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Many of the world’s nations are gathering starting Monday in Spain for a high-level conference to tackle the growing gap between rich and poor nations and try to drum up trillions of dollars needed to close it. The United States, previously a major contributor, pulled its participation, so finding funding will be tough. The four-day Financing for Development meeting in the southern city of Seville is taking place as many countries face escalating debt burdens, declining investments, decreasing international aid and increasing trade barriers. “Financing is the engine of development. And right now, this engine is sputtering,” United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in his opening comments at the conference. “We are here in Sevilla to change course, to repair and rev up the engine of development to accelerate investment at the scale and speed required.” The U.N. and Spain, the conference co-hosts, believe the meeting is an opportunity to reverse the downward spiral, close the staggering $4 trillion annual financing gap to promote development, bring millions of people out of poverty and help achieve the U.N.’s wide-ranging and badly lagging Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. Even though the gathering comes amid global economic uncertainty and high geopolitical tensions, there is hope among the hosts that the world can address one of the most important global challenges — ensuring all people have access to food, health care, education and water. “The government of Spain believes that this summit is an opportunity for us to change course, for us to raise our voice in the face of those who seek to convince us that rivalry and competition will set the tone for humanity and for its future,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez told the delegates as he inaugurated the conference. The ambitious package seeks to reverse decline in development High-level delegations, including more than 70 world leaders, are attending in Seville, the U.N. said, along with several thousand others from international financial institutions, development banks, philanthropic organizations, the private sector and civil society. At its last preparatory meeting on June 17, the United States rejected the 38-page outcome document that had been negotiated for months by the U.N.’s 193 member nations and announced its withdrawal from the process and from the Seville conference. The rest of the countries then approved the document by consensus and sent it to Seville, where it is expected to be adopted by conference participants without changes. It will be known as the Seville Commitment — or Compromiso de Sevilla in Spanish. The document says the leaders and high-level representatives have decided to launch “an ambitious package of reforms and actions to close the financing gap with urgency,” saying it is now estimated at $4 trillion a year. Among the proposals and actions, it calls for minimum tax revenue of 15% of a country’s gross domestic product to increase government resources, a tripling of lending by multilateral development banks, and scaling up private financing by providing incentives for investing in critical areas like infrastructure. It also calls for a number of reforms to help countries deal with rising debt. U.N. trade chief Rebeca Grynspan said recently that “development is going backward” and the global debt crisis has worsened. Last year, 3.3 billion people were living in countries that pay more interest on their debts than they spend on health or education — and the number will increase to […]

CIA Director John Ratcliffe told skeptical U.S. lawmakers that American military strikes destroyed Iran’s lone metal conversion facility and in the process delivered a monumental setback to Tehran’s nuclear program that would take years to overcome, a U.S. official said Sunday. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive intelligence, said Ratcliffe laid out the importance of the strikes on the metal conversion facility during a classified hearing for U.S. lawmakers last week. Details about the private briefings surfaced as President Donald Trump and his administration keep pushing back on questions from Democratic lawmakers and others about how far Iran was set back by the strikes before last Tuesday’s ceasefire with Israel took hold. “It was obliterating like nobody’s ever seen before,” Trump said in an interview on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” ”And that meant the end to their nuclear ambitions, at least for a period of time.” Ratcliffe also told lawmakers that the intelligence community assessed the vast majority of Iran’s amassed enriched uranium likely remains buried under the rubble at Isfahan and Fordo, two of the three key nuclear facilities targeted by U.S. strikes. But even if the uranium remains intact, the loss of its metal conversion facility effectively has taken away Tehran’s ability to build a bomb for years to come, the official said. Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that the three Iranian sites with “capabilities in terms of treatment, conversion and enrichment of uranium have been destroyed to an important degree.” But, he added, “some is still standing” and that because capabilities remain, “if they so wish, they will be able to start doing this again.” He said assessing the full damage comes down to Iran allowing in inspectors. “Frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared, and there is nothing there,” Grossi said. Trump has insisted from just hours after three key targets were struck by U.S. bunker-buster bombs and Tomahawk missiles that Iran’s nuclear program was “obliterated.” His defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has said they were “destroyed.” A preliminary report issued by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, meanwhile, said the strikes did significant damage to the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan sites, but did not totally destroy the facilities. As a result of Israeli and U.S. strikes, Grossi says that “it is clear that there has been severe damage, but it’s not total damage.” Israel claims it has set back Iran’s nuclear program by “many years.” The metal conversion facility that Ratcliffe said was destroyed was located at the Isfahan nuclear facility. The process of transforming enriched uranium gas into dense metal, or metallization, is a key step in building the explosive core of a bomb. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in comments at the NATO summit last week also suggested that it was likely the U.S. strikes had destroyed the metal conversion facility. “You can’t do a nuclear weapon without a conversion facility,” Rubio said. “We can’t even find where it is, where it used to be on the map. You can’t even find where it used to be because the whole thing is just blackened out. It’s gone. It’s wiped out.” The CIA director also stressed to lawmakers during the congressional briefing that Iran’s […]

The government of Venezuela, led by President Nicolas Maduro, presented the Simon Bolivar Prize to Iranian news presenter Sahar Emami, days after the Israeli Air Force struck the headquarters of Iran’s state broadcasting agency in Tehran.

The honor, which was received on Emami’s behalf by Iranian ambassador to Venezuela Ali Chegini, was meant to pay tribute to Emami and other staff who were on duty during the Israeli strike on the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network (IRINN), part of the country’s main broadcasting authority, IRIB.

Maduro commended Emami and those killed during the attack for their bravery, describing them as heroes in the face of what he labeled an Israeli assault against Iran’s state media. Emami had been on air live at the time and resumed the broadcast soon after the strike, a move that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called an act of heroism.

Video captured from the live broadcast shows Emami visibly distressed, shouting amid the chaos as explosions reverberate and pieces of the ceiling collapse around her.

The Israel Defense Forces acknowledged responsibility for the operation, stating that the target was a communications hub used by Iran’s military, hidden within the structure of what appeared to be a civilian news organization. The military indicated that the site played a direct role in enabling Iran’s military operations.

Defense Minister Yisroel Katz stated that the strike was carefully planned using reliable intelligence and aimed at a military installation disguised as a media center. He noted that the IDF worked with the Intelligence Directorate to carry out the mission while taking steps to protect civilians, including issuing phone alerts and written messages in both Arabic and Farsi.

Prior to the operation, people living in the District Three area of northern Tehran—home to government buildings, embassies, and IRIB’s offices—were told to leave. The IDF had designated the neighborhood as a military zone under Iranian regime control.

In a statement on social media, Minister Katz said: “The mouthpiece of Iranian propaganda and incitement is on its way to disappearing. The evacuation of residents in the area has begun.”

At the same time, Israeli forces struck other military assets in western Iran, escalating efforts to degrade the Islamic Republic’s terror capabilities across the region. While Iranian officials sought to elevate Emami as a symbol of defiance, the IDF maintained that the broadcast facility had long served as a strategic component of Iran’s military apparatus.

{Matzav.com}

Democratic New York City mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani repeatedly refused on Sunday to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” a rallying cry used as an incitement to violence against Jews. Pressed three times during an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, Mamdani would not explicitly reject the slogan, insisting, “That’s not language that I use,” and declaring that it is not the mayor’s job to “police language.” Mamdani, an outspoken anti-Israel activist who supports the boycott-Israel movement, has faced growing pressure to denounce the phrase, which is widely used by anti-Israel protest movements and associated with calls for violent attacks on Jews and Israelis. The word “intifada” is most closely linked to the bloody Palestinian uprising of the early 2000s, marked by suicide bombings that killed hundreds of Israelis. Moderator Kristen Welker challenged Mamdani repeatedly to reject the phrase, but he demurred, offering only that he understands why some people find it concerning. “The language that I use and will continue to use is language grounded in universal human rights,” Mamdani said. He added, “I don’t believe that the role of the mayor is to police speech,” arguing that defining what language is acceptable would be “similar to that of the president” and could limit free expression. Mamdani acknowledged hearing from Jewish New Yorkers worried about the phrase, which has become a flashpoint during pro-Palestinian rallies in the city. “I’ve heard those fears,” he said, while pointing to his campaign pledge to boost anti-hate crime funding by 800% as proof he takes Jewish concerns seriously. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, has called on Mamdani to clearly denounce “globalize the intifada,” but he has so far refused. In a previous interview on The Bulwark podcast, Mamdani defended the slogan by comparing it to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, a last-ditch resistance by Jews facing extermination by the Nazis during the Holocaust, drawing a blistering condemnation from the Auschwitz Museum. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Knesset House Committee on Monday voted 14-2 to impeach MK Ayman Odeh, the chairman of the Arab Hadash Ta’al party, over comments he made supporting terrorism. All representatives of the coalition parties voted in support of his ouster, along with representatives from Yisrael Beytenu, Yesh Atid, and the National Unity Party. Another vote on the matter will be brought to the Knesset plenum within three weeks, where a majority of 90 MKs will be required to approve it. Likud MK Avichai Boaron’s proposal included a statement on X from January in which Odeh compared Israeli hostages to freed Palestinian terrorists, writing, “I am happy about the release of the hostages and prisoners. From here, both nations must be freed from the yoke of occupation. We are all free people.” Following the decision, Boaron said, “Throughout all the deliberations, he neither apologized nor retracted his statements—in fact, he repeated them. He refuses to recognize Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations. One cannot separate his remarks from the broader context, and therefore I am confident the decision will pass with a large majority in the Knesset plenum.” Committee Chairman Ofir Katz added, “In a proper country, Ayman Odeh would rot in jail and be stripped of his citizenship. I sincerely hope Yesh Atid and the National Unity Party won’t backtrack or play a double game when this reaches the plenum. Ayman Odeh must be kicked out.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Lebanese broadcaster LBCI reported Sunday that Syria has laid out a set of preconditions for any potential peace accord with Israel, according to sources familiar with the matter.

As outlined in the report, Syria is seeking formal recognition of President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s leadership by Israel, a pullback from territories captured since last December as well as from the demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan Heights, a complete end to Israeli air raids on Syrian soil, and the establishment of coordinated security protocols in southern Syria, especially along its borders with Israel and Jordan.

The most critical demand, per the report, is that the United States provide binding assurances for the deal and offer diplomatic and economic backing for the Syrian government.

In exchange, Syria would be prepared to officially recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

Earlier this month, Axios revealed that Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has shown interest in initiating US-brokered peace discussions with Syria’s new leadership.

According to the report, Netanyahu brought up this possibility during a recent conversation with US Envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack. His goal is to forge a new security framework between Jerusalem and Damascus that could pave the way for a full peace treaty — the first direct talks between the two nations in over a decade.

This policy initiative comes amid significant geopolitical shifts following the replacement of the Assad regime by al-Sharaa. Axios noted that while Israeli leadership initially hesitated due to al-Sharaa’s ties with Turkey and urged Washington to proceed carefully, President Donald Trump’s recent summit with al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia and subsequent American decision to lift sanctions on Syria led Israel to revisit its position.

In a separate development, Rabbi Abraham Cooper — who recently met with al-Sharaa in Damascus — told reporters that a direct meeting between the Syrian leader and Netanyahu might be within reach, provided Trump plays a leading role in organizing it.

Speaking to Kan News, Rabbi Cooper gave his personal impression of al-Sharaa, stating, “It’s true he’s an Islamist, but al-Sharaa speaks of a vision for his country that includes a united Syria with one army and equal rights. If he can achieve that, it would be a game-changer.”

On the topic of future Israeli-Syrian engagement, Cooper presented two potential paths: a short-term easing of tensions and a more formal political dialogue facilitated by the Trump administration. “The only quick path would be if someone named Donald Trump invited both leaders — Israel’s Prime Minister and Syria’s President — to Washington to sit together for a few hours. That could change everything.”

Cooper added that al-Sharaa conveyed to him that resolving the conflict with Israel is a key objective. “We intend to continue advancing this,” Cooper said, noting that the Syrian president seemed sincerely interested in pursuing peace.

{Matzav.com}

Forest fires fanned by high winds and hot, dry weather damaged some holiday homes in Turkey as a lingering heat wave that has cooked much of Europe led authorities to raise warnings and tourists to find ways to beat the heat on Monday. A heat dome hovered over an arc from France, Portugal and Spain to Turkey, while data from European forecasters suggested other countries were set to broil further in coming days. New highs are expected on Wednesday before rain is forecast to bring respite to some areas later this week. “Extreme heat is no longer a rare event — it has become the new normal,” tweeted U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres from Seville, Spain, where temperatures were expected to hit 42 Celsius (nearly 108 Fahrenheit) on Monday afternoon. Reiterating his frequent calls for action to fight climate change, Guterres added: “The planet is getting hotter & more dangerous — no country is immune.” In France, which was almost entirely sweltering in the heatwave on Monday and where air conditioning remains relatively rare, local and national authorities were taking extra effort to care for homeless and elderly people and people working outside. Some tourists were putting off plans for some rigorous outdoor activities. “We were going to do a bike tour today actually, but we decided because it was gonna be so warm not to do the bike tour,” said Andrea Tyson, 46, who was visiting Paris from New Philadelphia, Ohio. Authorities in Portugal issued a red heat warning for seven of 18 districts as temperatures were forecast to hit 43 degrees Celsius, a day after logging a record June temperature of 46.6 degrees C. Almost all inland areas were at high risk of wildfires. In Turkey, forest fires fanned by strong winds damaged some holiday homes in Izmir’s Doganbey region and forced the temporary closure of the airport in Izmir, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Authorities evacuated four villages as a precaution, the Forestry Ministry said. In Italy, the Health Ministry put 21 cities under its level three “red” alert, which indicates “emergency conditions with possible negative effects” on healthy, active people as well as at-risk old people, children and chronically ill people. Regional governments in northwestern Liguria and southern Sicily in Italy put restrictions on outdoor work, such as construction and agricultural labor, during the peak heat hours. In southern Germany, temperatures of up to 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) were expected on Monday, and they were forecast to creep higher until midweek – going as high as 39 degrees (102F) on Wednesday. Some German towns and regions imposed limits on how much water can be taken from rivers and lakes. (AP)

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Ali Larijani, a senior figure in the Iranian regime, revealed in a televised interview on Iran’s state broadcaster that he received a direct threat during the war with Israel warning him to flee the country or face assassination.

“In the midst of the war, I got a call telling me I had 12 hours to leave the country or I would be killed,” Larijani said. “They told me they’d send me to join my martyred friends Akri and Salami. I knew who was calling, and I gave Mr. Netanyahu an appropriate response.”

Larijani alleged that Israel had planned a sweeping strike to decapitate Iran’s leadership. “The Israelis targeted the site where the Supreme National Security Council was convening, with the intent to eliminate the heads of the state and then move on to strike the Supreme Leader Khamenei,” he said.

According to a report in Yisroel Hayom, Larijani also claimed that Iran had struck American military targets. “Of the 14 missiles we fired, six struck a U.S. base with significant impact. Each carried a 400-kilogram warhead. We know exactly what happened, but let Trump keep dreaming,” he said.

In response to President Trump’s assertion that Iran’s underground nuclear facility in Fordow had been destroyed, Larijani dismissed the claim mockingly: “I won’t say anything about Fordow—let them enjoy their illusions.”

{Matzav.com}

Iran’s representative to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani, declared that Tehran has no intention of halting its nuclear enrichment activities, insisting the practice is a protected national right that the country will continue to uphold.

During an appearance on CBS News’s “Face the Nation,” host Margaret Brennan questioned Iravani directly about whether Iran aims to resume its uranium enrichment efforts domestically.

In response, Iravani referenced the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which grants nations that do not possess nuclear weapons access to peaceful nuclear technology, including the right to enrich uranium within regulated parameters.

“So the enrichment is our right, and an inalienable right, and we want to implement this right,” Iravani said.

“So you do plan to restart enrichment, that sounds like?” Brennan asked.

“I think that enrichment will not — never stop,” he said.

President Trump authorized military action over the weekend, targeting three nuclear-related facilities in Iran. The strikes came just as another series of negotiations was about to commence, part of ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to reach a nuclear agreement with Tehran.

While the administration has promoted the mission as a major strategic victory, several Democratic lawmakers have expressed skepticism over the true impact of the operation.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe and other senior intelligence officials gave a classified briefing to members of Congress earlier this week regarding the June 21 attack. The Trump team has been aggressively promoting the idea that the strikes delivered a significant blow to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, calling the sites “obliterated.”

However, on Tuesday, an early intelligence analysis began circulating suggesting the damage inflicted might only delay Iran’s nuclear ambitions by “a few months.” Trump administration officials rejected this assessment, with Defense Department spokespeople pushing back during a press briefing held Thursday.

{Matzav.com}

In a powerful display of gratitude to the Ribono Shel Olam for the miracles witnessed during the recent conflict with Iran, hundreds gathered this past Shabbos at Beis Medrash Mimizrach Shemesh in Beit Shemesh for a communal recitation of Nishmas Kol Chai, expressing thanks to Hashem for His protection and mercy.

The moving event took place following a halacha l’maaseh shiur delivered by the mara d’asra, Rav Dovid Cohen, which is regularly attended by hundreds of local residents each week. This time, even more community members joined to participate in the seudas hoda’ah for the miracles of the war.

In his remarks, Rav Cohen emphasized the magnitude of the hidden miracles that accompanied the war, many of which are still unknown to the broader public. “We witnessed hashgacha pratis in every step,” he said. “Hinei lo yanum velo yishan Shomer Yisrael.” He encouraged the tzibbur to not only express gratitude with words, but to make meaningful personal commitments—kabbolos tovos—as a gift of thanks to Hashem.

The emotional climax came when Rav Cohen opened the doors of the aron kodesh and the packed crowd, including a filled-to-capacity women’s section, stood united before the sifrei Torah. With deep feeling, the entire kehilla sang and recited every word of Nishmas Kol Chai aloud, voices lifted in song and thanksgiving.

Ahead of Shabbos, Deputy Minister and founder of Beis Medrash Mimizrach Shemesh Moshe Abutbul invited the community to attend the special gathering. He also shared a chilling anecdote that highlighted the depth of the miracle. Abutbul recounted testimony he had received from a rosh kollel in the city, who had taken his kollel on a trip to southern Israel just one day before the war broke out. During the trip, they witnessed 50 refrigerated trucks stationed by the IDF, prepared to hold up to 1,000 casualties in the event of mass fatalities. “In the end,” said Abutbul, “not a single truck was needed. That alone is a powerful window into the neis that occurred for Am Yisrael.”

“The miracle was immense,” he continued. “We must thank Hashem, the Gibor and Ish Milchamah. Others boast of their military success, but we, as maaminim bnei maaminim, know the truth: without Hashem’s mercy, this war could have ended in devastating loss. His chesed overwhelmed us, and we must respond with united hoda’ah and shevach.”

Abutbul also quoted the words of Rav Ovadiah Yosef zt”l on the verse in Tehillim (60:6), “Nasata lirei’echa nes lehisnoses—When Hashem performs a nes, and the recipient acknowledges it, he becomes worthy of more nissim in the future.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

CAN’T MAKE IT UP: A pro-Palestinian protester screams at virulently anti-Israeli socialist NYC mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani – who publicly supports “globalizing the intifada – for not being anti-Israel enough!

The International Association of Fire Fighters said that three of their IAFF members were ambushed while responding to the north Idaho wildfire. Two of them were killed with another in surgery.

The scene now at the Ohel of the Lubavitcher Rebbe ZT’L. Shomrim from Far Rockaway (RNSP) are assisting a smooth line at the Ohel.

The Senate’s clerks concluded a marathon reading session on Sunday, going through every word of the Republicans’ sweeping tax and spending legislation. With that hurdle cleared, the chamber is now on track to proceed toward a final vote, expected to take place Monday.

In a bid to stall progress, Democrats demanded that the entire 940-page bill be read aloud, a process that stretched nearly 16 hours and wrapped up shortly after 3 p.m. Eastern Time.

“I objected to stop Republicans moving forward on their Big, Ugly Bill until they read every single word of it to the American people,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wrote on X last night.

Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) publicly recognized the effort of the staffers who carried out the task.

“I would like to start by just taking a moment to thank the clerks, who stayed up all night reading the amendment and getting us to this point. I know it was a long night and that we’re not finished yet, but I want them to know the Senate appreciates their dedication, their stamina and their service,” he said.

With the reading complete, the Senate will now enter a period of up to 20 hours of floor debate, evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, before moving on to a potentially marathon session of back-to-back amendment votes known as a “vote-a-rama.”

Republican leadership is expected to waive much of their allotted debate time, potentially speeding up the process and allowing the vote-a-rama to begin during the early hours of Monday morning. If that happens, the final vote could take place later in the day.

During this next phase, senators may propose unlimited amendments as long as they pertain to the tax and spending legislation. Before the bill can reach a final vote, every amendment must be voted on and resolved.

Last night, the GOP successfully secured enough support to advance the bill following lengthy negotiations and a drawn-out voting session that remained open for over three hours. Even so, challenges remain.

Two Republican senators — Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Rand Paul of Kentucky — opposed the procedural vote and are anticipated to reject the bill itself, citing disagreements over Medicaid policies and the inclusion of a $5 trillion increase to the federal debt ceiling.

Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), known for her centrist positions within the Republican conference, backed the procedural step last night but has not yet decided how she will vote on the final legislation.

“That’s going to depend on whether the bill is substantially changed,” she said last night. “There are some very good changes that have been made in the latest version, but I want to see further changes and I will be filing a number of amendments.”

Last night’s vote was complicated by opposition from four conservative Republicans — Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Rick Scott of Florida, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, and Mike Lee of Utah — who delayed proceedings for nearly four hours over concerns that the Medicaid expansions in the bill were overly generous.

The conservative holdouts said they only agreed to move forward after receiving commitments from Thune and President Trump that Scott’s proposal to reduce the 90% federal match rate for Medicaid expansion enrollees would be supported.

Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a key moderate voice, also hesitated to commit, withholding her vote for several hours due to concerns about proposed changes to Medicaid and cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) included in the legislative framework.

{Matzav.com}

Sen. Thom Tillis after announcing he won’t seek reelection while opposing Trump’s spending bill: “The people in the White House, the amateurs advising the President, they’re not telling him that the effect of this bill is to break a promise.”

IDAHO SHERIFF AMID STANDOFF WITH SHOOTER(S) ON MOUNTAIN: “They’re not showing any evidence of wanting to surrender. As soon as somebody has a clear shot, I encourage them to take that shot.”  

BREAKING: At least two dead after gunman ambushed firefighters in Idaho Firefighters were ambushed by a gunman while responding to a brush fire in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Kootenai County Sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Howard said. Two people are dead. The incident unfolded at approximately 1:30 p.m. local time after a small but growing brush fire broke out on Canfield Mountain Sunday afternoon. When fire personnel responded to the blaze about half an hour later, they started getting shot at by an unknown person in the woods, Howard said. Law enforcement is investigating whether the fire could have been intentionally set in order to lure first responders to the scene, Howard added.