Matzav

Presidential adviser Dick Morris said today that a social media video portraying former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as monkeys was a serious error, describing it as both foolish and unintended, while pressing the Trump administration to take responsibility and quickly redirect attention to its record with minority voters.

Speaking on Saturday Report on Newsmax, Morris was blunt in his assessment of the video, saying, “It was obviously stupid. It was obviously a mistake. And the guy should be fired.”

The remarks came amid backlash over a clip that circulated on social media showing the Obamas depicted as monkeys, imagery that drew widespread condemnation as racist and offensive.

The episode sparked criticism and fueled debate over whether the Trump campaign and its allies are doing enough to prevent messaging that risks alienating minority communities.

When asked whether President Donald Trump’s team needs to respond more forcefully to such incidents and sharpen its overall messaging, Morris cautioned against allowing the controversy to overshadow what he characterized as Trump’s economic record.

“But let’s remember that Donald Trump has been incredible in the progress that’s gone on with both Black and Latino people,” Morris said.

He argued that the administration should use moments such as Black History Month to spotlight policy outcomes rather than allowing negative stories to dominate coverage.

“Their incomes have gone up,” Morris said. “The gap between the Black and white wages has closed. The minimum wage is increasing.”

Morris went on to add, “Clearly there has never been a president who has been as effective as Donald Trump is in ironing out the economic discrimination that had been holding Blacks and Latinos back.”

He concluded by urging the administration to keep the focus on those achievements, saying Trump “should celebrate that with Black History Month and not let the distraction attract the media’s attention.”

{Matzav.com}

The U.S. State Department has removed all content posted before President Donald Trump began his second term on January 20, 2025, from its official X accounts, according to a report published Friday by NPR.

The department said the removed posts have been archived but are no longer visible to the public on X, formerly known as Twitter.

In a statement provided to NPR, a State Department spokesperson explained that the move “is to limit confusion on U.S. government policy and to speak with one voice to advance the President, Secretary, and Administration’s goals and messaging.

“It will preserve history while promoting the present,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson further said that the department’s X accounts “are one of our most powerful tools for advancing the America First goals and messaging of the President, Secretary, and Administration, both to our fellow Americans and audiences around the world.”

The decision comes amid broader actions by the Trump administration across federal agencies to remove, alter, or update online material that does not reflect its MAGA-aligned messaging priorities. Critics have argued that such changes to government websites and digital platforms limit public access to previously available information.

The State Department emphasized that although the posts have been taken down from public view, they are being retained in accordance with federal records preservation requirements.

{Matzav.com}

Greenland’s foreign minister said Saturday that while dialogue with the United States is continuing, the discussions have not yet reached a point that meets Greenland’s expectations, and it remains premature to assess their eventual outcome.

Vivian Motzfeldt made the remarks during a joint press conference in Nuuk alongside her counterparts from Denmark and Canada, emphasizing that the process is still at an early stage.

“We are not there where we want to be yet. There is going to be a long track, so where we are going to land at the end, it’s too early to say,” Motzfeldt said.

A former senior official in Israel’s security establishment said that Israel passed up a clear opportunity in 2018 to eliminate Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, claiming the plan was blocked at the political level despite operational readiness.

Ilan Segev, who previously served in a senior role with the Israel Security Agency, made the remarks during an interview on the program Ma’avirim LaRishon. He said the opportunity arose while Benjamin Netanyahu was serving as prime minister.

According to Segev, the window opened in August 2018, after the Israeli government allowed senior Hamas figure Saleh al-Arouri to enter the Gaza Strip as part of reconciliation efforts between Hamas and Fatah. During that timeframe, Israeli security agencies identified what Segev described as a concrete and actionable option to eliminate both al-Arouri and Yahya Sinwar at the same time.

Segev said that despite the existence of a viable operational plan, the strike never went ahead. He explained that the political echelon, led at the time by Netanyahu, ultimately decided not to authorize the action, stopping Israel’s security forces from carrying it out.

He also referenced an earlier episode dating back to 2013, saying that then–IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz and then–ISA head Yoram Cohen sought approval to attack Hamas tunnel infrastructure that had crossed into Israeli territory. That initiative, Segev said, was likewise halted after it failed to gain approval from Netanyahu and other members of the political leadership.

{Matzav.com}

U.S. stocks rallied sharply on Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average crossing the 50,000 threshold for the first time as investors shook off earlier technology-sector losses and returned to risk assets.

The blue-chip Dow jumped 1,206.95 points, a gain of 2.5%, finishing the session at 50,115.67.

Other major benchmarks also posted strong daily gains. The S&P 500 advanced 2%, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 2.2%. Despite Friday’s surge, the Nasdaq was unable to escape a negative week, ending down 1.8% after a three-day sell-off earlier in the week.

Chipmakers and AI-linked technology firms were among the strongest performers. Shares of Nvidia jumped 7.9%, while Broadcom rose 7.1%. Oracle gained 3.2%, and Palantir added 4%.

Cryptocurrency markets also rebounded sharply. Bitcoin surged 11% to just under $70,000 after briefly falling below $61,000 overnight, its lowest level since October.

Even with the rebound, Bitcoin remained more than 52% below its record high of $126,000 reached in early October 2025, when investors were betting that President Donald Trump would relax regulatory pressure on the crypto industry.

Not all technology stocks participated in the rally. Software companies continued to face pressure amid concerns that rapid advances in artificial intelligence could automate many of their services. ServiceNow slid 1.9%, while Salesforce ended up 0.7% after earlier trading lower.

Amazon stood out as a major decliner. The stock dropped more than 5% after disappointing earnings results and plans to spend $200 billion on AI, chips, and robotics fueled doubts about whether heavy AI investment will translate into long-term profits.

“Tech stocks have been dropping as concerns grow that AI may supplant traditional software applications, reduce the utility of legacy search engines, and divert online advertising to AI engines,” Kenin Spivak, chairman and CEO of SMI Group LLC, told The Post.

“As often happens, sellers depressed stock prices to a level that bargain hunters find attractive, leading to at least short term gains. Prices may continue to bounce around as investors evaluate the implications of AI.”

Spivak said a similar dynamic is playing out in the cryptocurrency market: “When Bitcoin’s trading price falls, collectors who believe there will be other collectors step in to push up the price.”

Bitcoin’s rally lifted stocks closely tied to digital assets. Robinhood Markets soared 13.5%, the biggest percentage gainer in the S&P 500.

Coinbase Global climbed 13%, while Strategy — the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, formerly known as MicroStrategy — surged 26%.

Investors also appeared to rotate toward value stocks during the session, with Goldman Sachs rising 4.2%.

Smaller companies joined the advance as well, pushing the Russell 2000 Index up 3.6%.

Stronger-than-expected consumer sentiment data released Friday likely added fuel to the rally, benefiting cyclical sectors such as airlines. United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines each gained between 7% and 9%.

In commodities markets, gold futures rose 1.8% to $4,979, while silver edged up 0.3% to $76.94.

{Matzav.com}

The White House on Friday removed a meme video shared on President Donald Trump’s Truth Social account after it sparked sharp criticism for portraying former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes, drawing condemnation from senior Republicans who called the clip racist and demanded its removal.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt initially pushed back against critics and accused them of stirring “fake outrage,” but the video was taken down shortly before noon.

A White House official later said the post was the result of an internal error, adding that a staff member had “erroneously made the post. It has been taken down.”

Sen. Tim Scott, the highest-ranking Black Republican in Congress, publicly rebuked the White House earlier in the day on X, writing: “Praying it [the post] was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House. The President should remove it.”

Rep. Mike Lawler also condemned the video, saying: “The President’s post is wrong and incredibly offensive — whether intentional or a mistake — and should be deleted immediately with an apology offered.”

The criticism extended beyond elected officials. Conservative activist Debbie Dooley said she was “horrified” by the imagery shown in the video.

“I am no fan of the Obamas, but the graphic designer that created the video that shows The Obamas as apes needs to be fired and banned from the White House,” she said.

Dooley was among the original founders of the Tea Party movement that helped Republicans regain control of the House during the 2010 midterm elections under Obama’s presidency.

In an earlier response, Leavitt sought to downplay the controversy, stating: “This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from ‘The Lion King.’”

“Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.”

The approximately one-minute video, which appeared on Trump’s Truth Social account late Thursday and was originally created by an anonymous X user, largely focused on allegations of vote-rigging in the 2020 election. It included AI-generated images depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes while the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” played.

The clip was taken from a longer video that portrayed several prominent Democrats — including Joe Biden, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom — as animals styled after characters from the animated Disney film.

In the video, Biden was shown as a chimp, Schumer as a zebra, and Newsom as an impala.

“Disgusting behavior by the President. Every single Republican must denounce this. Now,” Newsom’s office’s X account posted.

The United States moved to escalate pressure on Iran on Friday after Tehran rejected American demands to suspend uranium enrichment during nuclear discussions in Oman, with the Trump administration announcing a new round of sanctions targeting the Islamist regime.

The State Department said it imposed sanctions on 15 Iranian entities, two individuals, and 14 shadow fleet vessels connected to the illegal trade of Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products.

“These targets have generated revenue that the regime uses to conduct its malign activities,” the State Department said in a news release. “Instead of investing in the welfare of its own people and crumbling infrastructure, the Iranian regime continues to fund destabilizing activities around the world and step up its repression inside Iran.

“So long as [the] Iranian regime attempts to evade sanctions and generate oil and petrochemical revenues to fund such oppressive behavior and support terrorist activities and proxies, the United States will act to hold both the Iranian regime and its partners accountable.”

The negotiations had initially been scheduled to take place Friday in Istanbul, with several Middle Eastern nations expected to attend as observers. Iran announced earlier in the week that it wanted the venue changed to Oman and insisted the talks be limited to a direct, bilateral format.

Rather than meeting directly, the delegations conducted indirect discussions through Omani mediators, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. People familiar with the talks told the newspaper that neither side made meaningful concessions from their original positions.

The American delegation included special envoy Steve Witkoff, White House adviser Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command. Iran’s delegation was led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, alongside his deputies Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Kazem Gharibabadi, and Hamid Qanbari, according to Press TV.

Officials in the region and many analysts entered the talks with limited expectations, pointing to Iran’s refusal to halt uranium enrichment and Washington’s insistence on addressing Tehran’s ballistic missile program, its backing of terrorist proxies, and its human rights record following a violent crackdown on anti-regime demonstrators.

“Our talks are focused solely on the nuclear issue, and we are not engaging with the Americans on any other subject,” Araghchi told Press TV.

Araghchi said the talks marked “a good start” toward continued negotiations. According to a report by CNN, the two sides agreed to hold additional discussions, though no date or location has yet been determined.

He also called on Trump to reduce military pressure, saying negotiations should “take place in a calm environment, free from tension and threats.”

President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned Iran over its nuclear ambitions and the regime’s use of force against protesters. In recent weeks, the United States has reinforced its military footprint in the region with the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group. During the talks, Washington highlighted its posture by conducting fighter jet flights over the carrier strike group in the Arabian Sea, according to a report by the New York Post.

{Matzav.com}

Three 22-year-old yeshiva bochurim were listed in stable condition after being dramatically rescued Friday night from the icy waters of Jamaica Bay in Queens, when the frozen surface beneath them suddenly collapsed in the Bayswater area near Far Rockaway.

The bochurim had traveled to the neighborhood for Shabbos to participate in a friend’s Auf Ruf and were in the area when the ice gave way, sending them plunging into the frigid bay.

Video released by authorities shows an intense, multi-agency rescue operation involving the NYPD Scuba Team, Aviation Unit, and Emergency Service Unit, working in coordination with the FDNY. All three young men were successfully pulled from the water and rushed to nearby hospitals, where officials said they were extremely fortunate to have survived the ordeal.

Additional NYPD footage documented the moment the bochurim broke through the ice covering Jamaica Bay on Friday afternoon, capturing the perilous conditions responders faced during the rescue.

According to police, the three bochurim, all 22 years old, were struggling to stay afloat after crashing through the ice in the Far Rockaway section shortly after 4 p.m.

A separate aerial image taken by a drone showed a diver wearing a black wetsuit and red flotation gear lying atop a fractured sheet of ice amid the bay.

Emergency crews from the NYPD and FDNY rushed to the scene after a 911 call reported the men trapped in the water, with the police scuba unit immediately deploying into the bay.

Footage shared by the NYPD shows rescuers forcing their way through the freezing water and transferring the soaked victims to an aviation team lowering officers from a hovering helicopter.

Police said all three men were transported to hospitals and remained in stable condition.

At the rescue scene, officers were seen laying the bochurim out on unstable ice after pulling them from the water, where they were immediately surrounded by first responders providing emergency care.

The video then shows the bochurim being lifted from the scene by officers suspended from a hovering helicopter and transported to safety.

Authorities said the NYPD continues to look into the circumstances that led the men onto the ice.

Two of the rescued bochurim were taken to Mount Sinai Nassau Hospital, while the third was transported to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital. All were reported to be in stable condition.

At the time of the incident, the water temperature in Jamaica Bay was approximately 36 degrees, according to tidal data, with conditions approaching low tide when police received the emergency call.

WATCH:

A report published today by Asharq Al-Awsat outlined new claims regarding how hostages were held and guarded in Gaza during the war.

According to sources within Hamas who spoke to the newspaper, securing the hostages posed significant challenges. Despite the difficulties, senior figures in both the group’s military and political leadership directed that major resources be devoted to protecting the lives of those still alive, as well as preserving the bodies of hostages who were killed.

The report cited information from Kan News indicating that Hamas sources said living hostages were frequently relocated throughout Gaza as circumstances permitted. They were reportedly moved under heavy guard between underground tunnels, above-ground apartments, and other sites, without being detected by the Israel Defense Forces.

The same sources claimed that the bodies of deceased hostages were stored in a variety of locations, including graves inside Hamas tunnels, formal cemeteries, and facilities controlled by different factions that had the infrastructure needed to preserve the remains.

According to the report, numerous hostages were transferred from northern Gaza to the southern part of the Strip. The sources said there were instances when Israeli forces were only meters away from where hostages were being held, but guards succeeded in diverting the troops or moving the captives through alternate routes. In some cases, hostages were reportedly kept in tunnels situated beneath IDF staging or assembly areas.

Hamas sources further claimed that following October 7, the group’s military wing conducted a series of meetings, both directly and through intermediaries, with leaders of other terror organizations that had taken hostages. Those discussions were aimed at coordinating security arrangements, compiling information about the hostages’ identities and numbers, and transferring some captives into the custody of the military wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

The report added that Hamas’ military leadership exercised oversight over hostages held not only by Hamas itself but also by other factions. After the first ceasefire, senior military representatives from the various groups reportedly held face-to-face meetings to reorganize the guarding system and review updated information on both living and deceased hostages. During that period, additional hostages were transferred into Hamas’ control, based on the assessment that Hamas possessed the strongest capabilities for guarding them.

{Matzav.com}

Yoav Gallant sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu during an interview aired Tuesday night on Channel 12 News, disputing Netanyahu’s account of the events surrounding October 7 as laid out in documents the Prime Minister submitted to the State Comptroller.

“There is a consciousness-engineering effort here. They take fragments of discussions and sentences from long periods of time, put them together, and turn them into a story. I respect the office of the Prime Minister. I never thought I would have to come to the studio and say: our Prime Minister is a liar. The Prime Minister is lying.”

Gallant said Netanyahu has misrepresented his disagreements with the defense establishment, pointing to a statement the Prime Minister made a day earlier. “I want to explain what a lie is. Yesterday, I heard the Prime Minister say on the news, ‘At least 10 times I opposed the positions of the defense establishment.’ He gave three examples. The first was the reserve mobilization on October 7. On October 7 at 9:00 a.m., I finished a situation assessment with the IDF. Netanyahu had not yet arrived at the Kirya.”

According to Gallant, the critical decisions that morning were taken before Netanyahu was present. “There, I said three things: first, ‘We are at war’; second, ‘Mobilize everyone – regular and reserve’; and third, ‘Ensure deployment both to the north and to the south.’ I went out to the public and gave an explanation. When I finished – because I understood the public was waiting for something – the Prime Minister still had not arrived at the Kirya. In the discussions, he says, ‘I made decisions at 8 or 9 in the morning.’ He wasn’t there.”

Gallant said the rupture in his trust did not stem from his own dismissal and later reinstatement, but from what he described as Netanyahu’s conduct toward Israel’s security leadership after the attack. “There was one thing that, for me, crossed the red line. And by the way, it wasn’t the fact that I stood before the public, made my statement, and was fired for it – and later reinstated. That is not what broke my trust. What broke my trust was when I saw that while the IDF was being led by the Chief of Staff with great courage despite the massive failure of October 7, and while the Shin Bet was being led by its director despite the failure…”

He went on to accuse Netanyahu of undermining senior officials during wartime. “While they were on the front lines, Netanyahu was stabbing them in the back, inciting all the government ministers against them, and leaking everything to the media. That does not meet my standards, no matter what happens to me in the future. I have a hierarchy of priorities: the State of Israel, the defense establishment, the IDF and all the agencies, and only after that Yoav Gallant. Netanyahu’s hierarchy of priorities is first Netanyahu, then the coalition that keeps him in power, and only after that the state.”

Netanyahu’s associates pushed back forcefully, rejecting Gallant’s claims and accusing him of repeated falsehoods. “Following Gallant’s lies – even on the issue of eliminating Nasrallah, the entry into Rafah, and additional operations – it will become clear who conditioned actions on prior notification to the Americans, and who, namely the Prime Minister, did not hesitate and issued directives to carry them out.”

{Matzav.com}

The United States has set a June deadline for Ukraine and Russia to reach an agreement ending their nearly four-year war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as fresh Russian attacks on energy infrastructure forced nuclear power plants to scale back electricity production on Saturday.

Zelenskyy said that if progress is not made by June, the administration of President Donald Trump is expected to increase pressure on both Kyiv and Moscow to comply with that timetable.

“The Americans are proposing the parties end the war by the beginning of this summer and will probably put pressure on the parties precisely according to this schedule,” Zelenskyy said Friday. His remarks were shared with reporters under embargo until Saturday morning.

“And they say that they want to do everything by June. And they will do everything to end the war. And they want a clear schedule of all events,” he added.

He said Washington has suggested convening the next round of trilateral negotiations next week on U.S. soil for the first time, with Miami cited as the likely venue. “We confirmed our participation,” Zelenskyy said.

According to Zelenskyy, Russia has submitted a sweeping $12 trillion economic proposal to the United States, which he referred to as the “Dmitriev package,” named for Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev. He said bilateral economic arrangements with Washington are being discussed as part of the wider negotiating framework.

At the same time, Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy system continued. Zelenskyy said in a post on X that more than 400 drones and roughly 40 missiles were launched overnight, striking power grids, generation facilities, and distribution networks.

Ukrenergo, the state electricity transmission operator, said the barrage marked the second large-scale assault on energy infrastructure since the start of the year. Eight sites in eight different regions were hit, according to the company.

“As a result of missile strikes on key high-voltage substations that ensured the output of nuclear power units, all nuclear power plants in the territories under control were forced to reduce their load,” the statement said.

Ukrenergo added that the attacks sharply worsened the country’s electricity shortfall, forcing authorities to extend rolling hourly outages nationwide.

The June deadline follows U.S.-mediated trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi that failed to yield a breakthrough, with both sides maintaining incompatible positions. Russia continues to demand that Ukraine withdraw from the Donbas, where fighting remains intense, a condition Kyiv says it will not accept.

“Difficult issues remained difficult. Ukraine once again confirmed its positions on the Donbas issue. ‘We stand where we stand’ is the fairest and most reliable model for a ceasefire today, in our opinion,” Zelenskyy said. He added that the most sensitive questions would be left for a trilateral meeting between national leaders.

Zelenskyy said the sides also failed to find common ground on the future of the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and voiced doubt about a U.S. idea to designate the Donbas region, sought by Russia, as a free economic zone as a compromise.

“I do not know whether this can be implemented, because when we talked about a free economic zone, we had different views on it,” he said.

He noted that the most recent talks focused on the technical mechanisms for monitoring a potential ceasefire, adding that the United States reiterated it would take part in overseeing that process.

In recent months, Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s power grid from the air, triggering widespread blackouts and disrupting heating and water supplies during a harsh winter, further straining Kyiv’s resources.

Zelenskyy said the United States has once again proposed a ceasefire that would prohibit attacks on energy infrastructure. Ukraine is prepared to abide by such an arrangement if Russia does the same, he said, but noted that when Moscow previously agreed to a one-week pause proposed by Washington, it was broken after just four days.

{Matzav.com}

The View is under federal scrutiny after an interview with Texas Democrat James Talarico prompted questions about compliance with political “equal time” requirements.

The inquiry is being conducted by the Federal Communications Commission and follows the agency’s recent release of updated guidance on the “statutory equal opportunities requirement” rooted in the Communications Act of 1934. In announcing the guidance, the FCC said the rule applies to “late night and daytime talk shows.”

According to a report by Fox News Digital, the review was triggered by Talarico’s appearance on the program Monday, a source familiar with the matter told the outlet.

Talarico is currently locked in a heated Democratic primary for the US Senate seat from Texas against Rep. Jasmine Crockett, while multiple Republican candidates are simultaneously competing for their party’s nomination.

Crockett herself appeared on “The View” last month, before the FCC issued its announcement clarifying how it intends to enforce the equal-time standard.

On the Republican side, incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Rep. Wesley Hunt are all vying for the GOP nomination. If the FCC ultimately determines that ABC and its parent company The Walt Disney Company violated the rules, those candidates could also be entitled to airtime on the show.

The Texas primary election is scheduled for March 3.

Under FCC regulations, there is a “bona fide” exemption that can shield news programs from the obligation to provide equal time to opposing candidates. However, the agency has said it has not been shown “any evidence that the interview portion of any late-night or daytime television talk show program on the air presently would qualify for the ‘bona fide’ news exemption.”

President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized “The View” and several of its left-leaning panelists over the years.

In July, the White House took aim at co-host Joy Behar after she suggested the president was jealous of Barack Obama.

A White House spokesman responded by calling her an “irrelevant loser” and said she should think twice before “her show is the next to be pulled off air.”

Those remarks followed CBS’s decision to cancel “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” another program led by a prominent Trump critic.

The U.S. State Department has issued a stark warning advising American citizens to leave Iran without delay, pointing to a rapidly worsening security environment and severe nationwide disruptions.

In a countrywide alert released on Feb. 6, the Virtual Embassy Tehran said tighter security measures are being imposed across Iran, accompanied by road closures, interruptions to public transportation, and persistent internet shutdowns. The advisory noted that Iranian authorities continue to limit access to mobile and landline communications, while airlines are canceling or restricting flights on short notice.

“U.S. citizens should expect continued internet outages, plan alternative means of communication, and, if safe to do so, consider departing Iran by land to Armenia or Türkiye,” the alert read.

“Actions to Take:
• Leave Iran now. Have a plan for departing Iran that does not rely on U.S. government help.
• Flight cancellations and disruptions are possible with little warning. Check directly with your airlines for updates.
• If you cannot leave, find a secure location within your residence or another safe building. Have a supply of food, water, medications, and other essential items.
• Avoid demonstrations, keep a low profile, and stay aware of your surroundings.
• Monitor local media for breaking news. Be prepared to adjust your plans.
• Keep your phone charged and maintain communication with family and friends to inform them of your status.”

U.S. officials emphasized that Washington cannot ensure the safety of those attempting to depart and cautioned Americans not to depend on U.S. government assistance to exit the country. The alert also underscored the elevated danger facing dual U.S.-Iranian nationals, explaining that Iran does not recognize dual citizenship and may detain individuals because of their American connections.

The United States does not maintain diplomatic or consular relations with Iran. Switzerland serves as the protecting power for U.S. interests in Tehran.

{Matzav.com}

Candace Owens, a figure linked to right-wing media in the United States who in recent years has drawn attention for antisemitic rhetoric, has again circulated blood-libel style claims aimed at Jews and the State of Israel.

During one of her regular programs last week, Owens asserted that Israel was responsible for the deadliest terrorist attack in American history, which killed roughly 3,000 civilians.

“Let’s recap the Muggle edition of what we were told,” Owens said, using the term “Muggle” from the Harry Potter book series to suggest that the public had been fed a deliberately misleading explanation of events.

“On September 11th, 2001, some super-duper evil Muslims, known to most of us now as Israelis, hijacked some planes and drove them into the Pentagon, flew them into the Pentagon building, also the Twin Towers, and then building 7 kind of got really emotional seeing his friends get hit and went ahead and just collapsed itself,” she declared.

Owens went on to echo additional conspiracy narratives tied to the attacks, including claims that one hijacker’s passport was planted near the World Trade Center to misdirect investigators and that the aircraft that struck the Pentagon did not have wings.

The September 11 attacks have long been established as the work of al-Qaeda, under the leadership of Osama bin Laden, with the operation planned by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

A total of 19 hijackers carried out the coordinated takeover of four commercial airplanes: 15 were citizens of Saudi Arabia, two were from the United Arab Emirates, one was from Egypt, and one was from Lebanon.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is scheduled to travel to Washington on Wednesday for talks with US President Donald Trump, with Iran expected to dominate the agenda.

According to Israeli officials, the discussions will center on ongoing negotiations with Tehran and Israel’s insistence that any agreement address more than just nuclear activity.

“The Prime Minister believes any negotiations must include limitations on ballistic missiles and a halting of the support for the Iranian axis,” his office said tonight.

Against that backdrop, senior US figures Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner toured the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln this morning.

The visit took place at the invitation of United States Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper and was aimed at showing support for American forces deployed in the region. It came shortly after a round of indirect negotiations in Oman, which Trump later praised as “very good talks,” adding that Iran appears eager to reach an understanding.

Meanwhile, Tehran signaled firm opposition to one of Israel’s key demands. Speaking earlier Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected the notion that Iran’s missile capabilities could be part of any deal.

“This is a defensive matter. No external country will deal with it,” he said.

Araghchi also ruled out a full suspension of uranium enrichment, saying that issue was not on the table. At the same time, he indicated some flexibility, saying Iran is willing to negotiate an enrichment framework acceptable to all parties. As he put it, “The level of uranium enrichment is based on our needs, and the enriched uranium will not leave Iran.”

{Matzav.com}

A maamad kabbolas ponim will take place this Sunday evening at Bais Medrash Govoah in Lakewood, NJ to formally welcome the yeshiva’s newly appointed mashgiach, Rav Reuven Hechster. The event is scheduled for 6:50 p.m. in the Beren Dining Hall.

As first reported here on Matzav.com, Rav Hechster was named to the position two weeks ago, marking a significant milestone for the Lakewood yeshiva, the largest in the United States. His appointment comes nearly two years after the passing of the longtime mashgiach, Rav Mattisyahu Salomon zt”l, whose influence left an enduring imprint on generations of talmidim.

In addition to his new role in Lakewood, as first reported here on Matzav.com, Rav Hechster will continue serving as mashgiach of Yeshivas Mir Brachfeld in Modiin Illit. A close talmid of his revered rebbi, Rav Nosson Meir Wachtfogel zt”l, Rav Hechster was originally appointed to his position in Mir Brachfeld by the late rosh yeshiva, Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel zt”l.

As first reported here on Matzav.com, Rav Hechster was approached with the proposal to assume the Lakewood post and sought daas Torah from Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch before making a decision. Delegations from Modiin Illit appealed for him to remain in the city, emphasizing the many mussar talks and vaadim he delivers there, while representatives from Lakewood urged him to accept the position and serve the yeshiva.

Following consultations, it was agreed that Rav Hechster would divide his time between the two mosdos. Under the arrangement, he will spend approximately 20 days each month in Modiin Illit at Mir Brachfeld and about 10 days in Lakewood. He is expected to travel to the United States on Sundays following his free Shabbos in Israel to fulfill his responsibilities at Bais Medrash Govoah.

Rav Hechster is widely regarded throughout the Torah world as a central address for guidance and chizuk, with thousands of avreichim seeking his counsel. In Modiin Illit in particular, he is viewed as a trusted source of direction and inspiration.

Alongside his responsibilities as mashgiach of Mir Brachfeld, Rav Hechster delivers a mussar talk every Motzaei Shabbos, gives a weekly Tuesday vaad at Kollel Ateres Shlomo attended by hundreds of avreichim, leads a Thursday night vaad for dozens of talmidim at Mir Brachfeld, hosts a Friday vaad for alumni in his home, and conducts a biweekly Sunday vaad for alumni at the Mir Yeshiva in Yerushalayim.

{Matzav.com}

The 2026 tax filing season is underway, and many taxpayers are watching closely to see whether they will receive larger refunds this year after the White House said Americans could qualify for an increase of $1,000 or more.

The IRS opened the filing window on Jan. 26. Taxpayers who had more withheld from their paychecks than they ultimately owed for the year are eligible to receive a refund.

Even filers who did not overpay during the year may still qualify for money back if they are eligible for credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, or the Additional Child Tax Credit.

According to the IRS, most people who submit their returns electronically should receive their refunds within the standard processing period of 21 days or less.

Refunds issued by mail, as well as returns that require corrections or additional review, may take four weeks or longer to arrive.

While the IRS is gradually reducing its use of paper checks, it will continue issuing mailed refunds in cases where no electronic payment option is available.

The agency said refunds tied to the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Additional Child Tax Credit are expected to reach bank accounts or debit cards by March 2 in most cases.

Some taxpayers could encounter slower processing this year due to staffing shortages at the IRS following layoffs that reduced the agency’s workforce by roughly one-quarter, National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins wrote in her annual report to Congress last month.

Despite those concerns, the report said most filers should still be able to submit their returns and receive refunds without significant delays.

The White House has said average refunds could rise by $1,000 or more this year as a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which extended President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts.

The IRS reported that the average refund last year totaled $3,167.

One of the most impactful changes in the legislation is a higher standard deduction, which affects the majority of taxpayers.

Although standard deductions are adjusted annually, they increased twice in 2025 — once at the start of the year and again after the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was enacted.

Under the new law, the standard deduction rose to $15,750 for single filers, up from $15,000, and to $31,500 for married couples filing jointly, up from $30,000.

The legislation also introduced an extra $6,000 standard deduction for taxpayers age 65 and older, a group that includes many retirees.

According to the White House, most seniors will owe no tax on their Social Security benefits, stating that 88% of recipients will be exempt, based on an analysis by the Council of Economic Advisers.

The bill also permanently increased the Child Tax Credit to $2,200 per child, up from $2,000, allowing eligible families to receive an additional $200 per child compared with previous years.

If the Child Tax Credit is larger than a taxpayer’s total tax liability, the Additional Child Tax Credit may be claimed for up to $1,700 per child, a provision that particularly benefits lower-income filers who owe little or no tax.

Taxpayers can review eligibility requirements for the Earned Income Tax Credit on the IRS website, where income thresholds and filing status rules are outlined for working individuals and families.

This year, the Earned Income Tax Credit can be worth as much as $7,830, depending on income level, filing status, and number of qualifying children.

Once a return is filed, taxpayers can monitor the progress of their refund using the IRS online tracking tool, “Where’s My Refund?”

{Matzav.com}

Federal authorities have taken into custody a suspect accused of taking part in the 2012 terrorist assault on a U.S. facility in Benghazi, Libya, an attack that left four Americans dead, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Friday.

“Today, I’m proud to announce that the FBI has arrested one of the key participants behind the Benghazi attack,” Bondi said. “You can run, but you cannot hide.”

Bondi identified the suspect as Zubayar al-Bakoush and said he was transported to the United States overnight. The announcement was made alongside FBI Director Kash Patel and Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney in Washington.

The September 11, 2012 attack targeted a U.S. diplomatic compound and a nearby CIA facility. U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens was killed, along with Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty, when militants affiliated with Ansar al-Sharia carried out coordinated assaults. Pirro said family members of the victims were notified of al-Bakoush’s arrest before it was publicly disclosed.

After the arrest was revealed, federal prosecutors unsealed a 13-page indictment in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. The charges against al-Bakoush include seven counts, among them murder, attempted murder, providing material support to terrorists, and arson. Authorities said he is scheduled to make his initial court appearance later Friday.

According to the indictment, al-Bakoush lived in Benghazi at the time of the attack and was affiliated with Ansar al-Sharia. Prosecutors allege he was among the armed militants who assaulted the U.S. mission where Ambassador Stevens and his security team were stationed.

Court documents state that roughly 20 attackers forced their way through the compound’s main gate and set fires that ultimately killed Stevens and Smith. Prosecutors said al-Bakoush entered the compound after the fires had begun and “conducted surveillance activity” while attempting to access vehicles inside the secured area.

Later that night, a mortar strike hit a CIA annex located about a mile from the diplomatic mission, killing Woods and Doherty, both of whom were working as CIA contractors.

Bondi said the FBI worked in coordination with the State Department and the CIA to apprehend al-Bakoush. Officials offered limited details about the operation, saying only that he was taken into custody “overseas.” Pirro emphasized that the investigation remains active and that others responsible for the 2012 killings are still being pursued.

“Let me be very clear — there are more of them out there,” Pirro said. “Time will not stop us from going after these predators, no matter how long it takes, in order to fulfill our obligation to those families who suffered horrific pain at the hands of these violent terrorists.”

Al-Bakoush is the latest in a small number of suspects to face prosecution in the United States over the Benghazi attack. In 2014, U.S. Special Forces captured Ahmed Abu Khatallah, a Libyan national described as a leader of the assault. He was acquitted of murder charges in 2017 but convicted on other counts and initially sentenced to 22 years in prison. In 2024, a federal judge increased that sentence to 28 years, ruling the original punishment was insufficient.

Another Libyan suspect, Mustafa al-Imam, was captured in a U.S. operation in 2017 and transferred to the United States to stand trial. He was convicted in 2019 and received a 19-year prison sentence.

{Matzav.com}

Work on a $16 billion Hudson River rail-tunnel project that could ease congestion between New Jersey and Manhattan is set to come to a halt today following the Trump administration’s decision last year to freeze its funding.

The new tunnel, called Gateway, is one of the nation’s most ambitious infrastructure projects — and has been long wished for by commuters stewing on delayed trains. A prolonged shutdown could deal a serious setback to Gateway, which rail advocates say is sorely need to alleviate train delays and allow for maintenance on the current, aging tunnel.

The Trump administration has been in a standoff with state and local officials regarding Gateway since October, when it froze funding for the project over a new rule that bars contracting requirements based on race or sex. Earlier this month, the Gateway Development Commission, which is building the tunnel, sued the federal government in an effort to unlock more than $205 million. New York and New Jersey also sued the administration.

Construction of the tunnel, which Congress agreed to fund during the Biden administration, had been able to continue past the initial shutoff in October as the Gateway commission drew on money it still had in the bank. On Friday, if the flow of federal dollars isn’t restored, that money will be exhausted.

Tom Prendergast, the Gateway commission’s chief executive officer, said at a news conference on Thursday that work will pause on Friday without a funding deal. The project risks losing skilled construction workers who know the development inside and out but will need to seek work elsewhere, he said.

“Tomorrow, work on the largest, most urgent infrastructure project in America will come to a pause,” Prendergast said. “The Gateway Development Commission has expended every resource to prevent any interruption to the construction, but we’ve gone as far as we can go.”

Building a new tunnel under the Hudson River has been a political football for years. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie ended a previous tunnel initiative in 2010, irritating many commuters. And President Donald Trump wrangled with state leaders in his first term over the cost of Gateway.

Lengthy and unpredictable commutes have continued to be an emotional, pressing issue for many New Jerseyans. Service disruptions and broken-down trains have caused commuter frustration to boil over, increasing pressure on local leaders to do something to ease the strain.

New York and New Jersey are seeking a temporary restraining order that would force the administration to continue funding the project, with a hearing set for federal court in Manhattan on Friday afternoon.

“This, for our region, is all about jobs, it’s about families, it’s about the economy,” Mikie Sherrill, New Jersey’s current governor, said Wednesday at a news conference in Newark. “Unfortunately for President Trump, it’s just about politics.”

Terminating Gateway or delaying it significantly would create extensive disruption for travelers along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, which runs from Washington through New York and on to Boston. Former Amtrak chief Joseph Boardman warned in 2014 that the existing tunnel, which first opened in 1910, had about 20 years left before it would need to be partially closed for rehabilitation.

Shutting down part of the existing tunnel would slash train service between New York and Washington by half and increase commuting times for 245,000 drivers in the New York City region, according to a 2019 Regional Plan Association report. Nearly 140,000 drivers would see their commutes extended by at least 30 minutes. Only six trains would be able to move through the tunnel every hour, down from 24.

Thousands of regular NJ Transit riders would be forced to turn to cars, buses, ferries or the PATH train, which connects northeastern New Jersey to Manhattan. Anyone trying to cross the Hudson or just get around northern New Jersey would be affected, according to Tom Wright, president and chief executive officer of the RPA, which promotes economic health in the New York City area.

“All of those trips are going to become longer, more difficult, more painful because of the hit to the system” if the existing tunnel wasn’t fully operational, Wright said.

Spending Freeze
While commuters won’t be affected if work stops Friday on the new Gateway tunnel, it would put 1,000 construction employees out of work and threaten 95,000 other jobs linked to the project, while risking almost $20 billion in related economic activity, Gateway has estimated.

“The people that are going to get hurt the most are these families, these union workers and construction workers who are potentially going to lose their jobs in a matter of hours, all the businesses that are going to struggle from this,” New Jersey Democratic Senator Andy Kim said in an interview. “That’s who’s losing if this continues to be a political cudgel that the president’s trying to use.”

Nearly $2 billion has already been spent on the project, according to Gateway’s legal complaint. If work is paused, a custom-built boring machine that arrived last month from Germany and was set to begin digging this spring will start collecting dust.

“You not only lose time, but you are spending money on things you didn’t anticipate to spend money on,” Prendergast told reporters last week.

Overall, the Trump administration halted about $18 billion in payments tied to US transit infrastructure projects in areas with Democratic leaders. Transit officials have said they have shown the federal government that they are compliant with the new rules.

“Gateway is fully funded, fully permitted, and desperately needed to modernize our dilapidated and damaged rail tunnels,” Chuck Schumer, the New York Democrat and Senate Minority Leader, said in a statement. “For the good of New York, New Jersey, our economy, and union workers, the only thing to do is for President Trump to release the legally-approved funds now.”

Other major urban transportation projects are also at risk without the funds. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs New York City’s transit system, needs federal money by March for a tunneling contract that will extend the Second Avenue subway to Harlem. The MTA said it has been waiting on $50 million. The Chicago Transit Authority is warning potential investors in its bond sale that the federal pause could result in increased costs or delays on the extension of its Red Line and modernization work on its Red and Purple lines, according to bond documents.

About 450 trains move through the existing Hudson River tunnel each day, with two tracks serving trains going in opposite directions. Shutting down one track for repairs or to remove a disabled train forces all trains to operate on a single track. Major disruptions are common.

Construction of the new two-track Gateway tunnel is expected to be done in 2035, with rehabilitation of the existing tunnel completed by 2038. That would give the region a total of four tracks, increase train capacity and improve on-time performance for 200,000 daily riders, according to Gateway.

Without the new tunnel, Amtrak will be forced to operate on a single track once it begins rehabilitating the other passageway. That could cost the national economy an estimated $16 billion over four years and property values in New Jersey could drop by as much as $22 billion, according to the RPA report.

Added Costs
Public officials, businesses and transit advocates in the region have been looking for ways to increase train capacity between New Jersey and New York since the 1990s.

A work stoppage would mean almost $20 million a month in additional costs for Gateway to demobilize work crews, secure construction sites and move and store heavy equipment, among other expenses, according to the commission’s complaint. Those costs would deplete the project’s remaining reserves, Gateway said.

Even if the US government were to release the money, the withholding of funds and Gateway’s need to seek legal action will cost the project, RPA’s Wright said. Stopping work is an expense for contractors, too, and they will need to factor in the risk of federal money not arriving on time, he said.

“There’s really no argument that we don’t need to build Gateway,” Wright said. “All this is doing is slowing it down and making it cost more.”

{Matzav.com}

The State Department issued an urgent warning advising U.S. citizens to leave Iran immediately, citing heightened security risks as indirect negotiations get underway in Oman between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program.

In a notice released late Thursday, the virtual U.S. Embassy to Iran told Americans to arrange an exit strategy “that does not rely on US government help” and urged those unable to depart to “keep a low profile, and stay aware of your surroundings.”

The advisory follows weeks of unrest in Iran, after the Shiite regime violently suppressed mass protests early last month, killing thousands of demonstrators amid a rapidly deteriorating economy. The United States has repeatedly encouraged its citizens to leave the country since the crackdown.

At the same time, Oman confirmed that a first round of indirect discussions had already taken place. According to Omani officials, the talks involved Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, and first son-in-law Jared Kushner. Video later released by the state-run Oman News Agency also showed Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, attending the meeting alongside Oman’s foreign minister, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi — an unusual development compared with previous rounds of diplomacy.

In a statement, Oman’s Foreign Ministry said, “The consultations focused on preparing the appropriate circumstances for resuming the diplomatic and technical negotiations by ensuring the importance of these negotiations, in light of the parties’ determination to ensure their success in achieving sustainable security and stability.”

Regional tensions have continued to intensify since the protests were crushed, with President Trump deploying the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to the Middle East and repeatedly warning Tehran that military force remains an option if it refuses to engage seriously.

Asked whether Iran’s supreme leader should fear further action, Trump offered a blunt assessment. “I would say he should be very worried,” he told NBC News in an interview Wednesday, referring to Ayatollah Ali Khameni, following U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025. “Yeah, he should be. As you know, they’re negotiating with us.”

Trump also said he had heard that Iran was attempting to revive its nuclear weapons program, adding that if confirmed, he would be prepared to direct U.S. bombers to “do their job again.”

{Matzav.com}