Bitter cold will remain in place in the tri-state area through early Monday, Feb. 9, but a shift is on the way, with temperatures forecast to climb above freezing by Monday afternoon.
Those heading out this evening will not have to deal with snowfall, though they should dress for the cold, according to James Tomasini, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Brookhaven office.
An extreme cold warning issued by the National Weather Service is set to remain in effect tonight.
Alongside the arctic air, gusty winds are expected to persist through tonight. However, they will be weaker than yesterday’s powerful gusts, which prompted officials to caution about possible power outages and encouraged residents to stay indoors.
A cold weather advisory will take effect from 1 p.m. Sunday through 10 a.m. Monday. During that period, wind chills are expected to make temperatures feel like below 15 degrees to below 25 degrees Sunday morning, and between below 5 degrees and below 15 degrees from the afternoon into early Monday.
Gusts approaching 35 mph are anticipated later in the day, and officials warn that frostbite and hypothermia are possible if people do not take appropriate precautions.
Exposed skin could develop frostbite in as little as 15 to 30 minutes. The sustained freezing conditions may also cause inadequately insulated water pipes along exterior walls to freeze and burst.
According to Tomasini, wind gusts measured Saturday afternoon into the early evening reached 52 mph at Teterboro Airport, 45 mph in Fair Lawn, and 40 mph in Wayne.
Those winds caused damage on Saturday, Feb. 7, when the roof covering the gas pumps at the Pompton Lakes Delta station on Wanaque Avenue was blown down. City officials said the debris has since been cleared and the station has reopened.
Conditions are expected to improve beginning Monday, with daytime highs reaching the low 30s. Tomasini said temperatures will continue trending upward as the week progresses. Starting Monday morning, “we’re looking at highs starting to increase each day through the middle of the week. By Tuesday, it will feel more moderate, with temperatures in the mid- to upper-30s, he said.
“It will feel warm compared to yesterday and today, but those temperatures are still below normal for this time of year,” Tomasini said. “We will still see several days of 5 to 10 degrees below normal but it won’t be as cold as these arctic air breaks we’ve been experiencing the past couple of weeks.”
He noted that average temperatures for this point in the season are usually around 42 degrees.
Meanwhile, the deep cold early Sunday set a new daily record in Bergenfield, according to Bob Ziff, a spokesperson for North Jersey Weather Observers in Ramsey. Temperatures there dropped to 2 degrees, surpassing the previous record low of 9 degrees set in 1995.
{Matzav.com}
The chareidi public has traditionally played little to no role in the struggle over settlement in Judea and Samaria, and certainly not in Gaza. These questions have generally been identified with the Religious Zionist sector, especially in light of past rulings by leading Torah authorities who supported territorial concessions in exchange for peace agreements.
In recent years, however, a new phenomenon has begun to take shape. Several unregulated outposts associated with chareidi groups have quietly emerged. Across Judea and Samaria, five settlement points are now inhabited by chareidi families and youths.
More recently, a chareidi headquarters has been established with the explicit goal of creating a chareidi settlement in Gaza. The group operates within the framework of the right-wing Nachala movement, which is largely identified with the Religious Zionist community. In the wake of the war, however, the movement decided to form a unit defined specifically as a chareidi, “mehadrin” framework.
The Nachala movement works publicly to build awareness and support for settlement in Gaza through media campaigns, solidarity marches, conferences, and public statements of support from right-wing ministers and Knesset members. At the same time, it is quietly organizing six separate settlement nuclei that are meant to move into Gaza on “the day of command,” establishing roughly six communities.
One of these is the chareidi nucleus, which consists of approximately 40 families who have declared their readiness to move onto the land immediately.
“The families are ready tomorrow morning to go up to Gaza,” says Pinchas Farber, who heads the chareidi headquarters. Addressing the fact that chareidim are taking part in a struggle typically associated with the knitted-kippah sector, he says: “The chareidi public is part of the State of Israel. As a ציבור, it should join this struggle, but every chareidi individual also needs to ask himself whether he wants to see another massacre.”
Among the participating families is the Horowitz family from Beit Shemesh. The father, Yedidya, explains their willingness to relocate to Gaza. “We see this as a mission. We will not do this recklessly. When we go up to Gaza, it won’t be just a few tents—it will be a community, with buildings and institutions.”
“In recent years, there has been a growing sense within the chareidi public of belonging to what is happening to the Jewish people,” he continues. “When it comes from a Torah perspective, from a desire to fulfill Hashem’s will, chareidim also need to take part. And regardless of that, if there is no settlement in Gaza, Jews will continue to be slaughtered.”
The headquarters focuses primarily on gatherings among the families themselves, most of whom approach the group independently. At the same time, they are working to recruit additional chareidi families, including through small home-based meetings and information booths.
The organizers acknowledge that at present it is not feasible to set up outreach stands in Bnei Brak, due to concerns about disruptions from extremist elements. However, they do not rule out doing so in the future, with the goal of increasing exposure within the broader chareidi public.
Several weeks ago, the group organized a special Shabbos program for chareidi yeshiva bochurim near Gaza. During the Shabbos, about 20 youths stayed in the area, slept in tents, and strengthened their resolve to take hold of the land.
“As a chareidi bochur, it feels very natural to me to act for the sake of settling Gaza. Gaza is an inseparable part of Eretz Yisroel,” says Yisrael S., who participated in the Shabbos. “During Shabbos there were very moving tefillos and joint learning sessions facing Gaza. It was inspiring to see more and more bochurim joining the effort and understanding that Gaza is an inseparable part of us and that we have an obligation to settle it.”
The Shabbos gathering came to the attention of the newspaper HaPeles, the mouthpiece of the Yerushalmi faction, which launched a sharp attack on the initiative. Under the headline “Another Delusional Project,” the paper reviewed the advertisement inviting the chareidi public to spend Shabbos near Gaza and claimed that the plans to settle Gaza were “far-reaching schemes.”
“This is another development that illustrates the ideological bankruptcy seeping into the fringes of the chareidi public,” the paper wrote. It accused certain chareidi politicians, saying that their “identification with settler circles and Religious Zionism” enabled initiatives such as the Gaza Shabbos to take place.
The question of rabbinic support remains a particularly sensitive issue. At present, there is no chareidi rav publicly calling for settlement in Gaza, and in the past, leading Torah authorities spoke in favor of relinquishing territory. According to Farber, however, this should not prevent a chareidi individual from taking part in the struggle.
“This is an existential question, not an ideological one,” he argued. “It goes beyond whether we are for or against the state. This is critical. If we don’t act, it will happen again. We would be happy to have the agreement of the Moatzos Gedolei Hatorah, but before that, action is required,” he added, his eyes shining.
{Matzav.com}
Billionaire Elon Musk is once again emerging as a significant financial force for Republicans as the 2026 midterm elections approach, with reports indicating he has poured tens of millions of dollars into GOP-aligned political groups over the past year.
By the end of 2025, Musk had contributed at least $20 million to leading Republican super PACs, and he followed that with another $10 million donation last month tied to Kentucky’s closely watched Senate contest.
The renewed wave of contributions represents a notable shift from Musk’s public commitment last spring to pull back from political spending after investing an estimated $250 million in President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign.
“Musk as a donor is important – money in politics is important – but Musk himself is a politically polarizing figure,” Virginia Tech public relations professor Cayce Myers told The Hill.
“As his money is needed, the fact that he is involved does create a complicated political situation for Republicans.”
Campaign finance disclosures show that Musk has restarted large-scale donations to Republican House and Senate leadership funds, strengthening GOP fundraising efforts as the fight for congressional control heats up, according to The Hill.
The filings also indicate that Musk directed $2.9 million into his America PAC during the final half of 2025, pushing the group’s total fundraising for the year to $48 million.
“It’s a big deal for Trump and for the Republicans to have the world’s richest man on their side,” Republican strategist Brian Seitchik, who served as Trump’s 2016 Arizona state campaign director, told The Hill.
“It certainly feels like the president and Elon Musk are back in a good place. For Republicans running around the country, I hope that holds as long as possible.”
Political analysts say the influx of Musk’s money could significantly aid Republican candidates, even as his controversial public image presents potential challenges in closely contested races.
“It’s no surprise to me that someone like Elon Musk sees a fracturing Republican Party and cannot resist reengaging and trying to make that party his own,” Wisconsin-based Democratic strategist Joe Zepecki told The Hill.
Democrats contend that Musk’s growing involvement could backfire on Republicans, citing criticism surrounding his role in the Department of Government Efficiency and increased regulatory attention on his social media platform, X.
“Especially after DOGE and his reputation, his political salience is probably becoming less positive than it was, but I’m not sure that just giving money necessarily is going to hurt the Republican cause or a particular candidate,” Northwestern University law professor and campaign finance specialist Michael Kang told The Hill.
“I would bet most of the Republican interests are happy to have the money, and maybe a little bit more ambivalent about his heavy and very public involvement.”
Despite those reservations, many Republican operatives view Musk’s financial reentry as a potentially decisive edge in what is expected to be a fiercely competitive election cycle.
{Matzav.com}With measles cases climbing in several parts of the country and concerns growing that the United States could lose its long-standing measles elimination status, a senior federal health official on Sunday called on Americans to get vaccinated against the disease.
“Take the vaccine, please,” said Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, during a public appeal. “We have a solution for our problem.”
Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon by training, used the appearance to defend newly adjusted federal vaccine guidance and to push back against criticism surrounding past remarks by President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. regarding vaccines. He delivered an unambiguous message when it came to measles prevention.
“Not all illnesses are equally dangerous and not all people are equally susceptible to those illnesses,” he said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “But measles is one you should get your vaccine.”
Health officials are tracking a significant outbreak in South Carolina involving hundreds of cases, which has now exceeded the size of Texas’ 2025 outbreak. Additional clusters have been identified along the Utah-Arizona border, and several other states have reported confirmed infections this year.
Children have accounted for most of the cases, as public health specialists warn that declining confidence in vaccines may be fueling the return of a disease that had previously been declared eliminated in the United States.
When asked during the interview whether measles should be feared, Oz responded, “Oh, for sure.” He added that coverage for the measles vaccine will remain in place under Medicare and Medicaid.
“There will never be a barrier to Americans get access to the measles vaccine. And it is part of the core schedule,” Oz said.
At the same time, Oz emphasized that federal officials have consistently supported measles vaccination, saying, “we have advocated for measles vaccines all along,” and asserting that Kennedy “has been on the very front of this.”
Vaccines were not addressed later in a Fox News Channel interview with Kennedy on “The Sunday Briefing,” where the health secretary was instead asked about his preferred Super Bowl snacks and eating habits, including yogurt and steak with sauerkraut for breakfast.
Critics of Kennedy argue that his long history of questioning U.S. vaccine policy and his past openness to discredited claims linking vaccines to autism could shape public health decisions in ways that conflict with established medical consensus.
Oz countered that Kennedy has supported measles vaccination even while questioning broader vaccine schedules.
“When the first outbreak happened in Texas, he said, get your vaccines for measles, because that’s an example of an ailment that you should get vaccinated against,” Oz said.
Last month, the Republican administration removed certain childhood vaccine recommendations, a significant change to the traditional immunization schedule. The Department of Health and Human Services said the move followed a request from Trump.
Trump asked the agency to examine how other developed nations approach vaccine guidance and to consider potential changes to U.S. recommendations.
Vaccination mandates for schoolchildren are set by individual states, not the federal government. While federal guidance often shapes those policies, some states have begun forming alliances aimed at countering the administration’s direction on vaccines.
Federal data show that vaccination rates have declined nationwide, while the percentage of children receiving exemptions has reached a record high. At the same time, cases of vaccine-preventable illnesses, including measles and whooping cough, are increasing across the country.
Oz’s remarks reflect a broader pattern within the administration, where officials have issued mixed and sometimes conflicting statements about vaccines amid sweeping changes to national public health policy.
Administration figures have sought to criticize previous vaccine strategies while at times appearing sympathetic to unsupported claims promoted by anti-vaccine activists, even as they avoid fully departing from mainstream scientific conclusions.
At a Senate hearing Tuesday, National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya stated that no individual vaccine causes autism, though he said he could not rule out future research identifying harmful effects from certain vaccine combinations.
Kennedy, however, has testified before Congress that a link between vaccines and autism has not been definitively disproven.
He has also previously claimed that vaccine components such as the mercury-based preservative thimerosal may contribute to childhood neurological conditions like autism. Most measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines do not contain thimerosal. A federal vaccine advisory panel restructured by Kennedy last year voted to stop recommending vaccines that include the preservative.
Public health officials within the administration frequently cite the need to rebuild trust in health institutions following the coronavirus pandemic, a period when vaccine policy and the broader response became sharply divisive in American politics.
False information and conspiracy theories about public health spread widely during the pandemic, drawing increased attention to long-established anti-vaccine groups.
Kennedy, who previously led the anti-vaccine organization Children’s Health Defense, has faced criticism for ordering reviews of vaccines and health guidelines that major medical bodies consider settled science.
Public health experts have also faulted the president for promoting unsupported claims on politically sensitive health topics. During an Oval Office event in September, Trump asserted without evidence that Tylenol and vaccines are connected to rising autism rates in the United States.
{Matzav.com}Israeli defense officials have cautioned their American counterparts that Israel is prepared to carry out military action against Iran independently if Tehran advances beyond an Israeli-defined threshold regarding ballistic missiles.
According to the report, Israeli officials have characterized Iran’s ballistic missile program as a direct existential danger and have recently told U.S. officials that Israel would not hesitate to act on its own should that danger intensify.
One source familiar with the discussions said Israel has not yet determined that Iran has crossed the critical line that would trigger such action.
“We told the Americans we will strike alone if Iran crosses the red line we set on ballistic missiles,” the source was quoted as saying, noting that Israel is closely monitoring developments within Iran on an ongoing basis.
The Jerusalem Post reported that Israeli officials have communicated a clear objective of dismantling Iran’s missile capabilities and its production network through senior-level contacts, including conversations about potential strikes on major manufacturing hubs and other facilities tied to the program.
The report also noted concerns among some Israeli officials that President Donald Trump may favor a more limited military response, similar to recent U.S. actions against the Houthis, warning that such a restrained approach could leave Iran’s central capabilities largely untouched.
These developments come ahead of Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s planned visit to Washington, where he is scheduled to meet with Trump on Wednesday, according to Reuters.
Sources said Brig. Gen. Omer Tischler is expected to travel with Netanyahu and serve as the representative of IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir during the meetings.
Israel’s Defense Ministry has publicly identified Zamir as the 24th chief of the general staff, and Israeli media outlets have reported that Tischler is slated to take part in the trip in an official capacity.
The Times of Israel reported that Tischler’s participation is unusual, as Israel currently does not have a permanent defense attaché stationed in the United States, and that Tischler was “appointed as a sort of military envoy to the Pentagon.”
Tischler is also described as the “incoming Israeli Air Force chief,” with the Times reporting that he is expected to formally assume the position in April.
At present, the role of interim Israeli defense attaché in Washington is being filled by Brig. Gen. Arik Ben Dov.
{Matzav.com}
As a new crew prepares to launch to the International Space Station from Florida next week, one small personal item will make the journey alongside the astronauts: a child’s stuffed rabbit belonging to Jewish astronaut Jessica Meir’s young daughter.
Meir, an American Jewish astronaut and one of four crew members assigned to the mission, shared that she plans to bring the toy as a way to stay connected to her three-year-old child during the long stay in orbit.
Astronauts traveling to the space station, which circles Earth at an altitude of about 250 miles (400 kilometers), are traditionally allowed to bring along a few meaningful items from home to accompany them during their months in space.
“I do have a small stuffed rabbit that belongs to my three-year-old daughter, and she actually has two of these because one was given as a gift,” Meir, 48, tells an online news conference.
“So one will stay down here with her, and one will be there with us, having adventures all the time, so that we’ll keep sending those photos back and forth to my family,” she says.
According to NASA, the SpaceX Crew-12 mission is scheduled to depart early Wednesday, launching aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, bound for the orbiting research facility.
Meir, who is a marine biologist and physiologist, previously served as a flight engineer on a 2019–2020 expedition to the station and took part in the first all-female spacewalks. She is the daughter of an Iraqi-Israeli father and a Swedish mother.
Since her last mission, Meir has become a mother, and she acknowledged the emotional difficulty of preparing for an extended separation that is expected to last about eight months.
“It does make it a lot difficult in preparing to leave and thinking about being away from her for that long, especially when she’s so young; it’s really a large chunk of her life,” Meir says.
“But I hope that one day, she will really realize that this absence was a meaningful one, because it was an adventure that she got to share in and that she’ll have memories about, and hopefully it will inspire her and other people around the world,” Meir adds.
{Matzav.com}
Israel’s government is advancing legislation aimed at significantly increasing punishments for dangerous driving, as road fatalities continue to mount early in the year.
Since January 1, 2026, seven children have been killed in traffic accidents across the country, intensifying pressure on officials to act.
In response, the Ministerial Committee for Legislation has signed off on a broad package of measures that would sharply raise fines and penalty points for a range of serious traffic violations, including mobile phone use behind the wheel, speeding, and failure to yield.
The committee’s approval clears a major procedural hurdle and sets the stage for the proposed changes to move forward in the legislative process, with the new penalties expected to take effect once the process is completed.
At the heart of the proposal is a focus on what ministers have labeled the “seven deadly sins” of Israeli drivers: using a mobile phone while driving, running a red light, excessive speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, overtaking another vehicle while crossing a solid dividing line, driving while disqualified, and driving without a valid license. The plan under discussion includes fines reaching as high as NIS 10,000, along with expanded authority for police to administratively seize vehicles on the spot.
According to Channel 12 News, motorists caught using a phone while driving, running a red light, or traveling at extreme speeds would be fined 5,000 shekels and assessed 10 penalty points. A second violation would double the fine to 10,000 shekels, while a third offense would result in vehicle confiscation and a court summons.
Other infractions are also slated for steeper punishment. Drivers who cross a solid dividing line or use the road shoulder would face a 5,000-shekel fine and 10 points. Failing to yield to a pedestrian would carry a 3,000-shekel fine for a first offense and 6,000 shekels for a second, along with mandatory penalty points.
Officials say the proposed crackdown is grounded in accident-risk data that draws a clear connection between these behaviors and deadly crashes. Government figures indicate that excessive speed plays a role in roughly one-third of fatal accidents, failure to yield in 19 percent, and running red lights in another 11 percent.
With the committee’s endorsement secured, the draft amendments are expected to move ahead in the Knesset in the coming weeks. Enforcement agencies are betting that a mix of hefty fines, accumulating penalty points, and the threat of vehicle impoundment will discourage reckless driving and ultimately reduce road accidents and loss of life.
{Matzav.com}
