Jooish News

NORWICH, Conn. (AP) — The U.S. State Department has ordered certain public libraries nationwide to cease processing passport applications, disrupting a long-standing service that librarians say their communities have come to rely on and that has run smoothly for years.

The agency, which regulates U.S. passports, began issuing cease and desist orders to not-for-profit libraries in late fall, informing them they were no longer authorized to participate in the Passport Acceptance Facility program as of Friday.

“We still get calls daily seeking that service,” said Cathleen Special, executive director of the Otis Library in Norwich, Connecticut, where passport services were offered for 18 years but ceased in November after receiving the letter. “Our community was so used to us offering this.”

A State Department spokesperson said the order was given because federal law and regulations “clearly prohibit non-governmental organizations” from collecting and retaining fees for a passport application. Government-run libraries are not impacted.

The spokesperson did not respond to questions as to why it has become an issue now and exactly how many libraries are impacted by the cease and desist order. In a statement, they said, “passport services has over 7,500 acceptance facilities nationwide and the number of libraries found ineligible makes up less than one percent of our total network.”

The American Library Association estimates about 1,400 mostly non-profit public libraries nationwide could potentially be affected, or about 15% of all public libraries, depending on how many offer passport services.

Democratic and Republican members of Congress from Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Maryland are pushing back, sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio this month asking him to extend the existing program until Congress finds a permanent solution.

“In a time when demand for passports is surging, libraries are among the most accessible passport acceptance facilities, particularly for working families and rural residents,” the members wrote.

The lawmakers’ letter said people will have to travel long distances, take unpaid time off from work or forgo getting a passport when demand is surging due to Real ID requirements. If Republicans in Congress impose strict new voting rules, citizens could need their passport or birth certificate to register. People fearing immigration agents are also increasingly carrying passports to confirm their citizenship.

They said the change is particularly disruptive to their states, where many public libraries are structured as nonprofit entities. They predicted some libraries, which benefit financially from passport processing fees, will have to lay off staff, cut programs or close their doors if not allowed to continue providing passport services.

Public libraries are organized differently in each state. In Pennsylvania 85% of public libraries are non-profit organizations, versus being a department of a local municipal government. In Maine, it’s 56%; Rhode Island, 54%, New York, 47% and Connecticut, 46%, according to the American Library Association.

Pennsylvania Reps. Madeleine Dean, a Democrat, and John Joyce, a Republican, have proposed bipartisan legislation that would allow 501(c)(3) non-profit public libraries to continue to serve as passport acceptance facilities by amending the Passport Act of 1920. A similar companion bill is pending in the Senate.

Dean, who first learned about the policy change from a library in her district that has provided passport services for 20 years, called the State Department’s interpretation of the law “nonsense.”

In Joyce’s rural, south-central Pennsylvania district, the Marysville-Rye Library is one of only two passport facilities serving the 556-square-mile Perry County, according to the letter to Rubio. Now the county courthouse will be the only remaining option.

The State Department noted that 99% of the U.S. population lives within 20 miles of a designated passport processing location, such as a post office, county clerk’s office or government-run library authorized to accept in-person passport applications.

“Should the removal of an ineligible facility affect passport services, we will work to identify new eligible program partners in the impacted area,” the agency spokesperson said.

But Special said the Norwich post office had often referred people to her library for passports when someone needed service outside regular hours or had children who needed to be watched and entertained while their parent filled out the paperwork. Library staff also assisted applicants with language barriers.

“And now the burden falls on them to do all of it and that’s tough on them,” she said of the post office down the street. “I don’t know how they’re keeping up, to be honest, because it was such a popular service with us.”

NEW YORK (AP) — A former high-ranking official in the New York Police Department has been charged with accepting $35,000 in cash, luxury travel perks and other bribes from a Florida businessman seeking to sell panic buttons to the city’s public schools and police.

In an indictment Thursday, federal prosecutors said Kevin Taylor attempted to steer an $11 million contract toward the company, SaferWatch, while serving as the commanding officer of the NYPD’s School Safety Division. The company markets its product as a “mobile panic alert system” used for mass shootings and other emergencies.

In exchange, the company’s founder, Gene Roefaro, showered Taylor and his romantic partner with gifts — including luxury hotels and airfare to the Bahamas and Las Vegas, helicopter tours, tickets to Broadway musicals and a “medieval-themed dinner theater” — along with multiple cash payments, prosecutors said.

Taylor pleaded not guilty to bribery and wire fraud charges on Thursday. An emailed inquiry to his attorney was not returned.

Roefaro is also facing charges, including bribery and wire fraud. He has not yet entered a plea. An attorney for Roefaro said it was “puzzling and deeply concerning that the United States Attorney’s Office has chosen to pursue charges against Geno, while at the very same time, alleging — and seeking to prove — that he was the victim of an extortionate shakedown.”

The charges are the latest allegations of corruption and favor-trading lodged against officials appointed by the city’s former mayor, Eric Adams, who faced his own indictment in a separate bribery scheme that also involved luxury travel gifts.

While the case against Adams was later abandoned by the Trump administration, at least some of the probes into his inner circle remain active, including an ongoing bribery case involving his former chief advisor. In recent weeks, federal prosecutors have announced bribery charges against two other NYPD officers and a former housing official under Adams.

The investigation into SaferWatch first emerged in September 2024 as part of a sprawling federal probe into the Adams administration. The company was one of several to hire a consulting firm run by the brother of two top Adams officials, both of whom resigned after their homes were searched by federal authorities.

Federal prosecutors allege that in 2023 Taylor helped secured a no-bid contract to pilot Roefaro’s products within the command center of the NYPD’s school safety division. But as the police official struggled to expand the program, Roefaro grew frustrated, at times describing himself as a “sugar daddy” who had “made a MAJOR investment and zero return,” according to the indictment.

“It’s been fun, but it’s not fun or funny anymore,” Roefaro allegedly texted Taylor in late 2023. “Our company (ME) needs to report something real and significant that is in place prior to end of year.”

Days later, Taylor tried to put together a press conference to announce his division would be procuring a tip line from Roefaro’s company, prosecutors said. But that event was later cancelled.

During roughly the same time, Taylor was also attempting to solicit $75,000 in bribes from two businessmen involved in a company that sold bullet-resistant vests to police, according to the indictment. Both men declined his solicitations, prosecutors said.

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) — President Donald Trump celebrated the special forces members who ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, saying last month’s audacious raid means “the entire world saw what the full military might” of the U.S. can do and ensured “we are feared” by potential enemies around the world.

Addressing soldiers and their families at Fort Bragg, one of the world’s largest military bases, Trump declared, “Your commander in chief supports you totally.” Then, drawing on one of his own campaign slogans, he implored them, “When needed, you’re going to fight, fight, fight. You’re going to win, win, win.”

The president and first lady Melania Trump also met privately with military families. But the visit felt more like a political rally than an official visit to celebrate the U.S. armed forces. Trump’s lauding of the raid that toppled Maduro came only after he called to the stage Michael Whatley, a former Republican National Committee chair who has the president’s endorsement as he now runs for Senate in North Carolina.

Whatley thanked Trump and suggested that the president “is giving me an opportunity to represent you” — even though the election isn’t until November.

Later, Trump said of the raid on Jan. 3 that whisked away Maduro to face U.S. drug smuggling charges, “It was a matter of minutes before he was on a helicopter being taken out.” He called the forces involved “some of our greatest soldiers to ever live, frankly,” while dismissing Maduro as an “outlaw dictator.”

“That night, the entire world saw what the full military might (of) the U.S. military is capable” of, the president said. “It was so precise, so incredible.”

Trump also vowed, “As long as I’m president, we will be the best led, the best trained, the best equipped, the most disciplined and the most elite fighting force the world has ever seen” and noted of would-be U.S. adversaries, “Everybody knows it.”

“They know exactly what they would be up against. Hopefully, we’ll never have to test them and, because of our strength, and because of what we do, we probably won’t have to be tested,” Trump said.

Even still, the president mentioned sending a second aircraft carrier group to the Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran and said, “America’s respected again. And, perhaps most importantly, we are feared by the enemies all over the globe.”

“I don’t like to say fear,” he said. “But, sometimes, you have to have fear because that’s the only thing that really will get the situation taken care of.”

Trump lately has traveled more frequently to states that could play key roles in November’s midterm congressional elections, including a stop before Christmas in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. The White House has been trying to promote Trump’s economic policies, including attempts to bring down the cost of living at a time when many people are growing frustrated with his efforts to improve affordability.

The president didn’t spend a lot of time on his economic policies on Friday, though he did mention how a White House-backed tax and spending package is increasing funding for military housing.

As he left the White House to make the trip, meanwhile, Trump cheered data released Friday showing that inflation fell to nearly a five-year low last month.

“The numbers were surprising, except to me they weren’t surprising,” Trump said. “We have very modest inflation, which is what you want to have.”

The president also spoke at Fort Bragg in June at an event meant to recognize the 250th anniversary of the Army. But that celebration was overshadowed by his partisan remarks describing protesters in Los Angeles as “animals” and his defense of deploying the military there.

This time, Trump evoked the fatal stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee on a North Carolina commuter train and called the man accused of committing it a “monster.”

Also Friday, Trump praised Maduro’s replacement, acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez. Rather than push for elections in Venezuela, Trump says his administration is inviting top oil companies there to rebuild its energy industry. U.S. officials also have seized tankers as part of their broad oversight of the country’s oil industry.

“The relationship is strong, the oil is coming out,” Trump told reporters before flying to North Carolina. He added: “We have our big oil companies going in, they’re going to be pumping out the oil and selling the oil for a lot of money.”

A whistleblower filing against Tulsi Gabbard, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence, has sparked debate in Washington over how classified material referencing Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, was managed within the intelligence community.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the dispute centers on an intercepted exchange between two foreign nationals who discussed Kushner. The conversation was gathered by a foreign intelligence service and subsequently shared with the National Security Agency. The material reportedly referenced Kushner’s influence on U.S. foreign policy, particularly in matters related to Iran.

The intercepted discussion, which occurred last year, included commentary about Kushner’s role in Middle East peace negotiations and Iran policy. However, U.S. officials from the Trump administration characterized the claims as largely unsubstantiated and dismissed them as inaccurate.

The whistleblower alleges that Gabbard’s office limited access to the intelligence assessment and delayed its circulation for several months. According to the Journal, the complaint contends that Gabbard narrowed the group permitted to review the report after a meeting with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Some officials involved reportedly believe that broader distribution might have led to the material being quickly deemed insignificant. The whistleblower, however, maintains that relevant agencies should have received the information and suggests that the restriction was politically driven.

Gabbard’s office has rejected the accusations, stating that the material was handled appropriately and in accordance with national security protocols. Still, the timing of the report’s limited release has prompted questions from members of Congress. A heavily redacted version of the complaint was eventually provided to select lawmakers, and several Democrats have called for additional scrutiny into why the complaint was not addressed sooner. The Journal noted that Gabbard’s team has defended her conduct, asserting that she adhered to established legal and procedural requirements.

The New York Times reported additional details about the contents of the intercepted conversation. According to the newspaper, the intelligence, which originated with a foreign partner, primarily focused on Iran but also mentioned Kushner, whose name was initially redacted in the report. The individuals in the conversation reportedly speculated about Kushner’s sway over U.S. policy during a period when his involvement in Middle East diplomacy was increasing. U.S. officials familiar with the intelligence said portions of the discussion amounted to unverified gossip, including claims that were demonstrably false.

The Times also pointed out that the reference to Kushner drew attention because U.S. officials, particularly those connected to the Trump administration, are typically masked in such intercepts. While Gabbard’s office restricted wider distribution of the material, some officials believe the move reflected caution, given the risk that disclosure could expose sensitive intelligence sources and methods.

Although the allegations tied to Kushner were speculative and unsupported by corroborating intelligence, the decision to limit access to the report has fueled controversy. Critics argue that Gabbard may have sought to shield an ally of President Trump from political fallout, while others contend that her approach was a pragmatic effort to avoid unnecessary controversy over dubious information.

The complaint and related inquiries remain classified. However, some lawmakers, including Senator Mark Warner, have called for comprehensive access to the underlying intelligence, which has not yet been fully disclosed.

Israel’s Health Ministry reported Friday that a nine-year-old boy who had not been vaccinated died after contracting measles, as officials continue to warn the public amid an ongoing outbreak.

According to the ministry, the child was admitted to the hospital in critical condition and was later pronounced dead despite resuscitation efforts.

Since the start of the current outbreak, 14 people have died from measles. Most of the fatalities have involved unvaccinated infants who were previously healthy and had no underlying medical conditions.

The Health Ministry emphasized that measles is a preventable illness and stressed the importance of immunization. Officials stated that the measles vaccine is both safe and effective and that it saves lives.

Under routine guidelines, all children are advised to receive the first dose of the measles vaccine at age one and a second dose at age six as part of the standard immunization schedule.

In areas experiencing outbreaks, the ministry recommends administering the second dose earlier, at age one and a half.

In addition, health officials advise giving an extra vaccine dose to infants between the ages of six and eleven months in outbreak zones and for those traveling to locations where measles cases are rising.

The ministry also urged individuals who are not vaccinated, as well as parents of infants who received a single dose between six and eleven months of age, to avoid large public gatherings in outbreak areas due to the heightened risk of infection.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is proposing $10 million in state funds to assist small businesses affected by recent federal immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis, arguing that Washington should compensate local companies for economic losses tied to ICE operations.

Walz made the remarks after White House advisor Tom Homan announced Thursday that most ICE officers would be withdrawn from Minneapolis following the arrest of more than 4,000 illegal migrants. Reacting to the enforcement effort, Walz said, “They left us with economic ruin.”

The governor said his administration is prioritizing financial relief for businesses impacted by the raids, particularly immigrant-owned enterprises. “One of the first things we can do, and what we’re focusing on today, is: What can we start doing on the economic recovery, the damage that has been done to our economy, specifically to small business owners, and even more specifically, to immigrant small business owners … The federal government needs to pay for what they broke here.”

Matt Varilek, an economic development official in Walz’s administration, said many local companies are struggling due to the enforcement actions. “Many Minnesota businesses – especially small businesses — are facing economic hardships that may prove insurmountable” as a result of federal activity, he said.

He added that the impact has been widespread. “The massive negative economic impact that is resulting from the fact that a lot of [company] workers don’t feel comfortable showing up, a lot of customers don’t feel comfortable showing up, and so we’re seeing massive reductions in that foot traffic, massive reductions in revenue.”

Henry Garcia, a Colombian migrant who manages a grocery store in St. Paul, said his business has been severely affected. “My customers are afraid to go shopping,” Garcia said, explaining that his sales have fallen by roughly half, even though some white Minneapolis residents have begun shopping at his store.

He described the shift in business conditions following increased ICE activity. “Since federal ICE activity increased late last year, everything changed .. My customers are afraid to go in shopping. … Sales dropped by half, and goodwill doesn’t cover rent … We need more [grants].”

Throughout his public comments, Walz praised immigrants broadly, without distinguishing between those in the country legally and those who entered illegally.

He framed immigration as central to American identity. “Immigrant small business owners, which … for most of our history, [are] the epitome of the American Dream: ‘Come to this country with nothing and build something to be proud!’”

Addressing immigrant communities directly, Walz said, “I want to speak directly to Minnesota’s immigrant community, by extension, America’s immigrant community. We see you, we hear you, we value everything that you bring … We believe in those words. ‘Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to be breathe free.’”

Walz also emphasized the broader role of immigration in shaping the state and nation. “There is no Minnesota without our immigrant community,” he said, adding that “immigration is the core of who we are.”

The debate comes amid broader disputes over so-called “Sanctuary City” policies, which critics argue create economic systems dependent on migrant labor and consumer bases. Supporters counter that immigrant communities fuel local business growth and contribute to cultural and economic vitality.

In Minneapolis, supporters of the governor point to the growth of immigrant-owned restaurants and retail establishments. Walz highlighted what he described as “a food scene across this state that is second to none.”

The New York Times recently profiled Oscar Murcia, who arrived in St. Paul from El Salvador in 2000 and later opened a restaurant and bakery called El Guanaco. As federal enforcement increased in December, customer traffic at his Minneapolis location reportedly fell 80 percent, prompting its closure. He has reduced hours and staff at other locations and sought relief from landlords and lenders. According to the report, four of his 64 employees were detained, despite having work permits and pending asylum cases.

Critics argue that enforcement of immigration laws is restoring federal authority in cities that had previously limited cooperation with ICE. They contend that tighter enforcement is reshaping local labor markets and housing dynamics in cities such as Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

In Minneapolis, median income stood at approximately $52,000 in 2024, while annual rent costs climbed to around $16,500. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, three full-time minimum-wage jobs are needed to afford a two-bedroom apartment in the city. In 2023, Minnesota ranked fortieth among states in median household income growth.

Meanwhile, Walz on Thursday said his administration wants to participate in a federal investigation into alleged fraud involving Somali-operated programs that received federal funds. The probe is expected to examine whether large sums of taxpayer money were misused, and several individuals reportedly face potential criminal charges.

President Donald Trump, for his part, has promoted a different economic approach focused on productivity and technology. Speaking to Breitbart News in August, Trump said, “We’re going to need robots … to make our economy run because we do not have enough people,” adding, “So we have to get efficient … we’ll probably add to [the existing workforce] through robotically—it’s going to be robotically … It’s going to be big. Then, somebody is going to have to make the robots. The whole thing, it feeds on itself … we’re going to streamline things. We need efficiency.”

Supporters of Trump’s immigration enforcement say it is part of a broader strategy aimed at tightening labor markets and raising wages for American workers. RestaurantBusinessOnline.com reported January 23: “Fewer workers mean restaurants will once again have to compete for employees the only way they can, by paying higher wages. Wages over the next two years are expected to accelerate, according to Oxford Economics, from 3.7% this year to 5.6% by 2027.”

The clash between the two approaches reflects a deeper divide over immigration policy and economic priorities, with Walz and other Democrats favoring expanded protections and benefits for immigrant communities, and Trump emphasizing enforcement, reduced migration, and productivity-driven growth.

The Lakewood Department of Public Works (DPW) advises residents that due to the Presidents Day holiday on Monday, February 16th, trash and recycling pickup will be delayed.

There will be no trash pickup on Monday. Residents in Zone 1 – whose trash is normally picked up on Mondays – should prepare their cans for pickup by Tuesday morning. Residents in Zones 2-4 – who trash is picked up on Tuesdays through Thursdays – are advised to prepare their cans at their regular times; and it will be picked up either on the regular pickup day or the following day.

A team of four astronauts is on its way to the International Space Station following a predawn launch Friday from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket ignited before sunrise, lighting up the dark sky as it climbed into orbit during a roughly nine-minute ascent. The crew is scheduled to rendezvous and dock with the space station Saturday afternoon, Eastern time.

The orbiting laboratory has been staffed by only three astronauts since last month. Under normal circumstances, incoming crews overlap with departing teams for several days to allow for a smooth transition and knowledge handoff. However, NASA’s previous mission, Crew-11, returned to Earth earlier than planned in January, a month ahead of schedule. The agency cited a “serious” but stable medical condition affecting one crew member. The incident marked the first medical evacuation in the station’s 26-year history.

The current mission, Crew-12, is led by NASA commander Jessica Meir, with Jack Hathaway serving as pilot. They are joined aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft by Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. The four astronauts are expected to remain on the station for approximately eight months, during which they will carry out scientific experiments, conduct research, and perform maintenance on the facility.

For Meir and Fedyaev, this marks their second journey to the space station. Hathaway and Adenot are making their first trips to space.

During her previous stay aboard the station in 2019, Meir made history alongside NASA astronaut Christina Koch by participating in the first all-female spacewalk. The pair spent more than seven hours outside the station replacing a malfunctioning battery charger.

Democratic lawmakers who control Virginia’s legislature are moving quickly to approve a new congressional map that could create as many as four additional Democratic-leaning U.S. House districts before this year’s midterm elections.

The proposal, which Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger is expected to sign early next week, comes as voters prepare to decide this spring whether to shift redistricting authority from the current bipartisan commission back to the legislature through the 2030 election cycle.

Republicans have blasted the effort as an “unconstitutional power grab,” while Democrats argue the move is necessary to counter what they describe as aggressive partisan gerrymandering by the GOP in other states.

Virginia has become the newest front in a broader nationwide struggle over congressional maps, with Florida poised to follow. The clash reflects a larger political contest between President Donald Trump and Republican allies on one side and Democrats on the other, as both parties seek to shape districts ahead of November’s elections.

With Republicans defending a razor-thin majority in the U.S. House, Democrats need to gain just three seats to reclaim control. As a result, redistricting battles in Virginia and elsewhere could determine which party holds the chamber next year.

“It’s happening all over the country,” the narrator in a new ad by Virginians for Fair Elections says. “Politicians redrawing maps to rig the midterm elections. And Virginia can’t sit back and do nothing.”

The Democratic-aligned advocacy organization told Fox News Digital it is committing an initial seven-figure sum to air the advertisement statewide.

If enacted in time for the midterms, the proposed Virginia map could give Democrats a chance to flip four Republican-held districts, transforming the state’s current 6-5 GOP advantage in its House delegation into a potential 10-1 Democratic edge.

Opposition has emerged from Virginians for Fair Maps, a Republican-backed group challenging the plan. The organization argues that “Virginians came together to pass bipartisan redistricting reform — a process that took the power to draw maps out of politicians’ hands. Now, politicians in Richmond want to undo that progress.”

The Republican National Committee has also criticized the proposal, labeling it a “power grab.”

Democrats suffered a setback when a local court halted their attempt to amend Virginia’s Constitution to enable the redraw. A circuit court judge in Tazewell County ruled that lawmakers failed to follow proper procedures.

The decision has been appealed, and both sides are awaiting word on whether the Virginia Supreme Court will intervene.

Time is a critical factor. Early voting for the April 21 referendum is scheduled to begin March 6.

Trump had floated the idea last spring of pursuing mid-decade redistricting, a tactic that is uncommon but not unprecedented. His aim was to avoid a repeat of 2018, when Democrats regained the House majority during his first term.

The strategy centered on redrawing maps in Republican-controlled states to strengthen the GOP’s slim House majority ahead of midterms, which historically tend to favor the party out of power.

Texas was the first focus of that effort.

When questioned by reporters last summer about adding Republican-friendly seats nationwide, Trump said, “Texas will be the biggest one. And that’ll be five.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott subsequently called a special session of the GOP-led legislature to approve a revised map.

Democratic lawmakers in Texas responded by breaking quorum and leaving the state for two weeks in an attempt to delay the vote, energizing Democrats across the country.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom emerged as a leading opponent of Trump’s redistricting push.

In November, California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 50, a ballot measure that temporarily sidelined the state’s independent redistricting commission and restored map-drawing authority to the Democratic-controlled legislature.

That change is expected to yield five additional Democratic-leaning congressional districts in California, a move designed to counter Texas’ redistricting effort.

The conflict has expanded beyond Texas and California.

Republican-led legislatures in Missouri, Ohio, and North Carolina have also drawn new congressional maps as part of the broader effort.

In Utah, a district judge late last year rejected a map crafted by the Republican-controlled legislature and instead approved an alternative that would create a Democratic-leaning district ahead of the midterms.

Utah Republicans have appealed that ruling to the state Supreme Court in hopes of blocking the court-ordered map for this year’s elections.

In Indiana, Republican state senators in December rejected a redistricting measure that had passed the House, defying Trump and drawing national attention.

Florida is now expected to become the next battleground.

Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican lawmakers in the GOP-dominated legislature are pursuing a special session in April aimed at adding three to five Republican-leaning districts.

That effort has already sparked litigation. A group aligned with Florida Democrats filed a lawsuit arguing that DeSantis and Secretary of State Cordy Byrd lack the legal authority to alter election procedures after Byrd moved congressional qualifying dates from April to June.

Democrats in Maryland are also pressing for redistricting that could add one more Democratic-leaning seat. The proposal, backed by Gov. Wes Moore and approved by House Democrats, faces resistance from Senate President Bill Ferguson, also a Democrat.

Meanwhile, Republicans in South Carolina, Nebraska, Kansas, and New Hampshire, along with Democrats in Illinois and Washington state, are considering their own redistricting efforts.

Overshadowing these state-level battles is the U.S. Supreme Court, which is expected to rule in Louisiana v. Callais, a significant case that could reshape interpretations of a key section of the Voting Rights Act.

If the Court sides with its conservative justices, the decision could trigger widespread redrawing of majority-minority districts nationwide, a development that analysts say would likely benefit Republicans.

For now, however, the timing and scope of the Court’s ruling remain uncertain, leaving both parties watching closely as the redistricting fight intensifies across the country.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is suing Harvard University, saying it has refused to provide admissions records that the Justice Department demanded to ensure the Ivy League school stopped using affirmative action in admissions.

In a lawsuit filed Friday in federal court in Massachusetts, the Justice Department said Harvard has “thwarted” efforts to investigate potential discrimination. It accused Harvard of refusing to comply with a federal investigation and asked a judge to order the university to turn over the records.

Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the department’s Civil Rights Division, said Harvard’s refusal is a red flag. “If Harvard has stopped discriminating, it should happily share the data necessary to prove it,” Dhillon said in a statement.

Harvard officials did not immediately comment.

The suit is the latest salvo in President Donald Trump’s standoff with Harvard, which has faced billions of dollars in funding cuts and other sanctions after it rejected a list of demands from the administration last year.

Trump officials have said they’re taking action against Harvard over allegations of anti-Jewish bias on campus. Harvard officials say they’re facing unconstitutional retaliation for refusing to adopt the administration’s ideological views. The administration is appealing a judge’s orders that sided with Harvard in two lawsuits.

The Justice Department opened a compliance review into Harvard’s admissions practices last April on the same day the White House issued a series of sweeping demands aligned with Trump’s priorities. The agency told Harvard to hand over five years of admissions data for undergraduate applicants along with Harvard’s medical and law schools.

It asked for a trove of data including applicants’ grades, test scores, essays, extracurricular activities and admissions outcomes, along with their race and ethnicity. It asked for the data by April 25, 2025. The lawsuit said Harvard has not provided that data.

Justice Department officials said they need the data to determine whether Harvard has continued considering applicants’ race in admissions decisions. The Supreme Court barred affirmative action in admissions in 2023 after lawsuits challenged it at Harvard and the University of North Carolina.

Trump officials have accused colleges of continuing the practice, which the administration says discriminates against white and Asian American students.

The White House is separately pressing universities across the U.S. to providing similar data to determine whether they have continued to factor race into admissions decisions. The Education Department plans to collect more detailed admissions data from colleges after Trump signed an action suggesting schools were ignoring the Supreme Court decision.

Trump’s dispute with Harvard had appeared to be winding down last summer after the president repeatedly said they were finalizing a deal to restore Harvard’s federal funding. The deal never materialized, and Trump rekindled the conflict this month when he said Harvard must pay $1 billion as part of any deal, double what he previously demanded.

Connecticut — The 8th Annual CHEMED Medical Ethics Conference opened this weekend to a sold-out crowd of more than 1,000 participants representing 17 states and four countries.

The evening began with an inspiring opening address from Rav Shalom Kaminetzky shlita, setting the tone for a powerful and thought-provoking program. Attendees then participated in a wide range of breakout sessions led by outstanding leaders and experts in the medical field, addressing contemporary ethical challenges and advancing discussions at the intersection of medicine and halacha.

The night concluded with a vibrant networking event, giving participants the opportunity to connect, collaborate, and strengthen professional relationships.

Early feedback suggests that this year’s conference is already shaping up to be the most impactful yet.

More updates to follow as the conference continues…

Amid the ongoing draft crisis affecting Torah students, hundreds of avreichim from Belz’s network of Iyun kollelim across Israel gathered for a special event titled “Mipninim Yekarah,” led by the Belzer Rebbe, who delivered words of praise and encouragement to the lomdei Torah.

The gathering marked the completion of intensive study of the laws of bosor becholov and taaruvos, subjects that had been learned with dedication and sustained effort over recent years. The event was held in the Rebbe’s presence and included participants from Belzer kollelim throughout the country.

Following the singing of stirring melodies, the Rebbe made a l’chaim, and addressed the assembled bnei Torah. He said: “They called me to say a few words. It is a great merit for me to participate in a celebration of a mitzvah at a time like this, when everyone knows what is happening in the street. And we see the contrast with the avreichim who sit and learn and give themselves over completely, all the time and with their entire minds, to understand another section of Shulchan Aruch, another passage of Gemara, another Rishon and another Acharon, to rise higher in understanding of Torah. If only I could have a share in all the Torah that you are learning.”

He continued with a blessing: “May Hashem help all those who are here and those who are not here to rise higher and show that this is how a Belzer avreich elevates himself through Torah study, and that they should be able to continue learning and rising more and more, without making calculations. And you should know that the purpose of life — for which Hakadosh Boruch Hu created the world — is to learn and to teach, to observe and to fulfill, and to reach high spiritual levels. May you be blessed with all the blessings promised to those who learn Torah, that your children and grandchildren continue further, and with all good influences.”

{Matzav.com}

RAFAH (VINnews) — Israel’s military chief said Thursday that the Israel Defense Forces will not relinquish the war aim of fully demilitarizing the Gaza Strip and disarming Hamas, while confirming that detailed offensive plans are prepared and ready for implementation if ordered by the government.

Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir made the remarks during a visit to the Rafah area in southern Gaza, according to statements published by the IDF.

“During the war, we achieved an unprecedented accomplishment; all of Hamas’s frontline battalions were destroyed. Hamas was militarily defeated, and all the hostages returned home,” Zamir said.

He added that the IDF is now deployed along a security border known as the Yellow Line, controls access points into the Strip and is systematically clearing terror infrastructure from the area.

“The IDF is prepared to shift from defense to offense,” Zamir stated, vowing a response to any violation. “We are not giving up on the war’s objective, the full demilitarization of the Gaza Strip and the disarmament of Hamas.”

Zamir emphasized that the military is operating under directives from Israel’s political leadership but maintains “decisive military plans” and stands ready to act offensively as needed.

His comments come after The Times of Israel reported this week that the IDF has drawn up plans for a renewed offensive in Gaza specifically aimed at disarming Hamas by force, amid concerns the terror group will not voluntarily relinquish its weapons under the current ceasefire framework.

“There is no immunity for terror. What applies to Gaza also applies to the other arenas. We will continue to remain focused and cut down threats, with determination and offensiveness,” Zamir added.

The statements reflect ongoing Israeli insistence on Hamas’s disarmament as a condition for any long-term resolution in Gaza, even as the enclave remains under a fragile ceasefire brokered earlier. The Yellow Line serves as a de facto security boundary, with IDF forces positioned to prevent Hamas from rebuilding military capabilities.

Cigarette prices in the Gaza Strip have surged to unprecedented levels, with a single pack now selling for as much as 1,300 shekels, according to recent reports. The sharp spike comes amid a reduction in supply and stricter enforcement measures targeting smuggling into the territory.

Just four months ago, a pack of cigarettes cost about 70 shekels. This week, however, the price climbed to 1,300 shekels. A Gaza resident told Kan News that many smokers have begun searching for alternatives. According to him, residents have reached the point where they are smoking herbs and adding nicotine to them.

In October 2025, a single cigarette sold for between two and three shekels. Today, individual cigarettes are priced between 30 and 50 shekels each. Reports attribute the dramatic increase to a significant decline in cigarette shipments into Gaza, as well as tougher measures aimed at curbing smuggling operations.

The resident who spoke with Kan News accused local traders of exploiting the situation, saying they are hoarding goods and creating monopolies at the expense of Gaza’s residents, in addition to the taxes imposed by Hamas.

Smoking rates in Gaza are considered very high. Residents consume an estimated 600 million cigarettes annually — roughly 30,000 packs per year — generating a market valued at approximately one billion shekels each year.

The same resident noted that nicotine used in improvised cigarette substitutes has also risen sharply in price. A liter of nicotine, which previously cost 3,000 shekels, now sells for 20,000 shekels, he said.

{Matzav.com}

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — As outrage spreads over energy-hungry data centers, politicians from President Donald Trump to local lawmakers have found rare bipartisan agreement over insisting that tech companies — and not regular people — must foot the bill for the exorbitant amount of electricity required for artificial intelligence.

But that might be where the agreement ends.

The price of powering data centers has become deeply intertwined with concerns over the cost of living, a dominant issue in the upcoming midterm elections that will determine control of Congress and governors’ offices.

Some efforts to address the challenge may be coming too late, with energy costs on the rise. And even though tech giants are pledging to pay their “fair share,” there’s little consensus on what that means.

“‘Fair share’ is a pretty squishy term, and so it’s something that the industry likes to say because ‘fair’ can mean different things to different people,” said Ari Peskoe, who directs the Electricity Law Initiative at Harvard University.

It’s a shift from last year, when states worked to woo massive data center projects and Trump directed his administration to do everything it could to get them electricity. Now there’s a backlash as towns fight data center projects and some utilities’ electricity bills have risen quickly.

Anger over the issue has already had electoral consequences, with Democrats ousting two Republicans from Georgia’s utility regulatory commission in November.

“Voters are already connecting the experience of these facilities with their electricity costs and they’re going to increasingly want to know how government is going to navigate that,” said Christopher Borick, a pollster and director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion.

Energy race stokes concerns
Data centers are sprouting across the U.S., as tech giants scramble to meet worldwide demand for chatbots and other generative AI products that require large amounts of computing power to train and operate.

The buildings look like giant warehouses, some dwarfing the footprints of factories and stadiums. Some need more power than a small city, more than any utility has ever supplied to a single user, setting off a race to build more power plants.

The demand for electricity can have a ripple effect that raises prices for everyone else. For example, if utilities build more power plants or transmission lines to serve them, the cost can be spread across all ratepayers.

Concerns have dovetailed with broader questions about the cost of living, as well as fears about the powerful influence of tech companies and the impact of artificial intelligence.

Trump continues to embrace artificial intelligence as a top economic and national security priority, although he seemed to acknowledge the backlash last month by posting on social media that data centers “must ‘pay their own way.’”

At other times, he has brushed concerns aside, declaring that tech giants are building their own power plants, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright contends that data centers don’t inflate electricity bills — disputing what consumer advocates and independent analysts say.

States moving to regulate
Some states and utilities have started to identify ways to get data centers to pay for their costs.

They’ve required tech companies to buy electricity in long-term contracts, pay for the power plants and transmission upgrades they need and make big down payments in case they go belly-up or decide later they don’t need as much electricity.

But it might be more complicated than that. Those rules can’t fix the short-term problem of ravenous demand for electricity that is outpacing the speed of power plant construction, analysts say.

“What do you do when Big Tech, because of the very profitable nature of these data centers, can simply outbid grandma for power in the short run?” Abe Silverman, a former utility regulatory lawyer and an energy researcher at Johns Hopkins University. “That is, I think, going to be the real challenge.”

Some consumer advocates say tech companies’ fair share should also include the rising cost of electricity, grid equipment or natural gas that’s driven by their demand.

In Oregon, which passed a law to protect smaller ratepayers from data centers’ power costs, a consumer advocacy group is jousting with the state’s largest utility, Portland General Electric, over its plan on how to do that.

Meanwhile, consumer advocates in various states — including Indiana, Georgia and Missouri — are warning that utilities could foist the cost of data center-driven buildouts onto regular ratepayers there.

Pushback from lawmakers, governors
Utilities have pledged to ensure electric rates are fair. But in some places it may be too late.

For instance, in the mid-Atlantic grid territory from New Jersey to Illinois, consumer advocates and analysts have pegged billions of dollars in rate increases hitting the bills of regular Americans on data center demand.

Legislation, meanwhile, is flooding into Congress and statehouses to regulate data centers.

Democrats’ bills in Congress await Republican cosponsors, while lawmakers in a number of states are floating moratoriums on new data centers, drafting rules for regulators to shield regular ratepayers and targeting data center tax breaks and utility profits.

Governors — including some who worked to recruit data centers to their states — are increasingly talking tough.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat running for reelection this year, wants to impose a penny-a-gallon water fee on data centers and get rid of the sales tax exemption there that most states offer data centers. She called it a $38 million “corporate handout.”

“It’s time we make the booming data center industry work for the people of our state, rather than the other way around,” she said in her state-of-the-state address.

Blame for rising energy costs
Energy costs are projected to keep rising in 2026.

Republicans in Washington are pointing the finger at liberal state energy policies that favor renewable energy, suggesting they have driven up transmission costs and frayed supply by blocking fossil fuels.

“Americans are not paying higher prices because of data centers. There’s a perception there, and I get the perception, but it’s not actually true,” said Wright, Trump’s energy secretary, at a news conference earlier this month.

The struggle to assign blame was on display last week at a four-hour U.S. House subcommittee hearing with members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Republicans encouraged FERC members to speed up natural gas pipeline construction while Democrats defended renewable energy and urged FERC to limit utility profits and protect residential ratepayers from data center costs.

FERC’s chair, Laura Swett, told Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, that she believes data center operators are willing to cover their costs and understand that it’s important to have community support.

“That’s not been our experience,” Landsman responded, saying projects in his district are getting tax breaks, sidestepping community opposition and costing people money. “Ultimately, I think we have to get to a place where they pay everything.”

In Lakewood today.

Israel’s ongoing draft crisis has once again shaken the coalition, but this time the decisive influence may not lie solely with politicians. According to a column published this morning in Yediot Achronot by commentator Yuval Karni, one central figure is effectively holding the fate of the proposed enlistment law in her hands: Attorney Miri Frenkel-Shor, the legal adviser to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

The report states that after a period in which it appeared that constructive dialogue was taking place between the chareidi factions and committee chairman Boaz Bismuth, it became clear that the emerging draft of the legislation does not meet legal standards. As a result, the bill cannot advance without substantial revisions.

At the heart of the dispute is Frenkel-Shor’s firm position that any draft law must comply with principles set by the High Court of Justice in recent years, particularly the principle of equality in bearing the national burden and the imposition of meaningful sanctions. In closed-door discussions, Karni reports, she has made clear that she will not approve wording that is likely to be struck down by the court.

Standing alongside her is Knesset Legal Adviser Sagit Afik, who is said to be providing full backing to her stance. Sources within the Knesset describe intense behind-the-scenes pressure but emphasize that neither legal adviser has shown any sign of retreating.

One of the most contentious issues involves the structure of sanctions. While the chareidi parties are seeking to scale back or soften the penalties for those who do not enlist, Frenkel-Shor is reportedly insisting on a framework referred to in committee discussions as “sanctions for all.” Under this model, even if overall recruitment targets are met, individuals who fail to fulfill their personal obligation would still face consequences.

Among the measures under consideration are reductions in daycare subsidies, restrictions on leaving the country, suspension of driver’s licenses, and limitations on various financial benefits.

Chareidi sources quoted in the column argue that the position is excessively strict and effectively locks in principles previously established by former committee chairman Yuli Edelstein. Those close to Frenkel-Shor, however, stress that her position is strictly professional and intended to ensure that the law is both stable and constitutionally sound.

Karni notes that despite criticism from some political quarters, few in the Knesset question Frenkel-Shor’s professionalism. Unlike the more public confrontations seen in other committees, Bismuth’s approach toward her is described as respectful and measured.

Frenkel-Shor brings three decades of experience in the Knesset to the role. The issue of military enlistment has accompanied her throughout her career, and she is widely regarded as one of the most seasoned figures in the field of defense-related legislation.

As the column makes clear, the future of the current draft law will not be determined solely through political negotiations among coalition partners. Ultimately, its viability hinges on whether it can withstand scrutiny by the High Court. In practical terms, even if a coalition agreement is reached, without supportive legal approval the bill could stall.

For now, the drama continues, and attention is focused not only on the politicians’ negotiating rooms but also on the legal office of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

{Matzav.com}

(AP) – Amazon’s smart doorbell maker Ring has terminated a partnership with police surveillance tech company Flock Safety.

The announcement follows a backlash that erupted after 30-second Ring ad that aired during the Super Bowl featuring a lost dog that is found through a network of cameras, sparking fears of a dystopian surveillance society.

But that feature, called Search Party, was not related to Flock. And Ring’s announcement doesn’t cite the ad as a reason for the “joint decision” for the cancellation.

Ring and Flock said last year they were planning on working together to give Ring camera owners the option to share their video footage in response to law enforcement requests made through a Ring feature known as Community Requests.

“Following a comprehensive review, we determined the planned Flock Safety integration would require significantly more time and resources than anticipated,” Ring’s statement said.

“The integration never launched, so no Ring customer videos were ever sent to Flock Safety.”

Beyond the Flock partnership, Ring has faced other surveillance concerns.

In the Super Bowl ad, a lost dog is found with Ring’s Search Party feature, which the company says can “reunite lost dogs with their families and track wildfires threatening your community.” The clip depicts the dog being tracked by cameras throughout a neighborhood using artificial intelligence.

And viewers took to social media to criticize it for being sinister, leaving many wondering if it would be used to track humans and saying they would turn the feature off.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit that focus on civil liberties related to digital technology, said this week that Americans should feel unsettled over the potential loss of privacy.

“Amazon Ring already integrates biometric identification, like face recognition, into its products via features like “Familiar Faces,” which depends on scanning the faces of those in sight of the camera and matching it against a list of pre-saved, pre-approved faces,” the Foundation wrote Tuesday. “It doesn’t take much to imagine Ring eventually combining these two features: face recognition and neighborhood searches.”

By Y.M. Lowy

Boro Park gets a mixed winter weekend, starting sunny and ending under more cloud cover.

Today will reach a high of 39 degrees with a low of 27. Expect lots of sunshine through the day, making it feel a bit more comfortable despite the chill.

Shabbos will bring a high of 44 and a low of 32. A brief early morning flurry is possible, but the rest of the day trends toward partial sunshine.

Sunday will have a high of 40 and a low of 31, with mainly cloudy skies and a quieter, grayer finish to the weekend.

Restaurants in New Jersey would be required to clearly disclose any mandatory gratuity charges to customers under legislation that was approved by the Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee

The bill would prohibit a restaurant from charging a mandatory gratuity unless the fee is disclosed “in a prominent manner” on the menu, at the entrance to the establishment, on the patron’s bill and, if applicable, on the restaurant’s website.

Under the proposal, restaurants that fail to comply would face escalating civil penalties. Violators would be subject to a $1,000 fine for a first offense, $2,500 for a second offense and $5,000 for a third and each subsequent offense. Each day a violation continues would constitute a separate offense, though the bill specifies that no more than one violation may be charged per day.

Penalties would be collected through a civil action under the state’s “Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999,” with the Superior Court granted jurisdiction over enforcement proceedings.

The measure supplements New Jersey’s consumer fraud statute but does not apply the penalties provided under that law. Instead, it establishes its own penalty structure.

If enacted, the law would take effect on the first day of the sixth month following its enactment.

Supporters say the legislation is intended to ensure transparency for diners, particularly as more restaurants add automatic service charges or gratuities to bills.

A federal judge has cleared the way for President Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC to move forward, scheduling the case for trial in early 2027, according to The Associated Press.

The US District Court for the Southern District of Florida has tentatively set February 15, 2027, as the start date for a two-week trial. The ruling followed Judge Roy K. Altman’s decision to deny the BBC’s request to postpone the proceedings.

Trump brought the lawsuit in December, claiming that the BBC manipulated footage of his January 6, 2021 speech in a manner that defamed him and violated trade laws. He is seeking $5 billion in damages for defamation and an additional $5 billion for what he alleges were unfair trade practices.

The legal action stems from a documentary aired by the BBC’s “Panorama” program shortly before the 2024 presidential election. According to the complaint, the program combined segments from different portions of Trump’s speech to suggest that he urged supporters to “march with me and fight like hell.” The broadcast did not include a segment in which Trump called on supporters to protest peacefully.

While the BBC issued an apology acknowledging an editing mistake, the broadcaster rejected the accusation that it defamed Trump. The fallout from the controversy resulted in the resignations of the organization’s chief executive and its head of news.

The BBC had moved to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the Florida court did not have jurisdiction because the documentary was not aired in the state and asserting that Trump’s complaint failed to establish a valid legal claim. The network also asked the court to pause the discovery phase, which would compel it to produce internal communications and documents related to its reporting on Trump. Judge Altman ruled that the request for a delay was “premature,” permitting the case to proceed on schedule.

In response to the latest ruling, the BBC declined to elaborate, stating only, “We will be defending this case.”

A key measure of inflation fell to nearly a five-year low last month as apartment rental price growth slowed and gas prices fell, offering some relief to Americans grappling with the sharp cost increases of the past five years.

Inflation dropped to 2.4% in January compared with a year earlier, down from 2.7% in December and not too far from the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. Core prices, which exclude the volatile food and energy categories, rose just 2.5% in January from a year ago, down from 2.6% the previous month and the smallest increase since March 2021.

Friday’s report suggests inflation is cooling, but the cost of food, gas, and apartment rents have soared after the pandemic, with consumer prices still about 25% higher than they were five years ago. The increase in such a broad range of costs has kept “affordability,” a topic that helped shape the most recent U.S. presidential election, front and center as a dominant political issue.

And on a monthly basis, consumer prices rose 0.2% in January from December, while core prices rose 0.3%. Core inflation was held down by a sharp drop in the price of used cars, which fell 1.8% just in January from December.

Gas prices fell 3.2% last month, the third drop in the past four months, and are down 7.5% from a year earlier. Grocery prices increased 0.2% in January, after a big 0.6% rise in December, and are up 2.1% from a year ago.

President Donald Trump’s tariffs have pushed up the cost of some goods, such as furniture, tools, and auto parts, but those impacts may fade later this year. Last month’s inflation of 2.4% was the lowest since last May, just before many tariffs kicked in.

A study released Thursday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that U.S. companies and consumers are paying nearly 90% of the tariffs’ costs, echoing similar findings in studies by Harvard and other economists.

Many firms may pass along more of those costs to their customers in the coming months, economists warn, which may keep inflation elevated.

Rental prices and the cost of owning a home, which make up a third of the inflation index, both rose just 0.2% in December, while rents increased only 2.8% from a year earlier. That is much lower than during the pandemic: Rents rose by more than 8% in 2022.

Still, the rental figures were distorted by October’s six-week government shutdown, which interrupted the Labor Department’s gathering of the data. The government plugged in estimated figures for October which economists say have artificially lowered some of the housing costs.

Some items did get more expensive last month. Clothing costs rose 0.3% in January from the previous month, and are up 1.7% from a year earlier. Air fares jumped 6.5% just last month, though they are up a smaller 2.2% compared with a year ago. Music subscriptions soared 4.5% in January and are 7.8% higher than a year earlier.

If inflation gets closer to the Federal Reserve’s target of 2%, it could allow the central bank to cut its key short-term interest rate further this year, as Trump has repeatedly demanded. High borrowing costs for things like mortgages and auto loans have also contributed to a perception that many big-ticket items remain out of reach for many Americans.

U.S. markets immediately reversed course early Friday and futures moved into positive territory. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which heavily influences mortgage rates, declined on the expectation that lower inflation will allow the Fed to cut rates.

Inflation surged to 9.1% in 2022 as consumer spending soared at the same time supply chains snarled in the wake of the pandemic. It began to fall in 2023 but leveled off around 3% in mid-2024 and remained elevated last year.

Inflation cooled a bit this fall, though some of that reflected the disruptions of the six-week government shutdown in October. The shutdown disrupted the government’s data collection and led them to estimate price changes in November for housing that most economists say artificially lowered inflation that month.

At the same time, measures of wage growth have declined in the past year or so as hiring has cratered. With companies reluctant to add jobs, workers don’t have as much leverage to demand raises. Smaller pay increases can reduce inflationary pressures as companies often raise prices to offset higher wages.

More modest wage growth is a big reason that many economists expect inflation to continue easing this year.

“We’re not expecting inflation to start up again by any stretch,” said Luke Tilley, chief economist for Wilmington Trust.

Many businesses are still eating some tariff costs and economists expect they may raise prices more in the next few months to offset those extra expenses. Still, most forecast that inflation will decline further by the second half of the year and drop closer to the Fed’s 2% target by the end of 2026.

(AP)

An Arizona sheriff is preventing the FBI from obtaining crucial evidence in the investigation into the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of television journalist Savannah Guthrie, limiting the bureau’s ability to assist in the case, a U.S. law enforcement official familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday.

According to the official, the FBI requested that Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos transfer physical evidence — including a glove and DNA samples recovered from the Tucson home of the 84-year-old victim — to the FBI’s national crime laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, for testing. Nanos, however, has opted to have the materials examined by a private forensic lab in Florida instead.

The decision to send the evidence to a Florida contractor, rather than to the FBI, has effectively restricted federal access to key materials and slowed the bureau’s involvement in the case, the official said.

A representative for the sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to an emailed request from Reuters seeking comment.

Earlier in the day, the sheriff’s department issued a routine press update stating that investigators had “recovered several items of evidence, including gloves,” and noted that all viable evidence is submitted for analysis.” No additional details were provided.

Under the law, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office holds primary jurisdiction over the investigation, and federal authorities can only participate if the county formally requests assistance. The official said that approximately $200,000 has already been spent by the county to send evidence in the Guthrie case to the Florida laboratory.

“It risks further slowing a case that grows more urgent by the minute,” the official told Reuters, referencing unspecified “earlier setbacks” in the investigation.

The same official also expressed concern that the sheriff’s office did not seek FBI support at an earlier stage of the inquiry.

“It’s clear the fastest path to answers is leveraging federal resources and technology. Anything less only prolongs the Guthrie family’s grief and the community’s wait for justice,” the official said.

Strains between federal authorities and local law enforcement have become more visible as the search for Nancy Guthrie entered its 12th day, with investigators stepping up efforts to uncover evidence in what is believed to be a kidnapping for ransom.

Authorities said Nancy Guthrie was last seen on January 31 after relatives dropped her off at her home following dinner. Family members reported her missing the next day.

The sheriff has stated that Guthrie had severely limited mobility and could not have left her residence on her own, leading investigators to determine early in the case that she was likely taken by force.

Officials disclosed last week that blood discovered on her front porch was confirmed through DNA testing to belong to Guthrie. Law enforcement and family members have described her as frail and dependent on daily medication.

Since her disappearance, at least two alleged ransom notes have surfaced. Both were initially sent to media outlets and included deadlines that have since passed. Authorities have not reported receiving any proof of life.

Savannah Guthrie, 54, co-anchor of NBC News’ morning program “Today,” has released several video messages alongside her siblings, urging those responsible for their mother’s disappearance to return her safely. She has also appealed to the public for assistance and indicated a willingness to comply with ransom demands.

On Wednesday, investigators released doorbell camera footage from Nancy Guthrie’s Tucson-area home. The video shows an armed individual wearing a ski mask and gloves attempting to disable the camera at approximately the time authorities believe Guthrie was abducted.

A former FBI agent said investigators were likely hoping to apply facial recognition tools to the footage to generate a composite image that could be compared against a national database of U.S. drivers holding RealID licenses.

Law enforcement officials also revealed Thursday that a black latex glove discarded along a roadside had been recovered and was undergoing forensic testing.

That same day, the FBI increased its reward for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s location or to the arrest and conviction of those responsible, raising the amount to $100,000.

JACKSON, Miss. (VINnews) — A 19-year-old Mississippi man has been charged in a superseding federal indictment with civil rights and arson offenses in connection with the burning of a synagogue and a Jewish nonprofit building in Jackson, authorities said.

Stephen Spencer Pittman, 19, of Madison, was charged Thursday in a three-count indictment related to the January fire at Beth Israel Congregation and the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life.

According to court documents, Pittman is accused of using gasoline to set fire to the religious building in the early morning hours of Jan. 10. The blaze caused extensive damage and rendered much of the property unusable for an indefinite period.

The indictment charges Pittman with arson of property used in interstate commerce, damaging or destroying religious real property because of its religious character, and using fire in the commission of a federal felony.

“The Department of Justice will not tolerate attacks on houses of worship,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a statement, adding that authorities would continue to investigate and prosecute attacks that threaten religious liberty.

U.S. Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger for the Southern District of Mississippi called the fire a “heinous act of hate-fueled violence” and said the charges reflect a commitment to ensuring Americans can practice their faith without fear.

Beth Israel Congregation was founded in 1860 and has operated at its current Old Canton Road location since 1967. The synagogue was previously bombed by the Ku Klux Klan in 1967, according to its website. The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life provides services to Jewish communities in 13 states and supports dozens of congregations with educational and rabbinical programs.

The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Jackson Police Department and the Jackson Fire Department are investigating. Federal prosecutors in Mississippi and attorneys from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are handling the case.

If convicted, Pittman faces significant federal prison time.

BEIRUT (AP) — The U.S. military has completed the transfer of thousands of Islamic State group detainees from Syria to Iraq, where they are expected to stand trial in the future, the U.S. Central Command said Friday.

CENTCOM said that the transfer that began on Jan. 21 saw U.S. forces transporting more than 5,700 adult male IS suspects from detention facilities in Syria to Iraqi custody.

The prisoners were transferred to Iraq at the request of Baghdad — a move welcomed by the U.S.-led coalition that had for years fought against IS.

“We appreciate Iraq’s leadership and recognition that transferring the detainees is essential to regional security,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander.

Over the past three weeks, the U.S. military escorted the detainees from 60 different nationalities from prisons in northeastern Syria run by the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, to Baghdad.

The transfers have helped calm fears that the recent rounds of fighting in Syria between government forces and the SDF would allow the IS prisoners to flee from detention camps there and join militant sleeper cells that are still carrying out attacks in both Iraq and Syria.

Iraq is looking to put on trial some of the thousands of the IS detainees who were held for years in Syria without charges or access to the judicial system.

When IS declared a caliphate — a self-proclaimed territory under a traditional form of Islamic rule — in large parts of Syria and Iraq that the militant group seized in 2014, it attracted extremists from around the world.

From the caliphate, the extremists plotted attacks around the world that left hundreds dead from Europe to Arab countries and Asia.

“The successful execution of this orderly and secure transfer operation will help prevent an ISIS resurgence in Syria,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Kevin Lambert, commander of the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, that led the mission planning, coordination, and execution. He used an acronym to refer to the Islamic State group.

(AP) – Another shutdown for parts of the federal government is expected this weekend as lawmakers debate new restrictions on President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda.

Funding for the Department of Homeland Security is set to expire Saturday. Democrats say they won’t help approve more funding until new restrictions are placed on federal immigration operations after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis last month.

The White House has been negotiating with the Democrats, but the two sides failed to reach a deal by the end of the week, guaranteeing that funding for the department will lapse.

Unlike the record 43-day shutdown last fall, the closures will be narrowly confined, as only agencies under the DHS umbrella — like Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection — will be affected. Still, depending on how long the shutdown lasts, some federal workers could begin to miss paychecks and services like airport screening could suffer if the shutdown drags on for weeks.

Why is a Homeland Security shutdown happening?
Essentially, it’s because Trump acquiesced to Democrats’ request that Homeland Security funding be stripped from a broader spending package to allow more time for negotiation over demands for changes to immigration enforcement, like a code of conduct for federal agents and a requirement that officers show identification. Homeland Security was temporarily funded only through Feb. 13.

The rest of the federal government is funded through Sept. 30. That means most federal programs are unaffected by the latest shutdown, including food assistance, and pay for most federal workers and for service members will continue uninterrupted.

What agencies are impacted?
The funding lapse affects the Department of Homeland Security and its constellation of agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Secret Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

At the Transportation Security Administration, about 95% of employees are deemed essential. They will continue to scan passengers and their bags at the nation’s commercial airports. But they will work without pay until the funding lapse is resolved.

A TSA official warned in testimony to Congress that employees may begin calling out sick or taking unscheduled absences as the shutdown progresses, which could lead to longer wait times for passengers to get through airport security and board their plane. Many TSA workers already faced financial stress last year.

“Some are just now recovering from the financial impact of the 43-day shutdown” said Ha Nguyen McNeill, a senior official performing the duties of TSA administrator. “Many are still reeling from it.”

The vast majority of employees at the Secret Service and U.S. Coast Guard will continue their work, though they could also miss a paycheck depending upon the shutdown’s length.

At the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the shutdown will disrupt the agency’s ability to reimburse states for disaster relief costs. Some workers will be furloughed, limiting the agency’s ability to coordinate with state and local partners, and training for first responders at the National Disaster and Emergency Management University in Maryland will be disrupted.

Republicans have pointed out that the work of ICE and CBP will mostly continue unabated during a shutdown, despite Democratic demands for changes at those agencies.

That’s because Trump’s tax and spending cut bill passed by Republicans last year provided ICE with about $75 billion and CBP with about $65 billion, money those agencies can continue to tap for Trump’s deportation operations.

What is the impact on workers?
It’s up to each federal agency to designate which of its employees are “essential” or “excepted,” both of which mean the same thing in this case. They keep working during a shutdown, typically without getting paid until government funding is back in place.

Some examples of “essential” employees are military personnel, security screeners at airports and law enforcement officers. There can be a wide range, from positions deemed critical for public safety to those authorized by law to continue even without new funding.

Most of the more than 270,000 people employed by Homeland Security are deemed essential, meaning that they stay on the job even during a shutdown. For the fall 2025 shutdown, more than 258,000 DHS employees were in that category, and about 22,000 — or 5% of the agency’s total employee base — were furloughed.

Lawmakers have been particularly concerned about the potential impact on the TSA and airports.

Senate Republican Leader John Thune has warned that “there’s a very good chance we could see more travel problems” similar to last year’s shutdown. As staffing shortages grow, airports may reduce the number of open security lanes or close checkpoints altogether to relieve pressure on an already strained workforce.

During last year’s lapse in funding, unpaid TSA workers increasingly called in sick or stayed home as missed paychecks made it harder for workers to cover basic expenses. The strain was visible on the ground: About a month into the shutdown, TSA closed two checkpoints at Philadelphia International Airport.

“The longer the shutdown goes on, the more severe the impact on our TSA workforce,” the agency said at the time.

The Central Election Committee announced Friday morning that the Likud party must take down a social media post containing a manipulated image of Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid together with leaders of Arab parties.

Deputy President of the Supreme Court Justice Noam Solberg, who chairs the Election Committee, ruled in favor of a petition filed by Bennett. In his decision, he wrote: “Likud must immediately remove the subject of the petition from all of its social media accounts. Likud will bear the petitioners’ expenses in the amount of 8,500 shekels.”

Following the ruling, the Bennett 2026 party welcomed the decision and issued a sharp response: “We are defeating the poison machine. We will not allow Likud to spread false poison. We will continue to fight with all our strength against lies, fake AI, and poison. We will win and fix Israel.”

At the same time as the petition was submitted to the Election Committee, Bennett’s party also turned to law enforcement, filing a police complaint against Likud for what it described as “distributing an edited and false image.”

St. Joseph’s in Toms River has filed an application with the zoning board seeking continued approval for its long-standing transitional housing program for women with children and pregnant women, a program that has operated for nearly three decades on Lexington Avenue.

According to the facility, the application is required due to recent changes in state law and zoning regulations. The request does not involve an expansion or alteration of the existing program, which has historically provided short-term housing to no more than two families at a time.

The transitional housing program has been in operation for approximately 29 years and has functioned with little public attention. Its stated purpose is to offer temporary housing to women and children experiencing housing instability while they work toward permanent living arrangements.

Mayor Daniel T. Rodrick released a statement acknowledging the application but does not have decision-making authority over the matter. The final determination will be made by the Toms River Zoning Board, which is responsible for reviewing the application under applicable land-use laws and zoning standards.

Town officials noted that the zoning process includes public notice and opportunities for community input before a decision is reached. The board will consider whether the program complies with current zoning requirements in light of the updated state regulations.

No changes to the scope, size, or operation of the parish’s housing program are being proposed as part of the application.

The Zoning Board is expected to review the matter at a future public meeting, where a final decision will be made.

The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and the vessels accompanying it have been reassigned from the Caribbean to the Middle East, postponing their anticipated return home until late April or early May, US officials told The New York Times on Thursday.

The move significantly lengthens the strike group’s deployment. The mission had initially been scheduled to wrap up with the carrier returning to its home port in early March.

According to officials who spoke anonymously, members of the Ford’s crew were notified Thursday about the change in plans. The carrier strike group is now set to operate alongside the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group in the Persian Gulf, bolstering American naval forces in the region amid continued friction with Iran.

The shift in deployment comes as President Donald Trump intensifies his administration’s pressure campaign targeting Iran’s leadership.

Trump met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Wednesday. During their discussions, Netanyahu sought to convince the US President not to agree to a limited arrangement with Iran and to ensure that Israel’s security concerns remain protected.

On Thursday, Trump urged Tehran to reach an agreement, cautioning the Islamic Republic “it’s going to be very traumatic if they do not.

Earlier this year, aircraft from the USS Gerald R. Ford participated in the January 3 operation in Caracas that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. So far, US military officials have not issued a public statement regarding the latest redeployment.

YS GOLD 

This Shabbos will mark a historic and emotional milestone for the Liska Kehillah, as the tzibbur gathers for the final tefillos in the beloved beis medrash that has faithfully served Liska Chassidus for nearly 80 years.

For decades, the walls of this cherished shul have absorbed heartfelt tefillos, joyous simchos, and countless hours of Torah learning. Generations have passed through its doors, forming a living chain of mesorah and devotion. The simple structure, rich with memory and meaning, has stood as a steadfast home for the kehillah’s growth.

Liska traces its roots to Rav Tzvi Hersh of Liska known as the Ach Pri Tevuah whose influence was felt throughout Hungary and beyond. Through successive rebbes Liska thrived until the Holocaust decimated European jewry . The remnants of Liska was transplanted in the United States by his son, the previous Liska Rav Yoizef Friedlander ZT'L, who established his kehilah, Ateres Tzvi M’Liska in the now Ir V’em B’Yisroel Boro Park where he was marbitz Torah and conducted himself in the mold of his origins until his untimely petirah at the age of 52, on 28 Shvat, 1971 - with the Yartzeit this coming Sunday . 

With its imminent demolition, the site will soon give way to a magnificent new shul to be erected on the very same grounds. The new structure promises expanded space, enhanced facilities, and a setting befitting the Liska kehillah, while preserving the sanctity of the location that has meant so much to so many over so many years.

In the interim, the kehillah will relocate to a temporary location, at 1430-50th Street, where tefillos and learning will continue uninterrupted until construction is complete.

As the final Shabbos approaches, the atmosphere is one of gratitude for the past and anticipation for a vibrant new chapter in the life of Liska Kehillah.

Check in with the BP24 Advisory for direction and guidance as you take to the road. We are here to help steer you in the right direction.

18th Avenue between McDonald Avenue and East 2nd Street will be closed from 5am to 9pm Saturday and Sunday through March 8, 2026 for mainline track repairs.

63rd Street between 14th Avenue and New Utrecht Avenue will be closed from 9am to 4pm Friday through February 20, 2026 to facilitate crane operation.

Avenue F between McDonald and East 2nd Street will be closed from 5am to 9pm Saturday and Sunday through March 8, 2026 for mainline track repairs.

LONDON — Britain’s High Court ruled Friday that the government acted unlawfully when it designated the pro-Palestinian protest group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization, but the ban will remain in place while the government appeals.

Judges Victoria Sharp, Jonathan Swift and Karen Steyn said the “nature and scale” of the group’s activities did not reach the “level, scale and persistence” required to justify proscription under terrorism laws. The court found the decision to outlaw the group was “disproportionate.”

The government last year added Palestine Action to the list of banned terrorist organizations, placing it alongside groups such as al-Qaida and Hamas. Membership in or public support for a proscribed organization carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was disappointed with the ruling and intends to challenge it in the Court of Appeal, rejecting the notion that banning the group was excessive.

Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori called the decision “a monumental victory” for free speech and protest rights.

The government moved to ban the group after activists broke into a Royal Air Force base in June, spraying red paint into the engines of two tanker aircraft and causing additional damage with crowbars. Officials said the actions caused millions of pounds in damage and posed risks to national security.

The group, founded in 2020, has staged direct-action protests targeting military and industrial sites, including facilities linked to Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems UK.

Supporters and civil liberties groups argue that criminal laws are sufficient to prosecute unlawful acts and that banning the organization infringes on freedom of expression and the right to protest.

In their ruling, the judges said that although a small number of the group’s actions could amount to terrorist activity, existing criminal statutes provide the tools needed to pursue charges without resorting to proscription.

Lakewood police are investigating an early morning dumpster fire that damaged a home in Lakewood.

The fire broke out at approximately 1:00 AM at a construction site in the MLK Drive area.

There were no injuries reported, but the fire left one side of the home with severe damage.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Lakewood Police Department.

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NEW YORK — (VINnews) – An increasing number of middle-class Americans are selling their blood plasma to help cover everyday expenses, according to a report by NBC News.

The report highlights how plasma donation, once more commonly associated with lower-income communities, is now drawing people from a broader economic spectrum, including suburban residents and working professionals facing rising costs.

Plasma, which is used to produce treatments for immune disorders and other serious medical conditions, is in high global demand. The United States supplies the majority of the world’s plasma products, and federal regulations allow donors to give up to twice a week under established health guidelines.

According to NBC News, donors are typically paid between $45 and $65 per visit, depending on the center and frequency. Many centers use tiered incentives, offering higher compensation for a second weekly donation. Some donors reported earning roughly $400 per month by donating regularly. Payment can vary by location and promotional bonuses.

Some donors told NBC News the additional income helps pay for groceries, rent, utilities and debt obligations. Industry representatives say donors are compensated for their time and participation, while critics argue that ongoing financial pressures are pushing more Americans to rely on plasma centers as a supplemental source of income.

The trend comes as many households report continued economic strain, even as broader indicators suggest overall economic stability.

JENIN  (VINnews) – Israeli security forces arrested a Palestinian man in Jenin on Thursday accused of being an accomplice in a terror shooting attack last year that killed three Israelis and wounded eight others, the Israel Defense Forces and police announced.

Mohammed Zaidan was detained in a joint operation by officers from the police’s elite Yamam counterterrorism unit and IDF troops in the northern Judea-Samaria city.

According to the IDF, Zaidan was a prominent member of a terror network in Jenin. He is accused of involvement in funding other terrorists and helping advance attacks against Israel.

The January 6, 2025, attack occurred in the Palestinian village of al-Funduq, which lies along a major roadway used daily by thousands of Israeli and Palestinian drivers. Gunmen opened fire on a bus and two cars, killing off-duty police officer Master Sgt. Elad Yaakov Winkelstein and civilians Rachel Cohen and Aliza Raiz.

At least three gunmen carried out the assault. Two were killed by Israeli soldiers several weeks later, and the third was killed in April 2025.

The victims included Winkelstein, in his 30s, and Cohen and Raiz, both in their 70s and retired school counselors. Eight others were wounded, including a bus driver.

Avraham Ben Dayan, yungerman who had been held in military custody for failing to report for enlistment, was released this morning after nearly a week in detention.

Ben Dayan had been arrested at his home in the moshav of Tifrach and transferred to a military prison, where he remained since Motzoei Shabbos. His detention stemmed from allegations that he did not comply with a draft summons.

During his incarceration, Ben Dayan reportedly complained of harsh treatment. According to his account, he was transported while shackled at both the hands and feet, was not permitted to study in the shul within the detention facility, and on his first day in custody was prevented from putting on tefillin.

The case sparked significant reaction within the chareidi community. Prominent rabbonim reached out to the family to offer encouragement and support. Shas Knesset member Uriel Busu visited Ben Dayan’s relatives at their home in Tifrach.

Upon his release, Ben Dayan was greeted by family members and friends. Later in the day, he visited Rav Dov Landau, who spoke with him and his family and offered words of chizuk.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing a widening credibility gap at home, as new polling shows a majority of Israelis rejecting his account of the decisions that preceded Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack.

A survey conducted this week for Zman Yisrael found that 51 percent of Israelis do not believe Netanyahu’s version of events laid out in a 55-page document he submitted to the state comptroller. Just 39 percent said they found his explanation credible, while 10 percent were unsure.

The document, made up of selectively released excerpts from internal deliberations, was meant to portray Netanyahu as consistently advocating tougher action against Hamas, and security officials as the ones urging restraint.

But subsequent reporting has undercut that narrative, revealing meetings in which Netanyahu sought to preserve calm in Gaza just days before the attack and intelligence warnings dating back years about Hamas’s invasion plans.

The result: a growing perception that the prime minister is managing blame as much as policy.

A separate Channel 12 poll published Thursday reached similar conclusions. Asked whether Netanyahu’s document had been selectively edited to obscure his role, 47 percent sided with the opposition’s claim, while 32 percent believed the prime minister.

The same survey found widespread pessimism about Israel’s war aims: nearly half of respondents said they do not expect Hamas to be fully disarmed, casting doubt on one of Netanyahu’s central promises.

Together, the numbers suggest that while Netanyahu retains a loyal base, his post–October 7 political reset has failed to persuade a majority of voters.

With elections required by October 2026 — and possibly sooner — the polling also points to a deeply divided electorate and no obvious governing majority. According to Zman Yisrael, neither the pro-Netanyahu bloc nor the opposition can currently assemble a clear majority without Arab parties, whose participation remains politically sensitive.

If Arab parties run separately, they would win 11 seats, leaving the opposition with 56 seats and the coalition with 53. If they unite as a Joint List, they would capture 15 seats, reshuffling the balance and weakening both major blocs.

In the fragmented scenario, Netanyahu’s Likud would remain the largest party with 28 seats, followed by a new party led by former prime minister Naftali Bennett with 20.

Other key players include Avigdor Liberman, Yair Lapid, Itamar Ben Gvir, and Benny Gantz, none of whom currently commands enough support to break the stalemate.

When asked how Israel should proceed if no bloc wins a majority, voters were split. Thirty-eight percent favored a unity government spanning both camps. Twenty-six percent preferred an opposition-led coalition backed from outside by Arab parties. Twenty-four percent said Israel should return to the polls yet again.

The only precedent for Arab party participation in government came in 2021–22, when Bennett and Lapid formed a narrow coalition that included Ra’am. The arrangement collapsed within a year.

Despite public doubts about his leadership before October 7, Netanyahu remains competitive in head-to-head matchups.
Against most rivals, he holds comfortable pluralities. But against Bennett, his edge is razor-thin: 38 percent chose Netanyahu, compared with 35 percent for Bennett, with nearly a quarter selecting neither.

The numbers suggest Netanyahu’s dominance is no longer assured, and that voters are increasingly open to alternatives.

Last month, Netanyahu dismissed speculation about early elections, calling them “the last thing” Israel needs. “We need stability,” he said.

But the polling suggests stability remains elusive. Two years after the deadliest attack in Israel’s history, voters are still searching for accountability — and many are unconvinced by the prime minister’s answers.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

WASHINGTON (AP) — A key measure of inflation fell to nearly a five-year low last month as apartment rental price growth slowed and gas prices fell, offering some relief to Americans grappling with the sharp cost increases over the past five years.

Inflation dropped to 2.4% in January compared with a year earlier, down from 2.7% in December and not too far from the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. Core prices, which exclude the volatile food and energy categories, rose just 2.5% in January from a year ago, down from 2.6% the previous month and the smallest increase since March 2021.

Friday’s report suggests inflation could be cooling, but it comes after the cost of food, gas, and apartment rents soared after the pandemic, with consumer prices about 25% higher than they were five years ago. The increase in such a broad range of costs has become a high-profile political issue under the rubric of “affordability.”

On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose 0.2% in January from December, while core prices rose 0.3%.

GENEVA (AP) — The fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein saga is rippling through Europe.

Politicians, diplomats, officials and royals have seen reputations tarnished, investigations launched and jobs lost after a trove of more than 3 million pages of Epstein-related documents released by the U.S. Justice Department revealed their ties to the American financier and convicted sex offender who died behind bars in 2019.

Apart from the former Prince Andrew, none of them face claims of sexual wrongdoing. They have been toppled for maintaining friendly relationships with Epstein after he became a convicted sex offender.

Some experts note the reckoning in Europe’s parliamentary democracies has been swifter and more severe — for now — than in the United States, where Epstein built his empire and hobnobbed with many American elites.

Here’s a look at some of those in the Old World caught up in the new furor.

U.K. royal family
The former Prince Andrew, one of King Charles III’s two brothers, is one of the most prominent names linked to the Epstein underworld involving the recruitment of underage girls for sex.

He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, but the scandalous headlines forced the king last year to strip Andrew of his royal titles, including that of prince. He is now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

The recent document dump exposed the depth of ties between Mountbatten-Windsor and Epstein, revealing more unsavory details that have jolted the royal family, including an allegation that the former prince sent trade reports to Epstein in 2010.

Mountbatten-Windsor has been forced to move out of the royal estate that he occupied for more than two decades. Buckingham Palace says that the king is ready to support police in the event of an inquiry into whether Mountbatten-Windsor gave confidential information to Epstein.

British politics
The U.K. government has been shaken by new revelations about Peter Mandelson, a longtime Labour party stalwart who Prime Minister Keir Starmer brought out of the political wilderness as U.K. ambassador in Washington.

Mandelson was stripped of that plum post in September, after Epstein emails showed that they had had closer ties than the ambassador had initially acknowledged.

While Starmer himself isn’t implicated in the files, his position has come under threat over appointing Mandelson. He has faced calls from his opponents and from within his own Labour party to resign — which he has so far refused.

Mandelson is now facing a criminal investigation, after the new files suggested that he may have shared market-sensitive information with Epstein a decade and a half ago.

Norway’s crown princess
The new documents showed, among other things, that Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit, the 52-year-old wife of Crown Prince Haakon, borrowed an Epstein-owned property in Palm Beach, Florida, for several days in 2013.

And in an email exchange between Epstein and Mette-Marit in 2012, he noted how he was in Paris “on my wife hunt,” but “i prefer Scandinavians.”

She replied that the French capital was “good for adultery,” but “Scandis” were “better wife material.”

Mette-Marit apologized this month for “the situation I have put the royal family in,” and said: “Some of the content of the messages between Epstein and me does not represent the person I want to be.”

Norway ex-prime minister
The head of the economic crime unit of Norwegian police said Thursday that former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland has been charged with “aggravated corruption” in connection with an investigation linked to the release of the Epstein files.

Økokrim, as the police unit is known, said last week it would investigate whether gifts, travel and loans were received in connection with Jagland’s position.

On Thursday, unit chief Pål K. Lønseth also said its teams conducted a search of Jagland’s residence in Oslo on Thursday, along with searches at two other properties in Risør, a coastal town to the south of the capital, and in Rauland to the west.

The searches were carried out after the Council of Europe, a human rights body that Jagland once led, said it was honoring a request from Norwegian authorities to waive the immunity from legal processes that he had enjoyed.

The council lifted the immunity, saying it was intended to protect activities linked to official duties, not “personal benefit.” Jagland is also a former head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

Norwegian former ambassador
Mona Juul, Norway’s ex-ambassador to Jordan, who was involved in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts in the 1990s, resigned over the weekend, after reports said that Epstein left $10 million to Juul’s children in a will drawn up shortly before he died.

Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said that a ministry investigation into her knowledge of and contact with Epstein will continue, and Juul will continue discussions with Norwegian officials to clarify the situation.

French ex-culture minister
Jack Lang, 86, stepped down as head of the Arab World Institute in Paris over alleged past financial links to Epstein that prompted a tax investigation.

Lang was summoned to appear Sunday at the French Foreign Ministry, which oversees the institute, but submitted his resignation.

The former culture minister under President Francois Mitterrand is the highest-profile figure in France impacted by the U.S. Justice Department’s release of files on Jan. 30.

Slovakia ex-foreign minister
Prime Minister Robert Fico’s national security adviser, Miroslav Lajčák, resigned over past communications with Epstein — including text messages in which they discussed “gorgeous” girls.

“When I’m reading the messages today, I feel like an idiot,” Lajčák told Slovak public radio.

Lajčák, a former foreign minister and former president of the U.N. General Assembly, has denied any wrongdoing. He said that he considered Epstein a valuable contact who was accepted by the rich and powerful in the U.S.

“Those messages are nothing more than stupid male egos in action,” Lajčák said. “Nothing more than words ever came of it.”

(AP) – The One Big Beautiful Bill Act made some long-awaited permanent changes to the tax code. It also introduced short-term tax breaks that come with strict limits and phaseouts, and many of them are only available through 2028 or 2029. Here are four ways to get the most out of the OBBBA’s temporary provisions as you file your 2025 taxes and plan ahead.

1. Don’t dismiss itemizing your deductions
The OBBBA temporarily boosts the state and local tax deduction cap, or SALT, from $10,000 to $40,000 (for married couples filing jointly and single filers). This higher cap applies from 2025 through 2029.

Run the numbers: For 2025, the standard deduction is $31,500 for married couples and $15,750 for singles. If your total itemized deductions — including mortgage interest, charitable giving, and state and local taxes (up to the new $40,000 cap) — add up to more than your standard deduction, you should itemize.

Watch your income: The new $40,000 SALT cap isn’t for everyone. It begins to phase out if your modified adjusted gross income is over $500,000 (for all filers). If your MAGI reaches $600,000, your SALT deduction reverts to the original $10,000 limit.

2. Maximize the new targeted deductions — if you qualify
The OBBBA introduced several temporary above-the-line deductions (available whether you itemize or not) to help middle-income workers. But they have very strict income and benefit limits.

The qualified overtime pay deduction: Capped at $25,000 for married couples filing jointly and $12,500 for singles. Only the extra “half-time” portion of your time-and-a-half pay qualifies for the deduction. For a married couple, this benefit begins to disappear if your MAGI hits $300,000 and is entirely gone once your MAGI reaches $550,000.

The qualified tips income deduction: Allows you to write off qualified tip income up to $25,000 per tax return, whether you file as married or single. The deduction is only available for tips that are formally reported on a Form W-2 or Form 1099. It phases out sharply for higher earners, starting at a MAGI of $300,000 for married couples and $150,000 for singles, and is fully eliminated at $550,000 and $400,000, respectively.

The auto loan interest deduction: This temporary deduction allows you to write off up to $10,000 of interest paid on a loan for a new, personal-use vehicle with final assembly in the US. (Leases are excluded.) It starts to phase out at $200,000 for married couples and $100,000 for singles and is completely gone by $250,000 and $150,000.

3. Seniors, time your 2026 Roth conversions carefully
If you are 65 or older, the OBBBA offers a new, temporary deduction for seniors of up to $12,000 for married couples ($6,000 per eligible spouse) and $6,000 for single filers. This is a welcome tax break, but it’s fragile.

Beware the MAGI trap: This deduction begins to disappear for married couples with a MAGI over $150,000 and for singles over $75,000.

Model Roth conversions for 2026: If you are a senior who is close to the $150,000 MAGI limit, a Roth conversion done in 2026 could push your income over the threshold, causing you to lose this entire $12,000 deduction. Work with your adviser to model any planned 2026 conversions.

4. Optimize income to qualify for the best breaks
Many of the OBBBA’s most valuable temporary provisions are income-sensitive, particularly those new targeted deductions and the elevated SALT cap. Keep these rules in mind for 2025 filing and 2026 tax planning.

For your 2025 return: You can still influence your 2025 MAGI by:

1. Making 2025 HSA contributions (before the April 2026 tax deadline).

2. Making 2025 deductible IRA contributions, if you’re eligible.

Plan for 2026 income: If your 2026 income is likely to approach any phaseout thresholds (such as the $300,000 limit for tips/overtime or the $500,000 limit for the elevated SALT cap), consider strategies that help keep it within the qualifying range.

3. Postponing the sale of highly appreciated stock to avoid realizing large capital gains in 2026.

4. Delaying the exercise of nonqualified stock options if doing so would push you over a phaseout threshold.

5. Maximizing 401(k) and health savings account contributions to reduce your 2026 MAGI.

6. Holding off on large Roth conversions if they would increase your income above key limits.

Don’t let the technical limitations and phaseouts catch you by surprise. With a little smart planning, you can lock in significant tax savings.

BANGKOK (AP) — With one American carrier strike group already in the Middle East and another apparently on its way as U.S. President Donald Trump ramps up pressure on Iran to give up its nuclear program, fears are rising of the outbreak of another war that could spread into a regional conflict.

The 12-day Israel-Iran war last year appeared to cripple key elements of Iran’s military, yet left its capabilities far from neutralized — a distinction that looms large as tensions rise again.

If hostilities erupt again, the risk of a broader protracted conflict returns, especially if Iran’s leadership sees the fight as one for its existence.

Open skies
The June 13-24 war started when Israel launched strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear program and top military officials. The United States joined the conflict, hitting three nuclear sites with massive “bunker-buster” bombs dropped from B-2 stealth bombers that flew their mission from their home base in Missouri.

It was a risky move for Trump, who has criticized his predecessors for involving the U.S. in “stupid wars,” but Iran responded weakly, with a limited missile attack on an American military base in Qatar that it warned Washington of in advance, and which caused no casualties. Tehran and Israel then both agreed to a ceasefire.

Israel was able to significantly degrade Iran’s air defenses with airstrikes and covert attacks from teams on the ground. Iran, presumably aware that its older F-14 and MiG-29 fighters were no match for the fifth-generation American F-35 stealth fighters and other aircraft flown by Israel, also never sent its air force into action.

That left the skies clear for Israel to carry out waves of attacks, and for the U.S. to hit Iran’s nuclear facilities and get out of Iranian airspace without the B-2 bombers ever being fired upon.

If hostilities resume, that scenario is likely to repeat, said Sascha Bruchmann, a defense analyst with the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Bahrain.

“In practical terms, in reductionist terms, the sky is open for American and Israeli planes,” he said. “The problem is how to defend the region from the retaliation.”

Bruchmann said in the case of an expanded war, Iran would most likely hit back by targeting U.S. bases in the region, but could also attack oil infrastructure and mine the Strait of Hormuz, which links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil is transported.

They could also attempt to hit the American aircraft carriers, though they’re well defended by the destroyers in their strike groups, Bruchmann said.

“If the regime itself believes its survival is at stake, which it did not believe in June last year, I think the game is different,” he said. “If you have a … regime that thinks it’s about to go down, when why would you hold back with retaliation?”

Iran’s missile cupboard
Iran fired hundreds of missiles during the 12-day war and used more than 1,000 attack drones, killing nearly three dozen Israeli civilians and wounding thousands.

Danny Citrinowicz, a researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies and a former Iran specialist in Israel’s military and intelligence services, said that it remains unclear how much missile capacity Iran has rebuilt.

“You can see through satellite imagery, attempts to restart manufacturing,” he said, adding that government leaks in Israeli media suggest that Israel assumes Iran still retains a substantial number of short-range ballistic missiles.

Israeli strikes last year focused on what officials saw as the most immediate threats — Iran’s medium- and long-range missiles — leaving Tehran with a reduced but far from eliminated ability to threaten Israel. Its ability to hit nearby U.S. bases with short range missiles, seems barely diminished.

“The short-range ballistic missiles did not suffer any significant hit whatsoever in the 12-day war,” Citrinowicz said.

Iran’s exact capabilities aren’t known, but it’s thought to still have more than 1,000 long range missiles that could hit Israel, and several thousand of the shorter-range missiles that could be used to hit American bases or other targets nearby, Bruchmann said.

Missile stockpiles matter only if a country retains the systems to launch them. Israel also took out many of Iran’s launchers, but wasn’t able to destroy them completely, and it seems likely that Iran will have been working hard to rebuild that capacity.

Very different stakes
Iran’s military vastly outnumbers that of Israel, with about 600,000 regular troops and 200,000 in the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, including the elite Quds Force.

In the past they have also relied on proxy forces. Those include Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthi rebels in Yemen. But each has been so degraded by recent fighting that it’s an open question whether they would be able — or willing — to come to Iran’s assistance from Gaza, Lebanon or Yemen.

A bigger threat might come from Iran-linked militias in Iraq, which could threaten U.S. forces on the ground there.

Israel has around 170,000 members of active duty forces and another 400,000 reserves. But even though their military is smaller, many have been battle hardened by regional conflicts and they also have the latest U.S. and European equipment as well as a robust domestic defense industry.

It also has the support of the U.S., both with its naval assets and multiple bases in the Middle East, including Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which hosts thousands of American troops and is the forward headquarters for U.S. Central Command.

But beyond comparing numbers and capabilities, Bruchmann said that when thinking about a possible all-out conflict, one has to look at what the sides are willing to risk.

“My assumption is that Americans are trying to plan for zero casualties,” he said. “We’re talking regime survival versus a zero casualty intervention — so just phenomenally different stakes.”

NEW YORK (AP) — Kathy Ruemmler, the top lawyer at storied investment bank Goldman Sachs and former White House counsel to President Barack Obama, announced her resignation Thursday, after emails between her and Jeffrey Epstein showed a close relationship where she described him as an “older brother” and downplayed his crimes.

Ruemmler said in a statement that she would “step down as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of Goldman Sachs as of June 30, 2026.”

Up until her resignation, Ruemmler repeatedly tried to distance herself from the emails and other correspondence and had been defiant that she would not resign from Goldman’s top legal post, which she had held since 2020.

While Ruemmler has called Epstein a “monster” in recent statements, she had a much different relationship with Epstein before he was arrested a second time for sex crimes in 2019 and later killed himself in a Manhattan jail. Ruemmler called Epstein “Uncle Jeffrey” in emails and said she adored him.

In a statement before her resignation, a Goldman Sachs spokesperson said Ruemmler “regrets ever knowing him.”

In her statement Thursday, Ruemmler said: “Since I joined Goldman Sachs six years ago, it has been my privilege to help oversee the firm’s legal, reputational, and regulatory matters; to enhance our strong risk management processes; and to ensure that we live by our core value of integrity in everything we do. My responsibility is to put Goldman Sachs’ interests first.”

Goldman CEO David Solomon said in a separate statement: “As one of the most accomplished professionals in her field, Kathy has also been a mentor and friend to many of our people, and she will be missed. I accepted her resignation, and I respect her decision.”

During her time in private practice after she left the White House in 2014, Ruemmler received several expensive gifts from Epstein, including luxury handbags and a fur coat. The gifts were given after Epstein had already been convicted of sex crimes in 2008 and was registered as a sex offender.

“So lovely and thoughtful! Thank you to Uncle Jeffrey!!!” Ruemmler wrote to Epstein in 2018.

Historically, Wall Street frowns on gift-giving between clients and bankers or Wall Street lawyers, particularly high-end gifts that could pose a conflict of interest. Goldman Sachs requires its employees to get preapproval before receiving gifts from or giving them to clients, according to the company’s code of conduct, partly in order to not run afoul of anti-bribery laws.

As late as December, Goldman CEO David Solomon described Ruemmler as an “excellent lawyer” and said she had his full faith and backing.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States will send the world’s largest aircraft carrier to the Middle East to back up another already there, a person familiar with the plans said Friday, putting more American firepower behind President Donald Trump’s efforts to coerce Iran into a deal over its nuclear program.

The USS Gerald R. Ford’s planned deployment to the Mideast comes after Trump only days earlier suggested another round of talks with the Iranians was at hand. Those negotiations didn’t materialize as one of Tehran’s top security officials visited Oman and Qatar this week and exchanged messages with the U.S. intermediaries.

Already, Gulf Arab nations have warned any attack could spiral into another regional conflict in a Mideast still reeling from the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Iranians are beginning to hold 40-day mourning ceremonies for the thousands killed in Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests last month, adding to the internal pressure faced by the sanctions-battered Islamic Republic.

The Ford’s deployment, first reported by The New York Times, will put two carriers and their accompanying warships in the region. Already, the USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying guided-missile destroyers are in the Arabian Sea.

The person who spoke to The Associated Press on the deployment did so on condition of anonymity to discuss military movements.

NEW YORK (AP) — The first solar eclipse of the year will grace Antarctica, and only a lucky few will get to bask — or waddle — in its glow.

Tuesday’s annular solar eclipse, known as a “ ring of fire,” will only be visible in the southernmost continent, home to research stations and diverse wildlife.

“The penguins down there are going to have a great show,” said astronomer Joe Llama with Lowell Observatory.

Clear skies permitting, more people can catch a partial eclipse with small bites taken out of the sun from the tips of Chile and Argentina and bits of southeastern Africa including Madagascar, Lesotho and South Africa.

Solar eclipses happen when the sun, moon and Earth align just so. The moon casts a shadow that can partially or totally block out the sun’s light from Earth.

It’s “this beautiful coincidence between the size and the distance of the moon and the sun,” said astrophysicist Emily Rice with the City University of New York.

During an annular, or ring-shaped, eclipse, the moon just happens to be farther away from Earth in its orbit so it doesn’t totally cover the sun. Only a thin sliver remains visible.

“The sun essentially gets its core taken out,” Llama said.

Solar eclipses happen a few times a year, but are only visible from places in the path of the moon’s shadow. Two partial eclipses happened last year, and the last total solar eclipse swept across North America in 2024.

Looking directly at the sun is dangerous even when most of it is covered so make sure to grab eclipse glasses. They block out ultraviolet light from the sun and nearly all visible light. Sunglasses and binoculars aren’t protective enough.

Eclipse glasses should say they comply with ISO 12312-2 standards, though fake suppliers can also list this on their products.

There are also ways to enjoy solar eclipses indirectly. Make a pinhole projector using household materials or hold up a colander or cheese grater to the sky and look down to see images of the eclipse projected onto the ground.

There is a total solar eclipse in the cards in August for skygazers in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia and part of Portugal. Swaths of Europe, Africa and North America will be treated to a partial eclipse.

Trump Administration Says Repeal of Obama Emissions Policy Will Cut Vehicle Prices by $2,400

The Trump administration announced Thursday that rolling back the Obama-era “endangerment finding” will reduce the average cost of a new vehicle by roughly $2,400, a move the White House and the Environmental Protection Agency say will ease financial pressure on both automakers and consumers.

President Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin revealed that the administration is rescinding the 2009 policy first implemented under President Barack Obama. That rule enabled the EPA to regulate and limit emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and other greenhouse gases from vehicles and engines beginning with the 2012 model year.

Supporters of the repeal argue that the prior regulations imposed enormous expenses on manufacturers and buyers alike. One policy expert suggested that the economic impact of removing the rule could exceed the administration’s current projections.

“The EPA has estimated benefits to the economy from rescinding the endangerment finding for vehicles to be as much as $4.7 trillion for the period 2027-2055. This is a gross underestimate,” Steve Milloy, a former Trump EPA transition adviser and senior fellow at the Energy & Environment Legal Institute, told The Post.

“Because of this move, gas prices will remain low and car prices will decline,” the biostatistician and environmental lawyer added. “Lower gas prices and lower vehicle prices will ripple through the economy for decades to come.”

Milloy also emphasized that lifting emissions requirements could allow individuals and businesses to use money once spent on compliance and higher vehicle costs for other purposes.

“All these benefits are impossible to calculate. But there’s one thing for sure: The costs of regulating greenhouse gas emissions is incalculably large while providing absolutely no environmental benefit,” he said.

According to the EPA, eliminating the policy will also reduce “regulatory compliance costs” and avoid expenses tied to “purchasing equipment related to [electric vehicles],” which automakers ramped up production of following the 2009 rule.

Speaking at the White House, Zeldin declared that “manufacturers will no longer be burdened by measuring, compiling or reporting greenhouse gas emissions for vehicles and engines.”

Ford Motor Company, one of Detroit’s “Big Three” automakers, expressed support for the administration’s decision to withdraw the Obama standards.

“We appreciate the work of President Trump and Administrator Zeldin to address the imbalance between current emissions standards and customer choice,” a spokesperson told The Post.

“Ford has consistently advocated for a single, stable national standard that aligns with customer choice, the market, societal benefit, and American job growth.”

Tim Pohanka, vice president and executive manager of Virginia’s Pohanka Automotive Group, said consumers could see savings but warned that price reductions may not be immediate or as steep as projected.

“Is there a potential opportunity for people to save? Yeah, there is. But it can’t be coupled with having to pay more at the gas pump, so it’s all relative,” Pohanka said.

“Would we see a price reduction of $2,400 right away on a car? Probably not,” he added. “I would have a hard time really saying exactly how that number would break out.”

Pohanka noted that car buyers are already grappling with rising costs and hopes the regulatory rollback will help reverse that trend.

“The cost of a car has outpaced inflation dramatically,” he pointed out.

Trump and Zeldin further announced that the automatic start-stop feature introduced under the endangerment finding will no longer be required in new vehicles. The system, designed to shut off engines when cars are idle, has been a point of frustration for some drivers.

Pohanka said removing such features could help reduce manufacturing expenses.

“Every time they put new components in the car, it adds cost,” he said. “When you start to look at auto-start, auto-stop buttons, it plays an impact on the car.

“Removing the complexity from that hardware will make a difference.”

He also remarked that the start-stop mechanism can cause “harm to the engine and battery components,” potentially increasing repair bills for owners.

Lauren Fix, an automotive analyst at The Car Coach, agreed that the policy change could lead to lower vehicle prices, though she questioned the exact savings figure cited by the administration.

“On every car brand, it’s going to be slightly different,” she explained.

Still, she maintained that “this is a win, making cars more affordable,” Fix continued.

“There are some people saying this is a bad thing, but the truth is you can’t always go with what the government says because they don’t know the industry – they don’t build cars.”

Two years after a daring Israeli commando raid pulled them from Hamas captivity, the IDF on Friday released raw, emotional footage showing the first moments of freedom for Fernando Marman and Luis Har — two men who survived 129 days in Gaza’s underground shadows.

The newly released video, compiled from body cameras worn by naval commandos from the IDF’s elite Shayetet 13 unit, captures the fragile transition from captivity to rescue in real time.

“We have two diamonds here,” one soldier says quietly at the start of the recording, referring to the rescued hostages.

The footage shows Marman, 61, and Har, 70, seated inside a military helicopter, dazed but alert, surrounded by soldiers who offer them water, earplugs and medical help as rotors thunder overhead.

At one point, Har tries to break the tension.

“Come visit me, and I’ll make you pizzas,” he tells the troops.

“We’ll come and make you pizzas,” a soldier replies.

Marman and Har were freed on February 12, 2024, during “Operation Golden Hand,” a high-risk nighttime raid deep inside Gaza. They had been abducted on October 7 during Hamas’s assault on southern Israel and held in captivity by Hamas for more than four months.

According to accounts given after their release, the two men were confined in harsh, degrading conditions, with little food and infrequent access to basic hygiene. Har later said they were allowed to bathe only once every few days — sometimes once every few weeks.

A medical examination after the rescue revealed the toll: Har had lost approximately 16 kilograms (35 pounds) during captivity.

The operation itself was carried out under intense pressure, with Israeli forces racing against time and intelligence uncertainties to extract the hostages without alerting their captors. Military officials later described it as one of the most complex hostage rescues in history.

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(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The FBI has unveiled additional identifying information about the individual suspected of abducting Nancy Guthrie and announced that it is significantly increasing the reward for information that could help solve the case.

“Today, the FBI is increasing its reward up to $100,000 for information leading to the location of Nancy Guthrie and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance,” the FBI’s Phoenix office posted on X.

Investigators said a forensic review of doorbell camera footage from the 84-year-old’s home in Tucson, Arizona, provided clearer details about the masked and armed person captured on video outside her residence.

According to the FBI’s Phoenix office, the suspected kidnapper is believed to be a man standing between approximately 5-foot-9 and 5-foot-10, with an average build. Authorities also noted that the individual was carrying a black, 25-liter “Ozark Trail Hiker Pack” backpack at the time he appeared on the home’s doorbell camera.

“We hope this updated description will help concentrate the public tips we are receiving. Since February 1, 2026, the FBI has collected over 13,000 tips from the public related to this case,” the FBI said in the statement.

Officials further stated that agents are carefully evaluating each lead that comes in, assessing its reliability and determining how it can be “acted upon by law enforcement.”

A growing chorus of European governments and international watchdogs is demanding the removal of Francesca Albanese, the UN’s special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories, after remarks calling Israel a “common enemy of humanity” at an Al Jazeera forum.

During the discussion, Albanese condemned Western governments for maintaining diplomatic and arms relationships with Israel and accused the international community of complicity through inaction during the two-year Israel-Hamas war.

“The fact that most of the media in the Western world has been amplifying … the genocidal narrative is a challenge,” she said. “But at the same time, here also lies the opportunity.”

She argued that international law had been “stabbed in the heart” and claimed humanity now faces “a common enemy,” describing respect for fundamental freedoms as “the last peaceful toolbox that we have to gain our freedom.”

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Italy’s Vice President of the Council of Ministers, Antonio Tajani said that her “behaviors, statements, and initiatives are not appropriate for the position she holds within a body of peace and guarantee such as the United Nations.”

Austria’s foreign minister, Beate Meinl-Reisinger, warned that such rhetoric “undermines the impartiality and highest standards that the role of a UN representative requires.”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced that Paris will formally demand Albanese’s resignation at the upcoming session of the United Nations Human Rights Council on February 23.

Barrot told lawmakers that Albanese’s remarks “target not the Israeli government, whose policies can be criticized, but Israel as a people and as a nation, which is absolutely unacceptable.” He said her statements “add to a long list of scandalous positions,” including comments that appeared to justify the October 7 Hamas attack, references to a “Jewish lobby,” and making comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany.

“She presents herself as a UN independent expert,” Barrot added, “yet she is neither an expert nor independent — she is a political activist who stirs up hate speech and undermines the cause of the Palestinian people that she claims to defend.”

Facing mounting criticism, Albanese has rejected accusations of antisemitism. She has accused her critics of failing to condemn Israel with equal force and said her remarks were taken out of context.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Senate has departed Washington without a deal to keep the Department of Homeland Security funded past Friday, setting the stage for another partial government shutdown and underscoring the deepening political trench warfare over immigration enforcement.

With negotiations stalled, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer warned lawmakers to stay within reach, ready to return to Capitol Hill on short notice. Few senators, however, expect a breakthrough anytime soon.

The breakdown was laid bare Thursday when Sen. John Fetterman became the lone Democrat to vote to advance a full-year DHS funding bill — only to watch his party block it anyway.

“What’s the Democratic off-ramp on this?” Fetterman asked bluntly afterward. “ICE already has all the money it needs. Where’s our leverage?”

Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed by Donald Trump last year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection received tens of billions of dollars in advance funding, insulating them from the immediate effects of a shutdown.

Other agencies are not so protected.

“Shutting DHS down has zero impact on ICE,” Fetterman warned. “But it will hit FEMA, the Coast Guard, TSA and our Cybersecurity Agency.”

If funding expires at midnight Saturday, more than 260,000 DHS employees could face furloughs or unpaid work. The Transportation Security Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Secret Service, Coast Guard and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are all expected to see “limited” operations, according to appropriators.

A Democratic senator speaking anonymously to The Hill described the situation as a symptom of total institutional breakdown.

“Everybody hates everybody,” the lawmaker said. “It’s metal-on-metal politics now.”

With midterm elections looming, few lawmakers believe another shutdown will change voter behavior — weakening incentives to compromise.

The impasse centers on demands to rein in ICE following the deadly shootings of protesters in Minneapolis, which have inflamed Democratic donors and activists.

The Senate adjourned shortly after Thursday’s funding vote failed 52–47, largely along party lines. Democrats also blocked a two-week stopgap extension. Within hours, senators scattered — many rushing to flights for the Munich Security Conference and overseas meetings.

The chamber is not scheduled to vote again until Feb. 23.

Thune insists he will summon lawmakers back if a deal emerges.

“I think the deal space is there,” he said. “If people are operating in good faith.”

Schumer disagreed.

“Their proposal is not serious,” he said. “It’s very far apart from what we need.”

Asked what he would tell federal workers facing furloughs or unpaid labor, Schumer replied: “Talk to the Republicans. We’re ready to fund everything.”

The looming lapse would mark the second partial shutdown this month. Earlier in February, the Office of Management and Budget ordered agencies to begin shutdown preparations after Congress missed a Jan. 30 deadline. A temporary deal pushed the clock to Feb. 13, but little progress has followed.

Republicans argue Democrats are engineering the standoff to satisfy their base, even after Trump border czar Tom Homan announced an end to enforcement surges in Minnesota.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Navy has ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, to redeploy from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East. The move comes as President Donald Trump intensifies pressure on Tehran over its nuclear program and weighs possible military options amid faltering negotiations.

The redeployment of the Ford — which has been operating in the Caribbean after being shifted there last year — will bring two carrier strike groups into the Middle East alongside the USS Abraham Lincoln, which arrived in the region more than two weeks ago along with three guided-missile destroyers. That concentration of naval firepower signals a dramatic pivot in U.S. focus just months after the carrier helped spearhead operations in Latin America.

A U.S. official says the Ford will take at least a week to reach the Middle East. The last time two U.S. carriers were in the region was during last year’s strikes on Iran.

Officials speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed the orders, describing the move as part of a broader push to strengthen deterrence against Iran. Trump has repeatedly warned Tehran that failing to reach a negotiated settlement on its nuclear program could produce “very traumatic” consequences.

The decision to redirect the Ford underscores the complexities of Trump’s national security priorities. His strategy  last year emphasized the Western Hemisphere, a focus that appeared to justify the carrier’s deployment to Caribbean waters and its role in actions against Venezuelan forces last year. That pivot is now giving way to renewed emphasis on the Persian Gulf as diplomatic channels with Iran yield little substantive progress.

Trump told reporters this week that Tehran has a narrow window to reach a deal, suggesting a timeline of roughly a month for negotiations to conclude.

White House officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday, leaving open questions about how long the Ford and its crew — now facing one of the longest deployments in recent carrier history — will remain in the theater.

The redeployment comes against a backdrop of broader regional unease. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged the Trump administration to leverage its military posture to extract wide-ranging concessions from Iran, including constraints on ballistic missile development and support for proxy groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. Trump and Netanyahu held talks in Washington on Wednesday.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A 20-year-old Yeshiva University student was beaten by a group of masked attackers Thursday night inside a Washington Heights subway station, according to police and university officials.

Officers responded shortly after 7 p.m. to a 911 report of an assault at the 1 train station located at West 181st Street and St. Nicholas Avenue, the NYPD said.

Police said four unidentified individuals punched and kicked the student, who attends the private Jewish university. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin, a clinical assistant professor of Jewish values at Yeshiva’s Sy Syms School of Business, also confirmed details of the attack.

“A Yeshiva University student was violently assaulted tonight by a gang of masked thugs,” Bashevkin wrote in a post on X.

“This is beyond frightening for a visibly Jewish community in NYC,” he said.

Authorities said the victim was transported to Columbia University Irving Medical Center and was listed in stable condition.

University officials indicated that investigators do not believe the assault was bias-related.

“This evening at approximately 7 p.m., one of our students was assaulted in an unbiased attempted robbery off campus in the subway station at 181st Street,” a Yeshiva University spokesperson told The Post in a statement. “He is back on campus in good condition.

“YU Security is aware of the incident and is coordinating with law enforcement authorities.”

As of late Thursday, no suspects had been taken into custody. Police said the case remains under active investigation.

{Matzav.com}

A new crew led by a Jewish commander rocketed toward the International Space Station on Friday to replace the astronauts who returned to Earth early in NASA’s first medical evacuation.

SpaceX launched the replacements as soon as possible at NASA’s request, sending the U.S., French and Russian astronauts on an expected eight- to nine-month mission stretching until fall. The four should arrive at the orbiting lab on Saturday, filling the vacancies left by their evacuated colleagues last month and bringing the space station back to full staff.

“It turns out Friday the 13th is a very lucky day,” SpaceX Launch Control radioed once the astronauts reached orbit. “That was quite a ride,” replied the crew’s commander, Jessica Meir.

NASA had to put spacewalks on hold and deferred other duties while awaiting the arrival of Americans Meir and Jack Hathaway, France’s Sophie Adenot and Russia’s Andrei Fedyaev. They’ll join three other astronauts — one American and two Russians — who kept the space station running the past month.

Satisfied with medical procedures already in place, NASA ordered no extra checkups for the crew ahead of liftoff and no new diagnostic equipment was packed. An ultrasound machine already up there for research went into overdrive on Jan. 7 when used on the ailing crew member. NASA has not revealed the ill astronaut’s identity or health issue. All four returning astronauts went straight to the hospital after splashing down in the Pacific near San Diego.

It was the first time in 65 years of human spaceflight that NASA cut short a mission for medical reasons.

With missions becoming longer, NASA is constantly looking at upgrades to the space station’s medical gear, said deputy program manager Dina Contella. “But there are a lot of things that are just not practical and so that’s when you need to bring astronauts home from space,” she said earlier this week.

In preparation for moon and Mars trips where health care will be even more challenging, the new arrivals will test a filter designed to turn drinking water into emergency IV fluid, try out an ultrasound system that relies on artificial intelligence and augmented reality instead of experts on the ground, and perform ultrasound scans on their jugular veins in a blood clot study.

They also will demonstrate their moon-landing skills in a simulated test.

Adenot is only the second French woman to launch to space. She was 14 when Claudie Haignere flew to Russia’s space station Mir in 1996, inspiring her to become an astronaut. Haignere cheered her on from the Florida launch site, wishing her “Bon vol,” French for “Have a good flight,” and “Ad astra,” Latin for “To the stars.”

“I thought it would have been a quiet joy with pride for Sophie, but it was so hugely emotional to see her with a successful launch,” Haignere said.

Hathaway, like Adenot, is new to space, while Meir and Fedyaev are making their second station trip. Just before liftoff, Fedyaev led the crew in a cry of “Poyekhali” — Russian for “Let’s Go” — the word uttered at liftoff by the world’s first person in space, the Soviet Union’s Yuri Gagarin, in 1961.

On her first mission in 2019, Meir took part in the first all-female spacewalk. The other half of that spacewalk, Christina Koch, is among the four Artemis II astronauts waiting to fly around the moon as early as March. A ship-to-ship radio linkup is planned between the two crews.

Meir wasn’t sure astronauts would return to the moon during her career. “Now we’re right here on the precipice of the Artemis II mission,” she said ahead of liftoff. “The fact that they will be in space at the same time as us … it’s so cool to be an astronaut now, it’s so exciting.”

SpaceX launched the latest crew from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Elon Musk’s company is preparing its neighboring Kennedy Space Center launch pad for the super-sized Starships, which NASA needs to land astronauts on the moon.

(AP)

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

Earlier this week, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas ordered the publication of a draft constitution for a Palestinian state. The PA’s official news agency, WAFA, announced the move with considerable fanfare. The document was presented as a step toward statehood, democracy, and the rule of law.

But when one actually reads the 153-article constitution, a very different picture emerges. This is not a document about building a state. It is a document about erasing a people. Specifically, it is a systematic attempt to deny, obscure, and ultimately eliminate any trace of Jewish connection to Jerusalem—the city that has been the heart of Jewish life, prayer, and yearning for over three thousand years.

The omissions are not accidental. They are deliberate. And they represent, in constitutional form, the very same historical revisionism that has poisoned the prospects for genuine peace for decades.

Israel’s response should not be silence. It should be a clear, comprehensive, and unapologetic articulation of the Jewish people’s legal, historical, and spiritual claim to Jerusalem and to its holiest site—Har HaBayis, the Temple Mount.

What the PA Constitution Actually Says

Article III of the draft constitution declares Jerusalem the “capital of the State of Palestine” and its “political, spiritual, cultural, and educational center.” It commits the state to “preserving its religious character and protecting its Islamic and Christian sanctuaries.”

Read that sentence carefully. Islamic sanctuaries. Christian sanctuaries. That’s it.

There is not a single mention of Judaism, Jewish holy sites, or the Jewish people anywhere in the entire constitution. Not in Article III. Not in any other article. Jerusalem’s “religious character” is defined exclusively in Islamic and Christian terms. The Jewish connection to Jerusalem—which predates both Islam and Christianity by centuries and millennia respectively—has been written out of existence.

Article III goes further, asserting that “any measures to change its character or historical identity are considered null and void according to international law.” The irony is breathtaking. The PA is invoking international law to freeze in place a status quo that itself violates international law—one in which Jewish historical and religious rights to Jerusalem are systematically denied.

Article IV establishes Islam as the official religion of the state, with Islamic Sharia principles serving as the “primary source for legislation.” While Article XXVII references equality without discrimination based on religion, and Article XXXVII affirms freedom of worship for “followers of monotheistic religions,” the omission of Judaism by name—while Islam and Christianity are specifically protected—speaks volumes.

Enshrining “Pay-for-Slay” in a Constitution

Perhaps even more troubling than the historical erasure is Article XXIV, which commits the state to “provide protection and care for the families of martyrs, wounded, and prisoners, and those released from the occupation prisons.” Article XLIV reinforces this, calling for “comprehensive care” for these families.

This is the PA’s notorious “pay-for-slay” policy—a program that provides financial stipends to families of convicted terrorists—now elevated to constitutional status. The message is unmistakable: terrorism against Jews is not merely tolerated; it is constitutionally honored.

A constitution that enshrines financial rewards for terrorism while simultaneously erasing the victims’ connection to the land is not a blueprint for peace. It is a blueprint for perpetual conflict.

The Preamble: Liberation Language, Not Peace Language

The constitution’s preamble describes the document as “an extension of the liberation journey from occupation” and characterizes the Israeli presence as a “colonial settlement occupation.” It speaks of “displacement and ethnic cleansing” and “genocide” in Gaza and the West Bank.

This is not the language of a people preparing for statehood alongside their neighbor. This is the language of a movement that views the very existence of the Jewish state as illegitimate. The word “colonial” is particularly revealing, as it implies that Jews are foreign interlopers in the land of Israel—a land where Jewish sovereignty was established a thousand years before the Common Era.

Article I reinforces this framing by declaring Palestine “part of the Arab homeland” and affirming that “the Palestinian people are part of the Arab nation.” The constitution does not envision a state living in peace beside Israel. It envisions an Arab state that denies Israel’s legitimacy.

Even Hamas Objects—But for the Wrong Reasons

In a revealing twist, Hamas official Bassem Naim denounced the draft constitution—not because it erases Jewish history, but because it doesn’t go far enough. He called it a “failed attempt by the PA to save itself from the developments of history” and declared that “the people under occupation do not write constitutions according to the standards of the occupier.”

He urged Palestinians to “write in blood and unity the document of our complete freedom and our return.” The competing visions of the PA and Hamas are not between moderation and extremism; they are between two different versions of the same fundamental rejection of Jewish sovereignty.

How Israel Should Respond: The Legal Case for Jewish Sovereignty

Israel’s response to this document should not be a shrug or a press release. It should be the forceful, detailed, and unapologetic presentation of the legal case for Jewish sovereignty over Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.

That case rests on at least ten independent legal grounds, each of which is sufficient on its own and which together constitute an overwhelming argument under international law.

1. One Thousand Years of Prior Sovereignty

The Jewish people exercised continuous sovereignty over Jerusalem and the Temple Mount for approximately one thousand years—from King David’s establishment of Jerusalem as the national capital (circa 1000 BCE) through the destruction of the Second Beis HaMikdash by Rome in 70 CE, with autonomous presence continuing through the Bar Kokhba revolt in 135 CE. This included every attribute of statehood recognized under international law: the construction and maintenance of two national Temples, centralized government, minting of currency, foreign relations, and a comprehensive legal system through the Sanhedrin.

Under the doctrine of uti possidetis juris, the last lawful sovereign retains legal title unless that title is legitimately transferred through a recognized legal mechanism. No subsequent power—Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Crusader, Mamluk, Ottoman, or British—ever acquired the Temple Mount through any such legitimate mechanism.

2. Conquest Does Not Confer Title

A foundational principle of international law—indeed, a jus cogens norm—is that territorial acquisition by force does not confer legitimate sovereignty. This is codified in Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter and reaffirmed by the International Court of Justice. The Roman conquest of Jerusalem was an act of military aggression against an existing sovereign state. The destruction of the Beis HaMikdash was an act of cultural annihilation. Every subsequent ruler inherited a chain of title rooted in this original illegitimate seizure. As the legal maxim states: nemo dat quod non habet—no one can give what they do not have.

3. The San Remo Resolution (1920)

The San Remo Conference of April 1920 incorporated the Balfour Declaration into binding international law, providing that Palestine would be placed under a Mandate giving effect to “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.” This resolution has the force of a treaty. It encompassed all of Palestine—including Jerusalem and the Temple Mount—with no exceptions or reservations. It has never been legally superseded, revoked, or annulled.

4. The League of Nations Mandate (1922)

The League of Nations Mandate for Palestine explicitly recognized “the historical connection of the Jewish people with Palestine and the grounds for reconstituting their national home in that country.” The word “reconstituting” is legally critical—it acknowledges that the Jewish national home was being restored, not created from nothing. The Mandate imposed binding obligations on the international community to facilitate this restoration.

5. Article 80 of the United Nations Charter

When the UN succeeded the League of Nations, Article 80(1) of the Charter expressly preserved all rights recognized under existing Mandates. Sometimes called “the Palestine Clause,” this provision guarantees that the rights recognized in the 1922 Mandate remain legally operative. It can only be overridden by a Charter amendment requiring a two-thirds vote of the General Assembly and ratification by two-thirds of Member States, including all permanent Security Council members. No such amendment has ever been proposed.

6. The Illegality of Jordan’s Occupation (1948–1967)

Jordan’s seizure of the Old City during the 1948 war was an act of illegal military aggression. Its subsequent annexation was rejected by virtually the entire international community—even the Arab League refused to recognize Jordanian sovereignty. During those 19 years, every Jewish resident was expelled, 58 synagogues were destroyed, Jewish gravestones from the Mount of Olives were used as paving stones and latrines, and Jews were entirely denied access to the Kosel and the Temple Mount in direct violation of the 1949 Armistice Agreement. Because Jordan never held legitimate sovereignty, it could not transfer it to any successor. Any derivative claim is legally void.

7. The Right of Self-Determination

The Jewish people constitute a “people” under international law by every accepted criterion. Their right to self-determination necessarily encompasses sovereignty over their holiest site. The comparative analysis is straightforward: for Islam, Mecca and Medina are holier than Jerusalem. For Christianity, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre holds primary significance. Only for the Jewish people is the Temple Mount the singular, irreplaceable center of religious and national identity.

8. Freedom of Religion

The current prohibition on Jewish prayer at the Temple Mount violates Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and Israel’s own Basic Law. No other holy site in the democratic world imposes a comparable prohibition on the worship of the faith to which it is most sacred. This restriction originated not in any legal process but in a unilateral political decision by Defense Minister Moshe Dayan in 1967, which was never ratified by the Knesset.

9. Adverse Possession Does Not Apply

Some argue that centuries of non-Jewish control extinguished Jewish claims. This fails for multiple reasons. The claim was never abandoned—three times daily, Jews faced Jerusalem and prayed for restoration. Every Pesach Seder concludes with “L’Shanah HaBa’ah B’Yerushalayim.” Every Jewish wedding includes the breaking of a glass in mourning for the Churban. Jewish communities maintained a continuous physical presence in Yerushalayim, Tzfas, Teverya, and Chevron through every period of foreign rule. Possession acquired by force cannot ripen into legal right, and the chain of possession was neither peaceful nor continuous.

10. Restitution and Defensive Recovery

International law requires the return of wrongfully taken property. Israel’s reunification of Jerusalem in 1967 was a lawful act of self-defense—not conquest—following Jordan’s unprovoked shelling of West Jerusalem. Territory recovered in a defensive war from an illegal occupier does not carry the same constraints as territory taken in an offensive war. Israel’s recovery of the Temple Mount was, in legal terms, a liberation.

Conclusion: The Time for Silence Is Over

The PA’s draft constitution is not merely a political document. It is an act of historical warfare—an attempt to establish, in constitutional stone, the erasure of Jewish connection to Jerusalem. It claims to protect the city’s “religious character” while deliberately excluding the oldest and deepest religious connection to the city. It invokes “international law” while violating its most fundamental principles.

For too long, the Jewish people’s response to such erasure has been muted—relying on the assumption that the historical record speaks for itself. But when a constitutional document seeks to codify a lie, silence becomes complicity.

The legal case for Jewish sovereignty over Jerusalem and the Temple Mount rests on a thousand years of prior sovereignty, binding international treaties, the principles of self-determination, religious freedom, restitution, and the elementary rule that theft cannot generate title. These are not religious arguments (though those exist as well). These are arguments grounded in the very international law that the PA claims to invoke.

Dovid HaMelech made Yerushalayim the capital of the Jewish nation three thousand years ago. Shlomo HaMelech built the first Beis HaMikdash there. For two thousand years of galus, we have turned toward it in tefillah, mourned its destruction, and declared our intent to return. The PA’s draft constitution cannot erase what is written in the stones of Yerushalayim, in the words of Tehillim 137, and in the hearts of every Jew who has ever whispered: “Im eshkacheich Yerushalayim, tishkach yemini.”

If I forget you, O Yerushalayim, let my right hand forget its skill.

We have not forgotten. We will not forget. And it is time the world heard our case.

The author can be reached at [email protected]

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

What follows is a new suggestion – a new angle on how we can look at Parshas Shekalim that will improve the lot of Klal Yisroel.

The Gemara in Shabbos (31a) teaches that when a person arrives at the Beis Din shel Ma’alah, one of the six questions he is asked is: “Tzipisa liyeshua?” – “Did you yearn for the redemption?” It is a question not about what we accomplished, but about what we longed for. Did the geulah burn inside us? Did we ache for the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash?

Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l in Mishnas Rebbe Aharon Vol. III p. 48 explains that living without the Beis HaMikdash is an entirely different type of life.  It is as if we have been turned into a beast longing once again to be human!

This Shabbos we read Parshas Shekalim, the first of the four special parshiyos read this time of year. And if we look carefully, we will discover that this seemingly straightforward parsha – about a half-shekel coin – is, from beginning to end, saturated with the theme of tzipisa liyeshua. Every part of it calls out to us: yearn for geulah. Long for what will be again. Let’s trace the thread.

The Torah Reading

On Shabbos Parshas Shekalim, two sifrei Torah are taken out. In the first, we read the regular weekly parsha. In the second, for maftir, we read the opening six pesukim of Parshas Ki Sisa (Shemos 30:11–16), which describe Hashem’s command to Moshe regarding the machatzis ha’shekel – the half-shekel that every male Jew aged twenty and above was required to contribute annually for the communal korbanos in the Beis HaMikdash. Rich and poor alike gave the identical amount. No more and no less.

When Rosh Chodesh Adar itself falls on Shabbos, three sifrei Torah are taken out: the first for the weekly parsha, the second for Rosh Chodesh, and the third for Parshas Shekalim.

Sefardim read the haftorah of “Vayichros Yehoyada” (Melachim Beis 11), while Ashkenazim begin from “Ben sheva shanim Yehoash b’malcho” (Melachim Beis 12:1). The haftorah describes the generous contributions of the Jewish people for the repair of the Beis HaMikdash during the reign of Yehoash – a fitting parallel to the half-shekel collection.

Why Now? The Longing Built into the Calendar

The Mishna in Megillah (29a) teaches that Parshas Shekalim is read on or before Rosh Chodesh Adar. The Gemara (29b) explains: from Rosh Chodesh Nissan, the communal korbanos had to be purchased from the new collection of shekalim. Chazal instituted the announcement a full month in advance, following the principle of “shloshim yom kodem ha’chag.”

But notice something remarkable. We are reading about shekalim that we can no longer give, for korbanos that we can no longer bring, in a Mikdash that no longer stands. The very act of reading Parshas Shekalim is an exercise in longing. The Sefer HaChinuch makes this explicit: “And now, in our sins, when we have no Mikdash and no shekalim, all of Yisrael has adopted the practice of reading this parsha each year as a remembrance of the matter.”

A remembrance. A zeicher. Every zeicher in Jewish life is an act of yearning – a refusal to forget, a declaration that what was lost is not gone forever, but will return. When we read Parshas Shekalim, we are expressing the deepest tzipisa liyeshua: we remember because we believe it will be restored.

Let’s also examine our weekday shmoneh esreh.  We say, “Es Tzemach Dovid avdecha satzmiach..  Why?  the answer follows:  Ki liyeshuascha kivinu kol hayom!  It is the yearning for ge’ulah that will bring it about!  Is there any better proof that we should look at parshas Shekalim from this point of view – of yearning for the Geulah?

Why Only Half? The Incompleteness That Drives the Yearning

Why a half shekel? If the Torah wanted each person to contribute a specific amount, why not simply call it a “shekel”? Why emphasize that it is only half?

Rabbeinu Bachya explains that the half-shekel represents the incompleteness of the human being. A person is composed of a neshamah and a guf. Each on its own is only half the picture. The Sefas Emes (Shekalim, 5647) deepens this: the Midrash’s fiery coin from beneath the Kisei HaKavod represents the neshamah, while the physical coin below represents the guf. Together, they form a complete shekel – a complete Jew.

On a communal level, the half-shekel teaches that no individual Jew is complete alone. We need each other to become whole. The funds went toward the korbanos tzibbur – the daily tamid and mussaf – brought on behalf of the entire nation as one. Significantly, the tamid itself was split into two halves: one lamb in the morning, one in the afternoon (Bamidbar 28:4). Two halves, joining to ascend heavenward.

But this also speaks directly to our theme. In galus, the Jewish people are the ultimate “half.” We are a nation without our Beis HaMikdash, a people severed from the fullness of avodas Hashem. The korbanos tzibbur that the shekalim were meant to purchase – the tamid, the mussaf, the korbanos of Yom Tov – we cannot bring any of them. We are, collectively, a “half-shekel” waiting to be made whole. The machatzis ha’shekel, read every year, is a reminder of our incompleteness – and a cry for the geulah that will restore us.

The Fiery Coin: The Passion That Brings Kaparah

The Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 12:3) relates that when Hashem told Moshe about the machatzis ha’shekel, Moshe had difficulty understanding. Hashem showed him a “matbei’a shel aish” – a coin of fire – from beneath the Kisei HaKavod, saying, “Zeh yitnu.”

Many mefarshim ask: Moshe certainly knew what a coin looked like! His difficulty was conceptual. The Torah says the half-shekel serves “l’chapeir al nafshoseichem” – to atone for your souls. Can a piece of metal truly bring kaparah?

The answer is fire. The word kesef (money) shares a root with kissufin – longing, yearning. When a Jew gives the half-shekel with a burning inner fire – with a tzipisa liyeshua, a passionate longing for the end of the galus and the return of the Shechinah – then even a small coin becomes a vehicle for kaparah. The fire of the heavenly coin represents the yearning with which the mitzvah must be performed. It transforms the physical into the spiritual.

This could be the secret of the “coin of fire.” It was not merely showing Moshe what the coin looks like. It was showing him what the coin must feel like – a burning desire for closeness to Hashem and for the ultimate geulah.

Counteracting Haman’s Shekalim

The Gemara (Megillah 13b) cites Reish Lakish: “It was revealed and known before Hakadosh Baruch Hu that Haman would one day weigh out shekalim for the destruction of Yisrael. Therefore, He preceded their shekalim before Haman’s shekalim.”

Haman offered Achashveirosh ten thousand kikar kesef to annihilate the Jews. But the merit of generations of half-shekel donations served as a spiritual shield. The Midrash records Hashem’s response: “Evildoer! You give what is Mine against what is Mine? Their shekalim preceded yours!”

Haman described the Jews as “m’fuzar u’m’forad” – scattered and divided (Esther 3:8). Their vulnerability lay in disunity. The half-shekel was the antidote: every Jew recognized that he was only “half” without his fellow. Mordechai and Esther rekindled this achdus – “Lech k’nos es kol ha’Yehudim” – and it was this achdus – this unity that defeated Haman.

And what is achdus if not a form of yearning for geulah? When Jews come together as one, they are rebuilding, in microcosm, the unity that will characterize the era of Mashiach. The Purim story itself was a harbinger of geulah – and indeed, the second Beis HaMikdash was built shortly thereafter.

The Machatzis HaShekel Today

Although we cannot fulfill the actual mitzvah without a Beis HaMikdash, the minhag of giving a zeicher l’machatzis ha’shekel is practiced across all communities, based on Maseches Sofrim (ch. 21) and cited by the Rema (O.C. 694:1). The custom is to give three half-coins of the local currency, since the word “terumah” appears three times in the pesukim. One must say “zeicher l’machatzis ha’shekel” – not simply “machatzis ha’shekel” – lest the coins inadvertently become hekdesh.

Rav Ovadiah Yosef (Yechaveh Da’as 1:86) writes that the money should ideally support Torah institutions, noting that Chazal teach (Berachos 8a) that since the churban, Hashem has nothing in His world but the four amos of halacha.

Think about that formulation: “zeicher l’machatzis ha’shekel.” We are giving a remembrance of a mitzvah we cannot fully perform. Every time a Jew places those three half-coins into the tzedakah plate on Erev Purim, he is making a statement of faith: I remember what was, and I yearn for its return.

The Fiscus Judaicus: When Yearning Was Turned to Ashes

Perhaps no historical episode illustrates how the forces of galus tried to crush our yearning more than what the Romans did with the half-shekel after the churban of 70 CE.

For centuries, Jews had lovingly sent their annual half-shekel to Yerushalayim. Josephus records that “many tens of thousands” of Babylonian Jews would escort the shekalim convoy to the Beis HaMikdash. The money purchased the tamid, the mussaf, and all the communal korbanos. It was the physical expression of yearning made real – of a Jew’s bond with the avodah.

After the churban, the Emperor Vespasian decreed the “Fiscus Judaicus” – requiring every Jew in the Roman Empire to pay two denarii (the equivalent of a half-shekel) annually. But instead of going to Hashem’s house, the money was redirected to Avodah Zarah Mamash – the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus in Rome – the central shrine of Roman idolatry.

The very same amount. The very same coin. But now given by coercion instead of love, directed to avodah zarah instead of avodas Hashem. The Romans understood what they were doing. They were trying to extinguish the yearning itself – to say to the Jews: your Temple is gone, and now your sacred coin belongs to Avodah Zarah.

They expanded the tax beyond recognition. The Torah’s machatzis ha’shekel applied only to men aged twenty to fifty. The Roman version was imposed on every Jew – men, women, children as young as three, the elderly, even slaves. Under the Emperor Domitian (81–96 CE), the collection became a vehicle for terror. The Roman historian Suetonius records that as a young man he witnessed a ninety-year-old man publicly stripped and examined in a crowded courtroom to see if he was circumcised – to determine if he owed the Jewish tax. The Roman senator Titus Flavius Clemens was put to death on the charge of “drifting into Jewish ways.”

Even after Domitian’s assassination, his successor Nerva merely softened the abuses; the tax itself continued for centuries. It was revived again in 1342 by the “Holy” Roman Emperor Louis IV, who imposed the “Opferpfennig” on Jews, collected on Christmas Day, claiming he was the “legal successor” of the Roman Caesars and thus the rightful recipient of the Jewish Temple tax.

Chazal’s Sobering Insight

Remarkably, Chazal themselves saw a connection between the Roman tax and our own shortcomings. The Mechilta (Yisro 12) expresses the idea that the Fiscus Judaicus was a form of Divine punishment for Jews who had not properly fulfilled the mitzvah of the half-shekel when the Beis HaMikdash stood.

In other words: when we stopped yearning – when we gave the half-shekel mechanically, without the inner fire, without the tzipisa liyeshua that was supposed to animate it – the mitzvah lost its protective power. And the identical coin returned as an instrument of punishment. The lesson could not be more pointed: the yearning is not incidental to the mitzvah. It is the mitzvah.

The Contrast: And Yet, Who Endures?

The Fiscus Judaicus is a footnote of history. But perhaps we should use it to further instigate our tzipisa liyeshuah. The machatzis ha’shekel lives on in every shul in the world, every Erev Purim, every Shabbos Parshas Shekalim. The empire of Rome crumbled; the half-shekel endures. Why? Because the yearning endures. Because Am Yisrael never stopped longing for the geulah.

The Tefillah That Says It All

Sefardim have a beautiful custom of reciting a “L’shem Yichud” before the maftir reading of Parshas Shekalim, concluding with the words: “Uv’chasd’cha tivneh Beis HaMikdash bimheirah b’yameinu” – “And in Your mercy, may You rebuild the Beis HaMikdash speedily in our days.”

This is the culmination of everything Parshas Shekalim represents. We have read about a mitzvah we cannot perform. We have given a coin that is only a zeicher. We have remembered a Beis HaMikdash that lies in ruins. And now we turn to Hashem and say: Please. Rebuild it. Let us give the machatzis ha’shekel again – not as a memory, but in actuality. Let us bring the korbanos tzibbur again. Let us be whole again.

A Message for Our Times

Parshas Shekalim arrives at the threshold of Adar, the month of joy and of the miracle of Purim. Its message resonates powerfully today, perhaps more than ever. We live in a time of extraordinary challenge for Klal Yisrael. The yearning for geulah should not be an abstraction or a formality. It should be a fire – the very fire of that matbei’a shel aish that Hashem showed Moshe.

Every dimension of Parshas Shekalim calls us to this yearning. The reading itself is a zeicher – an act of remembrance that is also an act of faith. The half-shekel reminds us of our incompleteness in galus. The fiery coin teaches us that the yearning itself is what transforms our mitzvos into instruments of kaparah. The connection to Purim shows us that achdus – the unity born of recognizing that each of us is only “half” – is the key to defeating our enemies and hastening the geulah. And the bitter history of the Fiscus Judaicus warns us what happens when we allow the fire to go out.

The Chofetz Chaim, in his sefer Tzipisa Liyeshua, taught that yearning for Mashiach is not merely a hope – it is a transformative force, and it may be the very merit that brings the geulah. When we sit in shul this Shabbos and hear the maftir of Parshas Shekalim, let us listen with new ears. Let us hear in those six pesukim as a call to yearn – to long for the day when we will once again bring our half-shekel to a rebuilt Yerushalayim, when the tamid will once again rise from the Mizbei’ach, and when Hashem’s Presence will once again dwell among us.

Tzipisa liyeshua? Did you yearn for the redemption?

Parshas Shekalim answers: Yes. We yearn. And we will not stop yearning until the geulah comes, bimheirah b’yameinu.

The author can be reached at [email protected]

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Amid an expanding wave of arrests targeting Torah students classified as draft evaders, sharp criticism has been leveled at the IDF’s enlistment policy, with claims that the army is overlooking hundreds of chareidi men who have expressed interest in serving.

Speaking on the program “Hafuch Al Hafuch,” hosted by Rabbi Moshe Ben Loulou, commentator Kobi Segal accused the military of maintaining a gap between its public statements about manpower shortages and its actions on the ground. He argued that while enforcement against yeshiva students has intensified, the army has been slow to absorb chareidim who have volunteered to enlist.

Segal pointed to an IDF framework known as “Keilim Shluvim,” designed to integrate chareidim into driving roles in either regular or reserve service. According to him, approximately 500 chareidi men have registered for the program but remain without a concrete response. He said the pilot phase was deemed successful, yet those who signed up are still waiting. “There is a project in the IDF called ‘Keilim Shluvim’ to integrate chareidim into driving positions — about 500 soldiers who want to enlist,” Segal said, adding that in practice “they are simply waiting.”

He noted that the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit responded by saying that the candidates had registered but were not formally accepted. Segal expressed frustration that individuals actively seeking to serve remain at home without a clear explanation.

He further argued that the ongoing crisis surrounding the draft law may in some ways serve the army’s interests. “It’s good for the IDF that there is this crisis over the draft law — they show everyone that they are making arrests,” he said. The program’s host added an anecdote about a young man with a medical condition who was arrested despite, according to the account, not being eligible for enlistment in the first place. Judicial intervention was reportedly required to secure his release.

Segal summed up his position bluntly: “There are 500, and the IDF doesn’t want them — apparently it’s good for them that there is a crisis.” He said the situation highlights what he described as hypocrisy in the military’s conduct and raises serious questions.

In response, the IDF Spokesperson stated: “The ‘Keilim Shluvim’ program is a framework for training reserve personnel for driving roles in the IDF. This framework is intended for chareidi reservists while preserving their way of life. The program is part of a series of steps taken by the IDF to maximize available manpower and thereby reduce, as much as possible, the existing gap. The first pilot recently concluded, and in light of its success, it was agreed to formulate an expansion plan that will be approved in the near future by the relevant authorities. The report refers to the scope of raw potential for the program based on candidates who approached. As part of the process and in accordance with the agreed scope, responses will be provided to interested candidates who meet the required conditions.”

{Matzav.com}

Maj. Gen. (Res.) Eliezer (Chayni) Marom: “This Is What Israel Must Demand from the United States”

Maj. Gen. (res.) Eliezer (Chayni) Marom, former commander of the Israeli Navy, says Israel is at a highly sensitive moment as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump shape policy toward Iran. In a radio interview, Marom examined the evolving relationship between Jerusalem and Washington and explained why the American president is pressing for negotiations despite Israel’s reservations.

Speaking on Kol Hai Radio’s “Central Edition,” Marom said Netanyahu traveled to Washington primarily to clarify Israel’s conditions for any potential negotiations with Tehran. He stressed the importance of direct, face-to-face meetings between leaders in order to convey critical messages clearly and without ambiguity.

According to Marom, a key issue discussed was Israel’s freedom of action. He said Israel must secure an understanding with the United States that if Washington ultimately refrains from military action, Israel retains the right to carry out what he described as a defensive strike to protect itself. He emphasized that Israel cannot live under the threat of Iranian missiles and that Netanyahu had to insist the United States maintain its defensive deployment in the region to back Israel should it be forced to act to prevent an existential danger.

Marom also addressed Trump’s motivation for pursuing diplomacy, pointing to domestic political pressures in the United States. He said Trump faces voters within his own party who want America to avoid foreign wars and focus instead on the economy and the cost of living. As a result, Marom argued, Trump must demonstrate that he has exhausted diplomatic options before considering military action.

On the operational front, Marom discussed reports of a second U.S. aircraft carrier heading to the Middle East. He said the carrier does not require re-crewing and noted that a maintenance period of roughly ten months would not impair its operational readiness. He described American military systems as built for rapid deployment and said their presence sends a powerful deterrent message, even if the immediate goal is to support diplomatic efforts with visible military strength.

In conclusion, Marom said Israel must carefully navigate this delicate period, balancing urgent security concerns with Washington’s broader strategic priorities. While coordination between the two governments remains close, he believes Netanyahu will need to continue underscoring the risks of Iran using negotiations to buy time, all while recognizing that the White House is ultimately guided by its commitments to American voters seeking stability and economic calm.

{Matzav.com}

Rep. Elise Stefanik, chairwoman of House Republican Leadership, is urging Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to launch a federal investigation into the administration of NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, after city health employees allegedly used taxpayer-funded resources to organize a “Global Oppression and Public Health Working Group” that accused Israel of genocide.

In a letter sent to Kennedy on Tuesday, Stefanik questioned whether staff at the city’s Department of Health violated federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination by agencies receiving federal funding.

“The use of federal funds to support or tolerate government-sponsored activities that veer into ideological advocacy or that risk emboldening hate is a grave matter with civil rights and public safety implications,” Stefanik wrote.

“Jewish Americans and all faith communities deserve protection against discrimination, including from actions carried out in the name of public health,” she added.

The controversy centers on a working group formed by employees within the New York City Department of Health, which reportedly held its first meeting during regular work hours at the agency’s headquarters in Long Island City. According to video obtained by the New York Post, one presenter said the group was formed “in response to the ongoing genocide in Palestine.”

Stefanik has asked HHS and its inspector general to determine whether federally funded resources — including staff time, facilities, and equipment — were used to organize and promote the group. She also called for a review of whether the activity violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by contributing to a hostile environment for Jewish employees or members of the public.

In her letter, Stefanik also requested an investigation into whether department leadership or City Hall officials approved the initiative and whether proper internal controls were followed.

The congresswoman pointed to a surge in antisemitic hate crimes in New York City to underscore her concerns, noting that such incidents rose 182 percent in January – Mamdani’s first month in office – compared to the same period last year.

House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed Stefanik, accusing city officials of politicizing public health.

“Instead of trying to force a radical-left foreign policy agenda, the bureaucrats in Zohran Mamdani’s Department of Health should focus on delivering the services New Yorkers pay for with their tax dollars,” Johnson wrote in a statement on X.

The mayor’s office and the Department of Health have so far declined to respond publicly to the allegations. City Hall offered no immediate comment Thursday on Stefanik’s request for a federal probe.

Acting Health Commissioner Michelle Morse, who also serves as the department’s chief medical officer, declined to comment when approached by reporters this week and referred inquiries to a spokesperson.

The controversy has also drawn criticism from City Council Speaker Julie Menin, who has expressed concern over the politicization of municipal agencies.

If HHS opens a formal inquiry, it could expose the city to potential penalties, funding restrictions, or legal challenges, and intensify an already heated debate over antisemitism, free expression, and political activism in public institutions.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump’s administration cannot rescind $600 million in public health grants allocated to four Democratic-led states, for now, a federal judge in Illinois ruled Thursday.

California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota sued Wednesday to try to block the planned funding cuts to programs that track disease outbreaks and study health outcomes of LGBTQ+ people and communities of color in major cities.

U.S. District Judge Manish Shah stopped the cuts from taking effect for 14 days, saying in his order that the states “have shown that they would suffer irreparable harm from the agency action.” That will keep grant money flowing from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to state and city health departments and their partner organizations while the challenge proceeds.

The first batch of grants could have been pulled Thursday if the judge had not intervened, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said.

The Department of Health and Human Services said the grants are being terminated because they do not reflect CDC priorities, which were revised last year to align with the administration’s shift away from health equity, the idea that certain populations may need additional support to eliminate health disparities.

Much of the money helped cities fight the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, especially among gay and bisexual men, adolescents and ethnic minorities.

Federal health officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the judge’s order.

Officials in the four states are among Trump’s strongest political foes and view the cuts as retaliation for opposing his immigration enforcement crackdown. All have been targets of other federal cuts, including for food assistance programs, child care subsidies and electric vehicle infrastructure.

Their lawsuit, led by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, argues that the health care cuts violate the Constitution by imposing retroactive conditions on funding that Congress already awarded.

“Targeting four Democrat-run states that are standing up to his completely unrelated immigration policies is a transparent attempt to bully us into compliance,” Raoul said. “The president may be playing politics with critical public health funding, including more than $100 million to Illinois, but our residents are the ones who pay the price.”

The attorneys general say the loss of funding would force them to lay off hundreds of public health workers.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said they will seek to extend the judge’s pause for the duration of the lawsuit.

Courts have temporarily blocked similar efforts by the Trump administration, including a plan to cut off billions for child care subsidies and other programs for low-income families in the four states, plus New York.

The son of a well-known rosh yeshiva was briefly taken into a police vehicle during a protest in Ashdod on Thursday evening and later released. The incident occurred near a demonstration held over the arrest of an avreich, Reb Avraham Ben Dayan, and could have escalated into a major public controversy had events unfolded differently.

Earlier in the day, talmidim of Yeshivas Grodna in Ashdod gathered to protest the detention of Rabbi Ben Dayan. During the demonstration, participants attempted to block a roadway, leading to confrontations with passersby who sought to prevent the obstruction.

The situation nearly spiraled into a far more dramatic episode when the son of one of the country’s prominent roshei yeshiva, who studies at Yeshivas Me’irat Shmua in the city, happened to pass through the area. He became involved in a discussion that developed between the protesting students and bystanders regarding the ongoing conscription dispute.

Police units that arrived on the scene to disperse the protest detained approximately ten yeshiva students, placing them in a patrol vehicle and removing them from the immediate area. The move was described as part of a familiar crowd-control tactic used in similar incidents.

It was noted that the young man in question is considered a draft evader, as are many yeshiva students under current policy. Had he been formally arrested and transferred to military police custody, the episode could have turned into an unprecedented situation involving the detention of a leading rosh yeshiva’s son on account of his Torah studies.

President Donald Trump’s administration secretly smuggled thousands of Starlink satellite communication terminals into Iran during last month’s nationwide protests, allowing some demonstrators to bypass regime-imposed internet blackouts, a new Wall Street Journal report reveals.

The operation unfolded during the largest anti-government demonstrations Iran has seen in years, sparked by anger over political repression, economic hardship, and mass arrests. The protests drew widespread sympathy across the West, including in the United States, where lawmakers, activists, and senior officials urged Trump to intervene.

Publicly, the White House appeared to step back after Iranian authorities agreed to halt executions amid mounting international pressure. Trump later claimed that his threats of military action had forced Tehran to cancel hundreds of planned executions.

But behind the scenes, the Journal reports, the administration was pursuing a far more aggressive strategy.

After Iranian security forces violently suppressed the protests and imposed sweeping internet restrictions, U.S. officials arranged for roughly 6,000 Starlink terminals to be funneled into the country. The devices enabled protesters and opposition networks to remain connected despite government shutdowns.

According to the report, the United States Department of State had purchased about 7,000 terminals in the months leading up to the unrest. Officials said funds were redirected from other programs aimed at promoting digital freedom in Iran to finance the acquisition.

U.S. officials told the newspaper that Trump was aware of the shipments, though they said it remains unclear whether he personally authorized the smuggling operation.

Iranian authorities have long accused Washington of fomenting unrest and encouraging what they describe as “hostile elements” inside the country. U.S. officials have repeatedly denied direct involvement in protest activity. The Journal’s report, however, suggests American engagement was far deeper and more systematic than previously acknowledged.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

NEW YORK — A student at Yeshiva University was assaulted Thursday evening near the 181st Street 1 train station by a group of masked individuals, authorities said. The student was taken to a hospital and has since been released.

The university issued a statement late Thursday saying the incident was not considered biased or antisemitic. Details about the motive remain unclear.

The attack occurred in a known “blind spot” on the subway staircase, which currently lacks cameras and regular police presence. The NYPD and MTA did not immediately comment on security measures.

The Anti-Defamation League’s New York/New Jersey chapter said it is in contact with law enforcement, community partners, and Yeshiva University to learn more. “Our thoughts are with the victim and the Yeshiva University community impacted,” the ADL said in a tweet.

A Yeshiva University student was violently assaulted tonight by a gang of masked thugs.

Done in the blind spot of the subway station where there are no police or security cameras.

This is beyond frightening for a visibly Jewish community in NYC.

Unacceptable. pic.twitter.com/6G1O8zGISw

— David/Dovid Bashevkin (@DBashIdeas) February 13, 2026

We are aware of this reported incident and are connecting with law enforcement, community partners and Yeshiva University to learn more. Our thoughts are with the victim, and the @YUNews community impacted. https://t.co/dpEQiV5dq6

— ADL New York / New Jersey (@ADL_NYNJ) February 13, 2026

🚨 UPDATE FROM YESHIVA UNIVERSITY

—Boy is fine b”h released from hospital
—Crime seems to be unbiased pic.twitter.com/nTtjeMHTvC

— David/Dovid Bashevkin (@DBashIdeas) February 13, 2026

A federal appeals court on Thursday declined to block a lower court order requiring the Trump administration to restore funding for the Gateway tunnel project linking New York and New Jersey, allowing construction support to restart as litigation continues.

The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit means the funding directive issued by a federal district judge can take effect for now, even as a lawsuit filed by the Democratic-led governments of New York and New Jersey moves forward. The appellate court indicated it will revisit the matter after hearing oral arguments scheduled for later this month.

“The Trump administration’s legal stay to avoid funding the Gateway Tunnel has expired,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) wrote on social media. “Donald Trump needs to follow the law and get the project back on track immediately.”

The dispute centers on the $16 billion Gateway initiative, which would construct two additional rail tracks beneath the Hudson River, connecting New Jersey to Penn Station in Manhattan. The Transportation Department suspended its financial support for the project last fall.

Federal officials have maintained that the pause is tied to a broader review of whether the project complies with federal requirements. President Trump reportedly told Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) last month that he would lift the funding hold if Schumer agreed to rename Penn Station and Washington Dulles International Airport in his honor.

Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas directed the administration to restart funding after the Gateway Development Commission instructed contractors to halt work pending the return of federal payments.

Vargas, who was appointed by President Biden, sided with New York and New Jersey, finding that the funding freeze likely violates federal regulations and describing the move as arbitrary and capricious.

Government attorneys argued that complying with the order would require the immediate release of approximately $200 million and asked the 2nd Circuit to temporarily block the ruling.

“The government will be forced to disburse those sums without any obvious mechanism for recovering them later if the government prevails on appeal,” the Justice Department cautioned in court filings.

The district judge had agreed to delay enforcement of her order until late Thursday afternoon to give the appellate court time to act. She acknowledged that the administration raised substantial questions about whether she has jurisdiction to hear the case, noting that it might belong in a specialized court that handles federal contract disputes.

As the deadline approached, the 2nd Circuit issued a short order setting oral arguments for the week of Feb. 23 but declined to pause the lower court’s directive in the interim, effectively allowing funding for the project to resume for now.

{Matzav.com}

Beginning this Shabbos, Route 711 operated by the “Na’im Busofash” initiative will connect Shoham and Tel Aviv with a stop at Terminal 1 of Ben Gurion Airport — marking the first time a direct public transit route to the airport will operate on Shabbos.

Until now, even as flights continued to depart and land on Saturdays, travelers had no access to public buses or trains to reach the airport. But under the new arrangement, buses will stop at Terminal 1, where free shuttles operated by the Israel Airports Authority connect passengers to Terminal 3. Service will run every two to three hours, with 17 total trips each weekend, according to Tel Aviv officials.

The move represents the latest expansion of “Na’im Busofash,” a network launched in late 2019 by four municipalities to specifically provide transportation options on Shabbos. It previously included 13 municipalities, but Yehud-Monosson recently voted to withdraw from the program, leaving 12 local authorities funding the network.

Tel Aviv Deputy Mayor Meital Lehavi, who oversees the city’s transportation portfolio, said the airport extension was made possible after Yehud-Monosson opted out. “At their last council meeting in Yehud, they decided not to continue with ‘Na’im Busofash,’ so we said there was an opportunity here to add a stop at the airport instead,” Lehavi said.

Tragically, the expansion comes as demand for transportation on Shabbos continues to rise. In 2025, “Na’im Busofash” recorded 1.8 million passengers across more than 44,000 trips, covering over 1 million kilometers. Ridership in 2026 is projected to increase by an additional 14 percent.

The broader backdrop is a longstanding policy gap. Since a 1991 amendment to Israel’s Traffic Ordinance granted the transportation minister authority to prohibit bus operations on Shabbos, most state-run bus and rail lines do not operate on Saturdays. Limited exceptions exist, primarily for routes licensed prior to the amendment or lines serving Arab communities or mixed cities.

In response, municipalities have increasingly stepped in. In Ramat Gan and Givatayim, the “Sababus” project provides free Shabbos routes. In Haifa and the Krayot region, the “Shabus” service operates under a similar model. Like “Na’im Busofash,” these initiatives are locally funded and free, allowing them to function without requiring formal licenses from the Transportation Ministry.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Thursday to approve a 40-member global scientific panel on the impacts and risks of artificial intelligence, with the United States strongly objecting.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who established the panel, called the adoption “a foundational step toward global scientific understanding of AI.”

“In a world where AI is racing ahead,” he said, “this panel will provide what’s been missing — rigorous, independent scientific insight that enables all member states, regardless of their technological capacity, to engage on an equal footing.”

He has described it as the first fully independent global scientific body dedicated to bridging the knowledge gap in AI and assessing its real-world economic and social impacts.

The vote in the 193-member assembly was 117-2, with the United States and Paraguay voting “no” and Tunisia and Ukraine abstaining. America’s allies in Europe, Asia and elsewhere voted in favor along with Russia, China and many developing countries.

U.S. Mission counselor Lauren Lovelace called the panel “a significant overreach of the U.N.’s mandate and competence” and said “AI governance is not a matter for the U.N. to dictate.”

As the world leader in AI, the United States is resolved to do all it can to accelerate AI innovation and build up its infrastructure, she said, and the Trump administration will support “like-minded nations working together to encourage the development of AI in line with our shared values.”

“We will not cede authority over AI to international bodies that may be influenced by authoritarian regimes seeking to impose their vision of controlled surveillance societies,” Lovelace said, adding that the Trump administration is concerned about “the non-transparent way” the panel was chosen.

Guterres said the 40 members were selected from more than 2,600 candidates after an independent review by the International Telecommunications Union, the U.N. Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies and UNESCO, the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. They will serve for three-year terms.

Members are predominantly AI experts but also come from other disciplines and include Maria Ressa, a Filipino journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2021.

There are two Americans on the panel: Vipin Kumar, a University of Minnesota professor focusing on AI, data mining and high-performance computing research, and Martha Palmer, a retired University of Colorado professor and linguistics expert whose research includes capturing the meaning of words for complex sentences in AI.

There are two Chinese experts on the panel: Song Haitao, dean of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Research Institute, and Wang Jian, an expert in cloud-computing technology at the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Ukraine said it abstained because it objected to Russia’s Andrei Neznamov, an expert in AI regulation, ethics, and governance, being on the panel.

(JNS) – Kelly Hancock, the acting Texas comptroller, announced on Thursday that the state will increase its investment in Israel bonds from about $140 million to $280 million, a move he called “the largest one-time investment in Israel bonds in Texas history.”

According to Hancock, the increased investment elevates Texas “from the sixth-largest to the second-largest U.S. state investor in these securities.”

“Texas proudly stands with Israel,” Hancock said. “This expanded investment reinforces our long-standing relationship and shared commitment to faith, freedom and economic opportunity.”

“Texas and Israel have built a partnership that stretches beyond finance, and this step reflects both our solidarity and our belief in what we can accomplish together,” he added.

Texas has included Israel bonds in its investment portfolio since 1994 as part of a “diversified portfolio strategy.” The bonds, issued by the Israeli government, offer fixed interest rates and have a record of meeting principal and interest payments, according to state officials.

The announcement comes as the Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office works to finalize plans for a State of Texas Israel Office in Jerusalem. The office would be the state’s first in the Middle East and its fourth international location.

State leaders said the new office is intended to strengthen trade and business ties between Texas and Israel, with bilateral trade approaching $4 billion annually, according to the state.

A new Channel 14 mandate survey paints an updated picture of the political arena, showing Likud maintaining its strength, Naftali Bennett’s party losing ground, and the right-wing bloc inching up to 66 seats. In the question of suitability for prime minister, Bibi Netanyahu widens his lead.

According to the poll, the right-religious bloc would secure 66 Knesset seats if elections were held today, reflecting a slight uptick compared to previous measurements.

Likud remains stable at 35 mandates, unchanged from the prior survey. The Joint List climbs to 13 seats, positioning itself as the second-largest faction after Likud. In contrast, Bennett’s party and Shas each drop one seat compared to last week and now stand at 10 mandates apiece.

The Democrats, led by Yair Golan, gain one seat and reach 10 mandates. United Torah Judaism holds firm with 9 seats. Yisrael Beiteinu remains steady at 8 mandates, while Eisenkot’s Yashar party posts a two-seat gain to reach 8 as well.

Elsewhere in the field, Otzma Yehudit retains 7 seats. Religious Zionism adds one mandate to reach 5, and Yesh Atid also gains a seat, bringing it to 5. Blue and White once again fails to cross the electoral threshold, underscoring the party’s continued struggle to regain relevance.

When broken down by blocs, the survey shows a clear advantage for the right: 66 seats for the right-wing bloc, 41 for the left, and 13 for Arab parties. The numbers point to a comfortable edge for the right overall, even as internal shifts occur among its component parties.

In the head-to-head question of who is best suited to serve as prime minister, Netanyahu not only leads but expands his margin following his recent visit to Washington, earning 57% support. Bennett trails with 19%, followed by Gadi Eisenkot at 13%, Yair Lapid at 5%, Avigdor Lieberman at 4%, and Benny Gantz at just 2%. The findings indicate a substantial and ongoing gap at the top of the leadership rankings, in Netanyahu’s favor.

{Matzav.com}

Canadian authorities and extremism researchers are examining the online footprint of the teenager behind one of the country’s deadliest school shootings in years, after investigators revealed that he had posted antisemitic and violent content just days before the attack.

According to research by the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism, the alleged shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, shared hateful messages online shortly before opening fire Tuesday in Tumbler Ridge, a remote community in British Columbia.

“I need to hate jews because the zionists want me to hate jews. This benefits them, somehow,” Van Rootselaar wrote in a post on Sunday, two days before the attack, according to the ADL’s analysis.

Police say the 18-year-old killed six people at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and two family members at his home before dying of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The victims included a 39-year-old teacher, five students between the ages of 12 and 13, and the suspect’s mother and 11-year-old stepbrother.

The ADL said Van Rootselaar showed a “troubling pattern of online radicalization,” including activity on an online platform known for glorifying graphic violence and linked to previous mass-casualty attacks.

Researchers also identified what they believe to be his account on X, which they say “regularly shared antisemitic and racist content” and praised past mass shooters, including the perpetrators of the 2022 Buffalo supermarket shooting and the 2019 Christchurch mosque massacre.

According to the ADL, the profile image featured “an image of the Christchurch shooter superimposed over a Sonnenrad, a neo-Nazi symbol, and a transgender pride flag,” a combination analysts say reflects the increasingly hybrid and contradictory nature of online extremist subcultures.

The case fits a broader pattern, researchers warn.

Other recent mass shooters have also been linked to similar online spaces. In August, alleged Minneapolis shooter Robin Westman reportedly carried a weapon marked with antisemitic and anti-Israel slogans. The January 2025 Antioch High School shooter, Solomon Henderson, was later found to have maintained extensive documents praising Adolf Hitler and promoting extremist “groyper” content.

Despite the findings, police in British Columbia said they cannot yet speculate on Van Rootselaar’s motive. Officials confirmed that he had dropped out of school about four years ago and had limited contact with the community in recent years.

Tuesday’s attack was the deadliest mass shooting in Canada since 2020, when a gunman killed 23 people in Portapique, Nova Scotia. That tragedy prompted the federal government to launch a national gun buyback program, though the initiative has faced logistical obstacles and political resistance.

Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the nation Wednesday, offering condolences and emphasizing national solidarity.

“To the students, the teachers, the parents, and every resident of Tumbler Ridge: all of Canada stands with you,” Carney said in a statement. “May the memories of those lost be a blessing. May this community… find the strength to heal.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

An IDF reservist and a civilian have been formally charged after allegedly exploiting classified military intelligence to place wagers on the online prediction platform Polymarket, Israeli authorities disclosed Thursday.

According to a joint announcement by the Defense Ministry’s Director of Security, the Shin Bet, and the Israel Police, the case emerged from a coordinated investigation that resulted in the detention of several individuals, including reserve soldiers. Investigators say the suspects placed bets on Polymarket “based on classified information to which the reservists were exposed by virtue of their military roles.”

The indictments follow earlier reporting by Kan News, which revealed that security bodies were probing suspicions that members of the defense establishment had leveraged sensitive information to gamble on the site. Among the events reportedly wagered on was the timing of Israel’s initial strike against Iran during the 12-day conflict in June 2025.

Officials declined to provide specifics about the precise nature of the bets tied to the indictment.

Authorities confirmed that on Monday, prosecutors filed charges against one reservist and one civilian for “severe security offenses,” along with bribery and obstruction of justice. The prosecution has asked the court to keep the defendants in custody through the duration of the proceedings.

A sweeping gag order issued by the court continues to restrict the publication of additional information related to the affair.

In their statement, security officials warned of the broader implications of such conduct. “The defense establishment emphasizes that placing such bets, based on secret and classified information, poses a real security risk to IDF operations and to the security of the state,” the statement read. It further stressed that authorities regard “the acts attributed to the defendants with utmost severity and will act decisively to thwart and bring to justice anyone involved in the unlawful use of classified information.”

The IDF said it is treating the matter with the highest level of seriousness, while clarifying that “no operational harm was caused.”

“This constitutes a severe ethical failure and a clear crossing of a red line,” the military said in a statement, adding that the alleged actions “are not in line with IDF values and what is expected of servicemembers.”

The army also noted that it “steps have been taken and procedures will be sharpened across all IDF units, with the aim of preventing the recurrence of similar cases.”

Kan previously reported that a Polymarket user operating under the name ricosuave666 made a series of highly accurate wagers in June 2025 related to Israeli military activity in Iran. The individual reportedly staked tens of thousands of dollars and ultimately earned approximately $150,000.

Polymarket is considered one of the world’s largest prediction market platforms, enabling users to bet on future developments using cryptocurrency, credit and debit cards, or bank transfers.

In recent years, prediction markets have grown dramatically in popularity, allowing participants to gamble on the probability of an expanding range of global events. While some users have posted significant gains, many others incur steady losses. The platform has faced allegations of manipulation and insider trading.

Last month, attention also focused on a trader whose major wagers were placed just hours before US President Donald Trump announced a surprise overnight operation that resulted in the capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The close timing of the bets and the trader’s limited overall activity on the site fueled online speculation about possible insider trading.

Substantial sums have likewise been placed on predictions related to a potential new American strike on Iran.

Over recent months, users have collectively won and lost tens of millions of dollars as anticipated strike dates came and went. Current odds on the platform estimate a 53 percent chance of a US airstrike on Iran by June 30, less than 1 percent if it occurs this Thursday, and 1 percent for Friday.

Additional millions of dollars have been wagered on the prospect of the removal of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

A slip of the tongue on Iranian state television this week has sent shockwaves through Tehran’s tightly controlled media system, exposing simmering tensions beneath the surface of official celebrations marking the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.

During a live broadcast Wednesday, reporter Musab Rasoulizad appeared to sign off with the phrase “Marg bar Khamenei” — “death to Khamenei” — a slogan widely used in recent anti-regime protests and sharply at odds with the pro-government chants typically heard at state-backed rallies.

The moment came as Rasoulizad was reporting from a demonstration commemorating the revolution in Iran, describing crowd turnout and atmosphere. Instead of the customary “death to America” or “death to Israel,” he appeared to invoke a phrase targeting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei himself.

Within hours, the clip spread rapidly online, fueling speculation about dissent inside the country’s state media apparatus.

Rasoulizad later posted a video apology, calling the incident “a slip of the tongue and a blunder” that had been seized upon by opponents of the regime, according to Saudi state-owned broadcaster Al Arabiya.

“I apologize for this mistake, which was broadcast and became a pretext for anti-revolutionaries,” he said.

According to Al Arabiya, the head of the provincial station where the broadcast originated was dismissed, while the transmission operator and broadcast supervisor were suspended. Other staff members were referred to a disciplinary committee.

On the same day, social media footage circulated showing a mosque sermon in which a speaker appeared to begin chanting the same phrase before abruptly stopping. After shouting “death to America,” the speaker could be heard starting “Marg bar Khamen—” before cutting off mid-word.

Together, the episodes raised uncomfortable questions for Iranian authorities during one of the regime’s most symbolically important annual events.

The anniversary marked 47 years since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, with rallies and speeches held nationwide. Officials sought to project unity and strength, portraying the turnout as a rebuke to Western pressure and domestic unrest.

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(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Home-based day care providers in New Jersey would be permitted to care for up to 10 children at a time under legislation introduced in the state Legislature by Assemblymen Gary Schaer and Andrew Macurdy that aims to expand child care capacity in the state.

The bill would amend the state’s “Family Day Care Provider Registration Act” to increase the maximum number of children allowed in a registered family day care home from five to 10. Under current law, family day care providers may operate out of their homes and are protected from local zoning restrictions that would otherwise prohibit such use in residential neighborhoods.

Sponsors say the change is designed to help address ongoing child care shortages by allowing providers to serve more families without transitioning to a larger, center-based model.

“Rising childcare costs are making it increasingly unaffordable for parents to raise their children in New Jersey,” Assemblyman Gary Schaer said in a statement. “Home-based childcare gives working families access to a more affordable, high-quality alternative while supporting trusted providers in their own communities. These providers are part of NJ’s working families and [this bill] will ensure a more stable income to adjust for the rising costs of taxes and utilities, allowing them to serve more children and expand access to care for working-class families across the state.”

“Families can spend months on the waitlist for a childcare spot in New Jersey, and the cost is like having a second mortgage or rent payment,” Assemblyman Brian Macurdy said in a statement.

Under the proposal, a family day care home caring for more than five children would be required to meet all applicable health and safety code requirements, in addition to existing registration standards. The provider would also be required to have at least one additional person present at all times who has completed required training under state law.

The legislation maintains the current definition of a family day care home as a private residence providing care for at least 15 hours per week. Children who are legally related to the provider would not count toward the 10-child limit. Nor would children cared for as part of an employment agreement between the provider and an assistant or substitute, if no payment is exchanged for that care.

The bill also clarifies that sponsoring organizations, meaning agencies that contract with the state to oversee and register family day care providers, may provide training not only to providers but also to employees and volunteers assisting with child care services.

In addition, the measure directs the Commissioner of Human Services to use federal Child Care and Development Block Grant funds, including funding from the federal fiscal year 2016 block grant or other available federal sources, to support the additional training required under the bill.

If enacted, the law would take effect immediately.

Israel’s internal security agency, the Shin Bet, arrested an undocumented Palestinian resident in Bnei Brak Thursday morning on suspicion that he was planning to carry out a terror attack. The suspect was taken into custody and transferred for questioning by security forces. Three additional undocumented residents were also arrested.

At the same time, police detained five other undocumented individuals in a nearby area.

The primary suspect was handed over to the Shin Bet for interrogation, as investigators work to determine the nature and scope of the attack he allegedly intended to carry out. As of now, no further details have been released regarding the suspected target.

In a separate development, police updated the public on additional enforcement activity carried out this week in Yerushalayim. Officers from the Lev Habira police station were operating in the Ramot neighborhood after noticing several individuals who aroused suspicion. When officers approached, the suspects fled into a building under construction.

Police entered the structure and located five undocumented individuals who are suspected of having infiltrated Israel from the village of Ubeidiya. All of the suspects were arrested and taken in for questioning.

The investigation revealed that this was the second time security forces had discovered undocumented individuals at the same construction site. As a result of the findings, the employer was detained for questioning.

Following the investigation, Yerushalayim District Commander Superintendent Avshalom Peled signed an administrative order closing the construction site for 20 days. Police noted that the undocumented individuals were deported from Israeli territory upon completion of the legal proceedings in their case.

{Matzav.com}

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak sought to defend his past relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and push back against accusations of racist remarks in a wide-ranging television interview with Israel’s Channel 12.

“I am responsible for all of my own actions, and there is definitely room to ask if I should have exercised more thorough judgment,” he said. “I can certainly say that I regret the moment I met him in 2003,” Barak added.

At the same time, the former prime minister said he never witnessed behavior that would have alerted him to Epstein’s crimes.

“I never, in all the 15 years that I knew [Epstein], never saw any unreasonable occurrence, or any unreasonable behavior,” he said. “I did not know that manner of his crimes until 2019, and you probably didn’t know it either.”

The interview addressed photographs showing Barak entering Epstein’s Manhattan residence in 2016 with his face partially covered by a neck warmer, an image that has fueled speculation online. Barak said the covering was due to cold weather and denied any attempt to conceal his identity. He noted that he was photographed leaving the same building later that day without his face covered, saying this showed he “was not trying to hide anything.”

Barak also defended his and his wife’s repeated stays at an apartment owned by Epstein between 2015 and 2019, describing the arrangement as practical during visits to New York.

“It was useful,” he said, adding that he could leave personal belongings there.

He stressed that there was “nothing illegal” about staying at the apartment and invoked “the right of every citizen” to use property belonging to someone they know. Barak emphasized that he was no longer serving as prime minister during that period.

Beyond his ties to Epstein, Barak was also pressed about remarks captured in a recently unclassified 2014 recording in which he referred to girls coming from Russia to Israel.

He described the comments as an error in phrasing.

“They were an unsuccessful choice of words, with associations to unreasonable stereotypes,” Barak said.

The interview then turned to broader remarks in the same recording concerning immigration and demographics. In the conversation, Barak suggested that encouraging Russian immigration could help Israel “control the quality” of its population more effectively.

Barak said his words had been misrepresented.

“The media created a distorted depiction,” he said, arguing that the discussion centered on Israel’s long-term demographic challenges.

When the interviewer responded, “It’s a recording of you,” Barak defended his position.

“I raised the thought or idea, that by combining the easing of conversion processes on one hand, and the creation of the possibility of voluntary immigration to Israel, we can solve this challenge,” he said. “There is no racism there. I am describing a fact.”

As the interviewer argued that the comments were offensive to Mizrachi Jewish migrants, Barak denied the charge and said Israel’s founders were obligated to “rescue” all Jews regardless of background.

He added that in Israel’s current status as a developed country, any effort to encourage voluntary immigration would require selectivity.

“If you want voluntary migration,” Barak said, it would be necessary to bring in “better quality” people, “regardless of where they are from.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed an executive order Wednesday prohibiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement from initiating enforcement operations on property owned by the state, intensifying the standoff between Trenton and the Trump administration over immigration policy.

In announcing the move, Sherrill framed the order as part of her broader duty to protect residents and uphold constitutional principles. “I take seriously my responsibility to keep New Jersey residents safe, and as a Navy veteran and former federal prosecutor, my commitment to upholding the Constitution will never waver,” Sherrill said in a statement. “This executive order will prohibit ICE from using state property to launch operations.

“To strengthen public safety, we will also give New Jersey residents the tools to report ICE activity to the Attorney General’s office and ensure residents know their constitutional rights.”

She went further, accusing federal officials of overstepping legal bounds. “Today, we are making clear that the Trump administration’s lawless actions will not go unchecked in New Jersey,” added Sherrill.

“Given ICE’s willingness to flout the Constitution and violently endanger communities — detaining children, arresting citizens, and even killing several innocent civilians — I will stand up for New Jerseyans’ right to be safe.”

Alongside the executive order, Sherrill unveiled an online reporting system allowing residents to notify the state about encounters with federal immigration agents.

According to Department of Homeland Security data obtained by CBS News, nearly 400,000 immigrants were taken into custody by ICE during President Donald Trump’s first year after returning to office.

Immigration enforcement activity has continued across New Jersey in recent weeks, triggering pushback from local officials and community leaders. Officers assigned to ICE’s Newark Field Office, based at 970 Broad Street, have conducted several arrests throughout the state, including operations at transportation centers and neighborhood gathering spots. In cities such as Hoboken, local officials reported subdued activity and near-empty streets in the aftermath of enforcement actions.

State lawmakers have also responded by introducing bills designed to impose new transparency requirements and curb certain ICE practices, as stepped-up immigration enforcement has heightened anxiety among residents and public officials alike.

{Matzav.com}

Kol Chai radio host Kobi Segal on Thursday slammed the IDF’s recruitment policy, saying that there is a major discrepancy between the army’s public statements about a manpower shortage and what is actually happening on the ground.

As the IDF steps up its arrest of Lomdei Torah, the IDF is ignoring hundreds of Charedim who are actively seeking to enlist. He explained that about 500 Chareidim have registered for a dedicated IDF framework intended for those seeking either regular service or reserve duty, yet remain without any meaningful response.

“There is an IDF project called ‘Keilim Sheluvim’ for integrating Charedim into the IDF,” he said. “About 500 Chareidim tried to enlist through it. In practice, they are simply waiting.”

He added that the pilot phase of the program was successful, but since then the registrants have received no response.

According to Segal, the IDF spokesperson responded by saying, “They registered, but it was never stated that they had been accepted.” He expressed frustration that no reasonable explanation has been provided as to why Chareidim who are actively seeking to enlist are left at home.

Segal summed up his position bluntly: “There are 500 Chareidim who want to serve, and the IDF doesn’t want them. Apparently, it suits them to have a crisis.”

It should be noted that in the wake of the October 7 massacre, many Chareidim reported that they tried joining the IDF but received no response. In addition, Chareidi reserve soldiers reported that they were not called up by the IDF throughout the war—even as IDF officials claimed that the army was short on manpower.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

RYE, N.Y. (AP) — Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, has filed a $250,000 negligence lawsuit against her suburban hometown north of New York City and a power utility after claiming she tripped and fell while out walking.

Pirro said she tripped over a large wooden block protruding from a steel plate in a roadway on Aug. 28 in the Westchester County city of Rye, just weeks after she was confirmed as the Trump administration’s top prosecutor for the District of Columbia.

The plate was covering excavation related to gas-main work for Consolidated Edison, according to an amended complaint filed Wednesday in state court.

“As a result of defendants’ negligence, Ms. Pirro sustained serious personal injuries, including but not limited to bruises and contusions to the head, eye, face, and shoulder areas, together with pain, discomfort, and limitation of movement,” according to the complaint, initially filed last month.

The 74-year-old former Fox News host was confined to bed, required medical attention and “continues to experience pain and suffering,” according to the filing.

Representatives for Pirro, Con Ed and Rye declined to comment on the pending litigation Thursday.

In a motion to dismiss the claim, an attorney for Rye wrote that it “can hardly be said that the City was negligent in a duty to pedestrians at a location that was not a pedestrian walkway.” An attorney for Con Ed wrote in a separate court filing seeking dismissal that all the dangers and risks related to the incident “were open, obvious and apparent.”

Pirro has served as both a judge and the district attorney for Westchester County.

(AP) – Climate change is often viewed as an issue that’s too big for individual action to matter. But calculations show that when personal choices add up, the impact can be significant.

The Associated Press looked at four everyday behaviors in the U.S. ranging from food and transportation to home energy and clothing. The question was then posed: What if just one in 10 Americans who currently eat beef, drive gasoline cars, heat their homes with natural gas or buy new clothes changed each of those habits?

To find out, the AP gathered data from federal agencies and other sources on each habit, then calculated how much emissions would be reduced if one out of every 10 users made a switch. The answer is tens, and in some cases hundreds, of billions of pounds of carbon pollution avoided each year.

Food: Swapping beef for chicken
Beef is one of the most carbon-intensive foods in the global food system because cattle emit methane and require vast amounts of land and feed, creating large amounts of climate pollution. Producing beef generates greenhouse gas emissions several times higher than chicken.

The recommended serving size of meat in the U.S. is 3 ounces (85 grams), according to the American Heart Association. Swapping one serving of beef that size for chicken once a week would cut about 10 pounds (4.54 kilograms) of carbon dioxide. Over 52 weeks in a year, that would equal a reduction of about 525 pounds (238 kilograms) of carbon dioxide per person per year.

About 74% of Americans eat beef at least once a week, according to a 2023 survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. If one out of every 10 of them — or about 25 million people — swapped just one beef meal a week for chicken, emissions would fall by about 13 billion pounds (roughly 6 million metric tons) of carbon dioxide each year. That change is roughly comparable to the annual emissions from nearly 1.3 million gasoline cars.

“Beef is a commonly consumed item that has one of the largest carbon footprints per pound,” said Dave Gustafson, project director at Agriculture & Food Systems Institute. “It is probably one of the largest individual choices that people make with regard to what they eat that has a direct impact on personal carbon footprint.”

Transportation: Gas cars to electric vehicles
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, transportation is one of the largest sources of direct greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., and personal vehicles account for a major share of that total. Transportation accounts for 28% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by economic sector.

The EPA says the average U.S. motorist drives 11,500 miles (18,507 kilometers) per year. The average gas powered car emits 400 grams (14 ounces) of carbon dioxide per mile, compared with about 110 grams (3.9 ounces) of carbon dioxide per mile for an electric vehicle. Driving an electric vehicle instead of a gas car cuts roughly 7,400 pounds (3,357 kilograms) of carbon dioxide per person annually, even after accounting for emissions from electricity generation.

If a number of Americans equal to 1 in 10 licensed drivers — or 23.77 million people — made that switch, the emissions savings would add up to roughly 175 billion pounds (roughly 79 million metric tons) of carbon dioxide every year, nearly 1.25% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

“If a large percentage of people changed a little bit of their travel, then all of a sudden the benefits are huge,” said Dillon Fitch-Polse, a professional researcher and co-director of Bicycling Plus Research Collaborative at the University of California, Davis.

Energy: Heating homes differently
At home, heating is often an invisible source of fossil fuel use. About 60 million U.S. households rely on utility natural gas furnaces, which burn fuel directly inside the home, according to the U.S Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

Replacing a gas furnace with an electric heat pump, which moves heat instead of generating it through combustion, cuts about 1,830 pounds (830 kilograms) of carbon dioxide per household per year.

If one in 10 households that heat their homes with natural gas switched to electric heat pumps, the result would be about 11 billion pounds (roughly 5 million metric tons) of carbon dioxide avoided annually, comparable to taking 1 million cars off the road.

“People’s homes are kind of like little fossil fuel power plants that people operate, and they just don’t realize that’s what they’re doing,” said Leah Stokes, associate professor of environment politics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. “That’s really the collective action thing is for people to understand that there is fossil fuel infrastructure right under their noses in their own homes.”

Fashion: Buying secondhand
Clothing may seem minor next to cars or furnaces, but apparel has a significant carbon footprint.

A life cycle assessment by Levi Strauss & Co. estimates that producing a single pair of Levi’s 501 jeans can emit more than 44 pounds (20 kilograms) of carbon dioxide, including manufacturing, packaging, transportation and retail.

If 34.2 million people — or the equivalent of 1 in 10 Americans — bought a pair of secondhand jeans this year instead of new ones, it would avoid roughly 1.5 billion pounds (roughly 0.7 million metric tons) of carbon dioxide, equivalent to the emissions of about 150,000 gasoline cars.

“What you can do is not throw in the trash,” said Constance Ulasewicz, consumer and family studies emeritus faculty and lecturer at San Francisco State University. “So it’s repairing your clothing so you can extend the life, and buying from a secondhand store.”

None of these actions alone can solve climate change, but together, the numbers show how quickly emissions add up or come down when millions of people move in the same direction.

A New Jersey Senate committee has advanced legislation today that would provide tax credits to employers that help cover childcare costs for their workers, an effort supporters say could ease financial pressure on families and help businesses retain employees.

The bill, sponsored by Troy Singleton, was approved by the Senate Economic Growth Committee today and aims to encourage employers to invest in childcare options ranging from on-site centers to direct subsidies for employees.

Lawmakers and business groups say rising childcare costs have become a major barrier for working families in New Jersey and across the country. According to the Economic Policy Institute, New Jersey ranks as the 13th most expensive state for childcare, with infant care averaging $18,155 annually, or about $1,513 per month. Care for a four-year-old averages $17,534 per year.

“For many families, childcare has simply become unaffordable, outpacing even the annual cost of college tuition,” Singleton said in a statement, adding that high costs can push parents out of the workforce.

Under the proposal, employers could claim corporation business tax or gross income tax credits worth up to $100,000 per taxable period. The credits would cover 50% of qualified expenses, including building or renovating childcare facilities, operating on-site childcare centers, contracting with childcare providers, or subsidizing employees’ childcare expenses.

Supporters in the business community say the measure could strengthen workforce participation and productivity.

Christina Renna, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey, called the bill “a practical, pro-growth policy that helps retain talent.” The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce also endorsed the proposal, describing childcare access as an economic development issue that affects employers across industries.

The legislation defines childcare services as licensed care, supervision, and education for children under age 13. Employers seeking the credit would need to apply through the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development and document eligible expenses.

An Iranian state-run television channel has aired what appears to be a direct assassination threat against Israel’s top leadership, broadcasting a list of senior officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The broadcast, aired on the Islamic Republic’s Ofogh network, featured a “hit list” of seven Israeli figures at the center of the country’s security establishment. Alongside Netanyahu, the list included Mossad chief David Barnea, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, Air Force commander Tomer Bar, Military Intelligence head Shlomi Binder, and Operations Directorate chief Itzik Cohen.

During the segment, the presenter delivered a threat in Hebrew.

“We will determine the time of your death, wait for the Ababil,” he said on air, referring to an Iranian-made drone system.

Security experts say the unusually explicit nature of the threat suggests a deliberate attempt at psychological warfare aimed at intimidating Israeli leaders while signaling Iran’s capabilities to both allies and adversaries.

The threat comes as Iran remains engaged in negotiations with the United States over its nuclear program, seeking to avert a broader military confrontation. American and Iranian diplomats held indirect talks last week in Oman, part of a renewed effort to stabilize relations and prevent escalation.

Against that backdrop, the broadcast appeared to underscore the sharp contrast between diplomatic engagement and hostile rhetoric emanating from Iranian state media.

Earlier on the day of the broadcast, Netanyahu returned to Israel following a visit to Washington, where he met with President Donald Trump. Speaking to reporters after landing, Netanyahu said Trump believed Iran could still be pressured into accepting “a good deal” on its nuclear program.

Netanyahu, however, voiced skepticism.

“I’m not convinced,” he said, signaling continued distrust of Tehran’s intentions.

Israeli officials have long accused Iran of pursuing covert and overt campaigns against Israeli interests worldwide, including cyber operations, proxy attacks, and targeted plots. While Tehran has often denied direct involvement in such actions, the latest broadcast marks one of the clearest public threats aired by an official media outlet.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

DETROIT (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency announced an end Thursday to credits to automakers who install automatic start-stop ignition systems in their vehicles, a device intended to reduce emissions that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said “everyone hates.”

In remarks with President Donald Trump on Thursday at the White House, Zeldin called start-stop technology the “Obama switch” and said it makes vehicles “die” at every red light and stop sign. He said the credits, which also applied to options like improved air conditioning systems, are now “over, done, finished.”

Zeldin repeated the generally-debunked claims that start-stop systems — which are mostly useful for city driving — are harmful to vehicles, asserting Thursday that “it kills the battery of your car without any significant benefit to the environment.”

This latest Trump administration move to cut automotive industry efforts to clean up their cars and reduce transportation-driven emissions came as Zeldin and Trump also announced a broader repeal of the scientific finding known as endangerment that has been the central basis for regulating U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

Start-stop is a technology that automatically shuts down a vehicle’s engine when a driver comes to a complete stop, and then automatically restarts the engine when the driver takes their foot off the brake pedal. Developed in response to the 1970s oil crisis, the feature was intended to cut vehicle idling, fuel consumption and emissions.

About two-thirds of vehicles now have it, providing drivers with anywhere from 7% to 26% in fuel economy savings, according to the Society of Automotive Engineers. Start-stop also causes a split-second lag in acceleration, a point of irritation for some consumers and automotive enthusiasts.

Burning gasoline and diesel fuel for transportation is a major contributor to planet-warming gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and more, according to the EPA. By implementing the systems, automakers could earn credits toward meeting federal emissions reduction rules.

“Countless Americans passionately despise the start/stop feature in cars,” Zeldin wrote in a post on X on Tuesday teasing the announcement. “So many have spoken out against this absurd start-stop-start-stop-start-stop concept.”

The announcement made good on Zeldin’s promises last year to “fix” the feature. Start-stop is “where your car dies at every red light so companies get a climate participation trophy,” Zeldin said in a post on X last May. “EPA approved it, and everyone hates it, so we’re fixing it,” he wrote at the time.

Zeldin’s announcement aligns with the administration’s broader attacks on cleaner-vehicle efforts. Trump eliminated the Biden administration’s target for half of all new vehicle sales in the U.S. to be electric by 2030, and signed Congress’ tax and spending bill that ended federal tax credits for new and used electric vehicle purchases.

The administration is also weakening rules for how far new vehicles must travel on average on a gallon of gasoline as it undermines the climate regulation at the core of auto tailpipe emissions.

Jeep-maker Stellantis welcomes the deregulatory effort, a spokesperson’s statement said: “We remain supportive of a rational, achievable approach on fuel economy standards that preserves our customers’ freedom of choice.”

A Ford Motor Co. statement said: “We appreciate the work of President Trump and Administrator Zeldin to address the imbalance between current emissions standards and customer choice.”

General Motors deferred comment to the auto industry group Alliance for Automotive Innovation.

“I’ve said it before: Automotive emissions regulations finalized in the previous administration are extremely challenging for automakers to achieve given the current marketplace demand for EVs,” said John Bozzella, president of the alliance. “The auto industry in America remains focused on preserving vehicle choice for consumers, keeping the industry competitive, and staying on a long-term path of emissions reductions and cleaner vehicles.”

President Donald Trump spoke with reporters Thursday night about Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s trip to Washington, weighing in on Israeli domestic politics, Iran’s nuclear negotiations, and accountability for the October 7 attacks.

During the exchange, Trump sharply criticized Israeli President Isaac Herzog over his handling of a potential pardon for Netanyahu. “President Herzog should be ashamed for not granting Netanyahu a pardon. He has the power to pardon and didn’t use it. The people of Israel should shame him.”

Turning to Iran, Trump issued a stern warning to Tehran, saying its leaders face serious consequences if diplomacy fails. “must make a deal, or it will be traumatic for them. I don’t want that to happen. They should have made a deal, and they didn’t. If they don’t reach an agreement, it will be a different story.”

Discussing his conversation with Netanyahu, Trump characterized the meeting as productive but emphasized that any agreement with Iran would hinge on his own judgment. “I had a good meeting with the prime minister, and he understands, but it depends on me. If the deal is fair, it will be tough for them. It needs to be quick-within a month, I think.”

Asked whether Netanyahu had urged him to cease communications with Tehran, Trump dismissed the suggestion. “He didn’t ask me to stop. I’ll speak with them as much as I want. But if we don’t reach phase two, it will be tough for them. I don’t expect that to happen.”

When questioned about Netanyahu’s responsibility for the October 7 assault, Trump said blame extended broadly. “Everyone is responsible. It was a terrible attack. He didn’t see it coming, and no one else would have in his place. He was a great prime minister for a time of war.”

In response to Trump’s remarks about a possible pardon, the Israeli president’s office issued a statement clarifying the status of the request. “For clarity, as repeatedly emphasized, the prime minister’s request is under review according to Ministry of Justice procedures. Only after this process is complete will the president examine the request based on the law, the best interest of the state, and his conscience, without any influence from external or internal pressures.”

The statement continued by underscoring Israel’s legal framework and expressing appreciation for Trump’s support. “President Herzog appreciates President Trump’s significant contribution to Israel and its security. Israel is a sovereign state governed by law. Contrary to the impression created by President Trump’s remarks, President Herzog has not yet made any decision on this matter.”

{Matzav.com}

WASHINGTON (AP) — A shutdown for the Department of Homeland Security appeared certain Thursday as lawmakers in the House and Senate were set to leave Washington for a 10-day break and negotiations with the White House over Democrats’ demands for new restrictions had stalled.

Democrats and the White House have traded offers in recent days as the Democrats have said they want curbs on President Donald Trump’s broad campaign of immigration enforcement. They have demanded better identification for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal law enforcement officers, a new code of conduct for those agencies and more use of judicial warrants, among other requests.

The White House sent its latest proposal late Wednesday, but Trump told reporters on Thursday that some of the Democratic demands would be “very, very hard to approve.”

Democrats said the White House offer, which was not made public, did not include sufficient curbs on ICE after two protesters were fatally shot last month. The offer was “not serious,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Thursday, after the Senate rejected a bill to fund the department.

Americans want accountability and “an end to the chaos,” Schumer said. “The White House and congressional Republicans must listen and deliver.”

Lawmakers in both chambers were on notice to return to Washington if the two sides struck a deal to end the expected shutdown. Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, told reporters that Democrats would send the White House a counterproposal over the weekend.

Impact of a shutdown
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said after the vote that a shutdown appeared likely and “the people who are not going to be getting paychecks” will pay the price.

The impact of a DHS shutdown is likely to be minimal at first. It would not likely block any of the immigration enforcement operations, as Trump’s tax and spending cut bill passed last year gave ICE about $75 billion to expand detention capacity and bolster enforcement operations.

But the other agencies in the department — including the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Secret Service and the Coast Guard — could take a bigger hit over time.

Gregg Phillips, an associate administrator at FEMA, said at a hearing this week that its disaster relief fund has sufficient balances to continue emergency response activities during a shutdown, but would become seriously strained in the event of a catastrophic disaster.

Phillips said that while the agency continues to respond to threats like flooding and winter storms, long-term planning and coordination with state and local partners will be “irrevocably impacted.”

Trump defends officer masking
Trump, who has remained largely silent during the bipartisan talks, noted Thursday that a recent court ruling rejected a ban on masks for federal law enforcement officers.

“We have to protect our law enforcement,” Trump told reporters.

Democrats made the demands for new restrictions on ICE and other federal law enforcement after ICU nurse Alex Pretti was shot and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis on Jan. 24. Renee Good was shot by ICE agents on Jan. 7.

Trump agreed to a Democratic request that the Homeland Security bill be separated from a larger spending measure that became law last week. That package extended Homeland Security funding at current levels only through Friday.

Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York have said they want immigration officers to remove their masks, to show identification and to better coordinate with local authorities. They have also demanded a stricter use-of-force policy for the federal officers, legal safeguards at detention centers and a prohibition on tracking protesters with body-worn cameras.

Democrats also say Congress should end indiscriminate arrests and require that before a person can be detained, authorities have verified that the person is not a U.S. citizen.

Thune suggested there were potential areas of compromise, including on masks. There could be contingencies “that these folks aren’t being doxed,” Thune said. “I think they could find a landing place.”

But Republicans have been largely opposed to most of the items on the Democrats’ list, including a prohibition on masks.

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., said Republicans who have pushed for stronger immigration enforcement would benefit politically from the Democratic demands.

“So if they want to have that debate, we’ll have that debate all they want,” said Schmitt.

Judicial warrants a sticking point
Thune, who has urged Democrats and the White House to work together, indicated that another sticking point is judicial warrants.

“The issue of warrants is going to be very hard for the White House or for Republicans,” Thune said of the White House’s most recent offer. “But I think there are a lot of other areas where there has been give, and progress.”

Schumer and Jeffries have said DHS officers should not be able to enter private property without a judicial warrant and that warrant procedures and standards should be improved. They have said they want an end to “roving patrols” of agents who are targeting people in the streets and in their homes.

Most immigration arrests are carried out under administrative warrants. Those are internal documents issued by immigration authorities that authorize the arrest of a specific person but do not permit officers to forcibly enter private homes or other nonpublic spaces without consent. Traditionally, only warrants signed by judges carry that authority.

But an internal ICE memo obtained by The Associated Press last month authorizes ICE officers to use force to enter a residence based solely on a more narrow administrative warrant to arrest someone with a final order of removal, a move that advocates say collides with Fourth Amendment protections.

Far from agreement
Thune, R-S.D., said were “concessions” in the White House offer. He would not say what those concessions were, though, and he acknowledged the sides were “a long ways toward a solution.”

Schumer said it was not enough that the administration had announced an end to the immigration crackdown in Minnesota that led to thousands of arrests and the fatal shootings of two protesters.

“We need legislation to rein in ICE and end the violence,” Schumer said, or the actions of the administration “could be reversed tomorrow on a whim.”

Simmering partisan tensions played out on the Senate floor immediately after the vote, as Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, the chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees Homeland Security funding, tried to pass a two-week extension of Homeland Security funding and Democrats objected.

Britt said Democrats were “posturing” and that federal employees would suffer for it. “I’m over it!” she yelled.

Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, the top Democrat on the Homeland spending subcommittee, responded that Democrats “want to fund the Department of Homeland Security, but only a department that is obeying the law.”

“This is an exceptional moment in this country’s history,” Murphy said.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California’s top prosecutor announced a civil rights investigation Thursday into how delayed evacuations impacted a historically Black community ravaged by one of last year’s deadly wildfires near Los Angeles.

Attorney General Rob Bonta said the investigation was spurred by months of conversation with community members and fire survivors concerned about the disparate impact of the fire on the west side of Altadena, an unincorporated town in LA County. The Eaton Fire was one of two blazes that broke out on Jan. 7, 2025. It killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,400 structures.

The overarching question is whether “unlawful race, disability, or age-based discrimination in the emergency response result in a delayed evacuation notification that disproportionately impacted west Altadena,” Bonta said.

All but one of the deaths occurred in west Altadena, which received evacuation orders hours after the east side of town and well after homes were already burning, the Los Angeles Times first reported.

By midnight, roughly six hours after the fire sparked, none of the neighborhoods west of Altadena’s North Lake Avenue had been issued an evacuation warning, The Associated Press found. Orders expanded significantly after 3 a.m. One West Altadena resident told AP she didn’t receive alerts to leave until hours after she’d already packed up and fled.

Bonta said most of the investigation’s attention will be focused on the LA County Fire Department, looking at whether the existing systems contributed to the delayed evacuation notices and possible disparities in emergency response. He expects officials to voluntarily comply in sharing information with investigators.

“The families forever changed because of the Eaton Fire deserve nothing less than our full commitment,” he said.

The LA County Fire Department did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Altadena for Accountability, a group of fire survivors that campaigned for an investigation into the county’s fire response over the past year, called Bonta’s announcement a “trailblazing move” in a press release.

“Losing my home and seeing my parents lose theirs was devastating. I’m heartened today knowing that we have a real pathway to answers and accountability for what went wrong,” fire survivor Gina Clayton-Johnson said in a statement. “This is a big day for all fire survivors today and victims of climate change disasters in the future.”

A 2025 after-action report on evacuations by an independent group found that the county had “conflicting and outdated policies, protocols” and procedures over who has what authority in the evacuation decision-making process. It did not explain why evacuation orders in west Altadena came late.

A confusing patchwork of alert systems and delays in people getting critical information has been an issue after other major fires including the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, California, the 2023 Lahaina Fire in Hawaii and the 2021 Marshall Fire that destroyed more than 1,000 homes outside of Denver. Experts have pointed out inherent flaws in such systems that rely on cellphones and other technology to alert people, particularly older residents and those with disabilities.

Chauncia Willis-Johnson, founder of the Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management, said decision-making in emergency management comes with built-in biases, such as assuming everyone has access to vehicles or only needs a certain number of hours to evacuate, for example.

To overcome those biases, people have to be trained to operate with equity as their first priority, Willis-Johnson said.

“I don’t think any emergency response manager purposely hurts anyone,” she said. “But when you’re not prioritizing historically marginalized populations that don’t have the resources to get alerts or warnings any other way … you’re leaving them behind.”

Large swaths of the Department of Homeland Security are set to shut down Saturday unless lawmakers strike a last-minute deal to fund the agency after Senate Democrats blocked a funding bill Thursday because it did not include new restrictions they are seeking on federal immigration agents.

Democrats demanded a long list of changes to DHS after federal immigration agents killed Alex Pretti last month in Minneapolis, including tighter rules on warrants and a ban on agents wearing face masks. President Donald Trump appears to be open to some of them, but Democrats rejected the White House’s latest proposal Thursday, raising the odds of a partial government shutdown.

“They have not addressed most of our major concerns at all,” Sen. Patty Murray (Washington), the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, told reporters.

The White House sent Democrats the proposal Wednesday night, according to a person familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing negotiations. But Senate Democrats swiftly dismissed it as insufficient. Asked whether Democrats could reach an agreement with the White House, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) said “not today.”

Republicans have accused Democrats of being unreasonable. They have asked Democrats to support a short-term funding extension for DHS while negotiations continue – though Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) warned that Democrats would have to make concessions of their own.

“Democrats are never going to get their full wish list,” Thune said Thursday on the Senate floor. “That’s not the way this works.”

Democrats have said they will vote against any funding extension if they do not reach an agreement with the White House. All but one Democrat voted against advancing legislation Thursday to fund DHS through Sept. 30. The motion received 52 votes, far short of the 60 it needed to advance.

“Democrats have been very clear: We will not support an extension of the status quo,” Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) said Thursday on the Senate floor before the vote.

The stalemate means much of DHS will shut down after the end of the day on Friday absent an unexpected breakthrough in negotiations. Many lawmakers are planning to leave Thursday to travel to the Munich Security Conference, putting further pressure on negotiations, although leadership could try to keep them in Washington if a deal appears within reach.

The House would also need to pass any last-minute deal to fund the department. Republicans have a perilously narrow majority in the chamber, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) said Thursday that the White House proposal was not enough to win House Democrats’ votes.

“Funding for ICE and the Department of Homeland Security should not move forward in the absence of dramatic changes that are bold, meaningful and transformational,” Jeffries told reporters.

A funding lapse would trigger the third full or partial federal government shutdown in barely three months. The government shuttered for 43 days in the fall amid a standoff between the two parties over expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies; that was followed by a shutdown of much of the government for several days that ended last week.

This shutdown would affect only DHS – but it would not shutter Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Customs and Border Protection, because Republicans sent those agencies tens of billions of dollars in additional funding last year that would allow them to continue to operate.

Instead, the brunt of a shutdown would fall on the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Coast Guard and other agencies within DHS. It would affect about 13 percent of the federal civilian workforce, most of whom would be forced to work without pay, according to data from DHS and the Office of Personnel Management.

Republicans have emphasized the potential impact on agencies unrelated to the administration’s immigration efforts if DHS funding lapses.

“The pain will be felt by the men and women of TSA, who will once again work to keep our airways safe without a paycheck,” Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nevada), who chairs the Appropriations subcommittee on homeland security, said Wednesday. “There will be uncertainty for our Coast Guard men and women – who have no choice but to show up for work. … It will reduce the amount of funding in the Disaster Relief Fund – just weeks after massive winter storms affected wide swaths of the country.”

Democrats said the administration’s announcement Thursday that it would end its surge of federal immigration agents in Minnesota was not enough to earn Democrats’ support.

“The announcement that the surge is over in Minneapolis changes in no way the tactics that are used there and across the country,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) told reporters. “There needs to be a complete overhaul of this department.”

The Senate is expected to vote Thursday on taking up legislation to fund the agency through Sept. 30, but Democrats have said almost unanimously that they will oppose any bill to fund DHS without new restrictions on immigration agents.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada), who broke with her party during last year’s shutdown and voted for a Republican funding bill, said Tuesday that she would not do so this time.

“We are asking our colleagues and the White House to work with us,” Cortez Masto told reporters. “It’s common sense. Work with us. Unfortunately, we are not seeing that.”

The restrictions demanded by Democrats include requiring federal immigration agents to wear identification and body cameras and barring them from operating near schools, medical facilities, churches, polling places, child care facilities and courts. They also want to ensure that states and local jurisdictions can investigate and prosecute potential crimes committed by agents and excessive use of force, among other demands.

Republicans have criticized many of the Democrats’ demands, arguing that they would needlessly hamstring agents. Thune has said he expects the White House to make its own demands, including new protections for federal immigration agents and measures cracking down on cities that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, sometimes known as “sanctuary cities.”

Still, Thune said he thought that negotiations between the White House and Democrats were making progress and that a deal was still possible with more time.

“There’s been clear movement there, which to me suggests that discussions ought to continue,” Thune told reporters Thursday. “And I hope the Democrats feel the same way.”

(c) 2026, The Washington Post

NEW YORK (AP) — Since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services one year ago, he has defended his upending of federal health policy by saying the changes will restore trust in America’s public health agencies.

But as the longtime leader of the anti-vaccine movement scales back immunization guidance and dismisses scientists and advisers, he’s clashed with top medical groups who say he’s not following the science.

The confrontation is deepening confusion among the public that had already surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Surveys show trust in the agencies Kennedy leads is falling, rather than rising, as the country’s health landscape undergoes dramatic change.

Kennedy says he’s aiming to boost transparency to empower Americans to make their own health choices. Doctors counter that the false and unverified information he’s promoting is causing major, perhaps irreversible, damage — and that if enough people forgo vaccination, it will cause a surge of illness and death.

There was a time when people trusted health agencies regardless of party and the government reported “the best of what science knows at this point,” said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

“Now, you cannot confidently go to federal websites and know that,” she said.

HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon argued that trust had suffered during the Biden administration. “Kennedy’s mandate is to restore transparency, scientific rigor, and accountability,” he said.

Trust slid during the COVID pandemic
Historically, federal scientific and public health agencies enjoyed strong ratings in public opinion polls. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for decades scored above many other government agencies in Gallup surveys that asked whether they were doing a “good” or “excellent” job.

Two decades ago, more than 60% of Americans gave the CDC high marks, according to Gallup. But that number fell dramatically at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, amid agency mistakes and guidance that some people didn’t like.

In 2020, the percentage of Americans who believed the CDC was doing at least a “good” job fell to 40% and then leveled off for the next few years.

Alix Ellis, a hairstylist and mom in Madison, Georgia, used to fully trust the CDC and other health agencies but lost that confidence during the COVID-19 pandemic. She said some of the guidance didn’t make sense. At her salon, for example, stylists could work directly on someone’s hair, but others in the room had to be several feet away.

“I’m not saying that we were lied to, but that is when I was like, OK, ‘Why are we doing this?’” the 35-year-old said.

Kennedy helped create the trust problem, doctor says
Part of Kennedy’s pitch as health secretary has been restoring Americans’ trust in public health.

“We’re going to tell them what we know, we’re going to tell them what we don’t know, and we’re going to tell them what we’re researching and how we’re doing it,” Kennedy told senators last September, while explaining how he intended to make the CDC’s information reliable. “It’s the only way to restore trust in the agency — by making it trustworthy.”

Before entering politics, Kennedy was one of the loudest voices spreading false information about immunizations. Now, he’s trying to fix a trust problem he helped create, said Dr. Rob Davidson, a Michigan emergency physician.

“You fed those people false information to create the distrust, and now you’re sweeping into power and you’re going to cure the distrust by promoting the same disinformation,” said Davidson, who runs a doctor group called the Committee to Protect Health Care. “It’s upside-down.”

Kennedy has wielded the power of his office to take multiple steps that diverge from medical consensus.

Last May, he announced COVID-19 vaccines were no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women, a move doctors called concerning and confusing.

In November, he directed the CDC to abandon its position that vaccines do not cause autism, without supplying new evidence. And earlier this year, the CDC under his leadership reduced the number of vaccines recommended for every child, a decision medical groups said would undermine protections against a half-dozen diseases.

Kennedy also has overhauled his department through canceled grants and mass layoffs. Last summer, Kennedy fired his new CDC chief after less than a month over disagreements about vaccine policy.

Confusion emerges as trust erodes
Some have applauded the moves. But surveys suggest many Americans have had the opposite reaction.

“I have much less trust,” said Mark Rasmussen, a 67-year-old retiree walking into a mall in Danbury, Connecticut, one recent morning.

Shocked by Kennedy’s dismantling of public health norms, professional medical groups have urged Americans not to follow new vaccine recommendations they say were adopted without public input or compelling evidence.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, along with more than 200 public health and advocacy groups, urged Congress to investigate how and why Kennedy changed the vaccine schedule. The American Medical Association, working with the University of Minnesota’s Vaccine Integrity Project, this week announced a new evidence-based process for reviewing the safety of respiratory virus vaccines — something they say is needed since the government stopped doing that kind of systematic review.

Many Democratic-led states also have rebuffed Kennedy’s policies, even creating their own alliances to counter his vaccine guidance.

“We see burgeoning confusion about which sources to trust and about which sources are real. That makes decision-making on an individual level much harder,” said Dr. Megan Ranney, dean of the Yale School of Public Health.

She said she worried the confusion was contributing to the recent rise in diseases like whooping cough and measles, which were once largely eliminated in the U.S.

Surveys indicate growing public wavering over support for the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine. Although a large majority of people support giving it to children, the proportion declined significantly in just over nine months, according to Annenberg research. An August 2025 survey finds that 82% would be “very” or “somewhat” likely to recommend that an eligible child in their household get MMR vaccine, compared with 90% in November 2024.

Surveys show trust is declining again
New findings from the health care research nonprofit KFF in January show that 47% of Americans trust the CDC “a great deal” or “a fair amount” to provide reliable vaccine information, down about 10 percentage points since the beginning of Trump’s second term.

Trust among Democrats dropped 9 percentage points since September, to 55%, the survey found. Trust among Republicans and independents hasn’t changed since September, but it has declined somewhat among both groups since the beginning of Trump’s term.

Even among MAHA supporters, the poll shows, fewer than half say they trust agencies like the CDC and FDA “a lot” or “some” to make recommendations about childhood vaccine schedules.

Gallup surveys also show a drop in Americans who believe the CDC is doing a “good job,” from 40% in 2024 to 31% last year.

Those results came alongside a decline of trust across the government — not just agencies under Kennedy’s oversight. Yet concerns about Kennedy’s trustworthiness also have emerged in the past year. Documents recently obtained by The Associated Press and The Guardian, for example, undermine his statements that a 2019 trip to Samoa ahead of a measles outbreak had “nothing to do with vaccines.” The documents have prompted senators to assert that Kennedy lied to them over the visit.

HHS officials say they are promoting independent decision-making by families while working to reduce preventable diseases. They say reducing routine vaccine recommendations was meant to ensure parents vaccinate children against the riskiest diseases.

HHS did not make Kennedy available for an interview, despite repeated requests. But as he has pledged to restore trust, he’s also urged people to come to their own conclusions.

“This idea that you should trust the experts,” Kennedy said recently on The Katie Miller Podcast, “a good mother doesn’t do that.”

ONE WEEK LEFT 

Live drawing: February 17, 2026

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A federal judge ordered the Defense Department to halt pending disciplinary proceedings against Sen. Mark Kelly, saying in a ruling Thursday that the retired Navy captain’s right to free speech was under attack by the Trump administration.

U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon barred Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from enforcing a censure against Kelly over comments that the Arizona Democrat made in a social media video reminding service members that they can refuse illegal orders. The judge also ordered a halt to disciplinary proceedings that Hegseth had ordered, which could have reduced Kelly’s rank and cut his military retirement benefits.

“This Court has all it needs to conclude that Defendants have trampled on Senator Kelly’s First Amendment freedoms and threatened the constitutional liberties of millions of military retirees,” Leon wrote in a 29-page opinion.

Hegseth said in a brief post on X that the ruling would be appealed immediately. “Sedition is sedition, ‘Captain,’” Hegseth said in a reference to Kelly, who serves on the Senate Armed Forces and Intelligence committees.

The injunction came two days after a federal grand jury in D.C. declined to indict Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers over the social media video last year that drew President Donald Trump’s ire.

Members of the military, the lawmakers said in the video, could refuse to follow illegal orders amid the administration’s controversial uses of the armed forces to patrol Democratic-run cities and conduct strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.

Although active-duty members of the military can be punished for comments seen as insubordinate, those restrictions on speech have never been applied by the federal courts to retired service members such as Kelly, Leon said.

The judge, who was nominated to the bench by President George W. Bush, said the case had ramifications far beyond one senator – millions of retired service members’ free-speech rights could be chilled, he said.

“Rather than trying to shrink the First Amendment liberties of retired servicemembers, Secretary Hegseth and his fellow Defendants might reflect and be grateful for the wisdom and expertise that retired servicemembers have brought to public discussions and debate on military matters in our Nation over the past 250 years,” the judge wrote. “If so, they will more fully appreciate why the Founding Fathers made free speech the first Amendment in the Bill of Rights!”

In a statement responding to the ruling, Kelly said the Trump administration was using increasingly strong-armed tactics to stifle peaceful dissent, not just in Congress but across the country.

“This administration was sending a message to millions of retired veterans that they too can be censured or demoted just for speaking out. That’s why I couldn’t let it stand,” Kelly said.

He added: “They don’t like when journalists report on the consequences of their policies. They don’t like when retired veterans question them. And they don’t like when millions of everyday Americans peacefully protest. That’s why they are cracking down on our rights and trying to make examples out of anyone they can.”

In a formal censure letter last month, Hegseth said Kelly had “undermined the chain of command,” “counseled disobedience” and displayed “conduct unbecoming an officer.”

Kelly’s attorneys said the lawmakers in the video were invoking a well-established principle of military law. The Uniform Code of Military Justice says all orders from superiors are presumed lawful except in the case of “a patently illegal order, such as one that directs the commission of a crime,” they said.

They cited remarks from a speech Hegseth gave in 2016: “If you’re doing something that is just completely unlawful and ruthless, then there is a consequence for that. That’s why the military said it won’t follow unlawful orders from their commander in chief. … There’s a belief that we are above what so many things that our enemies or others would do.”

Kelly retired from the military in 2011 after 24 years of service. His career included flying fighter jets over Iraq during the Persian Gulf War and becoming an astronaut. He left the Navy several months after his wife, former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-Arizona), was shot in the head during a constituent event and survived.

At a hearing this month, a Justice Department attorney argued that Congress had made clear that military retirees could be recalled to active duty and that they remain subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. If the court granted Kelly’s injunction, it would “effectively veto” an ongoing military disciplinary process, and that “would be very troubling,” the Justice Department attorney, John Bailey, argued.

(c) 2026, The Washington Post

A growing political storm is gathering around Israel’s presidency as public pressure from Washington collides with sensitive legal and constitutional procedures in Jerusalem.

Israeli President Yitzchak Herzog’s office said Thursday that PM Netanyahu’s formal request for a pardon is still under review. The statement came in response to President Trump’s comments earlier in the day, in which he said Herzog should be “ashamed of himself” for not pardoning the embattled prime minister.

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“To clarify, the prime minister’s request is currently under review at the Israeli Justice Ministry for a legal opinion in accordance with the established procedures,” Herzog’s statement said, noting that the Israeli president was returning from an official visit to Australia.

“Only upon completion of that process, will President Herzog consider the request in accordance with the law, the best interests of the State of Israel, guided by his conscience, and without any influence from external or internal pressures of any kind,” it added.

The carefully worded response appeared aimed at pushing back against Trump’s increasingly vocal campaign, while reaffirming Herzog’s commitment to legal norms and institutional independence.

At the same time, the statement struck a conciliatory tone toward Washington.

“President Herzog deeply appreciates President Trump for his significant contribution to the State of Israel and its security,” the office said.

But it also emphasized Israel’s sovereignty and legal framework.

“Israel is a sovereign state governed by the rule of law,” the statement continued. “Contrary to the impression created by President Trump’s remarks, President Herzog has not yet made any decision on this matter.”

Trump has waged a highly public and sustained effort to pressure Herzog into granting Netanyahu a pardon, turning what is traditionally a discreet legal process into an international political issue.

In October, Trump went so far as to raise the issue in an address to the Knesset, urging Herzog to act.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israeli Education Minister Yoav Kisch has formally invited Donald Trump to attend the Israel Prize Award Ceremony in Jerusalem on April 22, where the U.S. president is set to receive the country’s top civilian honor.

Kisch announced Tuesday on X that he had sent Trump an official invitation to participate in the ceremony, which is held annually on Israel’s Independence Day and overseen by the Ministry of Education. He also shared a copy of the letter publicly.

The invitation follows a December announcement by Benjamin Netanyahu that Trump would receive the Israel Prize for “Unique Contribution to the Jewish People.” It marks the first time a foreign leader has been selected for the honor.

In his letter, Kisch called the decision “historic” and said Trump’s presence in Jerusalem would symbolize the “deep and enduring friendship” between the two nations.

The ceremony will be part of celebrations marking Israel’s 78th Independence Day and is expected to be attended by President Isaac Herzog, senior government officials and international guests.

It remains unclear whether Trump will accept the invitation.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to allow a group of Venezuelans who were hastily flown out of the country last year under the president’s wartime powers to return for court proceedings challenging their deportations.

Chief U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg of D.C. said the Trump administration had denied due-process rights under the Constitution to 137 Venezuelan men who were deported in March under the rarely invoked Alien Enemies Act. The men were sent to a notorious prison in El Salvador, then moved to Venezuela months later as part of a prisoner swap.

For now, because of political and logistical challenges, Boasberg’s ruling does not cover deportees who remain in Venezuela and applies only to those who have moved to another country. The judge said those men must be paroled into the United States for court proceedings if they want the opportunity to challenge their removals.

Lawyers involved in the case said only a few of the plaintiffs are currently able to benefit from the ruling, because many of the 137 deportees are unreachable in Venezuela.

The ruling, which the Justice Department has vowed to appeal, was the latest judicial setback for the Trump administration’s efforts to ramp up deportations nationwide, in many cases without court hearings or advance notice.

The ruling covers deportees who show up at U.S. land ports of entry and those who take commercial flights into the country. Boasberg ordered the U.S. government to pay for the flights, granting a request from the plaintiffs’ lawyers.

“It is worth emphasizing that this situation would never have arisen had the Government simply afforded Plaintiffs their constitutional rights before initially deporting them,” Boasberg wrote.

Lee Gelernt, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney working with the Venezuelan migrants, said a handful of them had “managed to get out of Venezuela and want to pursue their rights.” Efforts to reach the others continue, he added.

“Recognizing that the nightmare these men suffered was the fault of the government’s failure to abide by the Constitution, the Court has taken the first critical step to providing them with the due process that even the government now concedes they were denied,” Gelernt said.

Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin defended the deportations.

“Nothing has changed; in addition to being in our country illegally, these aliens are foreign terrorists designated as alien enemies by the President,” McLaughlin said in a statement. “They were removed under the proper legal authorities.”

Justice Department lawyers had argued that federal judges were not legally empowered to second-guess the executive branch’s decisions on deportations and that there was no feasible way to locate or provide court hearings for the Venezuelan migrants, especially after U.S. forces deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro this year and began delicate negotiations with the country’s new leadership.

Boasberg, a former prosecutor appointed to the bench by President Barack Obama, has drawn President Donald Trump’s ire over his rulings in the Venezuelan migrants’ case. The president and some of his Republican allies have called for Boasberg’s impeachment, and the Justice Department filed a judicial misconduct complaint against him. It was later dismissed by a federal appeals court judge.

The Trump administration, in turn, has drawn rebukes from the judge for using the Alien Enemies Act to hastily deport the Venezuelan men, who were all designated members of the Tren de Aragua gang by the government and denied the opportunity to offer evidence to the contrary before being flown out of the country.

Boasberg began a contempt-of-court inquiry last year after top administration officials ignored orders he gave to return and stop the flights transporting the Venezuelans to El Salvador’s notorious Terrorism Confinement Center. The federal appeals court in D.C. has temporarily paused the contempt inquiry.

In Thursday’s ruling, Boasberg said the deported Venezuelans could challenge Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to remove them or their individual designations as Tren de Aragua members. The judge said any migrants who return for their court proceedings should be prepared to be detained and possibly re-deported at their conclusion.

The deportees also may start submitting court filings from Venezuela, and hearings for them could be held later, Boasberg ruled.

Akshaya Kumar, the crisis advocacy director for Human Rights Watch, which studied and produced a report about the detentions, said the judge’s order is an acknowledgment of the harm the group says came about from the administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to carry out the deportations.

“A lot remains to be seen on how the appeals play out but what this decision represents is a recognition that these people shouldn’t have been removed without process in the first place,” Kumar said.

If the case ends up before the Supreme Court, Kumar said, she urged the justices to “make clear that the president shouldn’t be able to assert that there’s a war when there isn’t a war or that people are enemies when they are simply immigrants.”

Although migrants who remain in Venezuela were not covered by Thursday’s ruling, the judge said the Trump administration should continue exploring the “the feasibility of returning Plaintiffs still in Venezuela who wish to return for their proceedings” and ordered the government to submit a report on those efforts next month.

(c) 2026, The Washington Post

The Jackson Township Council is set to host a Community Infrastructure Roundtable which will be focused on addressing ongoing and upcoming infrastructure projects in Jackson. This meeting is part of the Township’s continued efforts to engage with residents directly, gather community input, and evaluate infrastructure needs and solutions to guide planning and priorities.

The Roundtable will take place at:

Town Hall, 95 West Veterans Highway,

Tuesday Feb 17th, 2026

7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The Roundtable’s agenda is to focus on addressing infrastructure and growth-related issues that residents experience firsthand. Roadway conditions, stormwater management, pedestrian connectivity, preservation of green space, and responsible development each shape how the community functions and grows. Open discussion around these topics is essential to understanding their real-world impact and to developing solutions that are balanced, informed, and responsive to resident concerns.

Topics to be discussed will include roadway conditions and potential improvements, stormwater management challenges and solutions, and sidewalk installation and connectivity. Mayor Jennifer Kuhn along with Township Engineer Charles Cunliffe will be in attendance to provide professional insight and answer questions related to planning and engineering considerations. Individual council members will also participate on a rotating basis to comply with New Jersey state quorum requirements.

Council President Burnstein believes in having open conversations about concerns residents would like addressed. He maintains that is the purpose of being in the title he holds.

“Residents input is vital in these areas since growth and infrastructure do have a bearing on them directly every day,” said Council President Burnstein. These Roundtable discussions give residents a voice in identifying challenges and developing solutions infrastructure needs and how to navigate planning and determining priority projects. It will assist with the Council’s assessment of local needs and provide guidance for future projects, ensuring that planning, prioritization, and implementation reflect both resident feedback and on-the-ground realities.”

Jackson Township residents are encouraged to attend and participate in this open forum as the Council continues it on the path of transparency, and responsive governing body.

(AP) – A little known security feature on iPhones is in the spotlight after it stymied efforts by U.S. federal authorities to search devices seized from a reporter.

Apple’s Lockdown Mode recently prevented FBI agents from getting into Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson ‘s iPhone.

Agents seized the phone, as well as two MacBooks and other electronic devices, when they searched Natanson’s home last month as part of an investigation into a Pentagon contractor accused of illegally handling classified information. But the FBI reported that its Computer Analysis Response Team “could not extract” data from the iPhone because it was in Lockdown Mode, according to a court filing.

So what is Lockdown Mode? Here’s a rundown of how it works and how to use it:

Highest security
Apple says Lockdown Mode is an “optional, extreme” protection tool designed to guard against “extremely rare and highly sophisticated cyberattacks.” It’s not for everyone, but instead for “very few individuals” who could be targeted by digital threats because of who they are or what they do.

“Most people will never be targeted by attacks of this nature,” Apple’s support page says.

It’s available in Apple’s newer operating systems, including iOS 16 and macOS Ventura. It works by putting strict security limits on some apps and features, or even making some unavailable, to reduce the areas that advanced spyware can attack. It also restricts the kinds of browser technologies that websites can use and limits photo sharing.

Can Apple turn it off?
Apple has previously rejected U.S. government requests to build so-called backdoor access for its devices.

In 2016, Apple refused a request by authorities to help bypass lockscreen security for an encrypted iPhone belonging to a shooter who carried out a terrorist attack in San Bernardino, Calif. The company also declined to add an ability to input passcodes electronically, which would make it possible to carry out “brute force” attempts to guess the combination using computers.

“It would be wrong to intentionally weaken our products with a government-ordered backdoor,” Apple said in explaining its decision.

How to turn on Lockdown Mode
Make sure your iPhone, iPad or MacBook has been updated. You’ll have to turn the feature on separately for each of your Apple devices.

On your iPhone, go to Settings, then to the Privacy and Security section, scroll down to the bottom and tap on Lockdown Mode. Enter your passcode — not a facial or fingerprint scan — to activate it. The device will restart and then you’ll again have to use your passcode to unlock it. On MacBooks, follow a similar procedure from the System Settings menu.

Apple recommends that you switch it on for all of the company’s devices that you own.

Better than biometrics
You might assume that requiring facial or fingerprint recognition to unlock your phone is good enough to protect it from snooping. But experts say passcodes are better than biometrics at protecting your devices from law enforcement, because they could compel you to unlock your device by holding your phone up to your face or forcing you to put your finger on the scanner.

FBI agents told Natanson that they “could not compel her to provide her passcodes,” but the warrant they used to execute the search did give them the authority “to use Natanson’s biometrics, such as facial recognition or fingerprints, to open her devices.” According to a court filing, Natanson said she didn’t use biometrics to lock her devices but agents were ultimately able to unlock her MacBook with her finger.

This is how it affects your phone
Apple says some apps and features will work differently when Lockdown Mode is on.

Some websites might load slowly or not work properly, and some images and web fonts could be missing because they block “certain complex web technologies.”

In Messages, most types of attachments are blocked, and links and link previews won’t be available. Incoming FaceTime calls are blocked unless it’s from a number you’ve called in the past month.

In Photos, location information is stripped from shared photos and shared albums are removed from the app. Focus mode won’t work normally.

There are also tighter restrictions on connecting your phone or computer to unsecure Wi-Fi networks or to other computers and accessories.

When I tried it out on my own iPhone, some apps warned me that certain functions might not work. I noticed that one of my news apps started using a different font and photos on some websites didn’t appear, replaced by a question mark.

The biggest disruption happened when I went to the gym, which involved using a web-based check-in system to scan a QR code. But my phone camera wouldn’t work so I had to turn off Lockdown Mode in order to get in. To be sure, my iPhone’s standalone Code Scanner app still worked, so the problem seemed to center on using a website to activate the camera.

Turn it off
Follow the same procedure outlined above that you used to turn on Lockdown Mode. You’ll need to enter your passcode and the phone will perform a restart.

Gallup announced Wednesday that it will discontinue its long-running presidential approval ratings, bringing to a close an 88-year practice that has long been viewed as a benchmark of public opinion on White House performance.

The polling organization confirmed to The Hill that it plans to stop releasing approval and favorability scores for specific political leaders beginning this year. In a statement, the firm explained that the move “reflects an evolution in how Gallup focuses its public research and thought leadership.”

“Our commitment is to long-term, methodologically sound research on issues and conditions that shape people’s lives,” a Gallup spokesperson told the outlet. “That work will continue through the Gallup Poll Social Series, the Gallup Quarterly Business Review, the World Poll, and our portfolio of U.S. and global research.”

For decades, the Gallup Presidential Approval Rating has been widely cited by news organizations as a key indicator of how Americans view a president’s job performance.

When asked by The Hill whether the company had received any reaction or communication from the White House or individuals within the Trump administration prior to making the decision, a spokesperson responded, “This is a strategic shift solely based on Gallup’s research goals and priorities.”

“This change is part of a broader, ongoing effort to align all of Gallup’s public work with its mission,” the spokesperson said. “We look forward to continuing to offer independent research that adheres to the highest standards of social science.”

Gallup will continue surveying Americans on a broad array of topics beyond partisan politics, including religion, the labor market, artificial intelligence, and confidence in major public institutions.

{Matzav.com}

A student group at City University of New York School of Law is facing mounting criticism after promoting an event that frames Hamas terror infrastructure as a form of “resistance.”

The campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine announced a March 5 discussion featuring Hadeel Assali, an anthropologist affiliated with Columbia University Center for Science and Society. The event is billed as an “anthropologic investigation” into Gaza’s tunnel network, described as “social organization in resistance to colonization.”

In past writings, Assali has called the tunnels “an essential form of resistance,” portraying Hamas’s underground network as part of a relationship between Palestinians and the land — completely ignoring their use in kidnappings, torture and attacks on civilians.

The invitation drew backlash from Columbia Faculty and Staff Supporting Israel, which noted that Assali was named in a lawsuit against Columbia University and Barnard College over failures to protect Jewish students.

The Columbia Jewish Alumni Association warned that the event reflects a broader trend of politicized scholarship spreading across campuses.

“This is how it happens,” the group said.

Brandy Shufutinsky of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies called the program “a dangerous reframing of terror,” stressing that “no number of teach-ins can erase the atrocities.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

President Donald Trump is set to present a sweeping, multi-billion-dollar rebuilding initiative for Gaza and outline the formation of a U.N.-authorized international stabilization force at the first official gathering of his Board of Peace next week, according to two senior U.S. officials who spoke on Thursday.

The session, scheduled for Feb. 19 in Washington, D.C., is expected to draw representatives from at least 20 nations, including numerous heads of state. Trump will preside over the meeting, the officials told Reuters, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the plans.

Specific details regarding the agenda for this inaugural Board of Peace meeting focused on Gaza have not previously been disclosed.

Trump formally established the Board of Peace on Jan. 23 while attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, signing the foundational documents there. The initiative was later backed by a United Nations Security Council resolution, which incorporated the board into the broader framework of Trump’s Gaza proposal.

Several regional players — among them Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar — along with prominent emerging countries such as Indonesia, have aligned themselves with the board. In contrast, major global powers and long-standing Western allies of the United States have responded more cautiously to the initiative.

During his visit to Washington on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel has joined the board. Trump’s effort has raised concerns in some quarters that the Board of Peace could extend its reach beyond Gaza and seek to address additional global conflicts, potentially overlapping with the role of the United Nations.

The U.S. officials emphasized that next week’s discussions will be devoted exclusively to Gaza. A central feature of the meeting will be Trump’s unveiling of a multi-billion-dollar reconstruction fund for the territory, financed through contributions from member states of the board. One official described the pledges as “generous” and noted that Washington had not formally solicited contributions.

“People have come to us offering,” the official said. “The president will make announcements vis a vis the money raised.”

A cornerstone of the upcoming phase of Trump’s Gaza strategy is the deployment of an International Stabilization Force. The broader plan was first introduced in September. Its initial phase led to a delicate ceasefire taking effect on Oct. 10 in the two-year conflict, during which Hamas released hostages and Israel freed Palestinian detainees.

At the meeting, Trump is expected to disclose that multiple countries are prepared to contribute several thousand personnel to the stabilization force, which is anticipated to enter Gaza in the coming months, according to the officials.

One of the most pressing challenges remains the disarmament of Hamas fighters, many of whom have resisted surrendering their weapons. Under Trump’s framework, Hamas members who agree to lay down their arms and commit to peaceful coexistence would receive amnesty. Those opting to depart Gaza would be granted safe passage to countries willing to accept them.

The Board of Peace summit will also feature comprehensive briefings on the activities of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, an entity created to assume civilian governance responsibilities in the Strip from Hamas. The committee publicly named its members and convened its inaugural meeting in January.

Additional updates are expected regarding humanitarian assistance efforts in Gaza and developments involving the territory’s police forces, the officials added.

{Matzav.com}

WASHINGTON (AP) — Colorectal cancer is a threat not just to older adults but increasingly to young men and women, too. It’s now the top cancer killer of Americans younger than 50.

The deaths of “Dawson’s Creek” actor James Van Der Beek at 48 this week, and a few years ago “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman at 43, highlight the risk for younger adults.

“We’re now starting to see more and more people in the 20-, 30- and 40-year-old range developing colon cancer. At the beginning of my career, nobody that age had colorectal cancer,” said Dr. John Marshall of Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, who has been a cancer doctor for more than three decades.

That trend “is shaking us all, to be blunt,” said Marshall, who is also medical consultant to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance.

Here’s what to know about colorectal cancer — at any age — and how to protect yourself.

How common is colorectal cancer?
More than 158,000 cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year, according to the American Cancer Society. Among all ages, it’s the nation’s second leading cancer killer, behind lung cancer — expected to claim more than 55,000 lives this year.

For the population overall, cases and deaths have inched down in recent years. That’s thanks in part to screening tests that can spot tumors early, when they’re easier to treat — or even prevent them if precancerous growths are found and removed.

Who’s most at risk?
The vast majority of colorectal cancer cases and deaths still are in people 50 and older. That older age group has seen the most progress, with deaths dropping by about 1.5% a year over the past decade, according to cancer society statistics.

But while it’s still relatively rare in the under-50 crowd, their colorectal cancer diagnoses have been rising since the early 2000s.

And last month, cancer society researchers reported that colorectal cancer mortality in Americans under 50 had increased by 1.1% a year since 2005, becoming the deadliest cancer in that age group. This year, the society estimates 3,890 people under age 50 will die of it.

Risk factors at any age include obesity, lack of physical activity, a diet high in red or processed meat and low in fruits and vegetables, smoking, heavy alcohol use, having inflammatory bowel disease or a family history of colorectal cancer.

Marshall advises everyone to eat lots of fruits and vegetables and whole grains. “Meat’s not evil” but eat less of it, he said.

And a recent study found that a three-year exercise program improved survival in colon cancer patients and reduced cancer recurrence.

What are the symptoms of colorectal cancer?
Symptoms include blood in stool or rectal bleeding; changes in bowel habits such as diarrhea, constipation or narrowing of stool that lasts more than a few days; unintended weight loss; and cramps or abdominal pain.

“Don’t ignore symptoms. Get it checked,” Marshall stressed. Survival is far more likely when colorectal cancer is diagnosed early, before it spreads.

When to get screened for colorectal cancer
Medical guidelines say the average person should start getting screened at age 45 — too late for some young adults.

People known to be at higher risk are supposed to talk with their doctors about whether to start screening even earlier.

How often people need to get checked depends on the type of screening they choose. There are a variety of options, including yearly stool-based tests or colonoscopies that may be done every 10 years as long as no problems were found. There’s also a newer blood test for adults 45 or older.

What’s causing the colorectal cancer rise in younger adults?
No one knows what’s causing the rise in cases in younger adults. But Georgetown’s Marshall said many young patients lack common risk factors. He wonders if changes in young people’s gut bacteria — the microbiome — might play a role.

Also, where cancer occurs along the question mark-shaped colon — it starts on one side of the abdomen and swoops to the other before ending with the rectum — influences how aggressive it is and how it’s treated. Marshall said there’s a marked difference in where younger and older people’s tumors tend to strike, another clue being explored.