The approximately 10,000 Jews still living in Iran have been forced to demonstrate unwavering loyalty to the Iranian regime, sever contact with relatives in Israel, and avoid any online activity that could arouse suspicion, according to an Israeli expert on Iran. During the recent war, he said, Jewish communities were even compelled to hold ceremonies praising the regime and offer prayers for the success of Iranian missile attacks.

The assessment was shared by Beni Sabti, an Iran researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), during an interview with Yaron Schneider on the institute’s “Extra Security Broadcast” podcast. Sabti described how the direct military confrontation between Israel and Iran placed the country’s remaining Jewish community under unprecedented pressure.

According to Sabti, while previous conflicts involving Hamas or Hezbollah occasionally led to harassment of Jewish business owners and professionals, the direct war with Israel dramatically intensified the danger. He said Iran’s Jews now feel compelled to constantly prove their loyalty to the regime.

“They had to hold many ceremonies praising the Iranian regime and even, unbelievably, prayers for the Iranian missiles,” Sabti said. “There were also many curses and insults directed at the State of Israel and the Americans, all in order to survive.”

Sabti said shuls have become not only places of worship and refuge, but also venues where members of the Jewish community publicly demonstrate allegiance to the Islamic Republic. He explained that Iranian Jews have spent generations learning how to conceal their true feelings in order to protect themselves.

“They are very accustomed to living a life of deception in order to save themselves,” he said.

That caution extends to communication with family members in Israel. Sabti said many Iranian Jews stop following relatives on social media, sharply reduce WhatsApp conversations, and even ask family members in Israel not to contact them at all.

“Not being in contact is actually a sign of safety,” Sabti explained. “Leave me alone, I’ll manage. It’s better that we not appear connected so no one sees our relationship.”

Although the Iranian government publicly insists it distinguishes between Judaism and Zionism—and even reserves a seat in parliament for a representative of the Jewish community—Sabti argued that the regime effectively treats Iran’s Jews as political hostages. Any contact with relatives in Israel, he warned, can quickly become grounds for accusations of espionage and interrogation by Iran’s intelligence services.

He pointed to one of the darkest chapters in the community’s modern history: the 1999 arrest of 13 Iranian Jews who were accused of spying for Israel. Several faced severe punishments before eventually being released following prolonged international pressure. The episode, Sabti said, served as a lasting reminder that no Jew in Iran is immune from sudden persecution.

Ironically, Sabti said the Jewish community often fares better when the Iranian regime feels confident and secure. When the government believes its grip on power is weakening or that it faces external threats, suspicion toward the Jewish population increases, forcing community members to make even more visible displays of loyalty to avoid being viewed as a “fifth column.”

Most of Iran’s remaining Jews live in Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz. Many work as merchants, physicians, engineers, and other professionals. According to Sabti, they generally maintain peaceful relationships with their Muslim neighbors and avoid drawing attention to themselves, provided they adhere to the unwritten rules and display no public connection to Israel.

Despite the mounting risks, many members of the community remain reluctant to leave. Some are elderly, while others own businesses, stores, clinics, or valuable property that cannot easily be transferred abroad. For many families, emigrating would mean abandoning everything they have built over a lifetime and starting over in Israel or the United States without their assets or social standing.

Sabti also noted the community’s profound historical and cultural attachment to Iran. Jews have lived there continuously for approximately 2,500 years, and many regard themselves as native Iranians deeply connected to the Persian language, local traditions, cuisine, and the cities where their families have lived for generations. They do not see themselves as outsiders but as members of one of the world’s oldest Jewish communities living under an increasingly hostile regime.

According to Sabti, Iran’s Jewish population numbered roughly 120,000 before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Tens of thousands fled following Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s rise to power, while many others left during the 1980s as the Revolutionary Guard strengthened its grip and government repression intensified.

Sabti also argued that years of isolation from Jewish communities in Israel and the United States have allowed groups associated with Neturei Karta to expand their influence in some Iranian shuls and educational institutions. He said the regime has welcomed those voices as useful propaganda, presenting anti-Zionist Jews as evidence of Jewish opposition to the State of Israel.

Today, one of the world’s oldest Jewish communities remains caught between its ancient roots and a regime that views it as a political tool. While Iranian Jews continue to maintain shuls and preserve communal life, Sabti warned that during times of war, even a simple phone call to Israel or the slightest expression of identification with the Jewish state can place their freedom—and even their lives—in jeopardy.

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Thousands of Sanzer chassidim from across the country gathered on Thursday outside Prison 10 for an atzeres tefillah following the imprisonment of two chassidim who were arrested after arriving at the military recruitment office to regularize their status.

Addressing the thousands in attendance, the Sanzer Rebbe said that although people sometimes feel spiritually diminished compared to previous generations, the very struggle being waged against the Torah world demonstrates the great value of Torah and mitzvos even in our generation.

“Sometimes we feel discouraged about our spiritual state,” the Rebbe said. “What are our tefillos and our Limud Torah worth compared to the previous generations, who served Hashem with simplicity and under difficult circumstances? But when we see today the war being waged against us by the forces of tumah, rachmana litzlan, it is mechazeik us to know that our Torah and mitzvos still make an impression in Shamayim, and every good deed remains precious Above.”

The Rebbe emphasized: “The war is not over Limmud Torah; the war is over our Yiddishkeit. They want to uproot our way of life and make us ‘like all the nations,’ chalilah.”

The Rebbe stressed that the public at large should not be viewed as enemies, saying that, in his opinion, most of Israel’s citizens appreciate the Torah and the Chareidi community, even if they themselves do not observe Torah and mitzvos.

“We must know and repeat this, so as not, chalila, to speak negatively about fellow Jews: in truth, most of the people living here appreciate religion, the Torah, and Chareidi Jews, even if they themselves are, to our sorrow, like children who were taken captive. They want their children and descendants to remain Jewish. They believe that Am Yisrael has no right to exist without Torah and mitzvos.”

“It is a small group of leaders and haters of religion, whose Jewish lineage is doubtful, the Erev Rav, as the holy Zohar calls them, who are trying to impose their views on the public and incite the public against us using the tools at their disposal, presenting it as though this is the opinion of the ‘majority.'”

He also related that Sanzer askanim who met with police officers before the atzeres heard expressions of regret from them over the situation.

“They told me that during the meeting between the organizers and the police regarding today’s rally, most of the officers were embarrassed and openly apologized, saying they were ashamed of who was being put in prison and whom they were guarding. They respect Lomdei Torah. They are only carrying out orders.”

“Over the past two years we have all witnessed nissim and wonders from Hashem, how the Shomer Yisrael protects the remnant of Israel. Who but a fool could say that this is not solely due to the zechus of Torah and mitzvos that protect us?” the Rebbe emphasized.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Hours after shrapnel from an Iranian ballistic missile, which had been fired at Jordan, ultimately landed in Israel just north of Eilat, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir threatened the Islamic Republic with a potential harsh counterstrike if the regime gets any closer to the Jewish state.

Speaking to IDF commanders in the West Bank, he said, “next to the continuous fighting against terror in Judea and Samaria, we are closely following the developments with Iran and maintaining a high level of readiness.”

“We followed the attack on the area around Aqaba [Jordan] today, and our air defense apparatus is ready to defend the citizens of Israel,” added Zamir. “We are ready to immediately return to war, and we will act with great power against anyone who harms us.” 

IDF sources told The Jerusalem Post that the Sunday attack had finally shifted the IDF close to war footing after weeks when Israel has felt outside of the primarily US-Iran conflict.

Earlier on Sunday afternoon, the IDF’s Iron Dome was used to shoot down fragments of an Iranian ballistic missile fired at Jordan near the border with Israel after the US Aegis anti-missile system had already been used to shoot down the primary missile warhead.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir speaks to IDF commanders in the West Bank, July 19, 2026. (credit: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit)

As a result, interceptor fragments fell in an open area near, but not in, Eilat, and there were no casualties or damage caused, the IDF confirmed.

Until now, despite the ongoing lower-grade aerial exchanges between the US and Arab allies on one side, versus Iran on the other side, no aerial threats from the Islamic Republic had come near Israel in over three months.

No immediate sign of counterattack

Even this latest move was clearly aimed at Jordan, and not Israel, and there was no immediate sign that Jerusalem would respond with a counterattack.

However, minutes before the interception, the IDF issued a warning to southern areas near the border with Jordan that residents in that area should be ready to enter safe areas should fragments fall in Israel.

Jerusalem Post Staff and Reuters contributed to this report.

This post was originally published on here.

Israel’s High Court of Justice heard arguments Sunday in a petition demanding that Gaza residents be permitted to enter Israel for medical care, but the hearing quickly shifted focus when the justices sharply criticized materials submitted by the petitioners and ordered inflammatory allegations against the IDF removed from the case file. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir attended the proceedings.

The petition, filed by Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, seeks to compel the government to allow patients from the Gaza Strip to receive treatment inside Israel.

During the hearing, Justice Alex Stein objected to one of the petitioners’ supporting documents, warning that it contained serious allegations directed at the IDF and the State of Israel.

“Withdraw the appendix, because it contains accusations and statements against the IDF and the State of Israel. If you do not remove it from the case file, there will be costs.”

Justice Yael Vilner likewise condemned the document, stating, “There is an accusation here against IDF soldiers that is without precedent,” before adding, “There is absolutely no justification for submitting a document that accuses IDF forces.” Following the court’s criticism, the petitioners agreed to withdraw the appendix.

Representing the state, government attorneys argued that Israel’s policy regarding Gaza patients fundamentally changed after the October 7 massacre. They explained that the Defense Minister now permits patients from Gaza to leave only for medical treatment in third countries rather than inside Israel.

The state told the court that 800 patients and accompanying family members exited Gaza through the Rafah Crossing in February, followed by 1,462 the next month and 1,820 in May, emphasizing that the current policy reflects ongoing security concerns.

Government lawyers also requested that the justices examine classified evidence in a closed, ex parte session. During the discussion, Justice Yechiel Kasher observed that the number of Gazans leaving for medical treatment today represents only about 10 percent of the volume seen before October 7.

Before entering the courtroom, Ben Gvir blasted both the legal challenge and the High Court itself.

Speaking to Arutz Sheva, he said, “It is simply outrageous that these people repeatedly exploit what is essentially their home field in the High Court. They know it’s home-field advantage-it’s like playing in the World Cup with the referee on only one side.”

Ben Gvir reiterated his call for sweeping judicial reform, declaring, “We’ve accomplished a great deal, but in the next elections I will demand full judicial reform.”

Attorney Yehuda Puah, chairman of the B’Tsalmo organization, also criticized the petition, arguing that organizations he believes support terrorism are attempting to force Israel to provide medical treatment to Gaza residents inside the country.

Puah said the state’s position remains that Gaza patients may travel through Israeli territory if another nation agrees to treat them, but that the petitioners are insisting specifically on treatment within Israel.

According to Puah, the justices indicated that exceptional humanitarian circumstances should have some form of review process. He quoted the court as saying, “There cannot be no mechanism; there cannot be no opening,” arguing that such a requirement would effectively create a pathway for Gaza residents to enter Israel.

Puah said he appeared at the hearing on behalf of 39 bereaved parents but was informed by Justice Vilner that he would not be allowed to address the court orally because the judges had already reviewed his written submission. He criticized the decision, saying the petitioners were permitted to argue their case in person while the bereaved families were denied the same opportunity.

According to Puah, the materials he submitted included publications that he says demonstrate the petitioners’ support for a terrorist organization, along with arguments that insufficient efforts had been made to locate third countries willing to accept Gaza patients. He also maintained that in previous cases, individuals who entered Israel for medical treatment later assisted Hamas by transferring information and materials, and argued that Israel should therefore avoid establishing any permanent framework allowing patients and their escorts to enter the country.

Puah concluded by emphasizing that Israel continues to permit patients to transit through its territory when another country is prepared to receive them, but opposes allowing Gaza residents to enter Israel itself for medical treatment.

{Matzav.com}

The University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers reported Friday that its preliminary Consumer Sentiment Index climbed to 54.4 in July from 49.5 in June, marking the highest reading since February as lower gasoline prices and easing inflation expectations briefly improved Americans’ outlook. But the survey largely captured consumer attitudes before fuel prices began climbing again following renewed tensions in the Middle East, raising questions about whether the improvement can be sustained. 

At first glance, the report appeared encouraging.

The nearly 10% monthly increase exceeded economists’ expectations and represented the second consecutive month of meaningful improvement in consumer confidence. Respondents across nearly every demographic group reported feeling somewhat better about economic conditions than they had just weeks earlier, while expectations for inflation over the coming year eased from 4.6% to 4.2%. 

Yet the headline masks a more complicated reality.

The survey was conducted between June 23 and July 13, with most interviews completed before the recent escalation involving the United States and Iran pushed oil and gasoline prices sharply higher. As a result, the improved sentiment largely reflects a period when fuel prices were temporarily declining rather than the conditions consumers now face. 

Even after July’s improvement, consumer sentiment remains approximately 12% below where it stood one year ago.

That means Americans may feel somewhat less pessimistic than they did earlier this summer, but confidence remains historically weak. Households continue reporting concerns about the overall cost of living, affordability and future purchasing power despite modest improvements in recent inflation data. 

The relationship between gasoline prices and consumer confidence remains especially important.

Fuel prices affect nearly every household directly and often shape consumers’ perception of the broader economy more quickly than other economic indicators. When prices at the pump decline, consumers generally report greater confidence. When they rise again, that improvement often disappears just as quickly.

That relationship now faces a significant test.

Following renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, gasoline prices have moved higher after several weeks of decline. Analysts caution that if fuel prices continue rising through the remainder of the summer, the improvement recorded in July’s survey could prove temporary rather than the beginning of a sustained recovery in consumer confidence. 

The broader economic picture remains mixed.

Recent economic data continues to show an economy that is slowing but not contracting. Inflation has moderated compared with earlier in the year, while employment remains relatively resilient. Consumer spending has also continued, although households have become increasingly selective in discretionary purchases as elevated prices continue weighing on budgets.

For retailers, restaurants and service businesses, that distinction matters.

Consumers may still spend on necessities while delaying optional purchases, larger household projects and entertainment. Businesses entering the important back-to-school and fall shopping season therefore face an environment where overall spending may remain positive but become increasingly value-driven.

For companies operating throughout the Tri-State region, understanding that shift becomes critical for inventory planning and pricing decisions. Businesses that rely on discretionary consumer spending may experience greater volatility if fuel prices remain elevated and household budgets tighten further.

Inflation expectations also remain above levels that prevailed before energy prices surged earlier this year.

Although consumers now expect somewhat slower price increases than they did last month, expectations remain elevated enough to influence future purchasing decisions. Persistent inflation expectations can affect everything from wage negotiations to major household purchases, making consumer psychology an important component of overall economic performance. 

Looking ahead, economists will closely watch the final July consumer sentiment reading as well as upcoming inflation, employment and retail spending reports to determine whether July’s improvement reflects a genuine shift in confidence or simply a temporary response to lower gasoline prices that has already begun to reverse.

For now, the latest survey offers both optimism and caution.

Consumer sentiment improved meaningfully during a brief window of easing fuel prices, but the conditions that helped produce that improvement have already changed. With gasoline prices climbing again and geopolitical uncertainty continuing to pressure energy markets, the durability of July’s rebound may ultimately depend less on how consumers felt during the survey period and more on what they encounter each time they fill their tanks.

JBizNews Desk | New York

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

NEW YORK (AP) — A second person has died in connection with an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in New York, the New York City Health Department announced Saturday.

The outbreak on Manhattan’s Upper East Side has infected 72 people, according to health officials. Two people have died. The first death was announced Friday, and the second was announced Saturday.

“We are heartbroken to learn that another New Yorker has lost their life to Legionnaires’ disease on the Upper East Side. Our deepest condolences are with their loved ones as they grieve,” New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Alister F. Martin said in a statement.

Legionnaires’ disease is a form of severe pneumonia caused by a type of bacteria that thrives in warm, stagnant water. Health officials have focused on testing cooling towers that are part of air conditioning systems for large buildings. Property owners have been ordered to drain and disinfect towers where there has been a positive test result.

Health officials did not pinpoint a source for the current outbreak but said there has been a sustained decline in new cases. They said that indicates the source of exposure to Legionella bacteria has likely been eliminated.

Legionnaires’ disease is treatable but 10% of people will die due to complications from the illness, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Last year, seven people died and more than 100 were sickened during an outbreak in New York’s Harlem neighborhood.

The following shiur, titled “Year Round Daylight Saving Time – The Ramifications for Orthodox Jews,” was delivered by Rav Dovid Heber, a native of St. Louis who learned in Telshe Yeshiva Chicago and Yeshivas Ner Yisroel, where he received semicha. Rav Heber is the rov of KAYTT in Baltimore and a Kashrus Administrator at Star-K. He is a Torah columnist for the Yated and the author of The Intriguing World of Jewish Time: Fascinating Zmanim and Calendar Calculations.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

France on Sunday commemorated the 84th anniversary of the Vel d’Hiv roundup, the largest mass arrest of Jews carried out in the country during World War II, as authorities condemned the vandalism of a Paris plaque honoring a family that saved a Jewish child.

Vel d’Hiv refers to the July 1942 operation in which French police arrested thousands of Jews and confined many of them inside Paris’s Winter Velodrome before deportation to Nazi concentration and death camps. The damaged plaque honored a couple and their daughter who rescued a 13-year-old child and were later recognized by Israel as Righteous Among the Nations.

“To attack the Righteous is to desecrate the entire universe,” Deputy Defense Minister Alice Rufo said. “The plaque will be restored. Their memory remains undiminished. In the face of antisemitism, in all its forms, the Republic will not yield an inch.”

More than 4,500 French police officers were mobilized for the roundup on July 16 and 17, 1942, with arrests continuing until July 20. A total of 13,152 Jews were seized, including thousands of children, and sent through transit camps before deportation to Nazi camps.

The operation was carried out under the collaborationist Vichy government after Nazi Germany occupied France. France did not formally acknowledge the state’s responsibility until 1995, when President Jacques Chirac apologized for the role of French authorities.

JUDEA AND SAMARIA (VINnews) – IDF Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visited the Judea and Samaria Division on Sunday and told commanders that the military is closely monitoring developments in Iran while maintaining a high level of readiness, even as counterterrorism operations continue in the West Bank.

Zamir conducted a situational assessment with Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, head of the Technology and Logistics Directorate Maj. Gen. Rami Abudraham, Judea and Samaria Division commander Brig. Gen. Kobi Heller and regional brigade commanders. Commanders briefed him on operational efforts, counterterrorism activities and preparations for upcoming missions.

In remarks during the visit, Zamir highlighted the military’s dual focus on immediate threats and broader regional challenges.

“Alongside the ongoing fight against terrorism in Judea and Samaria, we are closely monitoring developments in Iran and maintaining a high level of readiness,” Zamir said. “We monitored today’s launch toward the Aqaba area, and our Aerial Defense Array remains on alert to protect Israeli civilians. We are prepared to immediately resume combat and will act with great determination against anyone who harms us.”

Zamir praised the troops for their daily operations, noting a significant reduction in terrorist attacks.

“I want to express my appreciation to the troops who operate in this area every day and continue to achieve significant operational successes,” he said. “Thanks to your efforts, the number of terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria is among the lowest seen in recent years.”

The chief of staff also addressed the issue of nationalist crime, saying it undermines both security and local communities.

“Alongside our determined fight against terrorism and our efforts to strengthen the communities, nationalist crime undermines both security and the communities themselves,” Zamir said. “We must not accept this, and we will continue working together with the ISA and the Israel Police to eradicate this phenomenon.”

Zamir emphasized that the Judea and Samaria sector remains a priority amid multi-front challenges.

“Alongside our high level of readiness for multi-front combat, the Judea and Samaria sector remains a constant operational focus,” he said. “I am fully aware of the significant challenges you will face in the coming period, during which you will be required to maintain a high level of readiness to respond rapidly to emerging incidents while preserving security and stability throughout the sector.”

The United Nations’ humanitarian coordinator has accused Hamas of violently disrupting humanitarian aid operations in Gaza, saying the terrorist group has attacked aid workers, interfered with relief efforts, and seized humanitarian supplies.

In a statement, U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov said the incidents are part of an escalating pattern of intimidation, violence, and disruption that includes attacks on humanitarian operations, smuggling attempts, and abuse of aid workers. He warned that the actions endanger relief personnel, delay the delivery of life-saving assistance, and further restrict humanitarian organizations from operating in Gaza.

According to the U.N., Hamas terrorists recently stormed a food distribution site in Jabaliya in northern Gaza, entered a World Food Programme warehouse, and assaulted two truck drivers transporting humanitarian aid.

Hamas rejected the allegations, calling them “baseless” and claiming its security forces are responsible for protecting aid shipments and distribution centers.

Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said the U.N.’s statement further demonstrates that Hamas is exploiting humanitarian aid intended for Gaza’s civilian population for its own purposes.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported this week that U.S. gasoline inventories continued to decline while NYMEX gasoline futures climbed above $3.30 per gallon on Friday, signaling renewed pressure on fuel markets during the peak summer driving season. Combined with rising geopolitical tensions, tightening global fuel supplies and historically low domestic gasoline stockpiles, the latest government and market data point to increasing pressure on consumers and businesses as retail gasoline prices move back toward $4 per gallon nationwide.

The recent rise marks a sharp reversal from the brief period of lower fuel prices earlier this summer. Gasoline futures settled near their highest levels since late May after gaining more than 10% over the past month and more than 50% compared with the same period last year. Retail prices have followed the same direction, erasing much of the relief motorists experienced only weeks ago.

While crude oil prices have strengthened alongside renewed military activity involving the United States and Iran, the larger problem is no longer simply the cost of crude oil. The growing shortage lies in the availability of finished gasoline.

Government inventory data shows U.S. gasoline stockpiles have fallen to their lowest seasonal level since 2012, leaving approximately 14 million barrels below the five-year average for this time of year. During the busiest travel season of the year, those inventories provide very little cushion should additional disruptions occur.

Several developments have contributed to the tightening supply picture simultaneously.

Renewed instability surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, continued attacks affecting energy infrastructure, uncertainty involving global shipping routes and ongoing disruptions to portions of Russia’s refining network have all added new pressure to international fuel markets. Every interruption increases concerns that refined fuel supplies could tighten further before inventories have an opportunity to recover.

At the same time, refining economics continue favoring products other than gasoline.

Many U.S. refineries have directed greater production toward diesel fuel and jet fuel, both of which currently generate stronger profit margins. Strong international demand has also encouraged record exports of refined petroleum products, further reducing the amount of gasoline available for domestic markets. Although refineries continue operating at high utilization rates, the mix of products being produced has contributed to slower rebuilding of gasoline inventories.

That imbalance is reflected in the gasoline crack spread, the industry measure of refining profitability.

The spread has climbed to roughly $59 per barrel, its highest level in more than four years. A widening crack spread generally signals that gasoline itself—not crude oil—is becoming increasingly scarce. Even if crude production remains adequate, gasoline prices can continue climbing when refining capacity and inventories remain constrained.

For businesses across the Tri-State region, higher gasoline prices reach far beyond the fuel pump.

Every delivery truck, contractor vehicle, service van and commercial fleet immediately absorbs higher operating expenses. Transportation companies eventually pass those additional costs through the supply chain, increasing freight charges that ultimately affect wholesalers, retailers and consumers alike.

Distribution centers serving New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are particularly sensitive because virtually every product delivered to stores requires multiple stages of transportation before reaching consumers. Higher fuel costs gradually work their way into pricing across numerous industries.

The impact eventually reaches household budgets as well.

When families spend more filling their gas tanks, discretionary spending typically declines. Restaurant visits, entertainment, apparel purchases, home improvement projects and other optional spending often become the first categories consumers reduce. Large consumer companies have recently acknowledged that rising fuel costs are once again weighing on purchasing behavior as households become increasingly selective about where they spend their money.

The current market also highlights an important distinction between crude oil prices and gasoline prices.

Even if global crude supplies stabilize, gasoline prices may remain elevated until refining capacity, inventory levels and distribution networks return to more balanced conditions. Additional crude production alone cannot immediately resolve shortages of refined gasoline if inventories remain historically tight.

Looking ahead, several factors will determine whether pump prices continue climbing through the remainder of the summer. Markets will closely monitor developments involving the Middle East, the security of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, refinery production levels, gasoline inventory reports released by the EIA, and the potential for hurricanes to disrupt refining operations along the U.S. Gulf Coast during the peak of hurricane season.

For now, the numbers tell a straightforward story.

With gasoline inventories sitting near fourteen-year seasonal lows, refining margins at multi-year highs, and geopolitical risks continuing to threaten global energy supplies, the gasoline market remains unusually vulnerable. Unless inventories begin rebuilding quickly or geopolitical tensions ease, motorists and businesses should expect continued volatility—and potentially higher prices—through the remainder of the summer driving season.

JBizNews Desk | New York

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

New York City parents will soon have an opportunity to enjoy a few child-free hours at no cost under a new pilot initiative unveiled by Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The city will provide free babysitting services for hundreds of families during a special four-hour event next month.

The new program, called “Parents’ Night Out,” is scheduled for Aug. 16 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will offer complimentary child care for as many as 500 children at recreation centers throughout the five boroughs.

Enrollment begins at 8 a.m. Monday and will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis until all available spots are filled.

Announcing the initiative, Mamdani said, “Every parent knows that a few hours to yourself can feel like a luxury. It shouldn’t be. That’s why we’re launching New York City’s first-ever Parents’ Night Out, so that parents can get a little time on their own to catch a movie, run errands or go on a date without worrying about who will take care of the kids – or how much it will cost.”

The program is available to families with children between the ages of 6 and 13. Participants will be supervised by staff at designated city recreation centers while parents take advantage of several hours on their own.

City officials said the initiative is intended to provide parents and caregivers with a much-needed break while offering children a safe environment with organized activities.

The Aug. 16 event will serve as a test run for the new program, with capacity capped at 500 children spread among participating recreation centers across New York City.

Officials are encouraging families to sign up promptly once registration opens, noting that the limited number of openings is expected to be claimed quickly.

The participating recreation centers are:

Brooklyn:
Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center
3105 Farragut Place, Brooklyn, NY 11210

Manhattan:
Highbridge Recreation Center
2301 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10033

Queens:
Al Oerter Recreation Center
131-40 Fowler Avenue, Flushing, NY 11355

Bronx:
Kwame Ture Recreation Center
1527 Jesup Avenue, Bronx, NY 10452

Staten Island:
Greenbelt Recreation Center
501 Brielle Avenue (across from Sea View Hospital)

Every summer, R”L, we see the same heartbreaking headlines. A child dies after being left in a hot vehicle, followed by the familiar public service message: “Never Leave Kids in Cars.”

The intention is good, but I believe the message itself is flawed.

The phrase “Never Leave Kids in Cars” implies a deliberate act, as if a parent knowingly walked away from their child. Most parents immediately think, “I would never do that.” They dismiss the message because they cannot imagine intentionally leaving their child behind.

And they’re right.

The overwhelming majority of these tragedies are not acts of neglect. They are devastating accidents caused by a lapse in memory. Parents don’t leave their children in the car. They forget they are there.

That distinction matters.

Changing the campaign to “Never Forget Kids in Cars” completely shifts the perspective. It forces every parent to recognize an uncomfortable truth: anyone is capable of forgetting.

Our brains rely heavily on routine. A change in schedule, a stressful morning, a lack of sleep, an unexpected phone call, or simply being overwhelmed can cause the brain to switch into autopilot. Even the most loving, attentive, and responsible parents have experienced moments when they drove somewhere with no memory of the trip because their minds were focused elsewhere.

The same mental process can have unimaginable consequences when a child is quietly asleep in the back seat.

This is not about bad parenting. It is about understanding how the human brain works.

When we continue to tell parents, “Never leave your child in the car,” we unintentionally create a false sense of security. Parents believe the message applies to someone else, someone careless or irresponsible. As a result, many never take preventive measures because they don’t believe they are at risk.

But when we say, “Never forget your child in the car,” we acknowledge reality. We remind parents that memory failures happen to ordinary people every day.

That simple change encourages practical safety habits, such as placing a purse, briefcase, or phone in the back seat; keeping a stuffed animal in the child’s car seat and moving it to the front seat when the child is buckled in; or making it a habit to always check the back seat before locking the vehicle.

Words matter.

Changing one word, from leave to forget, removes blame and replaces it with awareness. It tells parents that this tragedy isn’t something that only happens to “other people.” It is something that can happen to any loving parent under the wrong circumstances.

If changing the wording of a national campaign causes even one parent to stop, check the back seat, and save a child’s life, then it is a change worth making.

Perhaps it’s time for our public safety campaigns to reflect the real danger.

Not “Never Leave Kids in Cars.”

But “Never Forget Kids in Cars.”

Americans bought fewer groceries in June than they did a year ago — not fewer dollars’ worth, fewer actual things. Grocery units, meaning individual items sold, fell 1.8% in June from a year earlier, a sharp reversal from the 0.1% year-over-year growth recorded in June 2025.

That single number is the most honest read on the American household available right now, and it is worse than the price data suggests.

For four years, the grocery business has been carried by inflation. Volumes were soft, but prices climbed enough to keep overall sales growing, and the industry could tell itself that shoppers were still shoppers. That arrangement has now broken. Prices continue to rise roughly 2% to 3% year-over-year, but that inflation cushion is no longer enough to keep overall sales growing.  The math has flipped: people are paying more per item and going home with less in the bag.

The pressure did not arrive from one direction. Grocery prices sit roughly 33% above where they were in 2019, and fuel costs have spiked.  On top of that, many lower-income households have cut back after reduced SNAP benefits and tighter program eligibility.  A family absorbing all three at once does not write a letter to anyone. It puts the second package of chicken back.

What should worry the industry is who is trimming. This is not confined to households living check to check. Even upper-income consumers are looking at a large enough absolute dollar change that they start to feel sticker shock and begin shopping around,  according to Bain’s retail practice. When the shopper who never checked the unit price starts checking the unit price, the behavior tends to stick well past the conditions that caused it.

The suppliers have noticed. PepsiCo spent February cutting prices — Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos and Tostitos all came down 15% — on the theory that cheaper snacks would bring volume back. It didn’t take. On the company’s July 9 call, chief executive Ramon Laguarta told investors the consumer was “worse than what we had anticipated,”  and put the blame not on his own shelf price but on the gas pump. Executives also pointed to lower effective pricing, meaning the company leaned harder on promotions as shoppers grew more price sensitive.

That is a company discovering that its problem is not its product. It is the $70 that left the household budget before anyone got to the snack aisle.

The retailers are running the same play. Walmart announced summer price cuts on beef, ice cream and other items, including products from PepsiCo, Coca-Cola and its own Great Value private label,  and retailers including Walmart and Kroger have leaned into price cuts and value promotions to pull shoppers in.  Grocers have been pushing suppliers to bring prices down  — which means the squeeze is now traveling backward up the chain, from the shopper to the store to the manufacturer.

For the tri-state independent grocer, the read is more pointed than it is for Walmart. A national chain can eat margin on beef for a quarter to hold traffic. A single-store operator in Brooklyn or Passaic cannot. When the shopper’s basket shrinks by two items, the store’s fixed costs do not shrink by anything, and the categories that get cut first — the impulse buy, the premium cut, the second box of cereal — are the categories carrying the margin.

There is also a signal here about what the summer’s price relief actually bought. Headline inflation cooled in June, and grocery inflation ran near 3% for the twelve months through June. Those are numbers a policymaker can stand behind. They are also numbers that describe the rate of change, not the level. A shopper does not experience 3%. A shopper experiences 33% above 2019, permanently, every Sunday, and adjusts accordingly.

The industry has spent two years waiting for the consumer to normalize. June suggests the consumer already has — just not to the baseline anyone was hoping for. The new normal is a smaller cart.

Watch the back-to-school window. It is the next real test of whether households have decided this is a temporary squeeze or a permanent budget, and unlike a snack purchase, it is not optional.

JBizNews Desk | New York

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

Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is reportedly no longer inside Iran, according to an Israeli security source quoted by the Saudi news outlet al-Hadath, adding another layer of uncertainty surrounding the Islamic Republic’s leadership.

Khamenei assumed the role of supreme leader after his father was killed in the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28. Since taking power, he has not appeared in public and has communicated only through written statements.

According to the Israeli security source, those statements are not being written by Khamenei himself but instead are being prepared by Ahmad Vahidi, the newly appointed commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, along with other senior IRGC officials.

The source also described growing turmoil within Iran’s leadership, warning that “Iran’s internal divisions are deep and threaten the existence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.”

The same Israeli source further claimed that Washington has made clear it does not want Israel to participate in military strikes against Iran, even if Tehran launches attacks against Israel.

As Israeli authorities continue battling Iranian espionage efforts, prominent rabbanim and Chareidi public figures have joined a nationwide campaign urging the public to reject any contact with Iranian intelligence and immediately report suspicious approaches to authorities.

The campaign comes as Israeli security officials warn that Iran has dramatically expanded its efforts to recruit Israeli civilians, including members of the Chareidi community, to carry out espionage and other activities on Tehran’s behalf.

HaRav Yigal Cohen delivered a powerful warning in a widely circulated video message.

“I am begging you, there is no greater betrayal than seeing a Torah-observant Jew betray his own people.”

He warned that anyone cooperating with Iranian agents would ultimately face arrest, prison, and the destruction of their lives.

According to Israeli security officials, Iran’s recruitment methods are relatively unsophisticated. Rather than relying on elaborate spy networks, Tehran has largely turned to mass messaging campaigns, hoping that even a tiny percentage of recipients will respond.

One such effort occurred in May, when thousands of Israelis reportedly received text messages inviting them to “cooperate in the field of intelligence” by contacting an Iranian embassy or communicating with an Iranian cyber operative online.

“My wife gets an SMS every other day claiming to be from Iranian intelligence and offering a large reward,” said Shalom Ben Hanan, a former Shin Bet official who remains closely briefed on the issue. He noted that if Iran succeeds in recruiting even one or two people out of thousands of attempts, it considers the operation successful.

Prominent Chareidi journalist and commentator Israel Cohen has also played a central role in the awareness campaign, using his radio program and social media platforms to spread the warnings. He also helped connect security officials with rabbanim, Chareidi public figures, and community opinion leaders to ensure the message reached as many people as possible.

Cohen said the Chareidi community was initially shocked by reports that members of the community had allegedly been recruited by Iran. However, he said the public quickly understood the need to raise awareness and prevent the phenomenon from spreading.

The outreach campaign remains ongoing. Earlier this month, another Chareidi journalist and social media influencer released an additional warning in Yiddish directed specifically at the ultra-Orthodox community, urging listeners to ignore any Iranian recruitment attempts and immediately report them to the authorities.

Israeli security officials continue to emphasize that anyone receiving suspicious messages or offers of money in exchange for information or other activities should avoid responding and notify law enforcement immediately.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

(AP) – A federal appeals court ruled Friday that New Jersey’s bans on assault firearms and magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds are unconstitutional.

This is the first time a federal appeals court has struck down a state ban on such weapons, and it comes as the U.S. Supreme Court is set to consider whether bans on semiautomatic rifles violate the Second Amendment. Just last week, a different federal appeals court upheld Illinois’ ban on semiautomatic weapons.

Friday’s appeals court ruling in the New Jersey case goes further than a July 2024 ruling from a federal judge, who said that the state’s ban on AR-15s specifically was unconstitutional but upheld the provision barring larger magazines. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Friday in its opinion that the state’s ban on all semiautomatic rifles it deems to be “assault firearms” and restriction on “large capacity ammunition magazines” were unconstitutional.

New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, a Democrat whose office defended the law, said in a statement that the decision is “as unfortunate as it is legally incorrect.”

“Every other federal circuit court to consider the issue has come out the other way,” Davenport said. “Assault weapons and large capacity magazines play a dangerous role in the modern epidemic of mass shootings, and New Jersey acted reasonably and lawfully in restricting them. We are considering our options.”

John Commerford, executive director of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action, called the ruling a “historic victory for the NRA, the Second Amendment, and law-abiding Americans.”

In addition to New Jersey, 10 states, as well as the District of Columbia, have laws that generally ban the manufacture, sale, and transfer of assault weapons, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The District of Columbia, New Jersey and 11 other states cap magazine capacity at 10 rounds generally or for certain types of firearms.

Adam Winkler, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, said that Friday’s ruling was surprising because federal courts of appeals have upheld assault weapons bans in the past. On the other hand, he added, the decision “may be foretelling the Supreme Court’s coming opinion on assault weapons bans.”

“What this Third Circuit opinion shows is that there are very few gun laws that are safe from being struck down right now,” Winkler said.

Congressman Mike Lawler is calling on Democratic challenger Cait Conley to clarify what he says are contradictory statements regarding U.S. military aid to Israel, arguing that voters in New York’s 17th Congressional District deserve a clear answer on an issue of critical importance.

The criticism follows comments by Conley indicating that she would have voted in favor of a $3.3 billion military aid package for Israel while also describing that same vote as “shameful.”

Lawler’s campaign contends those two positions are incompatible and accused Conley of attempting to appeal to both pro-Israel voters and the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

The campaign also criticized Conley for declining to directly address the position of Congressman Pat Ryan, who endorsed her campaign earlier this year and campaigned alongside her last month. Ryan has come under criticism from both Republicans and some Democrats after voting in favor of a measure to eliminate $3.3 billion in U.S. military aid to Israel. Notably, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries opposed the amendment, calling it overly broad and urging Democrats to vote against it.

“Cait Conley’s embarrassing attempt to have her cake and eat it too on such a critical issue to the 17th Congressional District and its large Jewish population not only insults people’s intelligence, but reveals a candidate completely lacking in conviction, credibility, and seriousness,” said Lawler campaign manager Ciro Riccardi. “Jewish voters and people in both parties who support Israel won’t let her get away with this two-faced garbage, and the press shouldn’t either.”

The Lawler campaign is urging Conley to publicly clarify her position on military aid to Israel, arguing that voters deserve a straightforward explanation of where she stands.

Conley has not publicly responded to the Lawler campaign’s latest criticism.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has revealed new details about the hours leading up to the strike that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, saying he was inside the compound when the attack occurred after warning senior officials that war was imminent.

According to Araghchi, he met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at 8:00 a.m. on February 28 and warned that the atmosphere pointed to an impending war. About an hour later, he arrived at Khamenei’s office complex to deliver a report on nuclear negotiations held in Geneva.

Araghchi said he was meeting with senior Khamenei aide Ali Asghar Mir Hejazi when the compound came under attack. Although the section where he was located remained standing, other parts of the complex were hit. He later said his first concern after escaping the rubble was whether Khamenei had survived.

His account suggests Iranian leaders were anticipating a possible conflict but were caught off guard by the precise timing of the strike. Reports have indicated that U.S. intelligence tracked Khamenei’s movements for months and shared information with Israel, enabling the attack to target the regime’s top leadership during a high-level meeting.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

For many Orthodox Jews, a typical winter weekday begins early: head to synagogue, gather in a minyan for morning prayers, then rush off to work. 

Orthodox Jewish groups say a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent could upend that routine by pushing winter sunrises, and the earliest permissible time for some prayers, an hour later.

Agudath Israel of America is among the groups urging the Senate to reject legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide, arguing that the change would create both public safety risks and significant challenges for Orthodox Jewish religious life.

The House passed the Sunshine Protection Act on Tuesday by a wide bipartisan margin. In a statement issued after the vote, Agudath Israel said it understood the appeal of ending the twice-yearly clock changes but opposed making daylight saving time permanent.

The Orthodox advocacy organization warned that permanent daylight saving time would push winter sunrises past 9 a.m. in some parts of the country, forcing many children to travel to school before dawn. It also said the later sunrise would make it difficult for observant Jews to attend morning synagogue services and still arrive at work or school on time, because Jewish law prohibits reciting key morning prayers before prescribed times tied to sunrise.

“The extension of DST will create an extreme hardship on observant Jews,” the organization said. “It would be extraordinarily difficult, if not impossible, to arrive on time for a job and will affect the start time of our schools.”

The Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce argues that permanent Daylight Saving Time creates a workplace inclusion issue because many observant Orthodox Jews cannot begin their required morning prayers before the halachically permitted time, which is based on sunrise rather than the clock. If permanent Daylight Saving Time were adopted, winter sunrises would occur an hour later by the clock, delaying the earliest permissible time for Shacharit and making it difficult for those who pray with a minyan to complete services and commute to work before a standard 9:00 a.m. start. Unlike many other scheduling conflicts, this is tied to fixed religious requirements that cannot simply be moved earlier.

The Chamber contends that the result would force many observant employees to choose between arriving late to work, missing communal prayer, or compromising their religious observance, creating unnecessary barriers to maintaining a traditional 9-to-5 work schedule and fully participating in the workforce

Religious organizations come out against measure

The Orthodox Union and the Coalition for Jewish Values have also come out against the measure. 

In a column for Chabad.org that didn’t take a position on the bill, Menachem Posner also wrote that the change would present a challenge in parts of the country for morning minyan, the 10-person prayer quorum. But he also noted an upside to the extension of daylight saving: a later start time for Shabbat on short winter Fridays. 

Shabbat begins at sundown, which during the winter can fall before 4:00 p.m. in parts of the country. “With DST, however, this will be shifted one hour later, so that even on the darkest day of winter, Jews will have one more hour to prepare for Shabbat,” Posner wrote.

Orthodox parties in Israel have also made an issue of changes to the daylight saving calendar. In 2011, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet unanimously approved extending daylight saving time until the first Sunday after Oct. 1, despite objections from haredi parties. The change brought Israel’s clock closer to European practice while still acknowledging Orthodox concerns about morning prayer and a later start time to Yom Kippur that they argued would make the fast more difficult.  

This week Agudath Israel also pointed to the brief U.S. experiment with year-round daylight saving time during the 1970s energy crisis, when Congress repealed the policy after widespread public dissatisfaction over dark winter mornings.

The organization said it hoped the Senate would weigh the broader consequences of permanent daylight saving time, including alternatives such as permanent standard time or retaining the current system of seasonal clock changes.

This post was originally published on here.

President Donald Trump is expected to present the World Cup trophy to the champion following Sunday’s final between Argentina and Spain, but the White House is already celebrating what it sees as an even bigger triumph: the successful hosting of the largest World Cup ever staged.

Speaking Friday during a FIFA reception at Trump Tower in New York City, Trump said the tournament had transformed perceptions of the United States as a soccer nation.

“It turned out we were a soccer country, and I think it’s going to remain,” Trump said Friday at a FIFA reception at Trump Tower in New York City. “This has really brought the world together.”

For the administration, Sunday’s championship marks the conclusion of more than a year of intensive planning with co-hosts Canada and Mexico to stage the historic tournament. Throughout that process, White House officials worked through major logistical challenges while also navigating the administration’s strict immigration policies, which prevented fans from certain World Cup qualifying nations from entering the United States.

Before the tournament began, organizers also faced criticism from human rights organizations and complaints over expensive ticket prices. At various points, Trump floated the possibility of relocating matches away from cities that refused to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, while disputes between FIFA and local governments over transportation costs added to the tensions surrounding the event.

Even as opening matches approached, the administration remained under international scrutiny because of several visa decisions, including denying entry to a Somali referee who had earned widespread praise for his officiating. Those concerns intensified after Trump launched military action against Iran, creating additional complications involving Iran’s national team, whose supporters and some staff members were barred from entering the United States and instead operated from neighboring Tijuana.

As the tournament unfolded, however, much of the controversy faded into the background. Online, countless visitors shared videos and stories celebrating American food, culture, and hospitality—from beer to ranch dressing—while many of the fears voiced before the event, including predictions of immigration enforcement activity around stadiums, never came to pass.

“One of the things that we talked about beforehand was, if we’re talking about what happened on the pitch, then we’ve done our job,” Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, said in an interview with The Associated Press. “But I think it’s even better than that. We’re not just talking about only the incredible, athletic feats on the pitch, but we’re talking about all these incredible, incredible cultural moments.”

Trump nevertheless became part of one of the tournament’s biggest controversies after personally contacting FIFA President Gianni Infantino earlier this month to discuss a disputed officiating decision involving Team USA’s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The referee had issued a red card to American forward Folarin Balogun, forcing him to miss the following game against Belgium.

According to Trump, he merely encouraged Infantino to review the decision. FIFA ultimately overturned the red card, and during Friday’s reception Trump praised the move, telling Infantino that “you made another great decision, if you think about it,” because it allowed the U.S. to keep a key player on the field even though the team lost the match to Belgium 4-1.

Giuliani defended the administration’s involvement, saying officials had a “duty” to seek answers about the officiating process, particularly because video review and slow-motion replay had been used in issuing the red card. He added that the federal government committed billions of dollars to help ensure the tournament was “not just a safe and secure event, not just where we welcomed the world, but an event that was filled with integrity.”

Successfully hosting the World Cup carries added significance for the United States because it will soon welcome two more major international sporting events: the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

The administration is also optimistic that the United States will receive hosting rights for the 2031 Women’s World Cup. Giuliani said one factor in pursuing that tournament is “ensuring that, in fact, women and only women will play in that 2031 Women’s World Cup,” reflecting the administration’s opposition to transgender women competing in women’s sports.

Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., who describes himself as a devoted World Cup fan and represents the state hosting Sunday’s championship match, acknowledged that while there were occasional transportation problems, the overall event has been overwhelmingly successful.

But “overall, just the joy that people have, the excitement that they have, has dramatically outweighed” any downsides, Kim said, who has been eagerly watching the games with his two young sons over the last several weeks.

The tournament also unfolded against a backdrop of strained relations among the three host nations. Since returning to office, Trump has imposed steep tariffs on both Canada and Mexico and has declined to renew the existing trilateral trade agreement, setting the stage for new negotiations.

On Friday, Trump even threatened tariffs against Canada over smoke from Canadian wildfires that has affected air quality in portions of the United States, including northern New Jersey, where the World Cup final will be played. He also joked that FIFA should award another World Cup to the United States and “this time, we’ll leave Mexico and Canada out.”

Despite those disagreements, both Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney are expected to attend Sunday’s championship at Trump’s invitation, underscoring the tournament’s ability to bridge political differences.

“I received an invitation from President Trump to attend the World Cup final on Sunday, and I decided to go because it’s a direct invitation from the President of the United States,” Sheinbaum said. “Prime Minister Carney will also be there.”

Following longstanding tradition, Trump will present the World Cup trophy to the winning team after the final. Although he has not publicly endorsed either side, the matchup carries political intrigue.

Spain has frequently clashed with the Trump administration over NATO defense spending and Madrid’s refusal to allow American forces to launch strikes against Iran from Spanish bases. By contrast, Argentine President Javier Milei is one of Trump’s closest international allies, with Trump previously threatening to cut U.S. assistance if Milei’s political coalition failed to win key legislative elections.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is expected to attend the championship match, while Milei has opted to remain in Argentina, citing superstition.

{Matzav.com}

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview that Iran cannot be pressured through threats or incentives, claiming the country has shown that the United States and Israel are not “superpowers” and are not invincible.

Araghchi said Iran resisted demands to end its nuclear enrichment program and accused its adversaries of turning to war after failing to achieve their goals through negotiations.

He claimed Iran remained standing after the 12 day war, saying the government did not collapse and that the public supported the system.

Araghchi also said the strike that killed former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was made possible by a security breach inside Iran that has still not been resolved.

New Jersey’s new e-bike law officially takes effect today, bringing new licensing and registration requirements for e-bike riders across the state.

Under the new law, e-bike operators must be at least 15 years old and have either a valid driver’s license or an e-bike/moped license. E-bikes must also be registered with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, with registration stickers placed on the front fork.

The law distinguishes between low-speed electric bicycles and motorized bicycles. Low-speed e-bikes, which provide pedal assistance up to 20 MPH, must be registered but do not require insurance. Motorized bicycles, including certain e-bikes capable of speeds up to 28 MPH or those meeting other motorized classifications, also require insurance.

Helmet use is also required, and riders are reminded that the new law comes amid ongoing concerns over e-bike safety.

Speaking to TLS, Lakewood Police Chief Gregory Meyer said the department will initially focus on education and compliance – before fines are issued.

“We’re going to be in the educational phase for a bit,” Chief Meyer tells TLS. “Obviously, helmets are an easy thing for officers to observe and address. We also plan on conducting educational outreach during the Night Out event.”

The New Jersey MVC began issuing e-bike licenses and registrations on June 26. Riders are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the new requirements and ensure their e-bike is compliant with the law.

OCEAN TOWNSHIP, N.J. (VINnews) – A dispute over public comments at an Ocean Township Council meeting has escalated, with Mayor John Napolitani accusing a speaker of using antisemitic rhetoric and later making anti-Italian remarks in voicemail messages left on the mayor’s phone.

The allegations center on Jeff George, a Tinton Falls political influencer whose legal name is Jeffrey Walstein. George spoke during recent council meetings, including one on June 11, 2026, where he addressed the township’s deer population in comments that Napolitani and others interpreted as a coded metaphor targeting Jewish people.

In his June 14 Facebook statement, Napolitani strongly condemned the remarks and affirmed support for the township’s Jewish residents.

“Antisemitism, racism, and discrimination of any kind has no place in Ocean Township,” Napolitani wrote. “Not in our schools, not on our streets, not in our neighborhoods. … I want our Jewish neighbors, and every member of this community, to know: we stand with you.”

Councilman Robert Acerra echoed the condemnation, stating that the use of coded language to demean Jewish people is unacceptable.

George, who does not live in Ocean Township, had previously raised deer overpopulation concerns at a council meeting. His June 11 comments included references to the deer “taking over society,” reproducing at high rates, infiltrating communities, and carrying disease — language several residents and officials described as dehumanizing and antisemitic when viewed in context.

The controversy intensified after George was removed from a subsequent July 9, 2026, council meeting. Napolitani has also cited anti-Italian remarks allegedly made by George in messages left on the mayor’s phone.

George, active on social media under the handle @jerseygoy, has pushed back against the accusations, framing the removal as a First Amendment issue in videos posted online.

Ocean Township officials have emphasized that public meetings must maintain decorum and that reasonable restrictions on speech apply, while highlighting ing zero tolerance for hate. The incident has drawn community attention amid broader discussions of antisemitism in New Jersey’s Monmouth County area.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jimmy Carter used to be one of President Donald Trump ’s favorite political targets, a catchall foil for feckless Democrats that he could jeer at to make himself look strong and decisive.

But lately, Trump’s sentiments on the 39th president have become more wistful as he faces some of the same challenges the late Carter did.

Those include the war in Iran with no end in sight — and now escalating as the U.S. moves to control the Strait of Hormuz — and inflation, a drag on the economy Trump hasn’t tamed despite long insisting that his business background would wipe it out.

The comparison seems to be on Trump’s mind, too. Asked last month why he didn’t dispatch U.S. Special Forces into Iran to forcibly remove its enriched uranium, he responded, “I didn’t feel like being Jimmy Carter.”

That recalled the failed 1980 raid to free U.S. hostages that killed eight American servicemen. Trump also said in March that the unsuccessful mission “cost them the election” against Ronald Reagan in 1980, sounding cognizant of political realities in a way he didn’t when using Carter as a punchline.

The shift in tone coincides with Trump’s increased focus on his personal legacy and comes as the parallels between the two presidents become harder to ignore.

“I think it is dawning on him — it’s getting through even his thick skull — that he’s kicked over a hornet’s nest and his presidency might be remembered for some of the same things Jimmy Carter’s presidency is,” said Jonathan Alter, author of “His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life.”

Despite some similarities, the two had glaring differences
Asked about Trump’s change in tone on Carter and the two facing overlapping challenges, White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said, “Trump will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon” and “remains laser-focused on implementing his proven economic agenda to lower costs.”

“The president is a one-of-a-kind leader who will always unapologetically advance America’s interests,” Wales said in a statement. “The only legacy he is concerned with is making America greater than ever before.”

Kori Schake, a former member of George W. Bush’s National Security Council, said she doesn’t think Trump is reassessing Carter. “He doesn’t stitch facts together and create theories,” she said.

Still, Trump’s more recent comments are a long way from his 2024 reelection campaign, when he routinely called Joe Biden “the worst” president who made Carter look “brilliant” by comparison. Trump still frequently mentions Carter, who died two years ago at age 100, but usually to incorrectly suggest that he was wary of mail-in ballots.

Other disparities between the two are legion.

Carter was married to his wife, Rosalynn, for 77 years, was deeply religious and pledged to “never knowingly lie to the American people.” Trump is twice divorced, relishes cursing publicly and offers a never-ending onslaught of falsehoods.

As president, Carter placed his family’s peanut business in a blind trust. Control of the Trump Organization has transferred to Trump’s sons, but the president took in nearly $1.2 billion from his crypto businesses last year while not being shy about turning his presidency into a major source of personal benefit in other ways.

Speaking in 1977, Carter declared, “We are now free of that inordinate fear of communism.” Trump has seized on primary wins by progressive Democrats to constantly stoke new fears about communism.

Carter also won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Trump hasn’t, despite declaring himself more deserving than any of the award’s past recipients.

The two have inflation and Iran in common
While inflation plagued both presidents, Carter had it much worse, facing a peak inflation rate of 14.7% in April 1980. Consumer prices rose 4.2% this May from a year earlier — a three-year high — and though they fell sharpl y from May to June, that decline included lower gas prices fueled by a U.S.-Iran ceasefire. That deal is now in tatters, driving up oil prices again.

Trump suggested he didn’t think about Americans’ financial woes when it comes to Iran, a war he started in conjunction with Israel in February. More recently, he shrugged off inflation concerns. But resolution has proved tricky and U.S. attacks have intensified anew after Iran’s attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Like Trump, Carter was also bedeviled by the strait, declaring during his 1980 State of the Union address that the situation “demands the participation of all those who rely on oil from the Middle East and who are concerned with global peace and stability.”

Another Trump-Carter parallel was the Democrat having considered military action to seize Kharg Island, though he ultimately decided against it so as not to jeopardize the hostages. Trump targeted the island with U.S. strikes early in the war, looking to thwart Iranian oil exports, and has threatened it again.

Schake, a senior fellow and director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, noted a key difference was “while the Carter administration gave serious consideration to attacking Kharg Island, the reason they didn’t do it was they didn’t want to be at war with Iran.”

“And we’re already at war with Iran,” she said.

Alter said Iran tried to hurt Carter’s reelection chances and raised the possibility that they may do the same to Trump’s Republican Party ahead of the November midterm elections.

“These people are master diplomats, and they proved that during the Carter administration,” Alter said. “They’re proving that again. They’re really good at rope-a-dope.”

Trump now talks up presidential history
The president has lately name-checked many of his predecessors, praising William McKinley ‘s support for tariffs and Teddy Roosevelt as a “great he-man.” Trump said a key reason for reaching the now-imperiled June ceasefire with Iran was to avoid the “economic catastrophe ” that befell Herbert Hoover.

“I’m a student of a lot of history,” Trump said this week.

During his first term, Trump frequently compared his own populist streak to Andrew Jackson’s. He still praises Jackson but has more recently extolled many past presidential records, including those of Democrats like Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Trump even listed some of Carter’s accomplishments on the “ Walk of Fame” he installed along the White House Colonnade despite displays for other Democrats, such as Barack Obama and Biden, offering biting attacks.

“Trump is thinking of his legacy, and he might have thought that attacking Iran would have enhanced it. But, in fact, it will seriously hurt,” James P. Pfiffner, a professor emeritus at George Mason University and author of several books including “The Character Factor: How We Judge Our Presidents,” said via email.

After his presidency, Alter said, Carter asked Trump for a donation to help build Carter’s presidential library. Trump later wrote that Carter wanted $5 million, but he didn’t answer him.

Then, during Trump’s first term, Carter wrote the president a letter and Trump called to thank him, eventually leaving Carter with the impression that he might serve as a special envoy to China — an offer that never actually materialized.

“If he had learned anything from Carter’s experience — and listened to predictions about the Strait of Hormuz — he would have hesitated,” Pfiffner said of war with Iran. “But he ignored lessons of history and geography.”

What began as a simple at-home DNA test has turned into a life-altering legal battle after two North Dakota men discovered they were accidentally switched at birth 38 years ago. Their families are now suing the hospital where they were born, claiming they were deprived of the lives—and families—they were meant to have.

The astonishing discovery began when Kyle Bylin received a home DNA test during a Christmas gift exchange and decided to take it on a whim. The results led him to a woman identified as his biological aunt through a genealogy website. That connection prompted her nephew, Jeremy Morrison, to submit his own DNA sample, and the findings left no room for doubt.

“That’s when my mind was just completely blown,” Bylin said. “We could have never imagined that it was an actual birth switch that occurred.”

Morrison said he immediately suspected the truth after seeing a photograph of Bylin’s brother, whose appearance closely resembled his own.

According to a lawsuit filed in North Dakota state court last week, Bylin and Morrison were the only two babies born on Jan. 26, 1988, at Unity Medical Center in Grafton. Yet, despite being born just hours apart, each infant was allegedly sent home with the other’s family.

Unity Medical Center has denied that there is evidence its employees were responsible for the mix-up.

However, Bylin—who says he was actually born as Jeremy Morrison—still possesses the hospital identification bracelet that incorrectly identified him as Kyle Bylin.

The search for answers has been complicated by the passage of time. Hospital officials say the relevant medical records have long since been destroyed, making it impossible to determine exactly how the switch occurred.

It has now been two years since the DNA results overturned everything both families believed about their identities. Since then, they have faced emotional reunions, difficult conversations, and painful questions about what their lives might have been.

“Kyle is still my son – that is never going to change,” Evelyn Newton, who raised him as her own, told The Associated Press in a phone interview Friday. “But I feel robbed of the life I should have had with my biological son. You can’t go back and replace 35 years. First steps, driving a car, getting married – how do you make up for that?”

While the hospital acknowledges that the babies were switched at some point, it maintains that no evidence has been found showing that hospital administrators or staff caused the mistake.

“We recognize the profound impact this discovery has had on them and their families,” Unity Medical’s statement says. “Unfortunately, because of the passage of nearly four decades, the medical and staffing records that might have provided additional clarity no longer exist, and no members of the delivery team from that time are still employed by the hospital.”

For Morrison, learning the truth has not changed how he views the parents who raised him, Elizabeth O’Toole and Terry Morrison. He continues to consider them his parents and says he looks back fondly on his upbringing despite the challenges, including his parents’ divorce when he was seven.

“I was loved. I played sports. I did well in school,” Morrison said. “A DNA test is not going to take away 38 years of memories.”

Today, Morrison lives in Colorado City, Colorado, where he works as a welding inspector for a wind energy company. He often wonders how different his life might have been had the switch never happened. He believes he likely would have remained in North Dakota, working alongside his biological father and brother on the family grain farm where Bylin grew up.

Evelyn Newton said she never suspected that Kyle was not her biological son. Although he had dark hair while the rest of the immediate family was fair-haired, there seemed to be a reasonable explanation. Her late husband had relatives with dark hair, and because Newton herself had been adopted, she had little knowledge of her own biological family’s traits.

For Bylin, the revelation has reshaped the way he thinks about the long-running debate over nature versus nurture. After leaving North Dakota to pursue an academic career, he often wondered why he seemed so different from the family with whom he had grown up.

“You’re just kind of shaking your fist, like, how can this be my family? How am I so different from them?” Bylin said. “It turns out that we’re just totally different people, period.”

Both men have since met their biological parents. They described the reunions as heartfelt but understandably awkward. Although they have not yet met one another in person, they have spoken by phone.

“We’ve tried to unite as a group and just recognize that no matter what, there’s different ways that this can be socially messy,” Bylin said. “Everyone’s getting to know people that they didn’t know before.”

Although such cases remain uncommon, the growing popularity of consumer DNA testing has led to a number of similar discoveries around the world. In 2024, two women sued the Norwegian government after learning they had been switched at birth. Two West Virginia men filed suit in 2020 after concluding they had been switched as infants in 1942. DNA testing in Pennsylvania revealed in 2018 that two girls had been switched approximately 75 years earlier, and in 2016 Canadian authorities launched an investigation after evidence showed two Indigenous men in northern Manitoba had been switched at birth in 1975.

Medical experts say mistakes of this kind are now extraordinarily unlikely because of modern technology.

Dr. Jonathan Marron, a pediatric oncologist who also teaches at Harvard Medical School’s Center for Bioethics, said such errors should happen “pretty close to never” today.

“As often as all clinicians, doctors, nurses, social workers, everybody else, gripe about the electronic health records,” the digital backstop is a clear benefit, Marron said.

Attorney Tim O’Keefe said he spent roughly a year attempting to negotiate a financial settlement with the hospital before filing a lawsuit alleging negligence, medical malpractice, and emotional distress. Meanwhile, both families continue trying to adjust to a reality they never expected.

“I know the truth now, but we’re still working to build relationships,” Morrison said. “I mean, it’s not like I can go back in time and rebuild what’s already lost. It’s a work in progress, just like me.”

{Matzav.com}

Belgian soldiers stationed in Antwerp’s Jewish neighborhood detained a 28-year-old man Friday night after he allegedly threatened several Jewish residents with a hammer and attempted to assault an elderly Orthodox Jew.

According to Antwerp police, the incident began at about 8:20 p.m. on Lamorinièrestraat, one of the main streets in the city’s Jewish quarter. Police said the suspect threatened one person with a hammer, knocked an Orthodox man’s hat from his head, shoved a passerby, and threw traffic signs onto the ground before soldiers intervened.

The soldiers, who have been deployed in the area since March to help protect Jewish institutions and neighborhoods, restrained the suspect and held him until police arrived. No injuries were reported.

Police said the suspect is known to law enforcement for previous public nuisance and drug-related offenses. Witnesses said he attempted to flee after noticing the soldiers and had moments earlier tried to strike an elderly Orthodox man, missing him and knocking off his hat instead.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

BEIJING — According to Moonshot AI’s official announcement released Friday, July 17, Chinese artificial intelligence company Moonshot AI has introduced Kimi K3, a 2.8 trillion-parameter open-weight large language model, making it the largest publicly released open AI model to date and marking another major step in China’s accelerating push to compete at the highest level of artificial intelligence development.

The release positions Moonshot AI among the world’s leading AI developers as competition between China and the United States intensifies. Unlike many proprietary frontier AI systems that operate only through cloud-based services, Kimi K3 is being released as an open-weight model, allowing developers, enterprises, and researchers to build, customize, and deploy applications using the model.

The company said Kimi K3 was designed to perform advanced reasoning, software engineering, scientific analysis, mathematical problem-solving, long-document processing, and AI agent tasks. It also supports a context window of up to one million tokens, enabling users to analyze extensive documents, legal filings, research papers, books, and large code repositories within a single conversation.

Moonshot AI said the model was trained using a mixture-of-experts architecture that activates only a portion of its total parameters during inference, improving efficiency while maintaining high performance on complex workloads. The company stated the model is intended for both commercial and research applications and will be available for developers through open-weight distribution.

The launch comes as Chinese AI companies continue narrowing the gap with leading U.S. developers despite export restrictions on advanced semiconductor technology. Rather than focusing solely on closed commercial models, many Chinese firms have increasingly embraced open-weight releases that allow broader adoption throughout the global developer community.

Industry analysts view the announcement as another indication that China’s AI ecosystem is advancing rapidly across foundation models, enterprise AI, software development tools, and autonomous AI agents. Businesses evaluating next-generation AI platforms are expected to compare Kimi K3 alongside other leading models based on performance, deployment flexibility, cost, and security.

Moonshot AI has become one of China’s fastest-growing artificial intelligence companies and joins a competitive field that includes Alibaba, DeepSeek, MiniMax, and Baidu, all investing heavily in large language models designed for enterprise and consumer applications.

The introduction of Kimi K3 also follows China’s broader effort to promote open artificial intelligence collaboration and strengthen its position as a global AI leader. As governments and businesses increase investments in AI infrastructure, foundation models, and digital transformation, competition between Chinese and American developers is expected to continue accelerating.

While benchmark testing and real-world enterprise deployment will ultimately determine Kimi K3’s long-term impact, its release represents another significant milestone in the global race to build increasingly capable artificial intelligence systems.

JBizNews Desk | Beijing

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

A TLS reader reports that at approximately 2:50 a.m., a speeding vehicle collided with a minivan at the intersection of Sanz Town and Hillside in Westgate.

The reader further reports that a pedestrian eyewitness at the scene said the black vehicle had allegedly been following him and shouting antisemitic slurs shortly before the crash. The eyewitness also reportedly said the vehicle followed him around the block and drove the wrong way down Sanz Town Road.

The reader says that following the crash, he and a friend heard the loud impact from an apartment and saw two individuals running from the scene toward the high school behind Westgate. The individuals were described as appearing to be dressed in black, possibly wearing white sneakers.

The reader also reports that while police were questioning one of the drivers, they asked where the other individuals had gone, but the driver allegedly did not provide an answer.

A new Channel 12 poll paints a bleak picture of public confidence in Israel’s political leadership, with overwhelming majorities expressing dissatisfaction with the outgoing Knesset, opposing key legislation passed this week, and believing that most members of Knesset are motivated by personal interests rather than the public good.

The survey, conducted ahead of the upcoming election campaign, examined not only voting intentions but also public trust in elected officials and state institutions. Its findings suggest widespread frustration with the performance of the outgoing Knesset.

When asked about their voting preferences, 49% of respondents said they currently support parties aligned with the anti-Netanyahu bloc, compared with 36% who back parties in the pro-Netanyahu coalition. Another 12% said they remain undecided, while 3% indicated they plan to vote for parties outside either of the two main political camps.

Public dissatisfaction with the Knesset was especially pronounced. Overall, 64% rated the outgoing legislature’s performance as poor, while just 33% described it as good. Three percent said they were unsure.

The partisan breakdown reflected predictable political divisions. Among opposition voters, 92% said the Knesset performed poorly, as did 62% of voters from Arab parties. Coalition voters, however, viewed the legislature far more favorably, with 73% saying it had performed well.

The poll also found a striking lack of trust in lawmakers’ motivations. Fully 74% of respondents said they believe most MKs primarily look out for their own interests, while only 17% said lawmakers are working for the benefit of the public. Nine percent said they were uncertain.

Among opposition supporters, skepticism reached 94%, while 70% of Arab-party voters shared that view. Coalition voters were more divided: 49% said MKs mainly serve themselves, while 38% believe they are working on behalf of the public.

The findings also reflected strong opposition to the Knesset’s recent legislative blitz. Respondents were asked about two major measures approved this week—the Basic Law: Torah Study and the law freezing the arrests of bnei yeshiva draft evaders. A total of 67% said they oppose the legislation.

Only 21% voiced support for the two laws, while 12% said they had no opinion. Opposition voters overwhelmingly rejected the legislation, with 93% opposed, while 73% of Arab-party voters also objected. Even within the coalition camp, opinion was sharply divided, with 45% supporting the measures and 41% opposing them.

The survey also examined public views of Shin Bet Director David Zini, whose name returned to the headlines this week after recommending lifetime security protection for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara—a recommendation later approved by the ministerial committee.

Israelis were nearly evenly split in their assessment of Zini’s performance. Thirty-nine percent rated his work negatively, while 37% gave him positive marks. A significant 24% said they were unable to express an opinion.

Political affiliation again played a major role. Among opposition voters, 61% viewed Zini’s performance negatively, as did 62% of Arab-party voters. By contrast, 67% of coalition supporters said he has performed well.

The poll also explored whether another Netanyahu election victory would prompt Israelis to consider leaving the country. Overall, 68% said they would not contemplate emigrating, while 23% acknowledged they would consider such a move. Nine percent were undecided.

Among coalition voters, 90% rejected the idea of leaving Israel. Opposition supporters were more divided: although 49% said they would remain in the country, 39% said they would consider emigrating if Netanyahu wins another term. Among Arab-party voters, only 19% said they would consider leaving.

Participants were also asked to place Israel’s leading political figures on an ideological scale ranging from 1 (far right) to 7 (far left). The results closely mirrored public perceptions of each leader’s political orientation.

Democrats Party leader Yair Golan was viewed as the furthest to the left, receiving a score of 6.0. He was followed by Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid at 5.2. Benny Gantz (4.4) and Yisr! party chairman Gadi Eisenkot (4.2) were both seen as occupying the political center with a slight lean to the left.

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett marked the beginning of the right side of the spectrum with a score of 3.8, followed by Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Lieberman at 3.3. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was placed firmly on the right with a score of 2.5, while Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich received a 1.7. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir was viewed as the most right-wing political leader in the survey, earning a score of 1.3.

{Matzav.com}

US President Donald Trump described the deaths of two US service members in Iranian attacks on Jordan as a “shame,” defending the recently renewed US-Iran hostilities during a phone call with the New York Post on Saturday.

Lamenting the loss of life, Trump told the New York Post that the service members “died because they don’t want to see Iran have a nuclear weapon and they don’t want to see the Middle East blown up.”

He added that he planned to contact the families of the service members, telling the New York Post that he “always” does.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the soldiers as “heroes,” stating that their sacrifice will only stiffen the US’s resolve against Tehran in a Saturday X/Twitter post.

The Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks that killed the two service members injured four additional soldiers and left another soldier missing, according to a statement released by US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Saturday. 

CENTCOM carries out strikes in retaliation for deadly strikes on Jordan

In response to the attack, CENTCOM stated that an eighth consecutive night of strikes against Iran was carried out.

US forces struck Iranian military coastal surveillance and air defense facilities, maritime capabilities, and missile and drone storage sites, in addition to targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces responsible for the deadly attack on Jordan.

In early March, shortly after the US began Operation Epic Fury, six US Army Reserve soldiers were killed during an Iranian drone strike on a command center in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, marking the first US service members killed in the conflict with Iran.

This post was originally published on here.

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rebbetzin Shulamis Schiff a”h, who was niftar at the age of 98.

Rebbetzin Schiff was the devoted wife of Rav Sheya Schiff zt”l, longtime rosh yeshiva of Mesivta Bais Shraga in Monsey, New York.

She was born into one of the most illustrious families of American Torah Jewry as the daughter of Rav Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz zt”l, the legendary menahel of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas and the foremost architect of postwar Torah life in the United States. Rav Shraga Feivel dedicated every ounce of his strength to rebuilding Yiddishkeit and establishing institutions that would shape generations to come. Through his visionary leadership, mesirus nefesh, and boundless ahavas haTorah, he helped lay the foundation for the flourishing Olam HaTorah in America.

Her husband, Rav Sheya, was himself an outsanding talmid chochom and marbitz Torah. He was a son of the noted baal habayis, R’ Tzvi Shalom (Harry) Schiff zt”l, who merited to establish a remarkable family whose members became among the leading gedolei Torah and marbitzei Torah of their generation. Rav Sheya was a talmid muvhak of Rav Shlomo Heiman zt”l and Rav Reuven Grozovsky zt”l, absorbing the greatness of the Torah Vodaas tradition before founding and leading Mesivta Bais Shraga for decades. Rav Sheya’s brother is Rav Yankel Schiff, son-in-law of the Brisker Rov, Rav Yitzchok Zev Soloveitchik zt”l. His sisters married Rav Shmuel Faivelson zt”l, rosh yeshiva of Bais Medrash L’Torah in Monsey, and Rav Meir Hershkowitz zt”l, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Bais Binyomin in Stamford, Connecticut.

Those who knew Rebbetzin Schiff remember a woman of exceptional refinement, dignity, and strength. With warmth, grace, and genuine concern for others, she stood steadfastly at her husband’s side throughout decades of harbotzas haTorah, opening her home to talmidim and supporting the yeshiva with total devotion. Her humility, kindness, and deep commitment to avodas Hashem left a lasting impression on all who merited to know her.

She is survived by her sons, Rav Emanuel Schiff and Rav Shraga Schiff; her daughters, Mrs. Yehudis Berlin, wife of Rav Meir Berlin zt”l, and Mrs. Toby Berlin, wife of Rav Avrohom Yehoshua Berlin; as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren who continue her family’s legacy of Torah, yiras Shomayim, and avodas Hashem.

The levayah will take place today at 11:00 a.m. at Mesivta Bais Shraga, located at 28 Saddle River Road in Monsey, New York.

Yehi zichrah boruch.

Conditions at the stadium point to a near-ideal afternoon for an open-air championship. Temperatures are set to sit in the low 80s at kickoff under full sun, with essentially no chance of rain, light winds around 10 miles per hour and humidity near 55 percent — mild for mid-July in northern New Jersey. Air quality registers as moderate, with only the possibility of light summer haze, a marked improvement over the wildfire smoke that had drifted through the region earlier in the week. The high for the day tops out around 81.

That forecast is a relief for organizers who spent months bracing for the opposite. MetLife is open-air, seats roughly 82,500 and has no roof to shield players or spectators from heat or lightning. FIFPRO, the global players’ union, had flagged the stadium as a high-risk venue for heat during the tournament, and last summer’s Club World Cup at the same site offered a cautionary preview, with temperatures near 102 degrees and thunderstorms that forced delays. None of that is in play for the final. With dry, sunny conditions in the forecast, there is no expected threat of a lightning pause — the kind of stoppage that can upend the rhythm of a match and the choreography of a global broadcast.

The mid-afternoon start is a matter of business, not chance. FIFA set the 3 p.m. kickoff to land in European prime time — 9 p.m. across much of the continent and 8 p.m. in Britain — maximizing the worldwide television audience for the title match. Spain reached the final by beating France 2-0, while Argentina edged England 2-1, pitting Europe’s top-ranked side against South America’s best for the sport’s ultimate prize.

For the New York–New Jersey region, good weather is more than a comfort for ticketholders. The final caps a hosting run promoted as a major economic showcase, funneling visitors into hotels, restaurants, bars and transit on both sides of the Hudson. Most fans headed to the Meadowlands move through NJ Transit, with shuttle service running from Secaucus Junction to the stadium on event days — a system that flows far more smoothly when tens of thousands of ticketholders are not also contending with downpours. A dry afternoon eases the strain on that chain, from concourse crowds to the post-match transit surge, and supports the packed-house atmosphere organizers have been counting on.

The clear forecast also lifts the day for the hundreds of thousands expected in and around the region for related events, from the FIFA Fan Festival across the Hudson to watch parties throughout the metro area. Sunshine and comfortable temperatures are the conditions local businesses, hospitality operators and event planners had hoped for as the tournament reaches its climax on their turf.

Fans attending are still wise to prepare for a warm afternoon in direct sun. With an open-air bowl and mid-80s warmth on the field, light clothing, sunscreen and hydration remain the sensible call, and the moderate air quality is worth a glance for anyone sensitive to summer haze. But those are ordinary summer-day precautions, not the storm-and-heat contingency plans that once looked possible.

After weeks of uncertainty about what the sky might do on the sport’s grandest stage, the answer has landed in the region’s favor. The final between Spain and Argentina will kick off under clear skies and warm sun — a fitting backdrop for the biggest sporting event the New York–New Jersey area has ever hosted.

JBizNews Desk | East Rutherford, N.J.

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

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a closed-door meeting with Likud municipal leaders that if the security situation prevents the party from holding primaries, the Likud’s Knesset candidate list would instead be determined by a special organizing committee.

The remarks come amid an internal dispute within Likud over Netanyahu’s proposed reserved slots on the party list. Critics, including MK David Bitan, argue the proposal undermines the party’s internal democratic process, while party officials say the comments may be aimed at increasing pressure on Likud’s Constitution Committee ahead of a delayed vote on the issue.

If the organizing committee option is ultimately adopted, it would mark a significant change in how Likud selects its Knesset slate and could further intensify internal tensions within the party ahead of the upcoming elections.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Question Everyone Asks

Here’s a conversation I’ve had more times than I can count.

A patient has just spent thirty minutes telling me about their fatigue, their digestion, their weight. We’ve talked through what they’re eating, how they’re sleeping, how stressed they are.

I mention shifting toward a whole-food, plant-based diet — which the research strongly supports for their issues — and then, inevitably, comes the question:

“But where am I going to get my protein?”

I understand why people ask. We’ve been hearing about protein our whole lives. Red meat builds muscle. Animal protein fuels the brain. Without it, the thinking goes, you’ll be a tired, foggy, hormone-depleted mess.

It feels like a responsible question.

But here’s the thing: if a plant-based diet truly couldn’t meet your protein needs, no one would survive on one. And yet, hundreds of millions of people do — and quite well.

Let me show you the numbers.

How Much Protein Do You Actually Need?

After years working with patients and studying the nutrition research, I’ve come to see the protein question differently.

It’s not really about science.

It’s about fear. And like most fears, it dissolves quickly when you look at the actual data.

The U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) and the World Health Organization have long set the adult protein requirement at 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day — about 60 grams for an average adult male.

As of early 2026, updated U.S. dietary guidelines raised that number to 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram — a significant jump that has nutrition scientists actively debating whether the new standard reflects genuine new evidence or an overcorrection.

Christopher Gardner, director of nutrition studies at Stanford, put it bluntly: “Were we really off by that much? What new evidence became available to show that we were off by that much?”

Here’s what both sides agree on, though: most Americans are already meeting even the higher target. And if you’re eating a varied, whole-food diet — plant-based or otherwise — you’re almost certainly fine.

Not a gram per pound of body weight, like your friend Mike claimed when he got into weightlifting. Not 100 grams. Not “as much as possible.”

Broccoli, Lentils, and Potatoes — Oh My

Here’s where people’s jaws tend to drop.

Start with broccoli — the vegetable nobody associates with protein. At 2,000 calories, broccoli alone would give you well over 150 grams of protein. Nobody is eating 2,000 calories of broccoli, of course, but I think you get the point: even foods we think of as purely “healthy” are quietly packed with protein.

Lentils are less surprising, but the numbers are still striking — roughly 157 grams of protein per 2,000 calories, nearly three times the daily requirement.

And even plain potatoes — yes, the humble carb everyone fears — come in at 50 to 60 grams of protein at 2,000 calories.

In other words, you could eat potatoes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and still meet your daily protein needs.

As Dr. Michael Klaper M.D., a physician with over 40 years of clinical experience as a general practitioner puts it: “If you are eating 2,000 calories in whole plant foods, you are guaranteed of getting 60, 70, 80 grams of high-grade protein with all the amino acids you need. You can’t avoid it. It’s in the food.”

A typical day of potatoes, rice, beans, vegetables, and fruit will comfortably exceed your minimum protein needs — without you have to track a single gram.

The “Incomplete Protein” Misunderstanding

You may have heard that plant proteins are “incomplete” — that they lack certain essential amino acids and therefore can’t properly fuel the body. This idea, while still floating around in gyms and wellness blogs, is outdated.

The late Dr. John McDougall M.D., a pioneering physician who spent five decades studying the relationship between diet and disease, was direct about it: “There has never been a case of protein deficiency ever reported to occur in humans on natural diets. All natural plant foods contain enough total proteins, and individual amino acids, to always meet our nutritional needs.”

When you eat a variety of grains, vegetables, and legumes over the course of a day, your body draws from a circulating amino acid pool and assembles what it needs. You don’t need to carefully combine foods at each meal. The human body is far smarter than that.

In practical terms: protein deficiency simply does not occur in people eating enough calories from whole plant foods.

What is far more common in Western societies is the opposite problem — too much protein.

The Real Problem: Too Much Protein

We live in a culture that equates more protein with more strength, better health, and longer life. But our actual physiological needs are more modest than YouTube influencers would have you believe.

When protein intake far exceeds what the body needs, the excess doesn’t just disappear. The liver and kidneys must work harder to process and excrete the additional nitrogen. And there’s a more troubling finding worth knowing about.

Dr. T. Colin Campbell, professor emeritus at Cornell University and one of the most respected nutrition researchers of the past half century, got his start studying the relationship between protein and cancer.

In a landmark series of experiments, he found that rats exposed to a carcinogen developed liver cancer when their diet consisted of 20% animal protein — but remained virtually tumor-free when protein dropped to 5%.

As Campbell described it, he could control cancer in those rats “like flipping a light switch on and off,” simply by altering the amount of animal protein they consumed. Critically, when he repeated the experiments using plant proteins like wheat and soy at the same levels, the cancer-promoting effect disappeared entirely.

His work, later expanded into the landmark book The China Study, helped establish that the relentless pursuit of more animal protein may not only be unnecessary — for some people, it may carry real risks.

It’s Not Just Protein — It’s the Whole Package

We don’t eat isolated nutrients. We eat food — and food comes as a package deal.

The typical high-protein foods in the Western diet — red meat, processed meats, cheese, eggs — arrive bundled with saturated fat, cholesterol, and zero fiber. Plant protein sources like beans, lentils, and whole grains come packaged with fiber, antioxidants, and phytonutrients — and no cholesterol.

When you change your protein source, you’re not simply swapping one number on a nutrition label. You’re changing the entire metabolic impact of your diet.

A Personal Note

For most of my adult life, I followed a low-carb, higher-protein diet. I was disciplined and careful about it. And despite that effort, I remained consistently overweight.

When I shifted to a whole-food, plant-based diet, I lost about 30 pounds in under three months. My energy improved dramatically. My digestion normalized. My skin cleared. And I stopped thinking about protein entirely.

These days I eat potatoes, rice, beans, vegetables, and fruit until I’m satisfied — and the protein simply takes care of itself.

The Bottom Line

So where does all this protein anxiety come from?

Decades of messaging from the meat, dairy, and egg industries. Gym culture. A supplement industry that profits handsomely from our nutritional insecurity. When you look past the marketing and examine the actual physiology, something very simple emerges:

If you eat enough whole, unprocessed plant foods to meet your calorie needs, you will meet your protein needs. Period.

Consider: elephants, gorillas, and giraffes build their enormous, powerful bodies entirely on plants — and humans are considerably smaller. And horses and cows — the two animals we most associate with raw physical power, animals that pull, carry, and haul — are pure herbivores.

Nobody ever asks a horse where it gets its protein.

There’s nothing to fear.

Until next time — stay well, be fearless, and enjoy adding more good whole foods to your life.

Aharon Elkayam, M.S., is a practitioner trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine and functional medicine, with clinical internships in the U.S., Taipei, and Beijing. He has spent over a decade in clinical practice as an acupuncturist, herbalist, and functional medicine practitioner, with more than 10,000 patient visits, and now focuses on guiding people in improving their diet as a health coach. He can be reached at [email protected] or visit his website at aharonelkayam.com.

Two Orthodox shuls in Queens, Young Israel of Holliswood and Young Israel of Jamaica Estates, were vandalized overnight Thursday into Friday after an individual allegedly hurled bags containing motor oil and feces at the buildings in what authorities are investigating as a possible hate crime.

New York State Assemblymember Nily Rozic, who represents part of eastern Queens and is American-Israeli, condemned the attacks, describing them as “another outrageous example of the sustained hate faced by our community.”

The NYPD confirmed that a suspect “threw a bag of motor oil” at the exterior of a building housing an Orthodox shul in Queens.

According to police, officers were notified of the incident Thursday afternoon. The NYPD said its Hate Crimes Task Force has launched an investigation into the vandalism.

An NYPD spokesperson said no additional information is currently available as the investigation continues.

Police officials noted that reports from individual precincts sometimes take time to be transmitted to NYPD headquarters, which can delay the release of additional details.

{Matzav.com}

NEW YORK — New York City has unveiled one of its most significant housing enforcement initiatives in recent years, introducing 23 new policy actions designed to strengthen oversight of rental housing, increase compliance requirements for landlords, modernize housing enforcement, and improve transparency throughout the city’s rental market.

The plan follows months of public hearings held across all five boroughs, where thousands of tenants described concerns involving building maintenance, mold, leaks, pests, elevator outages, housing code enforcement, utility charges, and rental listing practices. City officials said the new initiatives are intended to improve housing conditions while modernizing enforcement tools and increasing accountability throughout the rental market.

Among the most notable business-related provisions is a new requirement that rental listings disclose when photographs or videos have been digitally altered or generated using artificial intelligence. The proposal is intended to provide greater transparency for prospective renters and establish clearer standards for online marketing of residential properties as AI-generated content becomes increasingly common within the real estate industry.

The initiative also calls for expanded enforcement against repeat housing code violators, modernization of property registration systems, improved inspection procedures, stronger oversight of fees and utility charges, and new technology designed to better track building violations across the city. Officials said enforcement efforts will utilize executive actions, agency rulemaking, legislation, and litigation where appropriate.

For New York’s real estate industry, the proposal signals additional compliance obligations for landlords, property managers, brokers, and residential building owners. Companies operating multifamily properties may face increased documentation requirements, more detailed inspection procedures, and expanded oversight of building maintenance and tenant communications as implementation moves forward.

The proposal would also increase scrutiny of property conditions by improving responses to heating complaints, elevator outages, residential fire hazards, mold, leaks, pest infestations, and other recurring maintenance issues. City officials said several inspection and enforcement procedures will be modernized to improve response times and create more consistent oversight across the five boroughs.

Real estate technology companies may also be affected as digital marketing standards evolve. Requiring disclosure of AI-generated or digitally enhanced listing images could establish one of the country’s most comprehensive transparency standards governing artificial intelligence in residential real estate advertising. As AI tools become increasingly integrated into marketing, leasing, and property management, the proposal could influence best practices well beyond New York City.

The package further outlines plans to improve public access to housing information through upgraded digital systems, modernized owner registration processes, and enhanced tracking of building violations. Officials said these improvements are intended to make compliance information more accessible while helping enforcement agencies identify repeat violations more efficiently.

The initiative arrives as New York’s multifamily housing market continues adjusting to higher operating costs, evolving regulatory requirements, and ongoing affordability challenges. Property owners, developers, lenders, investors, and management companies will be closely watching how the new policies are implemented and whether additional compliance costs affect future investment decisions across the city’s rental housing market.

While several of the proposals will require additional administrative action or legislative approval before taking effect, the announcement represents a significant policy shift that could reshape housing compliance, rental marketing practices, and landlord oversight throughout New York City over the coming years.

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

NEW YORK (VINnews)-Commentator Megyn Kelly pushed back forcefully against claims of foreign influence on her show, asserting she has never accepted money from any foreign entity and rejecting suggestions of Qatari ties.

In remarks that appear to reference ongoing debates over Israeli public relations efforts in the U.S., Kelly said Israeli representatives once approached her about investing in her program during a tour but were turned down.

“I’ve literally never taken a dollar from any foreign entity, at all. Nothing. Not one dollar of advertising on the show and the only one who ever sought to buy into the show was on my tour and those were Israeli representatives, which is fine. They’re allowed to try. We said no. But, like, I don’t know anyone in Qatar,” Kelly stated.

She described accusations of being “bought and paid for by foreign influence” as a “weird knee jerk response,” noting that her program covers limited foreign policy topics.

Kelly went further, suggesting potential defamation lawsuits against online critics, specifically naming former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale and pro-Israel activist Eyal Yakoby. Parscale has been involved in Israeli government-funded media and digital campaigns registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

“Honestly, if I had the time, I’d be suing all of these losers, and I’ll tell you what, it’s just a matter of time before somebody sues Brad Parscale and/or Eyal Yakoby and starts getting to the bottom of who is paying whom for what?” Kelly said. “What exactly those contracts allow, require, or have produced. I mean, this is so easy. One round of discovery in a litigation and we will know it all so they really better tread carefully because a lot of these tweets are defamatory, absolute falsehoods meant to disparage you and sooner or later they’re going to cross the wrong person and you mark my words, there will be a litigation and we will see it all.”

Yakoby, a University of Pennsylvania graduate and vocal advocate against antisemitism on college campuses, has been active in pro-Israel messaging.

A deepening power struggle has reportedly erupted within Iran’s leadership as senior political, military, and security officials clash over who should control Tehran’s messaging, direct the country’s military response, and ultimately bear responsibility for the growing losses from the conflict, according to a report by the UAE-based Erem News.

Citing Iranian opposition sources, the report says the dispute centers on three competing power centers: the office of Mojtaba Khamenei, the diplomatic camp led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and the military camp, which includes Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters, the IRGC Quds Force, and the IRGC Aerospace Force.

According to the report, the main disagreements center on who should communicate Iran’s position to Washington through mediators, who should determine the limits of Iran’s military response, and who will bear responsibility for the losses and decisions made before the U.S. expanded its military campaign. Araghchi reportedly pushed for a single official diplomatic channel, while IRGC leaders continued sending separate military assessments directly to Khamenei’s office.

The report says Khamenei’s office received conflicting assessments from the Foreign Ministry and various military commands regarding the extent of the damage, Iran’s ability to continue the war, and whether Iran’s attacks were deterring Washington or instead prompting an even stronger U.S. response. It also claims rival factions have begun quietly collecting internal documents related to battle damage assessments, the defense of military facilities in southern Iran, the management of the Strait of Hormuz, and leaks concerning the American strikes as each camp prepares for a possible internal investigation.

According to the report, the absence of Ali Khamenei has intensified the internal struggle, with rival factions increasingly blaming one another for military losses, intelligence failures, and decisions that led to the expansion of the U.S. campaign. Mehdi Oghbai, a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, told Erem News that Khamenei’s absence removed the central authority that had previously kept competing factions in check. He claimed Mojtaba Khamenei’s efforts to fill the vacuum have yet to establish stable control, and that disputes over his legitimacy and ability to balance the competing religious, military, and political factions continue.

The report also cites accounts published by Iran International claiming tensions have spread to military units on the ground. According to those accounts, some commanders were absent during critical stages of the U.S. strikes while rank-and-file troops remained at their posts. Other witnesses alleged soldiers felt they were being used as “human shields,” while two IRGC commanders were reportedly seen hiding overnight near a fire station and a girls’ high school in Lorestan Province.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Gerrer chassidus is scheduled to hold a protest and atzeres tefillah on Monday outside Prison 10 following the arrest of a yeshiva bochur, a talmid of the Sfas Emes Yeshivah in Jerusalem.

The atzeres, to be headed by the Gerrer Rebbe, will begin at 9:30 p.m. and will include Maariv, the recitation of Tehillim and divrei chizzuk.

The bochur was arrested at the military recruitment office after he arrived on his scheduled enlistment date to regularize his status and seek a medical exemption. He first reported to the Jerusalem recruitment office but was told he was registered with the Haifa office and had to report there immediately.

He was reassured by the authorities that he would not face arrest in Haifa because it was his scheduled enlistment date. However, when he arrived at the Haifa office, he was informed that he had arrived too late and was transferred to the military induction center at Tel Hashomer. He was later brought before a military officer and sentenced to 20 days in military prison.

His imprisonment despite his medical condition and the fact that he had come in the first place to arrange a medical exemption aroused the ire of Gerrer askanim.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Israeli researchers have recreated a wine believed to resemble one produced in the Negev Desert during the Byzantine era, reviving ancient grape varieties and farming techniques that had disappeared for more than 1,500 years, according to Ynet.

The project, led by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority in partnership with the University of Haifa, established a heritage vineyard at the ancient desert city of Avdat using grape varieties identified through genetic analysis of grape seeds discovered at the archaeological site.

Researchers planted the historic Dabouki, Be’er and Sraiki grape varieties using cultivation methods reconstructed from the Mishnah and other ancient Jewish texts. The grapes were harvested by hand and turned into natural wines without commercial yeast, sulfur, sulfites or other additives.

“It is a kind of miracle,” Dr. Lior Schweimer of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority told Ynet. “We used ancient growing methods and ancient grape varieties. No one has farmed here for 1,500 years, and the vines grew exceptionally well.”

Researchers said they did not know what Byzantine-era wine would have tasted like and expected the results might not appeal to modern tastes. Instead, they said the first vintage exceeded expectations, with one participating winemaker asking how he could obtain hundreds of vines after tasting the wine.

The experimental wines were produced by small wineries in the Negev following the 2025 harvest. Schweimer said a wine made from the Be’er grape variety appeared to come closest to what may have been been produced in Avdat during the Byzantine period.

The current vintage is not eligible for kosher certification because it was produced from young vines. Researchers hope to expand production over the coming year as the vineyard matures and cultivation methods improve. Wine produced in the Negev during the Byzantine period was widely exported across the Mediterranean and was considered among the region’s most prized wines, according to Ynet.

The richest FIFA World Cup in history will culminate Sunday when Argentina and Spain compete not only to lift soccer’s most coveted trophy, but also for a record $50 million champion’s prize.

The 2026 tournament marked the first World Cup to feature 48 teams and 104 matches, prompting FIFA to increase its total financial distribution to a record $871 million. Of that total, $655 million is tied to performance-based prize money, with payouts increasing each round as teams advanced through the tournament.

Beyond the performance-based prize money, every nation that qualified for the World Cup was guaranteed a significant financial windfall before kickoff. FIFA awarded each participating federation $10 million in qualification funding and another $2.5 million in preparation funding, along with additional contributions to help cover travel, logistics and delegation expenses.

That meant every country was guaranteed at least $12.5 million before kicking a ball, with the opportunity to dramatically increase its earnings by advancing out of the group stage and making a deep run through the knockout rounds.

Teams reaching the quarterfinals earned $19 million, while those eliminated in the Round of 16 received $15 million. Nations knocked out in the Round of 32 took home $11 million, and the 16 teams eliminated in the group stage each collected $9 million.

Sunday’s winner will earn $50 million, while the runner-up will receive $33 million, meaning the championship match carries a $17 million swing in prize money.

The financial rewards have grown dramatically alongside the tournament itself. When Italy won the 1982 World Cup, the total prize pool stood at just $20 million and the champion earned $2.2 million. Forty-four years later, FIFA’s overall financial distribution has climbed to a record $871 million, while the champion’s prize alone has increased more than 20-fold to $50 million.

The United States, which reached the Round of 16 before falling to Belgium, earned $15 million in performance-based prize money.

The prize money is paid to each national soccer federation, which then determines how it is distributed among players, coaches and development programs according to its own policies.

The 2026 World Cup was also historic off the field, becoming the first tournament to be jointly hosted by three countries: the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Have you ever felt alone? Like really alone. Has it ever seemed like one thing after another is going wrong and you are at a loss with how to solve it? Worse, maybe it’s even your fault.

Then you get to the light at the end of the tunnel and it’s a train.

And the black feeling of hopelessness starts to seep into every area of life.

But the worst part is that tangible feeling of loneliness. Abandonment not just as a lack of connection but as a living thing. When you daven, try to change, add more learning, but it’s radio silence. A time when nothing seems more true than to ask keili keili lama azavtani?

That feeling of disconnect can be worse than the actual difficulties. You want to connect, to turn to your Father in heaven. You want to feel that love, but it’s like you are numb to it. You want to find comfort in the fact that even if everything seems lost, He is there for you. But nothing. Emptiness.

It’s so hard. So difficult.

It’s hard. It’s so hard.

There’s no switch that flips. The pain doesn’t dissolve. But there is one truth that has kept me from drowning in it. To know that feeling something, no matter how convincing, doesn’t make it reality.

Imagine your beloved child. A child you love more than anything in the world. Imagine the moments you felt overwhelmed with love for them. Maybe it was their first cry or when they wrapped their tiny fist around your finger. Imagine your eyes welling with tears as you walk them down to their chuppa. Imagine the love you feel at that moment. How its warmth fills your entire focus. How you wish you could bestow all the good in the world to them. How your only desire is to shield them from every bad thing that can come their way.

That love is but a reflection, a small facet of Hashem’s love to you. You may not see or feel it, but that is the truth.

The truth is that although we don’t feel it, it’s there. He is there.

Perhaps that doesn’t make it any less painful, and we may still not feel it but we won’t fear or despair.

Because with that truth for the question lama azavtani we can answer gam ki eilech bgai tzalmaves lo ira ra ki ata imadi.

Mordechai Penner
[email protected]

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — During the past year, 45 Israelis who were directly affected by antisemitic incidents overseas required assistance, support, and direct intervention from Israel’s Foreign Ministry. Officials say this is an unprecedented figure, reflecting a level of hostility toward Israelis abroad that had not been seen in previous years.

The report paints a troubling picture facing Israeli tourists and business travelers overseas, including physical assaults, spitting, verbal abuse, refusal of service, and being removed from hotels and restaurants solely because they were Israeli.

The comprehensive report, revealed in an article by Itamar Eichner in Ynet, provides an extensive overview of the growing security concerns facing Israelis around the world.

The 45 exceptional cases documented involved Israelis who suffered direct antisemitic attacks abroad and required close assistance and support from Israeli diplomatic missions. The Foreign Ministry emphasized that this represents “a phenomenon we have never encountered on this scale.” In previous years, such requests for assistance were extremely rare.

Officials believe the true number of incidents is significantly higher, as many Israelis choose not to report them to local authorities or Israeli embassies due to fear, discomfort, or a desire to leave the country quickly.

The report aims to raise awareness of the risks facing Israeli travelers and identifies the countries from which the highest number of distress reports were received.

The Foreign Ministry urges Israelis traveling abroad to remain vigilant, avoid displaying Israeli or Jewish symbols in sensitive locations, and immediately contact the Ministry’s emergency situation room or the nearest Israeli embassy if they experience harassment, discrimination, or threats.

Eli Yifrach, Deputy Director General for Consular Affairs at the Foreign Ministry, told Ynet: “Over the past year we have witnessed a phenomenon we had never seen before on this scale: Israelis contacting us after experiencing antisemitic incidents during their stays abroad. Our diplomatic missions provide them with assistance and support alongside routine consular services.”

He added that there has also been a broader increase in hostility and antisemitic incidents targeting Israelis overseas. In several countries, Israelis were identified because of their nationality or visible Israeli symbols and became targets of harassment, threats, and even physical attacks. In such cases, Israeli diplomatic missions provided consular assistance, supported the victims, and worked with local authorities as appropriate.

WASHINGTON — According to the House Budget Committee’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Resolution approved Thursday, the committee voted 20-14 to advance a $95 billion reconciliation framework directing spending instructions to four House committees for national defense, intelligence, agriculture and election administration. The measure now heads toward a House floor vote this week, where it faces uncertain prospects amid opposition from Senate Republicans despite support from Speaker Mike Johnson.

Rather than appropriating money immediately, the 47-page resolution establishes reconciliation instructions that authorize designated committees to draft legislation carrying up to $95 billion in additional spending authority. The House Armed Services Committee received the largest allocation at $60 billion, followed by $13 billion for the House Intelligence Committee, $12 billion for the House Agriculture Committee, and $10 billion for the House Administration Committee, which oversees federal election matters. Those committees have until September 11 to produce legislative text.

Speaker Mike Johnson has branded the initiative the SAVE and Protect Act, while Republicans have internally referred to the effort as Reconciliation 3.0, making it the third major reconciliation package pursued during this Congress.

For businesses, the proposal represents a significant signal, although no contracts, grants or funding have yet been approved.

The largest implications center on the defense industry. While the resolution authorizes $60 billion for the Armed Services Committee, that figure falls below the administration’s earlier request for approximately $67 billion in supplemental defense funding related to the Iran conflict and remains substantially below the broader $350 billion reconciliation defense proposal connected to a projected $1.5 trillion national defense budget.

Earlier administration planning outlined approximately $21 billion for munitions replenishment, $17.3 billion for operational expenses, $12.1 billion for classified defense programs, $5.1 billion for cybersecurity and autonomous technologies, and approximately $2.4 billion for drone capabilities. None of those categories appear as binding allocations within the budget resolution itself. Instead, the House Armed Services Committee will determine how any eventual funding is distributed once reconciliation legislation is drafted.

For defense manufacturers, missile producers, cybersecurity firms, drone developers, logistics providers and military suppliers, the resolution establishes only the overall funding ceiling. The eventual committee legislation will determine which sectors ultimately receive procurement opportunities.

Agriculture also receives significant attention through a proposed $12 billion allocation intended to address financial pressures facing American farmers following higher transportation, fertilizer and production costs associated with the Iran conflict and continued disruptions affecting international shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier federal planning contemplated economic assistance for crop producers together with disaster relief for agricultural businesses affected by severe weather. The budget resolution leaves the specific distribution entirely to the Agriculture Committee, which will determine eligibility, program structure and funding priorities during the reconciliation drafting process.

Election administration represents another potentially significant business opportunity. The proposal directs $10 billion to the House Administration Committee, with lawmakers expected to develop legislation addressing proof-of-citizenship requirements and related election administration initiatives.

The final legislation could ultimately involve investments in identity verification systems, election infrastructure, technology modernization, database integration and grants supporting implementation by state election agencies. Those details, however, remain subject to committee negotiations and future legislative drafting.

The political landscape remains highly uncertain.

Republicans currently hold a narrow 218-212 House majority, leaving Speaker Johnson with limited room for defections if Democrats remain united against the measure. Fiscal conservatives have questioned adding another $95 billion without corresponding spending reductions, while others argue the package is necessary to strengthen national security, support agriculture and modernize election administration.

The Senate presents an even greater challenge.

Several Republican senators have expressed reservations regarding both the size of the package and its overall fiscal impact. Because both chambers must ultimately adopt identical budget resolutions before reconciliation legislation can advance, negotiations between House and Senate Republicans are expected to continue throughout the summer.

Current plans call for committees to draft legislation during the August recess before Congress returns in the fall to consider the final reconciliation package ahead of the November midterm elections.

Speaker Johnson has personally led negotiations surrounding the proposal, including meetings with President Donald Trump at the White House and strategy discussions with House Republicans at Camp David, as leadership attempts to unify the conference behind the legislation.

For businesses involved in defense procurement, agricultural production, cybersecurity, election technology and government contracting, the budget resolution should be viewed as a roadmap rather than an award.

The funding instructions establish congressional priorities, but no contracts have been awarded, no grants approved and no procurement decisions finalized. Those outcomes will depend entirely on the reconciliation legislation drafted by the committees over the coming weeks and whether Congress ultimately approves a final package.

JBizNews Desk | Washington

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

A record accumulation of airline reward points is helping power one of the busiest summer travel seasons on record, while transforming airline loyalty programs into some of the industry’s most valuable financial assets. Airlines now value outstanding customer loyalty points at approximately $38 billion, underscoring how credit card partnerships have become central to airline profitability and business strategy.

What was once viewed primarily as a customer rewards program has evolved into a multi-billion-dollar financial engine. Major airlines now generate billions of dollars annually by selling frequent flyer miles to banks, which in turn award those miles through co-branded credit cards. Every swipe of an affiliated credit card generates revenue for the airline, regardless of whether a customer books a flight.

The business has become so lucrative that airline executives increasingly factor loyalty program performance into major corporate decisions. Route planning, airport gate allocations, premium lounges, terminal expansion, and even international destination selection are now influenced by where an airline’s highest-value credit card customers live and travel.

JetBlue recently cited customer spending patterns from its TrueBlue credit card members as a factor in launching new service to Milan and Barcelona. Conversely, the airline also considered the number of co-branded credit card holders on certain routes when evaluating which markets to discontinue.

American Airlines has likewise intensified its efforts to expand at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, viewing the market as strategically important for growing its loyalty program and attracting additional credit card customers. Company executives have highlighted strong growth in new card signups in the Chicago market as a key business metric alongside passenger traffic.

Perhaps the clearest indication of the industry’s changing economics comes from airline-bank partnerships. Delta Air Lines disclosed that American Express is expected to pay the carrier approximately $9 billion this year for miles issued through Delta-branded credit cards, illustrating the enormous value financial institutions place on airline loyalty programs.

Those partnerships have also reshaped the customer experience. Airlines are increasingly reserving premium airport lounges, priority boarding, complimentary baggage, discounted award travel, and elite status benefits for travelers carrying co-branded credit cards. Several carriers have modified their loyalty programs so that credit card spending now plays a larger role than actual miles flown in earning elite status, further strengthening the connection between airline profitability and consumer spending habits.

The surge in reward point redemptions comes as airlines prepare for one of the strongest travel seasons in recent memory. American Airlines expects to operate its largest summer schedule ever, with thousands of daily flights serving millions of travelers as leisure demand remains robust despite higher airfares and broader economic uncertainty.

For investors, the trend highlights a significant shift in airline business models. Historically dependent almost entirely on ticket sales, carriers now derive substantial high-margin revenue from financial services partnerships. Industry analysts estimate airline loyalty programs can generate operating margins far exceeding those of passenger operations, providing airlines with a more stable source of income during periods of economic volatility.

For travelers, reward programs continue to offer significant value, particularly for those who accumulate points through everyday spending rather than frequent flying. At the same time, airlines continue refining redemption rules, premium benefits, and pricing models as loyalty programs become increasingly important to long-term corporate profitability.

The result is a fundamental transformation of the airline industry. Frequent flyer points are no longer simply a travel perk—they have become one of aviation’s most valuable financial assets, influencing everything from where airlines fly to how they compete for customers and generate billions of dollars beyond the sale of airline tickets.

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

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz forcefully rejected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s suggestion that Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu could be arrested during an expected visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, calling the proposal nothing more than “pure political theater.”

Responding to Mamdani’s comments in a post on social media, Waltz wrote, “Mayor Mamdani: here’s why your threat to arrest PM Netanyahu in NYC during UNGA is not going to happen.”

Waltz then laid out what he said were four legal reasons the mayor’s plan could not be carried out, writing: “1. The US is not a party to the Rome Statute that underlies the ICC, 2. The UN Headquarters Agreement grants diplomatic protections to visiting heads of government, 3. head-of-state immunity applies, & 4. federal authority trumps any local mayor’s wishes.”

He ended his response by declaring, “This is pure political theater.”

Earlier Saturday, Mamdani referred to Netanyahu as a “war criminal” and said his administration was exploring whether the Israeli leader could be arrested if he travels to New York.

Speaking with The New York Times, Mamdani said, “I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague. He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court.”

The mayor added that he is engaged in “active conversation” with New York City’s legal officials regarding the extent of his authority over the matter. “Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that’s what we will do, but we won’t be writing our own laws to that end,” he said.

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, sharply condemned Mamdani’s remarks, accusing the mayor of neglecting his responsibilities at home.

“Mamdani is failing to govern New York. Instead of focusing on his responsibilities as mayor and confronting the rising wave of antisemitism in his city, he has chosen to incite hostility and generate headlines by attacking the State of Israel,” Danon said.

He added, “It will not change a thing. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will come to New York, address the United Nations General Assembly with pride, and stand before the world to state Israel’s truth and its unwavering right to defend its citizens.”

Danon concluded with a jab at the mayor, saying, “And if anyone should be arrested, it is NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani.”

Israeli Consul General in New York Ofir Akunis also dismissed Mamdani’s comments, arguing that the mayor has no legal authority to detain a foreign head of government.

“The mayor of New York City has no authority to order the arrest of the Prime Minister of Israel. Instead of dealing with matters over which he has no authority, he should start running New York City and only New York City,” Akunis said.

{Matzav.com}

U.S. air defense systems intercepted several missiles launched from Iran toward the Jordanian city of Aqaba, near Israel’s southern border, on Sunday afternoon. Sirens sounded in Jordan, and powerful explosions were heard in Eilat.

At the same time, the IDF fired two Iron Dome interceptors toward interceptor shrapnel that posed risks to the Eilat area. The shrapnel was successfully destroyed, and there was no need to activate warning sirens in the city, the IDF said.

At the start of the incident, the IDF spokesperson announced that launches from Iran toward Aqaba had been detected and warned that shrapnel could cross into Israel.

The Eilat Municipality said the explosions heard in the city were the result of interceptions over Jordan. “At this time, there is no change to Home Front Command guidelines, and no alerts are expected within Israeli territory,” the municipality said, adding that all security forces in the area remain on high alert and fully prepared.

About an hour before the launches, the U.S. Embassy in Jordan warned American citizens to avoid traveling to Aqaba’s international airport and seaport because of a security threat.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Elon Musk has acquired APR Energy, a Florida-based provider of mobile and temporary power generation systems, according to Federal Trade Commission premerger filings and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission disclosures released in connection with the transaction. The filings identify Musk as the acquiring party and confirm the acquisition received early termination of federal antitrust review, allowing the deal to proceed.

The acquisition places one of the world’s leading providers of rapidly deployable power generation technology under Musk’s ownership at a time when demand for reliable electricity is accelerating across industries. APR Energy designs and operates modular natural gas and diesel-powered generation systems that can be deployed quickly to utilities, governments, industrial facilities, and large commercial customers facing power shortages or infrastructure constraints.

The company has completed projects across North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, supplying temporary electricity during emergencies, planned maintenance, peak-demand periods, and large infrastructure projects. Its ability to rapidly deliver power has made it a specialized provider for customers that cannot wait years for permanent generating facilities or transmission upgrades.

The acquisition comes as electricity availability has become one of the most significant challenges facing the technology sector. Artificial intelligence platforms, hyperscale data centers, advanced manufacturing facilities, and other energy-intensive operations are requiring unprecedented amounts of power, creating growing pressure on electric grids throughout the United States and internationally.

Although Musk has not publicly disclosed how APR Energy will fit within his broader portfolio of companies, the purchase aligns with increasing investment in energy infrastructure supporting next-generation computing. Mobile generation systems can provide interim power while utilities construct permanent transmission and generation assets, helping reduce delays for major industrial and technology projects.

APR Energy’s technology is designed to be transported, installed, commissioned, and placed into service significantly faster than conventional power plants. The company provides complete turnkey solutions that include engineering, installation, operations, maintenance, and fuel management, allowing customers to secure additional generating capacity within a relatively short timeframe.

The transaction also expands Musk’s presence in the energy sector beyond electric vehicles, battery storage, solar technology, and artificial intelligence. As electricity demand continues to rise, flexible power generation solutions are expected to play an increasingly important role in supporting economic growth, industrial expansion, disaster recovery, and rapidly developing digital infrastructure.

Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed in the regulatory filings. The early termination of federal antitrust review indicates regulators completed the initial review period without extending the investigation, allowing the transaction to move forward under applicable federal merger procedures.

Industry observers will now watch whether APR Energy’s mobile generation capabilities become part of broader efforts to support expanding artificial intelligence infrastructure, emergency energy deployment, or other strategic initiatives within Musk’s growing portfolio of businesses.

JBizNews Desk | Jacksonville

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

Not everyone knows exactly what they want to do after seminary. Others know where they want to go but aren’t sure how to get there. And many women who have been in the workforce for years find themselves asking, “What’s next?”

Those are the conversations happening every day in this community, and they’re exactly why the WE™ Summer Career Event is returning on Tuesday, July 21.

Designed for post-seminary girls and women at any stage, the evening is built around real outcomes. Women leave with job leads, clarity, and connections that actually go somewhere.

“I have two interviews tomorrow. All a result from Wednesday,” shared one attendee after a previous WE career event. Another wrote, “The mentorship area was incredible. It was so supportive, and the whole event was done beautifully and professionally.”

The program opens at 8:30 PM with an expert career panel and hashkafa discussion covering what today’s employers are looking for and how to build a successful career while maintaining Torah values.

From 9:30 to 10:30 PM, the room shifts into career roundtables led by experienced women across a range of professions, with career mentors available for one-on-one guidance.

Representatives from Chemed, LTC Ally, FutureCare, TTI, and others will be on hand with job opportunities and information on courses and training programs.

The event takes place at Ridge Terrace Kaminetz, 831 Ridge Avenue, Lakewood. Doors open at 8:00 PM, and refreshments will include an acai and ice cream bar.

Presented under the guidance of leading Lakewood Rabbanim and powered by Chemed and Testing and Training International.

Admission is $18. July 21 is coming up fast. Register today at WomenEarning.org.

WE™ is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping frum women grow their earning potential through professional development, career support, and community building, all while maintaining Torah values.

Pesident Donald Trump brushed aside Iran’s declaration that it no longer considers itself bound by its memorandum of understanding with the United States, responding bluntly when asked about the move by NewsNation: “I couldn’t care less.”

Speaking during the interview, Trump also addressed the deaths of two American service members in Jordan, calling the loss “a very sad thing.”

He honored the fallen troops, saying they died “in service of our country,” while emphasizing that the United States remains committed to one overriding goal: “never allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump’s remarks came after Iranian state television aired comments attributed to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who announced that Tehran would no longer comply with the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding. Khamenei also dismissed the agreement by declaring that Trump’s signature is “worthless and invalid.”

Iran’s announcement followed a seventh consecutive night of U.S. military strikes against Iranian targets. The attacks come as Iran continues violating the ceasefire agreement with the United States while carrying out assaults on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Despite the ongoing military campaign, Trump has continued to express confidence that Iran ultimately wants to negotiate with his administration. At the same time, he has warned that American strikes will intensify and expand to additional critical infrastructure if Tehran refuses to enter meaningful negotiations.

Meanwhile, Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a fresh warning on Friday, threatening a dramatic escalation if U.S. operations continue.

In an interview with Iran’s state-run IRIB television, Rezaei said that if American attacks persist for another two or three days, Iran will move into an “offensive and destructive” phase.

Rezaei also declared that Iran has abandoned its previous strategy of “both war and negotiation.”

He further warned that continued U.S. military action would prompt Iran to expand its response beyond limited retaliation, threatening that American military bases and personnel would no longer be secure anywhere within established political borders.

{Matzav.com}

A single-vehicle crash early this morning caused extensive damage at River and High Street in Lakewood.

The crash occurred at approximately 3:30 a.m., with the vehicle striking a pole. Two people were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Due to the extensive damage, repairs are expected to take several hours.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — During Operation “Roaring Lion”, the IDF’s 98th and 91st Divisions carried out a joint encirclement of the Hezbollah strongholds of Bint Jbeil (which the IDF failed to conquer in 2006) and Ainata in southern Lebanon.

The 98th Division entered Bint Jbeil and established operational control of the town within approximately one week. During the operation, its forces destroyed terrorist infrastructure, neutralized anti-tank missile threats, and eliminated Hezbollah operatives. The division has since completed its mission in the area and has been redeployed to other operational sectors.

At the same time, the 91st Division entered the area to consolidate and strengthen operational control. Its troops continue to operate to eliminate the remaining terrorist infrastructure and thoroughly clear the area, with the goal of removing threats to the State of Israel.

According to the IDF, Bint Jbeil has long served as a major Hezbollah stronghold and a symbolic center of the terrorist organization, from which hundreds of attacks against IDF forces and Israeli civilians were planned and carried out.

So far, the 91st and 98th Divisions have destroyed more than 1,500 terrorist infrastructure sites in the area and eliminated over 500 Hezbollah terrorists. In addition to uncovering hundreds of weapons concealed within civilian infrastructure, Israeli forces also located and destroyed hundreds of terrorist facilities, including command centers, rocket launchers, and weapons depots.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — According to statements from Google, testing conducted with select enterprise partners, and ongoing engagement with U.S. government AI safety evaluations, Alphabet Inc**.** is delaying the broader release of Gemini 3.5 Pro, its most advanced artificial intelligence model, after the system reportedly failed to meet internal performance targets, contributing to a sharp decline in the company’s share price as investors reassessed Google’s position in the intensifying AI race. 

Alphabet shares fell more than 4% during Thursday’s trading session, wiping out hundreds of billions of dollars in market value before partially recovering. The sell-off followed reports that Gemini 3.5 Pro, originally expected to launch this summer after being introduced at Google I/O, has been pushed back by several months while engineers continue improving its performance, particularly in software coding and advanced reasoning. 

The delay comes as competition among leading AI developers continues to intensify. OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, xAI, and several Chinese AI companies have all introduced increasingly capable models over recent months, raising expectations that technology companies must deliver rapid improvements while keeping computing costs under control. 

According to the report, Google’s engineering teams have spent months refining Gemini 3.5 Pro after internal testing found the model did not consistently meet the company’s performance goals in several key benchmarks, including programming assistance. Engineers reportedly updated training data and continued optimization efforts, but additional testing was deemed necessary before a broader public release. 

A Google spokesperson said the company continues to move quickly across multiple AI models while emphasizing quality, reliability, and cost efficiency. The company confirmed that Gemini 3.5 Pro, upgraded Flash models, and other systems are currently being tested with partners while discussions continue with the U.S. government regarding advanced AI model evaluation and safety frameworks. 

The postponement arrives at a critical time for Alphabet. The company has invested tens of billions of dollars expanding AI infrastructure, custom Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), cloud computing capacity, and generative AI capabilities across Search, Workspace, Android, YouTube, and Google Cloud. Investors increasingly view Gemini as central to Google’s long-term strategy for defending its leadership in internet search while expanding enterprise AI services. 

The delay also reflects the growing complexity of developing frontier AI models. As systems become more powerful, developers face increasing technical challenges, including improving reasoning, coding accuracy, safety testing, hallucination reduction, and operational efficiency before releasing products to customers at scale. 

Despite the market reaction, Alphabet remains one of the world’s largest AI investors and continues integrating generative AI across virtually every major product line. Analysts note that while the postponement may affect short-term investor sentiment, Google’s enormous cloud infrastructure, proprietary chips, research capabilities, and global user base continue to provide significant long-term competitive advantages. 

Investors will now turn their attention to Alphabet’s upcoming earnings report and management’s outlook for AI spending, infrastructure investments, and Gemini deployment timelines. Those updates are expected to provide a clearer picture of whether the latest delay represents a temporary engineering setback or signals broader competitive challenges as the race for AI leadership accelerates. 

JBizNews Desk | Mountain View

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

The Israeli government has reportedly launched a roughly $50 million campaign to improve its standing in the United States as American support declines following the wars in Gaza and Iran, according to a Wall Street Journal investigation. The effort, led in part by former Trump campaign adviser Brad Parscale, forms part of a broader Israeli public-diplomacy push reportedly budgeted at approximately $730 million.

The campaign uses conservative media advertising, influencer outreach, social-media content and AI-assisted text conversations. It also includes the creation of pro-Israel websites designed to appear in search results and influence how artificial-intelligence chatbots answer questions about Israel.

Millions of Americans reportedly received messages from supposed representatives named Emma, Sarah or John, who identified themselves as members of a group called “Friends for Peace.” Beth Surdut, one recipient, said the exchange appeared artificial. “I said to him, ‘I don’t think you’re a real person’ — and he tried to persuade me to think that he was.” Asked whether Friends for Peace was a real organization, Parscale responded: “What do you define as a real organization?”

The effort has focused heavily on younger conservatives, evangelical Christians and MAGA-aligned audiences. Parscale also serves as chief strategy officer at Salem Media, a major conservative Christian media company, although Salem and Parscale have denied that hosts were paid to deliver Israeli government talking points.

The report said the campaign comes as polling shows a sharp deterioration in Israel’s image among Americans, particularly younger voters. A recent Pew survey found 60% of Americans viewed Israel unfavorably, while only 37% held a favorable opinion. Parscale’s team says major AI platforms have begun drawing from its websites, but it has not publicly released evidence demonstrating the campaign’s effectiveness.

SAN FRANCISCO (VINnews) — Dena Karari, a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen wrongfully detained in Iran for more than a year and a half on espionage charges, has returned to the United States, her attorney announced Saturday.

Karari, who worked for a U.S. technology company and ran a charity aiding children in Iran, arrived in San Francisco draped in an American flag, according to a photo shared by her human rights lawyer, Jared Genser.

“Welcome home Dena Karari from Iran to the land of the free and the home of the brave — after 566 days wrongly detained by the Iranian regime,” Genser wrote on X. “THANK YOU to all who made this day possible, known and unknown. We must now redouble our efforts to get all the other Americans out!”

President Donald Trump announced Karari’s release Wednesday, describing it as a “gesture of goodwill” by Iran.

“Iran has allowed an American Citizen, who was wrongfully detained in December of 2024 under the ‘presidency’ of Sleepy Joe Biden, to leave the Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “She is now safely outside of Iran, and in good condition. The United States of America appreciates this gesture of Goodwill by Iran!”

Karari, 53, a California resident, had her passport seized while visiting relatives in Shiraz in December 2024. Iranian authorities accused her of espionage linked to her work with the Children of Mehr Foundation, a U.S.-registered nonprofit providing aid to impoverished children in Iran. She faced repeated interrogations but was not formally imprisoned, according to her attorney.

Her release marks the first known American freed from Iranian custody since 2023, amid ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Genser has called for the dismissal of remaining charges against others associated with the foundation and the release of all other Americans still held in Iran.

VINnews extends its wishes for Karari’s full recovery and safe reunification with her family

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun left Beirut yesterday for Washington, where he is expected to hold key meetings with President Donald Trump and other senior U.S. officials in an effort to bolster the ceasefire with Israel and advance negotiations over Israel’s military presence in southern Lebanon.

The visit follows a fresh round of diplomatic discussions involving Israeli and Lebanese representatives in Italy and marks the first trip by a Lebanese president to the White House since Michel Sleiman met with then-President Barack Obama in 2009.

Officials from Lebanon’s presidency said Aoun’s meetings in Washington will focus on talks “with several American officials on the situation in Lebanon and ways to strengthen the ceasefire,” while also seeking “the withdrawal of Israel from the Lebanese regions it occupies”.

After arriving in the United States, the Lebanese presidency announced that Aoun is scheduled to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday before sitting down with Trump on Tuesday.

The diplomatic effort comes as the United States continues to broker indirect negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, which do not maintain formal diplomatic relations. The talks, launched in April, are aimed at reaching a lasting resolution to the conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization.

On June 26, negotiators meeting in Washington reached a preliminary framework that calls for Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon, after which the Lebanese military would deploy in the area, beginning with two designated pilot zones.

Implementation of the agreement, however, remains dependent on the disarmament of Hezbollah. The terrorist group has flatly rejected both the proposed framework and the negotiations surrounding it.

A U.S. official said that during follow-up meetings held this week in Rome, Israeli and Lebanese negotiators “agreed on the structure and guidelines” needed to move forward with establishing the pilot zones.

Meanwhile, a Lebanese military official told AFP that the Lebanese army has already begun increasing troop deployments and patrols in villages near areas where Israeli forces are still operating, including the village of Froun in the Bint Jbeil district, in preparation for a possible transition.

At the same time, Hezbollah organized a public rally yesterday in the coastal city of Tyre to demonstrate its continued opposition to the diplomatic process.

Although Aoun has agreed to pursue indirect negotiations with Israel, he has repeatedly rejected the possibility of a face-to-face meeting with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, an idea that has been floated by Trump.

The Lebanese president has insisted that ending the fighting must take precedence over any direct political engagement between the two countries.

Earlier this month, Aoun again dismissed the possibility of meeting Netanyahu, declaring, “If we were to find ourselves in the same room, I would immediately leave.”

{Matzav.com}

Shoppers looking to stretch their grocery budgets may want to take a closer look at Kroger.

The Ohio-based grocer had the cheapest store-brand grocery basket in a new price comparison of four major U.S. grocery chains.

A new study from Restaurant Furniture Plus compared the cost of 15 store-brand essentials at Kroger, Walmart, Aldi and Albertsons, including milk, bread, eggs, chicken breast, spaghetti, canned beans and baking items, Southern Living reported.

Kroger ranked No. 1 with a total basket cost of $30.

The grocer had the lowest prices on 10 of the 15 items analyzed, more than any other retailer in the study, according to the outlet.

Kroger, which operates roughly 1,229 grocery stores across 16 states, also offered the lowest prices on several pantry staples, including canned diced tomatoes, spaghetti and sugar, as well as a dozen large eggs.

Walmart came in second with a basket total of $30.95, followed by Aldi at $33.15 and Albertsons at $35.58, Southern Living reported.

However, Aldi’s store-brand dairy products stood out as a particularly strong value, the study noted.

The survey did not include Costco, Trader Joe’s, H-E-B or Piggly Wiggly. Trader Joe’s was excluded because it did not carry some items in the comparison, while Costco’s bulk model made single-item price comparisons difficult, Southern Living reported.

The findings come as many Americans continue to feel squeezed at the grocery store.

Food prices have climbed 32% over the past five years, pushing more than one in four working-age Americans into credit card debt to cover regular grocery bills, according to a new Urban Institute study released Monday.

“Groceries are one of the largest household budget items for families. Over the past five years, food costs have increased substantially,” the report said. “This means that families today face persistently higher prices when they go to the grocery store, and food affordability remains a key concern for many.”

FOX Business’ Kristen Altus contributed to this report.

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the sudden petirah of Rav Eliyahu Yisroel Abba Shaul zt”l, a 59-year-old resident of Bnei Brak, who suffered a fatal cardiac arrest while on a family outing in Ramat Gan.

Rav Abba Shaul was spending time with members of his family at a park late last night when he suddenly became separated from the group shortly before midnight. After relatives were unable to locate him, a missing-person report was filed, prompting an extensive search.

Volunteers from the ZAKA Tel Aviv Missing Persons Unit were immediately dispatched and established a command center after receiving indications that he had last been seen in the Ramat Gan area.

A short time later, search teams located Rav Abba Shaul unconscious in Wadi Kofar Park (Gan Yedidya) on Hatfutzot Street in Ramat Gan. ZAKA volunteers, many of whom also serve as emergency medical responders, examined him together with arriving medical personnel. Sadly, they were forced to pronounce him dead at the scene. Authorities said he had apparently suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and collapsed.

Following the declaration of death, members of ZAKA Tel Aviv’s Chesed Shel Emes unit responded to care for the deceased with dignity while assisting Israel Police and forensic investigators. His body was transferred to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine for further examination, in accordance with standard procedure.

Nati Czyszynski and Shmuel Ra’ani, overnight coordinators and volunteers with the ZAKA Tel Aviv Missing Persons Unit, described the search effort.

“Immediately upon receiving the report, we headed to the scene together with additional volunteers,” they said. “We understood that this was a sensitive situation in which every minute could be be critical. Sadly, during the search we located the avreich without signs of life.”

ZAKA volunteers Yossi Teitelbaum and Yossi Karkukli, who handled the scene, added, “As soon as death was confirmed, we worked with the utmost sensitivity and respect for the deceased. Together with the police and forensic teams, we carefully attended to every detail to ensure that the niftar would be brought to burial with dignity.”

Rav Abba Shaul was a son of Rav Mordechai Abba Shaul of Yerushalauyim, who served for many years as the librarian of the Porat Yosef Yeshiva in the Geulah neighborhood of Yerushalayim. He was a nephew of Chacham Ben Zion Abba Shaul zt”l, the renowned Rosh Yeshiva of Porat Yosef and author of Or L’Tzion.

Rav Abba Shaul learned in the Beis Shlomo kollel headed by Rav Shemesh in Tel Aviv.

He is survived by nine children.

Tehei nishmaso tzerurah b’tzror hachaim.

{Matzav.com}

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — According to federal court filings, communications between xAI representatives and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), U.S. Department of Justice filings, and state environmental permitting records, Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, dramatically expanded the power infrastructure supporting its Colossus AI data centers near Memphis by installing dozens of natural gas turbines, igniting lawsuits, regulatory scrutiny, and a national debate over how far the United States should go to accelerate AI development while balancing environmental oversight. 

At the center of the controversy is Colossus, one of the world’s largest artificial intelligence supercomputing campuses. Built at unprecedented speed, the facility powers xAI’s advanced AI models and represents one of the largest private technology investments ever made in the Memphis region.

To meet enormous electricity demands, xAI deployed large numbers of natural gas turbines at facilities in Memphis, Tennessee, and neighboring Southaven, Mississippi, allowing computing capacity to expand much faster than traditional electric grid upgrades would permit. According to regulatory correspondence and public records, the number of turbines operating or installed is significantly greater than previously disclosed publicly. 

The rapid expansion has now become one of the most closely watched environmental disputes surrounding the AI industry.

Environmental organizations and community groups allege that many of the turbines required federal Clean Air Act permits because of their combined emissions. Federal court filings contend the generators function as long-term power plants rather than temporary portable equipment and therefore should be subject to stricter federal oversight. The litigation seeks court intervention over alleged permitting violations and emissions affecting nearby residential communities. 

Mississippi regulators and xAI have maintained that the turbines qualify for exemptions under existing regulations because they are considered portable equipment. The company has argued the facilities are essential for powering next-generation AI infrastructure while broader electrical grid capacity continues to expand. 

The legal battle escalated further when the U.S. Department of Justice formally intervened in the case. In court filings, the Department argued that shutting down the turbines could interfere with artificial intelligence capabilities considered important to national security, economic competitiveness, and government operations. Federal attorneys asked the court to dismiss portions of the citizen lawsuit, arguing that enforcement authority ultimately rests with the Executive Branch. 

The dispute has rapidly evolved beyond a local environmental issue into a national policy debate over America’s AI infrastructure.

Across the United States, demand for AI computing continues to accelerate as companies race to build larger data centers capable of training increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence models. Those facilities require unprecedented amounts of electricity, water, cooling capacity, and transmission infrastructure. Utilities nationwide are investing billions of dollars to strengthen power grids while technology companies increasingly explore dedicated energy generation to meet rapidly growing demand. 

Industry analysts increasingly view the Memphis project as a case study that could shape future permitting standards for AI infrastructure nationwide. The outcome may influence how federal and state agencies regulate power generation supporting data centers, particularly as the United States seeks to remain globally competitive against rapidly expanding AI investments in China and elsewhere. 

Despite the controversy, xAI continues expanding its computing capabilities as competition intensifies among leading AI developers. The company’s Colossus campuses remain central to Elon Musk’s strategy to compete with other major AI developers while supplying increasingly powerful computing resources for commercial and government applications. 

Whether the courts ultimately uphold the current regulatory approach or require additional permitting, the Memphis controversy is already influencing conversations among policymakers, utilities, technology companies, and local governments nationwide. As billions of dollars continue flowing into AI infrastructure, the balance between rapid technological deployment, reliable energy supplies, and environmental compliance is expected to remain one of the defining policy questions of the AI era.

JBizNews Desk | Memphis

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

Some of the US fighter aircraft being deployed to the Middle East amid the escalating confrontation between the US and Iran are expected to land at bases in Israel, Kan News reported on Sunday morning.

A US official told Kan News that the deployment includes additional F-35 and F-16 squadrons, with the buildup expected to be completed in the coming days once logistical preparations are finalized. The move is part of a broader U.S. military buildup in preparation for a further escalation with Iran.

The fighter deployment comes as dozens of U.S. aerial refueling aircraft arrived in Israel over the weekend to strengthen American offensive and defensive capabilities in the region.

Despite the significant military buildup, aviation officials say operations at Ben Gurion Airport are not expected to be disrupted.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Transportation Minister Miri Regev directed that the U.S. refueling aircraft not be based at Ben Gurion Airport. Instead, they will be stationed at Israeli Air Force bases and Ramon Airport, preserving valuable parking stands for civilian airlines and helping prevent delays or flight cancellations during the peak summer travel season.

Meanwhile, approximately 15 U.S. aircraft are expected to depart Ben Gurion Airport over the coming week, leaving about 20 American aircraft at the airport. The move is being carried out in accordance with a cabinet decision intended to ensure that Ben Gurion continues operating normally despite the heightened security situation.

Industry officials emphasized that while U.S. aircraft will still be permitted to land at Ben Gurion Airport for refueling and other limited operational purposes, they will not be allowed to occupy parking positions needed for civilian airline operations. The policy is designed to balance Israel’s security requirements with the need to maintain uninterrupted passenger traffic and regular flight schedules.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

A security drama took place on Sunday in Jordan near Israel’s southern border when Jordanian authorities ordered the immediate evacuation of Aqaba’s international airport and seaport following a “specific and credible threat.”

The U.S. Embassy in Jordan issued an unusual and urgent warning to its citizens, calling on them to completely avoid the Aqaba area and military bases in the country, against the backdrop of serious concern about a widespread regional escalation

“We strongly recommend that all Americans avoid traveling to the airport or the seaport,” the embassy stated. “Continue to follow all security instructions issued by the Jordanian authorities.”

The embassy did not provide further details about the nature of the threat.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

As expected, Israel’s High Court issued a conditional order and a temporary injunction on Sunday morning concerning parts of the Communications Law passed by the Knesset last week.

The decision, issued by Justice Ofer Grosskopf, specifically addresses provisions of the law that were scheduled to take immediate effect and suspends their implementation from the date of publication until a formal decision is made on the requests for an interim injunction.

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi responded:

“A. I am not afraid of the High Court. They will judge only according to the laws that we enact.

“B. The High Court has no authority to suspend or strike down laws. An order issued without authority has no legal validity.

“C. The Communications Law approved by the Knesset last week remains fully in force.

“D. I protest on behalf of the honor of the people and the honor of the Knesset of Israel. As long as there is an outrageous temporary order arbitrarily nullifying a Knesset law with the stroke of a pen, and as long as such an unlawful decision is made before a hearing has even taken place, I have no intention of participating in the proceedings. I do not intend to step onto the field with my hands tied while the judge is wearing the uniform of the opposing team.

“E. The lawbreakers on the High Court are violating the oath of allegiance they swore to the State of Israel and its laws. The Speaker of the Knesset should make this clear to them through a special Knesset resolution.

“F. On September 7, candidates will be able to register for the Knesset elections. If there are those who believe that public decisions and the laws of the State of Israel should be determined by the court, they are welcome to run alongside the failed opposition members who do not know how to lose with dignity and who trample democracy.

“G. During the next government’s term, b’ezrat Hashem, we will appoint an Attorney General, a State Attorney, and two-thirds of the High Court justices (10, not 7 as calculated by the High Court). We will repeal, with the stroke of a pen, all of the absurd ‘precedents’ under which whatever Yitzhak Amit says becomes the law.

“H. The people are sovereign. The eternal nation is not afraid of you.”

Finance Minister and Religious Zionism chairman Betzalel Smotrich also sharply criticized the decision, “The fact that a judge, sitting alone and hearing only one side, automatically issues an order freezing Knesset legislation for the second time in a week as though it is the default option, is absolute madness that proves the High Court has completely lost all restraint in its war against the Knesset and the government of the national camp. If the right, chalilah, fails to wake up and win the elections, and afterward completes the judicial reform and appoints conservative and decent judges, we will find ourselves facing ever-increasing tyranny of the left and its values.”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir also attacked the court: “The dictators in black robes are once again trampling the will of the people’s elected representatives. But there is good news: these are the death throes of the centers of power. The fate of the dictators who ignore the people is to be driven out of public life. The answer to the High Court’s orders will be the order of the day for the next right-wing government—a clean sweep of the judicial system and the elimination of deep-state rule.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

As grim as the political scene is in Israel today – with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition bulldozing through contentious and damaging legislation on the final days of the Knesset before the October election – the view on the other side of the world in Washington regarding Israel is just as worrisome.

Two events overnight Wednesday emerging from the US Capitol, one a vote and the other an interview, exemplified the rockslide – turning into an avalanche – of anti-Israel sentiment that has taken hold in the hallowed halls of decision-makers.

The degree to which both the Republican and Democratic parties are sharpening their claws against Israel and hyper-focusing on it to the exclusion of critical issues indicates that the long-standing US-Israel bond is in a real crisis.

Nearly half of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, 103, voted for an amendment to cut off aid to Israel. The amendment was defeated 314-104. It was sponsored by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky), whose disagreement with his party on Israel is his signature issue. He recently lost the GOP primary to run for reelection in the November midterms.

Lest we breathe a sigh of relief that Republicans en masse voted against the amendment, US Vice President JD Vance demonstrated that Israel has just as much to worry about from the Right in the US.

Vance claims Israeli ‘influence campaigns’ affect US political decisions

In an interview with highly popular America First podcaster Joe Rogan, who has labeled Israel’s war efforts in Gaza as “genocide,” Vance suggested that shadowy Israeli “influence campaigns” exist in the US.

“I definitely think you have seen this very discreet, extremely well-funded campaign to try to derail the negotiation and try to derail the deal,” he told Rogan.

An article in Time magazine on Tuesday was “worth reading because it lists a bunch of people who have quite literally been paid by a former Trump campaign person, who was himself paid by certain elements within the Israeli government,” Vance said. “And those people are attacking me viciously for quite literally trying to accomplish the negotiation objective that the president set for the country.”

“Many of the people who were receiving that money were actually attacking me in completely dishonest ways,” he said. “You know, my response to that is: ‘Go to hell.’ I’m going to do what I have to do for the American people. I represent Americans first.”

Vance shares claim spread by far Right influencers linking Jeffrey Epstein to Israeli intelligence

Vance, who is seen as a prime contender to be the Republican nominee for president in 2028, also waded into the conspiracy surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted sex offender. Epstein “clearly had connections to the highest levels of Israeli intelligence,” he said, reiterating a claim that has been refuted and discredited.

The embrace by such a senior Trump administration official of conspiracy theories about Epstein’s ties to Israeli intelligence, which have proliferated in the years since his death and often have veered into antisemitism, is part and parcel with Vance’s increasing alignment with the far Right base populated by the likes of Tucker Carlson, Nick Fuentes, and Candace Owens.

Taken separately, the vote in the House of Representatives and the Vance interview are worrisome signs that the “special” relationship between Israel and the US is on life support at best. Taken together, they should be an alarming wake-up call that the days of the “kishkes” identification test with Israel – as exemplified diversely by the late Lindsey Graham and former president Joe Biden – are long gone.

Although it’s easy to place the blame elsewhere – and there are a plethora of strong arguments to be made in retort to both Democratic and Republican detractors of Israel – we must also look inward and see what can be done to reverse the tide of sentiment against us.

We can surely criticize the headline-provoking gambit by US Rep. Ro Khanna (D-California) last week, who chose to only hear and see the Palestinian side of life in the West Bank. But we can also acknowledge that vigilante Jewish groups are patrolling the area in a heavy-handed and lawless fashion that creates potentially lethal friction points and does irreparable damage to Israel’s image.

We can criticize Rahm Emmanuel for haughtily coming to Israel and warning us about what needs to be done to repair the US-Israel relationship, while acknowledging that some of his points were spot-on and unfolding before our very eyes in the House vote and Vance interview.

Jerusalem can no longer ignore or downplay the growing trends in the US of having to endorse the “Israel is genocide” trope to become a candidate, or of blaming Israel for getting the US entangled in Iran. The unsettling news this week demonstrates that with stark clarity.

This post was originally published on here.

Israel’s High Court of Justice on Sunday issued a temporary order freezing the implementation of key provisions of the Broadcasting Law following a petition filed by Democrats faction chair MK Efrat Rayten and former Communications Minister MK Eitan Ginzburg.

The temporary order delays the implementation of the provisions that were set to take effect immediately upon publication of the law. According to the court’s decision, those provisions will remain on hold until it rules on the petitioners’ request for an interim injunction.

The petition challenges the Broadcasting Law recently approved by the Knesset. The petitioners asked the High Court to suspend the provisions that took effect immediately upon the law’s publication, pending further judicial review.

In its decision, the High Court ruled that those provisions will not take effect until it decides whether to issue an interim injunction. At this stage, the temporary order applies only to the sections of the law that were scheduled to come into force immediately upon publication.

The legal battle over the Broadcasting Law is now expected to continue, with the High Court set to determine in the coming proceedings whether the temporary freeze will remain in place while it considers the petition itself.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

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Iran has informed Saudi Arabia and Oman that it is planning a “major” strike against the United Arab Emirates, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

The report does not specify when the attack could take place or what targets may be involved.

The semiofficial Iranian news agency Fars, believed to be close to the Guard, issued a threat Saturday to the UAE. Quoting an anonymous official, Fars said continued strikes on Iranian civilian infrastructure would mean that the “airports of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as the ports of Fujairah and Jebel Ali, must be immediately evacuated.”

Apparently responding to the threat, the Emirates’ Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling “for exercising the utmost restraint in order to avoid dangerous repercussions, and the region being pulled into new levels of violence and instability.”

“The UAE emphasized that the targeting of civilian infrastructure and civilian facilities in the region … constitute a flagrant and grave violation of the established principles and provisions of international law, and cannot, under any circumstances, be accepted or justified,” the statement added.

The new threat has placed the Gulf Arab states on heightened alert after infrastructure facilities and shipping routes in the region have already been attacked.

During the Iran war, officials say both the UAE and Saudi Arabia carried out retaliatory airstrikes on Tehran for targeting their nations.

The secretary-general of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, Jasem Mohamed al-Budaiwi, accused Iran of war crimes for strikes on infrastructure and civilian facilities.

The U.S. Central Command announced overnight that it had completed its eighth consecutive wave of strikes in Iran, targeting air defense systems, naval capabilities, missile and drone storage sites, and coastal surveillance infrastructure.

The U.S. strikes resumed after Iran’s attack in Jordan, in which two American soldiers were killed, and another service member was reported missing. At the same time, Tehran has expanded its missile and drone attacks in recent days against targets across the Gulf states, raising fears that the conflict could spill over into an even broader regional confrontation.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem & AP)

LISTEN:

https://matzav.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Stories4Life-Shiur-598-Effort-Divrei-Yechezkal.mp3

Designed in 1927 by legendary Art Deco architect Ralph Walker and given new life as 21st-century condo residences, One Hundred Barclay remains an icon of New York design. Asking $25,950,000 and $32,950,000, a pair of duplex penthouses offer the opportunity to breathe the rarified air of turnkey penthouse living in dramatic Paris Forino-designed style at the zenith of this Tribeca landmark.

Both penthouses showcase custom features like wide-plank white oak flooring throughout, with herringbone-pattern in the kitchens and principal living areas. These timeless details, along with crown moldings, flush-reveal baseboards, and wood portals, recall the building’s history in addition to its sophisticated present.

Asking $25,950,000, Penthouse South is a 7,062-square-foot five-bedroom duplex. The lower floor is anchored by a sprawling great room surrounded by Hudson River and Statue of Liberty vistas beneath 21-foot-high ceilings.

A private loggia with barrel-vaulted ceilings glows with light from three exposures. Glass French doors and Harlequin-patterned marble floors transform the space into an indoor-outdoor terrace.

A stunning kitchen features solid oak cabinetry fronted by fluted glass and Calacatta Gold marble countertops and backsplash, anchored by a dining island. Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances do the heavy lifting. A full catering kitchen and a service entrance facilitate entertaining on a grand scale.

Upstairs, the home’s primary suite is the size of the average Manhattan apartment at nearly 1,000 square feet. Adjacent are two temperature-controlled dressing rooms and a private night kitchen. A suitably luxurious travertine-clad bath features a steam shower, soaking tub, and radiant heated floors. A full-size laundry room offers a vented LG washer and dryer.

Asking $32,950,000, Penthouse North offers even more living space at 8,306 square feet. The six-bedroom duplex has the same refined craftsmanship, adding a semi-private elevator landing for an even more dramatic entry experience. A grand salon features 21-foot double-height ceilings; floor-to-ceiling arched windows frame Hudson River, Empire State Building, and city skyline views.

A loggia with 11-foot barrel-vaulted ceilings wears handmade ceramic tile and harlequin-patterned marble floors. French doors of glass and iron and a Juliet railing, evoke a European conservatory.

As with the smaller penthouse, a perfectly calibrated kitchen features premium appliances, solid oak cabinetry fronted by fluted glass, Calacatta Gold marble countertops, and a hefty dining island. A catering kitchen facilitates grand-scale entertaining.

A 1,200-square-foot primary suite offers a private night kitchen, two dressing rooms, and two travertine-clad bathrooms. The crown jewel in this private sanctuary is a 6-foot soaking tub set just below a massive half-moon window with city views. A full-size laundry room on each level complements the home’s infrastructure and design for ease of daily living.

Behind-the-scenes infrastructure in both penthouses achieves the same level of perfection. A zoned four-pipe fan coil HVAC system includes air purification and humidification. Enhanced insulation and sound attenuation, comprehensive lighting, and home automation maintain the easily-controlled living environment befitting an eight-figure home.

The building offers 40,000 square feet of world-class amenities. Coveted perks include a 24-hour doorman and concierge, an 82-foot lap pool, a wading pool, a fitness center by The Wright Fit, spa treatment rooms, a club lounge, a wine tasting room, music rooms, screening and game rooms, and four landscaped terraces.

[Listing details: 100 Barclay Street #PH North & 100 Barclay Street #PH South at CityRealty]

[100 Barclay Street #PHNorth, 100 Barclay Street #PHSouth at The Corcoran Group by Richard Hottinger and Tara King-Brown]

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• 100 Barclay: Restoring and reinventing a historic Tribeca landmark
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• Ultra-contemporary Tribeca triplex has a garden oasis and a two-car garage for $20M

The post Asking $26M and $33M, a pair of Tribeca penthouses top a Ralph Walker Art Deco palace first appeared on 6sqft.

American and Iraqi officials announced more than $60 billion in commercial agreements covering energy, infrastructure, healthcare, technology and investment projects, highlighting expanding economic ties between the two countries.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced Friday that American and Iraqi companies, together with the two governments, signed more than 50 agreements and memoranda of understanding totaling over $60 billion during the U.S.–Iraq Business Summit, marking one of the largest commercial initiatives between the two nations in recent years.

The agreements span energy, healthcare, communications, financial services, technology, infrastructure and industrial development, reflecting Iraq’s effort to diversify its economy while expanding opportunities for American companies seeking to invest in one of the Middle East’s largest emerging markets.

The summit brought together senior officials from both governments along with executives representing a broad cross-section of American industry. Organizers described the gathering as a turning point in the bilateral relationship, shifting the focus from decades of security cooperation toward long-term economic growth driven by private-sector investment.

Energy remained a central component of the discussions, with several companies announcing new commercial partnerships intended to expand oil and natural gas production, improve electricity generation and modernize critical infrastructure. At the same time, numerous agreements extended beyond the energy sector, underscoring Iraq’s broader economic ambitions.

Healthcare companies explored expanding access to medical technology and hospital services, while communications and technology firms announced initiatives aimed at strengthening Iraq’s digital infrastructure. Financial institutions also outlined plans to increase banking cooperation and support future commercial investment throughout the country.

Executives participating in the summit said Iraq offers significant long-term opportunities because of its large population, abundant natural resources and growing demand for modern infrastructure. Government officials emphasized that attracting foreign investment remains a national priority as Iraq works to create private-sector jobs, strengthen public services and reduce dependence on government spending supported by oil revenues.

The summit also demonstrated increasing interest from major American corporations in expanding their presence in Iraq after years in which security concerns often limited commercial activity. Business leaders said stronger economic ties could create new opportunities for trade, investment and technology transfer while supporting long-term economic stability.

Although the announced value exceeded $60 billion, officials noted that many of the agreements are memoranda of understanding or framework agreements that will require additional negotiations, financing, regulatory approvals and final contracts before projects move into construction or operation. The total therefore reflects the potential value of the announced commercial commitments rather than funds that have already been invested.

For the United States, the summit reinforces a strategy of strengthening relationships through commerce and private investment. For Iraq, the agreements represent an opportunity to accelerate economic development, attract international capital and broaden cooperation with one of its largest trading and investment partners.

If successfully implemented, the agreements could support thousands of jobs, expand infrastructure development and deepen commercial ties between the United States and Iraq for years to come.

JBizNews Desk | Washington

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SEOUL — South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance on July 19, 2026, released new implementation details expanding its foreign-exchange market liberalization program, outlining additional measures that will make it easier for foreign financial institutions to trade the Korean won as Seoul continues its effort to transform the currency into one that is more widely used in global markets. The announcement builds on the country’s recent launch of extended weekday won trading and marks the next phase of reforms aimed at attracting international capital.

The government said the latest measures are designed to reduce operational barriers that have historically discouraged foreign participation in Korea’s currency market. Officials believe broader access to the won will strengthen the country’s financial markets, improve liquidity and support long-term economic growth while maintaining safeguards against excessive market volatility.

Among the reforms, qualified foreign financial institutions will continue gaining expanded access to Korea’s interbank foreign-exchange market without the traditional requirement of maintaining a full domestic banking presence. Authorities are also simplifying reporting procedures, reducing administrative requirements and developing new settlement mechanisms intended to make cross-border transactions faster and more efficient.

A significant component of the strategy is the continued development of offshore settlement infrastructure that will allow approved institutions to hold and use won balances more efficiently outside South Korea. The government believes these changes will reduce transaction costs for global investors while making it easier for multinational companies to hedge currency exposure and manage business operations involving Korean assets.

The reforms represent one of the most significant changes to Korea’s foreign-exchange framework since the country tightened capital controls following the 1997 Asian financial crisis. While authorities remain committed to protecting financial stability, policymakers now view greater international participation as essential to maintaining Korea’s competitiveness among the world’s leading financial markets.

For global investors, easier access to the won could simplify investment in Korean equities and bonds by reducing currency-conversion costs and improving liquidity during international trading hours. The reforms also support the government’s broader initiative to modernize capital markets, encourage foreign investment and strengthen corporate competitiveness.

Currency accessibility has become an increasingly important factor in South Korea’s long-term objective of achieving broader recognition among global index providers. International investors have frequently cited foreign-exchange restrictions and settlement limitations as obstacles to increasing exposure to Korean financial markets. Officials hope that continued liberalization will help address those concerns over time.

Businesses operating in South Korea could also benefit from the reforms. Companies engaged in international trade may experience more efficient settlement of commercial transactions, while financial institutions should gain greater flexibility in managing currency risk. Together with ongoing efforts to improve corporate governance and capital-market transparency, the government believes the changes will enhance Korea’s position as a regional financial hub.

Authorities emphasized that implementation will continue in phases while market conditions are closely monitored by financial regulators and the Bank of Korea. Additional adjustments could be introduced as trading volumes expand and foreign participation increases.

Although the reforms will not immediately create a completely unrestricted offshore won market, they represent another major step toward integrating South Korea’s financial system more closely with global markets. Investors will now be watching whether increased participation by international banks and institutional investors produces deeper liquidity and strengthens the won’s role in international finance.

JBizNews Desk | Seoul

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