Jooish News

An Iranian cluster missile hit Eilat on Shabbos afternoon, moderately injuring a 12-year-old boy and lightly injuring a 39-year-old man. Another five people were treated for shock.

Magen David Adom reported that there were seven separate impact sites in the city.

According to the report, the two injured individuals were outside on the street at the time of the strike and not in a protected space. The injured boy was hit by missile fragments while crossing the street at a crosswalk.

The director of Yoseftal Medical Center in Eilat, Dr. Yaffa Ashur, told Kan News that the boy had shrapnel in almost every part of his body.

Rishon L’Tzion also suffered a direct hit by an Iranian cluster missile on Shabbos, with several separate impact sites in the city. Several fires broke out, including vehicles that went up in flames.

(YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis ha’Shabbos in Israel)

Iran’s senior representative at the United Nations stated that Tehran has no plans to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, comments that appeared to clash with a warning attributed to the country’s newly declared “supreme leader,” Mojtaba Khamenei.

Iranian officials named Mojtaba Khamenei the country’s new ruler earlier this week after his father, longtime strongman Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed on the opening day of the American military campaign known as “Operation Epic Fury.” Questions remain about the younger Khamenei’s condition and authority, as he has not appeared publicly or released any video messages since his elevation to the position. At a ceremony where Iranians were asked to pledge “allegiance” to him, organizers displayed a cardboard likeness of Khamenei because he did not attend the gathering.

Iranian state television broadcast what it described as a message from Mojtaba Khamenei on Thursday, marking the first statement attributed to him since he was declared leader. However, the broadcast included no images or video showing him alive, fueling speculation that he may have been seriously wounded or even killed during the recent American and Israeli airstrikes. Iranian state media previously reported that Khamenei had been injured, though it provided no further details.

The statement attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei included several threats directed at the United States, Israel, and their allies.

“The demand of the masses of the people is the continuation of effective and regret-inducing defense,” the statement claimed. “The revenge we seek is not only for the martyrdom of the great leader of the revolution. Every member of the nation who is martyred by the enemy becomes an independent case for revenge.”

The message also referenced the strategic waterway through which a significant share of the world’s oil shipments passes.

“Certainly, the lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must continue to be used.”

Those remarks appeared to conflict with statements made Thursday by Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations. During an interview with the Kurdish news outlet Rudaw, Iravani was asked whether commercial vessels were still able to travel through the Strait of Hormuz.

“We are not going to close the Strait of Hormuz.”

Iravani also added a more general caveat about Iran’s position regarding the waterway.

“It is our inherent right to preserve peace and security in this waterway.”

The Iranian government-aligned outlet Mehr News also reported Iravani’s comments.

“Iran will exercise its inherent right to maintain peace and security in the Strait of Hormuz; this is our responsibility,” he said, according to the Mehr translation. “Iran does not intend to close the Strait of Hormuz. However, maintaining peace and security in this lifeline waterway is our inherent right and this is considered our inherent right.”

Despite those assurances, Rudaw reported that the Strait of Hormuz — one of the most critical shipping routes in the world — was already “effectively closed,” as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had designated the area as a restricted combat zone.

“The Strait of Hormuz has been closed,” the head of the IRGC, Ebrahim Jabbari, declared last week. “We will attack and set ablaze any ship attempting to cross.”

“We will not let oil be exported from the region,” he emphasized, issuing a direct warning to the oil-producing Gulf states and their customers, many of whom are located in East Asia.

The reported shutdown of the strait prompted sharp reactions internationally, including from one of Iran’s closest partners, the Chinese Communist Party. China is believed to be the largest buyer of Iranian oil and relies heavily on energy imports from the Middle East to meet its massive demand.

After “Operation Epic Fury” began, videos circulating online showed long lines forming at gas stations across China as residents rushed to fill their tanks amid fears that oil shipments from the Middle East could be disrupted.

“The Strait of Hormuz and its adjacent waters are an important international trade route for goods and energy. To keep the region secure and stable serves the common interests of the international community,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning proclaimed last week.

Chinese officials have repeatedly called on Iran not to interfere with shipping through the strait and have urged all parties involved in the conflict to de-escalate.

Beijing has demanded that all sides “stop military operations at once, avoid further escalation, keep the shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz safe, and prevent further impact on the global economy.”

Following China’s objections, the IRGC appeared to soften its earlier threats, suggesting that vessels belonging to countries friendly with Iran would be permitted to pass.

“We had previously said that, based on international laws and resolutions, in times of war, the Islamic Republic of Iran will have the right to control the passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” the IRGC said in a follow-up statement. The group added that ships connected to the United States, Israel, or European countries will “certainly be hit.”

Because of the complex system of maritime registration and ship ownership, however, vessels flying the flag of one country may actually be transporting cargo for another nation that is not directly involved in the conflict, such as China or South Korea. Early indications suggested that Chinese shipping companies were hesitant to resume traffic through the strait immediately due to fears their vessels could still be targeted.

On Wednesday, dramatic footage surfaced showing explosions striking three ships in the Strait of Hormuz. One vessel was identified as flying the Thai flag, while another carried the flag of the Marshall Islands — neither country having any direct connection to the conflict involving Iran.

As the coming Shabbos, Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei, approaches amid ongoing security tensions, Israel’s Home Front Command has released special guidance for the Shabbos-observant public, outlining practical steps for remaining informed about emergency alerts while maintaining proper kedushas Shabbos.

In a public information video released ahead of the weekend, officials urged mispallelim to make sure they know where the nearest protected space is located in relation to their shul and along the route leading to it. The Home Front Command also advised that a charged mobile phone be left in the shul so that early warning alerts and the notification permitting people to leave protected spaces can still be received during tefillah.

According to the current policy, gatherings are permitted for up to 50 people, provided that those present are able to reach a proper protected space within the required time if an alert is issued.

During these tense days, the Home Front Command is urging the public to remain alert and attentive to official warnings and instructions distributed through authorized channels.

Regarding mobile devices, officials advised leaving a phone turned on and fully charged throughout Shabbos in order to receive advance alerts as well as notifications allowing people to exit protected spaces. Messages can be received on any fourth-generation cellular device or newer, including kosher phones. Authorities also recommended leaving an additional phone inside the protected area so that the notification permitting people to leave can be heard there as well.

For those using home computers, officials recommended utilizing the National Emergency Portal. Users should activate the audible alert system and configure the settings so that warnings relevant to their community will be received. Before Shabbos, residents are advised to disable sleep mode on both the computer and screen through the device’s settings and keep the alert display open throughout Shabbos.

Another option mentioned is the gal shaket system, which transmits emergency alerts through designated radio frequencies. Households are encouraged to leave a radio on and tuned to one of the participating stations. These include Kol Barama on 105.7, 104.3, 92.1, and 107.6 FM; Kol Chai on 92.8, 93, and 102.5 FM; Radio Darom on 101.5 FM; Galei Yisrael on 106.5, 94, and 89.3 FM; and Kan Moreshet on 90.5, 90.8, 92.5, and 100.7 FM.

Authorities also renewed warnings regarding falling debris and fragments from missile interceptions following the recent barrages. The Home Front Command stressed that interception debris can be extremely dangerous and that approaching such sites poses a serious threat to life.

“It is important for us to emphasize and sharpen this critical point,” said Lt. Col. (Res.) Danny Cohen, a Home Front Command spokesman addressing the religious and chareidi public. “We are seeing various sites where debris has fallen, and gathering at these locations poses a serious danger to life. There may be munitions scattered in the area that have not yet exploded, and approaching the site could, G-d forbid, end in disaster. People must stay away, keep onlookers at a distance, and alert the police.”

Officials also praised the public for carefully following the safety instructions during recent alerts and promptly entering protected areas when sirens sound, emphasizing that such compliance quite literally saves lives.

{Matzav.com}

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is backing a proposal that would dramatically tighten the state’s estate tax rules, lowering the exemption threshold from more than $7 million to $750,000 and raising the highest estate tax rate from 16% to 50%.

The plan appeared in a memo circulated by Mamdani’s office to state lawmakers in recent weeks. The document outlined nearly a dozen possible measures to generate additional revenue as officials work through negotiations over the state budget. Mamdani is grappling with a projected $5.4 billion deficit in the city budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 and is seeking assistance from Albany to help close the gap.

The likelihood of the proposal being adopted this year appears slim. Neither the State Senate nor the Assembly included the idea in their budget proposals, and Governor Kathy Hochul’s office also left it out of its own spending plan. Both legislative chambers did approve budget recommendations this week that included increases to income and corporate taxes, but the estate tax change was not among them.

Pressure to raise revenue is expected to intensify as state leaders confront growing fiscal challenges. According to New York City Comptroller Mark Levine, the city is projected to face a cumulative deficit of at least $28 billion over the next four fiscal years.

If enacted, the change supported by Mamdani would mark a dramatic shift in the state’s tax structure. New York already stands among roughly a dozen states that levy their own estate tax in addition to the federal tax. Reducing the exemption to $750,000 would give New York the lowest estate tax threshold in the country.

Across the United States, most states do not impose taxes on inherited wealth. Among those that do, exemption levels vary widely, ranging from $1 million in Oregon to nearly $14 million in Connecticut, according to figures compiled by the Tax Foundation.

Mamdani’s push for heavier taxes on large estates is likely to deepen concerns among wealthy residents who have already reacted nervously to his progressive agenda. The democratic socialist stirred debate after saying, “I don’t think that we should have billionaires” in an interview shortly after winning the June 2025 Democratic primary.

At the same time, some business leaders had initially taken encouragement from Mamdani’s tone during the months leading up to the November general election. During that period, he emphasized that he was not firmly committed to income or corporate tax hikes he had previously described as necessary to finance his broader policy platform. His campaign estimated that the agenda — which includes proposals for free universal child care for children ages six weeks through five years, no-cost bus service across the city, and freezing rents in regulated apartments — would require at least $7 billion annually once fully implemented.

Economists have warned that estate taxes can have unintended consequences in jurisdictions where income taxes are already high. A 2023 analysis by economists Enrico Moretti and Daniel Wilson examined state-level data and found that wealthy taxpayers may relocate to lower-tax states, particularly later in life, reducing the tax base in high-tax areas. In states with lower income taxes, estate taxes tend to be more effective at generating revenue, the study concluded.

“What we’re saying is you can either be progressive on income tax or be progressive on adopting an estate tax, but if you do both it’s going to backfire,” Moretti, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, said at the time. The richest New York City residents pay some of the highest income tax rates in the nation, with the top rate reaching 14.8% for those earning $25 million or more.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump told leaders of the Group of Seven this week that Iran is nearing defeat, saying the regime is “about to surrender” as American and Israeli forces continue a large-scale military campaign targeting Iran’s military capabilities.

According to Axios, Trump made the comment during a virtual meeting with G7 leaders on Wednesday, where he highlighted the progress of the ongoing U.S.-led operation aimed at crippling Iran’s missile forces, naval assets, and defense industry.

“I got rid of a cancer that was threatening us all,” Trump reportedly told the leaders, referring to “Operation Epic Fury” and the strikes that have hammered Iranian military targets over the past two weeks.

Newsmax contacted the White House for a response to the report.

Officials from three G7 nations who were briefed on the call told Axios that Trump conveyed strong confidence that Iran’s ruling regime is close to collapsing following sustained attacks carried out by the United States and Israel.

At the same time, Trump indicated that the damage to Iran’s leadership structure may be so extensive that there may be no one left in a position to formally declare surrender.

“Nobody knows who is the leader, so there is no one that can announce surrender,” Trump reportedly said.

The comments came as the war moved into its second week, with U.S. officials reporting that Iran’s military capabilities have been significantly weakened.

Pentagon officials have stated that thousands of Iranian targets have been eliminated during the campaign, including missile launch sites, naval vessels, and facilities used to manufacture weapons.

Trump echoed those claims in a message posted on Truth Social, asserting that U.S. forces are “totally destroying the terrorist regime of Iran.”

“Iran’s Navy is gone, their Air Force is no longer, missiles, drones and everything else are being decimated,” Trump wrote. “We have unparalleled firepower, unlimited ammunition, and plenty of time.”

Despite the optimistic assessment from Washington, Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, released his first public statement on Thursday, declaring that the country will continue the fight and warning that the conflict could widen.

Speaking in remarks broadcast on Iranian state television, Khamenei vowed retaliation for Iranian “martyrs” and hinted that the regime could expand its attacks in regions where the West is “highly vulnerable.”

Iran has also continued issuing warnings about potential disruptions to maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global shipping route that carries roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply.

Recent attacks on oil tankers in the area have already driven global oil prices above $100 per barrel, fueling concerns about broader economic consequences.

According to Axios, several G7 leaders urged Trump during the discussion to bring the conflict to a swift conclusion and ensure security in the Strait of Hormuz in order to stabilize global energy markets.

Trump reportedly told the leaders that conditions around the strait are improving and suggested that commercial shipping could soon return to normal operations.

Officials who participated in the call said Trump remained “ambiguous” about the exact timeline for ending the war but stressed the importance of continuing the campaign in order to “finish the job” and prevent Iran from rebuilding its military or nuclear programs.

{Matzav.com}

A commercial flight from Riga to Dubai turned into an unusual experience for one traveler who found herself as the sole passenger on board during the seven-hour journey. The rare occurrence quickly captured attention online after the passenger documented the flight and shared the footage on social media, prompting widespread reactions from viewers.

The video, which was posted by an English teacher from Latvia, shows the nearly empty cabin with rows of unoccupied seats stretching throughout the aircraft. The passenger, identified as Marina Gila, filmed the unusual scene during her March 8 trip to Dubai and shared it on Instagram, where the footage quickly spread across social media platforms.

In the clip, the aircraft appears almost surreal, with no other travelers visible anywhere in the cabin. Sitting by a window seat, she joked about the unique situation and described the experience as an unexpected “VIP flight.”

The video shows long rows of empty seats as she walks through the cabin and settles into a window seat. At one point she laughs that the commercial flight felt more like flying on a private jet. In the caption accompanying the video, she wrote: “כשאתה הנוסע היחיד במטוס לדובאי ב-8 במרץ 2026!”.

The footage sparked a wide range of reactions online, with viewers expressing amusement and curiosity about the unusual scenario. Some commenters joked that there was no need to wait in line for the restroom and that snacks on board would be freely available. Others noted the advantage of being able to choose any seat for the best view or maximum legroom. Several users also pointed out that the usual scramble for overhead storage space or preferred rows disappears entirely when there are no other passengers on board.

Online commenters also speculated about how a typically busy route could end up operating with only one passenger. Some suggested that last-minute cancellations may have emptied the cabin, while others proposed that the airline may have needed to reposition the aircraft to Dubai for scheduling reasons or that an unusual booking pattern collapsed at the last moment.

Another theory mentioned by viewers was that the return flight from Dubai may have been fully booked by passengers seeking to leave the city amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran, which could explain why the aircraft traveled nearly empty in the opposite direction.

{Matzav.com}

Six American service members were killed Thursday when a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq, U.S. Central Command confirmed.

CENTCOM announced the deaths in a statement posted on social media, saying, “All six crew members aboard a US KC-135 refueling aircraft that went down in western Iraq are now confirmed deceased.”

Earlier reports from the military had confirmed that four of the crew members had died in the crash.

U.S. Central Command also said that preliminary information indicates the aircraft did not go down as a result of hostile or friendly fire. Officials added that the cause of the crash remains under investigation.

The Islamic Resistance of Iraq, an umbrella group made up of Iran-aligned factions, has asserted that it carried out the attack. The organization, however, has not presented any proof supporting that claim.

Another aircraft was reportedly involved in the incident as well. According to Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, that plane was able to continue its flight and land safely in Israel.

{Matzav.com}

A large missile fragment fell Friday afternoon in Yerushalayim Gush Shemonim neighborhood, narrowly missing what could have been a major tragedy in a busy area shortly before Shabbos.

The heavy piece of debris, reportedly weighing dozens of kilograms, landed on Givat Moshe Street in the Gush Shemonim area of Yerushalayim. The impact occurred near the Rachmastrivka and Satmar mikvaos, a location that is typically crowded on Friday afternoons as residents head to the mikveh and make last-minute preparations for Shabbos.

According to available information, the fragment struck the area about seven minutes after the air raid siren sounded. Despite the size and speed of the falling metal, no one was injured.

Security camera footage from the area captured the moment the large fragment dropped into the street.

Residents said the outcome could easily have been far worse given the time of day, when the street is usually filled with people.

One neighbor described the incident as a clear miracle, explaining that the street is normally crowded at that hour with people heading to the mikveh and doing their final shopping before Shabbos. Had the fragment struck a child or passerby, he said, the consequences could have been devastating.

The incident follows a similar scare that occurred just one day earlier in Jerusalem’s Batei Ungarin neighborhood, where a suspected missile fragment also fell, causing panic among residents and prompting police to respond.

Residents noted that in many parts of the city there are limited options for protection, as numerous buildings lack reinforced safe rooms or nearby shelters, leaving people with few ways to shield themselves during such incidents.

{Matzav.com}

WASHINGTON (VINnews) — A federal judge on Friday quashed subpoenas issued by the Justice Department targeting Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, saying the government provided “essentially zero evidence” of wrongdoing.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg wrote that the subpoenas appeared intended to pressure Powell into lowering interest rates or resigning. “The justifications are so thin and unsubstantiated that the Court can only conclude that they are pretextual,” Boasberg wrote in the unsealed opinion.

The decision comes amid heightened scrutiny of the Fed’s monetary policy and signals a rebuke of the Justice Department’s effort to compel testimony from the central bank’s top official.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Roughly 2,500 Marines and at least one amphibious assault ship are headed for the Middle East, a U.S. official told The Associated Press.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans, said elements from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli have been ordered to the Middle East. The move marks a major addition of troops to the region.

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — The Justice Department on Friday charged a man who authorities say sold a gun to the Old Dominion University shooter despite the gunman’s previous conviction in a terrorism case.

Kenya Chapman is facing federal charges in connection to the sale of the weapon to Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former Army National Guard member who yelled “Allahu akbar” before he opened fire in a classroom at the Virginia school on Thursday, according to authorities. One person was killed and two others were injured in the shooting.

Jalloh was barred from possessing a gun given a previous felony conviction for attempting to aid the Islamic State extremist group.

Chapman told agents in an interview that he stole the gun from a car in Newport News, Virginia, about a year before the shooting and recently sold it to Jalloh. Chapman said he met Jalloh at work and that Jalloh told him he needed the gun for protection as a delivery driver, according to court papers. Chapman told agents he knew Jalloh had spent some time behind bars but denied knowing he had a previous felony conviction.

Chapman told agents he had no idea the man would commit the attack, the affidavit says.

Earlier Friday, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press that Jalloh used a gun with an obliterated serial number, potentially complicating investigators’ efforts to determine how he obtained a firearm.

The official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation, said investigators would have to re-surface the number in order to trace the gun.

Jalloh was a former Army National Guard member who pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to aid the Islamic State extremist group.

The investigation continues
Jalloh, who yelled “Allahu akbar” before opening fire, was subdued and killed by ROTC students, according to FBI officials who praised the students’ bravery for preventing further harm. The shooting killed an ROTC leader who was a professor of military science at ODU, and left two others hurt.

One of them, who was hospitalized in critical condition, has been upgraded to fair condition, according to Sentara Health. The other was treated and released.

Jalloh, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison in the Islamic State group case, was released from federal custody in December 2024. He was on supervised release, which is comparable to probation.

He was released about 2 1/2 years early after completing a drug treatment program, a person familiar with the matter told The AP. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and did so on condition of anonymity.

It wasn’t clear how Jalloh qualified for the program, which allows inmates to shave up to a year off their sentences. Inmates serving sentences for terrorism-related offenses typically aren’t eligible for such programs or other sentence-reducing credits.

A message seeking information about Jalloh’s incarceration and release was left with the federal Bureau of Prisons.

At a news conference Thursday, a reporter asked the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Norfolk field office, Dominique Evans, if there was a mention of the ongoing war in Iran. “None whatsoever,” she replied. The U.S. and Israel launched a war with Iran with missile strikes on Feb. 28.

The FBI has warned that Iranian operatives may be planning drone attacks on targets in California. Two men brought explosives to a far-right protest outside the New York mayoral mansion on Saturday. Investigators allege they were inspired by the Islamic State group. And on Thursday, a man of Lebanese origin was fatally shot after driving his vehicle into a Detroit-area synagogue in what the FBI called a “targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.”

Evans on Thursday also requested the public’s help as authorities continue to investigate the shooting and Jalloh, saying no detail is too small.

Old Dominion University Police Chief Garrett Shelton said less than 10 minutes passed between when officers were called about a shooting in the university’s business school building and when responders determined the shooter was dead. Authorities have not said exactly how the ROTC students killed Jalloh, though Evans said they did not shoot him.

The U.S. Army Cadet Command has said on social media that three members of the U.S. Army ROTC program at Old Dominion were injured, including one who died.

ROTC is a program where students receive a scholarship to attend college while training to become commissioned officers in the U.S. military.

Slain instructor remembered as family man, leader, protector
The victim who died was Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, a 42-year-old from Chesapeake who leaves behind a spouse and a child, the U.S. Army Cadet Command at Old Dominion said in a social media post.

Shah attended ODU as an ROTC student, according to his biography on the university’s website, and had returned in 2022 as a leader for the program. In the Army, Shah piloted helicopters over Iraq, Afghanistan and Eastern Europe.

“Above all else, Lt. Col. Shah embodied what it means to be a devoted family man, a revered leader, and heroic protector even in his final moments,” Old Dominion President Brian Hemphill said in a Friday message to the university community.

On Friday morning, in honor of his close friend Shah, Eddie Flack poured out a bottle of Wild Turkey on a lawn where flagpoles stand on campus across from Constant Hall. Flack, also of Chesapeake, said the two became firm friends while enrolled at ODU.

“I love you Brandon. Rest well with the creator. I love you,” Flack said as he poured out the whiskey and looked up at the sky.

“Sorry Brandon. The world needs more love,” Flack said, weeping. “We need to spread more love and not this hatred.”

The shooter also had a background in military service. Jalloh, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Sierra Leone, served as a specialist with the Virginia Army National Guard from 2009 until 2015, when he was honorably discharged.

WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (VINnews) — The man who tried to carry out a deadly attack at a Jewish preschool in suburban Detroit had relatives believed to be members of the terrorist group Hezbollah, according to law enforcement sources.

Authorities identified the suspect as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a 41-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Lebanon. Officials said Ghazali rammed a vehicle loaded with explosives into Temple Israel Synagogue on Thursday, where a preschool operates.

Security guards opened fire, stopping the attack before it could escalate. Ghazali was killed when the vehicle later burst into flames. No children or staff were injured.

Initial reports circulating in some media outlets suggested Ghazali may have been motivated by family members killed in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon. However, law enforcement sources told the New York Post that two of those relatives were believed to be members of the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah.

A local official in the Lebanese town of Mashgharah told The Associated Press that Ghazali’s brothers and two other relatives were killed in airstrikes in their home shortly after sunset during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Law enforcement sources said Ghazali had entered the United States in 2011 and became a citizen about five years later. He was questioned by authorities in Atlanta in 2019 after returning from a trip overseas and told officials he had traveled for a hair transplant.

Officials also said contacts linked to suspected Hezbollah members were found on his phone, prompting a follow-up review by the Federal Bureau of Investigation at the time. The outcome of that review remains unclear.

Investigators continue to examine Ghazali’s background and possible motives in what authorities described as a thwarted terror attack targeting a Jewish institution.

The IDF announced that since the launch of Operation Roaring Lion, Israeli forces have killed more than 350 Hezbollah terrorists, including a number of senior commanders who were involved in directing operational units and advancing attacks against the State of Israel.

In a statement issued Friday, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said that over the past week Israeli forces conducted a series of coordinated operations carried out from the air, sea, and ground. During those missions, many terrorists were eliminated, including high-ranking figures from several terror organizations operating out of Lebanon.

Among the senior operatives killed were Zid Ali Jomaa, identified as Commander of Hezbollah’s Firepower Management; Ali Reza Bi-Azhar, Head of the Intelligence Branch of the Lebanon Corps within the Quds Force; Ahmad Rasouli, who was responsible for Intelligence in the Palestine Corps of the Quds Force; and Ali Maglas Tabaja, Commander of the Imam Hussein Division.

The military also reported the elimination of several other high-level figures, including seven senior Hezbollah commanders, five commanders from the Palestine and Lebanon Corps of the Quds Force, three commanders belonging to the Imam Hussein Division, and one commander affiliated with Islamic Jihad.

According to the IDF, the strikes also targeted the senior leadership structure of Iranian regime representatives operating in Lebanon, a move the military said weakens Iran’s influence and operational presence both in Lebanon and throughout the broader Middle East.

“The eliminations and strikes in Lebanon significantly degrade the command-and-control and firepower abilities of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, and it minimizes the threats to the State of Israel and its civilians,” said the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.

“These various terrorist organizations operate from within the civilian population in Lebanon, advancing terror activities against the State of Israel while cynically exploiting civilians as human shields. The IDF will not allow harm to the civilians of the State of Israel and will continue to operate to remove any threat,” it stressed.

{Matzav.com}

NEW YORK (AP) — As the U.S. flu season winds down, health officials say the flu vaccine didn’t work very well, with one of its worst effectiveness rates in more than a decade.

A new strain that dominated the early winter was not well matched to the vaccine, leading to an intense early onslaught of flu.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday posted data that showed a continued decline in doctor’s office and hospital visits for flu symptoms through last week. The number of states reporting high flu activity dropped to 16, many of them in a belt stretching from Colorado to Virginia.

“The winter respiratory virus season is slowly coming to a close, and we’re all very grateful for that,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University vaccine expert.

This season’s vaccines were around 25% to 30% effective in preventing adults from getting sick enough from the flu that they had to go to a doctor’s office, clinic or hospital, according to a CDC report this week. Children who were vaccinated were about 40% less likely to get treatment at a doctor’s office or hospital.

Officials generally are pleased if a flu vaccine is 40% to 60% effective. Judging from past CDC research, this season saw one of the lowest effectiveness rates in the last two decades.

Flu infections surged in late December and were especially intense in some parts of the country. New York City health officials called it the most intense season in 20 years.

Relatively low flu vaccination rates did not help, but experts also blamed the new flu strain that was causing most infections.

The new strain belonged to a category of flu virus, called A H3N2. This new version, subclade K, seemed to spread more easily — though it did not necessarily cause more severe illness.

The vaccine available for this season was built to address a different version of H3N2, and the new strain’s explosion is a likely explanation for why the vaccine was less effective, Schaffner said.

CDC scientists estimate there have been at least 27 million illnesses, 350,000 hospitalizations and 22,000 deaths from flu so far this season. At the same point last year, the estimates were at least 40 million illnesses, 520,000 hospitalizations, but about the same number of deaths.

At least 101 children have died so far this season. For those whose vaccination status is known, about 85% were not fully vaccinated against flu.

The flu vaccine may not protect everyone from getting sick, but it can prevent people from becoming severely ill and dying. That’s why getting a flu shot remains worthwhile, Schaffner said.

CDC data suggests adult vaccination rates are up slightly this season, to 46.5%, following an unusually bad season last year that set a record for the most child deaths this century.

An estimated 48% of U.S. kids were vaccinated against flu around the end of last month. That’s about the same as last year, but down from the 52% vaccinated at this point in 2024, according to CDC data.

Starting in 2010, the government recommended annual flu vaccinations for Americans 6 months and older. In January, however, the Trump administration stopped broadly recommending flu shots for all children, saying instead that it’s up to parents and family doctors to decide.

Meanwhile, work is already underway for next winter’s flu season. Last month, the World Health Organization announced its recommendations for which virus strains to address in the vaccines for the 2026-27 northern hemisphere flu season. The vaccines should be built to handle subclade K, the organization said. This week, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory committee endorsed the WHO recommendations.

The United States government is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information on senior Iranian leaders, including the country’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.

The bounty was announced through the State Department’s Rewards for Justice program as the U.S. and Israel continue their military campaign against Iran following the deaths of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top regime officials.

According to the notice, U.S. authorities are seeking information on Mojtaba Khamenei and several key figures within Iran’s leadership structure. Those listed include his deputy chief of staff, Ali Asghar Hejazi; military adviser Maj. Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi; adviser Ali Larijani; Interior Minister Brig. Gen. Eskandar Momeni; and Minister of Intelligence and Security Esmail Khatib.

The reward announcement also seeks information about four additional officials connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), whose identities were not publicly disclosed. These positions include the Secretary of the Defense Council, an adviser to the Supreme Leader, the chief of the military office within the Supreme Leader’s office, and the commander of the IRGC.

“These individuals command and direct various elements of the IRGC, which plans, organizes, and executes terrorism around the world,” the notice said.

Officials added that since its founding in 1979, the IRGC has played a central role in executing Iran’s foreign policy and has grown into a powerful force controlling large portions of the country’s economy while exerting significant influence over domestic politics.

In a related announcement posted on X, the State Department said individuals who provide credible information could be “eligible for relocation,” in addition to receiving the potential financial reward.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

KINGSTON, N.Y. (AP) — A former New York state trooper accused of ramming his vehicle into an SUV during a high-speed chase leading to the death of an 11-year-old girl was convicted of manslaughter Friday at his second trial.

Prosecutors say Christopher Baldner rammed the SUV twice on the New York State Thruway, causing it to lose control and flip over. Eleven-year-old Monica Goods, who was in the SUV, was killed in the December 2020 crash. Baldner’s attorneys said the accident occurred after the SUV cut the trooper off as he pulled alongside during the pursuit.

A jury acquitted Baldner of murder and reckless endangerment charges in November, but they deadlocked on a second-degree manslaughter charge. Judge Bryan Rounds declared a mistrial and a second trial on the lone remaining charge began last month.

Assistant State Attorney General Jennifer Gashi told jurors during Baldner’s latest trial that he chose to “recklessly use his patrol car as a weapon” during the chase north of New York City. Defense attorney Anthony Ricco argued it was the driver of the SUV — Monica’s father, Tristin Goods — who acted recklessly and caused her death, according to the Daily Freeman.

Baldner pulled Tristin Goods over for speeding on the highway near Kingston the night of Dec. 22, 2020. Goods, his wife and two daughters were heading north from New York City to visit family.

Baldner and Goods argued, and the trooper pepper-sprayed the inside the vehicle. Goods drove off and Baldner pursued.

Defense attorneys said Goods collided with Baldner’s trooper car twice during the pursuit. An accident reconstruction expert for the defense testified that Goods lost control of the SUV when he overcorrected after “a very minor impact,” the newspaper reported.

Charles W. Murphy, president of the Police Benevolent Association of the New York State Troopers, said the union was deeply disappointed by the verdict and that Baldner was “simply following his training when he responded to a rapidly evolving and highly dangerous situation.”

“This outcome sends a troubling message to all law enforcement officers who must make split-second decisions to protect the public,” Murphy said in a written statement.

The ex-trooper retired in 2022 after almost 20 years with the state police.

The U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem announced updated departure options for American citizens seeking to leave Israel amid the ongoing security situation, including a new arrangement with El Al.

El Al will operate nonstop flights to the United States beginning March 16 specifically intended to assist U.S. citizens who wish to depart Israel. The flights will operate outside the standard passenger caps currently imposed during the emergency.

According to the U.S. Embassy, American citizens — including those who already hold El Al tickets as well as those seeking to purchase new tickets — must register through a dedicated El Al form. After registering, El Al will contact passengers directly to verify eligibility and assign them to available flights.

Officials emphasized that travelers should not come to Ben Gurion Airport unless they have already purchased a ticket or have been directly contacted by the U.S. Department of State confirming they are manifested on a flight. The directive is intended to comply with Israeli government limits on the size of public gatherings.

Ben Gurion Airport remains open for limited commercial flights. Americans are strongly encouraged to depart on available flights if they believe it is safe to do so. Airlines currently operating limited flights include El Al, Israir, Arkia, and Air Haifa.

For passengers departing on government-organized flights, strict baggage limits are in place. Each adult passenger may bring one checked bag weighing up to 23 kilograms and one personal item. A carry-on item may be either a bag or a stroller or car seat, but not both. Passengers arriving with additional luggage will not be permitted to board.

In addition to air travel, overland options remain available. U.S. citizens may travel by land to the Taba border crossing with Egypt, which is currently operating 24 hours a day. Commercial flights out of the region are available from Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport, and some airlines offer shuttle service from the Taba crossing.

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem is also offering bus transportation to the Taba crossing for American citizens who need assistance leaving Israel. Travelers must register through an online form, after which the embassy will contact them with departure times and rally point details if buses are scheduled. Current departures are available from both the Jerusalem and Tel Aviv areas.

Travelers crossing into Egypt should be prepared with cash. U.S. Embassy Cairo recommends carrying at least $85 per person, as ATMs at the border crossing are often unreliable. Several banks in Jerusalem, including Bank Leumi and Bank of Agudat Israel, offer ATMs that dispense U.S. dollars.

A 30-day visa for Egypt can be obtained upon arrival at the Taba crossing for $30 in cash. Travelers who only plan to remain in South Sinai may receive a free entry stamp, though this does not permit travel to Cairo or other parts of Egypt. Those planning onward travel beyond South Sinai must obtain the standard visa.

Travelers must also pay $20 in cash for a required letter of guarantee issued by Bright Star Tours and a $35 cash exit fee at the Taba border.

Before traveling to the crossing or airport, U.S. citizens are advised to monitor updates from the Israeli Airports Authority and continue following guidance issued by Israel’s Home Front Command.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Beirut on Friday for what he described as a visit of “solidarity” with Lebanon, cutting short a stay in Turkey where he had joined Muslims observing Ramadan and urged global efforts to combat anti-Muslim prejudice.

Guterres, a longtime Portuguese Socialist leader, has frequently spoken about the spiritual significance of Islam and the observance of Ramadan. He has argued that the values associated with the holy month reflect a broader vision of hope and peace that could benefit societies around the world.

According to AFP, Guterres’ trip to Lebanon comes as humanitarian conditions deteriorate in the country, where more than 800,000 people have been displaced amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terror group.

“I have just landed in Beirut for a visit of solidarity with the people of Lebanon. They did not choose this war. They were dragged into it,” the United Nations secretary-general revealed on X.

“The UN and I will spare no effort in striving for the peaceful future that Lebanon and this region so richly deserve.”

The United Nations said that during Guterres’ visit it plans to launch an emergency funding appeal to assist people affected by the fighting. At the same time, the U.N.’s migration agency said it urgently needs $19 million to sustain its operations in Lebanon over the next three months.

“Humanitarian needs are rising faster than the response,” Mathieu Luciano, the Lebanon mission chief for the International Organization for Migration, told reporters in Geneva per AFP.

Lebanon entered the conflict in the Middle East over the past week when Hezbollah, backed by Iran, began launching attacks on Israel from Lebanese territory following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint U.S.-Israeli strikes.

Israel responded by widening its military operations in Lebanon on Friday, striking multiple targets. Among them was a bridge spanning the Litani River that Israeli officials said Hezbollah had been using as a route for moving its fighters.

At the same time, Hezbollah continued launching new attacks against Israeli forces despite repeated calls from the international community for the group to disarm.

{Matzav.com}

Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel acknowledged Friday that officials from the communist government have recently held discussions with representatives of the United States, confirming for the first time that such contacts have taken place as Cuba struggles through a severe national crisis.

Díaz-Canel said the discussions were focused on addressing ongoing disagreements between the two countries, though he did not provide details about the negotiations or identify the Cuban representatives involved.

According to Díaz-Canel, the talks are intended to explore possible solutions through diplomatic engagement. He said they are aimed at “finding solutions through dialogue to the bilateral differences between our two nations.”

Cuba is currently experiencing a profound economic collapse, with widespread poverty and hardship across the island after more than six decades of communist rule. The situation has worsened following the sudden loss of heavily subsidized oil shipments from Venezuela. Those supplies ended after President Donald Trump ordered the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro during a law enforcement operation in Caracas on January 3.

For years, Venezuela had served as a crucial source of cheap oil for the Cuban government. Both Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, maintained close ties with Havana and provided regular oil shipments in exchange for security assistance and other support from the Cuban regime.

President Trump has said repeatedly in recent weeks that the United States has been communicating with Cuban officials as the country’s crisis has intensified.

“The Cuban Government is talking with us. They’re in a big deal of trouble, as you know. They have no money; they have no anything right now, but they’re talking with us, and maybe we’ll have a friendly takeover of Cuba. We could very well end up having a friendly takeover of Cuba,” President Trump told reporters on late February.

Until Friday, Cuban authorities had not publicly confirmed those contacts. Díaz-Canel acknowledged them during a broadcast on state television, where he appeared alongside senior members of the communist leadership.

“In line with the consistent policy of the Cuban Revolution throughout its history, and guided by the Army General as the historic leader of our Revolution and by myself, and in coordination with the highest structures of the Party, State, and Government, Cuban officials have recently held talks with representatives of the Government of the United States,” Díaz-Canel said.

“These conversations have been aimed at seeking solutions, through dialogue, to bilateral differences that exist between the two nations. There are international factors that have facilitated these exchanges,” he continued.

During his remarks, Díaz-Canel avoided discussing the severe economic hardship facing ordinary Cubans. Instead, he said the purpose of the talks was to identify shared issues that require attention and to determine whether both governments are willing to pursue practical steps to resolve them.

“Furthermore, the objective is to determine the willingness of both parties to undertake concrete actions for the benefit of the peoples of both countries,” Díaz-Canel said.

He also said the discussions are meant to explore potential areas of cooperation that could address security concerns and contribute to stability in the United States, Cuba, and the wider Latin American and Caribbean region. The United States has designated Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism because of the regime’s longstanding support for international terror groups. President Trump earlier this year signed an executive order addressing national security concerns related to the Cuban government.

Díaz-Canel added that the Cuban government generally does not respond to what he described as speculation, an apparent reference to recent reports about the talks with Washington. He characterized the discussions as a delicate process requiring careful handling.

He said the negotiations are part of a “very sensitive process” that is being carried out with “seriousness and responsibility” and requires effort to find solutions and “create spaces for understanding that allow us to move away from confrontation.”

“During the exchanges that have taken place, the Cuban side has expressed its willingness to carry out this process on the basis of equality and respect for the political systems of both States, as well as for the sovereignty and self-determination of our Government,” Díaz-Canel said. “This has been stated taking into account a sense of reciprocity and adherence to international law.”

As of Friday, the White House had not publicly responded to Díaz-Canel’s remarks.

President Trump addressed the situation in Cuba during his speech at the Shield of the Americas Summit in Florida last week, predicting that major changes could soon occur on the island. He also said Cuban officials had been in contact with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and described the communist government as nearing collapse.

“As we achieve a historic transformation in Venezuela, we’re also looking forward to the great change that will soon be coming to Cuba,” President Trump said. “Cuba’s, at the end of the line. They’re very much at the end of the line. They have no money, they have no oil. They have a bad philosophy. They have a bad regime that’s been bad for a long time.”

Meanwhile, Cuban opposition groups and members of the Cuban diaspora recently gathered to sign the “Agreement for the Liberation of Cuba,” a document outlining proposals for establishing a transitional government after 67 years of communist rule on the island.

{Matzav.com}

Iranian authorities say they have arrested a 37-year-old man for allegedly providing unrestricted internet access using a Starlink satellite device in Fars Province, according to the state-backed Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA).

The arrest comes as Iran enters its third week of a near-total nationwide internet shutdown imposed by the regime since the start of the war. Internet monitoring group NetBlocks reports that connectivity across much of the country remains severely restricted.

According to ISNA, the man had established a network using a Starlink device and “related equipment” that allowed people in several provinces to access the internet without government authorization.

Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by Elon Musk’s company SpaceX, has become one of the few ways some Iranians have been able to communicate with the outside world during government-imposed blackouts. Other methods used by citizens attempting to bypass restrictions include virtual private networks (VPNs).

Despite the sweeping shutdown, the internet ban is not applied equally. Government-approved users, including state-run media outlets and propaganda networks, continue to have access to the internet.

Iranian authorities have previously imposed nationwide internet blackouts during periods of unrest, including during widespread protests and the government’s crackdown on demonstrators earlier this year in January.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Many local stores are now selling clothing made in Turkey, which has a higher likelihood of containing shatnez.

A new men’s suit brand, “Daniel Tissu,” sold in Boro Park and Flatbush, was found to contain linen armhole tapes, which are very difficult to remove.

Consumers are urged to have wool garments checked at a certified shatnez laboratory before wearing.

ATLANTA (VINnews) – Clay Fuller, a veteran and district attorney, is emerging as the likely successor to Marjorie Taylor Greene in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, potentially replacing one of the House’s most outspoken anti-Israel Republicans with a lawmaker who has voiced strong support for Israel.

Fuller led all Republicans in the all-party primary for the seat, securing about 35% of the vote. Although he narrowly trailed Democrat and military veteran Shawn Harris in the overall tally, political observers expect the Republican vote to consolidate behind Fuller in next month’s runoff election.

If elected, Fuller would succeed Greene, whose tenure in Congress drew frequent criticism from pro-Israel advocates over her positions and rhetoric on Israel-related issues.

Fuller, who previously served in the military and now works as a district attorney, has publicly emphasized his support for Israel and for recent U.S. military strikes targeting Iran.

“President Trump tried the peace route with Iran not once, not twice, but THREE separate times — and they refused. He’s the peace President, but you can’t negotiate with a death cult,” Fuller wrote last month on the social media platform X, referring to Donald Trump.

Fuller added that during his military service he supported operations against Iran and noted that Iran’s regime and its regional proxies have been responsible for the deaths of many Americans.

Georgia’s 14th District, a strongly Republican area in the northwest part of the state, is widely expected to favor the GOP nominee in the general election, giving Fuller a potential path to Congress and positioning him as a new pro-Israel voice on Capitol Hill.

Rudy Giuliani cautioned Thursday that increasing corporate taxes in New York City will likely push more businesses to relocate elsewhere, saying the city’s current leadership is repeating economic policies that previously drove companies away. Speaking on Newsmax, the former mayor argued that the approach being proposed today mirrors mistakes he worked to reverse while in office.

During an appearance on “Carl Higbie FRONTLINE,” Giuliani criticized Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s proposal to raise corporate taxes at a time when many companies are already moving operations to states with lower tax burdens.

“It’s true. I have a sense of — it’s hard to describe,” Giuliani said when asked about the direction of the city. “Last night, for example, I had dinner with two very close friends, both of whom are very, very successful businessmen, both from New York, and they now live in Florida.”

Giuliani said the discussion with his friends focused on the same concern raised during the program: the steady movement of businesses away from New York toward states where taxes and operating costs are lower.

He contrasted Mamdani’s tax proposal with the economic strategy he adopted when he first took office as mayor in 1994. At that time, he said, New York City was grappling with budget shortfalls and rising crime in the years following the administration of his predecessor, David Dinkins.

“I went through with them the budget decisions that I made in 1994. I did exactly the opposite of what [Mamdani is] doing,” Giuliani said. “I had a deficit that proportionally was as big as his, maybe bigger.”

Giuliani said he determined that raising taxes during a fiscal crisis would only deepen the city’s economic problems by pushing residents and businesses to leave.

“I decided maybe I’d do something novel. I would lower taxes,” he said.

As an example, Giuliani pointed to a decision his administration made to dramatically reduce the city’s hotel occupancy tax.

“I cut it in more than half, and within two years I was collecting three times more revenue from it,” he said. “Three years later, I had so many more people coming to New York, so many more conventions. On the lower tax, I was making a fortune.”

Giuliani said the lesson from that period is that tax policies must remain competitive if a city wants to retain both businesses and residents.

“You have to have taxes, but they have to be like anything else,” he said. “They have to be reasonable, rational, sensible.”

{Matzav.com}

ROCKLAND COUNTY, N.Y. (VINnews) — U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler joined community leaders and law enforcement officials in Rockland County on Thursday for a security briefing ahead of Passover, as Jewish families begin preparations for the upcoming holiday.

Lawler said the meeting focused on ensuring that local communities can celebrate safely during the holiday period. The briefing brought together local leaders and law enforcement agencies to discuss security measures and coordination.

“I’m grateful to everyone working to ensure our communities can gather and celebrate safely,” Lawler said in a statement following the meeting.

The Republican congressman also addressed concerns about rising antisemitism, emphasizing the importance of community unity and vigilance.

“At a time when antisemitism is heightened, it’s more important than ever that we stand together and make clear that hatred has no place in Rockland County or anywhere in our country,” Lawler said.

NEW YORK (VINnews) — Michael R. Bloomberg, the Jewish billionaire and former New York City mayor, plans to spend up to $5 million through a super PAC to support Assemblyman Micah Lasher in the race to succeed retiring Rep. Jerrold Nadler, according to The New York Times.

Lasher, 44, a former aide to Bloomberg and the city’s top Albany lobbyist under his mayoralty, faces a star-studded Democratic field including Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of John F. Kennedy. Bloomberg’s endorsement Thursday and planned ad blitz aim to boost Lasher’s profile in the wealthy Manhattan district, which includes Bloomberg’s Midtown headquarters and Upper East Side home.

The spending, funneled through Stand for New York PAC, could cover mail, TV, and digital advertising, according to sources familiar with the plan. Lasher has said he opposes unchecked political spending but views Bloomberg’s support as different from corporate super PAC efforts.

The primary is shaping up as one of the nation’s most closely watched contests, with multiple candidates yet to break 25 percent in polls. Nadler has endorsed Lasher, while former Rep. Carolyn Maloney backs Assemblyman Alex Bores.

Bloomberg, 84, remains a powerful force in New York politics, having spent billions on his own campaigns and other Democratic candidates nationwide

Air raid sirens sounded across communities in central Israel on Friday evening after missiles were launched from Iran toward the country.

Authorities said no injuries were reported, though three locations in central Israel sustained damage after the missiles struck.

One of the impacts ignited a fire on the roof of a building in Shoham. Firefighters and rescue personnel searched the structure to confirm that no individuals were trapped inside.

Another strike left a crater in a highway, according to reports from the scene. In Rishon LeZion, several vehicles were damaged as a result of the blasts.

At the same time, warning sirens were activated in northern Israel following launches of missiles and drones from Lebanon. Officials said there were no reports of strikes or casualties in those areas.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States is currently focused on destroying Iran’s missile and drone capabilities rather than attempting to seize the country’s enriched uranium stockpile, though he suggested that could change in the future.

Speaking on Fox News Radio’s “The Brian Kilmeade Show,” Trump was asked whether the U.S. was considering an operation to take control of Iran’s enriched uranium.

“No, not at all. And we’re not focused on that, but at some point we might be,” Trump said. “Right now we’re focused on knocking the hell out of their missiles and their drones.”

Your browser does not support the video tag.

Trump’s remarks come after U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff revealed new details about early discussions during recent U.S.–Iran nuclear negotiations.

During an interview on “Hannity” earlier this week, Witkoff said Iranian negotiators told U.S. officials they possessed roughly 460 kilograms of uranium enriched to about 60 percent purity.

According to Witkoff, that material could potentially be further enriched to weapons-grade levels within about a week to 10 days.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Lebanese army said that an Israeli aircraft scattered leaflets over Beirut that included QR codes which, according to Lebanese officials, connect to online contact channels operated by an Israeli intelligence unit that recruits agents.

In a statement, the Lebanese military said the codes printed on the leaflets direct users to communication platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook. According to the army, the purpose of the material was to reach out to civilians and encourage them to cooperate in intelligence-gathering activities.

The Lebanese army also issued a warning to residents, urging them not to scan the QR codes or follow any links appearing on the leaflets.

The statement further cautioned that interacting with the links could expose civilians to legal and security risks. Officials also claimed the links could potentially compromise mobile phones, including enabling access to devices and personal information.

{Matzav.com}

Starting Monday, March 16, EL AL’s special flights from Tel Aviv to NY for stranded Americans will most likely be at full capacity to accommodate the high demand, the airline announced.

Passengers with canceled flights will be contacted and offered placement at no extra cost, EL AL said in a statement.

EL AL added that it is prepared to expand the Flight Schedule.

NEW YORK (VINnews) — Mount Sinai Health System has become the first health system in New York City to implement biometric identity checks, using technology from Clear Secure Inc., the same company known for speeding travelers through airport security.

The platform uses facial recognition and “liveness” verification to confirm the identity of patients and staff for check-ins and access to digital systems across the health network, which includes seven hospitals and hundreds of outpatient sites.

Mount Sinai said the system is intended to streamline patient verification and improve operational efficiency, though it did not provide specifics on patient enrollment at launch.

Yeshiva University’s men’s basketball team is set to play in the Sweet Sixteen round of March Madness on Friday, for the first time in the program’s history.

If that sentence sounds familiar, that’s because the YU Maccabees have qualified for the Division III tournament’s Sweet Sixteen once before, in 2020. But that tournament was cut short due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and they never got a chance to play the game.

Former YU MACS star Ryan Turrell in 2021

“It’s always like, ‘What could have been,’ and now here they are — they’re back and they have a shot,” said Simmy Cohen, a YU superfan.

The Maccabees, who are 22-8, advanced past the first two rounds with a 71-69 win over Bates College, followed by a 92-69 win against the University of Maine-Farmington. 

To advance to the Elite Eight, the Maccabees will need to defeat Emory University, the second-ranked team in DIII. As the higher seed, Emory gets to host the game at their home gym in Atlanta. But while the Maccabees are entering the game as underdogs, they have one possible advantage on their side: fans flooding in from near and far.

“I don’t think any other Division III basketball team has any national fanbase,” said Rabbi Adam Starr, a YU alum who leads Congregation Ohr HaTorah, a modern Orthodox synagogue in Atlanta. 

“Other places have alumni, that’s one thing, but here it’s much more than alumni,” he said. “Certainly within the Orthodox Jewish world, but even beyond it’s something they’re rallying behind, whether they went to Yeshiva University or not. It’s just a Jewish pride story.”

Starr said Atlanta’s Jewish community will be out in full force to support YU, the private Jewish university in New York City. Some Atlantans are taking the day off work to catch the 1 p.m. tip-off, Starr said. Students from the local Jewish day school between seventh and 12th grade will be bused to Emory’s Woodruff PE Center. 

The game is also expected to draw Jewish fans from around the country, including Cohen’s sister-in-law, who will be driving from the New York metropolitan area. 

“The interesting thing here is that Emory is on spring break, so most of their students are not around,” Starr said. “So I wouldn’t be surprised if it actually feels more like a YU home game than an Emory home game.”

There’s an added wrinkle for visiting fans: Because the game falls on a Friday afternoon, fans who observe Shabbat according to Jewish law will be doing so in Atlanta.

To help those observant supporters, a Google Form that pairs visitors with host families has circulated, titled “YU Mac Fans Shabbat Hospitality in Toco Hills Atlanta,” referring to the heavily Orthodox Jewish Toco Hills neighborhood.

“We’re known for our Southern Jewish hospitality,” Starr said.
The team itself, Starr added, is staying at a hotel, but will be “having meals in the community at one of the shuls.”

On Saturday afternoon, following kiddush, Starr will host a “Meet the Macs” panel discussion at Ohr HaTorah with head coach Elliot Steinmetz; assistant coach and Orthodox Union chief of staff Yoni Cohen; team captains Zevi Samet and Max Zakheim; and senior Tom Beza, who “previously served in a combat role” in the IDF, according to a flier for the event. 

The team’s tournament run has taken place over the backdrop of war breaking out between the U.S. and Israel and Iran, which has hit close to home for YU, whose roster includes seven Israeli-born players.
“While we have your attention,” Steinmetz tweeted on Sunday, the day after their Round of 32 victory, “I’d like to point out that while we are here preparing for a stupid basketball game, our friends and family in Israel are going back and forth to bomb shelters multiple times a day as Iran and Hezbollah fire rockets indiscriminately at civilian populations. Take a minute out of your day and pray for their safety and victory.”

Starr said he views the Maccabees’ tournament run as “something good and positive” that Jewish people can “gather around.”
“And I’ve heard from people in Israel, this is a very welcome distraction for them,” Starr said. He remarked that his brother had to pull over on the way home from a wedding in Israel last week and lie flat on the ground due to a siren going off. “But he was listening to the game while this was going on,” Starr said.

Last week, Israeli guard Yoav Oselka led the way with 27 points in YU’s win against Maine-Farmington; Samet, the team’s leading scorer, put up 27 in their narrow 71-69 win over Bates in the Round of 64.
Emory, as one of the top DIII basketball programs, is the favorite to win Friday’s game. But Cohen said the energy from YU fans may help the Maccabees in their push for an upset.

“I think it’s going to be an electric atmosphere,” he said. 

JTA/ Joseph Strauss

🏀 LIVESTREAM THE HISTORIC GAME TODAY: YU vs Emory

Yeshiva University’s men’s basketball team is set to play in the Sweet Sixteen round of March Madness for the first time in the program’s history.

The Yeshiva University Maccabees will take on Emory today in a huge matchup. Tipoff is at 1 PM.

Watch the game live here: https://www.ncaa.com/game/6538143

Let’s go Macs! GO MACS! 💪🏀

Askonim: During this challenging time, we are aware of the delayed flights arriving late today at EWR and JFK, close to the start of Shabbos.

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Ps: If you don’t have a way to fill out the form you can TEXT ONLY to this number +1 (848) 308-0203 passenger name flight number arriving airport best contact for passenger

Israeli President Isaac Herzog addressed the controversy surrounding comments by President Donald Trump regarding a possible pardon for former Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, speaking Friday at the site of a strike in the town of Zarzir. Herzog said that while political and legal disagreements can continue for years, statements that he described as attacks on Israel’s governing institutions require a clear response.

During his remarks at the location of the strike, Herzog drew a distinction between routine disputes within the political system and criticism that targets the state’s official symbols and authority. “Political matters may be debated for years, but attacks on the symbols of government demand a response,” he said.

Herzog went on to explain that his concern was not about personal respect but about the dignity of the country itself. “I do not seek my own honor, but the honor of the state. There is a saying in our sources: ‘A king whose honor is forgiven, his honor is not forgiven.’ I am not a king; I am the president of Israel, a sovereign and independent state. Under these circumstances, there is a difference between political and legal debates-even with our allies-and blatant attacks on the symbols of Israel’s government and sovereignty, therefore a statement must be made on this matter.”

He also made clear that any decision regarding a potential pardon for Netanyahu would be made independently and without outside pressure. Herzog emphasized that the process would follow legal and constitutional procedures, regardless of international commentary.

“Ultimately, our honor, independence, and sovereignty are not for sale to anyone. I will handle the pardon request, when it arrives, in the most independent and impartial way, without pressure or interference, with a clear conscience and clean hands.”

{Matzav.com}

JERUSALEM (VINnews) – The Israel Defense Forces is reinforcing its positions in northern Israel as fighting intensifies with Hezbollah in Lebanon, the military announced Thursday.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir ordered a broad reinforcement of troops in the Northern Command following a situational assessment, according to an IDF statement. The move aims to enhance readiness for both offensive and defensive scenarios.

The deployment includes standing army units, notably the 98th Division with two brigade-level combat teams and combat engineering battalions. To facilitate the shift, reservist forces from the 252nd Division are being mobilized for the Gaza Strip to replace the units redeployed north. In the Central Command, several reserve battalions will have their service extended.

The IDF has deepened its ground presence in southern Lebanon over the past week, establishing what it describes as a forward defense to add an extra security layer for northern Israeli residents.

Since hostilities escalated earlier this month with Hezbollah launching attacks on Israel, the IDF has carried out more than 1,100 strikes in Lebanon. Targets included 190 sites linked to Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, 200 rocket and missile launchers, 35 command centers and 80 multi-story buildings used by the group, the military said.

The IDF reports that over 380 members of Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations have been killed in the operations.

The reinforcements come amid warnings from senior officials that the campaign against Hezbollah will be prolonged, with additional forces potentially deployed based on ongoing assessments.

KLEINFELTERSVILLE, Pa. (AP) — A few dozen birdwatchers gathered in the predawn darkness to wait for the moment when thousands of migrating snow geese stopped honking and preening to suddenly take flight from a Pennsylvania reservoir.

The mesmerizing display, about an hour after sunrise, was over almost as soon as it began. The birds circled a few times and then headed out to neighboring farm fields, seeking unharvested grains and other sustenance on their epic annual spring flight northward into New York state and Quebec.

The Pennsylvania reservoir was built a half-century ago to attract waterfowl and over the years the gaggle has grown. Pennsylvania Game Commission environmental education specialist Payton Miller described it as a raucous bird tornado that lifts off the water.

Snow geese take off from a reservoir at the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, Friday, March 6, 2026, in Kleinfeltersville, Pa. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

“All it takes is for me to come out here on a really nice morning where there’s a huge morning flight and I’m kind of reminded how awesome it is to see such a large number of such a beautiful bird,” Miller said. “I never get sick of it.”

Among those taking it all in was Adrian Binns, a safari guide from Paoli, Pennsylvania, who went to the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area for “the whole enjoyment of seeing something you don’t see every day.”

Snow geese have been arriving in growing numbers at the 6,300-acre (25 square kilometers) Middle Creek property since the late 1990s. At this time of year, they have just spent months along the Atlantic coast, from New Jersey south to the Carolinas, with many of them overwintering on the Delmarva Peninsula that forms the Chesapeake Bay.

They don’t stay long at Middle Creek — it’s just a way station on their journey to summer breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic and western Greenland. But for a few short weeks they are the main attraction at Middle Creek, which draws about 150,000 visitors annually — including about a thousand hunters.

Tundra swans and other waterfowl gather on a manmade reservoir at the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area for a stopover, Monday, March 9, 2026, in Kleinfeltersville, Pa. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

The Pennsylvania Game Commission, which owns Middle Creek, says about 100,000 snow geese were roosting there on the busiest day last year, on par with recent peak activity but below the single-day record of about 200,000 on Feb. 21, 2018.

Snow geese are doing well, but their large numbers have come with a cost. According to a 2017 study published by Springer Nature, greater snow geese grew in population from about 3,000 in the early 20th century to some 700,000 by the 1990s. By some estimates, there are about a million of the birds now — along with maybe 10 million of lesser snow geese, which are smaller — that also breed in the Arctic.

The number of migrating tundra swans at Middle Creek, while far lower, has also increased over time, from a dozen or so in the mid-1970s to 5,000 or more in recent years. Middle Creek birders have also identified more than 280 bird species on the site, among them bald eagles, northern harriers, ospreys and owls.

As snow geese numbers have boomed in recent decades, wildlife officials in the U.S. and Canada have navigated a balancing act involving hunting regulations, concerns about crop damage, shifts in snow geese migration and changes to overwintering patterns. Environmental damage from overgrazing in the Arctic has led experts to conclude the birds are overabundant.

David M. Bird, a McGill University wildlife biology professor, described the population as “probably one of the biggest conservation problems facing wildlife biologists in North America today.” Snow geese feed by pulling up plants by the roots, which damages habitats for themselves, various birds and other kinds of wildlife.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission reported recently that avian influenza viruses, present in the state since 2022, continue to circulate among the state’s wild birds. The game agency asked for the public’s help in reporting sick or dead wild birds and reported that about 2,000 wild bird carcasses — mostly snow geese — had to be removed from a quarry a few miles north of Bethlehem in December and January.

Bird said that for nature lovers, snow geese can be a delight but for farmers, they’re a pest. For hunters, they’re food but for animal rights advocates, they’re a species that needs protection, he said.

“But if you are a paid professional wildlife manager at a municipal, state or federal level whose challenging job is to try to please all of the aforementioned parties, then you will undoubtedly experience many sleepless nights in the fall when the geese arrive,” Bird said.

NEW YORK (VINnews) — Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Friday urged Jewish institutions nationwide to maintain private security, warning that police “cannot be everywhere.” Adams, who served as both a police officer and mayor, said every synagogue and Jewish school is a potential terrorist target.

“This may frighten some people. Good. I would rather you be frightened than dead,” Adams said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Our police are doing everything they can. But as a former police officer and your former mayor, I can tell you the truth: the police cannot be everywhere.”

This may frighten some people. Good. I would rather you be frightened than dead.

Every Jewish institution is a potential terrorist target. If your school or synagogue does not have security, you are putting your community at risk.

Our police are doing everything they can. But… pic.twitter.com/PCLpQOCZqT

— Eric Adams (@ericadamsfornyc) March 13, 2026

Adams called on Jewish communities in New York and across the country to ensure that schools and synagogues have real security plans in place. He stressed that waiting for a tragedy to prompt action could put communities at risk.

The warning comes amid a string of recent attacks targeting Jewish institutions in the U.S., including incidents in Michigan and Pennsylvania. While law enforcement has responded quickly to threats, officials have repeatedly emphasized that private security remains a critical line of defense.

Jewish leaders have acknowledged concerns about safety and said many institutions have been reviewing security protocols and working with local police. Adams’ remarks highlight ongoing fears over targeted attacks and the importance of proactive safety measures.

Ben Shapiro sharply criticized Megyn Kelly on Thursday after she accused him a day earlier of implying that she was anti-Semitic. The dispute erupted after Kelly defended Piers Morgan, whose program Shapiro had recently attacked for hosting what he described as extreme anti-Semitic voices.

Shapiro addressed the controversy while taking questions from viewers during his program. One viewer asked about a pattern Shapiro has encountered in confrontational interviews, suggesting that critics often accuse him of focusing on Israel when they run out of other arguments.

“Josh says, quote, ‘Dear Ben, I’ve been watching a lot of your adversarial interviews lately, and I’ve noticed that once they run out of arguments, they always fall back on the Israel issue.’ Yeah, I noticed that, too,” Shapiro began before reading the remainder of the viewer’s question.

“‘I noticed this especially in Megyn Kelly’s defense of Tucker Carlson, where she claimed that your issue with him and recently her all boiled down to Israel, which I believe is an incorrect characterization. They just find it convenient to blame Israel instead of facing the actual points you are making. My question is: How do you deal with people like this? People who, anytime you disagree with them just say the reason you disagree with them is because of Israel? I like the way Matt Walsh said it: People that are Israel first, but from the opposite direction—meaning the first thing they care about is being anti-Israel. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.”

Shapiro responded bluntly to the suggestion that critics were misrepresenting his arguments.

“So yes, they’re lying. Megyn is lying, and so is Tucker. I mean, period. They’re just lying, OK?” Shapiro replied.

He said his criticism of Tucker Carlson began years earlier and had little to do with Israel.

“I started originally criticizing Tucker Carlson for his economic programs back in 2018. And then in the more modern, post-Fox iteration of Tucker, I started criticizing Tucker over his going to Russia to sniff the bread and kiss Vladimir Putin…”

Shapiro also pointed to Carlson’s decision to interview white nationalist Nick Fuentes as a major reason for his criticism.

“My generalized critique of Tucker in the last few months has been one: he hosted and glossed over a Nazi, Nick Fuentes, which doesn’t have to do with Israel. It has to do with glazing a Nazi, Nick Fuentes. And then I did a speech at Heritage in which I went through the fact that Tucker Carlson is in no way, shape, or form a traditional conservative and he’s a conspiratorial near-anarchist at this point, seeking to tear down the fundamental ideas and institutions of the United States.”

Shapiro referenced a speech he delivered at the Heritage Foundation to emphasize that Israel was not the focus of his critique.

“Go watch the Heritage Speech. I believe Israel is mentioned once in a 35-minute speech that is all about Tucker’s general view of the world and how it does not represent traditional conservatism in any way.”

He then accused Kelly of being even more misleading about the origins of their disagreement.

“Megyn is even more dishonest. I’ve literally never—not once—mentioned Megyn Kelly in the context of Israel. My critique of Megyn Kelly began when—and again, go back and watch the tape because it’s all on tape, gang. Go back and watch the tape. Megyn wanted me to come and do one of her live events, which we did for free, obviously, and came down as a favor to Megyn because Megyn and I were friendly.”

Shapiro said he had also supported Kelly professionally in the past.

“And of course, we’d had a long, longstanding business relationship in which we had really, really helped her launch her business, which she freely admits or admitted at the time. I don’t know if she does anymore. She used to have me on her Fox News show sometimes. Now I see she’s taking credit for my entire career. Well, you know, congrats, Megyn, I suppose. And see if you’re happy about your decisions. I disagree about my career trajectory, but that’s fine. If you want to take credit, sure.”

He said the disagreement between them stemmed from his criticism of Kelly for not confronting other conservative figures over controversial statements.

“In any case, my critique of Megyn on the stage was: Why don’t you call out Candace Owens for implicating Erika Kirk in the murder of Charlie Kirk? That was my critique on the stage. And why don’t you call out Tucker Carlson for glazing Nick Fuentes as the leading enemy of Charlie Kirk? Because Nick Fuentes hated, despised Charlie Kirk, and the feeling was mutual. That was my critique of Megyn,” Shapiro continued.

He said Kelly had defended Owens and disputed his claims.

“And then she went on to claim that I was lying about Candace and that actually Candace was even, quote unquote, ‘defending in her own way, Erika Kirk.’ Well, that didn’t age amazingly, as it turns out,” Shapiro jabbed.

Shapiro also insisted that he has never accused Kelly of anti-Semitism.

“So here’s what’s actually happening: What’s actually happened is that there is a game that has now emerged on this part of the right. The game goes something like this: I don’t accuse you of anti-Semitism. You instead claim that I did. And then you say, “How dare he call me an anti-Semite. He’s trying to cancel me.” It’s the Jussie Smollett of political claims. You attack yourself and then you claim that I attacked you as an anti-Semite. That’s absurd.”

He reiterated that his criticism of Carlson was focused on Carlson’s platforming of anti-Semitic figures.

“I think that Tucker Carlson has fostered anti-Semitism by having on some of the worst anti-Semites in America over and over and then essentially laundering their views. I have never remotely called Megyn Kelly an anti-Semite. Nor, by the way, did I call Piers Morgan an anti-Semite. I said that his show is the Jerry Springer of politics—a clown car of stupidity. And it is. That’s all. That’s literally all. I didn’t say that he should be taken down. I didn’t say that people should stop watching his show if they want to. I said I did not wish to appear in the clown car stupidity, which seems to me an aspect of free speech. I don’t have to associate with Piers’s dumb show. I mean, lots of people like it. Good for him. And Piers measures his morality by clicks.”

Kelly responded to Shapiro’s remarks later Thursday on her own program and defended Morgan, arguing that he challenges controversial guests rather than promoting their views.

“It’s very sad to me as somebody who’s known Ben forever, and made Ben. One hundred percent—he became a star on my show at The Kelly File. I’m very sorry to see this happen. And like, there is absolutely no cause to go run around policing the guests on somebody else’s show and trying to diminish somebody who is as interesting but—and I mean this complimentarily—benign as Piers Morgan,” Kelly said.

She rejected the idea that Morgan represents a harmful force and accused Shapiro of imposing ideological tests on others in conservative media.

“Piers is not a pernicious force. Piers is an interesting guy who’s got an interesting show. Maybe it’s for you, maybe it’s not. It’s up to you. I think he’s really interesting, and I think his interviews are great. But now we have to get rid of Piers Morgan? So obviously, in Ben’s view, Tucker had to go. Clearly, even though he helped build Candace, she had to go,” Kelly continued.

She said their long friendship made the public dispute particularly disappointing.

“Then I had to go, even though I’ve had a 15-year friendship with this guy—publicly attacked me. Same thing. Not even a text in advance, even though we had had a text literally four months or four weeks earlier saying, “No matter what, who we’re friends with”—because he was mad I was friends with Tucker—’our friendship means more to us than it, and we won’t do anything to [mess] it up.’ Next thing I know, I get attacked by him on stage at Turning Point.”

Kelly concluded by questioning how many figures in conservative media Shapiro would criticize.

“Now, Piers Morgan—how many people have to go? Truly, how many people must be called out from the conservative movement in order to make Ben happy? This is ridiculous, and it’s not just Ben. There are others who take his lead once he calls you an anti-Semite or says you need to be kicked out of polite society. There are a couple of others—not a huge amount, I have to say. Ben’s numbers are very bad right now, but he’s got some influence with some crew. This is so wrong. Good for Piers Morgan for fighting back. I’m completely on Team Piers, and I’m sorry to see Ben going in this direction.”

{Matzav.com}

Following on the heels of Iceland’s and the Netherlands’ shameful filing of intervention to join the genocide case against Israel, the United States filed an intervention Thursday to do the opposite: defend Israel. The U.S. is expected to argue that false accusations leading to a ruling against Israel will undermine international law.

South Africa was the first country to bring a case accusing Israel of genocide to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands. Since then, multiple countries, including Spain and Ireland ,have joined the case, with Iceland and the Netherlands following suit this week. The court will consider whether Israel’s actions in Gaza, launched against Hamas in response to the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, constitute genocide.

Israel has denied the allegations, arguing that it has taken extraordinary precautions to minimize harm to civilians and that Hamas deliberately embeds its fighters and military infrastructure in civilian population centers in order to maximize civilian casualties.

In its filing, the U.S. argued that the ICJ genocide case is part of a “broader campaign” to encourage acts of terrorism against Jews and Israel.

In its filing, the Netherlands stated, “The Court should take account of starvation or the deliberate withholding of humanitarian aid for the purpose of establishing specific intent, in particular when this occurs based on a concerted plan of a consistent pattern of conduct.”

Israel withheld humanitarian aid in March 2025 to pressure Hamas to fold, based on a calculation that enough aid remained in the Gaza Strip to sustain the population for six months, and resumed aid about 10 weeks later. While the calculation was correct, Israel failed to account for a “run on the banks” type of effect as Hamas stole the aid and depleted the U.N. stockpiles within a month. At the same time, the international community turned a blind eye to Hamas’ actions and blamed Israel for the ensuing crisis. Defenders of Israel have argued that the very fact that Israel made this calculation — although in hindsight it turned out to be a mistake — proves the opposite of intent to starve the population. In fact, as soon as food prices soared in July 2025, Israel halted its military operations and surged a massive amount of humanitarian into Gaza.

The U.S. reminded the ICJ that it must find “specific intent” and that “lowering the standard” can have international repercussions.

“Civilian casualties, even widespread civilian casualties, are not necessarily probative of genocidal intent, particularly when they occur in the context of an armed conflict involving urban combat,” the U.S. argued in its filing.

By Y.M. Lowy

Today will have a high of 44° and a low of 39°. It will be windy, with some sun early, before clouds slowly move in later in the day.

Shabbos warms up to a high of 53° with a low of 34°. Strong winds continue, and skies will be partly sunny, keeping the day bright but blustery.

Sunday cools slightly with a high of 46° and a low of 43°. Clouds will dominate, and breezy conditions persist, making for a gray, windy close to the weekend.

BINT JBEIL, LEBANON (VINnews) — Three Hezbollah operatives were killed in an Israeli military strike in the Bint Jbeil area of southern Lebanon on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces said Thursday.

The IDF identified the operatives through intelligence gathered by the 91st “Galilee” Regional Division’s 869th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit. A short time later, forces struck and eliminated them, according to the military.

The 91st Division is deployed in the eastern sector of southern Lebanon as part of the IDF’s enhanced forward defense posture. The deployment follows Hezbollah’s initiation of attacks on Israel earlier this month amid escalating regional tensions.

In its area of operations, the division has focused on dismantling Hezbollah anti-tank missile launch sites and eliminating members of the terror group’s elite Radwan Force.

The strike comes amid ongoing Israeli operations in southern Lebanon targeting Hezbollah infrastructure and personnel, which the IDF says are aimed at preventing the group from rebuilding capabilities and violating ceasefire understandings.

Hezbollah has not immediately commented on the reported deaths in Bint Jbeil. Lebanese media and officials have reported various Israeli strikes in the region in recent days, including in nearby areas, with casualties claimed on both sides in the broader conflict.

The incident occurs against the backdrop of renewed hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, which intensified following Hezbollah’s projectile attacks on northern Israel earlier in March in response to developments in the wider Iran-Israel confrontation.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is scrambling to replace the revenue the federal government lost when the Supreme Court struck down his biggest and boldest tariffs last month.

If the effort succeeds, congressional Democrats warn in a study out Friday, the administration’s import taxes will cost American households an average of $2,512 in 2026, up 44% from $1,745 in tariff costs last year. And this at a time when U.S. consumers are already angry over the high cost of living and the war with Iran is pushing up energy prices.

“Despite a Supreme Court ruling that much of Trump’s tariff agenda is illegal, the Trump administration refuses to provide relief for families,” said Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, the top Democrat on the Joint Economic Committee. “As American families continue to struggle with high costs, the President keeps choosing to institute new tariffs that will push prices even higher.”

Calling the study “phony,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said “President Trump will continue using tariffs to renegotiate broken trade deals, lower drug prices, and secure trillions in investments for the American people.”

Trump last year invoked the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose double-digit tariffs on almost every country on Earth.

But the Supreme Court ruled Feb. 20 that the law did not give the president the authority to levy tariffs. The government now must provide refunds — expected to come to around $175 billion — to the importers who paid the IEEPA tariffs now declared illegal.

The administration has moved quickly to impose new tariffs, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said that that new levies “will result in virtually unchanged tariff revenue in 2026.″

Trump has already announced a 10% tariff, invoking Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, and may raise it to 15%. But those levies can only last 150 days unless Congress agrees to extend them. And the Section 122 tariffs are also being challenged in court.

A sturdier option is Section 301 of the same 1974 trade law, which authorizes the president to impose tariffs and other sanctions on countries engaged in “unjustifiable,” “unreasonable” or “discriminatory” trade practices. Trump, accusing China of using unfair tactics to gain an advantage in high tech industries, used Section 301 to impose tariffs on Chinese imports in his first term, and they withstood legal challenges.

On Wednesday, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, announced a sweeping Section 301 investigation into whether 16 U.S. trading partners, including China and the European Union, are overproducing goods, flooding the world with their products and hurting American manufacturers.

“The United States will no longer sacrifice its industrial base to other countries that may be exporting their problems with excess capacity and production to us,” Greer said in a statement. The probe is widely expected to end in a new round of hefty tariffs.

“The fact that they launched 301 investigations is not surprising,” said trade lawyer Ryan Majerus, a partner at King & Spalding and a former U.S. trade official. “We all knew that’s what they were going to pivot to. The challenge is that this is way more sprawling than anyone expected.” That is because so many countries were targeted and because the inquiry — whether countries have excess industrial capacity and are overproducing goods — ”can be framed pretty broadly.”

The administration is rolling out another Section 301 investigation into banning imported goods made by forced labor. Greer told reporters Wednesday that additional Section 301 investigations could cover issues such as digital services taxes, pharmaceutical drug pricing and ocean pollution.

The administration is also expected to make more use of Section 232 of Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which allows the president to impose tariffs on goods deemed to be threats to national security after an investigation by the Commerce Department. The U.S. already has Section 232 tariffs on steel, aluminum, autos and auto parts and other products.

The report from Democrats on the Joint Economic Committee finds that the new tariffs will increase the burden on American households this year. That is partly because the tariff revenue would be collected for the full year; Trump needed time to impose tariffs in 2025 and occasionally suspended them.

The Democrats also assume that American households will absorb 100% of the tariff cost. They cite a Congressional Budget Office report concluding that importers can pass along 70% of the tariff costs to consumers. But the tariffs also allow domestic producers to raise prices — because of less competition from imports and increased demand for their tariff-free products. Combined, passed-along costs from importers and higher prices from domestic companies effectively mean that consumers end up footing the entire U.S. tariff bill, according to CBO.

The Trump administration’s new tariff push comes as the war in Iran pushes up the price of gasoline and other commodities in the runup to November’s midterm elections. Voters are already disgruntled by high prices.

“If the affordability and other political issues really start to become cumbersome, that certainly can impact all this,” Majerus said. “What the world’s going to look like two months from now is going to be very different from what it is now.”

In recent weeks, as our hearts remain focused on the matzav in Eretz Yisroel, many have asked whether the upcoming Shuvu Dinner should be postponed.

After consulting with our Daas Torah, the answer was clear: now more than ever.

When times are difficult, the thousands of Shuvu children learning in our schools need stability, strength, and emunah. Chazal teach that the world stands in the merit of Hevel Pihem Shel Tinokos Shel Beis Rabban. Strengthening their Torah is not a distraction from the moment—it is part of the response.

For this reason, Shuvu will be moving forward with its 35th Annual Dinner, Be’H, on Sunday, March 15 at Bell Works in NJ. Please join our dinner campaign at by visting shuvusa.org/dinner or calling 718-692-3434.

Many members of our team in Eretz Yisroel must remain there with their families and may not be able to travel to assist with fundraising. We therefore turn to you—our friends and supporters—to help ensure that Shuvu’s schools and the thousands of children who depend on them remain strong.

Please join us at the dinner and show the children of Eretz Yisroel that they are not alone. In this zechus, may we be zoche to see yeshuos and nechamos for Klal Yisroel. Please help us at shuvusa.org/dinner

Howell Police are warning residents to stay alert after a local student was recently targeted in a job opportunity scam.

According to police, the student received an email offering a part-time, work-from-home position with an organization identifying itself as “Feed the Children.” The message appeared legitimate and was designed to gain the victim’s trust.

The scammers allegedly instructed the student to deposit a check into their personal bank account using a mobile banking app. After the check was deposited, the victim was then told to send the money to another email address using a digital payment service such as Zelle.

Police say the check later turned out to be fraudulent. Once the bank determined the check was fake, the funds were reversed, leaving the victim responsible for the money that had already been sent.

Authorities are urging residents, especially students and parents, to be cautious when receiving unsolicited job offers and to avoid depositing checks or sending money to people they do not know.

Anyone who may have been targeted or fallen victim to a scam is urged to contact the Howell Township Police Department.

Amid the ongoing war, Rav Dov Landau visited several yeshivos in Bnei Brak whose talmidim are currently learning in protected areas. During a visit to the temporary home of Yeshivas Ner Zerach–Otzem, Rav Landau delivered words of chizuk and emphasized that following the directives of the Home Front Command is not merely practical advice but a Torah-level obligation.

The yeshiva was evacuated by the authorities at the beginning of the war and has temporarily relocated to Bnei Brak until conditions stabilize. Rav Landau delivered a general shiur and then addressed the talmidim about the challenges of the current period. The gathering took place at the Bnei Akiva community center in Bnei Brak and was attended by the roshei yeshiva, Rav Yitzchok Zev Feinstein and Rav Avrohom Aharon Braverman, along with the mashgiach and the rest of the yeshiva’s rabbinic staff.

Following the shiur, Rav Landau spoke about the difficult circumstances facing bnei Torah during this time. He noted that over the past two years, alongside what he described as pressure placed on those who learn Torah in Eretz Yisroel, the Jewish community has also been living under real danger. Emphasizing the central role of Torah learning, he said that those who dedicate themselves to Torah serve as the protectors and guardians of the Jewish people.

He also spoke about the power of tefillah during times of distress and about the importance of strengthening emunah and bitachon. At the same time, he stressed the responsibility to act carefully and follow safety guidelines, stating that observing the official instructions is a Torah obligation.

Rav Landau explained that in recent years many bochurim have been learning Torah under difficult conditions, and now an additional challenge has been added as the war has forced many yeshivos to relocate and continue learning away from their usual batei medrash.

He noted that the Jewish people living in Eretz Yisroel have been in a prolonged period of conflict, facing serious dangers and concerns. Despite this, he emphasized that the protection of the Jewish people ultimately comes from Hashem, often in ways that go beyond natural explanations.

Rav Landau stressed that the responsibility of bnei yeshiva at such a time is to strengthen their dedication to Torah learning even more. He explained that those who devote themselves to Torah sustain the world, and that their learning serves as protection for Klal Yisroel in the most direct and meaningful way.

According to Rav Landau, the response to the current situation must be greater immersion in Torah study — learning continuously, becoming deeply engaged in the sugyos, and developing a genuine excitement for the words of Torah.

He also called on the students to strengthen their tefillah and to be more careful in observing the halachos of tefillah. Rav Landau cited the teaching attributed to the Chazon Ish that during times of danger, the recitation of Yoshev B’Seiser is especially powerful.

At the same time, Rav Landau emphasized the obligation of practical effort to safeguard life, noting that protecting oneself is a clear Torah commandment. He stressed that people must be careful to follow the safety instructions and not take them lightly, explaining that the obligation of v’nishmartem me’od l’nafshoseichem requires strict adherence to these guidelines.

He added that it is said in the name of the Brisker Rav that by fulfilling the mitzvah of safeguarding one’s life, a person merits siyata d’Shmaya and protection from Heaven.

Rav Landau also encouraged the talmidim to maintain calm and a positive atmosphere during this tense time. One practical suggestion he offered was to avoid constantly seeking out additional news and updates, since excessive exposure to information can create unnecessary fear and anxiety.

Looking ahead to the upcoming period of bein hazmanim, he stressed that there is no exemption from Torah learning during that time — especially now, when Klal Yisroel needs the protection of Torah study.

He suggested that the break could be used productively by studying masechtos or other areas of Torah that are not usually focused on during the regular zman.

At the same time, Rav Landau reminded the students to take advantage of the opportunity during bein hazmanim to fulfill the mitzvah of honoring their parents and helping at home when needed.

He concluded with a tefillah that Hashem should have mercy on the Jewish people, protect them from suffering and harsh decrees, allow them to sit peacefully in the ohel haTorah, and bring about a complete redemption speedily.

In addition to this visit, Rav Landau also traveled to Yeshivas Toras Chaim L’Tzeirim in Bnei Brak, headed by Rav Boruch Dov Diskin and Rav Yosef Shraga Turtchin, which has been conducting its learning in a neighborhood shelter during the war.

During the visit, Rav Landau delivered a Torah shiur and additional words of chizuk to the students. The roshei yeshiva — Rav Boruch Dov Diskin, Rav Yosef Shraga Turtchin, Rav Tzvi Turtchin, and the mashgiach Rav Moshe Mordechai Englard — welcomed him upon arrival.

One particularly memorable moment during the visit was a spirited Torah discussion between Rav Landau and Rav Diskin, reflecting the lively style of debate that characterizes Torah learning. In his closing remarks, Rav Landau again encouraged the students to strengthen their learning, listen to the guidance of their rabbonim, and avoid unnecessary risks during air raid sirens. The students left the gathering feeling uplifted and inspired.

{Matzav.com}

WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer visited West Bloomfield Friday to review the investigation into an attack at Temple Israel, where a man drove a vehicle into the building while more than 100 young children were inside.

Whitmer described the incident as a clear act of anti-Semitism. “Parents bring their children to daycare and school, expecting a place of peace, unity, light and life. This attack was hate, plain and simple,” she said.

Joined by Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Whitmer urged residents to speak out against anti-Semitism and reduce divisive rhetoric. “We must lower the rhetoric in our state and across the country, especially now as attacks on the Jewish community are rising,” she said.

Authorities continue to investigate the motives and circumstances of the incident, which prompted a significant police and emergency response at the Reform synagogue.

Kibbutz Kabri in the western Galilee sustained a direct hit from rocket fire Friday that lightly injured two people as Hezbollah resumed firing rockets indiscriminately into civilian population centers, causing Israelis to run for shelter. The attack comes amid Muslim celebrations of al-Quds Day, marking the last Friday of Ramadan. Iran has traditionally promoted Israel’s destruction on al-Quds Day. Observers note the irony that this year, Iran will mark that day amid the destruction perhaps of its own authoritarian regime.

Emergency responders treated a 50-year-old woman who sustained a shrapnel wound and a lightly injured 60-year-old man. Both are in good condition.

Meanwhile, the IDF intercepted a missile from Iran targeting central Israel.

Earlier, the Israeli Air Force conducted widespread strikes across Lebanon and Iran, while the two countries returned fire. An Iranian rocket wounded two people in the Israeli Bedouin village of Zarzir in the lower Galilee during the battle.

Following an IDF strike on Zrariyeh Bridge over the Litani River in southern Lebanon — a strategic military location for Hezbollah, which uses the bridge to move supplies and personnel — Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, conducted a meeting with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and top-ranking military officials.

“This is only the beginning, and the Lebanese government and the Lebanese state will pay an increasing price through damage to Lebanese national infrastructure that is used by Hezbollah terrorists,” Katz warned.

WASHINGTON (VINnews) — Pete Hegseth said Friday that Iran’s leadership is now facing the combined military power of the United States and Israel, praising what he described as an unprecedented partnership between the two allies’ air forces.

Speaking about the ongoing campaign against Iranian targets, Hegseth said the cooperation between the United States and Israel has produced a scale of military operations rarely seen.

BREAKING: “Looking up, the IRGC and Iranian regime see only two things on the side of the aircraft: the Stars and Stripes and the Star of David.”

“The evil regime’s worst nightmare.” – Secretary of War Pete Hegseth pic.twitter.com/vSc8vh3yHy

— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 13, 2026

“The combination of the world’s two most powerful air forces is unprecedented and unbeatable,” Hegseth said.

According to Hegseth, American and Israeli forces have carried out strikes on more than 15,000 enemy targets, averaging over 1,000 attacks a day.

“No other combination of countries in the world could do that,” he said.

Hegseth added that Iranian leadership and fighters from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps now face a stark reality in the skies above them.

“Looking up, the IRGC and Iranian regime only see two things on the side of aircraft: the stars and stripes and the Star of David,” he said.

The remarks come as the United States and Israel continue a sustained military campaign targeting Iranian military infrastructure and leadership.

(AP) – The Trump administration denounced CNN on Thursday for airing a portion of the new Iranian supreme leader’s public statement, the second time in three days that he’s targeted the network for reporting on how the regime is responding to the American attacks.

The attack illustrated the care news outlets must take in reporting during wartime, and the responsibilities of American journalists to report the perspective of countries its government views as enemies. It also exposed inconsistencies. The message of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei during his first public statement since he succeeded his father, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike, was widely available elsewhere.

The White House said on social media that “fake news CNN just aired four straight minutes of uninterrupted Iranian state TV, run by the same psychotic and murderous regime that prided itself on brutally slaughtering Americans for 47 years.”

Earlier CNN interview criticized by Trump’s communications leader
Two days earlier, White House communications director Steven Cheung took issue with CNN anchor Erin Burnett’s interview with Hossein Mousavian, a former Iranian nuclear negotiator. Burnett asked Mousavian what he had been hearing about the Iranian government’s interest in having talks with the United States. There wasn’t much, he said.

“Ever notice how CNN just regurgitates quotes and unverified information from Iranian terrorists?” Cheung wrote on X. “Total disgrace. They have become the murderous Iranian Regime’s version of Pravda,” he said, referring to the official newspaper of the former Soviet Union.

CNN did not address Cheung’s statement but did respond to the White House attack on Thursday. It noted that CNN, Sky News and Al Jazeera also showed portions of the ayatollah’s statement live.

“The world is watching with anticipation which direction this war will take,” CNN said. “Purported remarks from Iran’s new supreme leader are a critical component in helping audiences understand where this conflict is heading and were aired for their obvious news value.”

Other news outlets, including The Associated Press, sent out alerts on what Khamenei said. His vow to keep up attacks on other Arab countries in the region and plans to choke off the world’s oil supply were headlines. The New York Times led its website with a story on the speech in its immediate aftermath, later writing that the speech “was an early indication of how the new supreme leader would approach the war, as well as how he would lead the country.”

CNN has long been a favored target of President Donald Trump, dating back to his first term. It’s a particularly vulnerable time for the network with Paramount Global’s agreement to purchase CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, raising questions about its future editorial independence.

CNN showed a news anchor reading a portion of Khameini’s remarks in Farsi, with an English translation. It did not air them in full. After the speech, correspondent Nick Paton Walsh gave a debrief to anchor Kate Bolduan, noting how the non-appearance of the leader — reportedly injured in an air attack — was as important as what he said.

“We were waiting to see the face of the man to have proof of his health and survival,” Walsh said, “and they’ve not met that moment. Instead, a handwritten message, it seems, that mostly reiterates things we kind of already knew.”

A social media message board for Iran’s point of view
The Tech Transparency Project has reported that several Iranian leaders and institutions maintain verified accounts on X, formerly Twitter, owned by Trump ally Elon Musk. CNBC said Thursday that Khamenei has one of them, and an X account with his portrait posted the text of his remarks, available in Farsi and in an English translation.

Even though Khamenei’s father is dead, an account with his portrait was active on Thursday, mainly reposting messages from his son. “The revenge we have in mind is not just because of the martyrdom of the illustrious Leader of the Revolution,” read one message posted Thursday. “Every member of the nation martyred by the enemy is a separate case that demands we seek revenge.”

X is officially blocked in Iran, though many use a virtual private network to bypass restrictions. A message sent to the platform on Thursday was not immediately returned.

There’s a long history of journalists seeking interviews with world leaders, even when they are regarded as enemies of the United States. Most notable was “60 Minutes” correspondent Mike Wallace’s interview with Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979, when that country was holding Americans hostage.

Thursday’s remarks by Iran’s new supreme leader were absolutely newsworthy and legitimate for CNN to air them, said Jane Ferguson, a veteran international correspondent and founder of the journalism platform Noosphere. It’s not the job of government leaders to pick apart what CNN is reporting, she said.

“We’ve always faced this,” she said, about when reporters interview leaders or other figures hostile to American interests. “This has been a bit of low-hanging fruit for awhile.”

Historian Douglas Brinkley of Rice University said that it’s unfair for CNN to be singled out in this instance. He, too, believes it is newsworthy to learn what leaders of an adversary are thinking, but it’s important to make sure that journalists are careful.

“You have to be leery of being used as a propaganda tool by the Iranian regime,” he said. “On the other hand, knowing what the enemy is saying and looking for a sign of a peace offering or a nuance is important … It’s a difficult balance.”

Authorities announced new restrictions on access to the Kosel ahead of the upcoming Shabbos, with several key routes leading to the plaza expected to be temporarily closed beginning Friday afternoon.

The Western Wall Heritage Foundation informed the public that, due to the current security situation and directives from the Home Front Command, new limitations have been imposed on entry to the Kosel plaza in Yerushalayim. The measures are intended to ensure that the number of people present does not exceed the available protected areas in case of an emergency.

Under the updated guidelines, the number of people allowed to remain in the Kosel plaza at any given time will be limited to no more than 50 individuals. Officials said the decision was made in accordance with Home Front Command safety instructions aimed at minimizing potential risks.

At the same time, Israel Police announced that on Friday the pedestrian routes leading to the Kosel plaza will be closed between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. The closure is expected to affect visitors and mispallelim planning to arrive ahead of Shabbos.

{Matzav.com}

YS GOLD 

We regret to inform you of the passing of Reb Moshe Meir Einhorn, one of the most prominent Bobover chassidim in America, and a legend of chassidus and yiras shomayim. He was 100 years of age. 

The niftar hailed from the Galician town of Kshanov, a town permeated with Torah and chassidus, and was raised as a loyal chossid of the Bobover Admorim. 

As a young boy, he made his way to Bobov by train, and merited for the Kedushas Zion of Bobov to place tefillin on him Erev Sukkahs 1939. 

Following the war, Reb Moshe Meir tethered himself with heart and soul to the Divrei Shloime of Bobov, and raised a beautiful family of chassidim and yirei Shomayim within the chassidus. He became an eidem by Reb Chaim Leser a"h.

He was among the most prominent chassidim in the kehillah and held an important leadership position in the Bobover Bais Medrash.

He was known for his chassidishkeit and yiras Shomayim, and served as a living role model to Bobover chassidim, young and old.  With his passing, an important link to Bobov of yore has been extinguished. 

The levaya will take place in front of the Bobover beis medrash today, and kevurah will be in the Bobover Chelkah in Deans, New Jersey. 

Yehi zichro baruch.

Israel has confirmed that its air force carried out strikes against Basij checkpoints and personnel in several locations across Tehran. Footage released from the skies over the Iranian capital showed the attacks targeting positions recently established by members of the Basij militia.

According to Israeli military officials, the strikes followed intelligence assessments indicating that Basij fighters had begun setting up checkpoints throughout parts of Tehran in recent days. After identifying the deployment, the Israeli Air Force carried out attacks over the past 24 hours, guided by intelligence from the IDF Intelligence Directorate.

The Basij forces are part of Iran’s internal security apparatus and operate under the regime’s broader security structure. For years, these armed units have been responsible for implementing terror operations as well as enforcing the regime’s internal control.

In addition to their security role, the Basij have been heavily involved in suppressing domestic protests inside Iran. In recent months, they have been central to the regime’s crackdown on demonstrations, using violence, conducting large-scale arrests, and deploying force against civilian protesters.

Iran’s Fars news agency claimed that the incidents were connected to sabotage operations carried out inside the country by forces linked to Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency together with groups loyal to Iran’s former royalist movement.

The Israeli military said the strikes are part of a broader effort targeting the Iranian regime’s core security infrastructure. An IDF spokesperson said the operations will continue wherever Iranian regime forces operate.

“The IDF will continue to strike the systems and operatives of the Iranian terror regime wherever they operate. The strikes that were completed are part of the phase of deepening the damage to the core systems of the Iranian terror regime and its foundations,” the spokesperson said.

{Matzav.com}

WASHINGTON (AP) — An inflation gauge closely monitored by the Federal Reserve moved higher in January in the latest sign that prices were persistently elevated even before the Iran war caused spikes in oil and gas costs.

Prices rose 2.8% in January compared with a year earlier, the Commerce Department said Friday, slightly below December’s increase in a report that was delayed by last fall’s six-week government shutdown. The shutdown created a backlog of data that is nearly cleared.

Yet excluding the volatile food and energy categories — which the Fed pays closer attention to — core prices rose 3.1%, up from 3% in the prior month and the highest in nearly two years.

On a monthly basis, prices rose 0.3% in January, while core prices jumped 0.4% for the second straight month, a pace that if sustained would lift inflation far above the 2% annual target set by the Fed.

The data has since been overtaken by the war with Iran, which began Feb. 28 and has shut down the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off one-fifth of the world’s oil supply. Oil prices have soared more than 40% since the war began and gas prices have jumped to $3.60 a gallon from just under $3 a month earlier, according to AAA. Those figures will likely cause inflation to spike in March and potentially April, economists forecast.

The inflation-fighters at the Fed have kept their key interest rate elevated to slow borrowing, spending, and growth in an effort to cool inflation further. Fed policymakers meet next week and are widely expected to keep their rate unchanged given that the conflict in the Middle East will raise inflation, at least in the short run.

The report also showed that consumers lifted their spending at a solid 0.4% pace in January, matching December’s rise and a sign that Americans are still able to drive steady growth. Consumer spending powers about two-thirds of the economy.

Incomes also rose 0.4%, a positive sign that consumers didn’t have to dip into savings to propel spending in January. After-tax incomes jumped 0.9%, fueled by a large increase in Social Security benefit payments after a large cost of living adjustment took effect at the start of the year.

Friday’s report includes the personal consumption expenditures price index, which is separate from the more widely-followed consumer price index, which was reported on Wednesday. The PCE index is running hotter than the CPI, largely because it puts much less weight on rental costs, which have been cooling steadily in recent months.

The PCE index typically runs below the CPI, but has pulled ahead of it just in the past few months.

The United States has given Israel one week to wrap up its operations in Iran, according to an Israel Hayom source. The source said that Washington has determined that the military campaign is unlikely to topple the regime without a ground invasion and would like to put an end to the operation.

“Regime change would require either a ground invasion by troops or the renewal of large-scale protests inside Iran,” the source said. The U.S. views each scenario as improbable.

The military campaign — called Operation Epic Fury by the U.S. and Operation Roaring Lion by Israel — is seen differently by the respective countries. Whereas Jerusalem views the operation mostly as a strategic success, Washington is concerned about rising oil prices.

The source pointed out that despite Israel’s assassination of the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, and the decimation of much of its highest-ranking officials, Hezbollah remains a threat. The same is true of Hamas, he said.

The source criticized Israel on two grounds. The first was not pursuing with greater urgency the establishment of diplomatic ties with Arab states following Israel’s astounding military successes. The second was Israel’s actions in Judea and Samaria: The source accused Israel of using the operation in Iran as cover for the extremist elements in the government to evict Arabs from their homes and take over their land and of missing the opportunity to pursue peace-building efforts in the region.

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu said that while Israel and the United States are taking steps intended to weaken Iran’s ruling regime and create conditions for change, it remains uncertain whether the Iranian public will ultimately overthrow the Islamic Republic. “You can lead someone to water; you cannot make him drink,” Netanyahu said during a press conference, his first since Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran on February 28, triggering an expanding regional war.

Addressing mounting anger in Israel’s northern communities after renewed attacks from Hezbollah, Netanyahu also delivered a warning to Lebanon’s leadership. He said the Lebanese government must “take your fate into your own hands” and dismantle the Iranian-backed terror organization itself, or Israel may be forced to act.

The prime minister also turned to the issue of his ongoing corruption trial, urging President Isaac Herzog to intervene. Netanyahu said US President Donald Trump “speaks from the heart” when criticizing Herzog for not granting him a pardon.

Speaking about the possibility that Iran’s regime could collapse, Netanyahu told reporters during the televised briefing that Israel and the United States are working to weaken Tehran’s leadership and give the Iranian population the opportunity to challenge it. “We will create optimal conditions to do this, including airstrikes as we did yesterday, as we are doing these days, to try to give [the Iranian people] the space needed to take to the streets.

“We are delivering crushing blows to the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij, their street forces, their checkpoints – and more is yet to come,” he went on.

Even so, Netanyahu acknowledged that outside forces cannot guarantee such an outcome. “I do not deny it: I cannot say for certain that the Iranian people will bring down the regime.”

Directly addressing citizens of Iran, he added: “We told you, ‘Help is on the way,’” he said, addressing the Iranian public. “Well, the help has come and more will follow.”

Netanyahu said many people hope the regime will ultimately collapse but emphasized that such a development must come from within Iran itself. “We all are hoping for the result of this regime falling,” said Netanyahu, but “ultimately, a regime is ousted from within.”

Regardless of how the war concludes, Netanyahu argued that Iran has already suffered significant damage. “It’s simply a different Iran — it no longer threatens as it did before,” he said. “It is not the same power. It’s not the giant bully that nothing can be done against and that no one can unite against.”

Because of security concerns surrounding the ongoing conflict, Netanyahu addressed reporters over Zoom. During the call, he repeated his assertion that the military campaign became necessary after Iran resumed work on nuclear weapons and ballistic missile capabilities following the 12-day Israel-Iran war last June.

Netanyahu said Iran’s previous supreme leader, Ali Khamenei — killed during the opening stage of the joint US-Israeli offensive nearly two weeks earlier — had been warned not to rebuild what he described as Iran’s dangerous weapons infrastructure. Instead, Netanyahu said Khamenei pushed ahead with those efforts and moved them deeper underground, ultimately prompting the strike that killed him.

“If we had not acted immediately, within a few months Iran’s industries of death would have become immune to any strike. Therefore, we went out together to battle — the United States and Israel — to continue what we began and to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. To prevent Iran from developing ballistic missiles that threaten Israel, the United States, and the entire world. That is our objective,” he said.

Netanyahu said that since the start of the current war, Israeli forces have struck Iran’s nuclear facilities and eliminated what he described as a key nuclear scientist. He also said the campaign has additional elements yet to be revealed.

Israel and the United States, he said, are acting together to prevent a regime that openly seeks Israel’s destruction from achieving that goal. “Our enemies are not disappearing in an instant, but look at our amazing successes.”

When asked whether Israel might target Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Ali Khamenei who has been named the new supreme leader, Netanyahu responded: “I wouldn’t take out a life insurance policy on any of the leaders of the terror organizations.”

He dismissed Mojtaba Khamenei as a “puppet” controlled by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps who “cannot show his face in public.”

The newly installed leader has not appeared publicly since the war began and is believed to have been injured in an airstrike. Iranian state media broadcast a defiant statement attributed to him on Thursday — believed to be his first message since becoming supreme leader on Sunday — but he has not been seen or heard directly since the fighting started.

Netanyahu also said that Israel is receiving support from a number of countries in its confrontation with Iran, though some of that cooperation remains undisclosed.

“In these days, my team and I are weaving additional alliances with countries in the region – alliances that only a few weeks ago would have seemed unimaginable,” said Netanyahu, without elaborating.

The prime minister argued that Israel has emerged stronger despite the devastating Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023. According to Netanyahu, the country is now at least a regional power and has eliminated a dangerous adversary in Ali Khamenei. He described the Iranian leader as “a kind of Hitler” who had pursued Israel’s destruction for decades.

“We are crushing the terror regime in Iran. We are striking and defeating its proxies – Hezbollah in Lebanon,” he said. “Hezbollah is feeling our force, and it will feel it even more so. It will pay a very heavy price for its aggression.”

Earlier this month Hezbollah resumed firing rockets toward Israel, marking its first such attacks since a November 2024 ceasefire agreement between Israel and the group. That agreement required Lebanon’s government to dismantle Hezbollah’s military infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

On Wednesday night, Hezbollah fired roughly 200 rockets toward northern Israel, renewing concerns about how much of its arsenal remains intact and whether its supply networks are still functioning.

Israel has responded by sending troops deeper into Lebanese territory and carrying out large-scale airstrikes targeting Hezbollah-controlled areas. Those attacks have killed hundreds of people and forced large numbers of residents to flee neighborhoods in southern Beirut as well as parts of southern and eastern Lebanon.

While Netanyahu did not rule out a major ground operation in Lebanon, he indicated that Israel might avoid such a move if Beirut acts against Hezbollah. However, he warned that a significant offensive could become unavoidable if Lebanon’s government “continues to let Hezbollah act in violation of your commitment to disarm it.”

The November 2024 ceasefire ended more than a year of fighting that began when Hezbollah started attacking Israel on October 8, 2023 — one day after the Hamas invasion of southern Israel that ignited the war in Gaza.

Those attacks forced roughly 60,000 residents of northern Israel to evacuate their homes. In an effort to enable their return, Israel escalated its military operations against Hezbollah in September 2024, severely damaging the group’s leadership structure.

When asked whether he had overstated Hezbollah’s weakness at the time, Netanyahu acknowledged that the organization still retains some capabilities but maintained that it has suffered heavy losses.

“They have certain remaining capacities,” he said, but insisted the group had been greatly diminished.

“We’ll deal with it,” he said, promising not to “abandon the residents of the north.”

Netanyahu added that before Israel’s intensified operations in Lebanon in 2024, Hezbollah possessed around 150,000 rockets and missiles and had the potential to inflict catastrophic damage across Israel.

He said the arsenal could have been capable of destroying buildings in Tel Aviv and causing mass casualties. “bring down the skyscrapers of Tel Aviv and cause devastation in central Israel and beyond, with 15,000-20,000 fatalities.”

“That did not happen, because we hit them with a massive blow,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Knesset Health Committee has approved a major piece of legislation intended to reduce the burden on hospitals and improve services throughout the healthcare system. The committee approved the so-called “Cap Law,” which regulates financial arrangements between the health maintenance organizations and hospitals for the next five years, covering roughly 20 billion shekels annually.

The bill was approved Thursday evening for its second and third readings by the Health Committee chaired by MK Yoni Mashriki. The legislation establishes a framework governing how hospitals and health funds settle payments with one another, an arrangement that affects a significant portion of the country’s healthcare budget.

Committee chairman MK Yoni Mashriki said the measure represents an important step forward for the Israeli healthcare system. “I would like to thank Shas chairman Aryeh Deri for pushing and closely accompanying this effort every step of the way until the law was approved. The Cap Law that we approved today is a major and meaningful development for Israel’s healthcare system that will reduce hospitalization overload and expand services in the community, allowing the healthcare system to operate in a more stable, balanced, and planned manner in the coming years.”

Mashriki explained that the new financial framework will be accompanied by additional measures designed to strengthen the healthcare system and reduce pressure on hospitals. “This important economic arrangement will join a series of additional steps — including the addition of tens of millions of shekels for home hospitalization, reducing overcrowding in internal medicine departments, increased funding to strengthen public hospitals, providing solutions for patients awaiting transfer to geriatric institutions, and protecting hospitals that were harmed during the war.”

He added that maintaining a strong public healthcare system is one of the government’s most important responsibilities. “The public healthcare system is one of the most important social services the state must provide to its citizens, and the law we passed today is a dramatic step designed to ensure that it will be stronger, more stable, and more accessible.”

{Matzav.com}

Shas chairman MK Aryeh Deri visited Ichilov Hospital on Thursday evening together with Religious Affairs Ministry Director-General Yehuda Avidan to see Gedalyahu Ben Shimon, chairman of the Religious Council in Ramat Gan and Ra’anana, who remains hospitalized in serious condition after being severely wounded in a stabbing attack in Ramat Gan. They were accompanied by the hospital’s director-general, Dr. Eli Sprecher.

Speaking outside the patient’s room, Deri said, “There was a very great miracle here. Reb Gedalyahu comes from a family of great righteous people. I heard from the doctors about his severe condition when he was brought into surgery, and by the grace of Heaven they succeeded in saving his life.”

Deri added that prayers must continue for Ben Shimon’s recovery. “We must continue to pray for his complete recovery. Let us pray that with Hashem’s help the hand of Israel will prevail and that we will no longer know such acts of terror.”

Earlier in the day, Deri released a statement expressing shock over the attack. “I am shaken to the depths of my soul by the despicable attack carried out by a vile individual against the chairman of the Ramat Gan Religious Council, attorney Gedalyahu Ben Shimon, who was wounded and is in serious condition. I call on the public to increase prayers for the complete recovery of Gedalyahu ben Yeshuah.”

Israel’s Sephardic Chief Rabbi, the Rishon LeTzion, Rav Dovid Yosef, also called on the public to daven for the injured official. “I call on every Jew to intensify prayers and arouse abundant Heavenly mercy for the emissary of the rabbinate, the highly active Gedalyahu ben Yeshuah, may he live long, and to recite Chapter 20 of Tehillim, ‘Ya’ancha b’yom tzarah,’ for his recovery.”

As previously reported, Gedalyahu Ben Shimon, chairman of the Ramat Gan Religious Council and a member of the Shas party, was stabbed earlier in the day on a street in Ramat Gan. He was evacuated to the hospital with multiple stab wounds and is listed in serious condition.

The attack occurred at approximately 3:15 p.m., when an Arab teenager, reportedly about 15 years old, approached the chareidi official and stabbed him several times. Reports indicate that the assailant shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the attack, strengthening suspicions that the incident was a terrorist assault.

{Matzav.com}

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (VINnews) — Dutch police arrested four young men suspected of involvement in an explosion and fire outside a synagogue in Rotterdam that damaged the entrance of the building and briefly ignited flames, authorities said.

The blast occurred around 3:40 a.m. at a synagogue on A.B.N. Davidsplein in the Blijdorp neighborhood, police said. Authorities reported that a fire was started at the site but burned only briefly before extinguishing on its own. No injuries were reported.

Police said the suspects include two 19-year-olds, an 18-year-old and a 17-year-old. Investigators have not yet identified a motive and said a large-scale probe is underway.

After the explosion, officers increased patrols around synagogues and Jewish institutions across the city as a precaution. Police also stopped a vehicle near another synagogue after the driver matched the description of one of the suspects. Authorities said it remains unclear whether additional attacks had been planned.

Investigators are reviewing video circulating on social media that appears to show an explosion near the building.

Justice Minister David van Weel condemned the attack, saying the government would not tolerate antisemitism, intimidation or violence and that authorities were working to ensure the safety of Jewish institutions.

Rotterdam Mayor Carola Schouten said the incident caused significant anxiety among members of the Jewish community and stressed that hatred or violence targeting religious groups has no place in the city.

A representative of the synagogue said the physical damage — including scorched doors at the entrance — could be repaired, but the emotional impact on the Jewish community would likely last much longer.

The attack comes amid heightened tensions and a reported rise in antisemitic incidents following the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, which began Feb. 28 when the United States and Israel launched large-scale strikes on Iranian targets. Authorities across Europe have reported increased security concerns at Jewish institutions in recent weeks.

Earlier this week, an explosion also struck a synagogue in Liège, Belgium, in an incident authorities there described as antisemitic. Dutch police said the Rotterdam investigation remains ongoing and urged witnesses to come forward with information.

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ZARZIR (VINnews)  An Iranian ballistic missile struck the Arab-Israeli town of Zarzir in northern Israel overnight, injuring more than 50 people, mostly lightly, Israeli emergency services said Friday.

Magen David Adom reported treating over 50 residents for injuries caused by shattered glass, shrapnel and shock following the impact in a residential area. Most injuries were classified as light, though one woman was hospitalized in moderate condition after being hit by shrapnel.

The strike occurred amid an ongoing barrage of Iranian missiles targeting Israel, part of escalating retaliatory exchanges in the widening conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States. Israel’s multi-layered air defense systems intercepted many incoming projectiles, but some fragments or direct hits caused damage and casualties in several locations.

Footage from the scene showed damaged homes, destroyed vehicles and scattered debris in the community, located near Nazareth. Israel Fire and Rescue Services described “extensive destruction” at the impact site, which affected a cluster of private homes.

The Israel Defense Forces said it was investigating the circumstances of the missile impact in Zarzir. No fatalities were immediately reported from the strike.

The attack came as sirens sounded across northern Israel, with additional Iranian projectiles and related fire from proxies like Hezbollah prompting widespread sheltering. The broader conflict, now in its second week, has seen joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian targets, including missile infrastructure and leadership sites, prompting ongoing Iranian counterstrikes.

Israeli authorities urged residents to remain vigilant as military operations continue.

The Israeli Air Force carried out extensive strike missions over the past 24 hours targeting more than 200 sites belonging to Iran’s terror regime in western and central Iran.

According to the IDF, dozens of fighter jets operated with intelligence guidance, dropping large quantities of munitions on a wide range of military targets. Among the sites struck were ballistic missile launchers, air defense systems, and weapons production facilities.

The strikes are part of the ongoing Operation “Roaring Lion,” which aims to significantly reduce Iran’s ability to launch attacks against Israel.

Since the beginning of the operation, the Israeli Air Force has conducted thousands of strike missions targeting numerous infrastructure sites connected to Iran’s terror regime in an effort to limit the volume of fire directed toward Israeli territory.

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(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The United States moved Thursday to temporarily loosen sanctions on Russian oil shipments already at sea, allowing them to reach international buyers as the Trump administration seeks to bring down global energy prices that have surged during the war in Iran.

The Treasury Department issued the temporary waivers, which will remain in effect until April 11. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that releasing Russian oil currently stranded on tankers could inject hundreds of millions of barrels of crude into global supply, helping ease prices that have climbed close to $100 per barrel amid the conflict involving Iran.

The policy shift marked a notable change in Washington’s approach to punishing Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, the United States and other members of the Group of 7 have imposed sweeping sanctions aimed at restricting the Kremlin’s energy revenues. Those measures included placing a price ceiling on Russian crude and targeting a so-called “shadow fleet” of ships that exporters have used to transport oil while avoiding sanctions.

As the war with Iran has intensified, the Trump administration has been exploring ways to reduce economic strain tied to rising fuel costs. Last week, officials already allowed Russian oil that had been sitting offshore to proceed to India. At the same time, the administration has been working on a $20 billion maritime insurance guarantee through the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, which typically provides financing and investment support for international businesses and projects.

Bessent said Thursday that the limited sanctions relief would not meaningfully strengthen Russia financially, though he acknowledged that Moscow could see some benefit.

“To increase the global reach of existing supply, Treasury is providing a temporary authorization to permit countries to purchase Russian oil currently stranded at sea,” he wrote in a social media post. “This narrowly tailored, short-term measure applies only to oil already in transit and will not provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government, which derives the majority of its energy revenue from taxes assessed at the point of extraction.”

Speaking on a podcast Thursday, Bessent said it was “unfortunate” that Russia might receive any financial upside from the situation created by the Iran conflict, but he expressed hope that the benefit would last only a “micro period.”

Senior Democrats in the Senate sharply criticized the administration’s decision to loosen the sanctions, arguing that the move was meant to blunt the economic fallout from a war they blame on President Trump.

“This war has resulted in huge spikes in gas prices for Americans, who are now paying more at the pump than at any point in either of President Trump’s two terms,” they wrote in a joint statement.

The decision also represents a reversal from policies adopted last summer, when the administration imposed steep tariffs on India in response to its purchases of Russian oil.

“In one fell swoop we’ve undone a huge amount of pressure on Russia,” said Edward Fishman, a senior fellow and director of the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

According to the commodities analytics firm Kpler, roughly 130 million barrels of Russian crude are currently being transported at sea.

The administration’s move may also widen differences between Washington and European governments. Several European leaders have voiced concern over Trump’s military action against Iran and remain committed to maintaining strict economic pressure on Russia.

Fishman said he doubts the policy will succeed in lowering oil prices, pointing out that a similar decision last week allowing shipments to India did not produce a noticeable impact on the market. He also observed that Russian oil prices have been climbing since the conflict with Iran began and suggested that the temporary relief could eventually become permanent.

“I do worry that this is effectively the destruction of the oil sanctions on Russia,” said Mr. Fishman, the author of “Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare.”

{Matzav.com}

Dr. Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in Yerushalayim and a longtime evangelical supporter of President Donald Trump, has launched a new billboard campaign across Israel displaying the message: “Thank You God & Donald Trump!”

Evans said the nationwide initiative was created to express appreciation for what he views as a pivotal moment in the region during the ongoing war involving Israel, the United States, and Iran.

Large billboards featuring an image of President Trump have been installed along major roadways and busy intersections in Yerushalayim and Tel Aviv.

“This is nothing less than a Purim miracle,” Evans said. “The courage and leadership shown by President Trump, combined with the faith of millions who believe in God’s protection over Israel, are changing the course of history in the Middle East. Many believe the events unfolding in Iran could ultimately bring freedom to the Persian people and greater security for the Jewish people in Israel.”

Evans traveled to Israel on Thursday, February 26, arriving just two days before hostilities began. He said he was the only prominent evangelical leader to enter the country before the conflict erupted, explaining that he wanted to demonstrate solidarity with Israelis and report developments to the large evangelical community worldwide that strongly supports Israel.

While in Israel, Evans toured several parts of the country with a professional film crew. The group visited sites where missiles had struck, as well as communities affected by the fighting. Evans also met with Israeli soldiers, visited wounded civilians in hospitals, attended funerals, and spent time speaking with Holocaust survivors. His team documented how Israelis were continuing daily life during wartime and looked for ways to provide practical assistance.

After completing his visit in Israel, Evans left the country through Egypt and then traveled directly to Washington, D.C., where he is continuing advocacy and diplomatic outreach on behalf of Israel.

The new billboard effort follows a number of similar campaigns Evans and the Friends of Zion movement have organized across Israel in recent years. One previous initiative featured the slogan “Cyrus the Great is Alive,” referencing the biblical Persian ruler who allowed the Jewish people to return to Yerushalayim, along with other campaigns emphasizing the relationship between the United States and Israel.

Evans has also been involved in several pro-Israel initiatives connected to the Trump administration. On December 11, 2017, he presented President Trump with the prestigious Friends of Zion Award in the Oval Office for his support of Israel. The award, commissioned by Israel’s ninth president, Shimon Peres, has been presented to 28 world leaders recognized for their friendship with the Jewish people and the State of Israel.

{Matzav.com}

British Defense Secretary John Healey said Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin may be helping Iran develop drone tactics used in attacks against Western positions in the Middle East.

Speaking at a press conference, Healey said the United Kingdom is currently analyzing a drone that struck a hangar at the Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus to determine whether it contains Russian or other foreign components.

“At the moment, we’re taking part in analyzing the drone that struck the hangar at Akrotiri for any evidence of Russian or any other foreign components and parts,” Healey said.

Officials are examining the wreckage to determine whether Moscow played a role in supplying technology or tactical guidance.

“We will update you and appropriately publish any findings from that when we’ve got them,” Healey added.

The British defense chief said it would not be surprising if Russia was involved.

“I think no one will be surprised to believe that Putin’s hidden hand is behind some of the Iranian tactics, potentially some of their capabilities as well,” he said.

Healey noted that Russia may also be benefiting financially from the conflict through soaring global oil prices.

“One world leader that is benefiting from the sky high oil prices at the moment is Putin,” he said. “It helps him with a fresh supply of funds for his brutal war in Ukraine.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Local government leaders from across Israel said Thursday evening that schools are likely to remain closed for another week due to the ongoing security situation.

Approximately 150 heads of municipal and regional authorities participated in a special situation assessment meeting with Home Front Command chief Maj. Gen. Shay Kalper to discuss the security developments and their impact on the possible reopening of the education system.

During the meeting, officials discussed coordination between the Home Front Command and local authorities, public guidance for residents, and the possibility of a gradual return to normal operations in educational institutions.

Chaim Bibas, chairman of the Federation of Local Authorities, said the current assessment indicates that schools in most parts of the country will probably not reopen next week. He explained that if the Home Front Command’s situation assessment scheduled for Saturday night leads to a decision to exempt certain areas, an official announcement will be issued.

Bibas stressed that the primary responsibility of local leaders is to ensure the safety of residents and children. He said municipalities are prepared to reopen schools as soon as the Home Front Command determines that it is safe to do so, but they will not take any steps that could endanger students.

Home Front Command chief Maj. Gen. Shay Kalper praised the efforts of local authorities, saying their cooperation with the military plays a key role in maintaining national resilience.

Kalper added that the security situation is being reviewed continuously and that only when it is deemed safe will officials consider a gradual and region-specific reopening of the education system.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the local officials said that based on the current assessment, classes are not expected to resume next week, though it is possible that several communities could be exempted depending on the updated evaluation expected on Motzoei Shabbos.

{Matzav.com}

The United States is facing a surge of extremist violence after two separate terror attacks struck Michigan and Virginia on Thursday, marking four that have taken place in the month of March alone.

In West Bloomfield, Michigan, a gunman driving a truck rammed through the front doors of Temple Israel on Thursday, one of the largest Reform synagogues in the United States. Authorities say the suspect drove into the building and down a hallway while children were attending preschool inside the complex. Security personnel quickly engaged the attacker. The suspect’s vehicle later caught fire, and he was found dead inside the truck.

The attacker was identified as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a native of Lebanon with suspected ties to Hezbollah.

Just hours earlier, a gunman opened fire inside a classroom at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, killing one person.  The suspect, identified as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, 36, reportedly entered a classroom in the university’s business school building, Constant Hall, and shouted “Allahu Akbar” before opening fire. Jalloh had previously served in the U.S. Army National Guard and had a prior federal conviction for attempting to provide material support to the terrorist group ISIS. He was released from federal prison in 2024.

The attack killed retired Army Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, who was teaching the class. Several ROTC students in the classroom confronted and subdued the gunman, preventing further bloodshed. Jalloh was killed during the struggle.

Thursday’s attacks follow two other radical Islamist incidents earlier this month.

Last weekend, two teenagers — Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19 — were arrested for plotting to detonate explosive devices near Gracie Mansion in New York City. Investigators say the suspects pledged allegiance to ISIS and hoped to cause mass casualties.

Days earlier, on March 1, a gunman identified as Ndiaga Diagne, 53, opened fire outside a bar in Austin’s Sixth Street entertainment district. Diagne, who was wearing clothing bearing Islamic and Iranian imagery, killed three people and wounded 15 others before police shot and killed him.

And what are officials doing? Well, let’s take a look at New York City. A day before Thursday’s attacks, Ugandan-born NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani hosted an iftar dinner – a traditional dinner in which Muslims break their Ramadan fast. And who did he host? At least one guy who was captured on film making an ISIS salute.

Sleep tight.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)