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Vice President JD Vance said he intends to dig into the government’s most closely guarded UFO records before leaving office, describing his intense interest in the topic and suggesting he believes the phenomenon has a spiritual, rather than extraterrestrial, explanation.

Speaking on a podcast hosted by conservative commentator Benny Johnson, Vance said he has not yet had the opportunity to examine classified materials on unidentified flying objects but plans to prioritize doing so. When asked whether the administration would make such files public, he indicated his own curiosity runs deep.

“Trust me, anybody who’s curious about this, I’m more curious than anybody, and I’ve got three years of the very tippy top of the classification. I’m gonna get to the bottom of it,” Vance said. He added that he had not been able to spend enough time on the issue but was determined to do so. “Trust me, I’m obsessed with this.”

Vance also noted that he had once hoped to visit Area 51, the secretive military site long associated with alien speculation, as well as locations in New Mexico, though those plans never materialized. He then shared his personal interpretation of the unexplained sightings.

“I don’t think they’re aliens, I think they’re demons anyway, but that’s a longer discussion,” Vance said. He connected that belief to his religious worldview, pointing out that many major faith traditions, including Christianity, have historically interpreted mysterious phenomena as involving spiritual forces of both good and evil.

President Donald Trump has recently encouraged federal agencies to release additional information about UAPs, or Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, even as official reviews have repeatedly found no confirmed evidence of extraterrestrial contact or technology.

A 2024 historical review conducted by the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office concluded that there is no evidence that the U.S. government or private industry has successfully reverse-engineered alien technology.

During the same reporting cycle, AARO Director Jon Kosloski said the office had found “no verifiable evidence of extraterrestrial beings, activity or technology,” while noting that many reported sightings were ultimately explained as balloons, birds, drones, satellites, or conventional aircraft.

Similarly, findings from NASA, including its UAP study and public materials, state that there is no confirmed scientific evidence linking such sightings to extraterrestrial origins.

The renewed attention to the topic follows remarks earlier this year by Barack Obama, who during a podcast appearance said aliens were “real” in a rapid-fire segment, before clarifying the following day that he had not seen any evidence of alien contact while in office.

Interest has also been fueled by recent activity from the White House, which registered the domain names Alien.gov and Aliens.gov, sparking speculation about potential future disclosures.

Public WHOIS records show that alien.gov and aliens.gov were created on March 17 and list the registrant organization as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. A report by DefenseScoop noted that the registrations have added to public curiosity about whether additional UAP-related information could be forthcoming.

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

There is a certain kind of language that keeps coming up when community members speak about Givat Hashalvah. Not the language of brochures or floor plans, but the language of people trying to describe why a place feels different. They talk about belonging. They talk about like-minded families. They talk about a community geared toward their lifestyle. And that may be one of the clearest signs yet of what this project is really trying to build.  

For many families considering life in Eretz Yisroel, the question is not only where to live, but how to live. Givat Hashalvah keeps returning to that distinction. The goal is not simply proximity to Yerushalayim, nor only a higher construction standard, nor only a stronger amenity package. It is the effort to bring those things together into a way of life that feels more aligned. Community members describe it as a place that understands what Americans are looking for, not in the sense of importing America, but in the sense of planning carefully for the rhythms, expectations, and daily dignity that matter to frum families.  

That thought process shows up in the details. Walking paths. Biking paths. Nearby fitness. Spaces to gather. Large windows opening out to the hills. A summit location that gives the project both presence and perspective. In another setting, those might read as amenities. Here, they begin to feel like part of a larger idea: that ruchniyus and gashmiyus do not need to compete with one another when a community is planned with intention. They can support one another. They can help create the kind of daily life people actually want to come home to.  

The setting adds another layer. Givat Hashalvah is close enough to Yerushalayim to remain connected, yet removed enough to offer quiet, air, and a sense of relief from the rush. Community members speak about that balance with unusual clarity. They are not looking for the center of the noise. They are looking for a real life near Yerushalayim, with the city still within reach and the home experience shaped by calm, scenery, and space. From the summit, the hills become part of the atmosphere, part of what residents will wake up to and live with every day.  

In that sense, Givat Hashalvah is not only making a real estate pitch. It is making a case for a different kind of neighborhood experience, one built around shared purpose, thoughtful planning, and a clearer sense of what a community can feel like when it is designed from the ground up. If the community members already speaking about it are any indication, that message is beginning to land.

Explore Givat Hashalvah → https://go.lyo.group/3LxM3tz

Emergency teams from Magen David Adom responded Sunday evening to the aftermath of an Iranian missile strike, treating dozens of victims and transporting 31 people to Soroka Medical Center.

According to rescue officials, 11 individuals sustained light injuries from debris and objects thrown by the force of the explosion, while another 20 people were treated for anxiety-related symptoms following the incident.

Residents described scenes of destruction in the impacted neighborhood. “The house is completely destroyed, totally ruined. The ceiling of the second floor collapsed entirely,” said Oleg, who lives in the area that was struck. “It’s a total shock. I still don’t understand. I feel frozen.”

Images from the scene showed a massive plume of dark smoke billowing upward in a mushroom-like shape above the site of the blast.

Rav Avraham Yosef delivered a pointed message to smokers ahead of Pesach, stressing that the health dangers of smoking far outweigh the annual debate over cigarette kashrus for the holiday.

Speaking on the Israeli radio program “Shamor V’Zachor,” the rav addressed the recurring question of whether cigarettes are permissible on Pesach, but made clear that the halachic discussion is secondary to a far more serious issue.

“I’m begging all smokers – not because of Pesach, but for the sake of your health,” he said. “A G-d-fearing person takes care of his health and needs to quit. I know it’s difficult; I also used to smoke, and thank G-d, Hakadosh Boruch Hu redeemed me from it.” He went on to describe cigarettes as something “disgusting” that harms not only the smoker but those around him as well, and encouraged listeners to use the Yom Tov period as an opportunity to break the habit.

From a halachic standpoint, Rav Yosef explained why, strictly speaking, regular cigarettes are not prohibited on Pesach. He noted that tobacco is unfit for consumption and is therefore classified as something that imparts a negative taste. In addition, he explained that people do not smoke for food-related enjoyment, but due to nicotine dependence and the challenge of overcoming the urge.

The rav also referenced his father, Rav Ovadia Yosef zt”l, who permitted cigarettes on Pesach for these reasons, and remarked that those who sharply opposed that ruling faced consequences. At the same time, he emphasized that “a G-d-fearing person should refrain as much as possible,” particularly in light of the sanctity of Yom Tov and Shabbos.

When asked about electronic cigarettes that contain flavoring, Rav Yosef criticized those who seek kashrus certification only for Pesach. “Someone who asks for kashrus because of the flavor in an electronic cigarette, why does he only remember on Pesach? If there is a concern of taste, then it requires kashrus supervision all year!”

He suggested that much of the noise surrounding cigarette kashrus on Pesach is sometimes misplaced, stressing that if flavoring ingredients require supervision, that standard should apply consistently throughout the year. He concluded his remarks with a personal appeal to listeners: “Take the message to heart, and you will be blessed—and stop smoking!”

{Matzav.com}