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Apple unveiled a new series of iPhones on Monday, integrating advanced AI features into their operating system to gauge consumer interest in these technologies, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The new AI suite, termed “Apple Intelligence,” encompasses an enhanced Siri voice assistant and a range of text-editing and photo-processing functions, compatible with the latest iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 Pro models. Much of the AI functionality was previewed in June.

During the announcement, Apple’s stock dipped by over 1%, reflecting some investor skepticism regarding the emphasis on AI-driven products.

Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, expressed gratitude to the attendees at the Cupertino, Calif., event, highlighting that the new iPhones are “designed from the ground up for Apple Intelligence and its breakthrough capabilities.”

Aside from new camera enhancements and a novel button for feature adjustments, the iPhone 16 series presents limited hardware innovations. Apple is betting on the allure of its new AI capabilities to attract users.

“Apple Intelligence draws on the immense power of our silicon to run multiple generative models on the iPhone in your pocket,” stated Craig Federighi, Apple’s head of software.

The demonstration showcased the new capabilities, such as refining text tone for communications like Slack messages or book reviews. It also includes photo sorting, personalized slideshow creation based on simple prompts, and email prioritization along with message summaries.

Apple noted that Siri’s improved language comprehension will allow it to understand even when users fumble their words. Siri will also be able to retrieve personal recommendations, like suggesting a TV show. Additionally, users can utilize “visual intelligence” to identify a dog breed from a photo.

A beta version of some Apple Intelligence features will be accessible next month, initially only in English. Apple plans to expand this to Chinese, French, Japanese, and Spanish next year.

The new iPhone models are equipped with a chip designed to enhance AI functionalities, which Apple claims surpasses the speed of competing devices and even some high-end desktop computers.

The entry-level iPhone 16 is priced at $799, the Plus 16 model at $899, and the Pro version starts at $999, with the larger size available for $1,199.

Consistent with its fall event tradition, Apple’s “Glowtime” presentation began with new gadgets like a smartwatch and updated AirPods before revealing the iPhone 16 series.

The latest Apple Watch, the Series 10, features a slimmer design, a larger screen, and the capability to detect potential sleep apnea. It also includes new features for swimmers, measuring water depth and temperature. The watch is priced at $399 and will be available from September 20.

Apple has also upgraded its AirPods Pro 2 to function as an over-the-counter hearing aid, with additional hearing tests based on scientific research. The AirPods 4, the baseline model, is priced at $129.

AI features have yet to significantly drive consumer upgrades. Samsung 005930 -1.33%decrease; red down pointing triangle, Apple’s main competitor, has heavily marketed its latest AI-enhanced devices. Surveys by BayStreet Research indicate that AI was a minor selling point for carriers after initial sales, and only 7% of consumers were highly inclined to buy a phone for its AI features, according to Canalys.

“AI hasn’t resonated yet with the masses,” commented Cliff Maldonado, principal analyst at BayStreet Research.

Despite this, some investors are optimistic about a potential surge in iPhone sales, as many users are overdue for an upgrade. Analysts predict a nearly 5% increase in iPhone revenue for the 2025 fiscal year, ending next September, according to FactSet.

The reception to Apple’s AI-enabled phones will further test market interest in this technology. While competitors have heavily invested in AI models for interactive and creative purposes, investor enthusiasm for AI spending has cooled this year as companies struggle to demonstrate clear profitability.

Unlike its competitors, Apple has not invested heavily in AI. Instead, it relies on partnerships with leading AI firms to participate in the market.

“Apple is doing partnerships instead of having to reinvent the wheel,” said Trip Miller, managing partner at Gullane Capital Partners. “They’ve already got the platform and the user base that wants to consume this revolutionary technology.”

In its AI efforts, Apple is collaborating with the startup OpenAI, led by Sam Altman, to incorporate ChatGPT, which Apple considers a leader in generative AI. The company also plans to engage with other AI developers and is reportedly discussing an investment in OpenAI, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Apple has not yet announced an AI partner in China, one of its largest markets, where it has faced new competition from local smartphone brands and experienced stagnant sales.

Apple’s last major iPhone success came in 2021, with a 39% sales increase compared to the previous year. However, sales have declined over the past two quarters, and revenue fell by over 2% in the fiscal year ending September 2023.

The 2021 sales boost was driven by promotions and subsidies from wireless carriers, who invested in new 5G infrastructure to attract or retain users. Carriers are crucial to iPhone sales in the U.S., accounting for about three-quarters of new iPhone purchases, according to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. However, some iPhone users have postponed upgrades due to less significant changes in newer models.

“People are holding on to their phones for longer and longer periods,” noted Michael Levin, co-founder of CIRP. “Apple is swimming upstream that way.”

Analysts anticipate a potential resurgence in iPhone sales with the iPhone 17 generation, expected to feature a thinner design and updated camera. More consumers might also be ready to adopt AI features by then.

{Matzav.com}

A daredevil billionaire rocketed back into orbit Tuesday, aiming to perform the first private spacewalk and venture farther than anyone since NASA’s Apollo moonshots. Unlike his previous chartered flight, tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman shared the cost with SpaceX this time around, which included developing and testing brand new spacesuits to see how they’ll hold up in the harsh vacuum. If all goes as planned, it will be the first time private citizens conduct a spacewalk, but they won’t venture away from the capsule. Considered one of the riskiest parts of spaceflight, spacewalks have been the sole realm of professional astronauts since the former Soviet Union popped open the hatch in 1965, closely followed by the U.S. Today, they are routinely done at the International Space Station. Isaacman, along with a pair of SpaceX engineers and a former Air Force Thunderbirds pilot, launched before dawn aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida. The spacewalk is scheduled for Thursday, midway through the five-day flight. But first the passengers are shooting for way beyond the International Space Station — an altitude of 870 miles (1,400 kilometers), which would surpass the Earth-lapping record set during NASA’s Project Gemini in 1966. Only the 24 Apollo astronauts who flew to the moon have ventured farther. The plan is to spend 10 hours at that height — filled with extreme radiation and riddled with debris — before reducing the oval-shaped orbit by half. Even at this lower 435 miles (700 kilometers), the orbit would eclipse the space station and even the Hubble Space Telescope, the highest shuttle astronauts flew. All four wore SpaceX’s spacewalking suits because the entire Dragon capsule will be depressurized for the two-hour spacewalk, exposing everyone to the dangerous environment. Isaacman and SpaceX’s Sarah Gillis will take turns briefly popping out of the hatch. They’ll test their white and black-trimmed custom suits by twisting their bodies. Both will always have a hand or foot touching the capsule or attached support structure that resembles the top of a pool ladder. There will be no dangling at the end of their 12-foot (3.6-meter) tethers and no jetpack showboating. Only NASA’s suits at the space station come equipped with jetpacks, for emergency use only. Pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet and SpaceX’s Anna Menon will monitor the spacewalk from inside. Like SpaceX’s previous astronaut flights, this one will end with a splashdown off the Florida coast. “We’re sending you hugs from the ground,” Launch Director Frank Messina radioed after the crew reached orbit. “May you make history and come home safely.” Isaacman replied: “We wouldn’t be on this journey without all 14,000 of you back at SpaceX and everyone else cheering us on.” At a preflight news conference, Isaacman — CEO and founder of the credit card processing company Shift4 — refused to say how much he invested in the flight. “Not a chance,” he said. SpaceX teamed up with Isaacman to pay for spacesuit development and associated costs, said William Gerstenmaier, a SpaceX vice president who once headed space mission operations for NASA. “We’re really starting to push the frontiers with the private sector,” Gerstenmaier said. It’s the first of three trips that Isaacman bought from Elon Musk 2 1/2 years ago, soon after returning from his first private SpaceX spaceflight in 2021. Isaacman bankrolled that tourist […]

Earlier today, the IDF, with intelligence support from the Shin Bet, launched an airstrike targeting Hamas militants operating within a command and control center in the Gaza Strip. The center was located in a building that once served as the ‘Al Farouq’ Mosque, situated in the Bureij area. According to the IDF, the facility was used by Hamas to plan and coordinate terrorist activities against Israeli forces and civilians. Prior to the strike, several precautionary measures were taken to minimize the risk to civilians, including the use of precision-guided munitions, aerial reconnaissance, and comprehensive intelligence gathering.

Channel 12 reports that the likelihood of achieving a phased ceasefire agreement based on Israel’s proposal from May is “close to zero.” According to unnamed sources within the Israeli security community, there is now “very broad pessimism” among the Israeli negotiators.

The US, which had previously indicated plans to introduce a new bridging proposal within the next few days, is now seen as unlikely to follow through with such a proposal, the report added.

The article highlighted significant frustration among Israeli negotiators, who had until recently been hopeful about reaching at least a preliminary agreement between Israel and the mediators that would then be presented to Hamas.

However, the Hebrew press conference held by Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu last Monday, where he firmly reiterated the need for IDF control over the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border—a detail not included in the May proposal approved by Netanyahu—“buried” the chances of reaching such an agreement. Following this, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar became more entrenched in his positions, according to the report.

Further complicating matters, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared in an interview on Saturday night that the Philadelphi Corridor was not his only “red line.” He also opposed the withdrawal of the IDF from the Netzarim Corridor and the release of Palestinian security prisoners convicted of murder. The report stated that Smotrich’s stance, as the leader of the far-right Religious Zionism party, which is a vital component of Netanyahu’s coalition, effectively “wiped out” the May proposal from Israel.

Channel 12 cited a source familiar with the negotiations who said, “It appears that the current proposal will not come to fruition at this time. There is no prospect of a phased deal.”

The network also reported that a senior Israeli negotiator informed hostage families that “not even the first phase” of the deal—a six-week ceasefire involving the release of around 30 hostages, including women, children, the elderly, and those in poor health—was likely to occur at this point.

“The only way forward is to end the war,” the negotiator allegedly stated, urging continued public support to bring about the end of the conflict.

The TV report also noted that sources within the defense establishment described the current situation as “fateful,” particularly concerning the north. The lack of a deal could potentially lead to an escalation with Hezbollah, which some speculate might agree to halt its attacks if a deal between Israel and Hamas were to be reached.

Channel 12 added that families of hostages holding dual Israeli-American citizenship were also being informed that the Biden administration had become less optimistic compared to a week ago when it was actively working on a new proposal.

Although efforts were ongoing, US mediators are reportedly hesitant to present a new proposal until they observe signs of possible progress. For now, they are urging Qatar and Egypt to “determine Hamas’s limits,” according to the report.

Meanwhile, Axios reported, citing White House officials, that President Joe Biden wants to introduce a new proposal, but his senior aides are skeptical about its success due to Netanyahu’s insistence on IDF control over the Philadelphi Corridor and the increasing demands by Sinwar for Palestinian terrorists in exchange for the hostages.

Biden also wishes to avoid making any concessions that could be seen as rewarding Hamas for the recent murder of six hostages, according to the officials.

US officials cited by Axios noted a “significant pessimism” at the White House following Hamas’s demand for the release of 100 additional life-term murderers beyond what had been previously agreed.

An official told Axios that “people at the White House are sad, upset and frustrated” over the current state of the negotiations.

“We are still working, but we are not about to present anything imminently,” the official said. “We are in a tough spot.”

These gloomy reports emerged as Hebrew media also reported on the grim conditions in which the six slain hostages were held and their desperate struggle as their captors prepared to execute them.

According to Channel 12, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the IDF spokesperson, has updated some hostage families on their loved ones’ final days and moments.

The six hostages were reportedly confined in a very narrow and small tunnel, barely wide enough for two people and too low for them to stand fully upright. The lack of air vents made it difficult for them to breathe, the report said.

There were no toilets or showers in the tunnel, and the hostages had to use water from their bottles for washing. Protein bars were found in the tunnel, but the hostages had very little food and lost significant weight, with 24-year-old Eden Yerushalmi weighing just 36 kilos (80 pounds).

The tunnel was said to have contained a generator, a small, faulty torch, a chess set, writing implements, and notepads. The IDF has given these notepads to the respective families, the report added.

The IDF estimates that the hostages were killed approximately 10 days ago, just before the IDF reached the tunnel. “Several of the six are assessed to have defended themselves and struggled with those who shot them,” the report stated. (A Channel 13 report mentioned “forensic” evidence indicating that “Hersh, Ori, Alex and Almog defended Eden and Carmel.”)

The hostages “did everything to survive in impossible circumstances,” a member of an unnamed family told Channel 12, “and, in the end, Hamas murdered them.”

“Their only demand was that the government save them, and the government failed in its mission,” they said.

On Sunday night, families of the hostages and their supporters began their second consecutive week of daily demonstrations on Tel Aviv’s Begin Street, outside the IDF headquarters, coinciding with the security cabinet’s meeting there.

Nearby, on Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, activists and hostage families commemorated the 10-year mark of Israeli civilian Avera Mengistu’s captivity.

Mengistu, 37, an Ethiopian-born Israeli civilian, entered the Gaza Strip voluntarily in 2014 while struggling with severe mental health issues and was captured by Hamas.

The rally featured speeches from Mengistu’s father, Agarnesh Mengistu; his brother, Ilan; Shirley Nesher, the surveillance soldier who saw Avera crossing into Gaza on September 7, 2014; and Yael Adar, mother of Tamir Adar, who was killed on October 7 and whose body was taken to Gaza.

“It’s difficult for me to even imagine how you spend 10 years in this situation,” Ilan Mengistu said. “My mother sits every evening during the news and flips through to find your picture. She says: ‘I don’t understand the language, but if I see his picture I’ll know they’re talking about him, that they haven’t forgotten about him.’”

Following the IDF’s announcement last Sunday that it had recovered the bodies of the six hostages from Gaza, mass demonstrations were held later that day and on Saturday outside the IDF headquarters on Tel Aviv’s Begin Street. Organizers reported that these demonstrations attracted hundreds of thousands of participants.

Hostage families and their supporters also began holding smaller daily protests in the same location, each drawing around 2,000 people, continuing on Sunday.

In Washington, DC, several Israelis protested outside the residence of Mike Herzog, Israel’s ambassador to the US, urging him to publicly call for a hostage deal.

The protest featured Boaz Atzili, cousin of Aviv Atzili, whose body Hamas is holding in Gaza after murdering him in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7.

Social media footage showed Atzili addressing a small group of protesters about an incident on Tuesday, where Herzog allegedly declined to attend a vigil for the six slain hostages at Washington’s Adas Israel synagogue due to not being allowed to speak.

In response, protesters chanted “shame” in Hebrew—a common chant at anti-government rallies in Israel.

It is believed that 97 hostages taken during Hamas’s October 7 attack remain in Gaza, including at least 33 confirmed dead by the IDF.

The sudden attack by Hamas saw thousands of terrorists assault southern Israel, killing nearly 1,200 people and capturing 251 hostages.

Hamas released 105 civilians during a week-long ceasefire in late November, and four hostages were released prior to that.

Eight hostages have been rescued alive by troops, and the bodies of 37 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military while attempting to escape from their captors.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Very few people who live near the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment opted out of a $600 million class action settlement despite residents’ reservations about whether the deal offers enough, so lawyers argue the agreement should be approved later this month. The lawyers who negotiated the deal with Norfolk Southern on behalf of everyone affected by the disastrous February 2023 derailment said only 370 households and 47 businesses in the 20-mile (32-kilometer) radius around the derailment opted out of the property damage payments. That includes only 82 opt-outs from households within 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) of the crash who were promised $70,000 for property damage. People who lived at the outer edge of the area will only receive a few hundred dollars if a federal judge approves the settlement after a Sept. 25 hearing. Altogether, 54,925 claims had been filed as of last week, and that number should be close to the final total because there was an Aug. 22 deadline to submit forms. “It is deeply satisfying that this community overwhelmingly supports this settlement,” the plaintiffs’ lawyers said in a statement. “This result would not have been possible without their resolve and determination to hold Norfolk Southern accountable.” A separate payment of up to $25,000 for personal injuries was more controversial because residents were required to give up any right to sue in the future if they develop cancer or other serious ailments. But some 97% of East Palestine residents still signed onto that. Some residents have complained that even though the lawyers have said this settlement is bigger than any other derailment settlement, the payments still aren’t enough to compensate them for all their suffering. Many people don’t like the fact that aid payments they have received from the railroad will be deducted from any settlement they ultimately receive. One of the key concerns for those objecting to the deal is that the contamination left behind after hazardous chemicals spilled and burned after the train crash could be worse than they know. That’s why they filed a motion asking the judge to order the lawyers to release all the tests their expert did in the community. The plaintiff’s lawyers said in their motion that they can’t release those tests because it would violate the terms of the settlement. They tried to reassure the community that they did extensive research to make sure the settlement was adequate by interviewing some 70 people and reviewing nearly 1.35 million pages of documents. A separate federal settlement between the government and the railroad will ensure that Norfolk Southern pays for the cleanup that is still ongoing and for long-term medical monitoring of residents and tests of groundwater. The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed early this summer that the derailment was caused by an overheated wheel bearing that wasn’t caught in time by trackside detectors. Investigators also said they determined that officials never needed to blow open five tank cars containing vinyl chloride and burn the plastic ingredient because those tank cars weren’t going to explode. The plaintiffs’ lawyers said that because of their extensive investigation they weren’t surprised by anything that came out at the NTSB hearing in June. (AP)

Sergeant Aharon Shmuel Bryce, a tank crew member currently serving with the IDF, made his way back to Gaza ten months after suffering severe injuries from an RPG missile that struck his tank. Despite the grim prognosis given by the doctor who treated him during the helicopter evacuation, Bryce made a remarkable return to duty. After enduring an extensive process of surgeries, reconstructive procedures, and a period of rehabilitation, he rejoined his unit in Gaza, riding once more in the tank that had previously been the site of his injury. “This is what the generation of victory looks like,” Bryce’s relative shared with Israel National News – Arutz Sheva. {Matzav.com Israel}

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday called for an urgent emergency summit by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to address the ongoing conflict in Gaza and what he described as “Israel’s attacks on Jerusalem,” Reuters reports.

Following a cabinet meeting in Ankara, Erdogan accused Israel of deliberately targeting the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem as part of its “expansionist” agenda. He emphasized that both Jerusalem and the mosque are considered “red lines” for Ankara.

“It is unthinkable for the OIC, whose duty is to take care of the Jerusalem cause, to remain indifferent to these attacks. It is urgent that the organization convenes at the leadership level without losing more time,” Erdogan stated, according to Reuters.

His remarks come shortly after he called for a unified response from the Muslim world against Israel, which he asserted has ambitions to dominate the region.

“Israel will not stop in Gaza. After conquering Ramallah, it will want the lands of Syria and Lebanon,” Erdogan declared.

Since the Hamas attack on October 7 and the subsequent war in Gaza, Erdogan has intensified his verbal criticism of Israel. In a recent address, he accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of having “committed one of the greatest atrocities of this century in Gaza” and labeled him as the “butcher of Gaza.”

In July, Erdogan had even threatened military action against Israel, stating, “We must be strong so Israel won’t be able to do these things to the Palestinians. Just as we entered Karabakh and Libya, we will do the same to Israel. There’s nothing left to do, we must be strong.” He further criticized Israel, alleging that it “committed acts of barbarism that will outshine” and declaring that “Gaza has become the world’s largest concentration camp.”

{Matzav.com}

Many questions in last week’s Georgia school shooting are still unanswered, including how the suspect brought a semiautomatic assault rifle to the campus of Apalachee High School and what may have motivated the violence. The shooting Wednesday in Winder, northeast of Atlanta, killed two teachers and two students. Another teacher and eight more students were wounded, with seven of those hit by gunfire. Colt Gray, 14, is charged as an adult with four counts of murder, and District Attorney Brad Smith has said more charges are likely to be filed against him in connection with the wounded. Authorities have also charged his father, Colin Gray, alleging that he gave his son access to the gun when he knew or should have known that the teen was a danger to himself and others. In the meantime, relatives are mourning the victims, including teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. The 13,000 students at Barrow County’s other schools are supposed to return to class Tuesday. Officials have not announced a restart date for the 1,900 students who attend Apalachee. Superintendent Dallas LeDuff, in a video message Sunday, said sheriff’s deputies and state troopers will provide extra security when schools reopen Tuesday, with extra counseling available at all campuses. Here’s a timeline of what happened on the day of the attack, based on statements by authorities and reporting by The Associated Press and other news media: 8:15 a.m. — First period begins. Officials have not said what class Colt Gray was scheduled for, or if he attended. It’s also unclear how Gray got to school that morning or if he was carrying the rifle with him. 9:38 a.m. — First period ends. Students have seven minutes to change to their next class. 9:45 a.m. — Second period begins. Student Lyela Sayarath said she briefly saw Gray in the algebra class where the two sat next to each other. But Gray left the room. Sayarath said she assumed Gray was skipping class, but it’s not clear where he may have gone. 9:50 a.m. — Marcee Gray, Colt’s mother, calls the high school from 200 miles away in Fitzgerald, Georgia, to warn that her son is having an “extreme emergency,” according to call logs, texts and an interview by Gray’s aunt, Annie Brown, with The Washington Post. Brown later confirmed the account to the AP but declined to comment further. Brown said the mother texted her saying she spoke with a school counselor and urged them to “immediately” find her son to check on him. Call logs show the call lasted until 10 a.m. Relatives of Marcee Gray have told multiple media outlets that she received a text from her son that morning saying he was sorry, without saying what he was apologizing for. 9:45 a.m. to 10:20 a.m. — An administrator comes to the algebra classroom looking for a student with the same last name and a similar first name to Colt Gray, Sayarath said. The other student is in the bathroom, she said, but the administrator takes the other student’s bag. When the other student returns, he tells Sayarath that the administrator was actually seeking Colt Gray. In the meantime, the teacher is called on the intercom, Sayarath said. About 10:20 a.m. — […]

With growing evidence linking social media to poor mental health outcomes in children, New York City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan is urging parents to delay giving smartphones to their children until at least age 14. This recommendation comes as part of a broader effort to address the alarming rise in anxiety and depression among young people, which health experts believe is exacerbated by excessive screen time and social media use. In a letter co-authored with the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Chief Medical Officer, Michelle Morse, Vasan emphasized the mental health risks associated with social media. “Adolescents using social media have a greater risk of experiencing poor mental health, including symptoms of depression and anxiety,” they wrote. They encouraged pediatricians to have regular discussions with parents about the harmful effects of social media and to make it a standard part of health check-ups. The recommendation is clear: parents should delay giving children smartphones, particularly those capable of accessing social media, until they are at least 14 years old. For younger children who need a phone for safety reasons, such as traveling independently in the city, Vasan suggests starting with a device that cannot access social media. The statistics backing this advice are sobering. In 2021, 38% of city high school students reported feeling so sad or hopeless that they stopped participating in their usual activities, compared to 27% in 2011, according to the city’s youth risk-behavior survey. Preoccupation with dying, or suicidal ideation, has increased by more than 34% among teenagers in the same period. Studies also show that children and teens who use social media experience higher rates of anxiety and depression compared to their peers who do not. Governor Kathy Hochul is also tackling the issue, pushing for a ban on smartphones in schools and exploring ways to implement it. In June, the state legislature passed a law giving parents more control over their children’s social media usage on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. The letter from the city’s top doctors also stresses the importance of creating a “family media plan” to help curb or limit smartphone use. Parents are encouraged to set clear boundaries and monitor their children’s exposure to social media as part of a proactive approach to digital well-being. As social media has become deeply ingrained in modern life, with 54% of children and 93% of teenagers using it regularly, the effects on mental health are increasingly difficult to ignore. City officials are now calling on parents to recognize the seriousness of the situation and take immediate steps to protect their children’s well-being by delaying smartphone use. The letter also highlights available resources for parents and teens, including the city’s Department of Education’s Digital Citizenship Curriculum and NYC Teenspace, a mental health support program for teenagers. Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday announced plans to push through legislation that would completely ban children under the age of 16 from using social media. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

An Israeli-attributed drone strike on a vehicle driving in the Beqaa Valley region deep in Lebanon killed two people, Lebanese media reported on Tuesday morning The target of the strike was later identified as Muhammad Qassem al-Shaar, a commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force. His assistant, who was in the car with him, was also killed. The IDF confirmed the elimination on Tuesday afternoon, stating that “Al-Shaar was responsible for planning numerous terror attacks against Israel and his elimination represents another blow to Hezbollah’s capabilities to advance and execute terrorist activities from southern Lebanon against the Israeli homefront on the northern border.” Another Israeli-attributed strike took place later on Tuesday, with Lebanese media reporting that a drone struck an apartment in a building on the outskirts of Nabatieh, a city in southern Lebanon. Further information on the strike is not yet known.   (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Leonard Leo, a conservative activist and the former executive vice president of the Federalist Society, told the Financial Times his nonprofit group was pledging $1 billion to “crush liberal dominance” in corporate America.

The conservative activist told the British broadsheet he would “direct resources to build talent and capital formation pipelines in the areas of news and entertainment, where leftwing extremism is most evident.”

Leo said the money would target “companies and financial institutions that bend to the woke mind virus.” Leo is most famous for his longtime role as vice president of the Federalist Society, where his networking helped reshape the Supreme Court’s conservative majority that eventually overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Leo stepped back from his position as head of the Federalist Society in 2020, but remains the organization’s co-chair. He is now the current chair of the Marble Freedom Trust, a nonprofit activist group he founded with the help of a $1.6 billion donation from Barre Seid, a nonagenarian electronics billionaire, in 2020. Read more at The Financial Times.

Agudath Israel is calling on community members to take immediate action in support of the “Educational Choice for Children Act” (ECCA), a multi-billion-dollar tax credit proposal set to be considered by the House Ways and Means Committee this Wednesday, September 11. The bill, H.R. 9462, has gained significant momentum in Congress and offers a critical opportunity to bring school choice to all 50 states. If passed, the ECCA would provide a federal tax credit to individuals who contribute to Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs). These SGOs would, in turn, provide scholarships to cover a range of educational expenses, including private school tuition. Agudath Israel emphasized the importance of this legislation for Jewish families, noting that it would help alleviate the crushing burden of tuition while allowing parents to choose the best educational options for their children, whether in public, private, or religious schools. “This approach, with its nearly universal eligibility, promises to be of great benefit to Jewish parents who are committed—but struggle—to giving their children a sound Torah education,” Agudath Israel wrote in a press release calling for action. The organization has been a key player in promoting ECCA and similar school choice legislation at both the state and federal levels. It has submitted a legislative memo to the House Ways and Means Committee outlining the positive impact ECCA would have on the Orthodox Jewish community and schoolchildren nationwide. It is vital that you contact your representatives by email using the action alert by clicking here. Congress must hear your voice. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A bold new SpaceX mission has launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Polaris Dawn mission is attempting the first commercial spacewalk and to reach Earth’s radiation belts, a feat that will see the four-person civilian crew travel to heights not reached by any human since the 1970s.

New Jersey has a new U.S. senator after the August resignation of Democrat Bob Menendez. Sen. George Helmy, a Democrat and former chief of staff to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, was sworn in on Monday and will serve in office for about two months until the November election. Democratic Rep. Andy Kim and Republican hotelier Curtis Bashaw are vying for the seat in November and the winner will immediately replace Helmy. Menendez resigned in August after he was convicted on charges that he used his influence to meddle in three different state and federal criminal investigations. Prosecutors said he helped one bribe-paying friend get a multimillion-dollar deal with a Qatari investment fund and another keep a contract to provide religious certification for meat bound for Egypt. Murphy appointed Helmy to the temporary role after Menendez announced his intention to resign. Murphy said he picked Helmy because he understands the role after serving as an aide to New Jersey U.S. Sen. Cory Booker and the late New Jersey U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg. Booker, now the state’s senior senator, stood with Helmy as he was given the oath of office by Washington Sen. Patty Murray, who is the senior-most Democrat and serves as Senate president pro tempore. Helmy, 44, served as Murphy’s chief of staff from 2019 until 2023 and then served as an executive at one of the state’s largest health care providers, RWJBarnabas Health. He previously served as Booker’s state director in the Senate. He is the son of Egyptian parents who immigrated to New Jersey After he was sworn in, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer welcomed Helmy to the chamber and said that he was making history as the first member of the Coptic Orthodox Church to become a senator. Dozens of Helmy’s friends and family watched from the gallery above. “We wish him nothing but success and are ready to assist him however necessary in the weeks and months to come,” Schumer said. When Murphy announced his appointment, Helmy said he had never sought and would never seek elected office. He said he would focus on serving the public during his short stint in the Senate. “New Jersey deserves its full voice and representation in the whole of the United States Senate,” he said. Menendez was also convicted of taking actions that benefited Egypt’s government in exchange for bribes, including providing details on personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and ghostwriting a letter to fellow senators regarding lifting a hold on military aid to Egypt. FBI agents also said they found stacks of gold bars and $480,000 hidden in Menendez’s house. Menendez has denied all of the allegations against him and has said he’s planning to appeal the convictions. (AP)

In a head-scratching twist, a new survey reveals that American Jews overwhelmingly plan to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential election. Yes, you read that right. The same Kamala Harris whose administration has been bending over backward to negotiate a ceasefire with Hamas – the very group holding Israeli hostages. According to the Jewish Democratic Council of America, a whopping 68% of Jewish voters are all in for Harris, while just 25% are sticking with Donald Trump, the man who moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and brokered historic peace deals in the Middle East. Go figure. Even more baffling? The survey also shows that 87% of Jewish voters support the Biden administration’s push for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, as if releasing hostages, while certainly a noble pursuit, will somehow magically fix the chaos in Gaza and the terrorism that emanates from it. Despite the heated debates and Republican efforts to court Jewish voters post-October 7, the numbers have barely budged. It’s as if years of Democratic lip service have earned a permanent free pass from the Jewish electorate. Apparently, logic and past policies are irrelevant when it comes to election time. Some things, it seems, never change. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israeli Air Force fighter jets acting under the direction of the Shin Bet security agency and the Israel Defense Forces attacked “significant” Hamas terrorists running a command-and-control center in the humanitarian area in Khan Yunis, the Israeli government stated early on Tuesday morning.

“The terrorists advanced and carried out terror attacks against IDF troops and the State of Israel,” the Jewish state said. “Prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance and additional means.”

“The terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip continue to systematically abuse civilian and humanitarian infrastructure, including the designated humanitarian area, to carry out terrorist activity against the State of Israel and IDF troops,” the Israeli government added.

Citing medics and the Hamas terror organization, Reuters reported that at least 14 Palestinians were dead. The sources told the wire that Israel launched at least four missiles and that 20 tents were ablaze.

Hamas, a U.S.-designated terror organization that declares its aim to wipe out the Jewish state, is known to make up and distort statistics. JNS

{Matzav.com Israel}

Former President Donald Trump is gearing up to put Vice President Kamala Harris on the hot seat during Tuesday night’s debate, aiming to hold her accountable for her career in public office, beginning with her controversial tenure as San Francisco district attorney. Trump’s campaign previewed the strategy in an exclusive chat with The Post on Monday, promising that Harris’ liberal record would be front and center. “Kamala Harris will be made to defend her crazy liberal record,” Trump campaign senior adviser Tim Murtaugh told The Post, ahead of the showdown at Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center. “She will not be able to escape from it. By the end of this debate, everyone will know her record.” Trump, 78, known for his off-the-cuff style, has said he hasn’t formally prepped for the ABC News debate, hinting that his strategy could be a last-minute decision. Murtaugh also suggested Harris, who’s been Vice President for three and a half years under the increasingly unpopular Joe Biden, will try to distance herself from her role in the administration — but Trump won’t let that happen. “That point will be made clear,” he emphasized. This debate comes on the heels of a New York Times/Siena College poll, which revealed that 61% of likely voters want a “major change” from the 81-year-old Biden, with 55% saying Harris would be “more of the same.” Harris, who has tried to moderate her stance on certain issues, claimed in a recent CNN interview that “my values have not changed,” but Murtaugh fired back: “That means she is the San Francisco liberal she always was. She’s just pretending not to be that.” Another Trump campaign insider told The Post that Trump plans to hammer Harris on her record as San Francisco’s top prosecutor. “Kamala Harris is going to have to remember the names of the people whose lives were lost in San Francisco due to her weak-on-crime policies,” the source said, pointing to criminals like Edwin Ramos, an illegal immigrant convicted of killing a father and his two sons in 2008. “President Trump is not going to let her get away with the lie that she is some law-and-order prosecutor,” the source added. Ramos, a Salvadoran national, had a juvenile record that local authorities failed to report to immigration because of San Francisco’s policy of not questioning legal status at the time, an issue Harris is expected to be grilled on. “These crimes, these criminals, these specific cases, she’s going to have to answer for,” Murtaugh said, signaling that Trump won’t let the debate pass without bringing up these controversies. Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller added that Harris will also be pressed on her role as Vice President and her lack of media presence. “For every new idea she puts forward, Harris has to explain both the damage she’s done to our economy as the sitting vice president, as well as why she hasn’t implemented any of these new plans during the last 3 1/2 years,” Miller said in a statement. Harris, for her part, has already hinted at how she’ll approach the debate, taking aim at Trump’s character. “We should be prepared for the fact that he is not burdened by telling the truth,” she said on the “Rickey Smiley Morning Show” on Friday. “He tends to fight for […]

Former employees of the company that owned an experimental submersible that imploded on its way to the wreck of the Titanic are scheduled to testify before a Coast Guard investigatory board at an upcoming hearing. The Titan submersible imploded in the North Atlantic in June 2023, killing all five people on board and setting off a worldwide debate about the future of private undersea exploration. The U.S. Coast Guard quickly convened a high-level investigation into what happened, and that inquiry is set to reach its public hearing phase on Sept. 16. OceanGate, the Washington state company that owned the Titan submersible, suspended operations after the implosion that killed company co-founder Stockton Rush and the others. Witnesses scheduled to appear during the upcoming hearing include Guillermo Sohnlein, who is another co-founder of OceanGate, as well as the company’s former engineering director, operations director and scientific director, according to documents provided by the Coast Guard. The public hearing “aims to uncover the facts surrounding the incident and develop recommendations to prevent similar tragedies in the future,” the Coast Guard said in a statement Friday. The ongoing Marine Board of Investigation is the highest level of marine casualty investigation conducted by the Coast Guard and is “tasked with examining the causes of the marine casualty and making recommendations to improve maritime safety,” the statement said. The hearing is taking place in Charleston County, South Carolina, and is scheduled to last two weeks. The board is expected to issue a report with evidence, conclusions and recommendations once its investigation is finished. OceanGate’s former director of administration, former finance director and other witnesses who worked for the company are also expected to testify. The witness list also includes numerous Coast Guard officials, scientists, government and industry officials and others. The Titan became the subject of scrutiny in the undersea exploration community in part because of its unconventional design and its creator’s decision to forgo standard independent checks. The implosion killed Rush and veteran Titanic explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet; two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood; and British adventurer Hamish Harding. The Titan made its final dive on June 18, 2023, losing contact with its support vessel about two hours later. When it was reported overdue, rescuers rushed ships, planes and other equipment to an area about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. John’s, Newfoundland. The search for the submersible attracted worldwide attention as it became increasingly unlikely that anyone could have survived the loss of the vessel. Wreckage of the Titan was subsequently found on the ocean floor about 300 meters (330 yards) off the bow of the Titanic, Coast Guard officials said. The time frame for the investigation into the loss of the submersible was initially a year, but the inquiry has taken longer. The Coast Guard said in a July 2024 statement that the public hearing will “examine all aspects of the loss of the Titan, including pre-accident historical events, regulatory compliance, crewmember duties and qualifications, mechanical and structural systems, emergency response and the submersible industry.” The Titan had been making voyages to the Titanic wreckage site going back to 2021. The company has declined to comment publicly on the Coast Guard’s investigation. (AP)

Australian PM announces push to ban children from using social media until the age 16.

The main suspect arrested in a dramatic operation on Highway 6 on Monday was a member of a terrorist cell from a village near Chevron who was en route to carry out a major terror attack in central Israel. Kan News reported that the Shin Bet provided intelligence information indicating that the suspect was on his way to central Israel in a shuttle van, along with 12 other illegal Palestinian workers. A helicopter and numerous security forces, including skilled Shin Bet operatives, were immediately deployed to Highway 6 to intercept the suspect and take him for questioning. No weapons or explosives were found on the suspect but it is possible that an explosive device was waiting for him inside Israel, near the site of the planned attack. The suspect was immediately transferred for interrogation, during which he revealed his plan, including the identities of two additional members of the terror cell. Security forces immediately raided the homes of the two additional suspects and arrested them. A search of their homes revealed numerous weapons, which were seized. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)