The ultimate test of fast-food physics is arriving in Miami.

Chick-fil-A is expanding its footprint in the Sunshine State with a new delivery-only “ghost kitchen” in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood, marking a strategic move to bypass the real estate constraints of traditional brick-and-mortar restaurants.

Operating within the CloudKitchens network, the location is the privately held fast-food giant’s first delivery-only kitchen in Florida and just its sixth nationwide, allowing the company to maximize kitchen capacity and meet demand without the overhead costs of a traditional dining room.

CHICK-FIL-A FRANCHISEE SUED AFTER ALLEGEDLY FIRING EMPLOYEE OVER SABBATH OBSERVANCE

The restaurant is located at 1900 NE Miami Court, and will fulfill orders primarily through third-party delivery platforms, according to a Chick-fil-A press release. It is open Monday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to midnight – two hours later than Chick-fil-A’s typical dine-in or drive-thru closing time.

The new Wynwood location is expected to create approximately 30 local jobs, offering hands-on training, mentoring and competitive benefits.

“We know how important fast and reliable delivery is to Wynwood, and we want to meet the community where they are while keeping our signature hospitality,” owner-operator Thomas Overby said in the release.

“Being born and raised in Miami, serving this community is very special to me. Our new delivery kitchen location gives us the opportunity to serve the Wynwood community in a way that works best for them and gives me the privilege to deepen my connection with my hometown,” he continued.

While traditional restaurants face constraints including seating capacity, kitchen square footage and limited hours, a delivery-only kitchen allows the brand to serve a larger customer base and operate at full capacity without paying for prime retail real estate or dining room upkeep.

Partnering with established kitchen infrastructure networks like CloudKitchens allows the company to rapidly deploy its delivery framework into high-density urban areas such as Miami.

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Unlike its publicly traded competitors, Chick-fil-A is a privately held company with no public shareholders and reigns as America’s third-largest quick service restaurant. The slow rollout of its “ghost kitchen” model mirrors similar smaller-scale moves Chick-fil-A has made in recent years, like opening five stores in its first expansion into England and just one in Singapore – a city with more than 6 million people.

Chick-fil-A’s other five delivery-only locations operate in College Park, Maryland; Nashville, Tennessee; Louisville, Kentucky; Boston, Massachusetts; and Northern California.

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President Donald Trump publicly urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to retaliate after Iran fired missiles at Israel, but behind the scenes Secretary of State Marco Rubio helped Israel secure approval for a limited response, according to a report by Danny Zaken in Israel Hayom. The report describes intense discussions between Washington and Jerusalem that ended with Trump authorizing a coordinated Israeli strike despite his public calls for restraint.

The dispute centered on whether Iran should pay a price for firing directly at Israel. Trump initially signaled opposition, declaring, “I am going to call Bibi right now and tell him not to retaliate. Each of them had their fun. Israel had its strike, and Iran had its strike. We don’t need another one.” Netanyahu reportedly argued that failing to respond would reward Iran and strengthen Tehran’s position in negotiations with the U.S.

According to the report, Israel also warned that Iran was using its remaining missile force to gain diplomatic leverage. Rubio reportedly backed that position, recalling his previous statement that “Only stupid countries don’t shoot back when you’re shot at.” The discussions ultimately led to U.S. approval for a strike whose targets and limits were coordinated with Washington. Channel 13 reported that Netanyahu had considered a broader attack on Iranian energy infrastructure, but Trump rejected that option and told him, “Strike, and close the event.”

Military coordination continued throughout the crisis. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir reportedly told commanders, “We are ready to respond and are waiting only for the green light.” Zamir also held several conversations with CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper before the operation. Israel Hayom reported that the strikes were coordinated with CENTCOM, although U.S. forces did not participate directly.

The report also tied the confrontation to Lebanon. Netanyahu reportedly warned Trump that Iran was trying to derail U.S.-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon by forcing Israel to halt operations against Hezbollah. Iranian statements likewise linked the missile attack to Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon and Beirut’s Dahiyeh district. After the exchange, both sides signaled they would stop if the other side did the same, though Netanyahu warned, “If Iran makes the mistake of resuming attacks on us, we will respond with overwhelming force.”

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Iran was responsible for downing an American military helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz and that the U.S. “must” respond to the attack.

Trump’s made the comment in a social media post after a drone boat rescued the crew of the Apache attack helicopter that crashed near the strategic waterway, which Iran has effectively closed during its war with the U.S. and Israel.

It was the first known drone rescue at sea by the U.S. military, said Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command. He said the unmanned boat located the two aviators and brought them to shore after they spent about two hours in the water.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A drone boat rescued the crew of a U.S. Army attack helicopter that crashed early Tuesday near the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway that Iran has effectively closed during its war with the U.S. and Israel, a U.S. military official said.

It was the first known drone rescue at sea by the U.S. military, said Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command. He said the unmanned boat located the two aviators and brought them to shore after they spent about two hours in the water.

Military officials have not said what caused the Apache helicopter to go down. A military news release said the crash is under investigation.

The crash occurred with the Middle East still reeling after Iran and Israel exchanged fire the previous day in the biggest blow yet to the strained ceasefire in the Iran war. Iranian state television reported Tuesday that the Israeli attacks killed at least two members of the country’s air-defense units.

Since the U.S. and Israel began striking Iran on Feb. 28, the war has shaken the global economy, driven up energy prices around the world and made many basics, including food, more expensive.

Officials have been unable to turn the April ceasefire into a deal to permanently end the conflict, particularly as Israel intensifies and expands its military campaign in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah.

Trump says helicopter crew escaped uninjured
U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged the crash while speaking to journalists in New York on Monday night.

“The pilots are fine. Yeah,” Trump said. “Nobody injured.”

The crash happened about 3:30 a.m. local time Tuesday off the coast of Oman while the helicopter was on a patrol, U.S. Central Command said.

The drone used to perform the rescue was a 24-foot (7.3-meter) vessel called a Corsair, Hawkins said. It’s manufactured by Saronic Technologies.

The drone was assigned to the Navy’s Task Force 59, established in 2021 as the Navy’s first uncrewed and artificial intelligence unit that focuses on maritime security in the Middle East, including the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez Canal.

AH-64 Apache helicopters have been a key asset for the American military as it enforces a blockade on Iranian crude oil shipments and tankers, seeking to pressure Tehran into a deal. The helicopters have also been used by the United Arab Emirates to shoot down Iranian drones.

Iran agreed to halt its exchange of fire with Israel after the United States reportedly approved the release of $3 billion in previously frozen Iranian assets, according to a report published Tuesday by a news agency affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

According to the report, the funds were transferred aboard a flight from Abu Dhabi to Tehran, with the aircraft reportedly landing in the Iranian capital Tuesday morning despite ongoing restrictions on Iranian airspace.

Israel’s Kan 11 reported that the arrangement was coordinated through Qatari mediators, who facilitated the exchange of messages between Washington and Tehran during the height of the crisis.

The report claims that, in addition to the release of the funds, Iran received assurances that Israel would restrain its military operations in Lebanon.

Neither the White House nor U.S. officials have publicly confirmed the reported transfer of the frozen assets.

The alleged agreement came after a day of direct confrontation between Israel and Iran following an Israeli strike in Beirut’s Dahieh district.

Both sides subsequently announced a cessation of hostilities.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards emergency command said it was suspending military operations but warned that renewed Israeli action — particularly in southern Lebanon — would trigger a much harsher response.

“We announce the suspension of armed forces operations,” the statement said. “However, if the aggression and acts of malice continue, including in southern Lebanon, much more severe and crushing measures than before will be forthcoming.”

Iran claimed its missile attack on Israel was launched in response to the Israeli strike in Beirut.

Hours later, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu addressed the nation and rejected what he described as an attempt by Iran and Hezbollah to impose a new strategic equation on Israel.

“In the last 24 hours, Iran and Hezbollah tried to impose a new equation on us,” Netanyahu said. “That equation is intolerable and completely unacceptable.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A woman who shouted “Jews are eating kids” on a New York subway and assaulted a young Jewish woman the previous weekend has been arrested and identified as Diana Smith.

Smith is a New York creative with the pseudonym “Lädy Millard,” who serves as a creative director for Block Realty Investment Coin.

The victim filmed the incident, which shows a Black woman shouting inside a subway car full of commuters, “Jews are eating kids!”

She leans toward the victim with a sinister smile and says, “You’re a Jew; I can smell the kids,” as the woman repeatedly says, “Don’t touch me.”

The video shows the deranged behavior of Diana Smith and the assault on a subway passenger. (Credit: Combat Antisemitism Movement)

According to later reports, Smith knocked the 23-year-old nurse to the ground, beat her, choked her and pulled out a fistful of hair. Video footage shows other commuters pushing her back and shouting, “Whoa, whoa, whoa!”

“It’s okay for her to eat kids?” the woman yells. “But I can’t choke her down?”

“I was just assaulted,” the shocked victim says in a trembling voice.

Subsequent photos show the woman’s red scalp and a missing tuft of hair.

The victim was admitted to the hospital with minor injuries, including a concussion.

This photo shows the tuft of hair pulled out of the victim’s head. (From a post on X)

According to the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), which posted the video of the attack on social media, the young woman exited at Canal Street and reported the attack to police. Passengers on the subway pressed the emergency button, alerting officers, who intervened and apprehended Smith.

Police have charged the assailant with hate crime assault, hate crime criminal obstruction of breathing and hate crime aggravated harassment.

“I kept telling myself: I am not in Nazi Germany,” CAM reported the victim as saying.

“Antisemitism has now moved from just words to actual violence. We have tracked 193 incidents of antisemitism in New York City this year through May 31 and that equates to more than one per day.”

Smith’s LinkedIn profile.

“Antisemitism has now moved from just words to actual violence,” CAM Chief Government Affairs Officer Lisa Katz told CBS News. “We have tracked 193 incidents of antisemitism in New York City this year through May 31 and that equates to more than one per day.”

Urging the public to take action, CAM stated on its website: “CAM has launched Report It, a secure app to report antisemitic incidents anonymously and in real time. Don’t stay silent. Download it today on the Apple App Store or Google Play. See it. Report it. Stop it.”

I’m writing this letter out of awareness and concern.

Although many in the younger generation are making a fabulous parnassah, with some earning millions within a short period of time, something unheard of back in my day 40–50 years ago, and for most old-timers from the 70s, 80s, and earlier, we who are in the middle, around 50–60 years old, and who didn’t have the opportunity to build our own businesses, are struggling terribly.

What’s troublesome to me is that when we look for work, even mundane work or simply any work, we’re often told, “We wouldn’t want to hire you, it’s beneath your dignity,” or “You’re worth more than that.”

But that’s exactly the problem. We try hard to compensate for our missing income with any amount of work or any job we can find, so as not to rely solely on our wives’ income, yet businesses won’t hire us.

Try opening a service business, and many people go directly to the workers to cut us out. When it doesn’t work out, they find out the hard way, but by then it’s too late.

So, as I sit here writing this public announcement and still trying to rack my brain over what to do to bring in even a small amount of income that will help us get over the top, I wonder whether anyone can suggest a solution.

I, along with others I know, am suffering quietly while everyone around us thinks we’re making a nice living. People expect us to give generous donations at every function when, in reality, it’s difficult to commit even $10.

I’m one of many capable fellows in that in-between age group who still has tuition to pay and simchos to make, and accomplishing that, even on the most basic level, has become nearly impossible.

We know that when push comes to shove, funds can be raised. However, we don’t want to feel as though we are surviving on handouts when we know we are still physically capable of doing meaningful work, even for less pay than we deserve, just to maintain our dignity and comfortably cover our daily expenses.

Not all of us were fortunate enough to be part of a family business, and most of us are not tech-savvy enough to start those types of businesses.

Waiting for Siyata D’Shmaya,

A Struggling Member of the Community

TLS welcomes your letters by submitting them to us via  Whatsapp  or via email  [email protected]

This post was originally published on this site.

The Knesset is expected to give preliminary approval on Wednesday to the proposed Basic Law: Torah Study, but coalition officials are reportedly working behind the scenes to revise the legislation by removing a controversial provision that critics said equated Torah learners with IDF soldiers.

According to coalition sources, senior figures in Likud are advancing a softened version of the bill that they believe will reduce public opposition and broaden support among coalition partners. Discussions are already underway regarding the language that will be promoted following the bill’s initial approval.

Among the expected changes is the removal of a clause that many interpreted as placing full-time Torah study on the same footing as military service. The disputed provision stated that individuals who dedicate themselves to Torah learning for a significant period would be regarded as performing meaningful service to the State of Israel and the Jewish people, with implications for their rights and obligations.

The effort to modify the legislation follows a week of intense political pressure from the chareidi parties, which demanded that the coalition move forward with the bill.

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri issued a firm ultimatum, warning coalition leaders that if the Basic Law: Torah Study was not advanced this week, his party would refuse to support any other legislation.

“Especially during these days, when the people of Israel need additional merits for success in the campaign against our enemies, we demand that the Basic Law: Torah Study be brought for a vote already this week as a condition for supporting any other legislation,” Deri declared during a Shas faction meeting.

Deri was the first coalition leader to publicly insist on advancing the proposal last week. Following his demand, other chareidi factions also intensified efforts to move the legislation forward, although the bill is formally sponsored by Degel HaTorah.

Degel HaTorah chairman MK Moshe Gafni said the legislation had already been placed on the agenda of the Ministerial Committee for Legislation.

“On the agenda of the Ministerial Committee for Legislation is the Basic Law: Torah Study, which, under the instruction of our revered Torah leaders, I was called upon to submit and advance,” Gafni said.

Coalition officials believe that removing the disputed language could also help secure support from members of the Religious Zionism party, some of whom had reservations about the original wording.

According to coalition sources, the revised version is intended to strengthen recognition of the value of Torah study without creating a direct comparison between Torah learners and military personnel. Likud officials reportedly believe such a change will lessen criticism while preserving the bill’s central objective.

Supporters of the legislation say its primary purpose is to grant constitutional status to Torah study and the role of Torah scholars in Israeli society. They also argue that the measure would help shield the issue from intervention by the High Court of Justice, particularly in cases involving chareidi military service and arguments based on the principle of equality.

{Matzav.com}

JERUSALEM (VINnews) – IDF Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visited battalion and company commanders’ training exercises in northern Israel on Tuesday, stressing the military’s readiness to confront threats from Iran and Hezbollah while preparing the next generation of leaders.

Zamir warned that Iran’s attempt to change the rules of engagement will fail, describing a recent Israeli strike on Iran as preparation for a potentially far more powerful blow. “The IDF is ready to strike Iran again severely if needed,” he said.

The chief of staff said the IDF will continue intensifying damage to Hezbollah while defending northern communities. He added that Israeli forces remain on high alert and will act decisively against any threat to civilians.

Zamir highlighted the military’s performance during the recent exchange with Iran, noting that the IDF maintained full readiness, successfully intercepted incoming threats and struck back swiftly. He also pointed to ongoing operations in southern Lebanon, including strikes on terrorist infrastructure such as a major underground facility in the Beaufort area.

The general emphasized the critical role of current command training in developing future leaders following what he described as unprecedented combat operations.

The visit comes amid heightened tensions along Israel’s northern border and continued vigilance against Iranian threats.

RIO DE JANEIRO — The world’s airlines used their biggest annual gathering this week to deliver a blunt message to the companies that build their jet engines: the fuel-saving engines you sold us are not lasting as long as promised, and passengers are paying the price.

At the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Annual General Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, outgoing IATA Director General Willie Walsh sharply criticized engine manufacturers, saying airlines are shouldering the cost of reliability problems while engine makers continue posting strong profits.

“Stop gouging us and get back to making great engines that work,” Walsh said Monday, warning that allowing the problems to persist into the next decade would be unacceptable for airlines and travelers alike.

The dispute centers on the newest generation of jet engines introduced over the past decade.

Airlines embraced the engines because they promised to reduce fuel consumption by roughly 15%, a major advantage in an industry where fuel is often the single largest operating expense.

The two dominant engines are the CFM International LEAP, produced by a joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran, and the Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan (GTF), manufactured by RTX. Both power the world’s most popular short- and medium-haul aircraft, including the Airbus A320neo family, while the LEAP also powers Boeing’s 737 MAX.

The problem is durability.

A key industry metric is known as “time on wing” — how long an engine remains installed on an aircraft before requiring removal for maintenance or overhaul.

According to airlines, many of the new-generation engines are spending far less time on wing than the older engines they replaced.

The issue is particularly severe in hot and dusty regions, including parts of the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia, where harsh operating conditions can dramatically accelerate wear and tear.

When an engine must be removed earlier than expected, the aircraft often cannot fly until repairs are completed.

That creates a chain reaction across airline operations.

Pratt & Whitney’s GTF program has become the most visible example. Since 2023, hundreds of aircraft worldwide have been grounded at various times as airlines remove engines for inspections and repairs tied to manufacturing and durability issues.

The maintenance system itself has become overwhelmed.

According to consulting firm Bain & Company, repair turnaround times for new-generation engines have increased by more than 150% since the pandemic. Airlines frequently face waits of several months before an engine can even enter a repair facility.

That means planes sit idle.

And idle planes do not generate revenue.

The costs add up quickly.

Industry estimates show lease rates for spare GTF engines have climbed to roughly $200,000 per month as demand for replacement equipment surges.

JetBlue Airways reported averaging approximately nine grounded aircraft during 2025 due to engine-related issues.

Air New Zealand said the financial impact from grounded aircraft has become significant enough to trigger a broader strategic review of its fleet operations.

Airline executives at the Rio conference voiced growing frustration.

LATAM Airlines Group Chief Executive Roberto Alvo argued that airlines have effectively become “the test beds of the technology,” absorbing the operational and financial consequences when products fail to meet expectations.

WestJet Chief Executive Alexis von Hoensbroech called the situation a “fundamental reliability issue.”

United Airlines Chief Executive Scott Kirby acknowledged improvements from manufacturers but warned that engine shortages remain one of the biggest constraints facing global aviation.

“The engine issue will likely be the industry’s largest bottleneck for at least the next five years,” Kirby said.

Manufacturers insist progress is being made.

GE Aerospace says it has invested heavily in improving durability, increasing production, and developing upgraded components designed to extend engine life. The company increased LEAP production by approximately 25% last year and says newly certified components should improve reliability.

Pratt & Whitney recently certified its upgraded GTF Advantage engine for the Airbus A320neo family. The company says the new version is designed to roughly double time on wing and improve overall performance. A full transition to the upgraded design is planned by 2028, while retrofit kits are being developed for engines already in service.

For travelers, the dispute may sound technical, but the consequences are very real.

Fewer available engines mean fewer operational aircraft.

Fewer aircraft mean fewer available seats.

That comes at a particularly challenging moment for airlines, which are already dealing with aircraft-delivery delays, supply-chain disruptions, labor shortages, and higher fuel costs linked to instability in the Middle East.

When capacity tightens and demand remains strong, ticket prices tend to rise.

Passengers may also face more cancellations, longer rebooking delays, and reduced schedule flexibility when aircraft are unexpectedly removed from service.

The broader concern voiced by airline executives in Rio is that the industry appears stuck in a cycle where efficiency improvements arrive faster than reliability improvements.

The current generation of fuel-efficient engines has been flying for years, yet many of the durability concerns remain unresolved.

As manufacturers begin developing the next wave of greener aviation technology, airlines say they want a simple guarantee: that future engines deliver the promised fuel savings without spending excessive time in repair shops.

Until then, one of aviation’s biggest technological advances continues to face a challenge that affects everyone from airline executives to everyday travelers waiting at the gate.

JBizNews Desk — Aviation

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

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (VINnews) — A Connecticut man has been arrested after police said he targeted several Jewish men during a confrontation in downtown New Haven.

Paul Smith, 36, of East Haven, faces charges including intimidation based on bias and disorderly conduct, according to authorities.

Police said the incident occurred last week when a group of Jewish men was standing on a sidewalk in the city’s downtown area. Investigators allege the suspect directed hostile comments at the group, approached them aggressively and knocked a yarmulke from one man’s head before leaving the scene.

Statement regarding an arrest made in a bias investigation. pic.twitter.com/ToLuV3X0xY

— New Haven Police Department (@NHPDnews) June 8, 2026

Authorities said detectives reviewed surveillance footage and gathered additional evidence that led to Smith’s identification and arrest.

Police officials described the incident as being motivated by anti-Jewish bias and said such conduct would not be tolerated.

No injuries were reported. The investigation remains ongoing.

The charges are accusations, and Smith is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

TORONTO (AP) — A new Canadian-built bridge across the Detroit River that U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to block will open at the end of the week, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday.

In February, Trump demanded that Canada turn over at least half the ownership of the bridge and agree to other unspecified demands in one of his many salvos over cross-border trade issues.

The Gordie Howe International Bridge, which would connect Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit in the U.S. state of Michigan, and would be a vital economic artery between Canada and the United States, had been expected to open early this year, according to information on the project’s website.

The bridge is named after Howe, the late Canadian hockey great who spent 25 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings.

The project was negotiated by former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder — a Republican — and paid for by the Canadian government to help ease congestion over the existing Ambassador Bridge and Detroit-Windsor tunnel. Work has been underway since 2018.

“Obviously the bridge will be open at the end of the week. A symbol of, but also a fact of cooperation between our countries,” Carney told reporters as he walked into Parliament.

“Great for Canadians going across the border, Americans coming across the border, and for commerce,” he said, calling it “positive news.”

Trump threatened the bridge as the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement is up for review this year, and Trump has been taking a hard-line position before those talks, including by issuing new tariff threats.

Carney, meanwhile, has spoken out on the world stage against economic coercion by the United States.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat, has said that the Canadian-funded project is a “huge boon” to her state and its economic future.

Michigan is a swing state that Trump carried in both 2016 and 2024.

Snyder wrote in an op-ed in The Detroit News earlier this year that Trump was wrong in asserting that Canada owns both the U.S. and Canadian sides of the Gordie Howe bridge.

“Canada and the state of Michigan are 50/50 owners of the new bridge,” Snyder wrote. “Canada was wonderful and financed the entire bridge. They will get repaid with interest from the tolls. Michigan and the United States got their half-ownership with no investment.”

The Gordie Howe bridge will join the privately owned Ambassador Bridge as the second span connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario.

The rival Ambassador Bridge is considered the busiest U.S.-Canadian border crossing, carrying 25% of all trade between the two countries. It plays an especially important role in auto manufacturing.

Companies controlled by the Moroun family, owners of the rival Ambassador Bridge, previously sued to prevent the Howe bridge from being built.

Public bodies are pushing ahead with AI tools, but gaps in budgets, data governance, procurement, and national planning are slowing the shift from pilots to full implementation.

Israel risks falling behind in the government use of artificial intelligence despite its high-tech strength, research base, and human capital, according to findings published Tuesday by the State Comptroller. The multinational audit, led by State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman as president of the European Organization of Regional Audit Institutions, examined government preparedness for AI with the participation of 12 European countries.

The findings present what Englman called an “innovation paradox”: Israel has the technological capabilities of a high-tech power, but has not translated them into a comprehensive, coordinated, and executable government plan for AI adoption.

Israel’s high-tech edge is not reaching government fast enough

“Artificial intelligence is not a future issue. It is already changing the way governments operate,” Englman said. He added that audit institutions must examine government preparations before the risks materialize, not after.

The findings said AI adoption in government must improve public service while protecting individual rights and public trust. Implementation should strengthen transparency, safeguard human rights, ensure responsible use of state resources, and make public services safer, more efficient, and more beneficial.

No national AI roadmap despite new headquarters

Although the government adopted the recommendations of the Nagel Committee in September 2025 under Government Decision 3375 and ordered the establishment of the National Artificial Intelligence Headquarters in the Prime Minister’s Office, Israel still had not approved a comprehensive long-term national AI plan as of the audit’s completion date.

Such a plan should include a vision, goals, milestones, clear government responsibility, timetables, budget, and measurement and oversight mechanisms, the findings said. The government decision determined that the new headquarters would coordinate with the National Digital Agency on implementing AI technology in the public sector.

The gap is especially significant because Israel’s starting point is unusually strong. Its technological capabilities, high-tech industry, research activity, and human capital place it in a favorable position in AI, but those advantages have not yet become a full government implementation plan.

Public sector leaders see the promise, but systems lag behind

The Office of the State Comptroller conducted what it described as the first comprehensive mapping of its kind of Israel’s public sector readiness to adopt and implement AI. The findings were based on responses from 70 leading public bodies, including most government ministries, statutory bodies, auxiliary units, hospitals, health funds, large municipalities, and other entities.

The questionnaire found broad managerial recognition of AI’s importance. In 77% of the bodies, management attached great or very great importance to integrating AI solutions; in 63%, there was a leading and coordinating figure in the field; and in 72%, employee training programs were already being operated.

The public bodies reported 144 AI projects across 47 entities. Of those projects, 42% supported the core activity of the ministry or body, and 34% were intended to improve service to citizens, indicating real potential to improve public-sector performance.

Most AI work remains stuck in pilots

Despite the growth in AI activity, only 18% of the bodies reported that they had adopted a defined organizational strategy or policy for integrating AI.

The findings also showed that 34% of the bodies had not yet begun formulating a data strategy, while 41% operated without a formal data-governance framework. These gaps could limit the public sector’s ability to use AI responsibly, because AI systems depend on high-quality, accessible, secure, and well-governed data.

Of the reported AI projects, 68% were still in development or pilot stages, while only 32% had been implemented in practice. The findings said this shows that Israel’s public sector has not yet created the broad and mature infrastructure needed to move from isolated experiments to safe, effective, and measurable implementation.

Budget gaps are slowing AI adoption

The findings said 58% of participating public bodies had not been allocated a dedicated budget to promote AI projects during the years examined. Englman said the absence of organizational and budgetary infrastructure in most public bodies is delaying the development of public service.

About 80% of the bodies pointed to dedicated budgeting as the support most needed to accelerate AI adoption. Another 62% pointed to the need for training, while 58% said procurement mechanisms must be made more flexible.

“In order for Israel to realize its status as an ‘innovation nation’ within government bodies as well, we must face the gaps emerging from the field,” Englman said. “Now is the time to formulate a national master plan that will turn artificial intelligence tools into a lever for excellence in government service.”

Autonomous AI decision-making remains rare

The questionnaire found that 86% of participating public bodies do not have autonomous decision-making systems based on AI. The finding suggests that most public-sector AI use remains focused on support tools, service improvement, internal efficiency, or projects that have not yet reached full operational implementation.

The findings framed this within the broader need for responsible implementation, legal and ethical guidelines, information security, privacy protection, and benefit-measurement tools before AI systems are used more widely in public administration.

Weak data infrastructure threatens wider rollout

Israel has a policy for information sharing, but public bodies still face major obstacles, including prolonged approval processes, regulatory and bureaucratic limitations, enforcement gaps, information systems that do not interface with one another, and dependence on manual processes.

In the absence of an orderly and measurable government data strategy, it is difficult to turn government databases into reliable infrastructure for data reuse, advanced analysis, and responsible AI implementation in public service.

Responsible AI implementation must be built on high-quality data, proper data governance, information security and privacy, skilled human capital, and clear managerial responsibility.

Civil servants need AI skills, not just AI tools

The report said that human capital in the public service is critical to responsible AI adoption. Although Israel is strong in technological human capital and research, the government requires a complementary capability among civil servants, managers, regulators, procurement personnel, legal advisers, information-security personnel, and internal auditors.

These officials must be able to understand AI technology in depth, assess its risks, supervise external suppliers, and ensure that its use serves the public.

Localized training is not enough, according to the findings. A cross-cutting policy is needed to develop AI literacy and competence across the public service.

Master plan needed before gaps widen

Responsible AI implementation could become a central lever for improving public-sector efficiency and strengthening service to citizens. However, Israel must shift from viewing technological innovation as a localized project to treating AI as a cross-government capability.

A comprehensive government framework is required, combining uniform policy, dedicated budgeting, secure data and cloud infrastructures, professional training, adapted procurement mechanisms, legal and ethical guidelines, and tools for measuring benefits.

Englman also spoke of the state’s obligations with AI. “It is our duty to ensure that the adoption of technology promotes high-quality and efficient public service, while protecting individual rights and public trust,” Englman said.

Background

Israel has already taken several steps toward expanding AI use in both government and regulation. These include the launch of a national AI program, the appointment of a head for the National AI Directorate, and government-backed regulatory sandbox initiatives.

Separate reporting has also raised questions about how the new AI authority will interact with existing government bodies involved in technology, cyber policy, and national security. 

This post was originally published on here.

WAYNE, NJ (VINnews) – A New Jersey man who allegedly discussed carrying out an attack on a Jewish house of worship has been charged with attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State group, federal authorities announced Monday.

Mohamed Sagha, 22, of Wayne, was arrested and charged in federal court with attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS. Prosecutors allege he participated in online chat groups used by ISIS supporters and discussed potential attacks in the United States, including against places of worship.

According to court documents, Sagha allegedly told an individual he believed was an ISIS member that he was considering carrying out an attack on either a National Guard facility or a Jewish house of worship. Investigators said he shared images and videos of potential targets located near his home.

Federal authorities also allege Sagha sought to assist ISIS supporters by purchasing and providing a virtual private network, or VPN, which can help conceal online communications and identities.

The FBI said the investigation disrupted what officials described as a potential threat inspired by ISIS ideology.

If convicted, Sagha faces up to 20 years in prison.

The charge is an allegation, and Sagha is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

JERUSALEM (VINnews)-The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem has lifted its shelter-in-place directive for U.S. government employees and their family members following an improved security situation in Israel.

In a statement Tuesday, the embassy said the decision follows updated guidelines from Israel’s Home Front Command, which now permits full activity across most of the country with no restrictions. Limited precautions remain in effect for certain communities in northern Israel.

“Consult the Home Front Command website for additional details,” the embassy advised.

The shelter-in-place order for U.S. government employees and their family members has ended, the statement said.

Consular Services Resume

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and its Branch Office in Tel Aviv will reopen consular sections for both routine and emergency services on Wednesday, June 10.

Air Travel

Ben Gurion Airport is operating normally. Travelers should contact their airlines directly for the latest information on commercial flights.

The developments come amid ongoing regional tensions, though Israeli authorities have eased restrictions as the immediate security situation has stabilized.

A judge has sharply criticized authorities after a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation was not carried out for Guy Echtlinger, the suspect accused of murdering Reb Yishai Por z”l inside a Bnei Brak kollel last month.

According to a report by military radio correspondent Tuvia Yagelnik, Echtlinger was never transferred to the district psychiatrist as ordered by the court and did not undergo the inpatient psychiatric examination that had been mandated.

During a recent court hearing, the judge expressed strong frustration over the failure to implement the order.

“The decision was not carried out. I would appreciate an immediate response from the Prison Service explaining why the court’s decision was not implemented,” the judge said.

The controversy follows developments from last week, when the district psychiatrist reportedly expressed reservations about conducting the examination. In response, the judge quickly issued an additional ruling, directing that Echtlinger be transferred to the district psychiatrist before the onset of Shabbos. Despite that clear instruction, the transfer never took place.

In the meantime, the court extended Echtlinger’s detention until Wednesday and again ordered that he be transferred for psychiatric evaluation as soon as possible.

During the hearing, Echtlinger also claimed that fellow inmates were threatening him. Addressing the court, he said, “They are saying they are going to kill me here in prison.”

The shocking killing took place on May 20, 2026, inside the Chazon Ish kollel on Rechov HaAri in Bnei Brak. Authorities allege that Reb Yishai Por z”l, a 52-year-old avreich known for his diligence and dedication to Torah learning, was fatally stabbed during the regular learning seder.

One of the most heartbreaking aspects of the tragedy was that the victim’s 13-year-old son was reportedly seated next to his father at the time and witnessed the attack.

Following reports of the stabbing, large numbers of police officers and emergency responders rushed to the scene. Reb Yishai was initially transported to the hospital in critical condition, but doctors were ultimately unable to save him and pronounced him dead shortly afterward.

{Matzav.com}

LONDON (VINnews) — British police have charged a fifth suspect in connection with an arson attack that destroyed several ambulances belonging to a Jewish volunteer emergency medical service in north London.

The Metropolitan Police said an 18-year-old man has been charged with assisting an offender in connection with the March fire in the Golders Green neighborhood, home to a large Jewish community.

Four ambulances operated by Hatzola, a volunteer emergency response organization serving the local Jewish community, were damaged in the blaze.

Four other suspects have previously been charged with arson-related offenses. Authorities allege they acted recklessly as to whether lives could be endangered. All five are scheduled to face trial in January 2027.

Counterterrorism investigators are treating the incident as a suspected antisemitic hate crime and are examining claims of responsibility made by a group reportedly linked to Iran.

The attack comes amid heightened concerns over antisemitic incidents in Britain, where Jewish institutions and community facilities have faced a series of threats and attacks in recent months.

No injuries were reported in the ambulance fire, but community leaders described the incident as a troubling escalation targeting a service that provides emergency medical assistance to residents regardless of background or faith.

HAWTHORNE, Calif. — Elon Musk’s SpaceX is days away from what could become the largest stock-market debut in history, and the terms are now set.

In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, SpaceX fixed its offering price at $135 per share, with trading scheduled to begin Friday, June 12, 2026, on the Nasdaq under the ticker SPCX. At that price, the company would raise approximately $75 billion and carry a valuation of roughly $1.77 trillion, surpassing the size of every previous initial public offering.

The scale is difficult to overstate.

A valuation of $1.77 trillion would immediately place SpaceX among the most valuable publicly traded companies in America, despite generating only a fraction of the revenue of many firms already occupying the top tier of the market.

The offering is being led by Goldman Sachs, with Morgan Stanley playing a central role in distributing shares to individual investors. The underwriting syndicate includes more than twenty major financial institutions.

At its core, SpaceX is built on two businesses.

The first is its rocket-launch operation, which has transformed the economics of space transportation through reusable rockets. The second is Starlink, the company’s rapidly growing satellite internet network, which now serves more than 9 million customers worldwide and has become the primary driver behind SpaceX’s valuation.

According to company filings, SpaceX generated approximately $18.67 billion in revenue during 2025 but still reported a net loss of roughly $4.9 billion as it continued investing aggressively in expansion, satellite deployment, and development of its next-generation Starship rocket system.

That gap between revenue and profitability sits at the heart of the investment debate.

At its proposed valuation, investors are effectively betting that Starlink will continue growing rapidly while Starship eventually opens entirely new markets in cargo transport, satellite deployment, national defense, and potentially human spaceflight.

The numbers imply extraordinary expectations.

At more than 100 times annual sales, SpaceX would trade at a valuation rarely seen among companies of its size. Such pricing assumes years of continued growth and successful execution.

Any major delays, cost overruns, regulatory setbacks, or technical challenges could quickly alter investor sentiment.

There is also a governance issue that ordinary investors should understand.

Through a special class of super-voting shares, Musk will retain approximately 85% of voting control, meaning public shareholders will have very limited influence over company decisions.

In practical terms, buying SpaceX stock is largely a vote of confidence in Musk’s leadership and long-term vision.

The timing is particularly noteworthy because SpaceX is not the only technology giant preparing to enter public markets.

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, confirmed Monday that it has confidentially filed paperwork for its own public offering. Rival AI company Anthropic reportedly submitted confidential documents approximately a week earlier.

Together, the three companies represent one of the largest concentrations of private-market value ever attempting to enter public markets within a single quarter.

That creates another layer of importance for Friday’s debut.

Whoever lists first often establishes the valuation benchmark for companies that follow. A strong reception for SpaceX could improve conditions for OpenAI and Anthropic. A weak reception could force later offerings to reassess pricing expectations.

For everyday investors, the most important lesson is simple.

The offering price establishes only the starting point. Once trading begins Friday morning, the market will determine what SpaceX is actually worth.

History is filled with highly anticipated IPOs that surged, collapsed, or moved unpredictably once real buyers and sellers entered the market.

For now, SpaceX remains one of the most ambitious companies in the world, combining space exploration, satellite communications, artificial intelligence infrastructure, and national-security contracts under one roof.

Friday will mark the first time public investors have an opportunity to place their own value on that vision.

The filing may have set the price. The market will decide whether it agrees.

JBizNews Desk

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

NEW YORK (AP) — A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency official is set to testify in federal court Tuesday about the U.S. government’s plans for refunding billions of dollars that importers paid before the Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump illegally imposed certain tariffs on goods from most other countries.

Court of International Trade Judge Richard Eaton said he wanted to hear details that would help him decide whether to order the government to speed up and expand its system for issuing tariff refunds. The Justice Department subsequently appealed an earlier order by Eaton to make all businesses that paid the now-defunct import taxes eligible for refunds plus interest.

The Justice Department argued in a court document that only companies that were parties in any of the more than 2.500 lawsuits that challenged the tariffs were legally entitled to seek refunds.

With the dispute now in the hands of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Tuesday’s hearing in New York may provide more clarity about the next phase of the refund process.

First phase of tariff refunds is still ongoing
Eaton ordered Customs and Border Protection in March to create a system by which “all importers of record” could apply for their share of the $166 billion CBP estimated it had collected before the Supreme Court struck down the global tariffs.

The agency launched the online system April 20, saying it would first review applications from importers whose tax bills had not been finalized.

Claims for refunds totaling $89.6 billion had been accepted for processing as of June 1, according to CBP, and the agency reported last month that it had so far directed the Treasury Department to issue $20.6 billion in refunds.

The pace and scope of the process became a contentious matter, however, when Eaton directed CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott to appear in court to discuss the agency’s timeline for complying with the judge’s “universal” order. The Justice Department objected and asked if one of Scott’s deputies could attend the hearing instead.

When Eaton insisted on hearing directly from the head of the agency, Justice Department lawyers appealed both that mandate and the judge’s broader ruling on refund eligibility. On Thursday, the Federal Circuit agreed to temporarily suspend the requirement for Scott to testify.

Eaton agreed to hear from Susan Thomas, the agency’s executive assistant commissioner for trade.

Who gets access to the next phase of tariff refunds
The hearing is expected to focus on CBP’s capability and willingness to open the refund process to companies with tariff payments that date back the farthest.

So far, the agency has limited applications to businesses that either did not have their tax bills finalized by the time the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs in late February or whose bills had been settled within the preceding 80 days.

In a court declaration ahead of the hearing, Thomas said CBP was developing a way to handle refunds involving older shipments but would not process cases beyond the 80-day window while Eaton’s order requiring for all duty payers was on appeal.

“Should the court’s order become final and require reliquidation of entries of all importers, CBP intends to fully comply with the court’s final decision as expeditiously as possible,” she wrote.

At issue is the agency’s detailed and deadline-driven process for reviewing and clearing customs declarations on new imports.

When foreign goods enter the U.S., importers or customs brokers acting on their behalf estimate the amount of tariffs owed and make a deposit toward the final bill. CBP then has 314 days — and up to four years, if necessary — to review the declared goods, determine the actual amount owed, and either require more or less than the deposit.

The taxed merchandise then is pronounced “liquidated.” Importers have 180 days to protest CBP’s determination. Goods typically can’t be reassessed after that point.

Eaton has said he is holding Tuesday’s hearing “to ascertain if it is the government’s policy to return all of the unlawfully collected duties either by complying with the court’s order, or by some other means.”

Lawyers for the five companies behind the lawsuit that produced the judge’s order said it would be unconstitutional for them to pay less tariffs than other companies that also paid the invalidated duties, which the Supreme Court held Trump improperly imposed by citing an emergency powers law to usurp Congress’ taxmaking authority.

The companies have asked Eaton to certify their case as a class action on behalf of “potentially tens of thousands of identically situated importers.”

Meghann Supino, a partner at the law firm Ice Miller, said she thinks CBP will continue to build out the technology needed to refund all tariffs, but “whether they open it up to non-litigants and importers that do not have orders for their own sake is going to continue to be an issue with the appeal.”

Violent disturbances broke out Monday evening near Yerushalayim’s Bar-Ilan Junction, where protesters opposing ongoing light rail construction blocked major roads, set fires, and damaged infrastructure at the work site before police moved in to disperse the demonstration and make arrests.

The unrest centered around the busy intersection, where demonstrators disrupted traffic and engaged in confrontations with police officers attempting to restore order.

According to police, rioters obstructed roadways in the area, ignited fires within the light rail construction zone, and caused significant disruptions to public order. Following the escalation, a police commander formally declared the gathering an unlawful disturbance and instructed participants to leave the area.

Police said that when protesters refused to comply with orders to disperse, officers and Border Police personnel began clearing the streets and intersections, using force where necessary to reopen traffic lanes and reestablish public order.

Authorities later reported that most demonstrators had been pushed back onto nearby sidewalks and that all major roads in the area had been reopened to traffic. Police forces remained on scene afterward to prevent further disturbances.

Amid the unrest, detectives from Yerushalayim’s Lev Habira police station arrested two suspects accused of vandalizing the light rail construction compound.

According to police, the suspects were caught in the act while allegedly damaging equipment and infrastructure at the site. They were subsequently taken into custody and transported to a police station for questioning.

Video from the scene showed one of the arrests being carried out by an undercover detective disguised as a chareidi man, a tactic police occasionally employ during demonstrations to identify and apprehend suspects.

Police characterized the incident as a “serious disturbance of public order” and vowed to pursue criminal charges against those responsible for the vandalism and destruction.

Officials emphasized that the damage was not limited to the construction project itself, describing the actions as an attack on critical public infrastructure and major transportation routes serving the city.

{Matzav.com}

A vehicle fire temporarily shut down County Road 539 in Manchester Township early Tuesday morning, though no injuries were reported.

According to the Manchester Township Police Department, officers responded at approximately 6:39 a.m. on June 9 to the area of County Road 539 and McMahon Avenue following reports of a vehicle fire.

Upon arrival, officers found a black 2006 Toyota Camry fully engulfed in flames. Police confirmed the vehicle was unoccupied and established a safety perimeter while firefighters responded to the scene. County Road 539 was temporarily closed in both directions as crews worked to bring the blaze under control.

The Whiting Volunteer Fire Company responded and successfully contained and extinguished the fire.

The driver, 28-year-old Irving Delacruzchino of New Brunswick, told authorities he experienced engine failure while traveling southbound on County Road 539. After the vehicle came to a stop, he noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment and immediately exited the vehicle.

No passengers were inside the car, and no injuries were reported.

Investigators said the fire does not appear suspicious and was likely caused by an electrical malfunction within the vehicle.

The Manchester Township Police Department thanked the Whiting Volunteer Fire Company for its quick response and professionalism in safely extinguishing the fire and reopening the roadway.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) – El Al Israel Airlines is providing greater flexibility for passengers to change or cancel flights in response to the current security situation and ongoing uncertainty, the carrier announced Tuesday.

The airline said its flight schedule is operating as planned. Customers with tickets for departures through June 13, inclusive, may opt for a credit voucher for future use or change their travel date to the same destination without incurring change fees or fare differences, subject to availability in the same class of service.

“Changes to a new flight date through June 13, 2026 will be permitted with no change fees and no fare difference,” the airline stated.

El Al cautioned that high demand on its flights may limit availability for customers seeking to rebook or cancel.

Passengers who booked through travel agents should contact their agent directly to process any changes or cancellations.

The flexibility comes as Israel continues to navigate regional security challenges, including ongoing tensions with Iranian-backed groups.

Customers are advised to check El Al’s website or contact the airline for the latest details on their specific bookings.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A remarkable discovery has generated considerable interest among Torah scholars and researchers of ancient manuscripts: a manuscript that was long believed to contain Rashi’s commentary on the Torah has recently been identified as the lost manuscript of Rashbam’s Torah commentary. Rashbam was one of the leading Tosafists and the grandson of Rashi, according to a report by Arutz Sheva.

According to the report, the discovery was made by researcher Yisrael Dovitzky. While studying manuscripts attributed to Rashi in the Ginzburg Collection at the National Library of Russia, he noticed details that raised doubts about the manuscript’s true identity.

According to Rabbi Yoel Katan, the investigation revealed that the manuscript had arrived in the Soviet Union after World War II. Because of its incomplete physical condition, and particularly because it begins in the middle of the Book of Genesis and lacks an identifying title, it had been cataloged over the years as a copy of Rashi’s commentary.

This cataloging error accompanied the manuscript for many generations and effectively prevented researchers from recognizing its true significance. Only during Dovitzky’s research into the Ginzburg Collection did it become clear that the manuscript was not Rashi’s commentary at all, but rather a copy of Rashbam’s commentary on the Torah, which had long been considered lost.

Dovitsky wrote on Facebook that “I am proud to share that I have located and identified a manuscript that had long been considered lost: the famous manuscript used by David Rosin when he published his edition of Rashbam’s commentary on the Torah in Breslau in 1881–1882 (Hebrew year 5642). It was housed in the legendary Jewish Theological Seminary of the Fraenckel Foundation in Breslau and was cataloged as Manuscript No. 103. Its location and journey from Breslau to Berlin are currently being investigated.”

The new identification is being viewed as a major breakthrough in the field of Torah manuscript research. Beyond the historical importance of locating a manuscript that had escaped scholars’ attention for generations, the discovery also provides valuable new material for the study of Rashbam’s commentary, one of the most important Torah commentaries of the medieval Rishonim period.

In the world of Torah scholarship, the discovery is being hailed as a significant milestone. It brings to a close a long period of uncertainty surrounding the manuscript’s fate and restores to public attention a Torah work that had been regarded as lost for many years.

IDF forces on Tuesday eliminated a terrorist who infiltrated Israel from Lebanon near the Ramim Ridge and opened fire on troops operating in the area.

The IDF forces returned fire and eliminated him.

The terrorist, who was armed with a gun and a knife, was spotted a short distance from the security fence after crossing the border.

The incident, considered highly unusual because the border area was considered clear of Hezbollah infrastructure, triggered the activation of the military’s infiltration-response protocol and prompted a large-scale security operation in the area.

Following the incident, residents of nearby yishuvim were instructed to remain indoors, while local emergency response teams were placed on heightened alert.

The IDF launched extensive searches to determine whether additional suspects had crossed the border and to ensure there was no ongoing threat to nearby towns and villages. Israeli Air Force aircraft were also dispatched to assist in the operation.

Residents of Misgav Am, Margaliot, and Manara were directed by local security officials to stay inside their homes and avoid unnecessary movement.

As a precaution, Route 886 along the Ramim Ridge, connecting Yiftach and Manara, was temporarily closed to traffic.

In a statement, the IDF said: “The incident remains ongoing. IDF forces continue conducting searches, alongside Israeli Air Force aircraft operating in the area. The IDF remains in continuous contact with local authorities.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

President Donald Trump insists that the United States will sign a deal with Iran within days and declare “total victory” over Tehran within two weeks, his latest in a series of timelines for ending a conflict that has repeatedly slipped past his predicted deadlines.

Speaking during a campaign tele-rally for Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, Trump said the talks with Tehran had not stopped during the recent escalation in violence, signaling that a deal to formally end the war could be reached within “one or two days from now.”

“We’ve been a very tough team, and I think we are winning that battle, but you’re really going to win it over the next two weeks when we declare total victory,” Trump said. “It’ll be a total victory. It’ll happen very soon, and oil prices will come tumbling down.”

The president repeated the claims hours later to reporters on the tarmac at John F. Kennedy International Airport, after attending Game 3 of the NBA Finals in New York. Trump said a deal could be completed “within two or three days,” adding, “Iran and Israel have been trading blows with force, and now both have agreed, through me, to stop.” He described the negotiations as being “in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal that will not allow in any way, shape, or form nuclear weapons.”

Trump also predicted an immediate effect on global energy markets. “The Strait will open up right away, it’ll open up immediately upon signing, which could be in two or three days,” he said, referring to the Strait of Hormuz.

The remarks came after Iran and Israel agreed to halt a sudden weekend exchange of strikes that had threatened to collapse a fragile ceasefire. Trump maintained that backroom diplomacy with Tehran was yielding results, saying, “We’re negotiating now, and they want to make a very good deal. They’re willing to give us everything, they’re willing to give us no nuclear weapon.”

It is not the first time Trump has set a two-week clock on the conflict. It has been more than two months since he announced a ceasefire with Iran, saying at the time that the two sides were close to a deal. Trump said on social media on April 7 that the parties were “very far along” but needed two weeks for “the Agreement to be finalized and consummated.” No resolution followed.

The original ceasefire, announced April 7, was itself structured around a 14-day window. That truce was intended to last just 14 days, giving both sides time to finalize a broader agreement ending hostilities — a timeline that has long since passed. A day after that announcement, Trump told AFP the United States had won a “total and complete victory,” calling it “100 per cent. No question about it.”

The pattern stretches back further still. On June 19, 2025, as Israel and Iran fought a 12-day war, Trump said a decision on whether the US would intervene would come “within two weeks.” The US bombed three Iranian nuclear sites days later, on June 22. In a Monday analysis, CNN noted that despite repeated assurances negotiations were days or weeks from completion, no agreement has materialized.

The central obstacle to a durable deal remains unresolved: Iran has tied any lasting ceasefire to a halt in Israeli operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Trump told Sky News he did not expect renewed fighting, saying, “I don’t think Israel will go back to fighting Iran… Everything is going well.”

But the conditions that nearly unraveled the truce remain in place. When the original pause was announced, Netanyahu’s office clarified that it applied only to direct US-Iran hostilities and did not extend to Lebanon, indicating Israeli operations there could continue. Iranian officials have repeatedly said any lasting ceasefire must include a halt to Israeli operations in Lebanon and have linked progress on a broader US-Iran deal to de-escalation along the Lebanon front.

Those tensions flared again this month. On June 4, Hezbollah rejected a ceasefire proposal agreed upon by Israel and Lebanon after US-led negotiations, with the group’s leader, Naim Qassem, saying it was concerned only with “a comprehensive cessation of aggression, a cease-fire, and the withdrawal of Israel.” Iran has said it will not agree to a ceasefire with the US and Israel unless there is one in Lebanon.

The weekend escalation that prompted Trump’s latest comments followed that breakdown. By Monday evening, Netanyahu said the fighting with Iran had stopped “for now” while warning that Israel would retaliate if attacked. The pause leaves open whether the truce can hold, with Israel’s fighting in Lebanon, Iran’s backing of Hezbollah, and the US-Iran talks now tied together in a volatile regional standoff.

One point of contention underscored the gap between Trump’s framing and the facts on the ground. Despite Iran never having possessed a nuclear weapon, Trump has repeatedly called for Tehran to surrender its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which he has dubbed “nuclear dust.” “It is a phenomenal deal,” he said. “We are getting everything we wanted.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Knesset Finance Committee advanced a bill Tuesday that would restore daycare subsidies for children of Charedi yeshiva students affected by draft-related restrictions, sending the proposal to its first Knesset reading.

In August 2024, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara instructed the Labor Ministry to stop daycare subsidies for children of Charedi yeshiva students who did not comply with draft orders, arguing that after the High Court ruled Charedi community members must be drafted, the state could no longer fund benefits for those who did not enlist.

The legislation, sponsored by the Charedi United Torah Judaism party, would prevent the government from factoring a yeshiva student’s draft status into daycare eligibility or admission priorities. Instead, eligibility would be based only on the child’s mother’s employment or educational status.

The committee also amended the proposal to provide reservists with priority in daycare admissions and subsidy calculations, following requests from committee chairman Hanoch Milwidsky and other lawmakers.

The bill’s sponsor, Degel HaTorah chairman MK Moshe Gafni, welcomed the committee’s decision, saying, “We are ensuring that women will be able to go out to work and earn a respectable livelihood.”

Justice Ministry representatives opposed the bill, telling lawmakers that even if it passes, families where the father is considered a draft refuser would still not qualify for daycare benefits under the government’s own rules.

The bill passed a preliminary vote last month after reports that Gafni threatened to support a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 Hamas attack unless the legislation moved forward. The coalition opposes such a commission and is instead seeking a different investigative framework.

The daycare subsidy bill is expected to reach the Knesset plenum Wednesday for its first reading.

At least two American citizens, including an Iranian Jewish businessman, have been officially designated by the United States as being wrongfully detained in Iran, a classification that triggers additional legal and diplomatic mechanisms aimed at securing their release.

The issue gained renewed attention after President Donald Trump was asked during an NBC interview aired Sunday whether any future agreement with Iran would include provisions for the release of detained Americans.

“Not everybody really has an accurate list of who they are, what they are, or whether they are being held,” Trump said.

Despite Trump’s comments, the cases of two Americans whom the State Department has formally identified as wrongfully detained have received significant attention in recent months.

One of them is 71-year-old Kamran Hekmati, an Iranian Jewish dual citizen who traveled to Israel 14 years ago to celebrate his son’s bar mitzvah. Hekmati, who holds both American and Iranian citizenship, returned to Iran about a year ago for a brief family visit and was subsequently arrested and sentenced to two years in prison.

A jeweler and business owner in Manhattan’s Diamond District, Hekmati was detained in July 2025 and has remained incarcerated in Tehran’s Evin Prison ever since. Iranian authorities arrested him at the airport, alleging that he violated a law prohibiting Iranian citizens from visiting Israel. Although he emigrated to the United States at age 13, he entered Iran using an Iranian passport, as required under Iranian law, which does not recognize dual citizenship.

The second detainee is Reza Valizadeh, a 50-year-old journalist who also holds dual Iranian-American citizenship. After leaving Iran in 2009, Valizadeh returned in March 2024 to visit his elderly parents. According to reports, a senior commander in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had assured him that he would not encounter problems if he returned. Nevertheless, he was arrested by the Revolutionary Guards in September 2024.

Since his detention, Valizadeh has reportedly been interrogated and held in solitary confinement. He was later sentenced to ten years in prison on charges of “collaboration with a hostile government,” a broadly defined accusation frequently used by Iranian authorities against dual nationals and critics of the regime. His family and supporters contend that he was denied due process. In May 2025, the U.S. Secretary of State officially designated him as wrongfully detained.

Both men have now spent more than a year behind bars, and concerns regarding their health and welfare continue to mount. Family members told CNN that Hekmati is suffering from bladder cancer.

Attorneys representing the families said they were informed earlier this year that American negotiators are aware of the detainees’ cases. Another source involved in the matter reportedly said the names of the prisoners had already been provided to members of the U.S. negotiating team.

Valizadeh recently succeeded in sending an audio recording from Evin Prison to CBS News. In the recording, he referred to three additional American citizens being held at the notorious Tehran facility and claimed that all of them suffer from “various illnesses” while being denied adequate medical treatment.

When asked about detained Americans during Sunday’s NBC interview, Trump expressed a willingness to become involved in efforts to bring them home.

“If you give me their names, I’ll do my best to bring them home,” Trump said.

{Matzav.com}

GENERAL SANTOS, Philippines (AP) — Rescuers searched ruined buildings in the southern Philippines on Tuesday to ensure no one was still trapped a day after one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the country in a half-century killed at least 37 people and displaced more than 32,000.

Only four people were considered missing on official records in the southern provinces near where the 7.8 magnitude quake struck Monday morning, but the Office of Civil Defense acknowledged several collapsed and heavily damaged buildings must be thoroughly inspected for possible survivors or casualties.

The earthquake centered off Mindanao, the second most populous Philippine island, injured nearly 500 people and displaced more than 32,000, most of whom fled to emergency shelters.

Many people who left their homes feared a tsunami. Waves up to 1.4-meters (4.6-feet) above tide level were measured in the Philippines, but the only tsunami damage reported was to six shanties on stilts in a coastal village. Smaller waves washed ashore in Indonesia and Palau and as far away as southern Japan.

Landslides and building collapses caused several deaths
The earthquake left a trail of destruction, including in General Santos, a lively coastal city of more than 700,000 people known as the country’s tuna capital, where at least 13 people were killed in collapsed buildings and due to falling debris.

At least 18 died in Sarangani province, mostly in a landslide that buried houses in the mountainside town of Glan, according to Rafaelito Alejandro of the Office of Civil Defense.

The other deaths were reported in the southern provinces of South Cotabato and Davao Occidental, and on Balut Island, disaster response officials said.

About 2,500 houses and 117 government buildings and facilities were damaged in several provinces, according to an initial government damage assessment. The international airport in General Santos remained shut for a second day, forcing the cancellation of 63 domestic flights except for those on humanitarian missions.

About 6,000 public school buildings in quake-hit provinces must be assessed before classes can resume. The quake struck on the first day of classes nationwide after a two-month summer break, and many who sustained injuries were young students who had gathered with excitement for morning flag-raising ceremonies.

Authorities have warned that buildings that sustained cracks could collapse due to aftershocks, some of them dangerously powerful.

“We cannot force the immediate reopening of schools because we have to ensure the integrity of the buildings,” Alejandro said.

It was the strongest Philippine quake since 1976
Monday’s earthquake was centered at sea at a depth of 33 kilometers (20 miles), about 32 kilometers (20 miles) southwest of Maasim town in Sarangani province.

It was set off by movement in the Cotabato Trench and was the strongest since the same undersea depression triggered an 8.1-magnitude quake that whipped up tsunami waves on Aug. 17, 1976, said Teresito Bacolcol, the director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

About 8,000 people died from that quake and tsunami waves of up to 8 to 10 meters (26 to 33 feet) that engulfed several towns and provinces, Bacolcol said.

The Philippine seismological institute was scheduled to commemorate the anniversary of the 1976 quake and tsunami in August by installing markers to remind vulnerable towns and cities of the need for constant vigilance, Bacolcol told The Associated Press.

A 1990 earthquake that also had a magnitude of 7.8 left more than 1,000 people dead, injured thousands and caused extensive damages in northern provinces and cities.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. deployed top defense-mitigation officials from Manila to help oversee search and rescue, the distribution of tens of thousands of food packs and construction materials to quake victims and assess damage to bridges, roads and other infrastructure.

The United States, a treaty ally of the Philippines, said it was coordinating with Manila and was ready to support Philippine response efforts. France, Japan and New Zealand also expressed support.

The Philippines is often hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the ocean.

The archipelago is also battered by about 20 typhoons and tropical storms each year, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.

Iran said Tuesday that two people were killed in the latest Israeli airstrikes, identifying them as employees of its Defense Ministry, backtracking on an earlier claim in which officials had said the attacks caused no deaths.

The acknowledgment marked a shift from Iran’s initial messaging. After Israel struck targets across the country early Monday, Iran’s National Emergency Medical Organization reported at least 15 people wounded and said no fatalities had been recorded so far. Iranian authorities did not immediately release further identifying details about the two Defense Ministry personnel or say where they were killed.

The strikes were part of the most serious escalation since a ceasefire reached April 8 ended the first phase of the 2026 Iran war, which began Feb. 28. The sequence began Sunday, when Israel struck a Hezbollah stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut. The strike came after Tehran had warned it would resume its suspended operations against Israel if Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon continued. Hours later, Iran fired missiles at the Ramat David Air Base in northern Israel — its first direct attack on Israeli territory since the April ceasefire — with the Revolutionary Guard confirming the use of air-launched ballistic missiles.

Israel responded overnight into Monday. The IDF said it hit surface-to-surface missile launch sites and military infrastructure across western and central Iran while explicitly excluding energy-sector targets, with residents reporting explosions in Tehran, Tabriz and Isfahan. Iran launched several further waves of missiles at Israel through Monday, and Yemen’s Houthi rebels fired at Israel and threatened to disrupt Red Sea shipping.

The exchange unfolded against pressure from Washington to de-escalate. President Trump telephoned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the escalation, urging Israel not to retaliate, but Netanyahu proceeded with limited strikes.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

NEW YORK — U.S. stocks opened higher Tuesday as investors returned to technology shares after last week’s sharp selloff, while easing oil prices helped improve sentiment across the market.

Shortly after the opening bell, all four major U.S. indexes were in positive territory. The S&P 500 rose 0.63%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.67%, the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.69%, and the Russell 2000 climbed 0.77%, according to market data.

The gains follow a volatile stretch for Wall Street. Last Friday, the Nasdaq suffered its largest one-day decline since April 2025, falling 4.18% as semiconductor stocks plunged and erased roughly $1 trillion in market value. Markets stabilized Monday, and investors appeared more willing to buy back into the sector Tuesday morning.

Oil Prices Ease as Middle East Tensions Cool

One factor helping markets was a pullback in oil prices.

Investors have been closely monitoring the conflict between Iran and Israel, which has rattled energy markets for months due to concerns about disruptions to global oil supplies.

President Donald Trump has been attempting to preserve a fragile ceasefire between the two sides. While tensions remain elevated, Iran’s military said it had halted strikes against Israel while warning that military action could resume if Israeli operations continue in Lebanon.

The prospect of fewer immediate threats to energy infrastructure helped push crude prices lower, offering some relief to businesses and consumers concerned about rising fuel costs.

For investors, lower oil prices generally reduce inflation pressures and improve profit outlooks for transportation, manufacturing, and consumer-focused companies.

World Cup Hiring Boosts Economic Optimism

Another factor supporting markets is the surprisingly strong U.S. labor market.

Economists had expected employers to add roughly 80,000 jobs in May. Instead, the economy added 172,000 jobs, significantly outperforming forecasts.

Several analysts attributed part of the increase to hiring tied to the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which begins in the United States on June 11 and is expected to generate increased demand across hospitality, transportation, security, food service, and entertainment sectors.

The stronger hiring data reinforced expectations that consumer spending remains resilient despite ongoing concerns about inflation and higher borrowing costs.

Smucker Delivers Earnings Surprise

One of Tuesday morning’s biggest gainers was J.M. Smucker Co., the owner of well-known brands including Folgers, Jif, and Hostess.

Shares climbed nearly 6% after the company reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results.

According to the company’s earnings release, quarterly net sales reached approximately $2.3 billion, up 6%, while adjusted earnings per share rose 20% to $2.77.

Chief Executive Officer Mark Smucker said the company finished its fiscal year with strong momentum and believes its portfolio remains well-positioned.

Investors appeared willing to overlook management’s cautious outlook.

The company forecast fiscal 2027 sales could decline 3% to 4%, reflecting continued pressure on household budgets as consumers remain selective about grocery spending. Smucker expects adjusted earnings per share between $9.75 and $10.25 and projects approximately $1 billion in free cash flow.

The results suggest that while consumers continue buying staple products, many remain focused on value amid persistent economic uncertainty.

Semiconductor Stocks Lead the Rebound

The semiconductor sector remained at the center of investor attention.

Several chip-related stocks posted strong gains after suffering steep losses in recent weeks.

Lam Research surged 7.5%, while Sandisk rose roughly 7% after analysts at Mizuho and Bank of America Securities increased their price targets on the company.

Not every technology stock participated in the rebound.

Qualcomm fell 4.4%, Marvell Technology dropped 4.2%, and Workday slipped 4%, highlighting continued investor caution toward some of the market’s highest-valued technology names.

The mixed performance underscores an ongoing debate on Wall Street over which companies can justify lofty valuations following years of strong growth driven by artificial intelligence and semiconductor demand.

What It Means for Consumers

For everyday Americans, Tuesday’s market action points to several encouraging trends.

Lower oil prices could translate into some relief at the gas pump if declines continue. Strong hiring suggests employers remain confident enough to keep adding workers. Meanwhile, consumer-focused companies such as Smucker continue reporting healthy profits, even as shoppers remain price-conscious.

Still, investors remain cautious.

The same issues that sparked last week’s selloff — elevated technology valuations, geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East, and questions about future consumer spending — remain unresolved.

Tuesday’s rally may indicate confidence is returning, but markets are likely to remain sensitive to economic data, corporate earnings, and developments overseas in the weeks ahead.

JBizNews Desk — Markets

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Kids and Car Safety is sounding the alarm after 10 children were killed in backover and frontover incidents across the United States in just 18 days, highlighting a largely hidden safety crisis that continues to devastate families nationwide.

These tragedies occur when a driver, often a parent or close family member, unknowingly strikes a child who is in a vehicle’s blindzone while pulling forward or backing up. Most incidents happen in driveways, parking lots, and other off-roadway areas where children are expected to be safe. Children age 5 and under are the most at-risk due to their small size and limited cognitive ability to understand danger.

The recent deaths come as America’s vehicle fleet continues to grow larger. Today, approximately 80% of new vehicles sold in the United States are SUVs, pickups, and other large vehicles, creating larger blindzones around vehicles and making it increasingly difficult for drivers to see small children in front, on the side and behind vehicles.

“Ten children gone in just eighteen days is heartbreaking and unacceptable,” said Amber Rollins, Executive Director of Kids and Car Safety. “Parents are doing what they’ve done for generations—backing out of driveways, pulling into parking spaces, moving vehicles a few feet—and in an instant their lives are changed forever. As vehicles continue to get larger and taller, the danger to children who cannot be seen around these vehicles continues to grow. You cannot avoid hitting something you cannot see.”

The incidents are as follows:

Date

City

State

Child Age

5/22/2026

Auburn

WA

7 yrs

5/23/2026

New Smyrna Beach

FL

2 yrs

5/23/2026

Sisters

OR

6 yrs

5/24/2026

Casselberry

FL

14 mos

5/30/2026

Aumsville

OR

1 yr

6/2/2026

Pryor

OK

1 yr

6/5/2026

Oklahoma City

OK

1 yr

6/5/2026

Opdyke

IL

18 mos

6/7/2026

Phoenix

AZ

Toddler

6/8/2026

Des Moines

IA

8 yrs

Research has shown that many SUVs and pickup trucks have front blind zones extending several feet in front of the vehicle. Young children can be completely invisible to a driver, even when using mirrors and looking carefully.

While rearview cameras have helped reduce backover incidents, children continue to be struck both behind and in front of vehicles every week. Safety advocates stress that technology alone is not enough and that increased awareness, improved vehicle design, and additional detection technologies are needed to prevent these tragedies.

Kids and Car Safety recommends that drivers:

• Safeguard doors leading to outside in your home with childproof doorknob covers and stick on alarms to prevent young children from leaving the home unnoticed
• Walk completely around their vehicle before moving it and scan the area for children.
• Always know where children are before getting behind the wheel.
• Carry young children, use strollers or hold young children’s hands in parking lots and driveways.
• Ensure direct supervision of all children anytime someone is leaving or expected to arrive at home.
• Utilize available vehicle safety technologies, but never rely on them exclusively.
• If your vehicle does not have a rearview camera, one can be installed aftermarket.

“Every one of these children had a future,” Rollins said. “These are not freak accidents. They are predictable, preventable events, and we have the knowledge and technology to stop them.”

A federal judge struck down President Donald Trump’s $100,000 fee on H-1B visas on Monday, June 8, 2026, handing a major reprieve to the technology companies, hospitals, universities, and research institutions that depend on the program to hire highly skilled foreign workers.

In a 42-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin of Massachusetts agreed with the plaintiffs that the fee amounted to an unauthorized tax rather than a standard regulatory charge.

“The President has no authority to levy a tax unless such a power is delegated by Congress through statute,” Sorokin wrote.

The challenge was brought by a coalition of 20 state attorneys general, who argued that the administration exceeded its authority by imposing such a dramatic fee increase without congressional approval.

The judge relied in part on recent Supreme Court precedent limiting executive authority to impose taxes and similar charges absent clear authorization from Congress.

The fee represented a dramatic increase from what employers traditionally paid.

Before the change, companies generally spent several thousand dollars to obtain an H-1B visa. The administration argued that dramatically increasing the cost would discourage overreliance on foreign labor and encourage employers to hire American workers instead.

Supporters said the fee would help protect domestic jobs.

Critics said it would effectively shut off access to specialized talent needed by many industries.

The numbers suggest the fee had a substantial impact.

According to government figures, only 85 payments of the $100,000 fee had been received as of mid-February, a remarkably small number for a visa program that typically supports tens of thousands of workers annually.

For employers, Monday’s ruling removes a significant obstacle.

The H-1B program provides 65,000 visas annually, plus an additional 20,000 visas for workers holding advanced degrees. Technology companies, hospitals, universities, pharmaceutical firms, and engineering companies rely heavily on the program to recruit specialized talent.

The fight, however, is not over.

The administration immediately signaled its intention to appeal the ruling, arguing that the policy remains an important part of broader efforts to prioritize American workers.

Separately, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups continue to challenge the policy through additional legal actions.

The stakes are substantial on both sides.

Supporters view stricter visa policies as a way to encourage domestic hiring and workforce development. Opponents argue that limiting access to highly skilled workers ultimately weakens American competitiveness and could push innovation, research, and investment overseas.

The ruling also affects thousands of prospective workers around the world, particularly in countries such as India, where many professionals seek employment opportunities in the United States through the H-1B program.

For now, the visa program returns to its previous cost structure.

But with appeals already expected and multiple legal challenges still working their way through the courts, businesses face the same challenge they often dislike most: uncertainty.

Companies planning hiring needs months or years in advance must now determine whether Monday’s victory represents a permanent change or merely a temporary pause in a much larger legal battle.

JBizNews Desk

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[Videos below.] LAKEWOOD, NJ — Thousands of lomdim packed the main dining room of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood on Monday as Rav Yisroel Bunim Schreiber, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Nesiv Hadaas, delivered a highly anticipated shiur klali that sparked an intense and spirited Torah discussion.

Rav Schreiber, who is currently visiting the United States on behalf of Keren Olam HaTorah, arrived at BMG’s main campus in Lakewood, where he addressed the large gathering of bnei hayeshiva.

Rav Schreiber focused his presentation on the sugya of tavra v’shasya in Maseches Bava Kamma. As the shiur progressed, it developed into a powerful display of rischa d’Oraisa, with vigorous discussion and debate filling the room.

“The tzibbur drank in Reb Bunim’s words with thirst, and the roshei yeshiva joined the spirited discussion, which was entirely geshmak,” one attendee said.

Among those actively participating in the back-and-forth discussion was Rav Avrohom Birnbaum, son of the late Mirrer rosh yeshiva Rav Shmuel Birnbaum zt”l, who, characteristically, engaged Rav Schreiber in a lively exchange on the sugya.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

JERUSALEM (VINnews) – Israel’s prison system is facing severe overcrowding as the number of security prisoners has nearly doubled to about 10,000 since the start of the Iron Swords War, creating major operational and security challenges, according to a new report by State Comptroller Matanyahu Engelmann.

Facilities operated by the Israel Prison Service and the Israel Defense Forces are operating well beyond their designed capacity, the report found. The cramped conditions are disrupting basic operations, security protocols and the ability to manage high-risk inmates.

The overcrowding is also straining the Shin Bet internal security agency, hindering interrogations and administrative detentions, the comptroller’s office said. Officials warned that the situation could weaken Israel’s overall capacity to address ongoing security threats.

“The sharp rise in security-related detentions has overwhelmed existing infrastructure,” the report stated, highlighting problems that extend beyond mere lack of space to broader issues affecting national security infrastructure.

Engelmann urged the government to declare prison expansion an urgent national project, which would expedite funding, planning and construction of new facilities or upgrades to existing ones. Such a designation would give the effort priority similar to other critical defense needs.

The audit is part of a series examining the wide-ranging effects of the Iron Swords War on Israeli society. It underscores immediate logistical and humanitarian concerns within the prison system as well as the longer-term need for resilient infrastructure to support national security during prolonged conflicts.

Without swift action, the report cautioned, the crisis risks creating deeper security vulnerabilities and further breakdowns in the penal system.

For Noble Black and his New York-based mega team Noble Black & Partners, 2025 was an eventful year. Not only did the team of 25 licensed agents close 220 transaction sides totaling $546.03 million in sales volume, earning the team the No. 7 rank in the nation among mega teams for sales volume in the 2026 RealTrends Verified The Thousand, but after a decade at Douglas Elliman, the team moved to Corcoran in September 2025.

The move was a homecoming of sorts for team lead Black, who had previously been brokered with the Anywhere brand. 

“Culture was part of why we moved to Corcoran from Elliman last year,” Black said. “Culture has always been important at Corcoran — what they value, how they treat people — and I think everyone on the team has recognized and really appreciated the support, culture and how well the company is run, since we moved here.” 

Black acknowledges that a team the size of his is not typical for Corcoran and he is grateful for the support of Pamela Liebman, the president and CEO of Corcoran. 

“With Corcoran we appreciate that it is such an established brand and Pam just runs a great business and she makes very logical business decisions that are good for the health of the overall company,” Black said. “For us that was really important, plus the systems, the advertising, the staff here — they are all amazing. It is a great backbone for us to build our business off of.” 

Building a team

He added that Liebman is also a great mentor, something he greatly values and something that he has worked to cultivate in his team, creating a collaborative culture among the agents. 

“I think there are so many teams out there that are just a bunch of agents putting their numbers together to get a ranking, but we are very much a team in the sense that people are pitching in to help each other out with showings or sharing information   — it is just a very collaborative group,” he said. 

Having worked so hard to create this collaborative, tight knit group, Black said he is very careful with who he adds to the team. 

“There have been cases where I have foregone hiring somebody because I didn’t think they were a fit personality-wise or ethics-wise because I want my people to enjoy working with one another,” Black said. “We are not looking to grow for the sake of growing. I am very aware of the downside of having a bigger team because it makes it harder to keep that culture and it’s harder to make everyone feel like they are valuable and that they have time to work with me.” 

While Black is selective about who he brings into the team, one person he now couldn’t imagine running the team without is COO Jamie Gagliano.

“Jamie joined me going on four years ago and that has been the biggest difference,” Black said. “I really wanted someone that could help organize the team structure and we are very big on making sure we meet a certain standard of service we are delivering to clients and she has been so good with that. Having her part of the team is what has allowed us to produce the larger numbers we are now and do things like open up a wing of the team in the Hamptons.” 

While Black is thrilled with where his career has gone, he said he never thought he would be the guy with a team of over 20 agents. 

“I’ve been doing real estate for 22 years now and about two years in it became clear that I have more business than what I could handle on my own, so I hired somebody and then eventually needed to hire a second and a third and we’ve grown from there,” Black said. 

Market conditions

As he looks ahead to the rest of the year, despite the continued slow market conditions and the recently enacted “pied-à-terre” tax enacted in New York, Black said he and his team are looking to continue to grow and improve productivity. 

“The main lesson for us that we keep coming back to is that there are always going to be people buying and selling, so it is important that we always know what we are talking about from the latest market conditions to home values and then just making sure we are delivering a product that is at the very top of the market,” Black said. “We want to be distinct from others in the city and make sure that we are putting their interests ahead of ours.”

Over the past 30 years, the S&P 500 index has generated a total return of 1,770% (as of June 5). That performance supports the view that the stock market is one of the best asset classes for growing your wealth. A starting sum of $10,000 in this benchmark in June 1996 would be worth $187,000 today. The gains have been even more remarkable over the past decade.

Understanding that this kind of performance can have a profound impact on your financial well-being, it might be time for new investors to direct some of their savings into the stock market. Given how daunting it might seem, it can be difficult to figure out where to even begin.

Here’s where Warren Buffett comes into the picture. The great investor is also a wonderful educator whose advice is well worth considering. If you’re new to the stock market this month, listen to the Oracle of Omaha’s suggestion.

WARREN BUFFETT ERA ENDS AFTER 60 YEARS AS CEO WITH GREG ABEL TAKING OVER

Buffett is known for his exceptional capital allocation skills, having compounded Berkshire Hathaway’s share price at a yearly clip of almost 20% for six decades before stepping down as CEO at the end of last year. But his advice for most investors is surprisingly simple. He basically recommends buying a low-cost S&P 500 index fund.

This perspective probably comes from the fact that the average person doesn’t have the time, ability, or desire to want to pick individual stocks and manage a portfolio. And it stems from the inability of expert fund managers to beat the market.

THIS SECTOR HAS DOMINATED ETF RETURNS SO FAR IN 2026

Active management strategies generally have a bad track record. Data shows that the vast majority of large-cap fund managers lose to the S&P 500 over the long term. Whether these professionals trade too often, charge high fees, or just aren’t adept portfolio managers, that is a very disappointing statistic. And it makes you wonder why more investors don’t choose the passive route.

One of the best options is the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. It comes with an extremely low expense ratio of 0.03%. Over several years and decades, investors will pay a significantly smaller amount than what active managers typically charge. The difference leaves more money in your pocket.

This ETF tracks the S&P 500 index, so its holdings match the benchmark. The top five holdings are Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet, clearly showing a strong position within the information technology sector. Investors will certainly be exposed to all things related to artificial intelligence.

However, it’s worth pointing out that this ETF contains all sectors of the economy. It’s essentially a hassle-free method for gaining broad market exposure.

The S&P 500 index today trades at a historically expensive valuation, calling into question the benchmark’s return potential. While the phenomenal trailing 10-year total return of 316% might not repeat, I think it still makes sense to invest in the stock market.

TAP INTO THE HUMANOID ROBOTICS BOOM WITH THIS ETF

Profit growth and margins are robust. And the companies leading the charge, some of which were mentioned already, are some of the most dominant businesses the world has ever seen, so they deserve the market’s appreciation.

If the current valuation is a real concern for you, then consider adopting a dollar-cost averaging (DCA) strategy. By doing so, you could allocate fresh savings to the market on a monthly or quarterly basis, virtually eliminating the need to accurately assess what the correct starting valuation should be.

And even adding small sums of money to a DCA approach can lead to tremendous long-term results. Let’s say you initially invest $10,000 into the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. But then every single month, you invest $100. Assuming the historical 10% annualized total return holds true, you’d have $382,000 after 30 years. Of course, if you put more money to work, the ending figure will be larger.

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Neil Patel has positions in Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Berkshire Hathaway, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

An eight-month-old baby became the first to receive an experimental gene therapy treatment for a serious genetic disorder in which a missing gene causes intractable epilepsy, in another medical miracle story coming out of Israel this month.

In addition to epilepsy, the disorder causes developmental delays and, frequently, premature death. While the mutation is found worldwide, it is particularly prevalent among Yemeni Jews.

From left to right: Dr. Dror Kraus, Dr. Naama Orenstein and Prof. Rami Aqeilan. (From a post on X)

The groundbreaking research on the WWOX gene was laid by Prof. Rami Aqeilan of the Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research at the university’s Faculty of Medicine in a pioneering collaboration between Jewish and Arab scientists. Dr. Naama Orenstein and Dr. Dror Kraus of Schneider Children’s Medical Center performed the surgery in May, injecting healthy copies of the WWOX gene directly into the infant’s brain neurons. The baby is now home and doing well.

“What began as a scientific effort to understand the biological function of a gene has now become a potential treatment for children suffering from one of the most severe forms of epilepsy,” Aqeilan said.

LONDON — Londoners may soon be able to hail an Uber with no human behind the wheel. British autonomous-driving company Wayve said Monday, June 8, that it is ready to launch a robotaxi service with Uber in London as early as this summer, marking a major step in Uber’s global strategy to expand autonomous rides. The move follows Uber’s growing partnerships with self-driving leaders including Waymo, which already provides driverless rides through the Uber app in several U.S. markets.

The rollout will begin cautiously. Kaity Fischer, Wayve’s Vice President of Operations, said the initial launch will involve dozens of vehicles rather than hundreds. The company has been testing autonomous-driving technology on London’s streets since 2018 and says the vehicles are ready for public use.

The first rides will not be fully driverless.

Wayve said trained, licensed Uber drivers will initially remain in the vehicles as safety supervisors while the company builds a public safety record and earns regulatory confidence. The company has not announced a timeline for when those supervisors might eventually be removed.

That cautious approach reflects the challenge facing the technology.

London is widely regarded as one of the most difficult cities in the world for autonomous vehicles. Unlike many modern cities built on grid systems, London’s roads evolved over centuries and are crowded with buses, black cabs, cyclists, delivery vehicles, construction zones, and millions of pedestrians.

If self-driving technology can successfully navigate London, supporters argue, it could work almost anywhere.

For Uber, the pilot is about much more than London.

The ride-hailing giant has spent years repositioning itself for a future where autonomous vehicles become a core part of its business. Rather than building its own self-driving technology, Uber has partnered with leading autonomous-driving companies around the world.

The company’s partnership with Waymo, owned by Alphabet, has already expanded driverless rides through the Uber app in several U.S. cities. Riders in those markets can request rides that are fulfilled by Waymo’s autonomous vehicles while still using the Uber platform.

The Wayve partnership brings that strategy into Europe.

London represents Uber’s largest announced autonomous-vehicle pilot on the continent and could become a blueprint for future launches across major European cities.

For Wayve, the launch marks the beginning of a broader global strategy.

The company says London is expected to be the first of more than ten cities where it plans to deploy autonomous vehicles, with additional launches anticipated in markets including Tokyo later this year.

Unlike some competitors, Wayve relies heavily on artificial intelligence rather than highly detailed pre-mapped routes. The company argues that approach allows its vehicles to adapt more naturally to new environments and changing road conditions.

That sets up a direct competition with Waymo, currently considered the leader in commercial robotaxi operations.

Waymo already operates driverless ride services in several U.S. cities and continues expanding. The emerging battle between Waymo and Wayve is about more than technology. It is about who controls what could become a transportation market worth tens of billions of dollars globally.

The British government has strongly supported the technology.

Officials have argued that autonomous vehicles could improve road safety, increase transportation access, and create new economic opportunities. Government projections estimate self-driving technology could contribute £42 billion to the UK economy and support approximately 38,000 jobs in the years ahead.

Those projections helped persuade policymakers to accelerate rules allowing commercial autonomous-vehicle testing.

Not everyone is enthusiastic.

The technology raises significant questions about employment.

Uber’s platform relies on drivers, and London’s iconic black-cab industry employs thousands of people. While safety drivers will remain during the initial phase, the long-term goal of robotaxi technology is to eliminate the need for human drivers altogether.

How quickly that transition occurs remains one of the most controversial aspects of autonomous transportation.

Safety remains the central question.

Supporters argue autonomous vehicles never become distracted, fatigued, intoxicated, or emotionally impaired. They point to data suggesting self-driving systems may ultimately prove safer than human drivers.

Critics counter that the technology still faces real-world challenges. Reports involving autonomous vehicles operating in the United States have highlighted incidents ranging from navigation errors to traffic violations and unexpected driving behavior.

The success or failure of London’s pilot will ultimately depend less on promises and more on performance.

For ordinary Londoners, however, the coming change may feel remarkably simple.

Within months, opening the Uber app could result in a vehicle arriving at the curb with no one sitting behind the wheel.

Whether that becomes a routine part of city life or remains a technological experiment will depend on how those first vehicles perform on some of the most challenging streets in the world.

JBizNews Desk — Europe

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Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) built its reputation as the backbone of decentralized finance – and for years, its fee revenue reflected that status. But Ethereum fee revenue has collapsed dramatically over the past two years, raising serious questions about the network’s long-term value proposition and what the Ethereum future projection looks like for investors. This article breaks down what Ethereum fee revenue is, why it collapsed, and what it means for ETH going forward.

What Is Ethereum Fee Revenue?

Every transaction on the Ethereum network requires a fee – known as gas – paid in ETH. These fees compensate validators who process and secure transactions, and a portion is permanently burned through EIP-1559, reducing the total supply of ETH over time. When network activity is high, fees rise, more ETH is burned, and the deflationary pressure supports ETH’s value. When activity falls, the reverse happens.

At its peak in 2021, Ethereum generated over $1 billion in monthly fee revenue as DeFi, NFTs, and token launches drove unprecedented on-chain activity. Daily gas fee revenue regularly exceeded $30 million. Validators earned substantial rewards, and ETH burns were significant enough to make the asset deflationary during periods of high demand.

The Collapse

Ethereum fee revenue has fallen sharply from those peaks – and two structural factors explain most of the decline.

Layer 2 Network Activity

The Dencun upgrade in early 2024 dramatically reduced the cost of Layer 2 transactions by introducing a new …

Full story available on Benzinga.com

The Department of Justice has initiated legal proceedings against 17 naturalized citizens in an effort to revoke their U.S. citizenship, alleging they obtained it through fraud, deception, or the concealment of serious criminal conduct during the immigration process.

Announcing the actions, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the administration is taking a hard line against abuse of the naturalization system.

“Gaining U.S. citizenship is a privilege and under the steadfast leadership of President Trump, this Department of Justice maintains a zero-tolerance policy for the abuse of this process,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a department statement.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin echoed that message, arguing that citizenship must be earned through honesty and compliance with the law.

“American citizenship is a privilege, and it must be earned honestly,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “If you come here break our laws, and lie in your immigration proceedings, you forfeit that privilege,” he added.

Federal law permits the government to seek denaturalization and removal of individuals who obtained citizenship through fraud or material misrepresentations during the immigration process. However, citizenship generally cannot be revoked solely because of crimes committed after a person has already become a U.S. citizen. In many cases, immigrants become eligible for citizenship approximately five years after receiving permanent residency.

While the new initiative has attracted attention, immigration advocates note that the number of cases remains relatively small compared with the overall naturalized population in the United States and the broader effects of decades of large-scale immigration policies.

“The expansion of denaturalization remains very small in scale,” said Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a pro-migration advocate with the American Immigration Council. “17 people is a significant increase from historical efforts, true, but represents around 0.00006% of the total naturalized population.”

Even so, observers note that the latest cases extend beyond the types of denaturalization actions traditionally associated with war criminals or individuals involved in major human rights abuses.

According to the Justice Department, the current cases largely involve individuals accused of hiding criminal activity during the lengthy, multi-step path to citizenship.

“This Department of Justice maintains a zero-tolerance policy for the abuse of this process,” said Blanche.

Some analysts argue that if the government aggressively pursues such cases, many more naturalized citizens could potentially face scrutiny if evidence emerges that they concealed criminal conduct before becoming citizens. Such a possibility is expected to fuel political opposition to expanded denaturalization efforts.

The Justice Department released details of the 17 cases, several of which involve allegations of fraud, immoral crimes, immigration deception, financial crimes, or other offenses that officials say were concealed during the naturalization process.

One case involves Leidys Delmas Garcia, a Cuban-born woman accused of participating in a healthcare fraud conspiracy that allegedly billed insurers more than $36 million for unnecessary or nonexistent physical therapy services. Prosecutors allege she falsely stated during her citizenship process that she had not committed crimes for which she had not been arrested and had never provided false information to immigration authorities.

Another case targets Jean Claude Alfred, a Haitian immigrant who became a U.S. citizen in 1994. The government alleges that he repeatedly abused his minor daughter beginning shortly before filing for naturalization and continued the conduct while his citizenship application was pending. Officials say he failed to disclose the criminal behavior during the process.

Andrea Marroquin, originally from Colombia, is accused of obtaining permanent residency by concealing a bigamous marriage and later participating in wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering schemes involving funds inherited from her father, whom authorities describe as a major Colombian drug trafficker.

Talman Harris, a Jamaican national, is accused of participating in a long-running stock manipulation scheme that allegedly caused tens of millions of dollars in investor losses. According to the government, portions of the conspiracy overlapped with his naturalization proceedings.

In another case, New Jersey businessman Neeraj Sharma, originally from India, is accused of filing multiple fraudulent H-1B visa petitions while serving as owner and chief executive of a staffing company.

The Justice Department also filed a complaint against Abdikadir Ali Kadiye, a Somali immigrant whom authorities allege sought admission to the United States using two different identities.

Ronnie Price, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, is accused of concealing conduct that later resulted in a guilty plea. Prosecutors allege he falsely denied having committed crimes during his citizenship application process.

Rodger George Gurdon, originally from Jamaica, is accused of participating in a conspiracy involving the theft and resale of medical supplies from military hospitals before becoming a U.S. citizen.

Another case involves Milagros Marileisis Acosta Torres of Cuba, whom prosecutors allege participated in a scheme that defrauded a tribal casino in Florida of millions of dollars through fraudulent credit vouchers before her naturalization.

Alongside the denaturalization effort, Trump administration officials have also moved to tighten citizenship requirements by increasing expectations regarding applicants’ conduct and making the naturalization examination more demanding.

{Matzav.com}

Arthur Hayes on Tuesday laid out the case why Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) cannot rally until the AI bubble pops, arguing that the latter absorbed liquidity that could have gone to cryptocurrencies. 

AI Borrowed Every Dollar That Was Created Since 2022

Hayes laid out the core math in his essay, saying that US M2 rose by $1.5 trillion between November 2022 and today.

Over the same period, AI companies issued roughly $1.5 trillion in debt to fund data center construction. 

The numbers match almost exactly, meaning AI absorbed every dollar of new liquidity before it could find its way into Bitcoin.

“Bitcoin never had a chance,” Hayes wrote. “The only reason Bitcoin rallied strongly off the November 2022 low is that the AI debt binge really kicked into gear starting in 2025.” 

Bitcoin peaked in October 2025 precisely …

Full story available on Benzinga.com

Americans have not felt this gloomy about their own finances in years, and a closely watched survey released Monday, June 8, 2026, put hard numbers to the mood.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York, in its monthly Survey of Consumer Expectations, said the share of people who feel “somewhat worse off” or “much worse off” than a year ago is the largest since January 2023. The combined figure reached 43.7%, while the share calling their situation “much worse” jumped to 13.3%, up about 2.7 percentage points from April and the highest since July 2022.

The outlook was just as bleak.

Looking ahead, 36% of households expect their finances to get worse over the next year, while only 22.9% expect them to improve — the widest gap between pessimists and optimists since October 2022.

In short, people feel squeezed now and expect more of the same.

The cause is not a mystery. Rising inflation has pushed up the cost of everyday necessities and eaten away at purchasing power. Higher gasoline, grocery, housing, insurance, and utility bills have been grinding on household budgets for months, and families are feeling it directly.

That strain is showing up in how Americans pay their bills.

Credit-card delinquencies have climbed to their highest level since 2011, according to earlier New York Fed data. When more households fall behind on credit cards, it is often a sign that monthly expenses are growing faster than incomes.

The jobs picture sent mixed signals.

The share of workers who fear losing their job within the next year rose to 15.1%, while the perceived chance of finding a new job fell to 43.7%, the lowest reading since December 2025. Yet the share planning to voluntarily leave their current jobs rose to 20.8%, the highest since February 2023.

The survey arrived just days after a stronger-than-expected May employment report showed the economy adding 172,000 jobs.

The result is a labor market that still appears relatively healthy on paper even as workers grow more anxious about their financial future.

Why does this matter?

Because consumer spending drives roughly two-thirds of the U.S. economy.

When households feel poorer, they often delay vacations, cut restaurant visits, postpone large purchases, and search for lower-cost alternatives. That makes consumer sentiment one of the earliest warning signs for retailers, restaurants, airlines, hotels, and countless other businesses.

Several consumer-facing companies report earnings this week, including Chewy and United Natural Foods, providing investors with an early look at whether consumer anxiety is translating into weaker spending patterns.

The survey also increases pressure on the Federal Reserve.

Policymakers meet next week, and markets currently see little chance of an immediate rate cut. The central bank faces a difficult balancing act. Lower interest rates could ease pressure on borrowers but risk reigniting inflation, while keeping rates elevated helps contain inflation but increases borrowing costs for households already feeling stretched.

There is another reason Federal Reserve officials pay close attention to these surveys.

Consumer expectations can become self-fulfilling. If households expect prices to keep rising, they may demand higher wages or accelerate purchases, creating additional inflationary pressure.

For now, the message from American households is remarkably clear: they are paying more, feeling poorer, and increasingly worried about the year ahead.

For businesses heading into the summer, that may be the most important economic signal of all — not because of what consumers are doing today, but because of what cautious consumers often do next.

JBizNews Desk

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

A Sudanese immigrant attempted to behead a man on the streets of Belfast in Northern Ireland Monday. Pinning him down on the floor, the immigrant stabbed the victim in the neck, face and back before bystanders rushed the perpetrator and struck his head with a hurling stick.

Police were called to Kinnaird Avenue at about 10:30 p.m. and arrested a man for attempted murder. They at first believed him to be Somali but later confirmed he was from Sudan. The victim, who police said was in his 40s, sustained serious injuries to the face, neck and back.

“Last night’s brutal attempted beheading in Belfast is appalling,” said Chris Philp, shadow home secretary. “The government must ensure full details about the suspect’s nationality and immigration status are released. Total transparency is required.”

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT: A Sudanese immigrant attempts to behead a man on a street in Belfast before bystanders intervene. (From a post on X)

“If it turns out this man is an illegal immigrant, it would provide further evidence that the government’s lack of border control is endangering the public,” he added.

Hilary Benn, the Northern Ireland secretary, appealed for calm, while declining to comment on the attempted murderer’s immigration status. He said that it’s “innocent people who suffer” when tensions are inflamed.

“The horrific attack in Belfast last night is sickening,” said Britain’s prime minister, Keir Starmer. “I have absolutely no tolerance for abhorrent scenes of violence like this on our streets.”

Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom.

Men with knives dance in a park in Belfast in a video that claims they are celebrating the attempted beheading of a Belfast resident. (Credit: Turning Point UK)

The leaders of various political factions in Northern Ireland issued a joint statement, saying they stand “united in our condemnation of the horrific incident in North Belfast last night.”

“There is no place in our society for this kind of brutality,” they said in their statement. “Our immediate thoughts are with the victim and his family, and we hope he makes a full and complete recovery. Our thoughts are also with those eyewitnesses to the incident, as well as those brave members of the public who intervened.”

Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative Party in Great Britain and a staunch supporter of Israel, also weighed in.

“I’m absolutely horrified. It is a horrific incident,” she said. “I haven’t heard anything about who the attacker might have been, but I think a lot of people will start wondering yet again, is this someone who should not have been in our country? Have there been failings around our borders?”

Another video posted to social media claimed to show men with knives dancing in Belfast following the incident, in apparent celebration of the attempted murder.

NEW YORK (VINnews) — Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg appeared shaken but unharmed after a New York Knicks player tumbled into his courtside seat during Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.

The incident occurred in the fourth quarter when Knicks guard Jose Alvarado chased a loose ball and dove into the front row, colliding with Bloomberg and several nearby spectators.

Fans seated nearby quickly checked on the 84-year-old billionaire and philanthropist as play was briefly interrupted. Alvarado also appeared to ask Bloomberg if he was okay before returning to the court.

Bloomberg remained in his seat and the game continued without further incident. No injuries were reported.

The moment drew attention from spectators and television viewers during a tightly contested Finals matchup at Madison Square Garden.

Jose Alvarado crashed into former NYC Mayor Bloomberg sitting courtside at Game 3. pic.twitter.com/ZbbDbAc10Z

— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) June 9, 2026

Republican officials in New Jersey say they have identified hundreds of noncitizens listed in the state’s voter registration records, including some individuals who appear to have participated in elections, raising fresh questions about voter roll maintenance and election security.

According to a report released Monday, the discoveries were made after the New Jersey Republican Party and the Republican National Committee obtained voter registration records from all 21 counties across the state and reviewed the data.

Many of the individuals reportedly came forward while pursuing U.S. citizenship and requested that their names be removed from voter rolls. According to the report, a significant number were registered as Democrats but said they were unaware they had been registered and feared the issue could negatively affect their naturalization applications.

The findings come several weeks after New Jersey Republican Party Chairwoman Christine Giordano Hanlon announced the creation of a statewide Election Integrity Task Force.

“Like many New Jerseyans, election integrity is of utmost importance to me. All Americans want free, fair, and secure elections and a system that maintains the public trust. The NJGOP Election Integrity Task Force will work to help ensure that New Jersey’s elections are securely and fairly administered and help safeguard the integrity of the process,” Hanlon said.

According to the report, some of the noncitizens identified during the review had documented voting histories. One individual who was removed from the voter rolls in 2015 reportedly cast ballots in 2000, 2001, and the 2008 general election.

Fox News reported that RNC Chairman Joe Gruters believes the individuals discovered so far may represent only a fraction of the overall problem and argued that election officials in New Jersey and other Democrat-led states have not provided sufficient transparency regarding voter list maintenance procedures. The RNC has reportedly requested similar information from 48 states.

“I mean, it’s really incredible because here the Democrats are saying that, you know, noncitizens never vote, this is a non-issue, but every county we’re finding people that are self-reporting now, and I’m glad we’re doing these records request because it’s really eye-opening, because this is just the people that have self-reported,” Gruters told Fox News Digital.

Gruters said maintaining confidence in the electoral process should remain a priority.

“You want a democracy that’s secure and elections that are free and safe and that people can depend upon, and people have full confidence in.”

Questions surrounding New Jersey’s voter rolls have surfaced before. In 2022, the Public Interest Legal Foundation reviewed state voter registration records and reported that nearly 2,400 registered voters were listed as being at least 105 years old.

The latest report comes as President Donald Trump continues urging Congress to approve the SAVE America Act, legislation that would require proof of citizenship before an individual could register to vote.

According to Breitbart News, support for the proposal extends beyond Republican voters.

“The Save Act has support from 91 percent of Republicans, 50 percent of Democrats, and 69 percent of independents,” the outlet said in March.

Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) recently criticized Congress for failing to enact the measure and contrasted the American voting process with election procedures in Colombia.

“It’s kind of embarrassing from the perspective of Congress, that we can’t even pass a SAVE America Act. Let me lay out how Colombian elections are run. First of all, no mail-in balloting. Single day election, you have to have your proof of national citizenship with you to vote. So, it’s not only voter ID, but 100 percent strict proof of citizenship. If you don’t have it with you, they don’t even let you into the hall where you vote,” Moreno said. “All paper ballots, the ballots are counted by hand, and the results are delivered after an hour and a half, after polls close. They have election watchers there that are vigilant, they have judges there that are disputing any claims that are made.”

LONDON (VINnews) — The United Kingdom and five allied countries announced coordinated sanctions against individuals and organizations they say are linked to violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Israel firmly rejects the disgraceful measures adopted by foreign governments against Israeli citizens, entities, and a government minister.

The real essence of these steps is the attempt to impose a political stance regarding the right of Jews to live in the Land of Israel and…

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 9, 2026

The measures, unveiled Monday by British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, were taken jointly with Canada, France, Norway, Australia and New Zealand. Officials said the sanctions target networks accused of providing financial and logistical support to settler outposts and individuals involved in attacks and intimidation against Palestinian communities.

Those sanctioned face measures including asset freezes and other restrictions.

Britain also issued new guidance discouraging companies from engaging in economic activities connected to Israeli settlements in the West Bank, while emphasizing that trade with Israel within its internationally recognized borders remains unchanged.

Israel strongly criticized the move, with the Foreign Ministry accusing the participating countries of advancing a political agenda under the guise of addressing violence. Israeli officials argued the measures unfairly target Jewish communities in the territory and warned they could contribute to rising anti-Israel sentiment abroad.

The announcement came as Britain pledged additional humanitarian assistance for Gaza and financial support for the Palestinian Authority, including funding aimed at maintaining healthcare and other essential public services.

Cooper said the sanctions were directed at those responsible for fueling violence and indicated further measures could be considered if conditions on the ground do not improve.

The accident happened on Hope Chapel Road shortly before 9:00 AM.

None of the children onboard at the time were injured.

No other serious injuries were reported.

HAIFA, Israel (VINnews) — An Israeli reserve soldier recovering from serious wounds sustained in southern Lebanon says he remains determined to continue serving despite a near-fatal encounter with an explosive drone.

Speaking to Arutz Sheva-Israel National News from his hospital room at Rambam Health Care Campus, Rabbi Boaz Sluck, 55, described the moments leading up to the attack and his ongoing recovery.

Sluck was injured during military activity near the Lebanese border and is receiving treatment in Haifa. He said the attack unfolded rapidly, leaving little time to react.

According to Sluck, he noticed a drone approaching his position and quickly realized it posed an immediate threat. He said he attempted to respond before the aircraft exploded nearby, causing multiple injuries.

Medical personnel treated him for wounds to several parts of his body, and he required significant medical intervention following the attack. Sluck said protective equipment worn during the operation helped reduce the severity of the injuries.

The incident underscores the growing role of armed drones in the conflict along Israel’s northern frontier, where Hezbollah and Israeli forces have exchanged fire during periods of heightened tensions.

While recovering, Sluck told Arutz Sheva that he has been encouraged by visits and messages of support from people across Israel. He described the response as a source of strength during a difficult rehabilitation process.

Despite being older than many reservists currently serving, Sluck said he felt a responsibility to participate in the country’s defense efforts and has no intention of abandoning that commitment because of his injuries.

He also expressed hope that the challenges facing Israel would encourage greater unity among its citizens, saying mutual support and concern for others remain essential during times of conflict.

Hospital officials said Sluck continues to recover from his injuries.

RIO DE JANEIRO — The world’s airlines are heading into what industry leaders describe as one of their toughest financial years since the pandemic, and the recent collapse of Spirit Airlines may only be the beginning.

Speaking at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Annual General Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, outgoing IATA Director General Willie Walsh warned that more airlines could fail or be forced into mergers as soaring fuel costs squeeze profits across the industry.

IATA now expects global airlines to earn a combined $23 billion in net profit during 2026, roughly half the industry’s $45 billion profit in 2025 and far below the $41 billion forecast the organization issued just six months ago.

The culprit, Walsh said, is fuel.

The conflict that erupted after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy corridors. The resulting surge in oil prices has dramatically increased costs for airlines worldwide.

IATA now expects jet fuel to average approximately $152 per barrel in 2026, up from about $90 per barrel last year.

That increase adds an estimated $100 billion to airlines’ fuel expenses.

Industry fuel costs are now projected to reach roughly $350 billion, accounting for more than 31% of total airline operating expenses, compared with about 25% last year.

“This is an industry that survives on very thin margins,” Walsh told delegates. “A shock like this has enormous consequences.”

The pressure is already producing casualties.

Spirit Airlines, the Florida-based ultra-low-cost carrier known for rock-bottom fares and extensive add-on fees, ceased operations last month after struggling to manage rising costs and mounting financial pressure.

Walsh said Spirit is unlikely to be the last airline to disappear.

He warned that weaker carriers could either fail outright or become acquisition targets for larger rivals seeking additional market share.

Budget airlines are particularly vulnerable because they depend heavily on ticket sales and often lack alternative revenue streams.

Large network carriers generate substantial income from premium cabins, corporate travel contracts, airport lounges, cargo operations, and loyalty programs tied to credit cards. Those businesses provide valuable buffers during difficult periods.

Ultra-low-cost carriers generally do not enjoy those advantages.

When fuel prices spike, they have fewer tools available to offset the increase.

Walsh stressed that the low-cost airline model itself remains viable, pointing to Europe’s Ryanair as a successful example. The problem, he said, is that fuel costs are rising faster than airlines can pass those increases on to passengers.

Not everyone agrees fuel is entirely to blame.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently argued that Spirit’s collapse reflected deeper business problems and called the airline’s failure largely “self-made.”

The reality likely lies somewhere in between.

Spirit entered the fuel-price shock with an already fragile balance sheet, making it less capable of absorbing rising expenses than stronger competitors.

The profit forecasts underscore just how narrow airline margins have become.

IATA expects airlines to earn only about $4.50 per passenger this year.

Walsh noted that the figure demonstrates resilience given the industry’s challenges, but he joked that it would not even buy a hot dog at many sporting events.

The industry’s net profit margin is expected to shrink to approximately 2%, down from 4.2% in 2025.

What makes the situation remarkable is that demand remains surprisingly strong.

Despite higher fares, travelers continue to fly.

IATA projects total airline revenue will rise about 9.4% this year to nearly $1.2 trillion, driven by strong passenger demand.

Passenger revenue alone is expected to reach approximately $839 billion, while average load factors are projected to hit a record 84%, meaning planes are flying fuller than ever.

The problem is that costs are climbing even faster.

Industry operating expenses are expected to rise approximately 13%, wiping out much of the benefit from increased ticket sales.

Adding to the challenge is an aircraft shortage.

Airlines continue to face significant delivery delays from both Boeing and Airbus, while ongoing reliability issues with newer jet engines have left many aircraft grounded for maintenance.

IATA estimates these supply-chain disruptions cost airlines roughly $11 billion during 2025.

The average age of the global airline fleet has climbed to a record 15.2 years, while carriers remain short more than 5,000 fuel-efficient aircraft that could help reduce fuel consumption.

The shortage comes at exactly the wrong time.

Older aircraft burn more fuel, making airlines even more vulnerable when oil prices surge.

For travelers, the implications are straightforward.

Higher fuel costs generally mean higher ticket prices.

Airlines are also likely to reduce service on marginal routes, leading to fewer flight options in some markets.

And if additional budget carriers disappear through bankruptcy or consolidation, competition could weaken further, reducing pressure on airlines to keep fares low.

This year’s gathering also carried special significance for Walsh personally.

After leading IATA through the pandemic recovery and one of the most turbulent periods in aviation history, he is preparing to step down and take a leadership role at IndiGo, India’s largest airline.

His farewell message to the industry was direct.

The airlines with strong balance sheets, efficient operations, and financial flexibility will likely survive the turbulence ahead.

Those without a cushion may not.

As airlines enter the busy summer travel season, the industry’s challenge is no longer finding passengers.

It is finding a way to stay profitable while fuel prices remain stubbornly high.

JBizNews Desk — Aviation

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The restoration of the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., is drawing positive reviews from visitors and social media users, despite months of criticism from left-wing activists and media outlets who questioned the Trump administration’s renovation efforts.

Administration officials have continued defending the project against attacks from critics, many of whom focused on aesthetic details of the restoration. Several media organizations scrutinized the work, including the decision to repaint the pool’s bottom in a new shade of blue. The Washington Post even consulted a color expert who predicted the color would appear “very dismal,” while The New York Times also published criticism of the renovation project.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum contrasted the current effort with an earlier renovation undertaken during the Obama administration. According to Burgum, the Reflecting Pool was shut down for two years while $38 million was spent on repairs that ultimately failed to solve its underlying problems. He said the Trump administration’s overhaul was far more extensive, involving the draining of the pool, sandblasting surfaces, repairing pipes and bubblers, and restoring the pool’s appearance. Burgum noted that the bottom had faded to gray over time and said President Trump selected an American flag-inspired blue color for the restoration.

As the project nears completion, photos and videos of the renovated pool have spread widely online, generating favorable reactions from many observers.

“I’d heard so much about the newly renovated Reflection Pool, so I decided to come see it for myself. It’s absolutely beautiful. Thank you, Donald Trump, for helping restore our nation’s capital!” one X user wrote, sharing a video showing the partially filled pool reflecting the Washington Monument.

I’d heard so much about the newly renovated Reflection Pool, so I decided to come see it for myself. It’s absolutely beautiful. Thank you, Donald Trump, for helping restore our nation’s capital! pic.twitter.com/j1V7cO4PeP

— Xi Van Fleet (@XVanFleet) June 8, 2026

A Democrat in DC says she hates she’s forced to admit the Reflecting Pool now looks good.

“I thought it was a stupid idea to paint the Reflecting Pool, but it looks really good. It makes the reflection look extraordinarily prominent in a way it did not before, and I hate that.” pic.twitter.com/yVTHm4rHUh

— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) June 5, 2026

https://twitter.com/i/status/2063965325922619455

https://twitter.com/i/status/2062890406002504105

Another video circulating online featured a woman who had previously expressed doubts about the project but later acknowledged that she was impressed by the final result.

The White House also celebrated the progress of the renovation.

“The water is ON, the Reflecting Pool is reflecting, and D.C. is looking better than ever,” the White House declared. “We are so back. THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP. ”

In an interview with Breitbart News Daily, Burgum said the project involved much more than cosmetic improvements and credited Trump’s background in large-scale development projects for helping bring the renovation to completion.

Highlighting the pool’s previous condition, Burgum said it had been losing approximately 45,000 gallons of water each day before repairs began.

“We had to have water continuously running into it just to keep even. All of that’s going to be taken care of, because we’ve got the master builder,” Burgum said. “We’ve got President Trump. You know, he’s the only guy that’s ever occupied that office that’s done the level of complex construction projects. And he loves construction workers. He loves construction, and he knows exactly what he’s talking about on these projects.”

{Matzav.com}

New York (VINNEWS/Rabbi Yair Hoffman)  It was a March evening in 1918. The most famous Jewish voice in America, perhaps in the world, stood backstage at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago.  He was then and there offered a fortune to walk away from shul. They wanted to make him a well-paid star, but it would entail compromising his Yiddishkeit – ever so slightly.

He turned it down.

It was a refusal and a kiddush Hashem that inspired the entire Torah nation.  On his yahrtzeit, today, it is important to understand the man who made that refusal— Yosef “Yossele” Rosenblatt zt”l, the Chazzan whose recordings still circulate a century after his death, and whose life is a monument to the extended argument that a Jewish neshama’s loyalties are not for sale.

He was born on the ninth of May, 1882, in Byelaya Tzerkov, a town in Ukraine whose name means “white church.”  In Jewish memory, however, it was a place of Chassidic shtieblech, batei Midrashim, and the long shadow of Jewish martyrdom.

Music ran in the family the way other families pass down a trade. One great-uncle, Todros, served as chazan in the shul of Skver for seventy-five years and continued leading the shul in prayer even after he went blind in old age, the prayers flowing from his lips by heart. Another relative was praised by his rebbe as carrying “a chord of David’s harp” in his throat. Into this lineage of voices devoted to Avodas Hashem, Yossele was born.

Reb Yossele’s father was an old-fashioned baal tefillah who could do something unusual for a Chassidisha yid of his time: he could read musical notation. He set out to train his son not for the stage but for the amud.

The boy’s gift was apparent almost immediately. As a small child he had already absorbed the entire chazanishe repertoire he heard around him, and by adolescence he was traveling and leading tefilos in communities that crowded the streets outside the shul, straining to hear his voice through the open windows.

When a Viennese voice teacher, a Dr. Bloch, proposed training the young Rosenblatt for the opera, his father gave an answer that his son would carry for the rest of his life: “He was born for the amud, and at the amud he will remain.”

It was not a slogan. It was a decision about his tafkid in life, made by a father about a son, and it held.

America and a Voice the World Wanted

By the time Rosenblatt arrived in America, the path that runs between shul and the concert stage was one he walked carefully. In 1912 he was engaged by the Ohab Zedek shul in New York at a salary of $2,400 a year — the highest an Orthodox shul in America had ever paid a cantor. When the board voted to hire him, its vice-president, Aaron Garfunkel, rose and told the assembled members that he felt proud to belong to a shul that valued a cantor’s midos as highly as his voice. It was character, not merely sound, that the community had decided to purchase.

The voice itself became a phenomenon.

Critics compared him to Caruso; one newspaper called him the only real contender the great tenor ever had. The German-language press in New York wrote that everything that makes a cultivated Italian opera singer was present in Rosenblatt’s singing. When he concertized, halls overflowed. In Chicago in March 1918, hundreds were turned away from the Auditorium, and people who offered ten dollars for a gallery seat could not get one. The streets around the theater, one Yiddish paper reported, were black with Jews streaming in by streetcar, elevated train, and automobile.

One Thousand Dollars a Night

It was at that Chicago concert that the test arrived. Seated in a box was Cleofonte Campanini, general director of the Chicago Opera Association and the impresario who had discovered stars like Rosa Raisa and Amelita Galli-Curci.

He had come at a community worker’s invitation, and the voice on the platform — along with the striking figure of the small, full-bearded man producing it — convinced him at once. As soon as the concert ended he requested an introduction and made his offer plainly: the role of Eleazar in Halévy’s opera La Juive, at a thousand dollars per performance.

Rosenblatt was, by his son’s honest account, taken aback. He had never imagined his talent could carry him to such heights, and the offer was overwhelming — fortune, fame, applause, new worlds to conquer. For a moment, his son wrote, he was carried away and nearly yielded.

But then something settled.

An inner voice told him not to give up the amud for the opera stage, and his father’s words from a quarter-century earlier echoed back to him. He hesitated. It was definitely a nisayon.

Campanini, sensing the conflict, began trying to remove every obstacle. Rosenblatt would not have to give up a single religious principle, the director assured him. He need not touch his beard; he would be given roles in which he could appear exactly as he was. If gentile women as singing partners troubled him, he could be paired with Jewish artists. He could stay at hotels where kosher food would be prepared at the company’s expense. And it would be written into the contract that he need never perform on Shabbos or Yom Tov. Seventeen performances a year, seventeen thousand dollars, plus travel. Every conceivable accommodation.

Reb Yossele listened until Campanini finished.

And then, with characteristic modesty, he raised an obstacle of his own making: his contract with Ohab Zedek had two years to run, and he was not the kind of man who would break his word. This was, his son later admitted candidly, a polite fiction. The shul would almost certainly have been proud to release him. Rosenblatt invented the difficulty so as not to throw a generous and good-faith offer back in the man’s face. He knew from the first instant that he could never go through with it.

Campanini, undeterred, wrote directly to the shul’s president, spelling out every concession he had offered. The board’s reply became famous. They agreed there was no objection to the opera itself from a Jewish standpoint — La Juive is, after all, a story sympathetic to Jews — but they wrote that the cantor’s sacred position in shul did not permit him to step onto the operatic stage.

The nusach of the refusal had been engineered by the man it concerned.

“Some Courage”

The effect was electrifying. From Maine to Florida, from New York to the West Coast, the Jewish and non-Jewish press carried the story of the cantor who had turned down a thousand dollars a night on purely religious grounds.

A Jewish paper in Fort Worth, Texas, ran the story under the headline “Some Courage,” and wrote that if the reports were true, this man was a true Maccabean — they had heard of cantors who left the profession under financial strain, but never of one who refused such an offer because it would interfere with his religious duties.

A Yiddish humor weekly drew a cartoon of Rosenblatt in his silk hat, siddur in hand, fleeing a siren in a gossamer gown labeled “Grand Opera” who chased after him calling, “Come, Yossele — a thousand dollars a night!” In the drawing, Yossele runs straight for shul with the cry of Shema Yisrael on his lips.

A music magazine, Musical America, captured the wider astonishment: in days of stern materialism, it wrote, it seemed almost incomprehensible that anyone would so recklessly discard gold and glory for a belief, a mere tradition.

But to our Yossele –  it was not a mere tradition. It was the whole point.

The Test in Reverse

It is easy to admire a man for refusing money. It is harder, and more revealing, to watch what he does when the money is gone. A few years after the opera offer, Rosenblatt poured his earnings and his name into a Jewish publication called the Light of Israel. He was hoodwinked and had no control over its business affairs and grew uncomfortable with its editorial attacks on major Jewish institutions, and he withdrew.

But the financial damage was done.

By the close of 1924 his house was mortgaged to the hilt, his insurance policies impounded, and a mountain of debt — nearly $192,000, most of it from notes he had endorsed on behalf of the publication — stood against assets of less than $33,000. In January 1925 he was forced into bankruptcy.

Here is the measure of the man. Reb Yossele declared bankruptcy not to escape his obligations but to buy time. In his public statement he insisted that he would, in the course of time, repay every penny, sparing neither effort nor energy.

What pained him most, he said, was not his own ruin but the thought that friends who had trusted him — widows and people of modest means — had lost their savings alongside him. He announced that he would commandeer the only gift left to him, the one thing no creditor could seize: his voice. He would use it to earn enough to free himself from debt.

And he did so on his own terms.

To raise the money, his family turned to vaudeville, the one corner of the entertainment world he had not yet entered. But even in financial desperation, the same lines held. He would not perform near erev Shabbos or Shabbos afternoons — precisely the most lucrative slots, when theaters opened their new shows.

He insisted his act be kept separate from chorus girls, jugglers, and dancers. He stood alone on the stage with a single pulpit before him, a small bearded Jew in a black yarmulke, and sang cantorial pieces, opera arias, and classical lieder. Audiences sometimes sneered when he walked out.

By the time he finished, the reports said, he had “ripped the house apart.”

He had found a way to rebuild his fortune without surrendering a single principle for which he had refused that fortune in the first place. The referee of the bankruptcy court, recognizing the kind of man before him, treated him throughout with unusual deference. It was a Kiddush Hashem that still reverberates in Yiddisha Neshamos.

Charity’s Cantor

Money never had a grip on Reb Yossele, in good times or bad. During the First World War he toured America for the relief of Jewish war sufferers and dedicated to the cause the entire royalties from his recordings — some ten thousand dollars in 1918 alone — and was, by one account, always the first to put a sizable contribution from his own pocket into every collection.

When a Brooklyn benefit concert ran short of cash and the other performers refused to take the stage until paid, Rosenblatt sang his full part without protest and was recalled for several encores; told afterward that the sponsors could only pay him the next day, he said that when a man puts it that way he has to take his word for it, and went home as cheerfully as he had come.

To Die in the Holy Land

Through everything, one longing stayed constant. Rosenblatt loved America and was proud of his citizenship in a land where pogroms were not tolerated. But his lifelong wish was to live and die in Eretz Yisroel — the home, as he put it, of the Jewish people and of the religion of the one God. He poured that yearning into his rendition of the prayers that plead for Jerusalem and for Zion’s return.

In 1933 he sailed for the Holy Land to concertize, his son traveling with him. He asked to be woken the instant the coast came into view.

At six in the morning his son roused him to glimpse Haifa and Mount Carmel, and Reb Yossele came up on deck with tears streaming down his face and immediately began to recite Tehillim. He toured the country, giving some twenty-five concerts. O

n a Sunday in June he told his son, in Yiddish, that when he was no longer in this world the boy should publish the new musical accompaniments he had been developing. His son protested — his father was only fifty-one. No, Rosenblatt insisted, the work would fall to him. That night, in Jerusalem, with his wish to die on the soil of the Land of Israel fulfilled almost to the letter, Yossele Rosenblatt died.

He was buried on Har HaZeisim, the voice stilled at last in the city he had prayed toward his entire life.

I have a suggestion.  Today, in Shmoneh Esreh focus ever more on Viyerushalayim ircha than you ever have before.  Fulfill the answer to the question of Tzipisa liyeshua of Klal Yisroel. Do it for Reb Yossele.  And also, perhaps listen to a nigun of Reb Yossele.

The author can be reached at [email protected]

NEW YORK (VINnews) — During a Fox News interview on Monday, Vice President JD Vance addressed the US’s diplomatic relationship with Israel after recent reports suggested that President Trump’s partnership with Prime Minister  Netanyahu has reportedly become strained.

“The Israelis and the United States, we have a lot of shared interests, but we also have some situations where our interests diverge,” Vance said on “Jesse Watters Primetime.”

“I think where the president has been very clear here is that while Israel obviously has some objectives that it has, the United States’ main objective in Iran is to ensure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon,” he added.

Vance’s remarks come after recent U.S. intelligence reports raised concerns about Israel’s surveillance efforts targeting American negotiators involved in U.S.-Iran peace talks. Those who have reportedly been under surveillance include the Pentagon’s top policy officer, Elbridge A. Colby, and Trump’s top negotiator, Steve Witkoff.

Trump also recently confirmed the content of a heated phone call with Netanyahu over Israel’s military operations in Lebanon, exposing a rare rift between the two leaders.

As tensions between Israeli and American officials intensify over how to proceed with Iran negotiations, the Pentagon has raised Israel to be a top counterintelligence threat.

The vice president acknowledged that while Israel’s security concerns remain important, U.S. policy toward Iran will always be guided by American national interests.

“Over the last year and a half, we’ve created the space necessary where the president believes – and I think that he’s right – that we can get the long-term settlement to Iran’s nuclear deal,” Vance said.

“Now, Israel may like that, they may not like that,” he continued. “But fundamentally, we think this is in the best interest of the United States of America.”

Vance signaled that negotiations are showing signs of progress, saying Iran is putting “real things” on the table and arguing that a prolonged conflict is not ideal for Tehran.

“The Iranians don’t want this war to continue,” the vice president told Fox News. “It’s not in their best interest, and I think they’re coming to the table, putting some real things on the table.”

Fox News host Jesse Watters asked Vance whether he believes the Iranians are trying to “play” the US at the negotiating table.”Everybody’s always trying to play everybody,” Vance responded. “I don’t assume that anybody’s acting in good faith.”

Despite this, Vance expressed optimism that a finalized Middle East peace deal could be reached, while stressing that robust monitoring and inspections will be critical to ensure Iran keeps up their end of the nuclear deal.

“We’ve been very involved in these negotiations,” he said. “We’re going to take the attitude of: ‘Accomplish the president’s mission, but verify over the long term that the Iranians are keeping their end of the bargain.’ It’s a tall order, but it’s one that the president has put us in a good position to achieve.”

“The number one thing that went wrong with the Obama deal is that there was not a proper inspections regime to ensure that the Iranians could never build a nuclear weapon,” Vance added.

Vance emphasized how significant a victory a U.S.-Iran peace agreement would be for the United States.”If we get to this deal, it’s gonna be a home run win for the American people,” he said.

Shares of Intel Corp. (INTC) surged Monday, June 8, 2026, after a report that Alphabet’s Google has chosen the long-struggling chipmaker to manufacture millions of its custom artificial-intelligence chips — the biggest vote of confidence in years for Intel’s factory business. According to a report Monday from The Information, citing four people with direct knowledge of the talks, Google placed a firm order for more than 3 million of its in-house tensor processing units, known as TPUs, for production in 2028. Intel shares jumped about 12%, to roughly $110.81, lifting the company’s market value to around $557 billion.

Here is what makes the deal matter, in plain terms. Intel is not selling Google its own chips. Google designs these TPUs itself; Intel will build them in its plants. That makes it the largest known outside-customer commitment for Intel’s contract-manufacturing arm, which has spent years chasing clients with little to show for it. The order followed months of testing of Intel’s advanced packaging — the technology that stitches chips and memory into a single module.

The reason behind the move comes down to one word: scarcity.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the Taiwanese company that makes nearly every leading-edge AI chip, is straining to keep up with demand, and the squeeze is worst in exactly those advanced-packaging lines. For the companies that design the world’s most sought-after chips, depending on a single supplier in a single country has become a risk they badly want to reduce. That is the opening Intel has been waiting for.

A second giant is circling, too.

Nvidia is running early trials on Intel’s most advanced 18A manufacturing process, testing whether Intel can build a processor that fuses four graphics chips into one — a design tied to Nvidia’s Feynman architecture due in 2028 — though Nvidia has not yet placed an order. Even cautious interest from the most valuable name in AI chips is a milestone for a company written off not long ago.

The scale of the prize is large, and growing.

Google’s order is firm — more than 3 million TPUs in 2028 — and is part of a build-out that Morgan Stanley estimates could exceed 6 million TPUs across 2027 and 2028. Wall Street noticed. Mizuho raised its price target on Intel to $128 from $124, keeping a Neutral rating and citing strong AI demand across the chip industry.

The news caps a remarkable shift in how investors see a company that recently looked left behind.

Intel stock has more than tripled over the past year. The company has been courting Apple as a foundry customer, while the U.S. government continues to support domestic semiconductor production through the CHIPS Act and related programs. The broader goal is clear: reduce dependence on overseas manufacturing and rebuild America’s advanced chip-making capabilities.

The catch is delivery.

The 2028 timeline gives Intel roughly two years to scale its 18A process to high-volume production and prove it can match TSMC’s yield and reliability. That is the question hanging over the stock. A single blockbuster order is encouraging, but turning it into chips that ship on time and at a profit is precisely the step where Intel has stumbled before.

Promises are easy in this business; finished wafers are hard.

For everyday readers, the bigger picture is about where the country’s most important chips actually get made. Almost every advanced processor inside today’s phones, data centers, and AI tools is built in Taiwan, an arrangement that looks increasingly fragile to companies and governments alike. A genuine second source on American soil would make that supply chain sturdier and harder to disrupt.

For Intel, landing a customer the size of Google is the clearest sign yet that its years-long, expensive bet on becoming a contract manufacturer might finally pay off. Whether this marks the beginning of a broader migration of business toward Intel or simply a hedge against TSMC capacity constraints will become clearer in the months ahead. Nvidia’s decision on whether to graduate from testing to a real production order may ultimately provide the answer.

JBizNews Desk

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Yossi Brander, a local firefighter and EMT, is preparing to participate in a specialized program with the Emergency Volunteers Project (EVP), an organization that trains firefighters from around the world and prepares them to assist emergency services in Israel during times of need.

Brander serves as a firefighter with the Lakewood Volunteer Fire Department, Pleasant Plains Fire Department, and Woodridge Fire Department. He is also a volunteer EMT with Pleasant Plains First Aid Squad and a paid EMT with Lakewood EMS.

A former yeshiva student in Israel, Brander spent time learning there and is looking forward to returning in a different capacity—combining his background in emergency services with an opportunity to help protect and support communities across Israel.

The Emergency Volunteers Project provides advanced training to firefighters and emergency responders while maintaining a network of trained volunteers who can be called upon to assist Israel during major emergencies, including wildfires, wars, natural disasters, and other incidents that require additional manpower. The training prepares participants to operate alongside Israeli emergency personnel and respond effectively if called upon in the future.

“One of the things that attracted me to EVP is that it’s not just about training,” Brander said. “The goal is to build a network of firefighters who are ready to assist Israel when needed. The training prepares us for that mission while also giving us valuable skills that we can bring back to our own departments and communities.”

Israel’s emergency services have developed unique expertise through decades of experience responding to complex incidents and large-scale emergencies. Participants gain exposure to specialized firefighting tactics, emergency management techniques, and operational strategies that can benefit first responders both in Israel and in the United States.

Brander hopes to use the knowledge and experience gained through the program to better serve the communities that rely on him as both a firefighter and EMT in the US.

Participation in the program is self-funded, with costs including airfare, lodging, training, equipment, and other program expenses. Community members who would like to support Brander’s participation and help offset those costs are invited to contribute here.

By supporting the effort, donors are helping a local first responder prepare for a program dedicated to assisting Israel during times of need while bringing valuable training and experience back to the communities he serves here at home.

San Francisco voters appeared to reject a ballot measure that would have significantly increased taxes on some large companies with highly paid executives, delivering a win for business groups and technology leaders who argued the proposal could hinder the city’s economic recovery.

According to results posted by the San Francisco Department of Elections, Measure D was failing with 53.64% of voters opposed and 46.36% in favor. The measure required a simple majority to pass.

Measure D would have expanded San Francisco’s existing CEO pay ratio tax, which applies to certain large businesses when a top executive earns more than 100 times the median compensation of workers. The proposal would have changed the formula by comparing executive pay with a company’s entire workforce rather than only its San Francisco employees, while also increasing tax rates on affected businesses.

CHATGPT BOOM FUELS A LUXURY HOUSING FRENZY IN BAY AREA

City officials estimated the measure would generate between $250 million and $300 million in annual revenue. Supporters said the proposal would help address income inequality while providing additional funding for city services.

Opponents, including Mayor Daniel Lurie, argued the measure could drive employers away from San Francisco and make the city less competitive as officials work to revive downtown and attract new investment.

The proposal also faced opposition from prominent technology executives, including Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who donated $500,000 to a committee campaigning against the measure.

CALIFORNIA TECH LEADERS CHALLENGE PROGRESSIVE POLICIES AS BILLIONAIRES, BUSINESSES FLEE: REPORT

The outcome adds to a series of election results that suggest San Francisco voters have shifted toward a more centrist approach on economic and governance issues. In recent years, voters recalled former District Attorney Chesa Boudin, removed three school board members and elected Lurie, a moderate Democrat who campaigned on public safety and economic recovery.

The vote comes as San Francisco seeks to capitalize on an artificial intelligence-driven investment boom while continuing to confront concerns about its business climate and the departure of several high-profile companies and entrepreneurs in recent years.

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The defeat of Measure D is likely to be viewed by business advocates as a sign that voters remain focused on economic growth, job creation and efforts to strengthen the city’s competitiveness.

FOX Business’ Eric Revell contributed to this report.

So far this year, semiconductors and the physical infrastructure of artificial intelligence (AI) are dominating the exchange-traded fund (ETF) scene. For example, the iShares Semiconductor ETF is up 89% year to date. Given the intense interest – and investments – in AI, this makes sense.

Semiconductors and AI reinforce each other in a tight loop. AI depends on ever more sophisticated chips to run. Now, AI is changing how chips are designed and where they’re manufactured. In short, AI is designed to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, and semiconductors are the physical devices that enable it to do so.

TAP INTO THE HUMANOID ROBOTICS BOOM WITH THIS ETF

Driven by AI and data-center demand, the chip industry is in a powerful upcycle. With large cloud providers spending heavily on AI infrastructure, the entire semiconductor value chain is lifted. Greater demand for central processors, graphics processors, power management, memory, and manufacturing equipment is like catnip to investors – so much so that semiconductor revenue reached $298.5 billion in the first quarter of 2026, up a staggering 25% from the fourth quarter of 2025.

As a passively managed ETF, the iShares Semiconductor ETF provides exposure to large-cap and mid-cap companies, primarily through U.S.-listed stocks. It tracks the NYSE Semiconductor Index and currently holds a concentrated basket of 30 stocks.

Top holdings include industry leaders such as Micron Technology, Advanced Micro Devices, and Marvell Technology.

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

With a reasonable expense ratio of 0.34%, or $34 per $10,000 invested annually, SOXX provides access to a narrowly focused group of sector-specific ETFs.

IDC’s April forecast predicted that the semiconductor market will exceed the $1 trillion revenue threshold by the end of this year. However, investing in a semiconductor ETF is not the right move for everyone.

As an investor, it’s vital to remember that anything could happen. For example, AI could lose popularity for any number of reasons, from hype fatigue to slower-than-expected adoption or constraints on power and data-center buildouts. Like all technology, semiconductor stocks and ETFs can be volatile, and there’s no guarantee that they’ll continue to thrive.

HOW ETFS CAN BE EFFECTIVE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR RETIREES

Before leaping, look past the current hype and make sure you’ve taken a close enough look under the hood to know precisely what you’re buying. If you do choose to put money into a semiconductor ETF, it should be part of a well-diversified portfolio that you intend to hold for the long term.

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Dana George has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Marvell Technology, Micron Technology, and iShares Trust – iShares Semiconductor ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

WASHINGTON — Home shoppers got more bad news this week as mortgage rates moved higher following a stronger-than-expected jobs report, reinforcing expectations that borrowing costs may remain elevated for months to come.

According to recent mortgage market data, the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage climbed to approximately 6.65%, remaining near the highest levels seen this year. The increase follows Friday’s employment report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which showed employers added 172,000 jobs in May while the unemployment rate held at 4.3%.

The jobs number came in stronger than economists expected and immediately changed how investors viewed future interest-rate cuts.

For prospective homebuyers, the result is frustrating. A healthy labor market is generally good news for the economy, but it also gives the Federal Reserve less incentive to lower interest rates. Mortgage rates tend to follow expectations for Fed policy, meaning strong economic data can actually make homeownership more expensive.

The impact on household budgets is substantial.

A buyer financing the same home today faces significantly higher monthly payments than a few years ago. According to housing market data, the typical monthly payment on a newly purchased home has climbed to roughly $2,623, near the highest level in almost a year.

At the same time, home prices continue to rise.

Recent market figures show the typical sale price remains about 2.3% higher than a year ago, creating a double burden for buyers: higher home prices and higher borrowing costs.

The situation has created a standoff across much of the housing market.

Many existing homeowners locked in mortgages below 4% during the pandemic and are reluctant to sell because doing so would require financing a new home at today’s much higher rates. That limits inventory, keeps prices elevated, and leaves buyers competing for a relatively small number of available homes.

The labor market itself also presents a more complicated picture than the headline suggests.

While layoffs remain relatively low and hiring continues, workers who do lose their jobs are taking longer to find new employment. Government data shows approximately 2 million Americans have been unemployed for at least 27 weeks, a figure that has risen significantly over the past year.

In practical terms, most employed workers remain in relatively good shape, but those seeking work face a more difficult hiring environment than headline numbers suggest.

Mortgage rates have experienced an extraordinary journey over the past five years.

The average 30-year fixed mortgage fell to a record low of approximately 2.65% in early 2021 before climbing near 8% in 2023. Today’s rates remain well below historic peaks seen in the early 1980s but are substantially higher than many buyers became accustomed to during the pandemic era.

The timing is particularly difficult because late spring and early summer traditionally represent the busiest homebuying season of the year.

Families hoping to move before the next school year are encountering affordability challenges that continue to keep many on the sidelines.

For those still planning to purchase, housing experts continue to recommend comparing offers from multiple lenders. Even small differences in mortgage rates can save thousands of dollars over the life of a loan.

For now, however, the message from both the labor market and the mortgage market is clear: the economy remains strong enough to keep interest rates elevated, and that strength continues to make homeownership more expensive for millions of Americans.

JBizNews Desk

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Satellite imagery published by Soar Atlas appears to indicate that a hangar at the Israeli Air Force’s Ramat David Air Base in northern Israel may have been struck during the recent escalation with Iran.

The images, taken on Monday and compared with satellite photographs from June 5, show what appears to be a visible mark or discoloration at the hangar’s location.

The analysis is based on low-resolution imagery. The extent of any damage remains unclear, and the IDF has not publicly commented on the report.

The report was published with the approval of Israel’s military censor.

Ramat David Air Base, located near Migdal HaEmek in northern Israel, is home to five squadrons, including F-16 fighter jets and unmanned aerial vehicles. Throughout the war, the base—located roughly 50 kilometers from the Lebanese border—has been a constant target of Hezbollah threats and surveillance efforts.

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(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Iranian officials claimed victory less than a day after the latest exchange with Israel, while warning that any further Israeli or American action could trigger another regional response. Iranian leaders and regime-linked media presented the fighting as proof that Iran had changed the regional equation, tying Israel, the U.S., Lebanon, Hezbollah, Yemen and the Red Sea into one broader front.

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, speaker of Iran’s parliament and a senior figure in Tehran’s negotiating team, said Iran would continue to combine military pressure with diplomacy. “We are not going to either just fight or just negotiate; rather, we are going to fight at our own time and negotiate at our own time,” Qalibaf said.

He also claimed Iran had disrupted what he called an empty ceasefire framework that was being violated on the ground. “We upended the equation of a ceasefire on paper and its repeated violation on the ground,” he said. “So long as you lack a genuine willingness to build trust, Iran’s response will remain the same.”

Other senior Iranian officials joined the threats. Mohsen Rezaei, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, warned that Iran would respond to any “aggression” in the area of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf. Mohammad Bagher Zolqadr, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, warned Israel and the U.S. that “If the Zionist-American evil coalition makes another mistake, the region will become hell for them.”

The threats were also linked to Iran’s regional proxy network. Esmail Qaani, commander of the IRGC Quds Force, said “From the Strait of Hormuz to Bab al-Mandab, and from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea, a new security belt of resistance will be established.” The Houthis also renewed threats against Israeli-linked navigation in the Red Sea after missile launches from Yemen toward Israel.

Inside Iran, Hamshahri published a list of “five achievements” it attributed to Iran after the latest round, including what it called the unification of regional fronts after the Beirut strike. The paper said the exchange showed that “Dahieh and Lebanon are not out of the picture,” while also arguing that Hezbollah remains central to Iran’s deterrence equation.

Former Obama adviser and CNN senior political commentator David Axelrod sharply criticized President Donald Trump on Monday, arguing that repeated claims of election fraud undermine public confidence in the American electoral system and raise concerns ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.

During an appearance on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” Axelrod was asked about Trump’s latest allegations that elections are being manipulated and what those remarks could signal politically moving forward.

Cooper said, “Obviously, the not surprising the president’s making baseless claims, again, about voter fraud of rigged elections. What do you think this signals for the midterms?

Axelrod responded by saying that the central issue is not the claims themselves, which he said have become familiar, but the motivation behind them.

“Well, listen, I think this is the important question. We’ve heard this now for years and years and years. So it isn’t surprising. The question is why? Why is he saying it? First of all, let’s say it’s absurd to suggest that this was rigged in order to kick out the Republicans, the frontrunners both in the mayor and the governor’s race would love to run against the Republicans. It is a very Democratic state. It’s an even more Democratic city.”

Axelrod argued that Democratic candidates in California would likely prefer Republican opponents in statewide and local races, particularly because of Trump’s standing in the state.

“Their chances are much greater running against Republicans, partly because they’re endorsed by Donald Trump, who is so unpopular in California.”

The longtime Democratic strategist then defended the integrity of the U.S. electoral process, pointing to extensive scrutiny of recent elections and rejecting claims that widespread fraud has been uncovered.

“The election system of the United States isn’t among the most corrupt in the world, it is a model for the world. It is. We had the most scrutinized election ever in 2020, and no, no appreciable fraud was found. That should be a source of pride. And for him to run down the system and implant this notion in his followers that somehow, if you lose that the system must be rigged is a sin on the 250th year of our Declaration of Independence, that is a sin on our country.”

{Matzav.com}

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The IDF struck the main headquarters of Hamas’s naval police in the Khan Younis area on Sunday, according to an announcement released by the military. The headquarters was allegedly used to plan and carry out terrorist operations against IDF forces and the State of Israel.

During the strike, several terrorists inside the facility were killed, including Ismail al-Laham, who was described as a cell commander in Hamas’s military wing.

According to the IDF, the naval police in Gaza operates under Hamas’s military wing and is involved in planning, directing, and carrying out attacks against IDF forces and Israel. The military stated that the targeted headquarters was being used for Hamas reconstruction and force-building efforts, in violation of the ceasefire agreement and while utilizing infrastructure presented as civilian.

In addition, the IDF said that during the previous week it struck southern Gaza and destroyed three Hamas weapons warehouses that were intended to be used against Israeli forces.

🚨🇮🇱🇵🇸 — The IDF said it struck Hamas’ Naval Police headquarters in Khan Yunis on Sunday, a facility used for planning and executing attacks against Israeli forces, killing several operatives including Ismail al-Lahham, a Hamas military wing cell commander, according to its… pic.twitter.com/ssUHYtrT1u

— MaxOsint Intel (@maxosintintel) June 9, 2026

Before the warehouses were attacked, and after advance warnings had been issued to the local population, the IDF said it identified several Hamas military-wing terrorists attempting to remove weapons from the facilities using vehicles. Following their identification, Israeli forces struck both the terrorists and the weapons.

The IDF added that secondary explosions were observed after the warehouses were hit, which it said indicated the presence of stored munitions.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen announced Monday that they are imposing what they described as a complete ban on Israeli-linked maritime traffic in the Red Sea, while warning that further military action against them or their allies would be met with intensified attacks.

In a statement released by the group, the Houthis declared that any vessels associated with Israel would now be considered potential targets.

“We consider all enemy movements to be legitimate military targets for our armed forces,” the Houthis warned.

The threat was accompanied by a pledge to increase military operations throughout the region if tensions continue to rise.

“Escalation will be met with escalation, and our operations will intensify in accordance with developments,” said Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, vowing to act “in coordination with the axis of jihad and resistance,” meaning Iran’s network of terrorist proxies across the Middle East.

Saree further stated that the group has no intention of ending its military campaign.

“Our operations will continue as long as the aggression and siege continue against us and against the axis of struggle and resistance,” he said.

The spokesman also claimed responsibility for missile attacks directed at central Israel, describing them as retaliation for Israeli military operations on multiple fronts.

Saree also stated that Houthi forces attacked central Israel with missiles, “in response to Israeli aggression against Lebanon, Iran, and Gaza.”

“The Yemeni armed forces have launched missiles at important targets of the Israeli enemy in the occupied Jaffa area, which were precisely hit,” he said. By “occupied Jaffa,” he meant the area around Tel Aviv.

The announcement mirrored actions taken by Iran, which launched missiles toward Israel following Israeli strikes against Hezbollah positions in Lebanon. Houthi missile launches triggered the first warning sirens heard in Israel on Monday morning, with additional barrages later arriving from Iran.

The Houthis previously targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea during the Gaza conflict between 2023 and 2025, forcing many vessels to abandon the route and travel around southern Africa instead, dramatically increasing shipping costs and transit times. Since the launch of Operation Epic Fury by the United States and Israel against Iran in late February, the group has repeatedly threatened to resume those attacks but had not acted until now.

In March, the Houthis also threatened to disrupt maritime traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s most important shipping corridors connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

The waterway has become increasingly important for global energy markets since Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz. Oil tankers, particularly those carrying Saudi crude, have increasingly relied on the Bab el-Mandeb route because Saudi Arabia can redirect much of its oil exports to the Red Sea through an existing pipeline network.

Data from shipping analytics firm Kpler indicates that oil shipments passing through the Bab el-Mandeb rose sharply between February and April, climbing from 3.9 million barrels per day to 7.2 million barrels per day.

Farea al-Muslimi, a research fellow at Chatham House, told The New York Times that the Houthis would not need a sustained campaign to disrupt the route.

“They can just send a signal and only one attack has to happen – and that will send a shock across insurance companies,” he said.

Looking ahead, al-Muslimi suggested that both major regional shipping chokepoints could face simultaneous disruption.

“I won’t be surprised now if you have a joint lockdown of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab,” he predicted.

{Matzav.com}

A traffic citation issued to a young Chareidi man near the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood in Jerusalem sparked a protest and temporary road closure Tuesday morning after bystanders mistakenly believed police were attempting to arrest a draft evader.

According to reports from the scene, a police officer stopped a Chareidi driver at the entrance to the neighborhood in order to issue a traffic ticket.

However, Chareidi passersby assumed that the police were arresting a draft evader and alerted the “The Kidnappers Have Arrived” alert system. Chareidim flocked to the area and blocked the road.

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It later emerged that the driver was not arrested, and it is unclear whether he was even classified as a draft evader.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

NEW YORK (VINnews) — The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, has been suspended pending a vote by member states on his status, the court’s governing body said on Monday, following a probe into accusations of sexual harassment made against him.

A diplomatic source briefed on the decision told Reuters that the court’s governing body’s executive bureau has ruled that Khan had committed serious misconduct following an 18-month-long probe into accusations that the prosecutor had non-consensual sexual interactions with a lawyer in his office. The source added that the bureau has recommended that the prosecutor be removed from office.

The ICC’s governing body will send its conclusion to all 125 ICC member states, who will vote on Khan’s fate in a special session convened at a later date.

In its press release, the bureau said it had made a decision on the disciplinary proceedings against Khan and referred the matter to the ICC’s Assembly of States Parties, but did not give details about what it decided.

“The decision of the Bureau and the related documentation will remain confidential,” the press release said.

Khan’s lawyers said in a statement that he rejected the decision in the strongest terms and repeated that he denies any wrongdoing. “The decision is unlawful, procedurally unfair, and unsupported by evidence,” the statement said.

The International Criminal Court has been thrust into crisis by the investigations into Khan, its most prominent official, as well as by US sanctions over the court’s actions, including arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials for alleged war crimes.

Khan has not been at the helm of the ICC Office of the Prosecutor since last May, when he took a voluntary leave of absence pending the outcome of the inquiry. He is the first ICC prosecutor to be formally suspended from his role by the court’s oversight body.

Sources told Reuters earlier that a report by United Nations investigators found a “factual basis” for the allegations of sexual misconduct made by a female aide and that witness accounts “lend support to her claims.”

However, a second report by three judges that analyzed the UN report found the evidence insufficient to establish the truth of the allegations “beyond a reasonable doubt,” they added.

JERUSALEM — Two of the world’s most valuable technology companies are pushing Israel to make a significant change to how it collects taxes. Nvidia and Google have formally asked Israel’s Tax Authority to allow them to pay their Israeli corporate taxes in U.S. dollars rather than shekels, a request that gained momentum Monday as Finance Ministry officials signaled new openness during discussions with technology industry leaders.

The request comes as the Israeli shekel trades near its strongest level in decades, climbing roughly 20% against the dollar over the past year and recently reaching about 2.8 shekels per dollar, one of its strongest levels in more than three decades.

The issue may sound technical, but it sits at the center of one of Israel’s biggest economic challenges.

Companies such as Nvidia and Google earn much of their revenue in U.S. dollars but pay salaries, operating expenses, and taxes in Israeli shekels. When the shekel strengthens, every dollar earned buys fewer shekels, making operations in Israel more expensive when measured in dollar terms.

There is another effect as well. When multinational corporations convert large amounts of dollars into shekels to pay taxes, they increase demand for the Israeli currency, which can push the shekel even higher. Paying taxes directly in dollars would eliminate that conversion and reduce additional upward pressure on the currency.

The proposal traces back to one of the largest deals in Israeli technology history.

When Google agreed to acquire Israeli cybersecurity company Wiz for approximately $32 billion, the transaction generated an estimated $2.5 billion Israeli tax obligation for the company’s founders. Converting such a massive amount of dollars into shekels risked creating significant currency-market disruptions.

At the initiative of the Bank of Israel, tax authorities reportedly allowed those taxes to be collected directly in dollars rather than converted into shekels. What was initially viewed as a one-time solution has now become a precedent that other major corporations want to follow.

According to reports from Globes, additional multinational companies have approached the Tax Authority seeking similar treatment.

The largest and most influential request may be Nvidia’s.

Nvidia’s Israeli operations are built around its $7 billion acquisition of Mellanox Technologies in 2020. Mellanox remains an Israeli entity, making Nvidia one of Israel’s largest corporate taxpayers.

During its last fiscal year, Nvidia reportedly paid approximately $1.28 billion in Israeli taxes when the dollar traded between roughly 3.3 and 3.5 shekels. Since then, Nvidia’s business has exploded alongside global demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure. The company’s Israeli operations now generate dramatically more revenue than they did just a year ago, meaning future tax obligations could be substantially larger.

The request applies only to corporate taxes. Employees would continue paying income taxes in shekels under existing rules.

What makes the proposal unusual is that it could benefit both sides.

For companies, paying taxes directly in dollars reduces currency-conversion costs and limits exposure to exchange-rate fluctuations.

For the Israeli government, each tax payment received in dollars means fewer dollars being converted into shekels, easing some of the pressure pushing the currency higher. The government can also use those dollars to help service Israel’s own dollar-denominated obligations.

In effect, the arrangement could provide a modest tool for managing currency pressures without requiring direct intervention from the Bank of Israel.

Not everyone is convinced.

Critics argue that allowing giant multinational corporations to pay taxes in dollars while smaller Israeli businesses continue paying in shekels creates an uneven playing field. Others note that the policy addresses a symptom rather than the underlying cause.

The shekel is strong because Israel’s economy — particularly its technology sector — continues attracting foreign investment and generating substantial export revenue despite nearly three years of regional conflict.

That irony is difficult to miss. The same technology companies that helped drive billions of dollars into Israel and strengthen the currency are now asking the government for relief from the consequences of that success.

Still, momentum appears to be building.

Officials participating in Monday’s discussions reportedly showed greater openness than in previous meetings, leading many analysts to believe Israel may eventually create a formal framework allowing at least some large multinational companies to pay taxes in dollars.

The issue reaches far beyond taxes. Israel’s technology sector helped create the strong shekel by attracting billions of dollars in foreign investment and export revenue. Now some of the same companies responsible for that success are asking the government to help shield them from its consequences.

If Israel ultimately allows major multinational companies to routinely pay taxes in dollars, the decision would mark one of the most significant changes to corporate tax administration in years. It could also become another tool in the government’s effort to ease pressure on a currency that has become both a symbol of Israel’s economic strength and a growing challenge for the companies that helped create it.

JBizNews Desk — Israel

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NEW YORK (VINNEWS/Rabbi Yair Hoffman)  Today, the 24th  of Sivan, is the birthday of Rav Shamshon Raphael Hirsch, who passed away in Frankfurt am Main in 1888 at the age of eighty.  The great Gedolim of the last century explained that Hashem placed Rav Hirsch in the time that he was needed most for German Jewry when they faced a great crisis. 

Now, more than a century and a third later, the question is not merely how he answered the crisis of his own generation, but why his answer applies ever more so in ours.

To understand Rav Hirsch, one must first understand the storm he walked into. The walls of the European ghettos were coming down.  Jews stepped, often eagerly, into the surrounding society, a movement arose that promised to make Judaism “fit” for the new world. And with the advent of the internet, the same thing – so to speak, is happening now. 

German Judaism’s challenge was the advent of Reform Judaism.  Reform Judaism did not arrive fully formed. It developed in three distinct and escalating stages, each more radical than the last.

The first stage was the work of laymen such as the very early reformer – Israel Jacobson. Interestingly enough, the issue was not a lack of Emunah. They were simply men who had social and political ambition. They found certain Jewish laws “inconvenient.”  And so they just dropped them.

Their instinct was imitation: to reshape Jewish practice until it resembled the Christian worship of their neighbors. Organ music, vernacular sermons, abbreviated liturgy. The motive was not conviction but the desire to belong.  These stages were delineated by Dayan Grunfeld in a book he wrote in 1956 entitled, “Three generations;: The influence of Samson Raphael Hirsch on Jewish life and thought.”

The second stage was more sophisticated and, in a sense, more dangerous. Figures like Michael Creizenach were not content to simply abandon the law; they tried to justify its abandonment. Through entirely false reinterpretations of the Chumash and Shas, they constructed arguments for why traditional observance was no longer binding. Shockingly, Creizenach still acknowledged the divine origin of the law. He tried to undermine observance while leaving the foundation nominally intact, which made the project more devious and corrosive.

The third stage abandoned even that pretense. Abraham Geiger and Samuel Holdheim denied the divine origin of the Torah in any traditional sense. To them, Torah sh’b’al peh was a human invention, and therefore something that could and should be rewritten to satisfy the social requirements of a new age. Judaism, in their view, was clay to be molded by whatever spirit happened to be dominant.

Rav Hirsch did not wait for this third stage to reach its full climax before responding. He confronted the movement while it was still gathering force, and he did so by attacking the claim that there exists an irreconcilable antithesis between strict Torah law and full participation in modern society. The Reformers had convinced an entire generation that one had to choose. Hirsch refused the choice itself.

His response rested on several pillars.

He united Torah and knowledge without flinching. Hirsch made a declaration of breathtaking confidence: if Jewish emancipation and secular knowledge were truly incompatible with the Torah, then he would counsel his brethren to renounce that emancipation altogether. He was willing to surrender the very prize that the Reformers had sold their birthright to obtain. But, he insisted, no such incompatibility existed. Authentic Judaism and genuine human civilization could walk together.

He refused to compromise the law. Hirsch taught that a Jew, given sufficient idealism and a readiness for sacrifice, could remain meticulously loyal to the smallest details of halacha while living as a full citizen in the economic, cultural, and political life of Europe. The so called “minutiae” were not obstacles to be discarded; they were the substance of a life of meaning.

He advanced Torah Im Derech Eretz as something far more profound than a curriculum. Where the Reformers wanted to bend Judaism to fit the times, Hirsch proclaimed the Torah’s sovereignty over any and all civilization it encountered. This was the crux of his genius. His aim was never to lower the Torah to meet the shifting mood of the era. It was to raise modern civilization up toward the eternal ideals of the Torah. The direction of the elevation was everything.

He confronted modernity rather than hiding from it. Hirsch took the dominant forces of the new world — individualism, humanism, capitalism, and science — and examined each one honestly, measuring its strengths and exposing its weaknesses against the unchanging yardstick of the Torah. He argued that a humanism severed from Hashem would inevitably curdle into something anti-human and self-destructive, while honest and rigorous scientific inquiry, pursued to its depths, would lead the seeker back to the Creator.

Ultimately, Rav Hirsch answered the Reformers with their own preferred weapon turned to holy purpose: a rigorous, systematic study of Judaism conducted from within rather than imposed from without. By weaving the Written and Oral Law into a single seamless fabric, he demonstrated to a post-emancipation generation that they did not have to choose between being cultured, educated, and modern on the one hand and being Torah-true on the other. They could be both, fully and without apology.

So why do we need a Rav Hirsch today?

Because the three stages have not vanished. They have multiplied and accelerated. The pressures Hirsch faced were, in retrospect, almost gentle compared to ours. He contended with the seduction of a single surrounding civilization. We contend with a thousand competing ones, delivered instantly and constantly through screens that reach into every pocket and every bedroom. The destructiveness of Israel Jacobson has become a limitless stream of content, much of it openly hostile to the very premises of a Torah life.

Creizenach reinterpreted a handful of texts in printed pamphlets that took years to circulate. Today, reinterpretation is industrial and viral. Anyone with a platform can recast the tradition in an afternoon and reach millions by evening, dressing the abandonment of mitzvos in the language of justice, authenticity, or self-expression — the same move Creizenach made, now amplified beyond anything he could have imagined.

And the denial of the third stage, the claim that our mesorah is merely a human construct to be revised at will, is no longer the provocative thesis of two German “alleged” scholars. It has become an unstated assumption woven through much of the surrounding culture, absorbed almost without argument by people who have never heard the names Geiger or Holdheim. The premise that Hirsch fought has quietly won the room in many quarters, precisely because it now arrives unannounced.

There is a further challenge Hirsch could scarcely have foreseen. The secular humanism he warned would turn anti-human has, in our age, begun to fulfill his prophecy.  The influence of gashmius and consumption has entered the very fabric of our own culture and has caused remarkable decline.

We need the confidence to declare that the Torah does not require defense against modernity but stands in judgment over it. And we need his refusal of the false choice — the insistence that a Jew can stand at the very heart of the contemporary world, fully literate in its sciences and its cultures, and yet bow to no outside influence or foreign sovereign but the eternal will of the Torah.

The storm Rav Hirsch walked into has grown into a hurricane. That is precisely why his voice is needed more, not less.

The author can be reached at [email protected]

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The chairman of the Knesset Education, Culture and Sports Committee, Zvi Sukkot, has appealed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding immediate action against the continued presence of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon(UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon.

The appeal follows a report published by Arutz Sheva claiming that personnel from the UN force are collecting information on IDF movements in southern Lebanon and that, according to the report, the information ultimately reaches the terrorist organization Hezbollah.

In his letter, Sukkot wrote that dozens of UNIFIL positions are deployed along the border region and overlook a significant portion of the routes used by IDF forces in the area. He argued that if the reports are accurate, the situation constitutes a “serious operational threat” that could endanger soldiers’ lives.

“It is unacceptable that an international force that is supposedly operating to maintain stability would in practice become a factor that endangers IDF soldiers,” Sukkot wrote. “If there is even a suspicion that information collected by UNIFIL is reaching Hezbollah, the State of Israel must act immediately to stop it.”

He added:”The lives of our soldiers come before any diplomatic consideration. Anyone who does not prevent terrorism, and certainly anyone who may be assisting it, cannot continue operating in the area.”

Sukkot also argued that over the years UNIFIL has failed to fulfill its mission under UN resolutions and has not prevented Hezbollah’s military buildup in southern Lebanon. According to him, under the current security reality, the force has no practical ability to carry out the mandate it was given.

In his letter, he urged the prime minister to act urgently to prevent the presence of UNIFIL soldiers in the area or, at the very least, to prevent them from collecting any information regarding the location and activities of IDF forces in southern Lebanon.

Last week, Arutz Sheva reported that during a closed session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, IDF representatives acknowledged that UNIFIL collects information about IDF troops operating in southern Lebanon. According to information presented at the discussion, the intelligence gathered is leaking to Hezbollah and poses a genuine security risk to forces on the ground.

The report further stated that in recent months senior IDF officials have warned that the UN force is acting against Israeli military interests and exceeding its authority in the area.

UNIFIL consists of approximately 13,000 peacekeeping troops and was first deployed in southern Lebanon in 1978. In August of last year, the United Nations Security Council extended its mandate in the region through the end of 2026. Under that decision, the UN force is expected to withdraw from Lebanon in 2027.

SAN FRANCISCO — OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, said Monday, June 8, 2026, that it has taken the first formal step toward selling its stock to the public. In a statement, the company said it had recently submitted a confidential S-1 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the required registration document companies file before launching an initial public offering.

OpenAI said it has not yet determined the timing of a public listing and cautioned that an IPO may still be some time away.

A confidential filing allows a company to submit its financial information to regulators for review before publicly disclosing its financial statements and business details. For OpenAI, the process carries particular significance. The company is valued at more than $850 billion, making it one of the most valuable private companies in the world, yet it continues to invest heavily in computing infrastructure, advanced AI models, and the massive data-center capacity required to support its growing products.

The filing places additional attention on Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman, who will ultimately have to persuade public-market investors that OpenAI can convert its enormous investments into sustainable profits. In a blog post Monday, Altman described the move as part of what he called the “third phase of OpenAI,” following its research phase and its product phase, during which hundreds of millions of users adopted ChatGPT and the company’s expanding suite of AI tools.

OpenAI is not entering the public markets alone.

Its chief rival, Anthropic, reportedly submitted confidential IPO paperwork roughly a week earlier, while SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, is expected to make its own highly anticipated public-market debut in the coming days at an estimated valuation of approximately $1.75 trillion.

The simultaneous march toward public markets by some of the world’s most valuable artificial intelligence and space technology companies marks a pivotal moment for investors. Each offering will provide new insight into how Wall Street values companies that are shaping the future of AI, cloud computing, automation, robotics, and advanced technologies.

The larger question is whether public investors are willing to support trillion-dollar valuations for companies that continue to spend aggressively on growth.

OpenAI has reportedly raised more than $180 billion and continues investing heavily in chips, data centers, research, and computing capacity. Various reports have suggested the company could seek a valuation exceeding $1 trillion when it eventually goes public, though OpenAI itself has not provided guidance on valuation expectations.

Reports have also suggested debate within the company regarding the pace of a public offering. While Altman has reportedly favored moving quickly toward a listing, Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar has emphasized preparing the company for the scrutiny and disclosure requirements that come with being publicly traded.

Earlier this year, Friar told CNBC that it is “good hygiene” for a company of OpenAI’s scale to operate as though it were already public, reflecting the growing expectations surrounding transparency, governance, and financial discipline.

One element that could resonate strongly with consumers is OpenAI’s reported interest in making a portion of any future stock offering available to individual retail investors rather than limiting participation solely to large institutions. Friar has previously suggested she hopes ordinary investors will eventually have the opportunity to own a stake in the company behind ChatGPT.

According to reports, OpenAI is working with Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley on preparations related to a potential public offering.

The confidential filing marks only the beginning of the process. Detailed financial disclosures will remain private until later stages of the SEC review process, and regulators may take weeks or months to evaluate the filing before OpenAI is permitted to begin formally marketing shares to investors.

For now, OpenAI has taken only the first formal step toward becoming a public company. But the filing signals that the artificial intelligence industry is entering a new chapter—one in which investors will increasingly demand not only technological breakthroughs, but also clear paths to profitability, sustainable growth, and returns on the enormous capital being invested in the AI race.

If OpenAI, Anthropic, and SpaceX all reach public markets in the months ahead, the offerings could become one of the most consequential tests yet of investor appetite for the technologies reshaping the global economy.

JBizNews Desk

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For more than two years, hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza and Lebanon have lived in dread of Avichay Adraee’s next social media post.

Israel’s Arabic-language military spokesman has been the animated face of its campaigns and the main source of warnings ahead of strikes and major offensives. That has made him one of the most recognizable Israelis in the Arab world and a focus of fury as well as some fascination.

In social media videos shared to his 2.5 million followers across platforms, the colonel appears in military fatigues, gesticulating as he delivers official statements and mocks Israel’s enemies, often using satire or pop culture references, all in fluent Arabic.

Below is Adraee’s video message on X on Tuesday, June 9, warning residents of Tyre in southern Lebanon to evacuate their homes immediately:

Your browser does not support the video tag.

Adraee’s warning to residents of Tyre on Tuesday, June 9, (translated from Arabic to English).

In the wars sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, his social media accounts have carried warnings for civilians to leave — sometimes at a moment’s notice — areas shaded in red on maps of Gaza and Lebanon. Millions have paid heed, with hundreds of thousands seeking refuge in tent camps.

Adraee, who is retiring this year, takes pride in his work. Asked to respond to the fact that many associate him with death and displacement, he said he has helped Arabs to better understand Israel’s military operations.

“Because of these evacuation orders, many millions were saved,” he told The Associated Press. “There’s no other army in the world that acts this way.”

The grim warnings have also made him something of a celebrity. In Lebanon, a look-alike delivery driver posts satirical videos and pranks unsuspecting residents, showing the fear Adraee inspires.

Adraee, 43, grew up in the mixed Jewish and Arab city of Haifa in northern Israel.

His father’s family is part of the Jewish community that lived in the area for generations before Israel’s establishment in 1948. His mother’s family came to Israel from Iraq, among hundreds of thousands of Jews from centuries-old communities across the Middle East who emigrated to Israel to escape violence and persecution.

Adraee said he loved watching Egyptian soap operas on Israeli television as a kid and that studying Arabic was “love at first sight.” He picked up some Arabic at home before studying the language in school and during a stint in military intelligence.

“My ability to speak and absorb Arabic is connected to my roots,” he said. “My grandmother and father were very proud when they saw me on TV speaking in Arabic.”

Adraee became the military’s first Arabic-language spokesperson in 2005, doing interviews with TV outlets, including regular appearances on the increasingly influential Al Jazeera.

He said 2011 marked a turning point with the rise of social media, which was used to great effect during the Arab Spring uprisings that year.

“People know me, we’ve been through so many wars,” he said. “But the revolution of social networks in 2011 allowed us to lean on the persona of Avichay.”

Adraee wants his videos to go viral, leaning on the casual nature of social media to get his message across.

The IDF’s discovery of Hamas infrastructure under a luxury hotel in Gaza made little impact, but Adraee said his satirical video of a Hamas leader leaving a TripAdvisor review for the tunnels was widely shared. He has sent birthday messages to singers and holiday greetings to Arab influencers, even exchanging public messages with Lebanese journalists who work for Hezbollah-linked outlets.

“We want people to be exposed to the really important and serious messages, the information we’re trying to convince them of, but if you want them to remember you, you have to be more creative,” he said, adding that social media allowed him to “talk directly to the people, above the heads of the government.”

Fawaz Gerges, a professor of Middle East studies at the London School of Economics who was born in Lebanon, said Adraee’s posts are “dreaded and feared because they really carry life and death implications for hundreds of thousands of people.”

Still, “you have some people basically who are fascinated by his personality because he’s now almost an official influencer for Israel,” he said, adding that Israel’s military has spokespeople in several languages, but only Adraee is famous enough to be known by his first name.

After 20 years in the role, Adraee is retiring and will be replaced by Lt. Col. Ella Waweya, the military’s highest-ranking Muslim woman.

Last month, Adraee received one of the strangest messages of his long career.

A teenager in a Beirut suburb reached out on Instagram and told Adraee that her school was hiding weapons. Israel regularly bombs buildings it says are used by militants, so the message prompted panic, vehement denials by school officials and a search by the Lebanese military, which turned up nothing.

It was later revealed the girl was playing a joke with a friend and likely wanted to avoid going to class.

Adraee chalked up the whole situation as a win.

“The fact that the (Israeli military) spokesperson is someone you can write to on Instagram, that’s the whole story,” he said.

(AP & YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)