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Orange Juice Sugar Cuts Proposed By FDA To Help Citrus Growers: What It Means For You

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced plans to revise a long-standing regulation on orange juice, a move that industry experts believe will help American citrus farmers without altering the familiar taste of the drink, Fox News reports.

For the first time since 1963, the FDA is recommending lowering the minimum sugar requirement for pasteurized orange juice.

The proposal, unveiled on August 6, would adjust the mandated Brix level — a measure of dissolved solids, primarily natural sugars — from 10.5% to 10%. According to the agency, this matches the natural sugar levels currently found in U.S. oranges and equals about one gram less sugar per 8-ounce serving, reducing from 18 grams to 17 grams.

The effort follows a 2022 petition submitted by the Florida Citrus Processors Association and Florida Citrus Mutual, which noted that Florida oranges averaged a Brix level of 9.7 during the 2022–23 season.

Back in 1963, when the existing rule was adopted, Florida oranges averaged a much higher 11.8 Brix.

In recent years, citrus greening disease and extreme weather have driven Brix levels down, compelling juice makers to mix in sweeter imported juice from Mexico and Brazil to satisfy federal requirements, the FDA explained.

“For years, we’ve been wasting beautiful American oranges simply due to an outdated regulation, while relying on a high volume of imports,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said in a statement.

By lowering the threshold, the agency estimates producers could cut reliance on foreign juice and save more than $50 million annually.

The FDA emphasized that growers could continue producing juice with higher Brix levels if their fruit allows.

Uncle Matt’s Organic, a Florida-based company that sells organic juices, lemonades, and teas, said it will not be lowering its Brix.

“Uncle Matt’s Organic orange juice contains no added sugar,” co-founder Susan McLean told Fox News Digital. “The naturally occurring sugar content comes directly from the fruit itself, and our Brix is consistently above 11.8, which is well above the minimum threshold.”

Still, the company endorsed the FDA’s proposed change.

“The update will allow struggling growers to market their fruit more effectively without compromising transparency or food safety,” McLean said.

The adjustment is part of the FDA’s broader review of over 250 Standards of Identity (SOIs) — federally defined rules that specify what foods must contain and, in some cases, how they must be produced in order to bear a particular label.

“The agency is working to ensure its rules are science-based, relevant and responsive to today’s food supply and consumer needs,” the FDA said in its statement.

The proposed rule is open to public feedback until November 4, and the FDA is also asking whether it should consider dropping the Brix level further.

Shannon Shepp, executive director of the Florida Department of Citrus, welcomed the development, saying the organization has long backed an update but does not support doing away with standards altogether.

“We support science-based updates that reflect current growing conditions, while protecting Florida oranges, our growers and the future of Florida orange juice,” Shepp told Fox News Digital.

“These standards are created in a spirit of honesty, so that consumers know exactly what they are getting from properly labeled products.”

Food scientist Bryan Quoc Le, author of 150 Food Science Questions Answered, said the difference in sugar levels will have little effect on orange juice overall.

“There may be very minor changes in flavor profile, fiber content and other components that come along with orange juice, but ultimately this will not be particularly noticeable from either a health or an industry standpoint,” he said.

Dr. Michael Ednie, a Florida physician and registered dietitian, agreed the impact on health would be negligible.

“Orange juice has been criticized for its sugar content because drinking lots of sugary beverages – including fruit juices – can increase risks of health problems, like diabetes and tooth decay,” Ednie told Fox News Digital.

He added that current dietary recommendations already advise consuming fruit juice in moderation.

“So, the main message for public health stays the same: Orange juice is best enjoyed in reasonable amounts as part of a balanced diet.”

{Matzav.com}

State Department Yanks More Than 6K Student Visas Due To Assault, Burglary, Support For Terrorism

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The State Department has revoked over 6,000 student visas in 2025 because of overstays, criminal activity, and in some cases, ties to terrorism, Fox News Digital reports.

The Trump administration has rolled out a series of measures designed to tighten immigration enforcement, focusing on foreign students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities.

Students who have taken part in pro-Palestine demonstrations have been under particular review. In May, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that officials were examining the visa eligibility of those who joined such protests.

According to the State Department, the majority of the 6,000 cancellations stemmed from students overstaying their visas or facing criminal charges, including assault, DUI offenses, burglary, and involvement in terrorist activities.

“Every single student visa revoked under the Trump Administration has happened because the individual has either broken the law or expressed support for terrorism while in the United States,” a senior State Department official told Fox News Digital. “About 4,000 visas alone have been revoked because these visitors broke the law while visiting our country, including records of assault and DUIs.”

Roughly 800 of those affected had their visas canceled following arrests or charges connected to assault, the State Department said.

Between 200 and 300 visas were revoked after investigations found the students had engaged in pro-terrorism activities such as fundraising for Hamas, a group the U.S. designates as a terrorist organization, according to the same official.

Overall, the State Department reported that about 40,000 visas have been rescinded in 2025 so far, compared to 16,000 revoked during the same period under the Biden administration.

“Even if the previous administration was doing less, they were still revoking visas,” the official said. “It’s not something that just started on January 20 … So this has happened for years.”

In testimony before lawmakers in May, Rubio estimated that “thousands” of student visas had been revoked since the beginning of the year.

“I don’t know the latest count, but we probably have more to do,” Rubio told senators on the appropriations subcommittee for foreign affairs on May 20. “We’re going to continue to revoke the visas of people who are here as guests and are disrupting our higher education facilities.”

Democrats, however, have criticized the administration’s approach, arguing that it violates constitutional protections.

“I do think it’s a fundamental attack on freedom, because due process is the guardian of the gate to keep a government from taking away people’s life or liberty, and liberty is what happens when you take away a visa without due process,” Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., told Rubio on May 20.

Student visas allow foreign nationals to study at U.S. schools for a fixed period, but they differ from green cards, which permit long-term residency for noncitizens.

The student visa enforcement push follows executive actions signed by President Donald Trump in January, which were aimed at protecting the United States from terrorism and other security threats, as well as confronting antisemitism.

One of those orders instructed agencies including the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, the attorney general, and the director of national intelligence to “vet and screen to the maximum degree possible all aliens who intend to be admitted, enter, or are already inside the United States, particularly those aliens coming from regions or nations with identified security risks.”

Another order required federal agencies to employ “all available and appropriate legal tools, to prosecute, remove, or otherwise hold to account the perpetrators of unlawful anti-Semitic harassment and violence.”

{Matzav.com}

POTUS: Peace Agreement “Very Attainable,”

Yeshiva World News -

POTUS: “All of us would obviously prefer an immediate ceasefire while we work on a lasting peace… President Zelensky and President Putin can talk a little bit more about that… But I believe a peace agreement at the end of all of this is something that’s very attainable…”

Texas Declares Measles Outbreak Over After 762 Cases, Two Child Deaths

Yeshiva World News -

The Texas measles outbreak that sickened 762 people since late January is over, state health officials said Monday. Health officials have not confirmed a new case in the affected counties in more than 42 days, passing the threshold used to declare measles outbreaks over. The last outbreak-related case in Texas was on July 1, according to state data. Two young Texas children died of the virus earlier this year and 100 people were hospitalized throughout the outbreak. The cases were linked to outbreaks in Canada and Mexico and jumped to other states in the U.S. The U.S. is having its worst year for measles in more than three decades, with 1,356 cases as of Aug. 5. Nationwide, childhood vaccination rates against the virus are declining as more parents claim exemptions from school requirements. West Texas was the nation’s measles epicenter for months. The virus started spreading there in close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite communities in Gaines County. State officials say they will keep monitoring for new cases. Before the outbreak, most doctors in the state had never seen a measles case because of how uncommon it has become, said Texas Department of State Health Services Commissioner Jennifer Shuford. She credited testing, vaccination, monitoring and education with helping to end the outbreak. “I want to highlight the tireless work of the public health professionals across the state who contributed to the containment of one of the most contagious viruses,” Shuford said in a statement. Measles causes a rash and respiratory symptoms that can lead to severe complications or death. It is prevented by the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, which is recommended for young kids before they start school. (AP)

Trump Rips ‘Stupid’ WSJ, Critics Over Russia-Ukraine War

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President Donald Trump took aim at The Wall Street Journal on Monday after its editorial board issued a strong caution against taking Russian President Vladimir Putin’s word at face value concerning Ukraine.

The comments followed Trump’s meeting with Putin on Friday in Alaska. During their talks, Putin reportedly offered a deal: he would halt his campaign against Ukraine and refrain from expanding aggression elsewhere if Russia were allowed to keep control of the eastern Donetsk region.

On Sunday, the Journal’s editorial board dismissed that pledge outright, warning that Putin’s “promises are worse than worthless.”

In response, Trump blasted the paper on Truth Social, writing, “I’ve settled 6 Wars in 6 months, one of them a possible Nuclear disaster, and yet I have to read & listen to the Wall Street Journal, and many other who truly don’t have a clue, tell me everything that I am doing wrong on the Russia/Ukraine MESS, that is Sleepy Joe Biden’s war, not mine.”

He continued, “I’m only here to stop it, not to prosecute it any further. It would have NEVER happened if I was President. I know exactly what I’m doing, and I don’t need the advice of people who have been working on all of these conflicts for years, and were never able to do a thing to stop them.”

Trump went further, declaring, “They are ‘STUPID’ people, with no common sense, intelligence, or understanding, and they only make the current R/U disaster more difficult to FIX. Despite all of my lightweight and very jealous critics, I’ll get it done — I always do!!! President DJT.”

{Matzav.com}

D.C. Police: Carjacking Down 83 Percent Thanks to Trump

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The D.C. Police Union released updated data on Monday indicating that crime in the capital has fallen 8% since President Donald Trump announced the federal government would assume control of the city’s police department last week.

Representing about 3,000 officers in the Metropolitan Police Department, the union reported that carjackings plunged by 83% after the transition, while robberies dropped by 46%.

In the week following the arrival of federal law enforcement in the District, violent crime was down 22%, car theft decreased 21%, and both assaults with deadly weapons and property crimes saw a 6% decline.

“While federal assistance gives us a boost, we must repeal the misguided Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Act in order to make these changes permanent,” the union posted on X Monday morning.

The D.C. City Council passed the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022 in December of that year. When the measure went to Congress in January 2023 for review, both chambers rejected it. Then-President Joe Biden vetoed their action, allowing the law to go into effect in April 2023.

The law introduced new limits on use-of-force practices, adjusted the rules for officer employment and termination, and expanded the public’s ability to access police disciplinary records.

According to USA Today, the following year 21 members of the D.C. police were removed from the force under the terms of the 2022 act. Twelve of those dismissals were directly tied to the bill, while the contracts of the remaining nine officers were not renewed “for a variety of reasons.”

“This bill, which is inarguably the worst piece of public safety legislation the DC Council has ever passed, continues to wreak havoc on the police department,” the union declared at the time.

“The bill prohibits the hiring of sworn personnel if they have ever received sustained discipline from any law enforcement agency … meaning that these officers, who have spent their careers serving and protecting this city, are ineligible to be retained by the MPD due to prior administrative personnel matters, some of which are over 20 years old,” the union added.

{Matzav.com}

After Fox’s $787M Payout, Newsmax Settles Dominion Lawsuit for $67M

Yeshiva World News -

The conservative network Newsmax will pay $67 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of defaming a voting equipment company by spreading lies about President Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss, according to documents filed Monday. The settlement comes after Fox News Channel paid $787.5 million to settle a similar lawsuit in 2023 and Newsmax paid what court papers describe as $40 million to settle a libel lawsuit from a different voting machine manufacturer, Smartmatic, which also was a target of pro-Trump conspiracy theories on the network. Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis ruled earlier that Newsmax did indeed defame Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems by airing false information about the company and its equipment. But Davis left it to a jury to eventually decide whether that was done with malice, and, if so, how much Dominion deserved from Newsmax in damages. Newsmax and Dominion reached the settlement before the trial could take place. The settlement was disclosed by Newsmax on Monday in a new filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. It said the deal was reached Friday. The disclosure came as Trump vowed in a social media post Monday to eliminate mail-in ballots and voting machines such as those supplied by Dominion and other companies. It was unclear how the Republican president could achieve that. Trump lost his 2020 reelection bid to Democrat Joe Biden. (AP)

SEE VIDEOS: Trump Presses Zelensky on Concessions, Raises Possibility of Three-Way Talks With Putin

Yeshiva World News -

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump expressed hope that Monday’s critical talks with Ukrainian and European leaders at the White House could lead to trilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine. Monday’s hastily assembled meeting comes after Trump met on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and has said that the onus is now on Zelenskyy to agree to concessions that he said could end the war. POTUS: “It’s an honor to have the President of Ukraine with us… I think progress is being made… We had a good meeting, as you know, just a short while ago with the President of Russia — and I think there’s a possibility that something could come out of it.” “If everything works out today, we’ll have a trilat,” Trump said, referring to possible trilateral talks among Zelenskyy, Putin and Trump. “We’re going to work with Russia, we’re going to work with Ukraine.” Zelenskyy also expressed openness to trilateral talks. “We are ready for trilateral as president said,” Zelenskyy said. “It’s a good signal about trilateral. I think this is very good.” POTUS: “People are being killed and we want to stop that… I know the President, I know myself, and I believe Vladimir Putin wants to see it ended.” POTUS: “We’re going to work with Ukraine, we’re going to work with everybody, and we’re going to make sure that if there’s peace, that peace is going to stay long-term… We’re not talking about a 2-year peace and then we end up in this mess again.” Trump on deploying US troops to Ukraine: “We’ll let you know that maybe later today… We’ll be involved.” POTUS: “I don’t think you need a ceasefire. If you look at the six deals that I settled this year, they were all at war. I didn’t do any ceasefires … I like the concept of a ceasefire for one reason: because you’d stop killing people immediately.” Trump is first holding one-on-one talks with Zelenskyy. The two are then scheduled to gather with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. The European leaders were left out of Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin last Friday, and they want to safeguard Ukraine and the continent from any widening aggression from Moscow. Many arrived at the White House with the explicit goal of protecting Ukraine’s interests — a rare show of diplomatic force. By coming as a group, they hope to avoid debacles like Zelenskyy’s February meeting in the Oval Office, where Trump chastised him for not showing enough gratitude for U.S. military aid. Trump and Zelenskyy were due to meet in the Oval Office before European leaders join them in the East Room for talks. The meetings are also a test of America’s relationship with its closest allies after the European Union and United Kingdom accepted Trump’s tariff hikes partly because they wanted his support on Ukraine. “We understand that we shouldn’t expect Putin to voluntarily abandon aggression and new attempts at conquest,” Zelenskyy said in an X posting before arriving at the White House. “That is why pressure must work, and it must be joint pressure – from the United States […]

Pakistani Textbooks Rife With Antisemitism, Hostility To Jews, Israel, Study Finds

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Pakistani textbooks are full of antisemitic content and recurring hostility towards both Jews and Israel, according to a study released on Monday.

The analysis of more than 80 government-approved textbooks on an array of subjects by the London-based research institute IMPACT-se found repeated instances of hostility toward Jews, with antisemitic tropes embedded in Islamic Education content and Judaism entirely absent from comparative religion sections.

Rehashing centuries-old antisemitic tropes, “the Jews” as they are often collectively described in the textbooks, are consistently accused of treachery and disloyalty as “usual” traits, the study found.

Judaism is entirely absent from comparative religion sections, which cover Hinduism, Christianity, Confucianism and Taoism.

Where Jews are mentioned in the Pakistani school curriculum, it is typically in a hostile context. A Grade 6 textbook for example claims Jewish tribes in Medina repeatedly conspired against the Prophet Mohammed, while a Grade 5 textbook uses the trope that Jews “caused Prophet Isa and his mother to suffer,” accusing them of plotting against Jesus out of fear of losing authority.

“These narratives frame Judaism as inherently treacherous and promote intolerance,” the report states. Israel is depicted as a hostile enemy, solely responsible for the current war in Gaza, the study found, while textbooks promote support for Muslim nations in conflict with Israel.

The Holocaust is omitted entirely, while a Civics textbook praises Hitler for restoring German pride while making no mention of Nazi atrocities, the report said.

“Given Pakistan’s prominent regional role, its nuclear status, and large percentage of young people, this curriculum has far-reaching consequences,” said Marcus Sheff, IMPACT-se CEO. “What is taught in classrooms today will define Pakistan’s future global outlook, including its relationship with Israel and the Jewish people.”

Pakistan has no diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.

“An educational system that presents such a narrow and one-sided view poses serious risks for young minds and future generations,” Pakistani journalist and documentary film director Sabin Agha told JNS on Monday. “It can limit critical thinking, reinforce prejudice and prevent young minds from understanding diverse perspectives and historial realities.”

Earlier this year, a delegation of 10 Pakistani journalists and educators made a rare visit to Israel, defying a travel ban imposed by the South Asian Muslim country. JNS

{Matzav.com}

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