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Incoming Shas Knesset member Erez Malul declared that the chareidi parties will refuse to join any future coalition unless legislation guaranteeing the legal status of yeshiva students is fully secured, setting the stage for a major confrontation in the next round of coalition negotiations.

Speaking in an interview with Radio Kol Chai, Malul drew a firm line regarding the ongoing battle over the draft status of bnei yeshiva and made clear that the issue would determine whether chareidi parties enter a government at all.

“We will not form a coalition and we will not enter any government until the status of yeshiva students is resolved once and for all through a fortified and robust law,” Malul said.

Malul also painted a grim picture of the current political atmosphere in the Knesset, describing the sense that the government may be nearing collapse.

“It is the end of an era,” he said, adding that “inside the coalition, everyone is talking about dissolving the Knesset.”

Addressing the recent arrests of yeshiva students, Malul accused authorities and political opponents of waging an aggressive campaign against the Torah world under the guise of military concerns.

“There is a wild persecution happening here. People in this country simply want to dismantle the Torah world – they don’t care about the army or security; their sole objective is to ensure there are no Torah scholars here,” he said.

Malul also blasted efforts to impose financial penalties and economic sanctions on yeshiva students, arguing that the measures are designed to pressure avreichim into abandoning Torah learning.

“They think that if they suffocate the married yeshiva students financially, they will abandon the yeshivas and forget their identity. The tighter they squeeze, the louder the charedi public will cry out, and the more they will flock to the ballot boxes,” Malul said.

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration filed lawsuits Thursday against four Democrat-led states after they refused to provide confidential license plates to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, escalating a growing battle over cooperation with the federal government’s immigration enforcement efforts.

The Department of Justice announced legal action against Maine, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Washington, accusing the states of unlawfully blocking ICE agents from obtaining undercover vehicle registrations commonly used by law enforcement agencies during sensitive operations.

According to the lawsuits, the states declined to reverse policies denying ICE access to the confidential plates, which the administration says are necessary for agents carrying out arrests as part of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Officials in Maine and Massachusetts had previously defended their stance by pointing to what they described as aggressive ICE enforcement tactics, arguing that state resources should not be used to assist covert civil immigration operations.

The lawsuits follow warnings issued earlier this month by Assistant U.S. Attorney General Brett Shumate, who sent letters to state officials threatening legal action if the policies remained unchanged.

The Justice Department argues that the states are violating the Constitution by discriminating against federal agencies, specifically ICE and other branches of the Department of Homeland Security, while continuing to cooperate with other law enforcement entities engaged in undercover investigations.

Federal officials also contend that denying the confidential plates places immigration agents at risk by making them more vulnerable to identification, tracking, harassment, and possible attacks while performing arrests.

“Law enforcement officers risk their lives every day to keep Americans safe and must be able to carry out their ⁠duties effectively,” Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.

Representatives for the governors of Maine, Oregon, and Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the announcement of the lawsuits.

A spokesperson for Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey instead referred reporters to a letter her administration sent to the Justice Department last week defending the state’s policy.

In that letter, Healey’s administration argued that the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles applies the policy broadly and does not single out federal immigration authorities. The state maintained that confidential license plates are restricted not only for federal agencies, but also for state and local law enforcement unless the request involves criminal investigations.

The Justice Department disputed that claim in its lawsuit, asserting that until recently — including as late as 2025 — federal agencies such as ICE and Customs and Border Protection routinely received confidential vehicle registrations and plates in Massachusetts.

According to the complaint, the policy shifted earlier this year after Healey’s administration announced it would no longer assist ICE operations in that manner.

{Matzav.com}

A federal judge has pushed back the criminal trial of former FBI Director James Comey until October as his legal team prepares a broad constitutional challenge to charges accusing him of threatening President Donald Trump through a controversial Instagram post featuring the phrase “86 47.”

The case centers on a 2025 social media image posted by Comey showing seashells arranged on a beach to form the numbers “86 47,” a message prosecutors claim constituted a threat against Trump, the nation’s 47th president.

Comey’s attorneys requested additional time to prepare what they described in court filings as “multiple motions on constitutional grounds,” arguing the case may ultimately be dismissed entirely before ever reaching a jury.

The trial had originally been scheduled for July, but federal prosecutors did not oppose delaying proceedings until Oct. 21.

The postponement gives Comey’s defense team several additional months to argue that the Instagram post represented protected political expression under the First Amendment rather than a criminal threat.

The legal fight is expected to center heavily on free speech issues and could become a major constitutional test case before trial proceedings formally begin.

Comey has remained one of the most polarizing figures connected to the Trump years dating back to the 2016 election cycle. He drew national attention over his handling of Hillary Clinton’s private email investigation and later became a central player in the early stages of the Russia probe before being dismissed by Trump in 2017.

The indictment stems from the now-deleted Instagram post Comey published in May 2025 featuring the phrase “86 47.”

Federal prosecutors argue the message carried threatening implications. The term “86” is commonly used slang meaning to remove, discard, or eliminate something, while “47” was interpreted as a reference to Trump’s presidency.

After intense backlash erupted online last year, Comey removed the image and publicly denied intending any threat toward Trump. He said at the time that he was unaware the phrase “86” could be interpreted as advocating violence.

The decision to postpone the trial was issued by U.S. District Judge Louise Wood Flanagan, who was appointed to the federal bench in 2003 by President George W. Bush.

The prosecution has also fueled broader political debate, with critics accusing the Trump administration of using the justice system to target political adversaries.

“Donald Trump has made clear that he intends to turn our justice system into a weapon for punishing and silencing his critics,” Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat, said of the indictment after it was announced. “Our system depends on prosecutors making decisions based on evidence and the law, not on the personal grudges of a politician determined to settle scores.”

Supporters of the charges, however, argue that Comey crossed a legal line and that threatening language directed toward a sitting president cannot be shielded as political speech.

“It’s not a very difficult line to look at, and it’s not, in my mind, a difficult line for one to cross over, one way or the other,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said of the case in March. “We cannot, you are not allowed to threaten the President of the United States of America. That’s not my decision. That’s Congress’s decision, and a statute that they passed that we charge multiple times a year.”

{Matzav.com}

Denver International Airport is preparing to give travelers access to portions of its long-rumored underground tunnel network, transforming areas once surrounded by conspiracy theories into public pedestrian walkways connecting the airport’s concourses.

Airport officials announced this week that sections of the subterranean baggage tunnel system will eventually be opened for foot traffic, allowing passengers to walk between concourses A, B, and C instead of relying solely on the airport’s underground train.

For decades, the tunnels beneath Denver International Airport have fueled speculation involving secret military compounds, underground bunkers, hidden government facilities, and the airport’s infamous “lizard people” conspiracy theories.

Now, some of those same passageways are set to become part of the airport’s public infrastructure.

At present, most travelers move between terminals using the airport’s automated underground rail system. The new project would create an alternate route for passengers navigating the massive airport complex.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston directly referenced the airport’s bizarre reputation while discussing the plan.

“Maybe along the way, travelers will finally get a closer look at the underground tunnels and decide for themselves what’s fact and what’s fiction,” Johnston said in a statement released by the airport.

According to airport officials, the pedestrian tunnels are part of Denver International Airport’s larger “Vision 100” development initiative, a long-term expansion effort designed to accommodate growing passenger traffic in the years ahead.

Construction on the project is expected to begin in 2027.

Officials estimate the cost will fall somewhere between $300 million and $700 million.

Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington told CBS News that the expansion will be financed through airport-generated revenue rather than taxpayer funding.

The airport has attracted conspiracy theories almost since the day it opened, with attention focusing on its underground tunnel network, unusual murals and artwork, and the giant blue horse statue with glowing red eyes known to many travelers as “Blucifer.”

Public fascination intensified after the airport’s 1995 opening suffered major delays and ballooned billions of dollars over budget, further fueling speculation about what might actually exist beneath the property.

In recent years, the airport has already poured substantial funding into modernization efforts, including upgrades to its train system, terminal renovations, and expanded gate capacity at the Jeppesen Terminal.

News of the tunnel project immediately ignited reactions online, where social media users revived many of the airport’s famous conspiracy theories with humor.

“Be prepared to fight the lizard people along the way,” one Reddit user wrote.

Others joked about the airport’s towering blue horse statue.

“Praise Blucifer,” another commenter joked.

Some travelers, meanwhile, focused less on the conspiracies and more on the convenience of finally having another way to move between terminals.

“We’ve only been asking for this since before the airport opened,” one Reddit user wrote.

{Matzav.com}

Authorities in Israel have identified thousands of balconies in Bnei Brak that may pose safety risks, following a sweeping inspection campaign launched over concerns about potential danger to residents and passersby.

The Lands Enforcement and Supervision Authority carried out an extensive survey throughout the city, focusing on balconies attached to residential buildings in one of the country’s most densely populated urban areas.

During the operation, inspectors examined roughly 6,500 balconies across Bnei Brak. In the initial phase of the review, approximately 2,500 balconies located in about 1,250 buildings were flagged as potentially hazardous.

The findings were forwarded to the Bnei Brak Local Planning and Building Committee, which is now tasked with determining whether the structures received the necessary building permits and engineering safety approvals.

Once that review is completed, the Enforcement Authority will determine how to proceed. Possible actions under consideration include enforcement proceedings and even demolition orders for balconies deemed unsafe or illegally constructed.

Officials said the survey was initiated in response to the widespread phenomenon of unauthorized construction in crowded cities, particularly in Bnei Brak, where residents have frequently expanded apartments or added balconies without proper oversight.

Several balcony collapses reported in different cities in recent years intensified concerns and prompted authorities to begin a more systematic investigation into potentially dangerous structures.

According to experts involved in the matter, many balconies were added over the years without engineering supervision or formal safety inspections. Professionals warn that aging buildings, combined with added structural weight that was never included in the original planning, could create a serious risk to human life.

{Matzav.com}

The U.S. Postal Service announced Thursday that it has secured a major long-term partnership with DHL eCommerce valued at more than $10 billion, a deal expected to significantly expand package delivery operations across the United States while providing a critical financial boost to the struggling postal agency.

Under the multiyear agreement, USPS will handle final-mile delivery services for DHL eCommerce shipments throughout the country, leveraging the Postal Service’s enormous nationwide delivery network.

DHL eCommerce, a division of Germany-based DHL Group, said the arrangement is expected to accelerate its expansion efforts in the American market over the coming years.

Postmaster General David Steiner said the Postal Service’s unmatched reach made it the obvious partner for DHL as the company seeks to strengthen its foothold in the United States.

“No one else delivers to 170 million U.S. households six days a week,” Steiner said, adding that the agreement gives DHL “the opportunity to play in the largest market in the world.”

Steiner explained that DHL faced two options if it wanted to dramatically grow its U.S. operations: either invest enormous sums building its own nationwide delivery infrastructure or work with an organization that already possesses the necessary network.

He said DHL either had “to invest a ton of capital to build out an end-to-end network, or they need to partner with someone that has that last mile capability” like USPS.

Under the deal, DHL eCommerce will continue managing package pickup and sorting operations through its 19 American distribution hubs, while USPS carriers will complete the final delivery stage to customers.

DHL eCommerce Americas CEO Scott Ashbaugh said the agreement positions the company for substantial long-term growth in the U.S. shipping market, particularly in handling somewhat heavier packages than it traditionally has focused on.

Ashbaugh also indicated that DHL may expand its physical footprint in the United States by opening additional hubs.

“We expect to roughly double our business by the 2030 horizon,” Ashbaugh said.

The agreement arrives at a crucial moment for the Postal Service, which has faced mounting financial strain and previously warned that it could exhaust its cash reserves as early as February.

The DHL partnership follows another significant development for USPS. Last month, Amazon reached a separate package delivery agreement with the Postal Service as the agency continues seeking major commercial partnerships to stabilize its finances.

{Matzav.com}

Drivers in New York who accumulate 16 or more speed camera violations within a single year will soon be forced to install technology that physically prevents their vehicles from exceeding the speed limit.

Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the new legislation Wednesday, unveiling what state officials are calling a major crackdown on habitual reckless drivers.

“We have to protect people and if someone is so flagrantly violating the laws that there’s a callous disregard of human life-that’s the only way I can describe it-there have to be consequences have to be,” Hochul said.

Under the new “Super Speeder Crackdown” law, repeat offenders caught by school zone speed cameras or red-light cameras will be required to place Intelligent Speed Limiter devices in their vehicles once they reach 16 violations over a 12-month period.

The technology works by connecting directly to a vehicle’s onboard computer system while using GPS data to determine local speed limits. Once activated, the device prevents the car from traveling faster than the posted limit.

Officials say drivers who fail to comply with the requirement within 45 days could lose their vehicle registration entirely.

“If you don’t install it after 45 days, you lose your registration and you should not be on the roads if you don’t care about whether or not you’re going to kill somebody,” Hochul said.

With the measure now signed into law, New York joins a small but growing number of jurisdictions adopting similar policies, including Washington State, Washington, D.C., and Virginia.

The concept has already been tested on a smaller scale in New York. Four years ago, the city launched a pilot initiative that equipped 50 municipal vehicles with the speed-limiting systems.

{Matzav.com}