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New York Times Says to Expect Election Results to Take a While
The New York Times informed its readers on Friday that they should anticipate delays in the 2024 election results, suggesting that Americans should not necessarily expect to know the outcome of the presidential race on Election Night.
Historically, even before the advent of modern technology, close presidential races sometimes extended into the early hours of the next morning. One notable example is the 1960 election between Robert F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, an election many political analysts believe was unfairly taken from Nixon.
In the 21st century, even with advancements in technology, tight elections can still result in prolonged counting periods, varying by state. In the 2020 election, for instance, it took four days after Election Day for the final results to be determined.
The Times cautioned that, due to “intense security measures required for counting mail-in ballots,” it is unlikely that Americans will know the winner of the 2024 presidential election immediately. As the paper reported: “If a winner is not declared on election night, it will not necessarily point to failures in the process. More likely, it will be a result of the intense security measures required for counting mail-in ballots.”
Officials are preparing voters for the possibility of waiting longer for results, particularly in closely contested races. This is part of an effort to address concerns that could be raised by conspiracy theorists about the legitimacy of the vote count. The report states: “Election officials across the country are trying to telegraph to voters that waiting long hours or even days for a result is not unexpected in a close election. They are eager to counter conspiracy theorists who may seize on the uncertainty as evidence of fraud or malfeasance.…”
The process of counting mail-in ballots is time-consuming because it involves multiple security steps. This includes verifying signatures and ensuring that voters did not attempt to vote in person as well. Election workers must also manually open the ballots and prepare them for processing before they can be counted: “Counting mail ballots takes more time because there are more steps involved. A variety of security measures, including signature verification and ensuring that voters did not also try to vote in person, are required. Election officials must open the ballots and flatten them out before they can be put in a tabulator to be counted.”
However, the Times reassured its readers that, despite these precautions, the 2024 results are not expected to take as long as they did in 2020. According to the publication, many states have streamlined their procedures for counting mail-in ballots, and election officials are now more experienced with the process.
{Matzav.com}
TERROR IN JERUSALEM: Palestinian Terrorist Shot After Stabbing Border Police Officer
What Are Houthi Terrorists Doing In Syria?
Netanyahu To Address UN General Assembly
Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is scheduled to travel to the United States later this month to deliver an address to the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 27, his office announced on Sunday.
The Israeli premier is slated to leave for New York on Sept. 24 for meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the event, according to the statement.
Netanyahu is to address the 79th Session of the U.N. General Assembly three days later, on Friday afternoon, and fly back the next Sunday.
Israel is girding for a high-stakes diplomatic confrontation at the United Nations, as the Palestinian Authority pushes for sweeping measures against the Jewish state, including calls for an arms embargo and sanctions.
Jerusalem has reportedly crafted a series of escalating countermeasures, from freezing funds to cutting security ties with Ramallah, should the General Assembly vote to adopt the proposed anti-Israel resolutions.
As high-level diplomatic consultations unfold, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has directed his team to draw up measures against the P.A. If it follows through on its threats and violates the Oslo Accords, Jerusalem won’t hesitate to “go all the way,” diplomatic sources have warned.
According to a report by Israel’s Channel 12 News on Sept. 8, Ramallah has circulated a draft resolution asking the General Assembly to urge Israel to withdraw from Judea and Samaria and remove some 500,000 Israeli citizens living in the territory within six months. JNS
{Matzav.com Israel}
MONSEY: Sudden Petira Of Reb Leibel Schwartz Z”L; Owner of Electric Outlet
[FREE This Week!] 40 Leading Voices In Torah Education Reveal The Inside Story
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THE “BUT”: Blinken and Lammy: We Support Israel, But It’s Important To Avoid Escalatory Action
Yesterday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy voiced their backing for Israel’s security while cautioning against any “escalatory action” that could hinder hopes for peace.
A joint statement from the UK and US governments followed a meeting between Blinken and Lammy in London. In it, Lammy “expressed the United Kingdom’s clear support for the ongoing mediation efforts by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar to conclude the agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages.”
The statement emphasized that “both the United Kingdom and United States underlined their support for Israel’s security and the importance of avoiding any escalatory action in the region which would undermine the prospect for peace and progress towards a two-state solution.”
The statement further detailed their “shared commitment to securing a political agreement for a lasting security solution along the Blue Line that will allow Israeli and Lebanese civilians on both sides to return to their homes with safety and security.”
Additionally, Blinken and Lammy addressed the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, reiterating calls for all involved in the conflict to ensure the protection of civilians. They urged Israel to facilitate aid access and ensure that UN and humanitarian organizations can carry out their work safely. They also highlighted the ongoing polio vaccination efforts and the need for cooperation from all parties, ensuring that health agencies, including the WHO, can vaccinate children in need.
Iran’s nuclear program was another topic of discussion, with Blinken and Lammy agreeing that “Iran’s nuclear program had never been more advanced and posed a clear threat to regional and global peace and security.”
The US has been pushing a framework for a ceasefire and the release of hostages, initially proposed by President Joe Biden in May, although Hamas has consistently rejected each version of the plan.
On Wednesday, Hamas stated again that its representatives were prepared to enforce an “immediate” ceasefire with Israel in Gaza, contingent on a previous US plan without new stipulations.
Blinken, on Tuesday, remained optimistic, downplaying concerns about the lack of a breakthrough on a hostage deal. He mentioned that the US would soon introduce a fresh proposal for a possible agreement.
“On the ceasefire, here’s what I can tell you: More than 90 percent of the issues have been agreed, decided. So we’re down to a handful of issues – not even a handful of issues – that are hard but fully resolvable, in our judgment. And as we’ve said before, when you get down to the last 10 percent, the last 10 meters, those are, almost by definition, the hardest ground to cover. But we believe that these are fully resolvable,” Blinken explained to reporters.
“We’re currently working closely with our Egyptian and Qatari partners to resolve the remaining gaps. And soon, very soon, we’ll present this to the involved parties and await their response,” he added.
{Matzav.com}
Poll: Majority Of Israelis Would Vote For Donald Trump In U.S. Election If They Could
Financial Expert: Kamala Harris’s Tax Policies Are an ‘American Dream Destroyer’
Mark Matson, a financial expert and author of Experiencing the American Dream, shared with Breitbart News his strong views on how Vice President Kamala Harris’s policies could jeopardize the American Dream, calling them a “destroyer” of that ideal.
Matson’s book, Experiencing the American Dream: How to Invest Your Time, Energy, and Money to Create an Extraordinary Life, which provides guidance on financial investments to secure a prosperous future for Americans, is set for release this Sunday.
During a conversation with Breitbart News host Matthew Boyle, the question was posed about whether the American Dream is becoming less attainable for many citizens.
Matson’s reply was firm: “We have to fight for it. This is really a fight for the future of the country. Are we going to go down the socialist, Communist road and have the Communist dream? Or, are we going to have the American Dream that’s funded by capitalism and free markets and entrepreneurship?”
He referred to a Wall Street Journal study that defines key components of the American Dream, such as:
- Homeownership
- Starting a family and raising children
- Sending children to college
- Enjoying a secure retirement
“All of these things became more difficult under this administration,” Matson remarked.
Matson further criticized Harris’s policy proposals, including higher taxes, price controls, and increased regulations, all of which he believes stand in opposition to the American Dream.
“These policies,” Matson declared, “are an American dream destroyer.”
Boyle later asked what actions a possible Trump administration could take to support Americans in achieving their dreams.
Matson emphasized the need to preserve the Trump-era tax cuts, warning that their expiration could result in tax hikes of 20 to 30 percent for Americans.
He also advocated for lower capital gains taxes and maintaining reduced corporate taxes.
According to Matson, Trump should “have capital gains stay at 20 percent or go down to zero. That’s already your money, you grew it to fulfill your family dreams. You should not be putting a 28 percent on corporations.”
By keeping corporate tax rates low, Matson argued, the U.S. would attract more businesses, leading to job creation and economic growth.
{Matzav.com}
US Consumer Sentiment Ticks Higher For Second Month But Remains Subdued
U.S. Hostages Still Owe Taxes. Congress Might Not Help.
Members of Congress agree they must change the law so that Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained by terrorist groups or foreign governments don’t owe penalties for failing to pay taxes while they’re captive. But their attempt to address that problem is stuck in a fight over other legislation.
The Senate in May unanimously passed a measure that would prevent the Internal Revenue Service from assessing penalties to freed hostages who didn’t file or pay taxes during their ordeal. On Wednesday, the House Ways and Means Committee unanimously advanced similar legislation.
But the House committee packaged the hostage tax bill with a measure that would make it easier for the government to strip tax-exempt status from nonprofit groups over allegations of support for terrorism.
And because of an arcane procedural step Congress took to try to speed passage of the hostage bill, that move probably prevented it from becoming law.
The Senate used an obscure tool called a “deeming resolution” to approve the hostage provision – it unanimously declared that once the legislation passes the House, it would also be considered passed by the Senate. But if the bill is altered in any way in the House, the Senate’s action is moot.
The House bill, though, is different from the Senate’s because of the section on nonprofits. Free speech and pro-Palestinian advocacy groups oppose that provision, concerned that it could be leveraged to silence organizations with dissenting views or halt the work of humanitarian agencies that operate in areas controlled by terrorist entities, especially in the context of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. That opposition probably dooms the House bill’s chances in the Senate.
“Ways and Means, by adding an unrelated bill to it, guarantees that [the deeming resolution] won’t work and that we will either have to revise it, change it, send it back, or that we won’t get this done in this Congress,” Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), one of the hostage bill’s main supporters, told The Washington Post. “My hope is that the House will recognize they have a chance to just send this bill to us and it goes directly to the president’s desk.”
Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason T. Smith (R-Mo.), though, said in a meeting Wednesday that the two provisions were closely related. Terrorist group Hamas is believed to be holding seven Americans hostage in Gaza, four of whom are said to be alive. When they are released, they could face substantial tax penalties, Smith said.
“Our hearts break for the hostages kidnapped by Hamas on October 7th, including the Americans still being held captive. Russia and other nations continue to wrongfully detain other Americans abroad as well. The last thing these Americans and their families need are penalties from the IRS for a situation entirely outside of their control,” Smith said. “At the same time, U.S.-based organizations that enjoy not-for-profit status in our tax code while supporting terrorism or providing financial support to terrorist organizations should not be able to benefit from tax-exempt status.”
Groups that provide “support” to terrorist groups – defined in federal law as financial, material or logistical assistance, with exemptions for medicine and religious items – are already subject to having their nonprofit status revoked. They fall under the same provisions that regulate terrorist activity and financing, and those convicted under the statute could face a decades-long prison sentence. The House’s bill would create a new suspension and review process for nonprofit groups, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.
Smith’s committee advanced the legislation by a 38-0 vote; Democratic Reps. Lloyd Doggett (Tex.) and Don Beyer (Va.) said they voted for the bill in committee but hoped it could be amended to limit the use of the nonprofit provision.
But there’s very little time left in the congressional session, so the Senate probably will not be able to consider the bill this year, and lawmakers will have to start the process from the beginning in 2025.
The legislation would have a negligible impact on federal finances but has an significant effect on individuals returning home from captivity.
When Post columnist Jason Rezaian returned to the United States in 2016 after 544 days in Iranian captivity, he paid a $6,000 tax penalty. Rezaian said in an interview that Smith’s assertion that his bill will help people held hostage by Hamas is based on a misunderstanding: The IRS has a long-standing practice of forgiveness for people who are held hostage by non-state organizations, including Hamas and groups like the Islamic State or Boko Haram, Rezaian said. The goal of the new bill is to expand that to people held by foreign governments, like Russia or China.
“When I returned home from Iran in 2016 after being imprisoned for nearly a year and a half, I found that the IRS had charged me with thousands of dollars in penalties for not filing my taxes on time,” Rezaian wrote in The Post last month, after several Americans were released from captivity in Russia. “The usual penalties had compounded. I was sleeping less than three hours a night, repeatedly waking from nightmares that I was back in prison. During the day, I was distracted and having trouble concentrating. So I neglected to sit down and address the problem.”
Kia Hamadanchy, senior policy counsel at the ACLU, said he has been urging members of Congress to vote against the bill because of the component on nonprofits’ tax exempt status.
The law already provides ways to strip organizations of their tax-exempt status if they provide material support for terrorism, he said; the proposed legislation broadens the government’s powers to do so in ways that Hamadanchy fears could be weaponized against nonprofits that fall out of favor with future White House administrations.
“This is really a way of trying to stifle dissent and chill speech,” he said.
(c) Washington Post
Former UN Amb: “Houthi Missiles Are Another Outcome Of Biden/Harris Admin’s Failed Policies”
Mrs. Kraindy (Weinberger) Pinkovics a”h
It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Mrs. Kraindy (Weinberger) Pinkovics a”h. She was approximately thirty years old.
Kraindy, a beloved wife and mother, fell ill following the birth of her youngest child and, sadly, never recovered.
Kraindy was a member of the Somerset/East 7th Street community in Lakewood, NJ.
She is survived by her parents, R’ and Mrs. Mordechai Weinberger, her devoted husband, R’ Binyomin Pinkovics, and their five children.
The levayah will be held today at noon at Khal Chasan Sofer, located at 490 Manetta Avenue in Lakewood, followed by kevurah at the bais hachaim in Deans, NJ.
Yehi zichrah boruch.
{Matzav.com}
Trump Refuses to Criticize Laura Loomer Amid Concerns From Republican Allies About Her Influence
Paraguay to Open Yerushalayim Embassy by End of Year
The Republic of Paraguay will open its embassy in Yerushalayim by the end of 2024, in a sign of support for Israel in Latin America, Paraguayan Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano said on Thursday.
The embassy move, which had been planned before the start of the war against Hamas in Gaza, is a diplomatic boon for Israel at a time when it has faced international opprobrium over the 11-month-old war triggered by the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre.
Paraguayan President Santiago Peña will travel to Israel for the inauguration of the embassy in Israel’s capital, Ramírez Lezcano said in an interview with JNS.
“It is the government’s intention to open the embassy in Jerusalem before the end of the year,” Ramírez Lezcano told JNS. “Work is being done on the logistical aspects for the opening.”
He added that preparations were underway for a state visit by the president this fall for the opening of the embassy.
“The upcoming embassy move shows that the relationship between Paraguay and Israel is entering a new era of unprecedented bilateral cooperation and growth,” said Leopoldo Martinez, Latin America director of the Washington-based-Israel Allies Foundation.
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana is scheduled to travel to both Paraguay and Argentina next week, where he will meet the presidents of the two countries, both staunch Israel allies who have pledged to relocate their embassies to Yerushalayim.
Paraguay first moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Yerushalayim in 2018, following then-President Donald Trump’s lead and becoming the third country to do so after the United States and Guatemala.
However, months later, the embassy was returned to Tel Aviv, setting off a diplomatic crisis with Israel. The surprise decision led Israel to shutter its embassy in Asunción, citing harm the Paraguayan move had caused to bilateral relations.
During his election campaign last year, Peña pledged that he would return the embassy to Yerushalayim.
“The State of Israel recognizes Jerusalem as its capital,” he said. “The seat of the parliament is in Jerusalem, the president is in Jerusalem. So who are we to question where they establish their own capital?”
Landlocked Paraguay has a long history of friendship with Israel, dating back to its vote for the creation of the Jewish state at the United Nations in 1947.
Five countries currently have their embassies in Israel’s capital: the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo and Papua New Guinea.
All of the other countries that have ties with Israel maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv or in Tel Aviv suburbs due to the political sensitivities over the holy city.
Trump’s landmark decision to move the U.S. embassy to Yerushalayim in 2018 set the stage for other countries to follow suit in the following years, with additional nations expected to make similar announcements after a delay caused by the war against Hamas.
(JNS)