Feed aggregator

Amid continuing concern over the health of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, his three sons issued an emotional and unusual appeal Wednesday to tens of thousands of Vizhnitzer Chassidim and supporters around the world, calling for an intensive day of tefillah, Tehillim and Torah learning for the Rebbe’s refuah sheleimah.

The Rebbe’s medical condition in recent weeks has caused considerable concern among his Chassidim and Jews around the world, with many continuing to daven for his complete and speedy recovery.

The letter was signed by the Rebbe’s three sons: Rav Chaim Meir Hager, av bais din of Vizhnitz; Rav Yitzchok Yeshaya Hager; and Rav Yaakov Mordechai Hager, av bais din of Vizhnitz in Elad.

In their appeal, the Rebbe’s sons urged the public to increase their tefillos and beseech the Ribbono Shel Olam to have mercy and send a speedy refuah sheleimah to their father.

They announced that this Sunday, the first day of Selichos, will be designated as a major “day of tefillah and hisorerus.” Vizhnitzer Chassidim will gather in communities in cities around the world to recite the entire Sefer Tehillim and participate in an uninterrupted two-hour seder of Torah learning as a zechus for the Rebbe’s recovery.

The extraordinary call comes as Vizhnitzer Chassidim are simultaneously preparing with great anticipation for the approaching Yomim Noraim.

The Rebbe is expected to appear at the main bais medrash in Kiryas Vizhnitz in Bnei Brak this coming Motzoei Shabbos at 11:30 p.m. for the recitation of the first Selichos.

In recent days, the Rebbe has been receiving members of the community at Moshav Ora, where large numbers of Chassidim have been passing before him to receive a bracha ahead of the new year.

Thousands of Vizhnitzer Chassidim from around the world are expected to travel to Eretz Yisroel next week to spend Rosh Hashanah and the Yomim Tovim of Tishrei in the presence of the Rebbe.

The public is asked to continue storming the heavens with tefillos for the complete and speedy recovery of Rav Yisroel ben Leah Esther, b’soch she’ar cholei Yisroel.

{Matzav.com}

The FBI is investigating a potentially massive data breach involving digital copies of tens of millions of driver’s licenses belonging to people across the United States and Canada, after the documents were reportedly discovered for sale on the dark web.

Independent cybersecurity journalist Brian Krebs disclosed Tuesday that he had located a dark web marketplace offering scans of millions of driver’s licenses from American and Canadian residents. Krebs said he was able to verify that the information was genuine by checking the records with nine individuals whose documents appeared in the database.

The FBI confirmed Wednesday that it had opened an inquiry into the reported breach. In a brief statement, the bureau said it was “looking into the incident” but could not comment “due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.”

Should the reported scale of the compromise be verified, it could rank among the largest known breaches involving government-issued identification documents in North America. The exposure of driver’s licenses on such a scale could potentially leave tens of millions of individuals vulnerable to identity theft, financial fraud and other forms of criminal exploitation.

According to Krebs, he first became aware of the marketplace after it was promoted on a Russian cybercrime forum. In an extraordinary twist, his own driver’s license was reportedly displayed as a free sample of the stolen material. The operation, known as Nexus, claimed to possess tens of millions of U.S. and Canadian driver’s licenses, along with millions of additional identification cards and travel documents and hundreds of thousands of medical records. Krebs also reported that the database appeared to be receiving newly stolen information in real time, raising the possibility that the underlying security breach remained active.

Zach Edwards, a threat researcher with cybersecurity firm Infoblox, said the apparent size and ongoing nature of the compromise made it unlike previous driver’s license breaches.

“There’s never been a breach of driver’s licenses at this scale,” said Edwards, who added that his own license was available for sale on the site. Edwards said that the ongoing nature of the breach “means that this attack created legitimate national security risks for high-profile individuals.”

The origin of the compromised information has not yet been established. Reuters reported that Krebs cited a representative of New Orleans-based identity-verification company IDScan.net as saying the company was examining the matter. IDScan.net, which describes its services as providing “ID fraud prevention at scale,” did not respond to repeated requests for comment from Reuters.

Krebs subsequently reported that the dark web marketplace selling the driver’s license records disappeared shortly after publication of his report.

{Matzav.com}

A Skverer yungerman who was arrested earlier this week while attempting to resolve his military status was released from an Israeli military prison on Wednesday, allowing him to return home just one day before the bris of his firstborn son.

The release of Yitzchok Cohen brought considerable relief and simcha to the Skverer community after several tense days during which there were fears that he would remain incarcerated and miss his son’s bris, scheduled to take place Thursday in Yerushalayim.

The episode began when Cohen traveled to Camp Yotam in Eilat in an effort to regularize his status with the military. He hoped to resolve the matter so that he would be permitted to travel abroad for the upcoming Yomim Tovim and spend the Yomim Noraim in the presence of the Skverer Rebbe in the United States.

Instead, Cohen was arrested at the military facility and transferred into military custody. He was subsequently sentenced to seven days in Prison 10.

His arrest immediately raised concerns that his incarceration would prevent him from attending the bris of his first child.

Over the ensuing days, askanim and attorneys became heavily involved in the case, undertaking intensive efforts to secure Cohen’s early release and emphasizing the urgency of allowing him to participate in his family’s simcha.

Those efforts ultimately succeeded. Cohen was released Wednesday, several days before his sentence was scheduled to end, and returned home to his family.

On Thursday morning, he is expected to stand alongside his family in Yerushalayim as his firstborn son enters the bris of Avrohom Avinu.

The development comes as the Skverer Rebbe himself has been invited to participate Thursday in a meeting with President Donald Trump as part of a delegation of Admorim and rabbonim.

It now appears that the Rebbe will send his eldest son, Rav Aharon Mendel Twersky, to participate in the meeting, while the Rebbe’s own attendance remains uncertain.

{Matzav.com}

Rav Yisroel Meir Yosef Fadida zt”l, the longtime mashgiach of Yeshivas Ohel Yosef Heichal Tzvi, part of the Ohr Gaon mosdos in Bnei Brak, was niftar on Wednesday following years of severe physical suffering. He was 58.

Rav Fadida was known as an exceptional marbitz Torah who inspired generations of talmidim. Throughout years of serious medical challenges, including the amputation of a leg and kidney transplants, he maintained his characteristic simcha and warm countenance, accepting his suffering with remarkable emunah and love.

Earlier Wednesday, Rav Fadida suddenly collapsed at his home on Rav Ashi Street in Bnei Brak. Emergency medical personnel were summoned and performed prolonged resuscitation efforts before transporting him to Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center, where he was niftar.

The levayah was held at Yeshivas Ohr Gaon at 3 Shlomo Hamelech Street in Bnei Brak. The procession passed his home at 13 Rav Ashi Street before continuing to the Ponevezh Bais Hachaim for kevurah.

Rav Fadida was born in Bnei Brak on 13 Iyar 5728 to his father, Rav Tzvi Elyakim Fadida, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Heichal Tzvi and head of the Ohr Gaon mosdos in Bnei Brak, and his mother, Mrs. Esther Fadida a”h.

As a bochur, he learned at Yeshivas Ateres Yisroel in Yerushalayim, where he was privileged to learn under the rosh yeshiva, Rav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi zt”l, and absorbed his approach to Torah and avodas Hashem.

Upon reaching marriageable age, Rav Fadida married his wife, a member of the Ohana family, and the couple established their home in Bnei Brak.

In later years, Rav Fadida developed diabetes and ultimately had to undergo the amputation of a leg. Despite the tremendous suffering that accompanied his illness and subsequent medical ordeals, those around him recalled that he continued to radiate simcha and warmth.

For decades, Rav Fadida devoted himself to spreading Torah and yiras Shomayim at Yeshivas Heichal Tzvi in Bnei Brak, under the leadership of his father. As mashgiach, his illuminating shmuessen and personal guidance helped shape generations of talmidim in Torah and avodas Hashem. With a deep understanding of people and their struggles, he worked to uplift and strengthen those who turned to him, young and old alike, drawing upon the wisdom and guidance he had received from his own rabbeim.

Rav Fadida enjoyed close relationships with gedolei Torah who drew him near and treated him with extraordinary affection. From them, he absorbed and subsequently transmitted to others their approaches to avodah, Torah and personal growth.

Even as his physical condition deteriorated, Rav Fadida continued learning and teaching Torah in every circumstance until his final day. His home remained open to anyone in need, whom he received with a welcoming countenance and generous heart. Through years of intense and painful suffering, he accepted his circumstances with simcha, profound emunah, ahavas Hashem, tzidduk hadin and yiras Shomayim.

Rav Fadida leaves behind a distinguished family, including his father, Rav Tzvi Elyakim Fadida; his wife; his children; and his brother, noted producer R’ Dovid Fadida.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com}

Ofer Winter, chairman of the Amcha Yisrael party and a retired IDF brigadier general, announced Wednesday that passage of a Chareidi draft law will be a firm condition for his party to join Israel’s next government — a position that appears to mark a significant shift from repeated statements he made over the past year opposing coercive legislation and insisting that Chareidim could be brought into the IDF without a new law.

“We will not join a government that does not pass, before its formation, a law that puts an end to draft evasion and requires everyone to report and contribute,” Winter declared Wednesday evening. “Without that, we will not sit in the government. Period.”

Yet in May 2025, while discussing how the IDF could attract Chareidi recruits, Winter explicitly argued that legislation was unnecessary. Instead, he said the military should establish units designed to accommodate the religious requirements of Chareidi soldiers.

“Establish kosher units, insist that they be suitable for the Chareidi public, and you will see that no law is needed. They will come on their own,” Winter said.

At the time, Winter also warned against transforming the Chareidi draft controversy into a political battle, arguing that doing so would make successful recruitment even less likely.

“Every time this issue comes up again in political discourse — and this is another thing I have learned — there will be no Chareidi enlistment. Do you know why? In Judaism, this is called decrees of religious persecution.”

Winter’s proposed approach at the time centered on creating military frameworks tailored to Chareidi needs and rebuilding trust with the community rather than attempting to force enlistment through legislation.

That was not an isolated statement. About six weeks earlier, in March 2025, Winter had spoken out explicitly against compulsory Chareidi enlistment.

“You don’t carry out judicial reform by force, and you don’t draft Chareidim by force,” he said.

Winter added that elected officials have a responsibility “to find solutions and work things out, rather than bring us to a civil war.”

Even as Winter moved closer to formally entering politics, he continued expressing similar views. During a private gathering in June, he said the IDF itself bore some responsibility for its failure to successfully integrate Chareidim into the military.

“The army failed in integrating Chareidim because it violated the rules we established, and the trust was broken,” Winter said.

He nevertheless predicted that large numbers of Chareidim would ultimately serve, saying, “Masses of Chareidim will come to the army; it will happen through love and trust.”

Winter sharpened his criticism of legislation addressing the issue in July. Discussing both the Basic Law on Torah Study and the draft law, he said that “all this legislation is offside when compared with the reality we face.”

He also warned that coercion would backfire.

“If you force it, you will get the opposite result. And the same goes for this draft-dodger law. What happened to us?”

Winter’s strongest criticism of the political handling of the Chareidi draft issue came just three weeks ago. On Aug. 13, with the approaching election already looming over Israeli politics, Winter sharply attacked politicians who had made Chareidi enlistment a central political issue.

“All those who have been in politics over the last 20 years, and those who were politicians in uniform over the last decade — how many Chareidim did you bring into the IDF during all the years that you have been fighting over who will bring in more?” Winter asked. “What have you done, other than trying to rake in political capital on the back of the people of Israel while producing zero results and zero solutions?”

At the time, Winter insisted that successful Chareidi recruitment would come through direct engagement and trust-building rather than political rhetoric.

“Chareidi enlistment and their integration into the IDF will not be accomplished through populism, but through hard work and building trust. Through working with the Chareidi public itself,” he said.

Winter concluded with an especially pointed dismissal of the political debate: “Come on, enough with all this false populism.”

Less than three weeks later, however, Winter has now made passage of a draft law an explicit political prerequisite for joining Israel’s next coalition. The politician who previously maintained that “no law is needed,” warned that coercion would produce the opposite result and accused politicians of exploiting Chareidi enlistment for political gain is now declaring that his party will refuse to enter a government unless such legislation is passed.

{Matzav.com}

A new YouGov survey conducted ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks found that 13% of Democrats believe Americans devote too much attention to 9/11, more than double the share of Republicans or independents who expressed that view.

The poll, conducted as the nation prepares to mark 25 years since the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people on American soil, asked respondents to assess the place 9/11 continues to occupy in American life. Specifically, participants were asked, “Do Americans focus too much or too little on 9/11?”

Across all respondents, 46% said Americans give the attacks the “right amount” of attention. Another 28% said 9/11 receives “too little” attention, while 19% were unsure. Just 6% of those surveyed said Americans focus on the attacks “too much.”

The partisan breakdown showed significant differences. Among Republicans, 44% said the country gives 9/11 the “right amount of focus,” while nearly as many — 43% — said the attacks receive “too little” attention. Only 5% of Republicans said there is “too much” focus on 9/11. Among independents, 44% said the current level of attention is appropriate, 21% said there is too little focus, and 6% said there is too much.

Democrats were considerably more likely to say the attacks receive excessive attention. Thirteen percent — more than one in eight — said there is “too much” focus on 9/11, the highest percentage among the three political groups. At the same time, 51% of Democrats said the attacks receive the proper amount of attention, while 19% said Americans focus on them too little. That 19% figure was lower than the corresponding share among both independents and Republicans.

The survey also found widespread concern about how well younger generations understand what occurred on Sept. 11, 2001. Fifty-four percent of respondents said Americans who were born after 2001 generally “do not have a good understanding” of the attacks.

YouGov also found partisan differences in how Americans view the lasting effects of 9/11:

Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say the Sept. 11 attacks are affecting a lot today the way Muslims are treated in the U.S. (71% vs. 42%) and U.S. immigration policy (58% vs. 45%). Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say the attacks affect a lot today how patriotic Americans feel (51% vs. 29%) and national unity (35% vs. 24%).

The survey additionally examined attitudes toward the military campaigns, heightened security measures and expanded surveillance adopted by the United States in response to the threat of terrorism following the attacks.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, the U.S. has fought against the threat of terrorism through military operations abroad and increased security and surveillance inside of the U.S. About half (48%) of Americans — including 71% of Republicans and 37% of Democrats — think these actions have been worth the cost. 25% say they have not been worth the cost. 35% of Democrats and 12% of Republicans hold this view.

YouGov conducted the survey from Aug. 20 through Aug. 23 among 1,098 U.S. citizens. The poll carries a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.

President Donald Trump, meanwhile, is expected to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the attacks at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., where he is reportedly scheduled to deliver remarks.

{Matzav.com}

Dear Matzav Inbox,

I read the recent piece about President Trump’s rabbinic guest list and the wake-up call it supposedly represents for the Litvish world. I thought it was a very interesting and thought-provoking article, and I appreciate the writer bringing the issue of demographics and marriage age to the forefront.

That being said, I think the writer is making a very significant mistake in the basic premise of the article.

The fact that President Trump invited five Chassidishe Rebbes and one Litvishe Rosh Yeshiva does not, by itself, tell us that the Chassidish world has grown because of no freezer……., or that the Litvish world has somehow shrunk because boys are getting married later.

There is a huge historical factor that cannot be ignored when comparing these two populations: the Holocaust.

Lithuanian Jewry was devastated almost beyond comprehension. Approximately 90% of Lithuanian Jews were murdered during the Holocaust, with the overwhelming majority of the killings taking place already in 1941 and 1942. The Lithuanian Jewish population was therefore almost completely wiped out before the postwar Torah world had a chance to rebuild.

Hungarian Jewry suffered terribly as well, and it is important not to minimize that for even a moment. But the timeline was dramatically different. Germany occupied Hungary only in March 1944. The mass deportations began in May 1944 and were halted in July. Approximately 250,000 Hungarian Jews survived the Holocaust.

That difference is enormous.

When the war ended, the different segments of European Jewry were therefore starting from radically different demographic positions. A disproportionately large remnant of Hungarian Jewry was still alive and able to rebuild their communities, while Lithuanian Jewry had been decimated.

That has to be taken into consideration when looking at the size of the respective communities in America today.

Of course, marriage age is a factor. Family size is a factor. Community structure is a factor. Immigration patterns and many other factors are factors as well. There is certainly room for an honest discussion about whether the Litvish community should reconsider aspects of its approach to shidduchim and marriage age.

But to look at the demographic picture today and essentially attribute it to “freezerism” is far too simplistic.

We have to remember that the communities we are comparing did not emerge from the Holocaust from anything close to the same starting point. Before we draw conclusions about what happened to the Litvish world over the past eighty years, we have to remember what happened to the Litvish world during those years of the Holocaust.

The writer may very well be correct that demographics deserve our attention. But I think the historical premise needs to be reconsidered very carefully.

We cannot explain the demographic differences of the postwar Torah world without first accounting for the radically different demographic destruction suffered by the Jewish communities of Europe.

Signed,

A Yid from Lita

To submit a letter to appear on Matzav.com, email MatzavInbox@gmail.com

DON’T MISS OUT! Join the Matzav Status by CLICKING HERE. Join the Matzav WhatsApp Groups by CLICKING HERE.

The opinions expressed in letters on Matzav.com do not necessarily reflect the stance of the Matzav Media Network.

Elon Musk predicted during a virtual appearance at the G20 that more than 1 billion humanoid robots could be operating within the next decade, with their combined productivity eventually exceeding that of the entire human population.

During his remarks, Musk focused on four major areas shaping the development of artificial intelligence: the enormous electricity requirements of AI systems, their potential impact on the global economy, the emergence of humanoid robots and the question of how governments should regulate rapidly developing technologies.

Musk offered some of his most dramatic predictions while discussing robotics. He said the usefulness of humanoid robots will depend primarily on three rapidly advancing components: artificial intelligence software, onboard AI processors and electromechanical capabilities, particularly the dexterity of robotic hands. Musk argued that once robots become capable of building additional robots, production could become self-reinforcing, beginning gradually before accelerating dramatically. He described his own 10-year projection as conservative, saying the world could have well over a billion humanoid robots, each capable of producing approximately five times as much as a human worker. Taken together, he said, those machines could generate more output than all humans combined. Musk predicted that this expansion of AI into the physical economy could ultimately increase total economic output tenfold or more.

Another major obstacle, Musk said, will be finding enough electricity to power the rapidly growing AI industry. He cited estimates projecting a shortage of at least 15 gigawatts of power for AI chips by 2027. While production of AI processors is increasing at approximately 40% to 50% annually, he said, electricity generation outside China is expanding by only about 10% to 20% per year. Musk argued that electricity, rather than the availability of chips, is therefore likely to become the primary constraint on AI expansion. He said Google, Anthropic and other companies are leasing computing capacity from SpaceX, which constructed its own power-generation facilities to quickly increase capacity. China, Musk noted, has plentiful electricity but faces restrictions on obtaining the most advanced processors because of GPU export controls. He urged countries seeking to capitalize on the AI boom to expand electricity generation, attract AI data centers and then generate government revenue through taxes or other fees.

Musk also predicted enormous economic gains from artificial intelligence even before humanoid robots become widespread. Digital AI alone, he said, could expand the worldwide economy by 20% to 30%, representing approximately $20 trillion to $30 trillion in additional annual economic activity. Musk predicted that by the end of next year, artificial intelligence will be capable of performing virtually any digital task that does not require physically manipulating matter. In software development, he predicted AI would reach “Stockfish-level” capability within roughly 12 to 18 months, referring to the powerful chess engine while also invoking five-time World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen as a point of comparison. Musk said similarly dramatic advances should occur during that period in engineering and other forms of digital work. He also promoted X, which he owns, as the platform where he said nearly all substantive discussion about artificial intelligence is taking place.

Turning to government oversight, Musk argued that emerging technologies should generally be presumed legal unless regulators establish a reason to restrict them, rather than forcing innovators to prove that new technologies should be permitted. He pointed to the European Union as an example of a regulatory system that, in his view, inhibits technological development without preventing it altogether. Musk compared young companies to small saplings competing for sunlight alongside established trees, saying governments frequently give too much assistance to major corporations while making life more difficult for startups. Large businesses generally enjoy access to government leaders that fledgling companies lack, he said, arguing that policymakers should intentionally give younger companies greater advantages to compensate for that disparity.

Musk has previously made similarly sweeping predictions about how artificial intelligence could transform everyday economic life. Earlier this year, he suggested that the coming technological revolution could eventually make conventional retirement savings largely irrelevant.

Appearing on the Moonshots with Peter Diamandis podcast, Musk stated: “Don’t worry about squirreling money away for retirement in 10 or 20 years. It won’t matter.”

Those comments echoed Musk’s earlier prediction that advances in artificial intelligence and robotics could eventually make conventional employment “optional,” with people approaching work more as a hobby than an economic necessity.

Musk’s forecasts remain extraordinarily ambitious, and whether humanoid robots and artificial intelligence develop as quickly as he expects remains uncertain. His latest remarks nevertheless underscore the enormous technological and economic transformation he believes is approaching as companies and governments race to develop increasingly powerful AI systems.

{Matzav.com}

A New York prosecutor has accused state Attorney General Letitia James’ office of instructing employees to seek out potential crimes involving President Donald Trump and organizations associated with him, according to a new report involving an internal email that was allegedly later deleted from agency servers.

The allegations center on Assistant Attorney General Daniel Wiesenfeld, a prosecutor in the New York Attorney General’s Investor Protection Bureau. According to the Times Union, Wiesenfeld sent the email concerning directives he said came from Shamiso Maswoswe, who heads the bureau. The newspaper reported that the message was subsequently removed from the office’s servers. James’ office has characterized the dispute as a personnel matter and denied that individuals are targeted because of their political views.

According to the Times Union, Wiesenfeld claimed Maswoswe had instructed him to investigate “Trump himself, Truth Social, Hewlett Packard (DOJ approved merger)… without having a credible reason for targeting [these] organizations and individuals.”

Maswoswe previously served as a trial attorney with the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section beginning in January 2016 and remained there until she was terminated in December 2017, during Trump’s first term in office. She later sued the Justice Department in February 2021, alleging that her dismissal was improper and that she had faced discrimination related to her race, pregnancy and responsibilities as a caregiver.

The controversy erupted after Wiesenfeld reportedly sent an email throughout the attorney general’s office on Friday alleging that employees had been instructed “to find and pursue crimes committed by specific individuals and organizations affiliated with Donald Trump,” according to the Times Union.

That message was subsequently allegedly removed from the office’s servers. James’ general counsel, Kumiki Gibson, then reportedly circulated another email informing employees that the situation was an “internal” matter and assuring them that no employees were “in danger,” according to the report.

“This is a personnel matter. The Office of the Attorney General is committed to upholding New York’s laws and protecting the rights and freedoms of all New Yorkers, regardless of political beliefs. We strongly reject any assertion to the contrary,” a spokesperson for the Office of the New York Attorney General told Fox News Digital.

The New York Post reported that Wiesenfeld was subsequently placed on paid administrative leave.

The White House seized on the allegations as further evidence of what it described as politically motivated use of the legal system against Trump and those associated with him.

“This is more proof of the weaponization of the justice system by Letitia James to target President Trump and her political opponents. The far-left Democrats lawfare against President Trump, his family, and allies must stop,” White House spokesperson Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital.

Maswoswe’s previous dispute with the Justice Department began before she joined James’ office in February 2022. She filed her discrimination lawsuit against the DOJ in February 2021.

In that complaint, Maswoswe alleged that her 2017 firing during the Trump administration was unjust and that she had been discriminated against because she is Black and had a child.

Court documents show that Maswoswe, who is of Zimbabwean descent, accused the Justice Department of racial discrimination and alleged that she had faced scrutiny related to her pregnancy, breastfeeding and caregiving obligations. She sought reinstatement to her position along with back pay and damages.

The dispute was settled in 2023, with Maswoswe receiving $795,000 to resolve the claims connected to her employment and lawsuit.

The Justice Department expressly denied the truth of Maswoswe’s allegations. The settlement agreement characterized the payment as a compromise resolving disputed claims rather than an admission that discrimination or retaliation had taken place.

James has long been one of Trump’s most prominent legal and political adversaries. After campaigning on promises to scrutinize Trump’s business dealings, she brought a civil fraud lawsuit against Trump and the Trump Organization in 2022.

That case initially produced financial penalties exceeding $450 million. An appeals court subsequently left Trump’s liability finding in place while throwing out the monetary penalty.

{Matzav.com}

PROVO, Utah — An attorney representing accused Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson came under sharp criticism Tuesday after telling a Utah court that Kirk had spoken “hatefully” about certain groups, remarks that drew an immediate rebuke from prosecutors, the Kirk family’s attorney and an outside criminal defense lawyer.

“I think what the defense attorney said regarding Charlie Kirk and that he was full of hate, that was so unprofessional,” said David Gelman, a New Jersey-based criminal defense attorney who has been following the case. “That was so out of left field that he honestly — he should be embarrassed of what he said.”

Robinson, 23, is charged with assassinating Kirk, the 31-year-old father of two and Turning Point USA founder, while Kirk addressed a crowd of thousands at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025.

During arguments over whether Robinson’s case should proceed to trial, California defense attorney Richard Novak focused in part on the ideological differences between Kirk and Robinson.

“Mr. Kirk spoke hatefully of certain groups of people,” Novak told the court. He also argued that a “significant gap” existed between Kirk’s views and Robinson’s feelings about him.

Kirk’s parents, widow and other relatives were sitting in the courtroom as Novak repeatedly invoked the idea of hate. Members of the family exchanged glances, with some becoming emotional, while Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, leaned forward and spoke to an aide from the county attorney’s office.

Gelman said Novak’s decision to characterize the murder victim in those terms during a preliminary hearing crossed a line.

“You don’t ever and I mean ever say that, No. 1, as a defense attorney or a prosecutor, especially not even at a trial,” Gelman said. “If you want to paint Charlie as a bad person in front of the jury, knock your socks off. Do whatever you think you have to do. But to do that at a preliminary hearing…when you have the victim’s family all there, that was totally uncalled for.”

Chief Deputy Utah County Attorney Chad Grunander and attorney Jeffrey Neiman, who represents Kirk’s family, also challenged Novak’s characterization before the judge.

“The state takes great exception with Mr. Novak attributing all of this ‘hate’ to Mr. Kirk during his argument today,” Grunander said in his rebuttal. “None of what was presented during the preliminary hearing [shows] that he is hateful towards this group or hateful towards that group. He had an opinion that he would express on politics and religion. That doesn’t make it hate, but the fact that Mr. Novak even considered as hate makes the case for the state in his client’s own words, he hated what Mr. Kirk stood for.”

Neiman told the judge that Kirk had built his public career around engaging in “hard conversations” about contentious issues and rejected the suggestion that Kirk had been motivated by hatred.

“Charlie was the opposite of hate,” he said. “Firing a bullet into a crowd and assassinating him. That is hate.”

The issue of hatred also surfaced in text messages that prosecutors say Robinson sent after Kirk’s killing. Authorities allege that Robinson himself used “hate” to describe Kirk when discussing his purported motive.

Prosecutors have identified Lance Twiggs, Robinson’s roommate and romantic partner at the time of the killing, as a central witness in the case. They say Robinson confessed to Twiggs and explained why he had targeted Kirk.

“Why did I do it?” Robinson allegedly wrote to Twiggs after the slaying. “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out. If I am able to grab my rifle unseen, I will have left no evidence.”

Robinson’s defense team has been contacted for comment regarding the controversy over Novak’s remarks.

Gelman, meanwhile, strongly rejected the defense attorney’s description of Kirk and argued that Kirk’s public appearances were intended to encourage political discussion.

“Charlie Kirk was not full of hatred,” Gelman said. “If anything, he was full of love…He brought people together. He was there doing a free speech event, all right? He’s trying to bring people on the left on the right together.”

Judge Tony Graf Jr. ruled Tuesday that all of the charges against Robinson will proceed to district court for trial, including an aggravated murder count that makes him eligible for the death penalty.

Robinson is scheduled to return to court Oct. 23 for a pretrial conference, at which Graf could establish a date for the trial.

At Tuesday’s arraignment, defense attorney Kathy Nester entered pleas of not guilty on Robinson’s behalf to all charges.

{Matzav.com}

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration has built a network of nearly 200 social media influencers who receive City Hall talking points, updates and content through a private Signal group, according to a new Columbia Journalism Review investigation that is raising questions about government transparency, record-retention requirements and the use of taxpayer money.

The influencers have been granted special access to the administration and encouraged to amplify its messaging across social media, according to the report. The arrangement grew out of Mamdani’s highly successful online operation during his 2025 mayoral campaign.

The CJR investigation found that City Hall communicates with the group through an encrypted Signal chat called “NYC Creators Announcements.” Because Signal can be configured to make messages disappear, government watchdogs have questioned whether the arrangement complies with laws requiring official city communications to be preserved.

The report also found that some members of the broader influencer network have received taxpayer money “for work on particular messaging campaigns,” although CJR said they were not paid specifically for their coverage of Mamdani.

The combination of private government communications and financial relationships between city agencies and some influencers prompted calls for greater disclosure.

“City leaders must be deliberate about how they communicate,” said Citizens Union Executive Director Grace Rauh “Any discussion of official government business must occur in a manner that ensures records are preserved and accessible under the Freedom of Information Law. The rules exist to protect the public.”

Rauh said there is nothing inherently improper about municipal officials working with online content creators, but argued that the lack of public visibility surrounding the relationships is problematic.

While “there’s nothing inherently wrong with working with influencers,” Rauh said “the problem is that the city has been doing this privately.”

“We don’t know who is getting paid and who isn’t, and the public has no way to tell a paid supporter from an organic voice. There needs to be disclosure, and we need clear rules of the road.”

According to CJR, the current City Hall influencer operation grew out of Creators4Zohran, a collection of social media personalities organized during Mamdani’s 2025 mayoral campaign to promote his candidacy and online messaging.

After Mamdani became mayor, the network was reorganized into an operation through which influencers could receive material directly from his administration, including suggested messaging and content that could be incorporated into their own posts.

“The group is run by the Director of New Media and Cultural Communications at the NYC Office of the Mayor, Emilia Rowland, and her staff, and members of the group receive daily updates, talking points and clips that they can use in their posts,” the study states.

Rowland earns an annual city salary of $175,000. Her supervisor, city communications director Anna Bhar, is paid $260,000 annually.

Exactly how many of the influencers have received government money, and how much they may have been paid, remains unclear.

A City Hall spokesperson denied that the mayor’s office itself had paid influencers to create favorable content.

The mayor’s office “never paid a content creator for a collaboration or for content production.”

City Hall did not answer when asked whether other municipal agencies had paid members of the influencer network.

CJR said its research indicated that influencers were not being paid to post about Mamdani or his policies. Many apparently promoted the mayor voluntarily because they supported him politically, valued the access provided by City Hall or viewed their participation as a form of civic engagement.

Some of the influencers, however, have received money for advertisements produced for city agencies, according to the investigation.

The practice of municipal agencies hiring outside marketing companies to arrange influencer campaigns predates Mamdani and dates back at least to the COVID-19 pandemic. Such campaigns have generally paid between $5,000 and $20,000, according to CJR.

A review of active contracts by the New York Post found that Mamdani’s Department of Social Services has spent more than $100,000 this year on an unidentified social media campaign. The three-year contract involved was signed in 2025, during Mayor Eric Adams’ administration.

The group of pro-Mamdani online personalities also reaches beyond New York City.

One influencer from Columbus, Ohio, who uses the Instagram handle @bananadotgov, has published several highly favorable videos about Mamdani.

“Strange things are happening, because I have literally not felt this way about a politician since Bernie Sanders,” she said, responding to the mayor saying he wouldn’t take a pay raise in July.

It remained unclear Wednesday whether the Ohio-based influencer belongs to the City Hall Signal chat, though she frequently appeared on the Creators4Zohran page during the campaign.

The administration’s decision to use Signal has revived concerns that surfaced during Mayor Bill de Blasio’s tenure, when aides were found to have used the encrypted messaging application, which includes an option allowing messages to automatically disappear.

New York City officials are legally required to preserve records relating to government business, including relevant electronic messages, so that members of the public and government watchdogs can obtain information about official decisions and policymaking.

“Government records do not stop being government records because an official uses Signal, a personal phone, or another non-government platform,” said Axel Ebermann of the New York Coalition for Open Government.

“The City’s own records policy is clear as well. Instant messages about City decisions, actions, or policies must be preserved, including those sent on personal devices or third-party platforms,” Ebermann said. “If messages about public business are disappearing because officials chose an app that allows them to disappear, that’s a serious open-government problem.

“Government officials should not be able to make public records disappear simply by choosing the right app.”

Nile Berry, a New York City influencer who participates in the Signal group, said posting privileges are restricted to six members of the Mamdani administration and described most of the material they distribute as “pretty run-of-the-mill announcements.” He nevertheless acknowledged that using Signal could create questions about transparency.

“I don’t know why exactly Signal was chosen,” he said.

“I know it has a sketchy cachet as what’s used to keep messages private. I don’t know why they’re choosing to use that. This could as easily be a WhatsApp group or a text thread.”

Asked about concerns that the Signal arrangement could violate municipal record-retention requirements, Mamdani initially defended the administration’s outreach to influencers as comparable to communicating with traditional outlets such as television and radio.

The mayor subsequently said his administration intends to comply with the laws governing city records.

“My administration will always strive to fully provide all legal requirements, including those that relate to the presentation of city records,” he said Wednesday.

“If there are any departures from what is legally required, my administration will look into it immediately and take corrective action.”

City Hall initially referred questions from the Post to Mamdani’s remarks and declined to provide specific responses.

The administration later released a statement from Ramzi Kassem, chief counsel to the mayor, who said the use of Signal itself is permissible as long as officials comply with applicable record-retention requirements.

“There is no City policy against using Signal,” he said. “By default, the application is not downloaded on City employees’ devices, but like TikTok, WhatsApp, and other applications, it can be authorized for employees’ specific uses subject to compliance with applicable City record retention policies and the New York State Freedom of Information Law. Authorized use of Signal on City devices allows records to be retained consistent with record retention policies and laws.”

It was not known whether messages in the “NYC Creators Announcements” chat had been configured to disappear automatically.

The revelations come amid broader criticism that the Mamdani administration has blurred the boundary between ordinary government communications and political promotion.

Critics have previously targeted Mamdani’s $54 million Office of Mass Engagement, accusing the operation of functioning as a taxpayer-funded propaganda apparatus. His administration has also faced criticism for producing a publicly funded documentary about tenants organizing against their landlord.

“This new effort with influencers is a great example of why we have transparency rules,” Rachel Fauss, of good government group Reinvent Albany, said Wednesday. “Disclosure is the right thing to do here. It’s tax dollars so there’s a public interest.”

NYC Common Sense, an organization headed by former mayoral candidate Jim Walden, responded to the report by asking the city Department of Investigation to examine the administration’s use of the Signal group.

“New Yorkers should not have to wonder whether the friendly video in their feed is independent commentary, undisclosed advertising, or government-funded political messaging,” he said in a letter Wednesday.

“A transparent investigation would protect legitimate public-service communications while ensuring that City Hall does not use public money and private channels to manufacture favorable coverage for the Mayor.”

New York City is sharply restricting the use of generative artificial intelligence in its public schools, barring nearly 600,000 younger students from using the technology during the 2026-27 academic year while placing significant limits on its use among high school students.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels announced the one-year moratorium Wednesday, days before students are scheduled to return to school. The policy covers children from 2-K through eighth grade, representing roughly two-thirds of the student population in the nation’s largest public school district.

“The tech industry wants us to believe that A.I.-powered early education is not only inevitable, but necessary,” Mamdani said in a statement. “We do not see it that way.”

Students in high school will still be allowed to use artificial intelligence, though only under restricted educational circumstances. Each high school student will receive two 45-minute lessons on AI literacy during the school year, addressing subjects including technological bias, ethics, potential effects on careers and the limitations of artificial intelligence.

The city will also launch a limited trial involving five AI programs that have been reviewed and approved for classroom use. The pilot will be conducted in a small group of high schools and will involve no more than 50,000 students, representing approximately 5% of the city school system’s total enrollment.

One category of artificial intelligence will be banned across the board: companion chatbots that simulate friendship or are marketed as offering emotional support or mental health guidance will not be permitted for students in any grade.

Educators, meanwhile, will retain access to certain approved AI applications. Teachers will be permitted to use the technology to prepare lessons, translate educational material and compose communications, but they will be barred from relying on AI to grade students’ work or make sensitive student-related determinations.

The new rules include several exemptions. AI may continue to be used in instructional programs that have received central approval, for testing purposes and as assistive technology for students with disabilities. Exceptions will also apply to multilingual students and to certain career-preparation programs, including computer science courses.

“We’re putting guardrails in place to protect the critical human connection, curiosity and creativity that help children grow,” said Samuels, who added that the school system would not “conflate innovation with more tech.”

The Mamdani administration is also moving beyond AI to reduce students’ overall exposure to screens in school. Individual screen use will be restricted for children in second grade and younger, while the city is recommending a maximum of 30 minutes per day for third- through fifth-graders and 45 minutes daily for students in grades six through eight.

The tougher approach comes after months of debate over the rapidly expanding role of artificial intelligence in education. In March, the city school system issued preliminary guidelines that permitted responsible AI use while stressing academic honesty, student privacy and the continued importance of human judgment. The city had also blocked ChatGPT from school networks and devices in early 2023, only to lift that restriction later in the year.

“This is certainly a step forward,” said City Council Member Eric Dinowitz, chairman of the council’s Education Committee. “I still have a lot of questions.”

Some parent advocates are similarly questioning how comprehensive the restrictions will prove to be, particularly because AI capabilities are increasingly being incorporated directly into educational software that schools already use.

“What does that mean in a world where all software at this point is now using generative A.I. as part of their core features,” said Naveed Hasan, a member of the city’s education oversight panel. “It remains to be seen.”

President Donald Trump suggested Wednesday that the Strait of Hormuz be renamed the “Trump Strait,” pointing to what he described as American control of the strategic waterway as renewed fighting between the United States and Iran intensifies across the region.

“Now that we have it under U.S.A. control, should we change the name Hormuz Strait to Trump Strait? Like America itself, it would be ‘hotter’ than ever before!” the President said Wednesday.

Trump raised the possibility one day after US Central Command launched another series of strikes against Iranian military targets.

According to the US military, the operation hit sites connected to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including air-defense positions, radar installations, maritime assets and facilities, mine-laying capabilities and communications sites.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry responded Wednesday by accusing the United States of striking civilian locations and service infrastructure in Khuzestan, Sistan and Baluchestan, Hormozgan and Kerman provinces. Tehran also claimed that a wedding in Kuhestak, in Sirik County, was struck, causing deaths and injuries.

CENTCOM disputed Iran’s characterization of the strikes. Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a CENTCOM spokesman, told TIME: “We are aware of reports, which originated from Iranian state media. The U.S. military never targets civilians, unlike the IRGC.”

The IRGC, meanwhile, said it carried out retaliatory attacks overnight Tuesday against US bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, as well as another American facility in Iraq.

The latest exchange follows roughly a month in which active fighting between Washington and Tehran had largely subsided. On Sunday, the US military struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island that it said were being prepared to fire rockets carrying naval mines into the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump’s proposed name change comes as control of the Strait has emerged as a major point of confrontation between the United States and Iran. Before the war, roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passed through the narrow waterway.

The president has recently ordered other prominent geographic name changes. Most recently, amid an escalating trade dispute between Washington and Ottawa, Trump directed that Lake Ontario be designated “Lake America” in the United States.

Trump has asserted that the United States now exercises near-total control over the Strait of Hormuz. However, the struggle surrounding the waterway has continued after Washington and Tehran adopted competing interpretations of a Memorandum of Understanding reached between the two sides.

With no apparent diplomatic resolution in sight, the Trump administration has continued threatening what it calls an “economic D-Day” against Tehran, tightening sanctions while simultaneously applying military pressure.

Commercial shipping through the Strait has again fallen sharply as instability in the area increases.

Data provided to TIME by commodities data and analytics company Kpler showed that just six vessels crossed the Strait on Tuesday, compared with 19 ships the previous Friday.

The decline is particularly dramatic compared with traffic before the Iran war began on Feb. 28, when approximately 138 vessels typically traveled through the crucial shipping route during a 24-hour period.

The danger to commercial shipping was underscored Wednesday when UK Maritime Trade Operations reported an attack against a tanker traveling through the Strait, saying the incident resulted in two casualties.

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said Iran had targeted a Saudi tanker in the waterway. UKMTO subsequently reported that two members of the vessel’s crew were killed.

Iran’s retaliatory attacks also drew condemnation from its Gulf neighbors, with the Gulf Cooperation Council describing the strikes on US bases in the region as a “heinous” act.

GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi said “these Iranian attacks represent a blatant violation of state sovereignty and a direct threat to their security and stability.”

AlBudaiwi said the GCC stands “firmly alongside” the affected countries “in all measures and actions taken to preserve their sovereignty, protect their security and stability, and ensure the safety of their peoples and residents.”

The GCC consists of six countries on the Arabian Peninsula: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE, which suspended trade with Iran in August amid missile attacks, separately condemned Tehran’s latest strikes throughout the Gulf region.

“These hostile attacks constitute a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the brotherly nations and a threat to their security and stability,” said the UAE’S Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.

{Matzav.com}

Israel Police have begun examining allegations against Haaretz journalist Uri Misgav after Yair Netanyahu accused him of publishing sensitive information about his Miami residence, security arrangements and movements, according to a report Wednesday evening by Channel 13 News journalist Aviad Glickman.

The police are currently collecting material related to Misgav, but Glickman emphasized that the process has not yet reached the stage of a formal criminal investigation. Authorities have also not sought permission from the Attorney General to investigate Misgav over conduct connected to his journalistic work.

The police examination comes several days after Netanyahu’s attorney, Uriel Nizri, submitted a complaint to the Israel Police Commissioner and sent copies to the head of the Shin Bet and the Attorney General. Nizri alleged that Misgav used social media posts to reveal information about where Netanyahu was living in Miami, how he was being protected and details concerning his movements and travel.

Netanyahu’s complaint contends that the disclosures were especially dangerous because of an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate him. The letter claims that individuals acting for Iranian intelligence made their way to the entrance of Netanyahu’s Miami residence, forcing the Shin Bet agents protecting him to confront “an Iranian terrorist cell at the doorstep.”

According to the complaint, Misgav disclosed highly specific information about Netanyahu’s residence, allegedly including the building’s name, the floor and apartment number. The letter also accuses the journalist of revealing information about Netanyahu’s protective detail, including the number of guards assigned to him and how their shifts were arranged, along with his travel patterns and information about flights and departure times.

Nizri maintained that the disclosures did not amount to an isolated incident, describing Misgav’s conduct as “systematic, consistent and ongoing” activity. According to the attorney, the published information effectively offered hostile elements a “road map” to Netanyahu’s security setup and its possible weak points, placing both Netanyahu and the personnel assigned to protect him in danger.

Netanyahu consequently called on authorities to open a criminal and security investigation into Misgav and place him under arrest. His attorney alleged that Misgav’s actions could constitute a number of serious offenses, including assisting an enemy during wartime, supplying information to an enemy with the intention of damaging state security, intentionally placing lives at risk and compromising the safety of individuals under official protection.

Glickman pointed out, however, that an investigation of a journalist over actions undertaken as part of his professional work requires approval from the Attorney General. Police have not requested that authorization thus far. He also raised questions about why Netanyahu’s attorney’s letter was enough to trigger the preliminary police examination when, according to Glickman, Yair Netanyahu himself had not appeared at a police station to formally submit a complaint.

{Matzav.com}

A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from enforcing President Donald Trump’s latest executive order restricting birthright citizenship, dealing another legal setback to the White House after the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s earlier attempt to narrow automatic citizenship for children born in the United States.

U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman in Greenbelt, Maryland, granted a preliminary injunction sought by immigrant-rights advocates. The same groups had previously persuaded Boardman to block enforcement of Trump’s original 2025 executive order limiting birthright citizenship.

The Supreme Court rejected that earlier order on June 30, ruling that the administration’s attempt to deny citizenship to U.S.-born children whose parents were neither American citizens nor lawful permanent residents violated the citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment.

The constitutional provision grants citizenship to people born in the United States who are “subject to the jurisdiction thereof.”

In response to the Supreme Court ruling, Trump signed a revised executive order on Aug. 6 that was more narrowly tailored and specifically targeted “birth tourism,” the practice of women traveling to the United States to give birth so their children automatically receive American citizenship.

Under the new directive, citizenship would also be withheld from certain U.S.-born children if one of their parents works for a foreign government in the United States, participated in fraud or a commercial transaction for the purpose of securing citizenship, or is designated an “alien enemy.”

Following Trump’s signing of the revised order, attorneys pursuing a class-action lawsuit on behalf of infants who would have been denied citizenship under the 2025 directive returned to Boardman. They asked her to prevent the administration from implementing the new order and to ensure that the citizenship of their clients continued to be recognized.

Among the plaintiffs are the immigrant-rights organizations CASA and the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project. Those groups were also involved in the earlier challenge that led Boardman to become one of four lower-court judges who blocked Trump’s first birthright citizenship order before the Supreme Court ultimately ruled on the matter.

Boardman, who was appointed to the federal bench by President Joe Biden, declined during a hearing Friday to immediately halt Trump’s revised directive. She nevertheless voiced doubts about its legality and permitted the plaintiffs to amend their lawsuit so she could consider whether to block what she described as an “unprecedented” order.

Attorneys for the Justice Department argued that issuing a restraining order was unwarranted because Trump’s new directive was significantly narrower than the broader executive order that prompted the plaintiffs’ original lawsuit.

The administration also argued that the latest challenge had been filed prematurely. Federal agencies have not yet released the public guidance necessary to explain precisely how Trump’s new directive will be carried out, Justice Department lawyers said, with that guidance expected by Friday. The administration maintained that any court challenge should wait until those implementation details are issued.

A new Chareidi political party made up of men who have evaded military service is reportedly being organized ahead of Israel’s upcoming Knesset elections, in a move that could siphon tens of thousands of votes away from the established Chareidi parties.

According to a report by Israel’s Channel 13, efforts are underway to establish the new list with the involvement of the more extreme Yerushalmi faction, along with a number of rabbonim associated with the mainstream Chareidi community.

The party is being promoted as a political home for Chareidi draft evaders, with its central platform calling for exemptions from military service for Chareidi men who are currently considered draft evaders.

Those behind the initiative are reportedly seeking to capitalize on growing frustration among some Chareidi voters who believe that United Torah Judaism and Shas have failed to resolve the ongoing draft crisis.

The proposed party had sought to use a name or campaign theme meaning “Black Color,” but the Central Elections Committee reportedly asked organizers to avoid the phrase because of concerns that it could be considered socially offensive.

Political observers reportedly believe the new party has little chance of crossing the electoral threshold required to enter the Knesset. However, even without winning seats, the party could have a significant impact by drawing votes away from United Torah Judaism and Shas.

The organizers are expected to seek support from the Yerushalmi faction and other hardline groups that traditionally have not participated fully in national elections. Combined with Chareidi draft evaders and other voters dissatisfied with the handling of the draft issue by veteran Chareidi political leaders, those constituencies could potentially amount to tens of thousands of votes.

According to the report, highly conservative and hardline elements within the Chareidi community are behind the initiative. The effort is also said to have substantial financial backing, including millions in support from Chareidi donors in Israel and wealthy supporters abroad.

The development comes as enforcement against Chareidi draft evaders continues to intensify. Six Chareidi men who allegedly attempted to leave Israel were arrested Wednesday morning at Ben Gurion Airport. Two were apprehended in Terminal 1 and another four in Terminal 3.

The men were transferred to the Population and Immigration Authority, where authorities determined that military draft orders and civil orders preventing them from leaving the country had been issued against them.

The reported initiative is separate from another new Chareidi political movement known as “The Chareidi Public,” which has taken a markedly different position on the draft issue and supports both core-curriculum studies and military service.

Channel 13 reported last week that representatives of that party have been holding discussions with former IDF Maj. Gen. Ofer Winter about the possibility of running together. Such an arrangement would reportedly depend on polling showing that the new Chareidi movement could bring tens of thousands of additional votes to a joint slate.

Former Shas chairman Eli Yishai is reportedly being considered as a potential leader of that party, although he, too, is said to be waiting to see polling data before making a decision.

“The Chareidi Public” has also reportedly been holding discussions with Benny Gantz’s Blue and White and Gilad Erdan’s Unity Party as it explores possible alliances ahead of the election.

{Matzav.com}

Dear Matzav Inbox,

With the Yomim Noraim approaching, this is a difficult topic to raise. However, after discussing the matter with a number of bnei Torah who strongly felt that it needs to be brought to the community’s attention, I am writing regarding an important issue of public safety.

As mikvaos experience the tremendous pre-Yom Tov rush, with exceptionally large crowds using them each day in the period leading up to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a serious question needs to be asked: Are the filtration and sanitation systems in our mikvaos equipped to handle such a dramatic increase in usage, and are adequate measures being taken to minimize potential health risks?

With this heavy traffic come legitimate hygiene concerns, particularly the risk of preventable skin and bacterial infections, including folliculitis and cellulitis, which can be associated with inadequately sanitized water. I personally contracted an infection after using a local mikvah, and I have since spoken with several others who experienced similar problems. This has led me to believe that relying exclusively on internal monitoring may not be sufficient. For vulnerable individuals, including the elderly and those with compromised immune systems, certain infections can become serious and may even require hospitalization.

Our community places enormous importance on independent standards and reliable hashgachah when it comes to food establishments. Perhaps a similar model should be considered for this vital area of communal infrastructure. A dedicated vaad could independently oversee water safety in mikvaos, working with qualified professionals to conduct appropriate testing and ensure that sanitation and filtration systems are functioning properly, particularly during periods of exceptionally heavy use.

Such oversight would protect the health of the community while fully respecting all halachic requirements. Concerns about chemical maintenance, filtration and the absence of transparent, independent testing should be addressed before they result in preventable illness. In fact, I am already aware of individuals who are sufficiently concerned about the health risks associated with heavily used mikvaos that they choose to go to the ocean instead.

My intention is certainly not to disparage our mikvaos or those who work hard to maintain them. On the contrary, precisely because mikvaos are such an essential part of Jewish life, their safety should be treated with the seriousness it deserves. Sakanta chamira me’isura, and this is an issue that warrants attention.

Thank you for bringing attention to this important matter of communal safety.

E. G.

New Jersey

To submit a letter to appear on Matzav.com, email MatzavInbox@gmail.com

DON’T MISS OUT! Join the Matzav Status by CLICKING HERE. Join the Matzav WhatsApp Groups by CLICKING HERE.

The opinions expressed in letters on Matzav.com do not necessarily reflect the stance of the Matzav Media Network.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani visited Boro Park on Wednesday ahead of Rosh Hashanah, touring a prominent Judaica store and meeting with local community figures in one of the world’s largest Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods, even as his appearance drew a heated confrontation from a Jewish woman who accused the mayor of fueling antisemitism through his rhetoric and positions on Israel.

The visit, apparently Mamdani’s first to Boro Park as mayor, took place at Eichler’s Judaica, the longstanding Jewish bookstore and religious-goods retailer that has operated in the neighborhood for nearly four decades. Boro Park residents voted overwhelmingly against Mamdani in the mayoral election.

Video released by the mayor’s office showed Mamdani speaking with local leaders inside the store about issues including garbage collection and the curriculum in yeshivos. The mayor was also presented with a jar of honey in honor of the approaching Rosh Hashanah holiday.

Uri Fraenkel, director of special projects in the mayor’s office, demonstrated the blowing of a shofar for Mamdani and explained various elements of traditional Chassidic clothing.

Speaking briefly to members of the press who were invited to cover the visit, Mamdani offered New Year wishes to the Jewish community.

“It is so lovely to be here, especially before the High Holidays, and to wish everyone a shanah tovah, and I really just appreciate the welcome and the conversations,” Mamdani said.

WATCH: @NYCMayor shares a special message with @BoroPark24 followers during his visit to Boro Park today ahead of the upcoming month of Tishrei. pic.twitter.com/bLadzc5tVo

— Boro Park 24 News (@BoroPark24) September 2, 2026

The cordial scenes inside the store were interrupted when pro-Israel blogger Stephanie Ben Shimol confronted Mamdani and sharply criticized him over his record on Israel and antisemitism.

“Shame on you, you’re causing all the antisemitism,” she told the mayor.

Ben Shimol continued confronting Mamdani as she invoked her own family’s history, telling him that her grandmother had arrived in Boro Park after surviving the Holocaust.

“This is all because of you that we have so much antisemitism,” she shouted. “You cause antisemitism, you are not the ambassador of America. How dare you come to Boro Park, the place where my grandmother came after the Holocaust? You have such nerve coming here.”

Members of Mamdani’s entourage and security personnel attempted to move Ben Shimol away from the mayor, prompting her to insist that she had every right to remain inside the store.

“Don’t push me, I’m shopping here, I’m a customer. I’m not violent and I don’t have a weapon,” she said.

Ben Shimol then pleaded with Mamdani to use his position to combat antisemitism, while accusing him of harming Jews through his intense focus on Israel.

“Stop the antisemitism! You have all the power to stop antisemitism, I beg you as a granddaughter of Holocaust survivors. All you do is focus on Israel and bring harm to the Jewish people,” she said.

She also stressed the deep connection to Israel felt by many members of Boro Park’s Orthodox community.

“Everyone here, their heart is Israel. It is ours from the Torah, the nation of Israel lives and exists forever,” she said.

Ben Shimol also challenged Orthodox figures accompanying or hosting Mamdani, questioning why they had welcomed a mayor whose positions on Israel have generated deep opposition within large segments of the Jewish community.

“Do you support him? If you support Israel, then why is he here? All he wants is to arrest Bibi Netanyahu,” she said.

After Mamdani left the store, Ben Shimol continued criticizing those who had hosted him. Pointing toward a nearby building, she described her family’s connection to the neighborhood and said her grandmother had operated a wig store there after the Holocaust.

“You see that building up there? That’s where my grandmother had her wig store after the Holocaust in Boro Park, my grandmother Shaindel, right there, and this antisemite came in from there,” she said.

She concluded by denouncing the decision to welcome Mamdani into the store.

“Shame on you for allowing him to come into the heart of the Jewish neighborhood of Boro Park,” she said.

The confrontation came against the backdrop of a strained relationship between Mamdani and significant portions of New York’s Jewish community. Jewish communal and religious leaders have repeatedly criticized his rhetoric and positions regarding Israel, while Mamdani has also sought during his first year in office to develop relationships with various segments of the city’s Chassidic population.

Those efforts have included contacts with Satmar leaders in Williamsburg as well as a visit to the Jewish Children’s Museum in Crown Heights.

Mamdani has encountered protests from Jewish New Yorkers on other occasions as well. At a previous NYPD event, he was greeted with loud boos while attempting to address the gathering and ended his remarks in less than a minute.

Wednesday’s Boro Park visit nevertheless proceeded with meetings with local leaders and the symbolic pre-Rosh Hashanah presentation of honey. Before departing, Mamdani again expressed appreciation for his reception in the neighborhood.

“It’s so great to be here before the holidays to wish everyone a happy new year, and I appreciate the welcome and the dialogue.”

Multiple NYPD officers fired Tasers at the knife-wielding woman behind Monday’s deadly Times Square stabbing rampage, but a combination of body fat, constant movement and a purse blocking one of the probes may have prevented the devices from incapacitating her, according to a former NYPD Taser expert.

Pamela Cisneros, 49, fatally stabbed 32-year-old Erin Piacenti and wounded a 68-year-old man before confronting police while armed with two knives. Artur Sadowski, a retired NYPD detective and Taser expert, said officers apparently struggled to establish the contact necessary for the devices to stop Cisneros as she continued moving toward them.

“The thicker the padding in front of the muscles, the more difficult it is for the taser to get to the muscles and be effective,” Sadowski said Tuesday of the body-fat factor.

Sadowski, who authored the Taser training guidelines used by the NYPD, explained that both probes fired from the device must make sufficient contact for it to achieve its intended effect. The distance separating the officers from Cisneros, combined with her erratic movements during the confrontation, made that considerably more difficult.

Complicating matters further, at least one of the probes apparently struck the purse Cisneros was wearing across her body. That prevented the electrical circuit from properly connecting and producing neuromuscular incapacitation, which temporarily causes a person to lose control of affected muscles.

Video footage of the chaotic confrontation shows NYPD officers encountering Cisneros near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue shortly after she allegedly attacked the two victims. Cisneros, who reportedly had a lengthy history of mental health struggles, can be seen holding a knife in each hand.

Officers repeatedly ordered Cisneros to drop the weapons, but she refused and began wildly swinging the knives. Police deployed Tasers in an effort to subdue her, but when she continued advancing and charged toward the officers, they opened fire, fatally shooting her, according to the footage.

Sadowski said at least one of the Taser probes appeared to strike Cisneros around the center of her abdomen.

But “even when probes hit, a narrow spread, thick clothing, or body fat can limit the electrical effect,” the former Axon master instructor said, adding that areas such as the back and rear of the legs generally have less fat and can allow a Taser to work more effectively.

“She may have felt pain or muscle cramping in her abdomen but not enough to stop her from advancing.”

According to Sadowski, officers appeared to fire at least three Tasers within roughly one second, with a possible fourth deployment occurring at approximately the same time police fired their guns.

Cisneros was transported to Bellevue Hospital, where she died from the gunshot wounds, authorities said.

The woman killed in the attack, Erin Piacenti, was a University of Pennsylvania and Fordham Law School graduate who worked as an executive at Bank of America, according to reports. Sources said she succumbed to the injuries she suffered in the stabbing.

Piacenti had recently marked her second wedding anniversary in August, according to posts on social media.

The second victim, a 68-year-old man, suffered a stab wound to his abdomen.

A Haitian national now facing murder and other serious charges in Florida entered the United States illegally in 2024 and was subsequently released into the country by the Biden administration, the Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday.

DHS officials identified the suspect as 28-year-old Whycliff Longin, who allegedly entered the U.S. illegally through Florida two years ago. Despite his unlawful entry, federal authorities under the Biden administration permitted him to remain in the U.S. interior, according to DHS.

“This dangerous illegal alien should have never been allowed into our country in the first place,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement. “If it weren’t for the Biden administration’s reckless open-border policies, Amadette Longin would still be alive. ICE has lodged a detainer and will work with our partners in Florida to make sure this killer is never released onto our streets ever again.”

Longin was arrested by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office after authorities say he murdered his aunt, Amadette Longin, and attempted to strangle his cousin.

According to investigators, Longin’s cousin told police that she awoke to find him strangling her. She was ultimately able to escape his grip and take refuge in a bathroom inside the residence.

Responding officers later located Longin at a neighboring duplex and took him into custody.

Police searching the residence subsequently discovered Amadette Longin dead inside. Relatives told investigators that Amadette had allowed Whycliff Longin to stay at her home.

Longin is now charged with murder, attempted murder, battery and burglary involving battery. He remains jailed in Lee County, while ICE has placed a detainer on him to prevent his release into the community.

{Matzav.com}