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The following are details regarding today’s Adirei Hatorah event at Wells Fargo Arena. The address for the event is 3601 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19148.

The event is being held as part of the annual campaign to raise funds to cover the kollel budget of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, NJ.

This is the third consecutive year that the event is being held, a continuation of an initiative started several years ago by Mr. Leizer Scheiner and his partners.

The following are event details.

1) Approximately 25,000 people are expected in attendance at the event. Tickets have been sold out. There are no further tickets for sale from the Adirei Hatorah office. Some tickets may be available through second party sellers.

2) All tickets are currently being sent out, organizers tell Matzav.com. If you have not yet received your tickets via email, reach out to the Adirei call center at 848.261.8231.

There will be a ticket-help-desk at the arena.

3) Parking at the event has been leased out to a third party vendor. Use the following link to pre-pay for parking: http://ahmparking.com/

4) Refer to the detailed map below to see where food will be distributed. There will not be a full-service smorgasbord as in past years. Deli sandwiches will be offered, one per person, as a choice of either in a wrap or on a roll. Water and danishes will be provided at these locations as well. There will be washing stations near the restrooms in the food courts.

5) Doors will open at 4 p.m. Mincha will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by Tehillim at 5:30 p.m. The program will start at 6 p.m.

The program is scheduled to end with Maariv at 9:15 p.m.

6) Speakers will include Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, rosh yeshivah of Yeshivas Slabodka in Bnei Brak, and Rav Ephraim Wachsman, rosh yeshivah of Yeshiva Meor Yitzchok in Monsey. The musical portion of the event will again be orchestrated by Meir Adler of Eretz Yisroel.

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{Matzav.com}

Israel’s High Court of Justice has issued an interim order instructing State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman to suspend aspects of his investigation into the October 7 attack that involve the IDF and Shin Bet. The investigation, which began in December, aimed to probe the multi-level failings that led to the devastating attack and the government’s response. However, some watchdog groups and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi opposed the investigation, citing concerns that it would compromise the IDF’s operational capabilities and ignore political responsibility for the attack. The State Attorney’s Office also sided with the petitioners. Initially, High Court Justice Gila Canfy-Steinitz ruled in May that she would not halt the investigation. However, after receiving classified responses from the security agencies, she has now ordered Englman to suspend the investigation until a High Court hearing in July. In her ruling, Canfy-Steinitz wrote, “In view of the complex security reality, the planned scope of the investigation… and the preparation required to respond to it at the current time… I order the suspension of the investigation procedures in everything that relates to the IDF and Shin Bet.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Yihye Ben-Yosef Z”L, one of the last remaining Jews in Yemen, was Niftar last week and was laid to rest on Thursday. Ben-Yosef chose to stay in the Arhab district of Yemen even as the rest of his community departed. His Kevurah was conducted by local non-Jews. In 2021, the Houthis expelled 13 Jews from Yemen. There are reportedly six Jews left in Yemen. Three men, and two women. One additional man is in prison. More than 51,000 Yemenite Jews have immigrated to Israel since the country’s establishment in 1948. The majority of the community—nearly 50,000 individuals in total—was brought to Israel in Operation Magic Carpet in 1949 and 1950. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A new poll published Friday on Channel 12 News found that Likud voters want Yossi Cohen, the former Mossad head, to be the next Likud leader if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decides not to run in the next elections.

Meanwhile, poll respondents believe the alternative bloc to a block lead by Likud should be led by Benny Gantz or Naftali Bennett.

The survey asked: “If a group of parties is formed to face off against Netanyahu in the next elections, among the following personalities, who do you think is best suited to lead this group?”

15% of respondents answered Naftali Bennett, 14% answered Benny Gantz, 11% said Yossi Cohen, 9% said Yair Lapid, 8% said Avigdor Liberman, 4% said Gadi Eisenkot and said 3% Yair Golan. 25% of respondents said they do not know.

Likud voters were asked: “If Netanyahu decides not to run in the next elections, who do you think should be the head of Likud?”

20% said they do not know. The person who received the most support was Yossi Cohen with 18%, followed by 12% for Yoav Gallant, 11% for Yariv Levin, 8% for Nir Barkat, and Eli Cohen, Yuli Edelstein, Miri Regev and Gilad Erdan were tied at 4%.

Regarding which two issues will be the biggest influencers in their vote in the next elections, 55% of respondents answered the handling of the war in the north and south would influence their vote, while 48% answered the economic situation, 41% said the October 7 failure and 25% noted the issue of the drafting of Charedim. Respondents were allowed to chose multiple answers, hence the sum exceeding 100%.

Regarding drafting Charedim who do not study Torah into the IDF, 66% of participants answered that it is necessary, 21% answered that it is not. Within the Bibi bloc voters, 45% believe that Charedim should be required by law to enlist, compared to 40% who are opposed to the idea.

{Matzav.com}

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rebbetzin Tziporah Faiga Alter a”h, wife of the the Gerrer Rebbe, the Pnei Menachem zt”l. She was 97.

In her final years, Rebbetzin Alter’s health declined, leading to her hospitalization at Maayanei Hayeshuah Hospital in Bnei Brak.

Born on 27 Tishrei 5687/1926, the rebbetzin was a daughter of Rav Avrohom Mordechai Alter, son of Rav Moshe Betzalel Alter and grandson of the Sefas Emes.

Her mother, Rebbetzin Yenta, was a daughter of Rav Shaul Moshe Zilberman, rov of Wierzchow and a significant figure in the Chassidic community in Eretz Yisroel.

In 5706/1946, she married the youngest son of the Imrei Emes. Their wedding was a momentous and joyous occasion for the Gerrer community, providing a beacon of hope and joy to survivors in DP camps and the small Chassidic communities in Eretz Yisroel. They established their home near the residence of the Imrei Emes, and after his passing they lived next to Yeshiva Sefas Emes alongside the late Rebbetzin Faiga Mintza.

Rebbetzin Tziporah devoted herself to supporting her husband’s Torah endeavors for over five decades as he led Yeshiva Sefas Emes and taught thousands of students. She supported him in all his roles with wisdom and humility.

Following the passing of the Pnei Menachem in 5756/1996, she continued to be a source of strength, engaging in charitable activities and offering counsel and brachos to those in need.

In recent years, she relocated to Bnei Brak to be closer to her son, Rav Yitzchok Dovid Alter. A few months ago, she underwent a medical procedure, and her health declined until her passing on Sunday.

Rebbetzin Alter is survived by her children, Rav Yaakov Meir Alter, Rav Shaul Alter, Rav Yitzchok Dovid Alter, Rav Doniel Alter, and Rebbetzin Lippel, wife of Rav Avrohom Dov Lippel, as well as her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She was predeceased by two sons: Moshe Betzalel, who passed away as a child, and Rav Yehuda Aryeh, who was killed in a car accident.

The levayah was held at Yeshiva Sefas Emes in Yerushalayim, followed by kevurah at the Sanhedria Bais Hachaim.

Yehi zichrah boruch.

{Matzav.com Israel}

The explosion that killed eight IDF soldiers in a Namer armored personnel carrier in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip over Shabbos likely occurred due to anti-tank fire or an IED planted in its path, according to IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari.

“Experts will examine the entire incident and everything that happened. Once the investigation is complete, we will publish all the details,” Hagari said Motzei Shabbos.

“In the early hours of the morning, after completing the attack on the northwestern part of the neighborhood, infantry, armor and engineering forces from the 401st Brigade entered the area in armored combat vehicles to establish positions. According to our current information, one of the engineering vehicles in the convoy experienced a powerful explosion, likely caused by an explosive device or an anti-tank missile. The eight soldiers who were killed were inside the armored vehicle.”

When asked if Hamas targeted the APC, Hagari replied, “It is not an APC; it is an advanced armored vehicle, a Namera (a Namer refitted for combat engineering tasks). We entered this street with several vehicles, and it was not the first vehicle in the convoy. We will study the entire operational event and what triggered or caused the explosion that led to the soldiers’ deaths.

“It is clear that we need to defeat the Rafah Brigade. Progress is being made, and there are significant achievements alongside the costs. The achievements are very substantial, and yes, we are approaching the dismantling of the Rafah Brigade.”

When asked about this being the third armored vehicle disaster in the war, Hagari said, “Overall, against the threats, the capabilities of the IDF on the ground protect the soldiers. When such a severe malfunction occurs, we investigate it thoroughly.”

According to the IDF, the Namer exploded near the Tel al-Sultan camp. The disaster occurred around 5:15 a.m. An engineering unit attached to a Givati Brigade battalion had fought together overnight, and eliminated about 50 terrorists. After the operation, the unit was on its way to a “staging point” – a secured house where the forces were stationed.

Along the journey to the staging point, a large explosion occurred, apparently without any prior shooting. The Namer vehicle, which was the fifth or sixth in the convoy, caught fire. It is not yet known whether an IED was placed on the road or attached to the Namer. The vehicle burned for a long time, and rescuers could not reach it for about two hours. It was later towed to a safe location.

Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke after the tragedy, paying tribute to the eight fallen soldiers. Bibi said there was “no alternative to victory” in the war. “Our hearts shatter at the immense loss. The entire nation of Israel embraces the bereaved families in their deep sorrow,” he said.

“When the price is so heavy, we must remember what we are fighting for: to ensure our existence and future and to bring back all our captives. This monstrous enemy has no intention of stopping here. Along with the rest of Iran’s axis of evil, it will continue its attempts to destroy us. If we don’t stop it, it will not stop. Therefore, there is no alternative to victory.”

{Matzav.com}

Three Israeli citizens from the same family were killed over Shabbos in a traffic accident in the Sanai over Shabbos.

Aasid and Juamana Amar along with their infant daughter were killed. The family, who lived in Kafr Qassem, were vacationing in the Sinai. Two older children survived the crash, suffering moderate to severe injuries.

The Israeli Ministry of Foregin Affairs and IDF issued a joint announcement, saying: Earlier today (Saturday), a joint medevac operation took place in conjunction with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Israeli Embassy in Cairo, and with the cooperation of the Egyptian authorities, an IAF aircraft with teams of Unit 669 onboard evacuated three Israeli civilians who were injured in a car accident in Sinai to the Ben Gurion Airport, from where the injured civilians were taken by an ambulance to a hospital.

{Matzav.com}

A new report in Channel 12 News claims that on the night of October 6, an error occurred in a technological system used by the elite SIGINT force Unit 8200 of the IDF. The unit was supposed to provide significantly better information than was intercepted before the October 7th massacre, but was prevented by the malfunction.

According to the report, upon identifying the error, soldiers specializing in handling it were urgently called in from their homes. A senior military intelligence official claims they were called immediately, but others claimed they arrived only after 3:00.

The system went back online at 5:00, an hour and a half before the attack began. By the time it resumed extracting real-time information and reconstructing previous data, the attack had already started.

The commander of Unit 8200 said the information about the fault was conveyed to the Head of Military Intelligence, the Chief of Staff, and the director of the ISA. However a senior intelligence official claimed he did not receive a report that the system had ever gone offline.

The IDF Spokesperson commented on the new report, saying: “The IDF is in the midst of investigating the events of October 7 and the preceding circumstances. The claims presented in the report are being checked as part of the investigations. Upon completion, the findings will be presented to the public transparently.”

{Matzav.com}

The Lebanese government unanimously approved “pay-to-slay” compensation funds for the relatives of Hezbollah terrorists who have fallen in the war against Israel, the Saudi media outlet Al-Hadath revealed last week, as reported by Maariv. The government will provide $20,000 for each heir of Hezbollah terrorists who were killed “as martyrs on the road to Jerusalem” since October 8th. The Al-Hadath news anchor said that the government’s decision is unacceptable to many Lebanese citizens, especially Lebanese Christians. [Lebanon has the highest proportion of Christians of any Middle Eastern country, estimated to be between 34% and 40%.] “The government’s decision has created a division among Lebanese citizens regarding eligibility for these compensation payments, particularly because Hezbollah decided to start a war without consulting the government or the parliament and the government has been unable to pay the salaries of its employees regularly for some time,” she said. “Some are wondering about the place and date of the fallen terrorists – in south Lebanon or Syria,” she added. “An MP from the Lebanese Forces (LF) party, Dr. Ghada Ayoub, submitted a request to Prime Minister Najib Mikati regarding the legality of the aid payments. Dr. Ayoub clarified to Al-Hadath that the government decided to pay compensation for Hezbollah terrorists from the budget reserve despite the fact that Hezbollah declared war per an Iranian decision.” “On the other hand, a government source told Al-Hadath that the government’s decision to pay compensation for Hezbollah terrorists was accepted by the government unanimously and at the request of the Southern Council, which is affiliated with Hezbollah. In addition to the compensation, the parliament is examining a bill to grant an exemption to the residents of southern Lebanon from paying fees and taxes due to the war. Dr. Ayoub considers this as a Hezbollah bribe at the expense of the state to citizens who are disgruntled over the continuation of the war and the extent of the destruction and loss of life.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Rebbitzin Tziporah Feiga Altar, a’h,the almanah of the Pnei Menachem and the mother of the Rosh HaYeshivah, HaGaon HaRav Shaul Alter, was nifteres on Sunday at the age of 98. The Rebbetzin suffered from an illness in recent months and was hospitalized at Mayanei HaYeshua Hospital in Bnei Brak, where she was nifteres. Before the Rebbetzin married her cousin, the Pnei Menachem, she moved in with her future mother-in-law, who was already elderly and took care of her with great mesirus nefesh for the next 18 years. The Beis Yisrael, who was amazed by her great mesirus nefesh, promised the Pnei Menachem that he’ll see great nachas from his children and they’ll be great gedolim in the zechus of her mitzvas kibbud eim. When the Pnei Menachem became the Rosh Yeshivas of Yeshivas Sfas Emes, she immediately became a substitute mother for the many bochurim, even doing laundry and sewing for bochurim from Chutz L’Eretz. In the same way, she stood by her husband’s side after he became the Rebbe and Nasi of Agudas Yisrael, supporting him in all his many endeavors to be marbitz Torah, spread Yiddishkeit and perform chessed. She headed the Gerrer mosdos for girls, founded and established the Gerrer women’s organization, the Gerrer Eizer L’Yoldos and countless other chessed projects. The Rebbetzin was famed in her own right for her chachmah and was a sought-after speaker and spoke at many mosdos and delivered shiruim at many venues. After the Pnei Menachem was niftar in 1996, she spent countless hours davening for others at his kever in the courtyard of the Sfas Emes Yeshivah, and continued performing other acts of chessed. When she became weak in her old age, her son in Bnei Brak moved her to his house, where he devotedly took care of her for many years. Her children are the Rosh HaYeshivah, HaGaon HaRav Shaul, HaRav Yaakov Meir, HaRav Aryeh, z’tl, HaRav Yitzchak Dovid, Rosh Kollel Gur in Bnei Brak, and HaRav Donniel Chaim, Rosh Yeshiva Pnei Mechachem, and her son-in-law HaGaon HaRav Avraham Dov Lipel. The levya began from her son’s home in Brak Brak at 2 p.m. At 4:30, the levaya will continue at Yeshivas Sefas Emes in Jerusalem and at 5:30 will continue on Rechov Yirmiyahu on the corner of Brandeis, where thousands are expected to attend.  Burial will take place at the beis kevaros in Sanhedria. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Three Hesder students from the third-year class of the Shalavim yeshivah lost their lives in the APC explosion in Rafah on Shabbos that killed eight soldiers. The three soldiers are Sgt. Eliyahu Moshe Zimbalist, H’yd, 21, from Beit Shemesh, Sgt. Yakir Yaakov Levi, H’yd, 21, from Kibbutz Chofetz Chaim, and Sgt. Shalom Menachem, H’yd, 21, from Beit El. The Rosh Yeshivah of Shalavim, Rav Michoel Yamar, said: “All three had something in common and that was to do what is good for Hashem and those around them, to give to Klal Yisrael. All three occupied themselves with endless giving and a desire to progress in avodas Hashem and giving to others.” Yehi Zichram Baruch. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Hamas releases a short video on their Al-Aqsa TV Telegram channel bragging about the “consequences of the Al-Aqsa Flood on the Zionist entity.”

The “Al-Aqsa Flood” is the term Hamas uses for the October 7 massacre.

At the top of the list of “achievements” for Hamas is the killing of over 2,500 Israelis, the kidnapping of more than 250, including senior officers, the evacuation of over a million residents from their homes in the south and the north, and the collapse of the perception of the IDF as an undefeated army.

Hamas also notes that their attack disrupted the potential normalization with Arab countries, and shattered the internal unity among the “enemy”.

{Matzav.com}

Plans for a potential US-led rescue operation were initially made in October, shortly after the outbreak of the war, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, killing nearly 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages, including eight US citizens. However, the lack of specific information about the US hostages hindered the operation. Since then, US officials from various agencies, including the State and Defense Departments, CIA, FBI, and Joint Special Operations Command, have been working in Israel to investigate Hamas attacks on US citizens and assist in hostage recovery efforts. The US intelligence assistance has provided Israel with capabilities it never had before, including highly detailed satellite imagery. While there are limitations on how Israel can use US intelligence, there is no apparent enforcement mechanism in place. Additionally, using US intelligence to locate hostages inevitably enables Israel to target lower-level Hamas operatives as well, raising questions about the effectiveness of the agreement. Ultimately, the United States played a significant role in Israel’s recent hostage rescue operation, providing crucial intelligence that helped locate and extract four American-Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. According to a report by The Washington Post, US intelligence agencies provided Israel with overhead imagery, advanced imaging, and data analysis technologies, which were instrumental in planning the daylight rescue operation on June 8. The operation, carried out by Israeli security forces, rescued Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Shlomi Ziv, and Andrey Kozlov from two separate apartments in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza. The US intelligence assistance was critical in locating the hostages, as Israel relied heavily on technology to gather information. However, this dependence on technology has also been criticized for Israel’s lack of traditional human intelligence gathering methods, particularly in Gaza. The country has since increased its efforts to gather human intelligence, including interrogating detained Hamas operatives and scouring documents and digital files discovered during operations. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A two-hour panel discussion on the past, present and future of Jewish life at Columbia University during a class reunion weekend resulted in a childish flurry of offensive reactions from four school administrators, according to The Washington Free Beacon.

The group talk on May 31 featured David Schizer, the former dean of Columbia Law School who co-chaired the college’s task force on antisemitism; Brian Cohen, executive director of Columbia’s Kraft Center for Jewish Life; Ian Rottenberg, dean of religious life; and junior Rebecca Massel, a writer for the Columbia Spectator student newspaper.

Photos from the event revealed a text-message chat between four administrators sitting in the audience: Josef Sorett, dean of Columbia College; Susan Chang-Kim, vice dean and chief administrative officer of Columbia College; Cristen Kromm, dean of undergraduate student life; and Matthew Patashnick, associate dean for student and family support.

Incorporating an antisemitic trope about Jews and money, Patashnick wrote that one of the panelists “knows exactly what he’s doing and how to take full advantage of this moment. Huge fundraising potential.”

Chang-Kim chimed in that the panel is “making the administration look like jokers.”

She continued, texting Sorett: “This is difficult to listen to but I’m trying to keep an open mind to learn about this point of view.”

“Yup,” he replied.

She also doubted the experiences of Jewish students on campus, asking: “Did we really have students being kicked out of clubs for being Jewish?”

The Beacon wrote that “the text messages betray an attitude of ignorance and indifference toward the concerns of Jewish students on a campus” that was rocked with some of the worst anti-Jewish, anti-Israel actions and rhetoric in the United States this spring.

When one of the panelists broke down crying over her daughter’s antisemitic experiences this year at Columbia, Chang-Kim shared “nauseous” and “vomiting” emojis with the group.

{Matzav.com}

The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit released the identities of some of the eight soldiers who tragically lost their lives in the explosion of an APC in Rafah on Shabbos:

• • Sergeant Elyahu Moshe Zimbalist, 21, from Beit Shemesh.
  • Sergeant Itay Amar, 19, from Kokhav Ya’ir–Tzur Yig’al.
  • Staff sergeant Stanislav Kostarev, 21, from Ashdod.
  • Staff sergeant Orr Blumovitz, 20, from Pardes Hanna-Karkur.
  • Staff sergeant Oz Yeshaia Gruber, 20, from Tal Menashe.

All were members of the 601st Combat Engineering Battalion.

It was confirmed last night that among the fallen soldiers was Captain Wassem Mahmoud, 23, from Beit Jann, who served as a deputy company commander in the Engineering Battalion 601 and was leading the APC at the time of the incident.

Furthermore, the IDF disclosed on Sunday morning that Captain Eitan Koplovich, 28, from Yerushalayim, and Senior Staff Sergeant Major Elon Waiss, 49, from Psagot, were killed in action in the northern Gaza Strip. Both served in the 129th Armored Battalion of the 8th Armored Brigade.

Two soldiers sustained serious injuries in the incident that claimed the lives of Koplovich and Waiss, and they were promptly evacuated for medical treatment, with their families notified.

Beit El mourned the loss of Sergeant Shalom Menachem, 21, a resident of the town and a victim of the APC explosion in Rafah. The community issued a statement honoring his service, describing him as a hero who defended Israel for five months in Gaza.

The Nachal Sorek Regional Council announced the death of IDF soldier Yakir Levi, 21, from Kibbutz Chofetz Chaim in the Rafah tragedy.

The investigation into the incident is considering two primary scenarios: one involving an anti-tank missile striking the APC, and the other suggesting the APC detonated a powerful explosive device, triggering a chain reaction of explosives and mines.

Reflecting on the tragedy, IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari expressed deep sorrow, stating, “Tonight we delivered the hardest news to the families of eight IDF soldiers who fell in action in Gaza.”

“Early this morning, following the completion of operations in the northwestern part of the region, infantry, armored, and engineering units from the 401st Brigade deployed in convoys of armored vehicles to secure positions on the front lines. As per our current information, a significant explosion occurred in one of the engineering vehicles within the convoy, likely caused by an explosive device planted in the area or an anti-tank missile. The eight soldiers who lost their lives were inside this armored vehicle,” Hagari explained.

He added, “In the wake of this tragic incident, a joint team of experts from the Ministry of Defense and the IDF will conduct a thorough examination of the armored vehicle and all relevant details until conclusive findings are reached.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

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The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit has released the names of five soldiers killed in the APC explosion in Rafah today:

• Sergeant Elyahu Moshe Zimbalist, 21, from Beit Shemesh.
• Sergeant Itay Amar, 19, from Kokhav Ya’ir–Tzur Yig’al.
• Staff Sergeant Stanislav Kostarev, 21, from Ashdod.
• Staff Sergeant Orr Blumovitz, 20, from Pardes Hanna-Karkur.
• Staff Sergeant Oz Yeshaia Gruber, 20, from Tal Menashe. All were members of the 601st Combat Engineering Battalion.

Saturday night saw the revelation that one of the eight IDF soldiers killed in Rafah was Captain Wassem Mahmoud, 23, from Beit Jann. Mahmoud, a deputy company commander in Engineering Battalion 601, was in command of the APC when it caught fire.

On Sunday morning, the IDF also disclosed that Captain Eitan Koplovich, 28, from Jerusalem, and Senior Staff Sergeant Major Elon Waiss, 49, from Psagot, fell in combat in the northern Gaza Strip. Both served in the 129th Armored Battalion of the 8th Armored Brigade. Two soldiers sustained serious injuries in the incident involving Koplovich and Waiss and were taken to a hospital, with their families informed.

The preliminary investigation into the incident is exploring two possibilities: either an anti-tank missile struck the APC, or it hit a potent explosive device, causing the explosives and mines onboard to detonate.

IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari commented tonight, “Tonight we delivered the hardest news to the families of eight IDF soldiers who fell in action in Gaza.”

He explained, “In the early morning, following the completion of the operation in the northwestern part of the area, infantry, armored, and engineering troops from the 401st Brigade entered the region in convoys of armored fighting vehicles to position themselves on the contact lines. Based on the information we have at this stage, a powerful explosion occurred in one of the engineering vehicles in the convoy, likely caused by an explosive device planted in the area or an anti-tank missile. Inside the armored vehicle were the eight soldiers who were killed.”

Hagari added, “Following this difficult incident, a team of experts from the Ministry of Defense and the IDF will examine the armored vehicle and all the details of the incident until we reach findings.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Donald Trump used back-to-back stops Saturday to court Black voters and a conservative group that has been accused of attracting white supremacists as the Republican presidential candidate works to stitch together a coalition of historically divergent interests in battleground Michigan. Trump hosted an afternoon roundtable at an African American church in Detroit. Later he will appear at the “People’s Convention” of Turning Point Action, a group that the Anti-Defamation League says has been linked to a variety of extremists. “It’s a very important area for us,” Trump told the crowd at the 180 Church, a modest brick building with “Black Americans for Trump” signs affixed. Derelict vehicles sat nearby, while rap music and barbecue smoke wafted from a pre-event gathering organized by the Black Conservative Federation group. The former president promised to return “some Sunday” for a sermon. Roughly 24 hours before Trump planned to address the Turning Point convention, meanwhile, well-known white supremacist Nick Fuentes entered the hall surrounded by a group of cheering supporters. Security quickly escorted him out. Fuentes created political problems for Trump after attending a private lunch with the former president and the rapper formerly known as Kanye West at Trump’s Florida estate in 2022. Still, Trump’s weekend schedule underscores the evolving political forces shaping the presidential election this fall as he tries to deny Democratic President Joe Biden a second term. “He’s been the worst president for Black people,” Trump said at the church. He also argued that the Black community “is being hurt” by people in the country illegally, adding, “They’re invading your jobs.” Few states may matter more in November than Michigan, which Biden carried by less than 3 percentage points four years ago. And few voting groups matter more to Democrats than African Americans, who made up the backbone of Biden’s political base in 2020. But now, less than five months before Election Day, Black voters are expressing modest signs of disappointment with the 81-year-old Democrat. Michael Whatley, the new chairman of the Republican National Committee, told Michigan Republicans at a dinner Friday that the state could not be more important. “Let me be more blunt: If we don’t win Michigan, we’re not going to have Donald Trump in the White House,” Whatley said, adding, “We are going to determine the fate of the world in this election.” Trump argues he can pull in more Black voters due to his economic and border security message, and that his felony indictments make him more relatable. At the church on Saturday afternoon, he repeatedly vowed to “bring back the auto industry” while also noting, “The crime is most rampant right here and African American communities.” Kimberly Taylor, who was invited on stage at the church by the Trump campaign, thanked Trump for “coming to the hood,” while pastor Lorenzo Sewell said Biden attended an NAACP dinner in the city “but never came to the hood.” The pastor asked Trump how to “keep the Black dollar in the Black community” and the former president said that the Black community “needs to stop the crime.” Democrats are offering a competing perspective. “Donald Trump is so dangerous for Michigan and dangerous for America and dangerous for Black people,” said Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, who is African American. He called it “offensive” for Trump to […]

The mailings promised “Life Without Pain!” via stem cell injections or IVs administered in a patient’s own home. The allure was obvious: more than 20% of U.S. adults endure chronic pain. The flyers invited Iowans to free dinners across the state. Afterward, sales people traveled to potential customers’ homes for high-pressure pitches disguised as pre-screenings, according to prosecutors. More than 250 people signed up, paying $3,200 to $20,000 each for a total of $1.5 million. For this, a nurse practitioner came to their homes to administer injections and IVs filled with stem cells derived from umbilical cords. Yet experts and regulators have alternately labeled such treatments as ripoffs, scams or simply unproven. In some cases, studies have documented real harm. Last fall, Iowa’s attorney general sued two proprietors responsible for the mailings in her state, naming a Minnesota man who hosts a Christian entrepreneurship podcast and his Florida business partner for allegedly deceiving consumers, many of them elderly. In bringing the lawsuit, Iowa joined attorneys general in New York, North Dakota, Georgia, Nebraska, Arkansas and Washington state who have sued businesses alleging they fraudulently promoted unproven stem cell treatments. Stem cells have long fascinated researchers because of their ability to reproduce and, in some cases, transform into other cell types. Because of this, they are thought to hold the potential for treating many diseases and injuries. But the FDA has approved only a handful of such therapies, and only for certain forms of blood cancer and immune system disorders. Stem cells are considered experimental for most uses, despite being marketed as a treatment for everything from autism and emphysema to sports injuries. The FDA has repeatedly warned Americans to be wary of businesses hawking unapproved, unproven and costly stem cell therapies, which occasionally have caused blindness, bacterial infections and tumors. In a 2020 notice, the agency expressed concern about patients being misled about products that are “illegally marketed, have not been shown to be safe or effective, and, in some cases, may have significant safety issues.” Dr. Jeffrey Goldberg, chair of ophthalmology at the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University, whose work has documented vision loss in some patients treated with cells removed from patients’ own bodies, processed and reinjected, lamented that people are “desperately willing to shell out large sums of money for unproven and in some cases, explicitly sort of sham, so-called therapeutics.” Since August 2017, the FDA has issued about 30 warning letters regarding the unproven treatments. Experts, including Dr. Paul Knoepfler, a stem cell researcher at the University of California at Davis, and Leigh Turner, a bioethicist at the University of California, Irvine, are among those who have raised alarm that such federal action is too little to regulate a U.S. industry which Turner estimated in 2021 topped 2,700 clinics. Because states can seek substantial fines against wayward operators, Turner said their legal actions offer promise. “If you look at them collectively, they might over time start to have an impact,” he said. The FDA offers training to attorneys general pursuing such cases. Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said federal regulators partner with state law enforcers in a “shared mission.” That puts people like Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird on the front lines. Last year, Bird brought the […]