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Texas hospitals incurred more than $1 billion in medical expenses for treating illegal immigrants during fiscal year 2025, marking the first year the state formally collected and compiled such data.

Records assembled by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and obtained by Texas Scorecard show that hospitals reported 313,742 patient visits connected to individuals not legally present in the country, with total costs reaching $1.05 billion by the close of the fiscal year.

Although Texas’ fiscal year spans from September 1 through August 31, hospitals were not required to begin submitting reports until November. Using the available figures, the costs average roughly $105 million per month, suggesting that the full-year financial burden may be substantially higher than what was officially recorded.

When viewed in the context of the state budget, the hospital expenses alone amount to nearly 1% of Texas’ tax-supported funds.

The data collection stems from an executive order signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in August 2024, which required the state to monitor hospital usage by “individuals not lawfully present” in the United States. Under the directive, Texas hospitals were instructed to provide quarterly reports to the health agency detailing inpatient discharges, emergency room visits, and associated costs tied to patients without legal status.

Texas, which shares a long border with Mexico, experienced some of the highest illegal border crossing levels ever seen during the Biden administration, placing enormous strain on the state’s healthcare infrastructure, Abbott press secretary Andrew Mahaleris previously told Fox News Digital.

According to the report, the single largest category of spending involved inpatient discharges for patients who were not covered by Medicaid or CHIP, totaling $565.4 million across 40,947 discharges. CHIP, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, is a joint federal and state initiative that offers affordable health coverage to children whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid.

Emergency room visits by non-Medicaid and non-CHIP patients generated an additional $205.5 million in costs, the data shows.

Patients who were enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP also accounted for major expenditures, including $255.3 million related to inpatient discharges and another $24.3 million tied to emergency department visits.

For fiscal year 2025, hospitals initially submitted data only for November 2024, reporting 30,743 visits with costs exceeding $102 million, according to state figures.

Later submissions showed that the financial toll remained consistently high. From December 2024 through February 2025, hospitals logged 149,619 visits costing $330.8 million.

Between March and May 2025, reported expenses totaled $319.3 million, followed by another $298.3 million in costs from June through August 2025.

{Matzav.com}

Talik and Itzik Gvili, the parents of Ran Gvili, responded overnight to the White House announcement regarding the establishment of a “Peace Council” for Gaza, expressing anguish and disbelief as they continue to wait for their son’s return.

In a statement released following the announcement, the parents wrote: “While we are standing here waiting for Ran to be brought back, a Peace Council for phase two is being formed. How can anyone think about phase two? What kind of peace is this? Peace for whom? Peace for those who refuse to return our son, despite being obligated by the agreement, despite promises from Israel, from the mediators, and from the President of the United States?”

Ran Gvili is the last remaining hostage casualty still being held in the Gaza Strip.

At the conclusion of their statement, the parents issued a direct plea to decision-makers, writing: “To everyone who has a hand in this — as a father and mother, we beg you: do not allow this to happen. Do not leave our Rani behind and bury us together with him.”

Earlier, President Donald Trump announced on his social media platform, Truth Social, the creation of a “Peace Council” that would operate under the framework of an international peace conference. Trump said the full composition of the council would be revealed soon, but described it as “the most prestigious council ever formed,” including kings, presidents, and prime ministers.

The announcement triggered unusual tension between Israel and the United States. The Prime Minister’s Office sharply criticized Trump’s declaration regarding the Peace Council, which is intended to oversee governance in the Gaza Strip, saying the move was made without prior coordination with Jerusalem.

In an official statement, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu instructed the foreign minister to urgently contact the U.S. secretary of state to convey Israel’s opposition to the initiative. According to the statement, the American announcement “does not align with Israel’s policy” and could have implications for Israel’s security and strategic considerations.

{Matzav.com}

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz joins ‘Fox News Live’ to weigh in on President Donald Trump’s push to secure Greenland and potential military action in Iran.

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As late as Wednesday morning, officials across Washington and the Middle East were bracing for the possibility that President Donald Trump was about to authorize sweeping U.S. airstrikes against Iran, according to a Washington Post report published today that detailed how the decision ultimately shifted.

Although Trump had not yet signed off on an attack, senior national security officials believed approval was imminent and were preparing for an extended operation as tensions mounted.

The sense of urgency intensified after Trump posted a message directed at Iranian protesters on Tuesday morning, writing, “HELP IS ON ITS WAY,” and encouraging them to “take over” regime institutions. Many American and foreign officials read the message as a precursor to military action, even as Trump continued evaluating non-military pressure to force Tehran to halt its crackdown on demonstrators.

The trajectory changed on Wednesday, when Trump was informed by envoy Steve Witkoff that Iran had called off plans to execute 800 prisoners, according to a senior U.S. official.

“We’re going to watch and see,” Trump told reporters from the Oval Office. U.S. intelligence agencies confirmed the following day that the executions did not occur, the official said.

That midweek reversal unsettled some of Trump’s advisers and disappointed Iranian dissidents, reflecting the intense domestic and international forces shaping the president’s thinking. According to interviews conducted by The Washington Post with more than a dozen current and former U.S. and Middle Eastern officials, the discussions involved sensitive diplomacy and ongoing military readiness. The officials spoke anonymously.

Administration officials said Trump grappled with the danger of further destabilizing an already volatile region and with practical limits on U.S. military capacity. Pentagon leaders were uneasy that after Trump ordered an aircraft carrier strike group to the Caribbean, American forces in the Middle East were not optimally positioned to counter an expected Iranian retaliation.

Israeli officials shared those concerns, noting that Israel had depleted significant interceptor missile stockpiles during a 12-day confrontation with Iran in June, according to one current and one former U.S. official.

Major U.S. partners in the region — including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt — pressed Washington to slow down and pursue diplomacy, a senior Arab diplomat and a Gulf official said. Though these Sunni-majority states view Iran as a strategic threat, they were more alarmed by the prospect of a wider regional conflict.

Several officials said Trump also assessed the likelihood of economic fallout, escalation into broader war, and risks to roughly 30,000 U.S. troops stationed in the region. Those dangers, they noted, bore little resemblance to the limited “one and done” missions Trump had previously approved.

“He wants [operations like] Venezuela,” said a former U.S. official briefed on the internal deliberations. “This was going to be messier.”

While military action has been paused for now, Trump and his team have not ruled it out entirely as the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group makes its way toward the Middle East, according to The Post. As of Friday, the carrier was in the South China Sea and remained more than a week from arrival, officials said.

Within the administration, opinions varied sharply. Vice President JD Vance favored strikes, contending that Trump needed to follow through on warnings to Iran about killing protesters. CIA Director John Ratcliffe showed Trump video evidence of regime brutality against demonstrators, though it was unclear whether he pushed for military intervention.

Other senior advisers urged restraint. Witkoff and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles cautioned against escalation, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent argued that existing sanctions should be given time to take effect. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stayed at the White House throughout the day as options were reviewed.

After weighing the military plans, Trump decided the potential gains did not justify the risks. “Would a strike have resulted in regime change? The answer is clearly ‘no,’” said an individual close to the administration. “The negative impact of any attack outweighed any benefit.”

As U.S. forces repositioned, Iran reached out to Washington. A message from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Witkoff “kind of also defused the situation,” according to the same individual. Trump later said he had been informed the executions would stop, telling reporters, “I greatly respect the fact that they canceled.”

Arab governments — including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, and Egypt — continued to press for diplomatic solutions.

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu also urged caution, the report said, warning that Israel was not fully prepared to defend itself without substantial U.S. naval backing. U.S. officials confirmed that the two leaders spoke twice.

In the end, a combination of diplomatic pressure and uncertainty about the consequences of military action led Trump to hold off. Vance ultimately accepted the decision, according to a person familiar with the discussions.

Officials cautioned that the option of strikes could return to the table within two to three weeks, once additional U.S. military assets reach the region. In the meantime, U.S. Central Command has been instructed to prepare for continuous high-level operations “for the next month,” signaling that the standoff remains unresolved.

{Matzav.com}

Law enforcement agencies in New Jersey are cautioning the public about a growing scam in which criminals impersonate bank fraud investigators and arrange to collect victims’ debit cards in person, NJ.com reports.

According to a social media alert issued this week by Barnegat Township police, the scheme begins with phone calls from individuals claiming to represent a bank’s fraud department. The callers tell residents that a courier will be sent to retrieve their debit card.

Police say reports of these calls have surfaced from communities across the state, indicating the scam is widespread.

Investigators explained that the fraudsters use spoofed phone numbers designed to look like legitimate customer service or fraud hotlines from major banks, making the calls appear authentic.

To gain trust, the scammers often cite real, recent transactions on a victim’s account. They then allege that additional unauthorized charges, typically from out of state, have been detected.

Those supposed charges are entirely fabricated, police said, and are used to persuade victims that their accounts have been compromised and immediate action is required.

Victims are then instructed that a courier will arrive at their home to collect the debit card and transport it to the bank’s fraud department for investigation.

Once the card is surrendered, the scammers use it to carry out unauthorized purchases and withdrawals.

Police stressed that legitimate banks do not dispatch couriers to pick up debit cards under any circumstances.

Residents are urged not to share personal or financial information over the phone and never to hand over debit cards to anyone claiming to act on behalf of a bank, police said.

Anyone who receives such a call should immediately hang up and contact their bank directly using the phone number printed on the back of their card.

Individuals who believe they may have been targeted or already victimized by this scam are advised to contact the Barnegat Township Police Department at 609-698-5000.

{Matzav.com}

Serious concern has spread across the Torah world following a sharp deterioration in the condition of Grodno rosh yeshiva Rabbi Yitzchok Hacker, a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Degel HaTorah.

According to information received shortly after midnight Israeli time on Motzaei Shabbos, Rav Hecker lost consciousness while hospitalized and is now described as being in immediate, life-threatening danger.

Family members are at his bedside at Sheba Medical Center, where he was rushed to the intensive care unit.

Earlier in the week, on Thursday, the rosh yeshiva underwent a complex medical procedure that included the amputation of part of his leg due to a severe infection.

All are asked to daven for Yitzchok ben Nechama.

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration is pressing governments interested in holding permanent seats on a proposed Gaza Strip “Board of Peace” to pledge at least $1 billion each, according to a report published Saturday by Bloomberg.

Under the outline being circulated, President Donald Trump would take on the role of the board’s first chairman, with the body tasked with directing postwar governance, coordinating security arrangements, and guiding reconstruction efforts in Gaza.

The financial threshold is intended to ensure that participating countries are heavily invested in the success of stabilizing Gaza and funding its long-term rebuilding, rather than serving in a purely symbolic capacity.

Bloomberg reported that U.S. officials have raised the proposal in conversations with American allies and regional partners as part of wider diplomatic efforts focused on shaping Gaza’s future after the Israel-Hamas war.

Administration officials have maintained that spreading the financial responsibility internationally is necessary to prevent the burden of reconstruction from falling largely on American taxpayers.

According to the report, the framework has already received backing through a United Nations Security Council resolution, which authorized both the creation of the Board of Peace and the deployment of an international stabilization force to assist with security and civilian administration in Gaza.

Reaction to the initiative has been uneven. While some governments and international figures have expressed support or agreed to participate, Israel has voiced public criticism over elements of the board’s structure and how coordination would be handled. Even with a ceasefire reducing major fighting, violence and diplomatic friction continue as parties attempt to establish durable governance and security arrangements.

The proposal has not yet been formally unveiled, and Bloomberg noted that key questions regarding the board’s powers, composition, and implementation schedule are still being negotiated.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump announced Saturday that the United States will begin imposing broad tariffs on imports from several European countries unless an agreement is reached allowing the U.S. to acquire Greenland, outlining a phased plan that would start with a 10% duty on February 1 and rise to 25% by June 1.

In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump argued that Denmark and other European nations have benefited for decades from favorable U.S. trade arrangements and American security guarantees. He warned that the geopolitical stakes surrounding Greenland are growing, asserting that “world peace is at stake” as China and Russia seek greater influence over the Arctic territory, which operates with autonomy under Danish sovereignty.

According to Trump, the tariffs would apply broadly to imports from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland, covering what he described as “any and all goods” shipped to the United States.

He said the trade penalties would remain in force “until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.”

Trump tied the proposed acquisition directly to U.S. defense interests, saying Greenland is critical to national security and missile defense. He referenced a sophisticated defense initiative he called “The Golden Dome,” writing that Greenland’s inclusion is necessary for the system to function at full capacity. He added that Washington is “immediately open to negotiation” with Denmark and the other affected countries.

The White House did not immediately offer details on how the tariffs would be carried out or enforced.

Trump’s full post stated:

“We have subsidized Denmark, and all of the Countries of the European Union, and others, for many years by not charging them Tariffs, or any other forms of remuneration. Now, after Centuries, it is time for Denmark to give back — World Peace is at stake!
“China and Russia want Greenland, and there is not a thing that Denmark can do about it. They currently have two dogsleds as protection, one added recently.
“Only the United States of America, under PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP, can play in this game, and very successfully, at that! Nobody will touch this sacred piece of Land, especially since the National Security of the United States, and the World at large, is at stake.
“On top of everything else, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Finland have journeyed to Greenland, for purposes unknown. This is a very dangerous situation for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet.
“These Countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable. Therefore, it is imperative that, in order to protect Global Peace and Security, strong measures be taken so that this potentially perilous situation end quickly, and without question.
“Starting on February 1st, 2026, all of the above mentioned Countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Finland), will be charged a 10% Tariff on any and all goods sent to the United States of America. On June 1st, 2026, the Tariff will be increased to 25%.
“This Tariff will be due and payable until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland. The United States has been trying to do this transaction for over 150 years. Many Presidents have tried, and for good reason, but Denmark has always refused.
“Now, because of The Golden Dome, and Modern Day Weapons Systems, both Offensive and Defensive, the need to ACQUIRE is especially important. Hundreds of Billions of Dollars are currently being spent on Security Programs having to do with ‘The Dome,’ including for the possible protection of Canada, and this very brilliant, but highly complex system can only work at its maximum potential and efficiency, because of angles, metes, and bounds, if this Land is included in it.
“The United States of America is immediately open to negotiation with Denmark and/or any of these Countries that have put so much at risk, despite all that we have done for them, including maximum protection, over so many decades. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

The move threatens to deepen tensions between the United States and its NATO allies, potentially creating one of the most serious strains in the alliance since its founding in 1949. Trump has frequently used tariffs as leverage in foreign policy disputes, at times extracting concessions while also triggering sharp resistance, particularly from China.

Trump is set to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, where he is expected to encounter leaders from the very countries now facing the proposed tariffs, which would begin in just over two weeks.

Denmark’s foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, said the announcement caught Copenhagen off guard, calling it a “surprise” following what he described as a “constructive meeting” with senior U.S. officials in Washington earlier in the week. He said additional European troop deployments to Greenland were meant to “enhance security in the Arctic” and added that “we agree with the US that we need to do more since the Arctic is no longer a low tension area.”

French President Emmanuel Macron also pushed back publicly, drawing an implicit comparison between Trump’s threat and Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

“No intimidation or threats will influence us, whether in Ukraine, Greenland or anywhere else in the world when we are faced with such situations,” Macron said in a translated post on X. “Tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context. Europeans will respond in a united and coordinated manner.”

European officials have raised questions about whether such tariffs could even be implemented, given that the European Union functions as a single trading bloc. One European diplomat, speaking anonymously, said it was unclear how the White House would legally target individual countries within that framework.

There is also uncertainty about Trump’s authority under U.S. law, though he could attempt to invoke emergency economic powers, which are currently being challenged before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Trump has long argued that the United States should control Greenland because of its strategic location and vast mineral resources. The island has a population of roughly 57,000 and relies on Denmark for defense. Trump renewed his push following the recent military operation that removed Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro earlier this month.

The United States already maintains access to Greenland under a 1951 defense agreement. Danish officials have said that since 1945, the U.S. military presence there has shrunk from thousands of troops across more than a dozen installations to about 200 personnel stationed at Pituffik Space Base in the island’s northwest. The base supports missile warning, missile defense, and space surveillance missions for the U.S. and NATO.

Opposition within Europe to Trump’s ambitions has steadily grown, even as some countries previously accepted 15% tariffs last year to preserve economic and security ties with Washington.

Earlier Saturday, several hundred people gathered in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, marching through freezing rain and icy streets to demonstrate in favor of self-governance.

In Copenhagen, thousands more marched carrying Greenland’s flag, with some displaying signs reading “Make America Smart Again” and “Hands Off.”

“This is important for the whole world,” Danish protester Elise Riechie told The Associated Press while holding Danish and Greenlandic flags. “There are many small countries. None of them are for sale.”

The demonstrations took place just hours after a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers visiting Copenhagen sought to reassure Denmark and Greenland of continued American support.

Danish Maj. Gen. Søren Andersen, who heads the Joint Arctic Command, said Denmark does not expect a U.S. military attack on Greenland or any other NATO member, noting that European troops were recently sent to Nuuk for Arctic defense training.

“I will not go into the political part, but I will say that I would never expect a NATO country to attack another NATO country,” Andersen said from a Danish naval vessel docked in Nuuk. “For us, for me, it’s not about signaling. It is actually about training military units, working together with allies.”

He added that Denmark convened a planning meeting in Greenland on Friday with NATO partners, including the United States, to discuss Arctic security amid concerns about Russia. Andersen said American forces were also invited to participate in Operation Arctic Endurance in the coming days.

Andersen said that during his two and a half years commanding forces in Greenland, he has not observed any Chinese or Russian warships near the island, despite Trump’s claims.

Still, he acknowledged that if U.S. troops were ever to use force on Danish territory, Danish soldiers would be obligated to resist.

Trump has insisted that China and Russia are seeking to exploit Greenland’s untapped reserves of critical minerals and has said anything short of U.S. control of the island would be “unacceptable.”

The president has repeatedly described tariffs as a means of achieving strategic goals without resorting to military force. Speaking at the White House on Friday, he recalled threatening European allies with pharmaceutical tariffs and suggested he could do so again.

“I may do that for Greenland, too,” Trump said.

Following Trump’s announcement, Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska said “Congress must reclaim tariff authorities” to prevent them from being used solely at a president’s discretion.

European leaders have maintained that decisions regarding Greenland rest with Denmark and Greenland alone. Denmark announced this week that it is increasing its military presence on the island in coordination with allies.

“There is almost no better ally to the United States than Denmark,” said Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, who was visiting Copenhagen with other members of Congress. “If we do things that cause Danes to question whether we can be counted on as a NATO ally, why would any other country seek to be our ally or believe in our representations?”

{Matzav.com}

A sweeping nurses strike affecting three of New York City’s largest hospital systems has now been linked by union officials to multiple patient deaths, raising alarm as the walkout enters its second week.

According to a union representative, at least three people have died at Mount Sinai since nurses at Mount Sinai, Montefiore Medical Center, and New York-Presbyterian began striking on Monday. The reported deaths include two newborns who died during childbirth and a 24-year-old patient in intensive care. The official said the fatalities were connected, at least in part, to reduced levels of care resulting from the strike.

“Our PCAs [patient care associates] are saying a lot more code blues are being called,” the union honcho and longtime Mount Sinai’s nurse, who requested anonymity, told The NY Post.

The claims emerged as the walkout by nearly 15,000 nurses — now in its sixth day and backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani — continued to disrupt operations across the city’s hospital network.

“Code blue means somebody’s dead. It has a medical emergency. So, like, you have to start CPR and an emergency team comes. It’s normally doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, anesthesia, and respiratory. It’s literally just to try to resuscitate someone.”

“We’re hearing that more alerts are being called,” she added. “Our patients are sicker. And more people are dying. I mean, I’m not gonna lie to you about that.”

The same union official said the hospitals’ reliance on temporary replacement nurses has created dangerous conditions, arguing that those brought in to cover shifts are stretched too thin and lack familiarity with the facilities. “There are some really unsafe things happening,” she said.

The current walkout is the largest nurses strike in New York City history and the longest in recent years, exceeding a 2023 action in which about 7,000 workers struck for three days.

Hospital administrators, who were caught off guard by the 2023 strike and ultimately agreed to contracts favorable to nurses, have taken a far tougher approach this time. The New York State Nurses Association is pressing for improved staffing ratios, higher wages, and the preservation of health benefits.

Katie Duke, a retired nurse practitioner from Mount Sinai who is picketing alongside NYSNA members, said she has heard similar accounts from hospital staff who believe patient deaths are tied to the strike. She pointed specifically to the case of a 24-year-old patient who reportedly died in intensive care while receiving advanced life support.

“It is the highest level of life support for somebody who’s waiting on, like, a lung transplant,” Duke said

“So, the patient … wasn’t restrained and sedated properly. 
He pulled a tube out of his neck, and he died.”

Duke placed responsibility squarely on hospital leadership, accusing administrators of compromising safety rather than reaching an agreement with nurses.

“There are things happening inside, because this hospital is settling for staff who are not qualified to take care of patients, because they refuse to negotiate with the nurses and give them their contract,” she said.

“So they are sacrificing patient safety. And the problem with this is that hospitals feel like nurses are so easily replaceable, but they’re not… My heart goes out to that patient’s family.”

{Matzav.com}

President Trump sharply escalated his rhetoric against Iran on Saturday, branding the country’s supreme leader a “sick” man and openly calling for a change at the top, in his most direct condemnation yet of the Islamic Republic’s leadership and its violent crackdown on dissent.

Trump’s remarks followed reports that he had been briefed on a series of social media posts by Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, attacking the U.S. president, according to Politico.

“It’s time to look for new leadership in Iran,” Trump told the outlet.
“What he is guilty of, as the leader of a country, is the complete destruction of the country and the use of violence at levels never seen before,” he added.

Earlier Saturday, Khamenei lashed out at Trump, labeling him a “criminal” and accusing him of responsibility for the deaths of thousands of demonstrators who, according to the Iranian leader, were killed during protests in Tehran.

“We consider the US president a criminal for the casualties, damages, and the slander he inflicted on the Iranian nation,” Khamenei moaned. “The US’s goal is to devour Iran,” he whined, claiming the president incited rioters to take to the streets of Tehran.

Trump responded forcefully, dismissing the 86-year-old Iranian leader as an incompetent ruler presiding over a failed state.

“The man is a sick man who should run his country properly and stop killing people,” Trump shot back. “His country is the worst place to live anywhere in the world because of poor leadership.”

The war of words intensified later in the day, with Khamenei issuing further accusations, alleging that U.S. and Israeli operatives inside Iran were responsible for widespread bloodshed.

“The US must be held accountable,” Khamenei warned.

“Worse than the internal criminals are the international criminals! We will not let go of them either.”

As tensions continued to mount, Iranian state television aired an emotional appearance by the distraught daughter of a senior Islamic Republic commander, who broke down while recounting how her father had allegedly ordered her to carry out killings of innocent civilians.

The confrontation comes amid a recent shift in Trump’s approach toward Iran. Earlier this month, he warned that the United States was “locked and loaded and ready to go” if the regime continued its brutal repression. This week, however, Trump said he reconsidered after Iranian officials indicated they would suspend plans for mass executions.

According to reports, Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu also urged Trump to delay any U.S. military action against Tehran, while Arab nations pressed the president to avoid steps that could further destabilize the region.

{Matzav.com}

Army helicopters rescued people stranded on rooftops and hundreds of tourists and workers were evacuated from one of the world’s biggest game reserves, as torrential rains and flooding in three countries in southern Africa killed more than 100 people, authorities said Friday. The death toll across South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe is an accumulation after […]

President Donald Trump highlighted a fresh drop in mortgage rates on Friday, pointing to new data showing borrowing costs have fallen to their lowest point in more than two years, a shift that could begin to ease a housing market strained by high financing costs.

In a post on Truth Social late Friday, Trump wrote that “Even Fake News CNN is praising the DROP in Mortgage Interest Rates!” while referencing coverage of declining rates following weeks of administration messaging focused on pushing mortgage costs lower.

According to Freddie Mac, the average interest rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage declined to 6.06% for the week ending January 15. That marked a decrease from 6.16% the previous week and from 7.04% at the same time last year. The mortgage finance company said rates had not been this low since September 2022.

Freddie Mac Chief Economist Sam Khater said the lower rates are already translating into increased market activity.

“The impacts are noticeable, as weekly purchase applications and refinance activity have jumped, underscoring the benefits for both buyers and current owners,” Khater said.

“It’s clear that housing activity is improving and poised for a solid spring sales season,” he added.

The recent decline in rates comes after Trump publicly called for aggressive purchases of mortgage-backed securities in an effort to reduce borrowing costs.

Earlier this month, Trump wrote in a separate social media post: “I am instructing my Representatives to BUY $200 BILLION DOLLARS IN MORTGAGE BONDS. This will drive Mortgage Rates DOWN, monthly payments DOWN, and make the cost of owning a home more affordable.”

Susan Wachter, a real estate professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, told Reuters that such purchases could be putting short-term downward pressure on rates, though she cautioned that she has not yet observed buying activity at the scale Trump described.

At the same time, broader housing indicators suggest some renewed momentum. The National Association of Realtors reported that existing-home sales increased 5.1% in December compared to November, marking the fourth consecutive monthly rise.

Despite the increase in sales, prices have remained elevated. The median price for an existing home in December stood at $405,400, a 0.4% increase from a year earlier.

Economists remain divided on whether lower mortgage rates alone will meaningfully improve affordability. Some warn that limited housing supply could continue to keep prices high, while others say reduced financing costs can expand access for qualified buyers and encourage more homeowners to enter the market.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said that “housing supply is low” even as borrowing costs decline, while Zillow Chief Economist Skylar Olsen cautioned that “Lower mortgage rates won’t alleviate the housing market’s underlying issues of affordability and inadequate supply.”

Mortgage Bankers Association CEO Bob Broeksmit echoed concerns about supply constraints, saying, “The lock-in effect continues to suppress existing inventory levels,” even as Freddie Mac’s Khater noted that “weekly purchase applications and refinance activity have jumped.”

{Matzav.com}

New York City’s finances are already underwater, with a massive shortfall looming well before any new policy agenda takes shape, the NY Post reports.

City Comptroller Mark Levine warned Friday that the city is on track to face a combined $12 billion budget deficit over the next two fiscal years, likening the severity of the situation to the financial collapse of 2008.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani seized on the bleak forecast to renew his call for higher taxes on the wealthy, even as Levine’s figures indicate that runaway spending — not weak revenue — is driving the crisis.

According to Levine, the city is confronting an “extremely unusual” $2.2 billion gap in the current 2026 fiscal year, which ends in June.

The outlook worsens dramatically in the following year. For fiscal 2027, the comptroller projected a $10.4 billion deficit — and that estimate comes before Mamdani releases his first full budget as mayor.

“This is far beyond what we saw last year and I believe in any year since the 2008 financial crisis,” Levine said during a briefing at the Municipal Building.

“We’re not going to sugarcoat this. This is a challenging budget outlook to have a mid-year gap. Again, this is quite unusual to have a gap of the scale that we’re projecting for next year,” he said.

“[It’s] something we haven’t seen outside of an economic slowdown in New York City,” Levine added. “Certainly not in an environment where we have such strong tax receipts.”

In fact, Levine noted that city tax revenues climbed by nearly 7% during fiscal year 2026, underscoring that the deficit cannot be blamed on a faltering economy.

“This wasn’t caused by a bad economy — it’s the result of budgeting decisions from the previous administration that we must now deal with,” he said.

Mamdani is expected to unveil his first mayoral budget proposal by February. His platform includes roughly $10 billion in new initiatives, such as universal child care and free bus service, proposals that rely heavily on anticipated state support funded by higher taxes on affluent individuals and corporations.

Governor Kathy Hochul, however, has repeatedly rejected the idea of raising taxes on the wealthy, even as she endorsed universal child care in her State of the State address earlier this week.

Following that speech, Mamdani publicly broke with the governor over tax policy, and he did so again after Levine released his projections.

“As I said on Tuesday, we believe raising taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers and corporations will be necessary,” Hizzoner said in a statement Friday.

Mamdani placed responsibility for the $12 billion deficit squarely on his predecessor, accusing former Mayor Eric Adams of gross fiscal mismanagement.

The mayor also took aim at his political rival Andrew Cuomo, arguing that the former governor and Albany lawmakers routinely treated New York City as a source of cash for statewide needs.

“We have long said that what we are inheriting is not just an administration that exhibited incredible fiscal mismanagement, but also a decades-long effort from former Governor Cuomo to pilfer from city coffers at each and every turn,” he said.

“And what that has left this city with is, as described by the comptroller, not only a fiscal hole, but frankly, a relationship between city and state, where the city contributes 54.5% of the state’s tax revenues, but only receives 40.5% in return.”

Levine, who previously served as Manhattan borough president, also laid blame on the Adams administration, saying it masked financial problems by relying on one-time funding maneuvers and repeatedly underestimating actual costs.

While tax revenues have steadily increased year after year — reaching $81.4 billion in fiscal 2025 — city spending rose even faster, according to the comptroller’s review.

For years, the city has added new programs without cutting or scaling back those with lower impact, said Andrew Rein, president of the Citizens Budget Commission.

“The result is spending growth twice the rate of inflation,” Rein said in a statement. “City spending would be $14.5 billion lower today if it had tracked inflation.”

Rein noted that his organization projects a smaller — though still substantial — $8 billion gap for fiscal 2027, but said the underlying problem remains.

He argued that Mamdani’s first priority should be a comprehensive review of city programs, trimming those that fail to deliver results. Rein also urged the state to repeal costly school class-size mandates.

“It is important that New York deliver high-quality cost-effective services,” he said. “That requires making smart but tough choices—prioritizing what works and shrinking what doesn’t—before turning to the easier option of raising taxes.”

Levine’s office found that the budget crunch was exacerbated by repeated underestimates of major expenses by Adams-era officials.

For fiscal 2026 alone, the city underbudgeted $795 million for rental assistance, $727 million for employee overtime, and $630 million for homeless shelters, the comptroller reported.

In total, $3.8 billion in expenses were left out of the current year’s budget, with those costs expected to balloon in future years.

Adams spokesman Todd Shapiro pushed back, saying the former mayor inherited enormous fiscal burdens following the COVID pandemic and later absorbed billions more during the migrant crisis.

“Despite these unprecedented challenges, Mayor Adams led a historic comeback,” Shapiro said.

“Blaming Mayor Adams for long-standing structural budget gaps and fiscal pressures ignores the reality of what this administration took on and what it has delivered.”

Levine’s projections do not include the potential cost of expanding the City Fighting Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement, known as CityFHEPS, a rental assistance program that Adams had opposed expanding.

The City Council overrode Adams’ veto in 2023, dramatically broadening eligibility for the program.

Depending on future court decisions, implementing the expansion could cost between $6 billion and $20 billion, according to the comptroller.

If the city’s deficit exceeds $100 million, the state’s Financial Control Board — created after New York City’s brush with bankruptcy in the 1970s — could step in.

Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi rejected Mamdani’s accusations, disputing claims that the former governor bears responsibility for the city’s fiscal woes.

“As usual, Zohran Mamdani’s claims are untethered from the facts,” Azzopardi said in a statement, pointing to increased state aid for city schools under Cuomo and noting that the state “absorbed billions in New York City Medicaid cost increases.”

“If Mamdani thinks the system is unfair, he’s had five years in office to do something about it.”

{Matzav.com}

The House Oversight Committee has launched scrutiny into Rep. Ilhan Omar’s rapidly growing family fortune following the eruption of a $9 billion Somali social services fraud scandal centered in her Minnesota district, according to a report by The NY Post.

Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer of Kentucky said committee attorneys are weighing the unusual move of compelling testimony from Omar’s husband, citing concerns over his business dealings.

“We’re going to get answers, whether it’s through the Ethics Committee or the Oversight Committee, one of the two,” Comer told The Post.

Republicans are questioning how Omar, who was born in Somalia, and her husband, political consultant Tim Mynett, went from having little wealth to reporting a net worth of as much as $30 million within roughly a year, based on her 2024 financial disclosures.

Comer said the numbers defy basic financial logic. “There are a lot of questions as to how her husband accumulated so much wealth over the past two years,” he said. “It’s not possible. It’s not. I’m a money guy. It’s not possible.”

In parallel, federal law enforcement agencies have opened their own inquiries into potential political links tied to the fraud investigation.

“We are investigating all politicians potentially connected to any of this [fraud] in Minnesota. You can read between the lines,” a law enforcement source said.

The source added that unlike the Biden administration, which the source said took no visible action, Team Trump is actively pursuing the matter.

Those remarks came as The Post reported that the FBI had been briefed during the Biden administration about concerns involving a network of companies associated with Mynett.

One of those firms, Rose Lake Capital, was launched in 2022 by Mynett and business partner Will Hailer and sits at the center of a cluster of related ventures linked to Omar’s husband, whom she married five years ago.

Court records from a lawsuit filed in South Dakota show that Rose Lake Capital had just $42.44 in its bank account in late 2022.

Despite that, the company’s valuation jumped from essentially nothing to as much as $25 million within a year, according to Omar’s 2024 disclosure.

Sources said that by 2024, associates grew concerned enough about irregularities and the origin of the firm’s funding that they shared information with federal investigators.

They questioned whether the businesses, including a winery, were engaged in improper activity, noting that none had an established public track record.

Several high-profile figures who were once listed as advisers to Rose Lake Capital have since been removed from the firm’s bright pink website. Among them was former Sen. Max Baucus of Montana, a former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee who also served as U.S. ambassador to China under Barack Obama.

Baucus said his involvement amounted to one phone conversation in 2022 regarding a potential storage-unit project. “Then nothing came of it” beyond periodic emails from Hailer, he told The Post. “That went on for about four or five months or so, then just radio silence.”

“He stopped writing his emails about the investment – about how well he’s doing, all that stuff. You can read between the lines – it sounded a little bit fishy,” Baucus said, adding that he never gave permission for his name to appear on the firm’s website as an adviser.

Also previously named on the site were former Rep. Collin Peterson of Minnesota and J. Peter Pham, a fellow at the Atlantic Council who served as President Trump’s Special Envoy to Africa’s Great Lakes Regions.

“Obviously I’ve seen reporting, including in The NY Post, about Will’s partner who I’ve never met and his wife [Omar] – Tim and his wife’s sudden coming into riches. But [I] can’t say anything about that, other than certainly I had no share in that,” Pham said. He indicated that he attended a single meeting about a possible solar panel project in South Africa and was labeled an “advisor” by the firm. Peterson did not respond to requests for comment.

Rose Lake’s website has claimed that its officers previously managed $60 billion in assets, a figure that would place the firm among major financial players.

However, Wall Street professionals told The Post they were unfamiliar with Rose Lake Capital and unaware of any investors associated with it, despite the company’s claims of managing billions of dollars and participating in sophisticated financial transactions such as “deals, mergers and acquisitions, debt restructuring and capital raising.”

Another Wall Street source said it was startling that Mynett, long known as a Minnesota political consultant, had suddenly emerged as the head of an investment firm.

The firm is not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and does not disclose how much money it currently manages.

Following the 2008 financial crisis, Dodd-Frank reforms established registration requirements for advisers managing $100 million in assets, or $150 million for private fund advisers, subject to certain exemptions. Family offices can avoid disclosure rules because they do not seek outside investors, and venture capital firms are also exempt, a category Rose Lake claims as one of its strengths.

Even so, a former senior SEC official said Rose Lake’s public claims about private equity activity and officers’ prior management of billions in assets suggest registration should be required. “I would continue to push on the disclosure issue because this looks funny,” the former official said.

Financial specialists have also flagged the use of multiple, similar-sounding Rose Lake entities as a warning sign, along with the firm’s removal of officer listings after news broke of the massive Somali fraud scheme in Omar’s district following a front-page Post report.

In recent days, Rose Lake Capital has taken down its LinkedIn page, and Hailer’s name no longer appears there.

Hailer’s personal LinkedIn profile no longer lists Rose Lake either, though it still identifies him as a co-owner of the eStCru winery, which he founded with Mynett in 2020.

Hailer previously served as political director for then–Democratic National Committee chairman Keith Ellison, who is now Minnesota’s attorney general.

House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota said the expanding investigations are overdue.

“While Minnesotans have been getting fleeced to the tune of $9 billion by Somali fraudsters, Ilhan Omar and her husband have been raking in millions through their shady businesses,” Emmer told The NY Post.

“The explosion of wealth, plus the fact that convicted fraudsters helped fund Omar’s campaign, is worth an investigation by the Ethics Committee at the very least.”

The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday urged U.S. aircraft operators to “exercise caution” when flying over the eastern Pacific Ocean near Mexico, Central America and parts of South America, citing “military activities” and possible satellite navigation interference. The warning was issued in a series of Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) issued by the FAA. They say, […]

A delegation opposed to President Donald Trump traveled to Denmark today to calm allies and signal support for Denmark and Greenland after Trump warned he could impose tariffs on countries that refuse to back U.S. control of the strategically important Arctic island.

Leading the group, Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware said the recent language surrounding Greenland has unsettled leaders and citizens throughout the Danish kingdom, and that his goal was to lower tensions rather than inflame them.

“I hope that the people of the Kingdom of Denmark do not abandon their faith in the American people,” Coons said while speaking in Copenhagen. He added that the United States respects Denmark and NATO partners “for all we’ve done together.”

As the delegation held meetings, large crowds filled the streets of Copenhagen in a show of solidarity with Greenland. Many demonstrators waved Greenland’s flag, while others carried signs reading “Make America Smart Again” and “Hands Off.”

“This is important for the whole world,” Danish protester Elise Riechie told The Associated Press while holding both Danish and Greenlandic flags. “There are many small countries. None of them are for sale.”

Additional demonstrations were planned in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, as well as in other parts of the Danish kingdom.

Coons’ remarks stood in sharp contrast to statements coming from the White House. Trump has repeatedly defended his push for U.S. control of Greenland by arguing that China and Russia are seeking influence over the island, which is believed to contain significant untapped deposits of critical minerals. The administration has also declined to rule out the use of force.

“There are no current security threats to Greenland,” Coons said.

For months, Trump has argued that the United States should take control of Greenland, a semiautonomous territory belonging to NATO ally Denmark, and earlier this week he said any outcome short of U.S. ownership would be “unacceptable.”

Speaking Friday at an unrelated White House event focused on rural health care, Trump recalled threatening European partners with tariffs on pharmaceutical products.

“I may do that for Greenland, too,” Trump said. “I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security. So I may do that,” he said.

Trump had not previously raised tariffs as a tool to pressure allies over Greenland.

Earlier in the week, the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland met in Washington with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

While the talks failed to bridge the fundamental disagreements, both sides agreed to establish a working group. Denmark and the White House later offered sharply different public explanations of what that group would actually do.

European leaders have emphasized that decisions about Greenland rest solely with Denmark and Greenland, and Denmark announced this week that it is bolstering its military presence on the island in coordination with allies.

“There is almost no better ally to the United States than Denmark,” Coons said. “If we do things that cause Danes to question whether we can be counted on as a NATO ally, why would any other country seek to be our ally or believe in our representations?”

{Matzav.com}

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