the largest seen this year and noted that cumulative ETF flows for 2026 have now turned negative.

Some analysts characterize the move as a broader reassessment of portfolio allocations rather than simple profit-taking.

Geopolitical uncertainty may also be contributing to the trend.

The conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States has increased volatility across global markets, pushing investors toward sectors perceived as offering stronger earnings visibility.

While Bitcoin is sometimes promoted as a hedge against uncertainty, periods of heightened market stress have often seen the cryptocurrency trade more like a high-risk technology asset than a traditional safe haven.

That dynamic can make digital assets vulnerable when investors become more defensive.

Not everyone sees the outflows as bearish.

Some market strategists point out that previous periods of heavy ETF selling have occasionally coincided with important market bottoms.

Historical flow data analyzed by crypto research firms has shown that extreme pessimism often emerges near turning points rather than at the beginning of prolonged declines.

Whether that pattern repeats remains uncertain.

The next major test for the market comes with the May 30 monthly options expiration, an event that could increase volatility as billions of dollars in cryptocurrency derivatives contracts settle.

If ETF outflows continue beyond that date, Bitcoin could face additional downside pressure. If redemptions slow or reverse, investors may interpret the recent withdrawals as a temporary rotation rather than the beginning of a longer-term exodus.

For now, however, the message from institutional investors appears clear.

The biggest pools of capital on Wall Street are increasingly directing money toward the companies building the AI revolution, while reducing exposure to cryptocurrency assets that have struggled to match the sector’s recent performance.

Until Bitcoin regains momentum or presents a stronger growth narrative, AI appears to be winning the battle for institutional investment dollars.

Markets — JBizNews Desk

© JBizNews.com All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited.

By JBizNews Desk

The United States fired more than a thousand Tomahawk cruise missiles at Iran.

Replacing them could take until late 2030.

That one number, from a new analysis released Wednesday, tells you most of what you need to know about the state of America’s weapons stockpile — and why Pentagon planners are increasingly focused on a country the U.S. has not fought yet: China.

The report came from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a prominent Washington think tank. It was written by retired Marine Colonel Mark Cancian and researcher Chris H. Park.

Their conclusion was straightforward: U.S. defense contractors will need at least three years to fully rebuild the stockpiles of several key weapons systems used heavily during the Iran war.

The weapons matter.

Tomahawk cruise missiles are long-range precision weapons used to strike targets deep inside enemy territory. Patriot and THAAD interceptors are defensive systems designed to shoot down incoming missiles and drones.

The U.S. used all three extensively during the conflict with Iran.

Now comes the part that matters most — and the part many headlines miss.

The report does not say the United States is running out of weapons.

In fact, it explicitly says the opposite: the U.S. still has “enough munitions for any plausible scenario in the Iran war.”

What America lost was the cushion.

And the cushion matters because the Pentagon does not plan for one war at a time.

The military’s central long-term concern remains a possible conflict with China over Taiwan. The Iran war did not leave the U.S. defenseless against Iran. What it did was expose how quickly a modern high-intensity conflict can drain missile inventories that were originally built for shorter and more limited wars.

The concern inside Washington is not that Iran depleted the U.S. arsenal.

It is that fighting a medium-sized regional war was enough to reveal how thin the reserves could become before a larger confrontation with China.

The reason rebuilding takes years is surprisingly simple.

America never built these weapons in large enough numbers.

For decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Pentagon assumed future wars would likely be smaller, shorter and regional. Expensive high-end missiles were produced steadily, but not at the massive industrial scale associated with Cold War stockpiles.

The Iran war tested that assumption.

In a normal year, the United States produces fewer than 200 Tomahawk missiles. During the Iran conflict, the military fired more than five years’ worth in a matter of weeks.

Raytheon, now part of RTX, is expanding facilities in Alabama and Arizona and aiming to eventually produce more than 1,000 Tomahawks annually. But those expanded production lines are still being built.

The defensive interceptors face the same issue.

The report estimates the U.S. fired as many as 290 THAAD interceptors during the war. Replacing them may take until the end of 2029. Rebuilding inventories of more than 1,000 Patriot interceptors could stretch into mid-2029.

Lockheed Martin, which manufactures both systems, says it plans to invest roughly $9 billion through 2030 to accelerate output.

The report also noted that the U.S. has started retaining THAAD interceptors for domestic use that might previously have been sold to allies overseas — a sign of how seriously officials are treating the stockpile issue.

Cancian argued the problem developed over decades, not under a single administration.

“A lot of people in the Trump administration are inclined to say that everything was terrible until they arrived, and that’s not true,” he said. “Now, it is true that the Trump administration really increased funding.”

In other words, the stockpile gap was created gradually through years of procurement decisions made under both Republican and Democratic administrations.

The politics surrounding the issue are already intensifying.

Democrats in Congress have pointed to the strain on missile inventories as evidence that President Donald Trump entered the Iran conflict without fully considering the long-term military consequences. Some Republicans, meanwhile, argue that years of military aid sent to Ukraine after Russia’s 2022 invasion also contributed to the pressure on inventories.

The Pentagon insists the situation remains under control.

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the military “has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President’s choosing.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers last month that rising defense spending will allow manufacturers to double or even triple output over time.

But not everyone inside the defense community is reassured.

Virginia Burger, a former Marine officer now with the watchdog organization Project On Government Oversight, said Pentagon officials almost certainly understood before the war that missile inventories would be pushed “to a critical level.”

That may ultimately be the most important takeaway from the report.

America did not run out of weapons fighting Iran.

What it discovered was how quickly a modern war can burn through advanced missiles — and how long rebuilding them actually takes.

For a country whose defense strategy is increasingly centered on deterring China, “three years to rearm” is not an especially comforting timeline.

The factories will eventually refill the shelves.

The uncomfortable question hanging over Washington now is what happens if the next major conflict arrives before they do.

Washington — JBizNews Desk

© JBizNews.com All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani renewed his criticism of federal immigration enforcement on Thursday, accusing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents of carrying out actions he described as “cruel and inhumane” and defending the city’s status as a sanctuary jurisdiction.

Speaking on MSNBC’s The Briefing, Mamdani argued that New York’s sanctuary-city policies are both a public-safety measure and a reflection of the city’s identity as a destination for immigrants from around the world.

“We are proud of the fact that we are a sanctuary city. We’re proud of that for a number of reasons. One, it is a policy designed to keep New Yorkers safe. Two, we know that here in our city, we are proud of the more than 3 million New Yorkers who are immigrants. I’m one of them. And we know that in a city like this, it is incumbent upon us to live up to the ideals of the Statue of Liberty, not just tell people to come and look at it when they visit from across the world.”

Host Jen Psaki then asked the mayor about his communications with President Donald Trump, noting that Mamdani has previously discussed immigration issues with the president and had been involved in efforts that helped secure the release of a detainee in New York.

“You speak to the president from from time to time. You’ve spoken to him about his immigration policies in the past. You’ve even helped get a detainee in New York released. I’m curious, have you spoken to him since Mark when Mullen made that announcement?” Psaki asked.

Mamdani declined to discuss the details or frequency of his conversations with Trump but said he has consistently voiced his objections to ICE’s operations whenever the subject arises.

“No. I keep the cadence of our conversations private. But what I will say, Jen, is that when I’ve had those conversations with the president, I have made clear, as you’ve said, that I view ICE actions to be cruel and inhumane.”

The mayor went on to argue that federal immigration enforcement efforts do not improve public safety and alleged that the agency has operated without sufficient accountability.

“These are not actions that serve any interest of public safety. And I say that time and again, because what I’ve seen as the mayor of New York City is an agency that is operating with impunity, whether across the five boroughs of New York or whether elsewhere across the country. And so often, New Yorkers have no idea as to what could put them at risk beyond just the simple fact of their existence in this city.”

Mamdani’s remarks are the latest in an ongoing dispute between New York City officials and the Trump administration over immigration enforcement, sanctuary-city policies, and the role of federal authorities in local communities.

{Matzav.com}

STAFFORD, Va. (AP) — A bus struck six vehicles on Interstate 95 in Virginia as traffic slowed for a work zone, killing five people and sending 34 to hospitals, state police said Friday.

The crash happened at about 2:35 a.m. on southbound I-95 in Stafford County. All five of the people who died were in vehicles hit by the bus, and three of the injured are in critical condition, police said.

“The preliminary investigation indicates that traffic was slowing southbound for an upcoming work zone,” state police said in a news release. “A bus failed to slow for traffic and struck six vehicles.”

It was not immediately known what the bus was being used for or how many people were aboard.

The crash is under investigation and charges are pending, police said.

Southbound lanes remained closed seven hours after the crash, with traffic being detoured.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) – Israeli forces have crossed the Litani River in southern Lebanon and seized strategic positions as part of an ongoing military campaign against Hezbollah, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Friday.

Speaking during a visit to Israel’s northern border with Defense Minister Israel Katz and senior Israel Defense Forces commanders, Netanyahu said troops from the IDF’s 36th Division advanced across the river, which lies roughly 18 to 30 kilometers (11 to 19 miles) north of the Israel-Lebanon border.

“Our forces crossed the Litani River, they ascended to the commanding heights. We are operating in Beirut, in the Beqaa Valley, across the entire front, and are crushing Hezbollah,” Netanyahu said.

The Litani River has long served as a key strategic demarcation line in southern Lebanon. Under the terms of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement reached in mid-April, Israeli forces were to withdraw from southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah militants pulling back north of the river and the Lebanese army deploying in the area.

Israel has maintained a presence in the region, however, citing continued threats from Hezbollah infrastructure. Israeli officials have refused full withdrawal until security concerns are fully addressed.

The development marks a significant escalation in Israel’s military operations against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.

A Belzer yungerman was arrested in Kiryat Gat on Friday afternoon, just hours before Shabbos, on allegations of draft evasion, setting off protests, sharp criticism from Belz erleaders, and an immediate investigation ordered by Israel Police Commissioner Daniel Levy.

The yungerman was detained by police and is currently being held at the police station on Sderot Lachish in Kiryat Gat.

According to eyewitnesses, the arrest occurred after the yungerman approached police officers in an effort to assist them during a gathering that had developed in the area. Witnesses claim that despite his attempt to help, officers subsequently sought to transfer him to the Military Police due to his alleged status as a draft evader.

Following the arrest, the “Tzeva Shachor” protest alert network, which mobilizes demonstrations in response to the detention of bnei yeshiva and yungeleit, called on members of the public to gather at the scene and protest in an effort to prevent his transfer to military authorities.

The arrest drew an angry response from within the Belzer community. A source in the chassidus harshly criticized the move, saying, “Police Commissioner Daniel Levy has lost his bearings. There are hundreds in Belz who enlist. If this young man is not released, they will all be returning home on Sunday.”

The unusually strong statement comes amid heightened sensitivity surrounding relations between the chareidi community and both the police and military, particularly regarding the detention of bnei yeshiva and yungerleit classified as draft evaders.

The current incident has generated particular outrage because, according to eyewitness accounts, the yungerman was not participating in any confrontation with law enforcement. Rather, they say, he approached officers in an effort to assist them during an event taking place in the city.

The controversy also comes one day after a report on Channel 12 News revealed that police are formulating a new policy for handling chareidi draft evaders in an effort to reduce tensions with the chareidi public.

Under the proposed framework, a chareidi draft evader who voluntarily enters a police station to file a complaint, report a missing person, or receive police services would not be detained or transferred to the Military Police.

However, if a police officer encounters a draft evader during a routine traffic stop, at a checkpoint, or in another incidental encounter, the individual would still be detained and transferred to military authorities under existing procedures.

Supporters of the detained yungerman argue that his case falls outside the category of routine enforcement, maintaining that he approached officers of his own accord to assist them and should not have been treated as someone attempting to evade authorities.

Representatives of the chassidus warned that failure to release the yungerman could lead to a significant deterioration in relations between the chareidi community and law enforcement as early as next week.

As the controversy intensified, Commissioner Daniel Levy instructed police officials to immediately investigate the circumstances surrounding the young chareidi man’s detention. The review was ordered following claims that the yungerman was arrested despite having approached officers to assist them during an incident in the city, rather than as part of any confrontation with police or attempt to avoid law enforcement authorities.

According to reports, the commissioner also directed that the full chain of events leading to the arrest be examined in light of the conflicting accounts surrounding the incident.

Hezbollah’s first-person view (FPV) drones have caused casualties and injuries among IDF troops in southern Lebanon, prompting the defense establishment to advance new interception and detection solutions.

FPV drones, unlike drones that rely on wireless transmission, use a thin fiber optic cable to transmit data and commands directly from the operator to the drone. This provides the drones’ immunity to typical electronic anti-drone systems, the ability to transmit HD-quality video without delays, and the ability to strike specific targets or operate inside buildings without losing reception.

Shift toward optical, acoustic detection

According to security and military sources, following discussions in the Defense Ministry and the IDF, several solutions are being advanced to counter the drones. Officials stressed that appropriate operational conduct in the field remains the first line of defense.

The defense establishment is now moving from frequency-based detection to optical and acoustic detection systems using means that were first deployed in the field only recently.

The IDF has also advanced visual signature management and masking measures, including the use of dynamic smoke screens during the movement of infantry forces, tanks, and armored personnel carriers.

At the same time, intelligence efforts have intensified to locate and strike drone operators. Additional air and ground firepower will reportedly be allocated to shorten the attack cycle.

The IDF has also begun to install floating nets designed to disrupt drone warheads and create distance from armored vehicles. Head of the IDF Anti-Tank Defense Command, Brig.-Gen. Rami Abudraham promoted efforts to procure various types of nets and train field teams to install them on armored personnel carriers, tanks, buildings, outposts, and designated sites.

Alongside these efforts, the Defense Ministry is promoting technological developments in several areas.

Microwave weapons, lasers, and AI sights

The Defense Ministry is also promoting the development and procurement of high-power microwave (HPM) weapons, which are designed to burn a drone’s internal circuits regardless of frequency.

In parallel, laser interception systems are being developed to destroy drones or blind their lenses at what officials described as “zero cost.”

The Defense Ministry and the IDF have also launched a large-scale procurement effort funded through a special budget approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz. The initiative includes AI-based smart trigger systems designed to help soldiers shoot down drones using small arms.

The Defense Ministry has additionally begun purchasing pump-action shotguns. According to a defense source, the spread of shotgun ammunition significantly increases the likelihood of hitting fast-moving drones.

“While an assault rifle requires a direct and precise hit on a small, fast object, a shotgun shoots dozens of lead or steel pellets that create a cloud of impact,” the source said. Officials added that even one or two pellets could damage a drone propeller or sever a fiber-optic wire, bringing the drone down.

Dedicated anti-drone fighters assigned to units

The IDF also decided to develop designated anti-drone roles within combat units. Similar to practices used in the war in Ukraine, each infantry platoon or tank crew will reportedly include a fighter tasked with short-range aerial defense using a shotgun.

According to defense officials, the approach is significantly cheaper than advanced technological interception systems.

Additional defense measures include autonomous detection and interception systems, such as optical radar systems combined with artificial intelligence sensors that can identify movement patterns and shapes.

Interceptor drones that autonomously track targets and deploy physical nets are also expected to be integrated.

According to the Defense Ministry, the policy formulated by the Defense Ministry Director-General Maj.-Gen. (res.) Amir Baram and Katz redefine the threat posed by fiber-optic drones.

“The optimal response is found in a combination of optical detection, microwave/smoke disruption, and destruction using lasers or inexpensive interceptors,” the ministry said.

A defense source added that operational discipline remains critical.

“The drone operator will always look for open gatherings,” the source said, adding that there is “no substitute for proper operational behavior.”

This post was originally published on here.

This post was originally published on this site.

A long-running chapter in Satmar reached its conclusion Thursday as representatives of the four sons of the late Satmar Rebbe, the Berach Moshe, gathered for a landmark meeting to complete the distribution of the Rebbe’s treasured estate, including rare sifrei kodesh, manuscripts, and sacred heirlooms worth millions of dollars.

The historic gathering, which followed nearly two decades of negotiations, delays, and quiet efforts to resolve the issue, took place under a veil of secrecy at the home of philanthropist Reb Lipa Friedman on the outskirts of Monsey.

Representing the heirs were Rav Yoel Teitelbaum, Av Beis Din of Beis Baruch in Kiryas Yoel and son of the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Aharon Teitelbaum; Rav Chaim Hersh Teitelbaum, son of Rav Lipa Teitelbaum of Zenta; Rav Yaakov Dov Teitelbaum, Av Beis Din of Sighet and son of the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Zalman Leib Teitelbaum; and Rav Moshe Horowitz, son-in-law of Rav Shalom Eliezer Teitelbaum, Av Beis Din of Satmar 15.

Serving as witnesses to the lottery were Rav Sholom Glick, a senior member of Yeshivas Mesivta D’Satmar and Satmar rov in Lakewood, and Rav Shimon Katz, a dayan of the Satmar community in Monsey.

As first reported before Pesach, members of the family had signed a joint letter calling upon anyone in possession of items belonging to their father’s estate to return them so that the inheritance could finally be organized and distributed among the heirs.

Behind the scenes, mediators from various Satmar circles spent years attempting to resolve the complicated matter of the Rebbe’s financial estate and sacred possessions. During his lifetime, the Berach Moshe appointed his longtime attendant, Reb Moshe Friedman—widely known as Reb Moshe Gabbai—to oversee matters relating to the inheritance together with his close associate, philanthropist Reb Eliezer Kestenbaum.

Following the Berach Moshe’s passing, however, the deep division within Satmar prevented an orderly distribution of the estate.

Approximately a decade ago, Reb Moshe Gabbai arranged for the transfer of many of the items to the business premises of philanthropist Reb Meir Hirsch, a prominent supporter of the Mahar”א community and a close friend of Reb Moshe. Over the past year, the collection was carefully cataloged, examined, and appraised.

Among the items are rare books, handwritten manuscripts, and treasured artifacts passed down through the Sighet-Satmar dynasty, tracing their lineage from the Yismach Moshe through the Vayoel Moshe. The Berach Moshe inherited many of these possessions after the Vayoel Moshe passed away without leaving children. The collection is believed to be worth several million dollars.

Following publication of the family’s letter, additional valuable items that had remained in the possession of chassidim and associates were returned to the estate, reportedly with the encouragement of the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Aharon Teitelbaum. Once the collection was assembled and documented, preparations for the final division could proceed.

According to the Berach Moshe’s will, the sacred items and books were to be divided equally among his four sons. To fulfill that directive, organizers assembled four separate packages, carefully balancing both the monetary value and the historical and spiritual significance of each group of items.

Each package included a mixture of sacred objects, manuscripts, books, and family heirlooms so that no bundle would be viewed as more prestigious or valuable than another.

For example, one package contained the Rabbeinu Tam tefillin of the Kedushas Yom Tov, while another included a menorah that had belonged to the same revered ancestor. Other packages contained rare manuscripts, books, and additional treasured artifacts. Once the values were equalized, a lottery was conducted to determine which heir would receive each package.

Also present at the gathering were Reb Moshe Friedman, the longtime attendant of the Berach Moshe and official custodian of the estate; attendant Reb Shmuel Teitelbaum; philanthropist Reb Eliezer Kestenbaum; Reb Meir Hirsch, who safeguarded much of the collection for years; and Reb Moshe Yitzchok Wertheimer, the famed hoiz bochur of the Berach Moshe during the Satmar split, who managed many of the estate’s logistical details over the past year.

Sources familiar with the process said several individuals played critical roles in recent months as the negotiations approached their final stages. Among those credited with helping bring the matter to completion was the host, Reb Lipa Friedman, son of Reb Moshe Gabbai, who quietly worked to bridge gaps and finalize arrangements between the various parties.

Friedman, a well-known supporter of Satmar institutions with close ties to many leading philanthropists and community figures, is said to have helped create the channels of communication that ultimately enabled the agreement to be completed after nearly two decades.

The event also carried a personal dimension. It was held in Friedman’s home just days before the wedding of his eldest daughter, scheduled for this coming Sunday. As preparations for a family simchah continued, the residence simultaneously became the setting for one of the most significant and sensitive moments in recent Satmar history, bringing closure to a process that had remained unresolved for almost twenty years.

{Matzav.com}

NEW YORK (AP) — Tomatoes, ubiquitous in everything from fast-food burgers to haute cuisine, are taking on a new role beyond the plate: A nagging reminder of rising costs.

Prices for those red orbs have soared more than any other food product over the past year to cement a spot as one of the consumer headaches du jour.

“The tomato has become a symbol of something much deeper,” says Isaac Bernal Carbajo, a New York City chef who lamented life’s “simplest pleasures” falling victim to price increases. “Something as basic as buying fresh vegetables is starting to become a serious financial decision for many families.”

Tomato prices are up about 40% over a year ago, according to the latest Consumer Price Index, dwarfing increases for other groceries, including coffee (up 18.5%), beef roasts (up 17.8%) and frozen fish and seafood (up 12%), among other products that have become symbols of America’s affordability squeeze.

A separate inflation gauge released Thursday showed that overall prices increased 3.8% in April from a year earlier, the highest reading in nearly three years.

Alongside crop yields, experts blame price increases for tomatoes, in part, on two pillars of President Donald Trump’s second-term policies: the Iran war and tariffs. The war spiked gas prices and increased shipping costs. Meantime, the U.S. withdrew from a deal allowing duty-free imports of tomatoes from Mexico, which grows most of America’s supply.

Usha Haley, a Wichita State University economist, says it’s “a perfect storm of trade policy, extreme weather and Mideast policy.”

American tomato farmers cheered the withdrawal from the tomato deal last July, saying it would help rebuild their shrinking industry. But for consumers, it’s been painful. Though the U.S. withdrew from the Mexico tomato deal in July, it took time to see the impact in the produce aisle, with more imports in late winter and early spring.

When the tomatoes arrived, they were slapped with a 17% tariff.

“Tariffs are undeniably a big driver of the price inflation,” says Brett Massimino, a Virginia Commonwealth University business professor. “Because the U.S. relies on Mexico for the majority of its tomato supply, any changes in trade policy can have a large impact.”

U.S. tariffs collected on tomatoes ballooned from just $16,424 in 2024 to nearly $4.6 million, according to federal data, a staggering 27,879% increase.

As the cost trickles down, outraged shoppers have pulled out their phones in the produce aisle, shooting videos lamenting costs they said quadrupled, with some vowing to plant a garden to avoid prices of up to $8 a pound. But the impact has been most pronounced for businesses that rely on tomatoes as a key ingredient in their kitchens.

MarginEdge, which tracks prices for restaurants, says grape tomatoes have increased most — 65% in just a month — but prices have gone up across all types of tomatoes.

Phillip Coles, a professor of supply chain management at Lehigh University, says prices should drop later in the year when domestically grown tomatoes are harvested. Higher prices, he says, will also “induce farmers to increase planting to meet the demand, but this takes longer because of the lead time.”

Meantime, it’s translating to a big hit for businesses like Snarf’s Sandwiches, which puts a tomato in nearly every sandwich it makes.

Wayne Humphrey, chief operating officer of Snarf’s, which operates dozens of stores in Colorado, Missouri and Texas, said cases of tomatoes went from costing him $27 to $93 in the space of a year, piled on top of rising expenses for other ingredients including bread and beef, as well as increased labor costs.

“That single ingredient now costs us more than $1.7 million in additional spend annually,” says Humphrey. “The math is getting harder to ignore.”

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz has disclosed that his wife, Revital, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease several years ago, ending a long period in which the family chose to keep her condition out of the public eye.

Speaking in a television interview, Gantz said the family decided not to discuss the diagnosis publicly in order to protect their privacy and allow family members to cope with the situation away from public scrutiny.

According to Gantz, concerns first arose while his wife was pursuing doctoral studies. After a series of medical evaluations and neurological tests, doctors diagnosed her with Alzheimer’s disease at what he described as a relatively advanced stage.

Gantz said receiving the diagnosis marked a turning point for both him and his wife.

Despite the challenges at home, Gantz continued serving in senior military, government and political roles. He said he spent years balancing public responsibilities with the demands of caring for a loved one suffering from a progressive illness.

As the disease advanced, the family eventually made the difficult decision to move Revital Gantz to a specialized care facility. Gantz described the move as one of the most painful decisions he has faced, while emphasizing that she remains an important part of the family’s life.

He also said he is working on a book that will include reflections on the family’s experience coping with Alzheimer’s disease and the impact it has had on their lives.

A Lakewood resident traveling in Eretz Yisroel narrowly escaped serious injury this week after an Arab terrorist allegedly hurled a sharpened metal rod onto Route 77 near Teverya, smashing through the windshield of his moving vehicle.

The incident occurred approximately 10 miles past the junction with Route 6, on a stretch of highway familiar to many travelers heading north.

According to a passenger traveling with the driver who spoke to TLS, the metal object came flying from a hillside above the roadway and “went straight through the windshield.”

“With tremendous Siyata diShmaya, his hand was on the steering wheel in exactly the position that blocked it from hitting him directly,” the passenger told TLS. “Instead, it struck his arm, and he only suffered a minor injury.”

The driver was able to maintain control of the vehicle despite the attack. Photos from the scene show the windshield shattered from the impact.

“It was truly incredible,” the passenger added. “A clear reminder of how much Hashem watches over us.”

B’chasdei Hashem, the injuries sustained were minor.

[HERE’S A PHOTO OF THE INJURY]

The federal government is preparing to write the biggest checks American drone manufacturers have ever seen — and, in a sharp break from how Washington has historically done business with defense contractors, it intends to take ownership in return.

The Pentagon and the Commerce Department are in active discussions with U.S. drone companies about a mix of grants, loans and direct equity investments tied to building out a domestic supply chain for military unmanned systems, according to filings, public statements and reporting from multiple outlets. The talks follow President Donald Trump’s December 2025 ban on imported Chinese drones and components on national-security grounds — a decision that effectively erased the lowest-cost option from the U.S. market overnight and turned the Pentagon into the buyer of last resort for an industry that did not yet have the capacity to fill the gap.

The scale of what is coming has snapped into focus over the past several weeks. The Pentagon has already earmarked $1.1 billion to stand up a domestic manufacturing base for armed drones. Needham analyst Austin Bohlig estimates that $63 billion of the administration’s fiscal 2027 defense request is directed at unmanned or drone-related technology — more than six times current spending — with roughly $55 billion of that flowing into a new program the Pentagon is calling the Defense Autonomous Weapons Group, aimed at producing low-cost expendable drones at speed.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has issued directives requiring every U.S. Army squad to be equipped with small one-way attack drones — first-person-view, or FPV, drones costing under $2,000 each — by the end of fiscal 2026. The initial Army purchase is small at roughly 10,000 units, but procurement officials have signaled it is the front end of a far larger order book.

The companies in line to build them are no longer guessing about demand. AeroVironment, maker of the Switchblade loitering munition, posted record fiscal 2025 revenue of $820.6 million, up 14.45% on the year, and has announced plans to invest $1.5 billion to expand production. Kratos Defense, whose XQ-58A Valkyrie jet-powered drone has entered Marine Corps production status, reported 2025 revenue of $1.347 billion and guided to between $1.595 billion and $1.675 billion for 2026. Chief Executive Eric DeMarco has set a revenue target of $2.5 billion to $3 billion by 2028.

Palantir, whose software is increasingly used to coordinate drone fleets, reported first-quarter 2026 revenue of $1.63 billion. Smaller names — Red Cat Holdings, Ondas Holdings, Draganfly and Unusual Machines — have all reported new federal contracts in the past year.

What is genuinely new is how the government is paying.

In December, the Defense Department announced a $1.4 billion financing package for Vulcan Elements, a roughly 30-person rare-earth magnet startup whose magnets feed drone motors, radar systems and other military electronics. The deal includes a $620 million Pentagon loan, $50 million in equity for the Commerce Department, warrants giving the Defense Department the option to acquire a future stake, and $550 million from private investors. ReElement Technologies received a parallel award. The Vulcan structure mirrors the equity model the administration has now used repeatedly: a 10% stake in Intel, becoming the largest shareholder in rare-earth miner MP Materials, a 10% stake plus warrants in Trilogy Metals, a 5% stake in Lithium Americas, and a “golden share” governance role in the Nippon Steel–U.S. Steel combination.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has publicly said the administration is studying similar arrangements with traditional prime contractors.

“Lockheed Martin makes 97% of their revenue from the U.S. government. They are basically an arm of the U.S. government,” Lutnick told CNBC, when asked whether stakes in Lockheed, Boeing or Palantir were under consideration. “There’s a monstrous discussion about defense.”

For drone makers, the implications are concrete. A Pentagon willing to take equity is a Pentagon willing to write much larger checks — and to underwrite manufacturing capacity that no commercial customer would finance on its own. It also locks the federal balance sheet directly into the upside, or downside, of the companies it picks.

That last point has drawn scrutiny. President Trump’s sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. have taken equity stakes in multiple drone and defense-adjacent ventures, including Powerus, Unusual Machines, Anduril Industries and the Israeli drone maker Xtend — companies operating in sectors where their father’s administration is now also a potential equity partner. Eric Trump told the Associated Press he is “incredibly proud to invest in companies I believe in,” adding that “drones are clearly the wave of the future.”

For an industry that has spent two decades watching China dominate the consumer and component sides of the drone business, the new posture from Washington — buy American, fund American, and own a piece of American — is the most direct industrial-policy intervention the U.S. defense base has seen in a generation. Whether it produces the drones the Pentagon actually needs, at the prices it has set, is the next question.

Washington — JBizNews Desk

© JBizNews.com All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian drone that was part of an overnight attack on Ukraine slammed into an apartment building in eastern Romania, injuring two people in the NATO member country, Romanian authorities said, adding to concerns that the four-year war could spread across the alliance’s borders.

In response to the crash in the city of Galati, Romania asked the alliance for a faster transfer of anti-drone capabilities to its military, the Foreign Ministry said, calling the drone’s flight a serious violation of international law.

The incursion was the latest in a litany of drone incidents — from both Russia and Ukraine — to afflict NATO member states and leave the alliance on edge, drawing strong condemnation from Romania’s allies.

Gen. Gheorghe Maxim, a stand-in commander for the Romanian armed forces’ joint staff, said at a press conference Friday that the incident “is not an attack from Russia against Romania,” but “Romanians should understand that Russia is a threat to the security of the countries in the area.”

Police and other agencies responded at the scene, where photos. Galati is on the Danube River, near the borders of Ukraine and Moldova.

Ukrainian forces shot down 217 drones overnight on Friday according to the country’s air force. In total, Russia attacked with 232 drones and one ballistic missile. Hits were recorded in 14 areas, the air force said.

The drone was tracked by radar in Romanian airspace and crashed onto the roof of a building in Galati, Romania’s Defense Ministry said in a statement. The impact was followed by a fire. Two people suffered minor injuries, and several others were evacuated.

Romania calls it the worst of many incidents
While Romania has confirmed drone fragments on its territory on multiple occasions since the war started in 2022, including in Galati in April this year, no one has previously been hurt in any of the drone incidents in which many landed in remote areas.

In response to the latest incursion, Romanian President Nicusor Dan convened the NATO member’s top defense body for a meeting on Friday to discuss the implications of what he called “the worst incident to hit the national territory” since Russia invaded Ukraine, and blamed Russia directly for the incident.

“We will have proportional measures in relation to the Russian Federation. … There is no ambiguity about the author and the cause of this assault,” he wrote in a post on Facebook.

Dan added that his thoughts are with the injured people, families and residents “who experienced terrible moments in their own homes.”

The Romanian military scrambled two F-16 fighter jets and a helicopter that were authorized to engage targets, and alert messages were sent to residents of the affected areas.

In recent years, airspace violations have become so common in Romania that lawmakers adopted legislation last year allowing the army to shoot down drones entering its airspace as a last resort. But Romania has remained cautious in downing errant drones, which can pose risks to populated areas.

Russia has been using long-range ballistic missiles and drones to damage Ukraine’s power grid and hammer cities, and Ukraine has braced for further heavy bombardments.

The latest incident adds to recent drone-related problems posed to Europe. Over the past months, Ukrainian drones have crashed into the chimney of a power plant in Estonia, hit empty fuel tanks in Latvia and been shot down by Romanian fighter jets stationed in Lithuania. Ukrainian officials apologized and said the drones were aimed at military targets inside Russia but were sent off course by Russian electronic interference.

Since the war started in 2022, Poland, Croatia, Romania and non-NATO member Moldova have reported airspace violations and have found drone fragments on their territory.

The string of airspace violations has prompted questions about the state of air defenses on NATO’s eastern flank.

Allies rally to condemn incursion
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said that he had spoken to Romania’s president and expressed the organization’s “absolute solidarity” with its ally.

In a post on X, Rutte said he “affirmed that NATO stands ready to defend every inch of Allied territory. We will continue to enhance our readiness to deter and defend against any threat, including from drones.”

NATO allies are talking informally about the incursion but no official meeting about it was due to take place on Friday. Romania can request formal NATO consultations if it feels that it’s territory or security is under threat.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also said the incident showed that Russia “has crossed yet another line.” She said the EU will keep strengthening security along its eastern border and was actively drafting another set of sanctions against Russia, the 21st so far.

“A Russian drone incursion struck a densely populated area in Romania, injuring civilians,” she wrote in a social media post. “On EU territory.”

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said the risk of such “serious incidents” was raised by “ Putin’s increasing nervousness, driven by military setbacks.”

Zelenskyy appeals for more Patriot missiles
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday he was pressing the United States to provide more Patriot air defense missiles that can counter the Russian attacks.

He warned that deliveries to Ukraine are falling dangerously short as the Iran war diverts and depletes U.S. stocks. “I believe (the U.S.) must act quicker. We are being very persistent,” Zelenskyy told reporters during a visit to Sweden.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres warned the U.N. Security Council that the escalation and intensification of attacks risks getting out of control, with “unknown and unintended consequences.” He said that more civilians have been killed in the first four months of this year than in the same period in the past three years.

Guterres called for more diplomacy, immediate de-escalation and “a full and unconditional ceasefire.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. and Iranian negotiators reached a tentative agreement Thursday to extend the ceasefire in the 3-month-old war by 60 days and start a new round of talks on Iran’s nuclear program, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter.

Iran did not immediately confirm any deal. Vice President JD Vance on Thursday evening confirmed there was a tentative agreement, but said it was unclear if President Donald Trump would approve it.

“It’s hard to say exactly when or if the president’s going to sign,” Vance told reporters.

He added: “We’re going back and forth on a couple of language points.”

The emerging memorandum of understanding came as the fragile ceasefire in the war between the U.S. and Iran appeared to be wavering. The latest flare-up in fighting happened less than a day earlier, when Kuwait intercepted missiles fired from Iran, according to U.S. Central Command.

Proposal addresses Strait of Hormuz
The memorandum makes clear that Iran will not be able to impose tolls on the Strait of Hormuz and that Iran will have to remove all mines from the vital waterway within 30 days, according to the official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

During the war, Iran has effectively closed the strait, which had been the conduit for about a fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas. Its closure has sent oil prices skyrocketing around the world. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent predicted Thursday at a news briefing that the cost of oil could “come down very quickly” once a deal is finalized.

Iran has said it’s letting some commercial vessels pass — about two dozen daily in recent days, compared with more than 100 a day before the war — but the Islamic Republic also has charged tolls for at least some ships. It set up a formal gatekeeper agency earlier this month, spurring a new round of U.S. sanctions this week.

Under the tentative agreement, the U.S. would gradually lift its naval blockade on Iranian ports and would also agree to relax sanctions, allowing Iran to sell more of its oil.

Yet even as word of the potential deal emerged, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed additional sanctions on the Iranian military’s oil sales arm. The new penalties, first reported by The Associated Press, extend the Trump administration’s economic pressure campaign on the Islamic Republic.

Details of the tentative pact were first reported by the news outlet Axios.

Nuclear issue remains unresolved
Among the first issues to be negotiated during the 60-day ceasefire is what will happen to Iran’s highly enriched uranium, the first official said. The Islamic Republic has 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium that is enriched up to 60% purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Vance suggested on Thursday evening that negotiators were trying to strike general terms on the highly enriched uranium settled in the tentative agreement, with the specifics to be hammered out in the ensuing talks.

Vance said the continued back and forth involved “a couple of issues on the nuclear stuff, the highly enriched stockpile, and also the question of enrichment.”

Iran has not publicly committed to giving up the stockpile. It is believed to be buried under a trio of nuclear sites that were badly damaged by U.S. airstrikes last year.

Nuclear analysts have said that Iran might consider China or Russia, which have close relations with Tehran, to be a potential acceptable third party to take possession of the enriched uranium. But Trump said Wednesday that he “wouldn’t be comfortable” with such a plan.

Though Trump and his team said from the start of the conflict that one of their prime objectives was to ensure that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon, Vance framed the war’s accomplishments as something far less definitive.

“We’re in a position where we could substantially set back their nuclear program, not just during the term of this president but over the long term,” Vance said. “That’s a very very good thing for the American people.”

Iran, which has long maintained its program is peaceful, has insisted that any deal must include an end to Israel’s military operations in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah. Tensions deepened Thursday in Lebanon as Israel conducted an airstrike on a southern suburb of the capital, Beirut, and other strikes in the southern coastal city of Tyre. At least 14 people were killed across the country’s south.

Kuwait reports an attack
Kuwait announced that its air-defense systems intercepted incoming missiles and drones on Thursday, without detailing what had been targeted. Iran said it had retaliated for strikes earlier in the week by firing on a U.S. base in a Gulf state it did not name.

The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry condemned Iran for what it called “blatant aggression,” and U.S. Central Command called the attack on one of America’s top allies in the Persian Gulf an “egregious ceasefire violation.” Kuwait repeatedly came under fire from Iran and Iranian-backed Shiite militias in Iraq before the April ceasefire began.

The exchange took place after U.S. officials said late Wednesday that American forces launched more strikes on Iran, shooting down four one-way attack drones that posed a threat around the strait and hitting an Iranian ground-control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone.

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard acknowledged the attack around Bandar Abbas International Airport and said via the state-run IRNA news agency that it launched a retaliatory attack on the air base that launched the assaults. The Revolutionary Guard did not specify whether the response targeted Kuwait, which houses U.S. Army Central’s forward headquarters, air bases and a naval base.

On Monday, the U.S. said it conducted what the Pentagon called “self-defense” strikes on missile launch sites and minelaying boats in southern Iran.

Although they have traded strikes and accusations of ceasefire violations, Washington and Tehran have not returned to full-scale hostilities and keep negotiating.

Vance said that, “Ceasefires are always a little messy” but it’s “very much holding.”

Later Thursday, Iran’s defenses destroyed “a hostile aircraft” around the southern city of Jam, the area’s governor, Masood Tangestani, told state broadcaster IRIB. No other information was immediately available.

YWN regrets to inform its readers of the petirah of Harav Yitzchak Alster zt”l, a distinguished talmid chochom, revered marbitz Torah, gifted baal menagen, and one of the most devoted talmidim of Hagaon Harav Yitzchak Hutner zt”l.

Harav Alster was niftar on Erev Shabbos, leaving behind generations of talmidim and admirers who were profoundly influenced by his Torah, wisdom, warmth, and unique personality.

Born in Cologne, Germany, to Reb Tzvi Alster z”l, Rav Alster emigrated with his family to the United States before the outbreak of World War II. His father, who was deeply committed to preserving Torah life in America during an era when many Jewish children were attending public schools, was among those who sacrificed greatly to strengthen authentic Yiddishkeit in Chicago.

As a young man, Rav Alster became one of the closest and most devoted talmidim of Hagaon Harav Yitzchak Hutner zt”l, Rosh Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin and author of Pachad Yitzchak. For more than seven decades, he carried the teachings, spirit, and vision of his rebbi, transmitting them to thousands through his shiurim, institutions, writings, and personal example.

Throughout his life, he remained deeply connected to Rav Hutner’s hashkafah and authored several English-language works based on his rebbi’s philosophy, in addition to publishing his own seforim series, Olas Yitzchak.

In 1967, Rav Alster founded the Yeshiva Gedolah of Pittsburgh, where he served as rosh yeshiva and shaped countless talmidim. Nearly two decades later, in 1985, he established Kollel HaTorah in Flatbush for businessmen and professionals, operating within Kehillas Veretzky. Widely regarded as the first kollel of its kind for working baalei batim, it became a model for similar programs that followed.

After relocating to Eretz Yisrael in 2004, Rav Alster settled in Har Nof and founded Kollel Nachalas Tzvi, serving the English-speaking Torah community of Yerushalayim.

Alongside his accomplishments in Torah, Rav Alster possessed another extraordinary gift: music.

His compositions became woven into the soundtrack of yeshivos, batei medrash, and Jewish homes throughout the world. His stirring “Vehaviosim El Har Kodshi” first appeared on the iconic Torah Lives and Sings album produced by Yeshivas Chaim Berlin. That album also featured several of his other beloved compositions, including Heviani, Pischu Li, Dovkah Nafshi, and his celebrated Yedid Nefesh

His melodies combined depth, yearning, and simplicity, allowing them to transcend communities and generations. To this day, Yedid Nefesh and Vehaviosim remain among the most beloved and widely sung niggunim in the Torah world.

Those who knew Rav Alster describe a man of exceptional refinement, humility, warmth, and sincerity. His home was open to all, and his life reflected a rare blend of profound Torah scholarship, inner spirituality, joy, and ahavas Yisrael.

Harav Alster is survived by his wife, Mrs. Rachel Alster; his daughter, Mrs. Gitty Kaplan; his son, Harav Amram Moshe Alster; and his son-in-law, Harav Chaim Yitzchak Kaplan, Mashgiach of Yeshivas Chevron Knesses Yisrael and a ram in Yeshivas Pachad Yitzchak.

The levayah was held Friday afternoon from Kehillas Bnei Torah in Har Nof and proceeded to Beis Hachaim Eretz Hachaim near Beit Shemesh.

Yehi Zichro Baruch.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

NEW YORK (AP) — A fire in a rail yard train car near New York’s Penn Station injured five people and disrupted service for many commuters early Friday, authorities said.

The fire resulted in train delays in New Jersey Transit and Amtrak rail service into New York and briefly suspended Long Island Rail Road service, more than a week after a strike had shut down that system.

New Jersey Transit posted on X that it was an Amtrak train car that was on fire “in one of the Hudson River tunnels.” It said the fire resulted in “overhead wire damage.”

“Impacts are expected to last through the morning rush hour,” it said.

Amtrak posted on X that it suspended its service until at least noon Friday due to maintenance resulting “from a now extinguished fire in the New York area.” It said lengthy delays were expected for trains traveling north of New York.

It did not post any information about the fire itself. An email seeking comment was sent to Amtrak.

Fire officials said 100 firefighters responded to the fire early Friday and that five people were hurt. Two of them were taken to a hospital. Their conditions were not immediately known.

Penn Station, underneath Madison Square Garden, can serve roughly 600,000 passengers daily via Amtrak, the New York subway system, New Jersey Transit and the LIRR.

By JBizNews Desk

OTTAWA — May 29, 2026 — Canada has officially fallen into recession for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic after Statistics Canada reported Friday that the economy contracted for a second consecutive quarter, weighed down by U.S. tariffs, elevated oil prices, and a sharp slowdown in population growth.

According to Statistics Canada, real gross domestic product declined 0.1% in the first quarter of 2026, following a 0.6% contraction in the fourth quarter of 2025. The back-to-back declines meet the commonly accepted definition of a technical recession and mark Canada’s first recession since 2020.

The figures came as a surprise to economists and policymakers. The Bank of Canada had projected growth of approximately 1.8%, while Statistics Canada’s preliminary estimate issued last month pointed to growth closer to 1.7%.

The weaker-than-expected result underscores how quickly economic conditions have deteriorated amid growing trade tensions and global uncertainty.

Trade Pressures Mount

A major factor behind the downturn has been the impact of U.S. trade measures imposed by President Donald Trump, which have affected several key Canadian industries including steel, aluminum, copper, lumber, and automobiles.

Export demand has softened as tariffs increase costs and create uncertainty for manufacturers and investors. Businesses have responded by delaying expansion plans and reducing capital expenditures while awaiting greater clarity on the future of North American trade relations.

Although Canada’s manufacturing sector showed signs of life earlier in the quarter, helped by a rebound in auto production, output remains below year-earlier levels.

Oil Shock Creates Mixed Impact

The conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel has added another layer of economic pressure.

Crude oil prices have climbed sharply since the outbreak of hostilities, boosting revenues for energy-producing provinces such as Alberta while simultaneously increasing fuel, transportation, and operating costs across the broader economy.

Higher energy prices are helping some sectors but squeezing consumers already dealing with elevated living costs and persistent inflation pressures.

Seasonal maintenance activity in Canada’s oil and gas industry further weighed on economic activity during March, contributing to the quarter’s negative result.

Population Growth Reverses

Another major shift has emerged in Canada’s demographic outlook.

After years of rapid population expansion fueled largely by immigration and temporary resident programs, growth has stalled as the federal government moves to reduce immigration levels and temporary resident numbers.

A slower-growing population means fewer workers entering the labor force and fewer consumers driving demand, reducing one of the key engines that supported Canada’s economy during recent years.

Labor Market Weakening

For many Canadians, the recession may feel like a continuation of trends already visible in the labor market.

Employment growth has slowed significantly, and job losses earlier this year ranked among the steepest outside previous recessionary periods. The national unemployment rate has remained near 6.7%, considerably above recent lows.

Consumer confidence has also softened as households contend with higher borrowing costs, housing affordability challenges, and concerns about economic stability.

Bank of Canada Faces Difficult Choice

The recession now places additional pressure on Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem and policymakers.

The central bank’s benchmark interest rate currently stands at 2.25%, and officials face competing concerns.

On one hand, a contracting economy traditionally argues for lower interest rates to stimulate growth. On the other hand, rising oil prices threaten to push inflation higher, making aggressive rate cuts potentially risky.

The latest GDP figures strengthen the case for monetary easing, but policymakers remain cautious about reigniting inflationary pressures.

Business Investment at Risk

The recession designation could further dampen business sentiment.

Companies often respond to economic contractions by slowing hiring, reducing expansion plans, and preserving cash. Economists warn that weaker confidence could become self-reinforcing if businesses and consumers pull back simultaneously.

Residential construction also remains under pressure as housing demand softens and affordability challenges persist.

Can Canada Recover Quickly?

Despite the disappointing headline, economists note that the downturn remains relatively shallow compared with previous recessions.

Canada still posted 1.7% growth for full-year 2025, one of the stronger performances among G7 economies, and many forecasters believe growth could resume if trade tensions ease and energy markets stabilize.

Whether that happens depends largely on factors beyond Ottawa’s control.

For now, Canada has crossed an economic threshold it had avoided for nearly six years, and attention is turning toward how long the contraction lasts and whether policymakers can prevent a deeper downturn.

The immediate challenge facing Canada is clear: navigating a trade dispute with its largest customer while absorbing the economic fallout from a volatile global energy market.

Canada — JBizNews Desk

© JBizNews.com All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited.

A Polish national living in Germany and identified only by the name “Marius” was arrested for erecting a replica of the gate to Auschwitz in front of a German tax office in the Bavarian town of Eggenfelden.

The replica bore the famous slogan “Arbeit macht frei” and was so exact that the “artist” even placed the “B” upside down, as it appears in the original. He also added wooden swastikas and a chimney smokestack with the words “Zyklon B,” a reference to the gas used in the killing chambers of Auschwitz to murder the vast majority of the one million Jews who did not survive the death camp.

The original gate, left, and its replica in front of a German tax office. (Credit: left, Getty Images; right, a post on X)

The mother of the detainee, who works as an advertising manager, said that her son is not an antisemite, just depressed. He had incurred an overwhelming tax debt, a situation that enraged him and threw him into despair.

Critics note that depression does not manifest as Jew hatred, unless the mentally ill person is already a Jew hater.

The act violates Germany’s strict laws on incitement to hatred and using Nazi symbols, prompting an investigation into the 33-year-old man who erected them back in April. Upon his arrest, authorities found more Nazi symbols in his home.

Eggenfelden’s mayor, Martin Biber, blasted the actions as “disgusting insolence” and “an insult to society.”

Jill Biden is facing growing criticism from individuals who worked in the Biden administration after remarks she recently made about President Joe Biden’s widely criticized debate performance against President Donald Trump, comments that many former aides reportedly view with deep skepticism.

The controversy erupted after Jill Biden described her reaction to the June 2024 CNN debate, suggesting she feared her husband may have been suffering from a serious medical episode during the event.

Alex Thompson, the Axios journalist who co-authored the book Original Sin, which examined concerns surrounding Biden’s mental and physical condition, said he has heard significant pushback from former Biden administration officials since Jill Biden’s comments became public.

According to reporting cited from The Atlantic ahead of the release of her upcoming memoir, Jill Biden said she believed her husband might have been experiencing a medical emergency.

“Well, a lot of Democrats, including several Biden aides that I’ve talked to since yesterday when this interview came out, just simply don’t believe her,” Thompson told CNN’s Brianna Keilar.

Thompson noted that Jill Biden appeared with her husband at a rally immediately following the debate and continued participating in campaign activities in the days that followed, behavior that some former aides believe is difficult to reconcile with her current account.

“And a lot of former Biden aides, you know, have told me if you really believed he might be having a stroke, that it’s not necessarily the same behavior that you would do. There’s no evidence that there was any significant medical exam afterward,” Thompson said before acknowledging she suggested her husband take a cognitive exam but was overruled by his advisors, per The Atlantic.

He said many Democrats view the renewed discussion as an attempt to revisit and reshape a chapter of political history that has already been heavily scrutinized.

“And, you know, a lot of Democrats think that this is simply unhelpful to come out at this moment and try to rewrite this portion of history… I have to say that there is a significant skepticism that she is trying to rewrite this narrative right now.”

Thompson also referenced reporting he conducted during the 2024 campaign, arguing that Biden’s debate performance was not an isolated incident. According to his reporting, aides and advisers had observed similar struggles months before the debate took place.

He further pointed to Biden’s interview with former Special Counsel Robert Hur, during which questions were raised about the president’s memory and recall. Despite those concerns, Thompson said Biden’s closest advisers continued to publicly maintain that he was capable of serving effectively.

“They just feel that the inner circle gaslit them,” Thompson said.

Thompson added that the reaction from some former Biden administration officials has been unusually intense.

“I’ve been surprised by the level of anger and frustration that I’ve heard from former Biden aides towards the former first lady in the last 24 hours,” he added.

In a separate post on X, Thompson revealed that one former Biden official offered an even harsher assessment of Jill Biden’s recent explanation, telling him simply: “she’s lying.”

{Matzav.com}

A prominent Saudi analyst said this week that Saudi Arabia has lost confidence in the United States as a security guarantor and is quietly leading the formation of a new “Arab-Islamic bloc” alongside Pakistan, Turkey and Qatar, in remarks that aligned with growing Gulf skepticism toward President Donald Trump’s regional agenda.

Speaking on Russia Today, the Kremlin-funded English-language broadcaster, the analyst Mubarak al-Ati argued that Trump’s refusal to return to direct conflict with Iran following the April 7 ceasefire that ended the 2026 war had exposed the limits of American power and would carry strategic consequences for Washington.

“It seems that Trump refuses to return to war and overthrow the Ayatollah’s regime. This will cost him dearly,” Ati said, describing the US president as a “paper tiger.”

Ati traced what he called the unraveling of US credibility back to President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, which he characterized as a “humiliating exit” and the first clear signal of American retreat from the international system. The United States remains a superpower, he said, but “not as it was a decade ago.”

“The balance of power has changed significantly, and for rising powers such as India, Saudi Arabia and Brazil, all of which are G20 members, there are now new possibilities, and they can establish relations with all forces, not just with the US,” Ati said.

The interview comes as Trump has publicly pressed Gulf and Muslim-majority states to fold into the Abraham Accords as part of any final agreement with Iran. In a Truth Social post earlier this week, the president named Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain as countries he wanted to see simultaneously sign the accords, framing such a move as a condition for what he called a more historic settlement with Tehran. Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif quickly told local broadcaster Samaa TV that an Abraham Accords-style agreement “clashes with our fundamental ideologies” and that Islamabad would not join.

According to Ati, that reception is part of a broader Gulf and Muslim-world response to what he portrayed as a weakened American hand.

“Saudi Arabia refrained from being drawn into war and did not stand alongside Israel and the United States, just as it did not stand alongside Iran,” he said. “Saudi Arabia has not declared hostility toward any of the parties, and this means they analyzed the situation and saw themselves as an independent actor who cannot be a satellite of Israel and the US.”

Ati said the kingdom is now organizing a new Arab-Islamic bloc with Pakistan, Turkey and Qatar that he expects to be announced in the near future. The grouping, he said, has “put the brakes on the Abraham Accords” and is working to “clear the region of Israeli presence in Sudan, South Yemen and Somaliland.” Saudi Arabia, he said flatly, will not join the accords.

The analyst said Riyadh’s diplomatic track was instead aimed at brokering what he described as a “non-violent agreement” encompassing Iran, the Gulf states and any other country that chose to participate, secured by “Islamic and international guarantees.”

Ati’s remarks do not reflect an official Saudi government position. They were delivered on a Russian state-aligned outlet that has consistently amplified narratives critical of US influence in the region. Saudi officials have not publicly confirmed the existence of the bloc he described, and Riyadh has continued to engage Washington on a parallel track that includes defense cooperation and ongoing discussions of a normalization framework with Israel.

Still, Ati’s framing tracks with a wider Arab and Muslim-world hesitation toward Trump’s accords push, which has intensified since the 2026 Iran war and the diplomatic fallout from Israeli operations in Lebanon and Gaza.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

JBizNews Desk — May 27, 2026

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear an appeal from Meta Platforms, allowing the state of Vermont to continue pursuing a lawsuit accusing the company of designing Instagram to addict young users — a decision that significantly increases the likelihood Meta could face similar legal exposure across all 50 states.

The justices rejected Meta’s attempt to overturn a lower-court ruling that allowed Vermont’s case to proceed, leaving intact a decision by the Vermont Supreme Court that found the state has jurisdiction to sue the social-media giant over harms allegedly caused to teenagers using Instagram. As is customary in denied appeals, the Supreme Court did not provide an explanation for its decision.

The ruling does not determine whether Meta violated any law. Instead, it clears the way for Vermont’s claims to move forward through discovery and trial proceedings — and sends a broader signal that states may continue pursuing consumer-protection and youth-harm lawsuits against major technology companies in their own courts.

The implications for Meta stretch far beyond Vermont.

The company had argued that allowing states to individually sue over platform design and user harms would expose Meta to litigation nationwide, creating what it described as an unconstitutional burden under the 14th Amendment’s due-process protections. By declining to intervene, the Supreme Court effectively left that exposure in place.

The Vermont lawsuit is part of a wider coordinated legal effort involving attorneys general from 42 states pursuing actions tied to youth mental health, platform addiction, and alleged deceptive practices involving minors.

At the center of the dispute is how Instagram was allegedly engineered.

Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark argues in court filings that Instagram was intentionally designed to exploit the psychology and neurological development of teenagers in order to maximize engagement, increase screen time, and ultimately generate greater advertising revenue.

The Vermont Supreme Court ruled in 2025 that companies operating nationwide and actively profiting from users inside a state can reasonably expect to be sued there. That interpretation now stands after the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the case.

For Meta, the decision adds to mounting legal pressure surrounding allegations that its platforms harm children and teenagers.

Earlier this year, a Los Angeles jury found both Meta and Google negligent in a case tied to the mental-health impact of social media on a young user, awarding approximately $6 million in damages. Separately, a New Mexico jury concluded that Meta violated that state’s consumer-protection laws by misrepresenting the safety of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp for younger users, resulting in a damages award of roughly $375 million.

Additional lawsuits remain active in states including Massachusetts and New Mexico.

The financial risk compounds quickly.

Each individual state case carries separate discovery costs, potential damages, legal fees, and the possibility of court-ordered operational changes to platform design and safety features. A single adverse verdict can reach into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Multiple losses across jurisdictions could transform what might otherwise be manageable litigation into a long-term structural risk for the company.

Meta has repeatedly denied claims that its platforms are intentionally harmful to children and says it continues investing in parental controls, teen-safety features, and content protections designed to improve the online experience for younger users.

For the broader technology industry, Tuesday’s Supreme Court order sends a clear message: courts remain increasingly willing to scrutinize not only what users post online, but how platforms themselves are intentionally designed to maximize engagement and profit.

The decision also weakens one of Silicon Valley’s longstanding legal defenses — the idea that nationwide technology companies can avoid being dragged into dozens of separate state-level courts simultaneously.

For Meta, the legal battle now continues one state at a time.

Washington — JBizNews Desk

© JBizNews.com All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited.

The Trump administration on Thursday launched a new website that uses the language and imagery of extraterrestrial conspiracies to spotlight immigration enforcement efforts, presenting data on illegal immigration through a platform called Aliens.gov.

The new site, which adopts a science-fiction theme, argues that the “aliens” Americans should be concerned about are not visitors from another planet but illegal immigrants already living in communities across the country. The website was introduced as a tool for tracking immigration arrests, border encounters, and enforcement actions nationwide, according to information obtained by Fox News Digital.

“They walk among us,” the website reads. “For 60 years, the U.S. government has kept a closely guarded secret. Aliens have been walking among us, living in our neighborhoods, and interacting with us in our daily lives. They’ve shopped in the same stores, attended the same classes as our children, and lived seemingly normal human existences.”

The site then delivers its central message:

“With one exception — they do not belong here.”

Fox News Digital reported that it reviewed the website in advance of its launch. The platform combines immigration statistics with references to UFO disclosure campaigns, using humor and satire while advancing the administration’s position on border security and illegal immigration.

According to a White House official, the goal is to draw public attention to what the administration views as the consequences of the previous administration’s border policies.

“This is a first of its kind effort to draw eyeballs to the fact that the previous administration’s porous border didn’t just put families in border states at risk, many across the country were in harm’s way,” a White House official told Fox News Digital.

Among the website’s features is an interactive map of the United States displaying locations where immigration arrests have occurred. Visitors can also view a running total of migrant encounters, which the site says has exceeded three million.

Drawing from Immigration and Customs Enforcement data, the platform allows users to search enforcement actions by city, state, or alleged offense. Search results include information such as arrest dates, criminal allegations, countries of origin, and any reported gang connections.

The website presents a sharply critical assessment of past immigration policies, claiming that federal officials knowingly permitted large numbers of migrants to enter and remain in the country.

“Millions arrived under the cover of darkness and embedded themselves directly into our society. Countless presidents, congressmen, and senior officials knew exactly what was happening. Instead of protecting American citizens, they chose to cover it up and even accelerate the invasion,” the new website states.

The site credits President Trump with bringing attention to the issue and portrays him as the first national leader willing to confront it directly.

“Until one man finally had the courage to tell the truth. Bold. Unapologetic. Unafraid. President Trump was the first to call out the real danger Aliens pose to every American family, every community, and the future of our nation,” the website said. “The truth is no longer out there. It is right here. Right now.”

White House officials told Fox News Digital that the information displayed on the website will be refreshed continuously and will also be integrated into the administration’s existing White House mobile application.

The platform additionally includes an ICE reporting feature that encourages members of the public to “report suspicious aliens.”

The launch comes shortly after the Department of War released two batches of previously classified UAP records as part of a government-wide transparency initiative. That effort directed agencies to review internal archives for decades-old reports involving unidentified aerial phenomena, responding to longstanding public interest in UFO investigations and government secrecy surrounding unexplained sightings.

{Matzav.com}

What began as a grim mystery in central Israel is now being investigated as a suspected terror attack.

Israeli police and the Shin Bet have arrested a 17-year-old Arab Israeli from Lod on suspicion of murdering Ruslan and Olga Prikhodko, a married couple from Rishon Lezion who were found shot dead inside their car in an open area between Mishmar Ayalon and Karmei Yosef. The suspect, a minor whose name has not been released, was arrested by Yamam counterterrorism forces after investigators came to believe the killing may have been carried out for nationalist motives.

The case initially moved in a very different direction. Police first examined the possibility of a murder-suicide, in part because Ruslan legally owned a firearm. But that theory began to collapse when investigators found his gun locked in a safe at the couple’s home, not at the scene, and reported that no gunshot residue was found on his hands. The working assumption then shifted, someone else had shot the couple and fled.

The teen confessed to the allegations against him, while investigators are still trying to determine where the murder weapon came from and whether any additional motive was involved beyond the suspected nationalist motive. Hebrew reports said police believe the couple may have been chosen at random and that there was no prior connection between them and the suspect. His detention has been extended by eight days in the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court.

The arrest is also drawing attention because Hebrew outlets reported that the suspect’s brother was linked to a previous deadly ramming attack in central Israel. That detail is now part of the broader security context surrounding a case that investigators initially treated as a local crime scene and now see as something far more serious.

Ruslan, 46, and Olga, 44, immigrated to Israel from Ukraine more than two decades ago. Olga worked at Hamashbir, while Ruslan worked as an elevator technician for Electra. They leave behind a teenage son. Relatives said the family had been planning a trip to Austria to celebrate Olga’s upcoming birthday, and they pushed back from the beginning against the early murder-suicide theory.

“This was not murder-suicide,” a family member told Ynet after the arrest.

For their family, the arrest confirms what they had insisted from the first hours after the couple vanished: Ruslan and Olga were not a domestic headline or a private tragedy. They were a couple on a morning trip who never came home, and investigators now believe they may have been murdered in a terror attack in the heart of Israel.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Thursday that Israeli ground forces are continuing operations inside southern Lebanon, declaring that Hezbollah has sustained unprecedented damage and warning that the military will strike threats wherever necessary.

Speaking during a visit to an army position on the Lebanese side of Mount Dov, Zamir said Israeli forces remain actively engaged across the sector.

“Even at these moments, our forces are advancing and operating,” he said.

According to Zamir, Hezbollah has suffered extensive losses since the start of the fighting, including the elimination of thousands of terrorists as well as numerous senior and mid-level commanders.

“There is unprecedented cumulative damage here to Hezbollah, from thousands of terrorists to senior and mid-level commanders,” he stated.

Zamir emphasized that Israel’s security zone and forward defense positions in southern Lebanon do not restrict the military’s freedom of action.

“Our forward defense line does not limit us,” he said. “Wherever we identify a threat and wherever we are required to remove a threat, we will act. Wherever there is an operational need to maneuver, we will maneuver.”

The IDF chief also linked the campaign against Hezbollah to the broader confrontation with Tehran, saying every blow against the terror group weakens Iran’s regional influence.

“Every strike against Hezbollah is also a strike against the Iranian axis and the Iranian investment in the region,” Zamir said.

He added that the military remains prepared for any escalation involving Iran.

“We are prepared for any development and remain at a high level of readiness against Iran as well.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

By JBizNews Desk

The world’s legacy automakers are no longer fighting to win in China. Increasingly, they are fighting to preserve their position in the global auto industry itself.

Ford Chief Executive Jim Farley has emerged as one of the most outspoken Western executives warning about the scale of the threat coming from China’s electric-vehicle industry. Speaking in Paris while announcing a small-EV partnership with Renault, Farley said the global auto sector is now in “a fight for our lives,” describing China’s rise as even more disruptive than Japan’s automotive expansion in the 1980s.

What began as a competitive problem inside China has evolved into something much larger. Chinese automakers including BYD, Geely, Chery, Nio, and Xiaomi are no longer simply dominating their home market. They are exporting aggressively, building factories across multiple continents, reshaping global pricing, and forcing established Western manufacturers into defensive mode.

The numbers are becoming difficult to ignore.

BYD delivered approximately 4.6 million new-energy vehicles in 2025, overtaking Tesla in global battery-electric vehicle sales for the first time. More than one million of those vehicles were sold outside China, more than doubling the company’s overseas sales from the previous year. Executives at BYD have signaled ambitions to expand even further in 2026, with overseas sales targets reportedly reaching as high as 1.5 million vehicles.

This is no longer simply about cheap labor or lower-cost exports. It is increasingly viewed by Western policymakers and executives as the result of a coordinated industrial strategy.

Research firm Rhodium Group estimates that Beijing has poured tens of billions of dollars into electric-vehicle and battery manufacturing through subsidies, financing programs, infrastructure investment, and supply-chain support. European and American officials argue the support has distorted global competition. But the strategy has also succeeded in producing scale, advanced manufacturing capacity, and lower-priced EVs that consumers worldwide are increasingly willing to buy.

The impact is now appearing directly inside Western automakers’ earnings reports.

BMW reported a significant decline in pre-tax profit last year, while warning investors that growth in China remains weak and profitability is under pressure from both tariffs and falling demand. Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen have also struggled with declining Chinese market share and slower-than-expected EV transitions.

Even luxury segments once considered untouchable are beginning to shift.

In China’s premium vehicle market, imported luxury sedans from Porsche and BMW are now facing direct competition from technology-driven domestic brands backed by companies such as Huawei. The emergence of Huawei-backed luxury models reflects how China’s technology ecosystem is increasingly converging with its automotive sector, blending software, AI systems, entertainment platforms, and advanced battery capabilities directly into vehicles.

Western manufacturers are attempting to respond.

At recent auto shows in Beijing and Shanghai, European and American automakers unveiled a wave of new China-focused models aimed specifically at local consumer tastes and software preferences. Consulting firms including McKinsey have warned global manufacturers that the coming decade will determine which companies remain globally competitive in electric vehicles and which fall behind permanently.

But Chinese companies continue expanding rapidly.

BYD is already building or operating facilities in countries including Hungary, Brazil, Thailand, Turkey, and Indonesia, while evaluating additional European manufacturing expansion. The company has also announced plans for ultra-fast charging networks and next-generation battery systems capable of dramatically reducing charging times — one of the key areas where consumers still hesitate to adopt EVs.

The competitive challenge is no longer only about price.

Chinese automakers are increasingly competing on software integration, battery efficiency, charging speed, user interface design, and consumer technology ecosystems — areas traditionally dominated by Western and Japanese brands.

Farley has repeatedly warned that the United States cannot assume tariffs alone will permanently shield domestic manufacturers.

“The Chinese auto industry has enough capacity to serve the entire North American market,” Farley warned during a televised interview last year. “If we lose this, we do not have a future Ford.”

For now, steep U.S. and European tariffs continue limiting the direct flow of Chinese-built EVs into some Western markets. But much of the developing world — including parts of Latin America, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East — remains far more open, allowing Chinese brands to rapidly gain global market share.

The larger concern for Western executives is that once Chinese companies achieve global manufacturing scale, software dominance, and brand recognition, competing against them could become significantly harder even inside historically protected markets.

For more than a century, American, European, and Japanese automakers largely dictated the rules of the global car industry. Increasingly, that balance of power appears to be shifting eastward.

And for the first time in generations, legacy automakers are confronting the possibility that they may no longer be setting the pace of the industry they once controlled.

Global Markets — JBizNews Desk

© JBizNews.com All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited.

The Iran-backed terror network targeting Jews abroad has now landed in a Manhattan federal courtroom.

Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi national and alleged commander in Kata’ib Hizballah, has been hit with an eight-count U.S. indictment accusing him of helping drive nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks across Europe and the United States. Federal prosecutors say he operated on behalf of both Kata’ib Hizballah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, two U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organizations.

The case is not just about one suspect. It is about Iran’s proxy system moving from the Middle East into Western cities, using cutouts, propaganda channels, criminal recruits and terror fronts to threaten Jews, Israelis, Americans and allied interests far from the battlefield.

According to the Justice Department, Al-Saadi helped plan and direct roughly 18 attacks and attempted attacks across Europe under the name Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, or HAYI. Prosecutors say HAYI was not a real independent group, but a front for Kata’ib Hizballah and other Iran-backed terrorist organizations, created to blur responsibility while spreading fear.

Prosecutors say Al-Saadi tried to arrange attacks inside the United States, including against a synagogue in New York. Earlier court filings said he sent an undercover law enforcement officer photos and maps of a prominent New York synagogue, plus two additional Jewish institutions in Los Angeles and Scottsdale, Arizona, and discussed whether the attack should use an explosive device or fire.

Federal authorities say the plot was still active when he was stopped. Prosecutors say Al-Saadi later asked a contact in the U.S. if he knew someone who could carry out an attack by “burning” or “killing.” The next day, authorities say, Al-Saadi was detained while traveling abroad. He was then transferred into FBI custody and brought to the Southern District of New York.

The European campaign described by prosecutors was already violent. Court filings link the network to an explosives attack against the Bank of New York Mellon building in Amsterdam, an attempted attack on a Bank of America building in Paris, an arson attack on a synagogue in Skopje, and the stabbing of two Jewish men in London, including a dual U.S.-British citizen.

The indictment also paints Al-Saadi as far more than a propagandist. Prosecutors say his phone contained videos and photos of meetings with senior figures from the IRGC, Kata’ib Hizballah and the Houthis, as well as images showing him with weapons and evidence of his role as a commander. According to the Justice Department, Al-Saadi told U.S. law enforcement he was a leader in the so-called “resistance,” responsible for media, psychological warfare, strategy and military intelligence.

That “psychological warfare” was central to the alleged campaign. Prosecutors say Al-Saadi helped create and spread propaganda videos of attacks, participated in live FaceTime calls with attackers as some attacks were carried out, and treated the footage itself as part of the operation. In one alleged case involving an attack on a London synagogue, authorities say he was on a video call while instructions were given to light and throw an incendiary device.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Al-Saadi “conspired with others to plan deadly attacks on American soil.” U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said the case shows that Iranian-backed terrorist organizations are not just talking about striking America and its allies. They are acting.

Al-Saadi faces charges including conspiracy to provide material support to Kata’ib Hizballah and the IRGC, providing material support for terrorism, attempted acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, conspiracy to bomb a public place, attempted destruction of property by fire or explosive, and financing terrorism. Some counts carry a potential life sentence.

A woman who went into premature labor while flying from Israel to the United States safely delivered a healthy baby girl after a coordinated effort involving a Hatzolah volunteer, a Lakewood ob-gyn, and the Jewish community in Rome.

The emergency unfolded Wednesday aboard El Al flight LY25 en route to Newark, when the expectant mother—who had been cleared to fly by an Israeli physician—began experiencing contractions mid-flight.

Levi Rubin, a member of Hatzolah of Central Jersey, was aboard the aircraft. After conducting an initial assessment of the woman’s condition, Rubin used the airplane’s wifi to call Dr. Clara Surowitz, an ob-gyn who serves as MD-9 on Hatzolah of Central Jersey and leads Tru Women’s Health in Lakewood. Dr. Surowitz also delivers babies at Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

The pilot needed a decision within minutes about whether to divert—a window that would close once the aircraft traveled too far over the Atlantic to reach land without significant delay.

Dr. Surowitz spoke directly with the woman and, based on her symptoms, advised the pilot to make an emergency landing. The pilot immediately altered course to Rome.

The expectant father faced an unexpected crisis: stranded in a foreign city, his luggage bound for New York, and his wife rushed to a hospital 45 minutes from Rome’s Jewish community.

Someone on the plane connected him with Chabad-Lubavitch in Rome. Chani Hazan, co-director of Chabad di Monteverde, was beginning her morning when the message arrived. She and her husband, Rabbi Shalom Hazan, mobilized immediately.

“It was very special how the community rallied to support this family,” Chani Hazan told Chabad.org. “So many people reached out offering food, baby clothes and places to stay throughout the day.”

An ambulance and medical team were waiting on the tarmac when the aircraft landed. Two hours later, the woman delivered a healthy baby girl—five weeks ahead of schedule.

Mother and newborn are both doing well. Family members from New Jersey are traveling to Rome to help navigate the logistics of returning home with their new baby and to support the family as they work through medical paperwork and documentation.

Rome’s Jewish community continues to assist them with accommodations and practical support as they prepare for their journey back to the United States.

“We know that the Jewish people are one big family, and we’re all responsible for one another,” Hazan reflected. “It was incredible to see that in action today, and it’s special to have played a small part in this very unique story.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The IDF has launched an investigation into an unusual incident in which troops apparently opened fire on what they believed was a drone over the Binyamin region, only to later discover it may have been a civilian passenger aircraft approaching Ben Gurion Airport.

The incident began after residents of Beit El reported seeing several unidentified aerial objects over the area during the night. In response, IDF forces were dispatched to scan the skies and search for potential threats.

According to the military, one unit believed it had identified a drone and opened fire. Subsequent checks, however, revealed that flight paths for aircraft arriving at Ben Gurion Airport had been temporarily shifted eastward, causing planes to fly unusually low over the Beit El area.

Military officials are now examining whether the aircraft targeted by troops was in fact a civilian airliner on approach to Ben Gurion. The IDF is also investigating the possibility that a police drone operating in the area may have contributed to reports of suspicious aerial activity.

No injuries or damage have been reported.

The IDF said the incident is under review and that a full investigation is being conducted to determine exactly what occurred.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani defended his decision not to attend Sunday’s Israel Day Parade during a public safety briefing on Thursday, reaffirming a campaign pledge that has drawn sharp criticism from supporters of Israel and many within the city’s Jewish community.

Mamdani, whose positions on Israel have long been the subject of controversy, confirmed earlier this week that he would not take part in the annual celebration. His absence marks a significant departure from the practice of previous New York City mayors, who traditionally joined the march along Fifth Avenue as a show of support for Israel and solidarity with the city’s large Jewish population.

“While I will not be attending, our administration has been preparing for weeks to ensure the parade is safe,” Mamdani announced during the joint law enforcement briefing, as quoted by The New York Daily News.

He stressed that City Hall’s focus remains on providing security for major public events throughout the city, regardless of whether he personally participates in them.

A visible contrast within the administration emerged when journalists asked whether any senior officials would represent the mayor’s office at the parade. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch immediately made her position known by indicating that she would be attending.

“It’s the mayor’s decision not to march, and it is my decision to march proudly,” Tisch declared, describing the annual event as “one of the most joyful days of the year.”

Tisch said police are implementing the most extensive security operation ever assembled for the parade, citing increased concerns over threats targeting Jewish institutions both in New York and across the country.

According to city officials, the security plan will include a record number of officers, specialized tactical units, and heavy weapons teams stationed throughout the parade route. Everyone seeking entry into the event area will be subject to screening procedures. Emphasizing that no exceptions will be made, Tisch warned: “If you think you are too important to be screened, don’t come”.

Mamdani’s decision to stay away from the parade is the latest flashpoint in a broader record of actions and statements that have generated criticism from pro-Israel groups and elected officials.

During last year’s mayoral campaign, Mamdani declined to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada”. He also faced criticism for comments he made about Israel on October 8, 2023, one day after the Hamas attack that killed more than 1,200 people in southern Israel.

He has frequently accused Israel of committing war crimes during its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza and has stated that he would seek the arrest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he travel to New York City.

Further controversy erupted shortly after Mamdani took office when he rescinded several executive orders concerning Israel that had been enacted by his predecessor, Eric Adams.

Among the directives revoked was an order signed by Adams in June 2025 adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism for New York City government.

Another canceled directive barred mayoral appointees and agency employees from participating in boycotts or divestment efforts targeting Israel.

Since assuming office, Mamdani has repeatedly found himself at the center of disputes involving allegations of antisemitism. One recent report highlighted social media activity by his wife, Rama Dawaji, who reportedly liked several posts that praised or appeared sympathetic to Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack.

Additional criticism followed earlier this month when Mamdani released an official city video marking the “Nakba,” the term used by Palestinian Arabs to describe the creation of the State of Israel as a catastrophe.

Despite objections from numerous Jewish organizations, the mayor stood by the decision to publish the video and defended its release.

{Matzav.com}

JBizNews Desk — May 28, 2026

Lululemon Athletica has reached a settlement with founder Chip Wilson, ending a bitter proxy battle that had escalated publicly over recent months and handing the company’s largest individual shareholder renewed influence inside the boardroom just weeks before its annual shareholder meeting.

Under the agreement announced Wednesday, Lululemon will appoint two of Wilson’s nominees to its board — former On Holding co-chief executive Marc Maurer and former ESPN chief marketing officer Laura Gentile — while also agreeing to add a third independent director with apparel and brand-development expertise by October.

In return, Wilson agreed not to publicly criticize the company for approximately 18 months, according to the settlement terms. The agreement also caps Wilson’s ownership stake at roughly 10%, close to his current 8.6% holding, while granting him regular access to incoming chief executive Heidi O’Neill.

The settlement ends a confrontation that had increasingly turned hostile.

Wilson, who founded Lululemon in 1998 and stepped down as chief executive in 2005, remained chairman until 2013 before leaving amid controversy following comments tied to a product recall involving the company’s signature black yoga pants. While he continued criticizing the company periodically over the years, tensions escalated sharply in late 2025 as the retailer’s stock price and competitive position deteriorated.

Negotiations between the two sides nearly produced an agreement earlier this month before talks collapsed after Wilson reportedly expanded his demands. Lululemon responded by publicly attacking its founder, accusing him in shareholder communications of promoting “outdated perspectives” and presenting “troubling conflicts of interest.”

The backdrop to the fight has been a severe decline in shareholder value.

Lululemon shares have fallen nearly 59% over the past year and are down roughly 42% so far in 2026. Investor concerns intensified after the company issued weak guidance during its March earnings report and warned that tariffs, slowing momentum, and the proxy battle itself would pressure profits throughout the year.

The settlement removes at least one major distraction as management attempts to stabilize the business.

Wilson’s criticism has centered largely on product strategy.

He has repeatedly argued that Lululemon drifted away from the “product-first” culture that originally made the brand dominant in premium athletic apparel. The addition of new board members with product and branding backgrounds suggests the company may be acknowledging at least some of those concerns.

The competitive environment has also shifted dramatically.

Newer athletic and lifestyle brands including Vuori and Alo Yoga have steadily gained market share among younger and fashion-conscious consumers, eroding the cultural dominance Lululemon once held in the athleisure market it effectively helped create.

From a governance perspective, the settlement offers advantages to both sides.

A prolonged proxy fight heading into Lululemon’s June 25 annual meeting would likely have become expensive, distracting, and unpredictable for shareholders and management alike. By granting Wilson partial influence now, the company avoids a public shareholder referendum on its turnaround strategy while securing a temporary ceasefire from its loudest internal critic.

Wilson, meanwhile, regains influence over the company without needing to win a contested shareholder vote.

Whether the peace lasts will likely depend on product innovation, sales momentum, and whether incoming leadership can restore the brand relevance and customer enthusiasm that once made Lululemon one of retail’s strongest growth stories.

For now, the company has bought itself time — but at the price of bringing its founder back into the room he never entirely left.

New York — JBizNews Desk

© JBizNews.com All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited.

Israel’s ambassador to the United States said Thursday that any agreement aimed at resolving concerns over Iran’s nuclear program must result in the complete dismantling of Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure, including hundreds of centrifuges that could rapidly produce enriched nuclear material.

Appearing on NewsNation’s Katie Pavlich Tonight, Ambassador Michael Leiter said Israel believes a diplomatic solution remains possible, but only if Iran’s nuclear capabilities are fully eliminated and independently verified.

Leiter said the ideal outcome would involve Iran opening its facilities to international inspectors and allowing experts to confirm that all nuclear-related materials and equipment have been removed.

“[T]he best case scenario would be that they actually open it up as a result of any deal and turn it over, by inspectors that would come in, experts that would come in and assess that all of it has been removed. But it’s important to point out, they have 1,700 centrifuges that can produce nuclear weapons tomorrow — enriched material, I should say, tomorrow. So those have to be dismantled as well or at least completely taken out of the ability to be reconstituted.”

The ambassador emphasized that merely pausing Iran’s nuclear activities would not be sufficient. In Israel’s view, any arrangement must ensure that the machinery used to enrich uranium cannot be restored or brought back into operation at a later date.

Earlier in the interview, Leiter expressed confidence that ongoing diplomatic efforts could ultimately produce a far-reaching agreement that eliminates the need for military action.

“we’re very confident, at the end of the day, if we have a deal of that nature, rather than going back to kinetic activity, it’s going to include a complete dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear capabilities.”

His remarks come as negotiations continue over a potential agreement with Iran, with nuclear enrichment and the future of Tehran’s uranium-processing infrastructure remaining among the central issues under discussion.

{Matzav.com}

By JBizNews Desk

Something has quietly changed in the American car business, and the people who run it have stopped pretending it’s temporary.

For five straight years before 2020, Americans bought more than 17 million new cars a year. Last year they bought 16.3 million. That gap — roughly one million buyers — has not closed in six years.

The industry now believes those buyers are not coming back any time soon.

“The new norm because of reduced affordability is closer to 16 million,” Jonathan Smoke, the chief economist at Cox Automotive, has told reporters. “We’ve lost about 10% of the buying pool.” His blunt explanation: those buyers were “literally priced out of the market.”

Patrick Manzi, the chief economist at the National Automobile Dealers Association, told dealers at the NADA Show in February that 17 million is not coming back for years. His April report said sales were running at a 15.9 million pace — the eighth straight month of declines.

So where did the missing buyers go?

The simple answer is: they looked at the sticker, looked at the monthly payment, and walked away.

The average new car in America today costs about $49,000. The average sticker price has been above $50,000 for ten months in a row. Average monthly payments hit a record $772 in the last three months of 2025. One out of every five people who financed a new car last quarter signed up for a payment of $1,000 a month or more.

That is the kind of monthly bill that used to belong to a mortgage.

A natural question is whether leasing — long the industry’s tool for getting people into cars they cannot quite afford to buy — is helping.

The answer is: only for one slice of the market.

Electric vehicles are leasing for as little as $239 a month right now, less than half the national average payment. But the federal EV tax credit that made those deals work expired on September 30 of last year, new EV sales fell 28% in the first quarter of 2026, and Cox Automotive expects EV leasing to shrink this year.

For the gas-powered cars most Americans actually shop for — the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Ford F-150 — there is no cheap lease waiting on the lot.

There is another change worth understanding, because it explains why the industry is not panicking.

The people still buying new cars are richer than they used to be.

Cox Automotive found that households earning $150,000 or more now account for 43% of new-car sales. Households earning under $75,000 account for about 25%. Six years ago, those two groups were roughly equal.

Smoke put it more sharply: new cars today “almost exclusively go to the top 20%” of American households.

Automakers are not trying to reverse this. They are leaning into it.

Small, affordable cars — the kind that used to bring first-time buyers in the door — have been quietly killed off across the industry, replaced by bigger pickups and SUVs that carry bigger profits.

It is working, on their terms.

Americans spent $620 billion on new cars in 2025, up nearly 6% from the year before — even though they bought roughly the same number of cars. Fewer customers, more dollars per customer.

The showroom in 2026 reflects all of this.

S&P Global Mobility projects March sales of about 1.37 million cars, well below last year. J.D. Power says incentives are climbing — Toyota is offering up to $5,000 off some Tundras, GMC is discounting Sierras by up to 20%, Hyundai and Kia are offering zero-percent financing with deferred payments.

None of it is bringing the missing million back.

What it is doing, in Cox Automotive’s words, is pushing more shoppers to the used market — where 76% of car purchases this year have landed.

The industry is now budgeting around a 16-million-car America instead of a 17-million one. Factory capacity, dealer staffing, advertising budgets and lender underwriting are all being reset to the smaller, richer market.

The missing million have not disappeared. They are still driving.

They are just driving cars somebody else used to own.

Whether they ever come back to the new-car lot depends on whether wages catch up to a $50,000 sticker — or whether automakers eventually decide they would rather sell to them than around them.

For now, neither side is moving.

New York — JBizNews Desk

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JPMorgan Chase CEO and Chairman Jamie Dimon is offering up details about his one-on-one meeting with New York City’s Democratic Socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani.

“I had a great meeting with Mamdani, meaning it was pleasant, you know, but I said everything I wanted to say,” Dimon told FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo at the second annual Reagan National Economic Forum. “I’ve seen mayors grow into the job.”

“I mean, he’s running the city with 300,000 employees now, he’s never had a job like that. And I’ve seen mayors who just, they fail abysmally because they can’t administer themselves out of a paper bag, or ideology blinds them to practical, realistic, real-world policy. And so we’ll see. And, you know, if I can help them do the good stuff, I’d be happy to do that,” he continued.

Last Monday, Dimon and Mamdani met in person at the bank’s new headquarters in Manhattan, as Mamdani intensifies his outreach to Wall Street leaders following backlash over proposals to raise taxes on wealthy New Yorkers.

The meeting was “constructive and the tone was friendly,” a JPMorgan spokesperson told Reuters. According to City Hall, the pair discussed reducing government waste, cutting red tape tied to development projects and expanding public-private partnerships. JPMorgan said the conversation also focused on New York City’s competitiveness.

“Good policy is free. I feel like telling the politicians, don’t try to raise more taxes or spend more money, sit down and fix policy,” Dimon said Friday. “And I think you can go 1% faster. I literally believe that.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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May 28, 2026 — Newcleo Ltd., the advanced nuclear developer building reactors that run on recycled atomic waste, said in a company statement Wednesday that it has agreed to merge with NewHold Investment Corp III, a publicly traded shell company, in a deal that values the startup at roughly $2.4 billion before new money comes in. The combined business plans to trade on the Nasdaq under the ticker NWCL, with the deal expected to close in the second half of 2026.

The agreement gives Newcleo a fast route onto the U.S. stock market. Rather than running a traditional initial public offering, the company is merging into a blank-check firm that already trades publicly. The shell company, NewHold Investment Corp III, exists only to find a private business to take public. Once the two combine, Newcleo’s shares start trading without the long road of a standard listing.

The transaction is set to raise as much as $429 million in cash for the company. About $220 million comes from a private placement of stock sold to large investors and several current shareholders at $10 a share, with 22 million shares to be issued. Another $209 million sits in NewHold’s trust account, though that figure could shrink if some of the shell company’s investors ask for their money back before the deal closes, a common feature of these mergers.

Newcleo was started in 2021 by physicist Stefano Buono, who runs the company as chief executive. Before Newcleo, Buono founded Advanced Accelerator Applications, a medical isotope firm that listed on the Nasdaq and was bought by drugmaker Novartis in 2018 for $3.9 billion. The Paris-based company now operates in seven countries and employs more than 900 people. It has raised about $780 million in private funding since it began.

The business is still years away from selling power. Newcleo designs small, lead-cooled reactors that burn mixed-oxide fuel, known as MOX, which is made from reprocessed nuclear waste rather than freshly mined uranium. The pitch is that the technology can generate carbon-free electricity while shrinking the stockpile of radioactive material left over from older plants. The company holds patents across 31 families covering both the reactor design and the fuel process. It reported about $80 million in revenue and other income in 2024, almost all of it from supplying equipment to the nuclear industry rather than from running reactors.

The listing lands in the middle of a rush of nuclear companies onto public markets, driven by the enormous electricity demand from artificial-intelligence data centers. Oklo, a U.S. reactor developer Newcleo partnered with in October 2025, went public through its own blank-check merger in 2024. NuScale Power took the same path in 2022. Investors have warmed to the sector on the bet that AI’s appetite for round-the-clock power will need new sources of generation that wind and solar alone cannot supply.

Still, the structure carries real risk for buyers. Companies that go public this way have a spotty record, with many sliding sharply after their debuts. Newcleo’s $80 million in 2024 income is small against a $2.4 billion price tag, and no lead-cooled fast reactor has yet run at commercial scale anywhere. The company must clear regulators in both Europe and the United States, and any holdup could drain its cash before its first reactor produces a watt.

The deal points to how quickly money is moving into next-generation nuclear. A company that did not exist five years ago, and that has yet to power a single home, is now preparing to ask public investors for hundreds of millions of dollars on the promise of what its reactors might one day do.

JBizNews Desk

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Mark Zuckerberg said something Wednesday that could quietly reshape the cloud computing business.

Asked at Meta’s annual shareholder meeting whether the company would ever compete with Amazon and Microsoft in cloud computing, Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg answered plainly: “It’s definitely on the table.”

The condition he attached was just as interesting as the answer.

Meta would consider getting into the cloud business, Zuckerberg said, if the company ends up building more data-center capacity than it needs for itself.

To understand why that matters, it helps to know one thing about how Big Tech is structured today.

There are four companies in America that build computing power at a truly massive scale — what the industry calls hyperscalers.

Three of them — Amazon, Microsoft and Google — rent that computing power out to other businesses. That rental business has names everyone in tech knows: AWS, Azure and Google Cloud. Together they generate hundreds of billions of dollars a year selling computing power to companies that do not want to build their own infrastructure.

Meta is the fourth hyperscaler.

And Meta is the only one of the four that does not sell its computing power to anyone else.

Until now, Meta has built data centers strictly to power its own businesses — Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook and, increasingly, its artificial intelligence models.

What changed is the scale of what Meta is building.

The company told investors in April that it now plans to spend between $125 billion and $145 billion on capital expenditures in 2026 — most of it on AI data centers and the chips that go inside them.

That is nearly double what Meta spent in 2025, and more than the company spent in 2025 and 2024 combined.

Meta is building so much infrastructure that one data-center campus alone, in rural Louisiana, will use roughly the same amount of electricity as 4.2 million homes.

That is the backdrop to Zuckerberg’s comment.

When a company is spending money on that scale, the question of what to do with leftover computing capacity stops being theoretical.

“Almost every week,” Zuckerberg said, “there are different companies that come to us from outside asking us to both stand up an API service or asking if we have compute that they could buy from us.”

In other words, the customers are already there.

They are knocking.

Meta has, so far, said no.

If that changes, the implications are large.

The cloud infrastructure market is worth roughly $600 billion a year and is currently dominated by three players. A fourth hyperscaler stepping in — one that already owns the chips, the buildings and the power contracts — would be the most credible new entrant the industry has seen in years.

Wall Street has been nervous about Meta’s spending for a different reason.

When the company raised its capex range in April, the stock fell sharply the next day. Investors saw a company pouring massive amounts of cash into infrastructure with no obvious way to directly earn it back.

Alphabet and Amazon reported earnings during the same period, and their stocks moved higher. The difference was straightforward: both companies already have cloud businesses that turn AI infrastructure into recurring revenue streams. Meta does not.

Zuckerberg’s comments Wednesday were the first public acknowledgment from him that this could eventually change.

He did not commit to launching a cloud business. He said it was “on the table.”

But the framing he chose — that Meta would enter the market if it ends up with excess capacity — matters. It signals that the company is no longer ruling out a path Wall Street has been pushing for over a year.

And it quietly puts Amazon, Microsoft and Google on notice that the fourth hyperscaler might someday show up as a direct competitor instead of just another customer.

For now, Meta is still buying cloud capacity, not selling it.

The company signed a cloud agreement reportedly worth more than $10 billion with Google Cloud last August, a $14.2 billion deal with CoreWeave in September, a $3 billion deal with Nebius in November, and has reportedly been in talks with Oracle for another major contract.

Meta is, at this moment, one of the largest cloud customers in the world.

The interesting question is what happens when the company finishes building enough infrastructure that it no longer needs anyone else’s.

New York — JBizNews Desk

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Few prophetic visions are as stirring, hopeful, and quietly revolutionary as the haftarah for Parashat Beha’alotcha. Drawn from Zechariah 2:14-4:7, it opens with a dramatic call: “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I am coming, and I will dwell among you, says the Lord.”

The connection to the Torah portion appears straightforward. Beha’alotcha begins with the lighting of the Menorah in the tabernacle, while the haftarah features Zechariah’s famous vision of a golden Menorah.

But, as is so often the case, the deeper connection lies in what it represents. The Menorah is more than a lamp. It is a symbol of hope. 

Consider the context. Zechariah is prophesying during a challenging chapter in Jewish history. Relatively few had returned from Babylonian exile, and reality fell far short of expectations. Jerusalem was in ruins. Work on the Second Temple had commenced, but it had not yet been rebuilt. The people were poor, vulnerable, and surrounded by hostility.

This was not redemption as they had imagined it. After generations of longing, they expected triumph. Instead, they found rubble. And that is precisely when Zechariah receives his vision. Before him stands a magnificent golden Menorah, radiant and alive. Beside it are two olive trees supplying it with a continuous flow of oil.

The message was unmistakable: do not judge the future by the limitations of the present. The rebuilding of the Jewish people would not depend solely on military strength, political influence, or material resources. As the prophet declares in one of the most famous verses in the Bible: “Not by might and not by power, but by My spirit, says the Lord of Hosts” (Zechariah 4:6).

That verse is often misunderstood. It does not reject effort, strength, or action. Judaism has never glorified passivity. The Jewish people fought wars, built cities, cultivated land, and defended themselves.

Rather, the prophet is reminding us that physical means alone cannot explain Jewish survival or Jewish destiny. Something greater is always at work.

That message resonates powerfully in our own time.

We live in an age obsessed with metrics. People measure success by followers, influence, headlines, and quarterly results. Nations count missiles and economic data. Individuals compare careers, salaries, and status. And when immediate results fail to appear, discouragement quickly follows.

But the haftarah teaches something profoundly counter-cultural: Do not confuse delay with defeat, and do not mistake difficulty for abandonment. In other words, do not assume that because redemption is incomplete, it is absent. After all, the Jewish story has never unfolded in a straight line.

Abraham began as a solitary voice in a world of idols. Moses confronted the greatest empire on earth with little more than faith and conviction. The return to Zion in Zechariah’s day seemed fragile and uncertain. And yet, each step became part of something immeasurably larger.

The lesson the Menorah teaches

That is the lesson of the Menorah. A flame looks small, but its light spreads, just as a single act of courage inspires countless others. That is why the Torah introduces the lighting of the Menorah at the opening of Beha’alotcha with the phrase, “When you raise up the lamps.”

Our task is not always to finish the process. Sometimes our role is simply to ignite it.

Perhaps that is the enduring challenge of the haftarah: can we see possibilities where others see obstacles? Can we continue building when progress seems slow? Can we keep lighting the Menorah even when the room still feels dark?

Jewish history suggests that we can. And that we must.

Again and again, our people have carried faith through exile, rebuilt after destruction, and choose hope over despair. The Menorah in Zechariah’s vision still burns. Its message still endures. And it still calls to each of us: light the flame. Raise it high.■

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Microdosing GLP-1s for cosmetic weight loss: Patients are asking me about it, TV and online ads are promoting it, friends are speculating about who’s doing it.

But as someone who prescribes only legitimate GLP-1 therapies to people with obesity and weight-related metabolic diseases, I need to say this: Microdosing GLP-1s is not a thing. There are no legitimate long-term data to support it. In fact, there isn’t even a single definition of microdosing for weight loss or any other condition.

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SEOUL — May 29, 2026 — Shares of LG Electronics surged as much as 24% Friday after the South Korean technology giant unveiled a new generation of in-car software developed with Google, a move investors viewed as a major step in LG’s transformation from a consumer electronics manufacturer into a key supplier for the next generation of connected vehicles.

The rally followed an announcement by LG Electronics on May 28 showcasing a suite of advanced in-vehicle infotainment and software-defined vehicle technologies built on Google’s Android Automotive operating system. The company said the products received recognition from both Google and global automakers, while a Google executive praised the systems for their performance, stability, voice-control capabilities, and flexibility.

The centerpiece of LG’s new platform is technology that allows multiple vehicle displays to operate from a single processor.

Modern vehicles increasingly feature multiple screens, including digital instrument clusters, central infotainment displays, passenger entertainment systems, and head-up displays. Traditionally, each screen requires separate computing hardware, increasing complexity and manufacturing costs.

LG said its new architecture enables multiple displays of varying sizes and configurations to run simultaneously from a single chip, reducing hardware requirements and lowering costs for automakers. The platform is powered by Qualcomm’s next-generation Snapdragon Cockpit Platform, one of the industry’s most advanced automotive processors.

For consumers, Android Automotive provides direct access to familiar applications including navigation, music streaming, voice assistants, and other services without requiring a smartphone connection. The platform has gained traction across the automotive industry as manufacturers seek to create more seamless digital experiences inside vehicles.

The market opportunity is substantial.

Industry estimates from Future Market Insights place the global Android Automotive software market at approximately $895.6 million in 2025, with projections showing expansion to roughly $2.14 billion by 2035 as software becomes an increasingly important component of vehicle design and functionality.

Investors appear to be betting that LG is well positioned to capture a meaningful share of that growth.

The company’s Vehicle Component Solutions division has emerged as one of its fastest-growing businesses in recent years, helping offset slower growth and margin pressure in traditional appliance and television segments. As automakers increasingly prioritize software, connectivity, and digital services, suppliers capable of delivering integrated software-hardware platforms have become strategically important.

A public endorsement from Google provides additional credibility for LG’s automotive ambitions.

The announcement comes at a particularly important time for the company. LG recently reported weaker-than-expected profitability in several of its core consumer electronics divisions, including home appliances and home entertainment products. Against that backdrop, the emergence of a potentially high-growth automotive software business offers investors a new narrative centered on future expansion rather than mature consumer markets.

The partnership also builds on a broader strategy that LG has been pursuing with major U.S. technology firms.

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) earlier this year, LG and Qualcomm introduced an AI Cabin Platform designed to bring generative artificial intelligence into vehicle interiors. The newly announced Android Automotive systems extend that initiative and position LG as a supplier of both the hardware and software infrastructure automakers increasingly need but may not want to develop internally.

For the broader automotive industry, the implications could extend beyond infotainment.

Vehicle interiors are rapidly evolving into sophisticated digital environments where software often plays as important a role as mechanical engineering. Automakers are under pressure to add more displays, more computing power, and more connected services while simultaneously controlling manufacturing costs.

LG’s single-chip approach addresses that challenge directly by simplifying system architecture and reducing hardware requirements.

If widely adopted, the technology could help lower production costs for vehicles while bringing premium digital features to a broader range of models.

The stock’s sharp rise reflects investor confidence that LG’s automotive technology strategy is beginning to gain meaningful traction. Whether those gains are sustained will depend on the company’s ability to convert industry recognition into long-term contracts with global automakers and successfully scale its software-defined vehicle business.

For now, however, investors appear convinced that LG’s future may increasingly be found not in living rooms and kitchens, but behind the dashboard.

Asia — JBizNews Desk

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Anthony Pompliano, CEO of Professional Capital Management, suggested on Thursday that buying Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) when it’s out of favor could be a good contrarian play.

Will An Underwhelming BTC Excite Investors?

In a CNBC Squawk Box interview, Pompliano likened Bitcoin to “a dog with fleas,” acknowledging its recent underperformance.

The Bitcoin bull noted that AI-linked names are “flying,” and investors are chasing that momentum.

“Usually the thing that you want to be buying is the thing that’s out of favor, and it can come back into favor over time,” Pompliano argued.

He also tied Bitcoin’s upside to dollar debasement, adding that as long as the U.S. government continues to print fiat money, the leading cryptocurrency has strong potential for a comeback.

…

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JBizNews Desk — May 29, 2026

Three major U.S. retailers delivered stronger-than-expected earnings Thursday morning, sending shares higher across the sector and offering fresh evidence that American consumers are still spending even as inflation climbs to its highest level in nearly three years.

The earnings from Best Buy, Kohl’s, and Dollar Tree covered three very different segments of retail — electronics, department stores, and discount chains — yet all managed to outperform Wall Street expectations at the same time, reinforcing the view that household spending has remained resilient heading into the summer.

The strongest report came from Best Buy.

The electronics retailer said comparable sales rose 2% during its fiscal first quarter ended May 2, exceeding both company guidance and analyst expectations of roughly 0.9%. Revenue reached approximately $8.9 billion, above forecasts near $8.8 billion, while adjusted earnings came in at $1.28 per share, topping estimates of $1.22.

Chief Executive Corie Barry credited broad-based demand across most major product categories, helped in part by larger tax refunds and new product launches including Apple’s MacBook Neo lineup.

Comparable sales — a closely watched retail metric measuring revenue growth at stores open at least one year — are considered one of the clearest indicators of underlying consumer demand because they exclude the effect of opening new locations. Best Buy’s return to positive comparable growth marked a notable turnaround from the prior holiday quarter, when sales had declined.

Kohl’s told a more complicated story, but still cleared lowered investor expectations.

The department-store chain posted a quarterly net loss of $14 million, or 13 cents per share, narrower than analysts had expected. Revenue totaled roughly $3 billion, slightly ahead of forecasts.

Sales trends, however, remained negative. Net sales fell approximately 1.7%, while comparable sales declined 1.1%. Still, that represented an improvement from the steeper 2.8% comparable-sales decline reported during the prior quarter.

Management reaffirmed its full-year outlook, forecasting sales ranging from down 2% to flat for fiscal 2026.

Investors appeared focused less on the decline itself and more on signs that conditions may be stabilizing. Kohl’s shares had already fallen more than 35% this year entering Thursday’s report, leaving expectations extremely low.

The company also disclosed that it has applied for approximately $190 million in tariff refunds, though no payments have yet been received. The figure highlights how directly trade policy and tariff disputes continue affecting corporate balance sheets across retail.

Dollar Tree completed the trio of positive surprises.

Shares in the discount retailer climbed after the company also posted results above expectations, benefiting from the continued shift toward value-oriented shopping behavior as consumers remain pressured by higher prices.

Discount chains historically perform well during inflationary periods as shoppers look for cheaper alternatives on household goods and everyday essentials. But what stood out Thursday was that strength appeared simultaneously across discount retail, department stores, and consumer electronics — a broader pattern suggesting consumer spending remains more durable than many economists expected.

The timing of the reports amplified the message.

The earnings arrived just hours after the Commerce Department reported that the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, rose 3.8% in April, the highest reading in nearly three years.

Ordinarily, hotter inflation would be expected to pressure discretionary spending. Yet Thursday’s retail results showed households continuing to purchase electronics, apparel, and household items despite rising prices and elevated borrowing costs.

That resilience now becomes one of the central questions facing Wall Street heading into the second half of 2026.

Consumers have so far continued spending through inflation, tariffs, higher interest rates, and geopolitical uncertainty. Whether that durability can continue through the summer — especially if prices remain elevated — may determine the direction not only of the retail sector, but of the broader U.S. economy itself.

New York — JBizNews Desk

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NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Protesters clashed with armed federal immigration officers in front of a New Jersey detention center where advocates have demonstrated for days while asserting that people detained there are staging a hunger strike over poor living conditions.

The families of detainees and their supporters said Thursday that immigrants being held at Delaney Hall in Newark have been subjected to pepper spray and physical force as the situation inside deteriorates.

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said state health officials were also “denied full access” to the facility to conduct an inspection Thursday. The Democrat said they were allowed to inspect only a limited area.

“Unrest within Delaney Hall is directly related to its rampant inhumane conditions and the Trump administration’s refusal to dedicate appropriate resources for basic human needs like food and health care,” Amol Sinha, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, said in statement.

The GEO Group, the private contractor that runs the facility, confirmed that a “physical altercation” involving people detained at the facility prompted staff on Thursday to enact “response and control measures” including the “limited use of chemical agents.”

The company didn’t elaborate on the nature of the altercation or how many people were involved but said all affected people were “promptly evaluated by on-site medical personnel and were cleared with no serious injuries.”

The company also denied allegations of poor conditions inside, dismissing them as “part of a coordinated, politically motivated campaign” by groups opposed to federal immigration enforcement.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees federal immigration enforcement, didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment but has previously denied there is any hunger strike, abuse or poor conditions inside the center.

Thursday’s developments followed violent confrontations Wednesday night between protesters and U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement officers.

Groups of demonstrators, many wearing gas masks and other face coverings, linked arms in a human chain, videos and photos posted on social media show.

Some used trash cans, old mattresses, umbrellas and other materials as makeshift shields and barricades as they confronted U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement officers.

Others attempted to block people and vehicles from entering and exiting the building or threw orange traffic cones and other objects in the direction of ICE officers as they taunted them with expletives and vulgar chants.

The ICE officers, many of whom wore helmets and tactical vests, used pepper spray to try and disperse the protesters, according to videos posted to social media. Some used their batons to beat and push back protesters as the officers attempted to clear the roadway for vehicles.

DHS said about six demonstrators were arrested for assaulting law enforcement officers.

Earlier Wednesday, Democratic members of Congress from New York City toured the facility as part of an oversight visit. Reps. Jerry Nadler, Daniel Goldman and Adriano Espaillat, who all represent Manhattan, described dire conditions where people held in the facility are fed small portions of often spoiled food and their varied medical needs are ignored.

CAPE CANAVERAL (VIN Blue Origin’s massive New Glenn rocket exploded Thursday night during a hotfire test on a launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, the company confirmed.

There were no injuries reported in the incident.

“We experienced an anomaly during today’s hotfire test,” Blue Origin said in a statement. “All personnel have been accounted for. We will provide updates as we learn more.”

The explosion occurred on the launch pad during what is known as a static fire test, in which the rocket’s engines are ignited while the vehicle remains anchored to the ground. New Glenn, Blue Origin’s heavy-lift orbital rocket, has been in development for years as the company’s primary competitor to SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy and Starship vehicles.

No additional details were immediately available on the cause of the anomaly or the extent of damage to the rocket or launch infrastructure. Blue Origin has not released a timeline for when it might resume testing.

The New Glenn program has faced multiple delays since its announcement. The rocket is designed to carry up to 45 metric tons to low Earth orbit and is intended for both commercial and national security payloads.

LOS ANGELES (VINnews) – Stephanie Pratt, who months ago dismissed her brother Spencer Pratt’s candidacy for Los Angeles mayor as “stupidity,” has dramatically shifted her position and is now publicly supporting his campaign.

In a statement shared with Vanity Fair and reported Wednesday, Stephanie Pratt admitted she had been among the first to discourage voters from backing her brother.

“I admit I was the first person to tell people that they were idiots if they voted for my brother,” she said. “Wow, was I wrong.”

She credited Spencer Pratt with dedicating himself since the devastating Palisades fires to investigating “the facts, the mistakes, the negligence and uncovering the truth that they never wanted us to know.”

Spencer Pratt, the former “The Hills” reality television star, announced his candidacy for mayor in January 2026, one year after losing his home in the wildfires. The nonpartisan primary election is scheduled for June 2.

Earlier this year, Stephanie Pratt had been sharply critical, warning that a vote for her brother would be “a vote for stupidity” and questioning his qualifications to lead a city of roughly 4 million people.

The family reversal comes as Spencer Pratt has seen a surge in the polls, drawing support from voters frustrated with issues including homelessness, crime and the city’s response to recent fires. Recent polling has placed him as a notable contender in the crowded race.

Political observers note that endorsements from family members, particularly those who were previously vocal critics, can signal broader shifts in public sentiment. Whether Stephanie Pratt’s change of heart reflects wider attitudes among Los Angeles voters remains to be seen as the primary approaches.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The top federal prosecutor in Chicago denied Thursday evening that his office had opened an investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the longtime advice columnist who has said Donald Trump sexually assaulted her in a New York department store 30 years ago, hours after multiple news organizations reported that the Justice Department was investigating whether she had lied during the course of civil litigation against Trump.

The Associated Press and other news organizations, citing anonymous sources, reported that the federal prosecutors’ office in Chicago had opened an investigation into Carroll examining possible perjury allegations.

But Andrew Boutros, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, issued a statement roughly 24 hours after the first report was published saying that his office “has not opened — and has never opened — a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll.”

A person familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation, initially told the AP on Thursday morning that investigators were focused on Carroll but later clarified that the actual focus was on a nonprofit that had helped fund her case.

A lawyer for Carroll declined to comment through a spokesperson on Thursday.

The Justice Department investigation into Carroll was first reported by CNN on Wednesday evening.

NEW YORK (VINnews) – President Donald Trump on Thursday lavished praise on New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, calling him a “handsome guy” and “beautiful guy” while highlighting his potential as a player and his conservative values.

Trump made the remarks while discussing the young signal-caller, who was drafted by the Giants in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

“I wish I looked just like Jaxson! Is he a male model or what? He’s a handsome guy, a beautiful guy. And he’s a conservative guy!” Trump said.

Trump added that Dart told him “I love you, sir,” and expressed confidence in the quarterback’s future.

“He’s a young boy. He had just really started. But when he’s in a game, he moves the team,” Trump said. “And I didn’t know him, but I watched him a little bit. And he really moves the team. He’s got tremendous potential. If he stays healthy he’s going to be great.”

The president also suggested that Dart receives extra support from fans because of his political leanings.

“So when Jaxson gets harassed a little bit, he’s also loved more because we have more people than they do,” Trump said.

Trump went on to recount anecdotes about wealthy individuals in places like Los Angeles who privately support him despite public criticism.

“A lot of the people that you think, like people in Los Angeles, wealthy people that you, I see them all the time. They’re hitting me a little bit. And they meet me and they said, sir, I voted for you,” Trump said. “I said, I know. I know. I can tell. Guy’s voted for me. I can tell you people on television that knocked me all the time voted for me!”

The Sequoia Union High School District, which has about 9,000 students in eight schools in the San Francisco Bay Area, conceded that it must protect Jewish students better, settling a lawsuit alleging that it mishandled antisemitism.

“For years Jewish students have endured not only overt antisemitism, but their complaints about those experiences have been ignored or even maligned,” Lori Lowenthal Marcus, legal director of the Deborah Project, told JNS.

The settlement “requires policies of transparency, unbiased decision-making and concrete protections from antisemitic indoctrination and bullying” by district students, teachers and administrators, Lowenthal Marcus said. (JNS sought comment from the district.)

The agreement, which lasts until June 30, 2029, calls on the district to pay the six families who sued $325,000 in legal fees and for emotional distress and other damages. JNS saw a copy of the settlement.

The district also agrees to list the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a “controversial issue,” which means teachers will have to present the matter neutrally, without sharing their personal views on the subject.

Teachers in the district will also have to warn students not to draw conclusions on the subject without having all the relevant information.

The Deborah Project, a public-interest law firm, and Ropes and Gray represented the six families who sued the district in November 2024.

They alleged that the district was deliberately indifferent toward instances of Jew-hatred and that district officials “shifted blame onto the victims, refused to engage with concerned parents and used superficial ‘investigations’ to whitewash legitimate concerns.”

A neutral, independent decision-maker, or a curriculum expert that that person approves, will need to clear any supplementary instructional materials about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict used in the classroom, per the agreement.

“Parents get to see any materials that are going to be used in the classroom,” Lowenthal Marcus told JNS.

The settlement requires the district’s board to state explicitly in its policies that antisemitism is a barred form of discrimination.

The district’s definition of antisemitism also must include “the denial of the right of Israel to self-determination and self-defense, and holding Israel to a standard or behavior that other democratic nations are not,” Lowenthal Marcus told JNS.

“That’s huge,” she said. “It isn’t only when kids say, ‘heil Hitler’ or a teacher tells a Holocaust joke, as horrible as those are, and those generally are recognized already as being antisemitic.”

“But you can’t call Jewish kids, tell them that their families are committing genocide and you can’t say that Israel has no right to exist,” she told JNS. “That is verboten, and that has not been the case before.”

As part of the agreement, the district agrees to provide mandatory Jew-hatred training to administrators, teachers and staff and to provide yearly anti-hate programs for students.

The district also commits to provide at least one antisemitism lesson in world history classes at its schools.

The agreement also stipulates new ways that the district must handle discrimination complaints.

It will be required to hire a third-party investigator who has not worked for the district within three years of the complaint and who cannot have any other conflict of interest. The investigator will provide a report to the district and the complainant after the probe, and an independent decision-maker will review the findings and make a determination that will be provided to both the complainant and district officials, according to the agreement.

“It used to be that all the policies and all the control were essentially owned by the district and able to be used and manipulated by the district,” Lowenthal Marcus told JNS. “Now the students and the families have a degree of control.”

The district is not admitting to any wrongdoing under the settlement.

Lowenthal Marcus told JNS that the district is “going to go back and review the complaints that were filed that initiated this lawsuit.”

“That’s looking backward. Everything else is really looking forward, making new policies and requirements and putting teeth into what existed before,” she said. “There’s no more playing, ‘Well it depends on what you mean by X.’”

“It’s spelled out in the settlement,” she said.

A “neutral fact-finder” will determine if both sides are following the terms of the settlement, Lowenthal Marcus said.

{Matzav.com}

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City residents and visitors look up at the sky to experience a phenomenon twice a year known as Manhattanhenge.

The setting sun was framed by a canyon of skyscrapers Thursday as it sunk below the horizon, perfectly aligned with the Manhattan street grid.

The dramatic spectacle was just the first of the year. A fuller version of the setting sun is expected to be seen between New York’s famed skyscrapers on Friday. The phenomenon then repeats on July 11 and 12.

Manhattanhenge happens about three weeks before and after the summer solstice.

Over the years, it has become a must-see event, bringing photographers and others out onto the city sidewalks on spring and summer evenings.

Some background on the uniquely New York experience:

Where does the name Manhattanhenge come from?
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson coined the term in a 1997 article in the magazine “Natural History.” Tyson, the director of the Hayden Planetarium at New York’s American Museum of Natural History, said he was inspired by a visit to Stonehenge as a teenager.

The future host of TV shows such as PBS’ “Nova ScienceNow” was part of an expedition led by Gerald Hawkins, the scientist who first theorized that Stonehenge’s mysterious megaliths were an ancient astronomical observatory.

It struck Tyson, a native New Yorker, that the setting sun framed by Manhattan’s high-rises could be compared to the sun’s rays striking the center of the Stonehenge circle on the solstice.

Unlike the Neolithic Stonehenge builders, the planners who laid out Manhattan did not mean to channel the sun. It just worked out that way.

When is Manhattanhenge?
Manhattanhenge does not take place on the summer solstice itself, which is June 21 this year. Instead, it happens about three weeks before and after the solstice. That’s when the sun aligns itself perfectly with the Manhattan grid’s east-west streets.

Viewers get to choose between two different versions of the phenomenon.

On Thursday, and again on July 12, half the sun is above the horizon and half below it at the moment of alignment with Manhattan’s streets, according to the Hayden Planetarium.

On Friday and July 11, the whole sun will appear to hover between buildings just before sinking into the New Jersey horizon across the Hudson River.

Where can you see Manhattanhenge?
The traditional viewing spots are along the city’s broad east-west thoroughfares: 14th Street, 23rd Street, 34th Street, 42nd Street and 57th Street.

The farther east you go, the more dramatic the vista as the sun hits building facades on either side of the street. It is also possible to see Manhattanhenge across the East River in the Long Island City section of Queens.

Is Manhattanhenge an organized event?
No, not really.

Seeing Manhattanhenge is mostly a DIY affair. People gather on east-west streets a half-hour or so before sunset and snap photos as dusk approaches. That’s if the weather is fine. There’s no visible Manhattanhenge on rainy or cloudy days.

Do other cities have similar sunset events?
Similar effects occur in other cities with uniform street grids. Chicagohenge and Baltimorehenge happen when the setting sun lines up with the gridded streets in those cities in March and September, around the spring and fall equinoxes. Torontohenge occurs in February and October.

But Manhattanhenge is particularly striking because of the height of the buildings and the unobstructed path to the Hudson River.

Speaking in an interview with Radio Kol Chai, Malul drew a firm line regarding the ongoing battle over the draft status of bnei yeshiva and made clear that the issue would determine whether chareidi parties enter a government at all.

“We will not form a coalition and we will not enter any government until the status of yeshiva students is resolved once and for all through a fortified and robust law,” Malul said.

Malul also painted a grim picture of the current political atmosphere in the Knesset, describing the sense that the government may be nearing collapse.

“It is the end of an era,” he said, adding that “inside the coalition, everyone is talking about dissolving the Knesset.”

Addressing the recent arrests of yeshiva students, Malul accused authorities and political opponents of waging an aggressive campaign against the Torah world under the guise of military concerns.

“There is a wild persecution happening here. People in this country simply want to dismantle the Torah world – they don’t care about the army or security; their sole objective is to ensure there are no Torah scholars here,” he said.

Malul also blasted efforts to impose financial penalties and economic sanctions on yeshiva students, arguing that the measures are designed to pressure avreichim into abandoning Torah learning.

“They think that if they suffocate the married yeshiva students financially, they will abandon the yeshivas and forget their identity. The tighter they squeeze, the louder the charedi public will cry out, and the more they will flock to the ballot boxes,” Malul said.