Tonight, the Israeli Air Force conducted multiple airstrikes targeting Hezbollah locations in Southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley, along with former Assad Regime bases in Southwestern Syria. The latest wave of attacks focused on the headquarters of the 132nd Mechanized Brigade, part of the now-dissolved Syrian Arab Army, located in the city of Daraa.
The videos roll through TikTok in 30-second flashes. Migrants trek in camouflage through dry desert terrain. Dune buggies roar up to the United States-Mexico border barrier. Families with young children pass through gaps in the wall. Helicopters, planes, yachts, tunnels and jet skis stand by for potential customers. Laced with emojis, the videos posted by smugglers offer a simple promise: If you don’t have a visa in the U.S., trust us. We’ll get you over safely. At a time when legal pathways to the U.S. have been slashed and criminal groups are raking in money from migrant smuggling, social media apps like TikTok have become an essential tool for smugglers and migrants alike. The videos — taken to cartoonish extremes — offer a rare look inside a long elusive industry and the narratives used by trafficking networks to fuel migration north. “With God’s help, we’re going to continue working to fulfill the dreams of foreigners. Safe travels without robbing our people,” wrote one enterprising smuggler. As President Donald Trump begins to ramp up a crackdown at the border and migration levels to the U.S. dip, smugglers say new technologies allow networks to be more agile in the face of challenges, and expand their reach to new customers — a far cry from the old days when each village had its trusted smuggler. “In this line of work, you have to switch tactics,” said a woman named Soary, part of a smuggling network bringing migrants from Ciudad Juarez to El Paso, Texas, who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition that her last name would not be shared out of concern that authorities would track her down. “TikTok goes all over the world.” Soary, 24, began working in smuggling when she was 19, living in El Paso, where she was approached by a friend about a job. She would use her truck to pick up migrants who had recently jumped the border. Despite the risks involved with working with trafficking organizations, she said it earned her more as a single mother than her previous job putting in hair extensions. As she gained more contacts on both sides of the border, she began connecting people from across the Americas with a network of smugglers to sneak them across borders and eventually into the U.S. Like many smugglers, she would take videos of migrants speaking to the camera after crossing the border to send over WhatsApp as evidence to loved ones that her clients had gotten to their destination safely. Now she posts those clips to TikTok. TikTok says the platform strictly prohibits human smuggling and reports such content to law enforcement. The use of social media to facilitate migration took off around 2017 and 2018, when activists built massive WhatsApp groups to coordinate the first major migrant caravans traveling from Central America to the U.S., according to Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, a professor at George Mason University focused on the migrant smuggling industry. Later, smugglers began to infiltrate those chats and use the choice social media app of the day, expanding to Facebook and Instagram. Migrants, too, began to document their often perilous voyages north, posting videos trekking through the jungles of the Darien Gap dividing Colombia and Panama, and after being released by extorting cartels. A 2023 study by the United Nations […]
NEWSNATION: “Immigration attorneys say that this level of self-deportation is higher than expected…… “I’m very surprised with the amount of self-deportations. I knew there would be self-deportations, but not at the level I’m seeing.”
Purim 2025 by HaGaon HaRav Meir Tzvi Bergman, Rosh Yeshivas Rashbi and Zakein Chevrei Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah. He is the son-in-law of Maran HaGaon HaRav Elazar Menachem Man Shach Zt”L.
The United States conducted a fresh wave of airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen on Monday, targeting the Iran-backed militia’s strongholds in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah and the Al Jawf governorate north of the capital, Sanaa. The strikes, reported by the Houthis’ Al Masirah TV, mark an intensification of a U.S. military campaign aimed at curbing the group’s attacks on international shipping lanes, a vital artery for global trade that has been repeatedly disrupted since late 2023. The U.S. Central Command confirmed the operations, stating that the strikes were designed to degrade the Houthis’ ability to threaten maritime security and regional stability. The targets included missile storage sites and command facilities, part of a broader effort to neutralize the militia’s capacity to launch drones and ballistic missiles. A U.S. official, speaking anonymously, indicated that the campaign could extend for weeks, reflecting a resolute stance against the Houthis’ persistent aggression. The airstrikes come on the heels of a significant U.S. operation that began Saturday, which saw fighter jets from the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group hit dozens of Houthi positions across Yemen. That initial wave resulted in at least 53 deaths, including civilians, according to the Houthi-run health ministry, though U.S. officials have emphasized that the strikes are precision-guided to minimize collateral damage while maximizing impact on military infrastructure. The escalation follows a breakdown in a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, where Israel has faced renewed pressure from Hamas after suspending humanitarian aid shipments earlier this month. The Houthis, aligning themselves with the Palestinian cause, had paused their maritime attacks during the ceasefire but resumed threats after Israel’s decision, prompting the U.S. to act decisively. President Donald Trump, who has prioritized securing shipping lanes since taking office in January, warned the Houthis on Saturday that “hell will rain down” if their attacks persisted, a message underscored by Monday’s strikes. Earlier on Monday, Trump said Iran is responsible for and “will suffer the consequences” of continued attacks by the Houthis. For Israel, a key U.S. ally, the Houthi threat extends beyond shipping disruptions. The militia has launched over 400 missiles and drones at Israeli territory since October 2023, most intercepted by Israeli defenses, in retaliation for Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The U.S. campaign against the Houthis thus serves a dual purpose: protecting international commerce and supporting Israel’s security by weakening a member of Iran’s so-called “Axis of Resistance,” which includes Hamas and Hezbollah. Iran, the Houthis’ primary backer, condemned the strikes, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei calling them a “gross violation” of international law. However, U.S. officials have dismissed Tehran’s protests, pointing to Iran’s role in arming and funding the militia. President Trump has repeatedly called on Iran to cease its support, warning of consequences if it fails to comply. The Houthis, undeterred, claimed early Monday to have launched a second attack on the USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea, though a U.S. official told Reuters that no such strike succeeded, with 11 Houthi drones shot down on Sunday alone. Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi vowed to continue targeting U.S. assets as long as American attacks persist, signaling a potential cycle of retaliation. The conflict’s toll on Yemen remains stark. The Houthi-run health ministry reported that Monday’s strikes in Hodeidah and Al Jawf added […]
In a sad testament to the fact that not all Israelis gleaned a lesson about the importance of unity from the October 7 massacre, protest organizations are planning a large protest in Jerusalem on Wednesday against the dismissal of Shin Bet head Ronen Bar. Since the government is holding the vote to dismiss Bar on Wednesday, the organizations are planning to hold a march that day in Jerusalem that will end in protests outside the Knesset and the Prime Minister’s Residence. Dr. Ze’ev Degani, a principal of a high school in Hertziliya announced on Monday that he is cancelling classes on Wednesday so the students can attend the protest. In fallacious statements reminiscent of the year before the October 7 massacre, Degani told the teaching staff that “the prime minister is turning the country into a dictatorship” and we must fight “for the future of democracy in Israel.” Education Minister Yoav Kisch excoriated Degani and threatened him with the immediate loss of all government funding if he cancels classes for political reasons. “Ze’ev Degani is a criminal,” Kisch said. “His decision to shut down classes and send students to a political demonstration is a serious and direct violation of the Compulsory Education Law. The education system is not lawless and we will not allow schools to become arenas for political clashes.” “Therefore, Degani and the Board of Directors of Herzliya Gymnasium have been summoned to an urgent hearing on Wednesday. If the school is indeed shut down, the budgets that Herzliya Gymnasium receives from the education system will be terminated immediately. Schools are places for learning, not platforms for political propaganda. Leave politics to the politicians.” Tel Aviv University President Prof. Ariel Poroat also published a strongly worded letter to members of the university’s academic staff, in which he declared that if Bar is dismissed, he will declare a strike and lead protests. He called on the academic staff and senior members of the economy to join him in the move. Opposition chairman Yair Lapid stated on Monday that the heads of the opposition parties are filing a petition to the Supreme Court against Bar’s dismissal. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday appointed Andrii Hnatov as the new chief of the general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces, as the country looks to restructure and strengthen its military while its engaged in combat in Russia’s Kursk region and facing increasing pressure in Donetsk. Hnatov replaced Anatoliy Barhylevych, who held the position since February 2024. The appointment was announced by the general staff via its Telegram channel Sunday. “We are systematically transforming the Armed Forces of Ukraine to enhance their combat effectiveness,” Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said. Barhylevych will now serve as the general inspector of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry. Umerov emphasized that Barhylevych would “remain part of the team,” overseeing military standards and strengthening discipline in the army. Oleksandr Syrskyi remains in place as commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces. Zelenskyy has made frequent personnel changes within the Ukrainian government and military since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. This change in personnel comes as fighting continues in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukraine’s General Staff said that Ukrainian troops had been involved in eight combat clashes on Sunday. Ukraine’s army stunned Russia in August last year by attacking across the border and taking control of an estimated 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of land, but Ukraine’s forces are now in retreat — meaning Ukraine has all but lost a valuable bargaining chip, as momentum builds for a ceasefire with Russia. On Friday, Russia claimed control of Sudzha, the largest town that Ukraine had occupied in the Kursk region. Ukraine is also battling under growing pressure in its eastern Donetsk region, where Russian troops have been advancing for months. (AP)
The Shin Bet is investigating a new affair related to the activity of a senior employee in the Prime Minister’s Office who allegedly endangered the security of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu by leaking information about his whereabouts to leftist protesters, Haaretz reported on Sunday. According to the report, another person who is not an employee of the Prime Minister’s Office is also under investigation. The suspect is one of the leaders of the left-wing protests against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. A gag order has been imposed on the affair but it is known that the Shin Bet has taken unusual measures against those involved. Kan News reported that Netanyahu’s associates were shocked by the identity of the suspect in the Prime Minister’s Office involved in the affair. According to sources in the office, the senior official is considered close to the Netanyahu couple and was even in direct contact with Sara Netanyahu. According to one of the sources in the office, the suspect is “the last person you could think of doing something like this.” Channel 12 journalist Amit Segal commented on his Telegram channel that in the past, Shin Bet people used to say that they “work in the Prime Minister’s Office,” adding that this is “a big story.” He raised the possibility that there is a connection between the investigation and previous reports that the Prime Minister’s convoy was diverted from its regular route due to fear of blockades by leftist protesters. “Do you understand what is happening here?” Segal wrote. “The suspicion of cooperation between a senior official in the Prime Minister’s Office and protest activists, and it is so dramatic that the Shin Bet is throwing a senior official in the Prime Minister’s Office and a protest activist into detention.” “Let me clarify: This Shin Bet investigation, which allegedly deals with criminal ties between protest activists and senior officials in the Prime Minister’s Office, is not directed against Netanyahu’s associates but rather is intended to examine possible harm to the system surrounding him.” MK Tally Gotliv (Likud) revealed details about the affair, saying that a senior employee in the Prime Minister’s Office knowingly passed information about Netanyahu’s location to protest activists. She added that the suspect has already been detained for an extended period of time. “This is a coup on steroids!” she stated. “Right-wing people, wake up! When a senior employee at the Prime Minister’s Office knowingly passes information about the Prime Minister’s location to protest and civil disobedience people, it is the embodiment of a dangerous coup. By the way, if you wanted a reason why I had to reveal that the husband of Shikma Bressler, the leader of the leftist revolt against Netanyahu who encouraged IDF refusal, is a member of the Shin Bet, I think everything is clear now. And it is even clearer why they are persecuting me so much.” “A senior employee from the Prime Minister’s Office who admitted that he passed information about the Prime Minister’s location to protest activists has been detained in Shin Bet facilities for a long time. Why the gag order? Who are you protecting?” she questioned. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Finance Minister and Minister in the Defense Ministry Betzalel Smotrich said on Monday that Israel is preparing for a large-scale attack on the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip. Speaking at the Knesset, Smotrich that “during these days, against the backdrop of Hamas’s consistent refusal to return our hostages, we are preparing, b’ezrat Hashem, to return to war in Gaza through a large, lethal, and multi-divisional attack that will lead to the destruction of Hamas and the conquest of the Gaza Strip.” Smotrich added: “We will not repeat the mistakes of the past in managing the war and will not transfer logistical supplies to Hamas. This time, b’ezrat Hashem – until victory and the implementation of President Trump’s plan to encourage immigration and the transfer of millions of Gazans far from our border to other countries. We are advancing in preparations for the implementation of the plan, budgeting for it, and will carry it out in a comprehensive manner.” “This is the only solution for Gaza. We will no longer allow a people full of hatred and lust for murder to sit here on our border and plan the next massacre.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Shopping for a new home? Ready to renovate your kitchen or install a new deck? You’ll be paying more to do so. The Trump administration’s tariffs on imported goods from Canada, Mexico and China — some already in place, others set to take effect in a few weeks — are already driving up the cost of building materials used in new residential construction and home remodeling projects. The tariffs are projected to raise the costs that go into building a single-family home in the U.S. by $7,500 to $10,000, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Such costs are typically passed along to the homebuyer in the form of higher prices, which could hurt demand at a time when the U.S. housing market remains in a slump and many builders are having to offer buyers costly incentives to drum up sales. We Buy Houses in San Francisco, which purchases foreclosed homes and then typically renovates and sells them, is increasing prices on its refurbished properties between 7% and 12%. That’s even after saving $52,000 in costs by stockpiling 62% more Canadian lumber than usual. “The uncertainty of how long these tariffs will continue has been the most challenging aspect of our planning,” said CEO Mamta Saini. Bad timing for builders The timing of the tariffs couldn’t be worse for homebuilders and the home remodeling industry, as this is typically the busiest time of year for home sales. The prospect of a trade war has roiled the stock market and stoked worries about the economy, which could lead many would-be homebuyers to remain on the sidelines. “Rising costs due to tariffs on imports will leave builders with few options,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com. “They can choose to pass higher costs along to consumers, which will mean higher home prices, or try to use less of these materials, which will mean smaller homes.” Prices for building materials, including lumber, have been rising, even though the White House has delayed its tariffs rollout on some products. Lumber futures jumped to $658.71 per thousand board feet on March 4, reaching their highest level in more than two years. The increase is already inflating costs for construction projects. Dana Schnipper, a partner at building materials supplier JC Ryan in Farmingdale, New York, sourced wooden doors and frames for an apartment complex in Nassau County from a company in Canada that cost less than the American equivalent. Half the job has already been supplied. But once the tariff goes into effect it will be applied to the remaining $75,000, adding $19,000 to the at-cost total. Once JC Ryan applies its mark up, that means the customer will owe $30,000 more than originally planned, Schnipper said. He also expects the tariffs will give American manufacturers cover to raise prices on steel components. “These prices will never come down,” Schnipper said. “Whatever is going to happen, these things will be sticky and hopefully we’re good enough as a small business, that we can absorb some of that. We can’t certainly absorb all of it, so I don’t know. It’s going to be an interesting couple of months.” Sidestepping the tariffs by using an alternative to imported building materials isn’t always an option. Bar Zakheim, owner of Better Place Design & Build, a contracting business in San […]
Border Czar Tom Homan just humiliated a reporter complaining about Trump using the Alien Enemies Act: REPORTER: “That law is 200 years old!” TOM HOMAN: “Well, the Constitution is a lot older than that and we still follow it”
The U.S. State Department has announced a $10 million reward for details regarding Iran’s financial smuggling operations supporting Hezbollah via Beirut International Airport.
