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Former US President and current Republican presidential contender Donald Trump spoke to the Republican Jewish Coalition on Thursday.

Trump began his speech by condemning the recent execution of six Israeli hostages by Hamas terrorists in Gaza. He expressed his deep sorrow over the death of American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, stating, “As we speak today, we are all devastated by the horrific death of our fellow American, Hersh Goldberg-Polin. And this is so sad to even say. I’ve been watching the parents, I’ve been watching everybody talking about it for so long, and it’s just so sad to see, and the five other innocent hostages slaughtered late last week by Hamas terrorists.”

He continued, “Hersh was a brother, a son, and an American citizen. After being held captive for nearly a year following the monstrous October 7th attack on Israel, Hersh was barbarically executed with a bullet to the back of his head.”

Trump extended his condolences to Hersh’s family and all those affected by the violence, saying, “To Hersh’s family and everyone touched by these atrocities, we pray that God will grant you comfort, healing, and peace. And as for the evil savages responsible for those murders, may they never know peace or comfort ever again.”

He then criticized the Harris-Biden Administration for attempting to blame Israel for the hostages’ deaths, remarking, “Unbelievably, the Harris-Biden Administration has sought to cast blame for these deaths on Israel. They have not been your friends. I don’t understand how anyone can support them.”

{Matzav.com}

The Biden administration on Thursday approved plans for a 2-gigawatt wind farm in waters near Maryland’s coast, marking the 10th commercial-scale offshore turbine project to win the US government’s authorization.

The US Wind Inc. project is set to be built in three phases, ultimately including as many as 114 wind turbines roughly 9 nautical miles off the Maryland coast and Sussex County, Delaware.

With the approval, the Interior Department has now authorized offshore wind projects that have a total nameplate generating capacity of 15 gigawatts. If they produced power all of the time, that would be akin to 15 standard nuclear reactors.

Biden administration officials celebrated the approval as a significant milestone.

“Under President Biden’s leadership, we have jumpstarted the nation’s offshore wind industry, which is creating tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, strengthening Made in America supply chains and providing reliable power to homes and businesses,” White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi said in a statement.

President Joe Biden has set a goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power by the end of the decade. Analysts say that target is slipping further out of reach amid escalating costs, shelved projects and canceled power purchase agreements. The industry’s outlook is also clouded by concerns about policy and political risk, given Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s escalated criticism.

US Wind’s first two planned phases at the site – known as MarWin and Momentum Wind – would together encompass as many as 77 turbines and would have a 1.1-gigawatt capacity.

(c) Washington Post

Fewer adolescents are vaping this year than at any point in the last decade, government officials reported Thursday, pointing to a shrinking number of high school students who are using Elf Bar and other fruity, unauthorized e-cigarettes. The latest survey numbers show the teen vaping rate fell to under 6% this year, down from 7.7% in 2023. More than 1.6 million students reported vaping in the previous month — about one-third the number in 2019, when underage vaping peaked with the use of discrete, high-nicotine e-cigarettes like Juul. This year’s decline was mainly driven by a half-million fewer high school students who reported using e-cigarettes in the past month, officials said. Vaping was unchanged among middle schoolers, but remains less common in that group, at 3.5% of students. “This is a monumental public health win,” FDA’s tobacco director Brian King told reporters. “But we can’t rest on our laurels. There’s clearly more work to do to further reduce youth use.” King and other officials noted that the drop in vaping didn’t coincide with a rise in other tobacco industry products, such as nicotine pouches. Sales of small, flavored pouches like Zyn have surged among adults. The subject of viral videos on social media platforms, the pouches come in flavors like mint and cinnamon and slowly release nicotine when placed along the gumline. This year’s U.S. survey shows 1.8% of teens are using them, largely unchanged from last year. “Our guard is up,” King said. “We’re aware of the reported growing sales trends and we’re closely monitoring the evolving tobacco product landscape.” The federal survey involved more than 29,000 students in grades 6 through 12 who filled out an online questionnaire in the spring. Health officials consider the survey to be their best measure of youth tobacco and nicotine trends. Thursday’s update focused on vaping products and nicotine pouches, but the full publication will eventually include rates of cigarette and cigar smoking, which have also hit historic lows in recent years. Officials from the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attributed the big drop in vaping to recent age restrictions and more aggressive enforcement against retailers and manufacturers, including Chinese vaping companies who have sold their e-cigarettes illegally in the U.S. for years. Use of the most popular e-cigarette among teens, Elf Bar, fell 36% in the wake of FDA warning letters to stores and distributors selling the brightly colored vapes, which come in flavors like watermelon ice and peach mango. The brand is part of a wave of cheap, disposable e-cigarettes from China that have taken over a large portion of the U.S. vaping market. The FDA has tried to block such imports, although Elf Bar and other brands have tried to find workarounds by changing their names, addresses and logos. Teen use of major American e-cigarettes like Vuse and Juul remained significant, with about 12% of teens who vape reporting use of those those brands. In 2020, FDA regulators banned fruit and candy flavors from reusable e-cigarettes like Juul, which are now only sold in menthol and tobacco. But the flavor restriction didn’t apply to disposable products, and companies like Elf Bar stepped in to fill the gap. Other key findings in the report: — Among students who current use e-cigarettes, about 26% said they vape daily. […]

Shame, tears, frustration — the feelings of a typical school day in the life of a struggling child. With the appropriate awareness, skill and support, an educator can tap into a child’s strengths and unlock his potential. The Torah Umesorah Diverse Learners Initiative (DLI) is rewriting the narrative, turning “I can’t” into “I can.”  “I can learn. I can accomplish. I can succeed.” By training educators to streamline and effectively manage interventions, we empower schools nationwide to guide their academically struggling students toward success.DLI is making it happen!  Believe in a child.Reach a child.Transform a child. Learn more here. Enroll Today. Credits:  Adapted with permission from The Shadchan by Abie Rotenberg ©1984, Journeys Volume I. Featuring: Baruch LevineComposed by: Abie RotenbergWritten and Directed by: R. PerlowVideo Production: Rivkin MediaMusic Produced and Arranged by: Doni GrossCover Design: M. HonigwachsMedia Distribution: Chayale Kaufman Special thanks to:Yoni ShimborskiRabbi LeibowitzTzvi LeibowitzTorah Umesorah Marketing TeamCR AbayevRabbi Yitzy AdlerRabbi Chaim ZidelleRabbi and Mrs. ShimborskiZidelle familyNatan AzatchiAzatchi FamilyChaim Day Camp StaffChaim Day Camp Campers and FamiliesTorah Umesorah DLI staff Lyrics:  I was riding on the school bus the first day of schoolWith a nervous feeling I had come to knowWith my knapsack and my loose-leaf lined up at my sideAnd a brand-new shirt and shoes so I would look real fine. Chorus: ‘Cause my mother said“This year it will be different”I’ve heard those words so many times before“But the Rebbe’s nice and he’ll see that you are special”I said “Alright, I’ll try my best once more.” As I climbed the stairs to go into my classroomI felt like turning back right then and thereAs the struggles from the past years filled up in my mindI worried what I’d do to make it through this year I wondered what the problems would be this timeI thought about how hard the work would beand though my friends will think that I don’t work and I don’t careIt’s really that I’ve given up on me Chorus:And my Rebbe said“This year it will be different”I’ve heard those words so many times before“I know you try so hard, and I see that you are special”I said “Alright, I’ll try my best once more.” My classmates all around me don’t know how I feelI’ve learned to keep my feelings deep insideAnd when I make them laugh in class, I don’t mean to be badIt’s just my way to hide my pain and save my pride And I know that soon they’ll meet about me once againThey’ll talk and plan about what my goals should beAnd though I know it’s wrong, the nagging thought will cross my mindWhy did Hashem create someone like me? I’m now driving in my car on the first day of schoolwith that nervous feeling I have come to knowBut my day is a little different than it used to beBecause now I’m not the student, I’m the Rebbe And every now and then I see a look in a child’s eyesThat reflects the look that used to be in mineAnd I tell myself no matter what comes my wayI will help this child find a way that he can shine Chorus:And I say to him “This time it will be different”I know that you have heard those words before“But the time is right and I believe that you are special”He says “Alright”Oh […]

According to a Wall Street Journal exclusive, former President Donald Trump plans to adopt Elon Musk’s plan for a government efficiency commission — an idea first raised during their X spaces talk.

Trump is expected to announce the plan today along with several other economic proposals.

 

From WSJ:

The commission would conduct “a complete financial and performance audit of the entire federal government” and make “recommendations for drastic reform,” the Republican former president plans to say in an appearance before the Economic Club of New York. The goal would be to identify ways to eliminate fraud and improper payments, according to portions of the speech viewed by The Wall Street Journal.

Trump and Musk have grown close as Musk’s political views have become more conservative. In a recent conversation on X, the entrepreneur suggested Trump form a commission tackling government spending as a way to address inflation.

Musk said last month “I’d be happy to help out on such a commission,” and on Thursday said on X “I look forward to serving America if the opportunity arises. No pay, no title, no recognition is needed.”

 

Hamas released a video on Wednesday showing two of the hostages whose bodies were found by Israeli forces last week in a tunnel in Gaza. The clip, shared on a Hamas Telegram channel, features Carmel Gat, 40, and Alex Lobanov, 32, two of the six captives discovered executed after months of captivity. Hamas has previously published similar hostage videos, which Israel says are part of a psychological warfare campaign. The latest footage adds to the grim reality of the hostages’ treatment and the urgency surrounding their fate. The six hostages — Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Ori Danino, Alex Lobanov, Carmel Gat, and Almog Sarusi — were killed just days before their bodies were recovered, according to IDF reports and autopsies. Earlier this week, Hamas also released videos of two other victims, Yerushalmi and Danino. While most Israeli media outlets avoid broadcasting these clips, Gat’s family authorized portions of the video featuring her to be published. In the video, Gat speaks in Hebrew, with Arabic and English subtitles, sharing the harsh conditions she endured in captivity. She revealed that she was being held with “little food or water, and poor hygiene conditions” amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes. “I don’t know if I will get out of here alive,” Gat says in the video. She pleads with the Israeli government to secure her and other hostages’ release through a deal with Hamas. She also urged Israelis to continue their demonstrations in support of the captives. Expressing concern for her loved ones, Gat added, “I hope I have a family left to return to,” and vowed to “stay strong” for them. Her mother was killed during the Hamas attacks on October 7, and her sister-in-law, Yarden, who was also taken hostage, was released in a November exchange deal that freed 105 hostages in return for Palestinian security prisoners. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

ABC News has released the official list of rules for next week’s presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Kamala Harris — and Team Harris is already claiming a disadvantage.

The list of rules for the debate is as follows:

• No opening statements; closing statements will be two minutes per candidate.
• Candidates will stand behind podiums for the duration of the debate.
• Props or prewritten notes are not allowed onstage.
• No topics or questions will be shared in advance with campaigns or candidates.
• Candidates will be given a pen, a pad of paper, and a bottle of water.
• Candidates will have two-minute answers to questions, two-minute rebuttals, and one extra minute for follow-ups, clarifications, or responses.
• Candidates’ microphones will be live only for the candidate whose turn it is to speak and muted when the time belongs to another candidate.
• Candidates will not be permitted to ask questions of each other.
• Campaign staff may not interact with candidates during commercial breaks.
• Moderators will seek to enforce timing agreements and ensure a civilized discussion.
• There will be no audience in the room.

The Harris campaigned complained in a letter to ABC News, claiming the format benefits Donald Trump.

“Vice President Harris, a former prosecutor, will be fundamentally disadvantaged by this format, which will serve to shield Donald Trump from direct exchanges with the Vice President,” the letter said. “We suspect this is the primary reason for his campaign’s insistence on muted microphones.”

More over at The Daily Wire:

 

{Matzav.com}

Ukraine’s parliament approved the appointment of a new foreign minister Thursday, two lawmakers said, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought to breathe fresh life into his administration with the war against Russia poised for what could be a pivotal phase. Andrii Sybiha, a former ambassador to Turkey, is the country’s new chief diplomat. He replaced Dmytro Kuleba, who became one of Ukraine’s most recognizable faces on the international stage as he petitioned and pleaded with Western countries to support Ukraine’s war effort. Sybiha, 49, has been working as Kuleba’s deputy since April. Zelenskyy wants to replace almost a dozen top officials in his biggest government shake-up since Russia’s full-scale invasion started on Feb. 24, 2022. Other changes included the heads of strategic industries, justice, natural resources and farming. Parliament’s approval is required for the changes. Ukrainian lawmakers Yaroslav Zhelezniak and Oleksii Honcharenko confirmed the vote to The Associated Press. Zelenskyy said Wednesday of the reshuffle that Ukraine needs “new energy.” The war, more than 900 days long, is on the cusp of what could be a key period. A likely hard winter lies ahead, testing the country’s resolve. Ukraine’s power grid is under severe strain after Russian missiles and drones knocked out around 70% of the country’s generation capacity. That could mean going without heat and water. On the battlefield, Ukraine is waiting to see whether the military’s gamble with its surprise thrust into Russia’s Kursk border region a month ago pays dividends. Meanwhile, outgunned Ukrainian soldiers are gradually being pushed backward by Russia’s monthslong drive deeper into eastern Ukraine, and Ukrainian civilians are at the mercy of Russia’s deadly long-range aerial strikes. The casualty list from a Russian missile strike Tuesday on a military training school in the Ukrainian city of Poltava grew to 55 dead and 328 wounded, Ukraine’s Interior Ministry said Thursday. A search and rescue operation was continuing. No major policy changes were expected under the new administration. Zelenskyy’s five-year mandate expired in May, but he remains in power under the provisions of martial law, and his leadership is largely unchallenged. Sybiha, the new foreign minister who also previously worked in the president’s office, takes on the role as Ukraine endeavors to prevent war fatigue from eroding the West’s commitment. Kyiv officials will also have to navigate the result of the U.S. election in November, which could produce important policy shifts in Washington. Top of Ukraine’s wish list at the moment are more Western air defense systems and permission from its Western partners to let it use their weapons to hit targets on Russian soil. Some Western leaders are reluctant to grant that request, because they fear an escalation that could drag them into the fighting. Top U.S. military leaders, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. C.Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will meet in Germany on Friday to discuss those issues with European allies. Zelenskyy hasn’t shrunk from major decisions that risk alienating senior officials and perplexing the public. In February, he replaced his top general in a shake-up aimed at reigniting battlefield momentum, and the then defense minister Oleksii Reznikov quit a year ago, after Zelenskyy said that he would be replaced and named his successor. (AP)

Jury selection is set to begin Thursday in Los Angeles for the second criminal trial of President Joe Biden’s son Hunter – a case that over the next few weeks could detail for a jury his lavish lifestyle while he was addicted to drugs.

The younger Biden was convicted by a Delaware jury in June on three felony gun charges in an unrelated case that stems from the same period of his life, from around 2015 to 2019.

But the tax trial will unfold at a moment when there is less political scrutiny on Hunter Biden, now that his father has decided not to seek reelection. Still, it takes place as the president is attempting to bolster his legacy and focus on the few months he has left in office.

Hunter Biden is accused of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in federal taxes from 2016 through 2019. Prosecutors also allege that when he filed his taxes, he wrongfully wrote off payments as business expenses – including payments to sex workers, membership to a sex club and fancy car rentals. The charges include failing to file and pay taxes, tax evasion and filing false tax returns. Three are felonies and six are misdemeanors.

Biden has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed David Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware, to oversee the Biden prosecutions as special counsel – an appointment that gives Weiss more independence and clear authority to bring charges outside Delaware.

Hunter Biden’s attorney, Mark Geragos, said at a pretrial hearing last month that Biden paid his taxes for much of his adult life but that and his mindset while he was actively using and addicted to alcohol and crack cocaine led him to being delinquent. The lawyer said the fact that his client eventually paid his taxes in full is evidence that he wasn’t trying to evade the government.

“Why would somebody file the tax return, why would they clean up or try to clean up their mess, and then subsequently pay if they were trying to evade,” Geragos said at the hearing. “And why are they so afraid of a jury hearing that inference – that information?”

Federal prosecutors argued that Biden’s payment after the fact is irrelevant to the charges. They plan to detail the extravagant ways Biden spent his money instead of paying his taxes.

In a blow to the defense, Judge Mark Scarsi ruled that Biden’s attorneys cannot tell the jury that Biden eventually paid his taxes. Scarsi, who was appointed to the bench by President Donald Trump in 2020, also limited how much Biden’s legal team could discuss his addiction and the personal traumas that they say led to his drug use.

Criminal prosecutions of tax evasion are rare, and legal experts say it is even rarer for someone to be charged once they have already paid their taxes.

“You don’t spend those resources chasing those cases,” said Brian Galle, a tax law professor at Georgetown University and a former prosecutor in the Justice Department’s tax division. “One of the things that the criminal penalties in the tax system is supposed to do is to get people to cooperate and pay. So if you have someone who does cooperate and pay, usually that is going to be a lower priority.”

Biden has altered his legal team since his Delaware trial, with his recent top lawyer Abbe Lowell taking a lesser role in the upcoming case. Instead, Biden has enlisted Geragos, a well known Los Angeles-based criminal defense attorney whose past clients include President Bill Clinton’s brother Roger Clinton Jr. and Colin Kaepernick, the former 49ers quarterback who sued the NFL.

Prosecutors said they plan to call fewer than 30 witnesses. The judge estimates the trial will take about two weeks.

The gun trial in Delaware – in which Biden was convicted of lying about his drug use on a federal form required to purchase a gun – focused heavily on his addiction. There was little discussion of Biden paying prostitutes or how Biden earned his money.

The Los Angles trial, however, is expected to delve into some of the controversial foreign business deals Biden pursued while his father was vice president and his payments to sex workers.

In some of their filings, prosecutors have focused in particular on Hunter Biden’s arrangements with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, Chinese energy executives and a Romanian real estate tycoon named Gabriel Popoviciu. Biden was being paid millions of dollars from those deals during the time period in which he was not paying taxes.

Hunter Biden has a close relationship with his father, and the two have spent much of the past two weeks vacationing with the rest of their family in private, in California and at their home in Rehoboth Beach, Del.

This week marks a shift, with President Joe Biden back at the White House and starting to campaign with Harris, and Hunter Biden preparing to report to federal court. Around the time the proceedings are scheduled to begin in the Los Angeles federal court, the president is scheduled to depart the White House for La Crosse, Wis., to deliver remarks on his administration’s policies in a key swing state.

Since a jury found him guilty of the gun charges in Delaware, Hunter Biden enters this second trial as a felon. If he is convicted again, that criminal history would likely make his sentence on the tax charges more severe.

One way to try to avoid a harsh sentence would be to consider a plea deal. There has been little indication of any such talks gaining much traction, according to people familiar with conversations between prosecutors and the defense team. But discussions can move quickly in the final hours before a trial begins.

Allies of Hunter Biden have speculated that his father might consider pardoning him before leaving office, even though the president said he would not do so after the Delaware verdict – and his spokesperson has reiterated that.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked on Aug. 14 whether he would press for Harris to pardon his son, were she to win the election.

“That’s a hypothetical,” she responded. “He said he would not pardon his son. And I’m just going to leave it there.”

(c) Washington Post

A captured senior Hamas official has revealed a plan by Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to smuggle himself, other leaders, and Israeli hostages through the Philadelphi Corridor to Sinai and eventually to Iran, according to a report by the Jewish Chronicle. The plan was uncovered during the official’s interrogation by Israeli security forces and from documents seized last week, the same day the bodies of six murdered hostages were retrieved. Sinwar allegedly believes Hamas’s end is near and seeks to escape to Iran. Therefore, Hamas is insisting on Israel withdrawing from the Philadelphi Corridor, which runs along the Egyptian border. On Thursday, Prime Minister Netanyahu denied reports of a looming deal with Hamas, calling it a “false narrative.” He emphasized the importance of maintaining control over the Philadelphi Corridor, saying: “It prevents Gaza from becoming this Iranian terror enclave again… and it’s also the way to prevent them from smuggling hostages… into Egypt, into the Sinai, where they could disappear, and then they’ll end up in Iran or in Yemen, and they’re lost forever.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Roman siege of the fortress of Masada two millennium ago took several weeks at most, according to study from Tel Aviv University released on Thursday.

The groundbreaking archaeological survey casts doubt on the long-held belief that the Roman siege of Masada continued for three years.

The team of researchers used a variety of modern technologies, including drones, remote sensing and 3D digital modeling, to generate their analysis of the siege.

“For many years, the prevailing theory that became a modern myth asserted that the Roman siege of Masada was a grueling three-year affair,” noted TAU’s Guy Stiebel. “In recent decades researchers have begun to challenge this notion, for various reasons. In this first-of-its kind study, we examined the issue with modern technologies enabling precise objective measurements.”

The researchers used drones carrying remote sensors that provided precise, high-resolution measurements of the height, width and length of all features of the siege system. This data was used to build an accurate 3D digital model, enabling exact calculation of the structures’ volume and how long it took to build them.

About 6,000-8,000 Roman soldiers participated in the siege of Masada, one of the final events in the First Jewish-Roman War around a hilltop on the eastern edge of Midbar Yehuda, overlooking the Dead Sea.

“Reliable estimates are available of the quantity of earth and stones a Roman soldier was able to move in one day,” said TAU’s Hai Ashkenazi. “Thus, we were able to objectively calculate how long it took them to build the entire siege system—eight camps and a stone wall surrounding most of the site.”

“We found that construction took only about two weeks. Based on the ancient historical testimony, it is clear that once the assault ramp was completed, the Romans launched a brutal attack, ultimately capturing the fortress within a few weeks at the most. This leads us to the conclusion that the entire siege of Masada lasted no more than several weeks,” Ashkenazi said.

Stiebel said, “The narrative of Masada, the Great Jewish Revolt, the siege, and the tragic end as related by Flavius Josephus, have all become part of Israeli DNA and the Zionist ethos, and are well known around the world. The duration of the siege is a major element in this narrative, suggesting that the glorious Roman army found it very difficult to take the fortress and crush its defenders.

“As empires throughout history have done, the Romans came, saw and conquered, quickly and brutally quelling the uprising in this remote location,” he added. “Our conclusions, however, detract nothing from the importance of this historical event.”

The findings have been published in the Journal of Roman Archaeology.

(JNS)

Barrow County Sheriff’s Office has released the booking photo of Colt Gray, the 14-year-old student accused of killing four and hospitalizing nine in the deadliest school shooting in Georgia history. Gray has been charged with four counts of murder and “addition charges are expected,” according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Among the victims at Apalachee High School were math teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie, as well as students Mason Schermerhorn, 14 and Christian Angulo, 14.

Gray was previously investigated by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office in 2023 for allegedly posting threats to shoot up a school on his social media. The sheriff said Gray, who was 13 at the time, had “unsupervised access” to his father’s rifles. However, the Atlanta FBI said in a statement on X that “at that time, there was no probable cause for arrest or to take any additional law enforcement action on the local, state, or federal levels.” Earlier, 11 Alive News released a photo of Gray from a 2022 yearbook, when he would have been just 11 or 12.

Colt Gray from a 2022 yearbook picture.

Read more at 11 Alive News.

The Biden administration is examining the four largest U.S. airline frequent-flyer programs and how they devalue points that consumers have earned and frequently change the number of points or miles needed to book flights. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wrote to the CEOs of American, Delta, Southwest and United on Thursday, asking each for a report on policies, fees and other features of their loyalty program. Consumers often complain that airlines raise the number of points needed to earn a free flight and limit the number of seats that can be purchased with points. Buttigieg said loyalty programs bring value to consumers, and people count on them to pay for vacations and trips to visit family. “But unlike a traditional savings account, these rewards are controlled by a company that can unilaterally change their value,” he said in a statement issued by the Transportation Department. “Our goal is to ensure consumers are getting the value that was promised to them, which means validating that these programs are transparent and fair.” Delta said loyalty of members in its frequent-flyer program “means everything to us, and providing a meaningful rewards experience is the top priority within Delta’s SkyMiles Program.” Southwest highlighted that its points never expire, and said it books more seats with points than other airlines. Airlines for America, a trade group that represents all four carriers targeted by Buttigieg, said millions of people enjoy participating in the loyalty programs. “U.S. carriers are transparent about these programs, and policymakers should ensure that consumers can continue to be offered these important benefits,” a spokesperson for the group said. Frequent-flyer programs were once based on the number of flights taken or miles flown. In recent years, however, they have been fueled by spending that consumers conduct using airline-branded credit cards. Income from the credit-card issuers has become an important source of airline revenue. The Transportation Department and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau held a hearing in May on the airline programs, at which they raised many of the issued covered in Buttigieg’s letter to airline CEOs. Witnesses included consumer advocates and officials from three smaller airlines, but no representatives of the big four airlines that are covered by the new inquiry. One of the advocates who testified, Erin Witte of the Consumer Federation of America, said frequent-flyer programs started as a reward for consumers who were loyal to one airline. “It’s ironic that many of them have morphed into programs that are anything but loyal to their customers and instead make people feel like they need an insurance policy to keep the points they have earned,” Witte said Thursday. She said she was glad the Transportation Department is examining the programs. The consumer-protection board said in a report for the hearing that it received more than 1,200 complaints about credit card rewards last year, an increase of more than 70% from pre-pandemic levels. Many hotels, retailers and other businesses also offer loyalty programs with credit cards. Buttigieg ordered the airlines to report within 90 days on matters including how point values are determined, any fees that consumers must pay, and details of deals with banks that buy miles from airlines and use them to encourage people to shop with their credit cards. The order asks airlines to list any changes in their programs since […]

Rav Avraham Binyamin Zilberberg, Rosh Yeshiva of Gur in Hatzor and a member of the chassidus’s chinuch committee, whose name was mentioned recently in reports that he was in negotiations with the IDF to reach an agreement on the drafting issue, whereby 250 would join the police force, and the rest would receive exemptions, clarified in a dramatic letter that this never happened and that he does not have the authority to deal with this matter.

In the letter sent this morning to the chairman of United Torah Judaism and Minister of Housing Yitzchak Goldknopf, Rav Zilberberg wrote: “To the honorable emissary of the rabbonim, Rav Yitzchak Goldknopf, I was astonished to hear that there are reports that I supposedly held talks with someone from Gur regarding enlistment in the police in exchange for military service,” Rav Zilberberg writes, making it clear that these are “nonsense and futile talk.”

Rabbi Zilberberg elaborated: “This information has no basis in reality. Someone made up these things for an unknown purpose. There were no such discussions, and certainly there is no agreement to enlist in the police or any other arrangements.” The rosh yeshiva reiterated: “There was no such thing.”

Rav Zilberberg added: “The only matter at hand is to restore the arrangement that has been in place for years, where anyone whose Torah is their primary occupation is exempt from military service, without conditions and without deals.”

He further clarified in his letter that he is not in charge of the draft issue. “This issue,” he writes, “belongs to those appointed by the Gedolei Yisrael, and they are working with great dedication to remove this terrible decree and restore the previous arrangement.

“May your hands and the hands of all those involved in this sacred work be strengthened, and may the mouths of those who speak falsehood be sealed,” he concluded.

It should be noted that this morning, it was reported on Galei Tzahal about a dramatic agreement being formed between Gur chassidus and the Ministry of Defense, according to which about 250 young men from the chassidus would join the police force in exchange for the rest of the chassidim being exempt from military service.

According to the report, talks had been held over the past month with senior officials in the Ministry of Defense by Rav Zilberberg, a close associate of the Gerer Rebbe, who, as mentioned, denies any such discussions took place.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Dear Sarah Schneirer,

I can’t believe I’m doing this, but I need your help.

Sarah, I need you to look at me. I was a frum chassidishe girl who grew up in the system. I did everything right. I put my kids into a frum chassidishe system, and look at the pain I carry with me.

My daughter was all of twelve and a half years old when she was already rejected from school. I’m not going to go into detail about that—just the dry facts.

Fast forward four years, and my next child, at sixteen, was also rejected from her school. It’s one year later, and now my fifteen-year-old is without a school one week before the new year is supposed to start.

Yay, there’s a school willing to take her, but it comes with a big price tag…

Sarah, did you know that one day, sending our girls to frum schools would become a luxury for the rich?

Did you ever imagine that the introduction to our interviews wouldn’t be as you envisioned, with “We are so happy to have you here! It’s a z’chus to have you with us!” Instead, what we hear is, “These are the rules you need to follow in order for us to even glance in your direction.”

But these rules are made up by some twisted regime to quash our individuality. It’s not halacha. It’s control! Who can outdo the other with rules and chumras to suck out any bit of joy from these girls? “How long is your ponytail?” or “Which shoes are you allowed to wear?”

Is this what you fought all the great Torah giants of your time to achieve? That I have to cry bitter tears year after year for someone to have pity on my innocent girls and allow them to attend and learn in a school—a frum school, no less? And then they say their goal is to instill a true happiness in being a religious Jew and how beautiful Yiddishkeit is? Where is this beauty? You’ve sucked it all out! Where’s the happiness you promised? You’ve ripped it away from these well-meaning parents and girls!

Sarah, do you see the anguish of so many girls going off the derech because of the school system?

Do you see fathers and mothers having heart attacks because they can’t afford the exorbitant tuition fees, and their complete devastation of going from school to school, being rejected and sent away? Children as young as four and five are being turned away!

Tell me, how can an innocent child of five already taste such harsh realities and still believe that Yiddishkeit is beautiful and happy? These schools tear them away. They rip off their cloak of innocence and young joy.

Sarah, do you see the suicide rates of our girls in pain because they’re made to feel useless and unworthy?

Do you also see the cruelty of the school administrations when the money isn’t delivered in a timely manner? The lengths they’ll go to shame and harass the children! Making them leave the room to call home for money, or handing out admission cards to everyone except for one child, leaving them mortified in public.

Is this what you wanted when you trudged through the frigid streets of Krakow, trying to find the young women of your time to give them a true Jewish education? Is this the cornerstone you set for our generation?

Did you ever imagine that this would be the reality for the future mothers of Klal Yisroel?

I have news for you. We are headed for the complete annihilation of our nation—not through Nazis or Communists, not through the Crusades or Bolsheviks, but through our very own educators and school administrations.

Sarah, you used to knock on doors to get girls to come to your school. You knew that otherwise our nation was lost, our heritage gone. Now we are the ones banging on doors. But we only think they’re doors. In essence, they’re thick, heavy brick walls with no compassionate mother to open them and welcome the girls with a warm embrace. There are only cold people who crave power and control. They savor the image of mothers and fathers prostrating themselves at their feet, begging for mercy like slaves in chains: “Please, please take my child into your holy mosad.”

You would pay us to come to your school.

And look where we are now.

Sarah, you need to intervene. I’ve surrendered!

I may have a few girls home this year for lack of the finances needed to send them to school. I will not take responsibility for the trauma this may cause them. I have no means to support them or pay these fees. I cannot beg anymore! I cannot fight for a culture and community that has failed me and my family—as I’m sure it has failed many others.

Sarah, you are my last hope. Take this information and do with it whatever you see fit. I am bowing my head, but don’t say I didn’t try every avenue out there for us. Now, I surrender it to the universe.

A Mother in Pain

[The letter writer can be reached through Matzav.com at MatzavInbox@gmail.com]

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Staten Island Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) is accusing the NYPD and Mayor Eric Adams of “stonewalling” her request for data on crimes committed by migrants in or around taxpayer-funded shelters, the NY Post reported in an exclusive interview with the Congresswoman. Malliotakis sought the statistics under the Freedom of Information Law in January, requesting data on crimes committed within a five-block radius of City-run migrant shelters and the top charges against arrestees who listed a shelter as their home address. However, the NYPD has periodically responded, saying the information is not yet available and won’t be until November 15 – 10 days after the election, according to the report. “I believe the administration is stonewalling. The public has a right to know,” Malliotakis told the Post. “Either they’re stonewalling or there are many more crimes being committed by migrants than they can tabulate in a year. That’s ridiculous.” The NYPD claims to be working on the request, but the city’s sanctuary law limits officers from asking about immigration status, making it difficult to track migrant-related crimes. A recent Post report found migrants are flooding the criminal-justice system, with one Manhattan cop estimating 75% of Midtown arrests involve migrants. Deputy Mayor Anne Williams-Isom acknowledged arrests don’t bar migrants from taxpayer-funded shelters, saying, “Getting arrested in New York City doesn’t mean you can’t get services.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A Palestinian terror squad based in Jenin planned to infiltrate Israeli communities in Samaria and carry out an Oct. 7-style massacre, according to an indictment published by Channel 14 on Wednesday.

The charges filed against Osama Bani Fadl, who stands accused of murdering Israelis Shay Silas Nigrekar and his son Aviad Nir on Aug. 19, 2023, in Huwara, reveal that he fled to Jenin after the shooting, joining a terror cell there, Channel 14 News reported.

Fadl was arrested in November during an Israeli counterterrorism raid in the Jenin camp. Israeli security forces said at the time that the armed suspect was located in a hideout used by local terrorist operatives.

The indictment accuses Fadl and other members of the terrorist squad of making preparations for a mass slaughter targeting Jewish residents of Samaria, including by infiltrating Israeli towns using vehicles.

The terror cell reportedly also planned attacks inside the town of Ma’ale Efraim in the Jordan Valley, and a drive-by shooting and car bombing at the gas station outside Eli in the Binyamin region of Samaria, a location that was targeted twice by Palestinian terrorists over the past 14 months.

In response to the news, attorney Haim Blecher of the Honenu legal aid group, who represents the Nigrekar family, told Channel 14 News that his clients demand prosecutors seek the death penalty against Fadl.

The Israel Defense Forces has reportedly classified Judea and Samaria as a “combat zone” in light of the recent uptick in Palestinian terror attacks.

The report came shortly after Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged the government and army to order a large-scale counterterrorism campaign throughout Judea and Samaria in the wake of the murder of three police officers in a drive-by shooting near Hebron on Sunday.

“We are one step away from Oct. 7 in Judea and Samaria,” Smotrich warned, speaking from the site where Chief Inspector Arik Ben Eliyahu, Command Sgt. Maj. Hadas Branch and 1st Sgt. Roni Shakuri were killed.

Israeli security agencies on Aug. 28 launched a large-scale counterterror operation targeting the Jenin and Tulkarem areas, involving hundreds of troops and air support. So far, at least 30 terrorists have been killed in the operation, which is still ongoing, according to recent IDF figures.

“The rise of terror in Judea and Samaria is an issue that we need to be focused on at every moment. The process is an attack to prevent terror. We are mowing the lawn; the moment will also come when we will pull out the roots, that must be done,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said following a situational assessment with IDF officers on Wednesday.

“The rise [in terror] that comes in the form of car bombs and shootings everywhere, these are things that need to be put to an end,” he added.

On Tuesday night, hundreds of Israeli residents of Judea and Samaria gathered in protest at intersections throughout the territory, demanding that the military launch a broader operation against Palestinian terror.

In the first six months of 2024, Judea and Samaria saw more than 500 Arab terrorist attacks each month on average, according to figures published by Rescuers Without Borders (Hatzalah Judea and Samaria).

During that period, first responders recorded 3,272 acts of terrorism in the region, including 1,868 cases of rock-throwing, 456 attacks with Molotov cocktails, 299 explosive charges and 109 shootings.

Terrorists have killed 14 people and wounded more than 155 others in Judea and Samaria between January and July, the rescue group said. JNS

{Matzav.com Israel}

Former President Donald Trump said Thursday he would create a government efficiency commission to audit the entire federal government, an idea suggested by billionaire Elon Musk, who would lead it. The commission is the latest attention-grabbing alliance between Trump and Musk, who leads companies including Tesla and SpaceX and has become an increasingly vocal supporter of Trump’s bid to return to the White House. The Republican presidential nominee claimed that in 2022, “fraud and improper payments alone cost taxpayers an estimated hundreds of billions of dollars.” He said the commission would recommend “drastic reforms” and develop a plan to eliminate fraud and improper payments within six months, which he said would save trillions of dollars. “We need to do it,” Trump said. “Can’t go on the way we are now.” Trump also promised to cut 10 government regulations for every new regulation implemented if he’s elected in November. He announced the plans in a speech to the Economic Club of New York, a group of executives and industry leaders, where he also unveiled proposals to slash regulations and boost energy production, embrace cryptocurrencies and drastically cut government spending as well as corporate taxes for companies that produce in the U.S. “I look forward to serving America if the opportunity arises,” Musk wrote on X, the social media platform he owns. “No pay, no title, no recognition is needed.” The former president and Musk discussed a role for the entrepreneur in a second Trump administration during a streamed conversation on X last month. “You’re the greatest cutter,” Trump told Musk then. “I need an Elon Musk — I need somebody that has a lot of strength and courage and smarts. I want to close up the Department of Education, move education back to the states.” Trump and Musk, two of the world’s most powerful men, have shifted from being bitter rivals to unlikely allies over the span of one election season. Musk, who described himself as a “moderate Democrat” until recently, suggested in 2022 that Trump was too old to be president again. Still, Musk formally endorsed Trump two days after his assassination attempt last month. Presidents have made various efforts to reform government over the years, including the National Partnership for Reinventing Government created during Bill Clinton’s presidency, which was headed by then-Vice President Al Gore. It aimed to simplify the federal bureaucracy, cut costs and make agencies more responsive to the public. (AP)

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Women of Valor, Who Can Find Them?

Their husbands r”l fell in battle in battle defending Israel. Now they struggle with basic needs for their children. How will they survive without? _We know who they are. We know where they are. We know what they need._

Can we leave them alone with their children to fend for themselves?

An official campaign has been launched to support the families of our brave soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect what is most precious to us all. We have boots on the ground working with the utmost sensitivity by the families side. We research what is lacking, aquire and distribute what basics are needed most, and even procure special items that each family specifically requests based upon their unique situations. For some that is a bar or bas mitzvah celebration, for others it is a fan or air conditioner, a handyman to fix up a broken door or a leak, provide missing household items, or even a musical instrument for that special child.

Your donation today assures that these Women of Valor can lead a house with some normalcy and stability, without the scourge of poverty and debt troubling their already heavy hearts hearts. Your help will ensure their children get any additional help they need, learn healthy hobbies from after school programs (chugim), and can keep their heads high. Perhaps most importantly, your participation will let these almanos, mothers of new yesomim know they are not forgotten, they are not alone, and that they are duly acknowledged as the true Women of Valor they are. 

It’s what their husbands HYD would have wanted most.

Let us join together, as Am Yisroel, the _Am Kadosh_ . We must not let these families collapse. They gave everything.

Please donate generously.

 

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