Amid mounting tensions and growing fears of a broader military confrontation with Iran, the United States has begun a large-scale deployment of dozens of fighter jets and aerial refueling aircraft throughout the Middle East, including Israel, Kan News reported.

Several refueling aircraft have already landed at Ovda Airbase in southern Israel after arriving from the Qatar area. Additional aircraft are expected to arrive at other military installations in southern Israel in the coming days.

A squadron of advanced F-16 fighter jets has also landed at a base in Jordan, with additional fighter aircraft expected to arrive at various bases across the region.

The US has also issued a travel advisory for northern Israel and the Middle East in general.

The US Embassy in Jerusalem issued a statement saying, “Due to high tensions in the Middle East, the security environment remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation. We remind Americans in the region of the continued need for caution and encourage them to monitor the news for breaking developments.”

“Americans traveling in or through the region should also check with their air carriers to make sure their flights are still scheduled. Americans should consider these factors when planning travel to Israel and the West Bank, and should not travel to Gaza, Northern Israel, and the Egyptian border except for the Taba crossing, and reconsider travel to/through the Middle East.”

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

The U.S. military on Saturday announced the first U.S. troop deaths due to direct Iranian fire since the opening days of the war, saying two were killed and another was missing in an attack on a base in Jordan.

They were killed Friday as the U.S. and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks, a statement said. Four other service members who were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals were later discharged. The dead were not identified.

Since the war began, 16 U.S. service members have now been killed and over 430 wounded.

Minutes earlier, Iran’s supreme leader had warned of “unforgettable lessons” if the United States keeps attacking the Islamic Republic.

The remarks read out on state TV and attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei, still unseen since the war began, also called President Donald Trump’s signature “worthless and invalid.” The comments came hours after a negotiator said Tehran was suspending its commitments to the interim deal signed about a month ago.

Tehran’s declarations snapped another fragile thread as the war shows no end in sight. The deal was aimed at permanently ending the fighting. Now Khamenei warns of “lessons” not only from Iran but its armed proxies in the region, calling them the “Axis of Resistance.”

The United States and Iran have been exchanging strikes aimed at infrastructure and military targets. Their battle over the Strait of Hormuz has intensified in a conflict increasingly focused on control of the essential waterway that previously carried a fifth of the world’s crude oil. The strikes threaten civilians and services to them, including desalination plants for drinking water, while the global economy again is on alert.

The U.S. Central Command said early Saturday that its seventh straight night of strikes hit “surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage, and maritime capabilities.”

The U.S. has violated its commitments under the deal that was signed about a month ago and now Iran is “no longer implementing them,” Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, told state TV.

There was no new word on mediation efforts.

The most significant damage from Iranian strikes on Saturday occurred in Kuwait, where a water desalination plant and an oil facility were hit, according to the Kuwait authorities and the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation. Both declined to provide locations.

The strikes injured several people at the oil facility and caused a fire at the desalination plant, forcing several power generation units offline. It was the second attack against a desalination plant in two days in the tiny desert nation that depends on desalination for 90% of its drinking water.

Several firefighters and a worker were injured while battling two other blazes sparked by Iranian strikes, according to the Kuwait Fire Force. Kuwait briefly closed its airspace due to missile threats, and Kuwait Airways said it was rescheduling most flights to and from the capital.

Meanwhile, Iraq said it shot down attack drones over the city of Irbil. Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency said the kingdom’s air defense systems had downed Iranian missiles, while air sirens sounded multiple times in Bahrain throughout the day and in Saudi Arabia in the morning, according to their governments.

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.

U.S. airstrikes hit an electricity and desalination plant in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, Iranian state TV reported. IRNA said the Bonji desalination plant was destroyed, cutting off water supplies to about 10,000 people, and that a desalination plant on strategic Qeshm Island inside the strait was damaged.

Overnight strikes damaged two tunnels and a bridge, disrupting one of the main highways toward Bandar Abbas, Iran’s main port that sits near the narrowest part of the strait, according to Iran’s state-run news agency. IRNA said three bridges were hit Saturday, including one on a route to Bandar Abbas.

Iran acknowledged “attacks on power infrastructure” during the U.S. airstrikes for the first time Friday when its Energy Ministry issued a call for people to use less power in southern provinces “experiencing extreme heat.” It did not specify what was hit.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stepped up its warning that countries hosting U.S. forces should be “prepared to receive a corresponding response,” according to Iran’s state TV.

Iranian authorities said at least 50 people have been killed and more than 500 wounded in U.S. strikes in the past three weeks, including eight killed in a strike on a bridge Friday.

U.S. officials acknowledged 13 additional U.S. service members — 10 Army soldiers and three Navy sailors — had been injured since Monday, but offered no details.

Iran effectively closed the strait to shipping traffic after the war started with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28. That sent the price of oil soaring and has given Tehran significant leverage in negotiations.

Iran has said the strait must be under its sole control and that vessels should pay fees to Tehran, even though the world for decades has considered it an international waterway. It fired on ships on recent days. Crossings through the strait fell to a three-week low, according to an international shipping tracker.

Trump has resumed threats to target power stations and bridges to try to compel Iran to loosen its hold. The U.S. in the past week reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports to halt its shipments of crude oil.

A growing amount of the region’s energy is being shipped through pipelines, but not nearly enough to offset the decline in shipping.

Before the war began, the U.S. had been in talks with Iran over its nuclear program. Trump now faces political pressure to end the war and avoid the kind of prolonged Middle East conflict he had campaigned against.

(AP)

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

You can now view Status updates, similar to WhatsApp Status, right inside Jooish News.

Tap the new Status tab in the bottom menu to discover and view any Status. It sits in the middle of the bar, between Groups and Discover.

Or jump straight there: open Status.

Found a Status you like? Join it, and it'll show up in your list for quick access.

You'll also see Status updates from groups you've joined. Look for the green ring around their avatar and tap it to open their updates.

New Status groups are added daily, so check back often. Want a specific Status added? Reach out and we'll make it happen.

Don't see the Status tab? Make sure you're on the latest version of Jooish. Here's how to update.

Mahjong, a centuries-old tile game with deep roots in Chinese culture, is finding a new audience as younger Americans swap nights out and endless scrolling for face-to-face competition. Across the country, clubs, social groups and tournaments are drawing newcomers who see the game as more than just a hobby. It has become a way to build friendships and disconnect from screens.

FOX Business’ Lydia Hu joined FOX Business’ Cheryl Casone on “Mornings with Maria” to explore why the game’s popularity is surging, speaking with players at a mahjong tournament about what is driving the growing interest among Gen Z.

While colorful modern mahjong sets have helped attract attention on social media, many players said the game’s biggest appeal is the community that forms around the table. One player described the atmosphere by saying, “One of the things I love about this community is we are celebratorily competitive… When someone wins a big hand, everyone will kind of cheer.”

Others said the combination of strategy, luck and genuine human interaction keeps them coming back.

“People are really looking for in-person connections and just activities that also don’t involve drinking or eating or being on your phone,” another player said.

The game’s welcoming nature is also helping fuel its rapid growth. New players are joining experienced competitors, with one tournament participant saying, “I just won my first hand after learning the rules yesterday, so I’m feeling pretty good.”

Hu also shared the story behind her father’s vintage mahjong set, which he brought with him when he immigrated from Taiwan decades ago. The family heirloom became a conversation starter at the tournament, highlighting how a traditional game continues to connect generations while creating new friendships.

The World Cup is helping to boost consumer spending around the U.S. in June, with host cities seeing notable gains, according to new data from Bank of America.

The Bank of America Institute found that consumer spending using credit and debit cards rose 6.3% from a year ago in June – which was the strongest growth in over four years – based on internal card data from the bank. That growth was largely driven by discretionary spending amid the decline in gas prices, as total card spending was up 5.6% when excluding gasoline.

The firm’s analysis noted that the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on June 11 helped lift consumer spending for the month compared to the preceding period.

“The World Cup scored big for consumer spending in June,” Joe Wadford, an economist at the Bank of America Institute, told FOX Business. “Bank of America card spending showed healthy improvement toward the end of the month, due in part to a lift from the World Cup.”

In looking at card spending since the tournament began, the Bank of America Institute data shows higher consumer spending, particularly at restaurants and bars, which may be attributed to the World Cup. Some of the gains are likely due to online promotions near the end of June, but occurred in July last year, and thus boosted the year-over-year comparison, the firm noted.

The analysis compared brick-and-mortar spending in World Cup host cities based on zip codes with spending in other parts of the U.S., finding that some of the surge has been concentrated in communities where games are being played. Restaurants saw consumer spending rise by two percentage points in host cities, while it was flat in all other cities in that period.

“World Cup host cities saw a significant increase in brick and mortar spending, especially compared to the rest of the U.S.,” Wadford said.

Retail data that excluded restaurants also showed a gain for stores in host cities after the World Cup began, whereas non-restaurant retailers everywhere else saw slower spending growth once the tournament began.

“From packed stadiums to busy restaurants, the World Cup created a tailwind for the economy. But two of the main beneficiaries of the World Cup were local retailers and restaurants,” Wadford said.

“To me, this is a particularly positive story, as it suggests that a major portion of World Cup-generated spending stayed in the community.”

The Bank of America Institute analysis also looked at the same internal card data by income level, finding that lower-income households in particular increased spending at local brick-and-mortar businesses in host cities, while higher-income households eased their spending slightly.

Additionally, all income groups boosted their spending at brick-and-mortar restaurants when comparing the pre-World Cup period to the timeframe after it began.

“Positively, lower-income households provided the biggest boost to World Cup spending. Some of this is due to the fact that younger households skew lower income, and they were likely the main ones going out to celebrate this generational event,” Wadford explained.

“But some of the boost is due to this broader story of an improving economy for lower-income households. For example, we’re seeing a stronger labor market and higher wage growth, which in turn is helping to boost spending for lower-income families,” he added.

A popular garlic powder sold at Dollarama stores across Canada is being recalled due to potential microbial contamination, health officials announced this week.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) issued the recall Wednesday for Heavenly Spices garlic powder sold at Dollarama stores nationwide.

The product is being recalled because it may be contaminated with Bacillus cereus, a bacterium that can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and watery diarrhea, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“Do not use, sell, serve or distribute the affected product,” the CFIA said in its recall notice.

The agency classified the recall as a Class 2 event, meaning there is a moderate risk that consuming the product could cause short-term or non-life-threatening health effects.

A Dollarama spokesperson told CTVNews.ca on Friday that customers who purchased the product should throw it away.

“Customers can also contact Dollarama Customer Service directly for a $2.00 e-gift card as a replacement,” the spokesperson said.

The recalled garlic powder was sold in 70-gram containers in stores and online.

According to the FDA, symptoms of Bacillus cereus infection typically last between 24 and 48 hours. The bacterium is commonly found in meat, stews, gravies, vanilla sauce, and cooked rice that has been improperly refrigerated or left at room temperature.

The garlic powder is the latest food product to be pulled from store shelves.

Earlier this week, the FDA announced that General Mills was recalling more than 735,000 packages of Pillsbury bread products over concerns they may contain glass.

Bloomberg News also reported that fresh produce supplier Taylor Farms is preparing a recall tied to ingredients linked to a multistate Cyclospora outbreak, though the company has said its branded salad products are not associated with the illnesses.

Visitors who entered the bais medrash of Yeshivas Mir in Yerushalayim this week witnessed a remarkable sight. Although the seat of the legendary maggid shiur, Rav Asher Arieli, stood empty as he sat shivah in Bnei Brak following the passing of his sister, Mrs. Miriam Stern a”h, wife of Rav Dovid Asher Stern, hundreds of talmidim continued learning with the same intensity and diligence as if their revered rebbi were present.

Before leaving for Bnei Brak, Rav Arieli suspended his daily shiurim because of the aveilus, but not before leaving detailed instructions to ensure that the uninterrupted rhythm of Torah learning in the Mir would continue.

Following Rav Arieli’s explicit directives, and in full coordination with Rosh Yeshiva Rav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, the talmidim continued learning from the exact point they had reached in Maseches Pesachim. Rav Arieli has remained closely involved throughout the week, receiving daily updates and guiding the precise pace of the learning schedule.

In addition, at the conclusion of each seder—the very time when Rav Arieli’s voice would ordinarily fill the bais medrash—hundreds of bochurim gathered throughout the hall to hear special chaburos. These presentations were delivered by the roshei chaburah and the sho’alim u’meishivim of the yeshiva, who developed the sugyos according to the distinctive methodology and profound foundations that Rav Arieli has instilled in his talmidim over many years.

True to his well-known practice of hatzneia leches and his determination to prevent any unnecessary bittul Torah, Rav Arieli specifically instructed his talmidim not to travel to Bnei Brak during the week to be menachem avel, sparing them from interrupting their learning in the middle of the zeman.

Instead, an unusual arrangement was made to allow the many talmidim to fulfill the mitzvah of nichum aveilim without disrupting the yeshiva’s schedule. On Friday, Rav Arieli was scheduled to travel to Yerushalayim for several hours to receive the talmidim, after which he would return to Bnei Brak in time for Shabbos.

Rav Arieli is expected to resume delivering his regular shiurim on Sunday, immediately after concluding the shivah, picking up from the exact place the talmidim have reached in their learning.

The report also indicates that, in order to make up for the missed material from the past week, Rav Arieli is expected to add extra shiurim during the upcoming Bein Hazemanim. Since he already customarily delivers shiurim for one week during Bein Hazemanim each year, this year’s schedule will likely be extended so that the talmidim can complete the planned material without falling behind.

Iran has reportedly launched a ballistic missile toward a U.S. base in Saudi Arabia for the first time early Saturday morning, marking a very significant escalation in the ongoing conflict. Saudi Arabia is expected to respond.

Iran also attacked Bahrain and Kuwait.

A group of House Republicans is urging the Department of Justice to investigate New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration for possible violations of the Logan Act after reports surfaced that a senior city official arranged a meeting with Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations without federal authorization, Breitbart reports.

Rep. Addison McDowell (R-N.C.) led the effort, sending a letter Thursday morning to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche after reports revealed that a top Mamdani administration official had attempted to organize a meeting with a senior representative of the Iranian government while the United States remains engaged in hostilities with Iran.

Joining McDowell in signing the letter were Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Earl Carter (R-Ga.), Pat Fallon (R-Texas), Randy Fine (R-Fla.), Clay Fuller (R-Ga.), Pat Harrigan (R-N.C.), Wesley Hunt (R-Texas), Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), Richard McCormick (R-Ga.), Max Miller (R-Ohio), Riley Moore (R-W.Va.), Pete Sessions (R-Texas), and Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.).

“We write with concern about the recent actions of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Administration,” McDowell wrote. “Last week, media outlets began to report Commissioner Ana María Archila, the head of the New York City Mayor’s Office for International Affairs, had scheduled a July 7 meeting with the Islamic Republic of Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani.”

According to screenshots of a calendar invitation obtained by City Journal, Archila and two other senior members of the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs planned to meet with Iravani on July 7 at 11:00 a.m. The publication reported that sources familiar with both New York City’s international affairs office and the diplomatic community confirmed the meeting had been scheduled.

A State Department official also confirmed that Archila arranged the meeting, which was ultimately canceled after federal officials learned of it and confronted the Mamdani administration. The intended purpose of the meeting has not been publicly disclosed.

According to reports, State Department officials were forced to “clarify acceptable conduct” with members of the mayor’s administration. City Journal further reported that Archila allegedly failed to notify Mayor Mamdani about the planned meeting and was subsequently reprimanded by the mayor’s office.

“As you know, negotiations with Iran are in a critical stage,” the lawmakers wrote. “Given its timing, we believe this proposed meeting may have presented significant national security risks.”

The letter asks the Justice Department to determine whether officials in the mayor’s office violated the Logan Act, a federal law that prohibits unauthorized negotiations between private American citizens and foreign governments involved in disputes with the United States.

“Mayor Mamdani’s and Commissioner Archila’s actions create a clear conflict of interest with the United States’ strategic military actions in Iran and across the Middle East, warranting further examination by the Department,” the letter argued, before the lawmakers stated their support for President Donald Trump’s “effort to shore up American economic and national security interests in the Middle East.”

The lawmakers further wrote, “… [W]e understand the vulnerable nature of continued peace negotiations,” adding, “For that reason, we believe that a formal investigation is necessary to determine whether Commissioner Archila, acting on behalf of Mayor Mamdani, engaged in any unlawful activity or communication with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Responding to the reports, a spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs told City Journal, “This meeting did not and will not take place.”

Mayor Mamdani also addressed the matter during an unrelated press conference, saying the proposed meeting resulted from a “request that came in” to the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs, “not one that originated from the office.”

He added that his administration is developing revised procedures for handling requests for meetings with foreign officials, according to The New York Times.

In a statement issued Friday, the State Department described it as “unconscionable” that a New York City official would consider meeting with Iran’s ambassador under the current circumstances and expressed appreciation that the meeting was ultimately canceled.

In an exclusive statement to Breitbart News, McDowell said, “undermining national security has serious risks, and the Mayor of New York should know better than to meddle in our foreign affairs during the height of negotiations between the White House and Iran.”

“The Department of Justice needs to look into Mamdani’s office and ensure they are not acting as rogue agents to the detriment of America’s national security,” the congressman continued. “Mamdani does not speak for America. President Trump earned the public’s trust to ensure the safety and security of the United States.”

Archila is a longtime progressive activist who previously drew national attention after confronting then-Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) in an elevator over his support for Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez later invited Archila to attend President Trump’s 2019 State of the Union address as her guest following that confrontation.

Before joining the Mamdani administration in February, Archila had little background in international diplomacy. She previously served as co-executive director of the Soros-funded Center for Popular Democracy, was co-director of the Working Families Party, and helped found and lead progressive advocacy groups including Make the Road New York.

{Matzav.com}

Fresh produce supplier Taylor Farms is preparing a recall tied to ingredients linked to a multistate Cyclospora outbreak, according to a Bloomberg News report, as the company says its branded salad products are not associated with the illnesses.

Bloomberg, citing a document viewed by the outlet, reported Friday that the California-based produce company told federal regulators it is preparing a recall connected to the Food and Drug Administration’s investigation into the parasite outbreak. The scope of any potential recall was not immediately clear, and it remains unclear which products could be affected.

Taylor Farms responded Friday in a statement posted to Instagram, saying none of its branded salad kits are associated with the outbreak and that it is voluntarily removing iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico through its Taylor Farms de Mexico operation after receiving information from the FDA.

“As a family owned and operated company, we are deeply concerned for those who became ill, their families, and the many Americans whose trust in the safety of their fresh produce has been shaken,” the company said.

The company added: “No Taylor Farms branded salads or kits are associated with this outbreak. No Taylor Farms branded salad kits contain iceberg lettuce.”

Taylor Farms said the FDA’s trace back investigation identified what it described as “a specific independent farm” representing less than 1% of the U.S. iceberg lettuce supply as the potential source of the outbreak. The company said it has removed all iceberg lettuce from that growing region indefinitely.

The development comes days after Taco Bell removed some lettuce from restaurants in parts of the Midwest after federal health officials linked illnesses to shredded lettuce served at the fast-food chain and pointed investigators to a single supplier.

Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that can cause severe diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps, fatigue and other gastrointestinal symptoms.

The FDA has not publicly identified a definitive source of the outbreak, and its investigation remains ongoing.

Taylor Farms did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for additional comment. The FDA also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Costco shoppers have a new reason to linger after loading their carts with bulk paper towels and oversized snack packs: The retailer has added chicken strips to its famously affordable food court menu.

The new offering includes five large, breaded chicken breast strips and a container of dipping sauce for $6.99. The combo clocks in at 1,640 calories.

After appearing in select test markets earlier this year, the strips are now being reported at Costco warehouses across the country.

The chicken strips join a food court lineup best known for its $1.50 hot dog and soda combo, oversized pizza slices and selection of sandwiches and desserts. 

At nearly $7, the strips are more expensive than Costco’s signature hot dog deal. The orange-colored dipping sauce has drawn nearly as much attention as the chicken itself. 

Reviewers have compared its appearance to sauces served at popular chicken chains, though its flavor has been described as closer to a tangy or zesty honey mustard.

“Costco just dropped new chicken strips!!! Someone check on @chickfila; if there was a @costco drive-through, it would be over,” Costco food blogger Lucas Gomes, @therealkirklandking, shared in an Instagram reel. “This sauce does not taste like Chick-fil-A sauce. I don’t know what this mystery sauce is, but it’s good.”

As with many changes to Costco’s closely watched food court, the reaction has been mixed. Some shoppers have praised the size of the strips and called the meal a strong value. Others have criticized the chicken as salty, dry or too heavily breaded.

Costco has made several notable menu changes in recent years, including replacing its churro with a large chocolate chip cookie and introducing new sandwich options.

FOX Business reached out to Costco for comment.

A 22-year-old Yerushalayim resident has been indicted for allegedly setting fire to equipment at the Yerushalayim light rail construction site on Rechov Bar-Ilan, causing an estimated 700,000 shekels (approximately $200,000) in damage. According to reports, investigators identified the suspect in part because of the distinctive suspenders he was wearing.

Prosecutors allege that the incident occurred late at night about a month ago, when the suspect allegedly set fire to large pipes stored at the construction site. The blaze caused extensive damage to the project, with losses estimated at roughly 700,000 shekels.

According to i24NEWS reporter Shlomi Heller, investigators were able to identify the suspect based on several unique articles of clothing, including the suspenders he was wearing. Police also reportedly relied on the testimony of a passerby who said the suspect had asked him for a lighter just minutes before the fire was ignited.

In a separate but related development, Yerushalayim police and firefighters were called Tuesday to the Banks Junction area of the city after reports of explosions and a fire near another light rail construction site.

Emergency crews discovered that electrical cables at the construction site had been set ablaze, causing a widespread power outage that affected nearby homes and businesses.

Firefighters succeeded in extinguishing the blaze, while police launched an investigation and began searching for those responsible.

{Matzav.com}

Kim Strassell writing today in the Wall Street Journal argues that Vice President Vance has gone AWOL. 

The leader of the Senate could bring Congress together, but he’s hawking a book. 

My pal Ben Domenech, writing in the Daily Wire, suggests that Mr. Vance is in desperate need of a “nineties summer”.

Right now, Mr. Domenech explains, Mr. Vance is too online. The vice president pays too much attention to social media that he appears to be blaming Israel for a peace deal with Iran that was poorly put together from the very beginning, and of course ripped to pieces by Iran. 

The nineties summer? Chill out with minimal screen time, maximum outdoor time, and major family time. 

The New York Post editorial board is even more direct: Mr. Vance is wrong to blame Israel for his Iran peace deal’s failure thus far. 

And the Post warns that Mr. Vance is flirting with rank antisemitism.  

Just as baffling was Mr. Vance’s podcast with The Daily Wire where he attacked the free-market, free-enterprise, school-choice icon, Milton Friedman, then attacked the equally capitalist free enterprise iconic British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher. And then later in the interview attacked the concept of meritocracy. Huh?

President Trump has done all he can to get rid of woke DEI affirmative action on steroids produced by President Obama and then President Biden, in order to restore the great American principle of merit-based achievement. And Mr. Vance is attacking that?

Or we have all these howling far-left socialists — Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Senator Bernie Sanders, virtually the whole Democratic Party — screaming for big-government socialism or communism in order to nationalize the economy and continue their antisemitic, hate-based policies railing against Israel and Jewish people in general. And Mr. Vance is somehow cross-ruffing to that?

I’m sure he means well and I don’t want this to sound personal because I’ve always gotten along with him. Frankly, though, I don’t understand what he’s doing and I truly believe he needs to step back a moment for a great reset of his policy priorities and his own actions.

Leading Gedolei Yisroel gathered Thursday in Bnei Brak for an unprecedented emergency conference with dozens of Talmud Torah administrators from across Eretz Yisroel, issuing a powerful call to strengthen chinuch and warning melamdim not to leave traditional Torah institutions for the higher salaries being offered by state-funded Chareidi schools.

The gathering, held at Yeshivas Slabodka, was led by Rav Dov Landau, Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rav Don Segal, Rav Shraga Shteinman, Rav Chaim Feinstein, Rav Binyamin Finkel, and Rav Shimon Galei, together with prominent rabbanim from communities throughout the country. The conference focused on the growing shortage of qualified melamdim and ways to reinforce the sacred mission of Torah education.

At the center of the event were passionate addresses highlighting the irreplaceable role of mechanchim in shaping the next generation. The Gedolim spoke about what they described as increasing financial incentives drawing melamdim to transfer to state-funded Chareidi schools (Mamlachti Chareidi, or MMa”Ch) and other educational frameworks that, they said, do not have the approval of the Torah leadership.

The Gedolim stressed that no amount of money can compare to the privilege and responsibility of educating Jewish children, urging melamdim not to abandon such a vital mission for financial gain.

Participants received a special document prepared by the conference organizers outlining the key messages and resolutions adopted at the gathering.

The statement emphasized the foundational teaching of Chazal that the world exists because of the Torah learning of young children and described melamdim as those who illuminate the Jewish future. Quoting the principle, “If there are no young goats, there will be no mature goats,” the document stressed that the next generation depends upon educators who possess outstanding character, profound yiras Shamayim, and whose fear of Heaven precedes their scholarship.

Beyond teaching Torah Shebichsav and Torah Shebaal Peh, the statement said, melamdim must serve as living examples for their talmidim, instilling a love of Torah, yiras Shamayim, exemplary middos, and genuine warmth and affection toward every child.

The Gedolim also appealed to community rabbanim to encourage talented individuals to embrace the calling of becoming melamdim from the outset, emphasizing that anyone capable of succeeding in this sacred work should be regarded as a distinguished teacher of Torah whose contribution is beyond measure.

A separate appeal was directed to parents and the broader public, urging them to recognize and appreciate the dedication and sacrifice of the melamdim who devote themselves to educating the future of Klal Yisroel.

Addressing the attraction of state-funded Chareidi schools directly, the Gedolim warned educators not to be enticed by higher salaries or material benefits. Although the financial compensation may appear greater, they said, those who leave Torah institutions approved by Daas Torah ultimately forfeit a far greater reward. They cited the explicit guidance of Maran Rav Gershon Edelstein zt”l on the matter and expressed confidence that those who resist financial temptation and continue teaching in institutions guided solely by Daas Torah will ultimately be blessed by the Ribbono Shel Olam with both abundant livelihood and lasting satisfaction.

Recognizing the financial challenges facing melamdim, the conference also called on school administrators and parents to make every effort to improve teachers’ salaries. A special appeal was issued to philanthropists and supporters of Torah to increase their assistance to Talmudei Torah, enabling them to provide better compensation. The statement further suggested that families with greater financial means consider paying higher tuition, noting that Chazal teach that the expense of Torah education is ultimately repaid by Hashem.

Before the conference concluded, school administrators raised another pressing concern with the Gedolim: the severe shortage of qualified female teachers and preschool educators in the Bais Yaakov school system. They warned that the crisis has become just as acute as the shortage of melamdim and requires an urgent, comprehensive solution.

{Matzav.com}

American forces intensified their military campaign against Iran on Friday by striking key transportation infrastructure around the strategic port of Bandar Abbas, marking the seventh straight day of U.S. air operations aimed at weakening Tehran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz. The attacks come as President Donald Trump signals that last month’s ceasefire agreement with Iran has effectively collapsed.

Among the targets hit were multiple road and railway bridges serving Bandar Abbas, a critical hub for Iranian military logistics. U.S. aircraft also destroyed a prominent white surveillance tower in the southern city of Chabahar, a port situated along an important trade corridor connecting Iran with neighboring Afghanistan.

According to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the tower formed part of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ long-standing maritime surveillance system used to monitor commercial shipping traveling through the Strait of Hormuz.

“The destruction of the tower directly degrades IRGC’s ability to coordinate attacks on innocent civilian crew members,” CENTCOM said in a post on X. “Furthermore, the strike protects freedom of navigation in regional waters for all vessels, except for ships attempting to violate the ongoing U.S. naval blockade against Iran.”

The renewed military campaign began after Tehran allegedly fired on three commercial vessels and failed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as required under the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding and ceasefire agreement, prompting Washington to resume hostilities last week.

The initial wave of Friday’s strikes concluded shortly after President Trump declared during a nationally televised address that the United States was “winning big in Iran, and you will see the fruits of that labor very, very shortly.”

Only hours later, CENTCOM launched another series of attacks.

The expanded offensive follows President Trump’s announcement that the ceasefire negotiated with Tehran was no longer in effect after Iran failed to meet its commitments under the agreement.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue ‘talks,’” Trump said on July 10. “We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!”

The latest escalation came after negotiations collapsed last weekend, leading Washington to begin its renewed bombing campaign against Iranian targets.

Following the launch of Operation Epic Fury by the United States and Israel on Feb. 28, Iran effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, sending global oil prices sharply higher and giving Tehran significant leverage during subsequent negotiations.

With maritime traffic through the strategic waterway falling to its lowest level in three weeks, Brent crude climbed above $86 per barrel, approaching its highest price in a month.

Iranian state television reported that the strikes in Hormozgan Province damaged at least six bridges and left at least eight people dead. Iran’s Health Ministry said the latest round of fighting has resulted in at least 39 fatalities and more than 400 injuries.

Although alternative routes into and out of Bandar Abbas remain operational, analysts say additional U.S. strikes could further disrupt both Iranian military supply lines and the flow of commercial goods serving the country’s population of roughly 90 million people.

The port of Chabahar, developed in part with Indian support, has also become a recurring target of American airstrikes during the current conflict.

Iran has maintained that it alone should control the Strait of Hormuz and has argued that vessels transiting the waterway should pay fees to Tehran, despite the international community’s longstanding recognition of the strait as an international shipping lane.

President Trump has recently warned that the United States could expand its campaign by targeting Iran’s electrical grid, bridges, and energy infrastructure while enforcing a renewed naval blockade designed to halt Iranian oil exports. He has also pledged to begin striking additional oil and energy facilities next week if Tehran continues to reject negotiations.

A White House spokesperson told the BBC that the United States “carried out strikes exclusively on military targets, including military logistics infrastructure.”

CENTCOM also announced that U.S. naval forces intercepted several commercial vessels attempting to breach the blockade. According to the command, three ships were redirected, one vessel was disabled after refusing to comply with instructions, and another was boarded “to ensure full compliance.”

MarineTraffic.com reported that only eight vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday—the fewest in three weeks. Seven of those ships traveled along a route favored by Iran, while none used the route nearest Oman that has been encouraged by the United States.

Maritime security concerns continue to disrupt commercial shipping throughout the region. Lloyd’s List Intelligence reported Thursday that some oil tankers are navigating the strait with their tracking systems switched off, while many others have opted to remain in port rather than risk the voyage.

Although an increasing share of Middle Eastern energy exports is now moving through pipelines, industry analysts say those routes remain insufficient to compensate for the sharp decline in tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

{Matzav.com}

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez declined to disavow a proposal by the Democratic Socialists of America to abolish the U.S. Senate, instead arguing that portions of the chamber’s history were rooted in racism while avoiding a direct answer on whether she supports eliminating the institution.

During an interview with Newsmax congressional correspondent Kilmeny Duchardt outside the U.S. Capitol, the New York Democrat repeatedly avoided taking a clear position on the DSA platform’s call to abolish the Senate.

“I mean, again, I’m not running for any larger office presently,” Ocasio-Cortez said when asked whether she rejects the proposal.

She also emphasized that eliminating the Senate would not be a simple political decision, noting that abolishing the chamber “is, of course, a constitutional question.”

When Duchardt continued pressing her about whether she supports the Senate itself, Ocasio-Cortez shifted her focus to criticism of the institution’s history.

“We’ve all got our complaints,” she said. “I don’t support the filibuster. I don’t support elements of this institution that we know … were founded on Jim Crow.”

She further pointed out that dismantling the Senate would require a constitutional convention as well as approval from two-thirds of the states.

The interview aired Friday on Newsmax’s “National Report,” where Duchardt said Ocasio-Cortez “refused to distance herself” from what has become one of the Democratic Socialists of America’s most controversial policy positions.

The congresswoman’s remarks sparked swift reactions from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., dismissed the idea that abolishing the Senate would address the nation’s challenges.

“My view is that you’re not going to solve our problems by simply suggesting they can all be solved by abolishing the U.S. Senate,” Welch told Newsmax.

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., responded even more sharply, describing the argument as “historically illiterate.”

“I think that a lot of people who are spouting off of this have no concept of American history,” Schmitt said. “They have no concept of what it means to protect individual liberty. And it’s a pretty scary turn, I think, for the Democrats.”

The latest controversy comes amid reports that the Democratic Socialists of America has discussed offering Ocasio-Cortez an early endorsement if she decides to pursue the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028.

Asked whether she would welcome such backing, the congresswoman brushed aside the speculation.

“I don’t think I’m seeking any endorsement from any office I’m not currently seeking right now,” she said. “I could run for dog catcher. I don’t know.”

The U.S. Senate was created under Article I of the Constitution in 1789 as one of the two chambers of Congress.

Conservatives have argued that proposals to abolish the Senate or reduce its constitutional powers are part of a broader progressive effort to weaken the nation’s system of checks and balances following repeated legislative defeats.

YWN regrets to inform you of the petira of Rebbetzin Shulamis Schiff, a”h, who was niftar at the age of 98.

Rebbetzin Schiff was the youngest daughter of HaRav Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz, zt”l, one of the great pioneers of Torah chinuch in America. She was the esteemed eishes chaver of HaRav Shea Schiff, zt”l, the longtime Rosh Yeshiva of Mesifta Bais Shraga in Monsey.

She is survived by her sons, HaRav Emanuel Schiff and HaRav Shraga Schiff; her daughters, Mrs. Yehudis Berlin, widow of HaRav Meir Berlin, zt”l, and Mrs. Toby Berlin, wife of HaRav Avraham Yehoshua Berlin; along with generations of children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and descendants who continue her legacy of Torah and avodas Hashem.

The levayah will take place on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. at Mesifta Bais Shraga, 28 Saddle River Road, Monsey.

Baruch Dayan HaEmes……

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Apple briefly passed Nvidia to become the world’s most valuable company on Friday as the tech titans jostled for the top spot as investors reconsider the outlook for investments in AI.

Apple’s market cap topped Nvidia’s early Friday as the latter saw shares slide along with other chipmaker stocks as investors continue to evaluate whether tech firms’ rapid buildout of AI tools and the data centers needed to support them will yield near-term profits.

The consumer tech giant saw its market cap rise to more than $4.91 trillion, above Nvidia’s $4.9 trillion at the time.

Shares in the iPhone-maker pulled back some of their earlier gains, which allowed Nvidia to regain the top spot before the closing bell as shares in the world’s leading AI chip designer pared their losses and lifted the firm’s valuation.

As of Friday’s closing bell, Nvidia’s market cap reclaimed the title of the world’s largest at $4.92 trillion, narrowly topping Apple’s $4.89 trillion. Apple shares rose 0.14% while Nvidia’s fell 2.21% during the trading session.

The shifts in the pecking order of tech leaders in the so-called Magnificent 7 stocks comes as investors are looking at stocks beyond the obvious winners of the AI race like Nvidia, which has held the title of largest market cap for nearly a year. Apple’s move on Friday briefly made it the leader for the first time since April 2025.

Investors are considering the costs and benefits of companies spending to build AI models and data centers used to power them, as well as the means at their disposal to turn AI tools into meaningful revenue drivers.

“Apple was seen as a laggard in the AI race because it wasn’t spending to develop models, but now sentiment has changed,” said Toni Meadows, head of investment at BRI Wealth Management.

“Apple is less exposed to capex intensity and better positioned to monetize AI via services, ecosystem lock-in, and hardware upgrades. The re-rating reflects confidence in earnings durability rather than speculative AI upside,” Meadows added.

The market is expected to see more options in the AI space become available for investors this year, with the anticipated IPOs of Anthropic and ChatGPT-maker OpenAI.

South Korea’s SK Hynix also listed on the Nasdaq earlier this month, bringing another memory chipmaker into the consideration of investors evaluating the AI space.

Hynix’s move followed the success Micron has enjoyed this year that lifted the chipmaker above $1 trillion in market cap.

“The new entrants to the market could spread out the focus away from the pure Magnificent Seven names into a wider number of names,” said Benjamin Hall, VP of alpha research at Segal Macro Advisors.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Posting on Truth Social, Trump declared that, “The cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to tariffs Canada is currently paying,” according to Reuters.

Trump also criticized Canada for failing to better manage the widespread wildfires that have sent smoke into large portions of the United States for weeks.

“Canada must do more to prevent these massive wildfires,” Trump wrote. “The smoke is pouring into the United States, affecting millions of Americans. This cannot continue. They need to get their forests under control and protect both Canadians and their neighbors.”

The president’s remarks came as smoke from hundreds of active fires across Canada continued drifting into the Midwest, Great Lakes region, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic, triggering air quality warnings and public health advisories for millions of Americans.

Reuters noted that Trump’s comments connect the ongoing wildfire emergency with his broader trade policy toward Canada. His administration has already announced plans to impose a 35% tariff on certain Canadian imports beginning Aug. 1, while products covered under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement will continue to be handled separately.

The Washington Post reported this week that smoke from the Canadian wildfires could impact air quality for nearly 100 million people across the United States, with hazy skies stretching from the Upper Midwest through the Northeast.

According to ABC News, Canada is battling more than 800 active wildfires, including several of the largest blazes burning in western Ontario. Favorable wind patterns have carried thick smoke southward into the United States.

The smoky conditions have significantly reduced visibility and worsened air quality in major cities such as Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, New York, and Philadelphia. Public health officials have advised children, seniors, and those suffering from asthma, heart disease, or other respiratory illnesses to remain indoors whenever smoke concentrations are high.

Wildfire smoke is especially dangerous because it contains microscopic PM2.5 particles, which are capable of traveling deep into the lungs and entering the bloodstream, increasing the risk of respiratory distress and other serious health problems.

The latest wave of smoke is part of another intense wildfire season in Canada, continuing a trend that has repeatedly affected the United States in recent years. During Canada’s historic 2023 fire season, smoke blanketed much of the Northeast, turning skies orange and producing some of the worst air quality measurements ever recorded worldwide.

The fires have also forced thousands of residents to evacuate communities across multiple Canadian provinces while millions of acres of forest have been consumed. Fire crews remain engaged in battling hundreds of blazes that are still burning.

As of Friday, Canadian officials had not publicly responded to Trump’s proposal that the economic costs associated with the wildfire smoke should be incorporated into U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods.

{Matzav.com}

The visit came after the Rebbe traveled to Ohel to visit the kever of the Yismach Moshe on his yahrtzeit. From there, he continued to Kerestir, where, on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av—a time traditionally regarded as especially auspicious for prayer—he visited the kever of the renowned miracle worker, Rav Yeshaya ben Rav Moshe of Kerestir זי”ע.

Upon arriving in Kerestir, the Rebbe was warmly welcomed by the leadership of Rabbi Yeshaya’le’s House (Reb Yeshaya’les Hoiz) and members of the Rubin family, descendants of the tzaddik who have spearheaded the restoration of the town’s historic Jewish sites.

During the visit, the Rebbe toured the historic bais medrash of Rav Yeshaya’le, which is currently being rebuilt on the original foundations of the shul where the famed tzaddik davened and served the Jewish community. Although the restoration project remains under construction, all work was suspended and the building was specially opened in honor of the Rebbe’s visit, allowing him to daven Maariv within the very walls where Rav Yeshaya’le himself once stood in prayer.

The restoration is part of a major preservation effort led in recent years by the tzaddik’s descendants, headed by Rav Menachem Mendel Rubin, who directs the Reb Yeshaya’les Hoiz organization. After a lengthy process to return the property to Jewish ownership, the bais medrash has been painstakingly reconstructed according to its original design, based on uncovered foundations, historical documents, and eyewitness accounts.

Following Maariv, the Rebbe proceeded to the kever, where he remained for an extended period. Standing in the Kohanim room adjacent to the ohel, he read kvitlach and offered heartfelt tefillos on behalf of both the klal and individual petitioners. He later greeted the many visitors gathered at the site and bestowed blessings for yeshuos, refuos, and continued success.

{Matzav.com}

A judge on Friday declined to issue a ruling from the bench regarding California’s request for a temporary restraining order freezing Paramount’s planned takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) 

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

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District for the Northern District of California, claims that the merger violates Section 7 of the Clayton Act, which holds that mergers that may substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly are illegal. 

A TRO hearing on Friday got deep into antitrust law, with Paramount arguing the merger would actually increase competition while the state insists that combining two major Hollywood studios would hurt the industry while giving too much power to the company. 

District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín promised to issue a ruling by July 22. 

Paramount is seeking to move forward as soon as possible to avoid exorbitant ticking fees, a term for charges that accrue as the merger is delayed. Reporters were prohibited from taking photos or video of the hearing.

The Justice Department (DOJ) announced last week it has closed its antitrust investigation into Paramount Skydance’s proposed acquisition of WBD, concluding the transaction is not likely to harm competition or American consumers.

The Antitrust Division said its eight-month review examined more than two million documents and found the deal could strengthen competition across the media and entertainment industry, including in streaming video, traditional television and theatrical film distribution. However, state attorneys general retain independent authority under antitrust laws. 

Ellison, the son of billionaire Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, took control of Paramount last year when Skydance Media and Paramount Global completed an $8 billion merger. Adding WBD to his portfolio would make the younger Ellison one of Hollywood’s most powerful people.

Paramount fired back Monday shortly after the complaint was filed, saying the lawsuit “reflects a fundamentally flawed application of the antitrust laws and is wrong on both the facts and the law.”

“We will vigorously defend the transaction and demonstrate that this challenge is inconsistent with sound competition policy and the competitive realities of the media marketplace. Delaying this transaction will only harm entertainment workers who have already suffered over recent years as technology has disrupted their livelihood and cost California tens of thousands of entertainment jobs,” a Paramount spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“The combination of Paramount and WBD will create a stronger, well-capitalized, creative-first media company that is better positioned to compete with companies like Netflix that have come to dominate the industry for audiences, premium content, and creative talent,” the spokesperson continued. “Put simply, any attempt to block this transaction undermines the very principles antitrust law is designed to promote: more competition, more choice for consumers, and more opportunities for creators and workers.”

$15.99

Get This Deal

JanSport Cross Town Plus Remix 17″ Backpack For Just $15.99 Shipped From eBay!

Brand new with tags and is available in Blue, Green, and Light Blue.

Shipping is free with delivery in 2-4 days, and returns are free for 30 days.

• Fits laptops up to 15″
• 26 liter capacity; measures 17″ x 12.5″ x 6″
• Front zippered pocket and side water bottle pocket
• Made from 100% recycled polyester corduroy

Post what deals you find!

HT: Davidthebest.

Wall Street ended Friday in the red across the board, closing out a week in which semiconductor shares — the engine of the 2026 rally — broke down while war-driven crude prices climbed toward levels not seen in a month.

The S&P 500 lost 1.01% to finish at 7,457.69. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.4% to 25,520.24. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 406.55 points, or 0.77%, to close at 52,146.42. The Nasdaq 100 gave up 1.2%.

The weekly scorecard was worse. The S&P 500 finished the five sessions down 1.6%, the Nasdaq fell 2.9%, and the Dow lost 0.9%.

What Broke

Chips. The PHLX Semiconductor Index dropped 1.63% and entered bear market territory, with the industry gauge down 20% from its record and on pace for its worst stretch since the April 2025 tariff meltdown. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF fell almost 9% on the week, its third weekly loss in four.

Two forces did the damage. A breakthrough from Chinese AI startup Moonshot undercut the case for U.S. chip spending, and money rotated out of expensive tech names into economically sensitive shares. The selling was global before the U.S. bell: Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 4% and Taiwan’s market dropped 6.5%, while ASML fell as much as 4.9% amid a broad European semiconductor decline.

Chip names did close off their session lows as buyers stepped in.

Market Movers

• Netflix (NFLX) — Sank after the company forecast a second straight quarter of slowing sales growth, feeding investor anxiety about the streaming business.
• Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) — Fell 10% despite beating on both lines, earning an adjusted $2.80 per share on $2.89 billion in revenue against LSEG estimates of $2.50 and $2.82 billion. The company held its full-year da Vinci procedure growth outlook near 14%.
• Alcoa (AA) — Dipped 2% even after posting $2.12 per share ex-items on $3.97 billion in revenue, ahead of the $2.06 and $3.94 billion consensus. The producer trimmed its 2026 alumina production outlook. Adjusted EBITDA missed.
• SpaceX (SPCX) — Slid after the company aborted Thursday’s Starship mission when engines failed to fire, and said it would try again within days. Musk said two Raptor engines will be pulled and replaced, with liftoff most likely early next week. The stock had already slipped below its $135 IPO price a month after debut, on concerns over cash burn, an insider lockup expiration, and Chinese reusable-rocket competition.
• Uber (UBER) — Announced a $14.8 billion acquisition of Germany’s Delivery Hero, a deal that would create the largest food-delivery group outside China and combine Uber Eats with foodpanda, PedidosYa, and talabat across 99 countries. The combined operation moved $236 billion in gross order value in 2025. Shares were off 0.59% at $73.60 before the open.

Commodities

Crude was the week’s real story. WTI climbed 4.05% to $82.15, its highest in a month, after Kuwait reported an Iranian strike on a power and desalination plant and reports emerged of Iranian attacks on U.S. targets in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Syria. Central Command said it had finished a sixth consecutive night of strikes on Iranian military sites.

Brent rose 2.04% to $85.95 and was tracking a weekly gain of more than 10%, with the U.S. reportedly hitting an oil tanker near Iran’s main export terminal for the first time since the port blockade resumed. Tehran has reportedly told the Houthis to be ready to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait if Iranian power infrastructure is hit. Hormuz traffic has thinned sharply, though vessels are still moving.

Gold held under $4,000, up 0.19% at $3,983.86 but on track for a weekly loss of more than 3% — squeezed as higher energy costs revived rate worries. Silver traded near $55.08, off 0.57%.

Rates and the Fed

The 10-year Treasury yield sat near 4.53% and the 2-year near 4.12%, with the dollar index little changed around 100.80. June CPI fell 0.4% and final-demand PPI fell 0.3%, but retail sales rose 0.2%, jobless claims dropped to 208,000, and the Philadelphia Fed manufacturing index jumped to 41.4. Fed funds futures put roughly a 90% probability on no change at the July 29 meeting. September remains a coin flip, with traders pricing about a 51% chance of a hike.

The Read

Two weeks ago the market’s problem was oil. This week it’s oil and the AI trade at the same time — and that combination is what turned a chip correction into a bear market. Cheap Chinese models raise the question of whether U.S. hyperscaler capex has a ceiling; $85 Brent raises the question of whether the Fed gets to cut at all. Neither question gets answered before Monday’s open.

JBizNews Desk | Wall Street

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

A longstanding fixture on Kingston Avenue in Crown Heights will no longer operate on Shabbos, marking the first time in years that every business along the neighborhood’s main commercial strip will be closed in honor of the day.

According to a report by COLlive, Happy Dry Cleaners, located at 316 Kingston Avenue, has announced that it will no longer open on Shabbos. For many years, the dry cleaner had been the only business remaining open on the neighborhood’s central shopping corridor during the Jewish day of rest, earning it the local nickname “the Erev Shabbos dry cleaner.”

The change follows a recent transfer of ownership. The store’s longtime owner, Yoon Bo Choon, retired at the age of 81 after operating the business for decades. About a month ago, ownership passed to his niece, Lee Young Kim, who now runs the business together with her husband, Sam.

One of the new owners’ first decisions was to revise the store’s operating schedule and discontinue business on Shabbos. Explaining the move, Lee Young Kim said, “We want to respect the Jewish community and honor the Jewish day of rest. From now on the store will be closed on Saturdays.”

The decision carries significance beyond the business itself. With the dry cleaner now closing on Shabbos, every storefront on both sides of Kingston Avenue’s main commercial district will be shuttered throughout the day. Many local residents welcomed the announcement. One regular customer remarked, “We’re very appreciative of this. It shows respect for the community. We wish the new owners much success.”

{Matzav.com}

Hyundai is recalling more than 47,000 Kona SUVs in the U.S. after discovering a defect with the rear center seat belt buckle that could increase the risk of injury in a crash.

The recall covers 47,749 vehicles, including certain 2025 Hyundai Kona Electric and 2026 Hyundai Kona models, according to documents posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The rear center seat belt buckle may fail to properly restrain an occupant during a crash, the automaker said.

“A seat belt buckle that fails to properly restrain an occupant in a crash increases the risk of injury,” NHTSA said in its recall notice.

Hyundai is advising owners not to use the rear center seating position until the recall repair has been completed.

The recall affects 47,733 model-year 2026 Kona SUVs and 16 model-year 2025 Kona Electric vehicles.

According to recall documents, Hyundai’s supplier, Joyson Safety Systems, notified the automaker in February that testing identified a potential problem with the rear center seat belt buckle used in the Kona.

Joyson determined the issue may have resulted from inadequate inspection controls that allowed metal stamping dies used to manufacture the buckles to remain in service beyond their intended lifespan, leading to excessive wear.

Although there have been no confirmed crashes, injuries, fires or other incidents related to the issue, Hyundai said it decided to conduct the recall “out of an abundance of caution.”

Dealers will replace the rear center seat belt buckle assembly free of charge. Hyundai also said it will reimburse owners who previously paid out of pocket to repair the issue.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Sept. 11. Owners with questions can contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460 and reference recall number 306. The NHTSA recall number is 26V452000. Vehicle identification numbers became searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning July 15.

A representative for Hyundai did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.

QVC Group moved a major step closer to completing one of the retail industry’s largest restructurings after receiving court approval for its financial reorganization plan, allowing the television and online shopping company to significantly reduce its debt while continuing normal operations.

The company announced Thursday, July 16, that the court-approved restructuring plan will allow it to emerge from its Chapter 11 process after completing customary closing conditions. The plan substantially reduces the company’s debt while leaving vendors and suppliers unimpaired, allowing business operations to continue without interruption. 

For millions of shoppers, the restructuring is expected to have little immediate impact.

QVC said customers can continue shopping across its television networks, websites and mobile platforms while the company continues executing its long-term turnaround strategy. Orders, returns, gift cards and customer service operations will continue as normal.

The restructuring is designed primarily to strengthen QVC’s balance sheet after years of declining traditional television viewership and changing consumer shopping habits.

Company executives said reducing debt will provide greater financial flexibility to invest in digital commerce, live social shopping and new customer acquisition initiatives.

QVC has increasingly shifted its focus toward online sales, streaming platforms and social media commerce as more consumers migrate away from traditional cable television.

The company believes those investments will position the business for long-term growth while maintaining its large base of loyal shoppers.

QVC remains one of the world’s largest live-shopping retailers, selling apparel, beauty products, jewelry, electronics, home furnishings and kitchen products through multiple television networks and digital platforms.

The company also owns several retail brands that continue serving customers across North America and international markets.

Retail analysts say the restructuring reflects broader changes occurring throughout the retail industry as legacy television-based businesses adapt to rapidly evolving consumer purchasing behavior.

While live television shopping remains profitable, growth increasingly depends on digital engagement, mobile commerce and social media integration.

The strengthened balance sheet is expected to provide additional resources for technology investments, marketing initiatives and expanded digital capabilities.

Management said the company’s transformation strategy remains focused on delivering a seamless shopping experience regardless of whether customers shop through television, smartphones, tablets or computers.

The company expects to formally emerge from bankruptcy after satisfying the remaining closing requirements outlined in the approved restructuring plan.

For consumers, the transition is expected to be largely invisible, with normal operations continuing throughout the process.

For investors and the retail industry, however, the restructuring represents another example of a legacy retailer repositioning itself for a marketplace increasingly dominated by digital commerce and direct-to-consumer shopping.

JBizNews Desk | West Chester, Pennsylvania

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

WASHINGTON (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Friday warned that state officials could lose funding or face investigations if they fail to go along with President Donald Trump’s election security demands, part of the Republican president’s longstanding attempt to undermine Americans’ confidence in the vote.

Experts said the threats — issued just months before midterm elections that will determine control of Congress — were likely hollow because Trump’s voting initiatives have been stalled by judges and the Constitution gives states control over how elections are run.

Nevertheless, Mullin’s remarks, delivered from the White House complex one day after Trump’s primetime address on the topic, could further doubts about election processes and create headaches for states as they prepare for November.

“We absolutely can build confidence in the American people, but the states have to do their part,” Mullin said.

Trump continues to falsely claim that Democrat Joe Biden won only because of fraud in 2020, and he’s tried to marshal the powers of the federal government to rewrite that history since he returned to office last year — even though judges and his own attorney general in his first term concluded the election was legitimate.

Mullin insisted that the president was not relitigating the 2020 election, “although he definitely could at this point.”

“This is just about exposing what took place and making sure it never happens again,” he said.

Mullin’s claims of noncitizen voters rely on incomplete data
During his remarks, Mullin advanced an unsubstantiated claim Trump made Thursday that the federal government had found 250,000 noncitizen voters on the rolls in California, Nevada, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He said the Department of Homeland Security’s investigation was conducted using public data, which election experts say is insufficiently detailed and updated to properly identify whether a registered voter is a noncitizen.

Election officials in California and Pennsylvania said they would review the Trump administration’s findings but noted that they conduct their own voter list maintenance and noncitizen voting is exceedingly rare. Research has supported that finding.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, responded to Mullin’s threats with a post on social media.

“California has free, fair, and secure elections and we will fight for them,” he wrote. “Try us.”

In Nevada, Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar, also a Democrat, said he was confident in the integrity of the state’s voter file.

“We are constantly looking at the information to figure out how many registered voters in Nevada don’t have a Social Security number on file,” he said. “We have done significant work to make sure our voter rolls are as clean as possible.”

Mullin also pledged to aggressively monitor public voter lists to pursue potential voter fraud cases before and after the 2026 election.

“If you are an illegal or you are voting illegally, we will hunt you down, we will find you and we will prosecute you,” he said.

He urged states to participate in DHS’ recently overhauled SAVE program, a federal tool central to the Trump administration’s efforts to nationalize elections. At least 25 states have used it to check their voter rolls since April 2025, after the Trump administration significantly expanded its search abilities, and the Trump administration has demanded that states submit their sensitive voter data to the program to fully audit their voter lists.

Mullin said if state officials don’t participate in SAVE, they could face fines, penalties or prison time.

But the overhauled program’s use was recently blocked by a federal judge over concerns about privacy and wrongful purges of eligible voters. The case included voters whose registrations were wrongly flagged by the program, temporarily threatening their place on the rolls.

David Becker, the executive director of the nonprofit Center for Election Innovation and Research, said Mullin was making empty threats.

“Every court to consider the DOJ’s demands — 15 of them to date, six of those judges appointed by President Trump — have confirmed that the federal government cannot legally demand access to states’ sensitive voter data,” he said. “What he’s suggesting is illegal.”

In addition, Trump’s efforts to pass the SAVE Act, federal legislation that would require proof of citizenship for voter registration, has stalled in the Senate. Republicans don’t have enough votes to change the filibuster rules and pass it without Democratic support.

Cybersecurity support for election officials has been diminished in Trump’s second term
Mullin also elevated Trump’s concerns about vulnerabilities in electronic voting machines — which voting experts have long acknowledged. While Trump suggested Thursday that these risks make it possible to “rig” the vote, election officials say there are numerous safeguards in place to prevent that, including physical security, voting machine tests, postelection reviews and paper ballot backups in most of the country.

To address the concerns, Mullin said the nation’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which sits under DHS, would release an updated election infrastructure plan within 30 days and provide cyber threat resources to election officials if they participate in SAVE.

However, Trump has broadly dismantled the agency’s election security operation.

CISA was largely absent from its long-held role assisting states in last year’s elections after the Trump administration conducted a review of its election work, placed more than a dozen election-focused staffers on administrative leave and slashed $10 million from two cybersecurity initiatives, including one dedicated to helping state and local election officials. The agency is also still without a Senate-confirmed director and has cycled through a series of acting leaders.

Aguilar said his state has stepped up and will protect its own elections in the absence of federal help.

“The fact that they think they’re going to come in prior to the general election in November and provide us infrastructure, that’s nuts,” he said. “Actions speak louder than words, and in their case, it’s all been talk.”

The Israel Tax Authority has suspended the processing of war-damage compensation claims for Bnei Brak residents following the violent attack on its inspectors in the city this week. The freeze will remain in effect until the municipality issues a public condemnation of the incident.

The decision was announced Friday in a letter sent by Israel Tax Authority Director Shay Aharonovitz to Bnei Brak Mayor Chanoch Zeibert. In the letter, Aharonovitz said he had instructed officials to halt work on compensation claims related to damages from Operations “Am K’Lavi” and “Roar of the Lion” until the city publicly denounces the assault.

The move comes one day after Tax Authority inspectors were attacked while carrying out their duties in Bnei Brak’s Kiryat Vizhnitz neighborhood. Video footage published by Kikar HaShabbat showed a crowd surrounding the inspectors’ vehicle, pelting it with eggs and damaging its windows before police officers arrived and rescued those inside.

In his letter, Aharonovitz wrote that the inspectors had come to the city as part of their official responsibilities when they were violently assaulted and ultimately required a police extraction. He noted that this was the second attack targeting Tax Authority personnel in recent weeks and said the Bnei Brak municipality had yet to publicly condemn either incident.

Aharonovitz stated that Tax Authority employees would not resume operations in Bnei Brak until the municipality issues a clear and unequivocal public statement denouncing the violence. As a result, he also directed the Compensation Fund to suspend all processing of war-damage claims submitted by city residents.

The Tax Authority director further requested that the city’s condemnation be published in media outlets serving the Chareidi community. According to the letter, the freeze on compensation claims will remain in place until such a public statement is issued.

{Matzav.com}

MIAMI (VINnews)-Marco Rubio’s ascent in Florida politics began in the late 1990s in the modest setting of West Miami, a small, predominantly Cuban-American community. The son of Cuban immigrants, Rubio leveraged local networks, personal charisma, and early backers to move quickly from city commissioner to state legislator and beyond. While several figures played roles, one stands out for his direct involvement in Rubio’s very first campaign.

Rebeca Sosa: The Launchpad

Rebeca Sosa, then mayor of West Miami, was a pivotal early factor. In 1998, the young Rubio (fresh out of law school) approached her about running for a seat on the city commission. Sosa took him under her wing, canvassed door-to-door with him, and provided crucial local credibility and support. She later recalled spotting his potential immediately, saying she knew “big things” were ahead for him. This grassroots help helped Rubio secure his first elected office in a low-profile but foundational race.

Sosa’s mentorship gave Rubio an entry point into local politics and the tight-knit Cuban exile community that would fuel much of his career.

Other Early Influences

Al Cardenas: A prominent Miami lawyer and Cuban-American Republican figure, Cardenas hired Rubio for his first full-time job after law school and involved him in Bob Dole’s 1996 presidential campaign in South Florida. He introduced Rubio to wider GOP networks, including early ties to Jeb Bush, and contributed to his initial campaign. Cardenas served as a key connector in Rubio’s transition from law to politics.

Jeb Bush: Bush provided early encouragement, including a small donation for Rubio’s 1998 race and congratulations after his win. Their relationship deepened later, with Bush acting as a broader mentor during Rubio’s rise in the Florida House (highlighted by a ceremonial “sword” presentation when Rubio became Speaker). Bush’s influence was more prominent in the 2000s than at the absolute start.

Norman Braman’s Role: A Major Later Backer, Not an Early One

Billionaire auto dealer and philanthropist Norman Braman became one of Rubio’s most significant patrons, but his involvement was not a major factor in Rubio’s earliest days. Their relationship began in the early-to-mid 2000s when Rubio was already in the Florida House. Braman, drawn to Rubio’s story as a fellow son of immigrants and his support for causes like the Braman Family Breast Cancer Institute, provided financial and personal support.

Braman’s contributions included:

Donations to Rubio’s campaigns and the Florida Republican Party.

Helping fund Rubio’s post-legislature teaching position at Florida International University (contributing $100,000).

Hiring Rubio as a lawyer during his Senate campaign period and employing Rubio’s wife, Jeanette, at the Braman family foundation.

Access to private planes and personal mentorship (Rubio has described Braman as a father figure).

Major funding for Rubio’s 2010 U.S. Senate run (when Rubio challenged Charlie Crist) and especially his 2016 presidential bid, where Braman pledged millions (up to $10–25 million) to super PACs.

Braman’s backing was crucial for Rubio’s financial stability and higher-profile ambitions, helping him weather challenges and compete at the national level. However, it came after Rubio had already established himself locally and in the state legislature. Braman was not involved in the 1998 West Miami race or the immediate launch of Rubio’s career.

Legacy of Rubio’s Early Network

Rubio’s rapid rise—from West Miami commissioner (1998) to Florida House (2000, later Speaker) to U.S. Senator (2010)—reflected a combination of personal ambition, the Cuban-American political machine in Miami, and strategic alliances. Figures like Sosa provided the initial boost, while later supporters like Braman supplied the resources for bigger stages. This network helped position Rubio as a rising star in the Republican Party, blending local roots with national appeal.

Today, Rubio’s story remains a testament to how early local mentors and later financial patrons can propel a talented politician forward.

Airlines are warning that changes to existing practices around Daylight Saving Time (DST) would have a major impact on the industry and that changes would need to be implemented over time to account for challenges it would create for scheduling.

Airlines for America (A4A), a trade group that represents leading air carriers in the U.S., released a statement this week which warned that changes to DST “would have considerable implications for aviation, including passenger disruption, crew and aircraft positioning, and domestic and international connectivity issues.”

“Airlines operate expansive interconnected domestic and global networks that are reliant on stability and predictability. Any changes would need an implementation timeline that reflects these global complications,” the group said.

The warning came as the House on Tuesday advanced the Sunshine Protection Act, which would allow states to voluntarily observe DST throughout the year and end the twice-annual clock changes, on a bipartisan 308-117 vote that sent the legislation to the Senate.

The bill faces uncertainty in the Senate, though President Donald Trump is expected to sign the bill into law if it reaches his desk, as the White House has urged lawmakers to support the legislation.

Most states currently follow the practice of “springing forward” in March by moving the clock forward an hour into Daylight Time, and then “falling back” by an hour in November into Standard Time.

Arizona and Hawaii are the only two states who don’t participate in that practice, while 20 states have approved legislation that would see them remain on DST permanently if authorized to do so by Congress.

Proponents of permanent daylight saving time argue it would eliminate the disruptions caused by switching clocks twice per year and boost tourism and outdoor activities with more sunlight in winter evenings.

Critics have argued that the earlier sunrises and sunsets of permanent standard time would better align with circadian rhythms, and would prevent situations when the sun may rise after 9 a.m. in the winter.

The American public remains broadly opposed to the current practice of changing the clock twice a year, as an AP-NORC survey released in December found just 12% of respondents were in favor of the current system, while nearly half were opposed. The remaining 40% had no opinion.

The survey also asked about possible reforms and found that 56% of Americans would prefer to make daylight saving time permanent with more light in the evenings and less in the morning, while about 4 in 10 would rather make standard time permanent to have more light in the morning and less in the evening.

Fox News Digital’s Adam Pack contributed to this report.

WeShoot, one of New Jersey’s leading gun ranges, located in Lakewood, released the following statement to TLS in response to today’s appellate court gun ruling.

Regarding today’s Third Circuit ruling, this is a **tremendous victory for New Jersey gun owners** that could fundamentally transform our state’s firearm laws.

The court ruled that New Jersey’s **10-round magazine limit is unconstitutional**. This applies to magazines used in both **rifles and pistols**. However, nothing changes immediately—we must wait for the court’s official **mandate**, which could take a few weeks, before WESHOOT can begin selling standard-capacity magazines.

The court also ruled that New Jersey’s prohibited “evil features” restrictions are unconstitutional as applied to **semiautomatic rifles**. Those restrictions have **not yet been resolved for pistols or shotguns** and remain pending before the courts.

We are working closely with our attorneys and the appropriate authorities so we can proceed legally and offer these products as soon as permitted. NJ Gun Lawyer Evan Nappen recommends remaining patient and taking no action for now. Although a stay may be unlikely, this is New Jersey, and we must proceed cautiously.

We expect to have more information early next week and will keep everyone updated.

SpaceX shares tumbled Friday after the company aborted its latest Starship launch attempt because of an engine issue, putting the aerospace and artificial intelligence company on track to erase more than $1 trillion in market value from the record high it reached only weeks after its historic public debut. According to SpaceX’s official launch updates, company statements, and market trading data released Friday, the selloff accelerated as investors reacted to the launch setback while continuing to reassess one of the largest and fastest post-IPO rallies in Wall Street history. 

The decline marks a dramatic reversal for what had become the market’s most closely watched public company. After completing the largest initial public offering on record earlier this summer, SpaceX quickly surged to one of the world’s highest market valuations as investors poured into the stock, betting the company’s dominance in commercial launches, satellite communications, artificial intelligence infrastructure and future deep-space transportation would justify an unprecedented premium.

Friday’s losses added to weeks of selling pressure that has steadily erased much of that enthusiasm. At session lows, shares fell nearly seven percent before recovering modestly, leaving the company’s market capitalization near $1.6 trillion, down from approximately $2.64 trillion reached shortly after trading began in June. That represents one of the largest market-value declines ever recorded over such a short period. 

The immediate catalyst was Thursday’s scrubbed Starship mission. During the countdown, engine startup problems triggered an automatic abort before liftoff. Company engineers safely halted the launch sequence, and Elon Musk later confirmed that two Raptor engines would be replaced before another launch attempt expected as early as next week. 

Although launch delays are common throughout the aerospace industry and are generally viewed as part of the company’s aggressive testing strategy, the postponement renewed concerns among investors that expectations surrounding SpaceX’s long-term growth had become stretched after the stock’s explosive debut.

The company occupies a unique position in global aerospace. Beyond its launch business, SpaceX operates Starlink, the world’s largest satellite broadband network, maintains extensive contracts with the U.S. government and defense agencies, and plays a central role in NASA’s future lunar exploration program. Investors have also assigned significant value to the company’s expanding artificial intelligence initiatives and next-generation computing infrastructure.

Even with Friday’s decline, SpaceX remains among the world’s most valuable publicly traded companies. However, analysts note that companies experiencing record-breaking IPOs often encounter periods of elevated volatility as early enthusiasm gives way to closer scrutiny of earnings, execution, cash flow and long-term valuation assumptions.

Another factor weighing on sentiment is the approaching expiration of insider lockup periods. As restrictions are lifted over the coming months, additional shares held by employees and early investors could become eligible for sale, increasing supply in the public market and potentially adding to near-term volatility. Market participants frequently monitor these milestones closely because they can influence trading activity regardless of a company’s underlying operating performance. 

Despite the recent correction, long-term investors continue to point to SpaceX’s leadership across multiple industries. The company remains the dominant provider of commercial launch services, continues expanding Starlink globally, and is expected to remain a major contractor for government and commercial space missions for years to come. Bulls argue that those businesses, together with future Starship capabilities, could ultimately justify much higher valuations if execution matches expectations.

Whether the recent selloff proves to be a temporary reset following an extraordinary rally or marks the beginning of a broader revaluation will likely depend on future Starship milestones, upcoming financial results, execution across the company’s artificial intelligence initiatives, and investors’ willingness to continue assigning premium valuations to long-duration growth companies.

JBizNews Desk | New York

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

In a landmark ruling, a federal appeals court on Friday declared New Jersey’s ban on so-called assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition magazines unconstitutional, marking the first time a federal appellate court has invalidated a state’s assault weapons prohibition under the Second Amendment.

The decision was issued by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia. The court ruled that New Jersey’s restrictions on semiautomatic rifles, including AR-15-style firearms, as well as its prohibition on magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition, violate the constitutional right to keep and bear arms for self-defense.

The ruling comes as the U.S. Supreme Court is already considering similar legal challenges. Last month, the nation’s highest court agreed to review lower court decisions that upheld comparable assault weapons bans enacted in Cook County, Illinois, and the state of Connecticut. The Supreme Court currently has a 6-3 conservative majority.

The New Jersey case was brought by several gun rights organizations, which argued that the state’s firearms restrictions could no longer withstand constitutional scrutiny following the Supreme Court’s landmark 2022 Second Amendment decision.

In that case, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, the Supreme Court ruled that modern firearm regulations must be “consistent with this nation’s historical tradition of ⁠firearm regulation.”

A federal district judge had previously issued a split decision in 2024, concluding that New Jersey’s prohibition on AR-15 rifles was unconstitutional while allowing the state’s ban on magazines holding more than 10 rounds to remain in effect.

The full appeals court went even further. By a 10-5 vote, it ruled that New Jersey’s ban on all semiautomatic rifles—not just AR-15-style firearms—violates the Second Amendment. The court also struck down the state’s restriction on large-capacity magazines, concluding that both provisions are unconstitutional.

Honda confirmed Thursday, July 16, that it will conclude sales of the Honda Prologue following completion of the 2026 model year, marking a significant shift in the automaker’s U.S. electrification strategy. The company said existing Prologue owners will continue receiving full dealer support, including warranty coverage, service and replacement parts.

When the final Prologue is sold, Honda is expected to have no fully battery-electric vehicle available for sale in the United States, underscoring one of the industry’s most notable retreats from an aggressive EV expansion strategy as market conditions continue evolving.

The announcement comes after several years in which Honda publicly committed billions of dollars toward battery-electric vehicles before reassessing those plans amid slowing consumer demand, changing government incentives and mounting financial pressures.

The Prologue did not struggle when it first entered the market.

After launching in March 2024, Honda sold more than 33,000 Prologues during its first year and nearly 39,000 more in 2025, making it one of America’s best-selling electric vehicles. Momentum changed dramatically during 2026 as federal purchase incentives disappeared and consumers increasingly shifted toward hybrids rather than fully electric vehicles.

Through the first half of this year, Prologue sales declined approximately 48% compared with the same period a year earlier. Honda now expects total 2026 Prologue sales of roughly 17,900 vehicles.

To maintain sales, Honda has offered aggressive lease incentives, including promotional leases beginning around $279 per month on a vehicle carrying a starting price of approximately $47,400.

Unlike most Honda models, the Prologue was never developed entirely in-house.

The vehicle is manufactured by General Motors at its Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, assembly plant and rides on GM’s Ultium electric vehicle platform, sharing much of its underlying engineering with the Chevrolet Blazer EV. Because the model relies on another manufacturer’s platform and production system, analysts view it as one of the easiest programs for Honda to discontinue as it reshapes its long-term electric vehicle strategy.

Honda’s broader pullback extends beyond a single model.

The company has significantly reduced planned spending on battery-electric vehicle development, citing rapidly changing market conditions, the elimination of federal EV purchase incentives in North America and intense competitive pressure in China.

Honda now estimates the financial impact of scaling back portions of its EV strategy at approximately 2.5 trillion yen, or about $15.7 billion.

Despite stepping back from battery-electric vehicles in the United States, Honda’s overall North American business remains healthy.

The company continues forecasting approximately 1.5 million combined Honda and Acura vehicle sales in the United States during 2026, representing roughly 4% growth from last year. Much of that strength is being driven by continued consumer demand for hybrid vehicles, which have become an increasingly important part of Honda’s lineup.

For Honda, the decision reflects a broader shift occurring throughout the global automotive industry.

Automakers are increasingly balancing long-term investments in electric vehicles against current consumer demand, profitability and changing regulatory policies. Rather than abandoning electrification altogether, many manufacturers are placing greater emphasis on hybrid technology while adjusting the pace of future battery-electric vehicle launches.

Honda says it remains committed to electrification over the long term and continues selling electric vehicles in several international markets. In the United States, however, the conclusion of Prologue production marks the end of Honda’s current battery-electric lineup and highlights how quickly market conditions have reshaped automakers’ strategies.

JBizNews Desk | New York

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

Young entrepreneurs are increasingly turning social media audiences into full-scale businesses, using digital content to build subscription communities, marketing firms and investment portfolios instead of relying on a single source of income.

“School of Hard Knocks” co-founder James Dumoulin joined FOX Business’ Stuart Varney on “Varney & Co.” to explain how he has grown the company into a media platform with 26 million followers while expanding into multiple revenue streams.

Dumoulin said his strategy is built around creating a business that generates value in several different ways instead of relying solely on advertising revenue.

“So what we did is we looked at our core business of having one of the biggest business media channels in the entire world… What are all the different ways that we can make money off this thing?” Dumoulin said.

He said one lesson has stood out after spending time with successful entrepreneurs.

“Concentration builds wealth, diversification keeps it,” Dumoulin said. “In our case, we became so good at one thing… And we diversified into other efforts.”

The 24-year-old said his focus remains on growing the media business while adding new ventures, including a marketing agency, a consulting company and investments.

Dumoulin also shared advice for younger people hoping to build wealth, stressing that long-term success requires consistent daily action.

“Macro patience and micro urgency is one of the most important concepts that you need to master in today’s world,” he said. “Billionaires take action on a daily basis.”

The 24-year-old said anyone willing to adopt that approach has the potential to achieve similar success. 

“I have no doubt that you’ll be a millionaire one day at 24 years old like myself,” Dumoulin said.

NEW YORK CITY (VINnews)-Lionel Messi was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency as a child, but his extraordinary talent convinced FC Barcelona to sign him at a young age. Now, the Argentina captain is considered one of the greatest soccer players of all time and has broken the record for the most career goals scored in the World Cup.

When Barcelona’s then-sporting director Carles Rexach first saw the young Messi play, he immediately recognized something special.

“When I got there, I said, ‘You’ve got to sign him. That kid is different from everyone else,’” Rexach said in 2013.

Messi’s path to greatness began with that pivotal decision. Despite his medical condition, which required daily injections and raised concerns about his physical development, Messi’s skill, vision and determination set him apart.

The Argentine star has since cemented his legacy as one of football’s all-time greats, winning multiple Ballon d’Or awards, Champions League titles with Barcelona and, in 2022, leading Argentina to World Cup victory.

During the current tournament, Messi broke the record for the most career goals in World Cup history. Argentina will now face Spain in the 2026 World Cup final on Sunday.

Messi’s story continues to inspire athletes and fans worldwide, demonstrating how perseverance and talent can overcome early health challenges.

Dozens of Shabbos-observant travelers found themselves stranded in London just hours before the start of Shabbos after an Israir flight to Israel was canceled when the aircraft was damaged in an unusual ground accident at the airport.

Israir Flight 116, which had been scheduled to depart for Israel on Thursday evening, was forced to cancel after an airport service vehicle struck the aircraft while it was being towed before takeoff. The collision caused damage that rendered the plane unfit for flight.

According to reports, this was the third such incident to occur at the London airport. As far as is known, airport management has not conducted a formal investigation into the previous similar accidents. The latest mishap occurred during the aircraft’s towing procedure, when the service vehicle responsible for preparing the plane for departure collided directly with it.

After the damaged aircraft was evacuated, passengers were escorted back to the terminal, where they waited to retrieve their luggage. Israir arranged hotel accommodations and transportation for those affected. The airline also informed passengers who chose to make their own lodging arrangements that they would be reimbursed for hotel expenses, transportation, and meals, in accordance with the company’s policies and the information provided to them.

Since the incident, Israir has been working with all relevant authorities in an effort to operate a rescue flight as early as possible and return the stranded passengers to Israel. Those who are unable to travel because they observe Shabbos will instead be flown back on Sunday.

Israir apologized to its passengers for the disruption, emphasizing that the incident was beyond the airline’s control. The company added that it will continue assisting travelers until they return to Israel and stressed that the safety and security of its passengers remain its highest priority.

As Israel approaches the third anniversary of the October 7 massacre, debate continues over the security establishment’s performance during the attack, with senior former officials still publicly disagreeing over what went wrong and what must change.

Adding his voice to the discussion, former Israeli Air Force commander Maj. Gen. (Res.) Eitan Ben Eliyahu argued that the military branch specifically designed for rapid emergency response failed to be available during the crucial opening hours of the assault. He said the Air Force’s foremost lesson from the attack should be to maintain forces on constant standby that can be deployed within 30 minutes, even when facing a surprise offensive.

According to Israeli journalist Gideon Alon, Ben Eliyahu made the remarks Friday while addressing the Commercial and Industrial Club during a lecture at the Hilton Hotel in Tel Aviv.

During his speech, Ben Eliyahu said, “the Air Force was built in a way that it could respond quickly, but on the morning of October 7th, it didn’t happen.”

He also stressed the importance of improving military preparedness for unexpected threats, saying, “one of the lessons that must be learned from the failure of October 7th is that a surprises can always happen and therefore, at least part of the Air Force must be ready within half an hour.”

{Matzav.com}

Toyota announced Thursday, July 16, that it will invest an additional $2 billion across several U.S. manufacturing facilities to expand production capacity, modernize assembly operations and increase output of hybrid vehicles as consumer demand continues shifting toward fuel-efficient models.

The latest investment builds on Toyota’s long-term commitment to U.S. manufacturing and comes as the automaker experiences record demand for hybrid vehicles across much of its lineup. Company officials said the funding will support new equipment, advanced manufacturing technology, workforce training and expanded production capabilities at multiple facilities.

Toyota currently employs more than 49,000 people across the United States and manufactures vehicles, engines and components at plants spanning the Midwest and South.

The investment reflects a broader strategy of producing more vehicles closer to American consumers while strengthening domestic supply chains.

Hybrid models have become one of Toyota’s strongest growth drivers as consumers seek better fuel economy without relying entirely on battery-electric vehicles.

Sales of hybrid versions of the Camry, Corolla, RAV4, Highlander, Grand Highlander, Tacoma and other models have continued climbing throughout 2026, with many dealerships reporting limited inventory due to sustained demand.

Executives said consumers increasingly prefer hybrids because they offer improved fuel efficiency without concerns about public charging infrastructure or longer charging times.

The new investment is expected to increase manufacturing flexibility, allowing Toyota to adjust production more quickly as customer preferences continue evolving.

The company said portions of the funding will also support automation, robotics and advanced quality-control systems designed to improve productivity while maintaining Toyota’s manufacturing standards.

Toyota has invested more than $50 billion in U.S. operations over the past several decades, making it one of America’s largest automotive manufacturers.

The company’s expanding domestic footprint also supports thousands of suppliers, logistics providers and local businesses throughout the regions where its plants operate.

Industry analysts say Toyota’s continued emphasis on hybrid technology has positioned the automaker well during a period when many consumers remain cautious about fully electric vehicles but still want improved fuel economy.

Rather than abandoning electrification, Toyota has continued pursuing a diversified strategy that includes hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery-electric vehicles and hydrogen technologies.

For American workers, the investment signals continued confidence in domestic manufacturing.

For consumers, it could help improve vehicle availability while supporting future production of popular hybrid models that have experienced strong demand in recent years.

Toyota said construction and equipment upgrades will begin immediately, with additional production capacity expected to come online over the next several years.

JBizNews Desk | Plano, Texas

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

VENICE, Italy (AP) — The billionaire U.S. ambassador to Italy faced protests when he arrived in Venice on Friday aboard his luxury yacht as part of a coastal diplomacy tour marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.

Activists described hospitality mogul Tilman Fertitta’s arrival as an unwelcome display of American wealth and influence at a time when many Italians see the Trump administration as upending the post-World War II international order.

Protesters clash with police, shouting ‘Shame!”
Hundreds of protesters carrying inflatable pool toys gathered nearby to march toward the yacht that dwarfed buildings on the banks of St. Mark’s Basin.

Signs read “Make America Read Again” and “Oligarch in saor” — a reference to a Venetian specialty with sardines. There was a heavy police presence on foot, while at least three police boats circled the yacht and two lines of police in riot gear blocked access to the yacht.

Demonstrators clashed briefly with police in riot gear when they refused to stop their march toward the ambassador’s yacht just a few hundred meters (yards) away. Police pushed back with shields and inflatable toys flew through the air. The lead protesters had been walking with their arms in the air to show they were peaceful.

After the clash, protesters yelled “Shame!” at the ambassador, the mayor and the police.

Coastal diplomacy aboard a super yacht
The so-called Coastal Diplomacy 250 tour of 13 Italian coastal regions on a super yacht is intended to celebrate “our shared history, our economic partnership, and the cultural bonds that make the U.S.-Italy relationship so special,” Fertitta said in a social media post.

Many of the same groups that protested the wedding of Jeff Bezos to Lauren Sanchez in Venice last year mobilized against Fertitta’s arrival aboard the 117-meter (384-foot) luxury yacht, Boardwalk, which features two helipads, a pair of swimming pools and a fully equipped spa and gym.

On July 4, protest organizers unfurled a banner reading “Venezia non si USA,” which is a play on words combining the Italian phrase “Venice is not to be used” with the acronym USA. The banner was as long as Fertitta’s yacht to illustrate what the protesters called “the dimensions of his arrogance.”

“It’s arrogant to think he can do what he wants in a city that is ever more sold to the single culture of tourism,’’ organizer Stella Morion told The Associated Press. She said protesters are also opposed to President Donald Trump’s international politics, including U.S. strikes on Iran, which she said have prompted a spike in energy prices.

“It is the umpteenth slap in the face of a city and all of the people in Venice who struggle to reach the end of the month due to an increase in prices caused by Trump’s war,” she said.

Fertitta declined a request for an interview to discuss the tour and the planned protest.

A hospitality mogul with Italian roots
The billionaire owner of Fertitta Entertainment was sworn in as ambassador to Italy in 2025. He made his fortune in the hospitality industry, including restaurants, hotels and casinos. He also owns the NBA’s Houston Rockets. His official biography puts his net worth at $11.3 billion, while Forbes ranks him among the 100 wealthiest Americans.

Details of who Fertitta will meet while in Venice have not been released, but he is expected to attend the famed Redentore festival on Saturday, which commemorates the end of the plague in 1576 culminating with celebratory fireworks over St. Mark’s Basin.

He has already stopped over in the Sicilian port town of Cefalu, where his family’s roots trace back to 1566, and met with the governor in Palermo. Other stops have included the Calabrian port of Le Castella and sailed along the coast of Puglia and up the Adriatic coastline to Venice.

A changing U.S.-Italy relationship
Fertitta’s tenure includes navigating a cooling in the once warm relationship between Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and Trump, who has made a series of social media attacks against her.

Meloni, who was once seen as a close Trump ally with similar views on such issues as immigration, did not attend 250th celebrations at the U.S. Embassy.

Apple is facing a proposed class action lawsuit alleging its “Hide My Email” feature failed to conceal users’ real email addresses from websites and apps.

The complaint, filed Wednesday in federal court, also claimed Apple was aware the feature, introduced in 2019, was not working as early as last summer and did not take sufficient action to fix it.

The alleged issue still has not been remedied, according to the suit, even as Apple continues to claim “Hide My Email” generates “unique, random email addresses” that forward to a user’s personal inbox so their real email address is “kept private.”

“A vulnerability in the implementation of Hide My Email allows almost anyone, without elevated privileges or insider access, to link a Hide My Email alias back to the user’s real email address. Independent testing found that 100% of the aliases examined were exploitable,” according to the lawsuit.

Apple offers “Hide My Email” in two ways: through Sign in with Apple, where users can mask their address when creating accounts online, and through paid iCloud+ subscriptions, which let users generate private relay addresses more broadly.

The lawsuit was filed by Anthony Alvarez, a San Diego resident who claims he was “one of the millions of customers” who paid for an iCloud+ subscription with the expectation that his email address would be kept private.

The feature, as advertised, protects users from spam emails, stops their data from being sold to data brokers and prevents their information from being exposed in a third-party data breach.

A security researcher found a flaw in the feature in June 2025 and reported it to Apple, per the lawsuit.

One month later, Apple acknowledged the bug and by March, Apple said it had “addressed the reported issue in a recent system change,” the lawsuit said.

After the researcher told Apple the bug was still present, the company said in May that it would release a patch within a few weeks, according to the suit.

That never happened, the lawsuit said, which prompted the researcher to go public about the “Hide My Email” vulnerability.

If the judge agrees that thousands — or potentially millions — of people were affected by the alleged security flaw, the lawsuit could move forward as a class action.

The lawsuit does not demand a specific dollar amount in compensation but seeks money for customers who paid for Apple privacy protections that allegedly did not work as promised.

Fox News Digital reached out to Apple for comment on the lawsuit.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a groundbreaking new cholesterol-lowering pill that could transform treatment for millions of patients by providing the first oral alternative to injectable PCSK9 medications. The drug, developed by Merck and marketed under the brand name Lipfendra, is designed for people whose dangerously high cholesterol levels remain elevated despite taking statins.

The approval, announced Thursday, is aimed at patients suffering from artery-clogging LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol that continues to pose a serious cardiovascular risk even after treatment with standard cholesterol-lowering medications. Until now, drugs targeting the PCSK9 protein have only been available as injections, limiting their use because of high costs, insurance hurdles, and relatively limited prescribing.

Lipfendra is the first pill to work by blocking the liver protein known as PCSK9. That protein interferes with the body’s natural ability to remove cholesterol from the bloodstream. Injectable medications that target PCSK9 have been on the market for more than a decade through companies such as Amgen, but their widespread use has been hampered by financial and access barriers.

While statins remain the foundation of cholesterol treatment by reducing the liver’s production of cholesterol, many patients are unable to lower their LDL levels enough with statins alone. As a result, additional therapy is often necessary to help patients reach recommended cholesterol targets and reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke.

Merck, headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey, secured FDA approval after two clinical trials involving high-risk patients who took Lipfendra in addition to their existing cholesterol medications, including statins. In one study involving approximately 3,000 participants, patients who received Lipfendra experienced a reduction in LDL cholesterol of more than 55% after six months. A second trial found that patients taking the medication achieved an average LDL reduction of 59% compared with those who received a placebo.

Researchers reported that the cholesterol-lowering effects remained largely consistent over the course of a year. The most commonly reported side effects, including dizziness and diarrhea, occurred at rates similar to those seen in patients taking the placebo. One important requirement is that the medication must be taken on an empty stomach.

The FDA evaluated Lipfendra through its accelerated review program for promising treatments considered to serve the public interest. The expedited pathway was established under then-FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, who resigned from the agency in May following months of pressure from pharmaceutical companies, patient advocates, and other outside organizations.

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, with elevated LDL cholesterol recognized as one of the primary contributors to heart attacks and strokes. While an LDL level below 100 is generally considered acceptable for healthy individuals, physicians typically recommend reducing LDL to 70 or lower for patients with heart disease or high cholesterol, with even lower targets advised for those considered to be at the highest cardiovascular risk.

{Matzav.com}

UPDATE 5:47 PM: TLS VIDEO COLLAGE: The scene in Jackson today, which ended with two people in custody. Sources tell TLS the incident stemmed from domestic violence.

UPDATE 4:25 PM: The second suspect in question has been apprehended, sources told TLS. Authorities have not yet released information surrounding the incident.

Original story below.

https://thelakewoodscoop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/wa-1784325360647-sbiap5.mp4

At least one person is in custody following a large-scale investigation underway in Jackson, TLS has learned.

At least one woman was taken into custody at the scene. Crime scene tape has been set up as authorities continue their investigation.

The SWAT team and drone units are also on scene, indicating that authorities may be searching for additional suspects or conducting an extensive search of the area.

Officers from additional towns have arrived as well.

DEVELOPING STORY.

Israeli singer Eyal Golan announced that he has accepted upon himself not to travel on Shabbos after participating in a shiur held in his home, urging others to take on their own kabbalos as a zechus for the recovery of Rav Dov Kook, who is currently hospitalized following a serious respiratory complication.

Rav Dov Kook is being treated at Poriya Medical Center in Tiverya after suffering an acute respiratory illness. Golan encouraged the public to strengthen themselves in some way for the Rav’s recovery, asking each person to accept a positive kabbalah in his merit.

According to Golan, the shiur was arranged by his daughter, Aline. Expressing his appreciation to her, he said: “This week, my righteous daughter Aline hosted a Torah class here in my home. At the end of the class, I went outside and took upon myself that I would not travel on this Shabbat.”

Calling on others to join him, Golan added: “For the recovery of Rabbi Kook, I ask each and every one of you: take something upon yourselves, this Shabbat, for the recovery of Rabbi Kook. I took upon myself not to travel.”

He concluded by once again thanking his daughter for inspiring the commitment, saying: “Thank you to my righteous daughter Aline, who gave me this merit. Thank you.”

{Matzav.com}

$58.49

Get This Deal

Lightning Deal: KTC 24″ FHD Monitor For $58.49 From Amazon After Stacking Discounts

-This is a lightning deal for $76.49, plus you will automatically receive a 20% discount at checkout!

• KTC 24 Monitor 1080P: Experience the perfect balance of size and resolution. This 23.8″ display with full hd resolution delivers a razor-sharp visuals without jagged edges or blurry text. Perfect for long work sessions, online classes, or casual gaming.
• 100Hz Smooth Fast Visuals: This 100Hz monitor 24 gives you smoother and fluid experience. Scroll through documents, browse websites, and play casual games with noticeably less motion blur and greater fluidity.
• Low Blue Light for Eye Comfort: This computer monitor 24 inch features low blue light mode, helping minimize eye strain, dryness and fatigue during long work hours. Stay productive and entertained for hours with less eye fatigue.
• Low Blue Light for Eye Comfort: This computer monitor 24 inch features low blue light mode, helping minimize eye strain, dryness and fatigue during long work hours. Stay productive and entertained for hours with less eye fatigue.
• Multi-functional Applications: Equipped with HDMI and VGA port, this xx easily connects to your PCs, laptops, gaming consoles and other devices. Perfect for office work, home entertainment, online learning and casual gaming. Tilt -5°~15° and VESA mount 100mmx100mm are supported.
• Worry-free Service: Comes with 3-year warranty and responsive customer support, with responses provided within 12 hours for any issues when using this ktc 24 inch computer monitor 100hz.

New York is now spending more on Medicaid than it does on K-12 education, according to a new fiscal analysis that highlights the state’s rapidly escalating healthcare costs and raises fresh concerns about the long-term sustainability of its budget, the NY Post reports.

A report released by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli found that New York spent $39.4 billion on its Medicaid program during the 2025-26 fiscal year, accounting for 26.5% of the entire state budget. That exceeded the $37 billion allocated for public schools, despite New York already ranking first in the nation in both Medicaid spending per resident and education spending per student.

The findings come as the Trump administration is investigating Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Medicaid program over possible waste, fraud, and abuse.

“When Medicaid outranks math, the state’s fiscal diagnosis isn’t complicated,” Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, told The Post. “Every tough decision New York makes to clean up Medicaid ensures that education is not crowded out.”

Federal officials have recently intensified their scrutiny of New York’s Medicaid system, with investigators focusing on several adult day care centers in New York City amid concerns over possible fraudulent billing and other abuses.

Medicaid is the federal-state health insurance program for low-income individuals, with funding shared among federal, state, and local governments. New York already spends more on the program per capita than any other state, while also leading the nation in per-pupil education spending.

According to DiNapoli’s report, state Medicaid expenditures have more than doubled over the past decade.

“In recent years, all [state] agency Medicaid spending has overtaken spending on School Aid,” DiNapoli’s report said in its review of New York’s record $269 billion budget for fiscal year 2026-27.

Together, Medicaid and education now consume more than half of the state’s overall budget.

Budget projections cited in the report indicate that state Medicaid spending will continue climbing sharply, reaching $53.3 billion within three years. That would represent approximately 29% of total state spending, while school aid is projected to rise to $43.7 billion, or 23.8% of the budget, leaving nearly a $10 billion gap between the two programs.

Bill Hammond, a senior fellow at the Empire Center for Public Policy who specializes in New York healthcare issues, argued that the current trajectory is unsustainable.

“Spending on Medicaid is too high. It’s a free for all. There’s no accountability. They don’t care about the results,” Hammond said.

He noted that virtually every segment of New York’s healthcare industry—including hospitals, nursing homes, outpatient clinics, pharmaceutical companies, and home healthcare providers—receives Medicaid funding.

“It’s not about serving the public interest. It’s about serving special interests,” he said.

Hammond acknowledged that Medicaid provides essential care for vulnerable populations, including low-income residents and individuals with disabilities. However, he argued that New York routinely spends beyond what is necessary, resulting in significant waste.

He pointed to the rapid expansion of adult day care centers serving elderly residents, where costs have surged and prosecutors have brought criminal cases alleging operators paid illegal kickbacks to recruit enrollees.

Hammond also said New York’s generous eligibility standards contribute to rising costs, noting that a majority of Medicaid recipients in the state have incomes above the federal poverty level.

DiNapoli’s report projects that Medicaid expenditures will increase by another $5 billion as hospitals absorb more uninsured patients arriving at emergency rooms after federal healthcare changes caused many residents to lose insurance coverage.

The comptroller also projects Medicaid enrollment will increase from 6.6 million to 7.2 million people as non-citizens transition from the state’s Essential Plan into Medicaid coverage.

According to Hochul’s Division of the Budget, the rising costs are being driven by mandatory wage increases for healthcare workers, higher prices for medical care and prescription drugs, increased reimbursement rates for hospitals and nursing homes, and continued growth among elderly and other high-cost patient populations.

The report also found a dramatic increase in the number of financially troubled hospitals across the state. Today, 75 of New York’s 261 hospitals—nearly 29%—are classified as financially distressed, representing a 200% increase over the past decade. As a result, federal and state financial assistance to struggling hospitals has risen by approximately 700%.

To address those financial pressures, the newly enacted state budget includes $500 million in one-time emergency funding for distressed hospitals.

DiNapoli concluded that Medicaid spending is now growing faster than the state’s statutory spending cap while healthcare-related tax revenues are declining. As a result, he warned that New York policymakers will eventually have to confront “the sustainability of the current trajectory of Medicaid spending.”

{Matzav.com}

NEW YORK (VINnews)-Foreclosure filings across the United States ballooned in the first half of the year, reaching nearly 228,000 from January through June — a 21% increase from the same period a year earlier and 28% higher than two years ago, according to data released Thursday by real estate analytics firm ATTOM.

The rise points to mounting financial pressure on homeowners, often triggered by job loss or other life events that lead to missed mortgage payments, ATTOM CEO Rob Barber said in a statement.

“Rising foreclosure rates indicate that more homeowners are in financial distress,” Barber said. ATTOM tracks foreclosures as default notices, scheduled auctions or bank repossessions.

States seeing the sharpest increases included Idaho, up 59% from the first half of 2025; Colorado, up 57%; and Georgia, up 52%.

Florida led the nation in overall foreclosure activity. In June alone, one in every 2,106 housing units in the state had a foreclosure filing.

Nationwide, foreclosures had totaled 640,864 in 2019 before dropping during the pandemic. They are now returning to pre-pandemic levels, the data shows.

“The increases also suggest that some homeowners may be facing greater financial strain than they were a year ago,” Barber added.

Short sales — in which homeowners sell properties for less than the mortgage balance to avoid foreclosure — are also climbing, according to separate data from Realtor.com, providing another indicator of homeowner challenges.

A growing wave of retirements among Baby Boomer business owners is creating one of the most significant transitions New Jersey’s privately held business sector has faced in decades, with business advisors warning that many owners remain unprepared for leadership succession. The issue has gained renewed attention as industry leaders discuss the increasing urgency of succession planning and new data shows the state’s business community is entering what many have dubbed the “Silver Tsunami”—a period in which an unprecedented number of owners are expected to exit their businesses over the next several years.

The challenge carries significant economic implications for New Jersey, where more than 953,000 small businesses account for 99.6% of all businesses statewide. Those companies collectively employ hundreds of thousands of residents, support local tax bases, anchor downtown business districts, and serve as suppliers to larger corporations throughout the region. As more founders approach retirement, the question is no longer whether ownership will change, but whether those businesses will successfully transition to a new generation or disappear altogether.

Industry experts say succession planning is about far more than deciding who receives the keys to the business. A successful transition often requires years of preparation involving ownership structure, management development, estate planning, financing, tax strategy, employee retention, customer relationships, supplier continuity, and corporate governance. Companies that postpone those discussions until retirement or an unexpected health event frequently face greater disruption and reduced business value.

The numbers illustrate the magnitude of the challenge. Nationally, 40% to 50% of small-business owners expect to retire within the next decade, creating one of the largest ownership transfers in modern history. Yet many businesses have no formal succession strategy in place, increasing the likelihood that otherwise successful companies may ultimately close rather than change hands. Experts estimate that approximately 70% of businesses fail to find a buyer, placing millions of jobs and trillions of dollars in privately held business value at risk.

For family-owned businesses, the transition can be especially difficult. Although many founders hope to pass their companies to children or other relatives, studies show that only about 30% of family businesses successfully reach the second generation, despite most owners expressing a desire to keep the business within the family. Changing career interests, differing family priorities, financing challenges, and governance issues often complicate what owners envisioned as a straightforward handoff.

As a result, an increasing number of business owners are evaluating alternatives that were less common a generation ago. Those include management buyouts, employee ownership structures, strategic acquisitions, mergers, private equity investments, and sales to outside entrepreneurs seeking established companies with proven customer bases and experienced workforces. Advisors say each option requires careful planning years before an owner intends to retire.

The trend is also creating new opportunities throughout New Jersey’s mergers and acquisitions market. Buyers are increasingly seeking established businesses with stable cash flow, loyal customers, experienced employees, and strong community reputations. At the same time, lenders, accountants, attorneys, wealth managers, and valuation specialists are seeing growing demand from owners seeking to determine what their businesses are worth and how to transfer ownership while preserving both value and legacy.

Beyond the financial considerations, succession planning has become an economic development issue. Family-owned businesses often serve as the backbone of local communities, supporting charitable organizations, sponsoring youth programs, employing multiple generations of families, and maintaining long-standing relationships with local suppliers. When those businesses close because no succession plan exists, communities lose not only jobs but also institutional knowledge, local investment, and decades of entrepreneurial experience.

Small businesses employ approximately 62.3 million Americans, representing nearly 46% of the private-sector workforce, underscoring why business succession has become a growing concern among economists and policymakers. Analysts warn that widespread business closures resulting from failed ownership transitions could weaken local economies, reduce employment opportunities, and erode generational wealth built over decades.

For New Jersey, where entrepreneurship has long been a driver of economic growth, the coming decade will likely determine whether thousands of successful businesses continue operating under new leadership or become casualties of inadequate planning. Advisors consistently recommend that owners begin succession discussions well before retirement, involve legal and financial professionals early, communicate openly with family members and key employees, and prepare future leaders gradually rather than waiting until a transition becomes unavoidable.

While the “Silver Tsunami” presents undeniable challenges, many business leaders also see opportunity. A new generation of entrepreneurs, investors, and professional managers is expected to acquire established companies, modernize operations, expand into new markets, and preserve businesses that have served New Jersey communities for decades. Those successful transitions could help sustain employment, protect local economies, and ensure that many of the state’s family-owned enterprises continue contributing to economic growth for generations to come.

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

NEW YORK (VINnews) – Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, long a polarizing figure in conservative media known for amplifying divisive rhetoric, told Bloomberg News podcaster Mishal Husain that Republicans are poised to suffer significant losses in the upcoming midterms, framing it as punishment for neglecting domestic struggles in favor of overseas entanglements.

“They’re going to be punished,” Carlson said. “Younger people are legit struggling … and I don’t see any political leaders … moving their priorities from a whole suite of different foreign conflicts … and spending the time thinking about how do I elevate my people?”

The remarks, delivered in an interview that highlights Carlson’s ongoing drift from mainstream Republican priorities, underscore his pattern of sowing discord within the party he once championed. Critics have accused him of peddling isolationist views that undermine strong U.S. support for allies like Israel amid critical security challenges, while shifting blame away from domestic policy shortcomings.

Carlson’s comments come as Republicans navigate a complex political landscape, with many voters expressing concerns over economic pressures on younger generations. However, his narrative conveniently overlooks the substantial achievements of Republican-led initiatives in areas like border security, economic growth, and countering threats from adversaries — priorities that have historically resonated with broad swaths of the electorate.

Instead, the commentator appears to echo isolationist sentiments that have drawn fire for potentially weakening resolve against global threats, including those facing the Jewish state and the broader West. Analysts suggest such rhetoric risks alienating pro-Israel voters and mainstream conservatives who view robust international engagement as essential to American strength and security.

Carlson, who has faced repeated accusations of platforming fringe ideas and contributing to political polarization, has increasingly positioned himself as a critic of the GOP establishment. His prediction of a midterm “spanking” for Republicans may reflect more about his own estrangement from the party than any inevitable electoral outcome.

VINnews will continue to monitor developments in U.S. politics and their implications for the Jewish community and Israel.

Military prosecutors have filed an indictment against terrorist Shadi Juma for his role in the November 2007 murder of Ido Zoldan, bringing formal charges nearly 18 years after the deadly attack. The indictment was submitted Thursday evening following Juma’s recent capture by Israeli security forces.

The charges became possible after Juma was arrested roughly six weeks ago in Qalqilya during a joint operation conducted by the IDF, the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), and the Gideonim Unit.

Israeli authorities said Juma was taken into custody immediately after completing a lengthy prison term in Palestinian Authority custody, where he had been incarcerated continuously since the time of the attack.

According to the indictment, the murder was not spontaneous but the result of extensive planning and a deliberate roadside ambush. “On November 19, 2007, Juma joined two additional accomplices, and together they formulated a detailed operational plan to carry out a targeted shooting attack against Jewish residents traveling on the main roads. The defendant and his accomplices traveled together to obtain weapons and prepare the vehicle that would be used both to carry out the attack and to facilitate their escape, while coordinating among themselves the manner in which the shooting would be executed and the specific weapons to be used,” the indictment states.

The indictment goes on to describe how the terror cell searched for Israeli targets before carrying out the fatal attack. “After completing the logistical preparations, the three members of the cell went into the field to locate vehicles driven by Israeli civilians. They agreed in advance that they would positively confirm the victim’s Jewish identity before opening fire, and they began lying in wait for passing vehicles. After identifying the car driven by the late Ido Zoldan, they closed in on it with their own vehicle. At that point, one of Juma’s accomplices opened fire at close range directly at Zoldan with the intent to kill him. As a result of the shooting, Ido Zoldan was killed. Immediately after carrying out the attack, Juma and his accomplices fled the scene.”

Military prosecutors have charged Juma with “causing death with intent while acting in concert,” the offense under military law that is equivalent to a murder charge.

{Matzav.com}

U.S. factory production accelerated in June, providing another encouraging sign that the manufacturing sector is regaining strength after a slow start to the year.

The Federal Reserve reported on Thursday, July 16, that manufacturing output increased 0.8% in June, marking the strongest monthly gain in four months and exceeding economists’ expectations. The improvement helped lift overall industrial production as factories increased output across several major industries.

The stronger report follows a series of economic indicators released this week suggesting businesses remain confident despite higher interest rates and global economic uncertainty.

Automakers Lead the Recovery

One of the largest contributors to June’s increase came from the automotive industry.

Vehicle manufacturers boosted production after earlier supply disruptions eased, while producers of machinery, fabricated metals and aerospace equipment also reported stronger output.

Factory utilization improved as manufacturers increased production schedules to meet customer demand and replenish inventories.

Businesses also benefited from improving supply chains, allowing many facilities to operate more efficiently than earlier in the year.

Industrial Production Continues Expanding

Overall industrial production, which includes manufacturing, mining and utilities, also advanced during the month.

Utility output remained elevated as much of the country experienced unusually warm temperatures that increased electricity demand for air conditioning.

Mining activity also remained stable, supported by continued domestic energy production.

The combination of stronger factory output and resilient energy production points to broad-based industrial growth entering the second half of 2026.

Businesses Continue Investing

The report suggests many companies remain willing to invest in equipment and production despite elevated borrowing costs.

Manufacturers continue modernizing facilities, expanding automation and increasing productivity to meet customer demand while addressing ongoing labor shortages.

Executives across multiple industries have reported that business investment remains supported by healthy order backlogs and improving customer confidence.

Those investments are expected to help strengthen productivity and long-term competitiveness.

Positive Sign for the Economy

Manufacturing represents a critical component of the American economy, supporting millions of jobs and thousands of suppliers nationwide.

Stronger factory production often translates into higher freight volumes, increased demand for raw materials and additional hiring throughout the industrial sector.

Combined with recent reports showing resilient consumer spending and a stable labor market, the latest manufacturing data reinforces the view that the U.S. economy continues expanding at a steady pace.

Looking Ahead

Manufacturers remain cautiously optimistic about the months ahead.

Although businesses continue monitoring trade policy, inflation and interest rates, improving demand and stronger production suggest industrial activity is building momentum.

If current trends continue, manufacturing could become an increasingly important driver of economic growth during the remainder of 2026.

JBizNews Desk | Washington

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

A controversial proposal to use Nile crocodiles as a security measure around Israeli prisons holding terrorist inmates has sparked a growing dispute after Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman approved a legal designation intended to advance the plan despite objections from her ministry’s legal adviser and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.

Silman declared the Nile crocodile a “cultivated wild animal,” a classification designed to allow the Israel Prison Service to deploy crocodiles around correctional facilities. The decision was made over the objections of both the ministry’s legal counsel and the professional recommendations submitted by wildlife experts.

The initiative began several months ago after the Ministry of National Security reportedly pressed the Israel Nature and Parks Authority to permit the transfer of crocodiles from the Hamat Gader park for use around prisons housing security prisoners. The pilot program was reportedly slated to begin at Ketziot Prison.

Last month, the ministry’s legal adviser, attorney Neta Drori, sent Silman a sharply worded letter arguing that there was no factual or professional basis for moving forward with the proposal. She wrote that there is no recognized precedent for using crocodiles as a security measure at modern correctional facilities.

“With regard to the use that was made in the United States, it was noted that this was an experiment for a short period that was discontinued. Apparently, this involved an area where crocodiles were naturally present, and therefore there is no basis for comparison,” the letter stated.

Drori also argued that the proposal requires extensive review from an animal welfare standpoint. She wrote, “Although Israel Prison Service officials stated that they are aware of and prepared to ensure the animals’ physical welfare, among other things based on their experience handling dogs, it appears that the organization has no expertise in raising dangerous wild animals such as crocodiles.”

The legal adviser concluded that the proposal could not legally proceed, writing, “In light of this, our position is that the legal conditions required for such a declaration have not been met, and there is therefore a legal impediment to advancing the declaration as requested.”

The Israel Nature and Parks Authority reached a similar conclusion. In an opinion submitted to the ministry’s legal adviser, the authority’s chief prosecutor, attorney Shay Peretz, wrote that “no sufficient professional basis was found to approve the keeping of crocodiles at security facilities in Israel, regardless of the legal mechanism through which such keeping would be authorized.”

The authority’s professional assessment was unequivocal, stating: “The very introduction of a large, dangerous, long-lived and non-native wild animal into a complex operational security system creates a range of significant risks that do not allow, from a professional standpoint, a recommendation to advance the program.”

Dr. Noam Lider, head of the Ecology Department in the authority’s Science Division, also raised concerns about the welfare of the animals. He wrote, “The use of crocodiles as a means of security or deterrence goes beyond the purposes for which wild animals are commonly kept and creates an inherent concern that security and operational needs will outweigh the welfare, veterinary care and maintenance required throughout the many decades of the animal’s life.”

The opinion further warned that even the escape of a single crocodile could create an ongoing environmental and public safety hazard. “A crocodile that reaches a drainage system, reservoir, stream, fish pond or other body of water could survive for a long time, be difficult to locate and capture, prey on native wildlife and endanger the public,” the report stated.

Officials noted that Nile crocodiles had previously been designated as cultivated wild animals to allow commercial farming for their skins. That effort ultimately resulted in numerous problems, including crocodile escapes and fears that the reptiles would establish themselves in the wild and endanger the public. Former Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan later ended the practice based on the recommendation of the advisory committee of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.

Despite the legal and professional objections, Silman chose to move forward with the plan. She said a senior professional at the Nature and Parks Authority had indicated there was no opposition to the Prison Service initiative and that a previously approved legal framework already existed.

Silman argued there is a fundamental distinction between the unsuccessful commercial crocodile operations of the past and having Israel’s prison service—an agency responsible for preventing dangerous terrorists from escaping—oversee the reptiles while complying with the authority’s requirements.

As part of the move, the minister effectively created a new legal classification of “cultivated wild animal for security purposes,” reviving a dormant provision of Israel’s Wildlife Protection Law.

Environmental and animal welfare organizations have sharply criticized the proposal. Let the Animals Live, the IDF Veganism Promotion Headquarters, Animals, and the Keren Or Rescue Farm said in a joint statement: “We strongly oppose the use of animals as a means of guarding and deterrence. Crocodiles are sentient animals with complex needs for space, water, temperature and natural behavior. It is highly doubtful that placing them in prisons can comply with Israel’s Animal Welfare Law.”

The groups also pointed to the mass killing of crocodiles at a Jordan Valley breeding facility, saying, “We have already seen where this leads: At the Petzael farm, hundreds of crocodiles were slaughtered for no reason after being imported for leather production. We must not create the next failure.”

They added, “Today there are countless real security measures available—cameras, sensors, electronic fences and guard towers—so there is no justification for using crocodiles. It is also highly doubtful that the crocodiles intended for this purpose have aggressive temperaments, and in any event, during the winter they slow their metabolism dramatically, become very sluggish and stop eating.”

The organizations concluded with a warning: “Security should be achieved through real security measures, not through animals. We are considering filing a petition with the High Court of Justice over the matter.”

{Matzav.com}

KUALA LUMPUR — An internal leadership memorandum issued by MMC Port Holdings Sdn. Bhd. on July 12 confirmed that Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the company’s Executive Chairman, has assumed direct operational oversight of Malaysia’s largest port operating group following the immediate departure of Group Chief Executive Azman Shah Mohd. Yusof. Under the interim structure, all responsibilities previously handled by the Group CEO will report directly to Bin Sulayem while the company continues day-to-day operations and evaluates its long-term leadership plans.

The transition places one of the world’s most experienced port executives in direct control of a company operating seven major ports positioned along or near the Strait of Malacca, one of the most strategically important maritime corridors in global commerce.

MMC Ports is Malaysia’s largest port operator, handling more than 20 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) annually across its network. Its portfolio includes the internationally significant Port of Tanjung Pelepas, one of the world’s busiest container transshipment hubs, along with several other key commercial terminals that connect manufacturing centers throughout Asia with Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and North America.

The importance of the appointment extends well beyond corporate governance. The Strait of Malacca serves as one of the world’s principal shipping lanes, carrying a substantial share of global container traffic and energy shipments between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Thousands of commercial vessels transit the waterway each year, making efficient port operations essential to global manufacturing, retail supply chains, commodity markets, and international trade.

Because of that strategic position, operational decisions made by Malaysia’s largest port operator can influence vessel scheduling, cargo movement, shipping efficiency, infrastructure investment, and logistics planning throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Businesses ranging from manufacturers and exporters to retailers, freight forwarders, and shipping companies closely monitor developments involving major port operators serving the Strait.

According to the internal memorandum, the interim reporting structure is intended to maintain continuity of governance, operational decision-making, and strategic execution while the company continues serving customers without disruption. No explanation was provided for the departure of the Group Chief Executive, and no permanent successor has been announced.

Bin Sulayem brings decades of experience managing some of the world’s largest port and logistics operations. Throughout his career, he has overseen the expansion of international maritime infrastructure, logistics networks, and global trade platforms, earning recognition as one of the shipping industry’s most influential executives.

The leadership transition also comes as international shipping continues evolving in response to changing trade patterns, larger container vessels, expanding manufacturing throughout Southeast Asia, and continued investment in modern port infrastructure. Malaysia remains one of the region’s most important logistics gateways, and MMC Ports plays a central role in supporting both regional and global commerce.

Malaysia’s government has emphasized that management appointments remain corporate decisions while ownership of strategic port assets continues to be governed by national policy. Transport Minister Anthony Loke stated that the government does not interfere in management appointments, while maintaining existing ownership requirements applicable to strategic infrastructure operators.

Industry observers will also be watching whether the leadership transition influences MMC Ports’ longer-term strategic initiatives, including a potential revival of its previously postponed initial public offering, which had been expected to become one of Malaysia’s largest public listings in more than a decade.

For the global business community, the announcement represents more than a leadership change. Direct oversight of Malaysia’s largest port operator places Bin Sulayem in a position to help shape the movement of goods through one of the world’s most critical maritime trade corridors, making the transition significant for international shipping, supply-chain resilience, infrastructure investment, and global commerce.

JBizNews Desk | Kuala Lumpur

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

Before the U.S.-Iran war began on February 28, Iraq exported nearly 3.5 million barrels per day through Hormuz. Then the strait closed. Storage at key fields filled, and Iraq cut production to roughly a third of its normal output of more than 4 million barrels a day. Exports from its main southern fields dropped 70% during the conflict.

Iraq is OPEC’s second-largest producer, with proven reserves of 145 billion barrels. It is also, in practical terms, landlocked when Hormuz closes. Saudi Arabia has the East-West pipeline to the Red Sea, moving 5 to 7 million barrels a day. The UAE has Habshan-Fujairah to the Gulf of Oman. Iraq has almost nothing.

That is not an inconvenience. Oil is Iraq’s government. Without an export route, there is no revenue, no budget, no state.

The routes on the table

Three options are live, none of them easy.

The Kirkuk-Baniyas line to Syria’s Mediterranean coast runs roughly 800 kilometers and has been mostly out of service since it was damaged during the 2003 invasion. The Syrian port of Baniyas, home to the country’s largest refinery, has emerged as the front-runner to receive Iraqi crude. Chevron, TotalEnergies, Los Angeles-based TI Capital, and Qatar’s UCC Holding have all been part of those discussions. A State Department official said Tuesday that Washington supports the effort and expects American companies to help build it.

The Basra-Aqaba line to Jordan would carry up to 2.25 million barrels a day at an estimated cost of $18 billion. Iraq and Jordan signed an agreement to build it in 2013, due for completion in 2017, delayed in 2014. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Al Zaidi discussed moving it forward on Wednesday.

The Iraq-Turkey line already exists — roughly 600 miles, with total capacity near 1.6 million barrels a day. It had been closed and is reopening because of the Hormuz disruption, reportedly at an initial 250,000 barrels a day.

The risk nobody is pricing

The probable pipeline routes run through Iraq’s western Anbar province and eastern Syria, where ISIS cells remain active. Any company writing a check is also betting that Syria’s fledgling government can hold the ground for the decades a pipeline takes to pay back. Rebuilding Kirkuk-Baniyas alone could cost billions.

TotalEnergies chief executive Patrick Pouyanne put the strategic logic plainly: if you want to move Iraqi oil without depending on Hormuz, Syria becomes an important transit route.

The fields

West Qurna-2 holds roughly 14 billion barrels of recoverable reserves and was producing about 460,000 barrels a day — nearly 10% of Iraq’s output and half a percent of global supply — before the cuts. Russia’s Lukoil developed it under a service contract dating to 2009 and declared force majeure after U.S. and U.K. sanctions in October 2025. Basra Oil Company took temporary transfer of the contract, and in February signed a framework deal giving Chevron exclusive negotiating rights for one year. North Oil Company holds 25% of the project. Chevron could nearly double output to between 750,000 and 800,000 barrels a day if it takes over as operator.

Nasiriyah came in the same February round, alongside four exploration blocks in Dhi Qar province and the Balad field in Salaheddin. On July 1, Basra Oil signed a non-disclosure agreement with Chevron to govern data exchange for evaluating West Qurna-2, overseen by Oil Minister Bassim Khudair.

The politics

Al Zaidi, who took office in May, has said American companies will get first refusal on Iraqi energy and investment deals, and has directed the oil, electricity, and communications ministries accordingly. He has outlined a joint energy and development fund with Washington financed by the equivalent of 500,000 barrels a day.

He met President Trump at the White House on July 14. “We’re going to create a lot of jobs for both countries,” Trump said. Al Zaidi also met Tom Barrack, the special presidential envoy for Iraq.

What it means

Brent traded below $85 Thursday; West Texas Intermediate held just under $80. Every barrel that finds a route around Hormuz takes a small piece out of the war premium sitting in those prices — and in American gasoline, diesel, and airline fuel costs.

The catch is time. Pipelines take years. The war is now.

JBizNews Desk | Houston

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

TAPACHULA, México (AP) — A strong earthquake struck the southern Mexican Pacific coast on Friday, right on the border with Guatemala, and was felt from Mexico City to El Salvador. Authorities have not immediately reported any severe damage or casualties in any country.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) informed the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.3 with epicenter 48 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of Aquiles Serdan, near the coast of Chiapas and at a depth of 15 kilometers (9 miles). It was preceded by a smaller quake with epicenter a bit further out in the ocean.

In the town of Suchiate, located along the river that separates Mexico from Guatemala, coastal areas are being monitored for risk of a tsunami, according to Mayor Elmer Vázquez Gallardo.

In Tapachula, the main city on Mexico’s southern border, the tremor began mildly but gradually intensified.

“We were upstairs on the second floor when it started shaking; we thought it would pass, but then it got stronger, so we all went downstairs and evacuated in an orderly manner to the front courtyard,” Alejandra Mendoza, an administrative employee at a public hospital in the city, explained to The Associated Press.

In Guatemala City, the earthquake frightened residents because of how long it lasted. Many people poured into the streets in the middle of rush hour as the workday was beginning.

In the Mexican capital, where buildings in certain areas creaked and shook, the earthquake alert did not sound because, as the government explained, “the energy radiated by the earthquake during the first few seconds did not exceed the activation thresholds.”

By Rabbi Shmuley Boteach

“The Rebbe believed every human being could change. He never asked Jews to surrender moral clarity in the hope that someone someday might.”

Few Jewish leaders have shaped modern Judaism more profoundly than the Lubavitcher Rebbe, my Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. His message of love, responsibility, Jewish pride, and moral courage transformed Jewish life across the globe.

2- @berelsolomon should get on knees at the Rebbe’s grave and beg forgiveness that the Rebbe embraced Hitler lovers 🤮. Hitler killed the Rebbe’s family. How dare you ? #FakeChabad – read the truth in Rabbi Shmuley’s new column – https://t.co/v6RgYXZyVB pic.twitter.com/5Yu9ENXl44

— Rabbi Shmuley (@RabbiShmuley) July 17, 2026

The Rebbe believed in the infinite value of every human being. He believed no one should ever be written off. He believed in teshuvah—the possibility that people can genuinely change. Every human being possessed an infinite spark of the divine.

But he also believed in truth.

He never confused outreach with endorsement.

He never suggested that moral clarity should be sacrificed for publicity.

That is why I have become increasingly troubled by the way one story involving Senator Jesse Helms has come to dominate discussions of Jewish outreach.

One of the more troubling recent developments has been the attempt by some commentators to resurrect the decades-old Jesse Helms controversy in order to draw false moral equivalencies with entirely different modern disputes. The Helms episode has been stripped of its historical context and repurposed as a rhetorical shield to deflect criticism of contemporary figures whose own conduct has generated intense public controversy.

Historical comparisons should illuminate, not obscure. Invoking the Helms story to dismiss legitimate concerns about present-day controversies does a disservice both to history and to honest public debate. Each case should stand or fall on its own facts. Using a decades-old political dispute as a blanket defense against criticism of current conduct is intellectually unpersuasive and risks trivializing the very issues that deserve careful moral scrutiny.

If critics believe a public figure has crossed serious ethical or moral lines, they should defend that position with evidence relating to that individual’s own actions and public statements—not by attempting to rewrite or weaponize history. Honest debate demands accuracy, context, and consistency, especially when discussing matters involving antisemitism, extremism, and the memory of the Holocaust.

Today, whenever controversy erupts over whether Jewish leaders or influencers should engage deeply controversial public figures, someone inevitably invokes Jesse Helms.

“The Rebbe met Jesse Helms.”

“The Rebbe honored Jesse Helms.”

“The Rebbe believed in influencing the future.”

Case closed.

Except history is not that simple.

Two Stories—Not One

The modern understanding of the Jesse Helms story rests largely upon Professor Alan Dershowitz’s recollections.

In a Jewish Educational Media video released in 2025, Professor Dershowitz recounts that Jesse Helms, who started with less than great affection for israel, was being honored and that the Rebbe explained one should not judge a person solely by the past but should seek to influence the future.

It is a beautiful lesson

But there’s one major problem. .

But years earlier, Professor Dershowitz appears to have described the same encounter entire differently.

According to his earlier published account, the Rebbe’s very first response was that Jesse Helms had not been honored at all but had simply been present at a Chabad event as one of countless legislators attending and was denied any special status.

Those are very different versions of the same story.

One describes an intentional honor.

The other does not.

That distinction matters enormously.

I Asked Professor Dershowitz Directly

Rather than speculate, I contacted Professor Dershowitz personally.

I wrote:

Hi Alan,

Can you please explain the discrepancy that my son Mendy found in your statements about the Rebbe “honoring” Jesse Helms. I’m writing a column on it and need an official statement please. You clearly contradict yourself.

Please watch Mendy’s video wheee he quotes you directly, both in wrottten form and transcribed from video.

At the time I finished this article, I had not received a response.

If Professor Dershowitz offers one, I would gladly publish it. Indeed, the real question is why for decades Dershowitz has sat on this letter and has not published it. Some are even asking if the letter even exists. Why won’t Dershowitz clarify such an important question and where is this famous letter?

This is not about embarrassing anyone.

It is about protecting the historical integrity of one of Judaism’s greatest leaders.

Jesse Helms Is Not Today’s Debate

Even accepting the broadest interpretation of the story, there remains another point that is often overlooked.

Jesse Helms was one of the most influential United States senators of his generation.

He served for decades in the Senate.

He became chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

He was a central figure in American politics.

Many Jews strongly disagreed with his positions on Israel.

His opposition to aspects of American aid policy toward Israel and his criticism of Israeli military decisions generated understandable concern.

But that is precisely the point.

The controversy surrounding Jesse Helms centered on public policy.

He was a mainstream elected official whose views on Israel were vigorously debated.

Using his example as a universal template for every modern controversy strips away the historical context.

Historical analogies only work when they are historically accurate.

“The Rebbe believed in changing people—not in erasing the distinction between engagement and endorsement.”

Now that’s a far cry from the catastrophic PR disaster in Israel last week with “Heil Hitler” singing Clavicular, arranged by bizarre Chabad influencer Yossi Farro and disgustingly defended by amoral influencers Lizzy Savetsky and Emily Austin, who in doing so betrayed both Israel as well as the sacred memory of the six million.

Leading antisemites like the streamer Clavicular and his best friend, the rabid antisemite Nick Fuentes, are receiving free public relations from Jews in Israel. This is not theory. It is happening in real time. Clavicular, who has sung “Heil Hitler” along to Kanye West’s track and boasts of treating women as disposable objects for five or ten seconds in a bathroom stall, was brought to Israel, fed cholent, photographed with Jewish influencers, and given a platform that rehabilitates his image. The result is a catastrophic PR victory for a man whose ideology glorifies the murder of six million Jews.

All of this rests on the Jesse Helms lie. The claim, pushed repeatedly by Dershowitz, is that the Lubavitcher Rebbe honored an antisemite and thereby turned him into a supporter of Israel. The implication is clear: if the Rebbe could honor an antisemite to influence the future, then today’s Jewish influencers can platform Clavicular, wrap him in tefillin-adjacent optics, and call it outreach. This is one of the greatest libels ever told about the Rebbe, and it is being told by Chabad’s own media apparatus.

The Jesse Helms Myth Is Garbage

Jesse Helms was not an antisemite. He was a powerful, mainstream Southern senator from North Carolina who opposed foreign aid to almost every country, including Israel. He did not believe Jews had no right to a state. He did not call Israelis Nazis or demand the destruction of the Jewish people. He was a fiscal isolationist who believed America should not bankroll other nations’ defense.

In 1982, during the Lebanon War, Helms went further and called for the United States to break diplomatic relations with Israel until the fighting stopped. These were wrong and harmful positions. But they were policy disagreements, not racial or religious hatred. Helms was never a Nick Fuentes or a Clavicular.

Helms experienced a turnaround. By the mid-1980s he became more supportive of Israel. The Dershowitz-JEM narrative credits the Rebbe with this change through a supposed letter or honor. The evidence collapses under examination.

As above, a 2014 Jewish Educational Media pamphlet, Dershowitz himself wrote that the first thing the Rebbe told him was that Jesse Helms was not honored by Chabad. He was simply there. Another Chabad source states the Rebbe said Helms had just walked in — he was not invited, let alone honored — and Chabad chose not to be rude by throwing him out. Most shocking, the JEM video is titled “How a Former Anti-Semite Became a Strong Israel Supporter.” The clear implication is that the Rebbe turned an antisemite around while he was still an antisemite by honoring him.

As stated, Dershowitz has mysteriously never produced the letter he now claims the Rebbe wrote. In the 2025 JEM video he describes a “very poignant, very powerful letter” about honoring not only the past but influencing the future. In his own earlier telling, no such honor occurred. The photographs JEM shows of Helms flanked by yeshiva students are from his well-publicized August 1985 visit to Israel — more than a year after his shift toward Israel began in early 1984. The event the Rebbe discussed with Dershowitz took place in Washington, not Israel.

The real reason for Helms’ change had nothing to do with Jewish sycophancy. In his 1984 Senate race against North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt, pro-Israel Jews and Christians sent an estimated $2–3 million to Hunt’s campaign. Hunt outraised and outspent Helms and was favored to win. That financial and political pressure — Jews fighting Helms rather than kissing his ring — forced the senator to recalculate. He moderated his Israel positions to survive politically. It was opposition, not appeasement, that moved him.

The story that the Rebbe honored an active antisemite to transform him is therefore false on multiple levels. It is a libel against the Rebbe’s legacy. And it is now being weaponized to justify platforming actual neo-Nazi-adjacent figures like Clavicular in the Jewish state.

Clavicular’s Catastrophic Visit and the “Heil Hitler / Sex-with-Women-in-the-Toilet” PR Disaster

Clavicular — a 20-year-old Kick streamer from the looksmaxxing scene — arrived in Israel this month amid controversy over his past content. He has sung along to “Heil Hitler.” He was involved in the “clubocaust” incident. He maintains close ties to Nick Fuentes, one of the most despicable antisemites in American public life. On Israeli television’s Channel 13 he was given the opportunity to apologize. He refused and attacked the presenter for even asking. This is the face of the new antisemitism: young, online, unrepentant, and now physically present in Tel Aviv with Jewish enablers.

Jewish influencers facilitated this visit. Yossi Farro, who brands himself as a Chabad figure and has built a following by chasing billionaires and celebrities to put on Tefillin on the world’s most “powerful Jews,” courted Clavicular. Farro fed him cholent, posted videos, and presented him with Jewish-themed gifts. The message sent to Clavicular’s audience and to Fuentes’ circle was unmistakable: Jews will rehabilitate you if you play along. Lizzy Savetsky, another damaged Jewish influencer, has also pledged openness to hosting figures of this stripe. The result is free PR for antisemites at Israel’s expense.

Clavicular’s own words and behavior compound the disgrace. He has bragged about using girls as sexual objects for five or ten seconds in a bathroom stall. He came to Israel, in the words of those around him, to “have sex with Jewish girls.” When confronted with the reality that he treats Jewish women as disposable, he offered no apology. Farro’s role in bringing a man with this record — and in allegedly committing on livestream to pull political levers for Clavicular to gain access to official IDF social media accounts — is indefensible.

The IDF Social Media Breach and the Demotion of Shira Braun

An IDF soldier named Shira Braun, who managed aspects of the military’s social media and TikTok presence in the Spokesperson’s Unit, appeared in Clavicular’s livestreams, abasing herself utterly. Reports indicate he made physical advances on camera and commented about taking her to a hotel room “to make love to you” they knew each other one day. She has since been removed from her position and reassigned by the IDF to kitchen duties — cooking and cleaning. This is not sufficient.

If Braun or anyone associated bragged about granting a neo-Nazi-linked streamer access to official IDF accounts, or if Farro pledged to leverage connections for such access, this is a national security matter. The IDF is a real army defending against another Holocaust. Playing with its social media channels for clout or “content” is not edgy; it is reckless endangerment of Israeli lives. Braun should face a court-martial. Israeli police must investigate Farro’s statements on the livestream. Farro should not be permitted to leave Israel until he has been questioned under oath. This is not a game. It is a stain on the Jewish state.

Chana Boteach’s Confrontation — The Moral Response My Children Delivered

My daughter Chana Boteach, an IDF veteran and Tel Aviv entrepreneur who created the Kosjwr Sex company to promote American passion and intimacy, monogamy, and faithfulness, named after the Rebbe’s saintly mother, confronted Clavicular directly in a kosher restaurant in Tel Aviv. She did what too many Jewish influencers refused to do: she spoke truth to a man glorifying Nazi ideology and degrading women.

In a video that went viral, she essentially told Clavicular, “There is no place in Israel for someone who’s both a neo-Nazi and a woman-trashing misogynist. Israel is a brave and moral country where men are raised to marry and respect women and build families; not to use girls as objects in a bathroom stall, as you bragged, you caveman degenerate. Respect this country of heroic men and strong IDF warrior women, you woman-hating chauvinist and cowardly man-child, or go back to the hole you crawled out of or wherever “Chabad” turncoat Yossi Farro dig you out of. My name is Chana and I’m named after the Rebbe’s saintly mother. Farro is a disgrace to the Rebbe and the light he brought to the world.”

Outreach Without Confusion

The Rebbe’s philosophy was both compassionate and demanding.

He believed every person possesses a Divine soul.

He believed every person is capable of moral growth.

But growth begins with truth.

Repentance begins with acknowledging wrongdoing.

The Jewish concept of teshuvah is powerful precisely because it recognizes that people can become different from who they once were.

That process is meaningful because it requires honesty.

Hope for transformation does not require pretending transformation has already occurred.

That is why I believe the Jesse Helms story has too often been simplified into a slogan rather than understood as a nuanced historical episode.

A New Era of Public Influence

The world in which the Rebbe operated is very different from today’s world of livestreams, viral videos, podcasts, and algorithm-driven celebrity.

Modern influencers possess enormous cultural reach.

Every collaboration sends a message.

Every photograph becomes symbolic.

Every appearance communicates something beyond the words spoken.

What should unite us is the understanding that outreach succeeds only when accompanied by moral clarity.

The Rebbe’s Legacy Deserves Better

The Lubavitcher Rebbe needs no mythology.

His greatness requires no embellishment.

If historical accounts differ, let us examine them honestly.

If famous anecdotes exist in multiple versions, let us ask respectful questions.

If documents remain unpublished, let us seek greater clarity.

That is not disrespect.

It is respect of the highest order.

The Rebbe taught us to think.

He taught us to ask questions.

He taught us to combine love with courage and compassion with truth.

Most of all, he taught us that Judaism never asks us to choose between kindness and conviction.

The Rebbe believed people could change.

So do I.

But he also believed that truth matters.

So do I.

The greatest tribute we can pay his memory is not to invoke his name whenever it is convenient.

It is to preserve his teachings accurately, honestly, and courageously.

That, above all, is what his legacy deserves.

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, “America’s Rabbi, is the international best-selling author of 37 book, the most recent being “Comeback Nation: How Israel Annihilated Its Adversaries in a Seven-Front War of Survival.” Follow him on X and Instagram @Rabbi Shmuley.

The Chase Freedom Flex Mastercard is an excellent no annual fee card thanks to its quarterly 5% categories. While the rewards are marketed as 5% cash back, you’ll actually get 5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent, which can be worth much more than 5% cash.

The Freedom Flex also earns 5x points on Chase Travel and 3x points on dining and drug stores.

Unfortunately, the card’s cell phone protection will end after 9/19. That covers the cost of a stolen or damaged phone up to $800, if you pay the bill on your card.

There are other cards that cover cell phones, such as the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. That card comes with $1,000 of coverage if you pay the bill on your card, and earns 3x points on cell phone spending. Or the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and Venture X Business Card come with $800 of coverage if you pay the bill on your card, and earns 2x miles on all purchases.

In its place, the foreign transaction fee will be removed as of 9/20. That’s fantastic news, as the current 3% fee makes the card rarely worth using when abroad. Starting 9/20, you can use the card for dining and drug stores abroad to earn 3x points or in the rotating categories to earn 5x points with no foreign transaction fees!

We reached out to Chase to see if any other cards, such as the Freedom Visa or Freedom Unlimited, will have their foreign transaction fees removed, but the bank had no comment on other changes.

Will you use your Freedom Flex card when abroad starting 9/20?

The IDF and Shin Bet announced Friday that Israeli forces eliminated Anas Mahmoud Ahmed Hamdan, a Hamas company commander who played a key role in the captivity of Israeli hostages and oversaw Hamas propaganda efforts in Khan Yunis. Hamdan was killed in a precision airstrike carried out Thursday in the Khan Yunis area.

According to Israeli security officials, Hamdan was deeply involved in managing Israeli hostages held in Gaza. He took part in their transfer between locations and was involved in arrangements surrounding their release as part of hostage exchange agreements. He also directed the Khan Yunis Brigade’s propaganda operations for Hamas.

The IDF said Hamdan had long served as a trusted aide to some of Hamas’ most senior military leaders, including Mohammed Deif and Rafaa Salameh, maintaining that role for years and throughout the current war.

Israeli officials stated that during the conflict, Hamdan was directly responsible for guarding Israeli hostages and overseeing the filming of captives during Hamas’ staged release ceremonies. Before the October 7 war, he had also been involved in the captivity of Israeli civilian Avera Mengistu.

In recent months, the military said, Hamdan helped train Hamas operatives while working to plan and facilitate terrorist attacks targeting IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians. The IDF described him as an ongoing threat to troops operating in Gaza, adding that he was eliminated in a carefully targeted aerial operation.

The IDF said Hamdan’s death represents a significant operational achievement, removing a terrorist who played a critical role in protecting and assisting senior Hamas commanders responsible for carrying out the October 7 massacre.

{Matzav.com}

NEW YORK (AP) — A 40-year-old New York man faces hate crime charges following a confrontation with “Today” show host Craig Melvin at NBC’s studio in Manhattan.

The man was arrested Thursday morning inside 30 Rockefeller Center in Midtown by an officer responding to reports of a disorderly individual inside the building, police said Friday.

NBC News says in a statement that an individual approached Melvin after entering an unauthorized area in a vestibule near Studio 1A. Melvin notified security, who held the man until police arrived, according to NBC.

No altercation occurred and no injuries were reported. NBC did not say how the man gained access to the area.

“We are reviewing the incident and our security protocols and remain committed to providing a safe and secure environment for everyone who works at and visits our studios,” the network said in a statement.

The man has been charged with burglary, menacing and criminal trespass as hate crimes, as well as harassment. It was not clear Friday if has appeared in court or if he has an attorney.

Police did not say what led to the hate crime enhancements on the charges. Police records show a court date has been scheduled for Wednesday.

Melvin, who is Black, discussed the incident on-air Friday morning.

“Unfortunately, an intruder made his way into an unauthorized area here at Studio 1A,” Melvin said. “Thankfully, he was apprehended quickly. He was placed under arrest. We are just very happy that everyone is safe.”

Melvin also posted about the incident on Instagram.

“Hey everyone. I’ve heard from so many of you over the last few hours,” he wrote on Thursday. “I’m doing just fine. Thanks for reaching out.”

Longtime “Today” show meteorologist Al Roker also took to social media to thank everyone reaching out to check on Melvin.

“We are both okay,” Roker posted on Instagram. “It’s moments like these that serve to pull us together. You all, like Craig, said ‘You come after one of us, you come after all of us.’”

Melvin and Roker are among a relatively small group of prominent Black journalists and anchors with regular, highly visible roles on national broadcast network news programs.

Amazon has the Casio F91W Series | Digital Watch | Water Resistant | LED Light | 1/100 SEC Stopwatch | Regular Time Keeping (HR, Min, SEC, PM, Date, Day) | Daily Alarm | Lightweight | 7 Year Battery marked down to only $17.97 (was $27.25)!

• Water resistant, not water proof, do not submerge in water, digital sport watch in rectangle case, alarm, chronograph functions, and night light, quartz movement with digital display
• Measuring modes include net time, split time, and first and second place times, functions include digital stopwatch, hourly time signal, auto calendar, and day/date.
• Quartz Movement
• Case Diameter: 33mm
• Not water resistant

Get free shipping with Amazon Prime (you can try Amazon Prime with a 30-day free trial) or on orders over $35.

Casio F91W Series | Digital Watch | Water Resistant | LED Light | 1/100 SEC Stopwatch | Regular Time Keeping (HR, Min, SEC, PM, Date, Day) | Daily Alarm | Lightweight | 7 Year Battery

$16.19-$17.99

Get This Deal

125 Piece Pink And Gold Plastic Dinnerware Set For Just $16.19-$17.99 Shipped From Amazon

-Select “Subscribe & Save” and clip the 40% off coupon on the product page, plus save an additional 10%-15% subscription discount!

This was selling for $35.99 and is now the lowest price ever from Amazon.

• Set includes 25 dinner plates (10.25″), 25 dessert plates (7.5″), 25 gold forks, 25 gold knives, and 25 gold spoons; complete tableware for 25 guests
• Featuring a high-glossy gradient pink finish with a modern gold rim
• Made of high-quality 350 GSM heavy-duty plastic; reinforced rim design prevents bending and leaking. Food-grade material is BPA-free and safe for hot and cold food. Each plate can hold up to 2 lbs of food without deformation
• Disposable design saves you valuable time on cleanup after the party. Can also be hand-washed and reused if desired. NOT recommended for microwave use
• Perfect for weddings, graduation parties, baby showers, birthday parties, anniversary dinners, corporate events, and holiday gatherings. Suitable for both indoor and outdoor use

Skechers, Vans, And More Sneakers On Sale From Woot!

Prime Members receive free shipping on all orders from Woot.

Post what deals you find!

The Aecooly Mighty Portable Fan, Powerful Handheld Fan, USB Rechargeable [10H Max Cooling Time], Mini Personal Battery Powered, Pocket for Travel, Summer, Gifts for Women, Girls -Beige is $9.99. Plus add coupon code: AECOOLYFAN at checkout, to bring the total to just $5.99!!

• 【Crystal Clear Vision & Flat Lense】With high transmittance and 180° wide view of the clear flat lens, our goggles provides a clear fully view to see the underwater situation, giving the child greater confidence to start swimming. Goggles frame uses ultra-light materials, light weight ensures a comfortable fit that won’t cause any burden or discomfort to kids’ heads and eyes. Perfect for little boy’s and girl’s swimming lessons and inspiring them to swim.
• 【ANTI-FOG & UV PROTECTION】Water Space kids goggles inner lens is carefully coated with the optimal amount of advanced anti-fog coating, which prevents the lenses from becoming steamy and fogging, offerring boys girls a crystal clear view underwater. The outer lens is coated with UV protection, keep kids youth from bright lights, blurry and distortion. Kids can always maintain the best swimming condition.
• 【NO LEAK & COMFORTABLE FIT】3D Ergonomic design of this kids swim goggles fits the contours of kids face with great seal, effectively waterproof to avoid eyes discomfort. Goggles are made from Latex-free and odorless soft silicone, skin friendly, no odor, reduce the pressure on the eyes, keep kids girls boys from raccon eyes.
• 【3 Interchangeable Nose Pieces】There are 3 replaceable nose Bridges for each goggles, which are durable and not easy to break. Suitable for different nose bridge height and different face shape, and will not cause a squeeze on the nose, and will not leave marks on the face. At the same time, 3 nose bridges can also be used as a replacement for the missing nose bridge help goggles grow with the child.
• 【EASY TO ADJUST & ANTI-SLIP】Our goggles are designed with double silicone straps without breakable back button. It is easily to press the clasp and pull the strap to the proper length by parents or children tnemselves. Just adjust once, then wear directly every time. The starps designed with anti-slip convex points ensure the goggles stay in place during playing in the water, very suit for toddler kids youth 3-15 years.

Get free shipping with Amazon Prime (you can try Amazon Prime with a 30-day free trial) or on orders over $35.

Aecooly Mighty Portable Fan, Powerful Handheld Fan, USB Rechargeable [10H Max Cooling Time], Mini Personal Battery Powered, Pocket for Travel, Summer, Gifts for Women, Girls -Beige

NEW YORK (AP) — Milk brand Fairlife is pausing its production in the U.S. after a ransomware cyberattack breached the company’s systems.

Coca-Cola, which owns Fairlife, announced Thursday that its dairy company had identified “unauthorized access by a third party” to a portion of its systems, including those related to production. The company disclosed that this was in connection to a ransomware event — and in response, it took some operations offline.

“Product quality and safety have not been impacted,” Atlanta-based Coca-Cola said in a statement. “However, as a result of the incident, production operations at fairlife in the United States are temporarily suspended.”

Fairlife’s Canadian operations were not affected. The full scope and impacts of the attack are otherwise still unknown, Coca-Cola added — but the beverage giant said it had informed law enforcement, and is also working with cybersecurity experts as it continues its investigation and recovery to restore operations.

A company spokesperson said there were no further updates to share as of Friday morning.

Cyberattacks are on the rise across sectors. Beyond dairy goods, other breaches have recently resulted in anything from core education services getting knocked offline to empty shelves at popular clothing or grocery stores.

Ransomware attacks — in which hackers demand a hefty payment to restore hacked systems — also account for a growing share of cyber crimes. And experts note that attackers know there’s a particular impact when going after well-known brands and products that shoppers buy or need every day.

Fairlife, based in Chicago, touts over $3 billion in annual retail sales today. The company produces a range of lactose-free products — which beyond milk, includes protein shakes.

Confidence among America’s homebuilders unexpectedly improved in July, signaling renewed optimism that demand for new homes is beginning to stabilize even as mortgage rates remain elevated.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported on Thursday, July 16, that its Housing Market Index rose to 43 in July, up from 41 in June, exceeding economists’ expectations. Although a reading below 50 still indicates more builders view conditions as poor than good, the improvement suggests the housing market is showing signs of resilience during the busy summer selling season.

Builders reported increased buyer traffic and modest improvements in sales expectations as limited inventory of existing homes continues pushing many families toward newly constructed properties.

Limited Existing Inventory Benefits Builders

One of the biggest factors supporting new-home construction remains the shortage of existing homes available for sale.

Many current homeowners continue holding mortgages with historically low interest rates and remain reluctant to sell, limiting resale inventory across much of the country.

That has created opportunities for homebuilders to capture buyers who have fewer alternatives in many markets.

Builders also continue offering mortgage-rate buydowns and sales incentives to help offset higher borrowing costs.

Construction Activity Remains Steady

Despite ongoing challenges, builders reported continued construction activity across many regions.

Demand remained strongest for entry-level and move-up homes, while luxury housing varied by market.

Many builders also reported improved availability of construction materials compared with previous years, helping reduce delays and improve project planning.

Labor shortages remain a concern in some regions, but supply-chain disruptions have eased considerably.

Affordability Still a Challenge

Mortgage rates continue affecting affordability for many first-time buyers.

Higher monthly payments have forced some families to delay purchasing decisions or seek smaller homes.

Even so, steady employment, rising wages and limited resale inventory have continued supporting demand for new construction.

Builders said consumer interest remains healthy whenever financing incentives are available.

What It Means for Consumers

The improvement in builder confidence could lead to additional housing supply during the second half of the year.

More construction may help ease inventory shortages in certain markets while giving buyers more choices.

Competition among builders may also continue producing incentives such as closing-cost assistance, upgraded features and mortgage-rate reductions.

Looking Ahead

The housing market continues balancing higher financing costs against persistent demand and limited inventory.

Builders remain cautiously optimistic that steady employment, moderating inflation and continued household formation will support future sales.

While affordability remains one of the industry’s biggest challenges, July’s improvement in builder confidence suggests the new-home market continues demonstrating resilience despite a complex economic environment.

JBizNews Desk | Washington

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

The Jewish community in Iran has announced that the kever of Mordechai and Esther in the city of Hamadan has been closed to visitors until further notice, officially citing ongoing renovation work. However, sources familiar with the situation say the closure is actually the result of security threats from extremist groups.

In an unusual public notice, the Iranian Jewish community urged members of the community not to travel to the historic site.

The announcement stated, “To the members of our community: Due to ongoing repairs and improvements at the Tomb of Esther and Mordechai in Hamadan, visits to this holy site will not be possible until further notice.”

Until recently, members of Iran’s Jewish community were required to coordinate visits to the site through the Jewish Association of Tehran. The latest notice makes clear that even those arrangements have been suspended.

“Under the current circumstances, even such coordination is not possible until further notice,” the statement said. “Therefore, all members of our community are requested to refrain from visiting or traveling to Hamadan to the Tomb of Mordechai and Esther until further notice.”

Despite the official explanation, sources familiar with the matter told local media that the closure is not related to renovation work but to threats reportedly made by extremist elements. They pointed to the complete suspension of visitor approvals as evidence that security concerns—not construction—are behind the decision.

The tomb has been the target of anti-Israel demonstrations in the past. Two weeks after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, demonstrators gathered at the site, burned Israeli flags, and staged a protest that was reportedly led by extremist activists seeking to inflame anti-Israel sentiment.

The site was also attacked in April 2024, when Iranian extremists were filmed throwing Molotov cocktails toward the compound while a Palestinian flag was flown over the area.

Despite those incidents, local residents of Hamadan have generally continued to safeguard the historic Jewish site. According to reports, the threats and attacks have been carried out by a small group of extremists rather than by the broader local population.

UVALDE, Texas (AP) — Catastrophic flooding has swept across parts of Texas following days of heavy rain, submerging homes and roads, prompting hundreds of rescues and leaving emergency responders working around the clock as floodwaters continue to threaten communities.

Flood water flows through a restaurant’s parking lot on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in Boerne, Texas. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)

The Pedernales River floods near Old Kerr Highway on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Fredericksburg, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)

A property’s gate featuring cattle is partially submerged with flood waters along State Highway 27 in Comfort, Texas, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)

A helicopter flies over the Guadalupe River as floods pass through the area on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Kerrville, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)

Flooding blocks off G Street along the Guadalupe River on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Kerrville, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)

Water along the Pedernales River floods the Gillespie County Safety Rest Area on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Stonewall, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)

Hugh Ghormley watches as water moves along the Pedernales River at the Blanco County Fair and Rodeo on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Johnson City, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)

An aerial view shows the Guadalupe River after a series of storms Friday, July 17, 2026, in Kerrville, Texas. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

An aerial view shows debris along the Guadalupe River after a series of storms Friday, July 17, 2026, in Kerrville, Texas. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

People gather to watch as the Perdenales River floods Ranch Road 1623 in Stonewall, Texas, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman via AP)

Ella and Grace Sanford and their dog Benjamin ride on a Texas Game Wardens rescue boat after being evacuated from their home after flooding in Uvalde, Texas, on Thursday, July 16, 2026. (Casy Sanford via AP)

Storm debris is seen along the Guadalupe River on Friday, July 17, 2026, in Kerrville, Texas. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Crews clean up flood debris along the Guadalupe River on Friday, July 17, 2026, in Comfort, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)

The Guadalupe River floods a crossing after a series of storms on Friday, July 17, 2026, in Hunt, Texas. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

The Guadalupe River floods a crossing after a series of storms on Friday, July 17, 2026, in Hunt, Texas. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Asha Sharma, chief executive of Xbox, told employees in a July 6 memo that the company will eliminate roughly 3,200 positions by June 30, 2027 — about 20% of the entire gaming division — and hand five studios back to the market. It is the largest restructuring in Xbox’s 25-year history, and it lands on a business that Microsoft spent nearly $80 billion over a decade trying to build.

Here is the paradox worth sitting with. Microsoft did not lose the subscription bet because nobody signed up. It lost because 30 million people signed up and that was not remotely enough.

What Game Pass was supposed to be

The theory was simple and, on paper, sound. Console hardware is a losing business — you sell the box near cost and hope to make it back on software. So skip the box. Build a subscription service, put every major game on it the day it launches, and collect a monthly fee from a customer who never has to buy anything again. Netflix for games.

To make that work, Microsoft needed games nobody else had. It bought them. ZeniMax. Minecraft. Then Activision Blizzard for $69 billion in 2023, which brought Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Candy Crush under one roof alongside Halo, The Elder Scrolls, and Fallout. Matt Booty, now executive vice president and chief content officer, oversees a portfolio of nearly 40 studios.

Sharma wrote in a June 10 message published on Microsoft’s blog that, excluding Activision Blizzard King, the company had invested more than $20 billion over the past five years in content, platforms, and hardware subsidies. Add the acquisitions and the total approaches $80 billion.

The number that never showed up

Game Pass had 34 million subscribers in early 2024. Microsoft’s internal plan called for 77 million by the end of 2026, with public talk of 100 million by 2030. The service currently has about 30 million — fewer than it had two years ago. Revenue ran near $5 billion in fiscal 2025.

The immediate cause was a price increase in October 2025. Millions cancelled. Sharma reduced the price after taking over, though it still sits above where it was a year ago. But a price hike does not explain a four-year growth plan missing by 47 million people.

The deeper problem is that games are not television. Data from Circana shows most players concentrate their time on a small handful of titles rather than grazing across a library. A Netflix subscriber watches forty things a year. A gamer plays three. If a customer only wants Call of Duty, an all-you-can-eat buffet is worse value than simply buying Call of Duty — and worse economics for the seller, who just gave away a $70 sale for a $20 month.

What that does to the P&L

The arithmetic is brutal. Xbox loses an average of 64 cents on every dollar it invests in games. The division’s profitability runs three to nine times lower than comparable platform and publishing companies. Hardware revenue has fallen more than 30%, and Microsoft has raised U.S. console prices twice this year, which does not help unit sales.

Meanwhile, the parent company found somewhere better to put its money. Microsoft’s AI business surpassed a $37 billion annualized revenue run rate in its fiscal third quarter, growing 123% year over year. When one division compounds at triple digits and another loses 64 cents on the dollar, capital allocation stops being a debate.

What is actually being cut

Of the 3,200 positions, 1,600 left immediately. Microsoft is reducing its global workforce by roughly 4,800, about 2.1% of headcount — gaming accounts for the overwhelming majority.

Compulsion Games and Double Fine Productions regained independence, taking their intellectual property and severance funding from Microsoft. Ninja Theory and Undead Labs have been sold to undisclosed buyers, though both will continue work on Senua and State of Decay 3 with Xbox financial backing. Arkane Lyon was also divested.

And the tell: Call of Duty will no longer arrive on Game Pass on day one. That single reversal unwinds the entire thesis. Microsoft bought Activision to put Call of Duty on the subscription. It is now taking Call of Duty off the subscription to sell it.

Short term and long term

Near term, this works. Cutting 20% of a division and selling five studios improves margins immediately, and Microsoft gets to move the freed capital into AI, where returns are visible. Microsoft stock rose 1.38% Thursday.

Long term is the open question. Xbox reaches more than 500 million monthly active users across platforms. Sharma, who succeeded Phil Spencer on February 23 after his 38 years at Microsoft and 12 leading gaming, has been preaching a “return of Xbox” — grounding the brand in gaming rather than AI. She said as much at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference in Aspen last month.

The honest reading is that Microsoft spent $80 billion and ended up with what it already had: a library of very good franchises it will now sell to people one game at a time. That is not nothing. It is just not what $80 billion was supposed to buy.

JBizNews Desk | New York

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

Panasonic has recalled one of its toaster ovens across the United States and Canada after the company found the appliance posed a risk of electric shock or fire.

The recall covers 11,480 Panasonic Model No. NB-G200 Electric Toaster Ovens sold in the U.S., as well as another 2,184 sold in Canada.

Pansonic said the power cord insulation “can be insufficient due to a protective fiberglass sleeve not covering it adequately, posing a risk of shock and/or fire hazard.”

From October 2024 to April 2026, the toaster oven was sold for about $170 at Costco, on Amazon and through several other online retailers.

Consumers who believe they own the recalled toaster oven can verify the model number by checking the nameplate label on the back of the appliance.

Notices from both the U.S. government and Canada urge customers to immediately stop using the product and return it to Panasonic for a full refund.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said it has received four consumer reports of the toaster oven tripping circuit breakers or outlets. A fifth report noted the toaster simply stopped working.

As of June 15, 2026, Panasonic said it had not received any reports of incidents or injuries in Canada related to the toaster.

Panasonic, Costco and Amazon did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ requests for comment.

A ticking clock on Social Security solvency has prompted a bipartisan coalition of senators to introduce legislation aimed at preventing automatic, across-the-board benefit cuts for more than 70 million Americans.

Called the Protecting Retirement Opportunities and Maintaining Income Security for Everyone (PROMISE) Act, the bill establishes a procedural process designed to require congressional votes on a long-term Social Security solvency plan before the retirement trust fund’s projected depletion in 2032 triggers an automatic 22% reduction in monthly benefits. The legislation calls for an independent bipartisan advisory committee to develop recommendations intended to restore the program’s solvency for at least 50 years.

“Here is our chance to agree on a bipartisan process to rescue Social Security this year,” Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill, said in a press release. “Our bipartisan proposal opens Congress to debate this issue in a transparent, fair, and bipartisan way. We were elected to solve problems — and there’s no greater problem than the solvency and future of Social Security.”

“Millions of Americans rely on Social Security to live. In 6 years, those families will see a 22% cut to their benefits if Congress doesn’t act. Our plan starts the process of preserving promised benefits for current retirees and the next generation of Americans,” Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said alongside Republican Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.; John Cornyn R-Texas; and Alan Armstrong, R-Okla.

While multiple legislative proposals to secure Social Security’s trust funds have been introduced over the years, virtually none have advanced to a floor vote.

The PROMISE Act establishes a strict procedural timeline, requiring the Social Security Advisory Board (SSAB) to submit a proposal designed to restore Social Security solvency for at least 50 years. The bill also requires the House and Senate majority leaders to introduce the proposal, and if they fail to do so, any member of Congress may introduce it.

The proposal would then be referred to the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee. If the committees do not report it, the legislation would automatically be discharged to the House and Senate calendars for floor consideration.

Final passage would require a simple majority vote in the House and a three-fifths majority in the Senate.

“Social Security is on an unsustainable path that will lead to dramatic benefit cuts for retirees and growing skepticism among workers paying into a program on the brink of insolvency. With each passing year, the menu of options that preserve benefits and limit tax hikes narrows. The modest reforms Congress contemplated in 2010 would have put Social Security on solid footing for 75 years; today, those same reforms would add less than two years to our current runway,” Sen. Tillis said. “I won’t pretend there’s consensus on how we solve this, but the math is unforgiving: the longer Congress waits to act, the fewer good options remain.”

“For nearly a century, Social Security has been a lifeline that allows Americans to retire with dignity. Congress should not wait around until the last minute to shore up this critical program and prevent broad-based benefit cuts upon Trust Fund depletion,” Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said in support of the bill. 

“That’s why I’m joining a bipartisan group of my colleagues in introducing legislation that will encourage Congress to roll up its sleeves and find a path forward to ensure current and future generations of retirees and their families are able to receive the benefits they have earned and which they are owed,” he continued.

The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget voiced support for the bill: “The PROMISE Act would establish a thoughtful bipartisan process to help Congress do its job and rescue Social Security before it’s too late… These proposals keep Congress and the public involved in this important process. Hopefully they can give our leaders the kick in the pants they need to start working together to secure Social Security for current and future generations,” Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget President Maya MacGuineas wrote.

Based on the current average monthly payout of $2,071, beneficiaries — including seniors and individuals with disabilities — would lose roughly $450 per month if a funding plan is not put in place. Experts estimate this reduction would force over 3 million American citizens into poverty.

COLOGNE, Germany (AP) — The leaders of Germany and France announced on Friday that the German military would participate in a nuclear exercise under a French initiative to deepen European nuclear cooperation.

The move by both countries to deepen nuclear cooperation underscores growing European defense self-reliance amid concerns about the future of U.S. security commitments to the continent.

“We will have German conventional forces participate in a nuclear exercise conducted by the French armed forces before the end of this year,” Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced after talks with French President Emmanuel Macron at Norvenich air base near Cologne in western Germany.

He said that the cooperation with France “complements” the NATO nuclear sharing agreement, to which Germany remains committed. U.S. nuclear bombs are stationed in Germany as part of NATO’s nuclear deterrent, and German fighter jets have been certified to potentially carry the weapons in case of an emergency.

Previous German leaders have refused offers of nuclear cooperation with France, Merz said, but “the world we live in today requires new answers.”

Germany’s participation in the nuclear exercise will be with conventional means for now, Merz said.

“We are proceeding step by step, it may be that this will result in a new doctrine, but it is far too early to say that today,” he said.

Advanced deterrence is very important for European collective security, Macron said, “because it creates strategic doubt among our adversaries.”

The French president said that Germany would have a “vanguard role” in deterrence efforts and that “diluting the presence of the nuclear deterrent” is what confuses enemies.

Macron said that cooperation would translate into “explaining some aspects of how we operate, sharing certain closely held practices, offering joint exercises, developing joint initiatives and partnerships, and fostering greater … trust among our teams, experts and military personnel.”

Macron didn’t give details about operational measures.

“Complete and absolute transparency is not necessarily the most effective strategy when dealing with adversaries on European soil,” he said.

Enhanced nuclear deterrence won’t involve financing from Germany, Macron said.

On Thursday, French Rafale and German Eurofighter jets participated in a joint in-flight refueling exercise, a symbolic kickoff to the cooperation. The Rafale jets are designed to deliver nuclear weapons.

In early March, Macron announced that his country would increase its nuclear arsenal, and he invited European partners to strengthen cooperation on nuclear deterrence. France’s initiative came amid doubts across Europe about U.S. reliability when it comes to the continent’s defense.

France has been the only nuclear power in the 27-nation European Union since Brexit.

Several countries announced their interest in the French initiative, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden, Denmark and Norway.

The participation of Germany, which is implementing a major rearmament plan to build Europe’s strongest conventional military by 2039, boosts the program.

The German and French leaders also sought to reinvigorate bilateral ties after a planned $100 billion joint fighter jet program collapsed in June. The project had aimed to replace Rafales and Eurofighters used by Germany and Spain by 2040.

The two leaders are eager to lock in advances over the coming months, as Macron approaches the end of his presidency, and uncertainty grows over whether his successor will share his commitment to deeper European cooperation.

Amazon has the Traeger Grills Flatrock, 33 Inch Flat Top Griddle, Outdoor Gas Grill with 3-Zone TruZone Cooking, Even Heat, Fuel Sensor, and EZ-Clean Grease Management, Premium Propane Griddle for Outdoor Cooking marked down to only $649.99 + Free shipping (was $999.95)!

• Versatile 3-Zone Cooking: This Traeger flat top grill features TruZone cooking zones that let you griddle bacon, sear burgers, and toast buns at different temps, all at once without flavor crossover on your backyard propane grill.
• Consistent Heat Control: Triple U-shaped burners provide even, edge-to-edge heat across the 33-inch flat top griddle surface, eliminating hot spots so every pancake, egg, and smash burger cooks perfectly on your propane grill.
• Wind-Resistant Performance: The Traeger Flatrock outdoor flat top grill features a recessed cooking surface, FlameLock. This design creates a more efficient cooking cavity, helping you cook faster and more evenly for perfect backyard BBQ results.
• Smart Fuel Monitoring: A built-in LED propane sensor shows your gas levels at a glance so you never run out mid-cook. Flame sensors indicate when burners are lit, providing clear status while grilling on the Traeger Flatrock grill.
• Premium Construction: The Traeger flat top griddle features a premium hinged lid, folding side shelves, and durable steel construction designed to deliver long-lasting performance, ample prep space, and a sleek, high-end look.
• Effortless Cleanup & Upgrades: Keep your gas griddle clean with the EZ-Clean Grease Keg, and personalize your griddle grill station with Traeger accessories, using with P.A.L. accessory rail with tool hooks, bins, racks, and more.

Get free shipping with Amazon Prime (you can try Amazon Prime with a 30-day free trial) or on orders over $35.

Traeger Grills Flatrock, 33 Inch Flat Top Griddle, Outdoor Gas Grill with 3-Zone TruZone Cooking, Even Heat, Fuel Sensor, and EZ-Clean Grease Management, Premium Propane Griddle for Outdoor Cooking

The Knesset has given final approval to legislation requiring several major government agencies to send recorded voice notifications to Israelis whose mobile phones cannot receive text messages, marking a significant victory for the Chareidi community. The bill, sponsored by Deputy Communications Minister Yisrael Eichler, passed its second and third readings with the support of 16 lawmakers and no votes in opposition or abstentions, becoming law just before the Knesset adjourned ahead of new elections.

Under the new law, the Israel Tax Authority, the Population and Immigration Authority, and the National Insurance Institute will be required to send recorded voice messages to mobile phone users whose devices do not support SMS whenever those agencies issue standard digital notifications. The system must either confirm that the recipient received the message or make several reasonable attempts to deliver it. Recipients will also be be able to replay the recorded message for at least 30 days.

The legislation is designed to address a longstanding problem faced by thousands of Chareidi families who use kosher phones that cannot receive text messages. Until now, many of those users have struggled to receive important notices from government agencies because official communications were often sent only by SMS. Much of the Chareidi community uses these limited-function phones in accordance with the guidance of leading Torah authorities to avoid unrestricted technology.

The explanatory notes accompanying the legislation state that Israel’s Digital Communication with Public Bodies Law requires designated government agencies to provide commonly used public services through digital means. However, the law also recognizes that those services must remain accessible to individuals who either lack digital skills or do not have the technology needed to receive such communications.

Implementation of the new requirements will take place gradually over a period of up to three years. Within the first two years, at least 60 percent of the most frequently used government services must be made accessible through the voice notification system. The law also requires the government to collect data on services made digitally available in Arabic, Amharic, and Russian.

Deputy Communications Minister Eichler welcomed the bill’s passage, saying, “With Hashem’s help, just before the Knesset’s dissolution, we have delivered important news for the public that follows the guidance of the leading Torah sages and refrains from using non-kosher technology. They deserve every right afforded to every other segment of Israeli society.”

He added, “I am pleased that just before the Knesset dissolved, we succeeded in passing this critically important legislation for users of kosher phones who follow the directives of the leading Torah sages. In the next Knesset, we will fight to expand the law so that all government authorities will send necessary voice notifications to everyone who uses phones that cannot receive text messages.”

The legislation is not Eichler’s first effort to improve government accessibility for kosher phone users. He previously promoted a measure that eliminated excess charges on telephone lines used for remote learning, a move that saved thousands of families substantial amounts of money.

(AP) – Heat that hit Europe exceptionally early and hard this year appears to have led to a spike in deaths, with well over 10,000 more people dying at the height of the heat wave than would normally have been expected, according to figures that are still emerging across the continent.

Measures of what researchers call “excess mortality” — the difference between the normally expected number of deaths and the actual number — spiked in late June, when parts of Europe experienced record temperatures. Experts caution that it takes a while for a full picture to emerge, and that many heat-related deaths will never formally be recorded as such. For example, a heart attack, which can be triggered by extreme heat exposure, especially in people who are older or have underlying health issues, may be listed on a death certificate simply as a heart attack.

It’s an alarming start to the summer. Several heat waves have killed thousands of people in the past few years in Europe. Still, 2003 stands as the deadliest year in Europe for heat, with about 70,000 deaths. The frequency and intensity of heat waves are supercharged by climate change, which comes from the burning of fuels like coal, oil and gas.

An exceptionally deadly week in early summer 2026
The EuroMOMO mortality monitoring hub, which receives data from two dozen countries, gave an estimate of 14,260 for excess mortality from all causes in the week ending June 28, more than 12,000 of those deaths being among people age 65 and older. That’s out of a total 84,583 deaths that week. Figures in the preceding and following weeks were far lower.

Lasse Vestergaard of Denmark’s Statens Serum Institut, which coordinates EuroMOMO, said that “we attribute this to the heat wave affecting quite a lot of countries in Europe, and we do that because there is no other obvious explanation that could explain such a high excess mortality happening at the moment.”

Such a high excess in a single week is “highly unusual,” he added. EuroMOMO doesn’t give absolute numbers for individual countries, but found the highest rates of excess in France, Belgium and Germany.

Nations that bore the brunt of the heat have issued their own estimates — which don’t always follow the same methodology or timelines. Here is a snapshot of heat-related deaths being reported by various countries.

Germany
Germany’s disease control center, the Robert Koch Institute, directly attributed 6,830 deaths to heat this year through early July, 6,470 of them among people 65 and older. Temperatures in Germany late last month hit their highest levels since records began, peaking with a measurement of 41.7 degrees Celsius (107.06 Fahrenheit) on June 28, according to the German Weather Service.

United Kingdom
Britain’s Met Office, the national weather agency, said that 2,700 people are believed to have died from heat-related causes during heat waves in England and Wales in May and June. Of those deaths, it says that about 550 occurred in late May and about 2,200 in late June. This year brought national heat records for May of 35.1 Celsius (95.18 Fahrenheit) and for June of more than 37 Celsius (98.6 Fahrenheit).

France
France’s public health authority said there were at least 2,000 more deaths in the week of June 22-28 than the previous week, when temperatures were already climbing. France recorded its hottest-ever days on June 24 and 25, when the Meteo France weather service said the national thermal indicator — an average of daily temperatures measured at 30 weather stations — hit 30 Celsius (86 Fahrenheit). More than 40% of France saw peak temperatures of above 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).

Spain
An estimated 937 deaths in Spain in June were attributed to excess heat, according to the Carlos III Health Institute, an official Spanish monitoring agency. Last month was Spain’s second-hottest June on record, with temperatures 3.2 Celsius (5.8 Fahrenheit) above the monthly normal average, according to the AEMET weather agency. A five-day heat wave saw temperatures regularly surpass 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), AEMET said.

Belgium
There were 1,747 deaths above what would usually be expected during the heat wave that ran from June 18 to July 1, according to Sciensano, Belgium’s public health institute. It said that “a certain excess mortality is expected during heat waves, as during waves of cold weather and flu epidemics. Nevertheless, the heatwave of June 2026 is distinguished by its exceptional breadth.”

At the peak of the heat wave, there was a measurement of 35.5 Celsius (95.9 Fahrenheit) on June 26, the IRM weather institute said.

Netherlands
An initial estimate of excess death figures from the June heat wave found that the Netherlands had 480 more deaths than expected, according to the public health service. Increased mortality was particularly notable in eastern and southern areas, where the temperatures were the highest.

The country saw its highest temperature ever for June, with the Dutch weather service registering 36.8 degrees Celsius (98.24 Fahrenheit). That’s more than a degree Celsius (1.8F) higher than the previous record, set in 1947.

A 90-year-old extreme left-wing activist arrived at Tomer Farm (Chavat Tomer) in the Alminiya area of Gush Etzion in order to film the farm.

He argued with a local teenage boy who was there, then got into his vehicle and drove off, lightly striking the boy.A local woman (a resident of the place) approached the car to question him and understand what he wanted.

The man continued driving, hit her as she held on, and dragged her several meters. She sustained light injuries.

The 90-year-old suspect was detained for questioning at the police station, and his vehicle was seized. Security forces are investigating the incident.

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — An elementary school bus returning from an educational trip to a scenic waterfall in Uganda veered off the road and overturned, killing at least 20 children and one adult and leaving at least nine children in critical condition, police and a government official said Friday.

The bus crashed Thursday night in the Kapchorwa District in eastern Uganda on the way back from the region’s Sipi Falls, the Uganda Police Force said in a statement posted on X.

Survivors, including three adults and several children, were taken to several hospitals, according to police. More than 28 children were being treated in hospitals, nine of them in critical condition, Ugandan Minister of Local Government Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi said on X.

The adult among the 21 people who died appeared to be the founder and head of the school, Barugahara said.

Video from the Uganda Red Cross showed bodies of victims in and around the wreckage as people arrived to help following the nighttime crash. Some of the survivors were transported to a hospital in a pick-up truck, according to the video provided to The Associated Press.

Education Minister John Muyingo said the government had suspended all school trips and tours across the country of around 45 million people in response to the tragedy.

The bus belonged to the King David Junior School, an elementary school in the capital, Kampala, police said. The village where police said the crash occurred is near the Uganda-Kenya border, some 300 kilometers (some 190 miles) from Kampala.

The driver reportedly lost control of the bus, which veered off the road, struck a rock and overturned, according to the police statement, which added that the information was preliminary and the cause of the crash was under investigation.

A police photo showed the bus lying on its side with the entire roof ripped off and the seats exposed, including some that were mangled. Luggage and clothing lay strewn on the road.

Road accidents are common in the East African nation and often are blamed on poorly maintained vehicles, speeding and poor road conditions, which are problems across Africa. At least 14 people died when a bus collided with a truck in a remote area of northern Uganda earlier this month.

Africa has the worst road safety record in the world, with more than 300,000 annual road deaths and around 26 deaths per 100,000 people. In Europe, which has far more road traffic, there are around 20,000 deaths yearly and nine deaths per 100,000 people, according to the World Health Organization and the United Nations.

U.S. natural gas inventories increased again last week, reinforcing expectations that the nation will enter the upcoming winter heating season with comfortable fuel supplies despite continued summer electricity demand.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported on Thursday, July 16, that working natural gas in underground storage increased by 47 billion cubic feet (Bcf) for the week ending July 10. Total U.S. inventories now stand at approximately 3.05 trillion cubic feet, remaining above the five-year seasonal average.

The report helped reassure energy markets that domestic production continues to outpace current demand, even as much of the country experiences elevated temperatures that increase electricity usage for air conditioning.

Production Continues Outpacing Demand

The weekly storage build reflects strong domestic production from major shale regions, including the Appalachian Basin, the Permian Basin and the Haynesville formation.

Although power plants have consumed significant amounts of natural gas to meet summer electricity demand, production has remained strong enough to allow inventories to continue growing.

Energy analysts say the steady pace of injections gives utilities additional flexibility ahead of the winter heating season.

Consumers Benefit From Stable Prices

Healthy storage levels generally help limit price volatility for residential and commercial natural gas customers.

Natural gas remains the primary heating fuel for millions of American households while also generating roughly 40% of the nation’s electricity.

Stable fuel costs can help moderate utility bills for consumers and reduce operating expenses for manufacturers, food processors, chemical producers and other energy-intensive industries.

Businesses also benefit from improved energy price visibility when planning budgets and production schedules.

Weather Remains the Biggest Wild Card

Despite comfortable inventories, weather continues to be the largest variable affecting natural gas markets.

Extended heat waves can sharply increase electricity demand, while an active hurricane season could temporarily disrupt Gulf Coast production and processing facilities.

Looking ahead, traders will also begin focusing on long-range winter weather forecasts, which historically play a major role in determining natural gas prices during the second half of the year.

LNG Exports Continue Growing

Liquefied natural gas exports remain an important source of demand for U.S. producers.

American LNG shipments continue supplying customers in Europe, Asia and other international markets, helping support domestic production while strengthening the United States’ position as one of the world’s leading energy exporters.

Even with rising export demand, current production levels have continued replenishing storage facilities at a healthy pace.

Looking Ahead

Energy markets will continue monitoring weekly storage reports throughout the summer and early autumn.

If production remains strong and weather patterns remain near seasonal norms, the United States appears well positioned heading into the winter heating season.

For consumers and businesses alike, healthy natural gas inventories provide another encouraging sign that energy supplies remain stable, helping reduce the risk of significant price spikes later this year.

JBizNews Desk | Washington

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