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Hours of unrest erupted in the Meah Shearim neighborhood of Yerushalayim on Monday evening after a police and municipal operation to remove Palestinian flags and erase Palestinian graffiti from public areas developed into clashes with protesters.

The disturbances began when officers from the Lev HaBira police station, members of the Yerushalayim Yasam unit and municipal inspectors entered the neighborhood to remove Palestinian flags and erase graffiti and drawings of Palestinian flags that had been sprayed on walls in public areas.

During the operation, several rioters began hurling stones and other objects at police officers. Police responded with riot-control measures, including stun grenades, as confrontations spread through the area and continued for hours.

As police forces were leaving the neighborhood, officers spotted a minor suspected of throwing stones at them. Undercover detectives who had been operating among those involved in the disturbances moved in and arrested the suspect, who was taken for questioning.

A separate confrontation subsequently broke out nearby when a group of protesters gathered around a female police officer. Additional forces were called to the scene and dispersed the crowd, arresting two more suspects, both 16 years old, on suspicion of involvement in the incident.

All three suspects were taken to a police station for further questioning.

Meanwhile, police continued operating throughout Meah Shearim, conducting searches and carrying out both overt and undercover investigative activity in an effort to identify additional suspects believed to have participated in attacks on officers and the disturbances.

The clashes remained ongoing hours after the initial police and municipal operation began, with police forces continuing their activity throughout the neighborhood.

{Matzav.com}

A special announcement brought added simcha to the Boyaner kehillah during Hakafos Shniyos, as the Ruzhin-Boyan institutions revealed that monthly stipends for its avreichim will be increased by 20 percent, thanks to a major donation from a generous benefactor seeking to strengthen lomdei Torah and their families.

The announcement was delivered to the Boyaner Rebbe during Hakafos Shniyos by Rav Binyomin Hershler, director-general of the Ruzhin-Boyan institutions, amid the celebration of Simchas Torah.

The increase comes as avreichim and their families face growing financial pressures amid government cuts and other measures affecting the Olam HaTorah. A generous philanthropist and supporter of Torah and its lomdim stepped forward with a special contribution that will enable the institutions to raise their monthly kollel stipends by 20 percent.

The news was received with tremendous excitement by both the administration and the avreichim, particularly because it was delivered to the Rebbe in the midst of the Simchas Torah festivities.

The new increase is the latest component of an extensive system of financial assistance provided by the Ruzhin-Boyan institutions to kollel avreichim and their families throughout the year.

Approximately two years ago, the institutions implemented another substantial increase, raising stipends for avreichim by 25 percent. That initiative was part of an ongoing effort to strengthen those devoted to limud haTorah and enable them to continue their learning with greater financial peace of mind.

In addition to their regular monthly stipends, avreichim receive special grants before Pesach and during Tishrei. Each of those grants is worth nearly an additional full month’s stipend, helping families meet the considerable expenses associated with Yom Tov and enter the chagim with greater financial stability and simcha.

The support extends beyond monthly stipends and Yom Tov grants. The institutions also provide financial assistance at significant milestones and simchos in the lives of kollel families.

When an avreich celebrates the bar mitzvah of a son, he receives a grant of 4,000 shekels toward clothing for the bar mitzvah bachur.

The institutions also provide assistance when a child is born into an avreich’s family. That support includes help with the cost of a recovery home for the mother, clothing for the newborn, and other expenses associated with the birth.

Officials at the Ruzhin-Boyan institutions stressed that these programs are not intended as isolated forms of assistance. Rather, they reflect a broader approach under which supporting an avreich and his family is viewed as an integral part of sustaining and strengthening the Olam HaTorah.

With government cuts and other financial pressures weighing increasingly heavily on lomdei Torah, the institutions said their response is to increase rather than reduce their support.

“דווקא בימים אלו – מרבים תורה, מחזקים את לומדיה ומרוממים את קרן התורה”, officials said — “Precisely in these days, we increase Torah, strengthen those who learn it, and raise the honor of Torah.”

The timing of the announcement, in the midst of the simcha of Simchas Torah, gave the development particular significance, as the Boyan institutions continue expanding their efforts on behalf of their avreichim, talmidim, and families.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu vowed Monday that Israel will finish its mission in Gaza, destroy Hamas’s rule and continue hunting down those responsible for the October 7 massacre, declaring at the state memorial ceremony marking three years since the attack that there will be “no forgiveness” for its perpetrators.

Speaking at Mount Herzl in Yerushalayim, Netanyahu addressed bereaved families directly, saying that he and his wife, Sara, share in their pain and understand that the wounds left by the massacre remain ever-present.

“Your grief is the nation’s grief. I know what a void has been torn within you,” Netanyahu said. “Everything reminds us of our loved ones: The empty chair at the table. A favorite food. A touching song. We will cherish the memory of each and every one of the fallen.”

“In their name and for their sake, we will continue to strike our enemies, unceasingly strengthen our state, and build our homeland from generation to generation,” he added.

Netanyahu then recounted the story of Karin Journo, 24, who was murdered after attending the Nova festival on October 7, and described an encounter he had several weeks ago with her father, Doron Journo, at Ben-Gurion Airport.

According to Netanyahu, Journo told him: “All that is left of my Karin is three teeth. The terrorists burned her. That is what is left for me.”

Journo then made a direct appeal to the prime minister: “Prime Minister, finish the mission. Finish the mission in the Gaza Strip.”

“I hugged him, and promised him: ‘This is my commitment. We will finish the mission. And I want you to know – every day we are completing it,’” Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu said the enormity of the October 7 atrocities leaves Israel with an obligation to continue pursuing those who planned and carried out the massacre.

“We will never reconcile with this horrific crime, and precisely for that reason – we will complete the mission,” he continued. “We will settle accounts with those who dispatched and carried out the horrific massacre in our towns, our kibbutzim, our cities.”

The prime minister said there would be “no forgiveness” for those behind the killings, abuse, burning, destruction, looting and kidnappings of October 7.

“We brought home all of our hostages who were held in the tunnels of Gaza, but this is not the end of the story,” he said. “We are hunting without letup the human-beasts who attacked us with shocking cruelty, and those who held the hostages with shocking cruelty.”

“We will eradicate Hamas’s regime of blood. We will destroy it,” he declared.

Netanyahu’s pledge came as Military Intelligence Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder informed the Security Cabinet that Israel has eliminated approximately 4,000 of the estimated 6,000 terrorists who entered Israel during the October 7 assault, with the security establishment continuing to pursue roughly 2,000 others.

Turning to the extraordinary acts of courage displayed as the massacre unfolded, Netanyahu said Israelis from across the country rushed toward danger to defend communities and save lives.

“From the abysses of the fracture, the forces of our life burst forth,” Netanyahu said. “In the most difficult moments, our heroes did not hesitate – they leaped into the fire. Soldiers, female soldiers. Policemen and policewomen. Security personnel. And no less than that – citizens imbued with mutual responsibility, who acted to rescue, to save, to deliver.”

Israel’s enemies, Netanyahu said, subsequently discovered the magnitude of the response that the country would unleash.

“Our iron fist strikes everyone who has raised a hand against us,” Netanyahu said, adding that Israel was not only defending itself but also the free world.

Netanyahu also used the memorial address to denounce what he described as false accusations and libels being spread against Israel internationally.

“Lie follows lie. Libel follows libel, and we must fight it.”

As an example of Israelis confronting those accusations abroad, Netanyahu spoke about Sabin Tassa of Netiv HaAsara, whose husband was murdered in front of her children and who also lost a son at Zikim Beach.

Netanyahu recalled Tassa attending a screening in the Netherlands of the film “Naza,” where she confronted the audience with her own experience of October 7 and declared: “Here is the truth. Here is the truth. I am the truth.”

“To stand like that, the way Sabin Tassa stood there, is heroism,” Netanyahu said. “She is fighting heroically for truth and justice. I salute you, Sabin; the entire nation salutes you.”

“We will continue to struggle for the truth – and the truth will prevail. Good will prevail – Israel will prevail,” he added.

Netanyahu then recounted a more personal connection to one of the victims, speaking about 25-year-old Jonathan Azulay, who had attended the Nova festival.

Azulay’s father, Yaakov, served as Sara Netanyahu’s personal driver, while his mother, Linda, is the sister of Netanyahu’s longtime driver, Eli Elouz. Netanyahu said he had served as sandak at Jonathan’s bris milah after the family named the child for Netanyahu’s brother Yoni.

“At 7:00 in the morning, on October 7, his mother Linda received a call from Jonathan,” Netanyahu said. “He was inside a shelter, terrorists were outside, he fought them to save his partner, and a few minutes later the sound of an explosion was heard. Jonathan was killed by the grenade but managed to save his partner.”

Netanyahu said the heroism displayed amid the massacre carries with it what he described as a “supreme command” for Israel: to continue fighting its enemies while rebuilding the communities devastated by the attack.

“We are vigorously rehabilitating the Western Negev, the communities, the cities, the kibbutzim,” he said. “We do not forget the pain, we remember the pain, and we build.”

“Thus it is in the south – and thus it is and will be in the north as well. In place of destruction – building. In place of falling – revival,” Netanyahu said.

Near the conclusion of his remarks, Netanyahu quoted the prophet Isaiah: “To give them beauty instead of ashes.”

“Terrorism will not extinguish the eternal light of our nation – the light of our loved ones who were murdered,” he said. “By their light, we will persevere on the path. We will persevere in reaching out a hand to one another. We will persevere in marching forward – for the future of the nation and the State.”

“With God’s help, the victims of hostile acts will always be part of our national journey toward revival, hope, and victory. May their memory be blessed.”

The solemn address was interrupted when Yaakov Godo, whose son Tom Godo was killed during the aftermath of the October 7 attack at Kibbutz Kissufim, shouted toward Netanyahu from the audience.

“You didn’t protect my son on October 7th; you didn’t protect 1,200 victims murdered in one day. Shame, disgrace. Insolent,” Godo shouted, prompting Netanyahu to stop speaking for several seconds before resuming his address.

Tom Godo had been sheltering with his wife and three daughters after terrorists entered the family’s home. Israeli soldiers who later entered the house mistakenly opened fire toward the shelter door, killing him. His family initially believed Hamas terrorists had killed him and learned only after an IDF investigation that he had been struck by Israeli fire.

Israel has eliminated approximately 4,000 of the roughly 6,000 terrorists who invaded the country during the October 7 massacre, Military Intelligence Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder told the Security Cabinet, revealing that the IDF is continuing an intensive hunt for some 2,000 participants who remain alive.

Binder presented the figures to ministers during a Security Cabinet meeting Sunday evening, nearly three years after thousands of Hamas-led terrorists poured across the Gaza border and attacked communities and military positions in southern Israel.

“Of the 6,000 who crossed the fence, 4,000 have been killed,” Binder told ministers. “Two thousand remain — we will get every last one of them.”

The new figures indicate that Israeli forces have now eliminated roughly two-thirds of those whom Military Intelligence says crossed into Israel during the October 7 attack. The pursuit of the remaining terrorists is continuing as a standing mission of the IDF, Shin Bet and other elements of Israel’s security establishment.

Israeli intelligence officials are working to identify and locate those who took part in the invasion, murders and kidnappings, as well as terrorists who subsequently participated in holding Israeli hostages in Gaza. Some are believed to be hiding in tunnels or concealing themselves among Gaza’s population, requiring lengthy intelligence work before their locations can be verified and a strike can be carried out.

The scale of that effort was highlighted by IDF figures released last week showing that 70 terrorists were eliminated in Gaza during September alone. Among them were three brigade commanders, two battalion commanders and nine company commanders. Seventeen of those killed had participated in the October 7 attack, abducted Israelis or been involved in holding hostages.

Among the October 7 participants eliminated was Muhammad Jamal Mahmoud Abu Al-Shaar, a Hamas military-wing cell commander who, according to the IDF, invaded Kibbutz Be’eri during the massacre and was involved in the abduction of six Israelis: Sharon Hertzman-Avigdori, Noam Avigdori, Adi Shoham, Nave Shoham, Yahel Shoham and Shoshan Haran.

Abu Al-Shaar was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza City. That same day, the IDF eliminated Musab Abd al-Jalil Saqib Balbisi, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad military-wing commander, in a strike in Jabalia. The IDF said Balbisi had also participated in the October 7 invasion.

The senior Hamas figures eliminated during September included Khan Yunis Brigade commander Muhammad Yazouri; Nael Abu Obeid, commander of the Rafah Brigade and head of the Operations Array in Hamas’ military wing; and Northern Gaza Brigade commander Izz al-Din Bikh. Muhammad Abu Alwan, who headed Hamas’ Finance Department, was also among those killed.

Israeli forces have continued targeting October 7 participants into October. Among the latest was Ibrahim Mustafa Suleiman Abu Oweimer, a Nukhba platoon commander in Hamas’ military wing who participated in the invasion of Israel. The IDF also announced the elimination of Saqr Nabil Musa Qaisi, a Hamas Nukhba terrorist whom the military said had been posing as the director of the humanitarian organization Deniz Feneri.

The wider manhunt has included terrorists directly connected to some of the most notorious scenes of October 7, with the IDF and Shin Bet conducting prolonged intelligence operations to identify those involved in individual murders, kidnappings and attacks.

Among those tracked down was Saher Nidal Lutfi Saqr, identified as the motorcycle driver involved in the abduction of Noa Argamani and Avinatan Or from the Nova music festival. Israeli forces also eliminated Ismail Ibrahim Darwish Qandil, who participated in the October 7 invasion and was involved in the killing of Nahal Brigade commander Col. Yonatan Steinberg.

The ongoing campaign has required extensive intelligence gathering, surveillance and coordination between the IDF and Shin Bet. In many cases, security forces have waited for extended periods until they could conclusively establish a terrorist’s identity and location and find an operational opportunity to strike without unnecessarily endangering others.

Binder’s disclosure comes as Israeli intelligence officials are also warning that Hamas is working to rebuild its forces and prepare for renewed attacks from Gaza, adding urgency to Israel’s efforts to locate the remaining October 7 participants.

The security establishment has made clear that the passage of time will not bring an end to the pursuit. Those who participated in the massacre, abducted Israelis or held hostages remain targets, regardless of how long it takes Israeli intelligence to locate them.

“There are 2,000 remaining, and we will get to every last one of them,” Binder said.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Jeff Merkley are seeking to effectively drive automated license-plate readers out of government use with sweeping new legislation that would prohibit federal agencies from using the technology and threaten federal funding for state and local governments that continue operating the surveillance systems.

The legislation, called the Ban Flock Act, was introduced amid intensifying bipartisan scrutiny of Flock Safety, the largest operator of automated license-plate readers in the United States. The company has more than 120,000 cameras around the country, creating a network capable of recording enormous numbers of vehicle movements and allowing law-enforcement agencies to search collected information across jurisdictions.

Although Flock is named in the title, the legislation is not limited to one company. Its restrictions would apply broadly to automated license-plate readers, commonly known as ALPRs, regardless of the manufacturer.

The bill would prohibit federal agencies from acquiring or using ALPR systems and from accessing information gathered by cameras operated by local police departments, private companies or other entities. It would also bar the use of federal money to purchase the systems.

State and local governments would face significant financial pressure to abandon the technology as well. Under the proposal, certain federal grants would be withheld from states and municipalities that continue using automated license-plate readers or contracting with companies that provide them.

The legislation would additionally give Americans a legal avenue to sue the federal government if their rights were violated through prohibited use of ALPR technology.

There are limited exceptions. The bill would permit license-plate readers to be used for toll collection, and Congress could specifically authorize other uses through future legislation. Such authorization would have to include restrictions requiring that collected information generally be deleted within 48 hours.

Sanders said the technology has expanded far beyond an ordinary police camera system and now represents a fundamental threat to Americans’ ability to travel without having their movements continuously recorded.

“At a time of growing concern about the unchecked power of artificial intelligence, Flock is eviscerating the very notion of privacy by installing tens of thousands of cameras in communities across America without their consent,” Sanders said. “Going to the doctor? Flock knows. Dropping your kid off at school? Flock is tracking you. Flock is always watching. We cannot allow America to become a surveillance state where a handful of AI oligarchs profit by giving the government the power to track our every movement.”

Flock’s cameras are typically positioned along roads and automatically photograph passing vehicles. The system records license plates and other identifying characteristics, and the information can then be searched by participating law-enforcement agencies.

Newer versions of the technology can collect considerably more information than a traditional license-plate photograph. Critics say Flock’s artificial-intelligence tools can combine images of vehicles and people with information from other databases, potentially producing details about individuals, relatives, court records, online accounts and patterns of movement.

The scale of the network is one of the principal concerns driving the congressional push. Flock says its more than 120,000 cameras capture approximately 20 billion vehicle observations each month.

Its national lookup capabilities also mean that a camera located hundreds or thousands of miles away can potentially become useful to an investigator elsewhere. Agencies participating in the network can, subject to system rules and data-sharing arrangements, search information collected outside their own communities.

Ocasio-Cortez said that capability has transformed what might once have been viewed as a localized law-enforcement tool into a nationwide surveillance system.

She said the Ban Flock Act would “enforce our constitutional right to privacy and protect Americans from both corporate and government surveillance.”

“No one should have this unchecked surveillance power at their fingertips,” Merkley added.

The controversy has been fueled by documented cases in which law-enforcement officers allegedly used ALPR systems for personal purposes rather than legitimate investigations. More than 50 officers around the country have reportedly been accused of unauthorized searches, including cases involving officers searching for wives, girlfriends, former romantic partners and women they wanted to meet.

Five Indianapolis police officers, for example, were accused of improperly using Flock cameras to search for people with whom they had personal relationships, including spouses or romantic partners. The department subsequently tightened its policies and introduced daily auditing of ALPR searches.

Other concerns have centered on searches connected to political demonstrations and immigration enforcement. Critics of the technology say ALPR databases have been searched in connection with demonstrations against immigration raids, pro-Palestinian protests and “No Kings” demonstrations, while Flock data has also been shared across jurisdictions for federal immigration investigations.

The mounting concerns have already prompted communities around the country to reconsider their relationships with Flock. According to the lawmakers behind the Ban Flock Act, at least 56 municipalities have deactivated cameras, canceled contracts or rejected proposed Flock agreements this year.

The legal debate intensified further last week when a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled in a criminal case that an officer’s warrantless use of the Flock network amounted to “indiscriminate mass surveillance” and violated the Fourth Amendment.

The case involved a Tulsa County sheriff’s deputy who used Flock data to track the movements of a vehicle suspected of involvement in drug trafficking. A subsequent search uncovered 91 pounds of methamphetamine, but U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill concluded that the broad tracking made possible by the network crossed a constitutional line because it allowed police to reconstruct a person’s movements without first obtaining a warrant.

The ruling represents one court’s decision and does not establish a nationwide prohibition on ALPR technology. Flock strongly disputed the decision and said it conflicts with established legal precedent concerning the observation of vehicles traveling on public roads.

Concern over the cameras has also become strikingly bipartisan.

Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, recently chaired a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing titled “Always Watching: Flock’s Nationwide AI Surveillance Network,” examining the privacy and national-security implications of ALPR systems.

Sen. Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, participated in the same hearing and called for stronger safeguards governing how the technology can be used.

Flock CEO Garrett Langley was invited to testify before the committee but did not appear. The CEOs of several other surveillance-technology companies were also invited and declined to testify.

Flock instead submitted written answers to Hawley and acknowledged that Congress should establish a federal regulatory framework governing automated license-plate readers. The company also described safeguards it has introduced as scrutiny of the technology has increased.

Hawley is pursuing his own legislation rather than endorsing a complete federal ban. His proposed Stop Flock Abuse Act would impose rules governing how ALPR systems are used, require audits designed to identify improper searches and establish restrictions intended to prevent unauthorized surveillance.

That means the congressional debate is developing along two different tracks: Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez and Merkley want the federal government out of ALPR surveillance altogether and would use federal funding to push states and cities in the same direction, while Hawley is proposing to permit continued use under stronger safeguards and oversight.

Flock has said it supports congressional action establishing rules for the industry, while opposing the characterization of its technology as inherently incompatible with privacy.

“We welcome these conversations in Congress because we believe public safety technologies are powerful tools best used in concert with strong policy, accountability and oversight mechanisms,” a Flock spokesperson said in a statement.

Law-enforcement supporters of ALPR technology argue that the cameras can provide investigators with valuable leads in cases involving stolen vehicles, kidnappings, missing people and violent crimes. Because the cameras can rapidly identify a wanted vehicle traveling through a particular location, police departments say searches that once required hours or days can sometimes be performed almost immediately.

Critics counter that the same capability that makes the cameras effective for solving crimes also makes abuse extraordinarily easy: a search can potentially reveal where an individual has traveled without requiring officers to physically follow that person or, in many circumstances, obtain a warrant.

That tension has increasingly become the center of the national debate — whether the public-safety benefits of a vast interconnected camera network justify creating a searchable record of the movements of millions of Americans who are not suspected of committing any crime.

President Donald Trump escalated his long-running feud with Barack Obama on Sunday, sharing a meme that branded Obama — rather than Richard Nixon — the “most corrupt president in the history of the United States,” as federal investigators continue examining the conduct of Obama-era officials surrounding the investigations of Trump that began during the 2016 election.

Trump posted a split-screen image of the official presidential portraits of Obama and Nixon on Truth Social, accompanied by a pointed caption.

“One of these men is the most corrupt president in the history of the United States. The other is Richard Nixon.”

Trump added no further commentary to the image, but the comparison represented another broadside against his Democratic predecessor, whom Trump has repeatedly accused of wrongdoing connected to the origins of the Russia investigation and efforts by intelligence and law-enforcement officials during and after the 2016 presidential campaign.

Those accusations have received renewed attention during Trump’s second administration following the declassification of intelligence documents and the opening of a Justice Department investigation examining whether officials from previous administrations participated in a broader effort to violate Trump’s rights through a series of federal investigations.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released documents in 2025 that she said demonstrated that Obama administration officials politicized intelligence concerning Russian interference after Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. Gabbard subsequently referred material to the Justice Department and publicly accused Obama administration officials of participating in a coordinated effort to undermine Trump’s incoming presidency.

Obama’s office has rejected those allegations, calling claims of wrongdoing “outrageous” and maintaining that the documents did not undermine the longstanding conclusion that Russia attempted to influence the 2016 presidential election. Obama himself has not been charged with a crime.

The Justice Department investigation has continued into 2026, focusing in part on the origins and conduct of the Russia investigation and other federal investigations involving Trump. Former Obama-era intelligence officials, including former CIA Director John Brennan, have faced scrutiny as part of the inquiry.

The investigation has also experienced internal upheaval. Several officials involved in the probe have left or changed roles, including Kurt Olsen and Joseph diGenova, while the Justice Department has maintained that the inquiry remains active.

Trump has repeatedly argued that the Russia investigation amounted to an effort by political and government opponents to cripple his first presidency. Critics of that contention say multiple investigations established that Russia interfered in the 2016 election, while the Mueller investigation did not establish that the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election-interference activities.

The president’s decision to invoke Nixon gave Sunday’s post an especially provocative historical edge.

Nixon resigned from the presidency in August 1974 as the Watergate scandal closed in around his administration and impeachment appeared increasingly likely. The scandal began with the June 1972 break-in at Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex and ultimately expanded into investigations of the Nixon administration’s efforts to conceal its involvement and obstruct the subsequent investigation.

The House Judiciary Committee approved three articles of impeachment against Nixon in July 1974, accusing him of obstruction of justice, abuse of power and contempt of Congress. Nixon resigned before the full House could vote on impeachment, becoming the only president in American history to leave the office by resignation.

Trump’s meme effectively argued that Obama’s conduct was worse, although the post offered no specific evidence or allegations to accompany the comparison.

The two presidents have maintained an unusually bitter relationship extending back well before Trump first entered the White House.

Before launching his presidential campaign, Trump became one of the country’s most prominent proponents of the false claim that Obama had been born in Kenya rather than Hawaii and was therefore ineligible to serve as president. Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1961. Trump publicly acknowledged in September 2016 that Obama was born in the United States.

Their political conflict intensified after Trump succeeded Obama in January 2017, with Trump dismantling or reversing numerous Obama-era policies while repeatedly accusing Obama administration officials of improperly targeting him and his associates.

Obama, meanwhile, has become increasingly outspoken in criticizing Trump’s second administration.

In recent months, Obama has challenged Trump over the administration’s approach to regulating advanced technology and over the war with Iran. In a June interview with NBC’s “Today,” Obama argued that the United States had emerged from the Iran conflict in a worse position despite the enormous financial and human costs involved.

“We’ve now fought a war, spent billions and billions of dollars, put an enormous strain on our military, a lot of people have died, and it feels like we are back where we were before we started the war, except maybe a little worse off,” Obama told host Craig Melvin.

Obama has also recently addressed the subject of government corruption more broadly. In September, he argued during an episode of his podcast that the federal government, when measured by traditional forms of corruption such as bribery and patronage, is considerably less corrupt than it was during earlier periods of American history.

Trump has continued responding with his own attacks, frequently using Truth Social to share memes, videos and commentary aimed at Obama and other political adversaries.

Last month, Trump shared a graphic ranking American presidents that placed himself alone in a category labeled “The Greatest,” while Obama, Joe Biden and several other presidents were placed in a category labeled “Failures.”

Sunday’s Nixon comparison went considerably further, placing Obama alongside the president whose name has been synonymous with Watergate for more than half a century and explicitly asserting that Obama’s record was worse.

Nixon was never impeached because he resigned before the House could take a final vote. Three presidents have been impeached by the House: Andrew Johnson in 1868, Bill Clinton in 1998 and Trump, who was impeached twice, in 2019 and 2021.

The Senate acquitted the president in each of those four impeachment trials. No American president has ever been convicted and removed from office by the Senate.

{Matzav.com}

More than 60 million American children have now been automatically enrolled in Trump Accounts, dramatically expanding President Donald Trump’s new investment program and giving virtually every eligible child under 18 an account even if their parents never signed them up.

The Treasury Department confirmed that it completed the massive automatic-enrollment process on October 1. Every eligible child under 18 with a valid Social Security number who did not already have an account now has one established on his or her behalf, with Treasury planning periodic automatic enrollment for newly eligible children going forward.

But there is an important catch for parents: an automatically created account generally must still be claimed by a parent or guardian before the family can manage it and make ordinary contributions. Parents of children eligible for the federal government’s $1,000 starter payment must also take action to request that money.

“Millions of children have already enrolled in Trump Accounts. With automatic enrollment, over 60 million more eligible children now have an account ready to be claimed,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. “This is a transformative milestone in the Trump Administration’s effort to give every American child the opportunity to build generational wealth and jump-start their financial future.”

The sweeping expansion marks a major change from the program’s original rollout, when parents or guardians had to affirmatively register children. Roughly 7 million children had been signed up before Treasury shifted to automatic enrollment, while Bessent has said the potential eligible population could ultimately approach 70 million children.

The accounts, formally known as Section 530A accounts, were created under Trump’s signature tax and spending legislation. They are designed to give children an early foothold in the investment markets, with money generally invested in diversified, low-cost funds tied to the American stock market.

Treasury officials said one reason for switching to automatic enrollment was to ensure that large charitable contributions could reach children regardless of whether their parents happened to know about the program or had completed the registration process.

That issue became particularly significant after Michael and Susan Dell announced a $6.25 billion commitment intended to provide $250 for approximately 25 million children. The initiative focuses largely on children who are 10 or younger and live in ZIP codes with median household incomes below $150,000, subject to the program’s eligibility requirements.

The government’s decision to create accounts automatically means philanthropic programs can potentially reach a far broader pool of children rather than being limited to those whose parents had already registered.

Parents whose children were automatically enrolled still have several steps to complete if they want to take control of the accounts.

Treasury says a parent or guardian should download the official Trump Accounts app, available for iOS and Android devices. During the claiming process, the adult must verify his or her identity, establish the relationship to the child, review the child’s information and accept the account terms.

Once the account is claimed, parents can manage it and family members, friends and employers can begin making ordinary contributions.

The distinction between being automatically enrolled and having a fully claimed account is especially important for parents of babies and young children who qualify for the government’s $1,000 seed contribution.

Children born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, who meet the program’s eligibility requirements can receive a one-time $1,000 federal contribution. Automatic enrollment by itself does not cause that $1,000 payment to be deposited. An authorized parent or guardian must claim the account and request the federal seed money.

The broader eligibility rules extend considerably further. Any eligible child in the United States who is under 18 and has a valid Social Security number can have a Trump Account, even if the child was born outside the 2025-through-2028 window and therefore does not qualify for the federal government’s $1,000 contribution.

The IRS has specified an additional qualification for children whose Social Security cards carry the notation “Valid for Work Only with DHS Authorization.” In those cases, the Social Security number is considered valid for purposes of the program only while the underlying Department of Homeland Security authorization remains valid.

Beyond the federal $1,000 payment available to qualifying young children, millions of children may be eligible for additional seed money from private donors, employers, state or local governments and philanthropic organizations.

The rules were structured to encourage those large-scale contributions. Qualified contributions from governments and certain charitable initiatives do not count against the ordinary annual contribution limit, allowing children to receive those payments in addition to money deposited by their families.

Parents, grandparents, other relatives and friends can also contribute. Ordinary contributions are generally subject to an annual limit of $5,000 per child.

Employers can contribute as well. Employer payments are capped at $2,500 annually and count toward the broader $5,000 annual limit. A number of major American companies have already announced programs to make or match contributions for the children of employees.

Those dollar limits are not permanently fixed. The IRS says the contribution caps will be adjusted over time for inflation.

The accounts differ in several important ways from traditional 529 college-savings plans. Trump Accounts are intended as broader long-term investment vehicles rather than accounts restricted primarily to educational expenses.

During the child’s growth period, the money is generally invested and allowed to compound. The IRS defines that period as ending on December 31 of the year before the beneficiary turns 18.

After the beneficiary reaches adulthood, money can ultimately be used for purposes including higher education, purchasing a first home or starting a business. The tax treatment of withdrawals can vary depending on how and when the money is distributed.

Early distributions may trigger additional taxes, although the IRS notes that exceptions may apply “such as for distributions for higher education expenses or first home purchases.”

One of the administration’s central arguments for Trump Accounts is that even relatively modest amounts invested at birth could become substantial sums if left invested for decades.

Bessent has previously illustrated the potential by considering a child who receives only the government’s $1,000 seed payment and never receives another contribution. Assuming the S&P 500 were to continue producing an average annual return of approximately 10.5%, he has estimated that the original $1,000 could eventually grow to roughly $600,000 by retirement age.

That figure is an illustration based on an assumed long-term return rather than a guarantee. Stock-market returns fluctuate, and future performance could be substantially higher or lower than historical averages.

The White House Council of Economic Advisers has offered another scenario involving a child born in 2026 whose account receives the maximum permitted annual contributions. Its analysis estimated that such an account could exceed $300,000 by age 18 and potentially surpass $1 million by age 28 under a high-return scenario.

Those projections similarly depend on investment returns and continued contributions and should not be read as guaranteed account balances.

The automatic-enrollment policy also addresses a problem Treasury officials identified during the program’s initial months: millions of children qualified for accounts, but only a relatively small portion of families had actually completed enrollment.

Treasury concluded that requiring every parent to opt in could also undermine large charitable initiatives because donors seeking to help an entire class of children could reach only those whose parents had already registered.

Under the new system, Treasury itself makes the election necessary to establish an account for an eligible child who does not already have one. The department will continue periodically creating accounts as additional children become eligible.

The change means parents who ignored the original Trump Account rollout, missed the registration announcements or deliberately took no action may nevertheless discover that an account has already been established for their child.

It does not, however, mean parents have surrendered control of family money or that Treasury is automatically taking funds from them. The automatic process creates the account; ordinary family contributions still require action by the parent or guardian.

For families, the immediate question is therefore no longer simply whether their child qualifies for a Trump Account. For more than 60 million children, Treasury says the account is already waiting.

The next step belongs to the parents: claim it, determine whether the child qualifies for the $1,000 federal seed payment or other contributions, and decide whether they want to begin adding money of their own.

A large majority of Americans say President Donald Trump’s policies are contributing to higher prices, while his approval ratings on the economy and cost of living have fallen to new lows, according to a new AP-NORC poll released just weeks before the November midterm elections.

The survey found that 65% of Americans believe higher-than-usual prices are the result of Trump’s policies, while just 17% approve of his handling of the cost of living. Only 26% approve of the president’s management of the economy overall.

The findings underscore the political challenge facing Trump and congressional Republicans as voters prepare to decide control of the House and Senate. Recent polling has consistently identified inflation, affordability and the broader economy as among the issues weighing most heavily on voters.

The nationwide AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey was conducted September 24 through September 28 among 2,140 adults. Interviews were conducted online and by telephone through NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel. The poll has an overall margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.

Partisan differences remain pronounced. Among Republicans, 67% said elevated prices are primarily attributable to circumstances outside the president’s control rather than Trump’s policies.

The partisan response mirrors attitudes recorded during the Biden administration, although the overall numbers differ considerably. In October 2022, when inflation was a major political liability for President Joe Biden and Democrats, 44% of Americans said higher prices were the result of Biden’s policies. At the same time, 87% of Democrats said factors outside Biden’s control were responsible.

The latest survey suggests that dissatisfaction with Trump extends beyond Democrats and independents, particularly when respondents were asked whether his performance has lived up to what they expected after his return to the White House.

“Trump is also falling short of expectations on the cost of living, with 69 percent of the public saying his handling of the issue has been worse than expected, including 52 percent of Republicans,” noted the poll.

The public’s broader assessment of conditions in the country was similarly negative.

“More than half of adults say the country as a whole, the national economy, and their local economy are worse off since Trump was reelected in 2025,” it continued. “Forty-six percent say they and their families are worse off since the start of Trump’s second administration. Most Americans (73 percent) say the country is heading in the wrong direction, including 92 percent of Democrats and 47 percent of Republicans.”

The economic pessimism comes as Americans continue confronting elevated costs for gasoline, groceries, housing and services. Consumer confidence fell sharply in September, reaching its lowest level in more than a decade, while inflation and the cost of basic necessities continue to dominate voters’ economic concerns.

The latest employment figures have added another complication. The U.S. economy added only 29,000 jobs in September, substantially below economists’ expectations, while unemployment edged upward from 4.1% to 4.2%. Earlier employment estimates for July and August were also revised downward by a combined 60,000 jobs.

At the same time, inflation remains persistent. Consumer prices were 3.4% higher in August than a year earlier, while wage growth has slowed, increasing the pressure on households already concerned about affordability.

Trump and his allies have argued that the administration inherited significant economic problems and that its policies on energy, taxes, trade and deregulation will ultimately produce lower prices and stronger growth. The president has also increasingly focused his midterm campaign appearances on the economy and has argued that Republican control of Congress is necessary to carry out his agenda.

The AP-NORC results indicate, however, that many Americans are currently assigning responsibility for their economic frustrations directly to the White House.

The findings are particularly significant because Trump historically performed relatively strongly with voters on economic issues. His current 26% economic approval rating represents a substantial deterioration from earlier in his presidency and comes as Republicans defend narrow congressional majorities.

The poll also found considerable dissatisfaction with Trump’s trade policies. Sixty-eight percent disapprove of his handling of trade negotiations with other countries, while 58% say his performance on trade has been worse than they expected during his second term.

Trump’s aggressive use of tariffs is also unpopular with a majority of respondents. Sixty-four percent said the administration has gone too far in imposing new tariffs on foreign countries.

The president has defended tariffs as a tool for protecting American manufacturers, forcing trading partners to negotiate more favorable agreements and encouraging companies to move production to the United States. Critics have argued that tariffs can increase costs for American businesses and consumers when importers pass the added expense along through higher prices.

Immigration remains a comparatively stronger issue for Trump, although he is still underwater with the public. Thirty-nine percent approve of his handling of immigration, a figure that has remained relatively stable in recent surveys.

“About half (48 percent) say his handling of immigration has gone worse than expected, another quarter (23 percent) feel that it has gone better than expected,” the study added.

The administration’s handling of Iran is receiving even lower marks. Seventy-one percent of respondents said they disapprove of Trump’s handling of Iran, while 69% said the war with Iran has not been worth fighting.

Those numbers come as the administration continues a naval blockade intended to choke off Iranian oil revenue while simultaneously engaging Tehran through diplomatic channels in an effort to reach an agreement over the Strait of Hormuz and other outstanding issues.

Another finding that could concern the White House involves perceptions of Trump’s ability to fulfill his commitments. Only 17% of Americans said Trump keeps his promises. Among Republicans, 36% said he keeps them, while 48% said he tries to fulfill his promises but is unable to do so.

The economic concerns are also beginning to affect perceptions of the two major parties. A separate analysis of respondents from the same AP-NORC survey found registered voters now give Democrats an advantage over Republicans when asked which party they trust more to handle both the economy and the cost of living.

That advantage does not translate into broad enthusiasm for Democrats. The same survey found considerable distrust of both parties, with relatively few voters saying either Republicans or Democrats are focused on helping people like them or are capable of solving the country’s most important problems.

Other polling has likewise shown affordability becoming central to the midterm campaign. A recent Fox News survey found that roughly three-quarters of voters said inflation had caused them financial hardship, while 54% expected economic conditions to deteriorate further.

Republican leaders have acknowledged that the cost of living will be critical in the final stretch of the campaign. The GOP is attempting to increase turnout among Trump supporters while defending slim congressional majorities, and the president has begun an intensified campaign schedule aimed at mobilizing voters who turned out for him in presidential elections but have historically been less reliable in midterms.

Trump pushed back against unfavorable polling during a campaign appearance in Ohio, arguing that surveys do not adequately account for the effect of his personal campaigning and urging his supporters to approach November as though his own name were on the ballot.

The president’s overall approval numbers have varied considerably depending on the poll and methodology, with recent surveys placing him between the upper 20s and upper 30s. But across multiple surveys, concerns over inflation and affordability have emerged as a consistent vulnerability for the administration and Republicans heading into Election Day.

With less than a month remaining before voters cast their ballots, the AP-NORC survey suggests the political debate over the economy is increasingly centered on a straightforward question for Americans: whether their financial circumstances have improved since Trump returned to the White House. For nearly half of those surveyed, the answer about their own families was that they are worse off than when his second administration began.

Remarkable details about the daily life of the renowned mekubal Rav Dovid Shalom Batzri zt”l have emerged following his petirah, with Rav Yaakov Ades describing years in which he watched the venerated mekubal devote virtually every waking hour to Torah, lengthy tefillos and helping other Yidden.

Rav Batzri, the longtime rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Hamekubalim Hashalom in Yerushalayim and one of the most prominent mekubalim of his generation, was niftar on Erev Sukkos at the age of 85. He had collapsed while in Bnei Brak and was rushed to Sheba Medical Center following prolonged resuscitation efforts, but was ultimately niftar at the hospital.

His levayah departed from Yeshivas Hashalom on Rechov Tachkemoni in Yerushalayim and proceeded to the Sanhedria cemetery, where he was buried alongside his wife, Rebbetzin Tzipora Batzri a”h, who was niftar on Erev Pesach 2020.

In an extensive conversation with Rav Moshe Ben Lulu on Kol Chai’s “B’Govah Halev” program, Rav Ades offered an unusually intimate glimpse into Rav Batzri’s private avodas Hashem. Rav Ades said that for years he spent “most of the day in the same room” with Rav Batzri, learning alongside him and observing a daily regimen that he found difficult to comprehend even while witnessing it firsthand.

“He would arrive at the yeshiva at around a quarter to five in the morning and leave at around two in the morning,” Rav Ades recalled.

That schedule left Rav Batzri with barely a few hours away from the yeshiva each day. Even his eating, Rav Ades said, was strikingly minimal. During the week, he rarely sat down for conventional meals, subsisting instead on small amounts of salad, crackers, fruit and vegetables.

“I didn’t understand how he survived. No one should try to imitate this. His vitality came from the Torah. The Torah gave him life.”

Rav Ades stressed that Rav Batzri’s regimen was not something others should attempt to emulate physically. What astonished him was the degree to which Rav Batzri appeared to draw his strength from learning and avodah despite sleeping and eating so little.

“It is truly very difficult to eulogize such a great person, with so many qualities,” Rav Ades said.

Rav Batzri was born in Yerushalayim in 1941 to Rav Yosef and Victoria Batzri and descended from an illustrious family of Iraqi Torah giants. He was a descendant of the great mekubal Rav Yehuda Fatiyah zt”l and was related to the Ben Ish Chai. In his youth, he learned at Yeshivas Porat Yosef and absorbed Torah from some of the leading Sephardic gedolim and mekubalim of the previous generation.

He later married Rebbetzin Tzipora, daughter of the famed mekubal Rav Salman Mutzafi zt”l, and devoted his life in particular to the study and transmission of Torat hanistar. Over the years, Yeshivas Hashalom became a major address for the study of Kabbalah and the kavanos of the Arizal and Rashash.

Rav Ades said Rav Batzri’s tefillos were themselves an extraordinary avodah. He would daven according to the kavanos of the Arizal and Rashash, “down to the smallest details,” remaining on his feet in prayer for hours at a time.

Even exhaustion seemed to disappear once the tefillah began, Rav Ades recalled.

“Even when he was weak and tired, he would begin to daven — and receive strength like fire.”

Rav Ades remembered seeing Rav Batzri shed tears as he davened for individual Yidden who needed yeshuos, as well as for Klal Yisroel as a whole. At the same time, he said, there was an unmistakable simcha in Rav Batzri’s learning, even during periods when he was personally experiencing difficulty and pain.

One episode Rav Ades related concerned an individual who had fought against Rav Batzri during a certain period. Later, that same person found himself in need of assistance.

Rav Batzri did not hesitate.

According to Rav Ades, he helped the man “with joy and a full heart, with all his heart and all his soul,” without allowing their earlier dispute to affect his response. Rav Ades said the incident exemplified Rav Batzri’s approach to avodas Hashem: personal calculations and grievances had no place when another person needed his help.

Rav Ades also described a side of Rav Batzri’s life that was far less visible to the public — his extensive involvement in efforts to strengthen Jewish families and prevent abortions.

According to Rav Ades, Rav Batzri invested enormous effort in those activities over many years, and he estimated that “certainly thousands” of children were born as a result of those efforts.

Alongside his public work, Rav Batzri possessed an extraordinary command of the writings of the Arizal and Rashash, Rav Ades said. Yet one of his gifts was his ability to take exceptionally difficult concepts and explain the Siddur HaRashash to students with unusual clarity and simplicity.

Some of those talmidim would themselves eventually become accomplished mekubalim and teachers, extending Rav Batzri’s influence to another generation.

His impact on the baal teshuvah movement was also far greater than many people realized, Rav Ades said, because much of Rav Batzri’s work was conducted behind the scenes.

Among the efforts with which he was involved was the campaign to bring children from secular Israeli homes into Torah educational institutions. Rav Ades said Rav Batzri was among those who encouraged Rav Uri Zohar zt”l to devote a substantial portion of his efforts to bringing Yidden back to Torah and registering children in religious schools.

“One can say with almost certainty that tens of thousands of people who observe Torah and mitzvos today are the fruits of his initiatives,” Rav Ades said.

Rav Batzri remained intensely involved in the needs of individual Yidden and Klal Yisroel throughout his life. Even during his later years, when his health declined and he experienced a number of hospitalizations, he continued teaching Torat hanistar, receiving people seeking advice and brachos, and involving himself in matters concerning the klal and the prat.

Following Rav Batzri’s petirah, Yeshivas Nahar Shalom described him as someone who devoted his life to the precise study of the kavanos, teaching Toras hanistar and davening with extraordinary concentration for Klal Yisroel. He had maintained a longstanding relationship with the yeshiva and its leadership, learning there and encouraging the publication of siddurim devoted to the kavanos of the Rashash.

Rav Ades concluded his remarks by leading a tefillah l’ilui nishmas Rav Batzri and for the yeshuah of Klal Yisroel. But he also urged that the memories and stories surrounding Rav Batzri’s life be translated into something concrete.

In particular, he called for efforts to encourage additional Yidden to keep Shabbos l’ilui nishmas Rav Dovid Shalom ben Rav Yosef Batzri zt”l.

Rav Ades recalled a young man from Nahariya who had once been influenced by a radio campaign encouraging Shabbos observance. The young man began keeping Shabbos himself, subsequently influenced several of his friends to do the same, and ultimately entered a yeshiva to learn Torah.

For Rav Ades, the story illustrated how a single initiative could produce consequences extending far beyond anything its organizers could initially see — precisely the kind of zikui harabbim that had characterized Rav Batzri’s life.

“Do it with all your strength,” Rav Ades urged.

{Matzav.com}