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The Israeli security cabinet has voted overwhelmingly, 8-1, for the IDF to remain in the Philadelphi Corridor, in a major policy declaration amid ongoing ceasefire talks.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant opposed the plan, as IDF troops remaining in the critical strip is one of the items seen to be holding up a ceasefire and hostage release deal.

However Gallant was alone in rejecting the plan, with all other cabinet members siding with Netanyahu and voting in favor, aside from Ben-Gvir who abstained.

According to sources, cabinet Ministers believe making this position clear actually brings a deal closer, as it sends a clear message to Hamas that they will have to compromise to get a deal signed.

Israel has agreed to pull IDF troops out of the populated areas of Gaza in a ceasefire deal, but has rejected Hamas calls to leave the Philadlphi corridor along the border with Egypt, and the Netzarim corridor in central Gaza.

Cabinet members also pushed back on the idea that any delay in closing a deal would result in the death of hostages, saying that it is believed that most hostages who have dies in captivity were killed or died within the first few months of the war, and not more recently.

However the Hostage and Missing Families Forum accused Bibi of bringing forth this cabinet vote to block a deal, saying: “After almost a year of neglect, Netanyahu does not miss any opportunity to ensure that there will be no deal.”

{Matzav.com}

The World Health Organization announced that Israel and Hamas have given a “preliminary commitment” to conduct “humanitarian pauses” to allow the global body to begin a polio vaccination campaign, starting this Sunday, in the Gaza Strip.

Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO representative in the Palestinian-controlled territories, told reporters on Thursday that the organization will spend three days each in the central, southern and northern parts of the Strip in an attempt to vaccinate at least 90% of the population, particularly children.

That rate, which Peeperkorn said is required to stem a potential outbreak of the disease—once among the most feared in the United States—is achievable, he said. He acknowledged the challenges, including a breakdown of infrastructure and safety in Gaza.

The first confirmed case of polio in a quarter century was a 10-month-old baby in Gaza born just before Hamas’s terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7. Children in the coastal enclave were largely vaccinated before the war, but hundreds of thousands have missed vaccinations since, according to the WHO.

Peeperkorn left the nature and parameters of the pauses largely undefined but said they would take place daily between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m., local time. The WHO might need more than three days in each region to get the job done, and there is an agreement in place to add a fourth day in a zone if necessary, he said.

The WHO has also secured an agreement from Israel not to issue evacuation orders in a region of Gaza where the vaccination campaign is taking place, Peeperkorn said.

It aims to vaccinate 640,000 children under 10 years of age.

“I’m not going to say this is the ideal way forward, but this is a workable way forward,” said the WHO representative of the pauses.

The agreement on pauses for the polio vaccinations are separate from larger negotiations between Israel and Hamas, via intermediaries in Qatar, Egypt and the United States, for a deal that would include a ceasefire and hostage release, in exchange for security prisoners.

Hamas official Basem Naim told Reuters that the terror group is “ready to cooperate with international organizations to secure this campaign, serving and protecting more than 650,000 Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip.”

JNS sought comment from the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories, the Israeli military body responsible for coordinating civilian life in Gaza, including humanitarian aid.

COGAT stated on Sunday “polio vaccines for 1.255 million people were delivered to Gaza today via the Kerem Shalom Crossing.”

“This is done in coordination with WHO and UNICEF, and as part of our humanitarian efforts. In the coming days, international and local medical teams will vaccinate children who have not yet been vaccinated against polio at various locations in Gaza,” COGAT stated.

“The vaccination campaign in Gaza led by WHO and UNICEF will be conducted in coordination with the IDF through COGAT, as part of the routine humanitarian pauses that will allow the population to reach the medical centers where the vaccinations will be administered,” it added.

Dr. Peeperkorn stated the campaign will involve providing two drops of the novel oral polio vaccine, and WHO’s efforts will be supported by UNICEF, Hamas’s health ministry and other partners.

The second dose will be given four weeks after the first, and there are nearly 400 fixed sites for vaccinations across Gaza.

(JNS)

After a long stretch of silence, it’s looking like Atlantic hurricane season may awaken once again. Two areas to watch have been outlined on National Hurricane Center outlooks, including one that could become a problem for the Caribbean or Gulf of Mexico next week.

The disturbance, located over the central tropical Atlantic, has a 40 percent chance of development according to the Hurricane Center. It’s rather disorganized right now, and different weather models simulate varying degrees of intensification.

By early next week, it will be closing in on the Lesser Antilles, the island chain that separates the open tropical Atlantic Ocean from the Caribbean Sea, perhaps as a tropical depression – the precursor to a tropical storm.

Behind it, another tropical wave has been highlighted by meteorologists as having at least a low chance of eventual development. It’s more likely to stay out to sea, but it bears watching nonetheless.

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season roared in like a lion, but has been unusually quiet as of late. In late June, Beryl became the southernmost, and earliest-forming, Category 4 on record in the Atlantic. By July 1, it was a record-early Category 5, as well as the fastest-intensifying storm on record in the Atlantic before September. Beryl eventually clobbered Houston with 80 to 90 mph winds.

Since then three other storms have formed, including Debby, which unloaded flooding rains from Florida to New York, and Hurricane Ernesto, which swept through Bermuda. But that was on August 17. There haven’t been any named storms in the past ten days.

Looking ahead, any storm that forms will have exceptionally warm water to draw energy from. Waters over large parts of the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean Sea are record-warm. The warm oceans serve as high-octane fuel for nascent storm systems.

The next storm to form will be named Francine.

– – –

A system to watch

On Friday, the main system to watch was about 1,300 miles east of the Leeward Islands. It was just a tropical wave – an area of showers and thunderstorms around a weak zone of low pressure. But that low pressure was strung out, with no obvious tighter packet of spin. In fact, the system had yet to even acquire any broad rotation.

Weather models suggested the system was associated with a very diffuse axis of spin, oriented northwest to southeast. Over the weekend, the southern batch of that spin may consolidate. That could help the wave organize into a tropical depression, or low pressure system, before reaching the Lesser Antilles.

Thereafter, if the system organizes, it will enter the Caribbean. That’s when it would be slated to strengthen more substantially and could become a concern for the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, the Yucatán Peninsula and/or Jamaica.

Later next week, there is a scenario that could bring the system into the Gulf of Mexico. That would be a red flag for forecasters, since the Gulf is teeming with near record ocean heat content that could fuel a serious storm.

That would be predicated on a storm reaching the Gulf – a highly uncertain outcome considering a storm hasn’t yet formed. There are many hoops to jump through between now and that hypothetical, so while it is a possibility that should be monitored, it is not a likelihood. Some models project this system, if it develops, could avoid the Gulf entirely and instead head due west toward Central America or curve north toward eastern Florida and/or the Bahamas.

– – –

A second system in the Atlantic

The other area to watch – which the Hurricane Center estimates only has a 20 percent chance of development – is located just south of the Cabo Verde Islands, having just moved off the coast of Africa.

It may begin to slowly develop next week. If a storm forms earlier, however, it will be more likely to curve to the north and out to sea, avoiding land.

(c) Washington Post

MAFAT, Israel’s Defense Research and Development Directorate, plans to issue a tender for the purchase of about 20,000 Israeli-made drones, worth hundreds of millions of shekels.

The winning companies will supply various types of drones, including attack and surveillance models, over five years.

Israeli companies such as Dronix Engineering, Xtend, Robotican—Autonomous Robotics, Heven Drones and CopterPIX Pro may apply when the tender is published.

This marks a shift from the IDF Ground Forces’ recent preference for Chinese drones. The IDF ordered thousands of drones from SZ DJI Technology and Autel Robotics, two Chinese companies blacklisted by the U.S. Department of Defense, due to urgent needs in the current Gaza conflict. However, this dependence on Chinese drones poses security risks and could be problematic if China, an ally of Iran, Russia, Qatar and Hamas, decides to restrict component sales.

Chinese drones also face operational challenges on Israel’s northern front, where Hezbollah uses the DJI AeroScope detection platform to identify and locate them. Recognizing these issues, the IDF aims to support the Israeli drone industry for long-term strategic advantage.

The Israeli drone industry currently lacks the capacity for large-scale production. To meet the new demand, Israeli companies must establish production lines and recruit skilled workers. Consequently, drone supply from the tender is expected to arrive in the medium to long term.

Price constraints pose a significant challenge for Israeli manufacturers. The army’s price range of 10,000-20,000 shekels (about $2,750-$5,500) per drone is considered low by many companies. This requirement may exclude offerings from major companies such as Elbit Systems and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, whose drones exceed the specified price range. For instance, Rafael’s Maoz drone, a 2 kg. (4.4 lb.) attack model with a one-km. (0.62-mile) range, is priced well above the tender’s limits.

Several Israeli companies are poised to compete in the tender. Xtend, based in the Ramat Hahayal neighborhood in northeastern Tel Aviv, offers the multi-mission “Wolverine” drone, which can be equipped with thermal cameras, weapons, speakers or door-opening arms.

Robotican supplies the “Rooster,” a flying drone that can transform into a small motorized vehicle for various missions.

Other potential contenders include Tehiru, specializing in drones with encrypted communication to evade enemy electronic warfare; Dronix, with its DR series of drones, including the DR-750 capable of 35-minute aerial surveillance; Heven Drones, offering the “Urban” UAV with a 37-minute flight time and 10-kg. (22-lbs.) payload capacity; and CopterPIX, which produces the ERE drone series.

(JNS)

On Thursday, August 29th, a significant development unfolded at Queens Hospital involving a Rosh Yeshiva from Brooklyn who suffered a serious brain injury in an accident. The hospital, after examining the patient, sought to conduct confirmatory tests for brain death, a procedure that is widely regarded as determining death in many medical circles. However, this approach is risky and in direct opposition to halacha, because the test itself can cause brain damage.

The matter was promptly addressed by Agudas Yisroel of America’s Chayim Aruchim, an organization dedicated to ensuring that Jewish patients receive medical care that aligns with Halachic principles. Mrs. Leah Horowitz of Chayim Aruchim received the call and immediately mobilized the necessary resources to intervene on behalf of the patient.

Chayim Aruchim attorney Michael Korsinsky esq. swiftly prepared a notice to cease and desist, informing the hospital that as an Orthodox Jew, the patient’s family would not want any brain death testing conducted. Assemblyman David Weprin, Assemblyman Sam Berger, and Shabsie Saphirstein quickly became involved, leveraging their influence to communicate with the hospital’s higher authorities to ensure that the test would not proceed without family consent.

By 3:30 PM the same day, Assemblyman David Weprin contacted Rabbi Shmuel Lefkowitz, President of Chayim Aruchim, to confirm that the testing had been delayed and that it was unlikely to proceed unless the family provided their consent.

This successful intervention underscores the crucial role of Chayim Aruchim and its supporters in advocating for medical decisions that respect and uphold religious beliefs.

{Matzav.com}

Prosecutors in Mexico suggested Thursday that U.S. authorities made a deal with a Mexican drug lord who turned in himself and another capo, to get his brother transferred from a U.S. prison. Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office also accused U.S. authorities of not responding to information requests on the case. The office also said that the small plane that flew them both to the United States in July had multiple registries and identification numbers, some of them false. U.S. officials have denied they were involved in the plot or the flight, and said they got word of it only after the craft had taken off from northern Mexico. It marked the latest chapter in the strange saga of two Mexican drug lords, one of whom allegedly kidnapped the other and flew him to an airport near El Paso, Texas. The Mexican government has previously said it wants to bring treason charges against Joaquín Guzmán López, but not because he was a leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel founded by his father, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. Instead, Mexican prosecutors are bringing charges against the younger Guzmán for apparently kidnapping Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada — an older drug boss from a rival faction of the cartel — forcing him onto the plane and flying him north. The office said that two of Zambada’s bodyguards — one of them a policeman — who went missing after the kidnapping had apparently been killed. The younger Guzmán apparently intended to turn himself in to U.S. authorities, but may have brought Zambada along as a prize to get his previously-arrested half brother, Ovidio Guzman, transferred out of a U.S. prison. Mexican prosecutors suggested this was true, saying “the link between the (custody) status of Ovidio ”G,” the participation of his brother Joaquin in the presumed kidnapping of Ismael (Zambada) … are the main areas of focus of the investigation.” At the end of July, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons listed Ovidio Guzman’s custody status as having changed, but didn’t specify what had happened. U.S. and Mexican officials have since claimed Ovidio is still in custody, just not necessarily in the same place. Earlier this month, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar said Ovidio Guzman — a high value detainee who purportedly led the Sinaloa cartel’s push into manufacturing and smuggling the synthetic opioid fentanyl — “isn’t out on the street.” “He is in prison,” Salazar said, “and we are going to judge him in the way the Department of Justice does it.” Mexican prosecutors also claimed the plane the two allegedly flew on had multiple registries, some falsified, and that the plane’s “approach and landing in that country (the U.S.) was authorized by the appropriate agencies of the U.S. government.” Mexican prosecutors also claimed they had made a total of five requests to U.S. authorities for information on the flight, and that “as of now, there has been no response.” The federal prosecutors’ statement also said it would be interviewing prosecutors, police and forensic examiners from the northern state of Sinaloa — home to the cartel of the same name — about their inspections of the walled recreation compound where the abduction and killings occurred. Previously, federal prosecutors had accused their Sinaloa counterparts of providing information that has since proved to be false. Zambada has said that […]

The Hezbollah terror organization has suggested it might “pause” its plans to strike Israel “until further notice,” according to a report from the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, which has ties to Hezbollah.

Al-Akhbar stated, “We must not underestimate the scale of the recent escalation that preceded the reactions from both Israel and Hezbollah. However, the prevailing sentiment among Western diplomatic circles is that there is currently no movement towards a [general] war. This comes alongside ongoing Western diplomatic efforts with Israel and Lebanon.”

On Thursday evening, Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen reported that “Six UAVs successfully struck the Glilot base during the Hezbollah attack earlier in the week.” The report claimed that these six UAVs crossed into Israeli airspace and managed to “hit the IDF’s intelligence base with great accuracy.”

Despite the report from Al Mayadeen, which is also connected to Hezbollah, being false, Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah emphasized in his Sunday address that if the outcomes of the attack are deemed satisfactory by their standards, then the retaliation for the assassination of Fuad Shukr, Nasrallah’s deputy, is complete.

Al-Akhbar also mentioned that “Lebanon welcomed the decision to extend the international forces’ (UNIFIL) mandate in southern Lebanon, but this extension does not signal any positive development.” The report added that the one-year extension of UNIFIL’s mandate does not eliminate the possibility of a general war.

{Matzav.com}

The soldiers of the 98th Division have concluded their operation in the regions of Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah, following approximately a month of coordinated activities both above and below ground.

IDF Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee informed the local population that it is now safe to return home, as the area has once again been designated as a humanitarian zone within Gaza.

During the course of the operation, the forces eliminated over 250 terrorists and dismantled numerous terrorist infrastructures.

The Yahalom Unit, working in tandem with the 7th Brigade and the Paratroopers Brigade, discovered and destroyed six underground tunnel networks stretching nearly 6 kilometers. These tunnels housed terrorists and served as hideouts and weapon storage sites, some of which were neutralized by the troops.

In Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah, the 7th Brigade identified and neutralized weapons, thwarted dozens of ambushes, and dismantled several terror compounds.

Meanwhile, the 77th Battalion executed a raid on a significant Hamas stronghold in Deir al-Balah, where they uncovered weapons, a rocket launcher, and intelligence documents. Collaborating with the Yahalom Unit, they also detected and obliterated a tunnel route that formed part of the terrorists’ combat network in the area.

The Paratroopers Brigade conducted operations in the Hamad district of western Khan Yunis as well as in the eastern sector of the city. These missions were carried out in densely populated zones, including areas with high-rise buildings.

In a combined effort by the Paratroopers Brigade and the Yahalom Unit, the remains of six hostages—Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell, and Haim Perry—were recovered and returned to Israel.

The division’s forces are now preparing for the next phase of operations within the Gaza Strip.

A 4-year-old boy who accidentally broke a rare 3,500-year-old jar in an Israeli museum has been forgiven and even invited back, as curators hope to turn the disaster into a teachable moment. Alex Geller, the boy’s father, said his son — the youngest of three — is exceptionally curious, and that the moment he heard the crash last Friday, “please let that not be my child” was the first thought that raced through his head. “He’s not a kid that usually destroys things, he just wanted to see what was inside,” Geller told The Associated Press. The Bronze Age jar is one of many artifacts exhibited out in the open, part of the Hecht Museum’s vision of letting visitors explore history without glass barriers, said Inbar Rivlin, the director of the museum, which is associated with Haifa University in northern Israel. Rivlin said the jar was displayed at the museum entrance, and that the family quickly left without finishing their visit. She wants to use the restoration as an educational opportunity and make sure they feel welcome to return. Geller and his family live in the northern Israeli town of Nahariya, just a few kilometers (miles) south of the border with Lebanon, in an area that has come under Hezbollah rocket fire for more than 10 months in a conflict linked to the war in Gaza. They were spending the summer break visiting museums and taking day trips around Israel to escape the tensions, Geller said. There were a lot of kids at the museum that day, and Geller said he fervently prayed the damage had been caused by someone else. When he turned around and saw it was his son, he was “in complete shock.” “My wife responded faster than me, she grabbed our son to take him outside and calm him down and explain that it was not OK what had happened,” said Geller. He went over to the security guards to let them know what had happened in hopes that it was a model and not a real artifact. “We said, if we need to pay we will, whatever will be will be. But they called and said it was insured and after they checked the cameras and saw it wasn’t vandalism they invited us back for a make-up visit.” Geller said his son didn’t quite understand the international interest in the broken jar, but their tight-knit community in Nahariya was following the media reports with interest and was proud of their local celebrity. The Hecht Museum hopes to harness that interest to encourage more people to visit the museum and learn about artifact restoration. Using 3D technology and high-resolution videos of the jar, experts plan to complete the restoration in a matter of days. It could be back on display as early as next week. “That’s what’s actually interesting for my older kids, this process of how they’re restoring it, and all the technology they’re using there,” said Geller. The jar, which had been on display at the museum for 35 years, was one of the only containers of its size and period that was still complete when it was discovered. It was likely used to hold wine or oil, and it dates back to between 2200 and 1500 B.C. Roee Shafir, a restoration expert at […]

The family of Yoram Hillel Fliter, a 32-year-old man from Tzefas who went missing in November after volunteering in Ashkelon to help soldiers on Oct. 7, is stepping up the search for him.

The family is offering a cash award to anyone who provides information leading to his return and is hiring a private investigator to take up the case, as they believe the police have not been doing enough to find him.

Fliter, originally from Elkana in Samaria, is a psychology student at Tel-Hai College and lived in Safed and Kiryat Shmona, all in the Upper Galilee. After the shock of Oct. 7, he cut off communication with his family, most of whose members live in Samaria.

He was last seen on security camera footage at a gas station in the Ashkelon area, in November. However, his car was found in March, in a field west of Jerusalem, located between Beit Shemesh and Moshav Mata. It was in a parking lot near an oil press close to the Israel National Trail, with a wallet in it.

Since his vehicle was found, police and the Israel Dog Unit have conducted searches both in and near his apartment and in the area where his car was found. Testimonies of possible sightings have been collected, but no results have come from them.

In the spring, people thought they saw Fliter in the Modi’in area, west of Jerusalem, but the police waited before initiating searches, which did not yield any clues. With many regional rescue units operating under the police having been called up for IDF reserve duty, the family believes that there has been a shortage of manpower allocated to the task.

Fliter’s brother Daniel told Israel National News this week, “There is no day and no hour that we do not think of Yoram, our brother who is beloved to us and to everyone. We do not lose hope, and with each day that begins, we pray that this will be the day when we find our Yoram. We turn to you, to anyone who can help—provide any detail, no matter how small.”

Abraham, another brother, added, “It’s unacceptable that a person disappears like this and the state doesn’t mobilize to find him. We are very concerned about his fate, and as days go by, it becomes harder to find him.”

The investigation is being conducted by the Safed police, despite his car being found about three hours’ drive away.

In a public statement in April, the police said: “Due to the nature of things and for reasons of privacy, we will not elaborate on the matter, but we note that upon locating Yoram’s car abandoned in a wooded area near Beit Shemesh, the police contacted his family and initiated an investigation, during which extensive search operations were carried out in the area where the car was found, alongside conducting an investigation that includes a variety of means. We will continue to check every piece of information using all means at our disposal in order to locate him.” JNS

{Matzav.com}

New Jersey state Sen. Nellie Pou on Thursday secured the Democratic nomination to replace the late Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-N.J.) on the November ballot. She is now likely to become the next House member from New Jersey’s 9th District, which is solidly Democratic. The 9th district includes the Frum community of Passaic and Clifton.

Pou would be the first Latina to represent New Jersey in Congress.

Pou received a unanimous vote at a convention Thursday evening where local party leaders were tasked with picking the new Democratic nominee, according to the Passaic County Democratic Party. All of Pou’s competitors had withdrawn by Wednesday evening, when New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) endorsed her.

“Senator Nellie Pou is the ideal public servant to succeed Congressman Pascrell and continue his life’s mission of building a stronger, fairer, more equitable, and more inclusive New Jersey for every family,” Murphy said in a statement.

Pascrell, 87, died on Aug. 21 after being hospitalized for weeks with a fever and respiratory infection. The 14-term congressman had been the second-oldest member of the House.

Democrats were on a tight timeline to replace Pascrell on the ballot, facing a Thursday deadline.

Pou has served in the New Jersey Senate since 2012 and was a member of the General Assembly before that. She was appointed to replace Pascrell in the chamber in 1997 after his election to Congress.

The Republican nominee for the November election is ​​Air Force veteran Billy Prempeh.

(c) Washington Post

Airports, highways, beaches and theme parks are expected to be packed across the U.S. this Labor Day weekend as a lot Americans mark the unofficial end of summer the same way they celebrated the season’s unofficial start: by traveling. After what’s already been a record-breaking summer for air travel, the Transportation Security Administration predicted its agents would screen more than 17 million people during a holiday period that started Thursday and runs through next Wednesday, about 8% more than last year. The TSA anticipates Friday to be the busiest day. In a sign the summer travel season really is winding down, however, the agency said that fewer than 2 million passengers passed through airport security checkpoints one day this week — the first time that has happened since early March. If you plan to be part of the crowds heading out of town to enjoy one last blast of summer, here is a rundown of what you need to know. How is holiday travel going so far? Busy, as expected. TSA screened 2.75 million travelers at the nation’s airports on Thursday, nearly 130,000 more people than it screened on the same day last year. Airlines canceled more than 500 U.S. flights Thursday, with nearly 300 of those at Dulles and Reagan National airports near Washington, D.C. Since June 1, airlines have canceled 1.8% of all U.S. flights and another 25% have been delayed — identical to the rates last summer — according to figures from FlightAware. Where are the potential trouble spots? Weather is the leading cause of flight delays. Forecasts call for rain and maybe scattered thunderstorms from Texas to New England plus parts of Florida over the weekend, and showering more of the Southeast on Monday. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport was still working to restore all services after what airport officials described as a possible cyberattack last weekend. Flights have been running normally all week, but airport told passengers to arrive extra early for flights and to avoid checking bags, especially if they are on a smaller airline, because of problems with the bag-sorting system. What are prices like? Motorists are getting a break on gasoline. The nationwide average Friday was $3.35 per gallon, compared to $3.83 a year ago, according to AAA. For electric vehicles, the average price for a kilowatt of power at an L2 commercial charging station is about 34 cents. The average is under 25 cents in Kansas and Missouri but tops 40 cents in several states, including New Hampshire, Tennessee and Kentucky. Hawaii is the costliest, at 56 cents. Average airfares in July were down 7.1% from June and 2.8% from July 2023, according to the government’s consumer price index. The trend appeared to be accelerating as the peak summer-vacation season comes to an end. “Now we’re falling into that traditional fall season when demand slumps, and you’re also seeing that in airfares,” said Steve Hafner, CEO of the travel metasearch site Kayak. “Airfares are down from the summer about 26% already, and they’re down even from the previous fall, about 4%.” When is the best time to hit the road? Transportation-data provider INRIX says the worst time to travel by car on Friday will be between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. That flips on Saturday, when you’ll want to avoid driving between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. For the return trip, pretty much all day Monday […]

The effort to make the peace between Donald Trump and Georgia’s powerful Republican governor began in a sprawling neo-Victorian mansion in the exclusive Atlanta enclave of Buckhead. It was at an Aug. 9 fundraiser hosted by former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler that fellow Republican Lindsey Graham approached Gov. Brian Kemp. Graham, the South Carolina senator and longtime confidant of the former president, was already planning to attend the fundraiser. Now, Graham had a renewed purpose: to try to ease years of tensions between Trump and Kemp that endangered the GOP’s chances in a crucial 2024 battleground. Graham and Kemp met privately at Loeffler’s house. And over the coming weeks, say Graham and others familiar with the matter, allies of both men arranged the two-part détente that played out publicly last Thursday to the surprise of many political watchers. First, Kemp did an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity — another Trump ally — in which he said, “We need to send Donald Trump back to the White House.” Moments later, Trump went on his social media site to praise Kemp for his “help and support.” A true alignment, if it lasts, could benefit both men: Trump may need the help of Kemp’s renowned political operation to win back Georgia in a tightly contested race with Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, while Kemp wants to be in the good graces of Trump supporters for a future run at the U.S. Senate or the presidency in 2028. Kemp attended a fundraiser for Trump on Thursday and could join more campaign events with less than 70 days before Election Day. Trump still argues falsely that he won Georgia based on unproven and debunked claims of voter fraud, something he brings up consistently on the campaign trail. And Kemp, who refused to stop the certification of Trump’s loss four years ago, has repeatedly pushed him to move on. Trump’s campaign did not respond to questions about what happened but pointed back to his post on Truth Social in which he says about Georgia, “A win is so important to the success of our Party and, most importantly, our Country.” Days before the fundraiser at Loeffler’s house, Trump mocked Kemp and his wife, Marty, at a packed rally in Atlanta. In an interview Thursday with The Associated Press, Graham described what he told Trump afterward. “You’re not going to win Georgia this way,” Graham said. “And Georgia is yours to lose.” How a meeting in Buckhead launched the détente Graham was playing the diplomat. Six days earlier, Trump had railed for 10 minutes against Kemp during the Atlanta campaign rally for not supporting his false theories of election fraud and blamed the governor for not stopping a local district attorney from prosecuting him and others for their efforts to overturn the election results after his loss in the state four years ago. “He’s a bad guy. He’s a disloyal guy. And he’s a very average governor,” Trump said of the second-term Kemp, who won reelection in 2022 after soundly beating Trump’s handpicked Republican challenger, David Perdue, in the GOP primary. “Little Brian. Little Brian Kemp. Bad guy.” Trump also criticized Marty Kemp, who had said in April she would write in her husband’s name on her ballot in November. Kemp shot back, posting on X, “My focus is on winning this November and saving our […]

Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), chair of the House Energy Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, suggested in his newsletter on Thursday that the Biden administration may have been “partly responsible” for Hamas’s Oct. 7 terror attack.

“Were the Biden-Harris actions in Afghanistan and their dealings with Iran partly responsible for the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7 of last year?” he wrote. “Maybe? But I believe it certainly didn’t help.”

Griffith added that more than two dozen of the more than 1,200 people whom Hamas killed on Oct. 7 were U.S. citizens.

“Hundreds were taken hostage, including 12 Americans,” and “11 months later, Israeli forces are still trying to rescue them,” he stated. “As I’m writing, they rescued a Bedouin hostage in Gaza. Some Americans are still held captive by Hamas. As we watch the news, Israel faces missile and drone attacks from Hezbollah.”

“To the delight of our terrorist foes overseas, the freedom-seeking world is paying the price for Biden-Harris naïveté and negligence,” he added. JNS

{Matzav.com}

In a statement released on Friday, the IDF announced the completion of a three-week operation in the southern Gaza Strip. The operation, which began in early August, focused on demolishing tunnels, targeting Hamas infrastructure, and recovering the bodies of hostages. According to the IDF, the operation resulted in the demolition of six tunnels belonging to terror groups, totaling approximately six kilometers of underground passages. Additionally, troops killed over 250 gunmen, recovered the bodies of six hostages, and demolished Hamas infrastructure above ground. The operation was carried out by the 98th Division, which was withdrawn from Gaza on Friday to prepare for future operations. This marks the third time the IDF has reentered Khan Younis since its initial ground offensive earlier this year. The IDF also reported that Palestinian civilians can now return to areas in the al-Qarara suburb of Khan Younis, which were previously evacuated ahead of the operation. The area has been reinstated as part of the Israeli-designated “humanitarian zone,” which currently spans approximately 46 square kilometers. In related news, the IDF struck over 30 sites in the Gaza Strip on Friday morning, targeting rocket launchers, buildings used by terror groups, and other infrastructure. Additionally, troops with the 162nd Division killed dozens of gunmen in southern Gaza’s Rafah in the previous 24 hours.   (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

American enthusiasm for the upcoming November elections has notably increased, with a significant boost coming from Democratic voters. According to a newly released Gallup poll, nearly 8 in 10 Democrats reported being “more enthusiastic than usual” about voting. Gallup’s memo highlights that overall enthusiasm for the election has surged, with 69% of U.S. adults now expressing increased eagerness to vote, up from 54% in March. This increase is particularly pronounced among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, whose enthusiasm jumped from 55% in March to 78% in August. In contrast, Republicans and Republican-leaning independents saw a smaller rise, from 59% in March to 64% in the August poll. The surge in voter enthusiasm, coupled with a heightened focus on the election, suggests that voter participation could potentially exceed 2020 levels. In the last presidential election, two-thirds of eligible U.S. adults cast ballots, marking the highest turnout in over a century. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Former President Donald Trump didn’t waste any time criticizing Vice President Kamala Harris after her first significant television interview since she became the Democratic nominee.

The 45th president took to social media on Thursday to mock Harris, claiming she “rambled incoherently” when questioned by CNN anchor Dana Bash about her history of shifting positions on key policies.

“Her answer rambled incoherently, and declared her ‘values haven’t changed.’ On that I agree, her values haven’t changed,” Trump remarked on Truth Social, before listing what he believes she would pursue as president.

“America will become a WASTELAND!”

CNN released a preview of Harris being questioned about her previous changes in policy positions ahead of the full interview airing on the network.

This line of questioning was something several of Trump’s top allies had wanted to see Harris confronted with.

In the past, Harris had supported policies like the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, a fracking ban, and expanding the Supreme Court, among others.

However, she has since moved away from many of these positions.

“I think the most important and most significant aspect of my policy perspective and decisions is my values have not changed,” Harris stated in the preview clip.

“You mentioned the Green New Deal. I have always believed and — I’ve worked on it — that the climate crisis is real, that it is an urgent matter to which we should apply metrics that include holding ourselves to deadlines around time.”

It took Harris, now 59, approximately 40 days to agree to a major interview following President Biden’s pivotal decision on July 21 to step aside from the 2024 race.

In response to the media silence from Harris, Trump, 78, and his campaign team quickly capitalized on the opportunity by increasing the former president’s media presence.

Trump started holding press conferences and giving brief interviews with the press during his various campaign stops.

Additionally, GOP vice presidential nominee JD Vance ramped up his media appearances, seemingly to cast aspersions on Harris and suggest she was avoiding accountability.

Trump’s allies also criticized Harris for choosing to do her first significant television interview since becoming the nominee with Democratic vice presidential contender Tim Walz.

At a campaign town hall in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Trump launched into a rant about Harris’ interview and mocked the visual setup.

“She was sitting behind a desk doing this interview. And I said, ‘Dana Bash, you could make yourself big tonight – all you have to do is be fair,’” Trump taunted.

“She was sitting behind that desk – this massive desk – and she didn’t look like a leader to me. I’ll be honest, I don’t see her negotiating with President Xi of China. I don’t see her with Kim Jong Un like we did with Kim Jong Un. So we’re going to have to see what happens,” he continued to mock.

Trump had previously praised Bash and CNN anchor Jake Tapper, who moderated his June debate with Biden, which led to a Democratic backlash against the sitting president.

Harris and Trump are scheduled to face off in Philadelphia during the ABC News debate on September 10.

{Matzav.com}

Inflation in the 20 European Union countries that use the euro fell sharply to 2.2% in August, opening the door for the European Central Bank to cut interest rates as the ECB and the U.S. Federal Reserve prepare to lower borrowing costs to support growth and jobs. The August figure was down from 2.6% in July, according to figures Friday from European Union statistics agency Eurostat. Energy prices fell in August by 3%, helping lower the overall figure, while inflation fell to 2% in Germany, the eurozone’s largest economy. The monthly figure is now close to the ECB’s target of 2%, the level considered best for the economy. The central bank is charged with maintaining stable prices under the treaty that set up the European Union. Not all of the EU’s 27 countries use the euro. Economists expect the ECB to cut its key rate by a quarter point from 3.75% at its Sept. 12 meeting, while the Fed is expected to cut rates from a 23-year high of 5.25%-5.5% at its Sept. 17-18 policy meeting. The lower German inflation figure “tilts the balance toward a September rate cut,” said Carsten Brzeski, global chief of macro at ING bank. “Fading inflationary pressure combined with fading growth momentum offer an almost perfect macro backdrop for another rate cut.” Economists caution that the path downward to 2% may yet be a bumpy one. The ECB has said it expects inflation to fluctuate going forward but to fall to its target by the end of next year. Central banks sharply raised interest rates to counter an outburst of inflation caused by a spike in energy prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and by clogged supply chains for parts and raw materials as the global economy bounced back from the COVID-19 pandemic. Higher rates can quell inflation by making it more expensive to borrow and buy things, reducing demand for goods and thus taking pressure off prices. Europe’s inflation has now fallen a long way from the 10.6% it reached in October 2022. But higher rates can weigh on growth as well, and those concerns have come to the fore in both Europe and the U.S. While unemployment rates remain low in both economies, central bankers are becoming wary of keeping rates too high for too long and seeing people lose their jobs or the economy tip into recession. It is a tricky balance since the impact of rate moves comes only with a delay of months. The eurozone grew only a modest 0.3% in the second quarter. High rates have killed off a years-long rally in European house prices and dampened loans to consumers and businesses, while complicating financing decisions for new renewable energy projects that are highly rate-sensitive. Rates that “are too high for too long” would fail to minimize the side effects on economy activity and jobs, which in turn could lead to “chronically below-target inflation,” Philip Lane, a member of the ECB’s six-member executive board that runs the central bank day to day at its Frankfurt headquarters, said Saturday at a Fed conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. . Lane kept the ECB’s options for September open however by saying that a return to the 2% target “is not yet secure.” ECB head Christine Lagarde has said the bank will decide […]

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing criticism for allegedly trying to appease the left-wing faction of his party by removing a portrait of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher from her old study at 10 Downing Street.

Starmer, who assumed office in July, reportedly found the portrait “unsettling,” leading to its removal, according to a report by The Daily Mail on Friday.

The Prime Minister’s office confirmed the account shared by Starmer’s biographer, Tom Baldwin, that the portrait had indeed been taken down from the Thatcher Room, a space the current prime minister has chosen not to use as his study.

In an interview, Baldwin recounted a visit to the room where the portrait hung, noting that it had been funded by an anonymous donor and unveiled in 2009. Baldwin described the room as a “place where we can go and have a private talk,” as Starmer had mentioned. He recalled saying, “It’s a bit unsettling with her staring down at you like that, isn’t it?” to which Starmer reportedly agreed.

Baldwin further revealed that he inquired if Starmer planned to “get rid of it,” and Starmer responded with a nod.

In a social media post on Thursday, Baldwin suggested that the portrait might now be displayed “somewhere else in the building,” or that such a plan was in the works, as reported by the BBC.

Government minister Jacqui Smith addressed the controversy during an interview with GB News on Friday, noting that Starmer, who had previously lauded Thatcher for bringing “meaningful change” to the nation, now finds himself in a no-win situation, according to Politico.

“A few months ago he was being criticized for talking about Margaret Thatcher’s legacy and the elements of her leadership that he respected, and now he’s being criticized for asking for a few pictures to be moved around,” Smith said. She also noted that a portrait of Thatcher still remains in a Downing Street gallery alongside those of other former prime ministers.

Smith did not clarify the current location of the removed portrait but assured, “Just to be clear, there are portraits of Margaret Thatcher as there are of all previous prime ministers in No. 10, and that, of course, is absolutely right.”

The removed portrait, which depicts Thatcher at the height of her power following the Falklands War in 1982, was commissioned by then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2007 and painted by royal portrait artist Richard Stone. It holds the distinction of being the first portrait of a former prime minister commissioned by Downing Street.

Sir John Redwood, who led Thatcher’s policy unit, expressed little surprise at Starmer’s decision to remove the portrait, remarking that Starmer “wouldn’t want to be embarrassed by comparison with a far better prime minister.”

Redwood, however, described the new prime minister as “pessimistic” and stated that he was “very relieved” Starmer wouldn’t have to endure Thatcher’s portrait watching over him.

“I can quite understand why he would find that deeply embarrassing,” Redwood remarked. “Margaret Thatcher believed in the British people and knew we had great opportunities and great talents and there was nothing we couldn’t do. She was positive and optimistic, and he is pessimistic, negative and nasty.”

Former Tory Cabinet minister Sir John Whittingdale, who served as Thatcher’s political secretary, emphasized that the portrait was an “important part of history” and had been displayed in a room “much associated with her.”

Removing the portrait, he continued, “looks like playing to the left, who do not share most people’s admiration of her and he’s probably appeasing his left-wing backbenchers.”

Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith also criticized Starmer’s action as “petty.”

“As soon as he gets in he wants to get rid of Margaret Thatcher’s picture,” Duncan Smith said. “Why? Because that is red meat to his hard left. It’s a very simple gesture that says to the hard left, ‘Don’t worry, I share your view of Thatcher as well.'”

{Matzav.com}

With the 5784-5785 (2024-25) academic year opening in Israel on Sunday, 20% of parents evacuated from the conflict zones near Lebanon and Gaza are uncertain about which institution their children will attend, while 60% lack essential school supplies.

This according to a survey this month commissioned by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.

The ongoing war and rising living costs have exacerbated these issues, particularly near the Lebanese border. A full 62.5% of children in these areas are afraid to return to school, with 82.5% of parents reporting increased concerns and difficulties compared to previous years. Sixty five percent of children are expressing higher levels of anxiety and fear.

Financial strain is widespread, with more than half of respondents nationwide saying that the high cost of living has hindered their ability to provide quality education for their children. Eighteen percent of parents say they cannot afford all necessary school supplies for each child.

The survey revealed specific shortages in northern conflict zones: 42.5% of children lack a study room, 37.5% don’t have a quiet environment, 27.5% are without a computer, and 25% lack a desk. Additionally, 20% are short on notebooks and writing tools, while 15% need books and an internet connection.

Financial pressures have forced 81.7% of parents in conflict zones and 75% nationwide to cut back on buying clothes for their children.

Thirty-five percent of evacuated parents said their children would start in the framework associated with their evacuation city, 32.5% in a dedicated framework for evacuees, and 10% in their regular framework. Twenty percent still do not know in which educational framework their children will start the school year. A total of 2.5% of respondents expect their children not to start the school year at all.

In response to these challenges, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews has partnered with Kravitz, Israel’s largest office supply chain, to provide more than $1 million in supplies for children and families in need.

The initiative will distribute 12,000 “Kravitz Gift Cards” worth 300 shekels (about $82.50) each to 1,000 students evacuated from the Kiryat Shmona and Shlomi school districts, more than 2,000 pupils from Gaza border communities, and other students around the country.

Yael Eckstein, president of the IFCJ, said, “The 2024-25 school year marks a new beginning for many children, especially those starting first grade. With the challenges posed by the ongoing war and the increased cost of living, parents are struggling to manage both the practical and emotional impact on their families. Particularly during these times, our responsibility is to care for those who need help—young, old and everyone in between—from basic needs, to bomb shelters to backpacks.”

Eckstein added, “We are very grateful to the hundreds of thousands of IFCJ supporters around the world who are dedicated to ensuring that these children will be able to start the school year with some optimism and joy, despite the ongoing adversity and uncertainty.”

The survey, conducted by the Geocartography Group, is based on responses from some 800 participants aged 18 and above, including parents of school-aged children from both Jewish and Arab communities, representing a cross section of the population.

An additional sample was surveyed among 100 respondents from communities in the northern conflict zone, including some from evacuated communities.

(JNS)