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The Trump administration has begun erecting 30-foot border wall panels across a section of the remote Big Bend region of West Texas, moving ahead with a major expansion of the U.S.-Mexico border barrier despite opposition from local landowners, elected officials and environmental groups.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed Friday that crews have begun installing the massive steel panels in Hudspeth County, part of a 47-mile stretch designated by the government as Big Bend 1. Construction began earlier in the week, with CBP posting an image showing a crane hoisting one of the wall sections into position.

The work marks the first major wall construction to get underway in the Big Bend area under the administration’s current plans. The broader initiative calls for five separate projects across a region that encompasses hundreds of miles of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Big Bend takes its name from the sweeping curve made by the Rio Grande as it winds through the rugged West Texas landscape. The region is known for its mountains, desert terrain and dramatic river canyons and includes Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park and other protected areas.

CBP has emphasized that the construction now underway is not taking place inside the most prominent protected lands in the region.

The agency said it currently has no plans to erect a wall in “Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, or the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area.”

However, other types of border-security infrastructure have been proposed in portions of the broader Big Bend area, including areas involving the national park, and those plans have generated lawsuits and substantial local opposition.

Work on two other projects, known as Big Bend 2 and Big Bend 4, is currently paused through September 30. CBP agreed to halt ground-disturbing activity on those projects to “allow for additional public engagement.”

Big Bend 4 includes portions of Big Bend National Park and continues east toward the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River and Lower Canyons area, while Big Bend 2 runs from the Ruidosa area toward Madera Canyon in Big Bend Ranch State Park.

The temporary pause followed legal challenges and weeks of pressure from residents and elected officials who have questioned the need for extensive barriers in the sparsely populated region and expressed concern about the effects on private property, wildlife, tourism and historically significant areas.

Opponents have argued that the Big Bend region is fundamentally different from more heavily trafficked sections of the southern border. Historically, it has recorded the fewest illegal crossings of any region along the southwest border, according to a recent Texas Tribune review.

The administration, however, has maintained that physical barriers and other security infrastructure are necessary to deter illegal crossings and strengthen control of stretches of the border that currently have little or no physical barrier.

The Big Bend construction is part of a much larger border-security effort backed by tens of billions of dollars in federal funding. The administration’s broader plans combine physical walls and barriers with access roads, surveillance equipment and other technology.

Local opposition has remained intense even as construction begins.

Clara Benson, founder of the No Big Bend Wall Coalition, told The Associated Press that her organization had received reports in recent days of construction equipment and supplies being transported into the region. She said opponents intend to continue challenging the project regardless of how much construction takes place.

“We will continue fighting to the end,” Benson said, per the AP. “You talk to people in west Texas and they say even if they put it up, we’ll fight for them to take it down. So this fight is not over.”

Opponents have also raised concerns about the potential consequences for ranching and other local businesses.

Yolanda Alvarado, a cattle rancher and regional director of No Big Bend Wall, previously warned that the effects could extend well beyond the individual properties on which barriers are erected.

“Our livelihoods are threatened at this point. Not just landowners, but business owners, and not just Big Bend National Park …. it’s everyone in this region.”

Landowners have also taken their objections to court. A coalition representing 230 landowners filed a federal lawsuit on September 14 challenging the administration’s plans to construct border barriers across portions of the Big Bend region.

One farmer involved in the litigation said the proposed construction could interfere with his family’s ability to access water needed for agricultural operations, illustrating one of the property-rights disputes surrounding the project.

Resistance has not been confined to environmental organizations or traditionally Democratic officials.

In March, sheriffs representing five West Texas counties sent a bipartisan letter to federal and state officials opposing construction of a wall in the Big Bend region.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican, has also pressed federal officials to consult local stakeholders about the projects and the possible consequences for the region. The concerns raised have included potential effects on wildlife migration, Native American cultural sites, tourism and the regional economy.

Big Bend National Park is itself an important economic engine for the surrounding communities. More than 568,000 recreational visitors came to the park in 2025, generating nearly $64 million in economic activity, according to figures cited amid the ongoing dispute.

Federal officials have held discussions with local leaders, although those meetings have not resolved the disagreement.

Earlier this month, county judges from the region were scheduled to meet with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin about the border projects. Mullin did not attend the meeting, leaving department staff members to speak with the officials instead.

Brewster County Judge Greg Henington said afterward that the discussion produced little new information, although he indicated that CBP officials appeared to be considering some of the concerns raised by local leaders.

“It was the same old same old,” Henington said.

Henington said local officials continued to urge Washington to clearly explain its plans, make use of existing infrastructure where possible and repair damage resulting from construction.

“I just reiterated to him that our message back to Washington is the same as it was two weeks ago,” Henington said. “Our three points were: Number one, get your message straight and stick to it. Do what you say and say what you do. Two, use existing infrastructure. And three, try to find a way to not just build a road and abandon it, and repair what you tore up.”

Despite those objections, the Big Bend 1 project in Hudspeth County is now moving forward.

CBP says it has accelerated construction elsewhere along the southern border as well, with crews currently completing approximately 12 miles of barriers per week. The agency says about 200 miles of new construction have been completed since President Trump returned to office.

For now, the legal and political battle is proceeding alongside the physical construction. Crews are installing the 30-foot panels along the Big Bend 1 corridor, while activity on Big Bend 2 and Big Bend 4 remains paused through September 30 as federal officials conduct additional discussions with local stakeholders.

The result is an unusual split across the sprawling West Texas region: construction of President Trump’s border wall has now begun in one section of Big Bend, even as lawsuits, temporary pauses and opposition from landowners and officials leave the future of several other sections unresolved.

The White House yesterday began enforcing President Donald Trump’s ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico, denying journalists from all three news organizations entry to the White House complex and confiscating or disabling press credentials, one day after the President announced that the outlets would no longer be permitted on the grounds.

The three organizations quickly condemned the move, saying it interfered with constitutionally protected press freedoms and indicating that they were prepared to challenge the restrictions. The White House Correspondents’ Association also objected and called for the journalists’ access to be restored.

MS NOW was among the first outlets to report Saturday morning that its journalists had been stopped from entering.

“Earlier this morning MS NOW journalists were denied access to the White House grounds. The White House belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars,” MS NOW wrote in a statement. “MS NOW intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy.”

CBS News independently reported seeing MS NOW correspondent Akayla Gardner and a cameraman turned away from the White House at approximately 8 a.m. Saturday. Their press passes had been revoked.

CNN confirmed roughly two hours later that its own journalists had also been prevented from entering the White House grounds. Senior White House reporter Betsy Klein said her credential had been deactivated and subsequently confiscated.

CNN characterized the restriction as an “illegal assault” on press freedom and said it would continue covering the administration regardless of whether its journalists were permitted inside the White House.

“CNN’s mission to report on the U.S. government will continue regardless of any attempts to restrict physical access to the White House and other government buildings, or any other attempts to impede our journalism,” CNN said in its statement. “We have a right under the U.S. Constitution to do our reporting without hindrance or interference from the government.”

Politico subsequently disclosed that White House reporter Cheyenne Haslett had also attempted to enter the complex and was turned away.

Politico Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Greenberger said Haslett’s credential was taken after she attempted to report for work.

“A few minutes ago, our colleague Cheyenne Haslett attempted to enter the White House to do her job as a POLITICO reporter. Secret Service denied her entry to the complex and confiscated the pass that allows her access to the White House,” Greenberger said in a statement, which was first distributed internally to Politico’s newsroom.

The restrictions followed Trump’s announcement Friday that CNN, MS NOW and Politico were barred from the White House “effective immediately.” The President accused the organizations of publishing false coverage of him, his administration and the country and warned that other news organizations could eventually face similar restrictions.

“Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America,” Trump wrote.

The President said Friday that his decision was based on what he described as a broader pattern of coverage rather than a single article or broadcast. Asked at a news conference whether he was attempting to intimidate journalists, Trump rejected that characterization and criticized media coverage he considers dishonest.

For Gardner, the effect of the new policy became apparent when she arrived at the White House Saturday morning and attempted to use her credential.

She said she successfully passed the initial security checkpoints but encountered a problem when she scanned the badge that normally allows her to enter the complex.

“It did not work. There was a red beeping light,” Gardner said.

According to Gardner, an officer then informed her that the credential had been disabled and took it from her. When she asked for an explanation, she said the officer told her the matter was “above him.”

The restrictions did not appear to be applied uniformly to every employee of the affected organizations Saturday morning. Gardner said an MS NOW producer accompanying her was still able to enter the White House, even though her own credential and that of a photographer had been disabled.

CNN’s Klein reported a similar encounter. She said a security officer informed her that her pass had been deactivated and confiscated it, directing her to the White House press office if she wanted additional information.

The restrictions immediately drew criticism from press-freedom organizations and journalists, including some media figures whose organizations were not affected by the ban. The critics argued that excluding journalists because of the content of their reporting raises First Amendment concerns.

CNN had already signaled that it was prepared to challenge the restriction after Trump announced it Friday.

“Should the ban which President Trump threatened go ahead, it would be an illegal assault on that fundamental and constitutionally-protected right,” a CNN spokesperson said in a statement.

Trump has had a contentious relationship with CNN for years and has repeatedly criticized both the network and individual correspondents. During an Oval Office appearance in June, Trump described CNN as “crooked as hell” and “a very corrupt organization.” He also criticized CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins, calling her a “corrupt reporter” with “hatred in her eyes.”

Politico similarly indicated that it intended to contest the restrictions.

“We stand by her and all reporters here covering the White House. As we said yesterday, we will vigorously defend our First Amendment rights,” Greenberger said following Haslett’s removal.

Trump has separately accused Politico of receiving $8 million in government subsidies connected to subscriptions to Politico Pro, the publication’s premium information service. Politico has disputed the characterization that government purchases of its subscription products amounted to subsidies.

“The claims that POLITICO received government subsidies are false and have been thoroughly debunked,” Politico said in a statement.

The White House Correspondents’ Association also weighed in following Saturday’s incidents. WHCA President Jacqui Heinrich said the decision raised concerns extending beyond the three organizations immediately affected.

The action “violates the First Amendment,” Heinrich said, adding that the WHCA “calls on the administration to immediately restore our colleagues’ access.”

“The implications extend beyond these organizations: a standard used to exclude one news outlet because of its coverage could be applied to any outlet in the future,” Heinrich wrote. “The American people, through a free and independent press, must be able to scrutinize those elected to power, regardless of whether government officials view it favorably. That’s why courts have repeatedly held that once the White House provides access to journalists, it cannot deny that access arbitrarily or based on the content of their reporting.”

Previous disputes over White House press credentials have resulted in federal court rulings against administrations that withdrew individual reporters’ access without adequate process. Courts ordered the restoration of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta’s credential in 2018 and Playboy correspondent Brian Karem’s credential in 2019, although the precise legal questions surrounding the latest restrictions could be litigated separately.

The latest action represents a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between the Trump administration and news organizations whose coverage the President has repeatedly criticized. Trump has also suggested that CNN, MS NOW and Politico may not be the last organizations affected by the new approach.

For now, all three outlets say they intend to continue covering President Trump and his administration despite being denied physical access to the White House, while their statements Saturday indicated that a legal challenge to the restrictions could follow.

{Matzav.com}

WATCH:

An estimated 150,000 people filled the Kosel plaza and the surrounding streets of the Old City on Motzoei Shabbos for the final and largest Selichos gathering before Yom Kippur, bringing an extraordinary month of tefillah at the Kosel to a close as Klal Yisroel prepared for the holiest day of the year.

The enormous crowd began arriving during the early evening hours, eventually filling not only the Kosel plaza but nearby balconies, passageways and alleys throughout the Old City. The gathering represented the culmination of weeks of Selichos at the Kosel, which have drawn increasingly large crowds throughout Elul and the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah. Earlier in Elul, some 50,000 people attended just one of the major Selichos gatherings.

Among those participating in the final Selichos were several survivors of Hamas captivity, including Eliya Cohen, Rom Braslavski, Elkana Bohbot and Ohad Ben Ami. Cohen was accompanied by his partner, Ziv Abud, who survived the Nova festival massacre.

Their arrival generated an emotional response from the tens of thousands gathered at the Kosel, many of whom greeted the survivors warmly. Their presence carried particular significance after years in which tefillos for the hostages had become a central part of public gatherings at the Kosel.

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Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu attended together with his wife, Sara Netanyahu. Also participating were Sephardic Chief Rabbi Rav David Yosef; Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Rav Kalman Meir Ber; Rav Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rav of the Kosel and the holy sites; Yerushalayim Mayor Moshe Lion; government ministers; public officials; and numerous rabbanim and other dignitaries.

During the gathering, Netanyahu offered a tefillah for the safety and success of IDF soldiers and members of Israel’s security forces, as well as for the protection of Eretz Yisroel.

The Chief Rabbis similarly offered heartfelt tefillos for the welfare of the Jewish people and for greater achdus among Yidden.

Addressing the massive crowd, Rav Rabinowitz reflected on the remarkable scenes witnessed at the Kosel throughout the preceding weeks and the diverse cross-section of Jews who had come together for Selichos.

“This month has once again proven that the Western Wall is the beating heart of the Jewish people. From every corner of the country and from every part of our nation, people came here in large numbers – members of every community, holding every opinion and worldview, those who wear a kippah and those who do not – and stood together as one, with one heart. Together, we prayed for the success of IDF soldiers, the recovery of the wounded, the comfort of bereaved families, and the peace and unity of the people of Israel. From the holiness and spiritual elevation of the Selichot gatherings, we enter the new year with great hope: a year of healing and comfort, victory and blessing, and above all – a year in which we remember that we are all one people, bound by a shared fate and united in a shared prayer.”

The sheer size of the crowd meant that many people were unable to enter the Kosel plaza itself. To allow those gathered farther away to participate, the proceedings were broadcast live on large screens positioned outside the main plaza.

Additional screens were installed on the walls near Jaffa Gate and at IDF Square, with the assistance of the Yerushalayim Municipality and the Yerushalayim Development Authority. The broadcasts allowed the overflowing crowds throughout the surrounding area to follow the Selichos and join the tefillos despite being unable to reach the plaza.

The massive Motzoei Shabbos gathering capped an extraordinary Elul and Aseres Yemei Teshuvah at the Kosel. According to the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, nearly two million people from across Eretz Yisroel and from a wide range of backgrounds came to the Kosel during the Selichos period.

The crowds included former hostages, bereaved families, wounded IDF soldiers and disabled veterans, active-duty soldiers, members of the security forces and countless other Jews who came to daven during the Yemei Harachamim V’Haselichos.

The Western Wall Heritage Foundation said: “We conclude the month of mercy and Selichot with great satisfaction and emotion. During this period, nearly two million worshippers from across the country and from all segments of Israeli society visited the Western Wall plaza. Among them were captivity survivors, bereaved families, wounded and disabled IDF veterans, IDF soldiers, and members of the security forces, alongside countless members of the people of Israel, who came together in shared prayer for the sake of the people of Israel.”

The foundation has meanwhile completed its preparations for Yom Kippur itself, when thousands more are expected to make their way to the Kosel over the course of the fast.

Particularly large crowds are expected toward the end of Yom Kippur for Neilah, when the plaza traditionally fills with mispallelim for the final tefillah of the day.

{Matzav.com}

War Secretary Pete Hegseth is forcefully denying a Washington Post report alleging that more American service members have died during the ongoing war with Iran than the Pentagon has publicly acknowledged, calling the newspaper’s account “DISGUSTING and FAKE” and “a complete LIE.”

The dispute erupted after the Post reported Friday that at least 22 U.S. military personnel have died since the United States and Israel began military operations against Iran on February 28 — at least four more than the 18 deaths currently reflected in the Pentagon’s public Defense Casualty Analysis System, known as DCAS.

Hegseth responded to the story with an unusually sharp denunciation.

“This is DISGUSTING and FAKE. A complete LIE,” Hegseth wrote on X. “Shame on the Washington Post — they’re worse than Iranian state media.”

The Post based its report on interviews with six U.S. officials described as familiar with the War Department’s internal casualty accounting. Five of those officials told the newspaper that at least 22 service members have died, while a sixth placed the figure at 23.

According to that sixth official, not every death omitted from the public tally was necessarily the direct result of enemy action. Rather, the additional cases involved American military personnel serving in the Middle East during the hostilities.

That distinction is significant because the dispute is not simply over the number of Americans killed directly by Iranian attacks. The Post’s report concerns whether all U.S. military deaths connected to personnel deployed in the region during the war are being properly reflected in the Pentagon’s public casualty accounting.

The identities of the additional service members, along with precisely when, where and how they died, have not been publicly established. Officials who spoke to the Post reportedly expressed frustration that the deaths they were aware of internally did not appear in the publicly accessible casualty database.

The Post also reported that three U.S. contractors based in the Middle East have died since the conflict began. Those contractor deaths are separate from the military fatality count.

The Pentagon declined to answer detailed questions from the Post about the apparent discrepancy before publication, according to the newspaper. Hegseth subsequently issued his categorical denial on social media, but his response did not provide a detailed accounting explaining why the officials’ figures differed from the public database.

The controversy follows earlier questions surrounding changes to the Pentagon’s public casualty numbers.

In July, the Pentagon’s public tally of American military personnel killed during the Iran conflict temporarily fell from 18 to 14, according to reporting at the time. Military officials said four names had disappeared from the count because those service members died after President Donald Trump announced an April ceasefire that subsequently broke down.

The Pentagon disputed suggestions that it was intentionally reducing the casualty count. Acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez attributed the discrepancy to “temporary data disruptions” and “anomalies” affecting the department’s website.

“The department attempted to explain the anomalies to The New York Times ahead of publication, but given their lack of knowledge in this area, they proceeded to write a non-story,” Valdez said at the time, adding, “We remain committed to ensuring the utmost accuracy of all casualty reporting.”

The latest Post report has renewed scrutiny of the casualty-accounting system, particularly because the officials cited by the newspaper claim the internal numbers do not match those available to the public.

The Defense Casualty Analysis System is the Pentagon’s official public database for casualty information. How a service member’s death is classified can depend on the circumstances surrounding it and the results of military investigations, meaning that deaths occurring in a combat theater are not automatically categorized as combat deaths.

That distinction may ultimately prove important in resolving the apparent discrepancy. The Post acknowledged that some of the additional deaths identified by its sources were not necessarily caused directly by the fighting with Iran.

But the newspaper’s sources maintain that the overall number of American service members who have died while serving in the region since the war began is higher than the figure currently presented publicly by the Pentagon.

Reuters independently reported the existence of the Post story and Hegseth’s denial but did not independently verify the newspaper’s figure of at least 22 deaths.

The controversy comes as American forces remain heavily engaged across the Middle East and as the human and financial costs of the war continue to attract scrutiny in Washington.

More than 800 American service members have also reportedly been wounded since the conflict began, although casualty classifications and the relationship of individual injuries to direct combat vary.

The disagreement over fatalities has now become a broader dispute over transparency, with the Post standing by reporting based on multiple officials familiar with internal figures while Hegseth is flatly rejecting the central allegation.

At present, the two accounts remain unresolved publicly: the Pentagon database lists 18 military deaths associated with the conflict, while five officials cited by the Post say the actual number is at least 22 and another places it at 23. The identities and circumstances of the additional deaths cited by those officials have not been made public.

U.S. mortgage rates have climbed sharply again, with a closely watched daily measure of the average 30-year fixed mortgage reaching 7.20% on Friday, September 18, adding another major affordability hurdle for Americans already confronting elevated home prices and a sluggish housing market.

The 7.20% figure comes from Mortgage News Daily’s daily index, which stood at 7.19% Thursday and 7.24% Wednesday. Just one month ago, the same benchmark was roughly 6.75%, meaning borrowing costs have risen by about 45 basis points in a matter of weeks. A year ago, the index stood at 6.37%.

Other widely followed mortgage surveys show somewhat lower rates because they use different methodologies and reporting periods. Freddie Mac’s weekly survey put the average 30-year fixed mortgage at 6.95% for the week ending September 17, up sharply from 6.76% a week earlier. Zillow marketplace data put the average at 7.04% heading into the weekend.

The takeaway, however, is consistent across the major gauges: mortgage borrowing costs have risen rapidly and are once again hovering around or above the psychologically significant 7% level.

Mortgage News Daily’s 30-year rate was 7.12% on September 11, 7.17% on September 14, 7.22% on September 15 and 7.24% on September 16 before easing slightly. Its September 18 reading of 7.20% was 83 basis points higher than the comparable rate one year earlier.

The latest surge comes amid renewed pressure in the bond market, persistent inflation concerns and a significant shift in Federal Reserve policy.

The Federal Reserve this week raised its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point, its first increase in roughly three years, as policymakers sought to address inflation that has remained stubbornly above the central bank’s target. Inflation has recently been running at 3.4% year over year, while higher energy prices have added to concerns that price pressures could remain elevated.

Mortgage rates are not directly set by the Federal Reserve. Instead, they tend to track longer-term bond yields, particularly the 10-year Treasury yield, while also reflecting expectations about inflation, economic growth and future monetary policy.

The 10-year Treasury yield recently approached 5%, helping drive mortgage rates higher. Concerns about persistent inflation, government borrowing and the enormous amount of capital being raised for artificial-intelligence infrastructure have all contributed to pressure on longer-term borrowing costs.

The jump to 7.2% can make a substantial difference for a homebuyer.

On a $500,000 30-year mortgage, principal and interest at 6% would be approximately $2,998 per month. At 7.2%, the payment rises to roughly $3,394 — nearly $400 more every month, or about $4,750 more per year. That does not include property taxes, homeowners insurance or other housing costs.

For a $750,000 mortgage, the difference becomes even more pronounced: principal and interest at 6% would be about $4,497 monthly, compared with approximately $5,091 at 7.2%, a difference of nearly $600 every month.

The renewed rise in rates is particularly painful because home prices remain elevated in many parts of the country. Unlike previous periods when high mortgage rates coincided with significantly lower home prices, today’s buyers are frequently confronting both expensive financing and expensive properties.

The result has been an unusually difficult housing environment in which many prospective buyers cannot afford to purchase while existing homeowners have little incentive to sell.

Millions of homeowners refinanced or purchased homes when mortgage rates were around 3% during the pandemic-era period of exceptionally low borrowing costs. Selling a home with a 3% mortgage and purchasing another property with financing near 7% can dramatically increase a homeowner’s monthly payment even if the new house is not significantly more expensive.

That so-called mortgage “lock-in” effect has contributed to reduced housing turnover and constrained the supply of existing homes available for sale.

Home sales have consequently remained near historically weak levels. The Associated Press reported that sales have been hovering around lows not seen in roughly three decades, while pending home sales were recently down 4.7% from a year earlier.

The latest rate increase also represents a striking reversal from expectations earlier in the year that borrowing costs might gradually ease.

The Federal Reserve’s move toward higher rates has complicated that outlook. Bank of America economists now expect two additional Fed rate increases before the end of 2026, citing persistent inflation and continued strength in the economy, although financial markets currently see fewer additional increases as more likely.

The Fed’s benchmark rate and mortgage rates do not necessarily move in lockstep. Indeed, mortgage rates can fall even when the Fed raises rates if investors become convinced that tighter monetary policy will ultimately bring inflation under control. Conversely, mortgage rates can rise without a Fed move when bond investors become more concerned about inflation or government borrowing.

The difference between various published mortgage-rate figures also means borrowers should not assume that 7.20% is the rate they will personally receive.

Mortgage News Daily describes its figure as an average daily rate for a top-tier conventional 30-year fixed mortgage and notes that an individual borrower’s actual cost can be higher depending on the circumstances. Freddie Mac’s weekly survey uses a different methodology, while Zillow and other services derive averages from their own lender networks.

A borrower’s credit score, down payment, debt-to-income ratio, loan size, location, type of mortgage and whether points are paid upfront can all substantially change the rate offered by a lender.

Government-backed loans are also currently carrying somewhat lower headline rates. Recent marketplace data showed 30-year FHA and VA mortgages in the mid-6% range, compared with conventional 30-year mortgages above 7%, though fees, eligibility requirements and APRs must also be considered.

For would-be buyers, the return of 7%-plus mortgages amounts to another setback after several years of unusually difficult affordability conditions.

The broader question now is whether 7.2% represents a temporary spike caused by recent volatility or the beginning of another sustained period of elevated mortgage costs. With inflation remaining above the Fed’s target and policymakers signaling continued concern about price pressures, there is little certainty that meaningful relief for homebuyers is imminent.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng are set to meet Sunday morning at JPMorgan Chase’s Manhattan headquarters for a new round of high-level U.S.-China negotiations, with artificial intelligence security, trade, rare-earth minerals and other major economic disputes expected to dominate the discussions.

The meeting takes on added significance because it will occur just days before President Donald Trump welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington for a two-day state visit. Trump and Xi are scheduled to meet at the White House on Thursday, September 24, with Xi’s visit continuing into Friday.

Bessent and He are scheduled to begin their talks at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at JPMorgan Chase’s headquarters in Manhattan, according to a person familiar with the arrangements. The discussions are expected to help prepare the ground for the Trump-Xi meeting later in the week.

JPMorgan itself will not be participating in the negotiations. The banking giant agreed to make its headquarters available as a venue because of the heightened security environment in Manhattan as world leaders and delegations begin arriving for the United Nations General Assembly.

Sunday’s meeting will bring Bessent and He back together at a consequential moment in the economic relationship between the world’s two largest economies.

The agenda is expected to extend beyond traditional trade disputes. Bessent plans to discuss artificial intelligence, AI security, rare-earth minerals and broader economic issues with the Chinese vice premier, according to a source familiar with the Treasury secretary’s plans.

Artificial intelligence has increasingly become a central element of the U.S.-China economic and technological rivalry, with both countries investing heavily in advanced AI systems. The issue has also taken on a security dimension as policymakers and technology companies debate how powerful AI models should be developed, tested and safeguarded.

The talks come one day after President Trump announced plans to establish what he called an “AI Force” and appoint a new AI adviser, or “AI czar,” although he did not provide details about the proposed initiative’s structure or responsibilities.

Rare-earth minerals are another expected focus. The materials are critical to the production of semiconductors, defense equipment, electric vehicles and a wide range of advanced technologies, making access to them an important element of the broader economic competition between Washington and Beijing.

Trade will also remain front and center as the two governments continue negotiating over tariffs and other restrictions. The United States and China have been discussing possible tariff adjustments ahead of the Trump-Xi summit, while the future of the current trade truce remains among the issues hanging over the relationship.

The Sunday session is the latest in a series of meetings between Bessent and He, who have emerged as two of the principal figures managing economic negotiations between Washington and Beijing.

Bessent has also maintained contacts with major American business leaders as the administration considers the economic implications of its China policies.

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon previously participated in a G20 finance leaders meeting hosted by the Treasury Department in Asheville, North Carolina, at Bessent’s invitation. Dimon addressed the gathering about prospects for private-sector economic growth.

Dimon is also among the American corporate leaders invited to attend the White House state dinner honoring Xi during the Chinese president’s visit next week, according to U.S. officials.

The JPMorgan chief, however, was not part of the delegation of American executives that accompanied President Trump to Beijing in May for Trump’s previous meeting with Xi.

Xi’s upcoming visit is expected to include an elaborate White House welcome as well as extensive discussions between the two presidents. President Trump is also expected to personally greet Xi upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews, an unusual gesture for an incoming foreign leader.

The schedule includes bilateral talks and a White House state dinner, with prominent American business and technology executives among those invited. Trade, tariffs, rare-earth minerals and artificial intelligence are all expected to feature in the broader discussions surrounding the visit.

Against that backdrop, Sunday’s Bessent-He meeting is expected to serve as an important preparatory session, giving the two governments an opportunity to narrow differences or clarify their positions before Trump and Xi sit down face-to-face four days later.

With the United Nations General Assembly bringing world leaders to New York at the same time, the unusual choice of JPMorgan’s Manhattan headquarters provides the American and Chinese delegations with a secure setting for negotiations that could help shape the agenda when the two presidents meet later in the week.

The Syrian Jewish community is mourning the sudden petirah of Chacham Leon Gindi zt”l, a longtime rav at Shaare Zion and an accomplished talmid chochom, who was niftar at the age of 79 after suffering a massive heart attack toward the end of Shabbos.

The shocking petirah occurred with virtually no warning. Chacham Gindi was addressing the congregation when he suddenly suffered the medical emergency. Emergency personnel responded and extensive efforts were made to save his life, but tragically, he was niftar.

For decades, Chacham Gindi was a familiar and respected presence at Shaare Zion, one of the central institutions of the Syrian Jewish community in Brooklyn. He served the congregation as a rav, teaching Torah and providing guidance to generations of families.

More than the position he held, however, those who knew Chacham Gindi remember a man steeped in Torah. He was regarded as a significant talmid chochom, whose learning was not simply something he possessed, but something around which his life revolved.

There was a particularly painful symbolism to the circumstances of his petirah. At 79 years old, Chacham Gindi was not retiring from communal life or withdrawing from the responsibilities he had carried for so many years. His final moments came while doing what had defined so much of his life, standing before fellow Jews and delivering words of Torah.

His passing during these days, immediately before Yom Kippur, has added another layer of emotion for those who heard him speak and learned from him over the years. A rav who spent his life teaching and inspiring others was taken suddenly as the community was preparing for the holiest day of the year.

Chacham Gindi belonged to the distinguished rabbinic tradition that has long been one of the defining features of New York’s Syrian Jewish community, where the chachamim have served not merely as shul rabbis but as teachers, poskim, spiritual guides and anchors of communal life.

Chacham Gindi was a son-in-law of Chacham Yom Tov Yedid zt”l, chief rabbi of Aleppo.

Those familiar with him describe Chacham Gindi as a man whose stature rested on genuine Torah knowledge rather than fanfare. His was the steady, enduring influence of a rav who continued learning, teaching and speaking to his congregation well into his later years.

Chacham Leon Gindi zt”l leaves behind the legacy of a life devoted to Torah, avodah and service to the Syrian Jewish community, and of a rav who remained at his post until literally the final moments of his life.

Levayah and shiva information will be provided as details become available.

Yehi zichro baruch.

Joint List MK Ahmad Tibi triggered a political uproar Saturday night after declaring that Israel’s Arab parties would play a central role in efforts to replace the current government and could move immediately after the election to replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana. Likud responded by arguing that Tibi’s remarks support its contention that opposition figures could depend on Arab-party backing to form or sustain an alternative governing bloc.

Speaking on Channel 12’s Meet the Press, Tibi discussed the political leverage Arab parties could hold following the election, particularly if parties opposed to the current government collectively secure a parliamentary majority.

“Without the Arab parties, it is impossible to replace the government. We will replace the Knesset Speaker immediately after the elections,” Tibi said, according to the Likud statement responding to the interview.

In the fuller interview, Tibi said the Arab parties could pursue a range of parliamentary moves even if there were no immediate agreement on forming a new government. He specifically indicated that his faction would back an alternative candidate for Knesset speaker rather than Ohana.

“You think we’ll vote for Amir Ohana? Who turned the Knesset into a Kahanist marketplace?” Tibi said. “We will support the opposing candidate, opposite him, for Knesset Speaker.”

Tibi emphasized the potential significance of choosing a new speaker immediately after the election, saying, “You know what the significance is of electing a Knesset Speaker immediately after the elections.” He added, “The story is over. This is complete control of the Knesset.”

The interview also touched on whether the Arab parties would recommend a candidate for prime minister to Israel’s president. Tibi replied, “We, in my opinion, will do more than that.” Referring to a previous election cycle, he added, “We already did that, a recommendation — and look what Gantz did with our recommendation.”

Likud seized on the remarks, linking them to Gadi Eisenkot, Avigdor Liberman and Yair Golan and alleging that they could ultimately seek to establish a government dependent on support from the Arab parties.

“One vote for Eisenkot and Liberman — and the keys to the country are in the hands of Ahmad Tibi and Mansour Abbas,” Likud said.

That assertion was Likud’s interpretation of Tibi’s comments; the remarks themselves concerned steps the Arab parties could take if an anti-government parliamentary majority emerged and did not, by themselves, establish an agreement between Tibi and Eisenkot, Liberman or Golan to form a government together.

Ohana joined the criticism, contending that Tibi’s comments revealed a plan to remove him from the speakership. He also attributed Tibi’s stance in part to the fact that Tibi was not appointed a deputy Knesset speaker during the current Knesset, unlike in previous years.

“MK Tibi is angry because, for the first time in many years, he did not get to serve as Deputy Knesset Speaker,” Ohana wrote. “Therefore, this evening he revealed his and Eisenkot’s plan for the day after the elections: to replace me with the left’s candidate, on the way to their government together.”

Ohana further argued that Tibi’s interview reinforced Likud’s claim that Eisenkot could seek to lead a minority government supported by Arab parties.

“The Israeli public received additional proof this evening that Eisenkot will establish a minority government with the support of the Arab parties, if he succeeds,” Ohana wrote, before concluding: “It is in your hands to prevent this.”

Tibi’s comments came as the parties position themselves ahead of the upcoming Knesset election, with the possible role of the Arab factions in determining parliamentary control emerging as a major point of contention between the competing blocs.

Serious questions are mounting over the mysterious death of R’ Yitzchak Elmakayes z”l, a 44-year-old Breslover chossid from London and father of seven whose body was discovered in a wooded area near the tziyun of Rav Nachman of Breslov in Uman on Rosh Hashanah. Nearly a week later, his body reportedly remains in Ukrainian custody, while his family and members of the Breslover community say they still have no clear explanation for how he died.

According to a report by Emess, several troubling possibilities have emerged surrounding the case, including reported death threats Elmakayes had received following a dispute with a local community, a possible encounter with local police, and recent reports of criminals in Uman impersonating police officers. Concerns have also been raised that Ukrainian authorities may be moving too quickly to dismiss the possibility of foul play.

The first indication that something terrible had occurred reportedly came on the first night of Yom Tov.

Two men walking along Pushkina Street told people nearby that they had seen the body of a Jewish man lying in the nearby forest.

Initially, those who heard the account did not take it seriously. Some reportedly responded dismissively, even asking why the two men had not brought the body back with them if they had actually discovered one.

The two men explained that they were combat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress, a statement that reportedly caused some of those present to become even more skeptical of their account.

Within several hours, however, the seemingly improbable story took a devastating turn. A body was indeed discovered in the wooded area, confirming that the reports heard earlier on Pushkina Street had been based on an actual tragedy.

Ukrainian police subsequently took control of the scene and removed Elmakayes’ body. According to Emess, the body was transferred to a medical refrigeration facility in the Pushkina Street area and has remained there, without yet being released for kevurah.

During the initial stages of the investigation, authorities reportedly examined the possibility that Elmakayes had been murdered. Reports also indicated that signs of violence had been discovered on his body.

In the days that followed, however, local authorities reportedly began moving away from possible criminal explanations for his death and toward closing the investigation, raising concern among those seeking answers about what happened to him.

Adding to the mystery are details concerning Elmakayes’ activities during the weeks before his death.

Elmakayes had reportedly been staying in Uman for approximately a month. During that period, according to the report, he became embroiled in a dispute with one of the local communities.

He subsequently told several people that individuals associated with that dispute had threatened to kill him, a claim that is now being examined as investigators and community members attempt to reconstruct the circumstances leading up to his death.

Another possibility being raised involves a potential encounter with local police.

According to information obtained by Emess, Elmakayes suffered from a stutter. Concern has therefore been raised that he may have encountered Ukrainian police officers who had difficulty understanding him, particularly if he was under pressure, or who may have misinterpreted his responses or behavior.

At the same time, another troubling possibility has emerged: that Elmakayes may have encountered criminals impersonating police officers rather than actual members of law enforcement.

That concern has been heightened by emergency warnings circulated in Breslover WhatsApp groups regarding at least two separate incidents involving robberies or attempted robberies in the Uman area.

According to those warnings, two suspects allegedly presented themselves as police officers and traveled in what appeared to be a police vehicle that did not have license plates.

It remains unclear whether those incidents have any connection whatsoever to Elmakayes’ death, and no evidence cited thus far establishes that he encountered the alleged impersonators. Nevertheless, the reports have become another avenue of concern as those close to the case seek an explanation for what occurred.

For the family, the immediate concern is compounded by the continued delay in bringing Elmakayes to kever Yisroel.

A week after his death, his body reportedly remains in the possession of Ukrainian authorities, while his relatives and members of the community have yet to receive a definitive account of the circumstances that led to his death.

The various possibilities being raised — the reported threats, the possibility of an encounter with police, reports of criminals posing as officers, and the initial indications of possible violence — have fueled growing demands for a thorough investigation before the case is closed.

For now, none of those theories has been conclusively established, and the precise circumstances of Elmakayes’ death remain unknown.

But with a 44-year-old father of seven dead under unexplained circumstances, his body still awaiting release for kevurah, and serious questions surrounding the handling of the investigation, members of the Breslover community are pressing Ukrainian authorities for answers and expressing concern that the full circumstances surrounding the tragedy may never come to light.

{Matzav.com}

Former hostage Rom Braslavski returned to the Kosel on the eve of Yom Kippur for the final Selichos, marking an extraordinary contrast with the previous Yom Kippur, which he spent as a hostage in Gaza.

Following the emotional Selichos gathering at the Kosel, Braslavski published a deeply personal message addressed to Hashem, reflecting on the moments when he struggled during captivity, the emunah he says sustained him, and his gratitude for having survived and returned home.

“Forgive me, Hakadosh Baruch Hu Father in Heaven, I made it all the way to the Western Wall in our beautiful land to tell You that I am sorry,” Braslavski wrote.

“Forgive me for not doing more at Nova. Forgive me for all the times in captivity that I broke, that I doubted, that I lost faith.”

Braslavski was working as a security guard at the Nova music festival near Re’im on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led terrorists attacked the area. He was abducted to Gaza and remained in captivity for more than two years before being released.

In his Yom Kippur message, Braslavski wrote candidly about the feelings of humiliation and helplessness that accompanied his captivity, even asking forgiveness for the physical and emotional moments in which he felt he had been unable to remain strong.

“Forgive me for all the times I allowed the feeling of humiliation to hurt me. Forgive me for all the times I did not stand strong against the terrorists. For every time I fainted, for every time I cried.”

Despite those moments, Braslavski said that throughout his captivity he maintained an underlying conviction that Hashem would ultimately bring him home.

“I always knew in captivity that You would save me. I always knew that You would not let me remain in Gaza. I felt You with me in Gaza every day, every hour.”

Braslavski described the ordeal as a test of his emunah, invoking the nisayon of Avraham Avinu at the Akeidah as he reflected on what he had endured.

“You tested me, Hakadosh Baruch Hu, You tested my faith, as You did to Avraham Avinu at the Binding of Isaac, and I feel that I passed it.”

Braslavski then spoke of his pride in having retained his Jewish identity despite efforts by his captors to pressure him to convert to Islam.

“I am proud that I am Your son. At every opportunity they had to convert me to Islam, I did not give in to their pressure. Even in captivity, I always knew that a Father would not abandon His children.”

In one of the most striking passages of his message, Braslavski expressed gratitude even for the ordeal itself, saying that his captivity had opened his eyes and strengthened his relationship with Hashem.

“Father, I thank You for causing human animals, terrorists, to kidnap me. Thank You for opening my eyes. Thank You for all the times You saved me from death. You were there with me, and for that I thank You, Hashem Yisbarach.”

Braslavski concluded by contrasting where he stood on the previous Yom Kippur with where he was standing now — at the Kosel, free.

“Last year, on the previous Yom Kippur, I was a prisoner of Zion in Deir al-Balah. And today I am free at the Western Wall. On my way to the Western Wall, I saw the Al-Aqsa Mosque. With Hashem’s help, Father in Heaven, You will return that to us as well. Thank You, Hashem Yisbarach, for redeeming me from the house of bondage.”

The words were published just hours before Yom Kippur, as Braslavski joined thousands at the Kosel for the final Selichos before the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

For Braslavski, however, the familiar words of Selichos carried a meaning few others could experience. One Yom Kippur earlier, he had been held captive in Deir al-Balah, uncertain whether he would ever return home.

This year, he stood at the Kosel as a free man, offering a prayer of forgiveness, gratitude and emunah to the One he says he never stopped believing would bring him home.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Chief Rabbi, Rav Kalman Meir Ber, has issued detailed halachic guidance ahead of Yom Kippur, addressing some of the most common practical questions surrounding the fast, including when an ill person must eat or drink, the proper amounts for eating and drinking in shiurim, when staying home from shul takes precedence over attending tefillah, how children should be trained to fast, and the special importance of Neilah.

In his letter, Rav Ber begins not with the technical laws of fasting, but with the deeper meaning of Yom Kippur as the day on which Klal Yisroel is granted forgiveness and the opportunity to renew its relationship with the Ribono Shel Olam.

Quoting Chazal, Rav Ber notes that Yom Kippur was described as one of the greatest Yomim Tovim given to Klal Yisroel because it contains forgiveness and atonement.

He then cites the famous words of Rav Akiva: “Fortunate are you, Israel. Before Whom are you purified, and Who purifies you? Your Father in Heaven.”

Rav Ber explains that the joy of Yom Kippur is not merely that sins can be forgiven. It is the opportunity for a Jew to once again stand before his Father in Heaven and experience the purification that comes directly from Him.

The relationship between Klal Yisroel and Hashem, he explains, is not an ordinary relationship, but that of a father and his children — a bond that is deep and cannot be severed.

That understanding also reveals the true seriousness of aveirah. A sin is not simply a violation of Hashem’s command; it creates distance between a child and his Father. The deeper the relationship, the greater the pain caused when that relationship is damaged.

Teshuvah on Yom Kippur, therefore, means more than regretting individual sins. It means recognizing the pain of having become distant from Hashem and developing a genuine desire to return to Him.

At the same time, Rav Ber writes, therein lies the tremendous hope of teshuvah. A father continues waiting for his child even when that child has wandered away. Hashem, Who desires teshuvah, similarly waits for His children to return.

That, he explains, is the extraordinary gift of Yom Kippur: Hashem opens the road back, purifies Klal Yisroel and lovingly accepts His children when they return.

Rav Ber then turns to the practical halachos of the day.

Regarding eating and drinking, he writes that one who eats the volume of a koseves hagasah or drinks a melo lugmav on Yom Kippur has violated the Torah prohibition at its full measure.

For practical purposes, Rav Ber places the food measurement at approximately 30 cubic centimeters. The measurement for drinking varies according to the individual because melo lugmav depends upon the size of a person’s mouth and body. For an average-sized adult, approximately 40 milliliters of liquid is below the full shiur. A particularly small or large individual may require a personalized measurement.

Rav Ber stresses that consuming less than a full shiur does not make eating or drinking ordinarily permissible on Yom Kippur. Even less than the full amount remains prohibited by the Torah. The concept of shiurim applies when a person is medically required to consume food or liquid but is able to do so in smaller amounts.

When food or drink is consumed repeatedly within the relevant halachic time period, the amounts can combine. Rav Ber writes that for Yom Kippur one should be stringent and use nine minutes as the interval for kedei achilas pras.

A person who is dangerously ill is exempt from fasting, Rav Ber rules. If the patient’s medical needs can be met by drinking without eating, the patient should drink and not eat. Similarly, if the person’s condition permits eating or drinking in shiurim, he should not consume ordinary quantities unnecessarily.

Someone who medically must eat or drink on Yom Kippur, and has received appropriate guidance from a rav, should therefore consume less than the relevant shiur whenever medically possible, waiting nine minutes from the conclusion of one portion until beginning the next.

If the patient’s condition does not allow a nine-minute interval, the waiting period should be extended for as long as medically feasible. Depending upon the patient’s needs and the instructions of a rav, the interval can be shortened to four minutes and, when necessary, to two minutes.

When a patient must drink more frequently for medical reasons, the required quantity should be consumed in several smaller swallows rather than one large drink when circumstances permit.

Rav Ber emphasizes an important practical principle for people who find the fast difficult: fasting takes precedence over going to shul.

A man or woman who can either fast while remaining in bed at home or attend shul but then need to eat or drink should remain home and fast. There is no permission to eat or drink — even in shiurim — merely in order to have the strength to attend shul.

Rav Ber goes even further: if someone who is already required to drink less than a shiur can eliminate even one of those drinks by staying home and resting, it is preferable for the person to remain in bed and daven alone rather than attend shul and require the additional drink.

On the other hand, Rav Ber warns that a genuinely ill person who is medically required to eat or drink may not decide to be stringent and fast anyway.

He cites the posuk, “But your blood of your lives I will demand,” stressing that protecting one’s life is itself a Torah obligation. A sick person who is permitted or required to eat needs no atonement for doing so, because the Torah itself exempts a person in such circumstances.

Rav Ber relates a striking account involving the Sar Shalom of Belz. His son, Rav Yehoshua of Belz, described the family’s concern during a Yom Kippur when his father was ill: “We were confused, fearing that he would not want to eat on Yom Kippur. However, he, of blessed memory, in his great righteousness, was diligent in the matter, and immediately after Kol Nidrei hurried and instructed that he be given to eat according to what he needed, and said in these words: ‘I am hereby ready and prepared to fulfill the commandment of my Creator as Chazal instructed,’ and he ate with extraordinary joy. We almost never saw such joy except when eating matzah and taking the lulav.”

Rav Ber specifically urges diabetics, people who regularly take medications — including psychiatric medications — as well as pregnant women, women who have recently given birth and nursing mothers, when there is a relevant medical concern, to consult their treating physician before Yom Kippur and then ask a rav how they should conduct themselves during the fast.

The Chief Rabbi also addresses the laws governing someone who must eat on Yom Kippur.

An ill person who needs to eat does not make Kiddush, either over wine or bread, and does not require lechem mishneh. If eating an ordinary meal requiring netilas yadayim, the person washes in the usual manner and recites the bracha. Someone eating less than a shiur, however, does not recite the bracha over netilas yadayim.

After a meal, mayim acharonim is performed as usual. In Birkas Hamazon, the person adds Yaaleh Veyavo with the reference to Yom Kippur. If it was forgotten and the person has already completed the bracha of Boneh Yerushalayim, he does not go back.

Someone reciting Al Hamichyah should likewise add the appropriate reference to Yom Kippur.

A person who was required because of illness to eat normally on Yom Kippur may receive an aliyah during Shacharis, but not during Mincha. However, Rav Ber writes that someone who consumed only less than a shiur at each interval may receive an aliyah even at Mincha.

Turning to children, Rav Ber writes that young children are permitted to eat and drink on Yom Kippur, and adults may feed them directly.

Healthy boys and girls from age nine should begin being trained in a partial fast by delaying their regular eating time for an hour or more according to their strength. Rav Ber writes that weaker children begin this training from age ten.

Children younger than nine should not be made to fast at all. Even if such a child independently wants to fast, adults should prevent the child from doing so.

From age eleven until bar or bas mitzvah, Rav Ber writes that the contemporary practice is generally not to train children to complete the entire fast because of the physical weakness prevalent today, unless a particular child is known to be healthy and strong enough to do so.

A girl who has reached twelve years and one day and a boy who has reached thirteen years and one day are obligated to complete the fast.

Rav Ber also discusses the other Yom Kippur restrictions as they apply to children.

Babies are technically permitted to be washed and anointed. Nevertheless, under contemporary circumstances, one should not wash or anoint them unnecessarily, even through a non-Jew. If a child becomes significantly dirty, the child may be washed as necessary for cleanliness, even if the adult’s hands inevitably become wet in the process.

Once a child has reached the age at which he or she is being trained to fast for several hours, the child should also be educated to refrain from unnecessary washing and anointing.

Children should not wear leather shoes on Yom Kippur, Rav Ber writes, because refraining from leather footwear does not impose the same type of hardship on a child as fasting.

The Chief Rabbi concludes his guidance with the final moments of Yom Kippur and the unique significance of Neilah.

Neilah, he writes, represents the sealing of the judgment written on Rosh Hashanah. A person should therefore make an exceptional effort to strengthen his tefillah during these final moments.

The culmination of the entire Aseres Yemei Teshuvah is Yom Kippur, Rav Ber writes, and the culmination of Yom Kippur itself is Neilah, because everything ultimately follows the sealing.

Even a person weakened by the fast should gather whatever strength remains to daven with clear and pure concentration and undertake genuine commitments toward teshuvah. Chazal teach that one who comes to purify himself receives assistance from Above, and a person should use those final moments to plead to be sealed in the Book of a good life.

Rav Ber cites Rav Meir Simcha Hakohen of Dvinsk, who writes in the Meshech Chochmah that during Neilah, Hashem, so to speak, judges each person individually.

For that reason, Rav Meir Simcha explains, Neilah possesses an exceptional power for teshuvah and kapparah, even regarding the grave sin of chillul Hashem, for which Yom Kippur alone ordinarily does not provide complete atonement. At that moment, Hashem can forgive an affront to His own honor.

Every moment of Neilah, Rav Ber writes, should therefore be utilized for heartfelt tefillah, tears and genuine regret, while beseeching Hashem to accept our teshuvah and seal us in the Book of a good life.

Finally, Rav Ber addresses Birchas Kohanim during Neilah. Birchas Kohanim is recited during Neilah, although the Ashkenazic custom outside Eretz Yisroel is generally not to perform it, while in Eretz Yisroel the Kohanim do so.

The Birchas Kohanim should take place before nightfall. Once it is fully dark, the Kohanim may no longer perform it.

If time is running short, Rav Ber writes that the piyutim may be recited after the tefillah so that Birchas Kohanim can take place while it is still daytime. If bein hashmashos has already begun, there is a halachic question as to whether it may still be performed; bedieved, there are opinions permitting reliance on the period extending until approximately thirteen and a half minutes after sunset.

Ideally, however, if Neilah is running late, some of the piyutim during Chazaras Hashatz should be omitted in order to reach Birchas Kohanim before sunset, although Rav Ber notes that some communities have a custom not to rush the tefillah for that purpose.

The comprehensive guidance carries a single theme throughout: Yom Kippur demands seriousness both in observing the fast and in protecting life according to halachah. For the healthy, the fast takes precedence even over attending shul when the two conflict. For someone who medically needs to eat or drink, following the requirements of halachah is itself the proper fulfillment of Hashem’s will.

And as the long day reaches its final moments, Rav Ber urges every Jew to gather his remaining strength for Neilah — the closing moments of a day whose ultimate purpose is not merely fasting, but returning to the embrace of our Father in Heaven.

{Matzav.com}

Three Breslover Chassidim traveling to or returning from Uman have recently been arrested in separate incidents in Cyprus and Moldova, including one traveler detained over a suitcase containing khat allegedly sent to Cyprus approximately a year ago.

The arrests come amid the annual wave of travel surrounding Rosh Hashanah in Uman, when large numbers of Breslover Chassidim and other mispallelim make their way to the Ukrainian city to daven at the tziyun of Rav Nachman of Breslov.

According to a report by Ynet, one of the travelers was arrested immediately after landing in Cyprus while traveling onward toward Ukraine.

The arrest reportedly stemmed from an incident approximately a year earlier, when the man allegedly sent a suitcase packed with khat to Cyprus. Although he ultimately decided not to board the flight himself, the suitcase continued to its destination.

Authorities reportedly linked the luggage to the traveler and entered his name into the police system. When he arrived in Cyprus this year as part of his journey toward Ukraine, the outstanding matter was flagged and he was taken into custody.

Khat is a plant whose leaves contain the stimulants cathinone and cathine. Its legal status varies considerably between countries, and travelers carrying or importing it can face serious criminal consequences in jurisdictions where the substance is prohibited or controlled.

Two additional Breslover Chassidim were arrested in Moldova in unrelated incidents.

In one case, a traveler was arrested after allegedly striking a local pedestrian with a vehicle and leaving the victim seriously injured.

Because of the severity of the pedestrian’s injuries, Moldovan authorities sought to keep the driver in custody while the case is investigated. A court subsequently extended his detention for 40 days.

The third incident occurred in Chisinau, the Moldovan capital, and involved a Breslover Chassid who was returning from Uman.

Authorities allegedly discovered that the traveler was in possession of forged passports, leading to his arrest.

The man was released on bail this past Friday, but his legal difficulties remain unresolved. A Moldovan court prohibited him from leaving the country, requiring him to remain in Moldova while the proceedings against him continue.

The three cases are not believed to be connected and involve separate alleged offenses in two different countries.

Moldova has become one of the principal transit routes for travelers heading to Uman since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and the closure of Ukrainian airspace to normal commercial passenger flights. Many travelers fly into Chisinau and continue by bus or other ground transportation across the border into Ukraine.

Cyprus has also served as one of several transit points used by travelers making their way toward Eastern Europe.

The three arrests underscore the legal complications that can arise during the increasingly complex annual journey to Uman, particularly as travelers pass through multiple countries, each with its own immigration, customs and criminal laws.

In the Cyprus case, the traveler remains entangled in an investigation dating back approximately a year. In Moldova, one traveler remains in extended detention over the serious traffic accident, while the other has been released on bail but is barred from leaving the country as the investigation into the allegedly forged passports proceeds.

Nine Israeli citizens have been arrested in Turkey as part of a sweeping operation targeting an alleged international fraud network accused of stealing at least $266 million from victims across several continents.

The Israelis were among a much larger group of suspects detained by Turkish authorities during raids connected to the alleged criminal operation.

According to Turkish media reports, investigators suspect the nine Israelis of participating in the international fraud network.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that it was aware of the arrests and said it is “handling the incident and working to ensure that the rights of the Israeli citizens are protected.”

Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gürlek described the alleged criminal organization as being “linked to Israel.”

Despite that characterization, the overwhelming majority of those detained in the operation are reportedly Turkish citizens. Foreign nationals arrested in the crackdown also include citizens of Iran, Pakistan, Syria, Lebanon and Bangladesh, along with Palestinian Arabs and nationals of Jordan and Egypt.

Other individuals suspected of belonging to the same alleged organization reportedly come from a wide range of countries, including Thailand, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Morocco, Mexico and Argentina.

According to Gürlek, the investigation uncovered an extensive fraud operation that allegedly targeted victims in Europe, the Far East and Africa, with losses totaling at least $266 million.

“An organized fraud network that targeted several countries was uncovered after we determined that its principal owners were linked to Israel,” Gürlek wrote on X.

The raids were conducted in cooperation with Turkey’s intelligence services and Interpol, according to the Turkish authorities.

As part of the massive operation, law enforcement officers searched 236 locations in Istanbul and Muğla while seeking suspects and evidence connected to the alleged scheme.

Reports indicate that individual victims suffered widely varying losses. Some allegedly lost tens of thousands of dollars, while others were reportedly defrauded of hundreds of thousands.

Gürlek said the alleged organization operated an international system designed to approach potential victims in their own languages.

He claimed that “the network recruited victims through customer service representatives who spoke various languages.”

The investigation remains ongoing, while Israel’s Foreign Ministry continues to follow the cases of the nine detained Israeli citizens and work to ensure that their legal rights are protected.

A senior United Arab Emirates source has rejected a central element of a controversial Israeli media report claiming that UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed personally warned Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu about a looming Hamas attack in the days before the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre.

Responding to an inquiry from the Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National, the Emirati official said sensitive security intelligence between countries is handled through the appropriate professional agencies rather than through direct conversations between national leaders. The statement adds a significant new element to a dispute that has erupted in Israel just weeks before the country’s Oct. 27 election.

The Emirati source said the “UAE discusses security matters with other countries through the relevant entities, and does not discuss such details at the level of national leaders”.

The controversy began with an investigation by Israeli journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval, connected to their new book about the events surrounding Oct. 7. Their account alleged that bin Zayed contacted Netanyahu in late September 2023 after receiving intelligence that then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major operation against Israel.

According to their account, Sinwar had conveyed through an intermediary that he was preparing an “earthquake,” prompting concern in Abu Dhabi that Hamas was preparing something far more serious than another limited round of fighting.

Eldar described what he said was the unusual communications arrangement used for conversations between Netanyahu and the Emirati president.

“They have conversations that are conducted in a unique manner. There is a special application developed by the Emirates. A representative from the embassy arrives with the application, with a phone, and they conduct a conversation that lasts 45 minutes,” Eldar said.

The journalists reported that during the alleged conversation, bin Zayed conveyed the warning about Sinwar’s intentions and Netanyahu sought to reassure him.

“We are prepared in Gaza,” Netanyahu reportedly responded.

According to the investigation, Netanyahu believed that if serious violence erupted, it was more likely to occur in Judea and Samaria rather than Gaza. The report further alleged that Netanyahu did not subsequently relay the purported conversation to then-IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, then-Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar or Mossad director David Barnea.

Netanyahu has categorically denied that the conversation ever occurred.

The Prime Minister’s Office said earlier this month that it had examined Netanyahu’s communications records and found no evidence of any conversation with bin Zayed between the beginning of September 2023 and the Hamas attack on Oct. 7.

Netanyahu subsequently instructed his attorneys to pursue a defamation action against Haaretz, Eldar and others connected to the report. His office described the allegation as a fabrication and argued that the timing of its publication was politically motivated.

The Prime Minister’s Office said in its response that the Prime Minister’s Office itself, the National Security Council and Netanyahu’s military secretary had all reviewed the relevant records.

According to Netanyahu’s office, official conversations between the prime minister and bin Zayed are ordinarily conducted through an Emirati representative who physically arrives at the Prime Minister’s Office with a special encrypted communications device. Such conversations are documented, the office said.

Officials also examined entry records for the Prime Minister’s Office during the relevant period and, according to Netanyahu’s account, found no record of an Emirati representative entering the compound for such a conversation.

Netanyahu’s office has characterized the report as “a false libel against the prime minister that never happened and was never created.”

Netanyahu later called the story “a sinister libel with clear political timing, as part of the left’s election campaign,” arguing that additional politically motivated allegations could emerge ahead of the election.

The UAE’s response to the controversy has developed in stages. When the allegation first emerged earlier this month, the Emirati Foreign Ministry stopped short of explicitly confirming or denying whether a conversation between the two leaders had occurred.

At the time, the ministry said the UAE government “does not comment on reports or speculations published in the media regarding conversations between government leaders”.

The ministry added that Emirati and Israeli government agencies have maintained direct communication channels since diplomatic relations were established under the Abraham Accords and said relevant intelligence continues to be shared between the appropriate bodies when necessary.

The latest statement from an official Emirati source goes further by directly addressing how such security information would normally be handled. The source’s assertion that intelligence matters are dealt with by the relevant agencies rather than by national leaders contradicts the reported account of bin Zayed personally conveying such a warning to Netanyahu.

The dispute has taken on heightened political significance because questions surrounding what Israeli political and security leaders knew before Oct. 7 remain deeply contested. The Hamas-led attack killed approximately 1,200 people in Israel and saw 251 people taken hostage, according to Israeli figures.

The alleged Emirati warning has consequently become part of the political debate ahead of Israel’s upcoming election, with Netanyahu’s opponents citing the Haaretz investigation in their criticism of his handling of the period preceding the attack, while Netanyahu and his office insist the reported conversation simply never happened.

Netanyahu has also rejected a separate allegation that Egypt provided him with a specific advance warning before Oct. 7, saying that claim was already investigated and disproven shortly after the war began.

The latest Emirati statement does not establish whether intelligence concerning Hamas intentions was exchanged at lower levels between Emirati and Israeli agencies before Oct. 7. Indeed, the UAE has explicitly said the two countries maintain channels for sharing relevant intelligence. What the Emirati source disputed is the account that such detailed security information was discussed directly at the leadership level.

With Netanyahu threatening legal action and the journalists standing behind their reporting, the question of whether the alleged 45-minute conversation ever took place has moved beyond a dispute over the intelligence failures preceding Oct. 7 and become a significant issue in Israel’s current election campaign.

An unusual security incident in northern Gaza saw an unarmed Gazan cross the Yellow Line and make his way directly to the entrance of an IDF position operated by the 99th Division before being spotted and detained, according to details that emerged approximately three weeks after the incident occurred.

The suspect managed to approach an armored IDF vehicle and then climbed onto the protective embankment surrounding the military position.

A soldier stationed at the entrance eventually noticed the man and immediately began the IDF’s standard procedure for apprehending a suspicious individual. The suspect was taken into custody without further incident and subsequently transferred for questioning.

The man was found to be unarmed.

Video footage of the incident, which was released on Saturday night, shows the suspect reaching an area immediately alongside the entrance to the IDF position. Despite his proximity to the entrance, the military said that “there was no breach of a military post.”

The incident occurred roughly three weeks before it became publicly known. The IDF did not announce the episode when it took place, and both the details and the footage emerged only tonight.

The circumstances surrounding the incident have since been reviewed by the military, including how the suspect succeeded in crossing the Yellow Line and approaching so close to the IDF position before being detected.

The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said in response: “The incident was investigated and lessons were learned from it. In this case, there was no breach of a military post. During the incident, the procedure for apprehending a suspect was carried out, at the end of which the suspect was detained and transferred for questioning.”

Vice President JD Vance is planning to host a private Shabbos dinner as part of an expanding outreach effort to Jewish Republicans, following months of tensions with some pro-Israel conservatives over his approach to Israel, Iran and the future of American involvement in the Middle East.

The dinner, first reported by i24NEWS, was originally expected to include approximately 40 guests. That number has since been sharply reduced, with a source familiar with the plans saying the smaller gathering was designed in large part to prevent details of the private conversations from leaking publicly. Vance’s office did not respond to i24NEWS’s request for comment.

The gathering is the latest in a series of moves by Vance to engage directly with Jewish Republicans at a time when his views on the U.S.-Israel relationship have generated debate within conservative circles.

Those tensions were renewed this past week when Vance addressed the All-In Summit in Los Angeles and emphasized that while Israel remains an important American partner, Washington’s Middle East policy must ultimately be determined by U.S. interests.

Vance said the United States “cannot let our Middle East foreign policy be subservient to the State of Israel.”

At the same time, the vice president stressed that his position should not be interpreted as opposition to the alliance. He pointed specifically to cooperation between the two countries on military technology and intelligence sharing, while arguing that allies will inevitably have disagreements.

“We’re going to work with people when we work with them. We’re going to disagree when we disagree. And we’re going to pursue America’s interests,” Vance said.

Vance also said President Donald Trump has demonstrated a willingness to disagree with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when the administration believes Israeli and American interests diverge. He compared the relationship to other U.S. alliances, arguing that close cooperation does not mean Washington must automatically adopt another government’s position.

The vice president has repeatedly raised another concern: the erosion of American public support for Israel, particularly among younger voters. Vance has argued that supporters of the alliance can no longer assume that younger Americans will instinctively view Israel as an important U.S. partner.

That issue was a major subject when Vance appeared at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual leadership gathering in Las Vegas at the beginning of September. The vice president participated in a closed-door fireside discussion with RJC national chairman and former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman.

During the discussion, Vance acknowledged “a growing suspicion among, I would call it, under-40s” toward the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Rather than dismissing that skepticism, Vance argued that Republicans and other supporters of Israel need to explain the alliance in terms of tangible American interests.

“I think my view is what we have to do is articulate why this is in the best interest of the United States of America, and actually get out there and talk about the ways in which it is in the best interest of the United States of America,” Vance said.

Vance described Israel during the Las Vegas gathering as “certainly one of our most important alliances in the world,” according to an audio recording obtained by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. He pointed to intelligence gathering and technology sharing as examples of areas where the relationship benefits the United States.

Axios separately reported that Vance called Israel “extremely important to America’s national security” during the private meeting.

But the Las Vegas appearance also exposed areas of friction between Vance and portions of the Jewish Republican community.

One source of controversy has been Vance’s continued friendship with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, whose commentary on Israel and platforming of guests accused of antisemitism have drawn sharp criticism from Republican Jewish leaders. At the RJC gathering, Coleman publicly condemned Carlson’s platforming of Holocaust deniers and attacks on Jews who support Israel.

Vance has declined calls to sever his relationship with Carlson.

“Tucker is a friend despite the fact that we disagree on a number of things,” Vance recently said. “I’m not gonna play the game where I throw friends under the bus because I have political disagreements.”

During his RJC appearance, Vance did explicitly condemn Nick Fuentes, saying the far-right commentator “really does hate Jews.” But when Coleman raised Carlson, Joe Rogan and other influential podcasters who have hosted controversial guests, Vance largely avoided addressing Carlson directly.

Despite those disagreements, Vance received standing ovations when he entered and left the closed-door RJC session, according to people who attended. Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, an RJC board member, subsequently described the appearance as a constructive development.

“Today is not primary day. But I think today was progress day for JD Vance and the Jewish community,” Fleischer said.

Vance’s outreach continued this past Thursday with a private White House meeting with New York Jewish radio personality Sid Rosenberg, who had previously been outspoken in criticizing the vice president over Israel and his friendship with Carlson.

Rosenberg said he entered the meeting with “very low expectations,” but emerged with a significantly more positive impression of Vance.

“The talk was that I was going to grill JD Vance on Tucker Carlson and the Israel comments he’s been making as of late,” Rosenberg said. “This was more of a get-to-know-each-other session.”

Rosenberg said most of the substance of the approximately half-hour discussion would remain private, but said “it went well” and that the two “hit it off.” He indicated that additional meetings dealing with substantive issues were likely.

“He is willing to listen,” Rosenberg said. “I don’t think by any stretch that JD Vance hates Israel, hates the Jewish people.”

Shabbos Kestenbaum, the Jewish campus activist who spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention, also pointed to the planned dinner as evidence that Vance is actively seeking dialogue with American Jews.

“Vice President Vance is making considerable outreach efforts to the American Jewish community, particularly with this Shabbat dinner,” Kestenbaum told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Kestenbaum added that he looks “forward to working together on our common interests while also expressing our concerns.”

The outreach comes as Vance continues to argue that the traditional political assumptions surrounding Israel are changing, especially among younger Americans. His stated approach has been to defend the alliance primarily by emphasizing the benefits it provides to American security and strategic interests, while maintaining that Washington must remain willing to disagree with Jerusalem.

The planned Shabbos dinner appears designed to continue that conversation in a much smaller and more private setting. Who will attend has not been publicly disclosed, nor have details been released about precisely where the dinner will take place.

What is clear is that Vance is devoting increasing attention to his relationship with Jewish Republicans. Between his closed-door appearance before the RJC, his private meeting with Rosenberg and now the planned Shabbos gathering, the vice president has increasingly chosen face-to-face discussions with Jewish conservatives as questions persist within parts of that constituency over his views on Israel and the direction of American Middle East policy.

{Matzav.com}

Thousands of mourners, led by prominent Admorim, rabbonim and roshei yeshiva, gathered in Tel Aviv on Motzoei Shabbos Shuvah to participate in the levayah of Hagaon Hatzaddik Rav Mordechai Auerbach zt”l, the longtime rav of Kehillas Abir Yaakov, who was niftar shortly after the conclusion of Shabbos.

The emotional levayah began outside Rav Auerbach’s bais medrash on Oliphant Street in the heart of Tel Aviv, where he had spent decades spreading Torah, avodah and yiras Shomayim, while drawing Jews from across the religious spectrum closer to Torah and Yiddishkeit.

The streets surrounding the bais medrash filled with mourners who arrived from Tel Aviv and communities throughout Eretz Yisroel to pay their final respects to the revered rav. Oliphant Street and surrounding roads were closed to traffic as the enormous crowd continued to swell.

At the head of the levayah were numerous Admorim, leading rabbonim and roshei yeshiva, together with hundreds of Rav Auerbach’s talmidim, mispallelim and admirers who had been deeply attached to him over the course of many years.

The atmosphere was particularly painful for the Tel Aviv community that Rav Auerbach had shepherded for decades. His bais medrash had become far more than a neighborhood shul. In an increasingly secular city, it served as a vibrant center of Torah and tefillah, as well as a home for Jews seeking guidance, encouragement and a closer connection to Yiddishkeit.

During the levayah, members of the family delivered deeply emotional hespedim, struggling through tears as they spoke of the enormous loss to the family, his kehillah and the wider Olam HaTorah.

Among the central maspidim was Rav Auerbach’s brother, Hagaon Rav Azriel Auerbach, one of Eretz Yisroel’s leading poskim. Rav Azriel wept bitterly as he mourned the loss of his brother and spoke of the void left behind both within their illustrious family and throughout the Torah world.

For those gathered outside Abir Yaakov, the loss was intensely personal. Many in the crowd had known Rav Mordechai not simply as the son of Rav Shlomo Zalman or as one of Tel Aviv’s distinguished rabbonim, but as their own rav — the figure they approached with their questions, struggles and simchos, and whose presence had become part of the fabric of their lives.

The sight of thousands crowding the streets of Tel Aviv on Motzoei Shabbos reflected the extraordinary reach of a rav whose life had been devoted to maintaining and strengthening Torah in the heart of the city.

Following the hespedim, the mittah departed Tel Aviv for Yerushalayim, as the massive crowd accompanied Rav Auerbach amid tears and cries of grief.

A second portion of the levayah was scheduled to take place at the Shamgar Funeral Home in Yerushalayim, before the kevurah.

Rav Auerbach’s petirah on the eve of Yom Kippur has plunged his family, his kehillah, his many talmidim and admirers, and the broader Torah community into mourning.

For decades, his voice and presence were inseparable from the Abir Yaakov bais medrash on Oliphant Street. On Motzoei Shabbos Shuvah, that same street was filled with thousands who came one final time — not to hear his shiur, seek his counsel or receive his warm greeting, but to accompany their beloved rav on his final journey.

Yehi zichro baruch.

PHOTOS BY SHUKI LERER:

הלווית הגר”מ אויערבאך זצ”לצילום: שוקי לרר הלווית הגר”מ אויערבאך זצ”לצילום: שוקי לרר הלווית הגר”מ אויערבאך זצ”לצילום: שוקי לרר

Before Kol Nidrei! “They should be blessed with good news within six months”

בשיתוף קופת העיר

21:15

הצוואה המצמררת של רבי יעקב אדלשטיין: זו הסיבה למרבית הצרות

בשיתוף רינה של תורה

08:56

טרגדיה פתאומית: רבי יעקב וייס בן ה-48 התמוטט וברגע אחד הסתלק

בשיתוף ועד הרבנים

10:33

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הלווית הגר”מ אויערבאך זצ”לצילום: שוקי לרר

For the first time in history! A blessing for wealth during the *Maftir* reading of Jonah

בשיתוף קופת העיר

04:34

המתנה המפתיעה שהעניק מנשה צרפתי לבנו החתן רגע לפני החופה

מקודם

10:19

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President Donald Trump announced today that he plans to establish a new “AI Force” and appoint an artificial intelligence “czar,” while making clear that his administration does not intend to slow the rapid development of AI in response to mounting warnings from researchers, technology executives and lawmakers about potential risks posed by increasingly powerful systems.

Trump said the federal government would seek to address misconduct involving artificial intelligence through existing criminal and civil laws rather than imposing a broad new regulatory structure that could restrain the industry. He compared the planned AI initiative to his establishment of the U.S. Space Force during his first term, although the White House has not yet explained precisely how the new body would be structured or what authority it would have.

The announcement came as Trump sharply rejected warnings that rapidly advancing AI could eventually develop capabilities beyond human control. In a lengthy Truth Social post, the President grouped the current push for greater AI restrictions with a series of political controversies he has previously characterized as hoaxes.

“Over the years, there have been many Hoaxes, all generated by the Radical Left Dumocrats, for purposes of destroying our Country. RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA, UKRAINE, UKRAINE, UKRAINE, Global Warming, Impeachment Hoax #1, Impeachment Hoax #2, Men in Women’s Sports, Transgender for Everyone, and now, the decimation, or destruction, of AI, commonly known as Artificial Intelligence — And I, as President of the United States, will not stand by and let this happen,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account Saturday afternoon.

Trump also pointed to growing resistance to the construction of massive data centers around the country, describing what he termed the “crazed Data Center attack” as part of the broader opposition to the AI industry. Data centers have generated disputes in communities over electricity costs, water consumption, land use and infrastructure demands, with concerns coming from officials and residents across the political spectrum.

The President said his administration would instead work to foster continued expansion of the industry while using existing law to respond to wrongdoing.

“We will not in any way hinder or stifle the Growth of this incredible Industry. Rather, we will cherish it, help it, and watch over it, as it grows! However, we will also be looking for BAD” through the existing criminal justice system, he wrote.

Trump then unveiled his planned new government initiative.

“For this purpose, I am forming the AI Force, much like I did Space Force, which has been a tremendous SUCCESS, in my First Term.” He said he was screening “High I.Q. individuals” for the AI post.

Trump did not provide details about whether the AI Force would be a civilian organization, part of an existing federal department or an entirely new entity. The White House also did not immediately clarify its planned size, responsibilities or legal authority.

The comparison to Space Force is significant. Trump established the U.S. Space Force in December 2019 as the sixth branch of the Armed Forces. Although the proposal generated considerable political debate when Trump first promoted it, Space Force has since become a permanent component of the U.S. military.

The new announcement comes amid an unusually intense debate over the potential dangers of advanced AI. Researchers and several prominent technology executives have recently urged policymakers and AI companies to consider slowing the development of the most powerful systems while stronger safeguards are created. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Elon Musk are among those who have publicly supported stronger safety measures or coordinated limits on the pace of frontier AI development.

The issue gained additional attention after Jacob Coxon, a researcher who left Anthropic, issued a stark warning about what he believes could happen if increasingly powerful systems are developed without adequate safeguards.

Coxon warned that artificial intelligence “could kill us all by the end of the decade.”

His warning was part of a broader argument that researchers inside leading AI laboratories have genuine concerns about losing control of highly capable systems. Other experts dispute the likelihood of such catastrophic scenarios, while some argue that policymakers should focus more heavily on immediate problems such as cybersecurity, fraud, employment disruption and misinformation.

The growing debate has prompted calls in Congress for federal legislation governing the technology. Lawmakers from both parties have raised concerns about different aspects of AI, although there remains substantial disagreement over how extensive federal regulation should be and whether restrictions could weaken the United States in its technological competition with China.

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has been among the lawmakers advocating aggressive government intervention as AI becomes increasingly capable, while other members of Congress have proposed safety requirements and mechanisms for shutting down systems under extreme circumstances. Trump, however, has resisted proposals he believes could significantly slow American AI development.

Matt Pearl, a director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former National Security Council official, said Trump’s latest move reflects the extent to which artificial intelligence has moved to the center of national policy debates.

Pearl described the announcement as “recognition” that AI has become “the central defining issue of our time.”

“They’ve become kind of the central aspect of our policy in our political environment,” Pearl said.

“You’re seeing it with a backlash against data centers. Unfortunately, I think you’re seeing it in the concerns about the frontier AI models, and then you also see it, you know in the upcoming summit with Xi [Jinping] in terms of competition with [China] and whether the US is going to lead in this.”

The rivalry with China has become a central component of the administration’s approach. Trump has repeatedly argued that excessive restrictions on American companies could allow China to overtake the United States in AI, a technology increasingly viewed as important to economic growth, cybersecurity and military capabilities.

Trump has also floated changing the terminology used for artificial intelligence. On Saturday, he posted an online poll asking his followers whether AI should instead be called “Super Intelligence, Extreme Intelligence, or Supreme Intelligence,” inviting users to vote on the alternatives.

The announcement comes ahead of a major gathering of technology executives in Washington. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Google CEO Sundar Pichai are among the prominent technology figures expected in Washington for events surrounding Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit.

Trump is also expected to put artificial intelligence prominently on the agenda surrounding next week’s diplomatic meetings, as Washington increasingly views AI leadership as a major component of its economic and strategic competition with Beijing.

The timing also places the announcement immediately ahead of high-level U.S.-China economic talks. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is scheduled to meet senior Chinese officials in New York as the two governments prepare for Xi’s visit to Washington, with trade and technology issues expected to figure prominently in the discussions.

For now, however, many of the most consequential details of Trump’s announcement remain unanswered. The President has not identified who will serve as the new AI czar, how the AI Force will operate or what powers it will possess.

What Trump did make clear Saturday is the direction he wants the federal government to take: continued rapid American AI development, enforcement against specific wrongdoing through existing laws and resistance to sweeping restrictions that he believes could surrender the technological advantage to China.

A driverless Waymo vehicle became locked in an awkward standoff with an on-duty fire truck responding to an alarm at an Austin, Texas, hotel this week, temporarily obstructing the emergency vehicle as firefighters attempted to reach the property.

The Sept. 14 incident, captured on video by hotel guest David Munoz, is drawing renewed attention to the challenges autonomous vehicles can encounter when interacting with emergency responders. It comes months after Austin officials documented other instances in which Waymo vehicles interfered with emergency operations, including during the response to a deadly mass shooting earlier this year.

Munoz said the Waymo had been dropping off a passenger at the hotel when a fire alarm was activated. As the autonomous vehicle began leaving the property, an Austin Fire Department truck arrived in response to the alarm.

“At that time, a Waymo was dropping a passenger off. Once the Waymo began to leave, the fire truck arrived in response to the alarm,” Munoz told Storyful.

Video from the encounter shows the empty Waymo facing the fire truck in the hotel driveway. Rather than immediately clearing the path for the emergency vehicle, the robotaxi can be seen edging forward as the fire truck attempts to maneuver around it and at one point backs up.

The unusual encounter did not ultimately involve an actual fire or medical emergency. Munoz said the hotel alarm proved to be a false alarm and nobody was injured.

Munoz said he found the situation amusing because the autonomous vehicle appeared unable to recognize that it needed to clear the way for the fire truck.

“I thought it was funny the Waymo was not able to determine the fire truck needed to get to the hotel, and instead of pulling over, blocked the truck’s path,” he said.

Waymo provided a somewhat different description of the encounter, saying its vehicle was leaving the hotel after completing a passenger trip when it encountered the arriving fire truck.

“After a brief pause, the vehicle backed up and allowed the fire truck to pass. Shortly after the Waymo vehicle’s maneuver, the fire truck exited the parking lot,” the statement read.

The company also stressed that it takes its responsibilities toward emergency personnel seriously as it expands autonomous ride-hailing operations in Texas.

“Operating in Austin and across Texas is a privilege that carries real responsibility that we take seriously. We appreciate the dedication of first responders, continue to work closely with local public safety partners, and remain committed to continuous learning to better serve our riders and the community.”

Waymo, owned by Google parent Alphabet, operates autonomous vehicles in Austin as part of a partnership with Uber. Riders in the city can be matched with a Waymo vehicle through the Uber platform.

But the latest episode is particularly notable because Austin authorities have already raised concerns about how autonomous vehicles interact with police, firefighters and paramedics during emergencies.

City records show that during the response to the March 1 mass shooting on Austin’s West Sixth Street, a Waymo vehicle blocked an ambulance approximately a block and a half from the scene, forcing the ambulance to divert. Officials said the incident occurred after police, fire and EMS had upgraded the situation to an active attack and autonomous-vehicle companies had been alerted.

Austin officials documented additional Waymo-related problems during the same emergency. Between approximately 2:10 and 2:30 a.m., firefighters reported as many as five Waymo vehicles obstructing a response corridor that had been established for ambulances near Guadalupe and West Sixth streets. Police dispatchers subsequently asked that Waymo be notified to avoid the entire West Sixth Street area, and the company told authorities that it was geofencing a section of the neighborhood.

In one widely circulated incident from that response, an officer approached a Waymo that had stopped in the roadway while an ambulance was attempting to get through. Video showed the vehicle moving incrementally but failing to fully clear the route until the officer interacted with it and ultimately took control of the vehicle.

Those episodes prompted Austin officials to examine more closely how driverless vehicles respond when emergency personnel need immediate access to a roadway.

The City of Austin says its transportation staff collect reports of autonomous-vehicle incidents from city departments and Austin 3-1-1 and pass public-safety concerns to vehicle operators. The city cautions that its incident database contains reported events that have not necessarily been independently validated and may not capture every autonomous-vehicle incident in Austin.

Texas law limits the ability of cities such as Austin to impose their own regulations on autonomous vehicles. Commercial autonomous-vehicle operators are regulated primarily at the state level and are required to provide plans explaining how firefighters, police officers, ambulance crews and other emergency personnel should interact with their vehicles during emergencies.

Waymo says it has developed specific emergency-response procedures and provides instructional material to police, fire and other public-safety agencies. The company says it has conducted in-person training for more than 35,000 first responders at over 150 agencies.

Waymo also maintains that its autonomous-driving technology has a strong overall safety record. The company says its vehicles have logged more than 100 million miles of real-world autonomous driving and cites insurance-claims and crash data that it says show substantially fewer serious crashes than comparable human-driven vehicles. Those figures address overall road safety, however, rather than the narrower question of how the vehicles perform during unusual emergency-response situations.

The Austin hotel episode ended without injuries and with the fire truck eventually getting through. But the footage has once again highlighted a problem emergency officials and autonomous-vehicle developers are confronting as driverless cars become more common: situations that may be immediately obvious to a human driver — such as yielding quickly and decisively to an approaching fire truck — can require autonomous systems to interpret a complicated and rapidly changing scene.

For Austin first responders, the Sept. 14 standoff also comes against the backdrop of the city’s earlier encounters with autonomous vehicles during genuine emergencies, making the seemingly minor hotel incident part of a broader discussion over how robotaxis should behave when seconds can matter.

{Matzav.com}