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Republican activists in swing states say they have seen little sign of the teams tasked with knocking on doors and turning out infrequent voters on behalf of Donald Trump, raising concerns about the party’s presidential nominee relying on outside groups for an important part of his campaign operations. Trump and the Republican National Committee he controls opted to share get-out-the-vote duties in key parts of the most competitive states this year with groups such as America PAC, the organization supported by billionaire Elon Musk. It is difficult to demonstrate that something is not happening. But with fewer than 50 days until the Nov. 5 election, dozens of Republican officials, activists and operatives in Michigan, North Carolina and other battleground states say they have rarely or never witnessed the group’s canvassers. In Arizona and Nevada, the Musk-backed political action committee replaced its door-knocking company just this past week. “I haven’t seen anybody,” said Nate Wilkowski, field director for the Republican Party in vote-rich Oakland County, Michigan, which includes crucial Detroit suburbs. He was speaking specifically of America PAC. “Nobody’s given me a heads-up that they’re around in Oakland County areas.” Trump has relied on the loyalty of his fervent base, in an election expected to pivot on turnout. The spotty evidence, however, of what was portrayed as a sophisticated operation has some party activists questioning the operation’s value. Trump’s campaign views the race with Vice President Kamala Harris as a toss-up among likely voters but believes it has the edge among people who stayed away in 2016 and 2020, making it even more essential to reach them. The work is particularly important in Michigan, where Trump lost by fewer than 160,000 votes in 2020, and where the GOP began the year mired in debt and fighting an ugly contest over the rightful state party leader. Michigan’s Republican chairman, Pete Hoekstra, said he was told that America PAC canvassers had arrived in late August and were at work. A spokesperson for the PAC said canvassers were in Michigan, as well as Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — the seven most competitive states. The spokesperson declined to say how many canvassers there were across the states. Meghan Reckling, a Republican canvassing firm owner in Michigan, said she spotted two America PAC canvassers Tuesday in Oakland County. Identifiable in blue polo shirts emblazoned with “America,” they were working an area that Reckling’s own data showed to be one with low-propensity voters, she said. “They had, you could tell, a very pleasant exchange with the lady who answered the door, and probably talked to her for five minutes,” Reckling said. “From what I observed, they were obviously engaging in direct conversations.” But in interviews with more than two dozen activists and party officials across the seven battleground states, such reports were rare. “I don’t know what the PACs are doing,” said Mark Forton, the GOP chair in Macomb County, Michigan, a populous, suburban area northeast of Detroit. “I don’t know if they are going door to door.” Trump aides say the campaign has an estimated 30,000 volunteer captains who are identifying less likely voters at the local level, including through neighborhood canvassing. Campaign political director James Blair also estimates that close to 2,500 paid canvassers, with America PAC making up a significant […]

Mortgage rates declined once more this past week, as the 30-year fixed rate dipped to 6.20 percent, based on Bankrate’s most recent survey of lenders.

This key mortgage figure hasn’t been this low since September 2022, and experts predict the downward movement may persist.

During its meeting this past week, the Federal Reserve revealed a rate cut that exceeded expectations, marking its first reduction since the pandemic.

“It was a coin flip on whether it was going to be 25 or 50 basis points,” said Bill Banfield, chief business officer at Rocket Companies. “They gave us a little extra.”

{Matzav.com}

 Women of Valor, Who Can Find Them? Their husbands r”l fell in battle in battle defending Israel. Now they struggle with basic needs for their children. How will they survive without? _We know who they are. We know where they are. We know what they need._ Can we leave them alone with their children to fend for themselves? An official campaign has been launched to support the families of our brave soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect what is most precious to us all. We have boots on the ground working with the utmost sensitivity by the families side. We research what is lacking, aquire and distribute what basics are needed most, and even procure special items that each family specifically requests based upon their unique situations. For some that is a bar or bas mitzvah celebration, for others it is a fan or air conditioner, a handyman to fix up a broken door or a leak, provide missing household items, or even a musical instrument for that special child. Your donation today assures that these Women of Valor can lead a house with some normalcy and stability, without the scourge of poverty and debt troubling their already heavy hearts hearts. Your help will ensure their children get any additional help they need, learn healthy hobbies from after school programs (chugim), and can keep their heads high. Perhaps most importantly, your participation will let these almanos, mothers of new yesomim know they are not forgotten, they are not alone, and that they are duly acknowledged as the true Women of Valor they are.  It’s what their husbands HYD would have wanted most. Let us join together, as Am Yisroel, the _Am Kadosh_ . We must not let these families collapse. They gave everything. Please donate generously.  

Former president Barack Obama headlined his first solo fundraiser for Kamala Harris in Los Angeles on Friday night, bringing in $4 million for her campaign as he framed the election as a struggle against radical forces in America that want to take the country backward.

The event was part of the increasingly active role that Obama is playing in Harris’s effort as he wields his popularity within the Democratic Party to power grassroots fundraising and to galvanize younger voters to turn out in what could be a margin-of-error race.

The Harris campaign recently featured clips from his Democratic National Convention speech mocking Donald Trump’s “weird obsession with crowd sizes” in one of its ads to needle the Republican nominee just before his debate with Harris.

So far this presidential campaign cycle, the events where Obama has been featured and the grassroots fundraising appeals that he has signed have generated at least $76 million, according to his office.

In the short time that she has been in the presidential race, Harris has opened a wide cash advantage over Trump. Friday night, reports filed with the Federal Election Commission showed that she raised more than four times as much as Trump did in August.

The private event Friday night was held at the Los Angeles home of James Costos, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Spain and Andorra under Obama, and his partner, Michael S. Smith, who was White House decorator when Obama was president.

Before a gathering of more than 65 people, Obama argued that the nation and the world are at “a crossroads” where demographic changes, globalization and the information revolution have “disrupted the old order” and made “us vulnerable to the appeals of fear and anger and tribe,” according to excerpts of his remarks provided by his office.

Obama described Harris’s campaign as an effort to guard against those destructive forces and usher in a future that would create an economy “where everybody has enough” and Americans don’t see the changes occurring in society as a zero-sum game where “if somebody gains, somebody must lose.”

“That’s what my election was about back in 2008 … and we’ve now gone through 16 years of continuing struggle to move in a direction in which it’s not radical,” Obama said.

He told attendees that Harris, who has been a friend for two decades, “can make us proud on the world stage about what America stands for, as opposed to embarrassing us.”

“We’re still going to have free markets and we’re still going to have our liberties, and Americans are still going to be doing the weird things that we do. But we can make sure that it’s a little bit gentler, a little bit kinder, a little bit more generous, a little bit less unequal, a little bit more inclusive.”

Obama and Harris met when he was running for Senate in Illinois. She became one of the earliest supporters of his 2008 bid for president – traveling to Iowa to knock doors for him at a moment when many of the Democratic Party’s power brokers had lined up behind Hillary Clinton.

Obama served as a sounding board for Harris when she became vice president. He also actively raised money for President Joe Biden, his former vice president, when he was still in the race. That included a star-studded Los Angeles fundraiser with George Clooney and Julia Roberts in June and a New York fundraiser with Biden and former president Bill Clinton in March.

After Biden’s faltering debate performance against Trump, Obama told allies that Biden’s path to victory had diminished and that he needed to seriously consider the viability of his candidacy – creating some resentment among Biden loyalists.

Harris and Obama have been in especially close touch over the past two months as she was elevated to the top of the ticket after Biden withdrew from the race. The former president has offered to help with strategic advice, fundraising and get-out-the-vote efforts, including a major push with creators on social media this week for National Voter Registration Day. Several of the top advisers on his presidential campaigns are now involved with Harris’s campaign.

Both leaders have faced similar attacks from Trump and the conservative right on their mixed-race heritage. For years, Trump falsely claimed that Obama wasn’t born in the United States as he questioned the former president’s qualifications for the office.

After Harris became Biden’s running mate in 2020, Trump tried similar tactics by falsely claiming that there were questions about her eligibility as she was poised to become the first Black and Asian American vice president.

When Trump baselessly questioned the racial identity of Harris – the daughter of an Indian mother and Jamaican father – during a forum hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists, Harris rebuffed his assertion that she “happened to turn Black” by alluding to his many years perpetuating the “birther” movement’s lies about Obama. “Same old tired playbook,” she said during a CNN interview. “Next question, please.”

Attendees of Obama’s fundraiser for Harris in Los Angeles included Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos and his wife, Nicole Avant, a producer and author who served as the U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas during Obama’s administration. Others who attended included actress Jennifer Coolidge and comedian Conan O’Brien.

The former president said Friday that he wished he had a four- or five-point plan to win the election, but “truthfully, the plan is we’re going to push through it.”

“If we win – when we win – it won’t solve all the crazy that’s out there,” he said. “But each time we win, it’s solidifying this new future. It is ushering in these new possibilities. Eventually, that will become the new normal and the new reality.”

(c) Washington Post

Israel is currently investigating reports suggesting that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar may be dead, following intelligence that emerged during recent military operations in Gaza. While the possibility is considered highly unlikely, military intelligence is pursuing all leads, according to Israeli journalist Ben Caspit. The Walla news site reports that the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency, has rejected the notion that Sinwar is dead, maintaining that he is still alive. Caspit noted that a source close to the matter explained, “There have also been times in the past when he disappeared, and we thought he was dead, but then he reappeared.” The investigation is based on claims that Sinwar may have been killed during Israel Defense Forces (IDF) strikes in Gaza, but conclusive evidence is yet to be found. In response to the report, Israeli journalist Barak Ravid posted on X, quoting officials with direct knowledge of the situation who said that Jerusalem does not have intelligence supporting the theory of Sinwar’s death. “It is all hopes and guesses which are based on the fact that Sinwar has been incommunicado in recent weeks,” Ravid quoted one Israeli official. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The IDF reported that a UAV launched from Iraq crossed into Israeli territory through Syria earlier today, prompting sirens in the southern Golan Heights and Beit She’an Valley areas. Several interceptors were deployed in response to the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). No injuries or damage were reported, and the IDF has confirmed that the incident has now concluded. The situation is being closely monitored for any further developments.

One of the terrorists who murdered Matan Elmaleh, 26, from Ma’ale Adumim, and wounded six others in February, has been lying in a vegetative state in Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Yerushalayim ever since.

The hospital, frustrated that the terrorist has taken up a valuable bed for the past seven months, wants him gone, noting there is no reason he can’t be treated elsewhere, including by his family.

The police, expending resources to guard him, also wants to be free of the responsibility. The police turned to the military court, asking that the comatose terrorist be removed from the hospital.

The military court agreed to the request, but set a condition that the terrorist’s family pay 20,000 shekels ($5,300). However, the family isn’t paying, as it’s comfortable with having him cared for at the hospital, Channel 13 reported.

“The military court determined that due to the terrorist’s medical condition, he can be released from custody under restrictive conditions, which include a financial deposit. Since his family did not meet the conditions set forth, the terrorist remains in the hospital in a detainee status—and accordingly, the police continue to guard him,” the police said.

There is also a dispute between the police and Shin Bet (Israeli Security Agency) over which branch has responsibility for the terrorist.

Three terrorists carried out the attack on Feb. 22 on the Route 1 highway near Ma’ale Adumim, 4.3 miles east of Yerushalayim in Yehuda.

The Shin Bet identified them as Mohamed Zawahra, 26, from Ta’amra, his brother, Kathem Zawahra, 31, from Bet Lechem and Ahmed al-Wash, 31, a resident of Za’atara.

Police said the terrorists were armed with assault rifles and a grenade.

The terrorists arrived in two cars and parked a distance of one kilometer (0.6 miles) from each other in the middle of the highway, creating a traffic jam. They exited their cars and began firing at the blocked vehicles.

One Israeli who assisted in killing the terrorist, Hanania Ben Shimon, was an IDF reservist who had just been released from service in the Gaza Strip a week and a half prior.

Waiting in a car with his mother on the way to his job as a tour guard, he leapt out of his vehicle and engaged one of the terrorists at point-blank range, killing him. Ben Shimon was wounded in the exchange of gunfire.

Two of the terrorists were killed by Israeli security forces and armed civilians.

(JNS)

Russian launched new strikes in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv that hit high-rise apartment buildings, leaving at least 21 wounded in a second consecutive nighttime attack. The bombs fell Saturday night on the district of Shevchenkivsky, north of the center of Kharkiv, which is the second-largest Ukrainian city, local Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said. Nine residential buildings sustained varying degrees of damage, including 16- and nine-story buildings, he added. The wounded included an 8-year-old child, according to Syniehubov and Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov. Terekhov said that 60 residents were evacuated from one of the buildings. Kharkiv has been a frequent target of Russian attacks since Moscow launched its all-out invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022. The attack came after another late Friday that wounded 15 people, including children ages 10 and 12, as Russian airstrikes hit three Kharkiv neighborhoods, Terekhov said. Ukrainian officials said that KAB-type aerial glide bombs — a retrofitted Soviet weapon that has for months laid waste to eastern Ukraine — were used in both attacks. Russia also launched 80 Shahed drones and two missiles at Ukraine overnight into Sunday, the Ukrainian air force said. Ukrainian air defense shot down 71 drones, and another six were lost on location due to electronic warfare countermeasures, the statement said. Farther south, a 12-year-old girl and a woman died after a Russian drone struck a passenger car in the city of Nikopol, local Gov. Serhii Lysak reported. Two others, including a 4-year-old child, suffered wounds. A Russian artillery strike also killed one person in the eastern town of Kurakhove, regional prosecutors said late Saturday, as Russian forces continue their grinding advance westwards through Ukraine’s industrial Donetsk province. A Russian drone strike on Sunday morning wounded two civilians in Ukraine’s southern city of Kherson, regional authorities said. Hours later, local police reported that Russian attacks wounded at least four more people elsewhere in the Kherson province. Other Russian drone attacks Sunday damaged energy infrastructure in Ukraine’s central Poltava region and the northern city of Shostka, local officials reported. Shostka lies in the Sumy region, across the border from Russia’s Kursk province — the target of a startling Ukrainian military incursion launched last month. Weeks into the incursion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelneskyy said that the aim is to create a buffer zone to prevent further Russian cross-border strikes that have for months wreaked havoc in Sumy. (AP)

A disoriented President Biden stumbled and scolded his aides after losing track of which world leader he was supposed to introduce during a press event at the Quad summit on Saturday.

The 81-year-old president was expected to bring India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the podium, but appeared confused about which of the three visiting leaders he was supposed to call on.

“Thank you all for being here and now, uhh, who am I introducing next? Who’s next?” Biden shouted after finishing his speech.

A voice then announced that Modi — leader of the world’s largest democracy — was up next, and shortly afterward, Modi came forward and shook hands with Biden.

The president has been hosting the Quad allies at his residence in Wilmington, Delaware, for a brief, two-day summit, as these foreign leaders visit the US for the United Nations General Assembly.

The Quad — an alliance aimed at countering China’s influence — is made up of the US, Japan, India, and Australia.

“By the way, he’s from a small country like ours. A small population like ours,” Biden quipped while hugging Modi, 74. “He’s become a good and decent man. A good friend.”

India, with roughly 1.4 billion people, is the world’s most populous country, while the US ranks third, with a population of 333 million.

Earlier in his remarks, Biden introduced a global extension of his Cancer Moonshot initiative and spoke about the death of his son, Beau, who passed away from brain cancer in 2015.

This new initiative involves a partnership between the four nations and aims to decrease cancer-related deaths.

“I’m proud to announce that our four countries, the leaders behind me, and many organizations here today are committing over $150 million for HPV, HPV screening, and therapeutics,” Biden stated.

“Next year, doctors and nurses in the US Navy will start a program to train Indo-Pacific counterparts in cervical cancer screening and vaccination, so we can reach every woman in the region — and it matters folks.”

Throughout his time in office, Biden has faced criticism over similar incidents of confusion or memory lapses during significant public events.

Last year, for instance, Biden accidentally walked into a large flag at the United Nations and appeared to ignore Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva by leaving the stage without shaking his hand.

At 81, Biden holds the distinction of being the oldest president in American history, though Donald Trump could surpass that record if he wins the Nov. 5 election and serves a full second term.

Amid concerns over Biden’s mental sharpness, some Democrats have pushed back, urging him to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race, which has left him seen as a lame-duck president.

During a Cabinet meeting on Friday, first lady Jill Biden raised eyebrows by speaking on her husband’s behalf for much of the meeting, and she later hosted an event in the Rose Garden without him.

This weekend’s gathering may be Biden’s final summit with the Quad Alliance leaders before leaving the White House. The president had tried to personalize the two-day event in an effort to further solidify his bond with these key partners.

“Our countries are more strategically aligned than ever before,” Biden said at the summit. “While challenges will come, the world will change, because the Quad is here to stay.”

Later this week, Biden is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, marking Zelensky’s fifth public visit to the US since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

Zelensky plans to discuss a “Plan for Victory” with Biden and will also meet with Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as former President Trump. His visit includes a speech before the UN General Assembly’s 79th session in New York City.

On Tuesday, Biden is scheduled to deliver a speech at the UN and will have meetings with other world leaders throughout the week.

Following the Nov. 5 election, Biden is anticipated to attend his final Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Peru and his last G20 summit, which will take place in Brazil.

{Matzav.com}

On Sunday, over a dozen members of Hatzolah of Central Jersey joined emergency services from across the county at the Ocean County Training Center for a comprehensive Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) training drill. The exercise simulated a car crashing into a large food festival, resulting in dozens of injured individuals. The drill also incorporated a hazardous materials (hazmat) component, adding complexity to the real-world emergency response scenario. The drill was organized to enhance the skills and collaboration of Ocean County’s first responders. Participants practiced managing a large-scale incident, from triaging patients to working alongside fire, EMS, and hazmat teams. “Being prepared for an MCI is something we hope we never have to use, but it’s critical,” said Abe Rozmarin, a Hatzolah paramedic and member of its Training Committee. “These drills ensure that our EMTs and paramedics are fully prepared to respond to any emergency, no matter how complicated.” The addition of the hazmat element presented unique challenges, simulating hazardous substances that could pose serious threats during a real-life incident. Meir Lichtenstein, who also attended the drill, emphasized the importance of readiness: “In situations like these, seconds count. This drill provided us with the necessary practice to make sure we can respond swiftly and effectively when every moment matters.” Hatzolah EMT and Dispatch Committee member Moshe Kupferstein noted, “Training like this is invaluable. It tests our coordination with other emergency services and reinforces the importance of seamless communication. This collaboration can be the difference between life and death in a real incident.” Hatzolah EMT Moshe Neuberger also highlighted the value of these exercises: “It’s not just about responding to one emergency; it’s about preparing for any challenge, including multiple hazards. The dedication of everyone involved ensures we’re ready for whatever comes our way.” Hatzolah Executive Director and Ocean County EMS Coordinator Motty Twerski further stressed the importance of continuous training. “Our ability to work closely with other emergency services during these drills is essential. In a real MCI, it’s the coordinated efforts between agencies that save lives.” Hatzolah of Central Jersey regularly engages in advanced training to ensure its members stay at the forefront of emergency response techniques and procedures. The MCI drill was another important step in maintaining the readiness of its members. “This kind of exercise is essential for us,” said Hatzolah Captain Motty Waisbrodt. “It pushes our team to respond quickly, efficiently, and safely, even in scenarios that involve multiple hazards. We’re proud of the dedication our members showed during this drill and are ready to continue serving in any emergency.”

Reports indicate that each explosion of pagers detonated in Lebanon on Tuesday, injuring numerous Hezbollah operatives, was deliberately triggered, with the attackers aware of their specific targets, their locations, and the presence of others nearby, according to Israel’s Channel 12.

The channel’s extensive coverage cites Israeli and international sources, stating that the attackers were meticulous in ensuring that only the pager’s owner would be harmed. An unnamed foreign security official remarked, “Each pager had its own arrangements. That’s how it was possible to control who was hit and who wasn’t.”

The report details that the assailants knew the individuals accompanying the targets to prevent civilian injuries, referencing footage where a man appeared to be killed by his pager next to a produce stand. “They knew who he was with and where he was, so that the vegetable seller in the supermarket would not be hurt” when the pager went off.

Channel 12 adds several fresh insights about the unprecedented incident, which Hezbollah has attributed to Israel, although the latter has not officially confirmed its involvement. An unnamed foreign security source claimed that “tens of thousands of pagers” were manufactured, designed to function normally so that users would not suspect any tampering. The devices needed to look and feel like standard pagers.

Ronen Bergman, an investigative journalist for The New York Times and Yedioth Ahronoth, stated in the report that the entire operation was conceived by an exceptionally talented female intelligence operative, under 30 years old, situated somewhere in the Middle East.

According to the report, those behind the plan established a factory to create the devices from the ground up, ensuring that “it won’t be a device that we will tamper with; it will be a device that we will produce.” This conclusion was also echoed by The New York Times in its Thursday article.

The ability to provide these devices to Hezbollah was aided by the group’s inability to make direct purchases in the market due to suppliers’ concerns over U.S. sanctions, forcing them to rely on intermediaries for their needs.

Channel 12 further mentions that following a request from IDF and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to target Hezbollah on October 10, instead of focusing solely on Hamas after the October 7 invasion and massacre, “it is reasonable to assume” that the detonation of these devices would have occurred, likely followed by significant airstrikes against Hezbollah.

In reality, the IDF prioritized operations in Gaza, while Hezbollah continued to launch attacks on northern Israel.

The report, which has been vetted by Israeli military censors, states that Hezbollah acquired more pagers after the death of its military chief, Fuad Shukr, in a targeted IDF strike in Beirut last July. This incident led to a broader usage of pagers within the organization, stemming from its increasing caution regarding mobile phone communications. Hezbollah had long feared that Israel would target its cellphone networks amid heightened tensions, thus adopting pagers more widely.

While Channel 12 reiterates the commonly held view that the detonations were prompted by fears of exposure for the Trojan Horse devices, it also cites a foreign security source disputing this narrative, suggesting instead that Israel felt compelled to intensify its operations against Hezbollah.

Amos Yadlin, a former IDF intelligence chief, broadly asserts that Israel aims to demonstrate to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah that his assaults on the north “are costing him more than he’s gaining,” especially concerning support within Lebanon.

The report indicates that it was seen as “preferable” for the numerous Hezbollah fighters affected by the pager explosions to sustain serious injuries rather than fatalities, as this would significantly strain Lebanon’s healthcare system and, in turn, increase domestic pressure on Hezbollah.

A foreign security source told Channel 12 that the pager detonations should not be viewed as a strategic offensive, emphasizing that Israel possesses much more advanced capabilities.

The source elaborated that Israel has invested years in developing these far-reaching capabilities against Hezbollah and Iran, but not as much against Hamas—likely due to underestimating the threat posed by the latter. This discrepancy partially accounts for the inability to avert the October 7 incident. The capabilities employed thus far in Lebanon are considered “relatively low-level,” the source noted.

Eyal Hulata, a former National Security Adviser, remarked to Channel 12 after the report aired that many Israelis have been diligently working for years to enhance security capabilities for the nation. “There are more capabilities like these,” he asserted, referencing the recent developments in Lebanon. Given the erosion of public confidence in the security establishment following the October 7 failures, it is crucial for Israelis to be aware of this, according to Hulata, who also previously led the Mossad’s technological branch.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Facing a swirl of conflicts and crises across a fragmented world, leaders attending this week’s annual U.N. gathering are being challenged: Work together — not only on front-burner issues but on modernizing the international institutions born after World War II so they can tackle the threats and problems of the future. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued the challenge a year ago after sounding a global alarm about the survival of humanity and the planet: Come to a “Summit of the Future” and make a new commitment to multilateralism – the foundation of the United Nations and many other global bodies – and start fixing the aging global architecture to meet the rapidly changing world. The U.N. chief told reporters last week that the summit “was born out of a cold, hard fact: international challenges are moving faster than our ability to solve them.” He pointed to “out-of-control geopolitical divisions” and “runaway” conflicts, climate change, inequalities, debt and new technologies like artificial intelligence which have no guardrails. The two-day summit starts Sunday, two days before the high-level meeting of world leaders begins at the sprawling U.N. compound in New York City. Whether it takes even a first step toward the future remains to be seen. There was no final agreement Saturday on its main outcome document – a lengthy pact that requires support from all 193 U.N. member nations to be adopted. Diplomats said Russia and a few others still had objections to the final text. “Leaders must ask themselves whether this will be yet another meeting where they simply talk about greater cooperation and consensus, or whether they will show the imagination and conviction to actually forge it,” said Agnès Callamard, the secretary-general of Amnesty International. “If they miss this opportunity, I shudder to think of the consequences. Our collective future is at stake.” This is the UN’s biggest week of the year The summit is the prelude to this year’s high-level meeting, held every September. More than 130 presidents, prime ministers and monarchs are slated to speak along with dozens of ministers, and the issues at the summit are expected to dominate their speeches and private meetings, especially the wars in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan and the growing possibility of a wider Mideast war. “There is going to be a rather obvious gap between the Summit of the Future, with its focus on expanding international cooperation, and the reality that the U.N. is failing in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan,” said Richard Gowan, U.N. director for the International Crisis Group. “Those three wars will be top topics of attention for most of the week.” One notable moment at Tuesday’s opening assembly meeting: U.S. President Joe Biden’s likely final major appearance on the world stage, a platform he has tread upon and reveled in for decades. At the upcoming meetings, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters this week: “The most vulnerable around the world are counting on us to make progress, to make change, to bring about a sense of hope for them.” To meet the many global challenges, she said, the U.S. focus at the U.N. meetings will be on ending “the scourge of war.” Roughly 2 billion people live in conflict-affected areas, she said. Last September, the war in Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, took center stage at […]

A cartoon tying anti-Israel Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) to Hezbollah sparked anti-Muslim-bias allegations by her and her supporters, as well as pushback by critics who noted her sympathy for Islamist terrorism.

It will “incite more hate and violence against Arab and Muslim communities,” Tlaib wrote on X about the cartoon, which National Review published on Friday.

Created by Henry Payne, the cartoon shows Tlaib at a desk with a smoking pager and the caption: “Odd, my pager just exploded.”

On Sept. 17, thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah operatives exploded in Lebanon and Syria, killing at least a dozen and wounding thousands more in what Iranian terror proxy said was an Israeli attack. The following day, additional Hezbollah devices exploded.

The controversy around the cartoon highlighted allegations of racism by advocates of Tlaib and other far-left Democrats. It also underlined conservatives’ criticism of the slide by some Democrats towards anti-Israel vitriol and acceptance of jihadist terrorism.

Tlaib, a Palestinian American, has a history of appearing alongside terrorists at events. In 2019, she posed with Abbas Hamideh, a Hezbollah apologist and activist for Israel’s destruction, at her swearing-in ceremony in Detroit. In May of this year, she spoke at the People’s Conference for Palestine event in Detroit that also featured Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) member Wisam Rafeedie.

Like Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups, Tlaib is on record as opposing a two-state solution in favor of the maximalist one-state model, which is shorthand for the dismantling of Jewish self-governance. She has denied Israel’s right to exist and has used the “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free” slogan, which is widely understood to be a call to ethnically cleanse the Land of Israel of Jews.

Congress voted last November to censure the congresswoman for “calling for the destruction of the State of Israel” in connection with her use of that slogan.

Several Tlaib advocates joined her in condemning the cartoon, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who wrote on X: “The way Islamophobia and anti-Arab hatred is so deeply normalized and accepted in our politics is horrifying.”

Abdullah H. Hammoud, the mayor of Dearborn, Michigan, which has a sizeable Muslim community, wrote on X: “Absolutely disgusting. Anti-Arab bigotry & Islamophobia have become normalized in our media.”

Marina Medvin, a well-known conservative columnist and jurist, noted that the Dearborn-based Islamic Center of America on Friday hosted a vigil for the Hezbollah terrorists who were targeted on Sept. 17.

“You won’t believe this — or maybe you will: Rashida Tlaib’s Dearborn Michigan crowd is hosting a vigil for Hezbollah pager patrons,” Medvin wrote on X, attaching a banner advertising the event.

Brianna Wu, the executive director of Rebellion PAC, a progressive organization, on Sept. 19 aired her disappointment with Tlaib and Ocasio-Cortez over their stance on anti-Israel terrorism.

“I am extremely frustrated to see AOC, who I used to think was one of the best politicians in the entire country, whitewash Hezbollah. I used to deeply respect Rashida Tlaib, who I thought was one of the most pragmatic leaders in the progressive movement. She’s proven herself to just be a flat out antisemite,” Wu wrote on X, where she has 170,000 followers.

Payne, the cartoonist, told journalist Simon Shaykhet of the ABC-affiliated WXYZ Detroit station that his cartoon was part of a series of works that looks at Tlaib’s “lack of congressional leadership in failing to support Israel’s battle for survival,” as “Jews are under an existential threat from Iran and its Hamas-Hezbollah proxies not seen since WWII.”

National Review has so far resisted calls to remove the cartoon. JNS

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Supreme Court on Sunday rejected the petition aimed at disqualifying HaRav Dovid Yosef’s candidacy for the position of Chief Rabbi of Israel. The judges ruled unanimously that the petition should be dismissed, which effectively allows HaRav Yosef to continue his campaign to be elected to the position of Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel. The frivolous petition was filed by a left-wing organization due to statements HaRav Yosef made against the Reform movement in the past. HaRav Yosef’s lawyer stated that “in certain matters, he has the obligation to voice rebuke even if it rubs listeners the wrong way. After all, that is a core principle of freedom of expression.” The government’s position was that the petition should have been immediately dismissed but the Supreme Court decided to hold the hearing. The judges ruled unanimously that the petition should be rejected, reflecting its established stance of not interfering in public matters until the formal process is fully exhausted. The court deemed the petition as premature and “theoretical” as the Rav has not yet been elected to the position. HaRav Yosef officially submitted his candidacy forms to the election committee on Sunday. Last week, former Chief Rabbi HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Yosef publicly expressed support for his brother’s candidacy HaRav Yosef is widely expected to receive a majority of votes and secure the position. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Hezbollah leaders killed in an airstrike on Friday were planning the same type of invasion Hamas carried out on Oct. 7 farther south, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in an interview with Britain’s Sky News on Sunday.

“We do not want to get into a war with Lebanon, but Lebanon has been hijacked by a terror organization which is also a political party in Lebanon called Hezbollah,” the president told senior news presenter Sir Trevor Phillips via satellite feed from Yerushalayim.

“It’s been armed to its teeth by the Iranian empire of evil, and all of these leaders who were eradicated on Friday by the Israeli attack, all of these leaders were meeting together in order to launch the same horrific, horrendous attack that we had on October 7 by Hamas, by burning Israelis, butchering them, raping their women, abducting and taking hostage old people and young, and little babies,” Herzog continued.

“So this is exactly the same plan that they’ve been planning for years under the empire of evil of Iran. So we are fighting, actually the war for the entire free world,” the president said.

On Friday, Israel bombed a building in Beirut, killing more than a dozen Hezbollah officers including Ibrahim Aqil, 61, who was the second top commander of Hezbollah killed since Oct. 7. This was preceded earlier in the week by a series of communication device explosions that killed dozens and wounded thousands of Hezbollah terrorists across Lebanon.

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a video statement on Friday that Aqil and the Radwan Force commanders at the meeting were discussing plans to carry out an Oct. 7-style invasion of Israel, which they called “Conquer the Galilee.”

“These terrorists planned to do in northern Israel what Hamas did in southern Israel on Oct. 7,” Hagari said.

A source close to Hezbollah confirmed to Al–Monitor that the meeting in the Dahiya neighborhood of Beirut was convened to study “plans for a ground operation in the heart of the occupied territories [i.e., Israel]” in response to the communication device attacks.

During the Sky News interview, Herzog stressed that “we are working to change this equation, meaning we have to bring our hostages back from Gaza, and we have to make sure that this attack does not recur from Gaza, and we have to make sure that this attack does not recur again from Lebanon. That’s all there is. It’s very simple, and life can go on in a peaceful manner on an internationally recognized boundary between Israel and Lebanon.”

Herzog also had choice words from the government in London, which hasn’t always seen eye-to-eye with Jerusalem during the campaign against Hamas and other Iranian-supported terrorist groups.

“I believe our friends should understand that we are fighting their war too. In the long term, you have to understand that there is an empire of evil which really thinks and believes as part of an ideology in the jihadist ideology, in conquering the Middle East and moving on into Europe and the rest of the world,” he said.

“They call you Satans. They want to plant bombs in your cities all over the world. Hezbollah has terror cells situated in countries all over the world so and you ask yourself, why? How come Iran armed a tribe in Yemen called the Houthis on the shore of the Red Sea, and they’re affecting the cost of living of each and every British family or European family or American family [by attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea]?

“This cannot go on. We expect that all our allies will be side-by-side with us in combating this terrible situation and fighting like we are to bring back our hostages home. There are 101 Israeli hostages, already 352 days they are in the dungeons of Gaza,” Herzog said. JNS

{Matzav.com Israel}

The Federal Reserve gave home shoppers what they hoped for this week: a big rate cut and a signal of more cuts to come. Even so, aspiring homebuyers and homeowners eager to refinance should temper their expectations of a big drop in mortgage rates from here. While the Fed doesn’t set mortgage rates, its policy pivot does clear a path for mortgage rates to go lower. But in this case, the Fed’s action was widely anticipated, so rates moved lower well before the cut was even announced. “We’ve seen the bulk of the easing that we’re going to get already this year,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com. “I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if mortgage rates ticked up a bit from here before declining again.” What’s up with mortgage rates? When mortgage rates rise, they can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage rose from below 3% in September 2021 to a 23-year high of 7.8% last October. That coincided with the Fed jacking up its benchmark interest rate to fight inflation. Rates have been mostly declining since July in anticipation of a Fed rate cut. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage is now 6.09%, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac. That’s down from 7.22% in May, its peak so far this year. Even a modest drop in mortgage rates can translate into significant savings over the long run. For a home listed at last month’s median U.S. sales price of $416,700, a buyer in Los Angeles who makes a 20% down payment at the current average mortgage rate would save about $312 a month compared to the cost of buying the same home in May. So, it’s time to buy? While lower rates give home shoppers more purchasing power, a mortgage around 6% is still not low enough for many Americans struggling to afford a home. That’s mostly because home prices have soared 49% over the past five years, roughly double the growth in wages. They remain near record highs, propped up by a shortage of homes in many markets. Mortgage rates would have to drop back to near rock-bottom lows from three years ago, or home prices would have to fall sharply for many buyers to afford a home. Neither scenario is likely to happen any time soon. Economists and mortgage industry executives expect mortgage rates to remain near their current levels, at least this year. Fannie Mae this week projected the rate on a 30-year mortgage will average 6.2% in the October-December quarter and decline to an average of 5.7% in the same quarter next year. It averaged 7.3% in the same period in 2023. Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, including how the bond market reacts to the Fed’s interest rate decisions. That can move the trajectory of the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans. “Ultimately, the pace of mortgage and Fed rate declines will be dictated by economic data,” said Rob Cook, vice president at Discover Home Loans. “If future data shows that the economy is slowing more than expected, it would increase pressure for the Fed to take more aggressive action with rate cuts which would likely translate into lower mortgage rates available to consumers.” […]

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Federal authorities searched the homes of New York City’s newly named interim police commissioner and seized materials unrelated to his police work, he said. The unexplained and unexpected search comes as the administration of Mayor Eric Adams reels from other federal law enforcement investigations. Thomas Donlon, who became the interim commissioner just one week ago after the resignation of his predecessor, issued a statement late Saturday through the police department. “On Friday, September 20, federal authorities executed search warrants at my residences. They took materials that came into my possession approximately 20 years ago and are unrelated to my work with the New York City Police Department,” the statement said. “This is not a department matter, and the department will not be commenting,” he added. The statement did not address what the investigation was about, which federal authorities were involved or what materials had been seized. Fabien Levy, the city’s deputy mayor for communications, said: “As we have repeatedly said, we expect all team members to fully comply with any law enforcement inquiry.” Just a week ago, the previous police commissioner, Edward Caban, resigned after federal authorities seized his electronic devices as part of an investigation that also involved his brother, a former police officer. Federal agents also have seized phones in recent weeks from the head of the city’s public schools, a top deputy mayor, Adams’ top public safety adviser and others. Previously, investigators searched homes connected to Adams’ top campaign fundraiser and the Democrat’s Asian affairs director. Last autumn, federal agents also seized Adams’ phone as he left an event. Charges have not been brought in connection with any of those searches, and it was unclear whether there was any connection to the search involving Donlon, who wasn’t part of the Adams administration until a few days ago. An FBI spokesperson declined to comment. An email seeking comment from a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney in Manhattan was not immediately returned. A text sent to Adams’ top spokesperson late Saturday night also wasn’t immediately returned. Donlon spent decades with the FBI, where he worked on terrorism cases including the investigation into the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and a 2000 attack on a U.S. Navy destroyer. Roughly 20 years ago he was a top counterterrorism official for the FBI in New York. From 2009 to 2010, Donlon led New York state’s Office of Homeland Security before going into the private sector security industry. Adams appointed Donlon as his commissioner last week and he assumed the post on Sept. 13, one week ago Friday. The choice of an outsider with a long career in federal law enforcement — but no history of working with the NYPD — appeared at the time to be a potentially stabilizing move for the police department after Caban’s resignation. Caban and his brother, James Caban, who runs a nightlife security business, had both denied any wrongdoing through their lawyers. Through it all, Adams, who is in his first term, has said he won’t be distracted by the investigations and will continue to serve the city. (AP)