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The IDF has intercepted a drone attempting to smuggle assault rifles into Israel from Egypt.

Kamala Harris made a rare public appearance Wednesday night, using her platform to sharply criticize President Trump — before unexpectedly pivoting to a story about elephants reacting to an earthquake.

Speaking at the Emerge 20th anniversary gala in San Francisco, the former vice president began by addressing the uncertain political climate. “A lot of folks are wondering what’s going to guide us through this moment. How are we all going to figure out how to chart the course,” Harris said. Then she added, “Please allow me, friends, to digress for a moment.”

She continued with a laugh, “Okay, it’s kind of dark in here, but I’m ask[ing] for a show of hands — who saw that video from a couple of weeks ago the one of the elephants at the San Diego Zoo during the earthquake. Google it if you’ve not seen it.”

Describing the animals’ reaction, Harris explained how they responded to the tremors. “After they felt the earth shaking beneath their feet,” she said, “the elephants in the zoo got in a circle and stood next to each other to protect the most vulnerable.”

“What a powerful metaphor,” she said. “Because we know those who try to incite fear are most effective when they divide and conquer, when they separate the herd, when they try to make everyone think they are alone.”

This unexpected aside came during an address in which Harris painted a bleak picture of the country under Trump’s leadership, coinciding with his 100th day in office during his second term.

Earlier in her remarks, she denounced Trump for economic turmoil she blamed on his policies. “The greatest man-made economic crisis in modern presidential history,” she said, was the result of a “wholesale abandonment” of American principles and a dangerous flirtation with a constitutional breakdown.

“Americans across the political spectrum who are declaring that the president’s reckless tariffs hurt workers and families by raising the cost of everyday essentials, devastate the retirement accounts that people spent a lifetime paying into, and paralyze American businesses, large and small,” Harris said.

Breaking a months-long silence on Trump since her 2024 defeat, Harris went further, charging him with undermining democratic norms.

“We here know that when the checks and balances ultimately collapse, if Congress fails to do its part, or if the courts fail to do their part, or if both do their part but the president defies them anyway … that is called a constitutional crisis,” she warned.

She concluded with a somber note of caution, stating that such a breakdown in government would touch every citizen, and that “the voice of the people” may be the only remedy left. “It will eventually impact everyone,” she said.

{Matzav.com}

REPORTER: “CBS News is reporting that National Security Adviser Mike Waltz is going to step down. What are your thoughts on that and should other people follow him?” HAKKEM JEFFRIES: “Yes.”

Up close video of an airplane dropping fire retardant on the fires near Beit Shemesh.

Politico reports that White House Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff is the leading contender to replace Mike Waltz as National Security Advisor.

Trump administration National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and other staffers are out at the National Security Council, all major media outlets are confirming. Waltz and his deputy Alex Wong were purged Thursday. Waltz, who previously served as a Florida congressman and as a decorated combat Green Beret, has come under fire from Democrats and critics since March, when the Atlantic magazine’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg published a firsthand account of getting added to a Signal group chat with top national security leaders, including Waltz, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, while they discussed strikes against Yemen terrorists. Waltz took responsibility for the inclusion of a journalist in the group chat in April, telling Fox News’ Laura Ingraham: “I take full responsibility. I built the group. … It’s embarrassing. We’re going to get to the bottom of it.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital earlier Monday when asked about reports claiming Waltz and other would be shown the door: “We are not going to respond to reporting from anonymous sources.” Trump told the media on April 3 that a handful of other NSC staffers had been let go following the Atlantic’s report on the Signal chat leak last month, which characterized the Trump administration as texting “war plans” regarding a planned strike on Houthi rebels in Yemen. Always, we’re going to let go of people we don’t like, or people we don’t think can do the job, or people who may have loyalties to somebody else,” Trump said from Air Force One when asked about reports on the NSC firings on April 3. The Trump administration had maintained, however, that no classified material was transmitted in the Signal chat last month, with Trump repeatedly defending Waltz amid the fallout. The strikes on Houthi rebels unfolded on March 15. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israeli law enforcement officials have challenged Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s recent remarks regarding the number of people taken into custody over suspected arson in the Yerushalayim hills.

Contrary to Netanyahu’s claim, police say the figure he referenced does not reflect the actual number of arrests. According to official police sources, only three individuals have been apprehended in connection with the fires that erupted in the area in recent days.

Earlier on Thursday, Netanyahu had addressed the issue during the International Bible Quiz, stating, “We have 18 people suspected of setting fires.” He also criticized Palestinian leaders, adding, “Our neighbors who claim they love this land – speak about burning the land. We love the land, we protect the land. I am sure we will be able to cope with this challenge as well.”

Law enforcement officials clarified that no such number of arrests had been made—neither 18 individuals taken into custody nor 18 suspects accused of incitement. They speculated that Netanyahu may have been referencing a wave of inciteful social media posts encouraging arson, although those involved in the online activity were not arrested.

Meanwhile, firefighting efforts continue in full force as 126 teams are engaged in battling the blaze throughout the Yerushalayim Hills. Fire crews from the Elad Fire Squadron are among those deployed to six critical locations: Burma Road, Eshtaol, Hakdoshim Forest, Canada Park, Sha’ar Hagai, Shoresh, Mevo’ot Neve Ilan, and Nataf.

Officials from Fire and Rescue Services emphasized that operations over the next several hours are vital. They aim to bring the fires under control before afternoon winds intensify and spread the flames further.

In coordination with directives from the IDF Chief of Staff, army personnel remain active in assisting police and fire responders in efforts to quell the blazes that began within the past day.

The Israel Air Force is also playing a key role, with aerial firefighting teams working in tandem with specialized fire suppression units. A dedicated command center has been set up by the Air Force to coordinate the airborne response in the affected regions.

{Matzav.com Israel}

BREAKING: CBS News is reporting that U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Deputy National Security Advisor Alex Wong will be leaving their roles at the White House National Security Council.

BREAKING: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis just said he has submitted plans to President Trump’s DHS that would allow Florida National Guard members to become immigration judges.

United Hatzalah medical teams responded to a fire near residential buildings in Beit Shemesh. No injuries have been reported.

Senate Democrats plan to force a vote in the coming weeks on a resolution to require more transparency from President Donald Trump’s administration about deportations to El Salvador. The resolution, which Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine expects to introduce on Thursday, comes after two votes on Democratic resolutions challenging Trump’s tariffs. It is part of a larger strategy by Democrats to continue using mechanisms under the law to take floor time from majority Republicans and vote on reversing parts of Trump’s agenda. “These votes are all about curbing executive power,” said Kaine, who was also a lead sponsor on the two tariff bills. “That is a unifying theme.” The new resolution would force Trump’s Republican administration to report to Congress about what steps it is taking to comply with courts that have determined the U.S. government wrongfully deported immigrants to El Salvador. Democrats have highlighted the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to the Central American country and who a Maryland judge has said should be returned to the U.S. Kaine said that Democrats want to put Republicans on record on that case and others while also pressuring the government of El Salvador, which is working with the Trump administration. The resolution would also require the Trump administration to reveal more information about money paid to El Salvador and assess the country’s human rights record. Leaders in El Salvador will have to deal with the United States long past Trump’s tenure, Kaine said, and “we’re going to have a very long memory about this.” Democrats have been under pressure from base voters to use their limited powers in the minority to fight Trump on all fronts. While the resolution is unlikely to get a vote in the House even if it passes the Senate, Democrats say it is about bringing attention to issues and forcing Republicans to go on record where they are reluctant to speak out publicly against Trump. “We have limited tools, but this is an effective tool,” said Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who is backing the resolution and visited Abrego Garcia in El Salvador two weeks ago. Democrats have already forced a handful of votes on the Senate floor, including the two tariff votes last month. The Senate in early April passed a resolution that would have have thwarted Trump’s ability to impose tariffs on Canada, but Republicans this week narrowly blocked a similar resolution that would have stalled Trump’s global tariffs announced several weeks ago. Four Republicans voted with Democrats on the first tariff measure, and three Republicans voted with them on the second resolution. The Democrats are forcing the votes under different statutes that allow so-called “privileged” resolutions — legislation that must be brought up for a vote whether majority leadership wants to or not. The resolution being introduced Thursday is under the Foreign Assistance Act, which allows any senator to force a vote to request information on a country’s human rights practices. Senate Republicans pulled similar maneuvers during President Joe Biden’s administration under the Congressional Review Act, which allows lawmakers to force votes on rescinding regulations. It is unclear if any Republicans would vote with Democrats on the El Salvador resolution. Most Republicans have enthusiastically embraced Trump’s border policies, even if some are wary of the administration’s defiance of court orders […]

Senator Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, brushed off concerns Wednesday about his low popularity numbers, choosing instead to highlight his party’s momentum and strategy against President Trump.

During a press briefing, a CNN reporter brought up a recent poll showing Schumer with just 17% approval — the lowest rating among current congressional leaders — and asked, “Are you concerned that you may be a liability for your party?”

“Polls come and go,” Schumer replied. “Our party is united. We’re on our front foot. We’re stepping forward and going after Trump and having real success.”

According to CNN, the poll was conducted between April 17 and April 24 and included responses from 1,678 American adults. It marked Schumer’s lowest score in CNN surveys since 2017.

{Matzav.com}

Former Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a condemnation of President Donald Trump’s administration Wednesday night, criticizing what she called an agenda that threatens democratic institutions and economic stability — though her remarks drew mixed reactions from both allies and critics. Speaking at the Emerge America gala, Harris accused the Trump White House of orchestrating the “greatest man-made economic crisis in modern presidential history,” taking particular aim at the administration’s aggressive tariff policies. “This is not chaos by accident,” Harris said. “What we are, in fact, witnessing is a vessel being used for the swift implementation of an agenda that has been decades in the making.” While Harris’s remarks were met with applause from the Democratic audience, observers noted the speech offered more rhetoric than substance. Critics specifically pointed out that Harris did not address alternative solutions or offer a clear economic vision of her own. Her comments come as President Trump enters the second quarter of his second term, touting rising border security numbers and aggressive trade renegotiations as key successes. The administration has defended the tariff strategy as a tough but necessary correction to global trade imbalances, with officials pointing to improving manufacturing figures in some regions. Harris, however, painted a different picture, warning of a looming recession and accusing the administration of “gutting public institutions” while advancing tax cuts for the wealthy. “We are living in a moment when the checks and balances… have begun to buckle,” she said, calling the situation a “constitutional crisis.” The former vice president praised lower court judges for resisting what she described as executive overreach and applauded protesters who refused to “scatter” in the face of government pressure. Though speculation continues to swirl around her political future — with talk of a potential California gubernatorial run in 2026 or even a second presidential campaign — Harris made no formal announcements. She instead closed with a rallying call to Democrats: “We are not going to scatter. We are going to stand together.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Hamas issued a provocative message through its Telegram channel, urging Palestinians to take violent action by starting fires targeting Jewish homes, farmland, and forests.

In its post, the terror group incited followers with the words: “Youth of the West Bank, youth of Jerusalem, and those inside Israel, set their cars ablaze… Gaza awaits the revenge of the free.”

On the same platform, the Jenin News Network joined the incitement campaign, publishing a call to “burn the groves near the settlements,” specifically directing their message at Palestinians in proximity to Israeli communities.

Amidst this call to violence, photos began circulating showing masked individuals igniting fields. One image posted as fires raged in central Israel depicted flames devouring a landscape with a town in the distance. The caption read: “Settlers’ homes will be ashes under the feet of the revolutionaries” and featured the hashtag “Burn settlers’ houses.”

These blazes, which erupted Wednesday morning in the Judean Hills, spread rapidly, extending through the greater Yerushalayim region as the day progressed and conditions worsened into the evening.

One particularly incendiary video urged: “O, youth of the West Bank… Let us be the flame of freedom which will not die. Let us make their night – a burning day. Let us bring back to them the nightmares of the occupation, so they know that every day is a struggle for the resistance. Set fires of freedom everywhere. We will not give in and will not give up until we burn every piece of stolen land.”

The term “Flames of the Flood” has been widely shared on social media in reference to the wildfires, deliberately invoking the Hamas-coined title for the October 7 massacre, “Flood of Al-Aqsa.”

The Twitter (X) account of “Akhbar Filastin,” which has over 112,000 followers, broadcasted a call encouraging West Bank residents to commit arson: “A call to the revolutionary youth and all the heroes of the West Bank.. Settlers’ homes and the surrounding areas are your target. Burn them with your Molotov cocktails and set fire to the grass near the settlement outposts.”

Jenin News, with an even larger audience of 320,000 followers, published a post saying: “Calls from youth to burn forests close to the raped (lands)… The (Zionist) entity is Burning! This is an opportunity for you, to increase the fires, youth of Jerusalem and the occupied interior, raise your spirits and make up your mind, their settlements, set them ablaze.”

It’s important to note that in much of Palestinian media discourse, the word “settlers” is used broadly to describe all Jewish citizens of Israel, and the term “settlements” often refers to any Israeli municipality or town.

Other posts circulating on these same channels featured graphics and slogans such as “exploit the heat of the summer and set fire to the forests of the settlers. There will be not one settler left in our land.” Another read: “let’s burn their settlements and make them a living hell for them… Don’t underestimate what you have and what you can do.”

One viral graphic bore the line: “Let the houses of the settlers become ash under the feet of the revolutionaries,” accompanied by the hashtag “Burn the Settlers’ Houses.”

A different post included a dramatic image of forest fires engulfing large areas with the caption: “For Gaza, which has never held back in its support for you: Go down there now and burn the forests and groves near the settlements!”

The campaign also extended to materials published from the Jenin refugee camp, where images of the Israeli flag engulfed in flames were released alongside the message: “set fire to the forests of the occupation and its settlements… kudos to our youth, go and burn, go and burn.”

Some channels used the moment to direct anger at the Palestinian Authority, condemning it for offering to assist Israel in handling the fires. “Heroes of the West Bank and Jerusalem – this is your day,” read one message. “Exploit these fires and make them grow larger. Gasoline and a spark can make the entity a fiery hell. The settlements and their forests are your targets.”

Amid the chaos, Fire and Rescue Commissioner Eyal Caspi elevated the national emergency readiness level to its highest alert, as crews struggled to contain multiple blazes.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has appealed to several European countries — Greece, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, and Bulgaria — for firefighting support, though none of the aid is expected to arrive before dark.

As the fires grew in intensity and scope, the Israeli government announced that all Independence Day festivities would be canceled to prioritize safety.

Weather authorities had cautioned about the fire risk a day earlier, and the Fire and Rescue Authority had already advised postponing various events due to concerns that emergency services might not be able to protect vulnerable areas should fires erupt.

{Matzav.com}

Dr. Hector Ocaranza knew El Paso would see measles the moment it began spreading in West Texas and eastern New Mexico. Highways connect his border city with the epicenter of Texas’ massive outbreak, which is up to 663 cases. They’re the same roads used by thousands of families and commercial truckers who cross into Mexico and back each day. “Diseases know no borders,” said Ocaranza, El Paso’s top public health doctor, “so as people are mobile, they’re going to be coming and receiving medical attention in El Paso but they may be living in Juarez.” It took a couple of months, but El Paso now has the highest measles case count in the state outside of West Texas with 38. Neighboring Ciudad Juarez has 14 cases as of Monday. North America’s three biggest measles outbreaks continue to balloon, with more than 2,500 known cases; three people have died in the U.S. and one in Mexico. It started in the fall in Ontario, Canada; then took off in late January in Texas and New Mexico; and has rapidly spread in Chihuahua state, which is up to 786 cases since mid-February. These outbreaks are in areas with a notable population of certain Mennonite Christian communities who trace their migration over generations from Canada to Mexico to Seminole, Texas. Chihuahua health officials trace their first case to an 8-year-old Mennonite child who visited family in Seminole, got sick and spread the virus at school. And Ontario officials say their outbreak started at a large gathering in New Brunswick involving Mennonite communities. Mexican and U.S. officials also say the genetic strains of measles spreading in Canada match the other large outbreaks. “This virus was imported, traveling country to country,” said Leticia Ruíz, director of prevention and disease control in Chihuahua. North and South American countries have struggled to maintain the 95% measles vaccination rate needed to prevent outbreaks, said Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, director of the Pan American Health Organization. And a recent World Health Organization report said measles activity in the Americas region is up elevenfold from the same time last year and that the risk level is “high” compared to the rest of the world’s “moderate” level. Measles cases have been confirmed in six of the region’s countries — Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Canada, the United States and Mexico — and investigating the disease’s spread is labor-intensive and pricey. The response to each measles case in the U.S. costs an estimated $30,000 to $50,000, according to Dr. David Sugerman, a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientist. Measles at the U.S.-Mexico border The cases in Ciudad Juarez have no direct connection to the Mennonite settlement in Chihuahua, said Rogelio Covarrubias, a health official in the border city. The first measles case in El Paso was in a child at Fort Bliss, Ocaranza said. More than half of El Paso’s cases are in adults, which is unusually high, and three people have been hospitalized. The health department is holding vaccination clinics in malls and parks and says hundreds have gotten a shot. The vaccines are free — no questions asked, no matter which side of the border you live on. Communication about measles between the two health departments is “informal” but “very good,” Ocaranza said. Covarrubias said his team was alerted last week to a case of someone who became sick in El Paso and […]

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FINAL OPPORTUNITY TO SEND IN YOUR FREE KVITTEL TO REB SHAYELE THROUGH YAD L’ACHIM! HURRY! YAD L’ACHIM’S MESSENGERS ARE IN KERESTIR ALL THURSDAY NIGHT TO DAVEN FOR YOU AND PLACE YOUR FREE KVITTEL BY REB SHAYALE!As a token of our deep appreciation towards our Yad L’Achim supporters, (that means you), we have arranged for a free special tefillah in Kerestir TODAY, the Yahrtzeit of the tzaddik Reb Shayele of Kerestir zt”l(100th yahrtzeit!) to daven for all our supporters. Submit your names for tefillah (for free) by CLICKING HERE , visit www.YadLAchim.org or calling 1-718-690-2944. Thank you once again for your past and future kindness in helping us rescue trapped Jewish women and children.  👉 Submit Names Now SHARE THIS VIA WHATSAPP Know someone who can benefit from this free tefillah? You can also try our informative (and fun) trivia about Reb Shayele 👉 CLICK HERE TO TRY THE TRIVIA VIDEO: Time-Lapse Drawing Story of R’ Shayele of Kerestir zt”l – WATCH HERE Watch the whole story Submit your names (no minimum donation required) for the tefillah at the resting place of “Reb Shayele” of Kerestir zt”l in Kerestir, Hungary on his Yahrtzeit  CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT NAMES or visit www.YadLAchim.org or call us at 1-718-690-2944 Messengers of Yad L’Achim will be in Kerestir to daven and place a kvittel for all names submitted. TEFILLOS CAN BE FOR HEALTH, SHIDDUCHIM, PARNASSAH,  CHILDREN & ALL PERSONAL REQUESTS Submit Names Now Free Photo of Reb Shayele with Your Donation , CLICK HERE (To submit names without a donation, simply enter 0 for amount) Yad L’Achim – Pidyon Shvuyim 4018 18 Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11218 1-718-690-2944   www.YadLAchim.org  

Stephen Miller: “This Administration’s also fighting to get Critical Race Theory out of our school districts. Children will be taught to love America. Children will be taught to be patriots. Children will be taught Civic values.”

Stephen Miller: “This Administration has opened investigations into universities across the country… Universities across this country are in plain and direct violation of the Supreme Court’s ruling that affirmative action, as in racial quotas… are illegal. Students must be admitted to universities on a colorblind basis.”

Israeli Air Force pilots have joined firefighting teams working to contain several conflagrations that have consumed about 5,000 acres of forest and terrain, mostly near Yerushalayim.

These efforts and weather conditions helped stabilize the situation, but the Israel Fire & Rescue Authority said in a statement on Thursday morning that its 155 teams were still working to contain the fires, in which no one was killed but which resulted in the hospitalization of 12 civilians and 17 firefighters. Thousands of residents have been evacuated from their homes in the Judean Foothills.

On Wednesday night, the IAF deployed its big guns in the fight against the fires: its two Samson airplanes, the Israeli name for the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules, which has only recently been added to Israel’s firefighting arsenal.

Samsons converted into fire extinguishing aircraft have been conducting dozens of sorties since Wednesday night, the Israel Defense Forces said, dumping up to 3,960 gallons of water or fire retardant per flight. The Foreign Ministry has reached out for assistance to nearby countries, including Greece, Cyprus, Croatia, Italy and Bulgaria, it said in a statement.

On the ground, firefighters battled flames across the country, but on Thursday morning, they still had not “gained control of the fires,” the Fire and Rescue Authority’s statement said. Three roads that had been closed on Wednesday—Roads 1, 3 and 38—were reopened on Thursday, police said.

Canada Park near Beit Shemesh has been hardest hit, according to a statement by KKL-JNF, a eco-Zionist organization dedicated to the sustainable development of Israel, and especially its forest management programs.

Several countries have already pledged to send help. Spain will dispatch two firefighting planes, while France, Romania, Croatia, and Italy have also confirmed they will send aircraft. Ukraine has now joined the list as well, said the Foreign Ministry statement.

Alongside the Samsons and another especially-fitted firefighting aircraft, Israel’s firefighting Elad squadron has 14 Air Tractor AT-802F firefighting aircraft, five Airbus H-125 helicopters, and two Airbus Helicopters H-145 helicopters. In the first hours of the fire that began on Wednesday at around noon, many of these aircraft were not able to operate due to strong winds.

Shin Bet (Israel’s Security Agency) is investigating the fires, which started on Israel’s Memorial Day, hours before its Independence Day celebrations. Incitement calling on Palestinians to set fires circulated on social media ahead of the holiday, which coincided with dry and windy weather.

At least three people have been arrested in connection with the fires, including a man near Modi’in. Police arrested the man after reports that he was trying to set fire to some shrubbery. The man is in his 50s and lives in Umm Tuba, an Arab neighborhood of Jerusalem, Ynet reported.

Two other suspects had been arrested on Wednesday, Channel 12 reported.

Ynet quoted Shmulik Friedman, commander of the Yerushalayim District Fire Department, as saying on Wednesday: “We have no idea what caused the fire, as of now we don’t know what the source is.”

The most severe blaze ignited in the Eshtaol Forest near Mesilat Zion and Neve Shalom, prompting immediate evacuations. Flames spread rapidly through the parched terrain, intensified by dry weather and gusty conditions.

“This wave of fires is a threat to human life, to communities and to Jerusalem. It’s not just the fire on the ground; this is a national threat,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote in a statement Wednesday night. “I held a meeting at the fire management center and instructed the teams to use all the tools at our disposal,” he added.

On Wednesday, Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev announced the cancellation of the annual torch-lighting ceremony at Mount Herzl in Yerushalayim, citing public safety concerns. “I’ve just concluded a situational assessment with emergency officials,” said Regev. “There is a real danger to human life. I will not take any risks.”

Other major Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv and Haifa, also announced the cancellation of celebrations requiring the presence of firefighters.

Authorities declared a “Red Torch” emergency level, the highest fire-alert classification, activating national firefighting reserves, aerial reinforcements and logistical support. JNS

{Matzav.com Israel}