A credible threat from Iranian proxy forces against President Trump and Air Force One prompted a last-minute change of aircraft during this month’s NATO summit in Turkey, according to multiple officials familiar with the matter. The incident has also renewed questions about the security capabilities of the Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar, which Trump had begun using for official travel.

Trump arrived in Ankara aboard the Qatari-donated jet, a newer aircraft that lacks many of the sophisticated defensive systems installed on the traditional Air Force One fleet. According to officials, intelligence indicating a credible threat emerged while the president was attending the summit.

After U.S. authorities detected the danger, the Secret Service recommended that Trump abandon the newer aircraft and instead depart Turkey aboard the older Air Force One. The president later publicly confirmed that he would be leaving on the older plane.

The newly disclosed details help explain the White House’s rapid decision to replace the aircraft before Trump’s departure. They also highlight ongoing concerns about the defensive capabilities of the donated jet, which Trump had pushed to place into service as quickly as possible.

Officials emphasized that the intelligence did not indicate the newer aircraft itself was being specifically targeted. Rather, the threat was directed at Trump regardless of which plane he was traveling aboard.

People familiar with the matter spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the classified information publicly.

The White House declined to comment directly on the report. However, a senior administration official pointed to Trump’s own public comments regarding Iranian assassination plots and expressed confidence in the security precautions taken to protect the president and his delegation. The official also spoke anonymously.

According to those briefed on the matter, knowledge of the specific intelligence was tightly restricted within the administration. Many officials were told only that the aircraft change was a precaution stemming from broader concerns involving Iran, and congressional leaders reportedly were not informed about the precise nature of the threat.

Trump initially explained the aircraft swap by saying it would allow American service members stationed in Britain to tour the newer plane, while rejecting suggestions that the decision was motivated by security concerns. The New York Times later reported that the Secret Service had advised him to switch aircraft.

After The New York Times published a report this month detailing significant federal concerns over the donated aircraft’s security features, the government opened a leak investigation seeking grand jury testimony from several Times reporters, along with phone records belonging to them and certain relatives. The Justice Department withdrew those subpoenas on Thursday.

Trump appeared to acknowledge on Sunday that the donated jet still lacks some of the defensive technology installed on the older Air Force One aircraft. When asked about the absence of antimissile systems, he responded that the aircraft would soon be “maxed out.” Although the approximately 14-year-old plane underwent an extensive retrofit to serve as Air Force One, officials have acknowledged the process was completed on an accelerated timetable.

Around the time of the aircraft switch, reports surfaced that Israel had shared intelligence with Washington concerning Iranian efforts to assassinate Trump. Some U.S. officials questioned the reliability of that intelligence, believing it may have been intended to encourage a stronger American military response against Iran.

According to several people familiar with the matter, however, the threat that prompted the Air Force One change in Turkey was unrelated to the intelligence attributed to Israel.

While Trump was attending the summit in Ankara, approximately 1,000 miles from Tehran, the United States resumed military strikes against Iran. During the conference, Trump openly discussed Iran’s repeated attempts to assassinate him when asked why he had abandoned the Qatari aircraft.

“They want to take out the U.S. leader — me,” he said. “I’m on every list. I saw this morning, I’m on every single one of their lists. And so far, I guess I’ve been a little bit lucky, but that maybe doesn’t last very long.”

Iran-linked groups have sought to target Trump for years, dating back to his first term after the U.S. military killed senior Iranian General Qassim Suleimani.

Trump has long criticized the aging Air Force One fleet, arguing that the aircraft no longer project the image he believes the United States should present overseas. Military officials have separately warned that the existing presidential aircraft have remained in service far beyond their originally intended lifespan.

Last year, Qatar announced it would donate a Boeing 747-8 for Trump’s use. Trump has also said he intends to include the aircraft in his presidential library after leaving office.

Administration officials have described the donated jet as a temporary “bridge” aircraft until Boeing completes delivery of the long-delayed next-generation Air Force One planes ordered by the U.S. Air Force.

Since Trump’s return from Turkey, White House officials have said the donated aircraft will be removed from service for approximately one month later this fall to undergo additional upgrades.

“The new Air Force One is perfectly safe for the president’s travels, but will receive additional upgrades and enhancements in the fall which will take approximately one month to complete,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “During that time, the president will fly on the old Air Force One.”

Officials have not explained what improvements can realistically be completed during such a short period.

Speaking at a Secret Service briefing on Wednesday ahead of the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner—which had originally been postponed after a gunman breached a security checkpoint in April—agency leaders warned that the threat environment facing protected officials has reached unprecedented levels.

“The numbers at this agency, and certainly I’ve never seen in my 24-year career, they’re off the charts,” Secret Service Director Sean Curran told reporters. “I think the environment has become very volatile and that’s just across the board. I think not just to our protectees, but local officials. The threat picture and environment is as large as I’ve ever seen it.”

Before becoming Secret Service director, Curran led Trump’s protective detail between the president’s two terms. He was also among the agents shielding Trump during the July 2024 assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

{Matzav.com}

The man accused of carrying out two violent stabbing attacks on Manhattan’s Upper West Side — including the daylight assault of a Jewish man wearing a yarmulke — has now been hit with multiple hate crime charges, according to law enforcement sources.

Authorities said 51-year-old Raul Morales has been charged with attempted murder as a hate crime and assault as a hate crime for allegedly stabbing the Jewish victim in the chest with a screwdriver while the victim was walking in broad daylight wearing a yarmulke.

Investigators said Morales allegedly shouted, “Allahu Akbar!” during the violent spree while also wandering through the area repeatedly muttering, “Islam.”

In addition to the hate crime counts, Morales has also been charged with first-degree assault and criminal possession of a weapon in connection with the attack on the Jewish victim, sources said.

Police said Morales allegedly struck another victim before targeting the Jewish man, stabbing an Asian passerby in the back during the earlier attack.

For that assault, prosecutors have charged Morales with attempted murder, first-degree assault, and criminal possession of a weapon, according to law enforcement sources.

Both victims remain hospitalized as they continue recovering from their injuries.

US President Donald Trump said that the United States is “locked and loaded” to increase its strikes on Iran, though he has not yet made a final decision, during a press conference at the White House on Friday.

“We’re locked and loaded and ready to go, but we’re talking to them,” said Trump in response to a reporter’s question on the subject. “We’ll see what comes of it.” 

“I think they are getting more serious as days go by for maybe obvious reasons,” he added. “But we are talking to them right now. We’ll see.”

Trump noted that the US had several “exit strategies” for its war with Iran, including a “military exit,” which would involve a continuation of its strikes on the Islamic regime, with the potential of a “heavier dose.”

He added that there was a “smarter strategy,” in which Iran would make a deal.

“They want to make a deal,” said Trump. “I just don’t think they’re ready yet.”

They want to be the tough guys,” Trump continued. “As we speak, we are talking to them.”

Trump: Iran caused Saudi hesitation to join Abraham Accords

When asked if targeting Iranian power plants would constitute a war crime, the US president declined to answer.

Trump initially began discussing Iran following a reporter’s question on the US-Saudi nuclear deal, which, according to Trump, now hinges on Saudi Arabia joining thr Abraham Accords.

The president said that Iran was a primary reason for Saudi hesitancy to join the Accords, but things would be different now that the “problem” of the regime was “disappearing day by day.”

He described Iran as “the bully of the Middle East,” saying that they “are not going to be that much of a bully anymore.”

Trump added that Iran has “no navy, no air force, no anti-aircraft, no radar, no nothing.”

President Trump emphasized the significance of the “iron wall” created by the US blockade against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.

He noted the situation as “not very complex,” hinging simply on the US demand that Iran “cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump ‘not in a hurry’ on Iran

“If they have even the thought of a nuclear weapon, we would just continue to go, but at much higher levels,” Trump said, noting that he is “not in a hurry.”

“We’ve taken out their first level of leadership,” noted Trump. “We’ve taken out their second level of leadership. We’ve taken out their third level, and we’re negotiating with the rest.”

Trump concluded by stressing that Israel “would not be around anymore” if he had not been reelected, saying the Jewish state would have been “hit by a nuclear weapon.”

“If I wasn’t here, there would be no Israel,” he concluded. “And there would probably be no Middle East.”

This post was originally published on here.

Dear Editor,

A gutten erev shabbos

I wanted to share a new, completely free community initiative in case it’s a fit for your readers.

Tosfos Shabbos (shabboshemeilizok.com) is a communal zechus board built around one simple idea: taking on a few extra minutes of Shabbos — a bit before it comes in, a bit after it goes out — as a zechus for a refuah or l’ilui nishmas. You pledge your minutes in about thirty seconds, and every pledge joins a shared, growing total — so the whole kehillah’s added Shabbos becomes one collective zechus standing for all the names on the board.

The site also generates a Mi Shebeirach and Tehillim for each name, and a printable “names to daven for” card for the Shabbos table. It was started l’ilui nishmas Yissachar Dov and Yossi Loriner.

There’s nothing to buy and nothing to install — the whole point is to make being marbeh in kevod Shabbos something anyone can join instantly. If you think your readers would find it meaningful, a mention would help it reach people who’d want to take part.

Tizku l’mitzvos.

In an unusual halachic ruling, Gerer rabbanim permitted live music last night, on Motzoei Tishah B’Av, for a festive reception celebrating the release of Yisroel Yehuda Fein, a talmid of Yeshivas Sefas Emes, who was freed from Military Prison 10 approximately one hour before the fast concluded. The special dispensation was granted on the grounds of kavod haTorah.

Hundreds of Gerer bochurim and chassidim welcomed Fein with spirited singing and dancing following his release. His imprisonment had become a major cause within the Gerer community and prompted widespread demonstrations over the past week.

Earlier in the week, thousands of Gerer chassidim, led by the Gerrer Rebbe, assembled outside the gates of Military Prison 10 to demand Fein’s release. After the rally concluded, a group of participants continued to the home of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, where they held an additional protest.

Upon Fein’s return to Yerushalayim, a festive reception was held at Yeshivas Sfas Emes. Although the accepted custom is to refrain from listening to music until midday on the day after Tishah B’Av, leaders of the Gerer chassidus said the chassidus’ rabbanim ruled that live music could accompany the celebration because of kavod haTorah.

Music for the event was provided by the Narnenah Choir, whose members are Gerer chassidim, together with singer Sandy Dinkel. Throughout the gathering, participants sang and danced as they celebrated Fein’s release from military prison.

Following the reception, hundreds of bochurim marched from Yeshivas Sefas Emes in the Machaneh Yehudah neighborhood to Fein’s home on Rechov Minchas Yitzchak. The procession wound through the streets of Yerushalayim with singing and dancing.

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{Matzav.com}

OAKLAND, Calif., July 24, 2026 — PG&E reported higher second-quarter earnings as investment in California’s electric and natural-gas systems continued lifting the utility’s financial results.

Income available to common shareholders rose to $733 million, or 33 cents a share, from $521 million, or 24 cents a share, a year earlier. Core earnings increased to $920 million, or 40 cents a share.

The company reaffirmed its full-year core earnings forecast of $1.64 to $1.66 a share.

Utilities generate much of their earnings by investing in infrastructure approved by regulators and recovering those costs over time through customer rates. PG&E has been spending heavily on wildfire prevention, grid reliability and equipment needed to support growing electricity demand.

That demand is being pushed by electric vehicles, data centers, building electrification and population growth in certain parts of the state.

The investment can strengthen the system and reduce the risk of outages or fires, but it also raises a difficult affordability question: how much of the cost should customers be expected to carry through their monthly bills?

Every improvement to the grid eventually becomes part of the rate debate.

PG&E remains under particular scrutiny because of the wildfires previously linked to its equipment. The company must show regulators, investors and customers that new spending is reducing risk rather than simply expanding its base for future earnings.

Higher core profit reflected customer capital investment and operating savings, while wildfire-related costs remained outside the company’s measure of ongoing earnings.

California businesses are especially sensitive to electricity rates because energy costs can influence where manufacturers, warehouses and technology companies choose to expand. Households face the same pressure as more transportation and heating moves onto the electric grid.

PG&E’s reaffirmed outlook shows the company remains on its financial plan. The larger test will be whether it can continue rebuilding infrastructure while keeping customer bills from rising faster than businesses and families can absorb.

JBizNews Desk | Oakland

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

South Carolina is poised to host the first Democratic presidential nominating contest of 2028 after the Democratic National Committee’s rules panel moved to keep the state at the front of the party’s primary calendar.

The proposal, expected to be formally recommended Friday and presented to the full DNC at its summer meeting next month, elevates South Carolina over Nevada and New Hampshire. Both states will still be allowed to hold early contests, while Michigan was also granted permission to vote early. Iowa is likely to be removed from the early-voting window altogether.

The decision follows months of intense lobbying by competing states. South Carolina Democrats argued that opening the process in their state would emphasize the importance of Black voters, while Nevada leaders stressed the importance of Latino, Asian and working-class voters in a key battleground state.

The DNC is also expected to approve stronger penalties for states that ignore the official calendar. Proposed punishments include stripping those states of all delegates, imposing a $270,000 fine and barring candidates from official party debates if they campaign in unauthorized contests.

South Carolina’s position at the front of the calendar was first established for the 2024 cycle after then-President Joe Biden pushed the DNC to overhaul the traditional order following the troubled 2020 Iowa caucuses. The state played a decisive role in reviving Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign after his losses in Iowa and New Hampshire.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Avraham Menachem zt”l, the longtime Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Migdal HaEmek and the founder of the Ner HaTzafon network of Torah institutions.

Born in Morocco, Rav Menachem immigrated to Eretz Yisroel as a teenager, arriving at approximately 15 years of age. Soon after settling in Migdal HaEmek in the Jezreel Valley, he distinguished himself through his exceptional diligence in Torah study and unwavering commitment to Torah and mitzvos. At the time, the young city was still in its formative years, and he dedicated himself to fostering Torah learning and preserving Jewish tradition, particularly among immigrants from Morocco.

For many decades, Rav Menachem served as the city’s Sephardic Chief Rabbi, earning the admiration and respect of residents from every segment of the community. Together with his longtime colleague, the Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of Migdal HaEmek, Rav Yitzchak Dovid Grossman, he helped spearhead a Torah renaissance throughout northern Israel, transforming Migdal HaEmek into a flourishing center of Torah, chessed, and Jewish education.

Rav Menachem founded and led the Ner HaTzafon educational network, which grew to include Talmudei Torah, preschools, the Nezer HaTorah yeshiva ketanah, kollelim for avreichim, and the Ohr HaEmek shul. Thousands of talmidim passed through these institutions, establishing Torah-observant homes and continuing the values instilled by their revered Rosh HaMosdos.

He was widely known for his extraordinary humility, warm countenance, and genuine concern for every individual. Despite his stature as one of the country’s senior rabbanim, he lived with remarkable simplicity. His home was always open to anyone seeking guidance or assistance, while the Torah classes and Daf Yomi shiurim he delivered in local shuls drew large numbers of participants from across the region.

Rav Menachem is survived by a distinguished family of children, grandchildren, and descendants who continue to walk in his path, dedicating themselves to Torah and mitzvos.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com}

The US Embassy in Jerusalem warned that due to “heightened tensions in the Middle East,” US citizens should be prepared for possible flight cancellations, airspace closures, and other travel disruptions on Friday in a post to X/Twitter. 

Anyone planning to travel from Ben-Gurion or Haifa Airport is advised to check their flight status with their airline and airport.

Security Alert: Due to heightened tensions in the Middle East, the security environment remains complex, with the potential for unforeseen escalation. U.S. citizens should exercise increased caution, stay alert, and be prepared for possible flight cancellations, airspace… pic.twitter.com/wnwHP7bjvF

— U.S. Embassy Jerusalem (@usembassyjlm) July 24, 2026

This is a developing story. 

This post was originally published on here.

For the past 23 years, YWN’s team of seasoned reporters and veteran editors have broken tens of thousands of news stories. Now, you can follow along in real-time as we bring you the latest updates from across the globe.

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12:26 pm

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TRAVEL ALERT: U.S. Embassy In Jerusalem Warns Americans Amid Rising Middle East Tensions

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The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem is warning American citizens to exercise increased caution amid heightened tensions in the Middle East and the possibility of an unforeseen escalation.

The embassy urged travelers to remain alert and prepare for possible flight cancellations, airspace closures and other travel disruptions. It said the embassy in Jerusalem and its Tel Aviv branch remain open for routine and emergency consular services.

12:25 pm

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DIPLOMATIC PUSH: Pakistan Explores Reviving Stalled U.S.-Iran Talks After Chinese Initiative

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Pakistan is exploring ways to revive stalled U.S.-Iran negotiations aimed at ending the war following a diplomatic push initiated by China, Reuters reports.

Exploratory discussions were held during Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni’s visits to Islamabad, where he met senior Pakistani officials and Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir. His latest trip was his second to Pakistan in 10 days.

However, major obstacles remain, and it is unclear whether the renewed efforts will succeed in bringing Washington and Tehran back to the negotiating table.

12:24 pm

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CHINA, RUSSIA: Trump Says Xi, Putin Promised Not To Supply Weapons To Iran

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President Trump says Chinese President Xi Jinping assured him during their recent meeting in Beijing that neither China nor Chinese companies would provide or sell weapons to Iran.

Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin likewise promised not to sell weapons to Iran. He added that neither country is participating in supplying Iran and warned that doing so would be “very bad for them” and “certainly not in their best interests.”

12:23 pm

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BDE: Holocaust Survivor Reb Duvid (David) Einhorn Z”L Is Niftar At 100, Days After Celebrating Milestone Birthday

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BDE: Boro Park Scoop regrets to inform you of the petira of Reb Duvid (David) Einhorn Z”L, a beloved Holocaust survivor, who was niftar Friday morning at the age of 100. Just four days after family, friends, elected officials, and community leaders gathered to celebrate his 100th birthday, the community is now mourning the loss of a man whose extraordinary life of courage, resilience, emunah, and dedication to preserving the memory of the Holocaust inspired countless people. Besuros Tovois!

12:21 pm

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2028 RACE: Report Says Trump Increasingly Views JD Vance As His Preferred Successor

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President Trump has privately grown more supportive of Vice President JD Vance as his potential successor in 2028 after months of informally weighing Vance against Secretary of State Marco Rubio, MS NOW reports.

Trump has recently told people that “JD’s our guy” and was reportedly impressed by Vance’s media tour promoting his memoir, Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, including appearances on The View, Real Time with Bill Maher, Fox News and The Megyn Kelly Show.

Trump has also privately praised Vance’s recent weight loss and remarked that the vice president has been looking good lately.

12:20 pm

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NUCLEAR DEAL: Trump Puts U.S.-Saudi Agreement On Hold Less Than 24 Hours After Signing

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Less than 24 hours after the U.S. and Saudi Arabia signed a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement, President Trump put the deal on hold.

CNN reports that Trump was frustrated after Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced the agreement without first informing him. Trump later reinstated normalization as a condition for the deal and denied that Saudi Arabia would be allowed to enrich uranium.

White House officials pushed back by saying the agreement had never been fully finalized because the required notifications had not yet been sent to Congress. The reversal reportedly caught both U.S. negotiators and Saudi officials by surprise.

12:19 pm

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WASHINGTON VISIT: Netanyahu To Meet Trump Tuesday, Attend Sen. Lindsey Graham’s Funeral

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Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will travel to Washington on Monday at the invitation of President Trump.

During the visit, Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Trump at the White House on Tuesday and attend the funeral service for Sen. Lindsey Graham, a longtime friend of Israel.

10:09 am

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WATCH: Emotional Moment Missing 4-Year-Old Yuval Kogan Reunites With His Mother

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WATCH: The emotional moment Yuval Kogan is returned to his mother by police after being found earlier today.

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9:38 am

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💔 Hundreds Sing “Ani Maamin” As Binyahu Melt HY”D Is Brought To Kevurah

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Hundreds gathered at the levayah of Binyahu Melt HY”D in Havat Gilad, singing “Ani Maamin” as they accompanied him to kevurah.

In a joint IDF and Shin Bet statement, officials said Duvdevan soldiers arrested two terrorists who participated in today’s deadly shooting attack near the village of Tell.

The two terrorists were wounded during the attack and taken to a hospital in Shechem, where Israeli forces arrested them and transferred them for further questioning. Security forces said the identities of all the terrorists involved are known, and operations are continuing to apprehend them.

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9:37 am

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WATCH: Footage Captures First Moments Of Deadly Shomron Terror Attack Before Gunfire Erupts

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Footage from the first moments of today’s deadly terror attack in the Shomron shows a group of approximately 30 Jewish hikers, including children, confronting dozens of Palestinians near the outskirts of a Palestinian village.

Havat Gilad security coordinator Binyahu Melt HY”D is seen attempting to push the crowd back before terrorists seize a weapon and open fire, capturing the horrifying moments of the attack.

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9:36 am

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💔HY”D: Maj. Yuval Ezra Identified as Second Soldier Killed in Chavat Gilad Terror Attack

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Maj. Yuval Ezra, 27, from Herzliya, was identified as the second IDF soldier killed in Friday’s deadly terror attack near Chavat Gilad.

Ezra served as a battery commander in Battalion 411 of the IDF Artillery Corps’ 282nd “Fire” Brigade. He was critically wounded in the attack in the Samaria Brigade area and later succumbed to his wounds despite extensive efforts by medical teams to save his life.

4:37 pm

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SECURITY INCIDENT: Arab Suspect Shot After Failing To Heed Orders At Shuafat Checkpoint

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A short time ago, an Arab suspect approached the Shuafat checkpoint and failed to comply with soldiers’ orders to stop. The troops opened fire at his lower body and struck him. No Israeli forces were injured.

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4:36 pm

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MOTZEI TISHA B’AV: Boyaner Rebbe Sings “Ani Maamin” After Kiddush Levana In Yerushalayim

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Singing Ani Maamin after saying Kiddush Levana on Motzei Tisha B’Av by the Boyaner Rebbe in Yerushalyim.

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4:35 pm

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TEFILLAH GATHERING: Gedolei Yisrael Join Special Atzeres At Slabodka Yeshiva

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Hagaon HaRav Dov Lando and Hagaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch participated in a special tefillah gathering at Slabodka Yeshiva on Motzei Tisha B’Av in response to the harsh decrees affecting those living in Eretz Yisrael.

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4:28 pm

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WATCH: Iranian Ballistic Missile Strikes King Faisal Air Base In Jordan

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Footage shows the moment an Iranian ballistic missile struck King Faisal Air Base in Jordan yesterday morning.

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4:27 pm

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HAMAS FINANCING: U.S. Sanctions Muslim Brotherhood Official And Entities Over Terror Funding

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The U.S. Treasury sanctioned a senior Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood official, three other individuals, and three entities accused of financing Hamas and its military wing through sham charities and underground banking networks.

The sanctions target UK-based Mahmoud al-Abyari, two Hamas-linked charities, and Türkiye-based El-Kahira for General Trading, which Treasury says transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars for Hamas. Any U.S.-linked assets belonging to those designated are now blocked.

4:26 pm

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IRAN WARNING: Trump Says Tehran Is Not Ready For A Deal And Needs “More Of The Same”

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TRUMP: We’re doing very well against the Islamic Republic of Iran; we’re doing extremely well. They would like to do something, but I say they’re not ready yet. They need more of the same… they’ve got some evil intentions. We cannot let them have a nuclear weapon.

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4:25 pm

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TRUMP ON IRAN: Trump Says U.S. Casualties Far Lower Than Vietnam And Afghanistan Wars

](https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/liveblogs/live-blog/2578344/trump-on-iran-trump-says-u-s-casualties-far-lower-than-vietnam-and-afghanistan-wars.html)

Trump on Iran: We were in Vietnam for 20 years, lost thousands and hundreds of thousands of lives. We were in Afghanistan for years. I went to Dover. Four great American patriots killed. That’s 18 in two wars. It’s 18, whereas in Vietnam we lost 200,000.

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4:24 pm

[

IDF DISCIPLINE: Reservist Faces Action After Posting Pro-Smotrich Video From Gaza

](https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/liveblogs/live-blog/2578341/idf-discipline-reservist-faces-action-after-posting-pro-smotrich-video-from-gaza.html)

The IDF will discipline a reservist serving in Gaza after he posted a video in uniform supporting Minister Bezalel Smotrich, saying: “We are here on the ground, preparing the area for settlement — Eli Sinai, Dugit. For the reservists, for security, for settlement — yes to Smotrich.”

The IDF said the soldier’s conduct was in complete violation of military orders, which prohibit political statements by active-duty and reserve soldiers, particularly while in uniform. The reservist will face disciplinary proceedings shortly.

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4:23 pm

[

MOVING PHOTO: Maran HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman zt”l Placed A Stone On His Bed To Feel The Pain Of The Churban

](https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/liveblogs/live-blog/2578337/moving-photo-maran-harav-aharon-leib-shteinman-ztl-placed-a-stone-on-his-bed-to-feel-the-pain-of-the-churban.html)

MOVING PHOTO: Maran HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman zt”l lived a life of pure simplicity, immersed in Torah, mitzvos, and helping others, completely removed from any worldly pleasures.

The photo above, taken when he was nearly 100, shows the Rosh Yeshiva on Tisha B’Av. Though too weak to sleep on the floor as was his custom, he asked for a stone to be placed on his bed, so he could feel the pain of the Churban in the most tangible way.

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The United States and United Kingdom are planning a high-level meeting in London next week to discuss forming an international coalition to protect commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reports. The proposed gathering could include defense ministers and senior military commanders from Western and regional countries.

The date and itinerary have not yet been finalized, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine could attend. Washington is reportedly seeking allied contributions including minesweeping vessels, naval ships and drones to help secure shipping lanes.

The effort comes as the U.S. looks for a path toward reopening the strait, a key part of any strategy to end the war with Iran and stabilize global energy markets. Iran has not attacked commercial ships over the past four days, though U.S. officials disagree over whether Tehran’s ability to resume such attacks has been eliminated.

Talks involving Oman, Iran and Qatar previously failed to produce an agreement, but an Omani delegation arrived in Tehran on Friday to renew negotiations. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would continue defending its interests in the strait and accused Washington of pursuing the wrong approach.

One European diplomat told Axios that the U.S. is seeking allied assistance as it looks for a way out of the conflict. Several countries have reportedly made clear that fighting in the strait must first subside before they would participate in an international maritime mission.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The U.S. State Department has informed Congress that Turkey still does not meet the legal conditions required to return to the F-35 fighter jet program, according to an official letter obtained by Walla. The July 22 letter was sent in response to an inquiry from Rep. Wesley Bell at the White House’s request and on behalf of President Donald Trump.

The letter states that U.S. policy remains unchanged and continues to comply with the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, known as CAATSA, and Section 1245 of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. Before any F-35 aircraft can be transferred to Turkey, Ankara must fully satisfy the requirements established under U.S. law.

Chief among those requirements is resolving the dispute over Turkey’s Russian-made S-400 air-defense system. Ankara must completely relinquish possession of the system and all associated equipment, provide assurances that it will not acquire the system again and meet the remaining statutory certification requirements. “Turkey has not yet met these conditions,” the State Department wrote.

The State Department emphasized that any process for resolving the S-400 issue must be “transparent, lawful, and consistent with U.S. national security interests.” Following the recent meeting between President Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, Washington said it would continue discussions with Turkey on the dispute while strengthening cooperation within NATO.

The letter describes U.S.-Turkey relations as being based on shared security interests and balanced bilateral trade. Washington said it would continue working with Ankara in areas of mutual interest while “holding Turkey accountable when its actions undermine U.S. interests.”

Regarding Gaza, the State Department said that despite longstanding U.S. concerns over Turkey’s relationship with Hamas, Ankara played a “key role” in advancing President Trump’s Gaza peace plan. Turkey used its contacts with Hamas’ political leadership to help secure acceptance of the plan and advance the first phase of the ceasefire, before becoming a founding member of the “Board of Peace.” The letter also credited Turkey with continuing to contribute to regional stability, including in Syria.

However, the State Department stressed that the United States continues imposing sanctions on Hamas-linked entities, including charities used to transfer money to the terrorist organization’s military wing. It said Hamas’ use of informal financial networks and unlicensed exchange houses in Turkey to access funds “remains a concern,” adding that Washington remains committed to disrupting those illicit financing channels.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Bahrain and Kuwait secretly deployed fighter jets to strike military targets inside Iran earlier this month, marking their first direct attacks against Tehran during the ongoing war, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The strikes targeted drone and missile storage depots and other military sites. The United Arab Emirates provided intelligence on the targets and defensive air cover during the operation, reflecting growing military cooperation among Arab Gulf states confronting Iran.

Iran has repeatedly targeted Bahrain and Kuwait, both of which host major U.S. military bases. Despite their relatively small air forces, officials in the two Gulf countries reportedly concluded that they could no longer allow Tehran to attack them without a direct response.

The strikes come as Gulf governments face mounting economic and security pressure from the prolonged conflict. Iran’s control over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has severely disrupted oil exports, while Houthi attacks and a blockade in the Red Sea have created an additional threat to regional trade. Tourism and investment have also suffered.

Saudi Arabia previously joined the UAE in attacking Iran but is now reassessing its position, while Oman and Qatar have continued seeking to avoid direct confrontation. Gulf governments are increasingly debating whether stronger military action will be necessary to reopen critical shipping routes and deter further Iranian attacks.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

WASHINGTON, July 24, 2026 — The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issued an alert warning banks and financial institutions about fraud schemes targeting federal student-aid programs.

The alert is intended to help financial firms identify suspicious payments, stolen identities and accounts used to receive or move fraudulently obtained education funds.

Student-aid fraud can involve identity theft, fake enrollments, fabricated schools or organized networks opening accounts to collect government payments.

The immediate victim may be the government, but the financial damage can follow a student for years.

A stolen identity used to apply for education aid can affect credit files, tax records and future eligibility for legitimate assistance.

Banks are expected to monitor transactions and file suspicious-activity reports when account behavior appears connected to fraud or money laundering.

The warning also matters to colleges and education-technology companies that verify enrollment, process payments or handle student information.

Federal programs have become increasingly attractive to fraud networks because applications and payments are often completed digitally.

FinCEN’s alert does not create a new criminal law, but it gives financial institutions additional indicators to use when screening transactions.

Banks, payment companies and schools will now need to review their controls as federal agencies increase enforcement around education-related fraud.

JBizNews Desk | Washington

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

The artificial intelligence (AI) race is intensifying as developers push for increasingly capable AI tools and companies race to deploy AI tools to take advantage of its efficiency gains and reap financial benefits – but a new report warns companies lack sufficient governance for AI tools.

This week saw a high-profile incident involving AI, in which an internal test of AI models by ChatGPT-maker OpenAI resulted in the models exploiting a software flaw, escaping containment and hacking into Hugging Face, which operates a platform for developers to collaborate on code for AI models, to cheat on a cybersecurity evaluation.

While the two companies contained the incident, it demonstrated the rapidly growing capabilities of AI models to go beyond their guardrails and pose cybersecurity threats, with leaders from both companies noting the significance of what occurred.

EqualAI CEO Miriam Vogel, whose organization released a white paper on AI governance and deployment this week, told FOX Business, “Innovation is going at an unprecedented pace; the problem is governance is not matching that pace.”

“What we want to make sure people recognize from this incident is, across the board, we need to have stronger expectations in place if we’re going to start to build trust and ensure these systems deserve our trust,” she said.

Vogel noted that most consumers’ touchpoints with AI are through companies that have deployed some sort of AI solution. She added that the World Economic Forum found fewer than 1% of companies have strong governance in place for AI systems, while McKinsey found last year that fewer than a third of companies have any AI governance in place.

“I think too many people are assuming it’s someone else’s problem, you know, that it’s the developer’s problem or just not understanding that this is their problem,” she said.

“While this is, in this instance, an issue for a development company, a lot of where this is playing out and will continue to play out is with the deployer – is with the healthcare, finance, social media, infrastructure – all the other ways [companies are] using agentic AI,” Vogel said.

She said that courts are increasingly applying liability to companies that have deployed agentic AI for work with customers or businesses, rather than the company that developed the underlying AI model or tool.

“A lot of this becomes the liability of the person who had the last touch on it, whose data is involved, whose customer is involved. They are often the one who owns the liability,” Vogel added.

“While good governance takes a while to really put in a solid foundation, the best practices are really aligned with the leading organizations who care about this work across the world. They’ve all come to this independently, and there is really a lot of consensus on what the best practices are,” Vogel said.

“The other thing that’s good news is most of this is not rocket science, it’s leadership and good governance just applied to AI,” Vogel said.

EqualAI sees five main areas for companies to take into account when establishing governance around agentic AI. Those include having visibility into what AI tools are being used across organizations, as leaders may not understand their firm’s AI footprint and what opportunities or risks that may present; as well as accountability across leadership levels and divisions of a company.

Operationalizing AI principles is another component – which Vogel said entails bringing principles laid out in documents like a PDF into practice in terms of things like communicating about problems that arise, and is dependent on internal trust that there is shared accountability in the organization.

Another aspect of AI governance is ensuring there are feedback loops that can be leveraged on a recurring basis as AI tools and models iterate and improve to stay ahead of issues like model drift. This can take the form of having a plan and cadence for routine testing.

AI literacy is the fifth pillar of the overarching AI governance framework Vogel suggested, which she linked to “increasing distrust of AI” and sees contributing to fears overshadowing enthusiasm about AI tools in the public’s perception.

“I think that squarely lands not only on the overall governance infrastructure that’s lacking in most organizations, but this fundamental piece of AI governance which is AI literacy,” Vogel explained. “Most people don’t know that they’re using AI, they don’t want to use AI, don’t know how to use it.”

“AI literacy is just a key variable in making sure people understand how to use it, that they know how to avoid risks because they don’t want to cause harm or bring a liability for themselves or their organization,” she said. “Making sure that your workforce and your consumers understand how you’re using AI, how you will not be using AI, and how it can benefit them is a key variable.”

The United States has already recorded more measles cases in 2026 than it did during all of 2025, setting a new three-decade high with nearly five months still remaining in the year and raising fresh concerns among public health officials about declining vaccination rates and expanding outbreaks.

According to updated figures released Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2,318 measles infections had been confirmed nationwide as of Thursday.

That total has already surpassed the 2,289 cases reported during all of 2025, which had previously been the country’s worst measles year in more than 30 years. With large outbreaks continuing in South Carolina, Utah, and Arizona, along with smaller clusters in several other states, 2026 has now become the nation’s worst measles year since 1991.

International health authorities are expected to meet in November to determine whether the United States and Mexico should retain their measles-free status. The U.S. achieved elimination of endemic measles transmission in 2000 through consistently high vaccination rates, but immunization levels have since fallen below the 95% threshold experts say is needed to prevent sustained outbreaks.

Health officials also caution that the true number of infections is likely much higher than official statistics indicate. Public health researchers have long acknowledged that reported case counts underestimate the spread because many infected individuals never seek medical care or receive a confirmed diagnosis.

Experts say the gap between reported and actual infections may be especially significant because measles is among the most contagious viruses known, while vaccination rates have continued to decline nationwide. Although national coverage for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine among kindergarten students stood at 92.5% during the 2024-25 school year, down from 95.2% in 2019-20, some communities have substantially lower vaccination rates.

Utah offers one example of the challenge. Public health officials there have battled measles for more than a year, with more than 700 confirmed cases reported during that period. State epidemiologist Dr. Leisha Nolen said mathematical models and genetic analyses suggest the outbreak along the Utah-Arizona border could ultimately prove to be three to four times larger than current official figures indicate.

Officials in South Carolina have reached similar conclusions. Although the state has confirmed 997 measles cases during what has become its largest outbreak in 35 years, health authorities believe the true number is likely higher, though they cannot determine by how much.

Dr. Brannon Traxler, acting director of South Carolina’s Department of Health, said the size of the undercount remains uncertain.

“The undercount is ‘impossible to know and may vary during the course of an outbreak.’”

Researchers say incomplete reporting makes it difficult to accurately measure the full scope of an outbreak. While hospitalization rates can provide useful clues, measles-related hospitalizations are not required to be reported uniformly across all states.

“If we really had some kind of solid gold standard for the percentage of all cases that have hospitalization or some measure of severity, then that would be another way of estimating the outbreak size that we could see if it’s consistent with these other methods,” said Damon Toth, an applied mathematician at the University of Utah’s medical school who is working on one of the Utah outbreak analyses.

Scientists are also reexamining last year’s outbreak in Texas. Early analyses suggest the epidemic may have infected nearly twice as many people as the 762 officially confirmed cases.

Rémy Pasco, a mathematical epidemiologist at the University of Colorado Boulder who is helping conduct that research, said such discrepancies are not unexpected. He noted that once vaccination rates fall below the recommended 95% level, containing measles becomes extremely difficult.

In discussing how outbreaks are identified, Pasco noted that the CDC defines an outbreak as three or more connected cases, but warned that by the time those cases are recognized in communities with low vaccination rates and limited surveillance, transmission is often already widespread.

“Either you missed the previous ones or you’re going to have a lot more,” he added.

Texas Chief State Epidemiologist Dr. Varun Shetty said investigators have encountered situations in which infected individuals tested positive for measles but officials were unable to determine who else in the household had been exposed or whether additional family members had also become ill.

“What we’re able to count and report is almost always an underestimate of what actually occurred, because it relies on people being willing to be able to get tested, to share information with healthcare providers and with public health,” Shetty said. “Sometimes that just doesn’t happen.”

Earlier reports from the Texas Department of State Health Services indicated that 182 probable measles infections among minors in Gaines County—the center of the 2025 outbreak—could not be officially confirmed because investigators lacked sufficient information. During the entire outbreak, the county recorded 414 confirmed cases.

Shetty said he expects measles outbreaks to continue as long as large numbers of people remain unvaccinated.

“It’s really critical, not only for individual people, but for communities, to have high vaccination coverage,” he said.

Dr. Mark Roberts, the retired director of the Public Health Dynamics Lab at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, expressed particular concern for individuals who cannot receive the vaccine.

Research conducted by Roberts and his colleagues indicates that infants, immunocompromised individuals, and the small percentage of vaccinated people who do not develop strong immunity often face the greatest risk during outbreaks.

Roberts compared vaccine refusal to removing a car’s most important safety feature, emphasizing that the consequences extend beyond the individual making the decision.

“Not vaccinating your kid is like saying, ‘I don’t want my car to have brakes,’” he said. “Because it’s other people that you can hit. It’s not just you in your car. It’s other people.”

The Lakewood Fire Department Haz-Mat Team responded this morning alongside the Berkeley Haz-Mat Team to assist fire crews in Stafford Township with a leaking 1,000-gallon underground propane tank.

Britain says its armed forces are fully prepared to defend the country after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) threatened to target British military bases used by the United States for strikes against Iran.

The IRGC warned that any British base used to support U.S. operations would become a “legitimate military target.” The threat follows Britain’s decision to allow the U.S. to use military facilities, including Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and RAF Fairford, for what London has described as defensive operations against Iran.

A British government spokesperson responded that the UK’s military stands ready to protect the nation against any threat, both at home and abroad, and will work alongside NATO allies using air and missile defense capabilities if necessary.

According to reports, the British bases are being used to provide logistical and strategic support for U.S. operations, including efforts to counter Iranian missile threats and protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Nvidia, Microsoft, Meta and more than 20 other technology companies are urging U.S. policymakers not to broadly restrict open-weight artificial intelligence (AI) models, saying the technology is critical to maintaining America’s leadership in the global AI race.

In a joint letter released Friday, the companies argued that open AI models accelerate innovation, strengthen cybersecurity and help ensure the U.S. remains competitive as countries race to develop increasingly powerful AI systems.

“Our AI leadership will be judged not by one frontier AI model, but by whether the United States builds a strong, open ecosystem that diffuses into every sector,” the signatories wrote.

The industry’s public appeal comes as the Trump administration weighs its approach to open-AI models after senior officials raised concerns about Chinese AI developer Moonshot AI and its open-weight Kimi K3 model.

On Wednesday, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios accused Moonshot of developing Kimi K3 by distilling Anthropic’s Fable 5 model. Distillation, a technique that trains a smaller AI model using the outputs of a more advanced one, has become a flashpoint in the race to develop cutting-edge artificial intelligence.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also suggested this week that the United States could sanction companies found to have improperly used distillation to appropriate intellectual property.

While defending open AI development, the coalition acknowledged that companies found to have illegally extracted value from proprietary models should face consequences.

“Unlawful efforts to extract value from closed models raise legitimate concerns,” the letter states. “Those concerns should be addressed through targeted legal and commercial frameworks rather than sweeping restrictions on techniques that play an important role in AI innovation.”

Open-weight AI models allow developers to download and customize a model’s underlying parameters, making them more accessible than proprietary systems maintained by companies that keep their models closed.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang amplified the effort Friday in his first-ever post on X.

“For my first post, I’m sharing a letter @NVIDIA signed on why open models matter,” Huang wrote.

“AI will transform every industry, power every company, and be built by every country.”

“Open models strengthen safety and cybersecurity, accelerate innovation and diffusion, and enable sovereignty.”

The letter was signed by Nvidia, Microsoft, Meta, Dell Technologies, IBM, Palantir, Hugging Face, Mozilla, Mistral, Andreessen Horowitz, Y Combinator and other technology companies, startups and organizations.

Notably absent were OpenAI and Anthropic, two of the leading developers of proprietary frontier AI models. Google and Elon Musk’s xAI also did not sign the statement.

The industry’s coordinated push highlights a growing divide over how policymakers should balance national security and intellectual property concerns with efforts to keep the U.S. competitive in artificial intelligence as China ramps up investment in advanced AI systems.

Nvidia, Anthropic and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ requests for comment.

Paramount agreed to delay its pending Warner Bros. Discovery merger until next year in order for the lawsuit brought by several state attorneys general to play out in court, according to a Friday filing.

The merger was put on hold earlier this week after a judge granted a temporary restraining order that initially put a 14-day pause on the multibillion-dollar deal with the lawsuit led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta pending.

“Today’s agreement is a significant win because the result is exactly what we have sought from the outset: a direct path to a trial based on the evidence,” a spokesperson for Paramount said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “This is the fastest and clearest way to prove that this transaction is good for competition, good for consumers, and good for creators, a conclusion dozens of competition authorities around the world have already reached.” 

“Plaintiffs’ market definitions bear no relationship to the realities of today’s marketplace and cannot withstand scrutiny. We look forward to proving our case at trial,” the spokesperson added.

“Our argument against this illegal merger is straightforward: When too few corporations have too much power in markets central to American life, it makes things more expensive, and it makes things worse,” Bonta told Fox News Digital. “Today’s agreement is great news for audiences, movie theaters, and the many people who write, build, and create the art, news, and entertainment so many of us enjoy. We are eager to continue to make our case in court and celebrate another tremendous win in our effort to ensure this unlawful merger never sees the light of day.

Paramount CEO David Ellison is seeking to acquire WBD in a $111 billion deal that was expected to close during the third quarter of this year, but Bonta is leading a group of 12 state attorneys general who filed a lawsuit challenging the merger. The lawsuit claims the megadeal would “lead to higher prices, lower quality, and less content for film and television, harming movie theaters, basic cable distributors, and ultimately, audiences on every sofa and movie theater seat in the U.S.”  

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District for the Northern District of California, claims that the merger violates Section 7 of the Clayton Act, which holds that mergers that may substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly are illegal. Both sides argued their case last week but Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín waited until Monday to temporarily delay the merger. 

The merger, which was set to close this year, is now being delayed until at least June 2027.

Paramount’s bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery would be a historic deal merging two major Hollywood studios under one corporate umbrella as well as all of their television networks, including CBS and CNN. Critics of the deal believe such a merger would crush the entertainment industry and lead to mass layoffs — some have also been vocal against Ellison and his billionaire father Larry Ellison, who is heavily financing the deal and a close ally to President Donald Trump. 

Liberal critics in particular also claim that, as a result of the deal, CNN would be given a MAGA-bent to its coverage and it would be run by current CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, who has been harshly criticized by some media liberals. The Paramount CEO has previously assured that CNN would maintain editorial independence following the merger.

This deal would follow Ellison’s $8 billion purchase of Paramount, merging the studio with Skydance Media.

Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report.

A Ukrainian source said Zelenskyy is planning to travel to the United States but was awaiting final confirmation from the White House regarding Trump’s schedule before finalizing the visit.

Representatives for the Ukrainian president did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the anticipated meeting.

Earlier Friday, conservative activist and Trump ally Laura Loomer said she had spoken directly with Zelenskyy, who indicated that he expected to be in the United States next week for meetings that would include talks with Trump.

In a post on X, Loomer also said Zelenskyy told her he plans to attend the funeral of the late South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who passed away earlier this month.

Graham was among the strongest supporters of Ukraine in the U.S. Senate. Since Russia’s invasion, he traveled to Ukraine 10 times, consistently advocating for increased American assistance to Kyiv while pressing for tougher sanctions against Moscow.

{Matzav.com}

TEL AVIV — IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir vowed Friday that the military will hunt down every terrorist involved in a deadly attack in the village of Tell.

“We will reach every one of them and settle the score with them,” Zamir said.

Two Israelis and four Palestinians were killed in the clash, and eight others were wounded, according to reports.

Zamir said the IDF has bolstered its forces in the Judea-Samaria in recent weeks. “This morning, we deployed many additional forces to strengthen the defense and offensive operations against terrorist infrastructure in the area,” he added.

The chief of staff spoke at the site of the incident as the military continued operations in the area.

WASHINGTON, July 24, 2026 — The Treasury Department imposed additional sanctions Friday targeting the international business network associated with Iranian financier Babak Zanjani, expanding restrictions on companies and individuals accused of helping move or conceal Iranian funds.

Sanctions can freeze property under U.S. jurisdiction and generally prevent American companies and financial institutions from conducting business with designated parties.

The practical reach extends well beyond the named targets. Global banks, shipping companies, insurers and commodity traders frequently avoid transactions that could expose them to U.S. penalties.

A Treasury designation can cut a company off from international commerce even when it has no direct operations in the United States.

Businesses handling oil, shipping, payments or trade finance must review counterparties and beneficial ownership structures to ensure they are not indirectly dealing with sanctioned entities.

The action comes as conflict in the Middle East has increased scrutiny of Iranian energy sales and financial networks.

Treasury has repeatedly used sanctions to target intermediaries accused of helping Iran move oil revenue or access the international financial system.

The latest designations may complicate shipping and payment arrangements in markets already strained by higher insurance costs and disrupted trade routes.

Companies with exposure to the region will now need to update compliance systems and determine whether any customers, vessels or financial intermediaries are connected to the sanctioned network.

JBizNews Desk | Washington

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Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu is set to travel to Washington on Monday at the invitation of President Donald Trump for a closely watched White House meeting expected to center on Iran, as the administration weighs whether to broaden military operations against the Islamic Republic.

The meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, will mark Netanyahu’s first official visit to the U.S. capital since the outbreak of the war with Iran and comes at a pivotal moment in the regional conflict.

During his trip, Netanyahu is also expected to attend the funeral of the late South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, whom the Prime Minister’s Office described as “a friend of Israel.”

The visit coincides with ongoing deliberations inside the White House over whether to resume large-scale military action against Iran following Operation Epic Fury. Discussions are taking place amid continued concerns over Tehran’s nuclear program and its attacks on commercial vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Axios, Netanyahu has now met with Trump six times since the president returned to office a year and a half ago—more than any other foreign leader.

Tuesday’s discussions could carry enormous strategic significance, with reports indicating that Trump is evaluating options that include a renewed joint American-Israeli military campaign targeting Iranian assets.

The announcement of Netanyahu’s visit has prompted widespread speculation that Washington and Jerusalem are coordinating their next moves in confronting Iran.

Some analysts believe the timing suggests any major military escalation is unlikely before the leaders meet. However, Axios noted that in previous instances, publicly announced visits by senior officials have sometimes served as part of broader deception efforts preceding military operations.

Trump told Axios on Thursday that he would meet with Netanyahu should the Israeli leader travel to Washington for Graham’s funeral.

Netanyahu had initially intended to make the trip last week, but postponed his plans after the funeral schedule for Graham was changed.

Axios also reported that Netanyahu had been seeking an Oval Office meeting before one was officially confirmed, although White House officials initially maintained that no appointment had yet been finalized.

The meeting also unfolds against a complicated political backdrop. Axios reported that although Netanyahu remains one of Trump’s closest international allies, the Israeli leader has become increasingly unpopular among Democrats, some members of Trump’s inner circle, and segments of the MAGA movement amid disagreements over the direction of the Middle East conflict.

The Jerusalem Post reported that the Prime Minister’s Office has informed reporters that journalists will not be permitted to fly aboard the official government aircraft, Wing of Zion. Members of the media traveling separately, however, may apply for press credentials to cover the visit.

In addition to bilateral relations, the White House talks are expected to address Iran’s continued regional aggression, U.S.-Israel security cooperation, efforts to expand the Abraham Accords, and broader initiatives aimed at restoring stability across the Middle East as Tehran continues to reject terms for a comprehensive diplomatic agreement.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump is set to address the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner tonight after the annual event was postponed nearly three months ago when a gunman opened fire outside the original venue, forcing organizers to cancel the gala.

The April 25 dinner at the Washington Hilton was abruptly called off after an armed man attempted to breach a security checkpoint before firing a shotgun outside the ballroom, where Trump and members of his Cabinet had just begun taking their seats.

The accused gunman, Cole Allen, entered a not guilty plea in May to multiple charges, including attempting to assassinate the president.

This year’s rescheduled dinner will be held at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington under significantly heightened security.

Secret Service Director Sean Curran said Wednesday that federal agents have developed an extensive security operation for the event.

“We do expect bad people to show up,” Curran said. “It’s just a reality of where we are, but we’re treating it no differently than any other site that the president goes to.”

Following the April attack, Trump argued that the incident underscored the importance of constructing the planned $400 million ballroom at the White House, saying events of this nature could be held more safely on the White House grounds.

Friday night’s program will also recognize Secret Service officer Victor Gonzales, who was shot while protecting the security perimeter outside the ballroom during the April attack. Wearing body armor, Gonzales was the only individual wounded and is widely credited with preventing the assailant from reaching the event. The White House Correspondents’ Association also announced that employees of the Washington Hilton who helped guests during the emergency will be honored.

The White House Correspondents’ Dinner has been a fixture in the nation’s capital for well over a century, raising scholarship funds for aspiring journalists while celebrating the First Amendment’s guarantees of free speech and a free press. Trump is expected to deliver remarks during the evening, and renowned mentalist Oz Pearlman will provide the entertainment.

WHCA President Weijia Jiang said the dinner is intended to demonstrate that the attack in April will not intimidate either journalists or the broader American public.

“It will be a statement that violence has no place in American life and a free press will not be intimidated into silence.”

The Trump administration has imposed a new 12.5% tariff on imports from Israel as part of a sweeping round of trade measures affecting more than 80 U.S. trading partners. The order took effect just before midnight as temporary tariffs expired.

Israel received one of the highest tariff rates in the latest round, while countries including Canada, Mexico, and Jordan were assigned a reduced 10% tariff.

The administration said the move is tied to efforts to combat forced labor. According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Israel does not have an explicit legal ban on imports produced with forced labor and lacks sufficient enforcement. The administration did not allege that Israeli-made products are produced using forced labor.

The new tariff is in addition to existing duties, meaning some products that previously qualified for duty-free treatment under the U.S.-Israel Free Trade Agreement may no longer be automatically exempt. Unlike the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, and Taiwan, Israel was not granted a tariff cap mechanism.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the United States has banned imports made with forced labor for nearly a century and urged its trading partners to adopt similar policies.

The administration exempted oil, natural gas, fertilizers, civilian aviation equipment, and generic pharmaceuticals from the new tariffs. President Trump also announced that imported generic drugs will remain tariff-free for two years.

The new tariffs could affect Israeli exporters in sectors including technology, medical devices, chemicals, food products, and industrial equipment. According to U.S. government data, the United States imported approximately $20.6 billion in goods from Israel in 2025, while total goods trade between the two countries reached about $34.4 billion.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

NEW YORK — Morgan Stanley says SpaceX shares falling to $100 would effectively value the company’s artificial intelligence ambitions at little or nothing, arguing the recent selloff has become disconnected from the long-term business it believes investors are buying.

In a research note released Friday, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas reiterated his bullish stance on SpaceX, saying many investors are focused on the upcoming IPO lockup expiration and the recent decline in the stock, while overlooking what the firm sees as the company’s biggest long-term opportunity: artificial intelligence. 

The firm’s analysis comes after SpaceX shares fell sharply from their post-IPO highs amid repeated Starship launch delays, concerns about valuation and expectations that millions of additional shares could enter the market once lockup restrictions expire. 

Morgan Stanley argues that if the stock were to trade at $100 per share, investors would be assigning virtually no value to SpaceX’s AI business, despite the company’s expanding investments across launch services, Starlink connectivity and artificial intelligence.

For investors, the debate has shifted beyond rockets. The question is whether SpaceX ultimately becomes one of the world’s largest AI infrastructure companies.

Jonas continues to rate the stock Overweight and maintains a $300 price target, saying the market is underestimating how AI could transform the company’s economics over the next decade. The firm’s investment thesis increasingly centers on Starship enabling massive deployments of computing infrastructure in orbit while leveraging Starlink’s global communications network to support AI-driven services. 

Not everyone on Wall Street agrees.

Morningstar continues to argue the shares remain significantly overvalued, saying investors are already pricing in highly optimistic assumptions about Starship, AI commercialization and future profitability. Other analysts caution that execution risks remain substantial and that meaningful financial returns from SpaceX’s AI strategy could take years to materialize. 

Recent volatility reflects those competing views. The stock has come under pressure following multiple Starship delays and growing concern over insider selling once IPO lockup restrictions expire, even as several major investment banks have maintained positive ratings. 

The next major test for investors may not be another earnings report, but whether SpaceX can convince the market that its AI vision is becoming a commercial business rather than a distant promise.

---

JBizNews Desk | Wall Street

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A South Korean court ordered billionaire SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won to pay his former wife more than $640 million in a divorce settlement that could force him to sell assets, borrow money or pledge shares as collateral.

The Seoul High Court ruled Friday that Chey must pay Roh Soh-yeong 944 billion won (about $645 million), marking the largest divorce asset award in South Korean history. It’s been dubbed the so-called “divorce of the century.”

The payout is substantially lower than the 1.38 trillion (about $935 million) won awarded by an appeals court in 2024, but the revised judgment has renewed investor scrutiny of Chey’s holdings and how he could finance the payment.

Analysts said Chey may need to sell assets or borrow against his shares, though they do not expect the award to threaten his control of SK Group.

Chey owns a 17.9% stake in SK Inc., the conglomerate’s holding company, and has an estimated fortune of $5.4 billion, according to Forbes.

The court ordered Chey to make the payment in cash rather than transfer stock, citing the importance of his shares to maintaining control of the conglomerate.

Shares of SK Inc. closed 3.8% lower Friday, while SK Hynix fell 8.3% in Seoul trading following the ruling.

SK Group’s profile has risen sharply during the artificial intelligence boom through SK Hynix, a major supplier of high-bandwidth memory chips used with Nvidia’s AI processors.

Judges awarded Roh one-third of the couple’s marital property after finding that she contributed to preserving and increasing the family’s wealth during the marriage.

The ruling followed a South Korean Supreme Court decision rejecting claims that alleged financial support from Roh’s father, former President Roh Tae-woo, should be included in the asset calculation.

Either side may appeal the ruling, potentially sending the property-division dispute back to the Supreme Court.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Social Security’s looming insolvency in under a decade could be delayed by a change to how the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is calculated, with a new analysis finding that it could cut the entitlement program’s 75-year fiscal shortfall in half.

The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) proposed a COLA cap that would limit the dollar amount of the annual increase in Social Security benefits received by those with higher benefit amounts. That proposal was similar to a flat-rate COLA proposed by one of the think tank’s co-chairs, former Rep. Tim Penny, when he was in Congress in 1987.

The flat-rate COLA would pay all Social Security beneficiaries the same COLA, which would be set at the COLA received by a beneficiary at the 20th percentile of the benefit range – a move that effectively combined a COLA cap with a COLA floor at that level.

CRFB asked the Urban Institute’s Karen Smith to estimate how a flat-rate COLA set at the 20th percentile and 30th percentile beneficiary would impact Social Security’s solvency and benefits. The analysis found that a flat-rate COLA at the 20th percentile would close 50% of Social Security’s 75-year shortfall compared to her baseline, while at the 30th percentile it would close about 40%.

The flat-rate COLA would be relatively progressive – slowing the growth in benefits the most for those with the highest lifetime earnings and with the most income in retirement.

If set at the 20th percentile, the bottom fifth of lifetime earners would see benefits decline by just 3% in 2065, compared with 19% for the top fifth of earners. For a flat-rate COLA at the 30th percentile, it would boost the bottom quintile’s benefit by 1% while the top fifth would see benefits decline 17%.

Both a 20th or 30th percentile flat-rate COLA would boost Social Security benefits for the lowest quintile by 13% to 14%.

A flat-rate COLA at the 20th percentile would delay the insolvency of Social Security’s main trust funds by two years – though CRFB noted that if it were combined with other policies, such as its employer compensation tax proposal, it could keep the merged trust funds solvent for 75 years close to it.

Looking back, if Congress had adopted a flat-rate COLA back in 1987 when it was proposed by Penny, CRFB’s estimates suggest it would have achieved 75-year solvency at the time, delaying insolvency to 2071.

It also would’ve covered about three-quarters of the solvency gap through 2100, giving policymakers time to make other gradual reforms to Social Security to address the remaining gap.

The most recent estimates put the insolvency of Social Security in 2032, when benefits would be subject to an automatic cut of 22% to match incoming tax revenue after trust funds are tapped out. That would amount to a $16,900 cut in annual benefits for a medium-income, dual-earning couple starting in 2033.

The fast-approaching insolvency of the trust funds and the implications for American retirees should compel policymakers to pursue reforms to shore up the program’s finances as soon as possible, CRFB argued.

“One of the biggest takeaways of this particular solution is that it is a stark reminder of the real cost of waiting to save Social Security,” CRFB president Maya MacGuineas told FOX Business.

“Adopting a flat-rate COLA back when Congressman Penny proposed the idea would have achieved solvency through 2071, nearly half a century from now, and would have done so by protecting lower-income beneficiaries and reducing old-age poverty; now, that same plan would only delay insolvency another two years,” she explained.

“The good news is there are plenty of options out there that, when combined, can save Social Security from abrupt across-the-board cuts in just six years. But taking options off the table and waiting until the last minute leaves fewer and fewer ways to make the math work,” MacGuineas added.

Member nations of the International Criminal Court voted Friday to remove Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan from office, ending his tenure amid a widening misconduct scandal. The decision was welcomed by Israeli leaders, who have long accused Khan of pursuing a politically motivated campaign against Israel after he sought arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

According to Reuters, citing two diplomatic sources familiar with the vote, 82 of the ICC’s 125 member states supported Khan’s removal. The sources requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the proceedings.

Khan, a 56-year-old British lawyer, has been accused of misconduct involving a staff member. He has repeatedly denied all of the allegations.

The controversy surrounding Khan has hung over the Hague-based court for more than two years, contributing to growing turmoil within the tribunal during a period of mounting international criticism. Earlier this month, the United States intensified that pressure by launching an initiative aimed at dismantling the 24-year-old court.

In June, Khan was suspended from his duties after the executive committee overseeing the ICC concluded that he had committed a “serious breach of duty and serious misconduct”.

He also entered Friday’s vote while suspended from practicing law in the United Kingdom, where the British Bar Standards Board is conducting its own investigation into the allegations.

Khan drew international condemnation in 2024 after leading the effort to obtain ICC arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant on allegations of crimes against humanity. The move sparked fierce opposition from Israel and its allies and led the Trump administration to impose multiple rounds of financial and travel sanctions against Khan and other ICC officials.

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, hailed Friday’s vote as a long-overdue rebuke of Khan’s conduct.

“Today at UN Headquarters, ICC member states voted to remove Prosecutor Karim Khan. Khan thought his political witch hunt against Israel and outrageous arrest warrants would distract from serious … misconduct allegations. He was wrong.”

Danon also took aim at New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has repeatedly targeted Israel and called for Netanyahu’s arrest.

“Mayor Mamdani, take note: using Israel as a political weapon will not shield you from accountability.”

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar likewise praised Khan’s removal, arguing that it exposed the motivations behind the prosecutor’s actions against Israel.

“The long-delayed removal of Karim Khan from the ICC for serious misconduct has exposed the moral bankruptcy of a corrupt Prosecutor who rushed to file scandalous arrest warrants against Israel’s PM and former DM, in an attempt to deflect from the serious misconduct he feared would be revealed.”

Sa’ar further asserted that the warrants never should have been pursued and called for them to be withdrawn without delay.

“These were politicized and outrageous arrest warrants against elected leaders of a democracy with an independent legal system defending its citizens against terror. These warrants, issued against a country that is not even a member of the ICC, should never have been sought in the first place and should be revoked immediately.”

{Matzav.com}

Investors closed out one of the more unsettled weeks of the summer with a split tape Friday, as a sharp retreat in crude oil steadied blue chips while chip stocks kept the Nasdaq underwater.

The S&P 500 finished at 7,411.98, up 3.68 points or 0.05%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 235.37 points, or 0.46%, to 51,947.02, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 161.87 points, or 0.64%, to 24,975.82. The Russell 2000 slipped 0.29% to 2,931.73, the VIX settled at 18.83 and gold closed at $4,056.90.

Measured against last Friday’s finish, the week belonged to the sellers. The S&P 500 gave up roughly 0.6%, the Nasdaq shed about 2.1%, and the Dow eased around 0.4% — a second consecutive weekly loss for the S&P and Nasdaq and a third straight down week for the Dow.

The week’s turning point

Thursday was the damage. The Dow dropped 506.93 points, the S&P 500 fell 1.21% and the Nasdaq slid 2.15%, dragged down by a 7% decline in Alphabet and a 14% drop in Tesla following their quarterly reports. Both companies posted negative free cash flow for the second quarter.

The problem was not the top line. Alphabet reported earnings of $9.11 per share on revenue of $103.62 billion, well ahead of expectations — but the stock weighed on the market after the company lifted its 2026 capital expenditure forecast to $195–$205 billion from $180–$190 billion, intensifying concerns about how much the hyperscalers are spending to build out AI capacity. That spending question has become the dominant argument on the Street, and it swamped an otherwise decent earnings beat.

Microsoft, Meta, Amazon and Oracle all fell between 3% and 5% on the session.

Market movers

Friday’s leadership flipped. Apple jumped about 3%, doing most of the work behind the Dow’s advance, while semiconductors stayed under pressure. A gauge of chip firms sank 4.4% and the Nasdaq 100 fell 1.1%.

Intel was the standout casualty of an apparent good report. The chipmaker guided quarterly profit and revenue above Wall Street estimates and laid out plans to raise spending over the next two years — and the stock sold off anyway, finishing the session down close to 8%. The pattern was consistent all week: beat the number, announce heavier capital spending, get punished.

Elsewhere, SpaceX shares dropped to an all-time low as investors continued to reassess the company’s valuation following last month’s IPO. SK Hynix fell 3.5% in Seoul after reports that the chipmaker had fully used up its 2.5% cap on converting Seoul-listed shares into U.S. depositary receipts during its $26.5 billion American offering, halting the arbitrage that had been narrowing a premium of as much as 51%.

Commodities

Energy drove the entire week’s mood. Brent settled above $100 a barrel Thursday for the first time since May, rising 7% after Iran-aligned Houthi forces said they struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. The Houthis had declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia earlier in the week, targeting the pipeline route Riyadh has been using to work around the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent then fell 3.3% Friday to the mid-$90s, after reports that Pakistan, backed by China, was seeking to revive negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Even with the pullback, Brent booked a weekly gain of roughly 10% and West Texas Intermediate advanced about 9% — the largest weekly moves for both benchmarks since May.

Adding to the supply picture, Kazakhstan’s energy ministry said producers temporarily curtailed output after suspected drone attacks forced the closure of the country’s main Black Sea export terminal.

Trade and policy

The new tariff regime landed Friday morning. Sixty trading partners now face duties of 10% to 12.5%, taking effect at 12:01 a.m. ET as the administration’s temporary 10% blanket tariff expired. Those partners account for 99.4% of U.S. imports. The measures were issued under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 and are premised on inadequate enforcement of forced-labor import bans. Canada, Mexico, India, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh are among those at 10%; China and 37 others face 12.5%. The European Union rejected the forced-labor characterization outright.

On the data side, U.S. services activity accelerated in July, helped by World Cup and holiday spending, while manufacturing growth slowed to its weakest pace since March. Initial jobless claims for the week ending July 18 came in at 187,000, down 22,000, with the four-week average falling to 207,500.

The week ahead

The calendar is heavy. The Federal Reserve meets Wednesday, with markets pricing roughly a one-in-three chance of a rate hike, up from 12% a week earlier per CME’s FedWatch tool, and PCE inflation data follows the day after the decision. Microsoft, Meta and Apple all report. And the month closes out heading into what has historically been the weakest three-month stretch of the year for the S&P 500.

Oil and the Fed will set the tone. Everything else is commentary.

JBizNews Desk | WalI Street

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WASHINGTON, July 24, 2026 — U.S. and European financial regulators issued a joint statement Friday following their latest regulatory forum, continuing efforts to coordinate oversight of banking, capital markets, digital assets and emerging financial technology.

The Treasury Department and European Commission lead the recurring talks, with participation from financial regulators on both sides of the Atlantic.

The discussions come as banks and investment firms operate increasingly across borders while facing different capital, reporting and consumer-protection requirements.

Regulatory differences can become a hidden cost for every company doing business internationally.

When rules conflict, financial firms may need separate systems, legal teams and products for each market. Greater coordination can reduce those costs while making it easier for regulators to identify risks that move between countries.

Artificial intelligence and digital assets have added urgency to the talks. Financial institutions are adopting AI for fraud detection, customer service and trading, while regulators remain concerned about cybersecurity, transparency and market stability.

The forum does not create binding law, but it can influence future regulations and how agencies supervise multinational institutions.

Businesses will watch for progress on bank capital standards, market access, digital-asset oversight and cross-border data requirements.

The next step will be whether the discussions translate into compatible rules rather than another layer of regulatory commitments.

JBizNews Desk | Washington

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Israeli archaeologists have uncovered rare seal impressions and other remarkable artifacts from the final days of the Kingdom of Yehudah during ongoing excavations at the Givati Parking Lot in Ir David, shedding new light on Yerushalayim’s destruction by the Babylonians.

The excavation, led by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), revealed charred wooden beams, collapsed floors, shattered storage jars, burned wheat, and thick layers of ash — dramatic evidence of the destruction of the city during the Churban Bayis Rishon.

Among the most significant discoveries are seal impressions bearing the names “Akar ben Matanyahu” and “Belonging to Netanel, servant of the king,” providing rare evidence of officials who served in the royal administration during the final years of the Kingdom of Yehudah.

Archaeologists also uncovered dozens of storage jars, many stamped with a six-petaled rosette symbol associated with the royal administrative system. Laboratory analysis found the vessels once contained wine and olive oil, with some also preserving traces of vanilla, suggesting luxury imports reached Yerushalayim through long-distance trade routes connecting the region with southern Arabia, East Africa, and India.

Researchers also found pottery fragments and small tin seal pieces, indicating an organized system for collecting and managing goods. Earlier excavations at the site uncovered public buildings destroyed by intense fires that reached temperatures of approximately 600°C (1,112°F).

The Israel Antiquities Authority announced the discoveries on Tisha B’Av, the day commemorating the destruction of both the First and Second Batei Mikdash.

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives this week overwhelmingly approved legislation to extend federal funding for Lyme disease research and prevention, advancing one of the nation’s most significant public health initiatives for tick-borne illnesses to the Senate.

The measure, H.R. 4348, known as the Kay Hagan Tick Act Reauthorization, was sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and would authorize $150 million over five years for Lyme disease and other tick-borne disease programs administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The House approval marks another step in an effort that has drawn bipartisan backing as Lyme disease continues to spread across the United States, particularly in the Northeast, where cases remain among the highest in the country.

For patients, researchers and public health officials, the bill represents an effort to strengthen early detection, improve research, and better coordinate responses before outbreaks worsen.

If enacted, the legislation would continue funding for the CDC’s regional Centers of Excellence, which study vector-borne illnesses, train public health specialists, improve surveillance, and develop strategies to prevent and identify tick-borne diseases.

The proposal also would provide additional support to states facing elevated risks of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses, allowing them to work more closely with federal agencies to identify outbreaks faster and improve public health responses.

New Jersey remains one of the states most affected. According to figures cited by Rep. Smith from the New Jersey Department of Health, the state recorded 6,098 vector-borne disease cases in 2025, including 5,211 confirmed Lyme disease cases.

The legislation arrives as health officials continue to warn that warmer temperatures, expanding tick habitats, and increased outdoor activity have contributed to a growing number of infections across much of the country.

Rep. Smith said he intends to continue working to move the legislation through the Senate and ultimately to the president’s desk.

The Senate will now determine whether the bipartisan House momentum carries through to final passage, a decision closely watched by patients, physicians, researchers and advocacy organizations seeking expanded federal support for Lyme disease research and prevention.

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JBizNews Desk | Washington

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President Donald Trump declared Friday that both China and Russia have assured him they will not provide weapons to Iran, while cautioning that any reversal of those commitments would carry serious consequences.

In a message posted on Truth Social, Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping personally pledged during a recent meeting in Beijing that neither China nor Chinese companies would supply arms to the Islamic Republic.

“President Xi, at our recent meeting in Beijing, China, told me that he would not, under any circumstances, give or sell Weapons to the Islamic Republic of Iran – And that statement included Chinese Companies.”

Trump said he believes Xi will honor that commitment, pointing to what he described as the strong relationship between the two leaders and noting that the United States has extended significant assistance to China.

“Considering our relationship, I take him at his word and, besides, l am doing him very big favors, also. Likewise, President Putin, despite the horrible War going on in Ukraine (The relationship remains, as it does with President Zelenskyy), told me that he would not sell Weapons to Iran.”

The president also addressed U.S. military assistance connected to the war in Ukraine, emphasizing that Washington’s weapons sales are made to NATO allies rather than directly to Kyiv.

“He understands that I do not sell Weapons to Ukraine, but to NATO Countries. They pay full price, and how those Weapons are distributed, I have no idea.”

Trump concluded by arguing that two of the countries most frequently mentioned as potential military suppliers to Iran are, in his view, staying out of the conflict. He warned, however, that any decision by either nation to arm Tehran would be a serious mistake.

“Therefore, two major Countries that people speak of often in terms of Iran are, in my opinion, not participating. If they did, it would be very bad for them – Certainly not in their best interests. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

{Matzav.com}

WASHINGTON, July 24, 2026 — The Justice Department has restored a targeted merger-review process designed to reduce the burden on companies while allowing antitrust investigators to focus more quickly on the parts of a proposed transaction that may harm competition.

The Antitrust Division said Thursday that it will again use targeted “Second Request” investigations under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act.

Companies involved in large mergers are generally required to notify federal antitrust regulators before closing. Regulators can then demand extensive documents and information when a transaction raises competitive concerns.

Under the restored process, investigators and merging companies may enter into timing agreements that prioritize the materials most likely to answer the government’s central questions.

For businesses, the change could mean faster decisions without necessarily producing weaker enforcement.

Traditional Second Requests can be expensive and time-consuming because companies may need to collect and review millions of documents. A narrower initial process may help resolve some investigations before full compliance becomes necessary.

The Justice Department also published a model timing agreement intended to provide greater certainty about how the process will operate.

The change could affect acquisition timelines, financing arrangements and the cost of completing large transactions.

Companies should not assume that targeted reviews guarantee approval. Transactions presenting serious competition concerns may still face full investigations, settlement demands or litigation.

JBizNews Desk | Washington

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New York City has begun alerting pied-à-terre owners about a potential surcharge, marking the first step toward implementing the city’s new tax on non-primary luxury homes. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Department of Finance (DOF) Commissioner Richard Lee this week announced that the city has started notifying property owners by mail that they may be subject to the new tax. The annual tax, approved in May, applies to one- to three-family homes, condominiums, and co-ops valued at $5 million or more whose owners maintain a separate primary residence.

“When I came into office, I made clear that our City would need long-term solutions to our city’s long-term fiscal challenges,” Mamdani said. “On Tax Day earlier this year, I promised that we would tax the rich, and with our new pied-à-terre tax, that is exactly what we have done.”

“Today is the first step in implementing this tax and collecting critical revenue to fund our parks, schools and libraries. We will diligently implement this law and ensure that we collect what working New Yorkers—and this city—deserve.”

For property tax years 2026-2027 and 2027-2028, the surcharge will apply as follows:

Courtesy of NYC Department of Finance

First proposed by Gov. Kathy Hochul in April, the tax fulfills one of Mamdani’s key campaign pledges to raise taxes on wealthy New Yorkers. The governor said the surcharge could generate at least $500 million in annual city revenue. The reversal came as the city grappled with a multibillion-dollar budget gap.

An April report from city Comptroller Mark Levine found that the tax could generate up to $500 million annually, but several factors could reduce the final revenue. The comptroller’s analysis identified several factors, including exemptions for rented units and “behavioral responses” to the tax, that could reduce annual revenue to between $340 million and $380 million.

With notices now going out to owners, along with a new dedicated city website detailing guidelines and exemptions, the tax is moving forward.

The DOF site features frequently asked questions, an eligibility tool, detailed guidance, and instructions for submitting documentation.

According to Bloomberg, the city will notify pied-à-terre owners in a letter what they owe by August 30. The appeal period for owners to contest the tax will be just 30 days.

The Mamdani administration has also funded 13 new positions within DOF to administer the program and assist property owners, along with 11 additional positions at the Office of Administrative Tax Appeals to handle administration of the surcharge.

Additionally, DOF has prepared extensive resources to help property owners navigate the surcharge and appeals process. Customer service representatives and 311 operators have been trained to answer questions, while a secure online account allows owners to protect sensitive information, upload documentation, and track their submissions.

The department has also created a dedicated team to review inquiries and supporting documents, along with specially trained staff to handle complex or unique cases. Internal review procedures have also been established to ensure determinations are made consistently.

“The Mamdani administration and DOF are committed to implementing the new non-primary residence property surcharge fairly and efficiently,” Lee said. “As implementation continues, we will ensure the process is carried out transparently and with careful consideration at every step.”

More information about the pied-à-terre tax, including eligibility requirements, documentation instructions, and how to file an appeal, can be found here.

RELATED:

• New York passes pied-à-terre tax for luxury NYC second homes
• Hochul proposes pied-à-terre tax on NYC second homes worth over $5M
• NYC pied-à-terre tax could raise less than Hochul’s $500M estimate, report finds

The post NYC begins notifying pied-à-terre owners about new tax first appeared on 6sqft.

Outside advisers urged Zohran Mamdani during his 2025 mayoral campaign to stop publicly threatening to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning that the reckless pledge was a distraction that could place him in a politically and legally difficult position Politico reports.

At least two advisers delivered the warning well before Mamdani took office, with one explaining that the issue would “put him in a tough position.” Mamdani nevertheless continued repeating the threat, apparently deciding that anti-Israel grandstanding was more valuable than confronting the obvious limits of a New York City mayor’s authority.

The warning proved well-founded. After months of tough talk, Mamdani was ultimately forced to acknowledge that New York City cannot execute the International Criminal Court’s warrant against Netanyahu and shifted responsibility to the federal government. The United States is not a member of the ICC, and President Trump has made clear that Netanyahu will not be arrested while visiting the country.

Rather than quietly admit that his campaign promise was never realistic, Mamdani released another theatrical video denouncing Netanyahu and encouraging opposition to his expected visit. The spectacle offered Mamdani another opportunity to satisfy his anti-Israel base, but it also underscored precisely what his advisers had reportedly warned him about: the pledge created a needless diplomatic controversy that he lacked the power to carry out.

The disclosure raises a simple question: If Mamdani’s own advisers understood during the campaign that the arrest threat was legally dubious and politically dangerous, why did he continue making it? The apparent answer is that the slogan was useful during an election—even if the promise itself was little more than empty political theater.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

President Trump met Friday with senior advisers and top Cabinet officials to consider a major expansion of the U.S. military campaign against Iran, as American intelligence agencies warned that Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, may be more willing than his father to pursue a nuclear weapon, The New York Times reports.

Trump previewed the discussions Thursday, saying he was considering a “massive attack” that would be “bigger than ever before.” He added that he was close to making a decision and that U.S. forces were fully prepared to carry it out

The deliberations follow the collapse of a fragile ceasefire and a memorandum of understanding intended to return Washington and Tehran to negotiations over a longer-term nuclear agreement. Trump also indicated that Israel would most likely not participate in the next stage of the escalation, citing the potential consequences it could face from Iran.

At the same time, U.S. intelligence agencies assess that Mojtaba Khamenei may be more open than his father to abandoning Iran’s longstanding prohibition against developing a nuclear weapon. American officials have not concluded that he has ordered the construction of a bomb, but believe the prolonged war and continued U.S. pressure could increase Tehran’s willingness to move toward weaponization.

The intelligence assessment adds urgency to Trump’s decision as his administration weighs whether a larger military assault could prevent Iran from advancing its nuclear ambitions or instead push the regime closer to building a weapon. The president has repeatedly insisted that Iran will not be permitted to obtain a nuclear bomb, while warning that a far more severe military operation remains under consideration.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

New mortgage default activity remained stable in June, with new defaults among Federal Housing Administration (FHA) borrowers falling 15% from a year earlier, marking the largest annual decline in more than four years.

That’s according to Intercontinental Exchange’s (ICE) latest First Look Mortgage Performance report, which observed that overall mortgage performance remained strong during the month, although delinquencies ticked higher on a seasonal basis.

“Early-stage delinquencies remain subdued, and while serious delinquencies including foreclosures have reached pre-pandemic levels, new default activity has leveled off in recent months — a positive sign,” Andy Walden, head of mortgage and housing market research at ICE, said in a statement. “New FHA defaults, which have been a focal point of market attention, were down 15% year over year in June. These trends are encouraging, even as the market continues to warrant close monitoring.”

The report found that the overall delinquency rate remained well below pre-pandemic levels, at 3.55% compared to the 4.16% pre-pandemic benchmark in June 2019.

Serious delinquencies, meaning loans 90 or more days past due but not in foreclosure, declined to 570,000, their lowest level in six months, continuing an improvement that began in March.

Improvements in early-stage mortgage performance

ICE also reported improvements in early-stage mortgage performance, with fewer borrowers rolling into both 30-day and 60-day delinquency on both a monthly and annual basis.

The active foreclosure inventory rate increased to 0.53% in June, the highest level in six years. Foreclosure starts reached a six-year high, while foreclosure sales rose 16% from a year earlier, though they remained 46% below pre-pandemic levels. The number of properties that are 30 or more days past due, but not in foreclosure, increased from the previous month to 1,961,000 properties.

President of ICE Mortgage Technology Bob Hart said elevated homeowner equity continues to help many distressed borrowers avoid foreclosure despite the increase in early foreclosure activity.

“High levels of homeowner equity continue to strengthen the market and help many distressed borrowers avoid foreclosure,” Hart said. “Still, early foreclosure activity bears watching, making timely data and proven servicing tools more important than ever. ICE’s McDash loan-level performance data is relied upon by many of the industry’s leading participants to monitor portfolio performance and model default risk, while our Loss Mitigation solution helps servicers improve borrower outcomes by executing workout strategies more efficiently while supporting compliance.”

Mortgage prepayment speeds slowed in June, the report found. The single-month mortality rate fell to 0.77%, a five-month low, as mortgage rates remained elevated, although prepayment activity was still above year-ago levels.

As of June 30, ICE estimated there were 1.96 million properties at least 30 days delinquent but not in foreclosure and 292,000 properties in foreclosure pre-sale inventory, bringing the total number of non-current loans to approximately 2.25 million.

This article was generated using HousingWire Automation and reviewed by a HousingWire editor before publication.

This post was originally published on here.

Dr. Anthony Fauci is scheduled to testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee next Wednesday after being subpoenaed by Committee Chairman Sen. Rand Paul, who said he intends to question the former government health official about the origins of COVID-19 and U.S.-funded research in China.

Paul, a Kentucky Republican, has spent years accusing Fauci of concealing the United States’ involvement in research conducted at a laboratory in Wuhan, China. The senator has argued that the work contributed to the creation of the virus that ultimately sparked the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking Thursday during an appearance on Fox Business, Paul said he has little confidence that Fauci will provide truthful testimony.

“I expect he will not tell the truth,” Paul said. “I don’t expect him to be honest, he hasn’t been honest in the last six years.”

The upcoming hearing follows years of public confrontations between the two men during Senate hearings held while Fauci was leading the federal government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic during the Biden administration.

Fauci stepped down from government service in 2022 and has consistently rejected allegations made by Paul and other Republican lawmakers regarding his role in funding virus research or misleading the public.

Paul has maintained, without presenting conclusive evidence, that COVID-19 originated in a Chinese laboratory before escaping into the public. He has also accused Fauci and other senior officials of working to convince Americans that the lab-leak theory was merely a conspiracy theory. The Kentucky senator has further argued that Fauci bears responsibility for the tens of millions of deaths attributed to COVID-19 worldwide.

Before leaving office, President Joe Biden issued a preemptive pardon for Fauci and several other senior officials, citing concerns that they could face investigations or prosecution by the Trump administration.

Paul has also repeatedly called for Fauci to be indicted, alleging that he lied to Congress under oath regarding gain-of-function research funded by the U.S. government.

Many infectious disease experts, however, have disputed those claims, saying the research supported by the National Institutes of Health was not capable of causing the COVID-19 pandemic.

{Matzav.com}

NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 24, 2026 — HCA Healthcare reported an 8.7% increase in second-quarter revenue Friday as rising patient demand continued to lift the nation’s largest publicly traded hospital operator, even as labor and operating costs remained elevated.

Revenue reached $20.23 billion, up from $18.61 billion a year earlier. Net income attributable to HCA increased 2.8% to $1.70 billion, while diluted earnings rose 11.6% to $7.62 a share.

Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization increased 4.6% to $4.03 billion.

The results were consistent with the preliminary figures HCA released earlier in July, reducing the likelihood of a major surprise for investors. The stronger revenue still provides a broader signal about healthcare spending, hospital admissions and the financial pressure facing employers and insurers.

Higher hospital revenue eventually moves through insurance premiums, employer health plans and household medical bills.

Cash generated from operations fell to $2.34 billion from $4.21 billion a year earlier, a reminder that stronger earnings do not always translate into the same level of immediate cash generation.

HCA’s scale gives it greater purchasing and staffing flexibility than smaller hospital systems, but it also makes the company an important indicator of nationwide medical utilization.

Investors will now focus on patient volumes, wage expenses and whether reimbursement increases can continue to offset higher costs during the second half of the year.

JBizNews Desk | Nashville

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Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, used a private oil transport venture linked to IRGC chief Ahmad Vahidi to secure an agreement under which Iran halted attacks on Saudi Arabia, according to a report by The Times of Israel.

The agreement was reached in late March, during the early weeks of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. Munir reportedly leveraged the continued operation of a company tied to both military chiefs that has been transporting oil from Iran to Pakistan since late last year.

After Iran fired a missile at Saudi Arabia over the weekend, Munir warned Vahidi that the attack could jeopardize their joint venture. No further missiles have been fired at Saudi Arabia since, the report said.

A Middle Eastern diplomat criticized the arrangement, saying it effectively legitimized Iran’s protection racket by allowing Tehran to demand financial or economic concessions from regional countries seeking to avoid being targeted.

Pakistan is also reportedly seeking to strengthen its relationship with Saudi Arabia and make Riyadh more dependent on Islamabad.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Inside Paraflight founder Sim Shain’s chopper flight en route to Camp Simcha today, for Helicopter Day, in which 98 campers will ‘touch the sky.’

The trips are being done by the Lev Shlomo Flight Crew, in memory of Shlomo Zakheim Z”L.

TEL AVIV (VINnews)-One-third of the startups selected for Google’s Gemini Startup Forum: Cybersecurity are Israeli, organizers announced.

Of the 33 companies chosen, eight were fully developed in Israel and three more are currently led by Israeli entrepreneurs.

The selection highlights Israel’s standing as a global cybersecurity powerhouse, particularly in artificial intelligence-driven security. Approximately 25% of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange’s total market capitalization is invested in cybersecurity firms.

Participants in the forum will collaborate with Google’s top experts to develop new autonomous defense solutions. They will receive direct access to Google’s advanced AI infrastructure, language models and cloud tools, and will work closely with specialists from Google Cloud, Google DeepMind and Wiz to build systems capable of addressing complex threats.

Shares in the Magnificent 7 tech stocks have slumped this week amid investors’ concerns about massive spending by hyperscalers on artificial intelligence infrastructure amid uncertainty about the global economy due to the resumption of hostilities in the Iran war.

The so-called Magnificent Seven tech stocks experienced their biggest one-day drop in over a year on Thursday, with Bloomberg reporting that an index of the group fell 4.8% and erased about $787 billion in market value – the steepest single day decline since April 2025.

The report noted that as of Thursday’s close, the Mag Seven index was down about 11% from the record high it reached in late May, with about $2 trillion in market cap wiped out.

As of Friday morning, six of the Mag Seven stocks were down over the last five days of trading, with Tesla down over 19%, while shares in Google parent Alphabet (-8.5%), Amazon (-6.3%), Meta (-6%), Microsoft (-1.3%) and Apple (-0.4%) were also down. By contrast, Nvidia shares are up about 1.9% in the last five days.

Tech stocks’ slide steepened after Alphabet and Tesla released their earnings report after Wednesday’s trading session, with both companies reporting large capital expenditures this year.

Alphabet announced plans to spend about $200 billion on capex this year, up from a prior estimate of $190 billion, with the higher spending on AI data centers and infrastructure contributing to the company’s quarterly cash flow turning for the first time since Google went public, per Bloomberg’s report.

“Alphabet’s higher investment outlook helps reinforce our view that the AI infrastructure buildout remains a durable theme,” said Edward Jones senior analyst Brian Therien. “However, the negative share-price reaction may indicate that investors are becoming more focused on returns generated on AI-related investments.”

Tesla’s profits came in well below the estimates of Wall Street analysts amid a ramp up in spending, with CEO Elon Musk saying on the company’s earnings call that 2026 will be a “massive capex year” and that the company “should be spending on capex as fast as we can – spend as fast as we can without it being too wasteful.”

The company’s spending aims to enhance its AI capabilities as well as boosting production of Optimus humanoid robots, as well as robotaxis and autonomous vehicles.

Ryan Lee, senior vice president of product and strategy at Direxion, said in a note that, “While Tesla continues to invest heavily in AI and robotics, monetization remains the central concern following the earnings miss.”

“Tesla has become the physical AI story, with the potential to bring artificial intelligence into consumers’ everyday lives through autonomous vehicles and robotics. The question is how quickly those investments can begin supporting the valuation,” Lee added.

This post was originally published on this site.

OpenAI co-founder and president Greg Brockman said at an event that AI models are becoming so advanced and multi-faceted that engineers are struggling to monitor and control them.

Brockman, while speaking at a private OpenAI media roundtable in New York City this week, addressed a recent incident where one of the company’s AI models broke out of what was supposed to be a secure sandbox and hacked into Hugging Face, an online platform for AI learning.

The model believed Hugging Face had solutions that could allow it to cheat on an assessment it had been given, according to OpenAI.

“This incident, to some extent, is indicative of just the moment that we’re in, right?” Brockman said, according to Fortune. “Sometimes it’s hard to lose track of any one dimension that [the AI models are] actually very capable at.”

Brockman said the model’s ability to target Hugging Face underscored how good OpenAI’s products are at cybersecurity tasks.

“Can we be in a world where defenders are able to spend 10 times as much compute defending and making sure every single piece of software that we have is fully secure relative to anyone else?” Brockman said, according to Fortune.

Brockman said OpenAI is taking the breach “very seriously.”

However, OpenAI has also used the event to pitch its own models for their cybersecurity prowess. As part of that, the company has asked potential clients to apply for a “trusted partner” status to get access to these models.

“We encourage other defenders to apply for trusted access⁠ and experiment with these models now to translate these capabilities into better prevention, faster detection, and more effective incident response,” OpenAI wrote in a blog post.

While at the event in New York, Brockman also addressed questions about the Trump administration considering a ban on Chinese-made AI models. Axios reported on this potential policy earlier this week. 

“AI is something that is very important to democratize,” Brockman said, before saying having access to more models is a good thing. He did not explicitly say whether he’d support a ban on AI model made by companies based in China.

Per FEC filings, Brockman has become one of the biggest donors to President Donald Trump’s political movement, last year giving $12.5 million to MAGA Inc., a Trump-aligned Super PAC.

Brockman said he has not been in conversation with any Trump officials about a blanket ban on Chinese AI.

“For any model, it’s not really about who creates it,” he said. “How do you evaluate a model? How do you think about its safety? How do you think about its use cases? How do you understand its alignment?”

The Trump administration is weighing a ban after Beijing-based Moonshot AI released its Kimi K3 model, Axios reported.

The model may be able to equal the performance of the best models from American firms OpenAI and Anthropic, but at a fraction of the cost.

Michael Kratsios, a science advisor to the president, publicly accused Moonshot of using American AI companies’ models to train their own, thereby infringing on their intellectual property rights.

“We have information that Moonshot AI distilled Anthropic’s Fable for the development of its K3 model,” Kratsios wrote in a social media post on Wednesday. “Large-scale, covert industrial distillation aimed at stealing proprietary U.S. technology and undermining American research is unacceptable.”

The U.S. government’s concerns about Chinese AI models is not necessarily shared by everyone in the AI industry, including Brockman and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.

Huang this week called the latest AI models to come out of China “excellent” and said that they “should be used.”

Only a few days after family, friends, and admirers packed a celebration honoring his 100th birthday, Reb Duvid Einhorn z”l has passed away, leaving Boro Park in mourning. A Holocaust survivor who lost everything yet spent the rest of his life rebuilding with unwavering emunah and joy, Reb Duvid became a living symbol of Jewish survival and spiritual triumph.

To those who encountered him, it was impossible not to be inspired. Although he endured Auschwitz and emerged as the only surviving member of his immediate family, he never allowed his identity to be defined by the horrors he had witnessed. Instead, people remember a man whose warm smile, kind demeanor, and contagious optimism illuminated every room he entered.

His life became a powerful answer to Nazi brutality. Rather than surrendering to grief, he chose to build a future filled with Torah, family, and hope, proving through his actions that the Jewish people could never be destroyed.

For decades, people from every walk of life sought out Reb Duvid to hear him speak. Students, bochurim, educators, public officials, and visitors from around the globe listened in silence as he described the vanished Jewish communities of Europe and the nightmare that consumed them. Yet those who came expecting only heartbreaking testimony invariably left strengthened. His recollections always pointed beyond tragedy, emphasizing emunah, appreciation for Hashem’s kindness, and every Jew’s obligation to preserve the legacy of those who were lost.

Among the stories that remained etched in his memory was Yom Kippur of 1944. Even in his later years, he could vividly recount surviving that sacred day under unimaginable conditions and finally breaking his fast with a small portion of cabbage. After last year’s Yom Kippur, he reflected that just as Hashem had answered his desperate prayers during the Holocaust, sincere tefillah still possesses the power to bring open miracles into the lives of every Jew. That message of faith never wavered throughout his lifetime.

While many would have been consumed by unbearable loss, Reb Duvid chose another path entirely.

He dedicated himself to creating what the Nazis had tried to erase.

He often spoke emotionally about what it meant to walk through the streets of Boro Park and witness vibrant Jewish life everywhere he looked. Bustling yeshivos, overflowing batei medrash, and children joyfully learning Torah were, in his eyes, living proof that evil had failed. Every child immersed in Torah represented another victory, and every simchah testified that the Jewish nation had risen from the ashes stronger than ever.

Conversations with Reb Duvid rarely ended where they began. Visitors frequently arrived hoping to offer him honor or hear his remarkable story, but they departed carrying invaluable lessons of perspective, gratitude, and resilience. His encouragement carried unusual weight because it came from someone who had experienced humanity at its absolute worst yet never lost his faith in Hashem or his love for life.

Earlier this week, the community gathered in large numbers to celebrate the rare milestone of Reb Duvid reaching his 100th birthday. The evening was far more than a birthday party; it was a tribute to a century that encompassed devastation, survival, rebuilding, and extraordinary spiritual strength. It honored a man whose greatest achievements were measured not by what he endured, but by everything he built afterward.

Now, in a heartbreaking turn, that same community is preparing to bid farewell.

Reb Duvid’s legacy extends far beyond his remarkable personal story. He leaves behind generations of descendants, inspired thousands through his words, strengthened the emunah of countless Jews, and viewed every flourishing Torah institution and every Jewish child as a declaration that the Jewish people live on despite every attempt to destroy them.

Yehi zichro boruch.

A mainstay in the Carolinas will keep its sense of familiarity while also getting a modern-day makeover.

The NFL’s Carolina Panthers have reached a long-term agreement with Bank of America to extend one of the NFL’s longest stadium naming rights deals.

Along with fan-focused enhancements and an increase in private investments, the long-term plan is worth more than $1.3 billion.

The agreement will keep the stadium known as “The Bank” for the foreseeable future, and renovations will be underway at the 30-year-old venue.

“The long-term extension with Bank of America reflects the strength of our partnership and our shared commitment to the Carolinas,” said David Tepper, owner and chairman of Tepper Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Panthers. “For over three decades, Bank of America Stadium has helped create lasting memories for our fans, and we’re excited for them to see what’s ahead. Our goal is to create experiences that enhance the passion and energy of the region while transforming this corridor into a weekend destination for world-class sports, entertainment and community events.”

Bank of America Chair and CEO Brian Moynihan added, “Over the years, Bank of America’s partnership with the Carolina Panthers has become one of the most enduring in professional sports. With nearly 20,000 teammates and a local history dating back to 1874, our ties to Charlotte run deep, and so does our commitment to its continued growth. The extension recognizes Bank of America Stadium’s important role of attracting millions of visitors, driving economic opportunity and showcasing Charlotte and the Carolinas.”

After initially opening in 1996 as Ericsson Stadium for the Swedish telecom company LM Ericsson, Bank of America purchased the naming rights in 2004 under a 20-plus-year deal.

The relationship between Bank of America and the Panthers dates back to the team’s founding in the early 1990s, when former Bank of America CEO Hugh McColl played a key role in helping the Carolinas secure an NFL expansion franchise. That shared history laid the foundation for a partnership that has helped shape countless moments for fans while maintaining a longstanding commitment to community impact.

Renovations to the stadium will include expanded indoor-outdoor gathering spaces across all levels, a 500-level social patio with sweeping views of Uptown Charlotte, larger and more dynamic scoreboards and displays, upgraded seating options, premium offerings, and technology designed to create a more connected and personalized experience.

Renderings also reveal an elevated vision for the stadium exterior, with upgraded materials and a signature illuminated crown that will become part of the Queen City skyline. Design details will draw inspiration from the people, places and landscapes of the Carolinas, creating spaces that feel authentic to the region.

The Panthers won the NFC South this past season before narrowly missing out on a huge upset against the Los Angeles Rams on their own home field. Quarterback Bryce Young is entering his fourth season, and the Panthers will look to make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since making it each season from 2013 to 2015.

New White House data obtained by FOX Business shows that Americans have saved more than $700 million on prescription medications using TrumpRx.gov and most-favored-nation pricing.

More than 800 brand-name and generic medications from the 17 largest pharmaceutical companies can be found on the website with transparent pricing.

Praluent, a powerful cholesterol medication, will be added to TrumpRx.gov on Friday. The drug helps reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack for patients.

The medication was jointly developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi. Regeneron handles distribution and sales in the U.S. and Sanofi handles the responsibilities for the rest of the world.

The retail price of Praluent, before adding it to the most-favored-nation pricing, was $537 for a one-month supply. The new price is now 60% off at $225 for a one-month supply.

“TrumpRx.gov is a historic game changer for American patients, and this innovative initiative reflects how President Trump hasn’t been afraid to think outside the box to lower prescription drug prices,” said White House spokesman Kush Desai. “The addition of Praluent, a powerful cholesterol medication, is another win for TrumpRx, and the Trump administration remains focused on delivering even more savings for the American people.”

Pharmaceutical companies that enter into the Trump administration’s most-favored-nation pricing agreements and commit to expanding U.S. manufacturing can avoid future 100% tariffs on imported medications.

Adding 100% tariffs on medications starts Aug. 1, 2028, rising to 200% a year after that.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has called on the public to help identify the locations of U.S. military personnel across the Middle East, urging civilians to report the whereabouts of what it described as “occupying American forces.”

In a statement, the IRGC instructed people to submit information through its official Telegram channel or via the “Contact Us” page on its website.

The IRGC also warned civilians to remain at least 500 meters (about 1,640 feet) away from any location where U.S. troops are present, a warning widely seen as signaling the possibility of future attacks targeting American forces in the region.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

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A new national survey from the Emerson College Polling Center suggests the race for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination is rapidly tightening, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio drawing even with Vice President JD Vance among GOP primary voters. At the same time, the poll indicates Democrats have built a sizable lead on the generic congressional ballot ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The July 19-20 survey, conducted among 1,100 likely voters nationwide, found Democrats holding an 11-point advantage over Republicans in the generic congressional race, leading 53% to 42%.

That margin marks a sharp increase from January, when Democrats held a six-point edge.

According to Emerson Executive Director Spencer Kimball, much of the Democratic advantage stems from strong support among female voters. Women back the Democratic candidate by a 56% to 39% margin, while male voters remain much more evenly split between the two parties.

The poll also measured public attitudes toward President Donald Trump, finding that 39% of respondents approve of his job performance while 57% disapprove.

Among Republican voters looking ahead to the next presidential primary, the survey points to an increasingly competitive contest.

Vance led the field with 39% support, but Rubio was virtually tied at 38%. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump Jr. each received 5%, while 9% of Republican primary voters said they remain undecided.

The results suggest that, at least for now, no candidate has established a commanding lead in the race to become the Republican Party’s 2028 nominee.

The survey also highlights a significant shift since earlier this year. Vance’s support has fallen from 52% in February to 39%, while Rubio’s backing has surged from 20% to 38%, erasing what had once been a substantial gap between the two.

Political analysts have also suggested that additional Republican figures, including Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, could decide to enter the race if the contest remains wide open.

Vance has drawn criticism from some conservatives over remarks they viewed as hostile toward U.S. policy supporting Israel, as well as for declining to publicly rebuke allies such as political commentator Tucker Carlson over allegations of antisemitic rhetoric.

The Emerson survey also examined Republican attitudes toward U.S. aid to Israel, finding that 55% of Republican voters believe the United States is providing the appropriate level of assistance. In contrast, most Democrats and independent voters said they believe Washington is spending too much on aid to the Jewish state.

Beyond the political horse race, the poll found that voters now rank “threats to democracy” as the nation’s leading concern, cited by 28% of respondents. The economy followed closely at 27%, with immigration at 16% and healthcare at 13%.

{Matzav.com}

WASHINGTON, July 24, 2026 — The Treasury Department found that no major U.S. trading partner manipulated its currency for an unfair competitive advantage during the four quarters through December 2025, but it kept China and nine other economies under heightened monitoring.

China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Germany, Ireland and Switzerland remain on Treasury’s Monitoring List, according to the department’s semiannual foreign-exchange report delivered to Congress on July 23.

The review covered economies responsible for nearly 80% of U.S. trade in goods and services.

Treasury examines countries using measures that include their trade balance with the United States, overall current-account surplus and the scale and persistence of intervention in foreign-exchange markets.

A country’s placement on the list does not mean Treasury has formally determined that it manipulated its currency. It signals that the government believes the economy’s policies or external balances require continued scrutiny.

Currency policy can alter the price of imported goods just as directly as a tariff.

When a foreign currency weakens against the dollar, products from that country become cheaper for American buyers, while U.S.-made goods become more expensive for customers abroad. That can benefit American importers and consumers but create additional pressure on domestic manufacturers and exporters.

Treasury again highlighted China’s limited transparency around its foreign-exchange activity. Beijing does not disclose currency intervention with the same frequency and detail as many other large economies, making it harder for markets and governments to determine whether state institutions are influencing the renminbi.

The department warned that it could consider a future manipulation finding if evidence showed China was intervening to prevent its currency from strengthening.

The review arrives as U.S. trade policy is becoming more aggressive. New tariffs took effect Friday on imports from 60 trading partners, including China, the European Union, Japan, South Korea and India.

Tariffs and exchange rates can partially offset one another. A tariff raises the dollar cost of imports, while depreciation in the exporting country’s currency can make those same goods cheaper.

That interaction will be watched closely by manufacturers, retailers and agricultural exporters. A business may face a new tariff on imported components while simultaneously receiving some relief because the supplier’s currency has weakened.

Treasury’s findings can also influence diplomatic negotiations. Monitoring-list placement gives Washington a formal basis to press foreign governments for greater transparency, reduced intervention or changes in economic policy.

The next report will assess whether the new tariff system, changing capital flows and energy-market disruptions produce more significant currency intervention during 2026.

JBizNews Desk | Washington

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Some Amazon Prime customers have days remaining to file claims for refunds of up to $51 under the company’s $2.5 billion settlement with the Federal Trade Commission.

Claims must be submitted by July 27, 2026, through the official settlement website. The deadline applies to eligible consumers who have not already received an automatic payment.

Amazon agreed in September 2025 to place $1.5 billion into a consumer refund fund and pay a separate $1 billion civil penalty. The company did not admit wrongdoing in agreeing to the settlement.

The FTC alleged that Amazon enrolled consumers in Prime without obtaining informed consent and made the subscription difficult to cancel. The settlement requires changes to the company’s enrollment and cancellation processes, including clearer disclosures and an easier way for customers to decline or cancel Prime.

To qualify for the claims process, consumers must be U.S. Amazon Prime customers who signed up through one of the enrollment flows challenged by the FTC, or unsuccessfully tried to cancel online, between June 23, 2019, and June 23, 2025.

The challenged enrollment flows include Amazon’s universal Prime decision page, shipping selection page, single-page checkout and Prime Video enrollment process. Amazon will determine whether a customer enrolled through one of those flows.

Eligible consumers must have used more than three but fewer than 10 Prime benefits during any 12-month period of Prime enrollment and must not have already received an automatic refund.

Consumers filing a claim must confirm that they either enrolled unintentionally or tried and failed to cancel through Amazon’s online process.

Approved claimants may be reimbursed for Prime membership fees, up to $51. Submitting a claim does not guarantee payment.

Payments can be issued by check, PayPal or Venmo. The FTC said Amazon expects to distribute claims-process payments in late 2026, but a specific mailing date has not been announced.

The agency is also warning consumers about refund scams. Neither the FTC nor Amazon will require a payment to release a settlement refund, and consumers should be wary of anyone promising guaranteed approval or special access.

Claims can be filed at SubscriptionMembershipSettlement.com. Questions can be sent to [email protected].

WINDSOR, Ontario (AP) — Canada on Friday celebrated the completion of a new bridge to the U.S. over the Detroit River, a multibillion-dollar, multiyear project that will serve as a critical path for trade and casual travel between the countries.

With the six-lane Gordie Howe International Bridge dominating the skyline behind them, officials lined up in Windsor, Ontario, to hail what one described as “one of the most significant infrastructure achievements in Canada’s history.” Traffic opens Monday.

“Some days are remembered because they mark the end of a journey. Others are remembered because they mark the beginning of something entirely new. Today is both,” said Chuck Andary, interim CEO of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, which will operate the bridge.

Missing from the event: U.S. and Michigan representatives. Canada scratched a joint gathering after President Donald Trump this week suddenly announced 50% tariffs on Canadian goods entering the U.S.

A soloist sang the national anthem, “O Canada,” but the U.S. anthem was not performed.

“It’s regretful that we’re at this point in time with our trade relationship. We’re hopeful for better days ahead,” Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens told WXYZ-TV in Detroit a few days ahead of the ceremony.

More than 70% of Canada’s exports go to the U.S., making America its largest trade partner, and Detroit is the No. 1 port for truck traffic on the U.S.-Canada border, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The Howe bridge will instantly create competition. For nearly a century, the privately owned Ambassador Bridge has been the only route for large commercial trucks moving between the U.S. and Canada at Detroit.

“It will be vital for our economy,” Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield said of the bridge, sidestepping a question earlier this week about whether it had become a “political football” in the rocky relationship between the countries.

The bridge is named for Howe, a famous Canadian who played hockey for the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings. He died in 2016. Construction, which began in 2018, took years, partly because of a global slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bridge is 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) long and rises 151 feet (46 meters) above the Detroit River at its highest point. Pedestrians and bicyclists carrying proper identification will be able to cross it for free in a few weeks.

Canada paid to build the bridge at an estimated cost of $6.4 billion. A recent agreement says Canada will share some toll revenue with the U.S. government for 15 years. Michigan will also get a share, but not until Canada’s costs are recovered, likely decades in the future.

Political commentator Amit Segal launched a sharp attack on the IDF Thursday, accusing the military of selectively enforcing its rules after a reservist was dismissed for posting a video expressing support for Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Segal argued that other reservists and officers have publicly expressed political views while wearing military uniforms without facing disciplinary action, raising questions about what he described as inconsistent enforcement.

In one example, Segal shared a photograph of Maj. (res.) Shachar Veron of the organization Katef el Katef appearing in uniform during a media interview while running on Naftali Bennett’s political slate.

“Why can a reservist run on Bennett’s list and give interviews in uniform, but an ordinary soldier who supports Smotrich is dismissed?” Segal wrote.

He also posted a video of a reserve armored brigade deputy commander, claiming the officer had appeared in political videos while wearing his uniform on behalf of a political party.

“The deputy brigade commander of that same soldier publishes political videos in uniform on behalf of a party, yet only the low-ranking soldier is punished. Why?” he asked.

Segal added that, in his view, there was little point in even discussing what he described as the political campaign conducted by the “Reservists” party while involving serving military personnel.

At the same time, Segal stressed that he opposes mixing politics with the military and said the IDF was right to discipline the soldier.

“In my personal opinion, the Israel Defense Forces are sacred and politics must not be mixed into them. I think the army did the right thing when it dismissed the soldier, so that others will see and be deterred. But the double standard is outrageous.”

He also argued that the military still owes the public an explanation regarding reservists who promoted refusal to serve but remained in uniform.

“The army still owes us explanations about the continued service of those who led the refusal movement,” Segal wrote. “Don’t start with a simple soldier. There is a former battalion commander who ran for politics and is constantly photographed in uniform, along with countless other examples. Be tough on the powerful, not the weak.”

Segal also shared a video of former Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel speaking in uniform, describing it as overt political advocacy.

“What are we going to do with him? Absolutely nothing. There are some people who are allowed to do anything,” he wrote.

LONDON (AP) — A police boat crashed into Westminster Bridge in central London on Friday, sending members of its marine unit into the River Thames and injuring five officers, the Metropolitan Police said.

Paramedics treated the injured on a black inflatable boat as a police helicopter hovered overhead near the clock tower that houses the bell known as Big Ben.

It wasn’t immediately clear what the boat was doing at the time or how it crashed, though the Met said it would be thoroughly reviewed.

There was no immediate information on the extent of injuries. Police did not believe any civilians were involved or hurt.

A large crowd gathered on the bridge to watch as ambulances and fire crews responded.

A Port of London Authority spokesperson said it was helping manage river traffic and was working with the Metropolitan Police and the Coastguard.

Five officers have been injured after a police boat struck Westminster Bridge on the River Thames. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said ‘they do not believe any members of the public were involved or injured’ pic.twitter.com/wBtB3SZ1IY

— Sky News (@SkyNews) July 24, 2026

The Trump administration has withdrawn a subpoena seeking records from the University of Pennsylvania about antisemitism complaints and information connected to Jewish campus groups, according to a court filing Thursday.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had demanded records on antisemitism allegations, a list of campus organizations connected to Jewish religion, ancestry or national origin, membership rosters for those groups, and the names of people who worked in Penn’s Jewish Studies Program. The administration’s decision does not end the EEOC’s broader investigation into antisemitism at the university.

Penn had turned over some information but resisted other demands, arguing that the subpoena was unconstitutional and could place Jewish students and employees at risk. The government maintained that it was not attempting to create a registry of Jews, but was seeking contact information for potential victims and witnesses.

Federal Judge Gerald Pappert ruled in March that Penn largely had to comply, though he stayed the decision while the university pursued an appeal. He later acknowledged that the case raised complex constitutional questions and that releasing the information prematurely could cause harm.

The court filing did not explain why the administration dropped the subpoena.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

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Former CIA Director John Brennan accused President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans of working together to target individuals who have opposed or investigated the president, alleging a coordinated effort to damage their reputations and finances.

Speaking Thursday on MSNBC’s Deadline, Brennan sharply criticized House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, claiming the Ohio Republican has used his position to advance Trump’s interests.

“Jim Jordan is not just a craven politician who has abused the authorities of his chairmanship of the committee. He also is a complete shill for Donald Trump. And so what is happening to Jack Smith is exactly what happened to me. Both Jack and I appeared separately, voluntarily, in front of his committee. And then as a result of those appearances and our testimony, he makes referrals to the Department of Justice. He made a criminal referral on me, which is why I’m a target of several investigations out of the Southern District of Florida.”

Brennan went on to argue that the actions taken by Jordan and the Trump administration amount to a deliberate effort to intimidate critics and former government officials.

“The intention that Jim Jordan and Donald Trump are engaged in is to try to harass and harangue and to ruin, try to ruin people reputationally and financially and so on. And so it just shows that there is this collusion and conspiracy among the Republican members of Congress and the White House to go after individuals who try to uphold their responsibilities and obligations when they were government employees, but who have, you know, run afoul of Donald Trump. And so, again, this is just so ludicrous. But it’s so hard to believe that this would have ever happened previously. But again, it’s not surprising or shocking at all that this is going on right now with this administration and this Department of Justice.”

{Matzav.com}

New York (VINNEWS/Rabbi Yair Hoffman) This week starts the seven haftaros of comfort, and Shabbos Nachamu is the first of them. All seven come from one single sefer of Navi — Yeshayahu. He lived before the destruction. He saw it coming. And he also saw the comfort that would come afterward. Not one of the seven is taken from any other sefer, because his is the book of comfort.

The Gemara in Bava Basra (14b) says something surprising: Yeshayahu’s book is entirely comfort. But an obvious question jumps out right away. The book is also packed with harsh criticism and with prophecies of destruction. So how can anyone call it a book of comfort?

The Maharsha answers that most of his prophecy is about the churban — and that is exactly why the book is named for comfort. Ruin and comfort are two halves of one message. The navi who saw the destruction most clearly was the very one trusted to deliver the comfort.

But there is another problem. Rashi on our haftarah writes that the comfort begins in chapter forty. Yet Yeshayahu’s prophecies do not end until chapter sixty-six. Twenty-seven chapters out of sixty-six is not even half the book. So why should the whole book be named after a section that does not even take up most of it? That question deserves real study.

And why was the job of comforting given to Yeshayahu more than to any other navi? The Midrash quoted in Yalkut Shimoni and in the Tanna d’Vei Eliyahu explains that he volunteered. The pasuk in chapter six records that the Holy One asked, whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Yeshayahu answered, here I am, send me (Yeshayahu 6:8).

The Holy One then warned him: My children are difficult and stubborn. If you are willing to take their insults and their curses, then go. Yeshayahu said he was ready for it — ready for a nation that would hit him and mock him. Because of that, the Holy One said about him that he loved righteousness and hated wickedness, that he loved to defend His children and hated to condemn them, and that therefore Hashem, his Hashem, anointed him with the oil of gladness above his fellows (Tehillim 45:8). The one willing to absorb their curses was the one fit to deliver their comfort.

Nachamu Nachamu — Why Say It Twice?

The doubled word (Yeshayahu 40:1) has drawn several explanations.

The Alshich understands it as pointing to two destructions and two comforts. Yeshayahu saw in prophecy both the destruction of the First Beis HaMikdash and the comfort that followed it, and the destruction of the Second Beis HaMikdash and the comfort that would follow that one. So the doubled Nachamu hints at a double comfort answering two disasters.

A second approach looks at how comfort actually works. Normally comfort comes slowly. A person shaken by tragedy gradually goes back to living, but the wound stays open underneath the recovery. But if a person comes to understand that the disaster itself contained his rescue — that the very blow was the salvation — that is comfort of a completely different kind. That is what the doubled Nachamu means: that we should merit to see how the very bad things were actually for our good.

It is like a man who crossed a bridge and, because of a delay that had frustrated him, was saved when the bridge collapsed behind him. The delay was never the misfortune he thought it was.

This idea has a much deeper root, and the Ramchal develops it at length. He opens his Maamar HaGeulah with a pasuk in Michah: do not rejoice over me, my enemy, for though I have fallen I will rise; though I sit in darkness, Hashem is a light for me (Michah 7:8). That pasuk, the Ramchal says, announces a secret — that Israel can be confident that they will be redeemed, and that the complete redemption will come speedily in our days.

In Otzros Ramchal he explains why. The Holy One wanted to reveal His Oneness to the created world in an actual, visible way, and the only way to do that was to start with darkness. When darkness hides everything, there is room for evil to exist and for the light to be found inside it — and then the evil is wiped out and turned into good, and every broken thing is put back together.

The Ramchal spells this out in Da’as Tevunos as well. Even though the world is usually run by a system of reward and punishment, and especially in the time of ikvesa d’Meshicha, sometimes the Holy One runs things instead by the system of mazal, where reward and punishment are not what determines the outcome. That is why we should not be surprised when, in a generation like this one, the righteous are pushed down low and cry out and are not answered, while the wicked prosper. It is not because the righteous lack the merit to fix what is broken. It is because that very hour is what gives birth to the complete repair, so that in the end the Holy One’s oneness will be revealed.

Rav Chaim Friedlander, quoting the Ramchal in Klalim Rishonim, writes the same thing — that the Master, blessed is He, does not always run the world by one system. Sometimes He uses reward and punishment, and sometimes He uses the system of mazal, which is a decree and does not follow a person’s actions. That is what people call the well-known question of why the righteous suffer, and it is a matter that only the greatest people are able to stand inside of.

And in the final exile, the Ramchal says, the Holy One is using that second system most of the time. The purpose behind it is a general repair for the entire world. In order for the great revelation of His oneness to be born, the greatest concealment has to come first — and so the darkness of ikvesa d’Meshicha is the greatest darkness of all, precisely so that from inside that darkness the light will be even more visible and the oneness will be revealed even more fully in the future.

There is one more piece to it. For the darkness itself to be turned into repair — for it to become good — there has to be free choice. There has to be darkness, and it has to be our job to bring light into that darkness by fixing what is broken and flipping the evil over into good. That is the light of the future, after the repair of all the darkness that came before it.

Sparks in the Darkness

The Ramchal explains the pasuk in Michah (7:8) further. When the world was created, many holy sparks fell into the hands of the forces of impurity, and it became our job to pull them back out. That was one reason for the exile. There was another reason as well: so that the Shechinah would not be received in disgrace. And there is one more — many sparks were sunk inside impurity through the sin of Adam HaRishon and through the sins of every generation after him, and when that happens the impure forces rejoice, because it looks like proof of their power.

In his commentary on Michah the Ramchal adds that Israel went down into exile in order to repair those sparks and lift them back into holiness. And as Chazal said (Pesachim 87b), Israel was exiled among the nations only so that converts would be added to them — those converts being the sparks of holiness that had fallen into the hands of the impure side.

The impure side does not know that this whole thing is going to destroy it and that it has no future against the nation of Israel. That is the meaning of do not rejoice over me, my enemy, for though I have fallen I will rise (Michah 7:8) — because only when Israel finishes drawing all those sparks out of exile will Mashiach come. Chazal say (Yevamos 62a; Avodah Zarah 5a) that the son of David does not come until all the souls in the body are used up, meaning all the souls sunk in the impure side, the body of impurity. Then the Shechinah goes out together with Israel from the exile, and the redemption comes.

That is what though I sit in darkness, Hashem is a light for me (Michah 7:8) means. The oneness whose whole job is to bring the world to its repair is present even during the time of concealment, and it is what helps Israel bring the world to that repair.

The Building That Lasts

There is a question that has to be asked here. If the sparks needed to be pulled out, and Israel could have done that job while still sitting on their own land with the Beis HaMikdash standing, then why was exile necessary at all? The Mekubalim answered it: if the Jewish people had not sinned, all those repairs would have been done while they were on their own soil, and all those sparks would have been drawn into the Beis HaMikdash and repaired right there. Israel would never have needed to go down into exile at all.

But the Ramchal’s principle still stands — the light is only recognizable when it comes out of darkness. So how could the future redemption ever have arrived if Israel had stayed on their land with the Beis HaMikdash intact?

The answer is spelled out in the Zohar in Parashas Pinchas. A wise non-Jew once came before Rabbi Eliezer HaGadol and asked him three questions. The first was: you say a third Beis HaMikdash is going to be built for you, but Chagai only writes that the glory of this last house will be greater than the first (Chagai 2:9) — which means there was a first house and a second house, and no third house is mentioned anywhere.

He asked two more questions, and Rabbi Eliezer said to him: elder, do not come near me, I have no answer that you can accept. Because of that insult Rabbi Eliezer’s eyes filled with tears and he made a vow. But afterward, when his anger cooled, Rabbi Eliezer said that those same questions that the wicked man had asked, he had once asked himself — and that he had asked Eliyahu those very questions in the heavenly academy. And this was the answer he received.

When Israel went out of Egypt, the Holy One wanted to make them like the angels above and wanted to build a Beis HaMikdash for them, bringing it down from above so that it would be a copy below of what stands above. That is the meaning of You shall bring them and plant them on the mountain of Your inheritance, the place You made for Your dwelling, Hashem (Shemos 15:17) — meaning a place that You made, not a place made by human hands. That was going to be the first Beis HaMikdash.

But once they sinned in the wilderness and died there, and their children entered the land, the two Batei Mikdash that were built were built by human hands. And because they were rooted in the sin, they did not last. That is what the pasuk means when it says, the Sanctuary of Hashem that Your hands established (Shemos 15:17) — that is the second Beis HaMikdash, and it was made by hands. Since they sinned, it had no permanence in it.

Shlomo HaMelech knew this. He said in Tehillim, if Hashem does not build the house, its builders labor in vain (Tehillim 127:1) — that he did not build a house that would have permanence to it. And in the days of Ezra the same thing happened: the sin caused them to have to build it themselves, and so it did not last. Now that the Beis HaMikdash is destroyed, the Holy One wants to build it and Israel does not build it. And only in the future will He build it, as it is written, the builder of Yerushalayim is Hashem (Tehillim 147:2) — He, and no one else.

And that building is not something we push forward. It is not built by human actions, because a building made by human actions has no permanence in it.

The Zohar adds that in the future the Holy One will build two Batei Mikdash — that the two houses of Hashem that will be built are the first house and the second house, and that He will bring them both down from above. The first will be hidden and covered, and the second will be revealed. The one that stands on the ground and is called the second house will be the one that everyone in the world can see, and everyone will fear it and rejoice completely. The first, the hidden one, will come and rest on top of the revealed one, and everyone will see the clouds of glory surrounding the revealed house, while the first house stays hidden inside those clouds — hidden in its making, reaching all the way up to heaven. And because the visible house is the one that reveals what is hidden, the glory of the last house will indeed be greater than the first (Chagai 2:9).

The Zohar’s whole point is now clear. If the Holy One had wanted Israel to build the Beis HaMikdash by their own hands, they would have been like the angels above. And if they had gone out of Egypt without having sinned, the world would have reached its final repair immediately — because the light that gets revealed out of darkness was the darkness of the exile in Egypt, and the receiving of the Torah is what brought them to the level Adam HaRishon had before the sin, as it is said, I said, you are angelic beings, and all of you are sons of the Most High (Tehillim 82:6). That is exactly the Zohar’s phrase, that they would have been reckoned like the angels above.

That is the light revealed out of the terrible darkness of the Egyptian exile, which is the root of all the exiles. But because they sinned, the Beis HaMikdash was not built by the hand of Hashem. And because they sinned when they entered the land, it was not built by the Holy One but only through Shlomo, and it had no permanence.

The second Beis HaMikdash could likewise have been a leftover of the great light of the Beis HaMikdash above, and then the light would have been revealed out of the darkness of exile and of Haman’s decree. But they did not merit it, and so the matter remained standing for the future.

The Malbim explains the doubling based on the pasuk, speak to the heart of Yerushalayim, for her host has been filled (Yeshayahu 40:2). One reading points to Mashiach coming at his appointed time, and the other to a redemption that comes early, if Israel earns it and is favored. Since there are two possible roads to Mashiach — arriving on schedule or arriving early — comfort is written twice, once for each road.

The Midrash reads the doubling against the language of sin and punishment. Because Yerushalayim sinned double, as it is written that she sinned grievously (Eichah 1:8), she was punished double, as the pasuk says she received from the hand of Hashem double for all her sins (Yeshayahu 40:2). And so she is comforted double: Nachamu Nachamu. The other prophecies of comfort are doubled the same way, as in the pasuk, I will rejoice greatly in Hashem (Yeshayahu 61:10).

The doubled sin itself can be read two ways. It was a sin that pulls more sins after it, and it was a sin whose punishment brings more punishment in its wake — a stiff-necked matter and a more serious transgression. There is one more thought here as well: the more successful a person is, the more serious his sin. Israel’s sin, coming from a nation of that stature, counted double for that reason alone.

What the Comfort Is Waiting For

The navi announces the comfort. But comfort like this has a mechanism — something it depends on, something that brings it. And the blessing we say every single morning names that mechanism openly.

The second blessing of Krias Shema before Shacharis asks that He put in our hearts to understand and to comprehend, and all the words of the study of His Torah; that He light up our eyes in His Torah, and unite our hearts to love and fear His Name; and that He bring us in peace from the four corners of the earth and lead us upright to our land.

The order needs explaining. What is the gathering in of the exiles doing inside a blessing whose whole subject is successful, deep Torah study? The blessing is about learning — understanding, comprehension, eyes that are lit up — and then, with no transition at all, it asks to be gathered in from the four corners of the earth.

Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l answered from a passage in Bava Basra (8a–b) on the pasuk in Hoshea, even though they scatter themselves among the nations, now I will gather them (Hoshea 8:10). Ulla said that the pasuk is spoken in Aramaic, and Rashi explains that the Aramaic word yisnu means yishnu — they will learn — the way the Targum translates the word for teaching.

Read that way, the pasuk says something completely different from how it first sounds. If they all learn — and even if only most of them do, but they learn with real effort and throw themselves into Torah — then now I will gather them. The gathering in depends on the learning. That is why the two requests sit in one blessing.

The Beis HaLevi — Which Torah Redeems

The Beis HaLevi sharpens the point. He writes that the future redemption will come only through the merit of the Oral Torah. He proves it from that same pasuk in Hoshea (8:10), and from the Midrash in Vayikra Rabbah that teaches that the exiles are gathered in only through the merit of the Mishnah, and from the Gemara in Bava Basra (8a–b) explaining that the pasuk was said in Aramaic — if they will all learn, then now I will gather them — with the Aramaic pointing specifically to the Oral Torah.

The reason goes straight to the heart of what went wrong. The sin of the Second Beis HaMikdash was not the same as the sin of the First. The Second Beis HaMikdash was built at a time when the righteous of Israel were already worried about the survival of faith and had already received the Oral Torah from our Sages. The safeguard was already in place. And precisely there, Israel split into factions over the Oral Torah, each one interpreting it its own way. Division entered their hearts, and hatred and fighting followed. That is the heresy of the Oral Torah, and that is what caused the destruction.

From here the logic runs in only one direction. A redemption has to be preceded by a repair of the sin that caused the destruction it reverses. If that principle held for the Second Beis HaMikdash, it holds even more for the redemption still ahead of us.

That is why the exiles are gathered in only through the merit of engaging with the Mishnah, which is the entire body of the Oral Torah. The heresy in the Oral Torah is what caused the sin. Therefore repairing that heresy — Israel strengthening their faith and increasing their engagement with the Oral Torah — is what will earn the redemption and restore them in their faith. This whole picture, the Beis HaLevi concludes, is now plainly visible to the senses. No further proof is needed.

Talmud Torasecha — How Exact the Words Are

The Iyun Tefillah, written by the author of the Kesav V’HaKabbalah, notices how precise the blessing’s wording is. It does not say the words of Your Torah. It says the words of the study — talmud — of Your Torah.

The reason is that the Written Torah is sealed. A person cannot fulfill even one of its commandments the way the Giver of the Torah intended without the Oral Torah that explains it, because the Oral Torah handed down to us is what teaches the true meaning of what is written. So the blessing is not asking generally for Torah. It is asking for the Oral Torah — the same Torah the Beis HaLevi identified as the condition for the redemption.

There is proof for this from the Midrash Tanchuma, which reads that it does not say talmud but rather the Oral Torah, and it requires study. And elsewhere in Tanchuma: the Oral Torah is not learned except by one who loves the Holy One with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might (Devarim 6:5).

This explains what the blessing does next. Right after asking for the words of the study of His Torah, it turns to love — unite our hearts to love and to fear Your Name. That is not a change of subject. Love is the requirement that comes before the Oral Torah, and the blessing asks for them in order.

The Rambam and the Order of the Parshiyos

The Rambam writes in Hilchos Krias Shema (1:2) that a person recites three sections and that these are Shema, and this is the meaning of the phrase, if you will surely listen (Devarim 11:13). He rules that the section of Shema comes before the others because it contains the unification of the Name and the love of Him — and you shall study it (Devarim 6:7) — because that is the great principle that everything depends on. The key word is talmud. And the point gets sharper when you notice that talmud appears in the first section and not in the second. That is exactly why the first one comes first.

The same pattern shows up in the Rambam at the beginning of Hilchos Talmud Torah, where he establishes that a Torah scholar is obligated to teach. It is worth noticing which pasuk he picks. The pasuk and you shall teach them to observe belongs to the second section (Devarim 11:19). But the pasuk the Rambam actually uses — and you shall teach them to your children, and you shall speak of them — appears in the first (Devarim 6:7). From it Rava derives, from and you shall write them (Devarim 6:9), that a Torah scholar must put his own study before that of his son. The obligation is grounded in the first section, because that is where and you shall study it is written.

The Mishnas Ya’avetz, quoting the Midrash Tanchuma, supplies the key. In the first section it says with all your might (Devarim 6:5). In the second section it does not (Devarim 11:13). That difference is not an accident, because the two Torahs make different demands.

The Written Torah is stated in general terms; the Oral Torah is stated in details. The Written Torah is little; the Oral Torah is much. The Oral Torah demands a price. It is not found with someone chasing the pleasure of the world, its honor and its greatness. It is found in someone who pushes himself hard over it — someone for whom study comes with difficulty, someone who takes on great pain for it. A person only truly acquires it if he loves the Holy One with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might.

And where is that love stated? In the pasuk, and you shall love the Lord your Hashem with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might (Devarim 6:5) — which stands in the first section and nowhere else.

That this love is nothing other than talmud comes out from what is written immediately afterward: and these words which I command you today shall be upon your heart (Devarim 6:6). And what is that? That is the study which is upon the heart. And it continues, and you shall teach them to your children (Devarim 6:7), which is the study that requires review. So the chain in the first section runs unbroken — from love with all your might, to words upon the heart, to teaching and review. Love and the study it produces are one single subject.

The second section is built differently. It says with all your heart and with all your soul (Devarim 11:13), and it does not say with all your might. And it is the second section that spells out reward: and I will give the rain of your land (Devarim 11:14), and so on. That is the reward of people who engage in the commandments of the Written Torah and who are not engaged in study.

The Sages point out that no such spelled-out reward appears in the first section. That omission fits perfectly, because the first section is the section of talmud, and talmud is not traded for rain.

Everything lines up. Whoever loves wealth and pleasure and comfort cannot acquire the Oral Torah because of how intense the pain in it is — great pain, one year and the next. So with all your might appears only where talmud appears, and talmud appears only in the first section.

What comes out of all this is that the Oral Torah is called talmud. That is what the Rambam means when he writes that it is our study that everything depends on — he is naming the Oral Torah. It is acquired only by someone who loves the Holy One with all his heart, which is why the section containing with all your might is the section that has to come first. And this is why Rashi wrote that yisnu is the Targum’s rendering of yishnu, they will learn — because the same vocabulary of teaching and review that marks the first section is the vocabulary of the Oral Torah everywhere.

Now the blessing reads perfectly. Having asked for the words of the study of His Torah, which is the Oral Torah, and for the love that alone acquires it, it continues: gather us together from the four corners of the earth. Because it is through the merit of if they will all learn that now I will gather them (Hoshea 8:10).

The Land Itself

Beyond the reward that the Oral Torah brings, the gathering in of the exiles is itself a condition for Torah study to succeed. The blessing’s phrase, lead us upright to our land, is a reward on its own. At the same time it is the return that lets the learning flourish. The relationship runs both ways.

The Olas Tamid writes exactly this — that the request for the gathering in of the exiles is placed after the prayer for the study of Torah and its endurance, based on the Gemara in Chagigah (5b), which states that once Israel was exiled from its place, there is no greater loss of Torah than this.

The Sifri on Devarim (piska 37) reads: and the first of the dust of the world (Mishlei 8:26) — why is its name called tevel? Because it is spiced with Torah. And what is the spice inside it? Torah itself. From here we learn that the nations have no Torah, and from here we learn that Torah is found in the Land of Israel.

Vayikra Rabbah teaches the same on the pasuk, and the gold of that land is good (Bereishis 2:12) — that there is no Torah like the Torah of the Land of Israel and no wisdom like the wisdom of the Land of Israel. And there the bdolach and the shoham stone (Bereishis 2:12) are read as Mikra, Mishnah, and Talmud.

The Ba’aser writes that ten measures of wisdom came down into the world, and the Land of Israel took nine while the entire rest of the world took one — and that ten portions of Torah came down into the world, and the Land of Israel took nine while the entire rest of the world took one. And the Sages said in Bava Basra (158b) that the air of the Land of Israel makes a person wise.

This is what we are praying for when we say, lead us upright to our land, and through it we will merit all the words of the study of His Torah. Maybe this is also included in the words of the Gemara (Chagigah 5b), that once Israel was exiled from its place there is no greater loss of Torah than this. The loss here is a loss in the quality of Torah, as is well known in the name of the Chasam Sofer. Exile does not just cut down how much is learned. It changes what the learning is.

The Treasuries Being Prepared

Now go back to the Ramchal’s Maamar HaGeulah, which opened all of this. He writes that in the redemption there will be found many great and strong plans and understandings, known to the wise. When wisdom spreads out in the world, then people will see and know how great is Hashem — because at the very moment Israel thought the Holy One had turned His face away from them and abandoned them, that was precisely when He was preparing good and blessing for them.

At that time He was preparing enormous treasuries for them, treasuries so wide and so great that they have no end and no limit. All the precious and pleasant things in the world were placed inside those treasuries, along with every treasured possession of kings, at every time and every hour, until they were filled. And what is in those treasuries is more than any mouth can say, more than any ear can hear, and more than any heart can even begin to grasp.

When the great rest arrives, and the exile is over, all these treasuries will be opened in the world. And out of them will come every consolation and comfort, in exchange for the hard labor Israel worked through in exile.

The Ramchal illustrates this with the well-known story of Yirmiyahu, who was asked by a wise man how Israel could weep over wood and stones. There was already the sword, and there was no weeping for the past. Yirmiyahu answered him that all his wisdom was about wood and stones — and to his question, that this was already the past. The old man did not have the ability to understand, and Yirmiyahu said that the mourner cries over something else. We are not weeping over the past, but rather over the future, because on the strength of this weeping we are building the redemption and the third Beis HaMikdash, speedily in our days.

On this great secret it says, gladden us according to the days You afflicted us, the years we saw evil (Tehillim 90:15). The explanation is that all the days Israel was in exile they saw no light, and the light that should have been theirs during those days was not lost — the Holy One stored it away in the treasuries. And when the time comes for those treasuries to be opened, all that light will come out at once, and there will be a joy for Israel unlike anything the world has ever seen. The world will settle into rest and quiet, and there will be no more sorrow at all.

So the phrase gladden us according to the days You afflicted us is about the quality of our days, not their quantity. The days that were lost cannot be repaid in kind, since only about six thousand years remain — so how could our joy match the number of the days we were afflicted? The answer is that the measure is quality, not count.

Some hold, following the Leshem, that this is meant literally, based on the Bris quoting Rabbi Yishmael, that the pasuk the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun (Yeshayahu 30:26) means that not only will the light of the sun grow stronger, but the sun itself will become sevenfold immediately after the coming of Mashiach. There will also be a slowing of the sun’s movement, so that a full circuit will take seven days instead of one — and the day that now takes twenty-four hours would take seven days in the first week, and the following week the time would double again, and so on. So the days would become extremely long, and all the time of the days of our affliction would be paid back in full.

The Ramchal writes elsewhere, in Mishkeni Elyon, that Yechezkel HaNavi was shown a third Beis HaMikdash in enormous detail (Yechezkel 40–48). His point is not only that this is a vision of what will be in the future, but that at the moment the first Beis HaMikdash was destroyed below, it was destroyed above as well — because if not for the sin, the last house could have reached the complete repair — and at that moment the third house was already built above. What Yechezkel saw was a perfected house already built above, waiting to come down below at the time the Creator desires. Had they merited it, it would have come down in the days of Ezra. But they did not merit it, so the second house was built somewhat like the first, and yet even though the Shechinah rested in it, it was not like the third house, because the lower house was not entirely comparable to the upper one. In the future, though, the upper house will spread downward, and its holiness will be on a level even higher than the first house. The first house was rooted in the secret of wisdom; the third house is rooted in the secret of the crown.

Because of all this, the difficulty of Israel’s labor in exile is now understandable in a different light, and so is the Meharsha’s teaching at the Gate of Prayer, which raises the question of what happens to all the prayers that Israel has been praying for thousands of years, asking for the redemption, when the redemption still has not come. The answer is that all those prayers are found in a treasury set aside for exactly this purpose, and all of them together are working to bring the redemption that will come speedily in our days — because it takes all those thousands upon thousands of prayers to bring the redemption.

Zechariah and Uriah

The same idea unlocks a Gemara at the end of Makkos (24a–b). Rabban Gamliel, Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah, Rabbi Yehoshua, and Rabbi Akiva went up to Yerushalayim. They saw a fox come out of the place of the Holy of Holies, and they cried, while Rabbi Akiva laughed. Rabbi Akiva explained himself from the pasuk, and I will take for Myself trustworthy witnesses to testify, Uriah the Kohen and Zechariah ben Yeverechiah (Yeshayahu 8:2).

The question is obvious. What does Uriah have to do with Zechariah? Uriah lived in the time of the first Beis HaMikdash and Zechariah in the time of the second. But Uriah prophesied about the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash (Michah 3:12; Yirmiyahu 26:20) and Zechariah prophesied about the future redemption (Zechariah 8:4) — so once Uriah’s prophecy was fulfilled, it is known that Zechariah’s prophecies would be fulfilled too. And the Gemara asks in what way these two are trustworthy witnesses, and what the connection between them is.

According to the Ramchal the answer is clear. The fulfillment of the prophecy of destruction is itself what brings the redemption, because during the exile the Holy One is preparing those enormous treasuries — treasuries that are filled through the pain of Israel’s exile and through all their prayers and requests. That is why Chazal said (Ta’anis 30b) that whoever mourns over Yerushalayim merits and sees her rebuilding. He is building the future redemption with his own hands, through his mourning.

Why the Seven Are Not Interrupted

There is a halachic detail that follows from this same idea. From the seventeenth of Tammuz onward we read three haftaros of affliction and then the seven of consolation, and the Shulchan Aruch in siman four hundred seventeen (Orach Chaim 428:8) rules that one does not interrupt the seven of consolation even when Rosh Chodesh Elul falls on Shabbos. This is based on what the Beis Yosef writes in the name of the Abudraham — that one does not skip the three of affliction or the seven of consolation for any other haftarah at all.

It is understandable that the seven of consolation should not be interrupted. But why should the three of affliction be joined to them and treated the same way? The answer is that the three of affliction and the seven of consolation together are ten, corresponding to the ten sefiros. The three of affliction are the first three, and the seven of consolation correspond to the seven lower ones. And this fits exactly with what the Ramchal explained — that the exile and the affliction themselves are what build and prepare the redemption. They are joined together, which is precisely why one does not interrupt between them.

On the Mountain of the Herald

Get yourself up onto a high mountain, herald of Zion; lift up your voice with strength, herald of Yerushalayim; lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Yehudah, behold your Hashem (Yeshayahu 40:9). Yerushalayim herself is cast as the herald, carrying the news of redemption out to the cities of Yehudah.

The Sefer Rokeach draws out a hint in this pasuk: it contains twenty words. So does the blessing in the Amidah that begins, the offshoot of David Your servant. So does the pasuk beginning, for Hashem has comforted Zion (Yeshayahu 51:3). So does the blessing that opens with the choosing of Israel, and the blessing beginning, sound the great shofar for our freedom — each one of twenty words.

Some explain the number as matching the forty days that Moshe received the Torah, twenty and twenty. So too the blessing beginning that the offshoot may flourish contains twenty words, with the matter here reflecting the ten sefiros, because after Mashiach everything is doubled — and this comfort is itself doubled.

The Tur in siman four hundred seventeen writes that the blessing of the shofar contains twenty words just as this pasuk does, and that the shofar blast in the blessing of shofaros is meant to recall the shofar blast of the redemption. There is an explanation for the blessing of forgiveness as well, which also has twenty words, matching the twenty times the word forgiveness is written in the Torah, as the Kolbo notes in siman eleven. And perhaps here too the psukim of the herald and of Mashiach point toward that same forgiveness.

Rashi brings here a parallel pasuk from Yeshayahu chapter fifty-two: how lovely upon the mountains are the feet of the herald, announcing peace, heralding good, announcing salvation, saying to Zion, your Hashem reigns (Yeshayahu 52:7). In our haftarah the herald is described in the feminine — Yerushalayim herself. There the herald is described in the masculine. The same messenger, in two genders.

Rashi resolves it by explaining that if Israel earns it, the herald will come quickly and lightly, as a male. And if they do not earn it, the herald will come as a female — slowly and late, all the way until the very end of days. This is exactly the well-known teaching of Chazal (Sanhedrin 98a, on Yeshayahu 60:22): if they merit it, the redemption comes in a hurry; if they do not merit it, it comes only at its appointed time.

And that brings us back to where the Malbim started, because the doubled Nachamu holds both roads open. Which one the herald takes is not fixed. And everything laid out above — about the Oral Torah and the learning that gathers the exiles in — is the answer to what decides it.

Faith, and the Song That Comes From It

All of this gives us strength in faith and in confidence — as the Ramchal says at the beginning of his words, that we will be redeemed with a complete redemption speedily in our days. Yaakov Avinu asked for exactly this when he said, I am working to bring my son to the throne and he is saying, why have you done evil to me (Bereishis 43:6; cf. 42:36). And from that we learn something more: that even when there is concealment, that is the very time when the Holy One is working to bring the King Mashiach to the throne and preparing all the treasuries for the future.

In the Maamar HaGeulah the Ramchal explains the pasuk, look from the peak of Amanah (Shir HaShirim 4:8), and says that the word he uses for looking refers to song. The peak of Amanah means that when they arrive at faith they will say song. He explains there that the moment is a pleasant and lovely secret: know that this song is the highest of all, and know that the entire world rises in song, and at the time of the redemption there will be a great ascent for every level and every luminary. And he adds that because of that ascent, this song will be sung to the standard-bearers of the exiles — to Amanah, faith — because that ascent will come through this song.

The Ramchal adds something to this in Otzros Ramchal, in his commentary on the mitzvos. The thirteenth mitzvah is to read Krias Shema, and he explains that the phrase when you lie down and when you rise up (Devarim 6:7) shows that sometimes, as it says, the morning stars sang together and all the sons of Hashem shouted (Iyov 38:7) — meaning that all the appointed angels who were sent to carry out a mitzvah do not go out from before the King until they say song. Only afterward do they go on their way, and when they finish they come back and bow before the King and say song again.

The point is that the strength of song is what they take with them, and when they succeed they have to rise up in their service before the King, and it is not received except through song. That is what when you lie down and when you rise up means — that this is the song of a person, because when the soul receives inside itself the duty to carry out His service, blessed is He, a person has to say song before the King, and that song rises above all the songs in the world. And it must be said twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, when the soul returns it.

The essence of song is praise, the way an entire chapter of song is the praise of all created beings. And the greatest praise of all is faith in Hashem and accepting the yoke of His kingdom. When Israel went out of Egypt they were redeemed through the merit of faith, as Chazal say, and then they said song. So it turns out that Israel was born as a nation in Egypt, and they went out through the service of Hashem by way of song, and they completed their faith through song. They ended the song with the pasuk, Hashem will reign forever and ever (Shemos 15:18) — which the Rambam notes is the closing of the song. And in the future they will be redeemed through the merit of faith, and then they will return all the service of the six thousand years to the Holy One in song, as we bless, and we will thank You with a new song for our redemption.

The Gra of Mishkelov writes similarly that faith is the root of everything and the beginning of creation, which is renewed every single day through the act of Bereishis, and that faith is tied to the heart constantly, without any interruption at all. Even for one moment, the righteous person lives by his faith (Chavakuk 2:4), and stopping that faith is stopping his life. Faith is with us in exile, and this is the secret of the Shechinah being in exile, and in this time we are standing in a bitter exile. And even though the kinds of heresy have multiplied and people with arms and daring have grown strong, and brazenness has finished off everything, still the point of faith has not been cut off from us — and from there we will rise up in the future, and the whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of Hashem (Yeshayahu 11:9) and with the secret of faith in its fullness.

The Yalkut Shimoni on Yeshayahu describes it. On the great day of judgment the Holy One will gather all the nations to the valley of Yehoshafat (Yoel 4:2, 4:12) and bring them down to Gehinnom, and Israel will be afraid, and they will say to Rashb”a that perhaps He will do the same to us. And when He says to them, who are you, they answer Him, we are Your nation. And the Holy One asks, who testifies for you? And they say to Him, Avraham. And they call Avraham, and the Holy One says to him, are you testifying that these are My nation? And he says, yes.

Then the Holy One asks, who testifies further? And they say to Him, Yitzchak. And Yitzchak comes on the strength of the promise, You shall spread out to all the lands (Bereishis 28:14). And the Holy One asks, who testifies further? Until Yaakov comes and says, did You not say that it will not be for you? And they say Shema Yisrael (Devarim 6:4), and at that hour the Holy One passes before them. Because of the merit of faith, they say to Him, Shema Yisrael — Israel is already redeemed.

And afterward it is written that the Holy One brings all the nations out of their Gehinnom, and they see the goodness of Israel and say how pleasant this nation is, how much He loves this nation. Pharaoh argues and says, this nation is different, how much He loves them. And the Holy One answers him, you are fools, because you knew Me and you did not trust in Me, but Israel trusted in Me and said My holy Name twice a day, in the day and in the evening — and I will give them a good reward. So we have it, that in the merit of faith and of saying Krias Shema twice a day they will be redeemed. And that is the meaning of look from the peak of Amanah (Shir HaShirim 4:8) — that they will look out from the strength of faith, and everything will rise up on the strength of that song.

The Yalkut concludes with a teaching of Rabbi Yitzchak. In the year that the King Mashiach is revealed, all the kings of the nations of the world will be provoking one another. The king of Persia will provoke the king of Arabia, and the king of Arabia will go to Edom to take counsel from them, and the king of Persia will go back and destroy the whole world. And all the nations of the world will be shaken and terrified and will fall on their faces, and pains will grip them like the pains of a woman giving birth. And Israel will be shaken and terrified and will say, where can we go, where can we go? And He will say to them, My children, do not fear. Everything I have done, I have done only for you. Why are you afraid? The time of your redemption has arrived. And the final redemption is not like the first redemption — because with the first redemption you had pain, and you were subjugated by kingdoms afterward. But with the final redemption there will be no pain for you and no subjugation by kingdoms afterward.

The Order of the Seven Haftaros

The order of the seven haftaros of comfort is recorded in the Tosafos to Megillah (31b), and their opening words spell out the pattern: Nachamu (Yeshayahu 40:1), Vatomer Tzion (Yeshayahu 49:14), Aniyah So’arah (Yeshayahu 54:11), Anochi Anochi Menachemchem (Yeshayahu 51:12), Rani Akarah (Yeshayahu 54:1), Kumi Ori (Yeshayahu 60:1), Sos Asis (Yeshayahu 61:10).

Here a question comes up. Aniyah So’arah is a passage of complaint — storm and affliction. Why should it come before Rani Akarah, before the barren woman is told to sing? You would expect the haftaros to climb steadily, each one more comforting than the last.

The Abudraham and the Levush explain that the order encodes something other than a steady climb. It is a dialogue between the Holy One and Knesses Yisrael — and read that way, the order is exact.

It opens with Hashem telling the neviim to comfort His people: Nachamu (Yeshayahu 40:1). But Israel refuses comfort delivered through messengers. She wants it from Him directly, and she answers back: Tzion said, Hashem has forsaken me (Yeshayahu 49:14).

So in the third week the response is Aniyah So’arah (Yeshayahu 54:11) — the afflicted and storm-tossed one who has still not been comforted. The complaint is not a step backward. It is her half of the exchange, still standing.

Only in the fourth week does the reply come from Hashem Himself: I, I am He who comforts you (Yeshayahu 51:12). That is what she had been holding out for. Then comes Rani Akarah (Yeshayahu 54:1), and with it real comfort. Kumi Ori (Yeshayahu 60:1) is comfort as well. And finally Knesses Yisrael answers, Sos Asis — I will rejoice greatly in Hashem (Yeshayahu 61:10) — because now the comfort has come from Him.

Much of the material in this article was based on Chazon L’Moed (Rav Aryeh Leib HaKohen Shapira), Kovetz HaKinah V’HaNechamah (Rav Chizkiyahu Yosef Weil), and Minchas HaLevi — Moadei HaShanah (Rav Chananya ben Chaim Yehoshua HaLevi Segal).

The author can be reached at [email protected]

Iran has erected a massive billboard in Tehran celebrating Khalil al-Hayya as the new leader of Hamas, underscoring the regime’s continued public support for the terrorist organization.

The billboard, displayed in Tehran’s Palestine Square, features al-Hayya alongside eliminated Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh, with Har Habayis and Yerushalayim in the background.

The display includes a Hebrew message reading, “Sinwar’s edition, the new leader in the field,” while an Arabic slogan describes al-Hayya as “the occupiers’ nightmare.”

The billboard was unveiled shortly after Hamas announced al-Hayya’s appointment as the group’s new leader following the elimination of Sinwar, the architect of the October 7 massacre, by IDF forces in southern Gaza in October 2024.

The public display highlights Tehran’s continued backing of Hamas and its effort to project continuity in the terror group’s leadership despite Israel’s elimination of several of its senior commanders.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

President Donald Trump has reportedly halted a newly signed U.S.-Saudi civilian nuclear agreement, insisting he will not approve the deal unless Saudi Arabia agrees to normalize relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords.

The agreement, signed Wednesday by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart after nearly two years of negotiations, reportedly granted Riyadh key concessions, including the ability to enrich uranium domestically and reduced international oversight.

According to CNN, the White House was angered after the Energy Department publicly announced the agreement before receiving President Trump’s final approval. The backlash intensified following criticism from conservative media questioning why the administration would support a Saudi nuclear program without securing normalization with Israel.

Trump’s new condition reportedly caught both U.S. negotiators and Saudi officials by surprise. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has previously stated that Saudi Arabia will not normalize ties with Israel without a pathway toward a Palestinian state.

The White House denied there was any internal rift, with spokesman Taylor Rogers saying the administration is fully aligned and that the agreement has always been contingent on Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords. The Energy Department also denied reports of internal disagreements.

Reports that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu intervened to block the agreement were also dismissed by the White House, which said Trump and Netanyahu did not discuss the matter and that the President’s position has remained consistent. The agreement remains on hold, with the required congressional notifications yet to be submitted.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

President Trump is becoming increasingly frustrated as the war with Iran enters its fifth month with no clear end in sight, The Wall Street Journal reports. During a recent Oval Office meeting, Trump reportedly erupted against Iranian leaders, calling them “scumbags” and “lunatics,” as advisers warned that the conflict is consuming his presidency and damaging Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.

Trump has attempted several times to bring the fighting to an end, including an April ceasefire and a June memorandum of understanding aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz. However, each period of calm quickly collapsed, and Trump has reportedly become increasingly doubtful that negotiations can produce a lasting agreement. A senior administration official described him as being in “revenge mode,” saying he now believes Iran responds only to military force.

The president has also expressed frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and has at times told aides that he did not want to speak with him. Nevertheless, Trump is scheduled to meet Netanyahu in Washington next week when the prime minister arrives to attend Senator Lindsey Graham’s funeral.

The prolonged conflict has taken a personal toll on Trump and senior administration officials, some of whom have been warned that Iran may be seeking to assassinate them. Trump was recently briefed on Israeli intelligence indicating a possible Iranian plot against him, although some U.S. officials questioned its credibility.

Despite concerns over rising prices, American military casualties and the political impact of the war, Trump remains determined to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He reportedly believes an aggressive bombing campaign can break Tehran’s will. Rep. Michael McCaul said Trump believes he gave diplomacy a chance and is now “going back to Plan A, which is the military operation.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A subcontractor that performed work on the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago has shut down its business after claiming the project left it with nearly $4 million in losses, forcing the company to lay off workers and walk away from several other construction jobs.

Mike Owen, owner of Adamson Plumbing Contractors, told Fox News that his company has ceased operations after suffering financial losses tied to its work on the presidential center. The closure resulted in the layoff of 25 union employees and the abandonment of multiple construction projects.

According to Fox News, “Before the center opened, Owen said the project had left his company with $3.9 million in losses tied to delays, rework, labor overruns, and changing project demands. He said he spent months negotiating with Lakeside Alliance, the project’s construction manager, before going public after failing to reach a resolution.”

The project has also drawn scrutiny over its finances. Previous reports noted that, despite rising costs ultimately borne by taxpayers, the Obama Presidential Center sought unpaid volunteers while planning to pay its chief executive an annual salary of $740,000.

As part of his effort to recover some of the money he says is owed, Owen’s company, operating under the name Marsh-Adamson, has filed a $1.72 million mechanic’s lien against the presidential center property.

“Laying off close to 30 people is something that no owner in our industry wants to do. It’s a hard thing to do, especially when you know you can finish them and the company can still make money. But we were put in a pretty bad corner,” he said.

The development has also faced questions over its ambitious design. According to a previous Breitbart News report, President Barack Obama repeatedly encouraged the architectural team to pursue a larger and more expansive vision for the $850 million Obama Presidential Center, a massive granite-clad complex in Chicago’s Jackson Park.

Tod Williams, one of the project’s lead architects, told The New Yorker that Obama urged the designers to “up our ante” beyond the center’s original plans. Williams said the continued push to increase the project’s scale created tension during the design process and ultimately left him feeling “uneasy.”

The center officially opened in June with President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama hosting numerous celebrities and other prominent guests. The celebration, however, came as the project continued to face allegations that several Black-owned subcontractors had not been fully paid for work they performed during construction, according to Breitbart News.

The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday imposed sanctions on a senior Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood official, three additional individuals, and three entities accused of providing financial support to Hamas and its military wing.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Trump administration would continue targeting terrorists and their financial backers, including those operating through charities, businesses, and underground banking networks. The action was coordinated with the FBI, DEA, and Customs and Border Protection.

Among those sanctioned was Mahmoud al-Abyari, a senior Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood leader based in the United Kingdom. Treasury said al-Abyari helped raise money for organizations previously sanctioned over Hamas ties and worked with Muslim Brotherhood groups to provide financial assistance to Hamas.

The sanctions also targeted Indonesia-based Tujah Bulah Global, which operated under the name Seven Spikes Global, and the Gaza-based Madad Palestine Charitable Society. Treasury said both organizations were created as fronts to raise money for Hamas’s military wing, including funds presented as civilian aid that were knowingly diverted for military purposes.

Türkiye-based El-Kahira for General Trading and its owner, Khuldun Khamis Zakaria Alden, were also sanctioned for transferring hundreds of thousands of dollars for Hamas. Shareholders Zaid Issam Ahmed Al-Jebouri and Abdullah Issam Ahmad Al-Jebouri were designated for owning or controlling the company, which Treasury said provided underground banking services involving both traditional currency and cryptocurrency.

The sanctions block any property or financial interests belonging to the designated individuals and entities that are held in the United States or controlled by U.S. persons. U.S. persons are generally prohibited from conducting transactions involving them.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

WASHINGTON, July 24, 2026 — The Pentagon awarded Oracle an enterprise software agreement worth as much as $6.99 billion over 10 years, consolidating software licenses and services across the military, Coast Guard and intelligence community under one government-wide purchasing arrangement.

The agreement includes a five-year base period with an option for another five years. It was negotiated through the Department of the Navy and represents the Pentagon’s first direct enterprise agreement with Oracle.

Defense officials estimate the consolidated contract will save taxpayers at least $441 million by eliminating overlapping agreements, standardizing prices and providing a clearer view of how Oracle products are used across agencies.

The contract covers Oracle’s on-premises software portfolio rather than functioning solely as a cloud-computing agreement. It is intended to bring licenses, maintenance and support services that had been purchased separately by military branches and intelligence organizations into a single structure.

The deal strengthens Oracle’s government position while accelerating a broader Pentagon effort to use its purchasing power against rising software costs.

The agreement follows a separate Pentagon consolidation contract with Microsoft worth as much as $9.69 billion. Together, the awards show how the federal government is moving away from thousands of smaller technology contracts toward department-wide agreements with major vendors.

That approach can produce lower prices and simpler management. It may also make it harder for smaller software providers and resellers to compete when purchasing authority is concentrated in a limited number of enormous contracts.

Oracle’s government win came as the company also released its July Critical Patch Update, addressing vulnerabilities across databases, enterprise applications and other software products.

The company’s advisory includes 72 new security patches for Oracle Database products, along with additional updates covering other parts of its software portfolio. Oracle recommends that customers apply the patches promptly because attackers have previously attempted to exploit vulnerabilities for which fixes were already available.

The timing is particularly important for government agencies, hospitals, banks and large corporations that use Oracle databases to operate essential systems.

A software agreement establishes the commercial terms for using and maintaining the products, but it does not remove the responsibility of individual organizations to install security fixes, test them and ensure that legacy systems remain protected.

For Oracle, the contract provides long-term revenue visibility and reinforces the company’s position as a critical supplier of database and enterprise software. Its cloud business is growing rapidly, but traditional licenses and support relationships remain deeply embedded across government and corporate technology systems.

Oracle shares traded lower Friday morning despite the award, reflecting a broader technology selloff and investor concerns about the cost of AI data-center expansion.

The Pentagon’s next test will be whether the agreement delivers the projected savings and whether agencies can standardize their software use without creating new dependence on a single vendor.

JBizNews Desk | Washington

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

Dave Portnoy called for the firing of a USA Today columnist who compared WNBA star Caitlin Clark to the 1955 lynching of Emmett Till, arguing the writer belongs in an “insane asylum” for the piece.

Speaking on “Varney & Co.,” the Barstool Sports founder ripped into columnist Nancy Armour, declaring her comparison between Indiana Fever star Clark and the murder of Black teen Emmett Till the “craziest thing” he’s seen in more than two decades of sports media.

“We’ve got to put her in a straightjacket. You’ve got to find the nearest institution. You’ve gotta put this author away and throw away the key,” Portnoy said Friday. 

“Firing isn’t really far enough. You gotta put her in an insane asylum. You gotta lock her up. And people who say, ‘Hey, Dave, that’s too far’—that’s nothing compared to what she just wrote,” he later added.

Armour wrote that some of Clark’s supporters have interpreted her disputes with referees as a White woman who needs protection, then taken it out on other players on the court. Clark has been a frequent topic of discussion after facing physical play during games.

The author wrote that there is a “White nationalist element” to the dispute, and later added that, “it shouldn’t need reminding this country has an awful history of Black people being harmed, even killed, in the name of ‘defending’ white women.”

The writer then said the WNBA’s All-Star Game was being held in Chicago, where Emmett Till lived. Emmett Till was a 14-year-old Black boy who was abducted and lynched in Mississippi in 1955 after a White woman accused him of making advances toward her. The tragedy became a major catalyst for the modern civil rights movement.

“I’ve been doing Barstool 24 years. I’m 49 years old. That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. The absolute craziest thing. To somehow equate the civil rights movement and Caitlin Clark arguing whether she got fouled or not,” Portnoy said. “It is pure insanity.” 

Portnoy called for the firing of not only Armour, but also other members of the editorial staff involved with the article.

“I do think she should be fired. I think the editor who allowed this to be published should be fired,” he said, later adding that not every story should be anchored around racial disputes. 

“If you go looking for race under every single blank, every cover, you can make anything about race,” Portnoy said. 

Armour apologized for making the connection in her article in a statement posted Thursday on social media: “In my recent column, I made an inartful comparison with the murder of Emmett Till. I intended to connect the issues the WNBA is currently facing with its All-Star Game being hosted in Till’s hometown of Chicago,” she said, adding, “I obviously did not provide enough context for that.”

Armour also noted that she stands by the assertion that perceived threats toward White women are weaponized against Black Americans but added that she sincerely regrets that her “lack of appropriate context is overshadowing that important conversation and the action that needs to be taken by the WNBA to address it directly — for the benefit of all players.”

LONDON (VINnews) – London Mayor Sadiq Khan said in a Thursday television interview that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would face arrest if he traveled to the United Kingdom, citing the International Criminal Court warrant issued against the Israeli leader.

Khan’s remarks came after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he lacked the legal authority to order Netanyahu’s arrest if Netanyahu visits New York for the U.N. General Assembly. Mamdani has nevertheless urged federal authorities to enforce the ICC warrant.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in 2024 for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza. Israel rejects the allegations and disputes the court’s jurisdiction.

President Donald Trump has said Netanyahu would not be arrested while visiting the United States.

The Mayor of London sat down with Channel 4 News Home Affairs Correspondent Symeon Brown to discuss whether the UK would enforce the ICC arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Sadiq Khan said that “those accused of genocide must face justice” and that he… pic.twitter.com/l1No7nOHPS

— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) July 23, 2026

Almost 150,000 vote-by-mail ballots cast in California’s June primary were rejected, marking a noticeable increase from recent elections despite the state’s continued efforts to expand mail voting and make it easier for every eligible ballot to be counted.

California has long faced criticism over its lengthy vote-counting process, which often stretches for weeks after Election Day. Over the years, state lawmakers have adopted a series of election reforms aimed at increasing voter participation, including automatically mailing ballots to every registered voter and allowing ballots to be counted if they arrive up to seven days after the election, provided they were postmarked by Election Day.

Even with that extended grace period, newly released data from the California Secretary of State’s office shows that the overwhelming reason ballots were rejected was because they arrived too late to qualify. Election experts believe many of those ballots received postmarks dated after Election Day, making them ineligible under state law. Some have suggested recent operational changes at the U.S. Postal Service may have affected when postmarks are applied.

State records show that 148,241 mail ballots were rejected in the June primary, representing 1.73% of all mail ballots submitted.

That total exceeds the June 2024 primary, when 108,982 ballots were rejected, or 1.56% of mail ballots cast. In the 2022 primary, 105,818 mail ballots were rejected, producing a rejection rate similar to that of 2024.

Late-arriving ballots accounted for 93,479 of the rejected votes in June, making lateness by far the most common reason ballots were disqualified. By comparison, approximately 70,000 ballots were rejected for lateness in the 2022 primary and roughly 76,000 in the 2024 primary, although voter turnout was lower in both of those elections.

Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, said the increase in late ballot rejections raises significant concerns. She suggested the rise may be tied not only to Postal Service procedures but also to a surge of voters who waited until the final days of the campaign to cast ballots in the closely watched and highly competitive race for governor.

“Ballots rejected due to lateness are caused primarily to being postmarked too late to count, not because they arrived too late to count,” Alexander wrote in an email.

Mindy Romero, director of the nonpartisan Center for Inclusive Democracy, said rejection rates naturally fluctuate from election to election, but the growing number of ballots rejected because of lateness deserves closer examination.

The issue has also attracted attention in Washington. In January, a group of mostly Democratic U.S. senators sent a letter to the U.S. Postal Service expressing concern that recent mail-processing changes could affect postmark dates during an election year that will determine control of Congress.

Under updated Postal Service policies, a postmark may reflect the date a piece of mail was processed at a regional facility rather than the day it first entered the postal system. Because recent consolidations have moved processing operations farther from some communities, critics fear the changes could delay postmark dates for mailed ballots.

Similar concerns surfaced in Wisconsin this week, where Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Gov. Tony Evers urged the Postal Service to address delivery delays after hundreds of ballots arrived too late to be counted in the state’s April election. Meanwhile, a federal judge in June blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order that sought to establish a federal voter registration list and restrict eligibility for mail-in ballots.

Earlier this year, California election officials advised voters to return their mail ballots well before Election Day, warning that Postal Service changes could result in slower mail delivery.

Among California counties, Tulare County recorded the highest mail-ballot rejection rate in the June primary at 3.52%. Alpine County and Merced County followed closely, each reporting a rejection rate of 3.36%.

Lateness was not the only reason ballots were discarded. Nearly 44,000 ballots were rejected because election officials determined the voter’s signature did not match the signature on file. More than 8,300 ballots were rejected because the return envelope lacked a signature altogether.

Another 743 ballots were voided because those voters had already cast a ballot through another method. Additional rejected ballots involved missing ballots inside return envelopes or multiple ballots submitted in a single envelope.

The state’s data did not categorize rejected ballots by party affiliation.

California continues to trail many other large states in the speed of counting votes. States such as Florida and Texas typically report election results much more quickly, while California’s counting process has become one of the slowest in the nation.

Following the June primary, President Donald Trump again criticized California’s prolonged vote-counting process, renewing longstanding complaints about the state’s election system. At the same time, the Department of Justice launched an investigation into election procedures in Los Angeles County.

Despite the large number of rejected ballots, election experts say there is no evidence of widespread fraud involving mail voting. A 2025 report by the Brookings Institution found that instances of mail-ballot fraud remain extremely rare, identifying roughly four cases for every 10 million mail ballots cast.