The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service on Tuesday were investigating the origin of suspicious packages that have been sent to or received by elections officials in more than a dozen states, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or that any of the packages contained hazardous material. The latest packages were sent to elections officials in Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York and Rhode Island. Mississippi authorities reported a package was delivered there on Monday, and the Connecticut Secretary of State’s office on Tuesday also said the FBI alerted them of a suspicious package that was intercepted. The FBI is collecting the letters, some of which contained “an unknown substance,” spokesperson Kristen Setera of the agency’s Boston office said in a statement. “We are also working with our partners to determine how many letters were sent, the individual or individuals responsible for the letters, and the motive behind the letters,” she said. “As this is an ongoing matter we will not be commenting further on the investigation, but the public can be assured safety is our top priority.” It’s the second time in the past year that suspicious packages were mailed to election officials in multiple state offices. The latest scare comes as early voting has begun in several states less than two months ahead of the high-stakes elections for president, Senate, Congress and key statehouse offices around the nation, causing disruption in what is already a tense voting season. Local election directors are beefing up their security to keep their workers and polling places safe while also ensuring that ballots and voting procedures won’t be tampered with. The National Association of Secretaries of State condemned what it described as a “disturbing trend” of threats to election workers leading up to Nov. 5, as well as the second apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. “This must stop, period,” the group said. “Our democracy has no place for political violence, threats or intimidation of any kind.” On Tuesday, the FBI notified the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office that postal service investigators had identified what they described as a suspicious envelope that had been delivered to a building housing state offices. The package was intercepted and isolated, according to state officials. No employees from the secretary of the commonwealth’s office had contact with the envelope, which is now in the hands of the FBI. Packages also were sent to secretaries of state and state election offices in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wyoming this week. The packages forced evacuations in Iowa, Oklahoma and Wyoming. Hazmat crews in several states quickly determined the material was harmless. The Mississippi Secretary of State’s Elections Division said it received a package similar to those sent to other states. It said its office had been on “high alert” for a potential package and that the state Department of Homeland Security was testing the one received. The division said it has notified county election officials to be on the lookout. Oklahoma officials said the material sent to the election office there contained flour. Wyoming officials have not yet said if the material sent there was hazardous. “We have specific protocols in place for situations such as this,” Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said in a statement after the evacuation of […]
The IDF is preparing for the possibility of an all-out war with Hezbollah in Lebanon following the “exploding pagers” operation on Tuesday that wounded over 3,000 Hezbollah terrorists. The IDF decided to transfer the elite 98th Division from the Gaza Strip to the northern front, where it will join the 36th Division under the Northern Command. The decision is significant as the IDF had planned to continue using the Division for further combat in the Strip. The 98th Paratroopers Division, also known as the “Fire Formation” (עצבת האש), is a commando division that specializes in parachute jumps, aerial drops, guerilla warfare, and combat in urban environments. Arutz Sheva reported that soldiers from other divisions have been ordered to deploy north as well. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk has revealed that his brain-chip company, Neuralink, has been granted clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a trial of an experimental implant. This device is expected to “allow individuals who have lost both eyes and their optic nerve to regain sight.”
Neuralink’s Blindsight device will restore vision, even in cases where both the eyes and optic nerve are missing, as long as the visual cortex remains functional, Musk shared in an early Wednesday tweet. “Provided the visual cortex is intact, it will even enable those who have been blind from birth to see for the first time,” he emphasized.
Musk further explained that while the initial visual experience will be low resolution, akin to “Atari graphics,” the technology has the potential to evolve. “Eventually it has the potential to be better than natural vision and enable you to see in infrared, ultraviolet or even radar wavelengths, like Geordi La Forge,” he wrote. To illustrate his point, Musk included a photo of Geordi La Forge, a character from Star Trek who is blind but uses advanced technology to see.
Neuralink also confirmed the FDA’s approval, stating that Blindsight has been awarded the Breakthrough Device Designation. This designation is given to devices with the potential to treat or diagnose serious medical conditions, accelerating their development and review process.
This news about Neuralink’s device follows Musk’s previous announcement that the company plans to fit brain chip implants in eight more patients this year. These implants are designed to allow individuals with paralysis to control digital devices using only their thoughts.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit announced Wednesday morning the identities of four soldiers who were killed in action in the southern Gaza Strip. The fallen are:
- Captain Daniel Mimon Toaff, 23, from Moreshet, who served as Deputy Company Commander in the “Shaked” Battalion of the Givati Brigade.
- Staff Sergeant Agam Naim, 20, from Kibbutz Mishmarot, a paramedic with the 52nd Battalion of the 401st Brigade.
- Staff Sergeant Amit Bakri, 20, from Yoshivia, a soldier in the “Shaked” Battalion, Givati Brigade.
- Staff Sergeant Dotan Shimon, 21, from Elazar in Gush Etzion, also a soldier from the “Shaked” Battalion, Givati Brigade.
In the same incident where Captain Daniel Mimon Toaff, Staff Sergeant Agam Naim, Staff Sergeant Amit Bakri, and Staff Sergeant Dotan Shimon lost their lives, an officer and two soldiers from the “Shaked” Battalion, Givati Brigade, sustained serious injuries. Additionally, two other soldiers from the same unit were moderately injured.
An officer from the Givati Reconnaissance Unit was also critically injured during combat in the southern Gaza Strip.
All injured soldiers were quickly evacuated to a hospital for treatment, and their families have been informed of their conditions.
On Tuesday morning, news was cleared for release about a reservist from the 846th Battalion of the Givati Brigade who was severely injured in southern Gaza. He was also evacuated to a hospital for medical care, and his family was notified.
In a separate update on Tuesday evening, Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva reported that the conditions of soldiers injured in last week’s helicopter crash near Rafah continue to improve.
Currently, five of the injured from the crash remain hospitalized at Soroka. One is in the internal intensive care unit, two are in the cardiothoracic surgery department, and two are in the orthopedic department. Of the five, four are listed in moderate condition and one is in light condition. Several of the injured still require additional surgeries.
The pilot involved in the crash has been released from the hospital and is now undergoing rehabilitation.
{Matzav.com}
Venezuela’s government Tuesday announced the arrest of a fourth U.S. citizen in connection with an alleged plot to kill President Nicolás Maduro in which authorities claim the CIA, Spain’s intelligence agency, organized crime groups, and members of the opposition are involved. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello revealed the arrest and details of the plot during a speech before the National Assembly, whose members applauded the detention. Cabello did not identify the most recently detained American. The alleged plan joins dozens of other anti-Maduro plans that his government earlier this year claimed to have foiled. “Those who try to mess with Venezuela, we will screw them, regardless of their name,” Cabello said. He spoke hours after an independent panel of experts backed by the United Nations’ Human Rights Council issued a scathing report against Maduro’s government, accusing it of deploying the “harshest and most violent mechanisms of its repressive apparatus” in the wake of the disputed July presidential election. Cabello told lawmakers that the objective of the latest alleged plot “is political.” He claimed the U.S. citizen detained Tuesday in the capital, Caracas, had taken photos of electrical and oil-industry infrastructure and military units. “It is not the first time he has come to Venezuela,” Cabello said, without identifying the man. He insisted, without providing evidence, that the CIA designed, promoted and financed the plot and Spain’s National Intelligence Center was aware of it. Cabello on Saturday announced the arrests of three Americans, two Spaniards and a Czech citizen in connection with the alleged plan. He identified one of the U.S. citizens as Wilbert Joseph Castañeda Gomez, whom he claimed is a Navy SEAL who had served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Colombia. “Any claims of U.S. involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false. The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela,” the Department of State said in a statement after the initial arrests were announced. Cabello on Tuesday also linked to the alleged plot sex workers who were supposedly in contact with the foreigners, and members of the main opposition coalition. Tensions between Venezuela’s government and the U.S. have increased since the presidential election, whose result sparked protests across the South American country that resulted in the arrests of more than 2,000 people, including minors, and the deaths of two dozen. Venezuela’s National Electoral Council, which is stacked with Maduro loyalists, said Maduro won a third six-year term, but it did not provide a detailed breakdown of the results. Members of the opposition, however, surprised the government by collecting tally sheets from 80% of the nation’s electronic voting machines and publishing them online. The tally sheets, they said, indicate that former diplomat Edmundo González won the election with twice as many votes as Maduro. (AP)
Zimbabwe and Namibia have announced plans to slaughter hundreds of wild elephants and other animals to feed hunger-stricken residents amid severe drought conditions in the southern African countries. Zimbabwe said Monday it would allow the killing of 200 elephants so that their meat can be distributed among needy communities, while in Namibia the killing of more than 700 wild animals — including 83 elephants — is under way as part of a plan announced three weeks ago. Tinashe Farawo, a spokesman for the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, said permits would be issued in needy communities to hunt elephants and that the agency also would kill some of the overall allotment of 200 animals. “We will start culling as soon as we have finished issuing out permits,” Farawo said. The elephants will be taken from an area where the population has become unsustainable, Farawo said. The hunting will take place in areas such as Hwange National Park in the country’s arid west where there has been increasing competition between humans and wildlife for food and water as rising temperatures make the resources more scarce. Hwange has move than 45,000 elephants, but now has the capacity to sustain only 15,000, Farawo said. The country’s overall population of about 100,000 elephants is double what the country’s national parks can sustain, park officials say. The El Nino weather phenomenon has worsened the situation, with the parks agency in December saying that more than 100 elephants died due to drought. More animals could die of thirst and hunger in the coming weeks as the country enters the hottest period of the year, Farawo said. Zimbabwe’s Environment Minister Sithembiso Nyoni told Parliament last week that she had given the go-ahead for the culling program. “Indeed Zimbabwe has more elephants than we need, more elephants than our forestry can accommodate,” Nyoni said. She said the government was preparing “to do like what Namibia has done so that we can cull the elephants and mobilize the women to dry the meat, package it and ensure that it gets to some communities that need the protein.” The Namibian government last month approved the culling of 723 animals, including 83 elephants, 30 hippos, 60 buffalos, 50 impalas, 300 zebras and 100 elands, among others. The animals will be sourced from five of Namibia’s national parks, where it is also looking to reduce its elephant numbers amid conflicts between people and wildlife. “This is necessary and is in line with our constitutional mandate where our natural resources are used for the benefit of Namibian citizens,” environment department spokesman Romeo Muyunda said. “This is also a prime example that conservation of game is really beneficial.” Botswana, which is between Zimbabwe and Namibia, has the world’s largest elephant population at 130,000, but unlike its two neighboring countries, it has not talked about slaughtering its elephants to feed its people. Guyo Roba, a food security and agricultural expert with the Kenya-based environmental think tank Jameel Observatory, said government measures in Zimbabwe and Namibia were understandable given the extent of the drought and the state of their animal populations. “They are working against a wildlife population that is above their carrying capacity,” Roba said. “So it may seem controversial initially, but the governments are torn between remaining faithful to some of their […]
Various media outlets reported that hundreds of Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon and Syria lost their eyesight after their pagers exploded on Tuesday in a coordinated series of blasts attributed to Israel. Reports said that the pagers beeped for about 10 seconds before the explosions, causing the terrorists to take them out of their pockets or waistbands and hold them close to their faces to see the latest message. The pagers then exploded, causing thousands of facial and hand injuries, including eye injuries. Those who didn’t take the pagers out of their pockets were injured in more delicate areas of their anatomy. Iran’s Red Crescent organization stated on Wednesday that it sent eye surgeons and other medical professionals to Lebanon to help treat the victims of the exploding pagers. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
A landslide caused by heavy rains has killed six people near Mexico City, authorities said. The landslide on Monday night in Naucalpan, a community northwest of Mexico City, also affected a house and school, the State of Mexico government said in a statement. The victims were four men and two women. Another three people were injured and transported to a state hospital. State Gov. Delfina Gómez ordered the deployment of rescue teams and security task forces to support affected families. The deaths in Naucalpan occurred a few days after another landslide killed nine people on Saturday in Jilotzingo, west of Mexico City in the State of Mexico. A 3-month-old baby was among the victims. Two children, ages 10 and 12, and a 34-year-old woman were rescued. Several homes were affected and authorities had to evacuate more than 100 people for fear of further landslides. The landslides and heavy rains have been pounding the State of Mexico since the start of the rainy season in late July. In cities like Chalco that have also experienced heavy torrential rains, the combination of unchecked growth and failing infrastructure have caused sewage-infused waters to invade streets, homes and businesses. (AP)
Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani suffered a fate similar to thousands of Hezbollah terrorists on Tuesday: his pager exploded in his face as he was reading the latest “message.” However, Amani’s injuries held a certain significance that the others didn’t – he was caught (literally) “red-handed” as being a member of a murderous terror group. A member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps told the New York Times that Amani had taken out the pager to read the message when it exploded in his face. He lost one eye and the other eye was severely wounded. He also suffered hand injuries. The report added that the IRGC sources said Amani’s injuries are more severe than initially reported and he will be evacuated to Tehran for medical treatment. Amani serves as a liaison between Tehran and Hezbollah and it is estimated that he even hosts Hezbollah meetings at the Iranian embassy. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Taiwanese company Gold Apollo said Wednesday that it authorized its brand on the pagers that exploded in Lebanon and Syria but that another company based in Budapest manufactured them. The AR-924 pagers were manufactured by BAC Consulting KFT, based in Hungary’s capital, according to a statement released Wednesday by Gold Apollo. “According to the cooperation agreement, we authorize BAC to use our brand trademark for product sales in designated regions, but the design and manufacturing of the products are solely the responsibility of BAC,” the statement read. Gold Apollo chair Hsu Ching-kuang told journalists Wednesday that his company has had a licensing agreement with BAC for the past three years, but did not provide evidence of the contract. Experts believe explosive material was put into the pagers prior to their delivery and use in a sophisticated supply chain infiltration. Media reports said that a tiny amount of explosives, one to two ounces, was implanted next to the battery in each pager together with a switch to be used to remotely detonate the explosives. Two sources, including a senior Lebanese security source, told Reuters that the Mossad planted explosives inside 5,000 pagers months ago. Hezbollah ordered the pagers from Gold Apollo and they arrived in the country earlier this year. “The Mossad injected a board inside of the device that has explosive material that receives a code. It’s very hard to detect it through any means. Even with any device or scanner,” the source said. The AR-924 pager, advertised as being “rugged,” contains a rechargeable lithium battery, according to specifications once advertised on Gold Apollo’s website before it was apparently taken down Tuesday after the sabotage attack. It could receive texts of up to 100 characters. Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs said from the beginning of 2022 until August 2024, Gold Apollo has exported 260,000 sets of pagers, including more than 40,000 sets between January and August of this year. The ministry said the pagers were exported mainly to European and American countries and that it had no records of direct exports of Gold Apollo pagers to Lebanon. On February 14, Hezbollah leader Nassan Hasrallah ordered the terror group’s members to avoid using their cell phones after Israel carried out a series of targeted eliminations, killing 170 Hezbollah members, including a senior commander and a top Hamas official in Beirut. Following the speech, pagers were distributed to all Hezbollah members in Lebanon and Syria. “The phone that we have in our hands — I do not have a phone in my hand — is a listening device,” Nasrallah said in the speech. “I tell you that the phone in your hands, in your wife’s hands, and in your children’s hands is the agent. It is a deadly agent, not a simple one. It is a deadly agent that provides specific and accurate information. Therefore, this requires great seriousness when confronting it.” Is Israel about to launch a ground operation in Lebanon? Reuters quoted analysts as saying that they don’t view the daring operation as a signal that a ground war is imminent. Instead, it is simply a sign of how deeply Israeli intelligence services have penetrated Hezbollah. “It demonstrates Israel’s ability to infiltrate its adversaries in a remarkably dramatic way,” said Paul Pillar, a 28-year veteran of the U.S. intelligence community, […]
Israel developed the plan to remotely detonate thousands of Hezbollah pagers months ago but was forced to activate the plan on Tuesday after two Hezbollah members grew suspicious, various media outlets reported. Axios quoted a US official as saying: “It was a use it or lose it moment.” Israel planned on using the operation as the first blow in an all-out war to try to disable Hezbollah. But when Israel received intelligence that two Hezbollah members had expressed suspicion about the pagers, they decided to execute the plan rather than lose the opportunity altogether. Israeli officials did not inform the US about the plan, not even telling US envoy Amos Hochstein about it, who was in Israel to discuss the security situation with Hezbollah. In order not to keep the US completely in the dark, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin moments before the explosions began and said that Israel was about to carry out an operation in Lebanon. However, he refused to provide any details. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
The IDF announced on Wednesday morning that four soldiers were killed in combat in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday. The soldiers were killed in Rafah after a building they were inside exploded, the IDF said. Five others were injured in the blast, three seriously and two moderately. The soldiers were on a mission to find weapons in the Tel Sultan neighborhood when they entered the booby-trapped building. The casualties include the first female IDF soldier to be killed during the ground war in Gaza: Staff Sgt. Agam Naim, H’yd, 20, from Mishmarot, a kibbutz in north-central Israel, who served as a paramedic in the 52nd Battalation in the 401st Armored Brigade. The other three soldiers served in the Shaked Battalion of the Givati Brigade. They were identified as Staff Sgt. Amit Bakri, H’yd, 21, from Yoshivia, a religious moshav in southern Israel; Staff Sgt. Dotan Shimon, H’yd, 21, from Elazar, a religious yishuv in Gush Etzion; and Cpt. Daniel Mimon Toaff, 23, H’yd, from Moreshet, a religious yishuv in northern Israel, who served as a deputy company commander. Their deaths increase the death toll of soldiers killed in Gaza since the ground war began to 346 and the number of soldiers killed since October 7 to 713. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Donald Trump revealed details of his phone conversations with U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who both called after a second apparent assassination attempt on the former president.
During a town hall meeting in Flint, Michigan, Trump he said he had “a nice conversation,” with Biden, adding that, “I appreciated that he called about what happened the other day.”
Trump also said his call with Harris was “very, very nice,” and that he appreciated the gesture—despite audible boos from the crowd. “No, it was very nice,” Trump interjected.
Though the former president eventually lamented the pair’s kindness, hinting at the fact it may be hard to criticize them again.
“He was so nice to me yesterday. In one way I sort of wish the call wasn’t made because I do feel a little… He’s so nice. ‘I’m so sorry about what happened and all that.’”
Trump continued: “Same with Kamala today. She could not have been nicer,” Trump added. “But the fact is we have to have people that are respected by the opponent.” Harris had earlier revealed that she “checked on him to see if he was okay.”
Read more.
By Rabbi Yair Hoffman Artscroll’s latest English Halacha sefer is entitled, “The Priceless Treasure of Bircas Kohanim” – but the name applies to the sefer as well. This sefer, replete with more than 550 Teshuvos from Maran HaRav Chaim Kanievskt zt”l is a priceless treasure in and of itself. It is not just a halacha sefer, it is a kol-bo. It is filled with inspiration, stories, history and minhagin. Most of all, anyone reading it is is overcome by a tremendous urge to run out for Shacharis to a sefardic minyan to attend Bircas Kohanim. Somewhere in the introduction, the author, Rabbi Naftali Weinberger, explains that he had asked Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l which sefer should be published first – the one on Shidduchim or the one on Bircas Kohanim. Everyone thought that he would certainly answer Bircas Kohanim – because of the Mitzvah of vekhibadto – that one must honor a Kohain. In fact, Rav Chaim zatzal used to sort his letters by names that could possibly be that of a Kohain in order to respond to them first. To everyone’s shock, Rav Chaim responded that the Shidduchim sefer should be published first because the delay in our girls getting married causes enormous damage to Klal Yisroel. Wow. Each page of this remarkable is filled with remarkably inspiring nuggets of information. The Alter of Slabodka had formed his own, quicker minyan for Ne’ilah so that he could hear Bircas Kohanim before shkiyah. But when the Yeshiva saw what the Alter was doing – the main minyan followed suit (p. 107). Rav Nachum zt”l, yes the famed Rav Nachum, explained that the Mir Yeshiva’s minhag of going faster through Ne’ilah was to give the tzibbur an extra Chessed of helping out the Kohanim fulfill their three Mitzvos. The z’chus that the Tzibbur receives is on account of this Chessed – to the Kohanim. Wow. It is reminiscent of Rav Chatzkel Levenstein zt”ls explanation of mechalkel chaim b’chessed – Rav Chatzkel Levenstein zt”l explains the three words we are all so familiar with in the shmoneh esreh differently than others do. Mechalkel chaim b’chessed – Hashem sustains life with chessed. What do these words mean? Some have it that through Hashem’s middah of chessed – He sustains life. Others have it as Hashem could sustain life in many ways – but He does so with extras – with steak instead of with macaroni. Rav Chatzlel zatzal explained it differently – He explained that it is the acts and the performance of Chessed which is the life-sustaining, life-giving force that sustains and gives purpose and direction to life and to the universe itself. Some interesting halachos are that an Ashkenazic Kohain living in the USA may never duchen in an Ashkenazic minyan except for on Yom Tov – without exception (p. 142). An Ashkenazic Jew may attend a sefardic minyan in the USA – even for the express purpose of hearing Bircas Kohanim. Chapter fourteen of this sefer goes into great detail all of the explanations as to why Kohanim do not duchem in Chutz LaAretz. In Chapter eight, the author deals with the D’oraisah form of the bracha – wherein it must be delivered by two Kohanim. The Rabbinic form of the Mitzvah is just with one Kohain. Uman – The […]
Donald Trump has been advised by the Secret Service that his current security measures on his golf courses are insufficient to guarantee his safety unless they are significantly upgraded, according to reports.
Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe told the former president that substantial reinforcement of security personnel and more comprehensive planning are required if Trump intends to continue golfing at certain locations, the New York Times reported.
This conversation occurred during a meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday. The meeting took place just one day after an incident in which Ryan Routh, allegedly armed with an SKS assault rifle, was apprehended hiding in the bushes on the golf course, only a few hundred yards away from Trump as he played.
Members of Trump’s campaign have voiced frustration, claiming they have repeatedly asked for additional Secret Service agents but have not received the necessary reinforcements, according to The Times.
The discussion between Trump and the Secret Service was reportedly fraught with tension, as Trump questioned whether it was still safe for him to continue playing golf. Director Rowe explained the complexities of securing a vast golf course, especially when it is located so close to public roads, the Times stated.
Trump also mentioned that photographers often capture images of him playing at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. He pointed out during the meeting that if photographers could easily get pictures of him, then someone with a rifle scope might be able to do the same, according to the newspaper.
{Matzav.com}
SpaceX faces $633,000 in fines for alleged safety violations during two Florida launches last year. The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday it’s proposing the civil penalties because of the company’s alleged failure to follow licensing requirements. During a satellite launch in June 2023, SpaceX used a new launch control room without prior approval and also did not conduct the required readiness poll two hours in advance, according to the FAA. One month later, SpaceX launched another communication satellite using a new rocket fuel facility yet to be approved, said federal regulators. “Safety drives everything we do at the FAA” including oversight of commercial space, FAA’s Marc Nichols said in a statement. “Failure of a company to comply with the safety requirements will result in consequences.” SpaceX has 30 days to respond to the FAA. It did not immediately return a request for comment. (AP)
With about a week remaining before the Chief Rabbinate elections, negotiations between Aryeh Deri of Shas and Bezalel Smotrich of Religious Zionism to appoint a chareidi Sefardic Chief Rabbi and a Religious Zionist Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi have reached an impasse.
Five Ashkenazi candidates are currently in the race: Rav Micha Halevy, Rav Meir Kahana, Rav Eliezer Igra, Rav Kalman Ber, and Rav Moshe Chaim Lau, the son and brother of former Chief Rabbis Rav Yisroel Meir Lau and Rav Dovid Lau.
{Matzav.com Israel}
In response to the growing challenges and decrees facing the chareidi public, the heads of the chareidi parties have agreed on a division of labor in their dealings with the Prime Minister.
Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri will focus on resolving the issue of daycare centers. UTJ Minister Yitzchok Goldknopf has taken responsibility for the draft law, while Degel HaTorah Chairman Moshe Gafni will address budgetary issues related to chareidi education.
“The best solution for the daycare subsidy issue is to pass the draft law and regulate the status of those required for military service by law, and this must be done quickly,” Prime Minister Netanyahu said.
If that fails, the government plans to approve a resolution that would bypass Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who aims to cut daycare subsidies for families of yungeleit.
The resolution would extend the current daycare subsidy model until the end of the school year and proposes a plan to allow daycare subsidies for working women, even if their husbands are learning in kollel.
Meanwhile, the Attorney General has argued that the IDF should recruit chareidim based on criteria relevant to the army’s needs, such as drivers or those with language skills, rather than using “discriminatory” criteria like whether they are employed or own a mobile phone.
{Matzav.com Israel}
By Rabbi Yair Hoffman The events of today will go down in history as one of the most brilliant battle tactics ever conceived. Four thousand hardened Hezbollah terrorists and murderers were near-simultaneously put out of commission by somehow being fooled with a shipment of Motorola paging equipment containing a hidden explosive device. The miraculous success of this operation sparked such happiness and delight that students of Religious Zionist Yeshivos were dancing out of sheer joy. There were, however, people that questioned the propriety of the dancing as well as whether Yeshiva World News should have posted these articles in the first place. People commented and asked, “Doesn’t Shlomo HaMelech advise us not to rejoice at the fall of our enemy?“ How could this have been posted? While keeping in mind that the 4000 were terrorists bent on murdering civilians, there is a verse in the 24th chapter of Mishlei written by Shlomo HaMelech. It is pasuk 18 and it states: In the falling (death) of your enemy – do not rejoice. We must also keep in mind another seemingly contradictory earlier verse. It was also written by Shlomo HaMelech – “In the death of evil-doers – exhuberance! (Mishlei 11:10). How are these two verses to be understood together? THE RALBAG’S UNDERSTANDING – TOO MUCH IS NO GOOD The Ralbag (1288-1344) in interpreting the pasuk just before pasuk 18 in chapter 24, writes that inappropriate rejoicing over the matter will lead to Hashem removing His Divine Anger against that enemy and placing it upon you. It is clear from this Ralbag that too much rejoicing is wrong and dangerous. But what is too much? It is interesting to note that the Alshich (1508-1593) in Megilas Esther (5:3) writes that this is exactly why Esther wished to make Haman rejoice at the party. She did so in order that the Divine Will be turned against the evil Haman on account of his rejoicing at the fall of Israel. APPROPRIATE REJOICING IS OKAY We can infer from the Ralbag that although inappropriate rejoicing is wrong – appropriate rejoicing, where one is on the correct spiritual level, is fine. This is the type of rejoicing that is indicated in Chapter eleven. THE MAHARSHA’S AND RABBEINU YONAH’S VIEWS But what exactly is the correct spiritual level? The Maharsha (1555-1631) in his comments to Megillah 28a understands the verse in Chapter 24 as referring to someone who is rejoicing because of his feeling of hate toward his enemy. Rabbeinu Yonah (1180-1263) in his comments on Pirkei Avos 4:19 writes that that the high level in which rejoicing is permitted is if one does so in celebration of the Kavod Shamayim – of the honor due to G-d at the fall of this evil-doer. This may be very much in line with our Ralbag. THE ALSHICH’S VIEW The Alshich (1508-1593) in his comments to Tehillim 5:11 qualifies the verse in Mishlei to refer only to a personal enemy, but one whose evil is so much against G-d – the opposite feeling is in order – one should, in fact, rejoice. Thus, the Chapter eleven verse refers to one who is so evil in the eyes of G-d. The Alshich does not distinguish between our own levels, but rather the type of enemy that the pasuk refers to. […]
A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced legislation Tuesday that would prohibit political campaigns and outside political groups from using artificial intelligence to misrepresent the views of their rivals by pretending to be them. The introduction of the bill comes as Congress has failed to regulate the fast-evolving technology and experts warn that it threatens to overwhelm voters with misinformation. Those experts have expressed particular concern over the dangers posed by “deepfakes,” AI-generated videos and memes that can look lifelike and cause voters to question what is real and what is fake. Lawmakers said the bill would give the Federal Election Commission the power to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in elections in the same way it has regulated other political misrepresentation for decades. The FEC has started to consider such regulations. “Right now, the FEC does not have the teeth, the regulatory authority, to protect the election,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican who co-sponsored the legislation. Other sponsors include Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat; Rep. Derek Kilmer, a Washington Democrat; and Lori Chavez-DeRemer, an Oregon Republican. Fitzpatrick and Schiff said the odds were against the bill passing this year. Nevertheless, they said they don’t expect the measure to face much opposition and could be attached to a must-pass measure in the waning days the congressional session. Schiff described the bill as a modest first step in addressing the threat posed by deepfakes and other false AI-generated content, arguing the legislation’s simplicity was an asset. “This is really probably the lowest hanging fruit there is” in terms of addressing the misuse of AI in politics, Schiff said. “There’s so much more we’re going to need to do, though, to try to attack the avalanche of misinformation and disinformation.” Congress has been paralyzed on countless issues in recent years, and regulating AI is no exception. “This is another illustration of congressional dysfunction,” Schiff said. Schiff and Fitzpatrick are not alone in believing artificial intelligence legislation is needed and can become law. Rep. Madeleine Dean, a Pennsylvania Democrat, and Rep. María Elvira Salazar, a Florida Republican, introduced legislation earlier this month that aims to curb the spread of unauthorized AI-generated deepfakes. A bipartisan group of senators proposed companion legislation in the Senate. Opposition to such legislation has primarily focused on not stifling a burgeoning technology sector or making it easier for another country to become the hub for the AI industry. Congress doesn’t “want to put a rock on top of innovation either and not allow it to flourish under the right circumstances,” Rep. French Hill, an Arkansas Republican, said in August at a reception hosted by the Center for AI Safety. “It’s a balancing act.” The Federal Election Commission in August took its first step toward regulating AI-generated deepfakes in political advertising when it took a procedural vote after being asked to regulate ads that use artificial intelligence to misrepresent political opponents as saying or doing something they didn’t. The commission is expected to further discuss the matter on Thursday. The commission’s efforts followed a request from Public Citizen, a progressive consumer rights organization, that the agency clarify whether a 1970s-era law that bans “fraudulent misrepresentation” in campaign communications also applies to AI-generated deepfakes. While the election commission has been criticized in recent years for being ineffective, it […]
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