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The House overwhelmingly approved legislation Tuesday to keep the federal government funded through Dec. 11, eliminating the threat of another shutdown before voters head to the polls in the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

Lawmakers voted 370-48 to pass the spending measure and send it to President Trump, whose signature will ensure federal agencies remain fully operational beyond the election.

The vote came on just the second day that House members were back in Washington following a five-week recess. Republican leaders moved quickly to advance the legislation, formally known as a continuing resolution, ahead of the Oct. 1 start of the new fiscal year.

The House is currently scheduled to leave Washington again on Oct. 1 for the final weeks of campaigning before the midterms. With the government-funding issue now resolved well ahead of that deadline, there has been growing speculation that lawmakers could be permitted to begin their campaign recess even earlier.

The version approved Tuesday incorporated changes made by the Senate while House lawmakers were away. Among the additions is increased funding for several federal programs, including the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, commonly known as WIC.

The legislation also postpones implementation of a rule that would have expanded the White House Office of Management and Budget’s authority over federal spending. Both that provision and the additional program funding had been important demands for Democrats.

Under the federal budget process, Congress is supposed to approve 12 separate appropriations bills each year to finance government operations beginning with the new fiscal year on Oct. 1. Lawmakers, however, have not completed all of those bills on schedule since the 1990s, repeatedly turning instead to temporary continuing resolutions to prevent funding lapses while negotiations continue.

The latest agreement comes after an extraordinarily turbulent period of federal funding battles. Over the past year, the government has been shut down on three separate occasions, totaling 122 days of closures.

{Matzav.com}

Brazil’s Jewish community is pressing election authorities to extend voting hours in areas with significant Jewish populations after the country’s October 4 election was scheduled for Simchas Torah, creating a conflict that could prevent observant Jews from casting ballots.

Brazilian attorney Monica Rosenberg has submitted a petition to the country’s Superior Electoral Court bearing thousands of signatures and asking that selected polling stations remain open until 8 p.m. local time. The extension would allow Shabbos-observant Jews to vote after Simchas Torah concludes.

Polls across Brazil are currently scheduled to close at 5 p.m., while the Yom Tov is expected to end at approximately 6:40 p.m. According to the Brazilian Israelite Confederation, Brazil is home to roughly 120,000 Jews.

In a statement, the Jewish community emphasized that it is not seeking to postpone the election or alter the nationwide voting date.

“The initiative does not call for postponing the elections or making any change to the election date. The request is specifically that polling stations in locations near Jewish communities be allowed to receive voters until 8:00 p.m., after the holiday ends,” the community said.

The proposal is intended to ensure that observant Jewish citizens are not forced to choose between adhering to their religious obligations and exercising their civic responsibility to vote. The issue is particularly significant in Brazil because voting is compulsory.

The effort has received substantial backing from the Brazilian Israelite Confederation, known as CONIB. The organization’s president, Claudio Lottenberg, said protecting religious freedom and ensuring political participation are closely connected to the broader fight against antisemitism and the defense of fundamental democratic principles.

The petition drive has also received a boost from Silvia Abravanel, daughter of the late Brazilian billionaire and media mogul Silvio Santos. Abravanel, herself a prominent television personality, promoted the campaign to her millions of followers on social media.

The Simchas Torah election conflict is the latest in a series of situations in which Brazilian authorities have faced calls to accommodate the religious practices of the country’s Jewish population. Previous disputes have included elections coinciding with Yom Kippur as well as requirements that Jewish students attend classes or take examinations on Shabbos.

Brazil’s electoral authorities have yet to issue a final ruling on the petition. Jewish community leaders hope that permission to keep certain polling stations open for several additional hours will both resolve this year’s conflict and establish a broader precedent recognizing that citizens should be able to participate fully in the democratic process without being forced to compromise their religious observance.

{Matzav.com}

Bnei Brak is facing a deepening financial crisis after accumulating a deficit of approximately NIS 130 million, prompting Israel’s Interior Ministry to impose immediate restrictions on the municipality and consider appointing an outside accountant to oversee its finances.

The startling deterioration has raised questions about how one of Israel’s largest municipalities — with an annual budget of roughly NIS 2.5 billion and substantial property-tax revenue from its booming commercial district — found itself approaching the limits of its available credit and struggling with cash flow. The deficit includes approximately NIS 80 million recorded in 2025 and another roughly NIS 50 million accumulated during 2026.

The Interior Ministry has now frozen municipal requests for personal employment contracts and salary upgrades and will approve only essential special-budget projects. Bnei Brak Mayor Chanoch Zeibert has also been ordered to present an emergency recovery plan by October 11 detailing how the municipality intends to return to a balanced budget by the end of the year.

The warning came from Tzvika Einbinder, the Interior Ministry official overseeing the Tel Aviv District, who demanded significant spending reductions and other immediate measures.

“I am asking you [Zeibert] to have the municipal administration convene as soon as possible and make binding and painful decisions,” Einbinder wrote. “The plan must include concrete steps to reduce the deficit and return to a balanced budget by the end of the year in the areas of procurement, tenders and municipal personnel.”

Should Bnei Brak fail to stabilize its finances, the Interior Ministry is considering appointing an accompanying accountant, a step that would sharply curtail the municipality’s financial independence. Such an official can be given authority over expenditures, payments to suppliers, hiring, employee compensation and, in some circumstances, municipal tax collection and debt payments.

The financial collapse is particularly striking because Bnei Brak has a major commercial tax base. The city receives hundreds of millions of shekels in revenue from office properties, including the large BBC business district, and its annual municipal budget stands at approximately NIS 2.5 billion. Moreover, the city received an increase of roughly NIS 20 million in its government balancing grant in 2025 following a technical change to the funding formula.

Aharon Rabinowitz, the Chareidi affairs correspondent for Haaretz, said in an interview with Radio 103FM that those numbers make the municipality’s financial predicament especially difficult to understand.

“How did this happen? How did we get to this situation? I asked that. The Bnei Brak Municipality is one of the largest municipalities in Israel, mainly because of the office towers that bring enormous arnona revenues into the municipality,” Rabinowitz said.

Rabinowitz leveled particularly sharp criticism at Zeibert, who returned to the mayor’s office in 2024 and also serves as secretary-general of Agudas Yisrael.

“The mayor is almost never in Israel, he is most of the time on flights abroad and nobody really knows; he is one of the senior figures in the Ger chassidus,” Rabinowitz said.

He also alleged that the municipality has failed to provide an adequate accounting of its spending.

“The municipality is engaging in completely reckless spending; we don’t know where the money ultimately goes,” he said.

According to a Calcalist report, some officials within the municipality have similarly blamed Zeibert for the crisis, alleging that he has not demonstrated command of the financial details or produced a clear plan for reversing the deterioration. The mayor did not respond to Calcalist’s request for comment.

The cash-flow crunch has already forced the city to take extraordinary steps. According to the report, the municipality sold a securities portfolio worth approximately NIS 30 million, eliminating what had served as a financial cushion. The city has also been delaying payments to suppliers as it contends with its liquidity problems.

Municipal officials, however, are pushing back against the suggestion that irresponsible spending alone created the crisis. They contend that decisions and delays by the Interior Ministry have deprived Bnei Brak of tens of millions of shekels in anticipated revenue.

One major dispute involves approximately 12,000 households that applied for arnona discounts. City officials say the Interior Ministry has yet to approve those applications, leaving the municipality unable to collect the disputed taxes and creating a revenue hole they estimate at roughly NIS 30 million.

Officials also say the Interior Ministry has not approved municipal bylaws that could generate additional revenue. Among the proposals is an increase in parking rates that the municipality estimates could bring in another NIS 15 million annually. In addition, city officials say Education Ministry directives forced Bnei Brak to increase payments to educational aides by approximately NIS 25 million.

Those explanations, however, do not fully account for the severity of the municipality’s predicament, according to the Calcalist report. Other municipalities face similar government delays and expenses without experiencing a financial crisis of Bnei Brak’s magnitude, while the city continues to benefit from billions of shekels in annual revenue and a lucrative commercial property-tax base.

The municipality has publicly maintained that it can turn the situation around. In response to the Interior Ministry’s warning last week, Bnei Brak officials said they expect to finish the year with a balanced budget.

For now, however, the Interior Ministry is demanding more than assurances. Unless the municipality produces a credible recovery plan and dramatically improves its financial position, Bnei Brak could find its budgetary decisions placed under outside supervision — an extraordinary development for one of Israel’s largest and most prominent Chareidi cities.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s desalination crisis continued Tuesday morning as most of the country’s desalination plants were forced to shut down again only hours after resuming operations, prompting authorities to restrict water use for agriculture, public landscaping and other nonessential purposes.

Most of the facilities had restarted overnight after water conditions temporarily improved following Monday’s unusual shutdown. By Tuesday morning, however, seawater turbidity had risen again, forcing the plants to halt operations once more. The Water Authority and the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure instructed local governments to reduce public irrigation, agricultural water consumption and other municipal uses in an effort to preserve available supplies for households.

The latest setback follows Monday’s shutdown of five of Israel’s six desalination plants along the Mediterranean coast, with the Hadera facility the only one to remain operational. An overnight improvement in seawater quality allowed most of the plants to resume production, but the improvement proved short-lived.

The Water Authority stressed that residential water supplies are expected to continue. In areas where localized shortages or other problems develop, authorities plan to reduce other forms of consumption and address disruptions through the Water Authority’s operations center.

Meanwhile, investigators are beginning to identify what may have caused the highly unusual event. An initial investigation by researchers at the Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research institute points to a bloom of microalgae believed to have originated near Egypt’s Nile Delta and traveled northward with Mediterranean currents toward Israel’s southern coastline.

The buildup of microscopic algae, combined with turbulent sea conditions, apparently caused an extraordinary increase in the water’s turbidity, placing heavy strain on the filtration systems used by the desalination plants. The Water Authority has ruled out a cyberattack as the cause, while seawater samples have been collected for further analysis.

The effects of the shutdown were already being felt outside the desalination facilities on Monday. Mekorot increased production from available water sources and wells in an attempt to compensate for the sharp reduction in desalinated water.

In southern Israel, supplies of potable water for agricultural purposes were restricted. The Ramat HaNegev Regional Council temporarily halted agricultural water supplies altogether, while farmers and public landscaping officials in Eshkol were instructed to immediately reduce their use of potable water and rely on reclaimed water wherever possible.

Concerns over the disruption also reached several cities. In Yerushalayim, the Gihon water company opened locations where residents could fill water containers. Residents of Kiryat Gat were warned about possible changes in water pressure, temporary reductions in supply and intermittent outages, while Rishon LeZion also prepared for potential disruptions.

In its latest update Tuesday morning, however, the Water Authority again emphasized that maintaining uninterrupted household water service remains the priority. For now, conservation measures are being directed primarily toward agriculture, landscaping and nonessential public consumption.

The situation is particularly significant because of Israel’s heavy dependence on desalinated water. Desalination facilities provide a major share of the country’s potable water, meaning the simultaneous shutdown of most of the system requires greater reliance on alternative sources and careful management of existing supplies.

Authorities have not yet indicated when seawater turbidity will fall sufficiently for the affected plants to resume stable, continuous production. The developments overnight underscored the uncertainty of the situation: even after facilities are restarted, another deterioration in seawater conditions can force them offline again.

{Matzav.com}

Shin Bet chief David Zini quietly traveled to the United States for previously undisclosed meetings with his American counterparts in Washington, with the discussions reportedly focusing on sensitive matters.

According to a Channel 13 News report, Zini traveled to Washington as part of a series of professional meetings with U.S. officials. His visit was not announced in advance.

The report said participants in the meetings are “discussing sensitive issues,” but no details were provided about the specific subjects on the agenda or the officials with whom Zini was meeting.

Meanwhile, as Zini conducts talks in the United States, a separate debate is continuing in Israel over security protection for prominent political figures. The public advisory committee responsible for evaluating security arrangements for public officials convened Sunday to consider protection for Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot and Democrats chairman Yair Golan.

Contrary to expectations, the committee recommended that Eisenkot continue receiving security protection through the election. No final decision has yet been reached regarding Golan.

Zini’s position is reportedly that neither party leader requires state-provided protection because they do not constitute governmental institutions.

The committee is headed by Ronen Cohen, who has reportedly made numerous critical statements about Eisenkot in the past.

CBS News came under sharp criticism from progressive politicians and commentators Monday after publishing a report highlighting deleted social media posts by Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed about the Sept. 11 attacks, with critics accusing the network of Islamophobia and attacking the framing of the story ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

“As the nation prepares to mark 25 years since Sept. 11, 2001, Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan, may be facing the risk of renewed scrutiny and fresh political attack,” CBS News wrote Monday.

The CBS report examined several social media posts that El-Sayed subsequently deleted. Among them were posts from 2020 in which he compared the nearly 3,000 Americans murdered in the Sept. 11 attacks with the number of people who died during the coronavirus pandemic.

The report also highlighted a Sept. 11, 2021, post previously uncovered by The Washington Free Beacon. El-Sayed wrote, “Today, I mourn the 3K lives, 6K injuries, & infrastructural devastation in NYC, perpetuated ignorantly in the name of my faith. Tomorrow, I’ll mourn ~1M lives, millions of injuries, & infrastructural devastation in 3 countries, perpetuated ignorantly in the name of my country.”

The decision to focus on El-Sayed’s past comments as the country approaches the anniversary of the terrorist attacks triggered an immediate backlash from his supporters and other liberal critics, many of whom objected to CBS News linking the Muslim candidate with 9/11 in the framing of its coverage.

“What an insane headline,” far-left commentator Hasan Piker reacted on X. “This is why the [new Paramount owner David Ellison] bought CBS and put Bari Weiss in charge.”

Weiss was named editor-in-chief of CBS News by Ellison last fall following Paramount’s multimillion-dollar acquisition of The Free Press, the media outlet she founded.

Zeteo founder and former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan also attacked the network’s handling of the story, arguing that its framing was offensive toward El-Sayed as a Muslim candidate.

“Hi @CBS @CBSNews @bariweiss do you think it’s super offensive and disgusting and Islamophobic to do a tweet about the potential first ever Muslim Democratic senator which begins by referencing 9/11?” Hasan asked.

Tim Miller, host of a podcast at The Bulwark and an MS NOW analyst, similarly condemned the report.

“Despicable anti-Muslim woke right garbage from the house CBS account,” Miller wrote.

Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., joined the criticism, accusing the network of racism over the way the story was presented.

“What an insane, blatantly racist headline. Unreal,” Ansari posted.

Vox host and editorial director Astead Herndon used the controversy to voice broader concerns about public confidence in established news organizations.

“The current state of institutional media legit bums me out,” Herndon said. “We’ve burned through so much credibility in recent years. And our information ecosystem is worse for it.”

Despite the barrage of criticism, a CBS News source familiar with the report defended the decision to cover El-Sayed’s old posts. The source told Fox News Digital that news organizations publish stories about politicians deleting past social media comments “all the time.”

El-Sayed himself was questioned about the deleted posts by a local CBS News reporter while campaigning.

“What happened on 9/11 is a disaster. It was a terrible attack on our country,” El-Sayed said. “And our responsibility is also to think about, how do we build an America where we are protecting our servicemen and women from being asked to fight in wars we have no business fighting in?”

{Matzav.com}

Leading gedolim, headed by Rav Dov Landau and Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, have issued a strongly worded letter opposing the growing practice of holding musical Selichos events, calling on the public not to attend such gatherings and urging municipal and government authorities not to fund or support them.

The letter, released ahead of the Yemei Hadin, is addressed broadly to the yirei Hashem and carries the heading “Zochalim v’ro’adim miyom bo’echa” — “Trembling and quaking at the day of Your arrival.”

The gedolim say that musical Selichos gatherings, which have become increasingly prevalent in recent years, undermine the fundamental purpose and atmosphere of the days leading up to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

“On the eve of the Days of Judgment 5786,” the letter begins, before addressing what the gedolim describe as a troubling development: “Recently, an inappropriate phenomenon has begun in which ‘Selichos events’ are held with musical instruments. These Selichos events are contrary to the entire elevated nature of the days of Selichos established by Chazal for repentance, regret and self-examination, to purify and sanctify oneself in preparation for the coming Days of Judgment, and to merit being inscribed and sealed for a good life and peace.”

The letter warns against transforming the solemn institution of Selichos into a form of entertainment and says that such gatherings can also lead to serious problems involving standards of kedushah and tznius.

“G-d forbid that an exalted and sacred concept established by Chazal should be transformed into an entertainment event and musical performance, aside from the serious breaches of sanctity and modesty that accompany these events.”

The gedolim then issue a clear directive to the public, invoking earlier warnings issued by leading Torah authorities.

“Therefore, we hereby join and strengthen that which the Gedolei Yisrael, zt”l and shlit”a, have warned, that one should, G-d forbid, not participate in such events.”

The letter also directs an explicit appeal to government and municipal officials, urging them “not to support or fund these events through the authorities or in any manner whatsoever.”

Particular emphasis is placed on protecting the sanctity of shuls and batei medrash. The letter states: “And certainly such events should not be held in the sanctuaries of Hashem, the miniature sanctuary, synagogues and study halls. Likewise, prayers and Hallel should not be held accompanied by musical instruments.”

Concluding with a bracha that the Jewish people remain faithful to the traditions handed down through the generations, the gedolim write: “And may Hashem elevate us higher and higher to adhere to the tradition of our fathers, and inscribe us and seal us for a good life.”

{Matzav.com}

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside Israel’s Prison 10 on Monday evening to protest the arrest of Chareidi Givati soldiers who refused to enter a Namer armored personnel carrier with a female paramedic, with senior reserve officers, rabbonim, roshei yeshiva, public figures and relatives of the soldiers joining the demonstration.

MK Avi Maoz, chairman of the Noam L’Yisrael party, addressed the crowd and called for the soldiers to be honored for standing by their religious convictions rather than punished.

“You should receive a medal, not a punishment. You should be an example for every soldier in the IDF. You are the pillar of fire at the forefront of the struggle for Jewish identity and the spirit of the IDF,” Maoz said.

Maoz also praised the soldiers for leaving the bais medrash to serve in the military and for their performance during combat operations.

“Fortunate are you, Givati soldiers, who left the study hall for a mitzvah war. Fortunate are you that you were selected as an outstanding platoon, that you fought against our enemies in Lebanon and Gaza, and that you do not bend the Torah and your values in the face of all the pressure, threats and punishments.”

During his remarks, Maoz cited the posuk, “For Hashem, your G-d, walks in the midst of your camp to save you, and your camp shall be holy,” before declaring, “This is the supreme value that should guide the army of the Jewish state.”

Several other speakers addressed the demonstration, including Rav Rafael Jahami, head of the Shaarei Hadaas teshuvah movement; Rav Dror Aryeh, one of the rabbonim of the Sderot Hesder Yeshiva; Rav Aviad Gadot, chairman of the Torat Lechima organization; Noam L’Yisrael candidate Yiska Chaimov; and Efrat Lupo of the Women for the Sanctity of the Camp organization.

{Matzav.com}

Leaders of approximately 10 small right-wing parties and political movements are expected to meet Tuesday to discuss joining forces in a single electoral framework that would challenge the current government from the right, a development that could complicate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans ahead of the coming election.

According to a report by Kan News on Reshet Bet, the gathering is scheduled to take place at the home of Nissim Louk, the father of Shani Louk Hy”d, who was murdered at the Nova music festival during the October 7 massacre. Participants are expected to explore the possibility of creating a unified political slate.

The meeting, which organizers reportedly sought to keep under wraps, could present a new concern for Netanyahu. The prime minister has been wary of smaller parties running independently and failing to cross the electoral threshold, potentially costing the right-wing bloc crucial votes.

Among those invited are Zehut chairman Moshe Feiglin, Economic Party chairman Yaron Zelekha, Dedi Simchi, Yair Ansbacher, Gilad Ach, chairman of the reservists’ movement Dor Hanitzachon, Matan Yaffe of El Hadegel, and former Knesset member Gadi Yevarkan, who heads the Beit Yisrael party representing Israelis of Ethiopian descent. Several other small-party leaders have also reportedly been invited.

The discussions come amid a broader flurry of political maneuvering ahead of the election. Benny Gantz and Gilad Erdan are reportedly engaged in advanced negotiations over a technical electoral alliance in which Gantz would head the slate and Erdan would take the No. 2 position.

Those talks have also included the possibility of bringing Zelekha into the alliance in the third slot, although Gantz is reportedly opposed to that proposal.

Separately, negotiations are underway with Ayelet Shaked, who is demanding the No. 2 position as well as spots for her political allies. As part of those discussions, however, Shaked is reportedly being asked to commit that she would not participate in the formation of a narrow government.

{Matzav.com}

Yair Netanyahu, the eldest son of Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu, was urgently evacuated from the United States after Israeli security officials identified what they described as a serious threat against him, just days after his father revealed that Iran had sought to assassinate one of his sons.

Israel’s Shin Bet security service confirmed that authorities had identified a “significant threat” against the 35-year-old Yair, though the agency did not disclose the nature of the danger or provide details surrounding his evacuation.

The development follows remarks made by Netanyahu during an appearance on Israel’s Channel 14 on Monday, August 24, when he disclosed that Iran had attempted to “murder” one of his children.

“Iran targeted one of my sons. Iran tried to murder him, tried to murder one of my sons,” Netanyahu told Channel 14 as he argued for increased security measures.

Netanyahu did not say whether the alleged Iranian plot had targeted Yair or his younger son, Avner.

Yair has been living in Miami since 2023 and has spent much of the period encompassing Israel’s wars and military confrontations in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran in the United States.

Beginning in July, the Shin Bet expanded security protection for Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, as well as the couple’s two sons, Yair and Avner.

Yair has long been a prominent public defender of his father and has at times acted as an unofficial adviser to the prime minister. His outspoken activity on social media has also repeatedly drawn controversy.

In 2025, Yair attacked podcaster Joe Rogan, accusing him of providing a platform for antisemitism while declining to interview the Israeli prime minister on his highly popular program.

“He gave platform to every single neo Nazi antisemite on this plant (sic), but he refuse to have my father on his show, because he knows that he doesn’t stand a chance against him, and all those years of antisemitic propaganda will go to waste,” he wrote on X.

Yair’s criticism came after Rogan spoke glowingly about Hunter Biden and suggested that he had the qualities to potentially serve as president.

“Great wake up call for conservatives to remember Joe Rogan is not a conservative,” he lamented.

Yair has faced controversies over his social media activity before. In 2018, Facebook temporarily suspended his account for 24 hours following a series of posts directed against Muslims and Palestinians.

“Do you know where there are no attacks, in Iceland and Japan. That’s because there are no Muslims,” he wrote in one post.

In another, he wrote: “There will never be peace with the monsters in human form known since 1964 as ‘Palestinians.’”

President Donald Trump announced agreements Monday with nine additional pharmaceutical companies aimed at lowering prescription drug prices for Americans, expanding an initiative the White House says now covers nearly 90 percent of the branded drug market.

Trump unveiled the new agreements in the Oval Office alongside pharmaceutical industry executives. The companies joining the administration’s most favored nation, or MFN, pricing initiative are Alcon, Astellas Pharma, BeOne Medicines, BridgeBio, CSL, Kyowa Kirin, Sun Pharma, Teva Pharmaceuticals and UCB.

“I’m thrilled to announce a major expansion of one of our signature affordability initiatives, something that people have been trying to get for years, for decades, and I’m not even sure that other presidents tried,” Trump said of his most favored nation (MFN) drug pricing initiative.

“Nine new pharmaceutical companies are committing to deliver their lowest drug prices for American patients,” he added.

.@POTUS announces a major expansion of his Most Favored Nation drug pricing initiative — with nine new pharmaceutical companies committing to deliver their lowest drug prices for American patients. pic.twitter.com/hNoPACjnVk

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 31, 2026

Under the agreements, Medicaid programs in all 50 states will be able to obtain MFN pricing on products manufactured by the nine companies. The White House estimates that the arrangements will ultimately save Americans billions of dollars.

The administration said the agreements will reduce prices “on drugs that treat numerous costly, chronic, and even rare diseases, including hemophilia, Parkinson’s disease, macular degeneration, glaucoma, liver disease, skin conditions, and various forms of cancer.”

The nine companies have also agreed that newly launched innovative medicines will be offered at MFN prices.

Beyond the prescription drug provisions, the pharmaceutical manufacturers have collectively pledged $19.6 billion toward manufacturing operations in the United States. Several companies have also agreed to provide large quantities of pharmaceutical ingredients to the Strategic Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Reserve, known as SAPIR.

UCB will supply the reserve with 163 tons of levetiracetam, an anticonvulsant medication used to prevent and control certain seizures.

Sun Pharma has pledged 71.4 tons of clindamycin and 6.75 tons of doxycycline, two antibiotics used in treating bacterial infections.

Teva Pharmaceuticals will provide 45 metric tons of metronidazole, which is used against certain bacterial and parasitic infections, along with 4.8 tons of amlodipine, a medication used to treat high blood pressure.

Astellas, meanwhile, will contribute 25 kilograms of tacrolimus, an immunosuppressive drug used to help prevent rejection following organ transplants.

According to the White House, Monday’s announcements represent the 18th through 26th MFN pharmaceutical agreements secured by Trump since last fall. The administration says the companies now participating in the program account for nearly 90 percent of the branded prescription drug market.

Other major drugmakers that previously reached MFN agreements with the Trump administration include AstraZeneca, EMD Serono, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Genentech, Gilead Sciences, GSK, Merck, Novartis, Regeneron, Sanofi, Johnson & Johnson and AbbVie.

{Matzav.com}

The IDF launched an intense wave of airstrikes and shelling across parts of Gaza City on Tuesday as an Israel-backed Palestinian armed group reportedly carried out an operation to capture a senior Hamas official. Defense Minister Israel Katz later confirmed that a high-ranking Hamas member had been taken into custody.

Katz did not identify the Hamas figure or disclose who was responsible for apprehending him. It was also not immediately clear where the captured official was being held.

Palestinian reports claimed that a “special Israeli unit” entered western Gaza City and was subsequently detected by Hamas operatives. According to those accounts, the IDF responded with artillery fire and airstrikes to protect the force and enable it to withdraw. Palestinian media reported that at least three people were killed and eight others wounded in the strikes.

Palestinian outlets have previously described Israel-backed Palestinian groups fighting Hamas inside Gaza as “Israeli forces.” Israel has acknowledged providing support to anti-Hamas factions in the Strip, including aerial assistance during some of their operations.

The IDF confirmed that it had attacked “a number of targets” in Gaza, explaining that the strikes were intended to “remove threats to security forces.” The military did not clarify whether the security forces it was referring to were IDF troops or members of an allied Palestinian militia.

Bechasdei Hashem, no Israeli soldiers were wounded during the incident.

Speaking in the Gaza-border community of Netiv Ha’asara, Katz addressed the ongoing operation, saying that “even as we stand here, the activity of our forces in Gaza City continues at all times.”

“A short while ago, a senior Hamas terrorist was arrested. This is our policy: We do not wait for threats, we pursue Hamas terrorists, thwart them, and destroy their terror infrastructure,” Katz said.

Katz offered no additional information about the arrest. An Israeli security source, however, said the man captured in the operation was the head of Hamas’s internal security apparatus.

Saudi broadcaster Al-Hadath reported that Palestinian militias supported by Israel had attempted to abduct an unidentified person in Gaza City. Qatar-based Al-Araby TV similarly reported that an armed Palestinian group had sought to seize a senior member of Hamas’s internal security establishment.

A Hamas-linked website, Al-Majd al-Amni, presented a different version of events, reporting that “an Israeli special force attempted to carry out a security operation aimed at targeting a figure from the ‘resistance’ [a term used for terror groups in Gaza], but [Hamas’s] security forces thwarted the mission.”

“The failure is an embarrassment for the occupation army,” the report added.

Another Hamas-affiliated outlet, Al-Quds al-Ikhbariya, claimed that Hamas fighters tried to capture members of the “Israeli special force” during the confrontation but were prevented from doing so when Israeli aircraft intervened.

Hamas itself did not immediately issue an official statement addressing either the operation or Israel’s assertion that one of the terror group’s senior figures had been captured.

Israel has spent more than a year supporting several armed Palestinian factions opposed to Hamas inside the Gaza Strip. That assistance has reportedly included weapons, intelligence, food, cigarettes and air support, while wounded members of the militias have been flown into Israel for medical treatment. Israel has also supplied the groups with light arms, primarily rifles.

Videos and public statements issued by the various factions suggest that their combined forces consist of no more than several hundred armed men. Their activities have continued intermittently, including armed confrontations with Hamas and efforts to cultivate greater support among Gazans. Earlier this year, one faction operating from IDF-controlled territory in southern Gaza said it was destroying Hamas tunnels on Israel’s behalf.

The latest operation came one day after the IDF announced that it had killed a Hamas commander responsible for helping supply weapons to the terror organization.

According to the military, Omar Mohammed Roshdy Saraj was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood. The IDF identified Saraj as a commander in Hamas’s “supply and maintenance company” in Gaza City.

“As part of his role, the terrorist managed the supply of weapons to Hamas terrorists in Gaza City,” the military said.

{Matzav.com}

A 20-year-old Guatemalan woman who entered the United States illegally and was released into the country by the Biden administration has been charged in connection with the Jackson, New Jersey, crash that killed 9-month-old Yitzchok Rosenberg z”l and seriously injured his mother and 5-year-old sister.

Maria Cobon-Guzman was arrested and charged with “manslaughter, operating a vehicle without ever having a valid driver’s license while involved in a fatal crash, and two counts of assault by auto.”

Authorities said the tragedy occurred at approximately noon on August 28 as Mrs. Rosenberg walked through a grocery store parking lot with her 5-year-old daughter and 9-month-old son. Police say Cobon-Guzman struck all three with the vehicle she was driving.

The mother and her two children were rushed to a nearby hospital, where Yitzchok was pronounced dead. His mother and sister remained hospitalized in stable condition.

Police also arrested 22-year-old Ariadana Lazaro-Flores, a Mexican national who is in the United States illegally, and charged her with knowingly engaging in conduct that created a substantial risk of death or injury.

Authorities allege that Lazaro-Flores acknowledged knowing Cobon-Guzman had no driver’s license “but still allowed her to drive the vehicle.”

According to Border Hawk News, Cobon-Guzman illegally entered the United States through the southern border in 2023 and was subsequently released into the country by the Biden administration. Less than a month before the fatal Jackson crash, a federal immigration judge reportedly ordered her deported.

Lazaro-Flores, meanwhile, reportedly attempted to enter the United States illegally across the southern border five times in October 2023. She was returned to Mexico after each of those crossings before later successfully entering the country on an unknown date.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged detainers against both women.

A Department of Homeland Security official blamed the Biden administration’s border policies for the circumstances that allowed Cobon-Guzman to remain in the United States and urged Ocean County authorities to turn both women over to federal immigration officials.

“An innocent baby would still be alive today had it not been for Joe Biden’s disastrous open border and reckless immigration policy that released countless illegal aliens into our country,” a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official told Border Hawk News. “We are urging the Ocean County Jail to honor ICE’s detainers on these two criminal illegal aliens to take them out of American communities once and for all.”

{Matzav.com}

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez lashed out at President Donald Trump’s planned $400 million White House ballroom Monday, calling the project “insulting” to working Americans after the Supreme Court cleared the way for construction to continue.

The New York Democrat argued that Americans are struggling with health care and other expenses while money is instead being directed toward the president’s ballroom project.

“You have everyday Americans, working-class Americans, they’re not getting a refund on the tariffs that they were illegally charged,” the congresswoman from New York sounded off during a gaggle with press in Washington, D.C. “Their health care subsidies have run out, so small businesses and everyday Americans are paying more for health care and their prescriptions than they ever have.”

Ocasio-Cortez went on to argue that available funds should be used to provide financial relief to Americans rather than for the White House project.

“And we are sitting on money to be able to help everyday Americans, and instead the President is using it on his ballroom. And so I could not think of something more insensitive and insulting to everyday working people than this choice of an expenditure.”

Her criticism came just hours after the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, allowed work on the ballroom to proceed, finding that the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which filed suit seeking to halt the project, likely lacked standing to pursue its challenge in federal court.

Chief Justice John Roberts sided with Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson in dissent. Roberts argued that the project was “likely unlawful” because Congress had not authorized it.

“Today’s decision is no victory for the separation of powers,” Roberts wrote on Monday.

Trump, meanwhile, hailed the Supreme Court decision in a Truth Social post Monday afternoon, celebrating the ruling as a major victory for the project.

“I am pleased to report that the United States Supreme Court has just ruled in favor of the Ballroom/Military Complex being built without any further contingency, doubt or threat. We are living in the Golden Age of America, and this Building will be one of the Greatest ever constructed in Washington, D.C.”

The president said the ballroom and military complex is scheduled to be finished in the summer of 2028 and emphasized that private donors, rather than taxpayers, are financing the project.

“When completed in the Summer of 2028, the magnificent Ballroom and Military Complex will be something that the entire Country is very proud of,” he continued. “The Project, despite the baseless lawsuit brought by the so-called National Trust for Historic Preservation of the United States, which is not in any way affiliated with the United States Government, is under budget and ahead of schedule. The Ballroom is totally funded by Great Patriots and Corporations and, therefore, is a Gift — At no cost to the American Taxpayer. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Israeli police questioned a 36-year-old Tesla driver after video footage circulated online appearing to show him asleep behind the wheel while his vehicle continued traveling along the road.

The video, which spread widely across social media over the past day, drew considerable attention and renewed concerns about drivers relying too heavily on advanced driver-assistance technology.

According to Channel 12 News, police summoned the driver for questioning on suspicion of careless driving and failing to maintain proper control of the steering wheel. He was released after the questioning was completed.

In the footage, the driver, a resident of Migdal HaEmek, can apparently be seen with his eyes closed and his head leaning forward even as the Tesla continues moving.

The incident has once again prompted discussion about Tesla’s sophisticated driver-assistance features and the important distinction between technology designed to assist a motorist and a vehicle capable of operating fully autonomously.

Police emphasized that regardless of the technology installed in a vehicle, responsibility for safely operating it remains with the person behind the wheel.

“Israeli law requires drivers to keep their hands on the wheel, maintain control of the vehicle and remain alert at all times,” police said.

Authorities further stressed that driver-assistance technology does not transform a Tesla into an autonomous vehicle and does not give motorists permission to sleep, stop paying attention or otherwise surrender control while traveling.

{Matzav.com}

Vice President JD Vance said Monday that Iran’s leaders have behaved with little apparent strategic logic during the ongoing conflict, accusing Tehran of being willing to disrupt energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz even when doing so harms countries friendly to Iran.

Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Vance discussed what the war has revealed about Iran’s leadership and the steps being taken by the United States to protect commercial shipping and the movement of oil and gas through the critical waterway.

“I think that what I’ve learned is these guys are really, really, meaning the leadership of the country, they’re really crazy, and they’re willing to do anything, and I think not with a whole lot of strategic wisdom behind it, in order to accomplish as little flow of oil and gas as possible. Now, we expected they would do that, we know that they don’t like us, but what’s odd to me is they will sometimes fire at their own allies, just to prevent the free flow of oil and gas.”

Q: What have you learned about going to war against Iran?

Vance: I think what I've learned is, these guys are really, really crazy. And they are willing to do anything, and I think not with a whole lot of strategic wisdom behind it, in order to accomplish as little flow of oil… pic.twitter.com/uZdjbYylgp

— Acyn (@Acyn) August 31, 2026

Vance also discussed the latest American military operations in the region, saying US forces recently took action after Iran prepared to place mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

“There were strikes last night, of course, and we were responding to the Iranians who were about to lay some mines. And now we’re at a phase where a lot of what we’re doing is actually ensuring the free flow of commerce in the Strait of Hormuz.”

His remarks followed US strikes Sunday against Iranian military targets on Larak Island. The operation reportedly left two people dead and two others wounded and represented the first known American attack inside Iran since late July, when President Donald Trump halted a two-week US military campaign focused on the strategic waterway.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responded to the Larak Island attack by threatening retaliation. The IRGC subsequently fired missiles in the direction of American bases in Jordan.

Trump said Monday that the resumption of US military action against Iranian targets should not automatically be interpreted as the beginning of another full-scale war.

“They are a failed nation… That doesn’t mean we won’t smack them. We will see what happens.”

The president also maintained that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is functioning well despite the continuing hostilities, pointing to the number of vessels moving through the waterway.

“We have the Strait of Hormuz in extremely good shape. We’ve been averaging 30 ships a night. That’s a lot.”

Trump also touted the results of the renewed American campaign against Tehran.

“We went into Iran, and we are beating the …. out of them.”

Asked who is currently in charge of Iran amid the upheaval inside the country’s leadership, Trump said there appeared to be considerable uncertainty.

“They don’t really know. In my opinion, they don’t know who their leader is.”

Meanwhile, Axios reported that Trump and other senior administration officials are considering additional limited military strikes against Iranian positions around the Strait of Hormuz.

Such operations would reportedly be aimed at stopping Tehran from restoring military capabilities that could once again be used to interfere with commercial vessels and threaten shipping through the strategically vital waterway.

{Matzav.com}

Sara Netanyahu raised pointed questions Monday evening about how Democrats Party chairman Yair Golan was able to reach the battlefront early on the morning of the October 7 massacre while her husband, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had yet to be informed that the massive attack was underway.

During an interview with Channel 14, the prime minister’s wife responded sarcastically to criticism surrounding Netanyahu’s response time on October 7, contrasting the timing of his notification with Golan’s actions that morning.

“You claim you were a fighter on October 7, you were already there early in the morning, already dressed and ready. At a very early hour, when others didn’t know, such as the Prime Minister. After all, who is the Prime Minister that he needs to know that a war has broken out? Why inform him?” she said sarcastically.

Sara Netanyahu was also asked whether she believes the so-called “betrayal theory,” which alleges that individuals inside Israel provided assistance connected to the deadly Hamas assault.

“I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t know. Let there be a real commission of inquiry.”

The Democrats Party reacted forcefully to her remarks, accusing Sara Netanyahu of promoting conspiracy theories about Golan and attacking his conduct during the October 7 assault.

“The Democrats Party strongly condemns the slanderous and false remarks made by Sara Netanyahu this evening on Channel 14. Spreading conspiracy theories against Major General Yair Golan and tarnishing his heroism on October 7 is crossing a red line bordering on madness.”

The party went on to contrast Golan’s actions that morning with those of the prime minister, accusing the Netanyahu family and Channel 14 of attempting to alter the historical record.

“While Netanyahu rushed to put on makeup and look for excuses, Yair Golan charged into action and saved lives. The facts will not change, no matter how hard the Netanyahu family and Channel 14 try to rewrite them,” the party said.

{Matzav.com}

Every chosson deserves to experience one of life’s greatest milestones with dignity and royalty.

There are few moments in life that compare to becoming a chosson.

The suit. The hat. The gifts for his kallah. The excitement and anticipation as every step brings the chuppah a little closer.

These aren’t simply preparations.

They’re part of becoming a chosson. They’re His Moment.

But for hundreds of families, financial hardship threatens to overshadow that experience.

A new suit becomes a question. Gifts for the kallah become a worry. And the excitement of preparing for a chasunah becomes clouded by expenses and concern.

That’s why R’ Meir Levi, R’ Shlomo Lewenstein, and R’ Tzodek Katz founded Zichron Mattel—to ensure that every chosson can prepare for his chasunah with dignity and confidence, regardless of his family’s financial circumstances.

HELP MAKE HIS MOMENT POSSIBLE

Today, Zichron Mattel assists more than 620 chassanim each year, providing qualifying chassanim with assistance toward their wardrobe, gifts for the kallah, and the essentials that come with becoming a chosson—all provided discreetly and with dignity.

Because becoming a chosson happens only once.

Every chosson deserves His Moment.

Nothing should take away from it.

Rayze.it/ZichronMattel

WATCH:

A new petition filed with Israel’s High Court of Justice is demanding that the government apply the same registration requirements and economic sanctions imposed on Chareidim who fail to report to IDF recruitment offices to Arab Israelis and other minorities whom the petitioners contend are subject to the same legal obligation.

The petition was filed Monday by the Emet L’Yaakov B’Yisrael organization through attorney Yehuda Abeles. The group argues that enforcement measures related to failure to report for the draft are currently being applied selectively, with Chareidim facing potentially significant consequences while similar measures are not imposed on members of the Arab population and other minority groups who do not appear at recruitment offices.

At the heart of the petition is the argument that the legal obligation to report does not necessarily depend on an individual receiving a personal draft notice. According to the petitioners, publication of a “general call-up order” in Israel’s official records creates an obligation for anyone of the relevant age who has not received an exemption to present himself to military authorities, even if he never received an individual summons at his home.

Based on that interpretation, the petition asks the state to classify all individuals who fail to report under the general order with what is known as “Order 12 status,” or an equivalent administrative designation.

The petitioners contend that the current system constitutes unequal enforcement. Since the expiration of the legal framework that previously allowed yeshiva students to defer military service, various financial and civil restrictions have been imposed or advanced against Chareidi men considered obligated to enlist. Arab Israelis and members of other minority populations who do not report to recruitment offices, the petition argues, are generally not classified as draft evaders and therefore do not face comparable consequences.

The petition further argues that even someone who believes he will ultimately qualify for an exemption cannot independently decide that he does not need to appear at a recruitment office. According to the petitioners, the initial obligation is to report to the appropriate military authorities, after which the state can determine whether the individual qualifies for a medical, religious or other exemption.

The organization stresses that it is not asking the High Court to change Israel’s overall military recruitment policy or to require additional populations to actually serve in the IDF. Instead, the petition focuses on the requirement to appear at recruitment offices and the administrative consequences for those who fail to do so.

According to the petitioners, if the government considers failure to report sufficient grounds for stripping individuals of rights or government benefits, those rules must be enforced equally against everyone whom they contend is subject to the same legal obligation.

Among the sanctions the petitioners want applied equally are the loss of eligibility for municipal property-tax discounts, daycare subsidies, public transportation benefits and government housing programs such as “Target Price.” Similar restrictions affecting Chareidi men subject to the draft have been at the center of several legal proceedings in recent years.

Emet L’Yaakov has previously petitioned the High Court over daycare benefits. A petition filed by the organization in 2025 concerning priority in daycare registration was dismissed on procedural grounds because of delay in filing and the absence of a specific petitioner directly affected by the policy. The court did not rule on the merits of the organization’s broader legal arguments.

Following the filing of the new petition, Emet L’Yaakov said: “There cannot be a situation in which the law is enforced selectively and discriminatorily. If the judicial system and the state determine that failure to report under a general call-up order results in economic sanctions and classification as a draft evader, this rule must apply universally and equally to every citizen of the State of Israel who reaches draft age, without distinction based on religion, nationality or sector. One law for everyone.”

The petition must now clear the High Court’s initial procedural and legal hurdles. At this stage, the claims regarding Arab Israelis and other minorities represent the petitioners’ interpretation of the law, and the court has not ruled that those populations are legally subject to the reporting requirements or sanctions in the manner asserted by the organization.

{Matzav.com}