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The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating an incident in which Marine One, carrying President Donald Trump, briefly came too close to a commercial airliner Tuesday evening as the presidential helicopter approached the same Washington-area airport where a deadly midair collision occurred in 2025.

According to the FAA, a preliminary review found there was a “momentary loss of separation” between Marine One and a commercial aircraft. Under FAA regulations, aircraft are generally required to maintain at least 1.5 miles of horizontal separation and 500 feet of vertical separation.

The agency said air traffic control was in contact with both aircraft throughout the incident and emphasized that President Trump “never in danger.” Officials added that the circumstances surrounding the close encounter remain under investigation.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the incident, noting that flight operations at Reagan Washington National Airport were not suspended following the brief loss of separation.

Marine One departed from the White House on Tuesday afternoon en route to Joint Base Andrews at roughly the same time a regional commercial flight bound for Pensacola, Florida, was departing Reagan National Airport, Reuters reported.

The incident has drawn added attention because it occurred near Reagan National Airport, where an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines regional jet over the Potomac River in 2025, killing all 67 people aboard. The tragedy was the deadliest aviation disaster in the United States since November 2001.

That fatal crash followed several other close calls in the Washington airspace and prompted the FAA to tighten restrictions on helicopter traffic near the airport. Reuters also reported that air traffic controllers are typically given about three minutes’ notice before Marine One departs from the White House area so they can temporarily halt nearby air traffic.

The latest incident comes as questions continue to surround the president’s aircraft fleet. Last month, the Boeing VIP jet gifted by Qatar officially entered service as the new Air Force One, with President Trump using it to travel to a NATO summit in Ankara.

However, after hostilities between the United States and Iran resumed, the president switched back to the older Air Force One during his departure from Turkey, flying instead to RAF Mildenhall, a U.S. Air Force base in Suffolk, England.

President Trump said the change was made so American service members stationed at the base could “a chance to tour the Aircraft,” although reports indicated the Secret Service requested the aircraft swap. The move fueled questions about the newer plane’s defensive systems and whether they match the capabilities of the long-serving presidential aircraft.

Although President Trump initially dismissed concerns, he later acknowledged that the Qatar-donated aircraft would undergo another round of upgrades to ensure its security features are “maxed out.” He did not provide details about the planned enhancements, and it remains unclear whether the projected one-month upgrade period will be sufficient to bring the aircraft’s defensive systems in line with those of the previous Air Force One.

{Matzav.com}

A new move by the British government is threatening to deal a significant financial blow to the yeshiva world, as authorities have launched investigations into British Chareidi donors who contributed to several Torah institutions located beyond the Green Line.

According to a report by Ari Kalman of i24NEWS, British authorities have recently notified a number of donors that they are under investigation for transferring funds to Chareidi yeshivos operating in those areas.

The investigations come in the wake of Britain’s recognition of a Palestinian state and its policy prohibiting assistance to Israeli communities beyond the Green Line. As part of that policy shift, several British citizens who donated to Torah institutions there have already received formal notices that they are being investigated.

In response, the Association of Yeshivos and Seminaries for Overseas Students urgently appealed on Wednesday to Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Education Minister Yoav Kisch, and Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, calling on them to intervene immediately before the investigations expand further.

The organization warned that if the probe broadens, it could severely damage the fundraising network on which many yeshivos depend and significantly undermine their financial stability.

{Matzav.com}

Fresh off his projected victory in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, Abdul El-Sayed reaffirmed his sharply critical views of Israel during a Wednesday appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” describing the Jewish state as “bloodthirsty” and arguing that the issues he sees with Israel extend well beyond the leadership of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

Asked whether his criticism was directed primarily at Netanyahu’s government, El-Sayed responded that his objections go much deeper.

“I think we’ve seen the worst of what the Israeli government has done [under Netanyahu] but don’t forget that we’ve been talking about an illegal apartheid regime for a very, very long time, and that supersedes Netanyahu himself,” El-Sayed said.

He continued by accusing Israel of becoming increasingly aggressive under Netanyahu’s leadership while criticizing continued American military support.

“I understand that Netanyahu is a big reason why they’ve gotten so aggressive and frankly so bloodthirsty under his reign, but I also understand that it’s impossible for us to say we want a two-state solution while we’ve been aiding, arming and abetting the very people who have been trying to foreclose on the possibility of a Palestinian state,” he continued.

El-Sayed also argued that U.S. foreign policy should hold allies to the same standards it applies elsewhere, alleging that Israel has violated international law.

He said the United States should “hold foreign actors accountable to international law,” claiming Israel has “conducted a genocide, has at baseline done apartheid and has taken us into a war we have no business fighting. So why, of course, are we sending money to that country to fund their military?”

Discussing U.S. military assistance, El-Sayed said he opposes providing unconditional military aid not only to Israel but to other countries as well, including Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. He noted that his family emigrated from Egypt.

El-Sayed also addressed Jewish voters who supported his primary opponent, Rep. Haley Stevens, because of concerns over his views on Israel, insisting that he remains committed to fighting antisemitism.

“The Democratic nominee said his message to Jewish voters who backed his opponent, Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) because of his message on Israel, is that his ‘commitment to Jewish safety is the same as my commitment to the safety of my own kids. We have a responsibility to take on antisemitism in all of its forms wherever we see it. It’s the same responsibility we have to take on Islamophobia. … So the things that bring us together are so much bigger than the things that divide us.’”

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration has returned roughly $100 billion in tariff payments collected under President Donald Trump’s “liberation day” trade policy after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the administration lacked the authority to impose the duties under emergency economic powers.

According to a filing made Tuesday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in the U.S. Court of International Trade, the agency has already refunded approximately 60% of the $165 billion collected under the tariff program, the Financial Times reported Wednesday.

The refunds began after the Supreme Court, in February, allowed a lower court’s ruling to stand, preventing the administration from relying on emergency powers to enforce the tariffs. As a result, CBP was directed to begin processing repayment claims.

CBP also disclosed that it has approved more than $128 billion in refund requests for processing, signaling that billions of dollars in additional repayments are still expected.

The speed of the refund effort has caught many trade lawyers and industry observers off guard, especially after administration officials previously indicated that resolving the claims could take years.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in February that ongoing court battles would likely delay any repayments and argued that, if refunds ultimately became necessary, they would amount to “the ultimate corporate welfare.”

President Trump has sharply criticized the Supreme Court’s decision. Writing on Truth Social last month, he argued that the ruling cost the United States “TRILLIONS AND TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS” by striking down the tariffs.

Trade attorney Ted Murphy of Sidley Austin said the administration has processed the refunds at a surprisingly rapid pace. Walker Livingston, an analyst at Capstone, likewise said he was “very pleasantly surprised” by how quickly the government has moved.

Not everyone is satisfied with how the money is being distributed.

Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, argued that the refunds are flowing back to importing companies rather than to the consumers who ultimately absorbed the higher prices caused by the tariffs.

“Trump is sending the ‘refunds’ to the companies, not working people,” Casar said. “Every single cent of these refunds should go back to American consumers.”

Under the court’s refund framework, only the official “importer of record” is eligible to submit claims through CBP. As a result, many smaller businesses that paid higher costs indirectly cannot seek refunds themselves, while others say they were unaware of the process or lack the resources needed to file claims.

Even as the refunds continue, the administration is pressing ahead with a new round of tariffs under separate legal authority. Last week, it imposed fresh duties ranging from 10% to 12.5% on imports from more than 60 countries and territories under different statutory provisions.

Those newly imposed tariffs have already been challenged in court at least three times, including by attorneys who successfully fought the original “liberation day” tariffs.

{Matzav.com}

WASHINGTON — Newly declassified White House documents reveal that the FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation in 2017 examining whether President Donald Trump was “wittingly or unwittingly” acting on behalf of Russia after he dismissed then-FBI Director James Comey.

The investigation, code-named “Oxferd Comma,” stemmed from the FBI’s broader Crossfire Hurricane probe, which examined allegations that Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign had coordinated with the Kremlin.

One of the newly released FBI memoranda states, “Based on the facts and circumstances provided to date, the FBI believes that opening this investigation is the least intrusive method to address the serious national security risk posed by the activities alleged.”

At the time, the White House publicly said Comey was fired because of his handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while serving as secretary of state. It was later disclosed that Trump was also frustrated because Comey declined to publicly state that the president was not personally under investigation in the Crossfire Hurricane probe.

The May 16, 2017, memorandum authorizing the Oxferd Comma investigation was approved by then-FBI General Counsel James A. Baker and Bill Priestap, who headed the bureau’s counterintelligence division.

According to the memo, investigators were tasked with determining whether Trump “is or was directed by, controlled by, and/or coordinated activities with, the Russian Federation in a manner constituting a threat to the national security of the United States and/or a violation of federal criminal statutes.”

The memo further stated, “In addition, this investigation will also seek to determine whether President Trump and others yet to be named obstructed and/or conspiracy to obstruct any associated FBI investigation.”

Although Trump himself was not under investigation for alleged collusion with Russia during the 2016 campaign, Comey’s dismissal prompted scrutiny over whether the firing amounted to obstruction of justice. That issue ultimately became a central focus of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.

Internal FBI communications from the period also show that some bureau officials questioned whether the Russia investigation should continue after many investigative leads had failed to produce supporting evidence.

“I hesitate in part because of my gut sense and concern there’s no big there there,” then-Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok wrote in a May 19, 2017, text message to FBI attorney Lisa Page.

The newly disclosed records could also become part of an ongoing review by Justice Department Counselor Joe diGenova, according to former Just the News editor-in-chief John Solomon.

Solomon, who now serves in the Trump administration on an election integrity task force, announced the document release on X and asked followers: “Should Special U.S. Attorney Joe diGenova treat the opening of Oxferd Comma as an overt act in a criminal conspiracy to violate President Trump’s civil liberties.”

Solomon also noted that the FBI launched the investigation only after agents had cleared former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn of collusion allegations and discredited key claims contained in the dossier compiled by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele.

The Oxferd Comma investigation was formally closed on April 9, 2019, without any charges being brought against Trump.

Only weeks earlier, Mueller had concluded his investigation, finding no evidence that Trump or members of his campaign conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 election, although the report noted contacts between campaign associates and individuals linked to the Kremlin.

A separate investigation led by Special Counsel John Durham later concluded that the FBI’s decision to open the original Trump-Russia investigation was “seriously flawed” and lacked an adequate evidentiary foundation, according to Durham’s May 2023 report.

Trump has repeatedly denounced both Crossfire Hurricane and the Mueller investigation as a “witch hunt,” arguing they demonstrated that federal law enforcement agencies had been weaponized against him. He has also frequently referred to Comey as a “dirty cop.”

Before Comey’s dismissal, then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein submitted a memorandum to Attorney General Jeff Sessions recommending that the FBI director be removed because of his handling of the Clinton email investigation.

In the May 9, 2017, memo, Rosenstein wrote that Comey “announced his own conclusions about the nation’s most sensitive criminal investigation, without the authorization of duly appointed Justice Department leaders.”

He continued, “Although the President has the power to remove an FBI director, the decision should not be taken lightly. I agree with the nearly unanimous opinions of former Department officials. The way the Director handled the conclusion of the email investigation was wrong.”

Rosenstein concluded, “As a result, the FBI is unlikely to regain public and congressional trust until it has a Director who understands the gravity of the mistakes and pledges never to repeat them. Having refused to admit his errors, the Director cannot be expected to implement the necessary corrective actions.”

Democrats Party chairman Yair Golan is facing fierce criticism after comments he made about the enlistment of Chareidim resurfaced this week, including remarks in which he described the Chareidi community as “a population of people that is uneducated.”

The remarks were delivered during a conference about a month ago but were republished Wednesday, igniting a political firestorm over Golan’s characterization of the Chareidi public and his views on military service.

“There is no issue that has fallen victim to cheap populism like the conscription of Chareidim,” Golan said. “It is impossible to draft all the Chareidim tomorrow morning, even if there were an amazing law. We also wouldn’t want to draft them all tomorrow morning, because we would not want to create an army that suddenly receives thousands of people in every draft cycle and has to establish gender-segregated conditions for them… In short, it’s simply impractical.”

Golan went on to argue that the process must be gradual, adding, “We also would not want such a population of people that is uneducated, lacks motivation, and lacks physical capability. It doesn’t work that way. Chareidi conscription is a process. Arab conscription is a process. The enlistment of Chareidi women is a process.”

He also said that if Israel intends to implement a system of universal national service, it would first need to overhaul the existing framework.

“If we truly believe that the guiding principle is that every young man and woman at the age of 18 or 19 should give at least one year of service to the state, then we need to reorganize the entire system,” he said.

Golan emphasized that he favors expanding national service opportunities beyond the military.

“I support service in Magen David Adom, the Fire and Rescue Service, the Israel Police, the Prison Service, and hospitals-any framework that can be supervised and genuinely serves the public.”

He further argued that while the number of young people reaching draft age continues to increase, the IDF is unlikely to expand at the same pace.

According to Golan, “the army will not grow in proportion to the size of those draft cohorts, and that is unreasonable.”

After his remarks drew widespread criticism, Golan issued a statement seeking to clarify his position.

“Service for everyone. Period,” he wrote. “The prime minister of the draft-dodgers and the office under investigation in the Qatar affair continue to play with edited video clips. That’s all they have left as their government collapses. In reality, they failed against Iran, failed in Gaza, failed in Lebanon, and passed draft-evasion laws that placed the entire burden on those who serve and on the reservists. Those who voted for draft evasion have no right to lecture us about service.”

He continued, “I served in the IDF for decades and was Deputy Chief of Staff. I say this as clearly as possible: service for everyone. Period. Recruitment according to the IDF’s needs and capabilities. Anyone who does not serve in the IDF will perform full national service. No tricks, no exemptions, and no draft-evasion laws. Under us, everyone serves.”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir blasted Golan’s comments, accusing him of demonizing the Chareidi community.

“Yair Golan is an Israel-hater, a self-hating antisemite who spreads racist blood libels against the Chareidi sector. While he claims that Chareidim are ‘people without education or physical ability,’ we have already recruited 1,400 Chareidim into the Border Police, the Israel Police, and the national security services. As soon as the candidate lists are submitted, Otzma Yehudit will petition the Central Elections Committee to disqualify him from running because of his disgusting racism.”

{Matzav.com}

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Wednesday that his administration has launched a broad effort to stop the online sale of illegal high-speed e-bikes and e-scooters to city residents, sending cease-and-desist letters to dozens of retailers serving customers across all five boroughs.

Speaking at a City Hall news conference, Mamdani said the city has notified 42 online retailers that they must immediately halt sales of high-speed e-bikes, stand-up e-scooters, and other vehicles that are prohibited from operating on New York City streets.

The letters direct the companies to stop selling the devices to customers in all 175 New York City ZIP codes.

The mayor’s announcement comes as the City Council weighs a package of 17 bills designed to tighten restrictions on illegal e-bikes and prohibit the sale of certain high-speed models that are currently legal.

Among the proposed measures are requirements that food delivery companies obtain commercial licenses and that delivery apps carry additional liability insurance.

The legislative push follows last week’s fatal crash near City Hall in which a 17-year-old riding an illegal high-speed e-bike was killed.

On Tuesday, City Council Speaker Julie Menin pointed to a sharp increase in crashes involving e-bikes and e-scooters as she urged action.

“Compared to last year, both e-bike and e-scooter collisions are up more than 30%. In 2026 alone, there have already been over 500 collisions involving e-bikes. We cannot go on like this,” Menin said.

The City Council is scheduled to hold its next hearing on the proposed e-bike safety legislation on Sept. 30.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has formally urged Israel’s High Court of Justice to reject petitions seeking the removal of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, arguing that there is no legal basis for dismissing him despite the collapse of negotiations between Ben Gvir and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara over his conduct in office.

Netanyahu’s latest filing was submitted after efforts to reach an agreement between Ben Gvir and the attorney general broke down. The prime minister’s position has fueled speculation over whether he would refuse to comply with a High Court ruling should the justices order Ben Gvir’s dismissal without what Netanyahu views as a clear legal foundation.

In his response, Netanyahu wrote, “After the prime minister carefully considered the matter, including receiving a detailed response from the minister regarding the incidents referenced in the petitions, the attorney general’s response to the conditional order, and the subsequent update notices, there has been no change in the prime minister’s position that Minister Ben Gvir’s appointment as minister of national security was lawful and that there are no grounds whatsoever for any administrative or judicial decision requiring his dismissal.”

The prime minister also maintained that Ben Gvir accepts the principle of police independence. He argued that even though the two sides were unable to finalize guidelines governing the minister’s relationship with the police, that alone does not justify removing him from office.

Netanyahu further contended that the matter is not one for judicial intervention and criticized Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara’s handling of the case. He accused her of “inflating the events and citing various incidents that bear no connection to any grounds for removing a minister.”

Ben Gvir welcomed Netanyahu’s response and launched a fresh attack on the attorney general.

“I congratulate the prime minister for his clear response to the criminal attorney general. The deep state bureaucrats have absolutely no authority to remove ministers from office. After the elections, we will remove the deep state bureaucrats.”

On CNN, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) reacted to Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in the Michigan Senate Democratic primary.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

A civilian drone that entered the restricted airspace around Ben Gurion Airport on Wednesday morning temporarily shut down flight operations, forcing authorities to suspend both takeoffs and landings during one of the airport’s busiest periods and prompting an official investigation by the Transportation Ministry.

The unusual security incident caused significant disruptions to air traffic after the drone penetrated the airport’s protected airspace, leading aviation authorities to halt operations until the area was deemed safe.

In response, Transportation Ministry Director-General Moshe Ben Zaken ordered a special review into the incident to determine how the drone was able to enter the restricted zone and disrupt operations at one of Israel’s most sensitive strategic facilities.

The incident comes as Israeli officials continue debating whether to impose a nationwide ban on civilian drone flights. The issue has recently been discussed by the Security Cabinet, where defense officials reportedly urged ministers to consider broader restrictions as part of Israel’s preparations for the possibility of a wider confrontation with Iran.

No final decision has yet been reached, but the prospect of banning drones has already sparked strong opposition from industry professionals and aviation experts.

“To decide that drones should be banned throughout the State of Israel is to pass a law that simply cannot be enforced,” Pini Yungman, president of TSG, a company specializing in aerial command-and-control systems, told N12.

“There are millions of drones in Israel, the overwhelming majority of them operated by children. It will be extremely difficult to prevent them from flying, monitor their use, or enforce such a prohibition.”

{Matzav.com}

WATCH:

FBI Director Kash Patel says the bureau has launched an unprecedented law enforcement partnership with China and Russia, arguing that carefully controlled cooperation with two of America’s chief geopolitical rivals is producing results in the fight against fentanyl trafficking, cybercrime, child exploitation, and other international criminal networks, Reuters reports.

According to Patel, the collaborations involve narrowly tailored investigations focused solely on specific categories of transnational crime rather than broader intelligence sharing. The FBI director said the initiative has already led to joint operations, intelligence exchanges, and coordinated arrests.

As part of the arrangement, Chinese law enforcement officials have traveled to the United States to work alongside FBI personnel, while American agents have made reciprocal visits to China to investigate cases and exchange information. FBI officials also said the two countries have conducted joint raids and arrests under the program.

Patel returned from Beijing in late July after meeting with Chinese officials, and FBI officials say a similar visit to Russia is tentatively scheduled for October.

In interviews with Reuters, Patel described the new relationships as partnerships with “non-traditional partners,” stressing that they are limited to targeted efforts against crimes such as international child pornography rings, cyber scam operations targeting Americans, fentanyl trafficking, and other cross-border criminal enterprises.

The initiative, organized internally through specialized “working groups,” represents a dramatic departure from longstanding FBI practice. It has also drawn concern from members of the counterintelligence community, who warn that working closely with authoritarian governments could expose sensitive U.S. security information to countries that actively seek to undermine America’s military, economic, and intelligence interests.

One example cited by the FBI occurred in May, when agents partnered with China’s Ministry of Public Security and Dubai police during “Operation Sand Dollar.” According to the bureau, the raid targeted a major cyber fraud center in Dubai, resulting in 300 arrests, the seizure of $300 million, and the rescue of thousands of trafficked workers.

Chinese state media also reported that one suspect accused of committing “serious violent crimes” was returned from China to the United States under the new cooperative framework.

For years, U.S. officials have viewed both China and Russia primarily as sources of espionage and international criminal activity rather than partners in combating those threats. Patel, who was appointed FBI director by President Donald Trump, acknowledged those concerns but argued that the risks can be managed.

“They are both new and dynamic relationships, and we are extremely mindful of their adversarial approach on many matters,” Patel said. “They are not going to stop, but if we can go and have wins for America, then we must engage.”

Patel said the current relationship began following President Trump’s trip to China in May 2025 and has since expanded through two of his own visits to Beijing. According to Patel, cooperation now centers on four working groups covering cyber fraud, crimes against children, counternarcotics, and fugitive investigations.

He also said officials from China’s Ministry of Public Security have been invited to multiple FBI facilities in the United States to exchange intelligence and investigative information.

“Every month, they send their working-level MPS officers here, and the following month we go there,” Patel said. “They are speaking with us daily, which has also never happened before.”

Asked about the growing law enforcement relationship, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said, “We have always believed that dialog and negotiation are the right way forward, and that military means offer no solution.”

Patel emphasized that the intelligence exchanged is tightly restricted and applies only to the four agreed-upon categories of transnational crime. He also insisted that these partnerships are not intended to replace America’s traditional intelligence alliances, including the Five Eyes network with Canada, Australia, Britain, and New Zealand.

“Five Eyes will always be our most important intelligence relationship. No one is trying to replace that,” Patel said. “Unlike military and traditional intelligence agencies, we have a unique lane to drive this dynamic change with law enforcement, which is an apolitical mission.”

While in Asia last month, Patel met with Chinese Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong and Vice Minister Xu Datong to expand what Chinese state media described as “practical cooperation” against a range of criminal activities.

The expanded cooperation marks a significant shift in U.S. law enforcement policy and reflects President Trump’s broader diplomatic engagement with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Not everyone is convinced the strategy is wise.

“China and Russia are our enemies, period,” said Jeff Crocker, a former FBI supervisory agent who retired in 2024. “They are actively trying to harm our country physically, economically and militarily.”

Crocker warned that allowing Chinese officials access to FBI facilities, intelligence personnel, and other government infrastructure carries substantial counterintelligence risks. He argued that both Chinese and Russian operatives would likely exploit any opportunity to gather intelligence or penetrate sensitive systems.

“So this is great cover ⁠for them,” Crocker said.

Patel responded that every foreign visitor undergoes extensive vetting and is subject to strict counterintelligence safeguards. Three former FBI employees told Reuters that such visits typically involve extensive physical and electronic monitoring, particularly for representatives of countries viewed as America’s most dangerous adversaries.

“We know exactly who is coming here, and we vet them,” Patel said.

Neither the Kremlin nor the Russian Embassy in Washington immediately responded to Reuters’ requests for comment.

Patel also revealed that the FBI has spent months quietly coordinating with Russian authorities on investigations targeting violent transnational criminal organizations.

“This stuff doesn’t happen overnight,” Patel said. “We’ve been at this for 15 months.”

An internal FBI memorandum reviewed by Reuters credited the bureau’s partnership with China’s Ministry of Public Security for several operations targeting Chinese pharmaceutical companies this year.

According to the memo, those investigations resulted in the arrests of nine individuals, the closure of two chemical manufacturing facilities and three related websites, and the seizure of fentanyl precursor chemicals “likely otherwise destined for the United States.”

The memo did not identify where those arrests or seizures occurred.

Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow specializing in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution, said fentanyl overdose deaths in the United States have dropped significantly since the winter of 2022, likely because of several factors, including cooperation with China and broader access to the overdose-reversal drug Naloxone.

“It could be that the people who were already vulnerable had already died,” Felbab-Brown said.

“I think that the cooperation is useful, should be fostered, and that it contributed to some extent,” Felbab-Brown said, referring to the decline in U.S. overdoses. “But how much is really hard to know, and there are a lot of complexities to it.”

The FBI memo also said Chinese law enforcement partnered with agents from the bureau’s Omaha, Nebraska, field office during a June operation that dismantled an international child sexual abuse materials network, resulting in the arrests of 16 suspects.

The growing partnership follows years of strained relations between Washington and Beijing. U.S. officials have long accused China of failing to stop the production of precursor chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl, while Chinese authorities suspended cooperation after political disputes, including then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s 2022 visit to Taiwan.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered a measured assessment of the renewed cooperation. Speaking during a visit to the Philippines last month, Rubio described the effort to curb fentanyl precursor shipments as “a work in progress.”

“I think we’ve made some progress on that front, but not entirely where we need to be,” Rubio told reporters.

Patel said the framework developed with China and Russia could eventually serve as a model for law enforcement cooperation with other countries when doing so advances U.S. interests.

“The fact that we did it with China,” Patel said, “when everyone said, ‘Don’t do it,’ and, ‘You can’t do it,’ shows what we can do with almost anyone.”

President Donald Trump hailed Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary on Wednesday, calling the result a major boost for Republicans as they prepare for a high-stakes general election battle in one of the nation’s key swing states.

Posting on Truth Social, Trump reacted to El-Sayed’s projected win over Rep. Haley Stevens by arguing that the Democratic Party’s embrace of a far-left nominee will improve Republican chances of capturing the seat in November.

“Great news for the Republican Party,” Trump wrote. “El-Sayed, a Communist loser who hates Jews and Israel, is the projected winner in his race with the Socialist. As usual, the Polls were way off on this one. She was not expected to do nearly as well as she did. Now, the Dumocrats crazy policies will only get worse!”

El-Sayed’s victory over Stevens marked one of the most closely watched Democratic primaries in the country and represented a significant triumph for the party’s progressive wing.

The win sets the stage for a November contest against Republican Mike Rogers, the former congressman, in a race widely viewed as one of the most consequential Senate elections of the year and one that could help determine control of the chamber.

The primary remained too close to call for much of Tuesday night before El-Sayed pulled ahead early Wednesday. Stevens later conceded the race and pledged to support his candidacy in the general election.

A former Wayne County health director, El-Sayed campaigned on a progressive platform that includes “Medicare for All,” campaign finance reform, and ending U.S. military aid to Israel.

Throughout the campaign, he cast himself as an outsider challenging the Democratic establishment and secured endorsements from prominent progressives, including Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, and Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland.

Following the primary, Van Hollen described the result as “a wake-up call to the Washington Democratic establishment.”

The contest underscored the ideological divide within the Democratic Party, with progressive activists lining up behind El-Sayed while establishment leaders rallied behind Stevens.

Stevens, who has served four terms in Congress, received the backing of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and benefited from tens of millions of dollars in outside spending, including support from pro-Israel organizations.

Republicans are expected to make El-Sayed’s progressive positions a central issue in the general election campaign.

His support for government-run healthcare, opposition to U.S. military aid for Israel, and other left-wing policy proposals have already become key targets for GOP attacks as Republicans seek to portray him as out of step with Michigan voters.

Democrats, meanwhile, now face the task of uniting after an expensive and hard-fought primary battle that exposed significant divisions within the party.

The Michigan Senate race is expected to be among the nation’s most competitive and could play a decisive role in determining which party controls the Senate during the final two years of President Trump’s second term.

Republicans have already reserved substantial advertising time in support of Rogers as they seek to flip a seat Democrats consider essential to their hopes of reclaiming the Senate majority.

{Matzav.com}

Washington — U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro reportedly arrived at the White House this week carrying a large box of evidence intended to persuade President Donald Trump that damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was caused by a faulty government installation—not by the Olympic canoeist and others who had been charged in the case.

According to The New York Times, Pirro entered Monday’s Oval Office meeting with a large white box filled with documents and evidence. The meeting included Trump, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and White House Counsel David Warrington.

CBS News reported that the materials Pirro presented supported her determination that the Reflecting Pool’s damage resulted from a defective installation performed by a government contractor, rather than criminal vandalism committed by three-time Olympic canoeist David Hearn or the other defendants.

The meeting took place only hours after Trump publicly criticized Pirro’s decision to dismiss the felony case against Hearn, saying she had “folded like an umbrella” and “choked.”

Trump has continued to insist that vandals were responsible for damaging the Reflecting Pool. Burgum also defended that position over the weekend, writing on social media that “the evidence is clear.”

Despite that, Pirro’s office filed a detailed court motion on Friday seeking to dismiss the felony charge against Hearn. Prosecutors argued they had been provided incomplete and misleading information by the Interior Department before the grand jury returned the indictment.

According to the filing, evidence reviewed after the indictment revealed that the Reflecting Pool suffered from what prosecutors described as a “rushed and botched installation.” Investigators also found damage across multiple sections of the pool liner, including areas that the alleged vandals could not have reached.

Reports said the Oval Office meeting became tense, with Pirro directly confronting Burgum and accusing him of giving the president an inaccurate account of what caused the damage.

Burgum reportedly defended his department’s handling of the matter while Trump heard arguments from both sides.

The Justice Department has also asked the court to dismiss charges against three additional defendants who had been accused of vandalizing the Reflecting Pool after reviewing the newly uncovered evidence.

The dispute has highlighted growing disagreements within the Trump administration over how the case was handled.

Although Pirro has long been regarded as one of Trump’s closest allies, reports indicate she concluded that the prosecution could not move forward after reviewing thousands of pages of documents and determining the government lacked sufficient evidence to prove the damage was caused by vandalism.

Trump made clear Tuesday that he remains unhappy with Pirro’s decision but said he has not yet decided whether she will continue serving as U.S. attorney.

“I just think she was totally wrong,” Trump told reporters. “I haven’t made a determination” about her future, according to The Wall Street Journal.

WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday urged Congress to permanently strengthen the Trump administration’s government-wide anti-fraud campaign, saying lawmakers must act to expand data-sharing, increase criminal penalties, and provide additional resources after federal investigators identified an estimated $230 billion in fraud.

Speaking during a Capitol-area roundtable on combating government fraud, Vance said the administration’s fraud task force has already uncovered approximately $230 billion in fraudulent activity and prevented another $56 billion in improper payments since its formation.

Vance said the initiative has brought together numerous federal agencies, but argued that its long-term success depends on Congress passing legislation to make the reforms permanent.

“This effort will fundamentally always have a limitation unless our colleagues in the House and the Senate are working with us,” Vance said. “In order to make this really work, we need our colleagues in Congress to really codify some of this stuff, to make sure that it becomes law.”

The vice president described fraud as a crime with two sets of victims, saying it not only costs taxpayers billions of dollars but also deprives vulnerable Americans of resources intended to help them. He pointed to programs such as Medicaid and federal nutrition assistance as examples of systems that have been exploited by fraud.

“The most obvious victim, of course, is the American taxpayer, who has their hard-earned tax dollars stolen from them to enrich people who are violating our laws and taking advantage of our country. But I think more profoundly, and more sadly, the second victim of fraud are the people who benefit from programs that the American people have set up in their generosity and in their kindness of spirit, and those programs don’t function as well or don’t even have the resources necessary to work because they’ve been stolen from by fraudsters,” Vance said.

A central focus of the discussion was improving the exchange of information between state governments and federal agencies. Vance argued that federal officials often lack adequate visibility into who is ultimately receiving benefits administered by the states and said Congress should require more consistent data sharing.

Andrew Ferguson, who also addressed the roundtable, argued that weak penalties and outdated government systems have allowed fraud to flourish. He said modern technology and improved data-sharing could stop many fraudulent claims before taxpayer money is ever distributed.

“Data is the enemy of fraud,” Ferguson said, adding that relatively simple verification tools could save taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars.

Ferguson also called for significantly tougher punishment for those convicted of defrauding government programs.

“We want to work with Congress to dramatically increase the sentences associated even with low-level frauds,” Ferguson said. “To make every fraudster think long and hard about whether it’s worth facing a long time in jail before deciding to raid our programs.”

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller echoed those concerns, arguing that current criminal penalties have failed to deter large-scale fraud because many offenders receive relatively light sentences.

“This may be hard to believe that you could steal hundreds of thousands and ultimately millions of dollars and not do any significant jail time. I think probably the simplest explanation is that when Congress was drafting these statutes, they still lived in a high-trust society, and it eclipsed their imagination that there would be systemic, widespread, continual lying, fleecing, and organized crime to rip off hundreds of billions of dollars from the American taxpayer, which is what has happened. There needs to be strict, clear, mandatory minimums,” Miller said.

White House Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley also addressed the gathering, presenting what he described as 10 “practical proposals” for Congress to strengthen the administration’s anti-fraud efforts.

“Fraud steals taxpayer dollars, but such corruption steals something even more precious: it steals the blessings and benefits of work,” Haley said.

Vance concluded by saying the administration will continue working with Congress to advance three primary objectives: expanding information-sharing between governments, imposing tougher penalties on fraudsters, and providing additional funding for fraud investigations. He also thanked officials across multiple agencies, describing the initiative as a true “whole of government” effort.

{Matzav.com}

Antisemitic incidents across the United Kingdom climbed by 21% during the first six months of 2026, reaching the second-highest total ever recorded for the first half of a calendar year, according to a new report released Wednesday by the Community Security Trust (CST).

The report documented 1,926 antisemitic incidents between January and June, compared with 1,598 during the same period in 2025, according to The Times of Israel.

That works out to an average of 321 antisemitic incidents every month—nearly twice the monthly average recorded before Hamas’ October 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel.

Violent assaults saw one of the sharpest increases. The CST recorded 135 physical attacks during the six-month period, an 82% rise compared with the first half of last year. Antisemitic incidents in schools climbed 59% to 178, while cases connected to shuls increased by 31%.

One of the most alarming incidents occurred on April 29, when two visibly Jewish men were stabbed in London’s Golders Green neighborhood. According to the CST, that attack was followed by 71 additional antisemitic incidents over the next three days.

The report also highlighted a series of arson attacks directed at London shuls and other Jewish-linked properties, including the torching of Hatzolah ambulances and attacks on multiple synagogues. The CST said the attacks were linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and were claimed by an organization that was subsequently outlawed by the British government.

According to the CST, antisemitic incidents also spiked following the outbreak of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran in late February. The report comes months after the October 2025 terrorist attack on a Manchester shul that claimed the lives of two Jewish mispallelim.

CST Chief Executive Mark Gardner warned that the growing wave of antisemitism poses a danger not only to Britain’s Jewish community but to the country as a whole.

“These attacks should concern everyone who cares about Britain and the threats against it, whether state-directed from Iran, or internally driven by Islamist, far right, far left, or other ideological extremes,” Gardner said.

“These attacks are directed against British Jews, but they are also attacks on Britain and our society,” he added.

British Policing Minister Sarah Jones described the report’s findings as deeply troubling and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to safeguarding Jewish communities.

“Antisemitism goes against our country’s values, and I will do everything in my power to protect our Jewish communities,” Jones said.

She noted the government’s recent commitment to invest £250 million (approximately $336 million) over the next three years to enhance security at Jewish schools, shuls, and community centers, including funding for additional police officers.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp called the surge in antisemitic attacks a “national emergency.”

“Thousands of Jewish families living in fear in their own country, and it is completely unacceptable,” Philp said. “Antisemitism has no place in Britain and real action needs to be taken to stamp it out.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has pledged Tehran’s full backing for Hamas as negotiations over Gaza’s future continue, assuring the terror group’s leadership that Iran will support whatever course of action it chooses.

According to Iranian state media, Pezeshkian spoke Wednesday with Hamas Political Bureau chairman Khalil al-Hayya and reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to stand behind the terrorist organization throughout the ongoing diplomatic process.

During the conversation, Pezeshkian reportedly promised to support “every step, initiative, and decision” taken by the Palestinian Authority and Gaza’s leadership as negotiations over Gaza’s future move forward.

“The hearts and spirit of the Iranian people and officials are always with the Palestinian people, and Tehran will continue to support and stand alongside the Palestinian people,” Pezeshkian said.

Earlier in the day, Hamas Political Bureau member Basem Naim, who also serves on the group’s negotiating team, said Hamas is still waiting for an official reply from mediator Nikolay Mladenov “regarding what was agreed upon with him and the mediators concerning the roadmap for implementing Phase 2, especially in light of the high level of responsibility demonstrated by the movement in dealing with what was proposed to it.”

Naim also said Hamas “highly appreciates the mediators’ statement holding the enemy accountable for the ongoing crimes and the deliberate obstruction of the agreement.”

Meanwhile, reports Tuesday indicated that Israel’s defense establishment has tightened the approval process for military operations in Gaza following new directives issued by the country’s political leadership.

Under the revised policy, targeted eliminations will now require the personal authorization of IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, significantly narrowing the authority previously held by lower-ranking commanders.

A security source emphasized that the new directive does not affect situations in which Israeli troops face an immediate threat. In those circumstances, forces will continue responding without delay under existing rules of engagement.

The change applies only to preplanned offensive operations against individuals who are not considered an immediate danger, including terrorists under intelligence surveillance. Previously, such missions could also be approved by regional or division commanders.

On Monday, mediators Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey released a joint statement sharply criticizing Israel, arguing that continued IDF operations targeting Hamas terrorists in Gaza could jeopardize the current ceasefire.

“The mediators stress the need for Israel to comply with all of its obligations under international law and to fully uphold its commitments under the ceasefire agreement, affirming that the continuation of these violations constitutes a breach of the agreement and undermines the efforts aimed at implementing its second phase, particularly following Hamas and the Palestinian factions’ announcement of their acceptance of the roadmap, especially the provision concerning the confinement of weapons,” the statement read, claiming that “these violations threaten the path toward de-escalation and exacerbate the suffering of civilians in the Gaza Strip.”

The three mediating countries also called on the international community “to assume its responsibilities and exert the necessary pressure on Israel to fulfill its obligations under international law and the ceasefire agreement, in a manner that ensures the completion of President Trump’s peace plan.”

The diplomatic push came after an extensive meeting involving the Board of Peace, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, and senior Israeli officials. According to the Board of Peace, the discussions focused on eliminating terrorist weapons in Gaza, preparing for a transition to civilian governance, and establishing long-term security for both Israeli citizens and Gaza’s Arab population.

The Board of Peace said oversight of Gaza’s demilitarization would be carried out by an International Stabilization Force together with an Implementation Verification Committee, which would include representatives from both the United States and the Board of Peace.

Israel will not pull back from its current positions in the Gaza Strip until the Hamas terrorist organization is completely disarmed, Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu reiterated.

“I am standing firm on our security interests—we will not withdraw from our current lines until Hamas is completely disarmed,” Netanyahu said in a Hebrew-language video posted to his Facebook page.

He added that Israel Defense Forces soldiers had been instructed “to do everything necessary to defend themselves, to defend our territory, to defend our citizens.”

U.S. President Donald Trump and his team believe they can persuade Hamas to demilitarize the Gaza Strip, he said, adding, “We are examining that.”

The Trump administration presented Israel with a draft agreement that Israel rejected, according to Netanyahu. “This is not our draft,” he stressed, adding that Israel had conveyed its own comments to the White House.

“We are standing firm on our interests,” the prime minister concluded.

In a podcast interview with Israeli historian and media personality Gadi Taub aired on Monday, Netanyahu expressed skepticism regarding Hamas’s willingness to lay down its weapons as required by the Board of Peace’s 15-point Roadmap for peace in Gaza.

“I don’t think Hamas is going to turn into a kitten—this predator,” Netanyahu said.

The 15 points were published last week, followed by concerns in Israel that they stipulate the withdrawal of the IDF from the Gaza Strip before the terrorist group fully disarms.

When asked if Israel had missed the opportunity to eradicate Hamas in Gaza, the prime minister replied, “It’s not missed—it’s not completed. There’s still work to do … Hamas must be disarmed and Gaza demilitarized, and only then [Gaza] can start reconstruction, including rehabilitating its fanaticism.”

Earlier this week, Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace’s high representative for Gaza tasked with overseeing the ceasefire with Hamas, said after talks with Netanyahu in Jerusalem that implementation of Trump’s Gaza plan had entered the “hard phase.”

“Long day in Jerusalem, sitting down with Prime Minister Netanyahu and his team,” Mladenov wrote on X on Monday. “This is the start of the hard phase and I have never pretended otherwise. Not much of what we do now is dramatic. It is slow, grinding and technical work.”

Earlier on Monday, the Board of Peace stated that it and Israel “share a common understanding of the ultimate objectives. Contrary to inaccurate reports, we note that the withdrawal of the IDF beyond the Yellow Line will take place only once decommissioning [of weapons] is complete, as Hamas committed to the mediators.” JNS

Prominent Satmar philanthropist Mr. Yoeli Landau met with the Gerrer Rebbe on Tuesday and unveiled plans to establish a $1 million legal defense fund to assist bnei yeshiva facing Israel’s military draft decree, arrests, and related sanctions. During the meeting, Landau also announced that he will donate two new simcha halls for Gerrer chassidim in Yerushalayim and Arad.

Landau, widely known for his extensive support of Torah institutions around the world, entered the Gerrer Rebbe’s residence together with Rav Yechiel Chaim Lieberman, Av Beis Din of Or Chaim and Rosh Yeshiva of Machnovka Belz.

During the meeting, Landau presented a comprehensive initiative to establish a legal assistance fund dedicated to coordinating the fight against the sanctions and arrests targeting bnei yeshiva and to wage the broader legal battle against the draft decree, including pursuing avenues through international legal channels.

Under the proposed program, every ben yeshiva who requires legal representation in connection with the draft issue would receive assistance through the fund. Landau pledged that he and several associates would contribute $1 million to launch the initiative.

In addition, at the initiative of Rav Nechemiah Alter, who also participated in the meeting, Landau announced that he will finance the construction of two simcha halls for members of the Gerrer community who conduct their family celebrations in accordance with the takonos of the chassidus. One hall will be built in Yerushalayim, while the second will be established in Arad.

A 17-year-old bochur is in serious condition after nearly drowning Tuesday evening in the private swimming pool at his family’s home in Tzfas. Emergency personnel provided life-saving treatment at the scene before transporting him to Ziv Medical Center, where he was admitted in critical condition, sedated and on a ventilator.

Magen David Adom said it received a report at 9:39 p.m. of an unconscious teenager at a residence on Golan Street in Tzfas. Initial indications were that the bochur had lost consciousness due to an apparent medical episode while in the pool. He was pulled from the water before emergency responders arrived.

United Hatzalah medic Yechiel Roshetsky, who was first on the scene, together with fellow responders Yossi Markowitz and Chaim Meir Rothner, said, “Together with additional volunteers, we provided him with initial medical treatment, including respiratory assistance. He was then transported to Ziv Medical Center in Tzfas while sedated and on a ventilator in serious condition.”

MDA paramedic Oren Ne’eman and MDA motorcycle unit volunteer Ronen Hadassi said, “We found the teenager unconscious after he apparently lost consciousness due to a medical episode while in the family’s swimming pool and was pulled from the water. We provided life-saving medical treatment and transported him to the hospital in serious condition.”

The circumstances surrounding the apparent medical episode are under investigation.

{Matzav.com}