A New York business leader is warning that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s proposed housing plan could drive developers and investors away from the city.

FOX Business’ Madison Alworth joined FOX Business’ Stuart Varney on “Varney & Co.” to report on Mamdani’s proposal to create 200,000 new affordable, rent-stabilized housing units and preserve another 200,000 over the next decade. The $22 billion plan would include $5.6 billion for the New York City Housing Authority and require wages of at least $40 per hour on affordable housing projects.

The proposal includes the possibility of the city taking legal action against negligent landlords and potentially transferring chronically neglected properties to nonprofits or community land trusts.

Real estate and business leaders say they support the mayor’s focus on expanding housing but remain concerned about provisions tied to the proposal, including wage mandates for affordable housing projects, according to Alworth.

TAX FIGHT HEATS UP AS NEW YORK TARGETS WEALTHY HOMEOWNERS

“Developers, the private investors, the people with capital, that they’re better off in other cities than the ones with huge amounts of regulation. And you’ve seen it. You’ve seen that all across the country,” Partnership for New York City President Steve Fulop said. 

“New York City has a big housing shortage. It has a big opportunity to grow as well. But you got to be careful with regulation and government overreach,” Fulop continued.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., also joined FOX Business’ Stuart Varney to criticize the idea of the city taking a stronger role in property oversight, arguing that New York City has struggled to manage its own public housing stock.

“New York City is actually the biggest slumlord in the city of New York,” Malliotakis said. “We have 350,000 people living in New York City housing authority projects… When you look at these facilities, there’s mold… leaks… rodents… roaches, there are all sorts of problems, not to mention real serious dangerous crime issues as well.”

JAMIE DIMON TELLS NYC’S MAMDANI TO ‘GROW AND BUILD’ OR WATCH MORE JOBS FLEE

Malliotakis said the city should focus on improving existing public housing, cracking down on illegal conversions and encouraging more investment in housing stock, including housing for seniors and people with developmental disabilities.

“If he wants to encourage investment, he has to stop with these crazy regulations that make it impossible to be a homeowner or landlord or a property manager in this city,” Malliotakis said.

At the same time, one progressive housing advocate praised the proposal.

MAMDANI TAX BREAK PROPOSAL SPARKS FEARS AS BUSINESS LEADERS WARN OF ‘FRAGILE’ NYC ECONOMY

“Mayor Mamdani’s housing plan is what a progressive all-of-the-above housing plan looks like…,” Open New York Executive Director Annemarie Gray said in a statement to the New York Post.

Mamdani’s housing proposal takes center stage as New York City’s median asking rent has climbed above $3,600, according to data cited by FOX Business’ Madison Alworth.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Win or lose, billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer will leave a mark in the history books in his bid to become California’s next governor — he’s running the most expensive political advertising campaign in the country this year.

Steyer — a former hedge fund manager turned liberal activist — has spent or booked more than $195 million in ads for broadcast TV, cable and radio with the tally still growing, according to data compiled by advertising tracker AdImpact.

His torrent of ads have opened the one-time presidential candidate to criticism that he is trying to buy the governor’s chair, and his ad total represents more than 20 times the amount spent by his nearest rival, fellow Democrat Xavier Becerra, as the two duel for a spot in the November election.

Nationally, no one is close.

In Georgia, Republican health care executive Rick Jackson has spent about $83 million on advertising in his primary race for governor, which is headed for a June runoff, ranking him second. The third place spot is held by his Republican rival, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who has President Donald Trump’s endorsement and has spent nearly $31 million on ads, according to AdImpact.

Following Jones was Democratic U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, who spent over $28 million on advertising in a failed bid for U.S. Senate.

Trying to ‘buy the governor’s office?’
Katie Porter, a former U.S. House member who is among seven established Democrats in the California race, has repeatedly criticized Steyer for dipping into his personal fortune to keep ads in front of voters with scant competition from rivals.

“She isn’t spending hundreds of millions of dollars of personal wealth trying to buy the governor’s office,” her campaign wrote in an email to supporters.

In raw numbers, Steyer ad blitz has eclipsed the 2010 record set by Republican Meg Whitman, who spent $178.5 million in total on a losing bid for governor, much of it her own money. At the time, it was the costliest campaign for statewide office in the nation’s history. When adjusted for inflation, however, Whitman still holds the state record, but that represented spending for the full election, not just the primary.

A crowded field with no clear leader
Steyer’s record-level output has lifted him into contention in the crowded race but he’s not breaking away from the field. He’s among a leading group of several candidates — including Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton — as the campaign heads toward a June 2 primary. Mail voting started earlier this month.

Still, Steyer’s cash advantage is giving him a publicity edge as the contest enters its crucial final days. He’s kept up a steady flow of advertising and online posts questioning Becerra’s credentials and record, with Becerra, a former state attorney general and Biden administration health secretary, lacking the funds to reply in kind.

One Becerra ad sought to connect with voters who might be getting bleary-eyed from the cascade of Steyer advertising. It used tranquil scenes of Joshua trees, waves curling on a beach and soaring redwoods with a gentle prod, “You can stop the endless Tom Steyer ads. Vote Xavier Becerra.”

Steyer’s financial edge has allowed him to stretch the boundaries of his campaign far beyond traditional TV and radio ads, with steady posts on online platforms like YouTube and Instagram. The New York Times reported that his campaign paid a progressive Texas influencer $100,000 to help Steyer win the election. The Sacramento Bee reported that Becerra, too, had hired an influencer.

Many voters have been slow to vote in a race without a star candidate and no clear leader. More than 50 names will be on the ballot. California uses a “top two” primary system that puts all candidates on one ballot, with only the top two vote-getters advancing to November, regardless of party.

“In a race this close, it all matters,” said Democratic consultant Andrew Acosta.

Money doesn’t always make the difference
History shows that money doesn’t always translate into votes.

Billionaire developer Rick Caruso spent over $100 million in 2022 in his bid to become Los Angeles mayor, much of it his own money, but he was handily defeated by Mayor Karen Bass, who spent a fraction of Caruso’s total. Billionaire former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg spent more than $1 billion of his own money on his 2020 presidential bid before dropping out. And Steyer’s money was unable to lift him into contention in the 2020 presidential contest, when he dropped out early in the year after a poor finish in the South Carolina primary.

Democratic San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan’s campaign for governor was supported by independent committees bankrolled with millions of dollars from tech leaders and venture capitalists, yet he failed to gain traction in the race.

Steyer has never held elected office.

In a 2019 interview with The Associated Press, Steyer was asked what he would say to people who think he’s trying to buy the presidency.

“I don’t think that’s possible,” Steyer said at the time, before adding, “I’m never going to apologize for succeeding in business. That’s America, right?”

The contest is unfolding as California struggles with a long-running homeless crisis, wildfire insurance shortages, projected budget shortfalls and housing costs that are out of reach for many working-class families. Voters, meanwhile, are saddled with growing everyday bills for groceries, utilities and gas.

The AdImpact data does not include ads on some popular streaming services like Hulu and YouTube or mail advertising.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) – Israeli forces eliminated a Hezbollah terrorist who fatally shot a reserve officer last week after he opened fire in southern Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces announced.

Major (res.) Itamar Sapir was killed Tuesday when the terrorist fired at IDF soldiers from the area. Israeli troops returned fire and launched a targeted operation to locate and neutralize the attacker.

The IDF said the terrorist was later identified entering a structure. He was killed in a combined strike involving tank fire and a precise Israeli Air Force attack.

During the operation, the military also struck Hezbollah observation posts from both the air and ground, a weapons storage facility, and additional structures used by the Iran-backed terrorist group to plan and carry out attacks against Israeli forces.

The incident occurred amid ongoing operations along the Israel-Lebanon border, where Hezbollah has repeatedly launched attacks on Israeli troops and communities since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.

Delta Air Lines is using a homegrown artificial intelligence system to move more than 100,000 bags every day through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic.

The system is part of a broader operational overhaul as airlines head into the busiest travel stretch of the year and increasingly turn to artificial intelligence to manage complex physical logistics in real time.

Paul Buckley, Delta’s director of operations in Atlanta, described the scale of the operation bluntly:
“Atlanta is an enormous operation, Delta’s biggest by a long way.”

The company says the AI-driven system has improved baggage transfer success rates by as much as 20%, a major operational gain in an industry where lost or delayed luggage remains one of the biggest customer frustrations.

The scale of the challenge is enormous.

On busy days, Delta handles well over 100,000 bags in Atlanta alone. Roughly three-quarters of those bags are connecting between flights rather than starting or ending their journeys there.

Each suitcase moves through a fast-moving network involving:

• Aircraft unloading
• Conveyor systems
• Scanning stations
• Ramp crews
• Tug drivers
• Gate transfers
• Connecting departures

Even minor delays can result in bags missing flights.

The new AI platform is designed to reduce exactly that problem.

Previously, baggage tug drivers received lists of assignments and largely determined routing themselves.

The new system functions more like a real-time logistics engine.

Using live operational data, the AI constantly analyzes:

• Aircraft arrival times
• Gate changes
• Weather conditions
• Connection windows
• Available drivers
• Tug locations
• Aircraft departure schedules

The software then dynamically routes baggage teams toward the most urgent transfers at any given moment.

Delta employees still physically move the bags, but the AI increasingly determines the fastest and most efficient way to do it.

The technology has already produced measurable improvements.

According to Delta, transfer success rates for connecting bags have improved significantly since implementation, reducing both delayed luggage claims and operational costs tied to baggage recovery.

The system is especially valuable during heavy travel periods when storms, delays, and gate changes create cascading operational pressure across airport systems.

The airline plans to expand the technology beyond Atlanta later this year, including deployments in Detroit and Minneapolis-St. Paul.

For Delta, Atlanta serves as the testing ground because few airports in the world present greater operational complexity.

The AI rollout also highlights a broader trend unfolding across corporate America:
artificial intelligence is increasingly moving beyond chatbots and software into large-scale physical operations.

Companies across logistics, retail, manufacturing, and transportation are now using AI systems to optimize movement, staffing, inventory, routing, and predictive maintenance.

In Delta’s case, the technology is being applied to one of aviation’s most difficult logistical challenges.

Importantly, the company says the system is not designed to replace workers.

Delta executives have emphasized that the AI functions as a decision-support tool rather than an automation replacement program.

The company says the software has proven especially helpful for newer baggage crews who may not yet have years of operational experience navigating Atlanta’s massive airfield efficiently.

The timing of the rollout is critical.

The Transportation Security Administration expects record summer passenger volumes this year as travel demand remains strong despite higher airfare and fuel costs.

Atlanta alone processes tens of millions of travelers annually, with Delta operating hundreds of departures daily from the airport.

For passengers, baggage systems typically go unnoticed when everything works correctly.

But delayed or lost bags remain among the most visible operational failures airlines face.

That makes improvements even at the margins financially meaningful for carriers.

The move also comes as airlines face increasing pressure to modernize aging infrastructure and improve reliability after several years of operational disruptions tied to weather events, staffing shortages, software failures, and record passenger demand.

For Delta, the technology represents a quieter but highly practical form of artificial intelligence deployment.

It is not flashy consumer AI generating images or writing essays.

Instead, it is software deciding which baggage tug should move which suitcase across one of the busiest airports in the world — and exactly when it needs to happen.

As summer travel volumes ramp up, the coming months will provide the largest real-world test yet for Delta’s expanding AI logistics system.

JBizNews Desk — Atlanta

© 2026 JBizNews. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited.

The Trump administration is preparing to establish a new Ebola quarantine and treatment center in Kenya for Americans exposed to the deadly virus, bypassing the need to transport patients directly back to the United States, according to an administration official familiar with the plan.

The facility, being organized jointly by the War Department, the State Department, and the Department of Health and Human Services, is intended to serve Americans who may contract Ebola while in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Officials say the goal is to provide rapid treatment closer to the outbreak zone while avoiding lengthy emergency evacuation flights to the U.S.

An administration official speaking Wednesday on condition of anonymity said the new center would handle Ebola patients requiring urgent medical attention after leaving Congo. The person said the plan would help patients avoid an hourslong medical evacuation to the U.S.

Authorities have not yet disclosed the exact location of the facility inside Kenya, and it remains unclear whether the Kenyan government has formally approved the project.

According to the official, the center is expected to be equipped to treat every stage and severity of Ebola, which remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases. The official added that patients could still be transferred elsewhere if more specialized treatment becomes necessary.

The move comes as health officials in Congo struggle to contain a rapidly worsening Ebola outbreak that the World Health Organization says is spreading faster than response teams can control. The crisis intensified after the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola was identified only weeks after infections had already been spreading, due in part to early testing being focused on a more common Ebola variant.

Suspected Ebola infections in eastern Congo are now approaching 1,000 cases, with at least 220 suspected deaths reported so far. Congo’s Health Ministry announced Tuesday that 101 cases have already been officially confirmed, while authorities are currently monitoring more than 3,000 possible contacts tied to the outbreak.

Containment efforts have been complicated by severe instability throughout eastern Congo, including armed militias operating in the region, widespread displacement of civilians, and crumbling infrastructure that has made medical response efforts far more difficult.

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a generational contest between sitting congressmen, freshman Rep. Christian Menefee defeated veteran Rep. Al Green in a Democratic primary runoff for a Houston-area district created last year by an unusual Republican-led redistricting effort.

Green, known for his protests during President Donald Trump’s speeches, has served in Congress since 2005. He became a standard-bearer of progressive legislation on racial justice, often drawing the ire of Republicans.

“I am so honored to have served for these many years, more than twenty. And I’m honored to have done some things that I’m very proud of,” Green told his supporters during an election night event.

“You probably see me smiling and it’s because it’s because this is not the end,” he added as the audience cheered. “This is the beginning of a new chapter.”

In his primary contest, Green, 78, became a target of the cryptocurrency industry for his opposition to the emerging technology.

“Rep. Green’s defeat proves that anti-crypto hostility carries real electoral consequences, making him the first Democratic incumbent this cycle to lose his seat,” said Geoff Vetter, a spokesperson for Fairshake, a pro-cryptocurrency super PAC that spent millions in the runoff to unseat Green. “Fairshake was the difference-maker in this race, and we will continue to aggressively back leaders like Rep. Menefee across the country.”

The former top attorney for Texas’ largest county, Menefee, 38, was sworn into Congress in February after winning a January special election to succeed the late Rep. Sylvester Turner. Turner had died in February of last year and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott did not set a special election for the seat for months. Democrats denounced the delay as an effort to protect Republicans’ razor-thin majority in Congress.

Menefee lauded Green’s career in a statement following his win over the congressman, calling Green an “icon” and vowed to carry on his work in Congress.

“For decades, Congressman Green has done what so few in public life are willing to do: he has spoken truth to power, directly to their faces, without flinching,” said Menefee. “He protested with his body, his voice, and his career on the line. He stood in the well of the United States House of Representatives and called President Trump out to his face, even when he stood alone. That is a legacy that will outlast any election.”

Menefee also condemned the state’s electoral process.

Under previous maps, Green and Menefee had served in neighboring districts before the state’s Republican lawmakers redrew the state’s congressional maps in an effort to create more Republican-leaning seats.

“Republicans have made this hard on purpose,” Menefee told his supporters. “They delayed this election. They drew maps designed to dilute our power. They made you come back to the polls over and over again because they were hoping you would get tired and give up. You didn’t. Now it’s time to finish the job.”

Green in 2017 became the second Democrat to file an article of impeachment against Trump during the president’s first term and has continued to call for the president’s removal. Last year, Green filed three separate articles of impeachment against Trump, including for abuses of power and allegedly inciting death threats against lawmakers and judges.

Following Tuesday’s runoff, Trump called Green “one of the most mentally deficient Congressmen in the history of our Country” in a social media post cheering the results.

“But I will miss that lunatic not screaming and violently waving his cane at me during my next State of the Union Speech,” Trump wrote.

A heavy pall descended this week over the Boyaner chassidus and the broader Ruzhiner Dynasty court in both Eretz Yisroel and the United States following the passing of three prominent chassidim and talmidei chachamim who were deeply connected to the late Boyaner Rebbe, Rav Mordechai Shlomo Friedman.

The three men — Reb Nochum Halevi Schorr zt”l, Reb Chaim Dovid Ullman z”l, and Rav Eliyahu Shmuel Heftler zt”l — were regarded as remnants of an earlier generation of devoted chassidim who remained unwaveringly attached to the rebbes of the Ruzhiner dynasty throughout their lives.

Reb Nochum Halevi Schorr zt”l Passes Away Suddenly on Shavuos

The first heartbreaking news came on Motzoei Chag HaShavuos with the sudden passing of the esteemed chossid Reb Nochum Halevi Schorr zt”l, son of Reb Chaim Yehoshua zt”l and son-in-law of Reb Shraga Feitel Kahana zt”l.

Those who knew him described him as a refined and noble individual whose entire life reflected humility, sincerity, and quiet devotion. A talmid chacham with broad Torah knowledge, he was known for conducting himself with simplicity and purity, never seeking recognition or honor for himself.

He greeted every person warmly and radiated joy and kindness. Deeply connected to Torah, avodas Hashem, and all matters of kedusha, he maintained a lifelong bond with the rebbes of the Ruzhin-Boyaner dynasty.

Reb Nochum was especially attached with complete devotion to the Boyaner Rebbe zt”l and later to his son, the current Boyaner Rebbe shlit”a, beginning from the start of the latter’s leadership in 1988.

He passed away suddenly during Shavuos. His levayah was held Sunday afternoon from Shamgar Funeral Home to Har Hamenuchos, where he was laid to rest.

A Pillar of the Boyaner Kloiz in Beitar: Reb Chaim Dovid Ullman z”l

On Sunday, word spread of the passing of the distinguished chossid Reb Chaim Dovid Ullman z”l of Los Angeles and Beitar Illit, one of the elder and respected members of Boyan chassidus. He was the son of Rav Moshe Naftali zt”l and son-in-law of Reb Simcha Bunim Schatz z”l.

Reb Chaim Dovid was admired as an upright and G-d-fearing Jew who dedicated fixed times to Torah study and devoted himself wholeheartedly to Torah and chassidus. He was known for his acts of kindness, generosity, and constant efforts on behalf of Torah institutions and communal causes.

Those close to him recalled his warm smile and welcoming demeanor, along with his complete humility and bitul before his rabbeim — the late Boyaner Rebbe zt”l and the current Boyaner Rebbe shlit”a — from whom he drew tremendous inspiration.

After relocating from Los Angeles to Beitar Illit, he became one of the founders and primary supporters of the Boyaner kloiz “Tiferes Aharon” in the city, helping establish it as a central makom Torah and tefillah for local chassidim.

His levayah took place Tuesday evening from Shamgar Funeral Home, proceeding through the central Boyaner kloiz on Malchei Yisroel Street before continuing to Har Hamenuchos for kevurah.

Holocaust Survivor and Veteran Rav of Manhattan: Rav Eliyahu Shmuel Heftler zt”l

On Tuesday, the Boyaner community in America was shaken by the news of the passing of Rav Eliyahu Shmuel Heftler zt”l, av beis din of Dukla on Manhattan’s Lower East Side and one of the most respected rabbinic figures in Boyaner circles in the United States. He was in his nineties.

Rav Heftler was counted among the dwindling survivors of the prewar Torah world. A Holocaust survivor who endured the horrors of the war and rebuilt his life afterward in America, he established his home and led the Dukla kehillah in Manhattan with warmth, righteousness, and grace.

For decades, he stood as one of the most distinguished figures in Boyaner chassidus in America. He also maintained exceptionally close ties with the courts of Skulen Hasidic Dynasty, Ruzhin, and numerous revered tzaddikim and rebbes who held him in the highest esteem.

He was especially beloved as a veteran mechanech who taught generations of students as the cherished rebbi of a third-grade class at Bobov Yeshiva, where he left a lasting impact of Torah and Yiras Shomayim upon countless talmidim. His brother, Rav Avrohom Heftler zt”l, was likewise a renowned talmid chacham and longtime fourth-grade rebbi in Bobov.

The levayah departed from the Boyaner kloiz in the Borough Park section of Brooklyn, where many accompanied him on his final journey.

T’hei Nishmasam Tzerurah B’Tzror HaChaim.

{Matzav.com}

Due to the efforts of a determined group of Assembly members and Senator Sam Sutton, legislation was secured in the New York State budget establishing 50-foot buffer zones around houses of worship, Jewish Community Centers, yeshivas, and schools. The measure is intended to ensure that Jewish New Yorkers seeking to pray, attend classes, or participate in community activities can do so free from threats, harassment, and intimidation.

The legislation was drafted in response to a wave of protests outside Jewish institutions that too often escalated into intimidation and violence. Similar legislation aimed at protecting schools had previously passed the New York City Council, but was vetoed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, leaving young Jewish children and their families vulnerable to harassment and serious safety concerns.

The legislation adopted as part of the State budget is designed to strengthen the safety and security of Jewish New Yorkers and send a strong message to the Mayor that the Jewish community is not afraid to stand up. The measure creates criminal misdemeanor penalties for individuals who harass or intimidate others within 50 feet of the protected areas.

“What we witnessed in Kew Gardens Hills this January was despicable, with agitators terrorizing our neighborhood. This new 50-foot buffer zone law makes clear that those who seek to harass or threaten our community will keep their distance or face real consequences. At a time when too many excuse antisemitic intimidation, we in the Assembly are standing up to those like Mayor Mamdani whose actions harm our very way of life,” said Assemblyman Sam Berger.

“Peaceful protest is a constitutional right guaranteed to every individual, but when demonstrations target and threaten New Yorkers simply because they are exercising their faith, government has a responsibility to intervene and protect its citizens,” said Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein. “I am proud to have been involved in drafting and securing the passage of this legislation. I thank my fellow Assembly members, especially Speaker Carl Heastie, for recognizing the importance of this legislation. This is a major victory for the Jewish community and for New Yorkers of every religion.  No New Yorker should ever be forced to choose between their personal safety and attending religious services.”

“At a time when Jewish communities are experiencing an alarming rise in antisemitism, intimidation, and violence, government has an obligation to ensure that every New Yorker can enter a house of worship, school, or community center without fear. Expanding these protections sends a clear message that New York will not tolerate any hate, and I thank my legislative partners for recognizing the urgency of this moment and taking meaningful action to strengthen the safety of our community,” said Assemblywoman Nily Rozic.

"Just a few days ago, my district witnessed a vile terror campaign launched against a Midwood shul, followed by a march of masked thugs through our quiet residential streets," said Assemblyman Kalman Yeger. "The hate is real and we see it every day. This bill will provide some measure of protection to peaceful New Yorkers of all faiths who want nothing more than to be left alone at their schools, houses of worship and community institutions. I'm grateful that Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie made this a priority."

“I want to sincerely thank my colleagues who worked tirelessly to get this important legislation across the finish line. They refused to settle for empty statements or window dressing, and instead fought for meaningful protections that will make a real difference for our communities. Their determination, partnership, and unwavering commitment helped ensure that every New Yorker can worship, learn, and gather in safety and without intimidation,” said Assemblyman Aron B. Wieder.

“Seven months of hard work and deep personal commitment have led to this extraordinary moment. As someone who has spent his life in service to our faith communities, this legislation is a promise kept to every New Yorker who simply wants to pray in peace and security,” said Senator Sam Sutton.

Follow-up on yesterday’s project to get more Lakewood area shops to upgrade the Tznius of their employees.

Many apparel companies have been reaching out to TLS offering various types of uniforms at discounted rates!

As promised, as we receive an option we feel will work, we’ll be posting an update.

This attached uniform – available for both men and women – is available to order with your company logo from local company named The Purple Point – at a discounted rate for TLS readers.

To order these for your store, contact [email protected].

NOTE: Once you receive the items with your logo on them, send it to TLS and we’ll announce your shop FREE of charge on various TLS platforms!

In addition to the free announcement, your store will free advertising!

Here’s a shoutout to The Purple Point as well!

UTJ chairman Yitzchak Goldknopf condemned the relentless persecution of Lomdei Torah following the arrests of three yeshiva bochurim overnight Tuesday, the third consecutive night that Bnei Torah were arrested in a blatant violation of their religious rights.

“The painful arrests of bnei yeshivos last night by the military and civilian police is a dangerous, aggressive, and carefully planned escalation in the relentless persecution being waged against Lomdei Torah,” Goldknopf stated.

“These scenes of ambushes and hunting down fine bochurim solely because they are bnei yeshivos sadly remind us of very dark, difficult, and painful periods in the long history of the Jewish people in exile.”

“Davka during such a sensitive, tense, and bloody security period, when Am Yisrael needs more Torah zechuyos and achdus, one would expect the police, who are entrusted with law and public order, to act with supreme responsibility, maturity, and discretion, and to completely avoid such populist measures,” Goldknopf added.

“I call from here, in the clearest possible way, on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to personally and immediately intervene in this serious incident, and without delay, order an end to these improper arrests and ambushes against Torah scholars.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

JERUSALEM (JNS)- The Israeli airline Israir announced Wednesday that it will launch direct flights from Tel Aviv to New York this summer.
The much-anticipated move comes as service on the highly lucrative transatlantic route remains limited, with only Israeli carriers currently flying nonstop to and from the United States after all three U.S. legacy carriers froze their flights due to the war with Iran.

Israel’s second-largest carrier said it would begin service to New York in the third quarter of the year, which begins in July, but did not set a specific date.

Israir said it is completing the purchase of two Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft today for about $85 million in order to operate the route.

Israel’s flag carrier, El Al, and Israeli airline Arkia are the only two carriers currently offering nonstop service to New York, sending airfares soaring anew in the busy summer season due to high demand and limited availability.

“Israir’s entry into the New York route is a very significant move for the Israeli aviation market, especially after a long period in which the route to the US suffered from limited supply and high demand,” Yoni Waksman, Deputy Chairman of Israel’s Ophir Tours, told JNS. “Every additional company that enters the routes increases the choices for the consumer and helps bring real competition back to the market.”

Founded in 1989 as a small domestic carrier, the airline is owned by the Rami Levy Group, best known for its discount supermarket chain in Israel. The airline, which will operate 18 planes this summer, currently services various European destinations as well as domestic flights to the Israeli Red Sea resort city of Eilat.

Israir operated transatlantic flights to New York from 2004 until 2008, when rising fuel prices forced the airline to suspend the route.

“With El Al flying 5-6 times a day to both JFK and Newark, the only chance of Israir succeeding will be on their price,” Mark Feldman, CEO of Jerusalem’s Ziontours, told JNS. “If they have the resources to stay in the battle for the long run, it may prove successful.”

American carriers have suspended flights to Israel until the fall due to regional turmoil caused by the war with Iran.

United Airlines and Delta Air Lines are only due to resume service to Tel Aviv in September, while American Airlines has pushed back its flights to Israel until next year.

More than 330,000 American companies paid tariffs that the U.S. Supreme Court later ruled unlawful, and now a massive refund battle is unfolding between importers and the Trump administration.

The dispute centers on billions of dollars in tariff payments collected under emergency trade powers that the Supreme Court ruled earlier this year exceeded presidential authority.

According to recent reporting and federal court filings, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has already begun processing refund claims through a newly created online portal, with more than $35 billion in repayments reportedly cleared so far.

But many companies are staying unusually quiet about the money.

The reason is increasingly political.

President Donald Trump has sharply criticized companies that publicly complained about tariffs or signaled plans to recover large refund amounts.

Corporate executives now fear becoming political targets while the legal fight continues.

The underlying case stems from a major February 2026 Supreme Court decision involving tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, commonly known as IEEPA.

In a 6–3 ruling, the Court found that the law did not authorize broad across-the-board tariff programs tied to imports from major trading partners.

The ruling invalidated portions of the administration’s earlier “Liberation Day” tariff structure along with several emergency tariffs tied to China, Mexico, and Canada.

The Court concluded that emergency economic powers did not give the executive branch unlimited authority to impose sweeping trade duties without congressional approval.

Within hours of the decision, however, the administration moved to rebuild parts of the tariff structure using different trade authorities already embedded in federal law.

That legal maneuvering triggered a second wave of lawsuits.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled against portions of the administration’s replacement tariffs imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974.

The court found that Section 122 authority was narrower and more temporary than the administration argued.

Still, the judges stopped short of issuing nationwide relief, meaning many tariffs remain in place while appeals continue.

Behind the scenes, companies across the country are now filing refund claims quietly through attorneys and customs specialists.

The affected firms span nearly every major industry:

• Retailers
• Manufacturers
• Electronics companies
• Auto suppliers
• Food importers
• Small businesses dependent on foreign components

Retail giants including Walmart, Costco, Home Depot, and Target are among the largest importers affected by the ruling, though most companies have avoided publicly discussing potential refund amounts.

Trade attorneys say many corporate executives fear public backlash or retaliation if they appear too aggressive in recovering tariff money while inflation and economic concerns remain politically sensitive.

The administration is also trying to limit the broader implications of the ruling.

Officials worry that large-scale refunds could weaken future presidential trade authority and discourage aggressive tariff use by future administrations.

The money involved is enormous.

Federal filings suggest roughly $166 billion in tariffs may ultimately be affected by ongoing litigation and refund processing tied to the Supreme Court ruling.

Customs officials say repayments may continue flowing for months because claims involve millions of individual import entries spread across multiple years.

Importers are also receiving interest payments attached to some refunds.

At the same time, many tariffs remain active under separate legal authorities.

The administration continues using Section 232 national-security powers and Section 301 trade authorities to maintain tariffs on categories including:

• Steel
• Aluminum
• Autos
• Auto parts
• Copper
• Select Chinese imports

The result is an increasingly fragmented tariff landscape where some duties have been overturned, others remain active, and several more continue moving through the courts.

For businesses, the uncertainty has become almost as disruptive as the tariffs themselves.

Companies must now decide:
whether to pursue refunds aggressively, stay politically quiet, or continue planning around tariffs that could disappear — or return — depending on future court rulings and elections.

The issue is likely to become even more politically charged heading toward the 2026 midterm elections.

With consumers already facing elevated prices for gasoline, groceries, and household goods, the administration is balancing competing pressures:
supporting domestic manufacturing rhetoric while avoiding additional inflation concerns tied to import costs.

For now, the refund money is moving slowly and mostly quietly into corporate accounts.

But the broader legal and political fight surrounding presidential tariff powers is far from over.

JBizNews Desk — New York

© 2026 JBizNews. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited.

HaGaon HaRav Tzvi Kushelevsky, who was zocheh to an incredible neis two years ago when he embraced a ben bechor at the age of 88, arrived Tuesday evening with his talmidim to the Kosel for the special post-Shavuos tefillos.

The Rosh Yeshivah usually visits the Kosel with his talmidim every Motzei Yom Tov, but this time he was unable to come on Motzei Yom Tov and came Tuesday evening instead.

The Rosh Yeshivah stood with his two-year-old son Eliyahu, as his talmidim sang and danced around them.

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(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

President Donald Trump’s ambitious postwar Gaza initiative is facing mounting questions after donor money promised to the newly created Board of Peace has yet to arrive through its official funding channel, leaving reconstruction plans stalled and the organization’s legal status under scrutiny.

The initiative, unveiled by Trump in January, was designed to reshape Gaza after the war through a massive international funding campaign. The plan called on world leaders to contribute $1 billion for “lifetime membership” in the Board of Peace, while participating countries reportedly pledged another $7 billion for Gaza-related humanitarian and rebuilding projects. Trump also vowed an additional $10 billion in American support.

But according to a report published Wednesday by the Financial Times, the World Bank-managed account established to oversee the board’s finances still has not received donor money, despite the passage of four months since the organization’s launch.

Instead, the report said, contributions have been routed to a separate JPMorgan account overseen directly by the board itself. A spokesperson for the organization told the newspaper that donors were offered several different contribution methods, including the World Bank mechanism, and chose to use alternative channels.

The spokesperson also said the board would disclose financial information to its executive board “at a time deemed appropriate.”

The report said Morocco has already transferred roughly $20 million, which has reportedly been used to finance the office of Nickolay Mladenov, the board’s appointed “high representative” for postwar Gaza affairs, along with salaries for the Palestinian technocratic committee selected to oversee governance in the territory.

According to the Financial Times, the United Arab Emirates separately allocated $100 million intended for the creation and training of a new Gaza police force. However, that program has not moved forward, and the funds remain inaccessible.

At the same time, the US State Department is reportedly attempting to redirect approximately $1.2 billion in existing aid funds toward projects tied to the board’s mission, though none of that money has yet been spent. Another proposal that would send roughly $50 million directly to the organization for administrative expenses is still awaiting approval.

Members of Congress quoted in the report said lawmakers remain uncertain about the board’s legal classification and the mechanisms governing its finances. Officials are reportedly questioning whether the organization legally qualifies as an international institution permitted to receive direct American funding.

Democratic Senator Brian Schatz said Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained the organization to him as functioning under a structure similar to a UN-affiliated body dedicated to humanitarian aid and reconstruction work in Gaza. Schatz said, however, that Trump himself has characterized the organization differently at various times, adding to the confusion surrounding its official status.

The Board of Peace has reportedly started issuing tenders connected to Gaza security and rebuilding operations, but no agreements have been finalized so far. A spokesperson for the organization said activity inside Gaza could not begin until Hamas agreed to disarm.

The report added that the broader objectives outlined in Trump’s Gaza blueprint — including Hamas disarmament, an Israeli military withdrawal, and large-scale reconstruction — have shown little or no progress.

Bishara Bahbah, a Palestinian-American businessman involved in communications with Hamas on behalf of the Trump administration, said the Palestinian administrative committee created by the board has remained inactive inside Gaza because funding has not materialized.

“They know that if they go to Gaza, people are going to flood to them to ask for assistance, and they have no tools, no means,” Bahbah said, according to the report.

{Matzav.com}

According to a report by Hebrew Charedi news site B’Chadrei Charedim, Charedi property owners in London claim they stopped receiving rental payments after a Jewish-owned property management operation allegedly collapsed and one of the people involved left for Dubai.

The report by Yanki Farber said the landlords had handed their properties to a company operating under a “guaranteed rent” model common in Britain. Under the arrangement, the company leased apartments from owners, rented them to tenants through local authority and social housing programs, and promised landlords fixed monthly payments regardless of occupancy.

According to the report, payments were initially transferred normally before delays reportedly began and eventually stopped entirely. Some landlords now claim they are losing tens of thousands of pounds while tenants continue living in the properties. The report also cited allegations that money connected to the operation may have been invested in Dubai real estate projects, though no evidence was publicly presented.

One London real estate agent said similar rental structures can appear stable for years before collapsing. “In more than 15 years in rentals, I have seen almost everything,” the agent said. “Guaranteed rent companies usually work nicely for a few years, and then the problems begin.”

PLANO, Texas (AP) — As it turned out, it would never be enough.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn tried for more than a year to show Donald Trump and Texas Republicans that he and the president were on the same team.

Cornyn posted a photo of himself reading Trump’s “The Art of the Deal.” He proposed legislation to rename a stretch of interstate in Trump’s honor. Perhaps most glaringly, the Senate institutionalist who long supported the filibuster reversed his position in a failed effort to advance voting restrictions that are a priority for the president.

None of it worked. On Tuesday, Cornyn became the latest in a line of Republicans who lost their primaries after falling out of favor with a president with little tolerance for dissent and a seemingly insatiable appetite for retribution. The four-term senator lost by double digits to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who Trump endorsed last week as “a true MAGA Warrior.”

Cornyn, on the other hand, “was VERY disloyal to me,” Trump wrote on social media.

Trump’s intervention in the Texas runoff came after weeks of successfully backing primary challengers in Indiana, Louisiana and Kentucky as revenge against incumbents who broke with his agenda.

Cornyn’s attempt to avoid the same fate made even some of his supporters wince.

“You look at the positions he took to please the president and the groveling and whatever,” said former Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, a Republican and Trump critic who didn’t seek reelection during the president’s first midterm in 2018. “It was rather painful to watch.”

Cornyn started early with ad touting pro-Trump voting record
Cornyn’s loss wasn’t for a lack of political gymnastics and astronomical campaign spending.

His campaign began running an advertisement last summer — part of an astounding nearly-$100-million air war by the senator and allied groups — with Cornyn looking into the camera and saying, “I voted with President Trump 99% of the time.”

On Cornyn’s campaign homepage, Trump and Cornyn stand side-by-side with thumbs pointed upward in an image aimed at projecting solidarity. Deeper in the website, the category titled “The Trump-Cornyn Record” notes the senator’s role securing votes for Trump’s signature 2017 tax cut bill.

Cornyn has also been championing provisions in Trump’s signature tax-and-spending legislation to finance work on the U.S.-Mexico border wall.

The senator had dismissed the project as “naive” during Trump’s 2016 campaign. But in January, he stood along a section of completed wall in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley touting the measure’s $11 billion for Texas contractors’ work at “the direction of the president of the United States, to whom I am very grateful.”

Cornyn’s 2023 dismissal of Trump’s return glares in background
Cornyn’s praise for his party’s leader and president were not unusual, but they clash with a statement Cornyn made in May 2023, when Trump was mounting his presidential comeback campaign.

“Trump’s time has passed him by,” he told reporters. “I don’t think President Trump understands that when you run in a general election, you have to appeal to voters beyond your base.”

Trump would go on to easily win the nomination and carry every battleground state in the general election.

Cornyn would hew closely to the president for the first 16 months of his second administration, hoping at the outside chance of his endorsement or to keeping him from weighing in at all.

But Trump did not forget the past slights.

“John Cornyn is a good man, and I worked well with him, but he was not supportive of me when times were tough,” he wrote on social media while endorsing Paxton.

Smaller gestures, and one big one
Cornyn has playfully worked to promote Trump fandom, last year posting a picture on social media of himself thoughtfully peering into the pages of Trump’s 1987 memoir and business advice book, “The Art of the Deal.”

In a more obvious gesture, he proposed designating a section of a U.S. highway from the Texas Gulf Coast to Montana as “Interstate 47,” to honor a 47th president with a well-documented love of naming things after himself. In a news release about the proposal, filed just over two weeks before Tuesday’s runoff, Cornyn said it would be known as the “Trump Interstate.”

The more tectonic shift occurred in March, after Trump had teased a possible endorsement of either Cornyn or Paxton in the runoff.

Paxton swiftly said he would consider dropping his candidacy if the Republican-controlled Senate lifted the filibuster and passed the SAVE America Act, a series of voting restrictions that Trump has described as an essential part of his agenda.

The following week, Cornyn wrote an op-ed in the New York Post — Trump’s favorite hometown newspaper — backing away from his previous support of the filibuster. He vowed to “support whatever changes to Senate rules that may prove necessary” to get the bill “through the Senate and on the president’s desk for his signature.”

Flake watched with unease.

“I know John and his long-held positions on the filibuster and the Senate’s institutions,” he said. “No office is worth that.”

By JBizNews Desk

TEL AVIV — Avraham Novogrotzky, president of the Manufacturers Association of Israel, warned Monday, May 25, 2026, that the shekel’s powerful surge against the dollar is accelerating a structural shift of Israeli industrial production overseas, pointing to fresh filings from water-meter technology firm Arad as evidence that export-driven manufacturers are quietly relocating capacity to Spain, Italy, and Mexico to defend margins.

Novogrotzky said the appreciation of the shekel — which has strengthened roughly 20% against the U.S. dollar over the past year and surged a further 8.3% since the Bank of Israel’s previous rate decision — is squeezing exporters whose revenue is denominated in dollars while costs, especially wages, remain in shekels. He cited Central Bureau of Statistics data showing that Israeli production overseas climbed from $2.5 billion to $4.5 billion in a single quarter at the end of 2025, when the shekel’s rally began, and said the trend almost certainly intensified in the first quarter of 2026.

The dynamic was laid bare last week in financial disclosures from Arad, the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange-listed water-meter manufacturer controlled by Kibbutz Dalia and Kibbutz Ramot Menashe. The company, which carries a market capitalization of roughly 1.2 billion shekels, told investors it had taken deliberate steps to insulate itself from the currency’s appreciation, including shifting production for the European market from Israel to facilities in Spain and Italy, while moving production for the U.S. market to its group site in Mexico.

The moves are already paying off financially. Despite the dollar’s roughly 20% decline against the shekel over the past year, Arad reported first-quarter revenue rose 8% to $112.4 million while net profit climbed 26% to $9.2 million, driven by the offshore production strategy and continued strength in its domestic Israeli business.

Novogrotzky framed Arad’s disclosures as a warning shot, arguing that existing projects may remain in Israel but new industrial investment is increasingly being directed abroad. He said the Manufacturers Association is hearing similar concerns from member companies across Israel’s export sector, where competitiveness has steadily eroded as the shekel rallied to a 33-year high against the dollar.

The Arad case is not isolated. Polyram Plastic Industries, traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under ticker POLP, disclosed in its 2025 annual report that it had opened a new factory in Thailand and transferred select production lines out of Israel. The company told shareholders the move reflected a strategic repositioning of where its core manufacturing activity would be centered in the future.

Industry executives say Israeli manufacturers have long outsourced portions of production overseas to reduce labor costs and gain proximity to customers, particularly in Asia and North America. What has changed in 2026, according to Novogrotzky, is the pace and urgency of the shift, driven less by long-term planning and more by an immediate currency-driven profitability squeeze.

The pressure is colliding directly with the Bank of Israel’s broader policy challenge. Earlier Monday, the central bank cut its benchmark interest rate by 0.25 percentage points to 3.75%, explicitly citing the shekel’s strength as a key factor helping cool inflation. Yet the same currency appreciation celebrated by Governor Prof. Amir Yaron as a disinflationary force is simultaneously hollowing out the economics of Israel’s export manufacturing base.

Economists warn the trend could carry lasting consequences for Israel’s industrial footprint. Once factories, supplier networks, engineering operations, and management teams migrate overseas, they rarely return quickly. Production lines established in Spain, Italy, Mexico, or Thailand often become permanent components of a company’s global manufacturing chain.

That creates a growing disconnect inside the Israeli economy: macroeconomic indicators remain resilient, inflation is cooling, and the currency is strong, yet portions of the country’s traditional industrial base are steadily relocating abroad in search of lower costs and more stable margins.

For now, the Manufacturers Association of Israel is pressing policymakers to weigh the industrial consequences of the shekel’s rally alongside its inflation benefits, warning that without offsetting support measures or intervention, more Israeli production capacity will quietly leave the country in the coming quarters.

The Arad disclosures, Novogrotzky suggested, are not an isolated corporate adjustment. They may instead mark the early stages of a much broader manufacturing migration already underway.

© 2026 JBizNews. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited.

I wanted to raise something that I have been debating whether to write about for quite some time. At first, it felt uncomfortable to even bring up, because being on the giving end of tzedaka should never feel like a complaint. However, the current situation has increasingly become difficult to ignore.

Every evening around supper time, there are repeated knocks at our door from meshulachim collecting tzedaka. When possible, we gladly answer the door, offer a drink, and give what we can. But often, this coincides with supper, bedtime routines, and the busiest part of family life, and the knocking can become relentless.

Last night alone, there were close to twenty consecutive knocks at our door during supper without any meaningful break in between. At one point, my husband rushed to answer because we thought perhaps something had happened outside — children had been playing baseball near our car — only to discover it was another meshulach.

Unfortunately, experiences like this begin to create resentment toward what should be a beautiful and meaningful mitzvah.

This issue extends beyond private homes. My husband has shared that in various shuls, while he is standing in Shemona Esrei, meshulachim walk through the aisles placing credit card readers directly in front of people during their personal Amidah. This is not merely soliciting during davening; it is interrupting one of the most personal and sacred moments of tefillah.

In addition, many of the homes being approached are basement apartments and kollel couples who themselves may be struggling financially. Even when a small donation is given, the response is sometimes, “Can you give more?” or “I’m collecting for several people,” creating pressure to contribute beyond one’s means.

Of course, we understand that our responsibility is to help where we can, and we genuinely want to continue fulfilling the mitzvah of tzedaka wholeheartedly. I simply wish there were a more respectful and dignified system for collecting — one that preserves both the dignity of the collectors and the positive feelings of those giving.

Perhaps, as a community, we can think about instituting a more organized and considerate approach. Doing so could help restore the sense of privilege and joy that should accompany this special mitzvah.

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

Any final agreement between the United States and Iran would reportedly require approval from Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, through clandestine courier channels while he remains concealed as a “designated target,” according to counterterrorism analysts who say the unusual situation is reshaping the nature of the negotiations.

Experts told Fox News Digital that the arrangement effectively leaves Washington negotiating with a leadership figure who cannot appear publicly and whose communications allegedly depend entirely on secretive intermediaries.

“Khamenei is a designated target, and every confirmed sighting is a coordinate,” Dr. Omar Mohammed told Fox News Digital.

He further stated:

“The courier system used for messaging is not transitional. It is the operating system of his rule.

“Any deal the United States signs will have to be designed for a permanently invisible counterparty whose enforcement depends on his continued survival. That is not arms control as it has been conventionally understood. It is a memorandum signed under American military pressure, with a regime whose leader cannot show his face.”

Mohammed’s comments came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed reporters in India regarding delays surrounding the ongoing negotiations.

“It’s just the response,” Rubio said. “I mean, when you get down on some of these things, you’ve got to hear back, and it takes the Iranians — takes them a little while longer to get back,” he explained.

Mohammed argued that Rubio’s remarks amounted to a public acknowledgment of the communication difficulties involved in dealing with Iran’s hidden leadership structure.

“That is Secretary Rubio confirming the courier latency on the record,” said Dr. Omar Mohammed, director of the Antisemitism Research Initiative Program on Extremism at George Washington University. “Rubio is describing a structural feature of negotiating with a supreme leader no one can locate.

“Mojtaba is in hiding, messages are moving by courier, and responses are arriving days late.

“Rubio just confirmed the symptom, and the administration is being honest about the problem. The question is whether the framework can be designed to survive it,” Mohammed claimed.

According to the report, Khamenei has allegedly remained underground for nearly three months as tensions with the United States intensified.

The report claims he disappeared from public view following a Feb. 28 strike that killed his father amid reports he himself was seriously wounded.

The article states that he was hit during “Operation Epic Fury” and was described by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as “wounded and likely disfigured.” His wife and son were also reportedly killed in the strike.

“Officials at the highest levels of the Iranian government do not know where he is,” Mohammed said, adding that any intelligence or communication reaching him is “dated, and his responses come with significant latency.”

The developments come as Washington and Tehran continue negotiations aimed at ending the conflict that erupted on Feb. 28.

“If there’s going to be a deal, we’re going to have to work through that. But this is, you know, it’s either going to be a good deal or there isn’t going to be one,” Rubio said Tuesday.

According to a senior administration official, the United States is prepared to consider sanctions relief if Iran agrees to substantial concessions regarding uranium enrichment. The status of frozen Iranian assets has reportedly also become a major sticking point in the talks.

Iran indicated Monday that no final agreement with the United States is expected immediately, despite what officials described as progress toward a broader framework.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said discussions remain focused on ending the war across multiple fronts, including Lebanon, and noted that any proposed memorandum of understanding currently lacks detailed provisions concerning the Strait of Hormuz.

Mohammed said the larger issue for the United States goes beyond simply reaching a signed agreement.

“The real question for Washington is not how fast the framework can be signed,” Mohammed added.

“It is also what enforcement looks like when the counterparty’s signature comes through a courier.”

{Matzav.com}

By Duvi Honig

Australia’s climate minister, Chris Bowen, just gave the world a remarkably clear window into what large parts of the modern climate movement have actually become. Not simply a campaign to reduce emissions or protect the environment, but an international ecosystem capable of moving staggering amounts of taxpayer money under the protection of a cause few politicians feel safe questioning.

Bowen is defending more than 150 million Australian dollars — roughly 107 million U.S. dollars — tied to Australia’s role chairing the upcoming COP31 United Nations climate summit.

There is one important detail: Australia is not even hosting the conference. Turkey is.

Bowen’s government is spending that money largely to run the diplomatic process surrounding the summit, including staffing, travel, negotiations and administrative coordination. Documents obtained by The Australian newspaper showed government employees spent 485,602 Australian dollars on travel tied to the negotiations during just January and February 2026 alone, including trips to Turkey, Fiji, Germany and South Korea.

All of this is happening while Australian households face rising electricity bills, expensive mortgages, higher grocery prices and a cost-of-living crisis severe enough to dominate national politics.

And the most politically damaging part for Bowen is this: many of those same families struggling to pay their utility bills are living under the exact renewable-energy policies his ministry has aggressively promoted.

When opposition lawmakers called the spending a “vanity project,” Bowen responded by calling his counterpart “the biggest hypocrite in the federal parliament.”

That reaction misses the larger point entirely.

This is not really about one minister in Australia. It is about the operating structure that has grown around the global climate industry itself.

Every year, massive United Nations climate conferences draw anywhere from tens of thousands of delegates, activists, consultants, diplomats, corporate sponsors, nonprofit organizations and government officials from around the world. Entire hotel districts are reserved. International flights multiply. Temporary bureaucracies expand. Multi-million-dollar security operations are assembled.

Then the conference ends — usually with broad declarations, vague targets and promises that another conference will be needed the following year to revisit unresolved issues.

The summit itself increasingly becomes the product.

And the people paying for it are almost never the people attending it.

Bowen flies internationally to climate meetings while ordinary Australian families absorb higher power prices and taxes. Former U.S. climate envoy John Kerry faced criticism during the Biden administration for using private jets tied to climate-related travel while simultaneously warning Americans to reduce carbon emissions in daily life.

The contradiction is obvious to voters.

The pattern extends well beyond Australia.

The European Union has committed hundreds of billions of euros toward climate-transition policies even as parts of Europe struggle with energy affordability and industrial competitiveness. Germany, long viewed as the flagship of Europe’s green transition, has watched portions of its manufacturing base come under pressure from high energy costs.

In the United States, the Inflation Reduction Act authorized hundreds of billions of dollars in climate and clean-energy subsidies, much of it flowing into politically connected industries dependent on long-term government support.

Supporters argue these investments are necessary to accelerate technological transition and reduce future environmental risk.

Critics increasingly ask a different question: how much of the climate economy now exists primarily to sustain itself?

Meanwhile, the countries most responsible for future emissions growth continue expanding conventional energy production. China remains heavily dependent on coal and continues approving new coal-fired generation capacity. India is expanding fossil-fuel use to support industrial growth. Russia remains one of the world’s largest hydrocarbon exporters.

That geopolitical imbalance has become harder for Western voters to ignore.

They are being asked to absorb rising energy costs, taxes and lifestyle restrictions while many of the world’s largest emitters continue prioritizing industrial expansion and energy security.

Which brings the debate back to Bowen.

What exactly does 150 million Australian dollars buy here?

It does not directly lower electricity bills for Australian households. It does not immediately reduce global emissions. It does not suddenly solve the climate problem after three decades of increasingly large international conferences.

What it undeniably does buy is international visibility, diplomatic influence, conference infrastructure and participation inside a global climate system that has grown larger, more expensive and more bureaucratic every year.

Supporters call that leadership.

Critics increasingly call it a self-perpetuating ecosystem where the process itself has become the justification for more spending.

That perception matters politically because working families notice the contrast. They notice politicians and officials flying internationally to climate events while lecturing citizens about consumption, energy use and carbon footprints. They notice governments spending millions on conferences while households struggle with bills at home.

And once credibility begins eroding, rebuilding it becomes extremely difficult.

The danger for climate policymakers is not merely opposition from skeptics. It is broader public exhaustion with systems that appear expensive, permanent and disconnected from everyday economic reality.

The climate debate itself will continue. Serious people can disagree about policy, energy transition timelines and the balance between environmental goals and economic costs.

But the backlash now building around figures like Bowen reflects something deeper than emissions targets.

It reflects growing public suspicion that an international movement originally framed as an environmental necessity has, in some cases, evolved into a sprawling global spending structure whose most consistent outcome is the expansion of its own conferences, institutions and budgets.

And increasingly, voters are asking whether they can still afford it.

Duvi Honig is Founder & CEO of the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce and Co-founder and Secretary of the Multicultural Business Coalition.

Opinion — JBizNews Desk

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

The White House on Wednesday forcefully denied an Iranian state television report claiming to reveal the contents of a draft memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran, calling the purported document a “complete fabrication” as President Donald Trump warned that Washington remains far from satisfied with Tehran’s position.

“This report from Iranian controlled media is not true and the MOU they ‘released’ is a complete fabrication. Nobody should believe what Iranian state media is putting out. FACTS MATTER,” the White House wrote on X.

The Iranian report claimed that the draft agreement would require the United States to withdraw forces from Iran’s vicinity and lift its blockade of Iranian ports. In exchange, Tehran would restore commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to pre-war levels within a month, according to the report. The purported draft also said Iran would continue managing ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a provision that would be viewed as a significant diplomatic win for Tehran if it were ever included in a final agreement.

But the White House denial came as Trump publicly signaled that, despite ongoing talks, the core dispute between Washington and Tehran remains unresolved.

“They thought they could wait me out,” Trump said of Iran. “They said, ‘We’ll wait until after the midterms.’ I don’t care about the midterms.”

Trump said Iran is “very much intent” on reaching an agreement, but warned that Tehran has not yet met U.S. demands.

“They want very much to make a deal,” Trump said. “So far they haven’t gotten there. We’re not satisfied with it, but we will be, either that or we’ll have to just finish the job. They’re negotiating on fumes.”

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The remarks underscored the same deadlock that has defined the talks from the beginning: Iran says it will not give up uranium enrichment or abandon its nuclear program, while the United States says it will not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon. Iranian sources told Reuters last week that Iran’s supreme leader had ordered that the country’s highly enriched uranium remain inside Iran, directly defying a key U.S. demand.

Trump has repeatedly framed the standoff as a choice between a deal and renewed military action. In remarks at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy last week, he said the United States might have to strike Iran harder if diplomacy fails, while again stressing that Tehran cannot be permitted to acquire nuclear weapons.

The dispute over uranium remains one of the largest obstacles to any final agreement. Under one possible framework described by officials, Iran would give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, though details over whether the material would be transferred, diluted or destroyed remain unresolved. Trump has said the U.S. would take Iran’s uranium and “probably destroy” it if Tehran agreed to hand it over.

The Iranian state TV report focused primarily on shipping, the U.S. blockade and regional military posture, rather than Iran’s nuclear program. That omission itself highlighted the challenge facing negotiators: even if the two sides reach an understanding on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the nuclear question remains unsettled.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that talks on reopening the strait and extending the ceasefire would take several more days, while emphasizing that Trump’s position remains “a good deal or no deal.” The negotiations come as Trump faces pressure from some Republican allies who fear that a deal could leave Iran politically strengthened while failing to fully dismantle its nuclear threat.

Iran, meanwhile, is seeking economic relief after months of war, sanctions and disrupted shipping. Trump said Wednesday that Iran’s economy is “in free fall,” arguing that Tehran is negotiating from a position of weakness. Analysts have said Iran wants relief without appearing to hand Trump a political victory, particularly as the U.S. midterm elections approach.

Oil markets have been closely watching the talks because of the potential reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints. Reports of possible progress toward reopening the strait have already moved global oil prices, though the White House’s denial of the Iranian state TV report added fresh uncertainty.

For Trump, the stakes are both strategic and political. A deal that reopens Hormuz and forces Iran to relinquish its enriched uranium would allow him to claim a major diplomatic and military victory. But if Iran refuses to move on enrichment, Trump’s own comments suggest the talks could collapse back into the same binary choice that has defined the conflict from day one: Iran says it will not give up its nuclear program, and the United States says Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Yisroel R.

One week after a devastating fire heavily damaged the building on 14th Avenue and 40th Street, the boarded-up storefront is now drawing attention across Boro Park for a powerful message of emunah displayed by the business owner in the aftermath of the blaze.

Following the fire, the Mega Handles owner placed a large sign across the front of the damaged storefront reading: “חסדי השם כי לא תמנו כי לא כלו רחמיו”, expressing gratitude to Hashem that despite the destruction and difficult ordeal, every person made it out safely.

For many residents passing by the scene in recent days, the message standing across the burned storefront became a striking reminder of faith and gratitude even during painful moments of uncertainty.

The owner later released an emotional public statement reflecting further on the experience and the emunah that helped carry him through the difficult days following the fire.

“While I don’t always understand why things happen the way they do, I firmly believe that everything Hashem does is for the good,” the owner wrote. “Even in moments that are difficult to understand, I know He is guiding us.”

The owner also emphasized gratitude that no lives were lost during the devastating incident.

“While property can burn, inventory can be stolen, and plans can suddenly change, lives cannot be replaced, thank God, every single person is safe.”

“With Hashem’s help, we’ll rebuild, keep moving forward, and emerge stronger,” the statement continued. “I have complete faith that everything Hashem does is for the good, even when we cannot yet see it.”

The message also thanked customers, friends, partners, and supporters who reached out with calls, texts, encouragement, and offers of help throughout the difficult week.

Despite the damage to the storefront, the owner said operations continue and that the company plans to move forward stronger and more grateful than before.

The public display of emunah following the fire comes just months after another well-known Boro Park business owner shared a similar message of faith after the devastating matzah bakery fire before Pesach, which also drew widespread attention throughout Boro Park.

By JBizNews Desk

NEW YORK — The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has officially activated its most aggressive consumer-protection enforcement campaign in aviation history as millions of Tri-State travelers prepare for the summer holiday travel cycle. Operating under newly finalized federal mandates, transportation officials confirmed that commercial airlines are now legally required to issue immediate, automatic cash refunds to passengers when flights are canceled or significantly delayed, dismantling the industry’s long-standing reliance on restrictive travel vouchers.

The emergency oversight is landing directly on major regional transportation hubs including Newark Liberty International Airport, JFK International Airport, and LaGuardia Airport, where seasonal congestion routinely creates delays and cancellations during peak travel months.

Under the DOT’s updated rules, a delay becomes officially “significant” once it exceeds three hours for domestic flights or six hours for international itineraries. If an airline cancels a flight or pushes departure times beyond those thresholds and the passenger rejects the carrier’s alternative itinerary, the airline must automatically process a full refund back to the customer’s original form of payment.

The move represents one of the most consequential shifts in consumer air-travel protections in decades.

Previously, airlines often issued future travel credits or promotional vouchers instead of direct refunds, forcing passengers to navigate expiration dates, blackout periods, and rebooking restrictions. The new federal mandates eliminate that flexibility entirely.

Under the updated framework, airlines must process refunds within seven business days for credit-card purchases and within 20 days for cash or alternative-payment transactions.

The timing is especially important for household budgets as airfare prices remain elevated following months of fuel-market volatility and strong post-pandemic travel demand.

The consumer protections also extend beyond canceled flights themselves. Passengers are now entitled to refunds for checked baggage fees if luggage is not delivered within 12 hours on domestic routes or within a specified 15-to-30-hour window on international flights.

Refund requirements also apply to paid services travelers never receive during transit, including onboard Wi-Fi, upgraded seating packages, and certain cabin amenities.

Transportation officials say the goal is to create a standardized national refund framework that prevents travelers from becoming trapped in customer-service disputes during periods of operational disruption.

Regional consumer advocacy groups are encouraging travelers throughout New York and New Jersey to monitor airline apps and booking platforms carefully as summer traffic accelerates.

Federal transportation investigators are also expected to increase monitoring at major airport hubs during the peak summer season to ensure airlines comply with the new requirements.

Major carriers including Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, JetBlue Airways, and Southwest Airlines have publicly stated they are adjusting operational and refund systems to align with the updated rules.

For everyday travelers, the regulations provide a major financial safeguard at a time when flight disruptions remain common and family travel costs continue climbing.

The message from Washington is increasingly straightforward: if an airline fails to provide the transportation service purchased, consumers are entitled to receive their money back automatically — not credits, points, or future travel promises.

JBizNews Desk | New York

© 2026 JBizNews. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited.

A stun grenade was thrown Tuesday night on Hatsivoni Street in Ashdod, alarming residents in the largely Charedi neighborhood.

Locals reported hearing a loud blast and called emergency services to the scene.

Magen David Adom teams who arrived determined that the object was a stun grenade thrown in the area. No injuries were reported, and nobody required medical treatment or evacuation.

Police launched an investigation into the incident and are examining whether it may be tied to a financial dispute.

According to investigators, no determination of a motive has been established, but law enforcement is considering possible retaliation against a local businessman.

No arrests had been announced as of Wednesday.

The incident shocked many local residents, who said violent events of this kind are rare in the neighborhood.

“It happened here, inside our neighborhood,” one resident said. “And it is frightening.”

The investigation remains ongoing.

.

Hotel owners in New York City may see their rates rise even higher after signing what industry officials call the most expensive union agreement in the city’s history, which would have resulted in significant wage increases for staff members while raising affordability concerns for travelers and smaller hotels.

The agreement, which was reported by The Wall Street Journal last week, increases hotel employees ‘ hourly pay by roughly 50 % over the course of eight years in order to prevent a strike prior to next month’s FIFA World Cup kickoff. Some maids are anticipated to make six-figure earnings by 2032.

Operating costs in a city with some of the nation’s highest common hotel prices outside of major destination markets are already significantly increased thanks to the agreement, according to resort owners. Last year, according to CoStar, average hotel rooms in New York cost$ 334 per day.

NEWSGUILD Wars NEW YORK TIMES OVER HYBRID WORK, WRONGLY EXCLUDING JOBS FROM UNION AND HEALTH FUND

According to David Sherwyn, a professor of hospitality at Cornell University,” the only way to keep your profit going when your costs go up is to keep raising your rates.” &nbsp,

According to industry leaders, the new agreement will increase hotel operating costs by about 15 % annually, putting pressure on establishments to pass those costs on to consumers at a time when many travelers already have to pay more for fuel, flights, and vacations.

AIRBNB LIVES MAJOR EXPANSION WITH LUGGAGE STORAGE, AI-POWERED TRAVEL TOOLS, AND AIRPORT PICKUPS.

Hotel owners who had hoped the FIFA World Cup would boost hotel occupancy were also at a hard time because of the labor agreement. Despite the place hosting eight games, including the final last, New York City hotel occupancy for June &ndash, when the game begins &ndash, was roughly 12 percentage points below last year’s levels, according to CoStar.

Some visitors and business travellers may be avoiding the area because of concerns about audiences and rising World Cup ticket prices, according to experts.

A LA VEGAS HOTEL-CASINO THAT WAS CLOSED DURING COVID AND WAS NEVER REOPENED IS DEMOLISHED.

Because higher-income guests continue to spend money despite rising costs, luxury hotels are expected to perform better. According to statistics from the Bank of America Institute, middle-class and lower-tier accommodations may be under force this year as lower-income families reduce travel costs.

The hotel industry in the city continues to be concerned about global commerce. Despite hotels reporting that demand is beginning to recover, some operators claim that as a result of political tensions relating to the Iran conflict, hotel bookings decreased earlier this year.

FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO: Press HERE.

Hotel executives warn that rising airline ticket prices, journey cuts, and concerns about U.S. border screenings may add to the decline in global journey, which has long been viewed as a key driver of New York’s tourism economy.

In an unusual and dramatic move, Degel HaTorah chairman MK Moshe Gafni instructed the party’s representatives in municipalities across Israel to immediately suspend cooperation with the Israel Police, including municipal policing frameworks, until further notice.

The directive comes amid mounting outrage in the chareidi community following a recent change in police policy under Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy, under which Israeli police have begun transferring yeshiva bochurim detained during encounters with law enforcement to the military police over draft-related issues.

“We must not, chalilah, become partners in harming the holy Torah and those who learn it,” Gafni wrote in a sharply worded letter sent to Degel HaTorah representatives throughout the country.

The move follows a wave of arrests involving yeshiva students over the past several days. During the last night alone, at least three yeshiva bochurim were reportedly handed over to military authorities after being detained by Israeli police.

Among those arrested was Reuven Lemanztach, a bochur from Yeshivas Kibbutz Givat Zev, who was reportedly detained on Route 1 before being transferred to the military police.

As previously reported, the rosh yeshiva of the detained bochur, Rav Dovid Baron, delivered an emotional shmuess in response to the arrest.

“We are living through the darkest periods, like the era of the Romans,” Rav Baron said. “I saw the bochur at the end of third seder, and in the morning they woke me to tell me he had been arrested.”

The growing tensions have also spilled into the Knesset, where members of United Torah Judaism sharply criticized Religious Zionist coalition partners over their boycott of a vote on the daycare subsidy bill.

UTJ faction chairman MK Uri Maklev said, “The fact that Likud cannot even assemble a majority for the most elementary and humane matter — daycare for innocent babies — proves that there is no real bloc.”

Gafni himself lashed out at what he described as increasing hostility toward the chareidi public.

“The hatred against the chareidi community is causing them to lose all sense and is also harming the working and weaker segments of the population,” Gafni said, emphasizing that the daycare legislation had long been considered a basic and widely accepted measure intended to assist women entering the workforce.

MK Yoav Ben Tzur also addressed the matter during a Knesset speech, questioning the treatment of yeshiva students by authorities.

“Who exactly are you arresting?” Ben Tzur asked. “Outstanding bochurim who have never encountered police because they are law-abiding citizens? The chareidi public and its leadership respect IDF soldiers.”

Israeli police, however, defended their actions, claiming that one of the bochurim transferred to military custody had first been stopped after allegedly driving recklessly on Route 60, weaving between lanes and seriously endangering himself and others on the road.

According to police, a background check revealed that the suspect was absent from military service obligations, leading to his transfer to IDF authorities.

Police also stated that following the arrest, dozens of protesters arrived at the Binyamin police station and launched what authorities described as a violent disturbance that included overturning a police trailer, setting cardboard boxes on fire, and bending security fences. Officers, together with riot police and Border Police forces, acted to disperse the crowd.

In a rare and powerful display of communal unity, mosdos, kehillos, and respected leaders from across the Boro Park community have come together in a historic endorsement of Congressman Dan Goldman for Congress.

The endorsement reflects a broad and unified voice from across the community, with institutions and kehillos standing together behind a candidate they believe has shown understanding, accessibility, and a willingness to listen to the needs of Boro Park and the broader Jewish community.

At a time when the concerns of the community are more urgent than ever, from safety and security to education, religious rights, support for Israel, and the needs of families and mosdos, this united endorsement sends a clear message: Boro Park is standing together.

Community leaders emphasized that this moment is not simply another political endorsement. It is a statement of achdus, responsibility, and recognition of the importance of having strong representation in Washington. With critical issues facing the community, the support of mosdos and kehillos across Boro Park highlights the seriousness of this election and the need for a candidate who understands the values and priorities of the community.

Congressman Goldman, who currently represents New York’s 10th Congressional District, is running for re-election in a district that includes parts of Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan.

As Election Day approaches, this historic show of support is expected to carry significant weight, energizing voters across the community and underscoring the critical role Boro Park continues to play in shaping the future of representation for its neighborhoods.

This is more than an endorsement. It is a community standing together.

By JBizNews Desk

Cairo — May 26, 2026 — Egypt has launched its first nationwide airborne geophysical mineral survey in more than four decades, a major strategic push aimed at transforming the country into a regional mining powerhouse and attracting billions of dollars in foreign investment tied to gold, phosphate, copper and critical minerals.

The announcement was made Sunday by Karim Badawi, Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, during a visit to the country’s flagship Sukari gold mine in the Eastern Desert.

The survey — Egypt’s first comprehensive aerial mineral mapping program since 1984 — comes as Cairo attempts to triple mining’s contribution to national GDP by 2030 while positioning itself as a rising competitor to Saudi Arabia in the global race for strategic mineral supply chains.

Egypt signed the mapping agreement with Spain-based Xcalibur Smart Mapping, one of the world’s leading airborne geophysics firms, under a contract covering six major geological regions stretching across the Eastern Desert, Sinai, the Western Desert and the Bahariya-Abu Tartour corridor.

The project will deploy specialized aircraft equipped with high-resolution magnetic and radiometric sensors capable of identifying underground mineral structures at depths and accuracy levels far beyond Egypt’s existing geological database.

Officials said the resulting data will become the foundation for future international licensing rounds and will headline the revamped Egypt Mining Forum scheduled for September 28–29 in the New Administrative Capital.

The timing reflects a broader strategic shift underway inside Egypt’s economy.

Despite holding significant mineral reserves — including an estimated 9 million ounces of gold and some of the world’s largest phosphate deposits — mining currently contributes less than 1% of Egyptian GDP.

Badawi has publicly committed to raising that figure to approximately 6% by the end of the decade.

The government increasingly sees mining as a critical pillar of foreign direct investment, export revenue and hard-currency generation at a time when Egypt continues operating under an International Monetary Fund stabilization program and faces ongoing pressure on its external finances.

The country has repeatedly devalued the Egyptian pound since 2022 while aggressively seeking new sources of foreign capital.

A modern investor-grade geological database is viewed inside Cairo as one of the key missing ingredients that prevented Egypt from competing effectively with faster-moving mining jurisdictions across the Gulf and Africa.

For years, global exploration firms complained that Egypt’s geological records remained fragmented, outdated and largely unusable for modern resource modeling.

The new airborne survey is designed to change that.

The commercial implications could be significant.

Egypt’s Eastern Desert — particularly the so-called “golden triangle” corridor linking Safaga, Quseir and Qena — is believed to contain extensive reserves of gold, copper, zinc, lead, phosphate and industrial minerals essential to fertilizer production and electric-vehicle battery supply chains.

Global mining companies are already beginning to position themselves.

AngloGold Ashanti entered as a strategic partner in Egypt’s Sukari gold operation, which produced more than 500,000 ounces of gold in 2025 and remains the country’s largest operating mine.

Meanwhile, Chinese industrial giant Hubei Xingfa Chemicals Group has reportedly been negotiating a nearly $2 billion phosphate investment tied to Egypt’s mineral corridor, according to disclosures made earlier this year by Badawi.

The phosphate angle is particularly important because phosphate is a critical input not only for fertilizers but also for lithium iron phosphate battery technology increasingly used across electric vehicles manufactured by companies including Tesla, BYD, Ford and major Chinese battery producers.

Egypt is also attempting to reposition itself legislatively to compete for global exploration capital.

Parliament approved reforms in 2025 converting the former Egyptian Mineral Resources Authority into the more commercially structured Mineral Resources and Mining Industries Authority (MRMIA).

The restructuring gives the authority significantly greater autonomy over contracts, revenue retention and project governance while allowing Egypt to move away from rigid production-sharing frameworks that long discouraged foreign operators.

Badawi has openly acknowledged that Egypt’s previous mining structure left the country uncompetitive compared with jurisdictions such as Saudi Arabia, Australia and Canada.

Saudi Arabia remains Egypt’s clearest regional competitor.

Under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 initiative, Riyadh has aggressively expanded its own mining ambitions, unveiling mineral wealth estimates exceeding $2.5 trillion while positioning the Kingdom as a global critical-minerals hub through the Future Minerals Forum and state-backed investments tied to Ma’aden and Manara Minerals.

Egypt is now attempting to market itself as a complementary lower-cost regional alternative with direct access to Red Sea logistics corridors and Suez Canal shipping infrastructure.

The Xcalibur survey is expected to produce detailed mineral mapping data that officials hope will underpin Egypt’s first major international licensing round under the new mining framework.

For commodity markets, fertilizer producers, battery manufacturers and global mining investors, the survey represents more than a technical geology project.

It signals that one of the Middle East and North Africa’s largest untapped mineral jurisdictions is finally opening itself to large-scale competitive development.

After 42 years, Egypt is rewriting its mining maps — and preparing to put its underground wealth on the global auction block.

JBizNews Desk

© 2026 JBizNews. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited.

MANCHESTER, England (VINnews) — Police in northwest England said Tuesday that a man has been arrested in connection with a deadly 2025 attack at a synagogue in the Manchester area.

Counterterrorism officers, working alongside Greater Manchester Police, arrested a 49-year-old man in Salford on suspicion of failing to disclose information related to terrorist activity under Britain’s Terrorism Act 2000.

Authorities said the arrest is tied to the attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue on Oct. 2, 2025.

Two men, Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz, were killed in the attack, while three others suffered serious injuries and were hospitalized. Police said those injured have since been released.

Officials said the latest arrest brings the total number of people detained during the investigation to eight. One suspect arrested in October 2025 remains under investigation, while another individual has already been charged with separate terrorism-related offenses.

Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts said investigators remain focused on determining the full circumstances surrounding the attack and urged anyone with relevant information to contact authorities.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An Australian state police force has worked to form a heavily armed rapid response team since gunmen killed 15 people and wounded three police officers armed only with handguns at a Sydney Hanukkah celebration in December, a government inquiry heard Wednesday.

Testifying before the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, which is investigating the spread of antisemitism in Australia ahead of the Dec. 14 attack at Bondi Beach, New South Wales Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson described a firepower imbalance.

The police force has responded with a plan to establish an Armed Response Command, equipped with semiautomatic rifles, and by reviving a priority-resourced operation that focused on antisemitic crimes and retaliations against Muslim targets, Hudson said.

Rifles within the force have been largely restricted to two specialized paramilitary squads, he said.

Father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram allegedly opened fire with two shotguns and a hunting rifle on hundreds of people celebrating Hanukkah in a beachside park. Only four police officers were present. They were armed with Glock pistols, which are only accurate for a short distance.

“On Dec. 14, our police officers were placed at significant risk being in a gunfight armed with 9 mm Glocks against long arms,” Hudson told the inquiry.

Within five minutes of the Akrams allegedly opening fire, 11 police officers had reached the scene. Three of those officers were among the dozens wounded in the massacre. Police shot the father dead and apprehended the wounded son less than eight minutes after the first shot was fired, the inquiry heard Monday.

In response to the shooting, police also revived Operation Shelter, which had been established in response to escalating community tensions days after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel Hudson said.

Hudson had established Operation Shelter as a “high visibility” proactive police operation to ensure there was no escalation of street violence in Sydney. At its peak, 200 officers had been assigned daily to the operation, which had authority to bring in outside staff from other duties as required.

Operation Shelter existed “in name only” when the Bondi massacre occurred, Hudson said Wednesday, explaining that the program was quickly revived after the shooting and elevated to an “active policing resource” that will remain until the armed response squad is fully operational in the next 18 months to two years.

NEW YORK (JNS) – Hundreds of New Yorkers filled the normally quiet and bucolic Upper East Side street adjacent to Gracie Mansion, the official home of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, on Tuesday evening, chanting “Hey, hey, no, no, Mayor Mamdani’s got to go” and “stop Mamdani.”

Lilly Icikson was among the demonstrators—a group of mostly Jews with a few Muslims and Christians—and handed out stickers, which she prints at home and affixes to light poles and other surfaces outside Gracie Mansion and in other neighborhoods daily.

She came to the protest because “anti-Zionism is a sad excuse for Jew-hate,” she told JNS.

“The city has been overrun with people openly calling for ‘intifada,’ which is Jew-hate,” she said. “The city should be safe for everyone.”

The protest was organized by End Jew Hatred, a project of the Lawfare Project, and also involved a coalition of other groups.

“NYPD! NYPD!” chants rang through a crowd outside Gracie Mansion on Tuesday night as protesters thanked New York police officers for keeping the city safe.

The crowd was gathered out NYC Mayor Mamdani's residence to call for Governor Hochul to remove him from office, citing his… pic.twitter.com/OsHoflHIgO

— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 27, 2026

In an interview a few hours before the protest began, Brooke Goldstein, founder and executive director of Lawfare Project, told JNS that the goal was to have New York Gov. Kathy Hochul remove the mayor from office, which the governor, a Democrat, has the legal right to do.

That legal right has rarely been exercised. Hochul reportedly considered doing so in February 2025, after then-Mayor Eric Adams had been indicted on federal corruption charges. After requests to U.S. President Donald Trump, those charges were dropped, and the governor didn’t pursue removing him before the end of his term that December.

Shortly after Mamdani began his mayoral term, he struck down many of the executive orders that Adams had issued, including those that aimed to protect Jews and Israelis.

Scott LoBaido says a couple words after speaking at Zohran Mamdani Protest outside of Gracie Mansion in New York City pic.twitter.com/tpgPpeJksB

— Sean Marshall (@Sean_L_Marshall) May 27, 2026

Now, amid a spike in anti-Jewish hate crimes in New York City, and anti-Israel protesters intimidating and harassing Jews all over the city, Goldstein, a Miami resident, told JNS that the governor should remove the mayor.

“We are demanding the removal of Mamdani for his neglect of duty and his refusal to carry out his legal responsibilities,” Goldstein said. “Jews, Christians, Muslims, people of all faiths are coming together, because they are sick and tired of the extremism that has taken over our streets.”

Hillary Barr
Hillary Barr attends a protest outside Gracie Mansion in Manhattan calling for the New York governor to remove Zohran Mamdani as city mayor, May 26, 2026. Photo by Debra Nussbaum Cohen.
New Yorkers are also “tired of the Islamists and woke radicals committing assault, his failure to enforce the rule of law and to launch investigations into these so-called protests, which are violent pro-terror mobs,” Goldstein added.

The acoustics at the open-air demonstration made it very difficult for speakers to be heard, except by those at the very front, but that didn’t seem to matter to attendees, many of whom carried signs.

There appeared to be a sense of solidarity and common cause in the crowd, in which several Chabad rabbis milled about and asked men if they had already donned tefillin that day.

Hillary Barr, who owns a real estate company in New York and also promotes investment in Israeli properties, came to Tuesday night’s protest wearing an armful of blue and white whistles and carrying a bag full of small Israeli and American flags. She handed those items out to people at the peaceful demonstration.

“The fact that Zohran Mamdani doesn’t protect the Jewish citizens is criminal,” she told JNS. “He makes his opinion very clear. He doesn’t believe that Israel has a right to exist, and he celebrates the day when he thinks Israel should have been destroyed, which it wasn’t, thank God.”

The mayor has also said that he would have the Israeli prime minister arrested in New York, and he released a video for “Nakba” day, the day that some use to mark what they consider the “catastrophe” of the founding of the modern Israeli state.

“I am here as a tax-paying New Yorker to say we will not tolerate that,” Barr told JNS. “Nothing that this TikTok mayor can do is ever going to intimidate the Jews of New York.”

As she handed a whistle to a woman, Barr advised, “When confronted by the ‘free, free Palestine’ morons, blow it in their face and it makes them crazy, because you’re drowning out their ridiculous statements.”

Goldstein of End Jew Hatred plans to continue organizing demonstrations, as she did recently outside the New York Times building.

“This is the beginning of something big,” she told JNS. “This is going to be sustained protest.”

“There’s going to be a huge show of support for saying ‘enough is enough,’” she added. “The public is not behind this man anymore even though he got elected.”

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The South African government and advocacy groups for the country’s Afrikaner white minority on Wednesday rejected the Trump administration’s position that there’s a humanitarian emergency affecting white people in South Africa.

The argument served as the administration’s rationale for raising the U.S. refugee cap, but only for white Afrikaners. The Trump administration said Tuesday that it will admit an additional 10,000 white South Africans into the U.S. as refugees this year, increasing its annual quota, but blocking people from other countries from entering through the program.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was increasing the refugee cap for white South Africans because of “an unforeseen emergency refugee situation.” He blamed the South African government for “recent increases in the incitement of racially motivated violence,” but gave no specific information.

South African Foreign Ministry spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said accusations of systemic persecution of Afrikaners were unfounded and that some beneficiaries of the refugee program have chosen to return to South Africa.

Around 6,000 South Africans have moved to the U.S. since the Afrikaner program started last year, according to the U.S. government.

Afrikaner trade union Solidariteit said refugee status isn’t a viable solution for Afrikaners, who should thrive in South Africa instead. Spokesman Jaco Kleynhans said the organization didn’t know about any “unforeseen emergency refugee situation” for Afrikaners but respected the autonomy of U.S. refugee policy.

The union “is in no way aware of anything that the Trump administration could be referring to,” Kleynhans said.

AfriForum, a lobbying organization for the country’s white Afrikaner minority with more than 300,000 members, said it “does not have information” regarding the specific assertion that there’s an emergency refugee situation.

The organization’s CEO, Kallie Kriel, said the group’s focus is “fighting to create the circumstances in South Africa where there is no need for Afrikaners to leave.”

Trump suspended the U.S. refugee program on his first day in office and has turned it into a vehicle to allow Afrikaners — white South Africans descended mainly from Dutch settlers — into the United States. Advocates say the decision to focus a decades-old program on one group has left people around the world fleeing war and strife stranded and with few options.

Refugee groups have questioned why white South Africans are being prioritized ahead of people from countries facing war and natural disasters. Vetting for refugee status in the U.S. often takes years.

The Trump administration’s preference for white Afrikaner refugee admissions raises questions about selective humanitarianism, inconsistent refugee protection and favoring privileged groups while ignoring others experiencing severe hardships, according to Bryony Fox, a social justice researcher at South Africa’s Stellenbosch University.

“This risks politicizing refugee protection in a way that may ultimately weaken the legitimacy and universality of the refugee regime itself,” she said.

Members of the Park Slope Food Coop voted Tuesday night to ban Israeli-made products from the shelves of the iconic Brooklyn grocery collective, capping off a deeply divisive dispute that has roiled the organization for years and intensified sharply in recent months.

More than 7,000 of the co-op’s roughly 15,000 members logged into the meeting, which organizers moved entirely online after Jewish members reported “explicit fears” about attending in person.

Many longtime participants said the turnout was likely the biggest gathering in the co-op’s 53-year history, reflecting the intensity of a conflict that has spilled beyond meetings and into the streets surrounding the progressive Brooklyn institution.

The final boycott measure passed overwhelmingly, with 67 percent supporting the proposal, 31 percent voting against it, and 2 percent abstaining.

The controversy centered on whether the co-op should formally align itself with the anti-Israel boycott, divestment and sanctions movement by removing a small number of Israeli items — including hummus and matzo — from store shelves.

The battle over the issue had already sparked explosive confrontations in recent weeks, including accusations that Jewish members were complicit in genocide and what attendees described as openly antisemitic rhetoric during a prior meeting.

The co-op previously held a vote on boycotting Israeli goods in 2012, but that meeting drew only about 2,000 participants. Ordinary meetings generally attract between 50 and 200 people, according to longtime member Ramon Maislen.

“The coop used to feel like Brooklyn’s living room; now every meeting feels like judgment day at noon,” Maislen said.

“Whatever our politics, we should be able to disagree without condemning one another.”

Although the meeting agenda also included routine organizational matters such as elections for internal committees, the focus of the evening quickly shifted to two crucial votes tied to the boycott issue.

The first centered on whether the co-op should reduce the approval threshold required for product boycotts from a 75 percent supermajority to a simple majority vote. The second dealt with the actual proposal to remove Israeli products from the store.

Under the co-op’s structure, all members are permitted to cast ballots, though the board ultimately retains final authority, Maislen explained.

“They’re supposed to be influenced by membership votes, but they are technically not required to be.”

The lengthy Zoom session became disorderly at times after technical failures disrupted online polling. Multiple voting attempts had to be redone, and at one stage members introduced a motion to delay the meeting entirely.

Still, after the gathering stretched beyond three hours, attendees voted by a show of hands to continue.

Shortly after 9 p.m., members approved the procedural measure lowering the boycott threshold. The proposal passed with 61 percent support, while 38 percent voted against it and 1 percent abstained. The new rule took effect immediately and directly affected the boycott vote that followed.

The subsequent vote approving the boycott succeeded with 67 percent backing.

Had the previous 75 percent supermajority rule remained in place, the boycott effort would have failed.

Following the vote, numerous Jewish members voiced anger over another procedural motion approved earlier in the evening that eliminated further debate before the final boycott vote.

“The motion was proposed after only the pro BDS group spoke,” one attendee, who preferred to remain anonymous, told The Post. “It’s horrible.”

“This is the first time in 15 years an item has been voted on without discussion,” a disgusted attendee at the meet noted.

“I definitely see a lawsuit coming,” another told The NY Post. “Especially if you change voting rules the same night a vote is set to occur.”

Before the meeting began, co-op general coordinators Ann Herpel and Matt Hoagland circulated a message urging members to maintain civility amid the escalating tensions surrounding the vote.

“Members may hold deeply different views on these issues but personal attacks, inflammatory language, or any comments directed at anyone’s identity such as religion, ethnicity, or national origin are unacceptable,” the email read. “Recording the meeting is prohibited.”

Despite the outcome, some members lamented that the battle left the organization fractured rather than united.

“Here we are getting all this publicity, and we could be using it to amplify the voices working for co-existence and a shared future,” said member Barbara Mazor.

“But instead we are just rehashing the same stuff that doesn’t help anybody.”

{Matzav.com}

A Jewish deli in Chicago sustained a smashed window in an attack Tuesday that is being investigated by local detectives.

The incident at Manny’s Deli in the 1000 block of S. Jefferson St. on Chicago’s Near West Side occurred at around 3:00 a.m. Police reported that there were no injuries and no one was injured in the attack.

The deli posted photos of the smashed window on X and expressed gratitude that no one was hurt.

The window to Manny’s Deli in Chicago was smashed early Tuesday morning. (From Manny’s Deli’s X account)

“Most importantly: we are ok, nobody was hurt,” the statement said. “Someone tried to break in, thankfully we had staff on site and the individual ran off. We will be open at our normal time today just with some wood boarding up the window.”

Chicago Jewish Alliance commented on the attack on X, saying Jewish businesses should not have to live with the constant fear of attack.

Police are investigating the incident of vandalism at Manny’s Deli in Chicago. (From Manny’s Deli’s X account)

“Manny’s Deli had its windows smashed tonight,” the Jewish advocacy group posted. “Thank God the staff is safe.”

“But let’s be clear: Jewish businesses should not have to wonder whether they are next,” the statement continued. “Not in Chicago. Not in America.”

“We are grateful to law enforcement for responding, and we stand with Manny’s, its staff, and every Jewish business owner who deserves to work, serve, and live without fear,” the group added. “An attack on a Jewish institution is an attack on the whole community.”

BERLIN (AP) — An alleged accomplice of a man who was convicted of stabbing and seriously wounding a Spanish tourist at Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial last year was arrested in the German capital on Wednesday.

The Syrian national, identified only as Khalaf A. in line with German privacy rules, is suspected of being an accessory to attempted murder and bodily harm, federal prosecutors said in a statement.

They said that he spent the afternoon before the attack on Feb. 21, 2025, with the man convicted of the stabbing, Wassim Al M., and encouraged him to carry out his plan.

Wassim Al M., also a Syrian citizen, was convicted in March on charges including attempted murder and attempted membership in a foreign terrorist organization. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

The Berlin district court found that he traveled from Leipzig to Berlin to carry out an attack in the name of the Islamic State group.

He chose the Holocaust Memorial because “he believed he would find people of Jewish faith there,” presiding judge Doris Husch said at the time, and he stabbed the Spanish tourist in the throat before shouting “Allahu akbar,” or “God is great.”

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, a field of 2,700 gray concrete slabs near the Brandenburg Gate in the heart of Berlin, honors the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust.

The stabbing took place two days before a German national election in which migration became a central issue, pushed to the forefront by a string of deadly attacks involving immigrants in the months before the vote.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX warned investors in its IPO filing that global shortages of advanced artificial intelligence chips could slow or limit the company’s ambitious plan to build massive AI data centers in space.

The disclosure appeared in the company’s S-1 registration filing submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission as SpaceX prepares for what could become the largest public offering in financial history.

The company is reportedly targeting a valuation approaching $1.75 trillion ahead of its planned Nasdaq debut under the ticker symbol SPCX.

At the center of the filing is a major strategic shift:
SpaceX is no longer presenting itself simply as a rocket-launch company.

Instead, the company increasingly describes itself as a vertically integrated AI infrastructure platform spanning rockets, satellites, chip manufacturing, orbital computing, broadband communications, and artificial intelligence systems.

The filing repeatedly references “orbital AI” and outlines plans to eventually deploy large-scale AI compute systems directly into orbit.

But SpaceX also acknowledged a major obstacle:
the world may not have enough advanced chips available to support those plans.

To reduce dependence on outside suppliers, SpaceX disclosed that it is working on a chip-manufacturing initiative known internally as “Terafab,” designed to help produce specialized AI hardware for future orbital computing systems.

The filing states that Tesla and Intel are involved through framework agreements tied to the effort.

However, SpaceX also warned investors that neither company is obligated to complete the project and that the factory may not become operational within expected timelines.

That caution matters because AI chips have become one of the most supply-constrained technologies in the global economy.

Demand for advanced processors used in artificial intelligence systems has surged over the past two years as companies race to build massive AI infrastructure platforms.

SpaceX’s vision goes even further than terrestrial AI expansion.

The company plans to begin launching AI compute satellites into sun-synchronous orbit as early as 2028, with long-term ambitions involving what it describes as “orbital AI at scale.”

According to the filing, the ultimate objective would involve deploying up to 100 gigawatts of orbital compute capacity annually — a staggering figure requiring thousands of launches and unprecedented payload volumes.

SpaceX described the effort in the filing as “an incredibly difficult technical challenge.”

The idea behind orbital AI infrastructure is that space-based data centers could eventually operate with access to continuous solar energy while avoiding some of the cooling and land constraints faced by Earth-based facilities.

Musk has publicly promoted the concept for months.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year, he argued that space could become the cheapest place in the world to operate AI computing systems within only a few years.

The IPO filing, however, takes a noticeably more cautious tone than Musk’s public comments.

While Musk has often projected confidence about rapid deployment timelines, the S-1 repeatedly highlights technical, manufacturing, and supply-chain risks that could delay execution.

Competition in the sector is also intensifying quickly.

Google-backed projects, Nvidia orbital-compute initiatives, Blue Origin satellite proposals, and multiple venture-funded startups are all pursuing various forms of space-based computing infrastructure.

The race is increasingly viewed inside Silicon Valley and Wall Street as a new frontier tied directly to the global AI boom.

Financially, the filing reveals a company in transition.

SpaceX generated approximately $18.7 billion in revenue during 2025, largely from its Starlink satellite broadband business.

At the same time, the company posted significant losses as it ramped spending on AI-related infrastructure and orbital-compute development.

The filing states that more than three-quarters of recent capital expenditures were directed toward AI infrastructure initiatives.

The broader SpaceX empire has also expanded dramatically following Musk’s merger earlier this year between SpaceX and his artificial-intelligence company xAI.

The combined organization now spans:

• Rockets
• Satellite broadband
• AI models
• Social media platforms
• Developer software tools
• Planned orbital computing systems

Investors evaluating the IPO are effectively being asked to fund one of the most ambitious infrastructure bets ever attempted in the technology sector.

The core question for Wall Street is becoming increasingly clear:
Can Starlink’s profitable satellite business generate enough cash flow to finance Musk’s much larger orbital AI vision before competitors catch up or supply constraints slow the effort?

The filing suggests SpaceX itself recognizes that answer remains uncertain.

When Musk speaks publicly, the future often sounds inevitable.

When SpaceX lawyers write disclosures for regulators and investors, the risks become harder to ignore.

That gap between ambition and execution may ultimately define the company’s IPO story.

JBizNews Desk — New York

© 2026 JBizNews. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited.

Dozens of murals painted by Italian artist aleXandro Palombo (who capitalizes only the X in his first name) have popped up along a route taken by anti-Israel demonstrations in Milan in mid-May. The murals of Hitler wearing a keffiyeh and a “HATE” armband serve as a critique of antisemitism and unchecked radicalism. The murals have since been defaced with swastikas and other antisemitic graffiti.

Artists and other observers are calling Palombo the new Banksy, or the anti-Banksy. Banksy is a graffiti artist who gained notoriety for his worldwide murals that would appear suddenly and silently, making a statement for a left-wing cause, whereas Palombo presents a different perspective in his art.

Hitler mural defaced. Hate never dies.#Antisemitism pic.twitter.com/DWbFxm48YR

— aleXsandro Palombo (@PalomboArtist) May 27, 2026

Palombo posted a photo of an original mural next to a defaced version with the comment, “Hitler mural defaced. Hate never dies.”

According to his Instagram account, Palombo is a “pop artist and activist, focusing on pop culture, society, diversity, ethics and human rights.”

His work challenges the prevailing zeitgeist, with the aim of provoking conversation about political extremism and radicalization. Many of his murals depict Holocaust victims such as Anne Frank and are frequently defaced with anti-Jewish, anti-Israel, pro-Gaza messaging such as the ubiquitous swastika and hateful slogans.

Israel’s chareidi political world is facing one of its most dramatic upheavals in years as the battle over the draft law threatens to fracture the longstanding alliance between the chareidi parties and the right-wing bloc led by Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu.

In a wide-ranging interview on Kikar FM, “Bavli” political commentator Itzeleh Katzburg spoke with Eli Guthelf about the growing tensions inside the coalition, the possibility of new political alliances, and whether chareidi parties would ultimately be willing to sit alongside secular or left-wing politicians in exchange for preserving exemptions for yeshiva bochurim.

Even Israelis who normally avoid politics, Katzburg said, are finding it difficult to ignore the mounting pressure and uncertainty surrounding the current crisis.

At the center of the turmoil is a dramatic letter issued by Rav Dov Landau, which many interpreted as effectively dissolving the traditional “right-wing bloc” partnership between chareidi parties and Netanyahu.

For years, parties such as Shas and Degel HaTorah largely moved in lockstep with Likud and the broader right-wing coalition.

But the ongoing fight over the draft law has significantly strained those relationships.

Netanyahu himself acknowledged at the opening of the Knesset summer session that the coalition currently lacks enough votes to pass a draft law acceptable to the chareidi parties.

The response from the chareidi political world was swift — though not unified.

According to Katzburg, Degel HaTorah has increasingly directed blame squarely at Netanyahu.

He pointed to unusual interviews and sharply worded articles published in Yated Ne’eman, including comments from MK Moshe Gafni signaling that Degel HaTorah no longer feels bound to the right-wing bloc and may even consider future cooperation with longtime political rivals such as Avigdor Lieberman and Yair Lapid.

Shas, however, has taken a very different approach.

While continuing to fight against military conscription of yeshiva students, Shas has publicly maintained its commitment to Likud and the right-wing camp.

Its party newspaper, HaDerech, has largely directed criticism toward military and bureaucratic officials rather than Netanyahu himself.

Katzburg argued that the divide stems largely from electoral strategy.

According to him, Degel HaTorah appeals primarily to a more traditional yeshiva-oriented electorate and therefore has greater flexibility to break politically with the right.

Shas, by contrast, depends heavily on traditional and peripheral voters who strongly support Netanyahu even if they are less aligned with the chareidi position on military service.

“Shas relies on a pool of traditional, peripheral voters who may want to see chareidim enlist, but what matters most to them is Bibi,” Katzburg explained. “If Shas declares today that it is severing ties with the right-wing bloc, it could lose between two and four mandates.”

As a result, Katzburg said, chareidi politicians are often sending different messages to different audiences.

Internally, rabbinic leaders continue firmly opposing any cooperation with military draft efforts, while publicly some politicians adopt softer language in broader Israeli media so as not to alienate traditional right-wing supporters.

The interview also explored the growing political battle over the timing of Israel’s next election.

According to Katzburg, Shas is pushing strategically for elections to take place on the Fast of Gedaliah, shortly after Rosh Hashanah during the height of Selichos season.

He argued that Shas believes elections during that period could energize large numbers of traditional voters visiting the Kosel for Selichos.

At the same time, such timing could significantly hurt right-wing turnout because thousands of Breslover chassidim and right-wing voters would still be returning from Uman and unable to vote.

Katzburg suggested that Degel HaTorah is less concerned about weakening the right-wing bloc because many in the Litvishe chareidi camp increasingly believe the alliance with the right has effectively collapsed anyway.

Toward the end of the interview, the discussion turned to perhaps the most explosive question of all: whether chareidi parties would truly be willing to sit in a coalition alongside left-wing figures such as Yair Golan or openly secular activists if it guaranteed passage of a draft exemption law.

Katzburg answered unequivocally that they would.

“We will swallow that frog. We are not Zionists and we have no connection to this state and this government. We play the game in order to preserve the Torah world. If they promise us ‘Yavneh and its sages’ (an exemption from military service for yeshiva students), as far as we are concerned the minister of religion can be Naor Narkis or a Reform rabbi. The Knesset is full of clowns anyway.”

According to Katzburg, when the decisive political moment arrives, even left-wing leaders such as Yair Golan may suddenly display surprising “pragmatism” on the issue of equal military service if it enables them to topple Netanyahu and form a government.

The interview painted a picture of a rapidly shifting chareidi political landscape, where the once-solid partnership with the Israeli right may be giving way to a new political reality centered almost entirely around preserving the yeshiva world and preventing the military draft of Torah students.

{Matzav.com}

This post was originally published on this site.

Consumers squeezed by inflation are increasingly pulling back from premium coffee chains and shifting toward faster, lower-cost alternatives — and one of the fastest-growing winners is 7 Brew Coffee, the Arkansas-based drive-thru chain now racing to expand across the United States.

The privately held company, known for compact drive-thru-only locations and lower-priced beverages, has rapidly emerged as one of the hottest growth stories in the American quick-service restaurant industry. Industry data compiled this month by restaurant analytics firms including Technomic and Placer.ai shows 7 Brew continuing to post some of the strongest customer traffic growth in the coffee sector as value-conscious consumers search for cheaper daily routines without fully giving up specialty coffee purchases.

Founded in Rogers, Arkansas, the chain has expanded from a regional operator into a national growth platform in just a few years. 7 Brew now operates hundreds of locations across more than 30 states and has continued opening stores at a pace that rivals some of the largest restaurant growth stories in the country.

Unlike traditional coffeehouse models built around indoor seating and long customer dwell times, 7 Brew focuses almost entirely on speed, convenience, and lower operating costs. Most locations are compact double-lane drive-thru units with minimal indoor space, allowing stores to serve large volumes of customers with lower real-estate expenses and smaller staffing requirements.

That operating model is becoming increasingly attractive in the current economy.

Consumers across the country continue facing elevated prices for housing, insurance, groceries, and utilities, forcing many households to trade down from premium purchases while still seeking small affordable indulgences. Analysts say coffee remains one of the last discretionary habits consumers are reluctant to fully eliminate, creating opportunities for lower-priced operators.

The pricing gap has become especially noticeable against premium coffee chains where customized drinks can now regularly exceed $7 or $8 in major metropolitan markets.

Restaurant analysts say 7 Brew has benefited by positioning itself between fast-food coffee and high-end specialty chains, offering flavored drinks, energy beverages, teas, and espresso products at lower average ticket prices while emphasizing speed and convenience.

The company’s expansion is also occurring during a broader transformation inside the U.S. coffee industry.

Major chains including Starbucks and Dutch Bros have increasingly leaned into drive-thru service, mobile ordering, and labor-efficiency strategies as consumer traffic patterns shifted following the pandemic. But 7 Brew’s simplified operating structure has allowed it to expand aggressively into suburban and secondary markets where construction costs and labor expenses remain lower.

Private equity investors have also poured money into the sector.

Industry observers increasingly compare 7 Brew’s growth trajectory to the early national expansion years of chains like Dutch Bros, Raising Cane’s, and Chipotle Mexican Grill, all of which leveraged highly focused operating models into massive national footprints.

The company’s expansion has accelerated particularly across the South, Midwest, and Sun Belt states, regions experiencing strong population growth and relatively lower commercial development costs.

The strategy comes at a moment when consumers are becoming more price-sensitive across the broader restaurant industry.

Recent earnings reports from multiple fast-food and casual dining chains have shown customers increasingly reducing discretionary spending, visiting restaurants less frequently, or trading down toward value-oriented brands. Coffee chains have proven somewhat more resilient than full-service restaurants, but even premium operators are seeing pressure from consumers seeking cheaper alternatives.

For 7 Brew, that environment has created a major opening.

The company’s rapid expansion is also reshaping competition within local beverage markets, placing pressure on independent coffee shops and regional operators already dealing with higher labor costs, elevated rents, and rising ingredient prices.

Industry analysts expect consolidation and competitive pressure within the beverage sector to intensify through 2026 as chains race to capture customers looking for lower-cost convenience options.

Whether 7 Brew can sustain its breakneck growth pace nationally remains an open question, particularly as expansion eventually moves into denser urban markets where drive-thru-heavy formats become harder to scale.

But for now, the company is emerging as one of the clearest examples of how inflation and changing consumer habits are reshaping the American restaurant industry — one drive-thru lane at a time.

JBizNews Desk — Midwest

© 2026 JBizNews. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited.

By BoroPark24 Staff

A large overnight enforcement operation led by the NYPD resulted in the removal of 23 abandoned vehicles from sections of Boro Park.

The operation focused on 63rd Street between 15th and 17th Avenues, where numerous abandoned and unused vehicles had reportedly been sitting for extended periods of time.

According to sources on scene, the overnight effort involved multiple agencies and resources working alongside the NYPD to tow and clear the vehicles from the area.

Residents have long raised concerns about abandoned vehicles occupying parking spaces, creating quality-of-life issues, and limiting available street parking throughout the neighborhood.

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary’s parliament voted on Wednesday to remain a member of the International Criminal Court, reversing a decision by the previous government of Viktor Orbán to withdraw from the global tribunal.

Orbán’s government announced last year that Hungary would quit the ICC, the world’s only permanent global court for war crimes and genocide, shortly after a state visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu which went ahead despite an ICC warrant for his arrest over alleged war crimes in connection with Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip.

The ICC and other international organizations criticized Orbán’s government for failing to detain Netanyahu. Orbán accused the ICC of becoming a “political court.”

Hungary’s withdrawal has been set to take effect on June 2.

The bill to reverse the decision, which was submitted on Monday by Prime Minister Péter Magyar, states that in order to maintain international peace and protect human rights “it is essential that those who commit the most serious international crimes be held accountable before an international judicial forum.”

It adds: “To this end, it is necessary to maintain Hungary’s participation in the Statute of the International Criminal Court.”

The bill was passed largely along party lines, with 133 lawmakers from Magyar’s ruling Tisza party voting to approve, 37 votes against and five abstentions.

The ICC’s oversight body, the Assembly of States Parties, welcomed Hungary’s return. In a statement on Monday in anticipation of the vote, the organization said it “congratulates the government of Hungary for this important decision.”

Last year, the ICC found that Hungary had failed to comply with its legal obligation to arrest Netanyahu. In July, a panel of judges wrote that the “failure to arrest suspects severely undermines the court’s ability to carry out its mandate.”

Hungary was a founding member of the ICC, and Orbán himself signed the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the court, in 1999.

If Hungary had withdrawn, it would have been the third country to leave the ICC after the Philippines and Burundi. It also would have been the only country in the 27-member European Union that is not a signatory to the court.

Senator Cory Booker launched a blistering attack on President Donald Trump during a Tuesday appearance on MSNBC’s “The Briefing,” accusing the president of unprecedented corruption and warning that Republicans who continue supporting him will eventually be judged harshly by history.

Booker made the remarks while discussing Trump’s leadership and the response from Republicans in Congress, arguing that many privately oppose the president but refuse to criticize him publicly.

“What President Trump is doing is a moral outrage from his corruption, his crypto schemes, his ballroom, the monuments to his ego, to all the kleptocracy he’s doing and many of the incompetent people he’s putting in very important places,” Booker said.

The New Jersey Democrat claimed that dissatisfaction with Trump extends beyond Democratic circles and suggested many Republicans quietly share similar concerns.

“Now, it’s not just a democratic thing that believes that many of us have private conversations with folks who will express their disdain, their outrage in private, but do nothing in public,” he added.

Booker then escalated his criticism further, predicting that Trump’s presidency would ultimately be remembered as historically corrupt.

“We know five years from now, ten years from now, when people look back at the most corrupt president in American history that torched our democracy and did outrageous things, the question is going to be, who were the people so complicit that they allowed these things to happen?”

He also argued that Republicans understand they may eventually face political consequences for remaining aligned with Trump.

“And Republicans know they’re going to be held accountable. They’re going to be on the record.”

Booker went on to claim that cracks are beginning to emerge within Republican ranks as Trump continues to dominate the political landscape.

“So I’m starting to see more people as Donald Trump continues to strain our democracy and push every sense of decency. I’m starting to see some wobbly knees amongst Republicans who for too long have been doing that advanced form of yoga and bending over backwards, contorting themselves to do what Donald Trump wants. We’re starting to see weakening in that.”

Three visibly Jewish Israeli men were attacked with a sharp object in the old city of Nicosia in Cyprus Tuesday afternoon. One of the men was injured and received medical treatment for a wound to his ear after the attack. His condition remains unclear.

Two men of Syrian origin were arrested in connection with the stabbings and are being questioned at the Nicosia Criminal Investigation Department headquarters. Authorities are investigating the cause of the confrontation to determine if it was motivated by antisemitism.

Είμαι βαθιά σοκαρισμένος από τη βίαιη επίθεση εναντίον Ισραηλινών πολιτών στη Λευκωσία, οι οποίοι στοχοποιήθηκαν αποκλειστικά λόγω της εβραϊκής τους εμφάνισης. Τέτοιου είδους αντισημιτική βία δεν έχει θέση στην Κύπρο.

Ευχαριστώ την Αστυνομία Κύπρου για τη γρήγορη σύλληψη των…

— Oren Anolik 🇮🇱 (@OrenAnolik) May 27, 2026

Israeli Ambassador to Cyprus Oren Anolik expressed his shock over the incident on X.

“I am deeply shocked by the violent attack against Israeli citizens in Nicosia, who were targeted solely because of their Jewish appearance,” he wrote.

Oren Anolik, Israel’s ambassador to Cyprus. (From his X profile photo)

“Such antisemitic violence has no place in Cyprus,” he added, thanking the Cyprus Police for their speedy apprehension of the suspects.

He also condemned the rise in antisemitic violence across the country.

“Amid a worrying and untypical rise in antisemitic incidents in Cyprus, clear and firm condemnation by leaders across the country is essential,” he wrote.

By JBizNews Desk

WASHINGTON, May 26, 2026 — Newly sworn-in Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh signaled at his East Room swearing-in ceremony on Friday that he intends to model his leadership of the central bank after former Fed Chair Alan Greenspan, invoking the architect of the 1990s economic boom as he laid out a vision for a more restrained, less talkative and more discretionary Federal Reserve.

Warsh, who officially became the 17th chair of the Federal Reserve after taking the oath from Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, told guests that Greenspan was the first Fed chair to show him “what this role demands” and pledged to fill the office “with energy and purpose, just the way Chairman Greenspan did.” Standing alongside his wife, Jane Lauder, Warsh formally succeeded Jerome Powell, ending Powell’s eight-year run atop the central bank.

The reference to Greenspan was not simply ceremonial. Warsh assumes control of the Fed at a moment when inflation has remained above the central bank’s 2% target for more than five years, oil prices have surged following the Iran conflict, and the White House has openly pressured the Fed to lower interest rates. By repeatedly invoking Greenspan’s 1990s-era approach — when the Fed largely held rates steady during the technology boom on the belief that productivity gains were containing inflation — Warsh offered markets their clearest indication yet of how he intends to govern monetary policy.

President Donald Trump, hosting the ceremony at the White House, praised Warsh as a future “great chairman” and renewed his argument that lower borrowing costs would allow the U.S. economy to expand faster without reigniting inflation while simultaneously reducing federal debt-servicing costs. Trump also publicly encouraged Warsh to “do his own thing,” a line widely interpreted as an attempt to calm investor fears that the new Fed chair would operate under direct political pressure from the administration.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, one of Warsh’s strongest backers inside the administration, has spent months building the intellectual case for a Greenspan-style Fed. In a January speech, Bessent described Greenspan as “the open-minded maestro” and argued that central banks should avoid prematurely tightening policy during periods of major technological transformation. He repeatedly pointed to the late 1990s as evidence that productivity booms can absorb inflationary pressures without requiring aggressive rate hikes.

Warsh himself has been laying out a similar framework for more than a year. He has argued publicly that artificial intelligence and automation will lift productivity, reduce structural inflationary pressures and eventually create room for lower rates. During his Senate Banking Committee confirmation hearing in April, Warsh also signaled that he wants the Fed to communicate less frequently, scale back forward guidance and stop telegraphing policy moves months in advance.

Most notably, Warsh declined to commit to holding a press conference after every Federal Open Market Committee meeting — a practice institutionalized by Powell that turned Fed communication into one of Wall Street’s primary policy signals.

That potential shift matters enormously for markets. Under Powell, the Fed used communication itself as a policy tool, conditioning investors through speeches, forecasts and repeated signaling. Under Warsh, the institution appears headed toward a more opaque model where fewer public remarks carry greater weight — echoing Greenspan’s famously cryptic approach, when markets often dissected every sentence from the chair for clues about future policy.

The economic backdrop, however, is far more complicated than the one Greenspan managed during the 1990s expansion.

Minutes from the Federal Reserve’s most recent meeting show that many policymakers remain deeply concerned about persistent inflation pressures tied to elevated oil prices, tariffs and supply-chain disruption. Several Fed officials indicated they now expect rates to remain elevated longer than anticipated earlier this year, while some suggested additional tightening could become necessary if inflation fails to ease.

Fed Governor Christopher Waller, widely viewed as one of the central bank’s more dovish members and another Trump appointee, said Friday that while he currently supports holding rates steady, he would not rule out hikes if rising oil prices create a longer-lasting inflation shock.

Markets are now pricing in the likelihood that the Fed will remain on hold through much of 2026, with some traders increasingly assigning probability to possible hikes in early 2027 — a stance that clashes both with Trump’s push for lower rates and with Warsh’s own optimism that technological productivity gains will ultimately suppress inflation.

In his prepared remarks Friday, Warsh framed the Fed’s mission in straightforward terms.

“Our mandate at the Fed is to promote price stability and maximum employment,” Warsh said. “When we pursue those aims with wisdom and clarity, independence and resolve, inflation can be lower, growth stronger, real take-home pay higher.”

He also pledged to oversee what he called a “reform-oriented Federal Reserve” capable of moving beyond “static frameworks and models” — language that aligns closely with his push for a more flexible and less communication-heavy central bank.

The symbolism of the ceremony itself also stood out. The East Room audience included Cabinet officials, Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh, House Speaker Mike Johnson, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, and Treasury Secretary Bessent. Federal Reserve chairs are traditionally sworn in at the Fed’s Eccles Building in Washington. The last chair to take the oath at the White House was Greenspan himself — a detail Warsh deliberately highlighted.

For businesses and investors, the message from Friday’s ceremony was increasingly clear: a Warsh-led Federal Reserve is likely to speak less, reveal less and rely more heavily on discretion than the Powell Fed that preceded it.

If Warsh’s thesis about artificial intelligence-driven productivity proves correct, that approach could allow inflation to cool without requiring another painful tightening cycle. But if energy costs, tariffs and geopolitical disruptions keep inflation stubbornly elevated, the same communication-light strategy may leave markets with less warning before future rate increases.

JBizNews Desk

© 2026 JBizNews. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited.

NEW YORK (VINnews) — The U.S. Department of Defense has prepared a list of potential targets in Iran if Trump decides to resume the war. Officials told NBC that it would be more difficult to reach these targets than previous ones due to concealment and the constant movement of missile systems.

If President Donald Trump decides to resume military operations, identifying and striking these targets would likely prove more challenging than earlier actions, the report noted.

Meanwhile, two U.S. officials told The New York Times that American military strikes on targets in southern Iran on Monday were carried out after intelligence analysts detected a series of Iranian military activities that could have posed a threat in the 24 hours leading up to the strikes.

U.S. fighter jets reportedly sank two fast boats belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that were attempting to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which, before the war, about one-fifth of the world’s daily oil and gas supply passed.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also said that Iran launched drones near or around U.S. Navy warships operating in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Those ships are enforcing a blockade on vessels attempting to enter or exit the area.

Americans remain optimistic about the country’s ability to harness innovation and think it should be easier to build things in America, while they’re also skeptical about the government’s role in solving the issues confronting the nation, a new survey finds.

The findings of the Ronald Reagan Institute’s Reagan National Economic Survey, reviewed exclusively by FOX Business, showed that 65% of registered voters were optimistic about American-led innovation in areas like medicine, energy and artificial intelligence (AI) – including 81% of Republicans, 59% of Democrats and 57% of Independents.

“Americans are really optimistic about our future, which isn’t something that you would get just by looking at the media and kind of day-to-day portrayals of where Americans are,” Dan Rothschild, director of the Center for Civics, Education, and Opportunity at the Reagan Institute, told FOX Business.

“Members of Gen Z in particular have a 50-point net positive rating on the ability of American science and technology to build a better future. For a generation that’s widely described as being pessimistic, I thought that was a really stark finding,” he added.

HIGH ENERGY PRICES RISK KEEPING INFLATION ABOVE 2% TARGET, CONCERNING FED POLICYMAKERS

The survey asked Americans if they think it’s too hard, too easy or about right in terms of the difficulty of building housing, roads and highways, and factories in their communities – with respondents saying it’s generally either too hard or about right. 

In terms of housing, the survey found that 54% think it’s too hard to build homes versus 36% who said it’s about right, with 9% saying it’s too easy. 

The share of voters saying the difficulty is about right for building new roads and highways (48%) narrowly outpaced those saying it’s too hard (44%), and was well above the 8% who said it’s too easy. A similar pattern played out for factories, with 45% saying the ease of building was about right, while 43% said it’s too hard and 11% said it’s too easy.

“I was positively impressed by how much Americans want to build,” Rothschild said. “The vast majority of Americans believe that it is either too hard to build one or more of those types of facilities or that it’s just about right. Nobody believes, effectively, that we’re building too much.”

US NATIONAL DEBT BREACHES $39 TRILLION MILESTONE FOR FIRST TIME AMID SPENDING SURGE

The survey also asked Americans about their views regarding former President Ronald Reagan’s economic policies as commander-in-chief, finding a strong plurality believes his policies were generally positive for the country. It found that 47% of respondents said Reagan’s policies were good for America, versus 31% who said they weren’t. 

There was a notable partisan split on the question, with Republicans favoring Reagan’s policies good for the country by a 78% to 4% margin. Independents generally agreed, albeit by a smaller margin of 42% to 32%. 

A majority of Democrats took the opposite view, with 52% saying his policies were bad for America and 24% saying they were good for the country.

“You’ve got a loud group, mostly online, saying that President Reagan’s economic projects were bad for America, that we need to reject so-called ‘zombie Reaganism.’ We find basically no data that there’s a group of Republicans and Republican-leaning voters that believe this,” Rothschild said.

TRUMP SLAPS CANADA WITH EXTRA 10% TARIFF OVER ‘FRAUDULENT’ REAGAN ADVERTISEMENT: ‘HOSTILE ACT’

Voters were also asked whether they agree with Reagan’s statement from his first inaugural address that, “In our present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”

The question found broad agreement among Americans, with 81% of registered voters saying they think that statement is true today. That figure includes 93% of Republicans, 82% of Independents and 69% of Democrats.

“It probably means different things to different respondents and different voters. But I take away from it that it’s a vote of confidence in the American people, in American business, in American civic society – and not a vote of confidence in politicians to fix what’s wrong with America,” Rothschild said.

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JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Amid the ongoing public and political controversy surrounding the conscription law and the integration of charedi men into the military, new official IDF data reveals the scope of enlistment of young charedi men into the army over the past two months.

According to the official figures, 433 young Haredi men enlisted in the past two months alone into designated tracks specifically developed for the Haredi community, which allow them to maintain their religious lifestyle during military service. The recruits were assigned to a wide range of essential roles across various IDF units.

The most notable and significant figure in the report relates to combat service: out of all the recruits during this period, a record 272 charedi soldiers joined combat roles. This represents a substantial increase in the number of charedi enlistees choosing combat units, including designated battalions such as Netzach Yehuda, the “Arrow” unit in the Paratroopers, Chashmonaim brigade and sub-tracks within the Givati and Golani brigades.

The remaining recruits (161 in total) were placed in combat support roles, technological units, intelligence, and various administrative positions tailored for charedi service tracks. The IDF is closely monitoring these figures, especially given the growing need for combat manpower across multiple fronts.

The IDF emphasizes that “the military was and remains prepared for a significantly broader intake and for expanding its ranks in a substantial manner, in accordance with operational needs and while making all necessary adjustments.”

The head of the Personnel Planning and Management Division, Brigadier General Shai Tayeb, said in his summary of the recruitment process: “I express great appreciation to the new recruits. Their service in the IDF is a central pillar in force-building and in safeguarding the security of the State of Israel, and many of them are pioneers within their families and communities. The IDF needs to expand the ranks of recruits and service members from all sectors of Israeli society.”

By JBizNews Desk

Europe’s financial markets are no longer treating the war in Ukraine as a regional conflict. They are treating it as the opening phase of a broader security and economic realignment that could redefine the continent’s budgets, debt markets and industrial priorities for the next decade.

That shift became more visible Sunday after Russia launched one of its largest aerial attacks on Kyiv this year, firing roughly 600 drones and 90 missiles overnight, including the nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic missile. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv absorbed the heaviest strikes, while Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported damage across every district of the capital. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described Moscow’s use of the Oreshnik as reckless nuclear brinkmanship intended to intimidate Europe politically as much as militarily.

The strike came just days after Moscow announced plans to file a case at the International Court of Justice accusing Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania of discriminating against Russian-speaking minorities — language European officials immediately recognized from the Kremlin’s playbook before the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

For European governments, the issue is no longer whether Russia poses a threat. The question now is how much economic capacity Europe must permanently dedicate to deterring it.

That answer is already showing up in defense budgets.

Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said this month that Estonia plans to allocate roughly 5.4% of GDP annually to defense between 2026 and 2029, while Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda announced plans to push Lithuanian defense spending toward 5% to 6% of GDP. Poland is already spending roughly 4.5% of GDP on defense, one of the highest levels in NATO.

The broader trend is striking. European Union defense spending has climbed from approximately €218 billion in 2021 to a projected €381 billion in 2025. At NATO’s summit in The Hague, alliance members — with the exception of Spain — backed a framework targeting 3.5% of GDP for core military spending plus another 1.5% for security-related investment.

If fully implemented, Europe’s combined defense spending could approach €800 billion annually by the end of the decade.

That figure is extraordinary when compared to Europe’s own central budget. The EU’s annual institutional budget remains under €200 billion. In practical terms, Europe is preparing to spend roughly four times its collective administrative budget on defense every year because policymakers increasingly believe the Ukraine war may not remain geographically contained.

Financial markets have been pricing in that possibility for months.

German defense giant Rheinmetall AG has become one of Europe’s biggest market winners since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with shares rising more than twelvefold. The company expects 2026 sales growth of 40% to 45% after reporting a massive €64 billion order backlog. Rheinmetall is now expanding artillery shell production from roughly 70,000 units in 2022 toward a targeted 1.5 million annually by 2030.

Investors are treating Europe’s defense sector less like a cyclical trade and more like a long-duration structural growth industry.

The STOXX Europe Aerospace and Defense Index now trades at roughly 43 times projected 2026 earnings, more than double the broader STOXX Europe 600 valuation. Norway’s Kongsberg Gruppen is projected to post annual growth above 20%, while Britain’s BAE Systems continues forecasting sustained multi-year expansion tied to NATO rearmament.

But despite the spending surge, analysts warn Europe still faces major structural weaknesses.

A February defense assessment from McKinsey found that European NATO countries remain below pre-2021 military equipment stockpile levels even after NATO Europe and Canada spent more than $482 billion on defense in 2024. One major reason is fragmentation. European NATO members currently operate 12 separate main battle tank platforms, compared with just one used by the United States military.

That fragmentation increases procurement costs, slows scaling and limits interoperability during an actual conflict scenario.

The strategic concern underlying much of the spending is the Baltic region.

A recent Harvard Belfer Center scenario study examined the risk of a Russian move aimed at isolating Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania through the Suwałki Gap — the narrow corridor between Belarus and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad that connects the Baltic states to the rest of NATO territory.

While European officials publicly insist they do not view war with NATO as imminent, defense planning assumptions across the continent increasingly reflect the possibility that Moscow could eventually test alliance cohesion through hybrid operations, limited territorial incursions or coercive pressure against NATO’s eastern flank.

That fear is now embedded not only in military planning, but in sovereign borrowing costs, industrial policy and equity markets.

The bond spreads, the weapons orders and the emergency defense appropriations are all pointing toward the same conclusion: Europe is preparing financially for a world in which deterrence may become a permanent economic sector.

If Russia never expands the conflict beyond Ukraine, Europe will have built one of the largest defense spending programs in modern peacetime history. If Moscow eventually tests NATO directly, policymakers increasingly believe the current spending wave may only represent the beginning.

Europe’s markets appear to have already made their bet.

Europe — JBizNews Desk

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

The following is an ‘Ask The Mayor’ question submitted to TLS, and the Mayor’s response. Email your questions for the Mayor to [email protected].

Question:

Hi,

Thank you for your great service. My son and his friends play on the baseball field at Sunset Park every day. He has been complaining about the holes and dips in the field especially the large hole at home plate. He also mentioned the bases need to be replaced and if the township can paint foul lines.

Please let me know if this can be looked at. I look forward to your response.

Response from Mayor Coles:

Good afternoon. I’ve asked public works to send a crew over

Enjoy

Ray

Question:

Hey Mayor, just letting you know we love the new traffic pattern by RT 9 and Central. Thanks so much for your time and effort in making it happen. I hear they plan on shutting it down. What’s the story with that? Thx so much!

I would love a response

Shalom

Response from Mayor Coles:

Good evening

I’ve had several people tell me the same thing recently I’m glad the improvements are starting to have an effect. I know final paving to be completed. There will be some lane closures while that gets done.

We are still hopeful the DOT will also make additional improvements between Prospect and Rt88.

Thanks for reaching out

Ray

—————–

Have a question for the Mayor? Send it to [email protected]

Have a question for the Chief? Send it to [email protected]

This post was originally published on this site.

Leo Terrell, head of the Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, visited a preschool earlier this week to signal his support for Jewish schools, which he has said need extra protection since antisemitism exploded into full view after Oct. 7.

Last year, he told Fox News that the country “has turned its back on Jewish Americans at schools in day-to-day life,” adding that even at K-12 schools, Jewish students lack the protection afforded to other minorities, a protection more crucial than ever with their increasing vulnerability to attacks.

Leo Terrell greets Jewish preschoolers at a reception at a Jewish school. (Credit: Leo Terrell’s X account)

Terrell regularly meets with Jewish preschools and day schools to meet with their administrations and law enforcement as part of an effort to combat hate and ensure a safe learning environment for Jewish children. This effort is part of the Trump administration’s broader crackdown on antisemitism at institutions across the United States, such as colleges and universities, treating antisemitism as a violation of civil rights.

The antisemitism advocate posted a video of the event with the message, “The greatest reception in my life!” In the video, as he walks past rows of preschoolers waving American and Israeli flags, he bends down to high-five them.

Terrell also holds the title of senior counsel to the assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, is a civil rights attorney and is also known as a contributor to Fox News.

NEW YORK (VINnews) A renewed push by President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans to make Daylight Saving Time permanent is drawing concern from Orthodox Jewish leaders, who say the change could create major challenges for religious observance.

The debate intensified after the House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 48-1 last week to advance the Sunshine Protection Act as part of a broader transportation package. The legislation, backed by Sen. Rick Scott and Rep. Vern Buchanan, would place the United States on year-round Daylight Saving Time, while allowing individual states to opt out and remain on Standard Time.

Supporters say ending the twice-yearly clock changes could improve convenience and reduce disruptions.

But Orthodox Jewish advocates warn that permanent Daylight Saving Time could push winter sunrise times so late that many observant Jews would struggle to complete morning prayers before work or attend synagogue services before commuting. Rabbis and advocacy groups say Jewish law requires certain morning prayers, as well as the wearing of tefillin and prayer shawls, to take place only after dawn and sunrise.

Under the proposal, sunrise in New York would occur after 8 a.m. for nearly two months during the winter, while cities such as Detroit could see sunrises after 9 a.m. for several weeks, according to Orthodox advocates opposing the bill.

The Orthodox Union warned that the change could interfere with the ability of observant Jews “to engage in congregational prayers and get to their places of work on time.”

Agudath Israel of America, which opposed a similar proposal in 2022, said permanent Daylight Saving Time could force many synagogues to reduce the number of daily morning prayer services and leave observant Jews choosing between communal prayer and maintaining work schedules.

Others argue permanent Standard Time would create different religious challenges, including much earlier Friday Sabbath preparations and earlier synagogue services during the summer months.

Rabbinic leaders and community advocates say the current system, while imperfect, better accommodates religious practice by balancing seasonal daylight changes throughout the year.

Walmart is warning that rising gasoline prices are beginning to pressure even the lower-income shoppers who have historically formed the backbone of the retailer’s customer base.

The warning came from Walmart executives during recent earnings discussions and signals growing strain across large segments of the American consumer economy as fuel and food costs continue climbing.

John David Rainey, Walmart’s chief financial officer, said wealthier consumers continue spending steadily, but lower-income households are becoming increasingly cautious and financially stressed.

“The high-income consumer is spending with confidence in many categories, whereas the low-income consumer, we can tell, is more budget-conscious,” Rainey said.

One number stood out sharply.

Walmart executives said many customers are now purchasing fewer than 10 gallons of gasoline per visit at Walmart fuel stations — something the company says it has not seen consistently since 2022.

That shift may sound small, but retailers view it as a major economic signal.

Consumers are increasingly buying only enough gas to get through the immediate week rather than filling their tanks completely, a behavior often associated with tighter household cash flow.

The backdrop is rising fuel costs tied to global energy disruptions.

According to AAA, the national average for regular gasoline has climbed above $4.50 per gallon following months of volatility linked to the Middle East conflict and ongoing disruptions tied to the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes.

Higher fuel costs are now filtering through nearly every part of household spending.

Walmart’s U.S. chief executive, John Furner, said elevated fuel costs reduced company profit by roughly $175 million during the most recent quarter alone.

The retailer still posted strong sales growth.

Comparable U.S. sales excluding fuel rose 4.1%, while e-commerce growth remained robust.

But Walmart’s forward guidance came in weaker than some analysts expected, reflecting concerns that consumers are becoming more selective with discretionary spending.

Executives also warned that if elevated transportation and fuel costs continue, shoppers could begin seeing additional retail price inflation during the second half of the year.

That matters because Walmart has increasingly become one of the country’s primary economic barometers.

Over the past several years, middle-income consumers increasingly shifted spending toward Walmart in search of lower prices as inflation pressured household budgets.

That trade-down trend helped Walmart outperform many competitors across the retail sector.

Now the company is signaling that financial stress is moving deeper into lower-income households as well.

The pressure extends beyond gasoline.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts overall food prices will continue rising during 2026, with categories like beef and fresh produce seeing particularly sharp increases.

For many Walmart shoppers, groceries and gasoline make up the largest portions of monthly spending.

When both rise simultaneously, households often reduce restaurant visits, discretionary shopping, travel, and entertainment first.

Other companies are already seeing similar patterns.

Fast-food chains, discount retailers, and consumer lenders have all recently pointed to softer spending trends among lower-income consumers.

Federal retail data still shows headline consumer spending remaining positive overall, but much of the increase is being driven by higher prices rather than significantly larger purchasing volumes.

Walmart says it is attempting to offset some of the pressure through aggressive pricing initiatives, including thousands of rollback promotions across stores nationwide.

The retailer may also benefit from tariff-related refunds tied to recent court rulings overturning portions of earlier trade tariffs, potentially giving the company additional flexibility on pricing later this year.

Even so, Walmart’s broader message to Wall Street was clear:
American consumers are becoming more financially selective as inflation continues weighing on household budgets.

Importantly, Walmart itself is not struggling financially.

The company maintained full-year guidance and continues expanding delivery capabilities, e-commerce infrastructure, and logistics operations nationwide.

But the behavior of the shoppers walking through Walmart stores is changing.

When the nation’s largest retailer starts warning that its core lower-income customers are buying smaller amounts of gas, eating out less frequently, and watching every dollar more carefully, investors across the broader economy tend to pay attention.

As summer travel season begins, Walmart is signaling that many American families may be preparing for a more cautious spending environment than Wall Street had expected only a few months ago.

JBizNews Desk — New York

© 2026 JBizNews. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited.

photos: Achim Lanchevsky

A growing dispute has erupted between the Pentagon and SpaceX after Elon Musk’s satellite company reportedly raised Starlink connection fees fivefold for U.S. military drone operations during the war with Iran, underscoring concerns inside Washington over the company’s expanding control over critical defense systems.

According to a Reuters report, tensions escalated after American kamikaze drones operating against Iran relied heavily on SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network for communications and targeting.

As the military campaign intensified, SpaceX informed Pentagon officials that the pricing structure being used for the drone operations no longer reflected the level of service being consumed.

Sources familiar with the negotiations and Pentagon documents said SpaceX executives argued that the military had been paying approximately $5,000 per terminal while effectively utilizing a service tier valued closer to $25,000.

The disagreement centered largely around the use of Starlink aboard LUCAS suicide drones, low-cost American unmanned aircraft designed similarly to Iran’s Shahed drones.

The drones are capable of loitering above target zones before crashing into their targets and detonating.

SpaceX maintained that the drones’ operational profile more closely resembled the company’s aviation-level subscription service rather than its cheaper land-based or mobility plans.

Pentagon officials pushed back, arguing that the $25,000 monthly aviation pricing was intended for traditional aircraft and not kamikaze drones that may only remain connected to the network for short periods of time.

Despite those objections, the Pentagon ultimately accepted the higher pricing arrangement.

The increase reportedly nearly doubled the total cost of each LUCAS drone, which had originally been priced at roughly $30,000 per unit.

The pricing battle is only one part of a broader series of disagreements between the Pentagon and SpaceX.

Defense officials have also reportedly clashed with the company over proposals to provide civilians inside Iran with direct-to-cell Starlink communications access similar to 5G service, allowing users to bypass internet and communications shutdowns imposed by the Iranian regime.

The disputes have highlighted how increasingly dependent the U.S. military has become on SpaceX infrastructure, giving Musk and his company growing leverage over major national security operations.

The issue comes as SpaceX reportedly prepares for a possible initial public offering next month that could become one of the largest IPOs ever.

Unlike consumer-facing Starlink systems, the Pentagon operates a military-specific platform known as Starshield under a 2023 agreement with SpaceX.

Starshield terminals are capable of connecting both to the commercial Starlink network and to a separate secure satellite constellation also known as Starshield.

Clayton Swope, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said SpaceX’s leverage stems partly from the fact that it is not solely dependent on government contracts.

In addition to its military work, the company maintains major commercial operations involving satellite internet, rocket launches, and artificial intelligence technologies.

According to SEC filings, approximately 20 percent of SpaceX’s total revenue comes from the U.S. government.

“SpaceX certainly has the U.S. government over the barrel,” Swope said.

Frictions reportedly surfaced almost immediately after military operations against Iran began on February 28.

On March 1, Elon Musk responded on X to an image showing a LUCAS drone apparently equipped with a Starlink terminal.

“It is a violation of commercial Starlink terms of service to use the terminal for weapon systems. This applies to all users and is shut down when discovered,” Musk posted. “There is a separate network called Starshield, which is operated by the US government.”

{Matzav.com}

Walmart is ramping up its private-brand strategy with a major overhaul of its home and hardware categories.

The retailer announced Wednesday that it is revamping its hardware department with an exclusive Greenworks Pro tool line and expanded Hyper Tough offerings. At the same time, Walmart says it is launching Mainstays Kids, its first new home brand in five years.

Courtney Carlson, a senior vice president at Walmart, told FOX Business that the strategy is centered on delivering more choice, innovation and value to customers.

WALMART WARNS SHOPPERS COULD FACE HIGHER PRICES AS FUEL COSTS SURGE, TAX REFUNDS DRY UP

“We always seek to bring the most assortment to our customers so that they have choice, variety, and so that we can provide many solutions for them,” Carlson said. “Our private brands are an important part of that strategy because what we see is that we build brands that bring unmatched quality through exclusive designs, innovation, and value to our customers.”

Continued demand from do-it-yourself (DIY) shoppers helped drive the decision to reboot the hardware department, according to Carlson.

“For us, it’s about investing in what we see our customers doing, and we have a lot of DIY customers,” she said.

The launch of Mainstays Kids comes as parents increasingly look for more personalized and design-focused spaces for their children, according to Carlson.

ASBESTOS FEARS SPARK URGENT RECALL OF 120K+ SQUEEZE TOYS SOLD AT WALMART, OLLIE’S

“What we saw is that parents really want to invest in their kids’ rooms, design in their kids’ rooms, and they see it as an extension of their own home,” Carlson said. “But they want it to be able to be really special to what their kids love.”

Carlson said Walmart developed the brand with extensive feedback from both parents and children throughout the design process. The retailer tested products directly with families and kids.

“We put the customer at the center and developed and designed with them the whole way through,” Carlson said.

WALMART CUTTING OR RELOCATING ABOUT 1,000 CORPORATE JOBS

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The expansion of Walmart’s private-brand strategy follows the company’s broader investment in its physical footprint. Last month, Walmart announced plans to remodel more than 650 of its stores around the U.S. and open about 20 new stores in 2026 and early 2027.

The push also comes as retailers increasingly use owned brands and exclusive assortments to compete on price, differentiate their merchandise and appeal to shoppers who remain focused on value.

“This investment is intended to create jobs, help strengthen local economies, and make shopping faster and more convenient for our customers,” Walmart said at the time, adding that the new stores and remodels will drive construction jobs during the projects while creating long-term roles in retail, pharmacy and store leadership.

FOX Business’ Eric Revell contributed to this report.

Early this morning, an out-of-control driver in Lakewood crashed into a utility pole, fence, parked vehicle and a deck before overturning into a lawn.

The incident happened around 1:00 AM on East 7th Street.

He was extricated from his vehicle and transported to JSUMC with paramedics.

As of this report, police tell TLS the driver was in stable condition.

LPD’s Traffic Safety division is investigating.

A new federal watchdog report has revealed that during the height of the Biden administration’s border policies, nearly 90 percent of migrants encountered at the southern border were released into the United States through the use of parole authority.

The report, issued by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), details how the Department of Homeland Security under then-Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas dramatically expanded the use of humanitarian parole between early 2021 and January 20, 2025, as part of what critics described as a sweeping catch-and-release strategy.

According to the GAO findings, parole authority had historically been used only sparingly by previous administrations prior to 2021.

The report states that the Biden administration’s broad interpretation of so-called humanitarian parole fundamentally transformed the scale of migrant releases into the country.

“Specifically, our analysis showed that OFO and Border Patrol granted relatively few paroles during fiscal years 2019 and 2020,” the GAO report states:

“During this time period the proportion of southwest border encounters resulting in parole ranged from about 3 percent to 28 percent. The number of paroles granted increased beginning in the summer of 2021 and peaked in December 2022, when 89 percent of encounters resulted in parole. Paroles granted declined substantially after December 2022 and again after January 2025.”

The GAO report also warned that the massive volume of parole releases strained federal immigration enforcement systems to the point that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are now struggling to properly track many migrants who were released.

“… without readily accessible information about noncitizens’ parole status, ICE does not have the information it needs to identify and monitor these noncitizens, or to take enforcement action, as appropriate,” the GAO report states.

Although the Biden administration is no longer in office, several officials connected to its immigration policies are reportedly lobbying Democrats to revive similar border strategies if the party regains congressional majorities and wins back the White House in 2028.

Among them is Claire Trickler-McNulty, a former DHS official who served under Biden and also worked during the Obama administration as well as briefly during President Donald Trump’s first term.

Trickler-McNulty recently received favorable coverage in The Seattle Times tied to a new podcast project.

During her time at DHS, she reportedly pushed for a system in which millions of illegal immigrants would simply check in annually with ICE, creating what critics described as a European-style border monitoring system.

Many of those check-ins, according to the proposal, would occur electronically rather than through in-person reporting.

In 2023, former acting ICE Director Tom Homan accused Trickler-McNulty of working within DHS to eliminate detention centers and move large numbers of illegal immigrants into Alternatives to Detention programs instead of keeping them in federal custody.

“Trickler-McNulty is the epitome of an ideological, corrupt bureaucrat,” Homan wrote.

The issue of amnesty for illegal immigrants also remains central to Trickler-McNulty’s broader immigration proposals.

“What I’m proposing is what I’m calling ‘immigration probation,” Trickler-McNulty told The Seattle Times. “That is the ability for an adjudicator — like USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) or an immigration judge — to place somebody in a two-year program. If they pay taxes, they comply, they report in, they show they’re basically willing to interface with the government, they can ameliorate their immigration violations. That would allow them to move into a lawful status.”

The U.S. construction industry is entering peak building season warning that a worsening labor shortage is delaying major infrastructure projects, increasing costs, and threatening the rollout of federally funded roads, bridges, semiconductor plants, power systems, and artificial intelligence data centers across the country.

Economists and trade groups tracking the sector say the shortage is becoming one of the biggest bottlenecks facing the broader American economy.

Anirban Basu, chief economist at the Associated Builders and Contractors, said the industry needs approximately 349,000 net new workers in 2026 simply to keep labor supply and demand balanced. That gap is expected to widen further to roughly 456,000 workers by 2027 as construction spending continues expanding.

Without those workers, Basu warned, labor shortages will intensify across multiple regions and specialized trades, pushing project costs even higher.

The warning arrives as total U.S. construction spending approaches roughly $2.05 trillion, fueled by the AI infrastructure boom, semiconductor manufacturing expansion, renewable-energy projects, and billions of dollars still flowing from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law.

According to ABC economic models, every $1 billion in construction spending generates roughly 3,450 to 3,550 construction-related jobs, meaning even modest spending increases create enormous labor demand.

Aging demographics are now colliding directly with that expansion.

Industry data shows roughly one in five U.S. construction workers is already over the age of 55, while the National Center for Construction Education and Research projects approximately 41% of the current construction workforce could retire by 2031.

Basu said much of the hiring demand now stems not from entirely new projects, but simply from replacing workers leaving the industry through retirement.

Mike Bellaman, president and chief executive of ABC, said the labor squeeze is hitting nearly every major growth segment of the economy simultaneously.

“The macrodynamics at play include an aging and retiring workforce, immigration enforcement, high materials prices, tariffs, office vacancies and rapidly evolving technologies,” Bellaman said in recent remarks addressing the industry outlook.

Specialized skilled trades are facing the most severe shortages.

Electricians, heavy-equipment operators, welders, and advanced industrial technicians are increasingly difficult to recruit as AI-driven data center construction accelerates nationwide. Industry forecasts estimate roughly $86 billion in data center spending alone this year, creating intense competition for highly specialized electrical labor.

The shortages are especially visible around semiconductor manufacturing hubs in Arizona, Ohio, Texas, and New York, where massive fabrication plants backed by the CHIPS Act are already competing for limited labor pools.

Contractors say the strain is now translating directly into delayed projects.

A nationwide workforce survey conducted by the Associated General Contractors of America and NCCER found that 92% of contractors are struggling to fill open positions, while nearly half report labor shortages are actively delaying projects already underway.

Approximately 88% of surveyed firms reported unfilled openings for craft workers, while 80% said they lacked enough salaried project-management staff.

Ken Simonson, chief economist at AGC, said labor shortages are affecting virtually every major category of construction simultaneously, including housing, transportation, manufacturing, energy infrastructure, and data centers.

Federal immigration enforcement has further complicated hiring efforts.

AGC survey data showed roughly 28% of construction firms reported direct or indirect workforce disruption tied to immigration enforcement activity over the past six months. Some contractors reported workers failing to appear at job sites following rumored immigration actions, while others said subcontractors lost substantial portions of their labor force.

The impact has varied heavily by state, with firms in Georgia, Virginia, Alabama, Nebraska, and South Carolina reporting some of the largest disruptions.

Construction companies are responding by aggressively raising wages and increasing training investments.

Industry surveys show roughly 95% of contractors increased base pay during the past year, while many firms also expanded apprenticeship programs and workforce-training initiatives. Larger contractors are investing heavily in prefabrication, modular construction, automation tools, and AI-driven scheduling systems to maximize productivity from limited labor pools.

Industry groups are also lobbying Congress for immigration reforms targeted specifically at construction labor.

AGC Vice President Brian Turmail said the organization is pushing for a construction-specific visa program and expanded legal pathways allowing undocumented workers already employed in the sector to remain active legally.

Industry leaders argue that without a major workforce solution, much of Washington’s infrastructure agenda risks running into delays, cost overruns, and incomplete projects despite the availability of federal funding.

The labor shortage is also colliding with broader cost pressures.

Contractors continue facing elevated prices for steel, aluminum, copper, lumber, transformers, and electrical equipment, while tariffs tied to ongoing trade disputes have added additional volatility to materials costs. Lead times for critical grid equipment and industrial electrical systems now stretch between two and four years in some cases.

For policymakers, the warning from the construction sector is increasingly blunt: the United States has approved the money, announced the factories, and launched the projects — but may not have enough workers available to build them all on schedule.

JBizNews Desk — Midwest

© 2026 JBizNews. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Israeli land enforcement authorities conducted a large-scale inspection of residential balconies in the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak amid concerns over possible structural dangers.

Officials said roughly 6,500 balconies were surveyed across the city. About 2,500 balconies in 1,250 buildings were flagged in the initial stage as potentially hazardous.

The findings were transferred to the local planning committee to determine whether the structures had proper permits and safety approvals.

Authorities said enforcement actions could follow, including possible demolition orders for balconies found to be unsafe or illegally built.

The inspections come amid longstanding concerns over unauthorized construction in densely populated areas, where some residents expanded apartments without engineering oversight or formal safety reviews.

Officials said several balcony collapses in Israeli cities in recent years helped prompt the wider survey.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The Israel Defense Forces carried out a major wave of strikes overnight on more than 100 Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley, the IDF Spokesperson said.

The operation targeted weapons storage facilities, command centers, observation posts and other terrorist infrastructure used by Hezbollah to plan and launch attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers, according to the military.

In the Beqaa Valley, several strikes hit a site in the Mashghara area where terrorist activity was identified, eliminating a number of Hezbollah operatives, the IDF said. Additional targets in the region included a weapons manufacturing and storage facility.1b023d

The strikes come amid ongoing cross-border tensions, as Israel continues efforts to degrade Hezbollah’s military capabilities following months of conflict.

No immediate comment was available from Hezbollah or Lebanese officials. Lebanese reports often describe such Israeli operations as causing civilian casualties, though the IDF maintains it targets only terrorist infrastructure.

VINnews will continue to monitor developments.

Senator Lindsey Graham sharply criticized Pakistan on Tuesday after the country’s defense minister rejected normalization with Israel, arguing that recognizing the Jewish state would contradict Pakistan’s “fundamental ideologies.”

In a social media post, Graham questioned Pakistan’s role as a mediator in ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations, pointing to Islamabad’s close ties with Tehran and longstanding hostility toward Israel.

“It has been apparent to me for quite a while that Pakistan as a mediator is more than problematic. Their animosity towards Israel is long standing,” Graham wrote.

He continued by raising concerns about military cooperation between Pakistan and Iran.

“It is undeniable that Iranian military aircraft are being housed on Pakistani air bases and past rhetoric from the highest Pakistani officials against Israel is disturbing.”

Graham also pressed Pakistan to respond publicly to President Donald Trump’s push for additional countries to join the Abraham Accords.

“it is imperative that Pakistan give an answer now to President Trump’s call to join the Abraham Accords.”

The senator’s comments came one day after Trump disclosed on Truth Social that discussions surrounding the Abraham Accords had become part of broader negotiations connected to Iran.

Trump said he had urged several nations to join the diplomatic agreements originally brokered during his first term in office.

According to the report, the countries involved in discussions with the United States include Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain.

Pakistan’s defense minister has previously issued harsh attacks against Israel, at one point calling the Jewish state “evil and a curse for humanity” while accusing it of committing genocide in Lebanon.

Pakistan officially supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has maintained for decades that it will not formally recognize Israel until an independent Palestinian state is established.

At the same time, Israel and Pakistan are believed to share several strategic interests behind the scenes, and speculation about a possible diplomatic breakthrough between the two countries has circulated for years.

In 2022, reports surfaced that an unofficial delegation of Pakistani citizens had visited Israel, fueling additional rumors about quiet contacts between the two nations.

This post was originally published on this site.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — At first glance, the accident on Road 1 did not appear to be serious. A car had crashed into the back of a stationary bus, but the car was not completely wrecked. Only the front of the car appeared crumpled, but despite this a terrifying fate had met the occupants of the car. Two – a baby and its mother, Avinoam and Ayala Davidson – succumbed to their injuries, while the driver and the father of the baby, who has five other children to raise, suffered serious injuries.

The shocking reason for this became apparent within a short time. Most of the occupants of the car were not wearing a seatbelt. A most basic requirement in driving had been flagrantly violated, and two people had paid the ultimate price.

The car was an unauthorized pirate taxi – known as a “driver” in Israeli jargon and representing an industry which has expanded exponentially in recent years, especially in charedi circles. People reluctant to pay high prices for official taxis have found convenient solutions within the community by paying unofficial conveyors to take them from place to place at half the price or less. The flip side of this is that they have no insurance, no transport training and no safety regulations in place. Their goal is usually to speed people to their destination as fast as possible – to enable more journeys and more income.

Police are investigating what exactly happened on the road in the moments when the “driver” collided head-on with a bus that was standing on the right shoulder with flashing lights on, apparently after breaking down. Among other things, investigators are checking whether he was using a cellphone or making an illegal pass on the right shoulder and failed to return to the driving lane in time.

Kobi Israel, a resident of Bnei Brak, said that the “driver” service is viewed as legitimate in the charedi community. “There are dozens of dispatch stations. You can order the service through a bot, a dispatcher, or closed groups,” he explained. “The main consideration is price. Instead of paying double, you know a friend or acquaintance. It’s convenient, the driver comes right to your house. These are people from our own community.”

Israel’s illegal ride-service market has operated under the radar for about 13 years, but recently it has grown dramatically, with estimates suggesting it has surpassed the regulated taxi system. According to data presented to the Knesset Economics Committee about a year ago, around 35,000 unlicensed private drivers (“drivers”) operate in Israel, compared to only about 25,000 licensed taxi drivers. The phenomenon generates hundreds of millions of shekels a year in unreported cash and endangers passengers due to the lack of proper insurance coverage. Police admit that because of other priorities they rarely issue fines, while the Ministry of Transportation employs only a handful of inspectors, leaving most enforcement to tax authority raids and arrest operations.

In recent months, the Knesset advanced an “Uber Law,” which some claimed was intended to legalize the illegal phenomenon. Although the bill passed its first reading in the Knesset plenum, its progress has currently stalled and it has not become final legislation. The main obstacle was strong opposition from taxi drivers, who are considered a significant political force, many of whom are identified as a hard core of Likud voters. It is possible that the approaching election campaign is the reason the bill was buried in committee.

Zohar Golan, chairman of the Taxi Drivers Association in the Self-Employed Forum, claimed: “This is a very organized system. They have their own apps, codes, and shortcuts. Ever since the Knesset started advancing the ‘Uber Law,’ they no longer operate under the radar. Apparently they understand they have political backing preventing action against them.”

According to transportation regulations, up to age five a child may ride in a taxi while strapped to a parent, and up to age one the child must sit facing the opposite direction of travel. Footage from the accident indicates that the vehicle itself was not severely damaged, and the assessment is that if the baby had been secured in a child safety seat, he likely would have survived. Yehuda Bar-Or, chairman of the National Taxi Drivers Union, warned that the phenomenon has already spread beyond the charedi sector. “These drivers are a danger to the public. Passengers want to save a few shekels and endanger their lives,” he said.

The Ministry of Transportation stated: “The National Public Transportation Authority views with great severity any operation of illegal passenger transportation services, which endanger public safety and operate contrary to the law and mandatory safety regulations. Regarding the serious accident on Highway 1, this is a tragic event and the circumstances are being investigated by Israel Police and the authorized authorities. At this stage, the Ministry of Transportation has no information confirming the published claims, and any determination regarding the circumstances of the accident or the driver’s responsibility will be made only after the investigations are completed.”

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s government implemented its zero-tariff policy for 53 African countries on May 1, 2026, formally opening China’s 1.4 billion-consumer market to duty-free imports from nearly the entire African continent — a sweeping trade move widely viewed by analysts as a direct geopolitical and economic counter to President Donald Trump’s tariff-heavy trade strategy.

The policy, first announced by Xi Jinping on February 14, was confirmed by China’s State Council and the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and has now been fully active for more than three weeks. Under the arrangement, all goods entering China from the 53 African nations that recognize Beijing instead of Taiwan now face zero customs duties.

The lone exception is Eswatini, the small Southern African kingdom that still maintains diplomatic ties with Taipei. Beijing excluded the country entirely, reinforcing China’s broader “One China” pressure campaign.

The scale of the move is historic.

The new tariff-free framework covers Africa’s largest economies, including South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Tanzania, Morocco, and Angola. It expands China’s earlier December 2024 decision that granted zero tariffs only to 33 least-developed African nations.

Now, virtually the entire continent has free access to the world’s second-largest economy.

For African exporters, the financial impact is immediate and massive.

A South African wine producer that previously paid a 14% import tariff to sell bottles in Shanghai now pays nothing. Nigerian cocoa exporters, Kenyan coffee growers, Egyptian cotton suppliers, Ethiopian sesame farmers, and Ghanaian cashew producers suddenly become significantly more competitive inside China’s enormous consumer market.

The timing is not accidental.

The policy arrives just as African exports to the United States are facing new tariffs under the Trump administration, while Washington’s long-standing Africa trade framework has weakened dramatically. The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) — the cornerstone of U.S.-Africa trade relations since 2000 — technically remains alive through December 31, 2026 after a temporary reauthorization, but confidence in Washington’s long-term commitment has sharply deteriorated.

At the same time, the Trump administration dismantled major portions of USAID, scaled back parts of the Export-Import Bank, and reduced development financing programs that historically helped anchor American influence across Africa.

China moved quickly to fill the vacuum.

According to official Chinese government data, China-Africa trade reached a record $295.6 billion in 2024, making China Africa’s largest trading partner by a wide margin. First-quarter 2025 trade totaled another $72.6 billion, up 2.7% year-over-year even before the full tariff elimination took effect.

Trade analysts now expect those numbers to accelerate sharply through the second half of 2026.

The bigger story is minerals.

Africa holds some of the world’s most important strategic resources: roughly 70% of global cobalt production, nearly half of known manganese reserves, major lithium deposits, rare earth elements, uranium, copper, platinum, graphite, and chromium — the raw materials powering the global race for artificial intelligence infrastructure, semiconductors, electric vehicles, defense systems, batteries, and renewable energy technology.

China’s new policy effectively gives African producers a stronger financial incentive to send those materials directly into Chinese supply chains rather than Western ones.

Companies positioned to benefit include CATL, BYD, CMOC Group, Zijin Mining, China Molybdenum, Ganfeng Lithium, Huayou Cobalt, and Tsingshan Holding Group, all of which already operate deep inside African mining and processing networks.

The move directly undercuts years of U.S. industrial strategy.

The Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and U.S.-backed infrastructure projects like the Lobito Corridor rail network were all designed to reduce Western dependence on Chinese-controlled supply chains. China’s tariff elimination weakens the economics of those alternatives almost overnight.

For African governments, the appeal is simple: China is offering real market access with few political conditions attached.

There are no governance requirements, labor-rights benchmarks, or democratic reforms tied to the tariff removal. Leaders including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Kenyan President William Ruto, and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed have publicly welcomed the deal.

China has also pledged financing support, exporter training, logistics coordination, and marketing assistance through what Beijing calls its “green channel” trade system.

The geopolitical signal is equally clear.

By excluding Eswatini, China demonstrated that diplomatic recognition of Taiwan now carries direct economic consequences. African nations considering closer relations with Taipei can now see exactly what they stand to lose.

For the United States, the policy represents a growing strategic problem.

American industrial giants including Caterpillar, John Deere, General Electric, Honeywell, Boeing, Cummins, and Bechtel now compete in African markets where Chinese companies can bundle infrastructure deals, financing, and guaranteed access to the world’s largest manufacturing ecosystem.

Meanwhile, cheaper African raw materials flowing into Chinese factories will help Beijing lower production costs for batteries, electronics, electric vehicles, magnets, and solar equipment — goods that still eventually reach global markets, including the United States.

Even Trump’s tariffs cannot fully block that dynamic.

Chinese goods can still enter global supply chains indirectly through countries like Mexico, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia, lowering the effectiveness of Washington’s tariff wall over time.

For everyday Africans, however, the benefits are immediate and tangible.

Workers in Lagos, Nairobi, Cairo, Addis Ababa, Johannesburg, Accra, and Lusaka stand to gain from rising exports, stronger currencies, higher commodity demand, and improved trade balances. Governments across the continent are expected to see increased foreign exchange reserves and stronger fiscal positions.

For Washington, the uncomfortable reality is becoming harder to ignore.

China spent two decades building the infrastructure, ports, rail systems, trade relationships, scholarships, diplomatic ties, and financing channels necessary to make a policy like this credible. The Belt and Road Initiative was not just about roads and bridges — it was about building long-term commercial dependence.

Now Beijing is cashing in on that investment.

The Trump administration has bet that tariffs and bilateral pressure can rebuild American industrial power. China has bet that opening its market to the developing world will buy lasting influence and strategic dominance.

Africa has become the first major battleground testing which model works better.

So far in 2026, the scoreboard favors Beijing.

— JBizNews Desk

© 2026 JBizNews. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited.

The IDF marked a tactical breakthrough on Tuesday in defending against low-altitude aerial threats after an explosive drone fired by Hezbollah was intercepted for the first time using frangible ammunition fired from a standard assault gun.

Although defense officials described the interception as only “a drop in the ocean” compared to the scale of the threat, it is considered the first operational proof that the new ammunition, purchased from the US, can help counter the growing drone threat facing IDF troops along the northern border.

The incident occurred Tuesday afternoon when Hezbollah launched a swarm of seven explosive drones at the IDF’s Shomera base in the western Galil. Five of the drones penetrated air defenses and exploded inside the base, lightly injuring several soldiers.

Another drone became entangled in a protective net deployed at the site and didn’t explode, and the seventh drone was shot down by an IDF soldier with his gun equipped with a special magazine loaded with frangible rounds.

The ammunition—5.56mm frangible rounds adapted for use in standard IDF-issued M16 and Tavor assault rifles—effectively turns the rifles into shotgun-like anti-drone weapons. Unlike conventional bullets, the rounds fragment into five metal pellets immediately after leaving the barrel, creating a much wider spread pattern and significantly increasing the chances of hitting fast-moving aerial targets such as drones and UAVs.

Its main advantage, however, is logistical. Rather than requiring troops to carry additional bulky equipment, the system allows soldiers to transform their existing rifles into compact anti-drone platforms simply by switching magazines—effectively turning frontline soldiers into independent “air defense systems.”

Still, the new capability remains limited against Hezbollah’s evolving tactics. The terror group has increasingly been firing “drone swarms”—firing multiple drones simultaneously in an effort to overwhelm Israeli air defenses.  As seen in the results of the attack in Shomera, where only one out of seven drones was intercepted by the rounds, multiple methods are required to combat the lethal threat.

As reported on Tuesday, Hezbollah has begun “hunting down”  IDF commanders in southern Lebanon and along the border in order to target them with drone strikes.

(YWN Israel Desk — Jerusalem)

BREAKING: Israel’s first Boeing KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling aircraft, designated “Gideon” (301), has landed at Nevatim Airbase, marking a major milestone in the Israeli Air Force’s long-range strike capabilities.

The aircraft is the first of six advanced KC-46A tankers ordered by Israel, with two additional aircraft still under option. The new fleet will gradually replace the IAF’s aging Boeing 707 “Re’em” refueling aircraft, some of which have been in service for nearly 60 years.  

Nicknamed “Gideon” after the biblical military leader, the tanker is expected to significantly expand Israel’s operational reach across the Middle East, allowing fighter jets such as the F-35I “Adir,” F-15, and F-16 fleets to conduct longer-range missions with greater independence. Israeli officials have described the aircraft as a key component in maintaining air superiority “across all theaters.”  

The KC-46A is based on the Boeing 767 platform and will reportedly be equipped with Israeli-made communications, electronic warfare, and self-protection systems tailored to the IAF’s operational needs.  

The “Daycare Law” proposed by Deputy Minister Yisrael Eichler was approved on Wednesday in a preliminary reading in the Knesset plenum, with 44 in favor and 37 opposed.

The bill, which was intended to bypass Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara’s revocation of daycare subsidies for the children of avreichim, states that eligibility for daycare admission and state participation in the costs will be determined solely according to the mother’s employment or educational status — even when the spouse studies Torah.

MK Meir Porush said: “The approval of the Daycare Bill initiated by Rabbi Yisrael Eichler in a preliminary reading is a significant step toward correcting the terrible injustice done to the families of lomdei Torah.”

“I congratulate the coalition members who understood that under no circumstances is it reasonable to punish a small child because his father learns Torah. We demand that the government immediately advance the bill to final approval.”

“It is a disgrace that opposition MKs, along with a few from the coalition, chose to harm small children in this way. I call on the judicial system to stop the persecution of helpless babies and toddlers.”

The bill’s sponsor, Yisrael Eichler, responded after the preliminary approval: “The Daycare Law I proposed many months ago anchors the right of a working mother to receive a daycare subsidy — regardless of her husband’s actions. The Knesset’s vote in favor of the law is an important ray of light amid the darkness of the persecution of the entire Chareidi public.”

“If the secular authorities do not understand the importance of limmud Torah, at least in this matter the Knesset understood that you can’t impose antisemitic decrees on children and mothers because the father of the family learns Torah.”

“This is important news for thousands of families. This law will help them earn a living with dignity in the workforce. I hope the Knesset will expedite the legislative process as quickly as possible until its final passage.”

The Religious Zionism party decided not to participate in the vote, but Otzma Yehudit supported the bill.

UTJ MKs slammed the Religious Zionist members for absenting themselves from the vote.

MK Uri Maklev said: “The difficulty the Likud had in gathering a majority for the most elementary and humane thing — daycare for innocent babies — proves there is no real bloc.” Maklev added that “the fact that an entire coalition party boycotted the vote and even tried to torpedo the law, alongside their opposition to legislation regulating the status of Lomdei Torah, proves the Likud’s claims that they can secure a majority for laws important to us are simply untrue.”

Moshe Gafni also lashed out, saying: “This was a law that for years was self-evident in the Knesset — helping women who go out to work and easing the burden of their salaries and employment conditions. The hatred toward the Chareidi public is making them lose their minds and is harming the working and weaker public as well.”

Gafni then directed pointed criticism at the Religious Zionist Party: “Even their ideological partners in Religious Zionism are acting with distortion and ingratitude. We gave them everything — in settlement activity, budgets, and positions — and when issues important to the Chareidi public arise, they turn their backs and work against us. We will take this into account from now on in everything related to Religious Zionism.”

UTZ chairman Yitzchak Goldknopf focused his criticism personally on party chairman Betzalel Smotrich. “Betzalel Smotrich’s abstention in the vote on the daycare law exposes his true face,” he said. “When he comes again seeking votes in the Chareidi sector, the public will remember that at the decisive moment, Chareidi families meant nothing to him. From his perspective, Chareidi children are just another tool in the political game to cross the electoral threshold.”

An uproar broke out in the Knesset plenum after MK Dan Illouz voted against the bill, the only Likud member to vote against it. Shas MK Yinon Azoulay responded furiously, shouting at him in the plenum: “Shame on you, shame on you.”

Illouz has drawn significant attention in recent weeks after opposing the draft law and voting against the coalition in several major votes.

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(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

A tense radio interview on Kan Reshet Bet turned awkward for Yesh Atid MK Merav Ben Ari after Religious Zionist Party MK Tzvi Sukkot confronted her with evidence that she had previously submitted legislation nearly identical to the very bill she was attacking on air.

The clash broke out during a joint interview focused on political maneuvering ahead of Israel’s upcoming elections.

During the discussion, Ben Ari criticized a proposed law granting tax benefits to residents of Judea and Samaria, arguing that the legislation was simply part of the Religious Zionist Party’s election strategy.

“Why should someone living in Judea and Samaria receive a tax benefit?” Ben Ari asked during the debate.

Sukkot, who is promoting the current bill, then asked whether she would support the legislation.

After Ben Ari repeatedly insisted she opposed the proposal, Sukkot stunned her by revealing live on air that the wording of his bill was virtually identical to legislation she herself had submitted earlier in the current Knesset term.

Sukkot further noted that Ben Ari’s original version had itself been based on legislation initially introduced by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Ben Ari attempted to defend herself by arguing that the current bill contained changes and differences from the version she had filed.

As she struggled to explain those distinctions during the interview, Sukkot pressed the issue further and proposed an unusual compromise.

He suggested live on air that he would simply bring Ben Ari’s original version of the bill up for a vote instead — while demanding that Yesh Atid publicly support it.

{Matzav.com}

LONDON (VINnews) — A major fire tore through a kosher supermarket in north-west London on Wednesday morning, sending thick smoke billowing over the Golders Green neighborhood and prompting a large response from emergency crews.

The blaze broke out at a supermarket identified by local reports as Kosher Kingdom, located on Golders Green Road in an area known for its large Jewish community.

The London Fire Brigade said about 100 firefighters and 15 fire engines were dispatched after emergency services received multiple calls shortly before 7 a.m. The fire affected a ground-floor shop and a storage area at the rear of the building.

The cause of the fire at Kosher Kingdom, Golders Green, is non suspicious and is believed to be caused by an electrical fault.

We're now able to confirm that the fire at a warehouse in Golders Green is non-suspicious.

You can find more information below. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/0pgn02g6Mu

— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) May 27, 2026

But the fact that many, myself included, immediately feared the worst as soon as we saw smoke and heard sirens is a damning indictment of Jewish life in Britain in 2026. pic.twitter.com/2FAEjet0Gn

— Dov Forman (@DovForman) May 27, 2026

Officials said the fire spread through part of a three-story structure that also contains residential flats above the store. Crews from several nearby fire stations, including Willesden, Finchley and West Hampstead, responded to the scene.

Authorities closed roads near Beverley Gardens as firefighters worked to contain the flames. Police assisted with evacuations and traffic control.

The London Fire Brigade warned residents in the area to keep windows and doors shut because of the heavy smoke.

The Metropolitan Police said there were no immediate reports of injuries.

New York (VINNEWS/Rabbi Yair Hoffman)  It was 1958 in Montgomery, Alabama.

A group of black people made a request of the city administration. They asked to be able to use a public swimming pool that their own tax dollars had helped to build. The park system in Montgomery had a stunning municipal pool, one of the largest in the region. It was, however, open only to white residents.

The federal court agreed that the segregation was unlawful and, in 1959, ordered the city to integrate its recreational facilities.

Imagine if that horrific discrimination were to exist today – openly and publicly. Everyone would denounce it from the highest hills.

But, shockingly, it is happening today.

It is happening against observant Jews in Tel Aviv – where the basic freedom of religion in public places is not permitted. Gender separated minyanim are not permitted in public places in Tel Aviv.

But only for Jewish people. Muslims are allowed to pray in gender separated gatherings. Jews are not.

All this is happening at the direction of Tel Aviv’s mayor, Ron Huldai.  True, the mayor was a genuine war hero that risked his life fighting for Jewish life. But, sadly, this discrimination against those who wish to observe Torah-true Judaism – is an injustice and  travesty of the highest order.

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” A city that denies to one faith the very freedom it grants to another has not preserved liberty for anyone. It has only chosen which of its residents it will apply things to – and which it won’t.

The Torah commands, “Ukrasem dror ba’aretz lechol yoshveha – And you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof” (Vayikra 25:10). The verse does not say liberty for some of its inhabitants, or for the inhabitants a ruler happens to favor. It says lechol yoshveha – for all its inhabitants.

And the city of Tel Aviv has failed. It failed miserably.

This week, in a public space near the Jaffa Port, a mass Fajr prayer marking the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha was held in the open air, with full separation between men and women. The municipality did not stop it. The municipality did not fine it. The municipality looked on and let it proceed, as the record shows it has in previous years as well.

Yet the city told its Jewish residents, in the plainest possible terms, that gender-separated prayer would not be tolerated in the city’s public space. The position was stated as settled policy: after several discussions, a definitive decision that no event involving separation between men and women would be permitted in the public space of Tel Aviv-Jaffa..

The city would, in the official phrasing, preserve a free Tel Aviv. And when Jewish worshippers sought to gather under that same arrangement, the policy was enforced against them.

Two gatherings, identical in the only feature the municipality claimed to care about. Men and women, separated, praying in a public space. One gathering is forbidden and prevented. The other is permitted and ignored.

As Dr. King observed, “Law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice, and when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress.” A city that enforces its rules against one community while suspending them for another has built precisely such a dam.

Hilltop activist Meir Ettinger named the gap directly: the same municipality that opposed approving gender-separated prayer for Jews simply ignored the gathering led by the Islamic Movement. One need not share his politics to see that the observation is unanswerable.

A standard enforced against one group and waived for another is no standard at all. It is sheer discrimination.

Dr. King once observed that legality and justice are not the same thing. He said: “We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was ‘legal.’” A rule does not become just merely because an authority chooses to enforce it against some and not others.

The issue is equality before the law and the conduct of a mayor who has been caught applying its own rule to one population and excusing another. A government that does this forfeits the trust on which all of its other authority depends.

It teaches every resident, of every faith, the most corrosive lesson a government can teach: that the law is not a fixed standard but a flexible tool, bent toward whoever is favored and against whoever is not.

And Chareidim and other observant Jews – are not favored.

Years ago, Tel Aviv’s mayor, Ron Huldai, pushed this law against gender separated minyanim because he said “Tel Aviv must be a free city.”

But there is something called freedom of religion – freedom of worship. There is also something called freedom from discrimination.

If Tel Aviv is to be a great city, discrimination must be removed. It must be removed from every corner and every crowded street of Tel Aviv.

The office of the mayor cannot hold both positions at once and retain any claim to fairness. A mayor who enforces a standard selectively has, by his own hand, abolished the standard. The residents of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Jewish and Muslim and secular alike, are owed a city whose word carries the same weight on every street and for every community. They have instead been governed by a double standard, subversively ensconced and disguised in the language of freedom.

Dr. King taught that “the time is always right to do what is right.” For the mayor of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, that time is now. The mayor, war hero that he may have been, must either repeal, or resign.

The author can be reached at [email protected]

AutoZone beat Wall Street earnings expectations Tuesday, but investors focused instead on shrinking profit margins and weaker-than-expected international performance, sending shares of the auto-parts retailer sharply lower.

The company’s stock fell roughly 9.6% after reporting fiscal third-quarter results for the period ending May 9.

Phil Daniele, AutoZone’s president and chief executive officer, said the company remains focused on “a disciplined approach of increasing earnings and cash flows to drive shareholder value,” but the details inside the earnings report raised concerns across Wall Street.

AutoZone earned $641.5 million during the quarter, equal to $38.07 per share, beating analyst expectations of roughly $36.18 per share.

Revenue rose 8.4% to $4.84 billion, though that figure came in slightly below forecasts.

The biggest issue was margins.

Gross margin fell to 52.2%, down 57 basis points from a year earlier. Much of the decline came from a large accounting-related inventory charge tied to the company’s use of LIFO accounting — short for “last in, first out.”

Under LIFO accounting, the newest and often most expensive inventory costs are recognized first during inflationary periods, reducing reported profit margins.

AutoZone said the LIFO adjustment alone reduced quarterly gross margin by 77 basis points.

The pressure is expected to continue.

Jamere Jackson, the company’s chief financial officer, warned analysts during the earnings call that another significant LIFO-related hit is likely in the current quarter, with an estimated $30 million impact on operating profit.

That guidance disappointed investors who had hoped the inventory-related pressure would begin easing.

International operations also weakened.

AutoZone reported softer-than-expected results in Mexico and Brazil, two markets the company has increasingly relied upon to support long-term growth outside the United States.

Management maintained that the company continues gaining market share internationally, but slower growth in Latin America raised concerns about the pace of expansion abroad.

Domestic operations, however, remained relatively solid.

Comparable U.S. store sales rose 4.1%, with both do-it-yourself customers and commercial repair-shop demand holding up well.

The company opened 82 new stores during the quarter, including:

• 57 in the United States
• 20 in Mexico
• 5 in Brazil

AutoZone now operates nearly 7,900 stores across North and South America.

Management reaffirmed plans to open approximately 350 to 360 stores during the current fiscal year.

The company also continued aggressively repurchasing its own stock.

AutoZone spent roughly $586 million buying back shares during the quarter and still has approximately $800 million remaining under its current authorization program.

Share repurchases have long been one of the company’s major drivers of earnings-per-share growth.

Despite the earnings beat, investors reacted strongly because AutoZone has historically traded as one of Wall Street’s most consistent and predictable retail performers.

When highly valued companies show any signs of margin pressure or slowing international growth, stock reactions often become amplified.

The broader backdrop remains mixed for the auto-parts industry.

Historically, companies like AutoZone benefit when consumers delay buying new vehicles and instead spend more maintaining older cars.

That trend still appears intact across much of the United States.

But inflation pressures, accounting impacts, and uneven overseas performance are now complicating the story.

Daniele also addressed concerns tied to rising global energy prices and supply disruptions surrounding the Middle East conflict, telling analysts the company does not currently view lubricant or inventory supply issues as materially disruptive to operations.

AutoZone maintained its broader fiscal 2026 outlook and said management still expects continued growth domestically and internationally.

Still, Tuesday’s sharp selloff reflected a broader reality on Wall Street:
even companies known for consistency can face significant investor backlash when profit pressures, elevated expectations, and international uncertainty collide in the same quarter.

JBizNews Desk — New York

© 2026 JBizNews. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited.