Yeshiva World News

The head of the IDF’s Northern Command, Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin, recommended in recent closed discussions to allow the IDF to seize a security buffer zone in southern Lebanon, Yisrael Hayom reported on Monday According to the report, Gordon explained that current conditions would enable the IDF to carry out such a move swiftly, as many members of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force who were deployed near the border fence have been killed or fled northward. Additionally, most of the civilian population has evacuated the villages of southern Lebanon. It is currently estimated that only about 20% of the Lebanese residents who lived close to the border before October 7 remain in their homes. The significant reduction in the civilian population will allow the IDF to carry out a military maneuver in the area quickly and smoothly. The goal of the maneuver is not only to eliminate the terror threat, pushing Hezbollah’s forces away so that they don’t pose a threat to northern residents, but also to gain leverage to reach a permanent agreement – as Hezbollah will be motivated to hold negotiations to force IDF forces to withdraw. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)  

In a world filled with self-proclaimed saviors and social media warriors, one name stands out for his noble (or should we say delusional?) plea to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict—Ryan Routh, the man who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump on Sunday. In a tweet that can only be described as a masterpiece of geopolitical strategy, Ryan bravely called on Yeshiva World News (because who else?) to use our “media power” to magically summon a civilian army to defeat Russia. Naturally, this one tweet was going to solve the complex crisis that has confounded world leaders, military strategists, and diplomats for more than two years. But alas, we didn’t heed the advice of this towering intellectual giant. Routh’s words were stirring: “I AM WILLING TO FIGHT AND DIE FOR UKRAINE,” he declared, as though the sheer force of his willingness could crush Putin’s forces. If only we’d handed him a helmet and a plane ticket. And let’s not forget his brilliant suggestion that all the media had to do was “ask the world to help” and the war would be over in a flash. Of course! Why didn’t we think of that? It’s all so simple once Ryan spells it out. But before you start regretting the missed opportunity to let this genius solve the world’s problems, let’s not forget one tiny detail: Ryan Routh is also the same individual whose alleged attempt to assassinate former President Trump was thwarted by the Secret Service on Sunday. Who could’ve predicted that a man capable of orchestrating global peace via Twitter would also try his hand at presidential assassination? Talk about a renaissance man! If only we had listened to Ryan, sent him to Ukraine, and handed him the reins of global diplomacy, perhaps he could have saved the day—and himself from, well, let’s say less savory pursuits. But we missed the boat, and now the war rages on. Maybe next time, YWN will take note when a tweet like this comes along. Surely the fate of nations depends on it. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A second apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump — this time as he played golf in Florida — has rocked a presidential campaign already marred by unprecedented violence and raised questions about how such a thing could have happened for the second time in as many months. U.S. Secret Service agents opened fire Sunday afternoon on a man who was spotted pointing an AK-style rifle through a fence while hiding in the bushes as Trump golfed at his club in West Palm Beach. The FBI described it as an apparent attempted assassination on the GOP nominee. At a Pennsylvania rally in July, Trump was grazed in the ear by a bullet when a gunman was able to gain access to an unsecured roof, unleashing a hail of bullets that left one of Trump’s supporters dead and two others badly injured. While the Secret Service has grappled with how to keep Trump safe as he campaigns across the country, holding rallies that often draw thousands, less attention has focused on his protection when he is off the trail, often at his own clubs and properties. The fact that there are places along the perimeter of the property where golfers — including Trump — are visible to those standing behind the fence has long been known to law enforcement. While Trump was president, news photographers were often able to capture images of him on the greens by finding gaps in the shrubbery. While Trump’s plans to golf Sunday were not part of any public schedule, on days he is not campaigning, he can often be found golfing at one of his courses. Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach, about a 10-minute drive from his Mar-a-Lago residence, is a favorite. One of three golf clubs he owns in Florida, it boasts 27 holes of championship golf, as well as event spaces. Trump often eats lunch and holds meetings in the clubhouse between rounds. Trump had just returned from a West Coast swing that included stops in Las Vegas and Utah, and had announced on social media that he would be delivering remarks Monday from Mar-a-Lago about cryptocurrency as he launches a new crypto platform. Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw noted at a briefing that because Trump is no longer in office, security protocols around the course had loosened. “He’s not the sitting president. If he was, we would have had this entire golf course surrounded. But because he’s not, his security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible,” he told reporters. Law enforcement officials praised the work of the agents assigned to protect Trump. One agent, tasked with jumping one hole ahead of the former president to scope out potential threats, managed to spot the gunman’s rifle barrel sticking out of the fence that surrounds the golf club and “immediately engaged that individual,” Bradshaw said. In an email to campaign staff Sunday night, senior campaign advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles credited the Secret Service for saving Trump, who has praised the agents in his own protective detail for their bravery as they rushed on stage to protect him in Butler, Pennsylvania. “President Trump and everyone accompanying him are safe thanks to the great work of the United States Secret Service,” they wrote. Unlike other […]

The 58-year-old man accused of pointing an AK-47 at former President Donald Trump on Sunday afternoon has a prolific arrest record that spans several decades. Ryan Wesley Routh was arrested shortly after the incident at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla. Authorities said Secret Service agents fired at him after seeing the muzzle of his AK-47 pointing through a chain-link fence one hole ahead of where Trump was playing. Authorities are treating the episode as an apparent assassination attempt on Trump. A background check on the name given by officials, Ryan Wesley Routh, revealed that he currently lives in Hawaii and has faced dozens of run-ins with police, stretching back to at least the 1990s. Routh is a native of North Carolina, where his list of arrests includes simple drug possession, driving without a license, expired inspection and operating a vehicle with no insurance. In addition, the Greensboro News & Record reported in 2002 that Routh was arrested after barricading himself in his roofing company’s office during a three-hour standoff that followed a traffic stop in which he put his hand on a gun before fleeing. Routh moved to Hawaii in 2017, records show. He has since launched another construction company in Hawaii that builds simple housing structures for homeless people, according to a LinkedIn page that appears to belong to Routh. “This does not appear to be some random guy with an AK-47 walking outside Trump’s club,” an official said after the Sunday afternoon incident. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

In recent years, I’ve noticed two parallel trends that are hard to ignore, and I can’t help but feel a sense of unease as these developments unfold. One trend involves frum baalebatim—individuals who have been incredibly successful in business—who seem to be engaged in an ongoing race to outdo each other with displays of luxury. Whether it’s the increasing use of helicopters for short trips or private jets for longer hauls, this competition for status and wealth is becoming more and more extravagant. What was once an occasional luxury has now become a routine for some, elevating the already feverish competition among the “one percent” of the Jewish community. Simultaneously, I have also been following the emerging space race among secular billionaires. It’s fascinating, albeit alarming, to see the lengths to which some of these individuals will go in their pursuit of being the first to accomplish something beyond Earth. We’ve watched them compete to fly higher, farther, and longer, with some even taking it to the extreme by doing spacewalks – as seen this past Friday, when a Jewish, albeit secular, billionaire made history. Every milestone in this secular space race seems to spur another billionaire to top it, turning what used to be the final frontier into a playground for the ultra-wealthy. Now, these two phenomena—one happening in our own community, the other in the broader secular world—seem, on the surface, completely unrelated. But I can’t help but wonder if they are, in fact, on a collision course. In the frum world, there’s already a kind of “arms race” in terms of how people display their wealth, and it has crept into many aspects of our lives. Helicopters, once reserved for emergency situations, are now becoming the go-to for baalebatim looking to make an impression, even if it’s just for a quick trip to the airport. Private jets are no longer viewed as indulgent; they’re almost expected for those in certain circles. What’s next? Could we see frum billionaires setting their sights even higher—literally? I fear that it’s only a matter of time before the drive to one-up each other takes a turn toward the realm of space travel. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if, in the near future, we see a headline announcing that a frum billionaire has taken his private space flight—perhaps even putting on tefillin while floating in zero gravity. As absurd as this sounds, it doesn’t seem far-fetched given the current trajectory of luxury and the increasing integration of yiddishkeit into high-profile events that have nothing to do with yiddishkeit. But why stop there? The space race is all about breaking barriers and going where no one has gone before. Could the next “achievement” be spending a Shabbos in space? Picture it: a billionaire boasting about hosting the first Shabbos seudah beyond Earth, posting pictures of kiddush aboard a space station. Of course, some will ridiculously argue that such achievements are a massive kiddush Hashem. It’s not. The secular billionaire space race, while fascinating from a technological standpoint, is ultimately a reflection of how disconnected some have become from the everyday concerns of humanity. These individuals, with their vast wealth, are no longer content with what they have achieved on Earth. Now they must reach for the stars. But at what cost? The resources spent on […]

Donald Trump was the target Sunday of “what appears to be an attempted assassination” at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, the FBI said, just nine weeks after the Republican presidential nominee survived another attempt on his life. The former president said he was safe and well, and authorities held a man in custody. The man in custody was Ryan Routh, a clearly unstable man whose social media posts suggested he was obsessed with supporting Ukraine and thought that Trump is a threat to democracy – exactly what Democrats, including Kamala Harris, have been continuously accusing Trump of being, even after the first attempt on his life. Routh also previously posted a photo of a map with a caption suggesting that he was less-than-thrilled with the existence of a Jewish State in Israel.   Oddly, Routh tagged Yeshiva World News in a 2022 social media post, urging us to release a “CALL TO ACTION” in support of Ukraine. U.S. Secret Service agents posted a few holes up from where Trump was playing noticed the muzzle of an AK-style rifle sticking through the shrubbery that lines the course, roughly 400 yards away. An agent fired and the gunman dropped the rifle and fled in an SUV, leaving the firearm behind along with two backpacks, a scope used for aiming and a GoPro camera, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said. The man was later taken into custody in a neighboring county. In an email to supporters, Trump said: “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!” He wrote: “Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!” An email to Trump campaign staffers obtained by AP said, “This is not a matter that we take lightly. Your safety is always our top priority. We ask that you remain vigilant in your daily comings and goings.” “As we enter the last 50 days of President Trump’s campaign, we must remember that we will only be able save America from those who seek to destroy it by working together as one team.” In the aftermath, Trump checked in with allies, including running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and several Fox News hosts. Fox News host Sean Hannity recounted on air his conversation with Trump and the former president’s golf partner, Steve Witkoff. They told Hannity they had been on the fifth hole and about to go up to putt when they heard a “pop pop, pop pop.” Within seconds, he said Witkoff recounted, Secret Service agents “pounced on” Trump and “covered him” to protect him. Trump had returned to Florida this weekend from a West Coast swing that included a Friday night rally in Las Vegas and a Utah fundraiser. His campaign had not advised about any public plans for Trump on Sunday. He often spends the morning playing golf, before having lunch at the club, one of three he owns in the state. He has had a stepped-up security footprint since the assassination attempt in July. When he has been at Trump Tower in New York, parked dump trucks have formed a wall outside the building. At outdoor rallies, he now speaks from behind an enclosure of bulletproof […]

In Brownsville, Brooklyn, a shooting at the Sutter Ave train station left an NYPD officer and up to three others wounded, Sunday afternoon. The officer, hit in the upper torso, was transported to Brookdale University Hospital. Another officer, who was not shot, was also taken to the hospital. Among the other individuals injured in the gunfire were potential suspects, including a woman who sustained a head wound. The violent confrontation reportedly began after a call about a disturbed person with a knife, although the exact circumstances remain unclear. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Law enforcement sources revealed that the Secret Service was called to the scene of a shooting near former President Donald Trump as he was leaving his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, the NY Post reports. “President Trump is safe following gunshots in his vicinity. No further details at this time,” said Trump spokesman Steven Cheung on Sunday afternoon. According to the New York Post, the shooting involved two individuals exchanging gunfire outside the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach. The shots were not aimed at Trump, as the shooters were targeting each other. Sources added that the incident took place in a high-crime area near the club, and Trump was never at risk.

The Wall Street Journal editorial board has taken aim at former President Donald Trump for his recently reignited association with right-wing provocateur Laura Loomer. In an op-ed published on Friday, entitled “Donald Trump and Loomer Tunes: Why is the Former President Hanging with a 9/11 Conspiracist?”, the board raised concerns about Trump’s decision to align himself with the controversial figure, particularly in the lead-up to the ABC News debate against Vice President Kamala Harris. Loomer, a 31-year-old activist known for her inflammatory rhetoric, was seen accompanying Trump during public events commemorating the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. She joined the GOP nominee during his visits to memorial sites in New York City and Pennsylvania, including the Flight 93 crash site. However, Loomer has previously drawn ire for suggesting that 9/11 was “an inside job,” a conspiracy theory highlighted by the Wall Street Journal in their op-ed. “Does she think Osama bin Laden was a CIA front man?” the editorial board asks rhetorically, before adding that describing Loomer as simply “far right” is too mild for her extreme views. In their critique, the WSJ editors also pointed to Loomer’s history of inflammatory comments. On X, she insulted Kamala Harris’s Indian heritage, writing that if Harris were elected, “the White House will smell like curry.” She has also taken aim at other public figures, such as Casey DeSantis, the wife of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and cast conspiracies about Senator Lindsey Graham. While Loomer’s provocations have long been on the fringe, her proximity to Trump raises broader concerns for the WSJ editorial board. “All of this would be ignorable, except that others close to Mr. Trump say he is listening to Ms. Loomer’s advice,” the board wrote. “People in the Trump campaign are trying to get her out of the former President’s entourage, to no avail. Even Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene thinks Ms. Loomer is damaging the former President’s election chances.” Trump, when asked by the press about his association with Loomer, downplayed the controversy, saying, “Laura’s a supporter. I have a lot of supporters,” and added, “She’s a strong person; she’s got strong opinions,” without directly addressing her history of incendiary remarks. The WSJ editorial board expressed its broader concern over the former president’s decision-making process, writing that Trump’s association with Loomer “feeds the concern among voters that Mr. Trump listens to crazy courtiers who flatter him and play to his vanity. Is this who the next four years are going to feature?” The op-ed goes further, cautioning that the problem extends beyond Trump’s immediate electoral prospects. The editors argue that a troubling segment of the American right is increasingly populated by figures who peddle conspiracy theories and extreme rhetoric. “A movement that used to admire William F. Buckley Jr. and Thomas Sowell now elevates a pseudo-historian who blames Winston Churchill for World War II and media personalities who sell falsehoods as a triumph for free speech,” the board lamented, concluding that this shift in priorities “isn’t an intellectual or political movement that is going to win converts, nor will it deserve them.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A Border Police Officer was lightly injured after a Palestinian terrorist stabbed him in Jerusalem, Sunday evening. It happened at Sha’ar Schechem just before 8:00PM. Police officers immediately opened fire and neutralized the terrorist. MDA paramedic from MDA medicycle unit Israel Weingarten told YWN: “The patient was fully conscious, walking around the scene while suffering from a stabbing wound to his upper body. We gave him primary medical treatment and he was evacuated to the hospital. The terrorist was neutralized.”

The Russian news outlet Sputnik recently reported that members of the Houthi special forces have entered Syria. Kan News reported that Houthi terrorists are entering Syria in small groups via Jordan after flying there from Yemen, in collaboration with officials in Syria and Lebanon. According to the report, there are currently thousands of Houthi special forces in Syria, where in recent months they have been engaging in training exercises simulating infiltrations via tunnels of Israeli yishuvim and military bases and the abduction of soldiers, chalilah. According to the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, the Houthis are indeed aiming to carry out a ground attack against Israel as part of their retaliatory response to Israel’s attack on the Hodeidah port. Their collaboration with Iran and the “Axis of Resistance” groups, primarily the militias in Iraq and Hezbollah in Lebanon, enable the Houthis to overcome the significant geographical distance between Yemen and Israel and send terrorists closer to the border with Israel to carry out limited direct ground attacks within Israeli territory. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Monsey Scoop regrets to inform you of the Sudden Petira of Reb Leibel Schwartz Z”L, he was 69 years old. The Niftar Z”L was the owner of Electric Outlet in Spring Valley and previously owned the Lake House Hotel in the Catskills and Ramapo Plumbing in Monsey. The Levaya will take place on Sunday afternoon at Rabbi Templer’s Shul 24 Crestview Terrace, Monsey at 1:00PM, followed by the kevurah at Monsey Beis Hachaim.

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A new Channel 12 poll has found that a majority of Israelis would vote for former U.S. President Donald Trump if they were able to participate in the upcoming U.S. elections. According to the survey, 58% of respondents said they would cast their vote for Trump, while 25% indicated support for U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. The remaining 17% said they were undecided. The poll also asked Israelis about the timing of their own elections, with 43% of respondents expressing a desire for Israeli elections to happen immediately. A further 19% favored opposition leaders Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz joining the current government, replacing far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. However, 28% of those surveyed preferred the current government to continue as it is. In terms of leadership preferences within Israel, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett emerged as the most favored candidate to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Bennett led by a notable margin, with 40% support compared to Netanyahu’s 28%. Benny Gantz, leader of the National Unity Party, also polled ahead of Netanyahu, with 34% of respondents favoring him over the current premier’s 30%. In a comparison between Netanyahu and opposition leader Yair Lapid, Netanyahu narrowly led with 31% to Lapid’s 29%. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Americans’ outlook on the economy improved for the second straight month in September, bolstered by lower prices for long-lasting goods such as cars and furniture. The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index ticked up to 69 in its preliminary reading, its highest level since May and up from 67.9 in August. The survey bottomed out in June 2022, when inflation peaked at 9.1%, and has since risen by about 40%, though it remains signficantly below pre-pandemic levels. “Consumers remain guarded as the looming election continues to generate substantial uncertainty,” said Joanne Hsu, director of consumer surveys at University of Michigan. Hsu also said that, “a growing share of both Republicans and Democrats now anticipate a Harris win.” The survey was conducted before Tuesday’s debate. Consumer sentiment rose among Democrats, but ticked down slightly among independents and Republicans. Rising consumer confidence can sometimes signal a greater willingness to spend, though Americans have largely continued to spend at a healthy pace even though their confidence, as measured in surveys, has been subdued. The economy expanded at a solid 3% annual rate in the April-June quarter, and retail spending picked up in July. Yet Americans have been saving less and running up more credit card debt, which has raised concerns among some economists that consumers will soon have to cut back, potentially slowing growth. (AP)

Former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman responded to the Houthi missile attack on central Israel on Sunday morning by noting that the increasing aggression of Iran and its proxies are a direct result of the Biden/Harris administration’s policies of appeasement of Iran. “Israelis were awakened early this morning to sirens warning of an incoming hypersonic ballistic missile coming from the Houthis, an Iranian proxy in Yemen,” Friedman wrote. “Undoubtedly, this will provoke a war.” “Inevitably, Israel also will be at war with Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy in Lebanon. Hezbollah has been shooting missiles into northern Israel since October 7, forcing the evacuation of nearly 100,000 Israelis who remain refugees within their own country. “All of this ties back to the appeasement of Iran by the Biden/Harris administration — its failure to enforce sanctions which has permitted Iran to more than double its GDP since January 2021. That extra money is what funds all this turmoil. “Recall the ‘deal’ negotiated by Biden’s envoy — mistakenly agreed to by then Israeli PM Lapid — for Israel to surrender 100% of its claim in favor of Lebanon to gas fields in the Eastern Mediterranean. That was supposed to bring peace — instead it signaled extreme weakness and is likely to bring war. “The Biden/Harris administration has failed Israel, the entire region, and most of the world, with feckless and self-destructive policies. “Harris’ affirmation of Israel’s ‘right to defend itself ‘ a meaningless platitude — every nation has that right! Her insistence on a ‘two-state solution’ in the face of Palestinian terror signals that the Palestinians will never be held accountable for their malign activity. Her placating anti-American and anti-Israel radicals only emboldens their disruption of American life. And her continued appeasement of Iran will set the whole world on fire. “To my friends who think she’ll be OK because she can cook a brisket and her husband is Jewish — open your eyes!” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Donald Trump refused on Friday to condemn recent racist and conspiratorial comments from right-wing provocateur Laura Loomer, who traveled with him earlier this week to Tuesday night’s presidential debate and several 9/11 memorial events. “Laura’s been a supporter of mine,” Trump told reporters at a press conference near Los Angeles, where he was pressed on concerns from Republican allies about his ongoing association with Loomer, who once declared herself a “proud Islamophobe” and has a long history of promoting ugly and extreme conspiracies. Trump said Loomer has “strong opinions,” but insisted at the news conference he was unaware of her recent comments, including a post on X in which she played on racist stereotypes by writing that “the White House will smell like curry & White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center” if his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, wins in November. Harris is the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants. “I don’t control Laura. Laura has to say what she wants,” Trump said. “I can’t tell Laura what to do.” Yet later, via his Truth Social account, Trump tried to distance himself more clearly from Loomer, saying, “I disagree with the statements she made” and describing her as “a private citizen and longtime supporter” who “doesn’t work for the Campaign.” Even in that post, though, Trump defended Loomer, writing that “like the many millions of people who support me, she is tired of watching the Radical Left Marxists and Fascists violently attack and smear me.” After the backlash, Trump seemed frustrated in a later post on his social media network in which he lashed out at the news media, and he had more bluster than usual that night onstage at a rally in Las Vegas, frequently shouting. Loomer’s appearances on the campaign trail with Trump have alarmed some top supporters, who have taken the rare move of publicly airing their concerns that he is hurting his chances against Harris, who is driving up Democratic enthusiasm that intensified with her debate performance Tuesday. Harris was campaigning Friday across Pennsylvania. Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia congresswoman known herself for spreading conspiracies, called the post about curry “appalling and extremely racist” and said it did not represent Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., called Loomer “a crazy conspiracy theorist who regularly utters disgusting garbage intended to divide Republicans,” and said a Democratic Party “plant couldn’t do a better job than she is doing to hurt President Trump’s chances of winning re-election.” Trump has a history of association with extremists, including dining in 2022 at his Mar-a-Lago club with Nick Fuentes, a far-right activist who had used his online platform to spew antisemitic and white nationalist rhetoric. Trump had said at the time that he “knew nothing about” Fuentes before his dinner with the rapper formerly known as Kanye West. Harris has not commented publicly on Loomer’s ties to Trump. But as has often been the case during his three White House runs, Trump has pulled the presidential campaign this week into a discussion of far-right conspiracies and unsubstantiated rumors with consequences. He brought up a discredited claim about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, hunting and eating pets at Tuesday’s presidential debate watched by more than 67 million people, as Harris repeatedly put him […]

IDF forces discovered a terror tunnel near a hospital in the Palestinian city of Tulkarm in the northern Shomron last week. The tunnel, which was found near a hospital, had an entrance and no exit. The IDF assesses that it was still under construction. The IDF launched an investigation into the tunnel and upon completing it, will destroy the tunnel. The discovery confirms the fears of residents of Israeli yishuvim near Tulkarm in the Hefer Valley and southern Sharon who repeatedly reported hearing the sounds of digging following the October 7 assault. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

The Biden administration is cracking down on cheap products sold out of China by companies such as Temu and Shein by saying that companies are no longer exempt from tariffs simply by shipping goods that they claim to be worth less than $800. President Joe Biden would no longer exclude these “de minimis” imports from tariffs under a proposed rule released Friday to tax all imports if they’re covered under Sections 201 or 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, or Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. Importers mainly from China have used the de minimis exemption for shipments of $800 or less to flood the U.S. market. The number of these shipments has jumped from 140 million annually to over 1 billion a year, according to a White House statement. The action comes at a delicate moment for the world’s two largest economies. The United States has tried to lessen its reliance on Chinese products, protect emerging industries such as electric vehicles from Chinese competition and restrict China’s access to advanced computer chips. For its part, China has seen manufacturing and exports as essential for driving economic growth as it has struggled with deflation following pandemic-related lockdowns. Because of the existing exemption, it is harder for the U.S. government to block the importation of fentanyl and synthetic drug content that are banned. The government also stressed that Chinese e-commerce sites have abused the exemption to sell cheap clothing and textiles to U.S. consumers, possibly harming domestic workers and companies. The loss of the exemption could be a blow to Chinese companies such as Temu and Shein that compete by keeping their prices low and might now have to face additional scrutiny. The government said its Section 301 tariffs currently cover about 40% of U.S. imports, including 70% of textile and apparel imports from China. The proposed regulatory changes would also include new standards for de minimis shipments, such as a 10-digit tariffs classification number and details on the person claiming the exemption. (AP)