Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy issued a new directive Monday ordering police officers who encounter draft dodgers during routine activity to detain them, notify the Military Police, and remain with the suspect until military authorities arrive.

Under the new policy, a strict time frame was established for handling such cases. According to the directive, Military Police personnel must reach the scene within 30 minutes after being contacted.

If no representative arrives within that half-hour window, officers are instructed to release the detaineee and provide a summons ordering the individual to report to the Military Police at a later date.

The move triggered an angry response from Shas, which accused the police commissioner of targeting yeshiva students instead of focusing on violent crime and public safety.

“At a time when acts of violence and crime are on the rise and murderers walk the streets freely, instead of the police tending to national security properly, they decide to direct resources to persecute the dear Torah students as if they were criminals,” the party statement read. “It is shameful that this happens in the Jewish state.”

The party also appealed directly to Levy, accusing legal authorities of trying to use the issue for political purposes.

“Sir Commissioner, don’t fall into the political trap that the Attorney General and her team are leading, which aims to topple the government. Don’t cast your hand against the yeshiva students and Torah learners.”

The U.S. Department of Justice has formally asked a federal court to dismiss criminal charges against Gautam Adani, an Indian billionaire accused of misleading U.S. and global investors while raising billions of dollars to finance a major solar energy project in India.

Adani, considered one of Asia’s richest individuals, allegedly promised to pay more than $250 million in bribes to Indian officials to secure lucrative contracts. He and his executives further raised money from investors by falsely claiming the company maintained strict anti-corruption policies — all while allegedly continuing the bribery scheme and later attempting to conceal the evidence, prosecutors alleged in 2024.

Despite the severity of the allegations, the Justice Department has requested the case be dismissed “with prejudice,” indicating that the charges would be permanently dropped and may not be brought again in the future, according to court records filed Monday. Adani Group has denied the allegations, calling them baseless.

“The Department of Justice has reviewed this case and has decided, in its prosecutorial discretion, not to devote further resources to these criminal charges against individual defendants,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.

INDIA BILLIONAIRE SCANDAL A ‘HITJOB’ BY US FIRM ATTACKING FINANCIAL SYSTEMS, SUPPORTERS CLAIM

The decision to drop the charges follows an announcement from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that it moved for entry of final judgments by consent, subject to court approval, in a related lawsuit involving Adani. The proposed resolution would not require Gautam Adani or Sagar Adani to admit or deny the SEC’s allegations.

Beginning in 2020, Adani Green Energy Limited, led by Gautam Adani, secured a major contract to develop solar power projects in India.

However, some Indian state governments allegedly declined to purchase the electricity from the project due to high costs. 

As a result, Gautam Adani and his nephew, Sagar Adani, allegedly resorted to bribery, including promises of more than $250 million in payments to Indian officials, in order to secure power purchase agreements for the expensive solar energy.

BILLIONAIRE INVESTOR ISSUES WARNING OVER CHINA’S ‘CRAZY’ BUSINESS TACTIC: BE ‘VERY CAREFUL’

During the same period, the company required significant capital to finance the projects and raised approximately $750 million through bond sales to U.S. and global investors. 

Federal prosecutors alleged that Adani Green and related entities raised more than $3 billion through loans and bond offerings while making false and misleading statements about the company’s anti-bribery and anti-corruption practices.

Prosecutors added that, to attract investors, the company falsely portrayed itself as an industry leader in corporate governance with a strict “zero tolerance” policy on bribery.

When U.S. authorities, including the FBI and the SEC, began investigating the alleged corruption, several executives were accused by prosecutors of attempting to obstruct the inquiry by deleting emails and electronic messages, concealing information during internal investigations, and making false statements to federal agents.

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The case dismissal is contingent upon approval by Judge Nicholas Garaufis, according to the documents.

US President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday created a nearly $1.8 billion fund to compensate victims of political “weaponization” to settle a lawsuit Trump had filed against his own government over the alleged mishandling of his tax records.

The agreement resolves an unprecedented lawsuit filed by Trump, in which he sought $10 billion from the Internal Revenue Service, arguing it should have done more to prevent a former contractor from leaking his tax returns to the media.

Trump will receive an apology but no financial payment.

DOJ creates ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’

Instead, the Justice Department will set up a pool of money controlled by his allies that can dole out payments to those who claim to have suffered “weaponization or lawfare” by the US government. Those terms have frequently been used by Trump and his allies to describe the criminal cases against them, including those arising from the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Trump’s lawsuit, and the resulting settlement, has been widely criticized as an attempt to direct taxpayer money to his own purposes.

“This case is nothing but a racket designed to take $1.7 billion of taxpayer dollars out of the Treasury and pour it into a huge slush fund,” Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said in a statement.

The Justice Department said there are no partisan requirements to file a claim with the “Anti-Weaponization Fund.” The total sum, $1.776 billion, is a nod to the signing of the US Declaration of Independence in 1776.

“It is this Department’s intention to make right the wrongs that were previously done while ensuring this never happens again,” said Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general who formerly served as Trump’s defense attorney in three criminal cases.

Federal prosecutors who worked on cases against Trump and his political allies repeatedly rejected claims that the cases were politically motivated or an abuse of the legal system.

Blanche will appoint four of the five members of the commission who will decide the merits of the claims.

Critics call settlement unprecedented

The commission can authorize payments to those who demonstrate they were targeted for “improper and unlawful political, personal and/or ideological reasons,” according to the settlement agreement. As examples, it cites Biden-era moves that conservatives have condemned, including prosecutions of activists for obstructing access to abortion clinics.

Trump, at a White House event on Monday evening, said he was not involved in the creation of the fund, though the settlement was signed by his personal lawyers.

“These were people that were weaponized and really treated brutally by a system that was so corrupt,” Trump said of those eligible for payments.

Critics call arrangement unprecedented

Legal experts described the arrangement as highly unusual, both because of the nature of Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS and because funds of this scale typically are either created by an act of Congress or supervised by a court.

“This is completely unprecedented for a variety of reasons,” said Rupa Bhattacharyya, a former Justice Department lawyer who oversaw a fund for victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks. “For taxpayer money to be given to the executive branch to dole out in a way with such little restriction just lends itself to abuse and corruption.”

Settlement raises legal and political questions

The fund could trigger a new legal fight over whether it usurps Congress’s power to decide how US taxpayer money is spent. The payouts are set to come from a separate fund Congress set aside to settle and pay legal claims against the US government.

As part of the settlement, Trump will also drop administrative claims against the government over the FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago resort for classified documents in 2022 and the investigation into potential ties between his 2016 presidential campaign and Russia.

The IRS lawsuit arose from former IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn’s leak of Trump’s tax returns to media outlets, including the New York Times and ProPublica, in 2019 and 2020. Littlejohn was later convicted and sentenced to five years in prison.

These returns showed that Trump paid little or no income taxes in many years, the Times reported in 2020.

The litigation against the IRS raised novel legal questions, including conflicts of interest, about whether a president can sue his own government.

US District Court Judge Kathleen Williams in Miami, who oversees Trump’s lawsuit, wrote last month that it was unclear whether the parties to the lawsuit were “truly antagonistic to each other.” Williams, late on Monday, granted Trump’s request to dismiss the case.

This post was originally published on here.

Jonathan Pollard delivered a blistering critique of both Israeli and American leadership during an extensive interview with Arutz Sheva and podcaster Martin “the Bulldog” Buksdorf, addressing issues ranging from Israel’s military policy and dependence on the United States to growing antisemitism abroad and the long-term future of the Jewish state.

Throughout the interview, Pollard repeatedly argued that Israel must free itself from overreliance on Washington and adopt a far more independent military and political posture.

“We are an American auxiliary. We are not an independent,” Pollard said, as he pushed for what he described as an “Israel first doctrine” built around military independence and sovereign strategic decision-making.

Pollard sharply criticized Israeli governments for what he described as excessive submission to American influence, claiming leaders in Yerushalayim too often shape policy around pressure from Washington. Referring to President Donald Trump, Pollard remarked, “He does not respect weakness,” while arguing that Israeli officials too frequently yield to U.S. demands.

During the conversation, Pollard also discussed his recent decision not to enter Israeli politics after briefly announcing plans to seek a seat in the Knesset. According to Pollard, the announcement triggered fierce backlash and threats from across the political spectrum.

“I got overwhelmed with death threats,” Pollard said, adding that many critics on the political left objected to his belief that Israeli hostages should be brought home “by strength, not by concession.”

Addressing criticism from supporters of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Pollard stressed that he has repeatedly expressed appreciation to Netanyahu for helping secure his release from prison, while emphasizing that many others also played vital roles.

“There were a host of people who played very important roles in securing my release,” he said, specifically mentioning his late wife Esther, Ron Dermer, Miriam Adelson, Sheldon Adelson, and Rabbi Pesach Lerner.

A major portion of the interview focused on regional security threats facing Israel. Pollard warned that Iran, Turkey, and extremist organizations operating inside Syria represent growing dangers, and argued that Israel must prepare itself for future large-scale military confrontations.

Pollard also voiced alarm over increasing antisemitism throughout Western countries, saying many Jews living abroad still fail to grasp the seriousness of the threat. He described aliyah as both unavoidable and essential in light of growing hostility toward Jewish communities overseas.

“The only safe place for a Jew is right here in the Holy Land,” Pollard said, while faulting Israeli leaders for not adequately preparing for major future waves of Jewish immigration.

The interview additionally featured criticism of Israel’s bureaucracy and military procurement systems. Pollard argued that excessive hesitation, delays, and institutional caution have prevented Israel from implementing technologies and policies that he believes are critical for confronting modern security threats.

Toward the conclusion of the discussion, Pollard explained why he ultimately chose to remain outside the political system, saying it allows him to speak openly without party constraints.

“When you have this thing called party discipline, you can’t speak your mind,” he said. “Now it’s much more liberating to be able to sit as I am now… and discuss options, to discuss what we’re doing right, what we’re doing wrong.”

Israel’s defense establishment is warning of a sharp deterioration in the security situation in Yehuda and Shomron, amid mounting intelligence warnings about Hamas attempts to carry out large-scale, deadly attacks, Walla reported.

Senior military officials are warning about the dangerous confluence of Iranian funding, Turkish coordination, and the influence of the recent Fatah conference, which they fear could ignite armed Tanzim terrorists on the Palestinian streets.

Israeli defense officials view Iran and Turkey as the primary drivers behind the current terror wave. The two countries are funneling money and exerting heavy pressure on local terror groups to carry out suicide bombings, shootings, and explosive attacks aimed at igniting the entire front.

According to data from the Yehuda and Shomron division, 22 battalions are currently deployed to secure 525 kilometers of the security barrier area, including 60 kilometers with no security fence at all. The division’s campaign against terrorism includes thwarting terror infrastructures and last-minute attacks, uncovering terror financing, seizing weapons, defending Israeli communities, securing the seam line, confronting nationalist violence, and stopping weapons smuggling from Jordan, where the black-market price of a Glock pistol has reportedly climbed to 40,000 shekels.

Security officials say the soaring prices reflect both the growing demand among terror groups and intensified Israeli efforts to disrupt the flow of weapons.

The main focus of the IDF’s concern is the growing fear of a nightmare scenario resembling the October 7 massacre, chalilah. Security officials revealed that over the past two years, forces operating in Yehuda and Shomron uncovered Hamas documents detailing organized operational plans for armed infiltrations and mass assaults into Israeli communities throughout the region.

Israeli security officials are also closely monitoring the implications of the Fatah conference led by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas over the weekend, with a speech focused largely on condemning Israeli operations in Gaza, Lebanon, and Yehuda and Shomron.

Contrary to expectations, Abbas did not announce a successor or designate a replacement, postponing the process. However, he emphasized plans to integrate younger figures into the leadership through what he described as a democratic process and under the sole framework of the PLO, declaring support for “one law, one army, one weapon.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

A soldier from the Nachal Brigade entered military prison Sunday evening to begin serving a 30-day sentence imposed after he wore a “Moshiach” patch on his uniform, sparking outrage among fellow soldiers and parents in his unit.

The soldier, identified only as A., had originally been scheduled to report to prison Sunday morning, but the growing public controversy surrounding the punishment reportedly led the IDF to alter the timing of his incarceration.

The soldier’s parents expressed disbelief over the decision and vowed not to remain quiet.

“We are digesting this, but we are in absolute shock!! We will not be silent in the face of this injustice.”

Members of the company reacted angrily to the punishment, saying it had deeply damaged morale throughout the unit.

“They lowered morale for all of us.”

One of A.’s platoon members, who fought alongside him in Lebanon and is currently engaged in operational activity in Samaria, published an emotional statement defending the imprisoned soldier and criticizing the army’s decision.

“For you, this is the patch controversy; for us, this is [about] our best friend. He was the heart of this family. To take a soldier who did everything for the country, and suddenly put him in prison for 30 days and remove him from combat service? It is inhuman. It crushes him and us, and since this happened, the entire company has been extinguished. The State is simply erasing everything for him in an instant.”

According to soldiers in the company, the punishment has dealt a major blow to the spirit of the unit, which they say achieved some of the army’s highest operational accomplishments during recent fighting in Lebanon.

After the decision to imprison the soldier was finalized Sunday, parents of fighters in the company issued a sharp statement accusing senior military leadership of selective enforcement and unfair treatment.

“We understand discipline, but patches exist throughout the army, in regular service and in the reserves. Why place an entire phenomenon on the shoulders of one innocent soldier who did what half the army does openly? There is outrageous discrimination here on the part of the senior command. The Chief of Staff leaves in their positions, without any punishment, figures who actively worked to dismantle the army from within, while against specifically a combat soldier they use the most crushing punishment. We will not remain silent about this.”

The parents also announced plans to begin a broader public campaign over the issue, saying they intend to continue the fight until the soldier’s name is cleared and the unit’s reputation restored.

“The struggle will not stop until justice is achieved, the name of the soldier and the entire company is cleared, and Jewish-Zionist pride and strength are restored to the fighters on the front line. At this time, the people of Israel need their heroes standing tall and proud of their identity, not under persecution and silencing.”

President Trump’s job approval rating has fallen to 37 percent, the lowest mark of his second term, in a new New York Times/Siena College poll that finds broad voter disapproval of the U.S. war against Iran, deep pessimism about the economy and a Republican Party on shaky ground heading into next year’s midterm elections.

Fifty-nine percent of registered voters say they disapprove of the president’s performance in the survey, conducted May 11 to 15 and released Monday. That marks a three-point drop in approval from the previous Times/Siena poll in January, when Trump stood at 40 percent.

The war with Iran is a major drag on his standing. Sixty-four percent of voters say his decision to go to war was wrong, against 30 percent who say it was right, and 55 percent say the war will not be worth the costs. Support holds among Republicans, with about 70 percent backing the move, but it has collapsed elsewhere on the political map.

Trump is underwater on every major policy area tested in the poll, including immigration, the economy, the cost of living and Iran. Forty-nine percent of voters say they strongly disapprove of his handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and 56 percent express the same view of the war with Iran. More than half say Trump should not return to combat with Iran if the current negotiations fail to produce a deal.

The numbers are also bleak for Israel. Asked which side they sympathize with more, 37 percent of voters chose the Palestinians and 35 percent the Israelis, a narrow but historically significant inversion. Among voters aged 18 to 29, the gap is far wider, with 64 percent saying they sympathize more with the Palestinians and only 14 percent more with the Israelis.

Just 37 percent of all respondents, and only 5 percent of those under 30, support additional economic and military aid to Israel.

Trump’s slide is sharpest among women and nonwhite voters. His approval stands at 45 percent among men but only 29 percent among women, with 66 percent of women disapproving. Among nonwhite voters, nearly three-quarters disapprove of his performance and only 21 percent approve.

On the generic congressional ballot, Democrats lead Republicans 50 to 39 percent, though the poll found large majorities of voters dissatisfied with both major parties.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday that the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) strike is set to end after the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and union leaders reached an agreement.

In a post on X, Hochul said phased LIRR service is expected to resume Tuesday at noon, easing travel disruptions for hundreds of thousands of commuters across the New York region.

“Tonight, the [MTA] reached a fair deal with the five LIRR unions that delivers raises for workers while protecting riders and taxpayers,” Hochul wrote. “I’m pleased to announce that phased LIRR service will resume beginning tomorrow at noon.”

The breakthrough came after thousands of LIRR workers went on strike at midnight Saturday, effectively shutting down the nation’s busiest commuter railroad for the first time in more than three decades and threatening major economic disruption across the New York region ahead of Memorial Day.

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The strike halted service for roughly 300,000 daily riders after last-minute contract negotiations between the MTA and a coalition of five rail unions failed to produce a wage agreement.

The MTA confirmed Saturday that all LIRR service was suspended and warned there was “no substitute” for the railroad, urging commuters to work remotely if possible as officials braced for severe congestion and delays throughout the metropolitan region.

New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office estimated the strike could cost the regional economy up to $61 million per day in lost economic activity, as commuters scrambled for alternatives and businesses prepared for disruptions.

The labor action marked the first LIRR strike since 1994. Union leaders said workers involved in the coalition had gone more than three years without raises while negotiating a new labor agreement.  

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“This strike would not have happened if the MTA and LIRR offered our members the reasonable terms the government recommended multiple times. But management refused,” Mark Wallace, president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the Teamsters Rail Conference, said in a statement.

“We hope LIRR gets serious soon to avoid further unnecessary disruptions for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. They know where to find us when they’re ready: on the streets.”

MTA officials defended their bargaining position, arguing that excessive wage increases could ultimately drive up fares and strain the transit system’s finances.

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said the agency “cannot responsibly make a deal that implodes MTA’s budget” and warned taxpayers and riders could ultimately bear the cost of larger wage increases.

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Hochul had previously criticized the strike as “reckless,” warning it could hurt commuters, businesses and the broader regional economy.

President Donald Trump also weighed in on the dispute, blaming Hochul for allowing the strike to occur.

“If you can’t solve it, let me know, and I’ll show you how to properly get things done,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

This post was originally published on this site.

At a press briefing, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani was asked about a Nakba post on his official NYC social media accounts.

WATCH:

Authorities have identified the two suspected gunmen accused of carrying out a deadly shooting outside a mosque in San Diego that claimed the lives of three people before the suspects apparently took their own lives.

According to a law enforcement source, the suspects were identified as 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Velasquez. Investigators believe at least one of the firearms used in the attack was taken from a parent’s residence. A suicide note referencing racial pride was also reportedly recovered, the source said.

Clark, who attended Madison High School, was known as a standout wrestler, according to posts published on the school’s social media accounts.

Police said both suspects were later discovered dead inside a white BMW several blocks away from the Islamic Center of San Diego. Investigators believe the pair died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

Law enforcement sources said anti-Islamic writings were found inside the vehicle, while “hate speech” had allegedly been written directly on the firearms used during the attack.

Authorities revealed that at approximately 9:42 a.m., officers received a report involving a runaway juvenile after a concerned mother contacted police. Following the conversation, investigators reportedly began treating the situation as a potentially serious public safety threat.

According to police, the mother told authorities she believed her son was suicidal. She also allegedly reported that multiple firearms from her home were missing, along with her vehicle. Investigators were additionally informed that her son was traveling with another individual and that both were dressed in camouflage clothing.

Police declined to publicly confirm whether the missing juvenile was directly connected to the mosque shooting, though many of the details correspond with information obtained by The Post.

Three adults were killed in the attack, including a security guard identified by reports as Amin Abdullah, who was described as acting heroically during the shooting.

Officials said the suspects escaped the scene in a white BMW before they were later found dead.

“We are safe, the entire school is safe. All the kids, all the staff, and the teachers are safe and out of the Islamic Center,” center Imam Taha Hassane said in a video obtained by the California Post and circulated among California’s Muslim community.

Police said officers arrived at the Islamic Center within four minutes after the first emergency calls came in, prompting what authorities described as a rapid and “dynamic” response operation.

During the response, between 50 and 100 officers entered the Islamic Center complex as law enforcement teams swept through classrooms, prayer halls, and nearby structures to secure the area and search for additional threats.

The investigation remains active, and officials have not yet formally announced a motive behind the attack.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump is expected to travel to Rockland County later this week for an event alongside local officials and residents, according to sources.

News12 Hudson Valley senior reporter Tara Rosenblum reported that Trump is scheduled to appear in Rockland County on Friday, May 22 — the first day of Shavuos — for what is being described as an official White House function.

The event is expected to include Rep. Mike Lawler, who represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, as well as constituents and community members from the region.

While the precise location and timing of the gathering have not yet been publicly announced, officials are said to be finalizing the details and logistics surrounding the president’s visit.

Lawler, one of the most closely watched Republican lawmakers in New York, has maintained a strong relationship with Trump while representing a politically competitive district that includes parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester counties.

An Arab-Israeli man who was convicted of carrying out a nationalistically motivated assault against a Jewish resident in Jerusalem is now receiving state-funded legal representation through the Justice Ministry.

According to a report by the Honenu legal aid representation, the incident occurred in Jerusalem’s Old City in 2021, when an Arab assaulted a Jewish man walking through the area. The assailant was later arrested, convicted of assault motivated by nationalism, and sentenced to 100 hours of community service along with compensation of 1,500 shekels to the victim.

Following the conviction, Attorney Chaim Bleicher from Honenu filed a civil lawsuit against the Arab. After the lawsuit was submitted, it emerged that the Justice Ministry’s legal aid department — intended to assist individuals unable to afford legal representation — was funding the Arab’s legal defense.

Bleicher sent a letter to the legal aid unit, demanding that the funding be revoked and slamming the absurd situation in which the attacker, rather than the victim, receives state assistance.

“The defendant was convicted in criminal proceedings of assault motivated by racism or hostility toward a public group after violently attacking the victim solely because he was Jewish,” Bleicher wrote. “Therefore, I was astonished to discover that the attacker is being represented by the Justice Ministry’s legal aid unit.”

“To illustrate the absurdity: with one hand, the state seeks to encourage victims of nationalist or racist crimes to file civil lawsuits by granting them full exemption from court fees — while with the other hand, the state finances legal representation for a despicable attacker who assaulted a Jew solely for being Jewish.”

“It is inconceivable that a nationalistically motivated attacker receives such assistance at taxpayers’ expense,” he wrote. “In other cases, your unit represents victims of terror, racism, or violence  — but here, astonishingly, your unit is representing the assailant.”

“A rioter who attacks a Jew or a loyal Israeli citizen for racist or nationalist reasons acts out of a desire to harm the State of Israel and identification with its enemies. The state enacted laws and regulations to help victims sue such attackers. It is inconceivable that the state and its citizens fund the civil defense for that same assailant. This may be a mistake or fraud, and we expect this absurdity to be corrected.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

A Texas Chick-fil-A franchise operator is facing a federal lawsuit over allegations that it refused to accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs before ultimately firing her.

According to a complaint filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and obtained by FOX Business, Hatch Trick, Inc. — which operates several Chick-fil-A restaurants in the Austin area — allegedly discriminated against employee Laurel Torode, whose faith prohibits her from working on Saturdays.

Torode, a member of the United Church of God, reportedly disclosed during her interview that she observes the Sabbath from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday. 

The EEOC said the company initially accommodated her request while she worked as a manager overseeing delivery drivers at one Austin-area location.

MULTIPLE PEOPLE INJURED AFTER MASS SHOOTING AT NEW JERSEY CHICK-FIL-A: REPORT

That arrangement allegedly changed several months later.

“In early February 2024, Defendant told Torode that going forward it would require her to work on Saturdays, to include the period in which she observes the Sabbath,” as noted in the complaint.

According to the lawsuit, Torode sought accommodations and met with company officials to discuss alternatives that would allow her to remain in her management role while continuing to observe her Sabbath.

Instead, the company allegedly told her she would need to accept a lower-level delivery driver position with reduced pay, fewer hours and diminished benefits if she wanted to avoid Saturday shifts.

CHICK-FIL-A TESTING NEW SANDWICHES IN 2 CITIES

When Torode declined the position, Hatch Trick terminated her employment, according to the EEOC.

The EEOC alleges the company violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which requires employers to reasonably accommodate employees’ religious beliefs unless doing so would create an undue hardship.

“The duty under federal law to provide reasonable accommodation of religion reflects an acknowledgment by our society of the importance of faith in workers’ everyday lives and an abiding respect for those who observe religious practices as an expression of that faith,” acting EEOC Dallas Regional Attorney Ronald L. Phillips said in a statement.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Austin after the EEOC said efforts to resolve the dispute failed.

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The case has sparked attention because Chick-fil-A is famously closed on Sundays, a policy the company says was established by founder S. Truett Cathy in 1946, so employees could “rest, enjoy time with their families and loved ones or worship if they choose.”

Chick-fil-A declined to comment on the lawsuit, but told FOX Business that “as a franchise business, all employment decisions are solely the responsibility of each individual restaurant owner.”

Hatch Trick Inc. and the EEOC could not immediately be reached by FOX Business for comment.

[Videos below.] President Donald Trump and billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban appeared together at the White House on Monday to promote lower-priced prescription medications through Trump Rx, showcasing the pair’s longtime “love-hate” relationship as they joined forces on healthcare costs.

The event focused on expanding access to affordable generic medications, despite Cuban having supported Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential race.

Asked about partnering with Cuban after the businessman backed his political opponent, Trump responded jokingly.

“Well, he made a mistake,” Trump quipped. “It was a big mistake.”

Cuban laughed at the comment and later brushed it aside while speaking with reporters.

“He was playing,” he told reporters later of the president’s remark. “I’m not going to go there; it doesn’t matter.”

The two businessmen have known each other for more than two decades, and Cuban has previously described their dynamic as a “love-hate” relationship. Despite supporting Trump’s rival during the campaign, Cuban said after the election that cooperation with the president remained important.

That familiarity and friendly back-and-forth was visible throughout Monday’s appearance as the two shared the stage during the White House event.

You’re “looking good,” Trump told him, adding the two have “one thing” in common.

“We have the same thing — one thing — in common. We want to make people better and keep them wealthy.”

Cuban, the former owner of the Dallas Mavericks, stressed that his appearance at the White House was centered entirely on healthcare issues rather than politics.

“My politics don’t matter to this at all,” he told reporters after the event. He brushed off his previous criticism of Trump as “last season.”

Cuban attended the event as founder of Cost Plus Drugs, the online pharmaceutical company he launched to lower prescription medication prices. During the announcement, Trump revealed that 600 additional generic medications will now be offered through Trump Rx.

According to the administration, Amazon Pharmacy and GoodRx will also participate alongside Cost Plus Drugs in offering medications through the platform.

“By incorporating this massive catalog of low-cost generics at TrumpRx.gov consumers will now have one source to ensure that they’re getting the lowest possible cost on their prescription, so they have a real option now,” Trump said.

Cuban emphasized that lowering healthcare costs is an issue that crosses party lines and affects Americans regardless of political affiliation.

“The goal is to reduce the cost of healthcare, and we’re 100% aligned,” he said of his work with Trump.

“My politics don’t matter to this at all,” he said, refusing to be drawn into political games.

Cuban also made clear that healthcare reform has become one of his main personal priorities.

“I’ll align with anyone,” he said. “If you’re going to make healthcare cheaper, you’re my new best friend.”

Cuban launched Cost Plus Drugs in 2022 with a business model aimed at bypassing traditional insurance systems by selling medications at cost while adding a 15% markup along with pharmacy labor and shipping fees. The company also publicly discloses what it pays drug manufacturers in an effort to increase pricing transparency.

He said the mission behind the company is to reduce healthcare expenses for ordinary Americans as medical costs continue rising faster than inflation and remain one of the largest financial burdens facing households across the country.

Cuban, who previously entertained the possibility of seeking political office himself, also dismissed any idea of mounting a presidential campaign when reporters asked him outside the West Wing.

“….No,” he said, dripping in sweat on the 92-degree day. “Too hot.”

By JBizNews Desk | May 18, 2026

Tilman Fertitta’s $18 billion pursuit of Caesars Entertainment is shaping up to be the single biggest catalyst for a new U.S. casino consolidation cycle in years, with Wall Street analysts increasingly concluding that the deal would force a sweeping reshuffling of regional gaming assets across the country. In a Friday research note obtained through CDC Gaming, JPMorgan Securities analyst Daniel Politzer estimated the transaction could require the sale of as much as $2.3 billion in casino properties to satisfy antitrust regulators and state gaming commissions — a process that could redraw the competitive map from Las Vegas to Atlantic City.

The proposed transaction centers on Fertitta Entertainment, the holding company controlled by Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta, owner of the Houston Rockets, Golden Nugget casinos and the sprawling Landry’s restaurant empire. Caesars confirmed on April 20 that it extended Fertitta’s exclusive negotiating window after he topped a rival proposal from activist investor Carl Icahn. The current structure values Caesars at roughly $32 per share and implies an enterprise value above $18 billion once Caesars’ more than $11 billion debt load is included.

The central issue is overlap. Fertitta already controls Golden Nugget casinos in multiple markets where Caesars maintains a major presence, including Las Vegas, Laughlin and Lake Tahoe in Nevada, Atlantic City in New Jersey, Biloxi in Mississippi and Lake Charles in Louisiana. Politzer said regulators at the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice, the Nevada Gaming Control Board, the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, the Louisiana Gaming Control Board and the Mississippi Gaming Commission are all likely to require property divestitures before approving the merger.

That reality is already fueling speculation about who benefits from the forced asset sales. Politzer identified Boyd Gaming, Penn Entertainment, Bally’s Corp. and Churchill Downs as the most logical strategic buyers because each has both the balance-sheet flexibility and geographic incentive to expand selectively into newly available markets. Industry executives and analysts also expect private equity and gaming real-estate investment trusts to play a major role. Apollo Global Management and Blackstone both remain active in casino real estate and hospitality transactions, while VICI Properties and Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. hold underlying real estate tied to many Caesars operations and would almost certainly be involved in any restructuring.

The strategic logic for Fertitta extends well beyond casino floors. One of the biggest attractions is Caesars Rewards, the company’s loyalty platform with more than 60 million members. Fertitta plans to integrate his Landry’s portfolio — which includes Morton’s The Steakhouse, Mastro’s Restaurants, Rainforest Cafe, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and dozens of other dining brands — directly into the Caesars ecosystem. That would dramatically expand where customers can redeem loyalty points and deepen cross-selling opportunities between casinos, hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues.

The deal would also significantly expand Fertitta’s national profile in gaming. Though Golden Nugget remains a recognized brand, Caesars controls one of the broadest casino footprints in America, spanning Las Vegas Strip properties, regional casinos and online gaming operations. Fertitta has increasingly positioned himself as one of the industry’s most aggressive consolidators, particularly after selling Golden Nugget Online Gaming to DraftKings in 2022 for $1.56 billion.

A complicating factor remains Fertitta’s existing 12% ownership stake in Wynn Resorts, which makes him Wynn’s largest individual shareholder. According to FactSet filings, Fertitta has also accumulated millions of dollars in Wynn call options during 2026. Multiple gaming attorneys cited by CDC Gaming said regulators are unlikely to block the Caesars transaction because of the Wynn position, but they expect Nevada regulators to closely scrutinize the cross-ownership structure during the approval process.

The wildcard continues to be Icahn. The billionaire activist investor has maintained a competing interest in Caesars and reportedly proposed combining Caesars’ digital gaming operations with another online betting platform. Caesars Sportsbook has struggled to close the gap with market leaders FanDuel and DraftKings despite strong overall sports-betting growth nationwide. Analysts say Icahn’s continued presence could still pressure Fertitta to improve terms or alter the structure before a final agreement is reached.

Wall Street’s focus, however, has shifted toward what happens after the merger rather than whether a deal happens at all. Politzer wrote that the potential property divestitures could create the most active regional gaming acquisition market since Eldorado Resorts completed its $17.3 billion takeover of Caesars in 2020. Regional operators that missed the last major consolidation cycle may now get another opportunity to expand.

The transaction is not expected to close before 2027. But for an industry that has spent the last several years digesting pandemic disruptions, sports-betting expansion and online gaming competition, the Fertitta bid represents something larger: the return of high-stakes casino consolidation on a national scale.

— JBizNews Desk
© JBizNews.com. All rights reserved. This article is original reporting by JBizNews Desk. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution is strictly prohibited.

The Islamic Center of San Diego, where a deadly mass shooting Monday left three people dead, has previously drawn national attention over past ties to September 11 hijackers and inflammatory statements made by its current imam regarding Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel.

Three people, including a security guard, were killed after two gunmen opened fire at the mosque. The suspected attackers were later discovered dead from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds inside a BMW. Authorities said the threat had been neutralized, though a motive has not yet been officially determined.

The mosque has long faced scrutiny because two of the September 11 hijackers, Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar, reportedly attended prayers there while living in San Diego. According to previous reports, the pair also found housing near the mosque through community advertisements while taking flight lessons in the area.

More recently, Imam Taha Hassane came under criticism for remarks made shortly after the October 7 Hamas massacre in Israel.

“This did not start last week or on October 7. This is the result of brutal Zionist occupation and genocide,” Hassane said in a social media video posted days after the attack.

“Resistance is justified when people are under occupation and don’t let them change that narrative.”

Members of Hassane’s family have also faced accusations over anti-Israel activism and inflammatory rhetoric.

According to Canary Mission, Selma Hassane has “promoted incitement, spread hatred of Israel, engaged in anti-Israel activism and is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.”

Meanwhile, watchdog group StopAntisemitism accused Hassane’s wife, Lallia Allali, of sharing graphic imagery following the October 7 attacks, including a depiction of a Jewish star accompanied by the words “the devil is killing.”

The group also alleged that Allali was involved with the Palestinian Youth Movement, a radical anti-Zionist organization that openly advocates for the “liberation” of all land “from the river to the sea” and describes its movement as rooted in an Arab struggle for all of “Palestine,” with the newly formed state to be entirely Arab.

Residents living near the mosque told the New York Post that tensions between the Islamic Center and the surrounding community had escalated following the October 7 attacks, particularly involving a nearby Hebrew-language charter school.

One parent said disputes intensified after the school displayed hostage posters across the street from the mosque, prompting mosque officials to contact police over alleged vandalism concerns.

“Hassane was supposed to bridge all the communities, but quickly became a hostile figure,” local journalist and parent Stella Escobedo said.

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup creeps closer, fans across the world are expected to be watching one of the game’s most iconic players. 

And Lowe’s is making sure Lionel Messi remains front and center during this year’s tournament. 

Messi, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, is expected to be in contention for Argentina’s 2026 World Cup squad as the defending champions look to repeat.

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This is confirmed to be Messi’s final World Cup, as the 38-year-old, who also stars for Inter Miami CF in MLS, confirmed that to be the case leading up to the tournament. 

But while fans anticipate watching Messi, Lowe’s collaborated with the soccer legend on a new campaign ahead of the World Cup. And it involves a 10-foot-tall lighted outdoor inflatable version of Messi.

MILLER LITE CELEBRATES 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP FANS WITH A LIMITED-EDITION MATCHBALL THAT HOLDS A 12-PACK

Lowe’s is rewarding its MyLowe’s Rewards and My Lowe’s Pro Rewards members with “Epically More Messi,” a new campaign designed to bring the brand’s most loyal fans closer to the game and to the person many consider to be one of the greatest players of all time.

To do so, Lowe’s released a limited-edition, 10-foot inflatable Messi, who is decked out in a Lowe’s soccer kit and even features details like his tattoos. Talk about a larger-than-life way to show off passion for the game and one of its greats. 

“Soccer fandom is rooted in passion, pride and showing up in an EPIC way,” said Jen Wilson, Lowe’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer, in a press release. “With ‘Epically More Messi,’ we’re creating new ways to bring our most passionate and loyal Lowe’s fans more rewards – in this case, access to limited-edition merchandise, epic Messi drops over social and more.”

The inflatable, which goes for $99, can be purchased through a members-only access experience beginning on May 18 on Lowe’s site. It will also be available across the 11 U.S. host cities starting on May 20. 

The Messi inflatable has already been seen across host sites in Atlanta (Piedmont Park), Dallas (Klyde Warren Park), Miami (Nu Stadium at Miami Freedom Park) and New York (Seaport District). 

Lowe’s is also giving their members the chance to engage with exclusive content as well as Messi giveaways for the World Cup. There will also be a social-first fan experience that will appear, featuring Messi, soccer insider Fabrizio Romano and ESPN personality Katie Feeney. 

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Finally, Lowe’s brought back the father-son broadcasting duo of Andres and Nico Cantor as official campaign partners. 

“Soccer fandom in the U.S. is at an all-time high, and a legend like Lionel Messi can bring communities together in powerful ways,” said soccer broadcasting icon Andres Cantor. “With ‘Epically More Messi,’ Lowe’s is creating experiences that meet fans where they are – at home and at their neighborhood fields where many soccer dreams begin.”

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Survivors and relatives of victims of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing expressed alarm over the growing congressional campaign of Democrat Adam Hamawy, citing his past relationship with convicted terrorist cleric Omar Abdel-Rahman, widely known as the “Blind Sheikh.”

Hamawy, a plastic surgeon from Princeton, is considered a leading contender in the Democratic primary to succeed retiring Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman in New Jersey’s heavily Democratic 12th Congressional District. His past association with Abdel-Rahman, who was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing plot, has drawn renewed scrutiny.

The February 1993 bombing killed six people and injured more than 1,000 others. Abdel-Rahman stood trial in 1995 over his involvement in the attack, and Hamawy appeared as a defense witness during the proceedings. On the campaign trail last week, Hamawy reportedly referred to the cleric as a “leader of the community.”

Hamawy has also stated that he never heard Abdel-Rahman advocate violence or terrorism, despite having traveled with him for 13 hours in 1991 to an Islamic conference in Detroit titled “Toward a Global Islamic Economy in Detroit,” where multiple speakers reportedly discussed jihad and infidels.

“I would never vote for Hamawy because of this and again, saying that as a lifelong Democrat and someone who really wants to keep New Jersey blue, I would find another Democrat to vote for even if it meant writing in someone. I could not with a clear conscience ever vote for this man. Nor would I encourage anybody else to. Some things are just not forgivable,” said Michael Macko, whose father, William Macko, was killed in the World Trade Center bombing while working in the North Tower.

“These are people being associated with the very horrific killing of my father. Whenever I see things like this it’s hard because your immediate reaction is just unbelief,” Macko added.

“Maybe he didn’t know how bad the sheik was,” Macko said of Hamawy, “but I would find that hard to believe given his closeness to him.”

Many survivors said memories of the 1993 bombing have faded in public consciousness because of the September 11 attacks, though they continue to live with the trauma decades later.

James Outerbridge, who survived both the 1993 bombing and the September 11 attacks, told the Washington Free Beacon on Monday that he remains in therapy because of his experiences.

“What had happened [in 1993] not only affected me, but was a precursor to 9/11,” Outerbridge said.

Outerbridge, who worked at a bank in the towers and later helped save hundreds of lives during the September 11 attacks, sharply criticized Hamawy’s candidacy.

“There’s no place for people like this,” Outerbridge said. “Allowing people who have those kinds of connections to come in here, run for political office, and then who knows, down the line, put their own agenda into play.”

“He doesn’t deserve to run for political office in our country,” he added.

Charles Maikish, who directed the Port Authority’s World Trade Department during the bombing, recalled to the Beacon feeling the tower physically shake when the blast occurred.

“I was sitting at my desk in Tower One when the tower heaved. It just actually heaved. And I knew something had happened,” he said.

“I always referred to them as my twins,” Maikish added. “And it was a devastating experience to have it, you know, injured the way it was injured.”

Speaking about Hamawy’s ties to Abdel-Rahman, Maikish said: “Personally, it disgusts me. For somebody that has befriended that group, or the head of that sect that perpetrated such a heinous crime, to me, is just totally against what would be a free, open, democratic society.”

Questions surrounding Hamawy’s relationship with the Blind Sheikh resurfaced after reports highlighted a 1995 New York Times article that identified him as a “supporter” of the cleric.

“If you need anything, you can just give me a call,” Hamawy reportedly told Abdel-Rahman in 1993, months after the bombing.

Hamawy has not denied knowing the cleric, who died in prison in 2017, but has dismissed criticism over the relationship as “right-wing, MAGA smears.”

While Hamawy’s Democratic rivals had initially been cautious in addressing the controversy, some have recently begun speaking more openly as the primary race enters its final weeks.

“You are known by the company you keep. In the mid 1990s when Adam Hamawy indicated he was an interpreter for [the Blind Sheikh], who was convicted of acts against this country, he sat in a ride and developed amnesia about what transpired on that very long road trip,” said Plainfield Mayor Adrian Mapp.

“You can’t describe Adam Hamawy as a progressive,” Mapp added. “He is what you would call a radical extremist. Individuals associating with clearly anti-American views like the convicted Sheikh call into question people like Dr. Hamawy.”

A new survey presented by Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) to senior Israeli officials found that close to 80% of Gaza residents are interested in emigrating from the Gaza Strip.

The poll highlighted what Israeli officials described as mounting despair among Gaza civilians as Hamas continues refusing to disarm, despite ongoing international efforts to shape a postwar framework for the territory. Disarmament has been viewed as a major requirement in the reconstruction proposal advanced by President Donald Trump and in broader discussions about Gaza’s future after the war.

As part of the COGAT survey, participants were asked which subjects they would like “additional information about for the Palestinian public.”

According to the findings, nearly four out of five respondents said they wanted more details regarding options for relocation to another country through the Rafah and Kerem Shalom border crossings. Another 17.5% said they were primarily interested in information connected to humanitarian aid and food distribution, while roughly 2.5% sought additional details concerning medical humanitarian assistance.

Israeli officials interpreted the results as an indication that many Gaza residents see emigration as their main hope amid the destruction caused by the war and the uncertainty surrounding any future rebuilding efforts.

Since the outbreak of the war following the October 7 massacre, more than 44,000 Gazans have left the territory through the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings. Those departures included medical patients as well as people holding visas to foreign countries. Israeli officials said about 2,500 individuals exited through Rafah after the crossing resumed operations in February as part of the ceasefire agreement.

Some Israeli officials argued that the actual level of interest in leaving Gaza could be even greater than what the survey showed.

“It is possible that some respondents did not fully understand the question or may have been reluctant to express their views openly,” an Israeli security official said during the discussion.

The species of Ebola virus causing an outbreak in Congo that has killed nearly 120 people is less common than other Ebola viruses, which is complicating the response because there are no specific treatments or vaccines.

“There’s nothing even close to ready for clinical trials,” said Dr. Celine Gounder, an infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist who treated patients in West Africa during the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic. “And so that means responders, healthcare workers and other aid workers are really back to the basics.”

Here’s what to know about Bundibugyo virus, the rare species behind the outbreak of what public health officials call Ebola virus disease.

Bundibugyo virus has caused two other outbreaks
Bundibugyo has caused two other outbreaks, all in the same region of the Congo River basin, said Dr. Tom Ksiazek, a University of Texas Medical Branch virologist and veterinarian. He directed the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Special Pathogens Branch, which first identified the virus in 2007.

How Bundibugyo virus is spread
The virus is spread the same way as other Ebola viruses: through close contact with sick or deceased patients’ bodily fluids, such as sweat, blood, feces or vomit. Healthcare workers and family members caring for sick patients face the highest risk, experts said.

“So very often we see doctors and nurses among the first to be infected and to die,” said Gounder, editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News.

Bundibugyo may be less lethal than other Ebola species but it is still extremely dangerous
From the few outbreaks health experts have seen, Bundibugyo might be slightly less deadly than what is often called Zaire virus, the most common species.

“I think a 30%-plus mortality rate is still quite scary, but it’s hard to say with a lot of precision because we don’t have a lot of experience,” Gounder said.

How people with Bundibugyo are cared for if there are no treatments or vaccines
In the other two Bundibugyo outbreaks, initial cases were identified early, Ksiazek said, allowing for a quick public health response: getting healthcare workers proper protective equipment, finding and isolating people who were exposed and offering supportive medical care to patients. Proper medical care “reduces mortality significantly,” he said.

That includes giving patients lots of IV or oral fluids, Gounder said.

How public health workers are trying to contain the outbreak
Health workers are now working to find and isolate cases, trace their contacts and educate people about how to avoid the virus. In the West African epidemic, ensuring safe methods of burial was key to stopping the spread, said Gounder, because people were getting sick from preparing their loved ones’ bodies for funeral rites. Making sure health workers have proper protective equipment is also critical, experts said.

“Of course, it’s problematic because vaccines are some of our best tools for combating infectious diseases,” said Lina Moses, an epidemiologist and disease ecologist at Tulane University. But other public health tools — public education, contact tracing, quick testing — still work, she said.

“It’s important to keep in mind that every single Ebola outbreak that has occurred in the (Democratic Republic of the Congo) — we’re on our 17th now — has been stopped,” she said.

A man was shot and killed early Monday morning after forcing his way into a Jewish home in Philadelphia in the early hours of Monday. The incident happened shortly after 1 a.m. on the 1600 block of Griffith Street in the Rhawnhurst section of the city. According to YWN sources, a male suspect forcibly entered the property, prompting a struggle inside the home. During that struggle, the suspect was shot.

Responding officers transported the man to Jefferson-Torresdale Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about 1:39 a.m., according to police.

The suspect’s identity has not yet been released.

YWN sources say a frum woman was inside the home at the time with her two children. The woman, who babysits for many frum infants, screamed when the intruder came in. A neighbor who heard the woman screaming forced the door open with a crowbar and shot the intruder, killing him.

No injuries were reported among the woman, her children, or others inside the home.

No arrests have been announced as of Monday, and police said the investigation remains ongoing. The case is being handled as a homicide investigation, which is standard procedure in fatal shootings, while detectives work to determine the full circumstances surrounding the break-in and shooting.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

President Donald Trump said Monday that he plans to urge the Justice Department to investigate a major mail ballot mistake in Maryland, alleging without evidence that the issue involved election fraud.

Maryland election officials announced they are sending out approximately 500,000 replacement mail ballots after discovering that some voters were mistakenly mailed primary ballots tied to the wrong political party because of a vendor-related printing problem. Since officials could not identify exactly which voters received incorrect ballots, the state opted to resend ballots to all potentially impacted voters.

Trump addressed the situation Friday in a Truth Social post, writing: “In Maryland, they sent out 500,000 Illegal Mail In Ballots, and they got caught! So now, they’re going to send out 500,000 more Mail In Ballots, but nobody knows what’s happening with the first 500,000 they sent.”

State election officials have stated that the original ballots will not be counted and will instead be isolated and invalidated. Only the newly issued ballots will be accepted in the election.

“There is no risk of duplicate voting as a result of this issue. Election officials have safeguards in place to ensure that only one ballot can be accepted per voter. Every return envelope/oath has a unique identifier to ensure that a voter can only vote one ballot. SBE has implemented additional safeguards to ensure only the correct ballot is counted for each voter,” the board said in a release Monday.

According to Maryland officials, the problem originated with a printing contractor, which will cover the cost of reissuing the ballots. The state’s primary election is scheduled for June 23.

Trump’s demand for a federal investigation marks his latest criticism of mail-in voting, an issue he has repeatedly targeted while alleging widespread election misconduct. Earlier this year, Trump signed an executive order aimed at tightening rules surrounding voting by mail.

In the same Truth Social message, Trump also referred to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore as “corrupt.”

Ammar Moussa, a spokesman for Moore, sharply criticized Trump’s comments and dismissed the allegations.

“Marylanders should look to the State Board of Elections for accurate information — not social media misinformation designed to undermine confidence in our elections,” Moussa said.

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to begin June 11, Guinness, the beer from Dublin, Ireland, is launching a soccer-themed campaign called “The World’s Cup” for fans watching around the world.

Guinness, which Guinness North America says is brewed in 49 countries worldwide and sold in over 150, is reimagining its “The World’s Cup” ad from the 1990s in a way the brand says is meant to appeal to both die-hard supporters and casual viewers gathering for matches this summer.

As part of the broader campaign, Guinness collaborated with Art of Football on a limited-edition jersey collection designed specifically for match days. 

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While the signature Guinness logo, as well as the Guinness harp, are visible on the front of the jersey, the shirt features a black-and-green patterned base with white and red stripes.

Art OF has collaborated on numerous pieces with Guinness in the past, but this jersey will only be available in North America starting June 8. 

TUBI LAUNCHES 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP FOX HUB FOR SOCCER FANS AHEAD OF THE HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED TOURNAMENT

Art of Football, founded in 2013, is a fan-led creative studio that’s dedicated to preserving the culture of sport through the lens of art, making it a fitting collaborator for Guinness’ soccer-focused campaign ahead of one of the world’s biggest tournaments in sports.

The company has also collaborated with brands like Nike and Adidas, while securing licenses with the Premier League, Championship and European Leagues. 

For Guinness, though, its “The World’s Cup” campaign isn’t just the limited-edition jersey collaboration. The brand also worked with Art of Football to outfit bartenders and pub staff who Guinness says “make game days lovely, serving pints and creating a sense of connection that keeps fans coming back.”

Bartenders and pub staff in Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia and San Francisco will be featured in Guinness content on social media during the campaign.

Guinness Draught Stout will also unveil its limited-edition soccer packs with a design created by Brooklyn-based illustrator and designer Sophia Yeshi, whose work is known for bold visual storytelling and themes of diversity.

The packs, sold in 4-packs and 8-packs, will be available nationwide for a limited time, according to Guinness.

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Finally, Guinness has more in store, but it will be keeping it a surprise as the World Cup gets closer. 

“Soccer is at its best when everyone feels part of it, and Guinness has always stood for that same spirit of togetherness,” Karissa Downer, Director of Guinness, said in a press release**.** “Whether you’re an avid supporter or simply here for a good time, Guinness makes game day feel more welcoming, more connected and more memorable. With ‘The world’s cup,’ we are celebrating the pubs, pints and bartenders who turn every match into a moment worth sharing. The beautiful game deserves a beautiful pint and a room full of fans to enjoy it with.”

Guinness says consumers should drink responsibly.

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Likud Minister David Amsalem delivered a scathing speech on Sunday at the Municipal Corporations Union conference in Eilat, attacking the left and the judicial system, including its persecution of lomdei Torah.

“When I look at the history of the Jewish people, without Torah there is no Am Yisrael,” Amsalem said. “Therefore, anyone who learns Torah, in my view, is the jewel in the crown. I see him contributing no less than a soldier currently fighting in Gaza. There is no difference between them.”

“Shevet Levi never fought in a war. It’s very difficult to learn Torah from morning until night. Serving Hakadosh Baruch Hu isn’t simple. They impose lives of poverty upon themselves. Some are capable of it, some partially, and some are not. I wish I could trade places with someone learning Torah.”

“The IDF has a surplus of combat soldiers in whom billions have been invested, but the army is being dragged along by all the poison of the left. They are incapable of drafting them. If tomorrow all the Chareidim drafted to the army, the entire left would go to Kaplan and say: ‘Don’t draft them!’”

Amsalem slammed the Israeli left: “We endured four terrible years, and I reached the conclusion that the left in Israel is the most violent group in the country and the most anti-democratic. The left never sanctified democracy — only power. But something has changed. I think the fundamental change in recent years is that the public understands what is happening.

“When you used to say ‘the High Court,’ you would raise your head upward as though angels were walking there. Today, they are people with first and last names — the public knows. There are millions of people watching and exploding with anger. There are three or four million [Shin Bet chief] David Zinis in this country. The same goes for Gofman. We will carry out the [judicial] reform forcefully and intelligently.”

Regarding Gofman’s appointment, he said: “He will be chief of the Mossad. What they did to Zini and Gofman is unforgivable. They allow themselves to humiliate these people. Did they do anything to Ronen Bar, who is responsible for the deaths of thousands? They fought to keep him from leaving. But Zini? Chas V’shalom. Why? Because he’s Sephardi.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

A driver in Lakewood today was just feet away from being seriously injured – or worse – when a large tree suddenly toppled into the roadway.

‎Approximately 30 seconds prior, a pedestrian can also be seen walking by the spot.

‎…המכין מצעדי גבר

Elon Musk delivered glowing remarks about Israel’s technology and innovation sector during a special appearance at the 9th International Smart Mobility Summit, the Samson International Smart Mobility Summit 2026, held at Expo Tel Aviv under the leadership of the Innovation and Smart Mobility Division of Israel’s Ministry of Transport and Road Safety.

The event, organized in partnership with Keren Hayesod and made possible through the vision of the late Eric Samson and Sheila Samson, featured the Tesla, SpaceX, and Neuralink founder speaking about Israel’s achievements in entrepreneurship, the future of artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, robotics, and humanity’s future.

Musk expressed deep admiration for Israel’s technological accomplishments and entrepreneurial culture, saying:

“I am a great admirer of the entrepreneurship coming out of Israel. Israel achieves amazing results relative to the size of its population and is definitely number one in the world. I take my hat off to Israel for the innovation it is creating.”

He also said he hopes to return to Israel in the future and revealed that Tesla’s self-driving technology is expected to become available in the country in the near future, enabling Israelis to experience the system themselves.

Discussing autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence, Musk predicted that human drivers will largely become obsolete within the next decade.

“The path to driving that is safer than human driving is completely clear. Within ten years, I estimate that around 90 percent of all vehicles will be driven by artificial intelligence systems rather than by human drivers. The car will drive you, not the other way around. Tesla’s software is based on artificial intelligence and cameras, just as humans drive, and I expect this approach to be safer than any human driver.”

Musk also shared his outlook on robotics and the economic transformation he believes artificial intelligence will bring to the world economy.

“My prediction for the future is that there will be more intelligent robots in the world than humans. There will be humanoid robots everywhere. Who would not want their own personal robotic assistant? When robots and artificial intelligence can perform tasks better than we can, it will increase the global economy by a hundredfold.”

Concluding his remarks, Musk painted what he described as an ideal future for mankind, centered around peace, abundance, and technological advancement benefiting all people.

“What is the best possible future we can imagine? A world where everyone has access to extraordinary healthcare, where every disease can be cured, and where no one goes hungry, allowing people the freedom to do what they want. I dream of a world without conflict and global war, a world where technology serves all of humanity, not just the few.”

The Samson International Smart Mobility Summit 2026 is regarded as one of the premier international gatherings focused on innovation and the future of transportation technology. The conference is being held in collaboration with Keren Hayesod and under the auspices of Israel’s Ministry of Transport and Road Safety, bringing together global leaders in mobility, technology, and artificial intelligence.

Wall Street is beginning to recognize what business leaders and local officials in Monmouth County have been watching unfold for years: Netflix’s massive redevelopment of Fort Monmouth is evolving into one of the most significant entertainment infrastructure projects on the East Coast. The streaming giant’s planned $1 billion investment at the former Army base in Eatontown and Oceanport is moving steadily forward as analysts increasingly view the project as part of Netflix’s broader long-term growth strategy. Fresh sell-side commentary released through Friday, including reiterated bullish notes following the company’s annual upfront presentation in New York last week, has begun folding the New Jersey build into the broader bull case for Netflix shares.

The renewed investor attention intensified after Eric Sheridan, managing director at Goldman Sachs, upgraded Netflix shares to Buy on April 6 and raised the firm’s 12-month price target from $100 to $120. The analyst described a more favorable risk-reward setup following an extended decline in Netflix stock, which had fallen roughly 18% over the prior six months amid concerns tied to the company’s abandoned $82.7 billion pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming and studio assets. Netflix formally exited the acquisition effort on Feb. 26 after declining to match Paramount Skydance’s higher bid and later collected a $2.8 billion termination fee, shifting investor focus back toward the company’s standalone expansion strategy. Goldman’s bullish stance was reinforced last Friday when Guggenheim reiterated its Buy rating with a $120 price target, joining J.P. Morgan analyst Doug Anmuth at $118 and Jefferies at $134.

While Wall Street analysts debate valuation and advertising growth, construction activity at Fort Monmouth has already transformed large sections of the 292-acre property. Since groundbreaking last May, Netflix has demolished approximately 85 former military structures to prepare for the first phase of studio development. The company is constructing four initial soundstages in Oceanport’s McAfee Zone, with each facility measuring roughly 22,000 square feet. Structural work on the first building is already visible on-site.

The redevelopment effort extends beyond new soundstages. Historic portions of the former military installation are being preserved and repurposed as part of the broader campus design. Vail Hall, one of the site’s most recognizable historic buildings, is expected to become production office space, while several existing warehouse structures totaling more than 40,000 square feet will be renovated for storage and operational support. Netflix also plans upgrades to the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority offices and the 92,000-square-foot McAfee Center.

Local officials have emphasized that the project represents far more than a studio complex. The master redevelopment plan includes retail components, open public spaces, support infrastructure, and a potential hotel intended to accommodate cast and production crews during long-term filming schedules. Portions of the site, including Greely Field and Cowan Park, are expected to remain publicly accessible as part of the redevelopment agreement.

The economic implications for New Jersey are substantial. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority approved approximately $387 million in Aspire tax credits to support the project, while additional incentives through the state’s Film and Digital Media Tax Credit program could allow Netflix to qualify for production-related tax credits worth up to 40% of eligible New Jersey expenses if the company maintains long-term occupancy at the site.

State officials have increasingly positioned New Jersey as a growing East Coast production hub capable of competing with traditional entertainment markets in California, Georgia, and New York. Over the past year, Netflix has filmed nearly 20 projects within the state and currently maintains active productions employing more than 500 workers across New Jersey. Once fully completed, the Fort Monmouth studio campus is projected to support as many as 1,500 permanent jobs, in addition to hundreds of ongoing construction positions.

Financially, investors continue to focus on Netflix’s advertising business as a major future growth driver. Goldman Sachs forecasts the company’s advertising revenue could expand from roughly $1.5 billion in 2025 to nearly $9.5 billion annually by 2030 as Netflix scales its ad-supported subscription model globally. At the company’s upfront presentation in New York last week, TD Cowen analyst John Blackledge highlighted that Netflix’s ad-supported tier now reaches more than 250 million global monthly active viewers, up from roughly 190 million in November. Across 32 covering analysts, the consensus rating on Netflix is now Strong Buy with an average 12-month price target near $119. Analysts also expect continued operating margin expansion and the resumption of large-scale stock buybacks following the collapse of the Warner Bros. transaction.

Netflix’s broader financial performance remains strong despite recent market volatility. The company generated approximately $45.2 billion in revenue during 2025, representing roughly 16% year-over-year growth, while net income approached $11 billion. However, shares have remained under pressure following the company’s first-quarter earnings report released in April, with the stock closing Friday at $87.02, well below Goldman’s upgraded entry target and roughly 35% off the 52-week high of $134.12. Not every voice on the Street is bullish. Raymond James analyst Andrew Marok holds a Market Perform rating, arguing the debate over user engagement is far from resolved, while Erste Group earlier downgraded the stock to Hold.

For Monmouth County, however, the investment story is increasingly visible in physical terms rather than financial models. Roads, infrastructure systems, and former military facilities continue to be reshaped into a modern production campus that local leaders believe could permanently alter the region’s economic profile. The first phase of development, known as Phase 1A, is currently scheduled to open in 2027 and will include the initial Oceanport soundstages and support buildings. A second phase planned for Eatontown, including eight additional soundstages, is targeted for completion in 2028.

Industry observers say the Fort Monmouth redevelopment could eventually reshape the geography of U.S. film and television production by creating a large-scale East Coast alternative for streaming-era content creation. As Netflix deepens its operational footprint in New Jersey, the company’s long-term wager on Monmouth County increasingly appears to be both a real estate transformation project and a strategic production expansion designed to support the next phase of global streaming competition.

JBizNews Desk

© JBizNews.com. All rights reserved. This article is original reporting by JBizNews Desk. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution is strictly prohibited.

Two Chabad soldiers serving in the IDF for more than six months were subjected to disciplinary proceedings for not cutting their hair during Sefiras HaOmer.

According to a Channel 14 report, the two soldiers were detained by a military police officer, issued citations, and summoned to disciplinary hearings.

The soldiers said they tried to explain to the military police representative that their lack of haircuts did not stem from disrespect for orders but was due to a religious minhag that is an integral part of their emunah.

Both soldiers have valid army-issued beard exemptions, but did not receive official exemptions regarding haircuts. They stressed that no other disciplinary violations were issued against them.

One of the soldiers said, “I’m a Chabad chassid. I’m not allowed to get a haircut until Shavuos. If I could, I would have gotten one long ago.”

According to sources familiar with the matter, the incident joins a growing list of complaints from Chareidi and religious soldiers who claim their religious lifestyle and symbols have been infringed upon during military service.

Among the examples cited were previous incidents involving disciplinary action over religious symbols, including the “Moshiach” patch affair.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Bezalel Smotrich, chairman of the Religious Zionist Party, addressed the intensifying controversy surrounding Israel’s Draft Law during his party’s faction meeting on Monday, outlining what he said must be a basic condition for any future agreement on military conscription legislation.

Speaking to party members, Smotrich said progress on the issue cannot continue unless the haredi leadership openly supports the enlistment of individuals who are not engaged in full-time Torah study.

“The condition for any law must be a clear declaration by the haredi leadership: ‘Whoever is not studying Torah must enlist,’” Smotrich said during the meeting. “That is the minimum required in order to move forward with this important and necessary process.”

Later in the discussion, Smotrich shifted to the broader political implications of the draft-law dispute and warned against any attempt to dissolve the current coalition government amid the crisis.

According to Smotrich, bringing down the government at this stage would inflict serious harm on Israel’s national priorities and strategic interests.

“I say here in the clearest possible terms – bringing down the right-wing government would be a grave mistake for the State of Israel, for the settlement movement, for security, and for the Jewish identity of the state,” he said.

The finance minister also appealed directly to the haredi parties within the coalition, urging them not to join efforts aimed at toppling the government.

“I call from here to the haredi Knesset members: show responsibility toward the State of Israel. Do not cooperate with those who want to topple right-wing rule and dismantle the national camp.”

Concluding his remarks, Smotrich argued that Israel faces major challenges in the years ahead and warned of the consequences if the current coalition loses power.

“We have enormous challenges to lead in the State of Israel in the coming years. If the left and the Arabs who support terror, God forbid, come to power, it will be a tragedy for generations.”

{Matzav.com}

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Former Los Angeles police detective Mark Fuhrman, who was convicted of lying during testimony at the OJ Simpson murder trial, has died.

Fuhrman was one of the first two police detectives sent to investigate the 1994 killings of Simpson’s ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ronald Goldman, in Los Angeles. He reported finding a bloody glove at Simpson’s home but his credibility came under withering attack during the trial as the defense raised the prospect of racial bias.

Under cross-examination, Fuhrman testified that he had never made anti-Black racial slurs over the previous 10 years, but a recording made by an aspiring screenwriter showed he had done so repeatedly.

Lynn Acebedo, the chief deputy coroner in Kootenai County, Idaho, said that Fuhrman died May 12. The county does not release the cause of death as a rule.

Fuhrman retired from the Los Angeles Police Department after Simpson’s 1995 acquittal. He subsequently moved to Idaho with his wife Caroline and their young daughter and son.

In 1996, Fuhrman was charged with perjury and pleaded no contest. He later became a TV and radio commentator and wrote the book “Murder in Brentwood” about the killings.

As we prepare for Shavuos, Judaica Plaza has everything you need, plus amazing Shavuos specials throughout the store.

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In what chassidim of Toldos Aharon are calling an extraordinary miracle, Rav Yisroel Yosef Kohn, the eldest son of the Toldos Aharon Rebbe, escaped without injury from a serious car accident while traveling from Tzefas back to Yerushalayim.

Rav Yisroel Yosef, who serves as the head of the Be’er Yosef kollel network, spent the past Shabbos together with his father, the Toldos Aharon Rebbe, who is currently staying in Tzefas for rest. Last Thursday, Rav Yisroel Yosef traveled north together with a group of kollel members ahead of the upcoming wedding of his son, which is scheduled to take place next week at the central Toldos Aharon beis medrash in Meah Shearim.

Late Motzoei Shabbos, while making his way back to Yerushalayim, the vehicle carrying Rav Yisroel Yosef was involved in a severe accident. Emergency personnel arrived quickly and transported him to the hospital, where he underwent a series of medical evaluations.

To the amazement of family members and chassidim, Rav Yisroel Yosef was released from the hospital Sunday morning in good condition. The driver and everyone else in the vehicle also emerged unharmed in what many described as miraculous circumstances. The car itself was completely crushed and destroyed.

Following his release, Rav Yisroel Yosef returned to the residence where his father is staying in Tzefas. During the Rosh Chodesh Sivan davening, he recited Bircas Hagomel with great emotion, thanking Hashem for the tremendous miracle.

Chassidim have also been stirred by what they describe as a remarkable occurrence during the Torah reading this past Shabbos. While with his father, Rav Yisroel Yosef received the final aliyah of the parsha, which concludes with the words, “And they shall not come to see when the holy vessels are covered, lest they die.” Immediately afterward, the Rebbe reportedly called him over and pointed out that the Targum translates the passage with the phrase “and they shall not die,” emphasizing the words: “and they shall not come to see when the holy vessels are covered, and they shall not die.”

{Matzav.com}

(JNS) – New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani defended his decision to mark “Nakba Day” on official city channels, pushing back on criticism from Jewish community leaders.
Speaking at a press conference announcing a second municipally operated grocery store site in the Bronx, Mamdani said that the May 15 post “commemorates the expulsion of more than 700,000 Palestinians from 1947 to 1949 during the creation of the State of Israel and for the year that followed.”

🚨UPDATED: Mamdani stands by Nakba Day video amid fierce backlash:

“There are many Nakba survivors in New York City… acknowledging anyone's people's pain does not preclude you from the acknowledgement of another people's.”

Mamdani insists that his door “is always open” for… https://t.co/2MZVtlSIOs pic.twitter.com/sFm0B7pqr5

— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) May 18, 2026

“I firmly believe that acknowledging any one people’s pain does not preclude you from the acknowledgment of another people’s,” the mayor said. “When it comes to New Yorkers like Inea and so many others, not only has their pain never been acknowledged, but so often we have seen that even their identity is up for debate.”

Inea was featured in the “Nakba” day video.

“My message to Jewish leaders across the city is that my door is always open, that I look forward to welcoming a number of those leaders to Gracie Mansion this evening through Shavuot,” Mamdani said.

Jewish leaders are reportedly planning to skip the upcoming event.

By Julia Parker — JBizNews Desk

China is scaling up industrial and humanoid robots at a pace no other economy can match, but a recent court ruling, provincial reskilling mandates, and explicit central-government messaging are simultaneously pushing companies to avoid mass labor displacement. Factories pouring billions into automation are increasingly being told they cannot use new AI systems and robotics as blanket justification to cut the human workforce that powered China’s manufacturing rise.

The clearest signal emerged last month from the Hangzhou Intermediate People’s Court. In a ruling dated April 28, the court found that a technology company in eastern China unlawfully terminated a quality-assurance employee — identified in legal filings only as Zhou — after he refused a 40% pay cut and demotion tied to his role being replaced by a large-language-model system. The court rejected the company’s argument that AI deployment qualified as a “business downsizing” event and ordered compensation for the employee. Legal analysts described the case as the first major judicial indication that Chinese firms cannot cite automation alone as legal grounds for layoffs.

The ruling arrives against the backdrop of an industrial-robotics expansion of historic scale. According to the International Federation of Robotics, China accounted for 54% of all new industrial robot installations worldwide in 2024, deploying approximately 295,000 new units — more than the rest of the world combined. China’s robot density has climbed to roughly 392 to 400 robots per 10,000 manufacturing workers, nearly triple the global average of 141 and ahead of Germany, while rapidly approaching the levels seen in South Korea and Japan.

Takayuki Ito, president of the IFR, said China’s latest five-year framework is accelerating the shift away from traditional factory automation toward AI-integrated, high-end robotics systems intended to anchor the country’s next phase of industrial modernization. Beijing’s strategy increasingly treats robotics, AI, semiconductors, and advanced manufacturing as interconnected pillars of long-term economic and geopolitical competitiveness.

That policy infrastructure has expanded aggressively. China formally launched its 15th Five-Year Plan in 2026 with robotics positioned near the center of national industrial strategy, building on the earlier Made in China 2025 initiative and the newer AI+ development framework. According to Reuters, Beijing allocated more than $20 billion in subsidies, grants, tax incentives, and state-backed investment funding to the robotics sector during late 2024 and early 2025 alone. Analysts now estimate China’s industrial robotics market at roughly $47 billion, far larger than the comparable U.S. sector.

At the same time, authorities are constructing a parallel labor-protection system designed to soften the social impact of automation. Guangdong province — home to the massive manufacturing corridor surrounding Foshan and the Pearl River Delta — has launched a “Million Talents Plan” aimed at reskilling roughly 3 million industrial workers over three years, with AI operations, robotics maintenance, and advanced-manufacturing support roles prioritized heavily. Government spending on vocational and industrial AI training programs has surpassed $15 billion since 2020.

Technical institutions including Shunde Polytechnic University are now partnering directly with manufacturers such as Midea to align factory-floor certifications with real-time industrial demand. Beijing’s broader message is increasingly clear: automate aggressively, but avoid the kind of visible labor shock that could destabilize employment and domestic consumption.

The underlying tension, however, is becoming harder to disguise. According to Bloomberg, Chinese manufacturing employment has already fallen from roughly 115 million workers in 2013 to below 85 million in 2025, representing a decline of more than 30 million jobs even as Chinese exports reached record highs earlier this year.

Major manufacturers have already automated significant portions of their operations. Foxconn has removed tens of thousands of factory positions across its Shenzhen, Zhengzhou, and Kunshan facilities. Xiaomi’s Changping smartphone plant has been described as operating with virtually no human workers on portions of the production floor while producing roughly one device per second. EV and battery giants including BYD and CATL have rapidly expanded robotics integration throughout their manufacturing operations.

The humanoid robotics sector is accelerating even faster. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said more than 140 domestic humanoid robotics manufacturers were operating in 2025, with over 330 humanoid robot models already introduced. UBTECH has deployed its Walker S2 humanoid into production-line environments, while Unitree Robotics has drawn international attention with its G1 platform and its lower-cost $5,000 R1 system.

Automakers including BYD, Geely, and Xpeng have already begun integrating Unitree humanoids onto factory floors. Xpeng has reportedly explored humanoid robotics investments approaching 100 billion yuan — roughly $13.8 billion — a scale difficult to justify solely on the basis of worker augmentation rather than eventual labor replacement.

For global competitors, the numbers are increasingly difficult to ignore. U.S. robot density stands at roughly 295 robots per 10,000 manufacturing workers, still well below China’s level. None of the world’s 10 largest industrial robotics companies are headquartered in the United States, and most robots deployed in American factories continue to be imported from Japan or Germany. U.S. companies such as Boston Dynamics remain heavily focused on research, defense applications, and limited-scale commercial deployment rather than mass industrial manufacturing.

The broader challenge emerging from China is not simply technological scale, but policy coordination. Beijing is attempting to engineer a model built around maximum automation alongside minimum visible labor displacement — a balancing act with few clear historical parallels in modern industrial policy. Whether that model proves economically sustainable may help determine the competitive landscape for global manufacturing over the next decade.

JBizNews Desk

© JBizNews.com. All rights reserved. This article is original reporting by JBizNews Desk. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution is strictly prohibited.

LONDON – Police in London are investigating an alleged antisemitic assault after an Israeli man said he was attacked by a group of men in the Golders Green neighborhood after speaking Hebrew, according to the Jewish Chronicle.

The 22-year-old victim told the JC he had stepped outside early Monday to take a phone call when several men approached him after overhearing him speaking Hebrew. He alleged the group chased him, shouted abuse in Arabic and asked him if he was Jewish before beating him.

The man suffered injuries to his face and back and later received hospital treatment, police said.

London’s Metropolitan Police said officers responded within minutes after reports of the assault outside a property in northwest London. Authorities said the incident is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime and no arrests had been made as of Monday.

The Community Security Trust, a Jewish security organization in Britain, described the attack as “violent and appalling” and said it was supporting the victim and his family.

Local lawmaker Sarah Sackman condemned the reported assault and urged witnesses to cooperate with investigators.

The report was first published by the Jewish Chronicle.

A beautiful Maariv and Sefirah program featuring several chazzanim with lead Chazzan Yakov Yosef Shtark, accompanied by a live chior, led by the world renowned conductor Yossy Schwartz, took place at Beth-El in Boro Park. 

The event was produced in a partnership with Shea Freund and HeiligMuzikalish and dedicated by Mifal Midrash Yoel in honor of the completion of Sefer Ahavah in the daily Rambam shiurim by Hagaon Reb Yitzchok Lowy and Hagaon Reb Yoel Usher Labin

Following the Knesset’s approval of a law authorizing the death penalty for terrorists, Hamas leadership in Gaza circulated an internal message among operatives calling for the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers and urging the group’s military wing to escalate active operations.

According to the contents of the document, which were published Monday evening by Israeli media outlet Kan News, Hamas described the newly approved legislation as the only proof that abducting Israeli soldiers remains the sole effective means of securing the release of Palestinian prisoners.

In the message, Hamas sharply condemned the law, referring to it as a “fascist law” and accusing Israel of acting like a violent criminal organization.

The document described the legislation as a “fascist law that is nothing but a reflection of the blood-soaked nature of this occupation… and embodies the mentality of bloodthirsty criminal gangs.”

The letter also invoked the legacy of Hamas founder Ahmed Yassin and former Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif, presenting the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers as a core strategic doctrine of the organization.

“From the will of Sheikh Imam Ahmed Yassin, who outlined with blood and unwavering faith the strategy of ‘kidnapping soldiers’ as the sole path to freedom… and remember the martyr commander Mohammed Deif, who turned the release of prisoners into a doctrine of warfare,” the document stated.

Hamas leadership also warned that any harm to Palestinian prisoners would trigger a broad regional escalation, while claiming the organization had already prepared military responses.

“Any harm to the life of a prisoner is an explosive charge that will trigger the eruption of a comprehensive volcano, which will leave nothing and spare nothing… through what this pure land conceals in its depths, ‘hidden secrets’ that will shake the earth beneath their feet.”

Toward the end of the letter, Hamas called on its armed wing to raise its level of readiness and move from preparation to direct action, insisting that freedom can only be achieved through force.

“The battle against the jailers is not being fought only within prison walls, but is your battle in the field. Raise the level of alertness, and let our response be an act the enemy will see with its own eyes before hearing about it, for freedom is taken by force of arms.”

{Matzav.com}

(AP) – The New York Times sued the Defense Department on Monday for the second time in five months, arguing that a requirement that journalists be escorted while on Pentagon grounds violates the First Amendment.

The escort policy is “an unconstitutional attempt by the Pentagon to prevent independent reporting on military affairs,” a Times spokesman, Charlie Stadtlander, said in an email to The Associated Press.

“As we have said before: Americans deserve visibility into how their government is being run, and the actions the military is taking in their name and with their tax dollars.”

On X, Defense Department spokesperson Sean Parnell called the Times’ latest lawsuit “nothing more than an attempt to remove the barriers to them getting their hands on classified information.”

Continuing tension between the administration and the media
The Times lawsuit is another salvo in what has become an escalating tension between the U.S. media and the second Trump administration, which has played out both in the public arena and at times in the courts.

The paper said it had filed the additional lawsuit after first suing the Pentagon in December over new rules imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, to challenge an interim policy “that the Pentagon hastily put into place after a federal judge ruled in The Times’s favor in its original lawsuit.” The new policy included a requirement that journalists be accompanied by escorts at all times while in the Pentagon.

The policy was implemented in March following a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman that had struck down earlier restrictions on media access, saying they violated the rights of Times reporter Julian E. Barnes and the paper.

The following month, the judge ruled that the interim policy violated his March order. But the escort policy remained in place when an appeals court stayed part of Friedman’s ruling while the government appeals. The appeals process is ongoing.

The lawsuit follows an earlier one but is more specific
The new lawsuit, filed by the paper and reporter Barnes in the District of Columbia district court, aims to get the courts to directly address the escort rule on constitutional grounds.

In the filing, the paper contends the rule, like other Pentagon media restrictions, has a clear aim — “closing the Pentagon to any journalist or news organization unwilling to report only what Department officials approve.”

This, it contends, is “patently unconstitutional.”

In December, the Times sued the Pentagon, attempting to overturn new rules imposed by Hegseth that, it contended, violated the Constitution’s freedom of speech and due process provisions. Outlets such as the Times walked out of the Pentagon rather than agree to the rules as a condition for getting a press credential. They continue to cover the U.S. military from outside the building, while a new press corps approved by the department currently occupies the Pentagon space.

Parnell, in his X post Monday, asserted that the Times and its journalists “want to roam the halls of the Pentagon freely and without an escort — a privilege that they do not have in any other federal building.”

He added: “The Department’s policy is completely lawful and narrowly designed to protect national security information from unlawful criminal disclosure.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is pausing its participation on a joint board with Canada for continental defense that dates back to World War II, the Pentagon announced Monday, accusing Canada of failing “to make credible progress on its defense commitments.”

President Donald Trump has long accused Canada and other NATO countries of spending too little on their own militaries, arguing that the U.S. shoulders too much of the defense burden. Tensions with Canada also are simmering over tariffs, an expiring North American trade pact and a feud between Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

“We can no longer avoid the gaps between rhetoric and reality,” Elbridge Colby, an undersecretary of defense, said in announcing the pause in a string of posts on X. “Real powers must sustain our rhetoric with shared defense and security responsibilities.”

Colby’s posts noted the increases in defense spending that Canada and other nations agreed to at a summit in 2025. He said the U.S. will assess how the Permanent Joint Board on Defense, comprised of military and civilian officials from both countries, “benefits shared North American defense.”

European allies and Canada have been investing heavily in their armed forces since Russia launched its all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022. And NATO countries, including Canada, pledged last year to spend 5% of their gross domestic product on defense by 2035.

Carney said last year the Canadian government would meet the previous 2% target for this year.

The Pentagon said it had nothing further to provide beyond Colby’s posts on X. Carney’s office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the Pentagon’s announcement.

The announcement reflects a weakening of U.S. relationships with traditional Western allies during Trump’s second term. Last week, the Pentagon decided to draw down thousands of American troops in Europe by canceling deployments to Poland and Germany after Trump criticized NATO members for a lack of support for the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran.

Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska criticized Monday’s decision by the Pentagon, stating in a post on X, “Cooler & wiser brains are needed to preserve a close alliance w/ our neighbor.”

“This all started w/ taunts of ‘Canada will be the 51st state’ & ‘their Prime Minister will be the 51st governor,’” said Bacon, who is not running for reelection. ”The insults gained us nothing but animosity that cost us economically & now militarily.”

The board was established in 1940 — a year before the U.S. entered World War II — by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Mackenzie King, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Also known as the Ogdensburg Agreement, it helped provide a framework for continental defense during World War II and then the Cold War, according to the Brian Mulroney Institute of Government at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia.

The board provided advice on the implementation of North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD. The joint command was formed by the two countries in the 1950s to spot potential enemy attacks as tensions rose with the Soviet Union, along with fears of nuclear war.

The board was also involved in the setup of early warning systems using radar stations, the Mulroney Institute said, and advised on the building of the St. Lawrence Seaway, which links the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes.

While several leading Jewish organizations are planning to boycott New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Jewish Heritage Month celebration at Gracie Mansion over his anti-Israel rhetoric, Satmar askan Rabbi Moshe Dovid Niederman confirmed he will attend the gathering, the NY Post reports.

At least three prominent Jewish figures and organizations have decided to skip the event, arguing that Mamdani’s statements regarding Israel and Zionism are incompatible with a celebration of Jewish heritage.

In a statement, the UJA-Federation of New York, which describes itself as the world’s largest local philanthropy, announced it would not participate.

“We will not be attending the Jewish American Heritage Month celebration at Gracie Mansion being hosted by a mayor who denies a core pillar of our heritage — the State of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people,” the organization said.

Mark Treyger, whose organization oversees the annual Israel Day Parade, also said he would not attend the mayor’s event.

“It’s a really telling and concerning sign of where things stand in New York City right now,” Treyger, a former Brooklyn councilman, told The NY Post on Sunday.

Treyger accused Mamdani of further escalating tensions Friday after releasing a social media statement criticizing the founding of Israel shortly before many Jewish New Yorkers began observing Shabbos.

Mamdani, who has long been outspoken in his criticism of Israel, marked “Nakba Day” — commemorated by Palestinians as the “catastrophe” surrounding Israel’s establishment on May 14, 1948 — with a Friday evening social media post featuring a professionally produced interview with city resident and “Nakba survivor” Inea Bushnaq.

“The mayor issued a social media production which omitted significant parts of history. It only inflamed tensions further,” Treyger said.

He added that the post came immediately after anti-Israel demonstrations outside a prominent Park Avenue synagogue in Manhattan and outside Young Israel Senior Services in Midwood, Brooklyn.

Treyger also pointed to Friday’s arrest of a suspected terrorist allegedly linked to Iran’s military who authorities say was planning an attack targeting a synagogue in New York City.

“We’re looking for leadership that New Yorkers deserve to lower the temperature and bring people together — now more than ever,” Treyger said.

Joseph Potasnik likewise announced he would not attend the Gracie Mansion event.

“Jewish heritage should include recognition of the state of Israel,” Potasnik said. “Jewish history didn’t end in 1946 … We will be marching in the Israel Day Parade to express our support for Israel.”

Last week, former Brooklyn Assemblyman Dov Hikind publicly urged Jewish leaders to boycott the event as tensions between Mamdani and segments of the Jewish community continue growing.

Despite the backlash, Rabbi Moshe Dovid Niederman, head of Satmar’s United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg, confirmed that he intends to participate.

“I am going. It’s right and appropriate,” Niederman.

Niederman previously met with Mamdani at City Hall in March.

Mamdani’s office defended the mayor’s relationship with Jewish communities across the city, insisting he has made outreach and security a major priority since entering office.

“Since taking office, Mayor Mamdani has made it a priority to consistently show up for and build relationships across New York City’s Jewish communities — celebrating holidays and engaging with Jewish life across neighborhoods and traditions while taking steps to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe,” Mamdani spokesman Sam Raskin said.

“Monday’s Shavuot celebration at Gracie Mansion is one of many ways the mayor is engaging with Jewish New Yorkers, and he looks forward to welcoming the full breadth of the Jewish community, across the political and religious spectrum, on Monday.”

City Hall said approximately 150 attendees representing a broad range of New York’s Jewish community are expected to participate in Monday’s celebration.

Mamdani’s administration also pointed to its budget proposal allocating $26 million toward hate-crime prevention programs — an increase of more than 800 percent — which officials say fulfills a campaign pledge to combat antisemitism.

At the same time, the mayor recently confirmed he will not attend this year’s Israel Day Parade.

Mamdani supports the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel and does not recognize Israel as a Jewish state. Critics have also accused him of associating with individuals they consider antisemitic.

{Matzav.com}

Wow! Yesterday’s Bikur Cholim Health Screening was a smashing success. Hundreds of responsible members of our community turned out to do what they can to be on top of their health and try to catch a health issue before CH”V running into complications.

After seeing how many responsible people we have amongst us it got me wondering, what if we had such a screening for mental health issues as well?!

It’s pretty scary to think that we have men, women, and even children suffering in silence. They walk around with mental health struggles and push off getting help until in some cases it’s CH”V too late.

Many people have watched someone they know end up in a dark spot because the warning signs were ignored and never addressed. Some of the issues likely could have been detected and with the proper treatment they could have been helped before getting out of hand.

I don’t know what the proper setup or way of going about it would be but even just the awareness can probably be a big help for individuals and families. I can’t imagine I’m the only one thinking this and It’s something to consider. Maybe some of your readers agree and can think of an idea how to go about it.

Thank you for providing us with a kosher outlet with open dialogue that can potentially bring help to those that need it.

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

WASHINGTON D.C (VINnews) – Citing risks of political bias and misinformation from artificial intelligence chatbots, Reps. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., and Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., are pressing leading AI developers to provide voters with reliable information in the upcoming midterm elections.

“Anyone can ask a chatbot like Claude or ChatGPT, ‘You know me, who should I vote for?’ — and that chatbot may be pulling from biased sites or sources riddled with misinformation,” Gottheimer said in a statement. “I’m concerned about the impact that could have on our elections.”

Lawler and Gottheimer, working together on election integrity efforts, sent a bipartisan letter this week to the CEOs of major AI firms including OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Anthropic, Meta, Perplexity and X Corp. The letter seeks details on steps the companies are taking to address political bias, misinformation, transparency and source reliability in their large language models.

“AI is going to play a defining role in this election cycle, whether the industry is ready for it or not,” the lawmakers wrote. “The question is whether companies in this space will get ahead of the problem or be forced to address it after the damage is done.”

The initiative comes as AI tools become more prevalent in daily life and could influence voter decisions. Lawler and Gottheimer have highlighted parallels to social media’s past effects on elections and stressed the need for unbiased outputs from AI platforms.

The full letter is available on Lawler’s congressional website. No immediate responses from the AI companies were detailed in the announcement.

May 27, 2026- BOE Meeting Public Announcement- In Person

By Y.M. Lowy

New York City has stopped non-emergency road and construction work on several major Brooklyn roads as heavier traffic is expected during the Long Island Rail Road strike, as many commuters switch from trains to driving.

In Brooklyn, the temporary suspension affects Atlantic Avenue, North Conduit Avenue, South Conduit Avenue, and the Belt Parkway.

No new road or utility work permits will be issued on these roads for now. Construction crews already working in the area must secure their work sites and cover any road openings to avoid traffic problems. Any emergency repairs that come up will still be allowed.

Drivers should expect heavier traffic and possible delays throughout nearby areas while the LIRR strike continues.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said he is holding off on a military strike on Iran planned for Tuesday because “serious negotiations” are underway to end the war.

Trump made the announcement in a social media post on Monday after threatening over the weekend that time was running out for Iran to strike a deal or fighting would renew. Last week, he said a fragile ceasefire was on “life support,” and U.S. forces exchanged fire with Iranian forces.

The president, who had not previously disclosed that he was planning a strike for Tuesday, did not offer details about the planned attack in his Monday post but said he instructed the U.S. military “to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached.”

Trump has been threatening for weeks that the ceasefire struck in mid-April could end if Iran did not strike a deal, with shifting parameters for striking such an agreement. Over the weekend he warned, “For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them.”

Trump said he was calling off the planned strike at the request of allies in the Middle East, including the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The president has repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran and then backed off. But he’s also in the past indicated he would hold off on military action to allow talks to continue — only to turn around and launch strikes. That’s what happened at the war’s outset, when he ordered strikes shortly after indicating he would let talks play out.

Trump in recent days has also spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Chinese President Xi Jinping about the Iran war.

Trump’s post quickly caused a fall in the price of oil, which had been rising on the prospect of a prolonged standoff that would keep the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping waterway, effectively closed.

Minutes before the president’s announcement, petroleum futures had been trading at $108.83 a barrel. His word about negotiations almost instantly shaved more than $2 off the price as oil began to trade at roughly $106 a barrel.

Shortly after Trump’s post, Iranian state TV called it a “retreat” based on “fear” in its broadcast ticker and on its X account.

It reported earlier that defense systems were activated late Monday on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. It added the situation was “under control” there, the largest Iranian island in the Persian Gulf, home to about 150,000 people and a water desalination plant.

Earlier Monday, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the immediate concern of the negotiations between the U.S. and Iran was keeping the Strait Of Hormuz open, but Iran’s nuclear program remained a central issue.

Speaking during a joint news conference with his German counterpart in Berlin, Fidan said much of Iran’s enriched uranium that could potentially be used for a nuclear weapon was buried under collapsed tunnels following attacks in June that the U.S. launched with Israel. The U.S. has said it is closely monitoring any movements around the stockpile.

“At present, there isn’t a situation that poses a real threat,” Fidan said. “But for this to continue, the parties must reach and conclude a nuclear negotiation among themselves.”

The Turkish minister said he believes Iran is not opposed in principle to complying with nuclear conditions, but added: “the question is what will be given in return, in what order, and under what conditions.”

With talks at a standstill last week, Iran’s foreign minister said Friday that a lack of trust was the biggest impediment to negotiations.

Iran, which says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, was said to have included some nuclear concessions in its latest proposal to end the war. But Trump dismissed the proposal as “garbage.”

U.S. stocks closed mixed Monday as surging Treasury yields, renewed Middle East uncertainty, and mounting pressure across artificial-intelligence shares rattled investors heading into one of the most consequential earnings weeks of the year, with Nvidia Corp.’s results increasingly viewed on Wall Street as a referendum on whether the AI-driven market rally can continue carrying equities higher amid rising inflation fears and escalating geopolitical risk.

According to closing data from the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 159.95 points, or 0.32%, to 49,686.12, supported by gains in industrial and financial names, while the S&P 500 slipped 0.07% to 7,403.05 and the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.51% to 26,090.73 as semiconductor and AI-linked stocks extended recent weakness. The Russell 2000 dropped 0.65% as higher borrowing costs continued pressuring smaller-cap companies, while the CBOE Volatility Index remained elevated above 18 as traders repositioned ahead of earnings from Nvidia, Walmart, and Target later this week.

Markets whipsawed throughout the session after President Donald Trump disclosed on social media that he was postponing a planned military strike against Iran following requests from the Emir of Qatar, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, and the President of the United Arab Emirates. Trump said “serious negotiations” were underway and predicted a resolution “very acceptable” to both the United States and the broader region, temporarily easing fears that the conflict could escalate into a direct disruption of global oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

Oil prices initially surged before retreating sharply following Trump’s comments. Brent crude briefly climbed above $112 per barrel before pulling back below $110, while West Texas Intermediate crude retreated from intraday highs above $104 to roughly $102.50 by settlement. Energy traders continue viewing the Strait of Hormuz as the market’s central geopolitical flashpoint, with roughly one-fifth of global petroleum flows tied directly to the region.

While equities stabilized late in the day, the bond market painted a far more cautious picture about the inflation outlook. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield climbed above 4.13%, its highest level in roughly a year, while the 30-year Treasury yield hovered near 5.13%, levels last seen during the pre-financial-crisis period in 2007. Long-dated sovereign debt sold off globally, with U.K. 30-year gilt yields reaching highs not seen since the late 1990s and Japanese government bond yields touching fresh multi-decade peaks as investors increasingly abandoned expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts in 2026.

The rise in yields hit technology shares hardest, particularly across the semiconductor sector that has powered much of the market’s AI-driven gains over the past year. The S&P 500 technology sector fell more than 2% intraday before trimming losses into the close. Seagate Technology plunged nearly 7% after Chief Executive Dave Mosley warned during a JPMorgan investor conference that building enough manufacturing capacity to satisfy exploding AI-related memory demand would “take too long,” comments investors interpreted as evidence that supply-chain constraints inside the semiconductor ecosystem are worsening rather than improving. The warning dragged Micron Technology down nearly 6%, while Nvidia, Broadcom, and Intel also finished lower.

Additional pressure came from overseas after South Korean media reported that Samsung Electronics’ labor union would proceed with an 18-day strike beginning May 21 involving more than 45,000 workers, intensifying fears of further disruption across the global memory-chip supply chain tied to the artificial-intelligence infrastructure buildout.

Inside the Dow, 20 of the index’s 30 components finished higher. 3M gained 3.74% and Salesforce added 3.18%, helping offset weakness in technology-linked industrial names. Caterpillar fell 4.08% while Nvidia dropped 2.92% as some investors rotated away from high-valuation growth stocks toward defensive and cyclical sectors. Microsoft outperformed much of the broader technology complex after Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square Capital Management disclosed last week that it had accumulated a position in the software giant.

Analyst activity intensified ahead of Nvidia’s earnings release Wednesday afternoon. DA Davidson reiterated a buy rating on Nvidia and raised its price target to $300, implying roughly 37% upside from current levels, while Cantor Fitzgerald increased its price target on Applied Materials to $550 from $500 while maintaining an overweight rating tied to continued strength in AI semiconductor spending. UBS downgraded Dell Technologies to neutral from buy despite lifting its target to $243 from $167, reflecting a more cautious near-term view on valuation even as AI server demand remains strong. RBC Capital Markets also raised its target on Ford Motor to $13 from $11 while maintaining a sector-perform rating.

Cryptocurrency markets weakened alongside broader risk assets as rising yields continued reducing investor appetite for speculative trades. Bitcoin fell roughly 2% to near $76,400, its lowest level since late April, while gold and silver traded mixed as investors balanced inflation hedging against a strengthening U.S. dollar and expectations for higher-for-longer interest rates.

The broader market now enters Tuesday facing an increasingly difficult macroeconomic backdrop. Gasoline prices remain elevated, mortgage rates continue climbing alongside Treasury yields, and the prospect of near-term Federal Reserve easing has largely disappeared from futures markets. At the same time, corporate America is preparing to report earnings under the shadow of rising energy costs, tighter financial conditions, and growing geopolitical instability tied to Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.

For Wall Street, the next 72 hours may determine whether the market’s AI-fueled momentum can continue overpowering mounting macroeconomic pressure — or whether rising rates, energy inflation, and geopolitical risk finally begin forcing a broader repricing across equities.

JBizNews Desk

© JBizNews.com. All rights reserved. This article is original reporting by JBizNews Desk. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution is strictly prohibited.

As President Donald Trump weighs a $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan, communication between Taipei and Washington remains ongoing, according to Alexander Yui, Taiwan’s Representative to the U.S.

“This is a constant thing,” Yui said. “It’s an ongoing dialogue. It’s not just if it doesn’t happen, it ends. It’s just a continuum of things.”

Taiwan is also increasing its own defense spending. Lawmakers recently approved a supplemental defense package worth roughly $25 billion, though Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te had pushed for closer to $40 billion.

TRUMP’S TAIWAN ‘NEGOTIATING CHIP’ REMARK SPARKS ALARM OVER HOW FAR HE’D SHIFT US-CHINA POLICY

“My government is doing what it can,” Yui said. “But again, I want to stress the determination of the Taiwanese people to defend ourselves through our own means and help from any other ally is more than welcome.”

Yui argued semiconductor production is one of the clearest reasons the U.S. should continue supporting Taiwan militarily. Taiwan produces roughly 90% of the world’s advanced semiconductor chips, forming what he described as a deeply interconnected global supply chain.

CHINA PROMISES ‘COUNTERMEASURES’ TO US ARMS SALE TO TAIWAN

“The United States is very good at designing the chips, and we’re very good at scaling and fabricating the chips using machines from the United States, from the Netherlands, from Japan,” Yui said. “This triangle of partnership works very well.”

TAIWAN RAMPS UP COAST GUARD AND MILITARY READINESS IN FACE OF BEIJING’S ‘GRAY ZONE’ WARFARE

Taiwan has also pledged to invest $250 billion in semiconductor and technology manufacturing in the U.S. as Trump pushes to expand domestic chip production.

“It’s not that easy. But we’re trying to bring manufacturing to the United States again, because it also suits our interest to expand our manufacturing,” said Yui.

CLICK HERE TO GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO

Yui also pushed back on any suggestion that Taiwan is moving toward independence, saying the island’s government is working on maintaining the status quo.

“There is no Taiwan independence movement in Taiwan because there is no need. We in Taiwan [are] called Republic of China, we’re already a sovereign, independent nation,” Yui said. “We’re just trying to preserve the status quo as it is.”

it is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the sudden petirah of R’ Muti Feldbrand z”l, who was niftar just hours after joyfully celebrating the vort of his daughter. He was 47 years old.

According to family members, R’ Muti collapsed suddenly earlier today and was rushed to the hospital, where efforts to save him were unsuccessful.

R’ Muti z”l worked professionally as an architect and was widely respected not only for his abilities and professionalism, but for the pleasant and caring way he interacted with people. For many years he lived in The Villas neighborhood of Lakewood before relocating to Toms River.

Those who knew him describe a person with a constant smile and a sincere concern for others. He had an easygoing and friendly personality that enabled him to connect naturally with people from all walks of life, and he was beloved by many throughout the community.

He is survived by his wife, Bruchy, and their children, along with many grieving relatives and friends.

The levayah will take place tonight at 9 p.m. at Congregation Sons of Israel Holocaust Memorial Chapel, located at 613 Ramsey Avenue in Lakewood, New Jersey.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

Iran permitted roughly 30 vessels — including several reportedly linked to China — to pass through the Strait of Hormuz between Thursday night and Friday morning under what Tehran called “Iranian-managed transit protocols,” according to Iranian state-connected media outlets and statements attributed to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The decision marked a partial loosening of Iran’s grip over one of the world’s most vital maritime corridors while also highlighting increasingly close cooperation between Tehran and Beijing as instability in the Middle East continues affecting international energy markets.

Iranian officials said the ship movements took place in “close coordination” with China and under security rules imposed by Tehran after Iran effectively established operational control over the waterway following the outbreak of the regional war earlier this year.

The state-linked Tasnim News Agency described the arrangement as part of the “strategic partnership” between Iran and China, while Iranian military figures stressed that vessels can only pass through the strait with Tehran’s approval.

The Strait of Hormuz, which serves as the narrow maritime link between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman leading into the Arabian Sea, normally carries about 20 percent of the global oil supply.

Since fighting erupted, Iran has repeatedly declared that commercial ships would need authorization from Iranian authorities before entering the corridor.

According to reports, an IRGC commander said ships connected to what Iran defines as “hostile states” are still prohibited from crossing, suggesting Tehran continues using control of the waterway as leverage against the United States and its allies.

The controlled reopening has also fueled renewed attention on allegations that Iran may be financially benefiting from the restricted shipping system.

Earlier reports suggested Tehran could be charging up to $2 million per vessel in exchange for secure passage through the strait, although Iranian officials have not publicly acknowledged any such payment structure.

The developments have also intensified criticism of Washington’s inability to fully restore unrestricted maritime traffic through the strategic corridor despite repeated U.S. military deployments and international demands for open navigation.

The United States Navy has continued operating with an elevated presence in the region, but Iran’s practical authority over transit approvals has largely remained in place.

Analysts say Tehran’s ability to impose operational control over one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints amounts to a major strategic gain for the Iranian regime.

The issue reportedly surfaced during discussions this week in Beijing between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, where reopening the strait became a central subject of conversation.

According to the White House, both leaders agreed that the shipping lane must remain accessible for global energy transport. Trump later said Xi offered China’s help in restoring regional stability and reopening commercial maritime routes.

After the meeting, Trump said Xi assured him Beijing would not supply Iran with military hardware.

“He said he’s not going to give military equipment … he said that strongly,” Trump told Fox News. Trump added that Xi also told him, “If I can be of any help whatsoever, I would like to help.”

At the same time, the broader ceasefire across the region remains highly unstable.

The United States has been working to preserve a temporary truce between Israel and Lebanon before it is scheduled to expire Sunday.

Israeli and Lebanese representatives met this week in Washington in an attempt to prevent the conflict from widening further, even as clashes along the border continued.

Israel said Thursday that it carried out strikes against more than 65 Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, while Hezbollah claimed responsibility for launching a drone attack against Israeli troops in northern Israel.

The ongoing fighting has increased fears that the ceasefire could completely unravel, potentially causing even greater regional instability and further complicating efforts to restore normal shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz.

{Matzav.com}

By JBizNews Desk | May 18, 2026

The short regional flights that for decades quietly stitched together America’s smaller cities and larger economic hubs are disappearing at the fastest pace of any category in the airline industry, as surging jet fuel costs, aircraft economics, pilot shortages and mounting operational strain push carriers toward longer and more profitable routes. According to scheduling data compiled by aviation analytics firm OAG and shared with NPR, flights under 250 nautical miles have fallen 11% between 2016 and 2026 even as longer-distance routes expanded by double digits during the same period.

The trend was already underway before the Iran war sent global energy markets into turmoil earlier this year. But analysts now say the doubling of domestic jet fuel prices since February is accelerating the shift dramatically and threatening to further isolate smaller American communities from the national air network.

The disappearing routes are often the least noticed but most economically important links in the aviation system — flights such as Albany to New York, Charleston to Charlotte, Akron to Chicago or small Midwestern cities feeding traffic into larger airline hubs. For business travelers, hospitals, universities and local economies, these short-haul connections often determine whether a city remains commercially competitive.

John Grant, senior analyst at OAG, told NPR that the economics of very short flights have become increasingly difficult to justify. “A lot of the fuel is used in the takeoff and landing processes,” Grant said, noting that those phases consume disproportionate fuel relative to cruise flight, while also adding expensive wear-and-tear on aircraft engines and landing systems. Every additional landing raises maintenance costs, labor expenses and operational complexity.

The industry increasingly prefers what Grant described as the “two-hour block-time sweet spot” — generally corresponding to routes above roughly 500 miles — where larger aircraft can spread fixed costs across more passengers while maximizing fuel efficiency.

That shift is visible in the data. Flights between 501 and 750 nautical miles rose 11% to nearly 1.7 million scheduled departures this year, while routes over 750 miles and 1,000 miles also posted double-digit gains. Meanwhile, flights under 250 nautical miles fell sharply and routes between 251 and 500 nautical miles declined about 4%.

Aircraft technology is also driving the migration. Airlines have steadily replaced older 50-seat and 70-seat regional jets with newer, larger narrow-body aircraft such as the Boeing 737 MAX 8 and Airbus A320neo and A321neo families. Those planes offer dramatically better economics on medium-haul routes but make little financial sense operating 100-mile or 150-mile hops.

Ahmed Abdelghani, professor of operations management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, told NPR that newer aircraft fundamentally favor longer routes because larger planes spread fixed operating costs across more seats. “Those new-generation narrow-body aircraft will have much better economics than the smaller 50-seater, 70-seater aircraft,” Abdelghani said.

The carriers most exposed are regional operators such as SkyWest, Republic Airways, Mesa Air Group, GoJet Airlines and CommutAir, which operate flights under brands including Delta Connection, United Express and American Eagle. These companies historically depended heavily on short regional flying to feed passengers into major hubs operated by the larger network airlines.

SkyWest has aggressively transitioned away from aging CRJ200 regional jets toward Embraer E175 aircraft, which are larger and more efficient but less practical on ultra-short routes. Republic Airways, which now operates entirely Embraer E170 and E175 aircraft, has emerged as one of the stronger players during the industry consolidation. Mesa Air Group, meanwhile, continues restructuring operations amid ongoing financial pressure.

Fuel costs have sharply worsened the math. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Gulf Coast jet fuel prices have surged to roughly $5 per gallon from less than $2.50 before the Iran conflict intensified. Airlines including JetBlue Airways, Allegiant Travel and Spirit Airlines have all publicly trimmed routes or reduced flying schedules. Spirit ultimately ceased operations last week after prolonged financial pressure tied partly to fuel and financing costs.

The largest airlines are increasingly candid about the shift. United Airlines CFO Mike Leskinen said in late April the carrier was “actively reviewing the bottom 10% of our regional route map,” language analysts widely interpreted as preparation for additional short-haul cuts.

The communities most vulnerable are often smaller regional airports that rely heavily on federally subsidized service. The Department of Transportation’s Essential Air Service program currently supports commercial flights to roughly 175 rural communities, but federal officials are reviewing the program amid broader transportation budget pressure. Markets including Wolf Point, Montana; Watertown, South Dakota; and DuBois, Pennsylvania have already lost or face reductions in scheduled air service.

American Airlines has trimmed flights from smaller cities including Toledo, Dubuque and Salina, while niche operators such as Cape Air continue serving ultra-short routes with small nine-seat aircraft but on limited scale.

For investors, the winners increasingly appear to be airlines operating younger fleets and larger aircraft. Delta Air Lines, which Berkshire Hathaway newly disclosed a $2.65 billion stake in this quarter, remains well positioned because of its mainline-heavy network and extensive Airbus A321neo orders. United Airlines is similarly viewed as structurally advantaged.

The losers are regional pure-play carriers and the smaller cities that depend on them. OAG’s Grant also warned that short flights place disproportionate strain on already-overloaded air traffic systems because takeoffs and landings consume scarce runway slots and controller bandwidth — an increasingly important issue after the FAA’s controversial decision this week to lower its long-term air traffic controller staffing targets.

For much of America outside the largest metro areas, the result is becoming difficult to ignore. The disappearance of short regional flights is no longer cyclical or temporary. It is structural, accelerating, and increasingly reshaping how smaller American cities connect to the national economy.

— JBizNews Desk
© JBizNews.com. All rights reserved. This article is original reporting by JBizNews Desk. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution is strictly prohibited.

The Los Angeles–raised philanthropist is being honored for decades of work in public safety, Jewish communal life, and the fight against antisemitism.

Washington, D.C. May 2026

Elliott Broidy will be among three Jewish Americans honored at this year’s Jewish American Heritage Month luncheon on Capitol Hill, receiving the Visionary Award at a ceremony on Capitol Hill on May 19th.

The annual event, organized by Project Legacy under the leadership of Ezra Friedlander, has honored Jewish American leaders since the early 1980s, when Jewish Heritage Week was established following discussions between Malcolm Hoenlein, President Ronald Reagan, and Elie Wiesel. Broidy will be recognized alongside Nobel Prize-winning physician Dr. Harvey J. Alter and Rabbi David Baron of Beverly Hills’ Temple of the Arts.

Broidy, 68, grew up in Los Angeles, the son of a World War II veteran who was awarded a Purple Heart and later became a schoolteacher, and a mother who worked as a nurse. He started working at age eleven — paper routes, Fuller Brush sales, plumbing jobs, salmon fishing in Alaska — and at 18 used his savings to buy a coin-operated laundromat to help put himself through the University of Southern California, where he earned a degree in accounting.

After becoming a CPA and working at Arthur Andersen, he spent nine years running the family office of Glen Bell, founder of Taco Bell, advising on investments in more than 120 companies. He later founded Broidy Capital Management. By his mid-thirties, he had begun making significant charitable contributions to hospitals, synagogues, social services organizations, and educational institutions across the United States and Israel.

The September 11 attacks drew him deeper into public life. He served three years on the Homeland Security Advisory Council, six years as a commissioner of the Los Angeles Fire and Police Pension Fund, and six years on the board of the Simon Wiesenthal Center–Museum of Tolerance.

The October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel prompted a further expansion of his giving. He has since directed significant support toward Holocaust remembrance, countering extremism through organizations including the Counter Extremism Project, and strengthening Jewish communal infrastructure in the United States and Israel.

“This celebration is an opportunity not only to honor the contributions of Jewish Americans throughout our nation’s history, but also to reaffirm our shared responsibility to confront hatred and protect the values of tolerance, democracy and human dignity.”

This year’s event is chaired by Malcolm Hoenlein and Eric J. Gertler, Executive Chairman of U.S. News and World Report.

By Y.M. Lowy

New York City will suspend alternate side parking regulations on several upcoming days to accommodate Shavous and other holidays.

Parking rules will be suspended on May 22 and 23 for Shavuos, on May 25 for Memorial Day, and again on May 27 and 28 for Eid Al-Adha.

While meter regulations may still remain in effect in some areas, street cleaning and other alternate side parking restrictions will not be enforced on these days.

The ambassador of Somaliland, Mohamed Hagi, presented his credentials to Israeli President Isaac Herzog for the first time since Israel recognized the African country in December 2025. The ceremony at the President’s Residence marked Somaliland’s declaration of independence in 1991.

Despite its declaration of independence more than 30 years ago, Israel is the first country to recognize Somaliland, a decision that has angered Somalia, which considers the African country part of its territory, as well as Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Indonesia and other Muslim-majority countries.

Somaliland Ambassador Mohamed Hagi is greeted with pomp and circumstance upon arriving in Israel. (Credit: Republic of Somaliland)

But while Somalia’s government continues to battle the terrorist group Al-Shabaab, Somaliland has maintained its stability and is a functioning democracy that holds free and fair elections.

Herzog said that Israel seeks cooperation with Somaliland in “all the important fields of life,” such as food security, energy and science, saying Israel was ready to help Somaliland and expressing his hope that the two countries would “enjoy prosperity together.”

Later, Herzog posted in a statement on X that he was “delighted” to accept Hagi’s credentials and said that the Israeli orchestra played Somaliland’s national anthem for the first time ever.

Hagi said that the ties between the countries are strong, which would “pave the way” for cooperation in many areas. He also described the joy among Somalilanders at Israel’s recognition of their state and their enthusiasm for their deepening relationship.

Referring to Israel’s recognition of Somaliland when it briefly broke away from Somalia in 1960, he said, “Israel was always at the hearts and minds of people and government.”

“Our relationship is unique because it’s not about governments. It’s about people-to-people,” he added.

The diplomat was also presented with a menorah from the Israeli delegation.

The Senate Commerce Committee advanced bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senator Robert Singer (R-Monmouth, Ocean) that would establish a fair, uniform standard for cash transactions, allowing businesses to round totals to the nearest nickel.

“As the penny is gradually phased out of production, businesses and consumers deserve clear, consistent rules that ensure fairness at the counter,” said Senator Singer. “This bill establishes a simple standard for cash transactions to help businesses adapt to changing currency practices.”

Lindsey Graham called Monday for President Donald Trump to take stronger military action against Iran, arguing that Tehran’s latest conduct and refusal to negotiate seriously require an immediate response from Washington.

In a message posted on X, Graham said Iran has continued escalating tensions across the region despite suffering significant military and economic damage during the conflict involving the United States and Israel.

“I have every confidence that President Trump fully understands the situation with Iran and will not continue to tolerate a refusal to negotiate in good faith along with Iran’s defiant aggression in the Strait of Hormuz and throughout the region,” Graham wrote.

The South Carolina Republican said Iran’s regime has only become more confrontational despite the pressure it has faced in recent months.

“A short but forceful response now would reset the conflict in all the right ways,” Graham added. “When it comes to Iran, it is imperative that we negotiate from a position of strength and dominance. We must finish what we started.”

Graham’s remarks came as diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran appeared to be stalling, with both sides remaining far apart on key issues tied to Iran’s nuclear program and regional aggression.

Trump warned Sunday that time was rapidly running out for Iran after rejecting what he reportedly viewed as an unacceptable response to a proposed peace framework from the White House.

“For Iran, the clock is ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump also recently characterized the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran as being on “life support” amid rising instability throughout the Middle East, according to a report by The Hill.

The ongoing confrontation has also shaken global energy markets, particularly following disruptions tied to Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil transit routes. The tensions have driven oil and gas prices sharply upward.

According to AAA, the national average price for regular gasoline reached approximately $4.52 per gallon on Monday, compared to roughly $3.18 during the same period last year.

Drivers in California were reportedly paying an average of more than $6 per gallon.

Appearing Sunday on Meet the Press on NBC News, Graham reiterated his argument that military pressure on Iran should be intensified, saying the regime remains committed to sponsoring terrorism and destabilizing the region.

“The longer the Strait of Hormuz is closed, the more we try to pursue a deal that never happens, the stronger Iran gets,” Graham said.

While praising Trump’s military decisions so far, Graham argued that additional targets and pressure options remain available to the United States.

“What President Trump has done has been amazing militarily, but there’s more targets to be had, and there’s things we can do to hurt [Iran],” Graham said.

Trump has consistently maintained that Iran must never be permitted to acquire nuclear weapons, even as some Republicans have privately expressed concern that a prolonged conflict could hurt GOP candidates politically ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.

Graham brushed aside those political concerns during the NBC interview.

“It’s worth losing my job,” Graham told NBC News. “If I had to give my job up to make sure Iran would never have a nuclear weapon, I would do it.”

{Matzav.com}

A senior World Bank delegation is preparing to travel to Caracas in the coming days for the first formal meetings with Venezuelan officials since the institution restored relations with the country last month, marking a major milestone in Venezuela’s gradual reintegration into the global financial system.

According to people familiar with the matter cited by Bloomberg News, the mission will be led by Susana Cordeiro Guerra, the World Bank’s vice president for Latin America and the Caribbean, and will focus on rebuilding economic coordination after years of institutional isolation.

The visit represents the most concrete step yet in Venezuela’s reentry into international financial markets following the Trump administration’s January-backed political transition that removed former President Nicolás Maduro and recognized acting President Delcy Rodríguez.

World Bank and IMF Resume Venezuela Relations

The World Bank formally announced on April 16 that it would resume dealings with Venezuela for the first time since 2019, when relations were suspended amid international disputes over whether Maduro or opposition leader Juan Guaidó should be recognized as the country’s legitimate leader.

The International Monetary Fund simultaneously resumed formal recognition of the Rodríguez administration after IMF member countries representing a majority of voting power backed the transition.

Venezuela has been a member of the World Bank since 1946, but the institution has not extended new financing to the country since 2005 and has maintained no active lending programs during the years-long political and economic crisis.

The Caracas mission is expected to focus heavily on rebuilding baseline macroeconomic data — a process made difficult by years of limited transparency and institutional breakdown inside Venezuela.

Officials from the World Bank and IMF are expected to meet with representatives from Venezuela’s Finance Ministry and Central Bank to begin assembling the economic data required before any future lending programs can move forward.

Washington Pushes Venezuela Financial Reintegration

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said last month that the United States is working to reintegrate Venezuela into the global financial system “in a way that looks more like a normal economy.”

Washington also eased sanctions on Venezuela’s Central Bank earlier this year as part of the broader normalization process.

At roughly the same time, Maduro’s former sister-in-law stepped down as Central Bank president, with Vice President Luis Perez assuming leadership of the institution.

The financial implications are enormous.

Rodríguez has formally requested access to approximately $5 billion in IMF Special Drawing Rights — reserve assets that analysts at JPMorgan estimate Venezuela currently holds but has been unable to fully access during the years of sanctions and political isolation.

The acting government said the funds would be directed toward rebuilding electricity systems, water infrastructure, and public services that deteriorated sharply during the Maduro years.

Wall Street Bets on Venezuela Return

Global investors have already begun positioning aggressively for Venezuela’s potential return to financial markets.

Emerging-market bond traders have driven Venezuelan sovereign debt prices sharply higher over recent months as Washington and Caracas signaled greater willingness to negotiate.

Analysts estimate Venezuela’s total external debt at roughly $150 billion, including approximately $60 billion in defaulted sovereign bonds.

Major Wall Street firms including JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, and Morgan Stanley are reportedly operating active Venezuela-focused trading desks as investors anticipate a possible sovereign debt restructuring process.

Any large-scale restructuring would likely require formal IMF involvement and a comprehensive debt sustainability analysis.

Still, major political risks remain.

Rodríguez’s approval ratings have reportedly weakened in recent polling, while opposition leader María Corina Machado has vowed publicly to return to Venezuela and challenge the current political arrangement.

Chevron Expands Venezuelan Oil Operations

The energy sector has emerged as the fastest-moving part of Venezuela’s reopening.

Earlier this month, Chevron Corp. reached a major agreement with the Venezuelan government to increase crude production in the country — the most significant Western oil expansion inside Venezuela since sanctions were imposed during the Maduro era.

The agreement aligns with broader U.S. strategic goals of expanding Western energy supply sources amid elevated oil prices and ongoing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz tied to the conflict involving Iran.

Venezuela possesses the world’s largest proven crude reserves but currently produces only a fraction of its historical output following years of underinvestment, sanctions, and infrastructure deterioration.

U.S. policymakers increasingly view expanded Venezuelan production as a potential partial offset to Middle East supply risks.

Signs of Broader Economic Reopening

Additional normalization measures have accelerated in recent weeks.

Commercial flights between the United States and Venezuela have resumed, U.S. corporate delegations have begun traveling back to Caracas, and Washington has signaled openness to additional sanctions relief tied to continued political and economic reforms.

The World Bank mission is now viewed as a critical next step in determining whether Venezuela can rebuild enough institutional credibility to attract large-scale international capital again.

For global investors, oil markets, and emerging-market lenders, the stakes extend far beyond Caracas itself.

A successful reintegration into the World Bank and IMF framework could unlock billions of dollars in financing, trigger one of the world’s largest sovereign debt restructurings, and reopen one of the planet’s largest oil-producing regions to expanded Western investment.

The decisions made over the coming months — beginning with the World Bank’s visit — could shape Venezuela’s economic future for years.

— JBizNews Desk

© JBizNews.com. All rights reserved. This article is original reporting by JBizNews Desk. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution is strictly prohibited.

A federal jury on Monday dealt a major setback to Elon Musk in his closely watched courtroom fight against OpenAI, ruling that the billionaire brought the lawsuit after the legal deadline had already passed.

The decision was unanimous and came quickly, with the nine-member federal jury reaching its conclusion in under two hours after deliberations began Monday. Jurors determined that Musk’s claims were barred because the statute of limitations had expired before the case was filed.

Musk’s attorney told the court following the verdict that the legal team plans to preserve its ability to appeal. The ruling concludes three weeks of testimony and arguments that drew widespread attention throughout Silicon Valley and the broader technology world, featuring several of the industry’s most recognizable figures.

Among those who testified were OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, OpenAI president Greg Brockman, Musk himself, Musk adviser and partner Shivon Zillis, OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever, and Satya Nadella, who leads Microsoft.

The jury’s ruling prevents what could have been a major upheaval in the artificial intelligence sector at a particularly sensitive moment. Musk is preparing a public offering tied to SpaceX after its merger with his AI company, while OpenAI is also moving aggressively toward an IPO of its own.

Musk, who contributed approximately $38 million to OpenAI before launching his separate AI venture xAI, had been seeking roughly $150 billion in damages. He also asked the court to dismantle OpenAI’s for-profit structure.

The lawsuit claimed that Brockman, Altman and OpenAI abandoned the organization’s original charitable purpose when they created a for-profit division and later secured billions of dollars in funding that transformed the company into one of the dominant forces in artificial intelligence. The complaint further alleged that Microsoft assisted the effort by investing approximately $13 billion into OpenAI’s commercial arm.

While testifying during the first week of the trial, Musk repeatedly summarized the case in blunt terms, telling jurors: “This lawsuit is very simple: It is not OK to steal a charity.”

At another stage of the proceedings, evidence showed Musk sending a message to Altman after details of one of Microsoft’s investments in OpenAI became public, describing the arrangement as a “bait and switch.”

Altman and the other defendants argued throughout the trial that Musk knew about — and even supported — OpenAI’s move toward a profit-driven model. Lawyers for Altman introduced evidence that appeared to show Musk agreeing that the company needed a structure capable of attracting traditional venture capital funding in exchange for equity in order to finance the enormous computing demands required to compete with companies such as Google.

Brockman also testified about a 2017 gathering at one of Musk’s homes attended by senior OpenAI executives, including Altman, Murati and Zillis. Brockman recalled that it was “clear there was a party there the night before,” with the home scattered with “confetti and cups.”

According to Brockman, whiskey was served during the meeting, and discussions surrounding a for-profit structure took place in what he described as a “celebratory” setting.

One attorney who frequently represents major technology companies, though not involved in the case, said he believed Musk’s position appeared to improve as the trial unfolded. The lawyer specifically pointed to Altman’s cross-examination, during which Musk’s legal team aggressively challenged his credibility.

“Musk has more of a case here than previously thought,” said the expert, who attended most of the proceedings. “The first 15 minutes of Altman’s cross-examination were devastating.”

Questions surrounding Altman’s honesty became a central issue for Musk’s legal team. Attorneys for Musk relied heavily on testimony from former OpenAI insiders, including former board members Tasha McCauley and Helen Toner, along with former chief technology officer Mira Murati, all of whom suggested Altman was not always truthful.

“My concern was about Sam saying one thing to one person and completely the opposite to another person,” Murati said in prerecorded testimony played before a packed federal courtroom in Oakland, California.

During closing arguments last week, Musk attorney Steven Molo attempted to reinforce that point with a vivid analogy directed at jurors.

“Imagine that you’re on a hike, and you come upon one of those wooden bridges that you see on a trail and it’s over a gorge,” Molo said inside the federal courtroom.

“There’s a river that’s 100 feet below and it looks a little scary, but a woman standing by the entry to the bridge says, ‘Don’t worry, the bridge is built on Sam Altman’s version of the truth.’”

“Would you walk across that bridge? I don’t think many people would,” the lawyer added.

Altman pushed back on Musk’s repeated accusation that OpenAI had improperly transformed a charitable organization, responding during his testimony last week: “It feels difficult to even wrap my head around that framing.”

{Matzav.com}

A horrific crash in central Tel Aviv left at least ten people injured Monday evening after a Dan bus slammed into a tree and an electrical pole on Dizengoff Street before veering into pedestrian traffic.

Among the victims is an 11-year-old girl who was critically wounded and remains in life-threatening condition.

According to Magen David Adom, the injured included both pedestrians and passengers aboard the bus.

MDA medics and paramedics treated ten victims at the scene, including the young girl, who suffered traumatic arrest and was transported to Ichilov Hospital while undergoing CPR efforts.

Additional victims include a 49-year-old woman and a 76-year-old man listed in serious condition, a 39-year-old man in moderate condition suffering from a back injury, and six others who sustained light injuries.

Ichilov Hospital said trauma and emergency teams are continuing intensive lifesaving efforts to save the life of the 11-year-old girl.

Large forces from MDA, fire and rescue services, and police operated at the scene for an extended period following the crash.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division notified the Yale School of Medicine on Thursday that a yearlong investigation concluded the school is illegally favoring Black and Hispanic applicants over White and Asian ones in violation of federal civil-rights law, citing admissions data from 2023 through 2025 that the department says shows substantial and unexplainable gaps in test scores and grade-point averages between admitted students of different racial groups, according to the Justice Department’s official press release and a copy of the letter posted by the agency. The Yale finding came one week after the Civil Rights Division announced parallel findings against the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said in the agency’s release that “Yale has continued its race-based admissions program despite the Supreme Court and the public’s clear mandate for reform.”

The findings rest primarily on Medical College Admission Test scores and grade-point averages broken down by race. At Yale, the department said admitted Black students in the 2025 cycle had a median MCAT score of 518 and admitted Hispanic students 517, compared with a median of 524 for both White and Asian admitted students against a top possible score of 528. GPA disparities followed the same pattern: a median 3.88 for Black admits and 3.91 for Hispanic admits, against 3.97 for White and 3.98 for Asian admits. For the 2023 cycle, the department said White and Asian admits had a median MCAT of 523, compared with 517 for Black and 518 for Hispanic admits. The agency calculated that at Yale, a Black applicant had as much as 29 times higher odds of being invited to interview than an Asian applicant with equivalent academic credentials, calling the gap “substantial” and stating it “cannot be explained by a coincidence.”

At UCLA, the department applied the same statistical framework, citing 2023 data showing White and Asian admits with a median MCAT score of 514 versus 507 for Black and Hispanic admits. The Civil Rights Division said internal UCLA documents reviewed during the investigation revealed leadership “intentionally selected applicants based on their race” and adhered to what the agency described as “the dubious contention that patients receive the best care when treated by a doctor of the same race, rather than by the most qualified.” The UCLA matter originated in a lawsuit filed by the anti-DEI advocacy group Do No Harm, which the Justice Department joined in January.

Both findings are framed as enforcement of the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which struck down the consideration of race in college admissions. DOJ argues that the schools have continued de facto race-conscious admissions despite the ruling, and that the consistency of demographic outcomes in admitted classes — even as the court banned the practice — points to the use of “racial proxies” to achieve the same result. The letter to Yale cites a slide from a 2024 admissions presentation as part of the documentary evidence, and references the 2023 Department of Education investigation into Yale’s collaboration with a doctoral-program diversity initiative, which resulted in a resolution agreement in February 2026.

Yale’s medical school has not yet publicly responded to the new finding. In 2020, when the first Trump administration’s DOJ brought a parallel allegation against Yale undergraduate admissions, the university “categorically” denied the conclusion and the matter was dropped by the Biden administration in early 2021. UCLA has not publicly responded to the DOJ’s May findings either, though the school is a named defendant in the ongoing Do No Harm litigation. The Justice Department said it is seeking a voluntary resolution agreement with both schools but may pursue formal enforcement, including litigation under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, if no agreement is reached.

The financial stakes are substantial. Yale received roughly $899 million in federal research funding in fiscal 2024, with a large share flowing through the National Institutes of Health to the medical school and affiliated Yale New Haven Health system. UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine is among the largest NIH grant recipients in the country, with the broader UC system collecting more than $2 billion annually in federal research and training dollars. Title VI allows the federal government to suspend or terminate federal financial assistance to institutions found to be in noncompliance, an enforcement tool that the Trump administration has signaled it is prepared to use more aggressively than prior administrations.

The medical-school cases are part of a broader DOJ focus on elite university admissions after the SFFA ruling. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in late 2025 found that the share of admitted medical-school applicants from groups historically underrepresented in medicine fell to about 20% in the first cycle after the ruling, from 24% in prior years. Critics of the DOJ approach, including the Association of American Medical Colleges, argue that MCAT scores are an imperfect measure of physician potential — citing 2019 data showing that students scoring between 510 and 513 still complete their first year of medical school 98% of the time — and that holistic admissions remain legal under the SFFA framework so long as race is not the determining factor.

The DOJ said it will continue similar investigations at other medical schools, signaling that Yale and UCLA are likely the opening rather than the conclusion of the federal enforcement push.

— JBizNews Desk
© JBizNews.com. All rights reserved. This article is original reporting by JBizNews Desk. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution is strictly prohibited.

Hamas has reportedly chosen senior intelligence official Mohammed Odeh to take over as the terror group’s leader in Gaza and commander of its military wing following the elimination of Izz al-Din al-Haddad, according to Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.

Al-Haddad was killed Friday in an Israeli strike.

The report says Odeh previously headed military intelligence for Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades during the October 7 massacre and worked closely with al-Haddad in efforts to rebuild Hamas’s command structure after the assassinations of former leaders Muhammad Deif and Muhammad Sinwar.

Citing a source familiar with the matter, Asharq Al-Awsat reported that Odeh had earlier been offered leadership of the al-Qassam Brigades after Sinwar’s assassination last May, but turned down the position at the time.

According to the Saudi outlet, Odeh was responsible for collecting intelligence on IDF bases near the Gaza border and identifying vulnerabilities within the military’s Gaza Division ahead of the October 7 attacks carried out by Hamas terrorists.

The Trump administration’s Department of Justice announced federal hate crime charges against a Muslim man accused of violently attacking a Jewish man outside the Adas Torah Synagogue during a chaotic anti-Israel protest in 2024.

Federal prosecutors say Zaid Gitesatani allegedly sucker punched a Jewish man from behind during unrest outside the synagogue, where an event connected to land sales in Israel was taking place. The gathering drew large anti-Israel demonstrations organized by several Palestinian activist groups.

According to prosecutors, Gitesatani later posted disturbing comments online following the assault. In one message cited by authorities, he allegedly wrote, “The chosen people sometimes need a good smack to wake up.”

Investigators also say he sent Instagram messages boasting about the attack, allegedly writing, “I whopped 2 zios … I swung on them … It was satisfying…”

The DOJ has now charged Gitesatani with a federal hate crime.

“This case illustrated the transition from free speech to criminal conduct. Even one hate crime is one too many,” said Patrick Grandy, the FBI Los Angeles official in charge of the case.

The incident became one of the most widely discussed clashes during anti-Israel demonstrations in Los Angeles following the October 7 Hamas massacre and the ensuing war in Gaza. Jewish organizations at the time warned that rhetoric targeting Zionists and Israel supporters was increasingly spilling over into direct violence against Jews in the United States.

Walk into almost any defense industry conference this year and the mood feels conflicted.

On one side of the room, executives from America’s largest defense contractors are talking about record order backlogs, rising military budgets, and a global security environment that appears to guarantee years of elevated weapons spending. The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have pushed governments to replenish missiles, drones, ammunition, air-defense systems, and advanced military technology at a pace not seen in decades.

But on the other side of the room, a different conversation is taking shape — one that quietly questions whether the traditional defense industry has become too expensive for the wars governments increasingly expect to fight.

The tension is beginning to reshape both military planning and investor expectations.

The headline numbers still look extraordinarily bullish for the sector.

The Trump administration’s proposed fiscal year 2027 defense budget would push total military-related spending to roughly $1.5 trillion, one of the largest defense expansions in modern American history. According to JPMorgan, the increase represents the biggest single-year jump in defense spending since the Korean War buildup in the early 1950s.

Weapons procurement alone would rise to approximately $413 billion, nearly doubling within two years. Research and development spending would climb toward $344 billion.

Global military spending overall is now projected to reach roughly $2.6 trillion in 2026, with industry forecasts approaching $2.9 trillion by the end of the decade.

The large contractors sitting at the center of that system continue reporting enormous demand.

Lockheed Martin entered 2026 with roughly $194 billion in backlog orders. RTX is carrying a record backlog near $268 billion. Northrop Grumman closed last year with nearly $96 billion in pending business.

To investors, those numbers would normally suggest years of reliable growth.

But modern battlefields are beginning to complicate the equation.

The war in Ukraine has exposed something military planners and investors can no longer easily ignore: relatively inexpensive drones and autonomous systems are increasingly capable of destroying extraordinarily expensive military hardware.

A small attack drone costing a few hundred or a few thousand dollars can now damage tanks, ships, armored vehicles, and air-defense systems worth millions. Ukrainian factories are now reportedly capable of producing millions of small drones annually at costs far below traditional Western weapons systems.

At the same time, some of America’s next-generation military programs carry staggering price tags.

The Pentagon’s planned F-47 fighter aircraft is projected to cost roughly $300 million per jet. The B-21 Raider stealth bomber may exceed $600 million per aircraft. The proposed “Golden Dome” missile-defense initiative could ultimately cost hundreds of billions of dollars if fully expanded.

That gap — between cheap mass-produced battlefield technology and increasingly expensive legacy weapons systems — is now becoming one of the defining debates inside the defense industry.

Even some military leaders openly acknowledge the shift.

Former CIA Director and retired General David Petraeus recently described the Ukraine battlefield model as “the future of warfare,” pointing to swarms of drones, AI-assisted targeting, autonomous systems, and low-cost mass production rather than smaller fleets of ultra-expensive platforms.

Inside the Pentagon, pressure is quietly building for contractors to deliver more capability at lower cost and faster speed.

That pressure intensified in January when President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Prioritizing the Warfighter in Defense Contracting.” The order specifically instructed major defense contractors to prioritize production capacity and accelerated procurement rather than large stock buybacks and dividend programs that have long helped support shareholder returns.

The message from Washington was unusually direct: national-security priorities may now outweigh traditional Wall Street expectations.

The market has noticed.

While traditional defense giants still benefit from massive contracts, investors are increasingly shifting attention toward newer defense-technology companies focused on drones, AI systems, autonomous vehicles, low-cost munitions, and battlefield software.

Venture-capital investment into defense-tech startups surged approximately 180% year-over-year during the first quarter of 2026, according to industry data, with money pouring into companies building autonomous systems, AI-powered surveillance tools, sensor networks, and mass-manufacturable drone platforms.

Companies such as AeroVironment, which expanded its battlefield presence through its acquisition of BlueHalo, have emerged as key beneficiaries. Private defense startup Anduril Industries has also become one of the sector’s largest magnets for capital as investors increasingly bet that future wars will rely more heavily on software, automation, and scalable drone systems than on traditional legacy platforms alone.

Even inside financial markets, the defense trade is becoming harder to interpret.

The long-term growth outlook remains strong because geopolitical tensions continue intensifying globally. The wars involving Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Israel, and broader NATO military expansion are all driving sustained procurement demand.

But investors are increasingly trying to determine where future defense dollars actually flow.

Do governments continue prioritizing ultra-expensive aircraft, missile shields, and advanced strategic systems? Or does more of the spending shift toward cheaper drones, autonomous warfare, rapid manufacturing, and AI-enabled battlefield systems that can be produced faster and in far greater numbers?

The political environment is also becoming more complicated.

The administration’s proposed budget pairs massive defense increases with tens of billions of dollars in domestic spending cuts across housing, education, agriculture, and healthcare programs, while also seeking additional emergency war funding tied to the conflict with Iran.

That tradeoff is beginning to generate political backlash as voters absorb rising deficits, inflation pressures, and economic strain at home.

For defense investors, the result is a market increasingly split between two visions of warfare.

One still revolves around the traditional giants of American military power: stealth bombers, fighter jets, aircraft carriers, missile systems, and nuclear deterrence.

The other is being shaped in real time on modern battlefields where cheaper drones, AI-assisted targeting, software systems, and mass production increasingly determine outcomes at a fraction of the cost.

Both sides of that market are growing.

The question now confronting investors is which side ultimately captures more of the money.

JBizNews Desk

© JBizNews.com. All rights reserved. This article is original reporting by JBizNews Desk. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution is strictly prohibited.

Against a backdrop of desecration and vandalism of Jewish cemeteries across Europe, a group of Jewish teens in Switzerland is doing something different: They are cleaning and restoring graves to preserve the memory and dignity of those buried there.

The community of Lausanne is small and tightly-knit but growing in its vibrant Jewish life, thanks to the Yael Foundation’s initiative for youths. The programming the foundation initially invested in for 5-15-year-olds grew substantially over 20 years into a large network that reaches thousands of students.

The philanthropic organization announced in a statement the project completed by the group of teens, quoting Simon Bismuth, director of the Youth Department at the Jewish Community of Lausanne and the Canton of Vaud, about the seed for the project and how it germinated.

Since Oct. 7, “we have tried each year to organize several major projects with real meaning for our young people, not just activities, but moments of transmission, responsibility and commitment,” Bismuth said.

“The idea also came from something very personal,” he added. “Since the loss of my daughter Tsofia, I sometimes go to clean her grave. One day while I was there, I looked around and thought there was something incredibly powerful to pass on to young people: taking care of memory, taking care of those who came before us, even when nobody sees it, even when there is nothing to receive in return.”

By participating in this project, the teens restored “dignity to graves that had sometimes been a little forgotten,” he explained. “For me, this is a very beautiful form of leadership: quiet, humble, concrete, but profoundly powerful.”

By Julia Parker — JBizNews Desk

A subtle but increasingly important shift is emerging inside Wall Street’s derivatives markets as institutional investors seek more sophisticated ways to protect themselves against a potential reversal in the artificial-intelligence stock boom without abandoning the rally altogether.

According to senior derivatives traders at Bank of America and UBS Investment Bank, clients are moving beyond traditional put options and increasingly deploying exotic hedging structures designed specifically for a market dominated by a handful of high-flying AI and semiconductor companies. The activity, highlighted in Bloomberg reporting Sunday, reflects a growing consensus across trading desks that investors still want exposure to the AI trade — but no longer want to remain fully exposed without downside protection.

One of the instruments drawing the strongest institutional demand is the “lookback put,” an exotic option structure whose strike price adjusts upward as the market rallies. Unlike standard put options, which lock in a fixed strike at purchase, lookback puts effectively preserve the market’s peak level as the reference point for protection. The contracts are considerably more expensive than traditional hedges, but they are specifically designed for a scenario in which stocks continue climbing before suffering a sharp reversal.

“We have seen decent client demand for lookback puts as clients hedge the scenario where markets can potentially rally before the selloff,” Neeraj Chaudhary, Bank of America’s head of exotics and flow for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, told Bloomberg. Chaudhary also co-heads the bank’s global hybrids trading desk.

A second structure gaining popularity among institutional investors is the thematic custom basket dispersion trade, which UBS says is increasingly tied to AI-heavy portfolios. Rather than betting directly on whether the broader market rises or falls, the strategy profits from widening performance gaps between winners and losers inside a selected group of stocks.

Richa Singh, managing director at UBS Investment Bank, said investors are increasingly seeking ways to hedge concentrated exposure to the dominant AI names while still preserving participation in the broader technology rally.

“In an environment where conviction is high but uncertainty remains elevated, we’re seeing growing interest in thematic custom basket dispersion,” Singh said. “The idea being that single-stock realized volatility on a basket of, for example, AI leaders can pay regardless of market direction.”

The surge in hedging activity comes as Wall Street grows increasingly divided over whether the AI rally represents a sustainable technological transformation or the early stages of another speculative bubble.

Bank of America strategists have already warned that parts of the U.S. technology sector — particularly semiconductors — are beginning to display bubble-like characteristics. The concentration statistics are striking. Roughly 30% of the S&P 500’s market capitalization and approximately 20% of the MSCI World Index are now concentrated in just five companies, the heaviest concentration in roughly 50 years.

The S&P 500 currently trades at approximately 23 times forward earnings, a valuation level not seen since the late stages of the dot-com era. AI-linked stocks accounted for an estimated 80% of total U.S. equity gains during 2025, while Nvidia briefly surpassed a market value of $5 trillion last October — larger than the annual economic output of every country in the world except the United States and China, according to World Bank data.

What has complicated bearish positioning, however, is that the underlying earnings growth has largely justified the rally so far.

Analysts expect the information technology sector to deliver roughly 44% earnings-per-share growth in the first quarter of 2026 and account for approximately 87% of all S&P 500 earnings growth this year. Goldman Sachs estimates that AI infrastructure spending alone could drive about 40% of overall S&P 500 earnings growth in 2026.

Hyperscaler capital expenditures are also continuing to accelerate. Goldman projects spending by major AI infrastructure companies will rise to roughly $527 billion this year, up from about $465 billion projected at the start of 2025.

That strength has left strategists sharply divided over where markets head next.

Morgan Stanley chief U.S. equity strategist Michael Wilson maintains one of Wall Street’s most bullish outlooks with an S&P 500 target of 7,800. By contrast, Savita Subramanian, Bank of America’s head of U.S. equity strategy, has warned of a potential “AI air pocket” if earnings fail to justify valuations and sees only modest upside from current market levels.

The divergence helps explain why many institutional investors are opting for derivatives-based protection rather than reducing exposure outright.

Few investors want to abandon the sector producing the overwhelming majority of corporate earnings growth, but many are increasingly uncomfortable with the scale of concentration risk building beneath the rally.

Global policymakers have also begun issuing more direct warnings. Officials at the Bank of England have cautioned that AI-related valuations could decline sharply if infrastructure costs prove unsustainably high. International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has compared current conditions to the late stages of the dot-com era, warning that a severe correction in AI-related assets could ripple across the broader global economy.

Credit markets tied to the AI buildout are now attracting hedging activity as well.

The five dominant hyperscalers — Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Oracle — issued approximately $121 billion in bonds during 2025, and analysts expect another $100 billion to $300 billion in issuance this year as AI infrastructure spending intensifies.

In response, JPMorgan Chase launched a credit-default-swap basket in March tied to all five companies, allowing institutional investors to hedge or short AI-related corporate credit exposure through a single instrument. Goldman Sachs is separately marketing total-return swap structures that allow hedge funds to speculate on swings in corporate loan pricing without directly owning the underlying debt.

JPMorgan research also highlighted mounting refinancing pressure across the software sector, with roughly $51 billion in B-minus-rated or lower software debt maturing in 2028 and another $50 billion due in 2029.

Friday’s market selloff — driven largely by rising Treasury yields rather than AI-specific news — offered another reminder of how quickly sentiment can shift when macroeconomic conditions tighten.

For now, Wall Street’s message appears increasingly consistent: stay invested in the AI trade, but buy stronger insurance while the rally still lasts.

JBizNews Desk

© JBizNews.com. All rights reserved. This article is original reporting by JBizNews Desk. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution is strictly prohibited.

President Trump indicated Monday that negotiations with Iran may be nearing a breaking point, saying he is “not open” to any new concessions after Tehran’s latest response failed to satisfy the White House during ongoing discussions over a possible agreement.

In comments to The NY Post, Trump also issued a vague but pointed warning, suggesting Iran is aware that significant developments could soon unfold.

The president appeared to dismiss Iran’s proposal from Sunday aimed at reviving diplomatic discussions, signaling a tougher stance as tensions continue to rise.

When reminded of his statement Friday that he could consider a 20-year freeze on Iranian uranium enrichment, Trump cut off the idea quickly, saying: “I’m not open to anything right now.”

He declined to elaborate further on the administration’s plans or the current state of discussions.

“I can’t really talk to you about it. Too many things are happening,” he said.

After returning from a fast-paced trip to China, Trump reportedly spent much of the weekend meeting with members of his national security team at his golf club in Virginia to discuss possible next moves regarding Iran. Additional discussions are reportedly scheduled for Tuesday, as several allies pushing for a more aggressive approach — including Sen. Lindsey Graham — continue urging the administration to restart military action if negotiations collapse completely.

Despite the stalled diplomacy, Trump insisted he is not irritated with Tehran, though he stressed that Iranian leaders understand the consequences the United States is capable of imposing.

“I can tell you they want to make a deal more than ever, because they know we’re—what’s going to be happening soon,” Trump said.

Asked about reports from regional sources claiming Iran may be trying to delay both nuclear negotiations and discussions over reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said he was unfamiliar with those claims.

“I’m not hearing anything,” he said. “I can’t talk to you about it.”

Trump added that the high-stakes nature of the talks requires caution and restraint in public comments.

“It’s a negotiation. I don’t want to be stupid.”

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt was met with boos during a University of Arizona commencement speech after discussing artificial intelligence and fears the technology could reshape – or replace – parts of the workforce.

Schmidt, who led Google from 2001 to 2011, addressed graduates on Friday while reflecting on how technology transformed society during his career. The atmosphere shifted, however, when he pivoted to artificial intelligence – a topic that has increasingly fueled concerns about job displacement among younger workers entering the labor market.

“The same tools that connect us also isolate us. The same platforms that gave everyone a voice… degraded the public square,” Schmidt told graduates.

Boos from the crowd intensified after Schmidt compared artificial intelligence to previous technological revolutions.

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“I know what many of you are feeling about that. I can hear you,” Schmidt said, appearing to address the boos. “There is a fear in your generation that the future has already been written, that the machines are coming, that the jobs are evaporating, that the climate is breaking, that politics are fractured, and that you are inheriting a mess that you did not create.”

Schmidt acknowledged those fears as “rational” but argued graduates should help shape the future of AI rather than reject it.

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“The question is not whether AI will shape the world. It will,” Schmidt said. “The question is whether you will have shaped artificial intelligence.”

The exchange underscored growing anxiety surrounding artificial intelligence as major corporations rapidly deploy AI tools across industries. Companies including IBM and Klarna have publicly discussed using AI to streamline operations and reduce certain staffing needs, particularly in administrative and entry-level roles.

A recent Pew Research Center survey found many Americans remain more concerned than excited about AI’s expanding role in daily life and the economy.

Schmidt’s appearance also drew criticism from some student activist groups over sexual assault allegations raised in a lawsuit filed last year by former partner Michelle Ritter. Schmidt has denied the allegations, which an attorney previously described as fabricated. Earlier this year, a judge ordered the dispute into arbitration.

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The University of Arizona defended its decision to invite Schmidt as commencement speaker, citing his contributions to technology and scientific research.

“He helped lead Google’s rise into one of the world’s most influential technology companies and continues to advance research and discovery through major philanthropic and scientific initiatives,” university spokesperson Mitch Zak said in a statement.

A similar incident occurred earlier this month when real estate executive Gloria Caulfield was met with boos after linking AI to “the next Industrial Revolution” during a commencement address at the University of Central Florida.

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Despite the backlash, Schmidt urged graduates to embrace open debate and innovation, arguing technological change remains inevitable.

“The future is not yet finished,” Schmidt said in his closing remarks. “It is now your turn to shape it.”

A factory worker retiring this year in Hamburg has, on average, about €66,000 in risk-bearing financial assets to her name. A retiree the same age in Toronto has roughly €209,000. A teacher in Stockholm has nearly the same. A nurse in Lyon falls somewhere in between, with about €91,000.

Same working lives. Same decades of labor. Very different retirements.

Across Europe, policymakers are beginning to confront a problem that sat quietly beneath the continent’s economy for years: Europeans save enormous amounts of money, but too little of it actually grows.

Instead, trillions of euros remain parked in low-yield bank accounts while populations age, pension systems strain, and governments scramble to finance everything from defense spending to artificial intelligence infrastructure.

What was once viewed as a slow-moving retirement issue is now becoming one of the most important financial debates inside Europe — and increasingly one with consequences for American households as well.

On May 5, finance ministers from across the European Union gathered in Brussels at the Economic and Financial Affairs Council to debate what officials call the Savings and Investments Union, a sweeping effort aimed at pushing more European savings into long-term investments, pensions, equities, and growth capital.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has described Europe’s financial system as “excessively fragmented.” German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil warned fellow ministers against retreating behind national interests as Brussels tries to modernize how Europeans save for retirement.

Underneath the bureaucratic language sits a far more personal reality: millions of Europeans heading into retirement with savings that, adjusted for inflation, have barely grown for years.

According to research led by Patrick Augustin, associate finance professor at McGill University, alongside the Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry, countries that built stronger pension-investment systems decades ago — including Sweden, Canada, Denmark, Australia, and the Netherlands — now leave workers entering retirement with dramatically larger pools of long-term financial assets.

Countries that relied more heavily on traditional pay-as-you-go pension systems and low-yield savings accounts did not.

The scale of Europe’s underused savings pool is staggering.

According to analysis from the World Economic Forum and consulting firm Oliver Wyman, European households held roughly €37 trillion in savings entering 2026. Yet approximately 32% remains parked in cash and bank deposits, more than double the comparable share among American households.

Roughly €10 trillion sits in low-yield accounts that European policymakers increasingly view as economically idle.

Meanwhile, the United States spent decades building one of the deepest pools of retirement and investment capital in the world through pension funds, retirement accounts, equity markets, and broad stock ownership participation. American pension systems and retirement vehicles now hold close to $40 trillion in long-term capital.

That difference helped shape the modern global economy.

American retirement savings flowed into technology companies, infrastructure, venture capital, biotech firms, defense contractors, corporate credit markets, and stock markets that compounded wealth over decades. Europe, by contrast, left far more of its household wealth sitting conservatively inside traditional banking systems generating minimal returns.

Now the cost of that approach is becoming harder to ignore.

Europe faces an estimated annual investment gap of roughly €750 billion to €800 billion, according to reports prepared for EU leaders by former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi and former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta. The continent simultaneously needs to finance defense expansion, semiconductor manufacturing, renewable energy infrastructure, biotech investment, digital modernization, and AI development — all while supporting rapidly aging populations.

The demographic pressures alone are severe.

According to Eurostat, people aged 65 and older now make up roughly 22% of the EU population, while the working-age population continues shrinking. Europe’s traditional pension structure — where current workers fund current retirees — was built for a younger continent with far more workers supporting each retiree.

That math no longer works as comfortably as it once did.

For ordinary Europeans, the consequences are deeply personal.

Industry research cited in the 2025 Will You Afford to Retire? report found median real returns on many European pension products hovered near just 0.3% over the past decade after inflation. Roughly 41% of Europeans contribute nothing to supplementary retirement plans beyond government systems.

The imbalance hits women especially hard. The EU’s gender pension gap averages roughly 24.5%, with significantly fewer women participating in supplementary retirement savings programs despite longer average lifespans.

Countries that moved earlier toward funded pension systems are now reaping the benefits.

Sweden, Denmark, Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands spent decades gradually shifting toward retirement systems tied more heavily to investment markets and long-term capital accumulation. Sweden’s AP7 pension fund and Britain’s NEST auto-enrollment model are now frequently cited across Europe as templates for reform.

Ireland launched a new national auto-enrollment retirement program this year. The Netherlands is continuing a major pension-system overhaul expected to transition dozens of pension funds into modernized collective investment structures through 2027.

For Americans, the story is not as distant as it may appear.

Much of Europe’s savings currently flows into U.S. assets — including Treasury bonds, American stocks, technology companies, and corporate debt. European pension funds and insurers remain major foreign buyers of U.S. financial assets.

If Europe succeeds in redirecting more of that capital internally, the effects could eventually ripple back into the American economy.

Reduced foreign demand for U.S. Treasuries could place upward pressure on borrowing costs, affecting mortgage rates, auto loans, and federal debt financing. At the same time, Europe is openly trying to build larger pools of investment capital capable of financing its own AI firms, semiconductor companies, defense contractors, and technology champions rather than relying as heavily on American markets.

Ironically, Europe is now trying to replicate many of the investment structures the United States spent decades building — broader stock ownership, retirement investing, and automatic enrollment systems — just as parts of the American system are showing growing strain themselves.

Roughly half of American private-sector workers still lack access to workplace retirement plans. Retirement wealth inside the U.S. also remains heavily concentrated among higher-income households. Social Security faces long-term demographic pressure similar to Europe’s.

The difference is timing.

Europe is confronting the problem now, aggressively and publicly, with continent-wide reforms already underway. The United States, despite facing many of the same demographic realities, has not yet reached a comparable political reckoning.

The decisions European leaders make over the next several months will not immediately change retirement checks for today’s pensioners.

But they may determine whether Europe can transform trillions in stagnant household savings into the kind of long-term investment capital capable of financing its future — and whether America continues benefiting from Europe’s money flowing across the Atlantic or begins competing against it instead.

JBizNews Desk

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Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety have launched the state’s annual “Click It or Ticket” campaign, with police departments across the state, including the Lakewood Police Department and the Howell Township Police Department, stepping up enforcement efforts aimed at increasing seat belt use and reducing traffic fatalities ahead of the busy summer travel season.

From May 18 through May 31, law enforcement agencies across New Jersey will conduct increased patrols focused on seat belt enforcement, child passenger safety compliance, speeding, and distracted driving violations. The campaign coincides with the nationwide “Click It or Ticket” initiative and overlaps with the Memorial Day holiday weekend, one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

As part of the effort, the Division of Highway Traffic Safety awarded $774,760 in grant funding to 113 law enforcement agencies statewide. Lakewood and Howell each received $7,000 grants to support seat belt enforcement and public education activities.

Under New Jersey law, drivers and passengers are required to wear seat belts, while drivers are also responsible for ensuring passengers under age 18 are properly restrained. Children younger than 8 and shorter than 57 inches must be secured in the appropriate child safety seat or booster seat based on their age, height, and weight.

According to state officials, front-seat seat belt use in New Jersey climbed to nearly 95 percent following last year’s campaign, about four percentage points higher than the national average. However, officials said back-seat passengers continue to ride unrestrained at concerning rates.

State data shows that 135 people killed in New Jersey crashes in 2024 were not wearing seat belts, accounting for 43 percent of all vehicle occupant fatalities. Among those unrestrained deaths, one in four victims were between the ages of 21 and 30.

Officials said last year’s enforcement campaign resulted in more than 5,300 seat belt summonses statewide, along with thousands of speeding and cell phone violations.

The Division of Highway Traffic Safety said it will continue funding additional summer enforcement campaigns targeting speeding, impaired driving, and violations of New Jersey’s Move Over law.

A special rischa d’Oraisa gathering took place this week at the home of Rav Dov Landau, as talmidim of the younger division of Yeshivas Heichal Shmuel, led by Rav Avrohom Yeshaya Prober, arrived together with their rabbeim for an uplifting Torah discussion with the Slabodka rosh yeshiva.

The room came alive with energetic Torah debate as the bochurim engaged with the Rosh Yeshiva in spirited back-and-forth learning. Rav Landau challenged the talmidim with questions, and the talmidim responded with enthusiasm and depth.

During the gathering, Rav Landau delivered strong guidance about the proper approach to learning Torah.

“This is a major yesod in learning — to think,” the rosh yeshiva told the young bochurim. “Someone who thinks knows how to learn. Someone who doesn’t think only knows how to shout. A person has to think. Even if someone thought and made a mistake, that’s not terrible. But if he never thought in the first place, what was accomplished? A lamdan is someone who thinks. He can make mistakes. It’s permitted to make mistakes. It is not an avlah to make a mistake. The real avlah is not admitting to the truth.”

At the conclusion of the gathering, Rav Landau again stressed the importance of slow, thoughtful iyun and becoming immersed in Torah.

“Hashem should help that they should learn and delve deeply into learning, to be completely immersed in learning. The less rushed a person is, the healthier it is. Think about everything. And if someone makes a mistake once or twice, that is not terrible. What is terrible is when a person refuses to admit the truth,” he said.

“Learning has to be with immersion, the way a person becomes immersed on the night of the Seder. Completely absorbed. To be fully involved in the learning — that is the essence of learning. To think again and again. Making mistakes is not terrible. The Chazon Ish wrote to someone who did not want to admit the truth: ‘I am full of mistakes — sometimes in Gemara, sometimes in logic — and mistakes do not diminish the honor of the learner.’”

Rav Landau continued by emphasizing that genuine Torah understanding comes through straight thinking and honest pursuit of truth.

“To know how to learn means to think, to analyze, and then to think again. The main thing is what Rav Chaim Volozhiner already said: ‘The earlier generations were praised only for straight reasoning.’ The straighter a person is in his thinking, the greater he is,” the rosh yeshiva said.

“There can be arguments over what is considered straight thinking, but a person must strive for sevara yesharah. Cleverness and sharp ideas are wonderful — but only if they are grounded in deep thought and iyun. One must seek the truth. Sometimes you are right, sometimes the other person is right. The important thing is that the truth is right.”

The rosh yeshiva also urged the bochurim to listen carefully to one another and to their rabbeim.

“You must listen well to what the rabbeim teach you. Even when arguing with another person in learning, hear what the other person is saying. ‘Ve’ahavta l’rei’acha kamocha’ is not a song. It is a major rule in Torah learning,” he said.

He pointed to Rav Akiva Eiger as an example of a gadol who readily admitted when another talmid chochom was correct.

“How many times did Reb Akiva Eiger admit that the other side was right? The main thing is seeking truth,” Rav Landau said. “Hashem should help us learn Torah with a search for truth and succeed in that.”

Rav Landau also encouraged the talmidim to remain focused on Torah despite outside distractions.

“Other things are hevel havolim,” he declared. “We know that the truth is Torah. That is everything. That is our essence. Learn, succeed, and grow in Torah learning, in Yiras Shomayim, in proper behavior, in listening to your rabbeim and honoring them.”

Toward the end of the gathering, Rav Avrohom Yeshaya Prober shared a well-known story about Rav Boruch Ber Leibowitz. He recounted that Rav Boruch Ber once answered a question immediately, then retracted the answer, thought deeply about it, and afterward repeated the exact same answer — explaining that now it was an answer that came through genuine thought.

Rav Landau reacted warmly, saying, “Tanya nami hachi — Reb Boruch Ber says the same thing. Extraordinary. A person has to think.”

The rosh yeshiva concluded with heartfelt brachos for the talmidim as they prepare for entrance exams to major yeshivos.

“All yeshivos are good,” he told them. “But each person needs the place that fits him. One place fits this person, another place fits someone else. Hashem should help that each person should find the place suited for him. Kol tuv to everyone — rabbanan and talmideihem.”

{Matzav.com}

The contents of a classified affidavit submitted by Brig. Gen. “G” to the High Court has been revealed, and the document fully supports the version of events presented by the incoming Mossad chief, Roman Gofman, i24NEWS reported.

Following the revelation, the High Court ordered the Attorney General to immediately transfer the classified affidavit to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and to Gofman himself, and to update the justices once the transfer had been completed.

The dramatic disclosure is a major setback for Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara in her obsessive quest to thwart Gofman’s appointment, as the new information makes it likely that the judges will rule against the petitions against him.

G. is the military intelligence officer who questioned Gofman about the case of the underage blogger Ori Elmakayes. The petitions against Gofman claimed that he lied to G. about whether he was aware that Elmakayes was a minor. However, according to G.’s affidavit, he did not question Gofman about that detail, adding that both Gofman and he himself were not even aware of Elmakayes’s identity.

The development comes after the Attorney General submitted the affidavit to the court on Motzei Shabbos as part of the petitions challenging Gofman’s appointment as Mossad chief, alongside a request to attach additional classified materials to the case.

Adv. Harel Arnon, representing Netanyahu and the state, filed a sharply worded response to the court, attacking Baharav-Miara for her scandulous conduct and extreme violation of accepted legal procedures.

“The freedom the Attorney General takes upon herself to prevent the Prime Minister of Israel and his legal representatives from reviewing materials deemed ‘classified’ is both inconceivable and scandalous,” Arnon wrote.

“There is no classified material in the State of Israel that someone is authorized to see while the prime minister is barred from seeing it.”

Arnon accused the Attorney General of “procedural audacity of the highest order,” saying that she is attempting to submit materials that were never presented to the advisory committee and that she had previously sought to submit but was denied in an attempt to “drag out the proceedings endlessly.”

The defense team for Respondents 1–2 also criticized the Attorney General’s disregard for the judiciary. “The conduct of the Attorney General in these proceedings is astonishing,” the response states. “She allows herself to do whatever she wishes in order to thwart the appointment under discussion, the normal rules of procedure, and what remains of public trust.”

It should be noted that Prof. Talia Einhorn, a member of the advisory committee for senior appointments, publicly posted her support of Gofman’s appointment and slammed Baharav-Miara for her intervention, saying that the material that the committee reviewed proved Gofman’s integrity, and in a barb aimed at Baharav Miara, wrote: “From what emerged during and after the High Court hearing, it appears that serious flaws in the integrity of others were revealed, while Gofman’s integrity remains intact.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)