American brands are going all in on red, white and blue as the country prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday.

From $17.76 burger deals and eagle-shaped coffee cups to collectible Coca-Cola cans and limited-edition snacks, companies are rolling out patriotic promotions tied to America’s semiquincentennial.

Steak ’n Shake is offering two “Liberty Meals” for $17.76 throughout July.

The meal includes a double grass-fed Steakburger, beef tallow fries and a Patriot milkshake, according to the chain.

“$17.76 for two Liberty Meals — all July long!” the burger chain wrote on X. “A Liberty Meal includes a double grass-fed Steakburger, beef tallow fries, and a Patriot milkshake. Can’t touch this, Mr. Five Guys.”

Steak ’n Shake announced in March that its Patriot Milkshake now comes with a dark chocolate Statue of Liberty and will be priced at $2.50 for the rest of the year.

Dunkin’ is marking the occasion with a limited-edition “Eagle Cup,” themed merchandise and a summer menu tied to America’s 250th birthday.

The collectible cup features a clear base and a sculpted eagle lid. Dunkin’ said customers can purchase it for $10.99 and receive a free medium beverage.

The cup also includes a promotional code for $3 medium Refreshers or Dunkin’ Zero beverages for 30 days.

“Like summer fireworks, this drop won’t last forever. Quantities of the Eagle Cup are limited, so head to your local Dunkin’ soon before it flies off the shelves,” Dunkin’ said in its June 29 announcement.

Coca-Cola said its America250 campaign includes limited-edition packaging, custom bottles and its first America250 collectible mini-cans.

Each mini-can features a design tied to one of the 50 states, Puerto Rico or Washington, D.C., with local symbols such as Georgia’s peach and California’s surf culture.

General Mills is rolling out 79 limited-edition products inspired by America’s 250th birthday across brands including Cheerios, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Fruit Roll-Ups and Blue Buffalo.

The lineup includes Birthday Cake Cheerios, Pillsbury Toaster Strudel Stars & Stripes, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Root Beer Float, Fruit Roll-Ups Star-Spangled Cherry, Betty Crocker America’s Birthday Cake cookie mix and red, white and blue Pillsbury cookie dough.

“For 160 years, General Mills has been a cornerstone of American pantries, with our brands in over 90% of households across the country,” Courtney Hamacher, vice president and interim chief creative and marketing excellence officer at General Mills, said in a statement. “As America celebrates its 250th birthday, we’re incredibly proud to help families add joy to the table, celebrating the moments, big and small, that matter most.”

Oreo is joining the patriotic push with its Firecracker Pop cookie, which reportedly hit stores on May 4.

Dairy Queen is offering a Stars & Stripes Misty Slush Float for $2.50 from June 29 through July 5.

The drink features layers of cherry Misty Slush, soft serve and blue raspberry Misty Slush with star sprinkles.

McDonald’s announced it was bringing back its fried apple pie at participating U.S. restaurants for a limited time starting June 23, marking its first broad U.S. rollout in more than 30 years.

“Summer tends to move fast – but the moments worth remembering don’t. And with America’s 250th birthday around the corner, we’re bringing back a fan-favorite and bona fide national treasure made for slowing down and savoring the season: the Fried Apple Pie,” the company said in a press release.
 

Burger King is adding a Firecracker Cookie Pie, a chilled dessert with cream, a sugar cookie crust and red, white and blue star-shaped sprinkles.

Krispy Kreme is offering a patriotic doughnut collection featuring red, white and blue designs, including a Cookies n’ Kreme-filled USA Doughnut, a Firework Doughnut and a Freedom Ring Doughnut.

Bank of America announced it is expanding its signature “Museums on Us” program for the July 4th weekend, offering eligible cardholders free admission to 250 museums and cultural institutions nationwide as the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary.

Ford Motor Company is marking America’s 250th anniversary with a nationwide pricing push aimed at giving U.S. customers a break.

The Michigan-based automaker launched its “American Value. For American Values” campaign, offering employee pricing to all U.S. customers on most new 2025 and 2026 Ford and Lincoln vehicles through July 6. 

Cracker Barrel, an official America250 partner, launched a “Fuel Your Summer Road Trip” sweepstakes. The promotion will give 250 rewards members $1,000 each in food and fuel prizes.

“The promotion launches as the nation looks ahead to its 250th anniversary, a milestone rooted in classic American travel traditions and shared experiences that Cracker Barrel has been part of for generations as a familiar stop along the journey,” Cracker Barrel said in a statement.

Mountain Dew has temporarily rebranded as “American Dew” for the summer.

PepsiCo, which owns the soda brand, said the rebranded cans feature American flag-themed labels and packaging.

This Fourth of July marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S., and while Americans around the country are celebrating the occasion, it also serves as an opportunity to reflect on what helped make the U.S. the world’s largest economy and the reasons it’s still a great place to invest.

Joseph P. Quinlan, head of CIO market strategy for Merrill and Bank of America Private Bank, authored a piece breaking down the 10 reasons as to why the firm is bullish on the long-term prospects of investing in America.

Here’s a look at Quinlan’s 10 reasons to celebrate America on the nation’s 250th birthday.

“Think of our economy as a hydra-headed superpower, leading the world in such diverse activities as aerospace, agriculture, finance, energy, technology, healthcare, education and numerous other industries,” Quinlan said.

He noted that while the U.S. has just over 4% of the world’s population, it accounts for about one-quarter of all global gross domestic product (GDP), with measures like economic output and per capita income far surpassing emerging countries like China and India.

“Never have so few people produced so much output, creating so much wealth,” Quinlan added.

The U.S. stands in contrast to many of history’s leading world powers by virtue of having friendly neighbors and vast oceans on its flanks, Quinlan said. He said that the U.S. is in “one of the most favorable geographic positions on Earth” and noted how the Great Plains, Mississippi River system and Great Lakes offer space for farming, waterways for commerce and reserves of freshwater that are unmatched around the world.

“At a time when water scarcity, food security, energy supplies and geopolitical tensions are increasingly important, America’s geographic advantages are becoming more valuable – not less,” he noted.

“America’s economic metabolism is different from the rest of the world. No country creates and destroys as manically as America,” Quinlan wrote, noting that since 2010, about 40% of the companies in the Fortune 500 list have either gone bankrupt, been acquired or ceased operations.

He cited Census Bureau data showing that nearly 6 million new businesses have been formed in the U.S. over the last 12 months – a record high and well above the average of the last decade – as evidence that the country’s “startup itch has only grown stronger in the past few years.”

Quinlan noted that investors move their capital to where it’s treated the best, which shows that “global investors continue to favor the U.S.”

“At last count, the amount of foreign capital invested in the U.S. was around $50 trillion, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Bullish on America, the U.S. investment stakes of foreigners have increased nearly five-fold since the start of the century,” he wrote. “No country in the world has been at the receiving end of so much foreign capital this century.”

The global economy is spurred by intellectual property and brands, and Quinlan noted the U.S. is home to nine of the world’s top 10 global brands in 2026, according to BrandZ.

“These brands are more than commercial success; they are expressions of American soft power,” he wrote, saying they demonstrate how “American culture, technology and business extends far beyond its borders.”

The U.S. military is the most capable in the world and serves as a critical backstop to America’s economic strength through deterrence and the ability to respond to aggression, while it also brings economic benefits amid the backdrop of geopolitical threats from countries like China and Russia.

“America’s defense leadership is not merely a strategic asset – it is also an important economic advantage, supporting innovation across aerospace, cybersecurity, AI and advanced manufacturing,” Quinlan wrote.

The entrepreneurial culture of risk-taking in the U.S. has helped the country maintain its edge in tech innovation despite China’s economic rise, Quinlan said, adding that the market cap of firms like Nvidia, Google-parent Alphabet, and Apple are larger than many countries’ economic output.

“America is the largest market in the world for research and development spending and, in terms of AI, investment in AI in the U.S. is light years ahead of most of Europe and the rest of the world,” he said.

Quinlan wrote that U.S. colleges and universities are among its greatest assets, with the Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings’ top 100 placing 26 in the U.S., including four of the top five and eight of the top 20.

“Many of the world’s most innovative companies were founded or co-founded by immigrants who first arrived in America as students. Talent follows opportunity, and opportunity still flows disproportionately toward the U.S.,” he noted.

“Predictions of the dollar’s demise have become a recurring feature of modern finance. Yet the greenback remains the world’s dominant reserve currency, the primary medium of global trade and finance, and the ultimate safe-haven during periods of crisis,” Quinlan wrote.

He added that the dominance of the dollar has given the U.S. what has historically been known as an “exorbitant privilege” that manifests itself in the ability to borrow, invest and transact that few nations can rival, and that, for the time being, “there remains no credible global substitute to the buck.”

Economic competitiveness allows countries to adapt, innovate, bring in talent and drive growth – all categories that Quinlan said the U.S. is among the world leaders in, adding that the U.S. is “positioned to remain among the world’s most competitive economies.”

“Summing it all up: At 250 years old, America remains the world’s leading economic, financial, technological and military power,” Quinlan wrote. “The entrepreneurial DNA of 1776 continues to run strong through our nation – think the willingness to take risks, challenge conventions, attract talent, and reinvest itself. That’s worth celebrating.”

Bassett’s Ice Cream has survived economic downturns, changing consumer tastes and generations of competition while remaining under family ownership since its founding in 1861. Now led by its sixth generation, the Philadelphia institution is marking another milestone as America prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary.

FOX Business correspondent Jeff Flock joined FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo on “Mornings with Maria” to spotlight the company’s history and how it has remained family-owned for more than 165 years despite the challenges that force many small businesses to sell or shut down.

Founded while Abraham Lincoln was president, Bassett’s originally churned its ice cream using mule power before transporting it into Philadelphia by horse and buggy.

“We love a family business. We feel that our ice cream is a tradition, this is a family company, and we are so proud to be serving America and Philadelphia with a family business,” sixth-generation owner Alex Bassett Strange said.

While the company is rooted in tradition, it continues to evolve. Bassett’s now exports ice cream to markets including China and Taiwan, giving the company opportunities to develop new flavors.

“That’s right, so we export some ice cream… It’s helped us develop into new markets… I have my matcha ice cream, which is a flavor we never would have done had we not been in Southeast Asia,” Strange said.

The company has also expanded its offerings with new flavors, including a limited-edition red, white and blueberry variety for America’s semiquincentennial celebration, and introduced its first vegan ice cream this year while continuing to use Pennsylvania dairy for its traditional products.

An 8-year-old Arizona boy celebrating his birthday at Disneyland got the surprise of a lifetime Friday when he was named the California theme park’s honorary one billionth guest.

Andres Robles and his family, who traveled from Arizona, were greeted by Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse during a ceremony on the Main Street U.S.A. train station platform, where they helped unveil an updated sign reading, “Population 1,000,000,000.”

The family received a VIP tour that included a visit to Walt Disney’s private apartment, a peek at the newly opened Soarin’ Across America attraction and other exclusive experiences.

Robles became Disneyland’s honorary one billionth guest more than 70 years after the park first opened its gates on July 17, 1955.

“Welcoming our one billionth guest is a remarkable milestone for Disneyland Resort and a testament to the generations of guests who have made this special place part of their lives,” Disneyland Resort President Jill Estorino said in a statement.

“For more than 70 years, Walt’s original park has been a timeless symbol of Disney storytelling, where memories are made and shared, and we are honored to carry that legacy forward for guests today and for generations to come,” Estorino added.

The milestone comes as Disneyland Resort continues celebrating its 70th anniversary and on the eve of America’s 250th anniversary.

Disneyland says it continues to carry forward Walt Disney’s vision of creating a place where parents and children could enjoy time together.

Located in Anaheim, California, Disneyland Resort has grown from a single theme park into a destination featuring Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure Park, three hotels and the Downtown Disney District.

The resort has also inspired the creation of Disney theme parks around the world.

Walt Disney once said, “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.”

All are urged to intensify tefillos on behalf of Rav Chaim Berman, “the Ponovezh masmid,” one of the greatest masmidim of the generation, whose condition has taken a serious turn.

Rav Chaim, whose full name for tefillah is Rav Chaim ben Reisa Reizel Berman, has been hospitalized at Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer for an extended period due to severe physical weakness.

Family members and those close to him reported today that his condition has deteriorated significantly.

Widely revered throughout the Torah world for his extraordinary diligence and lifelong devotion to Torah learning, Rav Berman is regarded as one of the foremost masmidim of the generation.

Hundreds of bnei Torah gathered today in the bais medrash of Yeshivas Ponevezh for a special tefillas rabbim.

{Matzav.com}

A record 72.2 million Americans were expected to travel at least 50 miles from home during the Independence Day holiday period, according to AAA, setting a new record despite gasoline prices remaining well above last year’s levels. The forecast, released by AAA on June 17, projected more travelers than last year’s record 71.8 million, highlighting continued consumer demand for summer vacations even as travel costs increased.

Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel, said the number surpassed last year’s record even as the pace of growth slowed.

“For many Americans, traveling the week of July 4th is tradition,” Barber said. She added that while travel growth is beginning to level off, Americans are still hitting record numbers on the roads, in the skies, and at sea.

The travel period spans nine days, from Saturday, June 27, through Sunday, July 5. AAA developed the forecast with S&P Global Market Intelligence, using economic data including employment, household wealth, gasoline prices, and airline and hotel bookings.

The overwhelming majority of travelers chose to drive. AAA projected 61.4 million people would travel by car, representing about 85% of all holiday travelers. That is virtually unchanged from last year’s 61.3 million, despite significantly higher gasoline prices.

On Thursday, the national average price for regular gasoline stood at $3.84 per gallon, according to AAA. That was more than 20% higher than the same period last year. Prices, however, have fallen sharply in recent weeks, down from $4.29 a month earlier and well below the May 21 peak of $4.56, when fuel costs surged during the conflict with Iran.

“Overall, gas prices remain the highest they’ve been in four years, but the downward trend since late May is welcome news during the busy summer driving season,” AAA said.

Fuel prices continue to vary widely across the country. Hawaii has the highest statewide average at $5.47 per gallon, followed by California at $5.39 and Washington at $5.07. Among the least expensive states are Indiana at $3.10, Texas at $3.35, and Oklahoma at $3.36.

Even with gasoline costing more than last summer, driving remains the most affordable option for many families, particularly those traveling with children. That has helped keep road-trip numbers steady while other travel expenses have climbed.

Air travel remained relatively flat. AAA expected 5.85 million people to fly during the holiday period, a 0.2% increase from last year and roughly 8% of all travelers. The average domestic round-trip airfare reached about $830, approximately 5% higher than a year earlier, based on booking data. Popular routes to destinations such as Chicago and Denver experienced some of the largest price increases.

The fastest-growing segment of holiday travel is neither automobiles nor airplanes. AAA projected 4.93 million travelers would use buses, trains, or cruise ships, a 5.3% increase from last year. Cruise vacations account for much of that growth, as more families choose trips that bundle transportation, accommodations, and meals into a single price.

Based on booking data, the most popular domestic destinations included Seattle, Orlando, Anchorage, Miami, and New York City. AAA said Seattle ranked as the nation’s most popular destination this Independence Day.

For motorists, timing proved critical. Transportation analytics company INRIX projected the heaviest congestion during the second weekend of the holiday period. On Saturday, June 27, traffic was expected to be worst between noon and 5 p.m. INRIX recommended departing before 10 a.m. whenever possible. Travelers returning home on Sunday, July 5, were advised to leave before 11 a.m., with the most severe congestion expected from noon until 6 p.m.

Rental cars also remained in strong demand. Hertz expected Thursday, July 2, to be its busiest pickup day of the holiday period. According to the company, Orlando, Denver, Boston, Los Angeles, and New York City ranked among the busiest rental markets based on advance reservations. AAA also reported that domestic rental-car prices were running roughly 10% higher than last year.

The broader picture is a travel market that has settled into a more sustainable pattern after several years of rapid post-pandemic growth. The increase from 71.8 million to 72.2 million travelers represents another record, although the gains are more modest than the double-digit increases seen in previous years.

That resilience sends an important signal for businesses that rely on holiday travel, including hotels, restaurants, airlines, cruise operators, and gasoline retailers. Consumers have largely absorbed higher airfares and fuel costs without abandoning vacation plans. For many families, the holiday trip remains a priority, even if they trim spending elsewhere to make it happen.

JBizNews Desk | New York

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A 64-year-old Jewish real estate agent and attorney was brutally attacked in Toronto this week after a man allegedly targeted him because he was visibly Jewish, hurling bricks and metal objects while shouting anti-Semitic slurs accusing Jews of murdering babies and committing genocide.

Yosef Bitton said the terrifying attack unfolded Tuesday afternoon at a commercial property he manages near the intersection of Jane Street and Lawrence Avenue West in Toronto. According to Bitton, the assailant began swinging a parking marker post and throwing heavy objects while screaming that Jews were “baby killers” committing genocide.

“He said he was from Yemen and that he was a Houthi,” Bitton, who also works as an attorney, told the National Post.

Bitton immediately called 911 as the assault began.

“The first thing I told the dispatcher was that I was being attacked because I was visibly Jewish, and that this person was threatening to kill me,” he said.

The attacker allegedly hurled debris that had been left out for garbage collection, beginning with a brick that struck Bitton in the arm before throwing metal objects and a tree branch at him.

“I dodged all the objects he threw at me and blocked them with my arms. I have scrapes and scratches on both arms,” Bitton recalled. He later sought medical treatment for his injuries. The assault reportedly lasted for more than 30 minutes, yet no bystanders came to his aid.

Bitton expressed deep disappointment over the indifference of those who witnessed the attack.

“There were dozens of witnesses at the bus stop, on the bus, across the street, and at the place where it all started. Nobody lifted a finger to help,” he said.

He noted that the only person who attempted to intervene was one of the retail tenants at the property he manages, who came outside after seeing the attacker wielding the parking marker and tried to keep the two separated.

Asked why he did not physically defend himself, Bitton explained that he feared becoming the one arrested.

“There are people who tell me I should have knocked him out,” he said. “I said: ‘Absolutely not. Then I would have been arrested, he would have been released, and I would have ended up being the bad guy in the story.’ That’s why I made sure to stay about 3 to 5 meters away from him.”

Toronto Police responded to the scene and arrested the suspect. Authorities identified him as 58-year-old Abdulkadir Al-Jilani of Toronto. He has been charged with three counts of assault with a weapon and one count of uttering death threats. Police are investigating whether the attack was motivated by hatred.

Toronto Police stated that when a criminal offense such as assault or property damage is believed to have been motivated by bias, prejudice, or hatred, investigators may consult with prosecutors to seek recognition of the hate motive as an aggravating factor during sentencing if a conviction is secured.

Following the attack, Bitton shared his anguish in a Facebook post, writing, “This is not the Canada I have lived in for the past 64 years.”

The world’s largest money manager just committed $100 million to something that has nothing to do with the stock market. On March 11, BlackRock announced Future Builders, a five-year program funded by The BlackRock Foundation to train 50,000 Americans as electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians and ironworkers. “Throughout our history, tradespeople have built our country,” said BlackRock Chairman and CEO Larry Fink. The surprise is not the size of the check. It is what the check says about how many of America’s biggest companies are now thinking about hiring—and why.

For much of the last five years, the loudest debate in corporate hiring centered on diversity goals. Many companies set targets to increase representation among their workforces. Today, many of those employers are changing course. The new emphasis is simpler: hire the person with the skills to do the job. Many companies have reduced or eliminated hiring targets tied to demographic representation while placing greater weight on skills and qualifications.

The change did not happen on its own. On January 21, 2025, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14173, restricting diversity programs within the federal government and warning that employment practices favoring one group over another could face legal scrutiny. A follow-up executive order issued on March 26, 2026, expanded that focus to federal contractors by restricting certain diversity-related activities. Many corporate legal departments responded by reviewing and revising hiring policies.

The shift can be seen across some of America’s largest employers. In January 2025, Meta told employees it was ending several programs designed to increase hiring from underrepresented groups. Janelle Gale, Meta’s vice president of people, said the legal landscape surrounding those programs had changed. Google also dropped aspirational hiring goals for underrepresented groups, reduced parts of its diversity organization, and removed certain diversity commitments from its annual reports.

Replacing many of those hiring targets is an approach known as skills-based hiring. Instead of relying heavily on college degrees or other traditional credentials, employers increasingly evaluate whether applicants possess the specific skills required for the job. More companies are removing four-year degree requirements and emphasizing practical experience and demonstrated ability. Roughly 85% of employers now report using some form of skills-based hiring, up from 81% a year earlier. The goal is to broaden the talent pool while selecting candidates based primarily on their ability to perform the work.

One distinction is important. Expanding the applicant pool is not the same as setting hiring targets. Companies continue to recruit broadly and encourage qualified applicants from many backgrounds to apply. The key difference is that many employers now say the final hiring decision is increasingly based on demonstrated skills and qualifications rather than meeting representation goals.

That brings the story back to BlackRock’s investment in skilled trades. The company is not alone. Lowe’s has committed $250 million to workforce training, while Meta has pledged $115 million toward similar efforts. AT&T says it needs more skilled trades workers as part of its five-year, $38 billion expansion of high-speed fiber infrastructure supporting artificial intelligence. Google has committed $15 million alongside the Electrical Training Alliance to help prepare electricians for growing demand.

The reason is straightforward. Larry Fink has warned that the United States faces a shortage of electricians and other skilled trades as artificial intelligence drives a nationwide construction boom in data centers and energy infrastructure. Licensed electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, and ironworkers cannot be produced overnight. Training takes years, and many of these occupations already offer salaries that can reach six figures.

Another important point is often overlooked. These hiring changes are separate from supplier diversity programs. Many major corporations continue spending heavily with minority- and women-owned businesses through supplier initiatives. Google and AT&T, for example, each spend at least $1 billion annually with certified minority- and women-owned suppliers as members of the Billion Dollar Roundtable. While hiring practices have evolved at many companies, supplier diversity programs remain a significant part of corporate procurement strategies.

Viewed together, the trend reflects a broader shift in corporate workforce planning. Legal developments, labor shortages, and the growing demand for specialized skills are leading many employers to place greater emphasis on practical ability while investing billions of dollars to train the workforce they expect to need over the next decade.

JBizNews Desk | New York

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President Donald Trump announced Friday that he has granted pardons to six individuals convicted in federal cases involving vehicle emissions equipment, arguing they were unfairly targeted by prosecutors for simply modifying their vehicles. Trump blasted the prosecutions as an example of government overreach and declared that the men were being immediately freed.

“I AM SETTING THEM ALL FREE, RIGHT NOW!,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

The White House did not immediately release the identities of those receiving pardons. However, attorney Stewart Cables and lobbyist Jeff Daugherty, who represent five of the six men, identified them as Ryan Lalone, Wade Lalone, Matt Geouge, Tim Clancy, and Mac Spurlock, according to CBS News.

Daugherty welcomed the decision, crediting both divine intervention and the president for the outcome.

“Thanks to God for putting it on Trump’s heart to approve these pardons, and thank God for Donald Trump.”

He added that Trump was uniquely positioned to understand their situation because of his own experiences.

“Is the only president who would have taken an interest in these parties, and the reason is he’s the only president to face such ferocious weaponization himself.”

According to Daugherty and Cables, the White House notified them Friday that the pardons had been approved.

Earlier in the day, CBS News reported that Trump intended to pardon defendants who had been prosecuted for altering or disabling vehicle air pollution control systems, conduct that federal authorities had charged as violations of the Clean Air Act.

The latest clemency actions follow Trump’s pardon last year of Wyoming mechanic Troy Lake, who served seven months in federal prison after being convicted of disabling emissions-control equipment on diesel engines.

The pardons also come after the Justice Department directed federal prosecutors earlier this year to end all pending criminal cases and investigations involving so-called aftermarket defeat devices, which are designed to disable vehicle emissions-control systems.

When JPMorgan Chase & Co. told securities regulators on June 25 that Marianne Lake would retire, it closed one of Wall Street’s longest-running guessing games — who would eventually replace Chief Executive Jamie Dimon. What that filing did not spell out in plain dollars is how much Lake carries out the door. Drawn from the stock awards listed in the bank’s own regulatory disclosures and its most recent proxy statement, the figure lands near $50 million in unvested shares that will keep vesting on schedule even after she is gone.

That money is not a parting gift. It is pay Lake already earned in past years, handed to her as restricted stock that had not fully vested when she announced her exit. Big banks structure senior pay this way on purpose. A large slice of each year’s compensation comes as stock that vests slowly, over three to five years, so that leaving early usually means walking away from a pile of unvested shares.

Lake does not lose hers. Companies like JPMorgan build in what is often called a qualifying retirement provision. Employees who hit certain age and length-of-service marks are allowed to keep their unvested awards, which continue vesting on the original timetable rather than being canceled. Lake, who joined the bank in 1999 and spent more than 25 years there, clears those thresholds. So the roughly $50 million stays hers, paid out over the coming years as each grant reaches its vesting date.

Her situation stands apart from the four executives who are staying. In the same June 25 disclosure, JPMorgan handed new one-time retention awards to the leaders it wants to keep in place through any future handoff at the top. Doug Petno and Troy Rohrbaugh, both just named co-presidents, each received awards valued at $30 million. Mary Erdoes, who runs asset and wealth management, and Jennifer Piepszak, the chief operating officer, each received $20 million. Those grants are entirely restricted stock that vests after three years, and only if the bank achieves an average return on tangible common equity of at least 12% between 2026 and 2028. The recipients also must remain employed throughout the period.

Because Lake is the one leaving, she receives none of those new retention awards. Her payout consists of the older stock she had already accumulated, protected by the retirement rules rather than by any fresh deal.

The backdrop is the race to run the largest bank in the United States. Lake served as JPMorgan’s chief financial officer from 2013 to 2019, then led consumer lending, and in 2024 became sole CEO of consumer and community banking, the division that oversees the bank’s branches, credit cards, and home and auto lending. For years she was viewed as one of the leading candidates to succeed Dimon, and had she been selected she would have become the highest-ranking woman in American corporate life, running a bank with nearly $5 trillion in assets.

Her retirement came as Doug Petno and Troy Rohrbaugh emerged as the bank’s leading internal succession candidates. Petno, 61, now serves as sole chief executive of the commercial and investment bank, while Rohrbaugh, 56, takes over Lake’s former consumer and community banking division. Both now occupy the tier immediately below Dimon, 70, who has said he expects to remain chief executive for about three more years before likely staying on as chairman to advise his successor.

The timing surprised parts of Wall Street. Several bank analysts said they had long assumed Lake would ultimately become chief executive, and Bloomberg described her departure as abrupt. People familiar with her plans say she is expected to take a senior position at another company rather than retire from business altogether.

The leadership changes arrived alongside a broader capital plan. A day earlier, following the Federal Reserve’s annual stress test results, JPMorgan’s board authorized a new $50 billion share repurchase program beginning July 1 and increased the quarterly dividend by 10%, to $1.65 a share from $1.50, starting in the third quarter.

For everyday readers, Lake’s payout offers a look at how the top of American banking compensates its executives. The headline figure may sound like a reward for losing the CEO race. In reality, it represents deferred compensation earned over many years and preserved under retirement provisions available to long-serving executives. The bank is using fresh performance-based stock grants to retain the leaders it wants to keep while allowing a departing veteran to collect compensation she had already earned. Lake leaves after more than a quarter-century with the stock she accumulated along the way—and with her name still linked to one of Wall Street’s most closely watched succession stories.

JBizNews Desk | New York

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Governor Mikie Sherrill signed New Jersey’s new state budget late Tuesday, putting a record $60.7 billion spending plan into law just before the state’s midnight constitutional deadline, her office said. It is the first budget of her term, and she cast it as a plan built around one idea: making the state more affordable for the people who live there.

The budget totals about $60.743 billion, the largest in New Jersey history, and took effect Wednesday, July 1. Sherrill said the plan holds down costs for families without raising taxes on individual residents, pointing to housing, health care and property taxes as the pressures she wanted to ease.

For most households, the piece that matters most is property tax relief. The budget sets aside more than $4.1 billion for it — the biggest such commitment the state has ever made. That includes roughly $2.19 billion for the ANCHOR rebate program, $345 million for Senior Freeze, and $756 million for Stay NJ, the newer program aimed at helping seniors stay in their homes.

Families with children also get a bump. The budget raises New Jersey’s Child Tax Credit by 25% for three tax years, so a household that received the top credit of $1,000 will now get $1,250. Commuters benefit too: the plan puts nearly $1.1 billion toward NJ Transit operations, an increase of $235 million, or about 28%, and directs $12.4 billion to public schools.

Sherrill also used the budget to show fiscal restraint. It includes a full $7.3 billion pension payment — the sixth year in a row the state has paid its full share, and, her office said, the first time in decades a governor has fully funded the system in a first year. The plan keeps a surplus of just over $6 billion and cuts the state’s structural deficit to about $1.35 billion, down from more than $3 billion when she took office in January.

How to pay for all of it is where the fight is. Much of the new revenue comes from businesses. The budget counts on $4.82 billion from the Business Alternative Income Tax, $4.08 billion from the Corporation Business Tax, and $814 million from the Corporate Transit Fee charged to the state’s largest companies. It also adds a new assessment requiring employers to ask workers whether they or family members are on Medicaid.

Business leaders objected fast. Michele Siekerka, president and CEO of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, said the state’s employers are “still under attack,” noting that nearly all of the budget’s revenue-raisers land on business in a state that already ranks among the worst in the nation for business taxes. Siekerka did credit the plan for funding the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program and for money tied to Sherrill’s push to cut red tape for companies.

Republicans said the budget spends too much and breaks a campaign promise. State Senator Michael Testa said it spends more taxpayer money than ever while asking families to accept the same broken promises. Assemblyman Mike Inganamort said Sherrill vowed as a candidate not to raise taxes, and argued this budget does. The spending bill passed the Assembly 58-20 and the Senate 26-14, with a single Republican crossing over in each chamber.

Some of the sharpest criticism was about process. Alongside the main plan, lawmakers approved a separate $358.8 million supplemental bill in the final hours — its largest single piece a low-interest loan of about $105 million to help Jersey City close a large hole in its own budget. Sherrill had campaigned against exactly these kinds of last-minute add-ons, and good-government groups said the closed-door process fell short of the transparency she promised.

The senior program drew complaints too. To keep Stay NJ affordable, the state lowered income limits and trimmed benefits for higher-earning retirees, dropping the program’s cost from about $1.2 billion to roughly $742 million. Chris Widelo of AARP New Jersey said the final plan fell short of what seniors had been counting on, though earlier pushback is credited with softening deeper cuts Sherrill first proposed.

Now the work shifts to delivery. State Treasurer Aaron Binder said the plan keeps New Jersey on disciplined footing while protecting schools and pensions. Residents will start to feel the effects over the coming months as rebate checks, credits and program changes take hold — and as the state watches Washington, where officials warn that federal funding cuts could force harder choices in next year’s budget.

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

New York (VINNEWS/Rabbi Yair Hoffman)  “I would rather be a street-sweeper in America, where I have the religious freedom to learn Torah, than a Rav in Communist Russia.”
— Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l

The sentiment cited above by Rav Moshe Feinstein did not begin with those who reached these shores in the twentieth century. It runs back much further — back to a leaking French ship that limped into a Dutch harbor in the autumn of 1654, carrying twenty-three exhausted Jewish souls who had nowhere else on earth to go.

The story of how those twenty-three became a community, and how that community helped build a nation that would one day promise “to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance,” is one of the most remarkable and least told chapters in all of Jewish history.
A Malchus Shel Chesed
Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l, who fled Soviet Russia in 1937 and became the foremost posek of American Jewry, understood exactly what this country offered.  Elsewhere he described the United States as a malchus shel chesed, a kingdom of kindness, whose very purpose was to benefit its inhabitants — a government that had taken in the shattered remnant of European Jewry and allowed both its ancient institutions and new ones to be rebuilt on free soil.
What the great rabbanim of the twentieth century recognized, however, the first Jews of this land had already lived. Almost two centuries before Rav Moshe’s drasha, a handful of Sephardic refugees had staked everything on the wager that America might be that rarest of things — a country where a Jew could live in peace as a Jew. This is their story.
The Road to a Leaking Ship
To understand why twenty-three Jews would risk their lives on the open ocean to reach a swampy Dutch trading post at the tip of Manhattan, one must go back to Sefarad — to Spain, and to the catastrophe of 1492.
For centuries, Jews had flourished on the Iberian Peninsula. The great Torah luminaries of Sefarad — among them the Rambam, the Ramban, and Rabbeinu Bachya — belong to the golden age of Spanish Jewry. But that world was destroyed in stages. The massacres of 1391 drove tens of thousands of Jews to accept baptism under threat of death. In 1478, Ferdinand and Isabella established the Spanish Inquisition, whose particular obsession was hunting down these conversos — New Christians suspected of secretly clinging to the faith of their fathers. And on the 31st of March 1492, the Catholic monarchs signed the Alhambra Decree, ordering every Jew who refused conversion to leave Spain forever. The last openly practicing Jews sailed from Spanish ports at the very moment Columbus set out across the Atlantic.
Many fled to neighboring Portugal, only to be forcibly converted there in 1497. And so was born the tragic and heroic phenomenon of the anusim — the crypto-Jews, families who lit Shabbos candles behind shuttered windows, who whispered Shema in cellars, who passed a hidden Jewishness from parent to child across generations while the Inquisition’s spies watched for any sign of “Judaizing.” When Holland threw open its doors to religious refugees in the seventeenth century, many of these Sephardic families finally emerged into the light in Amsterdam. From there, some sailed to the Dutch colony of Recife in Brazil, where they built the first organized Jewish community in the Americas and even a synagogue.
It could not last. In 1654 the Portuguese wrested Recife back from the Dutch — and with the Portuguese came the Inquisition. Recife’s roughly six hundred Jews scattered. Most returned to Amsterdam or dispersed among the tolerant Dutch outposts of the Caribbean. But one group of twenty-three — men, women, and children — boarded a vessel remembered by history as the Ste. Catherine and set a course that would, after being blown off track, seized by pirates, and rescued by a French privateer, deliver them to a place called New Amsterdam.
Twenty-Three Souls at the Edge of the World
They arrived in September 1654 with little more than the clothes on their backs, owing money they could not pay for their passage. A Jewish merchant named Jacob Barsimson had in fact reached the port about a month before them, so the newcomers were not quite the very first Jews on the ground — but the arrival of an entire group, families and all, marked something new: the intention to plant a permanent Jewish community on North American soil.
They were not welcomed. Peter Stuyvesant, the hard-nosed director-general of New Amsterdam, wanted them gone. In blunt and ugly letters to his superiors at the Dutch West India Company, he described the Jews as deceitful and repugnant and warned that admitting them would open the door to other undesirables. What Stuyvesant did not reckon with was the leverage of the Amsterdam Jewish community — whose members were shareholders in the very company Stuyvesant served, and who had lost fortunes in the fall of Dutch Brazil. The company overruled its governor. The Jews could stay, on the condition that their poor would be supported by their own and not become a burden on the colony — a condition that would echo through the centuries in the vast web of Jewish tzedakah and mutual aid this community would build.
One of those first settlers, Asser Levy, refused to accept second-class status. When Jews were barred from standing guard with the militia and forced instead to pay a special tax, Levy fought for the right to serve — and won. He would go on to own property, trade widely, and die a respected man in New York in 1682. In the story of one stubborn refugee insisting on his rights as an equal, the entire future of American Jewry is already visible in miniature.
Shearith Israel: A Remnant Endures
Out of these beginnings grew Congregation Shearith Israel — the “Remnant of Israel” — the oldest Jewish congregation in what would become the United States, and for nearly two centuries the only synagogue in New York City. Denied at first the right to worship openly, its members davened in rented rooms and private homes. They secured a cemetery in 1656, before they had a shul — a poignant order of priorities, for a community can gather to pray in any parlor, but the dead require ground of their own.
In 1730, at long last, the congregation consecrated its own building on Mill Street in Lower Manhattan — the first purpose-built synagogue in North America, dedicated on the seventh day of Pesach. A year later, in 1731, Shearith Israel established its first yeshiva, named Minhat Areb, a beis midrash for the young members of the community. Boys and girls alike were taught to read and write Hebrew and to know the Jewish calendar and its mitzvos. By 1755 the congregation had expanded its school to teach English, Spanish, and mathematics alongside limudei kodesh — an early ancestor of the yeshiva day school that would one day educate hundreds of thousands of American Jewish children.
Shearith Israel became known also as the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, and though its liturgy followed the Sephardic minhag, its membership from the earliest days included Ashkenazim as well. That blending was itself a lesson. In the Old World, Sephardim and Ashkenazim had lived largely apart, divided by language, custom, and pronunciation. In America, their numbers were too small to indulge in division. When the first Ashkenazic Jews — arriving from Germany and Poland, and by the 1720s outnumbering the Sephardim — reached these shores, they did not rush to found rival congregations. They joined the Sephardic shul. Two groups became, of necessity and then of conviction, one people.
Keeping Kosher at the Edge of the Wilderness
What did it actually mean to live as a Jew in colonial America? It meant improvisation, sacrifice, and no small amount of mesirus nefesh. There were no kosher supermarkets, no established batei din, no ordained rabbanim at all — the first ordained rabbi would not set foot in America until Rav Avraham Rice arrived in 1840, nearly two centuries after the first Jews landed. When a difficult shailah in halacha arose, colonists wrote letters across the ocean to rabbanim in Europe and waited months for a reply.
A community fortunate enough to have a shochet could eat meat; a community without one turned vegetarian by default, subsisting on fish, eggs, grains, and produce rather than eat what was not properly slaughtered. Jews learned from their Native American neighbors to prepare corn, squash, pumpkins, beans, and maple sugar — foods unknown in Spain — while carefully eating only fish that bore fins and scales. Torah scrolls, tefillin, and siddurim were imported at great expense from Europe. A chazzan led the tefillos; a shochet provided the meat; a shammash kept the shul. Every element of a Torah life had to be built by hand, from scratch, on the far edge of the civilized world — and yet it was built.
The Women Who Held It Together
It is easy, reading old accounts, to imagine colonial Jewish life as an affair of merchants and chazzanim and male communal leaders. But the survival of Yiddishkeit in America rested, then as always, in very large measure on its women. It was the women who kashered the kitchens, who prepared for Shabbos and Yom Tov, who guarded the rhythms of Jewish time in the home.
Some of them left a record. Abigail Franks of New York — whose husband Jacob helped lay the cornerstone of the Mill Street shul and served as its president — wrote a remarkable series of letters to her son in the 1730s and 1740s, letters that survive as perhaps the richest portrait we possess of colonial Jewish family life. In them we watch a devoted Jewish mother laboring to raise her children as observant Jews while navigating a wider gentile society, wrestling openly with the tension between remaining faithful and fitting in — the very tension that would define American Jewish life ever after. Others, like the widowed Abigail Minis of Savannah, ran plantations and businesses of their own, supporting large families through their own enterprise. These were not passive figures. They were the load-bearing walls of a community.
Busy in Business, Spread Along the Coast
Most Jewish men in colonial America made their living in trade. Many kept small shops, family enterprises where father, mother, and children all worked side by side selling cloth, candles, pins, and needles. Others built substantial merchant houses, shipping lumber, grain, fur, and molasses to Europe and importing iron goods and tools to sell in the colonies. In Charleston, Jews grew rice on plantations and shipped it to England and the West Indies. In Newport, Aaron Lopez rose to become the wealthiest merchant in the city, his fortune built on candles, whale oil, and trans-Atlantic commerce.
As new colonies opened, Jews moved into them, and a chain of communities took root along the Atlantic seaboard: New York, Newport in Rhode Island, Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, Savannah in Georgia, and Charleston in South Carolina. Congregation Mickve Israel in Savannah was founded in 1733, only months after the colony of Georgia itself was established — its Jewish settlers arriving almost with the first ships. Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim took shape in Charleston by 1749. Up and down the coast, business partnerships turned into marriages, and marriages knit the scattered communities into a single extended family. By 1776, the Jewish population of the colonies had grown from those original twenty-three to roughly two thousand five hundred souls.
The Newport community would raise one of the enduring treasures of American Jewish history: the Touro Synagogue, dedicated in 1763 and still standing today as the oldest surviving synagogue building in the United States. Shearith Israel of New York remains the oldest congregation; Touro remains the oldest building. Together they bracket the whole colonial story in brick and mortar.
Freedom Was Not Yet Complete
It would be a distortion to paint colonial America as a paradise of tolerance. It was not. Jews were barred outright from settling in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. Even where they were permitted to live, most colonies forbade them to vote or to hold public office. Anti-Semitism, the old inheritance of the Old World, had crossed the ocean along with everything else.
And yet — compared to anything these families had known in Spain, in Portugal, in the ghettos and exiles of Europe — colonial America offered something almost unimaginable: the possibility of building a full Jewish communal life without the constant terror of expulsion. One could own land. One could trade freely. One could, quietly and then not so quietly, be a Jew. It was not equality. But it was a foothold, and on that foothold everything else would be built.
A Fight for Freedom — and the Jews Who Joined It
When the thirteen colonies rose against England in 1775, the Jews of America did not stand on the sidelines. Their stake in the new nation’s promise of liberty was, if anything, greater than most. Roughly six hundred Jews are said to have served in the Continental Army under General George Washington.
Some gave more than service. Francis Salvador of South Carolina, the first Jew elected to public office in the American colonies, became the first Jew to fall in the Revolution when he was killed in 1776. Mordecai Sheftall of Savannah rose to become one of the highest-ranking Jewish officers in the Continental cause. And Haym Salomon, the Polish-born Jewish financier in Philadelphia, poured his own fortune and his brokerage genius into keeping the Revolution solvent — lending and raising enormous sums, by common estimate well over half a million dollars, much of it never repaid. He died in 1785, not many years later, having spent himself in the cause of a country not yet certain it would have him as an equal.
On the fourth of July 1776, the colonies declared themselves a free nation, and the United States was born. Five years later the war was won. By taking up arms and opening their purses in the fight for independence, the Jews of America had staked an unmistakable claim: this was their country too, and they had helped to build it.
“To Bigotry No Sanction, To Persecution No Assistance”
The claim was answered — and answered by none other than the first President of the United States. In 1790, George Washington visited Newport, Rhode Island. Among the dignitaries who came to greet him was Moses Seixas, warden of the Jewish congregation that worshipped in the Touro Synagogue. Seixas addressed the President with a letter expressing the hope that the new government would grant its citizens dignity and safety regardless of their religion.
Washington’s reply, sent shortly afterward, is one of the founding documents of religious freedom in America. In a few hundred carefully chosen words, he swept aside the very idea of mere “toleration” — as though liberty were a favor one class of people granted another — and spoke instead of the inherent natural rights of all. “The Government of the United States,” Washington wrote, “gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.” Drawing on the words of the Navi, he blessed the community: may the children of the stock of Avraham who dwell in this land continue to merit and enjoy the goodwill of the other inhabitants, while everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid.
Sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree, and none to make him afraid. To Jews whose grandparents had lit Shabbos candles in secret for fear of the Inquisition, whose ancestors had been driven from Spain and Portugal and Brazil, whose own parents had crossed an ocean in a leaking ship to a governor who wanted them expelled — those words must have landed like a revelation. This was not the grudging endurance of the Jew that Europe had perfected over a thousand years. This was a President of a new nation writing, in his own hand, that the Jew belonged.
The Line Drawn from 1654 to Today
There is a straight line — improbable, providential — from those twenty-three refugees stepping off the Ste. Catherine in 1654 to the great Torah empire that American Jewry would become. From a community with no rabbi and no shul, davening in a rented room and burying its dead before it could build a house of prayer, would eventually grow the yeshivos and batei midrash and communities that today make America one of the two great centers of Torah in the world.
That growth was possible because of a single, precious thing: freedom. It is the same freedom that the Rosh Yeshiva had in mind when he said he would sooner sweep American streets than sit as a Rav in Communist Russia. It is the same freedom Rav Moshe Feinstein praised when he called this country a malchus shel chesed, a kingdom of kindness carrying out the will of Heaven. And it is the same freedom that George Washington promised the remnant of Israel gathered at Newport — that here, at last, they might sit in safety under their own vine and fig tree, with none to make them afraid.
The twenty-three did not know, as their battered ship came into harbor, what they were beginning. They knew only that they were, once again, refugees at the mercy of a hostile governor, owing money they could not pay, in a raw settlement at the edge of the known world. They could not have imagined the millions who would follow, the Torah that would be learned, the freedom that would be won and secured and handed down. They knew only that they had come, as the very first Jews to reach these shores had come, for the one thing that had been denied them everywhere else on earth.
They had come to be free — free to learn, and free to teach, and free to live openly as Jews. Everything else that American Jewry became is the fruit of that first, desperate wager on freedom. And it is a wager that, more than three and a half centuries later, has more than repaid itself.

Rabbi Yair Hoffman can be reached at [email protected]

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Mrs. Chavie Kahn a”h following a lengthy illness. She was in her forties.

Mrs. Kahn served as principal of the Marilyn David IVDU Upper School Boys Division, where she devoted herself tirelessly to the growth and success of the students. At IVDU, which is a special education school, she first served as a special education teacher, then program director, and eventually as principal, touching so many people along the way.

Known for her warmth, wisdom, and unwavering dedication, she touched the lives of countless students, parents, and colleagues through her exceptional leadership and boundless compassion.

Mrs. Kahn was a beloved friend to so many, whose kindness, generosity, and selflessness knew no bounds. She possessed a rare ability to make every person feel valued and cared for, and she dedicated her life to helping others with genuine humility and devotion.

She was a daughter of Reb Danny and Miriam Klugman of Monsey.

She was the devoted wife of Reb Dovid Kahn, son of Rav Pinchos zt”l and Rebbetzin Henny Kahn, longtime R”M at Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin. Together they built a beautiful Torah home founded upon yiras Shamayim, chesed, and ahavas haTorah.

She is survived by her parents, her husband, and their children, who, together with countless family members, friends, students, and admirers, mourn this painful loss.

The levayah will take place today at 7:20 p.m. at the Bais Tefilo chelkah at the Monsey Bais Hachaim on Brick Church Road in Monsey, New York.

Yehi zichrah boruch.

NEW YORK (VINNEWS/Rabbi Yair Hoffman) The laws of doubts are deep, and they come up everywhere in Torah. There is sfeika d’oraisa (a doubt in a Torah prohibition), sfeika d’rabbanan (a doubt in a Rabbinic one), doubt in money matters, doubt in ritual impurity, doubt about life and death and more. To learn a sugya the right way means learning it b’iyun — in depth. What follows is a step by step guide to studying the topic of doubts in a Torah law and doing so in the specific methodology of Iyun. Rav Elyashiv zt”l used to remark that the essential growth in Torah ins through Iyun. Some of the material here is based upon the ideas of Rav Henoch Leibowitz zt”l and much of it is based on the work of Rav Achikam Keshet shlita.
The difference between beki’us and iyun is simple. Beki’us asks “what”: what is the Gemara saying? Iyun asks “why”: why is this the law? Why did each side of the argument not accept the other side? Why did Rashi explain it this way, and use these exact words? Why wasn’t the first answer good enough? Why did the Rambam rule exactly the way he did?
Iyun is not really about knowing lots of commentaries. It is about using them to understand more deeply. True, Chazal said that Sinai — broad knowledge — is better than “one who uproots mountains” (sharp analysis). But that is only because someone with broad knowledge can also analyze; a person who is only sharp is not called Sinai. In every generation — Tannaim, Amoraim, Rishonim, Acharonim — the chachamim analyzed, asked questions, and answered them. The whole point of iyun is to stay with a question and think it through, instead of rushing to the next topic.
Everyone knows the rule that a sfeika d’oraisa is treated strictly (l’chumra). That is exactly where iyun begins — with the question fluency never stops to ask: how do we even know this rule, and what is it really?
Setting the Question
It is well known that a person may not say Krias Shema (or daven, and so on) next to excrement, or next to people whose lower body is uncovered. The Gemara asks what happens in a case of doubt:
Rav Yehuda said: A doubtful case of excrement is forbidden; a doubtful case of exposed nakedness is permitted. (Berachos 25a)
Why the difference? The Gemara explains. The rule against Krias Shema near excrement comes straight from the Torah — “v’haya machanecha kadosh” (Devarim 23:15), “and your camp shall be holy.” But the rule against Krias Shema near an uncovered body (once it has reached the ground) is only Rabbinic. And the general principle is: when there is a doubt, we are strict in a Torah matter (sfeika d’oraisa l’chumra) and lenient in a Rabbinic one (sfeika d’rabbanan l’kula).
This rule comes up in countless cases. The classic example in the Gemara and the poskim: a piece of meat, and we are not sure if it is shuman (kosher fat) or chelev (forbidden fat, which carries kareis). Because it is a doubt in a Torah prohibition, we are strict — and it is forbidden.
Now here is the question that will drive the whole sugya:
Question. Reuven ate a full meal, so he has to say Birkas HaMazon (bentch). But he is not sure if he already bentched. Let’s say the rule of “strict in a doubt” means he has to bentch again. Is that new obligation from the Torah, or only Rabbinic? The answer matters for other areas too — the laws of kavanah in mitzvos, the laws of a choleh (sick person), and more.
To answer this, we have to dig into the sugya itself. And as iyun always does, we start at the source.
From Where? The Source of Sfeika D’Oraisa
Iyun starts by asking where a law comes from and how it is defined. So let’s ask plainly: how do we even know that a sfeika d’oraisa is treated strictly? Did the Torah itself forbid the doubt? And if so, where does it say that?
The Gemara never says it outright. But there is one Gemara that deals with a doubt in a Torah law — the case of a mamzer. The Torah says (Devarim 23:3):
“A mamzer shall not enter the congregation of Hashem; even to the tenth generation he shall not enter the congregation of Hashem.”
Now, what about a doubtful mamzer — for example, someone whose father is unknown, so we are not sure if he is a mamzer or not? The Gemara (Kiddushin 73a; Yevamos 49a) says:
“A mamzer shall not enter” — a vadai (definite) mamzer shall not enter, but a safek (doubtful) mamzer may enter.
In other words, the prohibition only covers a definite mamzer. A doubtful mamzer is allowed to marry into the community. And that raises a sharp question: how can this Gemara teach us anything about sfeika d’oraisa in the rest of the Torah — where the rule seems to be the exact opposite (strict, not lenient)?
A Second Aspect of Iyun: The Shift Between the Question and the Answer
Here is another important tool in iyun, on top of asking “why.” It is to catch the Gemara in the middle of changing its mind. First, figure out the assumption the Gemara started with — usually the simpler, more natural one. Then find the exact thing that made it give up that assumption and go a different way.
The key point is this: that first assumption (the hava amina) is often not a mistake at all. It is the plain, obvious way to read things. The depth of the sugya is in seeing what knocked it down. And very often the thing that knocks it down is a chakira — a new way of looking at the whole issue. Interestingly, different Rishonim sometimes understand this “change of mind” in different ways.
Let’s try it on our mamzer Gemara. What did the Gemara assume at first?
The natural way to read the pasuk is: “lo yavo mamzer” means what it says — a mamzer stays out. If that’s what it means, then a doubtful mamzer should be an even better reason to keep him out, not a worse one. After all, when we’re not sure, the natural instinct is to play it safe and keep him out. That is exactly the kind of case the prohibition should be catching.
There is even a technical reason that points the same way. A shetuki (the doubtful mamzer) is what we call kavu’a — his status is “fixed in place” (not like something that got mixed up and we lost track of it). A doubt that is kavu’a is treated as a full 50/50. And a 50/50 doubt in a Torah prohibition would normally be strict. So everything points one way — the plain meaning, the play-it-safe instinct, and the rule of kavu’a — all say: keep the doubtful mamzer out. That is where the Gemara starts, and it is the more logical starting point.
But the Gemara ends up ruling the opposite way: the doubtful mamzer may enter. So what was the one thing that flipped such a natural starting point?
It is a change in how we read the word “mamzer”. Instead of reading it as a loose description (that a doubtful case might sort of fit), the drasha reads it as an exact label: only someone who is definitely a mamzer is the one the Torah kept out. Once you read the word that way, the doubtful case isn’t a “lighter version” of the prohibition — it was never included in the prohibition in the first place. The doubt has moved. It used to be a doubt inside the prohibition (“is this forbidden case here or not?”). Now it is a case that sits outside the prohibition altogether. The Gemara reads “congregation” the same way: only someone of clearly-known lineage counts, so a doubtful lineage is also outside the picture.
Here is the big idea: this “change of mind” is itself a chakira — and it is the very same chakira the rest of the sugya runs on. The question is: is a safek (doubt) a weaker version of the forbidden thing — so the doubt is “inside” the prohibition and we have to weigh it? Or is it something the prohibition never covered at all — so there is nothing to weigh? The Gemara started by assuming the first, and ended by choosing the second. That is the whole move of the passage in one sentence.
And this is why it matters for what comes next. We can understand the Rambam and the Rashba as arguing about this exact move — about how far it goes. The Rambam says the Gemara revealed a general rule: a doubt, by its nature, sits outside a Torah prohibition, and the mamzer case just shows it clearly. The Rashba says the move only worked here, because there was an extra word in the pasuk that let us read “mamzer” so narrowly. Without that extra word, the natural starting assumption stays — and a safek d’oraisa is still “inside” the prohibition, and forbidden. Looked at this way, the machlokes between the Rambam and the Rashba (coming up next) is not a brand-new argument. It is a disagreement about how much of the Gemara’s own move we should apply to the rest of the Torah.
The Machlokes Rishonim: Rambam and Rashba
Two Rishonim read this same Gemara in opposite ways.
The Rashba — Forbidden From the Torah
The Rashba (Kiddushin 73a; and Toras HaBayis) writes:
It appears correct to me that when Chazal said a sfeika d’oraisa is treated stringently, this is Torah law — for a sfeika d’oraisa is like a certainty from the Torah.
So for the Rashba, the Torah itself forbids even the doubt. His well-known way of putting it: sfeika d’oraisa l’chumra mid’oraisa — a Torah doubt is strict, on a Torah level.
The Rambam — Forbidden Only Rabbinically
The Rambam (Commentary to the Mishnah; and see Hilchos Tumas Meis 9:12) says the opposite:
All these doubts that were not mentioned in the Torah — that is, that arise only from the way a verse is expounded — are permitted from the Torah. Only that which they said is forbidden regarding a certain matter is forbidden; and that which they said, that a sfeika d’oraisa is stringent, is forbidden only by their words.
So for the Rambam, a Torah doubt is actually permitted on the Torah level — it is the Sages who forbade it. His way of putting it: sfeika d’oraisa l’chumra mid’rabbanan — a Torah doubt is strict, but only Rabbinically. One important note: this whole argument is only about what the Torah level is. In practice, both agree that a Torah doubt is forbidden — the only question is whether that comes from the Torah or from the Sages.
How Each One Reads the Mamzer Case
Both bring the doubtful-mamzer Gemara, and each one turns it to support his side. The Rashba first explains how the Rambam reads it, and then answers him:
From “a doubtful mamzer may enter” the Rambam was medayek that our general rule — a sfeika d’oraisa is stringent — is Rabbinic; for were it Torah law, the Torah would not have permitted a doubtful mamzer. And so he ruled in his great compilation.
So the Rambam argues: since a doubtful mamzer is permitted, that shows every Torah doubt is permitted on the Torah level. The Rashba answers by pointing to the other side of the same case: a doubtful mamzer is permitted only because there was an extra word in the pasuk (“congregation”) to teach that heter. Everywhere else, where there is no extra word, the doubt stays forbidden on the Torah level. In other words, the mamzer is the exception that proves the rule — it needed a special source precisely because otherwise the doubt would be forbidden.
The Proof from Asham Talui
The Torah never spells out the rule of sfeika d’oraisa directly — if it did, the Rishonim wouldn’t be arguing about it. But there is a related law the Torah does spell out, and it also deals with a doubt: the asham talui, a special korban brought when someone is not sure if he sinned. The Torah says (Vayikra 5:17–18):
“If a person sins and does one of the commandments of Hashem that may not be done, and he did not know, and he becomes guilty and bears his iniquity — he shall bring an unblemished ram… as an asham to the kohen… and he shall be forgiven.”
So someone who is in doubt about a kareis-level prohibition — say, he ate a piece of meat that was maybe shuman, maybe chelev — brings an asham talui (Kereisos 17b–18a). The Rashba uses this to challenge the Rambam:
This is a strong objection on the Rambam: on his view the law of asham talui would be nullified. For the Torah obligated a korban over the doubt — and if the doubtful act were permitted outright, how could a korban be imposed for it?
The challenge is simple: if a Torah doubt is really permitted (as the Rambam says), then why does the Torah make you bring a korban for doing the doubtful act? To answer this, we have to define the Rambam’s “permitted” much more carefully — and that is exactly the kind of thing iyun is for.
Heter Vadai or Heter Safek? The Chakira on the Rambam
A good way to sharpen a definition is to test it against tricky cases. Here are two:
Case 1. Reuven knows for sure the piece is chelev. Shimon is in doubt. According to the Rambam, Shimon is allowed to eat it. But is Reuven — who knows the truth — allowed to hand it to Shimon? Or does he break “lifnei iver lo sitein michshol” (do not place a stumbling block before the blind)?
Case 2. Shimon ate it. According to the Rambam, the act was permitted on the Torah level. But then Reuven comes and tells him it was really chelev. Does Shimon now have to bring a korban to atone? Or, since he did nothing wrong at the moment he ate it, is he off the hook?
Think of it like the line between day and night. It seems obvious — until you ask about bein hashmashos (twilight), and suddenly you have to decide whether the line is really sunset or the coming out of the stars. In the same way, these cases force us to pin down what the Rambam’s “permitted” actually means. There are two ways to understand it:
Reading 1 — Heter vadai (a real, clean permission). The Torah flat-out permitted the doubt; there is no worry of any prohibition at all. So Reuven may hand Shimon the piece, and even if Shimon later finds out it was chelev, he needs no atonement — because the Torah simply permitted the act.
Reading 2 — Heter safek (permitted only because of the doubt). The Torah did not really “permit” the doubt; it just depends on how things turn out. If the piece was really shuman, he did nothing wrong. If it was really chelev, he did commit an aveirah. On this reading, a G-d-fearing person should stay away from a sfeika d’oraisa so he doesn’t stumble. Reuven may not hand over the piece. And if Shimon later finds out it was chelev, he does have to atone — because he really did eat chelev.
The Acharonim argue about which of these the Rambam means. The Shaarei Yosher (Sha’ar 1, by Rav Shimon Shkop) notes that some understood the Rambam as holding the first reading (a clean permission), but the Shaarei Yosher himself concludes the Rambam means only the second (permitted because of the doubt).
How This Answers the Rashba’s Challenge
Once we take the second reading, the asham talui problem goes away. Even for the Rambam, if the act actually hit a forbidden thing, it was a real aveirah. So the korban makes sense: it atones for the doubt, in case the person really did eat chelev. If he did, he needs atonement. (If you take the first reading — a clean permission — you need a different answer, which we’ll leave aside here.)
Issur Vadai or Issur Safek? The Parallel Chakira on the Rashba
The same kind of question runs on the Rashba’s side too. Go back to the two cases, but now with his view that the doubt is forbidden from the Torah:
Case 1. Reuven knows it is chelev; Shimon is in doubt, so for the Rashba he is forbidden on the Torah level. May Reuven hand him the piece, or does he break lifnei iver?
Case 2. Shimon ate it; for the Rashba it was forbidden. Then Reuven tells him it was really chelev — or, in the flip case, that it was really shuman. Do we say (looking back) that he needs no atonement, or that he did commit an aveirah?
Again there are two ways to read it, and they are very different:
Reading 1 — Issur vadai (a brand-new prohibition on the doubt itself). The Torah added a fresh prohibition on every doubt, no matter what the truth turns out to be. So Reuven may not hand over the piece even though it is really shuman — because for Shimon, who is in doubt, the prohibition of “sfeika d’oraisa” applies. And even if Shimon later finds out it was really shuman, he still needs atonement, because he broke the prohibition of “being in a doubt” itself.
Reading 2 — Issur safek (forbidden only as a precaution). The Torah did not add a brand-new prohibition. The doubt is forbidden only as a precaution, so he doesn’t accidentally hit the real prohibition — and it all depends on how it turns out. If it was really shuman, we look back and say he did nothing wrong, and needs no atonement. If it was really chelev, he did commit an aveirah.
Here too the Acharonim argue about which the Rashba means, and the Shaarei Yosher again concludes it is the second (a precaution). Notice what the first reading is really saying: on top of the regular prohibition — which depends on whether he actually hit chelev — there is an extra prohibition just for putting himself into a doubt, against what Hashem wants. And that extra prohibition is a sure thing: even if it turns out he never touched the real prohibition, he still did something wrong simply by placing himself in the doubt.
Cases Where All Agree
There are some doubts where even the Rashba agrees we are lenient, and others where even the Rambam agrees we are strict.
A doubtful mamzer, as we saw, everyone agrees is permitted (on the Torah level) to marry into the community. Doubtful tumah (ritual impurity) has its own source in the Torah (Sotah 28b–29a), learned from the sotah:
“V’hi nitma’ah”… “v’hi lo nitma’ah” — if she is impure why say she is not, and if she is not why say she is? This tells you that a doubt is forbidden. From the sotah we learn to the sheretz: a matter that has “da’as lishaol” (an intelligent party who could be asked) — in a reshus hayachid its doubt is impure; in a reshus harabim its doubt is pure.
The bottom line: a doubtful tumah in a public place (reshus harabim) — everyone agrees it is tahor (pure); in a private place (reshus hayachid) — everyone agrees it is tamei (impure).
The Convert Who Gave Birth — Proof for the Rashba?
Take a convert who gave birth, where we are not sure whether she gave birth before she converted (in which case she brings no korban) or after (in which case she brings one, like any Jewish woman). The Gemara (Kereisos 7b) rules that in this doubt, she does bring the korban.
Now, the Sages don’t set up a korban on their own authority — because bringing chullin ba’azarah (a non-holy animal into the Temple courtyard) is itself a Torah prohibition. So the fact that she brings a korban looks like proof that a Torah doubt is strict on the Torah level — like the Rashba.
But is this doubt really like the others? The Maharit Algazi points out that this is a problem even for the Rambam: why should a doubtful new mother bring a korban at all? He answers that the Rambam’s leniency is only about prohibitions (things you must not do). But with a mitzvas asei (something you must do), if you’re not sure whether you did it, you are obligated by the Torah to do it — because a positive mitzvah pushes aside even a doubt. So a doubtful obligation to bring a korban is a different story than a doubtful prohibition.
Doubt in a Mitzvas Asei — a Three-Way Split
The Pri Megadim takes up this same point with a tumtum and androgynos (people whose gender is uncertain), who are obligated when in doubt about time-bound positive mitzvos. He suggests that maybe the Rambam and Rashba argue about a doubt in a positive mitzvah (asei) just like they argue about a doubt in a prohibition (lav) — or maybe, in a positive mitzvah, everyone agrees the obligation is only Rabbinic.
So for a doubt in a positive mitzvah, there are three possibilities:
• Everyone agrees it is obligated on the Torah level.
• Or the opposite — everyone agrees it is only Rabbinic.
• Or even here the Rambam and Rashba argue, just like by a prohibition.
Returning to the Opening Question
Now we can answer the question we started with. Reuven is in doubt whether he bentched. Bentching is a positive mitzvah (asei), so it falls right into the three-way split above: is a doubt in a positive mitzvah obligated from the Torah (Rashba, or everyone), only Rabbinically (Rambam, or everyone), or is it itself part of the argument?
In practice, the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 184:4) rules that someone in doubt whether he bentched does bentch again — but specifically because the mitzvah to bentch after a filling meal is written openly in the Torah (“v’achalta v’savata u’veirachta”, Devarim 8:10). Since it is a clear Torah obligation, we are strict in the doubt. But where the obligation is only Rabbinic — like the berachah before eating, or a meal that wasn’t filling enough to be a Torah obligation — we are lenient, and he does not repeat it.
Putting it back into our sugya: the ruling to repeat an explicit Torah bentching lines up with being strict in a doubt about a Torah-level positive mitzvah. Whether that strictness is from the Torah itself (Rashba) or a Rabbinic safeguard on top of a Torah mitzvah (Rambam) is exactly the question all the analysis above was built to frame. That is how the poskim can fully agree on what to do in practice, while still disagreeing about where the rule comes from.
The Four Positions at a Glance
The whole sugya comes down to two questions (the chakiros) crossed with two opinions (Rambam and Rashba). The chart below pulls it all together, tested against our two cases — may Reuven hand Shimon the piece, and does Shimon need atonement if the truth comes out later.
Shita / Chakira Din vadai reading Din safek reading If piece turns out mutar
Rambam (safek mutar mid’oraisa, forbidden only mid’rabbanan) Torah permits the safek outright; no issur at all. Reuven may hand Shimon the piece; Shimon never needs kapara. Torah introduces no new issur, but liability tracks reality. Reuven may not hand it over; if it was chelev, Shimon needs kapara. Vadai: never any aveirah. Safek: no aveirah, no kapara.
Rashba (safek assur mid’oraisa — safek k’vadai) Torah adds a fresh issur on the very act of entering safek. Reuven may not hand it over even though it is really shuman; Shimon needs kapara even if it was shuman. No fresh issur; the issur is only the chashash lest he strike the prohibition. Outcome tracks reality — if really shuman, nothing was transgressed. Vadai: aveirah on the safek itself; kapara required. Safek: retroactively clarified — no aveirah, no kapara.

The Other Rishonim in This Dispute
Where do the other Rishonim stand? This matters, because their position here affects how we understand them in other places.
The Raavad holds like the Rambam: these doubts are not forbidden from the Torah, only as a Rabbinic strictness. The Ran holds like the Rashba: a Torah doubt is forbidden from the Torah — otherwise, why would we say to be strict in the first place?
For Rishonim who didn’t state their view openly, the Acharonim argue both ways. The Chiddushei HaRadal goes through the proofs — reading Rashi like the Rashba, bringing Tosafos for both sides, and lining the Ran up with the Rambam — while the Pnei Yehoshua concludes that Rashi, Tosafos, and most of the commentators hold like the Rashba.

Now that we’ve finished the sugya, it’s time to review it. Chazara (review) isn’t only helpful for later — it builds understanding right now. It shows you the foundation of the sugya and how all the details grow out of it: what is the main point, what is a side point, and how the parts fit together into one structure.
Often, a sugya we first learned out of order only falls into place when we review it — because we picked it up piece by piece, not from the beginning. (Some people find it helps to write the review out. But a good summary should be short and organized, not just a copy of everything.)
A review should cover: what the sugya is about, how it’s defined, the different opinions, where each one comes from and its reasoning, the initial thought of the Gemorah, the reason for the the proofs, whether there’s a practical difference between them, where everyone agrees and why. In our sugya, we started with where sfeika d’oraisa comes from; we laid out the two opinions and each one’s source; then we looked at each opinion on its own — the two ways to understand it and what that means in the actual cases — and finally we brought it all back to the question we opened with.

NEW YORK CITY (VINnews)-Conservative commentator Liz Wheeler has proposed a theory about Tucker Carlson’s apparent transformation and increasingly critical stance toward Israel and Jews, arguing it stems from deeper ideological influences rather than financial motives like alleged Qatari funding.

In recent episodes of her show, Wheeler highlighted Carlson’s reversal on issues involving Islam and Islamist regimes, as well as comments perceived as antisemitic by critics. She dismissed claims of Qatari financial influence, noting a lack of credible evidence, and instead pointed to possible philosophical or external sway, including ideas associated with Russian thinker Alexander Dugin.

Wheeler’s analysis, shared in clips circulating widely on social media and Jewish-focused outlets, posits that if accurate, this perspective could clarify much of Carlson’s recent output, including his platforming of certain guests and evolving positions on Middle East conflicts.

No Evidence for Qatar Claims

Many observers, including those skeptical of Carlson, have rejected Qatar-related financial explanations. Carlson has denied receiving payments from the Gulf state, and public records have not substantiated direct influence peddling tied to his commentary.

VINnews has previously reported on broader concerns about foreign influence operations involving Qatar and figures in conservative media.

Context of Criticism

Carlson, a former Fox News host now operating independently, has faced growing accusations of amplifying antisemitic tropes, conspiracy theories, and anti-Israel narratives. Organizations like the Anti-Defamation League and Jewish leaders have tracked his interviews with figures known for Holocaust revisionism or extremist views.

Wheeler, a prominent conservative voice, has emerged as one of several right-leaning figures publicly challenging this shift, framing it as a departure from traditional conservative principles supportive of Israel and wary of Islamist extremism.

An edited 10-minute version of her remarks has been shared as a concise overview of the theory.

The episode highlights ongoing tensions within conservative circles over Israel, antisemitism, and foreign influence following events like the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and subsequent regional conflicts. Jewish community leaders continue to monitor such rhetoric amid rising antisemitic incidents.

This article is based on publicly available commentary and reporting as of July 3, 2026.

New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani used a Fourth of July-themed America 250 address on Friday to sharply criticize U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), billionaire Elon Musk, and what he called an “arena of supremacy” in the United States, delivering a speech centered on immigration, inequality, and America’s founding ideals.

Standing alongside eight newly naturalized American citizens, Mamdani framed his remarks around the nation’s immigrant heritage, referencing the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island before pivoting to a broader critique of modern America. Without mentioning Musk by name, he also took aim at the entrepreneur, who became the world’s first trillionaire following SpaceX’s long-awaited initial public offering last month.

“We see the wealthiest country in the history of the world, one where children go to sleep hungry while the world’s first trillionaire hungers for more,” Mamdani said, without naming Musk. “We see monopolies that dominate every industry, and oligarchs who buy elections. We see masked agents terrorizing our streets, eating food cooked by our undocumented neighbors before”

He continued by contrasting the labor of ordinary Americans with the concentration of wealth among the nation’s elite.

“We see a nation whose immense wealth has been built by those with calloused, dirt-streaked hands, those who toil on factory floors and chisel into stone. And we see a nation that has allowed so much of that wealth to be held instead in the soft hands of a precious few.”

Speaking from George Washington’s desk, Mamdani praised generations of immigrants who, he said, persevered through discrimination and hardship to build lives in New York City.

“Over the years that followed, despite laws enacted by the federal government to bar their entry, despite sweatshop fires that killed hundreds of women, despite riots aimed at their very existence, immigrants made homes here in New York City, and they helped to make New York City,” the mayor said.

He argued that the promise of America has repeatedly drawn people seeking freedom and opportunity.

“That legacy of every generation of Americans insisting that the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness extends to them, too, is no relic of the past. It carried millions of Black Americans north during the Great Migration. It drew hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans to New York City after the Second World War. It invited countless others from the West Indies and South Asia and West Africa and across the world. And it is what brought my family to this city when I was seven years old.”

Although Mamdani spoke about his family’s immigration story, he did not mention that his father is a Harvard professor or that his mother is an internationally recognized filmmaker.

“My family did not arrive by boat, although we saw the Statue of Liberty from the window of the plane. Even from the air, we could make out the promise of America, the promise of the beautiful patriotic work of rendering America, year after year, a little more faithful to its founding ideals,” he said.

The mayor also challenged traditional notions of American exceptionalism, arguing that the nation’s story has often been shaped by people who were dismissed or marginalized by those in power.

“There is a term so often used to describe our nation and those who have shaped it. American exceptionalism. American exceptionalism, the conventional wisdom tells us, makes our freedom a little more free. It is how we dug the Erie Canal and irrigated the West. (It) is why children in faraway lands grow up dreaming of one day moving here. And, yet, the irony is that the story of America has so often been written by those who were told by others with power and influence and wealth that they were anything but exceptional,” Mamdani said. “For generation after generation, we have been told that when the world has sent its people to our shores, it has not sent its best.

“It sent Puritans and Sikhs and Quakers and Muslims and Jewish people who were banished for praying the wrong way, worshiping the wrong gods, angering the wrong people. It sent peasants and serfs from slums and shuttles who were treated as less because they hardly owned clothes, let alone land. It sent immigrants from whom power was something someone else had.”

He concluded that America’s uniqueness lies not in its power or wealth but in its ability to change.

“We are told that America is exceptional because we are richer, stronger, more powerful than everyone else. The truth, my friends, is that America is exceptional because here nothing is fixed into place.”

Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2018 after moving to New York at age seven, reflected on his own citizenship experience while addressing the new Americans standing beside him.

“Nearly a decade ago, I too felt what you feel the joy of no longer being just a New Yorker but an American too. You each hold a special power. The power to determine what America means,” the mayor said.

He then accused powerful interests of defining America as a place reserved for only a select few.

“The powerful have always known their answer. America, in their view, is an arena of supremacy where only a select few are allowed freedom,” Mamdani said. “Where not all are created equal. America, if you ask them, becomes less the more people it welcomes. America, they will tell you, belongs only to those with the right accent or the right shade of skin. The rest of us, they insist, should be grateful for merely being allowed to visit. How small they are, how weak, how unoriginal. At every moment in our past, those who led through exclusion and isolation have tried to win power and enrich themselves by turning us against one another.”

The mayor also condemned ICE operations in New York, claiming the agency was invading local neighborhoods.

“We see America each time neighbors link arms with neighbors without asking how long they have lived here or what papers they have as ICE invades our neighborhoods,” he added. “We see America each time those young and old stand in the beating rain or the stifling heat to cast their ballots. We see America each time working people demand more, not just for themselves, but for their fellow Americans.”

Mamdani rejected the notion that patriotism requires unquestioning support for the country, arguing instead that dissent is itself an expression of love for America.

“There are some who respond to those who ask for more from America with a simple refrain. ‘Love it or leave it,’ they say. But patriotism has never been about pretending our nation is without flaws. Patriotism is every act of righteous dissent,” Mamdani said. “It is every March led under the heavy sun. It is every protest held a decade before its time. It is precisely because we love this nation that we will not leave it.”

He concluded the address with an optimistic appeal for the nation’s future.

“What power each of us holds to bring America ever closer to the greatness so many have seen when they looked upon these shores. The greatness that for 250 years has been America. Thank you. God bless America. God bless New York City. And happy Fourth of July,” he concluded.

{Matzav.com}

Appearing alongside Second Lady Usha Vance on the children’s podcast, which aired Friday, July 3, Trump read from Presidents Play! by Jonathan Pliska. The illustrated book, produced by the White House Historical Association, highlights the favorite recreational activities of America’s presidents while they served in office.

As the pair turned to a page depicting President John F. Kennedy sailing, Trump complimented Kennedy’s appearance before jokingly placing himself at the top of the list.

“John Kennedy — he was a great guy, handsome,” the president said. “He was the second-most good-looking president, they say.”

Later in the reading, Trump stopped at an illustration of President Gerald Ford swimming in the White House pool and remarked that he has never used the facility himself.

“I don’t know if I look good in a bathing suit. I haven’t had a bathing suit in a long time,” Trump said. “I’m too busy. It’d be nice … I’m looking at these people swimming, and I’m saying, ‘I don’t know.’ “

The president also joked about President William Howard Taft, who is widely remembered as the heaviest president in U.S. history.

“He was our heaviest president. And I have to be careful, because I don’t want to supersede his record. And a thing like that would be possible if I allowed it to happen.”

Toward the end of the episode, Trump turned his attention to Usha Vance, who is expecting her fourth child with Vice President JD Vance, and encouraged viewers to stay healthy.

“For all of you out there watching,” Trump said on the program for children, “keep yourself in good shape, right? Like you,” he added to Usha. “You’re in such good shape.”

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

European stocks closed at a record high on Friday, July 3, extending their rally to a fourth consecutive week after weaker-than-expected U.S. employment data reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve could begin easing monetary policy sooner than previously expected. The pan-European Stoxx 600 rose 0.69% to a fresh record close, capping its strongest weekly performance in about a month as gains broadened well beyond technology shares.

The move followed Thursday’s U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report showing the American economy added 57,000 jobs in June, well below the 115,000 economists had expected and down sharply from May’s downwardly revised 129,000. The weaker labor market data eased concerns that the Fed would need to keep interest rates higher for longer, lifting investor sentiment across global markets.

Germany’s DAX led Europe’s major indexes, climbing 0.85% to another record high. Italy’s FTSE MIB gained 0.77%, while France’s CAC 40 added 0.48%. London’s FTSE 100 also ended the session higher as investors rotated into economically sensitive sectors.

The shift marked an important change in market leadership. While technology companies have fueled much of this year’s rally, Friday’s gains spread across industrials, financials, banks, and other cyclical sectors, suggesting investors are becoming more confident that lower borrowing costs could support broader economic growth. Utilities also outperformed, rising 1.78%, reflecting continued demand for defensive investments alongside renewed optimism about the economy.

Several developments added to the positive tone. Investors increasingly believe the European Central Bank may delay additional interest-rate increases as inflation continues to moderate across the eurozone. Germany’s governing coalition reached agreement on a package of tax, labor, and pension reforms, while stronger-than-expected Chinese services sector data improved confidence in global growth before European markets opened.

Among individual stocks, French biotechnology company Abivax led the Stoxx 600, rising as much as 7.7% before closing roughly 6.7% higher after raising €767.1 million ($874.1 million) through an expanded share offering to help fund U.S. development of its inflammatory bowel disease treatment, obefazimod. In Frankfurt, Siemens advanced 1.2% after Kepler Cheuvreux upgraded the stock to “hold” from “reduce.” European defense companies also gained as investors anticipated increased military spending following Russia’s latest large-scale strike on Ukraine. Earlier in the week, banking shares outperformed after UniCredit advanced on developments surrounding its bid for Commerzbank, while Deutsche Bank also posted strong gains.

Commodities and Volatility

Gold rose as investors sought traditional safe-haven assets following the weaker U.S. employment report, while the U.S. dollar headed for its largest weekly decline in nearly three months, making dollar-denominated commodities more attractive for overseas buyers. Oil prices were little changed, with Brent crude trading near $71.76 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate around $68.41, as traders continued monitoring the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran. U.S. financial markets remained closed for the Independence Day holiday, reducing trading volumes worldwide.

Investors now turn their attention to upcoming European purchasing managers’ surveys and the next round of U.S. economic data for fresh clues on the outlook for interest rates. For now, Europe’s rally appears to be broadening beyond a handful of technology companies into a wider range of industries—a sign that investor confidence is becoming increasingly widespread rather than concentrated in a few market leaders.

JBizNews Desk | New York

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

The venerated mashgiach Rav Don Segal has instructed that donors be offered full refunds after learning that fundraising advertisements attributed personal promises of salvation to him without his approval.

The controversy arose after an organization that raises funds to build and renovate mikvaos published advertisements in the United States claiming that contributors would receive specific blessings and yeshuos based on assurances made by Rav Segal.

When the mashgiach became aware of the campaign, he immediately directed that anyone who donated because they believed he had personally guaranteed them a yeshuah should be permitted to receive their money back.

Rav Segal subsequently issued a public letter clarifying that any blessings experienced by donors come solely through the tremendous mitzvah of supporting mikvaos, not because of any personal power or guarantee on his part.

In the letter, Rav Segal praised the organization’s work, writing that it “builds, establishes, renovates, and prepares hundreds of mikvaos throughout Eretz Yisroel, in places where they are literally preserving the spiritual future of the generation through the purity of the Jewish people and the sanctity of Klal Yisroel.”

He noted that, beyond construction, the organization also provides ongoing supervision to ensure that the mikvaos remain fully kosher.

“As is well known,” he wrote, “neglect causes deterioration, and without constant repairs and maintenance, water levels decline and numerous deficiencies can develop that directly affect the validity of the immersion.”

Rav Segal emphasized that this extensive work, carried out across the country with thousands of people involved, requires enormous financial resources and is supported solely through the generosity of donors.

“Hashem has granted us until now that everything has been conducted with complete honesty and integrity,” he wrote.

The mashgiach then addressed the advertisements directly.

“I now come to address the fact that, through an error, it was publicized as though in my name I faithfully promise that anyone who donates a certain amount will merit the blessing and salvation that he needs. This is false and baseless. I am neither worthy nor fitting to make such promises—not in the slightest. The purity of the Jewish people and the sanctity of the nation cannot be built through falsehood.”

At the same time, Rav Segal stressed that supporting mikvaos is indeed an extraordinarily great mitzvah.

“Certainly, this mitzvah is exceedingly great. All those who assist will receive abundant reward from Heaven and will merit goodness and great blessing from Hashem. Through Hashem’s kindness, we have witnessed salvations beyond the natural order, and we bless and pray for all those who support this cause that the pleasantness of Hashem rest upon them always and that He establish the work of their hands.”

However, Rav Segal concluded his letter with an unusual request.

“But anyone who donated because he believed that his salvation would come as a result of my promise or anything similar, I ask him with all my heart to come immediately and have his money returned, for this is not what Hashem desires.”

{Matzav.com}

Iran’s top military commander has resurfaced publicly after spending months out of sight, appearing Thursday at the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, who commands Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, had not been seen in public since February 8, just weeks before the United States and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure.

Photos released by the office of Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, showed Vahidi standing beside the casket of the late ayatollah during funeral ceremonies.

According to reports, Vahidi is believed to be part of a small circle of senior officials who remained in contact with Mojtaba Khamenei following the February 28 strike that killed his father in Tehran.

Speaking to Iranian state television after emerging from months of hiding, Vahidi struck a defiant tone.

“They must know that the pure blood of our martyred imam will mark another turning point in the victories of beloved Islam across the global arena,” he declared. “They will take to their graves the wish to see this nation surrender. This nation will rise higher day by day through this pure blood.”

Vahidi’s reappearance comes after months of speculation over the whereabouts of several senior Iranian military leaders following Israel’s unprecedented campaign targeting the regime’s top command structure. While a number of senior commanders were eliminated during the conflict, others reportedly went into hiding amid fears they could be next. The appearance suggests Tehran believes the immediate threat of further targeted strikes has eased.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A leading U.S. institute monitoring Iran’s nuclear program is warning that Tehran’s secretive underground “Pickaxe Mountain” facility raises serious questions about whether the regime intends to honor its nuclear agreement with the United States.

The Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) says inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have never been granted access to the heavily fortified site, located in Iran’s Zagros Mountains.

The warning comes as the Trump administration seeks to implement the memorandum of understanding reached with Iran following Operation Epic Fury, the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign launched on February 28 that targeted Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure.

According to the institute, newly analyzed satellite imagery from late June shows construction continuing at the underground complex, despite the agreement requiring Iran to maintain the status quo at nuclear-related facilities.

Spencer Faragasso, a senior fellow at ISIS who specializes in Iran’s nuclear program, said the continued work is “deeply concerning.”

“The ongoing work at Pickaxe Mountain is deeply concerning. This work has continued steadily since at least 2020,” Faragasso wrote on X. “In my view, this is a hedge by Iran in case negotiations fail—they will then have a nuclear facility in a late stage of construction. We assessed that Pickaxe is likely large enough to hold an enrichment plant.”

Faragasso argued that if Iran is genuinely interested in diplomacy, it should immediately halt construction and allow IAEA inspectors access.

“If Iran is serious about negotiating, it should halt construction at Pickaxe Mountain as a token of good faith. But what can be expected from a regime as brutal and conniving as Iran’s?” he wrote.

ISIS said satellite imagery shows vehicle traffic entering the western tunnel portals and ongoing work to reinforce the tunnel entrances, indicating construction inside the mountain continues.

The institute argues that these activities appear inconsistent with the memorandum of understanding, which it says should prohibit further work at any nuclear-related site until inspections and verification can take place.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The sons of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Bnei Brak, Rav Yisroel Hager, have issued a heartfelt public appeal urging Klal Yisroel to gather for a special tefillas rabbim at the Kosel this coming Thursday night during the Yemei Bein Hametzarim, to daven for the complete recovery of their father, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, Rabbi Yisroel ben Leah Esther.

The call was signed by the Rebbe’s sons: Rav Chaim Meir Hager, Av Beis Din of Vizhnitz; Rav Yitzchok Yeshaya Hager, Av Beis Din of Vizhnitz Ashdod; and Rav Yaakov Mordechai Hager, Av Beis Din of Vizhnitz Elad.

The gathering will take place Thursday night of Parshas Mattos-Masei, at 10:30 p.m. at the Kosel Hamaaravi, where members of the Vizhnitzer community, including avreichim, baalei batim, and yeshiva bochurim, are expected to join together in tefillah.

In their letter, the Rebbe’s sons wrote that the approaching season is one of special ratzon and rachamim, a time toward which the hearts of all Jews are turned with longing and reverence.

They expressed their hope that the coming year should be one of joy, redemption, salvation, and good tidings, while imploring Heaven on behalf of their father, whom they described as the source of spiritual nourishment for his followers.

The letter prays that the Rebbe should quickly regain his full strength and health, concluding the current year with its blessings and entering the new year with renewed life and vigor. It expresses the hope that he will be able to celebrate the upcoming Yomim Tovim together with his chassidim in complete health.

A broad coalition of roshei yeshiva and roshei mosdos in the tri-state area has issued a unified set of standards for bochurim‘s summer learning camps, calling for strengthened chinuch, heightened ruchniyus, stricter technology safeguards, and a zero-tolerance policy toward alcohol.

A statement by these roshei mosdos – mostly from the Lakewood, NJ region – states that the yeshivos expect camps to implement the guidelines and warns that institutions failing to do so risk losing enrollment from their bochurim.

The Great American State Fair in Washington D.C. is open to the public through July 10th.

On Motzei Shabbos (July 4th), following President Trump’s speech, the fireworks show will begin at around 10:45.

It is set to break the world record as the largest fireworks show ever.

As Israel wrestles with one of the deepest internal crises in its history over the military draft of yeshiva students, newly uncovered archival correspondence is shedding fresh light on the political bargain that first established the exemption for Torah scholars. At a moment when calls for enlistment are growing louder and the nation’s social fabric is under increasing strain, the decades-old documents reveal that the political arrangements between Israeli governments and the chareidi parties stretch back to the state’s earliest years—and continue to shape events today.

This week, the Knesset approved the first reading of the proposed Basic Law: Torah Study by a vote of 63 in favor and 53 opposed. While the vote itself was straightforward, it reflected a far more intricate political reality, illustrating the competing pressures Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is balancing as he seeks to preserve his governing coalition.

Determined to secure at least 61 votes—a number regarded as essential should the legislation ultimately face judicial review before Israel’s High Court—Netanyahu personally ensured the bill’s passage. Recognizing the significance of the moment and the importance of maintaining coalition stability, he left the opening ceremony of the Maccabiah Games and hurried directly to the Knesset chamber so he could cast his vote in support of the legislation.

According to the report, the vote represents only one piece of a much broader political understanding. Netanyahu, committed to advancing legislation such as the kashrus bill and the proposed law designed to prevent the arrest of yeshiva students who fail to report for military service, has found himself in an increasingly close alliance with the chareidi parties. In exchange for supporting legislation strengthening the legal status of Torah study, the prime minister reportedly received chareidi backing for several of the most sensitive items on his political agenda, including legislation establishing a political commission of inquiry into the October 7 attacks, splitting the role of the attorney general, and understandings regarding the timing of Israel’s next election.

The demonstrations, highway blockades, and escalating confrontations between chareidi and secular Israelis tell the story of a nation struggling through one of the most emotionally charged disputes since the country’s founding. For many within the Torah world, the present crisis represents the gravest challenge to full-time Torah study in the history of the modern State of Israel.

Yet at this moment of profound uncertainty, a remarkable document has emerged from Israel’s state archives that casts the entire debate in a new historical light.

Far more than a historical curiosity, the correspondence reveals a dramatic turning point nearly seven decades ago, when Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion stood on the verge of abolishing the exemption granted to yeshiva students before a forceful intervention altered the course of history. One strongly worded letter succeeded in halting the initiative and preserving the arrangement that continues to define Israeli politics to this day. Now, amid today’s renewed conflict, the article argues that history once again points toward Israel’s presidency.

The Political Story Behind the Original 400 Exemptions

For generations, Israeli political debate has revolved around a single issue: the Toraso Umanuso arrangement.

Throughout countless Knesset debates, street demonstrations, and public arguments, chareidi representatives have pointed to the historic agreement reached by David Ben-Gurion, under which 400 yeshiva students were exempted from military service. At the time, Israel was still fighting for its survival, the IDF was only beginning to take shape, and the exemption was widely viewed as an act of compassion toward the devastated Torah world that had been nearly destroyed during the Holocaust.

The newly revealed archival material, however, presents a far more complex picture.

According to the documents, the decision was not driven solely—or even primarily—by ideology or recognition of Torah learning. Rather, it emerged from hard political calculations. Ben-Gurion, one of Israel’s greatest political strategists, needed the support of the religious parties to assemble a stable coalition government. The exemption granted to 400 yeshiva students served as the political price required to secure that partnership.

The report argues that short-term political considerations ultimately outweighed broader national concerns, with the exemption functioning as part of a coalition agreement designed to strengthen Ben-Gurion’s government during the state’s formative years.

History, however, soon took an unexpected turn.

Within just a few years, Ben-Gurion reportedly began regretting the very arrangement he had created. What started as a temporary political compromise evolved into a precedent that he increasingly viewed as undermining the principle of equal national responsibility.

According to the report, Ben-Gurion gradually came to believe that the exemption had grown beyond its original purpose. On several occasions he reportedly threatened to terminate the arrangement altogether, warning that the growing exemption system had become politically and socially unsustainable.

As later events would demonstrate, however, reversing the course he himself had set in motion would prove far more difficult than creating it.

The Political Price Behind the 400 Exemptions

To understand the significance of Ben-Gurion’s concession, the report argues, it is necessary to examine the political landscape of Israel’s earliest years.

His determination to stabilize his coalition was about far more than political survival. The young state was grappling with economic hardship, mass immigration, diplomatic uncertainty, and enormous security challenges. Ben-Gurion believed that only a stable government could successfully carry out the Zionist vision while confronting those national crises.

To secure that stability, he depended heavily on the United Religious Front, a political alliance that included both Agudas Yisrael factions. According to the report, the exemption granted to 400 yeshiva students was not merely an act of compassion but a key component of the political agreement that enabled him to form a durable governing coalition.

The report contends that the exemption functioned as the political price Ben-Gurion was willing to pay in exchange for coalition support.

His willingness to make that concession, however, had limits.

When he concluded that the religious parties were no longer following his political direction or maintaining coalition discipline, Ben-Gurion reportedly threatened to eliminate the exemption altogether.

According to the report, those threats demonstrated that he regarded the arrangement primarily as a political instrument rather than a permanent ideological commitment.

The article draws a striking parallel to Israel’s current political landscape.

Just as Ben-Gurion once found himself balancing coalition pressures with difficult diplomatic challenges, today’s government is likewise navigating intense international demands while attempting to preserve coalition stability at home. Once again, the military draft has become one of the central tests of political survival.

Ben-Gurion’s Attempt to End the Arrangement

Approximately a decade after Israel’s founding, the report says, Ben-Gurion’s frustration with the exemption had grown considerably.

What had begun as a temporary political compromise had evolved into a permanent policy that he increasingly believed threatened the principle of equal national responsibility.

Determined to reverse course, Ben-Gurion instructed then-Defense Ministry Director General Shimon Peres to begin preparing plans for the widespread enlistment of yeshiva students into the Israel Defense Forces.

Had those plans been carried out, the report argues, the religious and social history of the State of Israel might have unfolded very differently.

As discussions continued, however, signs emerged that Ben-Gurion himself was reconsidering aspects of the proposal. Faced with mounting opposition, he reportedly began reviewing possible alternatives, a shift the report characterizes as the beginning of a retreat from his original hard-line position toward the Torah world.

The Chareidi Community Turns to Chief Rabbi Herzog

News of the government’s plans stunned the chareidi leadership.

Many viewed the proposal as an existential threat to the rebuilding Torah world that had emerged after the devastation of European Jewry.

Recognizing that political lobbying alone would not be enough to persuade Ben-Gurion, community leaders turned to the country’s highest religious authority—Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Halevi Herzog, grandfather of Israel’s current president.

Rabbi Herzog occupied a unique position.

Beyond his stature as chief rabbi, his sons, Chaim and Yaakov, maintained close relationships with Ben-Gurion, making him perhaps the only person capable of influencing the prime minister at such a critical moment.

For the chareidi leadership, Rabbi Herzog represented their final hope.

According to the report, he immediately entered the struggle, determined to prevent what many feared would permanently alter the future of Torah scholarship in Israel.

His intervention ultimately succeeded.

The initiative Ben-Gurion hoped to implement was halted, preserving the yeshiva exemption at a moment when it appeared destined to disappear.

A Historic Exchange of Letters

The confrontation eventually produced an extraordinary exchange of correspondence that has now resurfaced in Israel’s State Archives.

According to the report, these letters rank among the most important historical documents illuminating the long-running debate over religion and state in Israel.

Believing that temporary compromises would only postpone the crisis, Rabbi Herzog composed a passionate appeal urging Ben-Gurion not to alter the status of yeshiva students.

He argued that preserving Torah scholarship was essential to the future of the Jewish people and that maintaining the existing arrangement would strengthen the nation in the long run.

The article portrays Rabbi Herzog’s letter as the document that ultimately derailed Ben-Gurion’s proposed reform, transforming what had begun as a temporary political compromise into the enduring framework that continues to shape Israeli society today.

A Heartfelt Plea

The report describes Rabbi Herzog’s letter as both eloquent and deeply emotional.

Writing, as he explained, from a heart filled with anguish, he expressed profound alarm over reports that the government intended to alter the legal status of yeshiva students.

He wrote, “I was deeply shaken, and my heart broke within me upon hearing that there was an intention to introduce changes to the existing status of the yeshiva students.”

Rabbi Herzog also sought to persuade Ben-Gurion by acknowledging his secular worldview while praising the remarkable events that had led to the rebirth of the Jewish state. He argued that preserving the Torah world after the destruction of Europe’s great centers of learning was not simply a religious concern but a national and moral obligation.

In Rabbi Herzog’s view, rebuilding Torah scholarship formed an inseparable part of the Jewish people’s recovery after the Holocaust.

Ben-Gurion Fires Back

Ben-Gurion did not leave Rabbi Herzog’s appeal unanswered.

In a forceful and direct reply, he firmly rejected the comparison between the Holocaust and the debate over military service. He argued that Jewish life had continued to flourish in communities outside Europe, pointing specifically to places such as Brooklyn and Casablanca as evidence that the Jewish people had survived despite the devastation.

“Our security depends only on ourselves,” Ben-Gurion wrote, emphasizing that the defense of the Jewish state rested solely in the hands of its own citizens.

He then posed what has remained one of the defining moral questions in Israel’s draft debate for generations.

“Is it proper that one mother’s son should be killed defending the homeland while another mother’s son sits safely in his room studying?”

The report notes that, between the lines, Ben-Gurion appeared willing to make limited accommodations for exceptional Torah scholars. However, he remained firmly opposed to maintaining a blanket exemption for all yeshiva students.

“The State of Israel was not built and established because of yeshiva students,” he declared.

Instead, Ben-Gurion proposed what he viewed as a balanced solution: the overwhelming majority of yeshiva students would perform full military service, while only a carefully selected group of outstanding scholars would receive exemptions to devote their lives to Torah study. Others, he suggested, could receive only basic military training.

The exchange of letters laid bare the profound ideological divide separating Israel’s founding political leadership from the Torah world. At the same time, the correspondence reveals that Ben-Gurion was not seeking an outright confrontation but rather a practical formula that would integrate the Torah community into Israeli society without abandoning his vision of equal national responsibility.

A Debate That Never Ended

Nearly seventy years after those letters were exchanged, the debate they addressed remains as relevant as ever.

According to the report, the struggle over the place of Torah study within Israeli society has not faded with time. Instead, it continues to dominate some of the country’s most consequential political debates.

If Rabbi Herzog’s handwritten letter once served as the focal point of the controversy, today that role has been assumed by high-stakes Knesset votes, coalition negotiations, court battles, and nationwide demonstrations.

The article argues that the status of the Torah world remains one of the central issues determining the formation and survival of Israeli governments.

Looking back, the report suggests that Israel’s history has repeatedly turned on pivotal moments such as these.

What once appeared to be an inevitable effort to eliminate the yeshiva exemption was ultimately halted before it could be implemented.

According to the article, the individual who stood at the center of that historic turning point was Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Halevi Herzog.

Prepared to place the full weight of his public stature behind the cause, Rabbi Herzog confronted the political leadership directly. Through determined advocacy, careful diplomacy, and passionate conviction, he fought to preserve the honor of Torah scholars and, in doing so, helped shape the relationship between the State of Israel and the Torah world for generations to come.

History Comes Full Circle

The report concludes by pointing to what it describes as one of history’s striking ironies.

Nearly sixty-eight years after Rabbi Herzog’s intervention, his grandson, President Isaac Herzog, now finds himself occupying one of the highest offices in the State of Israel during another period of intense national conflict over the future of Torah study.

Drawing an explicit comparison between grandfather and grandson, the article argues that today’s circumstances once again call for national leadership capable of defending the Torah world during a moment of profound crisis.

It concludes with a direct appeal to President Herzog, urging him to follow the path established by his grandfather and to use the influence of his office to help preserve the status of Torah study in Israel.

The article closes by arguing that the principles for which Rabbi Herzog fought against overwhelming political pressure are the very same principles that, according to Jewish tradition, sustained the Jewish people throughout centuries of exile.

Just as devotion to Torah ultimately enabled the Jewish nation to return to its homeland, the report contends, preserving that commitment today remains essential to its future. With the current crisis once again placing the Torah world at the center of Israeli public life, the article concludes that many are looking toward the President’s Residence in the hope that the legacy of Rabbi Herzog will once again help guide the nation toward a solution that safeguards the future of Torah scholarship.

{Matzav.com}

Nearly half of Americans cannot say what the country’s 250th anniversary actually celebrates, according to a national survey the Cato Institute released on Thursday, just two days before the Fourth of July. The poll, written by Cato polling director Emily Ekins, found that 46% of adults did not know the milestone marks the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Just over half, 53%, answered correctly.

The survey was designed by the Cato Institute and conducted by Morning Consult, which interviewed 2,253 American adults online on June 25 and 26. The margin of error is approximately two percentage points.

The incorrect answers varied widely. 8% believed the anniversary marks the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, which came years later. 6% thought it commemorates America’s victory in the Revolutionary War, 5% said the nation’s first presidential election, and 3% believed it marks the Pilgrims’ arrival at Plymouth Rock.

The knowledge gap was greatest among younger Americans. Among Gen Z, roughly ages 18 to 26, 61% could not identify what the 250th anniversary commemorates, while only 39% answered correctly.

Ekins said the findings reveal an interesting contradiction. Americans may know relatively little about the nation’s founding, yet they continue to feel deeply connected to it. The survey found 86% are grateful to be Americans and 79% say they are proud to be American. 76% hold a favorable view of the country’s founding, while 70% believe its founding principles remain important today.

That pride, however, is not always matched by civic knowledge. 58% of respondents did not know the primary purpose of the U.S. Constitution is to establish and limit the powers of the federal government, with only 41% answering correctly. 57% could not identify the principal reason the American colonies sought independence from Britain, while 43% correctly cited taxation without representation and the lack of political representation. One historical fact most Americans did know was that George Washington served as the nation’s first president, correctly identified by 77% of respondents.

For the business community, the survey also highlights changing economic attitudes. Americans continue to view capitalism more favorably than socialism, 52% to 37%. Yet younger generations are moving in a different direction. Among Gen Z, 53% view socialism favorably compared with 45% who view capitalism favorably. Nearly as many young adults also expressed favorable views of communism (38%) as capitalism.

Those attitudes are beginning to influence politics. The survey found that the label “Democratic Socialist” makes 39% of Americans more likely to support a candidate and 40% less likely. Among Democrats (61%) and Gen Z (51%), however, the label provides a clear political advantage.

Americans also continue to connect the nation’s prosperity to its founding institutions. 82% said the Constitution played an important role in making the United States a wealthy country. Respondents most frequently credited America’s success to limited government under the Constitution, free markets and capitalism, and a culture of hard work.

At the same time, many expressed concern about the country’s future. 56% fear the United States could cease to be a free nation within the next fifty years, a concern shared by majorities of both Republicans and Democrats. 57% believe America has already drifted from its founding principles. When asked what poses the greatest threat to the republic, respondents pointed to government corruption, politicians ignoring the Constitution, and excessive concentration of political power.

Despite those concerns, Americans continue to support the nation’s constitutional system. 61% prefer power to remain divided among the branches of government even if it slows decision-making. 72% believe presidents should obey Supreme Court rulings even when they disagree with them, and 58% say no political party should hold too much power.

The findings arrive as communities, businesses, nonprofits, museums, and civic organizations prepare for a year of America 250 celebrations expected to generate significant tourism, sponsorship opportunities, and retail spending through 2026.

The survey also underscores why the Historic Morris Katz President Collection legacy of Holocaust survivor Morris Katz carries renewed significance to help educate the next generation.

Having endured the horrors of Nazi tyranny before finding refuge in the United States, Katz understood the value of freedom in a way few Americans ever could. The assassination of President John F. Kennedy profoundly affected him. He viewed it as a personal attack on the nation that had given him liberty, hope, and a new beginning. Inspired to honor America’s democracy, Katz spent the next six years creating The Presidential Collection, an extraordinary series of paintings depicting every President of the United States as a tribute to the office of the presidency, the Constitution, and the enduring ideals of American freedom.

At a time when nearly half of Americans cannot identify what the nation’s 250th anniversary commemorates, Katz’s work serves as more than an artistic achievement. It is a reminder that freedom is never guaranteed. It must be understood, appreciated, protected, and passed from one generation to the next.

As America celebrates its 250th birthday, The Presidential Collection stands not only as a tribute to the nation’s leaders, but also as a powerful educational legacy—one created by a man who experienced life without freedom and dedicated his talent to honoring the country that restored it.

JBizNews Desk | Washington

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

Kuaishou Technology is seeking to raise approximately $2 billion for its rapidly growing Kling AI business, a move that would value one of China’s fastest-growing artificial intelligence platforms as competition intensifies in the global race to build next-generation AI video tools.

People familiar with the fundraising said the company is in discussions with investors about financing that would support the continued expansion of Kling AI, whose text-to-video technology has quickly gained attention among businesses, content creators, advertisers and filmmakers. The fundraising comes as demand for generative AI continues to surge worldwide, with companies investing billions of dollars in new computing infrastructure and advanced AI models.

Launched in 2024, Kling AI allows users to generate highly realistic videos from written prompts or still images. The platform has rapidly become one of China’s leading competitors to AI video systems developed by OpenAI, Google, Runway, Pika, and other global developers racing to commercialize generative video technology.

The proposed financing reflects growing investor confidence that AI-generated video could become one of the fastest-growing segments of the broader artificial intelligence industry. Businesses are increasingly adopting the technology to create marketing campaigns, training materials, product demonstrations, entertainment content and social media videos while reducing production costs and shortening development time.

Kuaishou, one of China’s largest short-video platforms, is leveraging its existing ecosystem of creators and advertisers to accelerate Kling AI’s adoption. By integrating generative AI tools directly into its platform, the company hopes to provide businesses and creators with faster ways to produce high-quality video content while expanding revenue opportunities beyond traditional advertising.

Industry analysts say AI video has become one of the most competitive areas of artificial intelligence, requiring enormous investments in computing power, specialized chips and data centers. Companies developing advanced video-generation models face significant costs for training increasingly sophisticated systems while competing to improve realism, editing controls and production quality.

The reported $2 billion fundraising would provide Kling AI with additional capital to expand research, acquire computing capacity and scale its commercial operations as demand for AI-generated video continues to rise across Asia and international markets.

The fundraising also highlights China’s determination to remain competitive in artificial intelligence despite export restrictions affecting access to some advanced semiconductor technology. Chinese technology companies have accelerated domestic AI development while investing heavily in homegrown models capable of competing with leading Western platforms.

For investors, the financing underscores how AI companies continue attracting substantial capital despite broader economic uncertainty. Since the emergence of generative AI, global investment has increasingly shifted toward companies building foundation models, AI infrastructure and specialized applications capable of serving enterprise customers.

As businesses around the world adopt artificial intelligence at an accelerating pace, AI-generated video is expected to become an increasingly important tool across marketing, education, entertainment, e-commerce and corporate communications. The competition among developers is likely to intensify as companies race to improve quality, lower costs and expand commercial adoption.

If completed, the financing would rank among the largest recent investments in a standalone AI video platform, further demonstrating that investors continue to view generative artificial intelligence as one of the technology sector’s most significant long-term growth opportunities.

JBizNews Desk | Hong Kong

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

As Shabbos Parshas Pinchas approaches, organizations assisting imprisoned yeshiva students are urging the public to daven for the 41 bnei yeshivah and avreichim who will remain behind bars in Israel’s military prison throughout the coming Shabbos.

According to sources, dozens of Torah students will spend the day in Military Prison 10 after refusing to report to military induction centers in accordance with the directives of their rabbonim. The report describes their imprisonment as a consequence of their commitment to Torah study.

Sources state that yungerman Nehorai ben Chaya Michal and bochur Gavriel Rachamim ben Mazal Tov are expected to be released on Friday. Following their release, 41 bochurim and avreichim will remain incarcerated over Shabbos.

The sources also highlight the many organizations that continue to work around the clock on behalf of the detainees and their families, providing assistance and support throughout the ongoing crisis.

Askanim recall Monday night’s large protest gathering in the Ramat Elchanan neighborhood of Bnei Brak, where members of the Moetzes Chachmei HaTorah, roshei yeshiva, kollel leaders, and community rabbonim, led by Rishon LeTzion Harav Yitzchak Yosef, addressed thousands of participants.

During the gathering, speakers sharply criticized the government’s policies while offering words of encouragement and support for the imprisoned Torah students, whom they described as being persecuted solely because of their dedication to Torah learning.

According to sources, the following individuals remain incarcerated in Military Prison 10:

• Yonatan ben Yaffa
• Menachem Zev ben Bracha
• Evyatar ben Anat
• Yair ben Roten
• Yosef ben Rivka
• Asher Aryeh ben Efrat
• Nehorai ben Tirtzah Avigail
• Meir ben Hadassah
• Shmuel ben Yocheved Yaffa
• Avraham Yoel ben Orit
• Yitzchak ben Ahuvah
• Shalev ben Nella
• Eliyahu ben Yael
• Netanel M.
• Binyamin ben Yael
• Yosef ben Reina
• Natan Yehudah ben Hindel
• Yitzchak ben Devorah Rochel
• Menachem ben Sarah Bracha
• Alter Menachem Mendel ben Rivah Adelle
• Amram ben Rivah Adelle
• Moshe Chaim ben Rochel
• Avraham Mordechai ben Dava Mindel
• Moshe Shmuel ben Chaya Bracha
• Moshe Mordechai ben Bracha
• Moshe ben Rochel
• Yaakov Zev ben Hendel
• Shlomo Zalman ben Rivka Chana Gittel
• Tahar Yitzchak ben Timor
• Neriya Yehonasan ben Sarah Nurit
• Shalom ben Kasa
• Osher ben Gavia
• Moshe Mordechai ben Leiba Bracha
• Shimon ben Nira
• Ofir B.
• Oded ben Avital
• Moshe ben Basya
• Nehorai ben Leah
• Harav Yisrael ben Feiga
• Yair ben Aviva
• Elchanan ben Aliza

{Matzav.com}

JERUSALEM (VINnews) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone Friday with U.S. President Donald Trump and agreed to meet soon in the United States, as tensions persist between Washington and Jerusalem over a recent U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding.

The conversation came as Netanyahu congratulated Trump ahead of America’s 250th Independence Day on Saturday, July 4. The leaders plan to meet on the sidelines of the annual U.N. General Assembly in New York in September.

Netanyahu’s office said the prime minister told Trump that the United States is “a guarantee of global freedom” and that Israel greatly values the close bond between the two nations.

The announcement followed closely after the Prime Minister’s Office issued an English-language statement denying a New York Times report — published nearly a day earlier and picked up by other outlets — that the Trump administration feared Israel was planning to assassinate Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf during negotiations leading to last month’s agreement.

“As usual, the latest New York Times story on Israel and Iranian negotiators is fake news. A total distortion of reality,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.

The report claimed U.S. officials worried Israel might target senior Iranian negotiators during the sensitive talks. Israel flatly rejected the allegation.

This development comes amid broader strains in U.S.-Israel coordination following the U.S.-Iran deal, with Israel emphasizing it is not a party to the memorandum while stressing its security concerns regarding Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic missiles and support for terrorist proxies.

No further details on the planned September meeting were immediately released. VINnews will continue to monitor developments.

The federal government is urging state attorneys general to probe and prosecute any illegal activities contributing to high fuel costs for Americans.

“Although crude oil prices are now dropping rapidly, far too much of that price cut is being withheld from Americans when they pay for gasoline,” the letter, signed by Associated Attorney General Stanley Wodward, Jr. and Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson, claims.

The document includes a screenshot of a Truth Social post that President Donald Trump issued last week.

In that June 24 post, Trump asserted, “The big Oil Companies are not dropping their price at the pump commensurate with the sharply lower prices they are paying for Oil. Those prices are dropping like a rock! In other words, customers are being ‘gouged.’ I have instructed the DOJ to immediately start looking into this. Gasoline prices better start going down a lot faster than what I’m seeing!”

The letter to the state attorneys general states, “As the Department of Justice (DOJ) answers the President’s call to action, both the DOJ and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are closely monitoring petroleum markets.”

“We urge state law enforcers to join us in investigating illegal practices. Recent volatility in crude oil prices does not suspend either the antitrust laws or state consumer protection laws, and it does not authorize companies to manipulate retail prices or collude with their competitors,” the letter declares.

“We also encourage State Attorneys General to use all tools available under your state laws to investigate and prosecute any misconduct causing unjustified price increases — particularly conduct that violates state antitrust and consumer protection statutes. Although the Division and the Commission do not enforce any laws aimed specifically at price gouging rather than anticompetitive conduct, many States have also enacted laws specifically targeting price gouging during periods of market disruption or emergency, and we urge those states to review whether enforcement is warranted under those laws,” the federal officials noted.

Gas prices spiked considerably after the U.S. launched the war effort against Iran earlier this year, but have been declining more recently.

The AAA national average price for regular gas is $3.823 as of July 3, down from the month-ago average of $4.261.

“Gasoline Retailers must get their Prices down, IMMEDIATELY! They’re too high considering that Oil is now at $68 a Barrel, and heading south. The Retailers must quickly react to this statement, and do what they know is right — DROP YOUR PRICE FOR OUR GREAT AMERICAN PEOPLE! There will be no gauging, which is totally illegal. If Retailers don’t do this, big problems lie ahead!” he warned in part of a Monday Truth Social post.

In part of a post on Wednesday he declared, “Just as I promised, Oil Prices are plummeting FAST, and Gas Prices at the pump are dropping too, but not as fast as they should be.”

“Affordable energy is essential to a thriving American economy. The Antitrust Division is committed to working alongside state law enforcement partners to provide resources and support to protect consumers from anticompetitive behavior that raises the price of gas,” Woodward said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “The Antitrust Division will use all available tools to ensure that companies are held accountable for unlawfully manipulating the market”

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) intensified his warnings about gain-of-function research on Thursday, arguing that the controversial experiments pose a grave danger to humanity and serve no legitimate scientific purpose. Comparing the practice to “Dr. Frankenstein,” Paul said scientists are recklessly manipulating viruses in ways that could unleash catastrophic global consequences.

Speaking on Newsmax’s “The Record With Greta Van Susteren,” Paul discussed his decision, as chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, to subpoena former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci to testify later this month regarding the origins of COVID-19.

Paul said the upcoming hearing will focus on the type of research that many Republicans believe played a role in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Describing how gain-of-function research works, Paul explained that scientists combine genetic material from different viruses and then grow the modified viruses in human cells to determine whether they become more infectious.

“Gain of function just describes a type of experiment where what happens is you take one known virus and maybe one unknown virus,” he said. “You take parts of them, put them together, and then grow them in human cells to see if they gain in function.”

The Kentucky senator also renewed his criticism of Fauci’s longstanding position that an experiment cannot be classified as gain-of-function unless researchers know beforehand that it will create a more dangerous virus.

“Anthony Fauci has argued, well, if you don’t know in advance they’re going to gain in function, then you can’t really call it gain of function,” he said. “But they did know, and they continued to do these experiments in Wuhan, even when the evidence from the experiments was showing that it was gaining in function.”

When host Greta Van Susteren asked whether such research has any valid scientific justification, Paul rejected the premise outright.

“I don’t think there is,” he said.

Paul noted that Fauci wrote in a 2011 opinion article that “even if a pandemic should occur from gain-of-function research, that the knowledge is worth the risk,” but argued that numerous scientists strongly disagree with that assessment.

“They’ve done things like take the avian flu, which doesn’t go human to human well or at all, and they’ve put in eight mutations to make it transmissible, not only human to human, but through the air,” he said.

“It’s sort of like being Dr. Frankenstein and doing these kind of things. There is no good purpose for this. It’s incredibly dangerous,” he continued.

Paul cautioned that the risks are not limited to coronaviruses, pointing to Ebola as another example of a deadly pathogen that could become far more dangerous if deliberately altered.

“We have things like Ebola that aren’t readily transmitted by aerosol,” Paul said. “If you change it and mutate it on purpose to make it aerosolized … you would risk 50% of the planet dying.”

He concluded by warning that the fallout from such an event would extend well beyond the virus itself, overwhelming healthcare systems and basic infrastructure worldwide.

“You would have people dying by the tens of thousands just from lack of doctors, lack of sanitation, lack of clean water,” he added. “I mean, you would devastate the planet. So, we shouldn’t be doing these experiments.”

{Matzav.com}

Meta Platforms surprised investors on Thursday by announcing plans to begin leasing excess artificial-intelligence computing capacity to outside businesses, a move that immediately rattled semiconductor stocks around the world and raised new questions about the future pace of AI infrastructure spending. The announcement helped trigger a sharp selloff in chipmakers from Wall Street to Asia, as investors reassessed whether the largest technology companies may eventually need to purchase fewer high-end AI processors than previously expected.

The new business would allow Meta to rent unused graphics processing unit (GPU) capacity and other AI infrastructure to outside companies, effectively transforming a portion of the massive computing network it has built for its own artificial-intelligence operations into a commercial cloud service. The strategy would place Meta into more direct competition with established cloud providers, including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, while creating a new revenue stream from billions of dollars in AI infrastructure already deployed.

The market reaction was swift.

Shares of several semiconductor companies fell sharply following the announcement as investors questioned whether demand for AI chips could eventually slow if major technology companies begin sharing excess computing capacity instead of continually purchasing additional hardware. Memory-chip makers Micron Technology and SanDisk each fell roughly 10%, while the selling quickly spread to overseas markets.

The impact was particularly severe in South Korea, where the benchmark Kospi index plunged 7.89%. Semiconductor giants SK Hynix dropped 14.57%, while Samsung Electronics lost 9.06%, helping drive one of the country’s steepest stock market declines in years. Japan also joined the selloff, with technology shares falling sharply as investors reduced exposure to semiconductor companies across the region.

The announcement comes as technology companies continue investing hundreds of billions of dollars to build artificial-intelligence data centers capable of supporting increasingly sophisticated AI models. Since the launch of generative AI, demand for advanced processors—particularly graphics chips used to train and operate large language models—has fueled one of the strongest investment cycles the semiconductor industry has ever experienced.

Meta has been among the largest contributors to that spending boom, investing aggressively in AI servers, networking equipment and next-generation computing infrastructure to support products including Meta AI, recommendation algorithms and future AI-powered services across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

By commercializing excess capacity, Meta could improve returns on those investments while offering businesses access to advanced AI computing without requiring them to build expensive infrastructure themselves.

Industry analysts said the announcement does not necessarily signal a collapse in demand for AI chips. Instead, it reflects the next stage of the AI economy, where companies seek to generate revenue from the enormous computing resources they have already built. As artificial intelligence adoption expands across corporate America, demand for rented computing power may grow just as rapidly as demand for physical chips.

Even so, investors remain sensitive to any indication that the unprecedented pace of AI infrastructure spending could begin to moderate. Semiconductor manufacturers have enjoyed record profits as cloud providers raced to acquire advanced processors, particularly high-performance chips used for AI model training.

The broader business implications extend beyond the chip industry. If successful, Meta’s cloud-leasing strategy could create a new competitor in enterprise AI infrastructure while giving startups, developers and corporations another option for accessing powerful computing resources. Greater competition could eventually reduce AI computing costs and accelerate adoption across industries ranging from healthcare and finance to manufacturing and education.

For now, however, Thursday’s announcement served as a reminder that even the strongest technology sectors remain vulnerable to shifts in investor expectations. The AI revolution continues to expand rapidly, but Wall Street is increasingly focused not only on how much companies spend, but also on how efficiently they monetize those investments.

Whether Meta’s move becomes a new industry trend or simply another business line for the social media giant remains to be seen. What is already clear is that a single strategic announcement was enough to send shockwaves through global semiconductor markets.

JBizNews Desk | Menlo Park, California

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Veteran Likud MK Yuli Edelstein announced Friday that he is leaving the party and will not run in its upcoming primaries, saying he is embarking on a “new political path.”

Edelstein made the announcement in a short preview clip from a Channel 12 interview scheduled to air in full on Motzoei Shabbos. In the clip, he said he does not intend to take part in the August 4 Likud primaries, but did not elaborate on what his next political move will be.

A longtime senior figure in Likud, Edelstein has served in the party since 2003 and held a number of senior posts over the years. Last year, he was pushed out as chairman of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee after refusing to advance legislation that would formalize broad military-service exemptions for chareidim.

Edelstein has long been considered an internal rival to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and in 2021 briefly mounted a challenge for the party leadership before withdrawing. His exit now comes just weeks before Likud’s primaries and ahead of national elections that must be held by late October.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A federal lawsuit brought by current and former members of Congress could result in lawmakers receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars each in back pay, along with significant future salary increases, if they ultimately prevail in court. The case could leave taxpayers responsible for at least $69 million in retroactive compensation, with even greater long-term costs if congressional pensions are also increased.

The lawsuit gained significant momentum last month after a federal judge ruled that the case may proceed, marking a major legal victory for the lawmakers seeking higher compensation.

The plaintiffs argue that Congress violated the 27th Amendment by repeatedly blocking automatic cost-of-living adjustments established under a 1989 law. According to their claim, lawmakers unlawfully prevented salary increases that were intended to keep congressional pay aligned with inflation.

If the courts ultimately agree with that argument, the National Taxpayers Union estimates that taxpayers would be responsible for paying at least $69 million in retroactive compensation to current and former members of Congress.

For nearly two decades, members of Congress have left their annual salary unchanged at $174,000, largely to avoid criticism over voting themselves raises. Privately, however, many lawmakers have expressed frustration that congressional pay has remained frozen while inflation has continued to rise.

“Seventeen years, I have gotten people from my side and people from the other side saying, ‘Can’t we fix this?’” Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), a former House majority leader and one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said during an appropriations hearing last month.

“Our goal is to stop the continual violations of the Constitution as it relates to Congressional pay,” Ken Cuccinelli, the attorney for the suing lawmakers, told The Post in an email. “As a policy matter, I would note that Congressional pay on an inflation-adjusted basis is the lowest it has been since 1954.”

Cuccinelli, who previously served as Virginia’s attorney general and later as acting deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security during President Donald Trump’s first administration, assembled the class-action lawsuit on behalf of a bipartisan group of lawmakers. The named plaintiffs include Reps. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Rick Crawford (R-Ark.), James Clyburn (D-S.C.), and former Reps. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) and Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.).

Exactly how many current and former lawmakers could ultimately qualify for back pay remains unresolved. Federal Claims Court Judge Eric Bruggink has instructed both sides to address that issue in additional filings due later this summer.

Another unresolved question is the amount of damages that individual lawmakers could receive. Current estimates place potential awards at between $225,000 and $420,000 per member.

Beyond retroactive payments, a favorable court ruling could also restore automatic annual cost-of-living adjustments for members of Congress.

Under current estimates, congressional salaries could eventually climb to more than $253,000 annually—roughly 45% higher than today’s pay.

The financial impact could extend even further. Former members of Congress who receive higher salary calculations could seek increased pension benefits from the Office of Personnel Management, adding additional costs for taxpayers.

Demian Brady, vice president of research at the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, argued that if lawmakers believe they deserve higher salaries, they should pursue them through legislation rather than litigation.

“Because of all these perplexing questions, and because the damages will fall on taxpayers through higher deficit spending and potentially higher long-term liabilities, and also because of the reputational harm this will do to Congress as an institution, I’ve urged the lawmakers to drop their case,” he said.

“They should seek higher pay by convincing their colleagues to vote for higher pay instead of suing taxpayers.”

Those who support higher congressional salaries argue that members face substantial financial demands while serving in office, including maintaining one residence in their home district and another in Washington, D.C., one of the nation’s most expensive housing markets.

Congress last received a salary adjustment in 2009, when lawmakers’ annual pay increased 2.8%, from $169,300 to the current $174,000.

Since the ratification of the 27th Amendment in 1992, Congress has voted 21 times to reject automatic pay increases that otherwise would have taken effect.

The plaintiffs contend those repeated votes violate the Constitution’s 27th Amendment, which provides that no law “varying” congressional compensation “shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.”

In allowing the case to move forward, Judge Bruggink wrote, “Laws varying congressional compensation are ineffective to the extent they seek to effectuate a change in congressional compensation before an election intervenes.”

NEW YORK — As Americans gather this Fourth of July to celebrate nearly 250 years of independence, fireworks will illuminate the skies, flags will line neighborhoods, and families will honor the freedoms that define the nation.

For Morris Katz, those freedoms were never simply part of an annual celebration.

They were the reason he had a second chance at life.

A Holocaust survivor who immigrated to the United States in 1949, Katz viewed America as the country that restored everything tyranny had tried to destroy—freedom, opportunity, dignity, and hope. Those ideals became the foundation of an extraordinary career that blended artistic innovation, entrepreneurship, education, and patriotism into a legacy that continues to inspire decades later.

One of his most celebrated works was a portrait of President John F. Kennedy, which was displayed in more than 100 museums across the United States. Katz believed art had the power to unite Americans during moments of triumph and tragedy alike.

Then came November 22, 1963.

As television and radio broadcasts announced that President Kennedy had been assassinated, Katz made a decision that would occupy the next six years of his life.

Having survived the Holocaust and witnessed the devastating consequences of hatred and dictatorship, he saw Kennedy’s assassination as more than the loss of a president. To him, it represented a personal attack on the democratic ideals and freedoms that had given him refuge in America.

Rather than respond with despair, he responded with purpose.

Within minutes of hearing the news, Katz committed himself to creating a lasting tribute to the presidency and to the nation he loved. Over the next six years, he meticulously painted every President of the United States in the traditional Old Master style, devoting approximately 200 hours to each portrait. The result became The Presidential Collection, spanning from George Washington through George H.W. Bush—a tribute not only to America’s presidents, but also to the principles of liberty, democracy, leadership, and public service that define the nation.  

For Katz, the Collection was never intended to be simply an art exhibit.

It was a message.

He believed future generations should understand the blessings of freedom, appreciate the sacrifices made by those who built and defended the nation, and recognize that the presidency represents an institution larger than politics. His hope was that Americans, regardless of party or background, could find common ground through a shared appreciation of the country’s history and democratic ideals.

That vision remains especially relevant as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary.

A stronger closing that ties directly to today’s civic values would be:

Long before creating The Presidential Collection, Morris Katz had already earned international recognition as one of the world’s most sought-after artists. A two-time Guinness World Record holder who surpassed Pablo Picasso as the world’s most prolific artist and was recognized as the world’s quickest painter, Katz was also selected from more than 500 artists to create the official portrait commemorating Pope Paul VI’s historic visit to the United States, with millions of reproductions distributed worldwide. According to a feature in Newsmax Magazine, his privately held Presidential Collection is valued at more than $250 million, yet Katz never offered it for sale. When he was offered $50,000 for his original portrait of President John F. Kennedy shortly after completing it—a remarkable sum at the time—he declined, saying simply, “It represents my freedom.” That conviction inspired the Holocaust survivor to devote the next six years to creating The Presidential Collection as his lasting gift to America. At a time when the values of freedom, patriotism, civic responsibility, and respect for our nation’s history are more important than ever, his message continues to inspire new generations to appreciate the extraordinary blessings of the United States and the leaders who helped shape it.

Recognizing the Collection’s educational value, the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education, working with the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce, made The Presidential Collection available as a statewide educational resource, distributing materials to chief school administrators, charter schools, Renaissance School Project leaders, principals, teachers, and guidance counselors to support instruction in American history, patriotism, Holocaust education, leadership, and civic responsibility.   The initiative encourages educators to use the Collection as a gateway for classroom discussions about democracy, national unity, civic responsibility, and the values that continue to shape the United States.  

The Collection’s educational message has since reached thousands of schools, helping students connect the lessons of history with the responsibilities of citizenship.

Its influence also extended far beyond classrooms.

Millions of Presidential Collection postcards featuring Katz’s artwork were distributed throughout the United States and internationally, becoming treasured keepsakes and highly sought-after collectibles. Today, many remain in private collections, preserving a unique artistic record of the American presidency for historians, educators, and collectors alike.

The legacy continues through the Morris Katz Foundation, whose Morris Katz Legacy Award recognizes leaders whose service reflects the principles Katz devoted his life to preserving. Honorees include U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Congressman Josh Gottheimer for introducing the HEAL Act to strengthen Holocaust education, and Congressman Chris Smith, whose decades of leadership included authoring legislation establishing the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism while advancing human rights and religious freedom.

For the business community, Katz’s life also illustrates how enduring enterprises are built.

He transformed personal gratitude into intellectual property, educational programming, collectibles, exhibitions, and a globally recognized brand whose impact continues long after his lifetime. His story demonstrates that the strongest businesses are often driven not only by innovation, but by purpose.

As Americans celebrate another Independence Day, Morris Katz’s greatest masterpiece may not be the paintings themselves.

It may be the timeless message behind them—that freedom is never guaranteed, democracy depends on each generation to protect it, and gratitude for the opportunities America provides can inspire a legacy that endures for generations.

To view The Presidential Collection, visit www.MorrisKatz.org.

For information regarding exhibitions, educational programs, or licensing opportunities, contact [email protected].

JBizNews Desk | New York
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Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism after temperature readings inside New York City Hall appeared to contradict his public request that residents keep their air conditioners set to 78 degrees during this week’s heat wave to ease pressure on the electric grid.

According to measurements taken by the New York Post using an infrared thermometer, temperatures in City Hall and several municipal buildings were frequently well below the 78-degree level Mamdani urged New Yorkers to maintain. Reporters said they tested 20 different locations they were able to access, with only five registering at or above 78 degrees.

The findings surfaced one day after Mamdani encouraged residents to conserve electricity by raising their thermostat settings in an effort to help prevent widespread Con Edison outages during the extreme heat.

“Maybe the mayor shouldn’t tell New Yorkers to sacrifice their comfort if he isn’t willing to do the same,” scoffed David Carr (R-Staten Island), the City Council’s minority leader.

Around noon, when temperatures in Central Park were climbing toward 100 degrees, most of the locations tested inside City Hall were reportedly within a degree or two of the mayor’s recommended setting.

Later in the afternoon, however, the readings dropped considerably. By approximately 4:30 p.m., one room inside the building housing the mayor’s office measured just 54 degrees.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist, drew widespread attention online after recommending that New Yorkers set their air conditioners to 78 degrees or higher. Critics mocked the advice, though similar recommendations had also been issued during previous administrations, including those of Mayors Eric Adams and Bill de Blasio.

The U.S. Department of Energy likewise recommends thermostat settings between 75 and 78 degrees during the summer months to reduce electricity consumption.

When issuing his recommendation, Mamdani also said City Hall would follow the same conservation practices.

“Our City is doing its part too: maintaining the 78 degrees rule in our buildings, dimming/turning off our lights during peak electricity demand, asking private partners to do the same, and powering down non-essential equipment,” he posted on X.

The temperature measurements reported by the newspaper, however, painted a more varied picture.

At approximately noon, areas near the mayor’s second-floor office, the Rotunda, the Governor’s Room, and the City Council chambers each registered about 77 degrees, while the mayor’s first-floor press office measured 78 degrees.

Later in the day, temperatures reportedly fell further. Outside the mayor’s office, the thermometer registered 74 degrees.

The Governor’s Room, where staff members were preparing teleprompters, cameras, and lighting equipment for Mamdani’s Independence Day address, also measured 74 degrees.

The Rotunda reportedly cooled to 64 degrees.

One of the coldest readings—62 degrees—was recorded near the mayor’s first-floor press office, where communications staff and other employees were gathered.

Air flowing directly from an air-conditioning unit inside the press radio room, where reporters have long complained about frigid conditions, registered 54 degrees.

The CityStore inside the Manhattan Municipal Building also measured approximately 64 degrees, according to the newspaper’s testing.

Reporters also said employees at several municipal offices, including sanitation and health department facilities, declined to allow them inside after learning they intended to measure indoor temperatures.

The newspaper further reported that while many city employees worked in air-conditioned offices, police officers and security personnel stationed in hallways remained in temperatures exceeding 80 degrees and had not been provided with fans. Hallways and lobbies inside the David Dinkins Municipal Building reportedly measured around 80 degrees, while elevator temperatures reached 89 degrees.

The Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, which reporters said was unoccupied at the time, measured 81 degrees.

“The Mayor set the temperature at Gracie Mansion to 78 degrees yesterday afternoon,” said Mamdani spokesman Jeremy Edwards.

Edwards also confirmed that City Hall’s thermostat settings were adjusted to the recommended level later Thursday after the newspaper questioned the administration about its findings.

Meanwhile, Mamdani’s chief spokesman, Joe Calvello, spent much of Thursday defending the mayor’s recommendation on social media, arguing that the guidance was hardly unprecedented.

“This practice of asking New Yorkers to set their AC to 78 degrees dates back to Dear Communist Leader Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani,” he replied to Barstool Sports founder and Mamdani critic Dave Portnoy.

The debate unfolded as approximately 5,000 Con Edison customers in the Bronx temporarily lost electrical service.

“Due to an electric problem in Riverdale, we had to shut off power to some customers temporarily to prevent more extended outages,” the utility said in a statement. “We’re completing repairs as quickly as possible.”

Britain’s competition regulator has opened an initial review of the proposed combination involving Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery, launching another regulatory hurdle for a deal that could reshape the global media and streaming industry.

The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it is assessing whether the transaction could substantially reduce competition in the United Kingdom across television broadcasting, streaming services, film distribution and advertising markets. The review marks the first phase of Britain’s merger process and will determine whether the proposal requires a more extensive investigation.

The proposed combination would unite some of the world’s best-known entertainment brands under one corporate umbrella. Together, the companies control major television networks, film studios, sports rights and streaming platforms, including CBS, Paramount Pictures, Showtime, HBO, CNN, Warner Bros. Pictures, Discovery, Max, and numerous international television channels.

Regulators are expected to focus on whether the combined company could gain excessive bargaining power when negotiating with cable operators, streaming distributors and advertisers, while also examining how the merger could affect consumers through pricing, programming choices and future competition in streaming.

The review comes as traditional media companies continue searching for greater scale to compete against technology giants including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, and YouTube, all of which continue investing billions of dollars annually in original programming and global distribution.

Industry analysts say consolidation has become increasingly attractive as media companies struggle with declining cable television subscriptions and rising costs associated with producing premium content. Combining operations could allow companies to reduce expenses, eliminate overlapping businesses and strengthen negotiating leverage with advertisers and distributors.

The CMA said it is inviting comments from interested parties before determining whether the transaction raises sufficient competition concerns to warrant a more detailed Phase 2 investigation. Such reviews can examine market concentration, consumer impact, licensing arrangements and the potential effects on future innovation.

The United Kingdom is not the only jurisdiction reviewing major media consolidation. Large cross-border transactions typically require approval from regulators in multiple countries, including the United States and the European Union, before they can proceed.

Investors are closely watching the regulatory process because approval timelines often influence both financing and integration plans. While some large media mergers have ultimately received approval after agreeing to certain conditions, others have faced lengthy investigations or required companies to divest assets to address competition concerns.

For businesses across the entertainment industry, the outcome could influence future licensing negotiations, advertising markets and streaming competition. Content producers, television distributors and technology companies will also be watching closely, as further consolidation among legacy media companies could reshape the competitive landscape for years to come.

The CMA has not yet indicated when it expects to complete its initial review or whether the proposed transaction will advance to a more comprehensive investigation.

JBizNews Desk | London

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A newly released Department of Homeland Security inspector general’s report has uncovered a series of major Secret Service failures that allowed President Donald Trump’s would-be assassin to reach a rooftop overlooking his Butler, Pennsylvania, campaign rally before opening fire. Among the most striking revelations is that, as local police urgently reported the gunman’s location, a Secret Service counter-drone operator was searching the internet to determine where the rooftop was instead of immediately obtaining the information from officers on the scene.

The 64-page report concludes that the Secret Service “missed multiple opportunities to detect, prevent, and disrupt” Thomas Crooks’ assassination attempt. Investigators found repeated breakdowns in communication that prevented the agents assigned to protect Trump from ever learning that an armed suspect had climbed onto the roof of the American Glass Research International (AGR) complex, located just 155 yards from the stage.

According to the report, local law enforcement contacted the Secret Service and Pennsylvania State Police communications center at 6:09 p.m., warning that a suspicious individual had been spotted on the roof of the AGR building.

Investigators found that neither the Secret Service communications supervisor nor the agency’s counter-drone operator requested the location of the AGR complex after receiving the warning. The report states they “did not ask for the AGR complex’s location …. did not immediately identify it as a risk.” It further notes that the communications supervisor “did not even ‘recall learning that the suspicious person was on the roof'” because he had “delegated communications about the suspicious person to the counter drone operator because it was a ‘busy time’ on Secret Service radios and the counter drone operator was sitting near him and offered to help.”

Rather than immediately asking local officers where the building was located in relation to the rally site, the counter-drone operator instead attempted to locate it online.

“Instead of asking local law enforcement personnel for the AGR complex’s location, the counter drone operator searched online for it, and was still searching when Crooks fired his first shots,” the report determined.

Just two minutes after the initial warning—at approximately 6:11 p.m.—Crooks fired eight rounds toward the stage, grazing President Trump’s ear, killing one rally attendee, and wounding several others.

Investigators concluded that despite mounting concern among local officers beginning well before the shooting, the Secret Service failed to recognize the urgency of the threat.

“Ultimately, although members of the local law enforcement communications room were increasingly concerned by the presence of a suspicious individual as early as 5:42 p.m.,” the report continued, “Secret Service communications room personnel did not identify Crooks as an urgent threat before he fired shots.

“Moreover, Secret Service decision-makers responsible for protecting President Trump while on stage at the Butler event were not made aware of Crooks’ presence at any time.”

The report also faults the Secret Service for failing to establish a joint communications center with local law enforcement. Because of that decision, 102 radio transmissions concerning the suspicious individual never reached Secret Service personnel.

Among the messages that went unheard was a 5:42 p.m. transmission from local officers reporting, “we had a younger white male long hair lurking around the AGR building, he was viewed with a rangefinder sighting the stage … we lost sight of him.”

As the situation intensified, local officers continued broadcasting increasingly urgent warnings that likewise never reached the agents protecting the president.

“I have someone on the roof with white shorts,” one officer radioed at 6:08 p.m.

Moments later, another transmission warned, “He’s armed, I saw him. He’s laying down,” followed immediately by, “You need to deploy to the AGR building … male on the roof with a long gun. Shots fired!”

Instead of receiving those radio alerts, the Secret Service was informed about Crooks through only five telephone calls and three text messages, according to investigators.

“As a result, Secret Service members did not alert President Trump’s protective detail about concerns of a suspicious person,” the report concluded.

The investigation also revealed that Trump’s campaign staff rejected an earlier Secret Service proposal to position large trucks between the AGR building and the rally stage because the vehicles would interfere with television camera angles.

“On July 12, 2024 … the site agent counterpart told us she proposed placing the trucks between the AGR complex and the stage, but protectee staff denied the request because the trucks would be ‘too close to [President Trump’s] press shot,’” the DHS report found.

“The site agent counterpart then proposed moving the trucks to a nearby location instead, which would block line of sight from a different area; protectee staff agreed.”

Crooks was ultimately shot and killed by law enforcement officers moments after opening fire on President Trump and the crowd.

{Matzav.com}

BRUSSELS (AP) — Dozens of diamonds spell out two giant letter “T” next to the Stars and Stripes and “1776” and “2026.” Dozens more frame the numbers 45 and 47 in the shape of Superman’s logo. A diamond-winged eagle carries a ruby shield and clutches an olive branch of emeralds, below a radiant “250” and atop the phrase “250 YEARS USA” etched in 18-karat gold.

All told, 321 diamonds, 56 sapphires, 13 emeralds and six rubies encrust the watch-sized gold ring presented this week to Bill White, the U.S. ambassador to Belgium, to give to President Donald Trump.

“A very special thank you to my friends from Antwerp for the magnificent Freedom 250 ring,” Trump said in a prerecorded video message during an event marking America’s 250th birthday in Brussels.

In this image released Tuesday, June 30, 2026, a ring designed for U.S. President Donald Trump and crafted by Antwerp diamond designer David Gotlib. (David Gotlib via AP)

Isidore Mörsel, president of the Antwerp World Diamond Center, or AWDC, gifted the ring on behalf of the centuries-old diamond community in the Belgian port city, a central node in the worldwide trade of the precious stones that found itself struggling last year under the weight of Trump’s sweeping trade war.

“May this ring serve as a lasting reminder that true partnership like the finest natural diamonds are formed under pressure, endure the test of time, and shine brightest when built on trust,” Mörsel said. The ring’s interior is engraved with the phrase “Crafted in Antwerp for Donald John Trump.”

In dollar terms, the ring’s value pales beside gifts like the $400 million plane donated by Qatar that Trump ordered converted into a new Air Force One. But it’s a glitzy window into the role that ostentatious – and almost always gilded — gifts are playing by those seeking to curry favor with the U.S. president.

A White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter, said Thursday that the ring has not been presented to Trump yet.

The ring is latest in Trump’s historic break with White House custom
The gift comes months after Belgium’s diamond industry won the removal of U.S. tariffs on diamond imports. In September, AWDC said it had “succeeded in securing a zero percent import tariff” on Antwerp’s annual export of more than $2 billion of polished diamonds to the U.S. A spokesperson for the group said on Thursday that the AWDC provided “input” to the European Commission as it negotiated with Trump on a broad deal on tariffs in 2025, but did not itself lobby the administration.

U.S. presidents have considerable discretion to accept gifts from domestic and foreign sources and may determine themselves whether a gift was meant for them personally or the nation. The exception is those from foreign governments, which are prohibited by the foreign emoluments clause of the Constitution without congressional assent, though presidents could use personal funds to reimburse the Treasury for the full value of an official gift if they wish to retain them.

Personal gifts are also supposed to be registered on the president’s annual financial disclosure. Trump’s 2025 disclosure, released this week, revealed a $250,000 gift of a sculpture depicting his triumphal gesture after surviving a 2024 assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and tickets to 10 sporting events, including 10 to the upcoming World Cup final in New Jersey from FIFA’s Gianni Infantino, valued at a collective $15,000.

Four U.S. ethics experts told The Associated Press that Trump has broken with decades-old custom in the White House to avoid accepting such gifts.

The ring’s value estimated at $25,000-$35,000
To forge the ring, the AWDC turned to David Gotlib, an Antwerp-based high-end jeweler whose cufflinks can sell for more than 15,000 euros ($17,000).

Neither AWDC nor Gotlib would provide a valuation of the ring, but two independent jewelers told AP they estimated the value between $25,000 and $35,000.

Paris- and London-based jewelry consultant Alexander Levinson calculated the cost at $25,928, while David Saad, a third-generation luxury jeweler in Canada, priced the ring between $33,000 and $35,000. Both said half the cost was in materials, half in labor.

After the ring was presented on a star-spangled stage in Brussels, musician Alexis Wilkins, the girlfriend of FBI Director Kash Patel, sang the U.S. national anthem to more than 8,000 people drinking Budweiser and bourbon from Tennessee and Kentucky.

White said he raised more than $5.5 million for the 250th anniversary event from corporate sponsors like defense industry titans Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, tech firms like Intel, Google and Meta, as well as the European chocolate companies Leonidas and Ferrero. AWDC said it contributed funds, too.

“The media was asking, ‘Why does it have to be so big?’” White said of the event. “Because we are the United States of America!”

Meanwhile, the fate of the ring is not currently clear.

On Wednesday, White posted a photo online of himself wearing the ring and giving a thumbs-up. The post has since been deleted.

Freddie Mac reported Thursday, July 2, that the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage eased to 6.43%, its lowest level in seven weeks, down from 6.49% a week earlier. The dip, published in the company’s weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey, offers a modest bit of relief to homebuyers heading into the heart of the summer buying season, though it lands against a murky outlook for where rates go next.

Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, said the decline coincides with purchase demand that has continued to edge higher, calling it an encouraging sign as prospective buyers respond to small improvements in affordability. The 15-year fixed mortgage also slipped, averaging 5.79%, down from 5.84% the prior week. A year ago, the 30-year rate averaged 6.67% and the 15-year stood at 5.80%, meaning today’s 30-year loan is cheaper than it was last summer while the 15-year is roughly flat.

It helps to understand what the number is. The Freddie Mac survey is a weekly average, built from thousands of loan applications submitted Monday through Wednesday and released each Thursday. Because it smooths results over several days, it can lag the sharper swings seen in daily rate trackers. On the same day the survey showed a seven-week low, some daily lender data pointed the other way, with Zillow-sourced figures putting the typical 30-year purchase rate closer to 6.66%, up slightly from the day before. The takeaway is that rates have been hovering in a narrow band around the mid-6% range, and the weekly average happened to catch the softer end of it.

The bigger question is direction, and here the signals conflict. The drop follows a weak June jobs report released Thursday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which showed the economy added just 57,000 jobs, well below the roughly 113,000 expected, with the unemployment rate easing to 4.2%. Softer hiring can pull bond yields and mortgage rates lower, and it revived some hope that the Federal Reserve might hold steady or eventually cut. But the Fed has been signaling the opposite. At its June meeting, policymakers struck a hawkish tone, with a majority indicating a rate increase may still be needed later this year to fight inflation that remains well above the central bank’s 2% target, running near 4.2% in the most recent reading. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh has urged markets to watch the incoming data rather than lean on the central bank for guidance.

For the housing market, even small moves in rates matter. Every quarter-point shift changes a buyer’s monthly payment and, at the margin, decides whether some households can qualify at all. After a long stretch of thin inventory and stretched affordability, homebuilders and real-estate brokerages have been counting on steadier borrowing costs to bring hesitant buyers off the sidelines. Lower rates also tend to lift refinancing, giving existing homeowners a chance to trim payments, and can free up household cash for spending elsewhere in the economy, from furniture and appliances to home improvement.

The affordability picture remains tight even with the dip. Home prices in much of the country are still near record highs, and a rate in the mid-6% range keeps monthly costs far above where they sat during the ultra-low-rate years earlier this decade. That combination has kept many would-be sellers in place, unwilling to trade a cheap existing mortgage for a costlier new one, which in turn has limited the supply of homes for sale.

For now, buyers get a small opening. Whether it widens depends on the tug-of-war between a cooling labor market, which argues for lower rates, and stubborn inflation and a cautious Fed, which argue for higher ones. With the survey collected before the holiday weekend and the next reading due in a week, borrowers weighing a purchase or refinance face the same advice housing economists have offered all year: shop multiple lenders, since quotes can vary enough to save thousands over the life of a loan.

JBizNews Desk | McLean, Virginia

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Mir Yeshiva has issued a sharp response following widespread reports identifying the American bochur indicted on espionage charges as a talmid of the famed yeshiva, insisting that the claims are entirely false.

In a statement released Friday, the yeshiva said the accused was never enrolled as a talmid at Mir and had no connection whatsoever to the institution.

“The bochur against whom the indictment was filed was not registered as a talmid in Mir Yeshiva, never studied there, and has no connection to the yeshiva,” the statement read.

The yeshiva further criticized media outlets for continuing to associate its name with the case, saying such reports are inaccurate and mislead the public.

“Any publication or claim linking his name to Mir Yeshiva is false and does not reflect the facts,” the statement added.

The clarification came after news outlets reported that a 21-year-old American bochur studying in Yerushalayim had been indicted for allegedly carrying out assignments on behalf of Iranian operatives. According to prosecutors, the suspect allegedly photographed various locations, carried out dead-drop missions, and was asked to recruit additional yeshiva bochurim, receiving payments in cryptocurrency for the tasks.

{Matzav.com}

Lakewood and its surrounding communities are facing a problem that anyone paying attention has seen coming for years: investors are buying up affordable houses and renting them out indiscriminately, often to tenants who have no connection to the neighborhood and no investment in its character. This upsets frum and non-frum neighbors alike. It drives up prices. And it locks young frum families – the very families trying to do the responsible thing by saving up and buying a home – out of the communities they hoped to build.

We all know these investors aren’t going to listen to appeals to conscience. They’re not interested in the character of a neighborhood or the needs of a growing community. They want a return on their money, and that’s the end of the conversation. So let’s stop wasting breath trying to shame investors into caring, and instead focus on something we can actually fix: information.

Here is the piece that’s broken. Realtors work in this industry. They have access to listings the moment they go up. They know the market better than any buyer scrambling to make a decision in a matter of days. And yet, when a frum family asks a realtor the two most basic questions relevant to their home search – is there an eruv here, and how many shuls are in the area – realtors routinely cannot answer. That’s not a small gap. That’s the one piece of specialized knowledge a family actually needs from them, and it’s the one piece they don’t have.

Meanwhile, families are left to search Zillow like everyone else, guessing at which listings are even realistic options for a frum family. We don’t need someone to forward us a Zillow link. We need real data: which neighborhoods have an eruv, how many shuls or minyanim exist nearby, and as close an approximation as reasonably possible – how many frum families already live there.

I’ll explain why that last piece matters so much, because it’s the reason I’m writing this at all. I live in a small, growing community of about seventeen families. For a stretch of time, we literally had to poll each other every week: “whose home for Shabbos?”, just to make sure we’d have a minyan. We’ve stabilized since then B”H, but it’s still tight, and every single family that joins us makes a real difference. When a house in our neighborhood goes up for sale, we hold our breath hoping a frum family buys it and not an investor. But here’s the cruel irony: because we’re small, almost nobody outside the neighborhood knows we exist – despite having a genuinely lovely basement shul and a working eruv.

It gets worse. A neighbor of mine who is selling their house watched, via their Ring doorbell, a frum realtor tell a prospective frum buyer standing on the porch: “There are five frum families here.” Five. Not seventeen. Just wrong, and wrong in exactly the direction that sends a family walking away. That family will conclude the neighborhood can’t support them, and the house will end up right back in an investor’s hands, who will then look around and say, “Well, no family wanted it, what am I doing wrong?” Meanwhile the realtor who fed that family bad information moves on to the next listing, no worse for it.

So to every realtor who markets themselves as the “friendliest” agent in town, who claims to genuinely want to help buyers find the right home, I’d ask directly: what are you actually doing with the market knowledge you claim to have? While the buyer may not be a paying client, you make your living selling houses. Doesn’t it serve your own interest, not just ours, to have accurate data on who’s buying where, so you can match buyers to homes that will actually work for them and close deals faster?

Here’s a concrete idea. Someone (maybe it needs to be me) should build a simple, public database. It doesn’t need to compromise anyone’s privacy. We don’t need addresses or names. We just need basics: this neighborhood has an eruv, this neighborhood has a shul, this neighborhood has an approximate number of frum families. Even communities with basement shuls that prefer to keep the exact location of the shul private can still be represented honestly: “this general area has a shul and roughly X families,” without pinpointing anyone’s home.

This isn’t a call to stop investors from being investors, that ship had sadly sailed. It’s a call for realtors – who are already positioned, already paid, and already claim to want to help – to start doing the one part of their job that actually requires local knowledge. And it’s a call to our own communities to start building the information infrastructure ourselves, so that small, growing neighborhoods like mine don’t stay invisible simply because nobody bothered to write down that we’re here.

If anyone has any ideas or has started working on a database like this, feel free to reach out via the Lakewood Scoop.

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

Amazon is accelerating the global rollout of its Project Kuiper satellite internet network, expanding its challenge to SpaceX’s Starlink as the battle to provide high-speed broadband from space enters a new phase. The company said it is preparing additional satellite launches and expanding ground infrastructure as it works toward building a constellation capable of serving consumers, businesses and governments worldwide.

Project Kuiper is Amazon’s multibillion-dollar effort to deploy more than 3,200 low-Earth orbit satellites, creating a global broadband network designed to bring high-speed internet to underserved and remote communities. The initiative represents one of Amazon’s largest long-term infrastructure investments outside its core retail and cloud-computing businesses.

The company has already begun launching operational satellites and says customer service will expand as more spacecraft are placed into orbit. Amazon plans to use multiple launch providers—including United Launch Alliance (ULA), Blue Origin, Arianespace, and SpaceX—to rapidly build out the constellation over the coming years.

The race is being driven by surging global demand for reliable broadband connectivity. Low-Earth orbit satellite systems offer significantly lower latency than traditional satellite internet, making them attractive not only for rural households but also for airlines, shipping companies, emergency responders, energy producers and governments seeking resilient communications infrastructure.

Amazon is entering a market currently dominated by SpaceX’s Starlink, which has already deployed thousands of satellites and serves customers across dozens of countries. Starlink has become an increasingly important communications platform for businesses, consumers and government agencies, particularly in areas where traditional fiber or wireless networks remain unavailable.

Amazon believes its extensive cloud infrastructure through Amazon Web Services (AWS) provides a competitive advantage. Company executives have said Kuiper customers will benefit from direct integration with AWS, allowing businesses to combine satellite connectivity with cloud computing, artificial intelligence, data storage and enterprise applications.

Industry analysts estimate the global satellite broadband market could generate tens of billions of dollars annually over the next decade as demand for always-on connectivity continues to grow. Competition is also expected to intensify as governments increasingly view satellite communications as critical infrastructure for economic development and national security.

Building a global satellite network, however, requires enormous capital investment. Beyond manufacturing thousands of satellites, operators must finance repeated rocket launches, construct worldwide ground stations and continually replace satellites as they reach the end of their operational lives.

Amazon has committed billions of dollars to Project Kuiper, viewing the initiative as a long-term growth opportunity that complements its broader technology ecosystem. The company has also introduced customer terminals designed to provide affordable internet access for homes, businesses and public institutions.

For investors, Project Kuiper represents another example of Amazon using its financial scale to enter a market with substantial long-term potential, even if profitability remains years away. While the division is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings, analysts believe satellite broadband could eventually become another major business alongside Amazon’s retail, logistics, advertising and cloud operations.

As launches continue and customer deployments expand, the competition between Project Kuiper and Starlink is expected to reshape the global broadband market, bringing faster internet access to millions of people while opening new opportunities for enterprise communications around the world.

JBizNews Desk | Seattle

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After weeks of heartfelt tefillos throughout the Torah world, uplifting news arrived Friday from Hadassah Medical Center: Rav Avraham Yehoshua Soloveitchik, rosh yeshiva of Brisk, has been discharged from the hospital following a significant improvement in his condition.

The revered rosh yeshiva, whose hospitalization prompted an outpouring of tefillah across yeshivos and kehillos around the world, is now recovering at home after doctors determined that his condition had improved sufficiently to allow his release from the hospital.

During the rosh yeshiva‘s illness, special Tehillim gatherings and tefillah vigils were held in numerous communities, with thousands of bnei Torah fervently davening for his complete recovery.

Although his condition has, b’chasdei Hashem, improved dramatically, the public is continuing to daven for his complete refuah.

Klal Yisroel is asked to continue davening for Rav Avraham Yehoshua ben Ettil.

{Matzav.com}

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President Donald Trump defended his financial holdings Thursday, insisting that he has no direct role in managing his investments while serving in office and saying his sons oversee his business interests. Responding to questions about the billions of dollars disclosed in his latest financial report—including more than $1 billion in cryptocurrency holdings—Trump said he was unaware of the investments and rejected suggestions that they posed a conflict of interest.

Speaking during a CNBC interview from the Oval Office, Trump emphasized that building wealth has long been part of his professional career.

“I’ve always made money,” he said. “I’m a business person. I’m a really good business person. I made money. I made a tremendous amount of money.”

Trump said his personal investments are managed by others and that he is not involved in the day-to-day decisions.

“I let people invest it. I don’t even speak to – I don’t even know who they are,” he said. “My son Eric handles it. I don’t talk to him about things such as this.”

He explained that his assets are placed with major investment firms that manage them through what he described as “semi-blind trusts or blind trusts.” Although he did not identify the firms involved, Trump suggested that part of the increase in his wealth was attributable to the strong performance of the stock market.

His comments came after his latest financial disclosure revealed approximately $1.2 billion in income tied to various cryptocurrency investments over the past year. During the interview, Trump maintained that he was unaware of those specific holdings.

He added that even if he had known about the investments, no law would have prohibited him from continuing to carry out his presidential duties, noting that presidents and vice presidents are not legally required to step aside from policy decisions that could affect their personal financial interests.

“I didn’t. There’s nothing illegal with that. I could know,” he said, pointing out there is no legal requirement “to recuse yourself on every decision running the country that could have anything to do with you. It just isn’t feasible to do it.”

Trump also reflected on the business career he built before entering public office, noting that his wealth was accumulated through decades in real estate, casinos, and television, including his long-running role on NBC’s The Apprentice.

He also noted that he does not accept the presidential salary.

“This is the Oval Office,” he added. “It’s a much bigger purpose than whether or not I make money. As an example, the president’s the highest paid person in government, and you know, by some standards it gets a lot of money. … I gave up my salary. I don’t get a salary.”

The salary for the president of the United States is $400,000 per year.

Trump noted that the Trump Organization had been operating long before he entered politics, with his children—Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Ivanka Trump—playing significant roles in the business. Although Ivanka has since stepped away from the company, Trump argued that his family’s long-standing business activities make it impossible to completely separate them from public scrutiny.

“Almost anything my kids do — if they buy a truck — they have inside information,” he said, arguing that his children are being unfairly criticized simply for continuing their professional careers while he serves as president.

“I feel badly in a way for my kids,” he said, adding that “anything they do, because the presidency is so powerful … if they buy a cupcake company, well, the energy to make the cupcakes, is you know, sort of like, how’s my energy policy?”

“So it’s pretty tough in that sense. I tell my kids, ‘stay away,’” Trump said. “But they also have a life. You know, they were doing business long before I ever thought of … running for president.”

Asked specifically whether his cryptocurrency holdings created a conflict of interest, Trump dismissed the concern and instead framed digital assets as an area of strategic competition with China.

“The way I view crypto is a little differently. We have to be at the top, otherwise China is going to take it over,” he said.

Since returning to office, Trump has aggressively promoted cryptocurrency, calling for the United States to become the world’s “crypto capital.” His administration has pursued policies aimed at reducing regulatory barriers, establishing a national Bitcoin reserve, and encouraging the growth of a dollar-backed stablecoin market.

{Matzav.com}

As Americans gear up to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, many major retailers and restaurants will stay open, close or operate with reduced hours on July 4.

Big-box and grocery stores, including Sam’s Club and Kroger, and several restaurants, including Olive Garden and Taco Bell, will stay open on the holiday. Other chains, including McDonald’s and Whole Foods, will remain open with adjusted operating hours.

Take a look at which major U.S. retailers will stay open for last-minute shopping runs, and which ones will stay closed:

The warehouse chain will be closed for the July 4 holiday, according to their official website.

Target stores are open during regular hours, but customers are encouraged to check with their local store to confirm hours, the company said in a statement.

Walmart stores are open with normal operating hours, the company told FOX Business.

Kroger stores will be open, but pharmacy and clinic hours may vary, according to the chain’s website.

The Costco competitor, Sam’s Club, will be open with normal operating hours, a spokesperson told FOX Business.

Whole Foods will be open, but close early, according to a statement provided to FOX Business.

“On July 4th, most Whole Foods Market stores will open at their regular time and close early, at 6:00 p.m., with a few exceptions,” the statement read.

All Trader Joe’s locations will be open until 5 p.m. local time, according to the company’s website.

Dollar General will be open during their regular hours, which may vary by location, the company said in a statement.

All Kohl’s stores will be open from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. local time, but store hours may vary by location, according to a statement provided by the company.

Macy’s stores will remain open on July 3 and 4, but hours may vary by location, according to a statement provided by the company.

Home Depot will be open and close at 8 p.m. local time, according to the company’s website.

CVS locations will be open, though some locations will operate at reduced hours, according to the company’s website.

CVS is also partnering with America250 to play a role during celebrations in major cities like New York, Los Angeles and Boston, while maintaining a presence during parades and block parities in smaller markets.

Walgreens stores will operate under their regular business hours, according to a statement on the company’s website.

“Unlike previous years – when stores remained open, but most pharmacies were closed – Walgreens will keep more than 4,000 pharmacy locations open,” the company said. “This expanded availability enhances timely access to prescriptions, over-the-counter treatments, and onsite pharmacist support when patients need it most.” 

Burger King hours will vary by franchise location, according to a statement provided to FOX Business. The company encourages guests to confirm their location’s hours in person, online or through the Burger King app.

U.S. Chick-fil-A restaurants are open on July 4, according to the company’s official website.

Most U.S. Chipotle locations will close at 3 p.m. local time, according to a statement provided to FOX Business.

Dunkin’ will keep America running on the 4th as stores will be open during normal operating hours, according to a statement the coffee chain provided to FOX Business.

KFC encourages customers to check with their local locations for updated hours, according to a KFC spokesperson.

Most McDonald’s locations are open on U.S. holidays, but hours may vary by location, according to a statement provided to FOX Business.

Popeyes locations are expected to be open, the company told FOX Business. 

“Since restaurant hours are set at the local level, guests should check the Popeyes Restaurant Locator at Popeyes.com or their preferred delivery platform for the most up-to-date hours before visiting,” Popeyes said.

Starbucks hours may vary by location, and the coffeehouse chain encourages customers to check with their local store for updated hours, a spokesperson for the company said.

“Coffeehouse hours vary by location, and they may occasionally adjust their hours based on business and customer needs,” the statement said. “The Starbucks app continues to be the best way for customers to find a coffeehouse, check hours, order ahead and pay.”

Taco Bell will remain open on the Fourth of July, according to the company’s website.

Many Wendy’s locations will be open, but the company encourages customers to check with their local restaurant as hours may vary by location, according to a statement provided by the company.

Some Applebee’s locations will be open, though customers are encouraged to check with their local franchise for hours, the company said in a statement to FOX Business.

“Select Applebee’s restaurants nationwide will be open on July 4th, although hours may vary. Please contact your local Applebee’s for specific information on holiday hours as each restaurant is independently owned and operated and hours vary by location,” the company’s statement read.

Olive Garden restaurants will be fully open with no change in operating hours,a spokesperson for the chain’s parent company, Darden, said in a statement.

FedEx locations will be closed on July 4, according to the company’s website.

UPS locations will be closed on July 4, according to the company’s website.

USPS locations will be closed on July 4, according to the official Postal Service website.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is launching a major effort to boost domestic fertilizer production, announcing $500 million in new funding to help build and expand fertilizer manufacturing plants across the United States.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins unveiled the initiative Wednesday, saying the program is designed to strengthen America’s fertilizer supply chain, reduce dependence on foreign suppliers, and help lower one of farmers’ biggest operating expenses.

The new initiative, known as the Fertilizer Investment and Expansion for Long-Term Domestic Supply (FIELDS) program, will provide grants ranging from $15 million to $150 million for projects that expand U.S. fertilizer production capacity. Companies receiving awards must provide matching funds, with financing coming through the Commodity Credit Corporation. Applications will remain open for 45 days.

The announcement comes after years of volatility in fertilizer prices.

Global fertilizer costs surged following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and climbed again during recent Middle East conflicts that disrupted energy markets and international shipping. Since fertilizer production depends heavily on natural gas and other energy inputs, higher fuel prices quickly translate into higher costs for farmers.

Those higher costs eventually reach consumers.

Fertilizer is one of the largest expenses involved in producing corn, wheat, soybeans, fruits, and vegetables. It also affects livestock producers because grain is a major component of animal feed. When fertilizer becomes more expensive, food production costs rise throughout the agricultural supply chain, ultimately contributing to higher grocery prices.

Rollins said the new program is intended to accelerate construction of facilities that can produce fertilizer domestically rather than relying on imported supplies.

She contrasted the new initiative with a previous USDA fertilizer program, saying earlier efforts funded numerous projects but resulted in relatively few completed facilities. The new program, she said, will place greater emphasis on projects that are financially sound, construction-ready, and capable of bringing additional production online quickly.

Federal officials say applications will be evaluated based on project readiness, financing, market demand, execution capability, and measurable benefits for American agriculture.

The initiative also reflects a broader shift in U.S. industrial policy.

In recent years, Washington has increasingly treated products such as semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, critical minerals, and agricultural inputs as strategic industries that deserve domestic investment. Policymakers argue that relying too heavily on foreign suppliers leaves the country vulnerable during wars, trade disputes, and other global disruptions.

Alongside the fertilizer announcement, the Environmental Protection Agency introduced a separate challenge program offering up to $30 million in prize funding to encourage development of alternatives to traditional chemical crop desiccation methods used before harvest.

For farmers, however, the immediate focus remains fertilizer affordability.

Building new production facilities will take time, and the matching-fund requirement means private companies must commit substantial capital alongside the federal investment. Even under an accelerated timetable, new plants are unlikely to begin producing fertilizer overnight.

Still, agricultural organizations welcomed the announcement as a step toward improving long-term supply security and increasing competition within the domestic fertilizer market.

For consumers, the program represents an investment aimed at stabilizing food production costs over the coming years. While it will not immediately lower grocery prices, increasing domestic fertilizer production could reduce future price spikes caused by overseas conflicts or supply disruptions.

The success of the initiative will ultimately depend on how quickly projects move from applications to construction and eventually into commercial production. If successful, the program could help strengthen one of the most important links in America’s food supply chain while reducing dependence on imported fertilizer for years to come.

JBizNews Desk
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By Y.M. Lowy

Today is dangerously hot with a high of 99° and a low of 79°. An Extreme Heat Warning is in effect as oppressive humidity pushes the RealFeel temperature as high as 113°. Expect sunny skies, and be sure to stay hydrated, limit time outdoors when possible, and check on those who may be more vulnerable to the heat.

Shabbos will remain hot and humid with a high of 92° and a low of 77°. Sunshine and a few clouds are expected for much of the day before a thunderstorm may develop in the afternoon. The combination of dangerous heat and strong storms could even produce hail.

Sunday will be slightly cooler, with a high of 87° and a low of 72°, though it will still feel very warm because of the humidity. Expect plenty of sunshine before the chance of an afternoon thunderstorm develops.

As his campaign struggles to gain momentum in recent polls, Naftali Bennett has taken another step in preparing for Israel’s upcoming election by formally requesting approval to change the official name of his political party.

The request was submitted to the Registrar of Political Parties at the Justice Ministry by Bruria Naim Arman, the party’s director-general and a member of its executive leadership. The filing seeks to update the official registration of Bennett’s political platform to reflect its new campaign branding.

According to the application, the party has until now been officially registered as “Bennett 2026.” Bennett’s team is asking that the name be changed to “Together Led by Bennett – Restoring Hope.”

The move follows Bennett’s announcement that he will run under the “Together” banner alongside Opposition Leader and Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid.

The name change is a procedural step required under Israel’s Political Parties Law. Existing parties seeking to adopt a new official name must submit supporting documentation demonstrating that the decision was properly approved through the party’s internal governing bodies.

Using an already registered political party—commonly referred to in Israeli politics as a “shelf party”—is a widely accepted practice. Rather than establishing a new party from scratch, politicians often acquire or utilize an existing registered entity, allowing them to avoid the lengthy legal process involved in creating a new party. Updating the official name is one of the final bureaucratic steps before campaigning under a new political brand.

The filing comes as Bennett continues to lose ground in public opinion surveys. In most recent polls, his party has fallen behind the political faction led by Gadi Eisenkot, which now outpaces Bennett’s list in the majority of surveys.

Earlier this week, political strategist and campaign consultant Nevo Cohen suggested during an interview on the Galei Israel Radio program Pitachi V’Zimri Ba’am that Bennett could ultimately decide to withdraw from the race altogether.

“The likely scenario is that we’ll continue to see Bennett and Lapid collapse, and then the discussion will begin about when they fall into the single digits,” Cohen said, describing what he viewed as an increasingly difficult political outlook for the two leaders.

He went on to argue that their current standing is already weaker than many realize.

“By the way, they’re already in the single digits. Each one of them separately is already in the single digits.”

Program host Yotam Zimri observed that the trend appeared especially troubling for Bennett, noting, “This is Bennett’s decline, because Lapid was already in the single digits.”

Cohen agreed and predicted that the political and media pressure on both leaders would continue to intensify.

“That’s true,” Cohen replied. “Over the next two weeks, people will begin talking about when the two of them together reach the single digits.”

His assessment was based on a series of recently published polls showing continued erosion in support for Bennett and Lapid’s “Together” alliance, while support for Eisenkot’s party has continued to rise.

{Matzav.com}

Traffic on the Garden State Parkway has been extremely heavy so far today, with significant delays reported in multiple areas.

The body of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was laid in state at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla Mosque on Friday, July 3, opening six days of ceremonies that Iranian officials are portraying as a demonstration of national resolve following the recent war with the United States and Israel. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf described the funeral as a renewal of the nation’s commitment to the ideals of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, calling on supporters to continue what he described as Iran’s path of resistance.

Iranian authorities said Khamenei, 86, was killed alongside several members of his family during a joint U.S.-Israeli strike on his compound on February 28, the opening day of the conflict.

State television broadcast images from inside the mosque showing five flag-draped caskets arranged before mourners. Iranian officials said one of the smaller coffins held Khamenei’s one-year-old granddaughter, who they say also died in the strike. Authorities estimate that as many as 20 million people could attend the funeral processions beginning Saturday, potentially exceeding the estimated 10 million who gathered for the 1989 funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic.

Several foreign delegations arrived in Tehran to pay their respects, including Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, and He Wei, vice chairman of China’s National People’s Congress. Officials from Pakistan, Iraq, India, Turkey and several other countries also attended, underscoring Iran’s continued diplomatic relationships despite months of conflict and international pressure.

Questions remain over the public role of Mojtaba Khamenei, the late supreme leader’s son and designated successor. Iranian officials have said he was injured in the February strike and has not appeared publicly since, communicating only through occasional written statements. His absence has fueled speculation among diplomats and investors over how Iran’s next leadership chapter will unfold.

The funeral comes as Washington has begun easing some economic restrictions on Iran following a diplomatic framework reached last month. Under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, signed June 17 by President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, the United States agreed to temporarily ease sanctions on Iranian oil exports, release certain frozen Iranian assets as negotiations continue, support reconstruction planning, and reopen commercial navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

On June 22, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a temporary license allowing Iranian crude exports through August 21, 2026, while negotiations continue.

The agreement leaves several of the most contentious issues unresolved, including Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, its ballistic missile program, and support for regional proxy groups. On July 1, Ghalibaf reiterated that international inspectors would not be permitted to enter bomb-damaged nuclear facilities.

Some analysts believe the conflict has reinforced the Iranian leadership’s belief that its confrontational strategy succeeded. Narges Bajoghli, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, said the government’s survival following months of military confrontation has strengthened support among some Iranians for its long-standing policy of resistance.

For global markets, the greatest concern remains the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply passes.

Iranian officials have indicated they are considering imposing transit fees on commercial shipping beginning in mid-August. U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has urged Tehran to abandon the proposal during indirect negotiations mediated by Qatar and Pakistan. Meanwhile, Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya military command warned this week that vessels failing to follow approved transit routes could face military action.

Oil markets have remained relatively calm despite the uncertainty. On Friday, Brent crude traded near $71.76 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate hovered around $68.41, reflecting investor expectations that the ceasefire will continue to hold.

Even so, higher energy costs continue to affect consumers, with U.S. gasoline prices remaining significantly above year-ago levels following months of disruption across Middle Eastern shipping routes.

Speaking Thursday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz warned that President Trump’s patience “is not unlimited,” accusing Tehran of threatening global commerce through repeated disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Formal negotiations are expected to pause during the funeral period before resuming later this month. Iran has announced that Khamenei’s body will travel to Qom, followed by Najaf and Karbala in Iraq, before his burial in Mashhad on July 9.

As diplomatic talks resume and the deadline for Iran’s proposed Hormuz transit policy approaches, governments and financial markets alike will be watching whether the ceasefire evolves into a lasting agreement—or another period of renewed confrontation.

JBizNews Desk | Tehran

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Reserve at ScoopOutdoor.com or email [email protected].

The Yenuka delivered an emotional message about the ongoing arrests of bnei yeshivah during a recent meeting with a group of avreichim from the Old Yishuv community in Beit Shemesh, drawing parallels to historic decrees against Torah scholars and urging greater unity and respect within the Torah world as the proper response to the current crisis.

The discussion took place after the group visited the Yenuka to present him with a copy of a sefer they had published. During the meeting, the avreichim asked him to address the growing controversy surrounding the drafting of bnei yeshivah and the difficult situation confronting many lomdei Torah.

Video from the gathering shows the Yenuka speaking with visible pain about recent events. One of the avreichim told him, “In Beit Shemesh alone, we’ve heard of 16 avreichim sitting in prison. What can be done?”

In response, the Yenuka compared today’s efforts to draft bnei yeshivah and restrict the Torah world to earlier attempts by foreign governments, including the forced conscription of yeshivah students into the Russian army.

He cited the teaching of the Vilna Gaon, who explained that the Cantonist decrees came about because of lashon hara and the bizui of talmidei chachamim and lomdei Torah.

The Yenuka then quoted numerous Torah sources that, he said, point to the same underlying cause for decrees against Torah scholars throughout Jewish history. He stressed that especially during a period when the Torah world is under such intense pressure, Jews must avoid internal disputes and divisions.

Instead, he said, the proper response to the current challenges is to strengthen ahavas Yisroel, promote unity, and ensure that the honor of those who dedicate themselves to Torah learning is protected.

During the conversation, the Yenuka also referred to a well-known account involving Rav Amram Blau zt”l, who warned that the struggle with the Zionist movement was not merely ideological and could ultimately lead to bloodshed.

The avreichim noted that they had received a different version of the story through their own tradition. The Yenuka responded that there are, in fact, two different versions of the incident.

{Matzav.com}

By BoroPark24 Staff

With summer now in full swing, Boro Park has settled into a quieter pace as many families settled in the Catskills and summer destinations. As the neighborhood adjusts to its seasonal rhythm, many residents are wondering which Rebbes will be in Boro Park this Shabbos to attend the tefillos and their tishen.

• Alesk - Woodbourne
• Amshinov - Boro Park
• Beis Chaim Shia - Hillcrest Estates, Ferndale
• Bobov - White Lake
• Bobov-45 - Boro Park
• Burshtin - Boro Park
• Bluzhiv Ribatich - Yerishulayim
• Chernoble - Private Shabbos
• Emunas Yisroel - Boro Park
• Kosov - Boro Park 
• Liska - Boro Park
• Lelov - Boro Park 
• Lelov - Boro Park 
• Minkatch - Boro Park 
• Rachmastrivka -Machne Rachmastrivka, Greinfield Park 
• Sanz Klausenburg - Boro Park 
• Sanz Zmigrad - Bloomingrove 
• Serdaheli - Boro Park 
• Skolya - Machne Skolya, South Fallsburg
• Skulen - Machne Mare Yecheskel, Liberty
• Ungvar - Boro Park 
• Viznitz BP - Machne Bnos Yisroel, South Fallsburg
• Viznitz Y-M - Boro Park

Be sure to check back every Friday as we'll update the list weekly to reflect each Rebbe's Shabbos plans.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has berated and belittled many of his European counterparts expected to attend next week’s NATO summit in Turkey. But host Recep Tayyip Erdogan has drawn on his close ties with the U.S. leader to secure his presence at the Ankara event — an appearance that may even come with a significant gift related to Turkish defense.

Trump has frequently praised Erdogan, calling him a “hell of a leader” and a good friend. “I would not have gone for most people,” Trump said last week. “But he called me up. He said: ‘Please, I have it in Turkey. You got to be there. The United States has to be in there.’ And so I’m going out of respect to President Erdogan.”

Leveraging that respect has helped Erdogan avoid the disarray that Trump’s absence would cause the alliance, particularly at a time when the Republican president has been repeatedly threatening to pull U.S. forces from Europe and scale back America’s role in NATO, unsettling allies. Trump has long rebuked other NATO countries over their defense spending and he claimed last year’s pledge to collectively boost it as a major personal win. More recently, he has clashed with alliance members for failing to back his war against Iran.

But Trump has sweetened the deal for Erdogan by also hinting that he could make news during his visit related to jet engines and the potential sale of F-35 fighter jets barred for years because of Turkey’s closeness with Moscow.

Trump’s affinity for strongmen leaders has long made him an admirer of Erdogan, who amassed power in Turkey first as its prime minister and now in his 13th year as president.

“His relationship with Erdogan, which is pretty strong, is consistent with what seems to be a pattern of his preference,” said Philip Gordon, who served as national security adviser for Vice President Kamala Harris. “It has often been pointed out he seems to have better relationships with adversaries and autocrats, and he certainly says nicer things about them than with allies.”

Gordon, now at the Brookings Institution, added, “Erdogan is taking full advantage of it.”

Erdogan snubbed Biden but bets on Trump
Trump, who is expected to have a bilateral meeting with Erdogan on the sidelines of the NATO summit, will be the first U.S. president to visit Turkey since Democrat Barack Obama in 2015. By contrast, Democratic President Joe Biden kept Erdogan at arm’s length over Turkey’s democratic backsliding and close ties to Russia.

Opposition parties and human rights organizations have accused Erdogan of undermining democracy and curbing freedom of expression. They say baseless investigations and prosecutions of human rights activists, journalists, opposition politicians and others remain a persistent problem in Turkey.

Soner Cagaptay of the Washington Institute said Erdogan and Trump “clicked” personally during Trump’s first term. When Biden extended an invitation in 2024 for Erdogan to visit the U.S. after Turkey endorsed Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership, Erdogan decided not to go.

“That was Erdogan’s way of signaling to Trump, ‘Hey, you are going to probably win the elections,’” Cagaptay said. “I think Trump saw that as a giant gesture.”

Trump signals steps toward jet sales for Turkey
During a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte last week, a reporter asked Trump whether he was taking “a big gift bag for Erdogan” on the trip, noting that Ankara wants F-110 jet engines and F-35 fighter jets.

“Yeah, I think so,” Trump responded. “Yeah, I’m going to probably do something that’s going to make him very happy.” Trump had also suggested September that the U.S. could soon start selling F-35s to Turkey.

Turkey was barred from the program in 2019, after it purchased Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems. U.S. officials have feared that Turkey’s use of the Russian system could enable Moscow to gather information on the F-35’s capabilities.

At the Oval Office meeting, Vice President JD Vance said Washington was exploring ways to sell Turkey the jets, emphasizing that any sale would ensure Turkey has complied with U.S. law. There is significant bipartisan opposition on Capitol Hill, including from influential Republicans such as Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to selling the F-35s to Turkey as long as Ankara is in possession of the Russian missile defense systems.

Meanwhile, the F-110 jet engines that Turkey is seeking to purchase would power its domestically produced KAAN fighter jets. The State Department last week took a step toward making those sales, sending key lawmakers a notice that it planned to bypass congressional opposition to more than $700 million of the jet engine sales to Ankara, according to two people granted anonymity to discuss details of a nonpublic notification.

“In this case, the State Department did not even attempt to justify its decision,” New York Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement last week. “It did not invoke any emergency authority, did not present a written rationale, and for months refused to make a good-faith effort to brief me on implications of the sale for the U.S.-Turkey relationship, Turkey’s continued possession of the Russian S-400 system, and other regional security concerns.”

The relationship between the U.S. and Turkey is thawing in other ways, too. Earlier this year, Trump’s Department of Justice dropped a major case against Turkey’s state‑owned Halkbank, which had been accused of helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions.

Erdogan lauds Trump’s friendship and phone calls
When he returned to the White House for his second term, Trump appointed a close friend as ambassador to Turkey: Tom Barrack, a longtime ally who also served as the chairman of his inaugural committee. “Barrack is playing a crucial role as a facilitator in the relationship,” said Ahmet Kasim Han, a professor of international relations at Ankara’s TED University.

Erdogan and Trump have frequently held telephone calls to discuss Syria, Gaza and the wider Middle East, and Turkey joined Trump’s Board of Peace aimed at overseeing the ceasefire in Gaza. Trump claimed this month that he asked Erdogan to stay out of the war in Iran and that the Turkish leader complied, though there is no indication that Turkey had ever intended to get involved.

Trump expressed admiration for Erdogan even while standing beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a joint news conference last year. Netanyahu, whose government is at odds with Ankara, had hoped to win Trump’s support for pushing back on Turkish influence in Syria, but instead found himself watching as Trump showered praises on Erdogan and urged Netanyahu to be “reasonable.”

Last year, after meeting with Trump at the NATO summit in The Hague, Erdogan told reporters that the U.S. president is quick to return his calls, an anecdote that illustrated their close ties.

“With my friend Trump, we are opening the door to a new era in Turkish‑American relations,” Erdogan said. “The process of telephone diplomacy between us has never exceeded 24 hours so far. When we call, the other side responds within 24 hours.”

Rivian Automotive reported Thursday from its headquarters in Irvine, California, that it delivered 12,194 electric vehicles during the second quarter while producing 12,613 vehicles at its manufacturing plant in Normal, Illinois, outperforming both its own guidance and Wall Street expectations. The stronger-than-expected performance prompted the company to raise its full-year 2026 delivery outlook, sending Rivian shares up as much as 13% in Thursday trading and giving investors fresh optimism that the electric vehicle maker may finally be gaining momentum after a prolonged period of slowing demand and heavy losses.

The company said second-quarter deliveries exceeded its previously issued guidance of 9,000 to 11,000 vehicles, while also surpassing analyst estimates that generally ranged between 10,500 and 11,000 vehicles. Encouraged by the stronger quarter and its production schedule for the remainder of the year, Rivian increased its expected 2026 deliveries to between 65,000 and 70,000 vehicles, compared with its earlier forecast of 62,000 to 67,000. The revised guidance raises the midpoint of Rivian’s annual outlook by roughly 3,500 vehicles, representing an increase of approximately 5.5%.

The results mark an important milestone for Rivian, whose stock has struggled over the past year as investors questioned whether demand for premium-priced electric vehicles could remain strong in an environment of higher interest rates, increased competition and slowing consumer spending. Prior to Thursday’s rally, Rivian shares had fallen nearly 13% over recent months as concerns mounted over the pace of EV adoption across the broader industry.

Company executives attributed the improved performance to steady demand across several product lines, including Rivian’s R1T electric pickup, R1S sport utility vehicle, and its Electric Delivery Van, originally developed for Amazon, one of Rivian’s largest investors and commercial customers. The company also began customer deliveries of its long-awaited R2 SUV during June, a launch viewed by analysts as one of the most important milestones in Rivian’s history.

The R2 is expected to play a central role in Rivian’s long-term growth strategy. With an introductory starting price of $57,990, the new model is designed to appeal to a broader range of consumers than the company’s larger and more expensive R1 lineup. Lower-priced versions are expected to follow in the coming years, potentially allowing Rivian to compete more directly with mass-market electric vehicles while expanding its customer base beyond early adopters and luxury buyers.

Chief Financial Officer Claire McDonough has previously indicated the company expects to deliver between 20,000 and 25,000 R2 vehicles during the year. Production began at Rivian’s Illinois manufacturing facility in April, with customer deliveries commencing in June. To reach the midpoint of its newly increased annual guidance, Rivian would need to deliver roughly 45,000 additional vehicles during the second half of the year.

Beyond vehicle sales, Rivian is also positioning itself for future growth through autonomous driving technology. The company recently announced that Uber plans to invest up to $1.25 billion as part of a partnership to deploy robotaxis based on Rivian’s R2 platform. Initial deployment is expected to begin in 2028, with plans eventually calling for between 10,000 and 50,000 autonomous vehicles over the following years. The agreement gives Rivian another potential revenue stream beyond traditional vehicle manufacturing as the race to commercialize autonomous transportation accelerates.

The announcement came during a busy day for the electric vehicle industry. Tesla reported quarterly deliveries of 480,126 vehicles, beating expectations even as investors sent its shares lower on concerns over profitability. At the same time, Lucid Group reported weaker-than-expected results and announced a leadership restructuring under new Chief Executive Officer Silvio Napoli, underscoring the widening gap between companies gaining momentum and those still struggling to establish sustainable growth.

For Rivian, Thursday’s report represents one of its strongest operational updates in recent quarters and suggests management’s production plans are beginning to translate into improved sales performance. Still, investors remain focused on whether the company can narrow losses, improve margins and generate positive cash flow as it scales production.

Those questions may begin to receive answers when Rivian reports its full second-quarter financial results on July 30, when investors will receive updated information on profitability, operating expenses, cash reserves and the company’s progress toward becoming a financially sustainable automaker.

While challenges remain across the electric vehicle industry, Rivian’s stronger deliveries, higher guidance and successful launch of the R2 provide the clearest indication yet that the company may be entering a more stable phase of growth.

JBizNews Desk | Irvine, California

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

John Vithoulkas, the County Manager in Virginia’s Henrico County, is asking county employees to cut back on power usage as electricity rates soar 25% across Virginia, the state with by far the most data centers. 

In a June 26 email sent out to all county employees and obtained by the Henrico Citizen, Vithoulkas asked employees to adjust individual habits as electricity rates increased by 25% and noted that prices were likely to shoot up even higher.

“Beginning July 1st, the rate we pay for electricity used in all Henrico County government and school facilities will increase dramatically — by 25%, increasing costs by an estimated $5 million next fiscal year. We anticipate more rate increases for electricity in the years ahead,” Vithoulkas wrote.

Vithoulkas laid out a number of steps that employees should take to reduce their power usage, including turning off lights when leaving work, shutting down computers, pulling blinds closed and unplugging chargers.

He compared the electric austerity request to the county’s efforts to cut back during the late 2000s Great Recession. 

“Those of you who have been here long enough will recall the many cost-saving measures we implemented to help navigate the Great Recession more than 15 years ago. We are seeing this same innovation and creativity as each department seeks ways to reduce expenses by 3% in next fiscal year’s budget,” Vithoulkas wrote.

Henrico County, home to Virginia’s capital, Richmond, is a member of the Virginia Energy Purchasing Governmental Association (VEPGA). The 25% price increase, the Henrico Citizen reported, applies to all counties that are members of VEGPA, which includes the majority of Virginia municipalities north of Richmond.

Virginia is by far the state with the most data centers in the U.S., the vast majority of which reside in the northern and central regions of the state. 

Northern Virginia dominates, with more than a quarter of U.S. data centers and 13% of the world’s, according to Virginia’s Joint Legislative and Audit Review Commission (JLARC). But with the north near capacity, central Virginia areas like Richmond are increasingly absorbing new builds and rapidly becoming a hub for new facilities, JLARC notes. 

While Vithoulkas did not specifically cite Virginia’s explosion of data center construction in recent years as a factor in energy increases, JLARC’s 2023 data center assessment concluded that “the data center industry boom in Virginia has substantially driven up energy demand in the state,” adding that “data centers’ increased energy demand will likely increase system costs for all customers, including non-data center customers.” 

FOX Business contacted Vithoulkas and Henrico County for comment.

Via WhatsApp.

Two unusual incidents occurred Thursday evening in Bnei Brak, both ending without injuries b’chasdei Shamayim. A partially renovated residential building collapsed, prompting an emergency response, while in a separate incident, a private vehicle rolled out of a parking area and fell onto the roadway below.

Rescue and firefighting crews from the Bnei Brak station were dispatched to Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev Street after receiving reports that part of a building had collapsed. Authorities said a section of the first floor of a three-story building that was undergoing renovations gave way.

Firefighters immediately began extensive searches to ensure that no one had been trapped beneath the debris. At the same time, crews secured the scene and took steps to prevent additional hazards to nearby residents and pedestrians.

Following an inspection, the city’s chief engineer declared the structure unsafe for occupancy.

Later that evening, emergency responders were called to another incident on Abarbanel Street in the Kiryat Herzog neighborhood after a private vehicle apparently rolled out of a parking space and plunged onto the street below, reportedly after the driver lost control.

The father and daughter who were inside the vehicle at the time escaped unharmed, and no injuries were reported in the incident.

{Matzav.com}

SURFSIDE, FL (VINnews) – Surfside Mayor Shlomo Danzinger said residents were so frightened by vibrations from overnight construction near the Marbella Condominium that some refused to return to their homes, prompting the town to suspend all vibration-generating work until engineers determine the building is safe.

The incident occurred Wednesday night at the Marbella Condominium, 9341 Collins Ave., where residents reported feeling repeated vibrations from construction on nearby Collins Avenue. Danzinger said he arrived at the scene around 11:25 p.m. and found residents gathered outside, with some packing belongings to spend the night elsewhere.

“I felt the vibrations myself,” Danzinger said in a community update, adding that the residents’ concerns were justified given Surfside’s history.

Because the project is being conducted under a permit from the Florida Department of Transportation on a state road, Danzinger said he immediately contacted Fabian Basabe, who worked directly with transportation officials.

The mayor said he ordered contractors to change the method used to install the remaining shoring walls to eliminate additional vibrations and confirmed that no further shoring work continued that night.

On Thursday, town officials reviewed the project’s approved plans, suspended all vibration-producing work and required the developer to hire an independent structural engineer to inspect the Marbella before construction can resume. The town also directed the condominium’s own engineer to inspect the building and certify in writing that it remains structurally safe.

Construction will remain on hold until both engineering reports are completed and reviewed by the town. Officials allowed workers only to backfill the trench with dirt and asphalt so steel plates could be removed from the roadway.

Danzinger said the town will independently verify that no additional vibration-generating work is necessary and ensure any remaining construction follows standard safety practices without disrupting neighboring buildings. FDOT has agreed to support the town’s safety requirements, he said.

The incident heightened anxiety because the Marbella is located just blocks from the site of the Champlain Towers South collapse, where 98 people were killed in June 2021. Memories of that disaster have left many Surfside residents especially sensitive to any unusual building movement.

Danzinger thanked Basabe, Acting Town Manager Mario Diaz, Building Official Manuel Salazar, Public Works and Capital Improvement Director Andre Eugent and other town staff for their response, adding that “your safety is not negotiable.”

Representatives of Iran’s Jewish community announced that Jews and members of other recognized religious minorities will participate in the funeral and memorial ceremonies for Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during Operation Roaring Lion. A leading representative of the community also praised the Iranian regime’s treatment of religious minorities and revealed that he recently wrote to Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, over concerns about renewed anti-Jewish rhetoric in the country.

Homayoun Sameh, the official representative of Iran’s Jewish community, addressed the issue on Friday, confirming that the Jewish community would join other minority groups in mourning ceremonies for Khamenei.

Sameh, who is known for expressing loyalty to the Iranian regime and frequently criticizing Israel, said, “In coordination with officials from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and representatives of the country’s religious minority communities, we will make every effort to attend all events related to the funeral and memorial ceremonies for the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.”

He added that foreign diplomats, representatives of religious minorities, political and religious leaders, and delegates from abroad had also been invited to various events.

“We have received official invitations to additional ceremonies, and we hope to be there alongside the rest of the Iranian people,” he said.

Sameh also praised Khamenei’s relationship with Iran’s Jewish community and other religious minorities.

“The attitude, support, and fatherly concern that the late leader showed toward all religious minorities, especially the Jewish community, were always deeply valued and gave us hope,” he said.

Addressing concerns within the Jewish community following the 12-day war, Sameh acknowledged that “some misconceptions” had emerged among segments of the population. However, he said Khamenei consistently emphasized the importance of safeguarding the civil rights and dignity of religious minorities.

According to Sameh, just as Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini distinguished between Iran’s Jewish citizens and Zionism, Khamenei continued that same policy. He said that during the years immediately following the Islamic Revolution, many Iranians failed to distinguish between Jews and Zionists, creating significant challenges for the country’s Jewish community.

Sameh recounted that about 12 years ago, while serving as head of Iran’s Jewish Association, he wrote a letter to Khamenei after media outlets published reports that blurred the distinction between Judaism and Zionism.

He said that roughly two weeks later, Khamenei addressed organizers of the annual Jerusalem Day events and instructed them: “Shout against the Zionists, not against the Jews.”

Sameh said the Jewish community regarded those remarks as “a position of great value and significance.”

He added that in recent days, certain public statements and media broadcasts once again raised concerns within the Jewish community about anti-Jewish incitement. As a result, he said, he sent a letter to Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has assumed leadership following his father’s death.

According to Sameh, anti-Jewish rhetoric declined noticeably afterward, while the distinction between Jews and Zionists became more clearly reflected in official media coverage and government slogans.

“The Jewish community in Iran has always regarded itself as part of the Iranian nation,” Sameh said. “The level of satisfaction within the Jewish community is very high, and we all share in mourning the loss of the late leader. We hope that under the leadership of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the path of respect, peace, and mutual understanding among all sectors and religions in the country will continue to grow stronger.”

{Matzav.com}

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — A speeding, overcrowded passenger bus plunged from a highway into a rocky ravine in southwestern Pakistan early Friday, killing 40 people and injuring eight others in one of the deadliest road accidents in recent years, officials said.

The bus went out of control and fell into the ravine in Dana Sar, a remote area near the border of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the Balochistan government, said.

He said the bus was carrying not only its own passengers but also passengers from another bus that had broken down, leaving the vehicle overcrowded. Rind said rescuers were working to identify those killed in the crash.

One of the injured survivors told local media from his hospital bed that some passengers protested after the driver stopped to pick up people from another bus that had broken down and was also headed to Peshawar. He said an argument followed, during which one passenger allegedly grabbed the driver by the neck. Moments later, the driver lost control of the bus, which plunged into the ravine.

The account could not be independently verified and police said they are still investigating.

A regional government administrator, Hazrat Wali Kakar, said rescuers transported the injured and dead to nearby hospitals.

Rescue officials said the bus was carrying 48 passengers when it crashed.

Eight injured passengers received initial medical treatment at the scene before being taken to the district headquarters hospital in Zhob, while the bodies of the 40 victims were transported to a district hospital, officials said.

Shah Fahad, the director general of Rescue emergency services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said that his agency was working alongside Balochistan’s emergency services in the rescue and recovery operation. He said that if any of the victims are confirmed to be residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, authorities will transport their bodies by ambulance to their hometowns to assist their families.

Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari expressed sorrow over the passenger bus crash, offered condolences to the families of those killed and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

He directed the relevant authorities to ensure the injured receive the best possible medical care.

In a statement, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti also expressed grief over the loss of life and ordered authorities to ensure the injured receive the best possible medical treatment.

Road accidents are common in Pakistan because of poor road conditions, inadequate enforcement of traffic laws and unsafe driving practices, particularly in mountainous areas.

In May, a minibus rammed into a bus parked along a motorway in northwest Pakistan, killing 17 people and injuring five others.

The U.S. Treasury Department and Goldman Sachs Asset Management announced Thursday that Goldman will become one of the first major financial firms to participate in the new Trump Accounts savings program, offering professionally managed investment portfolios designed for children. The partnership expands a centerpiece of the Administration’s effort to encourage long-term investing by giving young Americans an opportunity to begin building wealth early in life.

The Trump Accounts program was created under recently enacted federal legislation and provides eligible newborns with a government-funded investment account intended to grow over decades through the financial markets. Families can make additional voluntary contributions, while participating financial institutions manage the investments under federal guidelines.

Goldman Sachs Asset Management said it will offer several low-cost diversified investment options through the program, allowing parents to select portfolios designed to match different levels of investment risk and long-term growth objectives. Company officials said the funds will emphasize broad market diversification and long-term investing rather than short-term trading.

Treasury officials said expanding participation by major investment firms is critical to giving families access to a competitive range of investment products while keeping management fees low. Goldman joins a growing list of financial institutions expected to participate as the program rolls out nationally.

Supporters say the initiative could significantly improve long-term financial security by allowing investment returns to compound over nearly two decades before beneficiaries reach adulthood. Financial planners have long argued that beginning to invest early—even with relatively modest amounts—can dramatically increase lifetime savings because of compound growth.

Under the program, accounts remain in the child’s name and are professionally managed until the beneficiary reaches the age specified under federal law. Withdrawals are generally restricted to approved purposes, including higher education, purchasing a first home, starting a business, or other qualifying long-term financial goals.

Administration officials have described the program as an effort to encourage broader participation in capital markets while helping families build assets across generations. Treasury officials said they expect additional banks and investment companies to announce participation in the coming months.

For Goldman Sachs, the partnership represents another expansion of its wealth management and consumer investment business. While the firm has traditionally focused on institutional investors and high-net-worth clients, recent years have seen Goldman broaden its offerings to reach a wider range of individual investors through digital investment platforms and retirement products.

Business groups welcomed the announcement, saying greater access to professionally managed investment accounts may improve financial literacy while encouraging long-term saving habits among younger generations.

The program’s success will ultimately depend on participation by families, market performance over time, and the number of financial institutions offering competitive investment options. If widely adopted, the accounts could channel billions of dollars into long-term investments while giving millions of children an early start toward building financial assets.

As implementation continues, investors and financial institutions alike will be watching how quickly families enroll and whether additional asset managers join what could become one of the country’s largest long-term savings initiatives.

JBizNews Desk | Washington, D.C.

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

PARIS (AP) — Interpol on Friday identified a 39-year-old woman from Ukraine as the main suspect in a bombing in Monaco that reportedly targeted a Ukrainian tycoon with links to Russia.

The police organization named Anastasiia Berezovska, who remains at large, in a Red Notice posted on its website seeking her arrest on charges of attempted murder, placing an explosive device in a public place with criminal intent, and criminal conspiracy.

Monaco authorities haven’t identified any of the three people wounded in Monday’s explosion at an apartment building entrance but said they are a family and that they appear to have been specifically targeted.

Media reports named Ukrainian construction tycoon Vadym Yermolaiev as being among the wounded. He has said he renounced his Ukrainian citizenship nearly a decade ago, and he was targeted by Ukrainian sanctions in 2023 for ties to Russia.

Investigators examine the scene at the residential building where an explosive device seriously injured three people a day earlier in Monaco, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)

A woman and a child were also hurt. One of the victims is still in a life-threatening condition, prosecutors said Friday, also mentioning two other “collateral victims” who were slightly injured in the attack.

The Interpol notice says the suspect has a tattoo, possibly of a snake, on her right arm from the shoulder to the elbow. It says she was born in Ukraine, has dark hair, and speaks German.

Morgan Raymond, the deputy prosecutor in Monaco, told a news conference the bomb was detonated from a distance, using a remote control. The remains of the bomb are being analyzed in neighboring France, he said.

He added that the suspect was initially identified as a heavily built person appearing to be male, wearing a dark long-sleeved top, light-colored shorts and a black bucket hat. A broader review of CCTV footage from previous days and testimony from a witness redirected the investigation toward a woman disguised as a man.

Eric Arella, Monaco’s director of public security, held up copies of the Interpol wanted notice at the news conference with the prosecutor. It included two photos of a woman wearing a white T-shirt with dark stripes, one of them in a street where she’s holding what appears to be some sort of electronic device, trailing a cable, in her left hand.

The judicial investigation also focused on whether the suspect had accomplices or acted on behalf of someone else.

“The relative sophistication of the explosive device and the modus operandi suggest that the person who planted the device did not act alone,” Raymond said.

Two male individuals were taken into police custody as part of the investigation, but both were subsequently released.

Investigators also identified a rented vehicle fitted with German license plates used by the suspect in Monaco. The suspect’s escape route was traced, including the journey from France into Italy, and then across several European countries up to her country of residence. Raymond said that her last known address is in Germany, “a country with which judicial cooperation is particularly active.”

German police, including special forces, on Thursday searched the rented apartment near Frankfurt of a 39-year-old Ukrainian woman in connection with the investigation, police and prosecutors said in a statement Friday.

A vehicle used by the woman also was searched and secured, they added, and evidence will be handed over to authorities in Monaco. They said that the woman is on the run and they can’t give more details at present.

The attack shocked the country on the Mediterranean coast, one of the world’s smallest sovereign states and known for its high concentration of wealthy residents. Monaco’s Prince Albert II described it as “an odious act” and said all public services were mobilized to ensure security.

Ukraine is believed to have carried out attacks and targeted killings of Russian figures in the course of the war, although those attacks have largely been confined to Ukrainian or Russian territory.

In December 2024, Ukraine’s security service claimed responsibility for killing the head of nuclear, biological and chemical military protection forces for the Russian military.

Western intelligence officials have recently said that Russia has ramped up a campaign of targeted killings since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

PARIS (AP) — Deaths surged by nearly a third in France during the hottest week of a record heat wave last month, the country’s public health authority said Friday, reporting at least 2,000 more deaths than in the previous week when temperatures were already climbing and filling emergency wards with heat victims.

The new and still incomplete figures from Public Health France doubled its first preliminary estimate of at least 1,000 additional deaths that it gave last Sunday. That earlier estimate covered just three of the hottest days of extreme, deadly heat.

In Paris, funeral service directors have said they’ve struggled to find places to store bodies before burial or cremation, with some mortuaries saying they were full and having to turn bodies away.

The updated tally of deaths from Public Health France spans the week of June 22 to June 28, during which France saw its hottest-ever days and records shattered for peak daytime and nighttime temperatures in many cities and towns across the country. The heat also broke temperature records in many other parts of Europe.

Public Health France said it has counted 8,973 deaths so far for that week, cautioning that the number is still only partial. It said the preliminary total was 29% more than the 6,948 deaths registered for the previous week of June 15 to June 21, when the heat wave started.

The difference between the two sets of figures — a total so far of 2,025 — is therefore considered to be additional deaths from one week to the next, from all causes and covering all age groups, it said.

At the Paris-Saclay Hospital, patients suffering from heat exposure started arriving in a surge on June 20, Dr. Nicolas Gonzales, head of the emergency department, told The Associated Press.

He said they treated heat victims for heart attacks, dehydration, kidney malfunctions and other heat-related problems, from children to older people living alone.

Public Health France said there was a particularly sharp increase week-on-week in the number of deaths in private homes, with those figures up 91%. Deaths in care homes for older people increased by 37% and in hospitals by nearly 20%.

The Paris region appears to have been hit hardest, with a nearly 63% increase in deaths from one week to the next, it said.

The health agency cautioned that its tallies underestimate the true death toll, because they’re based on incomplete data.

“The mortality will as a consequence be higher than these first figures,” it said.

A report has ignited fierce criticism after claiming that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz granted a pardon to an illegal immigrant convicted of first-degree abuse of a 10-year-old girl, a move that reportedly eliminated the conviction that had served as the basis for the man’s planned deportation, John Nolte reports at Breitbart.

According to the report, the pardon halted deportation proceedings for four years.

The article argues that the decision represents a glaring example of political hypocrisy.

“Minnesota officials, including Democrat Gov. Tim Walz, last month pardoned an illegal immigrant who was previously convicted of assaulting a 10-year-old girl and who was slated to be deported,” reports Fox News. Tou Lue Vang, a 42-year-old Laos national, “was convicted in 2006 of first-degree criminal conduct. Between 2002 and 2006, he repeatedly ly assaulted the girl.”

According to the report, Vang pleaded guilty but did not receive a jail sentence. Although the conviction resulted in the loss of the legal immigration status he had obtained under the Clinton administration in 1994, he nonetheless remained in the United States rather than being removed.

The report further contends that Walz’s pardon erased the abuse conviction, effectively eliminating the legal basis for Vang’s deportation and making it unlikely that immigration authorities will now be able to remove him from the country.

Based on Vang’s reported current age of 42, the article notes that he would have been approximately 22 years old at the time of his 2006 conviction, alleging that the abuse occurred when he was between the ages of 18 and 22 while the victim was a young girl.

JERUSALEM (VINnews)-The inaugural group of ultra-Orthodox cadets in the Israel Defense Forces’ Hasmonean Brigade completed the first half of their officers’ course this week, receiving platoon commander pins after intensive training and a 12-kilometer march in the Golan Heights.

The cadets earned their pins on Wednesday, marking a milestone in the IDF’s push to integrate Haredi soldiers into command roles while preserving their religious lifestyle. They will continue training for another four months, including sessions at the Bahad 1 officers’ school in southern Israel, before receiving their ranks and assignments within the Haredi brigade.

The military stated that the course adhered fully to the IDF’s professional standards and included all standard Bahad 1 content, while strictly maintaining the Haredi way of life.

The establishment of the Hasmonean Brigade reflects the IDF’s broader efforts to increase enlistment among ultra-Orthodox men amid ongoing personnel shortages caused by the multi-front war. Officials also aim to demonstrate that military service is compatible with strict religious observance, despite opposition from some leading Haredi rabbis.

This development comes as the IDF continues to expand specialized frameworks designed to accommodate Haredi soldiers’ needs, including kosher standards, Torah study time and separation guidelines.

A new Economist/YouGov survey suggests that a majority of Democratic voters are open to supporting candidates who identify as “Democratic Socialists,” underscoring the growing influence of the ideology within the party as socialist-backed candidates continue to notch victories in key elections.

Survey participants were asked a straightforward question: “Would you ever vote for a candidate who identified as a “Democratic Socialist?”

Among all respondents, the largest share—45 percent—said they would not support such a candidate. Another 29 percent said they would, while 26 percent indicated they were uncertain.

The partisan divide was especially pronounced. Eighty-five percent of Republicans said they would not vote for a “Democratic Socialist.” Democrats, however, took the opposite view, with 62 percent saying they would support such a candidate. Only 11 percent of Democrats said they would not, while 27 percent remained undecided.

Independent voters were more skeptical. Forty percent said they would not vote for a Democratic Socialist, compared with 24 percent who said they would.

Support was even stronger among ideological liberals, 73 percent of whom said they would back a Democratic Socialist. Likewise, 64 percent of people who voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election said they would support such a candidate. By contrast, only five percent of President Trump’s 2024 voters gave the same response.

The poll also found that more Democrats now view socialism more favorably than capitalism. Thirty-four percent selected socialism, compared with 22 percent who chose capitalism, while 58 percent of Democrats said they hold a favorable opinion of socialism overall.

The survey was conducted from June 26 through June 29, 2026, among 1,606 respondents and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.

The findings come as socialist candidates continue to gain ground within the Democratic Party. The movement drew increased national attention after New York City elected Zohran Mamdani as mayor. Since then, several candidates endorsed by Mamdani have defeated establishment Democrats in primary contests across New York.

Sen. Rand Paul said the polling reflects a trend he finds troubling.

“…But still alarming that a majority of people are voting for socialists,” Paul said during a recent appearance on Breitbart News Daily. “I wrote a book a few years ago, The Case Against Socialism, and in it we talked about some of the polls where, you know, majority of young people are thinking, hey, socialism sounds good, why don’t we try it.”

Paul argued that many younger Americans fail to appreciate socialism’s historical record.

“They don’t understand … the disaster that is Venezuela, the disaster that is Cuba, the disaster that was China, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, all these places,” the senator said. “What they understand it to be is fairness, and they’re like, well, it’s just not fair that you make twice as much money as me, and we’re just going to make it fair.”

He added that many young people equate the concept of fairness with socialism without recognizing, in his view, that “equal outcome leads to a disaster” marked by food shortages, diminished prosperity, “and all the things that we have” with capitalism.

“It’s ignorance, but it is alarming, and then the other, the other possibility, though, is [the] left goes so far left that maybe they can’t win general elections, but in New York, all these people will win,” he added.

{Matzav.com}