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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}

White House border czar Tom Homan on Thursday defended plans to equip Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers with gloves capable of delivering painful electric shocks, saying the devices could provide agents with another non-lethal option before resorting to deadly force.

“It’s another device to help someone get compliant when they are not,” Homan said during an appearance Thursday on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends.”

“You can’t just go from 0 to 100, right, and the first thing you go for is lethal force,” he added.

Homan’s comments came after the Department of Homeland Security published a notice Monday outlining plans to spend as much as $20 million to purchase the devices for ICE personnel conducting immigration enforcement operations. The devices are formally known as Generated Low Output Voltage Emitters, or G.L.O.V.E.s.

Manufactured by Compliant Technologies, the gloves can administer an electrical charge of up to 380 volts when they make direct contact with exposed skin. Unlike conventional tasers, however, the gloves are not intended to incapacitate an individual, and the electrical charge cannot pass through clothing.

Similar devices have previously been deployed by some law enforcement agencies and correctional facilities. According to a report by Oklahoma News 4 about their use at a local jail, the gloves do not deliver the same voltage as a conventional taser.

Justin Hall, a Kentucky jailer, told the Associated Press on Thursday that his agency began using the gloves four years ago as another means of dealing with inmates who were particularly difficult to control.

Hall said he was personally shocked more than 10 times while officers were being trained to use the equipment. He described the sensation as intensely painful but said the pain stopped once the person wearing the glove was no longer touching him.

According to Hall, his facility has rarely needed to actually use the gloves on inmates. Their presence, he said, can itself serve as an effective deterrent when other efforts to de-escalate a confrontation fail.

“It’s just a safer way. It’s safer on the inmate. It’s safer on the staff. And most of the time, most of the time we get compliance,” he told the AP. “It’s been a great tool for our facility.”

Homan’s remarks represented the Trump administration’s first public defense of the planned ICE use of the devices. He compared the gloves to other non-lethal tools already available to law enforcement officers, including tasers and pepper spray.

The border czar cautioned, however, that ICE agents will not begin carrying the gloves immediately. He said it would “be awhile” before the equipment is deployed because the agency is still developing the training procedures and protocols that will govern its use.

According to a DHS contracting notice, the electric-shock gloves could begin being distributed to ICE personnel as early as March 2027.

{Matzav.com}

Brig. Gen. (res.) Ofer Winter sharply criticized the escalating political rhetoric surrounding the drafting of Chareidim into the IDF, accusing politicians of exploiting the deeply contentious issue for political gain while failing to produce meaningful results.

Winter directed his criticism particularly at the debate taking place among parties opposed to the current government, arguing that politicians are competing to make increasingly sweeping promises about how many Chareidim they would bring into the military.

“Almost all the politicians have been arguing in recent days. One says he will draft all the Chareidim, one says he will draft 99% of the Chareidim, one says 70%, and on the other side they say that not a single Chareidi will enlist,” Winter said in a video he released.

Winter then challenged politicians and senior figures who have dealt with the Chareidi draft issue over the past two decades to explain what they have actually accomplished.

“All those who were in politics over the past 20 years and those who were politicians in uniform over the past decade – how many Chareidim did you bring into the IDF during all the years that you are arguing over who will bring in more? What did you do, other than trying to gain political capital on the back of the people of Israel and bringing zero results and zero solutions?”

Winter argued that successfully bringing Chareidim into the military cannot be accomplished through political slogans or public confrontations. Instead, he said, any meaningful progress will require sustained effort and the development of trust with the Chareidi community itself.

“Drafting Chareidim and integrating them into the IDF will not be accomplished through populism, but through hard work and building trust. Through working with the Chareidi public itself.”

Winter concluded his message with a blunt demand that politicians stop using the issue as a vehicle for political posturing.

“So come on, enough with all this false populism,” Winter said.

{Matzav.com}

Nearly a year after an Iranian missile slammed into a residential building in Bnei Brak during Operation Rising Lion, plans are moving forward to demolish the heavily damaged structure and replace it with a new residential development containing 84 apartments.

The building, located at 68 Hamaccabim Street, is a four-story structure containing 24 residential units. It will be demolished and replaced as part of a Tama 38/2 urban renewal project.

The project, initiated by Urbanitop, led by Rav Pinchas Zaltzman, calls for the construction of three residential buildings containing a total of 84 new apartments, along with approximately 422 square meters of commercial space.

The original building was struck by an Iranian missile on June 16, 2025, several days after the launch of Operation Rising Lion. The impact caused extensive damage, leaving the structure completely uninhabitable.

Despite the unusual circumstances surrounding the project, the necessary building permit was secured less than a year after the missile strike.

Following the attack, Urbanitop assisted residents who had suddenly lost their homes. The company worked with families according to their individual circumstances, helping some locate temporary housing and assisting others with financial arrangements necessitated by their displacement.

Urbanitop specializes in urban renewal and complex redevelopment projects, including evacuation-and-reconstruction developments and Tama 38 projects. The company is particularly active within the Chareidi community and is advancing several residential projects in Bnei Brak. The new development on Hamaccabim Street is being designed as housing for the city’s Chareidi population.

The real estate financing company Barakate has been involved with the project since the difficult period immediately following the missile strike. Together with an insurance company, Barakate signed an agreement to provide financing and guarantees totaling approximately NIS 247 million for the development.

Attorney Carmel Nodler of the Keren Belcharsky law firm is representing Barakate and the insurance company in the transaction.

Adi Gazit, CEO of Barakate, said the missile strike required the parties involved to react quickly and restructure the financing arrangement around circumstances that could not have been anticipated.

“The damage to the project required a rapid response and an adjustment of the financing structure to the new reality and to the developer’s timetable. Within a short period of time, we formulated a framework that allowed the project to move forward toward receiving a permit and beginning construction. From Barakate’s perspective, which serves as a home for developers throughout the country, this is a significant transaction in Bnei Brak and in the haredi sector, demonstrating the importance of flexibility, creativity and the ability to respond quickly even in exceptional circumstances,” Gazit said.

Rav Pinchas Zaltzman, CEO and owner of Urbanitop, credited Bnei Brak Mayor Chanoch Zeibert and Deputy Mayor and Planning and Building Committee Chairman Menachem Shapiro with helping move the complicated approval process forward rapidly.

“I would like to thank Bnei Brak Mayor Chanoch Zeibert and his deputy, Planning and Building Committee Chairman Menachem Shapiro, for the speed and efficiency with which all the processes were advanced. Special thanks also go to the Reisman Deutsch law offices and all the parties who took part in the project. When necessary, everyone stepped up and went above and beyond to enable the project to move forward and achieve a significant result in record time. About a year after the Iranian missile strike, we are moving forward with a new building with 84 apartments for the families of the city and the community,” Zaltzman said.

Barakate is a publicly traded real estate financing company controlled by chairman Roni Biram, Gil Deutsch and Gazit. The company specializes in financing real estate projects and transactions, structuring customized financing packages based on the requirements and characteristics of individual developments.

Company officials say its approach combines financial experience with an understanding of the needs of developers, allowing it to provide financing and flexibility for complex projects.

The Bnei Brak development will now transform the site of a devastating Iranian missile strike into a significantly larger residential complex, increasing the number of apartments on the property from 24 to 84.

{Matzav.com}

Artificial intelligence is increasingly taking control of traffic lights on Israel’s intercity roads, with approximately 170 adaptive systems already installed and initial data indicating that the technology can significantly reduce congestion and travel times.

Israel’s Transportation Ministry and Netivei Israel have been expanding the use of AI-powered adaptive traffic signals in recent years. Unlike conventional traffic lights, which generally operate according to schedules programmed in advance, the new systems analyze traffic conditions in real time and adjust the length of red and green lights according to actual demand.

Early results from approximately 25 intersections where the technology was analyzed have shown substantial savings. On average, an estimated 400 vehicle-hours are saved each day at every intersection equipped with the system.

At the Fureidis Junction, the estimated savings reached approximately 800 vehicle-hours per day. At the entrance to Kiryat Tivon, meanwhile, travel time through the intersection was reduced by as much as 56 seconds per vehicle.

Across the intersections studied, the average reduction amounted to approximately 25 seconds for each vehicle. While that may appear modest for an individual driver, intersections handling thousands or tens of thousands of vehicles each day can collectively save hundreds of hours of travel time.

The impact can become considerably greater for motorists traveling along routes containing several adaptive traffic lights. Netivei Israel estimates that when the systems operate across multiple intersections along a driver’s route, the cumulative savings could reach approximately 10 minutes per trip.

Over the course of a year, officials estimate that those savings could add up to the equivalent of approximately two weeks of working days. The goal, therefore, is not simply to shave several seconds off the wait at an individual red light, but to create meaningful reductions in travel times across entire routes.

The primary advantage of adaptive traffic signals is their ability to react immediately to changing conditions rather than relying primarily on historical traffic patterns.

Traditional signals often operate according to predetermined programs based on traffic measurements taken previously. Actual road conditions, however, can change from minute to minute. Traffic jams form and dissipate, the dominant direction of traffic can shift, and accidents, construction or even relatively minor disruptions at one intersection can quickly produce backups elsewhere.

The AI-powered system uses cameras and computer-vision technology to detect vehicles, measure the length of traffic lines and determine the level of demand from different directions.

Algorithms then analyze that information and continuously adjust the traffic signal, allocating additional green-light time to the directions where it is most needed.

The technology was developed in recent years by ITC in cooperation with Netivei Israel’s Operations and Maintenance Division, Traffic Management Division and Engineering Research and Development Division.

With approximately 170 systems now deployed, officials say the project has progressed beyond the experimental stage and is being used routinely at a variety of intersections under differing traffic conditions.

The broader objective is to determine not merely whether AI traffic management can improve conditions at one particular intersection, but how the technology can eventually be incorporated throughout the country’s transportation network.

Officials say the project could also deliver substantial economic benefits.

According to current estimates, installing the technology at 100 intersections could generate more than half a billion shekels in annual economic benefits to the Israeli economy through the value of time saved alone.

That calculation is based on the methodology used by the Transportation Ministry and Finance Ministry to assess the economic viability of transportation projects.

The estimate does not include other potential benefits associated with shorter waits and reduced congestion, including lower fuel consumption, decreased wear and tear on vehicles, reduced air pollution and possible improvements in road safety.

{Matzav.com}

Jared Kushner marked the sixth anniversary of the Abraham Accords on Thursday with an expansive message touting the agreements’ achievements and suggesting that the Middle East may be on the verge of another potentially historic diplomatic breakthrough.

Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and a key architect of the Abraham Accords, did not identify any specific country or disclose details of possible negotiations. But his repeated references to new “breakthrough opportunities,” an opportunity to create an “even broader movement” and the possibility of once again surprising the world immediately fueled speculation over what additional agreements could be under consideration.

“Six years ago, President Trump launched the Abraham Accords and opened a new chapter of peace, partnership, and prosperity in the Middle East,” Kushner wrote in a lengthy post on X Thursday morning.

“Many said it was impossible. But with courageous leadership, persistence, and a small group of people willing to challenge old assumptions, we proved that the impossible could be achieved.”

The Abraham Accords, brokered during Trump’s first term, dramatically altered the diplomatic landscape of the Middle East. The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain established formal relations with Israel in 2020, with Morocco subsequently normalizing relations with Israel and Sudan agreeing to move toward normalization.

In his anniversary message, Kushner argued that the agreements represented more than the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab countries. He portrayed them as a rejection of decades of Middle East diplomacy that he said had focused on containing conflicts instead of fundamentally changing the relationships that produced them.

“For too long, the region was trapped by old ideas and failed frameworks that managed conflict rather than solved it, and too often created incentives that perpetuated division and instability,” Kushner wrote.

He said the philosophy behind the Abraham Accords was instead to create practical relationships and mutual interests that would make peace beneficial to the countries and populations involved.

“The idea behind the Abraham Accords was simple: instead of reinforcing the things that divide people, build bonds that bring them together. Increase understanding. Expand trade and investment. Deepen security cooperation. Create tangible benefits that make people’s lives better and give everyone a stake in peace.”

Kushner pointed to the economic and diplomatic relationships that have developed since the accords were signed as evidence that the approach succeeded.

“What began as a bold vision has delivered billions in trade, joint innovation, new friendships and partnerships, and a powerful alternative to the failed approaches of the past,” he wrote.

But Kushner then shifted from looking back at the achievements of the past six years to discussing the current geopolitical landscape — and it was that portion of his message that raised the strongest possibility that additional diplomatic developments could be ahead.

“The Middle East is once again at an inflection point. There are breakthrough opportunities today that many will say are impossible,” Kushner wrote. “But we have seen what can happen when leaders reject conventional thinking, focus on common interests, and have the courage to pursue a better future.”

Kushner did not elaborate on what those “breakthrough opportunities” might entail. His use of the plural also left open the possibility that the Trump administration is looking beyond a single normalization agreement toward a broader restructuring of regional relationships.

“The Abraham Accords showed that a different path is possible,” Kushner continued. “Now we have an opportunity to build an even broader movement around cooperation, shared prosperity and security—and replace the failed ideas of the past with a new model that gives people across the region something better to believe in and build toward.”

The comments are particularly notable because of Kushner’s central role in the negotiations that produced the original Abraham Accords. Working alongside Trump administration officials during Trump’s first term, Kushner helped conduct the diplomatic effort that resulted in the normalization agreements.

Although Kushner’s post contained no explicit announcement that another country is preparing to establish relations with Israel, Saudi Arabia is certain to be at the center of speculation surrounding his remarks.

For years, normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia has been viewed as the most consequential potential expansion of the Abraham Accords. An agreement involving Riyadh would carry significance far beyond bilateral relations because of Saudi Arabia’s political, economic and religious influence across the Arab and Muslim worlds.

Kushner, who developed close relationships with Saudi leaders during Trump’s first term, has also remained closely associated with efforts to reshape relations between Israel and the Arab world.

The prospect of Saudi normalization has repeatedly surfaced in diplomatic discussions in recent years, although negotiations have faced significant political and regional obstacles. The possibility has taken on renewed significance amid dramatic changes across the Middle East and the Trump administration’s efforts to capitalize on the new regional balance.

Kushner, however, carefully avoided naming Saudi Arabia or any other country Thursday, making it unclear whether his remarks were intended to signal a specific diplomatic initiative or to articulate a broader vision for the next phase of the Abraham Accords.

The language of his post nevertheless suggested that Kushner believes circumstances now exist for developments that could once again defy prevailing expectations.

His closing words were the clearest indication that he sees the original accords not as a completed diplomatic achievement, but as a model that could be expanded significantly.

“We surprised the world once. With the right leadership, focus, patience and courage, I believe we can do it again.”

The post offered no timetable for such a breakthrough and did not say whether negotiations with any additional countries have reached an advanced stage.

But coming from one of the principal architects of the original agreements, Kushner’s declaration that the region has reached another “inflection point” — coupled with his reference to multiple “breakthrough opportunities” — is likely to intensify attention on the Trump administration’s next moves in the Middle East and, in particular, whether the Abraham Accords may soon be poised for a major expansion.

{Matzav.com}

A routine bus ride turned into a frightening emergency Thursday evening when a driver in his 50s suddenly collapsed behind the wheel on Route 651 near the Pal Yam Junction, causing the bus to collide with a private vehicle.

The driver apparently suffered a serious medical emergency while driving and lost consciousness. Magen David Adom emergency personnel were quickly dispatched to the scene, where they found the driver unresponsive inside the driver’s compartment.

Paramedics and EMTs removed the driver and immediately began intensive resuscitation efforts. The treatment included chest compressions, assisted breathing and eight electric shocks administered with a defibrillator.

After extensive treatment at the scene, the driver was transported urgently to Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in critical condition, with resuscitation efforts continuing during the evacuation.

MDA EMTs Yonatan Yankelowitz, Yosef Friedman and Elimelech Michalowitz described the chaotic scene when they arrived.

“When we arrived at the bus, we saw several frightened and distressed passengers, and the driver lying unconscious. A quick examination revealed that he had no pulse and was not breathing, and we immediately began advanced resuscitation efforts,” they said.

While emergency personnel worked to save the driver, additional MDA teams examined the passengers aboard the bus as well as the woman driving the private vehicle involved in the collision.

None of the bus passengers was found to have suffered physical injuries, and none required evacuation to a hospital. The driver of the private vehicle sustained minor injuries and was transported to Hillel Yaffe Medical Center for further treatment.

The frightening incident follows several other serious episodes involving buses on Israeli roads in recent months.

In one incident several months ago, a driver operating Jerusalem’s No. 2 bus route was violently assaulted by several youths while stopped at a red light. The attack reportedly caused him to lose consciousness and several teeth, though he was forced to continue driving despite his condition.

In another incident in Bnei Brak, an elderly passenger was injured aboard a bus after the driver was forced to brake suddenly when a private vehicle cut into his lane at the Chazon Ish intersection. The woman was thrown forcefully toward the front of the bus and sustained injuries.

{Matzav.com}

The U.S. military has lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones during the war with Iran, wiping out roughly one-quarter of a fleet that numbered approximately 185 aircraft and inflicting losses valued at more than $1.3 billion, according to officials.

Each MQ-9 is estimated to cost between $30 million and $50 million, depending on the weapons, sensors and other equipment installed aboard the aircraft.

The drones have been deployed extensively for surveillance and precision-strike missions around the Strait of Hormuz. Their relatively slow speed and operations at lower altitudes, however, have reportedly left them vulnerable to attacks by Iran and its proxies in Yemen and Iraq.

Not all of the aircraft were lost to enemy fire. Some Reapers reportedly crashed after their operators lost communications with the unmanned aircraft.

Lt. Gen. David Tabor told the Senate in May that the number of MQ-9s remaining in the American fleet had fallen to approximately 135. The Air Force is now examining ways to rapidly rebuild its inventory following the substantial wartime losses.

The depletion of the Reaper fleet comes amid broader concerns over American weapons stockpiles following years of extensive military assistance to Ukraine and heavy expenditures of sophisticated munitions during the war with Iran.

An analysis by the American Enterprise Institute warned that replenishing some of the most critical weapons could take years because of limitations in U.S. defense manufacturing capacity.

One particularly significant constraint involves THAAD missile interceptors. Current production capacity is limited to approximately 96 interceptors annually, while the Pentagon is seeking nearly 2,600 over the next five years. At the present production rate, manufacturing that quantity would take an estimated 27 years.

Todd Harrison, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, noted that producing a single THAAD interceptor takes nearly three years. As a result, even orders placed immediately would not begin producing significant quantities of additional interceptors until late in President Trump’s current term.

President Trump has sought tens of billions of dollars to replenish U.S. weapons inventories and expand production capacity.

The Pentagon, however, has pushed back against claims that American weapons stockpiles are becoming dangerously depleted.

{Matzav.com}

Ahead of the opening of Zman Elul in kollelim, Rav Yisroel Zicherman presented a series of practical and timely questions to his rebbi, Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein, a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, addressing issues ranging from computers and cellphones in kollelim to struggling avreichim, family responsibilities and the importance of learning sugyos through practical halachah.

Rav Zicherman, Rav of Achuzas Brachfeld in Modiin Illit and the nasi of several kollelim, visited Rav Zilberstein at his home as the Torah world prepares for the beginning of Zman Elul in yeshivos and kollelim.

Rav Zicherman himself spent many years learning in Kollel Bais Dovid in Cholon under Rav Zilberstein. Drawing upon contemporary questions facing roshei kollel and avreichim, he presented his rebbi with a wide-ranging series of educational and halachic dilemmas.

The following is the full Q&A as transcribed by Matzav.com staff:

The Importance of Learning a Sugya Through Practical Halachah

Rav Zicherman: In our network of kollelim, we are currently learning the melachos of Shabbos. As we were privileged to learn in Kollel Bais Dovid, we study the sugyos all the way through to practical halachah. There are avreichim, including young men who have just come from yeshivos and are accustomed to the analytical style of yeshivah learning, who are now transitioning to learning asukei shemaitsa aliba dehilchasa — from the sugyos and Rishonim through the Tur, Shulchan Aruch and its commentaries. What is the proper way to instill in them an appreciation for learning halachah so that they become fully immersed in it?

Rav Zilberstein: One must know that an avreich who merits reaching asukei shemaitsa aliba dehilchasa is among the greatest that our nation possesses, because the highest level among Klal Yisroel is attained by one who merits issuing halachic rulings for the public. As explained in Maseches Gittin regarding the child who was imprisoned: “I am certain that he will become one who renders halachic rulings in Yisroel.”

Any talmid who is capable of reaching this level — if he is not lacking in understanding — will jump at the opportunity. He knows that his learning is taking him all the way to a conclusion and to practical application, and there is no greater satisfaction than that. Already while learning Abaye and Rava, one should be thinking about how the discussion emerges in practical halachah and looking into the poskim.

In addition, it is appropriate for the rosh kollel to present a fascinating question connected to the sugya each day, with the avreichim required to derive the answer through their learning.

How to Deal With an Avreich Who Arrives Late or Talks During Seder

Rav Zicherman: Is it appropriate for a rosh kollel to reprimand an avreich regarding keeping the sedorim and talking — only when it disturbs the other members of the chaburah, or also in order to help the avreich himself advance? Similarly, if an avreich sometimes arrives late and disrupts the schedule of the kollel, is it appropriate to remove him after he has been warned?

Rav Zilberstein: Removing him is out of the question. We are speaking about bnei Torah. What must be done is to investigate what lies behind his lateness, determine what is troubling him, and try to resolve the problem and help him.

Primarily, that avreich should be taught that he can merit reaching the King — Hakadosh Boruch Hu — and this is accomplished through studying practical halachah. If a person understands this, his heart opens much more and he will flourish.

Rav Zicherman: I remember when I was privileged to learn under the Rav in the kollel. We would travel by van from Bnei Brak. The moment the van picked up the avreichim, the Rav would immediately raise a question while we were traveling. In effect, the seder had already begun on the way, and there was no possibility of anything else.

Who Should Stay Home With a Sick Child — the Husband or the Wife?

Rav Zicherman: When there is a sick child at home, is the responsibility to care for the child incumbent upon the mother, or should the avreich also share the burden at the expense of his sedorim in kollel? If the burden falls solely on the avreich, it can lead to a weakening in his learning, while if it falls exclusively on the mother, who works to support the family, it can create problems with her employment. Should the kollel take such circumstances into consideration?

Rav Zilberstein: Certainly, when something like this happens, the kollel administration must take it into consideration. However, the family itself should make an effort to seek help from others, such as the grandmothers, so that the husband will not have to interrupt his learning.

An atmosphere should be established in the home that the husband is not a babysitter. A home of yirei Hashem is not built on the premise that the mother works under all circumstances while the husband is absent from kollel. If the wife understands the tremendous power of a Jewish mother and the importance of her husband’s consistency in learning, the family will know how to find solutions without causing him to interrupt his learning.

If a Chavrusa Is Sick, Should His Partner Go Learn With Him?

Rav Zicherman: If one of the avreichim is ill and is at home, should his chavrusa go to his house to learn with him, or should he refrain from leaving the bais medrash?

Rav Zilberstein: There is something very great, and that is chesed. Going to learn with an avreich in his home when he is weak is an unparalleled act of chesed. The Torah must be a Toras chesed.

Rav Zicherman: Even though it may cause somewhat of a weakening in the bais medrash?

Rav Zilberstein: If the chavrusa’s absence will cause a weakening in the kollel, he should remain in the kollel, but he should learn with him over the telephone. He should call him and discuss the learning with him.

Computers and Cellphones in the Kollel

Rav Zicherman: How should we conduct ourselves regarding computers? Should the use of Torah databases be permitted inside the kollel? For some people, it helps them organize the sugya, but on the other hand, there is a need for amal haTorah. Until now, our practice has been not to have computers. What is the Rav’s opinion?

Rav Zilberstein: From the day of Matan Torah, Torah was learned without computers. Because of the weakness of the generation, these things have come along to make matters easier, but the true path is amal haTorah.

Rav Zicherman: Regarding cellphones, in our network of kollelim they are bal yeira’eh u’bal yimatzei — they are not to be seen or found — and there is one public telephone. However, there are avreichim whose wives are approaching childbirth and they are not at ease. Should an exception be permitted?

Rav Zilberstein: Absolutely not. From the day of Matan Torah, there were no telephones.

(In extremely exceptional circumstances and in a situation of great necessity, the rosh kollel may permit an avreich to discreetly keep a cellphone in his pocket, set only to vibrate.)

Learning With a Struggling Avreich and Staying Up Late to Learn

Rav Zicherman: When there is a weaker avreich, is it appropriate for the rosh kollel to learn with him for part of the time, even though doing so will detract from the rosh kollel’s own personal progress?

Rav Zilberstein: Certainly. It is the greatest thing there is. When a rosh kollel sits beside a struggling avreich and learns with him instead of shouting at him, that is a wonderful level to attain.

Rav Zicherman: What about an avreich who remains learning until 3 a.m. because he is immersed in a sugya, and as a result arrives late to kollel in the morning?

Rav Zilberstein: That is literally the counsel of the yetzer hara. When the time comes to sleep, one must sleep, and someone who does not go to sleep at the proper time is acting improperly.

The Obligation of Roshei Kollel to Sacrifice for Others

Rav Zicherman: Roshei kollel are heavily occupied with preparing shiurim and mareh mekomos. To what extent should they sacrifice their own interests for the sake of the broader group?

Rav Zilberstein: That sacrifice is the greatest gain. When Hakadosh Boruch Hu sees an avreich sacrificing his own interests for the sake of another person, He takes him under His protection, because Torah is acquired through chesed.

{Matzav.com}

United Torah Judaism may run together in the upcoming elections only as a technical arrangement before splitting back into its two component factions and conducting separate coalition negotiations, according to veteran Chareidi political analyst Yaakov Rivlin.

Rivlin said Thursday that the growing divisions within the Chareidi political camp could result in UTJ contesting the election on a joint ticket while effectively functioning as two separate parties once the votes are counted.

Under that scenario, Degel HaTorah and Agudas Yisroel would separate following the election, with each faction independently negotiating its terms for joining a future governing coalition.

MK Yitzchok Pindrus of Degel HaTorah, however, strongly rejected the report, dismissing the speculation during an interview with Kol Chai Radio.

“These reports are meaningless,” he said.

“There is an entire industry today, including within the Chareidi media, that needs to make a living, so it constantly has to come up with some exciting new angle… I suggest everyone calm down,” he added.

Pindrus similarly brushed aside reports of possible primaries or significant changes to the party’s electoral slate, stressing that the Chareidi parties operate under the direction of the Gedolei Yisroel rather than through conventional party politics.

“Perhaps some are envious of Likud – which has primaries and internal tribunals – and want that for us too, thinking, ‘Why not make things interesting?’ But we are led by the Torah luminaries, and nothing is going to change.”

Turning to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and his handling of the political crisis surrounding the Chareidi community, Pindrus was asked whether Netanyahu bears responsibility for the current situation.

“Clearly, he failed to deliver,” he said.

Despite that criticism, Pindrus said no conclusions should yet be drawn about whether the Chareidi parties will support Netanyahu or another candidate following the elections. Such decisions, he stressed, will be made only after the election results are known and in accordance with the directives of the Gedolei Yisroel.

{Matzav.com}