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The Supreme Court on Monday upheld Mississippi’s election law permitting mail-in ballots that are postmarked by Election Day to be counted for up to five days afterward, delivering a significant legal victory for Democrats and leaving similar ballot-counting procedures intact in numerous other states ahead of the midterm elections.

The Court ruled 5-4 that federal law does not require every ballot to be physically received by Election Day. Chief Justice John Roberts joined Justice Amy Coney Barrett and the Court’s three liberal justices in the majority, concluding that Congress never mandated a ballot receipt deadline tied to Election Day.

Writing for the majority, Barrett emphasized that election administration has historically been left largely to lawmakers rather than the judiciary.

“The Framers recognized the difficulty of crafting election laws ‘applicable to every probable change in the situation of the country,’” Barrett wrote in the majority opinion. “So instead of constitutionalizing election law, they decided that ‘a discretionary power over election’ needed to be lodged ‘somewhere.’”

She added that the Court could not rewrite statutes enacted by Congress.

“Suffice it to say, that power was not lodged in this Court. The election-day statutes say nothing about ballot receipt, and we cannot add to the words Congress chose.”

The dispute, Watson v. RNC, originated from a lawsuit filed in 2024 by the Republican National Committee along with several local Republican organizations challenging Mississippi’s policy of accepting ballots arriving within five days after Election Day, provided they were mailed on time.

The decision could have implications well beyond Mississippi. At least 13 states have comparable grace periods for mail ballots, while nearly 30 states permit certain categories of absentee or mail voters additional time to submit ballots. California has become particularly well known for extended ballot counting, with statewide races often remaining undecided for days or even more than a week after voting concludes.

Barrett also pointed to congressional language as further support for the majority’s interpretation of federal election law.

“The electorate’s choice is made when voting is complete, not when ballots are received,” Barrett wrote. “The most recent amendment to the Presidential election-day statute bears this out. In 2022, Congress inserted the phrase ‘election day’ into that statute and marked that day as a specific Tuesday. It then created an exception: When States ‘modif[y] the period of voting.’”

She continued:

“That Congress defined ‘election day’ with reference to ‘voting’ indicates that ‘voting’ is the act governed by the statute.”

President Trump has consistently argued that ballots should not be counted after Election Day, and his Justice Department supported the Republican National Committee’s challenge to Mississippi’s law.

When the Court heard oral arguments in March, the justices appeared sharply divided over the issue. Several questioned whether invalidating Mississippi’s law might also cast doubt on longstanding early voting practices used across the country.

“It just seems inconceivable that on the basis of this kind of evidence, we would reject these practices that are so entrenched in 30 states,” liberal Justice Elena Kagan said at one point.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson likewise expressed skepticism toward the RNC’s position, suggesting that any changes to election law should come from Congress rather than the courts.

“The worry is that you want this court to decide the case rather than have Congress do it.”

Four conservative justices — Neil Gorsuch, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Brett Kavanaugh — dissented from the ruling. In his dissent, Alito argued that federal law plainly establishes a single Election Day and that ballots arriving afterward should not be included in the final tally.

“If ballots received after election day are added to the set of ballots that dictate the election’s outcome, the electorate’s choice does not occur on election day, and the federal election-day statutes are violated,” he wrote.

Alito also rejected the majority’s interpretation that the law simply requires voters to cast their ballots by Election Day.

“But if that is all that the election-day statutes require, there is no sense in which the electorate as a whole can be seen as making its choice on election day,” he contended.

The ruling comes as President Trump continues urging Congress to tighten federal election laws, including restrictions on mail-in voting and a nationwide proof-of-citizenship requirement for federal elections. Among the measures he has championed is the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, legislation that has yet to advance through the Senate.

{Matzav.com}

Despite growing frustration within the chareidi community, voters are still expected to head to the polls in large numbers when Israel next goes to elections, according to Tzuriel Sharon, head of the Direct Polls Institute.

Speaking in an interview on Kol Chai Radio’s Hamahadura Hamerkazis, Sharon analyzed the latest political trends, discussing the balance between the coalition and opposition blocs, the rise of Gadi Eisenkot, the decline of Naftali Bennett, and the outlook for Shas and Yahadut HaTorah.

According to Sharon, Direct Polls’ latest weekend survey gives Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu’s coalition bloc 57 seats. The opposition reaches 63 seats only when the Arab parties are included in the calculation.

“Without the Arab parties,” Sharon said, “neither side is able to form a government.”

Sharon pointed to the continued rise of Gadi Eisenkot, who has surpassed the 20-seat mark for the first time in Direct Polls surveys. However, he believes the former IDF chief’s momentum is nearing its peak.

“For the first time he has reached the 20-seat range,” Sharon said. “In my assessment, he is approaching the ceiling of his growth. I don’t expect the numbers to continue rising dramatically.”

He said Eisenkot’s future prospects will depend on several factors, including the possible addition of Dedi Simchi and Yoaz Hendel to Benny Gantz’s camp, whether Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, and Yair Lapid ultimately unite, and whether a new right-wing party emerges that could draw moderate right-wing voters back from the center-left.

“I believe that, from the perspective of the center-left bloc, such a merger would actually be less effective electorally,” Sharon said.

Sharon also addressed the weakening position of Bennett and Lapid. He argued that talk of cooperation between the two emerged largely because Bennett’s support had fallen to 11 seats, Eisenkot had overtaken him in the polls, and Lapid was hovering near the electoral threshold.

He also suggested Bennett made a strategic mistake by launching his campaign too early.

“In my opinion, Bennett came out far too early,” Sharon said. “That causes the loss of a tremendous amount of momentum and energy.”

He noted that an effective election campaign generally lasts only two or three months, while the next election is still months away, making it difficult to maintain political momentum through October.

The discussion also turned to the chareidi parties. Direct Polls currently projects Shas with nine seats and Yahadut HaTorah with seven.

Sharon explained that Shas benefits not only from its chareidi base but also from three or four mandates worth of traditional Sephardic voters.

“There is one major player with his eyes on that electorate,” Sharon said. “His name is Itamar Ben Gvir.”

Regarding Yahadut HaTorah, Sharon acknowledged widespread disappointment among chareidi voters with their political representatives but predicted that dissatisfaction would not translate into lower voter turnout.

“There is certainly frustration and anger in the chareidi street,” Sharon said. “But I still believe the chareidim will come out and vote in large numbers in the next election.”

{Matzav.com}

Religious Zionism MK Tzvi Succot issued a stark warning about what he described as a growing security crisis within Israel’s Arab sector, claiming that the amount of illegal weaponry in Arab communities is ten times greater than the arsenal available to the Israel Police. He also sharply criticized the government’s handling of Arab educational institutions, accusing authorities of ignoring incitement while placing disproportionate scrutiny on chareidi schools.

Speaking in an interview, Succot said that during visits to eastern Yerushalayim and Umm al-Fahm, he encountered what he described as deeply troubling conditions within parts of the Arab educational system.

“I saw schools run by Hamas-affiliated organizations, schools that independently organize delegations for the Palestinian Authority, schools operating without licenses while inciting terrorism, and schools that invite designated terrorist organizations to address students,” he said.

Succot argued that the roots of terrorism, crime, and violence begin in the classroom.

“When you ask where crime comes from, where terrorism comes from, where violence comes from—it all begins with education,” he said.

According to Succot, the government continues to fund institutions that, in his view, fail to educate students toward loyalty to the State of Israel or cooperation with law enforcement, while avoiding meaningful enforcement measures.

“Dozens of schools in eastern Yerushalayim alone are operating without licenses and are inciting terrorism,” he claimed.

The lawmaker also addressed the broader issue of organized crime and illegal weapons, praising the work of the Israel Police while arguing that officers lack the necessary tools to confront the problem effectively.

“I have to say that, based on what I’ve seen, the police are doing an excellent job. The problem is that they simply don’t have the tools,” Succot said.

He then cited what he described as an alarming statistic.

“The amount of weaponry currently in the Arab sector is ten times greater than the amount of weapons in the hands of the Israel Police. That’s an unbelievable figure. It has already become an existential threat to the State of Israel.”

Succot warned that if violence similar to the disturbances during Operation Guardian of the Walls were to erupt again, Israel could face an unprecedented internal security challenge.

“If, chas veshalom, there is a Guardian of the Walls II tomorrow, I’m not aware of a single body in the State of Israel that is seriously preparing for such a scenario,” he said.

He argued that confronting the threat will require stronger legislation, tougher enforcement, and expanded powers for Israel’s security agencies.

During the interview, Succot was also asked about the controversy surrounding Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich’s recent assertion that his policies were responsible for the return of the hostages.

Succot defended Smotrich, saying the minister had opposed hostage deals that would have required Israel to make strategic concessions.

“We were the ones who stood firm,” Succot said. “Smotrich was the one who came forward and said, ‘There will be no surrender.’”

According to Succot, only after Hamas and the United States realized Israel would not agree to end the war on Hamas’s terms did an acceptable agreement become possible.

“When they understood there would be no surrender, and the Americans understood there would be no surrender, then there was a deal that brought everyone home without surrender,” he said.

He added that the IDF continues to operate freely throughout Gaza and maintained that Hamas has been unable to rebuild its military capabilities.

Looking ahead to Israel’s next election, Succot warned against efforts to divide the right-wing bloc, arguing that political opponents view internal divisions as the key to defeating the current coalition.

“The Left’s strategy in these elections is ultimately to split the right-wing camp,” he said. “Its goal is to sow hatred, division, and polarization within the right.”

He claimed that substantial resources would be invested in promoting such divisions.

Succot concluded by urging unity despite internal disagreements.

“We have to remain strong and understand that there are disagreements—of course there are—but we also have to remember the bigger picture,” he said.

“If the right-wing camp fractures, we will lose the government. In the end, they will trample both us and the chareidim.”

{Matzav.com}

Former hostage Or Levy launched a scathing attack Sunday evening against Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich following remarks the minister made earlier in the day, accusing him of obstructing hostage deals and declaring that, had Smotrich’s policies prevailed, the hostages would still be in captivity.

Levy’s criticism came after Smotrich said in an interview that “thanks to” his policies, all of the hostages who have been freed so far had returned home.

In an unusually blunt social media post, Levy wrote:

“If, when you say ‘thanks to you,’ you mean that hostages were murdered while you torpedoed hostage deals, then yes. That’s what gaslighting propaganda is called. If it had been up to you, we still wouldn’t have come home today—for you, we’re collateral damage to your madness. I’ve said it before, and this time I’ll shout it: Bezalel Smotrich, you are a disgrace as a minister, a disgrace as a citizen, and a disgrace as a human being.”

Levy’s comments were a direct response to Smotrich’s appearance on journalist Nadav Perry’s podcast on the All In network, where the finance minister argued that his steadfast approach had been responsible for securing the release of the hostages who have returned from Hamas captivity.

The exchange follows previous public criticism by Levy of Smotrich. About two months ago, Levy condemned the minister after Smotrich said that forming a government with Mansour Abbas was “more serious than the October 7 massacre.”

Levy called that comparison “the cheapest and lowest thing that can be done.”

Reflecting on the October 7 attacks, Levy said they represented “perhaps the greatest disaster that has ever happened to us as a country—not only because it happened to me, but objectively as well.”

He continued by expressing outrage that, less than three years later, people were already minimizing the tragedy.

“And who’s minimizing it?” Levy asked. “Bezalel Smotrich.”

Levy went on to criticize the minister’s role in government, saying, “This is a minister in a government that’s supposed to protect us and keep us safe, and who wants to run again in another 170 days. When these things come from within our own home, what will people abroad say? What will Europeans say? They’ll say it never happened. Is that what we need—denial of October 7? Because ministers in our own government are the first to suggest it wasn’t a massacre. So how can we expect the world to stand with us? And if it’s not even considered a national tragedy, then it’s all just a mistake. Of course I’m furious.”

{Matzav.com}

A shocking act of vandalism at the Ridbaz Shul in Tzfas left the local chareidi community reeling on Sunday after an intruder allegedly entered the building and caused widespread destruction, tearing seforim, smashing light fixtures, breaking chairs, and extensively damaging the beis haknesses.

The Ridbaz Shul serves as the central beis haknesses for the city’s Litvishe community in southern Tzfas.

Shmuel Levy, the gabbai of the beis haknesses, said that the incident occurred at approximately 1:30 p.m.

“When I arrived at the beis haknesses around 2:15, I saw complete devastation,” Levy said. “There were torn seforim, shattered light fixtures, broken chairs, and extensive destruction throughout the building. Even the shelter beneath the beis haknesses had been overturned and damaged, and glass cups in the restrooms had been smashed.”

According to Levy, bochurim from Yeshivas Revavos Ephraim, who regularly come to the beis haknesses to learn during their afternoon break, were the first to discover what had happened.

“When the bochurim arrived, they heard someone shouting inside the beis haknesses,” he recounted. “They went in and immediately saw the extent of the destruction. They called me right away, and by the time I arrived, they had already begun cleaning up.”

Community members believe the suspect may be a 16-year-old youth who they say was previously involved in another vandalism incident at a different beis haknesses in Tzfas.

Levy said the community has not yet filed a police complaint, explaining that they first want to determine whether the suspect is indeed the same individual believed to have been involved in the earlier incident. Once that determination is made, they will decide whether to involve law enforcement.

Members of the community expressed profound shock over the desecration of the beis haknesses and the damage inflicted on the seforim, expressing hope that the individual responsible will soon be identified and held accountable.

{Matzav.com}

Leaders of Israeli chareidi kindergarten networks are warning that thousands of families could face severe disruption when the next school year begins unless the Ministry of Education acts quickly to overhaul its funding model. They say widening budget shortfalls, combined with a growing shortage of qualified kindergarten teachers, have pushed the system to the brink, threatening the continued operation of many preschools across the country.

During a special panel discussion hosted by Kikar HaShabbos, Rabbi Yisroel Golomb, CEO of Agudas Yisroel’s kindergarten network; Yaakov Segal, CEO of the Gan Eitz HaDaas network; and accountant Avigail Shikovitzky painted a troubling picture of an educational system struggling each month to meet payroll while grappling with mounting deficits and no long-term government solution. Matzav.com provides a synopsis of select portions of the discussion, which was conducted in Hebrew.

Funding No Longer Covers Teacher Salaries

According to Rabbi Golomb, the heart of the crisis is the ever-widening gap between the salaries that kindergarten teachers are legally entitled to receive and the amount of funding provided by the Ministry of Education.

“We are legally obligated to pay teachers every shekel they are entitled to, but the funding we receive simply does not reflect the actual cost,” he said. “As a result, we are forced to cover enormous shortfalls with money we simply do not have.”

He stressed that the problem has grown far beyond an isolated financial challenge.

“We are not threatening to shut down kindergartens,” Rabbi Golomb said. “We’re simply reaching a point where we no longer have the financial ability to continue operating them under the current conditions.”

He noted that the crisis is especially severe in Modiin Illit, where many veteran kindergarten teachers with decades of experience are employed. Without a solution, he warned, thousands of children could be left without appropriate educational frameworks next year.

Experienced Teachers Becoming a Financial Burden

Shikovitzky explained that the current funding formula is based on salary averages that bear little resemblance to the reality on the ground.

“The funding is calculated according to much lower salary grades than what teachers actually earn,” she said. “When a teacher with 20 or 25 years of experience works in a kindergarten, the network has to absorb the difference between what the Ministry funds and what the teacher is legally entitled to receive.”

In communities with large numbers of veteran educators, she said, those funding gaps can create annual deficits amounting to millions of shekels.

“The absurdity is that the system effectively punishes networks that retain experienced, highly qualified teachers,” she said.

‘Nobody Wants to Replace a Veteran Teacher’

Segal rejected any suggestion that the kindergarten networks are trying to replace longtime teachers with less experienced graduates.

“We’re not looking to replace a teacher with 25 years of experience with someone who just graduated from seminary,” he said. “Quite the opposite. Veteran teachers bring experience, professional training, emotional maturity, and skills that simply cannot be replaced.”

The real problem, he argued, is that the funding model makes employing experienced teachers financially unsustainable.

“It is inconceivable that an educational system would tell a 40- or 45-year-old teacher that her career is effectively over simply because she costs more,” Segal said. “Yet that’s exactly the direction this system is pushing us.”

Fewer Young Women Choosing the Profession

Beyond the funding crisis, participants warned of a rapidly growing shortage of future kindergarten teachers.

According to the panelists, enrollment in kindergarten teacher training programs at chareidi seminaries has dropped dramatically in recent years. Programs that were once among the most sought-after have either closed entirely or are operating with only a handful of students.

“Young women see the uncertainty, the salary disparities, and the way the profession is being treated, and they’re choosing other career paths,” Segal said. “In a few years, we could be facing a genuine nationwide shortage of kindergarten teachers.”

He added that the problem extends well beyond the chareidi sector, noting that Israel’s entire educational system is already experiencing a growing shortage of qualified preschool educators.

Calls to Extend ‘Ofek Chadash’ Reform

One of the central issues raised during the discussion was the government’s failure to implement the Ofek Chadash educational reform in chareidi kindergartens.

Network administrators argued that a teacher in the state school system, despite having identical qualifications and performing essentially the same job, can earn thousands of shekels more than her counterpart in the chareidi system.

“We’re talking about the same professional training, the same work, and in some cases even kindergartens operating in the very same building,” Rabbi Golomb said. “There is no logical explanation for why one teacher receives all the salary benefits and reforms while another is left behind.”

They argued that extending the reform to chareidi kindergartens would significantly improve salaries and help restore the profession’s attractiveness.

Sick Leave Costs Also Unfunded

Segal also pointed to another growing burden: sick leave.

He said teachers receive all the benefits required by law, but the government funding provided to the networks does not fully reimburse those expenses.

“We pay every benefit the teachers deserve,” he said. “The problem is that there is no matching budget to cover those payments. It’s yet another expense that keeps adding to an already growing deficit.”

Appeal to the Ministry of Education

The panelists emphasized that they are not seeking across-the-board budget increases but rather a funding formula that accurately reflects actual employment costs.

Among their primary demands are individualized funding based on each teacher’s experience and qualifications, full reimbursement for salary components that currently go unfunded, and the immediate implementation of the Ofek Chadash reform for chareidi kindergartens.

“Everyone understands there’s a problem,” Rabbi Golomb concluded. “The officials know it, the Ministry of Education knows it, and the Finance Ministry knows the numbers. The only question is when that understanding will finally be translated into action. We’ve reached the limit of what we can absorb, and now the responsibility rests with the decision-makers.”

Without meaningful changes in the coming months, he warned, many kindergarten networks may be unable to open some of their classrooms when the new school year begins—a development that could affect thousands of children and families throughout the country.

{Matzav.com}

Ukraine intensified its campaign against Russia’s energy infrastructure overnight, launching drone strikes on two major oil refineries in what analysts say is an increasingly effective effort to undermine one of the pillars of the Russian economy. The attacks came as Russian President Vladimir Putin made a rare public acknowledgment that the country is going through a “difficult period,” underscoring the mounting pressure on Russia’s fuel industry.

According to Russian authorities, debris from intercepted Ukrainian drones sparked a fire at an oil refinery in the city of Slavyansk-na-Kubani, in the Krasnodar region east of Crimea. One person was killed and another was injured in a nearby village. At the same time, Ukrainian special forces confirmed they had also struck the Yaroslavl refinery, one of Russia’s five largest facilities and a major supplier of fuel to the Moscow region and central Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said both operations were successfully carried out. Russia, meanwhile, claimed its air defenses intercepted 213 Ukrainian drones overnight. At the same time, Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched its own large-scale assault, firing 142 drones and eight missiles at Ukrainian targets.

The latest strikes are part of Kyiv’s sustained effort to cripple Russia’s refining and fuel distribution network. According to industry analysts, the campaign is beginning to have a significant impact. More than 20 percent of Russia’s oil refining capacity is reportedly offline, while production of refined petroleum products fell by approximately 13 percent in May compared to the same month last year.

The strain is also becoming increasingly evident in daily life across Russia. Dozens of regions are now experiencing fuel shortages or sales restrictions. In major cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg, gasoline purchases have reportedly been limited to about 20 liters per customer. Reports indicate that between 55 and 56 regions are currently facing either official or unofficial restrictions on fuel supplies.

Against that backdrop, Putin publicly addressed the crisis for the first time during a conference of Russia’s ruling party.

“We are going through a difficult period, but it has made us stronger,” Putin said, adding that Russia would “overcome all the challenges,” including attacks on its infrastructure and territory.

In an effort to stabilize the situation, the Russian government has implemented a series of emergency measures. These include a ban on gasoline exports that has been in place since August 2025, a prohibition on jet fuel exports through November 2026, and consideration of a broader ban on diesel exports as well. Authorities have also established an emergency task force to ensure fuel deliveries to affected regions and have relaxed fuel quality standards, permitting the sale of gasoline with sulfur levels significantly higher than those typically allowed in Europe.

Despite those efforts, the pressure on Russia’s energy sector continues to mount. With Ukrainian drones repeatedly targeting key refining facilities and logistical hubs, the attacks are increasingly disrupting one of the most critical sectors of Russia’s economy and exposing growing vulnerabilities on the home front.

{Matzav.com}

Leading Sephardic gedolei Yisroel have issued an urgent public call urging the Torah community to participate in a massive protest rally Monday night in Bnei Brak on behalf of bnei yeshivos who have been imprisoned in Israeli military jails for refusing to abandon their Torah learning.

The gathering is expected to draw tens of thousands of Sephardic bnei Torah and will be led by the former Rishon LeTzion, Rav Yitzchok Yosef, president of the Moetzes Chachmei HaTorah, together with prominent Sephardic rabbonim and Torah leaders.

Ahead of the rally, senior Torah leaders—including Rav Moshe Maya, the senior member of the Moetzes Chachmei HaTorah; Rav Shlomo Machpud, a member of the Moetzes Chachmei HaTorah; and Chacham Nissim Ben Shimon—issued a special proclamation under the heading, “Lech Kenos Es Kol HaYehudim” (“Go, Gather All the Jews”).

In their letter, the gedolim described the current situation as a time of grave spiritual danger, expressing deep concern over what they called decrees threatening bochurim and avreichim devoted to Torah study.

They wrote that the imprisonment of bnei yeshivah for learning Torah in Eretz Yisroel constitutes a profound desecration of Torah honor. Citing the words of Chazal that “one who causes others to sin is worse than one who kills,” they lamented that precious bnei Torah are being confined in military prisons, surrounded by influences completely foreign to their way of life.

The proclamation states: “Because of the difficult situation prevailing in our land, and because of the decrees of spiritual destruction threatening our precious bochurim and avreichim… and because of the humiliation of holy Torah scholars who are imprisoned in filthy prisons, in the contamination of the desires of this world, under harsh and cruel authorities, solely because they are learning Torah here in the Holy Land—woe to the ears that hear this, woe to the eyes that witness it, woe to us that this has occurred in our generation.”

The rabbonim added that every Jew who possesses yiras Shomayim has an obligation to protest publicly against the situation.

Calling for maximum participation, they wrote: “We hereby call upon all bnei Torah, avreichim, bnei yeshivos, and every Jew whose heart is filled with fear of Hashem to come and participate in the great assembly in the streets of the holy city of Bnei Brak… It is a sacred obligation upon every individual to attend. Let no one be absent.”

The rally is scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. Monday at the intersection of Eshel Avrohom and Harav Rabinov Streets in Bnei Brak’s Ramat Elchanan–Ramat Aharon neighborhood. Organizers are expecting an enormous turnout in what is expected to be one of the largest public demonstrations held by the Sephardic Torah community in response to the imprisonment of bnei yeshivah.

{Matzav.com}