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Thousands of people from Bosnia and around the world gathered in Srebrenica to mark the 30th anniversary of a massacre there of more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim boys and men — an atrocity that has been acknowledged as Europe’s only genocide after the Holocaust. Seven newly identified victims of the 1995 massacre, including two 19-year-old men, were laid to rest in a collective funeral at a vast cemetery near Srebrenica Friday, next to more than 6,000 victims already buried there. Such funerals are held annually for the victims who are still being unearthed from dozens of mass graves around the town. Relatives of the victims, however, often can bury only partial remains of their loved ones as they are typically found in several different mass graves, sometimes kilometers (miles) apart. Such was the case of Mirzeta Karic, who was waiting to bury her father. “Thirty years of search and we are burying a bone,” she said, crying by her father’s coffin which was wrapped in green cloth in accordance with Islamic tradition. “I think it would be easier if I could bury all of him. What can I tell you, my father is one of the 50 (killed) from my entire family,” she added. July 11, 1995, is the day when the killings started after Bosnian Serb fighters overran the eastern Bosnian enclave in the final months of the interethnic war in the Balkan country. After taking control of the town that was a protected U.N. safe zone during the war, Bosnian Serb fighters separated Bosniak Muslim men and boys from their families and brutally executed them in just several days. The bodies were then dumped in mass graves around Srebrenica which they later dug up with bulldozers, scattering the remains among other burial sites to hide the evidence of their war crimes. The U.N. General Assembly last year adopted a resolution to commemorate the Srebrenica genocide on the July 11 anniversary. Scores of international officials and dignitaries attended the commemoration ceremonies and the funeral. Among them were European Council President Antonio Costa and Britain’s Duchess of Edinburgh, Sophie, who said that “our duty must be to remember all those lost so tragically and to never let these things happen again.” Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said he felt “humbled” because U.N. troops from the Netherlands were based in Srebrenica when Bosnian Serbs stormed the town. “I see to what extent commemorating Srebrenica genocide is important,” he said. In an emotional speech, Munira Subasic, who heads the Mothers of Srebrenica association, urged Europe and the world to “help us fight against hatred, against injustice and against killings.” Subasic, who lost her husband and youngest son in Srebrenica along with more than 20 relatives, told Europe to “wake up.” “As I stand here many mothers in Ukraine and Palestine are going through what we went through in 1995,” Subasic said, referring to ongoing conflicts. “It’s the 21st century but instead of justice, fascism has woken up.” On the eve of the anniversary, an exhibition was inaugurated displaying personal items belonging to the victims that were found in the mass graves over the years. The conflict in Bosnia erupted in 1992, when Bosnian Serbs took up arms in a rebellion against the country’s independence from the former Yugoslavia and with an aim […]

Former Hamas captive Romi Gonen was released from Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer on Thursday after nearly six months of intensive rehabilitation and two surgeries to treat wounds she sustained during the October 7, 2023, terror attacks in southern Israel. Gonen, 26, was among the hostages released by Hamas on January 19 under the hostages-for-ceasefire agreement. She arrived at Sheba Medical Center shortly thereafter, having been airlifted from the IDF reception point at the Gaza border alongside fellow former captives Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher. During her hospitalization, Gonen underwent two operations — one to address shrapnel damage to her right arm and another on her lower back, where she suffered a gunshot wound at the Nova music festival. Medical staff have scheduled a third surgery later this month to complete her arm reconstruction. In a post on her Instagram account, Gonen reflected on her journey: “On 7.10, I was brutally kidnapped into the Gaza Strip. Today, on 10.7, I’m being discharged after a very difficult period — enduring pain, surgeries, and countless setbacks. I take this step with mixed emotions of sadness and joy, knowing that 50 of our loved ones remain in captivity.” She credited the outpouring of support she received throughout her recovery: “The people of Israel were with me every moment — from friends in rehabilitation classes to the meals that kept me going. Thank you; your support has been everything.” “While we experience life’s highs and lows, time in those tunnels stands still. I pray for the day we can be a united and whole people again,” she added. Sheba Medical Center’s rehabilitation team provided Gonen with physical and occupational therapy designed for victims of severe trauma. Hospital spokesman Dr. Yael Abrams said Gonen had shown “remarkable resilience” and praised her “courage and determination” throughout treatment. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The IDF and Shin Bet announced Friday that they have killed the commander of Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Shejaiya sector in a recent airstrike in the Gaza Strip. The slain terrorist, identified as Fadl Abu al-Ata, had risen from deputy commander to head of Islamic Jihad’s regional unit during the October 7 assault on southern Israel. According to Israeli authorities, Abu al-Ata “was one of the key coordinators between terror organizations in the Shejaiya sector” and orchestrated “numerous terror attacks against IDF troops.” He is also accused of infiltrating into Israeli territory alongside other militants at the outset of the war last year. In a separate operation, the IDF reported that they eliminated Hamed Kamel Abd al-Aziz Iyad, an explosives expert in Islamic Jihad’s Turukman Battalion. Israeli officials said Iyad “was responsible for planning and executing terrorist and explosive attacks against IDF forces.” The strikes form part of ongoing Israeli efforts to target senior Islamic Jihad operatives in Gaza. Both Abu al-Ata and Iyad were considered high-value targets due to their roles in coordinating cross-border incursions and attacks on Israeli soldiers. The IDF said it will continue its campaign “against those who threaten Israeli civilians and soldiers” and emphasized the precision nature of the strikes to minimize civilian harm. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The NYPD confirmed on Thursday that it has terminated dozens of officers who were hired despite having serious disqualifications noted during their recruitment process.

An internal probe revealed that 31 officers brought onto the force within the past two years had already received final disqualification notices, yet were still approved for employment. The department stated that once those final decisions were made, hiring them was against the law.

“The department was not legally allowed to hire these individuals and was forced to inform them that they could no longer continue as members of the NYPD,” a department spokesperson said.

Sources told 1010 WINS that Inspector Terrell Anderson, who previously oversaw the Candidate Assessment Division, made the decision to hire the disqualified applicants on his own, even though they had been officially notified they were ineligible.

That same source added that Anderson has now been reassigned and is facing significant disciplinary charges from within the department.

According to information provided to 1010 WINS, the disqualifications stemmed from serious issues in the applicants’ pasts, including failure to disclose criminal convictions, past arrests, job dismissals, multiple arrests, outstanding criminal summonses, and serious driving violations that led to license suspensions.

Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association, condemned the firings, saying that the fault lies not with the officers, but with the department’s flawed recruitment system. “These police officers aren’t responsible for the NYPD’s broken hiring process or the supervisors who made these decisions,” Hendry said.

He explained that the recruits believed they were eligible to serve, especially since the department had already hired and trained them. The union said it is weighing legal action to defend the affected officers and demand accountability from NYPD leadership.

“It is an absolute travesty that the department is trying to cover its tracks by summarily forcing them off the job, without affording them the same appeal process available to other applicants,” Hendry said.

The dismissals come amid mounting internal turmoil within the NYPD. Just days earlier, four former senior officials filed lawsuits alleging widespread misconduct and favoritism, including accusations that promotions were being sold for as much as $15,000.

Among the claims is that former Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, who stepped down in December after sexual misconduct allegations surfaced, routinely bypassed standard protocols to appoint unqualified associates to influential roles starting in 2023.

In a lawsuit brought by ex-Chief of Detectives James Essig, he described noticing an “unusually high number” of inexperienced officers being reassigned to the sex crimes division during that period.

The legal filings further allege that current leadership, including Chief of Department John Chell, has worked to undermine internal oversight and prevent scrutiny of the department’s actions.

{Matzav.com}

An IDF officer was killed Thursday in an apparent accident during operations in southern Gaza, bringing Israel’s death toll in its renewed ground offensive against Hamas to 41 since March. The fallen soldier was identified as Captain Reei Biran, 21, a reconnaissance team commander in the Golani Brigade and a resident of Shorashim. According to an IDF investigation, troops were preparing to demolish buildings in Khan Younis suspected of housing Hamas operatives. After rigging the structures with mines, an explosion occurred approximately two hours later. Captain Biran was struck—likely by shrapnel or debris—and succumbed to his wounds shortly thereafter. The circumstances remain under further inquiry. In a separate incident overnight in northern Gaza’s Jabalia region, two IDF soldiers were wounded—one moderately and one lightly—when their tank came under anti-tank fire. Both were evacuated to a military hospital, and their families were notified, the IDF said. Captain Biran is the nephew of Orna and Eitan Biran, who paid tribute to his character and sacrifice. “Reei was a figure of inspiration—devoted, principled, guided by mission and love for humanity,” his aunt Orna told Ynet. His uncle Eitan wrote on Facebook, “Reei was a child of light, a brave fighter, a beloved son and brother. The loss is unfathomable.” Captain Biran’s girlfriend Avia posted on Instagram, “You’re the love of my life. Please come back to me.” Since October 2023, including frontline and border operations, 451 Israeli security personnel have been killed in connection with the conflict around Gaza, among them two police officers and three Defense Ministry civilian contractors. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Mahmoud Khalil, an alumnus of Columbia University, is demanding $20 million in compensation from the administration of President Donald Trump after spending more than 100 days in immigration custody, according to a report by The Independent on Thursday.

In advance of a formal federal lawsuit, a court filing alleges that Khalil was the victim of politically motivated arrests and efforts to suppress campus activism. Officials in the administration claimed Khalil had engaged in “antisemitic activities” due to his involvement in anti-Israel demonstrations.

“There must be accountability for political retaliation and abuse of power,” Khalil stated. “I’m holding the US government accountable not just for myself, but for everyone they try to silence through fear, exile, or detention.”

On March 8, agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) apprehended Khalil as part of a broader effort to clamp down on campus protests critical of Israel.

At the time he was taken into custody, Khalil had become a prominent voice in student-led demonstrations nationwide opposing the war in Gaza. After his arrest, federal authorities relocated him from his residence in New York to a detention facility in Louisiana to face deportation proceedings.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio cited a Cold War-era statute passed during the 1950s Red Scare, which allows for the expulsion of foreign nationals considered detrimental to American foreign policy.

But a judge later determined that Rubio’s claims were insufficient to justify Khalil’s continued detention or deportation, ruling that the government lacked grounds to classify him as a national security threat. Khalil was subsequently granted release on bail in late June.

Officials have accused Khalil of omitting from his immigration paperwork what they called his “membership” in the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

Khalil denies any wrongdoing and insists his arrest and detention were punitive actions in response to his political speech.

{Matzav.com}

A two-year-old girl who was rushed to Ruth Children’s Hospital at Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa last week after being left unattended in a vehicle was niftar overnight in the pediatric intensive care unit, hospital officials confirmed Friday morning. The toddler, whose identity has not been released, was admitted in critical condition on July 3 following an extended period inside a parked car in Hadera. United Hatzalah first responders provided on-scene emergency treatment, including CPR, before transporting her to Hillel Yaffe Medical Center. She was later transferred to Rambam for specialized pediatric intensive care. “Despite all life-saving efforts, the child’s condition remained grave,” a Rambam spokesperson said. “We deeply regret to announce that she succumbed to her injuries overnight.” Shmuel Mori, a United Hatzalah medic who treated the girl at the scene last week, recalled: “We were told she had been in the car for a prolonged time. We performed advanced life-support measures on site before she was taken to the hospital in critical condition,” he said. United Hatzalah issued a renewed safety warning to parents and caregivers: “Never leave children alone in a vehicle, even for a moment,” the organization said. “On hot summer days, always check the back seat before locking your car to ensure no child has been inadvertently left inside.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

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The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit announced Friday morning that Captain Reei Biran, 21, a squad commander in the Golani Reconnaissance Unit of the Golani Brigade, was killed during an operation in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

According to an initial review of the events, Biran’s unit had been tasked with targeting terrorist infrastructure in Khan Yunis. As part of their assignment, they were preparing buildings suspected of being used by terror operatives for demolition.

Roughly two hours into the mission, an explosion erupted during the rigging process. Captain Biran sustained critical injuries and was later declared dead. The IDF is actively investigating the details of the incident to determine what went wrong.

So far, 890 Israeli soldiers have died since the onset of the war.

Another casualty was cleared for publication Wednesday night: Abraham Azulay, 25, from the Shaked Farm near Yitzhar, who was killed while operating engineering equipment in Gaza. Azulay had been married only three months prior.

Azulay is the third individual from Yitzhar to lose his life in the war. He had volunteered, along with many others from his community, to assist the IDF by operating heavy engineering vehicles in the Gaza Strip.

Preliminary findings suggest that while IDF troops were conducting a mission in Khan Yunis, terrorists emerged from a subterranean tunnel and launched an attack. During the ambush, they tried to kidnap the soldier operating the engineering vehicle.

The soldier resisted the attackers but was fatally shot. Forces stationed nearby returned fire, injuring several of the terrorists and preventing the abduction. The IDF is continuing to examine the circumstances of the incident.

{Matzav.com Israel}

President Donald Trump revealed on Thursday that the United States will impose a 35% tariff on goods imported from Canada beginning August 1, citing Ottawa’s retaliatory actions as the reason behind the move.

“Instead of working with the United States, Canada retaliated with its own Tariffs,” Trump wrote in a message addressed to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, which was shared publicly on Truth Social.

Trump pointed to the fentanyl crisis as a factor behind the tariff decision, suggesting that progress on that issue could potentially change the tariff plan. “If Canada works with me to stop the flow of Fentanyl, we will, perhaps, consider an adjustment to this letter,” he said.

According to Trump, the new tariff rate will be distinct from any previously existing sector-specific tariffs. He warned that if Canada hits back with more trade penalties, the U.S. will respond with even higher duties. “If for any reason you decide to raise your Tariffs, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added onto the 35% that we charge,” he declared.

The letter also made clear that any attempts to reroute goods to bypass the increased tariff would be met with the same penalty. “Good transshipped to evade this higher tariff will be subjected to that higher tariff,” it stated.

Trump noted that the tariff rate could either go up or be reduced based on how negotiations unfold with Canada. He stressed that the issues between the two nations aren’t limited to fentanyl. ″[Canada] has many Tariff, and Non-Tariff, Policies and Trade Barriers, which cause unsustainable Trade Deficits against the United States … The Trade Deficit is a major threat to our Economy and, indeed, our National Security!”

Currently, Canadian products are subject to a 25% tariff put in place earlier this year, aimed at addressing Canada’s alleged connection to fentanyl trafficking. Exceptions have been made for those complying with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, while Canadian energy exports face a reduced 10% tariff.

The latest tariff announcement followed a June 29 agreement between the two nations to restart trade negotiations, aiming for a new deal by July 21, according to Canada’s Department of Finance.

Trump had previously threatened to call off all trade talks with Canada after it refused to halt its planned digital services tax targeting U.S. tech companies. Canada eventually dropped the tax, clearing the way for talks with Washington to resume.

{Matzav.com}

At a gathering held Thursday evening in honor of United Hatzalah volunteers in Bnei Brak, MK Moshe Gafni, chairman of Degel HaTorah, delivered a fiery speech targeting Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara following her announcement of new enforcement measures aimed at yeshiva students who do not enlist in the army.

Addressing the volunteers, Gafni praised them as the true servants of Israeli society. “You are living proof that the chareidim serve, assist, and help all the citizens of Israel,” he said, lauding their selfless dedication to saving lives.

Turning to the Attorney General, Gafni’s tone turned scathing. “She’s putting up roadblocks — well, she can forget about that,” he declared. “She wants us to speak out against her so that if they try to fire her, she’ll be able to claim she’s the one standing up to the chareidim. That’s what she’s really interested in. It’s a disgrace to the State that this woman is the Attorney General.”

Then, with biting sarcasm, Gafni added, “But one thing’s for certain — if, Heaven forbid, she’s ever in an accident, it’ll be the chareidim from United Hatzalah who save her. We don’t keep score.”

His remarks came in the wake of Baharav-Miara’s endorsement of a new IDF draft enforcement plan targeting yeshiva bochurim. In a statement issued by her office, the Attorney General welcomed the military’s enforcement efforts, saying, “The Attorney General commends the progress made in formulating this year’s draft enforcement plan and the IDF’s policy to increase enforcement in the immediate term.”

She stated that “the number of recruits in the past year does not meet the security needs, the commitments of the State, or the value of equality.” The statement added that enforcement would be carried out “equitably across all sectors, with particular attention to shortening the time until draft orders are issued and until draft dodgers are formally declared — to enable quicker use of enforcement tools.”

The plan also includes a one-time opportunity for draft dodgers from all sectors to enlist without being arrested. Those who report for duty will begin regular service immediately and, if they complete one full year of proper service and meet additional conditions, their charges will be commuted and replaced with a suspended sentence.

Further steps outlined include a follow-up meeting to assess implementation, including updates on IDF activity at border crossings, proactive enforcement actions, and details regarding the expansion of detention facilities.

Due to gaps in coordination between the Education Ministry and the IDF regarding transfer of information on draft-eligible students, another meeting — headed by the Deputy Attorney General — will be held to address and resolve the issue.

The meeting summary will be forwarded to the Defense Minister’s office, emphasizing the importance of expanding the tools available to enforce the draft on those evading service.

To finalize the government’s legal response to court challenges, officials were instructed to expedite efforts to complete a comprehensive draft affidavit, including specific details about the enforcement plan, criteria for identifying draft dodgers, and IDF enforcement activities — their scope and frequency — particularly at Israel’s borders.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Articles written by Zohran Mamdani during his college years have resurfaced as his profile rises in New York City’s political landscape. A review by Fox News Digital reveals that Mamdani, a self-described socialist and Democratic mayoral nominee, used his time at Bowdoin College to promote radical views on race and Israel, including a call for an academic boycott of the Jewish state.

During his time at Bowdoin from 2010 to 2014, Mamdani authored 32 opinion pieces for the college newspaper, the Bowdoin Orient. In one of his final columns as a senior, Mamdani backed a push for academia to cut ties with Israel. “This academic and cultural boycott aims to bring under scrutiny the actions of the Israeli government and to put pressure on Israeli institutions to end the oppressive occupation and racist policies within both Israel and occupied Palestine,” he wrote. Mamdani also co-founded the college chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, a group now known for organizing some of the loudest anti-Israel demonstrations on campuses, especially in the wake of the October 7 Hamas massacre, with some chapters going as far as glorifying the attack.

One of Mamdani’s targets in his article was Bowdoin’s president at the time, Barry Mills, who rejected the idea of an academic boycott. “Lastly, Mills regrettably makes no mention of Palestinians or Palestine,” Mamdani wrote. “The call for the boycott comes in response to more than 60 years of Israeli colonial occupation of Palestine. When Mills speaks of the ‘free exchange of knowledge, ideas, and research, and open discourse’ in academia, he does so while privileging partnerships with Israeli institutions over basic freedoms for Palestinians, including the rights to food, water, shelter and education, which many Palestinians are denied under Israeli rule.”

In another opinion piece from 2013, Mamdani accused a fellow White student of failing to recognize his own racial privilege after the student objected to claims that the school’s editorial section lacked diversity. “White males are privileged in their near-to-exclusive featuring as figures of authority in print, on television and around us in our daily realities,” Mamdani wrote. “We, the consumers of these media, internalize this and so believe in the innate authority of a white male’s argument and the need for its publication. So, white privilege is both a structural and an individual phenomenon, the former propelling the latter. Therefore, even when the individual is silent, the structures continue to exist and frame our society through their existence.”

He further elaborated on the lack of diversity in the campus newspaper’s opinion section, calling it a product of institutional racism. Mamdani wrote that the “pervasive male whiteness” of the school’s opinion pages “builds on the sadly still-present white male monopolization of both discourse and understanding.”

Expanding on the topic, Mamdani emphasized how white privilege operates, regardless of personal experience. “While whiteness is not homogenous, white privilege is. This privilege is clear in not having to face institutional racism in access to housing subsidies, college grants, financial institutions, or civil rights. It allows a white person to universalize his own experiences. It restricts society’s ability to understand its flaws, and projects a false image of meritocracy upon a nation built on institutional racism,” he wrote.

In a separate piece titled “Bearded in Cairo,” Mamdani recounted his semester abroad in Egypt during a period of political upheaval. He wrote about choosing to grow a beard before his trip as a way to confront American stereotypes about Muslim and South Asian men. He admitted the beard was “mostly as a symbolic middle finger” to the idea, widespread in America, that people with brown skin and beards are automatically seen as “terrorists.”

While in Egypt, Mamdani reflected on how racial privilege manifested differently. “Gone was the image of the white Christian male that I had grown accustomed to, and in its place was a darker, more familiar picture – ­­­one that, for the first time, I fit: brown skin, black hair, and a Muslim name,” Mamdani wrote. “With the right clothing, some took me for an Egyptian and most thought I was Syrian – either identity allowed me unrestricted access to exploring Cairo.”

In a 2014 article marking the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s visit to Bowdoin, Mamdani critiqued what he saw as complacency around diversity. Although the school had increased its non-white student population in recent years, he argued that it had fallen short of what true inclusivity required. “I have been forced to personally grapple with these inconsistencies during my time here,” Mamdani wrote.

He offered a personal window into how these shortcomings played out in everyday campus life. “I sit in class not knowing whether to correct everyone’s mispronunciation of an Indian woman’s name. I usually do, but today I’m tired. I’m tired of being one of a few non-white students in a classroom, if not the only one. I bring up race in discussions only to see the thought flicker in my peers eyes and on their tongues. They sigh without a sound. I’ve brought up race again. I’ve sidetracked the discussion. I’ve chosen to make an issue out of it.”

In the same article, Mamdani — born in Uganda to Indian parents — wrote candidly about the alienation he felt early in college. “I grow a beard only to be called a terrorist,” Mamdani wrote. “I pronounce the ‘h’ in my name only to hear muffled laughs. Clothing becomes exotic once it clads my body. Cotton shirts are called dashikis and sandals ethnic.”

He also described the insecurities he wrestled with during his freshman year. “While I am now comfortable in my own skin, I can remember wishing for whiteness my first year when I thought certain types of girls were impossible to talk to due to my skin being more kiwi than peach. Months later, I remember thinking that attraction might only be possible when a girl had ‘a thing for brown guys.’”

Despite finding a few like-minded peers, Mamdani remained frustrated by what he perceived as willful ignorance. “Still, too few people acknowledge that race is an issue on our campus, or that it has ever been one,” he wrote. “But if people say they are color blind, do they even see me?”

Mamdani captured national attention last month after an unexpected win in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor, despite heavy criticism of his far-left platform. His campaign has called for radical changes, such as municipal-run grocery stores, police defunding, government-sanctioned drug sites, and a $30 minimum wage.

His win has deepened the divide within the Democratic Party. While some party leaders urge a centrist course following Kamala Harris’s loss in the presidential election, others have rallied behind the progressive movement championed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who backed Mamdani’s campaign.

Now heading into the general election as the leading candidate in a city where Democrats vastly outnumber Republicans, Mamdani appears poised to extend his political rise.

{Matzav.com}

At least 200 homes were damaged during a deadly flash flood in the mountain village of Ruidoso, and local emergency managers warned Wednesday that number could more than double as teams survey more neighborhoods. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was among the officials who took an aerial tour of Ruidoso and the surrounding area as they looked to bolster their case for more federal assistance for the community, which has been battered over the past year by wildfires and repeated flooding. The governor said the state has received partial approval for a federal emergency declaration, freeing up personnel to help with search and rescue efforts and incident management. She called it the first step, saying Ruidoso will need much more. “We will continue working with the federal government for every dollar and resource necessary to help this resilient community fully recover from these devastating floods,” she said. An intense bout of monsoon rains set the disaster in motion Tuesday afternoon. Water rushed from the surrounding mountainside, overwhelming the Rio Ruidoso and taking with it a man and two children who had been camping at a riverside RV park. Their bodies were found downstream. One person is still unaccounted for. Lujan Grisham expressed her condolences and wished a speedy recovery for the parents of the 4-year-old girl and 7-year-old boy who were killed. She said it will be an emotional journey. “There are no words that can take away that devastation,” she said. “We are truly heartsick.” Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury, whose district includes Ruidoso and surrounding Lincoln County, told reporters more rain is coming and that residents remain at risk. She urged people to follow emergency orders, saying “we cannot lose another life.” A community rebuilds — again Broken tree limbs, twisted metal, crumpled cars and muddy debris remain as crews work to clear roads and culverts wrecked by the flooding. Tracy Haragan, a lifelong Ruidoso resident on the verge of retirement, watched from his home as a surging river carried away the contents of nine nearby residences. “You watched everything they owned, everything they had — everything went down,” he said. A popular summer retreat, Ruidoso is no stranger to tragedy. It has spent a year rebuilding following destructive wildfires last summer and the flooding that followed. This time, the floodwaters went even higher, with the Rio Ruidoso rising more than 20 feet (6 meters) on Tuesday to set a record. Officials said the area received about 3.5 inches (9 centimeters) of rain over the South Fork burn scar in just an hour and a half. “It is such a great town, it just takes a tail-whipping every once in a while,” Haragan said. “We always survive.” Sucked into the floodwaters Stephanie and Sebastian Trotter were camping along a stream with their son Sebastian, 7, and daughter Charlotte, 4, when the campsite began to flood rapidly, the children’s uncle Hank Wyatt said on a verified GoFundMe page for the family. Their RV was nearly halfway full of water when the wall cracked, and Stephanie and the children were sucked into the floodwaters, he said. The father dove into the water and tried to help his son climb up a tree, while the mother and daughter floated downstream, clinging to each other until debris hit and separated them. Both children and two of the family’s dogs, Zeus and Ellie, died. […]

The Department of Education has officially rescinded a longstanding policy that allowed individuals residing in the U.S. illegally to receive federal funding for vocational and technical education programs, according to a report by The Daily Caller.

“Postsecondary education programs funded by the federal government should benefit American citizens, not illegal aliens,” said Education Secretary Linda McMahon. “Under President Trump’s leadership, hardworking American taxpayers will no longer foot the bill for illegal aliens to participate in our career, technical, or adult education programs or activities.”

She emphasized the department’s new direction, saying, “The Department will ensure that taxpayer funds are reserved for citizens and individuals who have entered our country through legal means who meet federal eligibility criteria.”

The change aligns with a previous executive order issued by President Donald Trump, which terminated government subsidies for undocumented immigrants.

The original rule dates back to 1997 during Bill Clinton’s presidency. It followed the enactment of the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act, which restricted access to health care benefits for illegal immigrants. Clinton at the time had insisted that federal education programs should not fall under those same restrictions.

However, Trump administration officials rejected that approach, stating that Clinton “mischaracterized the law by creating artificial distinctions between federal benefit programs based upon the method of assistance,” according to The Daily Caller.

Implementation of the new policy is scheduled to begin next month, with the Department of Education preparing to enforce the updated standards.

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against California, claiming that three of the state’s laws are playing a direct role in increasing egg prices nationwide by introducing what it called unnecessary regulatory burdens.

According to the legal complaint, “Through a combination of voter initiatives, legislative enactments, and regulations, California has effectively prevented farmers across the country from using a number of agricultural production methods which were in widespread use — and which helped keep eggs affordable.”

The lawsuit focuses on three California statutes — AB 1437, Proposition 2, and Proposition 12 — and contends that the federal government, not individual states, holds the legal authority over egg regulation based on a law passed in 1970 that governs standards for eggs and related products.

The government argues that Proposition 2, approved by California voters in 2008 to implement animal welfare requirements, and AB 1437, which governs egg safety for consumers, are collectively reducing national egg output and pushing prices higher.

Proposition 12, which voters passed in 2018 to mandate minimum space for livestock and poultry, is also under fire in the suit as another measure harming egg availability.

Notably, the complaint does not address the recent avian flu outbreak earlier this year that decimated flocks and dramatically tightened egg supplies, sending prices soaring across the U.S.

The case was filed on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The list of defendants includes California Governor Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and various other state officials.

In response, the governor’s office mocked the lawsuit in a post on X, saying, “Trump’s back to his favorite hobby: blaming California for literally everything.”

“Next up: @CAGovernor Gavin Newsom caused the fall of Rome and sent the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs!” the message added.

{Matzav.com}

A woman convicted of stowing away on a flight from New York to Paris without a boarding pass or a passport won’t be released from custody as she faces new charges of breaching security at a Connecticut airport. Svetlana Dali was sentenced Thursday to time already served for her illegal ride to Paris last year. But a federal judge in Brooklyn said she would not be released as Connecticut authorities are seeking to extradite her to face felony charges that could have her serving up to five years behind bars if convicted. The 57-year-old, who is originally from Russia but has a green card, has been held in a federal lockup in Brooklyn for roughly seven months. Connecticut State Police confirmed after the hearing that they have an active arrest warrant against Dali, but, in an emailed statement, said release of any further information would be “dependent on an arrest being made” in Connecticut. During her sentencing Thursday, Dali spoke for more than half an hour, repeating in detail her claim that she believes she is being poisoned by unknown persons. She pleaded with the judge to order medical tests to prove her fears, which she said had prompted her to attempt to flee the country by boarding the Paris flight illegally. “All of these actions were taken in order to save my life,” Dali said in Russian through a translator. Prosecutors say that on Nov. 24, 2024, Dali was able to get through security checkpoints at Bradley International Airport near Hartford, Connecticut, by hiding among other passengers. She wasn’t able to board a plane, but two days later, she successfully evaded security at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and boarded a plane bound for Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. Prosecutors said Dali was initially rebuffed by a Transportation Security Administration official when she was unable to produce a boarding pass. But she was able to get through a special security lane for airline employees by joining a large flight crew for Air Europa as they were screened and patted down. At the gate for the Paris flight, surveillance video showed Dali sneaking past Delta Air Lines staff checking tickets by again blending into a large group of passengers. On the plane, prosecutors say Dali hid in a bathroom for hours and wasn’t discovered by Delta crew members until the plane was nearing Paris. During her trial, Dali took the stand in her defense, maintaining she was never asked to show her boarding pass at the gate in JFK and had gone into the airplane bathroom because she was feeling sick. She was initially released after her arrest, but was apprehended in Buffalo, New York, after authorities said she cut off her electronic monitor and attempted to enter Canada. Prosecutors have said Dali also appears to have flown into Miami International Airport illegally. In February 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents discovered her hiding in a bathroom in a secured area in the international arrivals zone. (AP)

Michelle Obama, the wife of President Barack Obama, shared candid thoughts on the latest episode of her podcast, revealing that she finally feels unburdened. She spoke about this sense of personal liberation during a conversation with her brother Craig Robinson on their podcast, IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson.

In the Wednesday installment, Michelle spoke passionately about the confidence and autonomy that often come with age, particularly for women. She encouraged listeners to take advantage of this period in life to reclaim time and space for themselves.

“As we get older, we should embrace the fact that we have more time,” she said. “We aren’t parenting our kids anymore. They’re parenting us. We’re not worrying about whether they’re getting home on time or whether they did their homework.”

She went on to explain that this chapter of her life is uniquely empowering. “I mean, this stage in life for me, for me personally, is the first time that I’ve been completely free — where every choice that I make in my life is not about my husband, not about his career, not about what my kids need or where they’re going. It’s totally about me,” Obama added.

These reflections were sparked by a question from a listener asking for advice on how to help her mother, Sharon, navigate a recent move and the fear of building new relationships that might not last.

Obama encouraged the woman to see her situation through a different lens — one of opportunity and renewal. “And Sharon, you know, if she thinks about it like that, wow, she’s got a new freedom. She’s starting over in a new city. There’s so much to learn and to see and to do,” the wife of President Obama said.

“It’s like, this is when we start living, ladies,” Michelle Obama added. “This is the age when we’re free.”

Since their time in the White House ended nearly ten years ago, Michelle Obama has stayed in the public eye through bestselling memoirs and now, her podcast. In these platforms, she has spoken openly about life’s emotional highs and lows, her identity as a mother and wife, and her current professional journey.

In a recent interview, she shared that she’s been attending therapy to help her process the transition into a quieter, child-free home — an “empty nester” phase.

She also dismissed speculation about issues in her marriage that began circulating after she didn’t attend President Trump’s inauguration. “If I were having problems with my husband, everybody would know about it,” Obama said.

{Matzav.com}

BREAKING: A protester was seen apparently firing some kind of weapon at federal agents during the immigration raid at a farm near Camarillo, California on Thursday. It’s unknown if anyone was injured in the chaos.

During the 2016 election cycle, Obama administration intelligence officials admitted behind closed doors that they lacked concrete evidence tying Donald Trump’s campaign to a Russian conspiracy. Nevertheless, they continued to push the public narrative suggesting collusion between the Trump team and Moscow, Fox News reports.

Transcripts from interviews conducted by the House Intelligence Committee in 2017 with senior Obama-era officials—such as DNI James Clapper, National Security Advisor Susan Rice, and Attorney General Loretta Lynch—indicate a lack of solid evidence supporting the collusion claims.

These statements were consistent with the outcome of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, which did not uncover proof of criminal cooperation between Trump’s campaign and Russian operatives. Mueller also refrained from making a determination on whether obstruction of justice had occurred.

Interest in these testimonies has resurfaced as John Brennan, who led the CIA, and James Comey, former FBI director, are reportedly under criminal investigation. Justice Department sources told Fox News Digital the probes are exploring whether they provided false statements to Congress regarding the Trump–Russia inquiry.

The interview transcripts from 2017 and 2018 reveal lawmakers asking several Obama officials whether they had direct evidence of collusion, conspiracy, or coordination between Trump’s campaign and the Russian government—the central premise that fueled both the initial FBI investigation and Mueller’s special counsel probe.

“I never saw any direct empirical evidence that the Trump campaign or someone in it was plotting/conspiring with the Russians to meddle with the election,” Clapper said in his 2017 testimony. “That’s not to say that there weren’t concerns about the evidence we were seeing, anecdotal evidence…. But I do not recall any instance where I had direct evidence.”

Lynch said she did “not recall that being briefed up to me” when asked about the existence of such evidence. “I can’t say that it existed or not,” she added when pressed on the issue of collusion or coordination.

Despite those denials, Brennan briefed President Obama and several senior officials—among them Biden, Lynch, Clapper, and Comey—on July 28, 2016, about information indicating that a Clinton campaign advisor had proposed linking Trump to Russian interference as a political strategy.

“We’re getting additional insight into Russian activities from (REDACTED),” Brennan wrote in notes later published by Fox News Digital in 2020. “CITE (summarizing) alleged approved by Hillary Clinton a proposal from one of her foreign policy advisers to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by the Russian security service.”

Following that meeting, the CIA transmitted the intelligence to the FBI in the form of a Counterintelligence Operational Lead (CIOL), addressed to Comey and Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence Peter Strzok, with the subject line: “Crossfire Hurricane.”

Fox News Digital obtained and reported on this CIOL in 2020. The document stated: “The following information is provided for the exclusive use of your bureau for background investigative action or lead purposes as appropriate.”

It continued: “Per FBI verbal request, CIA provides the below examples of information the CROSSFIRE HURRICANE fusion cell has gleaned to date,” referring to a message detailing Clinton’s purported approval of a plan to connect Trump to Russian hacking activity as a distraction from her private email scandal.

Despite the intelligence, the FBI never opened a probe into the Clinton connection. Instead, it pushed forward with its counterintelligence effort targeting the Trump campaign. Just three days after the CIA briefing, the FBI formally launched the Crossfire Hurricane investigation on July 31, 2016.

Elsewhere in the transcripts, Samantha Power, then U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, was asked whether she had seen any evidence of collusion or conspiracy. “I am not in possession of anything – I am not in possession and didn’t read or absorb information that came from out of the intelligence community,” she said. When pressed again, she repeated: “I am not.”

Susan Rice also addressed the question in her House testimony. “To the best of my recollection, there wasn’t anything smoking, but there were some things that gave me pause,” she stated. “I don’t recall intelligence that I would consider evidence to that effect that I saw… conspiracy prior to my departure.”

Asked if she saw any signs of “coordination,” Rice responded: “I don’t recall any intelligence or evidence to that effect.” When questioned about collusion specifically, she said: “Same answer.”

Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security advisor, gave similar testimony when asked about the Trump–Russia issue. “I wouldn’t have received any information on any criminal or counterintelligence investigations into what the Trump campaign was doing, so I would not have seen that information,” he said.

When the question was posed again, he replied: “I saw indications of potential coordination, but I did not see, you know, the specific evidence of the actions of the Trump campaign.”

Andrew McCabe, who served as the FBI’s deputy director, was not directly asked whether he saw evidence of collusion. Instead, his testimony focused on the controversial Steele dossier, which was at the heart of the investigation and widely discredited.

In his 2017 interview, McCabe was asked which part of the dossier he could confirm as accurate. “We have not been able to prove the accuracy of all the information,” he responded.

“You don’t know if it’s true or not?” a House investigator asked. McCabe replied: “That’s correct.”

Comey, during the transition after Trump’s election win, briefed the president-elect on the Steele dossier, a document that contained unverified allegations linking Trump to the Russian government. Brennan was also present at the Trump Tower meeting in January 2017.

The Steele dossier had been financed by Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee via the law firm Perkins Coie, but at the time, it’s unclear if intelligence agencies knew about its funding origins.

The recent criminal probe into Brennan involves claims that he misled Congress, particularly related to a newly unsealed email from his deputy in December 2016. The email cautioned that including the Steele dossier in the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) could “jeopardize the credibility of the entire paper.”

A subsequent CIA review stated: “Despite these objections, Brennan showed a preference for narrative consistency over analytical soundness.” It continued, “When confronted with specific flaws in the Dossier by the two mission center leaders – one with extensive operational experience and the other with a strong analytic background – he appeared more swayed by the Dossier’s general conformity with existing theories than by legitimate tradecraft concerns.”

The report added that Brennan ultimately finalized his position, writing, “my bottomline is that I believe that the information warrants inclusion in the report.”

However, when Brennan testified before the House Judiciary Committee in May 2023, he claimed the agency opposed including the dossier. “The CIA was very much opposed to having any reference or inclusion of the Steele dossier in the Intelligence Community Assessment,” he said. “And so they sent over a copy of the dossier to say that this was going to be separate from the rest of that assessment.”

At the time, CIA officials had pushed back on the FBI’s attempt to insert the dossier into the ICA, labeling it “internet rumor.” Although the final version of the ICA presented to President Obama did not include the Steele material in the main body, it was referenced in a footnote, reportedly at the insistence of top FBI leadership, according to later investigations by both the DOJ inspector general and the Senate Intelligence Committee.

In June 2020, Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe declassified that footnote—also known as “Annex A” of the ICA—which revealed that Steele’s reporting had “limited corroboration” concerning claims that Trump “knowingly worked with Russian officials” during the 2016 campaign.

This annex, obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital, was under two pages in length and highlighted that Steele, a confidential FBI source, had provided politically charged information during the 2016 election season.

“An FBI source (Steele) using both identified and unidentified subsources, volunteered highly politically sensitive information from the summer to the fall of 2016 on Russian influence efforts aimed at the US presidential election,” it read. “We have only limited corroboration of the source’s reporting in this case and did not use it to reach the analytic conclusions of the CIA/FBI/NSA assessment.”

The annex also noted that Steele was not compensated by the FBI for this specific reporting.

Officials made clear that the material wasn’t developed through rigorous sourcing methods. “The FBI source caveated that, although similar to previously provided reporting in terms of content, the source was unable to vouch for the additional information’s sourcing and accuracy,” the document stated. “Hence this information is not included in this product.”

DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz reviewed how Steele’s dossier was used in the ICA and in applications for FISA warrants against Trump campaign associate Carter Page.

In his 2019 report, Horowitz found “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in the FISA applications, many of which relied on Steele’s uncorroborated material despite the FBI’s inability to verify key claims against Page.

Ratcliffe later referred Brennan for possible prosecution, directing evidence to FBI Director Kash Patel, according to DOJ insiders who spoke to Fox News Digital.

These officials confirmed that the referral was received and that an investigation into Brennan’s conduct was launched. While they would not discuss specifics, they said the probe focuses at least in part on potential false statements to Congress.

Sources also confirmed that Comey is under investigation as well, though the scope of that inquiry remains undisclosed.

Two individuals familiar with the matter described the suspected behavior of Brennan and Comey as resembling a “conspiracy,” which could lead to a broad range of criminal charges.

{Matzav.com}