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An attempt by Israeli military police to arrest a yeshiva bochur in Bat Yam ended without an arrest overnight after dozens of protesters rushed to the scene, prompting the officers to withdraw.

Organizations that assist detained yeshiva bochurim reported Wednesday morning that military police arrived after midnight at a residence at 15 HaMa’apilim Street in Bat Yam, intending to arrest a yeshiva bochur classified by the military as a draft evader.

Word of the attempted arrest quickly spread after a “Black Alert” emergency notification was circulated among activists affiliated with the Peleg Yerushalmi. Protesters began streaming to the address as the military police remained at the home.

As the number of demonstrators outside continued to grow, the military police ultimately abandoned the arrest attempt and left the family’s home without taking the bochur into custody.

After the officers departed, protesters who had gathered at the scene broke into celebratory dancing in the area where the military police had been standing just minutes earlier. The dancing continued for an extended period as participants celebrated the unsuccessful arrest attempt.

The incident was particularly significant because it was reportedly the first proactive arrest attempt by military police targeting a yeshiva bochur in some time. Enforcement activity against draft-age yeshiva bochurim had declined substantially in recent months, with authorities largely refraining from carrying out initiated arrests.

The attempted arrest in Bat Yam came just one day after Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara called for authorities to resume proactive arrests of Chareidi men who have not complied with military draft requirements.

In her letter, Baharav-Miara called for increased enforcement and additional sanctions against those who remain obligated to report for military service, including yeshiva bochurim engaged in full-time Torah study.

The letter, which was sent to military and police officials, argued that the current level of enforcement against draft-eligible Chareidim is insufficient and falls short of the government’s required targets.

Baharav-Miara called on the government and law enforcement authorities to develop a systematic, proactive enforcement plan aimed at implementing military conscription requirements among yeshiva bochurim.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump confirmed Wednesday that he intends to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year, setting the stage for their third face-to-face meeting as Trump seeks to renew direct diplomacy with the nuclear-armed regime.

Trump did not reveal when or where the meeting would take place. Reports have suggested that the summit could be held in November, when the president is expected to travel to China for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump defended his relationship with Kim and argued that maintaining a personal rapport with the North Korean leader benefits the United States.

“I get along with him, and you know what? The fact that I get along with him-that’s a good thing, not a bad thing,” Trump told reporters at the White House, adding that Kim has “57 very powerful nuclear weapons.”

Trump then criticized previous U.S. administrations for allowing North Korea’s nuclear arsenal to reach its current size, arguing that the buildup would not have occurred under his leadership.

“Should have never allowed it to happen,” the president added. “They should have never allowed it. If I were president, I wouldn’t have allowed it. But he’s got them.”

Trump’s statement about the size of Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal was particularly notable because U.S. officials have generally avoided publicly providing an exact number of operational North Korean nuclear weapons.

Previous intelligence assessments have estimated that North Korea possesses between 50 and 60 active nuclear warheads. Trump’s assertion that Kim controls precisely 57 marked the first time a U.S. official has publicly provided a specific figure for the country’s nuclear arsenal.

The IDF on Wednesday identified four senior Hamas Nukhba terrorists eliminated in an airstrike in northern Gaza, including a commander who infiltrated Israel during the October 7 massacre and three others involved in planning and carrying out attacks against Israeli troops.

The four terrorists, all commanders in the Nukhba force of Hamas’s Beit Lahia Battalion, were targeted Tuesday in the Al-Shati area of the northern Gaza Strip.

The IDF identified the first terrorist as Muhammad Hamdi Ahmad Al-Masri, a Nukhba company commander who was involved in advancing terror attacks against IDF forces operating in Gaza.

Samed Samir Harb Abu Habal, a Nukhba platoon commander, was also eliminated in the strike. According to the IDF, Abu Habal infiltrated Israeli territory during the Hamas-led October 7 massacre.

A third terrorist killed in the attack was Muhammad Attar, a Nukhba platoon commander who was involved in both planning and carrying out terrorist attacks targeting IDF troops.

The fourth was Muhammad Fathi Hussein Nasser, another Nukhba platoon commander who the military said played a role in advancing and executing attacks against Israeli forces.

According to the IDF, the activities of the four Hamas commanders represented an ongoing threat to troops operating in Gaza, prompting the military to target them in an aerial strike aimed at eliminating that threat.

The IDF said precautions were taken before the attack to reduce the danger to civilians in the surrounding area. Those measures included the use of precision-guided munitions and aerial surveillance.

The military said it will continue conducting its operations in accordance with international law while taking measures ahead of strikes to minimize harm to civilians.

Israel is demanding that the process of disarming the Gaza Strip begin on Oct. 7, a highly symbolic date marking the anniversary of the Hamas massacre that triggered the war in 2023, according to a report by the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya network.

Sources told Al Arabiya that Israel specifically requested the Oct. 7 start date for the disarmament process. According to the report, recent statements by President Donald Trump on the issue came after he was presented with Israeli polling showing significant public opposition to an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

The Board of Peace, meanwhile, has reportedly made clear that the political future of Hamas leaders in any future Palestinian government will depend on the terror group surrendering its weapons. Board envoy Nickolay Mladenov told Hamas that meaningful negotiations cannot take place while weapons remain widespread throughout Gaza.

The Board of Peace has also informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel will not be required to begin withdrawing its forces from Gaza before Hamas has been completely disarmed. The provision is part of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement that took effect on Oct. 10, 2025.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem, however, told AFP that the terror organization remains committed to the agreed-upon process, while claiming that Israel has yet to provide mediators with a clear approval of the proposed roadmap.

The developments follow a series of meetings held by U.S. envoy Jared Kushner in Egypt and Israel aimed at advancing the next stage of the Gaza agreement. As part of the emerging arrangements, an American military officer is expected to oversee the process by which Hamas hands over its weapons.

President Donald Trump is pressing his advisers to arrange a face-to-face meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as early as this fall, seeking to revive the nuclear diplomacy that the two leaders pursued during Trump’s first term.

According to U.S. officials, Trump has privately discussed the possibility of meeting Kim during his upcoming trip to Asia. One potential opportunity could come in November, when Trump is expected to travel to Shenzhen, China, for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ gathering.

Trump’s push comes as diplomatic efforts involving Iran have encountered delays and as some U.S. officials and experts warn that renewed negotiations with Pyongyang could result in an unfavorable agreement that effectively legitimizes a nuclear-armed dictator.

Bruce Klingner, a former CIA officer, criticized the approach, saying it amounts to “appeasing a dictator based on the mistaken perception that a personal relationship will achieve U.S. foreign policy objectives.”

Independent assessments by arms-control experts indicate that North Korea’s nuclear capabilities have expanded considerably since Trump and Kim last engaged in direct diplomacy. The country is now believed to possess more than 100 nuclear warheads, aided by increases in its supplies of plutonium and enriched uranium, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Trump also sought to arrange a meeting with Kim during his trip to Asia last year, but logistical difficulties ultimately prevented the encounter from taking place.

More recently, Trump announced on social media that a joint U.S.-South Korean military exercise would be scaled back, saying the decision was made “based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un.” Trump later said the move was connected to South Korea’s failure to assist with reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

South Korea’s embassy in the United States said it hopes the “friendly relations” between Trump and Kim will help produce meaningful dialogue and greater stability on the Korean Peninsula.

Those developments come as South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has called for his country to achieve complete military independence from the United States.

Experts caution, however, that Kim would enter any new negotiations in a substantially stronger position than he held during his previous meetings with Trump. The North Korean leader has strengthened ties with China, expanded cooperation with Iran and Russia, and dispatched thousands of North Korean troops to support Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

{Matzav.com}

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced new sanctions Tuesday against the president of the International Criminal Court and one of its senior trial lawyers, intensifying the Trump administration’s confrontation with the Hague-based tribunal over its efforts to prosecute officials from countries that do not recognize its jurisdiction.

The latest sanctions target ICC President Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye. Rubio described the move as part of “our unwavering mission to protect Americans from this sham of a court.”

The United States is not a member of the Rome Statute, the international treaty that established the ICC and defines its authority. Rubio has also urged other nations to cut their ties with the court.

“These individuals have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction,” Rubio said in a statement.

Under the sanctions, Americans are generally prohibited from conducting transactions with Akane and Seye and could face penalties for doing so. The measures also effectively cut the two ICC officials off from the American financial system.

The ICC responded by criticizing the administration’s action, telling The Hill that “measures targeting judges, prosecutors and staff who work towards the fulfilment of the mandate that was conferred to the ICC by States undermine the rule of law.”

“When judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk,” the statement continued.

The court vowed that it remains “undeterred and stands firmly behind its personnel and behind victims of unimaginable atrocities.”

“The Court will continue to fully discharge its mandate with independence and impartiality, in full accordance with the Rome Statute and in the interest of victims of international crimes,” the court added.

The ICC is expected to issue a more extensive official response to the sanctions early Wednesday.

Rubio had signaled last month that the administration intended to dramatically increase pressure on the court, promising to use American diplomatic and governmental power to dismantle the institution “brick by brick.” Among the measures he outlined were additional sanctions, travel restrictions, visa cancellations, penalties targeting organizations affiliated with the ICC and diplomatic efforts encouraging other countries to leave the court.

The Trump administration has already sanctioned several ICC judges and prosecutors following the tribunal’s issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, who previously served as Israel’s defense minister, in connection with the Gaza war.

Washington’s dispute with the ICC predates the Gaza case. The United States has also strongly objected to the court’s previous investigation into the conduct of American military personnel in Afghanistan.

The administration’s sanctions campaign has triggered a series of legal challenges in American courts. Three ICC judges filed a lawsuit in New York in June arguing that sanctions imposed against them by the Trump administration violate U.S. law.

Two human rights organizations filed a separate lawsuit in July seeking to block sanctions against ICC officials. The groups argued that the administration’s actions had produced a “chilling effect” on their efforts to document alleged Israeli crimes against Palestinians.

Four additional human rights organizations filed another lawsuit against the Trump administration last week, contending that the sanctions imposed on ICC personnel are unlawfully obstructing their work involving international criminal justice.

COVID-19 infections are climbing across virtually the entire United States, according to new federal estimates, although serious illness and COVID-related emergency room visits remain at very low levels.

Modeling from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that “COVID-19 infections are growing or likely growing in 50 states.” As of mid-August, the agency was not estimating declining infections in any state, while no estimate was provided for Iowa.

The widespread increase does not appear, at least so far, to be producing a corresponding surge in severe disease. The CDC continues to classify COVID-related visits to hospital emergency departments as “very low.”

Wastewater surveillance is providing another window into the summer increase. Because people infected with COVID can shed the virus regardless of whether they have symptoms or seek medical care, sewage monitoring can detect community spread that might otherwise go unnoticed. Wastewater surveillance “can pick up signs of infection even from people who feel perfectly healthy,” according to the CDC.

Hawaii and Mississippi currently stand out as the two states with “moderate” levels of COVID activity detected in wastewater, although the available wastewater information for Mississippi is limited.

The West and South are showing somewhat greater viral activity than much of the rest of the country. Alabama, Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, Oregon, Texas and Washington are currently classified as having “low” wastewater levels, while the remaining states are listed as “very low.”

The increase comes as the XFG lineage remains a major focus of federal health officials. The CDC continues to use genomic surveillance to track the proportions of circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants around the country.

Despite COVID’s current upward trajectory, two other major respiratory illnesses are less prevalent. CDC wastewater monitoring shows influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, appearing at lower levels than COVID.

Meanwhile, a newly formulated COVID vaccine designed for the 2026-2027 season is expected to become available beginning this fall. The Food and Drug Administration has advised vaccine manufacturers that the updated shots should use the JN.1-lineage XFG variant in a monovalent vaccine to more closely match viruses now circulating.

The decision followed a May 28 meeting of the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, which reviewed variant circulation, vaccine effectiveness, immune-response data and other evidence before recommending XFG for the new formula.

Manufacturers had indicated to the FDA that they were prepared to produce XFG-targeted vaccines for the upcoming season, and Moderna said in materials submitted to the agency that it was prepared to supply its updated formulation by mid-August.

The latest numbers suggest that the United States is experiencing another period of increased COVID transmission heading toward the end of summer. For now, however, federal data indicate a significant distinction from earlier waves: infections may be increasing broadly, but severe cases remain comparatively uncommon.

Google is preparing to launch a new Gmail program that will allow qualifying political campaigns and organizations to bypass the platform’s standard spam filters, potentially sending more campaign and fundraising emails directly into users’ inboxes ahead of the November midterm elections.

The Gmail Verified Sender Program is scheduled to begin Sept. 8, according to eligibility requirements published by Google in its Help Center. Political senders that qualify will be able to avoid Gmail’s usual spam filtering as long as they comply with the program’s rules, including keeping their spam-complaint rate below 0.3% over a rolling 14-day period.

Mike Hahn, president of digital at Republican fundraising firm Frontline Strategies, welcomed Google’s decision, telling Campaigns & Elections that the change should have come sooner.

“Republicans have faced censorship from Big Tech for the better part of a decade and we finally have an opportunity to put our money where our mouth is,” Hahn said. “I hope all good actors take advantage of this program.”

Google, meanwhile, said the initiative is intended to provide greater predictability for political senders while preserving Gmail users’ ability to determine what appears in their inboxes.

“Following our previous pilot, this program is designed to connect people with the emails they want to receive while keeping them fully in control of their inboxes,” the spokesperson said. “To participate, bulk senders must meet strict security and compliance requirements, ensuring that messages people receive are relevant, useful, and verified.”

The new policy comes after years of complaints from Republicans who have accused Gmail’s spam-filtering system of disproportionately diverting conservative fundraising messages away from recipients’ primary inboxes. The dispute ultimately contributed to a lawsuit filed against Google by the Republican National Committee in 2022, though the case was later dismissed.

Eric Wilson, executive director of the Republican-aligned Center for Campaign Innovation, also applauded Google’s decision in a post on X.

“Glad to see Google’s action on this front,” Wilson wrote. “Democrats’ email marketing infrastructure gave them a leg up in the fundraising battle that had nothing to do with their message or candidates.”

The announcement, however, has also drawn criticism from those who argue that political organizations should remain subject to the same restrictions governing other large-scale email senders.

Josh Nelson, CEO of the progressive digital advertising platform Civic Shout, pointed to Google’s longstanding recommendations regarding bulk email practices.

“Google’s own long-standing advice to bulk email senders has been simple: Don’t send email to people who didn’t sign up to receive it,” Nelson said. “Political campaigns should have to play by those same rules.”

Nelson acknowledged that both major political parties are “guilty of sending unwanted email” but maintained that Republicans have “historically been far worse offenders.”

Political campaigns seeking admission to the program will be required to authenticate their sending domains through Campaign Verify, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization. They must also register with Google’s Postmaster Tools and satisfy the other eligibility and compliance standards established by Google.

For Gmail users, the practical effect could become increasingly noticeable as the midterm elections approach. Political messages that Gmail’s existing system might otherwise have directed into spam folders could instead appear directly in recipients’ inboxes once the new program takes effect.

{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.

For the first time, a panel of experts has released clinical guidelines outlining how e-cigarettes can be used as a tool to help adult cigarette smokers quit.

The recommendations from a Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco panel say e-cigarettes should be considered alongside established smoking-cessation options, including nicotine replacement products and medications such as varenicline and bupropion. The guidance was recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

While emphasizing that e-cigarettes carry health risks of their own, the authors concluded that vaping is less harmful than cigarette smoking and may be more effective at helping smokers quit than conventional nicotine replacement treatments.

“This work is about correcting misperceptions that act as barriers to evidence-based care for smokers and expanding the tools clinicians can use to support smoking cessation among their patients,” lead researcher Eleanor Leavens said in a news release. She is an assistant professor of population health at the University of Kansas.

“There is no single approach that will help all smokers quit, but by providing patients with a menu of options and engaging in a risk-benefit conversation, they have a better chance of quitting for good and improving their overall health,” Leavens said.

In their review of the available evidence, the researchers said smokers who switch to vaping can substantially reduce their exposure to dangerous chemicals and cancer-causing substances, with reductions reaching as high as 90% in some cases.

Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved e-cigarettes as a smoking-cessation treatment, the researchers said there is high-certainty evidence linking their use with higher quit rates than nicotine replacement options such as patches, gum and nasal sprays.

“Unlike NRT (nicotine replacement therapy), e-cigarettes typically deliver nicotine rapidly and similarly to cigarettes,” the panel wrote in its paper. “Although such delivery poses a risk of greater dependence and long-term use relative to NRT, it may also contribute to e-cigarettes’ being more satisfying and a more effective substitute for cigarettes relative to NRT and contribute to a reduced risk of relapse.”

The panel said physicians counseling smokers should work with their patients to weigh the benefits and risks of the available approaches and determine which cessation method is most appropriate for each individual.

For patients who choose e-cigarettes as their method for quitting, the guidelines advise doctors to steer them toward FDA-authorized vaping products whose benefits have been determined to outweigh their risks. Patients should be encouraged to vape whenever they ordinarily would have smoked, transition completely away from cigarettes as rapidly as possible, and combine the effort with behavioral counseling to increase the likelihood of success.

“Behavioral support should focus on complete cessation of cigarettes and should include setting a quit date for cigarette use,” researchers wrote.

Once a smoker has completely stopped using cigarettes, the guidelines say physicians can consider advising the patient to gradually reduce nicotine exposure from vaping.

“The most important goal to keep in mind is maintaining complete abstinence from cigarettes,” the team wrote.

The recommendations were developed by the Harm Reduction Workgroup of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, an international nonprofit organization that does not accept tobacco-industry funding.

“Cigarette smoking causes about 30% of all cancer deaths in the United States and most people want to quit but struggle to do so,” Leavens said. “Adding clear guidance on e-cigarettes gives clinicians a practical tool that can help people move away from combustible tobacco and toward better health.”

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, seeking to force the Republican governor to extradite an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent accused of shooting a man in Minneapolis and then falsely describing what led to the incident.

Christian Castro, an ICE agent who has been jailed in Cameron County, Texas, since May 29, is charged in Minnesota with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime. The charges stem from a Jan. 14 shooting during Operation Metro Surge, the Trump administration’s since-concluded immigration enforcement operation in the Twin Cities.

Minnesota prosecutors allege that Castro fired through the front door of a Minneapolis residence, striking Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg. The bullet ultimately became lodged in the wall of a child’s bedroom.

According to the criminal complaint, Castro subsequently told another officer that he had been attacked with a broomstick and snow shovel. Prosecutors contend that his account is contradicted by video footage, physical evidence and the testimony of four other witnesses.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sent a formal extradition request to Abbott on June 2, seeking Castro’s return to Minnesota to face the charges.

Ellison’s lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Texas, argues that Abbott does not have the authority to simply refuse the request. The complaint points to the Supreme Court’s 1987 decision in Puerto Rico v. Branstad, which held that the Constitution’s Extradition Clause creates a mandatory duty for the governor of a state where a fugitive is located.

“This is not a legally discretionary task,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said.

In addition to seeking an order compelling Abbott to approve Castro’s extradition, Ellison is asking the court to temporarily prohibit Cameron County Sheriff Manuel Trevino from releasing the ICE agent.

Under Texas law, Castro can remain jailed for as long as 90 days while awaiting extradition. Once that period expires, he could be released, with Aug. 26 looming as a possible release date.

Ellison said during a news conference that authorities consider Castro a flight risk, particularly because he is being held close to the Mexican border. The lawsuit alleges that Castro has spoken from jail with a woman in Mexico about marrying her and purchasing a home there following his release.

The standoff marks a sharp break from the way Texas and Minnesota have handled extradition requests between the two states in the recent past.

According to Ellison’s office, Abbott approved Minnesota’s previous 11 extradition requests in an average of approximately 30 days, while Walz approved 21 requests from Texas in fewer than five days. Moriarty also said Abbott has signed three unrelated Minnesota extradition requests since Castro was taken into custody.

Abbott’s office told CBS Minnesota that it would not comment on pending extradition matters.

Texas Democratic Reps. Sylvia Garcia and Vicente Gonzalez have also called on Abbott to approve Castro’s transfer to Minnesota.

The lawsuit names Trevino alongside Abbott as a defendant and asks the federal court to compel the governor to sign the extradition warrant. Minnesota is also seeking attorneys’ fees and other costs associated with the case. Ellison warned Abbott in an Aug. 13 letter that legal action would follow unless the warrant was signed by 5 p.m. Monday. Abbott did not sign it.

Mexico is objecting to the Trump administration’s reported practice of deporting some Mexican citizens to Guatemala and Honduras rather than returning them directly to Mexico, saying Tuesday that it has never entered into an agreement permitting such removals.

CBS News reported that the Trump administration has quietly been transporting Mexican deportees to the two Central American countries. The report cited two Department of Homeland Security officials who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

According to the officials, one purpose of the policy is to discourage illegal immigration from Mexico by placing some deported Mexican nationals significantly farther from the U.S.-Mexico border.

One DHS official said the practice has been underway for several months and that hundreds of Mexican citizens have been deported to Guatemala and Honduras. The exact number of people affected remains unclear.

“The Government of Mexico accepts the return of all its nationals. It therefore rejects the deportation of Mexican nationals to third countries and has no such agreement in place,” Mexico’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement to CBS News. “Mexico consistently takes the steps necessary to ensure the safe and dignified return of all its nationals to national territory.”

The Trump administration has substantially increased its use of third-country deportations, in which migrants are removed to nations other than their countries of citizenship. According to CBS News, the approach has generally been used when a migrant’s home country, including Cuba, refuses or restricts deportation flights, or when an individual has legal protections preventing removal to his or her country of origin.

Mexico presents a different situation because it has traditionally accepted its citizens who are deported from the United States. The country has also received migrants from other Latin American nations who were removed by U.S. authorities.

“This is almost entirely punitive,” Adam Isacson, a researcher at the Washington Office on Latin America who studies regional migration patterns, told CBS News.

Isacson said sending Mexican migrants to Guatemala or Honduras creates an additional obstacle for anyone considering another attempt to enter the United States illegally, while simultaneously serving as a warning to other migrants.

“It’s the same as the purpose of sending them to Ecuador or Africa or anywhere else: to broadcast the hardship, to make sure people know that this is a possible consequence of remaining undocumented in the United States, and to encourage people to self-deport,” he explained.

Asked by Newsmax about the reported practice, both DHS and the White House defended President Trump’s overall deportation campaign but did not specifically answer questions concerning Mexican citizens being transported to third countries.

“The Trump Administration is utilizing all lawful options to carry out the largest deportation operation in history, just as President [Donald] Trump promised,” a DHS spokesperson told Newsmax.

A White House official offered a similar defense, telling Newsmax, “The Trump Administration is using all the tools in our toolbox to carry out the largest, lawful deportation operation of criminal illegal aliens in history.”

Neither the White House nor DHS explained why Mexican nationals would be deported to Guatemala or Honduras instead of Mexico, responded directly to the Mexican government’s objections, or clarified what legal or diplomatic arrangements allow the third-country removals.

Dear Matzav Inbox,

GroupMe, owned by Microsoft, has announced that it is shutting down its free SMS messaging service, a feature that has been available since GroupMe launched in 2010. Users who rely on SMS will receive a notice and have seven days before they lose access, although their chats will remain available through the GroupMe app.

For many people, the solution is simple: download the app. But for many frum Jews, it isn’t.

GroupMe’s SMS option has become an important tool for family, neighborhood, school, shul and community chats. Many frum Jews do not have smartphones, and many kosher phones cannot receive MMS messages, which are generally required for standard group texting. GroupMe provided a unique solution by allowing people with basic phones to participate in the same groups through ordinary SMS.

Ending this service means that many people who have deliberately chosen not to own smartphones will suddenly be excluded from groups they have participated in for years.

A Change.org petition has been created asking Microsoft and GroupMe to reconsider and continue supporting SMS messaging. It can be found at the GroupMe SMS petition or through the shortened petition link.

Hopefully, if enough people make their voices heard, GroupMe will recognize that while SMS may seem outdated to some, for many frum families it remains an essential way to stay connected.

A Matzav Reader

To submit a letter to appear on Matzav.com, email MatzavInbox@gmail.com

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Dr. David Morens, a onetime senior adviser to Dr. Anthony Fauci, pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to conspiring to evade federal transparency and records requirements by concealing communications involving COVID-19 research grants.

While working at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Morens deliberately conducted government-related business through a personal email account in an effort to avoid requirements under the Freedom of Information Act and the Federal Records Act.

Federal prosecutors said Morens concealed or destroyed communications concerning COVID-19 research funding, including discussions surrounding an attempt to restore a controversial coronavirus research grant.

According to his guilty plea, Morens and two unnamed co-conspirators communicated in writing about keeping their exchanges beyond the reach of public disclosure. They used Morens’ personal Gmail account instead of his official National Institutes of Health email address, including when sharing information from NIH that was not publicly available.

The plea agreement also states that one of the co-conspirators rewarded Morens with wine for his “behind-the-scenes shenanigans” and arranged to have the gift delivered to Morens’ home in Maryland.

Prosecutors said Morens subsequently discussed an official action he could take to “deserve” the gift. That action involved writing a scientific commentary for a prominent medical journal arguing that COVID-19 originated naturally.

According to the guilty plea, the same co-conspirator also suggested that Morens could receive additional benefits, including meals at Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris, New York and Washington, D.C.

The case has also drawn renewed attention to Fauci’s relationship with Morens. During a recent Senate hearing, Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination when questioned about his dealings with his onetime adviser.

Fauci had previously addressed Morens’ conduct during a House committee hearing in 2024, describing what Morens had done as “wrong” while maintaining that he had not been involved in those activities.

Morens could receive as much as five years behind bars. His sentencing is scheduled for November.

“Dr. Morens has taken responsibility for what he did and will continue to do so,” his defense attorney, Timothy Belevetz, said in a statement.

{Matzav.com}

Amazon is preparing for a dramatic expansion of its drone delivery network, with plans to bring the service to suburban communities across nearly 500 U.S. cities by the end of the year, potentially giving millions of additional customers access to packages delivered through the air.

The company says eligible orders could arrive at customers’ homes in as little as 30 minutes.

Amazon’s delivery drones are capable of transporting packages weighing up to five pounds.

The ambitious rollout is expected to further escalate Amazon’s competition with Walmart as the two retail giants race to offer increasingly rapid delivery options.

Both companies are building delivery networks that combine traditional drivers with drones to move customers’ purchases to their homes as quickly as possible.

Under Amazon’s new plans, its drone operation would grow to more than six times its current nationwide footprint. The expansion will reach hundreds of additional communities, including areas around Chicago, Atlanta, Cleveland and Boise.

Flights will largely be concentrated in suburban neighborhoods, avoiding dense downtown areas, skyscrapers and major airports that can complicate drone operations.

Amazon says its drones have already transported hundreds of thousands of packages this year. Even with the planned expansion, however, drones will account for only a small portion of the hundreds of millions of packages the company delivers annually.

The technology also faces significant practical limitations. Beyond the five-pound weight restriction, trees, landscaping, backyard obstacles and even inflatable swimming pools can make it difficult for drones to identify suitable locations to safely lower packages.

Amazon must also navigate regulatory requirements in each community where it intends to establish drone operations.

Another potential obstacle is noise, particularly as the number of flights increases in residential neighborhoods.

“It’s still an experiment. It’s still in test and learn mode,” said Sucharita Kodali, a retail analyst with Forrester.

Kodali said some customers may initially try drone delivery simply for the novelty of seeing a package arrive from the sky. Whether consumers will regularly choose the service remains uncertain, she said, while Amazon continues working to determine whether the economics of widespread drone delivery make sense.

Amazon Prime members placing orders worth more than $50 will be able to use drone delivery at no additional charge. Prime customers with smaller orders will pay $2.99 for the service.

Customers without Prime memberships will be charged $4.99 for a drone delivery.

By comparison, Prime members generally receive standard deliveries for free, while nonmembers pay a flat delivery charge on standard shipments below $35 and can pay as much as $12.99 for same-day delivery where that option is offered.

Kodali said the technology may ultimately prove particularly valuable for lightweight products that customers need quickly, such as prescription medications.

Amazon is far from alone in exploring the possibilities. DoorDash and other delivery companies are also testing drones as a way to transport food and other merchandise directly to consumers.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told shareholders in his annual letter in April that the company has gained substantial experience from operating drones at 11 locations spread across Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska and Texas.

At each site, drones depart from an Amazon warehouse and can serve an area of roughly 175 square miles. That means multiple launch facilities are necessary to provide drone coverage throughout a major metropolitan region.

“Prime Air now has a design that’ll scale plans to serve communities with 30 million customers by year-end, and expects to deliver half a billion packages by the end of this decade (with an aim to deliver inside 30 minutes),” Jassy wrote.

At the same time, Amazon is continuing to pour resources into its conventional delivery infrastructure, including warehouses, smaller fulfillment facilities positioned closer to customers and its truck fleet, as it seeks to shrink delivery times from days to hours — or even minutes.

The company has already received certification from the Federal Aviation Administration and has secured waivers permitting its drones to operate beyond the visual line of sight of their pilots.

Amazon has also invested heavily in collision-avoidance and other safety technologies intended to enable its drones to detect and steer clear of aircraft and other potential hazards while making deliveries.

The federal government has proposed broader regulations that would make it easier for drone operators to conduct flights beyond a pilot’s direct line of sight, potentially opening the door to even greater use of delivery drones. Those rules, however, have not yet been finalized.

{Matzav.com}

The Justice Department announced Tuesday that 17 people connected to an Iran-based hacking operation have been charged in an extensive cyber campaign that allegedly targeted American universities, businesses and government agencies, with some of the attacks carried out for the benefit of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York unsealed a 14-count superseding indictment against individuals affiliated with the Tehran-based Mabna Institute, accusing the group of orchestrating a years-long series of cyber intrusions.

According to the Justice Department, the Mabna Institute has been conducting coordinated hacking operations since at least 2013, penetrating computer networks belonging to 144 universities in the United States and another 178 universities abroad.

The alleged operation extended well beyond academia. Prosecutors said the hackers also targeted at least 42 American private-sector companies, 11 foreign companies, five U.S. federal and state government agencies and two nongovernmental organizations.

“Today’s charges, which include eight additional defendants, reveal the broader network allegedly behind a sweeping, state-sponsored campaign to steal research and intellectual property from American universities, businesses, and government institutions,” Jamie McDonald, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a news release.

“More than eight years after making the original indictment public, these charges make clear that the passage of time will not deter us from identifying and pursuing those who target the United States from abroad.

“Cyber operations have become a central instrument of national power, and attacks on American and allied institutions carry direct consequences for our security and economic strength.

“This office and our partners will continue to protect American innovation and pursue accountability for the individuals behind these attacks.”

Prosecutors said the hackers attempted to gain access to more than 100,000 professors’ accounts around the world. Approximately 8,000 email accounts belonging to professors at American and foreign universities were successfully compromised.

The operation allegedly resulted in the theft of approximately 31.5 terabytes of academic information and intellectual property. The stolen material included scholarly journals, theses, dissertations and electronic books.

Justice Department officials said members of the hacking group obtained stolen usernames and passwords and then used those credentials to enter university computer systems.

The stolen material was allegedly monetized through websites serving customers in Iran. One site sold academic documents, while another offered customers access to compromised professors’ accounts, enabling them to enter university library systems.

Federal prosecutors said at least part of the hacking campaign was undertaken to benefit the IRGC as well as other Iranian government and university clients.

Nine of the defendants had previously been charged under seal in a seven-count indictment filed in February 2018.

That original indictment was made public the following month.

The newly unsealed superseding indictment charges the defendants with varying combinations of conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, computer fraud involving unauthorized access for private financial gain, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

A conviction on either the computer-intrusion conspiracy charge or computer-fraud charge can carry a maximum prison term of five years. Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and substantive wire fraud each carry potential maximum sentences of 20 years.

Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year prison sentence.

The State Department’s Rewards for Justice program is also offering rewards of as much as $10 million for information that helps authorities locate five of the defendants: Behzad Mesri, Mojtaba Galekuhi, Arman Kahzadian, Keyvan Fayaz and Saber Shahbazi Ballojeh.

{Matzav.com}

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The United Arab Emirates announced Tuesday that it is immediately suspending all trade, commercial activity and financial transactions with Iran until further notice, a sweeping move that comes amid renewed tensions between the two countries and accusations that Tehran fired ballistic missiles toward Emirati territory.

Afra Al Hameli, director of the Strategic Communications Department at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the action was prompted by escalating developments in the region that Abu Dhabi believes pose a danger to peace and security both in the Middle East and around the world.

Despite the dramatic economic step, Al Hameli emphasized that the UAE continues to regard dialogue, cooperation and greater regional integration as crucial tools for achieving long-term stability, peace and prosperity. She added that the Emirates remains committed to safeguarding the international financial system, following international law and maintaining established global standards.

Abu Dhabi also said it intends to continue supporting efforts aimed at protecting financial stability throughout the region and internationally.

The decision came after the UAE Defense Ministry accused Iran of firing two ballistic missiles in the direction of the country, although officials said neither projectile ultimately struck Emirati land.

“UAE air defenses detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran toward the country, with the first falling outside the country’s territorial waters, while the second fell within the territorial waters,” the ministry said in a social media post.

Tehran rejected the allegation that it was responsible for the launches. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei called the UAE’s claims “baseless” and cautioned that “false flag operations” could be involved.

The UAE was one of several countries across the region that came under Iranian attack following the outbreak of war between Iran, the United States and Israel in late February. Those Iranian strikes ended after a ceasefire was reached and the sides signed a framework agreement in mid-June aimed at bringing the conflict to an end.

The Wall Street Journal reported in May that the UAE had secretly participated in dozens of airstrikes against Iran during the fighting, coordinating the operations with the United States and Israel. According to the report, military installations and energy infrastructure were among the targets, and Emirati operations continued even after the ceasefire was announced.

The newspaper had earlier reported that UAE forces were directly involved in attacks against Iranian infrastructure. Among the strikes attributed to the Emirates was an operation targeting a major oil refinery on Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump announced Tuesday night that he was putting a planned 50% tariff on most Canadian imports on hold for three days, saying the United States and Canada had reached a tentative agreement and suggesting that the long-stalled Keystone XL pipeline could be revived as part of the breakthrough.

“I have paused the 50% Tariffs against Canada, that were scheduled to kick in tomorrow morning for a three day period,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, “based on the fact that Canada and the U.S.A., subject to the finalization of documents, have a DEAL!”

Trump then raised the possibility that the agreement could breathe new life into Keystone XL, the massive pipeline project that was abandoned after President Joe Biden revoked a key permit shortly after taking office in 2021.

“The great Keystone XL Pipeline, long ago killed by Sleepy Joe Biden, may be awoken from the grave!” Trump wrote.

The president followed that message by posting an AI-generated image depicting himself pulling a pipeline marked “Keystone” from the ground alongside a damaged tombstone bearing the words “Buried by Biden.”

Trump’s announcement came less than two hours before the 50% duties were scheduled to begin, averting an immediate escalation in the growing trade dispute between Washington and Ottawa. The decision followed a day of intensive discussions involving Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

First proposed in 2008, Keystone XL was designed to carry as much as 830,000 barrels of crude oil per day over roughly 1,200 miles from Alberta to Nebraska. From there, the oil would enter existing pipeline networks supplying refineries along the U.S. Gulf Coast.

The pipeline became a major political and environmental battle during the Obama administration and was eventually stalled amid strong opposition from environmental groups. Trump later moved to revive the project during his first term, but Biden revoked a critical cross-border permit in January 2021. TC Energy, the Calgary-based company behind the project, officially abandoned it several months later.

The tariffs that Trump has now temporarily suspended would cover approximately $20 billion in Canadian goods, representing roughly 5% of Canada’s annual exports to the United States. Products including wine, hockey sticks and cement were expected to face the new duties, while critical minerals, fish, potash and energy products were among those slated for exemptions.

Canadian officials had warned that Ottawa would respond to the new U.S. tariffs with additional levies on American products, threatening to intensify a trade confrontation between two countries that exchanged approximately $880 billion in goods and services last year.

Tensions have also been evident among Canadians. A petition calling for the removal of U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra, a Trump ally and onetime Michigan congressman, has accumulated nearly 218,000 signatures since July 21.

Carney had declined to publicly discuss details of the negotiations while the talks were underway.

″We are negotiating,” Carney told reporters Monday, speaking in French. “The negotiations are very intense and delicate. This is not the time to talk about negotiations in public.”

Trump first unveiled the 50% tariffs last month, shortly after he was seen speaking with Carney during the World Cup Final between Spain and Argentina. The president invoked Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 as the legal basis for the duties.

The Depression-era provision gives a president authority to impose tariffs of as much as 50% on goods originating in countries deemed to have discriminated against American businesses. The broader tariff law enacted during that period has long been criticized by economists who contend that protectionist trade measures helped deepen the worldwide economic downturn.

Trump has argued that Canadian trade policies unfairly disadvantage American products, specifically pointing to automobiles, alcoholic beverages and cheese.

Canada, along with China, was one of only two countries to impose retaliatory tariffs against the United States following Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff measures last year.

The three-day reprieve now gives Washington and Ottawa additional time to finalize the documents behind the agreement Trump announced Tuesday night, with the president’s remarks raising the prospect that a revived Keystone XL project could become a major component of a broader U.S.-Canada trade deal.

{Matzav.com}

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