Matzav

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu held an extended three-hour strategy session in Yerushalayim on Tuesday night with White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, focusing on coordination ahead of impending U.S. discussions with Tehran. During the meeting, Netanyahu cautioned that Iran’s record shows it cannot be relied upon to honor diplomatic commitments and stressed that any broader regional understanding must place security first. The talks also centered on Gaza, with Netanyahu reiterating Israel’s insistence on the complete dismantling of Hamas and the full demilitarization of the Strip. As Witkoff prepares for sensitive meetings with Iranian officials in Turkey, Israeli officials made clear that no “grand bargain” can come at the expense of removing terrorist threats.

The meeting was timed to prepare Witkoff ahead of his planned talks in Istanbul on Friday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. In a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu “emphasized his position that Iran has proven time and time again that its promises cannot be relied upon.” The warning comes amid reports that Tehran is proposing limits on uranium enrichment in return for sanctions relief. Netanyahu urged the American side to approach such offers with skepticism, arguing that without intrusive inspections and meaningful penalties for violations, any agreement would simply mask Iran’s nuclear aims.

Netanyahu also briefed U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee on newly uncovered intelligence pointing to abuse of humanitarian assistance in Gaza. According to the Prime Minister, Israeli forces uncovered “serious violations,” including the use of bags bearing the logo of UNRWA to hide weapons and military gear. Israeli officials say the findings underscore claims that terrorist groups have penetrated international aid mechanisms, raising concerns about future reconstruction efforts.

On the domestic front, Netanyahu spelled out what he described as Israel’s “uncompromising demands” for ending the war in Gaza. He reiterated that Hamas must be fully disarmed and the territory completely demilitarized before any rebuilding can begin. “The Prime Minister clarified that the Palestinian Authority will not be part of the management of the Strip in any way,” the official statement said, highlighting a clear divergence between Israel’s position and views held by some in Washington. Netanyahu insisted that Israel’s war objectives must be fully achieved before reconstruction proceeds.

The talks also addressed the potential second phase of the ceasefire, with Netanyahu stressing that Israel will not permit terrorist groups to regroup or rearm under the cover of humanitarian pauses. By presenting Witkoff with a broad assessment that included input from Israel’s senior security leadership, Netanyahu sought to ensure the envoy enters discussions with Tehran fully briefed on Israel’s assessment of the “multi-arena” threat. The meeting ended with an understanding that while Washington pursues diplomatic avenues, Israel remains prepared for the possibility that Iran’s “promises” will again go unfulfilled.

A 13-year-old Australian boy is being hailed as a hero for his sheer endurance and bravery after swimming about 2½ miles in rough waters then running about a mile to rescue his family who had been swept out to sea.

Austin Appelbee, his mother, Joanne, and two siblings Beau, 12, and Grace, 8, were on vacation kayaking and paddleboarding off the coast of Quindalup, in Geographe Bay, in southwestern Australia, when the weather deteriorated, according to local authorities and Australian media reports.

Fearing for her family, Joanne made the difficult choice to send Austin to get help, she told Australia’s national broadcaster, ABC News, calling it “one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make.”

“I knew he was the strongest and he could do it,” she said of her teenage son. “I have three babies. All three of them made it. That was all that mattered,” she added about the family ordeal where she spent more than eight hours clinging to a paddleboard in the ocean.

Western Australia Police Force said in a statement that it received an emergency call about 6 p.m. Friday that a woman and her two children had been swept out to sea in rough conditions.

Austin paddled to get help before his kayak took on water and failed him, police said. He then swam nearly 2½ miles in fading light and rough conditions before reaching land to ring the alarm.

“The actions of the 13-year-old boy cannot be praised highly enough – his determination and courage ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings,” said Inspector James Bradley, South West District office said in a statement Monday. “This incident is a reminder that ocean conditions can change rapidly. Thankfully, all three people were wearing life jackets, which contributed to their survival.”

Austin, in an interview with ABC News, recalled that his mother had directed him to “go get help” while she stayed with his siblings.

“I knew it would be a long way … but the kayak kept taking in water, I was fighting rough seas,” he said. “I was very puffed out but I couldn’t feel how tired I was,” he added. “The waves were massive.”

Austin said he decided to ditch the kayak and remove his life jacket, which were making it difficult for him to swim, and alternated between swimming breaststroke, freestyle and survival backstroke – an energy-preserving stroke for long distances. “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming,” he told himself, putting happier thoughts about his family and school friends into his mind to pull through, he said.

“I just said ‘all right, not today, not today, not today.’ I have to keep on going.”

Finally, he made it to shore.

“I hit the bottom of the beach and I just collapsed,” he said. But his feat of endurance was not over. He then sprinted over another mile to find a phone, where he called emergency services and told them his family was stranded at sea, he said.

“A multiagency search and rescue response was initiated,” police said, involving multiple marine sea rescue services and a rescue helicopter.

The family did not immediately reply to a request for comment from The Washington Post.

“This is what a true West Aussie hero looks like,” said Roger Cook, the premier of Western Australia, in a post on social media Tuesday, calling Austin’s feat of endurance an “extraordinary act of courage,” to save his family.

“Austin’s bravery is beyond his years, showing remarkable courage, resilience and determination in the face of real danger. Well done, Austin – we’re so proud of what you’ve done.”

Mike Tipton, a survival expert and professor of Human and Applied Physiology at Britain’s University of Portsmouth, said Austin’s survival was a “remarkable achievement.”

“He must be an accomplished swimmer, but even then, the water was cold enough to incapacitate him without unrelenting effort. He was clearly driven on by the desire to save his family – this is a common and critical factor in such survival scenarios,” he told The Post by email.

The Naturaliste Marine Rescue group, a volunteer group which was among the first responders, said the weekend’s rescue had the “best possible outcome, one we won’t forget in a hurry.”

“The bravery, strength, and courage shown by this family were extraordinary,” it said in a Facebook post. Naturaliste Marine Rescue commander Paul Bresland told ABC that the teenager’s efforts were “superhuman” and that his description of the kayak and paddleboards meant that his family was found “within an hour.”

“Fantastic effort from all involved in trying conditions. A great outcome,” Marine Rescue Busselton, a volunteer organization also involved with the incident, said in a social media post. “Please be mindful of the strong offshore winds that can occur this time of year.”

(c) 2026, The Washington Post 

{Matzav.com}

A faster way to get through airport security may be coming to an airport near you.

TSA PreCheck Touchless ID, a new program that uses facial recognition, is expanding to 65 airports this spring. The expansion will prioritize 2026 World Cup host cities, where travel is expected to surge, said Transportation Security Administration spokesperson R. Carter Langston.

“Passengers seem to absolutely appreciate it – the speed, the efficiency,” Langston said. “All they show is their face, and the officer just waves them right into the checkpoint. No hassling with passports or IDs or phones.”

The TSA launched the first iteration of the program in 2021 in partnership with Delta Air Lines at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. It’s now available for five airlines across 28 airports.

Critics worry that the program raises privacy concerns. It is voluntary, and travelers can opt out at any time and use a standard ID verification instead.

– – –

What is PreCheck Touchless ID?

The TSA said in an email that the initiative is a joint effort from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, airports and airlines that allows travelers “to move through dedicated lanes with ease, enjoying a smoother and more convenient airport experience.”

The program uses the CBP Traveler Verification Service to create “a secure biometric template of a passenger’s live facial image taken at the checkpoint and matches it against a gallery of templates of pre-staged photos that the passenger previously provided to the government (e.g., U.S. Passport or Visa),” the agency website said.

– – –

Who is eligible for PreCheck Touchless ID?

To use the program, fliers must be a current TSA PreCheck member with a valid “known traveler number” and an active airline profile (such as being enrolled in a loyalty program). They must also have a valid passport uploaded to their airline profile.

The airlines currently participating in the program include:

Alaska

American

Delta

Southwest

United

TSA PreCheck Touchless ID offers current TSA PreCheck members an expedited airport security screening by way of “facial comparison technology.”

It’s only available at select airports, through participating airlines – which vary. For example, travelers at John F. Kennedy International Airport, but only if they are flying with Alaska, American, Delta or United. It is available at George Bush Intercontinental in Houston, but only for passengers flying with Alaska, American, Delta or United. For a list of availability, visit the TSA website.

– – –

How can travelers opt in?

To use the program, travelers must first opt in through their airline’s website or app before checking in to their flight.

The process varies by airline, but you can generally find the prompt under a “travel documents” section (where you add your known traveler number or passport details) of your airline loyalty program app or website.

American Airlines customers, for example, will find the opt-in choice toward the bottom of the “Information and password” page of their AAdvantage profile, while Alaska Airlines customers should go to their account settings, then click into the “travel documents” section.

Once travelers have opted in, then checked in for their flight, a TSA PreCheck Touchless ID symbol should appear on their boarding pass. If the symbol is not on your boarding pass, you won’t be able to use the lane, even if you show an employee that you are enrolled in the program.

At the airport, travelers should follow signs to a separate TSA PreCheck Touchless ID lane. Instead of handing an ID over to an officer to verify your identity, you’ll instead pause to scan your face, then keep moving.

– – –

Is it really faster?

It can be, for two reasons.

First: There is no slowdown to hand over and scan your ID; travelers must only pause during their walk through the line dividers before proceeding to the X-ray machines.

Second: Because the program is new, requires signing up in advance and is not available for every airline, it’s getting a fraction of the traffic that regular security, Clear or PreCheck lanes are.

We’ve had mixed results. When it works, it’s incredible; you really are through in seconds.

But we’ve also been delayed when the facial comparison machine was undergoing maintenance and was out of use, sending us back into the longer PreCheck lane.

Which airports offer PreCheck Touchless ID?
TSA PreCheck Touchless ID is already available at 28 airports (however, participating airlines will vary; check the TSA website for more information):

Boston Logan International Airport

Charlotte Douglas International Airport

Chicago O’Hare International Airport

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport

Dallas Love Field

Denver International Airport

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport

Dulles International Airport

George Bush Intercontinental Airport

Harry Reid International Airport

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

John F. Kennedy International Airport

John Wayne Airport

Kansas City International Airport

LaGuardia Airport

Los Angeles International Airport

Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport

Newark Liberty International Airport

Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport

Oakland International Airport

Palm Beach International Airport

Philadelphia International Airport

Portland International Airport

Reagan National Airport

Salt Lake City International Airport

San Francisco International Airport

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

William P. Hobby Airport

– – –

What are the privacy concerns?

The TSA is using more facial recognition at the airport, including in regular security lanes and CBP checks.

The CBP says its Enhanced Passenger Processing involves taking a traveler’s photo using “auto capture technology” to simplify the inspection and adjudication process.

Travelers can also use biometric screenings to speed through Global Entry, using a CBP app.

The TSA says on its website that it may share your information with “CBP, DHS S&T, or others as necessary.” The agency confirmed that that includes sharing information about travelers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to check for deportation orders.

There has been a bipartisan effort to put more guardrails on its use at airports.

In 2019, the Department of Homeland Security said that photos of travelers were taken in a data breach, accessed through the network of one of its subcontractors. (The TSA says its databases are encrypted.)

A Senate bill would allow officers to continue scanning travelers’ faces if they opt in; it would ban the technology’s use for anything other than verifying identities. It would also require the agency to immediately delete the scans once the check is complete.

If you change your mind about TSA PreCheck Touchless ID, you can opt out at any time and ask for standard ID verification instead. You can opt out of any facial recognition at the airport by saying, “I’d prefer a standard ID check.”

The agency also says it deletes photos and personal data within 24 hours of scheduled flight departures. The TSA website’s FAQ section addresses some privacy concerns and says that all data collected during facial comparison checks is protected.

(c) 2026, The Washington Post 

A U.S. Navy fighter aircraft destroyed an Iranian drone that moved toward the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, U.S. Central Command announced Tuesday, an encounter that underscored rising friction as the Trump administration warns it could use force to push Tehran back into negotiations.

According to U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins, the drone “aggressively approached” the carrier with “unclear intent” and “continued to fly toward the ship despite de-escalatory measures taken by U.S. forces operating in international waters.”

The downing came just hours after Iranian units harassed a U.S.-flagged, U.S.-crewed commercial ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. military said, linking the aerial incident to a broader pattern of maritime pressure.

Hawkins said the aircraft involved was an Iranian Shahed-139, which was destroyed by an F-35C launched from the Lincoln while the carrier was operating roughly 500 miles (800 kilometers) off Iran’s southern coastline. U.S. officials reported no injuries to American personnel and no damage to U.S. equipment.

Later the same day, forces from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps again confronted the same merchant vessel, the military said.

In a statement, Hawkins said two fast boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone closed in on the tanker “at high speeds and threatened to board and seize the tanker.”

The destroyer USS McFaul moved in and escorted the Stena Imperative “with defensive air support from the U.S. Air Force,” the statement said, adding that the ship was able to continue its voyage without incident.

The episodes unfolded against a backdrop of strained relations between Washington and Tehran, tensions that flared anew after Iran’s leadership spent weeks suppressing protests that erupted in late December over worsening economic conditions and later broadened into a challenge to the Islamic Republic.

President Donald Trump said in early January that he would “rescue” Iranians from what he described as a brutal government crackdown, a stance that evolved into a renewed pressure campaign aimed at compelling Iran to reach a nuclear agreement. Trump has also maintained that Iranian nuclear facilities were “obliterated” during U.S. strikes carried out in June.

“We have talks going on with Iran. We’ll see how it all works out,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, declining to spell out where he would draw the line for military action.

“I’d like to see a deal negotiated,” Trump said. “Right now, we’re talking to them, we’re talking to Iran, and if we could work something out, that’d be great. And if we can’t, probably bad things would happen.”

The U.S. interception occurred only hours after Iran’s president said Tuesday that he had directed the foreign minister to “pursue fair and equitable negotiations” with Washington, one of the clearest signals in months that Tehran is open to renewed talks after negotiations collapsed last summer.

Behind the scenes, Turkey has been attempting to facilitate discussions expected later this week, as U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff travels through the region. A Turkish official later said the venue for any talks remained undecided, but that Ankara stood ready to assist the diplomatic effort.

{Matzav.com}

The House on Tuesday approved a sweeping funding package to bring a brief government shutdown to an end, sending the legislation to President Donald Trump for his signature after the lapse began over the weekend.

The bill cleared the chamber by a 217–214 vote.

Trump has said he will sign it “immediately.”

Once enacted, the measure will provide funding for most federal agencies through the end of September. The sole exception is the Department of Homeland Security, which would receive funding for only two additional weeks as Democrats press for changes following the fatal shooting of two Americans by federal agents in Minneapolis.

By carving out DHS, the legislation sets off a compressed 10-day sprint for lawmakers to negotiate a separate agreement, with Democrats seeking reforms aimed at curbing the authority of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.

Under the bill, DHS funding is scheduled to run out on Feb. 13.

Earlier Tuesday, House Republicans narrowly advanced the legislation on a procedural vote, 217–215, without Democratic support.

Final passage was delayed by a day after Democrats privately signaled they would not supply the large number of votes required to fast-track the bill on Monday. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., did not reveal how he would vote, saying only that his caucus held “a variety of perspectives” on the package.

Following a party meeting Tuesday, Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., also declined to say how she would vote when questioned ahead of the roll call.

The procedural vote underscored the razor-thin margin Republicans hold in the House. The vote was kept open longer than usual after Rep. John Rose, R-Tenn., unexpectedly joined Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., in opposing it. Massie has consistently resisted spending bills and was widely viewed as unlikely to change his position. Rose, who complained that the Senate had failed to act on the SAVE Act requiring proof of citizenship to vote, ultimately switched his vote to support the rule.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., the top Democratic negotiator on funding issues in the House, said she planned to back the bill and was confident it would pass. She said she and other Democrats spoke in favor of the legislation during their internal meeting.

“I believe this is an opportunity to isolate DHS and go at it, hammer and tongs, tooth and nail — whatever phrase you want to use, rather than having to figure out what the heck is going to happen to five other bills and all those departments,” DeLauro said. “There’s unbelievable bipartisan, bicameral support on those bills. So why squander that? And then take the next 10 days, next Friday, and just bring DHS up.”

The agreement to temporarily set aside DHS funding while approving the rest of the spending bills was reached by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the White House after the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti prompted a nationwide backlash.

After the Senate passed the package Friday by a 71–29 vote, Trump urged House Republicans to approve the bill without changes, tamping down internal calls to alter the agreement.

Even with the shutdown ended, lawmakers from both parties acknowledge that reaching a bipartisan deal on DHS funding will be difficult.

Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, said meeting the next deadline would be a challenge.

“There are vast differences,” he said. “I would expect — and I’m hearing that there could be just another, we kick the can down the road a little bit longer until those differences can be worked out … at least, probably, March 1.”

{Matzav.com}

The price of a single pack of cigarettes in the Gaza Strip has surged dramatically in recent months, crossing the 100-shekel mark and at times reaching into the thousands, according to sources familiar with the situation, amid acute shortages caused by the ongoing war.

Sources said that a carton containing ten packs is now selling for more than 1,000 shekels, underscoring the enormous profits tied to cigarette smuggling into Gaza Strip. The soaring prices have turned cigarettes into one of the most lucrative black-market commodities in the territory.

Against this backdrop, it was cleared for publication on Tuesday that Betzalel Zini, the brother of Shin Bet chief David Zini, is suspected of involvement in smuggling cigarettes into Gaza.

A source familiar with the investigation said the combination of severe shortages and high demand has transformed cigarettes into an exceptionally expensive product, with prices in some cases reaching thousands of shekels. It was reported last week that prosecutors are expected to file an indictment against Zini, and on Tuesday morning police requested an extension of his detention.

The investigation is being handled by the Southern District’s major crimes unit. As part of the probe, a sweeping gag order has been imposed on the case — which involves large-scale smuggling operations and numerous suspects — until February 10.

Indictments against 13 suspects connected to the affair are expected to be filed with the Beersheva District Court on Wednesday afternoon, after their submission was delayed to allow investigators to complete additional inquiries.

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Qatar’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday sharply criticized Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid following his proposal to designate Qatar as an enemy state, dismissing the move as part of Israel’s internal political disputes and accusing Israel of direct aggression against Doha.

Speaking at the ministry’s weekly press briefing, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari addressed the bill introduced by Yair Lapid, without mentioning him by name. According to reports carried by Israeli media, al-Ansari said Qatar has become accustomed to being dragged into Israel’s domestic political battles.

“With regard to what was submitted by the leader of the opposition in Israel, we have honestly grown used to Qatar’s name being used within Israel’s internal conflict,” al-Ansari said. “It does not interest us at all.”

Al-Ansari went further, accusing Israel of acting as the aggressor, claiming that Israel had carried out a direct strike on Qatari territory. “Israel is the one that bombed the State of Qatar. It is the one that struck a residential compound in the city of Doha,” he said. “It is the aggressive party in this context.”

He added that any Israelis seeking to label Qatar an enemy should instead “return to the attack carried out by the Israeli prime minister, which constituted a blatant and direct assault on the State of Qatar.”

Separately, al-Ansari addressed the limited reopening of the Rafah Crossing, calling for it to be opened not only for people but also for humanitarian supplies. He expressed opposition to the use of the crossing as a political pressure tactic.

At present, the crossing is open only for the restricted movement of individuals, with no entry permitted for goods or aid shipments.

{Matzav.com}

The agency overseeing construction of the $16 billion Gateway rail tunnel linking New York and New Jersey has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing that a federal funding freeze could bring one of the country’s largest infrastructure projects to a standstill.

The Gateway project is designed to create a new rail passage beneath the Hudson River for Amtrak and New Jersey Transit. Officials say the work must be completed before repairs can begin on the existing tunnel, which is more than a century old and has suffered long-term damage from saltwater exposure. Project leaders warn that construction will be halted on Feb. 6 if federal funding is not released, and officials from both states have pressed the administration to allow the money to flow.

In a statement issued late Monday, the Gateway Development Commission said it has filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit in the US Court of Federal Claims, though court records confirming the filing were not immediately available.

“Despite its contractual commitments to fund the project, the federal government has suspended the release of its contractually obligated funds since October 1, 2025,” the commission said in the statement. “The lawsuit makes clear that the shifting explanations the administration has provided for this breach are plainly unlawful.”

Representatives for the US Department of Transportation and the White House did not immediately respond to inquiries seeking comment.

The Trump administration is currently holding back roughly $18 billion allocated to public transportation projects in jurisdictions led by Democratic mayors or governors. Those projects include New York City’s Second Avenue subway extension into Harlem and planned transit upgrades in Chicago. In October, the Transportation Department said it was examining whether the projects comply with a new policy prohibiting race- and sex-based contracting requirements.

Transit agencies say they have already submitted documentation demonstrating that their projects meet the new standards, but the funding has still not been released. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates New York City’s transit system, needs federal support to finalize an agreement within the next several months to renovate an existing tunnel along Second Avenue, according to Jamie Torres-Springer, the MTA’s president of construction and development, who spoke Wednesday.

Completion of the new Hudson River tunnel, along with rehabilitation of the current one, is expected to significantly increase rail capacity, cut down on chronic delays, and allow more Amtrak and New Jersey Transit trains to enter and exit Manhattan. Gateway officials describe the tunnel as a critical transportation artery, carrying 450 trains and tens of thousands of passengers through the corridor each day.

A shutdown of construction would mark another serious blow to a long-running effort to relieve congestion on the Northeast Corridor. In 2010, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie canceled an earlier tunnel proposal known as Access to the Region’s Core, or ARC, arguing at the time that the state could be left responsible for potential cost overruns.

{Matzav.com}

U.S. homebuilders are circulating a plan that would call for the construction of nearly one million homes branded as “Trump Homes,” an initiative aimed at easing the country’s housing affordability crunch, Bloomberg News reported Tuesday.

Under the concept, builders would offer entry-level homes through a pathway-to-ownership structure, enabling private investors to provide tens of billions of dollars in capital to support the effort, according to Bloomberg News, which cited people familiar with the proposal.

News of the discussions boosted homebuilder stocks in early trading, with shares of Lennar, D.R. Horton, Pultegroup, Toll Brothers, Taylor Morrison Home, and KB Home rising between 5% and 7%.

Lennar declined to comment on the report, while the other builders mentioned and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters.

The proposal is being floated as many Americans continue to struggle with high housing costs amid persistent inflation, a combination that has weighed heavily on home sales nationwide.

If the plan were carried out at the scale being discussed—roughly one million homes—it could result in more than $250 billion in new housing supply, according to Bloomberg News estimates.

Despite the potential scope, a White House official told Bloomberg News that the administration is not actively weighing the proposal at this time.

The report also noted that implementing such a program would be complex and could face hurdles in securing sufficient backing to move forward.

Last month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at limiting large institutional investors from competing with individual buyers, a move intended to improve housing affordability.

{Matzav.com}

Graphic footage capturing the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a speech at a Utah college campus spread rapidly online, amassing millions of views within hours.

Now, lawyers representing the man accused of killing Kirk are asking a state judge to prevent those videos from being shown at a court hearing set for Tuesday. The defense is also requesting that television and still cameras be excluded from the courtroom, contending that coverage by what they describe as “highly biased” media outlets threatens the fairness of the proceedings.

Prosecutors, joined by attorneys for news organizations, have urged District Judge Tony Graf to keep the hearing open to the public. Legal scholars, however, say the defense’s concerns are not unfounded. Media exposure in widely followed cases like that of Tyler Robinson can have a measurable “biasing effect” on prospective jurors, according to Cornell Law School professor Valerie Hans.

“There were videos about the killing, and pictures and analysis (and) the entire saga of how this particular defendant came to turn himself in,” said Hans, who specializes in jury research. “When jurors come to a trial with this kind of background information from the media, it shapes how they see the evidence that is presented in the courtroom.”

Robinson, 22, faces an aggravated murder charge in connection with the Sept. 10 shooting of Kirk at Utah Valley University in Orem, and prosecutors have indicated they will pursue the death penalty.

Roughly 3,000 people were present at the outdoor rally where Kirk, a co-founder of Turning Point USA known for energizing young voters to support President Donald Trump, was speaking when he was shot.

Under Utah law, prosecutors must prove the presence of aggravating factors to obtain a death sentence, including that the crime was particularly heinous or cruel. The graphic videos circulating online could become relevant to that determination.

Viewing such footage could lead people to conclude, “‘Yeah, this was especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel,’” Hans said.

The challenge of selecting an impartial jury is further complicated by the intense political discourse surrounding Kirk and the influence of his organization during Trump’s 2024 election campaign.

Even before Robinson was taken into custody, speculation spread about the identity of the shooter and his political beliefs, said University of Utah law professor Teneille Brown.

“People are just projecting a lot of their own sense of what they think was going on, and that really creates concerns about whether they can be open to hearing the actual evidence that’s presented,” she said.

As the case has progressed, Robinson’s attorneys have increasingly alleged media bias, at one point accusing news outlets of attempting to read lips to determine what their client was saying privately to his lawyers during court appearances.

Those concerns intensified after a television camera operator zoomed in on Robinson’s face as he spoke with his attorneys during a Jan. 16 hearing. The move violated courtroom rules, leading the judge to halt filming of Robinson for the rest of that session.

“Rather than being a beacon for truth and openness, the News Media have simply become a financial investor in this case,” defense attorneys wrote in a motion seeking to seal portions of their claims regarding media conduct. Making those filings public, they argued, “will simply generate even more views of the offending coverage, and more revenue for the News Media.”

Prosecutors have acknowledged the extraordinary public attention on the case but maintain that it does not justify limiting public access to the courts. Transparency, they argued, must be preserved regardless of the circumstances.

“This case arose, and will remain, in the public eye. That reality favors greater transparency of case proceedings, not less,” Utah County prosecutors wrote in a filing.

The defense is also attempting to have local prosecutors removed from the case, asserting a conflict of interest because the daughter of a deputy county attorney involved in the prosecution attended the rally where Kirk was killed.

Prosecutors responded that they could introduce video evidence at Tuesday’s hearing to show that the daughter is not a critical witness, noting that many others captured the shooting on camera.

According to prosecutors, one of those recordings depicts the moment the bullet struck Kirk, followed by blood flowing from his neck and Kirk collapsing from his chair.

Rav Yitzchok Yosef, the former Rishon LeTzion, delivered sharp criticism on Motzaei Shabbos of Sephardim who adopt Ashkenazi customs out of what he described as a sense of inferiority, saying such behavior reflects disrespect toward their own rabbinic tradition.

Speaking during his weekly shiur at the Yazdim Shul, Rav Yosef said, “The problem in our generation is that people imitate Ashkenazi customs in everything, as if we have no customs at all and only Ashkenazim have good ones.” While acknowledging the strengths of the Ashkenazi Torah world, he stressed that imitation should be selective. “Imitate them in the good things they have — establishing yeshivos, building kollelim, burning enthusiasm in learning, deep analysis and iyun. But do you have to do everything they do?”

Rav Yosef addressed specific wedding-related practices, including fasting on the wedding day and immersing in a mikveh before the chuppah, rejecting these customs for Sephardim. “They fast on their wedding day — let them fast. It’s the custom of their forefathers. We follow the customs of our forefathers. Maran does not write in the Shulchan Aruch that a chassan must fast on the day of his wedding. The Rav, zichrono livrachah — Rav Ovadia — was opposed to chassanim fasting.” He added that priorities had been distorted: “They took what is secondary and made it primary.” Instead, he advised that a chassan should spend the day learning or reciting Tehillim. “Today they copy everything from Ashkenazim, even going to the mikveh. We never heard of such a thing. In our times, this didn’t exist.”

During the shiur, Rav Yosef also related that Ashkenazim sometimes approach him privately seeking to adopt Sephardic practice for the sake of leniency. “Sometimes Ashkenazim come to me quietly and say, ‘Rav, your halachos are easier. Look, on Pesach I have what to eat: rice, everything, legumes. Ashkenazim have nothing — only potatoes.’”

He distinguished between people raised in religious homes and baalei teshuvah. “I ask him, ‘Was your father religious or not? If you’re the son of Lapid and you grew up on Bialik, then yes, be Sephardi, completely. But if you’re the son of a religious father, don’t abandon the Torah of your mother. Your father followed the opinion of the Rema — continue as your father did.’”

Addressing baalei teshuvah from secular families who insist on adopting Ashkenazi stringencies, Rav Yosef said, “If he’s a baal teshuvah and his father was secular, what is ‘the Torah of your mother’? The Torah of Bialik? What Torah is that? Therefore, someone whose father was secular and wants to be Sephardi should follow Sephardic practice here in Eretz Yisroel, because this is asra d’mara.” He cited the kabbalist Rav Yaakov Pragi, who served as rav and av beis din in Alexandria, Egypt, and condemned adopting Ashkenazi stringencies such as wearing tzitzis out and conducting a yichud room. “Is this not disrespecting your rabbanim? As if your rabbis aren’t important? Rav Ezra Attiya? Rav Ben Tzion? Maran? Rav Tzadkah? They’re not important? Only Ashkenazim matter?”

Rav Yosef further criticized changes in dress, particularly the practice of wearing tzitzis outside one’s clothing. “If they take out their tzitzis, then I also need to take out my tzitzis. But did Rav Ezra Attiya do that? Did the Kaf HaChaim do that? Did the Ben Ish Chai do that? When Maran wore a cloak, fine. When he wore a frock coat, were his tzitzis outside? No. They were always inside. So why imitate Ashkenazim?”

He contrasted this with Ashkenazi pride in their own customs. “They wear a gartel. It’s not required by halachah, but it’s their custom. No one would dare tell an Ashkenazi to change his minhag, and rightly so. Kol hakavod to them. So why shouldn’t it be the same for us?”

Rav Yosef concluded with a pointed message: “Why constantly imitate them? As if your rabbis aren’t important enough. Every community should hold fast to its own customs.” He ended with a stern warning, again quoting Rav Pragi: “One who adopts stringencies against his rabbis, against the Shulchan Aruch, is showing contempt for the honor of his rabbis.”

{Matzav.com}

More than two months ahead of Pesach, Coca-Cola has completed the kashering of its production lines at the company’s plant in Bnei Brak, following a carefully coordinated process carried out under close rabbinic supervision.

As it does every year, Coca-Cola in Israel began preparations well in advance in order to meet the high demand for mehadrin kosher-for-Pesach beverages. The process involves complex logistics and precise coordination between the kashrus authorities, factory management, production staff, and mashgichim.

Preparation for Pesach includes replacing and adapting raw materials with ingredients approved for Pesach, alongside continuous supervision throughout every stage of production. Special Pesach production is carried out under the oversight of the rabbonim of Bnei Brak, Rav Chaim Yitzchak Eizik Landau and Rav Shevach Tzvi Rosenblatt, together with the Tel Aviv Rabbinate.

The kashering process began deep into the winter, when Pesach was still far off, and concluded in recent days, more than two months before the Yom Tov.

Last week, the formal koshering of the factory took place during a special event attended by senior rabbinic figures. Among those present were Rav Chaim Yitzchak Eizik Landau, Rav Shevach Tzvi Rosenblatt, Rav Yaakov Roza of Bat Yam, and Rav Yehuda Katz of the Tel Aviv Rabbinate, who oversees kashrus matters for Coca-Cola. Also in attendance were Rav Moshe Cohen, chief supervisor for the Pesach kashering on behalf of the Bnei Brak rabbinate; Rav Boaz Halevi, chief supervisor for the Tel Aviv Rabbinate; Rav Bentzion Friedman, head of the Tel Aviv kashrus department; Rav Avraham Stitzberg, responsible for kashrus at Coca-Cola Israel; and additional representatives from the Bnei Brak rabbinate.

The rabbonim were received by Ido Givon, plant manager; Doron Wolf, plant technologist; and Vladimir Vol, syrup room manager.

Rav Landau, Av Beis Din of Bnei Brak, noted the exceptional care taken to avoid any concern of chametz at the Coca-Cola plant, both for Pesach and throughout the year, emphasizing the high standards maintained in cooperation with the Tel Aviv Rabbinate’s kashrus system.

Rav Rosenblatt likewise expressed his satisfaction with the ongoing collaboration, praising the company’s meticulous attention to halachic detail and the close working relationship between factory management, employees, and the kashrus authorities.

{Matzav.com}

For the Torah public, Vilna is far more than a travel destination. Known for generations as “Yerushalayim D’Lita,” the city is inseparable from the legacy of the Vilna Gaon and the flourishing of Torah life in Eastern Europe. Now, with the upcoming spring–summer 2026 season, travel to Vilna is set to become significantly easier following the announcement of a new direct flight route.

Israeli airline Arkia will operate three weekly flights from Ben Gurion Airport to Vilnius, a move that has been warmly welcomed within the chareidi travel sector. Industry officials say the new route will greatly simplify travel to Vilna, nearby Kaunas, and surrounding areas long associated with Torah heritage and kevorim.

According to Vilnius Airport, the flights will operate three times a week, on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. This schedule is considered particularly convenient for frum travelers, allowing departures early in the week and returns ahead of Shabbos.

The route will be serviced by Airbus A320 aircraft, with a flight time of approximately four hours, placing travelers within quick reach of some of the most historically significant centers of Torah life in Eastern Europe.

While Lithuania’s winters are known for their extreme cold — with temperatures currently plunging to as low as 26 degrees below zero — the summer months offer a far more temperate and pleasant climate. For Israeli travelers, the Lithuanian summer provides a welcome escape from the heat, with mild weather well-suited for walking tours and extended visits in Vilna and nearby Kaunas.

The launch of Arkia’s new route comes as competition intensifies among airlines seeking to serve the growing chareidi demand for heritage travel.

{Matzav.com}

A major new study suggests that when you drink your coffee may be just as important as how much you drink it — and that an evening cup could erase many of coffee’s health benefits.

Research published in the prestigious European Heart Journal followed more than 40,000 participants over nearly two decades as part of the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The findings indicate that coffee consumption in the morning is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of death from heart disease, while drinking coffee later in the day appears to eliminate those advantages entirely.

According to the researchers, people who primarily drank coffee in the morning experienced an approximate 31 percent reduction in mortality from cardiovascular disease. By contrast, among those who consumed coffee in the afternoon or evening, the protective effect disappeared, leaving their risk levels similar to people who did not drink coffee at all.

The researchers emphasized that the difference was not related to the amount of caffeine consumed, but rather to the timing of coffee intake in relation to the body’s biological clock. Even though evening coffee drinkers consumed the same powerful antioxidants, their bodies did not translate those compounds into cardiovascular protection.

Surprisingly, the pattern held true across all types of coffee, including filter coffee, espresso, instant coffee, and even decaffeinated varieties. The scientists explained that late-day coffee consumption may disrupt the body’s internal circadian rhythm, interfering with metabolic processes that are meant to slow down during periods of rest. This physiological disruption appears to negate the beneficial effects of coffee’s active components.

The study concludes that coffee remains an important ally in reducing the risk of chronic disease, but only when consumed in harmony with the body’s natural rest cycle. To maximize heart health benefits, researchers recommend sticking to morning coffee and avoiding late-day consumption. A simple change in daily timing, they suggest, could determine whether coffee truly works in your favor.

The information provided in this Matzav.com report is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. It should not be considered a recommendation for treatment or disease prevention. For any medical concerns, consult a qualified healthcare professional.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s governing coalition has set an aggressive deadline to pass the long-delayed conscription law within two weeks, as the chareidi parties race against time to finalize the bill’s wording amid mounting political and legal pressure. The coming days are expected to determine not only the fate of the legislation, but also the stability of the government and the passage of the state budget.

Leaders of the chareidi parties acknowledge that every day without an approved conscription law weakens their position. As a result, coalition partners have decided to dramatically accelerate the process. According to a first report, the coalition’s goal is to complete the bill’s third and final reading in the Knesset within just fourteen days, in an effort to end a prolonged saga that has become a direct threat to the government’s survival.

Within the chareidi factions, the end of the current week has been marked as a critical milestone. Lawmakers are hoping that by then, the final version of the bill will be ready. Drafting the legislation remains the most complex hurdle, as significant disagreements between the various sides have yet to be fully resolved despite heavy coalition pressure and stated goodwill.

Attention is now focused on the legal adviser to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Miri Frenkel-Shor, who is tasked with translating political understandings into binding legal language that can withstand scrutiny.

The coalition’s plan calls for a rapid legislative “blitz.” Once the draft is completed, a comprehensive discussion on the revised text is expected to take place as early as Sunday. If that stage proceeds smoothly, committee votes to advance the bill are scheduled to begin the following Tuesday. The coalition’s ultimate objective is to bring the law to a decisive vote in the Knesset plenum the following Monday, formally closing the issue.

However, the ambitious timetable hinges on a single decisive factor: whether the version prepared by Frenkel-Shor by the end of the week will be acceptable to the Gedolei Yisroel. The days ahead are expected to be especially tense, with far-reaching implications not only for the future of the conscription framework, but for the coalition as a whole and for the approval of the state budget waiting in the wings.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said Monday night that his administration is pursuing a $1 billion damages claim against Harvard University, intensifying a long-running dispute over federal funding and campus policies.

“We are now seeking One Billion Dollars in damages, and want nothing further to do, into the future, with Harvard University,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

The announcement comes as the administration continues to challenge a December court ruling that found it acted unlawfully when it cut off more than $2 billion in federal grants to Harvard, barring further attempts to halt the university’s research funding.

Harvard has been at the center of a broader effort by the Trump administration to use federal dollars as leverage to compel changes at colleges and universities nationwide, which Trump has argued are dominated by antisemitic sentiment and “radical left” thinking.

Trump previously said the White House had been nearing an agreement with Harvard that would have required the university to pay $500 million, following extended negotiations focused on institutional policies.

Administration officials have repeatedly accused Harvard and other elite schools of advancing what they describe as “woke” ideology while failing to adequately safeguard Jewish students during pro-Palestinian demonstrations, backing those claims with legal filings and demands for substantial financial settlements.

Earlier Monday, The New York Times reported that Trump had withdrawn a demand for a $200 million settlement payment from Harvard after lengthy talks between the sides.

Speaking to reporters last September, Trump said discussions were approaching a $500 million settlement, which would have included provisions for opening trade schools as part of the agreement.

“They wanted to do a convoluted job training concept, but it was turned down in that it was wholly inadequate and would not have been, in our opinion, successful,” Trump said in his post late Monday evening.

“It was merely a way of Harvard getting out of a large cash settlement of more than 500 Million Dollars, a number that should be much higher for the serious and heinous illegalities that they have committed,” he added, without identifying which laws he believes the university violated.

“This should be a Criminal, not Civil, event,” he added, without detailing the legal grounds for criminal charges or the specific actions he contends would justify them.

Nikki Haley criticized renewed diplomatic engagement with Iran on Monday, voicing opposition as Washington and Tehran move toward talks focused on Iran’s nuclear program.

In a message posted on social media, the former US ambassador to the United Nations argued that negotiations with Tehran are fundamentally flawed. “You can’t make a deal with a regime that lies about its nuclear production, oppresses its people, and spreads terror around the world. Iran can’t be trusted,” Haley wrote.

Her remarks came after reports indicated that US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are scheduled to meet Friday in Istanbul to explore the possibility of a nuclear agreement.

President Donald Trump has publicly urged Iran to come to terms with the United States over its nuclear activities, while also making clear that military action remains an option if diplomacy fails.

Addressing reporters on Monday, Trump spoke about the ongoing discussions and the US posture toward Iran, saying, “We have big ships heading to Iran right now. The biggest and the best. We have talks going on with Iran, we will see how it all works out.”

He added further comments emphasizing uncertainty about the administration’s next steps. “I can’t tell you what I’m going to do, because right now we have a tremendous force going there, just like we did in Venezuela – even bigger. And they’ll be there soon,” continued Trump.

Trump went on to express a preference for a diplomatic resolution while warning of consequences if negotiations collapse. “I’d like to see a deal negotiated. I don’t know that that’s going to happen. But if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you. I’d be very foolish if I were to tell you. But right now we’re talking to them. We’re talking to Iran. And if we could work something out, that’d be great. And if we can’t, probably bad things will happen.”

Haley’s position echoed comments made a day earlier by Senator Lindsey Graham, who also rejected the idea of striking a deal with Iran and suggested that lasting stability in the region would require the collapse of the current Iranian leadership.

Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Graham argued that removing Iran’s rulers would have a transformative effect on the region. “The biggest thing you could possibly do to the Middle East is take this regime down, and they’re as weak as they’ve ever been since 1979,” he said.

Graham concluded by directly urging presidential action, adding, “Mr. President, you can do it, I hope you will do it,” he added.

{Matzav.com}

Channel 12 News chief political analyst Amit Segal weighed in on a letter sent by families of Israeli hostages to Gal Hirsch, in which they called for his resignation and accused him of intimidating them while advancing the Prime Minister’s political agenda.

In his remarks, Segal referred to Hirsch’s assertion that the families’ messaging and that of Hamas had effectively aligned. “Gal Hirsch says they and Hamas essentially spoke in the same voice. We all know the videos Hamas released every Saturday included messages that were almost identical to what was said at the protests – for example, that Netanyahu is delaying a deal, that now is the time to stop the war, and that military pressure endangers the hostages’ lives. Those who later returned told us what they were instructed to say and what the objective was,” Segal said.

Segal went on to explain that such overlap in messaging raises difficult questions in the political arena. “There’s a rule in politics – when two enemies run the same campaign, one of them is wrong. I can accept the claim that we and Hamas said the same thing, but that we were right – because morally, Israel benefits from returning all the hostages. But don’t gaslight us and say it didn’t happen. Say that it was important on a moral level. Don’t say Hamas said one thing and we said the opposite – because that’s not what happened.”

He further stressed that his criticism was not directed at the act of protesting itself, noting the emotional impact those demonstrations had on captives. “There’s a claim often made in interviews with returning hostages, who said the protests warmed their hearts – and that is absolutely true. The point was never to say that protests are bad,” Segal clarified.

However, Segal argued that the broader narrative promoted at the time was counterproductive. “But the narrative that claimed there is only one way to bring the hostages back – by surrendering, withdrawing, ending the war, all of them now and at any price – that was a serious mistake. It did not help the effort to bring the hostages home,” he concluded.

{Matzav.com}

Jews in New York City were the targets of 31 suspected hate crimes last month — roughly one incident per day — according to new figures released Monday by the New York City Police Department.

Those incidents represented 54 percent of the 58 total bias crimes reported citywide in January, making antisemitic offenses the largest single category during the month.

The January tally reflected a 182 percent increase compared with the same month last year, though it was lower than the 40 antisemitic incidents recorded in December. January also marked the first full month of the city’s new administration under Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

City officials noted that antisemitic crime levels tend to rise and fall based on a range of factors, including protest activity and seasonal conditions.

In addition to crimes targeting Jews, police recorded one incident motivated by age bias, five against Asians, two against Black individuals, two related to gender, one targeting Hispanic people, seven against Muslims, three aimed at other religious groups, five based on sexual orientation, and one targeting white people.

Authorities cautioned that the statistics are preliminary and may be revised following investigations. In some cases, incidents initially believed to be hate crimes are later determined to have been motivated by other factors. Convictions in hate crime cases also remain relatively uncommon.

Hate crimes carry harsher penalties than non-bias offenses because they are viewed as attacks on an entire community rather than a single individual.

At the same time, the NYPD reported that major crimes — including murder, robbery, shootings, and felony assaults — declined overall last month, continuing a broader downward trend in violent crime across the city.

Jews continue to be targeted in New York City at higher rates than any other group. In 2025, police recorded 330 antisemitic incidents, accounting for 57 percent of the 576 total hate crimes reported citywide, according to NYPD data.

Jewish security officials and experts on hate crimes have also warned that many antisemitic incidents likely go unreported and never reach law enforcement statistics.

Among the January cases, two teenagers were charged with spray-painting 73 swastikas on a playground used by Jewish children; a rabbi was assaulted on Holocaust Remembrance Day; and a driver rammed his vehicle into Chabad’s 770.

In response to rising antisemitism, members of the New York City Council announced last week the creation of a new Task Force to Combat Antisemitism and introduced legislation aimed at curbing hate crimes.

{Matzav.com}