Newly released recordings have sparked criticism after an Israeli judge was heard making remarks perceived as mocking Chareidi witnesses during court proceedings. The witnesses filed a formal complaint, alleging the comments reflected prejudice against the Chareidi community, but the complaint was ultimately closed after the judge apologized and judicial authorities accepted her explanation.

The recordings, aired by Israel’s Channel 14, feature Hadera Magistrate’s Court Judge Yifat Unger-Biton addressing two Chareidi witnesses in what they described as a dismissive and insulting manner during a hearing.

In one recording, the judge tells a witness, “Sir, you speak at lightning speed. I’m saying that you’re used to going into tefillos at the shul and finishing them very quickly. You race through the prayers at a crazy pace. Nobody besides you can even understand the prayers… But here we speak slowly. We need to understand what you’re saying.”

In another exchange from the same case, the judge asks a different witness, “Is this your affidavit? This tzetel (Yiddish for ‘note’) that you brought with you?” The witness replied, “You call it a tzetel, but for us it’s a significant document.”

The two witnesses subsequently filed a complaint with Israel’s Commissioner for Complaints Against Judges, Justice Asher Kula, arguing that the judge’s remarks demonstrated bias against Chareidim, demeaned both them and their religious practices, and undermined confidence in the judiciary’s impartiality.

In her response, Judge Unger-Biton acknowledged that she may have chosen her words poorly but insisted she had no intention of offending the witnesses. She said she was attempting to speak in terms that would be familiar to them and offered an apology for her remarks.

After reviewing her response, Justice Kula decided to close the complaint. In his written decision, he stated, “Even if the judge’s explanations are correct… a judge must always be careful with his or her words and pay attention to how they may be perceived from an objective standpoint. The judge did the right thing by apologizing in her response for her remarks to the witnesses.”

The report also noted that this was not the first time Judge Unger-Biton had come under scrutiny over recorded courtroom comments. According to the report, another recording surfaced in 2019 in which she questioned one of the parties during a hearing using language that also drew public attention.

In a statement, the Judicial Authority’s spokesperson said, “In her response to the Commissioner for Complaints Against Judges, the judge apologized for her remarks, and the commissioner determined that the matter had been fully addressed.”

{Matzav.com}

Hundreds of Jordanian political, legal and public figures have signed an open letter calling for the withdrawal of American forces from Jordan, in a rare public challenge to the government’s close military relationship with the United States, according to The New York Times.

The letter argues that the presence of U.S. troops threatens Jordanian sovereignty and “exposes Jordan to security, political, and economic risks that serve no national interest.” It warns that the American military presence increases the likelihood of Jordan being drawn into a regional conflict “to which it is not a party.”

Jordan hosts approximately 4,000 American troops and serves as a major hub for U.S. military operations in the Middle East. Iranian missiles and drones have increasingly targeted American forces and military installations in the country, repeatedly triggering sirens across Jordan.

Some of those who signed the letter said they wanted to distinguish public sentiment from the Jordanian government’s foreign policy, which maintains close ties with Washington and relies heavily on U.S. economic and military assistance. The United States provided Jordan with $1.65 billion in aid last year, according to Jordanian officials.

The letter has not been published by Jordanian media outlets, and observers said the dangers of publicly criticizing the government make it difficult to determine how broadly the signatories’ views are shared. Hundreds of additional Jordanians have reportedly added their names since the letter was released.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Thirty-seven commodity ships passed through the Bab el-Mandab Strait on Tuesday, the highest number since July 19, preliminary shipping data showed, with only a few transiting through the Strait of Hormuz.

Of the ships passing through, 20 ships entered the strait while 17 ships exited, according to ship-tracking data from analytics firm Kpler. None were very large crude carriers (VLCC) or liquefied natural gas tankers.

Among those exiting, three were laden Aframax tankers carrying crude. The Aisopos and Gustav exited to the Gulf of Aden, each carrying more than 750,000 barrels of oil, while the Karachi is carrying around 430,000 barrels of crude bound for Pakistan.

Of the ships that entered, two were tankers carrying petrochemical products. The Velos Aquarius is carrying 345,000 barrels of methyl tertiary butyl ether, a type of gasoline blendstock, for delivery to the west of Suez and the Sea Ambition is carrying nearly 93,000 barrels of chemicals bound for Turkey.

Houthis using Bab al-Mandab to mirror Iran’s pressure in Strait of Hormuz

Yemen’s Houthis said on Tuesday they fired ballistic missiles at a Saudi oil tanker ​in the Red Sea, stepping up enforcement of ‌a newly declared maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia. That followed earlier attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil sites.

China has held direct talks with the Houthi movement to enable its tankers to sail through the Red Sea, sources have said.

Only five commodity ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, Kpler data showed, with three entering and two exiting.

VLCC Nissos Kea, currently empty, was one of the three ships entering the Strait.

Oman has presented a proposal to Iran for joint regional management of the Strait of Hormuz with shipping firms paying voluntary fees. But a US official said there will be no tolls or fees for passage through the strait in a coordination deal under discussion.

This post was originally published on here.

More than 80 years after a Japanese transport ship carrying Allied prisoners of war was accidentally sunk by American aircraft, the US military has launched an ambitious mission to recover the remains of approximately 250 American servicemen still believed to be trapped inside the wreck.

In December 1944, about 1,600 Allied prisoners of war—most of them American soldiers—were packed aboard the Japanese transport ship Oryoku Maru. Unaware that the vessel was carrying POWs, US warplanes attacked and sank the ship off the coast of the Philippines. Hundreds of prisoners were killed, with roughly 250 Americans believed to have remained trapped inside the wreck.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency has undertaken one of its most challenging recovery operations to date. The wreck lies on the seabed off the Philippines, where divers must navigate the crushed remains of the ship under extremely difficult underwater conditions.

An initial recovery effort in 1946 yielded only two skull fragments before the mission was abandoned, with officials recommending the site be treated as a maritime cemetery.

The effort was revived in 2016 after researchers began mapping the wreck, studying the ship’s construction, and identifying possible access routes to the cargo holds where many of the prisoners had been confined.

During the latest operation, which lasted more than two months and concluded in early May, divers from the US Navy and Coast Guard cut through steel sections using specialized torches, removed heavy debris with hydraulic equipment, and used vacuum-like recovery systems to extract material from inside the wreck.

Recovered items will now undergo extensive forensic and scientific analysis to determine whether they belong to the American servicemen who perished in the tragedy more than eight decades ago.

Christopher Schwartz, whose grandfather was among the missing soldiers, called the mission deeply meaningful.

“I can’t believe that after all this time it’s even possible,” he said. “I only wish my father were here to see it.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israeli police have arrested a man suspected of vandalizing the headquarters of Channel 12 News in Tel Aviv by hurling rocks at the building’s entrance and leaving behind a threatening letter apparently directed at journalists and public officials. Authorities said the investigation was conducted jointly with the Shin Bet security agency.

According to police, the suspect is a man in his 40s from Ramat Gan. He was taken into custody on Thursday by detectives from the Tel Aviv District’s Central Unit on suspicion of making threats against members of the media and public figures while also causing damage to the entrance of the Channel 12 News offices.

The incident took place on July 28, when officers on routine patrol noticed that the glass entrance door to the office building on Haskalah Boulevard had been shattered. Investigators also discovered a threatening letter near the entrance that was apparently addressed to journalists and public officials.

The investigation, led by the Tel Aviv Central Unit together with the Ayalon investigative unit and the Shin Bet, determined that the suspect allegedly threw rocks at the building’s entrance doors before fleeing the scene, leaving the threatening letter behind.

Police said investigators later identified and located the suspect, who was subsequently arrested and questioned. A court-issued gag order that had previously prohibited publication of details about the investigation was lifted following Thursday’s police announcement.

The attack is the latest in a series of incidents targeting Channel 12’s offices in Tel Aviv. Over the past month, the building’s glass entrance doors have been smashed on two separate occasions. In one of those incidents, surveillance footage reportedly captured a masked individual throwing a brick at the entrance.

In recent months, threatening graffiti and messages directed at Channel 12 journalists have also been sprayed around the news organization’s offices. Police opened investigations into the repeated attacks, culminating in the arrest announced on Thursday.

{Matzav.com}

JetZero took a significant step toward becoming the first new American manufacturer of large commercial passenger aircraft in decades after the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) announced it will explore providing up to $3 billion in financing for the company’s planned manufacturing campus in Greensboro, North Carolina. The announcement, made during the Farnborough International Airshow, signals growing federal support for rebuilding domestic aerospace manufacturing while creating a potential long-term competitor to Boeing.

Just as important, the announcement is not a loan approval.

EXIM issued what is known as a Letter of Interest—a preliminary framework that indicates the bank is willing to continue evaluating the project. Before any financing can be approved, JetZero must still complete financial underwriting, environmental reviews, legal examinations, and receive final approval from EXIM’s board.

That distinction matters because many large industrial projects receive Letters of Interest without ultimately securing financing. While Washington has signaled confidence in the project, no federal funds have yet been committed.

Building one of America’s largest aerospace factories

Construction is already underway.

JetZero broke ground in June on an approximately 8 million-square-foot manufacturing campus spanning about 600 acres in Greensboro. If financing is ultimately approved, the funding would support construction of production facilities, factory systems, manufacturing equipment, and other qualifying infrastructure through EXIM’s Make More in America Initiative, a program designed to encourage companies to manufacture domestically rather than overseas.

The initiative has become increasingly important as the federal government looks to strengthen critical manufacturing sectors and reduce dependence on foreign production.

According to JetZero, the Greensboro campus could create more than 14,500 direct manufacturing jobs while supporting approximately 53,000 additional jobs across suppliers, transportation companies, engineering firms, and related industries nationwide. Those employment figures are company projections and will depend on production reaching planned levels.

A different kind of passenger aircraft

Unlike traditional commercial airplanes, JetZero’s Z4 uses a blended-wing-body design.

Rather than attaching wings to a narrow cylindrical fuselage, the aircraft combines both into one wide lifting structure. The configuration resembles a manta ray and is intended to reduce drag significantly while improving fuel efficiency.

JetZero estimates the aircraft could deliver at least 30% better aerodynamic efficiency than conventional tube-and-wing airliners.

Inside, the company envisions a cabin unlike today’s passenger jets, featuring four aisles, digital exterior displays replacing conventional windows, overhead skylights, and redesigned storage systems intended to improve passenger comfort while increasing operational efficiency.

Assembly of the first demonstrator aircraft is already underway at Northrop Grumman’s Scaled Composites facility in Mojave, California, with the first flight targeted for late 2027.

Major aerospace companies are already involved

JetZero is no longer simply a startup operating on an ambitious idea.

Earlier this year the company raised $175 million in Series B financing led by B Capital, Northrop Grumman, and investment affiliates of United Airlines, RTX, and 3M. Including government grants, incentives, and commercial commitments, JetZero says it has secured more than $1 billion in total funding and financial support.

The U.S. Air Force has also invested in the program, viewing the blended-wing design as a possible future replacement for aging tanker and transport aircraft because of its projected fuel savings.

Several commercial airlines—including United, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Japan Airlines—have expressed interest in helping shape the aircraft’s development, although interest should not be confused with firm purchase orders.

Significant challenges remain

Despite growing momentum, substantial hurdles still separate JetZero from becoming a commercial aircraft manufacturer.

Designing an aircraft is only the beginning. Certifying an entirely new passenger-aircraft configuration with the Federal Aviation Administration represents one of the most demanding regulatory processes in aviation, particularly since no blended-wing passenger aircraft has previously completed FAA certification.

Commercial acceptance also remains uncertain.

Airlines would need to adapt boarding procedures, cabin layouts, maintenance practices, and passenger expectations to accommodate an aircraft that looks—and operates—very differently from today’s fleets.

Why this matters for business

Beyond aerospace, the story reflects a broader shift in U.S. industrial policy.

Historically, EXIM primarily supported export transactions. Increasingly, however, the bank is using programs such as Make More in America to help finance domestic manufacturing projects that might otherwise struggle to attract affordable private capital. Expanded lender guarantees—reaching as much as 90% on certain qualifying projects—could lower borrowing costs for manufacturers considering major U.S. expansion plans.

For suppliers, the implications could be equally significant.

Boeing has long stood as America’s only major producer of large commercial passenger aircraft. Even the emergence of a credible second manufacturer would reshape supplier negotiations, production capacity, engineering demand, and long-term competition throughout the aerospace industry.

What to watch next

The next milestone will not be another aircraft unveiling but a financing decision.

Investors, suppliers, manufacturers, and state officials will be watching to see whether EXIM converts its Letter of Interest into a formal financing commitment after completing its reviews. From there, attention will shift to JetZero’s planned first flight in 2027—a critical test of whether the company can transition from an ambitious concept into a commercially viable American aircraft manufacturer capable of reshaping one of the world’s most competitive industries.

JBizNews Desk | Greensboro, N.C.

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

Visitors to the Galilee community of Migdal experienced an inspiring encounter during the bein hazmanim vacation period when one of the senior roshei yeshiva of the generation, Rav Tzvi Kushelevsky, paid a special visit to the local Chabad House and shared the unwavering faith that sustained him for decades before he merited to have his first child at the age of 89.

Rav Kushelevsky, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Heichal HaTorah, has become a symbol of extraordinary faith and trust in Hashem throughout the Torah world after the widely celebrated birth of his first son at an age when doctors had long insisted it was impossible. He was warmly welcomed by the staff of the Migdal Chabad House, which serves local residents and the many vacationers who visit the area, especially during the summer months. The Rosh Yeshiva expressed his deep appreciation for the center’s extensive outreach efforts and encouraged its emissaries in their sacred work.

During the visit, Rav Kushelevsky delivered heartfelt remarks focused on the importance of living with joy and simple faith.

“Everything that Hashem does is only for the good. The main thing is that the Satan confuses people—if there were no Satan, everything would be clear. A person must understand that G-d does only good, and people should always be happy—that is the main thing. There is a wonderful community here that believes with simple faith, the faith that a person feels in his heart that everything G-d does is only for the good.”

Reflecting on the miracle that transformed his own life, the Rosh Yeshiva shared an emotional personal message.

“I waited 89 years to have children. All the greatest doctors and professors said it was impossible, but they don’t know that G-d does whatever He wants, whenever He wants. But a person needs merit—and this is the merit: believing that everything G-d does is for the good. You have to bring that into your heart and into your mind, and come to recognize how much G-d loves every one of us. He isn’t interested in all the professors; He is interested only in the Jew who believes and knows that everything is good. What we think is nothing. G-d does only good, and even if you don’t see it now, faith itself will transform everything for the good, and through our faith, the Messiah will also come.”

Those in attendance said the Rosh Yeshiva’s words left a profound impression on the packed gathering at the Chabad House.

The uplifting event concluded with residents and visitors joining Rav Kushelevsky in singing “Your Kindness Never Ends,” offering thanks to Hashem for His countless blessings and praying for salvation for both the Jewish people as a whole and for individuals in need.

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{Matzav.com}

A group of senior Religious Zionist rabbanim has issued a public letter strongly opposing the use of arrests and forceful enforcement measures against yeshiva students, warning that such steps are deepening divisions and making enlistment less likely.

The statement was issued by the Torat HaAretz HaTovah rabbinical organization under the title “Not by Might, Nor by Power,” amid the escalating dispute over enforcement against yeshiva students.

“The rabbanim of Torat HaAretz HaTovah completely reject the use of arrests and heavy-handed conduct toward yeshiva students,” the letter states. “These actions deepen the division and lack of trust, and do not bring soldiers into the army, but only further distance the possibility of enlistment.”

The rabbanim also called on all sides to avoid actions that harm the broader public and condemned all forms of violence, including verbal violence. “Every form of violence, including verbal violence, deepens the crisis and prevents a solution to this painful issue,” they wrote.

The letter concludes: “Only respectful and substantive dialogue will bring about a practical solution.”

The statement was signed by senior Religious Zionist rabbanim, including Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu and Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, along with many others.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Ahead of the 26th Knesset elections, scheduled for October 27, 2026, TikTok has published new guidelines for politicians, political parties, public figures, and content creators. 

At the center of the policy are a ban on paid political advertising, restrictions on the spread of misleading election information, and a requirement to label realistic content that has been created or altered using artificial intelligence.

Despite headlines suggesting a “ban on the use of artificial intelligence,” the policy does not prohibit the technology outright. Users will still be allowed to upload AI-generated content, provided it is labeled when it appears realistic. 

Fabricated content that could mislead voters, impersonate politicians, or disrupt the democratic process will be removed, even if it is identified as AI-generated.

According to the company’s guidelines, users will be prohibited from publishing false information about the date of the election, polling station locations, voting procedures, or eligibility to vote. The ban also applies to content encouraging unlawful interference with vote counting, election results, or the work of the Central Elections Committee.

TikTok said the rules will apply regardless of the intent of the person who posted the content. This means that even a video uploaded as a joke, an experiment, or an attempt to attract attention may be removed if it could cause viewers to misunderstand how or when they can vote.

AI generated videos looming challenge in upcoming election campaign

One of the central challenges expected during the upcoming election campaign is the growing use of realistic fake videos. 

Modern voice and image generation tools can now make it appear that a candidate said something they never said, depict an event that never occurred, or create what appears to be a legitimate news report from a recognized media outlet.

TikTok requires realistic AI-generated content to be labeled and employs several methods to identify it. 

Among them is a technical standard that preserves information about a file’s origin and any modifications made to it. In some cases, the system can identify content created on other platforms and automatically add a label, even if the user did not.

The company has also begun embedding invisible digital watermarks into content created using its own AI tools. These markers are designed to remain embedded in the file even after it has been downloaded, edited, or shared on another social media platform. 

Even so, the ability to detect all fabricated content remains limited, partly because tools for generating artificial videos, images, and voices continue to evolve rapidly.

Under the new rules, AI may not be used to impersonate candidates, political parties, the Central Elections Committee, or media organizations. A fabricated video showing a politician endorsing another candidate, reversing their positions, or providing false information about the election may be removed from the platform.

TikTok emphasized that it will continue to allow political discussion and organic content published by candidates, parties, and users. 

Paid political promotion, however, remains prohibited. The ban covers direct political advertisements, payments to content creators in exchange for promoting a candidate or party, and the use of the platform’s promotional tools to increase the reach of political videos.

Government accounts to be prohibited from TikTok advertising

Government, politician, and political party accounts will not be permitted to use TikTok’s advertising or monetization tools. The restrictions include earning revenue from content, receiving monetary gifts from users, or paying to boost the distribution of videos. The company noted that this is a long-standing global policy that is now receiving renewed emphasis ahead of Israel’s elections.

A limited exception will be granted to official bodies responsible for administering or overseeing the election. 

The Central Elections Committee will be allowed to publish essential public information, such as election dates, polling station locators, and voter guidance. Such advertisements are expected to provide practical information rather than promote a party or candidate.

Another area TikTok says it will focus on is covert influence operations. These involve groups of accounts acting in coordination, sometimes under false identities, to artificially amplify certain messages and create the impression that they enjoy broad public support.

The company prohibits the use of bots, fake engagement, impersonation, and coordinated account activity intended to influence public discourse without revealing the identity of those behind it. 

According to TikTok, it removed more than 40 covert influence operations worldwide during the first half of the year. The figure is based on the company’s own reporting, and the effectiveness of its enforcement during Israel’s election campaign will ultimately be tested as the campaigns progress.

TikTok establishes task force to combat election-related content

To handle election-related content in Israel, TikTok has established a dedicated task force comprising experts in cybersecurity, deceptive behavior, disinformation, and election integrity. 

The company said the team will rely on automated monitoring systems, human review, and information received from external organizations. According to TikTok, the preparations are based on experience gained from more than 250 elections worldwide.

In addition to removing content, TikTok may reduce the distribution of posts that cannot be verified, attach warning labels to them, or prevent them from appearing in users’ recommendation feeds. In some cases, users will receive a prompt encouraging them to reconsider before sharing a video.

Ahead of the opening of polling stations, the company will launch a dedicated election center within the app. The hub will rely on information from the Central Elections Committee and will include the election date, explanations of voting procedures, practical information for voters, and tips for identifying disinformation. 

Users searching for election-related information or watching election-related videos will be directed to the hub through notifications and labels displayed within the app.

This post was originally published on here.

Ukraine is reportedly intensifying its drone campaign against Russia’s fuel infrastructure by targeting the most critical components of oil refineries with the help of trained engineers, according to a report by the Financial Times.

Rather than striking at random, Ukrainian drone teams are briefed on the most vulnerable and difficult-to-replace refinery equipment, allowing them to inflict long-term damage that delays repairs and disrupts operations.

The report says the strategy has had a major impact, with more than 30% of Russia’s fuel production capacity knocked offline over the past year. Many damaged facilities remain out of service, as Russia struggles to replace key components.

The sustained attacks have reportedly pushed Russia into its worst fuel crisis since the collapse of the Soviet Union, underscoring the growing effectiveness of Ukraine’s long-range drone campaign.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Prosecutors have filed a chilling indictment alleging that Binyamin Yosef Chaim Friedrich carefully planned the murder of Rav Amos Guetta zt”l, entering the Rav’s room under the pretense of wanting to daven at his bedside before allegedly stabbing the incapacitated rov to death. He now faces charges of aggravated intentional murder, aggravated assault, and unlawful possession of a knife.

The State Attorney’s Office submitted the indictment to the Central District Court in Lod, accusing Friedrich of intentionally murdering Rav Amos Guetta. In addition to the murder charge, prosecutors also accuse him of aggravated assault and illegally possessing a knife.

According to the indictment, Rav Guetta was in extremely fragile health at the time of the attack. The beloved rov was bedridden, connected to medical equipment, required constant care, and was legally recognized as a helpless person.

Prosecutors allege that Friedrich made the decision ahead of time to murder the Rav. According to the indictment, he took a knife with a 21-centimeter blade from the yeshiva kitchen, concealed it inside his pants, and arrived at the Rav’s home at approximately 5:39 a.m.

The indictment states that Friedrich asked the Rav’s caregiver, Yaakov, for permission to enter the room, explaining that he wished to recite Tehillim beside the Rav’s bed. After Yaakov allowed him inside, the defendant allegedly stood near the foot of the bed, quietly recited a brief prayer for several moments, then suddenly drew the concealed knife and stabbed Rav Guetta in the area between his chest and abdomen.

According to prosecutors, when Yaakov rushed to stop the attack, a violent struggle broke out during which the caregiver injured his hand. Despite the attempt to restrain him, Friedrich allegedly continued the assault, stabbing Rav Guetta three additional times in the abdomen before the knife slipped from his grasp.

The indictment further alleges that Friedrich fled the home, leaving the gravely wounded Rav lying in his bed. As Yaakov pursued him toward the exit, the defendant allegedly turned to face the caregiver, raised his fists in a threatening manner, and then escaped.

Prosecutors have charged Friedrich with aggravated intentional murder, contending that the attack was premeditated and carried out against a victim who was legally incapable of defending himself. He also faces charges of aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a knife.

{Matzav.com}

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi terrorists participated in attacks against Saudi Arabia launched from Iraqi territory in coordination with Iran-aligned armed groups in Iraq, according to Reuters, citing Saudi assessments and two regional officials.

The officials said some of the missiles fired toward Saudi Arabia from Iraq were launched jointly by Iraqi groups and Houthi terrorists under the supervision of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Saudi Arabia has publicly blamed Iran-aligned Iraqi groups for the attacks, while the Houthis have separately claimed responsibility for carrying out strikes. Iraqi authorities have said they are investigating the launches.

The reported coordination suggests that Iran-backed groups across the region are strengthening their operational ties and expanding their ability to target Saudi Arabia and other U.S. allies.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Challenger data shows 139,156 technology cuts through June, up 83% year over year, with artificial intelligence the leading stated reason for four straight months

American employers announced 443,604 job cuts through the first half of 2026, and the technology sector accounted for close to a third of them, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Technology firms announced 139,156 cuts through June, an 83 percent increase over the 76,214 announced in the same period of 2025. Artificial intelligence ranked as the top stated reason for job cuts for a fourth consecutive month in June, cited in 101,743 announcements year to date — about 23 percent of all cuts.

“Tech remains the epicenter of this year’s cuts,” Andy Challenger, chief revenue officer at the Chicago-based firm, said in the report, describing AI as the dominant force as companies restructure around it, automate roles and shift budgets toward new capabilities.

The headline total is down, and that needs context

The 443,604 figure compares with 744,308 through the first half of 2025. That 40 percent decline is real but misleading: the year-earlier period was inflated by federal workforce reductions under the Department of Government Efficiency. Stripping that out, the current total is the second-highest January-to-June figure since 2020.

Second-quarter cuts came to 226,242, up 4 percent from the 217,362 announced in the first quarter and down 9 percent from the second quarter of 2025.

June itself was quiet. Employers announced 45,849 cuts, down 53 percent from May and the lowest monthly total since December 2025. Challenger attributed the cooling to the normal summer pattern while noting the cuts that did occur stayed concentrated in technology.

The AI share has climbed steeply

The trajectory within the year is the more revealing number. AI accounted for 40 percent of all cuts announced in May — up from 7 percent in January, 25 percent in March and 26 percent in April. In June it was cited in 14,029 cuts, or 31 percent of the month’s total.

For the full year 2025, AI was attributed as the reason in 54,836 cuts. The 2026 count passed that figure by May.

Other stated reasons trail well behind. Market and economic conditions accounted for 12,470 June cuts and 82,115 year to date. Closings accounted for 11,837 in June and 78,570 for the year. Restructuring was cited for 2,412, and loss of contract for 1,696.

Who has been cutting

Companies citing AI in layoff announcements this year include Cloudflare, Snap and Block. Block announced in February it planned to shed roughly 4,000 positions, close to half its headcount.

The payments sector has been particularly active. Visa said Tuesday it is cutting about 2,600 jobs, roughly 7 percent of its global workforce, with the reductions falling on technology and product teams. Visa had approximately 34,100 employees at the end of its most recent fiscal year. Mastercard announced plans earlier this year to cut 4 percent of its global workforce.

Networking has seen repeated rounds. Cisco announced plans to cut about 4,000 jobs to refocus on AI, following an earlier reduction of roughly 4,200 staff.

Hiring is not collapsing

One counterpoint deserves weight. Employers have announced plans to hire 91,405 workers so far this year, ahead of the 82,932 announced through the first half of 2025. Combined with a run of solid employment reports and stronger-than-expected job openings data, that points to a labor market with real underlying strength.

Even so, hiring announcements remain historically low relative to pre-pandemic norms. The pattern analysts have described as low-fire, low-hire is largely intact — companies are neither shedding staff broadly nor absorbing new workers at previous rates.

Energy has been one bright spot, announcing 800 new jobs in May on the strength of high oil prices, its best month since Challenger began tracking the sector.

What this means for tri-state employers

Three practical takeaways.

First, the AI attribution is partly a communications decision. When a company frames a reduction as AI-driven restructuring rather than a response to weak demand, it tells investors a growth story instead of a contraction story. The reductions are real; the stated reason is chosen. Read announcements accordingly.

Second, the hiring side is where the opportunity sits. Experienced technology and product talent is entering the market in volume — 139,156 people from that sector alone in six months. For mid-sized firms across the region that have historically lost candidates to large-cap tech compensation, this is the most favorable hiring environment in several years.

Third, if you are evaluating AI tools for your own operation, the honest question is what the technology actually replaces. Challenger’s data shows large companies concluding it replaces content, support, data entry and routine coding work. That conclusion is being drawn at scale by firms with substantial budgets to test it — which is information worth having, whether or not you reach the same answer.

Challenger’s next monthly report covering July is due in early August.

JBizNews Desk | Chicago

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

Information is key to success. Knowing what you do not know you are missing may be even more important.

Major corporations employ teams to monitor markets, regulations, government actions, industry shifts, consumer behavior and emerging risks. Investors rely on specialized terminals, paid research and professional analysts. Lawyers, accountants and lobbyists track developments within their own fields.

Most business owners, workers and consumers have none of those resources.

Yet they still must make decisions about hiring, borrowing, pricing, technology, careers and household spending while the information affecting those choices remains scattered across agencies, industries, companies, regions and specialized publications.

That is the problem JBizNews identified—and the response has been overwhelming.

Since launching in May, JBizNews has generated more than 1 million measurable impressions, article openings and website views while reaching more than 49,000 separate readers and visitors, according to internal audience analytics.

The growth points to demand for a business-news model that does more than report what happened. Readers need someone to search broadly, identify developments they may never have known to look for and explain why those developments matter.

Important business information has always existed. Access to it has not been equal.

Large corporations may have professionals tracking interest rates, trade policy, labor rules, technology investments and supply-chain disruptions. Smaller businesses often discover the same developments only after costs rise, financing tightens or competitors have already adjusted.

Consumers and workers face the same disadvantage. A regulatory action, corporate decision or economic report may eventually affect their jobs, groceries, housing, insurance or transportation, yet the connection is rarely explained when the news first breaks.

JBizNews was created to close that gap.

The platform searches across national and regional economies, government actions, corporate developments, technology, healthcare, employment, trade, retail, transportation, housing, energy and consumer markets.

Most developments are not published.

The work is in deciding what matters, finding the original source, verifying the facts and translating complex information into clear language without removing its substance.

The problem was never simply a lack of news. It was a lack of access to the right news—and an understanding of what it means.

Business coverage is traditionally divided into categories. Market publications follow stocks and economic data. Trade outlets focus on individual industries. Government agencies publish technical reports. Local outlets cover regional developments. Corporate announcements are often written for investors and professionals.

Readers do not live inside those categories.

An interest-rate decision is not only a Wall Street story. It can determine whether a business can borrow, whether a company expands and whether a family can afford a home.

A tariff is not only a trade story. It can raise a retailer’s costs, disrupt a supply chain and increase consumer prices.

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Hamas has reportedly sent a letter to the White House outlining a proposal for a long-term ceasefire in Gaza, appealing directly to President Donald Trump with an offer that includes a gradual disarmament in exchange for sweeping Israeli concessions. Israeli officials, however, have dismissed the proposal as a tactic designed to delay military action rather than a genuine peace initiative.

According to a report aired Thursday by Israel’s Channel 13 News, Hamas is seeking a 10- to 15-year “hudna,” or extended truce, in the Gaza Strip. The report comes nearly three years after the October 7 massacre, as diplomatic efforts surrounding Gaza continue to intensify.

The report says Hamas leaders drafted a letter in English and delivered it to the White House. In the message, the terror group tells President Trump it is willing to abide by an agreement and gradually disarm, while requesting a prolonged ceasefire under which Israel would halt military operations in Gaza, end targeted killings of senior Hamas figures, and begin a phased withdrawal of IDF forces from the Strip.

Israeli officials quickly rejected the proposal, characterizing it as Hamas “spin.” They said the terms bear little resemblance to the framework negotiated under President Trump’s plan last October.

Israeli sources said the proposal “has no chance” of being accepted, calling it a “desperate attempt” by Hamas to buy additional time. According to those officials, Hamas is chiefly trying to avoid being found in violation of Trump’s agreement, since doing so would give Israel grounds to restart military operations in Gaza.

Earlier Thursday, Channel 13 released additional details about the proposed arrangement. Under the reported framework, Hamas would gradually surrender some of its weapons over several years, but would stop short of relinquishing its heavy arsenal.

The proposal also envisions Arab countries providing millions of dollars in “retirement compensation” to Hamas officials who would step aside and be replaced by a technocratic governing committee.

In exchange, Israel would reportedly agree to a lengthy ceasefire that would include ending targeted strikes against Hamas leaders in Gaza. While the IDF would remain along the “Yellow Line” security corridor, it would gradually withdraw from certain other areas.

American, regional, and Palestinian officials told Channel 13 that the proposal amounts to a “fiction,” arguing that Hamas is unlikely to hand over all of its weapons to a third party it does not trust. They also noted that the document makes no commitment to reveal or dismantle Hamas’s vast tunnel network.

A senior Israeli official stressed, “The issue of Gaza did not come up at all during the meeting between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump. Israel demands the complete disarmament of Hamas, including the removal of all weapons from Gaza and the full demilitarization of the Strip as a precondition for any process.”

“The 15-point document in question does not adequately address these demands, and Israel has conveyed its reservations on the matter to envoy Tony Blair. There will be no Israeli withdrawal from the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip before Hamas is fully disarmed and the Strip is completely demilitarized.”

Channel 13 also reported earlier Thursday that two regional sources confirmed advanced negotiations are underway regarding a Hamas declaration that would relinquish control of Gaza and transfer authority to an International Stabilization Force while agreeing to disarm.

Those sources said discussions are also focusing on a formal signing ceremony in Egypt that could take place within the next several days.

The negotiations are reportedly being held in Cairo, where a senior Hamas delegation is meeting under the auspices of Egyptian intelligence, with Qatar and Turkey serving as mediators.

One regional source said only what were described as “minor” issues remain unresolved and that the Trump administration is pushing for an announcement that would allow the process to move ahead. According to that source, Hamas is prepared to transfer its weapons to a third party other than the Palestinian Authority, with an announcement potentially coming within days.

The recent diplomatic breakthrough is said to be the result of significant pressure from Egypt and Qatar, largely aimed at satisfying the White House. A signing ceremony could reportedly take place as early as today or tomorrow if the remaining disputes—including Israel’s authority to resume military operations and the powers granted to the stabilization force—are resolved.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir blasted the emerging proposal.

“With Nazis, you speak only through the sights of a rifle-and in no other way,” Ben Gvir said. “You do not commit to ending the targeted killings of terrorists or sign agreements with the devil, who has made our destruction his banner-not through a third party, not through mediators, and not through any other entity. Period.”

“After the October 7 massacre, the Prime Minister must make clear even to our closest friends that the only solution in Gaza that Israel is willing to support is encouraging emigration and destroying Hamas-no other solution.”

Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman also denounced the proposal.

“Any agreement with Hamas is a return to the same conception that led the State of Israel to the October 7 massacre. Instead of agreements with Hamas, Hamas must be destroyed,” he said.

On Sunday, Israel’s Security Cabinet unanimously approved the entry of the International Stabilization Force into Gaza, an initiative launched by President Trump. Ben Gvir cast the lone dissenting vote.

A senior Israeli official said, “The initial approval for the International Stabilization Force was established in Trump’s 20-point plan, which led to the release of all the hostages. Israel insists that the IDF will continue to hold the Yellow Line, and there will be no withdrawal whatsoever until Hamas has been completely disarmed and the Gaza Strip fully demilitarized.”

“At this stage, the force consists of approximately 200 personnel from friendly countries such as Uganda and Morocco,” the official said.

The official further stated, “Today, the Security Cabinet approved granting immunity under the Law on Immunities for International Organizations to the ISF, which will operate in full coordination with the IDF in areas beyond the Yellow Line that are not under IDF control.”

“In practice, the entry of any ISF personnel will require the specific approval of the Prime Minister, the Defense Minister, and the Foreign Minister. The Cabinet also determined that Israel will decide which countries may contribute forces. Only countries with which Israel has peace agreements and that do not act against the State of Israel or its officials in the international arena will be permitted to participate.”

{Matzav.com}

New Jersey households pay some of the highest utility bills in the nation, with the typical household spending a median of $5,568 annually on electricity, natural gas, water, sewer, and waste collection, according to a new national report.

The report, released Wednesday by bill payment company doxo, ranked New Jersey as the ninth-most expensive state for utility costs, with a median monthly utility bill of $464. Nationally, households spend a median of $363 per month, or $4,361 annually, on the same essential services.

The study found New Jersey households pay above the national median in each of the four utility categories examined. Median monthly costs in the Garden State include $139 for electricity, $111 for natural gas, $115 for waste and recycling, and $100 for water and sewer, according to the report.

Nationwide, Americans spend an estimated $582 billion annually on utility bills, which account for roughly 5% of household income, the report said. Electricity costs posted the largest year-over-year increase, rising 6.46%, while natural gas costs increased 5.63%, water and sewer costs rose 2.8%, and waste and recycling expenses climbed 2.74%.

The report comes just weeks after thousands of Jersey Central Power & Light customers across central New Jersey experienced prolonged outages following severe summer storms, prompting criticism from residents, local officials and state lawmakers over the utility’s response.

In response, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities earlier this month opened a formal investigation to examine JCP&L’s storm preparation, communications and restoration efforts. The board is encouraging customers affected by the July outages to submit comments that will become part of the official record as regulators evaluate the company’s performance.

Maryland ranked as the nation’s most expensive state for utilities, with a median monthly cost of $625, followed by Connecticut and Massachusetts. New Jersey placed ahead of Rhode Island to round out the top 10.

The findings are based on an analysis of actual bill payments made by more than 10 million consumers across more than 97% of U.S. ZIP codes. The report examined household spending on electricity, natural gas, water and sewer service, and waste and recycling collection.

A dramatic new development has emerged in the investigation into the murder of Binyahu Razi in Jerusalem, as Israeli police and the Israel Prison Service announced the arrest of a prison officer suspected of obstructing the investigation and breaching the public trust.

Authorities said the officer, 34, of Hod Hasharon, serves at a correctional facility in central Israel where a relative of the main murder suspect is serving a prison sentence.

According to investigators, the officer allegedly maintained a personal relationship with the inmate and, together with him, is suspected of helping obstruct the murder investigation and assisting the fugitive suspect.

The arrest followed a covert joint investigation by the Jerusalem District Police’s Serious Crime Unit and the Israel Prison Service after prison officials uncovered information raising concerns about the officer’s conduct.

Police emphasized that the man suspected of murdering Binyahu Razi remains on the run, with an intensive manhunt continuing around the clock.

The suspecting officer was taken in for questioning, and investigators will decide, based on the findings, whether to request that she remain in custody.

Chief Inspector Rotem Hila Zaken, head of investigations for the Zion Precinct, said: “The manhunt for the murder suspect continues around the clock, and investigators are working day and night to obtain any piece of information that could reveal his location and lead to his arrest. We said from the beginning of the investigation that we would reach every person connected to the incident and anyone who assists in obstructing the investigation or the suspect’s escape, with the goal of uncovering the truth and bringing everyone involved to justice.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Senate’s investigation into former White House COVID adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci expanded beyond questions of public health Wednesday, with Sen. John Fetterman acknowledging that the pandemic response brought what he described as “a different kind of death” to thousands of American businesses. The remarks came during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing examining the federal government’s handling of COVID-19 and are likely to renew debate over the economic costs of pandemic-era policies.

For business owners, Fetterman’s comments marked one of the clearest acknowledgments from a Democratic senator that the pandemic’s legacy extends far beyond the loss of life. He said many communities not only lost loved ones but also saw family businesses disappear after decades of work, leaving lasting economic scars that continue to shape local economies.

The hearing itself has become a focal point in Congress’ broader effort to reexamine decisions made during the COVID-19 crisis. Lawmakers questioned Fauci about the government’s pandemic response, scientific guidance and public messaging, while also revisiting issues surrounding the origins of the virus and policies that affected businesses nationwide.

Reflecting on the pandemic, Fetterman said he regretted allowing politics to influence his early dismissal of the lab-leak theory, adding that evidence should always be evaluated on its merits rather than through a partisan lens. Although his comments touched on scientific debate, his acknowledgment of the economic devastation drew particular attention because it echoed concerns raised by business groups since the height of the pandemic.

Millions of employers were forced to navigate mandatory shutdowns, shifting federal and state guidance, supply-chain disruptions, labor shortages and changing consumer behavior. While many companies adapted, countless small businesses exhausted their savings, accumulated unsustainable debt or permanently closed their doors.

Those closures continue to affect commercial corridors across the country. Empty storefronts, reduced competition in local markets and persistent workforce challenges remain visible reminders of decisions made during the pandemic, making the economic consequences an ongoing issue rather than a chapter confined to history.

For the business community, the renewed congressional scrutiny could have implications beyond assigning responsibility for past decisions. Future public health emergencies may prompt lawmakers to place greater emphasis on balancing disease mitigation with the economic impact of widespread shutdowns, particularly on small businesses that often lack the financial resources to survive extended disruptions.

Whether Congress ultimately recommends policy changes remains to be seen, but Wednesday’s hearing demonstrated that the national conversation surrounding COVID has entered a new phase. Alongside questions about science and government decision-making, lawmakers are increasingly examining the long-term economic damage suffered by entrepreneurs, employers and communities across the United States.

For business leaders, that shift may prove just as consequential as the investigation itself. The policies adopted during COVID reshaped labor markets, accelerated changes in consumer behavior, altered commercial real estate and transformed the way companies operate. As Congress continues its review, many employers will be watching to see whether the lessons of the pandemic translate into a different approach when the next national emergency arrives.

JBizNews Desk | Washington

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

A Jewish man was threatened with death and subjected to Nazi salutes while walking to shul in Berlin, according to members of the city’s Jewish community, in an incident that has sparked widespread condemnation.

Video posted to social media shows two young Muslim men confronting the victim, shouting antisemitic insults and repeatedly making the Nazi salute. According to Shlomo Afanasev, a member of Berlin’s Jewish community, the victim is a prominent member of Kahal Adass Jisroel.

“In Berlin, a leading member of my Jewish community was threatened with death on his way to the synagogue,” Afanasev wrote on X. “Two men hurled antisemitic insults at him, and one repeatedly gave the Hitler salute.”

According to Afanasev, German police arrested one of the two suspects.

“Such scenes are deeply shocking,” he wrote. “Antisemitism is not a memory of the past—it is a reality of the present. That Jews, of all places in Germany, must once again fear for their safety on the way to the synagogue is profoundly painful. Our history obligates us not to look away, not to downplay it, and not to remain silent.”

The Israeli Embassy in Germany also condemned the incident, saying it reflects a troubling shift.

“Something has changed in Germany,” the embassy said in a statement. “Young Muslim men threaten a Jew on his way to the synagogue with death. They repeatedly perform the Hitler salute publicly. They show their faces openly, state their names. They no longer have any shame.”

The embassy called on law enforcement to take firm action while urging German society to confront rising antisemitism.

“It is the task of the police to stop them,” the statement said. “But it is a societal task to ensure that such people once again feel shame rather than pride in their actions.”

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(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Mortgage rates rose this week to the highest level in a year, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday.

Freddie Mac’s latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey, released Thursday, showed the average rate on the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage climbed to 6.66% from last week’s reading of 6.58%. 

The average rate on a 30-year loan was 6.72% a year ago.

“The housing market continues to benefit from more available inventory, providing prospective homebuyers with additional options and helping support buyer activity as mortgage rates fluctuate,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.

The average rate on a 15-year fixed mortgage rose to 6.04% from last week’s reading of 5.96%.

Two-year runway to reshore production begins Saturday; generics account for 90% of U.S. prescriptions, and more than half come from India

The two-year transition period before tariffs hit imported generic medicines begins Saturday, August 1, under a timeline President Trump announced last week — the first specific schedule the administration has set for a category of drugs it had previously exempted.

In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, July 21, Trump said imported generic drugs would carry a zero percent tariff during a two-year transition starting August 1, 2026, then face a 100 percent rate for one year beginning in August 2028, rising to 200 percent thereafter. He described the duties as a penalty for companies that decline to build plant and equipment in the United States within the allotted time, and provided no detail on how that penalty would be assessed.

A White House official told Politico the administration intends to use Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, following a Commerce Department investigation that found pharmaceutical imports threaten to impair national security. No official policy implementing the tariffs has been released.

How much of the medicine cabinet this covers

Generic medications account for 90 percent of prescriptions filled in the United States, according to the Food and Drug Administration. These are the antibiotics, painkillers and cholesterol drugs most Americans actually take, manufactured with the same active ingredients as brand-name products at a fraction of the cost.

The supply chain is concentrated abroad. India now supplies more than 50 percent of the generic prescriptions filled in the U.S., according to a 2025 report by the Senate Committee on Aging. The U.S. also depends heavily on China, which provides 95 percent of imported ibuprofen, 70 percent of acetaminophen and as much as 45 percent of penicillin imports, per figures from the Coalition for a Prosperous America.

The branded tariffs are already landing

The generics timeline sits on top of a policy already in motion. Trump signed an executive order on April 2 imposing a 100 percent Section 232 tariff on patented pharmaceuticals and their ingredients, effective in 120 days for large companies and 180 days for smaller ones. Manufacturers with approved plans to open U.S. facilities face 20 percent instead. Drugs from the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland and Liechtenstein face 15 percent, with a lower unspecified rate for the United Kingdom under a separate agreement.

Branded drugs become subject to rates as high as 100 percent at the end of this month. Trump said that branded policy remains unchanged.

More than a dozen major drugmakers, including Eli Lilly, Pfizer and Novo Nordisk, have struck deals with the administration to lower prices on new and existing medicines under its most-favored-nation policy, which ties U.S. prices to cheaper prices abroad and exempts those companies from tariffs for three years.

Whether two years is enough

That is the central question, and the answer from people who build pharmaceutical plants is not encouraging. Constructing and validating new U.S. manufacturing capacity typically takes considerably longer than the two-year runway on offer, which leaves the announcement adding uncertainty to an industry already running on thin margins and sets up 2028 as a pivotal year for drug affordability and supply chain stability.

The Association for Accessible Medicines, which represents generic drugmakers, said it needs to understand the specifics and urged the administration to address existing barriers to expanding domestic production. Public Citizen, which filed comments in the Commerce investigation, said reducing overreliance on a few sources is a legitimate goal but that the administration has not supplied the detail needed to evaluate the plan.

What the industry numbers already show

The generics business was under pressure before any tariff took effect. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, one of the largest suppliers of generic medicines to the American market, reported Wednesday that its U.S. revenue fell 5 percent year over year to $1.70 billion, with the overall decline driven mainly by lower generic revenue, primarily generic Revlimid.

Teva’s response has been to move upmarket. Its three key branded products grew a combined 43 percent year over year in local currency, clearing $1 billion in the quarter, and its biosimilars portfolio is tracking toward $800 million in revenue by 2027. That is a company reallocating toward higher-margin products, which is a rational answer to margin pressure — and it does not add domestic generic capacity.

What tri-state employers should do now

For any business that self-insures or funds a health plan, the exposure is straightforward. Generic drugs are the cheap component of pharmacy spend, and a tariff on 90 percent of prescriptions filled would work through to plan costs. Two years is enough time to build that scenario into multi-year benefit projections, and it should be built in — quietly, before renewal season, rather than in 2028.

Pharmacies and independent drug retailers should be reading the same clock on the inventory and sourcing side. Distributors will move first, and terms will tighten before duties do.

The legal path is not settled

Legislation introduced this year, the Congressional Trade Powers Reform Act of 2026, would require the president to obtain congressional approval for tariffs imposed under Section 301, Section 201 and Section 232 — the authority invoked here — and would eliminate the Section 122 and Section 338 authorities entirely.

Two years of runway is also two years of litigation and legislation. The clock that starts Saturday is the administration’s; whether it runs to 2028 is a separate question.

JBizNews Desk | Washington, D.C.

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

After nearly two months of intensive medical treatment, encouraging news emerged regarding the condition of the renowned mekubal, Rav Chizkiyahu Dov HaKohen Kook. Family members reported a significant improvement in his condition, while stressing that he remains in need of continued tefillos.

According to the update released from the Rav’s home, he is now breathing on his own after approximately two months during which he was unable to do so without assistance.

Despite this encouraging development, the family emphasized that the public should continue davening intensely, particularly for the Rav’s left hand and fingers, whose condition remains a source of serious concern. They also reported that, at present, the Rav is still unable to see or speak, although he is able to hear those around him.

Members of the household and close associates are urging Klal Yisroel to continue pouring out heartfelt tefillos and supplications for the complete and speedy recovery of Rav Chizkiyahu Dov ben Shoshana.

{Matzav.com}

U.S. investigators increasingly believe Iran may be responsible for a cyberattack that disrupted dozens of municipal water systems across Minnesota this week, according to officials familiar with the ongoing investigation.

The assessment was first reported by The New York Times, which cited three state officials who spoke anonymously after being briefed on the probe. While the investigation has not reached a final conclusion, authorities reportedly believe the evidence points toward Iranian involvement.

Federal officials say the methods used in the intrusion, combined with the lack of any ransom demand, suggest the operation was designed to cause disruption rather than generate money. Those characteristics have led analysts to tentatively attribute the attack to Iranian hackers.

The FBI said several indicators are consistent with previous Iranian cyber activity, including Tehran’s growing interest in America’s water infrastructure.

“The FBI is aware of recent public reporting around Water and Wastewater (WWS) sectors,” they wrote in a social media post. “The FBI is actively engaged with victims.”

Investigators also believe the hackers were focused on interrupting critical services instead of seeking a financial payoff.

Although officials confirmed that no drinking water was contaminated, cybersecurity experts say the incident had the potential to become far more dangerous. Metro State cybersecurity professor Faisal Kalim explained that the attackers appeared to focus on operational technology—the systems responsible for controlling essential infrastructure such as pumps and electrical equipment.

“OT deals with something called the industrial control system that actually controls these water pumps, wells, power sectors, and so on,” says Kalim.

Authorities continue to examine the full scope of the breach. Minnesota IT Services said the investigation remains ongoing as officials evaluate the systems impacted in roughly 30 communities throughout the state.

{Matzav.com}

A 15-year-old Arab Israeli has been indicted after allegedly threatening to carry out a bombing against IDF soldiers in messages posted to a WhatsApp group, Israeli prosecutors announced Thursday.

According to the indictment filed by the Central District Attorney’s Office, the teen uploaded a video earlier this month showing an IDF military vehicle near a barn, writing, “Here comes the army, may Allah shame them.”

Prosecutors allege that he then sent a series of voice messages describing plans to plant explosives beneath the soldiers’ seats.

“I want to plant an explosive for them. I know where they’re sitting,” the teen allegedly said. “I’ll put explosives under each one of them.”

Even after another participant warned him that his comments could be reported to police, prosecutors say the teen continued making threats, allegedly stating, “I’ll blow them up with explosives… wait a little, they’ll get gifts from Allah.”

One member of the WhatsApp group subsequently reported the messages to police, triggering an investigation that led to the teen’s arrest.

The indictment charges the suspect with making terrorist threats. The case is being prosecuted by the Central District Attorney’s Office.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

FIRST ON FOX: The Trump administration is sending notices of intent to 100 agents affiliated with the Obamacare marketplace who allegedly violated the exchange’s standards of conduct by submitting insurance applications without recipients’ Social Security numbers or other identifying information.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), led by Dr. Mehmet Oz, alleged that agents did this “repeatedly.”

A marketplace agent is a professional who helps people shop for healthcare through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchange.

More broadly, CMS estimates that “roughly 35% of Marketplace enrollments may be illegitimate.”

If 35% of enrollments by agents are illegitimate, that represents about 5 to 6 million people “whose premiums could be improperly subsidized,” CMS said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

The action being taken against the 100 agents comes after a report published by the Health and Human Services Department found that “2.6 million improper or phantom enrollments remain, including more than 1 million enrollments submitted without a Social Security number.”

In response, the CMS has advanced a number of ACA reforms meant to protect taxpayers and patients from alleged fraud, waste and abuse.

The proposed reforms, the CMS said, would have saved $3 billion. The agency accused Democrats in Congress of preventing the full implementation of these provisions.

The CMS’s latest action against ACA agents is another step in the agency’s crackdown on fraud.

Oz sent letters in May to Minnesota, California, Florida, New York and Maine about possible medical equipment fraud.

An anti-fraud task force, led by Vice President JD Vance, announced in February that durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS) suppliers will be targeted through a nationwide moratorium.

That task force revealed new figures in early July that show a drastic 7,100% spike in Medicare claims for skin substitutes in just six years.

The staggering increase in claims occurred between 2019 and 2025, surging from $200 million to $14.4 billion, prompting the anti-fraud task force and CMS to identify potentially fraudulent claims and deny 96% of claims made since March.

The CMS identified 4,200 suspicious claims for skin substitutes, known as allografts, totaling $224 million in charges through May of this year.

Israel’s Central Elections Committee has approved a series of special procedures to ensure that IDF soldiers serving in active combat zones will be able to cast their ballots in the upcoming national elections, while also addressing the possibility of missile attacks disrupting voting across the country.

The measures, approved Thursday by the committee headed by Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, include a unique identification process for troops deployed inside Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, where soldiers are unable to carry standard identification documents for security reasons.

Under the new procedures, combat soldiers voting in enemy territory will be identified using their military dog tags, with an additional soldier verifying their identity. The verification process will be documented in the official voting protocol, while the soldiers’ double-envelope ballots will undergo an additional layer of identity verification during the counting process.

The committee also approved emergency protocols for polling stations in the event of missile attacks or air raid sirens on Election Day. If an alert is activated, voting will be temporarily suspended while election officials secure ballots and move the ballot box to a protected area. A designated election supervisor will document the process, and ballots outside the ballot box at the time of the interruption will be placed into a separate envelope for accountability.

Election officials said they intend to locate as many polling stations as possible inside protected spaces, particularly in communities near Israel’s borders. Where that is not feasible, the emergency procedures will be implemented if security conditions require.

Separately, Israeli security officials are preparing for potential threats to the integrity of the October 27 election. The Shin Bet has established a dedicated task force that will work alongside the Central Elections Committee, Israel Police, and other government agencies to safeguard the electoral process.

According to Israeli security officials, the primary threats include ideologically motivated terrorist attacks, threats against political candidates, and foreign interference efforts using cyberattacks, social media campaigns, and bot networks. Officials warned that hostile countries, including Iran, Russia, and China, have increased attempts to influence Israeli public discourse and deepen internal divisions ahead of the vote.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Record summer output is heading overseas as the Iran and Russia conflicts drain global supply; diesel back above $5 a gallon

American refineries ran at 97.2 percent of operable capacity in the week ending July 24, producing an average of 9.9 million barrels per day of gasoline, according to Energy Information Administration data released Wednesday. It is the hardest the domestic refining system has been pushed since before the pandemic — and it is not keeping domestic inventories whole.

Crude oil inventories stood at 404.5 million barrels, about 6 percent below the five-year average for this point in the year. Total motor gasoline inventories rose slightly on the week but remain 7 percent below the five-year average. Distillate fuel inventories, which cover diesel and heating oil, increased by 1.1 million barrels and sit roughly 10 percent below the five-year average.

Running flat out and still losing ground on stockpiles is the defining condition of this market.

Where the fuel is going

The answer is overseas. Refiners produced an average of 5.3 million barrels a day of distillate fuel in July, putting the month on pace for the most diesel the United States has ever made in July and one of the highest months on record outside winter heating season. The country is tracking toward its second-largest month of distillate exports on record, behind only summer 2022, with buyers from South America to Europe competing for cargoes.

Renewed fighting in the Middle East is again threatening shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, while Russia has banned most fuel exports following sustained drone strikes on its refineries. Two major export sources have been pulled or partially pulled from the global market at the same time, and American refiners are filling the gap at premium margins.

That has pushed refining crack spreads — the margin between crude cost and product price — to record levels. Gasoline crack spreads are up roughly 60 percent from a year ago, while diesel and jet fuel spreads run more than double 2025 levels, according to EIA data.

The economics are working exactly as designed. The problem is that they point the product away from American storage tanks.

What it costs at the pump

Diesel is back above $5 a gallon at retail after easing during a short-lived U.S.-Iran ceasefire. Gasoline has moved above $4 a gallon. West Texas Intermediate stood at $83.43 a barrel on July 17, nearly $11 higher than a year earlier.

Demand is not cooperating either. Over the four weeks through mid-July, gasoline supplied to the market averaged 8.9 million barrels a day, up 1.4 percent from a year ago; distillate supplied averaged 3.7 million barrels a day, up 2.2 percent; and jet fuel demand ran 9.1 percent above the year-ago period.

Why this is a tri-state business problem

Diesel above $5 is a direct cost line for every trucking company, freight broker, distributor, contractor and food wholesaler operating in the region. It moves through to delivered cost on essentially everything, with a lag of a few weeks. Firms operating on annual contracts priced when diesel was lower are absorbing that difference themselves.

The timing compounds it. Diesel demand is about to peak as farmers begin the fall harvest — the same fuel, the same constrained supply, a seasonal demand spike arriving on top of export-driven drawdowns.

Then comes the heating season. Distillate covers home heating oil, and the Northeast is the largest heating oil market in the country. Analysts expect further tightness as refinery maintenance season approaches, with low inventories raising the risk of higher prices heading into winter. Buildings, schools and multifamily properties across the tri-state area that heat with oil should be looking at their winter procurement now rather than in October.

The structural constraint

The capacity simply is not there to run any harder. The United States operates 132 refineries with a combined 18.4 million barrels per day of capacity. Roughly 1.1 million barrels per day of daily capacity was lost between 2020 and 2021, about a third of global capacity losses in that period, and only some has been recovered through expansion of existing plants. California has lost two refineries recently and now imports more product. One new refinery is under construction in Texas, designed for light shale crude.

Refiners have also deferred maintenance to capture current margins — shutdowns averaged 470,000 barrels per day from January through May, down from 700,000 a year earlier and 900,000 in 2024, with little maintenance scheduled for the back half of the year. Deferred maintenance eventually has to happen, and when it does, output drops.

One more variable: extreme summer heat reduces refinery efficiency, since the process depends on cooling capacity to separate crude into finished products.

The takeaway for anyone budgeting fuel costs is that record production is not a signal of comfort. It is a system at its ceiling, meeting global demand, with the domestic cushion thinning.

JBizNews Desk | Washington, D.C.

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Recent reports from several military correspondents have highlighted what they describe as a sharp increase in Chareidi enlistment in the IDF, attributing the rise to sanctions imposed on the Chareidi community. But critics argue the headline figures tell only part of the story—and may paint a misleading picture of what is actually happening.

At first glance, the reported increase appears to support the Defense Ministry’s claim that mounting pressure is producing results. But before accepting the numbers at face value, critics say one key question must be asked: What exactly is increasing? More importantly, they ask whether even a single additional Chareidi combat soldier has joined the battlefield as a direct result of the sanctions.

Sources familiar with the data contend that the reality behind the statistics is far more complicated. According to those sources, there has been no meaningful increase in the number of Chareidi combat troops. Instead, they argue, the military is grouping together a wide range of enlistment programs under the broad heading of “Chareidi recruitment,” even though many of those tracks do not address the operational manpower shortages the IDF has repeatedly emphasized in recent months.

For example, part of the reported increase stems from hundreds of recruits entering Chareidi hesder yeshivos. While these young men have officially enlisted, they continue in structured yeshiva programs and do not necessarily become active combat soldiers.

Another portion of the increase comes from young men who, in previous years, would likely have chosen national civilian service. Following the closure of many civilian service options for the Chareidi public, they have instead been redirected into other military frameworks that are now being counted as enlistments.

The figures also include specialized programs such as Kodkod and other technological and vocational tracks. From a Chareidi perspective, participation in these programs represents a significant departure from traditional norms. At the same time, critics argue that the military’s own public messaging has centered on an urgent need for combat troops—not expanded enrollment in non-combat or support roles.

In other words, critics say the IDF tells the public it urgently needs additional fighters, but when seeking to demonstrate that sanctions are working, it counts rear-echelon assignments, technological training programs, soldiers who are not necessarily intended for combat, and recruits transferred from civilian service frameworks.

According to the article, that is the central problem. When officials seek to justify increased pressure on the Torah world, they point to a shortage of combat soldiers. But when they present evidence that the policy is succeeding, they count nearly every Chareidi who enters any type of military framework.

Critics argue that this creates a narrative favorable to the defense establishment. The public is told that Chareidi enlistment is rising, while policymakers are led to believe the sanctions are beginning to achieve their intended effect. Yet if the numbers do not reflect a genuine increase in combat personnel, they contend, the statistics amount largely to an exercise in presentation rather than proof of success.

The article concludes that the public deserves a more precise accounting: How many additional Chareidim have actually joined combat units as a result of the sanctions? Not how many were formally inducted, entered technological programs, or shifted from civilian service into another framework—but how many new combat soldiers have truly been added.

Until that figure is released transparently, the article argues, claims of a dramatic rise in Chareidi enlistment should be viewed with caution. There may indeed be an increase in the categories the military has chosen to count, but whether that translates into meeting the operational need the IDF has repeatedly cited remains, according to the article, an open question.

{Matzav.com}

The following is an ‘Ask The Mayor’ question submitted to TLS, and the Mayor’s response. Email your questions for the Mayor to [email protected].

Question:

Dear Mayor Ray Coles,

Thank you so much for all that you do for Lakewood. Your efforts to improve our community are greatly appreciated.

I would like to bring one traffic issue to your attention. When driving on E. Veterans Highway toward Westgate (Hillside Boulevard), the shoulder was recently painted with diagonal stripes. As a result, drivers can no longer use that area to make a right turn onto Hillside Boulevard, which can cause traffic to back up.

Would you please consider having that section repainted as a designated right-turn lane? I believe it would help improve traffic flow and make the intersection more efficient.

Thank you for your time and consideration, and again, thank you for your continued service to the residents of Lakewood.

Response from Mayor Coles:

Good morning

I received a couple emails about this and this issue has been turned over to the county to be addressed.

Thanks

Ray

—————–

Have a question for the Mayor? Send it to [email protected]

Have a question for the Chief? Send it to [email protected]

Record June home prices and a 5% drop in pending sales point to a slow summer, with the Iran war keeping upward pressure on rates

The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage sat close to 6.75 percent on Wednesday, according to daily surveys published after the Federal Reserve left its benchmark rate unchanged for a fifth consecutive meeting.

The figure varies by who is counting. Bankrate put the 30-year fixed average at 6.75 percent Wednesday. Forbes Advisor, using Mortgage Research Center data, reported 6.73 percent, up 0.06 percentage points from the prior week, with the 15-year fixed at 5.95 percent APR. Zillow data provided to U.S. News showed the 30-year purchase rate at 6.827 percent, down from 6.877 percent the previous day, with refinancing at 6.963 percent and the 15-year at 5.929 percent.

Those spreads reflect different survey methods and loan mixes rather than genuine disagreement. The operative point is that rates have been parked in the mid-to-high 6s and did not move meaningfully on the Fed decision.

Why the Fed hold doesn’t move the mortgage

Mortgage rates fell through the last three months of 2025 after the Fed cut at its September, October and December meetings, bringing the policy rate to a 3.50 to 3.75 percent target range. The FOMC has held there through 2026.

The 30-year mortgage tracks long-term inflation expectations and the Treasury market, not the overnight rate — which is why five holds have produced no relief. Rates on home loans have risen since the start of the U.S. war in Iran in late February, with the Middle East conflict pushing oil prices higher, feeding manufacturing and transport costs, and translating into inflation that keeps rates elevated.

That chain is the whole story of the 2026 housing market. Anyone waiting for the Fed to fix affordability has been waiting on the wrong institution.

Prices at a record, sales falling

The demand side is where the strain shows. The National Association of Realtors reported on July 9 that the median price of existing homes rose to $440,600 in June, an all-time high. On July 16, NAR said June pending home sales fell more than 5 percent.

Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist at Bright MLS, said higher rates point to a slow summer market, and that the June pending-sales data suggests a steeper-than-usual drop-off in closed sales through July and August. Pending sales lead closings by roughly one to two months, so the June figure is a forecast of what the late-summer numbers will show.

Record prices alongside falling transaction volume is a specific condition: sellers are not cutting, buyers are not stretching, and the market clears at lower volume rather than lower prices.

Incomes are keeping pace, barely

One counterweight is worth noting. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that median weekly earnings for the nation’s 121 million full-time wage and salary workers rose 4.6 percent in the second quarter of 2026, outpacing inflation.

Wages growing faster than prices is the healthiest number in the current data. It is not enough to close the affordability gap when the median home is at a record and financing costs near 7 percent, but it means household balance sheets are improving rather than eroding.

What tri-state buyers and owners should look at

The jumbo market matters disproportionately here. The conforming loan limit for 2026 is $832,750 across most of the country, though it runs higher in designated high-cost areas. The average 30-year jumbo rate stood at 6.882 percent, essentially unchanged on the day. Across much of Westchester, northern New Jersey, Long Island and Fairfield County, the median transaction sits above the standard conforming line, putting a meaningful share of local buyers into jumbo pricing.

FHA financing is running cheaper — the average 30-year FHA rate was 6.098 percent, up from 6.063 percent the prior day. For buyers with modest down payments or credit in the mid-600s, that spread of nearly three-quarters of a point against the conventional 30-year is significant, and it is often overlooked.

For owners considering a refinance, the arithmetic remains unfavorable. Refinancing at 6.963 percent only helps borrowers who took a higher rate earlier in the cycle or who are pulling equity for a specific purpose.

What would actually change it

Two things, and neither is a Fed cut. The first is energy. If oil retreats and holds, headline inflation cools and long rates follow. That depends on the Strait of Hormuz, not on Washington.

The second is inventory. Falling pending sales with record prices means supply is not arriving. Owners sitting on mortgages issued at 3 percent have no financial reason to list, and that lock-in is what holds prices at records while volume declines.

Rates may begin to decline if inflation eases or the economy weakens. For anyone underwriting a purchase this fall, the sound assumption is the rate on offer today, not the one hoped for next spring.

JBizNews Desk | New York

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

Vice President JD Vance and Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu held a private face-to-face meeting earlier this week in an effort to address mounting disagreements over U.S. policy toward Iran and broader Middle East strategy. While officials from both governments acknowledged that the conversation was unusually candid, they described it as constructive and said both sides remain committed to working together.

The meeting took place at Blair House after months of private friction between the two leaders over the Trump administration’s diplomatic efforts with Iran and Netanyahu’s approach to the ongoing regional conflict, according to Axios.

An Israeli official said Netanyahu used the meeting to express concern over Vance’s recent public remarks criticizing the Israeli government and questioning Israel’s standing within the Republican Party.

“It was a frank and candid conversation,” the official said.

An American official echoed that description, calling the discussion “direct.”

Vance’s office declined to comment publicly on the meeting. However, another U.S. official said the vice president and the Israeli prime minister held a “cordial and productive conversation about Middle East issues that are important to both countries.”

“The vice president and the prime minister agreed to continue pursuing opportunities for Israel and the United States to cooperate in areas of mutual interest and shared goals,” the U.S. official said, emphasizing that the meeting was not hostile and that the two leaders continue to maintain a productive working relationship.

Vance has become one of the leading voices within President Donald Trump’s administration advocating continued diplomatic engagement with Iran, particularly after the ceasefire reached on April 8.

He also played a prominent role in defending the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, an agreement that Netanyahu reportedly opposed behind closed doors while refraining from publicly attacking it in hopes it would ultimately collapse.

That agreement eventually fell apart.

In recent months, the policy divide between Washington and Jerusalem has become increasingly public.

During June, Vance warned Israeli officials against publicly criticizing the Trump administration’s diplomatic efforts, saying members of Israel’s government should not attack “the only powerful ally” they have.

Appearing on Joe Rogan’s podcast in July, Vance went further, alleging that certain members of the Israeli government were engaged in an influence campaign designed to push the United States away from diplomacy and toward prolonging the conflict.

During that same interview, he also asserted that Jeffrey Epstein had connections to “the highest levels of Israeli intelligence.”

Officials familiar with the relationship said Netanyahu has privately objected to several of Vance’s public comments, including claims that the Israeli premier encouraged opposition to the Iran agreement and failed to demonstrate sufficient loyalty to President Trump.

At the same time, there have been accusations that individuals aligned with Netanyahu in both Israeli and American media have sought to politically weaken Vance.

According to officials, this week’s meeting gave both leaders an opportunity to address those disputes directly rather than through public statements.

This was not the first time the two men reportedly clashed behind closed doors. During a telephone conversation in March, Vance challenged Netanyahu’s optimistic assessment of the war, including predictions that Iran’s government was on the verge of a popular uprising that could bring down the regime.

{Matzav.com}

The editorial board of HaDerech, the newspaper affiliated with the Shas movement, launched a blistering attack on Israel’s emerging political parties and several prominent politicians, arguing that excluding the Chareidi parties from government has become the unifying goal of a new generation of self-described “value right” leaders.

Published under the headline, “Whoever Distresses Israel Becomes a Leader,” the editorial contends that the common denominator among the new political initiatives is a determination to form a governing coalition without the participation of the Chareidi parties.

“In these days, new parties are springing up like mushrooms after the rain, such as those of Trooper, Hendel, Gilad Erdan, Yuli Edelstein, Ayelet Shaked and others like them. And what are they offering?” the editorial asks. According to the paper, “These are ‘value right’ figures who shifted toward the center solely to detach themselves from the bloc aligned with the Chareidim. ‘We will establish a Zionist government without Chareidim and Arabs,’ they pledge, while declaring Yair Golan to be a worthy and preferred partner. Indeed, a worthy and principled partner for the people of the ‘value right.'”

The editorial also argues that Gadi Eisenkot’s political rise has not been fueled by a new diplomatic vision or economic platform.

“If we try to trace the reason for Gadi Eisenkot’s success—from a gray and nearly marginal political figure to someone leading the left-wing bloc and claiming the mantle of prime minister—we will not find any new diplomatic or economic doctrine, an inspiring platform or a revolutionary agenda that should capture the nation’s heart,” the editorial states.

Instead, the paper claims Eisenkot’s popularity stems from a different source.

“The primary reason for his success is simple: he promises to fulfill his voters’ instinct of hatred toward the other bloc and bring about its downfall.”

The editorial further argues that Eisenkot “doesn’t have to do much,” asserting that it is enough for him “to build his electoral prospects on hatred toward the Chareidim and wave it proudly.”

The newspaper also criticized former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, accusing him of intensifying anti-Chareidi rhetoric in an effort to revive his political standing.

“And then comes Bennett, the man who already reached the summit and experiences political decline every week—and goes crazy. Hatred of Chareidim? I know how to do that even better. And just like that, his entire platform becomes a horrifying campaign of incitement against Torah learners.”

The editorial also took aim at Avigdor Liberman and Yair Golan.

“And what about Liberman? After all, he was the one who invented the method when he sent the Chareidim to the garbage dump in wheelbarrows. That man certainly doesn’t need to be taught how to incite or cultivate hatred toward the Chareidi public. And Yair Golan? Well, he’s the one who ‘identifies processes,’ who called the believing public ‘eaters of death,’ and now also promises to deal with the ‘parasites’.”

At the heart of the editorial is the claim that opposition to the Chareidi community has become one of the few issues capable of uniting much of Israel’s political establishment.

“Thus, the Chareidi public has become the new consensus in Israeli politics. Nearly all party leaders, who frequently speak loftily about national unity, are united on one thing: unity without Chareidim. Hatred of the Chareidi public has become the most sought-after political commodity on the market.”

The editorial goes on to cite the teaching of Chazal, “Whoever distresses Israel becomes a leader,” arguing that while the statement historically referred to Israel’s enemies, there have also been internal opponents throughout Jewish history who sought to weaken Torah and those who dedicate themselves to its study.

The piece concludes by urging the Chareidi public to remain steadfast in its faith and commitment to Torah despite the political climate.

“We have nothing to do but continue on our path, with faith and trust, knowing that ‘Hashem will fight for you, and you shall remain silent.’ That is how it has been throughout the generations, and that is how it will be this time as well.”

{Matzav.com}

Lebanese authorities have issued a 30-day arrest warrant for prominent businessman and banker Antoun Sehnaoui after he was photographed dining with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu at a Washington event honoring the late Sen. Lindsey Graham.

According to Lebanese judicial officials, Sehnaoui is under investigation for alleged “contact with the Israeli enemy” and violating Lebanon’s boycott law against Israel. The warrant was issued after several lawyers filed complaints over the widely circulated photo, prompting prosecutors to order an investigation. Authorities are also examining whether the image is authentic or AI-generated.

The dinner was co-hosted by Sehnaoui and former U.S. diplomat Morgan Ortagus and was attended by Netanyahu, his wife Sara, and other senior officials. The photo sparked widespread backlash across Lebanon’s political spectrum after it was shared on social media.

Sehnaoui, chairman of Lebanon’s SGBL Bank, has long been viewed as supportive of ties with Israel. Ortagus previously described him and his family as coming from generations of “Lebanese Christian Zionists,” while acknowledging that such contacts are technically illegal under Lebanese law.

The case could ultimately be referred to a military tribunal, despite ongoing diplomatic contacts and agreements between Israel and Lebanon.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that US President Donald Trump is in full control of the war with Iran after disclosing that the two leaders discussed options to resolve the conflict in their recent meeting in Washington, ABC News reported on Thursday. 

Netanyahu also reportedly rejected claims that he pushed Trump to get involved in the Iranian war initially, going on to deny persuading the president to launch a new wave of strikes after their Tuesday meeting. 

“No, I didn’t mislead anything… nobody tells President Trump what to do,” Netanyahu said.

In the ABC interview, the prime minister reaffirmed that he believes Trump is at the helm of the US-Israeli partnership, calling the president the “senior partner” and himself the “junior partner.”

“I’m the prime minister of Israel, and when I have to stand up for the interest of my country and the security of my country, I do so,” Netanyahu said. “But I always do so with a deep appreciation of the role that the United States under President Trump has played in joining forces with us against our common enemy that wants to destroy us both.”

Though the meeting between Trump and Netanyahu occurred behind closed doors, Netanyahu said they discussed how to end the war with Iran. Within that, they covered possibilities for negotiating with Iranian officials, the blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, and whether increased military action is necessary. 

Netanyahu meets with Trump, says Iran is weakened

Netanyahu also claimed that Iran is weaker than ever, but maintained a healthy amount of skepticism over whether a diplomatic solution with the regime is on the table.

“They always lie, they always cheat, and they always play for time. Could that, within sufficient pressure – diplomatic, economic pressure – could that change? Give it a try,” Netanyahu said.

ABC went on to question the prime minister on the Strait of Hormuz, though he answered that it would be impossible to know how Iran plans to weaponize the flow of commerce in the waterway. Regardless, he maintained that the strait won’t hold as much weight in the oil market after the war ends.

“I don’t think the straits are going to be that powerful a leverage because people will move the energy pipelines out of the straits to the Red Sea, from there to Israel in the Mediterranean. We can unblock this chokehold, and we will,” Netanyahu said.

Although Netanyahu spoke about the theoretical end to the war, the US renewed strikes in the region overnight on Wednesday into Thursday morning, hitting cities in southern Iran.

Israel has remained uninvolved in the conflict, but Netanyahu said if Iran targets Israel with missiles, it would be a “perilous mistake,” and Israel would respond “very, very forcefully,” according to ABC.

This post was originally published on here.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee advanced President Donald Trump’s nominees to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the federal office responsible for preparing the country for pandemics and other health emergencies Thursday, moving both nominations to the full Senate.

Dr. Erica Schwartz received support from every Republican present and Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia to become CDC director. Sean Kaufman was backed by committee Republicans for assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the Department of Health and Human Services, while Democrats opposed him. 

Their advancement begins to fill two positions that directly influence how hospitals, drugmakers, employers and state governments prepare for disease outbreaks and medical-supply emergencies.

Schwartz, a physician and former deputy U.S. surgeon general, would take control of a CDC that has faced leadership turnover, workforce departures and continuing disputes over vaccine policy. She would become the Trump administration’s third nominee for the position in less than two years. 

During her confirmation hearing, senators pressed Schwartz on whether she would maintain scientific independence under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. She pledged transparency and said she would not betray scientific evidence, although some lawmakers remained dissatisfied with her reluctance to criticize individual administration decisions. 

Kaine’s support gave the CDC nomination a measure of bipartisan backing. He had indicated that the agency needed a permanent leader as the country confronts multiple public-health threats.

Kaufman would oversee the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, the HHS division responsible for coordinating the federal response to health emergencies and maintaining the Strategic National Stockpile.

That position carries substantial influence over federal purchases of vaccines, medications, protective equipment and emergency supplies. Decisions made by the office can determine which pharmaceutical manufacturers receive government contracts and how quickly hospitals obtain critical products during a crisis.

Kaufman faced sharper Democratic opposition over previous statements questioning vaccination policies and the government’s use of messenger RNA technology. At his hearing, he defended the technology’s potential while arguing that additional review was warranted. 

Republicans framed both nominees as necessary leadership additions after prolonged vacancies across federal health agencies. Democrats focused on whether the appointees would challenge political pressure and protect established public-health practices.

Thursday’s votes were delayed from an earlier committee meeting after attendance problems prevented the panel from completing its work. The HELP Committee subsequently rescheduled both nominations for July 30. 

Neither nominee has been confirmed. Both must still win approval from the full Senate, where Republicans hold the votes needed to confirm them unless significant opposition emerges within the party.

For businesses, the appointments could shape the government’s approach to workplace-health guidance, vaccine recommendations, emergency contracting and supply-chain planning. Hospitals and manufacturers will be watching particularly closely for changes to stockpile purchasing and future pandemic-preparedness programs.

JBizNews Desk | Washington
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A moving and inspiring gathering took place Wednesday evening in the main beis medrash of the Gerer Chassidus in Yerushalayim, where approximately 1,400 bochurim were recognized for successfully mastering hundreds of dafim of Gemara as part of the annual “Mezumanim Biyado” Torah program. The Gerer Rebbe personally bentched the participants and presented each bochur with the program’s traditional apples in recognition of their dedication to Torah study.

The annual event, organized by the Gerer Institutions Association, is held each year during bein hazmanim to honor bochurim from Gerer’s yeshivos and mesivtos who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in Torah learning. This year, approximately 1,400 participants were tested on anywhere from 300 to more than 1,000 dafim of Gemara.

The “Mezumanim Biyado” initiative is built around a system of surprise examinations conducted three times each year. The format encourages participants to remain consistently engaged in their learning and prepared at all times to be tested on the material they have studied.

A highlight of the evening was a public examination administered by the distinguished examiner, Rav Yechiel Fishoff, who questioned the bochurim on numerous masechtos from throughout Shas. The participants’ rapid and precise responses drew widespread admiration from the thousands in attendance, including the roshei yeshiva who participated in the event.

Addressing the Gerer Rebbe, Rav Fishoff praised the extraordinary level of Torah knowledge displayed by the bochurim, comparing their mastery of foundational Torah knowledge to that of the great Torah giants of previous generations. He also noted that, according to the head of the program, Rav Nechemiah Alter, approximately 500 additional bochurim joined the initiative over the past year alone. In recent years, the program has become a model emulated by other communities throughout the Torah world.

The emotional high point of the evening came as all 1,400 bochurim filed past the Rebbe in an orderly procession to receive the traditional apple from his hand. As he distributed the apples, the Rebbe offered each participant words of blessing, saying, “Dear bochurim, may the Holy One, Blessed is He, help that this should be in the category of continually increasing, and may you merit great success in the study of Torah.”

The event concluded with a festive seudas mitzvah honoring the participants.

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{Matzav.com}

Former hostage Evyatar David spoke publicly for the first time since returning home, describing the difficult rehabilitation process he has faced following nearly two years in Hamas captivity.

David was abducted from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, together with his childhood friend Guy Gilboa-Dalal, and remained in captivity until October 13, 2025. In a social media post on Thursday, he said he survived by focusing on making it through one day at a time.

“I was kidnapped, taken into a dark tunnel, and all I could think about was surviving one more day. And then another day. Until I returned home,” David wrote. He said thoughts of his parents, family and friends, along with the hope that nobody would give up on him, kept him going during his darkest moments.

David said his return home marked only the beginning of another difficult struggle. “I am coping with PTSD and flashbacks. There are moments when I am in a safe place, surrounded by people I love, but my mind still goes back there,” he wrote. “I understood that surviving captivity is one thing. Truly recovering is another battle entirely.”

He added that he is not seeking pity and remains determined to rebuild his life, get married and start a family.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Iranian citizens are reporting a sharp escalation in the regime’s crackdown on dissent following this week’s execution of two men linked to anti-government protests in Isfahan, describing an atmosphere of fear, heightened security, and growing public anger.

In interviews with Israeli media, residents from across Iran said the government has intensified its campaign against political opponents, increasing armed patrols, conducting phone inspections on public transportation, and arresting individuals accused of supporting opposition movements.

Sajad, a resident of Tehran, said the regime has once again turned to executions as a tool of intimidation.

“The regime’s execution machine has started operating again,” he said. “People are being executed every day, and their families are threatened with prison if they speak publicly about it.”

He said ordinary Iranians no longer feel safe anywhere.

“There is no safe space for people. They want to instill fear so that no one dares raise their voice. But what has taken root in people’s hearts is anger.”

According to Sajad, authorities have also resumed strict enforcement inside Tehran’s subway system, where morality patrols and security forces allegedly stop passengers, search their mobile phones, and detain anyone found with photos or videos from past protests.

He further claimed that even following opposition figures on social media can lead to arrest.

Another resident, Alireza of Mashhad, described an increased presence of armed security forces throughout the city.

“Motorcycle units patrol crowded areas while heavily armed,” he said. “They position themselves at major intersections to make people feel constantly unsafe.”

He argued that the Islamic Republic intensifies domestic repression whenever it perceives reduced military pressure from Israel and the United States.

“As long as the regime feels more secure externally, it increases executions and repression at home,” he said.

A third resident, Reza of Tehran, said executions have long been one of the regime’s primary methods of discouraging dissent.

“The government uses every opportunity available to tighten its grip on society and expand its repression,” he said.

The accounts could not be independently verified. However, they paint a picture of growing tensions inside Iran as authorities continue to target critics while many citizens say fear is increasingly giving way to frustration and anger toward the regime.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Amazon’s Zoox received federal approval Thursday to commercially deploy purpose-built robotaxis without steering wheels, pedals or other conventional driver controls, clearing a major obstacle to charging passengers for rides.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration granted a temporary exemption allowing Zoox to deploy as many as 2,500 vehicles annually during each of the next two years. It is the first federal approval permitting paid service in a robotaxi designed entirely without human driving controls.

Paid rides will not necessarily begin immediately in every market. Zoox must still satisfy state and local operating requirements, including any separate permits needed to collect fares.

Even so, the federal clearance moves Zoox closer to becoming a commercial ride-hailing business rather than remaining an experimental transportation service.

Amazon acquired Zoox for approximately $1.2 billion in 2020 and has continued funding the company as it develops autonomous vehicles intended to compete with Alphabet’s Waymo, Tesla and traditional ride-hailing platforms.

Unlike Waymo, which generally installs autonomous-driving systems on conventional vehicles, Zoox designed its electric robotaxi from the ground up. Passengers sit facing one another inside a carriage-style cabin, while the vehicle travels without a steering wheel, brake pedal or designated driver’s seat.

That design created a regulatory challenge because many federal vehicle-safety rules were written around cars operated by humans. Requirements covering mirrors, controls, seating positions and occupant protection assumed someone would be sitting behind a steering wheel.

NHTSA’s exemption allows Zoox to bypass selected requirements after the agency determined that the company’s alternative systems provide safety performance comparable to vehicles built under conventional standards.

Federal regulators attached additional conditions to the approval. Zoox must report crashes, unexpected stopping and other operating problems, while remote-support personnel must remain inside the United States. The agency can alter or revoke the exemption if significant safety concerns emerge.

Zoox also cannot sell the exempted vehicles to consumers. The approval applies to a commercial fleet owned and operated by the company rather than privately purchased autonomous cars.

That distinction matters because Zoox plans to control the entire transportation system, including vehicle manufacturing, maintenance, software, fleet operations and passenger service. Keeping ownership of the vehicles gives the company more control over repairs and software updates but also leaves Zoox responsible for the substantial cost of building and operating the network.

Public rides are already available through the Zoox app in Las Vegas, where the company began offering free service around portions of the Strip in September 2025. San Francisco riders have also been able to join a limited free program while the company prepared for commercial operations.

Las Vegas is likely to become the first market where Zoox charges passengers, subject to local authorization. San Francisco presents a more complicated regulatory environment because paid autonomous transportation requires approvals beyond the federal vehicle exemption.

Expansion plans also include testing or future service in Austin, Miami, Los Angeles, Atlanta and other cities. Zoox has been adding locations gradually, beginning with employee testing before inviting members of the public and eventually seeking permission to charge fares.

For Amazon, paid rides would create the first meaningful path toward revenue from an investment that has required years of costly vehicle development, artificial-intelligence training, manufacturing capacity and regulatory work.

The broader opportunity extends beyond passenger fares. A successful autonomous fleet could eventually give Amazon experience in driverless logistics, fleet management, mapping and last-mile transportation, although Zoox remains focused on carrying passengers.

Competition is intensifying. Waymo already operates paid autonomous services in several U.S. cities using modified passenger vehicles, while Tesla has been working to expand its own robotaxi operations. Uber and Lyft are increasingly partnering with autonomous-vehicle developers rather than building complete driving systems internally.

Zoox’s approval could also help other manufacturers seeking to build vehicles without traditional controls. Federal regulators announced alongside the exemption that they are accelerating work on national performance standards for automated vehicles, potentially replacing the current system of company-by-company exemptions.

The next test will be whether Zoox can turn federal authorization into a reliable and affordable transportation network.

Vehicle production must expand, local operating permits must follow, and the company will need to prove that its robotaxis can handle complex streets without creating traffic or safety problems. Passenger demand will also depend on pricing, service areas and whether riders trust a vehicle with no human driver and no steering wheel.

Federal approval gives Zoox permission to begin building that commercial business. It does not guarantee that the economics or public confidence will follow.

JBizNews Desk | Washington

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

San Francisco company becomes the eighth U.S. operator cleared under Part 135, but a nationwide service is still a long way off

DoorDash Inc. announced Wednesday that it has earned Part 135 air carrier certification from the Federal Aviation Administration and is launching DoorDash Air, a drone delivery program built in-house at its robotics unit, DoorDash Labs.

The certification authorizes the company to operate as an air carrier and run commercial drone deliveries in the United States. DoorDash said the FAA process involves a five-stage evaluation covering aircraft airworthiness, maintenance programs and safety procedures, and that it is the eighth drone operator to hold the certificate.

In regulatory terms, the certificate makes DoorDash an airline: its own aircraft, its own operations manual, and its own liability for every flight.

What is actually cleared, and what is not

The announcement is a licensing milestone, not a service launch. DoorDash did not give a timeline for when its aircraft would enter operations, and any early deployment would likely be limited pilot programs over short distances with the drone in the operator’s line of sight.

Longer autonomous flights require separate FAA approval for Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations — a clearance Amazon, Alphabet’s Wing and Zipline have obtained in recent years. Reporting on DoorDash’s current BVLOS standing is not consistent: one account notes Bloomberg reported the FAA’s own listing shows DoorDash cleared for beyond visual line of sight, while also pointing out that a Part 135 holder cannot operate in a geographic area unless its operations specifications name that area. Either way, the practical constraint is the same — approvals come location by location.

DoorDash indicated it would publish city-level rollout detail later in 2026.

Why DoorDash built its own aircraft

The company has been running drone deliveries through partners for years. Its relationship with Wing dates to 2022, beginning in Australia and expanding into parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth market by 2024. DoorDash said it will keep its existing partnerships with Wing and Flytrex.

What changed is the ambition to own the stack. Harrison Shih, who heads DoorDash Air, said the company wants drone delivery to work for any merchant anywhere, and is building the ground infrastructure, the aircraft and the handoff systems together. That includes real-time inventory systems and handoff mechanisms designed for drive-throughs, rooftops and merchant back doors.

The economics are in the mid-range order. DoorDash said more than 20 percent of its orders last year covered trips of three to five miles, and those deliveries typically took nearly 25 percent longer to complete than shorter runs because of the difficulty finding someone willing to take the job.

That is the whole business case in one statistic. The three-to-five-mile order is profitable in principle and unattractive to a courier in practice. A drone does not weigh the trip against the fare.

Part of a wider automation push

DoorDash Air came out of the same unit that produced Dot, the autonomous sidewalk delivery robot introduced in September 2025. Dot is now operating in the Phoenix suburbs of Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert and Chandler, and in Fremont, California. DoorDash, the largest food-delivery company in the country, is moving more orders toward robots as a way of cutting delivery times.

The company was explicit that humans will continue handling most orders.

What it means for restaurants and retailers

For merchants in the tri-state area, nothing changes in the near term. Dense urban airspace is the hardest environment for drone delivery to clear, and the early rollouts will almost certainly go to suburban and exurban markets with room to fly and fewer airspace restrictions. Any operator near a major airport corridor faces additional constraints regardless of what the national certificate says.

The medium-term question is cost structure. If DoorDash can serve a four-mile order with an aircraft rather than a driver, the delivery fee arithmetic on that order changes, and so does the commission conversation with restaurants. Merchants negotiating platform terms should be tracking whether automation savings get passed through or absorbed.

There is also a labor dimension. The three-to-five-mile order is currently work someone gets paid to do. DoorDash’s own framing is that those jobs are hard to fill, which is a defensible position — but the same trips are income for couriers who take them.

The realistic read is that Wednesday’s announcement buys DoorDash a legal chassis and years of location-specific paperwork. What it has secured is the right to compete with Amazon and Wing on their own terms, using hardware it controls.

JBizNews Desk | San Francisco

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Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is calling for Dr. Anthony Fauci to face contempt charges, be prosecuted for perjury, and ultimately serve jail time after the longtime public health official invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times during Wednesday’s Senate hearing on the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Years from now, they’ll look back and say, ‘What collective madness overtook this country?’” Cruz told Fox News Digital.

Cruz accused Fauci of misleading both Congress and the American public for years, pointing to newly released diary entries that he claims contradict Fauci’s public statements.

“I think Anthony Fauci has had contempt for Congress and contempt for the American people for decades,” he said. “His diary shows that he deliberately lied to the American people over and over and over again.”

The senator made those remarks after Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Rand Paul announced plans to pursue contempt proceedings against Fauci following his repeated refusal to answer questions during the hearing by invoking his constitutional protection against self-incrimination.

“Dr. Fauci ought to think about what it says about the end of his career, that what he will be remembered for the most is pleading the Fifth more than 100 times,” Cruz said.

“He’s been the most damaging bureaucrat in the history of America.”

Cruz and Fauci have clashed for years over the federal government’s handling of the pandemic, particularly regarding Fauci’s statements about the origins of COVID-19 and whether he was truthful with Congress and the American people.

Referring to Fauci’s recently released diary, Cruz argued that it reveals a significant disconnect between Fauci’s private observations and his public messaging.

“In his diary, he wrote early on that it was clear that the COVID virus did not come from the wet market in Wuhan, and then he turned around and said exactly the opposite thing on national television,” Cruz said.

According to the released diary entries, Fauci acknowledged that scientists believed a laboratory origin for the virus—including the possibility that it had been deliberately introduced—was worthy of further investigation. Cruz argued that Fauci later minimized those possibilities in his public comments.

The Texas senator also accused Fauci of playing a central role in shutting down schools during the pandemic, saying the diary entries contradict Fauci’s repeated public denials.

According to Cruz, Fauci wrote that he persuaded officials in New York and California to close their school systems, despite later telling interviewers and testifying before the House Oversight Committee that he “did not close the schools.”

“In his diary, he brags about convincing Democrats in New York and California to shut schools down, and yet he goes on TV and says, ‘Oh, I wasn’t for shutdowns,’” Cruz said.

“The school shutdowns, which Fauci bragged that he was responsible for, may well be the single most destructive public policy step we’ve seen in decades. That learning loss will stick with those kids the rest of their lives when they’re 90 years old.

“They will still be suffering the consequences of Anthony Fauci’s corrupt and dishonest shutdowns.

“The fact that he knew he was lying to the American people — he should be held in contempt, he should be prosecuted for perjury, and he should go to jail.”

{Matzav.com}

A remarkable reconstruction of a historic wooden shul has been completed near Russia’s Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest freshwater lake, marking a significant milestone in preserving Jewish heritage in Siberia.

The project, funded by the Russian government, recreated the historic wooden shul that originally stood in the city of Zima. Built in 1905, it was the last surviving wooden shul of its kind in the region before it was dismantled in 2016 due to its deteriorating condition.

Over the past two years, museum experts painstakingly reconstructed the building at the Taltsy Museum near Lake Baikal, using historical photographs and archival records to faithfully restore both its exterior and its early 20th-century interior.

The restoration was carried out in close consultation with Irkutsk Chief Rabbi Rabbi Aharon HaKohen Wagner and leaders of the local Jewish community, under the guidance of Russia’s Chief Rabbi, HaGaon Rav Berel Lazar. Organizers said the reconstructed shul is intended not only as a museum exhibit but also as a spiritual landmark for the many Jewish visitors who travel to the Lake Baikal region each year.

The official dedication ceremony was held on Tu B’Av and featured a special message from Rav Berel Lazar, who described the project as unprecedented in Russia.

“For the first time in our country,” Rav Lazar wrote, “a synagogue has become part of a major museum and ethnographic complex visited by hundreds of thousands of people each year. This gives visitors the opportunity to learn about the rich history and spiritual heritage of Russian Jewry.”

He praised the project as a symbol of unity and mutual respect, noting that preserving the heritage of all faiths strengthens Russian society. Rav Lazar also thanked the Taltsy Museum, the architects, builders, and the Irkutsk Jewish community for their close cooperation throughout the restoration.

Rabbi Alexander Barda, president of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia, said the exhibit represents far more than the preservation of a historic building.

“It commemorates the faith and way of life of generations of Jews who lived in this region,” he said, expressing hope that the exhibit will introduce hundreds of thousands of visitors to the rich history of Jewish life in Siberia while inspiring similar preservation projects across Russia.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A 58-year-old Charedi journalist from Kiryat Ye’arim was arrested Monday after Jerusalem District Police raided his home on suspicion that he possessed illegal material on his personal computer and other digital devices.

According to police, the investigation was launched following intelligence information indicating that the suspect may have been in possession of prohibited material. Investigators from the Jerusalem District’s Youth Unit obtained a court-issued search warrant before carrying out the raid.

During the search, officers seized a laptop computer and a cellular phone, both of which have been sent for forensic examination as investigators work to recover and analyze digital evidence.

The suspect was questioned on suspicion of possessing illegal material. Police are expected to bring him before the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday to request an extension of his remand as the investigation continues.

Authorities emphasized that the allegations remain under investigation and that the suspect is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

New York City has published the names, addresses and property values of nearly one million property owners as part of the rollout of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s new surcharge on certain non-primary residences, triggering privacy concerns and legal questions after the list grew far beyond the roughly 31,000 properties officials initially expected would ultimately owe the tax.

For many homeowners, the surprise wasn’t the tax itself—it was finding their names on a publicly searchable government database despite believing they would never qualify for the surcharge.

The Department of Finance says state law required publication of a supplemental assessment roll for public inspection and maintains the list is part of the legal process used to identify properties that may be subject to the new levy. Officials also stressed that appearing on the roll does not necessarily mean a property owner owes the tax, and those who believe they qualify for an exemption can challenge the determination.

Critics argue the rollout went much further than necessary.

The published roll reportedly contains more than 960,000 names and properties, while city officials have estimated only about 31,000 residences would actually become subject to the surcharge. Earlier projections placed the number even lower. The city has not publicly explained why such a broad universe of property owners was included or why owners’ names were published alongside addresses and property values.

That gap has become the center of the controversy.

Among those appearing on the list are current Finance Commissioner Richard Lee, former Mayor Bill de Blasio, supporters of the surcharge, prominent business leaders and thousands of homeowners who insist the affected properties are their primary residences. One Staten Island homeowner told reporters he has lived in his home continuously since 2011 and was stunned to discover his name on the list because he understood the tax applied only to non-primary residences.

The surcharge itself targets non-primary residential properties valued above $5 million, with annual rates ranging from 0.8% to 1.3%, depending on value. A $5 million home could face an annual surcharge of approximately $40,000, while higher-valued condominiums and cooperatives could owe substantially more.

City Hall expects the measure to generate roughly $500 million annually, though outside estimates project somewhat lower collections and expect revenue to decline over time as owners restructure holdings or successfully challenge assessments.

Legal observers believe the first major courtroom battles will focus on the constitutionality of the tax rather than publication of the assessment roll. Real estate organizations and property owners have already signaled they intend to challenge the surcharge under New York’s constitutional uniformity requirements governing property taxation.

For homeowners, however, the immediate issue is procedural—not constitutional.

Many owners have focused on public debate over the tax while overlooking the administrative deadlines attached to their notices. Finance Department letters generally provide about four weeks to submit documentation establishing that a property qualifies as a primary residence. Failing to respond during that window could significantly narrow future appeal options and force owners into a more expensive and time-consuming administrative and court process.

Documentation commonly used to establish primary residency includes New York State income tax returns listing the property as the taxpayer’s permanent residence, STAR exemption records, Enhanced Real Property Tax Credit documentation and other evidence demonstrating continuous occupancy. The Department of Finance also retains authority to audit certifications for up to six years.

What to watch next

The next chapter will likely unfold on two tracks. Property owners face immediate administrative deadlines to preserve their appeal rights, while expected legal challenges could determine whether the surcharge itself survives judicial review. Until those cases are resolved, homeowners whose names appear on the published roll should verify their residency documentation promptly rather than assuming they can address the issue later.

JBizNews Desk | New York

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Two influential Democrats with deep ties to the Clinton and Obama administrations publicly broke with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani this week, criticizing both his controversial tax proposal and his positions on Israel. Former Clinton adviser Mark Penn blasted the mayor’s property tax plan, while former Obama White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel revealed details of what he said was a private confrontation with Mamdani over Israel.

The criticism is especially significant because it comes from longtime Democratic power brokers rather than Republican critics, targeting two issues that have become central to Mamdani’s political identity: his progressive economic agenda and his views on Israel.

Fox News Digital reached out to Penn, Emanuel and Mamdani’s office seeking comment.

Penn, a veteran Democratic strategist who served as a pollster and adviser to President Bill Clinton, sharply criticized Mamdani’s proposed pied-à-terre tax after the city released a searchable database identifying property owners who could be affected.

Writing in a lengthy post on X, Penn argued that the city’s property valuation system had expanded the proposal far beyond what had originally been presented, saying nearly one million property owners could now be swept into the tax instead of the approximately 30,000 luxury homeowners previously described as the intended targets.

“The $5 million figure was a fake,” Penn wrote, arguing the city’s valuation system had improperly classified properties and would force homeowners to prove they should not be taxed.

Penn also warned that the proposal could drive down property values, discourage investment in New York City and even invite constitutional challenges.

Meanwhile, Emanuel said during an appearance on the Unholy Podcast that he spent roughly 90 minutes meeting privately with Mamdani, where he challenged the mayor over his rhetoric concerning Israel.

Although Emanuel said he supported portions of Mamdani’s domestic agenda, including his childcare proposals, he objected to the mayor’s past use of the slogan “from the river to the sea.”

“I know where there’s a line. You don’t,” Emanuel recalled telling Mamdani.

Emanuel argued that both calls for a “Greater Israel” and the slogan “from the river to the sea” would only fuel “perpetual conflict.”

After Emanuel’s comments spread online, Mamdani communications director Anna Bahr disputed his account on social media.

“Can confirm this …. did not happen,” Bahr wrote on X in response to a post summarizing Emanuel’s remarks.

Bahr’s statement did not make clear whether she was denying that the meeting took place or disputing Emanuel’s version of the conversation.

Emanuel has also taken aim at the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) in recent days. In a separate post on X, he argued that Democrats should focus on winning competitive elections instead of embracing what he described as ideological causes.

“You can be focused on winning tough races, flipping red seats blue. Or you can be focused on abolishing prisons and… the Senate and Supreme Court? You can’t do both,” Emanuel wrote. “I’m for winning this November and ending Trump’s corruption — and I’m also for putting an end to all the distractions from the DSA.”

{Matzav.com}

The man who repeatedly rammed his vehicle into the entrance of 770 Eastern Parkway, the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Crown Heights, was sentenced Wednesday and is expected to be released next week.

Dan Sohail, 36, pleaded guilty in May to damaging religious property. He has been incarcerated for six months, and Brooklyn federal Judge Eric Vitaliano sentenced him to the time he has already spent in custody and ordered him to pay $19,000 in restitution.

Sohail was initially charged with a hate crime following the January incident, which caused widespread alarm. Investigators later determined that he had contacted Jewish organizations before the attack and was suffering from mental health problems. He told investigators that he had been attempting to connect with his “Jewish heritage.”

Vitaliano said Sohail requires mental health treatment and did not exhibit hatred toward Jews. The judge rejected prosecutors’ request for a harsher sentence, calling the case “a sad tale.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Wall Street rebounded sharply Thursday morning as Microsoft’s cloud-driven earnings surge pulled technology and semiconductor shares out of their recent selloff, while new federal data showed slower economic growth, cooling inflation and continued strength in the labor market.

Shortly before 10:00 a.m. ET, the major indexes were trading approximately at:

• Dow Jones Industrial Average: 51,865, up about 270 points, or 0.5%
• S&P 500: 7,360, up about 44 points, or 0.6%
• Nasdaq Composite: 24,834, up about 391 points, or 1.6%

Those figures reflect regular-session trading near publication time rather than stale futures or 9:30 a.m. opening prints. The rebound recovered part of Wednesday’s selloff, when the Dow dropped 1,152 points, the S&P 500 lost 1.52% and the Nasdaq fell 1.74%. 

Microsoft Pulls the AI Trade Off the Mat

Microsoft traded roughly 15% higher near 10:00 a.m., adding hundreds of billions of dollars in market value after reporting stronger cloud growth and better-than-expected earnings.

Revenue rose 17% from a year earlier in constant currency, while adjusted earnings reached $4.74 per share, above Wall Street expectations near $4.25. Azure delivered its fastest growth in four years, giving investors clearer evidence that Microsoft’s enormous spending on artificial-intelligence infrastructure is producing revenue rather than merely increasing costs.

The result also helped stabilize the broader semiconductor industry after several sessions of heavy selling. Lam Research surged about 21% after reporting record quarterly revenue of $6.72 billion and adjusted earnings of $1.82 per share. The iShares Semiconductor ETF gained more than 7%, reversing part of the decline that pushed the Nasdaq-100 into correction territory Wednesday. 

Meta Platforms moved in the opposite direction, falling more than 9% after reporting a 91% decline in quarterly free cash flow and issuing a softer revenue outlook. Rising infrastructure costs left investors questioning how quickly Meta can convert its AI spending into sustainable cash generation.

The diverging reactions show that Wall Street is not abandoning artificial intelligence. Investors are instead becoming more selective, rewarding companies that can connect capital spending to accelerating cloud revenue while punishing those whose investment is consuming cash without a sufficiently visible return.

Morning Economic Recap

The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported Thursday that the U.S. economy expanded at a 1.5% annualized rate during the second quarter, slowing from 2.1% during the first three months of the year and missing the 1.8% consensus estimate.

Consumer spending and business investment continued to grow, but higher imports and reduced government spending weighed on the headline figure. Because imports are subtracted when gross domestic product is calculated, part of the slowdown reflected the accounting impact of Americans purchasing more foreign goods rather than a collapse in domestic demand.

Inflation provided some relief. June’s Personal Consumption Expenditures price index declined 0.1% from May, lowering the annual rate to 3.7% from 4.1%. Core PCE, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, rose 0.1% for the month and 3.3% from a year earlier.

Personal spending increased 0.3% before inflation and 0.4% in real terms, while personal income advanced 0.2%. The saving rate fell to 2.7%, indicating that households are using more of their available income to maintain consumption.

Separately, the Labor Department said initial unemployment claims increased by 9,000 to 197,000 during the week ended July 25, remaining below the 200,000 economists expected. Continuing claims declined to 1.782 million, showing that layoffs remain historically low despite slower hiring and a growing number of corporate workforce reductions.

Taken together, the reports present a complicated Federal Reserve backdrop: growth is slowing and inflation is cooling, but price increases remain well above the central bank’s 2% target while the labor market is still firm.

Fed Dissents Keep Treasury Yields Elevated

The Federal Reserve left its benchmark rate unchanged Wednesday at 3.5% to 3.75%, but three policymakers dissented in favor of a quarter-point increase.

Chair Kevin Warsh cautioned that holding rates steady should not be interpreted as policy inertia and said higher rates could become appropriate if inflation remains elevated throughout the forecast period.

Bond investors responded by pushing long-term borrowing costs higher. The 10-year Treasury yield held near 4.68% Thursday morning, while the 30-year yield remained near its highest level since 2007.

Those rates matter beyond Wall Street. Persistently elevated long-term yields increase the cost of mortgages, commercial-property financing, corporate borrowing and business expansion even when the Federal Reserve does not formally raise its short-term policy rate.

MarketAxess Surges on ICE Takeover

MarketAxess jumped nearly 30% after Intercontinental Exchange agreed to acquire the electronic bond-trading platform for $167 per share in cash.

The price represents a 33% premium to MarketAxess’s Wednesday closing level and values the company at roughly $6 billion in equity value, or about $5.7 billion in enterprise value. The transaction is expected to close during the first half of 2027, subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals. 

ICE, which owns the New York Stock Exchange, is seeking to combine MarketAxess’s institutional bond-trading network with its pricing, data, clearing and compliance operations. The deal would give ICE a larger position in the gradual shift of corporate-bond trading from telephone-based transactions to electronic platforms.

Elsewhere, EMCOR Group rose about 19% after stronger quarterly results, while XPO reversed an earlier premarket gain and traded approximately 1.7% lower despite reporting revenue and earnings above forecasts.

Oil Eases but Supply Risks Remain

Brent crude eased after surging nearly 8% Wednesday, while West Texas Intermediate pulled back following a gain of more than 6%.

Energy markets remain highly exposed to further escalation involving Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. Loadings were suspended at a Black Sea terminal operated by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium after attacks on associated tankers, while Egypt reported a fire aboard ships at the Mediterranean port of Damietta following a drone strike.

Any sustained disruption to shipping routes would threaten to reverse June’s inflation improvement by raising the cost of oil, gasoline, aviation fuel, freight and manufacturing inputs.

Gold held near $4,080 an ounce, supported by geopolitical uncertainty and concern that persistent inflation could keep interest rates elevated even as economic growth slows.

What to Watch Next

Apple and Amazon report after Thursday’s closing bell, creating the next major test for the technology rally. Investors will be looking at consumer demand, cloud growth, profit margins and how much additional capital each company plans to commit to AI infrastructure.

Treasury yields remain the immediate risk to the morning rebound. A renewed move higher could pressure housing, banks, commercial real estate and richly valued technology companies.

Oil will also remain central. Thursday’s decline offers some relief, but another supply disruption or military escalation could quickly revive inflation concerns and undermine expectations that the Federal Reserve’s next move will eventually be a rate cut.

JBizNews Desk | Wall Street | New York

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Filings show Larry Ellison and a family trust would reimburse Paramount for a $7 billion regulatory fee plus the $2.8 billion already paid to Netflix — as an injunction hearing looms August 3

Company filings disclose that Larry Ellison and a family trust are committed to covering $9.8 billion in fees should Paramount Skydance Corp.’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. collapse, according to a Bloomberg review of the documents published this week.

The exposure comes in two pieces. Paramount, run by Larry’s son David Ellison, agreed to pay Warner Bros. shareholders a $7 billion termination fee if the deal fails on regulatory grounds. Separately, Paramount paid $2.8 billion to Netflix Inc. in February to clear the streaming company out of the bidding.

The mechanism for reimbursement runs through equity, not cash transfer: Ellison agreed to deliver the $9.8 billion by purchasing new Class B Paramount shares at $16.02 apiece. Paramount currently trades near $8 a share. That is roughly double the market price — a price set when the deal was structured, not when it might be triggered.

Paramount, already carrying heavy debt, would not need to take on new borrowing to fund the fees. The $2.8 billion Netflix payment was made in February using cash on hand and new borrowings, per a public filing, and would ultimately be covered by the $46.7 billion in new equity coming from the Ellisons and their partners — including RedBird Capital Partners and three Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds — if the Warner Bros. acquisition closes.

Why it is back in the news now

The renewed attention follows Paramount’s agreement last week to push the closing to next June, or five days after resolution of lawsuits brought by 12 states and the Writers Guild of America seeking to block the merger.

On July 20, U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín issued a 14-day temporary restraining order halting the closing of the roughly $110 billion acquisition — the first substantive legal obstacle the deal has faced, even after the Justice Department signed off in June. A hearing on a preliminary injunction, which could push the transaction out by months, is set for August 3.

Delay is not free. A ticking fee of 25 cents per share per quarter begins accruing after September 30 if the closing continues to slip — money paid to Warner Bros. shareholders simply for the passage of time.

The Oracle problem underneath it

The financing rests on a personal guarantee, and the asset behind that guarantee has lost substantial value. Larry Ellison agreed to personally backstop $40.4 billion of the equity financing for the bid. The Ellison Family Trust guarantees $45.7 billion in equity financing, with the backing consisting of roughly 1.16 billion Oracle shares — now worth about half what they were when the pledge was made.

Oracle stock has fallen roughly a third in 2026 and nearly half since early June, cutting about $125 billion from Larry Ellison’s fortune since June 1. His net worth has fallen to roughly $175 billion, down approximately $213 billion from its September 2025 peak near $388 billion, pushing him from second place to around eighth on the global wealth rankings. Forbes has also examined whether Ellison has sufficient liquid assets to meet his guarantee without selling Oracle shares or borrowing further against them.

Two commitments — an AI data center buildout at Oracle and a media acquisition at Paramount — are drawing on the same underlying fortune at the same time.

How the deal got here

Netflix announced in December it would acquire Warner Bros. Discovery’s studios and streaming assets for $82.7 billion. Paramount countered late in February with a $111 billion offer for all of WBD’s assets — the studios, HBO, the streaming platforms, games, and networks including CNN and HGTV — and ultimately raised its bid to $31 per share. The WBD board treated it as the superior offer, and Netflix declined to raise and withdrew.

Earlier in the contest, Paramount had increased its regulatory reverse termination fee from $5 billion to $5.8 billion to match Netflix’s, before the figure reached the $7 billion now in the filings.

What it means beyond Hollywood

Warner Bros. Discovery is a substantial New York employer through CNN and its cable networks, and the outcome determines the ownership of a large piece of the region’s media workforce. A June 2027 closing — or an injunction that stretches longer — leaves those operations in limbo for the better part of a year, which affects hiring, programming commitments and advertising relationships across the tri-state market.

For business owners, the more transferable lesson sits in the deal structure. A $9.8 billion break exposure backed by shares in a single volatile company is a reminder that the strength of any guarantee is only as good as the collateral behind it on the day it is called. Warner’s board made precisely that objection last fall when it argued that a revocable trust was not equivalent to a secured commitment, which is what produced the personal guarantee in the first place.

The August 3 hearing is the next real marker.

JBizNews Desk | New York

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Elon Musk is reportedly preparing to make another major financial investment in Republican campaigns ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, reviving his political operation to help drive conservative voter turnout across the country.

According to Axios, Musk plans to reactivate America PAC, the super PAC that spent more than $260 million supporting President Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.

Sources familiar with the effort told Axios that the PAC’s strategy will center on grassroots voter outreach through door-to-door canvassing, digital advertising, and direct-mail campaigns. The focus will be on motivating conservative voters who traditionally do not participate in midterm elections.

Representatives for Musk declined to tell Axios how much money he intends to commit to the effort.

“America PAC was an essential partner for our historic GOTV operation in 2024, and their return for 2026 is a huge boost for Republicans across the country,” James Blair, a senior political adviser to Trump, told Axios.

“We will again outsmart our opponents and ruthlessly execute our mission for the GOP between now and Election Day,” Blair added.

Axios also reported that Republican super PACs and political committees currently hold an estimated $300 million fundraising advantage over their Democratic counterparts, while Trump’s MAGA Inc. super PAC alone has approximately $400 million available to spend during the election cycle.

America PAC also intends to coordinate its efforts with other Republican-aligned super PACs, allowing those organizations to devote more of their resources to television advertising, according to Axios.

“The president’s political team and the rest of the GOP apparatus have built a top-notch operation that will put Republicans in a strong position to buck history and retain control of Congress this fall, and we’re excited to again be part of the team,” America PAC spokesperson Andrew Romeo told Axios.

{Matzav.com}

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems announced Thursday that it has successfully completed a series of tests of its SPYDER air defense system, demonstrating the system’s ability to intercept multiple aerial threats under complex battlefield conditions.

During the trials in Israel, the system successfully intercepted several targets, including low-radar-signature drones, using hit-to-kill technology that destroys incoming threats through direct impact rather than a proximity blast.

Rafael said the upgraded SPYDER system incorporates improvements based on lessons learned during the war in Israel, as well as operational experience gathered from deployments around the world.

SPYDER is a mobile air defense system that uses Rafael’s Python and I-Derby interceptor missiles to defend against a wide range of aerial threats, including aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles. The system is designed for rapid deployment and flexible operation to protect strategic assets.

The company noted that SPYDER is already in service with several countries, including NATO and European Union members. Romania recently selected the system as part of a major air defense modernization program, following the Czech Republic’s procurement agreement signed in 2020.

Rafael CEO Yoav Tourgeman said the successful test highlights the company’s commitment to developing advanced, combat-proven air defense systems capable of addressing evolving threats on today’s battlefield.

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(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Dr. Anthony Fauci exhibited multiple physical behaviors commonly associated with deception during Wednesday’s Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing, according to a prominent body language expert who analyzed his appearance before lawmakers.

Florida-based behavioral analyst Dr. Lillian Glass told The New York Post that Fauci’s reactions became noticeably different when senators pressed him with difficult questions.

“When he was asked poignant questions, his autonomic nervous system took over, and he became flushed, his breathing changed, hunched over, paler, squirmed around, blinked a lot [and] licked his lips — all signals of deception,” Glass wrote in an email.

According to Glass, Fauci’s demeanor shifted dramatically as the hearing progressed, changing from what she described as a confident and even arrogant posture to one that appeared “guarded” and “weak.”

She pointed specifically to Fauci’s exchanges with Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), saying his discomfort became increasingly apparent under the senator’s questioning.

“During Senator [Josh] Hawley’s questioning, Dr. Fauci’s shoulders rose again, and he squirmed visibly,” she noted. “His face became red. His voice weakened further and sounded increasingly shaky. He appeared emotionally strained and at moments looked as though he might cry.”

Hawley, who previously served as Missouri’s attorney general, accused Fauci of using taxpayer-funded resources to pursue prestigious awards and financial prizes, including honors such as the Dan David Award, the Adelson Prize, and awards from the Smithsonian Institution, the National Academy of Medicine, and others.

The Missouri Republican also mocked Fauci’s repeated invocation of the Fifth Amendment, asking him a series of harmless questions—including about his necktie and the color of the room’s carpet—that Fauci declined to answer.

At one point, Hawley cited Supreme Court precedent while arguing that Fauci no longer enjoyed Fifth Amendment protections because, in Hawley’s view, “you’ve been pardoned.”

Glass said another of Fauci’s most revealing moments came during an intense exchange with Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), who sharply rebuked him while using multiple profanities.

“During Senator Moreno’s questioning, Dr. Fauci’s face became flushed and red,” Glass recapped. “He looked downward and appeared unable or unwilling to look directly at the people behind him. He swallowed hard, continued manipulating his pen, and squirmed more noticeably in his chair.”

“His breathing appeared heavier,” she observed. “His voice became much softer and weaker. By this point, he sounded meek and increasingly difficult to hear.”

Glass, who has spent more than 40 years studying behavioral analysis and has testified as an expert witness in both federal and state courts, said that even when someone refuses to answer questions, their physical behavior can still reveal important clues. She emphasized that in such situations, “the body continues to communicate.”

Throughout the hearing, Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment approximately 111 times.

His only extended remarks came during his opening statement, when he criticized Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and accused the senator of seeking to have him prosecuted after publicly calling for his arrest.

“At the beginning, he appeared confident and sat upright. His tone then became more arrogant and defensive when he accused Senator Rand Paul of being out to get him and said that Senator Paul had made slanderous comments and publicly released his personal diary to embarrass him,” Glass assessed.

Glass added that Fauci appeared to relax whenever the questioning became less aggressive and other lawmakers came to his defense.

“When the questioning became less confrontational, and Dr. Fauci was being defended, his body appeared more settled. His posture looked less tense, and his breathing appeared steadier.”

This story about the June 2026 PCE inflation report will be updated with more details.

The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge fell in June, as the pace of price growth pulled back amid volatility in energy markets.

The Commerce Department on Thursday reported that the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index declined 0.1% on a monthly basis in June and was up 3.7% from a year ago. Both figures were in line with the expectations of economists polled by LSEG.

Core PCE, which excludes volatile measurements of food and energy prices, was up 0.1% on a monthly basis and 3.3% from a year ago. The monthly figure was cooler than the 0.2% predicted by the LSEG poll of economists, while the annual figure was in line with expectations.

Federal Reserve policymakers are focused on the PCE headline figure as they try to bring inflation back to their long-run target of 2%, though they view core data as a better indicator of inflation. Compared with May’s readings, headline PCE declined from 4.1% to 3.7%, while core PCE fell from 3.4% to 3.3%.

This story about the advance estimate of second-quarter GDP will be updated with further details.

U.S. economic growth slowed unexpectedly in the second quarter of the year, according to the Commerce Department’s advance estimate.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) on Thursday released its advance estimate of second-quarter GDP, which showed the economy grew at an annualized rate of 1.5% in the three-month period including April, May and June. That figure was below the 2.1% growth estimate of economists polled by LSEG.

A revised estimate of second quarter GDP is scheduled to be released in late August, while the final revision will be published at the end of September.

French automaker holds full-year margin target of 5.5% while flagging Middle East crisis costs in raw materials, energy and logistics

Renault Group reported first-half revenue of €30.25 billion on Wednesday, a 9.5 percent increase over the same period in 2025, and swung back to a net profit of €700 million after a loss-making prior year. The company confirmed its full-year 2026 guidance of a group operating margin around 5.5 percent.

First-half operating margin came in at 5.2 percent. At constant exchange rates, group revenue rose 10.3 percent. Automotive revenue reached €26.81 billion, up 9.3 percent, held back by 0.9 points of currency drag — roughly €211 million — tied mainly to devaluation in the Turkish lira, the pound sterling and the Argentine peso.

The return to profit is measured against a difficult comparison. Renault closed 2025 with an operating profit of €3.6 billion on a 6.3 percent margin, but a net loss attributable to the group of €10.9 billion driven by a non-cash charge.

Electric vehicles carried the half

Sales of fully electric vehicles jumped 47.6 percent against the first half of 2025, helped by the new Renault 5. Battery-electric models accounted for one in five new vehicles the company sold.

Chief Executive François Provost pointed to the launches of the Clio VI and the electric Twingo E-Tech in Europe during the period and framed the results as evidence that the company’s futuREady strategy is moving from plan to operating practice.

Renault sold 1.17 million cars and vans in the first six months, down 0.4 percent from a year earlier, though second-quarter sales rose 2.3 percent as the company worked past logistics problems at its Dacia brand. In France, the company has pulled back from lower-margin channels such as short-term rental fleets to concentrate on retail buyers, and has avoided heavy discounting. The Dacia Sandero remains Europe’s best-selling car, though the budget brand’s electric lineup is thin.

The cost side

Renault said its variable cost-of-goods-sold reduction efforts are tracking to plan. The target is roughly €400 per vehicle per year on average over the medium term. Cash fixed costs were flat against the first half of 2025, consistent with the company’s stated aim of holding that base stable.

That discipline is the substance behind the “cost-cutting is working” framing. It is also necessary. Renault is the smallest of the traditional European manufacturers and has to protect margin to keep funding electric vehicle and software development while facing price pressure from Chinese entrants including BYD and Chery.

The war cost line

Buried in the release is a line that will matter to manufacturers well beyond France. Renault said it continues to implement measures to mitigate the impact of the Middle East crisis on raw materials, energy and logistics costs.

That is a European automaker stating in a formal results document that the conflict has moved into its cost structure. Energy, freight and input materials all route through the same disrupted corridors, and a company running a €400-per-vehicle annual cost reduction program is effectively spending part of that saving to absorb war-driven inflation. Any manufacturer importing components or shipping finished goods through affected lanes is paying some version of the same bill, whether or not it is disclosed as plainly.

Why it matters here

Renault does not sell cars in the United States, but three things in this report carry across the Atlantic.

The first is the electric vehicle competition picture. A 47.6 percent increase in EV sales driven by small, affordable models — the R5, the electric Twingo — is a different playbook from the large, expensive electric vehicles that have dominated the American market. It suggests price point, not technology, is the constraint on adoption.

The second is the Chinese competitive threat. European incumbents are now defending share against BYD and Chery on their home ground. That contest determines where Chinese manufacturers direct capacity next, and how aggressively they price into markets that remain open to them.

The third is the cost disclosure. Renault is telling investors that Middle East disruption is showing up in materials, energy and freight. Tri-state importers, distributors and manufacturers running similar exposure should read that as confirmation the pressure is real and being managed rather than absorbed quietly.

Renault is also targeting automotive free cash flow of around €1.0 billion for the full year, including a €350 million dividend from its Mobilize Financial Services arm. Management said cost reduction remains the priority for 2026 and beyond.

The company scheduled its results conference for Thursday morning European time.

JBizNews Desk | Paris

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

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu met Wednesday with Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) at Blair House in Washington, expressing gratitude for the senator’s outspoken support of Israel as Fetterman pledged to continue serving as what he called the “conscience of the Democratic Party.”

Greeting the Pennsylvania senator, Netanyahu praised Fetterman for consistently defending both the U.S.-Israel alliance and what he believes is in America’s best interest.

“Senator, it’s good to see you again. You’ve been a stellar patriot, talking about what is good for America, what is good for our alliance, of which you’ve been a champion, and you’ve been telling it like it is, with no fear, and just an indefatigable and courageous commitment to the truth, and I want to thank you on behalf of the people of Israel,” Netanyahu told Fetterman.

Netanyahu went on to say that Fetterman’s support has earned admiration well beyond Israel.

“Actually, I want to thank you on behalf of free people everywhere, because I’ve been receiving, from around the world, kudos for your courage and your clarity. So thank you. Thank you.”

Fetterman responded by saying that standing with Israel has been among the proudest aspects of his time in the Senate and reflected on his visits to the Jewish state.

“it was a supreme honor of my time here in the Senate, proud to stand with and for the vision and what Israel is, the miracle that Israel is. I’ve had the privilege of visiting a couple times, and when you witness it, and you can just realize what a miracle it is.”

The senator also expressed frustration with the direction of his own party, criticizing fellow Democrats over their approach to Israel and singling out New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

“And it’s been disappointing, as a Democratic politician, how our party continues to behave – and we had the culmination of that, where that worthless mayor in New York, you know, saying these kinds of ridiculous claims. Now I think, as far as I know, I was the only Democrat that was proud to push that trash back, and now here we are. I’m proud to stand with Israel through everything,” he added.

Netanyahu responded by saying Israel values Fetterman’s friendship and predicted that history would remember his steadfast support.

“Well, we’re doubly proud to have you as our friend, and I think history will record your contribution to truth and justice. And these are not just words that are coming out from my mouth; they’re coming out from my heart and from deeply felt convictions. And we’re very proud, very proud of your stats, it’s one that will be recorded in my history, for history, for posterity. So thank you”.

Fetterman reaffirmed that he intends to remain one of Israel’s strongest Democratic allies on Capitol Hill.

“I’m proud to remain the conscience of the Democratic Party in Congress; not just the Senate, but over in Congress, overall. I’ve always supported things like last year, Midnight Hammer, or what you were confronting in Gaza, and how necessary it was to destroy Hamas and Hezbollah, and also go after the Iranians with their capabilities.”

He concluded by defending Israel’s military campaign and lamenting what he sees as a shift in political attitudes toward the Jewish state.

“It’s always been a just war for me, and people forgot why this was even necessary, and look at the ways these organizations and the way Iran… I don’t understand how we’ve arrived with where we are politically, you know, at least in my party, but I have no regrets. So… thank you for your kind words, and I’m always so sorry for what Israel and the Jewish community has suffered, especially since after 10/7.”

{Matzav.com}

A Lakewood resident narrowly avoided losing a substantial amount of money after nearly falling victim to an elaborate scam in which fraudsters impersonated FBI agents and falsely claimed he was under investigation for serious federal crimes, the resident told TLS.

According to the resident, the scammers emailed him what appeared to be an official FBI document bearing the FBI seal and listing accusations including money laundering, wire fraud, identity theft, and bank fraud. The fake letter claimed that his TD Bank accounts had been frozen as part of a nationwide federal investigation.

The scammers then instructed him to visit his bank and attempt to wire money from his account.

“They told me they shut all my accounts and I should try to send a wire,” the resident told TLS. “If the banker lets it through, it’s proof that they’re overriding the shutdowns.”

The fraudsters claimed the wire transfer was necessary to “protect” his funds while the supposed investigation was underway.

The fake letter used official-looking government logos, legal terminology, and references to federal statutes in an effort to appear legitimate. It also instructed the victim to contact a purported “TD Bank Fraud Department representative” assigned to his case, another hallmark of the scam.

Authorities continue to warn the public that the FBI and other federal agencies do not contact people demanding money transfers, cryptocurrency payments, gift cards, or “verification” wire transfers to resolve investigations or protect bank accounts.

Residents who receive similar calls, emails, or letters are urged to hang up, avoid responding, and independently contact their bank or law enforcement using official phone numbers—not those provided by the suspected scammers.

Anyone who believes they have been targeted by a similar scam should report it immediately to their local police department and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

President Donald Trump is growing increasingly frustrated over the failure to end the war with Iran, as senior administration officials remain divided over whether further military escalation would produce a clear strategic outcome, NBC News reported Thursday.

“The president is exasperated. I don’t think he believed it was going to be this difficult to get the Iranians to agree to a deal,” an unnamed Trump ally told NBC. A U.S. official said the administration had achieved “a series of tactical victories” but was now “facing a strategic defeat without clear policy guidance or a decision about where this is going.” Trump reportedly erupted and yelled expletives during a meeting with his national security team last week.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt denied that the outburst occurred. “This is false. The president has a great team whom he trusts, and everyone on the team knows he’s the final decision-maker,” she said. Leavitt added that Trump was “locked and loaded to keep punishing Iran” after Tehran allegedly violated the June memorandum of understanding and renewed attacks on U.S. forces and shipping.

NBC reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu support increased military pressure, while Vice President JD Vance and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine have questioned what another major campaign would accomplish. Caine has reportedly warned about the continued depletion of U.S. munitions stockpiles. Netanyahu was not believed to have directly pressed Trump for further escalation during their Washington meeting this week.

Trump maintained a confrontational stance Wednesday after Iran launched missiles toward American forces in Jordan. “We’ll be hitting them hard. They are going to get a beating,” he told Fox News. The prolonged conflict and its impact on gas prices have also increased concern among Republicans ahead of the November midterm elections.

Three regional bank presidents dissented for a hike; traders trimmed September bets in Chairman Kevin Warsh’s first meeting

The Federal Open Market Committee voted Wednesday to leave the federal funds rate unchanged at a target range of 3.50 to 3.75 percent, the fifth consecutive meeting without a move. The vote was 9-3, with three regional bank presidents dissenting in favor of an immediate quarter-point increase.

The currency market read the outcome as a signal that a hike is less likely than it appeared. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index fell about 0.3 percent following the decision, its steepest drop since July 15 and its largest decline in two years following a Fed decision to hold, as traders pared bets on a September increase.

Who dissented

The three dissenters were Beth Hammack of the Cleveland Fed, Neel Kashkari of the Minneapolis Fed and Lorie Logan of the Dallas Fed. The post-meeting statement noted they preferred a quarter-point increase at this meeting.

All three have been among the most vocal on the committee about inflation that has run above the Fed’s 2 percent target for more than five years — pressure attributed to a combination of tariffs and rising energy costs tied to the conflict in the Middle East. Governor Christopher Waller had also warned publicly in recent weeks that a rate increase could become warranted, but voted with the majority.

The split was not a surprise to markets, though the outcome was not fully settled going in. The CME FedWatch tool showed close to a 30 percent probability of a quarter-point hike ahead of the meeting, up from about 15 percent a week earlier.

Warsh’s first meeting in the chair

The decision was an early test of authority for Chairman Kevin Warsh, who has deliberately stepped back from the forward guidance his predecessors routinely provided. The statement was considerably shorter than what had become standard, consistent with Warsh’s stated intent to change how the Fed communicates — he has created five task forces, one dedicated to that question. Warsh has described inflation as a choice and pressed the point repeatedly in recent congressional testimony.

The committee’s statement characterized economic activity as expanding at a solid pace despite elevated uncertainty stemming partly from the Middle East conflict, described productivity growth and capital investment as strong, and said job gains have kept pace with the workforce while the unemployment rate has changed little.

On inflation, the Fed acknowledged that price growth remains elevated relative to its 2 percent goal, in part reflecting supply shocks in certain sectors, including energy.

The energy problem behind the decision

The reason the committee is debating a hike rather than a cut sits in the oil market. West Texas Intermediate climbed above $90 a barrel in July from $67 at the start of the month, as U.S. and Iranian strikes brought naval activity in the Strait of Hormuz to a halt. Prices eased somewhat after a pause in strikes but remain up close to 20 percent for the month. That trajectory is likely to keep headline inflation readings elevated near term.

That is the central tension. Energy-driven inflation is a supply shock, and raising rates does not produce more diesel or reopen shipping lanes. But sustained price increases eventually work into expectations regardless of their origin — which is what the three dissenters were voting on.

Where the dollar stood going in

Ahead of the decision, the dollar had been trading near a one-month high on safe-haven demand following renewed Middle East hostilities, at 101.43 against a basket of peers. The euro sat near a one-month low at $1.1386, sterling at $1.3282, and the dollar had edged up against the yen to 163.88, with the Japanese currency near 40-year lows.

Wednesday’s move takes some of that back, but the starting point matters: a 0.3 percent decline from a one-month high is a repricing, not a reversal.

What it means for tri-state businesses

For importers, a softer dollar raises the landed cost of goods — a real consideration for firms already absorbing tariff costs and elevated freight rates. For exporters, it works the other way, making American product marginally more competitive abroad.

For borrowers, the practical answer is that nothing changed. The federal funds rate has been in this range since December, and financing costs on commercial lines, equipment loans and commercial real estate are steady. Anyone waiting for relief before committing to capital spending has now waited five meetings.

One view expressed after the decision held that the lack of employee bargaining power, combined with an assumption of no further escalation in the U.S.-Iran conflict, should keep the Fed on hold through year-end. That second condition is doing considerable work. Three dissents leave the door visibly open to a September increase.

The next FOMC meeting is scheduled for September 15-16, with Warsh expected to speak at the Jackson Hole symposium in August.

JBizNews Desk | Washington, D.C.

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

Maj. (res.) Ben Sabo, an officer in the Chashmonaim Brigade, told Arutz Sheva that he was invited to testify during the High Court hearing on the Arrest Law but was not allowed to present the data he had brought from the field that showed that the arrests are counterproductive to Chareidi enlistment.

“I encountered the fortified wall of ‘democracy’ protecting itself from the people,” he said. “The defense invited me to present authentic testimony from the field before the High Court—without theories or manipulation—as someone who has served as a training commander in the Chasmonean Brigade for the past year and a half. I am the brigade’s head of training and have been with it since its establishment. This is what I do. I’m not speaking from the outside,” he emphasized.

Sabo, expecting a professional discussion on the delicate issue, was shocked by what he encountered in the courtroom: “They’re sitting there as a full panel of justices while all of the petitioners are from the left. Ninety percent of the time, the petitioners were speaking. They wasted time and joked around with the left-wing petitioners. [Leftist lawyer] Eliad Shraga told jokes and the justices burst into laughter. The audience was stunned. It looked like a working meeting of the radical left…”

When it was finally Sabo’s turn to speak, Justice Noam Sohlberg announced: “The head of training for the Chasmonean Brigade has indeed arrived. We appreciate you, but you won’t have time to speak—not even for a minute. We’ll inform you of our ruling later today.”

“They didn’t silence me—they silenced Am Yisrael,” Sabo emphasized. “They’re trampling the sovereignty of Am Yisrael in a heavy-handed and authoritarian manner and refuse to listen. But today there is alternative media, and what they try to suppress will come out.”

Describing the information he had hoped to present, Sabo said: “The Chashmonaim brigade got off to a tremendous start, with great momentum and a very high level of professionalism. It was established with the backing of Chareidi Rabbanim from across the spectrum, who were in contact with us. They encouraged us and wanted the initiative to succeed because they understand that there are serious Chareidi young men for whom three daily study sessions are not their way of life, and who want to fulfill other meaningful mitzvos while remaining spiritually strong. These are not troubled youths. At the same time, they want to take part in this great mitzvah. A great deal changed after October 7, and the Chareidi public wants to participate—but in a way that is clean, pure, and consistent with halacha as they know it, and that must be respected.”

“There was strong enlistment at the beginning, but then there were those who wanted to cause unrest through arrests and persecution despite the fact that it’s obvious that arrests won’t lead to enlistment. There are organizations whose sole goal is to stop Chareidi enlistment, or organizations seeking to drive a wedge between the religious and Chareidi communities, and to achieve that, they inflame hatred in order to create tensions within Israeli society.”

Sabo said he wanted to present data showing that “every time tensions are escalated, we experience dozens of cancellations in the week before enlistment. It’s not even certain a company will be opened based on the results of the latest cycle. We also launched a professional officer training course—the first class was full but the second still hasn’t opened because there are no soldiers willing to volunteer. Soldiers tell us they feel tension and hostility when they return home because they’re labeled as hostile to Chareidi society. It has become much harder for them to continue serving in the brigade.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

President Donald Trump is reportedly weighing a sweeping military campaign against Iran that could involve up to two weeks of sustained airstrikes targeting the regime’s missile infrastructure, even as his administration continues to leave the door open for a diplomatic resolution.

According to a report published Thursday by The Wall Street Journal, Trump is reviewing plans prepared by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) for a large-scale aerial operation lasting between 10 and 14 days that would focus on severely degrading Iran’s missile capabilities.

People familiar with the discussions told the newspaper that the proposal, developed by CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper, would represent a significant escalation beyond the previous round of American strikes against Iranian targets.

Despite the military planning, administration officials are also considering a more limited strike option that could preserve the possibility of renewed negotiations with Tehran.

A U.S. official told The Wall Street Journal that, as of Wednesday afternoon, Trump had not yet decided whether to proceed with military action or what targets, if any, would ultimately be selected.

The official added that Trump was “not surprised” by Iran’s decision to resume hostilities and described the president as being “in an escalatory mood” while senior officials weighed the next course of action.

Earlier Wednesday, Trump vowed a powerful response after Iran launched missiles at U.S. bases in Jordan overnight.

“We are going to hit them very hard. I can say that because there is very little they can do about it,” he told reporters in the Oval Office.

“We’re going to be hitting them very hard, because it’s our turn to hit them. They know it’s coming, they’re asking us not to do it. They tried shooting last night…we had five rockets shot going 8,500 mph, and all five rockets were knocked down to the ground – but they nevertheless took a shot, so it’s our turn,” Trump stated.

Trump had previously told Fox News, “We are going to beat the _‎_‎_‎_ing ‎_‎_‎ out of them.”

He added, “We’ll be hitting them hard. They are going to get a beating.”

The president described Iran’s missile barrage as a surprise attack, saying U.S. forces had only minutes to intercept the incoming missiles before they reached their intended targets.

Tuesday night’s attack marked Iran’s first missile strike against a U.S. base in the region since Trump ordered a pause in military operations against Iran the previous Friday. Tehran fired missiles at locations in Jordan after several days without launching similar attacks.

Later that evening, CENTCOM announced that U.S. forces, working alongside the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces, carried out precision strikes in Iraq against Iran-backed terrorist groups directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to attack American troops and Saudi energy facilities.

“US and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq in a strong response to over 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours,” said CENTCOM.

It added, “The unwarranted attacks against US forces were not successful.”

{Matzav.com}

A new study examining the performance of Assuta Ashdod Medical Center during the first day of the October 7, 2023, attack found that years of emergency preparedness drills enabled staff to treat casualties under missile fire, while also exposing critical shortcomings in communication, personnel management, and the coordination of casualty distribution among hospitals.

The study, conducted by researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Linköping University in Sweden, and Assuta Medical Center, is based on in-depth interviews with 19 medical and administrative staff members. It offers practical recommendations to help hospitals worldwide prepare for prolonged armed conflicts and large-scale emergency situations.

Unlike the isolated terrorist attacks that many healthcare systems around the world have become accustomed to handling in recent years, the October 7 attack unfolded over many hours and across multiple locations, while the area surrounding the hospital remained under active rocket fire. Ambulances struggled to reach the wounded, communications systems collapsed, and medical teams lacked reliable information about events unfolding outside the hospital, forcing them to rely on fragmented reports from wounded civilians, soldiers, and social media.

Despite the chaos, the hospital’s fortified emergency department enabled medical treatment to continue without relocating to alternate protected areas. The researchers found that the primary factor preventing the hospital from becoming overwhelmed was not advanced technology but years of frequent emergency drills, which enabled physicians, nurses, and administrative staff to respond instinctively and focus on solving operational challenges in real time.

At the same time, the real-world conditions exposed significant vulnerabilities. Many staff members found themselves torn between reporting for military reserve duty and fulfilling their responsibilities at the hospital, while others hesitated to leave home because their families were in danger. Administrative personnel responsible for registering patients were unable to reach work, and plans to discharge hospitalized patients to free additional emergency beds proved unworkable because other parts of the hospital were not protected against missile attacks.

Another major finding was the lack of operational information. Medical teams struggled to assess the scale of the attack outside the hospital and later learned that Assuta Ashdod’s emergency department had the capacity to receive and treat many more casualties, while hospitals elsewhere in the country were overwhelmed. The researchers said this demonstrates the need for more effective coordination and distribution of patients among hospitals during national emergencies.

The study’s authors said their findings are increasingly relevant for countries across Europe and North America, which are reassessing civilian emergency preparedness in light of growing geopolitical tensions and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. Their recommendations include conducting more realistic emergency drills that simulate complex logistical challenges, strengthening coordination between civilian healthcare systems and security agencies, developing secure transportation solutions for medical personnel, and creating advanced real-time information-sharing mechanisms among medical institutions.

“The investment of time and effort in advanced preparedness over many years saved the lives of soldiers and civilians,” said Maximilian Nerländer, the study’s lead author, whose research was published by the University of Cambridge.

“I think we can safely say that a strong culture of preparedness, reinforced through regular training and well-established procedures that everyone understood, clearly contributed to saving lives on October 7 when the crisis unfolded,” he said.

The study noted that the hospital conducted mass-casualty exercises every three months. Nerländer added, “The strong culture of preparedness we observed at Assuta and throughout Israel can certainly serve as an inspiration for policymakers and healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to adopt a culture of preparedness that could save lives in the future.”

The researchers noted that while many hospitals around the world have treated mass-casualty incidents—including the 2005 London bombings, the 2015 Paris attacks, the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, and the 2017 Las Vegas shooting—none of those events directly threatened the hospitals themselves.

Assuta Ashdod, along with hospitals even closer to Gaza, such as Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, remained operational but faced the constant threat of missile strikes throughout the day.

“It is becoming increasingly clear that, at some point in the future, other parts of the world will face the same kind of high-intensity asymmetric warfare that Israel experienced on October 7,” Nerländer said. “My hope is that the tragedy of that day can be transformed into knowledge that saves lives and prevents suffering wherever such events may occur.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

An Israeli Arab ambulance driver was indicted at the Haifa District Court on Thursday on charges of spying for Iran after gathering intelligence on hospitals, missile impact sites, senior Israeli officials, and other sensitive locations during the war.

Following a joint investigation by the Shin Bet and the Israel Police’s Northern District Major Crimes Unit, the State Attorney’s Office filed an indictment against Amir Hisham Mohammad Titi, 34, of Bi’ina, charging him with assisting the enemy during wartime, delivering information with the intent to harm state security, and providing information for the benefit of the enemy.

According to the indictment, Titi worked as a paramedic and ambulance driver, giving him access to hospitals and medical information.

Beginning in October 2025, he carried out assignments and transferred sensitive information to “Tom,” with the full awareness that he was a foreign agent operating on behalf of Iran.

After the launch of Operation Rising Lion and the Iranian missile attacks on Israel, Titi was instructed to photograph missile impact sites so that Iran could assess weaknesses in Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system.

After informing his handler that he could not reach impact sites in southern Israel, he was instructed to gather information about hospitals instead. He subsequently sent numerous photos of the Rambam Medical Center and the Galilee Medical Center and also provided information about the number of patients and casualties, the evacuation of patients from Carmel Medical Center to Rambam Medical Center, and their transfer to an underground facility.

In one instance, while President Isaac Herzog and Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich were visiting the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, Titi contacted his handler on his own initiative and reported their presence at the hospital in real time. To verify the report, he sent a photo showing the president and his entourage near the presidential vehicle.

Titi also traveled to Amikam, the moshav where former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s lives, and photographed houses, access roads, and a health clinic.

After an Iranian missile struck Bi’ina, he sent photos and video from the impact site and reported on the condition of the wounded. In another case, after being promised NIS 10,000 for a “special mission,” he provided the number of people killed and wounded in the war.

Titi also carried out surveillance missions, filmed participants at left-wing protests, and gathered information about security cameras and security arrangements at the Haifa Museum. He also concealed cash-filled envelopes at various locations in Karmiel, opened Instagram accounts according to his handler’s instructions, and printed and distributed protest signs reading “Stop the War.”

In May 2026, after asking to take on additional assignments, his handler offered him NIS 50,000 to locate and assault an individual. Titi agreed to carry out the mission, but it was never carried out.

According to the indictment, Titi received tens of thousands of shekels for the assignments through bank accounts belonging to family members. He converted cryptocurrency payments into cash through money changers in accordance with his handlers’ instructions.

Titi was arrested on June 29 during an undercover Border Police raid on his home.

Watch the arrest:

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(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Boeing disclosed Tuesday that it has absorbed yet another major financial loss on the long-delayed Air Force One replacement program, with total cost overruns now exceeding $3 billion as the company struggles to deliver two new presidential aircraft.

During its quarterly earnings call, the aerospace giant revealed it had recorded an additional $280 million charge tied to the project, pushing the program’s total losses beyond the $3 billion mark.

“While the charge is disappointing, we recognize how critical schedule performance is to our customer and we are investing accordingly to maintain our commitment to deliver the airplane in 2028,” Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said on the call.

Ortberg said the latest financial setback stems from Boeing’s decision to devote substantially more personnel and resources to constructing and testing the two specially modified Boeing 747 aircraft. According to the CEO, the added investment is intended to “help mitigate potential risk during certification and flight test.”

Under the terms of the $3.9 billion agreement President Trump negotiated with Boeing in 2018, the company—not the federal government—is responsible for covering any expenses that exceed the contract price.

By 2024, Boeing had already reported approximately $2.8 billion in cost overruns on the Air Force One program, according to Aviation Week.

The company originally pledged to deliver the first aircraft by December 2024, but the Government Accountability Office reported earlier this month that Boeing is now “almost 3 years behind its current baseline schedule.”

Boeing now expects the first presidential aircraft to be delivered in mid-2028, with the second scheduled to follow by mid-2029.

The current Air Force One fleet consists of two aging Boeing 747-200 aircraft that have served as presidential transports since the 1990s.

President Trump has also flown aboard the luxury $400 million aircraft donated by Qatar—often referred to as the “palace in the sky”—as the presidential plane. That aircraft, however, was removed from service earlier this month so it could undergo upgrades to strengthen its anti-missile defense systems.

Air Force One aircraft require some of the most advanced communications technology and defensive capabilities in the world to safeguard the president, making the program exceptionally expensive and technically demanding.

Trump has repeatedly criticized Boeing over the years for the ballooning costs and repeated delays surrounding the long-awaited replacement aircraft.

{Matzav.com}

WATCH:

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By Julia Parker – JBizNews Desk

Jenn Hyman, founder of Rent the Runway, is taking over as chief executive of Babylist as the baby registry and commerce platform moves closer to a potential initial public offering and approaches $1 billion in annual revenue, a leadership change that gives the company a CEO with public-market experience at a critical point in its growth.

Natalie Gordon, who founded Babylist and has led it through more than a decade of expansion, will become executive chair. The move represents an uncommon founder-to-founder handoff at a late-stage consumer internet company, with Babylist seeking to preserve its brand identity while preparing for the operational and investor scrutiny that comes with being a public company.

The appointment matters for investors and competitors because Babylist sits at the intersection of registries, e-commerce, content and advertising, serving expectant parents at a high-spending life stage. A company nearing $1 billion in revenue would be entering the IPO pipeline at a time when consumer companies are being judged less on growth alone and more on margins, customer acquisition costs, repeat purchasing and resilience in discretionary spending.

Hyman brings experience building a digitally native consumer brand, raising capital and navigating the expectations of public shareholders. Rent the Runway went public on the Nasdaq in 2021, giving Hyman direct exposure to investor demands around profitability, marketing efficiency and long-term category expansion. That experience could be valuable for Babylist as it weighs timing for a listing and works to show that its registry traffic can translate into durable commerce and advertising revenue.

Babylist has grown by allowing parents to add products from multiple retailers to a single registry while also selling goods directly through its own marketplace. The model gives the company access to purchase intent before and after a child is born, a valuable position in a fragmented market that includes big-box retailers, online marketplaces and specialty baby brands. Its challenge is to prove that high engagement during pregnancy can support recurring revenue and profitable customer relationships beyond the initial registry window.

The leadership change also highlights the pressure on late-stage private companies to professionalize before entering public markets. Investors have been selective toward IPO candidates, especially consumer-facing businesses exposed to inflation, shifting household budgets and rising fulfillment costs. For Babylist, a successful public-market debut would likely depend on demonstrating operating leverage, predictable revenue growth and a clear path to sustained profitability.

Key questions remain around the company’s listing timeline, valuation expectations and financial profile. Babylist has not disclosed detailed profitability metrics, and market conditions for IPOs can change quickly with interest rates, consumer sentiment and equity-market volatility. Hyman’s arrival gives the company a more public-market-tested leader, but investors will still focus on whether Babylist can convert brand loyalty into earnings quality.

Executives, investors and retail competitors should watch for Babylist’s next financial disclosures, board changes, underwriting appointments and any formal IPO filing. Those details will indicate how soon the company intends to test public markets and how it plans to position itself against larger retailers fighting for family spending.

JBizNews Desk | Business owners, executives, investors and financial professionals

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If you didn’t snag a limited-edition replica miniature of the Knicks-themed 34th Street subway station or an orange-and-blue trash can before they sold out, here’s another opportunity to buy a piece of New York Knicks history. The city is auctioning off one “Champions Way” sign that hung on Broadway during the ticker-tape parade celebrating the 2026 NBA champs. The sign is one of 30 installed along the Canyon of Heroes for the June 18 event, attended by an estimated two million people. Bidding kicked off on Wednesday at $100 and will run through 8 p.m. on August 12.

Photo credit: NYC DOT

Measuring 36 inches by 9 inches, the street sign was handcrafted at the city’s Department of Transportation’s Sign Shop in Maspeth, Queens. DOT installed 30 signs, with two at each intersection along the parade route in Lower Manhattan.

“The Knicks brought home a championship after a 53-year drought and now is your chance to own a unique piece of the festivities,” DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn said. “NYC DOT was proud to join the celebration and bring an extra touch of civic pride to the Canyon of Heroes during this special day in the history of our city.”

Last month, the city listed 200 replica “Champions Way” signs for $100 each. They sold out in seven minutes. DOT also temporarily co-named 18 intersections across Sixth and Seventh Avenues after every player on the Knicks.

The online auction is through the city’s online surplus auction website, overseen by the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS). The agency sells property the city no longer needs, like gifts given to past NYC mayors and a retired Staten Island Ferry boat. Proceeds go towards the City of New York.

As of Wednesday around noon, the highest bid for the sign is $1,525.

According to the New York Times, the most expensive item ever sold through the city’s auctions was a Sanitation Department hopper barge that fetched $293,255.

“The Knicks championship celebration was a once-in-a-generation moment for New York City, and these commemorative street signs capture the excitement, pride and history of that unforgettable day,” DCAS Commissioner Yume Kitasei said.

“Through DCAS’ surplus property auctions, we’re thrilled to give fans the rare opportunity to own an authentic piece of New York City and Knicks history.”

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The post NYC auctions off ‘Champions Way’ street sign from Knicks championship parade first appeared on 6sqft.

A QatarEnergy-controlled liquefied natural gas tanker exited the Strait of Hormuz overnight, the first such vessel visible on ship-tracking data to leave the waterway since July 11, data from analytics firms showed on Thursday.

The Al Areesh tanker, which loaded a cargo at Qatar’s Ras Laffan terminal around July 4-6, sailed out of the strait overnight on July 29, according to Kpler and LSEG data.

LSEG data shows it is currently heading to Port Qasim, Pakistan, with an estimated arrival date of July 31.

Its departure marks the first time a QatarEnergy-controlled LNG tanker exited the Strait of Hormuz since the Al Rekayyat was struck in early July.

The previous LNG tanker to exit was the Al Hamra, which left on July 11 carrying a cargo loaded at the United Arab Emirates’ Das Island, according to Kpler data.

Separately, the Mraweh LNG tanker, which was last detected outside the Strait of Hormuz in ballast on July 24, reappeared inside the strait on Thursday, according to Kpler and LSEG data. The ADNOC Gas-controlled vessel remained in ballast, Kpler data showed.

QatarEnergy and ADNOC did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of business hours.

Twelve commodity ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, with six entering and six exiting, Kpler data showed. The number increased from the previous two days.

Tankers passing through the Bab al-Mandab strait

Nineteen commodity ships passed through the Bab al-Mandab strait on Wednesday, down from the transit on Monday and Tuesday, Kpler data showed. LSEG put the number of transits at 26.

Of the 19 ships passing through according to Kpler, eight entered the strait while 11 exited. Among those exiting, four were tankers carrying crude.

Some ships could still be sailing with their transponders turned off, which are not considered in the counts.

Visible crude loadings from the Red Sea port of Yanbu fell by at least 30% last week after Yemen’s Houthis declared a blockade on Saudi Arabia, Kpler and AXSMarine data showed, though Vortexa estimated that exports remained broadly stable, citing a rise in so-called dark tanker loadings.

“We have observed a clear increase in the number of crude/condensate tankers heading north after loading in the Red Sea. The shift reflects the renewed security risk around Bab al-Mandab,” said Vortexa analyst George Morris.

“Cargoes loaded at Yanbu accounted for around 15% of Asia’s seaborne crude/condensate imports in June, so any sustained disruption has meaningful implications for Asian refiners.”

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Phoenix retailer posts $7.38 billion quarter and record net income; full-year earnings guidance lands under what the market wanted

Carvana Co. sold 197,325 vehicles in the second quarter, a 38 percent increase over the same period last year, and posted record quarterly net income of $513 million and record adjusted EBITDA of $769 million. The stock fell anyway. Shares dropped 15.9 percent in after-hours trading to roughly $56.

Revenue came in at $7.38 billion, up 52 percent year over year and well above the $6.86 billion analysts had projected. Net income rose $205 million from a year earlier. The company reported a net income margin of 7.0 percent and an adjusted EBITDA margin of 10.4 percent.

What moved the stock

Carvana guided full-year 2026 adjusted EBITDA to a range of $2.7 billion to $3.0 billion, a midpoint of $2.85 billion. Analysts had been modeling closer to $2.99 billion. Some forecasts ran considerably higher — Deutsche Bank at $3.0 billion to $3.2 billion, Morgan Stanley at $4.45 billion.

The second issue was margin direction. Operating margin came in at 9.2 percent, down from 10.6 percent in the same quarter a year ago. Gross profit per unit declined even as volume rose. Carvana is selling substantially more cars and earning somewhat less on each one.

The full-year outlook still represents a sizable increase over the $2.24 billion the company delivered in 2025. The reaction reflects how much growth was already priced in rather than a deterioration in the business.

The volume story is real

Retail units sold rose by 54,045 vehicles from the year-ago quarter. Revenue per unit came in around $37,380, up 10.7 percent — meaning Carvana is moving both more cars and more expensive cars.

Chief Executive Ernie Garcia called it the company’s tenth consecutive quarter of industry-leading growth and profitability, crediting the decade of foundation-building that preceded it. In a letter to shareholders, the company reiterated its target of three million cars a year and a 13.5 percent adjusted EBITDA margin sometime between 2030 and 2035.

Carvana expects retail units sold to increase again in the third quarter compared with the second.

For context on the trajectory: Carvana closed 2025 with 596,641 retail units and $20.3 billion in revenue for the full year. At the current quarterly run rate the company is on pace to clear 750,000 units this year.

What it signals about the used-car market

Carvana’s numbers are the cleanest read available on used-vehicle demand, and they say demand held up through the spring. Volume up 38 percent with average selling prices up nearly 11 percent is not the profile of a consumer pulling back on big-ticket purchases.

But the per-unit profit compression is worth noting for dealers across the tri-state area. When the largest online player is buying inventory aggressively enough to grow units 38 percent, it bids up acquisition costs at auction for everyone else. Independent lots and franchise used departments competing for the same wholesale supply face that pressure directly, and Carvana’s own thinning margin per car suggests the acquisition side is where the squeeze is showing.

The company’s model depends on continued used-car demand, stable vehicle pricing and efficient inventory turnover. Tariff-related trade uncertainty, interest rate sensitivity and shifts in consumer spending all bear on future results, as does the company’s substantial debt load.

That last item is the one to watch. Carvana carries meaningful leverage from its earlier expansion and its 2023 debt restructuring. Rising volume services that debt comfortably; a used-car pricing correction would not.

The bigger read

There is a pattern forming across this earnings week. Companies are delivering on the operating numbers and getting punished on the forward look. Meta beat on revenue and fell 11 percent. Carvana beat on revenue and earnings and fell 15 percent. In both cases the guidance, not the quarter, was the trigger.

For business owners tracking the consumer, the useful signal from Carvana is not the stock move — it is that Americans bought 197,000 used cars from a single online retailer in three months at an average of more than $37,000 apiece. Whatever the market thinks of the guidance, that is a consumer still willing to finance a substantial purchase.

Management was scheduled to discuss the results with investors on a call Wednesday evening.

JBizNews Desk | Phoenix

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Defense Minister Yisrael Katz held a security assessment Monday evening on the situation in Yehuda and Shomron, attended by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the Head of the Operations Directorate, the Head of Military Intelligence, the Commander of Central Command, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Commander of the Yehuda and Shomron Police District, the Defense Minister’s military secretary, and representatives of the Shin Bet and the defense establishment.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the minister instructed the IDF to expand its offensive operations against Palestinian terrorism and to prepare to take control of another “refugee camp,” following the model used in the terror camps of Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur al-Shams, where residents were evacuated, terrorist infrastructure was cleared, and the IDF now maintains a permanent presence.

The Defense Minister’s Office said this policy was introduced by Katz, with the backing of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, upon his assumption of office.

It added that, according to data from the defense establishment, the policy led to an approximately 80% decline in the level of terrorist activity during 2025, with the decline continuing throughout 2026.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)