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JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America announced on Wednesday that they will each match a one-time $1,000 federal deposit into children’s retirement-style savings accounts for qualifying employees, making them the latest large corporations to sign on to the initiative.

The accounts, widely referred to as Trump accounts, are part of a pilot program in which the U.S. Treasury places $1,000 into tax-advantaged investment accounts for eligible children born in the United States between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028.

The initiative, which was developed in part by hedge fund manager Brad Gerstner, is designed to promote early saving and investing as a way to reduce long-term wealth disparities in the United States. The program has drawn support from a range of high-profile backers, including Michael and Susan Dell, Ray Dalio, and rapper Nicki Minaj.

“JPMorgan Chase has demonstrated a long-term commitment to the financial health and well-being of all of our employees and their families around the world, including more than 190,000 here in the United States,” CEO Jamie Dimon said in a release. “By matching this contribution, we’re making it easier for them to start saving early, invest wisely, and plan for their family’s financial future.”

Bank of America conveyed its position in an internal memo circulated to employees on Wednesday and first reported by Reuters, praising what it described as the government’s “innovative solutions” aimed at strengthening employee savings.

Financial institutions now make up the bulk of companies pledging to match the government’s contribution. In addition to JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, other major players including BlackRock, BNY, Robinhood, SoFi, and Charles Schwab have also committed to providing matching funds for the new accounts.

{Matzav.com}

Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar tells Putin: “We see a lot of antisemitism around the world,” but “we cannot feel anything of this kind in Russia.” Rabbi Lazar says he is “very grateful” to Putin, praising Russia as a country where various religions live in peace. Putin: “Every ethnic and religious group knows that working […]

Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa visited Moscow on Wednesday for the second time in less than four months, and Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized his readiness to help the country rebuild its war-battered economy. “I know that there is a lot that’s necessary to restore in Syria, and our economic operators, including the construction sector, […]

[Video below.] Newly released video footage appears to document a volatile encounter between Alex Pretti and federal immigration agents more than a week before he was shot and killed in Minneapolis, showing behavior that authorities are now reviewing as part of their broader assessment of events leading up to his death.

The footage, which the BBC said it has verified, reportedly shows the ICU nurse yelling at federal agents as they drove away from a Jan. 13 protest, spitting in their direction and then kicking the rear of a black SUV. According to The News Movement, the video captures Pretti smashing the vehicle’s taillights, prompting officers to stop, exit the car, and subdue him.

In the recording, the man—wearing clothing similar to what Pretti was seen wearing on the day he was fatally shot last Saturday—can be seen being forced to the ground by at least five agents. As the confrontation escalated, tear gas was released into the surrounding crowd, which included protesters blowing whistles amid the chaos.

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Homeland Security Investigations is “reviewing” the newly surfaced video, telling The Post that agents are examining the footage as part of their ongoing evaluation of Pretti’s prior interactions with federal authorities.

According to a CNN report published Tuesday, Pretti, 37, was already familiar to federal officials and had sustained a broken rib during a separate violent encounter with agents roughly a week before his death. The report said immigration officers had been tracking and documenting information about Pretti as well as other anti-ICE protesters involved in recent demonstrations in Minneapolis.

Investigators with DHS believe the fatal shooting may have been triggered by a stray discharge from Pretti’s own firearm after it was taken from him. Authorities say Pretti had a loaded pistol tucked into his belt when he inserted himself between another protester and ICE officers. Border Patrol agents tackled him, removed the weapon, and during the ensuing struggle, two agents opened fire, killing him.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

Security and police were dispatched on Wednesday to the Union of Cities for Environmental Protection venue in Chadeira after an object described as a piece of coal was hurled toward Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman during a public session focused on air pollution.

Reports by Walla said the incident took place as Silman arrived at the hall for a hearing connected to the Israel Electric Corporation. Officers who were called to the location detained a young woman, estimated to be about 18 years old, and brought her in for questioning regarding the incident.

Witnesses at the event said the object appeared to strike the minister, though she was not injured and did not need medical attention. Silman chose to remain at the venue and continued taking part in the conference until it concluded, despite the disruption.

Police later issued a statement explaining their response: “Upon receiving the report, officers from the Hadera station arrived at the scene, managed to locate the suspect, and despite no formal complaint being filed, the suspect was detained for questioning. Depending on the investigation’s needs and findings, the continuation of her detention will be examined.”

{Matzav.com}

A survey released Wednesday by the Jewish People Policy Institute finds that a growing share of American Jews who feel strongly connected to Judaism or Israel now view Israel as the safest place in the world for Jews. According to the survey, 68 percent of respondents agreed that Israel is the safest place for Jews […]

A key decision aimed at stabilizing Israel’s coalition government was reached after consultations at the home of Hagaon Rav Dov Landau, with Degel HaTorah deciding it will support the state budget in its first Knesset reading, while insisting that the draft law be finalized before the bill advances further.

Following the meeting at the Bnei Brak residence of Rav Landau, the party ruled that it would allow the budget to move forward at the initial stage, but would condition its continued support on the completion of legislation regulating the status of yeshiva students before the second and third readings. The move gives the coalition crucial breathing room, with the budget now expected to pass the first vote with the backing of 64 MKs. Aside from Agudas Yisroel and MK Avi Maoz, who have both announced their opposition, the government appears to have secured a solid majority.

The decision comes after several tense days in which the government’s survival appeared uncertain, following ultimatums from chareidi parties warning they would block the budget if the issue of yeshiva deferments was not resolved. The standoff raised the prospect of the budget failing, which would have triggered the dissolution of the Knesset and new elections.

The crisis began when Degel HaTorah and Shas publicly declared they would not support the budget unless progress was made on the draft law. Tensions escalated after a meeting between chareidi representatives and the legal adviser to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, during which it was made clear that changes would be required to ensure the legislation could withstand judicial review. That demand sparked deep concern among chareidi leaders, who feared the law would be watered down or indefinitely delayed.

Those concerns intensified when it emerged that the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, chaired by MK Boaz Bismuth, would not convene as scheduled to discuss the draft law ahead of the budget vote. Chareidi parties viewed the delay as a sign that the government might stall on the legislation, further eroding trust between the sides.

At the same time, the vote on the state budget itself was postponed from Monday at the request of the chareidi parties, who sought additional time in light of the legal changes being demanded to the draft law. From their perspective, passage of the law is a prerequisite for approving the budget. The postponement followed an emergency meeting convened earlier in the week by Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu with Shas chairman Aryeh Deri, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and MK Moshe Gafni, in an effort to prevent the budget from being voted down.

Despite the emerging compromise ahead of the first reading, anger has been reported within Smotrich’s circle over linking the budget to the draft law. Some warned that continued delays could still lead to the collapse of the coalition and the dispersal of the Knesset.

With the immediate crisis temporarily defused, attention is now turning to the upcoming legislative marathon in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, where the draft law will be debated. That process is widely seen as the true test of whether the coalition has achieved lasting stability or merely a brief and fragile calm.

{Matzav.com}

A groundswell of voices have come to the same conclusion: Kristi Noem must go. From Democratic Party leaders to the nation’s leading advocacy organizations to even the most centrist lawmakers in Congress, the calls are mounting for the Homeland Security secretary to step aside after the shooting deaths in Minneapolis of two people who protested deportation policy. At a defining moment […]

Israeli officials are assessing recent statements from President Donald Trump as possible indications that he is weighing a sweeping strategy toward Iran that could extend beyond diplomacy and include efforts to topple the current regime, according to a report aired by Kan News.

Those interpretations intensified after Trump posted a warning on his Truth Social account, writing, “As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again.”

Against that backdrop, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is scheduled to convene a high-level security meeting on Tuesday, with the agenda expected to focus on the ongoing war in Gaza as well as the escalating standoff with Iran.

At the same time, the United States has been reinforcing its military presence across the Middle East, even as American officials express interest in seeing the Islamic Republic’s clerical leadership brought to an end. While Trump has publicly left the door open to negotiations, he has also cautioned Tehran that “time is running out” to reach an agreement.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations pushed back sharply against the president’s remarks, issuing a statement that warned of the costs of military confrontation. The delegation said, “The last time the U.S. got involved in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it wasted 7 trillion dollars and lost over 7,000 American soldiers. Iran is ready for dialogue based on respect and mutual interests – but if tested, it will defend itself and respond in a way it never has before.”

Adding to the rhetoric, Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, posted a message in Hebrew on his X account threatening direct retaliation. He wrote that “Any military action by the United States will be considered an act of war, and its response will be immediate, comprehensive, unprecedented, and directed at the aggressor, at the heart of Tel Aviv and all supporters of the aggression.”

{Matzav.com}

On Tuesday afternoon, NYPD Patrol Borough Brooklyn South Chief Charles Minch, together with NYPD Chief Richie Taylor and local community leaders, presented an award to Rabbi Yechiel Kalish, the outgoing CEO of Chevra Hatzolah. Rabbi Kalish was recognized for his dedication and leadership over the past five years, during which he oversaw the entire Central […]

Hamas said Wednesday it is prepared to transfer control of Gaza’s civilian administration to a U.S.-backed technocratic body, while simultaneously demanding the full reopening of the Rafah Border Crossing. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told AFP that the group has completed internal preparations to hand governance to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, or […]

Thousands of chassidim gathered this week in Beit Shemesh to celebrate a major chassidic wedding, uniting the Trebishan and Zvhill dynasties. The joyous event took place at the “Sarah Events” hall, where the son of the Zvhill Rebbe married the daughter of the Trebishan Rebbe, who is also a granddaughter of the Pinsk-Karliner Rebbe. Large […]

Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Boaz Bismuth said that opposition lawmakers had crossed a serious boundary after several Yesh Atid MKs entered the committee staff area outside his office, apparently disrupting discussions he was holding with representatives of the chareidi parties.

Footage from the scene showed a heated exchange outside Bismuth’s private office, next to the committee chamber, involving several MKs, among them committee members Elazar Stern and Moshe Tur-Paz, and Degel HaTorah MK Uri Maklev. In the video, Tur-Paz was seen lifting a document from a desk and taking a photograph of it.

Reacting to the incident, Bismuth wrote on X, “A red line has been crossed! I have just summoned the Knesset Sergeant-at-Arms following the violent and forceful outburst by opposition members of Knesset who stormed my office at the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.”

He went on to accuse the opposition of hypocrisy, saying, “Those same actors who warned about ‘the right wing storming the Knesset’ are the ones behaving today with bullying and vulgarity, attempting to turn a sovereign institution into lawless territory — including serious attempts to photograph committee documents unlawfully.” Bismuth added that he intended to file a formal complaint with the Knesset Ethics Committee.

The confrontation followed a meeting held earlier that afternoon between Bismuth, coalition whip Ofir Katz, and chareidi MKs Uri Maklev of Degel HaTorah, Yaakov Asher, and Shas representative Yinon Azoulay.

Also reported to have participated in the meeting were former Shas MK Ariel Attias, who had been representing the chareidi parties in talks surrounding Bismuth’s legislation, and committee legal adviser Miri Frenkel Shor, whose proposed amendments to the bill had drawn strong opposition from the chareidi factions.

Yesh Atid chairman and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid sharply criticized that meeting, claiming that those involved had “set up an alternative Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee for themselves” in order to apply “heavy pressure on [Shor], to push her to approve changes that the ultra-Orthodox parties want.”

Responding to questions about the episode, Tur-Paz told The Times of Israel that he and fellow opposition MKs had gone to the committee area “to tell the Haredim and Bismuth: you will not strike a deal behind the backs of those who serve. We will not allow it.”

Tur-Paz also shared the photograph he had taken, which showed a list of committee members, and said he had snapped it “in an unclassified area,” insisting that he had not broken into any restricted space.

{Matzav.com}

Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave a full-throated defense Wednesday of President Donald Trump’s military operation to oust and arrest then-Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, while also using his wide-ranging congressional testimony to touch on Greenland, NATO, Iran and China. As Republican and Democratic members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee offered starkly different readings of the administration’s foreign policy, Rubio […]

HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau delivered a shiur and divrei chizzuk at the Or Elchanan Yeshiva in Jerusalem on Tuesday evening . HaRav Landau said, “With the permission of the Roshei Yeshiva, I wish to say a few words on inyanei d’yoma (current matters)—matters that are well known, but even what is well known must sometimes […]

Speaking in the Knesset plenum, United Torah Judaism chairman Yitzchok Goldknopf said that he and members of his Agudas Yisroel faction would vote against the 2026 state budget, arguing that the chareidi public was being “persecuted” by a government that arrested yeshiva students who avoided military service.

Goldknopf said there were considerations that outweighed fiscal concerns, declaring, “There are things that are more important than a budget, and in their name we oppose the budget. The State of Israel without the Torah of Israel does not need a budget.” He accused the government of criminalizing yeshiva students and relegating them to the status of “criminals” and “second- or third-class citizens.”

He stressed that the move was not intended to bring down the coalition. “Our intention in this vote is not to overthrow the government,” Goldknopf said, while directly urging Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu to delay the budget vote until legislation formalizing the status of yeshiva students could be enacted.

Goldknopf’s Chassidishe Agudas Yisroel faction opposed the current draft law under discussion, even though it would have exempted yeshiva students from conscription, because it included punitive sanctions.

By contrast, Degel HaTorah, UTJ’s Litvishe faction, supported both the enlistment bill and the budget, as did the Shas party. Despite Agudas Yisroel’s opposition, the budget was still viewed as likely to move forward.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump’s standing with independent voters has dropped to its lowest level across both of his terms in office, according to the latest Economist/YouGov poll, reflecting growing political pressure tied to economic concerns and scrutiny of his administration’s immigration enforcement policies. The survey, conducted Jan. 23–26, shows Trump’s net job approval among independents at […]

A senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader issued a public warning Wednesday that Tehran would strike Tel Aviv if the United States launches military action against the Islamic Republic. Ali Shamkhani, a longtime confidant of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, posted the threat in Hebrew on the social platform X, a move widely seen as […]

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu declined 11 opportunities to authorize the killing of Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza, in the months leading up to the October 7, 2023, massacre, according to a report aired by Channel 12 that cites a senior defense official.

Sinwar, who is widely regarded as the chief planner behind the October 7 attack, was repeatedly located by Israeli intelligence earlier in 2023, the report says.

According to the senior official quoted in the report, the Shin Bet managed on numerous occasions in February and March 2023 to pinpoint Sinwar’s whereabouts and relayed that information to Netanyahu. Despite recommendations from the security agency to carry out a targeted killing, the prime minister allegedly refused to approve the operation. The official further claimed that Netanyahu did not even agree to convene senior officials to weigh the option of launching a strike.

The Prime Minister’s Office rejected the claims, pushing back strongly against the report’s characterization. In a statement, the PMO said the account reverses the facts and asserted that Netanyahu “demanded repeatedly to eliminate the Hamas leadership, but the security leadership stopped it. This is well documented in minutes of the discussions.”

{Matzav.com}

The man who squirted an unknown liquid on Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar at a town hall in Minneapolis has a criminal history and has made online posts supportive of President Donald Trump. Anthony Kazmierczak, 55, was convicted of felony auto theft in 1989, has been arrested multiple times for driving under the influence, and has had […]