Britain’s Labour government is reportedly preparing to scale back proposed immigration reforms after mounting opposition within the party over plans that would delay permanent residency for more than 1.6 million migrants who entered the country during the surge in migration known as the “Boriswave.”

According to reports, immigration changes championed by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood could be shelved for those migrants following pressure on incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham from Labour’s left-wing backbench lawmakers.

As part of an effort to reduce the long-term financial burden associated with mass migration, Mahmood had proposed doubling the waiting period for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) from five years to ten years.

However, applying the new rules to migrants already living in Britain has reportedly met fierce resistance from within Labour. Nearly 80 Labour MPs argued that preventing those migrants from obtaining permanent residency under the current timetable would be “anathema to who we are, what we stand for and how we should do politics.”

The Times of London reported that negotiations between Mahmood and Labour’s left-wing faction could result in a compromise that preserves the existing five-year pathway to permanent residency for Boriswave migrants while delaying their eligibility for certain welfare benefits.

Alp Mehmet, chairman of Migration Watch UK, sharply criticized the reported retreat in comments provided to Breitbart London.

“This is appalling, if entirely predictable. Whatever Ms Mahmood’s intentions may be, it is obvious that Labour’s far-left backbenchers will have none of it. This would hand settlement to 1.6 million people, each of whom could in turn bring in more dependants.

“The Prime Minister-in-waiting should stop hiding. Will Mr Burnham show more backbone than his predecessor-to-be and kill this anti-Britain plan now?”

Under current law, migrants who obtain Indefinite Leave to Remain become eligible for a range of government benefits, including Universal Credit, housing assistance, state pensions, housing subsidies, and access to National Health Service hospital and general practitioner care.

The issue has intensified scrutiny of the sharp rise in immigration that occurred under former Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Critics argue that, despite promises to reduce immigration after Brexit, Johnson’s policies instead produced record-breaking levels of migration into Britain.

A report published in April by Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party estimated that migrants who arrived during the Boriswave between 2020 and 2024 would ultimately cost British families an average of approximately £20,000 each over their lifetimes, for a total projected cost of £622.5 billion by the year 2085.

Reform UK has pledged that, if it comes to power, it would eliminate Indefinite Leave to Remain altogether. The party instead proposes replacing permanent residency with a five-year work visa modeled after the American system, under which migrants would not qualify for welfare benefits.

The party has also vowed to launch a nationwide inquiry into those it says were responsible for allowing record levels of immigration despite promising the opposite, including Boris Johnson and former Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Reform UK Shadow Home Secretary Zia Yusuf condemned the Boriswave as the greatest act of “vandalism” ever inflicted on the British public and warned that unless the policy is reversed, it could “bankrupt” Britain.

{Matzav.com}

ational-debt-interest-entitlement-spending-push-fy2026-federal-budget-deficit-toward-2-trillion” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Federal Budget Debt Estimates for FY2026 to$ 2 trillion

After the release of the group’s June measure, which also predicted a 3.8 % Pepsi for 2027, TSCL Executive Director Shannon Benton said,” We’re seeing prices on the rise when more than half of elderly already can’t afford basic living requirements.”

” We’re talking about travel, a roof over their heads, and foods. Many seniors are forced to forgo doctor’s appointments because of costs, which means that switching from preventative care to emergency care costs us all, she continued.

Deposits ARE EXHAUSTED, AND NEW TRUSTEES REPORT WARNS. SECURITY HAS LESS THAN TEN YEARS BEFORE.

Prices increased 3.5 % from a year ago in June, according to the most recent CPI inflation data, which puts pressure on household budgets because wage increases are unable to keep up with the rising cost of living. This is significantly above the Federal Reserve’s target of 2 %.

In June, the CPI-W, the edition of the inflation metric used to determine Social Security’s COLA, increased 3.5 % from a year ago.

A larger COLA would even make Social Security’s economic problems worse, which may lead to the collapse of a significant trust fund, which could lead to benefit reductions.

AS LONGER LIFESPANS AND INSOLVENCY FEARS REACH THE STAKES, AMERICAN RETHINK SOCIAL SECURITY Schedule

A 3.8 % COLA in 2027, according to the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget ( CRFB), would worsen Social Security’s fiscal deficit by about$ 300 billion over the next ten years and speed up the insolvency of a significant trust fund by three months from late 2032.

The Social Security Administration will be required to reduce benefits in response to incoming payroll tax revenues once the trust fund is exhausted, which CRFB estimates will result in a 25 % cut for beneficiaries, which would “erase almost a decade’s worth of COLA increases” ( see CRFB).

Clicking HERE WILL GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO.

Immigration and Absorption Minister Ofir Sofer announced Wednesday that he will not run in Israel’s upcoming Knesset election, bringing his political career to a close.

In a statement, Sofer thanked Religious Zionism chairman Bezalel Smotrich for “years of trust and shared work” and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his leadership during what he described as a complex and challenging period. He said Israel “must continue strengthening its security and build a strong iron wall, but one that is also founded on spirit, values, and unity.” He added that all Israelis have a responsibility to promote unity, solidarity, national resilience, faith in the justice of Israel’s cause, and belief in the heritage and eternity of the Jewish people.

Reflecting on his tenure, Sofer said he was privileged to lead the Immigration and Absorption Ministry during a difficult period and help oversee the aliyah of tens of thousands of Jews who chose to make Israel their home during this time, an experience he said filled him with great hope and optimism.

Sofer said he will continue serving until the end of the current Knesset term and intends to continue contributing to the State of Israel and Israeli society in other capacities. He also thanked his supporters, staff, and family for standing by him throughout his years in public service.

Religious Zionism chairman Bezalel Smotrich said he received Sofer’s decision “with sadness,” calling him an important voice within the Religious Zionism movement. Smotrich praised Sofer’s years of public service and said he is confident Sofer “will find his next opportunity to serve the People of Israel and the State of Israel.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

U.S. Central Command said it completed a 90-minute wave of strikes against Iran at 7:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday, July 15, targeting coastal defense systems and cruise missile storage and launch sites on Greater Tunb Island. The strikes were “designed to further degrade military capabilities Iranian forces have used to attack commercial shipping” in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a CENTCOM statement.

It marked the fifth consecutive day of American strikes on Iran and came as the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports resumed.

The blockade returns

CENTCOM reinstated the blockade Tuesday. Within the first 17 hours, U.S. forces said they had already redirected two commercial vessels attempting to violate it. Approximately 21 U.S. naval vessels are now operating in the region.

Unlike the broader blockade enforced earlier this year, the current operation specifically targets vessels linked to Iran while continuing to protect commercial shipping using the Omani transit corridor through the Strait of Hormuz.

The daytime strikes followed an overnight campaign lasting roughly seven hours against multiple Iranian military targets along the country’s southern coastline.

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported at least seven personnel were killed at a military facility near Bampur, where missiles struck guard posts, accommodations and support facilities.

CENTCOM Commander Gen. Brad Cooper said Iran had launched dozens of missiles and drones toward neighboring Gulf states. Kuwait reported one naval vessel was struck, injuring four personnel, while its air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile, five cruise missiles and 33 drones.

Iran again threatened to halt regional energy exports.

Trump’s warning

President Donald Trump told Fox News Tuesday evening that additional U.S. strikes could continue over the next two days and warned that bridges and power infrastructure could become targets if negotiations do not resume.

“You better make a deal, or you’re not going to have anything left,” Trump said.

Trump also announced he would replace the previously proposed 20 percent U.S. Reimbursement Fee on Hormuz shipping with broader trade and investment agreements involving Gulf nations, saying those agreements would generate substantial manufacturing investment inside the United States.

The move removes what would have amounted to a significant surcharge on global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.

Oil barely reacts

Despite the military escalation, energy markets remained relatively calm.

West Texas Intermediate crude for August delivery slipped 10 cents to $79.24 per barrel, while Brent crude for September delivery eased 13 cents to $84.60 after briefly trading above $86 overnight.

Oil remains well above June levels but has shown surprisingly limited reaction to several consecutive days of U.S. military operations.

The muted response suggests traders believe much of the geopolitical risk has already been priced into energy markets.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reported lower wholesale gasoline prices during June, while AAA listed the national average price for regular gasoline at approximately $3.87 per gallon, slightly above last week but below levels seen a month ago.

Shipping remains under pressure

Maritime analytics firm Kpler tracked 21 monitored commercial transits through the Strait of Hormuz on July 14, primarily carrying crude oil, liquefied petroleum gas, methanol and iron ore.

The firm also confirmed three additional attacks near Oman, bringing the verified total to 56 maritime incidents since the conflict began.

Before the war, approximately 130 vessels per day transited the Strait of Hormuz, which handles roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil and natural gas shipments.

Financial pressure increases

The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions freezing more than $130 million tied to cryptocurrency wallets allegedly linked to Iran’s central bank.

Separately, the U.S. State Department imposed additional sanctions on a network associated with Iranian oil shipping figure Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, targeting 50 individuals, entities and vessels accused of facilitating Iranian oil exports.

For businesses worldwide, the immediate economic impact continues to center on freight costs, marine insurance premiums and transportation expenses, even as oil prices remain relatively stable.

JBizNews Desk | Washington

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A Lakewood man was arrested Wednesday morning after allegedly burglarizing a local business and later attempting to flee from police, TLS has learned.

On July 15, 2026, officers responded to Unique Catering, located at 32 Clifton Avenue, after it was discovered that a storage shed had been forcibly entered.

During the investigation, officers determined that the suspect entered the shed on two occasions and stole two cases of Heineken beer valued at approximately $60.

The responding officer identified the suspect as Marcos A. Rivera-Rodriguez, 28, of Brick, who was also found to have an outstanding Ocean County warrant.

Later that morning, officers located Rivera-Rodriguez in the area of Clifton Avenue. When officers attempted to take him into custody, he fled on foot.

With the assistance of the Lakewood Police Department’s Drone Unit and K-9 Unit, Rivera-Rodriguez was located and taken into custody a short time later without further incident.

Rivera-Rodriguez was charged with two counts of theft, along with burglary, criminal mischief, obstruction, and resisting arrest. He was also processed on the outstanding Ocean County warrant.

The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges may be filed as more information becomes available.

Chief Gregory H. Meyer praised the officers involved in the arrest, stating, “This incident demonstrates the value of teamwork and the resources available to our officers. The coordinated efforts of our patrol officers, Drone Unit, and K-9 Unit resulted in the safe apprehension of the suspect. We remain committed to protecting our businesses, supporting our community, and holding those who commit crimes accountable.”

Joe Biden is set to release a new memoir this fall reflecting on his four years in the White House, with the book scheduled to hit shelves just two weeks after the midterm elections, when Democrats will be trying to win back control of Congress.

Publisher Little, Brown and Company confirmed to The Associated Press that the memoir will be published on November 17. Reports have indicated that Biden received a $10 million advance for the book.

Titled Promise Me, America, the memoir will center on Biden’s single term as president and the major events and decisions that defined his administration.

The release comes as Democrats remain divided over Biden’s political legacy, particularly following his unsuccessful effort to seek another term in the White House. His presidency has also remained under scrutiny amid ongoing questions about his mental acuity while in office and allegations regarding the use of an autopen for official documents.

According to the Associated Press, Democratic leaders are hoping this fall’s campaign remains focused on President Donald Trump’s record rather than Biden’s tenure. The report noted that Biden has largely faded from public view after his bid to return to the White House ended and support within his own party evaporated.

In a video released Wednesday alongside the announcement, Biden described the themes of the book.

“‘Promise Me, America’ is about the challenges we faced as a nation. It’s about the decisions I made and why I made them,” Biden said. “Most of all, it’s about my faith in the promise of America.”

The title recalls Biden’s 2017 memoir, Promise Me, Dad, which chronicled the illness and passing of his son, Beau Biden.

A spokesperson for Little, Brown said the 83-year-old Biden plans to promote the memoir with a nationwide book tour and will also participate in media interviews surrounding its release.

{Matzav.com}

Michael Katz hy”d, 82, from Haifa, passed away on Wednesday, from wounds sustained during an Iranian missile strike on Haifa during Operation Roaring Lion.

Katz had been critically injured in the attack three months earlier. HY”D.

California consumers could soon see higher grocery bills as the state begins implementing a sweeping packaging law that shifts recycling costs from taxpayers to manufacturers, expenses some businesses warn could eventually be passed on to shoppers.

Beginning next month, California will start collecting preliminary fees under the state’s Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, a 2022 law that requires companies to help pay for the recycling and disposal of the packaging they sell. 

State regulators say the measure is intended to reduce plastic waste while encouraging businesses to use more recyclable materials.

Companies that use harder-to-recycle packaging are expected to pay more than those using recyclable or compostable materials, creating an incentive to redesign packaging over the coming years. Producers must ensure all covered packaging sold in California is recyclable or compostable by 2032.

CalRecycle estimates the law could increase household costs by up to $190 per year — about $66 per person — if manufacturers pass all compliance costs on to consumers. The agency says the actual increase could be lower if companies absorb some of those expenses themselves.

The state estimates roughly 5,700 large producers will be subject to the new requirements, with average annual compliance costs topping $450,000. Businesses that buy packaged goods could also face higher costs if manufacturers raise prices to offset the new fees.

CalRecycle says the law is intended to reduce plastic pollution, expand recycling infrastructure and shift responsibility for managing packaging waste from taxpayers and local governments to producers.

Some industry groups, however, argue the state’s projections underestimate the potential impact on consumers and have warned grocery prices could rise more sharply as companies adjust to the new requirements.

FOX Business reached out to CalRecycle for comment.

A tightening regulatory environment is beginning to reshape how some financial institutions lend to non-citizens, adding new hurdles for immigrants seeking mortgages, auto loans, credit cards, and small-business financing. Banks and lenders say they are responding to evolving federal compliance requirements and heightened scrutiny over identity verification, documentation standards, and fraud prevention, while consumer advocates warn that qualified borrowers could face longer approval times and fewer financing options.

The changes come as lenders place greater emphasis on verifying immigration status, income documentation, tax records, and residency before approving new credit. Financial institutions say the goal is to strengthen compliance and reduce fraud risk, but the practical effect is that many applicants who previously qualified more easily are now encountering additional paperwork and longer review periods.

Mortgage lenders have been among the first to adjust underwriting standards. Several institutions have increased documentation requirements for certain non-permanent residents, requesting additional employment verification, visa documentation, or proof of long-term legal residency before issuing final loan approvals. Industry analysts say the changes are designed to reduce uncertainty while ensuring loans meet evolving regulatory expectations.

Auto financing has also become more selective. Dealers report that some lenders have narrowed the range of programs available to borrowers without extensive U.S. credit histories, making larger down payments or stronger co-signers more important in some cases. Credit availability continues, but approval standards have generally become more conservative.

The effects extend beyond consumer lending. Small-business owners who recently immigrated to the United States often rely on personal credit while launching new companies. Tighter lending standards can make it more difficult to obtain startup financing, purchase equipment, or expand operations, particularly for entrepreneurs still building business credit histories.

Banks emphasize that qualified borrowers continue to receive financing and that lending decisions remain based on creditworthiness, income, and the ability to repay. Many institutions continue offering products specifically designed for customers with limited U.S. credit histories, including secured credit cards, credit-builder loans, and specialized mortgage programs.

Consumer advocates encourage borrowers to prepare documentation well in advance before applying for financing. Maintaining complete tax records, stable employment history, proof of legal residency where applicable, and established banking relationships can help streamline the approval process. Building a strong U.S. credit history through responsible use of smaller credit products also remains one of the most effective ways to improve future borrowing opportunities.

Community banks and credit unions may also provide alternatives. Because many focus on relationship banking rather than automated underwriting alone, they can sometimes offer greater flexibility for applicants whose financial profiles do not fit traditional models.

The broader lending market remains healthy despite the tighter standards. Demand for mortgages, vehicle financing, and business credit continues, supported by steady employment and resilient consumer spending. However, economists note that higher interest rates combined with stricter underwriting naturally reduce the pool of borrowers who qualify for the most competitive financing terms.

Financial institutions expect compliance requirements to continue evolving as regulators place greater emphasis on identity verification, anti-fraud protections, and risk management. Borrowers should expect lenders to request more documentation than they might have just a few years ago, regardless of immigration status.

For immigrant families planning major purchases, preparation has become increasingly important. Organizing financial records, maintaining good credit, minimizing outstanding debt, and working with experienced lenders can improve the likelihood of a smooth approval process.

While the lending landscape is becoming more rigorous, experts stress that responsible borrowers with strong financial profiles continue to have access to mortgages, auto loans, and business financing. The difference today is that obtaining that financing may require more documentation, more patience, and a greater emphasis on demonstrating long-term financial stability.

JBizNews Desk | New York
© JBizNews.com All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Amazon said Wednesday that the technology company will launch its new satellite internet service Amazon Leo in South Africa in 2027, seemingly pushing ahead of Elon Musk’s rival Starlink to win business in Africa’s most advanced economy.

Amazon, which was founded by Jeff Bezos, said that it would partner with South African internet provider Herotel to launch a new service in the country of 62 million people. Amazon said that it was its first satellite internet agreement on the African continent.

No financial details were initially disclosed.

Amazon’s announcement follows Musk’s bitter criticism of the government in his country of birth. The world’s richest man has said that South African regulations have prevented him from launching Starlink there because he’s white, and has accused the government of racism.

He was referring to South Africa’s affirmative action policies, which require foreign companies operating in the communications sector to give a minority share of their local entities to Black or other non-white owners in order to acquire a license.

The regulations are meant to provide opportunities that were denied non-white people under the country’s previous apartheid system of white minority rule.

The South African government has backed the Amazon deal, with Communications Minister Solly Malatsi joining Amazon and Herotel representatives to announce the agreement.

Amazon launched its first low orbit internet satellites last year and says it has more than 390 currently operational.

Starlink’s first operational satellites were launched in 2019 and it now has more than 10,000 in orbit. Starlink’s satellite internet has launched in around two dozen other African countries, but Musk has refused to follow South Africa’s affirmative action regulations.

Amazon said Wednesday that the South African deal was the start of its effort to roll out across Africa, where it would also partner with Vanu Inc., a Lexington, Massachusetts-based company specializing in mobile internet in developing countries.

There’s a large potential market for satellite internet in Africa, a continent of more than 1.5 billion people where many live in rural and other areas without fixed internet connections.

Israel and Lebanon agreed to establish two pilot zones in southern Lebanon to test Lebanese army control and efforts to remove Hezbollah weapons.

The U.S.-mediated plan includes Lebanese forces taking responsibility for security, with implementation verified by a third party. Officials described the talks as positive, with further discussions expected.

More than a year after a sweeping workforce reduction tied to the Department of Government Efficiency, the Social Security Administration is still grappling with the loss of nearly 8,000 employees, even as agency leadership points to gains in technology and customer service.

The agency, which provides retirement, disability, and survivor benefits to approximately 75 million Americans each month, has seen its workforce shrink by about 14% since the DOGE-directed cost-cutting initiative began, according to a report published Wednesday by The Washington Post.

Current and former employees say the staffing losses continue to place significant pressure on daily operations, despite ongoing recruitment efforts and a broad modernization campaign.

Since taking over the agency, Commissioner Frank Bisignano has prioritized updating Social Security’s systems by increasing automation and encouraging greater use of online services.

Bisignano has said the technological improvements are expected to save the equivalent of 2,500 full-time work hours, while the agency has begun hiring for roughly 1,000 new positions.

Even so, employees and union representatives say the departure of approximately 7,800 workers has left offices across the country struggling to keep up with demand.

“The look on everybody’s face is they’re beat down, they are demoralized, they’re tired,” Chris Delaney, a claims specialist and local union president representing Social Security workers in Hudson, New York, said.

According to the American Federation of Government Employees Council 220, which represents employees in field offices, the vast majority of the agency’s roughly 1,200 local offices lost at least one-tenth of their staff during the workforce reductions.

To compensate for staffing shortages, the agency has reassigned thousands of employees to help answer calls on its national 800-number. Internal figures show that as of July 6, about 1,500 field office employees had been assigned to phone duty, while approximately 2,500 workers had been reassigned across the agency.

Officials say those staffing changes, along with upgrades to the telephone system, have significantly improved response times. Agency data show that the average wait to reach a representative dropped from 11 minutes a year ago to five minutes in May. However, callers who opt for a callback are recorded as having no wait time, and the agency no longer publicly reports the average length of time required for callbacks.

“I’d like to make this more complicated, but it’s not. It’s putting people where the work is,” Bisignano told lawmakers during a congressional hearing last month. “It’s building technology in a modern-day fashion.”

Employees, however, say the improvements in phone service have come at the expense of other critical functions.

Agency data indicate that as of July 6, only 64.6% of appointments for initial benefit claims were scheduled within 30 days, down from 78.1% during the same period last year. In some parts of the country, that figure recently fell below 45%.

Union officials argue that shifting field office staff to phone duty reduces the time available to meet with beneficiaries in person and slows the processing of claims.

“It’s extremely disruptive to the workloads,” Jeremy Maske, a union president representing frontline employees in Iowa and Nebraska, said. “If you’re assigned to the 800 number once a week, that’s taking a fifth of your time to answer those phones.”

Bisignano has highlighted other areas where he says the agency has made progress, including shorter wait times for customers with appointments, smaller claims backlogs, and faster processing of disability benefit applications.

The Social Security Administration is also testing a nationwide appointment scheduling system that would replace the current local office scheduling process. At the same time, officials have expanded online services, including the ability to request replacement Social Security cards electronically, while pledging to keep field offices open and continue offering assistance in person, by phone, and online.

Advocates for senior citizens, people with disabilities, and low-income Americans warn that reducing staff while relying more heavily on automation could create additional obstacles for beneficiaries with complicated cases.

“You can’t lose that many people in that haphazard of a manner without an impact on services,” Devin O’Connor, a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said. “The question is where or when the harm will be felt.”

{Matzav.com}

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Wednesday that the U.S. Mint will begin striking a new $1 gold coin featuring President Donald Trump to mark America’s 250th anniversary.

Bessent said in an X post that the coin will honor “the enduring legacy of liberty” and serve as a “lasting symbol of patriotism.”

“Featuring President Trump, it celebrates the strength of American values, and the promise of a nation dedicated to preserving freedom for all,” Bessent wrote.

Bessent also shared an image of the coin, which shows Trump’s portrait on one side. The word “LIBERTY” appears along the top edge, with “1776 ~ 2026” along the bottom and “IN GOD WE TRUST” on the right side.

The reverse side features a presidential-style eagle shield design with “250” in the center. The outer edge reads “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “ONE DOLLAR.”

Federal law generally bars living people from appearing on U.S. currency. The Trump administration has said the coin is allowed under a 2020 law authorizing special coin designs for America’s 250th anniversary, according to Forbes.

The announcement quickly drew reaction on social media, with some critics calling it a “vanity project” and supporters praising it as a patriotic tribute.

“The irony is incredible – while Americans are pinching pennies to afford the skyrocketing costs of groceries, housing, and healthcare, the Trump administration is producing coins featuring Trump’s face,” Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., wrote on X. “Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers have plunged our country into a devastating affordability crisis, and now they’re indulging Trump in another golden vanity project.”

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., also criticized the move.

“Congratulations, we’ve entered the end stages. Eliminate the penny, plug the nickel, and make some commemorative gold coins nobody can afford,” Massie wrote. “I feel sorry for the folks who will be sold worthless knockoffs of this by the usual grifters.”

Meanwhile, others praised the coin as a fitting tribute to the country’s semiquincentennial.

“Whether you’re a numismatist, history buff, or just love a strong symbol of American resilience, these coins are sure to be in high demand. They’re a fitting tribute to the nation’s enduring spirit of liberty and determination on this milestone birthday,” one user wrote on X.

FOX Business first learned last year that the Treasury Department was considering a plan to mint new $1 coins bearing Trump’s image as part of a push to commemorate the 250th anniversary of America’s founding.

“Despite the radical left’s forced shutdown of our government, the facts are clear: Under the historic leadership of President Donald J. Trump, our nation is entering its 250th anniversary stronger, more prosperous, and better than ever,” a Treasury spokesperson told FOX Business at the time.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s pick to head the nation’s intelligence agencies struggled to win Democratic support in a contentious confirmation hearing Wednesday where he clashed repeatedly with them over the 2020 election.

Democrats asked Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and a former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman, over and over again whether former President Joe Biden won the election and defeated Trump. Echoing many of Trump’s nominees, Clayton said many times that the election was “certified” for Biden, declining to say outright that the Democrat won.

“I’m not going to get into this with you,” Clayton told Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff, the last of several Democrats on the committee to grill Clayton on the 2020 election. Clayton appeared frustrated and flustered as Ossoff repeated the question several times. “I’ve answered it,” he said.

Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, who had praised Clayton’s nomination when Trump picked him for the role last month, expressed exasperation with him at the end of the hearing. Democrats say they are concerned that Trump will try to direct intelligence agencies to influence U.S. elections as the president has repeated his false claims that the 2020 contest was stolen.

“I’ve known Mr. Clayton for some time, I worked with him closely when he was at the SEC,” said Warner, the top Democrat on the intelligence panel. “But I am bitterly disappointed.”

While Clayton has broad support among Republicans, the acrimony with Democrats could be a blow to GOP leaders who had hoped to gain their consent for a quick vote to replace temporary intelligence director Bill Pulte, a former housing official with no known intelligence experience and who used his previous administration perch to target perceived adversaries of the president.

Senators in both parties have criticized Pulte, and Republicans had hoped to confirm Clayton immediately after he was nominated in June so Pulte did not take over when Gabbard left office. But Trump delayed Clayton’s nomination, allowing Pulte to take the job temporarily.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said the committee will vote on Clayton’s nomination next week.

Clayton emphasizes national security experience
Clayton did not mention Pulte in the hearing. But he emphasized his own government and national security experience, attempting to assuage senators in both parties.

“I saw firsthand how a strong national security apparatus depends on decisive judgment, discipline, integrity, and effective communication and cooperation across different branches of the government,” Clayton said in his opening statement. “If confirmed as Director of National Intelligence, I will commit to upholding these principles every day.”

Cotton expressed frustration last month when the hearing was delayed. He said in his opening statement Wednesday that Clayton has a reputation for operating with “morality, decency and integrity” in his previous positions and that he hopes his nomination will win bipartisan support.

Democrats press Clayton on Gabbard’s election activities
Democrats also pressed Clayton on former National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard’s visit to a Georgia election office earlier this year during an FBI search related to the 2020 election. Trump administration officials have given varying explanations for Gabbard’s involvement in the search, which appeared to be outside of her intelligence role.

Clayton declined to say whether Gabbard’s visit was appropriate or how he would handle the same situation. At one point he said he wasn’t aware of Gabbard’s visit before this week, then later appeared to backtrack, saying “it wasn’t something on my mind” before he started to prepare for the hearing.

Warner said it “strains credibility” that Clayton wasn’t aware of Gabbard’s election activities.

Democrats also asked Clayton about Trump’s announcement that he will deliver a primetime address on Thursday with a focus on elections, after the president suggested he could revisit long-debunked conspiracy theories about his 2020 defeat. Clayton said he had has no involvement with that speech.

As US attorney in Manhattan, Clayton oversees vast portfolio
Clayton is currently the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, one of the most prestigious of the Justice Department’s prosecution offices. His cases have ranged from terrorism and espionage cases to security fraud and public corruption.

Democrats pressed Clayton on subpoenas of four New York Times journalists after they reported on security concerns involving the new, Qatari-gifted Air Force One. The Committee to Protect Journalists has called the subpoenas “an extraordinary escalation in President Trump’s efforts to threaten and intimidate independent news organizations and have a chilling effect on the work of journalists across the country.”

Clayton said he was not able to discuss the details of the subpoenas and declined to elaborate on whether he spoke to the White House before they were issued. He said he is “confident in procedures we have in place to protect freedom of press.”

Under Clayton, the office also facilitated the unsealing of thousands of pages of court records from the prosecutions of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell — documents that were made public as part of the Justice Department’s release of records related to the late sex offender and his longtime confidant.

Clayton has also overseen the prosecution of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, on drug trafficking charges.

Confirmation vote could unlock renewal of surveillance authority
Clayton’s confirmation could potentially clear the way for bipartisan legislation to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, which stalled last month when Democrats had said they would not provide the necessary votes to pass the bill unless Pulte’s temporary appointment was withdrawn.

The law, which aims to prevent terrorist attacks by monitoring the communications of targeted foreigners located outside the United States, expired in June.

Even if Democrats relent, it is unclear if Trump would sign the bill. He said in his June social media post delaying Clayton’s nomination that he would not sign the FISA renewal without his legislation to require proof of citizenship for all voters. The voting bill does not have enough support to pass the Senate.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) – Colombia will open an embassy in Jerusalem and restore full diplomatic relations with Israel following the election of President-elect Abelardo De La Espriella, officials announced.

The move reverses the policies of outgoing President Gustavo Petro, who severed ties with Israel in 2024 amid the Gaza conflict, expelled Israeli diplomats and imposed trade restrictions while backing legal actions against the Jewish state.

De La Espriella, a pro-Israel leader, said opening the embassy in Jerusalem will be among his first acts in office. He pledged to formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, strengthen security cooperation — particularly against narcoterrorism — and rebuild bilateral ties.

The decision aligns Colombia with a growing list of nations that have relocated or plan to move their embassies to Jerusalem, reflecting closer alignment with both Israel and the United States.

Petro’s government had taken an increasingly adversarial stance toward Israel during the ongoing war with Hamas and other Iranian-backed terror groups. The rupture followed years of relatively warm relations between Bogotá and Jerusalem.

De La Espriella’s victory and policy shift mark a significant turnaround in Colombian foreign policy. Details on the exact timeline for reopening the embassy and resuming full diplomatic operations were not immediately released.

Morocco has signed an agreement to join the International Stabilization Force planned for the Gaza Strip, becoming the latest country to participate in the multinational effort aimed at supporting security and stability in postwar Gaza, according to Morocco’s state news agency MAP.

The agreement was signed in Rabat during a ceremony attended by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, senior Moroccan defense officials, Nicolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace’s envoy for Gaza, and the commander of the International Stabilization Force. The agreement formally commits Morocco to participating in the multinational mission.

Officials did not immediately disclose the size of Morocco’s deployment, the timeline for its participation, or the specific role its forces will play. The mission is expected to operate as part of the broader international framework for Gaza’s postwar transition, with additional details expected to be announced at a later date.

Morocco’s participation is considered a significant development given the country’s diplomatic ties with Israel while also supporting the establishment of a Palestinian state.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Warren Buffett is speeding up the giveaway of his fortune, announcing Tuesday a roughly $6 billion stock donation and a pledge to hand over his entire remaining stake in Berkshire Hathaway within about eight years — while pointedly leaving the Gates Foundation off his list for the first time in two decades.

In a statement released Tuesday, Berkshire Hathaway said the 95-year-old chairman would convert 8,000 Class A shares into 12 million Class B shares and distribute them among four foundations tied to his family. The largest gift, 9 million Class B shares worth about $4.4 billion, goes to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, named for his late first wife and chaired by his daughter, Susie Buffett. Three foundations run by his children — the Sherwood Foundation, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and the NoVo Foundation — will each receive 1 million shares worth roughly $496 million.

Buffett laid out an explicit deadline. His stated goal is to “dispose of all of my Berkshire shares within about eight years,” he said, adding that his remaining stake would go to the four foundations “one way or the other” by December 31, 2034. He said he wants the annual grants to grow over time, with the gift to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation rising at a somewhat faster rate. Buffett currently holds 188,290 Class A shares and 1,162 Class B shares, a fortune Forbes values at about $147 billion, making him the world’s tenth-wealthiest person.

The mechanics reflect careful control. Buffett is giving away easily transferable Class B stock — created in 1996 so smaller investors could own a piece of Berkshire — while keeping his Class A shares, which carry nearly all the voting power. That structure has let him donate tens of billions of dollars over the years without loosening his grip on the company he built.

The headline break is with the Gates Foundation. For the first time since 2006, Buffett omitted the charity founded by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates from his annual gifts. Under the declining schedule he set years ago, he had been due to donate roughly $4.5 billion to the foundation this month. The move follows renewed scrutiny of Gates’s past ties to Jeffrey Epstein after the U.S. Justice Department released documents earlier this year. The Wall Street Journal had reported that Buffett was holding back his scheduled gift pending a law firm’s review of the foundation’s Epstein connections. Gates appeared before the House Oversight Committee last month, calling his association with Epstein a “grave error in judgment” and telling lawmakers he neither witnessed nor took part in any criminal conduct.

The rift has been building. Buffett resigned as a Gates Foundation trustee in 2021, and in 2024 he told the Journal that the foundation would receive nothing from his estate after his death, having revised his will to make his three children trustees of a charitable trust holding more than 99% of his wealth. Over roughly two decades, Buffett’s gifts to the Gates Foundation totaled between $43 billion and $48 billion measured at the value of the shares when donated. In a statement, the foundation thanked Buffett for what it called decades of support.

The announcement matters to investors as much as to the philanthropic world. Buffett’s plan to offload his entire Berkshire position over eight years creates a steady, predictable stream of shares flowing to foundations that typically sell over time to fund their operations — a long-running supply overhang the market will have to absorb. It also underscores that the Buffett era is drawing to a close. He stepped down as chief executive at the end of 2025, handing the reins to Greg Abel, and now serves only as chairman. Berkshire shares have slipped about 8% from their record high set in May of last year, just before he announced his exit, even as the S&P 500 climbed 32% over the same stretch.

For the broader economy, the decision reshapes one of the largest philanthropic pipelines in the world. Redirecting billions annually toward foundations led by his children concentrates enormous giving power in the Buffett family and away from the global health and development work the Gates Foundation is known for. Buffett, who co-founded the Giving Pledge with the Gateses in 2010 and has promised to give away more than 99% of his wealth, is now racing to finish the job on his own timeline — and on his own terms.

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

(AP) – White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and FBI Director Kash Patel personally oversaw an aggressive leak investigation after disclosures about security concerns involving a Qatari-gifted aircraft intended for use as Air Force One, according to CNN.

The report said some administration officials were asked to surrender their cellphones at the White House as investigators sought to identify the source of leaks concerning the aircraft’s security capabilities. Investigators also sought information from officials who traveled with President Donald Trump or were involved in the trip.

According to CNN, Patel delayed a planned trip to Chicago and spent about seven hours working alongside Wiles from the West Wing as they directed the investigation.

The leak probe became public after the Justice Department subpoenaed four New York Times journalists who reported on the aircraft’s security shortcomings. The newspaper has said it will challenge the subpoenas in court, while press freedom advocates criticized the move as a threat to First Amendment protections.

The investigation followed reports that Trump altered travel plans during a NATO trip after officials concluded the retrofitted Qatari Boeing 747 did not yet provide the same level of security as the existing Air Force One aircraft. Trump has denied security concerns prompted the change.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir pushed back forcefully against criticism from Ra’am chairman Mansour Abbas over the government’s demolition of illegally built homes in the Negev, declaring that the law will be enforced equally against anyone who violates building regulations.

In a video message released Wednesday, Ben Gvir rejected accusations that the demolitions are motivated by discrimination.

“Racism is a lie. Listen carefully, and tell all your friends: anyone who builds illegally-their house will be demolished.”

Ben Gvir’s remarks came in response to a speech Abbas delivered in Arabic from the Knesset podium on Tuesday, in which the Ra’am leader argued that the coalition’s only real accomplishment has been maintaining unity among its members long enough to complete its term in office.

Abbas sharply criticized the current right-wing government, saying its record has been marked by “failure, crimes, murder, demolitions, and wars.” He contrasted that with the previous “government of change,” in which Ra’am served as a coalition partner and, according to Abbas, played a significant role in addressing the needs of Israel’s Arab community.

The Ra’am chairman also claimed that violent crime in Arab society declined by 15 percent during the previous government’s first year. He argued that if that coalition had remained in power for a full four-year term, the number of homicide victims could have fallen to “only forty deaths, or even fewer.”

Turning to the issue of housing enforcement, Abbas asserted that only four occupied homes in the Negev were demolished during the previous government. By contrast, he claimed that Ben Gvir has proudly cited approximately 5,700 demolition operations carried out over the past year.

Abbas also took aim at Hadash and Ta’al, the factions that make up the Joint List, accusing them of failing to shoulder responsibility when opportunities arose.

“Our colleagues from the Joint List did not understand the responsibility that rested on them,” Abbas said, arguing that Ra’am had been willing to accept the political consequences of joining the coalition. He questioned what the public ultimately gained from the collapse of the previous government and what it has lost under the continued tenure of the current coalition.

{Matzav.com}

Former Mossad official Dr. Udi Levy, who previously headed the agency’s Tzalzal unit, said Wednesday that recent reports alleging the Mossad cultivated ties with former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did not surprise him, saying one of the primary objectives of any intelligence agency is to reach the highest levels of an enemy’s leadership and attempt to recruit senior figures.

Speaking to Radio 103FM, Levy said the reported operation should also prompt Israelis to examine Qatar’s own activities. “Everyone is celebrating the Mossad’s remarkable success in this matter,” he said. “But nobody draws the comparison — the Qataris did the exact same thing to us. It’s about reaching the decision-makers, influencing them, and getting them to do what you want.”

Levy, who is considered one of Israel’s leading experts on the Gulf states, described Qatar as a particularly dangerous actor, saying it has returned to playing the role it knows best: enthusiastically supporting radical organizations while simultaneously serving as a leading regional mediator. He claimed Qatar is deeply involved in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza, while also maintaining close cooperation with Iran. Levy questioned why Qatar has not been declared an enemy state and argued that the same questions should also be asked in Washington.

Turning to Iran, Levy said the regime’s refusal to quickly seek an agreement with the United States stems not only from ideology, but also from confidence in an economic system it has built despite years of sanctions. He described it as a “hybrid” network combining trade, money, gold and banking into a single framework that allows Tehran to bypass sanctions and exploit weaknesses in international cooperation. According to Levy, Iran began building this system after the 2015 nuclear agreement and, together with China and Russia, is working to create an alternative to American economic dominance and the U.S. dollar.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) is introducing legislation to restrict entry to the U.S. from 39 countries across the Middle East, Africa, and the Caribbean, citing national security concerns and visa overstays.

The bill includes countries such as Iran, Syria, Yemen, Cuba, and Venezuela, and would also restrict entry for individuals traveling on Palestinian Authority-issued documents.

New York’s decision to pause the construction of large artificial intelligence data centers is drawing criticism from some lawmakers and energy officials, who argue the move could weaken the United States’ ability to compete in the global AI race while encouraging investment to move elsewhere.

FOX Business’ Madison Alworth joined “Varney & Co.” host Stuart Varney to discuss New York’s first-in-the-nation pause on large artificial intelligence data centers, the debate over the state’s energy capacity and the broader concerns about U.S. competitiveness with China.

Critics argue that restricting new artificial intelligence infrastructure could have consequences beyond New York because demand for computing power continues to grow. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., reacted on X to the state’s decision with a brief warning: “China wins.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul has defended the policy, arguing the state’s electric grid cannot currently support additional large-scale facilities.

“A giant data center, that one 50-megawatt center… consumes as much power as 50,000 homes… I’ve got an energy grid that is already overtaxed,” Hochul said.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright disputed that argument, saying large technology projects can help strengthen energy investment rather than strain it.

“Gov. Hochul has it exactly backwards. Data centers are the greatest tool we have right now to stop the rise of electricity prices and ultimately to bring them back down,” Wright said, “It’s the Democrat green energy policies that have driven energy prices up in New York state.”

The debate comes as states weigh how to balance rising electricity demand, artificial intelligence investment and long-term energy planning while competing to attract technology companies.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu sharply criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during an interview with radio host Sid Rosenberg, accusing him of supporting Hamas and Iran and aligning himself with forces hostile to both Israel and the United States.

Speaking Tuesday on “Sid & Friends in the Morning” on 77 WABC, Netanyahu questioned Mamdani’s positions, saying, “Who does he support? Hamas, which openly calls for the murder of every Jew on earth and carried out the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.”

Netanyahu also accused Mamdani of defending Iran, describing the Islamic Republic as “the world’s largest terror regime” and noting that it has publicly called for the assassination of President Donald Trump and other senior American officials.

“He is on the side of the terror axis,” Netanyahu said. “The problem is that he either doesn’t realize, or doesn’t care, that those who hate the Jews and hate Israel ultimately hate America as well. In fact, I think deep down he hates America.”

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(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

WASHINGTON (AP) — A blood test may predict if apparently healthy older adults are likely to develop Alzheimer’s symptoms in the next five or 10 years, researchers reported Wednesday.

That information could be reassuring or terrifying, but for now it’s a potential tool to speed drug development by helping to identify and enroll high-risk people into studies of possible Alzheimer’s treatments or preventive strategies.

Already large clinical trials are testing if certain drugs could prevent or at least delay the disease — and if any of those pan out, doctors will need an easy way to tell who should try them.

The scientists behind the new study stress that it’s too soon for healthy people to seek out the so-called p-tau217 test, which is currently used to help diagnose whether people experiencing cognitive problems have Alzheimer’s or another disorder.

“Wait and get tested when you can potentially do something about it,” stressed Dr. Reisa Sperling of the Mass General Brigham Neuroscience Institute, the study’s senior author. “At this point it wouldn’t change what I would tell someone to do. I’d still tell them to eat well, sleep well, exercise a lot and stay engaged.”

The new findings showed that symptom-free older adults who harbored very high levels of p-tau217 had a 38% risk of developing cognitive impairment over five years. That risk grew to 78% by 10 years.

The research was published in JAMA and presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in London.

It’s not clear exactly what causes Alzheimer’s, but its telltale markers are brain-clogging amyloid plaques and neuron-killing tau tangles. The p-tau217 test measures a form of tau that correlates with how much plaque buildup someone has and gives a hint about tangles, Sperling said.

The Mass General Brigham team analyzed data from 2,684 older adults who were healthy when they’d joined some long-running Alzheimer’s studies, receiving the p-tau217 blood test at enrollment and yearly cognitive checkups. Between the earliest enrollment in 2004 and last year, about 478 had developed cognitive impairment.

Study participants with very low p-tau217 levels likewise had a low risk of developing cognitive impairment over the five- to 10-year period.

There’s a conundrum in predicting Alzheimer’s: Lots of people harbor high levels of amyloid plaques yet never get dementia. A leading theory is that at some point amyloid buildup triggers an abnormal type of tau to form tangles, leading to symptoms.

Sperling said the blood test data offers some new clues. While different intermediate levels of p-tau217 signaled progressive risk, only the very highest level seemed to correlate with other evidence about that tipping point.

“This is a gradual process where amyloid and tau build up in the brain and this blood-based biomarker is telling you how far you are in that process,” she said.

Scientists not involved in the study praised it but also offered some reasons to be cautious. One is that only a small fraction of study participants had been tracked for a full decade, so there’s less confidence in the 10-year risk estimate than the five-year risk estimate.

Also, the predictions could be clouded by other factors — older people may be at risk of dying from something else, or have heart-related problems that can cause vascular dementia rather than Alzheimer’s, noted Drs. Suzanne Schindler of Washington University in St. Louis and David Wolk of the University of Pennsylvania in a commentary published in JAMA.

The blood tests “are not yet precise enough to guide individualized prognosis,” wrote Schindler, who also studies p-tau217’s prognostic potential, and Wolk. Still, they said the new work has “provided a crucial piece of the puzzle.”

Already “we have people coming saying, ‘I want this blood test. I have a family history of Alzheimer’s disease,’” said Jessica Langbaum of the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute in Phoenix, something she strongly discourages — for now.

“These findings are quite strong,” Langbaum added, and a predictive blood test would be “really important” — but only if ongoing studies eventually find a drug that could help people before symptoms begin.

The company that helped popularize “buy now, pay later” financing wants to become a bank. Klarna, the Swedish financial technology firm whose installment loans have become a familiar option at online checkout pages, has applied for a U.S. national bank charter, a move that would significantly expand its ability to offer savings accounts, payment services, and consumer lending directly to Americans.

The application marks one of the biggest strategic shifts yet for the rapidly growing buy-now, pay-later industry. Rather than relying primarily on partner banks to originate loans, Klarna hopes to operate under its own federal banking charter, allowing it to compete more directly with traditional financial institutions while broadening its product lineup beyond short-term installment financing.

The timing reflects how quickly installment lending has entered the financial mainstream. During this summer’s Amazon Prime Day shopping event, Adobe Analytics estimated that consumers used buy-now, pay-later financing for approximately $2.1 billion in purchases, accounting for 6.6% of all online orders during the promotion. Consumers increasingly view installment payments as another standard checkout option rather than a niche financial product.

For shoppers, the appeal is straightforward. Rather than paying the full purchase price immediately, customers divide purchases into several smaller payments, often without interest if paid on time. The option has become especially popular for electronics, furniture, home improvement products, travel, and other higher-priced purchases.

A banking charter would allow Klarna to diversify its business beyond installment loans by accepting deposits and expanding consumer banking services. The company already operates banking businesses in parts of Europe, where customers use Klarna for savings accounts, payments, and other financial products in addition to financing purchases.

The move also comes as regulators continue paying closer attention to the rapidly growing buy-now, pay-later sector. Policymakers have increasingly examined disclosure requirements, consumer protections, credit reporting practices, and underwriting standards as installment financing becomes more widely used across retail.

Competition in the industry has intensified. Affirm, Afterpay, PayPal, and several major banks now offer installment-payment products, while many retailers have integrated multiple financing choices directly into online checkout systems. The result has been greater consumer adoption and broader acceptance among merchants seeking to increase sales.

Retailers generally favor installment financing because it encourages larger purchases while reducing shopping-cart abandonment. Consumers who might hesitate to spend several hundred dollars at once are often more comfortable completing purchases when costs are divided into predictable monthly payments.

Consumer advocates, however, continue urging borrowers to exercise caution. While many installment plans carry no interest when paid on schedule, missed payments can trigger late fees, additional charges, and in some cases affect credit histories. Financial experts also warn that managing multiple installment plans simultaneously can become difficult if household budgets tighten.

For the broader financial industry, Klarna’s application underscores the continuing convergence between technology companies and traditional banking. Digital-first financial firms increasingly seek banking licenses to expand services, lower funding costs, and deepen relationships with customers beyond individual transactions.

Whether regulators ultimately approve the charter remains uncertain. Federal banking regulators will review the application through a process that examines capital strength, consumer protections, compliance systems, and the company’s ability to safely operate as a federally regulated financial institution.

Regardless of the outcome, Klarna’s application highlights how dramatically consumer finance has evolved. What began as a simple installment-payment option has grown into a major financial services platform serving millions of shoppers. As digital payments continue reshaping retail, the line separating technology companies from traditional banks continues to blur.

JBizNews Desk | New York
© JBizNews.com All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited.

WASHINGTON — July 13, 2026 — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched a sweeping national initiative to accelerate artificial intelligence innovation for Lyme disease, Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), Long COVID, and other invisible illnesses, committing up to $2.5 million across multiple innovation challenges and a nationwide call to action designed to speed diagnosis, improve care, and transform federal open data into real-world healthcare solutions for millions of Americans.

At the center of the initiative is the TOPx HHS Tech Sprint for AI and Invisible Illness, a national innovation challenge offering up to $2 million in cash prizes, including a $1 million grand prize, in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the LymeX Innovation Accelerator, and the Federal CDO Council. Team Mobilization (Phase 1) submissions are due July 15, 2026.

As part of the initiative, HHS has appointed Duvi Honig, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce, to serve on the competition’s evaluation panel, joining leaders from government, healthcare, technology, academia, research, and innovation to help evaluate submissions and advance the next generation of AI-powered healthcare solutions.

“It is an extraordinary honor to be appointed by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve on the evaluation panel for this groundbreaking national initiative,” Honig said. “I look forward to working closely with Secretary Kennedy, HHS, NIH and leaders across government, academia, healthcare and technology to help usher in a new era of AI-driven innovation for American healthcare. Together, we have an opportunity to help shape the future of health technology in the United States, modernize our healthcare system, and advance innovations that improve patient outcomes across the Department of Health and Human Services. This includes accelerating earlier diagnoses, improving care for Lyme disease and other invisible illnesses, and developing solutions that will improve—and save—lives for generations to come.”

A National Call to Innovate

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) unveiled a sweeping plan to combat Lyme disease and advance treatment for millions of Americans living with Lyme disease, Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS, the “meat allergy”), Long COVID, and other complex chronic conditions that are often invisible illnesses.

As part of this effort, HHS launched up to $2.5 million across three TOPx and LymeX innovation challenges and a national call to action. Together, these digital innovation efforts will accelerate diagnosis, improve care, and transform federal open data into real-world solutions that improve health outcomes.

The TOPx Challenge

The TOPx HHS Tech Sprint for AI and Invisible Illness is a national innovation challenge and prize competition offering up to $2,000,000 in cash prizes, conducted in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the LymeX Innovation Accelerator, and the Federal CDO Council.

Challenge Question

How might we use U.S. Open Data and AI to turn fragmented signals into trusted insights, so people living with Lyme disease, Long COVID, and other complex chronic conditions are believed earlier, diagnosed faster, and supported with care that works?

How It Works

Inspired by the U.S. Census Bureau’s Opportunity Project (TOP) model, TOPx is a fast-paced technology sprint that brings together government, industry, academia, nonprofits, and the public to build digital-first solutions using open data and artificial intelligence.

The effort advances the President’s Management Agenda priority to deliver secure, digital-first services built for real people while eliminating data silos across government and advancing HHS priorities.

Participants will compete for up to $2,000,000 in prizes by using U.S. Open Data and AI to develop tools and insights that address the following focus areas.

TOPx Focus Areas

Lyme Innovation

No one should suffer years of uncertainty from a preventable tick-borne infection. How might we use U.S. Open Data and AI to detect Lyme disease earlier, diagnose faster, coordinate care, and improve patient outcomes?

Invisible Illness

What we don’t measure, we don’t treat—and women are disproportionately affected. How might we use U.S. Open Data and AI to make invisible illness visible, accelerate diagnosis, improve care, and create meaningful real-world impact?

Cost of Illness

Patients and families carry the burden in silence. How might we use U.S. Open Data and AI to quantify the full healthcare, economic, workplace, and family impact of chronic illness, making those costs visible, measurable, and impossible to ignore?

Who Should Participate

The competition is open to eligible U.S.-based:

• AI developers
• Software engineers
• Researchers
• Designers
• Physicians and clinicians
• Entrepreneurs
• Students
• Universities
• Patient advocates
• Innovators across the public and private sectors

Team Mobilization (Phase 1) submissions are due July 15, 2026.

Expected Impact

HHS expects the sprint to catalyze dozens of practical tools, prototypes, and AI-enabled solutions within months—not years.

Participants may develop solutions that:

• Improve recognition of invisible illnesses, including Long COVID and other infection-associated chronic conditions and illnesses (IACCIs).
• Detect Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases earlier.
• Support faster diagnosis, improved care coordination, and more informed clinical decision-making.
• Make the human and economic burden of chronic illness more visible, measurable, and actionable.

Learn More and Participate

Enter the Challenge:
https://api.jewishadgroup.com/e8bLRb

HHS Evaluation Panel Appointees:
https://api.jewishadgroup.com/OfPEoF

Official HHS Announcement:
https://api.jewishadgroup.com/RjiMEl

The TOPx HHS Tech Sprint is led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health, the LymeX Innovation Accelerator, and the Federal CDO Council’s Data-Driven Government Working Group.

For additional information about the challenge, contact:

[email protected]

Israel’s Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a temporary injunction suspending implementation of the newly enacted law that halted the arrest of bnei Torah who have not reported for military service, setting the stage for another high-profile legal battle over the status of lomdei Torah.

Supreme Court Justice Ofer Grosskopf ordered that the law be put on hold pending further proceedings. In his decision, he wrote: “In light of this Court’s longstanding rulings on the enlistment of yeshiva students, the implications of freezing arrest, investigation, and enforcement proceedings with respect to only certain segments of the population, and the substantial arguments raised by the petitioners in the various petitions challenging the law’s validity, a conditional order is hereby issued instructing the respondents to explain why the law should not be struck down.”

Grosskopf added that the petitions challenging the legislation will be heard as soon as possible before an expanded panel of justices to be appointed by the President of the Supreme Court.

Multiple petitions have already been filed seeking to invalidate the law, including those submitted by the Yisrael Beytenu and Yesh Atid parties.

MK Meir Porush of United Torah Judaism sharply criticized the court’s ruling, arguing that the injunction has no legal basis. He asserted that any soldier or police officer who takes part in arresting bnei Torah under the current circumstances would be acting in violation of the law passed by the Knesset.

The legislation, approved by the Knesset on Tuesday in its second and third readings by a vote of 58 to 54, temporarily halted the arrest of bnei Torah who are subject to military draft proceedings.

Four coalition lawmakers voted against the measure: Yuli Edelstein, Sharren Haskel, Dan Illouz, and Moshe Solomon. Minister Ofir Sofer and MK Michal Woldiger were absent during the vote.

The bill was presented to the Knesset by Minister Shlomo Karhi, who engaged in heated exchanges with opposition lawmakers during the debate from the Knesset podium.

During the debate, the Knesset Ethics Committee required Chareidi members of Knesset to disclose that members of their own families could potentially be affected by the outcome of the legislation.

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An IDF soldier has been sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted of maintaining contact with an Iranian agent and transmitting information that could benefit the enemy, the military announced.

According to court findings, the case began in 2025 when the soldier received messages on Telegram from individuals linked to Iran offering paid “jobs.” He later agreed to film and send videos in exchange for money.

During Operation Rising Lion, the soldier sent the Iranian handler two videos he personally recorded showing Israeli missile interceptions over civilian areas and received payment for one of the recordings. He later sent additional footage of missile strikes that he had obtained online.

The investigation was conducted jointly by the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division, the IDF Intelligence Directorate, and the Shin Bet, ultimately leading to the filing of an indictment.

Military prosecutors sought a seven-year prison sentence, arguing that the soldier’s actions posed a significant security threat and warranted a strong deterrent. The court, however, noted that he did not pass classified information obtained through his military position.

The court also considered that the soldier eventually ended contact with the Iranian agent on his own after becoming uncomfortable with the situation and reported the communications to his commanders, a disclosure that led to his immediate arrest by the Shin Bet.

In addition to the five-year prison sentence, the soldier received a suspended sentence, was fined NIS 1,000, and was demoted to the rank of private.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israeli defense officials are increasingly concerned that Hezbollah will refuse to surrender its weapons and could ultimately derail the emerging agreement between Israel and Lebanon, according to a report by Walla.

A senior Israeli security official said the Lebanese Army is deeply concerned about the possibility of a civil war and is therefore reluctant to confront Hezbollah directly. Instead, officials in Beirut are hoping that “the diplomatic process and the IDF will do the job.” Meanwhile, the IDF continues strengthening defenses along the Israel-Lebanon border, reinforcing positions near the Litani River, and destroying Hezbollah weapons and terror infrastructure in areas under Israeli operational control.

According to the report, a U.S. delegation visited Israel last week to discuss implementation of the framework before traveling to Beirut. A key meeting between the sides is expected to take place in Rome on July 17 to resolve remaining tactical issues, followed by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s planned visit to Washington on July 20. Israeli officials currently expect implementation of the memorandum of understanding to begin in approximately three weeks.

Despite the diplomatic progress, Israeli officials remain skeptical that the Lebanese Army is willing or able to disarm Hezbollah. The IDF is also preparing contingency plans for the possibility that Hezbollah could violate the ceasefire and resume attacks once implementation of the agreement begins.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Wisconsin Elections Commission confirmed Tuesday, July 14, that it voted 5-1 in closed session last week to refer two voter complaints involving Elon Musk to the Brown County District Attorney’s Office after finding probable cause that he may have violated Wisconsin’s election bribery law.

Commission spokesperson Emilee Miklas said the bipartisan panel—made up of three Democrats and three Republicans—approved the referral after reviewing complaints centered on the $1 million checks Musk awarded to voters during Wisconsin’s 2025 Supreme Court election.

According to the commission’s motion, members found probable cause that Musk violated state law through a social media post offering $1 million to individuals who voted in the election “in order to induce them to vote.”

Brown County prosecutors now have 40 days to determine whether criminal charges should be filed.

Brown County District Attorney David Lasee, a Republican, did not respond Tuesday to requests for comment. Representatives for Musk also did not immediately comment.

What Wisconsin Law Says

Wisconsin’s election bribery statute makes it a felony to provide or promise “anything of value” for the purpose of inducing someone to vote.

A conviction carries a maximum penalty of 3½ years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both.

The underlying complaints remain confidential under Wisconsin law.

They were filed by voters from Milwaukee and Green Bay, where Musk personally distributed million-dollar checks during a campaign rally just days before the election.

Three Wisconsin voters ultimately received $1 million each through the program, including two recipients who accepted oversized ceremonial checks on stage.

Among them was Nicholas Jacobs, who received a check from Musk during a March 30, 2025 town hall event in Green Bay.

Earlier in the campaign, Musk’s political organization, America PAC, also offered $100 payments to voters who signed a petition opposing what it described as “activist judges” or referred others to sign.

A Record-Breaking Judicial Election

The Wisconsin Supreme Court race became the most expensive judicial election in American history.

Musk and organizations supporting him spent at least $20 million backing Republican-endorsed candidate Brad Schimel, who ultimately lost by roughly 10 percentage points to Democratic-backed Susan Crawford.

Overall spending exceeded $100 million.

Major Democratic donors, including George Soros, also invested heavily in the race.

Crawford’s victory preserved a liberal majority on Wisconsin’s highest court, a margin later expanded to 5-2 after Democratic-backed Chris Taylor won another statewide judicial contest.

Following Schimel’s defeat, Musk publicly stated he intended to reduce his political spending.

Federal campaign filings later showed otherwise.

By the end of 2025, Musk had contributed approximately $20 million to two major Republican organizations and another $10 million toward Kentucky’s U.S. Senate race.

One recent analysis ranks Musk as the third-largest political donor of the 2026 election cycle, behind Andreessen Horowitz and George Soros.

Business Implications

The criminal referral carries significance beyond politics.

Musk leads companies—including Tesla and SpaceX—whose businesses depend heavily on government approvals, regulatory oversight and public-sector contracts.

During the Wisconsin Supreme Court campaign, Tesla was actively pursuing litigation against the state seeking permission to expand direct automobile sales.

SpaceX likewise depends on federal launch approvals and billions of dollars in government contracts.

While a referral itself does not establish wrongdoing, any criminal investigation involving the chief executive of companies with extensive government relationships creates additional legal, regulatory and reputational risk.

Additional Legal Challenges

The Wisconsin matter is not Musk’s only ongoing legal dispute over election-related giveaways.

The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign has filed a separate lawsuit seeking to permanently prohibit Musk from offering cash payments connected to future Wisconsin elections, alleging election bribery, unlawful lotteries, conspiracy and public nuisance.

Separately, an Arizona voter has sued Musk in federal court over his 2024 $1 million-a-day voter giveaways, alleging fraud and breach of contract after promotional materials suggested winners would be selected randomly.

During that litigation, Musk’s attorneys acknowledged recipients were not selected purely by chance but instead underwent a screening process similar to job applicants.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Hightower has ordered Musk to sit for a deposition in that case, stating it remains unresolved whether public statements describing the giveaways as random were misleading.

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner also filed suit against Musk and America PAC in 2025, arguing the giveaways constituted illegal lotteries under Pennsylvania law.

Musk’s Defense

Before Wisconsin’s 2025 election, Attorney General Josh Kaul attempted to halt the payments through a lawsuit, arguing Musk was illegally offering financial incentives tied to voting.

Musk’s attorneys countered that the payments represented protected political speech under both the Wisconsin Constitution and the U.S. Constitution, asserting the campaign promoted civic engagement and opposition to activist judges rather than support for a specific candidate.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court ultimately declined to intervene before the election.

A similar America PAC promotion operated during the 2024 presidential campaign in seven battleground states. A Pennsylvania judge later allowed that program to continue after prosecutors failed to demonstrate it constituted an illegal lottery.

For corporations, political committees and major donors, Wisconsin’s referral highlights an increasingly important legal reality: strategies that survive civil scrutiny in one state may trigger criminal investigations in another.

As the 2026 election cycle accelerates, campaign lawyers nationwide will likely be watching closely as prosecutors in Green Bay decide whether to move forward.

JBizNews Desk | Madison, Wisconsin

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

Hundreds of thousands of New Jersey workers will gain expanded job protections when taking family or medical leave under a law taking effect Friday, broadening access to protected leave for employees of small businesses, newer hires and many part-time workers.

The changes, which are the result of a law signed by former Governor Phil Murphy, extend job protections to workers receiving benefits through the state’s Temporary Disability Insurance and Family Leave Insurance programs when their leave is not already covered by the New Jersey Family Leave Act or the federal Family and Medical Leave Act.

State officials said the changes are intended to ensure more workers can take time away from work to recover from a medical condition, bond with a new child or care for a loved one without fear of losing their jobs.

The new law also expands eligibility under the New Jersey Family Leave Act by lowering the employer size threshold from businesses with 30 employees to those with at least 15 employees worldwide. Government employers remain covered regardless of size.

In addition, workers will now qualify for leave protections after three months of employment instead of 12 months. The minimum hours-worked requirement also drops from 1,000 hours to 250 hours during the previous 12 months.

Workers who qualify under the Family Leave Act may continue to take up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave during a 24-month period to care for a family member with a serious health condition or bond with a newborn or newly adopted child. Employers must restore eligible workers to the same or an equivalent position when they return from leave.

The legislation also provides job protection for workers receiving Temporary Disability Insurance or Family Leave Insurance benefits who are not otherwise covered under state or federal leave laws. Unlike the Family Leave Act, eligibility for those benefit programs is based on recent earnings rather than employer size or length of employment.

State officials said the expanded protections are expected to particularly benefit employees of small businesses, newer workers and many part-time employees.

The changes do not alter eligibility for cash benefits under Temporary Disability Insurance or Family Leave Insurance, which remain based on recent earnings. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act is also unchanged.

A sprawling homeless encampment stretching across Manhattan’s West Side is drawing mounting criticism as opponents accuse Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s new homeless policy of preventing police from taking swift action, leaving a deteriorating situation to worsen near one of the city’s busiest tourist destinations.

Under the administration’s revised approach, the NYPD is barred from clearing homeless encampments until civilian outreach workers and homeless advocates have spent seven days attempting to persuade those living there to accept services and shelter. According to sources, that seven-day countdown only began Tuesday despite residents complaining about the encampment for weeks.

Residents said city outreach teams did not arrive at the site until approximately 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Public safety experts warned that the rapidly expanding encampment bears troubling similarities to New York City’s troubled decades of the 1980s and early 1990s.

“The mayor is too young to remember the eighties and early nineties and what a mess New York was,” former NYPD Commissioner William Bratton told The NY Post. “Those who don’t know their history are doomed to repeat it. It all began with non-enforcement of quality-of-life offenses.

“Remember the squeegee men at every entrance to the city?” Bratton said. “Remember the rampant …. graffiti? Remember the 8,000 open air drug selling locations? Remember the rampant subway fare evasion? I remember, and it’s happening again.”

The NY Post first highlighted the encampment Friday, though neighborhood residents said tents and makeshift shelters have lined the area for several weeks. They also alleged that panhandlers have been harassing visitors while drug dealing and theft have become common in broad daylight.

By Tuesday, some of those living in the encampment had reportedly connected illegal electrical lines to nearby city utility poles in order to obtain power.

“In just half a year, Mayor Mamdani’s policies have managed to turn the West Side into Skid Row,” City Councilwoman Joann Ariola, R-Queens, told The Post Tuesday.

“The administration is repeating the same ridiculous hands-off approach to the homeless that destroyed LA and San Francisco, and now we have a 12-block homeless campsite in Manhattan.

“Way to go DSA,” she added, referring to the Democratic Socialists of America, the lefty group that counts Mamdani as a member.

Soon after taking office, Mamdani reversed former Mayor Eric Adams’ policy that empowered police to aggressively dismantle homeless encampments and remove individuals considered to be at risk from city streets.

In its place, the administration adopted what it describes as a larger, more humane strategy centered on a housing-first model. Under the plan, the Department of Community Safety relies on civilian outreach teams and social workers, rather than police officers, to connect homeless individuals with housing and support services.

The policy requires those outreach teams to spend seven days engaging with people living in an encampment before police are permitted to remove it.

The NYPD, whose role in homeless enforcement had already been reduced during the de Blasio administration, now has even less authority under Mamdani’s policy. Officers may intervene only when criminal activity, emergencies, or the protection of city workers requires their presence.

“The Mamdani Administration has stopped the failed encampment sweep policies of the past and moving forward will connect New Yorkers to the resources they need to thrive and to build a New York where everyone has a safe, affordable place to call home,” the city sanitation department said in a statement.

A City Hall spokesperson also told The NY Post on Tuesday, “This site will be cleaned.”

Brian Stettin, who served as a senior adviser on severe mental illness during the Adams administration, said the concept behind the policy may be reasonable, provided city officials move quickly.

“It’s perfectly reasonable to spend a week attempting a voluntary resolution before dismantling an encampment,” Stettin said. “But people will quickly lose faith in that policy if they see the city dragging its feet. The 7-day clock should start as soon as DHS confirms the presence of an encampment.”

Critics argue that the administration has failed to act with the urgency the situation demands.

“This is embarrassing and a big black eye on the city, especially with FIFA tourists,” one veteran cop griped. “The Intrepid is a big tourist attraction, and what are people from all over the world thinking when they walk by this encampment?”

During patrols Tuesday, police instructed occupants of two encampments to disconnect unauthorized electrical hookups from city utility poles. According to reports, however, the illegal connections are often restored once officers leave the area.

Mamdani addressed the controversy publicly on Monday but emphasized his administration’s broader strategy rather than immediate enforcement.

“We are focused on connecting New Yorkers to shelter and on establishing a pipeline to stable housing, not just moving New Yorkers from one place to another place,” he said. “To this specific encampment that you brought up, we’re going to look into the details of that.”

{Matzav.com}

JERUSALEM (VINnews)-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to the United States on Sunday for meetings with President Trump and to attend memorial services for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, a longtime champion of Israel who died suddenly at age 71.

Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Trump on Monday to discuss bilateral defense and diplomatic issues amid ongoing regional developments, according to officials. On Tuesday, he will participate in services honoring Graham, the veteran Republican senator from South Carolina.

Graham, who passed away Saturday from an aortic dissection, was widely regarded as one of Israel’s strongest allies in Congress. Netanyahu has described him as “one of Israel’s greatest friends,” citing his decades of advocacy for robust U.S.-Israel relations and firm opposition to Iran.

The full itinerary remains subject to final confirmation.

Graham’s death has drawn tributes from across the political spectrum, with many highlighting his steadfast support for Israel through key legislation and diplomatic efforts over his long Senate career. Netanyahu’s participation in the memorial underscores the deep personal and strategic bonds between the Israeli leader and the late senator.

The visit comes as the Trump administration continues to shape U.S. policy toward the Middle East.

ArtScroll is marking its 50th anniversary in a big way, with a five week sale offering the lowest prices in the company’s history, along with a giveaway worth over $50,000.

Beginning July 7th through August 9th, ArtScroll will put 50 different books and sforim on sale each week, all 50% off list price. By the end of the five weeks, 250 titles will have been offered at their lowest prices ever. Each week’s sale is limited to that week only. Once it ends, the pricing does not return.

Week 2 is now live, featuring another 50 titles at half off. Shop this week’s sale here.

ArtScroll is also running a free giveaway alongside the sale, no purchase required. Each week, one entrant will win a $10,000 ArtScroll gift card at list price, plus more than $10,000 in additional weekly prizes, including digital libraries, exclusive book sets, and items and experiences not sold anywhere else.

One entry is all it takes, and that single entry applies to all five weekly drawings. Enter the giveaway here.

With five weeks of record discounts and thousands of dollars in prizes up for grabs each week, readers are calling it the biggest ArtScroll sale in 50 years.

Companies are investing billions of dollars in artificial intelligence, but one of the first places the technology is reshaping corporate America is not on factory floors or customer service desks — it is in the middle ranks of management.

A growing body of research shows businesses are eliminating management layers as AI takes over many of the administrative and coordination tasks that traditionally required supervisors. According to Korn Ferry’s 2025 Workforce Survey, which polled 15,000 professionals worldwide, 41% of employees said their organizations reduced management layers during the past year. In the United States, that figure climbed to 44%, making America one of the leading markets for flatter organizational structures.

The shift reflects how AI is changing the role of management itself. Middle managers have historically served as the bridge between executives and frontline employees, coordinating projects, preparing reports, monitoring performance, conducting meetings and communicating strategy throughout an organization. As AI tools increasingly automate scheduling, reporting, workflow management and information sharing, companies are concluding they need fewer people performing those coordination functions.

Some of the world’s largest corporations have already embraced the strategy.

Amazon announced plans to eliminate roughly 14,000 corporate positions, with Chief Executive Andy Jassy telling employees the company intends to become leaner while reducing unnecessary layers of management. Similar restructuring efforts have been announced or implemented by Meta, Google, Intel, Citigroup, Block, and software developer GitLab, all citing efficiency improvements and AI-enabled operations as reasons to simplify organizational structures.

Independent research points to the same trend.

According to workforce analytics firm Live Data Technologies, cited by The Wall Street Journal, the number of managers employed by publicly traded companies declined 6.1% between May 2022 and May 2025. Meanwhile, Gallup reports the average manager’s span of control has expanded significantly. Managers supervised an average of 8.2 employees in 2013, rising to 10.9 in 2024 and 12.1 by 2025 as companies consolidated reporting structures.

Research firm Gartner has projected that AI-driven restructuring could eventually eliminate more than half of today’s traditional middle-management positions as automation continues improving.

For employers, the financial incentives are straightforward.

Reducing organizational layers lowers payroll costs, speeds decision-making and frees capital for investments in technology and highly skilled technical employees. Fewer approvals can also accelerate product development and improve responsiveness in competitive markets where companies increasingly compete on speed.

Yet the savings come with risks.

Korn Ferry found that 37% of employees said losing management layers left them feeling directionless, while 43% believed leadership teams became less aligned after restructuring. Another survey found 72% of executives reported increased stress as responsibilities once handled by middle managers shifted upward to senior leadership.

Lesley Uren, a senior executive at Korn Ferry Consulting, warned that eliminating managers without redesigning leadership responsibilities can weaken organizations over time. While AI can automate administrative work, she noted it cannot replace coaching employees, resolving interpersonal conflicts or building organizational culture.

Those human responsibilities remain critical.

Removing management positions does not eliminate the work managers performed. Instead, companies often redistribute those responsibilities to senior executives already balancing strategic priorities or to frontline employees with limited leadership experience. Gallup research suggests experienced managers can successfully oversee larger teams, but expanding the responsibilities of weaker managers often reduces employee engagement and increases turnover.

The trend also raises questions about future leadership development.

A separate Deloitte survey found only about 6% of Gen Z and millennial workers identify reaching executive leadership as their primary career objective. With fewer management positions available and less interest among younger employees in pursuing traditional leadership paths, companies may eventually struggle to develop experienced executives from within.

Despite the restructuring, management itself is not disappearing.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in management occupations will continue growing faster than the national average through 2034, with median annual earnings exceeding $122,000. Instead, the nature of management is evolving toward responsibilities that AI cannot easily replicate, including judgment, mentoring, strategic decision-making, negotiation and organizational leadership.

For employees, the message is becoming increasingly clear. Career advancement may depend less on accumulating direct reports or climbing organizational layers and more on developing specialized expertise, adaptability and leadership skills that complement artificial intelligence rather than compete with it.

The companies most likely to succeed may ultimately be those that use AI to remove routine administrative work while preserving the human relationships, coaching and decision-making that remain essential to effective leadership.

As corporate America continues embracing artificial intelligence, the future of management appears less about supervising larger bureaucracies and more about leading smaller, faster and increasingly technology-enabled organizations.

JBizNews Desk | New York

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

President Donald Trump is directing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to resume conducting traffic stops, rejecting a recent Department of Homeland Security decision to suspend the tactic following two fatal shootings involving ICE agents in Maine and Texas.

In a post on Truth Social Wednesday, Trump defended the use of traffic stops as a critical law enforcement strategy.

“We CANNOT give up one of I.C.E.’s most important and effective Crime Fighting tools, THE TRAFFIC STOP!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Once we do, we are playing right into the criminal’s hands.”

Trump’s remarks came a day after DHS reportedly instructed ICE personnel across the country to temporarily stop carrying out routine vehicle stops. The directive, according to reports, eliminated most traffic stops except in limited situations, including operations involving criminal warrants or coordinated actions with other law enforcement agencies.

The policy change followed two deadly encounters involving ICE officers. On Monday in Biddeford, Maine, agents attempting to stop a vehicle fatally shot 25-year-old Colombian national Joan Sebastian Guerrero, who was married and the father of a 3-year-old daughter.

An ICE spokesperson said an officer discharged his weapon while “fearing for public safety.” The shooting remains under investigation by the FBI and local authorities, while DHS’ Office of Inspector General has also been notified.

Independent Maine Sen. Angus King said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin informed him that the man who died was not the individual ICE agents had initially intended to apprehend.

The Maine incident came just days after another fatal ICE shooting during a vehicle stop in Houston. Acting ICE Director David Venturella said the victim, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national who had lived in the United States for decades, was likewise not the person agents had been attempting to locate.

According to DHS, officers believed Salgado Araujo matched the description of the suspect they were seeking. The department said an ICE officer fired in self-defense after Salgado Araujo allegedly rammed an agency vehicle.

Both deadly encounters occurred as the Trump administration has stepped up immigration enforcement nationwide, sparking anti-ICE demonstrations in both Maine and Texas.

The Associated Press reported that the ICE agents involved in the Houston shooting were not equipped with body cameras. DHS has said those officers are expected to receive body-worn cameras within the next 60 days.

Trump also used his Truth Social post to again criticize the immigration policies of President Joe Biden.

“The men and women of ICE are doing a GREAT job, one that has to be done. CRIME IS WAY DOWN IN AMERICA, in many cases with numbers that haven’t been seen in decades,” he said.

“The Open Border Policy of Sleepy Joe Biden allowed 25,000,000 people to pour into our Country, unchecked and unvetted,” Trump continued. “Many were Criminals, and we have to get them out. In order to do this, we must be strong, tough, and smart.”

Concluding his message, Trump encouraged ICE officers to return to conducting enforcement operations while exercising sound judgment.

“I.C.E., be judicious, fair and smart, and go back and do your very important job,” Trump wrote. “Keep those Crime Stat Records coming! Remember, you are loved and respected in America.”

By Y.M. Lowy

After years of concerns over stolen SNAP benefits and criminals using card-skimming devices to take money from recipients’ accounts, New York is getting a safer system.

Governor Kathy Hochul announced that new chip-based EBT cards will begin rolling out in early 2027, replacing the current cards with more secure technology similar to what is used on regular debit and credit cards.

The new cards are designed to greatly reduce benefit theft by making it much harder for criminals to steal card information through illegal “skimming” devices.

New York’s Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance recently finalized a contract for the new cards, with about 2 million cards expected to be issued once the transition begins. Recipients will receive notification before their new card is sent.

Many SNAP recipients have fallen victim to theft after criminals captured card numbers and PINs and used the information to drain their benefits. The new chip technology is expected to provide stronger protection for families who rely on these benefits.

Until the new cards arrive, officials remind EBT users to protect their accounts by using available security features, including freezing and unfreezing cards through the ebtEDGE app or website, and never sharing card information through texts, emails, or phone calls.

(AP) – A group of 26 Meta employees has sued the company, claiming it used artificial intelligence systems to select people for layoffs, disproportionately targeting those on medical, parental or family leave.

They are among the 8,000 employees, or about 10% of its workforce, Meta said it would lay off in May. The lawsuit filed late Monday in federal court in Oakland, California, claims the company used internal AI systems, keystroke and activity-monitoring data, AI token-usage dashboards and algorithmically assisted performance rankings, among other methods, to determine who would be laid off.

Many of these scores and ratings “by design, cannot be accumulated by an employee who is on protected medical or family leave, or whose output is reduced by a disability,” the lawsuit says. Meta, according to the lawsuit, did not account for protected leave when taking employees’ scores into account and “did not pause the system for the individualized, leave- and accommodation-neutral review that the law requires.”

As a result, people on protected medical or family leave were disproportionately selected for layoffs, the lawsuit says. Each of the 26 anonymous employees in the lawsuit took protected leave and requested or received a reasonable accommodation for disability. Though they have been notified of their layoffs, all 26 remain employed by Meta, with separations set to begin July 22.

Many workers were on parental leave
Many of the employees in the lawsuit took pregnancy or parental leave, during which time they wouldn’t have worked and thus had their measured output reduced. Others took medical leave — one disclosed a “serious health condition and disability” that was approved by Meta’s own provider. But according to the lawsuit, he was “discouraged and deterred from taking that leave by a manager” who warned that doing so would result in his selection for the anticipated layoffs. Meta offered no accommodation for his disability, the lawsuit says.

Meta said in a statement that the claims “lack merit and are not based on facts. Workforce management and organizational decisions were and are made by people, not AI.”

About half the plaintiffs had taken leave for caregiving or pregnancy-related reasons. Eight are women who had taken maternity or pregnancy-related leave, four are men who had taken parental leave and one is a woman who had taken leave to care for a family member and later bereavement leave.

The lawsuit says the layoffs violated several state and federal laws, including the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

Lawsuit cites ‘disparate impact’
The complaint also references “disparate impact liability,” a longstanding civil rights concept that President Donald Trump’s administration moved to abandon. Disparate impact, codified in Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, holds that facially neutral policies or practices can be discriminatory if they disproportionately burden a protected class of workers and aren’t necessary for the job.

The Trump administration has ordered federal agencies to deprioritize disparate impact liability enforcement, arguing that its use undermines “meritocracy” and encourages the assumption that any racial or gender imbalance in a workforce is the result of discrimination. The order has led the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to drop discrimination cases on behalf of some workers.

However, the lawsuit against Meta underscores that companies remain vulnerable to disparate impact litigation in the age of AI despite the Trump administration’s efforts to stamp out its enforcement. Workers are still free to pursue such lawsuits on their own if the EEOC rejects their complaints, and several state laws specifically prohibit disparate impact discrimination.

In the case against Meta, lawyers for the plaintiffs argued that the company’s “algorithmically assisted selection process, by systematically recording such absences as reduced performance, falls more heavily on women than on men.” That’s because women disproportionately take pregnancy and caregiving leave, according to the lawyers. The lawsuit cites Title VII’s prohibition on employment practices that have a disparate impact, as well as a landmark 1971 Supreme Court ruling that recognized the doctrine.

The plaintiffs’ lawyers said in a statement that the lawsuit asks for one thing — preserving the status quo to keep the workers employed pending arbitration. That’s because “once these separations are final, the harms are irreversible: employer-subsidized health coverage lost during pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and active medical treatment; time-bound leave rights extinguished; unvested equity forfeited; and immigration consequences triggered.”

Senior officials in Transportation Minister Miri Regev’s office have reportedly been discussing ways to limit the number of flights arriving at Ben Gurion Airport ahead of Israel’s October 27 election in an effort to reduce the number of overseas voters returning to support parties opposed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Haaretz reported.

The discussions come as several nonpartisan initiatives are working to help Israelis living abroad return home to vote. According to the report, Regev’s associates believe many of those expected to take advantage of those efforts support parties opposed to Netanyahu and could number in the tens of thousands.

Among the ideas reportedly discussed are limiting or preventing charter flights from landing at Ben Gurion Airport. According to the report, Regev’s associates also cited the continued presence of U.S. military refueling aircraft at the airport, saying they occupy parking stands that could otherwise be used by other aircraft. Parking priority at Ben Gurion is given first to Israeli airlines, followed by foreign carriers and then charter flights, which are expected to be the primary means of bringing overseas Israelis back to vote.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The European Commission has ordered Meta Platforms to overhaul design features on Facebook and Instagram that it says are built to hook users, or face a fine that could run into billions of dollars — one of the European Union’s most aggressive regulatory moves yet against a U.S. technology company.

The Commission, the European Union’s executive arm, published preliminary findings on Friday, July 10, concluding that Meta is in breach of the Digital Services Act, the bloc’s sweeping rulebook governing the world’s largest online platforms. Regulators singled out features including infinite scrolling, autoplay video, push notifications, highly personalized recommendation feeds, Reels and Stories, arguing they work together to keep users engaged far longer than intended and encourage compulsive use.

According to the Commission, Meta failed to adequately assess the risks these design choices pose to users’ physical and mental well-being, particularly children, teenagers and other vulnerable users. Officials cited evidence showing young people spending extended periods on the company’s platforms late into the night and argued the products are engineered to maximize attention rather than user welfare.

At the center of the case is what European regulators describe as the “rabbit-hole effect.” Personalized algorithms continually serve content similar to what users have already watched or interacted with, drawing them into increasingly lengthy browsing sessions. The Commission argues this is not an unintended consequence but a structural feature deliberately built into Meta’s products.

While Meta offers screen-time controls and parental tools, European regulators concluded those safeguards are too easily ignored or overridden, leaving users exposed to engagement-focused defaults designed to encourage continuous scrolling.

The potential financial stakes are substantial.

If the Commission ultimately confirms its preliminary findings after Meta submits its formal response, the company could face fines of up to 6% of its total worldwide annual revenue under the Digital Services Act. Given Meta’s global size, that penalty could amount to several billions of dollars. The investigation has been underway for nearly two years.

Meta strongly disputed the findings.

A company spokesperson said the Commission’s conclusions fail to reflect the extensive measures Meta has implemented to protect younger users. The company pointed to its recently introduced Teen Accounts, which automatically apply stricter privacy settings, nighttime restrictions and parental controls intended to create a safer online experience for adolescents.

Meta said it shares regulators’ objective of protecting young users and will continue working with European officials as the investigation moves toward a final decision.

The European action arrives amid growing legal pressure in the United States as well.

In a U.S. court filing earlier this week, Meta disclosed that four states are seeking approximately $1.4 trillion in penalties in litigation alleging Facebook and Instagram were intentionally designed to addict young users while misleading families about the platforms’ safety. That lawsuit is part of broader nationwide social media litigation involving youth mental health, with additional trials expected later this year.

The European Commission has also opened a similar investigation into TikTok’s platform design and previously pursued enforcement actions involving X, formerly Twitter, underscoring the bloc’s broader effort to regulate how large technology companies compete for user attention.

For Meta, the regulatory threat extends well beyond potential financial penalties.

The features under scrutiny—including endless scrolling, autoplay video and personalized recommendation algorithms—form the core of the company’s advertising business. The more time users spend engaging with content, the more advertising Meta can deliver. Any requirement to redesign those systems in Europe could directly affect user engagement and advertising revenue across one of the company’s largest international markets.

More broadly, the case could establish an important global precedent.

If European regulators ultimately require Meta to redesign the fundamental architecture of Facebook and Instagram, other major technology companies may face similar demands, forcing social media platforms to balance growth strategies with increasing regulatory scrutiny over user well-being.

The Commission’s final decision is expected after reviewing Meta’s response in the coming weeks, with technology companies around the world watching closely as Europe continues defining the future boundaries of digital platform regulation.

JBizNews Desk | New York

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

photos: Avrumi Blum 

A Canadian restaurant franchisor and operator is planning to close between 45 and 50 Papa Murphy’s stores amid a tough competitive environment for the pizza chain.

Papa Murphy’s is known for its take-and-bake pizzas that customers can pick up at the store after placing a walk-in, call-in or online order and cook at home. The brand is owned by MTY Food Group, which operates some locations and franchises others.

 MTY Food Group CEO Eric Lefebvre said on an earnings call that “Papa Murphy’s, in such a competitive environment for pizza, is currently suffering a little bit more.”

He said that the company repossessed three clusters of stores that it believed it could put on better footing, but that 45 to 50 Papa Murphy’s locations will be closed after the move didn’t deliver the desired results.

“After nearly two years of efforts and some successful turnarounds in those markets, we came to the conclusion that these markets are probably not appropriate for Papa Murphy’s at this time, and we chose to close a lot of these stores in these locations,” Lefebvre explained.

Across MTY’s brands, the company is closing 68 underperforming corporate-owned stores that collectively lost over $10 million over the last 12 months with their performance “for the most part deteriorating.”

Lefebvre called the closures an “important step” that will be the “right long-term action for the business” despite the smaller store count in the near term.

He said that while there is a larger weight of Papa Murphy’s restaurants in the closures across the MTY portfolio, they “don’t account for the majority of the losses or of the costs of the stores we’re going to close. There are a certain number of other locations that will cost more and that will also draw bigger benefits.”

Lefebvre said the process of closing the locations will take “between six and nine months to complete, so we’re going to update the markets on where we’re at.”

“We have a first series of stores that are scheduled to close next week. And then we’re going to go systematically, and we don’t want to rush into any of these decisions and cause further damage.”

“We will do things in order to protect the staff, also, that’s in the store and take the time to negotiate properly with the landlords, handle all the distribution issues that might arise from closing a certain number of locations,” he added.

Lefebvre indicated there might be additional store closures or sales where it makes sense for the company, saying that “it’s not a fire sale, but we’re also in a process where we can reduce the corporate store portfolio.”

Dr. Rich Roberts: I asked my Rav if I may publish this. He told me that I am required, by the Torah, to publish this as widely as possible immediately and to follow it with additional publications.

On June 17, 2026, Ami Living magazine’s cover story was a highly false article about dangers of generic drugs. I have had extensive messaging with Ami Living about the falsehoods and wrote a retort for Ami Living to publish. I toned down my article per the request of Ami Living. However, the only retort that they agreed to publish was a very neutered version of my already muted article. I am providing the following to protect the frum community from unnecessary concern, cost, and potential unavailability of medication.

Please know that brand and generic manufacturers are required to fulfill the same FDA safety standards. FDA has deemed it illegal for a branded drug company to claim that their products are better than an FDA approved generic because they are both held to the SAME FDA quality standards.

First, I will list for you some of the false information in the Ami Living cover story. Then I will provide you with the article that I wrote for them. Lastly, I provide for you my credentials.

————————-

False information in the Ami Living cover story

1. The first eleven paragraphs of the Ami Living article told a heart-wrenching story about a girl with a lung transplant who died because her tacrolimus was changed from the brand to a generic. Ami Living wrote that the generic tacrolimus “…provided only half of the oxygen level she needed to survive”. But here are some problems with that statement.
   1. Tacrolimus does not provide oxygen. It does not carry oxygen. It affects the immune system to prevent transplanted organ rejection.
   2. Patient blood levels of tacrolimus are measured frequently in organ transplant patients to detect and correct low blood levels before damage is done to the patient. If the tacrolimus levels were allowed to stay below therapeutic levels then that is a problem with the medical team.
   3. The Indian generic did have a recall of tacrolimus since some half-strength capsules were mixed in bottles with full-strength capsules. But the brand company’s tacrolimus also had a recall with some capsules having NO tacrolimus at all. So it is illegitimate to condemn generics when the brand had an even worse problem.
2. The article claims that Indian generics have “…unleashed a slew of deaths…” globally.
   1. No proof is given. It’s just a slanderous claim.
   2. For Americans, the drugs that come into the US go through the FDA approval process and ongoing FDA inspections. What happens in Asia and Africa does not pertain to drugs made for the US.
   3. Don’t cases of “…a slew of deaths…” make the front pages of major news outlets as crises like an Ebola outbreak do or a mass poisoning would? How many deaths are “a slew”? How many lives were saved by these very poor countries getting drugs, even if a lower quality than the US, versus no drugs at all? Btw, I know that unregulated Asian drug manufacturers do send lower quality drugs to Asia and Africa versus the US. It’s a shame but how does that inform frum people, in the US, that they are at risk taking the FDA approved versions from FDA inspected manufacturing plants and therefore must buy much higher priced brand versions?
3. Ami Living writes that “…thousands of grievous medical conditions…are attributed to poor quality control…In one case, a cancer patient was given…” the wrong drug.
   1. No proof is given of these “thousands of grievous medical conditions”. It’s just slander.
   2. There are 300,000,000,000 generic tablets used in the US each year (Yes, 300 billion). Even if true, is one cited case sufficient to scare frum people into spending much more on the brand version of the drug? Mistakes in drug manufacturing do happen but they happen for brand and generic drugs.
4. Ami Living writes that “…the FDA…practically colludes with the companies that make (generic drugs)”. Wrong.
   1. I battled against FDA for 24 years. FDA is constantly trying to find the slightest excursions at drug companies and reporting them in extremely exaggerated fashion. I even documented FDA committing multiple frauds against our company in an attempt to shut us down (but that’s a story for another time). FDA does not “collude” with drug companies. FDA inspectors are motivated to find and write violations.
   2. For example, say that 10 tablets are checked for hardness every half hour throughout a 10 hour tableting run for one batch. If FDA examines 5000 tablet hardness measurements across many batches of product, and finds one tablet was slightly harder than it should have been, the FDA “Observation” reads like this – “The company does not always assure that the products are manufactured according to the FDA approved process”. This is not FDA collusion. This is FDA harassment.
   3. The FDA found a bacteria in an Abbott (one of the largest branded drug companies in the world) baby formula manufacturing plant. There were about a dozen cases of infants becoming ill with this bacteria. FDA shut down the plant causing a major worldwide infant formula shortage four years ago. But the bacteria was never found in the pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment. Furthermore, that particular bacteria is found everywhere. Genetic testing showed that the bacteria in the Abbott plant was a different strain than what infected the infants. But FDA had already shut down the plant, caused a worldwide shortage crisis, and stuck to its absolute standards without regard to the consequences. Kol vochomer, if FDA does that to one of the most powerful branded drug companies in the world then imagine what FDA does to generic companies. I don’t need to wonder. I lived it.
   4. An FDA employee was revealed to have been bribed by a drug company. That was 1989. Does that justify an allegation in 2026 of collusion between FDA and drug companies?
5. The Ami Living article says that “…irresponsibility mutated into the criminal, with the generic drug executives knowing exactly what kind of defects lurked in their drugs and then shipping them anyway”.
   1. Using GPT 5.5, in the last five years there was one case of a generic drug manufacturer using an unapproved source of the active raw material, which is a big violation in FDA regulations, but there was no deficiency in the product.
   2. In 2013, the Indian generic drug manufacturer Ranbaxy knowingly shipped defective drugs to the US. But they were caught by FDA and severely (and deservingly) punished. There were $500MM in fines, products from their key facilities were banned from import into the US, and the company was sold when it was near bankruptcy. This is hardly collusion between the FDA and a generic drug company. So yes, executives from one company knowing did those things 13 years ago and that company was slaughtered by FDA.
6. The Ami Living article stated 17 paragraphs into the story that “I do want to note that multitudinous mishaps also occur in the brand-name domain…Mistakes happen, but they occur much more frequently in the generics industry…”
   1. This is a perfect example of a slanderous statement. 90% of US drugs are made by generic manufacturers so 90% of the mistakes should be in generics. The statement that more mistakes happen in generics is misleading in the extreme.
   2. The same paragraph then states “…a single bad lot doesn’t meant (sic) that all of a company’s products are toxic…”. Toxic means poisonous. I have never heard of a generic company’s tablets or capsules being toxic.
7. The Ami Living article states that, in FDA’s attempt to avoid shortages, “…substandard generics have been able to slip into our drug supply…”. This just isn’t true. FDA creates many shortages by halting or interfering with production when FDA believes that it is justified on quality grounds. When shortages occur, FDA allows compounding pharmacy companies to make the corresponding drug products. But these are NOT FDA approved drugs. They are NOT generics. And FDA has been severely cracking down on the quality standards of compounding pharmacy companies so that the leading regulatory expert, in the area of compounding pharmacies, stated that there is no longer profit to be made due to the FDA required manufacturing quality systems.
8. The Ami Living article states that, to avoid shortages, FDA has to just “hope and pray that the pallets of drugs unpacked at the ports are pristine enough to pass muster”. This is such a ridiculous statement that I almost don’t know how to respond. FDA doesn’t “hope and pray”. FDA takes samples, chemically tests them, and performs inspections of manufacturing plants demanding incredibly high levels of quality systems. This is just a slanderous statement in the cover story.
9. I need to skip pages of this fallacious article because the inaccuracies are too many to address right now. But I’ll leave you with one more laughable, ridiculous statement from this Ami Living article. It says that “An FDA inspection, one would assume, surely includes the testing of the drugs themselves on-site…Defying belief, this is actually beyond their (the FDA inspectors’) purview!”. I am almost speechless by this comment. Testing drug samples requires large, sophisticated scientific equipment that is found in chemistry laboratories. Usually these include dissolution apparatuses and HPLC-Mass Spec machines. HPLC-Mass Spec machines typically cost about $500k to $1.5MM, require a nitrogen generator or gas cylinder, dedicated electrical circuits, laboratory ventilation, and typical chemistry lab chemicals and devices. FDA inspectors collect samples and transport those samples back to the FDA District Offices to be analyzed by chemists in the FDA’s chemistry laboratories. Criticizing FDA inspectors for not testing the drug samples, during the inspection of the drug manufacturing plant, is beyond description.

Now I will provide you with the watered-down article that I provided to Ami Living but which was still too strong for them.

————————

You have been misled about generic drugs. I am an expert in the area. I will give you the full truth, good and bad. The bottom line is that generic drugs are considered overwhelmingly safe and effective to use in the US by the FDA.

Telling stories, about individuals’ situations, is called anecdotal evidence. It is not reliable evidence when widespread facts are available. First year medical students are taught that anecdotal stories are not evidence. Scientists never use anecdotal evidence. That is why scientific studies are done which, in the world of drugs, are called clinical trials.

You were told a story about a lung transplant patient dying, because GENERIC tacrolimus “… provided only half of the oxygen level she needed to survive”, which missed a few critical points. First, tacrolimus does not provide oxygen. It’s an anti-organ-rejection medicine. Secondly, doctors regularly measure blood levels of this critical drug in transplant patients to catch low levels before someone gets injured. Lastly, the anecdotal story says that the generic manufacturer had a recall of this drug but failed to tell you that the recall was for some half-strength capsules whereas the brand also had a recall for some capsules with no drug in them at all! Oops! So the generic had an error but the branded company had an even worse error.

So here’s the truth about generic drugs. Generic drugs are approved through human studies to show that they deliver the active drug into the bloodstream of human beings at the same rate as the corresponding branded products do. All FDA approved drugs are listed in FDA’s Orange Book and generic equivalents are given an “AB” rating by FDA. This allows pharmacies to substitute a generic drug for a branded drug prescription thereby saving citizens enormous amounts of money.

But that’s where the next phase begins. After FDA approval, the company now starts making batches of drugs that are released to the public. The FDA approval was given by tens of thousands of pages of scientific information sent to FDA headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland to show that the generic is equivalent to the brand in people and the CMC section – Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls. This deals with the manufacturing machinery, procedures, chemistry testing, and assurance of quality.

But to oversee the actual manufacturing, that occurs for years thereafter, FDA has local offices of inspectors call District Offices around the country. These inspectors are frequently quite vicious in trying to write up violations. (I have documented FDA inspectors committing fraud in trying to shut down our company but that’s a story for a different time.)

In 2004, some of my Vice Presidents were telling me that Indian and Chinese tablet manufacturers were applying for FDA approvals to sell in the US. We would not be able to compete with companies that paid employees $25 per week and did not have to comply with labor or environmental laws. That’s when I started the process of transitioning our company into a drug discovery and drug delivery company.

The Indian companies started flooding the US with cheap generic tablets that we could not compete with. But I also realized that US companies live under the threat of criminal prosecution, if we would willingly violate FDA regulations, but the worst that the FDA could to do an Indian company was to prevent them from selling into the US. Additionally, we heard from FDA inspectors that they did not like going to India to do inspections. The travel, effort, and personal disruption was not desirable to them. We learned, through industry channels, that many Indian companies were cheating but there was nothing that we could do about it. It took years but eventually FDA at least partially caught up.

So how bad it is? Well, there are about 300 billion generic tablets and capsules sold in the US each year. If it is so terrible then where are the “bodies in the streets”? I don’t mean anecdotes. I mean where are the thousands of dying people that will register on the front pages of the news and in FDA’s surveillance systems? They don’t exist.

Recalls are part of the drug industry. The FDA is vicious in attacking US companies for quality. I have published videos on how the FDA caused a baby formula shortage, across the US, a few years ago based upon bacteria that were found at the Abbott (big branded company, not generic) baby formula manufacturing plant. However, genetic testing showed that the ANECDOTAL stories of babies getting sick from that bacteria were a different strain than what was in the plant but it was a strain that is found everywhere. Another example, for testing tablets for hardness, 100 tablets are typically tested for a 1 million tablet batch. Across many batches, if 5000 samples are tested and only one was accidentally missed as being a tiny bit too hard, then the FDA will write that “The company does not always assure that the product is manufactured according to the FDA approved process”. Vicious.

So here’s the truth:

1. Generic drugs are deemed by the FDA to be safe in the US.
2. If 90% of recalls occur in generics, and generics make 90% of the tablets, then that is to be expected.
3. Buying drugs from outside of FDA’s jurisdiction is dangerous because there is no way to know if you are getting the authentic pharmaceutical company manufactured drug or a counterfeit. We found one of our products being sold in Canada with our label on it but at a strength that we did not make.
4. Do not trust anecdotal (stories) evidence.
5. Do not be swayed by words like “massive” recalls when recalls are done by batch of product. So the recall of one batch could be 2 million tablets even though almost all such tablets are perfectly fine.
6. I can afford branded products. I take generics.

———————————–

Now, here are my credentials.

Dr. Richard (Kasriel) H. Roberts is a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Biophysics, educated at the University of Pennsylvania under the Medical Scientist Training Program scholarship from the National Institutes of Health and trained in Internal Medicine at Harvard. He was the President and CEO of a drug company for 24 years, URLPharma. Dr. Roberts lives in Lakewood, is active in helping and defending the frum community, and has no financial interests in the drug industry anymore beyond owning the S&P 500 index.

YWN regrets to inform you of the petira of HaRav Yosef Rabinowitz ZT”L, longtime Rav of Khal Zichron Aryeh Leib in Flatbush, where he served the kehillah for more than 40 years.

The levaya will take place today at 12:30 p.m. at 2915 Avenue J in Brooklyn. Special screens and speakers will be available for Kohanim at Rabbi Scheinkopf’s shul across the street.

The kevurah will follow at Beth David Cemetery, 300 Elmont Road, Elmont, NY.

Those unable to attend the levaya may watch the livestream at: http://zkstream.com/lryr.

Besuros Tovos.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is urging television networks not to broadcast President Donald Trump’s scheduled address Thursday night, arguing that media organizations should not give airtime to claims about election fraud that she says lack factual support.

Trump announced on Truth Social that he plans to deliver a speech at 9 p.m. Thursday but did not reveal what he intends to discuss. According to published reports, the president is expected to revisit his longstanding assertion that the 2020 presidential election was rigged and to argue that Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, both Democrats from Georgia, are “illegitimate” members of the Senate.

Ossoff and Warnock won Georgia’s two Senate runoff elections on Jan. 5, 2021, one day before the Capitol riot, giving Democrats control of the Senate. Warnock, who initially won a special election to complete the remainder of former Sen. Johnny Isakson’s term following his resignation, secured a full six-year term in 2022. Ossoff is seeking reelection this November.

On Tuesday, MeidasTouch reporter Pablo Manríquez spoke with Ocasio-Cortez outside the U.S. Capitol and asked for her reaction to the president’s upcoming remarks.

“He’s basically doing a made-for-TV broadcast about election fraud and conspiracy theories,” Manríquez said.

“I don’t think we should be contributing to the platforming of lies about our elections,” the congresswoman replied. “Many news outlets oftentimes may receive transcripts [in advance], and I think we have an ethical obligation not to air things that undermine our elections that are not rooted in evidence and in fact.”

AOC on Trump’s Thursday address: I don’t think we should be contributing to the platforming of lies about our elections. Many of these outlets often receive transcripts, and I think we have an ethical obligation not to air things that undermine our elections and are not rooted in… pic.twitter.com/MrHKjt2Waa

— Acyn (@Acyn) July 14, 2026

Following the 2020 election, Trump spent the next two months challenging the results and urging Republican officials in states won by Joe Biden to revisit or overturn their certified outcomes. He repeatedly questioned the integrity of the election, and some political analysts have argued that his continued focus on alleged election irregularities discouraged some Republican voters from participating in Georgia’s Senate runoff elections, helping Democrats capture both seats and take control of the chamber.

President Donald Trump signed a proclamation granting certain U.S. chemical manufacturing facilities a two-year exemption from the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2024 hazardous emissions rule, according to the proclamation and a White House fact sheet released Monday, July 13, 2026.

Although signed on July 9, the proclamation was made public four days later.

The action temporarily suspends compliance deadlines under what the chemical industry commonly refers to as the HON Rule—a sweeping set of EPA standards finalized on May 16, 2024, covering synthetic organic chemical manufacturing facilities as well as Group I and Group II polymers and resins producers.

Trump invoked Section 112(i)(4) of the Clean Air Act, a rarely used provision allowing a president to delay hazardous air pollutant compliance deadlines when doing so is determined to be necessary for national security.

How the Exemption Works

The proclamation applies only to facilities specifically listed in Annex I of the order.

For those plants, every compliance deadline contained in the 2024 EPA rule is postponed by two years from its original implementation date.

During the exemption period, affected facilities will instead remain subject to the emissions standards, monitoring requirements and reporting obligations that existed before the Biden administration finalized the 2024 regulations.

Facilities not included in the annex remain obligated to comply with the original EPA schedule.

Trump’s proclamation rests on two principal findings.

First, the administration argues that several technologies required to comply with the rule are not yet commercially available or sufficiently proven for widespread industrial deployment.

Second, the White House concluded that enforcing the rule on its current timetable would threaten U.S. national security by disrupting domestic production of critical industrial chemicals.

According to the proclamation, some required emissions-monitoring systems have not demonstrated reliable operation at commercial scale, while other compliance measures would require extensive capital investments without established technological pathways.

The White House’s Economic Argument

The administration argues the affected facilities manufacture chemicals essential to industries considered strategically important to the United States.

According to the White House fact sheet, products manufactured at the covered plants support:

• Semiconductor manufacturing
• Medical device sterilization
• Defense production
• Advanced manufacturing
• Critical infrastructure

Officials warned that forcing facilities offline to complete compliance upgrades could increase America’s dependence on foreign suppliers for semiconductor materials, reduce supplies of sterilized medical equipment and disrupt domestic production of industrial chemicals used throughout the manufacturing sector.

One chemical receiving particular attention is ethylene oxide.

While regulated because of health concerns, ethylene oxide also serves as a key feedstock used to manufacture antifreeze, polyester fibers, detergents and agricultural chemicals, while sterilizing a significant percentage of America’s medical devices.

An Extension of Earlier Relief

The latest proclamation expands upon similar action taken by the Trump administration in July 2025, when portions of the same EPA rule were temporarily delayed.

According to the Environmental Defense Fund, that earlier action exempted 53 petrochemical facilities, 39 medical sterilization plants, three coal-fired power stations, and eight taconite iron ore processing facilities.

Companies covered under the earlier exemptions included:

• The Dow Chemical Company
• SABIC Innovative Plastics
• Bakelite Synthetics
• Trinseo
• INEOS Americas
• Celanese Corporation
• Huntsman Petrochemical
• TotalEnergies Petrochemicals & Refining USA
• Indorama Ventures
• Denka Performance Elastomer
• Sasol Chemicals

Among the most closely watched cases has been Denka Performance Elastomer’s neoprene plant in LaPlace, Louisiana.

Parent company Denka previously disclosed losses totaling approximately $112 million, attributing much of the financial impact to compliance costs associated with federal emissions requirements.

Production at the facility has since been suspended indefinitely.

Industry Support and Legal Challenges

The American Chemistry Council, the nation’s largest chemical industry trade organization, welcomed the exemption.

The group argued that the administration recognizes chemical manufacturing as critical infrastructure and said the EPA’s rule would require billions of dollars in investments on timelines that many facilities cannot realistically meet.

Environmental organizations strongly disagree.

A coalition including the Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental Integrity Project, and the Environmental Justice Health Alliance, represented by Earthjustice, filed suit in October 2025 seeking to block the earlier exemptions.

The plaintiffs argue that many emissions-control technologies required under the rule are already commercially available and contend the administration lacks legal authority to broadly delay hazardous air pollutant protections affecting dozens of industrial facilities across 13 states.

According to EPA estimates, the 2024 HON Rule would reduce toxic air emissions by more than 6,200 tons annually while lowering cancer risks associated with chemical plant emissions by approximately 96% for nearby communities.

What Comes Next

The exemption provides more than temporary regulatory relief.

It also gives EPA additional time to reconsider the underlying rule itself.

The agency has already initiated a review of the Biden administration’s amendments, indicating it believes the 2012 emissions standards may already provide what the Clean Air Act describes as an “ample margin of safety.”

Should EPA ultimately revise or withdraw portions of the 2024 rule before the exemption expires, many of the delayed compliance deadlines could become unnecessary.

For chemical manufacturers, the immediate benefit is straightforward: two additional years before making potentially significant capital investments.

For environmental groups, it represents another legal battle over the federal government’s authority to suspend hazardous air pollution standards.

JBizNews Desk | Washington, D.C.

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

[Video below.] President Donald Trump suggested Tuesday that expanding pipeline infrastructure in Texas and Alaska could provide alternative routes for moving energy supplies as tensions with Iran continue to disrupt shipping through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

The remarks came as the United States carried out a fourth straight day of airstrikes against Iran. U.S. officials say the military action followed Iran’s alleged violation of the memorandum of understanding signed by Washington and Tehran last month. Iranian officials, however, contend that Article 5 of the agreement grants Iran authority to manage all maritime traffic through the critical waterway within its territorial waters. Although some commercial vessels have attempted to avoid Iranian-controlled waters by sailing along the Omani coastline, Iran struck several tankers last week, killing one crew member. In response, the United States reinstated its naval blockade of Iranian shipping in the Gulf of Oman while continuing its bombing campaign.

Despite the escalating conflict, Trump and other administration officials have maintained that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to international traffic.

During an interview Tuesday with Fox News Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst, the reporter pointed to a dramatic decline in maritime traffic through the waterway.

“Shipping data trackers indicate that just 10 vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday,” Yingst stated. “Less than 10% of what normally goes through this critical waterway. When you say the strait is open, what do you mean?”

Trump responded by insisting that access remains available to most countries while emphasizing that Iran itself is being blocked.

“It’s open if people want to go through it,” the president said. “We’re not opening it for Iran. That’s the only one it’s closed for. It’s closed for Iran both in and out. But it’s open now. A lot of things have happened, Trey, in the last few months. Pipelines are being built. We’re coming up with great alternatives, including Texas, including Alaska.”

Although Trump referenced domestic pipeline projects as potential alternatives, the United States is not controlling which commercial vessels may transit the Strait of Hormuz. Instead, the U.S. naval blockade is being enforced farther east in the Gulf of Oman, where Iranian vessels are being intercepted before reaching the strategic shipping lane.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

New York (VINNEWS/Rabbi Yair Hoffman) There is a bill in Congress called the Sunshine Protection Act. If it passes, the whole country would stay on daylight saving time all year long. The clocks would never change again.

In the summer, nothing would feel different. Summer would be exactly the way it is now.

Winter would be a different story. Winter sunsets would come an hour later, and that is exactly what the supporters of the bill want. But there is a second half to that trade. If the sun sets an hour later, it also rises an hour later. In most of the country, the sun would not come up until well after 8:00 AM. In some places it would be closer to 9:00 AM. That late sunrise is where all the objections come from.

The Orthodox Position: Two Arguments, One Cause

Rabbi A. D. Motzen is the national director of government affairs for Agudath Israel of America. He was recently quoted saying that the Orthodox Jewish objection has two parts. The first is safety — children walking to school and standing at bus stops in the dark. The second is religious practice. Both problems come from the same single fact: the late winter sunrise.

The safety worry is not new. It is the same worry that turned the public against permanent daylight saving time back in the 1970s. Parents of every background still raise it today.

The religious problem is more specific. Jewish law sets the earliest times that morning prayers may be said. Most of those times depend on sunrise. In general, services cannot start much before the sun comes up. So the rule is simple: the later the sun rises, the later services must start.

Now add up the pieces. Morning prayers take time. The commute to work takes time. If services cannot begin until after 8:00 AM, getting to work on time becomes very hard, and for many people impossible. The other outcome is just as bad. Shuls in the affected cities would have trouble finding ten men for a daily minyan at all.

This is not a new position. Agudath Israel, the Orthodox Union and the Rabbinical Council of America all raised these same concerns in 2022, right after the Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act. Motzen recently told Jewish Insider that the plan this year is the same one: explain the problem to members of Congress who simply do not know how Orthodox practice works. He said lawmakers have listened.

Agudath Israel is not pushing for permanent standard time either. Motzen is not asking Congress to pick his side. He is asking Congress to do its homework. If the clocks are going to be locked, he says, then policymakers should look carefully at what daylight saving time would do, compare it to what permanent standard time would do, and compare both to leaving things alone. What the observant Jewish community does not want is dark winter mornings created on purpose by a law.

The Orthodox objection rests on two time markers in Jewish law. Neither one is a custom. Neither one is a preference. Both are tied to where the sun actually is in the sky. That is the key point, and it is worth saying plainly: changing the clock does not move the sun.

Netz hachama means sunrise. It is the moment the top edge of the sun first appears over the eastern horizon. In Jewish law it is the anchor of the morning. It is the ideal moment to begin Shemoneh Esrei, the central prayer of Shacharis. A minyan that is timed so Shemoneh Esrei starts exactly at sunrise is called a vasikin minyan. The name comes from the Gemara in Berachos (9b), which praises the vasikin — the especially careful and pious Jews of earlier generations — for davening this way. Netz matters for other things too. It opens the window for mitzvos that belong to the daytime, and it closes the window for mitzvos that belong to the night.

Misheyakir means “from when he can recognize.” It is the earliest moment a person may put on tallis and tefillin. In a real bind, it is also the earliest one may daven Shacharis. The Mishnah (Berachos 9b) does not define it with a clock. It defines it with an eye test: there is enough light when a person can recognize someone he knows slightly from about four amos away, or tell the blue techeiles thread of his tzitzis apart from the white ones. Misheyakir comes after alos hashachar, the very first light of dawn, and before netz. In practice it works out to somewhere between 35 and 60 minutes before sunrise. The exact number depends on which custom a community follows and on how far north the city is.

So the morning runs in this order. First alos hashachar, the first light. Then misheyakir, when there is enough light to recognize a face, and tallis and tefillin become permitted. Then netz hachama, sunrise, the ideal moment for Shemoneh Esrei.

Now put a law on top of that order. If a statute pushes sunrise to 8:20 AM, misheyakir slides to about 7:45 and netz lands at 8:20. A man cannot put on tefillin before 7:45 and still catch a 7:30 train. The clock is something people invented. Netz and misheyakir are not.

The December Numbers

The effects land first on New York. About a million and a half Jews live here, the largest Jewish population anywhere outside Israel.

New York. In late December under permanent daylight saving time, the sun would rise around 8:20 AM and set around 5:33 PM. With netz at 8:20, misheyakir would fall near 7:45. A vasikin minyan would be starting Shemoneh Esrei after most of Manhattan was already at work. Candle lighting would move from about 4:11 PM to about 5:11 PM. The rough stretch would run from the middle of November to the end of January.

The cities below show something important. New York is not the worst case, and it is not where this bill came from.

Denver. Denver sits at 105°W, near the western edge of the Mountain time zone. That alone puts its clock about forty minutes behind the real position of the sun, before anyone touches daylight saving time. In late December the sun would come up around 8:20 AM — almost exactly the same as New York, but for a completely different reason. Farther west it gets worse, in Grand Junction and the towns near the Utah border. Sunset would be around 5:38 PM. A child at a 7:40 AM bus stop would be standing there in full darkness.

Miami and the Florida peninsula. Florida is where this bill started, and Florida is the exception. It sits far enough south that the seasons do not swing as hard. December sunrise would be around 8:07 AM and sunset around 6:35 PM. For the frum communities in Miami Beach, Boca Raton and Hollywood, this is the mildest version of the problem anywhere in the country.

California. Los Angeles would see sunrise around 7:59 AM and sunset around 5:48 PM. That is about twenty minutes earlier than New York, which means the Pico-Robertson and Valley kehillos would feel this less than the Five Towns would. San Francisco would see sunrise around 8:25 AM. Redding and Eureka would be closer to 8:35. The California legislature approved a ballot measure in 2018 that authorized the switch. Eight years have gone by and nothing has come of it.

The Bus Stop Question

The safety concern is not a guess. The country already ran this experiment, more than fifty years ago, in 1974.

Congress passed permanent daylight saving time that January, during the Arab oil embargo. About 79 percent of the public supported it. Within a few weeks, Florida reported eight schoolchildren killed in early-morning traffic.

Whether the law actually caused those deaths was argued about then and is still argued about now. A later review by the National Bureau of Standards found the statistics were weaker than the newspaper coverage had made them sound. But the political damage was immediate. Papers ran photographs of first-graders waiting at the curb under streetlights. The governor of Florida called for repeal. By October, public support had fallen to about 42 percent, and Congress repealed the law. The experiment lasted less than ten months.

Today’s research points in both directions at once. Dark mornings move the danger to the morning commute. Bright evenings reduce the danger during the evening commute — and the evening commute has always been the deadlier one, because there are more cars on the road, drivers are tired, and alcohol is more of a factor. Researchers at Rutgers and at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have argued that year-round daylight saving time would actually lower the total number of pedestrian deaths for exactly that reason.

But a total is only an average, and an average hides who pays. The danger does not disappear. It moves. It moves west, from the eastern edge of each time zone to the western edge. And it moves down in age, from adults driving home to children walking. Children in Denver, Redding and Indianapolis would carry the cost. Adults in Miami would collect the benefit.

The Halachic Consequences

For the Orthodox community, a sunrise at 8:20 AM is not an annoyance. It is a head-on collision with the workday.

Netz at 8:20 puts misheyakir near 7:45 and vasikin Shemoneh Esrei at 8:20. A man who has to be at a desk in Manhattan by 9:00 could not daven vasikin. He could not even put on tefillin at misheyakir and still make a 7:30 train.

That leaves him two choices, and neither is good. He can daven alone on the train. Or he can rely on the lenient opinions for alos hashachar, which the poskim allow when there is no other option but do not want anyone using as a regular practice. For roughly ten weeks every year, a large part of the community would be forced into the b’dieved — the fallback — by an act of Congress.

There is a way out, though, and the yeshivos are the ones who can build it.

The obvious move is to daven earlier. That move makes everything worse. A yeshiva davening at 7:15 AM under permanent daylight saving time in December would be davening before alos hashachar according to most opinions. The prayers would be too early to count.

The answer runs the other way: daven later, and put learning first.

Here is what that looks like. The building opens at 7:15 AM for a halacha seder — forty-five minutes on Mishnah Berurah, on hilchos tefillah, on the practical halachos that most bochurim pick up in pieces and almost never see taught in order. Shacharis follows at 8:15 or 8:20, right at netz, with tefillin at the proper zman and in daylight. First seder starts at 9:15.

That schedule is not just damage control. Look at what it produces:

• Davening at netz, which most mosdos want and few actually manage
• A daily halacha seder that many yeshivos have wanted for years and could never fit into the schedule
• Bochurim who arrive at davening awake, instead of rolling out of bed into it
• Elementary school students leaving the house in daylight, because school starts at 9:00

That last one deserves attention. It solves the bus-stop problem inside the community without waiting for Congress to do anything. A school that starts at 9:00 AM has no children standing at a bus stop at 7:30. Whatever happens to the national clock, a community still controls its own schedule.

The Erev Shabbos Ledger

Now the other side of the ledger, and it is the strongest argument the bill has.

Late-December candle lighting in New York would move from about 4:11 PM to about 5:11 PM. That extra hour would mostly end the mid-winter scramble of leaving the office at 2:45. Chanukah licht at 5:30 instead of 4:30 would mean fathers are home to light them. For working families this is not a small thing. It is fifty-two Fridays a year entered b’menucha, calmly, instead of under pressure.

So here is the full accounting. Fifty-two Erev Shabbosim gained. Roughly fifty winter mornings lost. The difference is that the mornings can be recovered by changing schedules. The Fridays cannot be recovered any other way.

The Legislative History

The Sunshine Protection Act passed the Senate on March 15, 2022, by unanimous consent. That procedure requires no debate, no roll call and no senator going on record. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida made the request. Nobody objected. The whole thing was over in under a minute.

Several senators later admitted they had not realized the vote was happening. Senator Tom Carper said he would have objected if he had known. A bill that would rearrange the daily schedule of 330 million people passed the Senate without a single word of discussion.

Then it went to the House and stopped cold. Representative Frank Pallone chaired the Energy and Commerce subcommittee that handles it, and he refused to move it forward. His reason was not that he liked the current system. His reason was that a hearing had convinced him Congress had not actually decided which direction it wanted to go. That objection has held in every Congress since. To be clear about the order of events, since coverage often gets it backwards: the bill passed the Senate, not the House. It has been reintroduced in the 118th and 119th Congresses and has not moved.

Right now the language is riding inside the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act of 2026. The House has not taken it up. Under the Sunshine Protection Act, any state that does not exempt itself before the law takes effect would be locked onto the time it currently observes between March and November. Hawaii and most of Arizona would likely stay exempt, since they already keep standard time all year.

Who Wants This

Supporters. Retail is out in front. The National Association of Convenience Stores has pushed to extend daylight saving time for decades, and its logic is simple. A driver heading home in daylight stops and buys something. A driver heading home in the dark just goes home. The golf industry has put a number on its interest: hundreds of millions of dollars for every extra month of evening light. The candy industry spent years pushing to extend daylight saving time past Halloween so trick-or-treating would happen in daylight and kids would collect more. That is not a rumor — it is a documented part of the legislative history of the 2005 Energy Policy Act, which extended daylight saving time by four weeks at industry request.

Opponents. The sleep medicine field, which wants permanent standard time and considers permanent daylight saving time the worst of the three choices. Farmers, quietly — they work by the sun no matter what the clock says, but rural districts worry about long, dark bus routes. The airlines, which do not want their international schedules scrambled. And parents, who have no lobby and have never needed one. The 1974 reversal was not organized by anybody. It took nine months.

The Half-Hour Proposal

There is another bill floating around this year. It would make “half-daylight saving time” permanent. Instead of moving sunrise and sunset a full hour later in the winter, the Daylight Act of 2026 would move the clocks forward by thirty minutes and then leave them alone forever.

Agudath Israel does not support that one either. Motzen’s objection is practical rather than religious: it would make time zones even more confusing than they already are.

The Impasse

Congress has exactly three choices. Keep switching twice a year. Lock the clocks on daylight saving time. Or lock them on standard time.

Here is the trap. Most people agree the switching should stop. But the group that wants it to stop cannot agree on where to stop. Business wants daylight saving time. The medical world wants standard time. Neither side can put together a majority. So the switching continues by default — and switching is the one outcome that nobody is actually asking for.

The structure of the law makes it worse. Under the Uniform Time Act, a state is allowed to opt out of daylight saving time on its own, which is what Arizona and Hawaii did. But a state may not adopt daylight saving time permanently without Congress approving it first. Nineteen states have already passed laws making daylight saving time permanent, all of them waiting on Congress. That is a lot of pressure with nowhere to go, which explains both why this issue keeps coming back and why it never gets settled.

The West Coast is another wall. California, Oregon and Washington have each looked at permanent daylight saving time and each said no. The reason is the arithmetic. A December sunrise in Seattle under daylight saving time would land near 9:00 AM. No Washington State delegation is going to vote to send children to school in that. And without the West Coast, supporters cannot reach the sixty votes they need in the Senate.

Prospects. The most likely thing to break the deadlock is an energy crisis. That is what produced the 1974 law, and it is the only force that has ever pushed past the objections. A presidential push is also possible. The issue does not split along party lines at all, which in this Congress makes it either uniquely easy to pass or completely orphaned. The third possibility is a compromise nobody has bothered to write: permanent daylight saving time paired with a federal requirement that school start times move to match. That single amendment would erase the bus-stop objection, split the sleep researchers, and still hand retail the evenings it wants. It has been sitting there for four years without a sponsor.

Assessment

The bill is sold on June and paid for in December. The cost does not fall evenly. It falls on children at the western edge of each time zone, and on people whose obligations are set by the sun instead of by the clock.

The Orthodox community is in that second group by definition. That is exactly why Agudath Israel is asking for careful thought rather than for a particular answer. Weigh the options honestly, and do not create dark winter mornings by accident.

The yeshivos, for their part, are left with something better than a complaint. They are left with a plan. Halacha seder at 7:15, Shacharis at netz, first seder at 9:15 — a schedule better than what most mosdos run right now, arrived at for a reason that has nothing to do with davening. Any institution that prepares for it will end up davening vasikin as a matter of routine.

And if the bill never passes — which fifty-two years of legislative history suggests is the more likely outcome — the halacha seder is still worth having.

Israel has lifted restrictions on U.S. military refueling aircraft operating from Ben Gurion Airport following strong objections from American officials, according to a report by Kan 11.

The reversal came Wednesday morning, when the Israel Airports Authority instructed air traffic control units to once again permit the landing of U.S. Air Force refueling aircraft at Ben Gurion.

The decision reportedly overrides an earlier directive from Transportation Minister Miri Regev, who had sought to prohibit the aircraft from using the airport due to concerns that they would occupy parking space needed for increased civilian air traffic during the busy summer travel season.

According to the report, senior officials from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) raised the issue with top IDF and Israeli defense officials after learning of the restriction. American officials reportedly warned that limiting access for the refueling aircraft could negatively impact the operational readiness of U.S. forces in the region amid the ongoing escalation with Iran.

Sources familiar with the discussions said U.S. officials viewed the aircraft as a critical component of America’s regional deterrence and defense posture.

A senior Israeli military official told Ynet that the American request was justified, calling the refueling aircraft “a strategic asset” and an integral part of the joint U.S.-Israel military posture against Iran.

“The operational importance of allowing them to function under the conditions set by the Americans is clear,” the official said.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

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Frontier Airlines said Tuesday it will bring SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet to its planes starting in early 2027, ending its long holdout on in-flight Wi-Fi and marking one of the largest connectivity deals yet for Elon Musk’s rocket-and-satellite company.

According to a statement from the airline’s Denver headquarters, Frontier, which trades on the Nasdaq under the ticker ULCC, expects its first Starlink-equipped aircraft to enter service in early 2027. The airline said it plans to become the first U.S. carrier to offer passengers access through Starlink’s new managed connectivity platform, providing high-speed, low-latency internet capable of HD streaming, online gaming and productivity from gate to gate.

Chief Executive Jimmy Dempsey said the airline continues investing in products and services that matter most to customers while maintaining its low-fare strategy. He described reliable onboard connectivity as another step toward improving the overall travel experience for Frontier passengers.

The agreement stretches well beyond Frontier itself. Through airlines backed by private equity firm Indigo Partners — including Frontier Airlines, Wizz Air, Volaris, JetSMART and Cebu Pacific — Starlink service is expected to be installed on more than 1,000 aircraft, making it one of the largest airline connectivity commitments announced to date.

Bill Franke, Managing Partner of Indigo Partners, said the agreement will allow the group’s airlines to provide dependable high-speed internet across their combined fleets while enhancing the customer experience. Frontier currently operates approximately 175 aircraft and has roughly 150 additional Airbus aircraft on order, giving the airline significant room for future expansion.

The move represents a notable strategic shift for Frontier.

For years, the ultra-low-cost carrier resisted installing onboard Wi-Fi, with former Chief Executive Barry Biffle frequently citing equipment weight, fuel consumption and installation costs as reasons the investment did not fit Frontier’s business model. The economics of satellite connectivity, however, have changed dramatically as Starlink’s low-Earth-orbit network has demonstrated faster speeds, lower latency and lighter equipment than many earlier systems.

The Starlink rollout also forms part of Frontier’s broader effort to attract higher-spending travelers. In recent months the airline has announced plans to introduce first-class seating, enhance its loyalty program and offer additional premium travel options as competition intensifies among low-cost carriers.

Industry analysts note that while ultra-low-cost airlines built their reputations around offering the cheapest fares possible, ancillary revenue has become increasingly important. Premium seating, loyalty memberships, baggage fees and onboard services now generate substantial portions of airline profits, making reliable high-speed internet another valuable product that carriers can monetize.

One unanswered question remains pricing.

Until recently, airlines adopting Starlink generally offered the service free to passengers, with SpaceX reportedly encouraging carriers to bundle connectivity into the overall travel experience rather than charging separately. That approach changed when Copa Airlines introduced paid access for certain travelers through Starlink’s new Managed Services platform.

Frontier has not yet disclosed whether Starlink internet will be complimentary, included for elite loyalty members or sold as a premium add-on. The airline said additional details will be announced closer to the system’s launch.

The agreement further strengthens Starlink’s rapidly expanding presence in commercial aviation.

Earlier this year American Airlines announced plans to install Starlink across more than 500 Airbus narrow-body aircraft beginning in 2027. United Airlines and Southwest Airlines have also committed to the satellite internet service, while Delta Air Lines selected Amazon’s competing satellite connectivity platform.

Industry estimates indicate Starlink has now secured commitments from roughly 40 to 50 airlines worldwide, positioning the satellite network as one of the dominant providers of next-generation in-flight connectivity.

For SpaceX, each airline agreement provides recurring subscription revenue through its Starlink division while expanding another fast-growing commercial business beyond launch services and government contracts. Analysts have increasingly viewed Starlink as a major long-term earnings driver because airline, maritime and enterprise customers provide stable recurring cash flow.

For travelers, the announcement promises significantly faster internet service on a carrier long associated with basic, no-frills flying. For Frontier, it represents another step toward balancing its low-cost identity with premium features designed to generate higher-margin revenue in an increasingly competitive airline industry.

As passenger expectations continue evolving, airlines increasingly view onboard connectivity not as a luxury but as an essential part of the travel experience. Frontier’s decision signals that even the nation’s largest ultra-low-cost carriers believe fast, reliable internet has become a competitive necessity rather than an optional amenity.

JBizNews Desk | New York

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First responders from across Ocean County participated Tuesday in the county’s annual large-scale mass casualty incident (MCI) exercise at the Ocean County Fairgrounds, helping prepare for emergencies ahead of the opening of the 2026 Ocean County Fair.

This year’s exercise, organized by the Ocean County EMS Coordinators in partnership with the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center and the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, with the support of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners, simulated a vehicle ramming incident that escalated into an active shooter scenario, with 25 victims requiring triage, treatment, and transport. The realistic drill allowed responders to test emergency plans and coordination during a complex, fast-moving incident at a major public event.

During the exercise, crews established triage, treatment, and transport areas while operating under the Incident Command System (ICS), strengthening interagency communication, coordination, and operational effectiveness.

Deputy EMS Coordinator Motty Twerski told TLS that the annual exercise provides an opportunity to evaluate emergency response plans, identify strengths, and improve procedures in a controlled environment, ensuring first responders remain prepared to protect the public during real emergencies.

Participating agencies included the Ocean County EMS Coordinators, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Communications (911), Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, Ocean County Fire Coordinators, Ocean County Fire Marshals FMBA Local 98, Manchester Division of Emergency Services, Point Pleasant Borough Office of Emergency Management, Lakewood Township EMS, Lakewood First Aid, Island Heights Volunteer First Aid Squad, Berkeley Township, South Toms River EMS, Jackson Township EMS, and Hatzolah of Central Jersey.

Officials also thanked the Ocean County Fair Association for allowing the use of the fairgrounds for the exercise, as well as the many volunteers, role players, evaluators, and exercise staff whose efforts helped make the training event a success.

JPMorgan Chase Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon is validating the growing frustration of working-class Americans, admitting in a recent interview that he completely understands why many have grown “anti-rich.”

The Wall Street billionaire argued that decades of ineffective public policies have left lower-income families behind in struggling rural areas and inner cities, forcing them to navigate failing schools and rising crime while wealthy elites remain insulated from those problems.

“The anti-rich thing has been around a long time, and I do understand it because I think, separate the two pieces, the piece that’s really important is that we have, in fact, left the lower-income folks behind,” Dimon told Axios. “And I remind people who are well off that they don’t worry about their schools. They don’t live in crime-ridden neighborhoods. So if you are making less income in your poor rural area or an inner-city area, your schools aren’t good. You go to crime-ridden neighborhoods – more divorce, less jobs, all the things that, yeah, it’s becoming de-generational. So let’s acknowledge it and fix it.”

“All of us, Democrats, including unions, Republicans should say, ‘That shouldn’t happen that way.’ And the policies that created that were both Democrat and Republican. All of those policies did not work in the inner cities,” he continued.

“If you were the average citizen here and you say, ‘These wealthy people are getting unbelievably wealthy, and this segment has been left behind,’ that’s kind of annoying. Now, if we look at America in truth from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s to 2020s, Americans have been doing much better, including the lower income.”

Data from the Federal Reserve’s Distributional Financial Accounts highlight a highly concentrated wealth distribution in the United States. The bottom 50% of households hold a combined $4.27 trillion of the nation’s roughly $174 trillion in household wealth.

In contrast, the top 0.1% of ultra-wealthy individuals command about $25.07 trillion, while those in the 99th through 99.9th percentiles own just under $30 trillion.

“I’ve been complaining a little bit about, I’ve just been speaking about, the fraying of the American Dream for years. And I think you have to acknowledge that there’s a flaw. And it’s more for the lower-paid individuals in America,” Dimon said.

“We asked our team… What more can JPMorgan do?” Dimon detailed the “Vital Institutions” initiative, which directs capital, banking and philanthropic support to organizations like hospitals, universities and local governments to boost low-to-moderate-income communities.

“Economic strength is somewhat predicated, affected – it’s life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and equal opportunity. So if you wanna have an equal opportunity country, you need to do some of these things to give people more opportunity,” he said.

Can a Jew stop a non-Jew driving on Shabbos and ask him to turn on an air conditioner? Is it permissible to ride in an elevator with a non-Jew? And may a non-Jew open an electronically locked hotel room door on Shabbos? These were among the practical halachah questions addressed by Rav Ofir Malka during his Israeli radio program Halachah Lemaaseh.

One listener described living in a predominantly non-Jewish neighborhood and asked whether, because of the intense heat, he could stop a passing non-Jewish driver on Shabbos and have him turn on the air conditioner in his home.

Rav Malka ruled that doing so is prohibited.

“You are hinting to a non-Jew to perform melachah with his own possessions for your benefit—that is forbidden,” the Rav said.

He explained that stopping the vehicle itself causes the non-Jew to perform additional melachos on behalf of the Jew.

“The moment he stops the car, he presses the brake, and then when he starts driving again, that is another melachah. It’s all because of you,” the Rav explained.

Another question involved hotels outside of Israel where guest rooms are accessed using electronic key cards. The caller asked whether it would be permissible to arrange in advance for a non-Jew to accompany him in the elevator and open the hotel room door for him.

Rav Malka responded that there is “absolutely no permission to ride in an elevator with a non-Jew under any circumstances,” explaining that even if the non-Jew operates the elevator, the Jew’s own use of the elevator activates various electrical systems.

The Rav elaborated that entering and exiting the elevator interrupts the light beam in the doorway, increases the electrical current, and, most significantly, activates the elevator’s digital weighing system, which adjusts the elevator’s operation based on the weight of its passengers.

“All of that is done by the Jew himself. It has nothing to do with the non-Jew—it is chilul Shabbos without even realizing it,” he emphasized. For that reason, he said, the presence of a non-Jew does not make riding the elevator permissible.

Regarding electronic hotel room doors, Rav Malka explained that if there is a significant and genuine need, it is permissible to ask a non-Jew to open the door.

Ideally, however, he advised guests to prepare before Shabbos by leaving the door latch disengaged so that the room can be entered without using the electronic lock. Only if someone is stranded without any other practical option may he ask a non-Jew to open the door in a case of substantial need.

{Matzav.com}

NEW YORK (AP) — A lead U.S. negotiator for the release of hundreds of people captured by Hamas during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel will have a book out this fall.

The Penguin Random House imprint Crown has scheduled Brett McGurk’s “Brink: Inside the Race to Free the October 7 Hostages” for Oct. 6, nearly three years to the day after the deadly Hamas siege that left more than 1,000 people dead and more than 200 taken captive.

McGurk, 53, is a longtime Middle East adviser and diplomat who had already served under three presidents when he was appointed by President Joe Biden in 2023 to oversee hostage talks between Israel and Hamas. According to Crown, McGurk will describe his frantic efforts to balance the competing and seemingly intractable demands of the two sides, traveling worldwide in pursuit of an agreement.

“On October 7, Hamas unleashed a devastating war and the largest hostage crisis in modern history,” McGurk said in a statement released Wednesday by Crown. “I wrote ‘Brink’ to bring readers inside the rooms as events unfolded in real time — from the Situation Room with hundreds of missiles in the air, to compounds across the Middle East where diplomacy teetered between breakthrough and collapse.”

According to Crown, McGurk will also disclose details of a near-deal before Oct. 7 that would have normalized relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia and will remember his unlikely alliance with President Donald Trump appointee Steve Witkoff as they handled talks during the transition time between the administrations of Biden, a Democrat, and Trump, a Republican. The remaining surviving hostages were freed in October 2025.

“’Brink’ details the bipartisan front they forged when it mattered most, ultimately securing a deal that would save lives,” the publisher’s announcement reads in part.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday, July 14, that its Trade Fraud Task Force has surpassed $1 billion in civil and criminal recoveries, penalties, forfeitures and publicly charged losses less than one year after its launch.

The announcement was made in Chicago by Colin McDonald, Assistant Attorney General for the Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, alongside officials from the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.

McDonald said companies have long viewed customs fraud as little more than a cost of doing business, but warned that federal authorities now intend to treat trade fraud as a major economic crime.

Created as Tariffs Expanded

The Trade Fraud Task Force was established jointly by the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security in August 2025, shortly after President Donald Trump’s delayed tariff program took effect, with duties reaching as high as 50% on imports from certain countries.

Its mission extends across the entire supply chain, targeting importers, customs brokers, distributors, manufacturers, commercial end-users and anyone who knowingly profits from illegally imported merchandise.

Breaking Down the $1 Billion

The headline figure includes several different categories.

It combines money recovered through criminal prosecutions and civil enforcement actions—including settlements, penalties, restitution and asset forfeitures—with financial losses alleged in pending criminal cases.

Approximately $150 million of the total remains tied to cases that have not yet been resolved, meaning the vast majority of the announced amount already reflects completed enforcement actions.

The largest single recovery remains the $549.5 million settlement reached in May with Perfectus Aluminum and affiliated companies.

Federal prosecutors alleged the companies falsely declared more than 2.2 million Chinese aluminum extrusions as finished aluminum pallets between 2011 and 2014 in order to evade antidumping and countervailing duties.

Other major enforcement actions include:

• A $54.4 million settlement involving imported tungsten carbide products from China.
• An $8 million criminal case involving defective imported air conditioners linked to more than 40 residential fires and one reported death.

New Chicago Cases Push Total Higher

Officials also announced two new criminal indictments Tuesday involving imported gold jewelry.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, now serving as the task force’s lead prosecutorial partner, charged Raj Kohli and Veena Kohli, operators of Surya International, with allegedly falsely declaring imported gold jewelry as originating from Singapore rather than India and the United Arab Emirates.

According to prosecutors, the scheme involved approximately 563 import entries between August 2020 and May 2024 covering jewelry valued at more than $693 million while allegedly avoiding more than $38 million in customs duties.

A second indictment charges Narain Gulabani, owner of Barkha Wholesale in Naperville, Illinois.

Federal prosecutors allege Gulabani falsely declared jewelry imported between 2016 and 2021 as manufactured in Oman or Singapore rather than its true country of origin.

Authorities say the case involves 242 shipments worth more than $240 million and approximately $13.6 million in unpaid duties.

A Permanent Enforcement Unit

Beyond the financial milestone, DOJ announced two major structural changes.

The department is creating a permanent Global Trade & Commerce Enforcement Section within its National Fraud Enforcement Division to focus exclusively on criminal import and customs fraud investigations.

DOJ and DHS also jointly released A Resource Guide to Trade Fraud Enforcement, described as the first comprehensive federal guide explaining customs enforcement priorities, civil and criminal liability, voluntary disclosure procedures and regulatory expectations for importers.

Aris Kourkoumelis, DHS Assistant Secretary for Trade and Economic Security, said the guide is intended to provide businesses with greater transparency regarding how trade fraud investigations are conducted.

Growing Enforcement Powers

Officials emphasized that a single customs violation can now trigger multiple forms of enforcement simultaneously.

Companies may face:

• Criminal prosecution
• Civil False Claims Act litigation
• Customs duty collection
• Asset seizures
• Whistleblower actions

The government also highlighted expanded reporting channels allowing domestic manufacturers, employees and competitors to report suspected customs fraud.

Current enforcement priorities include:

• Evasion of Section 301 tariffs
• Antidumping and countervailing duty violations
• Forced labor imports
• Products posing public health or public safety risks

Displayed during Tuesday’s press conference were illegal vaping products seized during an $80 million enforcement operation and drones prosecutors allege were manufactured using forced labor.

Separately, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported assessing more than $2.1 billion in commercial trade penalties during the current fiscal year while debarring 35 companies from doing business with the federal government.

Why Businesses Should Pay Attention

Federal officials made clear that enforcement is no longer focused solely on import paperwork.

Companies that ignore supplier warning signs or knowingly rely on inaccurate country-of-origin declarations may now face criminal exposure alongside civil penalties.

For importers, manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors, customs compliance has become significantly more consequential as tariff rates rise and federal enforcement resources expand.

McDonald’s message to businesses was direct: companies that overlook suspicious sourcing practices to protect profit margins should expect greater accountability.

For businesses importing goods into the United States, the country-of-origin declaration is no longer simply a customs form—it has become a potential criminal liability.

JBizNews Desk | Chicago

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Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly lost confidence in former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad months before his regime collapsed and even explored the possibility of replacing him with his wife, Asma al-Assad, according to a new investigative report published by the British newspaper The Observer.

The report paints an unusual picture of the relationship between Putin and Assad during the final months of the Syrian regime. According to the investigation, as Assad’s government weakened in the months leading up to its collapse in December 2024, the Kremlin considered installing Asma al-Assad as Syria’s new leader after concluding that her husband was no longer capable of effectively governing the country.

Citing multiple sources, The Observer reported that Asma al-Assad, who was born in Britain and previously worked as an investment banker, had long played a far more influential role than that of a ceremonial first lady. According to the report, she became a central figure in decision-making within the presidential palace and exercised significant control over the regime’s economic power centers. Business leaders who refused to cooperate with her associates allegedly faced tax investigations, sanctions, and the closure of their companies. Her extensive involvement in running the country reportedly drew criticism over the years from senior regime officials, intelligence figures, and members of Syria’s business community.

The investigation further claims that Putin personally raised the idea with Bashar al-Assad of transferring power to his wife. However, the Syrian leader reportedly rejected the proposal outright. When rebel forces launched the offensive that ultimately brought down the regime in December 2024, Russia refrained from mounting any significant military intervention. Assad fled to Moscow on December 8, where he has remained under political asylum ever since, while international arrest warrants against him remain outstanding.

According to the report, Asma al-Assad had already left Syria in August 2024 to receive medical treatment in Russia. Since then, she has reportedly traveled between Dubai and other international destinations. Although she is barred from entering Britain and European Union member states, the report claims she spends considerable time in Dubai, where the Assad family owns luxury properties.

{Matzav.com}

The National Security Agency is warning that Russian government-backed hackers continue targeting internet routers used by businesses and critical infrastructure, urging organizations to shore up basic network security to reduce the risk of cyber intrusions.

In a joint cybersecurity advisory released Monday, the NSA, FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and nearly 20 allied cybersecurity agencies said cyber actors linked to Russia’s Federal Security Service, or FSB, have spent years exploiting vulnerable or poorly configured networking devices to gain access to sensitive networks.

The advisory said organizations in the financial services, energy, communications, healthcare, government and defense industrial base sectors have been affected. Officials said those industries play a critical role in the U.S. economy.

Rather than launching disruptive attacks immediately, the hackers often scan the internet looking for outdated or improperly secured routers, then quietly copy device configuration files that can contain administrator credentials, network layouts and other information useful for gaining deeper access into an organization’s systems, according to the advisory.

Officials said the campaign frequently relies on poor “router hygiene” – basic security practices such as keeping router software up to date, replacing default passwords with strong, unique credentials and disabling unnecessary remote management features.

Officials said many of the attacks can be prevented by following a handful of basic cybersecurity practices, including updating router software and firmware to patch known vulnerabilities, using stronger authentication methods, restricting access to network management tools and replacing legacy security settings with more modern protections.

The advisory builds on an earlier FBI warning about Russian cyber activity targeting networking devices, saying the campaign has persisted for more than a decade and continues to threaten critical infrastructure worldwide. Officials said the same defensive measures can also help protect organizations against similar tactics used by other sophisticated hacking groups.

Cybersecurity researchers have tracked Russian activity under several names over the years, including “Dragonfly,” “Energetic Bear” and “Ghost Blizzard,” though different security firms use different naming conventions for the same threat actors.

The warning was issued jointly by the NSA, FBI, CISA, the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center and cybersecurity agencies from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and numerous European allies, underscoring what officials described as an ongoing threat to organizations that rely on internet-connected networking equipment.

The American housing market delivered a familiar and frustrating message last week: homes have never cost more, and fewer people are buying them. The National Association of Realtors reported Thursday that existing-home sales fell 2.4% in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.09 million, even as the median price for a previously owned home climbed to a record $440,600. It was the 36th straight month of year-over-year price gains, leaving would-be buyers squeezed between rising home prices and mortgage rates that remain stubbornly high.

The June decline reversed a five-month high reached in May and came in below the roughly 4.20 million pace economists had expected. Still, sales were 2.8% higher than June 2025, suggesting the market has stabilized at relatively low levels rather than entering a sharp downturn.

“The back-and-forth in monthly home sales activity, driven by mild fluctuations in mortgage rates, shows how sensitive home buyers are to affordability conditions,” said Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at the National Association of Realtors.

Borrowing costs remain the market’s biggest obstacle. The average 30-year fixed mortgage stood at 6.49% during June, according to Freddie Mac. While slightly below last year’s level, mortgage rates remain high enough to significantly increase monthly payments compared with just a few years ago. June sales largely reflect buyers who locked in financing during April and May, when rates moved higher.

The record median sales price creates two very different realities. Existing homeowners continue building wealth as home values appreciate, while first-time buyers face increasingly difficult affordability challenges.

“Is this good news, like the stock market, or bad news, like grocery prices?” Yun asked while discussing the record price. “It’s good news for existing homeowners because it builds housing wealth, but it’s difficult news for first-time buyers and renters trying to purchase their first home.”

The typical homeowner is expected to gain roughly $16,000 in housing wealth this year if current price trends continue.

Limited inventory continues to drive the imbalance. At the end of June, there were 1.56 million homes available for sale nationwide—only slightly higher than one year ago. Yun argues inventory needs to increase 30% to 40% before affordability meaningfully improves.

“Without consistent gains in inventory, home prices can continue accelerating,” Yun said. “It’s critical to introduce more supply to widen the opportunity for homeownership.”

Housing supply stood at 4.6 months, still below the five-to-six-month level generally considered a balanced market. That continues giving sellers an advantage despite slower sales activity.

There were modest signs of improvement for first-time buyers. They accounted for 33% of June transactions, up from 30% a year earlier, although still below the roughly 40% share considered healthy historically. All-cash purchases also declined to 25% of sales from 29% a year ago, suggesting investor activity may be easing.

The housing slowdown extends well beyond real estate. Every home sale typically generates additional spending on furniture, appliances, home improvements, moving services, insurance, and mortgage financing. When transactions slow, retailers, contractors, and financial institutions all feel the effects.

Looking ahead, the National Association of Realtors expects modest improvement during the second half of the year if inventory gradually expands. The organization forecasts both existing-home sales and home prices will rise about 4% during 2026, assuming mortgage rates remain near current levels.

Whether buyers receive meaningful relief will largely depend on interest rates. With the Federal Reserve maintaining a cautious stance and global energy prices rising again, mortgage rates could remain elevated longer than many prospective homeowners had hoped. Until affordability improves, the housing market appears likely to remain stuck in its current pattern: record prices, limited inventory, and fewer completed sales.

JBizNews Desk | New York
© JBizNews.com All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two human rights groups say Trump administration sanctions imposed on the International Criminal Court over its investigations of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza have illegally impeded their ability to advocate for Palestinians.

The organizations say in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that they have been forced to censor their own advocacy work to avoid scrutiny from the White House, which in an executive order last year not only targeted the Hague-based criminal court but prohibited providing or receiving services to or from entities that have been sanctioned.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Manhattan against top administration officials by DAWN and Taxpayers Alliance Against Genocide, seeks a court order that would strike down the restrictions on their advocacy and their ability to interact with Palestinian human rights groups and other sanctioned parties.

“The Trump administration is using the blunt instrument of economic sanctions not only to punish human rights defenders but to police the political expressions of millions of Americans,” said Omar Shakir, the executive director of DAWN, a U.S.-based group advocating for democracy and human rights in the Arab world that was founded by Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed in 2018.

“The government is violating the constitutional rights of American citizens in order to shield officials of a foreign government who have committed a genocide,” he said in a statement.

The White House did not immediately return an email seeking comment on the lawsuit.

The Hague-based ICC has been investigating allegations of war crimes in Gaza during the war that began after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. A panel of judges issued arrest warrants in 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant. Netanyahu has called the warrants “absurd.”

The U.S. and Israel are not among the court’s members, and neither nation recognizes its authority.

In response to the arrest warrants, President Donald Trump, a Republican, issued an executive order last year that accused the ICC of engaging in “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel” and warned of “tangible and significant consequences” on those responsible for the ICC’s “transgressions.”

The U.S. over the last year has slapped sanctions on Palestinian human rights groups, a series of ICC judges and staffers — including the court’s former chief prosecutor — and Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza. Her family sued in February, saying the penalties violated the First Amendment.

Already, the lawsuit says, DAWN has halted work on submissions to the ICC about Israel’s conduct during the war, stopped exchanging evidence and legal analysis with sanctioned non-government organizations and abstained from collaborating with them on advocacy campaigns. It has also been forced to “discontinue its professional engagements with Albanese.”

“The chilling effect on Plaintiffs has been profound,” the lawsuit states. “They now face prison terms and ruinous fines if, in their interactions with the designated parties, they provide or receive anything that Defendants could plausibly characterize as a ‘service’— an extraordinarily capacious term that potentially reaches any act that confers a benefit on its recipient. Fearing liability, Plaintiffs — and countless others like them —have turned to self-censorship.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is among the defendants in the lawsuit, denounced the court as recently as this week, pledging in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece that Trump’s administration would “dismantle the ICC — brick by brick, if necessary.” He warned that the court’s “overreach,” if left unchecked, could subject Border Patrol agents, federal prosecutors and U.S. Marines to the tribunal’s jurisdiction.

“The ICC’s interfering with American military and law enforcement operations isn’t only a grave overreach of its purported authorities. It would mean the death of the U.S. as a sovereign and independent nation,” Rubio wrote. “Our decision and our people would be at the mercy of the ICC and its collaborators in the ‘international community.’ To accept the ICC is to surrender control of our national destiny.”

The State Department said the campaign against the court could include additional sanctions or visa revocations and travel bans for ICC employees as well as “increased scrutiny” of nations that don’t reject ICC authority.

DMCC announced Wednesday that its Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ahmed Bin Sulayem, signed a memorandum of understanding with Neo Mooki, chairperson of the Botswana Stock Exchange Group, to link Botswana’s commodities exchange directly to Dubai’s trading, finance, and logistics network. The agreement was signed in the presence of Bogolo Joy Kenewendo, Botswana’s Minister of Minerals and Energy, and concluded in Singapore following the 41st World Diamond Congress, where DMCC hosted the Asia launch of its Future of Trade 2026 report.

The agreement may appear to focus on commodities, but its significance extends much further. The two sides describe the arrangement as Africa’s first multi-commodity “sister-hub” trading corridor, directly connecting Gaborone with Dubai. At its center is the Botswana Mercantile Exchange (BMX), operated by the Botswana Stock Exchange Group, which now gains access to one of the world’s largest commodity trading ecosystems.

Ahmed Bin Sulayem

What the agreement covers

The partnership spans diamonds, copper, coal, soda ash, critical minerals, beef, and agricultural products while establishing a dedicated Botswana presence within DMCC’s commodity ecosystem in Dubai. The framework includes market access, trade finance, logistics, vaulting, digital infrastructure, capacity building, and knowledge exchange, with the goal of connecting Botswana’s producers directly to international buyers, institutional investors, and Islamic finance markets.

Among the first initiatives will be cooperation between the Okavango Diamond Company and the Dubai Diamond Exchange through coordinated rough diamond tenders, giving Botswana’s state-owned diamond marketer direct access to the world’s largest diamond trading hub. The first commercial tenders are expected in late 2026.

The agreement also calls for the construction of a Botswana Mercantile Exchange vault in Gaborone that is expected to become the first facility certified under the DMCC Global Good Delivery Standard, creating an internationally recognized storage and financing platform for commodities originating in Africa.

The organizations also plan to deploy DMCC FinX, DMCC’s digital financial infrastructure platform, to expand trade finance, tokenize physical commodity assets, and introduce Shariah-compliant financing solutions designed to attract institutional investment into African supply chains.

Bin Sulayem’s long-term strategy

The Botswana agreement fits a strategy Ahmed Bin Sulayem has pursued for more than two decades.

Since taking over DMCC in 2003, he has expanded the organization from just 28 member companies to more than 26,000 businesses representing over 180 countries and employing more than 80,000 people. Under his leadership, DMCC has repeatedly been recognized as Global Free Zone of the Year by the Financial Times’ fDi Magazine, including a ninth consecutive award.

Bin Sulayem also chairs both the Dubai Diamond Exchange and the Dubai Gold & Commodities Exchange. He served as the United Arab Emirates Chair of the Kimberley Process in 2016, was reappointed in 2024, and has served as Custodian Chair since 2025. That experience is particularly important for Botswana, whose diamond industry depends on trusted certification, transparent supply chains, and efficient access to international markets.

Commenting on the agreement, Bin Sulayem said Botswana is one of the world’s leading commodity-producing nations and that combining its production capabilities with Dubai’s global trading infrastructure can unlock new investment opportunities and expand direct access to international buyers.

Why Botswana needs this partnership

The agreement comes as Botswana works to recover from one of the most difficult economic periods since independence.

Finance Minister Ndaba Gaolathe has projected economic growth of 3.1% in 2026 following contractions of 0.4% in 2025 and 2.8% in 2024. Diamonds continue to generate roughly one-third of government revenue and approximately three-quarters of the country’s foreign-exchange earnings, making weakness in the sector especially painful.

Mining output fell 47% during the fourth quarter of 2025, while overall GDP declined 5.4%.

Government mining revenue for fiscal year 2025-26 was projected at 10.3 billion pula—approximately $768 million—compared with a historical average of 25.3 billion pula, representing a decline of nearly 60%.

At the same time, De Beers, through its joint venture Debswana, reduced production by 16% in 2025 and lowered its 2026 production target from 29 million carats to a maximum of 26 million carats as demand for natural diamonds weakened amid increasing competition from lab-grown stones and softer global luxury spending.

Against that backdrop, Botswana is seeking new buyers, additional financing channels, and stronger international trading partnerships beyond traditional marketing systems.

Minister Bogolo Joy Kenewendo described the agreement as an important part of Botswana’s economic transformation strategy, emphasizing expanded market access, greater investment, local beneficiation, and a stronger position within global value chains.

What Dubai gains

For Dubai, the agreement strengthens its position as one of the world’s leading commodity trading centers while deepening its growing economic presence across Africa.

The United Arab Emirates has committed more than $110 billion in African investments since 2019, making it one of the continent’s largest sources of foreign direct investment.

Earlier this year, ALBADDAD Holding announced a $1.9 billion New Botswana City development supported by President Duma Boko, while Malaffi committed $1.5 billion to digitize Botswana’s national healthcare system.

According to DMCC’s Future of Trade 2026 report, trade between developing economies now represents approximately 35% of global trade, exceeding trade between developed economies. The report also estimates the global trade finance gap at approximately $2.5 trillion, with developing nations bearing the largest share of financing shortages.

Botswana fits squarely into that picture as a major commodity exporter seeking broader access to capital and global markets, while Dubai continues positioning itself as the international gateway connecting producers with investors, financiers, and buyers.

The agreement also reinforces cooperation surrounding the natural diamond industry through the Luanda Accord and the Natural Diamond Council, reflecting a shared objective of strengthening demand for natural diamonds as competition from synthetic stones continues to reshape the global marketplace.

JBizNews Desk | Dubai

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Mahmoud Khalil, the former Columbia University graduate student who emerged as a leading figure in anti-Israel campus demonstrations, has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the Trump administration and several private organizations of working together to suppress pro-Palestinian activists through doxing, detention, and attempted deportation.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court, names senior officials in President Donald Trump’s administration, the Heritage Foundation, and the online organizations Canary Mission and Betar as participants in what Khalil alleges was a coordinated effort to target him because of his activism.

According to the complaint, Khalil’s attorneys argue that this alleged “public-private partnership” violated the Ku Klux Klan Act, a Reconstruction-era federal law designed to prevent government officials from conspiring with private vigilante groups to deprive individuals of their civil rights. The attorneys contend that evidence of such coordination first surfaced during unrelated litigation last year.

Khalil, 31, is a former graduate student at Columbia University who became one of the most visible leaders and spokesmen for student protests opposing Israel and its military campaign in Gaza.

A lawful permanent resident of the United States who is married to an American citizen, Khalil was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in March 2025 at his apartment on Columbia’s campus. His detention quickly became one of the most prominent examples of the Trump administration’s broader crackdown on pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

He remained in an immigration detention facility in Louisiana for 104 days, during which he missed the birth of his first child, before a federal judge in New Jersey ordered his release.

Khalil’s deportation proceedings, which have been a priority for the Trump administration, have advanced rapidly through the immigration court system, which is part of the executive branch. The case could ultimately be reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Khalil has repeatedly rejected accusations that his involvement in pro-Palestinian demonstrations constitutes antisemitism.

“My beliefs are not wanting my tax money or tuition going toward investments in weapons manufacturers for a genocide,” he previously told The Associated Press. “It’s as simple as that.”

{Matzav.com}

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s Staff Judge Advocate office in Hawaii marked the tenth anniversary of the landmark South China Sea arbitration ruling on Tuesday, July 14, by issuing formal legal guidance reaffirming that China remains in violation of international law.

The legal statement revisited the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration decision in The Hague, which overwhelmingly rejected Beijing’s sweeping “nine-dash line” claim covering roughly 90% of the South China Sea and ruled in favor of the Philippines.

According to the Hawaii-based command, the decision remains legally binding under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which China ratified in 1996.

The renewed legal declaration comes as the U.S. Coast Guard quietly shifts assets from the Middle East into the Western Pacific, reflecting Washington’s growing concern over China’s increasingly aggressive maritime claims across one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

A Commercial Waterway Worth Trillions

The South China Sea carries enormous economic significance.

Roughly one-third of global seaborne trade passes through its waters each year.

Container ships, crude oil tankers and liquefied natural gas carriers serving Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Southeast Asia and global supply chains all transit waters where China increasingly asserts authority through the world’s largest coast guard fleet.

For businesses, shipping companies and insurers, the legal dispute has evolved into a practical commercial risk.

Why the Coast Guard Is Taking the Lead

Unlike U.S. Navy warships, Coast Guard cutters operate as law enforcement vessels rather than military combatants.

That distinction has become increasingly important.

China has expanded the legal authority of its own coast guard through domestic legislation, including a 2021 law permitting the use of force in certain circumstances.

Beijing routinely dispatches coast guard vessels—not naval destroyers—into disputed waters surrounding the Philippines, Japan, and Taiwan, framing its operations as civilian law enforcement rather than military activity.

Washington has responded in kind.

In late May, the USCGC Midgett conducted the first-ever joint maritime operation involving a U.S. Coast Guard cutter alongside the Philippine Navy frigate BRP Antonio Luna and the Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Melchora Aquino.

The exercises focused on maritime law enforcement, vessel boarding operations and interdiction training approximately 35 to 40 nautical miles from Scarborough Shoal, an area controlled by China but claimed by the Philippines.

According to Japanese ship observers, USCGC Midgett was docked at Yokosuka, Japan, as recently as July 10.

Meanwhile, USCGC Kimball continues operating alongside the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group during the multinational RIMPAC 2026 naval exercises, which continue through July 31.

China Expands Its Presence

Regional tensions escalated sharply during June.

For the first time, the China Coast Guard conducted law enforcement patrols east of Taiwan and began radioing commercial cargo vessels transiting nearby waters, requesting information about crews, cargo and destinations.

On July 4, Chinese authorities announced deployment of a replacement patrol fleet east of Taiwan, stating the vessels would strengthen enforcement activities inside what Beijing described as China’s jurisdictional waters.

Many regional security analysts see those actions as far more significant than simple radio communications.

Gregory Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told AFP that China appears to be asserting law enforcement authority well beyond what international law permits under exclusive economic zone rules.

Su Tzu-yun, of Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said radio verification of commercial shipping could serve as preparation for enforcing a future maritime quarantine or blockade around Taiwan.

Former U.S. Air Force officer Ray Powell, who closely tracks Chinese maritime operations, warned that interference with liquefied natural gas carriers would immediately threaten Taiwan’s energy security since the island imports nearly all of its fuel supplies.

Insurance companies often begin pricing geopolitical risk long before any military confrontation actually occurs.

The Fleet Challenge

The Coast Guard’s expanding Pacific mission comes as it faces longstanding fleet shortages.

Congress recently approved more than $25 billion in Coast Guard funding through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

The legislation includes:

• $4.3 billion for nine Offshore Patrol Cutters
• $1 billion for Fast Response Cutters
• $4.3 billion for Polar Security Cutters

The legislation also elevates Indo-Pacific operations under the Coast Guard’s Force Design 2028 modernization strategy.

The challenge remains execution.

Delivery of the first Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter, USCGC Argus, has slipped repeatedly and is now expected no earlier than December 2026, more than five years behind schedule.

As of January 2026, none of the Offshore Patrol Cutters had entered operational service.

At the same time, Rear Adm. Barata testified before the House Homeland Security Committee that an estimated 600 to 800 sanctioned “dark fleet” vessels continue transporting oil among Iran, Russia, China, and Venezuela—missions that also rely heavily on Coast Guard resources.

Why Businesses Should Care

For American exporters, manufacturers and logistics companies, the implications extend well beyond military strategy.

If Chinese authorities increasingly stop, question or delay commercial vessels transiting international waters, shipping costs, insurance premiums and transit times could all increase.

Longer shipping routes and greater geopolitical uncertainty would ripple throughout global supply chains.

Thirteen governments—including Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom—have jointly called on all parties to comply with the 2016 arbitration ruling.

China has rejected those appeals.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning again declared the arbitration award “illegal, null and void” and stated China would never recognize any claims based upon it.

A decade of legal rulings has not altered Beijing’s position.

Washington is increasingly signaling that ships—not statements—may now become the primary instrument for defending freedom of navigation.

JBizNews Desk | New York

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday that its Producer Price Index for final demand fell 0.3% in June, the first monthly decline since August 2025 and a miss against the Dow Jones consensus for no change. It was the second straight friendly inflation print, following Tuesday’s Consumer Price Index, which fell 0.4% for the month and brought annual inflation down to 3.5%. Stocks opened higher on the news even as U.S. Central Command confirmed another overnight wave of strikes on Iran and Washington reinstated its naval blockade of Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump told Fox News that strikes will continue and that power plants and bridges could be next unless Tehran returns to talks. Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh, who told Congress on Tuesday that the committee has no tolerance for persistently elevated inflation, now faces two data points arguing the other way.

Where the indexes stand

The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened at 52,736.39, up 228.12 points, or 0.43%. The S&P 500 rose 32.75 points to 7,576.34, also up 0.43%, building on Tuesday’s close of 7,543.59. The Nasdaq Composite led at 26,271.95, up 164.94 points, or 0.63%. The Russell 2000 added 3.12 points to 2,967.89, a gain of 0.11%.

Inside the PPI report, gasoline prices dropped 12.0% and accounted for nearly two-thirds of the decline in final demand goods, which fell 1.4% — the steepest drop since July 2022. Energy prices overall fell 6.4% and food slipped 0.6%. The core measure excluding food and energy rose 0.2%, short of the 0.3% forecast. Final demand less food, energy and trade services rose just 0.1% after jumping 0.8% in May. May’s headline reading was also revised sharply lower, to 0.6% from an initially reported 1.1%. On an annual basis the index still shows 5.5% wholesale inflation.

Chris Rupkey, chief economist at Fwdbonds, said the Fed’s fight with inflation is far from finished but that odds of rate hikes should keep receding, since producers are not passing higher costs down to consumers as much as previously feared. Traders agreed. According to CME FedWatch, the probability of a July hike fell to 17% from 42% a day earlier. The two-year Treasury yield eased to 4.16%.

Market movers

ASML Holding set the tone. The Dutch lithography maker reported second-quarter net sales of €9.3 billion and net income of €2.9 billion, with a gross margin of 54.0% and basic earnings of €7.59 a share — both sales and margin above its own guidance. Chief Executive Christophe Fouquet raised the 2026 outlook to €43 billion to €45 billion in net sales from a prior range of €36 billion to €40 billion, and guided third-quarter sales to €11.0 billion to €12.0 billion. The company also said it plans to lift production capacity for chipmaking equipment by 30%, easing worries about supply bottlenecks. Shares rose about 3.6% before the bell after sliding 11% earlier in July.

Morgan Stanley beat on both lines, earning $3.46 a share on revenue of $21.35 billion against forecasts of $2.94 and $19.64 billion. A year ago the firm earned $2.13 on $16.8 billion. Chairman and Chief Executive Ted Pick credited active markets and execution across all three regions. Shares climbed about 1%.

International Business Machines remains the wound. The company shed more than $50 billion in market value Tuesday on a revenue warning — its worst single-day drop since 1987 — after guiding to second-quarter earnings of $2.93 a share on revenue of $17.2 billion, both below consensus. Oppenheimer cut IBM to Perform from Outperform Wednesday. Merck traded higher on positive trial data for a lung cancer combination treatment.

Elsewhere in research: Morgan Stanley upgraded CAVA Group to Overweight from Equal Weight and raised its target to $90 from $86, while cutting TransDigm Group to Equal Weight with a $1,345 target, down from $1,680, and Travelers to Underweight with a $290 target. Guggenheim lifted Digital Realty Trust to Buy with a $200 target. UBS downgraded Allstate to Neutral, raised its Advanced Micro Devices target to $700 from $670, and reiterated SpaceX at Buy ahead of the Starship test flight targeted for Thursday at 6:45 p.m. ET. Raymond James reiterated Nvidia at strong buy. Citizens started FedEx at Outperform with a $375 target.

Commodities and volatility

Oil rose for a third session. West Texas Intermediate August futures gained 0.64% to $79.85 a barrel, and Brent September futures added 0.58% to $85.22. Brent had already surged 11% over the prior two sessions. Saul Kavonic, senior energy analyst at MST Marquee, said expectations of a rapid reopening of Hormuz were premature and that the reimposed blockade puts the conflict back on an escalating path. Trump dropped his proposed 20% transit fee on cargo crossing the strait, saying Gulf investment into the United States would more than replace it.

Gold slipped $6.30 to $4,063.40. The Cboe Volatility Index fell 1.51% to 16.25.

Traders now turn to results from Progressive, Johnson & Johnson, United Airlines and BlackRock. The open belongs to cooling inflation. The close will belong to whichever force is louder by 4 p.m. — softer prices at the factory gate, or harder headlines out of the Persian Gulf.

JBizNews Desk | New York

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China’s export sector posted one of its strongest monthly performances in years, underscoring the country’s central role in supplying the rapidly expanding global artificial intelligence industry. According to trade data released by China’s General Administration of Customs on Tuesday, July 14, exports surged 27% from a year earlier in June, while imports climbed 36%, both exceeding economists’ expectations.

The stronger-than-expected results reflected robust worldwide demand for semiconductors, electronic components, artificial intelligence infrastructure, machinery and advanced manufactured goods. Reuters and the Associated Press reported that China’s trade surplus widened to approximately $125.6 billion, up from $105.4 billion in May, highlighting the continued strength of the country’s export engine despite ongoing domestic economic challenges.

The artificial intelligence boom has become one of the most significant drivers of global trade.

Technology companies around the world continue investing billions of dollars in data centers, high-performance computing systems, networking equipment and advanced electronics needed to support increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence platforms. China remains deeply integrated into those global supply chains, manufacturing or assembling many of the components required to build that infrastructure.

Chinese customs data showed exports of integrated circuits, electronics and high-value technology products continued expanding at a rapid pace throughout the first half of the year.

The growth extends beyond artificial intelligence.

China also recorded strong overseas demand for electric vehicles, batteries, industrial machinery, renewable-energy equipment and consumer electronics, reinforcing the country’s position as one of the world’s leading manufacturing exporters.

Imports also rose sharply.

Rather than signaling stronger consumer spending alone, the increase reflected purchases of semiconductors, industrial components, energy products and raw materials used by Chinese manufacturers to produce goods destined for export markets.

That distinction is important.

China’s domestic economy continues facing significant headwinds, including weakness in the property sector, slower household spending and ongoing pressure on local governments. Exports have become an increasingly important source of economic growth as policymakers attempt to offset softer domestic demand.

The latest trade figures illustrate how foreign demand is helping stabilize China’s economy.

Artificial intelligence has emerged as a major catalyst.

Construction of new data centers throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia has increased demand for processors, memory, networking equipment, electrical components, cooling systems and other specialized products manufactured throughout China’s industrial base.

Many multinational companies continue relying on Chinese suppliers despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and efforts by Western governments to diversify supply chains.

That dependence continues generating political debate.

The United States and several allied nations have imposed tariffs, export controls and investment restrictions aimed at reducing reliance on Chinese manufacturing in strategic industries, particularly semiconductors and advanced technologies.

At the same time, Chinese manufacturers have expanded production in Southeast Asia, Mexico and other regions to maintain access to overseas markets while reducing the impact of trade restrictions.

Despite those efforts, China remains one of the world’s most important manufacturing hubs.

The June figures also suggest that global corporate spending remains healthy.

Businesses continue investing in technology, automation and artificial intelligence even as higher interest rates, geopolitical uncertainty and slowing economic growth affect other sectors of the global economy.

For shipping companies, ports and logistics providers, stronger Chinese exports represent continued demand for international freight services.

Container volumes have remained elevated as exporters move finished products to markets throughout North America, Europe and emerging economies.

Economists caution, however, that export-led growth carries risks.

Should global demand weaken, additional tariffs be imposed or geopolitical tensions escalate further, China’s manufacturing sector could face renewed pressure.

The country’s large trade surplus is also likely to attract increased scrutiny from trading partners concerned about industrial subsidies, excess production capacity and competitive imbalances.

Nevertheless, the latest data demonstrate that the global artificial intelligence investment cycle remains a powerful driver of international commerce.

The expansion extends well beyond technology companies themselves.

Mining firms supplying critical minerals, manufacturers producing industrial equipment, shipping companies transporting goods, utilities powering data centers and electronics manufacturers assembling advanced computing systems are all benefiting from the unprecedented investment.

For investors and business leaders, China’s latest trade report reinforces a broader economic reality.

Artificial intelligence is no longer simply transforming software companies—it is reshaping global manufacturing, international trade, supply chains and capital investment across virtually every major sector of the world economy.

JBizNews Desk | Beijing

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Earlier this week, Verizon Business and Japanese carrier KDDI announced a collaboration with BMW Group that places Verizon’s 5G and LTE networks inside new BMW, MINI, and other BMW Group vehicles built for the U.S. market. Kyle Malady, chief executive of Verizon Business, said the partnership is designed to deliver seamless connectivity for drivers nationwide. While the announcement may have appeared modest, it underscored a much larger shift taking place across the U.S. telecommunications industry: future growth is increasingly coming from connected vehicles, enterprise services, and infrastructure—not from adding another smartphone line to a family plan.

The deal is not a phone contract. It embeds Verizon at the infrastructure level of BMW ConnectedDrive, covering firmware and map updates, navigation, remote features, and the subscription services automakers now sell over the life of a car. Daniel Lawson, senior vice president for global solutions at Verizon Business, described the scope as covering telematics for the full BMW Group lineup in the United States. Verizon had offered a BMW connectivity add-on since 2023 for $20 a month through the My BMW app. This new arrangement replaces the optional add-on with integrated connectivity built directly into the vehicle platform.

Why the carriers are looking elsewhere

The numbers explain the pivot. Verizon told investors in its first-quarter earnings release on April 22 that mobility and broadband service revenue reached roughly $22.9 billion, up 1.6% from a year earlier. The company posted 55,000 postpaid phone net additions — its first positive first quarter since 2013, a swing of more than 340,000 year over year. While celebrated on Wall Street, the results also highlighted how little room remains for traditional wireless subscriber growth. Verizon’s own guidance projects wireless service revenue to remain approximately flat this year.

Dan Schulman, who took over as Verizon’s chief executive, has described the company’s strategy as a turnaround gaining momentum. A January network outage reduced wireless service revenue growth by roughly 80 basis points during the quarter. Verizon now serves approximately 16.8 million fixed wireless and fiber broadband connections following the completion of its Frontier acquisition on January 20.

AT&T is pursuing the same strategy from a different direction. In its first-quarter results, AT&T reported revenue of $31.51 billion and adjusted earnings of $0.57 per share, including 294,000 postpaid phone net additions and 584,000 internet net additions. Consumer wireline broadband revenue climbed 27.3% to $2.80 billion following the closing of its acquisition of Lumen Technologies’ mass-markets fiber business on February 2. John Stankey, chairman and chief executive, told investors it was the company’s strongest first quarter ever for advanced connectivity internet additions, with nearly 45% of new home internet customers also subscribing to AT&T wireless.

That strategy can be summed up in one word: convergence. Rather than simply selling smartphones, carriers increasingly want to sell complete connectivity ecosystems for homes, businesses, automobiles, and industrial customers. AT&T says it serves more than 100 million U.S. consumers and nearly 2.5 million businesses. Full-year revenue reached $125.6 billion, up 2.8%, and the company plans to return more than $45 billion to shareholders between 2026 and 2028.

The business customer becomes the prize

Verizon already provides telematics services for Volkswagen Group, primarily through Audi. The BMW agreement expands that footprint into another major premium European automaker. KDDI has partnered with BMW Group since 2022. Separately, on June 26, Verizon and BT Group agreed to combine portions of their international operations into a 50-50 joint venture focused on serving multinational corporations. AT&T continues expanding its own connected vehicle platform for automotive manufacturers.

The business case is straightforward. A connected vehicle remains on the road for years, often a decade or longer. Corporate fleets typically sign long-term service agreements instead of constantly shopping for cheaper wireless plans. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global connected car market is expected to grow from approximately $145 billion in 2026 to nearly $570 billion by 2034. For wireless carriers facing slowing growth in traditional consumer subscriptions, recurring industrial connectivity revenue represents one of the industry’s most attractive long-term opportunities.

Wall Street remains cautious

Despite these new growth initiatives, investors remain skeptical. Bernstein recently lowered price targets across the telecom sector — including T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, and Charter Communications — citing increasing competition from SpaceX’s Starlink satellite broadband network. Veteran telecom analyst Craig Moffett has argued that Starlink is unlikely to move beyond its strength in rural markets into dense suburban communities. Meanwhile, Jim Cramer told viewers on CNBC earlier this week that he currently has little interest in owning either AT&T or Verizon shares. On July 8, Barclays reduced its Verizon price target to $45 from $47, while Wells Fargo initiated coverage with an Equal Weight rating.

The stock market reflects those concerns. AT&T shares have fallen roughly 20% over the past year, while Verizon currently offers a dividend yield of approximately 6.27%, reflecting both investor caution and its reputation as an income investment.

Investors will soon receive another update. AT&T reports second-quarter earnings before the opening bell on Wednesday, July 22, followed by Verizon on Friday, July 24. Beyond subscriber additions, Wall Street will focus on a more important question: how much future revenue will come from connected cars, enterprise infrastructure, and industrial networks instead of the smartphone in consumers’ pockets.

JBizNews Desk | New York

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A powerful explosion caused by a fragmentation grenade shattered the early-morning quiet in south Tel Aviv overnight, damaging several vehicles in a parking lot and triggering a large-scale police manhunt that quickly extended into the Chareidi city of Bnei Brak. The pursuit ended with the arrest of two young men riding a scooter.

The blast occurred at approximately 2:30 a.m. on Anatbi Street in south Tel Aviv, sending a loud shockwave through the surrounding neighborhoods and prompting a massive response from emergency and law enforcement personnel. According to preliminary findings, unidentified suspects threw a fragmentation grenade into an open parking lot in a residential area.

The force of the explosion caused significant damage, with grenade shrapnel smashing the windows of several parked vehicles and causing additional property damage. After numerous emergency calls were received, officers from the Sharet Police Station, Border Police units from the Central District, and bomb disposal experts from the Tel Aviv District Police arrived at the scene. The area was sealed off as investigators began collecting forensic evidence and interviewing local residents.

At the same time, police launched an extensive search for those responsible, relying on technological tools and initial information regarding the suspects’ escape route.

The search quickly expanded beyond Tel Aviv and entered neighboring Bnei Brak. Officers from the Bnei Brak Police Station, who had been deployed at key locations throughout the city after receiving the alert, spotted two young men riding a scooter whose appearance matched the suspects’ description. Police said the pair’s behavior also aroused suspicion.

Officers intercepted the scooter and arrested both suspects. During a search of the vehicle, police discovered a knife concealed on the scooter.

The suspects, ages 17 and 19, both residents of the greater Tel Aviv metropolitan area, were taken into custody and transferred under heavy security to the Sharet Police Station in Tel Aviv, which is leading the investigation. Police said they intend to bring the two before a judge later today to request an extension of their detention as the investigation continues and additional evidence is gathered.

{Matzav.com}