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President Donald Trump sharply criticized Gov. Kathy Hochul during a campaign-style appearance on Long Island Friday, accusing her and the “radical left” of driving New York into decline while confidently predicting that Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman will win this year’s election.

Trump made the remarks at the Nassau County Police Academy, where he joined Blakeman, the county executive, to highlight newly released FBI statistics showing a significant nationwide decline in violent crime compared with the previous year.

Addressing an enthusiastic audience of law enforcement officers and supporters, Trump warned that progressive policies were pushing American cities toward disorder and violence.

“And then the death comes, and it becomes really a true hell hole,” he said, before adding, “It’s not going to happen to New York, New York state. That’s why we got to get Bruce into office.”

Trump argued that Blakeman should have a clear path to victory given the policies adopted by Hochul and other Democratic leaders in New York, particularly the state’s 2020 cashless bail law.

“How the hell can you lose to that? If you lose, you’ll be ashamed for the rest of your life,” he told Blakeman.

Recent polling suggests the race has tightened. A Siena College survey conducted in early August found Hochul leading Blakeman by 10 percentage points, 49% to 39% among likely voters.

The poll also indicated that Blakeman is outperforming where Republican Lee Zeldin stood at a similar point in the 2022 campaign. Zeldin ultimately lost to Hochul by six percentage points in one of the closest gubernatorial races for a Republican in New York in decades.

Trump’s Long Island visit came as Blakeman and other Republicans intensified their criticism of Democratic leadership ahead of November’s election, arguing that the party’s leftward shift could alienate suburban and swing voters.

While New York City’s Democratic Socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani has become a central target for many Republicans, Trump mentioned him only briefly, drawing boos from the crowd.

Instead, the President repeatedly focused his criticism on Hochul, accusing her of being weak on crime because of her support for cashless bail and New York’s sanctuary-state policies, which limit cooperation between local law enforcement agencies and federal immigration authorities.

“Hochul and the radical left stand with the gang members, child predators, violent felons. We stand with hardworking New Yorkers,” Trump said.

“She thinks the sanctuary cities are wonderful, which are killing our country,” he added.

Although Trump and Hochul frequently criticize one another publicly, they have occasionally praised their ability to work together on specific projects, including the redevelopment of Penn Station.

Before Trump’s remarks, Blakeman touted Nassau County’s partnership with federal immigration authorities, saying it has contributed to the county’s public safety.

“Nassau County has the most comprehensive agreement with ICE in the United States of America. In one year, we removed 2,000 illegal migrants with criminal records ranging from attempted murder, rape, murder, robbery… drug dealers,” he said.

Trump was joined during the visit by Blakeman, Attorney General Todd Blanche, and FBI Director Kash Patel, who grew up in nearby Garden City. The group toured Nassau County’s police training facility before the rally.

Speaking to the law enforcement audience, Trump praised Blakeman for expanding the county’s police force by more than 700 officers.

The crowd also applauded loudly when Trump called for imposing the death penalty on those convicted of murdering police officers. Introducing Blakeman, the President described him as a longtime friend and added, “He’s a winner.”

Ahead of Trump’s appearance, Hochul sought to counter expected criticism by posting crime statistics on X showing significant declines in several major categories.

According to the figures she shared, shooting deaths have fallen by 62%, murders are down 57%, and overall crime has decreased by 10%.

“Here are the facts: Crime rates are continuing to drop across the state,” Hochul wrote.

The United States recorded its lowest homicide rate in roughly 70 years during 2025, according to newly released FBI crime statistics, which also show a sharp nationwide decline in violent crime. The report found that murders, property crimes, and vehicle thefts all dropped significantly, while preliminary figures indicate the downward trend has continued into 2026.

According to the FBI’s annual crime report released Friday, the national homicide rate fell to 4.1 killings per 100,000 people in 2025, matching the levels recorded in 1955 and 1956. Overall violent crime declined by 9.3% during the year.

Criminal justice experts cautioned that the reasons behind the dramatic decrease remain uncertain, noting that violent crime has been falling nationwide since 2022 across communities with widely differing policies and political leadership. The FBI’s report is based on crime data voluntarily submitted by thousands of law enforcement agencies throughout the country.

“The homicide drop is historic and crystal clear. But right now, what’s driving it is about as clear as a glass of milk,” said Adam Gelb, president and CEO of the Council on Criminal Justice.

“Rates are falling in cities with very different public safety strategies, economic conditions, and political leadership,” Gelb said. “The consistency across the map should make us cautious about handing credit to any one leader, party, policy, or program before the evidence catches up.”

President Donald Trump highlighted the FBI’s findings during an appearance Friday at a police academy on Long Island, where he credited his administration’s law-and-order agenda for the decline in crime.

Trump contrasted his approach with that of the previous administration and criticized sanctuary city policies while emphasizing his support for law enforcement and actions such as deploying the National Guard in Washington and other locations.

“We ended the war on police, and we declared a very strong war on crime,” Trump said during the Long Island appearance.

Criminologists who have monitored crime trends in major U.S. cities had projected that the homicide rate could fall to approximately four killings per 100,000 residents, a level that would have marked the lowest since national recordkeeping began in 1900.

Although the final figure came in slightly higher, the FBI reported a homicide rate of 4.1 per 100,000 people, tying the rates recorded in 1955 and 1956 as the lowest in the modern era.

The report also found that murders and non-negligent manslaughters declined by 18.1% between 2024 and 2025. Property crime also dropped substantially, falling 12.4% over the same period.

Motor vehicle theft, which surged during 2022 and 2023 following a social media trend that exploited security flaws in certain Kia and Hyundai models, declined by nearly 23%, reaching its lowest level in more than two decades.

In an unusual step, the FBI also included preliminary data showing that violent crime has continued to decrease during the first half of 2026, rather than waiting until year-end statistics become available. The update comes as Republicans have increasingly pointed to falling crime rates ahead of the midterm elections.

Separate data from the Council on Criminal Justice also suggests the trend is continuing, with homicides in the cities it tracks falling another 18% during the first six months of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier.

The report also noted the dramatic spike in violent crime that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, when homicides surged by nearly 30% in 2020—the largest single-year increase since the FBI began collecting national crime statistics. Since then, violent crime has steadily declined, approaching pre-pandemic levels by 2022.

The FBI compiles its annual report through the Uniform Crime Reporting Program, which gathers standardized crime data from law enforcement agencies across the country. The 2025 report includes submissions from more than 17,000 agencies—representing over 87% of participating departments—and covers communities totaling nearly 329 million Americans.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is reportedly angered by the Army’s decision to withdraw newly announced academic standards for ROTC cadets, including a proposed minimum SAT score of 1,000, after the requirements were rescinded just days after being unveiled.

The now-suspended policy was introduced on Aug. 5 in an internal memorandum signed by Jules Hurst, who was then serving as the Army’s assistant secretary for manpower and reserve affairs before being confirmed two days later as the Pentagon’s comptroller.

In the memo, Hurst stressed the importance of strengthening the Army’s future leadership.

“The Army must cultivate intelligent and adaptive officers to build a lethal and ready Army prepared to deter, fight, and win our nation’s wars. The strength of our Officer Corps is the strength of our Army,” Hurst wrote.

Under the proposal, which had been scheduled to take effect in January, prospective ROTC cadets would have been required to achieve at least a 1,000 on the SAT. However, on Aug. 12, Army Under Secretary Mike Obadal formally withdrew the new standards, saying additional review was necessary and citing a need for “further staffing and analysis.”

According to Pentagon officials who spoke with The New York Post, the abrupt reversal exposed internal divisions within Army leadership. Sources said Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Hegseth have clashed repeatedly over personnel matters during the past year and are barely communicating despite the ongoing conflict with Iran.

One source told the newspaper that neither memorandum was reviewed by Driscoll before it was issued. Another source said the Army secretary was not even included in internal email discussions announcing the original policy.

Three Pentagon sources told the Post that Hegseth was deeply frustrated by the sequence of events.

Military officials familiar with the proposal argued that raising academic standards for future officers is long overdue and consistent with Hegseth’s broader effort to increase professionalism throughout the armed forces.

“I have friends that taught ROTC. They literally deal with some cadets that can’t put together a coherent sentence or write correctly,” a senior Pentagon official told The Post.

“A modest policy like this is a move in the right direction. Especially in an environment where the quality of a formal college education is less than what it was. 1000 on the SAT is nothing. If you can’t hit that you probably shouldn’t be an officer to begin with. We don’t want stupid people leading our soldiers.”

The proposed standards also would have allowed applicants to qualify by earning a score of 20 on the ACT or finishing above the 50th percentile on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), the test commonly administered to enlisted personnel.

“These are really common sense policies that everyone should be able to get behind,” the senior official said.

“Every branch of the U.S. military, except for the Army, has minimum requirements to commission via ROTC regardless of scholarship status. The fact that this was not in place to begin with is a bit strange. Enlisted service members, in many cases, seem to have stricter testing requirements to join.”

At present, Army ROTC applicants are not required to submit standardized test scores.

ROTC remains the Army’s largest source of newly commissioned officers, accounting for roughly 40% to 70% of incoming officers in recent years, according to publicly available figures.

The proposed testing standards are part of a broader effort by Hegseth to tighten military requirements. He has also advocated for stricter physical fitness and grooming standards for officers, criticizing what he has described as the presence of “fat generals” and “beardos,” arguing that they undermine the military’s professional image.

Although the testing proposal has been withdrawn for now, Army officials indicated it has not necessarily been abandoned.

“The Army is in lock-step with Secretary Hegseth and the president’s direction regarding military standards and readiness,” an Army spokesman told The Post. “The Army is evaluating proposed changes to ROTC cadet standards for review by appropriate senior leaders and approval by the Secretary of the Army and the Acting Chief of Staff of the Army.”

A man accused of launching a violent antisemitic attack inside a Manhattan synagogue during Shabbos services has been charged with multiple hate crimes after allegedly assaulting a congregant, attacking a security guard, and causing damage inside the sanctuary, according to the NYPD.

Police identified the suspect as 46-year-old Larry Montes of the Bronx. Authorities said he entered Central Synagogue, located on Lexington Avenue and East 55th Street, shortly before 6 p.m. Friday and began behaving erratically near the front of the sanctuary while services were underway.

According to law enforcement sources, synagogue security personnel approached Montes and attempted to escort him from the building. Before they could remove him, however, he allegedly punched a 63-year-old congregant in the face.

Investigators said Montes also headbutted and spat on one of the synagogue’s security guards. During the disturbance, he allegedly destroyed two religious candles valued at approximately $20,000.

An NYPD sergeant assigned to a paid security detail at the synagogue quickly intervened and took Montes into custody.

Video from a livestream of the service, later shared on X, captured the chaotic moments as Montes shouted uncontrollably from the front of the sanctuary.

Moments later, the sound of an object shattering could be heard off camera, prompting audible cries from members of the congregation. The footage then showed Montes being escorted down the aisle while yelling and repeatedly thrusting his fists into the air.

Prosecutors charged Montes with two counts of assault as a hate crime and one count of criminal mischief as a hate crime.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said she had spoken with the synagogue’s rabbi following the attack and expressed gratitude that the incident did not result in more serious injuries.

“I have spoken with the rabbi of the synagogue, and I’m relieved that no one was seriously injured,” Tisch said in a statement.

“There are no known additional threats at this time, and additional NYPD resources have been deployed to the synagogue,” she added.

Tisch later noted her personal connection to the congregation, explaining that she attended the synagogue as a child.

She said she confirmed with synagogue leadership that “those who were hurt were evaluated at the scene and are doing well.”

“I understand the sanctity of this space and its meaning for congregants. Central Synagogue is where I grew up,” the commissioner wrote.

“In joy and in sorrow, it has always been a place of comfort and peace. What happened there tonight is deeply painful. A place of worship should never be a crime scene.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also condemned the attack, describing it as “appalling” and saying she was “grateful the suspect is in custody and that no one was seriously injured.”

“Jewish New Yorkers have every right to worship openly, proudly, and without fear,” Hochul wrote on X.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani likewise denounced the incident, saying he was “horrified by the assault at Central Synagogue.”

“I can only imagine the pain and fear an attack like this, during Shabbat services, causes for the congregation and for Jewish New Yorkers across our city,” Mamdani said.

“Every New Yorker must be able to observe their religion without fear of violence. This despicable act has no place in our city, and our administration will do everything in our power to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe.”

Attorney General Letitia James also issued a statement following the attack.

“My heart is with the Central Synagogue community this evening,” James said.

“The assault during services at Central Synagogue today is appalling and unacceptable,” she added. “No one should feel threatened in their place of worship.”

The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is continuing its investigation into the incident.

{Matzav.com}

A 14-year-old girl was seriously injured Friday morning in Bnei Brak after her hand became caught in a kitchen mixer while preparing Shabbos challos. Several of her fingers were severed in the accident, and she was rushed to the hospital, where doctors are attempting to save them.

The accident occurred at the family’s home on Ginot David Street as the teenager was kneading dough for Shabbos challos. According to initial reports, she accidentally placed her hand into the operating mixer, resulting in the traumatic amputation of several fingers.

United Hatzalah emergency responders arrived quickly at the scene and immediately began administering first aid, controlling the bleeding and bandaging her injuries before transporting her for emergency medical treatment.

Hili Miller and Yanky Deitch, medics with United Hatzalah’s Koach Hatzalah unit who treated the girl, said, “We were told that the girl accidentally placed her hand into the mixer while kneading dough for Shabbos challos. We provided emergency medical treatment, including stopping the bleeding and bandaging her wounds. She was then transported by United Hatzalah ambulance to Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, where doctors will attempt to save her fingers.”

The teenager was taken to Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, where medical teams are working in an effort to reattach and save her injured fingers.

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

More than 1,000 Roshei and Menaheli Kollelim from across Eretz Yisrael gathered in Kfar Saba for a historic Adopt-a-Kollel convention. The nine-hour gathering was devoted to tefillah, chizuk, hadrachah and strengthening the partnership between kollelim in Eretz Yisrael and their sponsor kehillos in Chutz La’aretz.

The convention comes at an exceptionally difficult time for the olam haTorah. Government cuts have severely affected kollelim and avreichim, while the declining value of the dollar against the shekel has reduced the support arriving from abroad. Despite these pressures, tens of thousands of yungeleit continue learning with extraordinary hasmadah and mesiras nefesh.

The gathering was graced by HaGaon Rav Dov Landau Shlit”a, HaGaon Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch Shlit”a, HaGaon Rav Yitzchak Soloveitchik Shlit”a, HaGaon Rav Yehoshua Dovid Torchin Shlit”a, HaGaon Rav Yaakov Hillel Shlit”a, HaGaon Rav Gamliel Rabinowitz Shlit”a, HaGaon Rav Shimon Galei Shlit”a, and HaGaon Rav Elimelech Biderman Shlit”a.

The Gedolim expressed profound admiration and hakaras hatov to the Roshei Kollelim and avreichim carrying the ol haTorah. Rav Dov Landau Shlit”a emphasized the extraordinary zechus of sustaining Torah and the importance of kehillos abroad partnering with kollelim. Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch Shlit”a spoke of the tremendous kevod Shamayim created when a kehillah assumes responsibility for a kollel.

Throughout the convention, it was stressed that an Adopt-a-Kollel partnership is far more than a financial arrangement. A partner kehillah becomes a genuine shutaf in its kollel’s Torah, while receiving a living connection to Toras Eretz Yisrael.

Rav Moshe Yosef Scheinerman of Kollel Bnei Yeshivos of Flatbush expressed the impact of this relationship simply: “We get so much more than we give!”

Participants received practical guidance for deepening these relationships, while Roshei Kollelim without partner communities met with Adopt-a-Kollel coordinators to begin forming new partnerships.

Above all, the gedolim delivered an urgent message: At a time when so much more is being demanded of our yungeleit, Klal Yisrael must rise to the moment and do more for them.

In response, Adopt-a-Kollel, which has established more than 560 partnerships, is preparing a special Yom Tov campaign to bring desperately needed relief to the avreichim and their families, showing them that their partners recognize their sacrifices and stand beside them.

The limud hatorah of Eretz Yisrael is being upheld with extraordinary mesiras nefesh. Now it is our turn to do more.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has warned that government funding for Chareidi educational institutions will be conditioned on compliance with state-mandated core curriculum requirements, prompting a sharp response from MK Moshe Gafni, who demanded that secular schools be required to teach the 613 mitzvos if the state intends to dictate what Chareidi children must learn.

Baharav-Miara submitted the state’s response to the Supreme Court today in a case dealing with government funding for Chareidi educational networks. The response made clear that funding will not continue without stricter oversight to ensure that institutions are teaching the required curriculum and meeting the government’s core educational standards.

In presenting the state’s position, the Attorney General cited Education Ministry findings that allegedly identified substantial shortcomings in compliance by Chareidi schools.

“Ministry of Education data indicate significant gaps in the networks’ institutions meeting their obligation to teach the full core curriculum, as well as failures in the ability to monitor compliance with these obligations and enforce them”.

Based on those findings, the state said that funding provided to the institutions under the “all children in Israel” framework will no longer be transferred automatically. Instead, continued government support through the program will depend upon individual institutions fulfilling their obligations regarding core studies.

The tougher conditions are slated to begin during the current school year. Among other requirements, institutions will be expected to teach the entire state-prescribed core curriculum, employ appropriately trained teachers, participate fully in government measurement and evaluation programs, cooperate with state monitoring and enforcement procedures, and fulfill all mandated reporting requirements.

Gafni blasted the Attorney General’s position, arguing that the government should not dictate the educational priorities of the Chareidi community while continuing to fund secular schools whose curricula do not include fundamental Torah teachings.

“If she decides what Chareidi students should study, I demand that all Israeli children study the 613 commandments; otherwise, they should not receive funding.”

{Matzav.com}

A New Jersey man has admitted in federal court to orchestrating a massive $47 million investment fraud that victimized dozens of investors, most of them members of the chareidi community. Prosecutors said the scheme promised extraordinary returns but instead financed gambling debts, home renovations, and other personal expenses. Sentencing is scheduled for December.

The suspect pleaded guilty in federal court in Trenton to operating the multimillion-dollar investment fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 16, 2026.

According to court filings, between June 2019 and June 2023, the suspect raised approximately $47 million from 97 investors through his company, Capital Funding ASAP. Authorities said nearly all of the victims were members of the frum community. Investors were told their money would be used exclusively to finance short-term business loans and would generate annual returns ranging from 9% to 53%.

Instead, prosecutors said that the suspect operated a Ponzi scheme, using funds from new investors to pay earlier participants while diverting roughly $11 million for his own personal use. Investigators said the stolen money paid for gambling losses, home renovations, mortgage payments, and automobile loans.

U.S. Attorney Robert Fraser said that the suspect exploited the trust of the chareidi community to carry out the fraud. “The defendant turned the trust of the Orthodox Jewish community into a tool for fraud, using personal relationships to fuel a massive Ponzi scheme,” Fraser said. “Thanks to the combined efforts of our partners and federal law enforcement agencies, he has been brought to justice. Our office will continue to uncover financial fraud, protect investors, and hold accountable those who abuse positions of trust for personal gain.”

Stephanie Roddy, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Newark Field Office, said investment scams can leave victims financially devastated and permanently alter their lives.

“Investment fraud can drain people’s bank accounts and change their lives. Dozens of victims placed their trust in the promises made by [the suspect], who admitted using their money to fund his gambling habit, among other things,” Roddy said. “The FBI Newark will pursue anyone who breaks the law to exploit victims, and we will do everything in our power to bring justice to every victim harmed by fraud.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump announced Friday that he intends to declare the Strait of Hormuz part of American territory once Iran is defeated, while also touting what he described as overwhelming U.S. success against the Iranian regime during a campaign rally in New York.

Speaking at a rally on Long Island in support of New York gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman, Trump said, “After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated, pretty soon, I will be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States.”

Trump argued that the military campaign against Iran benefits not only the United States but the entire international community. “What we are doing [in Iran] is a great service for the world, not only for ourselves, for the world,” Trump continued.

The President also asserted that the extent of America’s battlefield success has exceeded public understanding. “Nobody has any idea how successful we are [in Iran]. You know who knows how well we are doing? Iran.”

Trump on Iran:

Pretty soon, I will be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States. pic.twitter.com/ySyIIhvF5V

— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 14, 2026

Pointing to Iran’s air force, Trump claimed it had been completely destroyed. “They had 212 very nice airplanes, some bought from the United States, brilliantly, through Obama. And every one of their airplanes is shot down, it’s gone,” Trump said.

He went on to describe Iran’s governing structure as having been effectively dismantled, saying there was virtually no one left with whom to negotiate. “no leadership. Their leadership is gone. Their second tier is gone. The third tier is half gone. That’s one of my problems, that there is nobody to negotiate with. It’s a problem. It’s the only country in the world where nobody wants to be president.”

A day earlier, Vice President JD Vance outlined the administration’s objectives in the confrontation with Iran during an interview with Fox News, saying the White House is focused on preserving stable global energy supplies while ensuring Tehran never acquires nuclear weapons.

Explaining the administration’s priorities, Vance said, “It’s ensuring that the Gulf countries continue to send oil and gas to the world economy so that we have energy price stability. That’s obviously important for the American people. I know that oil is down today and it’s way down from the highs in the early days of the conflict. That’s goal number one, keep oil and gas cheap for Americans all over our country.”

Vance added that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons remains the administration’s second major objective. “And then obviously goal number two is [to] ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon. I feel confident we’re accomplishing both of those goals, but it’s inherently an unpredictable thing because the Iranians themselves are unpredictable and they sometimes don’t honor the commitments they’ve made to us,” Vance concluded.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also signaled that the United States is preparing a dramatic escalation in its economic campaign against Tehran, saying additional measures will be announced in the coming days.

“Watch this space for more announcements coming next week because we are going to apply measures like have never been seen in the history of economic isolation on a country,” Bessent told Newsmax in an interview.

He added that the administration intends to combine unprecedented sanctions with continued restrictions around the Strait of Hormuz. “It will be a combination of economic isolation like the world has never seen before, and the continued blockade in the Strait of Hormuz that will keep anything from going in or out of the Iranian ports,” he added.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli authorities state that missing mother and daughter Mali and Liel Yahalomi have been found safe in Argentina, bringing an end to an intensive international search that spanned multiple countries. Investigators said the pair had left Israel voluntarily and were traced to a bus in Buenos Aires after days of coordinated investigative work involving law enforcement agencies in Israel and overseas.

The Israel Police confirmed that the two women, who had been missing since last Friday, were located alive. Video released by police showed Mali and Liel aboard a bus in Buenos Aires.

“The Israel Police, in full cooperation with all security agencies and relevant entities in Israel and abroad, operated over the past few days in an extensive and focused effort to locate the missing women,” the Israel Police said.

“Under the direction of the Israel Police Commissioner, Chief Commissioner Danny Levy, the police – led by Lahav 433 and the Police Intelligence Division – operated command centers in Israel and overseas 24/7. They allocated all necessary resources and capabilities to locate them and executed hundreds of investigative actions.”

“Following extensive efforts and joint cooperation among all agencies, including Europol and additional foreign law enforcement organizations, the missing women were located. The Israel Police expresses its gratitude to all partners in Israel and abroad for their cooperation and assistance throughout the search efforts,” the statement concluded.

A senior police official told Channel 12 News that investigators successfully reconstructed the women’s movements and ultimately pinpointed the exact bus on which they were traveling. According to the official, authorities quickly came to believe that the departure had been voluntary and that there was no immediate indication of foul play, though officers still needed to confirm their physical safety in person.

After making contact with the mother and daughter and verifying that they were unharmed and not victims of any criminal act, investigators officially closed the case. Since no legal basis existed to detain them, police allowed the pair to continue their journey.

The same police official said the women had accumulated financial debts, which led them to leave Israel.

In a statement released after they were found, the Yahalomi family said, “Above all, the family feels immense relief that Mali and Liel have been located and are alive.”

“The family wishes to thank the Israeli public for their concern and goodwill, as well as the Israel Police, the Israeli Consul in Vienna, Magen Search and Rescue, and the rescue team members.”

Confirmation that the two had been located came shortly after Austrian authorities announced that the mother and daughter had departed Vienna on their own. Vienna was the last city where they had been seen before disappearing.

Israeli media later reported that the pair traveled by train from Vienna into Germany before boarding a flight to Argentina.

Earlier in the investigation, as speculation intensified over what may have happened, family members urged security officials not to dismiss any possible explanation for the disappearance.

“For a week now, we wake up every morning with the same prayer – to find you safe and sound and bring you home. Please do not stop searching,” the family said. They added that they “demand all security and investigative authorities continue examining all potential scenarios, including the possibility of a terror-related motive, until it is definitively ruled out based on concrete findings.”

Investigators had also obtained surveillance footage showing Mali and Liel leaving the apartment building where they had been staying in Vienna. The video showed the two carrying their belongings as they exited, with no one else accompanying them.

{Matzav.com}

Thousands of travelers faced major disruptions at Ben Gurion International Airport on Friday, with passengers stuck aboard planes, families waiting hours for luggage and dozens of flights caught in an unusual backlog as roughly 90,000 people were expected to pass through the airport in a single day.

The problems intensified in the hours leading up to Shabbat, turning departure gates, baggage claim areas and aircraft into scenes of mounting frustration. Some passengers traveling overseas said they remained aboard their planes for hours after boarding because their baggage had still not been loaded. Arriving travelers encountered similar problems, with parents and children waiting long after landing for their suitcases to appear.

“The children are already impatient. We’ve been sitting on the plane for hours without knowing when we will take off,” passengers said. Other travelers described spending hours alongside baggage carousels waiting for their belongings. On several flights, crews reportedly informed passengers that congestion at Ben Gurion was also causing delays for aircraft scheduled to fly to Israel.

The Israel Airports Authority pushed back against reports that the disruption was connected to a strike by baggage handlers, insisting that no labor action was underway and that there was “no shortage of workers.” According to the authority, approximately 90 flights accumulated in a backlog during a period of just three hours, overwhelming baggage operations and placing extraordinary demands on ground services.

Airport officials said several factors converged to produce the unusual congestion, including peak summer travel and restrictions affecting European airspace, particularly in the area of Greece. The activity of American aerial refueling aircraft was also cited as contributing to the situation. Approximately 600 aircraft movements were scheduled at Ben Gurion during the day, carrying an estimated 90,000 passengers and making Friday one of the airport’s busiest days of the summer.

According to the Airports Authority, flights originally scheduled to reach Israel at different times can become compressed into a much narrower arrival window because of delays and airspace restrictions elsewhere. When large numbers of aircraft arrive almost simultaneously, available parking positions quickly become scarce while baggage crews, ground personnel and airport logistics systems are forced to handle an unusually concentrated workload.

The Airports Authority said additional personnel had been deployed and were working continuously despite the hot weather in an effort to process aircraft and luggage more quickly and shorten delays. Officials maintained that all available workers were operating at maximum capacity and asked travelers for patience as crews worked through the backlog.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev said Israel’s aviation system is dealing with particularly challenging circumstances, with the normal surge in summer travel occurring alongside security-related and aviation restrictions. She said authorities are working to preserve regular flight operations and limit inconvenience to travelers as much as possible, while noting that broader restrictions affecting regional airspace are also having consequences for flights into and out of Israel.

{Matzav.com}

Missing Israelis Mali and Liel Yahalomi reportedly traveled from Austria to Germany before boarding a flight to Argentina, a significant development that appears to shed new light on the mysterious disappearance of the mother and daughter.

Israeli media reported Friday evening that the two left Vienna aboard a train bound for Germany and subsequently took a flight from Germany to Argentina.

While authorities have not officially established where Mali and Liel are currently located within Argentina, investigators have reportedly confirmed that the pair purchased airline tickets and boarded the flight from Germany.

The development came after Austrian police confirmed earlier Friday that the mother and daughter had departed Austria on their own. Authorities said there was currently no indication that the pair had been victims of a violent crime.

According to Austrian media reports, Vienna police checked local hospitals and conducted internal inquiries in an effort to determine what had happened to the two women. Police did not, however, launch an official public missing-person search because authorities determined there were insufficient legal grounds to do so.

Israeli investigators also reported making headway Friday in reconstructing the movements of Mali and Liel before their disappearance from contact.

“We have made progress in mapping out the pair’s timeline and activity,” Israel Police sources said.

Investigators have reportedly succeeded in establishing additional details about the pair’s movements and activities, helping close some of the gaps in the timeline surrounding the case.

“We hope there will be a breakthrough soon,” the sources added.

The developments followed days of intense speculation over what might have happened to the mother and daughter. Earlier, their family appealed to Israeli security and law enforcement authorities not to dismiss any possible explanation until it had been thoroughly investigated.

“For a week now, we wake up every morning with the same prayer – to find you safe and sound and bring you home. Please do not stop searching,” the family said.

Relatives added that they “demand all security and investigative authorities continue examining all potential scenarios, including the possibility of a terror-related motive, until it is definitively ruled out based on concrete findings.”

New surveillance footage obtained during the investigation also provided important evidence about the pair’s departure from their accommodations in Vienna. The video shows Mali and Liel leaving the apartment building where they had been staying while carrying their personal belongings. No other individual can be seen accompanying them.

Before reports emerged that the two had traveled onward to Argentina, a senior official familiar with the investigation said Friday that authorities believed Mali and Liel remained alive. At the time, however, investigators still had not determined why they had disappeared or stopped communicating with those searching for them.

The Trump administration is preparing to unleash a new round of economic measures against Iran next week that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says will go further than anything previously attempted against another country, as diplomatic efforts to end the nearly six-month conflict remain stalled.

Bessent offered a preview of the coming pressure campaign during an interview Thursday night with Newsmax host Rob Schmitt, although he stopped short of revealing precisely what actions the Treasury Department intends to take.

“Watch this space for more announcements coming next week because we are going to apply measures like have never been seen in the history of economic isolation on a country,” Bessent said.

The Treasury secretary has spearheaded Operation Economic Fury, the administration’s financial campaign against Tehran that has accompanied the Pentagon’s Operation Epic Fury. Bessent has pointed to earlier US economic pressure as a factor in the severe inflation that struck Iran and helped fuel large-scale protests in December and January.

The administration has already moved aggressively against Iranian revenue streams, targeting money changers, cryptocurrency networks and other financial channels. Those efforts have unfolded alongside President Trump’s naval blockade, which has sharply curtailed Iranian oil exports.

Bessent did not disclose what additional measures Washington intends to announce. Treasury officials face legal restrictions on publicly revealing sanctions before they are formally imposed, leaving the precise nature of the coming actions unclear.

“The kinetic war ended after several weeks, and we went from Epic Fury to Economic Fury. And at the president’s orders, we have raised the level even again,” he said on Newsmax.

Bessent argued that Washington’s strategy differs from previous attempts to economically isolate hostile governments because the financial campaign is being combined with direct physical pressure on Iran’s ability to conduct international commerce.

“I think the reason we are succeeding is because it is a one-two punch. People say, ‘Well, you know, Cuba lasted a long time. Venezuela lasted a long time.’ Venezuela immediately crumbled when we put the blockade on.

“So it will be a combination of economic isolation like the world has never seen before, and the continued blockade in the Strait of Hormuz that will keep anything from going in or out of the Iranian ports,” Bessent said.

The Treasury secretary’s comments come as negotiations aimed at bringing the conflict to an end have struggled to produce a breakthrough, while the administration continues attempting to squeeze Tehran financially and restrict its access to international markets.

Bessent also sharply rejected claims from Democrats who have argued that Iran has emerged stronger despite the US campaign, saying those making such assertions are “uninformed, deranged, and have no idea what they’re talking about.”

More than 22,000 New York City families will no longer have to pay anything out of pocket for subsidized childcare under a new initiative announced Thursday by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, marking another step in his push toward universal free childcare across the five boroughs.

Beginning next month, the city will pick up the weekly fees currently charged to families participating in the Child Care Assistance Program, eliminating the sliding-scale payments they make directly to childcare providers. City officials estimate the initiative will cost $5.2 million during its first year.

“For thousands of families, a weekly childcare fee means another bill they simply can’t afford. Making that care truly free can make all the difference,” Mamdani said in a statement.

“As part of our promise to deliver universal child care, we are eliminating these fees for families receiving childcare assistance across the city. No family should have to choose between staying in the city they love and affording care for their child. This is another step toward making affordable childcare something every New York family can count on.”

The move is part of Mamdani’s broader effort to establish free childcare throughout New York City. It also comes as the administration prepares to launch its first preschool initiative for 2-year-olds, which will provide participating families with free, year-round care for eight to 10 hours per day beginning this fall.

The Child Care Assistance Program, which receives most of its funding from the state, helps eligible families cover the cost of childcare and afterschool programs for children ranging in age from 6 weeks through 13 years.

Families generally qualify if their income is no more than 85% of New York’s median income. For a family of four, that translates to approximately $114,000 annually. Depending on household income, participating parents currently pay as much as $15 per week toward the cost of care.

“As we prepare to launch free 2-K this fall, we are making all publicly-funded care free for families,” said Emmy Liss, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Child Care and Early Childhood Education.

More than 100,000 families currently participate in the voucher program. Families at the lowest income levels who receive public assistance already pay nothing themselves, leaving approximately 22,000 households that are currently responsible for weekly co-payments. Those are the families that will benefit directly from the new city funding.

The announcement comes even as the subsidized childcare system continues to face significant demand. More than 16,000 families remain on a waiting list for assistance because demand for vouchers has exceeded available state funding, despite increased investments in childcare by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Supporters of universal childcare praised the city’s decision to eliminate the remaining fees, arguing that families receiving publicly subsidized care should not face different financial requirements depending on their circumstances.

“This move by the city brings us one step closer to treating childcare and early education like the public good that it should be,” said Ben Parisi, director of strategic campaign initiatives at The Action Lab, which organizes childcare providers advocating for universal childcare.

“We are glad to see a more equitable city that doesn’t charge some parents fees for public goods and not others.”

City officials said the administration is also planning for the policy to continue beyond its first year. An additional $6 million to cover families’ out-of-pocket childcare voucher expenses has already been incorporated into the baseline for the next fiscal year’s budget.

New York’s top judge has acknowledged that he crossed a line when he encouraged voters to remove judges who impose lengthy prison sentences, telling the state’s judicial watchdog that he should have chosen his words more carefully.

Chief Judge Rowan Wilson addressed the controversy while responding to an ethics complaint filed by Republican state lawmakers over remarks he made earlier this year at a CUNY Law School forum. During the event, Wilson criticized judges who hand down what he characterized as “stupid” long sentences and told attendees that voting such judges out of office was “something you can do for me.”

The New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct ultimately dismissed the complaint, but Wilson conceded in his response that his comments had been poorly framed.

“I wish I had been clearer,” Wilson wrote to the state Commission on Judicial Conduct, according to the commission’s dismissal letter.

Wilson explained that his remarks came after he heard about an unidentified judge who allegedly referred to a defendant as an “animal” and said the person should be “locked up” for the rest of his life before imposing sentence.

According to Wilson, his reaction was driven by his “extreme disgust of the comparison of human beings to caged animals.”

Wilson said that rather than personally encouraging the audience to vote against particular types of judges, he should have discussed more generally the authority voters possess to make those decisions.

“I should have said that the voters have that ability and should become informed and express their preferences through the electoral process,” Wilson wrote.

The controversy raised questions because judges are subject to stringent ethical restrictions concerning political activity and public political statements. Wilson’s comments about voting judges out of office formed part of the basis for the Republican lawmakers’ March complaint.

The Commission on Judicial Conduct, however, found no ethical problem with separate comments Wilson made at the same event advocating passage of the Second Look Act. The proposed legislation would allow certain convicted felons to seek a new sentencing hearing after serving 10 years.

“It is permissible for a Chief Judge, as leader of the Unified Court System, not only to advocate for but also to propose legislation concerning the law, the legal system and the administration of justice,” the CJC wrote.

Wilson has served as chief judge of the New York Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court, since 2022. His office did not respond Wednesday to a request for additional comment.

Republican lawmakers who brought the complaint said they welcomed Wilson’s acknowledgment, even though the judicial commission declined to impose discipline.

State Sen. Anthony Palumbo (R-Suffolk), a former prosecutor who serves as the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the episode should serve as a warning about the importance of the chief judge’s public statements.

“I’m glad to see that Judge Wilson’s conduct was addressed, and that he will choose his words more carefully in the future. It’s unfortunate that those comments were made in the first place,” Palumbo said.

Assemblyman Michael Tannousis (R-Staten Island), another lawmaker behind the complaint, maintained that Wilson’s original remarks were improper.

“The Chief Judge’s comments were wholly inappropriate, seeking to galvanize opposition against judges with whom he does not agree,” Tannousis wrote in a statement.

Tannousis also questioned whether Wilson received more lenient treatment from the commission than another judge expressing different views might have received.

“Although I appreciate the Commission’s investigation into the matter, I question whether a deferential standard was applied here that would not have been applied to judges with an alternative point of view,” he said.

The dispute is not Wilson’s first high-profile controversy stemming from his judicial philosophy. Before becoming chief judge, Wilson drew attention for a dissent in the closely watched legal battle involving Happy, an elephant housed at the Bronx Zoo.

An animal-rights organization sought to use habeas corpus — a legal mechanism traditionally employed to challenge unlawful human detention — to obtain Happy’s release. Wilson sided with the group in dissent when New York’s highest court rejected the effort.

“We should recognize Happy’s right to petition for her liberty not just because she is a wild animal who is not meant to be caged and displayed, but because the rights we confer on others define who we are as a society,” he wrote at the time.

Since taking over New York’s judiciary, Wilson has participated in several major and politically charged cases. Among the most prominent was the Court of Appeals’ 2024 decision overturning Harvey Weinstein’s Manhattan sex-crimes conviction, with the court concluding that the trial judge had improperly allowed testimony concerning allegations that were not part of the charges being tried.

Podcaster Joe Rogan has leveled explosive accusations against Dr. Anthony Fauci over the government’s handling of COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy, saying he personally knows five women who suffered miscarriages after being vaccinated and accusing Fauci of publicly promoting the shots despite privately discussing a potential risk.

Rogan’s remarks come amid renewed scrutiny of Fauci following the release of previously undisclosed text messages from his government-issued phone. The messages show that Fauci and other senior health officials discussed a theoretical concern in early 2021 about whether immune responses following COVID vaccination could pose a risk during early pregnancy.

Rogan, one of the country’s most influential podcasters and a longtime critic of the government’s pandemic response, went considerably further, accusing Fauci of knowingly misleading the public.

“He knew that women were getting miscarriages and he lied about it.”

Rogan pointed to the newly released communications as evidence for his accusation.

“He said privately in a text message it seems there’s a cytokine storm causing miscarriages after the second dose and was publicly out there promoting the idea of pregnant women getting vaccinated.”

The actual messages released this week are more tentative than Rogan’s characterization. In a January 2021 exchange involving Fauci, then-CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky and Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, Fauci raised the possibility that fever and a cytokine response after a second vaccine dose could potentially present a concern during the first trimester. At the same time, the officials discussed the absence of observed safety problems among more than 10,000 pregnant women who had already been vaccinated.

The messages were released by Republican Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin as part of their continuing examination of Fauci’s conduct and the federal government’s response to the pandemic. The senators obtained more than 34,000 text messages and hundreds of voicemails from Fauci’s government phone.

Rogan said his own suspicions were also shaped by the experiences of women he personally knows.

“I personally know 5 different people who got pregnant during the pandemic, got vaccinated, and had miscarriages.”

Rogan argued that Fauci’s private communications were fundamentally at odds with the confidence he expressed publicly about vaccination during pregnancy.

“That guy’s a sociopath,” he said.

Rogan also broadened his attack beyond COVID-19, urging listeners to examine Fauci’s role during the AIDS epidemic decades earlier.

“You need to go and objectively read up on what that guy did with AZT and AIDS in the ’80s.”

He then returned to his central accusation concerning pregnant women and COVID vaccination.

“He knew there was an issue with women having miscarriages and that [person] still openly promoted it on television.”

The newly disclosed messages have revived arguments over how federal health officials communicated uncertainty during the early stages of the vaccine rollout. They show that Fauci privately considered a possible biological mechanism involving fever and cytokine responses in early pregnancy at a time when comprehensive pregnancy-specific vaccine data were not yet available.

The alliance between Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York City’s powerful teachers union is showing signs of strain, with United Federation of Teachers President Mike Mulgrew publicly criticizing the administration’s literacy program after city students posted a sharp decline in reading scores.

Mulgrew took aim at NYC Reads following the release of state English Language Arts exam results showing troubling performance among public school students, including more than half of children in grades 3 through 5 failing to demonstrate reading proficiency. The criticism marks a notable break between the UFT and Mamdani just eight months into his mayoralty.

The dispute comes at an especially sensitive time for the relationship between City Hall and the union. Mamdani is separately deciding whether to sign or veto legislation granting thousands of school paraprofessionals a $10,000 pay increase — a measure he explicitly pledged to support last year when the UFT endorsed his mayoral campaign.

“The DOE [Department of Education] needs to make sure each school has a clear instructional plan,” Mulgrew said of the NYC Reads phase-in.

Mulgrew argued that the city needs to simplify its approach and reduce burdens on educators rather than continue implementing the initiative in the same manner.

“That means streamlining what schools are doing, making sure programs align, and eliminating unnecessary paperwork and assessments,” Mulgrew said. “We’re not going to support it if they want to implement it the way they did this past school year.”

The latest state testing results showed a 6% year-over-year decline in English Language Arts performance among New York City public school students in grades 3 through 8, leaving only about half of students rated proficient.

NYC Reads was originally launched during the administration of Mayor Eric Adams as an effort to overhaul literacy instruction throughout the public school system. Mamdani continued and expanded the initiative this year alongside Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels.

Mulgrew, speaking separately to the Daily News, criticized supplemental programs that had been layered onto the city’s primary literacy curriculum, arguing that they had failed to produce the intended results. The Department of Education disputed that assessment.

Mamdani defended NYC Reads during a press conference Thursday, insisting that he remained confident in the program despite the disappointing test scores.

“I continue to be confident in NYC Reads. And it is developed with the real findings of what’s been effective across the country in mind,” Mamdani said.

“And we know that it is a critical thing that we equip our public school students with,” the mayor added. “We look forward to being in conversation with the UFT as we look to not only build upon the successes of the last few years, but to go beyond that.”

Sources suggested that Mulgrew’s public criticism was partly intended to distance teachers from responsibility for the declining scores and shift scrutiny toward the Department of Education’s instructional policies.

Education insiders also said the UFT president’s willingness to openly challenge Mamdani may have been influenced by another increasingly contentious disagreement between the union and City Hall — the battle over salaries for paraprofessionals.

The issue became a major political fight last year because of the roughly $32,000 starting salary earned by paraprofessionals. Mulgrew rallied outside City Hall in support of legislation that would provide a $10,000 increase separate from the traditional collective bargaining process.

Mamdani joined Mulgrew during the mayoral campaign when he accepted the UFT’s endorsement and publicly committed himself to supporting the proposed increase.

“I will be proud to continue to support the passage of Intro Bill 1261 …. that addresses the fact that there are too many open positions right now for paraprofessionals across the city because that job simply doesn’t pay enough,” Mamdani said then, with Mulgrew standing behind him.

The City Council approved the controversial $10,000 increase last month, putting the decision squarely before Mamdani.

Government watchdogs have warned that signing the measure could establish a significant precedent by allowing municipal unions to pursue compensation increases through the City Council rather than negotiating them at the bargaining table. Critics contend that other unions could attempt to use the same strategy to obtain concessions they were unable to secure through collective bargaining.

Following the council vote, however, a City Hall spokesperson said Mamdani now believes salary increases should generally be handled through collective bargaining rather than legislation — a position that represented a departure from the commitment he made while campaigning for mayor.

The administration also argued that the council-approved legislation directly conflicts with New York state collective bargaining law.

Mulgrew has rejected the change in position and is pressing Mamdani to follow through on his campaign commitment, arguing that the shortage of paraprofessionals is already having serious consequences for students and taxpayers.

“The school system can’t hire enough paraprofessionals; so our special needs students are not getting the services they are legally entitled to,” Mulgrew said.

“This is costing city taxpayers more than a billion dollars a year in lawsuits. We need to fix this, and we can.”

The two disputes — falling reading scores and the unresolved fight over paraprofessional salaries — have now placed visible pressure on a political relationship that was a significant part of Mamdani’s successful campaign coalition just months ago.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s viral internet alter ego has officially made its way onto the walls of Washington, with the White House presenting him with a framed collection of 68 variations of the famous “Rubio realizing” meme for his 55th birthday.

The humorous gift, given to Rubio in May, remained largely out of public view until Wednesday, when Axios reporter Marc Caputo posted an image of it on X, quickly drawing widespread attention online.

At the center of the gold-framed collage is the original photograph that launched the meme, surrounded by dozens of edited versions placing Rubio in an assortment of real and imaginary jobs. Among them, the secretary of state appears as an Iranian ayatollah, a “Star Wars” rebel on the frozen planet Hoth, Robocop, an astronaut and even the White House Easter Bunny.

The gift was also signed by members of the Trump administration. President Trump added a personal inscription in gold ink above his signature: “You are great”.

The joke has particular resonance because Rubio has actually accumulated an unusually large portfolio of responsibilities in the Trump administration. In addition to serving as secretary of state, he is acting national security advisor, and at various points has also served as acting archivist and acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The original photograph behind the seemingly endless stream of memes was taken on Feb. 28, 2025, during a tense Oval Office meeting involving Trump, Vice President JD Vance, senior administration officials and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The meeting centered on a proposed agreement involving Ukraine’s mineral resources and efforts to offset the enormous U.S. investment in Ukraine during its war with Russia.

But it was Rubio’s appearance in the photograph that took on a life of its own. Seated awkwardly on an Oval Office couch with his fingers interlocked and a weary expression on his face, Rubio looked to internet users as though he had suddenly realized that yet another enormous responsibility had landed on his desk.

The image rapidly became a template for countless online jokes. In virtually every version, Rubio’s hands, posture and expression remain unchanged while his clothing and surroundings are altered to suggest that he has just discovered he has been assigned another job.

The phenomenon grew so large that an online “museum” was eventually created to preserve the various iterations.

As major news stories unfolded, new versions repeatedly appeared. Rubio has been transformed into the governor of Greenland, the shah of Iran, the pope and numerous other political and cultural figures.

One version portrayed Rubio as Iran’s new supreme leader after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed by the Trump administration during Operation Epic Fury.

Another showed the Cuban-American secretary of state smoking a cigar as the new president of Cuba, the country where both of his parents were born.

When a papal conclave was approaching, “Cardinal Rubio” appeared ready to participate. After Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro was captured by the United States, another version depicted Rubio as Venezuela’s new president.

The meme has also ventured far outside international politics.

When toilets aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier malfunctioned in March, the internet responded by putting Rubio on the familiar couch dressed as a plumber and holding a plunger.

After Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced that he would not seek another term, Rubio was transformed into a prospective Minnesota governor, decked out in bright-orange hunting clothing and carrying a shotgun.

The image parodied Walz’s widely mocked 2024 presidential campaign hunting appearance, during which the Democrat appeared to have difficulty loading a shotgun while seeking to emphasize his outdoorsman credentials.

The meme returned to international affairs following the U.S. capture of Maduro. Rubio was depicted wearing a Venezuelan-colored sash and an elaborate military-style uniform, complete with gold accents and a gold-handled saber.

Through it all, the basic joke remained unchanged: some new position or responsibility had suddenly opened up, and Rubio, still slumped on that Oval Office couch, was supposedly realizing that the job was now his.

Rubio recently acknowledged that he was initially less than thrilled about becoming one of the internet’s most enduring political memes.

In an interview with Lara Trump on Fox News, Rubio said he originally “hated” the image but eventually came to appreciate the humor.

He also offered a mundane explanation for the posture that inspired the entire phenomenon. According to Rubio, there was no pillow supporting his back on the Oval Office couch, causing him to sink awkwardly into the cushions.

More than a year later, the photograph has spawned enough variations to fill a 68-panel birthday collage — and the Trump White House made sure Rubio now has a permanent reminder that the internet is unlikely to let him forget it.

{Matzav.com}

A Kentucky woman is facing two federal felony charges after allegedly vandalizing the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., by pouring bubble soap into its fountain and spray-painting graffiti on the monument, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced Friday.

Pirro said prosecutors charged Melissa L. Farris, 41, of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, with depredation against property of the United States and destruction of veterans’ memorials. Farris was in federal custody Friday morning, though an initial court appearance had not yet been scheduled.

Each of the two charges carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if Farris is convicted.

The criminal complaint also states that Farris had been arrested Monday, just days before the alleged vandalism, for illegally camping several blocks from the memorial.

“Vandalizing our World War II Memorial is a despicable attack on a sacred monument honoring the Americans who fought and died for our freedom. Those Americans include my father and grandfather,” Pirro wrote.

The vandalism was discovered Thursday afternoon at the landmark memorial, where the words “Clean Hands Dirty $” had been spray-painted in red. Bubble soap was also poured into the memorial’s fountain.

According to the criminal complaint, investigators obtained additional evidence from Farris’ own social media activity. Authorities allege that she posted several videos filmed near the memorial Thursday on a Facebook account using the name Melissa Lovewell, including footage in which she acknowledged “damaging” the fountain.

“I am cognitively aware and executively (sic) of the choices I am making and I am doing so to push my whistleblower case into the courtroom,” she said in one of the videos.

In another recording, which carried the slogan “TEA PARTY,” Farris allegedly stood near an area where red and yellow graffiti had been painted and claimed responsibility for the damage.

“It was me,” she says in another video that bears the slogan “TEA PARTY” while standing next to the section where red and yellow graffiti had been painted. “I’m here I done did it. Thought I was joking? … I did try and [indecipherable] my spray paint.”

A third video cited by authorities allegedly showed Farris expressing surprise that she had been able to carry out the vandalism without being immediately stopped.

“I was just allowed to deface Federal f—ing property, and nobody batted an eye, and that is very strange,” she said in a third clip.

Federal authorities allege that the damage to the World War II Memorial exceeded $1,000.

President Trump reacted angrily to the vandalism Friday, denouncing the damage to a memorial dedicated to Americans who served and died during World War II.

“Our beautiful World War II Memorial was just hit by Spray Painting Vandals. THERE CAN BE NO GREATER INSULT TO THOSE AMERICAN HEROES WHO DIED IN WORLD WAR II. First the Reflecting Pool, now this. We are on their trail! Where do these animals come from???” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The Interior Department had similarly vowed to pursue those responsible shortly after images of the vandalized memorial began circulating.

An Interior Department spokesperson said U.S. Park Police would “find the person responsible for this disgusting act.”

“The World War II Memorial is a sacred place to honor the service of our members of the Armed Forces and the over 400,000 Americans who gave the ultimate sacrifice in WWII,” the rep added. “The vandalism that occurred is an utter disgrace and will not be tolerated.”

The scene drew attention from visitors and Washington residents as authorities cordoned off portions of the memorial, located at the eastern end of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, with crime-scene tape.

The case comes less than two weeks after Pirro’s office moved to dismiss a separate felony property-destruction charge against former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who had been accused of damaging the liner at the bottom of the Reflecting Pool.

Hearn, 67, had been charged with a felony after authorities initially accused him of “violently” pulling on a loose section of the pool liner on June 19.

Subsequent evidence supplied by the Interior Department, however, indicated that the liner had already suffered damage because of “flawed installation by the contractor,” leading prosecutors to seek dismissal of the case.

President Trump later publicly criticized Pirro over the decision to abandon the prosecution.

“The judge was really vicious. Instead of going after the people that did it, the judge went after her and went after her department, and I guess she choked,” he told reporters in the Oval Office earlier this month.

“I was disappointed in Jeanine Pirro. Really disappointed in Jeanine Pirro,” Trump added. “She folded like an umbrella.”

Atlantic Industrial Coatings, a Virginia-based contractor, received more than $14 million from the Interior Department for work that included painting the 68,000-square-foot bottom of the Reflecting Pool, according to federal spending records. The project began in early May.

The National Mall has been the site of other recent vandalism as well. In June, individuals allegedly used chemicals to burn the numbers “86 47” into the lawn near the Washington Monument, an apparent reference to slang for “get rid of” and Trump’s status as the 47th president.

No charges have been filed in connection with that incident.

Luigi Mangione admitted Friday that he shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Manhattan sidewalk, pleading guilty to federal stalking charges that could send him to prison for the rest of his life, as members of Thompson’s family watched from the courtroom gallery.

“I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan and he died,” Mangione, 28, told U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett in Manhattan federal court, reading from a prepared written statement.

Thompson’s widow and several other relatives were seated in the second row as Mangione entered the courtroom wearing a beige prison jumpsuit over a long-sleeved white shirt, with his hands uncuffed behind his back and shackles around his ankles. Members of the family stared at him as he took his seat and reviewed and signed documents alongside his attorneys.

“Mr. Mangione is prepared to plead guilty to the indictment at this time,” defense attorney Karen Agnifilo told the judge.

Mangione appeared somber during the proceeding and at times seemed close to becoming emotional as he answered “yes” to a series of questions concerning the plea and the rights he was surrendering by entering it.

When Garnett informed him that the federal charges could carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, Mangione responded by slightly nodding his head.

Thompson’s widow, Paulette Thompson, sat silently in the gallery and cried during the proceeding as Mangione publicly acknowledged responsibility for her husband’s death.

Mangione’s courtroom demeanor marked a stark contrast to the defiant tone prosecutors have attributed to writings recovered during the investigation. In his statement Friday, Mangione described years of severe back pain and laid out details of the steps he took before targeting Thompson.

Mangione said he had posed as an investor associated with a firm overseeing $150 million in assets and contacted UnitedHealthcare executives by email in an effort to obtain information about the company’s 2024 conference in New York City.

“Before traveling to New York, I used a 3-D printer to make a gun,” he said. “I equipped the gun with a silencer and a magazine.”

Mangione had been scheduled to stand trial in federal court in January on two counts: interstate stalking resulting in death and stalking through use of interstate facilities resulting in death. His guilty plea eliminates the need for that trial.

His sentencing hearing is now scheduled for Dec. 18. Federal prosecutors are expected to seek the maximum punishment, leaving Mangione facing the possibility of spending the remainder of his life behind bars.

The federal plea, however, does not end Mangione’s legal troubles. He continues to face a separate prosecution in New York state court, where he is charged with second-degree murder, second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument and multiple weapons-possession offenses.

Jury selection in the state case is scheduled to begin Sept. 8.

Mangione’s attorneys said following Friday’s hearing that they intend to ask the state court to dismiss that prosecution on double-jeopardy grounds, arguing that proceeding with the state case after his federal guilty plea would improperly subject him to prosecution twice for the same conduct.

Garnett warned Mangione during the hearing that any sentence imposed in the state case could potentially be ordered to run consecutively to his federal sentence.

Thompson, 50, a married father of two, was shot to death outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel in December 2024 as he headed to UnitedHealthcare’s annual investor conference. The killing, carried out in public and followed by the gunman’s escape, immediately triggered a massive law-enforcement search.

Mangione was not federally charged with murder itself. Instead, federal prosecutors charged him with stalking Thompson across state lines and through interstate facilities in conduct that resulted in Thompson’s death.

Authorities searched for Mangione for five days before police arrested him at a McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where he was spotted while eating breakfast.

Prosecutors have alleged that the killing was not an impulsive act but the culmination of a carefully planned attack motivated by Mangione’s hostility toward the health insurance industry.

According to prosecutors, Mangione wrote a “manifesto” portraying Thompson’s killing as an act of rebellion against what he described as the “rebel against the deadly, greed-fueled health insurance cartel.”

Investigators have also said that shell casings recovered from the scene bore the words “delay” and “deny,” an apparent reference to accusations that health insurers use such practices to avoid paying customers’ claims.

Prosecutors further allege that Mangione wrote that other senior insurance executives could be legitimate targets because the industry “literally extracts human life force for money.”

The killing and Mangione’s subsequent arrest produced an extraordinary public reaction, with some supporters portraying him as a symbol of anger toward health insurers. That support has persisted throughout the criminal proceedings, despite the allegations surrounding Thompson’s killing.

Outside the courthouse following Friday’s guilty plea, that phenomenon was again on display when a passing man shouted his support for Mangione.

“America loves Luigi!” the man yelled.

{Matzav.com}