Matzav

WATCH:

An extremist was detained after allegedly planning to spray pepper spray at the Stoliner Rebbe, according to sources on Monday, following a separate incident earlier in the day in which radical protesters publicly harassed the rebbe.

Journalist Yoeli Brim reported that a zealot was apprehended while carrying pepper spray that he intended to use against the Stoliner Rebbe. According to the report, police later released the suspect and did not confiscate the pepper spray.

Earlier in the morning, a group of extremists from the fringes of the chareidi community confronted and humiliated the Stoliner Rebbe as he arrived in the Gush Shemonim area to attend a bris for the son of one of his chassidim.

The protesters, who oppose the Rebbe’s involvement in efforts to arrange adapted military service frameworks for the chareidi public, lay in wait for him and vandalized his vehicle by throwing eggs, ketchup, and other objects at it.

The Rebbe himself was not harmed in the attack, though visible damage was caused to his car, as seen in the photo above obtained by Matzav.com.

Despite the incident, the Rebbe instructed his chassidim—consistent with his long-standing approach over decades—to remain silent and not respond in any way to the provocations.

Across the chassidic world and beyond, strong condemnations were voiced over what many described as a severe affront to kavod haTorah.

{Matzav.com}

Coalition Chairman Ofir Katz announced Monday that Shas and Degel HaTorah will vote in favor of splitting Israel’s Arrangements Law, despite sharp disagreements that last week led to a last-minute postponement amid strong chareidi opposition.

Speaking after intensive coalition talks, Katz said that although disputes remain, the two chareidi parties will support the move alongside the coalition. He added that negotiations over the draft exemption legislation and passage of the state budget will continue “until a solution is reached.”

The vote had been delayed just days earlier after chareidi factions signaled anger over unresolved issues, threatening to withhold support. Even on Monday, coalition tensions persisted, with last-minute efforts underway to secure agreements and prevent another breakdown.

At the same time, criticism of the chareidi parties is growing from within the coalition itself. Eli Dalal, a Likud lawmaker who serves as coalition coordinator on the Knesset Finance Committee, publicly called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to restore order.

“What is happening in the Knesset these days is simply unbearable, inappropriate, and must stop,” Dalal wrote on X. “I call on Prime Minister Netanyahu to announce that if the chareidi parties do not immediately agree to pass the budget, he should declare elections. It is unacceptable to hold the entire people of Israel hostage.”

The developments underscore continued friction within the governing coalition as it works to advance key budgetary legislation while navigating disputes over military service exemptions and broader arrangements tied to the state budget.

{Matzav.com}

El Al has informed passengers of a new safety policy prohibiting the use of portable power banks during flights, citing concerns over fire hazards caused by overheating and ignition incidents onboard aircraft.

The Israeli airline announced over the weekend that passengers are no longer permitted to use portable chargers at any point during a flight, nor may they charge such devices using the aircraft’s electrical outlets. The move brings El Al in line with international aviation safety standards already adopted by many global carriers.

In a notice to customers, the airline stated that there is now an absolute ban on using portable power banks during flight, as well as a prohibition on charging them through onboard power sockets. El Al also clarified that power banks with a capacity exceeding 100 watt-hours are not approved for air travel.

Under the updated guidelines, each passenger may bring only one portable power bank onboard, and its capacity must not exceed 100Wh. Chargers that do not clearly display their watt-hour rating will not be permitted on the aircraft.

El Al warned that passengers who do not comply with the new requirements risk having the device confiscated by the flight crew. The airline emphasized that it bears no responsibility for loss or damage to power banks that are seized due to failure to meet safety regulations.

The airline said the decision was driven by multiple cases worldwide in which portable chargers caught fire during flights, posing a serious safety risk.

The updated policy aligns with recommendations issued by international aviation authorities, including the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, the International Air Transport Association, and the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Similar restrictions have already been implemented by other airlines. Swiss International Air Lines, for example, banned the use of portable power banks during flights beginning January 15 and limited passengers to carrying no more than two such devices.

El Al said the new measures are part of its ongoing efforts to enhance onboard safety and reduce the risk of fire-related incidents during air travel.

{Matzav.com}

What was once considered an eccentric indulgence reserved for a handful of outliers has quietly become a mainstream choice across the chareidi world: spending the Yom Tov season abroad. A quick glance at the chareidi press today reveals an almost endless list of mehadrin kosher Yom Tov programs in destinations across Europe and beyond. To understand how this shift happened—and why it continues to accelerate—we spoke with program organizers, participants, and kashrus supervisors who accompany this rapidly growing industry year after year.

Anyone passing through Ben Gurion Airport’s Terminal 3 in the weeks leading up to Pesach might momentarily think they’ve wandered onto Rechov Rabi Akiva or into the heart of Geulah. Thousands of families, weighed down with suitcases, children, and seforim, stream through the terminal, leaving behind the dust, scrubbing, and pressure of pre-Pesach cleaning in favor of a fully prepared, strictly kosher Yom Tov experience overseas.

What began roughly a decade ago as a trickle has since turned into a flood. Today, Pesach programs abroad are no longer the domain of the wealthy elite. Instead, they have become a practical—and often preferable—option for the average chareidi family.

“It’s simple math,” says Menachem, a father of seven from Modi’in Illit, as he compares offers. “A decent hotel in Yerushalayim or Netanya for ten days can cost me like a mortgage. In Greece or Cyprus, I get a five-star resort, flights for the entire family, and food at the level of high-end weddings—and when all is said and done, the final number in my bank account is often lower than if I stayed in Israel.”

Paradoxically, economics have become the main engine driving the phenomenon. In the past, foreign vacations were seen as extravagant, while Israeli alternatives felt more reasonable. Today, the reality has flipped. With Israeli hotels burdened by high kashrus costs and peak demand from the general public, chareidi entrepreneurs abroad capitalize on Europe’s off-season. Entire resorts are rented at bargain rates, kashered from the ground up, and transformed into all-inclusive Pesach destinations that would be unthinkable in Israel.

But money is only part of the story.

For many families, the overseas experience offers something Israel simply cannot: Yom Tov Sheini. “There’s something uplifting about two consecutive days of Yom Tov,” explains Rav Y., a veteran mashgiach who has accompanied these programs for years. “It gives families real time to elevate themselves spiritually, without the abrupt rush of Yom Tov ending so quickly like it does in Israel. The tefillos, the seudos, the singing at the second ‘closing’ of the chag—it creates an atmosphere of a Yom Tov that lingers. It’s not just a vacation; it’s a spiritual experience that leaves a lasting impression on children.”

Concerns that once surrounded “foreign food” have also largely disappeared. Today’s Pesach programs operate with near-military precision. Teams of mashgichim arrive weeks in advance, dismantling kitchens and rebuilding them from scratch with brand-new Pesach equipment.

There are no “secondary kitchens” or compromises. Menus are built to the highest standards: no gebrokts, no kitniyos, and meat from the most stringent shechitos, including Kehillos, Eidah HaChareidis, and Rav Landau. “The luxury is American-level,” says one organizer, “but the kashrus is Meah Shearim. Guests don’t need to ask questions—they know every crumb has passed through layer upon layer of supervision.”

And then there is perhaps the most transformative element of all: freedom for mothers.

In a community where Pesach preparations are a relentless logistical operation, the decision to go to a hotel is, above all else, an act of self-preservation. Instead of scrubbing shutters and baking under pressure, chareidi mothers find themselves by the pool or in a plush lobby, while their children attend organized Pesach day camps staffed by counselors flown in from Israel.

It is one of the few settings in which a chareidi mother truly does not have to cook, clean, or serve. For once, she is genuinely free.

Judging by the numbers, the trend shows no sign of slowing. The chareidi market has discovered that the world is wide, and that it is possible to combine halachic stringency with a high standard of living. What was once viewed as a reluctant compromise has become, for thousands of families, the preferred option—Pesach celebrated lechatchilah, with hiddur, joy, rest, and a very real sense of cheirus.

{Matzav.com}

Hamas on Monday evening issued a sharp response to reports that Israel is fast-tracking approval of legislation that would allow the death penalty for terrorists, following disclosures that preparations for implementing the law have already begun.

The terror group reacted to a report aired on Channel 13 News regarding the acceleration of the legislative process and initial steps to establish enforcement mechanisms. In a statement, Hamas accused Israel of exposing what it called its true nature. “(The move) exposes the true face of this entity, which exists on bloodshed, organized crime and collective punishment,” the organization claimed.

Hamas further alleged that advancing the legislation constitutes a serious violation of international law and global conventions. Referring to Israel’s prison policies, the group described the proposed law as part of what it termed an escalation against incarcerated terrorists.

“It is about unprecedented steps within a policy of ‘slow killing’ that the occupation is carrying out against the prisoners,” the statement asserted, adding that the measures reflect “sadism and systematic torture inside the prisons.”

The organization also alleged that prisoners are subjected on a daily basis to “abuse, medical neglect and deliberate starvation,” which it claimed is a continuation of what it described as Israel’s war against the Palestinian people.

Hamas concluded its statement with an appeal to the international community, calling for immediate intervention. “We call on the United Nations and all international legal and humanitarian institutions to act immediately and effectively to protect our prisoners and to stop this dangerous crime,” the statement read.

As previously reported, the Israel Prison Service has in recent days begun advancing dedicated preparations for the possible implementation of the death penalty law for terrorists, which has already passed its first reading in the Knesset. The preparations reportedly include establishing a designated facility for carrying out sentences, formulating operational procedures, training personnel, and examining practices in countries where similar punishment exists.

{Matzav.com}

Reports from the Gaza Strip said Monday that one of four terrorists killed earlier in the day in eastern Rafah was Anas Issa al-Nashar, the son of Issa al-Nashar, identified as one of the founders of Hamas.

According to the reports, the four terrorists were killed after emerging from an underground shaft connected to the subterranean tunnel network in the eastern Rafah area. Al-Nashar was named as one of those eliminated during the incident.

Additional details circulating in Gaza claimed that the slain terrorist’s mother is a senior figure in Hamas’ women’s movement. It was also reported that one of his brothers was killed in 2006, while another brother and other members of the family were killed during the current war. The reports further noted that al-Nashar was the nephew of Abu Ahmad al-Bawwab, the commander of Hamas’ eastern Rafah battalion, who was killed in early 2025.

The incident occurred during ongoing operations by Israel Defense Forces to clear the area of terrorists and terror infrastructure in eastern Rafah. According to the IDF, troops identified four terrorists emerging from an underground shaft in the area and opening fire on forces from the 7th Brigade.

IDF troops returned fire and killed all four terrorists. The military said that, b’chasdei Shomayim, there were no injuries to Israeli forces during the exchange.

{Matzav.com}

Senior rabbis from the Religious Zionist community issued a public warning on Monday against what they described as deliberate attempts to inflame tensions and sow division between Religious Zionists and the chareidi public, particularly surrounding the ongoing debate over military conscription.

In a letter signed by dozens of rabbis along with bereaved families, the authors cautioned that outside interests are exploiting the sensitive issue of the draft to pit one sector against another. “In recent times, parties with vested interests are trying to stir conflict between different groups in Israeli society, including between the chareidi public and the national camp,” the letter states.

The rabbis acknowledged that disagreements exist, including within the Religious Zionist camp itself, but stressed that these differences must not become a source of internal fracture. “It is no secret that there are ideological gaps and disagreements on the issue of conscription between different streams within the national camp,” they wrote, adding, “We will continue to discuss and argue, but we will do so as loving brothers.”

They further warned that political maneuvering around the draft issue could have broader consequences, cautioning that “the attempt to dismantle the national camp and the right-wing government under the pretext of the ‘draft law’ is falling into a trap.”

Alongside the warning, the rabbis voiced support for the proposed draft legislation, saying that in its current form it has the potential to significantly increase enlistment from the chareidi sector. They wrote that the bill could result in “triple the number of chareidim being drafted into the IDF in a way that will ease the burden on reserve soldiers and strengthen the IDF.”

The letter described chareidi backing for the legislation as a rare opportunity, stating, “The chareidi agreement to the law is a historic opportunity that must not be missed.” The rabbis concluded by expressing support for political leadership on the right, saying, “We strengthen the hands of the leaders of the camp to continue leading the right-wing government for many more years.”

{Matzav.com}

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Israel Police are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Amitai Gonen, an 11-year-old boy from Shilo–Shvut Rachel, who has been missing since Monday afternoon.

According to police, Amitai left school in Ofra at approximately 1:30 p.m. and was last seen in the area of the Ofra hitchhiking point. Since then, contact with him has been lost and his whereabouts remain unknown. Searches are currently ongoing in the Binyamin region.

Amitai is described as approximately 1.35 meters (4 feet 5 inches) tall, with a slim build, light complexion with freckles, light brown hair, and blue eyes. At the time he was last seen, he was reportedly wearing a light brown hoodie and matching light brown pants.

Anyone with information regarding Amitai’s location, or who may have seen him, is urged to contact the Israel Police emergency center by dialing 100, or to call the Binyamin police station at 02-970-6444.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Chief Rabbi, Rav Kalman Meir Bar, took part Monday in the 15th Conference of Religious Leaders in Israel, held in Nazareth, where senior figures from multiple faiths gathered to discuss shared challenges, promote unity, and coordinate efforts to combat extremism and violence.

The conference, organized by the Interior Ministry and its Department for Religious Communities, was held at the Golden Crown Hotel in Nazareth and focused this year on the theme “From Polarization to Unity,” with an emphasis on strengthening social cohesion, advancing peace, and confronting evil.

During the proceedings, Rav Bar played a central role in interfaith discussions with religious leaders, focusing on the responsibility of spiritual leadership to reduce polarization in Israeli society and to foster coexistence and peace. He also participated in a dedicated working group that examined the impact of polarization on public life and explored practical ways to address it.

Addressing the gathering, Rav Bar said: “This gathering of religious leaders is important both practically and symbolically. We must use the power we have as religious leaders to promote peace and goodness in the world — not only in matters that directly affect us.”

He continued by pointing to global conflicts and humanitarian crises. “If a war in Ukraine has claimed the lives of nearly a million people, we have an obligation to speak out clearly. And if there are other places of suffering, hunger, and evil, it is our duty to raise a clear and unambiguous voice. Not only to issue statements, but also to advance initiatives, partnerships, and concrete actions to increase goodness and eradicate evil in the world.”

Rav Bar stressed that the very act of convening carried an important message. “Judaism is not an enemy of Christianity or Islam. On the contrary. Judaism is a religion of peace, especially when it comes to other faiths that believe in one God. We are all children of one Father. And precisely when there are those who try to ignite a religious war by distorting religion and using it to justify terror and the harming of innocents, we declare loudly: there is no religious war between Judaism and Islam. On the contrary. There is brotherhood and peace — and above all, a shared mission to eradicate evil, fight it, and promote goodness and peace for all who live in this land.”

Interior Ministry Director-General Israel Uzan also addressed the conference, emphasizing the influence of religious leadership. “The heads of religions and communities in Israel have a central role and significant ability to promote values of unity, tolerance, peace, and shared living. Meetings between religious leaders, based on open and respectful dialogue, are an important pillar in strengthening social cohesion and building a more united and healthy society. We will continue to reinforce this area in the Interior Ministry by advancing meetings, dialogue, and cooperation, viewing religious leaders as key partners in shared responsibility and in preserving the fabric of life in Israel.”

The conference concluded with a formal signing ceremony of a joint declaration by the religious leaders, read aloud in Hebrew, Arabic, and English, expressing a shared commitment to social unity, interfaith dialogue, and the advancement of peace.

Among the participants were Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III, Latin Patriarch Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the head of the Greek Catholic Church, Druze spiritual leader and chairman of the Supreme Druze Council Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, Muslim Sharia Court of Appeals judge Dr. Iyad Zahalka, Interior Ministry Director-General Israel Uzan, Emir Mohammed Sharif, and representatives of Israel’s various religious communities.

{Matzav.com}

Nine people were arrested and a demonstrator was taken to the hospital after clashes erupted during a hafganah Monday evening at the Geha Junction, as police moved to clear blocked roadways and restore traffic flow in the area.

According to Israel Police, officers operated near Geha Junction, close to Bnei Brak and Givat Shmuel, after demonstrators protesting the arrest of yeshiva students blocked Highway 4. Police said protesters sat on the road, physically blocked vehicles and confronted officers, actions that endangered both themselves and other motorists.

Police commanders declared the gathering an illegal demonstration prior to any enforcement measures. Despite repeated warnings, authorities said the protesters refused to comply with instructions and continued blocking traffic.

As the situation escalated, police used crowd-dispersal measures and force to extract vehicles trapped at the scene. During the disturbances, officers reported that stones and pyrotechnic devices were thrown at police forces. Two officers were injured, and windows of a police patrol vehicle were shattered. All roadways in the area were later reopened to traffic.

Police said nine individuals suspected of disorderly conduct were taken into custody.

In a statement, police said: “The Israel Police views the right to protest as a cornerstone of a democratic state and allows demonstrations as long as they take place within the framework of the law; however, the police will not permit disturbances of any kind, harm to freedom of movement, or any behavior that could endanger public safety.”

Separately, volunteers from Hatzalah treated a man injured during the protest. Together with paramedics from Magen David Adom, responders provided medical care to a 23-year-old man suffering a head injury. He was evacuated in moderate condition to Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikva.

Hatzalah medics Eli Biton and Moshe Ashkenazi said: “When we arrived at the scene with a MDA ambulance that we staff, we found a 23-year-old man who was semi-conscious and suffering from a head injury after being harmed by violence during a protest taking place at the location. Together with Hatzalah and MDA medics, we provided him with initial medical treatment, including stabilization and bandaging, and evacuated him in moderate condition for further care in the trauma room at Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikva.”

{Matzav.com}

The Israel Defense Forces have confirmed that there are currently no tunnels extending from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory, according to the deputy commander of the Alexandroni Brigade, as IDF troops continue to hold and operate in key areas of Gaza.

While the Alexandroni Brigade maintains control over strategic sectors inside the Strip, the brigade’s deputy commander, Lt. Col. M., said Israel’s territory is secure from underground infiltration originating in Gaza. “The IDF knows for sure today that there are no tunnels crossing from Gaza into Israeli territory,” he said.

Lt. Col. M. attributed this assessment to improved technological capabilities that give forces a detailed understanding of underground activity. “The threat of tunnels crossing into Israeli territory is almost non-existent. Inside the ‘perimeter’ and in the areas controlled by the IDF, there are still infrastructures, and the forces continue to operate daily to locate and destroy them,” he explained.

According to the deputy commander, combat operations above ground are continuing at a high tempo along the so-called “yellow line.” He noted that enemy operatives attempt to exploit IDF rules of engagement. “The enemy knows we don’t shoot at women and children, and he tries to operate within this space,” Lt. Col. M. said. “What has changed is the precision in the use of force and the adjustments we’ve made in the rules of engagement. We are prepared for attempts to approach, drones, and hostile presence that emerges from the rubble.”

Lt. Col. M. also described a recent incident underscoring the constant vigilance required of troops in the field. During a nighttime offensive operation roughly two weeks ago, IDF forces encountered a terrorist cell. A company commander was wounded during the clash and evacuated for medical treatment, while the troops continued the engagement and killed two terrorists shortly afterward.

“This is an operational routine where we are always alert. The threat can emerge at any moment, and there’s no room for surprises,” he said. “Our positions are meant to protect the forces, while the offensive activity continues to push forward, up to the yellow line, to ensure no threat approaches our communities.”

{Matzav.com}

Despite repeated assurances that the Palestinian Authority has no role in Gaza, new information indicates that its symbols are already being used in practice at the Rafah border crossing.

According to a report by Ynet, ISA chief David Zini told cabinet ministers that passports belonging to Gazans passing through the Rafah crossing are being stamped with the designation “State of Palestine.” Zini raised the issue while responding to a question from Minister Orit Strock during a cabinet meeting.

During the same exchange, Minister Zeev Elkin pressed officials on whether the guards and administrative staff working at the crossing are receiving their salaries from the Palestinian Authority.

In response to the disclosure, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed that the matter be examined immediately and ordered that the passport stamp be altered. He directed that the approving authority for Gazans entering or exiting be listed instead as the Board of Peace.

The development follows a separate dispute last week, after the board’s committee overseeing Gaza released a logo that incorporated the emblem of the Palestinian Authority. Netanyahu’s office later clarified that the logo officially shown to Israel was different and reiterated that Israel would not allow the use of Palestinian Authority symbols.

“The Palestinian Authority will not be a partner in the management of Gaza,” the Prime Minister’s Office stated.

{Matzav.com}

South Korea is investigating how cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb initiated an exchange of $40 billion in Bitcoin that it apparently didn’t have.

Regulators have formed a task force to investigate industrywide practices after the Seoul-based exchange on Feb. 6 started crediting accounts with the small fortune rather than the 2,000 won ($1.37) per person authorized for a promotional campaign. The incident stemmed from an employee inputting the payout as Bitcoin rather than won, according to a statement from the Financial Services Commission on Sunday.

The Financial Supervisory Service said on Monday that it was looking into the incident and had initiated on-site inspections, with a formal investigation to be initiated if legal violations are found.

“It was nothing more than erroneously entered virtual data, yet it ended up being traded,” FSS Governor Lee Chan-jin said at a press conference on Monday. “That is the essence of the issue: The transaction was actually executed.”

In the 20 minutes it took to recognize the mistake, 620,000 “ghost Bitcoin” ($40 billion) – rather than 620,000 won ($423) – appeared across the balances of hundreds of customer accounts, according to Bithumb.

Some customers immediately tried to sell their serendipitous crypto, resulting in the sale of 1,788 Bitcoin. None of the tokens appeared to leave Bithumb, according to the exchange, but payouts were made. It had recovered 93% of the value of those sales by Saturday in either won or other tokens, Bithumb said in a statement.

The company reconciled the remaining outstanding Bitcoin using its own assets, it said in a statement on Sunday.

– – –

Beyond Bitcoin Balance

A transfer orders of magnitude larger than what should have been possible happened because of a quirk in how centralized exchanges operate.

In the third quarter of 2025, Bithumb held just 175 Bitcoin on its balance sheet, while custodian holdings for clients totaled 42,619 Bitcoin, according to a regulatory filing.

Those balances, though, are tracked on an internal ledger instead of directly on the blockchain. Trades are initiated by updating the internal records first, while on-chain settlement comes later.

This makes trading fast, but it opens the door to big mistakes if internal bookkeeping doesn’t match an exchange’s actual holdings.

“The so-called ghost Bitcoin incident clearly revealed that, beyond a mere input error, there are structural weaknesses in internal controls and ledger management systems of cryptocurrency exchanges,” Kim Jiho, a spokesperson for the ruling Democratic Party, said in a briefing on Saturday. “This is an issue that cannot be taken lightly.”

Bithumb said on Saturday that it is taking multiple corrective measures to tighten oversight of transfers, including a multi-level approval process for distributing awards.

“We will supplement previously missing processes to ensure that approvals are carried out in two or more stages, thereby preventing incidents,” the company said.

Compounding matters on Friday, the rush to sell temporarily tanked the price of Bitcoin on Bithumb, leading to panic selling, according to the company. A price chart on the exchange’s website showed a crash of more than 15% in the price to 81 million won ($55,365) between 7:20 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in Seoul.

Chief Executive Officer Lee Jae-won pledged that the company would reimburse those who saw losses with an additional 10% as compensation.

– – –

Regulatory Rush

The response to the mistake has been swift.

Regulators convened two emergency meetings over the weekend. DAXA, an alliance of South Korean cryptocurrency exchanges, announced that it would conduct a review of internal controls across all exchanges.

Authorities are also pursuing new legislative measures to require exchanges to establish internal controls comparable to those required of traditional financial institutions.

“The incident has exposed fundamental weaknesses in the virtual asset information system. Specifically, regulatory blind spots that existed in virtual asset legislation,” the FSS’s Lee said. “This has identified a task that must be strongly reinforced in the second legislature phase of virtual assets.”

Bithumb is South Korea’s second-largest exchange by trading volume, according to CoinGecko. The incident occurred during a particularly volatile week in cryptocurrency that saw Bitcoin fall to nearly $60,000, less than half of its October peak above $126,000, before rebounding to roughly $70,000 by Monday.

(c) 2026, Bloomberg 

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration plans to appeal a temporary court order that blocks the federal government from withholding funds for a $16 billion rail tunnel under the Hudson River.

The Gateway Development Commission is building the new tunnel but had to stop construction late Friday because it’s exhausted all of its funding sources.

The Trump administration has been in a standstill with Gateway since October, when it halted funding for the tunnel over a new rule that prohibits contracting requirements based on race or sex. New York and New Jersey sued the administration on Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan after Gateway filed its own suit late Monday in an effort to unlock more than $205 million of federal funds in the Court of Federal Claims.

US District Judge Jeannette Vargas on Friday sided with the states and ordered the federal government to release the funds. That money may not be coming soon as the US Department of Transportation late Sunday filed a notice of appeal, according to a court filing.

The Gateway tunnel under the Hudson River is one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in the US. It connects New Jersey with Manhattan and will help relieve congestion in the existing tube, which is more than 100 years old.

“We are encouraged by Friday’s court decision and will continue to pursue all avenues to regain federal funding,” a spokesperson for Gateway said in a statement late Sunday.

A status conference in Gateway’s lawsuit is set for Tuesday in the US Court of Federal Claims.

(c) 2026, Bloomberg 

Keir Starmer pledged to press on with his agenda as the departure of a second senior aide in 24 hours left the UK prime minister’s grip on power appearing increasingly tenuous.

The resignation of Starmer’s communications director, Tim Allan, on Monday, after just five months on the job will feed the sense of crisis engulfing 10 Downing St. The prime minister was already reeling from the departure on Sunday of his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, a key architect of the Labour Party’s landslide election win 18 months ago.

In his remarks to staffers in No. 10, Starmer praised McSweeney’s contribution to Labour’s political revival in recent years and signaled that he intended to fight on as prime minister.

“We must prove that politics can be a force for good. I believe it can. I believe it is,” Starmer said, according to a statement. “We go forward from here. We go with confidence as we continue changing the country.”

Starmer is also due to address members of parliamentary Labour Party later on Monday. His spokesman, Tom Wells, told reporters the prime minister wasn’t planning to resign.

The renewed speculation over Starmer’s position knocked long-maturity gilts and the pound early on Monday. Yields on 10-year government bonds rose as much as five basis points to 4.57%, before paring the move to 4.55%. The pound weakened as much as 0.5% to 87.3 pence per euro.

Investors have tended to react negatively to the prospect of Starmer or Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves leaving their posts, out of concern they could be replaced by colleagues more willing boost spending.

Starmer, who has been struggling with historically low approval ratings and faced rebellions by backbench Members of Parliament, has come under fire over his decision in late 2024 to appoint Labour grandee Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US. That decision is being reexamined after the extent of Mandelson’s relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was revealed in files released by the US Justice Department late last month.

While McSweeney took the blame for Mandelson’s appointment in his resignation statement, the decision ultimately rested with Starmer. The criticism has fueled questions about Starmer’s ability to hang on as prime minister, with his leadership already weakened by series of policy reversals and the rise of Nigel Farage’s populist Reform UK in the polls.

No. 10 officials were bracing for cabinet ministers to privately tell the premier to stand aside or threaten their resignations if he doesn’t, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke anonymously in order to be candid about the turmoil at the top of the Labour Party. One aide to a cabinet minister said it was 50-50 whether Starmer would last the week.

Allan’s exit will leave another void inside Starmer’s depleted brain trust. McSweeney and Allan had been locked in a power struggle and aides risked descending into open infighting, according to people familiar with the matter.

“I have decided to stand down to allow a new No. 10 team to be built,” Allan said in a statement on Monday morning. “I wish the PM and his team every success.”

(c) 2026, Bloomberg 

As the Trump administration seeks to sweep away obstacles to developing artificial intelligence, the president’s team has brought its zeal for the new technology to the federal government itself.

Orders came down from the White House budget office in April urging every corner of the government to deploy AI. “The Federal Government will no longer impose unnecessary bureaucratic restrictions on the use of innovative American AI in the Executive Branch,” the White House said in a statement announcing the push.

Officials across the government answered the call, according to a Washington Post analysis of more than two dozen recent agency disclosures on AI use. On top of automating rote tasks, government agencies have launched hundreds of artificial intelligence projects in the past year, many of them taking on central and sensitive roles in law enforcement, immigration and health care.

The Department of Homeland Security has adopted new, more sophisticated facial recognition tools. The FBI has purchased novel systems to sift through reams of images and text to generate leads for investigators. And the Department of Veterans Affairs is developing an AI program to predict whether a veteran is likely to attempt suicide.

Revoking – even scorning – the Biden administration’s caution, the White House has directed government departments to cut through any red tape that might slow the adoption of AI. “Simply put, we need to ‘Build, Baby, Build!’” the Trump administration’s AI action plan says.

Federal agencies are doing just that: The 29 that had posted data last week listed 2,987 active uses for AI by the end of 2025, up from 1,684 the year before. The disclosures are required by the budget office and provide basic details about each use of AI. Hundreds of those uses were marked as “high impact,” meaning they are being used as the main basis for making significant decisions or have implications for people’s rights or their safety, according to federal standards.

The White House argues the technology is a way to make the government vastly more efficient, though it’s impossible to tell from the disclosures how well used any of the thousands of tools are.

The practical value of many of these tools remains uncertain. The public, meanwhile, remains deeply skeptical of the technology.

The administration’s focus on speed may come at the expense of ensuring the tools are being used safely, said Suresh Venkatasubramanian, a Brown University computer science professor. AI could spit out erroneous information, leading officials to make bad decisions, or a facial recognition tool could lead to someone being wrongfully placed on a watch list, he said. Venkatasubramanian, who worked on AI safety in the Biden administration, argued that officials previously placed a greater emphasis on oversight and managing risks.

“It’s not the use case itself that raises the question, it’s do you have the guardrails in place to use what can be very noisy and powerful tools in the right way,” he said. “Any particular use case – even the most innocuous sounding ones – could backfire.”

The White House Office of Management and Budget, which is overseeing the government’s AI rollout, did not respond to a request for comment. Its April memo directs agency leaders to ensure “that rapid AI innovation is not achieved at the expense of the American people or any violations of their trust.”

– – –

Turbocharged law enforcement

As the administration has dramatically ramped up its deportation efforts, DHS has increasingly turned to advanced technology to turbocharge its work. The department’s disclosures reveal a suite of facial recognition tools deployed in the past year and another system to help identify people to deport. In all, 151 AI use cases mention either “immigration” or “border” or were filed by immigration and customs agencies.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is part of DHS, reported adding new facial recognition functions, including the Mobile Fortify app, which is used to scan individuals’ faces in the field. It also disclosed its use of an unspecified system to identify “vulnerable populations,” which the agency defined as including “unaccompanied minors who have crossed the border.”

ICE also said it began in June using a new generative AI system from the defense contractor Palantir that trawls through handwritten records such as rap sheets and warrants, to automatically extract addresses to aid Enforcement and Removal Operations, the agency’s deportation division. The AI-powered system, called Enhanced Leads Identification and Targeting for Enforcement (ELITE), is not supposed to serve as a “primary basis for enforcement actions,” the agency said. Officers manually review the data and make decisions, it added.

Another Palantir system helps quickly review ICE’s tip line, summarizing and categorizing each tip, whatever language it is submitted in.

“Employing various forms of technology in support of investigations and law enforcement activities aids in the arrest of criminal gang members, child sex offenders, murderers, drug dealers, identity thieves and more, all while respecting civil liberties and privacy interests,” DHS previously said in a statement.

The Justice Department disclosed multiple tools designed to generate leads for investigators, including a facial recognition system at the FBI and another to prioritize tips coming into bureau offices around the country. But many of the department’s descriptions are vague: The output of one FBI tool is described merely as “text.”

Valerie Wirtschafter, a fellow at the Washington-based think tank Brookings, said a lack of detail in some agency disclosures makes it difficult to fully judge some of their more sensitive uses of AI.

The Justice Department and Palantir did not respond to requests for comment.

– – –

A Veterans Affairs boom

The Department of Veterans Affairs listed more high-impact uses of AI than any other agency, disclosing 174 such tools either in development or operation to revamp how it provides health care and benefits. The department said it is developing AI helpers to prepare patients for surgery, use computer vision to more precisely measure wounds and identify potential suicide risks that human clinicians might have missed.

Another system is designed to help veterans claim their benefits. “This project harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to analyze vast amounts of data, providing personalized recommendations and streamlined access to a wide array of veteran benefits,” the department said in its disclosure.

Pete Kasperowicz, a VA spokesman, said those four systems “are still being assessed for their viability and have not been tested or deployed.” He said the department uses AI only as a “support tool,” leaving final health care and benefits decisions to agency staff.

Chris Macinkowicz, an official at Veterans of Foreign Wars, a service group, said that while VA’s use of AI promises to help the agency serve millions of veterans more efficiently, it needs to be carefully overseen.

“Our experience has shown that, although AI can be a valuable tool, it is not infallible,” Macinkowicz said in an email. “Human judgment is essential to ensure accuracy, fairness, and accountability in decisions that have a direct and lasting impact on veterans and their families.”

The Department of Health and Human Services disclosed an additional 89 projects connected to medical care. They include using AI to oversee clinical trials and to track the availability of vaccines. The department did not respond to a request for comment.

– – –

Chatbots

Many government uses are similar to those available to the general public. Agencies operate at least 180 chatbots designed to not only help federal employees complete mundane tasks such as scheduling travel and IT help, but also support them in more sensitive work like understanding labyrinthine internal rule books. Several agencies are using similar tools to help with writing federal rules and deciding how to award contracts.

In a year that saw hundreds of thousands of federal employees laid off or take buyouts under cuts engineered by the Trump administration, a Defense Department official described at a conference last month how one team was able to use AI to still get a mandatory report finished despite losing the help of a team of about 20 contractors.

“There’s four people, and guess what?” said Jake Glassman, a senior Pentagon technology official. “They generated the report, and I would dare anyone to see any type of difference on that.”

– – –

National security

The Pentagon is exempt from the disclosure process, but other government records show how it is aggressively accelerating its AI experimentation. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered officials to avoid being hamstrung by undue concerns of risks in a memo issued last month. Future AI contracts with vendors must allow for “any lawful use,” he wrote, without further usage constraints.

“We must eliminate blockers to data sharing,” the memo said. “… We must approach risk tradeoffs … and other subjective questions as if we were at war.” The Pentagon told vendors in recent weeks that it is seeking to acquire cutting-edge “agentic” AI systems that exhibit “decision-making capabilities” and “human-like agency” for its elite Special Operations forces. One potential use for such systems is to weigh various “constraints” that govern when units can initiate or continue combat and the risk of killing or injuring civilians.

“These constraints overlap and sometimes include conflicting guidance,” the department said in a request for industry input, adding that the AI agents should understand how certain constraints have priority over others.

The request said the tools are expected to adapt and learn in real time, though they will be prohibited from “online” learning in contexts such as “kinetic fires” – the use of live ammunition – “since it may lead to undesired behavior.”

The Defense Department did not respond to a request for comment.

– – –

Science and research

Government scientists are experimenting with using AI to solve problems in hundreds of niche areas, including eight related to whales and dolphins. Some at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are working on “Automated whale blow detections” – part of a population-tracking effort. (Some of these biologists are having fun, titling one project “Artificial Fintelligence: Automating photo-ID of dolphins in the Pacific Islands.”) Some 49 other projects use AI to evaluate satellite and aerial imagery to detect ice seals, track invasive species, estimate soybean yields, and locate cooling towers that might be vectors for the spread of Legionnaires’ disease.

NOAA did not respond to a request for comment.

Federal archivists have also turned to AI to help make the nation’s history more accessible.

Jim Byron, a senior adviser at the National Archives and Records Administration, said the agency launched an AI-powered tool last month to let the public search through newly digitized records. They include documents related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., as well as the disappearance of pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart.

Byron said in a statement that the agency plans to build on its work, calling the tool a “giant leap into the present.”

(c) 2026, The Washington Post 

{Matzav.com}

A federal judge is expected to soon rule on whether President Donald Trump’s planned $400 million White House ballroom project can proceed, zeroing in on whether the administration’s plan to rely on private donations allows it to bypass congressional approval.

Trump has argued that the approach spares taxpayers the expense, but the dispute has instead highlighted a lack of transparency over how the project is being financed. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, congressional Democrats and watchdog groups have questioned an arrangement that relies on donations from corporations with business before the federal government, funneled through a nonprofit intermediary that stands to collect millions of dollars in fees, to fund the most significant alteration to the White House in decades.

Leon has said he may rule this month on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s challenge to the project. As the decision approaches, watchdog groups have scrutinized the administration’s fundraising effort, arguing that it exploits gaps in federal disclosure rules that Congress should tighten.

Trump and White House officials have publicly identified about two dozen companies and about a dozen individual donors they say have already contributed hundreds of millions of dollars for the project, including major corporations such as Amazon, Google and Palantir that collectively have billions of dollars in contracts before the administration. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.)

Most of the donors have declined to specify to reporters and lawmakers how much they have given and whether they expect any additional access to officials or other perks in exchange for their gifts.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) concluded that at least 22 companies involved in the ballroom project should have disclosed their donations in lobbying filings but did not.

“The public deserves real transparency around who is contributing and how much they are giving, but that is not what we are seeing,” Matt Corley, CREW’s chief investigator, wrote in an email.

Those concerns also have been taken up by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), who has pressed the Trust for the National Mall – a nonprofit that is managing donations for the White House ballroom project – to clarify its role and specify the donations it has received. In a letter sent to Warren and shared with The Post, the organization declined to offer details about the gifts, but said that it stands to collect between 2 and 2.5 percent of each donation as part of its management fee. The planned $400 million project would be the largest in the organization’s history.

“These new details raise even greater concerns about whether Donald Trump’s gold-encrusted ballroom has become a vehicle for corruption,” Warren said in a statement to The Post. “Americans deserve to know which billionaire corporations are shoveling money to Trump’s vanity projects and what favors they may be seeking in return.”

Julie Moore, a spokeswoman for the Trust for the National Mall, in an email to The Post characterized the management fee as standard practice and said the money would support “our critical work and mission with the National Park Service to restore, preserve and enrich the National Mall and President’s Park.”

The organization, which has managed past fundraising campaigns to restore the Washington Monument and other projects, reported around $13 million in revenue and $17 million in expenses in 2024, according to nonprofit filings. Moore said the organization’s role had been “mischaracterized” by lawmakers and in the media, adding that the organization does “not play a role outside of that in soliciting gifts or in the planning or construction of the project.”

Moore did not say whether at least two board members who had active interests before the Trump administration when the project was discussed recused themselves.

The White House declined to specify how much money had been raised for the project or respond to questions about whether or how contributors could benefit. Trump in October hosted donors for a celebratory dinner in the East Room of the White House.

“President Trump is generously donating his time and resources to build a beautiful White House ballroom, a project which past presidents only dreamed about,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement. “Since announcing this historic plan, the White House has been inundated with calls from generous Americans and American companies wishing to contribute.”

Just one company – organ-therapy firm Vantive US Healthcare – disclosed its ballroom gift as part of semiannual lobbying filings, saying that it gave $2.5 million to the Trust for the National Mall on Oct. 13. The filing was first reported by Bloomberg Government.

Vantive declined to respond to questions about why it made the donation or about its lobbying priorities, referring to the filing. The company on its forms disclosed spending more than $2 million in 2025 to lobby the Trump administration on Medicare billing, organ-support devices and other issues. That total included $340,000 for Ballard Partners, which employed Pam Bondi and Susie Wiles before they joined the Trump administration as attorney general and White House chief of staff, respectively. Neither Bondi nor Wiles reported lobbying for Vantive.

The administration has argued that the White House has the legal authority to accept gifts through the Department of the Interior, and that Congress has authorized the president to make changes to the White House grounds by setting aside a small annual fund for renovations. Lawyers for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which is charged by Congress with preserving historic buildings, have countered that those provisions do not authorize a project of this scale and that the ballroom required express approval and funding from Congress.

“Rather than admit that [no authorization] exists, the Defendants invent a Rube Goldberg machine” to justify proceeding, the National Trust’s lawyers argued in court filings last month, invoking the expression about an overly complicated device designed to perform a simple task.

Leon, an appointee of President George W. Bush, appeared to agree with that critique at a Jan. 22 hearing, repeatedly referring to the Trump administration’s funding initiative as a “Rube Goldberg” machine and saying that the construction plan functioned as an end run around congressional oversight.

Justice Department lawyers have rejected that characterization, arguing that the administration’s funding approach is legal and consistent with past projects on White House grounds.

“This is not a circumvention of the appropriations process – it is a funding mechanism that Congress knowingly authorized and has long been aware is available to support projects on White House grounds,” Justice Department lawyers wrote in a Feb. 2 filing.

Justice Department lawyers also framed any pause as a potential national security risk and said they would immediately appeal if Leon grants a stay on the project.

Leon said that, regardless of how he rules, he expects the case to be appealed to the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and even the Supreme Court.

(c) 2026, The Washington Post 

{Matzav.com}

Cuban-American lawmakers are calling on the Trump administration to sharply intensify its campaign against Cuba’s Communist leadership, contending that the government in Havana is more vulnerable than at any point in decades and that sustained pressure could finally bring about change.

“It’s a failed nation, and they’re not getting any money from Venezuela, and they’re not getting any money from anyone,” President Trump said during remarks to reporters on Feb. 2, as reports circulated that he is considering a push for regime change in Cuba before the end of the year. His comments came shortly after he warned of tariffs on countries that sell or supply oil to the island.

Signs of strain inside Cuba have become increasingly visible. President Miguel Díaz-Canel conceded Thursday, during an unusual press conference, that the government can no longer ensure consistent electricity or even maintain “basic activities” because of severe fuel shortages.

Although Díaz-Canel signaled a willingness to engage in talks with the Trump administration, he stressed that Cuban sovereignty would not be negotiable and said the government was drawing up a “defense plan” in response to pressure from Washington.

“We aren’t in a state of war,” Díaz-Canel said, “but we are preparing ourselves in case we have to move to a state of war.”

At the same time, Trump has suggested that behind-the-scenes discussions with senior Cuban figures are already underway. He said last week that “I think we’re pretty close” to reaching an agreement.

Alejandro Castro Espin, the son of Raúl Castro, is reportedly among the senior officials involved in those contacts, which could offer the ruling elite a way to preserve its grip on power.

Still, Trump has insisted that any agreement he pursues must lead to fundamental change, saying the goal is for Cuba to “be free again” after 67 years under authoritarian rule.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.), who fled Cuba as a child following Fidel Castro’s 1959 takeover, told The Post that he believes the end of the regime is approaching.

“I’ve been here 65 years, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the regime as weak as it is right now,” he said.

“I think what the administration should be doing is what they’re doing — putting pressure on supposed friends of ours that are helping to maintain the regime.”

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), whose family also escaped Cuba after the Communist revolution, echoed that view and urged even tougher measures.

“What needs to happen is to increase the pressure, and what I mean by that is pressure in every way: economic, diplomatic, in every way possible,” he said.

“It’s the only thing that’s ever worked in the history of our planet when you have a dictatorship like this that doesn’t want to give up power,” Diaz-Balart added. “Zero tolerance and total pressure.”

Mexico has long expressed “solidarity” with Cuba and has historically supplied the island with limited quantities of crude oil.

Those shipments have dropped sharply since the Jan. 3 arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, falling to roughly 3,000 barrels per day this year from about 20,000 barrels per day in 2025, according to the Wall Street Journal. Trump has made clear he wants that number reduced to nothing.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has described the oil transfers as “humanitarian,” but on Feb. 1 she reluctantly indicated that Mexico would stop sending oil to Cuba.

According to trade intelligence firm Kpler, the island now has only 15 to 20 days’ worth of oil remaining.

“The word ‘choke off’ is awfully tough,” Trump said when asked about his approach. “I’m not trying to, but it looks like it’s something that’s just not going to be able to survive.”

Sebastián A. Arcos, interim director of Florida International University’s Cuban Research Institute, said expectations have shifted dramatically.

“there is no longer an expectation that the regime will survive in the medium term.”

“Before [Maduro’s arrest] Jan. 3, it was understood that the regime was in a terminal crisis with a long horizon … that assumption evaporated after what Trump did in Venezuela,” Arcos said. “Without Venezuela and oil, the Cuban economy will go from limping along to collapsing.”

“There is no one who can come to save them from their own economic incompetence. The economy will shut down once they run out of oil.”

For years, Cuba relied on subsidized Venezuelan oil under an arrangement forged in the 2000s by Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez.

Under that pact, Cuba sent doctors along with military and security personnel to Venezuela in exchange for discounted petroleum.

Instead of using the fuel domestically, however, about 60% of the 70,000 barrels per day Venezuela supplied last year was resold to Asia, according to a US official.

With rolling blackouts spreading across the island, that decision to sell oil was described by a State Department official as “further proof that the illegitimate Cuban regime only prioritizes enriching itself all while the Cuban people suffer the consequences of their corrupt nature and incompetence.”

Politico reported in late January that the White House is weighing a full naval blockade to stop any future oil deliveries to Cuba.

“Look, this regime has destroyed the island,” Gimenez said. “There’s no power, there’s no food, there’s no medicine — it’s at its end, it’s time for them to go.

“Any and all pressure that can be exerted to make this cancer go away is what the United States needs to do.”

Neither Gimenez nor Diaz-Balart believes US troops will be needed to bring down the government.

“Because it is so weak, I think you exert as much pressure as possible and let the regime collapse under its own weight,” Gimenez said.

“If pressure is increased, I think its days are numbered,” Diaz-Balart said. “The president — and this president particularly — always keeps all options on the table, but I just don’t think [US military intervention] necessary.”

Arcos said military action could become likely if mass protests erupt and the government responds with violent repression.

“If anti-government demonstrators take to the streets and the regime decides that they will do what the Iranians did, and they start massacring innocent Cubans,” he said, “the pressure on the US government to do something [in that scenario] will be immense.”

He added that he has no doubt “there will be blood in the streets” if Cubans rise up against the state.

Raúl Castro handed the presidency to Díaz-Canel in 2021, but analysts say he and his family continue to hold real power and would almost certainly be central to any talks with Washington.

“Everyone in Havana — even Cuban government officials — acknowledge Raúl Castro is really in charge, but he’s 94 years old, and his top aides are in their 90s as well,” said Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

“Miguel Díaz-Canel is just a figurehead, and figureheads whose patrons die soon find themselves in exile or hanging from the gallows,” Rubin added.

Rubin warned that a prolonged power vacuum could invite outside interference from adversaries.

“Russians, Chinese, or even their Nicaraguans proxies” could step in, he cautioned.

He argued that Secretary of State Marco Rubio should begin laying the groundwork for a constitutional process.

“What [Secretary of State Marco] Rubio should be doing now is setting up the parameters of a constitutional convention so Cubans have some degree of insight into their future,” Rubin said.

Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that the administration has already been meeting with Cuban exile groups while assessing which figures inside the regime might assist in a transition toward a pro-American government.

“The department regularly meets with civil society types. As is typical in routine meetings such as these, no commitments were made,” a senior State Department official said.

Unlike Venezuela, Cuba has no legal opposition party or recognized opposition leader, a reality that could complicate any democratic transition.

“There are more political prisoners in Cuba than in Venezuela, and Venezuela is four times bigger,” Arcos said. “So there is an active political opposition in Cuba, but it is completely repressed by the government.

“The opposition exists, but it cannot grow into what the Venezuelan opposition did, because this is a police state … It’s a different kind of animal.”

Rubin, who previously served at the Pentagon, said he believes the administration, including the CIA, is actively exploring potential partners within Cuba.

“When a country’s economy collapses and its ideology is discredited, people will do anything for money,” he said. “I’m sure the CIA’s biggest problem is actually handling all the potential sources rather than finding one.”

If the regime were to collapse, analysts say Washington might seek to work with Cuba’s powerful military to enforce change.

Arcos estimates the armed forces control roughly $20 billion through their dominance of the island’s most lucrative industries, including tourism, fuel distribution, money transfers, and currency exchange.

The Trump administration could attempt to build a relationship with Cuba’s military akin to its ties with Venezuela’s former Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, though Arcos warned that the generals would resist reforms that undermine their dominance.

“They will try to dupe the United States government,” he said. “They will probably enter in some sort of negotiation to gain time … to see if Trump goes away and someone else comes that is different.

“They’re masters at doing this. They did it with Clinton, they did it with Obama, and they will do it to Trump.”

“And in the meantime, you know, we have to send Cuba humanitarian assistance — because the poor Cubans are starving and dying of diseases that didn’t exist 50 years ago — and they remain in power,” he continued.

“So it could be a trick, and they will try to negotiate that way … to fool the United States into a very long-term negotiation where they don’t give much and they get enough to survive.

“If the pressure is not applied,” Arcos said, “then we might have another extended period of uncertainty.”

Both Gimenez and Diaz-Balart acknowledged that even if change comes, Cuba’s path to democracy will be difficult and protracted, but they said it is a goal worth pursuing.

“It will not be easy,” Gimenez said. “Will it be long? Yeah, I could see it taking some time, but it’s something that we must, must attain, something that we have to reach.

“It took like, what, seven years for America to gain its independence from Great Britain? So things like that don’t happen overnight. But, you know, I’m sure glad we stuck it out, because that’s how we created the greatest country on Earth, and we can create an unbelievably great country in Cuba.”