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Pepsi Cola has sparked controversy in Lebanon with its new logo, which local residents argue resembles the Israeli flag, according to Yisroel Hayom, citing Lebanese media.

According to the report, Lebanese users have raised objections, claiming that S.M.L.C, the local Pepsi Cola bottler, has introduced a redesigned logo exclusively on bottle caps while maintaining the original logo on the bottles themselves.

This unexpected move, unveiling dual-logo products in Lebanese markets earlier this week, prompted attorney Mohammed Ziad Jaafil to lodge a formal complaint with the Public Prosecution Office in Beirut on Wednesday.

Despite Pepsi not officially confirming any changes to its logo, users expressed anger upon noticing a new blue-and-white design on the bottle caps.

Jaafil’s complaint demands an immediate cessation of distributing products featuring the contentious logo and the removal of all such items from the market. He also calls for an investigation into the company’s representatives and the referral of those responsible for these actions to the appropriate criminal court for charges related to incitement, normalization attempts, and violations of laws prohibiting engagement with the “Israeli enemy”.

Lebanon frequently enacts boycotts against entities associated with Israel. In 2018, the country banned “The Post”, a film directed by Steven Spielberg, due to Spielberg’s connections with Israel.

Shortly after, Lebanon also prohibited the Australian drama “Jungle”, which recounts the survival story of Israeli adventurer Yossi Ghinsberg lost in an uncharted part of the Bolivian Amazon in 1981.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Is the Big Apple in play?

According to a New York Post report, former President Donald Trump is within single-digit striking distance of President Joe Biden in deep blue New York. Team Trump has made a point of reaching out to New Yorkers and is currently surging in the polls with Black and Jewish Americans.

 

From The New York Post:

If the election were held today, Biden would receive 47% of the vote to 39% for Trump, Siena College found in a survey of 805 registered voters.

The poll’s margin of error — 4.1% — means the race could be even closer.

“We are going to win New York!” the presumptive Republican nominee, 78, claimed at a May 23 South Bronx rally, where he courted black and Hispanic voters by arguing they were being badly impacted by record illegal immigration under Biden, as well as by economic issues such as high inflation.

The Siena survey found that Trump is supported by 29% of black New Yorkers and 26% of Latino residents ahead of his Nov. 5 rematch against 81-year-old Biden.

In 2020, Trump — who at the time also claimed he was on the cusp of winning New York — was supported by just 6% of black New Yorkers and 22% of Hispanics, according to exit polling.

More over at The New York Post:

{Matzav.com}

Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) penned a letter to President Joe Biden on Thursday, sharply criticizing the Biden administration for its decision to withhold weapons and ammunition from Israel during its ongoing conflict with Hamas.

In his letter, Cotton requested detailed information from the administration regarding the specific weapons and ammunition that Israel has requested, along with explanations for any delays in fulfilling these requests. He emphasized the importance of supporting Israel’s defense capabilities in its efforts to combat Hamas.

“I write regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s public statement this week that your administration has been withholding weapons and ammunition from Israel and hampering its war effort against Hamas—a serious accusation from a trusted US ally,” wrote Cotton, a reference to Netanyahu’s video from this week, in which he expressed astonishment at moves from the Biden administration to hold up munitions shipments to Israel during the war against Hamas.

“Your administration responded by claiming that aid is flowing normally, with one official asserting, ‘We genuinely do not know what he’s talking about,’” added Cotton, in a reference to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre’s response to Netanyahu’s video.

“You claim that the only hold or delay is on the 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs you refused to deliver earlier this year. But you’re deliberately misleading the American people and insulting a key ally.

“Your administration is engaged in bureaucratic sleight-of-hand to withhold this crucial aid to Israel during a shooting war. As you are aware, the Arms Export Control Act requires the administration to notify Congress before sending weapons to a foreign country. Your administration has manipulated this requirement by withholding this formal notification to Congress of approved weapons sales, including F-15s, tactical vehicles, 120-mm mortars, 120-mm tank rounds, joint direct attack munitions, and small diameter bombs. Your administration can then claim that the weapons are ‘in process’ while never delivering them,” he wrote to Biden.

“You’re playing politics with the nation’s honor and our ally’s security. Worse still, your administration lacks the honesty to communicate its true policy to the American people, instead preferring to hide behind weasel words and bureaucratic process,” continued Cotton.

He continued, “Any delays to military support to Israel blatantly disregard Congress’s bipartisan mandate to supply Israel with all it needs to defeat the Hamas terrorists and other Iranian-backed groups. Our ally is under sustained threat, and we must use all available resources to expedite military aid. Please provide the following information no later than July 1, 2024.

“What weapons and ammunition are being withheld from Israel? Include any weapons or ammunition delayed more than two weeks beyond their original delivery date.”

“Provide a list of all foreign military and direct commercial sales requested by Israel and the status of each request. Provide explanation for any delays.

“Provide a list of any weapons or ammunition Israel has requested be expedited, the status of each request, and an explanation for that status.

“What issues are hampering you from expediting the delivery of weapons and ammunition to Israel? What, if any, legislative relief is required to address those issues?

“How much of the recent supplemental funding passed by Congress has your administration expended to deliver weapons and ammunition to Israel?”

Following Netanyahu’s video statement, the White House opted to cancel a planned high-level meeting in Washington on Thursday, involving Israel’s national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer. Instead, the two officials proceeded to meet separately with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Netanyahu’s video prompted the White House to make the decision to cancel the originally scheduled meeting, which was intended to be held at a high level between Hanegbi, Dermer, Sullivan, and Blinken in Washington on Thursday.

{CB Frommer – Matzav.com}

Just four days prior to October 7th, a guard stationed at the Nachal Oz military base observed a simulated terrorist training session near the Gaza border, Kan News reports. The exercise reportedly involved around 170 individuals practicing rocket launches and attacking IDF tanks.

The incident was noted at 9:00 a.m., and the guard promptly reported it to higher authorities. Security sources acknowledged the exercise as significant and unusual but characterized it as similar to previous drills conducted in Gaza.

Interestingly, the scenarios rehearsed during the exercise closely mirrored the events that unfolded on October 7th, encompassing both rocket launches and tank assaults.

The IDF Spokesperson responded to the report, stating, “The IDF is currently investigating the events of October 7th and the preceding activities. These investigations aim to extract lessons for future operations. Once concluded, the findings will be made transparent to the public.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Former President Donald Trump will have the final word in his debate with President Joe Biden on CNN next week, following a coin flip to decide podium placement and the order of closing statements.

The coin landed on tails, the choice of the Biden campaign, allowing them to choose either the president’s podium position or the order of closing statements, according to the network’s report on Thursday.

The Biden campaign opted to select the right podium position, placing the Democratic President on the right side of viewers’ screens, with his Republican opponent on the left.

Trump’s campaign then chose for the former President to deliver the final closing statement, meaning Biden will speak first at the debate’s conclusion.

Biden and Trump will face off next Thursday, June 27, in Atlanta. The debate, hosted by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, will be the first in-person confrontation of the 2024 campaign between the two.

Last weekend, CNN provided additional details on the agreed parameters for the debate between the Trump and Biden campaigns.

The 90-minute debate will feature two commercial breaks, during which campaign staff will not be allowed to interact with their candidates.

Both candidates agreed to use a standard podium, with positions determined by a coin flip.

Microphones will be muted except when it is the respective candidate’s turn to speak. While no props or pre-written notes will be permitted on stage, candidates will be provided with a pen, a pad of paper, and a bottle of water.

{Dov T. Heller – Matzav.com}

As YWN reported earlier this month, a special fund is being established to aid yeshivos and kollelim in Eretz Yisrael that are facing an unprecedented financial crisis after the government cut more than twenty percent of funding to yeshivos and kollelim across the entire Eretz Yisroel. A historic trip to launch the fund will begin on Motzei Shabbos, with Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau, HaMashgiach HaGaon HaRav Don Segal, the Rachamastrika Rebbe, Rosh Yeshivas Ahavat Shalom HaGaon HaRav Yaakov Hillel, and Rosh Yeshivas Meor HaTorah HaGaon HaRav Avraham Salim traveling to the United States. Ahead of the trip, a meeting was held on Thursday evening at the home of HaRav Landau in Bnei Brak, with the participation of dozens of Roshei Yeshivos, including Rosh Yeshivas Chevron, HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen, Rosh Yeshivas Mir, HaGaon HaRav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, the son of the Sanzer Rebbe and others. HaRav Landau said at the meeting that’s it’s not easy for him to travel at his age but the the severe financial plight of the yeshivos leaves him with no choice. Toward the end of the event, the participants were moved when HaRav Dovid Cohen gave a spontaneous heartfelt bracha to HaRav Landau, holding his hand and saying: “Rabbeinu should have the koach to travel b’shalom and be the shaliach of the entire Olam HaTorah, to ensure the continuation of the Olam HaTorah now and b’ezras Hashem in the future. And in the zechus of the Torah that Rabbeinu will establish, the kavod and influence of the Torah should continue until the arrival of Moshiach.” HaRav Landau responded: “Yashar Koach. Halavei that your brachos should be entirely fulfilled. I hope I’ll have Siyata Dishmaya to do what I have been tasked with.” HaRav Cohen then concluded with an emotional Birchas Kohanim. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg, the billionaire entrepreneur and former Democratic presidential candidate, has given nearly $20 million to help President Biden’s reelection effort, according to people familiar with the donations.

The transfer of funds includes a $19 million check to FF PAC, a independent pro-Biden group also known as Future Forward, and a max-out donation of $929,600 to the Biden Victory Fund, an amalgamation of Biden campaign and Democratic Party committees.

Bloomberg endorsed Biden’s reelection Thursday in a statement to The Washington Post, in response to a request for comment on the donations.

“I stood with Joe Biden in 2020, and I am proud to do so again,” Bloomberg said.

These are the first public donations in the 2024 presidential race from the wealthy Republican-turned-Democrat, who has become a reliable source of major funding for Democrats in recent campaign cycles. The transfers were described by multiple people familiar with them who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Bloomberg, 82, who served three terms as the mayor of New York City, is the 15th wealthiest person in the world, according to Forbes magazine, with about $106 billion in assets, mostly through his privately-held financial services company, Bloomberg LP.

Bloomberg spent about $1 billion on his own 2020 bid for the Democratic nomination, including $18 million that he later transferred to the Democratic Party to help Biden’s campaign after Bloomberg left the race. The former mayor later announced a separate $100 million independent ad campaign to help Biden in Florida, which Trump won by more than three percentage points.

“Michael Bloomberg was a strong supporter of President Biden in 2020 and, now, again in 2024, and we are very grateful for his support,” FF PAC President Chauncey McLean said in a statement Thursday. “Voters respond when they hear the story about President Biden looking out for them while Donald Trump just looks out for himself. Because of Michael Bloomberg’s support, we’ll be more successful in making sure people understand the choice in this election.”

Bloomberg was the largest single donor to FF PAC during the latest filing period, joining other major donors like the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, Laborers International Union, SEIU, United Association and the Transport Workers Union, according to a person familiar with donations.

The group has announced plans for a $250 million digital and television ad campaign starting after the August Democratic nominating convention in Chicago. Additional summer advertising before then is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

A partner group, Future Forward USA Action, which does not disclose its donors, spent $22 million on advertising to educate people about Biden’s record last year, according to the tracking firm AdImpact. Future Forward USA Action has also partnered with Climate Power to spend an additional $11 million in similar ads so far, including spots that are now running in swing states.

Biden offered effusive praise to Bloomberg during a May 3 White House ceremony that awarded Bloomberg the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

“He’s changed us. He’s challenged us, as well, to solve the toughest challenges from gun violence to climate change,” Biden said. “Michael, thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you for a career of service.”

(c) 2024, The Washington Post · Michael Scherer, Tyler Pager 

The campaign of independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. issued a statement on Thursday claiming that all CNN staff involved in the upcoming debate are breaking campaign finance laws and could face “serious jail time.”

This warning followed CNN’s early Thursday announcement that Kennedy did not meet the network’s deadline to qualify for the debate.

Kennedy is appealing to the Federal Election Commission, requesting intervention to stop the debate. He is now directly targeting CNN.

“CNN has persisted in this approach even after FEC made clear the phrase ‘presumptive nominee’ is ‘not in the FEC’s debate regulation,’ and therefore it cannot exempt CNN from the prohibition on excessive campaign contributions. As the Commission on Presidential Debates explains, ‘Until the conventions take place, we don’t know who the official nominees will be,'” read the statement.

“This means CNN, and every member of CNN who is participating in planning, executing, and holding this debate, is at risk of prosecution, as happened to Michael Cohen, for violating campaign finance laws. This risk is now acute given that any further violation would be knowing and willful, and thus could carry with it serious jail time,” it continued.

“CNN and its staff are on clear notice, especially given the damning evidence that the Biden campaign has openly demanded Kennedy be excluded from the debates and Trump received assurances from CNN that Kennedy would be excluded.”

According to CNN’s requirements to participate in the first debate next Thursday in Atlanta, Kennedy needed 15% support in four approved national polls; he achieved this in three polls. Additionally, he needed to be on the ballot in enough states to secure 270 Electoral College votes; currently, he would get less than 100.

This results in a debate next Thursday featuring President Joe Biden against Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump. The 90-minute event will occur without a studio audience and will be moderated by CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.

“My exclusion by Presidents Biden and Trump from the debate is undemocratic, un-American, and cowardly,” Kennedy stated.

{Matzav.com}

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Avrohom Noach Garbuz zt”l, author of the Minchas Avrohom, rosh kollel of Kollel Har Ephraim, and one of the leading talmidei chachomim in Eretz Yisroel. He passed away at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Yerushalayim during the time of his grandson’s wedding in Bnei Brak. He was 91.

 

Rav Avrohom Noach was born in the Botei Natan neighborhood in Yerushalayim on the 12th of Shevat, a son of Rav Ephraim Zev Garbuz, one of the rosh yeshiva of the Ohel Torah Yeshiva and author of seforim Har Ephraim, and his mother, Mrs. Baila Miriam, a daughter of Rav Avrohom Noach Paley, mashgiach of the Chevron Yeshiva.

In his youth, he studied at the Chevron Yeshiva and later became one of the first talmidim of the Brisker rosh yeshiva, Rav Berel Soloveitchik. During his time in Brisk, he also learned from Rav Berel’s father, the Brisker Rov.

When he came of age, he married his wife, Rebbetzin Sarah, a daughter of Rav Bentzion Bruk, rosh yeshiva of the Novardoker Yeshiva in Yerushalayim.

After his marriage, he was appointed by his father-in-law to serve as the rosh yeshiva of the Novardok Yeshiva, a position he held until his father-in-law’s passing.

Following the passing of his father-in-law, he established the Har Ephraim Kollel, where he gave shiurim. Simultaneously, he delivered shiurim on Kodshim to chaburos from the Chevron Yeshiva, Brisk, as well as the Ponevezher Kollel, the Mir Yeshiva Kollel in Yerushalayim, and the Ateres Shlomo Kollel in Modi’in Illit.

He authored the Minchas Avrohom series on masechtos in Kodshim, as well as on Maseches Yoma. He also wrote seforim on Toras Kohanim and the Chamisha Chumshei Torah.

He was known as an enormous talmid chochom who diligently learned Torah day and night. He was connected to the greats of the generation, primarily to the gadol hador, Rav Elazar Menachem Man Shach.

He leaves behind a family of prominent marbitzei Torah, including his sons Rav Binyomin, rov of the Or HaChaim neighborhood in Bnei Brak and a maggid shiur at the Breslov Yeshiva in Bnei Brak; Rav Tzvi, a maggid shiur at the Slabodka Yeshiva; Rav Ephraim Zev, rosh yeshiva of the Sechar Sochir Yeshiva; Rav Itamar, rosh yeshiva of the Orchos Torah Yeshiva; and Rav Aryeh, a maggid shiur at Yeshivas Mir Brachfeld.

The levayah was held at his home at 12 Rechov Even HaEzel in the Ezras Torah neighborhood in Yerushalayim, followed by kevurah on Har HaMenuchos.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Police in Montreal are currently looking into an incident where what appear to be projectile-induced holes were discovered Wednesday morning in the front windows of a restaurant owned by an Israeli, as reported by The Montreal Gazette.

Yoni Amir, proprietor of Falafel Yoni in Montreal’s Mile End neighborhood, expressed his belief that the targeting of his business was motivated by anti-Semitism, pointing out his Jewish heritage and Israeli origin, describing the attack as deeply unsettling.

Amir noted that his restaurant had recently been included on social media “boycott lists” circulating on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. He mentioned that similar stickers advocating for “free Palestine” and referencing genocide had been posted on his restaurant’s storefront several times over the past few months. Additionally, a nearby gym, co-owned by a Jewish individual born in Israel, also had its windows shattered early Wednesday morning.

By Wednesday afternoon, three small bullet-sized holes were visible in the front windows of the restaurant. Amir stated that staff members discovered the damage in the morning and promptly contacted the police.

Sabrina Gauthier, spokesperson for the Montreal Police, informed CityNews Montreal that it is premature to classify the incident as a hate crime. She confirmed that the incident likely occurred overnight and that police are currently gathering additional evidence and surveillance footage to determine the exact timing and any possible suspects involved.

Local politicians swiftly condemned the incident. Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante took to social media platform X, asserting that she believes the incident was intended to intimidate Montreal’s Jewish community.

“Antisemitism and violence, whether through imagery, language, or actions, do not reflect our values and have no place in Montreal,” she stated. Plante expressed confidence in the Montreal police, urging them to utilize all necessary resources to apprehend the perpetrator responsible for the crime.

Montreal Liberal MP Anthony Housefather echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing the urgency to act in response to an attack on a Jewish-owned business listed on social media. He called on Montreal’s administration to support the police in safeguarding the city’s Jewish community.

Montreal city councillor Sonny Moroz also condemned the targeted attack on a Jewish business solely due to its Jewish identity. He urged governments and civil society to unite against such expressions of hatred.

Montreal has experienced a rise in antisemitic incidents in the aftermath of Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7. In late November, a firebomb was hurled at the door of a Jewish community center in Montreal. Earlier that month, Congregation Beth Tikvah in Dollard-Des Ormeaux was targeted with firebombs.

Within days, two Jewish schools in the city were fired upon. Three days later, another Jewish school was struck by bullets.

In late May, Montreal police launched an investigation after gunfire hit a Jewish school in the city, fortunately resulting in no injuries, according to police reports.

{CB Frommer – Matzav.com}

The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit announced on Friday morning the identities of two IDF reserve soldiers who lost their lives in combat in central Gaza. They are Sergeant First Class (Res.) Omer Smadga, 25, from Ganot Hadar, and Sergeant First Class (Res.) Saadia Yaakov Dery, 27, from Tel Aviv.

Both soldiers were members of the 9203rd Battalion, part of the 3rd “Alexandroni” Brigade.

Omer Smadga was the son of Oren Smadga, the head coach of Israel’s men’s judo team and a former Olympic medalist. Oren Smadga is scheduled to travel to the Olympics in Paris with the judo team next month.

In the same incident where Smadga and Dery were killed, three other reserve soldiers from the 3rd “Alexandroni” Brigade sustained severe injuries. They were quickly transported to a hospital for medical treatment, and their families have been notified.

On Thursday, it was revealed that two IDF soldiers from the 401st Armored Brigade’s 46th Battalion were seriously injured during a battle in the southern Gaza Strip. These soldiers were also evacuated to a hospital, and their families have been informed about their condition.

Earlier on Thursday, an Israeli Air Force (IAF) aircraft, acting on intelligence from the IDF and the ISA, carried out a precise strike to eliminate Hamas terrorist Ahmed Hassan Salame Alsauarka in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza.

Alsauarka was a squad commander in the Nukhba Forces who infiltrated Israeli communities and executed attacks during the October 7th Massacre. He directed sniper operations in Beit Hanoun and participated in assaults on IDF troops. Following a thorough search, IDF forces identified and eliminated Alsauarka in Beit Hanoun.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Nearly all protesters charged with storming and occupying Columbia University’s campus during anti-Israel demonstrations won’t face criminal charges, Manhattan prosecutors announced Thursday. District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office dismissed cases against 31 of 46 people charged with trespassing in Hamilton Hall after a dramatic April 30 NYPD raid. Prosecutors cited a lack of evidence, such as security video footage, to tie the students or staff to the building takeover. “This is turnstile justice,” Michael Nussbaum, a 25-year member of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, told the NY Post. “This is a green light for chaos, a green light for destroying property.” Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Stephen Millan said prosecutors had trouble moving forward with charges due to “extremely limited” video surveillance and no police injuries. The protesters wore masks, making it difficult to identify individual actions, the DA’s office added. Students and staffers at Columbia, Barnard, or the Union Theological Seminary who had their charges dropped face disciplinary action by the school, which factored into the decision. Notorious protester Aidan Parisi, 27, a postgrad student, was among those whose cases were dismissed. The lone remaining Hamilton Hall defendant is James Carlson, who faces hate crime, assault, and petit larceny charges for allegedly torching an Israel supporter’s flag and hitting the 22-year-old in the face with a rock. Prosecutors plan to move forward with charges against Carlson, dubbed a “wannabe bad boy.” Defense attorney Matthew W. Daloisio argued that 14 individuals, including 12 unaffiliated with the Ivy League school, should have their cases tossed immediately, as no one was hurt or damaged property. Police sources expressed disbelief, saying, “Lack of evidence? Apparently body-worn camera wasn’t enough?” and “We have a DA giving them what amounts to a mandate to push the envelope further now.” Jeffrey Wiesenfeld, a former trustee on the governing board for CUNY, said it strained belief that authorities couldn’t identify anyone. “How can it be that you can’t identify a single person? It’s not acceptable and it’s not good for the city.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

An incredible new photo has emerged from an incident that occurred during the Hamas massacre in southern Israel on October 7. During the attack, a Sefer Torah was nearly seized by terrorists as they invaded the IDF’s Pega outpost in Otaf, but was saved at the last minute by the bravery of IDF fighters. According to reports, the terrorists had planned to transport the Sefer Torah to Gaza after overrunning the outpost. However, just as they were about to capture the Torah, IDF forces arrived on the scene, fighting with their last ounce of strength to eliminate the terrorists and protect the it. Thanks to the bravery of the IDF fighters, the Sefer Torah was saved from falling into the wrong hands. The Sefer Torah has since undergone professional restoration and received a new mantle describing its experience, and has been put back to use in an IDF base. (YWN World Headquarters –  NYC)

The IRS said Thursday that it plans to deny the vast majority of claims for the Employee Retention Credit program, which was meant to help businesses get through the pandemic but has been dogged by suspicions of fraud.

“We’re seeing clear indicators that the vast majority, at least 70 percent of the ERC claims currently awaiting processing, have red flags about their accuracy,” IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said Thursday. “A lot of these claims simply aren’t valid.”

Congress created the tax credit in March 2020 to help businesses that kept paying employees after being shut down early in the pandemic. Despite narrow guidelines for what businesses could qualify for the credit, applications for the program have surged over the past three years, and the IRS stopped processing new claims in September. The agency will continue that moratorium.

The IRS said Thursday it has investigated 1 million claims worth about $86 billion. The IRS plans to deny between 10 and 20 percent of the claims at greatest risk in the near future and will continue investigating another 60 to 70 percent of claims that show an “unacceptable level of risk,” the agency said.

The tax credit only applied to certain businesses, including those that saw a steep decline in revenue or those that were fully or partially shut down by government orders, such as restaurants and theaters. But the tax credit program has been the target of aggressive marketing tactics, with robocallers and TV ads promising businesses they could receive $26,000 in tax credits for each employee retained. Companies behind the ads offered to file claims in exchange for a payout from the refund.

“You couldn’t turn on the TV or radio without coming across an ERC ad,” Werfel said.

Businesses have filed 3.6 million claims for the ERC since the program’s debut, The Washington Post previously reported. The ERC’s price tag has now ballooned to more than $232 billion, far exceeding Congress’s initial expectations, Werfel said.

Since September, the IRS has successfully processed 28,000 claims worth $2.2 billion and disallowed more than 14,000 claims worth more than $1 billion.

Nearly 5,000 businesses have withdrawn their ERC claims – totaling $531 million – since the IRS launched a withdrawal process last year. Investigators have also initiated 450 criminal cases related to potentially fraudulent charges worth nearly $7 billion. Thirty-six criminal investigations into claims have resulted in federal charges, Werfel said.

Unwanted and fraudulent claims have clogged the IRS’s processing system and extended the wait for small businesses with legitimate claims, Werfel said. Even after setting the moratorium, the IRS has continued to see more than 17,000 claims per week, he added.

Business owners who filed legitimate claims can expect to receive their first payments later this summer, the IRS said. The payments will come at a dramatically slower rate than they did during the pandemic because of the program’s increased scrutiny.

“You’ve set up this kind of perverse incentive structure that has led to way more claims than the IRS or the Congress ever anticipated and has led to some troubling misuse of the credit,” said Andrew Lautz, associate director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington-based think tank. “It may take months, even years, for some businesses to sort this out.”

The ERC program was initially meant to run until April 2025, but the IRS is consulting with Congress about ending it early, Werfel said.

Alex Brill, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, highlighted the bipartisan support for curtailing the ERC program on Capitol Hill and among federal tax policy experts and urged Congress to act.

“A big responsibility is falling on the IRS to deal with this problem, when, in fact, Congress could be dealing with this problem,” Brill said.

Earlier this year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a tax bill that would end the ERC and enhance penalties for promoting fraudulent claims in connection to the tax credit. The measure is currently awaiting Senate consideration.

(c) 2024, The Washington Post · Hannah Ziegler 

Several months after Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara and the Supreme Court halted funding to yeshivos with bochurim eligible for the draft, the Chechnov Yeshivah in Jerusalem, one of the oldest yeshivos in Eretz Yisrael, has reached the brink of collapse, Kikar H’Shabbat reported on Thursday. The parents of the bochurim in the yeshivah received a recorded message informing them that the yeshivah is on the brink of closure due to a lack of funds. Therefore, the yeshivah is launching a fundraising campaign with the goal of reaching a million dollars by the end of the week. Among other things, the parents of the boys were told that any parent who did not contribute a sum of ten thousand shekels must sign a direct debit monthly payment for a considerable amount. The yeshivah explained to the parents that donations from abroad began to significantly decrease during the COVID pandemic and the war between Russia and Ukraine exacerbated the situation. The Supreme Court’s order to suspend state funds of NIS 70,000 a month was the final straw. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

A new poll released by Emerson College/The Hill on Thursday has brought welcome news for former President Donald Trump, who is leading President Joe Biden in every major swing state. The poll shows Trump ahead in Wisconsin (47%-44%), Pennsylvania (47%-45%), Michigan (46%-45%), Arizona (47%-43%), Georgia (45%-41%), and Nevada (46%-43%). Moreover, the poll indicates a tie between Trump and Biden in Minnesota, a state no Republican has won since Richard Nixon in 1972. This poll comes as a relief to the Trump campaign, following a Fox News poll released Wednesday that suggested Trump was trailing Biden by two points nationally. Trump expressed frustration with that  poll on Truth Social, calling it “TRASH” and claiming it used a biased sample to skew the results in favor of Biden. “Fox News polls have never treated me, or MAGA, fairly! Don’t worry, we will WIN!!!” Trump wrote. It’s worth noting that Trump has never won the national popular vote, losing it to Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020. However, Biden’s victory in 2020 was narrow, thanks to his slim margins in the swing states polled by Emerson. According to Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, support for both Trump and Biden has remained consistent since November, with little movement in the first polling of key swing states since Trump’s conviction last month. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Houston police have apprehended two migrants from Venezuela, Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, in connection with the brutal murder of a 12-year-old, Jocelyn Nungaray. The suspects allegedly lured Jocelyn from her home, strangled her, and dumped her body in a bayou. According to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sources, Pena Ramos crossed the border illegally on May 28 and was released into the US after claiming fear for his life if returned to Venezuela. He was given a GPS tracker, which expired after 21 days, and was living with his cousin in Houston until his court appearance in July. Surveillance footage identified the suspects following Jocelyn into a convenience store before her body was discovered in a swampy creek by a local resident. The two migrants were arrested at their apartment complex, where they lived as roommates. This case follows a series of high-profile crimes involving migrants who entered the country illegally, including the assault of a 13-year-old girl in a Bronx park and the murder of a Maryland mother of five. The suspects in these cases had been previously ordered removed or deported but remained in the US. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The US Supreme Court upheld a 2017 tax on American-owned businesses’ foreign profits, rejecting an appeal that could have saved companies hundreds of billions of dollars.

Voting 7-2, the justices said Congress has the constitutional power to tax people and companies on their share of undistributed corporate income.

The case was being closely watched because of its potential implications for Democratic proposals to impose a wealth tax. The majority said it didn’t need to rule on that or other hypothetical taxes.

“Those are potential issues for another day, and we do not address or resolve any of those issues here,” Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote for the court. He added that “Congress has long taxed shareholders of an entity on the entity’s undistributed income, and it did the same” with the 2017 tax.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch dissented.

The disputed provision, known as the mandatory repatriation tax, was set up to offset other parts of a Republican-backed tax cut passed during Donald Trump’s presidency. The government has estimated that the tax would bring in $340 billion over 10 years, much of it from multinational companies like Apple Inc. and Pfizer Inc.

The case marked a rare test of the Constitution’s 16th Amendment, ratified in 1913 to let Congress levy an income tax. That amendment authorizes Congress “to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived” without having to divide the bill among the states according to their population, as is required for other types of taxes.

(c) 2024, Bloomberg · Greg Stohr 

In this episode, Rabbi Reinman explains the concept of the holiness of Eretz Yisrael and how it impacts the current state of affairs in Israel.

Chapter Thirteen: The Holy Land

When God told Abraham to leave Harran and continue on his journey from his homeland, He said, “Go forth from your land, your birthplace, to the land I will show you, and I will make you into a great nation.”  He did not immediately identify the ultimate destination. He just indicated that he should continue to put distance between himself and his homeland.

Abraham continued on his journey, and when he finally reached Shechem in the land of Canaan, God appeared to him and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” Why didn’t He tell him immediately that he was headed for Canaan and that Canaan would become the homeland for his descendants? Rashi explains that He wanted to keep Abraham in suspense because anticipation would increase his appreciation for the special gift of the land. The gift of the land is a recurring theme throughout the Torah. Again and again, the promise of the land is reaffirmed. It is remarkable. How do we understand it?

Now, when God promised Abraham that he would be the patriarch of a great nation, it was understood that there would be a homeland. Great nations arise in national territories. What was so special about the gift of the land of Canaan? Was it its great beauty? Its majestic mountains? The white beaches on its long seacoast? Its lush valleys? Its orchards, pastures and farmland? Was it because it was a land flowing with milk and honey? Were these material qualities meant to excite Abraham?

If the material advantages of the land of Canaan made it so special, it also had serious material drawbacks. Canaan, which became Israel, lies at the very center of Asia, Africa and Europe, the three great continents that form one huge contiguous landmass, the great majority of the inhabited surface of the world. Israel has been a strategic battleground for thousands of years. Great empires have always fought over Israel. Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Crusaders, Turks and British all conquered Israel and established bases there at one time or another. Israel is not the safest place in which to build a great nation.

Clearly, Abraham was not excited by the material benefits of Israel but rather by its spiritual benefits, its holiness. Israel was the place where the Divine Presence would rest among the Jewish people when they would build the Holy Temple of Jerusalem.

How do we understand the holiness of Israel? Why did God choose this particular place? If He had chosen a different place, a safer place, wouldn’t that land be equally holy?

Let us investigate …

Read full chapter and earlier chapters at www.rabbireinman.com.

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