Feed aggregator

One of the Israeli strikes earlier on the Iranian capital of Tehran reportedly targeted Iran’s Chief of General Staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri.

The House narrowly voted Thursday to cut about $9.4 billion in spending already approved by Congress as President Donald Trump’s administration looks to follow through on work done by the Department of Government Efficiency when it was overseen by Elon Musk. The package targets foreign aid programs and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides money for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service as well as thousands of public radio and television stations around the country. The vote was 214-212. Republicans are characterizing the spending as wasteful and unnecessary, but Democrats say the rescissions are hurting the United States’ standing in the world and will lead to needless deaths. “Cruelty is the point,” Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said of the proposed spending cuts. The Trump administration is employing a tool rarely used in recent years that allows the president to transmit a request to Congress to cancel previously appropriated funds. That triggers a 45-day clock in which the funds are frozen pending congressional action. If Congress fails to act within that period, then the spending stands. “Under President Trump’s leadership, your taxpayer dollars are no longer being wasted,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said after the vote. “Instead, they are being directed toward priorities that truly benefit the American people.” The benefit for the administration of a formal rescissions request is that passage requires only a simple majority in the 100-member Senate instead of the 60 votes usually required to get spending bills through that chamber. So if they stay largely united, Republicans will be able to pass the measure without any Democratic votes. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said the Senate would likely not take the bill up until July and after it has dealt with Trump’s big tax and immigration bill. He also said it’s possible the Senate could tweak the bill. The administration is likening the first rescissions package to a test case and says more could be on the way if Congress goes along. Republicans, sensitive to concerns that Trump’s sweeping tax and immigration bill would increase future federal deficits, are anxious to demonstrate spending discipline, though the cuts in the package amount to just a sliver of the spending approved by Congress each year. They are betting the cuts prove popular with constituents who align with Trump’s “America first” ideology as well as those who view NPR and PBS as having a liberal bias. Four Republicans voted against the measure — Reps. Mark Amodei of Nevada, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Nicole Malliotakis of New York and Mike Turner of Ohio. No Democrats voted for the measure. The bill looked like it was in danger of going down, but two lawmakers — Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska and Nick LaLota of New York — changed their votes to yes, allowing it to advance to the Senate. LaLota had an extensive conversation with Johnson on the House floor as Johnson could be seen trying to win him over. Afterward, LaLota called it “private discussions” to make sure “my constituents will get what they need.” Bacon said he was reassured by House Republican leadership that PBS would receiving funding for next year. He said he was also told that funding for the U.S.-led global response to HIV, known as PEPFAR, will not be […]

Yesterday afternoon, the office of the Israeli Prime Minister made it a point to inform journalists that Binyomin Netanyahu was indeed set to take a vacation this weekend: “As opposed to reports spread online,” the prime minister did not cancel his trip to the north.

This clarification seems to be a deliberate tactic aimed at convincing Iranian intelligence that there would be no impending strike over the weekend.

It is also worth mentioning that the wedding of Netanyahu’s son Avner, planned for Monday, is now expected to be delayed.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Official statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Israel striking Iran.

Major damage reported to multiple buildings in Tehran amid Israeli strikes tonight.

MORE: Multiple buildings on fire in Tehran, Iran amid Israeli airstrikes.

The GHF humanitarian organization, based in the United States, issued a scathing denunciation of Hamas following a deadly assault on a bus transporting aid workers in Gaza. Simultaneously, the Israeli military exposed Hamas’s systematic diversion and misuse of humanitarian supplies intended for the residents of the region.

An IDF spokesperson revealed that during the conflict, Hamas personnel infiltrated aid deliveries—sometimes posing as civilians and other times joining openly—to hijack supplies earmarked for the local population. According to Israeli intelligence, which relied on both intercepted communications and internal documentation, Hamas declared itself the controlling body over aid distribution in Gaza. In reality, the group commandeered sizable portions for its own benefit. Internal records showed that Hamas mandated quotas—ranging from 15% to over 25%—of incoming aid to be taken regularly for its own use.

One such document, uncovered in Gaza and released to the public on Thursday, demonstrated an official Hamas directive specifying how much aid should be seized, with adjustments made periodically based on internal evaluations. The seized aid was either sold in Gaza’s markets for profit or directed to Hamas operatives and officials. Other findings revealed Hamas’s involvement in the smuggling of cigarettes into Gaza, which were then sold at inflated prices by Hamas members. Independent sellers were reportedly threatened to ensure compliance with this monopolistic practice. The IDF estimates that Hamas earned hundreds of millions of shekels through these illicit operations, often using the existing infrastructure of aid groups—whether through deceit or cooperation.

As part of its intelligence release, the IDF shared visuals and documents outlining four primary methods of Hamas’s exploitation: confiscation, smuggling, unlawful deductions, and extortion. These materials included charts illustrating the flow of foreign funds, transcripts of intercepted calls between Gaza residents describing the situation, and official Hamas communications—some translated—showing how aid was internally allocated.

In one intercepted phone call played by the IDF, two residents of Gaza discussed how Hamas looted flour from UNRWA warehouses and sold it at exorbitant rates. “They got the flour for free; they are selling it for 120 shekels, while I sell it for 60,” one man lamented. He continued, saying Hamas had raided UNRWA mills and stolen their inventory. The tone of the conversation was bitter and angry, with the speaker exclaiming, “To hell with them… Whatever happens to them—it’s not enough. They all are thieves. They all are dogs.”

The Israeli military also discovered that Hamas maintained strong financial relationships with networks in Turkey and Iran, relying on informal money transfer systems like hawala. These systems enabled the covert movement of funds into Gaza, which were then used to buy humanitarian goods that had been diverted and resold for profit.

In addition, Hamas reportedly extorted “security fees” from aid agencies, local vendors, and small business owners. Intelligence assessments indicate that the group used its dominance over the region to take over multiple sectors of commerce, impose heavy-handed taxes, and ensure that financial activity remained under its control.

Amid these revelations, the GHF, which operates independently of Hamas, condemned the recent attack on one of its buses transporting aid workers. The organization said the incident left five dead, several injured, and others possibly abducted. “The attack did not happen in a vacuum. For days, Hamas has openly threatened our team, our aid workers and the civilians who receive aid from us. Their threats have been met with silence,” GHF said in a statement.

Hamas claimed the people targeted were affiliated with the Abu Shabab militia, which it accused of being armed by Israel. However, representatives from that militia firmly rejected the accusation and released a statement identifying Hamas members allegedly behind the assault. “The blood of your workers has been spilled—and we will reveal all the evidence,” the statement warned the local population.

The IDF reported that beginning in March, when Israel briefly paused humanitarian shipments, Hamas experienced a severe financial crunch. This included diminished cash reserves and delays in paying its fighters. In response, Israel instituted a stringent regulatory system that includes registration of aid organizations, customs oversight, thorough security checks, and product restrictions—with penalties for non-compliance.

At present, the flow of humanitarian assistance is managed largely by global agencies under GHF’s security coordination. This structure is designed to exclude Hamas from the distribution process entirely.

“This is clear evidence for the world,” said the IDF spokesperson. “Hamas does not protect Gaza’s civilians—it cynically exploits them for military and financial gain. The IDF will continue to ensure that aid reaches civilians, not the terror group.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

The IDF says that Israelis have a 10-minute warning ahead of missile fire from Iran.

An apartment building in the Farahzad Neighborhood of Tehran engulfed in flames following IDF airstrikes.

At least one of the IDF bombings on Iran appears to have been a targeted assassination strike – potentially of a high-ranking member of the IRGC.

Footage showing the moments immediately following one of the Israeli strikes on the Iranian capital of Tehran.

Explosions were reported in Tehran in the early hours of Friday, according to Iranian media outlets linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Israeli Defense Minister Yisroel Katz stated, “Following a preemptive strike by the State of Israel against Iran, a missile and drone attack is expected against the State of Israel and its civilian population in the immediate timeframe.”

He continued, “Therefore, in accordance with his authority under the Civil Defense Law, Defense Minister Israel Katz has signed a special order, pursuant to which a special state of emergency will be imposed throughout the entire territory of the State of Israel.”

Citizens were instructed to comply with directives from the Home Front Command and other relevant agencies and to stay in secure areas.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Rep. Elise Stefanik and Gov. Kathy Hochul went head-to-head during a tense congressional hearing focused on sanctuary state policies and the migrant crisis in New York, with the exchange quickly becoming heated over questions involving violent crimes allegedly committed by illegal immigrants.

Stefanik (R-NY), widely expected to challenge Hochul in the 2026 gubernatorial race, confronted the governor with specific questions about a man from Guatemala, accused of setting a woman on fire aboard a Brooklyn F train last December.

“Do you know who Sebastian Zapeta-Calil is,” Stefanik demanded.

“I’m sure you’ll tell me,” Hochul said. “There’s many cases.”

“These are high-profile cases. New Yorkers know about them and you don’t?” Stefanik snapped back.

The congresswoman followed up by referencing two other serious allegations: Wilson Castillo Diaz, accused of sexually assaulting a 5-year-old child, and Raymond Rojas Basilio, charged with molesting an 11-year-old in Queens. Hochul said she wasn’t familiar with those names either.

Hochul was testifying before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform alongside Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Her testimony was also sharply challenged by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who pressed her on the case of Jesus Romero-Hernandez, a Mexican national who was released by officials in Tompkins County despite a judicial order for his arrest from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“A court order and a detainer for a guy who did the things Mr. Hernandez did and Tompkins County can’t hold him an hour and 18 minutes and you won’t say that’s wrong?” Jordan asked.

“I have said, we cooperate when there’s a criminal case for some of this committed a crime,” Hochul responded.

She went on to assert that her administration has worked with federal immigration authorities to remove more than 1,300 individuals with criminal backgrounds since she took office in 2021.

However, when asked whether Tompkins County erred by failing to detain Romero-Hernandez until federal agents could take custody, Hochul avoided directly answering. Although the man had pleaded guilty to assault, he was released despite a deportation order.

“That was a horrible situation. The person should not have been out there,” Hochul said.

Hochul has supported the continuation of New York’s sanctuary state policy, originally enacted under Governor Andrew Cuomo through executive order. That directive prevents state agencies from asking about an individual’s immigration status unless it relates to a criminal investigation.

Many municipalities, including New York City, have implemented their own stricter sanctuary rules.

During the hearing, Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY) blamed New York’s legal landscape for enabling Jose Antonio Ibarra to remain free. Ibarra later killed Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, a year after being released on charges of child endangerment in New York.

Langworthy criticized the state’s Green Light Law, which authorizes undocumented individuals to obtain driver’s licenses and restricts the sharing of DMV data with federal immigration officials. He also pointed to bail reform laws that prevent judges from imposing cash bail on many low-level or non-violent offenses.

“Your bail reform law is the reason Laken Riley is dead,” Langworthy declared.

“It’s just, it’s beyond belief. This is denial and excuses, governor,” he added.

GOP lawmakers used the hearing as a platform to denounce Democratic immigration policies broadly.

“Let me be clear, sanctuary policies do not protect Americans, they protect criminal, illegal aliens,” stated Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chair of the House Oversight Committee, during his opening statement.

“Governor Hochul’s sanctuary policies cost taxpayers billions to house, feed, and provide driver’s license for illegal aliens while the cost of rent rises and hospitals are overrun. Her defiance of federal law invites crime to plague communities across the state,” Comer continued.

Throughout her testimony, Hochul attempted to walk a fine line, insisting that the state cooperates with ICE when appropriate, while also condemning federal immigration sweeps and recent law enforcement actions in Los Angeles.

“My views on immigration are simple and direct, our nation needs secure borders, our nation needs comprehensive immigration reform from this body, and our state laws dictate that we cooperate with ICE and criminal cases,” Hochul said.

City Hall shared updated data during the hearing, showing that the number of migrants currently under the city’s care is approximately 37,600 — down significantly from the peak levels seen earlier in the crisis.

To address the influx, the state has committed $4.3 billion toward emergency housing, healthcare, and additional services, while New York City has already spent $6.8 billion.

{Matzav.com}

North Korea said Friday it has repaired its damaged second destroyer and launched it into the water in the presence of leader Kim Jong Un, about three weeks after it capsized during an earlier, botched launch ceremony. North Korea’s extremely secretive nature makes it virtually impossible to independently confirm its announcement on the ship’s repair. Outside observers doubt whether the ship’s electronic and other equipment can function normally, as parts of the warship were submerged for weeks. North Korea’s failed launch on May 21 sparked fury from Kim, who has vowed to build a stronger navy to cope with what he calls escalating U.S.-led threats against his country. Kim said the incident was caused by criminal negligence and ordered officials to repair the warship before a ruling Workers’ Party meeting in late June. North Korean authorities later detained four officials including the vice director of the Workers’ Party’s munitions industry department over the botched launch. North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency said Friday it launched the destroyer — the second it built this year — off the east coast of the country on Thursday. KCNA cited Kim as saying the country’s two destroyers will play a big role in improving the North Korean navy’s operational capabilities. Kim reiterated previous claims that his naval buildup is a justified response to perceived threats posed by the U.S. and its allies in Asia, which in recent years have expanded their combined military exercises and updated their deterrence strategies to counter Kim’s nuclear ambitions. He said the North will respond to the threats by his rivals with “overwhelming military action” and vowed to build a navy with “long-range operational capabilities.” “It will not be long before the enemy nations themselves experience just how provoking and unpleasant it is to sit back and watch as our warships freely move near the edges of their sovereign waters,” Kim said. Outside experts earlier said it remained unclear how severely the 5,000-ton-class destroyer was damaged and questioned North Korea’s claim that it needed 10 days to fix the ship’s damages that it described as “not serious.” The damaged warship was in the same class as the country’s first destroyer unveiled in April, which experts assessed as the North’s largest and most advanced warship to date. Kim lavishly praised that ship, which was launched in the western port of Nampo, saying it advances his goal of expanding the military’s operations range and nuclear strike capabilities. Kim said the ruling Workers’ Party has confirmed plans to build two more 5,000-ton-class destroyers next year, according to Friday’s KCNA dispatch. (AP)

The Trump administration filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday against the state of New York, challenging a law that restricts immigration agents from making arrests at courthouses. The administration argued that the measure intentionally provides cover for individuals it deems dangerous, the AP reports.

Filed in the Northern District of New York, the case marks yet another legal battle between the federal government and jurisdictions the administration accuses of obstructing immigration enforcement efforts.

“Lawless sanctuary city policies are the root cause of the violence that Americans have seen in California, and New York State is similarly employing sanctuary city policies to prevent illegal aliens from apprehension,” U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a written statement.

The contested law, titled the 2020 Protect Our Courts Act, bars immigration officials from detaining individuals on courthouse grounds unless they have a judicial warrant. The legislation was authored by Democratic state Sen. Brad Hoylman, who previously accused Trump-era immigration agents of using New York’s courts as “hunting grounds.”

Calling the new legal challenge “baseless and frivolous,” Hoylman pointed out that the statute does not extend to federal or immigration courts.

“At a time when masked ICE officials are roaming the state and lawlessly detaining New Yorkers without any due process, the law preserves access to justice and participation in the judicial process,” Hoylman said in a statement. “I am confident that this lawsuit will be summarily dismissed but I continue to be appalled at the Trump administration’s increasingly-brazen attempts to undermine the protections of the rule of law in New York.”

According to the Justice Department, courthouses provide a secure environment for arrests because individuals are screened for weapons and prohibited items before entering, minimizing risk to officers and civilians.

{Matzav.com}

Norway was slammed for its absurd double standards when, on the same day it announced the imposition of sanctions on Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, law-abiding citizens, it welcomed the foreign minister of Iran, the world’s leading sponsor of terror, with open arms. Norway joined the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand in the unprecedented step of imposing sanctions on senior government members of the only democracy in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Norway is hosting Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Oslo, where he was invited to speak at the 22nd Oslo Forum and has meetings scheduled with senior officials from Norway and other countries. Norway greeted Aragchi with a full red-carpet treatment, hosting him at Oslo’s Grand Hotel, where leaders of major powers have stayed, including former U.S. President Barack Obama. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar refused to speak with his British counterpart, David Lammy, when the latter called on Tuesday evening to “update him” on the decision to impose sanctions on Ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. According to a Ynet report, Sa’ar’s refusal is considered a highly unusual move due to the close alliance between Israel and the UK. But the Foreign Ministry explained that the move was taken in response to the British move, which was “unprecedented in its severity.” The Trump administration on Tuesday slammed the sanctions as “extremely unhelpful,” with State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce saying, “They should focus on the real culprit, which is Hamas.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) issued a fiery response after Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) was forcibly taken out of a Department of Homeland Security press event and placed in handcuffs following a heated confrontation with Secretary Kristi Noem.

The disruption occurred Thursday in Los Angeles when Padilla began shouting during Noem’s remarks, refusing to stand down. Security agents quickly intervened, removed him from the room, and eventually restrained him on the ground before applying handcuffs.

Governor Newsom reacted strongly to the spectacle, accusing President Donald Trump of authoritarian behavior and drawing parallels to totalitarian regimes. “Senator Alex Padilla is one of the most decent people I know,” Newsom posted on X. “This is outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful. Trump and his shock troops are out of control. This must end now.”

Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) joined in the outcry, demanding a formal probe into the conduct of the officers who handled the removal of Padilla. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) expressed alarm as well, stating he wants “immediate answers to what the hell went on,” while Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) labeled the episode “abhorrent and outrageous.”

Vice President Kamala Harris, who previously lost her bid for the presidency, condemned the situation in the strongest terms, describing it as an egregious display of overreach. “United States Senator Alex Padilla was representing the millions of Californians who are demanding answers to this Administration’s actions in Southern California,” Harris wrote on X. “This is a shameful and stunning abuse of power.”

{Matzav.com}

The CIA released nearly 1,500 pages of previously classified documents relating to New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and his 1968 assassination on Thursday, detailing the spy agency’s work to investigate his killing as well as previously unknown contacts between him and the agency. Kennedy met with the CIA following a 1955 tour of the Soviet Union, relaying his observations to the spy agency as a voluntary informant, the documents show. The newly available material comprises 54 documents, including memos about the agency’s work to investigate whether RFK’s killer had any foreign ties, as well as the response to his killing by foreign powers. The records also included documents about the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., as well as the attempted assassination of Alabama Gov. George Wallace in 1972. One internal CIA memo detailed how the agency unsuccessfully sought to poison Cuban leader Fidel Castro in 1960 and 1961. It worked with a “high-ranking” Mafia figure in Las Vegas who “controlled all of the ice-making machines on the Strip.” Another internal CIA memo from December 1973 reported on a conference at Georgetown University for a group promoting assassination conspiracy theories. One speaker was “long-winded and technical.” “Beards and long hair prevailed,” the memo said, a reminder of the clean-shaven, crew-cut norm for government employees at the time. President Donald Trump had ordered the release of documents relating to the assassinations of RFK, President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. More than 10,000 pages of records pertaining to RFK’s assassination were released in April. The records released Thursday also included documents about the JFK and King killings, some produced after RFK’s death and dealing with conspiracy theories. “Today’s release delivers on President Trump’s commitment to maximum transparency, enabling the CIA to shine light on information that serves the public interest,” CIA Director John Ratcliffe said in a statement. “I am proud to share our work on this incredibly important topic with the American people.” Kennedy, a Democrat, was fatally shot on June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles moments after giving a speech celebrating his victory in California’s presidential primary. His assassin, Sirhan Sirhan, was convicted of first-degree murder and is serving life in prison. One document released Thursday, a CIA memo to the White House the day after the assassination, showed that its first search of its records turned up no information about Sirhan. Kennedy’s contacts with the CIA following his visit to the Soviet Union reflected the tensions of the time, and the high value put on personal observations of Americans who traveled to Russia and other former Soviet regions. Prominent elected officials and business leaders visiting the USSR were often asked to share their observations following their return. The documents show that RFK was a voluntary informant. In a statement Thursday, the CIA showed the meetings reflected RFK’s “patriotic commitment” to serving his country. Many of his observations reflected granular observations about daily life. “On 29 Aug 55, while in Novosibirsk, USSR, a friend and I visited a State machine factory. The factory has 3,500 employees, of whom one third are women. The wage scale is between 840 and 2,500 rubles,” Kennedy told the CIA interviewer, according to the documents. “The Director of the plant whose name […]

He Gave All He Could. Now It’s Our Turn. Love saved Moishy once. Let’s make it save him again. Moishy is just nine months old. He was born healthy — a beautiful third child to committed, working parents. But weeks later, all that changed. His parents rushed him back to the hospital. Something was terribly wrong. Doctors found a rare, life-threatening condition, nearly impossible to diagnose in time. His health declined rapidly. In a last-ditch effort of love, Moishy’s father, Eli, donated part of his own liver to save his baby’s life.  It worked. But only for a while.  Now, Moishy needs urgent heart surgery and innovative treatments. He’s too small and weak for standard care. Only top specialists can help — but at a cost that’s far beyond his family’s means. Eli is recovering from major surgery. And from his hospital bed, he begs: “I gave my child my liver. I’d give him my heart if I could. But now, I have nothing left to give… except this cry for help.” The family is doing everything they can — selling belongings, caring for two other young children, praying day and night. But the treatments that Moishy needs will cost $200,000, and they cannot get there by themselves.  Donate now A Personal Blessing from Rabbi Meir Sirota Rosh Chodesh Sivan, 5785 “I implore you to help baby Moishy, son of Eli – a devoted Torah teacher who gave part of his own body to save his child. Now Moishy’s life is on the line, and he is in urgent need of treatment that the family cannot afford. This is pikuach nefesh a life threatened. The zchus of saving a life will surely bring bracha and protection to you and your family.”