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U.S. Capitol Police say officers have arrested an individual carrying what appears to be a firearm near the West Front of the U.S. Capitol Building.

A total of 25,274 children have been officially classified as victims of terrorist attacks since October 7, according to figures released Tuesday by the National Insurance Institute. The overwhelming majority—more than 97 percent—received that recognition during the initial months of the war, between October and December 2023.

The data paints a devastating picture of the toll on Israel’s youngest citizens. Sixty-three children have been killed since the outbreak of the war. Thirty-five children were left without either parent, and 316 minors lost brothers or sisters in the violence.

Beyond those fatalities and family losses, 5,659 children have been acknowledged by the National Insurance Institute as suffering from physical injuries or psychological trauma connected to the attacks.

A closer look at the age distribution shows that the largest number of affected children falls within the 5 to 9 age group, totaling 8,123. The next largest group is toddlers and preschoolers between ages 0 and 4, with 7,356 children recognized.

Among older children, 6,532 between the ages of 10 and 14 were listed as victims, along with 3,263 teenagers aged 15 to 17.

In its statement, the National Insurance Institute emphasized that it is focused on safeguarding the rights and long-term welfare of these children. Assistance includes monthly financial benefits, social services, and access to emotional and therapeutic care.

“The National Insurance Institute views the rehabilitation of the future generation impacted by terrorism as a paramount national and moral mission, and it will continue to provide the necessary support to every child, as much as it can, from now and throughout their lives.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich on Monday said that if his daughter sought his advice, he would urge her not to enlist in the IDF. Smotrich was asked about the issue at his party’s weekly meeting in the Knesset, and he responded that the position of his Rabbanim and the Rabbanut for generations is that […]

A group of shipwreck hunters has uncovered the Lac La Belle, a luxury steamship built in 1864 that sank over 150 years ago in Lake Michigan.

TRUMP: Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC, who are responsible for the massive sewage spill in the Potomac river, must get to IMMEDIATELY. If they can’t do the job, they have to call me and ask, politely, to get it fixed.

An additional 27 members of Venezuelan transnational criminal organizations, Tren de Aragua and its splinter faction, anti-Tren, have been indicted in New York in an ongoing prosecution of groups the Trump administration has designated as foreign terrorist organizations. Last year, several hundred TdA members were federally indicted, including on terrorism charges for the first time […]

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei publicly ridiculed President Donald Trump and warned that American military forces could be struck down, escalating rhetoric as U.S. and Iranian representatives met in Geneva to discuss Tehran’s nuclear program and mounting tensions between the two nations.

The 86-year-old cleric’s comments came against the backdrop of an increased U.S. naval presence in the region and renewed diplomatic efforts aimed at addressing Iran’s nuclear activities and broader hostilities.

“The U.S. President says their army is the world’s strongest, but the strongest army in the world can sometimes be slapped so hard it cannot get up,” Khamenei said, according to remarks carried by Iranian media.

Khamenei, whose regime faced widespread condemnation following a sweeping crackdown on nationwide protests last month that human rights organizations say left at least 7,000 people dead, also issued a warning about American naval forces through his English-language X account.

“The Americans constantly say that they’ve sent a warship toward Iran,” Khamenei’s team posted on his English X account. “Of course, a warship is a dangerous piece of military hardware. However, more dangerous than that warship is the weapon that can send that warship to the bottom of the sea.”

At the same time, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard launched military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, underscoring the growing friction with Washington in a region critical to global energy supplies.

Trump has declined to rule out military action against Iran’s ruling establishment, and the recent buildup of American forces in the area mirrors the deployment he assembled near Venezuela prior to the Jan. 3 raid that resulted in the capture of strongman Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

“It seems like that would be the best thing that could happen,” Trump told reporters Friday when asked about the prospect of regime change in Iran.

When questioned about whether the United States might once again strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, Trump responded, “If we do it, that would be the least of the mission.”

The exchange of threats and sharp rhetoric highlights the fragile moment between diplomacy and confrontation, as negotiations move forward even while both sides signal their readiness for escalation.

For decades, regulations required citizens of Israel – including those who also held another nationality – to use an Israeli passport when entering or leaving the country.

When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted government services worldwide, passport offices and Israeli missions abroad operated at limited capacity or were closed altogether. This created significant challenges for many citizens who were unable to obtain or renew Israeli travel documents. In response, the Interior Ministry introduced a temporary policy allowing dual citizens to travel using their non-Israeli passports. Since then, the arrangement has been renewed repeatedly due to ongoing demand and practical need, most recently in December 2025.

Chaim V’Chessed has actively lobbied on behalf of the community to help ensure the continuation of this important exception.

The Interior Ministry has now announced that this accommodation will remain in place through September 30, 2026. Dual citizens will therefore continue to be permitted to enter and depart Israel using a valid foreign passport during this period.

Chaim V’Chessed will continue to share updates with the community on travel rules, requirements, and any changes as they occur.

{Matzav.com}

Kashrus Alert from the KCL regarding the use of Instacart for shopping needs.

Two Canadian groups have called on the Canadian government to strengthen border security, highlighting failures to crack down on drug trafficking and illicit trade. While the U.S. and Canada “share one of the most successful and mutually beneficial economic and trade relationships in the world,” the groups argue, the transborder economies are facing “a myriad […]

Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin, one of the administration’s most vocal defenders of President Trump’s immigration enforcement policies, is expected to depart the administration next week.

Anti-regime Iranian protesters have taken to the streets today in Najaf Abad, Isfahan Province, marking the 40th day of mourning for protesters killed in the regime’s January massacre.

BREAKING: Emergency responders are on the scene following a reported gas explosion at a Church in Boonville, NY, multiple injuries are reported.

Suleiman Maswadeh, a Kan 11 political correspondent, is facing backlash following a controversial remark made during a live broadcast in which he suggested that the only way for authorities to take organized crime seriously would be if a crime family were to carry out a mass murder in a Jewish city. The comment, made in […]

Southern Command’s Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out three lethal strikes on vessels involved in narcotics trafficking. Eleven suspected narco-terrorists were killed, four on each of two vessels in the Eastern Pacific and three on a third vessel in the Caribbean.

UTJ MK Yitzchak Pindrus delivered a heated speech in the Knesset plenum on Monday evening in the wake of the riots in Bnei Brak on Sunday, accusing the justice system of marking the entire Chareidi sector as illegitimate. “I come up here because of what some of the Knesset members have said, and I simply […]

President Donald Trump declared Monday that Washington will not pay a single cent beyond the approved budget for the massive Gateway rail tunnel linking New York and New Jersey, warning that taxpayers will not absorb any unexpected cost increases tied to the multibillion-dollar project.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump criticized the $16 billion effort to build new rail tunnels beneath the Hudson River, describing it as a potential financial debacle and cautioning that it could mirror the ballooning expenses associated with California’s high-speed rail project.

“I am opposed to the future boondoggle known as ‘Gateway,’ in New York/New Jersey, because it will cost many BILLIONS OF DOLLARS more than projected or anticipated,” Trump wrote. “Under no circumstances, will the Federal Government be responsible for ANY COST OVERRUNS — NOT ONE DOLLAR!”

Trump indicated that federal officials are open to discussions with leaders from New York and New Jersey to ensure the project proceeds with tighter oversight and better preparation. However, he emphasized that federal taxpayers will not shoulder expenses that exceed the authorized amount, stressing that “hard work and proper planning is done, NOW.”

The Gateway initiative is widely viewed as one of the most consequential infrastructure undertakings in the country. It calls for constructing two additional rail tunnels beneath the Hudson River, a vital transit corridor used by roughly 200,000 commuters each day traveling between the two states.

Lawmakers have approved $16 billion for the undertaking, with the federal government committing more than $11 billion of that total.

Funding for the project was placed on hold for over four months while the administration reviewed contracts to ensure they complied with updated regulatory requirements.

Reports from The New York Times and Politico indicated that approximately $205 million in reimbursements were withheld during that period, prompting a halt in certain construction activities and leading to the temporary layoff of about 1,000 union laborers.

After a federal court intervened last week, the administration resumed disbursing funds, transferring $30 million to the Gateway Development Commission. Additional payments are expected in the coming weeks. Transportation Department officials have said they are acting in accordance with the court’s order.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, both Democrats, sharply criticized the funding interruption and called for the immediate and complete restoration of federal support.

Attorneys general from New York and New Jersey filed suit against the administration, contending that the funding suspension negatively affected workers and delayed essential progress on the project.

Trump cast his position as a matter of prudent budgeting, citing what he described as California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “Railroad to nowhere” as an example of runaway costs and poor management that he said must not be repeated.

He also rejected claims that he had sought to tie federal funding to renaming Penn Station in his honor, calling those reports “FAKE NEWS” and asserting that the suggestion came from others, not from him.

The dispute highlights ongoing friction between the federal government and Democrat-led states over infrastructure spending, regulatory oversight, and fiscal controls.

Although construction work remains limited while full reimbursement is pending, Trump’s message was clear: the federal government is prepared to back major infrastructure improvements, but it will not provide unlimited financial guarantees.

With billions of taxpayer dollars involved, the Gateway project has emerged as a focal point in the administration’s effort to curb what it considers excessive spending while still moving forward with critical national infrastructure investments.

Police Superintendent Elad Klein, the commander of the Dan District, said that the police acted with disproportionate force in order to quickly contain the violence that broke out after poor coordination with the IDF. Following the riots in Bnei Brak, a dispute erupted between the police and the military over whether the soldiers’ arrival in […]

An exhibit about nine people enslaved by George Washington must be restored at his former home in Philadelphia after President Donald Trump’s administration took it down last month, a federal judge ruled on Presidents Day, the federal holiday honoring Washington’s legacy. The city of Philadelphia sued in January after the National Park Service removed the […]

  Mrs. Chaya Eissman a”h passed away this past Friday in Israel after six years of painful illness, leaving behind a broken husband and four young children — the oldest only 11. Their cries are unimaginable. Their father is devastated and alone. Rabbi Benzion Klatzko is making an urgent emergency appeal: please help this shattered […]