President Trump issued an executive order late Thursday evening that cuts off all federal financial support to National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).
Both NPR and PBS, which have often come under criticism from conservatives for perceived political bias, receive part of their funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Trump argued that this support is no longer justified in today’s expansive media landscape.
“Government funding of news media in this environment is not only outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence,” Trump wrote in the order.
He further instructed, “The CPB Board shall cease direct funding to NPR and PBS, consistent with my Administration’s policy to ensure that Federal funding does not support biased and partisan news coverage.” Trump also directed the CPB to cancel any current direct funding agreements as far as the law permits and to withhold any future allocations.
{Matzav.com}
Home ownership is receding further out of reach for most Americans as elevated mortgage rates and rising prices stretch the limits of what buyers can afford. A homebuyer now needs to earn at least $114,000 a year to afford a $431,250 home — the national median listing price in April, according to data released Thursday by Realtor.com The analysis assumes that a homebuyer will make a 20% down payment, finance the rest of the purchase with a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, and that the buyer’s housing costs won’t exceed 30% of their gross monthly income — an often-used barometer of housing affordability. Based off the latest U.S. median home listing price, homebuyers need to earn $47,000 more a year to afford a home than they would have just six years ago. Back then, the median U.S. home listing price was $314,950, and the average rate on a 30-year mortgage hovered around 4.1%. This week, the rate averaged 6.76%. The annual income required to afford a median-priced U.S. home first crossed into the six figures in May 2022 and hasn’t dropped below that level since. Median household income was about $80,600 annually in 2023, according to the U.S. Census bureau. In several metro areas, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Boston, the annual income needed to afford a median-priced home tops $200,000. In San Jose, it’s more than $370,000. Rock-bottom mortgage rates turbocharged the housing market during the pandemic, fueling bidding wars for homes that pushed up sale prices sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars above a seller initial asking price. U.S. home prices soared more than 50% between 2019 and 2024. The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump since 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from their pandemic-era lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell last year to their lowest level in nearly 30 years. In March, they posted their largest monthly drop since November 2022. It’s not all bad news for prospective homebuyers. Home prices are rising much more slowly than during the pandemic housing market frenzy. The national median sales price of a previously occupied U.S. home rose 2.7% in March from a year earlier to $403,700, an all-time high for March, but the smallest annual increase since August. In April, the median price of a home listed for sale rose only 0.3% from a year earlier, according to Realtor.com. Buyers who can afford current mortgage rates have a wider selection of properties now than a year ago. Active listings — a tally that encompasses all homes on the market except those pending a finalized sale — surged 30.6% last month from a year earlier, according to Realtor.com. Home listings jumped between 67.6% and 70.1% in San Diego, San Jose and Washington D.C. As properties take longer to sell, more sellers are reducing their asking price. Some 18% of listings had their price reduced last month, according to Realtor.com. “Sellers are becoming more flexible on pricing, underscored by the price reductions we’re seeing, and while higher mortgage rates are certainly weighing on demand, the silver lining is that the market is starting to rebalance,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com. “This could create opportunities for buyers who are prepared.” (AP)
The Reform Movement’s Legal Campaign Against Religious Life in Eretz Yisroel By: Dovid Gold Over the past decade or so, a wave of lawsuits targeting the lifestyle of the religious communities in Eretz Yisroel has been brought before the powerful and left-leaning Israeli Supreme Court. While not all of these cases have succeeded, they’ve complicated life for hundreds of thousands of religious people. Moreover, these petitions have deepened the divisions among Israeli society. But who is spending time and money to bring these cases? And why do they care how the frum community chooses to live? A close look into each of these cases reveals a fascinating pattern. The fingerprints of the Jewish American woke left, organized into the Reform movement, are present each time. Desperate for relevance, Reform leaders in America have merged their anti-our Torah ideology with the woke left agenda, launching a systematic campaign against the Torah communities of Eretz Yisroel. In doing so, they have created a cause célèbre to rally their dwindling membership. While the Israeli court system leans strongly to the left and is widely viewed as unkind to religion, by law, courts do not initiate actions against Israeli citizens. Courts intervene only when a petition is filed before them. Successfully bringing a case before the Supreme Court requires expert legal representation and significant financial resources. Litigation is expensive, and many cases drag on for years, racking up large legal fees. Without the backing of a well-funded institution, these petitions or lawsuits hardly stand a chance of gaining any traction. For these reasons, the status quo understanding between the state and the religious communities in Israel has mostly held. Only in more recent years have so many rulings been handed down by the courts targeting religious practices. This new reality is due to the emergence of a new force on the Israeli scene: The Reform Center for Religion and State. This legal arm of the Reform movement in Israel has taken the lead in each of these petitions and the lawyers they retain have fought these battles. The Reform Center was established approximately 35 years ago. Officially, it was founded to advocate for the rights of Reform communities and promote the recognition of pluralistic and Reform values. However, in practice, the Center has led campaigns against virtually every area in which the Torah communities of Israel operate. Key Legal Battles Since the advent of cell phones, the Charedi public in Eretz Yisroel has embraced the use of kosher-filtered cell phones, which safeguard the purity and wholesomeness of their chosen way of life. But in 2016, a lawsuit claimed these phones don’t allow access to hotlines for people with alternative lifestyles. This sparked a years-long legal saga to protect what the Charedi community views as a basic right. While this case continues to work through the legal system, the courts have already ordered the Knesset to pass laws that satisfy these pluralistic goals. A review of the official court documents shows that the petition was jointly brought by organizations advocating for those who practice alternative lifestyles along with the Reform Center and the Movement for Progressive Judaism, another Reform arm. And that all the petitioners were represented by lawyers who are members of the Center’s legal staff. It is obvious that the Reform movement has […]
The discussions have taken place in an ornate Kremlin hall, on the polished marble of St. Peter’s Basilica and in a famously contentious session in the Oval Office of the White House. What’s emerged so far from the Washington-led effort to end the war in Ukraine suggests a deal that seems likely to be favorable to Russia: President Donald Trump has sharply rebuked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, echoed Kremlin talking points, and indicated Kyiv would have to surrender territory and forego NATO membership. What’s more, he has engaged in a rapprochement with Moscow that was unthinkable months ago. More recently, Trump has offered mixed signals — social media posts that perhaps Russian President Vladimir Putin is stringing him along — and a deal has yet to materialize. While the optics so far have been in the Kremlin’s favor, no proposals that were put forth have been cemented. And on Wednesday, Washington and Kyiv signed an agreement granting American access to Ukraine’s vast mineral resources that could enable continued military aid to the country under ongoing attacks from Russia. Zelenskyy said Thursday the deal was the first result of his “truly historic” meeting with Trump at the Vatican before the funeral of Pope Francis. Dialogue and aligned vision One gain for the Kremlin is that Washington is talking again to Moscow after years of extremely strained ties following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine — and not just about the war, said Nikolay Petrov, senior research fellow with the New Eurasian Strategies Centre think tank. Russian officials and state media from the very start of discussions with Trump’s officials sought to underscore that Ukraine was only one item on the vast agenda of the “two superpowers.” Trump and Putin talked in March about Ukraine but also the Middle East, stopping the proliferation of strategic weapons and even organizing hockey games between the countries. Russia’s main state TV channel reported that the meeting between Putin and Trump envoy Steve-Witkoff showed that Moscow and Washington were building “a new structure of the world” together. In this sense, “Putin already got a part of what he sought” — the optics of Russia as a country that is on par with the U.S., Petrov said. Trump has said Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula Moscow illegally annexed in 2014, “will stay with Russia,” and outlines of a peace proposal his team reportedly presented to Kyiv last month apparently included allowing Russia to keep control of other occupied Ukrainian territories. Trump, who had a contentious meeting with Zelenskyy in the Oval Office on Feb. 28, lashed out at him for publicly rejecting the idea of ceding land, and also said that Kyiv was unlikely to ever join NATO. All of these have long been Moscow’s talking points, and Trump’s use of them suggested his administration’s vision was aligned with the Kremlin’s. Trump also seemingly puts more pressure on Kyiv than Moscow in trying to reach a peace deal and appears eager to return to a more normal relationship with Russia and its “big business opportunities,” said Sam Greene of King’s College London. “Is there any part of this that doesn’t look like a win for Russia? No,” Greene adds. So far, it’s only talk But so far, all of this has remained nothing but rhetoric, with terms of a possible settlement still very much “in the air,” says […]
Organizers of the Gaza “freedom flotilla”, who intended to “break the Israeli siege” on the Gaza Strip, claimed that it was attacked by drones off the coast of Malta in international waters, CNN reported on Friday. “There is a hole in the vessel right now and the ship is sinking,” Yasemin Acar, the spokesperson for the terror flotilla, told CNN. Vidoes posted on the X by the “coalition” show a fire burning on a ship, which, according to marine websites, is the Palau-flagged “Conscience” ship that departed from Tunisia. The organizers of the flotilla, who accuse Israel of “genocide” on their social media pages, wrote about the incident on social media: “At 00:23 Maltese time, the Freedom Flotilla vessel was subjected to a drone attack. The front of the vessel was targeted twice, resulting in a fire and a breach in the hull. The ship is currently located in international waters near Malta.” “SOS distress signal was sent out, to which only southern Cyprus has responded by dispatching a vessel. No other countries have responded. The drone attack appears to have specifically targeted the ship’s generator, and the vessel is now at risk of sinking with 30 international human rights activists on board. “Call the Maltese government NOW.” Shortly later, the Maltese government issued a statement contradicting the organizers’ claims, saying that everyone aboard the ship, 12 crew members and 4 civilians, is safe. No mention was made of “30 international activists.” “The vessel had 12 crew members on board and four civilian passengers; no casualties were reported,” the statement said, adding that, unlike the organizers’ claims, the incident received a prompt response and was not ignored for “hours.” Israel has not commented on the report. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
The IDF successfully intercepted a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis in Yemen at northern Israel early Friday morning, triggering sirens in the Upper and Lower Galil, Haifa and its suburbs, Binyamina, and the Jezreel Valley. The missile was successfully intercepted before it entered Israel. However, shrapnel from an interceptor missile hit a kindergarten in Mishmar HaEmek, penetrating the roof of the building and falling into the kindergarten. B’Chasdei Hashem, no one was injured as the kindergarten has not yet opened for the day. Shai Regev, the head of education at Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek, was quoted by Ynet as saying. “It’s a huge neis. The children could have been injured if this had happened while the kindergarten was open. The shrapnel pierced the roof and ceiling—it was a terrifying scene that illustrates how tangible the danger is.” The MDA spokesperson reported that one man was injured in the incident while rushing to a protected space. It was the second time in 10 days that the Houthis launched a missile at northern Israel, and the second Houthi missile launched at Israel this week. Israel is currently refraining from responding to the Houthi missiles at the request of the US, which embarked on a military campaign against the Houthis a month and a half ago. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisroel Katz declared early Friday that Israel had carried out an airstrike near the Syrian presidential palace in Damascus.
“This is a clear message to the Syrian regime. We will not permit Syrian troops to move south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community,” they said together in a statement released to the public.
Shortly after, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit confirmed the operation, stating, “A short while ago, IDF fighter jets struck adjacent to the area of the Palace of Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa in Damascus.”
The timing of the strike came shortly after a series of fierce protests broke out in northern Israel, led by members of the Druze community outraged over reported assaults against their fellow Druze in Syria by the forces of President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The demonstrations paralyzed several major thoroughfares, including Highway 6 at the Eliakim interchange and the Kabri and Amiad junctions. Protesters lit tires on fire and created significant traffic delays. Eventually, some demonstrators marched toward Netanyahu’s home in Caesarea.
At the same time, a group of Druze reservists sent an urgent appeal to Netanyahu, titled: “Immediate IDF intervention to stop the massacre against the Druze community in Syria.”
In the letter, the reservists stated: “Hundreds of Druze fighters are ready to immediately volunteer and fight alongside our brothers to save them, even at the cost of taking responsibility for ourselves, including all the risks involved to our safety and lives.”
Prior to the strike, Defense Minister Katz had issued a stern caution to the Syrian government. “I reiterate my warning to the head of the Syrian regime, Julani – if the attacks on the Druze in Syria do not stop, we will respond with great severity.” Katz further noted that Israel remains “committed to their protection and is closely monitoring the situation.”
On a diplomatic front, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar weighed in during a gathering with international diplomats at the President’s Residence. He called on other nations to act.
“Fulfill your role in protecting the minorities in Syria, and specifically the Druze, from the regime and its terrorist gangs,” Sa’ar urged.
{Matzav.com}
In the newest installment of her podcast, Michelle Obama reflected on her childhood, saying she was raised with a deep sense of appreciation — something she believes is missing in many of today’s youth.
Discussing the topic alongside her brother Craig Robinson on their podcast, IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson, she noted, “When I think about what our parents did or didn’t do, and maybe it’s a little bit different because we’re brother-sister, because that same gender dynamic may make it a little bit hard.”
She emphasized that a major reason for their peaceful sibling relationship stemmed from respect for their parents’ sacrifices. “But I know we got along for some of the same reasons,” she said. “Our parents worked hard enough without us fighting and causing havoc. We knew our parents were working as hard as they could. We knew that they were giving us as much as they could. I guess we grew up grateful.”
Obama pointed out that their upbringing gave them a strong sense of perspective, which helped them avoid unnecessary conflict. “What we had was a lot of gratitude for the little bit that we did have,” she continued. “So it was sort of like, well, what was there left for us to be fighting about?”
Contrasting that with current times, she suggested that many kids today take things for granted. She voiced this sentiment while also speaking with comedians and brothers Damon and Marlon Wayans, saying she sees a shift not just in children but in parenting styles.
“Perhaps sometimes in this generation, where kids have, I think, too much, parents are giving kids a lot of stuff, and they’re not giving them some guidance,” she said.
She also recalled a major difference in how emotional well-being was addressed in her household. “I don’t know about you, but my parents never asked me once whether I was happy. There was never even a question,” she added.
{Matzav.com}
Talk about some serious coin. Millions of coins spilled onto a Texas highway this week after a tractor-trailer hauling $800,000 in dimes rolled over in an accident, authorities said. The spillage led to the closure of a portion of the southbound lanes of U.S. 287 in Alvord for about half a day as workers got on their hands and knees to pick up the coins in addition to using brooms and shovels and large industrial vacuums. The tractor-trailer rolled onto its side at about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday after veering off the road and overcorrecting, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The highway reopened at about 7 p.m. that day, DPS said. The driver and a passenger were transported to a hospital with injuries that were not life threatening, DPS said. Alvord is located about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northwest of Dallas. The tractor-trailer appears to be part of the fleet of trucks operated by Western Distributing Transportation Corporation, which has a division that moves cargo for the government in armored vehicles with armed personnel. A person answering the phone at the company Thursday said they had no comment. The U.S. Mint says on its website that it’s the nation’s sole manufacturer of legal tender coins. (AP)
U.S. intelligence efforts into the roots of the COVID-19 pandemic are moving forward through a special unit known as the Directors Initiative Group, which has been tasked with digging into a number of President Donald Trump’s high-priority national security concerns, according to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
During an appearance on “The Megyn Kelly Show” on SiriusXM Wednesday, Gabbard revealed that this task force is working closely with NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Their investigation includes scrutiny of gain-of-function experiments, particularly those tied to China and other nations. She noted that findings from the inquiry may be disclosed shortly.
“In the case of the Wuhan lab, as well as many of these bio labs around the world, it was actually U.S.-funded and led to this dangerous kind of research that, in many examples, has resulted in a pandemic or some other major health crisis,” Gabbard told Kelly.
She said the probe is advancing quickly and could soon produce evidence connecting gain-of-function work with the outbreak. Kelly commented that if the link is proven, it would implicate “Anthony Fauci helped fund the pandemic.”
“[This is] the thing that he denied over and over and over to [Kentucky Republican] Sen. Rand Paul’s questioning,” said Gabbard. “And under oath. So is it any wonder that he sought a preemptive pardon for anything, during a certain period of time, by President [Joe] Biden before he left office?”
Gabbard emphasized that this investigation isn’t merely retrospective. It’s about current global threats, as dangerous gain-of-function studies continue to be conducted in labs across multiple countries.
She also recalled being criticized when she raised concerns about American-funded biological laboratories in Ukraine at the start of the conflict with Russia.
“Who knows what kinds of pathogens are in these labs, and if released, could create another COVID-like pandemic,” she said. “For that, I was called a Russian asset … we have to end this gain-of-function research and provide the evidence that shows exactly why and how it’s in our best interest — the American people’s best interest — to bring about an end to it.”
When asked about her future in public service, Gabbard, who once sought the Democratic presidential nomination, said she remains open to roles that serve the nation.
“If we had talked a year ago, the thought would not have crossed my mind that I would be here and that we would be having this conversation,” said Gabbard. “My decisions in my life have always been made around how can I best be of service to God? How can I best be of service to our country? And that is what has led me here. I’m grateful for this opportunity, and I will continue to chase those opportunities where I can make the most positive impact and be of service.”
{Matzav.com}
Demonstrators associated with the organization “Free Jerusalem” staged a provocative protest outside the Knesset on Thursday, lining the area near the iconic menorah with lifeless-looking effigies splattered in red to mimic blood. The action was meant to signal their opposition to Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, the group said in a post on X.
“Independence celebrated on the blood of tens of thousands of people in is not independence,” the group stated.
The protest installation was accompanied by provocative placards bearing inflammatory messages, including “Celebrating 77 years of Jewish supremacy and ethnic cleansing” and “Isolate Israel! Stop the genocide.”
“Free Jerusalem” has been a vocal critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza, denouncing what it describes as collective punishment of Palestinians. The group has condemned policies such as demolishing homes of terrorists and restricting humanitarian assistance to the Strip.
Members of the group have frequently drawn police attention, with several arrests on charges of incitement. Before the atrocities of October 7, they held regular protests in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, demanding an end to what they call the Israeli occupation and advocating to cut funding for the national police force.
Following the outbreak of the war, the group initially staged a silent protest backing a prisoner exchange deal. They later shifted their messaging to emphasize the need to “release the hostages.”
The organization has consistently rejected any military resolution to the conflict, maintaining, “Only a political vision can bring peace, equality, and justice to everyone between the river and the sea.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
The Republican-controlled U.S. House voted Thursday to block California from enforcing first-in-the-nation rules phasing out the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. The move comes a day after the chamber voted to halt California standards to cut tailpipe emissions from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, as well as curb smog-forming nitrogen oxide pollution from trucks. “The passage of these resolutions is a victory for Americans who will not be forced into purchasing costly EVs because of California’s unworkable mandates,” House Republicans Brett Guthrie of Kentucky and Morgan Griffith of Virginia, said in a statement. “If not repealed, the California waivers would lead to higher prices for both new and used vehicles, increase our reliance on China, and strain our electric grid.” California for decades has been given the authority to adopt vehicle emissions standards that are stricter than the federal government’s. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2020 announced plans to ban the sale of all new gas-powered vehicles in the state by 2035, as part of an aggressive effort to lower emissions from the transportation sector. Plug-in hybrids and used gas cars could still be sold. State regulators then formalized the rules, some other states announced plans to follow them, and the Biden administration approved the state’s waiver to implement them in December, a month before President Donald Trump returned to office. This week’s House votes fell largely along party lines, though some Democrats joined Republicans to advance them. That would be against the advice of the Senate Parliamentarian, who sides with the U.S. General Accountability Office in saying California’s policies are not subject to the review mechanism used by the House. Republicans used the Congressional Review Act, a law aimed at improving congressional oversight of actions by federal agencies, to try to block the rules. The Trump administration in 2019 revoked California’s ability to enforce its own emissions standards, but Biden later restored the state’s authority. But the California standards cannot legally be blocked using the Congressional Review Act, the U.S. Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan congressional watchdog, wrote in a letter to Congress in March. Newsom said the effort is another signal of Republicans’ ideological shift over the decades from an era in which former presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan signed landmark environmental laws to one in which Trump is pushing for environmental rollbacks on everything from clean air to clean water and climate change. “Clean air didn’t used to be political,” Newsom said in a statement. “Our vehicles program helps clean the air for all Californians, and we’ll continue defending it.” A spokesperson for the California Air Resources Board, which passed the vehicle emission standards, said the agency “will continue its mission to protect the public health of Californians impacted by harmful air pollution.” It is unclear what will happen in the Senate. The Senate Parliamentarian in April reaffirmed the GAO’s findings that California’s Clean Air Act waivers are not subject to the Congressional Review Act, according to California Sen. Adam Schiff’s office. “We will fight this latest attack on California’s power to protect its own residents, and I will urge my colleagues in the Senate to recognize the severe implications of proceeding with this violation of states’ rights, as well as the dangerous precedent it would set by flouting the unanimous opinion of Congress’ trusted […]
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is making history by taking on an unprecedented dual role at the highest levels of American foreign policy. He will be the first individual since Henry Kissinger to simultaneously serve as both secretary of State and national security adviser.
While several notable figures, such as Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, have filled both positions at different points in their careers, none have held both posts at once—until now.
President Trump revealed on Thursday that Rubio would step in as national security adviser on a temporary basis. This announcement followed the dismissal of Mike Waltz from the position and his subsequent nomination by Trump to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
The only other person to hold both titles at the same time was Kissinger, who passed away last December at the age of 100. He occupied both roles concurrently from September 1973 to November 1975 during the Nixon and Ford administrations.
Kissinger originally became national security adviser in 1969 under President Nixon and was later appointed secretary of State in 1973, remaining in that position until 1977.
Waltz’s exit from his national security post marks the most prominent reshuffling yet in Trump’s current administration.
Shortly after reports emerged about Waltz’s removal, President Trump confirmed that Waltz would instead be nominated for the U.N. ambassador role. That position has been vacant since Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination was withdrawn amid concerns about maintaining the GOP’s narrow House majority.
Rubio’s responsibilities continue to expand with this latest appointment.
Beyond his duties as secretary of State, he is also serving as the acting head of USAID and as the interim archivist overseeing the National Archives and Records Administration.
{Matzav.com}
Iran’s once-grand plan to transform post-war Syria into a loyal regional satellite has collapsed in dramatic fashion, according to a trove of confidential documents obtained by Reuters from the Iranian embassy in Damascus. The blueprint, drawn up in 2022, envisioned Tehran embedding itself deep into Syria’s economy, politics, and security apparatus. But the sudden fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 has left those ambitions in ruins. The newly installed Syrian government, composed largely of rebel factions hostile to Tehran, has moved to dismantle Iran’s presence. Iranian military officers, diplomats, and economic envoys have withdrawn from Damascus. Cultural centers funded by Tehran have shuttered. Contracts worth billions—spanning oil, mining, and telecom—have been torn up or handed over to rival powers. Iran’s plan, detailed in the leaked documents, was to dominate Syria’s post-civil war reconstruction in return for years of military and financial support to Assad. The strategy hinged on long-term agreements, soft-power influence, and the placement of Iranian allies in key Syrian institutions. But what was supposed to be a strategic jewel in Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” has instead turned into a costly blunder. The report lays bare the scale of Iran’s involvement—spanning education, energy, telecom, and internal security—and the central role played by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Spearheaded by senior officer Abbas Akbari, the IRGC’s efforts to sidestep U.S. sanctions and fast-track projects often foundered in a maze of Syrian bureaucracy, corruption, and competing interests from Russia and other actors. Now, with a new Syrian leadership firmly closing the door on Iranian influence, Tehran finds itself ousted from a country it once helped prop up. Iran’s cultural institutes have been repurposed. Its oil and phosphate deals have vanished. Even its once-strong political alliances in Damascus have eroded overnight. The fallout marks a stinging defeat for Iran’s long-standing regional ambitions. With Syria no longer a pliant client state, Tehran is left to reckon with the high cost of its intervention—measured not just in billions of dollars, but in lost leverage, credibility, and strategic depth. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The chavrusah tumult took place at BMG this week, as the summer Zman kicks off. The tumult generally last for two days, with talmidim of the yeshiva seeking out chavrusos and which chaburah they will be in. Enjoy the videos and phots below of this spectacular site!
Various Yom Ha’atzmaut ceremonies were held across Israel on Thursday as Israel’s Fire and Rescue Service continued to battle the fires that began in the Jerusalem hills on Wednesday. Photos taken of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu at the President’s Medal of Excellence ceremony in Jerusalem aroused curiosity due to a sight not seen since COVID days—the prime minister’s bodyguards with masks on their faces. The masks were not worn to protect against a new COVID variant but against the ancient and deadly antisemitism variant. The bodyguards, who are part of the Shin Bet’s personal security unit, were instructed to wear masks at public events to protect themselves from possible arrest warrants issued abroad, Walla reports. For the same reason, no close-up photos of IDF soldiers were taken at the various ceremonies. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana didn’t hold back in a Fox News interview, launching a scathing verbal attack against Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. Kennedy took aim at her style and substance, using colorful language to express his disdain.
“As I’ve said before, she’s entitled to her opinions. You know, my personal opinion is that God gave her a billy goat brain and a mockingbird mouth, you know,” Kennedy remarked during his appearance on Fox.
The senator broadened his criticism to the Democratic Party in general, accusing them of lacking a substantive policy agenda. He suggested that their political platform revolves entirely around their opposition to one person. “Look, I believe in the power of ideas, and my Democratic colleagues have no ideas. All they have is hatred for one man, even when he’s right, and that is President Trump,” Kennedy said.
He went on to say, “And I don’t think that’s healthy for them. I don’t think that’s healthy for America.”
Meanwhile, Ocasio-Cortez has been traveling extensively, holding events aimed at rallying opposition to Trump-era proposals, especially those involving deep budget cuts.
Her office did not issue a response when asked to comment on Kennedy’s statements.
Ocasio-Cortez has been increasingly viewed as a possible contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028. That speculation grew stronger after she released a professionally produced video showcasing her tour alongside Senator Bernie Sanders, prompting comparisons to a campaign launch.
Despite the buzz, she hasn’t officially declared any plans to run, and has sidestepped inquiries about her political future.
“Listen, it’s a video. And frankly, I think what people should be most concerned about is the fact that Republicans are trying to cut Medicaid right now and people’s health care is in danger,” Ocasio-Cortez told Fox News Digital when asked directly about a presidential campaign.
She emphasized her immediate priorities, saying, “That’s really what my central focus is.”
Earlier this year, a March survey ranked Ocasio-Cortez as the Democratic figure most closely aligned with the party’s “core values,” fueling talk about her rising influence and possible future aspirations in national politics.
{Matzav.com}
Pages
