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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has proposed nearly $30 million in funding reductions for the city’s public library systems, a move that contrasts sharply with his campaign vow to increase their budgets and his prior criticism of similar cuts as “cruel.”

Mamdani’s $127 billion preliminary budget outlines significant decreases for all three major library systems. The New York Public Library’s Manhattan branch would face an $11.6 million reduction, while the Brooklyn Public Library and Queens Public Library would see their budgets trimmed by $8.7 million and $9.2 million, respectively, compared to the previous year.

Library officials warn that the proposed reductions would affect services including programming for seniors and resources for individuals pursuing U.S. citizenship.

The plan marks a reversal from Mamdani’s campaign pledge to allocate 0.5% of the city’s total budget to the three systems. He reiterated that commitment following his election during a December press conference at the Greenpoint branch of the Brooklyn Public Library.

“We’re not going to be doing a dance around things that are critically important to New Yorkers. If there is something that we believe in, we will make that clear in our own preliminary, and we will be making announcements soon on our approach to the budget at large,” Mamdani said to boisterous applause.

As a candidate, Mamdani had sharply criticized then-Mayor Eric Adams for implementing similar budget reductions that led to temporary suspensions of weekend library service.

“As Mayor, I’ll end this absurd budget dance that keeps our beloved libraries in limbo year after year,” he wrote on social media in August.

During Adams’ term, all three library system leaders publicly objected to the $58 million in proposed cuts, though that funding was later restored.

“In one breath, Mayor Adams tells NYers that such cruel budget cuts to libraries, sanitation, and parks are necessary fiscal measures,” Mamdani railed in a 2023 tweet.

“And in another, he offers to restore funding to some of those very cuts in exchange for shielding the NYPD from accountability. Ridiculous.”

Mamdani’s campaign website still includes his pledge to dedicate 0.5% of the city’s overall budget to libraries, describing the system as “critical to our city’s success” and promising to undo what he characterized as the “devastating” impact of Adams’ policies.

Adams responded Friday on X, highlighting what he described as inconsistency in the mayor’s position.

“WHERE IS THE “SAVE THE LIBRARIES” GANG?!” Adams fumed on X Friday.

The activist group Occupy Wall Street also criticized the proposed reductions, arguing that Mamdani’s plan allocates less to libraries than “disgraced & former NYC Mayor Adams.”

“Get active to make sure our libraries receive 0.5% of the city’s expense budget, as he promised during the campaign and reaffirmed after his election,” the group wrote.

Under the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget, $2 million remains allocated for Sunday openings at libraries, a provision initially included in Adams’ previous budget, according to a library spokesperson.

The three library systems refrained from directly condemning the proposed cuts but signaled their expectation that the mayor would fulfill his earlier commitments.

“We look forward to working with the Administration and City Council to ensure that the FY27 budget fully funds the city’s libraries so that we can maintain vital services while also supporting enhanced Sunday hours,” spokespeople from the Brooklyn, Queens and New York systems said in a joint statement.

“We are also highly encouraged by the Mayor’s pledge to dedicate 0.5% of the city’s budget to libraries.”

Mamdani’s office defended the proposal, citing financial challenges inherited from the previous administration.

“Libraries and city parks are the jewels of our city and embody the promise of public spaces,” Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for Mamdani, said in a statement.

“But the budget crisis we inherited compels us to take an all-of-government approach and use every tool at our disposal to meet the legal mandate to balance the budget, including achieving efficiencies and cutting waste.”

The investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie shifted again late Friday after a Tucson couple reported discovering what they believed were blood-stained gloves in a desert area near her neighborhood.

According to KVOA, the pair, who requested anonymity, said they came across the items on Feb. 11 less than a mile from Guthrie’s neighborhood near Campbell Avenue.

“Sure enough it was a black glove in the desert, it appeared to have looked like it was ripped,” the wife said.

“It also appeared to look like it had blood on it,” she continued.

“The blood appeared to be towards the wrist side of the glove and on the pointer finger.

“It looked like this was like used for something that could’ve possibly been what they were looking for,” she said.

The couple said a second glove was located less than 10 feet from the first.

The husband said there seemed to be additional possible evidence beneath one of the gloves.

“And also from the glove, it looked like a blood drop on a rock underneath the glove was like dried blood or something.

“We didn’t move it or touch it, we immediately were like we have to do something. So I was like I will call the sheriff department,” he said.

Fearing that incoming rain could compromise the potential evidence, the couple also called 911 to ensure authorities responded quickly.

Deputies arrived at the scene, interviewed the couple and stayed in the area until approximately 2 a.m.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said it could not verify details about the specific gloves but confirmed that investigators have recovered several gloves from the vicinity and that forensic testing is underway.

Officials have also indicated that they are not dismissing the possibility that more than one individual could be connected to Guthrie’s disappearance.

The FBI continues to solicit information through its 1-800-CALL-FBI hotline and online tip portal, offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information that leads to locating Guthrie or to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

An additional $202,500 reward is available through 88-CRIME.

Meanwhile, the Sheriff’s 911 Communications Center reported handling more than 32,000 calls between Feb. 1 and Feb. 19, compared to nearly 22,000 calls during the same timeframe last year.

Investigators are asking the public to provide only credible, actionable information so that emergency lines remain open for urgent situations.

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A newly launched branch of the well-known London bakery chain Gail’s was defaced after demonstrators staged a pro-Palestinian protest accusing the company of supporting Israel, JTA reports.

The chain, which operates around 170 stores across the United Kingdom, recently opened a location in north London. The debut was met by a small group of protesters holding a large banner reading “Boycott Israel For Genocide And War Crimes in Gaza.” Another placard alleged that the company was “funded by investors in apartheid,” according to video footage of the protest shared online.

In a clip posted to X, a Jewish passerby challenged the demonstrators, asking, “Why are you protesting a UK-based business saying ‘Boycott Israel’? Is it because they’ve got Jewish directors?”

One of the protesters replied that the bakery’s earnings were “going to private equity owners and investors” who had invested in Israeli “war tech.”

After the demonstration concluded, the storefront was splashed with red paint, and graffiti was scrawled across the exterior reading, “Boycott Gail’s, funds Israeli tech.”

The Metropolitan Police in London said no arrests had been made in connection with the incident and that officers were “continuing to review other footage to identify any lines of enquiry that might help to identify the suspects.”

Gail’s began in the 1990s as a wholesale baking operation founded by Israeli bakers, including Gail Mejia and Ran Avidan. The company opened its first retail location in 2005.

In 2021, the business was purchased by the American private equity firm Bain Capital, which has holdings in Israeli technology firms.

“We are a British business with no specific connections to any country or government outside the UK,” a spokesperson for Gail’s told the Jewish News. “Our focus right now is on working with the authorities and making sure our people feel safe and supported.”

The north London incident is not the first time a bakery with Israeli roots has faced protests. In the United States, the Israeli-inspired chain Tatte has been the subject of both in-person and online demonstrations. In New York City, the Israeli bakery chain Breads recently encountered unionization efforts that referenced the establishment’s “support of the genocide happening in Palestine.”

Jewish organizations and leaders in the UK swiftly condemned the vandalism, warning that it reflects a growing pattern of targeting businesses perceived to have Jewish or Israeli ties.

“Targeting a business on the basis of alleged or perceived Israeli and or Jewish connections reflects a very worrying trend. Across the UK, companies and individuals are increasingly singled out by reference to their association, real or otherwise, to Israel, with an inevitable disproportionate impact on the Jewish community,” a spokesperson for the Board of Deputies of British Jews said. “That is not legitimate protest; it is creating an atmosphere of intimidation for Jewish businesses, staff and customers. And is part of a wider trend to try and drive Jews out of wider civil society.”

The European Jewish Congress also denounced the incident, calling it “deeply concerning” in a post on X.

“Targeting a local business because of perceived Jewish or Israeli associations reflects a troubling normalization of hostility that must be firmly rejected,” the post read. “Such acts have no place in our societies and must be unequivocally condemned.”

British Labour Party Member of Parliament David Taylor criticized the protest as well, writing on X, “This is pure anti-semitism, no ifs, no buts.”

Police have arrested extremist activist Moshe Iram after he allegedly threatened a nurse at a health clinic in Yerushalayim and spray-painted inflammatory graffiti accusing medical staff of being “vaccine murderers.”

According to suspicions outlined by investigators, Iram arrived at the clinic, where he confronted a nurse and told her, “You have the judgment of a murderer. In Heaven you will pay for this.” He then proceeded to spray graffiti at the entrance to the facility targeting the medical team.

Authorities detained Iram, who has a prior criminal record stemming from actions in 2021 against prominent public figures in the chareidi community. Among those he targeted was Knesset Member Meir Porush. According to previous indictments, Iram acted both directly and through associates, carrying out offenses that included assault, harassment, threats, and in two cases, extortion through force and intimidation.

The indictment against him detailed violent incidents involving MK Meir Porush, several rabbonim in Yerushalayim, and the desecration of the kever of Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman זצ”ל at the cemetery in Bnei Brak on the eve of his yahrtzeit.

Police said in 2021 that the suspect had also planned to murder an individual. During court proceedings at the time, a police representative stated that the investigation had reinforced serious suspicions against Iram. Law enforcement officials told the court they possessed evidence indicating that he had intended to carry out a murder, though they did not disclose the alleged target.

In 2023, the Yerushalayim Magistrate’s Court sentenced Iram to three and a half years in prison, along with a suspended sentence and financial compensation of 15,000 shekels to each of the victims. He was convicted, under a plea agreement, for his actions against senior public figures in the chareidi sector.

{Matzav.com}

Right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson alleged that the Israeli government sought to target members of his family and launched a series of sharp accusations against the Jewish state in a program released Friday following his short trip to Israel.

In the broadcast, Carlson described Israel as “probably the most violent country on earth,” labeled it a police state, questioned its legitimacy and the historical connection of the Jewish people to the land, and asserted that it exerts control over U.S. policy. He also falsely claimed that President Isaac Herzog had visited Jeffrey Epstein’s private island, referencing what appeared to be a fabricated AI-generated image that had circulated online.

Carlson, who has emerged as a prominent conservative critic of Israel, traveled to the country Wednesday to interview U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee. Some reports indicated that he remained in the airport area and left shortly thereafter. Friday’s program featured his interview with Huckabee along with extended monologues in which Carlson sharply criticized Israel.

Speaking on his own during the show, Carlson said: “There was a threat to my family. The Israeli government, and [Prime Minister] Netanyahu himself, tried to punish two members of my family. I won’t be more specific, but actually punish two members of my family because he, as he has said in public many times, believes in blood guilt, Amalek. You know, when someone commits a crime against you, you punish not just him, but his family, his bloodline.”

Carlson did not provide details or evidence to back up the allegation. Netanyahu has not stated that he supports collective punishment or “blood guilt.” References he made to Amalek following the October 7 attack were widely understood as invoking historic existential threats faced by the Jewish people.

Carlson continued: “There’s no idea that’s less Western than that, more anti-Christian than that. Christians reject that. Netanyahu doesn’t. That’s why he’s talking about Amalek, and he was going after my family, literally, so I felt very threatened by that.”

{Matzav.com}

Newsletter eml

A man drove a pickup truck into the front gate of the Brisbane Synagogue in Queensland, Australia, narrowly missing a person on the premises, according to local authorities.

Footage from the scene shows a Toyota Hilux reversing into the gate of the largest shul in Queensland’s capital city, as an individual standing on the opposite side quickly steps away to avoid being struck.

Police tracked down the vehicle shortly after the incident and took a 32-year-old man into custody, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

According to the ABC, the suspect faces charges including willful damage, serious vilification or hate crime, dangerous operation of a vehicle, and drug-related offenses.

Law enforcement officials are investigating the episode as a criminal matter rather than an act of terrorism. Police said they do not believe the driver intended to enter the shul building itself.

Australia’s Anti-Defamation League denounced what it described as a “violent vehicle attack” on the shul, calling it “a chilling assault on a sacred place of worship and a stark reminder that antisemitism in Australia is escalating beyond words.”

“While no one was physically injured, the deliberate targeting of a house of worship has sent shockwaves through the Jewish community and reinforced the urgent need for decisive action against hate-fueled violence,” the organization said.

Dvir Abramovich, the group’s chair, said the truck “didn’t just smash into metal gates last night. It smashed into the idea that Jews in Australia can pray in peace. When a vehicle is driven at a synagogue that is intimidation on wheels.

“We are told this is not being treated as terrorism. But when a synagogue is deliberately attacked, the label matters less than the impact. The fear is real. The shock is real. The message is unmistakable. Since October 7, antisemitism in this country has not whispered, it has roared,” he said.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

A powerful winter storm is poised to slam the East Coast, with forecasters warning that parts of the region from New York City through Boston and into New England could see as much as 24 inches of snowfall.

Air travel has already been heavily disrupted ahead of the approaching system. More than 1,700 flights were scrapped as airports including JFK, LaGuardia, Newark and Boston Logan prepared for dangerous conditions, FOX Weather reported, citing safety concerns at the major hubs.

AccuWeather senior meteorologist Carl Erickson characterized the system as a significant coastal storm. “We are describing this storm as a major nor’easter,” Erickson told The NY Post, noting that more than 30 million people could be affected, from Delaware and Maryland northward to New York and Boston.

The storm is expected to begin Sunday and intensify through early Monday, bringing wind gusts exceeding 60 miles per hour. Snowfall could accumulate at rates of 1 to 3 inches per hour in some locations, raising concerns about downed power lines and possible coastal flooding.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a state of emergency covering New York City, Long Island and Southern Westchester County effective Sunday morning, as projections showed the city alone could receive between 18 and 24 inches of snow.

FOX Weather reported that Extreme Impact Zones — areas where daily life is likely to face major disruption — have been expanded to include both New York City and Boston.

Erickson warned the storm will pack “very strong winds, near blizzard conditions, and treacherous travel conditions,” adding, “And those travel conditions are going to worsen rapidly Sunday night into Monday morning.”

Blizzard warnings for New York City, Long Island and parts of New Jersey are scheduled to take effect at 6 a.m. Sunday and remain in place until 6 p.m. Monday. Such warnings are issued when forecasters anticipate 13 to 18 inches of snow combined with winds of at least 55 miles per hour.

Officials expect total accumulations in the five boroughs and on Long Island to range from 18 to 24 inches.

“There could be some localized power outages with the wind gusts,” Erickson warned.

Light snow may begin around 6 a.m. Sunday, when temperatures will sit just above freezing, but heavier precipitation is forecast to move in by the afternoon.

“It will be difficult to get a lot in the way of accumulation during the daytime hours on Sunday, just given temperatures above freezing,” he said.

“The worst of this storm will be overnight Sunday and into Monday morning. That’s when we expect the core of this nor’easter.”

Snowfall intensity is expected to ramp up around 5 p.m. Sunday, Erickson said, with the most significant accumulations likely between 10 p.m. Sunday and 10 a.m. Monday.

“You could be talking about 1 inch per hour or higher during that time,” he said.

Heavy snow should persist into mid-morning Monday before gradually easing around noon and tapering off by late afternoon.

“The heaviest of snow will begin to taper off as we had past daybreak Monday,” he said.

“But there will still be some snow flying around into Monday afternoon.”

Temperatures Sunday are expected to reach the mid-30s, with Monday slightly warmer in the upper 30s.

“There’s not going to be a an extreme shot of cold air with this storm, which is why it will be difficult to get the snow to accumulate during the day tomorrow,” he said.

By Tuesday, highs should remain in the mid-30s, followed by lower 40s on Wednesday and Thursday.

“So it will a slow, gradual melt of the snow throughout much of next week,” he said.

The last official blizzard to strike New York City was in January 2016, when the storm known as “Snowzilla” blanketed the city with more than two feet of snow.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said Saturday that he is increasing the current 10% blanket tariff on imports from around the world to 15%, intensifying his trade policy one day after the Supreme Court issued a ruling concerning his authority to impose such duties.

In a message posted on Truth Social, Trump sharply criticized what he described as a “ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American decision on Tariffs issued yesterday” by the Supreme Court. He said that after conducting a “thorough, detailed, and complete review,” he had decided to move forward without delay.

“Please let this statement serve to represent that I, as President of the United States of America, will be, effective immediately, raising the 10% Worldwide Tariff on Countries… to the fully allowed, and legally tested, 15% level,” Trump wrote.

He further stated that over the “next short number of months,” his administration would “determine and issue the new and legally permissible Tariffs,” calling the effort part of what he described as an “extraordinarily successful process of Making America Great Again — GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE!!!”

The Supreme Court’s decision earlier in the week focused on how far a president may go in using trade laws and emergency powers to levy tariffs. The justices examined the boundaries set by current statutes governing international commerce and executive authority.

Although the administration has faulted the ruling, Trump indicated that it still permits increased tariffs within what he referred to as “fully allowed” and “legally tested” limits.

Tariffs have remained a cornerstone of Trump’s economic agenda. He maintains that higher import duties shield American industries, shrink trade imbalances, and confront foreign governments that he says have “been ‘ripping’ the U.S. off for decades.”

Opponents argue that sweeping tariffs could drive up costs for consumers and invite countermeasures from other countries.

Saturday’s move signals that, despite judicial review of his powers, Trump intends to continue expanding tariff measures as a central feature of his administration’s economic policy.

{Matzav.com}

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said in a newly released interview that Israel has a biblical claim to extensive areas of the Middle East, while emphasizing that the country is not pursuing territorial expansion beyond its current sovereignty.

In an appearance on the Tucker Carlson Show that was released Friday, Huckabee cited Bereishis 15:18, referencing the posuk in which Hashem promises Avrohom Avinu that his descendants would inherit territory stretching “from the Nile to the Euphrates.”

During the discussion, host Tucker Carlson remarked that such a description would imply that Israel could lay claim to “basically the entire Middle East,” including present-day Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, as well as parts of Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

Huckabee pushed back on that interpretation, responding, “Not sure we’d go that far,” and adding, “It would be a big piece of land.”

BREAKING: US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee tells Tucker Carlson that Israel has the Biblical right to take over all of the Middle East.

“It would be fine if they took it all.” pic.twitter.com/BN4fXh03ga

— Tucker Carlson Network (@TCNetwork) February 20, 2026

When Carlson followed up by asking, “Does Israel have the right to that land?” Huckabee answered, “It would be fine if they took it all.”

Despite those comments, Huckabee made clear that Israel is not attempting to seize control of the broader region. He said that the Jewish state’s focus is on maintaining its right to exist and to live securely within the territory currently under Israeli sovereignty.

{Matzav.com}

As the Northeast prepares for a historic blizzard, major airlines are proactively canceling thousands of flights. Delta, American, and United have already begun processing cancellations at critical hubs like JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, and Boston Logan to ensure operational safety as heavy snow and 50 mph winds approach. JetBlue, which operates major hubs across the Northeast, […]

President Trump announced today that he is raising the existing 10% worldwide tariff to the maximum legally permitted 15% level, citing decades of unfair treatment toward the U.S.

Student protests broke out today at major universities in Tehran and Mashhad, where protesters chanted anti-regime slogans such as “Death to Khamenei” and “Freedom.” Some participants also urged U.S. intervention, saying they would “finish the job.”

Fox News has obtained new information that appears to contradict the Biden administration’s claim that it had no involvement in the Department of Justice’s raid on President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida.

A military base in central Jordan has seen a sharp increase in U.S. aircraft activity, emerging as a key hub for potential American operations involving Iran, according to a report in The New York Times. New satellite imagery captured Friday shows more than 60 attack aircraft stationed at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base — roughly triple […]

BREAKING: Footage shows a truck plowing into the gates of the Brisbane Synagogue in Australia. Police arrested a 32-year-old Sunnybank man, charging him with willful damage, serious vilification or hate crime, dangerous operation of a vehicle, and drug-related offenses. The incident occurred Friday evening on Margaret Street; no injuries were reported.

The Pentagon and the Energy Department for the first time airlifted a small nuclear reactor from California to Utah, demonstrating what they say is the U.S. potential to quickly deploy nuclear power for military and civilian use. The nearly 700-mile flight last weekend — which transported a 5-megawatt microreactor without nuclear fuel — highlights the […]

The National Weather Service has placed New York and New Jersey under a winter storm watch as a significant snow system is expected to impact the region beginning Sunday.

The alert is scheduled to take effect Sunday morning and remain in place through Monday afternoon, forecasters said.

Meteorologists are predicting heavy snowfall across the tri-state area, which could sharply reduce visibility and make travel dangerous. Wet, heavy snow combined with strong wind gusts may also cause tree limbs to snap, potentially leading to scattered damage.

Forecasts call for widespread accumulations ranging from 3 to 10 inches in parts of New York City, as well as Westchester and Putnam counties, Nassau County, northeastern New Jersey and portions of Connecticut.

Suffolk County is expected to see even greater totals, with projections of 10 to 13 inches of snow. The National Weather Service cautioned that blizzard-like conditions are possible in that area.

City officials are urging caution as the storm approaches. The New York City Office of Emergency Management advised residents to limit nonessential travel on Sunday and Monday morning and to rely on public transportation if travel is necessary. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said municipal crews are preparing for the storm and are continuing to monitor the forecast closely.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump has given Iran 10 to 15 days to return to negotiations or face repercussions, placing a tight timetable on the latest round of nuclear diplomacy and raising questions about whether military action could follow if talks fail. The new deadline comes after Trump said in June that he would decide “within the next two weeks” whether to strike Iran, ultimately reaching a decision just two days later. On Thursday, he issued another warning, saying the Islamic Republic must move toward negotiations within 10 to 15 days or face consequences.

The shortened timeframe now looms over renewed diplomatic efforts. Analysts note that when Trump sets deadlines, they can serve both as pressure tactics and as signals of potential escalation.

Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, told Fox News Digital, “The Iranian regime has been operating under a grand delusion that they can turn President Trump into President Obama and President Trump has made it clear that that’s not happening.”

Brodsky said officials inside the administration appear doubtful that the talks will lead to a meaningful breakthrough. “I think there’s deep skepticism in the Trump administration that this negotiation is going to produce any acceptable outcome.”

He suggested that diplomacy may be functioning as part of a broader strategy. “They’re using the diplomatic process to sharpen the choices of the Iranian leadership and to buy time to make sure that we have the appropriate military assets in the region.”

A Middle Eastern source familiar with the discussions told Fox News Digital that Iranian leaders recognize how close the threat of conflict feels and are unlikely to intentionally provoke Trump at this moment.

At the same time, the source said Tehran is unwilling to accept restrictions on its short-range missile capabilities, describing that issue as a clear red line established by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iranian negotiators, the source said, do not have authority to compromise on that matter, and any concession on missiles would be perceived domestically as tantamount to defeat in war.

However, the source indicated there could be room for discussion regarding uranium enrichment limits if meaningful sanctions relief were offered in return.

Brodsky argued that Iran’s fundamental positions remain unchanged. “They’re trying to engage in a lot of distraction… shiny objects, to distract from the fact that they’re not prepared to make the concessions that President Trump is requiring of them,” he said. “The Iranian positions do not change and have not changed fundamentally. They refuse to accept President Trump’s position on zero enrichment. They refuse to dismantle their nuclear infrastructure. They refuse limitations on Iran’s missile program, and they refuse to end support for terror groups.”

Behnam Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, cautioned that Tehran may attempt to advance a different kind of arrangement altogether.

“The first kind of deal that we have to be worried about… they may pitch an agreement that is based more on transposing the current reality onto paper… these kinds of agreements are more like understandings,” Taleblu said.

“You take the present reality, and you transpose that onto paper, and then you make the U.S. pay for something it already achieved.”

Taleblu outlined what he views as Iran’s broader goals. “The Iranians want three things, essentially. The first is they want to deter and prevent a strike.”

“The second is that they are actually using negotiations… to take the wind out of the wings of Iranian dissidents. And then the third is… they actually do want some kind of foreign financial stabilization and sanctions relief.”

“What the Iranians want is to play for time… an agreement like this doesn’t really require the Iranians to offer anything.”

Taleblu also said the administration’s strategy remains intentionally unclear. “It’s hard to read the tea leaves of the administration here. Obviously, they don’t want a nuclear Iran, but also obviously they don’t want a long war in the Middle East.”

“The military architecture they’re moving into the region is signaling that they’re prepared to engage in one anyway. The question that the administration has not resolved politically… is: What is the political end state of the strikes? That’s the cultivation of ambiguity that the president excels at.”

Jacob Olidort, Chief Research Officer and Director of American Security at the America First Policy Institute, told Fox News Digital, “The President has been clear that he wants to give diplomacy a chance. However, if, in his estimation, diplomatic efforts prove unsuccessful, he will almost certainly turn to military options. What is rightfully unpredictable is the specific objective and scope of military action the President may take.”

“Specifically, will military action serve as a new layer of diplomatic pressure towards creating a new opportunity to make Iran agree to our demands — military force as coercive diplomacy — or simply achieve the intended objectives that diplomacy could not? Regardless, the President has a record of taking bold action to protect the American people from Iran’s threats.”

Sources inside Iran told Fox News Digital that public opinion remains divided. While many Iranians oppose the idea of a foreign military intervention, frustration over the deaths of young protesters continues to fuel unrest and deepen internal tensions.

With the 10 to 15-day window now counting down, Trump’s deadline appears to function not merely as a date on the calendar but as an instrument of leverage in a volatile diplomatic standoff.

{Matzav.com}

Mortgage rates declined again this week, reaching their lowest point in nearly three years, though housing market activity continues to show signs of weakness.

Freddie Mac reported that the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage fell to 6.01 percent, down from 6.09 percent the previous week. At this time last year, the same loan averaged 6.85 percent.

“This lower rate environment is not only improving affordability for prospective homebuyers, it’s also strengthening the financial position of homeowners,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.

Khater added that refinancing demand has surged compared to last year, noting that applications have more than doubled. That increase has enabled many recent buyers to cut thousands of dollars from their yearly mortgage costs.

Rates on 15-year fixed mortgages, commonly used for refinancing, also moved lower, declining to 5.35 percent — the lowest level recorded since October 2024.

The easing in mortgage rates follows a recent decline in the 10-year Treasury yield, which typically influences home loan rates.

After beginning 2025 near the 7 percent mark, longer-term mortgage rates started to ease in July as investors adjusted expectations in anticipation of Federal Reserve rate reductions.

While the lower rates have modestly improved buying power for consumers, they have not yet translated into a meaningful rebound in home sales.

According to the National Association of Realtors, sales of existing homes dropped 8.4 percent in January compared to December, marking the sharpest monthly decline in almost four years.

Severe winter conditions likely played a role in slowing activity, but elevated home prices also remain a barrier. The median price for an existing home climbed to $396,800 in January — a record for the month — amid continued limited inventory. That figure represented the 31st straight month of annual price increases, NAR reported.

Industry analysts expect mortgage rates to remain in the low-6 percent range throughout 2026, suggesting that additional rate declines may be modest.

Jake Krimmel, senior economist at Realtor.com, cautioned that even if borrowing costs fall further, the persistent shortage of homes could offset any benefit.

“Without a significant return of supply through the easing of the mortgage ‘lock-in effect,’ lower rates may simply reignite competition and spike prices,” Krimmel said.

{Matzav.com}