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The leader of the Secret Service stated on Friday that the agency did not adequately prepare or carry out its responsibilities ahead of the near-assassination of former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on July 13, promising that those accountable would be “held accountable.”

“This was a failure on the part of the US Secret Service,” acting director Ronald Rowe informed reporters after an internal review of the day’s incidents was released.

Rowe noted that the agency is primarily tasked with “the main responsibility of building the site plan” for events involving former presidents or other protectees, but failed to provide “clear guidance or direction to our local law enforcement partners” for the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

He added that there was “complacency” among some Secret Service agents involved in the security setup at the Butler Farm Show grounds, coupled with a breakdown in communication due to messages being “siloed” between federal and local teams.

Agents were only made aware of the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, being on the roof of the AGR building next to the rally site moments before he opened fire, having mistakenly assumed that local officers were monitoring that area.

The responsibility for the roof fell to federal agents on the scene that day, but no Secret Service official had instructed local law enforcement to cover it, as indicated by the five-page review first obtained by the Washington Post.

“It was about not giving state and locals clearer direction about what needed to be done at the AGR building,” Rowe remarked on Friday.

The report elaborated that “the local tactical team operating on the second floor of the AGR building,” which included a window directly behind the roof that Crooks utilized for his sniper position, “had no prior contact with Secret Service personnel before the rally.”

“Multiple law enforcement entities involved in securing the rally questioned the efficacy of that local sniper team’s positioning in the AGR building, yet there was no follow-up discussion about modifying their position,” the report states. “There was also no discussion with Secret Service advance personnel about positioning that team atop the AGR roof. Local sniper support were apparently not opposed to that location.”

Rather than consolidating all security personnel into a single command room, Butler County Emergency Services and the Secret Service operated from separate locations, and an “overreliance on mobile devices” resulted in federal counter-snipers being the last to learn about Crooks before he posed a threat.

“Some local police entities supporting the Butler venue had no knowledge that there were two separate communications centers on site (i.e., the Secret Service security room and the Butler County Emergency Services Mobile Command Post),” the report explains. “As a result, those entities were operating under a misimpression that the Secret Service was directly receiving their radio transmissions.”

Rowe also pointed out that “issues were [also] encountered the day of the visit with respect to line of sight concerns, but they were not escalated to supervisors.”

Additionally, a member of Trump’s security team attempted to operate a drone over the rally site prior to the event but encountered “technical difficulties.”

“It is possible that if this element of the advance had functioned properly, the shooter may have been detected as he flew his drone near the Butler Farm Show venue earlier in the day,” the report noted.

Since Trump’s near-assassination, the threat landscape has become “tremendous,” according to Rowe, prompting the agency to “significantly increase our security footprint” through the installation of more bulletproof glass and other technologies for protectees.

On Sunday, another would-be assassin, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, waited along the perimeter of the Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach in Florida for nearly 12 hours in anticipation of the former president’s arrival.

Routh never fired a shot, having been spotted by a Secret Service agent who was conducting a sweep ahead of Trump on the course, who then immediately engaged the gunman.

“The advance agent, who was part of the first element, whose goal was to sweep ahead, did his job,” Rowe commented. “That young man is a very young agent early in his career. His vigilance, his reaction is exactly how we trained and exactly what we want our personnel to do.”

“There were counter-sniper elements that were present with the former president on the golf course in proximity; there was an entire counter-assault team that was there in proximity; there was also a jump team in proximity,” Rowe added.

Routh was subsequently arrested and charged with two federal weapons offenses.

When asked multiple times whether the 45th president was receiving the same level of security coverage as President Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris, Rowe affirmed that the “highest levels” of the sitting president’s detail were also “being provided to the former president’s detail.”

However, Rowe clarified that this assurance applied only to the Secret Service, while U.S. presidents have additional security provided by the Department of Defense in conjunction with federal and local law enforcement.

Despite claiming that his agency required “additional resources” to sustain security levels for all protectees, Rowe stated that all “assets were approved” prior to the Butler rally.

He also dismissed the necessity of a bill that passed the House earlier on Friday, which would require the agency to offer equivalent security to presidents, vice presidents, and major candidates for these positions.

Rowe mentioned that vice presidential candidates JD Vance and Tim Walz had both been granted “high levels of Secret Service protection.”

The near-assassination incident in Butler is currently under investigation by Senate and House committees, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and its Office of Inspector General.

{Matzav.com}

On Friday, in a highly accurate airstrike, Israeli Air Force (IAF) jets, with intelligence support from the IDF’s Intelligence Directorate, successfully eliminated Ibrahim Aqil, the head of operations and commander of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, during a meeting with other Radwan Force leaders in the Dahieh neighborhood of Beirut.

The strike not only took out Aqil but also resulted in the deaths of 15 other Hezbollah terrorists, including key figures in the Radwan Force leadership structure.

Among those killed was Abu Hassan Samir, who oversaw the Radwan Force’s training division. He had held various leadership roles within Hezbollah and led the Radwan Force for a decade until the beginning of 2024. Samir played a central role in crafting the “Conquer the Galilee” attack strategy and was instrumental in Hezbollah’s efforts to strengthen its presence in southern Lebanon while enhancing its ground combat abilities. Over the years, and during the early stages of the conflict, he coordinated and led numerous shooting and infiltration attacks against Israeli territory.

The commanders from the Radwan Force who were eliminated in the strike included:

• Samer Abdul-Halim Halawi – Commander of the coastal region.
• Abbas Sami Maslamani – Commander of the Qana region.
• Abdullah Abbas Hajazi – Commander of the Ramim ridge.
• Muhammed Ahmad Reda – Commander of the Al-Khiam region.
• Hassan Hussein Madi – Commander of the Mount Dov area.

These commanders had long been planning and directing the Radwan Force’s strategy for launching attacks and infiltrations into Israel, awaiting the signal to execute these operations.

In addition, several high-ranking members within Hezbollah and the Radwan Force’s central command were killed:

• Hassan Yussef Abad Alssatar – The official responsible for Radwan Force operations, leading all fire operations for the group.
• Hussein Ahmad Dahraj – Chief of Staff of the Radwan Force, involved in arms transfers and strengthening the organization’s capabilities.

Aqil, along with these top commanders, were behind the planning and execution of hundreds of terrorist acts against Israel, including Hezbollah’s deadly scheme to launch raids into the Galilee region.

{Matzav.com}

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are now neck-and-neck in Virginia, which has surprisingly become a key battleground in the 2024 presidential election.

A recent poll from the University of Mary Washington revealed that Harris is supported by 47% of voters in Virginia, while Trump trails closely behind at 46%.

The poll, carried out by UMW’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies in collaboration with Research America between September 3-9, also factored in third-party candidates, who received 4% of the vote.

In a head-to-head scenario without third-party candidates, Harris’ lead widened slightly to 48% over Trump’s 46%.

Both sets of results fall within the poll’s margin of error, meaning the race remains statistically tied.

“This new survey indicates that both presidential campaigns need to pay more attention to Virginia,” said Stephen J. Farnsworth, a political scientist at UMW. “It looks like Virginia might once again be a ‘swing state’ this election cycle.”

This development is an unexpected blow for the Harris campaign, which had anticipated Virginia would be a secure win.

In the 2020 election, President Joe Biden won the state by a 10-point margin, and Hillary Clinton also claimed victory there in 2016.

Former President Barack Obama carried Virginia in both the 2012 and 2008 elections.

However, recent polling aligns with other surveys showing Virginia is becoming increasingly competitive as the race approaches its final stages. While Virginia has shifted more Republican in recent years, particularly with the election of GOP Governor Glenn Youngkin in 2021, many political analysts still consider it Harris’ race to lose.

{Matzav.com}

According to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic presidential nominee because she triumphed in “an open primary.”

Harris took over from President Joe Biden as the presumed nominee for the Democratic Party following his poor performance in a debate against former President Donald Trump on June 27.

The vice president was officially designated as the nominee during an August virtual roll call ballot conducted by the Democratic National Committee, even though she did not receive any votes in a primary election.

Reportedly, Pelosi, along with former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., played a significant role, alongside donors and celebrities like actor George Clooney, in pressuring Biden to conclude his reelection campaign.

In June, Politico reported that Pelosi emphasized the importance of an open process for selecting the next party nominee should Biden decide to step down, aiming to prevent the perception of Harris being crowned without competition.

Nonetheless, shortly after Biden made his announcement, the former speaker endorsed Harris.

When Semafor’s Kadia Goba questioned Pelosi about whether she had reconsidered her initial stance regarding the Democratic nomination, the former speaker went into damage control.

“I didn’t change my mind. We had an open primary, and she won it,” Pelosi asserted. “Nobody else got in the race because she was politically astute and that was the thought.”

As Goba tried to interject, seemingly saying “Well …,” Pelosi cut her off.

“Let’s show our talent,” Pelosi stated. “We have a great bench, all these great people in the country … and the president endorsed her, and that’s a big deal because Joe Biden is the most consequential president of modern times. He accomplished so much more.”

Pelosi reiterated her assertion regarding the existence of an open primary.

“It wasn’t that we didn’t have an open process,” Pelosi clarified. “It’s just that nobody got in because she had a running start.”

Biden had previously secured the Democratic Party presidential primary, garnering 87.09% of the vote, which totaled 14,465,519 votes.

Last month, the Daily Mail reported that Pelosi had threatened to go public with her apprehensions about Biden’s candidacy, leading to the president’s decision to withdraw from the race.

Biden’s unexpected exit followed Pelosi’s indication that she was ready to express her concerns publicly regarding his chances against Trump in November, according to the report.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli forces have raided Al Jazeera’s office in Ramallah, presenting staff with a military order to close it for 45 days. The Qatari news outlet shared footage of the event on social media. Israel had already banned the station in May, citing national security concerns after a law passed in April allowed for temporary 45-day bans, which can be extended by court approval. The Tel Aviv-Jaffa District Court has renewed the ban multiple times, most recently last week. In a June ruling, the court found a link between individuals involved in terror attacks and their consumption of Al Jazeera content, and claimed ties between the network and Hamas, accusing some reporters of aiding the group. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

In an official submission to a U.S. court, the United Nations, with the backing of the U.S. Department of Justice, is asserting that UNRWA employees involved in the October 7 massacre should be shielded from legal prosecution.

It has been revealed that 10% of UNRWA staff are connected to a terror organization, and at least 12 employees took part in the events of October 7: six were among the terrorists who crossed the border to join the assault, two assisted in kidnapping Israelis, another two were identified at locations where numerous Israelis were killed, and others helped manage logistics for the attack, including weapon procurement.

In the legal document presented to the U.S. court, it is argued that the UNRWA workers involved are immune from prosecution. “Since the UN has not waived their immunity in this case, its subsidiary organization, UNRWA, continues to enjoy absolute immunity from prosecution, and the lawsuit should be dismissed,” stated UNRWA in its response.

The U.S. Department of Justice supported this stance, adding: “The plaintiffs’ complaint does not present a theory under which the United Nations waived its immunity. Therefore, since the UN has not waived their immunity in this case, its subsidiary organization, UNRWA, continues to enjoy absolute immunity from prosecution, and the lawsuit against the defendant UNRWA should be dismissed due to the lack of subject matter.”

For some time now, Israel has been pushing for action against UNRWA, both domestically and internationally. This includes legal actions and efforts to pass legislation that would lead to the organization’s dissolution. In addition to governmental measures, Israeli groups have been privately advocating against UNRWA. Following the massacre, the IDF has killed multiple UNRWA employees, emphasizing that these individuals were either directly involved in the massacre or were supporting Hamas in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

{Matzav.com Israel}

This evening, after evaluating the current situation, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari revealed that starting at 8:30 PM tonight, adjustments will be made to the Home Front Command’s defense instructions.

These changes will impact the Lower Galilee, Upper Galilee, the Haifa Bay region, the Central Galilee, and certain communities in the southern Golan Heights (Jordan Valley), in alignment with the ongoing situational assessment.

Meanwhile, communities located along the confrontation line, in the northern Golan Heights, and in the southern Golan Heights will continue to follow the existing guidelines that remain unchanged.

As part of the situational review, several modifications have been introduced: outdoor gatherings will be restricted to a maximum of 30 individuals, while indoor events can accommodate up to 300 people. Employees are allowed to go to work, provided there is an accessible protected space. Educational activities may also proceed as long as these spaces are available for protection.

It is imperative that the public adhere to the instructions shared via official Home Front Command platforms. The most recent and complete directives are available on the National Emergency Portal and the Home Front Command app.

In response to queries after the announcement, Hagari emphasized that the guidelines for the rest of Israel remain the same. “If there are any changes overnight, I will inform the public,” he assured.

“In the past hour, we’ve been carrying out extensive strikes in southern Lebanon, following intelligence that Hezbollah was preparing to launch attacks on Israeli territory,” Hagari disclosed during the briefing. “At present, dozens of Israeli Air Force jets are hitting terrorist infrastructure and rocket launch sites to neutralize the threat to Israeli civilians.”

He continued, “We are systematically targeting Hezbollah’s launch capabilities, taking out commanders and militants, as we have been doing all day. Altogether, we have destroyed around 400 Hezbollah rocket launchers, along with thousands of rocket barrels.”

“As part of the situational assessment and operational needs, in the last few moments, the Minister of Defense signed a special order concerning the home front. We are exercising all necessary precautions, and tonight, we are upgrading the Home Front’s defensive measures from the Haifa area northward to ‘Level 2.’ This level means that from Haifa northward, work and educational activities can continue, provided that protected spaces can be reached within the designated time. Indoor gatherings are limited to 300 people, while outdoor events are restricted to 30 people. Full details are available on the Home Front Command’s website.”

“If any additional changes occur overnight or in the early hours, we will notify you immediately. We anticipate the possibility of rocket and other types of threats targeting Israeli territory soon, and we urge you to strictly comply with the Home Front Command’s defense protocols.”

“We are currently in a wartime situation, so maintaining vigilance is crucial. I will provide immediate updates here and on official channels if any adjustments are made to the defense guidelines.”

He further stated, “Yesterday, we conducted a precise strike in Beirut, successfully eliminating Ibrahim Aqil, the head of Hezbollah’s Operations Unit, along with 15 commanders from Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Unit. They were located in the heart of the Dahieh neighborhood in Beirut, hidden among the civilian population. They had convened to plan terror attacks and infiltrations into Israeli territory, but we knew their location and preempted them with a calculated and powerful operation led by the Intelligence Directorate and the Israeli Air Force.”

“We are fully prepared for what comes next and remain on high alert, both offensively and defensively. Israeli Air Force planes are armed and ready to strike anywhere, while our aerial defense systems are deployed and primed to intercept any threats.”

Following these developments, the beaches of the Kinneret have been closed to the public.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Former President Donald Trump announced today his intention to address the country’s migrant crisis if he is re-elected, advocating for Congress to abolish sanctuary city regulations that shield undocumented immigrants.

“Today, I am announcing a new plan to end all sanctuary cities in North Carolina and all across our country,” the Republican candidate declared to an audience of 10,000 at Aero Center Wilmington in North Carolina, according to the NY Post.

“I will ask Congress to pass a law outlawing sanctuary cities nationwide, and we will bring down the full weight of the federal government on any jurisdiction that refuses to cooperate” with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, he continued.

“As soon as I take office I will surge federal law enforcement to every city that is failing — which is a lot of them — to turn over criminal aliens, and we will hunt down and capture every single gang member, drug dealer, rapist, murderer and migrant criminal that is being illegally harbored,” Trump pledged.

“We will get them out of North Carolina and send them home where they belong.”

This marked his first outdoor rally since September 15, when authorities prevented a second assassination attempt against the former president.

During his speech lasting just over an hour in this critical swing state, Trump criticized the Harris-Biden administration, asserting that American democracy would be at risk if Democratic nominee Kamala Harris prevails in November.

He also dismissed the idea of debating Harris again, after she announced earlier that she had accepted CNN’s invitation for an October 23 debate.

Trump contended that Harris seeks a debate with him because she’s “losing” the race, despite polls indicating a tight contest, and because early voting has already started.

“She’s done one debate. I’ve done two,” said Trump, referencing his previous debate with President Biden.

Trump frequently ridiculed Harris’s public speaking style, referred to her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, as “weird,” and expressed his ambition to collaborate with Elon Musk to send humans to Mars if he wins again.

This rally in North Carolina was also Trump’s first since an explosive report surfaced alleging that the state’s GOP gubernatorial candidate, Mark Robinson, had previously identified himself as a black Nazi and suggested reinstating slavery in an online forum.

Robinson, who serves as the state’s lieutenant governor, has denied these claims and affirmed his intention to remain in the gubernatorial race.

Robinson was absent from the rally, and Trump did not mention him in his address. Nevertheless, the Trump campaign informed The Post that they will continue to support the full GOP slate in North Carolina, which includes Robinson.

{Matzav.com}

Around 1:10 a.m. on Sunday morning, sirens began blaring, warning over 70 northern Israeli communities of an imminent rocket attack.

Included among the locations were Yokne’am, Nazareth, Afula, various towns in the Lower Galilee, Jezreel Valley, and the Carmel region.

Early reports indicated that Hezbollah had launched its Fajr-5 missile for the first time since 2006. One person was reported injured. Fortunately, Israel’s missile defense systems successfully intercepted most of the rockets.

Hezbollah took credit for the rocket assault, stating, “We fired rockets at the air force base in Ramat David in response to the Israeli attacks.”

Meanwhile, power outages were reported in Afula and nearby areas.

The IDF released a statement: “Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in the Jezreel Valley area, approximately 10 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory. Most of the projectiles were intercepted and a fallen projectile was identified in the area. The incident is under review.”

Magen David Adom reported that a 60-year-old man sustained very minor injuries from a rocket fragment that landed near a village in the Lower Galilee after being intercepted.

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is currently engaged in a security consultation with ministers and high-ranking defense officials. As a precaution, Israeli airspace from Hadera northwards will remain closed until Tuesday.

The Diplomatic-Security Cabinet is scheduled to convene at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday evening in Tel Aviv to address the situation and evaluate further actions.

At approximately 12:40 a.m. on Sunday morning, the IDF confirmed the conclusion of its most recent round of airstrikes in Lebanon.

“Since the afternoon, with the guidance of the IDF Intelligence Directorate, the IAF struck approximately 290 targets, including thousands of launcher barrels, alongside additional terrorist infrastructure in multiple areas in southern Lebanon,” the IDF’s statement explained.

“Over the past few hours, in an additional series of strikes, the IDF struck approximately 110 Hezbollah terrorist targets, including launchers and terrorist infrastructure in multiple areas in southern Lebanon.

“The IDF will continue operating to dismantle and degrade Hezbollah’s capabilities and terrorist infrastructure.”

{Matzav.com}

Tonight, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the IDF spokesperson, announced that Israeli forces had successfully taken down two of the militants involved in the killing of six Israeli hostages in Gaza.

In a live briefing, Hagari stated, “In Gaza, we continue operating to dismantle Hamas’ military wing. We have not forgotten, even for a moment, the hostages, and we are doing everything possible to bring them home.”

He continued, “This evening, we informed the families of Hersh, Eden, Ori, Alex, Almog, and Carmel, may their memories be a blessing, that we eliminated two terrorists who had held them captive in a tunnel in the Rafah area.

“The day after the hostages were killed, troops from the 162nd Division spotted two terrorists emerging from an underground tunnel shaft in the Tel al-Sultan area. During the confrontation, the soldiers neutralized them. After a thorough investigation of the tunnel and the items found on the terrorists, we uncovered DNA evidence and personal belongings linked to them. The evidence strongly suggests that these terrorists were the same ones responsible for holding the six hostages, whose bodies were found in the tunnel.

“The findings indicate they were present when the murders occurred, and we are currently investigating their direct involvement. Should more information come to light, we will inform the families first and then the public. Our mission remains to locate and bring all those responsible for this brutal crime to justice, and we will not cease until that happens.”

Earlier this month, an initial IDF inquiry shed light on the dire conditions under which the six hostages were confined within Gaza’s tunnel system.

The IDF shared these grim findings with the hostages’ families, revealing the extreme hardship and suffering endured by the hostages before they were ultimately murdered by Hamas.

According to the report, the hostages were killed approximately ten days before the Israeli forces reached the tunnel. Some evidence suggests that a few of the hostages resisted and fought back against their captors.

The captives were forced to survive in a cramped, confined space within the tunnel, barely able to stand. Only two individuals could lie down at any given time due to the narrow width of the tunnel. The lack of ventilation exacerbated their plight, making it difficult to breathe.

Without access to proper sanitation, the hostages had to rely on water bottles for both drinking and rudimentary washing. Starvation and malnutrition were also evident, with reports noting that Eden Yerushalmi’s weight had dropped to 36 kilograms (79 pounds).

Upon investigating, the IDF found a generator, a small flashlight, a chessboard, writing tools, and notebooks. These notebooks were secured by security personnel and will be returned to the victims’ families.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Madison Ventures Plus managing director Mitch Roschelle explains how Trump’s promise to revive the state and local tax deduction will affect the housing market on ‘Varney & Co.’

WATCH:

Israeli forces have raided Al Jazeera’s offices in Ramallah and imposed a 45-day closure. Heavily armed, masked Israeli soldiers entered the building and handed the order to the network’s Walid al-Omari early on Sunday. They did not provide a reason for the decision. “There is a court ruling for closing down Al Jazeera for 45 days,” a soldier told al-Omari as Al Jazeera Arabic broadcast the conversation live. “I ask you to take all the cameras and leave the office at this moment.”  

About 130 U.S. soldiers are returning to their bases after being deployed last week to a remote Alaska island with mobile rocket launchers amid a spike in Russian military activity off the western reaches of the U.S., a military official said Thursday. The deployment to Shemya Island involved soldiers from Alaska, Washington and Hawaii with the 11th Airborne Division and the 1st and 3rd Multi Domain Task Forces, Sgt. 1st Class Michael Sword, a spokesperson for the 11th Airborne, said in an email to The Associated Press. The deployment coincided with eight Russian military planes and four navy vessels, including two submarines, traveling close to Alaska as Russia and China conducted joint military drills. None of the planes breached U.S. airspace. A Pentagon spokesperson said earlier this week that there was no cause for alarm. Maj. Gen. Joseph Hilbert, commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division, has told media the deployment to the island 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometers) southwest of Anchorage was done at the right time. The deployment occurred Sept. 12. The North American Aerospace Defense Command said it detected and tracked Russian military planes operating off Alaska over a four-day span. There were two planes each on Sept. 11, Sept. 13, Sept. 14 and Sept. 15. The exercise was a measure of the military’s readiness to deploy troops and equipment, Sword said. “It’s a great opportunity to test ourselves in real-world conditions, and another benefit to being stationed in a place like Alaska,” Sword said. The Russian military planes operated in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone, NORAD said. That is beyond U.S. sovereign air space but an area in which aircraft are expected to identify themselves. The frequency of Russian airplanes entering the zone varies yearly. NORAD has said the average was six or seven a year, but it has increased recently. There were 26 instances last year and 25 so far this year. The U.S. Coast Guard’s 418-foot (127-meter) homeland security vessel Stratton was on routine patrol in the Chukchi Sea when it tracked four Russian Federation Navy vessels about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northwest of Point Hope, the agency said Sunday. Besides the two submarines, the convoy included a frigate and a tugboat. The Coast Guard said the vessels crossed the maritime boundary into U.S. waters to avoid sea ice, which is permitted under international rules and customs. In 2022 a U.S. Coast Guard ship came across three Chinese and four Russian naval vessels sailing in single formation about 85 miles (140 kilometers) north of Kiska Island in the Bering Sea. (AP)

Hunter Biden will be sentenced on felony firearms charges in December after the judge agreed Thursday to a delay requested by the defense. In June, President Joe Biden ‘s son was convicted in Delaware federal court of three felonies for purchasing a gun in 2018 when, prosecutors said, he lied on a federal form by claiming he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. He was initially scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 13, but the judge agreed to delay the hearing until Dec. 4 after Hunter Biden’s lawyers said they needed more time to adequately prepare. The gun charges are punishable by up to 25 years in prison, though he will likely face far less time behind bars or possibly avoid imprisonment entirely. He also faces sentencing in California on Dec. 16 on federal tax charges he pleaded guilty to earlier this month. Those charges carry up to 17 years behind bars. He also faces up to $1.35 million in fines. President Biden, who dropped his reelection bid in July, has said he will not use his presidential powers to pardon his son or lessen his sentence. After his guilty plea on the tax charges, Hunter Biden said he wanted to spare his family another painful ordeal after his gun trial aired salacious and embarrassing details about a time in which struggled with a crack cocaine addiction. Hunter Biden said he’s been sober since 2019. “I will not subject my family to more pain, more invasions of privacy and needless embarrassment,” Hunter Biden previously said. “For all I have put them through over the years, I can spare them this, and so I have decided to plead guilty.” (AP)

Israeli forces have killed two terrorists believed to be responsible for the recent murder of six hostages in a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip.The hostages – Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Ori Danino, Alex Lobanov, Carmel Gat, and Almog Sarusi – were killed in the tunnel before the terrorists were now located and neutralized. In a press conference, Hagari detailed the operation, explaining that Israeli forces from the 162nd Division encountered the terrorists a day after the murders. “A day after the murder of the hostages, forces with the 162nd Division identified two terrorists emerging from a nearby tunnel in the Tel Sultan area, and killed them in an exchange of fire,” Hagari said. Following the clash, Israeli forces conducted a thorough investigation of the tunnel and the equipment found with the terrorists. “After we investigated the findings from the tunnel and equipment from the terrorists, we found DNA and several items that belonged to the terrorists that we killed,” Hagari confirmed. Hagari also said that evidence indicates the two terrorists were present in the tunnel at the time of the murders. “We are checking their involvement in the murder,” he added, saying that the investigation is ongoing to confirm their direct role in the killings. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Less than three months after he was elected on a promise to restore trust in politics, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is trying to shake off criticism over donations from a wealthy businessman and the hefty salary of his most senior aide. The Labour Party leader, who won power in a landslide victory on July 4, denies impropriety over thousands of pounds (dollars) worth of clothes and eyeglasses paid for by Waheed Alli, a media entrepreneur and longtime Labour donor. Starmer is also facing grumbling among his own employees over the salary of chief of staff Sue Gray. The BBC disclosed that she is paid 170,000 pounds ($225,000) a year — about 3,000 pounds more than the prime minister’s salary. Gray’s salary is at the top of a set of pay bands for political advisers, which have been raised since the election. The government said it did not interfere in setting the pay scale. “The pay bands for any official, any adviser, are not set by politicians. There’s an official process that does that,” Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said Thursday. In recent days British media have been full of largely anonymous grumbling from government officials about Gray, a former senior civil servant best known for leading an investigation into lockdown-breaching parties in government buildings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gray’s findings helped topple Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and her subsequent move to work for Starmer led the Conservatives to claim the “partygate” probe was politically biased, something Gray denies. Labour claims the leak of Gray’s salary and the donation revelations -– branded “frockgate” in the press after dresses bought for the prime minister’s wife, Victoria Starmer — is being whipped up by the Conservatives and their media supporters to tarnish the government. Lawmakers are allowed to accept gifts but have to declare donations and extra-parliamentary income within 28 days. Starmer missed the four-week deadline to declare the donations of clothes and a personal shopper for his wife from Alli. He says the delay was due to his staff seeking advice on exactly what needed to be declared. “I’m very consistent with following the rules,” Starmer said this week. He rejected suggestions that prime ministers should get a wardrobe budget, saying taxpayers should not have to pay for politicians’ clothes. Starmer dismissed claims of dissent among his staff about Gray and her salary, insisting he’s “completely in control.” “I’m focused and every day the message from me to the team is exactly the same, which is we have to deliver,” he told the BBC on Thursday. ““We were elected on a big mandate to deliver change, I am determined that we are going to do that.” The scale of the freebies accepted by Starmer has raised eyebrows even among supporters. Sky News reported that Starmer has declared “gifts, benefits and hospitality” worth more than 100,000 pounds since December 2019, more than any other lawmaker. The donations include thousands of pounds’ worth of tickets for Premier League games involving Starmer’s beloved team Arsenal. “I’m a massive Arsenal fan,” Starmer told reporters during a trip to Rome this week. “I can’t go into the stands because of security reasons. Therefore, if I don’t accept a gift of hospitality I can’t go to a game. You could say, ‘Well bad luck.’ … But, you […]

Vice President Kamala Harris has accepted CNN’s invitation for an Oct. 23 presidential debate, with her campaign calling on former president Donald Trump to do the same.

“Donald Trump should have no problem agreeing to this debate,” Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said today in a statement. “It is the same format and setup as the CNN debate he attended and said he won in June, when he praised CNN’s moderators, rules, and ratings.”

Trump, who debated Harris on Sept. 10, has said several times that he is not interested in another debate.

Trump said today that he would not agree to a rematch with Harris, saying an October debate would be too late.

“The problem with another debate is that it’s just too late,” he said today during a rally in Wilmington, N.C. “Voting has already started.”

Trump has claimed he won the debate against Harris, though most polls show the vice president as the victor. Harris has been saying on the campaign trail that her standoff with Trump was “fun” and that he owed it to the public to face her onstage again.

“It would be unprecedented in modern history for there to just be one general election debate,” O’Malley Dillon said. “Debates offer a unique chance for voters to see the candidates side by side and take stock of their competing visions for America.”

CNN said the debate would follow the format of the June 27 faceoff between President Joe Biden and Trump, taking place at the company’s Atlanta studios and without a live audience.

Harris’s campaign, which originally sought to change the rules that had been sought by allies of Biden before he ended his presidential bid, said it would accept muted microphones and other restrictions during a CNN debate.

Biden’s halting performance during that debate ultimately led to his decision to end his candidacy. Trump praised CNN moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, who did not fact-check him during the debate.

The former president has complained about ABC’s moderators, who called out some of his falsehoods during the Sept. 10 debate with Harris.

“Both Vice President Harris and former president Trump received an invitation to participate in a CNN debate this fall as we believe the American people would benefit from a second debate between the two candidates for President of the United States,” CNN said in a statement. “We look forward to receiving a response from both campaigns so the American public can hear more from these candidates as they make their final decision.”

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to The Washington Post’s request for comment.

Trump has vacillated between expressing openness to another debate and asserting that he would not participate in one.

“THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!” he posted on his Truth Social platform this month.

(c) Washington Post

Below United Nations headquarters, a state-of-the-art security post dubbed the “Brain Center” hums with activity on the eve of next week’s high-level meeting of the U.N. General Assembly. The annual diplomatic pilgrimage is bringing more than 140 world leaders to New York City, including the leaders of Israel, the Palestinians and Ukraine. Keeping them safe is the U.S. Secret Service’s next big challenge. The agency, under a cloud after a July assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, is confident in its multi-layer, multi-agency plan to protect the U.N. General Assembly, which is deemed a Super Bowl-level National Special Security Event. The plan — developed with New York City police and the U.N. Security and Safety Service, among other agencies — includes not just motorcades and protective details, but NYPD helicopters and patrol boats, a dozen U.N. security K-9 teams sweeping for explosives, road closures and traffic diversions. The Secret Service is bringing in agents from posts around the world for the event. The Coast Guard is restricting East River access near the U.N. and the Federal Aviation Administration is closing airspace. With so many presidents, prime ministers, monarchs and others dignitaries in one city and under one roof at the same time, the U.N. General Assembly is actually bigger than the Super Bowl. It’s the most complex event the Secret Service is involved in each year. This year, it’s coming during a especially busy stretch highlighted by the Republican and Democratic conventions and the final weeks of the presidential campaign. Speaking Monday after the Secret Service thwarted another apparent assassination attempt on Trump in Florida, Acting Director Ronald L. Rowe Jr. said employees were “redlining” like an engine pushed to its limit. But, he said, “they are rising to this moment” and meeting the challenges. “The operational tempo is incredibly high,” said Patrick Freaney, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s New York field office. The Associated Press got a rare look inside security preparations for the U.N. General Assembly, known as UNGA, including the “Brain Center” and a joint operations center that lets the Secret Service, NYPD and other agencies communicate instantly to root out threats and logistical snags. They’re also coordinating with the foreign security services that protect each of the dignitaries. Freaney said the National Special Security Event designation — for special events of national significance — smooths the way for interagency planning, communication and cooperation. The Secret Service is in charge, but the NYPD’s robust counterterrorism and other operations, and the U.N.’s 300-person Security and Safety Service, play pivotal roles. “We have over 140 heads of state, heads of government that we’re moving around the city,” Freaney said during a tour of the joint operations center, which has space for 10 local and federal agencies, including the FBI and Federal Emergency Management Agency and the State and Defense departments. “One of the most important things is bringing all of them in here and then departing safely,” Freaney said. “Think about that logistically — bringing 140 motorcades into one area all at the same time. This plays an integral part of bringing those details in safely.” The Secret Service, NYPD and State Department will also be operating their own command centers — in Brooklyn, at One Police Plaza in Manhattan and at a nearby […]

At around 1:10 am on Motzei Shabbos, sirens sounded over 70 communities in northern Israel warning of incoming Hezbollah rockets.

Hezbollah claims it targeted the Ramat David airbase near Chaifa, saying in a statement: “We fired rockets at the air force base in Ramat David in response to the Israeli attacks.”

Communities with sirens included Yokne’am, Nazareth, Afula, communities in the Lower Galil and Jezreel Valley, and the Carmel area.

Initial reports claimed that Hezbollah fired its Fajr-5 missile, for the first time since 2006. Most of the rockets were intercepted by Israel, with one light injury reported. Magen David Adom said the injured man was a 60 year old who was injured by a fragment from an intercepted rocket in the lower Galil.

In Afula and other northern communities, power outages have been reported.

In a statement, the IDF said: “Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in the Jezreel Valley area, approximately 10 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory. Most of the projectiles were intercepted and a fallen projectile was identified in the area. The incident is under review.”

Earlier on Motzei Shabbos, the IDF reported: “Since the afternoon, with the direction of the IDF Intelligence Directorate, the IAF struck approximately 290 targets, including thousands of launcher barrels, alongside additional terrorist infrastructure in multiple areas in southern Lebanon,” an IDF statement read.

“Over the past few hours, in an additional series of strikes, the IDF struck approximately 110 Hezbollah terrorist targets, including launchers and terrorist infrastructure in multiple areas in southern Lebanon.

“The IDF will continue operating to dismantle and degrade Hezbollah’s capabilities and terrorist infrastructure.”

{Matzav.com}

Federal agents on Saturday boarded a vessel managed by the same company as a cargo ship that caused the deadly Baltimore bridge collapse, the FBI confirmed. In statements, spokespeople for the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland confirmed that authorities boarded the Maersk Saltoro. The ship is managed by Synergy Marine Group. “The Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division and Coast Guard Investigative Services are present aboard the Maersk Saltoro conducting court authorized law enforcement activity,” statements from both the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office said Saturday morning. Authorities did not offer further specifics. The Washington Post first reported on federal authorities boarding the ship. The raid came several months after investigators conducted a similar search of the Dali, the cargo ship that crashed into the bridge. In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, the U.S. Justice Department alleged that Dali owner Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and manager Synergy Marine, both of Singapore, recklessly cut corners and ignored known electrical problems on the vessel, which lost power multiple times minutes before it crashed into a support column on the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March. The Justice Department said mechanical and electrical systems on the massive ship had been “jury-rigged” and improperly maintained, culminating in the power outages and a cascade of other failures that left its pilots and crew helpless in the face of looming disaster. The ship was leaving Baltimore for Sri Lanka when its steering failed because of the power loss. Six members of a road work crew were killed when the bridge crumbled into the water. The collapse also snarled commercial shipping traffic through the Port of Baltimore for months before the channel was fully reopened in June. The Justice Department is seeking to recover more than $100 million the government spent to clear the underwater debris and reopen the city’s port. The companies filed a court petition days after the collapse seeking to limit their legal liability in what could become the most expensive marine casualty case in history. Justice Department officials said there is no legal support for that bid to limit liability and pledged to vigorously contest it. In its lawsuit, which also seeks punitive damages, the Justice Department argued that vessel owners and operators need to be “deterred from engaging in such reckless and exceedingly harmful behavior.” That includes Grace Ocean and Synergy themselves because the Dali has a “sister ship,” authorities wrote in the claim. The two companies “need to be deterred because they continue to operate their vessels, including a sister ship to the Dali, in U.S. waters and benefit economically from those activities,” the lawsuit says. Darrell Wilson, a Grace Ocean spokesperson, confirmed that the FBI and Coast Guard boarded the Maersk Saltoro in the Port of Baltimore on Saturday morning. Wilson has previously said the owner and manager “look forward to our day in court to set the record straight.” Like the Dali, the Singapore-flagged Saltoro was built by Hyundai in 2015. According to the Justice Department lawsuit, major issues with the Dali’s electrical system may have resulted from excessive vibrations on the ship that can loosen wires and damage connections. A prior captain of the vessel had reported “heavy vibration” in his handover notes in May 2023, saying he had made similar […]