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It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of the longtime gabbai of the Gerer court, Reb Mendel Binke z”l, who was niftar at the age of 94. He passed away in Yerushalayim after a life devoted entirely to the service of the Rebbes of Ger and the Gerer kehillah.

Reb Mendel was born in the city of Kalisz, Poland, on 28 Cheshvan 5692 (1931), to his father, Reb Yehoshua Nach Binke z”l, the first gabbai of the Gerer beis medrash in Eretz Yisroel, and to his mother, Mrs. Ita Leah a”h. In 1935, while still a young child, his family immigrated to Eretz Yisroel and settled in Yerushalayim, where his lifelong bond with the Gerer court would take root and flourish.

He studied in his youth at Talmud Torah Chayei Olam, where he absorbed Torah from his rabbeim, Rav Moshe Chaim Schmerler and Rav Chaykel Militzky. Throughout his life, Reb Mendel vividly recalled the powerful and emotional days when the arrival of the Imrei Emes, the Rebbe of Ger, in Eretz Yisroel was announced, moments that left a lasting impression on him as a young talmid.

Approximately half a year before the outbreak of World War II, his father was appointed gabbai of the Gerer beis medrash in Yerushalayim, which at the time was housed within Yeshivas Sefas Emes. With the arrival of the Imrei Emes in Eretz Yisroel, the daily rhythm of the Gerer community changed dramatically, and Reb Yehoshua Nach became a central and stabilizing figure within the beis medrash.

During those years, Reb Mendel learned in Yeshivas Sefas Emes and was deeply involved in serving the needs of the Rebbe and the chassidus. He frequently entered the private room of the Imrei Emes, seeking guidance and counsel. Until his final years, he spoke with reverence and emotion about the moments he spent in the Rebbe’s presence, cherishing the Rebbe’s words, brachos, and direction.

Following the histalkus of the Imrei Emes on Shavuos 5708 (1948), and the assumption of leadership by the Beis Yisroel, Reb Mendel merited a particularly close relationship with the new Rebbe. He was shown warmth and affection and would often accompany the Rebbe during the early morning hours, receiving words of chizuk and guidance that he carried with him for the rest of his life.

In due time, Reb Mendel married Leah Skolsky, the daughter of Rav Yosef Dov Skolsky, one of the distinguished members of the kehillah. His wife, a respected mechaneches, stood at his side throughout the decades of his communal service. She passed away just last year.

For his livelihood, Reb Mendel initially worked in the welfare department and later served as a clerk in the offices of Chinuch Atzmai, all while continuing his unwavering devotion to the Gerer court.

A new chapter began in his life in 2008, following the passing of the previous gabbai, Reb Chanina Schiff, when Reb Mendel was called upon to assume the role of gabbai and meshamesh of the Gerer beis medrash. Despite his natural modesty and humility, he accepted the responsibility, standing at the helm of the beis medrash, calling mispallelim to the Torah, delivering announcements, and faithfully carrying out all the duties entrusted to him.

Reb Mendel served the current Rebbe of Gur with complete dedication and accompanied him on visits and at gatherings, remaining a trusted and familiar presence within the court.

In recent years, his strength waned, and he gradually stepped back from some of the burdens of the gabbai’s role. He endured a profound personal tragedy with the untimely passing of his beloved son-in-law, Reb Shmuel Dovid Weiss z”l, a distinguished talmid chacham who served as a rebbi at the Ner Yisroel Gerer yeshiva ketanah.

Reb Mendel leaves behind a wonderful family deeply rooted in Torah and chassidus.

Yehi zichro baruch. 

{Matzav.com}

The Tel Aviv District Traffic Magistrate Court ruled this week in a case involving gender segregation on a public bus, levying fines and awarding compensation following an incident that occurred in January 2023 on Dan Bus Line 292, which runs between Bnei Brak and Petach Tikva.

The case stemmed from an encounter in which a 76-year-old woman was instructed by a bus inspector to relocate to the back of the bus on the claim that the route operated under a “Mehadrin” arrangement. After she declined to comply, she was subjected to derogatory and discriminatory comments, with the bus driver also taking part in the exchange.

The court’s decision followed an indictment submitted by the National Prosecutions Department within the Ministry of Transport and Road Safety, in line with the ministry’s stated policy of active enforcement in such matters.

As part of the ruling, Dan Bus Company was found guilty and ordered to pay a fine of 40,000 shekels, along with personal compensation of 20,000 shekels to the affected passenger.

The bus inspector involved in the incident was fined 6,000 shekels, instructed to pay the passenger an additional 2,000 shekels in personal compensation, given a suspended driver’s license conditional on future conduct, and required to post a commitment of 50,000 shekels for a three-year period.

The bus driver, whose role was described by the court as limited, was fined 2,500 shekels and committed to refrain from similar conduct for three years, backed by a financial undertaking of 15,000 shekels.

Transport Minister Miri Regev praised the outcome, saying, “I welcome this verdict, which comes as a direct result of the clear and determined policy of the Ministry of Transport. Gender segregation and discrimination in public transportation are a red line. We will act with all the tools at our disposal, including field enforcement and legal proceedings, to ensure that every passenger receives equal, respectful, and safe service.”

{Matzav.com}

The Knesset voted Wednesday to block a proposed “Who is a Jew” bill introduced by MK Avi Maoz of the Noam party, halting the initiative at its initial stage.

The legislation aimed to stipulate that registration as a Jew in Israel’s population registry would rely exclusively on conversions recognized by Israel’s rabbinic courts.

In the preliminary vote, the proposal was defeated by a margin of 60 to 15, with support coming from a limited number of lawmakers, including members of the United Torah Judaism and Shas factions.

Maoz pointed to what he described as a contradiction between the outcome of the vote and remarks made last month by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir at an event in Kfar Chabad, where he said, “We need to pass the ‘Who is a Jew’ bill.” Despite that statement, the Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionist parties did not back the bill during the plenary vote.

Coalition sources placed the blame for the failure on Maoz himself, arguing that his decision to advance the bill without securing sufficient support doomed its prospects. “Maoz proposed the bill from the opposition without a majority. This move harms the bill since it’s now automatically postponed by half a year. He is trying to make political gains, but in fact, he delayed the bill,” the sources said.

The same sources added that the move ran counter to guidance from Chabad rabbis, saying they had advised moving forward only once enough votes were assured. “Who instructed to advance the bill only when there is the needed majority to pass it. Unfortunately, it would seem that Avi Maoz’s goal is to try to undermine the coalition and harm the stability of the right-wing government,” they said.

Responding to the vote, Maoz described the outcome as a “historic miss” and said the struggle over Israel’s Jewish identity would continue both publicly and in the Knesset. “Today we see who is prepared to stand behind their declarations about a Jewish state and who chooses to run away at the moment of truth,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

Justice Minister Yariv Levin revealed that a Supreme Court judge demanded that he submit to the judiciary in a dispute and even threatened that he’d be publicly discredited if he refused. Levin made the remarks during a conversation in the Knesset with students from the “National Vision” organization. According to a report published Wednesday evening […]

A bipartisan Senate effort to rein in President Donald Trump’s war powers authority collapsed after Republican leaders employed a rarely used procedural maneuver and two GOP senators reversed course, delivering a narrow victory for the White House.

Republicans invoked an obscure Senate process—previously used by Democrats in a similar circumstance—to invalidate a war powers resolution introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia that focused on Venezuela. The move followed last week’s vote in which five Republicans joined Democrats to advance the measure, setting up a confrontation that quickly drew the ire of Trump.

The president lashed out at the Republicans who had initially supported the resolution, declaring they “should never be elected to office again.”

The resolution was ultimately defeated by a 51-50 vote, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote to side with Trump.

Turning to the little-used procedural step amounted to a rebound for both the president and Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota after Republicans suffered an unusual floor setback the previous week.

Thune and other GOP leaders argued that the measure did not apply to current conditions in Venezuela and therefore should not receive privileged consideration.

“We don’t have troops in Venezuela. There is no kinetic action, there are no operations,” Thune said. “There are no boots on the ground. And I think the question is whether or not there ought to be expedited consideration or privilege accorded to something that’s brought to the floor that doesn’t reflect what’s what is current reality in Venezuela.”

“And so I think it’s very fair for Republicans to question why we ought to be having this discussion right now, particularly at a time when we’re trying to do appropriations bills,” he continued.

In the days leading up to the vote, Thune, Senate Republican leadership, Trump, and senior administration officials pressed the five GOP senators who had initially helped advance the resolution to change their positions. While not all of them did, Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Todd Young of Indiana provided the decisive switches that ensured the resolution’s defeat.

Hawley said his concerns centered on whether the administration planned to deploy U.S. forces to Venezuela. After multiple briefings and discussions with Trump administration officials, he concluded that additional military action was not forthcoming.

“To me, this is all about going forward,” Hawley said of his reversal. “If the president decides we need to put troops on the ground in Venezuela, then Congress will need to weigh in.”

Young declined to signal his intentions until the vote was underway. Before entering the chamber, he said assurances he received from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials persuaded him to oppose the resolution.

Those assurances included commitments that Trump would seek congressional authorization before using force in Venezuela and that Rubio would testify publicly before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the coming weeks to brief lawmakers on developments in the region.

“Those who understand how Congress works, the good and the bad and the ugly, understand that votes like this, in the end, are communications exercises,” Young said. “They’re important communications exercises, but unless you can secure sufficient votes, not only to pass the United States Senate, but to get out of the House, with which is highly questionable, right, and then to override what was an inevitable presidential veto, which is impossible. No one can tell me how we get there.”

“I had to accept that this was all a communications exercise,” he continued. “I think we use this moment to shine a bright light on Congress’ shortcomings as it relates to war powers in recent history.”

Despite the reversal by Hawley and Young, Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Rand Paul of Kentucky sided with Democrats in a last-ditch attempt to keep the measure alive.

Most Republicans who received briefings on the situation argued that recent U.S. actions tied to Venezuela were justified, describing them as part of a law enforcement effort aimed at apprehending Nicolás Maduro rather than a broader military campaign.

In a letter to Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman James Risch of Idaho, Rubio emphasized that U.S. forces are not deployed in the country.

“There are currently no U.S. Armed Forces in Venezuela,” Rubio wrote.

“Should there be any new military operations that introduce U.S. Armed Forces into hostilities, they will be undertaken consistent with the Constitution of the United States, and we will transmit written notifications consistent with section 4(a) of the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148),” he added.

Kaine, who had expressed confidence that the resolution would pass, criticized the procedural maneuver ahead of the final vote.

“If people want to just say, ‘Hey, President Trump, do whatever the hell you want,’ Let them vote that way, but don’t change the rules of the Senate in a way that might disable future Senates that do have a backbone,” Kaine told reporters.

{Matzav.com}

FLATBUSH: An MVA involving an NYPD cruiser occurred a short time ago at Avenue K and East 34th Street. Flatbush Hatzolah and other emergency personnel were on the scene. Two NYPD officers and the driver of the other vehicle sustained injuries.

[Video below.] Commentator Candace Owens publicly dismissed evidence of protests and killings in Iran, asserting that no demonstrations are taking place and alleging that reports of unrest amount to a Jewish psyop orchestrated by Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu.

In remarks online, Owens claimed that there are no mass protests in Iran and denied that Iranian citizens are being killed by the regime. She went further, alleging that the narrative of an Iranian uprising is fabricated and driven by Jewish interests tied to Netanyahu, framing the situation as a coordinated deception rather than a domestic revolt.

Owens’ comments come amid extensive reporting from international media, human rights organizations, and video evidence documenting demonstrations across Iran and deadly crackdowns by Iranian security forces. Multiple independent sources have reported fatalities, arrests, and violent suppression of protesters, contradicting Owens’ assertions.

Owens’ comments about Iran represent a pattern of inflammatory rhetoric and conspiracy-driven narratives. Whatever debate may have existed about her prior intent or ideology has been settled by her willingness to deny documented killings while invoking antisemitic explanations.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

A war of words erupted in the Knesset plenary on Wednesday between Deputy Knesset Speaker Yaakov Margi (Shas) and opposition chairman Yair Lapid. Margi attacked Lapid for waging an incitement campaign against funding for Chareidi education by filing petitions to the Supreme Court, which froze the funds and deemed the transfers “illegal” at a hearing […]

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. offered a candid and humorous assessment of President Trump’s eating habits, saying that while the president’s food choices are the worst in the administration, his energy and endurance remain extraordinary.

Speaking in an interview released Tuesday on “The Katie Miller Podcast,” Kennedy was asked whose diet stands out as the most extreme, and he immediately pointed to the president.

“The interesting thing about the president is that he eats really bad food, which is McDonald’s, and, you know, candy and Diet Coke,” Kennedy continued. “He drinks the Diet Coke at all times.”

Despite that description, Kennedy expressed amazement at Trump’s physical resilience. “He has the constitution of a deity. I don’t know how he’s alive, but he is.”

Kennedy explained that his impression largely comes from observing Trump while traveling together, noting that the president himself has addressed the issue. According to Kennedy, Trump “says that the only time that he eats junk food is when he’s on the road.”

“He wants to eat food from big corporations because he trusts it. He doesn’t want to get sick when he’s on the road,” Kennedy said of the president, who has made similar remarks in the past. “When he’s at Mar-a-Lago or at the White House, he’s eating really good food.”

Kennedy acknowledged that constant travel can distort perceptions of the president’s daily habits. “If you travel with him, you get this idea that he’s just pumping himself full of poison all day long. And you don’t know how he’s walking around, much less being the most energetic person, you know, any of us have ever met. But, I think he actually does eat pretty good food usually,” he added.

As HHS secretary, Kennedy has made changes to American nutrition a central focus of his agenda, frequently criticizing excessive sugar consumption and ultra-processed foods.

That push was reflected last week when the White House introduced updated dietary guidelines, depicted as an upside-down pyramid that places vegetables, fruits, proteins, dairy, and healthy fats at the top, with whole grains positioned at the bottom.

Even so, Kennedy emphasized that Trump’s overall health remains exceptional. He said Trump is “in incredible health,” adding that Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator Mehmet Oz reviewed the president’s medical records and “said he’s got the highest testosterone levels that he’s ever seen for an individual over 70 years old.”

“I know the president will be happy that I repeat that,” Kennedy added, with a laugh.

Trump’s fondness for fast food has long been a subject of public discussion. After returning to the White House last year, the president brought back his well-known valet button on the Resolute Desk, which he uses to call staff to bring him another Diet Coke.

{Matzav.com}

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has introduced legislation aimed at stopping President Donald Trump from attaching his own name to federal buildings, following recent actions by the administration to rename prominent national institutions.

In announcements made late last month, the Trump administration said the U.S. Institute of Peace and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts would be rebranded as the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace and the Trump-Kennedy Center.

Those moves prompted Sanders to act alongside Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland. Together, they submitted a bill designed to bar sitting presidents from naming federal properties after themselves and to undo Trump’s recent renaming decisions.

In a statement released with the bill, Sanders sharply criticized the president’s actions, arguing that they violate the law.

“It’s no secret that President Trump is undermining democracy and moving this country toward authoritarianism. Part of that strategy is to create the myth of the ‘Great Leader’ by naming public buildings after himself — something that dictators have done throughout history,” Sanders said. “For Trump to put his name on federal buildings is arrogant and it is illegal. We must put an end to this narcissism.”

The proposed legislation is titled the SERVE Act, short for the Stop Executive Renaming for Vanity and Ego Act.

Under the bill, federal buildings, land, and other government assets could not be named for a sitting president, and federal money could not be used for that purpose.

The measure would also apply retroactively, which would remove Trump’s name from both the Kennedy Center and the Institute of Peace.

According to the press release, the proposal has also been submitted as an amendment to a government funding package currently under consideration in the Senate.

While some federal buildings bear the names of past presidents, such as the Kennedy Center, those designations have typically occurred after a president left office.

In one example, President Lyndon B. Johnson renamed the National Cultural Center in honor of John F. Kennedy two months after Kennedy was assassinated. Similarly, the Harry S. Truman Federal Building, which houses the U.S. State Department, received its name in 2000, more than four decades after Truman’s presidency ended.

A New York Times analysis found that before Trump, no federal buildings had ever been named after a sitting president.

{Matzav.com}

A senior Danish official said Wednesday that sharp differences remain with President Donald Trump over Greenland, even after closely watched meetings at the White House with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as Trump continues to press for U.S. control of the island.

While no breakthrough was reached, officials from both sides agreed to establish a joint working group aimed at managing disputes, as Trump maintains his call for a U.S. takeover of the semiautonomous territory that belongs to NATO ally Denmark.

“The group, in our view, should focus on how to address the American security concerns, while at the same time respecting the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told reporters after the talks, which he attended alongside Greenland’s foreign minister, Vivian Motzfeldt. He said it remains “clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland.”

Trump has been publicly arguing that NATO should support U.S. acquisition of Greenland, insisting that anything short of American control is insufficient.

As Washington presses its case, Denmark announced plans to expand its military footprint in the Arctic and North Atlantic, responding to Trump’s repeated claims that China and Russia are positioning themselves to gain influence over Greenland, a region believed to hold major untapped reserves of critical minerals.

Trump did not attend Wednesday’s meeting, but shortly afterward, he reiterated his stance in remarks to reporters in the Oval Office.

“We need Greenland for national security,” Trump said. He added: “We’ll see how it all works out. I think something will work out.”

Ahead of the talks, Trump used social media to urge NATO to back U.S. efforts to acquire Greenland.

“NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES,” Trump wrote. “Anything less than that is unacceptable.”

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has largely avoided inserting himself into the dispute, keeping distance as alliance members express unease over Trump’s confrontational posture toward Denmark.

Despite the tensions, Rasmussen and Motzfeldt said they view the discussions as a possible opening toward easing the standoff and shifting the focus toward closer cooperation with Washington.

“We have shown where our limits are and from there, I think that it will be very good to look forward,” Motzfeldt said.

In Copenhagen, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen announced that Denmark would step up its “military presence and exercise activity” in the Arctic and North Atlantic, acting “in close cooperation with our allies.”

Poulsen said the decision reflects growing uncertainty in the security environment. “No one can predict what will happen tomorrow,” he said.

“This means that from today and in the coming time there will be an increased military presence in and around Greenland of aircraft, ships and soldiers, including from other NATO allies,” Poulsen added.

He said personnel from other NATO countries are already arriving in Greenland alongside Danish forces but declined to identify the contributing nations, saying allies would make their own announcements.

So far, the publicly disclosed measures appear limited. Germany said it would deploy 13 personnel to Greenland this week “to explore the framework for potential military contributions.” Sweden announced it would send an unspecified number of troops for exercises, and Norway is dispatching two military officers to assess future cooperation, Defense Minister Tore O. Sandvik told the newspaper VG.

NATO is also evaluating broader ways to strengthen its Arctic posture, according to an alliance official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The official said there is agreement within NATO “that security in the High North is a priority.”

Greenland’s strategic value has grown as climate change reduces ice coverage, potentially opening shorter shipping routes to Asia and making it easier to access critical minerals used in electronics and other technologies.

Trump has also linked Greenland to U.S. missile defense plans, calling the island “vital” to the Golden Dome system and arguing that American control is necessary to counter Russian and Chinese maritime activity.

“If we don’t go in, Russia is going to go in and China is going to go in,” Trump said again Wednesday. “And there’s not a thing that Denmark can do about it, but we can do everything about it.”

That claim is widely questioned by analysts and many Greenland residents, and it has become a subject of intense discussion in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, where international media crews have gathered.

“The only Chinese I see is when I go to the fast food market,” said heating engineer Lars Vintner, adding that he frequently sails and hunts and has never encountered Russian or Chinese vessels.

Others expressed skepticism that the Washington talks would change Trump’s approach.

“Trump is unpredictable,” said Geng Lastein, who moved to Greenland from the Philippines 18 years ago.

Maya Martinsen, 21, said she rejects Trump’s security arguments, believing instead that the president is motivated by Greenland’s natural resources.

She said Trump is focused on the “oils and minerals that we have that are untouched.”

Greenland “has beautiful nature and lovely people,” Martinsen added. “It’s just home to me. I think the Americans just see some kind of business trade.”

Denmark has emphasized that the U.S. already maintains a military presence on Greenland and is free to expand its bases. Washington operates under a 1951 treaty that allows it to establish military facilities there with approval from Denmark and Greenland.

Later Wednesday, Rasmussen and Motzfeldt, along with Denmark’s ambassador to the United States, were scheduled to meet with senators from the Arctic Caucus. A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers is also traveling to Copenhagen this week for talks with Danish and Greenlandic officials.

Despite the ongoing dispute, both Danish and Greenlandic leaders said dialogue remains essential.

“It is in everybody’s interest — even though we disagree — that we agree to try to explore whether it is doable to accommodate some of the concerns while at the same time respecting the integrity of the Danish kingdom’s territory and the self-determination of the Greenlandic people,” Løkke Rasmussen said.

{Matzav.com}

As Israel heads toward national elections scheduled for later this year, a new public opinion survey points to significant erosion in confidence in the integrity of the electoral process and in the willingness of the public and political parties to accept the results.

Findings from the Israeli Society Index published by the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) show that while a majority of Israelis still express trust in the elections, a large and meaningful minority harbor doubts about both their fairness and their aftermath. The skepticism cuts across political camps and population groups.

According to the survey, about two-thirds of Israelis (65%) believe the upcoming elections will be free and fair. At the same time, 31% say they are not convinced the elections will meet those standards.

Distrust is particularly pronounced among Arab citizens of Israel. Among Arab respondents, roughly 51% said they are not convinced the elections will be fair and free, compared to 43% who expressed confidence in the process. Among Jewish respondents, 70% said they trust the fairness of the elections, while 27% said they do not.

Political affiliation plays a decisive role in attitudes toward election fairness. A clear majority of respondents identifying with the right (85%) and the center-right (78%) said they believe the elections will be conducted fairly. By contrast, an exceptionally high share of those identifying with the left — 78% — said they are not convinced the elections will be fair.

JPPI noted that this finding reflects an unusually deep level of suspicion and highlights a profound divide between political camps over the perceived legitimacy of the democratic process itself.

Beyond concerns about fairness, the survey uncovered even greater anxiety regarding the period after Election Day. While 57% of respondents said they believe the public and political parties will accept the election results, 38% — nearly four in ten Israelis — said they are not convinced this will happen. Within that group, 11% said they are “not convinced at all” that the results will be accepted.

Overall, the data indicate that nearly four in ten Israelis doubt that the election results will be broadly accepted by both the public and the political system.

Here too, differences emerged between Jewish and Arab respondents. Among Arab citizens, 45% believe there is a real risk that the election results will not be accepted. Among Jewish respondents, 59% said they believe the results will be accepted, while more than a third — 36% — expressed uncertainty.

Interestingly, unlike the sharp ideological polarization seen on the question of election fairness, skepticism about acceptance of the results appears to be widespread across the political spectrum. Comparable levels of concern were recorded among respondents identifying with the right, center, and left.

Commenting on the findings, Yedidia Stern, president of JPPI, warned that the data should be viewed as a serious warning sign.

“The findings are a warning signal for all of us,” Stern said. “Without agreed-upon and stable rules of the game, Israeli democracy will continue to erode. For some time now, there has been a significant decline in public trust in state institutions, but this survey shows that distrust is now spreading to the most basic democratic process — elections.”

He added that democracy cannot function properly if a substantial portion of the public suspects the fairness of elections or hesitates to accept their outcomes. “The survey points to the possibility of a storm that could threaten all of us after the elections, regardless of the results,” Stern said.

Stern also argued that advancing what he described as a broadly agreed-upon “lean constitution” could help ease extreme suspicion between political camps, strengthen trust in state institutions, and stabilize Israel’s political system. Such a framework, he said, is essential for safeguarding the country’s democratic resilience.

{Matzav.com}

Iran moved Wednesday to temporarily restrict its airspace, halting most flights as unrest inside the country continued and tensions with the United States remained elevated, according to flight-tracking data and official aviation notices.

Tehran issued a Notice to Air Missions shortly after 5 p.m. ET, blocking all air traffic except for international flights entering or leaving Iran with special authorization, FlightRadar24 reported.

The restriction was set to remain in effect for just over two hours, according to the notice.

At the moment the warning took effect, only five aircraft could be seen operating within Iranian airspace, the flight-tracking website showed.

The brief shutdown followed remarks from President Trump indicating that he believed the Iranian government had paused executions of anti-government demonstrators and suggesting that immediate U.S. military action against Iran was unlikely.

“We’ve been told that the killing in Iran is stopping. It’s stopped. It’s stopping, and there’s no plan for executions,” Trump said in the Oval Office.

“So I’ve been told that a good authority — we will find out about it. I’m sure if it happens, we’ll all be very upset… but that’s just gotten to me, the information that the killing has stopped, that the executions have stopped, they’re not going to have an execution.”

Trump added that he had received information from what he described as “very important sources” inside Iran indicating that the regime was easing its crackdown on protests that have spread across the country.

Around the same time Iran imposed the airspace restriction, the United Kingdom issued a separate advisory warning against “all but essential” travel to Israel, citing heightened tensions across the Middle East.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that his administration plans to stop sending federal money to jurisdictions designated as sanctuary cities, setting up another confrontation with Democratic-led states and municipalities over immigration enforcement.

Speaking during an economic address in Detroit, Trump said the cutoff would begin at the end of the month and would also include warnings to certain states that seek reimbursement from Washington for migrant-related expenses.

Trump said his administration has issued “90-day notices” to states such as California that submit bills to the federal government to cover costs tied to housing and caring for newly arrived migrants.

“Additionally, starting February 1, we’re not making any payments to sanctuary cities,” Trump said. “They do everything possible to protect criminals at the expense of American citizens, and it breeds fraud and crime and all of the other problems that come.”

The federal government routinely sends money to states and cities to support programs ranging from health care and education to transportation and public works. It was not immediately clear which specific funding streams Trump was referring to, and a White House spokesperson declined to provide further clarification.

The remarks reflect the administration’s broader strategy of using federal funding as leverage against local governments that oppose its policies, including on immigration enforcement and diversity initiatives. The comments also come as states and cities across the country are preparing budgets for the next fiscal year.

According to the Department of Justice, the federal government currently classifies 12 states, four counties, 18 cities, and the District of Columbia as sanctuary jurisdictions.

Trump has raised similar threats in the past. In April, he called on social media for federal payments to be suspended, and during his first term, the administration pursued comparable measures that were ultimately blocked by federal courts.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson responded sharply, calling the latest warning “blatantly unconstitutional and immoral.” He said the city intends to fight back in court. “We will be relentless until we restore every dollar.”

In Denver, a spokesperson for Mayor Mike Johnston dismissed the announcement as “nonsense,” arguing that the president lacks the authority to withhold money approved by Congress. San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu echoed that position.

“We have already taken legal action to protect our federal funding, and we will continue to do so,” he said in an emailed statement.

The dispute is the latest episode in months of clashes between the White House and mostly Democratic state and local leaders, many of whom have pushed back against Trump’s mass deportation policies. Recently, the administration dispatched dozens of immigration officers to Minnesota, highlighting cases involving Somali immigrants accused of defrauding federal assistance programs.

During his remarks Tuesday, Trump framed deportations as a tool to ease economic pressures, arguing that fraud by immigrants was “bleeding American taxpayers absolutely dry.”

He also said he would move to “revoke the citizenship of any naturalized immigrant from Somalia or anywhere else who is convicted of defrauding our citizens.”

Democratic governors, including Minnesota’s Tim Walz and California’s Gavin Newsom, have condemned fraud where it occurs but accused the administration of targeting their states politically by threatening cuts to essential funding.

Trump’s comments came as part of a broader effort to promote his economic agenda to voters frustrated by high living costs. The president has rolled out a series of announcements in recent weeks, many of which have generated attention but have yet to be fully implemented.

Earlier, Trump said he would unveil “even more plans” soon to address affordability and reiterated his goal of pushing oil prices lower.

“I’m going to provide much more detail about our housing policies, so that every American who wants to own a home, will be able to afford one,” Trump said.

He added that a “health care affordability framework” aimed at lowering insurance premiums and prescription drug prices would be announced later this week, and said he would outline additional proposals at the World Economic Forum in Davos, including efforts to block institutional investors from buying homes and to cap credit card interest rates.

At the same time, Trump faces growing scrutiny over whether those promises will translate into concrete action. Open enrollment for Obamacare plans is set to end this week without an agreement to extend key subsidies, and the White House has not yet detailed how proposed limits on home purchases or credit card rates would be enforced. Trump also reiterated a threat to impose a 25% tariff on countries trading with Iran, claiming the policy was already in place despite a lack of explanation or implementation.

Roughly half an hour into the speech, Trump turned directly to affordability, saying prices were falling and that economic indicators were strong.

The address, delivered to an audience of about 500 people, also veered into familiar territory for the president, including complaints about the 2020 election, jabs at Joe Biden, criticism of Republicans who oppose his agenda, and comments about transgender women competing in sports.

Trump’s visit to Michigan — a battleground state he narrowly won in 2024 — followed recent trips to Pennsylvania and North Carolina and is part of a broader push by the White House ahead of the midterm elections.

Before the speech, Trump toured a factory producing Ford Motor Co. F-150 pickup trucks and highlighted previously announced plans by the company to expand manufacturing in the United States.

Michigan currently has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, though it has eased somewhat in recent months. The jobless rate stood at 5% in November, down from 5.5% in April, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. That improvement was partly the result of a shrinking labor force, with more than 55,000 fewer people working or seeking work over that period.

Inflation in the Detroit metropolitan area rose in December after earlier declines. Consumer prices increased 2.1% from a year earlier, BLS data show. Researchers at the University of Michigan project inflation will climb into the 2.9% to 3% range in 2026 as tariffs begin to affect consumer costs.

{Matzav.com}

Tesla is eliminating the one-time purchase option for its Full Self-Driving feature and will require drivers to pay a monthly fee to access the system beginning February 14.

Until now, customers could either buy the software outright for $8,000 or subscribe for $99 per month, Bloomberg reported. Tesla CEO Elon Musk disclosed the change on Wednesday in a post on the social media platform X, which he owns, but offered no explanation for the shift.

Tesla’s website describes the technology by stating that “Autopilot is an advanced driver assistance system that assists your vehicle with steering, accelerating and braking for other vehicles and pedestrians within its lane.”

Bloomberg also reported that reaching 10 million active Full Self-Driving subscribers is one of the benchmarks Tesla must meet for Musk to qualify for additional stock awards under a compensation plan approved by shareholders in November.

The company says Full Self-Driving subscriptions “are currently available for eligible vehicles in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Australia and New Zealand.”

Automated driving systems have faced heightened attention in recent months after reports of traffic violations and crashes involving vehicles operated by Tesla as well as those from companies such as Waymo and Lyft.

In November, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into Tesla’s self-driving software after a number of incidents in which “the inputs to the dynamic driving task commanded by FSD induced vehicle behavior that violated traffic safety laws.”

{Matzav.com}

New York City officials unveiled plans Wednesday to dramatically scale up the use of red light cameras, aiming to curb dangerous driving by vastly expanding automated enforcement across city streets.

At present, red light cameras operate at 150 intersections citywide. Transportation officials said that number will increase fourfold by year’s end, with cameras added at roughly 50 intersections each week over the next five weeks. The full rollout is expected to reach 600 intersections within about 10 months.

The program itself is not new. New York began using red light cameras in the 1990s, making it one of the earliest cities in the nation to adopt automated ticketing for drivers who run red lights. However, state law capped the system for years at 222 cameras spread across 150 intersections, a ceiling that has remained unchanged since 2009, according to the Department of Transportation.

That cap was lifted in 2024, after state lawmakers approved legislation—pushed in part by then-Mayor Eric Adams—authorizing camera placement at up to 600 intersections. Despite the change in law, no new cameras were installed last year. Transportation officials said that period was used to secure contracts and complete the technical groundwork needed to expand the system.

With that preparation complete, Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn said the city is now ready to move forward aggressively.

“Red light running is one of the most dangerous behaviors on our city’s streets and puts all New Yorkers at risk. That is why we are taking immediate action to ramp up the city’s red light camera program,” Flynn wrote in a statement. “These cameras have reduced red light running 73% in the intersections where they are installed, and we will pair this heightened enforcement with ambitious street redesigns to make our streets safer.”

Transportation Department spokesperson Vin Barone said the agency will not publicly identify the locations of the new cameras, arguing that the initiative works best when drivers are unsure where enforcement is in place. He added that installation decisions will focus on intersections with a history of frequent crashes.

Motorists caught by the cameras running a red light receive a $50 ticket. City figures show the program generated $20 million in net revenue in 2024.

DOT statistics indicate significant safety improvements at camera-equipped intersections, including a 65% drop in T-bone collisions and a 49% reduction in rear-end crashes. City officials say the expanded network is intended to rein in the most dangerous driving behavior and make streets safer for everyone.

{Matzav.com}

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{Matzav.com}

NASA and the Department of Energy revealed plans to jointly develop and install a nuclear power reactor on the lunar surface, with the project targeted for completion within the next several years.

The initiative was announced Tuesday as part of President Donald Trump’s broader push under what officials described as his “America First Space Policy.” NASA and DOE said they have formalized their cooperation by signing a new memorandum of understanding aimed at fast-tracking a “fission surface power system” capable of supporting extended missions on the moon and, ultimately, future expeditions to Mars.

Under the agreement, the agencies are working toward having a functional nuclear reactor operating on the moon by 2030, a goal they say is tied to maintaining American leadership and what they characterized as U.S. “space superiority” in exploration, technology, and commercial activity.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright, in a DOE statement, likened the undertaking to historic moments of national mobilization, pointing to the Manhattan Project and the Apollo program as examples of what can be accomplished when American scientific and engineering capabilities are fully engaged.

Wright said the collaboration with NASA and private-sector partners will focus on what he described as one of the most ambitious technical efforts ever attempted in the fields of nuclear energy and space exploration.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman explicitly linked the project to the administration’s space agenda, stating that the United States is committed to returning to the moon, establishing a lasting presence there, and investing in the capabilities needed for “the next giant leap to Mars and beyond.”

In NASA’s announcement, Isaacman said that “achieving this future requires harnessing nuclear power,” adding that the new agreement allows NASA and DOE to work more closely in developing the technology needed to meet those goals.

From an operational standpoint, officials argue the case for nuclear power is straightforward. Solar energy is unreliable during the moon’s two-week-long nights and in permanently shadowed regions, while a compact nuclear reactor could supply consistent electricity for years without the need for refueling.

According to the agencies, a fission surface power system would provide “safe, efficient, and plentiful” energy, making it possible to sustain operations regardless of darkness or extreme temperature fluctuations.

NASA has already been advancing related work through its Fission Surface Power program, which is intended to underpin a future lunar economy and ensure uninterrupted power for surface missions.

The agency has also noted that such systems are capable of producing tens of kilowatts of electricity, enough to support essential life-support systems, research activities, and other critical functions at a crewed lunar base.

The announcement also reflects growing geopolitical considerations in space exploration.

China and Russia have openly discussed their own long-term plans for the moon, including concepts involving nuclear power to support a future international lunar research station, according to reporting by the South China Morning Post.

U.S. officials frequently cite those developments as evidence that the United States cannot afford to lose ground in advanced space technologies.

For years, conservatives have argued that domestic opposition to nuclear energy risks undermining American innovation and competitiveness overseas.

The NASA-DOE agreement is being framed as a reversal of that trend, emphasizing dependable power, U.S. technological leadership, and a space strategy grounded in strength.

Officials have also indicated that the long-term vision extends beyond the lunar surface, with nuclear power potentially playing a role in future orbital platforms as well.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump said this afternoon that Iranian authorities have stopped killing anti-government protesters, a striking assertion delivered as speculation swirls over whether the United States could be preparing military action against Tehran.

Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said he had been briefed that the violence had eased and executions were no longer moving forward. “We’ve been told that the killing in Iran is stopping. It’s stopped. It’s stopping, and there’s no plan for executions,” Trump said.

He cautioned that the information was still being verified. “So I’ve been told that a good authority — we will find out about it. I’m sure if it happens, we’ll all be very upset… but that’s just gotten to me, the information that the killing has stopped, that the executions have stopped, they’re not going to have an execution.”

Trump’s comments suggested reduced urgency for US intervention on behalf of protesters. Still, they came against the backdrop of his decision last June to launch airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear program after public signals that appeared to downplay the likelihood of an attack.

The president said his assessment was based on reports from influential contacts inside Iran who claimed the government was stepping back from its harsh crackdown.

“We have been informed by very important sources on the other side, and they said the killing has stopped and the executions won’t take place,” Trump said.

He added that executions expected to occur imminently had been called off. “There was supposed to be a lot of executions today, and that the executions won’t take place. And we’re going to find out. I mean, I’ll find out after this, you’ll find out. But we’ve been told on good authority, and I hope it’s true.”

Trump acknowledged uncertainty about the situation. “Who knows, right? Who knows? It’s a crazy world. You’ve seen that over the last few days [Iranian officials] said people were shooting at them with guns, and they were shooting back. It’s one of those things, but they told me that there’ll be no executions, and so I hope that’s true.”

While stopping short of committing to or ruling out force, Trump said Washington would continue monitoring developments. “We are going to watch and see what the process is — but we were given a very good statement by people that are aware of what’s going on.”

How the Iranian messages reached the White House was unclear. An Iranian official contacted US special envoy Steve Witkoff last weekend to suggest diplomatic talks, briefly raising expectations of a US-Iran meeting. That opening closed quickly after Trump canceled the idea as reports indicated the protest death toll had climbed past 2,000 this week.

Before Trump’s remarks, Iranian officials were preparing to execute a 26-year-old protester, Erfan Soltani, for his alleged role in a January 8 demonstration, prompting widespread international condemnation.

A source close to Soltani’s family told IranWire that a relative who is an attorney attempted to intervene but was blocked during the expedited legal process. According to the source, officials said, “There is no file to review. We announced that anyone arrested in the protests would be executed.”

Trump’s suggestion that Iran might receive a reprieve came despite multiple indicators pointing toward possible escalation, including a reduction of US personnel at a base in Qatar, the temporary closure of the British embassy in Tehran, and reports of quiet US outreach to Hezbollah urging restraint should Iran be attacked.

At the same time, Iranian leaders have escalated their public threats against Trump. On Wednesday, Iranian state television aired what appeared to be an assassination threat, displaying an image of Trump bloodied after surviving a 2024 shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, alongside the message: “This time it will not miss the target.”

Such threats are not new. In 2022, the regime released a video depicting an assassination attempt against Trump at one of his golf courses.

Trump downplayed those warnings last July after a senior Iranian official suggested he could be targeted by a drone while sunbathing. “It’s been a long time. I don’t know, maybe I was around seven or so. I’m not too big into it,” the president said.

He added, “I guess it’s a threat. I’m not sure it’s a threat, actually, but perhaps it is.”

{Matzav.com}

Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin has been notified that the Trump administration is investigating her after she organized and appeared in a video with other Democrats urging military service members to resist “illegal orders.” Slotkin, a former CIA analyst, said in a video statement released Wednesday that prosecutors were investigating her over the 90-second video she […]