A quiet but potentially far-reaching change may be underway within Satmar institutions, as discussions intensify over whether ninth-grade bochurim will begin wearing traditional chassidishe kasketlach (caps) during the week instead of the more expensive velvet hats. What began as a Purim initiative may soon evolve into an official policy, one that could save parents thousands of dollars.
Earlier this week, during the month of Adar, the Satmar Rebbe visited the ninth-grade division of the Satmar Talmud Torah headed by Rav Yoel Spitzer. The Rebbe toured the classrooms, inquired about the learning schedule, and expressed satisfaction at the vibrant kol Torah he encountered.
During the visit, observers noted an unusual sight: dozens of talmidim were wearing kasketlach rather than the customary velvet hats. At first, it appeared to be a creative Purim-related initiative introduced by one group’s “Purim Rav.” However, it has since emerged that the matter is being seriously examined by the Satmar educational leadership.
It has been learned that the administration of the Talmud Torah is currently considering implementing the kasketlach as mandatory weekday headwear for all ninth-grade students across its branches, following a model that has already gained traction in numerous communities in Eretz Yisroel.
The idea reportedly gained momentum after the Rebbe’s recent visit to Eretz Yisroel. There, he was impressed by bochurim who wore kasketlach during the week and suggested exploring the feasibility of adopting a similar approach in the United States. The primary objective is to ease the significant financial burden placed on parents.
The issue of rising hat prices is not new. Several years ago, when the cost of velvet hats surged sharply, dozens of Talmud Torah administrators and roshei yeshiva in Eretz Yisroel joined forces and directed students to switch to kasketlach on weekdays. Today, more than 90 yeshivos ketanos and major chassidishe communities in Eretz Yisroel have already adopted the policy.
The financial difference is substantial. In recent years, the price of a standard velvet hat has climbed from approximately 600 shekels to an average of around 1,400 shekels. By contrast, a kasketel costs roughly 100 shekels. In Satmar institutions, there is hope that if the initiative moves forward, it will result in savings of thousands of dollars per family.
{Matzav.com}
A national survey released Thursday by Emerson College Polling provides an initial look at the 2028 presidential race, with California Gov. Gavin Newsom holding a slim advantage in a competitive Democrat primary, while Vice President JD Vance maintains a commanding lead among Republican voters. The poll also shows Democrats improving their position ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, expanding their lead on the generic congressional ballot.
In the early Democrat primary picture for 2028, Newsom tops the field with 20 percent support.
He is followed by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at 16 percent and Vice President Kamala Harris at 13 percent.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez receives 9 percent, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro stands at 7 percent, and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear registers 5 percent.
At the same time, 24 percent of Democrat voters say they remain undecided.
The numbers indicate that while no single contender has unified the party, emerging blocs of support are taking shape.
“Candidates are starting to carve out their 2028 bases,” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling.
Ocasio-Cortez performs strongest among voters under 30, where she captures 20 percent, pointing to solid backing from younger progressive Democrats.
Buttigieg leads among women with 20 percent and also posts a plurality among voters with postgraduate degrees at 21 percent, highlighting strength among highly educated constituencies.
Newsom’s best performance comes among voters over age 50, where he secures 23 percent support.
Harris draws her most significant backing from Black voters, earning 36 percent support within that group — her most substantial base in the early contest.
The large share of undecided voters suggests that the Democrat race remains fluid. With nearly one-quarter of respondents uncommitted, shifts in visibility, fundraising, or broader political dynamics could quickly alter the standings.
On the Republican side, Vance holds a decisive edge with 52 percent support, more than twice that of his closest rival.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio receives 20 percent, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis posts 6 percent. Eleven percent of Republican voters say they are undecided.
Kimball said Vance’s backing is even more concentrated among core Republicans.
Among self-identified Republican voters, 59 percent support Vance, compared to 19 percent for Rubio.
Independents who say they plan to participate in the 2028 Republican primary also lean toward Vance, though by a narrower margin of 33 percent to 23 percent over Rubio.
The early data suggest that Republican voters are quickly consolidating behind the vice president, in contrast to the more divided Democrat primary landscape.
Beyond the presidential contest, the survey points to a favorable environment for Democrats heading into the 2026 midterms.
On the generic congressional ballot, Democrats lead Republicans 50 percent to 42 percent, giving them an 8-point advantage and marking a 2-point gain from last month’s poll.
Independent voters favor the Democrat candidate by a 50 percent to 37 percent margin, a notable shift given their outsized influence in recent national elections.
The findings imply that voter concerns — particularly economic issues — may be shaping the political climate.
When respondents were asked to rank issues on a scale from 1 to 10, cost of living received the highest average importance score at 8.2.
Healthcare costs followed at 7.8, inflation at 7.6, deportation policy at 7.1, healthcare access at 6.9, and border security at 6.3.
The issue breakdown reflects clear partisan differences. Democrats assign especially high importance to healthcare costs, rating it at 8.6 on average, while placing border security lowest at 4.9.
Republicans, by contrast, prioritize border security at 8.3 and deportation policy at 8.2, considerably higher than Democrats and independents.
For independents, cost of living ranks as the most pressing concern, also scoring 8.2.
Taken together, the results suggest that everyday economic pressures may play a central role in the 2026 elections, even as immigration and border enforcement continue to energize Republican voters.
The Emerson College Polling national survey was conducted February 21-22 among 1,000 likely voters across the United States. The poll reports a credibility interval of plus or minus 3 percentage points, comparable to a traditional margin of error.
{Matzav.com}
Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that although President Donald Trump is weighing potential military action against Iran, there is “no chance” the United States would become entangled in a prolonged conflict in the Middle East.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Vance said he is unsure what course Trump will ultimately choose regarding Iran. He outlined options that range from targeted military action “to ensure Iran isn’t going to get a nuclear weapon” to resolving “the problem diplomatically.”
If Trump authorizes additional strikes — which some US officials have indicated could be broader than last June’s attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities — Vance maintained that such action would not spiral into the kind of open-ended war he has long criticized.
“The idea that we’re going to be in a Middle Eastern war for years with no end in sight – there is no chance that will happen,” he told The Post while traveling back to Washington from an event in Wisconsin. His comments appeared aimed at countering foreign policy analysts who argue that any expanded confrontation with Iran could prove difficult to contain.
Vance pointed to prior operations as examples of limited, defined objectives, saying last year’s action in Iran and the January apprehension of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro were “very clearly defined.”
The vice president described himself as continuing to be a “skeptic of foreign military interventions,” adding that he believes the same characterization applies to Trump.
“I think we all prefer the diplomatic option,” Vance said. “But it really depends on what the Iranians do and what they say.”
The interview took place as American and Iranian officials were engaged in indirect negotiations in Geneva, against the backdrop of a substantial US military buildup around Iran. No agreement emerged from the talks, though Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said progress had been made and that “technical talks” would resume next week in Vienna, Austria. US officials told Axios that the discussions were positive.
Trump has also spoken openly about the possibility of regime change in Iran, including removing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from power. Earlier this month, he told reporters that it “would be the best thing that could happen.”
Asked whether, during his time as a commentator and US senator critical of the Iraq War, he ever imagined serving in an administration contemplating foreign regime change, Vance responded with a laugh.
“Well, I mean, look. Life has all kinds of crazy twists and turns,” Vance told The Washington Post. “But I think Donald Trump is an ‘America First’ president, and he pursues policies that work for the American people.
“I do think we have to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. I also think that we have to avoid overlearning the lessons of the past. Just because one president screwed up a military conflict doesn’t mean we can never engage in military conflict again. We’ve got to be careful about it, but I think the president is being careful.”
On Wednesday, before the Geneva discussions began, Vance said the United States has intelligence indicating Iran is attempting to revive aspects of its nuclear program.
He reiterated that Trump favors a negotiated solution but is prepared to consider other measures if necessary.
“The principle is very simple, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. If they try to rebuild a nuclear weapon, that causes problems for us. In fact, we’ve seen evidence that they have tried to do exactly that. So the President is sending those negotiators to try to address that problem,” Vance said.
He added, “As the President has said repeatedly, he wants to address that problem diplomatically, but of course the President has other options as well.”
Trump echoed that stance during his State of the Union address Tuesday evening. He said that last June’s strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program, while also accusing Tehran of killing more than 32,000 protesters and attempting to restart its nuclear activities. He warned that Iran is developing missiles capable of reaching Europe and potentially the United States.
“We’re in negotiations with them. They want to make a deal, but we haven’t heard those secret words, ‘We will never have a nuclear weapon’. My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy. But one thing is certain: I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror to have a nuclear weapon. Can’t let that happen.”
“No nation should ever doubt America’s resolve. We have the most powerful military on earth – hopefully, we seldom have to use it,” continued the President.
{Matzav.com}
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) said Thursday that President Donald Trump is transforming Immigration and Customs Enforcement into what he described as a heavily armed force that will operate on American streets, raising concerns about increased militarization and reduced training.
Speaking on MS NOW’s “The Last Word,” Schiff outlined findings from a review of Department of Homeland Security contracting records, which he said show a sharp rise in spending on weapons and detention infrastructure tied to immigration enforcement.
Schiff said, “We wanted to go through DHS contracting records and document just how much they’re spending to militarize this new, you know, effectively new police forces, palace guard of the presidents that is wreaking such havoc in our cities. And we found dramatic increases in spending on weapons, as you said, ICE agents will be equipped with now 3 to 4 times the amount of weapons as the previous year. Customs and Border Protection doubling their expenditure on the same.”
He argued that the increased weapon purchases are occurring alongside a reduction in training for new agents, which he described as a troubling development.
He added, “I think what we’re seeing is a dangerous combination of a much more heavily armed immigration, law enforcement, complex. At the same time, we heard whistleblower testimony this week that they’ve cut the training for these new ICE agents. And they’re getting inadequate training on when to use these weapons and how to use these weapons. That is a really dangerous mix. And we wanted to sound the alarm with this report that we’re seeing the emergence of a kind of law enforcement or immigration enforcement industrial complex, because it’s not just the weapons. We’re seeing dramatic increases in expenditures on detention centers. They want to build around the country. And this is a way of gathering its own momentum. And we need to be aware of what’s happening, that we’re building a not small army now, that’s going to be policing American streets.”
{Matzav.com}
An El Al flight en route to Miami was forced to turn around Thursday afternoon and divert to Portugal due to a medical emergency involving one of the passengers — just hours after another company flight changed course because of a suspected engine malfunction.
The Miami-bound flight made a U-turn and landed at an alternate airport in Portugal after a passenger experienced a medical emergency during the journey.
In a statement, the airline said: “El Al flight LY1017 from Tel Aviv to Miami landed at an airport en route due to a medical incident involving one of the passengers. After consultation with the company physician, it was decided to land in order to evacuate her to a hospital as soon as possible.”
The company added, “After the passenger is evacuated, the flight will continue to its destination as planned. El Al places the safety and security of its passengers and crew at the top of its priorities.”
The incident occurred only hours after a separate event earlier in the day involving a flight from Tel Aviv to Boston. That flight diverted to Heathrow Airport in London following concerns about a possible technical malfunction in one of the aircraft’s engines.
The plane, which had already entered Atlantic airspace, turned around and landed in London. The airline stated that there was concern over a potential technical issue with one of the engines, possibly limited to an indicator system malfunction. However, in accordance with safety protocols, it was decided not to proceed to the original destination.
{Matzav.com}
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The commander of US Central Command, Navy Admiral Brad Cooper, met with President Donald Trump on Thursday to outline possible military courses of action involving Iran, according to a person close to the president cited by ABC News.
Also present at the meeting was General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the president’s senior military adviser, a second individual familiar with the conversation told ABC News.
The briefing coincided with indirect negotiations in Geneva between American and Iranian representatives over Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile activities. While no agreement was announced at the conclusion of the talks, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said progress had been made and indicated that “technical talks” would resume in Vienna, Austria, next week.
Despite the ongoing diplomatic channel, Trump has continued to signal that military action remains an option and has reinforced the US force posture in the Middle East.
In recent days, several Republican lawmakers and members of the administration have privately argued that Israel, rather than the United States, should spearhead any strike on Iran if diplomacy fails, according to two people familiar with those internal discussions.
It was not clear as of Thursday whether Trump had endorsed that approach. The president has reportedly grown increasingly dissatisfied with Tehran’s refusal to stop enriching uranium and curb its ballistic missile development.
ABC News reported that Trump typically weighs a broad range of viewpoints before reaching a final decision. Politico first disclosed that some senior advisers and Republican figures have pushed for Israel to assume the lead role in any military action.
At the same time, sources say a coordinated US-Israeli operation remains under consideration. The United States has deployed substantial naval and air assets to the region, placing ships and combat aircraft within operational range of Iranian targets.
“The media may continue to speculate on the President’s thinking all they want, but only President Trump knows what he may or may not do,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said, reiterating a line she has used repeatedly in recent weeks when asked about the administration’s plans regarding Iran.
{Matzav.com}A new Knesset seat projection published by Channel 14 indicates continued stability for the right-wing bloc, which would secure 65 mandates if elections were held today. The survey also shows Likud maintaining a clear lead as the largest party in the Knesset.
According to the poll, Likud drops by one seat compared to the previous survey but still stands at 33 mandates, keeping its position at the top of the political map.
In second place is the Joint List with 13 seats. The notable shift in the survey comes from Gadi Eisenkot, whose party Yashar rises to 11 mandates — an increase of two seats from the last measurement. Shas also gains one seat, reaching 11 mandates. In contrast, Naftali Bennett’s party weakens and falls to fifth place with 10 seats.
The Democrats maintain their standing with 9 mandates. Yisrael Beiteinu and United Torah Judaism each receive 8 seats, though the latter drops one mandate compared to last week’s poll. Otzma Yehudit remains steady at 8 seats, while Religious Zionism strengthens slightly to 5. Yesh Atid hovers just above the electoral threshold with 4 mandates, and Blue and White fails to cross the minimum threshold required to enter the Knesset.
When broken down by political blocs, the right-wing camp holds 65 mandates, while the left-wing bloc stands at 42. The Arab parties collectively account for 13 seats, preserving the current balance between the opposing camps.
On the question of suitability for prime minister, Binyomin Netanyahu continues to lead by a wide margin with 55 percent support — a three-point increase. Gadi Eisenkot ranks second with 19 percent and shows upward momentum, while Naftali Bennett declines sharply to 14 percent, marking a drop of seven points. Avigdor Liberman registers a modest rise to 6 percent, and Benny Gantz trails behind.
{Matzav.com}