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The House of Representatives voted Tuesday for a third time to restrict President Donald Trump’s ability to continue US military action against Iran, with seven Republicans joining Democrats in supporting the measure as the war becomes an increasingly prominent issue ahead of November’s midterm elections.

The measure passed with backing from seven Republican lawmakers, three more than supported the House’s previous resolution concerning the conflict. Democrats have characterized the latest action as their most substantial attempt so far to push back against Trump’s handling of the war, particularly with Congress nearing its final votes before the elections.

House Republican leaders have not formally directed GOP members on how to vote on the Iran resolutions. Trump, however, has publicly criticized Republicans who have broken with his position on the conflict, underscoring the importance he has placed on maintaining congressional support.

In July, the House approved a nonbinding resolution urging Trump to bring US military operations against Iran to an end. That measure passed by a 214-208 margin, with four Republicans joining all Democrats who voted in favor.

A separate joint resolution was later blocked in the Senate in a 47-49 procedural vote. Unlike the House measure, the Senate proposal would have carried the force of law if enacted, though it likely would have faced a presidential veto had it passed Congress.

The House has repeatedly sought to place restrictions on Trump’s military authority in connection with Iran. Lawmakers pursued another effort in June to limit the administration’s authority, but that measure ultimately failed after White House pressure prompted a Republican senator to change his vote.

It remains uncertain whether Senate Democrats can attract enough support to move another attempt forward. They are expected to try again later this week as the congressional debate over US military operations against Iran continues.

Thousands gathered at the main Dushinsky bais medrash in Yerushalayim on Monday night to hear the annual Shabbos Shuvah drashah of Rav Moshe Sternbuch, who delivered a forceful address focusing on the draft of yeshivah bochurim, chareidi military programs, the dangers of internet use and the need to strengthen shemiras Shabbos and regular study of its halachos.

The massive crowd included admorim, rabbonim, roshei yeshivah, dayanim, marbitzei Torah and members of the broader Yerushalayim Torah community. Dozens of prominent rabbonim and morei horaah were seated along the eastern wall as the bais medrash filled with people who had come to hear Rav Sternbuch’s traditional pre-Yom Kippur address.

Rav Sternbuch opened by addressing what he described as the struggle facing Torah Jewry against those seeking to undermine the Torah world and its institutions.

“The wicked are plotting to completely destroy us, to demolish the fortresses of Torah and the holy yeshivos, and to turn us into a nation like all other nations and a people like all other peoples. However, regarding this, the posuk has already promised us and Hakadosh Boruch Hu has declared: ‘That which enters your minds shall not come to pass!’ Our obligation at this time is to shake ourselves free and distance ourselves completely from the secular, not to look toward them at all, not to associate with them and not to participate with them in any matter whatsoever, because it is specifically in this separation that the foundation of our success and continued existence lies.”

To underscore the point, Rav Sternbuch cited an explanation from Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin regarding a passage recited during the Hoshanos.

“Rav Yehoshua Leib explained our plea, ‘Hoshana, three hours, Hoshana,’ that during the final three hours before the arrival of the righteous redeemer, a terrible and frightening spirit of heresy and impurity will blow through the world. He further warned with holy foresight: Only one who completely separates and distances himself from the wicked will merit to be saved and to see the light of redemption.”

Rav Sternbuch then turned to the ongoing controversy surrounding the draft of yeshivah bochurim and the arrests of those who have refused to enlist, declaring, “The blood of our brothers is not hefker!”

“To our sorrow, during Rosh Hashanah, eighty precious bochurim sat in prison, despite having committed no sin or wrongdoing, other than their intense desire to cling to Hashem and toil in Torah, and their refusal to enlist in an army filled with impurity and heresy. Over this we protest with all our strength and cry out: The blood of our brothers is not hefker! Chazal have already said, ‘One who causes another to sin is worse than one who kills him,’ and this terrible decree hanging over the yeshivah bochurim is truly comparable to a death sentence, because without Torah we have no life at all. May Hakadosh Boruch Hu frustrate their counsel and disrupt their plans, and in the merit of the mesirus nefesh of those who learn Torah, may the decree soon be annulled.”

Rav Sternbuch also issued a strong warning against military programs marketed specifically toward chareidi men, including programs offering limited working hours and substantial financial compensation while promising an environment geared toward religious participants.

“To our sorrow, they have opened programs supposedly adorned in ‘chassidishe clothing,’ through which they entice the public to work a few hours and receive large amounts of money, thereby trapping the yeshivahleit in their net. Therefore, the obligation of the hour is to warn loudly: It is forbidden to go to them under any circumstances! The very foundation of the army is built upon heresy, and their entire aim and objective is simply to connect us with them so that we become like them, chas v’shalom.”

Turning to technology, Rav Sternbuch described internet use as one of the defining spiritual challenges confronting the current generation and urged the public to distance itself as much as possible.

“The obligation of the hour is to awaken people regarding the danger of the internet, which is the most difficult nisayon of the generation and leads to the ultimate source of impurity. Fortunate is one who does not use it at all, even ‘filtered internet,’ for as we say to the nazir, ‘Go around, go around; do not approach the vineyard.’ Boruch Hashem, today there are already holy groups in every community whose members undertake to distance themselves from all these things, and they should be called holy for overcoming the challenges of the times with strength.”

Rav Sternbuch devoted another portion of his drashah to Shabbos, noting that the first day of Rosh Hashanah fell on Shabbos this year and that Klal Yisroel therefore did not perform the mitzvah of shofar on that day. He said this makes strengthening shemiras Shabbos particularly important.

“This year Rosh Hashanah fell on Shabbos and we did not merit the mitzvah of shofar, and in such a year we need the merit of Shabbos to stand on our behalf and sweeten the judgments. Therefore, we must strengthen ourselves especially in observing Shabbos, so that it will serve as an advocate for us before the Throne of Glory. Chas v’shalom, if we do not observe it properly, it could instead become a source of prosecution, rachmana litzlan.

“Every single person should undertake to learn the halachos of Shabbos on a regular basis, as well as to protest against the increasing desecration of Shabbos. If we do what is incumbent upon us, Shabbos will stand as our advocate, and the words ‘If I safeguard Shabbos, Hashem will safeguard me’ will be fulfilled for us, and Hakadosh Boruch Hu will save us from all harm.”

At the conclusion of the lengthy address, thousands filed past Rav Sternbuch in an orderly procession to receive his brachah for the new year. Among the first to approach were the Dushinsky Rebbe and the Skulen Yerushalayim Rebbe.

Another notable scene unfolded afterward as the rabbonim of the Eidah Hachareidis passed before Rav Sternbuch and received his brachah together with a special Yom Tov gift of $1,000 apiece. More than $100,000 was distributed at the gathering through Rav Sternbuch’s Kupas Tomchin D’Oraisa, continuing his longstanding financial support for rabbonim, roshei kollel and avreichim throughout the year.

Moved by the occasion, Rav Yehudah Fisher, a member of the Badatz of the Eidah Hachareidis, rose and expressed the appreciation of the assembled rabbonim to Rav Sternbuch for carrying the needs of the community and assisting its members both spiritually and materially.

Following the gathering, large crowds accompanied Rav Sternbuch from the Dushinsky bais medrash through the streets of Yerushalayim, escorting him with great honor as far as Shmuel Hanavi Street. From there, Rav Sternbuch returned to his home in Har Nof.

{Matzav.com}

With 42 days remaining until Israel’s election for the 26th Knesset, a new Channel 14 poll released Tuesday night shows the right-wing bloc retaining a 64-seat majority, while the left-wing bloc receives 44 seats and the two Arab lists combine for 12. The overall bloc breakdown is unchanged from Channel 14’s previous survey on September 9.

Likud remains the largest party in the poll with 30 seats, down one from the previous survey. Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party also loses one seat, falling from 22 to 21. Shas remains unchanged at 10 seats, while the Democrats rise by one to nine.

Naftali Bennett’s Beyachad, United Torah Judaism, Otzma Yehudit and the Religious Zionism-Zehut alliance each receive eight seats. Beyachad and United Torah Judaism each gain one seat from the previous Channel 14 poll, while Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism-Zehut remain unchanged.

Among the remaining parties, the Joint List rises from six seats to seven, while Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beytenu drops from seven to six. Ra’am falls from six seats to five. Together, the two Arab lists continue to account for 12 seats.

Several parties remain below the electoral threshold. Ofer Winter’s Amcha Yisrael increases slightly from 2.1% to 2.3%, while the Reservists-Economic Party rises from 1.4% to 2.1%. Blue and White receives 0.4%, Noam 0.3%, and the Haredi Public Party 0.2%. None would enter the Knesset based on this survey.

The poll also asked respondents which of several candidates they considered most suitable to serve as prime minister. Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu received 51%, unchanged from the previous Channel 14 survey. Eisenkot received 35%, up one percentage point, while Bennett fell two points to 9% and Lieberman rose one point to 5%. These figures represent responses to this specific Channel 14/NEXT DATA survey rather than a forecast of the election result.

In a separate head-to-head question asking respondents to choose between Netanyahu and Eisenkot, 53% selected Netanyahu and 47% selected Eisenkot, the same breakdown recorded in the previous survey.

The poll was conducted on September 15 by NEXT DATA among 483 adults from the general population, with the results analyzed by pollster Shlomo Filber.

{Matzav.com}

The mother of a married avreich who was arrested at the Taba border crossing while traveling to Uman has accused Israeli military authorities of denying her son and other detained yeshivah bochurim basic rights, including telephone calls, family visits, access to lawyers and proper personal supplies.

Speaking in an interview with Kol Chai’s Central Edition, the mother described the ordeal her family has faced since her son was detained last Thursday and transferred to Military Prison 10. She said the family was never formally notified of his arrest and was forced to determine his whereabouts on its own.

“We live in a democratic country, not a Third World country where people are kidnapped by a military junta in the dead of night. No authorized official informed me that my son had been arrested and was in Prison 10. Because of a phone call his wife received, I was forced to begin tracing his steps and searching for where my son was being held.”

The mother said many of the young men now facing arrest had previously attempted to resolve their military status through official channels, only to encounter repeated bureaucratic obstacles.

“They tried to resolve the matter and leave legally, but all of their requests on the websites were rejected. They sent young men from the Yerushalayim area all the way to recruitment offices in Be’er Sheva or Haifa, and when they arrived, they were told that they were late. Bureaucratic callousness.”

She went on to allege that the treatment of the detainees following their arrests has included the denial of telephone access and personal necessities, along with expedited disciplinary proceedings conducted without legal representation.

“To this day, I have not received even one phone call from him to know that he is under arrest. The supplies we sent him to the prison disappeared along the way, and basic requests for hygiene supplies were denied. They brought them supplies in garbage bags in a horrifying manner. They have all already been tried without legal advice and without a lawyer. They are pressured to stand trial immediately, the judging officer sentences them to days of confinement at his discretion without a written explanation and without protocols that can be appealed. The rights of these young men are simply being erased.”

She added that her son’s status as a married man should entitle him to additional rights while in custody, but claimed those requests had also been rejected.

“We are talking about a married man, and according to the law he is entitled to rights such as a family visit, but they denied all the requests.”

Concluding the interview, the mother issued an emotional appeal to the authorities, contrasting what she described as the treatment afforded to imprisoned Nukhba terrorists with that received by the chareidi detainees.

“Nukhba terrorists walk around the prison and they check whether they have fruit or not, and my son isn’t allowed a single phone call! If you established a special task force to arrest them – it is your obligation to give them the rights they are entitled to under the law.”

{Matzav.com}

A significant milestone was marked Tuesday in Yerushalayim with the signing of the foundation charter for the future Pnei Menachem World Center, a sprawling complex that will serve as the central bais medrash and institutional hub of the kehillah led by Rav Shaul Alter.

The modest but emotional ceremony took place on the large parcel recently allocated by the Yerushalayim municipality on Torah Mitzion Street, at the former site of the Israel Broadcasting Authority complex. Joining Rav Shaul were his brothers, Rav Yaakov Meir Alter and Rav Daniel Chaim Alter, sons of the Pnei Menachem of Ger, along with the rabbonim of the kehillah, including Rav Betzalel Wexelstein, and senior and prominent members of the community.

The event began with Rav Shaul conducting a brief lechayim tish, after which he and his brothers signed the foundation charter. The document will eventually be buried at the site during the formal cornerstone-laying ceremony, which is expected to take place at a later date.

Before the ceremony, Rav Shaul and his brothers stood on a specially constructed platform overlooking the property where the new complex will rise. Nachman Wideslavsky, director-general of the institutions, and architect Aharon Oestreicher presented the plans for the enormous project.

The complex is expected to include a large and magnificent bais medrash, shtiblach for tefillah, an expansive mikvah, a wedding hall, a Talmud Torah and kindergartens, along with other facilities serving the growing Pnei Menachem community.

As he viewed the architectural plans, Rav Shaul remarked that while a bais medrash needs to be carefully designed, the Bais Hamikdash will descend and be built even without architectural plans.

Yisrael Hakohen Levin, director of the Old Seminary, who served as master of ceremonies, raised a question about the timing of the gathering. Why, he asked, was such a ceremony being held specifically during the spiritually intense days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur? Could a more seemingly appropriate time not have been chosen?

In response, he recalled words spoken by the Pnei Menachem approximately half a century ago at the cornerstone-laying ceremony for a bais medrash named in memory of the Bais Yisroel of Ger: “A yeshivah is built with tears.”

“Following that same idea,” Levin said, “we too can say that a bais medrash is built not from stones, but from tears, from yearning and from the desire to draw closer and rise higher in the service of Hashem. Those aspirations motivated the members of the community to build a house for Hashem, and they are now privileged to see their offering accepted with favor.”

Levin concluded his remarks by recognizing Wideslavsky for his tireless efforts on behalf of the community, as well as Yisrael Mordechai Tzishinsky and Shaul Yechiel Margolies, who helped lay the groundwork for the project.

Rav Daniel Chaim Alter, rosh yeshivah of Pnei Menachem, spoke about the leaders of the dynasty, beginning with the Chiddushei Harim. He recalled that although the Chiddushei Harim occupied a distinguished position, when he saw that the pursuit of truth was burning in Peshischa, he did not hesitate to leave his position and embark upon a new path despite the persecution he endured.

Rav Daniel Chaim said that the actions of earlier generations became a model for their descendants, with the rebbes of the dynasty dedicating themselves to cultivating authentic Torah and yiras Shomayim. He said that under Rav Shaul’s leadership today, the community continues to witness unmistakable siyata diShmaya as it establishes a path for those seeking closeness to Hashem, despite the considerable sacrifices involved. He pointed in particular to the growth and flourishing of the Pnei Menachem educational institutions and the planned construction of the new central bais medrash.

At the center of the gathering, Rav Shaul delivered divrei Torah, citing the well-known words of the Ramban concerning the purpose of a bais haknesses: that people should gather there and give thanks to the Creator, declaring before Him, “We are Your creations.”

Rav Shaul explained that a person must thank Hashem each day for the kindnesses he is privileged to witness, but the central expression of that gratitude takes place in the bais haknesses, where a person declares his complete relationship with his Creator. Gratitude alone, he said, is insufficient; it must bring about personal change.

Citing the words, “He gave their land as an inheritance — an inheritance to Yisroel, His servant,” Rav Shaul said that while the community is preparing to enter a new property and construct a bais haknesses, it must never lose sight of the true objective. The physical inheritance is meant to help Klal Yisroel become servants of Hashem and recognize, “We are Your creations.”

Rav Yaakov Meir Alter, the eldest of the brothers, then read aloud the foundation charter, which was composed by senior rabbonim of the community.

The document recounts the development of the kehillah, which was established from virtually nothing seven years ago, and describes its commitment to the heritage and path of Peshischa, Kotzk and Ger. It emphasizes an approach that refuses to allow routine and habit to weaken a person’s inner spiritual drive, instead seeking constant renewal and renewed inspiration through intensive Torah learning and penetrating halachic study, together with work on one’s middos, yielding to others and judging people favorably.

The Pnei Menachem institutions are now preparing to move ahead with construction of the world center. Plans call for an expansive central bais medrash, a large Torah study hall, numerous shtiblach intended in part to alleviate the shortage of shuls in the surrounding neighborhood, a large mikvah, a wedding hall, communal assistance and chesed operations, a Talmud Torah and kindergartens.

The ambitious complex is intended to serve both residents of the surrounding area and the thousands who regularly come to the Pnei Menachem community to learn Torah and hear shiurim and guidance from Rav Shaul Alter.

המעמד בקהילת הגר”ש אלתר (צילום: דניאל נפוסי)

המעמד בקהילת הגר”ש אלתר (צילום: דניאל נפוסי)

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המעמד בקהילת הגר”ש אלתר (צילום: דניאל נפוסי)

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המעמד בקהילת הגר”ש אלתר (צילום: דניאל נפוסי)

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המעמד בקהילת הגר”ש אלתר (צילום: דניאל נפוסי)

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{Matzav.ciom}

The IDF and Shin Bet announced Tuesday that they had eliminated Nael Abu Obeid, the commander of Hamas’s Rafah Brigade and a senior figure in the terror organization, in a targeted strike in the southern Gaza Strip. Abu Obeid also served as the head of Hamas’s operations array.

According to the Israeli security agencies, Abu Obeid took command of the Rafah Brigade following the elimination of his predecessor, Mohammed Shabana. Before assuming the position, Abu Obeid served in several senior roles, including deputy commander of the Rafah Brigade and commander of the Tel al-Sultan and Yabna battalions.

In his most recent position, Abu Obeid was responsible for overseeing Hamas terrorists in the Rafah area and directing plans for attacks against IDF troops and Israeli civilians. Israeli officials said he was also heavily involved in efforts to rebuild the Rafah Brigade after it suffered severe losses during the war.

Palestinian sources in Gaza reported that two people were killed, including an 8-year-old girl, and 14 others were wounded in three strikes targeting tents housing displaced Gazans in western Khan Yunis. According to those reports, two adjacent tents near the entrance to the Al-Sumoud camp were struck. The first explosion was reportedly caused by an explosive drone, followed by two missiles fired from an aircraft.

Abu Obeid was regarded as one of Hamas’s most powerful remaining figures in Gaza and had reportedly taken a leading role in the organization following the elimination of Mohammed Sinwar and later Shabana. Shabana was eliminated in a June 2025 strike in Khan Yunis together with Mohammed Sinwar, who at the time headed Hamas’s military wing.

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu responded to Abu Obeid’s elimination with a brief statement: “No terrorist is immune, and Hamas will not be in Gaza.”

Defense Minister Yisrael Katz also addressed the operation, saying: “The policy being led by the prime minister and myself, and which the IDF is implementing in the most professional and proper manner, is clear: We eliminate terrorists and remove threats, and do not attack civilians and uninvolved individuals — contrary to the blood libel spread by the creators of the film ‘Naza’ against our heroic soldiers. No terrorist is immune, and Hamas will not be in Gaza.”

The strike came amid an increasing pace of targeted operations against senior Hamas commanders. In recent days, the Shin Bet located Mohammed Yazouri, also known as Abu al-Haytham, the commander of Hamas’s Khan Yunis Brigade. He was eliminated while together with a company commander and another Hamas terrorist.

The IDF carried out five additional targeted eliminations on Monday, including the commander of Hamas’s Jabalia Battalion. In a joint announcement, the IDF and Shin Bet said: “During the night, the IDF and Shin Bet struck in the northern Gaza Strip and eliminated terrorist Ahmed Batash, commander of the Jabalia Battalion in the Northern Gaza Brigade of the military wing of the Hamas terrorist organization.”

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The first stage of the Federal Aviation Administration’s sweeping effort to modernize the nation’s aging air traffic control system is expected to cost $16 billion, billions more than Congress has provided for the project, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told lawmakers Tuesday.

Congress approved $12.5 billion last year for improvements to the air traffic control system, with $9 billion designated for modernization efforts and another $3.5 billion allocated for construction and upgrades to facilities.

“It’s costing $16 billion to do phase one,” Bedford said during testimony before a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee.

Bedford said the FAA is covering the difference by drawing money from its existing facilities and equipment budget. Looking ahead, the agency is seeking at least another $10 billion from Congress to carry out the second phase of the modernization program, and Bedford urged lawmakers to provide those funds.

“The agency is working on scale-up to get ‌this done and get it done right,” Bedford said.

The warning came the same day the Government Accountability Office released a report finding that the FAA has not fully calculated the long-term cost of operating the new air traffic control system or established a sufficiently detailed schedule for completing the overhaul.

According to the GAO, the first phase encompasses more than 11,000 individual projects, which the FAA had previously estimated would cost $10.6 billion. Bedford noted that the agency had said last year that it would need between $15 billion and $16 billion for the initial phase, accounting for the funding gap.

Congress provided the modernization money amid longstanding concerns over the age of the nation’s air traffic control infrastructure, persistent airport congestion and flight delays, a shortage of controllers, and a series of technology failures that have highlighted weaknesses in the existing system.

One particularly costly component is the effort to replace antiquated telecommunications infrastructure. The projected price of those upgrades has risen by $4.75 billion, reaching $5.91 billion, according to the GAO. Bedford said the FAA intends to completely eliminate the outdated copper-wire telecommunications system by September 2027.

As part of the broader overhaul, the FAA selected Peraton, which is owned by Veritas Capital, in December to oversee the modernization initiative. The company was awarded a $1.5 billion contract for that role.

President Donald Trump sharply criticized the Biden-era FBI and former FBI Director Christopher Wray on Tuesday following the release of new federal records concerning Thomas Matthew Crooks, the gunman who attempted to assassinate Trump at his July 13, 2024, campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump also alleged, without presenting evidence, that the shooting was part of a Democratic plot to remove him from the presidential race. Investigators have previously said they found no evidence that Crooks had co-conspirators or was acting at the direction of a political organization.

Trump accused the FBI under President Joe Biden and Wray of improperly handling the investigation and claimed that crucial material was no longer available by the time he returned to the White House.

“By the time I got into Office, on January 20th, most of the information was missing, altered, corrupted, or gone,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “New info was just found! Why wasn’t it seen long ago?”

Trump went further, alleging without offering evidence that the assassination attempt was “a Democrat Plot, to get me out of the Election, that failed.” Current FBI Director Kash Patel has said investigators found no evidence Crooks was working with anyone else.

During its initial investigation in 2024, the FBI similarly said it had uncovered no co-conspirators or individuals who had advance knowledge of Crooks’ plans.

Trump’s comments came as newly obtained federal records provided to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, offered additional details about Crooks and his activities leading up to the Butler attack. Grassley has been conducting an investigation into the assassination attempt.

According to the records, Crooks developed an increasingly intense interest in firearms and long-range shooting during the years before the attack.

His father, Matthew Crooks, told investigators that his son’s interest in guns began during the COVID-19 pandemic. Crooks subsequently spent considerable time practicing and eventually became capable of accurately shooting at distances beyond 100 yards.

Matthew Crooks told investigators that on the morning of July 13, he gave his son the Panther Arms A-15 rifle that would later be used in the assassination attempt because he believed Crooks was headed to a shooting range.

The FBI had previously said Crooks’ father provided him with the rifle that afternoon under the impression that his son planned to go to the Sportsman’s Club.

Investigators determined that Crooks had practiced shooting at the club the day before the rally and had also conducted reconnaissance of the Butler rally grounds before carrying out the attack.

The newly reported records also indicate that Crooks used the name “Bob Dole” when making online purchases of firearms-related products and became increasingly focused on improving his shooting skills.

According to the records, Crooks’ father also described troubling behavior shortly before the attack, including seeing his son pacing and talking to himself while cleaning a firearm.

Crooks ultimately climbed onto a rooftop overlooking the rally and fired eight shots toward Trump. One bullet struck Trump in the ear, rally attendee Corey Comperatore was killed, and two other people were wounded. A Secret Service sniper then shot and killed Crooks.

The FBI opened investigations into both an attempted assassination and possible domestic terrorism following the attack.

Trump on Tuesday directed particular criticism at Wray, saying the former FBI director “should pay a price for the way he handled this assassination attempt.”

Wray had originally been nominated by Trump to serve as FBI director during Trump’s first administration. He resigned from the position before Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.

President Donald Trump’s administration has approved a massive $2.8 billion weapons sale to Israel that includes 40,000 2,000-pound bombs, according to a U.S. official cited by The New York Times, marking one of the largest transfers of heavy American munitions to Israel in recent years.

The package includes 20,000 MK-84 bombs and 20,000 BLU-117 bombs, both weighing approximately 2,000 pounds. The Washington Post reported that the package also includes 20,000 I-2000 Penetrator warheads, which are designed to penetrate hardened structures.

The $2.8 billion package is expected to be financed through U.S. military assistance provided to Israel rather than paid for directly with Israeli funds, according to the Washington Post. The proposed transfer has already been informally communicated to the congressional committees that review major foreign arms sales.

The enormous size of the package is notable even by the standards of the longstanding U.S.-Israel defense relationship. The Washington Post described it as the largest single sale of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel in recent years.

The MK-84 is a general-purpose bomb that can be used against buildings, fortified positions and other large targets. The BLU-117 is another 2,000-pound general-purpose bomb, while the I-2000 is a penetrator warhead intended for use against hardened targets.

Israel has used 2,000-pound bombs during military operations in Gaza and Lebanon. Their use in densely populated areas has drawn criticism from some arms-control and human-rights experts because of the extensive blast damage such weapons can cause. Israel has repeatedly said that it targets terrorists and military infrastructure, does not deliberately target civilians, and takes measures intended to reduce civilian casualties.

“If Hezbollah or whoever is in a building, an MK-84 will bring down the whole building,” Trevor Ball, a former U.S. Army explosive-ordnance-disposal technician, told the Washington Post.

Brian Finucane, a former State Department lawyer who is now a senior adviser at the International Crisis Group, raised concerns about how the weapons could be employed.

“Given the way Israel conducted its air war in Gaza and, to some extent, in southern Lebanon, there are real concerns about how such weapons would be used in densely populated areas,” Finucane said.

“That’s assuming that you have valid military targets to start with because there are concerns about what Israel deems to be valid military targets,” he added.

The new package follows a separate $2.04 billion munitions sale approved by the Trump administration in February 2025. That earlier package included up to 35,529 MK-84 or BLU-117 bomb bodies, or a combination of the two, as well as 4,000 I-2000 Penetrator warheads. At the time, the administration invoked emergency authority to bypass the normal congressional review period.

The Biden administration had temporarily halted a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel in 2024 amid concerns about their possible use in densely populated areas of Gaza. Trump lifted that restriction shortly after returning to the White House in January 2025, allowing the previously withheld weapons to be delivered.

The newly approved package comes amid continuing U.S. military backing for Israel and heightened regional fighting involving Iran and Iranian-backed forces. The United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, 2026, prompting Iranian strikes against Israel and Gulf states hosting American military installations.

The arms sale could still face scrutiny on Capitol Hill. Major foreign military sales are ordinarily submitted to Congress, where lawmakers have procedures available under the Arms Export Control Act to seek to block a transaction. Reuters reported that the $2.8 billion package had already been informally presented to the relevant congressional committees.

Asked about the pending transaction before reports emerged that Trump had approved it, a senior White House official told the Washington Post that “all foreign arms sales are moving through the appropriate process. We do not comment on pending sales.”

Vice President JD Vance said the U.S.-Iran conflict is likely to move into a “much different phase in a couple of months,” backing President Donald Trump’s assessment that the war could wind down following the November midterm elections as Washington continues applying military and economic pressure on Tehran.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the New York Post aboard Air Force Two, Vance said Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz has continued to weaken and noted that commercial shipping through the critical waterway has now “returned to well over 50% of normal traffic.”

“We can’t predict the future, but I think the president is right to say that this thing will enter a much different phase in a couple of months,” Vance said. “He’s also the commander in chief, so he’s the person who determines … when conflicts start and when they stop.”

Vance acknowledged frustration among Americans over the length of the conflict but maintained that U.S. forces are no longer carrying out aggressive military operations against Iran.

“I certainly understand there’s some impatience from the American people, but fundamentally what’s happening right now is that the United States is not engaged in aggressive operations. We’re just not,” he added.

“But what is happening is that the Iranians are occasionally shooting at commercial shipping, usually not successfully,” Vance said.

Over the past four months, U.S. Navy SEALs have removed mines from substantial portions of the Strait of Hormuz, although shipping activity has yet to return to prewar levels. U.S. operations have also significantly degraded Iran’s missile and drone capabilities, while Tehran has continued intermittent attacks against commercial vessels and American military positions in the Middle East.

At the same time, Washington has continued its economic campaign against Tehran, targeting Iranian oil tankers and imposing Treasury Department sanctions on banks and other entities accused of helping finance Iran’s war effort.

“There are really two phases to this thing, and the first phase is done,” Vance continued. “The first phase was destroy the nuclear program, destroy their conventional military, destroy their ability to project power in a way that they were able to even a couple of years ago.”

“And then the second phase of this is ensure that they’re not able to rebuild and try to maintain as much global stability in the wake of that,” he also said.

Vance played a central role in the diplomatic effort that produced a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran in June. The agreement established a ceasefire framework, called for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and set the stage for negotiations concerning Iran’s nuclear program and a broader end to the conflict.

Whether the coming months will bring intensified American military operations or further diplomatic progress remains uncertain. Trump has publicly said he expects the conflict to end after the November elections, while administration officials have continued pursuing pressure on Tehran.

Vance’s comments came days after Trump predicted that the war would end immediately following the midterm elections, saying Iran “can’t hold out any longer.” Trump also alleged that Tehran was attempting to prolong the conflict in hopes of affecting the U.S. elections.

“They’re desperate to try and affect the election so that we could get a nice, weak group of people in there and leave them alone and let them have their nuclear weapon.”

Trump said Monday that Iran was seeking an agreement with Washington and indicated that the United States remained willing to consider negotiations, while emphasizing that the decision on whether to proceed would ultimately be his.

“The failing Nation of Iran wants to make a deal, quickly and badly,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I will determine whether or not the U.S.A. will choose to engage – the concept of which we are open to.”

[COMMUNICATED]

Across Eretz Yisroel, thousands of avreichim spend their days immersed in Torah, living with extraordinary dedication and extremely limited means. They and their families willingly make sacrifices throughout the year so that limud Torah can remain at the center of their lives.

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A weak American dollar has reduced the value of support arriving from overseas, while at the same time, government funding cuts and the rising price of groceries, clothing and other necessities have put growing pressure on kollel families. The regular monthly checks upon which many households depend simply no longer stretch as far as they once did.

This financial strain is especially painful before Sukkos. Making Yom Tov brings unavoidable expenses, from stocking the kitchen to purchasing clothing and other basic necessities. In previous years, many Roshei Kollel distributed special Yom Tov bonuses to help their yungerleit meet those costs. This year, numerous kollelim are struggling to provide them.

In response to calls from Roshei Kollel and Gedolei Yisroel, Adopt-a-Kollel has launched its Mind the Gap campaign, a one-time effort to ensure that these families can enter Sukkos with the dignity they deserve. 

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When you go to shul on Yom Kippur, what greater zechus can you have than being able to say that you are a supporter of Torah V’lomdeha? 

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Israel has begun sharing intelligence on Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis with Saudi Arabia through the United States, establishing an indirect security channel between Yerushalayim and Riyadh as regional powers seek to counter the growing Houthi threat.

The arrangement was reportedly initiated at Saudi Arabia’s request. A regional diplomat told Kan News on Tuesday evening that Riyadh approached Washington seeking assistance, after which American officials brought the request to Israel. Israeli officials agreed to provide intelligence, viewing the Houthis as a threat that extends beyond any single country and poses a broader challenge to the region.

The intelligence-sharing effort comes amid wider discussions about increased regional coordination against the Houthis. Security talks took place on the sidelines of a meeting in Cairo between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, with representatives of U.S. Central Command also taking part. During those discussions, American officials proposed creating a regional command structure and coordinating mechanism to organize efforts to confront and respond to the Yemeni rebels.

A foreign official familiar with the contacts said American representatives who recently visited Israel told participants in the Egypt discussions that Israel possesses a significant quantity of high-quality intelligence concerning Houthi forces, positions and infrastructure that could be provided to Saudi Arabia.

Israel’s intelligence capabilities regarding the Houthis have expanded considerably as a result of the Israeli defense establishment’s operational experience confronting the group. The Houthis opened an active front against Israel following the October 7 attacks, launching missiles and drones toward Israel and becoming a direct target of Israeli military operations.

The intelligence-sharing arrangement is primarily intended to help preserve freedom of navigation through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the strategically vital waterway connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and a critical route for international shipping.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has yet to receive a federal security clearance nearly nine months after taking office, leaving him without direct access to federally classified intelligence involving terrorism and other national-security threats. City Hall, however, says the process remains underway and that the wait is within the normal timeframe for obtaining such clearance.

“The process of obtaining the mayor’s federal security clearance is ongoing and proceeding within the currently prevailing timeline for one,” Sam Raskin, a spokesman for Mamdani, told JNS.

Raskin said that despite the mayor’s lack of federal clearance, he continues to receive intelligence information from local law enforcement that does not carry a federal classification.

“The New York City Police Department regularly briefs the mayor, as appropriate, on non-federally classified investigations and information,” Raskin said.

Receiving the federal clearance would permit Mamdani to be briefed directly on classified information concerning terrorism and other threats to national security.

Questioned about the status of his clearance during a press conference on Monday, Mamdani offered essentially the same explanation that his spokesman subsequently provided to JNS. The mayor said the process was continuing and pointed to senior officials in his administration who already have clearances.

“The mayor has not yet received his federal security clearance, which is not unusual at this point in a mayoral administration,” the mayor’s office told JNS.

City Hall cited the experience of Bill de Blasio, who did not obtain his federal security clearance until October 2015, well after he took office. “Multiple senior officials in City Hall and the NYPD hold federal security clearances,” City Hall told JNS. De Blasio has separately said that such clearance is important because it gives a mayor access to the fullest available information when dealing with potential threats.

“We will continue to move forward,” Mamdani said at the press conference.

JNS asked Raskin whether Mamdani believes President Donald Trump’s administration has treated him unfairly in connection with the clearance process.

The disclosure about the mayor’s pending clearance comes roughly two weeks after Mamdani joined New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and law-enforcement officials in criticizing the Trump administration over $87 million in federal counterterrorism funding that they said was being withheld from New York.

Mamdani and Hochul said the federal money is used for intelligence work, bomb squads and other programs intended to protect against terrorism. At the time, Raskin told JNS that NYPD officers “work around the clock to make sure every New Yorker is safe and will continue to do so regardless of the federal government’s decisions.”

The status of Mamdani’s security clearance has also drawn attention as New York prepares for the arrival of international leaders for the United Nations General Assembly in Turtle Bay. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is among the leaders expected in the city and is scheduled to address the General Assembly on Sept. 24.

During Monday’s press conference, Mamdani was also asked whether he continues to stand by earlier remarks regarding New Yorkers who oppose Netanyahu choosing to protest the Israeli prime minister’s visit.

Some members of the NYPD have reportedly expressed concerns that the mayor’s comments surrounding Netanyahu’s visit could complicate security for officers tasked with policing demonstrations.

During his campaign for mayor, Mamdani said he would seek Netanyahu’s arrest if the Israeli leader visited New York. Mamdani has since acknowledged that New York City does not have the legal authority to carry out such an arrest, while calling on federal authorities to arrest Netanyahu instead.

“I just want to be very clear,” Mamdani said at the press conference, of protesting the Israeli leader. “My prior remarks were that if people choose to do so, then they are able to because that is the law here in New York City.”

“I continue to leave it to New Yorkers to make their own decisions,” he said.

The U.S. military campaign against Iran had cost an estimated $33.4 billion by June 29, while the heavy use of American munitions created “strategic inventory shortfalls” and exposed problems in the defense industry’s ability to replenish key weapons, according to the first inspector general report on “Operation Epic Fury.” The report, issued Monday, covers U.S. government activities through June 30.

The assessment was prepared by the inspectors general of the U.S. Department of Defense, State Department and USAID and submitted to Congress, providing a detailed look at the scope and cost of the war as well as its impact on American military readiness.

The report also offered new information about the damage caused by Iranian attacks on American military and diplomatic facilities across the Middle East, including significant destruction that had not previously been publicly detailed.

The Pentagon “estimated the cost of ‘Operation Epic Fury’ to be $33.4 billion as of June 29,” the report stated. “The estimate includes $7.4 billion of cumulative obligations (incremental costs) for ‘Operation Epic Fury,’ $22.3 billion for expended munitions and $3.7 billion in equipment losses, but does not include costs for infrastructure repairs.”

Those additional costs include repairs to U.S. diplomatic compounds across the region that sustained substantial damage during Iranian strikes.

“U.S. diplomatic facilities in four countries suffered physical damage from Iranian strikes, with an estimated total cost of about $184 million,” the report stated. “In addition, State reported an estimated $24.5 million per month in construction project delays due to ordered departures and travel restrictions in Baghdad, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Cairo, Amman, Kuwait City and Muscat.”

More than $157 million of the damage resulted from over 600 attacks against U.S. facilities in Iraq, with the new American consulate in Erbil sustaining particularly significant damage, according to the report.

The inspectors general also provided a breakdown of American aircraft damaged or destroyed since large-scale combat operations against Iran began in February. The list included four F-15 fighter jets, one F-35, 12 KC-135 aerial refueling tankers, six helicopters and “as many as 30” MQ-9 Reaper drones.

During the period between Feb. 28 and June 30, which the Pentagon designated as the “combat operations” phase of “Operation Epic Fury,” 14 American service members were killed and another 417 were wounded. Four additional service members were killed later during “overseas operations” in Iraq and Jordan.

The single largest component of the war’s price tag through late June was the $22.3 billion worth of munitions expended during the fighting. The scale of that weapons use, the report said, “illustrate the magnitude and complexity of the target set posed by Iran.”

“Iran has the largest armed forces in the region and spent decades of intense focus developing and expanding its own domestic defense industry,” the report stated. “Iran has also focused heavily on passive defense measures to protect its military capabilities, including extensive underground facilities, dispersal of munitions inventories, concealment and deception to mask equipment and mobile launch platforms.”

The volume of both offensive and defensive weapons used during the conflict has prompted concerns among Democrats in Congress about the effect on U.S. stockpiles. According to the inspector general report, American and allied forces intercepted more than 7,500 Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks during the period under review, excluding attacks directed at Israel.

U.S. Central Command subsequently told the inspectors general in August that American forces had “conducted approximately 36,000 combat sorties and more than 1,800 fire missions” against Iran.

President Donald Trump has previously rejected concerns that the United States is running short of critical munitions. He has stated that “the United States has massive amounts of ‘munitions,’ especially of certain types,” while accusing anonymous officials who provided contrary information to the media of making “treasonous statements” and saying that they would be “hunted down.”

The new inspector general report, however, cited Pentagon acquisition officials as saying that the intensity of the Iran campaign had produced shortages in certain strategically important weapons inventories.

“The Office of the Under Secretary for Acquisition and Sustainment said that the munitions expenditure in ‘Operation Epic Fury’ has resulted in strategic inventory shortfalls and revealed industrial base bottlenecks for munitions resupply,” the report stated.

According to the report, the Pentagon “is working to streamline procurement processes and production lead times, and to stockpile critical materials, components and selected munitions to respond rapidly to a contingency.”

The findings come as a separate Congressional Budget Office analysis released Tuesday estimated that the broader cost of the Iran war had reached approximately $38 billion through Aug. 1, with costs projected to rise by roughly $3 billion for every additional month of fighting.

The CBO analysis also raised concerns about the time required to rebuild depleted American missile-defense inventories, estimating that replenishing some stocks could take at least five years.

“The shortfall would become especially problematic if a conflict arose with an opponent whose arsenal included large numbers of ballistic and cruise missiles,” the office stated. “The People’s Republic of China maintains such an arsenal, which would probably play a major role in a military conflict involving Taiwan.”

Tucker Carlson launched a blistering attack on President Donald Trump’s administration Tuesday over plans for a massive new arms package for Israel, accusing Washington of preparing to provide tens of thousands of 2,000-pound bombs that he said could fuel further Israeli military operations across the Middle East.

Carlson’s lengthy post came as Reuters and The Washington Post separately reported that the Trump administration is preparing a $2.8 billion munitions sale to Israel consisting of 20,000 MK-84 bombs and 20,000 BLU-117 bombs, each weighing 2,000 pounds. A U.S. official told Reuters that the proposed sale has already been informally communicated to the relevant congressional committees.

“According to an informed federal official, in the coming months the Trump administration plans to send a total of 40,000 Mark 84 and Blu-117 bombs to the government of Israel,” Carlson wrote. “Each bomb weighs 2,000 pounds. This appears to be the largest transfer of conventional explosive ordnance from the United States in modern history.”

Carlson sought to illustrate the scale of the proposed package by comparing its combined explosive weight with some of the largest bombing raids of World War II. He cited the Allied bombing of Berlin in March 1945 and the firebombing of Tokyo that same month, arguing that the planned Israeli package amounts to many times the tonnage dropped in individual historic bombing raids.

“Why is the Trump administration sending this to Israel?” Carlson asked. “That’s four percent of what Trump is sending to Israel.”

Carlson also compared the conventional explosives in the proposed shipment to the destructive power of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, though the comparison involves fundamentally different types of weapons and effects.

“There is no precedent for what the Trump administration is doing,” Carlson declared.

The planned weapons package itself has now been independently reported. Reuters cited a U.S. official familiar with the proposed sale as confirming the $2.8 billion package and its inclusion of 20,000 MK-84s and 20,000 BLU-117s. The Washington Post, which first reported the package, described it as the largest single sale of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel in recent years.

Other reports said the package would also include 20,000 I-2000 penetrator warheads intended for use against fortified structures. The weapons would be purchased using U.S. military assistance allocated to Israel.

The State Department and Israeli Embassy did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. A senior administration official quoted by The Washington Post said that foreign military sales proceed through the required process and declined to discuss pending transactions.

Carlson, who has become one of the most outspoken critics on the American right of U.S. military assistance to Israel, argued that neither Israel’s operations in Gaza nor its fighting in Lebanon justify providing such a large quantity of heavy bombs.

“Nor is there a justification,” Carlson wrote. “The government of Israel is not fighting World War II, or even a war. It is engaged in periodic skirmishes with a guerrilla force in Lebanon, and it is working to exterminate an unarmed civilian population in Gaza. Neither front requires modern 2,000-pound bombs.”

That characterization reflects Carlson’s view and is sharply disputed by Israel, which says its military operations are aimed at Hamas, Hezbollah and other armed groups rather than civilians. Israel has consistently said that its campaign in Gaza followed the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were taken hostage.

Carlson devoted considerable attention to the destructive capacity of the MK-84, a general-purpose 2,000-pound bomb that has been used extensively in modern warfare.

“An American-made Mark 84 has a destruction radius of half a mile,” Carlson wrote, before describing its blast effects and arguing that its use in populated areas inevitably causes civilian casualties.

Israel’s use of 2,000-pound bombs in Gaza and Lebanon has previously drawn criticism from human-rights organizations and some U.S. officials over the danger to civilians in densely populated areas. President Joe Biden paused one shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel in 2024 over those concerns. Trump reversed that suspension after returning to the White House in January 2025.

Carlson then leveled his strongest accusations against the Israeli government, asserting that the bombs would facilitate what he described as a campaign of destruction against Gaza’s civilian population.

“By any definition, what the Netanyahu government has done in Gaza is genocide,” Carlson wrote. “The 40,000 new bombs the Trump administration is sending will be used to do the same in Lebanon, and likely in other countries in the region. If you wanted to extend the Iran war into the indefinite future, this is exactly what you’d do.”

Israel has categorically rejected accusations of genocide, saying it is fighting Hamas and takes measures to reduce civilian casualties. Reuters noted that a U.N. inquiry has accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, an allegation Israel rejects.

Carlson also disputed descriptions of the transaction as an ordinary arms sale, arguing that because the weapons would be financed through American military assistance to Israel, U.S. taxpayers would ultimately pay for them.

“It’s not an arms sale. It is a gift, funded by American taxpayers through the Foreign Military Financing program,” Carlson wrote.

He added: “Congress appropriates money to the executive branch, which transfers the cash to Israel to ‘buy’ American-made weapons, in this case from General Dynamics.”

Reports on the pending package similarly say the weapons would be financed using American military aid. Israel receives billions of dollars annually in U.S. security assistance under a longstanding bilateral arrangement.

Carlson estimated the cost of the planned shipment at approximately $3 billion. The independently reported figure is $2.8 billion.

Carlson went further, alleging that the proposal for the massive shipment originated at the U.S. Embassy in Yerushalayim and specifically pointing to U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee and aide David Milstein.

“The request for 40,000 new high-explosive civilian-killing bombs originated at the US Embassy in Jerusalem, which is run by Christian Zionist Ambassador Mike Huckabee and his aide David Milstein,” Carlson wrote. “From there it moved to the State Department, where Marco Rubio enthusiastically approved it.”

Those specific assertions about how the package originated and the roles Carlson attributed to Huckabee, Milstein and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were not established in the Reuters report confirming the planned arms package.

Carlson claimed that only four additional people would need to approve the package before the bombs could be shipped to Israel: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast and Rep. Gregory Meeks, the committee’s ranking Democrat.

The proposed transaction has been informally presented to the relevant congressional committees, according to Reuters. Major U.S. arms sales typically undergo congressional review before being formally completed.

Carlson concluded his broadside by accusing the four congressional leaders of being committed supporters of Israel and suggesting that congressional opposition to the package was unlikely.

“It’s hard to imagine any of them hesitating before sending more free bombs to Israel,” Carlson wrote. “Only public outrage can stop this.”

The Carlson post adds a high-profile voice to an increasingly contentious American debate over military assistance to Israel. The controversy comes as U.S. public opinion on the issue has shifted considerably since the Gaza war began following the October 7 massacre.

A Quinnipiac University poll conducted in June found that 48% of voters believed the United States was too supportive of Israel, compared with 16% when the question was first asked in 2017. Among Democrats, the figure stood at 66%, Reuters reported.

For now, the 40,000-bomb package remains a proposed transaction rather than a completed delivery. Its emergence, however, has immediately placed one of the largest proposed U.S. munitions packages for Israel in years at the center of the widening political battle over Washington’s military support for the Jewish state.

President Donald Trump threatened Tuesday to abandon the planned renovation and reconstruction of Washington’s Kennedy Center if the courts refuse to allow his name to be placed on the landmark performing arts complex, dramatically escalating a months-long legal battle over the institution’s name and future.

Trump issued the warning shortly after the Kennedy Center’s board voted to close the main facility amid mounting financial problems and concerns over the physical condition of the building. Trump, who serves as chairman of the board, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick participated in Tuesday’s board meeting, according to the Associated Press.

“The Renovation and Reconstruction, which is a very large and complex job, cannot begin until such time as the D.C. Circuit rules on the Board’s approved name,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

He then made clear that an adverse court ruling could mean the entire project is called off.

“If the ruling is a negative one, which it should not be, and is not overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Reconstruction and the Renovation of The Kennedy Center will not take place,” Trump wrote.

The ultimatum came on the same day that U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper again blocked efforts by the Kennedy Center board to place Trump’s name on the building or its grounds.

“Simply put, Defendants cannot install memorials for President Trump or anyone or anything else at the Kennedy Center without Congress’s blessing,” Cooper wrote in Tuesday’s ruling.

The judge also prevented the board from moving forward with a proposal to rename the complex’s campus the “President Donald J. Trump Plaza.” Cooper wrote that the board’s latest resolution conflicted with both federal law and his previous order.

The latest showdown follows a legal fight that began after the Kennedy Center board voted in December 2025 to rename the institution “The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” Trump’s name was subsequently installed on the building.

Cooper ruled in May that the board did not have the legal authority to rename the congressionally established memorial. “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name,” he wrote at the time, “and only Congress can change it.” Trump’s name was subsequently removed from the building in June.

The Trump-controlled board later sought other ways to recognize the President, including proposals for inscriptions crediting him with overseeing the renovation and financial rescue of the complex. Among the options considered were language such as “Renovation and endowment overseen by President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Kennedy Center Fund” and “With Gratitude for Support from President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Kennedy Center Fund.”

Another proposal approved by the board last month called for an inscription reading “Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump” beneath the Kennedy Center’s existing sign.

The board has directly linked Trump’s continued involvement in the renovation and financial rescue of the Kennedy Center to recognition of his role.

A draft board resolution said that “without such appropriate recognition” it was unlikely Trump would continue providing the financial support and oversight that trustees say are necessary to save the institution.

The Kennedy Center’s financial condition has become an increasingly central part of the dispute. The board has said the institution has “exhausted its fiscal resources” and could face imminent closure unless additional money is secured. The Justice Department has similarly argued in court that the building is deteriorating and that its finances have reached a critical point.

A draft resolution reviewed ahead of Tuesday’s meeting warned that the Kennedy Center could become unable to meet payroll or routine maintenance obligations “within a matter of weeks.”

Trump has also highlighted what he says is serious deterioration inside the building. On Tuesday, he posted video purporting to show corrosion and other damage and complained that the legal battle had already delayed work.

“We have already wasted more than 6 months ‘playing around’ in Court,” Trump wrote.

The board ultimately voted Tuesday to close the facility, with Trump saying afterward that the shutdown would be immediate. The board maintains that extensive repairs are necessary both for the building’s condition and public safety.

The legal challenge was brought by Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, who serves as an ex officio member of the Kennedy Center board. Beatty has argued that the board has no authority to alter the federally designated memorial to President John F. Kennedy without congressional approval.

“For years, the Kennedy Center has planned to undergo phased renovations, in which we both renovate and maintain some performances. This is how major performing arts centers in the country operate,” Beatty said following Tuesday’s vote.

“But donors, patrons, and artists all fled after the unlawful attempt to rename this sacred memorial after Donald Trump,” she continued. “Donald Trump only cares about the Kennedy Center for his vanity. That is wrong and it is a breach of his fiduciary duty as a trustee. Congress established the Kennedy Center as a living memorial to President Kennedy, and I am proud to defend this cherished institution.”

Trump and the Kennedy Center have disputed that characterization, arguing that his involvement, fundraising ability and experience with major construction projects are essential to rescuing the financially troubled institution.

The Kennedy Center has undergone sweeping changes since Trump replaced members of its board after returning to the White House in 2025 and was subsequently elected chairman. A number of artists canceled performances following the leadership changes, while the Washington National Opera ended its longstanding association with the center. Revenue has also declined sharply.

The dispute now appears headed back to the federal appeals court. Trump has indicated that if the D.C. Circuit rules against the Kennedy Center, he wants the case taken to the Supreme Court.

His latest statement raises the stakes considerably: according to the President, unless the legal battle ultimately ends with his name permitted on the Kennedy Center, the massive renovation he has championed will not happen at all.

[Levayah broadcast below.] It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the passing of Reb Shuey Englard z”l of Lakewood, who was niftar following an illness. He was 50 years old.

Reb Shuey was an exceptionally sweet and gentle Yid, a warmhearted person whose kindness and pleasant demeanor endeared him to all who knew him. A friend to everyone, he possessed a natural warmth and goodness that left an impression on those fortunate to cross his path.

In his youth, Reb Shuey learned at Yeshiva Torah Temimah in Brooklyn, where he spent his formative years immersed in Torah.

Throughout his life, Reb Shuey was distinguished by his kindheartedness and gentle nature. He treated others with warmth and respect, and his friendly disposition made people feel comfortable in his presence. His passing leaves his family, friends and the wider Lakewood community deeply bereaved.

Reb Shuey is survived by his wife, Rivky, and their family.

The levayah is being held now at Arlington Shul, located at 501 Arlington Avenue in Lakewood.

Yehi zichro boruch.

WATCH THE LEVAYAH:

{Matzav.com}

WASHINGTON — A sweeping cryptocurrency bill that had been one of the digital-asset industry’s biggest priorities in Washington collapsed in the Senate on Tuesday, after lawmakers failed to muster the 60 votes needed to advance the legislation.

The Senate voted 49-50 against moving forward with the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, effectively putting the legislation on ice as Congress prepares to leave Washington ahead of November’s midterm elections. The defeat marked a major setback for an industry that has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on lobbying and political campaigns while pressing Congress to establish a comprehensive federal regulatory system for digital assets.

The Clarity Act was designed to establish clearer rules governing the roughly $2.3 trillion cryptocurrency market, including defining the respective roles of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Supporters said the legislation would end years of regulatory uncertainty and give crypto companies firmer legal ground on which to operate in the United States.

The measure had already passed the House last year, but negotiations repeatedly stalled in the Senate over a series of contentious issues, including regulation of stablecoin rewards, protections for software developers and ethics provisions governing public officials with financial interests in cryptocurrency.

Republicans had hoped that a revised version unveiled over the weekend would attract enough Democratic support to clear Tuesday’s procedural hurdle. The new draft included 126 substantive changes requested by Democrats, according to its Republican authors.

President Donald Trump had also agreed to new ethics restrictions as part of an effort to help move the legislation forward. The revised language would impose limits on crypto-related activities by elected federal officials, other government officials and their spouses and would give state attorneys general a role in enforcing conflict-of-interest provisions.

But the changes failed to win over enough Democrats, many of whom argued that the ethics provisions did not go far enough to address concerns surrounding Trump’s own cryptocurrency interests and those of his family.

Trump’s financial involvement in the industry became one of the central obstacles during months of negotiations. His family has interests in World Liberty Financial, and Trump has also been associated with a meme coin. Democrats argued that any major rewrite of federal cryptocurrency law needed stronger provisions preventing a sitting president from financially benefiting from digital assets while simultaneously overseeing the federal agencies responsible for regulating them.

Republicans countered that the revised bill incorporated substantial concessions on ethics and accused Democrats of allowing political disagreements involving Trump to derail legislation intended to establish rules for an increasingly important financial sector.

Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), one of the leading architects of the legislation, had urged senators before the vote to seize what she described as a rare opportunity to enact comprehensive crypto regulations.

“The Clarity Act is right in front of us and this moment won’t come along again for years,” Lummis wrote ahead of the vote. “Let’s take the win and get this done.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) also made the case for the legislation Tuesday, arguing that the federal government needed to provide clear rules for digital assets while ensuring that cryptocurrency innovation remained in the United States.

Thune said the legislation would distinguish between the regulatory responsibilities of the SEC and CFTC while requiring the agencies to coordinate their rules. He also argued that the measure would prevent digital-asset companies from evading securities laws applicable to other financial products.

Democrats remained unconvinced, particularly over the ethics language. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said Monday that while negotiators had made some progress, the changes were insufficient.

“There’s been some movement. I don’t think the ethics provision is near enough,” Warner said. “And again, it’s frustrating because we’ve had these same three issues outstanding for six, eight weeks, and why this couldn’t have been dealt with earlier? I’m really concerned.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and other Democrats also argued that the revised enforcement mechanism remained too weak. Democratic Senate Banking Committee staff contended that the language would still leave the Justice Department with significant control over whether ethics restrictions involving the president were enforced.

The dispute over stablecoins created another obstacle. Banks have warned that allowing crypto companies to offer rewards tied to stablecoin holdings could pull deposits out of traditional financial institutions, potentially reducing the money available for community lending. Crypto companies have argued that excessively restricting those rewards would protect banks from competition and hinder financial innovation.

The latest compromise would have authorized the Treasury secretary to temporarily restrict stablecoin rewards if payment stablecoins caused significant deposit outflows from community banks. The proposed “circuit breaker” could remain in place for up to 18 months after enactment.

The legislation also became entangled in a fight over legal protections for developers of decentralized crypto software. Industry advocates wanted stronger safeguards to prevent developers who do not control users’ funds from being prosecuted as money transmitters. Some of those protections were weakened in the final Senate draft, drawing criticism from portions of the crypto industry itself.

Tuesday’s defeat is especially significant because of the rapidly shrinking congressional calendar. Congress is preparing to leave Washington as lawmakers turn their attention to the Nov. 3 midterm elections, leaving little time to restart negotiations and assemble another bipartisan coalition. Reuters reported that the vote effectively leaves the legislation with little prospect of revival in the immediate future.

The result also represents a dramatic reversal for an industry that entered the current Congress expecting major legislative victories. Crypto companies and executives have poured enormous sums into political activity in recent election cycles, backing candidates they considered supportive of digital assets and seeking a more favorable regulatory environment in Washington.

The industry did score a significant victory last year with enactment of the GENIUS Act, which established federal rules governing stablecoins. Crypto advocates viewed the Clarity Act as the next and far more ambitious step: creating a broader framework governing the trading and regulation of digital assets throughout the United States.

Tuesday’s Senate vote does not prevent federal regulators from continuing to develop cryptocurrency rules on their own. The SEC and CFTC have both been pursuing regulatory changes affecting digital assets. But industry officials have argued that legislation passed by Congress would provide greater permanence and certainty than regulations that could be altered by future administrations.

The failed vote was also felt in financial markets. Bitcoin had already fallen below $77,000 ahead of the Senate action, while shares of major crypto-related companies including Coinbase, Strategy and Robinhood declined as investors anticipated the possibility that the bill would fail.

With Tuesday’s vote, the crypto industry’s long-running effort to secure a comprehensive federal market structure law now faces an uncertain future — and, with Congress rapidly running out of legislative days before the midterms, another attempt may have to wait until a new Congress convenes.