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

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

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

Officers from additional towns have arrived as well.

DEVELOPING STORY.

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

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

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

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

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

{Matzav.com}

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir is continuing to advance his proposal to use crocodiles around prisons housing security prisoners after Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman signed a declaration paving the way for a pilot program.

The declaration classifies crocodiles as a “domesticated wild animal,” an official designation that will allow security agencies, including the Israel Prison Service (IPS), to conduct a pilot program keeping crocodiles on prison grounds while ensuring their welfare and appropriate living conditions.

The move comes about six months after Ben Gvir proposed establishing a prison surrounded by crocodile-filled moats for Nukhba terrorists.

The Israel Prison Service adopted the proposal and began extensive planning for the project, including a series of professional studies and visits to zoos. According to the IPS, those findings indicated that constructing a prison surrounded by crocodile-filled moats could significantly reduce ongoing security costs while creating a strong deterrent against escape attempts by security prisoners.

After Ben Gvir approved moving forward with a practical pilot program, including construction planning and the creation of appropriate safety and environmental conditions for keeping the crocodiles, the initiative encountered a legal obstacle. Under existing Israeli law, the Nile crocodile is classified as a protected wild animal, preventing it from being kept outside licensed zoos.

To overcome that obstacle, officials developed a legal solution by classifying the crocodile as a “domesticated wild animal,” a legal status that permits it to be kept for commercial purposes. That designation existed under Israeli law until 2013, when it allowed crocodiles to be bred and slaughtered for commercial use. Under the new declaration, however, the designation is limited solely to the keeping of crocodiles by authorized security agencies for security purposes.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A federal appeals court ruled today that New Jersey’s assault-weapons ​law barring possession of semiautomatic rifles like AR-15s and large ‌capacity magazines containing more than 10 rounds of ammunition is unconstitutional.

Today’s ruling follows a lawsuit filed by ​gun rights groups that said New Jersey’s law could no longer stand after ‌the ⁠Supreme Court handed down a landmark Second Amendment ruling in 2022 that expanded gun rights.

In their decision, the majority held that the AR-15 and other semi-automatic rifles in the AWB are in common use for lawful purposes, which means they cannot, in the court’s view, be “dangerous and unusual.”

The litigation over New Jersey’s law has stretched nearly four years and has produced a series of conflicting rulings. Federal district courts initially blocked enforcement of several provisions before the Third Circuit allowed much of the law to take effect while the appeal proceeds.

In a statement, New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport described the ruling as “legally incorrect” and says the state is “considering our options.”

“Today’s decision from the Third Circuit invalidating New Jersey’s careful laws restricting the AR-15 and large capaour optcity magazines is as unfortunate as it is legally incorrect,” she said.

Every other federal circuit court to consider the issue has come out the other way. Assault weapons and large capacity magazines play a dangerous role in the modern epidemic of mass shootings, and New Jersey acted reasonably and lawfully in restricting them. We are considering our options. We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to enforce our other firearms laws and treating gun violence like the public health crisis that it is.”

Asked by TLS in November, 2022 whether he thought the bill would stand up in court, then New Jersey Governor Murphy said he was confident the revised bill would stand up to any potential legal challenges.

“I hope so. I normally wouldn’t talk about bills that are not on our desk, but this one is important to all of us,” he said at the time.

“We are very concerned about the Supreme Court’s steps initially, and th

This is a developing story and will be updated

Dozens of Shabbos-observant passengers were stranded in London for Shabbos after an Israir flight to Israel was canceled when an airport service vehicle collided with the aircraft during ground operations.

Israir Flight 116 was scheduled to depart for Israel on Thursday evening, but the aircraft was damaged while being towed before takeoff. The collision rendered the plane unfit for service, forcing the airline to cancel the flight.

According to reports, this is the third such incident involving an aircraft being damaged during towing operations at the London airport. It remains unclear whether airport officials have conducted a formal investigation into the previous incidents.

Following the cancellation, passengers were returned to the terminal to collect their luggage. Israir arranged hotel accommodations and transportation for the stranded travelers and informed passengers who chose to make their own lodging arrangements that they would be reimbursed for hotel, transportation, and meal expenses in accordance with company policy.

The airline said it has been working with airport authorities and other relevant parties to operate a rescue flight as soon as possible to return passengers to Israel.

However, Shabbos-observant passengers who remained in London will not be able to return until Sunday.

Israir apologized for the disruption, stressing that the incident was beyond the airline’s control and emphasizing that passenger safety remains its highest priority.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{Matzav.com}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Iran has reportedly sent a dramatic message to Hezbollah and its other regional proxies, telling them that the “waiting period is about to end” and instructing them to prioritize preparations for potential military scenarios, according to the Lebanese newspaper Nidaa Al Watan.

The report, published Friday, says the message was delivered during meetings in Tehran attended by senior figures from Iran’s regional alliance, including Hezbollah representatives.

According to sources cited by the newspaper, Iran’s message was unequivocal: prepare fully for any development, as any future conflict would be unlike previous rounds of fighting and could be broader, more intense, and fought across multiple fronts simultaneously.

Nidaa Al Watan also reports that Tehran still views Hezbollah as its most important regional asset following the setbacks suffered by Iranian terror proxies in recent months. According to the report, Iranian officials believe Hezbollah could play a central role in any future confrontation if pressure on Tehran reaches unprecedented levels.

The newspaper further claims that organizational and operational preparations have already begun throughout the so-called “Axis of Resistance” in anticipation of possible decisions in the coming period should the fighting expand.

Journalist Alan Sarkis, who reported the story, said these developments run counter to efforts by the Lebanese government to prevent another war through diplomatic channels. While Beirut is seeking stability and attempting to keep Lebanon out of another conflict, Hezbollah continues operating as part of Iran’s regional network, potentially placing Lebanon at the center of any future regional confrontation.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

By Rabbi Shmuley Boteach

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

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

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

— Rabbi Shmuley (@RabbiShmuley) July 17, 2026

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

But he also believed in truth.

He never confused outreach with endorsement.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“The Rebbe met Jesse Helms.”

“The Rebbe honored Jesse Helms.”

“The Rebbe believed in influencing the future.”

Case closed.

Except history is not that simple.

Two Stories—Not One

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

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

It is a beautiful lesson

But there’s one major problem. .

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

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

Those are very different versions of the same story.

One describes an intentional honor.

The other does not.

That distinction matters enormously.

I Asked Professor Dershowitz Directly

Rather than speculate, I contacted Professor Dershowitz personally.

I wrote:

Hi Alan,

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

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

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

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

This is not about embarrassing anyone.

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

Jesse Helms Is Not Today’s Debate

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

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

He served for decades in the Senate.

He became chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

He was a central figure in American politics.

Many Jews strongly disagreed with his positions on Israel.

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

But that is precisely the point.

The controversy surrounding Jesse Helms centered on public policy.

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

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

Historical analogies only work when they are historically accurate.

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

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

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

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

The Jesse Helms Myth Is Garbage

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The IDF Social Media Breach and the Demotion of Shira Braun

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

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

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

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

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

Outreach Without Confusion

The Rebbe’s philosophy was both compassionate and demanding.

He believed every person possesses a Divine soul.

He believed every person is capable of moral growth.

But growth begins with truth.

Repentance begins with acknowledging wrongdoing.

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

That process is meaningful because it requires honesty.

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

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

A New Era of Public Influence

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

Modern influencers possess enormous cultural reach.

Every collaboration sends a message.

Every photograph becomes symbolic.

Every appearance communicates something beyond the words spoken.

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

The Rebbe’s Legacy Deserves Better

The Lubavitcher Rebbe needs no mythology.

His greatness requires no embellishment.

If historical accounts differ, let us examine them honestly.

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

If documents remain unpublished, let us seek greater clarity.

That is not disrespect.

It is respect of the highest order.

The Rebbe taught us to think.

He taught us to ask questions.

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

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

The Rebbe believed people could change.

So do I.

But he also believed that truth matters.

So do I.

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

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

That, above all, is what his legacy deserves.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{Matzav.com}

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

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

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

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

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

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

{Matzav.com}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{Matzav.com}

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

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

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

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

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

{Matzav.com}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Melvin also posted about the incident on Instagram.

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

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

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

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

A 90-year-old extreme left-wing activist arrived at Tomer Farm (Chavat Tomer) in the Alminiya area of Gush Etzion in order to film the farm.

He argued with a local teenage boy who was there, then got into his vehicle and drove off, lightly striking the boy.A local woman (a resident of the place) approached the car to question him and understand what he wanted.

The man continued driving, hit her as she held on, and dragged her several meters. She sustained light injuries.

The 90-year-old suspect was detained for questioning at the police station, and his vehicle was seized. Security forces are investigating the incident.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And many people die.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reminder: It may look dim, but it’s still dangerous to stare at.

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

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

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

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

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

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

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

JBizNews Desk | Kuala Lumpur

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What Game Pass was supposed to be

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

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

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

The number that never showed up

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

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

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

What that does to the P&L

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

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

What is actually being cut

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

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

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

Short term and long term

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

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

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

JBizNews Desk | New York

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

The Knesset has given final approval to legislation requiring several major government agencies to send recorded voice notifications to Israelis whose mobile phones cannot receive text messages, marking a significant victory for the Chareidi community. The bill, sponsored by Deputy Communications Minister Yisrael Eichler, passed its second and third readings with the support of 16 lawmakers and no votes in opposition or abstentions, becoming law just before the Knesset adjourned ahead of new elections.

Under the new law, the Israel Tax Authority, the Population and Immigration Authority, and the National Insurance Institute will be required to send recorded voice messages to mobile phone users whose devices do not support SMS whenever those agencies issue standard digital notifications. The system must either confirm that the recipient received the message or make several reasonable attempts to deliver it. Recipients will also be be able to replay the recorded message for at least 30 days.

The legislation is designed to address a longstanding problem faced by thousands of Chareidi families who use kosher phones that cannot receive text messages. Until now, many of those users have struggled to receive important notices from government agencies because official communications were often sent only by SMS. Much of the Chareidi community uses these limited-function phones in accordance with the guidance of leading Torah authorities to avoid unrestricted technology.

The explanatory notes accompanying the legislation state that Israel’s Digital Communication with Public Bodies Law requires designated government agencies to provide commonly used public services through digital means. However, the law also recognizes that those services must remain accessible to individuals who either lack digital skills or do not have the technology needed to receive such communications.

Implementation of the new requirements will take place gradually over a period of up to three years. Within the first two years, at least 60 percent of the most frequently used government services must be made accessible through the voice notification system. The law also requires the government to collect data on services made digitally available in Arabic, Amharic, and Russian.

Deputy Communications Minister Eichler welcomed the bill’s passage, saying, “With Hashem’s help, just before the Knesset’s dissolution, we have delivered important news for the public that follows the guidance of the leading Torah sages and refrains from using non-kosher technology. They deserve every right afforded to every other segment of Israeli society.”

He added, “I am pleased that just before the Knesset dissolved, we succeeded in passing this critically important legislation for users of kosher phones who follow the directives of the leading Torah sages. In the next Knesset, we will fight to expand the law so that all government authorities will send necessary voice notifications to everyone who uses phones that cannot receive text messages.”

The legislation is not Eichler’s first effort to improve government accessibility for kosher phone users. He previously promoted a measure that eliminated excess charges on telephone lines used for remote learning, a move that saved thousands of families substantial amounts of money.

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

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

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

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

{Matzav.com}

HFT 9 days Q and A

Andy Burnham officially became leader of Britain’s governing Labour Party on Friday, paving the way for him to become the country’s next prime minister when he takes office next week following Keir Starmer’s resignation.

Labour confirmed the outcome of its leadership race, which was held to choose a successor to Starmer. Burnham ran unopposed, making Friday’s announcement largely ceremonial after he had already secured overwhelming backing from Labour lawmakers.

His victory had effectively been guaranteed after receiving the nominations of 379 out of Labour’s 403 members of Parliament in the House of Commons by Thursday evening.

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

Starmer’s departure followed weeks of mounting calls for him to step down after Labour suffered heavy losses in local elections earlier this year. His resignation was ultimately triggered by a leadership challenge from within his own party. He will remain prime minister through Monday, when he is scheduled to formally submit his resignation to King Charles III, who will then invite Burnham to form a new government.

Burnham, who previously served as mayor of Greater Manchester, has spent recent weeks preparing to assume the country’s highest office, though he has offered only a limited preview of his policy agenda. After winning a parliamentary by-election last month, he pledged to pursue a style of politics “based on unity and hope” while promoting economic growth that benefits every region of Britain.

Despite his lengthy public career, Burnham remains relatively unfamiliar to many voters outside Greater Manchester. He has largely stayed out of the national spotlight, holding few media appearances and avoiding major press conferences since emerging as Labour’s leader-in-waiting.

When he moves into 10 Downing Street, Burnham will become Britain’s seventh national leader since 2016. Widely regarded as one of Labour’s strongest communicators, he is known for a more approachable and informal style than Starmer. Nevertheless, he inherits many of the same challenges, including sluggish economic growth, persistent cost-of-living pressures fueled by the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and increasing strain on Britain’s public services.

During his first address as Labour leader, Burnham began outlining the priorities of his incoming government. According to his office, he intends to demonstrate that he has the “courage to fix the big things that politics has neglected.”

Among his stated goals are rebuilding the British economy, expanding public oversight of key industries, and creating a new generation of modern manufacturing jobs. He argued that Britain made “a series of wrong turns in the 1980s” when “political power was centralized and economic power privatized.”

The comments were a reference to the reforms introduced under Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, whose policies of privatization, industrial restructuring, and centralized government reshaped Britain’s economy during that decade.

Burnham also identified social care as one of his top priorities. In a video posted to social media on Thursday evening, he said his government would seek to improve inconsistent access to care for elderly people and those living with illness or disabilities, an issue that has challenged successive Labour and Conservative governments as Britain’s population continues to age.

Burnham has also been openly critical of President Donald Trump in the past, arguing that the president’s leadership has contributed to global instability.

“The path we’re on, if we are not careful, is a path towards the politics of the United States of America,” Burnham warned during a campaign appearance in June. While he didn’t attribute it directly to Mr. Trump, he said Americans were grappling with “a polarized, poisonous politics where people in communities don’t work together anymore.”

In an interview last year with The London Economic, Burnham discussed President Trump’s reelection alongside the rise of right-wing populist movements across Europe, saying, “I think we now have to have a real debate about what that means and the instability that [former prime minister] Liz Truss brought to Britain, I think Trump is bringing to the U.S. and the world.”

{Matzav.com}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{Matzav.com}

(AP) – Speeding in your car to work, to pick up your children from school, or go from one errand to the next not only wastes money in gas and sends harmful emissions into the air, it barely saves you time, new research says.

It is something to think about as gas prices stay elevated throughout the summer months and add pain to day-to-day driving and seasonal road tripping.

Instead, abiding by posted speed limits can save U.S. drivers millions of dollars at the gas pump and eliminate millions of gallons of fuel each day, according to a study published Thursday in the Nature journal Communications Sustainability. That is fuel that, when burned, emits planet-warming gases into the atmosphere. To top it all off, changing driving habits wouldn’t even add a full minute to a driver’s commute.

University of Minnesota researchers analyzed 120 million vehicle trips across the United States from four Wednesdays in 2021 using driving data on national road networks, speed limits and U.S. Geological Survey elevation data. The analysis included roads with speed limits of 45 mph (72 kph) and higher.

More than 43% of the studied trips included at least one instance of speeding, and drivers spent nearly 12% of their driving time going faster than the speed limit.

They found that if drivers of light-duty, conventional internal combustion engine vehicles actually drove at posted speed limits, it could save an average of $22 million, based on fuel costs at the time, 6.7 million gallons of fuel and 57,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide every day. The researchers said that is comparable to taking about 5.5 million passenger vehicles off the road.

And while drivers say that speeding saves them precious time, researchers found that is not really the case. With an average daily driving distance of 28.6 miles (46.03 kilometers), driving at or below the posted limit corresponds only to about 54 seconds longer per day.

“If your goal is to shave one minute off your time, then you’ve got to drive fast. If your objective is to get to your destination safely and to save fuel, then you might drive slower than the speed limit,” said William Northrop, mechanical engineering professor at the University of Minnesota and study co-author.

The research considered battery-electric vehicle efficiency only in California given the level of EV adoption in the U.S. at that time. Based on the California modeling, “We find that driving slower is beneficial for EVs as well,” he said.

Interestingly, the study found differences among states. Nevada saw elevated speeding prevalence as well as high speed excess. There was high speeding prevalence in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina, though those states did not necessarily exhibit high speed excess. Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and South Dakota showed both low speeding prevalence and speed excess.

The cost of faster driving today
Driving faster increases a vehicle’s energy use and the emissions from its engine, as well as reduces efficiency. Vehicle engines have become increasingly more efficient over the past several decades even as vehicles have gotten bigger and more powerful. But speed limits have also climbed since the Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act was implemented, which mandated 55 mph national speed limits amid the 1970s energy crisis.

Accounting for the average cost of gas today and more vehicle miles traveled, that increases to roughly $26 million and 7.2 million gallons of fuel that Americans collectively could save each day this year just by not putting the pedal to the metal.

One limitation of the research is that slower driving could impact traffic patterns, which could play a role in efficiency.

However, it is especially timely as U.S. drivers remain price-sensitive to volatile gas prices as the war in Iran has sent the cost for a gallon of fuel above $4 this year. Experts have said there are a number of ways to improve one’s gas mileage, including something as simple as slowing down. Less fuel needing to be purchased because of better efficiency could influence oil market demand, which in turn could impact pricing.

Rob Middleton, associate research scientist of mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan who was not involved in the research, said the study was well-done. But he also noted that the fuel saved from driving more slowly still only represents a fraction of daily gasoline consumption in the U.S., which is about 375 million gallons daily.

“It’s a big number, but it’s a small fraction,” Middleton said. “This is a ‘freebie’ in that it doesn’t really cost anyone anything to do.”

“The market penetration of selling EVs is still small, so we still need fuel, we still need ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles, we’re still going to have them for a very long time,” he added. “Things that we can do to either make the new ones better or to improve our fuel supply, we need to do.”

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

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

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

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

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

A meeting between Dimona Mayor Benny Biton and former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot is drawing attention in the Likud stronghold, as local figures point to early signs of shifting political sentiment in the southern city.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu received a positive but somewhat subdued welcome at this week’s Negev Conference in Dimona. Michal Elmalem Abu, a former Likud city councilwoman who has joined Eisenkot and now heads the local branch of his Yashar party, said the atmosphere was noticeably different from previous years.

Elmalem Abu said she sees no conflict between supporting Eisenkot and maintaining a close working relationship with Biton. She previously served two terms on the Dimona City Council and said Biton asked her to join him ahead of the last municipal election. She declined, explaining that she would not return to Likud.

“I support Benny; he is doing an excellent job,” she said. Elmalem Abu added that she backed Eisenkot when his party was polling at only five seats. When she informed Biton of her decision, she said he reacted warmly despite having wanted her to run alongside him.

“He said he loves Gadi and respects me and my decision,” she recalled. “That is the greatness of leadership. He said he understood it. At the same time, I will stand beside him whenever necessary.”

Elmalem Abu said Biton and Eisenkot have met twice, including after a missile struck Dimona. “He is very caring. You recognize that very quickly,” she said of Eisenkot.

Elmalem Abu, 55, is deputy chairwoman of the Histadrut’s Negev district and chief executive of the cultural centers in southern Israel. She has three children—two sons and a daughter who serves as a career officer in the IDF Intelligence Directorate.

Reflecting on Netanyahu’s reception at the Negev Conference, she said there was “really something that was not as it had been before.”

“I have managed this venue for years. This time it was truly unusual,” she said. “Dimona is a Likud city. The mayor is strongly committed to it and is very dominant. But something is developing here. It stands out particularly in Dimona because of the city’s political identity.”

Elmalem Abu said she does not expect Dimona to completely reverse its longstanding political allegiance anytime soon. “It will take several generations, but this is the beginning of a change, and people understand that,” she said.

As head of Yashar’s Dimona branch, Elmalem Abu organized a party gathering attended by Eisenkot. She said more than 300 people attended, noting that all 300 chairs were occupied and additional participants stood along the walls.

Senior figures in Dimona also believe Eisenkot is gaining substantial support in the city. One local official said that although Netanyahu’s supporters publicly chant “Only Bibi,” some may vote for Eisenkot once they are alone behind the ballot-box curtain.

“It is a question of identity—Moroccan, the Moroccan language, the development town where he was born, the development city where he grew up, traditional, a bereaved father, and a man who wore a uniform for more than 40 years,” the official said.

Biton’s associates confirmed that he met Eisenkot in his office. Biton has a broad political history: In the 1998 municipal election, he ran against late Likud politician Gabi Lalush. A year later, he was placed 12th on Yitzhak Mordechai’s party slate, which competed against Likud. He later joined Ehud Barak, entered Likud in 2011, and has served as Dimona’s mayor on the party’s behalf since 2013.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dear Matzav Inbox,

Every summer we hear speeches about kedushah. Every summer there are campaigns about guarding our eyes, guarding our mouths, guarding our children’s ruchniyus. Every summer we’re reminded that camp isn’t just recreation. It’s an extension of the home and the yeshivah. Beautiful. Inspiring. But then I walk into some camp canteens and I wonder if anyone has stopped for five minutes to think about the most basic thing that goes into a Yid’s body: the food.

Our community has become obsessed with hashgachos. We’ll spend an hour discussing whether one hechsher is better than another. We’ll call rabbanim about a new product. We’ll refuse invitations because the standards aren’t exactly what we hold by. People won’t touch a cookie until they’ve examined every symbol on the package.

And then camp opens.

Suddenly, the standards that would never be tolerated anywhere else are somehow perfectly acceptable.

I’ve seen camp canteens from the inside. I know how they operate. I’m not talking from rumors. I’m talking from experience. In too many places, the entire operation is being run by teenagers. Good boys? Absolutely. Ehrliche boys? I’m sure. But they’re still teenagers. They’re rushing, they’re joking, they’re distracted, they’re trying to keep hundreds of campers happy, and somehow we’ve decided that this is an appropriate environment to run a food operation with zero adult oversight.

Why? Can someone please explain this to me?

If a pizza store in Brooklyn operated this way, would anybody eat there? If a caterer had sixteen-year-olds running the kitchen while the mashgiach was nowhere to be found for hours at a time, would anyone in our community touch the food? They’d be shut down before supper. There would be outrage. There would be endless conversations. WhatsApp would explode.

But because it’s “camp,” everyone shrugs.

Since when is “it’ll work out” a standard in hilchos kashrus?

Mistakes happen. Things get mixed up. Someone grabs the wrong utensil. Someone heats something where they shouldn’t. Someone puts something back in the wrong place. Someone opens the wrong package. Someone forgets. Someone doesn’t know. Someone was never taught. That’s why every serious kitchen has supervision.

Where are the people who normally scream about kashrus? Where are the organizations? Where are the rabbanim? Where are the parents asking the questions they ask everywhere else?

Parents spend thousands upon thousands of dollars to send children to camp because they want them to grow in Torah and yiras Shamayim. They assume, rightfully, that the camp is taking kashrus as seriously as they do at home. They don’t imagine that one of the most sensitive areas in camp is operating on autopilot.

Kashrus in a canteen can’t simply be left to whoever happens to be behind the counter. It deserves a real system. It deserves accountability. It deserves someone whose entire job is to make sure nothing goes wrong.

We don’t compromise on safety. We have lifeguards watching the lake every second. We have nurses for every scrape and fever. We have security because we don’t say, “Eh, it’ll probably be okay.” Why is kashrus any different? Why are we willing to gamble with something that the Torah treats with such seriousness?

I’d much rather people be offended by this letter than have another summer go by where everyone pretends there isn’t a problem.

If I’m wrong, prove me wrong. Show me the mashgichim. Show me the systems. Show me the oversight. Show parents that someone is actually taking responsibility. But if I’m right, and I believe I am, then stop looking the other way.

We keep telling our children that Torah isn’t seasonal. That mitzvos don’t go on vacation. That standards don’t change because it’s July and August.

Maybe it’s time the people who run canteens start believing that too.

Sincerely,

A Former Canteen Employee

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The childhood home of President Donald Trump in New York found a buyer after it was renovated by a real estate developer over the last year.

Located in the Queens borough of New York City, the Tudor-style home was built by the president’s father, real estate developer Fred Trump, in the affluent neighborhood known as Jamaica Estates in 1940.

The president lived at the home until the age of 4, when the family moved to a larger home in the neighborhood in 1950, Realtor.com reported.

The home was purchased a little more than a year ago by real estate developer Tommy Lin, who bought it for $835,000 in March 2025, according to PropertyShark records.

Lin previously told Mansion Global that while his work typically focuses on condos in Brooklyn, the “only reason I took on this project was because it’s Trump’s childhood house,” adding that ordinarily it would be “a little too small for me to do.”

At the time of Lin’s purchase, the house was in need of upkeep, with issues including a leaking roof, an overgrown yard and feral cats.

Lin worked on the renovation with Jevon Gratineau of Brown Harris Stevens, and they started the renovation with fixes to the interior caused by leaks, along with replacing the roof and windows and adding full insulation. He also redid the home’s facade, though it retains its Tudor-style appearance.

The two largely kept the layout of the 3,400 square foot, five-bedroom home intact from its original design – though they did remove a wall to open the kitchen and living room area.

They also fully finished the interior of the home after originally planning to just make it livable, with Lin telling the outlet he put “double or triple the time and effort” into this project compared to what he would normally work on.

The two told Mansion Global that the total renovation cost was a little over $500,000 – which included higher than expected spending on a new HVAC system as well as the property’s gardening.

The former Trump family home went back on the market late last year when it was listed in November for $2.3 million.

It was delisted by the end of January and relisted briefly in March for $2.2 million. The was relisted in May with a new agent, Joe Zhu of Re/Max Edge, with the most recent asking price just below $2 million.

The home was pending sale as of Tuesday, according to Realtor.com.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{Matzav.com}

The Baltimore Jewish community is mourning the heartbreaking loss of a 1-year-old boy who, according to initial reports, was Niftar after being left inside a hot vehicle on Thursday.

The child was the son of a respected member of the local kollel community. Levaya arrangements are expected to be announced later.

In response to the tragedy, an Asifas Chizuk for the women of the community has been scheduled for 9:00 p.m. Thursday at the “New House,” located at 6329 Green Meadow Parkway. Rabbonim, together with representatives from Chai Lifeline, are expected to offer words of chizuk and support to those affected by the devastating loss.

The tragedy is the latest in a string of hot-car deaths that claim the lives of young children across the country every year, particularly during the warmer months. Safety advocates have long urged parents, drivers, and carpool operators to implement systems, such as placing a personal item in the back seat, verifying head counts upon arrival, or using car seat alarms, to prevent these heartbreaking incidents.

YWN does not like posting these tragedies, but we have no choice but to keep doing it, because these stories never seem to stop.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

(AP) – Heat that hit Europe exceptionally early and hard this year appears to have led to a spike in deaths, with well over 10,000 more people dying at the height of the heat wave than would normally have been expected, according to figures that are still emerging across the continent.

Measures of what researchers call “excess mortality” — the difference between the normally expected number of deaths and the actual number — spiked in late June, when parts of Europe experienced record temperatures. Experts caution that it takes a while for a full picture to emerge, and that many heat-related deaths will never formally be recorded as such. For example, a heart attack, which can be triggered by extreme heat exposure, especially in people who are older or have underlying health issues, may be listed on a death certificate simply as a heart attack.

It’s an alarming start to the summer. Several heat waves have killed thousands of people in the past few years in Europe. Still, 2003 stands as the deadliest year in Europe for heat, with about 70,000 deaths. The frequency and intensity of heat waves are supercharged by climate change, which comes from the burning of fuels like coal, oil and gas.

An exceptionally deadly week in early summer 2026
The EuroMOMO mortality monitoring hub, which receives data from two dozen countries, gave an estimate of 14,260 for excess mortality from all causes in the week ending June 28, more than 12,000 of those deaths being among people age 65 and older. That’s out of a total 84,583 deaths that week. Figures in the preceding and following weeks were far lower.

Lasse Vestergaard of Denmark’s Statens Serum Institut, which coordinates EuroMOMO, said that “we attribute this to the heat wave affecting quite a lot of countries in Europe, and we do that because there is no other obvious explanation that could explain such a high excess mortality happening at the moment.”

Such a high excess in a single week is “highly unusual,” he added. EuroMOMO doesn’t give absolute numbers for individual countries, but found the highest rates of excess in France, Belgium and Germany.

Nations that bore the brunt of the heat have issued their own estimates — which don’t always follow the same methodology or timelines. Here is a snapshot of heat-related deaths being reported by various countries.

Germany
Germany’s disease control center, the Robert Koch Institute, directly attributed 6,830 deaths to heat this year through early July, 6,470 of them among people 65 and older. Temperatures in Germany late last month hit their highest levels since records began, peaking with a measurement of 41.7 degrees Celsius (107.06 Fahrenheit) on June 28, according to the German Weather Service.

United Kingdom
Britain’s Met Office, the national weather agency, said that 2,700 people are believed to have died from heat-related causes during heat waves in England and Wales in May and June. Of those deaths, it says that about 550 occurred in late May and about 2,200 in late June. This year brought national heat records for May of 35.1 Celsius (95.18 Fahrenheit) and for June of more than 37 Celsius (98.6 Fahrenheit).

France
France’s public health authority said there were at least 2,000 more deaths in the week of June 22-28 than the previous week, when temperatures were already climbing. France recorded its hottest-ever days on June 24 and 25, when the Meteo France weather service said the national thermal indicator — an average of daily temperatures measured at 30 weather stations — hit 30 Celsius (86 Fahrenheit). More than 40% of France saw peak temperatures of above 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).

Spain
An estimated 937 deaths in Spain in June were attributed to excess heat, according to the Carlos III Health Institute, an official Spanish monitoring agency. Last month was Spain’s second-hottest June on record, with temperatures 3.2 Celsius (5.8 Fahrenheit) above the monthly normal average, according to the AEMET weather agency. A five-day heat wave saw temperatures regularly surpass 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), AEMET said.

Belgium
There were 1,747 deaths above what would usually be expected during the heat wave that ran from June 18 to July 1, according to Sciensano, Belgium’s public health institute. It said that “a certain excess mortality is expected during heat waves, as during waves of cold weather and flu epidemics. Nevertheless, the heatwave of June 2026 is distinguished by its exceptional breadth.”

At the peak of the heat wave, there was a measurement of 35.5 Celsius (95.9 Fahrenheit) on June 26, the IRM weather institute said.

Netherlands
An initial estimate of excess death figures from the June heat wave found that the Netherlands had 480 more deaths than expected, according to the public health service. Increased mortality was particularly notable in eastern and southern areas, where the temperatures were the highest.

The country saw its highest temperature ever for June, with the Dutch weather service registering 36.8 degrees Celsius (98.24 Fahrenheit). That’s more than a degree Celsius (1.8F) higher than the previous record, set in 1947.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“That’s why I’m joining a bipartisan group of my colleagues in introducing legislation that will encourage Congress to roll up its sleeves and find a path forward to ensure current and future generations of retirees and their families are able to receive the benefits they have earned and which they are owed,” he continued.

The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget voiced support for the bill: “The PROMISE Act would establish a thoughtful bipartisan process to help Congress do its job and rescue Social Security before it’s too late… These proposals keep Congress and the public involved in this important process. Hopefully they can give our leaders the kick in the pants they need to start working together to secure Social Security for current and future generations,” Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget President Maya MacGuineas wrote.

Based on the current average monthly payout of $2,071, beneficiaries — including seniors and individuals with disabilities — would lose roughly $450 per month if a funding plan is not put in place. Experts estimate this reduction would force over 3 million American citizens into poverty.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A longtime teleprompter operator for President Donald Trump has been placed on unpaid administrative leave after federal investigators reportedly concluded that he used advance knowledge of the president’s prepared speeches to make profitable wagers on a prediction market. According to sources familiar with the investigation, the employee allegedly earned more than $100,000 through the trades and is now negotiating a settlement with federal regulators.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{Matzav.com}

A group of Israelis from communities near the Gaza border were brutally attacked last Motzaei Shabbos in the coastal city of Budva, Montenegro, in what they describe as an antisemitic assault after identifying themselves as Israelis.

The incident was first reported by Kan News.

One of the victims recounted that he and his friends were sitting along the beachfront promenade when four strangers approached them and asked in English where they were from.

“We said Israel. They attacked us, shouting ‘Free Palestine.’ We didn’t respond, and they left. Then they came back with another 10 to 15 young men.”

“They started cursing and threatening us,” he said. “We didn’t respond. They put out a cigarette on one of us, kicked us, threw chairs at us, and punched us. We started running and split up. Some of our friends were knocked to the ground and kicked. We somehow managed to escape.”

The victim said three members of the group became separated during the attack. One suffered a broken jaw and underwent surgery, another sustained serious head injuries, and a third lost consciousness after being beaten.

According to the victims, local police witnessed the aftermath but failed to intervene.

“We were all bleeding, and the police told us, ‘You’re making too much noise for the neighbors,’ and walked away,” one victim said. “We ran to the local Chabad House, and from there we took one of the injured to the hospital. The embassy arranged earlier flights home. One of the Israelis is still hospitalized after surgery.”

“We felt like it was the Holocaust,” he added. “We were beaten and lynched. We were afraid they were going to murder us, and we never fought back.”

Another victim described a similarly violent assault.

“They started throwing punches without mercy. They threw chairs and tables at us. One of our friends passed out, and they started kicking and punching him. We realized we couldn’t fight them, so everyone ran in a different direction. They kept chasing us. Some people they caught, they continued beating. One of them had his jaw broken.”

He said the group sought help from nearby police officers.

“We told them, ‘Listen, we’re Israelis. We were brutally beaten.’ We were covered in blood with swollen heads. They simply told us, ‘Be quiet, you’re disturbing the neighbors,’ and walked away. They didn’t even acknowledge us.”

The victim stressed that the group had not displayed any outward signs of being Jewish or Israeli.

“We weren’t wearing kippahs or anything like that. They attacked us solely because we said we were from Israel. We never imagined it could reach this point. Everyone else we met was friendly when we said we were from Israel. Only this group of young men apparently hated Israelis. The Israeli embassy told us not to engage with anyone there and to return home. We realized the local authorities simply don’t care about incidents like this.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

COLOGNE, Germany (AP) — The leaders of Germany and France announced on Friday that the German military would participate in a nuclear exercise under a French initiative to deepen European nuclear cooperation.

The move by both countries to deepen nuclear cooperation underscores growing European defense self-reliance amid concerns about the future of U.S. security commitments to the continent.

“We will have German conventional forces participate in a nuclear exercise conducted by the French armed forces before the end of this year,” Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced after talks with French President Emmanuel Macron at Norvenich air base near Cologne in western Germany.

He said that the cooperation with France “complements” the NATO nuclear sharing agreement, to which Germany remains committed. U.S. nuclear bombs are stationed in Germany as part of NATO’s nuclear deterrent, and German fighter jets have been certified to potentially carry the weapons in case of an emergency.

Previous German leaders have refused offers of nuclear cooperation with France, Merz said, but “the world we live in today requires new answers.”

Germany’s participation in the nuclear exercise will be with conventional means for now, Merz said.

“We are proceeding step by step, it may be that this will result in a new doctrine, but it is far too early to say that today,” he said.

Advanced deterrence is very important for European collective security, Macron said, “because it creates strategic doubt among our adversaries.”

The French president said that Germany would have a “vanguard role” in deterrence efforts and that “diluting the presence of the nuclear deterrent” is what confuses enemies.

Macron said that cooperation would translate into “explaining some aspects of how we operate, sharing certain closely held practices, offering joint exercises, developing joint initiatives and partnerships, and fostering greater … trust among our teams, experts and military personnel.”

Macron didn’t give details about operational measures.

“Complete and absolute transparency is not necessarily the most effective strategy when dealing with adversaries on European soil,” he said.

Enhanced nuclear deterrence won’t involve financing from Germany, Macron said.

On Thursday, French Rafale and German Eurofighter jets participated in a joint in-flight refueling exercise, a symbolic kickoff to the cooperation. The Rafale jets are designed to deliver nuclear weapons.

In early March, Macron announced that his country would increase its nuclear arsenal, and he invited European partners to strengthen cooperation on nuclear deterrence. France’s initiative came amid doubts across Europe about U.S. reliability when it comes to the continent’s defense.

France has been the only nuclear power in the 27-nation European Union since Brexit.

Several countries announced their interest in the French initiative, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden, Denmark and Norway.

The participation of Germany, which is implementing a major rearmament plan to build Europe’s strongest conventional military by 2039, boosts the program.

The German and French leaders also sought to reinvigorate bilateral ties after a planned $100 billion joint fighter jet program collapsed in June. The project had aimed to replace Rafales and Eurofighters used by Germany and Spain by 2040.

The two leaders are eager to lock in advances over the coming months, as Macron approaches the end of his presidency, and uncertainty grows over whether his successor will share his commitment to deeper European cooperation.

Iran has instructed its Houthi allies in Yemen to prepare to block the Bab el-Mandeb Strait if President Trump follows through on his threats to strike Iranian power plants and other infrastructure, according to a Reuters report citing three sources.

According to the report, the Houthis have completed preparations to target commercial shipping, deploying missiles and drones near the strategic waterway connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. A source close to the Houthis told Reuters the group is awaiting orders before launching any attacks.

The report added that members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) currently in Yemen are expected to decide whether and when the Houthis begin targeting ships transiting the strait.

The development comes as Iranian officials issued additional warnings over the Strait of Hormuz. A spokesman for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters declared that Tehran would “under no circumstances” allow the United States to interfere in the strategic waterway, calling it one of Iran’s “red lines.”

Iranian military officials also warned that if the United States attacks the country’s infrastructure, Iran would retaliate by targeting regional infrastructure on a scale “more severe, broader and more terrifying than ever before.”

An Iranian military spokesman further claimed that much of Iran’s military capability has not yet been revealed and warned that any further hostile action against the country would trigger a response that “will exceed the enemy’s expectations” and open new fronts in the conflict.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

KHAN YOUNIS (VINnews)-A Hamas company commander who served as a key figure in holding Israeli hostages and acted as the right-hand man to senior terror group leaders was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, the IDF and Shin Bet announced Friday.

Anas Mahmoud Ahmad Hamdan, a company commander in Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade, was eliminated in a precise strike in the southern Gaza city, according to the military and security services.

The IDF and Shin Bet identified Hamdan as a central figure in the terror group’s hostage operations in Gaza, including during the ongoing war and the process of returning hostages to Israel. He was also responsible for Hamas propaganda efforts within the Khan Younis Brigade.

During the war, Hamdan held hostages and was tasked with documenting them during release ceremonies, the IDF said. Prior to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas massacre, he was responsible for holding Israeli civilian Avera Mengistu hostage.

Hamdan additionally served for years — including throughout the current conflict — as the right-hand man to senior Hamas military wing leaders Muhammad Deif and Rafa’a Salameh.

The military said Hamdan was targeted due to his recent involvement in training terrorists and efforts to advance attacks against Israeli troops and civilians.

“The terrorist posed a threat to our forces operating in the Gaza Strip and was eliminated in precise aerial strikes,” the IDF stated.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Global crises 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Central industry

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Investment focus and regional development

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

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

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

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

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

This post was originally published on here.

Nearly two weeks after the murder of mekubal Rav Amos Guetta zt”l in Netanya, police say they have made a significant breakthrough in the investigation after a suspect who had remained completely silent began speaking following a carefully orchestrated investigative tactic.

According to a report by journalist Lee Ayash of i24NEWS, the suspect, who had consistently exercised his right to remain silent and refused to provide investigators with any version of events, changed his behavior after detectives from the Sharon District Major Crimes Unit carried out an undercover investigative maneuver.

Throughout his interrogations, the suspect reportedly refused to utter a word, acting as though he was unable to speak. Investigators said his only responses consisted of gestures and repeatedly pointing toward the sky.

Police then placed the suspect in a holding area outside the interrogation room without informing him that he was being secretly monitored and recorded.

According to investigators, while waiting, the suspect was offered food and drinks. Unlike his conduct during formal questioning, he responded to questions, carried on a conversation, and even requested a Coca-Cola instead of water. The entire exchange was documented and later presented to him by investigators.

After being confronted with the recorded footage, investigators said the suspect’s demeanor changed, and he began speaking during his official interrogation as well.

Despite that development, police said the suspect has still not provided an account of the murder itself. Instead, his conversations with investigators have focused primarily on religious matters.

Meanwhile, detectives continue to strengthen the evidentiary case. As previously reported, police have also recovered what they believe to be the murder weapon allegedly used in the killing.

{Matzav.com}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lower Energy Costs Help Drive Decline

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

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

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

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

Good News for Consumers

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

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

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

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

Businesses Gain Greater Pricing Stability

American manufacturers also benefit from lower import costs.

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

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

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

Federal Reserve Watches Inflation Closely

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

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

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

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

Looking Ahead

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

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

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

JBizNews Desk | Washington

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

A wave of grief swept through the community in Yerushalayim on Wednesday following the tragic passing of four-and-a-half-year-old Frieda Hershkowitz a”h, who was fatally struck by a vehicle in the Meah Shearim neighborhood.

The devastating accident occurred shortly after midday on Rechov Harav Shmuel Salant. The young girl was hit by a passing vehicle, prompting an immediate response from emergency personnel.

First responders performed extensive resuscitation efforts at the scene before evacuating her in critical condition to a hospital in Yerushalayim. Despite the determined efforts of medical teams, she succumbed to her injuries, and her petirah was later confirmed.

The tragic news spread quickly, leaving family members, friends, neighbors, and residents of the surrounding Chareidi neighborhoods in profound shock and mourning.

Following the accident, ZAKA volunteers responded both at the scene and at the hospital to assist the family and ensure that every aspect of the situation was handled with dignity and according to halachah.

“With the receipt of the report, ZAKA volunteers were dispatched to the scene of the accident,” said Bentzi Auering, Commander of ZAKA’s Jerusalem District, together with Tzvi Yurovitz, a ZAKA Yerushalayim District minilance driver. “After the girl’s death was pronounced at the hospital, the volunteers worked at the scene collecting all findings out of respect for the deceased. At the same time, they accompanied the family at the hospital and assisted in coordinating with all the relevant authorities until she could be brought to burial.”

ZAKA’s legal department worked with police and the appropriate legal authorities to expedite the process. Following those discussions, it was decided that the child’s body would be released directly for kevurah without being transferred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine.

Auering praised the efforts of the volunteers and those involved in securing the family’s request.

“From the moment the report was received, ZAKA volunteers worked at both the scene and the hospital alongside the family. At the same time, ZAKA’s legal department coordinated with all the relevant authorities, and with siyata diShmaya the process was completed and the child was released for burial without being transferred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine.”

Michael Gutwein, coordinator of ZAKA’s legal department, said the organization regularly assists bereaved families during their most difficult moments.

“Members of the legal department accompany families during their hardest moments and work with all the authorities to ensure the swift release of the deceased for burial while preserving the dignity of the deceased and the rights of the family.”

The circumstances surrounding the fatal accident remain under investigation. The levayah is expected to take place as soon as arrangements are completed.

Baruch Dayan HaEmes.

{Matzav.com}

United Airlines is planning to offer passengers flight changes free of charge to avoid landing at the newly renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport in Florida, according to an internal memo that appears aimed at customers who object to the airport’s new name.

Passengers who object to landing at the airport — previously Palm Beach International Airport — may be moved to Fort Lauderdale or Miami without having to pay extra, according to an internal memo obtained by Live And Let’s Fly.

“If a customer does not want to fly to the airport, use your empowerment to offer acceptable alternatives such as Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL) or Miami International Airport (MIA),” the memo to reservation agents reads.

The memo even suggests a response to customers who object to landing at the renamed airport.

“I understand that you’d rather not fly to this airport anymore. We can look at nearby airports like Fort Lauderdale or Miami instead. Is that an acceptable alternative?” the guidance says.

The agents are directed to process the change as an even exchange, effectively making the flight change free of charge for travelers.

Fort Lauderdale is roughly 45 miles south of West Palm Beach, while Miami is about 72 miles away, giving passengers alternative access to South Florida without stepping foot at President Donald J. Trump International Airport.

Still, agents are advised to offer an “acceptable alternative,” according to the memo, suggesting a flight change remains subject to availability and discretion permitted by the airline.

Airlines generally do not allow complimentary destination changes because a traveler objects to the person an airport was named after.

United is also expected to update its systems as the airport transitions from Palm Beach International Airport to President Donald J. Trump International Airport, according to the memo. The airport’s commercial passenger code is expected to remain PBI until the IATA code changes to DJT on Aug. 18.

FOX Business has reached out to United for comment.

This comes after outraged customers flooded the airport’s online contact form with complaints after the airport was renamed last week in honor of the current president.

The airport has said the name change is required by state law and does not affect its ownership, governance or operations.

The airport had posted a message above its comments form acknowledging the name change “may be received in different ways by our passengers.”

Many customers who responded to the form were furious about the name change and the airport’s disclaimer, with several vowing to boycott the airport, according to NOTUS, which obtained the messages through a public records request.

“It’s truly entertaining that you had to add a disclaimer to this form explaining the renaming of your airport after our racist, xenophobic, misogynistic 47th president,” one person wrote.

Another said, “Hopefully you’ll have plenty of airbags to catch the barfs from people as they drive up.”

“How do we continue to get on our knees for such a narcissistic criminal so-called president?” another wrote.

“I am writing to assure you that as long as you are calling this airport anything closely related to ‘TRUMP’ I will NEVER FLY INTO THERE. NEVER! You have 100% lost all my family’s business. Despicable move!” another added.

While airports have been named after other presidents, including former Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, Trump is the first to have an airport named after him while he is still in office.

A photograph showing Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu reading a book aboard an aircraft has ignited widespread discussion on social media, with critics questioning whether the image captured a genuine moment or was staged for public consumption.

The image, shared by political commentator Amit Segal on his Telegram channel alongside a political update, appeared to portray Netanyahu making productive use of his flight time by reading. Instead of focusing on the book itself, however, many online commenters zeroed in on details they said cast doubt on the authenticity of the scene.

Among the issues raised was the apparent difficulty of reading under the circumstances. Critics questioned why someone would choose to read a printed book inside a dimly lit, noisy aircraft while using a cellphone as a flashlight in one hand and holding the book in the other. They argued that the posture appeared awkward for sustained reading and looked more like a carefully arranged photo opportunity than a candid moment.

The biggest point of criticism centered on Netanyahu’s lack of reading glasses. Social media users referenced longstanding claims that his prepared speeches are printed in unusually large type so he can read them without wearing glasses in public. That prompted many to ask how he could comfortably read the small print of a book under poor lighting inside an aircraft without eyewear.

For many of the photo’s critics, those details transformed what might have been viewed as a flattering image into what they described as evidence that Netanyahu was posing with the book rather than actually reading it. They argued that the photograph was intended to project the image of a diligent, intellectual leader who uses every spare moment productively.

Segal also came under criticism for publishing the photograph. Some detractors argued that instead of simply reporting the accompanying political news, he amplified what they viewed as a public relations image from the prime minister’s office without explaining the circumstances in which it was taken or questioning whether it reflected a spontaneous moment or one designed to convey a particular message.

At the same time, critics acknowledged that the photograph itself does not prove Netanyahu was not reading. Nevertheless, they argued that the combination of the cellphone flashlight, the dim conditions, and the absence of reading glasses gave them reason to question whether the image depicted genuine reading or simply the appearance of it.

Israel is advancing a plan to establish an overland energy corridor linking Gulf states to Eilat, with the goal of bypassing both the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait amid renewed fighting between the United States and Iran and continued volatility in global energy markets. Maariv reports that the initiative is being promoted by Israel’s Energy Ministry.

The project calls for the construction of alternative oil pipelines from Gulf countries to Eilat. It is expected to include the government-owned Europe Asia Pipeline Company (EAPC), together with private developers. Officials believe the infrastructure would reduce dependence on the two strategic maritime chokepoints and weaken Iran’s ability to pressure global energy markets.

A senior Energy Ministry official said, “The Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait are the past. We are looking toward the future with the goal of permanently bypassing the straits and their impact on oil prices. The Iranians will miss their ability to pressure energy prices.”

The article notes that oil prices had previously fallen to around $65 per barrel after earlier tensions eased, but have climbed again over the past two weeks following the renewed confrontation between the United States and Iran. Despite the increase, prices have remained below $80 per barrel, with officials believing the current conflict has had a more limited impact on energy markets than previous rounds of fighting.

Israel continues to benefit from its domestic natural gas reserves. The Energy Ministry, headed by Energy Minister Eli Cohen, announced this week that state revenue from natural resource royalties totaled NIS 1.98 billion, while cumulative royalty collections since 2004, excluding taxes and levies, have reached NIS 17 billion. The ministry expects royalty revenue to reach at least NIS 2.5 billion in 2026.

The ministry also recently launched another offshore oil and gas exploration tender. ExxonMobil is expected to participate together with the Greek energy company Energean, while Chevron is investing an additional $2.5 billion in the continued development of the Leviathan natural gas field.

Despite Israel’s growing energy independence, gasoline prices remain high. A liter of gasoline currently costs NIS 7.48 and is expected to rise by approximately 10 agorot on August 1 due to higher global fuel prices and the strengthening of the U.S. dollar against the shekel.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — An elementary school bus returning from an educational trip to a scenic waterfall in Uganda veered off the road and overturned, killing at least 20 children and one adult and leaving at least nine children in critical condition, police and a government official said Friday.

The bus crashed Thursday night in the Kapchorwa District in eastern Uganda on the way back from the region’s Sipi Falls, the Uganda Police Force said in a statement posted on X.

Survivors, including three adults and several children, were taken to several hospitals, according to police. More than 28 children were being treated in hospitals, nine of them in critical condition, Ugandan Minister of Local Government Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi said on X.

The adult among the 21 people who died appeared to be the founder and head of the school, Barugahara said.

Video from the Uganda Red Cross showed bodies of victims in and around the wreckage as people arrived to help following the nighttime crash. Some of the survivors were transported to a hospital in a pick-up truck, according to the video provided to The Associated Press.

Education Minister John Muyingo said the government had suspended all school trips and tours across the country of around 45 million people in response to the tragedy.

The bus belonged to the King David Junior School, an elementary school in the capital, Kampala, police said. The village where police said the crash occurred is near the Uganda-Kenya border, some 300 kilometers (some 190 miles) from Kampala.

The driver reportedly lost control of the bus, which veered off the road, struck a rock and overturned, according to the police statement, which added that the information was preliminary and the cause of the crash was under investigation.

A police photo showed the bus lying on its side with the entire roof ripped off and the seats exposed, including some that were mangled. Luggage and clothing lay strewn on the road.

Road accidents are common in the East African nation and often are blamed on poorly maintained vehicles, speeding and poor road conditions, which are problems across Africa. At least 14 people died when a bus collided with a truck in a remote area of northern Uganda earlier this month.

Africa has the worst road safety record in the world, with more than 300,000 annual road deaths and around 26 deaths per 100,000 people. In Europe, which has far more road traffic, there are around 20,000 deaths yearly and nine deaths per 100,000 people, according to the World Health Organization and the United Nations.

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

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

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

What’s driving it

Two separate pressure points hit at once.

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

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

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

Market Movers

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

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

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

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

Commodities

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

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

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

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

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

On deck

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

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

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

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

JBizNews Desk | Wall Street

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

The United States expanded its strikes against Iran on Thursday, launching a fifth consecutive night of attacks that reportedly hit bridges, an airport, communications infrastructure, and other sites across southern Iran. Ynet reported that Washington informed Israel it planned to broaden its campaign to include infrastructure and energy facilities.

Iranian media reported that a communications tower was struck in the port city of Bandar Abbas, with the Tasnim News Agency claiming that seven people were wounded. U.S. warplanes were also reported to have attacked Iranshahr Airport, while explosions were heard in Bandar Khamir and the Kahurestan area.

Several bridges were reportedly targeted, including a bridge along the Bandar Abbas–Shiraz route, while power supplies were disrupted in parts of the Kahurestan area.

Despite the widening U.S. campaign, Israeli officials currently assess that Iran does not want to draw the IDF into the fighting by launching an attack against Israel. However, Israel is preparing for that possibility. “We are prepared, and if they make that mistake, they will pay a heavy price. Let them come,” an Israeli official said.

Iran has publicly threatened to broaden its attacks if the United States continues escalating. Iranian military spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi warned that if Iranian infrastructure is struck, infrastructure throughout the region will become a target. He also said Tehran would never relinquish its control over the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran continued firing toward Gulf countries and American bases across the Middle East, including launches toward Jordan and Kuwait. Kuwaiti authorities said 32 drones had been intercepted since Thursday morning.

Israeli officials currently identify two developments that could bring Israel directly into the campaign: an Iranian attack against Israel or a request from the United States for the IDF to join the strikes. Neither has occurred at this stage.

Mediators from Pakistan, Egypt, and Qatar are working to renew negotiations, saying neither side has withdrawn from the understandings previously reached. Freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz remains the central issue in the talks. The White House said Iran remains in contact with Washington and wants an agreement, while accusing Tehran of violating the understandings through its attacks on Gulf states.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

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

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

DNC Chair Ken Martin outlined the plan in a statement.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Regional tensions intensified dramatically Thursday after an Iraqi militia publicly announced a $10 million reward for the assassination of President Donald Trump, while an Iranian state-linked media outlet circulated what it claimed was information about locations where the president could be found, raising serious security concerns.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq issued an official statement offering a $10 million bounty to anyone who kills President Trump or assists in locating him. The statement was quickly echoed by Iranian state-aligned media, which published inflammatory material appearing to encourage attacks on the president. The coordinated messaging has heightened concerns over threats from Iran-backed groups operating across the region.

According to the militia’s statement, the reward was “collected from donations of its loyal and proud sons and supporters, designated for whoever kills the criminal Trump, or whoever assists in locating him or directing toward him, whether an individual, group, or organization.” The declaration was dated July 16, 2026.

The group portrayed the bounty as retaliation for previous U.S. military actions in Iraq, specifically referencing the killings of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

In the statement, the militia asserted that “the most eloquent evidence of the moral downfall of the American administration is the arrogance of the criminal Trump in targeting the leaders of victory, the martyrs Qasem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.”

It further vowed that “the free people of the world will pursue the killer of children and scholars,” adding that the president would find no refuge from those seeking revenge.

At nearly the same time, Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency shared a provocative post on X featuring a blood-red silhouette of President Trump accompanied by the headline, “Where to Kill Trump?!”

The post claimed to provide “information on the locations where the terrorist President of America is present” and told followers that “access to Trump is possible in these locations,” language that has drawn significant attention because it appeared to identify places where the president could potentially be targeted.

The combination of a multi-million-dollar assassination bounty issued by an Iran-backed militia and the dissemination of purported location information by an Iranian state-affiliated news agency represents a sharp escalation in anti-American rhetoric amid continuing U.S. military operations in the Middle East.

U.S. security officials are expected to treat the coordinated threats with the highest level of seriousness. With an Iran-backed militia publicly offering a financial reward for an attack and state-linked media appearing to encourage such an act, federal agencies responsible for protecting the president are likely to maintain heightened security measures in response to the explicit threats.

{Matzav.com}

The controversy surrounding New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s immigrant enclave map continues to draw criticism after it initially omitted Little Italy while recognizing dozens of other ethnic neighborhoods across the city, like Little Palestine, Egypt and Yemen.  The map also failed to identify many of New York’s historic Jewish and Irish communities, prompting accusations that some of the city’s oldest immigrant populations were being erased from its official cultural landscape.

In an interview with Rabbi Daniel Schonbuch, host of The Viktor Frankl Podcast, Andre DiMino, President of the Italian American One Voice Coalition, called the omission “a total disgrace,” arguing that it ignored the Italian, Jewish, Irish, and other long-established communities that played a central role in building New York City. While the city later announced that Little Italy would be restored following public backlash, DiMino said the controversy reflects a broader effort to diminish the historical contributions of these communities.

The discussion also explored the history of discrimination against Italian Americans, including the 1891 lynching of eleven Italians in New Orleans—the largest mass lynching in American history—as well as decades of employment discrimination and enduring stereotypes. DiMino said these chapters of American history deserve greater public recognition, particularly as debates over identity and historical memory continue.

The interview also highlighted the longstanding friendship between New York’s Jewish and Italian communities, whose members lived and worked alongside one another for generations. Both DiMino and Rabbi Schonbuch expressed concern that identity politics increasingly divides communities instead of bringing them together and emphasized the importance of preserving the history of all of New York’s historic ethnic and religious communities.

“If you’re going to be mayor for all the people,” DiMino said, “you cannot ignore the people who built this city.”

Follow Rabbi Daniel Schonbuch at www.rabbiforamerica.com

An IDF soldier has been summoned for questioning after publishing a video criticizing Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, commander of the IDF’s Central Command, over his use of administrative restriction orders against Jews in Judea and Samaria.

The soldier, Yehuda Tzabari, accused Bluth of focusing on Jews instead of Israel’s enemies. “With one hand, Avi Bluth sends me to war, and with the other he signs administrative orders against my friends,” Tzabari said. “Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, I demand that you stop issuing administrative orders.”

The IDF said it “views the soldier’s statements with severity,” adding that the remarks “are unacceptable and do not align with IDF values or the standards expected of its soldiers.”

According to the IDF, Tzabari has been summoned for clarification by his commanders. The incident is under review, and command-level disciplinary measures will be considered once the inquiry is complete.

The military also said the movement restriction orders signed by Bluth are based on “clear and substantiated evidence” and are necessary to maintain security in the area.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

An elderly woman in Kew Gardens Hills was scammed out of $25,000 Tuesday afternoon in what authorities say was a fraud scheme targeting a vulnerable member of the community.

Queens Shomrim received the report shortly after the incident and immediately dispatched volunteers to assist the victim while notifying the NYPD. Officers from the NYPD’s 107th Precinct quickly launched an investigation, with volunteers from Queens Shomrim and the Rockaway Nassau Safety Patrol (RNSP) assisting on the scene.

Thanks to the rapid coordination between Shomrim and the NYPD, a suspect was taken into custody in connection with the scam.

Queens Shomrim is urging the public to remain vigilant. Residents should never provide money, banking information, or personal details to unsolicited callers or individuals claiming to represent a business, government agency, or family member without first verifying the request. Anyone who suspects they have been targeted by a scam should contact the NYPD immediately.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Ramat Gan Mayor Carmel Shama-Hacohen personally apologized Thursday to a Chareidi man who was allegedly attacked because of his appearance while waiting at a city bus stop. In addition to sending a letter expressing regret over the incident, the mayor also delivered a cake to the victim as a gesture of support.

The apology followed a report by Kol Berama Radio detailing the assault. In his letter, Shama-Hacohen wrote that he was “deeply shocked to hear about the display of violence and threats that were made at you in the streets of our city. Such an incident is in complete contradiction to Ramat Gan’s fundamental values. There is and will not be any place for expressions of hatred or discrimination in the city.”

The mayor added that “the fact that you are a resident of the neighboring city of Bnei Brak who visited our city, makes the incident even more painful and upsetting.”

According to the victim, the attack took place Wednesday afternoon on Herzl Street in Ramat Gan as he waited for a bus back home. He told Kol Berama that while speaking with his brother-in-law by phone, he stepped to the side of the bus stop so as not to disturb the other passengers waiting there.

It was then, he said, that a man riding a bicycle while holding a beer bottle approached him and began shouting, “Haredi, what are you doing on this street? Go to Bnei Brak.”

The victim said he tried to walk away and avoid any confrontation, but the attacker got off his bicycle and allegedly began striking him repeatedly with the beer bottle. He said he was hit in the face and stomach before the assailant allegedly attempted to smash the bottle while threatening him, saying, “If I see you here in another 10 minutes, I will come back and murder you.”

Before the attacker fled, the victim said he was able to record him on his cellphone.

Reflecting on the ordeal, the victim said the physical assault was not the most painful part of the encounter. Rather, he said, the anti-Chareidi abuse directed at him because of his appearance left the deepest emotional scars.

“The hardest moment was hearing the shout, ‘Haredi, don’t step on this street, go to Bnei Brak. If you stay here, I’ll murder you,'” he said.

The victim also expressed disappointment that, despite the attack taking place on a busy street near a bus stop filled with people, no one stepped forward to intervene or attempt to stop the assault.

He further criticized the way police handled his complaint, saying investigators refused to immediately accept the photograph he had taken of the suspect on his phone. Instead, he said, they insisted he upload it through a designated online portal—a process he explained was especially difficult because he uses a kosher cellphone.

The victim said he hopes Israel Police will conduct a thorough investigation and use security camera footage from the area, along with any other available evidence, to identify and arrest the suspect.

{Matzav.com}

A heated dispute over Chareidi education is unfolding in Netanya after local authorities reportedly sought to move girls’ Chareidi preschools into the state-run Chareidi school system. In response, leading rabbinic figures in the city, joined by Slabodka Rosh Yeshiva Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, have issued a strongly worded letter urging parents not to enroll their daughters in the new framework.

The letter was signed by Rav Moshe Dov Broida, the rabbinic leader of the central Chareidi community in Netanya, and Rav Aharon Aryeh Waldenberg, rabbi of the city’s Minyan Avreichim synagogue. The two rabbanim warned parents against what they described as the dangers of the state-run Chareidi preschool system.

In their letter, the rabbanim wrote, “There must be no surrender and no temptation whatsoever to send our daughters to this framework under any circumstances.”

Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch added his signature to the letter and personally wrote an additional handwritten message stating, “The public, G-d forbid, should not be enticed by their words, and they should stand firm—very firm—in continuing pure Torah education.”

The letter has sparked considerable discussion throughout Netanya’s Chareidi community and beyond. It comes in addition to a separate, detailed letter sent by Rav Moshe Dov Broida to parents of preschool children, in which he warned that unless the situation changes, the upcoming school year will not open under the proposed arrangement.

The controversy marks the latest chapter in the ongoing debate over the expansion of the state-run Chareidi education system, a move that has faced strong opposition from many leading Torah authorities, who have repeatedly called on parents to preserve the traditional model of Torah-based education.

{Matzav.com}

WASHINGTON D.C (VINnews) — President Donald Trump on Thursday alleged that officials within the FBI and other intelligence agencies operated a “shadow government” to suppress information about Chinese meddling in U.S. elections and withhold critical intelligence from his presidential daily briefings.

In remarks highlighting previously unreported allegations, Trump claimed an FBI official admitted to running what she described as a “shadow government” aimed at preventing intelligence about China’s election interference from reaching him and the public.

“Document[s] show that during this period, dozens of significant CIA and NSA reports about China’s election targeting were kept out of the presidential briefing,” Trump said, according to the provided details. “These were briefings I would get almost every day. Everything was kept out.”

He further cited an email among intelligence analysts in which they allegedly admitted to having “deliberately massaged the presidential daily briefing to withhold information regarding Chinese activities related to the election.”

The accusations come amid ongoing reviews and declassifications by the Trump administration into 2020 election-related intelligence, with reports of Chinese efforts to access voter data and influence operations.

Trump’s statements align with his long-standing concerns about foreign interference and what he has described as efforts by elements within the government — often referred to as the “Deep State” — to undermine his administration. Critics have pushed back on such claims, noting prior intelligence assessments that found China did not deploy interference efforts to alter the 2020 election outcome.

The president made the remarks as part of broader discussions on election integrity, including in a primetime address focused on related issues.

VINnews could not immediately obtain independent verification of the specific “shadow government” quote or the exact documents referenced. White House officials have pointed to declassified materials and ongoing probes led by figures like FBI Director Kash Patel into past intelligence handling.

This latest disclosure fits into a pattern of allegations that senior intelligence officials under previous administrations sought to downplay or conceal China-related threats during the 2020 cycle, including access to voter registration databases in multiple states.

Trump has vowed continued efforts to address what he views as politicization within the intelligence community. Further details from any formal releases or investigations are expected in the coming weeks.

Take Note: The orange “moon” you’re seeing this morning from Lakewood and around New Jersey is actually the sun shining through the Canadian wildfire smoke.

It may look dim, but it’s still dangerous to stare at.

The depth of the corruption of Israel’s judicial system is truly disturbing, with the latest revelation showing that the State Attorney’s Office’s indictment against Dr. Michael Ben Ari ahead of the elections for the 21st Knesset was politically motivated.

In 2019, the High Court banned Ben-Ari from running for the 21st Knesset as part of the Otzma Yehudit party after the State Attorney’s Office charged him with 57 counts of “incitement to racism.”

In the recent hearing on Dr. Ben-Ari’s appeal in the Lod District Court, Judge Ron Solkin ruled that the State Attorney’s Office pressured the police to expedite its investigation into Ben-Ari due to the elections, a process that ultimately led to his disqualification from the 21st Knesset. In unusually sharp criticism of the State Attorney’s Office, Judge Solkin also ruled that during the investigation, prosecutors from the State Attorney’s Office dictated the questions the police were to ask, rather than allowing the investigating authority to conduct the investigation independently.

Dr. Ben Ari, a candidate on Moshe Feiglin’s Zehut Party list for the 26th Knesset, told B’Sheva_: “_In other words, the State Attorney’s Office used the police to advance a political agenda. They told the police: ‘To disqualify Ben Ari, we need critical mass—collect the material for us.’ That is blatant political interference in Israel’s political system by the prosecuting and investigating authorities.”

“They never did this before, not against [Arab MKs] Azmi Bishara or Ahmad Tibi—they always stood by people like them,” Ben-Ari noted. “Section 7A states that anyone running for the Knesset must recognize Israel as a Jewish state. None of them recognize Israel as a Jewish state, yet no one seeks to disqualify them. To disqualify me, they searched with candles and under the floorboards.”

“They brought 40 publications to the petition seeking to disqualify me in the High Court. But when they came to file the indictment, only nine remained out of those 40. The ‘critical mass’ they claimed simply didn’t exist. It was all lies—a witch hunt carried out through the unlimited power of then-State Attorney Shai Nitzan and his gang in the State Attorney’s Office,” Ben Ari said, adding that he believes that Nitzan treated the indictment against him as a personal project.

B’Sheva journalist Yoni Rotenberg responded to the report by stating: “Let’s simplify what this article is saying for a moment: A district court judge—who is not suspected of being sympathetic to Ben Ari—states unequivocally that the State Attorney’s Office used a criminal investigation for political purposes. Yes, that’s what he’s saying: according to the ruling—prosecutors pressed the police to speed up the investigation into Ben Ari so there would be a case to present to the Central Elections Committee and the High Court to disqualify him from running for the Knesset. This is what a dying democracy looks like.”

It should be noted that following investigations by the “Choosing Life Forum,” which represents bereaved families, it was recently revealed that Mansour Abbas’s Ra’am party— the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in Israel — transferred funds to the military wing of Hamas and promoted terror content. Following the publication, the Registrar of Associations and the Official Receiver petitioned the Lod District Court, and Judge Merav Ben‑Ari ordered the NGOs closed. Ben‑Ari noted that the Reform Movement and prosecution officials who rushed to disqualify him for ‘racist statements’ are silent when it comes to Mansour Abbas.

Dr. Ben Ari said in an interview with Galey Yisrael: “This decision opens Pandora’s box. I knew that box was there—I just needed the smoking gun itself. It’s written in very, very clear language. The entire objective of the State Attorney’s Office wasn’t merely to disqualify me—it was solely to disqualify me. The State Attorney’s Office adopted a political position and became a kind of branch of Balad or a branch of the Reform Center. They decided they didn’t want Ben Ari in the Knesset. Shai Nitzan wanted to remove me from the political system, and together with an entire group within the State Attorney’s Office, they lied every step of the way.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

FISH LIST 5786 - ENGLISH
FISH LIST 5786 - YIDDISH

SYDNEY (AP) — More than 500 people are feared dead after reports that two boats carrying members of Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya minority have capsized in the Bay of Bengal, officials said Thursday.

According to preliminary information, the two boats left Myanmar’s western state of Rakhine in late June carrying mostly Rohingya passengers, including some who had traveled from refugee camps across the border in Bangladesh, according to a statement from the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

More than 500 people are feared to have been aboard two boats that reportedly capsized off the coast of Myanmar.

Most were Rohingya passengers risking dangerous sea journeys in search of safety. We and IOM are deeply concerned by these reports and call for stronger efforts to… pic.twitter.com/FIvT4T4AfR

— UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency (@Refugees) July 16, 2026

One boat, believed to have been carrying around 250 people, lost contact shortly after departure. A second boat, reportedly carrying 280 people, is believed to have sunk off Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady coast on July 8.

″While the incidents and casualty figures have yet to be officially confirmed, UNHCR and IOM are gravely concerned by the potentially devastating loss of life,” the agencies said.

Acting police Brig. Gen. Soe Lin Aung, the spokesperson for Myanmar’s Ministry of Home Affairs, declined to comment. Spokespeople for Myanmar’s president and the Ayeyarwady region’s government did not respond to requests for comment.

The Rohingya, who have in recent years fled both Myanmar and Bangladesh’s squalid refugee camps by the thousands, typically avoid such boat journeys at this time of year, when monsoons are frequent and conditions at sea are particularly dangerous. The UNHCR and IOM noted this in their statement, saying that recent torrential rain and flooding across the region would have made such journeys especially risky.

Around 1.2 million stateless, predominantly Muslim Rohingya remain trapped in overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh after fleeing waves of violence by Myanmar’s security forces.

The United Nations has warned that more than five hundred people are feared dead after two boats carrying Rohingya refugees reportedly capsized off the coast of Myanmar.#Asiaone #asiaonenews #Myanmar #Shipwreck #UnitedNations #HumanitarianCrisis pic.twitter.com/bq8SJLBAuC

— ASIA ONE NEWS (@AsiaOne_News) July 16, 2026

The refugees have no way to safely return to Myanmar, where the military that killed thousands of Rohingya in 2017 during what the United States declared a genocide remains in charge of their homeland. The Rohingya still living in Myanmar face severe restrictions and many are confined to internment camps.

Steep cuts to foreign aid by the U.S. and other countries have led to ration cuts in Bangladesh’s refugee camps, while the ruling military and an ethnic armed organization in Rakhine have fought for control of the region.

The unrest has led to an increasing number of Rohingya attempting to make the dangerous ocean crossing to Malaysia on rickety boats. Thousands have died in the process, including babies, children and pregnant women. Local maritime authorities have frequently abandoned the Rohingya at sea, often ignoring reports of boats in distress.

The IOM and UNHCR said on Thursday that the latest potential tragedy at sea underscores the continued lack of sustainable solutions for the Rohingya, and urged the international community to support those trapped in Bangladesh’s camps.

“Stronger regional and international efforts are needed to prevent further loss of life along one of the world’s deadliest maritime routes, including through enhanced search and rescue efforts, access to asylum and protection, and actions against smuggling and trafficking networks,” the agencies said.

More than 6,500 Rohingya fled and nearly 900 were reported dead or missing in 2025, the deadliest year for Rohingya who tried to leave by boat. The figure represents the highest mortality rate of any major route for refugee and migrant sea journeys in the world, the UNHCR said.

Former hostage Rom Braslavski has made a tremendous Kiddush Hashem since his release from his torturous captivity in Gaza, choosing to turn to Hashem and Yiddishkeit as he struggles to rehabilitate his life and deal with severe post-trauma symptoms.

Now, as part of his teshuva process, he made the decision to remove his tattoo.

“And you shall not place a tattoo upon yourselves,” he wrote, quoting the issur from the Torah. “Abba, thank You for the zechus of removing the tattoo from my body. Abba, thank You for the zechus to be free and happy. Abba, thank You for the zechus of being Jewish. Abba, thank You for the privilege of not being a hostage in Gaza.”

“Thank You for the zechus to rectify myself.

“I will never forget that during my darkest days in Gaza, in the intense heat of August and September, the terrorist forced me to wear a jacket so that no one would see my tattoo in case someone managed to break into the place where I was being held. That tattoo was what identified me as a Jew.

“The irony is that a true Jew is not supposed to have a tattoo on his body.

“Today, months after the moment when Hakadosh Baruch Hu, through His nissim and wonders, chose to free me from the house of bondage and redeem me from my suffering, I am strong and stable enough to decide to remove this tattoo with laser treatments from my body, and to endure the pain—but for one purpose alone: to serve and devote myself to Hakadosh Baruch Hu.

“I am willing to suffer physically again and again, and I am prepared to die in agony for Him. I will do everything to please my Father in Shamayim, always.

“Abba, thank You for my captivity in Gaza, and thank You for the suffering I endured. Thank You for every hardship You placed in my life.”

Earlier this week, Braslavski shared a video relating his difficult battle with post-traumatic symptoms but emphasized that he chooses to wake up every day and thank Hashem.

“This captivity was both my curse and my blessing from Hashem,” he said. “This captivity shaped me—it shaped my character. But now that I’m free, I’m dealing with very severe post-traumatic stress. It’s very difficult to return to life after such a tremendous upheaval.”

“My question is this: Am I going to return to life, or am I going to remain a captive in Gaza? Am I going to get up and strengthen myself again and again and not let them win, or am I going to lock myself in my room and not let the sun come in? Because if I do that, they’ve won—not me.”

“They’ve won—not me—if I fall into depression and sadness. That’s not something I’m willing to accept. Every day I make the choice to open the blinds, get up early, and let the sun into my life. To let the sun brighten my dark face. Dark on the inside, bright on the outside. And the light on the outside slowly seeps into my soul.”

“The post-trauma and the severe trauma I went through. The bodies I saw, all the blood I saw, all the people who died whom I carry on my shoulders, all my friends who were murdered—that’s reason enough not to get up.”

“But time and again, I choose to rise from the blow I’ve been dealt. To thank Hashem: ‘I give thanks before You, living and eternal King, for mercifully restoring my soul within me; great is Your faithfulness,’ because Hashem, in His mercy, saved me from that house of bondage.”

Your browser does not support the video tag.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President JD Vance says the Trump administration “absolutely” mishandled the communications surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein files.

During a lengthy podcast interview with Joe Rogan released Wednesday, Vance pointed largely to former Attorney General Pam Bondi, who infamously stated that an alleged “client list” of Epstein’s was “sitting on my desk right now.” Epstein was a convicted sex offender who was known for his wide web of connections to the world’s elite.

In addition to those comments, the Justice Department under Bondi had also offered conservative commentators and influencers binders that were called “The Epstein files: Phase 1″ and “Declassified.”

“I know Pam. I like Pam. I don’t think there was anything malicious going on,” Vance told Rogan. “I think Pam was trying to respond to the political moment. I think she overstated what we had and what we didn’t have.”

As a result, Vance said, Bondi was “roasted” publicly for it and led people to “mistrust” the administration’s transparency efforts on the Epstein files.

“We absolutely screwed up the comms of the Epstein files. Like, we just did,” Vance said. “But do I think the reason we screwed up the comms is because we were trying to hide something? No.”

The controversy over the Epstein files dogged the administration for much of last year, with lawmakers eventually passing a measure that compelled the release of a massive trove of documents in the government’s possession related to its investigations of the disgraced financier. The Justice Department began releasing the documents in late December, which included photos, call logs, grand jury testimony and interview transcripts.

A new analysis has found that New York’s share of the nation’s millionaires has fallen sharply over the past decade, costing the state an estimated $10.7 billion in tax revenue in a single year and fueling concerns that additional tax increases on high earners could accelerate the trend.

The report, released Monday by the Citizens Budget Commission (CBC), comes as debate intensifies over Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s proposals to raise taxes on wealthy residents. Critics argue that such policies could encourage even more affluent individuals and businesses to leave New York.

According to the CBC’s Competitive NYS: Value Proposition Tracker dashboard, New York’s share of America’s millionaires declined from 12.7% in 2010 to 8.7% in 2022—the steepest drop recorded by any state during that period.

“New York’s declining share of high-income taxpayers has meaningful consequences,” the analysis states.

“Had New York maintained its share of the nation’s millionaires over the past decade, personal income tax collections would have been substantially higher – roughly $10.7 billion more in tax year 2022.”

Business leaders and tax policy experts have increasingly warned that efforts to impose additional taxes on wealthy residents—an idea that has gained traction among some lawmakers in Albany—could intensify the migration of high-income taxpayers out of the state.

Although Gov. Kathy Hochul has rejected proposals for a broad increase in income taxes on the wealthy while seeking reelection this year, she has endorsed a pied-à-terre tax targeting expensive second homes in New York City.

Mamdani publicly praised that proposal in a social media video filmed outside hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin’s $238 million Manhattan penthouse. The move sparked a public dispute with Griffin, who threatened to abandon a planned $6 billion Park Avenue development.

That confrontation heightened concerns among business leaders that New York could face a broader exodus of wealthy residents at a time when both the city and state rely heavily on tax revenue generated by a relatively small number of high-income earners.

“In New York, the top 1% of earners pay about 45% of all state income taxes in any given year, so New York’s revenue is very reliant on high earners to stay in New York, and that has been a challenge in recent years,” said Jared Walczak, an economist and senior fellow at the Tax Foundation think tank.

“Gracie Mansion can’t do it on its own; it takes Albany,” he told The Post. “Pied-à-terre will have some impact, but there’s this feeling that New York isn’t done raising taxes, and with other places being more competitive, it won’t be surprising if high-earner taxpayers choose to relocate.”

Abir Mandal, a senior state policy analyst at the Tax Foundation, said New York currently ranks last in the nation for tax competitiveness.

He argued that high tax burdens encourage businesses to relocate to states with more favorable tax climates, pointing to Elon Musk’s decision to move his companies from California to Texas as an example.

“Without reforming the tax structure New York won’t be competitive for attracting population and business,” he said.

“Wall Street is the golden goose. But for how long?”

The report also points to state policies enacted over the past decade that critics say have added to New York’s economic challenges. Among them are income tax increases approved under Gov. Andrew Cuomo during the coronavirus pandemic and Medicaid spending under Hochul that is projected to climb to $58 billion by the end of the decade.

Ken Girardin, a research fellow at the Manhattan Institute, argued that New York’s 2019 expansion of rent regulations, combined with the state’s clean energy mandates, has constrained housing construction while increasing energy costs.

“Albany is directly responsible for the stagnation,” he said.

The CBC report paints a picture of economic and demographic challenges that predate Mamdani’s election, highlighting long-term trends affecting the state.

Among its findings, the study concluded that New York has experienced a net loss of residents to every other state, with Florida and Texas attracting many of those who have left. It also found that New York City’s population gains in 2023 and 2024 were driven largely by international immigration following pandemic-era population losses. The report noted that much of the state’s economic growth is concentrated in a corridor stretching from New York City and Long Island to Albany, while many upstate and rural communities continue losing workers. It further found that New York collects more state and local taxes per resident than any other state, averaging $12,495 per person—78% above the national average.

Although New York ranked second nationally in millionaire concentration in 2010, the report notes that its position has steadily weakened.

By 2022, the state had added roughly 34,000 millionaires compared with 2010, but growth elsewhere far exceeded New York’s gains.

“New York’s number of millionaires doubled, but it tripled in California and Texas and quadrupled in Florida, leaving New York State with the fourth-most millionaires behind those states,” the study states.

The analysis also found that New York City has generally performed better than regions such as the North Country and Southern Tier, where population losses have remained persistent.

“It’s difficult to not be alarmed by this data,” said Justin Wilcox, Executive Director, Upstate United. “With this CBC tool, Upstate New Yorkers can see for themselves the devastating impacts of Albany’s policies — businesses failing to grow, population decline, and the loss of revenue. NYS needs to course correct now before it’s too late and we become permanently entrenched in a cycle of fewer people”

Responding to the report during an unrelated event Monday, Mamdani dismissed concerns that higher taxes would trigger a significant flight of wealthy residents.

He argued that New York has continued to add millionaires even after previous tax increases enacted by the state.

“I’ve been very clear about the fact that we live in the wealthiest city in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, and it’s unacceptable that one in four New Yorkers are living in poverty, and I believe that the wealthiest can do a little bit more to ensure that everyone can afford to live here,” he said.

Steve Fulop, CEO of the Partnership for New York City, warned that if high-income taxpayers continue relocating elsewhere, the burden will ultimately fall on lower-income residents who depend on government-funded services.

“If we don’t course-correct and get laser-focused on keeping the city and state attractive to the people and businesses that drive our economy, the affordability crisis will only deepen because the people leaving are the ones paying the largest share of a budget that funds the social programs meant to help our most vulnerable,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Ezrachi delivered divrei chizzuk to hundreds of yeshiva bochurim at the Ner Zerach Yeshiva in Moshav Otzem in southern Israel on Wednesday, JDN reported.

HaRav Ezrachi shared that even before the recent period, he had addressed the possibility of harsh decrees befalling bnei yeshivos, saying that a time might come when Bnei Torah will be required to be moser nefesh. He emphasized that bochurim may be prepared to be moser nefesh but that the ratzon alone is not enough.

“Of course you want to be moser nefesh, but who says you can?” HaRav Ezrachi said, explaining that this is the deeper meaning of the Meshech Chochmah’s explanation of the conduct of King Chizkiyahu, who gave all of his possessions to the King of Ashur but did not surrender “that which was most precious to him”—the holy Torah.”

“The willingness alone to be moser nefesh is not enough. One must prepare and develop the genuine ability to do so, an ability that comes from a heart entirely devoted to Avodas Hashem. If the heart is occupied with other things, it may want to give, but it cannot. It is already full.”

In conclusion, HaRav Ezrachi stressed that we daven not to face nisyonos of mesiras nefesh, chalila, but if the time comes, one should aspire to be worthy of enduring it. “If chalilah, such a situation arises, we must go—and fortunate are those who are seized for divrei Torah. But for us to truly be capable of that, everything depends on our midos being refined and on our hearts not being occupied with jealousy, hatred, and other negative middos.”

HaRav Ezrachi’s warning about the need for Bnei Torah to be moser nefesh is reminiscent of that of HaGaon HaRav Meir Tzvi Bergman, who wrote a sharply worded letter in 2024 following the High Court’s ruling mandating the recruitment of bnei yeshivos. HaRav Bergman wrote in the letter that his father-in-law, HaGaon HaRav Elazar Menachem Man Shach, z’tl, had foreseen this situation.

“And I already wrote [in 2000] in the name of Rabbeinu HaGadol Rosh HaYeshivah [HaRav Shach, z’tl], that if it becomes nogeah– to publicize to the public in his name that the gezeirah of the recruitment of bnei hayeshivos is a gezeiras shmad and it’s necessary to be moser nefesh for it, as it’s explained in Shulchan Orech Yoreh De’ah.”

“And therefore, if we are tested in this, we must oppose it with all our strength, to the point of mesirus nefesh.”

HaRav Bergman’s letter.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

A dramatic standoff unfolded in the Knesset Thursday evening after Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri ordered his party’s lawmakers to walk out of the plenum, declaring that the party would not support a controversial campaign finance bill unless opposition factions also backed the legislation.

The bill, which would increase public funding for political parties ahead of the upcoming elections, requires the support of at least 61 Knesset members to pass. After learning that opposition parties did not intend to vote in favor of the measure, Deri instructed all Shas MKs to leave the chamber, effectively jeopardizing the bill’s chances of securing the necessary majority.

Explaining his decision, Deri accused the opposition of attempting to benefit from the legislation while allowing the coalition—and particularly the Chareidi parties—to absorb the political criticism.

“I will teach the opposition a lesson. They are always saying the Chareidim only want money. We don’t need this money. Shas is the most organized party and has no debts,” Deri said during conversations in the Knesset. “They want this law more than we do, but they want us to pass it, take all the criticism, and then they will receive the money.”

Officials in Shas said they view the opposition’s position as an attempt to reap the financial benefits of the legislation without publicly supporting it. As a result, the party has made clear that it will not provide the votes needed to pass the bill unless opposition lawmakers are also willing to vote in favor.

With the Knesset’s 25th term rapidly drawing to a close ahead of new elections, it remains uncertain whether supporters of the measure will be able to assemble the 61-vote majority required to approve the legislation before the current session ends.

{Matzav.com}

New Jersey voters continue to overwhelmingly support the state’s ban on self-service gasoline, with little change in public opinion over the past 14 years, according to a new Fairleigh Dickinson University poll.

The survey, released today found that 64% of registered voters want to keep New Jersey’s longstanding requirement that gas station attendants pump fuel for customers, while 24% favor allowing drivers to pump their own gas. Those results are virtually unchanged from a 2012 FDU poll, when 63% supported maintaining full-service stations and 23% backed self-service.

New Jersey is the only state in the nation that still requires full-service gasoline stations statewide.

“At a time when everything seems unstable, it’s good to know that there are some things that just don’t change,” Dan Cassino, executive director of the FDU Poll, said in a statement. “New Jersey voters have never wanted to pump their own gas, and they still don’t want to pump their own gas.”

The poll found notable differences across demographic groups.

Women were considerably more likely than men to support the current law, with 74% favoring full-service compared with 56% of men. Even so, a majority of men said they preferred keeping attendants at the pump.

Cassino suggested the gender gap could reflect differing attitudes toward pumping gas.

“In the past, full-service gas has been seen as a safety measure for women,” he said. “But the gap between men and women could also just be men saying that they like doing things with their cars.”

Younger voters were slightly more supportive of full-service than older residents. Sixty-eight percent of voters age 30 and younger favored keeping the current system, compared with 61% of seniors.

The survey also found Democrats were somewhat more likely than Republicans to support maintaining the state’s full-service requirement, though the poll said that difference appeared to be largely explained by differences in age and gender rather than political affiliation itself.

New Jersey lawmakers have periodically proposed allowing self-service gasoline, often arguing that it could reduce prices or give motorists more options. Previous efforts have failed amid strong public opposition and concerns from gas station operators and attendants about potential job losses.

The latest poll suggests that resistance to changing the law remains firmly entrenched, despite New Jersey’s status as the nation’s lone holdout on mandatory full-service gasoline.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Israel’s ministerial committee overseeing the Shin Bet approved lifetime security protection for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara Netanyahu, according to Israeli media reports Thursday.

The decision, reportedly based on a recommendation from Shin Bet Director David Zini, provides the couple with permanent security regardless of whether Netanyahu remains in office.

The committee also approved extending security for the Netanyahus’ children, including a personal vehicle and driver, for an additional five years.

According to Channel 12, the move followed pressure from Netanyahu’s associates and went against the position of security professionals, who reportedly argued that protection should continue to be based on ongoing threat assessments.

The Israeli government has not publicly detailed the reasoning behind the decision.

President Donald Trump sharply criticized ABC and NBC during his nationally televised address Thursday night, accusing the networks of deliberately refusing to broadcast his speech because it focused on election security and newly declassified intelligence that he said exposes serious flaws in the nation’s election system.

Speaking from the White House, Trump said the networks chose not to carry his address after learning it would center on recently declassified intelligence concerning election vulnerabilities and alleged foreign interference.

“In a rare move, NBC and ABC Fake News have both said that they would not cover this speech,” Trump said during the address, which was broadcast live on Newsmax and the free Newsmax2 streaming platform. “They knew what it was about because of the fact that they don’t like the topic, because they know how corrupt our system is, and they don’t want to reveal it.”

The president expanded his criticism beyond the two broadcast networks, accusing other major media outlets of working to keep information about election-related issues from the American public.

“They and others in the media are part of a plot,” Trump said. “They want to continue this fraud for whatever reason. They want to keep it going. They want to protect the radical left.”

Trump also argued that television networks should face serious penalties for what he described as their failure to honestly report on election integrity issues.

“Fraud like this should mean a revocation of their licenses,” Trump said. “They use our public multibillion-dollar-in-value airways for absolutely no money. They pay nothing. All we want is honesty in our elections and honesty in reporting.”

Neither ABC nor NBC aired the president’s speech live. CNN likewise declined to broadcast the address, instead making a live feed available through its website and streaming platform.

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., also condemned the decision by the television networks not to carry the speech on their primary channels.

“Some of the facts that will be revealed in President Trump’s speech tonight are truly shocking,” Schmitt, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, wrote on X. “If the networks were truly serving the public interest they would air it and as a country we would collectively resolve to take action.”

Trump’s address coincided with his announcement that his administration was releasing newly declassified intelligence records that he said document foreign attempts to influence American elections, expose weaknesses in election infrastructure, and reveal alleged misconduct by intelligence officials.

The president maintained that the newly released material demonstrates the urgent need to strengthen election safeguards and renewed his call for Congress to approve the SAVE America Act.

{Matzav.com}

Ikea shoppers in Charlotte and Austin will soon have fewer options for home design consultations and pickup services.

The Sweden-founded retail giant is closing its South Charlotte and Austin-Domain, Texas, “Plan & order point with Pick-up” locations on Aug. 30, 2026, according to notices posted on the company’s website.

The smaller-format sites allow customers to get help with planning kitchens, rooms and business spaces, while also offering pickup services.

Both locations will remain open for planning appointments until their closure dates, according to Ikea.

Ikea said the closures are part of its strategy to build a “more affordable, accessible, and sustainable future” in the U.S.

“We continue to test, explore, and develop new ways for customers to meet Ikea, while investing in home delivery, pick-up services and our online experience,” the retailer said.

Customers with current kitchen, room or business planning projects at either location can finish them before the closure date. 

They can also transfer their projects to another Ikea store or work with an online remote planner, according to Ikea.

Ikea noted that Charlotte-area customers can still shop at the full-size Ikea Charlotte store at 8300 Ikea Blvd. or online at IKEA.com.

Austin-area customers can visit Ikea Round Rock or the Ikea location inside Best Buy South Austin. They can also shop online.

Ikea launched the format in early 2023 as part of a broader push to make shopping more convenient and accessible, according to The Street.

The retailer now has about 32 “Plan & order point with Pick-up” locations across 14 states.

FOX Business reached out to Ikea for comment.

AUSTIN (VINnews) – In a stunning display of tension between the Trump administration and the Jewish state, Vice President JD Vance lashed out at Israeli influencers and government officials on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, dismissing concerns over his Iran policy and telling critics to “go to !#%*.”

Vance, appearing on the hit podcast hosted by Joe Rogan, voiced irritation with Israeli voices accusing him of taking cues from Tucker Carlson or Qatar amid opposition to the administration’s controversial Iran peace plan. The vice president framed the pushback as interference, declaring: “Go to hell. I’m gonna do what I have to do for the American people. I represent Americans first.”

The remarks highlight growing strains in the vital U.S.-Israel alliance as the Trump administration advances a memorandum of understanding with Iran that many in Israel and the Jewish community fear will embolden the Islamic Republic and its terror proxies, including Hezbollah and Hamas, at Israel’s expense.

Israeli officials, including far-right ministers who have long warned against appeasing Iran, have raised alarms that the deal fails to adequately address existential threats to the Jewish state. Vance has previously rebuked such critics, questioning their alternatives and suggesting Israel cannot “kill its way out” of security challenges — comments that have drawn concern from pro-Israel advocates who view them as dismissive of Israel’s hard-won lessons from decades of facing Iranian aggression.

While Vance has reiterated that President Trump remains Israel’s key supporter, his latest podcast outburst highlights an “America First” posture that risks sidelining the security needs of America’s closest Middle East ally. Many in the Jewish community worry the approach could weaken deterrence against Iran, whose leaders have repeatedly called for Israel’s destruction.

The episode, reportedly recorded in Austin on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, comes as Israel continues to grapple with threats on multiple fronts. Pro-Israel voices argue that robust U.S. backing, including substantial military aid funded by American taxpayers, has been essential to Israel’s survival, and that unilateral American deals with Iran could undermine years of joint efforts to prevent a nuclear-armed Islamic Republic.

A 7-year-old girl was hospitalized at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center after suffering second-degree chemical burns from a squishy toy she received at a summer camp.

According to Hadassah, the girl initially returned home with what appeared to be mild redness on her hands and legs after the toy ruptured, releasing a gel-like substance onto her skin. Over the next two days, the redness worsened, white discoloration appeared, and large blisters developed, prompting her parents to rush her to the emergency room.

Doctors diagnosed first- and second-degree chemical burns to her hands and legs. She was treated with pain medication before undergoing debridement under sedation by the hospital’s burn unit, where the damaged skin was cleaned, treated, and bandaged.

Dr. Leah Serna Cahan, a senior pediatric emergency physician at Hadassah Ein Kerem, urged parents and educators to act immediately if the substance from a similar toy comes into contact with a child’s skin.

“If the material touches the skin, it should be removed immediately and the affected area washed thoroughly with running water for several minutes,” she said. “If redness persists, severe pain develops, blisters form, a large area is affected, or the eyes are involved, medical attention should be sought immediately.”

The girl’s mother stressed that the toy had not been heated in a microwave, unlike other reported incidents involving similar products. She said the toy had been purchased from a store in Israel that supplies toys to schools and daycare programs.

Doctors said they had not previously encountered chemical burns caused by this type of toy and expressed hope that the girl’s second-degree burns would heal without permanent scarring. She is expected to continue receiving follow-up care at Hadassah’s burn clinic.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A chareidi girl was detained Thursday at the IDF’s Tel Hashomer Recruitment Bureau after military authorities determined that her religious exemption paperwork had not been properly processed, triggering outrage in the Charedi community and prompting the Eidah HaCharedis to threaten widespread protests if she is not released.

The incident comes at a particularly sensitive time, as the woman is reportedly preparing for her upcoming wedding.

According to her family, she arrived at the recruitment office believing she was simply resolving a bureaucratic matter. They said she had been under the impression that the seminary she attended had properly submitted all of the required documentation confirming her status as a member of the Charedi community and her eligibility for a religious exemption from military service.

Upon arriving, however, she was informed that her religious declaration had never been entered into the military’s system. According to the report, she was then taken into custody.

News of the detention quickly spread throughout the Charedi community, sparking anger, particularly among members of the Eidah HaCharedis. Elements within the community described the arrest as crossing a “red line” and said it represented a serious assault on one of the community’s most deeply held principles.

Messages circulated in recent hours warning of large-scale demonstrations if the woman is not immediately released.

“The arrest will not pass quietly,” one statement declared. “If the young woman is not released immediately, we will turn the country upside down and will not allow this to pass without a response.”

{Matzav.com}

MK Tzvi Succot, chairman of the Knesset Education Committee and the Subcommittee for Yehuda and Shomron Affairs, on Wednesday called for the closure of a cafe in Jerusalem’s Old City that he says is operated by an organization affiliated with Hamas.

Succot visited The Message Cafe in the Muslim Quarter, claiming it is run by the Al-Quds Committee (“Lajnat al-Quds”), which he says is affiliated with Hamas and serves as a center for spreading Islamist incitement.

According to Succot, the Jerusalem District Police have already recommended issuing a closure order for the establishment, but the process has not yet been completed.

Succot alleged that legal delays have prevented the order from being finalized and accused Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara of holding up the process.

During his visit, Succot addressed those operating the cafe, saying, “The days when you could spread incitement are over.”

He vowed to push for implementation of the police recommendation and called on the attorney general to approve the closure.

“I am sending a clear demand from here to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara,” Succot said. “It is time to close this place. We cannot continue delaying while leaving open what he described as an incitement center operating under the protection of Hamas, the terror organization responsible for the worst massacre in Israel’s history.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

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[TLS – Slavie Goldberger]

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will not travel to the United States next week, his office announced on Thursday.

The visit, which was expected to include a meeting with President Donald Trump and attendance at the memorial service for the late Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, has been postponed.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the reason for the postponement of the trip is that Graham’s memorial service has been pushed off until the end of the month.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

WATCH:

New York (VINNEWS/Rabbi Yair Hoffman)  Smoke from roughly eight hundred Canadian wildfires settled over New York this week and turned a number most people ignore for eleven months of the year into the most important figure of the day: the Air Quality Index. What few realize is that the number does not mean the same thing in every country. A traveler who checks the air in Brooklyn on Monday, Toronto on Tuesday, and Yerushalayim on Wednesday is reading three different scales built on three different philosophies. One of them runs backwards.

This Week in New York

On Wednesday, July 15, city Emergency Management and the Health Department issued an advisory as a plume from fires in western Ontario arrived in the middle of a heat wave. By 2:30 that afternoon the AQI hit 155, squarely Unhealthy. Governor Hochul extended an advisory statewide.

Thursday was the worst of it. The index stood at 162 in the morning, climbed past 201 into Very Unhealthy territory, and Mayor Mamdani stressed at a morning news conference that at those levels the effects reach everyone, not only asthmatics and the elderly. New York got off lightly compared to the Midwest. Chicago closed its beaches and pools. Milwaukee registered 460, and Bradford Beach on Lake Michigan held about fifteen people on a July day that would normally draw thousands. Toledo reached 775. Michigan’s Western Upper Peninsula hit 785.

Today, Friday, brings partial relief as a northerly flow pushes the smoke west, though Western New York remains under an advisory and most of New Jersey stays under an alert. Rain is expected around midday Saturday, and federal officials say it should bring major improvement — falling droplets collect particles and carry them to the ground. Forecasters expect Moderate air by early Sunday afternoon.

What the Index Actually Measures

Air pollution is invisible and the body is a poor detector of it. Monitoring stations measure ozone, fine particles known as PM2.5, coarser PM10, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. During a wildfire, PM2.5 is what matters: particles roughly thirty times smaller than the width of a human hair, small enough to slip past the body’s filters, reach deep into the lungs, and enter the bloodstream.

Each country runs those same measurements through its own formula. That formula is where the philosophies part ways.

The American Ladder: Higher Is Worse

The EPA scale runs from 0 to 500 in six color-coded bands.

AQI

Category

Meaning

0–50

Good

Little or no risk.

51–100

Moderate

Acceptable; unusually sensitive people may be affected.

101–150

Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups

Sensitive groups may feel effects.

151–200

Unhealthy

Everyone may begin to feel effects.

201–300

Very Unhealthy

Health alert; more serious effects.

301+

Hazardous

Emergency conditions for the entire population.

The number 100 is not arbitrary. It marks the National Ambient Air Quality Standard, the legal limit set to protect public health. Below the line is compliance; above it is a problem.

The method calculates a sub-index for each pollutant and reports only the worst one. If ozone scores 60 and PM2.5 scores 180, the AQI is 180. The system deliberately refuses to average away the danger. The scale is also not linear: 300 does not mean twice the pollution or twice the harm of 150, because the breakpoints stretch and compress according to what the health research shows at each concentration.

When the Scale Runs Out of Room

The EPA’s published breakpoints stop at 500. Thursday’s readings did not. Toledo’s 775 and the Upper Peninsula’s 785 are not typographical errors, but they are not quite what the scale was designed to express either. Numbers beyond 500 come from extending the formula past its published range.

The AQI was built to answer a regulatory question — whether the air complies with the Clean Air Act — and 100 marks that line. A wildfire does not care about the Clean Air Act. When smoke drives concentrations to levels the drafters never contemplated, the index keeps counting, but the categories stop distinguishing. Milwaukee at 460 and the Upper Peninsula at 785 are both simply Hazardous. The scale has no vocabulary left.

The Canadian Question: Combined Risk

Canada, the source of this week’s smoke, took a different road. Its provinces once used indices built around what industry could realistically achieve rather than what lungs could tolerate. That approach was judged inadequate, and the replacement — the Air Quality Health Index — was designed from the ground up as a health tool rather than a compliance tool.

AQHI

Health Risk

General Population Advice

1–3

Low

Ideal for outdoor activities.

4–6

Moderate

No need to change activities unless symptoms appear.

7–10

High

Consider reducing strenuous outdoor activity if symptoms appear.

Above 10

Very High

Reduce or reschedule strenuous outdoor activity.

The difference is philosophical. The American index asks which single pollutant is worst right now. The Canadian index asks what the combined health risk is from breathing this particular mixture, on the theory that pollutants do not attack the body one at a time and neither should the warning system. It splits its advice into separate columns for at-risk people and everyone else, and it suggests changes that reduce a person’s own contribution to the problem rather than only defensive measures.

The elegance has a cost. A scale of 1 to 10 offers less resolution than one of 0 to 500. The difference between an American 155 and an American 195 is meaningful, and a Canadian 7 blurs it.

The Israeli Scale: Zero Is the Boundary

Israel’s Ministry of Environmental Protection produced something genuinely unusual, and anyone who assumes it works like the American version will read it exactly wrong. It tracks seven pollutants, including total nitrogen oxides — a measure few other countries report, reflecting dense highway traffic in a narrow coastal strip. The calculation begins conventionally, computing a sub-index for each pollutant and taking the highest.

Then comes the twist. The Ministry subtracts that result from 100. The result is a diverging scale running from a high of 100 down through zero and into negative territory, as far as −400. Higher is better and lower is worse — the precise opposite of the American arrangement.

Israeli AQI

Category

Meaning

51 to 100

Good

Clean air; ordinary activity is fine.

0 to 50

Medium

Noticeable pollution; sensitive people should pay attention.

−1 to −200

Low

Poor air quality; caution warranted.

−201 to −400

Very Low

Severely polluted air.

Zero is not the bottom of the scale; it is the boundary. Crossing from positive to negative is psychologically vivid in a way that climbing from 99 to 101 is not. A negative number reads instinctively as a deficit, something owed, something wrong. The design turns arithmetic into intuition. The breakpoints are also stricter than the American ones for fine particles: Israel treats a 24-hour PM2.5 average of 18.6 micrograms per cubic meter as the point where air leaves the top band, while the current EPA table still counts a comparable concentration as Moderate.

Three Systems, One Agreement

System

Strength and Weakness

United States

Most granular and legally anchored to enforceable standards. But it reports only the worst pollutant, understating the burden of breathing several at once, and its categories lose all resolution above 300.

Canada

Most medically sophisticated, built around combined risk and honest that lungs do not encounter pollutants in isolation. Coarse at the top of the scale.

Israel

Broadest coverage and the most psychologically clever design. But it is unfamiliar: a visitor who sees 45 in Tel Aviv and thinks of the American 45 will conclude the air is excellent when it sits in the Medium band.

One principle unites all three. Every system singles out the same people for protection: children, the elderly, pregnant women, and those with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions.

What to Do With the Number

Anyone can feel the effects — coughing and wheezing, headache, stinging eyes, scratchy throat, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, fatigue. Those outdoors this week described it in strikingly consistent terms: a metallic taste, an acrid campfire smell, a burning in the eyes within moments of stepping outside. 

\When the index is elevated, reduce or eliminate outdoor exertion, keep windows closed, and run an air purifier or air conditioner. Sensitive groups should move activities indoors entirely. Shortness of breath, coughing, dizziness, or unusual fatigue are signals rather than annoyances.

Cardiologists added a warning this week: wildfire smoke is a heart problem as much as a breathing problem, because those fine particles reach the bloodstream and stress the cardiovascular system. The CDC notes that people with diabetes and heart disease face elevated safety risk alongside asthmatics, children, and pregnant women.

And speaking of safety, the AQI is actually anumber that tells a person whether the air outside will harm him engages at least six distinct Torah obligations — and the sixth is the one that makes ignoring the forecast, rather than merely being harmed by it, a matter of halacha.

First, there is the Mitzvah of “veNishmartem me’od b’nafshosaichem” (Dvarim 4:9) — the Mitzvah of protecting our health and well-being. Fine particles that reach the bloodstream and stress the heart fall squarely within it.

Second, few have heard of the second Mitzvah. The verse later on (Dvarim 4:15), “Rak hishamer lecha,” is understood by most Poskim to comprise an actual second Mitzvah (See Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l, Shaar HaTeshuvos #25) — to take special care. Special care is precisely what a published index makes possible: the danger is invisible, but it has been measured and posted.

Third, there is the Mitzvah of “V’Chai Bahem — And you shall live by them” (VaYikra 18:5).

Fourth, the verse in Parshas Ki Saytzai (Dvarim 22:2) discusses Hashavas Aveidah with the words “vahashaivoso lo — and you shall return it to him.” The Gemara in Sanhedrin (73a) includes within these words the obligation of returning “his own life to him as well.” This is the source for the Mitzvah of saving a life, and appears to be the general Mitzvah the Shulchan Aruch refers to in Orach Chaim 325.

Fifth, “Lo Saamod Al Dam Rayacha” — a negative Mitzvah of not standing idly by your brother’s blood (Shulchan Aruch CM 426:1 and the Rambam). This extends to one’s own household: an elderly parent, a child with asthma, a neighbor who does not know the mask distribution sites exist.

Sixth, there is the Mitzvah of “Lo Suchal l’hisalaym” — a negative commandment associated with the positive Mitzvah of Hashavas Aveidah, from the verse in Dvarim (22:3), “You cannot shut your eyes to it.” The Netziv (HeEmek She’eilah) refers to this Mitzvah as well.

That sixth Mitzvah deserves a further word. The others are engaged once a person knows the air is dangerous. “Lo Suchal l’hisalaym” addresses the prior step — the decision not to look. When a state agency publishes a number every hour, free of charge, on any phone, the claim that one did not know becomes difficult to sustain. The forecast is available. Shutting one’s eyes to it may perhaps be subsumed in the aveirah that this pasuk describes.

The author can be reached at [email protected]

Israel’s defense establishment is preparing for the possibility that the IDF could rapidly join the fighting against Iran under three specific scenarios, a senior security official told Walla ahead of Thursday’s weekly security assessment chaired by Defense Minister Israel Katz.

According to the official, the first scenario would be a formal U.S. request for Israel to participate in a major wave of strikes against Iran. The second would be Israeli intelligence detecting preparations by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to attack Israel, prompting consideration of a preemptive strike. The third would be a surprise Iranian missile and drone attack requiring a broad and forceful Israeli response.

The security assessment will be attended by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and senior members of the General Staff. While Israeli defense officials currently do not identify an immediate intention by Iran to attack the Israeli home front, they believe Tehran understands such a move could trigger a large-scale Israeli Air Force campaign targeting strategic infrastructure across Iran.

The IDF Operations Directorate and Planning Directorate continue preparing for every scenario to ensure the military can transition from routine operations to full-scale combat without bureaucratic delays or the loss of valuable time. Meanwhile, the Intelligence Directorate, under Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder, is maintaining heightened readiness across its units, while Maj. Gen. Itzik Cohen, head of the Operations Directorate, has instructed forces to remain on high alert against missile and drone threats.

At this stage, Israeli defense officials do not identify an intention by Iran, Hezbollah, or the Houthis in Yemen to attack Israel’s civilian population, but the military remains prepared for all possible contingencies.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu sharply defended the recently enacted law freezing the arrests of yeshivah students during private conversations with government ministers, reportedly condemning the arrest of Torah scholars and comparing the practice to religious persecution in Soviet Russia.

According to a report by Channel 14 correspondent Moti Kastel, Netanyahu expressed anger over criticism of the law, which was temporarily suspended by Israel’s High Court pending its review of petitions challenging the legislation.

During the conversations, Netanyahu reportedly urged ministers to push back forcefully against opponents of the law.

“We need to push back against this false propaganda. This law causes no harm whatsoever!” he said.

Netanyahu argued that freezing arrests would actually encourage military enlistment rather than discourage it.

“We want recruits. We don’t want arrests. The more arrests there are, the fewer recruits there will be. We’re hearing this from the heads of the hesder yeshivos. The moment this threat exists, everything stops. It only sows hatred and division. Anyone who is not learning should face the full force of the law.”

The prime minister also strongly criticized the ongoing arrests of bnei Torah, invoking the persecution of religious Jews under the Soviet regime.

“Taking Torah learners? They did this in Russia, and we cried out against it! This is not the solution. The Torah is our Jewish heritage for hundreds of generations! It is what has sustained the Jewish people.”

Netanyahu also addressed the recently approved Basic Law: Torah Study, dismissing criticism of the measure.

“What do they want? The law states that Torah study is a foundational value in Israel’s heritage. Wow! What’s the big deal? There’s nothing more to it.”

According to a report in Walla, Israel has lost its place in the production line for 12 advanced AH-64 Apache attack helicopters after delays by the Finance Ministry prevented the IDF from finalizing the purchase, despite repeated efforts by military leaders to move the deal forward.

The report states that IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir pushed to acquire the helicopters following the lessons learned from the October 7 Hamas massacre. The U.S. Department of Defense reportedly granted Israel two extensions, but the final deadline expired before the Finance Ministry approved the necessary funding.

The IDF was prepared to submit a formal Letter of Request to the Pentagon to reserve its place on the production line, but doing so required budget approval from the Finance Ministry. According to the report, military officials held multiple discussions on the issue, and Finance Ministry officials pledged to identify funding sources, but the delays continued until Israel lost its production slot.

The planned purchase of 12 Apache helicopters was intended to be the first stage of a broader acquisition of approximately 30 aircraft. Military officials believe the helicopters are a critical component in strengthening Israel’s ability to prevent a large-scale ground invasion similar to the October 7 massacre.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A grandfather, his daughter, and his young grandson — all Ocean County residents — were killed Monday night when a small aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff near Adirondack Regional Airport in upstate New York.

According to the New York State Police, the crash occurred at approximately 11:15 p.m. on July 13, when authorities were notified of a downed aircraft in the area of Hearf’s Way and State Route 186 in the town of Harrietstown.

A preliminary investigation determined that a 1976 Piper Aerostar departed Adirondack Regional Airport at approximately 10:36 p.m. Shortly after takeoff, while the aircraft was estimated to be about 100 feet above the ground, communication with the plane was lost.

A multi-agency search was immediately launched, and crews later located the aircraft, which had been destroyed by the impact and a post-crash fire.

Authorities identified the victims as pilot Gabriele P. Jasper, 70, of Toms River; his daughter, Gabriella M. Hillgrube, 33, of Forked River; and her son, Guiliana M. Hillgrube, 2. All three were pronounced dead at the scene.

The New York State Police were assisted by the Saranac Lake Fire Department, the Saranac Lake Police Department, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the cause of the crash, with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration and the New York State Police.

President Donald Trump is expected to announce during a nationally televised address Thursday night that at least 278,000 noncitizens are registered to vote in federal elections across the United States, according to information expected to be released by the Department of Homeland Security.

A source familiar with the matter told The Post that the figure comes from a forthcoming DHS report and represents the largest publicly disclosed number of noncitizen voter registrations ever reported in the country.

Although the total has raised significant concerns, the source said investigators have not yet determined how many of those registered individuals may have actually cast ballots illegally or what specific actions the administration intends to take in response.

The source added that the true number could ultimately be higher because the current total only reflects data collected from the states examined so far. The source declined to specify how many states have had their voter registration records reviewed.

Federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in U.S. elections, with violations carrying penalties of up to one year in prison and financial fines. However, responsibility for confirming a person’s eligibility to vote rests primarily with individual states.

The anticipated voter registration findings are expected to be only one portion of Trump’s primetime remarks, which administration officials caution remain subject to revision before the president speaks at 9 p.m. Eastern.

“As usual, anonymous sources are speculating about what President Trump will say during his speech on Thursday evening,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told CBS. “The truth is, nobody knows yet what President Trump will ultimately say, which is why everyone should tune in.”

Trump is also expected to use the speech to build support for the SAVE America Act, legislation that would require voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship before casting ballots in federal elections while also implementing additional election security measures. The proposal has remained stalled in Congress despite repeated Republican efforts to advance it.

Republicans have attempted multiple times to move the legislation through the Senate, describing it as one of Trump’s highest legislative priorities this year, but Democratic filibusters have prevented the bill from moving forward.

According to the source, Trump may urge Americans to contact members of Congress and press them to approve the legislation.

The expected address follows action by the Department of Justice last week, when it sent warning letters to election officials nationwide stating they “could be criminally prosecuted for aiding noncitizen voting” if ballots cast by noncitizens are counted in an election.

Although White House officials have revealed few details about the speech, Leavitt told reporters Thursday that its central focus would be election integrity and suggested the information Trump plans to disclose “will shock you.”

“We should have the safest and most secure elections in the history of the world,” she said. “And what the president will be speaking about tonight will show you that perhaps that is not the case.”

Leavitt also maintained that safeguarding elections should not be viewed as a partisan issue, saying “the American people will be relieved to hear what they are hearing from the president of the United States” during the address.

“I think all Republicans and Democrats should recognize this should be a nonpartisan issue,” Leavitt said. “If we don’t have safe and secure elections in our country, we cannot have a country. It is a vital part of our democracy, of our constitutional republic.”

She also noted that the federal statute making it a crime for noncitizens to vote—the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996—was signed into law by Democratic President Bill Clinton.

The speech also comes after CBS reported Wednesday evening that Trump is expected to discuss allegations that Beijing “compromised US voter data,” along with purported “evidence the CIA knew about the action and didn’t share that information” with the president at the time.

The White House, however, appeared to push back on that report, offering CBS what was described as a tacit denial regarding those claims.

Nearly 5,000 Sanzer Chassidim, joined by thousands of other participants, gathered Thursday outside the gates of Israel’s Military Prison 10 for a massive rally condemning the imprisonment of bnei Torah who have refused to comply with military draft orders.

The demonstration was organized in response to the incarceration of yeshiva students who remain behind bars after declining to enlist, insisting instead on continuing their Torah learning.

Crowds packed the area outside the prison, reciting Tehillim and pouring out heartfelt prayers while protesting what participants described as the ongoing persecution of the Torah world.

The gathering was led by the Sanzer Rebbe and attended by the rabbonim and dayanim of the Sanzer Chassidus, along with several admorim who came to express solidarity with the imprisoned yeshiva students and offer encouragement to their families.

The Stropkover Rebbe was honored with leading the recitation of Tehillim.

Also in attendance was the Ziditchover Rebbe, whose grandson has been imprisoned in the military jail for several days after refusing military service.

The emotional high point of the rally came when the Sanzer Rebbe rose to address the crowd. Speaking through tears, the Rebbe became visibly overcome with emotion, delivering a powerful address that moved the thousands assembled outside the prison walls.

“The situation that currently exists in our Holy Land is beyond comprehension,” the Rebbe cried in a trembling voice. “For many years there has been nothing like this, where bnei Torah—those who protect the entire generation through their Torah learning—are persecuted in such a cruel and criminal manner. How have we reached a point where precious young men are sent behind bars simply because they wish to devote themselves to Torah study?!”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli security officials are raising new questions about the condition and authority of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, citing what they describe as increasing signs of weakness and a lack of leadership within the regime.

According to the officials, Khamenei has remained out of public view, has responded slowly to major developments, and when he has spoken, his messages have often been viewed as disconnected from unfolding events.

Security officials also noted that Khamenei has remained silent despite growing infighting within Iran’s leadership, including public attacks during the funeral of his father, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, when President Masoud Pezeshkian was cursed by mourners and Ali Larijani was reportedly pelted with stones.

One Israeli security official said several possibilities are being considered: “It’s clear he’s not in good health, but the severity of his physical and mental condition is unclear. Either he is weak and afraid to take a stand, or he is not truly in control and senior Revolutionary Guard officials are running the country.”

The assessment comes as Iran faces mounting economic difficulties, with scattered protests by taxi drivers and doctors over worsening economic conditions and ongoing power outages. Israeli officials, however, said those demonstrations remain limited and do not yet represent a broader nationwide uprising.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)