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Ret. Gen. David Petraeus discusses the aftermath of the U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites on ‘The Will Cain Show.’

WATCH:

During a contentious appearance before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Tuesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. found himself in a heated exchange with Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), who accused the Trump administration official of endangering lives and promoting anti-scientific views, all while ignoring public accountability.

The confrontation unfolded as Kennedy testified in support of the administration’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2026. Pallone didn’t hold back in his critique. “Secretary Kennedy, quite frankly, I think you’re trying to defend the indefensible. There’s no way that this budget or the actions you have taken thus far as secretary are going to make this country healthier,” he charged. The New Jersey Democrat further claimed Kennedy was advancing conspiracy theories and undermining trust in vaccines. “I just really think that people are going to die as a result of your actions and congressional Republicans’ actions,” he added.

Pallone pressed Kennedy over what he described as an alarming lack of transparency surrounding HHS vaccine policies, taking issue with the department’s decision not to solicit public feedback on recent decisions. “You say you want transparency, but there’s been no public process for any of this. Why?” he demanded.

Kennedy attempted to push back, explaining the existing structure for vaccine policy oversight. “We have a public process for regulating vaccines. It’s called the ACIP committee, and it’s a public meeting that we —”

Pallone interjected, cutting him off. “You fired the committee.”

Kennedy clarified, “I fired people who had conflicts with the pharmaceutical industry. That committee has been a template for medical malpractice for years.”

As Pallone wrapped up his remarks, he issued a scathing conclusion. “The bottom line is here we have no transparency, we have no response. You feel no responsibility to Congress whatsoever, and you just continue this ideology that’s anti-science, anti-vaccine. That’s all I see. I see nothing else. And I don’t think I’m ever going to get a response.”

Later in the hearing, Kennedy circled back to address Pallone’s remarks during questioning from Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL).

“Congressman Pallone, 15 years ago, you and I met,” Kennedy said. “You were, at that time, a champion for people who had suffered injuries from vaccines. You were very adamant about it. You were the leading member of Congress on that issue. Since then, you’ve accepted $2 million from pharmaceutical companies and contribution — more than any other member of this committee, and your enthusiasm for supporting the old ACIP Committee, which was completely rife and pervasive with pharmaceutical conflicts, seems to be an outcome of those contributions.”

Kennedy’s pointed remarks stirred backlash from Democrats on the committee. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) objected, raising a point of order over what she described as a direct attack on a colleague’s character. “The secretary implied that Mr. Pallone would not fight for vaccine victims because he took money from the pharmaceutical industry,” she stated. “He needs to take back those words.”

At the urging of Committee Chairman Buddy Carter (R-GA), Kennedy withdrew his comment.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

POTUS: “Last weekend, the United States successfully carried out a massive precision strike on Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities… this incredible exercise of American strength has paved the way for peace, with a historic ceasefire agreement.”

Attorneys general from more than 20 states and Washington, D.C. filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday challenging billions of dollars in funding cuts made by the Trump administration that would fund everything from crime prevention to food security to scientific research. The lawsuit filed in Boston is asking a judge to limit the Trump administration from relying on an obscure clause in the federal regulation to cut grants that don’t align with its priorities. Since January, the lawsuit argues that the administration has used that clause to cancel entire programs and thousands of grants that had been previously awarded to states and grantees. “Defendants’ decision to invoke the Clause to terminate grants based on changed agency priorities is unlawful several times over,” the plaintiffs argued. “The rulemaking history of the Clause makes plain that the (Office of Management and Budget) intended for the Clause to permit terminations in only limited circumstances and provides no support for a broad power to terminate grants on a whim based on newly identified agency priorities.” The lawsuit argues the Trump administration has used the clause for the basis of a “slash-and-burn campaign” to cut federal grants. “Defendants have terminated thousands of grant awards made to Plaintiffs, pulling the rug out from under the States, and taking away critical federal funding on which States and their residents rely for essential programs,” the lawsuit added. The White House’s Office of Management and Budget did not immediately respond to a request made Tuesday afternoon for comment. Rhode Island Attorney General Neronha said this lawsuit was just one of several the coalition of mostly Democratic states have filed over funding cuts. For the most part, they have largely succeeded in a string of legal victories to temporarily halt cuts. This one, though, may be the broadest challenge to those funding cuts. “It’s no secret that this President has gone to great lengths to intercept federal funding to the states, but what may be lesser known is how the Trump Administration is attempting to justify their unlawful actions,” Neronha said in a statement. “Nearly every lawsuit this coalition of Democratic attorneys general has filed against the Administration is related to its unlawful and flagrant attempts to rob Americans of basic programs and services upon which they rely. Most often, this comes in the form of illegal federal funding cuts, which the Administration attempts to justify via a so-called ‘agency priorities clause.” Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said the lawsuit aimed to stop funding cuts he described as indiscriminate and illegal. “There is no ‘because I don’t like you’ or ‘because I don’t feel like it anymore’ defunding clause in federal law that allows the President to bypass Congress on a whim,” Tong said in a statement. “Since his first minutes in office, Trump has unilaterally defunded our police, our schools, our healthcare, and more. He can’t do that, and that’s why over and over again we have blocked him in court and won back our funding.” In Massachusetts, Attorney General Andrea Campbell said the U.S. Department of Agriculture terminated a $11 million agreement with the state Department of Agricultural Resources connecting hundreds of farmers to hundreds of food distribution sites while the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency terminated a $1 million grant to the state Department of Public Health to reduce […]

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 […]

New satellite imagery shows fresh damage at Iran’s Fordow nuclear site from Israeli airstrikes on June 23. The images show craters and destruction to access roads, tunnels, and support buildings.

POTUS: “Israel got hit very hard, especially the last couple of days. Israel was hit really hard… Those ballistic missiles, boy, they took out a lot of buildings, and, they’ve been great… Bibi Netanyahu should be very proud, they’ve really been great… But their [iran] not gonna be building bombs for a long time.”

President Trump on Iran: “The last thing they want to do is enrich anything right now. They want to recover… I think we’ll end up having somewhat of a relationship with Iran… the last thing they want to do is enrich.”

Sec. of State Marco Rubio: [President Trump] had a defined mission. He said this is what we’re going to do — we’re hitting three targets… We’re not trying to overthrow the government. We’re not looking to invade… Our problem with Iran is with the nuclear program.”

Sec. of State Marco Rubio on Iran’s nuclear program: “There’s no doubt in our minds that very significant, substantial, lasting damage was done to their program… We dropped 12 of these things into these holes. I mean, it’s not like we just did a couple and see how it went.”

President Trump on the obliteration of the Iranian regime’s nuclear facilities: “The pilots did an unbelievable job like nobody’s ever seen. They hit paydirt.”

WILD SCENE: Amid the ongoing protests in Kenya, footage shows a police officer opening fire directly at demonstrators.

Massive protests in Kenya to mark the one-year anniversary of protests against a tax bill that turned deadly.

Iran International released a video map exposing the locations of Israeli airstrikes across over 50 Iranian cities, struck within just 12 days.

The IDF has withdrawn the 252nd Reserve Division from the central and northern Gaza Strip area, after four and a half months of operations. The division operated in the Netzarim Corridor area and some of Gaza City’s eastern neighborhoods, during which it killed numerous terror operatives, demolished six kilometers worth of tunnels, and destroyed dozens of other Hamas infrastructures.

Speaking from the NATO summit in the Netherlands on Wednesday, President Trump disclosed that Israeli operatives had been dispatched to assess the damage at the Iranian nuclear sites hit in the recent U.S. airstrikes. According to Trump, those operatives confirmed that the facilities were completely destroyed. He also maintained that the operation had been executed so swiftly that Iran had no time to extract any enriched uranium.

Trump continued to push back against leaked intelligence indicating that Iran’s nuclear program could potentially recover within a few months. He repeated his stance that the attack had crippled Iran’s capabilities for years to come. “Israel is doing a report on it now, I understand, and I was told that they said it was total obliteration,” Trump said to reporters.

“You know they have guys that go in there after the hit, and they said it was total obliteration,” he added. “I believe it was total obliteration.”

Trump argued that the enriched uranium being processed at the targeted sites could not have been evacuated before the assault. “They didn’t have a chance to get anything out because we acted fast. If it would have taken two weeks, maybe. But it’s very hard to remove that kind of material, very hard and very dangerous for them to remove it,” he said.

He also emphasized that Tehran had advance warning that a strike might be imminent, which likely deterred personnel from remaining at the sites. “Plus they knew we were coming, and if they know we’re coming, they’re not going to be down there.”

He went on to assert that Iran’s nuclear ambitions had been thrown off course for “basically decades,” though he made clear that if the regime attempted to restart its program, the U.S. would not hesitate to act again. “The last thing they want to do is enrich anything right now. They want to recover, and we won’t let that happen,” Trump declared.

“Number one, militarily, we won’t. I think we’ll end up having somewhat of a relationship with Iran. I see it. Look, I’ve had a relationship over the last four days. They agreed to the ceasefire, and it was a very equal agreement. They both said that’s enough.”

His remarks came in response to a classified report from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) that was leaked to CNN. The assessment suggested that Iran’s nuclear program could be rebuilt within a few months. The White House strongly refuted the findings.

“This alleged ‘assessment’ is flat-out wrong and was classified as ‘top secret’ but was still leaked to CNN by an anonymous, low-level loser in the intelligence community,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X.

She added, “The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran’s nuclear program.”

“Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000-pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration.”

{Matzav.com}

NEW YORK — Declaring “Tonight, we made history,” 33-year-old Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani claimed victory Tuesday night in the city’s hotly contested Democratic mayoral primary, becoming the presumptive nominee and front-runner to be New York City’s first Muslim mayor.

With 93% of the ballots tallied, Mamdani led the pack with 43.5% of the vote, pulling ahead of former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who had been widely considered the frontrunner until recent weeks. Cuomo conceded after trailing at 36.4%, acknowledging the insurgent candidate’s unexpected surge.

“I will be your Democratic nominee for the mayor of New York City,” Mamdani told a jubilant crowd of supporters.

While Mamdani’s campaign has focused heavily on economic issues, such as the city’s spiraling grocery prices—proposing a publicly owned grocery chain to drive down costs—it is his record on Israel and statements about Jewish issues that have ignited a firestorm of controversy throughout the race.

Despite his efforts to center the campaign around bread-and-butter concerns, Mamdani’s long history of anti-Israel activism has drawn deep criticism from Jewish organizations, elected officials, and concerned citizens alike.

On October 8, 2023—just one day after Hamas launched its bloody massacre in southern Israel—Mamdani issued a public statement condemning Israel while avoiding any direct criticism of Hamas.

“I mourn the hundreds of people killed across Israel and Palestine in the last 36 hours. Netanyahu’s declaration of war, the Israeli government’s decision to cut electricity to Gaza, and Knesset members calling for another Nakba will undoubtedly lead to more violence and suffering in the days and weeks to come. The path toward a just and lasting peace can only begin by ending the occupation and dismantling apartheid,” Mamdani wrote.

It was only later that he described the October 7 attacks as a “horrific war crime,” adding, “My support for Palestinian liberation should never be confused for a celebration of the loss of civilian life.”

The state legislator has also become known for defending the phrase “Globalize the Intifada,” a slogan widely perceived as a call for expanding the violent anti-Israel uprisings of the early 2000s. When questioned about its use, Mamdani offered a historical framing: “The very word [intifada] has been used by the Holocaust Museum when translating the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising into Arabic, because it’s a word that means struggle.”

This defense sparked widespread outrage. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum issued a stern rebuke, calling Mamdani’s invocation of the Holocaust “outrageous” and “especially offensive to survivors.”

In a follow-up statement, Mamdani doubled down: “As the highest profile Muslim candidate in NY history, I feel an obligation to speak out against violence and against bad faith or misinformed efforts to manipulate language in ways that only contribute to the division we’re seeking to overcome. I’ve repeatedly condemned any calls for violence.” He added that the slogan “is not the language that I use,” but argued, “the role of the mayor is not to police language.”

Throughout his political career, Mamdani has been a vocal supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. In 2021, he posted: “We pay our electeds with our tax $$$ to represent us but they go on paid-for trips to Israel. We have 3 letters for them: #BDS. Every elected must be pressured to stand with Palestinians, oppose Apartheid & assert that the fight for dignity knows no exception.”

That same year, he told the Muslim Democratic Club of New York: “Speaking up for Israel comes with everything you might want, and we need to show that it’s not that way anymore. There are consequences for speaking up in favor of apartheid.”

Mamdani has also refused to clearly state whether he would promote BDS policies as mayor. And while the movement targets Israel, Mamdani has not advocated for boycotting any other country.

His associations have drawn further scrutiny. In April, he appeared in a livestream with Hasan Piker, a left-wing influencer who has been accused of making antisemitic remarks, including offensive descriptions of Orthodox Jews and Holocaust-related mockery. Asked about his choice to appear with Piker, Mamdani responded: “I am willing to speak to each and every person about this campaign, and I’ve said that from the beginning.”

As a lawmaker, Mamdani was one of just five members of the New York State Assembly who declined to sign resolutions honoring Israel or commemorating the Holocaust. When pressed, he cited an internal office policy of not signing onto emailed resolutions and said he had voted for Holocaust remembrance resolutions in past years. “I understand this has caused pain and confusion for many,” he said.

He has also authored the “Not on Our Dime!” Act—legislation aimed at prohibiting charitable donations from supporting Israeli military operations or settlement activity. Although the bill has virtually no path forward in Albany, Mamdani has promoted it as one of his marquee achievements. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie publicly criticized the bill, a rare move, and 66 legislators signed a letter calling it “a ploy to demonize Jewish charities with connections to Israel.”

The lawmakers warned that the bill threatened organizations “with wide ranging missions from feeding the poor to providing emergency medical care for victims of terrorism to clothing orphans.”

Mamdani has also taken heat for his actions and rhetoric following the October 7 attack. On October 13, he rallied outside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s home, urging action “against the indiscriminate killing of Palestinians as we sit on the brink of a genocide.” He has since repeatedly used the term “genocide” to describe Israel’s actions in Gaza—terminology strongly condemned by the Anti-Defamation League.

In the weeks following Hamas’s massacre, Mamdani flooded social media with pro-Palestinian content, and he was arrested during protests in New York. He has criticized lawmakers who attend Israel Day Parades and has taken credit for helping block a state resolution marking Israel’s Independence Day.

In a 2021 interview, Mamdani recounted: “Every year they introduced this resolution commending Israel’s day of independence, and this year, it was introduced, it was scheduled to go up, and I called the central staff of the assembly, and I made it clear that if this resolution were to come to the floor, I would speak in opposition… The resolution has yet to come to the floor.”

He added with a smile, “Just the fact of registering opposition—that business as usual cannot continue—is so, so important. We must not cede any ground to apartheid and to supporters of apartheid.”

As Mamdani prepares for a general election campaign, the Democratic Party—and the broader New York electorate—now faces a profound question: Can a candidate who has alienated large segments of the city’s Jewish population and openly supported movements considered by many as discriminatory still unify and lead America’s most diverse metropolis?

{Matzav.com}

At the NATO summit held in the Netherlands on Wednesday, President Trump drew a striking parallel between the recent U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear installations and the atomic bombings of Japan in World War II. He suggested that, like the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the overwhelming force used in the recent military action brought the conflict to an end. “I don’t want to use an example of Hiroshima. I don’t want to use an example of Nagasaki, but that was essentially the same thing that ended that war,” Trump stated.

Trump maintained that his surprise offensive targeting Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure was the decisive factor in bringing about the cease-fire between Iran and Israel after nearly two weeks of hostilities. “Had we not succeeded with that hit, that hit ended the war,” Trump asserted, referring to the weekend airstrikes on three key Iranian nuclear sites.

He further emphasized that without those precise attacks, the conflict would likely still be raging. “If we didn’t take that out, they would have been they’d be fighting right now,” Trump said.

Challenging internal government assessments, Trump reinforced his assertion that the strikes resulted in the complete destruction of Iran’s nuclear facilities. He dismissed reports that suggested Iran could rebuild its program in a matter of months, labeling them as inaccurate and misleading.

Trump also addressed concerns that Iran may have evacuated enriched uranium before the strikes, firmly rejecting that notion. “They didn’t have a chance to get anything out because we acted fast. If it would have taken two weeks, maybe. But it’s very hard to remove that kind of material, very hard and very dangerous for them to remove it,” he said.

He added that the Iranians were aware of the possibility of an impending attack, which discouraged them from taking the risk of remaining at the targeted facilities. “Plus they knew we were coming, and if they know we’re coming, they’re not going to be down there.”

According to Trump, the damage inflicted was so severe that it has likely derailed Iran’s nuclear ambitions for many years to come. “They just went through hell. I think they’ve had it. The last thing they want to do is enrich,” he said. Trump concluded by predicting that Iran would never attempt to revive its nuclear efforts, saying, “they’ll ever do it again.”

{Matzav.com}

For her 6th grade honors class, math teacher Ana Sepúlveda wanted to make geometry fun. She figured her students “who live and breathe soccer” would be interested to learn how mathematical concepts apply to the sport. She asked ChatGPT for help. Within seconds, the chatbot delivered a five-page lesson plan, even offering a theme: “Geometry is everywhere in soccer — on the field, in the ball, and even in the design of stadiums!” It explained the place of shapes and angles on a soccer field. It suggested classroom conversation starters: Why are those shapes important to the game? It proposed a project for students to design their own soccer field or stadium using rulers and protractors. “Using AI has been a game changer for me,” said Sepúlveda, who teaches at a dual language school in Dallas and has ChatGPT translate everything into Spanish. “It’s helping me with lesson planning, communicating with parents and increasing student engagement.” Across the country, artificial intelligence tools are changing the teaching profession as educators use them to help write quizzes and worksheets, design lessons, assist with grading and reduce paperwork. By freeing up their time, many say the technology has made them better at their jobs. A poll released Wednesday by Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation found 6 in 10 U.S. teachers working in K-12 public schools used AI tools for their work over the past school year, with heavier use among high school educators and early-career teachers. It surveyed more than 2,000 teachers nationwide in April. Respondents who use AI tools weekly estimate they save them about six hours a week, suggesting the technology could help alleviate teacher burnout, said Gallup research consultant Andrea Malek Ash, who authored the report. States are issuing guidelines for using AI tools in classrooms As schools navigate concerns over student abuse of the technology, some are also are introducing guidelines and training for educators so teachers are aware of avoiding shortcuts that shortchange students. About two dozen states have state-level AI guidance for schools, but the extent to which it is applied by schools and teachers is uneven, says Maya Israel, an associate professor of educational technology and computer science education at the University of Florida. “We want to make sure that AI isn’t replacing the judgment of a teacher,” Israel said. If teachers are using chatbots for grading they should be aware the tools are good for “low-level” grading like multiple choice tests but less effective when nuance is required. There should be a way for students to alert teachers if the grading is too harsh or inconsistent, and the final grading decision needs to remain with the educator, she said. About 8 in 10 teachers who use AI tools say it saves them time on work tasks like making worksheets, assessments, quizzes or on administrative work. And about 6 in 10 teachers who use AI tools said they are improving the quality of their work when it comes to modifying student materials, or giving student feedback. “AI has transformed how I teach. It’s also transformed my weekends and given me a better work-life balance,” said Mary McCarthy, a high school social studies teacher in the Houston area who has used AI tools for help with lesson plans and other tasks. McCarthy said training she received from her school district on AI […]