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WATCH: The moment an IDF drone eliminated an IRGC Quds Force operative near the Beirut International Airport.

An Israeli drone struck a vehicle in Khalde, south of Beirut, Lebanese media report. The IDF confirms it eliminated a terrorist operating on behalf of the IRGC’s Quds Force who was smuggling weapons and advancing terror attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has now been speaking for over 5 hours. To date, the longest floor speech in the U.S. House was given by then-Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (8 hrs. and 32 min.) from November 18-19, 2021.

Claire Shipman, who now serves as Columbia University’s acting president, allegedly pushed to add an Arab representative to the school’s board of trustees and privately expressed opposition to keeping a Jewish trustee due to her pro-Israel views, according to internal communications reviewed by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

“We need to get somebody from the middle east [sic] or who is Arab on our board,” Shipman wrote in a WhatsApp message on January 17, 2024. “Quickly I think. Somehow.”

A week later, she criticized trustee Shoshana Shendelman, a vocal opponent of anti-Israel protests on campus, telling colleagues she had been “extraordinarily unhelpful.” Shipman added, “I just don’t think she should be on the board.”

These conversations were revealed in a letter sent Tuesday by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) to Shipman, obtained first by The Washington Free Beacon. The lawmakers asked Shipman to explain the exchanges, which they said “raise troubling questions regarding Columbia’s priorities just months after the October 7th attack, which was the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust,” and flagged possible violations of civil rights law.

The letter noted that if Columbia were to appoint someone to the board “specifically because of their national origin,” the action could “implicate Title VI concerns.”

The documents also detail how, during the pro-Palestinian encampment on Columbia’s campus in 2024, Shipman warned vice-chair Wanda Greene not to engage with Shendelman, whom she claimed was probing for information. “Do you believe that she is a mole?” Greene asked on April 22. “A Fox in the henhouse?” Shipman responded, “I do.”

The Free Beacon reported that Shendelman was among the trustees who urged university leadership to restore order by bringing in law enforcement. Columbia ultimately delayed police involvement until after protesters occupied a building and allegedly held a janitor hostage, leading to dozens of arrests.

During the crisis, Shendelman went to campus to retrieve her daughters and their friends, who were unable to leave Butler Library because of the protest. In a subsequent trustees call, she described the ordeal, but her concerns were allegedly brushed aside. Shipman appeared to reference the incident when writing, “And like driving to campus and loading people into a suv. I just don’t know.”

Other messages revealed further disdain for Shendelman. Greene wrote, “I’m tired of her.” To which Shipman replied, “So so tired.” Shendelman is a biotech CEO whose family escaped Iran during the 1979 revolution.

Lawmakers homed in on the comments about Shendelman, questioning why Shipman appeared eager to oust “one of the board’s most outspoken Jewish advocates at a time when Columbia students were facing a shocking level of fear and hostility.”

A Columbia University spokesperson told Breitbart News the correspondence was being taken out of context. “These communications were provided to the Committee in the fall of 2024 and reflect communications from more than a year ago. They are now being published out of context and reflect a particularly difficult moment in time for the University when leaders across Columbia were intensely focused on addressing significant challenges,” the statement said.

The spokesperson added, “This work is ongoing, and to be clear: Columbia is deeply committed to combating antisemitism and working with the federal government on this very serious issue, including our ongoing discussions to reach an agreement with the Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism. Acting President Claire Shipman has been vocally and visibly committed to eradicating antisemitism on campus; the work underway at the university to create a safe and welcoming environment for all community members makes that plain.”

Following publication of the committee’s findings, The New York Post obtained an email Shipman reportedly sent to close contacts, in which she took responsibility for her words. “Let me be clear: The things I said in a moment of frustration and stress were wrong,” Shipman wrote. “They do not reflect how I feel… It was a moment of immense pressure, over a year and a half ago, as we navigated some deeply turbulent times. But that doesn’t change the fact that I made a mistake.”

She also claimed to have offered a personal apology to Shendelman: “I have tremendous respect and appreciation for that board member, whose voice on behalf of Columbia’s Jewish community is critically important. I should not have written those things, and I am sorry.”

In response, Shendelman told Breitbart News, “The cavalier attitude towards student safety and the casual cruelty that is captured within the texts don’t leave much to interpretation and is understandably alarming to parents of college students nationwide. I can’t control what others do, but I will do my best to change things in a positive way for the sake of our students, our universities and our nation. I will continue to lead by example – to work hard and to do the right thing with moral clarity.”

The committee also included a December 2023 message in which Shipman dismissed congressional scrutiny. Writing to then-president Minouche Shafik, she referred to “the capital [sic] hill nonsense”—presumably referencing Shafik’s testimony before lawmakers investigating campus antisemitism.

“Your reference to ‘capital [sic] hill nonsense’ is disturbing given Congress’s role in conducting oversight to ensure universities are fulfilling their obligations to protect Jewish students,” the committee wrote. “Congress’s efforts to ensure the safety and security of Jewish students—who make up almost a quarter of your campus population—is not ‘capital [sic] hill nonsense.’”

In another exchange dated October 30, 2023, Shipman acknowledged concerns from the Jewish community but seemed to downplay their validity: “people are really frustrated and scared about antisemitism on our campus and they feel somehow betrayed by it. Which is not necessarily a rational feeling but it’s deep and it is quite threatening.”

The committee criticized this description as dismissive, especially “considering the violence and harassment against Jewish and Israeli students already occurring on Columbia’s campus at the time.”

Reacting to Columbia’s claim that the messages were taken out of context, Rep. Walberg pushed back forcefully. “Two years ago, college and university administrators famously stated ‘it depends on the context’ to defend their lack of response to antisemitism on their campuses. Now, Columbia University is using this tired practice of blaming ‘context’ for their acting president’s questionable texts and emails,” he told Breitbart News. “Americans are smarter than these institutions seem to think and can see through this overused line.”

The disclosures come as Columbia tries to recover from a loss of $400 million in federal funding, which the Trump administration revoked in March, citing the university’s failure to protect Jewish students from harassment. In June, federal officials also alleged that Columbia was out of compliance with accreditation requirements and in violation of anti-discrimination laws.

Shipman has reportedly accepted some of the administration’s conditions to restore funding, including a campus mask ban and authorization for university police to detain and remove students as needed, according to The New York Post.

In a private letter, Shipman wrote that Columbia is “committed to restoring our critical partnership with the federal government as quickly as possible, so that thousands of our faculty and researchers and students can get back to the essential work they do on behalf of humanity.”

{Matzav.com}

HORROR: The families of the hostages Maxim Herkin, 37, and Bar Kupershtein, 23, gave permission for a clip of a Hamas propaganda video to be published on Thursday. The clip is from a longer video which is intended to voice the families’ cry against the possibility of a partial hostage release deal that would include “cruel selections” and “separation between blood and blood.” The clip was taken from a video published by Hamas in April, but at that time, the Herkin and Kupershtein families did not approve its publication.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday branded New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani a “Communist Lunatic” and pledged to “save” the city from his leadership, escalating a political brawl between the Republican president and socialist mayoral contender. Writing on Truth Social, Trump lashed out at Mamdani, who clinched the Democratic primary last week, vowing: “As President of the United States, I’m not going to let this Communist Lunatic destroy New York. Rest assured, I hold all the levers, and have all the cards. I’ll save New York City, and make it ‘Hot’ and ‘Great’ again, just like I did with the Good Ol’ USA!” The president’s broadside follows Mamdani’s own rhetorical shots, including labeling himself “Donald Trump’s worst nightmare” during a primary debate. Trump’s threats went far beyond insults. At a Tuesday press conference in Florida, he openly threatened to cut federal funding to New York City if Mamdani takes office, and even floated arresting him should the candidate follow through on promises to eject federal immigration enforcement officers from the city. “We’ll have to arrest him,” Trump declared when asked about Mamdani’s vow to remove ICE agents. Trump also questioned Mamdani’s citizenship status, despite clear documentation showing he was born in Uganda in 1991 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2018. “A lot of people are saying he’s here illegally,” Trump claimed. The threats against Mamdani mark one of the most aggressive interventions by Trump in a local race. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

In a significant step toward ensuring equal enforcement of protest-related laws across all sectors of Israeli society, the Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved a bill on Wednesday aimed at eliminating selective law enforcement against certain populations, including the chareidi community.

The proposed legislation, sponsored by MK Moshe Roth, is designed to establish a clear and equal standard of enforcement for public protests, regardless of the protesters’ background. It seeks to enshrine the principle that the basic right to demonstrate must be upheld fairly for all citizens.

“There is nothing more corrosive to a society than when its citizens feel they are being treated unequally,” the bill states, citing a 1987 Supreme Court ruling. “The feeling of inequality is one of the most damaging. It undermines the forces that unite society and harms an individual’s sense of identity.”

The proposal comes against a backdrop of years-long claims of systemic bias by law enforcement authorities—especially the police, state prosecution, and attorney general’s office—toward certain communities. These include chareidim, residents of the yishuvim (settlements), and members of the Ethiopian-Israeli community.

One case cited in the bill is a February 2025 ruling by Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court Judge Avital Mold, who dismissed charges against a chareidi minor due to what she called “selective enforcement.” The judge noted that similar charges were not brought against non-chareidi youth involved in passive protests.

The bill further claims that protests involving visibly chareidi demonstrators were met with harsher police tactics—such as water cannons laced with foul-smelling “skunk” liquid—while protests on Kaplan Street in Tel Aviv, despite road blockages and violent behavior, did not face the same response.

MK Roth’s bill affirms that all protestors must be treated equally, including in matters such as road blockages, demonstrations near the homes of public officials, the use of crowd control tools, and decisions involving detentions, investigations, arrests, or indictments for disorderly conduct.

To enhance transparency and oversight, the proposal requires law enforcement agencies to report twice a year to the Knesset’s National Security Committee. These reports must include detailed statistics on investigations, arrests, case closures, and indictments related to protests—broken down by demographic group and protest location.

Additionally, the attorney general will be obligated to appear before the committee annually to report on enforcement policies related to protests and to answer lawmakers’ questions.

“This bill sets a fundamental principle: the right to protest belongs equally to everyone, and law enforcement must act accordingly,” said MK Roth. “The law will require regular reporting to the Knesset and allow for real oversight. Selective enforcement is an injustice that must be eliminated.”

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration has accused states and schools of using federal education grants earmarked for immigrants’ children and low-income students to help fund “a radical leftwing agenda.” The administration this week withheld more than $6 billion intended for after-school and summer programs, English language instruction, adult literacy and more, saying it would review the grants to ensure they align with President Donald Trump’s priorities. The freeze sent schools and summer camp providers scrambling to determine whether they can still provide programs like day camps this summer or after-hours child care this fall. On Wednesday, the Office of Management and Budget said an initial review showed schools used some of the money to support immigrants in the country illegally or promote alternative lifestyle inclusion. The administration said it hadn’t made any final decisions about whether to withhold or release individual grants. “Many of these grant programs have been grossly misused to subsidize a radical leftwing agenda,” the Office of Management and Budget said in a statement. It said New York schools had used money for English language instruction to promote organizations that advocate for immigrants in the country illegally. Washington state used the money to direct immigrants without legal status toward scholarships the Trump administration says were “intended for American students.” Grant funds also were used for a seminar on “queer resistance in the arts,” the office said. Officials from New York and Washington state didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Advocates for low-income and immigrant children connected the grant freeze to the Trump administration’s larger crackdown on immigrants. Two of the five federal programs put on hold were appropriated by Congress to help support English proficiency of students still learning the language and migrant children who move with their parents to follow agricultural and other jobs. School districts use the $890 million earmarked for English learners in a wide range of purposes, from training teachers’ aides who work with English learners, to running summer schools designed for them, to hiring family liaisons who speak the parents’ native languages. The $375 million appropriated for migrant education is often used to hire dedicated teachers to travel close to where students live. By “cherrypicking extreme examples,” the administration is seeking to conflate all students learning English with people who are in the country illegally, said Amaya Garcia, who directs education research at New America, a left-leaning think tank in Washington, D.C. In reality, the majority of English learners in public schools were born in the United States, according to data from the Migration Policy Institute. “The way they’re framing it is that we’re using this money for undocumented students and families,” said Margarita Machado-Casas, president of the National Association of Bilingual Educators. “It’s a distraction. A distraction from what’s actually happening: that 5.3 million English learners who speak lots of different languages, not just Spanish, will suffer.” Even if the students lack legal status, states may not deny public education to children in the country illegally under a 1982 Supreme Court decision known as Plyler v. Doe. Conservative politicians in states such as Oklahoma, Texas and Tennessee have pursued policies that question whether immigrants without legal residency should have the right to a public education, raising the possibility of challenges to that landmark ruling. Meanwhile, states and school districts are still trying […]

[COMMUNICATED]

When Akiva Zuravin set out to develop Jerusalem Estates, he wasn’t simply building luxury apartments—he was making a statement. Tucked into the historic Schneller compound in the heart of the frum neighborhoods and within walking distance of prominent Chassidic centers, Jerusalem Estates became more than just a sought-after address. It became a symbol of what’s possible when vision, values, and execution align.

“We weren’t just creating buildings,” Zuravin reflects. “We were shaping something that felt deeply connected to its surroundings—authentic, beautiful, and thoughtfully done.”

It was that mindset that set Jerusalem Estates apart—and that continues to define Zuravin’s approach today. With Ir Olam, his most ambitious development yet, the goal is even broader: not just to build homes, but to shape the rhythm of modern life in Jerusalem.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Located adjacent to Givat Shaul, Kiryat Moshe, and Beit Hakerem, and minutes away from Har Nof, Ir Olam rises from the grounds of the old flour mill—once an industrial area and now envisioned as one of Jerusalem’s most forward-looking quarters for living, working, and gathering.

Where Jerusalem Estates was a residential landmark, Ir Olam is a full-scale quarter, featuring three luxury residential towers, two LEED Platinum-certified office buildings, a boutique shopping boulevard, green rooftops, shuls, co-working areas, a school, and a central piazza designed to foster everyday connection.

But beyond design and functionality lies a deeper intention: community. At Jerusalem Estates, Zuravin prioritized buyers who shared common values—people who could not only live alongside one another but thrive together. That same care is being applied at Ir Olam.

“When people share the same rhythm of life,” Zuravin explains, “the entire experience becomes more meaningful. The gym, the shul, the party room—they’re not just amenities. They’re points of connection.”

In Ir Olam, where residents will share workspaces, rooftops, lounges, and lifestyle services, community isn’t just a feature—it’s part of the architecture. The goal is a natural, respectful cohesion that allows for privacy and belonging to coexist.

The project was conceived by Yashar Architects, whose signature blends functionality with elegance, and is being built to international standards of environmental sustainability and urban planning. Every detail has been thoughtfully considered, with user experience at the core.

Crafted for those who know.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Over the last 16 years, a new approach and method of limud Hashas has been nurtured and developed in Eretz Yisroel at Reshet Kollelei Shas Yiden. This phenomenon has captured the imagination and electrified lomdei Hatorah throughout the world, and has earned the avid support of Gedolim across the Torah spectrum.  Shas Yiden in UK & USA Shas Yiden not only grew from 6 avreichim metzuyonim to 126 avreichim geonim in five kollelim across Eretz Yisroel but, in response to repeated requests from abroad, a Shas Yiden kollel was first established in the UK, in Stamford Hill, London. The Shas Yiden reputation soared in this location and their first Annual Siyum Hashas with Gedolei Torah in attendance reflected the grandeur of those in Yerushalayim. This foray into Chutz La’aretz has been followed by a long-awaited opening of a Shas Yiden kollel in Flatbush, NY. The Eretz Yisroeldike bren of learning the entire Shas has already had a significant local impact and is a source of inspiration to the local Flatbush kollelim. The incredible devotion to limud gantz Shas and its completion within a year by each avreich at Shas Yiden has encouraged many others to try and emulate this broader study of Shas. This elevated level of Torah study at Shas Yiden and the ability of the avreichim geonim to face public oral farheren by world recognized Gedolei Torah, together with monthly tests on 225 blatt, is nothing short of remarkable. Shas Yiden has truly raised the bar in the study of Shas. Our unique system of learning, the tight demanding regimen and the motivation emanating from Eretz Yisroel has truly placed Shas Yiden in a Torah league of its own.  In the Words of Maranan Hageonim Sar Hatorah, רשכבה”ג Maran Hagadol Harav Chaim Kanievsky, זצ”ל – Nasi, Shas YidenI tested them, I know them throughout Shas – a Yissachar-Zevulun pact with Shas Yiden is the most mehudar partnership  Rosh Hayeshiva, רשכבה”ג Maran Hagadol Harav Gershon Edelstein, זצ”לShas Yiden has raised the bar of Torah learning in both depth and clarity, and its unique method of ameilus in Torah The Sanzer Rebbe, שליט”אA first in 2000 years of Jewish history – never before a Torah institution where ALL the avreichim know kol Hashas kulo, Rashi and Tosfos b’al peh Over 1.6 Million Blatt at Shas YidenThis Year Alone! With each of the 122 avreichim geonim at Shas Yiden required to complete a minimum of 13,555 blatt per year, you are helping support some 1,654,000 blatt!  At the most recent farheren, the reaction of the Gedolei Torah conducting the testing to the prowess of the Shas Yiden was simply one of amazement at the breadth and detailed knowledge and all-encompassing mastery of Shas – remarking: “They know it like others know Ashrei Yoshvei!” The joy of the avreichim geonim and their clear love of Torah electrifies each farher. (To see the different farheren in action, please click on our website: www.shasyiden.com.) It is no wonder that the overall reaction to the Shas Yiden Network is that in its 15 years it has certainly revolutionized and raised the bar in the learning and mastery of Shas.  Caring for the Avreichim Families Despite the difficulties of these last few years, Covid etc., Shas Yiden has made sure to keep our commitment to each of […]

Despite increasing pressure to introduce new draft legislation in the coming days, the chareidi parties are expected to oppose the proposed bill, but without threatening the stability of the coalition government, according to a report by Kan News.

With a ticking political clock, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s inner circle is under mounting pressure to present a draft of the new giyus (IDF draft) law to avoid a coalition crisis and fulfill promises made to the chareidi factions. A failure to bring a bill forward by next Wednesday could escalate tensions, as chareidi representatives have warned of taking stronger action if no legislative progress is seen.

According to Kan, a draft version of the law is expected to be submitted in the coming days and presented to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Negotiations with the chareidi parties are in their final stages and are expected to continue tomorrow as part of the process of presenting an initial draft.

One significant change reportedly included in the bill is a clause mandating the enlistment of over 4,800 chareidi men in the first year of implementation, a point of concern within the chareidi community.

While there has been vocal opposition from United Torah Judaism and Shas regarding any legislation that would require thousands of bochurim to enlist in the IDF, senior chareidi sources told Kan that they do not intend to leave the coalition over the introduction of the bill, signaling a pragmatic approach despite ideological objections.

This political development comes as Netanyahu appointed MK Yisrael Eichler as Minister of Housing, under pressure from Agudas Yisrael to return control of the ministry to the party. Eichler will serve in this role until Minister Yitzchak Goldknopf, who stepped down temporarily, is able to resume his position.

Officials in the Prime Minister’s Office have expressed hope that Goldknopf will soon return to his ministerial duties, a move that would further stabilize the coalition and reinforce the government’s efforts to advance the draft law before the looming deadline next Wednesday.

{Matzav.com Israel}

The United States is preparing to authorize the transfer of B-2 stealth bombers and 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs to Israel if Iran renews its nuclear weapons program, under a bipartisan bill introduced this week. The legislation, called the Bunker Buster Act, would give President Trump authority to “take actions to ensure Israel is prepared for all contingencies if Iran seeks to develop a nuclear weapon,” according to sponsors Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Mike Lawler (R-NY). “Iran, the leading state sponsor of terror, and one of America’s top enemies, can never have a nuclear weapon,” Gottheimer said. “They have killed scores of Americans and repeatedly attacked Israel, our key democratic ally. Israel must be able to defend herself and ensure Iran cannot rebuild its nuclear capabilities.” Lawler said the measure would “give the President the authority to equip Israel with the tools and training they need to deter Tehran and make the world a safer place.” The B-2 stealth bomber — which the U.S. has never allowed any ally to operate — is the only aircraft capable of delivering the 20-foot, 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), designed to punch through up to 200 feet of reinforced concrete. Last month, B-2 crews took part in a landmark joint attack with Israel on Iran’s nuclear facilities, dropping 14 bunker buster bombs on three heavily fortified sites. President Trump said the operation “totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program, though U.S. officials have rejected speculation that Tehran moved its stockpiles of enriched uranium before the bombing. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi confirmed this week that Iran’s centrifuges at the Fordow underground facility are “no longer operational” after the strikes. However, he cautioned that Iran’s nuclear infrastructure could bounce back faster than many believe. “The capacities they have are there,” Grossi told CBS. “They can have, you know, in a matter of months, I would say, a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium, or less than that. But as I said, frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared and there is nothing there.” “It is clear that there has been severe damage, but it’s not total damage,” he added. “Iran has the capacities there; industrial and technological capacities. So if they so wish, they will be able to start doing this again.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

When Iran vowed to avenge the 2020 killing of General Qassim Suleimani, many in Washington feared an army of shadowy operatives would strike on U.S. soil. But behind the curtain, Iran’s plans looked less like a spy thriller and more like a true-crime caper gone wrong, a New York Times report reveals. Instead of deploying skilled agents, Iranian military officials have repeatedly outsourced their revenge missions to a haphazard collection of criminals, biker gang members, cartel hitmen, and old prison buddies — sometimes with shockingly amateurish results. A dramatic illustration emerged during the 2024 presidential campaign, when Iran set its sights on assassinating Donald Trump. Prosecutors say the job landed in the lap of Farhad Shakeri, an Afghan man living in Tehran. Rather than training a covert squad, Shakeri turned to two men he’d met in a U.S. prison more than ten years earlier: a Brooklyn pipefitter known as “Pop” Rivera and his friend Jonathon Loadholt of Staten Island. The FBI intercepted the plan before anyone could act. The pattern isn’t new. A decade of federal indictments shows Iran again and again turning to underworld freelancers. One plot recruited Russian mobsters to kill a dissident journalist in New York; another used a Hells Angel in Canada to target an Iranian defector in Maryland. Back in 2011, an Iranian American in Texas offered a Mexican drug cartel $1.5 million to bomb a Washington, D.C. restaurant in hopes of assassinating the Saudi ambassador. “Tehran wants the results, but not the fingerprints,” said Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism scholar at Georgetown University. By using outsiders, Iran tries to avoid direct blame, but risks losing control over the mission. At the same time, U.S. security agencies have kept up warnings about sleeper cells that could be waiting in place for orders. After the recent airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear program, border and intelligence officials warned of fresh infiltration risks. Customs and Border Protection reported that roughly 1,700 Iranians were apprehended crossing the southern border between 2021 and 2024. Officials acknowledged many could be dissidents fleeing the regime, but also flagged the possibility that some might support Tehran. Within days of the new airstrikes, Homeland Security announced the arrests of nearly a dozen Iranians living in the country illegally, including a man previously identified as a suspected terrorist and another with known Hezbollah ties. Civil liberties advocates have challenged the government’s narrative, cautioning against painting all Iranian migrants as potential terrorists. The lesson seems to be that Iran’s ability to strike inside America may be more fragile than advertised. Years of botched plots and reliance on random criminals suggest the Islamic Republic lacks a professional network ready to act. Yet the threat hasn’t disappeared. Iran continues to nurture grudges against Trump and other senior U.S. figures, including John Bolton, who was also targeted in a similar scheme involving criminals. Experts believe Tehran will keep searching for ways to settle its scores — even if it means rolling the dice on the underworld again. “They still want payback,” Hoffman said. “And they’re willing to wait.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week as layoffs in the U.S. remain low despite uncertainty about how tariffs will impact the economy. The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims for the week ending June 28 fell by 4,000 to 233,000, less than the 241,000 that analysts forecast. Applications for unemployment aid are considered a proxy for layoffs. In a separate report Thursday, the Labor Department reported that U.S. employers added 147,000 jobs in June, a sign that the American labor market continues to show surprising resilience despite uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s economic policies. The job gains were much bigger than expected and the unemployment rate ticked down 4.1% from 4.2% in May. Analysts had forecast that unemployment would rise to 4.3%. Though the job market is broadly healthy by historical standards, some weakness has surfaced as employers contend with fallout from Trump’s policies, especially his aggressive tariffs. Tariffs raise prices for businesses and consumers and most economists believe they make the economy less efficient by reducing competition. They also invite retaliatory tariffs from other countries, hurting U.S. exporters and potentially driving businesses to freeze hiring or cut staff. Many of Trump’s stiff proposed taxes on imports are currently on pause, but they’re scheduled to kick into effect next week. Unless Trump reaches deals with other countries to lower the tariffs, economists fear they could act as a drag on the economy and ignite another bout of inflation. Companies that have announced job cuts this year include Procter & Gamble, Workday, Dow, CNN, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines, and Facebook parent company Meta. On Wednesday, Microsoft announced that it is laying off about 9,000 workers, its second mass layoff in months and its largest in more than two years. Earlier this month, Google confirmed that it had offered buyouts to another swath of its workforce in a fresh round of cost-cutting ahead of a court decision that could order a breakup of its internet empire. The Labor Department’s unemployment benefits report showed that the four-week average of claims, which evens out some of the weekly volatility, fell by 3,750 to 241,500. The total number of Americans collecting unemployment benefits the week of June 21 held steady at 1.97 million. (AP)

The Knesset’s State Control Committee, chaired by MK Mickey Levy, convened yesterday for the ninth time to discuss the enforcement of core curriculum studies in chareidi educational institutions, amid ongoing tensions between government oversight bodies and the chareidi school system.

The hearing was initiated by MK Moshe Kinley Tur-Paz, who opened with strong criticism: “The State of Israel transferred funds to the chareidi education system, yet a report submitted to the High Court reveals that core curriculum subjects were not taught. Specifically, 616 standardized hours were allocated to the Chinuch Atzmai network and not returned. A review showed that 9 out of 42 schools in the network did not teach the core subjects, despite receiving funding for them.”

According to MK Tur-Paz, representatives from the school network responded by saying, “It depends on the gedolei Yisrael — if they approve, we will make the correction.” He continued, “This implies that funds taken from the state for these studies will only be properly used if permitted by rabbinic authorities — irrespective of state funding guidelines.”

He added that while the chareidi education network submitted its portion of the report to the High Court this past Sunday, the legislative branch itself has yet to receive it. “In nine schools, it is explicitly written that any correction will be made only with the approval of the gedolim. In other words — we took the money, didn’t do what was required, and now say we’ll only comply if the rabbis agree,” Tur-Paz said.

MK Avraham Betzalel pushed back against the tone of the discussion. “There are people with no real connection or understanding of the chareidi education system who are using a professional discussion as an excuse to repeatedly bash the chareidi public,” he said. “Over the past 70 years, others far more sophisticated have tried to change the chareidi community — and failed. What we saw here today was a thorough and professional presentation from the chareidi education division.”

Despite repeated requests from the committee, the Ministry of Education has refused to transfer the full report detailing compliance with core curriculum standards in primary chareidi schools. Committee Chairman MK Mickey Levy condemned the ministry’s silence: “The failure to submit the report is a serious violation of the Knesset’s role and its oversight authority. If the report is not delivered within the coming week, I will file a petition with the High Court.”

In response to the concerns raised, the head of the chareidi education division within the Ministry of Education pledged a dramatic shift starting in the upcoming school year, including stricter enforcement and oversight mechanisms to ensure compliance with national education standards. He noted that institutions failing to uphold their commitments would face sanctions.

{Matzav.com Israel}

A federal judge on Wednesday ended an order blocking the deportation of the family of the man charged in the fatal firebomb attack in Boulder, Colorado, noting government lawyers say the man’s relatives are not being rushed out of the country as the White House originally stated. Hayam El Gamal and her five children were detained by immigration agents on June 3, two days after her husband Mohamed Sabry Soliman was accused of throwing two Molotov cocktails at people demonstrating for awareness of Israeli hostages in Gaza. Prosecutors announced Monday that an 82-year-old woman who was injured in the attack had died. U.S. District Judge Orlando L. Garica dismissed the family’s lawsuit challenging their detention by immigration authorities. The ruling noted that El Gamal and her children ages 4 to 18 are not eligible for expedited deportations because they have been in the country for over two years, which he said lawyers for the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement have acknowledged. Soliman is an Egyptian national who federal authorities say was living in the U.S. illegally. He is being prosecuted in both state and federal court for the attack, which prosecutors say injured a total of 13 people. Investigators say he planned the attack for a year and was driven by a desire “to kill all Zionist people.” He has pleaded not guilty to federal hate crimes charges but hasn’t been asked to enter a plea in the state case, which now includes a murder charge. On the day El Gamal and her children were arrested, the White House said in social media posts that they “COULD BE DEPORTED AS EARLY AS TONIGHT” and that six one-way tickets had been purchased for them, with their “final boarding call coming soon.” Those statements led a federal judge in Colorado to issue an emergency order temporarily blocking the family’s deportation, Garcia said. The case was later transferred to Texas, where the family is being held in an immigration detention center for families. Garcia is based in San Antonio. Because the family is in regular deportation proceedings, there is no longer any reason to block their deportation, Garcia said. Regular proceedings can take months or even years if decisions are appealed. He also turned down the family’s request to be released from the detention center in the meantime, saying they can pursue release through the normal bond process in the immigration system. Lawyers for the family had challenged their detention as unconstitutional because they said it was intended to punish them for Soliman’s actions. According to a court filing by El Gamal’s lawyers, one of the immigration agents who arrested them told her, “You have to pay for the consequences of what you did.” Garcia said immigration authorities have discretion in deciding who to detain and he did not have authority to review their decision to detain El Gamal and her children. Lawyers for the government said they are being lawfully held because they are accused of overstaying their visas. One of the family’s attorneys, Niels Frenzen, said they hoped to get the family released from the detention center while the deportation proceedings continue. An email seeking comment from the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement was not immediately returned. (AP)

Iran’s nuclear program has been pushed back by at least one year, and potentially closer to two, after U.S. airstrikes last month devastated three key nuclear facilities, according to the Department of Defense. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told reporters Wednesday that intelligence assessments show significant damage at Iran’s Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan sites. “We believe, and certainly all of the intelligence that we’ve seen have led us to believe that those facilities especially have been completely obliterated,” Parnell said. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reiterated that assessment, rejecting early leaked estimates suggesting only months of delay. “That was premature,” Hegseth said, pointing to deeper intelligence reviews indicating Tehran’s nuclear timetable had been set back by as much as two years. The June 21 strikes came after more than a week of tit-for-tat attacks between Israel and Iran. President Trump, speaking on Fox News over the weekend, described the strikes as “obliterating like nobody’s ever seen before,” claiming they had put an end to Iran’s nuclear ambitions “at least for a period of time.” Trump added he remains open to renewing nuclear negotiations with Tehran, but argued that a formal deal is not essential and warned that more U.S. military action could follow if Iran resumes enrichment. Meanwhile, International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi told French broadcaster RFI that while the Iranian nuclear program suffered “enormous damage,” he cautioned that Tehran could restart enrichment “in a matter of months.” Grossi said, “I think ‘annihilated’ is too much, but it has suffered enormous damage.” It remains unclear whether Iran’s existing stockpiles of enriched uranium were destroyed in the U.S. strikes. American intelligence agencies have previously assessed that even with nuclear material, Iran would still need at least two years to assemble a deliverable weapon. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

As optimism grows in Israel over the possibility of a breakthrough in ceasefire talks and a hostage release deal, key details of the proposal currently on the table have been revealed. Under the plan, Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 others in five separate phases. In return, Israel would agree to a two-month ceasefire and to the release of high-level Palestinian prisoners.

Israeli officials said Thursday morning that a sense of cautious optimism surrounds the negotiations. According to those close to the process, Hamas appears to be showing signs of “flexibility,” and should the terror group respond positively to the revised proposal, an Israeli delegation is expected to travel to Qatar by the weekend to begin direct negotiations.

Senior American officials, led by special envoy Steve Witkoff, are working urgently to finalize the deal ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming visit to the White House next week.

The proposed framework includes a two-month suspension of Israeli military activity in Gaza. If serious negotiations on ending the war are underway at the end of that period, the ceasefire would continue. President Donald Trump has pledged to serve as guarantor of the agreement, ensuring that Israel extends the ceasefire as long as meaningful talks toward a permanent end to the conflict are ongoing.

According to the new terms, Hamas would release eight of the living hostages during the first week of the ceasefire. The remaining two would be freed on the 50th day. Meanwhile, the bodies of 18 fallen hostages would be returned in three separate batches throughout the 60-day truce.

In a significant concession, Israel would release a number of convicted Palestinian terrorists with blood on their hands—prisoners it had previously refused to free.

Reports in Arab media overnight stated that Hamas is “satisfied” with the revised proposal and is expected to deliver its official response by Friday.

In an official statement issued late Wednesday night, Hamas said, “Mediators are making intensive efforts to bridge the gaps between the parties and reach a framework agreement by opening a serious round of negotiations.”

The statement added, “We are acting with the utmost responsibility and are consulting with the Palestinian factions regarding the proposals forwarded by the mediators, in the hope of reaching an agreement that will bring an end to Israeli aggression, ensure the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and secure the flow of supplies to Gaza residents.”

U.S. President Donald Trump commented on the talks Wednesday, saying, “My representatives held a long and productive meeting today with the Israelis about Gaza. Israel has agreed to the terms necessary to implement a 60-day ceasefire, during which we will work with all parties to bring an end to the war.”

He added a warning directed at Hamas: “The Qataris and Egyptians, who have worked hard to advance peace, will convey this final offer. I hope, for the sake of the Middle East, that Hamas will accept the deal, because the situation will not get better—it will only get worse. Thank you for your attention to this important matter!”

{Matzav.com Israel}

U.S. employers added 147,000 jobs in June as the American labor market continues to show surprising resilience despite uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s economic policies. The unemployment rate ticked down 4.1% from 4.2% in May, the Labor Department said Thursday. Hiring rose modestly from a revised 144,000 in May and beat economists expectations of fewer than 118,000 new jobs and a rise in the unemployment rate. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. The steady slowdown in U.S. hiring likely continued in June as President Donald Trump’s trade wars, federal hiring freeze and immigration crackdown weighed on the American job market. When the Labor Department on Thursday releases job numbers for last month, they’re expected to show that businesses, government agencies and nonprofits added 117,500 jobs in June, down from 139,000 in May, according to a survey of forecasters by the data firm FactSet. The unemployment rate is expected to have ticked up to 4.3%, which would be the highest since October 2021 but still low enough to suggest that most American workers continue to enjoy job security. The U.S. job market has cooled considerably from red-hot days of 2021-2023 when the economy bounced back with unexpected strength from COVID-19 lockdowns and companies were desperate for workers. So far this year employers have added an average 124,000 jobs a month, down from 168,000 in 2024 and an average 400,000 from 2021 through 2023. Hiring decelerated after the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate 11 times in 2022 and 2023. But the economy did not collapse, defying widespread predictions that the higher borrowing costs would cause a recession. Companies kept hiring, just at a more modest pace. But the job market increasingly looks under strain. A survey released Wednesday by the payroll processor ADP found that private companies cut 33,000 jobs last month. “Though layoffs continue to be rare, a hesitancy to hire and a reluctance to replace departing workers led to job losses last month,” said ADP chief economist Nela Richardson. (The ADP numbers frequently differ from the Labor Department’s official job count.) Employers are now contending with fallout from Trump’s policies, especially his aggressive use of import taxes – tariffs. Mainstream economists say that tariffs raise prices for businesses and consumers alike and make the economy less efficient by reducing competition. They also invite retaliatory tariffs from other countries, hurting U.S. exporters. The erratic way that Trump has rolled out his tariffs — announcing and then suspending them, then coming up with new ones — has left businesses bewildered. Manufacturers responding to a survey released this week by the Institute for Supply Management complained that they and their customers were reluctant to make decisions until they understood where Trump’s tariffs would end up. “That whiplash has to stop and it has to stay stopped,” said Susan Spence, chair of the ISM’s manufacturing survey committee. Trump’s assault on the federal bureaucracy could also show up in June’s job report. Nancy Vanden Houten, lead U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, expects federal jobs dropped by 20,000 last month, “reflecting a hiring freeze, voluntary quits and retirements.’’ For now, she wrote in a commentary Wednesday, court rulings “have put massive federal layoffs on hold.’’ The president’s deportations — and the threat of them — also are likely to […]

A French couple, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who have been detained in Iran for more than three years, are now facing new charges of espionage on behalf of Israel and conspiring to overthrow the regime, according to reports by the AFP news agency citing a Western diplomatic source. The source emphasized there is “no basis” for the allegations.

The French Foreign Ministry issued a swift and strong condemnation, calling the couple’s detention “completely arbitrary” and demanding their release.

This development comes on the heels of recent reports that a group of Jews residing in Iran had also been arrested by the regime and cut off from contact with family and acquaintances. Rumors spread suggesting they were accused of spying for Israel and maintaining ties with Israeli agents, against the backdrop of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

The reports have sparked serious concern among Iran’s Jewish community, which fears the regime’s notorious record of false accusations and summary executions. However, Homayoun Sameh, the Jewish community’s representative in the Iranian parliament, dismissed the claims.

Sameh stated that the detained individuals were not arrested for espionage, but rather for holding unauthorized family celebrations, and that their release is expected shortly. “Their arrest has nothing to do with spying,” he said.

He added that during the recent “12-day war,” several Iranian Jews were killed and referred to as “martyrs of Zionist aggression,” asserting that this fact demonstrates the local Jewish community’s loyalty and support for Iran.

{Matzav.com}