Feed aggregator

The White House will hold a press briefing Thursday for the first time in more than 40 days, returning to the briefing room as the Trump administration weighs who will succeed outgoing press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

A White House official confirmed that the briefing is scheduled to take place but did not disclose who will appear at the podium to address reporters.

The return of the briefing comes just days after Leavitt completed her final day as White House press secretary. She is expected to remain involved with President Trump as an outside adviser while also taking a role with his MAGA Inc. super PAC.

Earlier this year, when Leavitt took approximately a month of maternity leave, several prominent members of the administration stepped in to conduct White House briefings. Among those who appeared before reporters were Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

The White House has not announced Leavitt’s successor, though several possible candidates have emerged in speculation surrounding the position. Among the names reportedly being discussed are CNN commentator Scott Jennings and Alina Habba, who previously served as U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey.

Trump, meanwhile, has shown no apparent urgency to fill the vacancy. During her final day as press secretary, Leavitt said the president is “his own best spokesperson.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump issued a stark warning Tuesday that Chicago “will die” unless city and state leaders accept federal assistance to combat violent crime, pointing to a weekend of bloodshed that left 41 people shot and three dead.

Trump called on Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to request help from his administration, arguing that the level of violence in the city has spiraled beyond the ability of local officials to control.

“Chicago violence is unchecked and at record levels. It has never been worse!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “These numbers are becoming normalized. It is out of control!”

The president said Chicago faces further decline unless Pritzker or Johnson agrees to bring the federal government into the fight against crime.

“The city will die if the Federal Government, a fine tuned crime fighting machine, is not invited in, by the Mayor or Governor, to HELP,” Trump wrote. “I am awaiting the call.”

Trump’s warning came after an especially violent weekend in Chicago that included what authorities said was the city’s largest mass shooting of the year.

The mass shooting unfolded Saturday during a gathering in Chicago’s Washington Park neighborhood, where masked gunmen opened fire and struck 15 people, according to authorities.

Rontonio Guterz, 35, was killed in the attack, while 14 other victims ranging in age from 21 to 45 suffered gunshot wounds.

Authorities have not reported any arrests in connection with the Washington Park shooting and have not publicly identified potential suspects.

Elsewhere in the city, 15-year-old Kyren Wormely was fatally wounded in a drive-by shooting in the South Austin neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side. The teenager was struck twice and was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

Crime statistics through Aug. 29 show that Chicago has recorded 1,255 shooting victims in 2026, representing a 0.7% increase compared with the corresponding period last year.

The city has also reported 288 homicide victims this year, a 2.9% rise from the 280 recorded during the same stretch of 2025. Fatalities specifically resulting from shootings have climbed more sharply, reaching 254, an increase of 11.4% over the same period last year.

Trump cited his administration’s federal crime-fighting measures in Washington, D.C., as an example of the approach he believes could rapidly reduce violence in Chicago.

“Nobody should be forced to live under these conditions,” Trump said. “Like D.C. and others, they will have almost no crime, FAST! The State and City can’t do what I do. Governor Pritzker, CALL!!!”

Pritzker and Johnson, however, have previously rejected Trump’s push for expanded federal involvement in addressing Chicago crime.

Pritzker has repeatedly sparred with Trump over the president’s previous threats to send National Guard forces into Chicago and has said Trump is “neither wanted nor needed” in the city.

Although the Illinois governor has said that gun violence has “no place” in Chicago, he has not asked the Trump administration to intervene.

Johnson has similarly declined Trump’s offer of federal assistance, maintaining that Chicago will continue relying on its own programs and policies aimed at reducing violence.

“We remain steadfast in our work to break these cycles of trauma by continuing to stop the flow of guns into our communities and investing in the resources that help prevent violence before it occurs,” Johnson said.

Trump has long targeted Chicago officials over the city’s crime problem and has previously raised the possibility of deploying National Guard personnel there.

In December, the Supreme Court prevented the Trump administration from sending National Guard troops into Chicago as part of an effort designed to provide protection for Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

The administration had gone to the Supreme Court seeking to reverse a lower-court decision, subsequently upheld on appeal, that barred the deployment. Trump’s administration had invoked a federal statute permitting a president, under certain conditions, to assume control of National Guard forces when federal laws cannot be enforced using “regular forces.”

Trump is scheduled to travel to the Chicago area later in September for the Presidents Cup golf tournament at Medinah Country Club, which gets underway Sept. 24.

The president announced Saturday that he will be the honorary chair of the tournament.

“I look forward to being there and greeting all of these fantastic athletes on both teams!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “See you in Chicago!”

{Matzav.com}

Religious Zionist Party chairman Bezalel Smotrich and Zehut leader Moshe Feiglin announced Tuesday evening that their parties will contest the upcoming Israeli elections together, forming a technical bloc aimed at consolidating support across the political right.

As part of the agreement, Feiglin and his Zehut party will receive the second, eighth, 10th and 11th positions on the combined electoral slate. Smotrich and Feiglin also intend to pursue an agreement with Ofer Winter’s party in hopes of expanding the alliance further.

“The alliance between the Religious Zionist Party and Zehut is the first step toward uniting forces in the national camp,” the parties said. “The agreement leaves the door open to additional parties, political forces and individuals from the right. The goal is to build the broadest possible right-wing bloc, unite the fragmented parties in the national camp and ensure that right-wing votes translate into political power capable of forming a strong right-wing government.”

Smotrich described the approaching election as “critical” for both Israel and the national camp. He pointed to a series of major issues that he said will be determined by the next government, including national security, the future of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, the judicial system, efforts to prevent the creation of a Palestinian state and other sweeping changes he believes Israel requires.

“At a moment like this, we must take responsibility – not only for our own party, but for the entire camp,” he said. “Our responsibility is to unite forces, broaden the camp and prevent right-wing votes from being lost. I am glad that Moshe answered the call and decided to set out on this path with us.”

Smotrich acknowledged that the two political movements do not agree on every issue and stressed that neither side intends to abandon its individual political identity as a result of the partnership.

“There are differences between us, and we are not seeking to hide them,” Smotrich added. “Each of us will maintain his own identity and path, but we both understand that the overriding task is victory for the national camp. This is the first alliance, not the last. We call on all parties and forces that see the right as their political home: Join us.”

Feiglin said the decision to unite with Smotrich was driven by the political realities facing the right and by a desire to ensure that votes for Zehut are translated into representation in the Knesset.

“We set out with Zehut because we understood that Israel needs a new spirit, hope, faith in the justice of our cause, and a vision of freedom and true victory,” he said. “For an entire year, we made clear that the gravity of the hour demands national responsibility and a united effort. We promised our supporters that we would not risk a single vote and that our values would receive strong and influential representation. We have fulfilled that commitment.”

Feiglin urged supporters of the nationalist and faith-based political camps to rally behind the newly created joint slate, saying the agreement provides Zehut voters with a secure political framework heading into the election.

“Tonight, we bring the news so many have been waiting for and embark on a joint effort to maximize the strength of the national and faith-based camp,” Feiglin said. “We have done our part and secured a political home for our supporters. Now the responsibility passes to you, the public. I call on everyone who holds the Land of Israel, the security of the state and human freedom dear: Join us, support us and turn out in large numbers to vote for the joint list.”

The agreement was finalized after Smotrich ended a visit to southern Israel ahead of schedule and returned to the Religious Zionist Party’s headquarters to complete negotiations with Feiglin.

The partnership comes as polling indicates that a combined slate could clear Israel’s electoral threshold. A Midgam survey conducted for Channel 12 News and released Monday projected that a joint Religious Zionist Party-Zehut ticket would secure five Knesset seats.

According to that poll, Yashar! would emerge as the largest party with 24 seats, narrowly ahead of Likud with 23. Beyachad would receive 15 seats, followed by the Democrats with 11, Yisrael Beytenu with nine and United Torah Judaism with eight.

Otzma Yehudit, the Joint List and Shas would each receive seven seats, while the Smotrich-Feiglin alliance would win five and Ra’am would secure four. Ofer Winter’s party, running independently under the scenario tested by the poll, would fall short of the electoral threshold.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump warned Iran on Tuesday that any retaliation for the latest U.S. military strikes would trigger a significantly more powerful American response, as U.S. forces targeted Iranian sites near the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions in the region.

Trump said the strikes were launched in response to Iranian actions near the strategic waterway, including an unsuccessful effort to place sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz and the firing of eight missiles at an American military installation in Jordan.

“The United States is, as we speak, striking Iranian Targets near the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes are large and powerful, and in retaliation for the Iranians’ failed attempt at adding sea mines to the Strait, which currently has no mines (They have been completely removed or detonated!), and the Iranians shooting eight missiles, all successfully knocked down, at our Military Base in Jordan,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

The president followed that announcement with an extraordinary warning that Washington was prepared to dramatically intensify its military campaign if Tehran responded to the latest attacks.

“If the failed Nation of Iran retaliates for this very justified attack, they will be hit again at a much harder and higher level, but it will not be the biggest attack of them all, that is waiting in the wings and, when it is over, there will be very little left of the Islamic Republic of Iran! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

The U.S. strikes reportedly hit targets on Qeshm Island as well as locations in Chabahar and the Bandar Abbas area, all situated in or near the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz region.

Separately, the U.S. Embassy in Israel issued an alert to American citizens as tensions across the Middle East continued to rise. The advisory cautioned that the security situation could deteriorate without warning and potentially result in canceled flights, closed airspace and other significant travel disruptions.

“Iran and its supporters may harm American interests and sites affiliated with the United States and its citizens around the world. You must exercise increased vigilance, stay away from demonstrations and large gatherings, locate a protected area in advance, and follow the authorities’ instructions,” the embassy statement said.

{Matzav.com}

A delegation of rabbonim serving Jewish inmates in federal prisons across the United States met with the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Zalman Leib Teitelbaum, in Williamsburg ahead of his scheduled meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday, asking the Rebbe to raise the plight of Jewish prisoners directly with the president.

The delegation, which also included prominent askanim, discussed the circumstances facing Jewish inmates serving lengthy sentences in federal prisons and a range of issues affecting their religious and personal needs.

The rabbonim urged the Satmar Rebbe to use his upcoming conversation with President Trump to seek assistance for Jewish prisoners and to explore measures that could ease some of the hardships they face while incarcerated.

Among the issues raised were possible improvements to prison conditions, expanded visitation privileges and greater flexibility that could allow qualifying inmates to leave prison temporarily to attend family simchos. The delegation stressed that presidential attention to these matters could help bring about changes quickly.

Also participating in the meeting was the Rebbe’s son, Rav Yaakov Ber Teitelbaum, the Sigeter Rov, who is extensively involved in efforts on behalf of Jewish prisoners. Senior Satmar askanim and community representatives were also present, including Reb Moshe Dovid Niederman and Reb Avrohom Yehoshua Freund.

The planned Oval Office meeting is scheduled for Thursday at 1:30 p.m. The Satmar Rebbe is expected to travel to Washington aboard the private aircraft of Satmar philanthropist Reb Lipa Friedman, son of longtime Satmar gabbai Reb Moshe “Gabe” Friedman. The Bobover Rebbe is expected to join the flight.

According to sources, the invitation was extended to the Satmar Rebbe’s household in a telephone call from the White House by Martin Marks, who headed Trump’s Jewish campaign operation and was subsequently appointed to oversee the administration’s relations with the Jewish community.

The unusual White House gathering is expected to give each participant several minutes individually with President Trump, with the admorim and rabbonim reportedly entering without their gabbaim.

Those invited include the Skverer Rebbe, who is expected to send his eldest son, Rav Aharon Mendel Twersky; the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Aharon Teitelbaum; the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Zalman Leib Teitelbaum; the Bobover Rebbe; the Vizhnitz-Monsey Rebbe; and Rav Malkiel Kotler.

Under the current White House plan, each invitee is expected to enter the Oval Office individually and speak privately with President Trump for several minutes. Organizers are also considering the possibility of holding a joint meeting with the participants seated together around a table.

Meanwhile, preparations for Thursday’s White House visit have continued within Satmar. In addition to the meeting with federal prison rabbonim at the Satmar Rebbe’s Williamsburg residence, senior askanim and activists have been holding consultations at the Satmar Rebbe Rav Aharon Teitelbaum’s residence in Kiryas Yoel.

In a significant change to the long-established admissions timetable for Lakewood’s girls’ schools, registration will henceforth commence only on Rosh Chodesh Shevat, under a new agreement reached by the town’s roshei mosdos.

The move is intended chiefly to spare girls and their families the lengthy period of uncertainty that has accompanied the admissions process in recent years. With registration traditionally beginning immediately after Sukkos, parents could find themselves spending months awaiting a definitive answer as to where their daughter would be attending school the following year.

Following extensive deliberations involving local rabbanim, askanim, parents and school administrators, the roshei mosdos agreed that delaying the process would considerably shorten that difficult interval and provide a more orderly admissions period for all concerned.

The initiative was undertaken after lengthy and detailed consultations regarding the challenges presented by the existing system.

Under the arrangement, schools may not begin registration before Rosh Chodesh Shevat. Moreover, any commitment or acceptance offered to a prospective student prior to that date will be regarded as having no validity.

A limited dispensation has been made for new schools due to open for the 2027–28 academic year. Those mosdos will be permitted to commence registration from the 15th of Teves, recognizing that a newly established school requires additional time to assemble its classes and make the necessary preparations without the infrastructure and systems already available to established institutions.

Askanim believe that the revised timetable will produce a fairer and considerably less burdensome process for the schools and parents alike, whilst placing particular emphasis on the wellbeing of the girls at the center of the admissions process.

A 32-year-old Bank of America vice president who had celebrated her second wedding anniversary just weeks earlier was identified as the woman killed in a shocking, apparently random stabbing spree in Times Square on Monday afternoon.

Erin Piacenti, a resident of Chester, New Jersey, was fatally stabbed near 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue during a rampage that also left a 68-year-old man wounded. The alleged attacker, 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros, was subsequently shot and killed by NYPD officers after police said she charged at them while armed with knives.

Piacenti worked in New York City for Bank of America, where she held the position of Vice President of Business Selection and Conflicts, according to sources cited by The Post.

Piacenti had an extensive academic background. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2016 and later earned her law degree from Fordham Law School in 2021, according to information on her LinkedIn profile.

Her death came barely three weeks after she and her husband marked their second wedding anniversary. Social media posts indicated that the couple celebrated the milestone on Aug. 10.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Piacenti was stabbed in the abdomen near 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue at approximately 4:30 p.m., describing what happened as an “unprovoked attack.”

Police said the violence began when Cisneros produced two kitchen knives and attacked a 68-year-old man after he emerged from the subway on West 41st Street. The man was stabbed in the abdomen.

Cisneros then made her way toward West 42nd Street, where authorities said she encountered Piacenti and stabbed her, inflicting fatal injuries.

Police officers subsequently confronted Cisneros and cornered her in Times Square. The encounter ended when officers opened fire and killed her after authorities said she charged toward them while still armed with the knives.

The House overwhelmingly approved legislation Tuesday to keep the federal government funded through Dec. 11, eliminating the threat of another shutdown before voters head to the polls in the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

Lawmakers voted 370-48 to pass the spending measure and send it to President Trump, whose signature will ensure federal agencies remain fully operational beyond the election.

The vote came on just the second day that House members were back in Washington following a five-week recess. Republican leaders moved quickly to advance the legislation, formally known as a continuing resolution, ahead of the Oct. 1 start of the new fiscal year.

The House is currently scheduled to leave Washington again on Oct. 1 for the final weeks of campaigning before the midterms. With the government-funding issue now resolved well ahead of that deadline, there has been growing speculation that lawmakers could be permitted to begin their campaign recess even earlier.

The version approved Tuesday incorporated changes made by the Senate while House lawmakers were away. Among the additions is increased funding for several federal programs, including the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, commonly known as WIC.

The legislation also postpones implementation of a rule that would have expanded the White House Office of Management and Budget’s authority over federal spending. Both that provision and the additional program funding had been important demands for Democrats.

Under the federal budget process, Congress is supposed to approve 12 separate appropriations bills each year to finance government operations beginning with the new fiscal year on Oct. 1. Lawmakers, however, have not completed all of those bills on schedule since the 1990s, repeatedly turning instead to temporary continuing resolutions to prevent funding lapses while negotiations continue.

The latest agreement comes after an extraordinarily turbulent period of federal funding battles. Over the past year, the government has been shut down on three separate occasions, totaling 122 days of closures.

{Matzav.com}

Brazil’s Jewish community is pressing election authorities to extend voting hours in areas with significant Jewish populations after the country’s October 4 election was scheduled for Simchas Torah, creating a conflict that could prevent observant Jews from casting ballots.

Brazilian attorney Monica Rosenberg has submitted a petition to the country’s Superior Electoral Court bearing thousands of signatures and asking that selected polling stations remain open until 8 p.m. local time. The extension would allow Shabbos-observant Jews to vote after Simchas Torah concludes.

Polls across Brazil are currently scheduled to close at 5 p.m., while the Yom Tov is expected to end at approximately 6:40 p.m. According to the Brazilian Israelite Confederation, Brazil is home to roughly 120,000 Jews.

In a statement, the Jewish community emphasized that it is not seeking to postpone the election or alter the nationwide voting date.

“The initiative does not call for postponing the elections or making any change to the election date. The request is specifically that polling stations in locations near Jewish communities be allowed to receive voters until 8:00 p.m., after the holiday ends,” the community said.

The proposal is intended to ensure that observant Jewish citizens are not forced to choose between adhering to their religious obligations and exercising their civic responsibility to vote. The issue is particularly significant in Brazil because voting is compulsory.

The effort has received substantial backing from the Brazilian Israelite Confederation, known as CONIB. The organization’s president, Claudio Lottenberg, said protecting religious freedom and ensuring political participation are closely connected to the broader fight against antisemitism and the defense of fundamental democratic principles.

The petition drive has also received a boost from Silvia Abravanel, daughter of the late Brazilian billionaire and media mogul Silvio Santos. Abravanel, herself a prominent television personality, promoted the campaign to her millions of followers on social media.

The Simchas Torah election conflict is the latest in a series of situations in which Brazilian authorities have faced calls to accommodate the religious practices of the country’s Jewish population. Previous disputes have included elections coinciding with Yom Kippur as well as requirements that Jewish students attend classes or take examinations on Shabbos.

Brazil’s electoral authorities have yet to issue a final ruling on the petition. Jewish community leaders hope that permission to keep certain polling stations open for several additional hours will both resolve this year’s conflict and establish a broader precedent recognizing that citizens should be able to participate fully in the democratic process without being forced to compromise their religious observance.

{Matzav.com}

Bnei Brak is facing a deepening financial crisis after accumulating a deficit of approximately NIS 130 million, prompting Israel’s Interior Ministry to impose immediate restrictions on the municipality and consider appointing an outside accountant to oversee its finances.

The startling deterioration has raised questions about how one of Israel’s largest municipalities — with an annual budget of roughly NIS 2.5 billion and substantial property-tax revenue from its booming commercial district — found itself approaching the limits of its available credit and struggling with cash flow. The deficit includes approximately NIS 80 million recorded in 2025 and another roughly NIS 50 million accumulated during 2026.

The Interior Ministry has now frozen municipal requests for personal employment contracts and salary upgrades and will approve only essential special-budget projects. Bnei Brak Mayor Chanoch Zeibert has also been ordered to present an emergency recovery plan by October 11 detailing how the municipality intends to return to a balanced budget by the end of the year.

The warning came from Tzvika Einbinder, the Interior Ministry official overseeing the Tel Aviv District, who demanded significant spending reductions and other immediate measures.

“I am asking you [Zeibert] to have the municipal administration convene as soon as possible and make binding and painful decisions,” Einbinder wrote. “The plan must include concrete steps to reduce the deficit and return to a balanced budget by the end of the year in the areas of procurement, tenders and municipal personnel.”

Should Bnei Brak fail to stabilize its finances, the Interior Ministry is considering appointing an accompanying accountant, a step that would sharply curtail the municipality’s financial independence. Such an official can be given authority over expenditures, payments to suppliers, hiring, employee compensation and, in some circumstances, municipal tax collection and debt payments.

The financial collapse is particularly striking because Bnei Brak has a major commercial tax base. The city receives hundreds of millions of shekels in revenue from office properties, including the large BBC business district, and its annual municipal budget stands at approximately NIS 2.5 billion. Moreover, the city received an increase of roughly NIS 20 million in its government balancing grant in 2025 following a technical change to the funding formula.

Aharon Rabinowitz, the Chareidi affairs correspondent for Haaretz, said in an interview with Radio 103FM that those numbers make the municipality’s financial predicament especially difficult to understand.

“How did this happen? How did we get to this situation? I asked that. The Bnei Brak Municipality is one of the largest municipalities in Israel, mainly because of the office towers that bring enormous arnona revenues into the municipality,” Rabinowitz said.

Rabinowitz leveled particularly sharp criticism at Zeibert, who returned to the mayor’s office in 2024 and also serves as secretary-general of Agudas Yisrael.

“The mayor is almost never in Israel, he is most of the time on flights abroad and nobody really knows; he is one of the senior figures in the Ger chassidus,” Rabinowitz said.

He also alleged that the municipality has failed to provide an adequate accounting of its spending.

“The municipality is engaging in completely reckless spending; we don’t know where the money ultimately goes,” he said.

According to a Calcalist report, some officials within the municipality have similarly blamed Zeibert for the crisis, alleging that he has not demonstrated command of the financial details or produced a clear plan for reversing the deterioration. The mayor did not respond to Calcalist’s request for comment.

The cash-flow crunch has already forced the city to take extraordinary steps. According to the report, the municipality sold a securities portfolio worth approximately NIS 30 million, eliminating what had served as a financial cushion. The city has also been delaying payments to suppliers as it contends with its liquidity problems.

Municipal officials, however, are pushing back against the suggestion that irresponsible spending alone created the crisis. They contend that decisions and delays by the Interior Ministry have deprived Bnei Brak of tens of millions of shekels in anticipated revenue.

One major dispute involves approximately 12,000 households that applied for arnona discounts. City officials say the Interior Ministry has yet to approve those applications, leaving the municipality unable to collect the disputed taxes and creating a revenue hole they estimate at roughly NIS 30 million.

Officials also say the Interior Ministry has not approved municipal bylaws that could generate additional revenue. Among the proposals is an increase in parking rates that the municipality estimates could bring in another NIS 15 million annually. In addition, city officials say Education Ministry directives forced Bnei Brak to increase payments to educational aides by approximately NIS 25 million.

Those explanations, however, do not fully account for the severity of the municipality’s predicament, according to the Calcalist report. Other municipalities face similar government delays and expenses without experiencing a financial crisis of Bnei Brak’s magnitude, while the city continues to benefit from billions of shekels in annual revenue and a lucrative commercial property-tax base.

The municipality has publicly maintained that it can turn the situation around. In response to the Interior Ministry’s warning last week, Bnei Brak officials said they expect to finish the year with a balanced budget.

For now, however, the Interior Ministry is demanding more than assurances. Unless the municipality produces a credible recovery plan and dramatically improves its financial position, Bnei Brak could find its budgetary decisions placed under outside supervision — an extraordinary development for one of Israel’s largest and most prominent Chareidi cities.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s desalination crisis continued Tuesday morning as most of the country’s desalination plants were forced to shut down again only hours after resuming operations, prompting authorities to restrict water use for agriculture, public landscaping and other nonessential purposes.

Most of the facilities had restarted overnight after water conditions temporarily improved following Monday’s unusual shutdown. By Tuesday morning, however, seawater turbidity had risen again, forcing the plants to halt operations once more. The Water Authority and the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure instructed local governments to reduce public irrigation, agricultural water consumption and other municipal uses in an effort to preserve available supplies for households.

The latest setback follows Monday’s shutdown of five of Israel’s six desalination plants along the Mediterranean coast, with the Hadera facility the only one to remain operational. An overnight improvement in seawater quality allowed most of the plants to resume production, but the improvement proved short-lived.

The Water Authority stressed that residential water supplies are expected to continue. In areas where localized shortages or other problems develop, authorities plan to reduce other forms of consumption and address disruptions through the Water Authority’s operations center.

Meanwhile, investigators are beginning to identify what may have caused the highly unusual event. An initial investigation by researchers at the Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research institute points to a bloom of microalgae believed to have originated near Egypt’s Nile Delta and traveled northward with Mediterranean currents toward Israel’s southern coastline.

The buildup of microscopic algae, combined with turbulent sea conditions, apparently caused an extraordinary increase in the water’s turbidity, placing heavy strain on the filtration systems used by the desalination plants. The Water Authority has ruled out a cyberattack as the cause, while seawater samples have been collected for further analysis.

The effects of the shutdown were already being felt outside the desalination facilities on Monday. Mekorot increased production from available water sources and wells in an attempt to compensate for the sharp reduction in desalinated water.

In southern Israel, supplies of potable water for agricultural purposes were restricted. The Ramat HaNegev Regional Council temporarily halted agricultural water supplies altogether, while farmers and public landscaping officials in Eshkol were instructed to immediately reduce their use of potable water and rely on reclaimed water wherever possible.

Concerns over the disruption also reached several cities. In Yerushalayim, the Gihon water company opened locations where residents could fill water containers. Residents of Kiryat Gat were warned about possible changes in water pressure, temporary reductions in supply and intermittent outages, while Rishon LeZion also prepared for potential disruptions.

In its latest update Tuesday morning, however, the Water Authority again emphasized that maintaining uninterrupted household water service remains the priority. For now, conservation measures are being directed primarily toward agriculture, landscaping and nonessential public consumption.

The situation is particularly significant because of Israel’s heavy dependence on desalinated water. Desalination facilities provide a major share of the country’s potable water, meaning the simultaneous shutdown of most of the system requires greater reliance on alternative sources and careful management of existing supplies.

Authorities have not yet indicated when seawater turbidity will fall sufficiently for the affected plants to resume stable, continuous production. The developments overnight underscored the uncertainty of the situation: even after facilities are restarted, another deterioration in seawater conditions can force them offline again.

{Matzav.com}

Shin Bet chief David Zini quietly traveled to the United States for previously undisclosed meetings with his American counterparts in Washington, with the discussions reportedly focusing on sensitive matters.

According to a Channel 13 News report, Zini traveled to Washington as part of a series of professional meetings with U.S. officials. His visit was not announced in advance.

The report said participants in the meetings are “discussing sensitive issues,” but no details were provided about the specific subjects on the agenda or the officials with whom Zini was meeting.

Meanwhile, as Zini conducts talks in the United States, a separate debate is continuing in Israel over security protection for prominent political figures. The public advisory committee responsible for evaluating security arrangements for public officials convened Sunday to consider protection for Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot and Democrats chairman Yair Golan.

Contrary to expectations, the committee recommended that Eisenkot continue receiving security protection through the election. No final decision has yet been reached regarding Golan.

Zini’s position is reportedly that neither party leader requires state-provided protection because they do not constitute governmental institutions.

The committee is headed by Ronen Cohen, who has reportedly made numerous critical statements about Eisenkot in the past.

CBS News came under sharp criticism from progressive politicians and commentators Monday after publishing a report highlighting deleted social media posts by Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed about the Sept. 11 attacks, with critics accusing the network of Islamophobia and attacking the framing of the story ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

“As the nation prepares to mark 25 years since Sept. 11, 2001, Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan, may be facing the risk of renewed scrutiny and fresh political attack,” CBS News wrote Monday.

The CBS report examined several social media posts that El-Sayed subsequently deleted. Among them were posts from 2020 in which he compared the nearly 3,000 Americans murdered in the Sept. 11 attacks with the number of people who died during the coronavirus pandemic.

The report also highlighted a Sept. 11, 2021, post previously uncovered by The Washington Free Beacon. El-Sayed wrote, “Today, I mourn the 3K lives, 6K injuries, & infrastructural devastation in NYC, perpetuated ignorantly in the name of my faith. Tomorrow, I’ll mourn ~1M lives, millions of injuries, & infrastructural devastation in 3 countries, perpetuated ignorantly in the name of my country.”

The decision to focus on El-Sayed’s past comments as the country approaches the anniversary of the terrorist attacks triggered an immediate backlash from his supporters and other liberal critics, many of whom objected to CBS News linking the Muslim candidate with 9/11 in the framing of its coverage.

“What an insane headline,” far-left commentator Hasan Piker reacted on X. “This is why the [new Paramount owner David Ellison] bought CBS and put Bari Weiss in charge.”

Weiss was named editor-in-chief of CBS News by Ellison last fall following Paramount’s multimillion-dollar acquisition of The Free Press, the media outlet she founded.

Zeteo founder and former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan also attacked the network’s handling of the story, arguing that its framing was offensive toward El-Sayed as a Muslim candidate.

“Hi @CBS @CBSNews @bariweiss do you think it’s super offensive and disgusting and Islamophobic to do a tweet about the potential first ever Muslim Democratic senator which begins by referencing 9/11?” Hasan asked.

Tim Miller, host of a podcast at The Bulwark and an MS NOW analyst, similarly condemned the report.

“Despicable anti-Muslim woke right garbage from the house CBS account,” Miller wrote.

Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., joined the criticism, accusing the network of racism over the way the story was presented.

“What an insane, blatantly racist headline. Unreal,” Ansari posted.

Vox host and editorial director Astead Herndon used the controversy to voice broader concerns about public confidence in established news organizations.

“The current state of institutional media legit bums me out,” Herndon said. “We’ve burned through so much credibility in recent years. And our information ecosystem is worse for it.”

Despite the barrage of criticism, a CBS News source familiar with the report defended the decision to cover El-Sayed’s old posts. The source told Fox News Digital that news organizations publish stories about politicians deleting past social media comments “all the time.”

El-Sayed himself was questioned about the deleted posts by a local CBS News reporter while campaigning.

“What happened on 9/11 is a disaster. It was a terrible attack on our country,” El-Sayed said. “And our responsibility is also to think about, how do we build an America where we are protecting our servicemen and women from being asked to fight in wars we have no business fighting in?”

{Matzav.com}

Leading gedolim, headed by Rav Dov Landau and Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, have issued a strongly worded letter opposing the growing practice of holding musical Selichos events, calling on the public not to attend such gatherings and urging municipal and government authorities not to fund or support them.

The letter, released ahead of the Yemei Hadin, is addressed broadly to the yirei Hashem and carries the heading “Zochalim v’ro’adim miyom bo’echa” — “Trembling and quaking at the day of Your arrival.”

The gedolim say that musical Selichos gatherings, which have become increasingly prevalent in recent years, undermine the fundamental purpose and atmosphere of the days leading up to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

“On the eve of the Days of Judgment 5786,” the letter begins, before addressing what the gedolim describe as a troubling development: “Recently, an inappropriate phenomenon has begun in which ‘Selichos events’ are held with musical instruments. These Selichos events are contrary to the entire elevated nature of the days of Selichos established by Chazal for repentance, regret and self-examination, to purify and sanctify oneself in preparation for the coming Days of Judgment, and to merit being inscribed and sealed for a good life and peace.”

The letter warns against transforming the solemn institution of Selichos into a form of entertainment and says that such gatherings can also lead to serious problems involving standards of kedushah and tznius.

“G-d forbid that an exalted and sacred concept established by Chazal should be transformed into an entertainment event and musical performance, aside from the serious breaches of sanctity and modesty that accompany these events.”

The gedolim then issue a clear directive to the public, invoking earlier warnings issued by leading Torah authorities.

“Therefore, we hereby join and strengthen that which the Gedolei Yisrael, zt”l and shlit”a, have warned, that one should, G-d forbid, not participate in such events.”

The letter also directs an explicit appeal to government and municipal officials, urging them “not to support or fund these events through the authorities or in any manner whatsoever.”

Particular emphasis is placed on protecting the sanctity of shuls and batei medrash. The letter states: “And certainly such events should not be held in the sanctuaries of Hashem, the miniature sanctuary, synagogues and study halls. Likewise, prayers and Hallel should not be held accompanied by musical instruments.”

Concluding with a bracha that the Jewish people remain faithful to the traditions handed down through the generations, the gedolim write: “And may Hashem elevate us higher and higher to adhere to the tradition of our fathers, and inscribe us and seal us for a good life.”

{Matzav.com}

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside Israel’s Prison 10 on Monday evening to protest the arrest of Chareidi Givati soldiers who refused to enter a Namer armored personnel carrier with a female paramedic, with senior reserve officers, rabbonim, roshei yeshiva, public figures and relatives of the soldiers joining the demonstration.

MK Avi Maoz, chairman of the Noam L’Yisrael party, addressed the crowd and called for the soldiers to be honored for standing by their religious convictions rather than punished.

“You should receive a medal, not a punishment. You should be an example for every soldier in the IDF. You are the pillar of fire at the forefront of the struggle for Jewish identity and the spirit of the IDF,” Maoz said.

Maoz also praised the soldiers for leaving the bais medrash to serve in the military and for their performance during combat operations.

“Fortunate are you, Givati soldiers, who left the study hall for a mitzvah war. Fortunate are you that you were selected as an outstanding platoon, that you fought against our enemies in Lebanon and Gaza, and that you do not bend the Torah and your values in the face of all the pressure, threats and punishments.”

During his remarks, Maoz cited the posuk, “For Hashem, your G-d, walks in the midst of your camp to save you, and your camp shall be holy,” before declaring, “This is the supreme value that should guide the army of the Jewish state.”

Several other speakers addressed the demonstration, including Rav Rafael Jahami, head of the Shaarei Hadaas teshuvah movement; Rav Dror Aryeh, one of the rabbonim of the Sderot Hesder Yeshiva; Rav Aviad Gadot, chairman of the Torat Lechima organization; Noam L’Yisrael candidate Yiska Chaimov; and Efrat Lupo of the Women for the Sanctity of the Camp organization.

{Matzav.com}

Leaders of approximately 10 small right-wing parties and political movements are expected to meet Tuesday to discuss joining forces in a single electoral framework that would challenge the current government from the right, a development that could complicate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans ahead of the coming election.

According to a report by Kan News on Reshet Bet, the gathering is scheduled to take place at the home of Nissim Louk, the father of Shani Louk Hy”d, who was murdered at the Nova music festival during the October 7 massacre. Participants are expected to explore the possibility of creating a unified political slate.

The meeting, which organizers reportedly sought to keep under wraps, could present a new concern for Netanyahu. The prime minister has been wary of smaller parties running independently and failing to cross the electoral threshold, potentially costing the right-wing bloc crucial votes.

Among those invited are Zehut chairman Moshe Feiglin, Economic Party chairman Yaron Zelekha, Dedi Simchi, Yair Ansbacher, Gilad Ach, chairman of the reservists’ movement Dor Hanitzachon, Matan Yaffe of El Hadegel, and former Knesset member Gadi Yevarkan, who heads the Beit Yisrael party representing Israelis of Ethiopian descent. Several other small-party leaders have also reportedly been invited.

The discussions come amid a broader flurry of political maneuvering ahead of the election. Benny Gantz and Gilad Erdan are reportedly engaged in advanced negotiations over a technical electoral alliance in which Gantz would head the slate and Erdan would take the No. 2 position.

Those talks have also included the possibility of bringing Zelekha into the alliance in the third slot, although Gantz is reportedly opposed to that proposal.

Separately, negotiations are underway with Ayelet Shaked, who is demanding the No. 2 position as well as spots for her political allies. As part of those discussions, however, Shaked is reportedly being asked to commit that she would not participate in the formation of a narrow government.

{Matzav.com}

Yair Netanyahu, the eldest son of Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu, was urgently evacuated from the United States after Israeli security officials identified what they described as a serious threat against him, just days after his father revealed that Iran had sought to assassinate one of his sons.

Israel’s Shin Bet security service confirmed that authorities had identified a “significant threat” against the 35-year-old Yair, though the agency did not disclose the nature of the danger or provide details surrounding his evacuation.

The development follows remarks made by Netanyahu during an appearance on Israel’s Channel 14 on Monday, August 24, when he disclosed that Iran had attempted to “murder” one of his children.

“Iran targeted one of my sons. Iran tried to murder him, tried to murder one of my sons,” Netanyahu told Channel 14 as he argued for increased security measures.

Netanyahu did not say whether the alleged Iranian plot had targeted Yair or his younger son, Avner.

Yair has been living in Miami since 2023 and has spent much of the period encompassing Israel’s wars and military confrontations in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran in the United States.

Beginning in July, the Shin Bet expanded security protection for Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, as well as the couple’s two sons, Yair and Avner.

Yair has long been a prominent public defender of his father and has at times acted as an unofficial adviser to the prime minister. His outspoken activity on social media has also repeatedly drawn controversy.

In 2025, Yair attacked podcaster Joe Rogan, accusing him of providing a platform for antisemitism while declining to interview the Israeli prime minister on his highly popular program.

“He gave platform to every single neo Nazi antisemite on this plant (sic), but he refuse to have my father on his show, because he knows that he doesn’t stand a chance against him, and all those years of antisemitic propaganda will go to waste,” he wrote on X.

Yair’s criticism came after Rogan spoke glowingly about Hunter Biden and suggested that he had the qualities to potentially serve as president.

“Great wake up call for conservatives to remember Joe Rogan is not a conservative,” he lamented.

Yair has faced controversies over his social media activity before. In 2018, Facebook temporarily suspended his account for 24 hours following a series of posts directed against Muslims and Palestinians.

“Do you know where there are no attacks, in Iceland and Japan. That’s because there are no Muslims,” he wrote in one post.

In another, he wrote: “There will never be peace with the monsters in human form known since 1964 as ‘Palestinians.’”

President Donald Trump announced agreements Monday with nine additional pharmaceutical companies aimed at lowering prescription drug prices for Americans, expanding an initiative the White House says now covers nearly 90 percent of the branded drug market.

Trump unveiled the new agreements in the Oval Office alongside pharmaceutical industry executives. The companies joining the administration’s most favored nation, or MFN, pricing initiative are Alcon, Astellas Pharma, BeOne Medicines, BridgeBio, CSL, Kyowa Kirin, Sun Pharma, Teva Pharmaceuticals and UCB.

“I’m thrilled to announce a major expansion of one of our signature affordability initiatives, something that people have been trying to get for years, for decades, and I’m not even sure that other presidents tried,” Trump said of his most favored nation (MFN) drug pricing initiative.

“Nine new pharmaceutical companies are committing to deliver their lowest drug prices for American patients,” he added.

.@POTUS announces a major expansion of his Most Favored Nation drug pricing initiative — with nine new pharmaceutical companies committing to deliver their lowest drug prices for American patients. pic.twitter.com/hNoPACjnVk

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 31, 2026

Under the agreements, Medicaid programs in all 50 states will be able to obtain MFN pricing on products manufactured by the nine companies. The White House estimates that the arrangements will ultimately save Americans billions of dollars.

The administration said the agreements will reduce prices “on drugs that treat numerous costly, chronic, and even rare diseases, including hemophilia, Parkinson’s disease, macular degeneration, glaucoma, liver disease, skin conditions, and various forms of cancer.”

The nine companies have also agreed that newly launched innovative medicines will be offered at MFN prices.

Beyond the prescription drug provisions, the pharmaceutical manufacturers have collectively pledged $19.6 billion toward manufacturing operations in the United States. Several companies have also agreed to provide large quantities of pharmaceutical ingredients to the Strategic Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Reserve, known as SAPIR.

UCB will supply the reserve with 163 tons of levetiracetam, an anticonvulsant medication used to prevent and control certain seizures.

Sun Pharma has pledged 71.4 tons of clindamycin and 6.75 tons of doxycycline, two antibiotics used in treating bacterial infections.

Teva Pharmaceuticals will provide 45 metric tons of metronidazole, which is used against certain bacterial and parasitic infections, along with 4.8 tons of amlodipine, a medication used to treat high blood pressure.

Astellas, meanwhile, will contribute 25 kilograms of tacrolimus, an immunosuppressive drug used to help prevent rejection following organ transplants.

According to the White House, Monday’s announcements represent the 18th through 26th MFN pharmaceutical agreements secured by Trump since last fall. The administration says the companies now participating in the program account for nearly 90 percent of the branded prescription drug market.

Other major drugmakers that previously reached MFN agreements with the Trump administration include AstraZeneca, EMD Serono, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Genentech, Gilead Sciences, GSK, Merck, Novartis, Regeneron, Sanofi, Johnson & Johnson and AbbVie.

{Matzav.com}

The IDF launched an intense wave of airstrikes and shelling across parts of Gaza City on Tuesday as an Israel-backed Palestinian armed group reportedly carried out an operation to capture a senior Hamas official. Defense Minister Israel Katz later confirmed that a high-ranking Hamas member had been taken into custody.

Katz did not identify the Hamas figure or disclose who was responsible for apprehending him. It was also not immediately clear where the captured official was being held.

Palestinian reports claimed that a “special Israeli unit” entered western Gaza City and was subsequently detected by Hamas operatives. According to those accounts, the IDF responded with artillery fire and airstrikes to protect the force and enable it to withdraw. Palestinian media reported that at least three people were killed and eight others wounded in the strikes.

Palestinian outlets have previously described Israel-backed Palestinian groups fighting Hamas inside Gaza as “Israeli forces.” Israel has acknowledged providing support to anti-Hamas factions in the Strip, including aerial assistance during some of their operations.

The IDF confirmed that it had attacked “a number of targets” in Gaza, explaining that the strikes were intended to “remove threats to security forces.” The military did not clarify whether the security forces it was referring to were IDF troops or members of an allied Palestinian militia.

Bechasdei Hashem, no Israeli soldiers were wounded during the incident.

Speaking in the Gaza-border community of Netiv Ha’asara, Katz addressed the ongoing operation, saying that “even as we stand here, the activity of our forces in Gaza City continues at all times.”

“A short while ago, a senior Hamas terrorist was arrested. This is our policy: We do not wait for threats, we pursue Hamas terrorists, thwart them, and destroy their terror infrastructure,” Katz said.

Katz offered no additional information about the arrest. An Israeli security source, however, said the man captured in the operation was the head of Hamas’s internal security apparatus.

Saudi broadcaster Al-Hadath reported that Palestinian militias supported by Israel had attempted to abduct an unidentified person in Gaza City. Qatar-based Al-Araby TV similarly reported that an armed Palestinian group had sought to seize a senior member of Hamas’s internal security establishment.

A Hamas-linked website, Al-Majd al-Amni, presented a different version of events, reporting that “an Israeli special force attempted to carry out a security operation aimed at targeting a figure from the ‘resistance’ [a term used for terror groups in Gaza], but [Hamas’s] security forces thwarted the mission.”

“The failure is an embarrassment for the occupation army,” the report added.

Another Hamas-affiliated outlet, Al-Quds al-Ikhbariya, claimed that Hamas fighters tried to capture members of the “Israeli special force” during the confrontation but were prevented from doing so when Israeli aircraft intervened.

Hamas itself did not immediately issue an official statement addressing either the operation or Israel’s assertion that one of the terror group’s senior figures had been captured.

Israel has spent more than a year supporting several armed Palestinian factions opposed to Hamas inside the Gaza Strip. That assistance has reportedly included weapons, intelligence, food, cigarettes and air support, while wounded members of the militias have been flown into Israel for medical treatment. Israel has also supplied the groups with light arms, primarily rifles.

Videos and public statements issued by the various factions suggest that their combined forces consist of no more than several hundred armed men. Their activities have continued intermittently, including armed confrontations with Hamas and efforts to cultivate greater support among Gazans. Earlier this year, one faction operating from IDF-controlled territory in southern Gaza said it was destroying Hamas tunnels on Israel’s behalf.

The latest operation came one day after the IDF announced that it had killed a Hamas commander responsible for helping supply weapons to the terror organization.

According to the military, Omar Mohammed Roshdy Saraj was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood. The IDF identified Saraj as a commander in Hamas’s “supply and maintenance company” in Gaza City.

“As part of his role, the terrorist managed the supply of weapons to Hamas terrorists in Gaza City,” the military said.

{Matzav.com}

A 20-year-old Guatemalan woman who entered the United States illegally and was released into the country by the Biden administration has been charged in connection with the Jackson, New Jersey, crash that killed 9-month-old Yitzchok Rosenberg z”l and seriously injured his mother and 5-year-old sister.

Maria Cobon-Guzman was arrested and charged with “manslaughter, operating a vehicle without ever having a valid driver’s license while involved in a fatal crash, and two counts of assault by auto.”

Authorities said the tragedy occurred at approximately noon on August 28 as Mrs. Rosenberg walked through a grocery store parking lot with her 5-year-old daughter and 9-month-old son. Police say Cobon-Guzman struck all three with the vehicle she was driving.

The mother and her two children were rushed to a nearby hospital, where Yitzchok was pronounced dead. His mother and sister remained hospitalized in stable condition.

Police also arrested 22-year-old Ariadana Lazaro-Flores, a Mexican national who is in the United States illegally, and charged her with knowingly engaging in conduct that created a substantial risk of death or injury.

Authorities allege that Lazaro-Flores acknowledged knowing Cobon-Guzman had no driver’s license “but still allowed her to drive the vehicle.”

According to Border Hawk News, Cobon-Guzman illegally entered the United States through the southern border in 2023 and was subsequently released into the country by the Biden administration. Less than a month before the fatal Jackson crash, a federal immigration judge reportedly ordered her deported.

Lazaro-Flores, meanwhile, reportedly attempted to enter the United States illegally across the southern border five times in October 2023. She was returned to Mexico after each of those crossings before later successfully entering the country on an unknown date.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged detainers against both women.

A Department of Homeland Security official blamed the Biden administration’s border policies for the circumstances that allowed Cobon-Guzman to remain in the United States and urged Ocean County authorities to turn both women over to federal immigration officials.

“An innocent baby would still be alive today had it not been for Joe Biden’s disastrous open border and reckless immigration policy that released countless illegal aliens into our country,” a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official told Border Hawk News. “We are urging the Ocean County Jail to honor ICE’s detainers on these two criminal illegal aliens to take them out of American communities once and for all.”

{Matzav.com}