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The White House is considering an unusual approach to handling press briefings following Karoline Leavitt’s departure, with cabinet officials potentially rotating behind the podium until President Donald Trump chooses a permanent replacement, according to a report Monday.

Semafor White House correspondent Shelby Talcott reported that administration officials are discussing reviving the arrangement used during Leavitt’s recent maternity leave, when senior members of the administration periodically conducted briefings rather than having a designated interim press secretary.

“It’s a temporary practice that satisfied Trump during the period that Leavitt was off for maternity leave, and a White House official told Semafor that it’s once again under discussion until a new permanent press secretary is named,” Talcott wrote.

While Leavitt was away on maternity leave, the administration opted against appointing someone to formally serve as acting press secretary. Instead, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz were among the officials who appeared at the White House podium.

Should the administration return to that system, some of those same officials could again conduct briefings, along with other senior administration figures considered capable of handling the reporters gathered in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room.

The search for Leavitt’s successor may also carry less urgency than a press secretary vacancy would have in previous administrations, largely because Trump himself maintains an unusually frequent dialogue with the media. The president regularly answers questions from reporters several times during a typical week.

According to figures previously reported by Breitbart News, Trump appeared at nearly 500 transcribed events during 2025 and interacted with reporters at approximately three-quarters of those appearances.

Those interactions included questions at 134 press sprays, each of his 15 general rallies and 14 formal press conferences. Trump also fielded questions during 31 Marine One gaggles, 41 exchanges with reporters aboard Air Force One and 28 gaggles outside the presidential aircraft, effectively making the president one of the administration’s most prominent and frequently heard spokesmen.

Trump, meanwhile, recently praised Leavitt during an interview with Fox News reporter Alexis McAdams, saying that replacing her would not be easy.

Asked whether Leavitt was replaceable, Trump replied, “No, she’s not. She really isn’t. She’s standing right over there, and she’s done a great job.”

“I found out she likes her children more than she likes Trump. I’m very concerned about that,” he jokingly added.

The U.S. diesel crack surged to an all-time high on Monday, briefly reaching $102.20 a barrel as disruptions tied to the wars in Iran and Ukraine collided with heavy seasonal demand from the agricultural sector.

The benchmark, which measures the premium of U.S. diesel futures over West Texas Intermediate crude futures and is closely watched as an indicator of refining profitability, was trading at $99.82 a barrel as of 11:56 a.m. EDT, up 2.4% from Friday. Intraday records have now been set in five of the past six trading sessions, with new attacks on Middle Eastern refineries adding to already severe concerns over global fuel supplies.

The International Energy Agency reported last week that worldwide refinery crude throughput averaged 80.9 million barrels per day in July, approximately 5 million barrels per day below the level recorded a year earlier.

Farmers are among those facing the most immediate consequences of the soaring diesel market. Diesel is essential for operating tractors, combines and other agricultural machinery, with the Northern Hemisphere currently in harvest season while farmers in the Southern Hemisphere are planting crops.

If the shortage persists, however, the economic consequences could extend far beyond agriculture. Diesel plays an essential role in manufacturing, trucking and other heavy transportation and is also widely used for electricity generation in parts of the world.

Global diesel inventories have already been squeezed by the ongoing conflicts, particularly because Russia and the Middle East are major suppliers. Middle Eastern shipments have been severely disrupted by problems moving cargo through the Strait of Hormuz, while Russia has halted international diesel sales through January following Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries.

American refiners have responded to the extraordinary margins by increasing diesel output, but domestic inventories continue to fall because of robust demand from overseas buyers, according to Shohruh Zukhritdinov, chief executive of oil trading firm NitrolOil.

U.S. inventories of distillate fuels, a category that includes both diesel and heating oil, stood at 107.1 million barrels as of August 7, according to Energy Information Administration figures released last week. That marked the lowest inventory level for this point in the calendar year since 1996.

“The U.S. is ‌producing more diesel, not less, and yet the crack is still above $100. That tells you this is not a refinery incentive problem anymore — it is a refinery capacity and global replacement-barrel problem,” Zukhritdinov said.

Additional pressure could be coming as Washington intensifies its efforts to restrict Iranian energy exports and threatens penalties against China over its purchases of Iranian crude, according to Scott Shelton, an energy specialist at TP ICAP.

“The U.S.’s new policy could make it even harder for [China] to keep refinery run rates where they are and could make the diesel crisis worse,” Shelton said in a note to clients.

China is already processing substantially less crude than it was a year ago. Figures released Monday by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that Chinese crude oil throughput in July had fallen nearly 16% compared with the same month last year.

{Matzav.com}

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used a phone call with President Donald Trump on Monday to once again criticize Israel, alleging that Jerusalem has stepped up its actions against Palestinians in Gaza as efforts continue to advance the next stage of the peace framework.

Turkey’s Communications Directorate said in a statement reported by the Anadolu news agency that the two leaders discussed relations between Washington and Ankara as well as a series of regional and international issues.

Turning to the situation in Gaza, Erdogan told Trump that despite ongoing efforts to move toward the second phase of the peace framework, there has been an “increase in actions by the Israeli government targeting Palestinians”.

Ankara also reiterated its intention to remain involved in efforts surrounding Gaza and its eventual rebuilding. “Turkey will continue to support lasting peace in the region and steps to be taken for the reconstruction of Gaza,” according to the statement.

The conversation also covered tensions between the United States and Iran. Erdogan stressed the need to keep diplomacy at the center of efforts to address the dispute, describing that approach as “important” and expressing hope that negotiations would continue. He also reiterated Turkey’s willingness to assist efforts aimed at reaching a peaceful outcome.

Erdogan additionally discussed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement recently signed by Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, saying the pact “demonstrates a strong stance in ensuring regional stability and security,” the statement said.

Turkey and Israel had been moving toward repairing diplomatic relations before the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, terrorist massacre in southern Israel. Those ties quickly deteriorated following the attack and the subsequent war, with Turkish officials repeatedly denouncing Israel and Erdogan becoming particularly outspoken in his attacks on the Jewish state.

In March of last year, Erdogan branded Israel a “terror state” after Israel launched preemptive strikes targeting terrorist infrastructure in Gaza.

Several months later, Erdogan went further, claiming that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government represented the greatest threat to stability in the Middle East.

The Turkish president renewed his attacks on Netanyahu’s government just last week, alleging that Israel was seeking to remove the Palestinian Arab issue from the international agenda.

“The aim of the Netanyahu government is to remove Palestine from the common agenda of humanity by profiting from chaos and new conflicts in the region,” Erdogan alleged during a joint press briefing alongside Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

Erdogan also pledged that Turkey would continue pushing for the establishment of a Palestinian state, insisting that Israel would not succeed in sidelining the issue. “No matter what they do, they will not succeed. The Palestinian cause will continue to grow in people’s hearts as they try to destroy it.”

{Matzav.com}

A dramatic shakeup is emerging in the Likud primary results, with Energy Minister Eli Cohen taking first place while several prominent party figures have fallen far below expectations and others are facing the possibility of being left out of the next Knesset.

With approximately 80% of the ballots counted overnight at the vote-counting center established at Bloomfield Stadium in Jaffa, Cohen was leading the national slate, followed by Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana in second place and Justice Minister Yariv Levin in third.

Final results are expected later today, but the partial count already provides a strong indication of the battle for positions considered likely to secure a Knesset seat. Because of slots reserved for candidates selected by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and positions allocated to regional representatives, the 15th spot on the national list is currently viewed as the final clearly competitive position. Most recent polls have Likud winning approximately 23 seats.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev, the highest-ranking woman in the results, was in fourth place, followed by coalition chairman Ofir Katz in fifth. Education Minister Yoav Kisch ranked sixth, Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar seventh, and MK Almog Cohen — competing in a Likud primary for the first time — eighth.

Minister Dudi Amsalem stood in ninth place, while Minister Amichai Chikli rounded out the top 10. MK Moshe Saada was positioned 11th, opening the second group of 10 candidates.

One of the night’s biggest surprises was MK Tali Gotliv, who dropped to 12th place despite polls ahead of the primary showing her potentially finishing first. Likud sources claimed that Netanyahu quietly worked to prevent Gotliv from finishing in the top 10 because of concerns that her prominence could hurt the party electorally.

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi was in 13th place, followed by MK David Bitan in 14th. Bitan’s showing was particularly notable because Netanyahu had openly battled against him during the primary campaign.

MK Boaz Bismuth occupied the crucial 15th position, putting him on the edge of what is considered a realistic spot on the slate. Economy Minister Nir Barkat, meanwhile, had fallen to 16th, leaving his prospects increasingly uncertain. Netanyahu’s political operation had also reportedly worked against Barkat amid accusations that he had attempted to organize a political challenge to the prime minister.

Further down the slate, several longtime Likud figures appeared to be in serious danger of failing to return to the Knesset. Minister Gila Gamliel was among those whose chances remained uncertain, while Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter, Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman and Minister May Golan appeared likely to be left outside the next Knesset based on the partial results.

MKs Hanoch Milwidsky, Keti Shitrit, Avichay Buaron and Nissim Vaturi were also among the incumbents whose positions placed their political futures in jeopardy.

The primary was also accompanied by complaints over the party’s voter rolls. Likud officials said some members who renewed their membership payments roughly a month before the election arrived to discover that they were not listed as eligible voters. The controversy could potentially become a factor in challenges to the final results.

Overall turnout reached approximately 53.5%, about 10 percentage points higher than at the comparable stage of Likud’s previous primary. Party officials described the figure as evidence of unusually strong participation and interest among Likud members.

The complete results are expected after all remaining ballots are counted and any challenges are addressed. Until then, the greatest suspense surrounds candidates clustered around the cutoff between positions considered likely to lead to a Knesset seat and those that could leave some of Likud’s most recognizable figures on the outside.

{Matzav.com}

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A startling report published Monday alleges that young Chareidi men were paid hundreds of shekels in cash to cast ballots for designated candidates in the Likud primaries, with two of the participants openly acknowledging that they had little interest in the political process and were voting according to lists supplied to them.

The footage, revealed by reporter Yossi Abdu, was recorded during the Likud primary voting at Binyanei Ha’Uma in Yerushalayim. Two young Chareidi men are seen speaking openly about the payments they allegedly received and the prepared lists of candidates they were instructed to support.

“To tell you the truth, I came to vote. I don’t care about politics or anything, but they paid me money,” one of the young men said, declining to provide his full name.

According to the young man, Likud representatives send people to the polls and pay them in exchange for their votes in the primaries.

“I’m Chareidi and I came to vote, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m voting for someone Chareidi. I vote for whoever paid me,” he said.

His friend, identified as Elchanan, said that he, too, had received money to participate, claiming that the amount he received was even higher.

Another young man, Netanel, pulled a detailed list from his pocket containing the numbers of the candidates he had allegedly been instructed to select. The list included candidates numbered 103, 105, 143, 122, 125, 126, 127, 128, 133, 138, 144 and 208 on the national slate, along with candidate 315 in the Yerushalayim district. Of the candidates involved, the only name he recognized was Dudi Amsalem, whose name appeared first on the list.

Both young men stressed that their membership in Likud and participation in its primaries did not mean they intended to support the party in the general Knesset election.

Elchanan said explicitly that he would not vote for Likud in the general election. Netanel said he would ultimately vote according to the instructions of rabbonim, before adding: “If Ben Gvir pays me money, I’ll vote for him.”

Netanel said he had been paid 400 shekels to come and cast his ballot.

The two summed up their attitude toward their participation in particularly blunt terms: “Only money, only money. We don’t work for free, we want money, what can you do?”

Monday’s Likud primaries were open to approximately 142,000 registered party members. Among them are thousands of Chassidim and other Chareidi members representing various communities and chassidusen.

Estimates place the number of Chareidi Likud members at approximately 7,000. Because a candidate may need only several thousand votes in the primary system to secure a realistic position on the party’s Knesset slate, organized voting blocs can potentially wield significant influence over the results.

The report raises serious questions about the integrity of the primary process and whether the alleged payments represented isolated incidents or were part of a broader, organized operation.

Similar allegations of vote-buying have surfaced during party primaries in Israel in the past. However, it is unusual for alleged participants themselves to be captured on camera describing so explicitly the payments they received and acknowledging that they were voting according to instructions supplied in exchange for money.

{Matzav.com}

Mohammed Dahlan has emerged as a key intermediary linking Hamas, Egypt, Gulf states and the Trump administration as efforts intensify to shape Gaza’s political future and build a broader Palestinian alliance ahead of elections in the Palestinian Authority.

Trump administration envoy Jared Kushner met Sunday in Egypt with senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, with Dahlan also present. The meeting marked another step in implementing the American roadmap for ending the war, which calls for an Israeli withdrawal and the establishment of a national committee responsible for administering and rebuilding the Gaza Strip.

According to Ynet, increasingly close ties between Hamas and Dahlan’s political faction are aimed at bringing Hamas into a broader political framework rather than having the terror group run independently in Palestinian elections scheduled for late November.

Senior Hamas official Hussam Badran confirmed that discussions are underway to establish a “national alliance” that would include Hamas, Dahlan’s faction and independent Palestinian figures.

For Hamas, such an arrangement could provide a path away from its status as an organization governing a separate Palestinian enclave in Gaza. For Dahlan, the emerging alliance offers an opportunity to return to the center of Palestinian politics without depending on the Palestinian Authority leadership in Ramallah.

Officials in the Palestinian Authority are closely and anxiously watching the developments, particularly as donor countries pressing the PA to hold elections have reportedly responded positively to the proposed political arrangement.

A senior Palestinian Authority official said Ramallah’s deepening economic crisis, combined with the absence of an agreed-upon successor to 91-year-old PA President Mahmoud Abbas, has left the Palestine Liberation Organization increasingly vulnerable as the new alliance takes shape.

“Israel did not want ‘Fatahstan’; the question is whether in the end it will get ‘Hamastan’ in the form of Dahlan,” the official warned.

Meanwhile, Hamas announced that it has agreed to the second stage of the American roadmap.

Dahlan, who has been issuing public statements regarding progress in the negotiations while simultaneously serving as a channel between the Americans and Hamas, called on all Palestinian factions to refrain from taking any actions that could derail the agreement with Israel.

{Matzav.com}