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The Israel Defense Forces announced Monday evening that it has taken possession of the body of an Israeli hostage, handed over by the Red Cross after being collected from Hamas operatives earlier in the day.

“The IDF requests that people act with sensitivity and await the official identification that will first be given to the families of the hostages. Hamas is required to abide by the agreement and to make all necessary efforts to return the fallen hostages,” the military said in a statement.

A short time later, the army clarified: “According to information provided by the Red Cross, a coffin of a deceased hostage has been transferred into its custody and is on the way to IDF troops in the Gaza Strip. Hamas is required to uphold the agreement and take the necessary steps to return all the hostages.”

Following the arrival of the coffin to Israeli forces, the Chief Military Rabbi is expected to lead a brief service, which will include the recitation of Tehillim and the draping of the Israeli flag over the coffin.

{Matzav.com}

The federal government shutdown has now stretched into its twentieth day, officially marking it as the longest full closure in American history — and the third-longest overall, surpassed only by the 35-day partial shutdown of 2018–19 and the 21-day standoff of 1995–96.

The Senate is preparing for another vote on the continuing resolution already passed by the House, scheduled for Monday evening. Lawmakers, however, are bracing for what would be the eleventh failed effort to end the standoff.

“Since the Democrats recklessly shut down the United States government, the Democrats are making some very costly history here: Don’t lose that in all that’s happening,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Monday at his daily briefing. “This is now the third longest shutdown in history. And when you look at it carefully, it is now already the longest full shutdown of all time. You had an example in 2018, and you had one back in 1995 that were longer, but they were partial shutdowns because they only affected a part of the federal government. This is everything.”

Republicans plan to advance a separate measure this week that would allow federal workers to receive pay during the shutdown. Democrats, however, are dismissing the effort as a political stunt meant to benefit President Donald Trump and OMB Director Russ Vought — and have indicated they will not support it, according to Punchbowl News.

Trump and Vought have pledged to hold firm until Senate Democrats agree to reopen the government under spending limits below those set by President Joe Biden. The two have argued that the shutdown is an opportunity to trim federal programs that favor Democratic priorities.

While most Democrats are united in opposing the House measure, a handful have begun to break ranks. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., criticized his colleagues for refusing to take responsibility for the Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire later this year.

“It’s also important for us to note this is the first time in history that any party has had the audacity to shut down the government over a totally clean, nonpartisan continuing resolution,” Johnson said again at his briefing. “This is a political stunt, and it’s the first time it’s been done. It is the most costly, most selfish, most dangerous political stunt in the history of the United States Congress.”

As the shutdown enters its third week, the consequences are deepening. Federal workers will go without their first full paycheck this week, prompting some banks and credit unions to extend emergency loans to affected employees. Air traffic controllers have warned that staff shortages could soon disrupt flights nationwide.

Meanwhile, the USDA’s loan and grant programs for farmers and small businesses have ground to a halt, leaving many without critical funding.

On Tuesday, Senate Republicans are expected to meet with Trump in the newly renovated Rose Garden. The gathering, largely symbolic, underscores the party’s continued solidarity with the White House as the standoff drags on.

With essential programs faltering and the November 1 funding deadline looming, lawmakers face mounting pressure to end the crisis — or risk cementing this episode as one of the most damaging shutdowns in modern U.S. history.

According to USA Today, here’s how this shutdown compares to the longest in U.S. history (ranked by duration):

1. 2019 under Trump – 35 days

2. 1996 under President Bill Clinton – 21 days

3. 2025 under Trump – 20 days

4. 1978 under President Jimmy Carter – 17 days (tied)

5. 2013 under President Barack Obama – 17 days (tied)

6. 1977 under Carter – 12 days

7. 1976 under President Gerald Ford – 11 days (tied)

8. 1979 under Carter – 11 days (tied)

9. 1977 under Carter – 8 days (tied)

10. 1977 under Carter – 8 days (tied)

11. 1995 under President Bill Clinton – 5 days

12. 1990 under President George H.W. Bush – 4 days

13. 2018 under Trump – 3 days (tied)

14. 1982 under President Ronald Reagan – 3 days (tied)

15. 1983 under Reagan – 3 days (tied)

16. 1981 under Reagan – 2 days (tied)

17. 1984 under Reagan – 2 days (tied)

18. 1982 under Reagan – 1 day (tied)

19. 1984 under Reagan – 1 day (tied)

20. 1986 under Reagan – 1 day (tied)

21. 1987 under Reagan – 1 day (tied)

22. 2018 under Trump – several hours

“The Senate Democrats have zero shame about this,” Johnson said. “They don’t have any shame at all about the pain that they’re inflicting upon hardworking families, upon soldiers and law enforcement officers and veterans, the elderly and the disabled, women, infants, and children. Services to all those categories and paychecks to those folks are being stalled because Democrats are playing games today.”

{Matzav.com}

A surprising new poll shows that Andrew Cuomo could come within striking distance of left-wing frontrunner Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayoral race — but only if Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa steps aside.

According to results from Gotham Polling and AARP New York, 44.6% of voters said they would support Mamdani if Sliwa exited the race, compared to 40.7% who would back Cuomo. With the survey’s 4-point margin of error, Cuomo would be nearly neck-and-neck with the Queens assemblyman.

When all three candidates remain on the ballot, Mamdani still leads decisively, drawing 43.2% of the vote to Cuomo’s 28.9% and Sliwa’s 19.4%, the poll revealed.

The data also indicates that undecided voters skew older — with nearly 78% of them aged 50 or above — a demographic that could significantly benefit Cuomo, while Mamdani continues to dominate among younger voters.

“The decisive factor in this race may be the older voters who haven’t yet made up their minds,” said Stephen Graves, president of Gotham Polling & Analytics. “If the contest narrows to two leading candidates, the 50-plus electorate — by far the most reliable voting bloc — will likely determine who becomes the next mayor of New York City.”

The survey was modeled after 2021 general election turnout, when fewer than 40% of voters were under 50. Analysts cautioned that this may undercount Mamdani’s strength, as his campaign has since registered tens of thousands of younger voters, potentially shifting turnout to an even split between age groups this November.

Despite the poll’s projections, both Cuomo and Sliwa have vowed to stay in the race. Cuomo, running as an independent after losing to Mamdani in the Democratic primary, and Sliwa, representing Republicans, have each dismissed suggestions that they should step aside.

Researchers surveyed 1,040 likely voters over two days last week. Across all age groups, respondents cited the cost of living as their top concern, with 63.6% naming it their primary issue. Public safety followed at 48.6%, while 38.9% pointed to housing affordability as their main worry.

Nearly 43% of voters identified as very liberal or somewhat liberal — a clear advantage for Mamdani — while just over 23% described themselves as somewhat or very conservative.

Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assemblyman from Queens, shocked the political establishment when he defeated Cuomo and outgoing Mayor Eric Adams in June’s Democratic primary. Born in Uganda and raised in New York, Mamdani calls himself a proud socialist.

His progressive positions have sparked controversy in political and Jewish circles alike, particularly due to his sharp criticism of Israel and his refusal to denounce Hamas.

Cuomo, age 67, who previously served as New York’s governor and as U.S. housing secretary, took aim at Mamdani’s inexperience during the first of two recent mayoral debates. On Sunday, he again targeted Sliwa, labeling him a “spoiler” and urging him to withdraw.

“The problem is Curtis Sliwa is a spoiler in the race,” Cuomo said on WABC 770 AM’s “The Cats Roundtable.” “A vote for Curtis Sliwa is really a vote for Mamdani.”

Sliwa, 71, founder of the Guardian Angels and a longtime radio host, fired back during last week’s debate, insisting that Cuomo should be the one to step aside instead.

The Gotham/AARP poll concluded that older New Yorkers could once again tip the balance.

“Once again, New York’s older voters are poised to decide this election,” said Beth Finkel, AARP New York State Director. “These are issues that matter not only to older adults and to New Yorkers of every generation.”

{Matzav.com}

The Supreme Court said on Monday that it will consider whether people who regularly smoke marijuana can legally own guns, the latest firearm case to come before the court since its 2022 decision expanding gun rights. President Donald Trump’s administration asked the justices to revive a case against a Texas man charged with a felony because he allegedly had a gun in his home and acknowledged being a regular pot user. The Justice Department appealed after a lower court largely struck down a law that bars people who use any illegal drugs from having guns. The Republican administration favors Second Amendment rights, but government attorneys argued that this ban is a justifiable restriction. They asked the court to reinstate a case against Ali Danial Hemani. His lawyers got the felony charge tossed out after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the blanket ban is unconstitutional under the Supreme Court’s expanded view of gun rights. The appellate judges found it could still be used against people accused of being high and armed at the same time, though. Hemani’s attorneys argue the broadly written law puts millions of people at risk of technical violations since at least 20% of Americans have tried pot, according to government health data. About half of states legalized recreational marijuana, but it’s still illegal under federal law. The Justice Department argues the law is valid when used against regular drug users because they pose a serious public safety risk. The government said the FBI found Hemani’s gun and cocaine in a search of his home as they probed travel and communications allegedly linked to Iran. The gun charge was the only one filed, however, and his lawyers said the other allegations were irrelevant and were mentioned only to make him seem more dangerous. The case marks another flashpoint in the application of the Supreme Court’s new test for firearm restrictions. The conservative majority found in 2022 that the Second Amendment generally gives people the right to carry guns in public for self-defense and any firearm restrictions must have a strong grounding in the nation’s history. The landmark 2022 ruling led to a cascade of challenges to firearm laws around the country, though the justices have since upheld a different federal law intended to protect victims of domestic violence by barring guns from people under restraining orders. (AP)

The IDF has begun placing physical markers along the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip, to which it withdrew under the current ceasefire. The markers—3.5-meter-tall concrete blocks topped with yellow metal signs—are being set roughly 200 meters apart. The military started marking the line yesterday and says the effort will continue “in the coming period.” According to mediators, the Yellow Line covers more than half of the Strip’s territory, about 53%, mostly outside urban areas.

After several months of quiet, the IDF Military Police have resumed their controversial operations targeting yeshiva students who have not reported for military service. The renewed effort began overnight with an attempted arrest in the chareidi neighborhood of Neve Yaakov in northern Yerushalayim.

The incident, which occurred shortly after midnight between Sunday and Monday, saw Military Police investigators attempt to detain a yeshiva student at his home on Edmond Fleg Street. Within minutes, large crowds of local residents gathered in protest, leading to a major confrontation that forced the police to retreat from the area without completing the arrest.

Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes as residents poured into the streets, chanting and blocking police vehicles. The Peleg Yerushalmi issued a statement claiming responsibility for the resistance. “The masses who arrived prevented the arrest, and the police withdrew,” the statement read. “Eyewitnesses reported that the Military Police used force in an attempt to break down the door.”

The dramatic standoff marks the first such attempt in months. Until now, the Military Police had largely confined their operations to airport arrests — detaining yeshiva students identified as draft evaders when attempting to leave or return to the country.

The renewed activity comes amid heightened tensions surrounding the draft issue and ongoing debates within the government over the future of the draft law. Community leaders in Neve Yaakov condemned the incident, warning that any attempt to arrest yeshiva students from their homes risks inflaming already fragile relations between the religious community and the state.

For now, the yeshiva student remains free, and police sources say the operation will be reviewed, though indications suggest that further arrest attempts could follow in the coming weeks as enforcement intensifies.

{Matzav.com}

Israel Police chief Danny Levy has ordered police officers to refrain from arresting Chareidi “draft dodgers,” despite the IDF and Justice Ministry’s request for assistance in enforcement, Haaretz reported on Monday. According to the new directive, from now on, if a Chareidi “draft dodger” is encountered by a police officer, he will receive a summons to appear at the military police, but he will not be arrested or immediately transferred to the military police. According to the report, the new directive was issued due to concerns about protests and a shortage of security manpower. In a discussion held last month at the Ministry of Justice, it became clear that the police had changed their approach and were unwilling to assist the military police in the arrest of Chareidim, partially due to concerns about clashes and disturbances that would require the police to allocate large forces to restore public order. The document distributed to police officers states that police officers are forbidden from carrying out joint operations with the military police to capture deserters, such as joint roadblocks. “The Israel Police does not carry out proactive activities on the subject,” it stated. The statement continues by saying, “Locating and arresting deserters may lead to public order events, including protests and clashes, both locally in the area of the arrest and more broadly in response. If it is discovered that a person detained incidentally is a deserter, the police officers should give him an invitation to visit the military police facility and release him on the spot, without arresting him or transferring him to the military police.” The statement added that the police officers should refrain from “provocations and expressing an opinion” towards those detained. i24 News reported weeks ago that the reason for the halt in the arrests of Chareidi “deserters” by the police was the IDF’s refusal to recruit five reserve Border Police (Magav) companies requested by the police. These reserve units were meant to assist police in dealing with public disturbances that tend to erupt following the arrests of bnei yeshivos. The police had demanded the reserve companies—which the IDF is responsible for recruiting and funding—so that other special riot-control units (Yasam) could be redirected to handle Chareidi protests that break out in response to such arrests. According to a police source, the IDF refused to call up the reserve units, and as a result, the police stopped arresting deserters, instead issuing them summonses to report to the military police. The judicial system has strongly criticized the change in the police approach. “They are leaving the military police to deal alone with thousands of deserters and draft dodgers,” a source told Haaretz. “It is illogical and impossible. The police simply do not want to get involved in this event and are afraid of protests instead of assisting in law enforcement.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Hagaon HaRav Malkiel Kotler who is on a short trip to Eretz Yisroel met on Monday with HaGaon HaRav Meir Tzvi Bergman, Rosh Yeshivas Rashbi and Zakein Chevrei Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah.

President Trump says that there will be “NO” boots on the ground in Gaza.

POTUS: “We have peace in the Middle East for the first time ever. We made a deal with Hamas that… They’re gonna behave, they’re going to be nice, and if they’re not… we’re going to eradicate them if we have to. They’ll be eradicated — and they know that.”

TRUMP: “I think China’s been very respectful of us. They’re paying tremendous amounts of money to us in the form of tariffs. As you know, they’re paying 55% — that’s a lot of money… China’s paying 55% and a potential 155% come November 1st unless we make a deal.”

President Trump and Australian Prime Minister Albanese sign a $8.5B rare earth minerals agreement.

A newborn girl was found wrapped in a blanket on the stairs of 34th Street–Penn Station during Monday’s morning rush. She was alert and taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition. The NYPD is reviewing footage, and no arrests have been made.

Israel’s governing coalition is reportedly considering a dramatic political move: lowering Israel’s electoral threshold, a step that could reshape the upcoming elections and determine the fate of several parties currently hovering near the cutoff.

According to a report by journalist Amit Segal on Channel 12 News, discussions are underway within the coalition to reduce the threshold from its current 3.25% (equivalent to four Knesset seats) amid growing concern over polls showing Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party struggling to cross it. Such a scenario could lead to the loss of thousands of right-wing votes and potentially shift the balance of power in the next election.

The talks come as the political establishment begins to gear up for elections expected sometime within the coming year, though the exact date remains unclear due to ongoing coalition disputes and legislative uncertainty.

MK Simcha Rothman, chairman of the Knesset Constitution Committee — the body that would oversee any such legislative amendment — has reportedly been holding meetings with representatives from multiple factions to gauge support for the proposal. Among those he has met with is Hadash-Ta’al chairman MK Ayman Odeh, signaling an effort to secure a broad parliamentary majority for the change.

Sources within the coalition believe that lowering the threshold could garner significant support across party lines. However, one major opponent has already emerged: Shas leader Aryeh Deri, who is said to oppose the idea out of concern that it could pave the way for the return of a rival Sephardic party led by Eli Yishai, potentially siphoning off votes from Shas’s traditional base.

Segal reported that “Shas, which enjoys a monopoly over the Sephardic chareidi electorate, currently opposes the proposal, fearing the emergence of new parties that could threaten that dominance.”

In light of this opposition, coalition officials are reportedly holding quiet talks with Shas to win its backing. One idea under discussion is to establish a broad surplus-vote agreement among right-wing parties — a strategy aimed at reassuring Deri that lowering the threshold would not endanger Shas politically.

If approved, the change could have far-reaching implications not only for Smotrich but also for centrist factions such as Benny Gantz’s National Unity party, which has also seen fluctuating polling numbers in recent weeks. The move, supporters argue, would prevent wasted votes and ensure greater political representation — but critics warn it could open the door to a proliferation of small, unstable parties in the Knesset.

{Matzav.com}

China likes to condemn the United States for extending its arm too far outside of its borders to make demands on non-American companies. But when it sought to hit back at the U.S. interests this month, Beijing did exactly the same. In expanding export rules on rare earths, Beijing for the first time announced it will require foreign firms to obtain approval from the Chinese government to export magnets containing even tiny amounts of China-originated rare earth materials or produced with Chinese technology. That means a South Korean smartphone maker must ask for Beijing’s permission to sell the devices to Australia if the phones contain China-originated rare earth materials, said Jamieson Greer, the U.S. trade representative. “This rule gives China control over basically the entire global economy in the technology supply chain,” he said. For anyone familiar with U.S. trade practice, China is simply borrowing a decades-long U.S. policy: the foreign direct product rule. It extends the reach of U.S. law to foreign-made products, and it has been used regularly to restrict China’s access to certain U.S. technologies made outside of the United States, even when they are in the hands of foreign companies. It is the latest example of Beijing turning to U.S. precedents for tools it needs to stare down Washington in what appears to be an extended trade war between the world’s two largest economies. “China is learning from the best,” said Neil Thomas, a fellow on Chinese politics at Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis. “Beijing is copying Washington’s playbook because it saw firsthand how effectively U.S. export controls could constrain its own economic development and political choices.” He added: “Game recognizes game.” The idea goes back to at least 2018 It was in 2018, when President Donald Trump launched a trade war with China, that Beijing felt the urgency to adopt a set of laws and policies that it could readily deploy when new trade conflicts arise. And it looked to Washington for ideas. Its Unreliable Entity List, established in 2020 by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, resembles the U.S. Commerce Department’s “entity list” that restricts certain foreign companies from doing businesses with the U.S. In 2021, Beijing adopted the anti-foreign sanction law, allowing agencies such as the Chinese Foreign Ministry to deny visas and freeze the assets of unwelcome individuals and businesses — similar to what the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Department of Treasury can do. Calling it a toolkit against foreign sanctions, intervention and long-arm jurisdiction, the state-run news agency China News in a 2021 news report cited an ancient Chinese teaching, saying Beijing would be “hitting back with the enemy’s methods.” The law “has combed through relevant foreign legislation and taken into consideration the international law and the basic principles of international relations,” said the Chinese scholar Li Qingming as quoted in the news report. He also said it could deter the other side from escalating. Other formal measures Beijing has adopted in the past several years include expanded export controls and foreign investment review tools. Jeremy Daum, a senior research scholar in law and senior fellow at Yale Law School’s Paul Tsai China Center, said Beijing often draws from foreign models in developing its laws in non-trade, non foreign-related areas. As China seeks capabilities to retaliate in kind in trade and sanctions, the […]

The Knesset’s 25th assembly opened its winter session on Monday with an official ceremony in the plenum, but behind the formality lies a looming political showdown that could determine the government’s survival. The upcoming session is expected to be one of the most volatile and decisive in recent years, a season that will test whether Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s coalition can maintain stability or face another election.

At the center of the storm is the long-simmering debate over the draft law. Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman MK Boaz Bismuth is preparing to unveil a new draft proposal, based on a framework developed after extensive talks with defense officials and representatives of the chareidi community. The bill aims to find a delicate balance between the manpower needs of the IDF and the preservation of the world of Torah — a formula that could ultimately decide the coalition’s fate.

Another critical challenge is the 2026 state budget. Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich has already instructed his ministry to begin drafting it immediately, aware that it will serve as a key political and economic survival test for the government. The budget must address Israel’s ongoing security challenges, rehabilitation efforts in the South, and economic growth — all while navigating internal coalition pressures.

Simultaneously, the government is seeking to advance several structural reforms. Chief among them is a proposed Basic Law on Appointments, initiated by Netanyahu, which aims to regulate senior appointments in the public sector and streamline governance. Justice Minister Yariv Levin and MK Simcha Rothman are also expected to reintroduce portions of the controversial judicial reform package, while attempting to avoid renewed coalition turmoil.

Adding to the tension, Otzma Yehudit is pressing for the advancement of a bill instituting the death penalty for terrorists. Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has warned that he has given Netanyahu a deadline to move the legislation forward, threatening to break up the coalition if it stalls. The specific deadline remains undisclosed.

Meanwhile, discussions are intensifying over the formation of a governmental commission of inquiry into the October 7 massacre. The panel would examine the chain of failures that led to that day’s devastating events. Disputes are already brewing over the commission’s establishment, leadership, and powers — all of which could spark further political friction in the weeks ahead.

{Matzav.com}

Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, the architects of President Donald Trump’s ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, pushed back against accusations that Israel committed “genocide” in Gaza, defending the country’s military actions during a joint interview Sunday on 60 Minutes. Asked by correspondent Lesley Stahl whether they believed the war amounted to genocide, Kushner immediately replied, “No, no.” Witkoff followed: “Absolutely not. No. There was a war being fought.” Kushner, who visited Gaza after the ceasefire, described extensive destruction but placed blame squarely on Hamas. “It looked almost like a nuclear bomb had been set off in that area,” he said. “You see these people moving back … to the areas where their destroyed home was, onto their plot, and they’re going to pitch a tent. It’s very sad, because you think to yourself: they really have nowhere else to go.” The two men, who have led Trump’s diplomatic efforts in the region, appeared in Tel Aviv last week at a rally celebrating the pending release of 20 hostages. The crowd at Hostages Square chanted “Thank you, Trump!” as they touted the president’s role in brokering the deal. During his own visit to Israel earlier this month, Trump said Gaza’s reconstruction presented a “great opportunity,” adding that “even before the war, it was a hellhole.” Still, he emphasized that Gazans are “good people” and should be able to “remain there as it is rebuilt.” Kushner, echoing that message, told 60 Minutes his “biggest message” to Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was to “help the Palestinian people thrive and do better,” arguing that doing so would help Israel “integrate with the broader Middle East.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Kamala Harris took aim at Joe Biden’s judgment this week, calling his 2021 decision to exclude Elon Musk from a high-profile White House electric vehicle summit a “big mistake.” Her remarks came as the 82-year-old ex-president continues treatment for prostate cancer.

Speaking Tuesday at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit in Washington, D.C., Harris said the move — widely viewed as a gesture to organized labor — backfired politically and alienated one of America’s most influential innovators. “I write in the book that I thought it was a big mistake to not invite Elon Musk when we did a big EV event,” Harris told Fortune Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell.

“I mean, here he is, the major American manufacturer of extraordinary innovation in this space,” Harris said, referring to Musk’s role in transforming the global electric vehicle industry.

Harris has been on a media tour promoting her memoir 107 Days, in which she faults Biden for what she describes as “recklessness” in seeking re-election despite declining health.

In August 2021, Biden hosted executives from General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis to celebrate a push for half of all new vehicles sold by 2030 to be zero-emission — but Tesla, the nation’s leading EV maker, was conspicuously left off the guest list.

At the time, White House press secretary Jen Psaki defended the invitees as “the three largest employers of the United Auto Workers,” a pointed reminder that Tesla’s workforce is nonunion. When pressed about whether Tesla’s exclusion was deliberate, Psaki replied, “I’ll let you draw your own conclusion.”

Musk, who had sold more electric cars than all three automakers combined, expressed his irritation in real time, tweeting: “Yeah, seems odd that Tesla wasn’t invited.” A month later, he accused Biden’s team of being “not the friendliest” and “controlled by unions.”

The administration stood by its outreach to Detroit’s Big Three, calling them essential to Biden’s goal of creating union-backed green jobs. Musk, meanwhile, mocked the president online, especially after SpaceX’s historic civilian spaceflight went unacknowledged by the White House.

At the Fortune event, Harris argued that national leaders should rise above partisan allegiances when recognizing innovation. “So, I thought that was a mistake, and I don’t know Elon Musk, but I have to assume that that was something that hit him hard and had an impact on his perspective,” she said.

Her comments mirrored a section of her new book, where she writes that the episode alienated Musk and helped push him toward President Donald Trump’s orbit. Musk went on to contribute nearly $300 million to Republican-aligned political groups during the 2024 election cycle.

Harris also used the platform to question the administration’s early policy priorities. “When we made the decision as an administration to put the infrastructure bill and the CHIPS Act first, I actually think that was a mistake,” she said.

“Very important work, no question, but we did that before putting the immediate needs ahead of anything else.” She argued that the administration should have prioritized child care and paid family leave sooner, saying Americans felt neglected as inflation rose. “If we can’t meet the basic needs of the people, there will be this backlash, which is going to resonate and sound like it is about ‘blame the rich’,” she said. “It’s about, ‘we need help for our basic needs, and please prioritize those needs’.”

Reports from the time revealed that Tesla officials repeatedly requested meetings with the White House but were ignored, partly due to union pressure. When Musk learned Tesla wouldn’t be invited to the EV event, White House officials reportedly called to apologize.

Tensions escalated further when Biden publicly praised GM CEO Mary Barra for having “electrified the entire automobile industry” — a claim that infuriated Musk, whose company had sold more than 115,000 EVs that quarter compared with GM’s 26,000.

Although Biden aides later sought to repair the relationship, arranging calls between Musk and top officials, the rift persisted. Musk increasingly aligned himself with conservatives, railing against “the woke mind virus” and backing Trump’s comeback campaign through his super PAC, America PAC.

{Matzav.com}

Metal shrapnel from an exploding artillery shell fell hit and damaged a California Highway Patrol vehicle as personnel at a U.S. Marine Corps base fired live rounds over a highway — against the objections of Gov. Gavin Newsom — during weekend exercises observed by Vice President JD Vance, state authorities said Sunday. No one was injured. The incident occurred when ordnance detonated overhead prematurely during Saturday’s exercise at Camp Pendleton, the California Highway Patrol said in a news release. Newsom had strongly objected to the firing of munitions over Interstate 5 for safety reasons. The Democrat closed a 17-mile (27 kilometers) stretch of the road connecting Los Angeles and San Diego during the drills, which were held to mark the upcoming 250th birthday of the Marine Corps. The incident occurred in an area where officers had shut down traffic, the highway patrol said. A Marine Corps spokesperson said the service was aware of “a possible airborne detonation” of a 155 mm artillery round outside the exercise’s designated impact area. “Following established safety protocols, firing was suspended. No injuries occurred and the demonstration concluded as scheduled,” Capt. Gregory Dreibelbis of the I Marine Expeditionary Force said in an emailed statement. An investigation has been initiated, he said. “We are committed to determining the incident’s root cause and applying findings to future missions,” Dreibelbis said. The Marine Corps had said there was nothing unsafe about the exercise and that it was unnecessary to disrupt traffic on I-5. An incident report filed by the highway patrol said one officer heard what sounded like pebbles falling on his motorcycle and about 3 feet (91 centimeters) around him. His motorcycle was not damaged. He found a 1 inch-by-0.5 inch (2.5 cm-by-1.3 cm) piece of shrapnel nearby. One unoccupied patrol vehicle was hit by shrapnel. Officers found a 2 inch-by-0.5 inch (5 cm-by-1.3 cm) piece of shrapnel on the vehicle. It left a small dent and scratch on the vehicle’s hood. Officers said they notified the Marine Corps, which then canceled the firing of additional live ordnance over the freeway. Officers didn’t find any additional metal on freeway lanes and reopened the road. Newsom, a Democrat, posted a comment on the social media site X Sunday. “We love our Marines and owe a debt of gratitude to Camp Pendleton, but next time, the Vice President and the White House shouldn’t be so reckless with people’s lives for their vanity projects,” Newsom said. Vance, a Republican, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited the base in north San Diego County for the Nov. 10 anniversary of the Marine Corps’ founding and to watch troops demonstrate a beach assault. Vance spent four years in the Marines and served a tour in Iraq. (AP)