Feed aggregator

A beloved South Bend, Indiana family and the broader Torah world are reeling after a devastating boating accident on Lake Michigan claimed the lives of two siblings, Chana Malka Zweig, 21, and her brother, Yosef Yehuda Zweig, 18.

The tragedy occurred Tuesday while the siblings were out boating on Lake Michigan. Emergency responders rushed to the scene after reports that the two had drowned. Both were pulled from the water and transported to a nearby hospital, where medical teams fought to save their lives. Despite extensive lifesaving efforts, both Chana Malka and Yosef Yehuda were pronounced dead.

The victims were the daughter and son of R’ Yehoshua and Hadassah Zweig of South Bend.

Chana Malka and Yosef Yehuda were also the grandchildren of Rav Yochanan Zweig, the esteemed rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva V’Kollel Beis Moshe Chaim in Miami Beach.

Officials have not yet released additional information about the circumstances that led to the drowning.

Levayah arrangements have not yet been announced.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth forcefully rejected a CNN report Tuesday claiming the U.S. military’s missile stockpiles have been significantly depleted by the conflict with Iran, accusing the network of spreading false information and publicly rebuking its coverage.

The dispute centered on a CNN on-screen headline aired during anchor Kasie Hunt’s program that read: “Sources: U.S. has used nearly 80% of key missile interceptors in Iran war, top commanders warn stockpiles ‘dangerously low.'”

Responding on X, Hegseth flatly denied the report.

“That banner is NOT TRUE,” wrote Hegseth. “Shame on you. We don’t hate the Fake News media enough.”

CNN’s accompanying report, written by Zachary Cohen, Jim Sciutto, and Haley Britzky, cited multiple sources familiar with Pentagon assessments who said the United States has exhausted a substantial portion of its missile inventory during the war with Iran. According to the report, the U.S. has used nearly 80% of its THAAD missile interceptors and roughly half of its Patriot missile stockpile, prompting senior military leaders to warn the Trump administration that inventories have become “dangerously low.”

The report also noted that those concerns were raised before President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he intended “to hold off any attack” because “the perimeters of a deal ha[ve] been agreed to,” while also warning, “The U.S.A. is locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II.”

Separately on Tuesday, Reuters published its own report citing multiple sources who said the U.S. has expended “virtually all” of its stockpile of Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) during the conflict.

The White House disputed those claims, telling Reuters that the United States possesses “far more munitions than anyone in the world” and “far more than we need.”

The administration delivered a similar response to CNN. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said the U.S. military “has more than enough munitions, ammo, and stockpiles to serve all of President Trump’s strategic goals and beyond.”

{Matzav.com}

Rep. Rashida Tlaib easily defeated two challengers in Tuesday’s Democratic primary in Michigan’s 12th Congressional District, securing the nomination for another term in Congress and reinforcing her standing as one of the Democratic Party’s most prominent progressive voices.

With roughly 31.6% of the expected vote counted Tuesday night, Tlaib was projected the winner after capturing a commanding 67.9% of the vote.

According to the preliminary results, Tlaib received 31,062 votes, well ahead of challenger Shanelle Jackson, who garnered 10,940 votes, or 23.9%. Byron Nolen finished third with 3,730 votes, representing 8.2%.

Although an estimated 99,000 ballots remained to be counted, the margin was large enough for news organizations to project Tlaib’s victory.

Tlaib, who has represented the Detroit-area district since 2019, remains one of the most recognizable members of the progressive “Squad” in Congress. Throughout her tenure, she has championed left-wing priorities including Medicare for All, environmental initiatives, criminal justice reform, and expanded social welfare programs.

She has also become one of Congress’ most outspoken critics of Israel, particularly following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. Her repeated calls for a ceasefire, accusations against Israel over its military campaign in Gaza, and criticism of U.S. military aid have made her a polarizing figure both within the Democratic Party and nationally.

Unlike several other progressive lawmakers who have faced well-funded primary challenges in recent election cycles, Tlaib entered this year’s race as the clear favorite and maintained a substantial lead throughout the campaign.

With the Democratic nomination now effectively secured, Tlaib will move on to the November general election. Given the heavily Democratic makeup of Michigan’s 12th Congressional District, she is widely favored to win another term in the House of Representatives.

{Matzav.com}

U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell secured victory Tuesday over former Rep. Cori Bush in Missouri’s Democratic primary for the 1st Congressional District, prevailing in the state’s most expensive primary race of the year. Bell’s win sets him up for a strong position heading into November in the heavily Democratic district.

The Associated Press projected Bell as the winner shortly after 8 p.m.

Bell will now advance to the general election, where he is expected to face the winner of the Republican contest between Paul Berry III and Andrew Jones—neither of whom has established a fundraising committee—as well as Libertarian candidate Tom Schmitz.

Both Bell and Bush rose to political prominence in the aftermath of the 2014 Ferguson protests, which became a defining moment in the national conversation on race and policing. In recent years, however, the two have found themselves on opposite sides of one of the nation’s most contentious issues: Bell has been a strong supporter of Israel, while Bush has become one of Congress’ most outspoken advocates for the Palestinian cause.

Bell’s pro-Israel positions attracted substantial financial backing from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and allied political action committees, allowing his re-election effort to far outspend Bush’s campaign.

Overall, candidates and outside organizations poured roughly $8.4 million into the race, making it Missouri’s costliest candidate primary this election cycle. Approximately $7.2 million of that total was spent in support of Bell.

Over the past two years, Bell’s campaign has spent nearly $3 million, including about $864,000 on television advertising leading up to Election Day. Bush’s campaign spent nearly $1.2 million overall, with only about $66,400 devoted to broadcast advertising.

AIPAC once again played a major financial role in Bell’s campaign, investing approximately $3.1 million on his behalf. That included roughly $1.5 million in television advertising through its affiliated political action committee, United Democracy Project. Another outside organization, New Democrat Majority, added approximately $1.1 million in support of Bell.

The latest spending follows AIPAC’s heavy investment in Bell during the 2024 election cycle, when the organization and allied groups spent more than $8 million backing his campaign as part of a broader effort to defeat some of Congress’ strongest critics of Israel, including members of the progressive “Squad,” of which Bush was a member.

Bell was one of AIPAC’s largest-supported candidates nationwide during the 2024 election cycle. The organization, founded in the 1950s, has drawn criticism from progressive Democrats and some Middle East scholars, who argue it consistently supports military escalation and prolonged Israeli control of disputed territories.

Bell rejected that characterization of the organization.

“What they focus on is a strong U.S.-Israeli relationship,” Bell told The Independent in June. “I’ll be honest, I’m not a fan of the current (Israeli) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, not a fan at all, but what I know about that group is that no matter who’s in charge, they’re going to support a strong US-Israeli relationship.”

Since arriving in Congress, Bell has been appointed to both the House Armed Services Committee, which oversees the Department of Defense, and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which handles issues involving U.S. foreign policy and national security.

Despite serving on committees with significant international responsibilities, Bell said his foremost priority remains the needs of his district.

“We have to focus on regional growth and development,” he said, “because I believe this region is a sleeping giant.”

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration is preparing to extend a temporary waiver to the century-old Jones Act in an effort to ease gasoline prices for American drivers, according to sources familiar with the discussions. The move comes as President Donald Trump intensifies his criticism of oil giants Exxon Mobil and Chevron, accusing them of earning excessive profits while consumers continue paying high prices at the pump.

The Jones Act requires cargo transported between U.S. ports to travel on vessels that are built in the United States, owned by American companies, and staffed by U.S. crews.

By temporarily relaxing those requirements, the administration hopes to make it easier to transport fuel across the country, reducing shipping bottlenecks and increasing supply in regions facing higher prices.

Industry leaders had anticipated that the waiver would be renewed before the end of July. Instead, administration officials have continued negotiations with maritime industry representatives and members of Congress over possible revisions that would preserve flexibility for moving critical fuel supplies while narrowing the waiver’s scope, according to three people familiar with the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

The existing waiver is scheduled to expire on Aug. 16. If renewed, it would continue what has already become the longest suspension of Jones Act requirements since the waiver program was established.

Government figures show the exemption was invoked nearly 200 times during the four-and-a-half-month period ending in late July.

With the November midterm elections approaching, the administration is searching for additional ways to reduce gasoline prices, which remain above $4 per gallon on average nationwide.

In recent months, the White House has pursued several strategies to ease fuel costs, including boosting oil supplies and providing regulatory flexibility. Trump also publicly increased pressure on Exxon and Chevron this week, saying the companies should return more of their profits to consumers through lower prices at gas stations.

Neither Exxon Mobil nor Chevron responded to requests for comment.

Speaking with reporters Tuesday in Brownsville, Texas, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the waiver has already helped bring down fuel prices in California and along the East Coast, adding that another extension appears likely.

Wright predicted gasoline prices would continue falling over the next several weeks.

“President Trump believes in markets and he believes in capitalism. But he’ll use every tool he has, including the bully pulpit, to try to encourage and put pressure to lower energy prices for Americans,” Wright said at a press conference when asked about Trump’s comments on Exxon and Chevron.

Bob McNally, president of Rapidan Energy Group, said the most powerful tool available to any U.S. president would ordinarily be encouraging Saudi Arabia to increase oil production. However, he noted that option is currently limited because exports remain constrained by disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz stemming from the conflict involving Iran.

McNally said other proposals—including a windfall profits tax, government-imposed gasoline price controls, or legal action against major oil companies—would either be politically difficult, economically risky, or unlikely to produce meaningful price reductions.

He added that while extending the Jones Act waiver would increase the number of tankers available to move fuel domestically, its overall impact on gasoline prices would likely amount to only a few cents per gallon.

Opponents of extending the waiver are urging the administration to impose tighter geographic restrictions and conduct closer reviews of each shipment permitted under the exemption.

Sources said White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, and members of the White House Energy Dominance Council have all participated in ongoing discussions about the future of the waiver.

No final decision has been reached, and officials cautioned that the details could still change before an announcement is made.

Several senior Republican lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, have urged the administration to limit the waiver’s reach, arguing that frequent exemptions could weaken the U.S. merchant fleet and undermine the national security objectives behind the Jones Act.

A White House official said the administration continues to evaluate how the waiver is being used and that discussions remain active. The official added that any decision will be announced directly by the president or the administration.

Maritime organizations have intensified their campaign against another extension, with the American Maritime Partnership resuming television advertisements on CNBC and Fox News while also launching a digital advertising campaign alongside the American Waterways Operators.

AMP President Jennifer Carpenter argued that the waiver has primarily benefited foreign shipping companies and major energy firms rather than American consumers.

“The waiver has shifted routine domestic commerce to foreign operators, including entities linked to China and Russia, while undermining the U.S. maritime industrial base,” Carpenter said.