A road rage incident in Lakewood turned violent Friday afternoon, with one man arrested after allegedly attacking another driver and knocking him unconscious.

The incident happened shortly after 3:00 p.m. on New Hampshire Avenue near Route 70.

TheLakewoodScoop.com has obtained exclusive dashcam footage of the incident, showing the moments leading up to the confrontation and the two drivers getting out of their vehicles. The situation quickly escalated, with one driver attacking the other and knocking him to the ground.

A witness tells TLS that the alleged aggressor appeared to be in his 40s, while the victim appeared to be between 60 and 70 years old.

The victim sustained a head injury and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

As earlier reported, the suspect was arrested at the scene.

An investigation is underway.

GRAPHIC WARNING: The footage contains a violent assault and is graphic in nature. Viewer discretion is advised, and the video is not suitable for all ages.

https://thelakewoodscoop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/wa-1786742112269-qymr2x.mp4

See below the video of the arrest:

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JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Two Israeli women who had been reported missing in recent days, Mali and Liel Yahalomi, have been located in South America following an extensive international investigation led by Israeli police and security agencies. The pair were found aboard a bus in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

According to investigators, the women had purchased replacement mobile phones and devised an escape plan motivated by personal financial circumstances. After being questioned by authorities, they were released, as investigators found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

A senior police official said the two women had left Austria of their own free will. “Our representative confirmed that there is no danger to their lives, that they are not under any threat, and that they are free to continue on their journey,” the official stated.

The operation to locate them involved Israel Police’s Lahav 433 major crimes unit and the Intelligence Division, which maintained round-the-clock command centers in Israel and abroad. Authorities carried out hundreds of investigative actions in cooperation with Europol and several international law enforcement agencies.

When the women were found, an Israeli police representative in South America boarded the bus and introduced himself, saying, “Hi Mali, hi Liel. I’m Walter, the Israel Police representative in South America, from the Intelligence Division.” He added, “We were very worried about you.”

סוף לתעלומת ההיעלמות שהעסיקה את ישראל בימים האחרונים: מלי יהלומי, בת 50, ובתה ליאל, בת 23, תושבות מודיעין, אותרו כשהן בריאות ושלמות בארגנטינה, כשבוע לאחר שנותק עמן הקשר במהלך שהותן באירופה. השתיים אותרו על אוטובוס בבואנוס איירס בתום מבצע חיפושים נרחב שהתנהל בישראל ובמספר מדינות… pic.twitter.com/5usEKkFwAR

— C14 (@C14_news) August 15, 2026

The last confirmed location of the women’s mobile phones had been near a railway station in Vienna on Saturday morning. Austrian police initially reported there were no indications of criminal activity and later confirmed that the two had left Austria voluntarily. Local media subsequently suggested they had traveled through Germany before continuing to South America.

Following their discovery, the Yahalomi family expressed “immense relief” that the two women had been found alive. The family thanked the public and the various organizations involved in the search efforts and announced that approximately NIS 260,000 (about $75,000) raised through a crowdfunding campaign would be refunded to donors.

The case fueled widespread speculation on social media after an Israeli court imposed a gag order on the investigation. Rumors linked the disappearance to Mali Yahalomi’s position at the retail headquarters of Bank Jerusalem. However, the bank firmly rejected those claims, stating that it had found “no evidence whatsoever of any irregular activity involving the bank’s funds, assets, or customers’ accounts.”

Podcaster Joe Rogan has leveled explosive accusations against Dr. Anthony Fauci over the government’s handling of COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy, saying he personally knows five women who suffered miscarriages after being vaccinated and accusing Fauci of publicly promoting the shots despite privately discussing a potential risk.

Rogan’s remarks come amid renewed scrutiny of Fauci following the release of previously undisclosed text messages from his government-issued phone. The messages show that Fauci and other senior health officials discussed a theoretical concern in early 2021 about whether immune responses following COVID vaccination could pose a risk during early pregnancy.

Rogan, one of the country’s most influential podcasters and a longtime critic of the government’s pandemic response, went considerably further, accusing Fauci of knowingly misleading the public.

“He knew that women were getting miscarriages and he lied about it.”

Rogan pointed to the newly released communications as evidence for his accusation.

“He said privately in a text message it seems there’s a cytokine storm causing miscarriages after the second dose and was publicly out there promoting the idea of pregnant women getting vaccinated.”

The actual messages released this week are more tentative than Rogan’s characterization. In a January 2021 exchange involving Fauci, then-CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky and Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, Fauci raised the possibility that fever and a cytokine response after a second vaccine dose could potentially present a concern during the first trimester. At the same time, the officials discussed the absence of observed safety problems among more than 10,000 pregnant women who had already been vaccinated.

The messages were released by Republican Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin as part of their continuing examination of Fauci’s conduct and the federal government’s response to the pandemic. The senators obtained more than 34,000 text messages and hundreds of voicemails from Fauci’s government phone.

Rogan said his own suspicions were also shaped by the experiences of women he personally knows.

“I personally know 5 different people who got pregnant during the pandemic, got vaccinated, and had miscarriages.”

Rogan argued that Fauci’s private communications were fundamentally at odds with the confidence he expressed publicly about vaccination during pregnancy.

“That guy’s a sociopath,” he said.

Rogan also broadened his attack beyond COVID-19, urging listeners to examine Fauci’s role during the AIDS epidemic decades earlier.

“You need to go and objectively read up on what that guy did with AZT and AIDS in the ’80s.”

He then returned to his central accusation concerning pregnant women and COVID vaccination.

“He knew there was an issue with women having miscarriages and that [person] still openly promoted it on television.”

The newly disclosed messages have revived arguments over how federal health officials communicated uncertainty during the early stages of the vaccine rollout. They show that Fauci privately considered a possible biological mechanism involving fever and cytokine responses in early pregnancy at a time when comprehensive pregnancy-specific vaccine data were not yet available.

When the federal government began depositing a $1,000 seed contribution into newly launched Trump Accounts for eligible children in July, personal finance expert and Ramsey Solutions personality George Kamel didn’t hesitate to claim the funds for his own young son.

Though Kamel gladly took “a little money back” from Uncle Sam, he issued a cautious warning to parents across America about the program’s tax fine print — and the costly mistake well-meaning families could make.

“As someone who has a 1-year-old and 3-year-old, I took advantage of this. And on the Fourth of July, that $1,000 came into the account for my son, and I went, ‘Woo! A little money back from the government that I’ve given so much to,’” Kamel told Fox News Digital.

“If you can understand the power of compound growth, then this Trump Account was worth it just to get your mind thinking about it,” he continued. “But the truth is, the tax benefits are not great on this.”

The initiative, which debuted as part of the Trump Accounts rollout in 2026, is a provision of the new tax legislation that will provide $1,000 to every eligible newborn U.S. citizen whose parents enroll the child in the program. No contributions are necessary, but parents can deposit up to $5,000 per year, which will be invested in a qualifying U.S. stock index fund.

During a July 31 public Cabinet meeting, President Donald Trump said that more than 7 million Trump Accounts had been opened since the program’s launch date.

“Here’s the math on this: If you get the free $1,000, well, that could grow to almost half a million or more by the time my kid is 65, without ever adding anything to it,” Kamel said before mentioning other ways to invest in children’s futures.

“Save the 529 plan for education. That has way better tax advantages. You’re using after-tax income, you withdraw it tax-free, it grows tax-free. That is the best move for education expenses,” he explained. “When it comes to other things, like a custodial Roth IRA is great, but you need earned income. So the real power of the Trump Account is that there is no earned income needed.”

At age 18, without any additional contributions, the account is estimated to be worth about $5,800. By age 55, it could reach roughly $200,000. Kamel also said it could grow to about $5 million by age 65.

However, Kamel’s primary warning was directed at parents who rush to invest for their children while neglecting their own debt, emergency funds or retirement savings.

“I love that we’re bringing this conversation to the forefront with these Trump Accounts… But the sad truth is most Americans aren’t investing for themselves, let alone have the ability to invest for their kids,” he said. “We tell people, hey, become debt-free, don’t owe other people money, have an emergency fund so that you have the margin to build wealth for yourself. And once you’re investing 15% of your own income into your own retirement, then and only then should you be thinking about investing for your kids.”

“The truth of the matter is, a lot of kids are having to support their aging parents who didn’t plan for their own retirement. So now they’re having to fund their retirement while trying to support their own life and their own kids. So this has put a real bind and burden on the younger generations,” Kamel continued. “And I don’t wanna do that to my kids.”

“So if you can get this early, this mindset, that compound growth is the key… I hope that you have the ability to leave that legacy where your kids went, ‘Wow, I can’t believe the advantage that my parents gave me by setting me up in this way.’”

FOX Business’ Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.

The Iranian military announced on Shabbos that three Iranian pilots who have been missing since March are alive and being held captive in Qatar.

Qatar, however, denied it.

The pilots went missing after the fighter jets they were flying crashed during strike missions carried out in March.

Until now, Tehran had said it had no information about their fate. This is the first known case in the war where Iran has said a regional country is holding its fighters. Qatar on March 2 said its air force shot down two Iranian bombers as Tehran lashed out against countries hosting U.S. military bases in the opening days of the war.

Saturday’s statement alleged that Qatar had not allowed the pilots to meet or communicate with families or Iranian officials handling their cases. Iran asked the International Committee of the Red Cross president for help. The letter said a fourth pilot was killed while on the mission “targeting an enemy military base in Qatar,” state media reported.

A spokesperson with Qatar’s foreign ministry, Majed Al Ansari, later denied the claims and indicated on X that the pilots had been shot down and that Qatar’s search and rescue teams found the remains of one. He added tht Iran was invited in April to visit and be briefed on those efforts, but did not respond.

“We categorically deny the claims circulating regarding the detention of Iranian pilots & are surprised by these misleading statements at this particular time, amid the ongoing diplomatic efforts & initiatives aimed at de-escalating tensions in the region,” Al Ansari wrote on X.

(AP & YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

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

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sparked a diplomatic uproar in Britain after making an unusual remark during Avi Harush’s podcast on Galei Tzahal, Israel’s Army Radio.

Netanyahu said that “someone said the first Islamic republic with nuclear weapons will be the Islamic Republic of Britain,” adding that Israel is making sure there will not be another such country in Iran.

The remark triggered sharp reactions in Britain. Popular British broadcaster Piers Morgan issued scathing criticism and called Netanyahu an “idiot.

MK Avi Dabush of the Democrats also attacked Netanyahu, saying: “You are a prime minister, you have a responsibility, and you sit and joke about Britain, a Security Council member six times larger than Israel.”

The phrase used by Netanyahu was not new. He was drawing on comments made by U.S. Vice President JD Vance in July 2024, when Vance was still a senator and vice-presidential candidate. Speaking at the National Conservatism conference in Washington, Vance said Britain could become “the first truly Islamist country” to obtain nuclear weapons.

Vance described a conversation he had with a friend about the danger of nuclear proliferation, saying: “We thought — maybe it’s Iran, maybe Pakistan already kind of counts, and then we decided that maybe it’s actually Britain, since Labour came to power.”

The controversy comes amid months of diplomatic tension between Israel and Britain, with the British government under the Labour Party taking a more critical stance toward Israeli policy.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A routine bus ride turned into a frightening emergency Thursday evening when a driver in his 50s suddenly collapsed behind the wheel on Route 651 near the Pal Yam Junction, causing the bus to collide with a private vehicle.

The driver apparently suffered a serious medical emergency while driving and lost consciousness. Magen David Adom emergency personnel were quickly dispatched to the scene, where they found the driver unresponsive inside the driver’s compartment.

Paramedics and EMTs removed the driver and immediately began intensive resuscitation efforts. The treatment included chest compressions, assisted breathing and eight electric shocks administered with a defibrillator.

After extensive treatment at the scene, the driver was transported urgently to Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in critical condition, with resuscitation efforts continuing during the evacuation.

MDA EMTs Yonatan Yankelowitz, Yosef Friedman and Elimelech Michalowitz described the chaotic scene when they arrived.

“When we arrived at the bus, we saw several frightened and distressed passengers, and the driver lying unconscious. A quick examination revealed that he had no pulse and was not breathing, and we immediately began advanced resuscitation efforts,” they said.

While emergency personnel worked to save the driver, additional MDA teams examined the passengers aboard the bus as well as the woman driving the private vehicle involved in the collision.

None of the bus passengers was found to have suffered physical injuries, and none required evacuation to a hospital. The driver of the private vehicle sustained minor injuries and was transported to Hillel Yaffe Medical Center for further treatment.

The frightening incident follows several other serious episodes involving buses on Israeli roads in recent months.

In one incident several months ago, a driver operating Jerusalem’s No. 2 bus route was violently assaulted by several youths while stopped at a red light. The attack reportedly caused him to lose consciousness and several teeth, though he was forced to continue driving despite his condition.

In another incident in Bnei Brak, an elderly passenger was injured aboard a bus after the driver was forced to brake suddenly when a private vehicle cut into his lane at the Chazon Ish intersection. The woman was thrown forcefully toward the front of the bus and sustained injuries.

{Matzav.com}

The IDF spokesperson announced on Motzei Shabbos that a tank hit an explosive device during operational activity near the Yellow Line in the southern Gaza Strip on Shabbos morning.

Baruch Hashem, no IDF soldiers were wounded in the incident. Following the incident, the IDF launched a wave of strikes in the Gaza Strip.

In a separate incident, troops from the Paratroopers Brigade combat team identified two terrorists who crossed the Yellow Line in an attempt to sabotage IDF weapons.

According to the IDF spokesperson, the two approached the troops in a manner that posed a threat. After identifying them, the soldiers opened fire and eliminated them.

The IDF stated: “These incidents constitute violations of the ceasefire agreement, and the IDF views them with the utmost severity. IDF troops under the Southern Command remain deployed in the area in accordance with the agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat.”

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

The U.S. and Iran remain deadlocked over reopening the Strait of Hormuz as each side tries to see how long the other can hold out, and signs of significant oil flows out of the Persian Gulf indicate President Donald Trump is betting he has additional leeway.

In the past week, the administration has pushed back against the narrative that Iran has virtually shut down the critical chokepoint with the threat of missiles and drones.

That’s as traffic data since the U.S.-Iran ceasefire collapsed has shown just a trickle of ships are openly transiting the strait, suggesting another supply shock ahead for global energy markets. But more tankers are sailing “dark,” meaning their transponders have been turned off and are no longer broadcasting their location.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Tuesday that the seven-day average for oil leaving the strait was almost 9 million barrels per day and credited the U.S. military as well as Gulf allies.

When combined with another 5 million-7 million barrels per day shipped via newly upgraded pipelines and export facilities, total oil flows average about 15 million barrels per day, he added in a post on X. That compares with 20 million barrels that were exported daily before the war.

Similarly, a U.S. official told Axios on Sunday that about 8 million barrels are quietly exiting the Gulf each night through a southern lane in the Strait of Hormuz with help from the U.S. military.

Before the ceasefire agreement fell apart, the U.S. military guided tankers through an alternate route that hugs the Omani coast and provided some protection. Enough ships made it out of the Gulf, easing pressure on global oil markets. But that prompted Iran to attack vessels trying to bypass its own corridor, reigniting hostilities and leading to the current standoff.

Some experts doubt the recent Gulf shipment numbers are as high as the Trump administration claims—but not by that much. Oil market researcher Rory Johnston estimated that average volumes out of Hormuz peaked at 7 million barrels per day over the past week and acknowledged that could be higher because of the uncertainty around dark transits. Meanwhile, pipelines are exporting about 4 million barrels per day.

In addition to dark transits, another tactic for sneaking oil supplies through the strait is ship-to-ship transfers, a practice Iran and Russia have previously used to get their oil tankers past Western sanctions.

Bessent’s warns of ‘economic isolation’

To slip under Iran’s nose, tankers exit the Gulf, transfer their oil to another ship off the coast of Oman, then shuttle back through the strait to do it all over again. Not all ships go undetected, which explains why Iran is still attacking ships even as it claims the strait is completely shut down.

But the U.S. naval blockade is preventing Iran from exporting its oil via the Strait of Hormuz, depriving the regime of a vital revenue lifeline. At the same time, other Gulf oil producers like Iraq, which depends heavily on the strait, are getting their barrels out by way of dark transits and ship-to-ship transfers

“Hefty chunk of non-Iranian crude still getting out, unlike the Iranian crude that isn’t,” Johnston posted on X.

Global oil markets still face a supply deficit, forcing consuming countries to tap reserves that are already low and heading toward critical levels soon.

But the oil that’s coming out of the Gulf provides additional wiggle room. In fact, crude prices have declined since spiking last month when the ceasefire ended and fighting flared up again.

An oil market reprieve also gives Trump more time to squeeze Iran’s economy with his naval blockade, which some officials in Tehran have admitted is causing an economic collapse. And even more pressure could be on the way.

“It will be a combination of economic isolation like ‌the world has ​never seen before, ​and ​the continued blockade in ‌the Strait of ​Hormuz that will ​keep anything from going in or out of ​the ‌Iranian ports,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Newsmax without elaborating.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

BREINIGSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA (VINnews) — A former Burger King employee who was fired after telling an Israeli-American customer “Free Palestine” has raised nearly $250,000 through an online fundraiser and has been honored with a mural painted by artists in Gaza.

Arianna Hamilton, who worked at a Burger King location in Breinigsville, Pennsylvania, was dismissed earlier this month following a viral video of an interaction with customer Rami Feinstein, an Israeli-American musician. According to accounts of the exchange, Feinstein identified himself as Israeli after initially saying he was from New Jersey, prompting Hamilton to respond with the phrase “Free Palestine.”

Burger King confirmed the employee was terminated. Hamilton later posted a video defending her actions, saying she was exercising free speech and not intending to discriminate or spread hate. She stated her goal was to highlight the situation in Gaza.

Hamilton launched a GoFundMe campaign titled “Support Arianna After Job Loss for Free Speech.” The fundraiser initially sought $140,000 to cover living expenses such as rent, utilities and groceries while she looked for new work. After surpassing that goal, the target was raised to $250,000. As of recent updates, the campaign had raised more than $240,000 from thousands of donors. Hamilton has said any surplus after covering her basic needs would go to families in Palestine.

In a further development, artists in Gaza created a mural depicting Hamilton in her Burger King uniform and headset, alongside a crossed-out Burger King logo and the words “Free Palestine.” Videos of the mural circulated widely on social media, with posts describing it as a show of solidarity.

The incident and subsequent fundraising have drawn strong reactions on both sides. Supporters praised Hamilton for speaking out, while critics called the workplace remark inappropriate and questioned the scale of the donations relative to a fast-food job loss.

Hamilton has not publicly detailed her next employment plans. Burger King has not issued further statements beyond confirming the termination.

Three suspects were taken into custody Thursday in Flatbush after Flatbush Shomrim volunteers tracked a vehicle believed to be connected to multiple jewelry scams, including an incident targeting a Jewish victim on Shabbos near Ocean Parkway and Avenue M.

Shomrim had obtained the vehicle’s license plate a day earlier and continued monitoring for it after learning that the same vehicle was also wanted in connection with a similar incident in Yonkers.

The vehicle was later spotted back in Brooklyn, and Shomrim members followed it as the occupants approached another potential victim near East 18th Street and Avenue L. According to information obtained by YWN, the suspects appeared to attempt a similar scam, though no property was taken during that encounter.

Police subsequently stopped the vehicle near Avenue N and Ocean Parkway, where three occupants were taken into custody.

Authorities are investigating the suspects’ possible connection to the earlier incidents in Brooklyn and Yonkers.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The alliance between Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York City’s powerful teachers union is showing signs of strain, with United Federation of Teachers President Mike Mulgrew publicly criticizing the administration’s literacy program after city students posted a sharp decline in reading scores.

Mulgrew took aim at NYC Reads following the release of state English Language Arts exam results showing troubling performance among public school students, including more than half of children in grades 3 through 5 failing to demonstrate reading proficiency. The criticism marks a notable break between the UFT and Mamdani just eight months into his mayoralty.

The dispute comes at an especially sensitive time for the relationship between City Hall and the union. Mamdani is separately deciding whether to sign or veto legislation granting thousands of school paraprofessionals a $10,000 pay increase — a measure he explicitly pledged to support last year when the UFT endorsed his mayoral campaign.

“The DOE [Department of Education] needs to make sure each school has a clear instructional plan,” Mulgrew said of the NYC Reads phase-in.

Mulgrew argued that the city needs to simplify its approach and reduce burdens on educators rather than continue implementing the initiative in the same manner.

“That means streamlining what schools are doing, making sure programs align, and eliminating unnecessary paperwork and assessments,” Mulgrew said. “We’re not going to support it if they want to implement it the way they did this past school year.”

The latest state testing results showed a 6% year-over-year decline in English Language Arts performance among New York City public school students in grades 3 through 8, leaving only about half of students rated proficient.

NYC Reads was originally launched during the administration of Mayor Eric Adams as an effort to overhaul literacy instruction throughout the public school system. Mamdani continued and expanded the initiative this year alongside Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels.

Mulgrew, speaking separately to the Daily News, criticized supplemental programs that had been layered onto the city’s primary literacy curriculum, arguing that they had failed to produce the intended results. The Department of Education disputed that assessment.

Mamdani defended NYC Reads during a press conference Thursday, insisting that he remained confident in the program despite the disappointing test scores.

“I continue to be confident in NYC Reads. And it is developed with the real findings of what’s been effective across the country in mind,” Mamdani said.

“And we know that it is a critical thing that we equip our public school students with,” the mayor added. “We look forward to being in conversation with the UFT as we look to not only build upon the successes of the last few years, but to go beyond that.”

Sources suggested that Mulgrew’s public criticism was partly intended to distance teachers from responsibility for the declining scores and shift scrutiny toward the Department of Education’s instructional policies.

Education insiders also said the UFT president’s willingness to openly challenge Mamdani may have been influenced by another increasingly contentious disagreement between the union and City Hall — the battle over salaries for paraprofessionals.

The issue became a major political fight last year because of the roughly $32,000 starting salary earned by paraprofessionals. Mulgrew rallied outside City Hall in support of legislation that would provide a $10,000 increase separate from the traditional collective bargaining process.

Mamdani joined Mulgrew during the mayoral campaign when he accepted the UFT’s endorsement and publicly committed himself to supporting the proposed increase.

“I will be proud to continue to support the passage of Intro Bill 1261 …. that addresses the fact that there are too many open positions right now for paraprofessionals across the city because that job simply doesn’t pay enough,” Mamdani said then, with Mulgrew standing behind him.

The City Council approved the controversial $10,000 increase last month, putting the decision squarely before Mamdani.

Government watchdogs have warned that signing the measure could establish a significant precedent by allowing municipal unions to pursue compensation increases through the City Council rather than negotiating them at the bargaining table. Critics contend that other unions could attempt to use the same strategy to obtain concessions they were unable to secure through collective bargaining.

Following the council vote, however, a City Hall spokesperson said Mamdani now believes salary increases should generally be handled through collective bargaining rather than legislation — a position that represented a departure from the commitment he made while campaigning for mayor.

The administration also argued that the council-approved legislation directly conflicts with New York state collective bargaining law.

Mulgrew has rejected the change in position and is pressing Mamdani to follow through on his campaign commitment, arguing that the shortage of paraprofessionals is already having serious consequences for students and taxpayers.

“The school system can’t hire enough paraprofessionals; so our special needs students are not getting the services they are legally entitled to,” Mulgrew said.

“This is costing city taxpayers more than a billion dollars a year in lawsuits. We need to fix this, and we can.”

The two disputes — falling reading scores and the unresolved fight over paraprofessional salaries — have now placed visible pressure on a political relationship that was a significant part of Mamdani’s successful campaign coalition just months ago.

On a quintessential Beverly Hills street in 1985, a restaurant that would help transform the pizza industry opened its doors.

After years of practicing law as federal prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys, co-founders Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax chose to leave the courtroom behind to pursue their dream of becoming restaurateurs.

“We didn’t want to open just a restaurant. We decided to be bold. We said we want to open a national and international chain of restaurants,” Rosenfield told Fox News Digital.

With its Original BBQ Chicken Pizza and polished approach to casual dining, California Pizza Kitchen helped popularize California-style pizza among diners across the U.S. and eventually around the world. The chain became a household name while helping bring a distinctive, California-inspired approach to pizzas, pastas, salads and desserts.

California Pizza Kitchen has more than 120 restaurants in 10 countries. But at one point, CPK existed only in a single storefront on South Beverly Drive.

Rosenfield recalled the restaurant’s early days in Beverly Hills as “hectic,” with actress Shirley MacLaine becoming its first customer on opening day.

“Even before we opened, we knew we had a blockbuster on our hand. We created barbecue chicken pizza. And in the early days of CPK, it was complete craziness. Everybody was coming for barbecue chicken pizza,” said Rosenfield. His book, “The California Pizza Kitchen Story: How Two Federal Prosecutors Changed the Way America Eats Pizza,” was released July 21.

Rosenfield and Flax employed a real estate strategy that helped expand CPK’s reach, opening restaurants in and around shopping malls.

“CPK also had a hand in changing the way America eats because we were pioneers in going into upscale shopping centers around America at a time when… there was all fast food,” Rosenfield said. “We brought this polished, casual dining to the best malls in America.”

After Rosenfield and Flax grew CPK to more than 200 locations worldwide, the pizza giant was acquired for $470 million by private equity firm Golden Gate Capital in 2011.

At the time of the acquisition, the  San Francisco-based firm described itself as “one of the most active acquirers of leading brands in the restaurant and retail sector.”

Nine years after Golden Gate Capital acquired the chain, CPK filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on July 30, 2020, after the COVID-19 pandemic compounded its existing financial troubles.

Rosenfield, however, told Fox News Digital he believes CPK’s troubles began before the bankruptcy filing, arguing that Golden Gate Capital damaged the culture he and Flax had spent decades building.

“As founder, it’s hard to sit back because I had no role in it whatsoever. So, we’re armchair quarterbacks looking from the outside,” he said.

“I believe that they damaged the culture from day one. They wanted to remake it in an image different than we had remade it in. And in the meantime, it wasn’t successful,” the co-founder continued. “And it continued to decline on that basis, unfortunately. As I said, while we sat and watched it, and then it was ultimately driven into bankruptcy.”

Golden Gate Capital declined Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

California Pizza Kitchen emerged from bankruptcy in November 2020, and Rosenfield, who said he still dines at CPK every several weeks, is optimistic about the chain’s future under new ownership that he believes is “committed” to restoring the brand’s success.

The acquisition of California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) by New York-based Consortium Brand Partners was announced in December 2025 for a deal valued just under $300 million. Rosenfield said he is “thrilled” with the direction the restaurant is headed in under the new ownership.

“I believe they want to bring the brand, not only to its former glory, but to new glory,” said Rosenfield. “I have confidence in this team. And for the first time in all these years, my partner, Larry Flax, and I are very excited about where it could go.”

Rosenfield reflected on the legacy he and Flax built from a small, leased space in Beverly Hills, telling Fox News Digital that the 41-year-old restaurant chain “accomplished” exactly what they envisioned from the beginning.

“I love that everybody has a CPK story. That’s what drove me to do the book,” the co-founder said. “It’s accomplished what we wanted. Grandparents, parents, kids all have a place that they can all go to and agree to go to.”

“While I said that I believe that they did damage to the culture in the years past, I think the food has been incredibly consistent. And I’ve always been extremely, I’m extremely proud of the brand,” Rosenfield said.

A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard naval commander is threatening an unprecedented response to any U.S. attempt to seize Iranian-controlled islands in the Persian Gulf, warning that American forces would find themselves trapped in a deadly ground war.

In an interview with the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, the IRGC field commander claimed that Iranian forces have been preparing for the possibility of a ground assault on the islands since 1995, with defensive and offensive plans updated annually.

The commander warned that Iran would consider virtually nothing off-limits if American forces attempted to establish a presence on the islands.

“The American military cannot establish a presence on the Iranian islands, even if it dares to launch a ground attack against them,” he said. “Maybe it can launch an attack with Marines and then immediately withdraw, but remaining on the islands is impossible. Suppose they occupy the islands and manage to establish their occupation — the islands will become their graves.”

He further threatened that Iran’s retaliation would extend far beyond the islands themselves.

“The response to any attempt to occupy the islands will exceed all expectations,” the commander said. “In addition to our focus on retaking the islands, there will be an unprecedented response that will break all previous red lines. Expect a historic response if such an attack begins.”

The commander also addressed the possibility of another round of fighting between Iran and the United States, saying Tehran believes renewed hostilities could come soon.

“I expect the war between us and them to return in the near future because the United States does not honor promises and agreements,” he said.

According to the commander, the decision over whether to open or close the Strait of Hormuz remains exclusively in the hands of Iran’s leadership. He claimed that during the previous conflict, Iranian forces were capable of rapidly shutting the strategic waterway after receiving orders, issuing warnings over international maritime channels and firing missiles toward vessels attempting to pass.

He also claimed that Iran avoided major direct naval confrontations with the U.S. fleet because large American warships and aircraft carriers did not approach the Strait of Hormuz.

The Iranian commander said several Persian Gulf countries contacted Tehran during the early days of the war seeking permission for vessels to pass through the area. He claimed the United Arab Emirates was the first to make such contact and later sent a delegation seeking permission to continue importing Iranian vegetables, which Tehran ultimately allowed.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s viral internet alter ego has officially made its way onto the walls of Washington, with the White House presenting him with a framed collection of 68 variations of the famous “Rubio realizing” meme for his 55th birthday.

The humorous gift, given to Rubio in May, remained largely out of public view until Wednesday, when Axios reporter Marc Caputo posted an image of it on X, quickly drawing widespread attention online.

At the center of the gold-framed collage is the original photograph that launched the meme, surrounded by dozens of edited versions placing Rubio in an assortment of real and imaginary jobs. Among them, the secretary of state appears as an Iranian ayatollah, a “Star Wars” rebel on the frozen planet Hoth, Robocop, an astronaut and even the White House Easter Bunny.

The gift was also signed by members of the Trump administration. President Trump added a personal inscription in gold ink above his signature: “You are great”.

The joke has particular resonance because Rubio has actually accumulated an unusually large portfolio of responsibilities in the Trump administration. In addition to serving as secretary of state, he is acting national security advisor, and at various points has also served as acting archivist and acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The original photograph behind the seemingly endless stream of memes was taken on Feb. 28, 2025, during a tense Oval Office meeting involving Trump, Vice President JD Vance, senior administration officials and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The meeting centered on a proposed agreement involving Ukraine’s mineral resources and efforts to offset the enormous U.S. investment in Ukraine during its war with Russia.

But it was Rubio’s appearance in the photograph that took on a life of its own. Seated awkwardly on an Oval Office couch with his fingers interlocked and a weary expression on his face, Rubio looked to internet users as though he had suddenly realized that yet another enormous responsibility had landed on his desk.

The image rapidly became a template for countless online jokes. In virtually every version, Rubio’s hands, posture and expression remain unchanged while his clothing and surroundings are altered to suggest that he has just discovered he has been assigned another job.

The phenomenon grew so large that an online “museum” was eventually created to preserve the various iterations.

As major news stories unfolded, new versions repeatedly appeared. Rubio has been transformed into the governor of Greenland, the shah of Iran, the pope and numerous other political and cultural figures.

One version portrayed Rubio as Iran’s new supreme leader after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed by the Trump administration during Operation Epic Fury.

Another showed the Cuban-American secretary of state smoking a cigar as the new president of Cuba, the country where both of his parents were born.

When a papal conclave was approaching, “Cardinal Rubio” appeared ready to participate. After Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro was captured by the United States, another version depicted Rubio as Venezuela’s new president.

The meme has also ventured far outside international politics.

When toilets aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier malfunctioned in March, the internet responded by putting Rubio on the familiar couch dressed as a plumber and holding a plunger.

After Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced that he would not seek another term, Rubio was transformed into a prospective Minnesota governor, decked out in bright-orange hunting clothing and carrying a shotgun.

The image parodied Walz’s widely mocked 2024 presidential campaign hunting appearance, during which the Democrat appeared to have difficulty loading a shotgun while seeking to emphasize his outdoorsman credentials.

The meme returned to international affairs following the U.S. capture of Maduro. Rubio was depicted wearing a Venezuelan-colored sash and an elaborate military-style uniform, complete with gold accents and a gold-handled saber.

Through it all, the basic joke remained unchanged: some new position or responsibility had suddenly opened up, and Rubio, still slumped on that Oval Office couch, was supposedly realizing that the job was now his.

Rubio recently acknowledged that he was initially less than thrilled about becoming one of the internet’s most enduring political memes.

In an interview with Lara Trump on Fox News, Rubio said he originally “hated” the image but eventually came to appreciate the humor.

He also offered a mundane explanation for the posture that inspired the entire phenomenon. According to Rubio, there was no pillow supporting his back on the Oval Office couch, causing him to sink awkwardly into the cushions.

More than a year later, the photograph has spawned enough variations to fill a 68-panel birthday collage — and the Trump White House made sure Rubio now has a permanent reminder that the internet is unlikely to let him forget it.

New York (VINNEWS/Rabbi Yair Hoffman) Imagine, for a moment, a large Mesivta high school.  It could be one of the 87 such Mesivtos in Lakewood, New Jersey or another one in Brooklyn, or Passaic, or say, Mesivta  Chaim Shlomo – Darchei Torah’s Mesivta.  It could even be anywhere else where there is a Torah community.

Now imagine further a tenth grader in that Mesivta.  A tenth grader is generally a 15 year old.  Now imagine that the 15 year old has now been placed in charge of the entire Mesivta.  And not just the Mesivta, but the entire Yeshiva. And not just the Yeshiva but, he is named the head of the Vaad HaRabbonim of the community.  And imagine further that he is not just the head of the Vaad HaRabbonim, but of the Moetzes of the entire country’s Agudath Israel.

Now imagine no further because it did happen.  And today, the 1st of Elul, is his yahrtzeit.

That fifteen year old boy was Rabbeinu Dovid HaNagid, the son of Rabbeinu Avraham ben HaRambam and the grandson of the Rambam himself. He would hold that office — with one long, bitter interruption — for more than six decades. He would be slandered, deposed, exiled, and hunted. He would return in triumph. And along the way he would produce a body of Torah that Egyptian Jews would read aloud in shul every Shabbos for centuries afterward.

Rabbeinu Dovid was born in Fustat (Old Cairo) in 1222 or 1223. His father, Rabbeinu Avraham ben HaRambam — who had himself succeeded the Rambam as Nagid at the age of eighteen — was niftar in 1237, when Dovid was only fifteen.

The household in which he was raised was extraordinary even by the standards of that era. His father had authored HaMaspik L’Ovdei Hashem, a monumental mussar guide to avodas Hashem, and had led a circle of chassidei Mitzrayim devoted to intense spiritual discipline

The Office of Nagid

Despite his youth, Rabbeinu Dovid was appointed Nagid within a few months of his father’s petirah.

The Nagid was no honorary title. He was the recognized head of the Jewish community under Muslim rule — appointing dayanim, supervising batei din, overseeing communal funds, representing the Jews before the government, and answering she’eilos from far beyond Egypt’s borders. In Rabbeinu Dovid’s day, that jurisdiction extended over Egypt, Syria, and Eretz Yisroel.

Opposition arose within a few years — very likely on account of his age — and he was removed from office. In 1252 he was restored, this time with formal government recognition, and he held the position for decades thereafter.

Rabbeinu Dovid commanded a broad mastery across the range of Jewish literature, appears to have been trained in medicine as well, and maintained correspondence with the leading scholars of Sefarad, Syria, and Italy.

Three works are traditionally attributed to him:

1. Midrash Rabbeinu Dovid HaNagid (Midrash Dovid). His largest work is a collection of drashos on the weekly parshiyos and the haftaros, composed in Judeo-Arabic. The commentary on the first parsha of Bereishis appeared in Arabic in Alexandria in 1914 and in Hebrew translation as Midrash Dovid in Yerushalayim in 1947; the commentaries on Bereishis and Shemos were published in Hebrew translation as Midrash Rabbi Dovid HaNagid in Yerushalayim between 1964 and 1968. Rabbi Yaakov ben Chananel HaSikili translated some of the drashos and incorporated them into his Toras HaMincha.

The reception of this sefer is itself remarkable. These drashos became beloved among Egyptian Jewry and were read in shuls for generations — the practice being to read from the work on Shabbos following Mincha. A grandson’s Torah became the fixed Shabbos afternoon seder of an entire country.

2. Commentary on Pirkei Avos. Published in Arabic in Alexandria (1901) and Cairo (1932), and translated into Hebrew by Ben-Tzion Krynfiss as Sefer Midrash Dovid (Yerushalayim, 1944). This is the work through which most contemporary readers encounter him; an English translation has been published in recent years by Mosaica Press.
3. Midrash Eichah. Homilies on Megillas Eichah, published by A. I. Katsh in Sinai, volume 65 (1969). A commentary on Nevuas HaYeled is also attributed to him, said to have been composed for the rabbanim of Barcelona.

The greatest test came in his old age.

Enemies denounced Rabbeinu Dovid to the Egyptian governor, and he was forced to flee to Akko, then still under Crusader rule. In 1285 a physician, al-Muhadhab Abul-Hassan ben al-Muwafak, was installed as Nagid in his place.

An older man, driven from his post and his country, might have quietly retired into silence. Instead, he walked directly into the fiercest ideological battle of his generation.

Rabbi Shlomo Petit had come from northern France and Germany, where he had campaigned to ban the study of the Moreh Nevuchim and Sefer HaMadda. In 1288 he settled in Akko, taught Kabbalah there, and pressed his campaign against the Rambam’s writings, urging that the Moreh Nevuchim be burned. He failed repeatedly and was placed in cherem no fewer than four times. Petit had miscalculated badly: Eretz Yisroel fell under the jurisdiction of the Nagid of Egyptian Jewry — who was, of course, the Rambam’s own grandson.

Rabbeinu Dovid appealed to the communal leadership of the eastern lands to intervene. Between 1286 and 1288, Rav Yishai ben Chizkiyahu, the Exilarch of Damascus; Rav Dovid ben Daniel, the Nasi of Mosul; and Rav Shmuel HaKohen ben Daniel Abu al-Rabi’a, the Rosh Yeshiva of Baghdad, issued a cherem against anyone who insulted the memory of the Rambam. The Rashba, Rabbeinu Shlomo ben Aderes of Barcelona, also intervened, and the controversy was ultimately settled.

One of Rav Shmuel’s two letters of 1288 was addressed directly to Rav Dovid Maimuni HaNagid and the rabbanim of Akko, informing them that a cherem had been issued against Rabbi Shlomo Petit.

Meanwhile, his supporters in Egypt succeeded in reversing the government’s posture toward him, and in approximately 1290 he returned and was reinstated as Nagid. The poet Rav Yosef ben Tanchum HaYerushalmi composed enthusiastic poems marking his return. Worn down by his troubles, Rabbeinu Dovid appointed his son Avraham to share the burdens of office; a document from 1291 bears their joint signatures as negidim.

The timing was perfect. Akko fell to the Mamluks in 1291, the year the Crusader kingdom in Eretz Yisroel came to its end.

Rabbeinu Dovid was niftar in Egypt in 1300. His remains were brought to Eretz Yisroel and interred in Teverya, near the kever of the Rambam. Grandfather and grandson, separated by a century and by a lifetime of struggle, rest side by side.

The historical marker at his kever in Teverya preserves a teaching from the commentary on Pirkei Avos attributed to him: that neither money nor gold nor property nor houses nor assets will avail a person in Olam Haba — only Torah learning, good deeds, and tzedakah performed to the best of one’s ability, because Hashem does not hold grievances against His creations but judges each person solely according to his capacities and his good deeds.

The author can be reached at [email protected]

A Russian man convicted for participating in the violent antisemitic riot at Makhachkala Airport in Dagestan in October 2023 has been killed while fighting with Russian forces in Ukraine.

Omar Zhanburuaev, was convicted for joining the mob that stormed the airport searching for Jewish and Israeli passengers after rumors spread that a flight from Israel was arriving.

In June 2025, Zhanburuaev was sentenced to more than five years in prison for his role in the riot and the extensive damage caused at the airport.

While serving his sentence, Zhanburuaev signed a military contract allowing him to leave prison and join the Russian military.

In a video released in January, he said he had signed the contract in an effort to change his life and atone for his actions. He claimed that he had gone to the airport to “show support for the Palestinians,” but acknowledged that he had instead caused damage to his own country.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

Zhanburuaev was subsequently deployed to the war in Ukraine, where he was killed in combat. His body was returned to Dagestan and buried in the village of Tarki.

According to Shvadil Gadulaev, chairman of a council representing civil society organizations in Dagestan, Zhanburuaev is the latest participant in the airport riot to be killed after joining the Russian military. Of seven participants who enlisted, five are reportedly still alive, including one who was seriously wounded.

Another participant in the riot, Muhammad Said Murtazalibov, was previously killed fighting in Ukraine and buried in January.

The October 2023 riot erupted after rumors circulated on social media claiming that Israeli “refugees” were arriving in Dagestan. A mob stormed the airport terminal and runway searching for Jews and Israelis and clashed with security forces.

Russian investigators ultimately filed charges against 142 suspects accused of participating in the violence.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A potentially tragic incident was narrowly avoided Thursday afternoon in Netivot after a young child became trapped inside an abandoned vehicle during extreme summer heat and was unable to escape until a passerby noticed the situation and rushed to help.

The child remained inside the sealed vehicle during the hottest part of the day until the owner of a local delivery company happened to pass by and spotted the child in distress.

According to a report by the local news outlet Netivoti, the delivery driver saw the child desperately trying to open the car doors but unable to get out. He immediately ran to the vehicle and succeeded in rescuing the child. By the time the child was freed, he was reportedly sweating heavily and appeared dehydrated after spending a prolonged period inside the sweltering vehicle.

The vehicle was reportedly abandoned, not in use, and had neither a valid inspection nor insurance. Authorities have not yet determined how the child managed to get inside the car or how long he remained trapped before being discovered.

Baruch Hashem, the incident ended without injuries. Nevertheless, it once again highlighted the serious danger posed by abandoned vehicles that remain unlocked and accessible to children, particularly during the summer months, when temperatures inside a closed vehicle can climb rapidly to life-threatening levels.

In recent years, Israel has witnessed numerous tragic cases involving children who were forgotten or became trapped inside vehicles. According to data from the Beterem Child Safety Organization, 23 children have lost their lives over the past five years after being forgotten or trapped in vehicles. During the same period, 53 children were injured, while another 1,513 were rescued safely.

Child safety experts warn that the temperature inside a closed vehicle can soar to approximately 70 degrees Celsius (158 degrees Fahrenheit) within about 30 minutes, even when the outside temperature is only around 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). They stress that parking in the shade or leaving a window slightly open does not eliminate the danger. Infants and young children are especially vulnerable because their bodies heat up three to five times faster than those of adults, and they are unable to free themselves.

ZAKA and the Beterem Child Safety Organization are urging parents never to leave a child unattended in a vehicle, even briefly. They also recommend slowing down and consciously checking that every child has exited the vehicle before walking away by using multiple senses—looking at the children, confirming they are with you, physically touching them, and listening for them. According to safety experts, engaging sight, hearing, touch, and movement together helps reinforce the routine and reduces the risk of forgetting a child.

The Netivot incident also underscores the importance of securing or removing abandoned vehicles from residential neighborhoods to prevent similar potentially deadly situations in the future.

{Matzav.com}

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani remains highly popular among voters in the city but faces deeply negative numbers in the surrounding suburbs, according to a new Siena College poll of 811 likely voters statewide.

Statewide, 47% of voters have a favorable view of Mamdani, compared with 44% who view him unfavorably. Inside New York City, however, his numbers are dramatically stronger, with 69% viewing him favorably and just 24% unfavorably.

The picture changes sharply in the suburbs, where 60% of voters have an unfavorable opinion of Mamdani and only 34% view him favorably. Upstate voters are more divided, with 41% viewing him favorably and 46% unfavorably.

The numbers could have significant political implications for Gov. Kathy Hochul and other Democrats running in competitive suburban districts. John McLaughlin, a pollster for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman and President Trump, said, “Suburbanites fear Mamdani,” arguing that Republicans could use Hochul’s support for Mamdani against her.

Hochul herself also struggles in the suburbs. Only 40% of suburban voters view her favorably, while 57% have an unfavorable opinion. Upstate voters are nearly as negative. In New York City, however, 59% view Hochul favorably, compared with 31% who view her unfavorably.

Mamdani’s support also varies sharply among demographic groups. Nearly 80% of Black voters statewide view him favorably, as do 72% of voters between the ages of 18 and 34. Among Jewish voters, however, 66% view Mamdani unfavorably — the highest negative rating among any religious group measured in the poll. Among voters 55 and older, 51% view him unfavorably and 38% favorably.

The mayor also polls considerably better than his own political organization, the Democratic Socialists of America. Only 30% of voters have a favorable view of the DSA, while 47% view it unfavorably and nearly one-quarter have no opinion.

Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said Mamdani could be an asset to Hochul in New York City, but described the political dynamic facing both parties as a “double-edged sword,” asking how Hochul handles her association with Mamdani while Blakeman must navigate his relationship with President Trump.

Trump remains unpopular statewide, with 60% of voters viewing him unfavorably and 38% favorably. Blakeman, a close ally of the president, has embraced that relationship, with Trump set to campaign alongside him during a visit to Long Island on Friday.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Jared Kushner marked the sixth anniversary of the Abraham Accords on Thursday with an expansive message touting the agreements’ achievements and suggesting that the Middle East may be on the verge of another potentially historic diplomatic breakthrough.

Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and a key architect of the Abraham Accords, did not identify any specific country or disclose details of possible negotiations. But his repeated references to new “breakthrough opportunities,” an opportunity to create an “even broader movement” and the possibility of once again surprising the world immediately fueled speculation over what additional agreements could be under consideration.

“Six years ago, President Trump launched the Abraham Accords and opened a new chapter of peace, partnership, and prosperity in the Middle East,” Kushner wrote in a lengthy post on X Thursday morning.

“Many said it was impossible. But with courageous leadership, persistence, and a small group of people willing to challenge old assumptions, we proved that the impossible could be achieved.”

The Abraham Accords, brokered during Trump’s first term, dramatically altered the diplomatic landscape of the Middle East. The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain established formal relations with Israel in 2020, with Morocco subsequently normalizing relations with Israel and Sudan agreeing to move toward normalization.

In his anniversary message, Kushner argued that the agreements represented more than the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab countries. He portrayed them as a rejection of decades of Middle East diplomacy that he said had focused on containing conflicts instead of fundamentally changing the relationships that produced them.

“For too long, the region was trapped by old ideas and failed frameworks that managed conflict rather than solved it, and too often created incentives that perpetuated division and instability,” Kushner wrote.

He said the philosophy behind the Abraham Accords was instead to create practical relationships and mutual interests that would make peace beneficial to the countries and populations involved.

“The idea behind the Abraham Accords was simple: instead of reinforcing the things that divide people, build bonds that bring them together. Increase understanding. Expand trade and investment. Deepen security cooperation. Create tangible benefits that make people’s lives better and give everyone a stake in peace.”

Kushner pointed to the economic and diplomatic relationships that have developed since the accords were signed as evidence that the approach succeeded.

“What began as a bold vision has delivered billions in trade, joint innovation, new friendships and partnerships, and a powerful alternative to the failed approaches of the past,” he wrote.

But Kushner then shifted from looking back at the achievements of the past six years to discussing the current geopolitical landscape — and it was that portion of his message that raised the strongest possibility that additional diplomatic developments could be ahead.

“The Middle East is once again at an inflection point. There are breakthrough opportunities today that many will say are impossible,” Kushner wrote. “But we have seen what can happen when leaders reject conventional thinking, focus on common interests, and have the courage to pursue a better future.”

Kushner did not elaborate on what those “breakthrough opportunities” might entail. His use of the plural also left open the possibility that the Trump administration is looking beyond a single normalization agreement toward a broader restructuring of regional relationships.

“The Abraham Accords showed that a different path is possible,” Kushner continued. “Now we have an opportunity to build an even broader movement around cooperation, shared prosperity and security—and replace the failed ideas of the past with a new model that gives people across the region something better to believe in and build toward.”

The comments are particularly notable because of Kushner’s central role in the negotiations that produced the original Abraham Accords. Working alongside Trump administration officials during Trump’s first term, Kushner helped conduct the diplomatic effort that resulted in the normalization agreements.

Although Kushner’s post contained no explicit announcement that another country is preparing to establish relations with Israel, Saudi Arabia is certain to be at the center of speculation surrounding his remarks.

For years, normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia has been viewed as the most consequential potential expansion of the Abraham Accords. An agreement involving Riyadh would carry significance far beyond bilateral relations because of Saudi Arabia’s political, economic and religious influence across the Arab and Muslim worlds.

Kushner, who developed close relationships with Saudi leaders during Trump’s first term, has also remained closely associated with efforts to reshape relations between Israel and the Arab world.

The prospect of Saudi normalization has repeatedly surfaced in diplomatic discussions in recent years, although negotiations have faced significant political and regional obstacles. The possibility has taken on renewed significance amid dramatic changes across the Middle East and the Trump administration’s efforts to capitalize on the new regional balance.

Kushner, however, carefully avoided naming Saudi Arabia or any other country Thursday, making it unclear whether his remarks were intended to signal a specific diplomatic initiative or to articulate a broader vision for the next phase of the Abraham Accords.

The language of his post nevertheless suggested that Kushner believes circumstances now exist for developments that could once again defy prevailing expectations.

His closing words were the clearest indication that he sees the original accords not as a completed diplomatic achievement, but as a model that could be expanded significantly.

“We surprised the world once. With the right leadership, focus, patience and courage, I believe we can do it again.”

The post offered no timetable for such a breakthrough and did not say whether negotiations with any additional countries have reached an advanced stage.

But coming from one of the principal architects of the original agreements, Kushner’s declaration that the region has reached another “inflection point” — coupled with his reference to multiple “breakthrough opportunities” — is likely to intensify attention on the Trump administration’s next moves in the Middle East and, in particular, whether the Abraham Accords may soon be poised for a major expansion.

{Matzav.com}

A popular hairstyling mousse sold to salons and consumers in multiple states is being recalled over a potential explosion hazard.

Henkel Corporation is voluntarily recalling certain 6.76-ounce cans of Schwarzkopf Professional Osis Grip Extra Strong Mousse, according to an Aug. 11 notice posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The Germany-based company said a “potential packaging issue” could allow the product to leak from the aluminum cans while under pressure, creating an explosion hazard.

Henkel became aware of the problem after receiving one customer complaint and two reports from salons.

“Bruising on the hand was reported by the customer and no other injuries were identified,” the FDA noted.

Affected batch codes include:

The recalled mousse was distributed through 21 distributors in Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Washington, according to the FDA.

It was also sold directly to hair professionals and consumers.

Consumers who purchased one of the recalled cans are encouraged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

FOX Business reached out to Henkel for comment.

As the new school year gets underway, I want to share a perspective from someone who works as a school administrator in a local Lakewood mosad.

Tuition is not simply a recommendation, a nice thing to pay when it is convenient, or something that can be pushed off indefinitely. When a parent agrees to a tuition amount and a payment schedule, that commitment needs to be taken seriously.

Our schools operate on very tight budgets. Contrary to what some may assume, schools are not making millions of dollars. Every dollar in the budget represents salaries, classroom expenses, utilities, supplies, and countless other costs needed to be mechanech our children.

We would never expect a plumber, contractor, doctor, or any other service provider to do their job and then tell them, “We’ll pay you whenever we get around to it.” Yet somehow, when it comes to our children’s schools, the same standard is not always applied.

If a family is genuinely struggling financially, that is a different story. Schools understand that circumstances arise, and communication can go a long way. But simply not paying tuition according to the agreement, without communication or a plan, is not fair to the school, its staff, or the other families who are keeping up with their commitments.

As we begin another school year, I hope we can all recognize that paying tuition on time isn’t merely a recommendation. It is a commitment — and one that should be honored.

TLS welcomes your letters by submitting them to us via  Whatsapp  or via email  [email protected]

Artificial intelligence is increasingly taking control of traffic lights on Israel’s intercity roads, with approximately 170 adaptive systems already installed and initial data indicating that the technology can significantly reduce congestion and travel times.

Israel’s Transportation Ministry and Netivei Israel have been expanding the use of AI-powered adaptive traffic signals in recent years. Unlike conventional traffic lights, which generally operate according to schedules programmed in advance, the new systems analyze traffic conditions in real time and adjust the length of red and green lights according to actual demand.

Early results from approximately 25 intersections where the technology was analyzed have shown substantial savings. On average, an estimated 400 vehicle-hours are saved each day at every intersection equipped with the system.

At the Fureidis Junction, the estimated savings reached approximately 800 vehicle-hours per day. At the entrance to Kiryat Tivon, meanwhile, travel time through the intersection was reduced by as much as 56 seconds per vehicle.

Across the intersections studied, the average reduction amounted to approximately 25 seconds for each vehicle. While that may appear modest for an individual driver, intersections handling thousands or tens of thousands of vehicles each day can collectively save hundreds of hours of travel time.

The impact can become considerably greater for motorists traveling along routes containing several adaptive traffic lights. Netivei Israel estimates that when the systems operate across multiple intersections along a driver’s route, the cumulative savings could reach approximately 10 minutes per trip.

Over the course of a year, officials estimate that those savings could add up to the equivalent of approximately two weeks of working days. The goal, therefore, is not simply to shave several seconds off the wait at an individual red light, but to create meaningful reductions in travel times across entire routes.

The primary advantage of adaptive traffic signals is their ability to react immediately to changing conditions rather than relying primarily on historical traffic patterns.

Traditional signals often operate according to predetermined programs based on traffic measurements taken previously. Actual road conditions, however, can change from minute to minute. Traffic jams form and dissipate, the dominant direction of traffic can shift, and accidents, construction or even relatively minor disruptions at one intersection can quickly produce backups elsewhere.

The AI-powered system uses cameras and computer-vision technology to detect vehicles, measure the length of traffic lines and determine the level of demand from different directions.

Algorithms then analyze that information and continuously adjust the traffic signal, allocating additional green-light time to the directions where it is most needed.

The technology was developed in recent years by ITC in cooperation with Netivei Israel’s Operations and Maintenance Division, Traffic Management Division and Engineering Research and Development Division.

With approximately 170 systems now deployed, officials say the project has progressed beyond the experimental stage and is being used routinely at a variety of intersections under differing traffic conditions.

The broader objective is to determine not merely whether AI traffic management can improve conditions at one particular intersection, but how the technology can eventually be incorporated throughout the country’s transportation network.

Officials say the project could also deliver substantial economic benefits.

According to current estimates, installing the technology at 100 intersections could generate more than half a billion shekels in annual economic benefits to the Israeli economy through the value of time saved alone.

That calculation is based on the methodology used by the Transportation Ministry and Finance Ministry to assess the economic viability of transportation projects.

The estimate does not include other potential benefits associated with shorter waits and reduced congestion, including lower fuel consumption, decreased wear and tear on vehicles, reduced air pollution and possible improvements in road safety.

{Matzav.com}

Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said President Donald Trump helped deliver a major project for her state that she was unable to secure during the Biden administration, highlighting an unusual point of agreement between the two political rivals.

Speaking Thursday during a conversation with California Gov. Gavin Newsom on his podcast, Whitmer discussed how she has approached working with Trump after Michigan backed him in the 2024 presidential election. She said she had to reconsider how she would work with the administration following the election.

Newsom pointed out that Whitmer had visited the White House, with both governors acknowledging that maintaining a functional relationship with the president is “part of the job.”

Whitmer said her cooperation with the Trump administration had already produced tangible results for Michigan, specifically citing the fighter aircraft mission at Selfridge Air National Guard Base.

“I’ve gotten some really good stuff done. Honestly,” she told Newsom. “I got a fighter mission at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, and I tried to get that done under the Biden administration, couldn’t get over the finish line, but I got it done with him. So, that’s a huge deal to Michigan.”

The project Whitmer referenced appears to be Mission Next, an initiative that will replace Selfridge’s aging A-10 Warthog aircraft with 21 new F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets. The modernization effort also includes infrastructure and construction improvements intended to support additional jobs and training opportunities at the Michigan National Guard installation.

Trump announced the fighter jet mission in April 2025 during remarks to Michigan National Guard personnel at Selfridge, where he marked his 100th day in office.

“Fresh off the line. That means they are brand new,” Trump said at the time. “They’ve never been anywhere. This is where they’re going to be for a long time. And I saw one of them, flew over my head, and I said, ‘What the hell is that?’ That plane has serious power. So, this is the best there is anywhere in the world, the F-15EX Eagle II. This will keep Selfridge at the cutting edge of Northern American air power.”

Biden’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding Whitmer’s remarks.

The White House also pointed to the Selfridge decision as evidence of Trump’s approach to Michigan and national defense.

“While Joe Biden’s weak policies neglected our military, President Trump saved Selfridge Air National Guard Base, a crucial pillar of North American air defense; rebuilt our military; and restored readiness and lethality to our U.S. Armed Forces,” White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales told Fox News Digital Friday.

“With President Trump as commander in chief, the United States Military will continue to lead the world in power, prestige, and might,” Wales continued. “President Trump proudly won the state of Michigan in 2024, and will continue to deliver on his promises for all Michiganders.”

Whitmer told Newsom that she has experience working with people who are not necessarily close allies and said she understands the importance of doing so even when she may personally disagree with them.

Her relationship with Trump has drawn attention before. In April 2025, Whitmer attracted widespread attention after appearing to shield her face with a folder during photographs at an Oval Office meeting with Trump.

Whitmer later explained that she simply did not want her photograph taken and acknowledged that the moment had become a source of attention.

“I don’t want my picture taken, that’s all it was. I kind of wished I hadn’t put my folder up in front of my face, but whatever. You know I was there … I just wrote a book about learning to laugh at yourself, so I’m pretty good at it. We all have our moments,” Whitmer said.

Trump, for his part, praised Whitmer around that time, describing her as a “very good person,” despite the political clashes the two have had over the years.

The White House later criticized Whitmer in April after a Michigan steel manufacturer announced plans to invest $43.4 million in expanding its operations in the state.

“Democrats like Gretchen Whitmer spent decades talking about fixing broken trade deals and creating manufacturing jobs here in America for American workers,” Kush Desai, a White House spokesperson, told Fox News Digital earlier this year.

Desai was referring to Whitmer, who has frequently been mentioned as a potential Democratic contender for president in 2028.

“President Trump is actually delivering, and he’s delivering with the same agenda of tariffs, deregulation.”

Israel has completed preparations for a military operation to take control of the strategic Ali Taher Ridge in southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah terrorists are reportedly trapped inside an underground complex, and is waiting for approval from Washington to move forward, according to Lebanese media reports.

A senior security official told Al-Joumhouria that messages received by relevant officials in Beirut indicate Israel is at a high level of readiness for a battle over the ridge and is awaiting a signal from the United States.

According to the official, Washington informed Lebanese authorities that it would not be able to completely prevent an Israeli operation, but asked Israel to carry out any move in a precise and limited manner, while minimizing harm to civilians and avoiding damage to the framework agreement intended to regulate the situation in southern Lebanon.

The official added that Israel views taking control of the ridge as an achievement it needs and is unlikely to give up. Authorities in Beirut are now closely watching Hezbollah’s response and whether the terror group chooses to enter a broader confrontation, which could renew the fighting and expand damage to villages across southern Lebanon.

At the same time, Al-Akhbar reported that American officials have not ruled out the possibility of rapid Israeli operations in southern Lebanon aimed at reaching sensitive Hezbollah sites in the Ali Taher Ridge area. Israel reportedly claims that a major Hezbollah command center is located there.

The siege of the tunnel system beneath the ridge is continuing. According to reports, dozens of Hezbollah terrorists remain underground while Israeli forces are working to prevent them from escaping or receiving reinforcements. Lebanese reports cited in Israeli media claimed that water supply lines had been cut and that Hezbollah attempted to deliver supplies to its operatives using drones.

The ridge has also become a central issue in diplomatic negotiations. According to Asharq Al-Awsat, Israel is conditioning continued implementation of the ceasefire on Hezbollah withdrawing from the Ali Taher Ridge and transferring the area to the Lebanese Army. A source involved in the talks described clearing the ridge as a key condition for continued implementation of the framework agreement.

The issue is expected to be high on the agenda during the next round of Israel-Lebanon talks in Rome, planned for early September. Lebanese officials also believe developments on the ground are unfolding against the backdrop of a possible U.S.-Iran agreement, which could directly affect the future of the campaign in southern Lebanon.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

An IDF officer and two soldiers were seriously wounded after a Hezbollah drone exploded near them over Shabbos near the Ali Taher ridge in southern Lebanon.

The attack occurred overnight Friday, at about 2:30 a.m.

Following the ceasefire violation, the IDF launched a wave of strikes against Hezbollah targets, eliminating a Radwan Force commander and other terrorists.

According to Lebanese reports, multiple Lebanese civilians were killed and wounded in the strikes, leading to harsh statements against Israel. In response, the Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement on the incident, violating its usual protocol of not issuing statements on Shabbos.

The statement said: “This morning Hezbollah violated the ceasefire in Lebanon by attacking our soldiers in the security zone, which protects Israeli communities just across the border. The Hezbollah attack seriously injured three of our soldiers. The IDF responded by striking the Hezbollah terror headquarters which ordered the attack.”

“Only later did the IDF learn that Hezbollah deliberately put civilians in that military compound.

“Hezbollah is willing to do anything, including using its own civilians as human shields, to falsely accuse Israel of deliberately targeting civilians, which the IDF clearly did not.”

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

Terry Moran says his 2021 “Nightline” report was substantially altered after a copy of the script was allegedly sent to Dr. Anthony Fauci, leaving him “absolutely livid.”

Former ABC News correspondent Terry Moran is accusing his former employer of significantly changing a report he produced about the origins of COVID-19 after the network allegedly provided a copy of the script to Dr. Anthony Fauci for review.

During an interview released Friday on The Fifth Column podcast, Moran described the episode as an example of what he viewed at the time as the “heavy hand of censorship” within the Disney-owned network.

Moran said that in early 2021, he noticed “smart and serious” discussions online about the possibility that COVID-19 had originated through a laboratory leak. According to Moran, ABC’s Nightline subsequently gave him an opportunity to investigate the theory.

As part of his reporting, Moran said he interviewed scientists as well as officials from the Trump administration. He emphasized that his report did not reach a definitive conclusion about COVID’s origins but instead presented the competing evidence and arguments.

Moran said his reporting included information about funding connected to the laboratory in Wuhan. He recalled that his team reported that the facility had received funding from the Chinese military, despite statements from Chinese virologist Shi Zhengli, sometimes referred to as the “Bat Lady,” denying that connection.

“We broke a little news that that lab had been funded by the Chinese military, despite the ‘Bat Lady’ [Chinese virologist Shi Zhengli] saying no, it hadn’t… And we kind of laid it out,” Moran said. “And at the end of the day, my own personal feeling was, you know, it’s probably a little bit more likely it’s natural. But if you told me it had leaked from the lab, fine. It’s probably not cooked up. It’s probably not a ‘Frankenvirus.’”

Moran said the situation changed dramatically on the day the segment was scheduled to broadcast. After the report went through the review process, he said the version returned to him was so heavily modified that he found it difficult to understand.

“And the day that it’s supposed to air, it gets reviewed, and it comes back to me, and it is incomprehensible,” Moran continued. “And I had never been angrier. I’m in the booth–”

Podcast co-host Michael Moynihan asked Moran whether lawyers were responsible for reviewing the report.

“Are these lawyers?” podcast co-host Michael Moynihan asked.

“Lawyers, standards and, I was told, Fauci,” Moran responded. “And I said, ‘I can’t do this.’ And they’re going to air and it’s a 15-minute piece or whatever. And I’m cursing and screaming in the booth.”

Moran said the changes were made on the very day the segment was scheduled to air, intensifying his frustration with the editorial process.

“And this is day of?” co-host Matt Welch followed.

“Day of air,” Moran said. “And I am just absolutely livid, beside myself. And I’m usually — I try to be a good colleague that way. It’s important to be respectful of somebody on the other end of that mic taking it in in New York and the editor… I have never watched that story and never want to, because it wasn’t mine, I didn’t think, and most importantly because it was incomprehensible. They had put so many caveats in there, and it was so legalized.”

Moran was then asked whether ABC had provided Fauci with the report before it was broadcast.

“So they took the story that you did and either sent a copy of the transcript or a copy of the video to Anthony Fauci?” Moynihan then asked.

Moran said he understood that the script, rather than the completed video, had been provided, although he acknowledged that he could not personally verify that account.

“It would’ve been the script, that’s what I was told. I don’t know if that’s true personally, but I was told that,” Moran answered.

The two-part Nightline report ultimately aired in June 2021 and examined competing arguments concerning the origins of COVID-19. Moran interviewed Jamie Metzl, a former member of the World Health Organization’s committee on human genome editing who had publicly raised questions about a potential laboratory leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

However, Metzl was one of several experts featured in the report, and other medical specialists interviewed by Moran rejected the laboratory-leak explanation. ABC News medical unit producer Sony Salzman and investigative reporter Sasha Pezenik also appeared in the segment and expressed skepticism toward the theory.

Moran, who left ABC News in 2025, has also pushed back against what he considers excessive criticism of Fauci. Although he described his experience with the report as deeply frustrating, Moran said the “demonization” of Fauci was inappropriate and characterized him as a public servant who was trying to do his best.

Neither Moran, Fauci nor ABC News responded to requests for comment regarding Moran’s allegations. An inquiry was also sent to the White House.

Fauci has returned to the center of public attention following the release of diary material by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. The material has drawn renewed scrutiny to Fauci’s private reflections about the pandemic and how they compared with statements and guidance he issued publicly.

The diary material also highlighted Fauci’s relationships with several prominent media personalities, including CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, NBC’s Andrea Mitchell and ABC’s George Stephanopoulos.

Earlier this month, Senate Republicans on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress after he invoked the Fifth Amendment 111 times during a hearing the previous month. Fauci accused Paul of pursuing a campaign to have him imprisoned, while a criminal referral was subsequently sent to the Department of Justice.

The debate over COVID-19’s origins has continued to evolve since the early months of the pandemic. Several U.S. government agencies, including the CIA, FBI and Department of Energy, have in recent years assessed a laboratory-related origin as the most likely explanation. At the same time, numerous scientists continue to support a natural-origin explanation, leaving the question unresolved and subject to ongoing debate.