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Sen. Rand Paul and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are blasting Dr. Anthony Fauci and ABC News following claims by a former network correspondent that Fauci may have been involved in reviewing a 2021 report about the possibility that COVID-19 originated in a laboratory.

The controversy erupted after former ABC correspondent Terry Moran described how a report he prepared examining the lab-leak theory was substantially altered before it reached the air. Moran said his reporting included conversations with molecular virologists and officials from the Trump administration, along with an examination of evidence connected to the Wuhan laboratory.

Moran said that when the segment was returned to him following an internal review on the day it was supposed to air, the version he received bore little resemblance to what he had submitted.

“And it comes back to me and it is incomprehensible,” Moran said.

Asked during an appearance on “The Fifth Column” podcast who had been involved in reviewing his work, Moran responded: “Lawyers, standards, and — I was told — Fauci.”

Moran cautioned that he cannot independently confirm that ABC actually provided Fauci with the script. His assertion, he explained, was based on what he was told at the time about who participated in the review process.

Paul, a Kentucky Republican who repeatedly confronted Fauci during congressional hearings over the federal government’s pandemic response, quickly seized on Moran’s account as evidence of improper influence over the network’s reporting.

“The former Senior National Correspondent of ABC News recently admitted the network’s editorial independence took a back seat to the Anthony Fauci-led cover-up,” Paul wrote Saturday on X.

DeSantis also sharply criticized ABC over the allegation that Fauci was involved in the process.

“What a pathetic indictment of ABC News,” the Florida governor posted on X. “Letting Fauci of all people dictate coverage.”

According to Moran, ABC’s standards department had adopted the position at the time that raising the possibility of a laboratory origin for COVID-19 was potentially dangerous, making it exceedingly difficult to seriously explore the theory in the report.

Moran said the segment was ultimately loaded with so many disclaimers, caveats and legal qualifications that he chose not to watch the final version after it aired.

The possibility that COVID-19 emerged from a laboratory has remained the subject of intense scientific and political debate years after the pandemic began.

Subsequent congressional investigations revealed that Fauci was provided with drafts of a 2020 scientific paper supporting a natural origin for the virus after scientists had privately discussed the possibility that it could have originated in a laboratory.

Moran’s account is now fueling longstanding criticism among conservatives who contend that major news organizations were too willing during the pandemic to accept the conclusions of government public-health officials while dismissing or marginalizing competing theories.

Moran departed ABC in 2025 after publishing a social media post attacking White House adviser Stephen Miller. Since leaving the network, he has also acknowledged what he viewed as political bias in ABC’s coverage.

Writing in an essay, Moran said the network frequently failed to adequately represent pro-Trump viewpoints and acknowledged that ABC was biased, though he characterized that bias as largely inadvertent rather than deliberate.

For Paul and DeSantis, however, the latest allegations go beyond the broader question of ideological bias in the media. Moran’s account raises the question of whether one of the federal government’s most prominent public-health officials was permitted to influence how a major television network presented one of the central controversies surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] President Trump welcomed 10-year-old Nathaniel Rai and the 16-year-old lifeguard who saved him from powerful waves off the California coast to the Oval Office, where the president praised the teenager as a hero — while joking that Rai was fortunate Trump himself had not been on duty that day.

Speaking directly to Rai about his rescuer, Ryder Williams, Trump said: “He’s a real hero. I don’t know if I’d do it.

“I wouldn’t, probably. You’re lucky I wasn’t on the service that day.”

Rai, dressed in a dark suit and maroon tie, sat on a gold couch alongside his father and Trump during the White House meeting. Williams sat across from them as the president recounted the dramatic rescue that captured widespread attention after video of it circulated online.

Trump arranged the meeting after publicly saying Williams deserved to receive a civilian honor for his actions. The president had previously announced on social media that he intended to invite the teenage lifeguard to the White House in recognition of his bravery.

Video of the late-July rescue showed Williams holding tightly to Rai as powerful waves repeatedly crashed over the two of them. At one point, both disappeared beneath the water before becoming visible again several seconds later as the wave pulled away.

Another lifeguard, Aaron Bohnen, eventually joined the rescue effort and helped Williams and Rai safely reach shore at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz.

Trump first weighed in on the dramatic footage after his son Eric Trump shared a post about Williams and said the teenager deserved “the highest civilian honor”.

Rai’s father, Sumit, has also expressed profound gratitude to the teenager who saved his son.

“What he did, I can never repay. I’m forever grateful.”

The rescue occurred as California lawmakers were considering legislation that would formally classify lifeguards as first responders, according to NBC Bay Area.

Supporters of such a designation argue that officially recognizing lifeguards as first responders could provide them with greater professional recognition and resources, along with stronger workplace protections and improved benefits.

NBC Bay Area reported that some people it interviewed were surprised to discover that lifeguards did not already have official first-responder status. A Santa Cruz state senator, however, cautioned that formally establishing such a classification would involve a number of complicated questions.

“Of course, lifeguards are first responders, but first responders also go through this rigorous training, so you’d have to decide – because in the peace officer standards training you go through eight months of training – so you’d have to decide what’s appropriate here,” NBC Bay Area quoted Laird as saying.

“How does it work? How does it get designated? What training comes with it? Who pays for it?”

Luigi Mangione’s Manhattan murder trial will no longer begin next month, as his lawyers seek to have the state prosecution thrown out entirely following his unexpected guilty plea to federal charges stemming from the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Jury selection in the 28-year-old’s Manhattan Supreme Court case had been scheduled to get underway on Sept. 8.

That timetable was scrapped Monday when Justice Gregory Carro moved Mangione’s next court appearance to Dec. 10, effectively postponing the state trial indefinitely, according to court records.

Mangione’s attorneys are now seeking dismissal of the state charges based on his federal guilty plea, contending that another prosecution over Thompson’s killing would amount to “double jeopardy” by subjecting him to prosecution twice for the same crime.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, however, has made clear that it intends to fight the defense effort and press forward with its prosecution.

Carro has established a briefing schedule for the dispute, directing Manhattan prosecutors to submit their arguments by Oct. 9. Mangione’s lawyers will then have until Oct. 30 to file their response.

The legal battle follows Mangione’s stunning decision last week to plead guilty to two federal stalking charges, each of which carries the possibility of life behind bars.

During the federal proceeding, Mangione explicitly admitted responsibility for Thompson’s killing.

“On the morning of Dec. 4, 2024, I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan, and he died,” the scion of a prominent Maryland family told the court.

Mangione is scheduled to receive his sentence in the federal case on Dec. 18, eight days after his next scheduled appearance in Manhattan Supreme Court.

The state prosecution remains pending in the meantime, with Mangione charged with second-degree murder and illegal weapons possession in connection with Thompson’s killing.

Ulrich Siegmund, branded “the most dangerous man in Germany” by the German weekly Der Spiegel, could soon make political history by becoming the first politician from the far-right AfD to lead a German state since World War II if current polling translates into votes.

Siegmund is heading the Alternative for Germany (AfD) ticket in Saxony-Anhalt ahead of regional elections set for early September. Polls show the party commanding significant support there, raising the possibility of an election result that could ultimately produce a government led by Siegmund.

The AfD has promoted its ambitions in the state under the slogan: Unser Gruß aus Sachsen-Anhalt an den Bundesparteitag: Das ist die Vision2026!

Der Spiegel placed Siegmund on its cover in an extraordinary feature describing him as “the most dangerous man in Germany,” pointing to his hardline views on immigration and minorities while highlighting broader concerns about the expanding influence of Germany’s far right. Siegmund dismissed the negative characterization and instead called the prominent coverage “excellent publicity,” subsequently using it as part of his own campaign.

The AfD has steadily expanded its political influence in recent years, with some of its strongest gains coming in eastern Germany. The party has attracted voters through its fierce opposition to immigration, European Union policies and Germany’s political establishment in Berlin. German security authorities have classified the AfD’s Saxony-Anhalt branch as a far-right organization subject to surveillance.

A Siegmund victory would represent a historic breakthrough for the AfD and an unprecedented development in Germany’s postwar political era, giving the party control of a state government for the first time.

Germany’s mainstream political parties are already confronting the prospect of an AfD-led government and are exploring alternative coalition arrangements designed to keep Siegmund from taking power. But with the election approaching, Siegmund and the AfD appear to be building momentum, potentially setting the stage for a dramatic shakeup of Germany’s political order.

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

Nineteen years ago, tragedy struck the Eckstein family when R’ Shlomo Tzvi Eckstein זצ״ל passed away, leaving behind eleven young children. Among them were his twin sons, Asher Anshel and Aharon Yosef, who were just six months old.

Their mother was left to raise eleven children on her own. Baruch Hashem, nine of the children have since married—and now, after nearly two decades, it is the twins’ turn to begin their own families.

Asher Anshel’s wedding will take place NEXT WEEK on August 24, 2026.

Aharon Yosef’s wedding will take place on October 26, 2026.

Two weddings. Just weeks apart.

As these two chashuve yesomim prepare to build their homes, the family and community are coming together to help make these simchos possible and allow both young men to begin married life with dignity and simcha.

We invite you to take part.

Every contribution, large or small, can make a real difference and help bring these two weddings to fruition.

Please donate today and help give these two yesomim the opportunity to enter their new lives with joy and dignity.

Donations can be made through the campaign. Donors’ Fund Tax ID: 11-3235771. Please make sure to designate the donation to the Eckstein account and write “Twin Weddings” in the memo.

May every person who helps bring simcha to these two yesomim be blessed with the fulfillment of the words:

אם אתה משמח את שלי אני משמח את שלך

Thank you for your generosity and support.

Tizku L’Mitzvos.

Please Donate today.

Dozens of passengers aboard a Blue Bird Airways flight bound for Crete were reportedly left sitting inside an aircraft without functioning air conditioning for nearly two hours Sunday, as temperatures inside the plane climbed and some passengers began feeling ill.

The passengers had already boarded the chartered aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport and were waiting on the tarmac for departure to the Greek island when the flight was delayed. With the ventilation system reportedly not functioning amid the intense August heat, conditions inside the cabin quickly deteriorated.

Footage from the aircraft showed parents attempting to cool their children and themselves using wipes and ice as they waited for the plane to depart.

One furious passenger described the conditions aboard the aircraft, saying: “We’ve been inside a closed plane for an hour and 40 minutes without air conditioning, with small children fainting. I’ve never seen anything like this in my life.”

The incident came amid significant congestion at Ben Gurion Airport. On Friday, unusually heavy traffic was reported at the airport, with approximately 90 flights accumulating within a period of just three hours.

The Israel Airports Authority attributed those delays to heavy air traffic and restrictions in European airspace, particularly over Greece, as well as the presence and operations of American aerial refueling aircraft. Officials denied reports that the disruptions were connected to a strike or staffing shortages.

Separately, El Al began selling tickets for flights to Vietnam approximately two months ago and has already sold more than 20,000 tickets to Israeli travelers. However, the airline currently lacks the necessary security authorization to operate the route, according to a report by Channel 13.

El Al confirmed that flights from Tel Aviv to Hanoi that were scheduled to begin in October have been canceled because the required approvals have not been granted by Israeli security authorities, including the Shin Bet.

The airline said the decision followed notification from Israeli security officials responsible for protecting Israeli aviation, operating under Shin Bet directives, that the necessary authorization could not be provided for the route to operate using Israeli aircraft and crews.

Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev accused El Al’s workers’ committee on Monday of mounting an effort to damage her standing in the Likud primaries, claiming the campaign against her is retaliation for her efforts to bring Wizz Air into the Israeli market and increase competition in air travel.

Speaking to reporters outside a polling station during the Likud primary election, Regev warned supporters that attempts were being made to push her lower on the party’s electoral slate.

“Anyone who tells you, ‘Miri Regev is strong,’ wants to weaken me,” Regev said. “You know that the El Al workers’ committee decided to knock me down the list. All because I decided to bring in Wizz Air.”

Despite the resistance she says she is facing, Regev insisted that she has no intention of abandoning the initiative to expand competition in Israel’s aviation industry.

“I said that I would bring down airfares, and that is what will happen,” she declared.

Regev said she would not allow pressure from organized labor to deter her from pursuing policies that she believes will benefit Israeli travelers.

“No workers’ committee will intimidate me or blackmail me,” the Transportation Minister added. “The citizens of the State of Israel are more important.”

{Matzav.com}

There was tremendous simcha and emotion in Yeshivas Brisk in Yerushalayim on Monday as the Rosh Yeshiva, Hagaon Rav Avrohom Yehoshua Soloveitchik, arrived at the yeshiva for the first time this Elul zman and delivered his shiur, following a difficult health period over the summer.

The Rosh Yeshiva’s arrival brought great joy and renewed hope to the talmidim and the entire Brisker olam after Rav Avrohom Yehoshua had been in serious condition during the summer months.

In recent days, word had begun circulating in the yeshiva that the Rosh Yeshiva was expected to resume delivering his regular shiurim. It was also learned that he is expected to stay in his new apartment, which was built adjacent to the yeshiva building.

Until Monday, however, there had been no definitive update, and the expectation was that the Rosh Yeshiva would begin delivering shiurim only later in the week.

To the great excitement of the talmidim, Rav Avrohom Yehoshua arrived Monday at the yeshiva and delivered the shiur, marking his first appearance in the yeshiva since the beginning of Elul zman.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu delivered a firm message to US Special Envoy Jared Kushner during a four-hour meeting Monday, insisting that Hamas must disarm and make concessions before Israel takes further steps under the American-backed 15-point Gaza peace plan, including withdrawing IDF forces from the Strip.

Kushner met with Netanyahu as Washington intensifies efforts to advance implementation of the plan. During their lengthy talks, the US envoy urged the Israeli premier to “not create obstacles” to moving the agreement forward, CNN reported, citing an Israeli source.

Netanyahu responded that progress cannot come at Israel’s expense, maintaining that Hamas must first give ground and surrender its weapons before Israel proceeds with additional provisions of the framework, including an IDF pullback from Gaza. The prime minister also reportedly told Kushner that advancing the plan ahead of the October Knesset elections could create political difficulties and damage his standing among his electoral base.

Despite those disagreements, the meeting produced an agreement to establish two joint working groups between Israel and the Board of Peace, the Prime Minister’s Office announced afterward. The groups will address separate components of the Gaza framework.

The Prime Minister’s Office stated: “The Prime Minister and Board of Peace had deep and constructive discussions. It was agreed to establish two working groups, one on disarmament and demilitarization of Gaza, which both Israel and the Board of Peace are determined should be prompt and completed before any reconstruction happens in Gaza. A second working group will focus on sanitation, clean water and other public health issues for the people of Gaza and which also impact the people of Israel.”

The principal disagreement between Washington and Jerusalem centers on the order in which the plan’s provisions would be carried out. The 15-point framework envisions an end to military operations, Hamas disarmament, the transfer of civilian control in Gaza to a Palestinian technocratic administration, a phased Israeli military withdrawal and the establishment of an international stabilization force.

The American proposal calls for Hamas’s disarmament and Israel’s withdrawal to advance simultaneously through a series of steps that can be independently verified. Israel has rejected that sequencing, insisting that its forces will not relinquish their positions in Gaza until Hamas has been fully disarmed. Jerusalem has publicly said it cannot accept the framework as it currently stands.

Hamas, meanwhile, has said that it accepts the broader framework. During recent negotiations in Egypt attended by Kushner, mediators pressed the terror group to surrender its weapons and relinquish responsibility for governing Gaza.

An official familiar with the discussions with Hamas said the demands being presented to the group include measures aimed at preserving the ceasefire, transferring administrative authority to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza and ensuring that Hamas is excluded from any future governing structure. Hamas would also be required to dismantle its weapons and military infrastructure, while an international stabilization force enters Gaza, Israel carries out corresponding withdrawals and humanitarian aid and reconstruction are accelerated.

Even as the Board of Peace presses Israel to move ahead, its officials reportedly believe that Jerusalem is already adhering in practice to portions of the understandings. Those officials view some of the Israeli government’s public rhetoric as driven by domestic political considerations and are therefore placing greater emphasis on Israel’s actions on the ground.

Kushner’s recent meeting in Egypt marked the first time he had met with senior Hamas figures since the October 2025 ceasefire agreement. Participants included Hamas political bureau chief Khalil al-Hayya, Egyptian intelligence chief General Hassan Rashad, Qatari minister Ali al-Thawadi and a senior Turkish official.

Artificial intelligence could push nearly one in five existing American jobs out of the workforce within the next five years, according to an internal analysis from investment giant Bridgewater Associates, whose top executives are warning that Washington must act quickly to prevent the technology’s economic promise from triggering major social upheaval.

The warning was issued by Bridgewater executives Greg Jensen and Nir Bar Dea, who say the United States is approaching a pivotal moment in determining how to handle the enormous changes expected from AI. They argue that policymakers can either prepare for the disruption now or face potentially severe public and political consequences later.

Jensen and Bar Dea laid out their case in an Aug. 14 New York Times opinion column titled “This Is One of the Most Important Policy Decisions of Our Lifetime,” describing artificial intelligence as a technology capable of generating enormous prosperity while simultaneously posing serious risks to economic and social stability.

The executives believe AI could unleash a “productivity miracle” that dramatically increases economic output and raises living standards. But they maintain that achieving that outcome will depend on government policies designed to spread the financial benefits of the technology across society while guarding against its potential hazards.

Jensen serves as Bridgewater’s managing chief investment officer, while Bar Dea is the investment firm’s chief executive officer.

The two executives oversee Bridgewater, a $102 billion investment firm that has itself made significant investments in artificial intelligence and reshaped portions of its operations in an effort to take advantage of the rapidly advancing technology.

That makes their recommendations particularly noteworthy, since some of the policies they are advocating could create new expenses for Bridgewater itself as well as for the investment interests represented by the firm.

Their warning extends beyond the immediate prospect of individual Americans finding themselves unemployed because their work can be performed by artificial intelligence.

Instead, Jensen and Bar Dea are concerned that mass job displacement could threaten broader social cohesion if most of the wealth created by AI flows primarily to corporations, investors and workers possessing highly specialized skills.

They cite earlier periods of dramatic economic change, including the upheaval that accompanied industrialization, to argue that extraordinary economic growth can also fuel intense political and social unrest when its benefits and opportunities are disproportionately concentrated.

According to Jensen and Bar Dea, Bridgewater’s internal research suggests that AI could displace 18% of the jobs currently held by American workers over the coming five years.

The executives concede that technological change will also create new employment opportunities, particularly in fields built around direct human interaction and relationships, including nursing and hospitality.

Even with those new jobs, however, they caution that the period of adjustment between the old economy and the emerging AI-driven one could itself produce significant social disruption.

Among their most unusual policy recommendations is the creation of an AI token tax.

Artificial intelligence models process information through units called tokens, with businesses using enterprise AI systems frequently paying according to the volume of tokens they consume.

Jensen and Bar Dea argue that the use of AI tokens can be viewed as broadly comparable to paying wages for work performed by machines.

They contend that because the existing tax structure is largely built around taxing human labor, businesses effectively receive an economic incentive to replace employees with machines.

Under their proposal, money collected through an AI token tax could help lower taxes imposed on human labor while also funding a nationwide program giving Americans an ownership stake in artificial intelligence companies.

The plan would have the federal government purchase equity in leading US-based AI companies and then distribute those shares directly to American citizens.

Instead of Washington permanently controlling those investments, individual Americans would hold the shares themselves, allowing them to participate financially in the wealth generated as the artificial intelligence industry expands.

Jensen and Bar Dea are also advocating substantially stronger safety regulations governing advanced artificial intelligence.

They say those safeguards should apply not merely when sophisticated AI models are released to the public, but throughout the development and deployment of the technology.

Their concerns center on the possibility that increasingly independent AI systems could acquire dangerous abilities, operate outside the boundaries established by their creators or be adapted by others for harmful purposes.

Jensen and Bar Dea ultimately argue that Washington does not have unlimited time to decide how it will respond to the transformation already underway.

Their central message is that the United States should continue promoting aggressive AI development while simultaneously making certain that ordinary workers and citizens receive a meaningful share of the resulting economic benefits.

If policymakers fail to strike that balance, they warn, a technological revolution with the potential to generate extraordinary prosperity could instead widen economic inequality, ignite political resistance and introduce dangers that may prove far more difficult to contain once artificial intelligence becomes deeply embedded throughout the economy.

Attorney General Todd Blanche says the Justice Department could turn to the Supreme Court after a string of federal court defeats in the Trump administration’s effort to obtain detailed voter registration records from states across the country.

“Absolutely, it’s a possibility,” Blanche said Sunday during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

The Justice Department has so far lost 22 court battles stemming from its push for access to state voter rolls, but Blanche indicated that the administration has no intention of abandoning the effort.

“Election integrity is something that President [Donald] Trump ran on, and the American people elected him. It’s something that every American should care about,” Blanche said.

Blanche argued that examining the way elections are administered falls squarely within the Justice Department’s responsibilities and should not be viewed as something the federal government should avoid.

“The idea that the Department of Justice is trying to investigate issues around elections to make sure they’re fair and make sure they’re conducted the right way is not something that we should be running away from,” Blanche added. “That’s something we should be running right towards.”

The legal fight follows an executive order issued by President Trump directing states to provide voter registration records containing information including voters’ names, birth dates, addresses, driver’s license numbers and the final four digits of their Social Security numbers.

The Justice Department says obtaining the information would allow federal officials to determine whether noncitizens are improperly registered to vote and to uncover other potential problems with voter registration records.

As part of that effort, the department has filed lawsuits against 30 states and Washington, D.C., after they declined to provide the requested voter rolls. Federal judges considering the disputes have repeatedly ruled in favor of the states.

Despite those setbacks, Blanche said the Justice Department will continue pursuing its election-related enforcement efforts.

“We’re not going to stop doing what I think every American should expect us to do, which is make sure that we have elections that are fair,” Blanche said.

“And as that relates to the Department of Justice, that means making sure that there are no constitutional legal violations, even at the state level,” Blanche added.

{Matzav.com}

A 7-year-old boy was murdered and his 4-year-old cousin was critically wounded Monday afternoon in a horrific stabbing in Beit Shemesh, after a neighbor allegedly entered the property and attacked the children during a family birthday celebration.

The two children were in the yard of a home on Emek HaZeitim Street, where the birthday party was taking place. According to details emerging from the initial investigation, a 15-year-old relative who was watching the children witnessed the attack. The father of one of the children subsequently arrived and found the two youngsters wounded near the swimming pool in the yard.

Magen David Adom and United Hatzalah emergency personnel rushed to the scene and provided initial medical treatment. The 7-year-old was listed in critical condition and transported to Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center in Yerushalayim while undergoing resuscitation efforts. His 4-year-old cousin was also evacuated to the hospital in serious condition.

Despite continued attempts to save the older child, doctors at the hospital were ultimately forced to pronounce the 7-year-old dead.

United Hatzalah EMTs Yaakov Jungreis, Moshe Siroka and Eliya Asulin, who were among the first responders at the scene, said earlier: “We were told at the scene that they were injured as a result of violence. With the assistance of additional EMTs, we provided initial medical treatment at the scene to two victims whose conditions were defined as critical and serious, and they were then evacuated to the hospital for further medical treatment.”

Members of United Hatzalah’s Psychotrauma and Crisis Response Unit were also dispatched to the scene to provide emotional assistance to relatives and witnesses following the traumatic attack.

Police arrested a neighborhood resident in his 20s shortly after the stabbing on suspicion of attacking the two children. The suspect’s father was questioned at the scene as investigators worked to determine what may have led to the deadly assault.

Authorities are examining several possible motives. Investigators are looking into whether the suspect may have been suffering from an unstable mental state, as well as whether an earlier dispute between the suspect’s family and the children’s family may have played a role. Police stressed that these remain investigative possibilities and that no motive has yet been established.

According to the preliminary investigation, the suspect arrived at the home where the children were gathered and, at some point, allegedly attacked them with a knife. Investigators are collecting testimony from family members and eyewitnesses, including the 15-year-old relative who was present when the attack occurred.

The emergency unfolded shortly after 4:40 p.m., when Magen David Adom’s 101 dispatch center received a report of two injured children on Emek HaZeitim Street. Initial reports from the scene were incomplete and included conflicting information about the children’s ages. The full circumstances and severity of the attack became clear only later.

Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the murder and the stabbing.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump issued a stark warning to Oman on Monday, threatening devastating US military action if the American ally interferes in the escalating confrontation with Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz.

“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the [garbage] out of them,” Trump said bluntly in an interview with Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst, delivering the warning as a tentative ceasefire between the United States and Iran nears its expiration.

Trump’s comments come as the future of the Strait of Hormuz remains at the center of negotiations involving Iran and Oman. Tehran said last week that discussions with Muscat were underway over a potential arrangement to reopen the critical shipping passage, which has repeatedly become a flashpoint since the war began.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei announced Monday that Iran and Oman had reached an “understanding” while negotiators work to finalize the details of a broader agreement.

“This is a highly complex issue, and for the first time a mechanism is to be established that both safeguards the sovereignty and sovereign rights of the two coastal states (Iran and Oman) and ensures the safe passage of commercial vessels through this waterway,” he added.

A major sticking point remains Iran’s insistence that reopening the Strait of Hormuz be accompanied by the establishment of a new toll system, a demand opposed by the United States.

Oman, despite being a US ally, indicated in late June that it was receptive to an arrangement under which “voluntary” fees could be collected from vessels traveling through the strategic waterway. The proposal was described as being modeled on systems operating in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.

Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi has defended the proposed charges, arguing that the money is needed to ensure safe navigation through the strait.

The dispute is not the first time Oman’s position on shipping fees has drawn an extraordinary warning from Trump. In May, after Muscat repeatedly expressed willingness to participate in collecting fees in the Strait of Hormuz, Trump threatened to “blow up” the allied country if it did not “behave.”

The Strait of Hormuz has become one of Iran’s most powerful pressure points during the conflict. Nearly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil passes through the narrow waterway, allowing disruptions there to reverberate rapidly through global energy markets and push gasoline prices higher as the November midterm elections draw closer.

Trump escalated his rhetoric over the strategic passage even further on Friday. Speaking at a Long Island rally for Republican candidates, the president said that once the war is over, he intends to declare the Strait of Hormuz “a territory of the United States.”

Shas MK Moshe Abutbul is pushing back against growing criticism within the Chareidi community over the draft crisis, arguing that Chareidi lawmakers did take significant action over the past four years but repeatedly encountered obstacles from Israel’s judicial system.

Speaking in an interview as Israel moves closer to elections, Abutbul acknowledged that Shas and United Torah Judaism face difficult questions from Chareidi voters over what they accomplished to protect the status of bnei yeshivos.

Abutbul said he recently participated in panels with bnei Torah and baalei batim, where he encountered people demanding answers about the actions of their elected representatives.

“There are very pointed questions there,” Abutbul said, adding that once the sequence of events is explained, the picture becomes considerably more complicated. “The public is very, very thirsty for answers.”

According to Abutbul, much of what Chareidi representatives actually did over the past several years was never adequately communicated to the public.

One of the central questions facing Shas and UTJ as elections approach is what they accomplished during the past four years toward resolving the status of bnei yeshivos. Abutbul argued that the war dramatically altered the political and public environment in which the issue was being addressed.

“During a war, it is not exactly the time when you can talk about an exemption from military service or anything else, when an Israeli mother is sending several sons to the battlefield,” he said.

Abutbul said the government’s effort to overhaul the judicial system was also intended, in part, to create a legal framework that could withstand a future High Court challenge to legislation governing the status of bnei yeshivos.

He maintained that the fundamental obstacle is not necessarily a lack of political votes in the Knesset, but the judiciary’s ability to overturn or obstruct legislation passed by elected lawmakers.

As an example, Abutbul pointed to legislation concerning arrests that was advanced by Shas chairman Aryeh Deri. He said that despite securing sufficient political support for the measure, it ultimately encountered a legal barrier.

“This is not only a political problem; it is a fundamental legal problem that must be addressed at its root,” Abutbul said.

Without fundamental change, he argued, legislative achievements can ultimately prove meaningless.

“It is like a person who comes and fills a bag with something, but at the bottom you have a very large hole,” he said.

Abutbul therefore identified the judicial system as one of the central issues Chareidi parties must address in the coming election and the next government.

“We must change and reshape the face of the High Court, so that it will be a body that does not interfere in things that are legislated,” he said.

Asked why changes that were not completed during the outgoing government should be expected to succeed during the next term, Abutbul said the war made far-reaching reforms considerably more difficult and argued that voters now understand what is at stake.

“Everyone knows that 90 percent of this issue is fundamentally addressing the judicial system,” he said.

Abutbul added that steps have already been taken in areas involving the powers of legal advisers, the Police Internal Investigations Department and other components of the legal system.

During the second part of the interview, Abutbul turned from politics to the olam haTorah, describing a major Torah project he has initiated involving the study of Shas.

The project is intended to compile, alongside each masechta, relevant sugyos appearing elsewhere throughout the Talmud, allowing a person learning a particular subject to easily access related discussions found in other masechtos.

According to Abutbul, approximately 200 avreichim have worked on the undertaking and have already identified nearly 8,000 references and connections between different sugyos throughout Shas.

The plan calls for approximately 100 to 150 supplementary pages to accompany each masechta. The existing text of the Gemara will remain unchanged, while the additional material will present parallel and related sugyos from elsewhere in Shas.

Abutbul said the Otzar HaChochma project has assisted in making the material available to the public, enabling lomdim to review the work, submit comments and suggest additions as the project moves toward completion.

He added that the initiative has received endorsements from leading gedolei Torah, including the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah.

Abutbul concluded by saying that despite the political and legal battles facing the Chareidi community, he believes its most fundamental response remains strengthening Torah learning.

“Our remedy against all these blows, truly, truly, is, with Hashem’s help, to learn Torah, to add Torah, to add batei medrash, to add batei knesses.”

{Matzav.com}

Plans for the historic bar mitzvah of the oldest grandson of the Rachmastrivka Rebbe have undergone a last-minute change, with the originally scheduled venue at the large Karlin-Stolin Bais Medrash in Givat Ze’ev canceled following pressure from extremist elements.

The major simcha is scheduled to take place on Sunday, 11 Elul, during the week of Parshas Ki Savo. The bar mitzvah boy is the oldest grandson of the Rachmastrivka Rebbe and a son of the Rebbe’s son-in-law, Rav Shmuel Abba Twersky.

The occasion is particularly significant for Rachmastrivka, as it will mark the first bar mitzvah among the Rebbe’s descendants. The Rebbe has two daughters, who are married to Rav Shmuel Abba Twersky and Rav Dovid Yitzchok Yaakov Biderman, and this will be the first time that one of his grandchildren reaches the age of bar mitzvah.

With thousands of chassidim and admirers expected to arrive from across Eretz Yisroel and abroad, Rachmastrivka askanim had been searching for a large venue capable of accommodating the anticipated crowds.

After considerable effort, arrangements were finalized to hold the simcha in the expansive main bais medrash of Karlin-Stolin in Givat Ze’ev.

The decision generated considerable attention in the chassidishe community, particularly because of opposition from extremist groups to holding the event at the Givat Ze’ev location. In the past, the Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok Rebbe held two weddings for his descendants at the same venue despite significant pressure from those elements.

Now, however, the pressure has apparently succeeded. Organizers were forced to cancel plans to use the Karlin-Stolin complex and are working urgently to secure an alternative location ahead of the major event.

According to current plans, the historic bar mitzvah will likely be held in a massive tent to be erected near the Slonim Bais Medrash in Yerushalayim.

{Matzav.com}

Veteran Likud activist Chilik Attias pushed back against efforts to make the Chareidi draft controversy a central election issue, while also sharply criticizing divisions on the political right and expressing opposition to reserved slots on the Likud slate ahead of the party’s upcoming primaries.

Speaking with Avi Mimran on Kol Chai’s main news program ahead of the Likud primaries, Attias discussed the internal battles within the party, defections from the right-wing bloc, the draft issue, judicial reform and the balance between party activists and Likud members in determining the party’s electoral slate.

Attias began by criticizing the media’s focus on rumors and internal political battles surrounding the primaries.

“We are currently a party holding primaries, democratic primaries, a celebration of democracy, something that truly does not exist in any other party,” he said.

Asked about reports surrounding Nir Barkat, Attias said that “anything is possible,” but argued that attention should be focused primarily on the democratic process itself rather than the political confrontations surrounding it.

Attias was particularly critical of figures who have left Likud or are reportedly considering doing so, including Yuli Edelstein and Gilad Erdan, comparing their moves to Gideon Sa’ar’s earlier departure from the party.

“They are making a mistake. Instead of seeing what happened to Gideon Sa’ar, they are now making the same mistake,” Attias said.

He argued that even serious ideological disagreements should be fought from within Likud rather than by abandoning the party.

“They could have fought within Likud for the things they believe they are right about,” he said.

Turning to Erdan, Attias added: “He was with us all along… and today he is doing exactly the same thing. For what? To weaken the right-wing camp?”

The conversation also turned to the Chareidi draft issue and political efforts to capitalize on opposition to the Chareidi community. Attias dismissed the strategy outright.

“It’s nonsense, this Chareidi issue,” he said.

“The Chareidim need to sit down and see — those who are not enlisting should enlist. Those who learn Torah and are capable of learning should do so in an organized manner,” Attias said.

He predicted that even political figures currently positioning themselves against the Chareidi parties will ultimately seek their support when coalition-building begins.

“Even Eisenkot will come to the Chareidim and offer everything,” Attias said.

On the judicial system, Attias struck a more cautious tone than some other figures on the Israeli right, saying he does not favor the terminology that has dominated the debate in recent years.

“The word ‘reform,’ in my opinion, is a somewhat harsh word,” he said, suggesting instead that the discussion focus on “corrections” and “changes regarding the judiciary.”

Nevertheless, Attias said significant changes are necessary, including to Israel’s judicial seniority system.

“It cannot be that seniority transfers a kingdom from one person to another,” he said.

At the same time, he cautioned against attempting to overhaul the system all at once.

“It needs to be done carefully, intelligently, with agreements, gradually… You cannot turn everything upside down in one day,” Attias said.

Attias reserved some of his strongest criticism for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s use of reserved slots on the Likud electoral slate. He said the original understanding was that the impact of those slots would be offset by opening district positions to sitting ministers and Knesset members.

“What happened in practice? They didn’t get the districts… and they also got the reserved slots. They both ate the stinking fish and were thrown out of the city,” Attias said.

He argued that the number of reserved positions should have been reduced or that the original agreement should have been honored.

When Mimran raised the argument that Netanyahu needs new political “stars” to strengthen Likud’s candidate list, Attias defended the right of registered party members to determine who represents them.

Referring in part to reports involving Likud MK Tally Gotliv, Attias said: “Either you trust the party members, 160,000 party members, or create an appointments committee.”

If Likud is going to hold genuine primaries, he argued, its members should be permitted to make their choices without excessive interference from outside political or media forces.

Attias concluded by expressing hope for a strong turnout in the primaries and fewer backroom arrangements among candidates and party power brokers.

“I just hope that tomorrow, with Hashem’s help, a very large number of party members will actually come out, and they will make the decision about whom to choose,” he said.

“I hope that this time there will be no deals, and there will be nothing under the table and all kinds of things, and that they will truly vote for the best Knesset members.”

National Security Minister and Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben Gvir says his party will not join forces with newly established Chareidi political parties ahead of the elections, insisting that his party has succeeded by running independently and has no reason to change course.

Speaking in an interview with Kikar HaShabbat, Ben Gvir specifically addressed the new Achi party associated with Rav Abergel and the HaTzibbur HaChareidi party headed by Leitner of Beit Shemesh, making clear that Otzma Yehudit intends to maintain its own independent slate.

“Yishai, as of now — and not only as of now, I see this consistently — for four years Otzma Yehudit has run alone, and the results are good, the results are impressive, and I think you don’t replace a winning horse,” Ben Gvir explained. “I respect everyone, I truly respect everyone, but ultimately, Otzma Yehudit is a brand. Otzma Yehudit is something that appeals to all of Klal Yisroel. People feel how much I care.”

At the same time, Ben Gvir stressed that he has no intention of deliberately undermining the established Chareidi parties or attempting to pull away their core voters.

“I certainly don’t want to poke a finger in the eye of the Chareidi parties — let that be clear!” Ben Gvir said. “But I am saying explicitly: Whoever is not voting for the Chareidi parties should vote for me.”

Ben Gvir said he believes there is currently significant dissatisfaction among portions of the Chareidi community with its traditional political parties and urged those voters to support Otzma Yehudit rather than cast ballots for smaller parties that may not cross the electoral threshold.

“There is currently a certain amount of disappointment in various parts of the Chareidi community,” Ben Gvir said. “Those who aren’t going to vote for Chareidi parties should come to me. They shouldn’t go and waste votes.”

However, Ben Gvir emphasized that he is not calling on loyal supporters of the established Chareidi parties to abandon them, despite disagreements he has had with their leadership.

“On the other hand,” Ben Gvir said, “whoever votes for the Chareidi parties should vote for the Chareidi parties. There are sometimes disagreements, including with Aryeh, certainly with Gafni, and with various others. But ultimately, whoever votes for the Chareidi parties should vote for them. Whoever doesn’t — should come to Otzma Yehudit.”

The Tel Aviv District Court on Sunday upheld an arbitration ruling in the decades-long battle over control of Ponevezh Yeshiva, ordering the faction led by Rav Shmuel Markowitz to vacate the yeshiva’s property by the end of September.

Judge Yehudit Shevach, deputy president of the District Court, rejected a petition filed by the Mesores HaTorah organization, Rav Markowitz and Rebbetzin Tzipora Markowitz seeking to overturn the arbitration decision issued by retired judge David Cheshin. The Markowitz faction says it now intends to appeal the ruling to Israel’s Supreme Court, a move that could potentially delay the eviction if the court agrees to intervene.

The 19-page ruling requires Rav Markowitz’s talmidim to leave the Ponevezh campus by September 30, 2026, corresponding to 19 Tishrei, during Chol Hamoed Sukkos.

Cheshin had originally ordered the faction to leave by July 30. However, Shevach noted that the deadline had already passed and that the parties were now “at the threshold of the Yamim Noraim,” leading her to extend the deadline. She expressed hope that the evacuation would be “carried out without further escalation.”

Beyond requiring the faction to leave the campus, the arbitration ruling upheld by the court prohibits the Markowitz group from using the yeshiva’s trademarks, including the name “Ponevezh Yeshiva” and its logo.

Rav Markowitz is also barred from presenting himself under the title “Rosh Yeshivas Ponevezh.” His faction was further ordered to pay NIS 75,000 in legal expenses to Ponevezh Yeshiva and its president, Rav Eliezer Kahaneman.

In her ruling, Shevach issued unusually harsh criticism of the conduct surrounding the dispute over the years, rejecting the Markowitz faction’s argument that the historic “2000 ruling” granted Rav Markowitz permanent and irrevocable rights as part of the yeshiva’s spiritual leadership.

According to Shevach, whatever rights had originally been granted were forfeited after Rav Markowitz “undermined the ruling and its purpose, through a chain of actions that continued consistently over the course of years.”

She relied on Cheshin’s factual findings that what amounted to a “yeshiva within a yeshiva” had been established on the campus, dividing the talmidim into competing camps.

The judge was particularly severe in describing the violence and vandalism that have accompanied the bitter dispute.

She characterized the campus as a “battlefield characterized by the use of physical force, riots, violence, vandalism,” and described incidents there as “despicable and disgraceful acts of violence and vandalism… amounting to a chillul Hashem.”

Addressing the claim that Rav Markowitz possessed an eternal right to his position, Shevach wrote that the argument should “blush” when compared with what she described as the long history of actions undertaken by Rav Markowitz, or by others acting in his name or with his authorization.

She added, in particularly pointed language, that those actions were conducted “as is the practice, with apologies, of the last of the criminals.”

The battle over Ponevezh Yeshiva stretches back to the 1990s and intensified significantly toward the end of that decade as Rav Elazar Menachem Man Shach’s health declined. The dispute ultimately developed into one of the most bitter and enduring conflicts in the yeshiva world, dividing communities and families and drawing repeated attempts at intervention by leading gedolim over the ensuing decades.

Approximately four years ago, retired judge David Cheshin was appointed as arbitrator in the dispute. His eventual decision ordered Rav Markowitz’s faction to leave the yeshiva campus and imposed financial penalties.

With the District Court now affirming Cheshin’s ruling, the lengthy legal battle has moved significantly closer to a conclusion.

Toward the end of her decision, Shevach wrote that reconciliation between the rival camps on the Ponevezh campus is not presently realistic and warned that allowing the conflict to continue could, chalilah, bring destruction upon the institution.

She said the outcome “reflects the painful reality, which requires separation through the removal of the rebellious camp.”

Rav Markowitz’s faction, however, says the legal fight is not over and intends to seek relief from the Supreme Court.

In its earlier petition to overturn the arbitration decision, the faction argued that Cheshin had dramatically exceeded his authority by effectively nullifying the historic “2000 ruling,” which it maintains established Rav Markowitz’s status as a permanent and unconditional rosh yeshiva.

Attorneys representing the petitioners argued that the arbitrator invented an implied condition to conclude that Rav Markowitz’s rights had retroactively expired in 2007.

“A determination born out of nothing,” the petition stated. “The arbitrator turned the bowl on its head; he created a new legal reality that retroactively negates 20 years of rights and communal reliance.”

The District Court rejected those arguments and upheld the arbitration ruling in full.

The remaining question is whether the Supreme Court will agree to hear the planned appeal and potentially intervene, or whether Shevach’s ruling will remain intact and Rav Markowitz’s faction will be required to leave the Ponevezh campus by the end of September.

{Matzav.com}

The Department of Homeland Security is reportedly investigating a U.K.-based nonprofit tied to a longtime ally of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani over questions surrounding its financial activities, including whether donor money may have reached a U.S.-sanctioned Palestinian organization.

According to the New York Post, federal authorities are examining an organization known as PFF, which reportedly controls roughly $100 million dedicated to supporting anti-Israel initiatives. Investigators are reportedly looking into whether funds connected to the organization were provided to Al-Haq, a Palestinian organization sanctioned by the United States.

“A new fund set up by Arabs across the US, UK, and Australia has been built to take on Israel,” one source familiar with the operation told the Post.

The Post reported that Bassema Yousef, a New York-born Democratic donor who now resides in London, has emerged as a central figure in the organization’s fundraising operation. One source described Yousef as the “lynchpin” of PFF’s fundraising. She has also been identified as a longtime ally of Mamdani.

Yousef has repeatedly posted sharply anti-Israel messages on social media, including accusations that Israel is committing “war crimes with U.S. tax dollars.”

According to sources cited by the Post, Yousef created PFF with financial backing from two wealthy businessmen: Basil Qunibi, an investment executive based in Austin, Texas, and Yasser Shahin, a Palestinian-Australian motorsports magnate.

British corporate records confirm Shahin’s involvement in supporting PFF, according to the report. The IRS has also confirmed that the organization maintains a nonprofit entity registered in Delaware.

People described as having direct knowledge of PFF’s activities told the Post that the organization’s leadership provides funding for anti-Israel messaging and works to defend pro-Palestinian activists.

“PFF is a strategic foundation that is large, well-funded, and institutional in quality,” the foundation says on its website. “We partner with organisations that we believe have an ability to consistently deliver results that align with our strategic objectives.”

The organization has also publicly rejected suggestions that its work supports violence.

“PFF and its partners are unequivocally committed to justice, peace, inclusion and non-violence,” the nonprofit said.

DHS did not immediately provide Fox News Digital with a response regarding the report and declined to discuss the matter when contacted by the Post.

“HSI does not comment on the existence or status of specific investigations, nor on investigative methods, intelligence sources, or potential enforcement actions,” a DHS spokesperson told The Post, referring to the Homeland Security Investigations unit.

The Post emphasized that the existence of the reported federal investigation does not itself establish that PFF, Yousef, Mamdani or anyone else connected to the organization engaged in criminal wrongdoing.

California’s push for a new billionaire wealth tax is intensifying concerns about the state’s ongoing loss of taxpayers and income, with new IRS figures showing thousands of residents taking billions of dollars elsewhere and billionaire investor Mark Cuban warning that the proposed levy could accelerate the exodus.

Cuban entered the debate Saturday with a warning that the measure could have consequences extending far beyond where wealthy individuals choose to live. He argued that investors could steer their money elsewhere and pressure startup companies to leave California as well.

His comments came during a contentious public exchange with Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, who has defended the proposed tax. Cuban pushed back strongly against Khanna and said he could direct future investments away from California if voters approve the measure.

The political fight is unfolding as the latest IRS data compiled from federal tax returns indicates that California is already experiencing substantial losses of taxpayers to other states.

Los Angeles County posted the largest net taxpayer loss in the country, with 17,496 more tax filers moving to other states than arriving from them. Those departing taxpayers represented nearly $1.9 billion in income leaving the county.

Several other major California counties recorded significant losses as well. Orange County had a net decline of 11,618 tax filers, while San Diego County lost 9,401. Riverside County recorded a net loss of 8,968 filers, and San Bernardino County lost 8,462.

Such migration can have broader financial consequences for state and local governments because departing residents take taxable income with them, potentially affecting revenues used to support schools, law enforcement, infrastructure and other government services.

The taxpayer migration has become a central backdrop to the growing battle over California’s proposed billionaire tax and whether imposing additional taxes on the state’s wealthiest residents could encourage even more capital to move elsewhere.

The ballot measure, which is supported by the Service Employees International Union, would establish a one-time 5% wealth tax on California residents whose net worth exceeds $1 billion.

California voters are set to decide the proposal in November. Under the initiative, the tax would apply retroactively to people who were California residents as of Jan. 1, 2026.

Backers of the measure contend that it could raise billions of dollars that could be directed toward healthcare and education. Opponents argue that the proposal risks encouraging billionaires, businesses and investment capital to abandon California for states with lower tax burdens.

Cuban has argued that the potential ramifications extend beyond whether individual billionaires relocate. He said the tax could affect his own decisions about where to invest and where the companies receiving those investments should operate.

“If this passes, and it doesn’t directly impact me at all, I won’t be a Cali resident, but you can bet if I’m investing in a multi billion dollar startup, I’m asking them to move from California first,” Cuban wrote.

Cuban then delivered an even more pointed warning to entrepreneurs considering whether to remain in the state.

“IMO, if this passes, only idiot startup founders stay in Cali.”

{Matzav.com}