Matzav

The Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted a lower court’s block on President Trump’s initiative to dramatically reduce the size of the federal workforce through widespread layoffs across various government departments.

In an unsigned opinion, the justices granted the administration the go-ahead to proceed with the executive order Trump signed on February 13, which calls for “large-scale reductions in force” throughout the federal bureaucracy.

The decision marks another major legal win for Trump at the Supreme Court and received support from liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor. It nullifies a May 9 injunction from Northern California District Judge Susan Illston, who had temporarily halted the administration’s planned agency downsizing and program eliminations.

“Because the Government is likely to succeed on its argument that the Executive Order and Memorandum are lawful — and because the other factors bearing on whether to grant a stay are satisfied — we grant the application,” the justices wrote in their ruling.

At the same time, the Court clarified that it was not making any judgment on the actual agency restructuring blueprints created under the president’s directive. “We express no view on the legality of any Agency [Reduction in Force] and Reorganization Plan produced or approved pursuant to the Executive Order and Memorandum,” the opinion stated.

The majority found that Judge Illston, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton, had blocked the executive order based on her opinion of its legality, rather than an evaluation of any specific agency plan — which, the Court pointed out, had not been presented in this case.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented strongly, accusing the Court of prematurely endorsing actions she characterized as constitutionally questionable. “Temporary, practical, harm-reducing preservation of the status quo was no match for this Court’s demonstrated enthusiasm for greenlighting this President’s legally dubious actions in an emergency posture,” she wrote.

She added that the administration’s strategy would have far-reaching consequences for the federal government. “This executive action promises mass employee terminations, widespread cancellation of federal programs and services, and the dismantling of much of the Federal Government as Congress has created it,” she cautioned.

Jackson argued that the president had overstepped his bounds by proceeding without legislative approval. “Under our Constitution, Congress has the power to establish administrative agencies and detail their functions,” she wrote, emphasizing the need for congressional consent before such a dramatic reorganization.

Justice Sotomayor, while echoing concerns about presidential overreach, agreed that the timing wasn’t yet right for the Court to issue a definitive ruling. “The plans themselves are not before this Court, at this stage, and we thus have no occasion to consider whether they can and will be carried out consistent with the constraints of law,” she wrote in a concurring opinion. “I join the Court’s stay because it leaves the District Court free to consider those questions in the first instance.”

Oversight of the administration’s agency restructuring has been handled by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, an entity formerly directed by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk.

The initiative has drawn legal opposition from federal employee unions and advocacy groups, who filed suit to prevent the layoffs, which would impact staff at numerous agencies including Agriculture, Energy, Labor, Interior, State, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, along with the National Science Foundation, Social Security Administration, Small Business Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Reacting to the Court’s decision, Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the outcome in a post on X. “Today, the Supreme Court stopped lawless lower courts from restricting President Trump’s authority over federal personnel — another Supreme Court victory thanks to [Justice Department] attorneys,” she wrote.

“Now, federal agencies can become more efficient than ever before,” she added.

{Matzav.com}

The tragic loss of five Netzach Yehuda soldiers in Beit Hanun was attributed by Rav Yitzchok Yosef, the previous Sephardic chief rabbi of Israel, to a decline in commitment to Torah learning. In a public letter, he pointed to spiritual failings as the root of the tragedy.

“We are to blame,” Rav Yosef stated, asserting that “weakness in Torah study leads to disasters, such as the terrible tragedy of the soldiers’ deaths in battle.”

Addressing bnei yeshiva directly, Yosef appealed for renewed dedication to Torah learning. “To the precious Torah scholars of the yeshivas, may God bless them. I come here with an urgent call to strengthen and be strengthened in Torah study, especially in these days, the end of summer, when there is concern for laxity,” he wrote.

Rav Yosef expressed grief over the incident and reminded the community of their spiritual obligations. “We received with great sorrow the bad news about the fall of the precious soldiers, may their memory be for a blessing, who gave their lives for the people of Israel. Our responsibility as Torah Jews is immeasurable,” he wrote.

He also urged the community to engage in introspection and expressed heartfelt condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers. Rav Yosef emphasized the need for cheshbon hanefesh, personal and communal self-examination.

The Netzach Yehuda unit, to which the slain soldiers belonged, is composed largely of chareidi servicemen.

Rav Yosef served as the Sephardic chief rabbi of Israel from 2013 until June 2024.

{Matzav.com Israel}

John Brennan, who led the CIA, and James Comey, the former FBI director, are currently subjects of a criminal investigation over potential misconduct tied to the Trump–Russia investigation, according to news reports. The probe includes possible false statements they may have made to Congress.

Sources within the Justice Department revealed that CIA Director John Ratcliffe forwarded evidence implicating Brennan to FBI official Kash Patel, prompting a criminal review of Brennan’s actions. Officials confirmed that a formal investigation into Brennan has begun, although they declined to elaborate further on its precise scope. It remains uncertain whether the inquiry extends beyond his possible misleading of lawmakers.

Regarding Comey, officials confirmed that he too is under investigation, but provided no details about what specific actions are being scrutinized.

While the precise boundaries of the criminal probes remain vague, two individuals familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that federal agents view Brennan and Comey’s actions as potentially constituting a “conspiracy,” a characterization that could broaden the range of possible legal charges.

The probe into Brennan follows the recent declassification by Ratcliffe of a review examining the process behind the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA). That report had claimed Russian efforts were aimed at boosting Donald Trump in the 2016 election. The newly released analysis criticized the ICA process for being rushed and riddled with “procedural anomalies,” asserting that intelligence norms had been compromised.

The review also concluded that top officials’ choice to incorporate the Steele Dossier into the ICA conflicted with fundamental intelligence tradecraft and ended up undermining a critical assessment in the report.

The Steele Dossier, a collection of now-debunked allegations about Trump, was funded by Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee via Fusion GPS. The dossier’s credibility has been widely discredited. The review’s findings represent the first time that career CIA personnel formally acknowledged that political bias from Obama administration appointees may have tainted the drafting of the ICA.

Documents released as part of the review indicate Brennan played a key role in advocating for the dossier’s inclusion in the assessment.

Despite this, Brennan told the House Judiciary Committee during testimony in May 2023 that he opposed including the dossier in the ICA.

Ratcliffe, a longtime critic of Brennan, reportedly wasn’t surprised by the findings of the review, a source familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital. However, the seriousness of Brennan’s conduct compelled Ratcliffe to refer the matter to the FBI to assess for possible criminal violations.

The source, while unable to divulge the specific contents of the referral, said Brennan “violated the public’s trust and should be held accountable for it.”

One part of the investigation into false statements reportedly stems from a newly declassified December 2016 email sent to Brennan from the then-deputy CIA director. That message expressed concern that incorporating the dossier into the ICA in any form would jeopardize the credibility of the entire document.

“Despite these objections, Brennan showed a preference for narrative consistency over analytical soundness,” the new CIA review says. “When confronted with specific flaws in the Dossier by the two mission center leaders – one with extensive operational experience and the other with a strong analytic background – he appeared more swayed by the Dossier’s general conformity with existing theories than by legitimate tradecraft concerns.”

The review went on to note: “Brennan ultimately formalized his position in writing, stating that ‘my bottomline is that I believe that the information warrants inclusion in the report.’”

Still, Brennan gave contradictory testimony before Congress.

“The CIA was very much opposed to having any reference or inclusion of the Steele dossier in the Intelligence Community Assessment,” Brennan testified before the House committee, according to the transcript of his deposition reviewed by Fox News Digital. “And so they sent over a copy of the dossier to say that this was going to be separate from the rest of that assessment.”

At the time of the ICA’s preparation, CIA analysts resisted efforts by the FBI to include the Steele Dossier, arguing that it lacked substantiation and dismissing it as “internet rumor.”

While the final ICA given to then-President Barack Obama did not incorporate the Steele reporting in the main body of the document, a footnote referencing it was added “largely at the insistence of FBI’s senior leadership,” as stated by both the Justice Department inspector general and the Senate Intelligence Committee.

In June 2020, Ratcliffe declassified a key footnote of the 2017 ICA, shedding more light on concerns about the Steele reporting. That declassified note acknowledged that Steele’s claims had “limited corroboration,” particularly in regards to allegations that Trump knowingly cooperated with Russian agents to win the election.

The footnote, dubbed “Annex A,” which Fox News Digital obtained exclusively in June 2020, was less than two pages long and outlined Steele’s findings. Steele, a former British intelligence officer, had been hired by Fusion GPS, which was paid by Clinton’s campaign and the DNC through law firm Perkins Coie.

The footnote spelled out that officials had internal reservations about the Steele material.

“An FBI source (Steele) using both identified and unidentified subsources, volunteered highly politically sensitive information from the summer to the fall of 2016 on Russian influence efforts aimed at the US presidential election,” the annex read. “We have only limited corroboration of the source’s reporting in this case and did not use it to reach the analytic conclusions of the CIA/FBI/NSA assessment.”

“The source collected this information on behalf of private clients and was not compensated for it by the FBI,” it added.

The annex clarified that the report was “not developed by the layered subsource network.”

“The FBI source caveated that, although similar to previously provided reporting in terms of content, the source was unable to vouch for the additional information’s sourcing and accuracy,” the annex states. “Hence this information is not included in this product.”

Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz also examined the dossier’s inclusion in the ICA during his broader probe into the FBI’s FISA warrant practices.

His December 2019 report identified “significant inaccuracies and omissions” in the FISA applications for surveillance of Trump campaign aide Carter Page. The FBI leaned heavily on the Steele dossier, despite lacking corroborating evidence for its claims about Page.

In October 2020, Fox News Digital reported that Brennan had informed President Obama and other senior officials about intelligence that Hillary Clinton planned to create a political scandal tying Trump to Russia.

That briefing was memorialized in Brennan’s handwritten notes, later declassified by Ratcliffe and published by Fox News Digital.

On July 28, 2016, Brennan briefed Obama on intelligence about a proposal by one of Clinton’s foreign policy advisers “to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by the Russian security service.”

Attending that briefing were James Comey, then-Vice President Joe Biden, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.

Following that meeting, the CIA formally transmitted the intelligence to the FBI through a Counterintelligence Operational Lead (CIOL) directed to Comey and then-Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok. The subject line of the memo was “Crossfire Hurricane.”

Fox News Digital later obtained that CIOL memo in October 2020. It stated: “The following information is provided for the exclusive use of your bureau for background investigative action or lead purposes as appropriate.”

“Per FBI verbal request, CIA provides the below examples of information the CROSSFIRE HURRICANE fusion cell has gleaned to date,” the memo said. “An exchange (REDACTED) discussing US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s approval of a plan concerning US presidential candidate Donald Trump and Russian hackers hampering US elections as a means of distracting the public from her use of a private email server.”

Just days later, on July 31, 2016, the FBI formally opened its counterintelligence investigation into potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russia — code-named “Crossfire Hurricane.”

That investigation was eventually handed over to Special Counsel Robert Mueller. After an exhaustive probe lasting nearly two years, Mueller concluded in March 2019 that there was no evidence of coordination or conspiracy between the Trump team and the Russian government.

Subsequently, John Durham was appointed to dig deeper into how the “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation originated.

Durham found that the FBI “failed to act” on an obvious warning sign that the Clinton campaign was attempting to “manipulate or influence the law enforcement process for political purposes” in the lead-up to the 2016 election.

“The aforementioned facts reflect a rather startling and inexplicable failure to adequately consider and incorporate the Clinton Plan intelligence into the FBI’s investigative decision-making in the Crossfire Hurricane investigation,” Durham’s report states.

“Indeed, had the FBI opened the Crossfire Hurricane investigation as an assessment and, in turn, gathered and analyzed data in concert with the information from the Clinton Plan intelligence, it is likely that the information received would have been examined, at a minimum, with a more critical eye,” the report continued.

Durham emphasized in his findings that the FBI missed what should have been “a clear warning sign that the FBI might then be the target of an effort to manipulate or influence the law enforcement process for political purposes during the 2016 presidential election.”

The Trump White House made clear that it expects accountability.

“President Trump was right — again,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Those who engaged in this political scandal must be held accountable for the fraud they committed against President Trump and the lies they told to the American people.”

Images of King Charles III sparked health concerns after the 76-year-old monarch sported a severely bloodshot eye during a visit with French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte.

King Charles, who revealed an unspecified cancer diagnosis in 2024, displayed a bright red right eye while greeting the pair at Windsor Castle on July 8, prompting public worry over the septuagenarian’s well-being. A palace source spoke to People to address the rumors, citing a burst blood vessel as the culprit. Medically known as a subconjunctival hemorrhage, the condition is typically benign and, despite its startling appearance, relatively common. It is the ocular equivalent to “having a bruise on your skin,” according to the Mayo Clinic, and can be the result of heavy coughing, sneezing, or even certain yoga positions. It usually resolves on its own in a week or two, and has no impact on vision, meaning the king’s visit with the French president was able to go as planned, including a carriage procession and lunch in the State Dining Room.

While there is no official word on whether headstands were behind King Charles’s eye woes, we can rest assured that this monarch probably won’t go monocular anytime soon. Read more at PEOPLE.

{Matzav.com}

A senior source from Syria, with ties to President Al-Sharaa, has informed i24NEWS that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Syrian President Al-Sharaa plan to sign a security accord, which would serve as the initial move toward full diplomatic normalization.

According to the Syrian official, Netanyahu and Al-Sharaa are scheduled to meet in Washington, D.C., prior to the United Nations General Assembly in September. The meeting will reportedly be held at the White House.

The source further revealed that this encounter will include the signing of a security-focused agreement, overseen by U.S. President Trump.

The deal is intended to mark the beginning of broader peace talks and formal normalization of relations between Israel and Syria, the source added.

Meanwhile, insiders from the Gulf region told i24NEWS that the United Arab Emirates is playing an active role in mediating between Syria and Israel. These efforts are being carried out with the full awareness of Saudi Arabia.

Despite these efforts, Gulf officials noted that progress is being hampered by Israel’s refusal to pledge to pull out of the Syrian Golan Heights within the near future. Israeli concerns reportedly stem from the belief that Al-Sharaa still lacks complete authority over various armed groups operating in Syria, particularly in the country’s southern region.

{Matzav.com}

Controversial left-wing activist Yisrael Frey ignited widespread condemnation on Tuesday after posting a tweet in which he expressed approval over the deaths of five IDF soldiers who were killed the previous night during fighting in Gaza.

In his tweet, Frey wrote, “The world is better this morning, without the five young men who participated in one of the most brutal crimes against humanity. Unfortunately, for the child in Gaza who is now being operated on without anesthetics; for the girl starving to death and the family crammed into a tent under the bombs, it is not enough. This is a call to every Israeli mother: don’t be the next to receive your son in a coffin as a war criminal. Refuse this.”

The post triggered a storm of outrage from Israelis across all political lines. Both left-wing and right-wing figures slammed Frey’s remarks, accusing him of incitement and disrespect toward fallen soldiers. Multiple complaints have been filed with law enforcement for incitement and encouraging military insubordination.

Haaretz journalist Anat Kam responded critically, writing, “You can speak out against the war without celebrating the death of young men whose bodies have literally not yet cooled. You are not more righteous when you are cruel.”

The father of Ella Hamoui, who was killed at the Nova music festival massacre on October 7, issued a scathing statement, questioning Frey’s loyalty to the country: “Is a person like Yisrael Frey, who publicly celebrates the deaths of IDF soldiers, fighters who fell defending the lives of Israeli citizens, still worthy of holding an Israeli identity card? And isn’t there a provision in the law, particularly in cases of incitement, support for a terrorist organization, or desecration of the dead, that will allow him to be prosecuted, not in the name of revenge, but in the name of maintaining the boundaries of sanity, law, and society?”

He went on to say: “It is unacceptable for the State of Israel to continue granting civil rights to a person who has, in effect, chosen the enemy camp, curses the defenders of the Jewish people, and is concerned about the fate of those who massacred families, young people, and the elderly indiscriminately on October 7 and are still holding hostages.”

The organization “Torat Lechima” also took action, filing a police complaint against Frey. Authorities have since confirmed that an investigation is underway, citing suspicions of glorifying terrorism.

The group is also calling on Interior Minister Moshe Arbel to revoke Frey’s Israeli citizenship. “It is unacceptable for a supporter of Hamas to enjoy civil rights and journalistic privileges in the State of Israel,” the organization stated.

{Matzav.com}

Hungarian budget airline Wizz Air announced it will restart flights to Israel earlier than initially planned.

The airline confirmed it will resume operations from Ben Gurion Airport on August 8, with its first routes set to Larnaca and Budapest. Tickets for these flights will become available for purchase starting Wednesday. Additional destinations are expected to be added shortly after.

Wizz Air, like other international carriers, halted all service to Israel after the country’s airspace was shut down on June 13, when open conflict erupted between Israel and Iran.

Although the fighting lasted less than two weeks and concluded with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, many foreign airlines had opted to delay the return of service to Israeli airports until mid-September.

However, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) announced yesterday that it has lifted all prior flight restrictions to and from Israel. These measures had originally been imposed in April due to security threats, including Iranian missile attacks and the impact of a Houthi missile near Ben Gurion Airport.

Germany’s Lufthansa Group is expected to restart flights to Israel as early as August 1. British Airways and Italy’s ITA Airways are also planning to restore service after a lengthy suspension.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu delivered remarks Tuesday from Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., where he spoke about the tragic loss of five Israeli soldiers in Gaza and expressed optimism about bringing the war to an end.

“These are momentous days, but they’re also touched by tragedy. We lost five of our brave soldiers in Gaza. The people of America, well Texas, have profoundly lost their colleagues. We stand with the people of Texas and the people of America as the people of America stand with us. We send our condolences to the bereaved families,” Netanyahu said at the start of his address.

He went on to emphasize the broader geopolitical picture and the alliance between the United States and Israel. “I said these are momentous times, and they are. The President and I believe in a doctrine called peace through strength. First comes strength, then comes the peace. Our resolute action, the resolute decision of President Trump to act with us against those who seek to destroy Israel and threaten the peace of the world has made a remarkable change in the Middle East.”

Reflecting on the recent military conflict with Iran that lasted nearly two weeks, Netanyahu praised the joint efforts of American and Israeli forces. “The remarkable American B2 pilots showed remarkable perseverance, persistence and power. The soldiers of Israel fought like lions, our pilots struck like lightning and our common alliance roared like thunder. And this is having a great change in our region. There are opportunities for peace that we intend to realize. We’re working together on this.”

Netanyahu stressed that Israel’s military campaign in Gaza is not over. “We have still to finish the job in Gaza, release all our hostages, eliminate and destroy Hamas’s military and governance capabilities because Gaza must have a different future, for our sake, for everyone’s sake. And no country will settle for less. We certainly will not,” he declared.

In closing, Netanyahu praised the ongoing cooperation between the Israeli and American governments and their leaders. “These are all things that I discussed with President Trump. I may discuss further with him later in this visit. But I have to say that the coordination between our two countries, the coordination between an American president and an Israeli prime minister has been unmatched. It offers great promise for Israel, for America, for our region and for the world,” he concluded.

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{Matzav.com}

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber pushed back forcefully on Tuesday after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy once again criticized the MTA for what he described as a failure to tackle the rise in subway crime.

“MTA giving USDOT the runaround when New York City grapples with a dramatic uptick in subway assaults is unacceptable. The innocent victims of these horrific crimes and the daily commuters who live in fear of violence deserve better,” Duffy said. “It’s time we restore order on New York’s transit systems—lives are at stake.”

In a letter sent Monday, the Department of Transportation formally asked the MTA to provide further documentation to help them identify what they called flaws in the agency’s safety procedures and enforcement efforts.

Lieber insists that the agency already complied with that request months ago. According to him, the MTA shared a 20-page document at the time, providing a detailed breakdown of what he described as significant progress on the security front. “On the good news that crime is down in every significant way,” he added.

“We talked about all the MTA efforts, cameras and otherwise, more police presence, to get it done,” Lieber said. “I don’t get why Secretary Duffy continues to assail the NYPD, that’s his own problem, I don’t get it.”

The most recent crime statistics from the NYPD, released in April, indicate a major improvement in subway safety, including an 18.1% reduction in serious offenses during the first three months of 2025. Police also reported that not a single murder occurred on the transit system in that time—the first such quarter in seven years.

Officials attribute the reduction in subway violence to an increased law enforcement presence across subway stations and trains throughout the city.

But on Fox News Tuesday, Duffy cast doubt on those numbers, arguing that they fail to reflect the growing problem of violent attacks underground.

“If you include the pickpocketers in those stats, yes, pickpocketers might have gone down. But assaults have gone up, to your point Emily, by 66% since 2019. It’s dangerous to ride the subway in New York,” he said. “And again, if you’re Kathy Hochul the governor, or if you’re MTA, you don’t ride the subway. This is a war on middle Americans, working Americans, who have to ride the subway, and these people don’t want to seem to make it safe.”

Duffy’s latest criticism comes amid escalating tensions between federal and local officials over New York’s controversial congestion pricing initiative, which launched on January 5.

The Department of Transportation has tried to block the tolling plan, revoking its prior approval and warning of consequences if it continues. However, after the MTA secured a legal ruling in May preventing the federal government from cutting off infrastructure funding over the dispute, the toll remains in effect.

Marking the program’s half-year milestone this past weekend, Governor Kathy Hochul celebrated its results, claiming it was improving life in the city and on track to bring in $500 million in 2025.

“Six months in, it’s clear: congestion pricing has been a huge success, making life in New York better,” the governor said. “In New York, we dare to do big things, and this program represents just that—traffic is down throughout the region, business is booming, transit ridership is up, and we are making historic upgrades to our transit system.”

Duffy scoffed at the administration’s praise of the program and questioned whether it was actually accomplishing anything beyond raising money.

“When they say it’s working, it’s working because they’re raising money. That’s why they say it’s working. But congestion is horrible still in the city. That’s because they’re taking roads for buses and for cars and they’re making them bike lanes, so you take away lanes, you get more congestion,” he said. “And then they complain about congestion. It’s just stupid liberals with stupid policies that impact the lives of New Yorkers.”

In the face of ongoing criticism, Lieber maintained that the data and the public response tell a different story.

“The bottom line is, as we said yesterday, crime is way down, ridership is up, and congestion pricing is an amazing success,” he said. “Everybody recognizes it, eventually they’ll figure it out in Washington.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Jerome Powell should step down as Federal Reserve chairman if it turns out he misled lawmakers in his testimony to Congress. Speaking at a Cabinet meeting, Trump voiced his approval for a congressional inquiry into Powell’s conduct. Trump has long pressed Powell to cut interest rates and has repeatedly demanded his resignation over the Fed’s monetary policy.

Last week, during a Senate Banking Committee session, Powell rejected suggestions that the Fed had spent excessively on upgrading its D.C. headquarters. He was responding to remarks by Senator Tim Scott, who characterized the renovations as akin to building the “Palace of Versailles.” Powell dismissed those claims outright. “There’s no VIP dining room; there’s no new marble. There are no special elevators,” Powell said. “There are no new water features, there’s no beehives, and there’s no roof terrace gardens.”

Despite Powell’s assurances, the price tag for the headquarters overhaul has already surged by 30% beyond the initial projection of $1.9 billion, according to a report by the New York Post.

Trump, using his Truth Social platform last week, reiterated his call for Powell to resign and shared a link to a Bloomberg article titled, “Fed Chair Should Be Investigated by Congress, FHSA Head Says.”

Powell was originally appointed to the Fed chairmanship by Trump. His current term is scheduled to conclude in May 2026.

Trump has not held back in his criticism of Powell and the Federal Reserve. “They have one of the easiest, yet most prestigious, jobs in America, and they have failed — and continue to do so,” Trump wrote. “If they were doing their job properly, our country would be saving trillions of dollars in interest cost. The board just sits there and watches, so they are equally to blame. We should be paying 1% interest, or better!”

{Matzav.com}

President Trump issued a sharp warning Tuesday, saying he would consider using executive authority to take control of New York City if Zohran Mamdani, whom he labeled a “communist,” were to win the mayoral race.

“If a communist gets elected to run New York, it can never be the same. But we have tremendous power at the White House to run places where we have to,” Trump told The Post during a Cabinet meeting.

Declaring his deep connection to the city, Trump said he was determined to restore order and leadership in New York.

“New York City will run properly. I’m going to bring New York back. I love New York,” the president added.

“We’re going to straighten out New York. It’s going to — maybe we’re going to have to straighten it out from Washington.”

While Trump has previously pushed to cut federal funding from New York over what he described as its embrace of chaos, this time he refrained from specifying which legal tools he might use to intervene directly.

“We’re going to do something for New York. I can’t tell you what yet, but we’re going to make New York great again. Also, we’re going to make it great again with the country,” he said.

Asked about Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, Trump distanced himself from any endorsement or interference.

“I’m not getting involved,” he said when questioned about whether Sliwa should withdraw from the race.

Trump then weighed in on the crowded field, remarking, “[Andrew] Cuomo does have capability. He’s running, but he got knocked out [of the Democratic primary]. You have Eric Adams, the current mayor, you have Cuomo, and you have Curtis Silwa? And Curtis runs every, every four years. He seems to be a fixture on the running scale,” before dismissing Mamdani’s qualifications entirely.

“He’s a disaster … He’s got the Democrat nomination because that shows you where the Democrats have gone. He actually wants to take over the grocery stores of John Catsimatidis,” Trump said, referencing the longtime supermarket mogul.

“[Catsimatidis] actually called me the other day, he’s concerned, his stores are going to be taken from him.”

{Matzav.com}

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O’Leary Ventures Chairman Kevin O’Leary stresses the importance of policy following Zohran Mamdani’s NYC mayoral victory, President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s relationship, the ‘big, beautiful bill’ and the state of TikTok.

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The Lakewood, NJ Police Department has issued a carefully worded and notably restrained statement in response to growing outrage surrounding the July 3rd incident involving R’ Binyomin Kubani, a local Lakewood resident whose mistreatment by law enforcement has sparked protests, viral footage, and mounting public distrust.

The statement, released today by Capt. Gregory Staffordsmith, Lakewood Investigations Commander and Media Relations officer, attempts to acknowledge the “public concern and recent media reports,” stating that the incident has “shaken trust within our community.”

While the department claims to be taking the issue with “the utmost seriousness,” the statement offered few details and did not directly address the actions of the officers involved, the nature of the allegations, or R’ Binyomin’s account of the events.

“We recognize the seriousness of these concerns and the importance of maintaining transparency and accountability,” Capt. Staffordsmith wrote. “While we are limited in what we can share at this time due to an active internal affairs investigation, we want to reassure the public that this matter is being taken with the utmost seriousness and is being investigated thoroughly and objectively in accordance with established protocols.”

The release goes on to urge “patience” from the community, asking residents to allow the process “to properly unfold.” It concludes with a generic reaffirmation of the department’s “commitment to transparency, to accountability, and most importantly to the trust of those we serve.”

But for many Lakewood residents and community leaders, the statement did little to restore confidence. Critics described it as vague and devoid of meaningful acknowledgment of wrongdoing by law enforcement.

“The public isn’t asking for platitudes or process—they’re asking for justice and honesty,” said one askan involved in the case. “If this is the department’s idea of transparency, then they still don’t understand why people are upset.”

The ongoing internal affairs investigation, the department says, restricts what can be shared publicly. Yet community members have expressed frustration that the police appear more concerned with managing optics than with providing the accountability they claim to value.

{Matzav.com}

Steve Witkoff, who serves as President Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, announced that major strides have been made in the ongoing discussions with Hamas, with just one major hurdle left to overcome. He conveyed a hopeful outlook that the matter could be resolved soon.

“We had four disagreements, and now only one remains. I hope we will be able to reach an agreement by the end of the week,” Witkoff shared.

The primary obstacle still under negotiation relates to the positioning of Israeli Defense Forces during the proposed ceasefire. As per Witkoff, the deal on the table includes a two-month truce, during which Hamas would release ten living hostages as well as the remains of nine others.

An Israeli source who was present during a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump last night commented, “The president wants to see the war come to an end.”

At the same time, diplomatic efforts are continuing, with another high-level meeting between Netanyahu and President Trump scheduled for tonight.

After holding talks with U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson at the Capitol, Netanyahu told reporters: “We have accepted Witkoff’s proposal, we’ve come closer to it, and I hope we will cross the line to an agreement. I am focused on the result, and so is President Trump. We’ve learned that when Israel and the U.S. stand together, great things happen, and it’s never been like this. In 77 years, there has never been such trust and cooperation as there is today.”

He added, “We agreed to the proposal that came from the mediators. It’s a good proposal. It aligns with Witkoff’s original proposal, and I hope we can cross the line to a deal. The less I speak about it publicly, the better. We are talking about a ceasefire, and we are also ready to end the war on terms that will prevent Hamas from operating further and ensure that Gaza will not pose a threat to Israel. There is a plan on how to do this.”

Netanyahu also emphasized the shared philosophy that underpins the U.S.-Israel relationship. “The president and I believe in the doctrine of peace through strength,” he said. “His support for us has caused an extraordinary change in the Middle East. The B-2 pilots showed power, Israeli fighters fought like lions, and our alliance reverberated like thunder. There are opportunities for peace that we intend to seize. We are working together.”

{Matzav.com}

President Trump didn’t hold back Tuesday when blasting Russian President Vladimir Putin, slamming him for his deceptive messaging while the war in Ukraine continues to inflict heavy casualties.

“A lot of people are dying and it should end,” the president told reporters during a Cabinet meeting. “We get a lot of [profanity] thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth. He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”

Putin, now 72, has gone out of his way in recent months to praise Trump, age 79, trying to charm him with over-the-top gestures — including commissioning a portrait by a top Russian painter. Putin even relayed to Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff that he lit a candle in church after last year’s attempt on Trump’s life.

Despite his public comments about building peace with the United States, Putin has pressed on with the war in Ukraine. Russian forces have continued deadly assaults, including drone strikes targeting civilians.

Trump spoke with Putin by phone on July 3. After the call, he expressed deep dissatisfaction, saying Putin seems intent on prolonging the bloodshed. “It just seems like he wants to go all the way and just keep killing people,” he remarked.

On July 4, the president had what he called a “good call” with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. Speaking Tuesday, Trump praised Ukraine for its resilience and determination in the face of a powerful enemy.

“The Ukrainians were brave but I will say we gave them the best equipment ever made,” said the president, adding that the U.S. would continue supplying weapons and gear to Kyiv. “The Ukrainians, whether you think it’s unfair we gave all that money or not, they were very brave.”

Bringing the war in Ukraine to a close has become one of Trump’s central foreign policy goals. Although Ukraine has repeatedly signaled openness to a ceasefire, Russia has shown no interest in stopping its offensive.

“They had the benefit of unbelievable equipment,” Trump said, while criticizing the previous administration’s aid strategy. “We gave them far more because Biden shouldn’t have done that … We should’ve given less than Europe.”

After a face-to-face with Zelensky at last month’s NATO summit in The Hague, Trump mentioned he was “looking into” the option of providing Ukraine with Patriot missiles to strengthen its defenses.

However, just days later, the administration announced a pause on some previously planned military aid packages, including shipments of Patriots, pending a reassessment of America’s weapons inventory.

When asked about the halt in deliveries, Trump said, “I don’t know” who was responsible for the decision.

“Putin is not treating human beings right,” Trump added. “He’s killing too many people, so we’re sending some defensive weapons to Ukraine that I have approved.”

The president didn’t give any details about what specific weapons systems he was greenlighting or the quantity that would be delivered.

{Matzav.com}

One of the most hated airport security procedures is finally being phased out, nearly 20 years after it was first implemented. As of this week, the Transport Security Administration (TSA) will allow airline passengers to keep their shoes on as they go through screening lanes at airports across the country for the first time since 2006. The news was announced to TSA employees in an internal memo earlier this week, with the policy expected to roll out at select airports as early as this Sunday. Previously, only passengers in the TSA PreCheck line were allowed to keep their shoes on.

“[Travellers] should feel relieved knowing that technology has advanced so significantly that T.S.A. officers can detect threats while wearing shoes,” former TSA officer Caleb Harmon-Marshall told the New York Times. “In the old days, this wasn’t the case.” Although the new policy has not been officially announced to the public, TSA sources confirmed the change to the Times and ABC News.

A spokesman said: “T.S.A. and D.H.S. are always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture. Any potential updates to our security process will be issued through official channels.” Read more at The New York Times.

{Matzav.com}

Keith Siegel, who was held captive in Gaza for over a year, appeared before the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday to share the trauma he endured and draw attention to the plight of the remaining hostages still being held.

“I came here to talk about the difficulty there and to illustrate, as much as I can, the suffering of the 50 hostages still in Gaza,” Siegel said. “I was there for 484 days. They have been there for 641 days. It is very hard to describe in words the suffering they are enduring.”

Siegel was abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza and spent his captivity in Gaza alongside fellow hostage Omri Miran, who was taken from Kibbutz Nahal Oz and is the father of two children.

“The separation from family is painful in itself, even before mentioning the violence and abuse,” he said. “They threatened to kill me several times, pressed a gun to my head, and I saw hostages who experienced extreme violence, including a female hostage to whom they pressed a sharp rod against her forehead and a gun to her head. These images still haunt me to this day.”

Siegel also recalled the condition of Matan Engrest, who was injured during the October 7 attacks and later became his cellmate.

“We endured severe violence together. We even had to beg to go to the bathroom,” Siegel told the committee. “Matan was held in tunnels, suffering from breathing distress. Eventually, they took him out to be used in a prisoner exchange. He fought for my kibbutz, and now we have to fight for him.”

He went on to speak of other captives by name, including Gali and Ziv Berman, siblings who he said were cruelly separated from their parents while in captivity. Their father, Doron Berman, is currently in grave condition, Siegel noted.

“Although I returned, part of me stayed there. In Gaza. With them. They suffer every minute of every day,” he said.

Concluding his remarks, Siegel issued a heartfelt and urgent plea to leaders in Israel and abroad.

“The fallen may disappear if we don’t bring them back. Every minute is critical. I call on the prime minister – and also on President Trump – to act urgently. Now.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

An unknown individual used artificial intelligence to mimic the voice of Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a series of deceptive communications, according to a report from the Washington Post. The AI-generated voice was used to make phone calls and send messages to multiple high-ranking figures.

The impersonation allegedly targeted a U.S. state governor, a member of Congress, and three foreign ministers from different countries. These contacts reportedly occurred in June and were carried out through the messaging app Signal, where the impersonators created an account under the name “Marco.Rubio@state.gov.”

Authorities say the fraudulent account enabled the perpetrators to reach out to these officials under false pretenses. In response, the State Department has committed to thoroughly investigating what happened and taking measures to prevent such incidents in the future.

The FBI has not yet issued a statement or provided any public response regarding the matter.

{Matzav.com}

The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit reported that on July 1, a joint operation between the IDF and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) targeted the Khan Yunis region, successfully eliminating Taha Abu Ayadeh. He served as a Nukhba platoon commander within Hamas. Abu Ayadeh played a key role in the infiltration into Israel on October 7 and was directly responsible for the attack on the gas station located in Kibbutz Magen.

The military added that Abu Ayadeh was actively engaged in organizing and directing terrorist activity throughout the ongoing conflict. In recent weeks, he spearheaded multiple assaults on IDF soldiers stationed in and around the Khan Yunis area.

“The IDF and ISA will continue to operate against all of the terrorists who took part in the brutal October 7th massacre,” the IDF emphasized in a statement.

{Matzav.com Israel}