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ELIMINATED: IDF forces on Friday carried out an airstrike on Friday and eliminated the terrorist Hakham Muhammad Issa Al-Issa in Gaza City. Issa Al-Issa was a founder of Hamas and a senior figure in the terror group’s military wing. Most recently, he served as the head of the Combat Support and Administrative Headquarters of Hamas.

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President Trump on Friday claimed he saved Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from an “ugly” and “ignominious” death after the U.S. bombed three Iranian nuclear sites last Saturday. “Why would the so-called ‘Supreme Leader,’ Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, of the war torn Country of Iran, say so blatantly and foolishly that he won the War with Israel, when he knows his statement is a lie, it is not so,” Trump wrote in a lengthy post on Truth Social. “His Country was decimated, his three evil Nuclear Sites were OBLITERATED, and I knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the U.S. Armed Forces, by far the Greatest and Most Powerful in the World, terminate his life,” he continued. “I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, ‘THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!’” Trump said he “demanded” Israel call back planes that were headed to Tehran, “looking for a big day, perhaps the final knockout,” and that the move averted “tremendous damage.” “During the last few days, I was working on the possible removal of sanctions, and other things, which would have given a much better chance to Iran at a full, fast, and complete recovery — The sanctions are BITING!” the president wrote Friday. “But no, instead I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more.” He also warned things “will only get worse” for Iran if they don’t “get back into the World Order flow” and urged Tehran leaders to “realize that you often get more with HONEY than you do with VINEGAR. PEACE!!!” The president’s comments come after Khamenei, in his first remarks since the U.S. strikes on Iran’s Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities, declared victory in the conflict and argued the U.S. “achieved nothing” through the strikes. “My congratulations on our dear Iran’s victory over the US regime,” Khamenei wrote early Thursday on social platform X. “The US regime entered the war directly because it felt that if it didn’t, the Zionist regime would be completely destroyed.” “It entered the war in an effort to save that regime but achieved nothing,” he added. The ayatollah noted in a second post that Iran “delivered a heavy slap to the US’s face” with its counterattack on the U.S. air base in Qatar. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

ChatGPT said:

At a press briefing held at the White House on Friday, President Donald Trump made it clear that he would be open to launching additional airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities if intelligence pointed to a growing threat.

“Sure, without question, absolutely – it has to be unbelievable,” Trump said in response to a reporter who asked whether he might consider ordering strikes on Iran again if new intelligence raised red flags regarding uranium enrichment activities.

Trump also expressed confidence that Iran was currently incapable of quickly reviving its nuclear ambitions following the damage inflicted by U.S. attacks on its nuclear infrastructure.

When pressed on whether he was concerned about undisclosed nuclear sites possibly still operating within Iran, Trump shrugged off the idea, indicating he believed Iran was in no position to prioritize nuclear ambitions at this stage.

“Can I tell you – they’re exhausted. And Israel’s exhausted too. And I dealt with both of them, and they both wanted it settled – both of them – and we did a great job. But they’re exhausted. The last thing they’re thinking about right now is nuclear. You know what they’re thinking of? They’re thinking about tomorrow, trying to live,” stated Trump.

Trump also claimed that Tehran was eager to enter negotiations with the United States over its nuclear program. His remarks echoed those of Steve Witkoff, the administration’s Middle East envoy, who recently stated that preliminary steps toward dialogue with Iran were already underway.

Meanwhile, Iranian officials have publicly denied any plans to engage in renewed nuclear talks. On Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected reports suggesting otherwise.

“Some speculations about the resumption of negotiations should not be taken seriously,” Araghchi declared, adding, “I would like to state clearly that no agreement, arrangement or conversation has been made to start new negotiations. No plan has been set yet to start negotiations.”

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

Donald Trump launched a fierce attack on Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday, reacting to Khamenei’s declaration that Iran had triumphed in its conflict with Israel. Using his Truth Social platform, Trump accused Khamenei of fabricating a narrative of victory and disclosed that he had been exploring lifting sanctions on Iran—an effort he abandoned in light of the Ayatollah’s remarks.

“Why would the so-called ‘Supreme Leader,’ Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, of the war torn Country of Iran, say so blatantly and foolishly that he won the War with Israel, when he knows his statement is a lie, it is not so,” Trump wrote.

Trump didn’t hold back, expressing outrage over what he saw as a complete distortion of the facts. He reminded followers that Iran had suffered massive devastation and suggested he personally intervened to stop Israel or the U.S. from killing Khamenei. “As a man of great faith, he is not supposed to lie. His Country was decimated, his three evil Nuclear Sites were OBLITERATED, and I knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the U.S. Armed Forces, by far the Greatest and Most Powerful in the World, terminate his life. I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, ‘THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!'”

He went on to reveal that he had instructed Israel to abort what he described as a massive military operation targeting the Iranian capital. “In fact, in the final act of the War, I demanded that Israel bring back a very large group of planes, which were heading directly to Tehran, looking for a big day, perhaps the final knockout! Tremendous damage would have ensued, and many Iranians would have been killed. It was going to be the biggest attack of the War, by far.”

Trump then turned to his diplomatic efforts in the conflict’s aftermath. He noted that he had been making headway toward easing sanctions to help Iran recover—but the Ayatollah’s inflammatory rhetoric caused him to reverse course. “During the last few days, I was working on the possible removal of sanctions, and other things, which would have given a much better chance to Iran at a full, fast, and complete recovery – The sanctions are BITING! But no, instead I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more.”

In closing, Trump painted a bleak picture of Iran’s condition and warned of further deterioration unless its leaders embraced a different approach. “Iran has to get back into the World Order flow, or things will only get worse for them. They are always so angry, hostile, and unhappy, and look at what it has gotten them – A burned out, blown up Country, with no future, a decimated Military, a horrible Economy, and DEATH all around them. They have no hope, and it will only get worse! I wish the leadership of Iran would realize that you often get more with HONEY than you do with VINEGAR. PEACE!!!”

{Matzav.com}

U.S. stocks closed at an all-time high Friday, another milestone in the market’s remarkable recovery from a springtime plunge caused by fears that the Trump administration’s trade policies could harm the economy. The S&P 500 rose 0.5%, finishing above its previous record set in February. The key measure of Wall Street’s health fell nearly 20% from February 19 through April 8. The market’s complete turnaround from its deep swoon happened in about half the time that it normally takes, said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA. “Investors will breathe a sigh of relief,” he said. The Nasdaq composite gained 0.5% and set its own all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1%. President Donald Trump’s decision Friday to halt trade talks with Canada threatened to derail Wall Street’s run to a record, but the market steadied. The gains on Friday were broad, with nearly every sector within the S&P 500 rising. Nike soared 15.2% for the biggest gain on the market, despite warning of a steep hit from tariffs. The broader market has seemingly shaken off fears about the Israel-Iran war disrupting the global supply of crude oil and sending prices higher. A ceasefire between the two nations is still in place. The price of crude oil in the U.S. is mostly unchanged on Friday. Prices have fallen back to pre-conflict levels. Investors are also monitoring potential progress on trade conflicts between the U.S. and the world, specifically with China. The U.S. and China have signed a trade deal that will make it easier for American firms to obtain magnets and rare earth minerals from China that are critical to manufacturing and microchip production, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Friday. China’s Commerce Ministry also said that the two sides had “further confirmed the details of the framework” for their trade talks. But its statement did not explicitly mention an agreement to ensure U.S. access to rare earths, and instead said it will review and approve “eligible export applications for controlled items.” An update on inflation Friday showed prices ticked higher in May, though the rate mostly matched economists’ projections. Inflation remains a big concern for businesses and consumers. Trump’s on-again-off-again tariff policy has made it difficult for companies to make forecasts. It has also put more pressure on consumers worried about already stubborn inflation. A long list of businesses from carmakers to retailers have warned that higher import taxes will likely hurt their revenues and profits. The U.S. has 10% baseline tariffs on all imported goods, along with higher rates for Chinese goods and other import taxes on steel and autos. The economy and consumers have remained somewhat resilient under those tariffs, though analysts and economists expect to see the impact grow as import taxes continue to work their way through businesses to consumers. “While we also would have expected to already to be seeing a bit more pass through into the inflation statistics, we still expect these impacts to show up in a more meaningful way in the next few months,” said Greg Wilensky, head of U.S. fixed income and portfolio manager at Janus Henderson. The threat of more severe tariffs continues to hang over the economy. The current pause on a round of retaliatory tariffs against a long list of nations is set to expire […]

President Trump delivered an unexpected blow to trade relations with Canada on Friday, declaring that he would be halting all negotiations in response to Canada’s decision to implement a tax targeting American tech giants.

“We have just been informed that Canada … has just announced that they are putting a Digital Services Tax on our American Technology Companies, which is a direct and blatant attack on our Country,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

He accused Canada of mimicking policies from across the Atlantic: “They are obviously copying the European Union, which has done the same thing, and is currently under discussion with us, also. Based on this egregious Tax, we are hereby terminating ALL discussions on Trade with Canada, effective immediately.”

Trump also warned that economic repercussions were on the way. “We will let Canada know the Tariff that they will be paying to do business with the United States of America within the next seven day period. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

The Canadian government has committed to instituting a 3% tax on digital revenues earned by large-scale platforms such as Facebook and Google. The proposed levy would be retroactively applied to earnings going back to 2022 and would only affect companies that generate over $14.6 million annually.

It remains unclear how Trump’s order will immediately impact existing trade structures, since the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) continues to govern the overall commercial relationship between the two nations.

Still, the announcement rippled through financial markets, prompting a decline in tech-related stocks on Wall Street. However, despite the dip, broader indices remained on track for a positive weekly close.

Trump has previously warned the European Union of facing a steep 50% tariff in retaliation for its own digital tax plans, though he postponed enforcement until July 9 to allow room for dialogue.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said Friday that he’s suspending trade talks with Canada over its plans to continue with its tax on technology firms, which he called “a direct and blatant attack on our country.” Trump, in a post on his social media network, said Canada had just informed the U.S. that it was sticking to its plan to impose the digital services tax, which applies to Canadian and foreign businesses that engage with online users in Canada. The tax is set to go into effect Monday. “Based on this egregious Tax, we are hereby terminating ALL discussions on Trade with Canada, effective immediately. We will let Canada know the Tariff that they will be paying to do business with the United States of America within the next seven day period,” Trump said in his post. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said his country would “continue to conduct these complex negotiations in the best interests of Canadians. It’s a negotiation.” Trump’s announcement was the latest swerve in the trade war he’s launched since taking office for a second term in January. Progress with Canada has been a roller coaster, starting with the U.S. president poking at the nation’s northern neighbor and repeatedly suggesting it would be absorbed as a U.S. state. Carney visited Trump in May at the White House, where he was polite but firm with Trump. Trump last week traveled to Canada for the G7 summit in Alberta, where Carney said that Canada and the U.S. had set a 30-day deadline for trade talks. The digital services tax will hit companies including Amazon, Google, Meta, Uber and Airbnb with a 3% levy on revenue from Canadian users. It will apply retroactively, leaving U.S. companies with a $2 billion U.S. bill due at the end of the month. Canada and the U.S. have been discussing easing a series of steep tariffs Trump imposed on goods from America’s neighbor. The Republican president earlier told reporters that the U.S. was soon preparing to send letters to different countries, informing them of the new tariff rate his administration would impose on them. Trump has imposed 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum as well as 25% tariffs on autos. He is also charging a 10% tax on imports from most countries, though he could raise rates on July 9, after the 90-day negotiating period set by him would expire. Canada and Mexico face separate tariffs of as much as 25% that Trump put into place under the auspices of stopping fentanyl smuggling, though some products are still protected under the 2020 U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement signed during Trump’s first term. (AP)

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett delivered a striking and sharply worded dismissal of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s dissent in a major case on birthright citizenship, surprising many who closely follow the court’s inner dynamics. In the ruling, which curtailed the ability of lower courts to issue sweeping injunctions, Barrett offered a blunt critique of Jackson’s reasoning.

“We will not dwell on Justice Jackson’s argument, which is at odds with more than two centuries’ worth of precedent, not to mention the Constitution itself,” Barrett wrote, forcefully rejecting the basis of Jackson’s stance. “We observe only this: Justice Jackson decries an imperial Executive while embracing an imperial Judiciary.”

Barrett, who wrote the majority opinion in the decision seen as a significant win for President Trump, limited the authority of federal district courts to halt presidential actions with universal injunctions—a judicial practice that has become increasingly common in recent years.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor authored the primary dissenting opinion on behalf of the liberal justices, joined by Jackson. However, Jackson also issued her own dissent, expanding on the concerns she felt were being overlooked by the court’s conservative majority.

Jackson’s separate opinion focused less on statutory interpretation and more on what she described as dangerous consequences of the ruling. “It is not difficult to predict how this all ends. Eventually, executive power will become completely uncontainable, and our beloved constitutional Republic will be no more,” she warned in stark language.

Elsewhere, Jackson argued that the case wasn’t just about technicalities but raised core questions about checks and balances: “Quite unlike a rule-of-kings governing system, in a rule of law regime, nearly ‘[e]very act of government may be challenged by an appeal to law,’” she wrote. “At the very least, I lament that the majority is so caught up in minutiae of the Government’s self-serving, finger-pointing arguments that it misses the plot.”

She further dismissed legal debates surrounding the Judiciary Act of 1789 as obfuscating the essential issue. “Legalese” is how she referred to it, adding that it “obscures a far more basic question of enormous legal and practical significance: May a federal court in the United States of America order the Executive to follow the law?”

Barrett responded with a tone that verged on sarcastic: “Because analyzing the governing statute involves boring ‘legalese,’ [Jackson] seeks to answer ‘a far more basic question of enormous practical significance: May a federal court in the United States of America order the Executive to follow the law?’”

She continued: “In other words, it is unnecessary to consider whether Congress has constrained the Judiciary; what matters is how the Judiciary may constrain the Executive. Justice Jackson would do well to heed her own admonition: ‘[E]veryone, from the President on down, is bound by law.’ That goes for judges too.”

Though Barrett acknowledged that Sotomayor stayed within the boundaries of traditional legal reasoning, she had far less patience for Jackson’s approach. “While Justice Sotomayor focuses her dissent on conventional legal terrain, like the Judiciary Act of 1789 and our cases on equity,” Barrett noted, Jackson veered off in a completely different direction. Barrett described her colleague’s argument as “a startling line of attack that is tethered neither to these sources nor, frankly, to any doctrine whatsoever.”

Barrett was especially critical of Jackson’s dismissal of legal limitations on judicial power. “Waving away attention to the limits on judicial power as a ‘mind-numbingly technical query’ … she offers a vision of the judicial role that would make even the most ardent defender of judicial supremacy blush,” she wrote.

Adding to the tension, Jackson did not close her opinion with the customary “I dissent” or “Respectfully, I dissent,” an omission that court observers interpreted as a sign of deep discontent.

“It’s not something that we see every day,” Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird said in an interview with The Post, referring to Barrett’s unusually direct criticism. Bird noted, however, that Barrett’s comments remained focused on legal arguments rather than descending into personal attacks.

Reactions on social media were swift and intense. “Holy …, this is about as brutal as I’ve ever seen SCOTUS be on one of their own,” attorney Kostas Moros posted on X, quoting Barrett’s “imperial Judiciary” line. “Translated: ‘you are so stupid that you aren’t even worth responding to.’”

Others suggested Barrett’s harsh tone might reflect growing frustration within the court. “The FACT that six Justices were OK with signing onto an opinion where Justice Barrett took a personal shot at Justice Jackson is a VERY STRONG indication that Jackson has alienated her colleagues and there is a growing lack of respect for her work,” wrote X user Shipwreckedcrew, who identifies as a former federal prosecutor.

He added that Jackson’s dissent likely followed heated exchanges behind the scenes. “Justices circulate Memos among with their legal views on certain cases in order to bring others around to their thinking. Given what she has written in her dissent, imagine the memos that Jackson must have sent around in this case.”

The legal backdrop to the dispute involved three lower courts that had blocked President Trump’s January 20 executive order, which aimed to redefine birthright citizenship. Those courts determined the order likely violated constitutional protections under the 14th Amendment, which grants citizenship to all individuals born on U.S. soil.

The Supreme Court’s decision did not take a position on the constitutionality of Trump’s executive order itself. Instead, it focused solely on the scope of judicial authority to issue nationwide injunctions.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump on Friday urged Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to be honest about his country’s defeat, stating that he was thoroughly overpowered by both the United States and Israel. He also issued a stern warning that if Iran resumes uranium enrichment at troubling levels, American forces would respond with further military action.
“I said, ‘Look, you’re a man of great faith, a man who is highly respected in his country, you have to tell the truth. You got beat to h—,’” Trump told reporters, ridiculing the supreme leader’s assertion of victory in the recent confrontation.

Trump, speaking during an unusual visit to the White House press briefing room, emphasized that Iran’s leadership had far more pressing concerns at the moment than nuclear ambitions.
“The last thing they’re thinking about is nuclear weapons right now,” the president added.

When asked whether he would authorize another strike against Iran if the nuclear threat escalated again, Trump responded with complete certainty, leaving no room for ambiguity.
He said he would “without question, absolutely” consider bombing Iran again if it enriches uranium to an extent that concerns him.

Khamenei, however, had insisted in a Thursday statement that Iran had emerged “victorious” from the twelve-day conflict, even though Israeli forces had seized aerial dominance and American bombers had devastated three of Iran’s nuclear facilities.

“The Islamic Republic was victorious and, in retaliation, delivered a hand slap to America’s face,” Khamenei claimed on X, referring to a symbolic launch of 14 rockets at a US base in Qatar Monday.

All of the missiles were intercepted, thanks in part to early warning from Tehran. A cease-fire deal was reached just a few hours after the launch.

{Matzav.com}

In a forceful statement issued today, Israeli Defense Minister Yisroel Katz declared that Israel’s recent military campaign, Operation Am KeLavi, was merely a prelude to a new Israeli security doctrine in the wake of October 7 — and warned the Iranian regime that its perceived immunity is over.

Katz’s message, delivered in a post summarizing the achievements of the 12-day operation, praised the success of the campaign and expressed gratitude for Divine assistance. “We concluded Operation Am KeLavi after 12 days of brilliant action that will be remembered as a glorious chapter in the history of Israel — and in the annals of modern warfare,” Katz wrote.

The defense minister didn’t hold back in his assessment of the regime in Tehran, referring to its leadership as “the toothless serpent’s head in Tehran,” and cautioning that they would do well to understand the implications of this campaign. “Operation Am KeLavi was only the promo for a new Israeli policy. Since October 7, immunity is over,” he warned.

Listing what he called the operation’s strategic accomplishments, Katz outlined the following:

• Israeli Air Force penetrated Tehran’s airspace and eliminated air defense systems.

• The nuclear infrastructure of Iran was dismantled — with thanks to Israel’s American allies for their critical support.

• Missile production systems were destroyed and launch platforms were heavily damaged.

• Senior security officials and top nuclear scientists were eliminated.

• Iran’s decades-long plan to destroy Israel, orchestrated by Khamenei and his proxies, was “shattered.”

• In the framework of “Tornado Program,” key government institutions and regime oppression mechanisms in central Tehran were struck, prompting the evacuation of millions of residents.

Katz also emphasized the Israeli home front’s role in enabling the operation. “The Israeli public showed courage, allowing the IDF to carry out its mission with full force in Iran. Together with the Prime Minister and the IDF, we forged a united iron fist that struck the enemy with lethal force.”

Looking ahead, Katz revealed that he has instructed the IDF to draft an enforcement strategy to address ongoing threats from Iran. This includes maintaining Israeli air superiority, preventing the advancement of nuclear and missile programs, and responding to Iranian-backed terror against Israel. “We will act consistently to thwart threats of this nature,” he wrote.

In closing, Katz delivered an unambiguous threat to Iran’s leadership: “I suggest the toothless serpent’s head in Tehran take heed: Operation Am KeLavi was only the promo for a new Israeli strategy. After October 7, there is no more immunity.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisroel Katz sharply criticized Haaretz for what they called a “blood libel,” responding to a report that claimed IDF soldiers had been instructed to shoot at civilians trying to obtain humanitarian aid.

“These are vicious lies designed to discredit the IDF — the most moral army in the world,” the two declared in a joint statement, rejecting the allegations outright.

Despite the strongly worded condemnation, the IDF has acknowledged that it has launched a senior-level internal investigation into the claims outlined in the article.

“The IDF operates under difficult conditions against a terrorist enemy that operates from within the civilian population… and operates an entire industry of lies to undermine the legitimacy of the State of Israel,” the statement continued, defending the army’s conduct in complex combat situations.

“IDF soldiers receive clear orders to avoid harming innocent civilians, and they act accordingly,” the two leaders insisted, emphasizing the ethical standards of the Israeli military.

“Israel calls on all free democratic countries to stand by it in its just and moral struggle against the murderous terrorist organization Hamas,” they concluded, appealing to the international community for support.

{Matzav.com}

Iranian authorities have detained over 700 individuals since the launch of Operation Rising Lion, citing alleged connections to Israel, according to a report released Thursday night by Association Femme Azadi, a women’s rights group made up of Iranian exiles.

“Reports confirm the arrest of rabbis and religious leaders in Tehran and Shiraz, accused, without evidence, of ties to Israel,” the organization posted on its social media platforms.

KAN News, Israel’s public broadcaster, stated that six more people have been put to death in Iran over accusations of working with Mossad.

KAN also noted that, so far in 2025, a total of nine people have been executed in Iran on charges of spying.

In a separate development, members of Tehran’s Jewish population gathered earlier Thursday to publicly align themselves with the Islamic Republic, applauding what they described as the military’s “decisive response” to Israeli strikes, KAN reported.

Those present at the gathering included Jewish soldiers currently enlisted in the Iranian military, who were seen wearing both yarmulkas and standard-issue uniforms, according to KAN.

Dr. Homayoun Sameyah Najafabadi, the lone Jewish member of Iran’s Islamic Consultative Assembly, told attendees that several Jewish institutions suffered physical damage during the Israeli air raids, KAN reported.

{Matzav.com}

A Republican plan to expand private school vouchers nationwide was dealt a major setback Friday when the Senate parliamentarian said the proposal would run afoul of procedural rules. The years-in-the-making plan would have created a federal tax credit supporting scholarships to help families send their children to private schools or other options beyond their local public schools. But in an overnight announcement, the Senate parliamentarian advised against including the proposal in President Donald Trump’s tax cut and spending bill. The school voucher provision was seen as a breakthrough victory for proponents who have been pushing the idea for years. A similar plan failed to gain support from Congress in 2019 when it was championed by Betsy DeVos, the education secretary during Trump’s first term. Campaigning for his second term, Trump again promised to deliver some form of “universal school choice.” Under the reconciliation plan, donors who gave money or stock to K-12 scholarship programs would receive 100% of the contribution back in the form of a discount on their tax bills. It would allow stock holders to avoid paying taxes they would usually face if they donated or transferred their stock. Nearly all families would qualify to receive scholarships except those making more than three times their area’s median income. A House version of the bill allowed up to $5 billion in tax credits a year, running through 2029. The Senate version reduced it to $4 billion but included no end date. Supporters said the proposal would expand education options for families across the country, offering alternatives to students in areas with lower-performing public schools. Similar scholarship and voucher programs have proliferated in Republican-led states such as Texas, which recently passed a $1 billion program. States have increasingly offered vouchers to families beyond only the neediest ones, contributing to budget concerns as expenses rapidly pile up. The Senate’s college endowment proposal sought to raise a tax on schools’ investment income, from 1.4% now to 4% or 8% depending on their wealth. It would apply only to colleges with endowments of at least $500,000 per student, and it excluded all religious institutions. (AP)

The Supreme Court preserved a key part of the Affordable Care Act’s preventive health care coverage requirements on Friday, rejecting a challenge from Christian employers to the provision that affects some 150 million Americans. The 6-3 ruling comes in a lawsuit over how the government decides which health care medications and services must be fully covered by private insurance under former President Barack Obama’s signature law, often referred to as Obamacare. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote for the court’s majority. Justice Clarence Thomas dissented, joined by Justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch. The plaintiffs said the process is unconstitutional because a volunteer board of medical experts tasked with recommending which services are covered is not Senate approved. President Donald Trump’s administration defended the mandate before the court, though the Republican president has been a critic of his Democratic predecessor’s law. The Justice Department said board members don’t need Senate approval because they can be removed by the health and human services secretary. Medications and services that could have been affected include statins to lower cholesterol, lung cancer screenings, HIV-prevention drugs and medication to lower the chance of breast cancer for women. The case came before the Supreme Court after an appeals court struck down some preventive care coverage requirements. The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the Christian employers and Texas residents who argued they can’t be forced to provide full insurance coverage for things like medication to prevent HIV and some cancer screenings. Well-known conservative attorney Jonathan Mitchell, who represented Trump before the high court in a dispute about whether he could appear on the 2024 ballot, argued the case. The appeals court found that coverage requirements were unconstitutional because they came from a body — the United States Preventive Services Task Force — whose members were not nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. A 2023 analysis prepared by the nonprofit KFF found that ruling would still allow full-coverage requirements for some services, including mammography and cervical cancer screening. (AP)

U.S. intelligence agencies have reportedly determined that Pakistan is in the process of building an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of striking the mainland United States.

This revelation is included in the latest edition of Foreign Affairs, nestled within an in-depth piece that examines today’s most pressing nuclear threats worldwide.

Although Islamabad maintains that its nuclear capabilities are aimed exclusively at deterring its longtime rival India, analysts Vipin Narang and Pranay Vaddi argue in the article that Pakistan may also be attempting to dissuade the United States from stepping in on India’s side in any potential future war—or from launching a preemptive operation to dismantle Pakistan’s nuclear stockpile.

Narang and Vaddi, who are recognized authorities on nuclear policy and currently affiliated with MIT, have both served in recent years in official U.S. defense-related roles.

“If Pakistan acquires an ICBM, Washington will have no choice but to treat the country as a nuclear adversary — no other country with ICBMs that can target the United States is considered a friend,” the report said.

Should these findings be verified, it would signal a major shift in the global strategic landscape, marking Pakistan as the first nation beyond Russia, China, and North Korea to possess missiles capable of reaching American soil.

In light of collapsing arms control agreements and the erosion of traditional deterrence norms, the article underscores that this potential development adds to what the authors describe as a “Category 5 hurricane” of nuclear instability that is rapidly reshaping the global nuclear order.

{Matzav.com}

CNN’s Erin Burnett sits down with Zohran Mamdani, the presumptive Democratic nominee for mayor of New York.

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During his Senate confirmation hearings, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suggested he wouldn’t undermine vaccines. “I am not going to go into HHS and impose my preordained opinions on anybody at HHS,” he said. “I’m going to empower the scientists at HHS to do their job and make sure that we have good science that is evidence based.” He also said he wouldn’t halt congressionally mandated funding for vaccination programs, nor impose conditions that would force local, state or global entities to limit access to vaccines or vaccine promotion. “I’m not going to substitute my judgment for science,” he said. Yet the Department of Health and Human Services under Kennedy has taken unprecedented steps to change how vaccines are evaluated, approved and recommended — sometimes in ways that run counter to established scientific consensus. Here’s a look at what Kennedy has said and done since becoming the nation’s top health official on Feb. 13. Kennedy and the childhood vaccine schedule Sen. Bill Cassidy, a physician who was unsettled about Kennedy’s antivaccine work, said Kennedy pledged to him that he wouldn’t change existing vaccine recommendations. “I recommend that children follow the CDC schedule. And I will support the CDC schedule when I get in there,” Kennedy said at his Senate confirmation hearing. Kennedy also said he thought the polio vaccine was safe and effective and that he wouldn’t seek to reduce its availability. Feb. 18: Kennedy vows to investigate the childhood vaccine schedule that prevents measles, polio and other dangerous diseases. Early March: The National Institutes of Health cancels studies about ways to improve vaccine trust and access. April 9: Kennedy tells CBS News that “people should get the measles vaccine, but the government should not be mandating those,” before then continuing to raise safety concerns about vaccines. May 22: Kennedy issues a report that, among other things, questioned the necessity of mandates that require children to get vaccinated for school admission and suggested that vaccines should undergo more clinical trials, including with placebos. The report has to be reissued later because the initial version cited studies that don’t exist. May 30: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention removes COVID-19 vaccination guidance for pregnant women and says healthy children “may” get the shots. June 25: A group of vaccine advisers picked by Kennedy announce they are establishing a work group to evaluate the “cumulative effect” of the children’s vaccine schedule. June 25: Kennedy announces the U.S. will stop supporting the vaccines alliance Gavi. He accuses the group, along with the World Health Organization, of silencing “dissenting views” and “legitimate questions” about vaccine safety. Kennedy on revising CDC vaccine recommendations At the confirmation hearing, Cassidy asked Kennedy: “Do you commit that you will revise any CDC recommendations only based on peer review, consensus based, widely accepted science?” Kennedy replied, “Absolutely,” adding he would rely on evidence-based science. Feb. 20: HHS postpones a meeting of outside vaccine advisers. April 16: The CDC’s vaccine advisory panel meets and recommends that people 50 to 59 with certain risk factors should be able to get vaccinated against respiratory syncytial virus, and endorses a new shot that protects against meningococcal bacteria. As of late June, the CDC and HHS haven’t acted on the recommendations. May 27: Kennedy announces that COVID-19 vaccines are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women — a move immediately questioned by several public health experts. No one from the CDC, the agency […]

The Supreme Court delivered a major decision on Friday, declaring that federal judges in lower courts likely go beyond their constitutional limits when they issue injunctions that apply across the entire country. The ruling was seen as a significant victory for the Trump administration and marked one of the most anticipated decisions of the term.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, writing for the court’s conservative majority, stated, “[F]ederal courts do not exercise general oversight of the Executive Branch; they resolve cases and controversies consistent with the authority Congress has given them.” She added, “When a court concludes that the Executive Branch has acted unlawfully, the answer is not for the court to exceed its power, too.”

The dispute stemmed from the Trump administration’s legal fight against several broad injunctions that blocked the president’s executive order—issued on his first day in office—to rescind birthright citizenship. The justices did not weigh in on the validity of the policy itself in their ruling.

Barrett clarified the court’s position by writing, “The Government’s applications to partially stay the preliminary injunctions are granted,” adding, “but only to the extent that the injunctions are broader than necessary to provide complete relief to each plaintiff with standing to sue.”

Federal judges in lower courts have increasingly issued nationwide injunctions that halt executive actions entirely, rather than limiting relief to the individuals or groups who brought the case. This case challenged that trend head-on.

There has been bipartisan concern over the years about the scope of lower courts’ powers. However, during the hearings, the justices appeared divided on how or whether to set firm boundaries on that authority. Barrett emphasized that such broad injunctions have no foundation in judicial tradition and were not contemplated under the Judiciary Act of 1789.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor offered a sharp dissent to the majority’s opinion. But it was Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s separate dissent that triggered a pointed response from Barrett. “We observe only this,” Barrett wrote. “Justice Jackson decries an imperial Executive while embracing an imperial Judiciary.”

{Matzav.com}

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., discusses the success of Operation Midnight Hammer, Iranian regime change and more on ‘Jesse Watters Primetime.’

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