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.

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

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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.

An Ohio man is suing a Taco Bell franchisee over the cyclosporiasis outbreak after eating at one of the chain’s restaurants in the Cleveland area and becoming ill.

Mohammed Ayyad’s lawsuit claims that he ate two meals involving items he ordered regularly from a Taco Bell in North Olmsted, Ohio, on June 14, and another meal on June 21 that also involved multiple orders of cheesy fiesta potatoes and avocado ranch chicken stackers.

Ayyad began experiencing symptoms of a cyclospora infection on June 23 and worsened from a fever to include diarrhea and vomiting over the next day, the lawsuit alleges. He remained ill through July 2 and went to a healthcare provider, providing a stool sample confirmed on July 9 that he contracted cyclosporiasis that was then treated with antibiotics, but missed two weeks of work.

The suit claims that the Taco Bell franchisee, Pacific Bells LLC, sold defective food products to Ayyad, who is seeking damages for pain and suffering, medical and pharmaceutical expenses, lost wages and emotional distress.

FOX Business reached out to Taco Bell for comment on the lawsuit.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday posted an update into the cyclospora outbreak which noted it and other public health agencies are investigating infections linked to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in five states – including Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.

CDC’s update noted there have been 1,644 cyclospora infections recorded in relation to the outbreak with exposure to Taco Bell over the five states, with illness dates ranging from May 13 to July 13. There have been 94 hospitalizations and no deaths have been reported, per the agency.

The update added that the true number of sick people in the outbreak “is likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses.” That’s because some people will recover without medical care and aren’t tested cyclospora, while other recent illnesses may not have been reported yet because it can take up to six weeks to determine if a sick person is part of the outbreak.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified a single supplier of shredded lettuce from Mexico used at the Taco Bell locations where sick people ate before becoming ill.

The FDA is looking to determine if the shredded iceberg lettuce went to other places, and is working with the supplier to determine if potentially contaminated lettuce remains on the market, while Taco Bell said it would stop using lettuce from the supplier.

Taco Bell said in a statement provided to FOX Business on Thursday that, “Based on ongoing conversations with public health officials, and out of an abundance of caution, Taco Bell has taken immediate action to voluntarily remove potentially impacted lettuce from a supplier in select states. The affected ingredient from our supplier is being indefinitely removed from our supply chain nationwide and will be replaced within 24 hours in select states.”

“While no official advisory has been issued, we believe public health is a shared responsibility among restaurants, their suppliers, and authorities, and we are proud to have consistently acted quickly and proactively to protect our guests. Taco Bell has taken precautionary action, and we encourage all relevant restaurants, retailers, and foodservice operators to do the same,” the company added.

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}

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}

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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
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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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A Lakewood resident nearly handed over $15,000 in cash (pictured) in an elaborate scam involving a fake arrest warrant, a phony Ocean County Sheriff’s Office caller and a fabricated jury duty case.

The victim tells TLS he received a call from someone claiming to be from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office. The caller told him that he had missed jury duty and was now facing charges.

The scammer then claimed he would transfer the resident to a captain to verify the claims and charges. He also made the victim read off some pages he sent him – one of them is attached here:

The scammer told the resident that he could not hang up because there was an active arrest warrant for him. He was also instructed not to tell anyone about the situation, with the scammer claiming it was a private jury matter.

At one point, the scammer instructed the resident to get into his car and read the odometer. When the resident said he wanted to call his lawyer, the scammer allegedly told him, “We have to book you first.”

The scammer then offered him another option: posting $15,000 bond.

The resident was instructed to go to Chase Bank and withdraw the money in cash. He was told not to tell anyone on social media about the situation and, according to the scammer, he could not even tell the banker the real reason for the withdrawal because it was a private matter.

The scammer also told the resident to claim the money was for an attorney and insisted that he remain on the phone because they believed he might “run.”

After withdrawing the $15,000, the scammer told the resident that he would provide an address where the cash should be dropped off.

However, the resident became suspicious when he was told to go to an address not in the direction of Toms River – where the courts are located. He looked up the address on Google and discovered that it was a deli.

When the resident questioned the scammer and asked if that was really the correct address, the scammer allegedly responded, “Yes, that’s the right address.”

The victim, feeling something was off, then uploaded the supposed arrest warrant online to double-check it and quickly realized that it did not look legitimate.

He flagged down a police officer and got the scammer on the phone. As soon as the scammer realized that law enforcement was involved, he hung up.

B”H the victim was saved minutes before handing over the cash.

The incident serves as a serious reminder that scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, using official-sounding titles, fake legal documents and threats of arrest to pressure victims into immediately handing over large sums of money.

WASHINGTON (VINnews) — U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley on Thursday read into the Senate Judiciary Committee record a blanche_letter_of_support_-_rabbi_jacob_teitelbaum from Rabbi Jacob Teitelbaum, the Siget Rav of Brooklyn and son of Satmar Grand Rabbi Rabbi Zalman Teitelbaum, endorsing Todd Blanche’s nomination to serve as U.S. attorney general.

Grassley, the committee’s chairman, read portions of the letter during Blanche’s confirmation proceedings.

Teitelbaum, who is widely known for his volunteer work assisting members of the Jewish community who become entangled in serious legal matters, wrote that he had known Blanche for many years through those efforts, including advocacy on behalf of Jewish inmates. In his letter, Teitelbaum said people from all walks of life turn to him for spiritual guidance and practical assistance, from helping them confront remorse and repentance to connecting them with experienced legal counsel.

He wrote that his work brought him into contact with Blanche during the attorney’s years in private practice, allowing him to observe both his legal abilities and personal character firsthand.

In the letter, Teitelbaum described Blanche as “an exceptionally gifted lawyer” whose integrity, humility and compassion set him apart. He said Blanche frequently represented clients facing financial hardship on a pro bono or reduced-fee basis and never allowed a person’s financial circumstances to affect the quality of his representation.

Quoting the biblical verse, “Justice, justice shall you pursue” (Deuteronomy 16:20), Teitelbaum said Blanche is committed to a criminal justice system that is both fair and humane.

Teitelbaum urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to approve Blanche’s nomination and called on the full Senate to confirm him as the nation’s next attorney general.

Trump Media & Technology Group announced Thursday that it plans to introduce a premium data service offering hedge funds and institutional investors near-instant access to President Donald Trump’s Truth Social posts, seeking to capitalize on the growing demand for faster access to market-moving information.

The new service, called Truth API, is scheduled to launch next month and will be available to hedge funds, high-frequency trading firms, and other institutional clients.

While the company said several customers have already enrolled, it declined to specify exactly how much faster the premium feed will be compared to the publicly available version.

Since President Trump returned to the White House, his Truth Social account has become a major source of breaking news capable of moving financial markets. His posts on tariffs, international trade, foreign policy, and the war with Iran have frequently triggered sharp swings in stocks, bonds, and energy prices.

Many professional trading firms already subscribe to premium data services from platforms such as X and Reddit, where even fractions of a second can provide a competitive edge in reacting to breaking news.

According to Trump Media, the new Truth API is intended to eliminate the delay between the moment a post is published and the moment it reaches institutional subscribers.

Interim CEO Kevin McGurn said the company expects the new service to become an important source of recurring revenue as Trump Media continues expanding beyond social media into cryptocurrency, streaming services, and nuclear fusion technology.

As part of that diversification strategy, Trump Media is pursuing a merger with California-based nuclear fusion startup TAE Technologies.

Last December, the company announced a $6 billion all-stock merger agreement with TAE, marking a significant move into the fusion energy sector. The transaction is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2026, or earlier, pending regulatory approval and shareholder consent.

Trump Media has not revealed pricing for the Truth API, and company officials have not disclosed how much they expect institutional subscribers will ultimately pay for the service.

McGurn said he believes financial firms will see enough value in receiving Truth Social posts more quickly than they could obtain them through web scraping or other public methods to justify paying for the premium service.

Axios has reported that the platform could eventually introduce multiple subscription tiers, allowing customers to pay higher fees for access to a broader selection of monitored Truth Social accounts.

Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group (DJT) fell about 3% on Thursday, closing at $9.28. The stock has declined roughly 77% since President Trump returned to office in 2025.

{Matzav.com}

LONDON (AP) — Andy Burnham was officially declared leader of Britain’s governing Labour Party on Friday, promising to bring hope to the British people and purpose to the floundering government as he cleared his final hurdle to take office as prime minister next week.

The former mayor of Greater Manchester was the only contender in the center-left party’s leadership contest to replace departing Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was forced out by a Labour rebellion. Friday’s announcement was a foregone conclusion after Burnham secured nominations from 379 of the 403 Labour lawmakers in the House of Commons.

“We’re going to give them hope back,” Burnham told an audience of lawmakers, party activists and trade union leaders in his first speech as leader. “This is a proud moment you have given me and my family today, and an emotional one, but it is one for which I am ready.”

“I have a plan,” he added, in a bid to reassure a party that has seen its popularity nosedive since winning a landslide election victory two years ago.

Burnham has been prime minister-in-waiting for weeks, since winning a special election for a seat in Parliament a month ago, but he has revealed little detail about his policy priorities. He will arrive in Number 10 Downing Street largely unknown to voters outside Manchester.

He sketched out some priorities in Friday’s speech, promising to deliver “hope in every heart” and “good growth in every post code,” in part by transferring power from central government in London to local leaders in cities and regions.

“We will take power back from Westminster and Whitehall and give it to the place you live,” he told the audience. “More power over life’s essentials so you can make them work better.”

Starmer announced last month that he would resign after two years in office marred by missteps and judgment errors that eroded his standing with his party and the public.

Labour regularly trails behind anti-immigration party Reform UK in opinion polls, and the governing party had catastrophic results in local elections in May, triggering pressure on Starmer to step down that he couldn’t resist.

Burnham brings a more relaxed style of leadership than the rather stern Starmer, and is regarded as one of the Labour Party’s best communicators. But he faces many of the same problems as his predecessor, including a sluggish economy, a cost-of-living squeeze fueled by wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and overstretched public services.

And his promises of a new, less divisive politics are not too different to what Starmer pledged when he took office in 2024.

“I will work to build a new politics. The country is crying out for it,” Burnham said. “How can politicians point fingers when living standards are falling and politics as a whole isn’t working for them? It infuriates them and makes them switch off.”

He said he would have the “courage to fix the big things that politics has neglected,” such as tackling the patchy access to social care for those who need it because of age, illness or disability. It’s a pressing issue in a country with an aging population, and one that has foxed previous Labour and Conservative governments.

He highlighted plans to focus on economic renewal, more public control of key sectors and creating new modern industrial jobs, arguing that Britain took “a series of wrong turns in the 1980s” when “political power was centralized and economic power privatized.”

That’s the decade when Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher oversaw policies of privatization, deindustrialization and political centralization that transformed the U.K. economy.

“Slowly, at times imperceptibly, over four decades, political and economic power drained away out of our communities in every region and nation of the U.K.,” Burnham said, calling Britain’s change of prime ministers — for the sixth time in a decade — “the most significant change moment in our politics for 40 years.”

Starmer will remain prime minister until Monday, when he formally tenders his resignation to King Charles III. The king will then ask Burnham to form a government.

Britain’s parliamentary democracy allows governing parties to change leaders, and thus prime ministers, without the need for a general election. The next national election doesn’t have to be held until 2029.

New prime ministers have come with increasing frequency in recent years. Burnham will be the U.K.’s seventh leader since 2016.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A Danish police officer and two other people were shot Friday, including the suspected perpetrator, authorities said.

The shooting occurred in Nørresundby, in the North Jutland region in northern Denmark. The injuries were serious, Søren Pejtersen, a spokesperson for the North Jutland police, said in a statement posted to Facebook.

Police received a report of a fire in an industrial area of Nørresundby at 1:39 p.m. (1139 GMT) and rushed to the scene, Danish broadcaster DR reported.

The officers were met with gunshots, the statement said, and they returned fire. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the police officer was shot by the suspect or injured in friendly fire. It also wasn’t immediately clear who the third injured person was, or who shot them.

Police said that the shooting was over by 3 p.m. (1300 GMT), but the investigation would continue, DR reported.

A column of black smoke was visible in photos and video from the scene. Further details weren’t immediately available.

(AP) – Smoke from wildfires — which are burning more of the Northern Hemisphere as Earth warms — attacks nearly every system in the human body, killing tens of thousands of people a year, numerous medical studies show.

It attacks the body immediately, spiking asthma cases with increased ambulance runs within hours, swamps emergency rooms in a day or so with people suffering from heart attacks and other cardiovascular and lung issues, as well as mental health issues, doctors and scientists told The Associated Press.

Smoke also harms pregnant women, increasing the risk of premature births and low-weight babies who could have breathing problems the rest of their lives, doctors and studies say. And then there are long-term risks connecting prolonged smoke and other air pollution exposure to some cancers and dementia.

After huge global fires in 2018 and 2019, the medical and science communities started looking at the health effects from the smoke with “more and more studies coming out finding that there’s all types of impacts that may not have been so obvious before,” said Dr. Mary Johnson, a Harvard School of Public Health environmental health scientist.

Smoke causes inflammation by triggering the body’s immune system to go into overtime to fight the irritant. Scientists have found it can harm the brain, the skin and men’s sperm, with almost no system of the body spared, Johnson said. People over 60 become more prone to stroke in wildfire smoke, she said.

“Wildfire smoke is the toxic product of combustion of whatever burned,” which could include houses and cars, said Dr. Courtney Howard, an emergency room physician, chair of the Global Climate and Health Alliance and president-elect of the Canadian Medical Association.

“So really it’s a big giant toxic soup of particles and gases.”

Scientists have counted at least 1,000 toxins in wildfire smoke, according to Colorado State University environmental toxicologist Luke Montrose.

“If I gave you a list, you would recognize some of these as being very bad, oftentimes associated with the burning of diesel fuel or cigarette smoke, things like formaldehyde or volatile organic compounds,” Montrose said. “So just the smoke itself can be bad.”

Rising global temperatures from climate change means more fires
So far this year, more than 5,740 square miles (more than 14,860 square kilometers) of the United States has burned from wildfires, which is 31% more than the average of the previous 10 years on this date, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. The amount of U.S. land burned each year in the 2020s — averaged out over a decade — is now more than twice what it was 30 years ago.

Europe saw a record high amount of land burned in 2025, Canada has had several record or near-record fire years in the 2020s and the Arctic recently has had unprecedented levels of burning.

“Wildfires are becoming more frequent and intense because of climate change, and when a fire happens, you have smoke,” said Colleen Reid, a University of Colorado geographic health professor.

Most of the biggest particles in wildfire smoke fall close to where a blaze is burning, while the smallest particles — the ones that scientists say do the most damage — travel the farthest. In a typical wildfire, the nasty particles that harm human health are about the size of one micron, Reid said.

Inside the body, particles attack
First those particles have to get by your body’s protection, mainly nose hairs and mucus, then they get into your lungs and from there the bloodstream.

Montrose said the particles can be coated in lots of chemicals and have large surface areas. That triggers the body’s defense system to “send signals to other cells that say, ‘We have a problem. We need to mount an immune response to this.’ And that’s where you get your acute effect or your effect within minutes, hours or even that day.” It’s mostly happening in the hearts and lungs, he said.

And many people die.

On average 24,100 people died each year in the Lower 48 states between 2006 and 2020 due to long-term exposure to tiny particles from wildfire smoke, according to a study this year in the journal Science Advances. A Stanford study projects that U.S. wildfire smoke deaths will increase with climate change and by midcentury hit an annual cost of $244 billion in terms of the economic value the government puts on each life.

On a global scale, wildfire smoke particles cause 677,745 deaths annually, with almost 39% of them children under age 5, according to a 2021 study that combined observations, studies on how the body responds to the particles and computer models to calculate the toll.

The biggest nonlethal effects have to do with the way people breathe, especially those with asthma.

“We did a study here in 2014 after we had about two-and-a-half months of smoke off and on, because we’re in the subarctic so we’re warming at triple the global rate, so in a way we’re kind of canaries in the coal mine of the health impacts of climate change,” Howard said on a clear day from Yellowknife, Canada. “We found a full doubling of emergency department visits for asthma and about 50% increase in pneumonia.”

“Even in individuals that don’t have asthma, the air can be so irritating that you could have difficulty with your respiratory system regardless,” Johnson said, “whether it’s coughing, whether it’s chest tightness, whether it’s sore throat, headache.”

There are ways to minimize the risks
Studies have linked smoke to people having more trouble with decision making and other cognitive issues. People come to the emergency room depressed, Howard said. That’s why it’s important to find a place with clean air — including designated shelters or libraries — to get a break from the smoke and possibly exercise, she said.

Experts suggest people wear high-quality masks when outdoors, even though they don’t provide perfect protection. Inside, check windows and doors for seals, invest in a good ventilation system and check air filters, they say.

“Staying away from the smoke is No. 1 if you can,” Johnson said.

Israeli defense-tech start-ups working with the Defense Ministry raised nearly $3 billion in the first six months of 2026, according to figures presented at the Haifa DefenseTech Startups and Investors Forum. 

The amount is three times the $1b. raised during all of 2025.

During the same period, defense-tech and dual-use companies accounted for almost 30% of the $8.4b. in private investment in Israel’s hi-tech sector. Approximately 800 start-ups are currently fulfilling direct procurement orders for the ministry.

The forum, held this week at EY’s Haifa office and organized by HiCenter Ventures, Gornitzky GNY, and EY, brought together entrepreneurs, investors, and officials from the defense industry and security establishment.

“Israel is rapidly transforming from a ‘Cyber Nation’ to a ‘Defense-Tech Nation,’” Ilana Averkin, head of Defense-Tech at HiCenter Ventures, was quoted as saying. 

Nevertheless, she warned that start-ups should not try to build full end-to-end systems and compete with the primes but rather “design the product as an independent, flexible, and agnostic component” that can be easily integrated into the platforms of defense giants like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, or local players such as Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) , Elbit Systems, and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

Global crises 

Global conflicts in Ukraine, the Persian Gulf, Lebanon, and Gaza have contributed to increased demand for defense technologies, including from Israel. Participants at the event cited the ability of Israeli companies to upgrade systems during active combat as a factor drawing interest from foreign customers.

Lior Hanuka, CEO of HiCenter Ventures, told the crowd that “following lessons from fighting in the Gaza Strip, in Lebanon, and in Ukraine, control of frequencies and the ability to disrupt GPS systems and drones has become a top investment priority.” 

He added that “a great deal of money is being invested in AI that not only analyzes data but can make autonomous real-time decisions, such as automatic target prioritization, dynamic supply-chain management, and predicting failures in weapons systems.”

Primes have been cooperating with defense-tech companies around the world, and Dr. Moshe Shuker, senior vice president for Research and Development at Rafael, told the crowd that the company has “significantly expanded” its work with start-ups by integrating components and assemblies to broad collaborations on flagship systems.

“Rafael is one of the world’s leading defense industries, and it has set for itself the goal of being a significant pillar of Israel’s security through unique and groundbreaking innovation and technology. In recent years, Rafael’s products have been at the technological forefront of defending Israel, and we do everything to ensure this continues.”

According to Shuker, by adapting the company’s activities in the defense-tech sector, “the connection between agile start-ups and established development bodies and defense industries makes it possible to significantly shorten the path from an idea to battlefield technology.” 

Central industry

Hanuka said investment is increasingly directed toward software-based systems, including battlefield operating systems, encrypted cloud communications, and autonomous software for drones and robots. He also noted growing interest in AI for real-time decision-making and predictive maintenance.

“Products like battlefield operating systems, encrypted cloud communications, and autonomous software for drones and robots are achieving high valuations,” he said.

Adv. Ariel Sagee of Gornitzky said that government bodies, including the Israel Innovation Authority, the Defense Ministry, and Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D) are taking a more proactive approach to supporting defense-tech companies.

“We are witnessing a fundamental shift in the way government authorities engage with the defense and technology sectors,” he said.

According to him, “organizations that were once viewed as highly bureaucratic, including the Israel Innovation Authority, the Defense Ministry, and especially DDR&D are now taking a far more proactive approach. Their focus has shifted toward accelerating innovation, fostering collaboration, and removing barriers for companies operating in the sector.”

The numbers come shortly after a report by the Aaron Institute for Economic Policy at Reichman University found a sharp rise in the number of hi-tech employees in Israel, especially in the defense-tech sector. The report, which was quoted by Ynet, said that there were 424,000 workers in hi-tech – a 6.2% rise.

The increase in workers has led to a 32% jump in office space leased by defense companies in the first half of the year. According to the report by Colliers Israel, the three leading defense firms – Rafael, Elbit, and IAI – as well as defense-tech start-ups have leased more than 140,000 sq.m., compared with about 106,000 sq.m.  in the second half of 2025. 

Investment focus and regional development

While most companies are located in the center of Israel (around 80% according to data from the report), Hanan Markovitz, CEO of the Haifa Economic Corporation, said that strengthening Haifa and the North as a technological hub is important for national resilience and called for a national initiative to attract development centers and investment to the region.

“Israel cannot continue concentrating the best human and technological capital of the security establishment in the center of the country. Investment in Beersheba is welcome, but national resilience also requires a strong hub in Haifa and the North,” he said.

HiCenter Ventures was established by the Haifa Economic Corporation and the city of Haifa to support the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. Since 2021, it has supported and invested in 104 start-ups that have raised more than $300 million. Its investor hub, HiFund, includes about 1,200 investors and 300 strategic partners and investment entities.

In 2025, HiCenter invested in 24 start-ups, including 19 new portfolio companies and five follow-on rounds. Those companies raised about $90m. in additional funding during the year.

According to Averkin, HiCenter plans to invest in 10 defense-tech start-ups this year and will assist companies with capital raising, proof-of-concept work, export licensing, and manufacturing.

This post was originally published on here.

A 4-year-old boy was rushed to the hospital Thursday evening after choking on a coin at his home in Bnei Brak.

United Hatzalah emergency medical teams were dispatched to the scene after receiving reports of a child who was choking. First responders provided emergency treatment after determining that the boy had swallowed a coin that became lodged in his airway.

Yisrael Horowitz, a United Hatzalah EMT and ambulance driver, together with HOD Unit volunteers Shaya Fischer and Meny Streicher, described the emergency response.

“We performed a series of maneuvers and attempts to dislodge the coin that had become stuck in his airway,” they said. “He was then transported quickly to Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Petach Tikva suffering from mild respiratory distress. His condition is stable.”

United Hatzalah urged parents to keep small objects, toys, and other items that could pose choking hazards out of the reach of young children. The organization emphasized that taking basic safety precautions can help prevent unnecessary accidents and tragedies.

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The Israel Tax Authority has suspended the processing of war compensation claims for Bnei Brak residents following Thursday’s attack on Tax Authority inspectors in the city’s Vizhnitz neighborhood.

In a letter sent Friday to Bnei Brak Mayor Chanokh Zeibert, Israel Tax Authority Director Shay Aharonovich announced that he had ordered an immediate freeze on all compensation claims related to damages from Operations “Am K’Lavi” and “Sha’agas HaAri” until the municipality issues a public condemnation of the attack.

The decision comes a day after Tax Authority inspectors were assaulted while carrying out official duties in Bnei Brak. Video from the scene showed a crowd surrounding the inspectors’ vehicle, pelting it with eggs and damaging its windows before police officers arrived to rescue the employees.

According to Aharonovich, the inspectors were attacked while performing their work and required police intervention to safely leave the area. He noted that this was the second recent violent incident targeting Tax Authority inspectors and criticized the municipality for failing to publicly condemn the attack.

Aharonovich wrote that Tax Authority employees will not return to work in Bnei Brak until the city issues a clear and unequivocal public condemnation. As a result, personnel from the Compensation Fund have also been instructed to halt processing of war damage claims submitted by Bnei Brak residents.

The Tax Authority director also requested that the municipality publish its condemnation in media outlets serving the Chareidi community. Until such a statement is issued, the freeze on compensation claims will remain in effect.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Nasdaq drops nearly 2% in the opening minutes; Dow holds near flat; Brent runs toward a 12% weekly gain as Hormuz transit collapses

Roughly 25 minutes into the session, the S&P 500 was trading at 7,466.06, down 67.71 points, or 0.90%. The Nasdaq Composite was off 1.88%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped just 0.14%. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index dropped 4%  — a second consecutive session of heavy losses for the group after the index tumbled more than 4% on Thursday.

The split between the Dow and the Nasdaq is the story of the morning. Money is not leaving the market so much as leaving one corner of it.

What’s driving it

Two separate pressure points hit at once.

The first is a continued repricing of AI infrastructure spending. The rally that carried markets off their March lows has stalled as investors reassess how much companies are committing to artificial intelligence and what those commitments return.  Thursday offered a clean illustration: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing reported a 77% annual earnings gain and watched its shares fall more than 4%  — the second time in three days that strong results from a dominant chipmaker preceded a selloff in the sector rather than a rally.

The pressure traveled overnight. Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed down 4.03%.

The second is Netflix. The company reported second-quarter earnings of $0.80 per share against a $0.79 estimate on revenue of $12.6 billion, essentially in line. The problem was the guide: third-quarter revenue of $12.86 billion versus a $13.006 billion consensus, and earnings of $0.82 against $0.84 expected. Full-year 2026 revenue was narrowed to $51 billion to $51.4 billion.  Shares fell more than 9% in extended trading  — a second straight quarter of decelerating sales growth in what management characterized as a competitive and shifting entertainment market.

Market Movers

• Netflix (NFLX) — down sharply on the Q3 revenue and earnings guide, not the quarter itself.

• Semiconductors — the sector is doing the bulk of the index-level damage. The PHLX Semiconductor Index is down 4% at the open after a 4%-plus decline Thursday, with the group at roughly two-month lows.

• Truist Financial (TFC) and Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) — the regional banks close out this week’s earnings docket,  giving the first read on mid-sized lender credit quality since energy costs began climbing again.

• Defensive names — consumer staples are holding up as the rotation out of high-multiple tech continues.

Commodities

Energy is where the geopolitical backdrop is showing up in hard numbers.

Brent crude traded at $85.10 a barrel and WTI at $79.93 Friday morning, with prices up roughly 12% on the week — on pace for the strongest weekly gain since April. The move traces directly to the Strait of Hormuz, where confirmed crude and condensate transit has fallen 62% to 4.1 million barrels per day, according to Kpler, with regional loadings down 47%.

The U.S. struck Iranian coastal, military and maritime targets for a sixth consecutive night. Five bridges were hit and seven people were killed. Iran launched fresh strikes in response.  Friday’s exchange included the first direct attack on U.S. facilities in Syria.

The date that matters for planners: the 60-day ceasefire memorandum signed last month expires August 16.

Elsewhere, gold traded near $4,000 an ounce, up modestly, and the VIX rose nearly 10% to 18.37.  Bitcoin was near $62,932, down 1.7%.

On deck

The University of Michigan’s preliminary July consumer sentiment reading lands at 10 a.m. ET. It arrives with unusual weight. June’s final reading came in at 49.5, up from May’s all-time low of 44.8, with the improvement credited largely to a moderation in gasoline prices. Year-ahead inflation expectations sat at 4.6% — well above the 3.4% recorded in February, before the Iran conflict began.

That relief has now reversed. Gasoline is following crude back up, which means the single input that lifted sentiment off record lows in June has flipped direction going into the July survey.

For business owners, the read-through is straightforward: the equity story this morning is a tech-sector valuation argument, and it is largely self-contained. The energy story is not. A 62% collapse in Hormuz transit shows up in freight rates, fuel surcharges, and input costs for anyone moving physical goods — and it will show up on invoices long after the chip trade sorts itself out.

Note on data: June retail sales grew 0.2% month over month, below the 0.3% consensus.  EIA’s July outlook, published July 7, forecast Brent averaging $74 a barrel in the third quarter  — a projection built on the assumption of a reopened strait, and one this week’s transit data has already overtaken.

JBizNews Desk | Wall Street

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

Hyundai Motor Group announced Thursday, July 16, that it will acquire SoftBank Group’s remaining approximately 10% stake in Boston Dynamics, making the U.S. robotics company a wholly owned subsidiary. The announcement was confirmed by Hyundai and follows SoftBank’s exercise of a contractual put option established when Hyundai first acquired control of Boston Dynamics in 2021. Financial terms were not officially disclosed, although South Korean media have estimated the transaction at roughly 500 billion won (about $335 million). 

The move gives Hyundai complete strategic control over one of the world’s most recognizable robotics companies as the automaker accelerates its transformation from a traditional vehicle manufacturer into a broader mobility, artificial intelligence and robotics company.

Rather than viewing robots as a side business, Hyundai is positioning robotics as a central pillar of its long-term growth strategy.

From Viral Videos to Factory Floors

Boston Dynamics built its global reputation through highly advanced robots capable of running, climbing stairs, navigating rough terrain and performing complex movements once thought impossible for machines.

Its quadruped Spot robot has been deployed for industrial inspections, construction sites, utility operations, mining, public safety and infrastructure monitoring around the world.

More recently, attention has shifted to Atlas, the company’s next-generation humanoid robot designed for industrial work.

Hyundai plans to begin deploying Atlas robots at its new electric vehicle manufacturing facility in Georgia beginning in 2028, where the robots are expected to initially perform parts sequencing before gradually expanding into additional manufacturing functions, including component assembly by the end of the decade. 

The Georgia deployment represents one of the first large-scale commercial applications of advanced humanoid robots inside an automotive production environment.

Why Hyundai Wants Full Control

Hyundai originally acquired an 80% interest in Boston Dynamics from SoftBank in 2021. Through subsequent ownership adjustments, Hyundai and its affiliated companies increased their combined ownership to more than 90%, leaving SoftBank with a minority interest of roughly 10%.

By purchasing the remaining shares, Hyundai eliminates minority ownership and gains complete authority over future investment decisions, commercialization strategy, research priorities and any potential future public offering.

The company said complete ownership provides greater flexibility to make long-term investments without needing approval from outside shareholders.

That flexibility may prove increasingly valuable as competition intensifies among companies racing to commercialize humanoid robotics.

Tesla, Figure AI, Agility Robotics and several Chinese robotics developers are investing billions of dollars into humanoid systems intended for factories, warehouses and logistics operations.

Hyundai believes Boston Dynamics gives it one of the industry’s strongest technology platforms.

Automation Meets Labor Concerns

The announcement comes during a period of heightened labor tensions in South Korea, where Hyundai’s union has raised concerns about automation replacing manufacturing jobs.

Union officials have warned that expanding use of humanoid robots could reduce future hiring needs if automation advances more rapidly than workforce growth.

Hyundai has stated that robotics is intended to improve productivity, safety and manufacturing efficiency rather than simply eliminate jobs.

The company argues that robots can assume repetitive, dangerous or physically demanding work while employees transition toward higher-value technical roles.

Nevertheless, labor organizations continue watching Hyundai’s robotics strategy closely as implementation moves forward.

A Broader Robotics Strategy

Hyundai’s ambitions extend well beyond automobile manufacturing.

The company envisions robots supporting logistics, warehousing, healthcare, construction, mobility services and smart-city infrastructure.

Boston Dynamics already sells industrial robots globally, and Hyundai hopes its manufacturing expertise can accelerate production while reducing costs over time.

Combining Hyundai’s large-scale manufacturing capabilities with Boston Dynamics’ robotics expertise could enable broader commercialization of advanced robotic systems.

Industry analysts view the acquisition as another indication that robotics is moving from experimental research into mainstream industrial deployment.

While humanoid robots remain expensive today, manufacturers increasingly see them as long-term tools capable of helping address labor shortages, improve workplace safety and increase productivity.

What Comes Next

Hyundai will continue integrating Boston Dynamics into its broader robotics strategy while preparing Atlas for commercial deployment in the United States.

The company expects full ownership to simplify decision-making and accelerate development timelines as global competition in robotics continues to intensify.

For Boston Dynamics, the transaction closes another chapter in a corporate history that has included ownership by Google, SoftBank and now full integration into Hyundai Motor Group.

For Hyundai, it represents one of the clearest signals yet that the future of the company extends far beyond automobiles.

JBizNews Desk | Seoul

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

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Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) issued a stark warning Thursday that the Democratic Party is steadily distancing itself from Israel and failing to stand with the American Jewish community, arguing that the shift is becoming increasingly evident and is likely to intensify.

Appearing on Newsmax TV’s The Record, Fetterman said he has long cautioned fellow Democrats that the party was moving in that direction. Referring to Wednesday’s House vote on aid to Israel, he said, “are going to back, back, back, back away from Israel and not defend the Jewish community in our nation. And that’s where we are. We have that manifestation with that vote yesterday” and warned that the trend “won’t stop. In fact, if anything, it’s going to accelerate.”

Host Greta Van Susteren noted what she described as a steady rise in antisemitism across the country, pointing to incidents on college campuses, in public demonstrations, and what she called a dramatic shift among House Democrats.

“Senator, it’s been drip, drip, drip, drip of antisemitism in this country. We’ve seen it grow on college campuses, on streets. And now we have this, what I would describe as almost a seismic shift inside the House of Representatives, where 104 Democrats want to cut the funding from Israel. Your thought about this.”

Fetterman responded by citing the anti-Israel protests that swept college campuses, where demonstrators occupied buildings and Jewish students reported feeling intimidated. He said he supported the Trump administration’s efforts to hold universities accountable for their handling of those incidents, including Harvard University, his alma mater.

“Yeah, well, without a doubt, look at the kinds of chaos that happened on the college campuses all across our nation. And you had students taking over buildings and terrorizing Jewish students. As a Democrat, I absolutely supported when the Trump administration held a lot of these universities fully accountable, including my own alma mater, too, at Harvard, too. So, to be clear, that’s not something I’m surprised to witness, but it’s something I’ve been warning within the Democratic Party, we, in the Democratic Party are going to back, back, back, back away from Israel and not defend the Jewish community in our nation. And that’s where we are. We have that manifestation with that vote yesterday.”

Van Susteren later asked whether the political shift could still be reversed, noting the growing number of House Democrats opposing aid to Israel.

“How do we reverse this trend? Because, as I started this interview, I pointed out how everything is drip, drip, drip, and now we’re taking this huge leap within the Democratic members of the House of Representatives, 104 of them. How do we stop — how do we arrest this trend?”

Fetterman replied that he does not believe the movement is slowing down and expects it to become even more pronounced.

“It won’t stop. In fact, if anything, it’s going to accelerate. Look at the people that have won. They’ve — anti-Israel, anti-American, anti-Western Civilization overall.”

{Matzav.com}

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BEIJING (AP) — China on Friday said it has never interfered in U.S. elections and has no interest in doing so, urging Washington to stop making what it described as “groundless accusations” after President Donald Trump accused Beijing of meddling in the 2020 election.

In an address to the nation Thursday, Trump again raised doubts about the U.S. elections results in 2020 and accused China of interfering in them.

“The relevant allegations by the U.S. are entirely fabricated and aimed at vilifying China,” said China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian. “We have no interest in interfering in US elections and have never done so.”

In a daily briefing in Beijing, Lin called on the U.S. to stop making groundless accusations against China.

Asked whether this might affect the expected visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to the U.S. in September, the spokesperson replied: “As I just said, we urge the U.S. to stop making an issue of China in its elections and do something conducive to China-U.S. relations.”

Trump visited Beijing in mid-May and met with Xi, and both governments said they would adopt a new framework to manage the bilateral relations. Trump invited Xi to visit the United States in September and Beijing confirmed Xi has accepted the invitation.

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NEW YORK (VINnews)-The Democratic National Committee is deploying organizers, volunteers and staff to FIFA World Cup fan zones, sports bars and watch parties across the country this weekend in a bid to register thousands of new voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The drive coincides with Sunday’s World Cup final between Spain and Argentina at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with kickoff set for 3 p.m. ET. Democrats hope the excitement surrounding the match will help them reach potential voters, particularly younger ones and those in the Hispanic community.

DNC Chair Ken Martin outlined the plan in a statement.

“From outside FIFA Fan Zones and at World Cup watch parties to bars, restaurants and parks, we’ll spend the weekend registering thousands of new Democrats and having conversations about how we win races up and down the ballot,” Martin said.

The party aims to register about 3,000 new voters and is active in two dozen states, including battlegrounds such as Arizona and Pennsylvania. In Arizona, efforts will focus on Phoenix, Chandler, Tempe, Tucson and Yuma.

The initiative is part of the DNC’s “When We Count” program, which prioritizes registering young voters. About one-third of the program’s fellows are native Spanish speakers. The party is also conducting a four-part national training series for more than 1,500 people on voter registration techniques.

Lee Igel, a professor of global sport management at New York University, told Politico that large sporting events create unique opportunities for outreach.

“The power in sport is that people gather. It creates a sense of belonging,” Igel said. “If you want to get 3,000 people registered to vote at a watch party for a sports mega-event, you’d be hard-pressed not to get closer to 30,000 people.”

Igel noted that politicians, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, have successfully leveraged sports to boost their campaigns.

“Sport is fun and games, but the attention it attracts in communities — from eyeballs to people in person — is enormous,” he said.

The effort comes as Democrats seek to build momentum heading into the 2026 midterms.

U.S. import prices unexpectedly declined in June, providing encouraging news for consumers and businesses as the cost of many goods entering the country continued to moderate despite ongoing global trade uncertainty.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Thursday, July 16, that import prices fell 0.2% in June, reversing the previous month’s increase and coming in below economists’ expectations. Excluding fuel, import prices were largely stable, indicating that broader inflation pressures from overseas goods remain relatively contained.

The report is closely watched because import prices often provide an early indication of future inflation trends affecting American consumers and businesses.

Lower Energy Costs Help Drive Decline

The decrease was largely driven by lower prices for imported fuel products.

Energy markets remained volatile throughout June, but overall import costs declined enough to offset modest increases in several categories of manufactured goods.

Lower import costs can eventually benefit consumers by reducing pricing pressure on retailers, manufacturers and distributors that rely on imported products.

Companies importing raw materials, machinery and consumer goods may also benefit from improved cost stability.

Good News for Consumers

Moderating import prices could help keep inflation under control during the second half of the year.

Many consumer products sold in the United States—including electronics, household goods, clothing and appliances—contain imported components or are manufactured overseas.

When import costs stabilize or decline, businesses often face less pressure to raise prices for consumers.

Although not every cost savings is immediately passed along, easing import inflation is generally viewed as a positive development for household budgets.

Businesses Gain Greater Pricing Stability

American manufacturers also benefit from lower import costs.

Many companies rely on imported metals, industrial equipment, chemicals and production components to manufacture finished products domestically.

More stable import pricing allows businesses to better forecast expenses, manage inventories and plan future investments.

The report also comes as global supply chains continue operating more smoothly than during the disruptions experienced in recent years.

Federal Reserve Watches Inflation Closely

The latest figures provide another data point for policymakers as they evaluate future interest-rate decisions.

While the Federal Reserve considers many measures of inflation, declining import prices reduce one potential source of upward price pressure across the economy.

Combined with recent reports showing moderating producer prices and improving supply chains, the latest import price data suggests inflation continues moving in a more favorable direction.

Officials will continue monitoring consumer prices, wage growth and employment before making future policy decisions.

Looking Ahead

Economists expect import prices to remain sensitive to energy markets, currency movements and international trade conditions.

Even with ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, June’s report suggests businesses are not currently experiencing widespread increases in overseas purchasing costs.

For consumers, manufacturers and retailers alike, the latest data offers another encouraging sign that inflationary pressures may continue easing during the second half of 2026.

JBizNews Desk | Washington

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

The Trump administration is moving to reinstate stricter financial requirements for immigrants seeking permanent legal residency by reversing a Biden-era policy that largely disregarded an applicant’s use of government assistance programs when evaluating eligibility for a green card.

According to CBS News, the Department of Homeland Security is preparing to rescind the Biden administration’s regulations and restore the longstanding “public charge” standard used to determine whether an immigrant is likely to become financially dependent on taxpayer-funded benefits.

The public charge test is designed to assess whether an applicant is capable of supporting himself financially or is likely to rely on government assistance after receiving lawful permanent resident status.

Under federal law, immigration officials may determine that an applicant is inadmissible if he or she is expected to become a “public charge” supported by public funds. In 2022, the Biden administration narrowed the policy, allowing many applicants who received certain forms of public assistance to remain eligible for green cards.

The revised policy being prepared by DHS would return to the broader standards that were implemented during President Trump’s first administration in 2016. Under those guidelines, immigration officers may consider factors including an applicant’s age, health, family circumstances, assets, financial resources, education, job skills, and use of means-tested government assistance programs.

As part of the change, the administration also plans to once again include benefits such as food stamps, Medicaid, and housing assistance among the programs considered when determining whether an applicant is likely to become a public charge.

DHS estimates that the revised policy could affect as many as 588,000 individuals applying for green cards from within the United States. According to reports, the rule could take effect as early as October.

Although the Trump administration is restoring the policy, the public charge standard itself predates both the Trump and Biden administrations. The modern version of the rule was first adopted in 1999 during President Bill Clinton’s administration.

The public charge proposal is one of several immigration policy changes currently under consideration. The administration is also weighing additional financial requirements for immigrants applying for green cards from outside the United States.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the State Department is evaluating a proposal that would require certain overseas green card applicants to post a $100,000 bond before being permitted to immigrate.

If adopted on a broad scale, the bond requirement could make permanent residency unattainable for many applicants who lack substantial financial resources.

The Journal reported that “applicants would likely pay the bond and receive the money back only after becoming U.S. citizens, a process that takes at least five years. That way, the bond would serve as collateral if a green-card holder moved to the country and proved unable to support themselves.”

“President Trump has made clear that those who wish to immigrate to the United States must be financially self-sufficient,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said, and added that the administration is exploring the bond idea “as a way to demonstrate they have access to the funds needed to support themselves.”

{Matzav.com}

The European Commission on Thursday, July 16, adopted legally binding measures requiring Google to make key parts of its Android ecosystem more accessible to competing artificial intelligence assistants and search providers under the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). The decision follows months of consultations and marks one of the Commission’s most significant enforcement actions against a major technology platform since the DMA took effect.

The ruling requires Google to improve interoperability between Android devices and third-party services while also making certain anonymized Google Search data available to qualifying competitors. European regulators say the measures are intended to reduce barriers that have historically favored Google’s own products and create greater competition in both artificial intelligence and online search.

For businesses developing AI assistants, search engines, voice technologies and connected devices, the decision could reshape how consumers interact with Android smartphones across Europe over the coming years.

Opening Android to Competing AI Services

At the center of the Commission’s decision is Android, the world’s largest mobile operating system.

European regulators concluded that Google must provide developers with greater technical access to Android features that have traditionally been more easily available to Google’s own applications and services. These include functions used by voice assistants, connected devices and emerging AI-powered digital assistants.

The Commission believes that allowing competing AI platforms to integrate more deeply into Android will encourage innovation while giving consumers additional choices beyond Google’s native ecosystem.

Rather than forcing consumers to rely primarily on Google Assistant or other Google-developed tools, device manufacturers and software developers will have broader opportunities to offer competing AI experiences that function more seamlessly on Android devices.

Implementation of many interoperability requirements will occur in phases, with some technical obligations extending through July 2027.

Search Data Sharing

The Commission also ordered Google to establish a framework allowing eligible competitors access to certain anonymized search data generated through Google Search.

European officials argue that access to search information has become increasingly important for companies developing competing search engines and artificial intelligence systems that depend on high-quality data to improve results.

The Commission emphasized that any data sharing must comply with European privacy laws and include safeguards designed to protect users’ personal information.

The measures do not authorize the release of personally identifiable search histories. Instead, regulators envision structured access to anonymized information intended to improve competition while preserving user privacy.

Google Pushes Back

Google sharply criticized the Commission’s decision, arguing that the requirements could reduce security, slow innovation and expose proprietary technology that the company has spent decades developing.

The company has maintained throughout the DMA process that excessive interoperability requirements could weaken cybersecurity protections and create additional risks for Android users.

Google also argues that mandatory data-sharing obligations could discourage long-term investment in search and artificial intelligence by reducing incentives to develop new technologies.

While the company must comply with the Commission’s legally binding measures, additional legal challenges remain possible as implementation moves forward.

A Growing Global Regulatory Trend

The decision represents another chapter in the broader effort by regulators worldwide to increase oversight of dominant digital platforms.

Over the past several years, governments in Europe, the United States and other jurisdictions have introduced new rules addressing competition in digital advertising, mobile operating systems, app stores, online marketplaces and artificial intelligence.

The European Union has generally taken the most aggressive regulatory approach through the Digital Markets Act, which establishes special obligations for designated “gatekeeper” platforms considered essential to digital commerce.

The law is designed to prevent dominant technology companies from using their market positions to disadvantage competitors.

The Google measures announced Thursday are among the most detailed technical interoperability requirements issued under the DMA to date.

Implications for Businesses

The ruling extends well beyond Google.

Artificial intelligence companies, software developers, smartphone manufacturers and enterprise technology providers will all be watching closely as implementation begins.

Companies building AI assistants could gain broader access to Android capabilities that were previously more difficult to integrate.

Search providers may receive new opportunities to improve their own platforms through access to additional anonymized search information.

Device manufacturers could also benefit from increased flexibility when deciding which digital assistants and AI services to feature on future smartphones and connected products.

For consumers, the practical effects are expected to emerge gradually as Google implements the required changes over the next several years.

Whether the measures ultimately produce significantly greater competition in AI and search remains uncertain, but the decision reinforces Europe’s determination to shape how large technology platforms operate within its borders.

The Commission said it will continue monitoring Google’s compliance throughout the implementation process and may take additional enforcement action if obligations are not met.

JBizNews Desk | Brussels

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

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China forcefully denied interfering in U.S. elections Thursday night after President Donald Trump announced the release of newly declassified intelligence documents that he said detail years of Chinese efforts to influence American elections and undermine confidence in the nation’s electoral system.

During his nationally televised address, Trump said one of the central categories of declassified material focuses on what he described as extensive efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to interfere in U.S. elections over the past decade. According to the president, the intelligence files allege that China amassed a vast database of American voter information and concluded that Beijing strongly opposed his reelection ahead of the 2020 election because of concerns over his approach to the presidency.

Following the speech, the Chinese Embassy in Washington responded in a statement provided to CBS News, rejecting the allegations. The statement came after Trump’s address also discussed alleged election-related activities involving other foreign countries and broader concerns about election security.

“China has all along adhered to the principle of non-interference in others’ internal affairs,” the statement reportedly read. “The U.S. election is an internal matter of the U.S. Its outcome is determined by the votes of the American people. China has never and will never interfere in the presidential elections of the U.S.”

China has previously faced accusations from several democratic nations of attempting to influence their political systems. In Canada, the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (SITE) task force announced in 2025 that it had uncovered “coordinated and malicious activity” tied to accounts linked to the Chinese government during the federal election that brought longtime China business associate Mark Carney to the office of prime minister. Australia has also experienced similar concerns, including a 2017 scandal involving a senior senator who accepted money from a billionaire connected to the Chinese regime before publicly adopting positions viewed as favorable to Beijing.

In his remarks Thursday, Trump alleged that “the People’s Republic of China carried out what is believed to be the largest compromise of election data in history — resulting in China’s illicit acquisition of 220 million U.S. voter files.”

Although the president’s address covered a range of election security concerns, including vulnerabilities in voting systems and alleged intelligence failures, he singled out China as the most significant foreign threat outlined in the newly released records.

Trump said the intelligence documents indicate that China’s access to election-related data extended into approximately 18 states, giving Beijing access to “sensitive data that would be needed to register to vote, and engage in other nefarious activities.”

“This data loss presents an unprecedented election security nightmare,” he observed. “The intelligence even shows that China assigned a data exploitation unit specifically to this new project.”

The president also referenced another intelligence document released by the White House that he said concluded China’s leadership actively sought to prevent his return to office.

“They did not want and they just didn’t want it, they fought like hell not to have it, Donald Trump to win,” he said, stating that CIA documents recorded that China would “leverage all domestic and foreign elements that were opposed to the U.S. president in an effort to reduce the U.S. president’s votes and make him resign or lose the election.”

Trump further alleged that some of the declassified records show “intelligence agencies worked to actively suppress and downplay information about the extent of China’s sinister election meddling.” He said he would direct senior intelligence and law enforcement officials to “investigate how and why such crucial info was hidden, to fire those involved in the cover-up and to press charges.”

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LONDON (VINnews) — British police on Friday charged a 39-year-old man from Liverpool with assisting Iran’s intelligence service, the latest case highlighting Tehran’s alleged efforts to conduct hostile activities in the United Kingdom through proxies.

Vahid Aberi was charged under the UK’s National Security Act, authorities said. He was arrested and taken to a police station in central England, with searches conducted at addresses in Birmingham and Liverpool.

UK security officials have repeatedly warned that Iran seeks to leverage criminal networks and proxies for espionage and other threats. The charging comes days after Britain banned support for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) under new powers aimed at countering state-sponsored activity.

Since the outbreak of the US-Iran war, Britain has seen a surge in antisemitic incidents linked to Iranian influence, according to officials.

Police emphasized that the investigation into Aberi has not identified any immediate threat to any specific community or individual. However, authorities noted an uptick in such cases.

“We have seen a significant and sustained increase in the tempo of our work in national security investigations in recent years,” Helen Flanagan, head of counter terrorism policing in London, said in a statement.

Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri made it clear on Thursday that his party will not join forces with Gadi Eisenkot or his newly formed Yashar party after the upcoming elections, reaffirming that Shas remains firmly committed to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and the national camp.

“We support Netanyahu, period. Eisenkot is leading a camp of hatred against everything Judaism stands for. We are with Netanyahu all the way, backing him to lead the camp and serve as Prime Minister. The faith-based bloc is our bloc,” Deri said in an interview with Yishai Cohen on the Kikar HaShabbat news website.

While acknowledging that there is disappointment within the Chareidi camp over the conduct of Likud and other parties in the right-wing coalition, Deri stressed that Shas sees no viable alternative. “Netanyahu is the most experienced figure. The faith-based bloc is our home. We have our grievances with them, but there is simply no alternative.”

Deri also said that if Netanyahu wins another term, he would urge him to pursue the formation of a broad-based national coalition rather than limiting the government to right-wing parties alone. “I strongly support the Prime Minister’s intention to make every effort to form a broad government. We have always striven for a coalition like that because it fosters greater consensus and reduces division. While a ‘fully right-wing’ government gave us a majority, it also deepened polarization and hostility. If we can expand the government with our bloc as its foundation, that would be the ideal outcome.”

{Matzav.com}

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Catholic Health and GE HealthCare announced Thursday, July 16, a 10-year strategic partnership valued at approximately $500 million that will bring more than 1,300 pieces of medical technology to hospitals and outpatient facilities across Long Island.

The agreement, structured as a long-term Care Alliance, represents one of the largest health technology modernization projects announced in the New York metropolitan region this year. It is designed to expand patient access to advanced imaging, precision diagnostics, monitoring systems and artificial intelligence-supported healthcare tools while creating a unified system for maintaining and replacing equipment across Catholic Health’s network.

The partnership will cover Catholic Health hospitals and ambulatory locations throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties, bringing new technology closer to patients who might otherwise need to travel farther for specialized testing or treatment.

The planned equipment expansion includes advanced imaging and diagnostic technologies used in radiology, cardiology, oncology, surgery and other areas of patient care. Artificial intelligence will also be deployed across scheduling, clinical operations, diagnostic workflows and patient monitoring.

For Catholic Health, the agreement is not simply an equipment purchase. The organization is entering a decade-long relationship that combines technology installation with maintenance, service support, workforce training and long-term planning.

That approach is intended to reduce one of the most persistent operational challenges facing large hospital systems: managing medical devices from different generations, manufacturers and service schedules while trying to maintain consistent care across multiple locations.

Under the partnership, Catholic Health will be able to coordinate equipment upgrades across its network rather than replacing machines individually as they become outdated or unreliable. The system is expected to help administrators better anticipate maintenance needs, improve equipment availability and reduce interruptions caused by aging technology.

The investment could also expand the number of procedures that can be performed at community hospitals and outpatient centers rather than at the system’s largest facilities.

That matters on Long Island, where population growth, an aging demographic and rising demand for outpatient care have placed increasing pressure on hospital capacity. Patients frequently face long waits for specialized imaging, and hospitals must balance the need for expensive new technology against competing staffing and infrastructure costs.

By adding equipment throughout the network, Catholic Health is seeking to make services more accessible while improving the consistency of care available across different communities.

The agreement also reflects a broader transformation underway in the healthcare industry. Hospitals are moving away from purchasing isolated pieces of equipment and toward long-term partnerships that combine hardware, software, data analysis, artificial intelligence and technical support.

Medical technology companies increasingly view these arrangements as a way to build recurring business relationships with health systems while helping hospitals plan capital spending over longer periods.

For healthcare providers, the model can reduce uncertainty by establishing a schedule for equipment replacement, upgrades and maintenance. It may also help hospitals avoid sudden capital expenses when critical machines fail or become obsolete.

Artificial intelligence will be a major part of the Catholic Health initiative, although the technology is expected to support clinicians and hospital operations rather than replace medical professionals.

AI-enabled systems can help prioritize imaging studies, identify abnormalities that require urgent review, automate measurements, assist physicians in comparing current and previous scans and reduce administrative work.

The technology can also be used outside the examination room. Hospitals are deploying AI to coordinate appointments, predict demand, manage patient flow, monitor equipment performance and identify operational bottlenecks.

When implemented effectively, those systems can shorten waiting times and allow nurses, technicians and physicians to spend more time directly caring for patients.

The Catholic Health agreement includes AI capabilities operating at several levels. Some will be embedded directly into medical devices. Others will assist individual hospital departments or connect information across the broader health system.

That integrated structure is important because many hospitals still operate with fragmented technology systems that do not communicate smoothly with each other. A hospital may have advanced imaging equipment but still rely on separate scheduling, maintenance and patient-record systems.

The 10-year arrangement is intended to create a more coordinated technology environment while allowing Catholic Health to continue updating its systems as new medical tools become available.

The partnership also gives GE HealthCare a major long-term presence in one of the country’s largest healthcare markets. Long Island is home to nearly three million residents and several competing hospital systems that are investing heavily in outpatient care, advanced diagnostics and digital health.

GE HealthCare said the alliance is designed to improve equipment reliability, operational efficiency and consistency of care. Catholic Health said the investment will help deliver advanced services closer to where patients live.

The agreement comes as hospitals nationwide confront higher labor expenses, costly construction projects and increasing demand for sophisticated medical technology. At the same time, many health systems are under pressure to control costs and move more services away from traditional hospital settings.

Outpatient imaging and diagnostic centers have become especially important because they can often provide services more conveniently and at a lower cost than hospital-based departments.

Catholic Health’s decision to distribute new technology across both hospitals and ambulatory locations suggests the organization is preparing for continued growth in community-based and outpatient care.

The financial impact of the project will extend beyond the two organizations. Medical equipment installation can require construction, electrical work, information technology integration and specialized training. The initiative may create opportunities for contractors, technology vendors, maintenance providers and local healthcare workers throughout the 10-year term.

The size and duration of the partnership also provide Catholic Health with a framework for future expansion. As patient demand changes, the organization will be positioned to add or replace technology without renegotiating an entirely new systemwide strategy.

For Long Island patients, the most visible result will be the arrival of newer equipment and potentially shorter travel distances for advanced care.

The larger test will be whether the investment improves appointment availability, reduces equipment downtime and helps Catholic Health provide the same level of technology across its entire network.

Implementation details, including the timing and locations of the first equipment installations, are expected to emerge as the two organizations begin rolling out the partnership.

JBizNews Desk | New York

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

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim declared that any Israeli citizens found in the country would be expelled immediately as authorities investigate reports that Israelis may have participated in an international technology retreat in the Muslim-majority nation.

“If we find any Israeli, we will deport them immediately because we do not recognize Israel,” Ibrahim said during an interview with the English-language news outlet Free Malaysia Today, according to JNS.

Responding to allegations that Israeli citizens with dual nationality had entered Malaysia, Ibrahim said anyone holding an Israeli passport “will be deported if the allegations are proven true.” He added that “all relevant agencies are already conducting investigations.”

The controversy centers on reports that Israeli nationals may have attended Network School, a residential technology community located in Forest City near the Singapore border. The project was launched in 2024 by American technology investor Balaji Srinivasan and markets itself as a destination for self-described “techno-optimists,” offering accommodations, meals, workspaces, fitness facilities, and other shared amenities for a monthly fee of $1,500.

Malaysia’s Immigration Department said Thursday that investigators have not yet uncovered evidence confirming that Israeli citizens took part in the program.

“So far, we have not found any evidence to verify the allegations regarding the presence of Israelis in the Network School program,” Immigration Department Director-General Datuk Zakaria Shaaban told the New Straits Times. “Preliminary checks found that all those inspected possessed valid immigration documents based on current records.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately issue a response Thursday after being asked to comment on the Malaysian investigation.

Malaysia does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel and has long taken a hardline stance toward the Jewish state. In December 2023, Malaysian authorities arrested one of their own citizens after he posted a social media video calling for peace with Israel.

That same month, the Malaysian government barred Israeli-flagged cargo vessels from entering the country’s ports, citing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which it said disregarded “basic humanitarian principles”.

In another high-profile incident, Malaysian officials announced in 2022 that they had arrested individuals they identified as suspected Mossad operatives accused of attempting to abduct a Palestinian man in Kuala Lumpur whom authorities said was working on behalf of Hamas.

{Matzav.com}