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President Donald Trump really wants to fly on an upgraded Air Force One — but making that happen could depend on whether he’s willing to cut corners with security. As government lawyers sort out the legal arrangement for accepting a luxury jet from the Qatari royal family, another crucial conversation is unfolding about modifying the plane so it’s safe for the American president. Installing capabilities equivalent to the decades-old 747s now used as Air Force One would almost certainly consign the project to a similar fate as Boeing’s replacement initiative, which has been plagued by delays and cost overruns. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told lawmakers Thursday that those security modifications would cost less than $400 million but provided no details. Satisfying Trump’s desire to use the new plane before the end of his term could require leaving out some of those precautions, however. A White House official said Trump wants the Qatari jet ready as soon as possible while adhering to security standards. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, did not provide details on equipment issues or the timeline. Trump has survived two assassination attempts, and Iran allegedly also plotted to kill him, so he’s well aware of the danger he faces. However, he seems willing to take some chances with security, particularly when it comes to communications. For example, he likes to keep his personal phone handy despite the threat of hacks. He boasted this week that the government got the jet “for free,” saying, “We need it as Air Force One until the other ones are done.” Here’s a look at what it would take to make the Qatari plane into a presidential transport: What makes a plane worthy of being Air Force One? Air Force One is the call sign for any plane that’s carrying the president. The first aircraft to get the designation was a propeller-powered C-54 Skymaster, which ferried Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Yalta Conference in 1945. It featured a conference room with a bulletproof window. Things are a lot more complicated these days. Boeing has spent years stripping down and rebuilding two 747s to replace the versions that have carried presidents for more than three decades. The project is slated to cost more than $5.3 billion and may not be finished before Trump leaves office. A 2021 report made public through the Freedom of Information Act outlines the unclassified requirements for the replacement 747s under construction. At the top of the list — survivability and communications. The government decided more than a decade ago that the new planes had to have four engines so they could remain airborne if one or two fail, said Deborah Lee James, who was Air Force secretary at the time. That creates a challenge because 747s are no longer manufactured, which could make spare parts harder to come by. Air Force One also has to have the highest level of classified communications, anti-jamming capabilities and external protections against foreign surveillance, so the president can securely command military forces and nuclear weapons during a national emergency. It’s an extremely sensitive and complex system, including video, voice and data transmissions. James said there are anti-missile measures and shielding against radiation or an electromagnetic pulse that could be caused by a nuclear blast. “The point is, it […]

Kilmar Abrego Garcia was returned to the United States to face criminal charges months after he was deported to a prison in his native El Salvador. Abrego Garcia has been indicted in federal court in Tennessee on a charge related to transporting undocumented migrants within the United States. The indictment alleges that Abrego Garcia and others from 2016 through 2025 “conspired to bring undocumented aliens to the United States from countries such as Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Ecuador, and elsewhere, ultimately passing through Mexico before crossing into Texas.”

The latest on Trump’s presidency • Trump-Musk rift: President Donald Trump said Elon Musk will “pay the consequences” if he chooses to fund Democratic candidates to challenge Republicans who vote for the president’s sweeping agenda bill. • Agenda bill: GOP leaders maintain Trump’s bill is on track to land on the president’s desk by July 4, but some conservatives are warning that Musk’s opposition could have an impact. • Trade talks: US and Chinese officials will meet in London on Monday to discuss trade between the two nations, according to Trump.

President Trump issued a sharp warning to Elon Musk today, saying the billionaire would face “very serious consequences” if he began financially backing Democratic candidates, while expressing sorrow over Musk’s emotional state.

“If he does, he’ll have to pay the consequences for that,” Trump said in a phone conversation with NBC News’ Kristen Welker.

“He’ll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that,” Trump repeated, though he did not provide further details.

When Welker asked if there was anything else he wanted to share about the current situation, Trump responded plainly.

“No, not at all. We’re doing great,” Trump said. “The bill is great. It looks like we’re going to get it passed. Looks strongly like we’re going to get it passed.”

Trump expressed strong optimism that the bill in question would make it through the Senate before Independence Day.

Musk has recently gone on the offensive, criticizing Trump in a lengthy series of posts on X. He took issue with the large-scale spending measures in what he referred to as the “big beautiful bill,” and claimed Trump would not have succeeded in 2024 without his financial support.

The tech mogul also took credit for helping Republicans secure a 53–47 edge in the Senate and maintain control of the House of Representatives.

Campaign finance records show Musk gave over $250 million to Republican candidates during the 2024 election cycle.

His brief stint in the Trump administration, serving in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), ended just two days before his 130-day appointment concluded.

Despite the tension, Trump acknowledged that Musk’s criticism may have had an unexpected benefit.

“I think, actually, Elon brought out the strengths of the bill because people that weren’t as focused started focusing on it, and they see how good it is,” Trump said. “So in that sense, there was a big favor. But I think Elon, really, I think it’s a shame that he’s so depressed and so heartbroken.”

On Thursday, their public clash escalated further when Trump threatened to cancel billions of dollars in federal deals and subsidies awarded to Musk’s various companies. When Welker pressed him on whether he’d act on that threat, Trump replied, “I’d be allowed to do that,” and added, “but I have, I haven’t given it any thought.”

Musk retaliated online by accusing the president of blocking the release of sealed files relating to Jeffrey Epstein, suggesting that the contents might be damaging to Trump. He later deleted the post.

Both Trump and Epstein’s former attorney, David Schoen, have pushed back on the suggestion. Trump’s past interactions with Epstein in the 1990s have been publicly documented, and Schoen defended the president’s reputation.

“I was hired to lead Jeffrey Epstein’s defense as his criminal lawyer 9 days before he died,” Schoen wrote on X. “He sought my advice for months before that. I can say authoritatively, unequivocally, and definitively that he had no information to hurt President Trump. I specifically asked him!”

Trump, addressing the matter again today, dismissed the renewed focus on Epstein as recycled speculation.

“That’s called ‘old news,’ that’s been old news, that has been talked about for years,” he said.

Trump had previously banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago in 2007 following an incident involving the daughter of a club member — a year before Epstein was convicted of soliciting a minor.

Musk has gone as far as calling for Trump’s impeachment in the past, though many of those social media posts have since been erased, according to Fox News.

When asked whether the strained relationship could be repaired, Trump shut down the idea.

“No,” he said, adding, “I’m too busy doing other things,” and criticized Musk for being “disrespectful to the office of the President.”

Trump also said he had no plans to speak with Musk, even after reports emerged that Musk had attempted to deescalate tensions with a phone call, which the White House ultimately declined.

The reconciliation bill remains under Senate review, following its earlier passage in the House.

The proposal includes a permanent extension of Trump’s 2017 tax reforms, increased funding for border security and national defense, and a rollback of green-energy tax benefits established under Joe Biden’s reconciliation legislation.

According to projections from the Congressional Budget Office, the bill would raise the national deficit by nearly $3 trillion, though Trump maintains full confidence in its approval by July 4.

“The Republican Party has never been united like this before. It’s never been. It’s actually more so than it was three days ago,” he told Welker.

Musk, for his part, had pushed for $1 trillion in federal spending cuts but stepped down after managing to secure only about $175 billion in reductions.

Those cuts were left out of the current bill, but lawmakers expect some of the savings to be included in future rescission packages. One such measure, which would defund NPR and PBS, has already been introduced in the House.

Though he has become a major Republican donor, Musk previously supported Democrats. As recently as 2018, he gave tens of thousands to Democratic House candidates, and in 2020 he maxed out donations to Senate campaigns for Chris Coons, Gary Peters, and Jeanne Shaheen.

{Matzav.com}

Elon Musk appears to delete some explosive X posts amid feud with Trump Some of Elon Musk’s X posts, including one accusing President Donald Trump of links to Jeffrey Epstein, were no longer available as of Saturday morning. It was not immediately clear why the posts were deleted. The removal of the posts comes after Trump and Musk took to social media this week to exchange barbs.

Wildfires forced a further 1,000 people to flee their homes in Manitoba, one of two Canadian provinces under a state of emergency that has led to thousands of evacuations. The town of Snow Lake, Manitoba, issued a mandatory evacuation order for its residents Friday as a large wildfire threatens the area. That fire, which has now grown to more than 3,000 square kilometers (1,058 square miles, or over twice the size of Los Angeles), has already forced out all 5,000 residents of the nearby city of Flin Flon and a thousand more in surrounding cottages and homes. When the Snow Lake evacuees are added in, Manitoba has about 19,000 displaced from their homes. There are 27 total fires in the province of Manitoba, eight of them out of control. Smoke from the Canadian wildfires has worsened air quality in eastern Canada and the U.S. The fires have sent smoke as far as Europe. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said evacuees have found a place to stay with friends or family, in hotels or in congregate shelters. Scott Moe, premier of neighboring Saskatchewan province, said two people were charged with setting wildfires. He said one of them was charged in relation to a fire around La Ronge, Saskatchewan, which has forced 7,000 people to flee their homes. There are 24 active wildfires burning in the province of Saskatchewan, forcing between 10,000 and 15,000 people from their homes. “Many if not virtually all of the fires that we’re dealing with in Saskatchewan … are human-caused. Some of those have been intentionally human-caused,” Moe said. The province is also under a state of emergency, making it easier for different levels of government to coordinate a response. Moe said they are in daily contact with the federal government but have not yet asked for the military to help airlift out evacuees as they have so far been able to get them out by road. He said the Red Cross is also working to set up congregate shelters for evacuees in Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert. Canada’s wildfire season runs from May through September. Its worst-ever wildfire season was in 2023. That choked much of North America with dangerous smoke for months. (AP)

Barack Obama’s former physician criticized Joe Biden’s medical oversight, arguing that his current doctor should have ensured the president underwent multiple cognitive evaluations throughout his time in office.

Dr. Jeffrey Kuhlman, who served as Obama’s White House physician from 2009 to 2013, told The Post in a phone interview Saturday that Biden — and any politician over 70 — ought to be tested for mental acuity yearly, with results shared publicly.

“My position is that a 78-year-old candidate, Trump at the time, an 82-year-old president [Biden] would both benefit from neurocognitive testing,” said Kuhlman, referencing a proposal he made in his book Transforming Presidential Healthcare, released in November 2024.

Kuhlman emphasized that anyone in their seventies will experience natural age-related mental decline. He said he’s been recommending such evaluations for almost a year, including in a New York Times op-ed that coincided with Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race.

“If you look at his three physicals that were released as president, Dr. [Kevin] O’Connor wrote five to six pages, single-spaced. He referenced 10 to 20 specialist physicians.”

Despite the length and detail of Biden’s medical records, Kuhlman noted there were no cognitive assessments performed, such as the Montreal Cognitive Assessment that Trump took during his presidency — a short exam designed to screen for early signs of dementia.

“I have no doubt that President Trump aced it,” Kuhlman said. He added that, in the interest of transparency, the Biden administration should also disclose any CT scans conducted after the July 2024 assassination attempt on the Republican nominee in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Kuhlman pointed out that while the Montreal test can catch early signs of cognitive impairment, it’s not sufficient for diagnosing more advanced decline. He said that when doctors evaluate aging presidents, they should also focus on cancer and heart health in addition to brain function.

According to Kuhlman, brain functions like memory, logical reasoning, reaction time, and spatial awareness generally start deteriorating around the age of 60.

O’Connor, who was Biden’s physician during his years as vice president, worked alongside Kuhlman in the White House medical unit.

Although Kuhlman expressed “respect” for O’Connor’s medical decisions, he also told The Washington Post, “Sometimes those closest to the tree miss the forest.”

O’Connor gave only one media interview during Biden’s presidency. In July 2024, shortly after Biden exited the race and was replaced by Vice President Kamala Harris, O’Connor told The Post that Biden’s mental state was “excellent,” despite widespread concern after a poor debate showing on June 27.

Unlike past presidential physicians, O’Connor never took reporters’ questions in the briefing room. His annual health reports noted various physical conditions, but made only broad statements about Biden’s mental fitness, stating he was “fit for duty.”

“The president doesn’t need a cognitive test,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in February 2024, after Biden’s final physical. “He passes a cognitive test every day.”

Visitor logs show Biden met in January 2024 with Dr. Kevin Cannard, a Parkinson’s expert and longtime physician at Walter Reed. O’Connor said that meeting was part of Biden’s annual medical evaluation.

“If somebody turns up a report that Kevin Cannard said he has Parkinson’s,” said Kuhlman, “then that’s a completely different story, but we have 14 years of Kevin Cannard evaluating him and that’s who I would trust.”

O’Connor denied that Biden had Parkinson’s, though some physicians were not convinced.

“I could’ve diagnosed him from across the Mall,” neurologist Dr. Tom Pitts told NBC in July 2024, citing symptoms like Biden’s stiffness, slower pace, and shuffling steps.

Earlier that year, in February, Special Counsel Robert Hur chose not to prosecute Biden over his mishandling of classified documents, citing the likelihood that a jury would perceive him as “a sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.”

The House Oversight Committee, under Republican leadership, issued a subpoena to O’Connor last Thursday, compelling him to testify about Biden’s cognitive condition on June 27.

Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) included a letter with the subpoena suggesting that O’Connor’s “financial relationship with the Biden family” could have played a role in concealing the president’s mental decline from the public.

Jean-Pierre, who left the Democratic Party and is now preparing to release a tell-all memoir about dysfunction inside the Biden administration, is also expected to be called to testify.

Shortly before the release of a new book alleging a systematic effort to hide Biden’s deterioration in his final years, Biden disclosed he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer that had metastasized to his bones.

In Original Sin, authors Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson report that O’Connor resisted giving Biden a cognitive test.

Kuhlman said O’Connor had previously run prostate cancer screenings when they both worked in the White House, but if the last PSA test taken during Biden’s vice presidency showed no cause for concern, further testing over the next decade might have been deemed unnecessary.

“I hope that Kevin O’Connor had that conversation every year with his patient, Joe Biden, and documented that in the medical record,” Kuhlman said. “If he did the PSA and chose not to release it, I don’t agree with that.”

{Matzav.com}

Chaotic scenes in Paramount, California amid ongoing protests against immigration raids.

WATCH: President Trump defended the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, saying, ‘Bring him back. Show everybody how horrible this guy is’

In a brazen claim, Iranian-affiliated media reported on Shabbos that Iran has illicitly obtained a trove of sensitive Israeli intelligence materials, including documents purportedly tied to Israel’s nuclear capabilities. According to sources cited by Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen and Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, thousands of documents, images, and videos were smuggled from within Israel to Iranian territory. The sources bragged that the sheer volume of stolen materials has required extensive time to review, with a deliberate period of media silence maintained to ensure the secure transport of the leaked documents to “protected destinations” in Iran. While the operation allegedly took place some time ago, the audacity of the breach has raised grave concerns in Israel. Compounding the alarm, Israeli authorities recently indicted two Israeli nationals, Roi Mizrahi and Almog Attias, both 25 and from Nesher near Haifa, for spying on behalf of Iranian intelligence. According to the indictment filed in May at the Beersheba District Court, the Shin Bet arrested the pair for carrying out intelligence missions, including installing spy cameras, as directed by an Iranian operative. While no direct link to the reported intelligence leak has been confirmed, sources suggest the suspects may be connected to the breach. The Attorney-General’s Office emphasized the severity of the charges, underscoring the ongoing threat posed by Iran’s nefarious activities. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Personnel in riot gear have arrived in Paramount, California as protests and riots break out.

VIOLENT THUGS: Anti-ICE leftists seen throwing rocks at passing vehicle in California.

Anti-ICE protesters and rioters have completely demolished Fox LA reporter Matthew Seedorff’s car.

Wild footage shows the moment Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay was shot and seriously injured during a campaign rally in Bogota today.

Watch as Anti-ICE rioters waving Mexican flags set fire to vehicles in Paramount, California.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirms that President Trump has deployed 2,000 National Guardsmen to respond to Los Angeles protests.

Los Angeles descended into chaos Saturday as violent protests over federal immigration raids spiraled into full-blown street battles, prompting the U.S. government to deploy the National Guard and slam city officials for their stunning failure to maintain order. Federal agents clad in riot gear clashed with hundreds of demonstrators in Paramount, California, after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids sparked widespread outrage. Tear gas canisters exploded, flash-bang grenades echoed through the streets, and videos showed protestors hurling rocks, igniting fires, and even torching an American flag outside a Home Depot. Acting ICE Director Tom Homan announced on Fox News that the National Guard would be brought in to support overwhelmed federal agents. “We’re going to push back on these people and we’re going to enforce the law,” Homan said bluntly. Federal officials accused the LAPD of taking over two hours to respond to the escalating violence which began Friday, when immigration agents were swarmed during a series of workplace raids. According to DHS, nearly 1,000 rioters defaced buildings, slashed law enforcement tires, and physically attacked officers — acts they linked to anti-ICE rhetoric from local leaders. “The violent targeting of law enforcement in Los Angeles by lawless rioters is despicable,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Mayor [Karen] Bass and Governor [Gavin] Newsom must call for it to end.” DHS reported a 413% spike in assaults on ICE agents since President Trump resumed office in January. Over 100 undocumented immigrants have been detained in the current LA operations, including alleged gang members and individuals with prior convictions for drug trafficking, robbery, and child cruelty. Protestors blocked federal buses, lit fires in the streets, and graffitied “KILL ICE” and other anti-government slogans across buildings. Video footage circulating online showed scenes that resembled a war zone, with agents in gas masks holding their lines against surging crowds. Predictably, leftist local officials blasted the raids as fearmongering. “These tactics sow terror in our communities,” Mayor Bass said. The ACLU accused the administration of detaining “hundreds” of migrants, including minors. Federal officials denied the number, but acknowledged 118 arrests as of Saturday. As of press time, at least 44 protestors had been arrested, with more confrontations expected as federal enforcement continues and tensions remain high across the city. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

More than 20 people were taken into custody today after a crowd of close to 150 demonstrators gathered in Lower Manhattan and attempted to disrupt federal immigration enforcement activities, according to law enforcement sources, government officials, and video footage from the scene.

The protesters, many of whom had their faces covered, shouted obscenities at police, sat down in the street, and physically obstructed an unmarked white van with darkened windows as it tried to depart from 26 Federal Plaza, the location of the US Immigration Court.

“Back up, back up!” shouted six Department of Homeland Security officers in uniform, as they pushed protestors away from the vehicle, according to video captured at the scene.

The demonstrators dragged metal barricades and traffic cones into the street and even retrieved a dresser missing its drawers from a dumpster in an effort to keep the van from moving forward. However, police swiftly cleared the obstacles.

After a roughly two-minute delay, the van was able to leave the area, but the situation soon spiraled into further disorder. Video footage shows nearly 40 officers from the NYPD and federal agencies continuing to confront the protesters.

The NYPD confirmed that those arrested were given summonses. The department stated that officers responded to a 911 call regarding a group behaving disruptively and found individuals intentionally sitting in the roadway to obstruct traffic.

Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, commended law enforcement for quickly stepping in to arrest those who interfered with immigration agents, saying, “Secretary (Kristi) Noem’s message to rioters is clear: you will not stop us or slow us down.”

“ICE will continue to enforce the law. And if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” McLaughlin said in a statement to The Post.

In Los Angeles, a similar protest erupted, marking the second consecutive day of violent demonstrations opposing federal immigration enforcement efforts.

Tom Homan, Acting Director of ICE, announced that the National Guard would be deployed this evening in response to the growing unrest.

{Matzav.com}

ELIMINATED: The IDF has announced that the leader of the Mujahideen Brigades, Asaad Abu Sharia, was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza City earlier today. Abu Sharia invaded Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, onslaught and was “directly involved” in abductions and murders of civilians.