Feed aggregator

President Trump on Sunday rejected the idea that he was preparing for a war with Chicago, clarifying comments he had posted online that portrayed the city in ruins and hinted at a looming conflict.

When pressed on whether he was threatening Chicago, Trump told reporters, “We’re not going to war. We’re going to clean up our cities.”

“We’re going to clean them up, so they don’t kill five people every weekend. That’s not war. That’s common sense,” Trump said.

In recent weeks, Trump has pointed to Chicago as the next location where he intends to carry out broad immigration enforcement measures.

His rhetoric has sharpened, and on Saturday he shared an AI-created image showing himself in a law enforcement role, set against a backdrop of a burning Chicago. The scene also showed helicopters flying over the city and text reading “Chipocalypse Now,” a play on the title of the 1979 film “Apocalypse Now” and a reference to Chicago.

“I love the smell of deportations in the morning… Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR,” Trump posted, alluding to his executive order that changed the Department of Defense’s name to the Department of War.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker responded strongly on social media.

“The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city,” Pritzker wrote. “This is not a joke. This is not normal.”

“Donald Trump isn’t a strongman, he’s a scared man,” Pritzker added. “Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.”

Meanwhile, Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, said Sunday that Chicago should “absolutely” expect immigration enforcement activity in the coming week. He noted that the operation could even involve the use of National Guard units.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s High Court of Justice ruled Sunday that the state has failed to meet its legal obligation to provide Palestinian security prisoners with sufficient food and ordered authorities to immediately rectify the situation. The court, in a 2–1 ruling, sided with petitions brought by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) and Gisha, which accused National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and the Israel Prison Service of deliberately cutting food rations to levels below subsistence. Justices Daphne Barak-Erez, Ofer Grosskopf, and David Mintz all agreed that Israeli law obligates the state to ensure food “sufficient to enable a basic existence.” But Barak-Erez and Grosskopf concluded the state has not met that standard. Writing for the majority, Barak-Erez pointed to evidence that rations for Palestinian prisoners had fallen below the legal threshold. “The painful testimonies of freed hostages show that a stricter food regime [for Palestinian prisoners] does not improve the suffering of our kidnapped brothers who are still in captivity, and even the opposite,” she wrote. Grosskopf added that the state “has not sufficiently demonstrated” it is carrying out its nutritional obligations. Mintz dissented, insisting that the state’s approved menus and food provisions were consistent with a legally acceptable minimum standard. “The High Court of Justice ordered a halt to Ben Gvir’s policy of starving security prisoners,” said Oded Feller, an attorney for ACRI. “A state does not starve people, regardless of what they have done. This policy, which lasted nearly two years, turned prisons in Israel into torture camps, and according to testimonies from hostages, also led to increased abuse of them.” National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir immediately lashed out at the court. “Our hostages in Gaza have no High Court to defend them. The murderous Nukhba terrorists and abominable rapists have, to our disgrace, the High Court protecting them,” Ben Gvir said. He vowed to maintain a policy of providing only “the most minimal conditions under the law.” Justice Minister Yariv Levin echoed the criticism, accusing the court of misplaced priorities. “While the hostages are being starved in the tunnels, a duo of judges in the High Court require that the food given to the worst terrorists be improved,” Levin said. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Hamas issued a response Sunday night to President Donald Trump’s newly presented plan for a deal that would free hostages and bring about a truce in Gaza.

“We have received several ideas from the American side through mediators to reach a ceasefire agreement. In this context, the Hamas movement welcomes any effort that supports stopping the aggression against our people and emphasizes its immediate readiness to sit at the negotiating table,” the group declared.

“It is our aim to discuss the release of all prisoners in exchange for a clear declaration of an end to the war and the complete withdrawal of forces from the Gaza Strip. Additionally, we seek the establishment of a committee to manage Gaza, composed of independent Palestinians, which would begin operations immediately. This would include an explicit and binding commitment from the enemy to uphold the agreements, preventing a recurrence of past instances where agreements were made but later rejected or canceled,” Hamas added.

In recent days, Trump forwarded to Hamas a detailed outline for a broad exchange arrangement that differs considerably from prior proposals.

Under the terms, all 48 captives—both those alive and those who have been killed—would be handed over at the start of the agreement, while Israel would free hundreds of terrorists along with thousands of Palestinian Arab prisoners.

The outline also stipulates that Israel would suspend its campaign to take control of Gaza City and move straight into talks aimed at ending the conflict, with Trump personally overseeing the process. As long as talks continue, fighting would not resume.

Officials close to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu responded by saying, “Israel is seriously considering President Trump’s proposal; Hamas will likely continue its refusal.”

Trump himself addressed the matter on Sunday on Truth Social, writing: “Everyone wants the hostages home. Everyone wants this war to end! The Israelis have accepted my terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well. I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning; there will not be another one! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

{Matzav.com}

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee issued a  warning Sunday, blasting European efforts to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations later this month as a direct violation of the Oslo Accords that risks destabilizing the region and emboldening terror groups. In an interview with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssber, Huckabee said that the recognition drive — spearheaded by countries including France — has already undermined hostage negotiations with Hamas and may prompt Israel to expand sovereignty over swaths of Yehuda and Shomron. “I wish that they’d have thought about the implications,” Huckabee said. “When France announced it would recognize Palestine, Hamas walked away from the negotiations to let the hostages go.” He added that the move sends Israel the message that “if we’re going to be forced into something that goes against Oslo … now Israel is talking about declaring sovereignty over more parts of Judea and Samaria. Whatever the thought was, no matter how noble it may have seemed, it has had disastrous consequences that have proven to do the exact opposite of what many European countries thought would be a great idea.” Huckabee stressed that unilateral recognition directly contradicts the framework of the 1990s Oslo Accords, which envisioned eventual Palestinian statehood through mutual negotiation, not international fiat. “Unilaterally declaring a Palestinian state is a violation of the Oslo Accords that everybody thought would lead to a Palestinian state,” he said. The ambassador also repeated his framing of Israel’s war with Hamas as more than a political conflict. Speaking to CNB News last week, Huckabee described the struggle as “a spiritual conflict, a battle of the ages … It’s heaven versus hell, it’s good versus evil.” He invoked the October 7 Hamas massacre, calling it “a level of evil the likes of which, you just look throughout all history, and you’d be hard-pressed to find anything like it.” “You stand with Israel not for its government,” he continued, “but for the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Law, the Light, the foundation of Western civilization.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

President Donald Trump announced what he called his “last warning” to Hamas today, telling the terror group to agree to his conditions for ending the fighting.

He issued the statement on Truth Social, without outlining the specifics of the proposal. Some of the reported terms surfaced earlier in the day, but Trump emphasized that Israel had already accepted them.

“Everyone wants the hostages HOME. Everyone wants this war to end!” Trump wrote.

“It is time for Hamas to accept [my terms] as well,” he added.

“I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning. There will not be another one,” Trump declared.

This isn’t the first time Trump has delivered such an ultimatum. Back in March, he told Hamas there would be “HELL TO PAY,” calling that statement his “last warning” as well.

Just a week ago, Trump posted that Hamas should “IMMEDIATELY give back all 20 Hostages.”

At present, there are 48 hostages being held in Gaza, with estimates indicating that only about 20 are still alive.

{Matzav.com}

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani (D) took direct aim at Elon Musk on Saturday, declaring at a packed Brooklyn College rally that they would not allow the Tesla CEO to become the world’s first trillionaire. “It’s important that we feel the outrage of children going hungry, people being homeless, 85 million without healthcare — and you got one guy, one guy, Mr. Musk, whose wealth is more than the bottom 52% of American households,” Sanders thundered. “Millions are struggling to put food on the table, and making one guy a trillionaire is insane. We are not going to allow that to happen.” The comments came during Sanders’s fiery speech at the “Fighting Oligarchy” town hall alongside Mamdani, whose insurgent campaign has rallied progressive voters against corporate power and political elites. Sanders was responding to reports that Tesla’s board has floated a mammoth new compensation package for Musk — potentially worth between $800 billion and $900 billion — that could catapult his net worth beyond $1 trillion. Despite Tesla’s volatile performance on Wall Street, Musk remains the richest man alive, with an estimated fortune of $342 billion, according to Forbes. Sanders, 83, framed Musk’s pay proposal as the latest symptom of a system rigged for the ultra-wealthy. “We are living in a crazy world,” he said, contrasting Musk’s wealth against working-class Americans crushed by inflation, soaring rents, and stagnant wages. “The richest one percent have never had it so good, while ordinary people are facing unprecedented financial pain.” Though Sanders offered no details on how he and Mamdani would block Musk’s windfall, the rhetoric underscored a central theme of Mamdani’s mayoral bid: that unchecked wealth and corporate power must be dismantled in order to deliver justice for working-class New Yorkers. Mamdani has already made headlines for proposing to open five government-run grocery stores if elected — a plan he defended in a CNN interview Friday night, despite skepticism over cost and implementation. At Saturday’s rally, Sanders endorsed Mamdani as part of the progressive movement’s “future of the Democratic Party,” tying the fight against corporate greed directly to the local battle for New York’s City Hall. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

President Donald Trump issued a warning to the European Union over its continued imposition of massive fines on American technology firms, making it clear that retaliatory trade steps are on the table if the penalties persist.

“Europe today ‘hit’ another great American company, Google, with a $3.5 billion dollar fine, effectively taking money that would otherwise go to American investments and jobs,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This is on top of the many other fines and taxes that have been issued against Google and other American Tech companies, in particular.

“Very unfair, and the American taxpayer will not stand for it!”

Trump has repeatedly criticized what he considers to be one-sided and damaging trade practices, singling out Europe in particular.

“As I have said before, my administration will not allow these discriminatory actions to stand,” Trump wrote. “Apple, as an example, was forced to pay $17 billion dollars in a fine that, in my opinion, should not have been charged — they should get their money back!

“We cannot let this happen to brilliant and unprecedented American ingenuity and, if it does, I will be forced to start a Section 301 proceeding to nullify the unfair penalties being charged to these taxpaying American companies.

“Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974 gives the American government authority to investigate foreign trade policies it believes are unfair and to strike back through tariffs or similar measures.

In another statement posted online, Trump highlighted the cumulative toll of earlier EU penalties on Google, which he said amounted to staggering sums.

“In addition to my previously posted Truth concerning Google, please let this statement serve to represent that Google has also paid, in the past, $13 billion dollars in false claims and charges for a total of $16.5 billion dollars,” Trump wrote.

“How crazy is that? The European Union must stop this practice against American companies, IMMEDIATELY!” Trump wrote.

For years, Trump has cautioned global partners that they cannot keep erecting tariffs and barriers on U.S. exports without facing direct countermeasures from his administration.

He also warned that legal challenges brought by Democratic-aligned firms, which he said rely on “radical left courts” and judges appointed by Democrats, were being used to block his tariff strategy.

“More than $15 trillion dollars will be invested in the USA, a record,” Trump wrote last Sunday. “Much of this investment is because of tariffs.

“If a radical left court is allowed to terminate these tariffs, almost all of this investment, and much more, will be immediately canceled! In many ways, we would become a third world nation, with no hope of greatness again.”

{Matzav.com}

Hagaon Rav Reuven Feinstein, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva of Staten Island, will be delivering divrei chizuk v’hisorerus this afternoon, at approximately 4:30 p.m., at the Kollel Dayanus of the Bais HaVaad, located at 290 River Avenue in Lakewood, NJ.

This gathering will be addressed to the dayanim and chavrei hakollel of the Bais HaVaad, and to the entire community who is warmly invited to join and hear words of inspiration in honor of the auspicious days of Elul and to receive the berachos of the rosh yeshiva in advance of the approaching Yamim Nora’im.

{Matzav.com}

Negotiations over the proposed IDF draft law are gaining momentum, with United Torah Judaism chairman MK Yitzchak Goldknopf scheduled to meet on Wednesday with MK Boaz Bismuth, the newly appointed head of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. This will be the first meeting between the two since Bismuth assumed his post. Until now, discussions had taken place mainly with Shas and Degel HaTorah, but Agudas Yisroel is now also taking an active seat at the negotiating table.

Another round of talks with Bismuth is planned for tomorrow, aimed at drafting a compromise bill that can withstand scrutiny both in the Knesset and before the High Court of Justice.

Sources indicate that they sense a shift since Bismuth replaced MK Yuli Edelstein as committee chair. “We see a positive change in the stance of the committee’s legal adviser, Miri Frenkel-Shor. The atmosphere has become more respectful and businesslike, and we feel a genuine sense of partnership that is allowing the dialogue on the law to move forward constructively,” one source said.

Meanwhile, at today’s committee session, Brig. Gen. Shai Tayeb, head of the IDF’s Planning and Manpower Division, revealed that 2,940 chareidim enlisted in the past year—well above the previous annual average of around 1,800. Still, he stressed that “the enlistment rate remains very low. Tens of thousands of young men are carrying this number on their shoulders, and the gap between the army’s needs and reality is large. The IDF has the capacity to absorb about 4,800 chareidi recruits per year, but we are far from that figure.”

The meeting also featured a clash over the long-debated quota framework. Attorney Dror Granit from the Justice Ministry argued that “the target model has failed,” saying government decisions had not led to meaningful change. But the committee’s legal adviser, Attorney Miri Frenkel-Shor, countered: “It is impossible to say the model failed—the High Court struck it down before it could actually be tested.”

During a review of the bill’s clauses, MK Elazar Stern criticized the terms for deferrals granted to yeshiva students: “According to the law, they are entitled to 75 vacation days per year—this is unreasonable. If so, reservists should also be given a similar vacation mechanism.” Committee chair Bismuth responded: “This is a comment worthy of deeper examination.”

In addition, the committee confirmed Bismuth’s appointment as chairman of the subcommittee on EAPC (the Eilat-Ashkelon Pipeline Company) confidentiality issues, replacing MK Yuli Edelstein.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Israel’s weekly cabinet meeting was once again convened Sunday in a secure underground location in Jerusalem, a minister’s office confirmed to The Times of Israel. The decision marks the second consecutive week that the government has opted for heightened security measures. Last week’s meeting was relocated after threats from Yemen’s Houthi rebels, though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the time publicly dismissed the warnings. Security around senior officials has been significantly reinforced in recent days, following Israel’s targeted strike late last month that killed several top Houthi leaders in Yemen and Sunday’s Houthi drone attack that struck Ramon Airport in the Negev. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

This weekend’s Jerusalem Post featured a dramatic full-page appeal from the Forum of Religious Reservists and Shutfus L’Sheirut, urging prominent philanthropists of the Keren Olam HaTorah fund to step in and support reservists currently serving in the Israeli army.

The message was explicitly addressed to members of the International Fellowship and the Keren Olam HaTorah fund, listing benefactors from around the world: Solly Azrak (Panama), Meir Birnbaum, Joachim Cohen (Paris), Ezra Erani, Shimon Glick, Avi Goldstein (London), Benzion Heitner (Toronto), Ariel Mashiyev (Toronto), Yaakov (John) Kaplan (Toronto), Jack Hilu (Mexico), Salomon Jasqui (Mexico), Boruch Jeremias, Boruch Karfunkel, Jimmie Khezrie, Yissachar Knoll (Ramat Gan), Leiby Levison (London), Yitzchak Mirilashvili (Herzliya), Chaim Rajchenbach (Chicago), Yitzy Rokowsky, Alberto Safra (Sao Paulo), Leizer Scheiner, Rubin Schron, Jack I. Silvera (Panama), Ronald Wilheim (Cincinnati), Reuven Wolf, the Wolfson Family, and Tyrone Zinman (South Africa).

The body of the ad read in full:

“We are turning to you, as important supporters of Am Yisroel during these challenging times.

“Just this week, 60,000 reservists have been called up for the next phase of the war. Many are talmidei chachamim, older men, with wives and children. Their families are collapsing under the mental and financial pressure.

“How can the yeshiva world stand by while their brothers are drowning?
We know that it is possible to both serve in the army and live a Torah life.
It is possible to have both Safra and Saifa.

“Instead of spending money to keep bochurim out of the army, let’s invest in finding ways to support their Torah learning while in the army.

“The time is now! Please don’t abandon Klal Yisroel in our time of greatest need.”

{Matzav.com}

Israel will host the largest-ever delegation of American state legislators next week, with 250 lawmakers from all 50 states arriving for a weeklong tour aimed at bolstering U.S.-Israel ties and countering mounting global criticism of the Gaza war. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson confirmed Sunday that the bipartisan delegation includes five legislators from each state, most of whom will be setting foot in Israel for the first time. The ministry is billing the trip as a strategic effort to shape opinion at the grassroots of American politics, where statehouses often debate anti-Israel resolutions and measures linked to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. The lawmakers are slated to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana. Their itinerary includes tours across the country, with a visit to the Gaza border region to plant trees and hear security briefings designed to underscore Israel’s ongoing challenges. Israeli officials say the mission is designed not only to strengthen bonds but also to equip American legislators to resist anti-Israel measures in their home states. “State lawmakers play a direct role in legislation on BDS and antisemitism,” a ministry official said, noting that the presence of such a large bipartisan group is intended to blunt international campaigns against Israel. The visit is part of a broader Foreign Ministry initiative launched last month to bring more than 400 international delegations — totaling some 5,000 participants — by the end of the year. The stated goal is to “help spread the Israeli narrative in international media” at a time when the government faces withering criticism over civilian casualties in Gaza and its handling of the ongoing conflict. Meanwhile, the cabinet postponed debate on a separate proposal to establish a new public diplomacy unit inside the Foreign Ministry. The unit would be tasked with countering what officials describe as a surge of anti-Israel messaging abroad. The measure is now scheduled to be taken up next week. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Thousands of residents of Arad staged a rare joint protest on Sunday at the entrance to the city, voicing strong opposition to the government’s decision earlier in the day to advance plans for a phosphate mine near the city.

Participants included secular, traditional, and chareidi residents, with large numbers of Gur chassidim joining at the direction of their rabbonim, who invoked the Torah principle of venishmartem—the obligation to safeguard health. Public health concerns and air pollution risks have long been central issues for the Gur community, which has previously mobilized political representatives in the Knesset and government to delay approval of the mine.

The demonstration was marked by an unusual show of unity across sectors of the city. In another unprecedented step, the entire Arad city council—both coalition and opposition members—signed a strongly worded letter to the prime minister and government ministers demanding that the project be halted. “Building the site at such a short distance from residents’ homes amounts to a death sentence for more than 100,000 people in the region. Human life and public health are not expendable,” the letter declared.

Mayor Yair Maayan emphasized the unprecedented consensus: “For the first time in years, there is wall-to-wall unity among all factions in the city on the issue of residents’ health and environmental protection. We will fight this decision until it is overturned in the High Court.”

Yitzchak Gordon, chairman of the city council’s finance committee, added: “Arad has seen many protests in the past, but this time the struggle has full support from all residents and the council. The government is surrendering to the pressure of lobbyists and tycoons at the expense of human life, and we will not stand idly by.”

Responding to the mounting public outcry, the government announced that any decision regarding the mine would be accompanied not only by an environmental impact study but also by a full health impact review, in order to prevent harm to residents.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is demanding a federal investigation into a Palestinian activist who urged attendees at a Detroit conference to disrupt the U.S. military’s fighter jet supply chain. In a letter sent Wednesday to FBI Director Kash Patel, Cotton called for an inquiry into Aisha Nizar, an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement, over remarks she delivered at last weekend’s People’s Conference for Palestine. During her speech, Nizar urged activists to “be surgical” in undermining the U.S. defense industry. She specifically singled out the supply chain for the F-35 stealth fighter, one of America’s most advanced military aircraft. “If one specific node of the F-35 supply chain is intervened in, it has a huge impact,” Nizar said. “We need to be strategic, and we need to be bold in our actions. Because there are many different points of these supply chains of death that we can intervene in.” Cotton condemned the remarks as dangerous incitement, arguing they encouraged sabotage against defense contractors and workers who build critical military hardware. “Nizar’s statements constitute direct incitement of violence against U.S. national security interests,” Cotton wrote. “By advocating for attacks on the men and women who build the F-35, she is seeking to imperil the delivery of one of the nation’s most strategic assets.” The senator urged the FBI to “take any necessary actions to mitigate the threat,” pointing to what he described as the Palestinian Youth Movement’s history of “antisemitic activities” and potentially illegal fundraising practices. The Detroit gathering, billed as the People’s Conference for Palestine, has drawn sharp criticism from U.S. lawmakers who accuse it of promoting extremism and terrorism under the guise of activism. The FBI has not publicly responded to his letter. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Tucker Carlson once again ignited controversy yesterday, this time by suggesting that Hamas looks “more like a political organization” than a jihadist movement responsible for the October 7 massacre in Israel.

The ex-Fox News anchor made the remarks while addressing Israel’s strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church, which left three people dead. Carlson claimed that if Hamas were really a radical Islamist faction, then the deaths of Christians would “prove” that Israel was indiscriminately targeting civilians.

“No one can possibly claim that a Christian family are in Hamas. OK, so what, tell me — You can’t claim they’re in Hamas while simultaneously claiming that Hamas is a group of jihadis. They’re Islamist extremists, which they also claim. Constantly. I don’t know if that’s true, by the way. Seems more like a political organization,” Carlson said.

“But whatever it is, they’re telling us constantly that they’re Al-Qaeda. So, it can’t also be true that Christians are a member of Al-Qaeda. So, then, we know they’re not in Hamas, so why did they get killed?” he added.

His remarks immediately drew backlash, even from his longtime allies on the right, with many questioning whether Carlson had abandoned mainstream Republican views on terrorism.

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) blasted him on X, writing: “Now, @TuckerCarlson doesn’t know if Hamas is a terrorist organization. (‘Elmo is just asking questions….’) What the hell happened to Tucker?? He’s turning into Ilhan Omar.”

Mark Levin, a conservative commentator and former Fox News colleague of Carlson, derisively dubbed him “Qatarlson” and wrote: “Qatarlson doesn’t know if Hamas is a terrorist group.”

{Matzav.com}

A murderous Palestinian terrorist released in a hostage deal with Hamas earlier this year delivered a speech at a pro-Palestinian conference in Detroit, the Jerusalem Post reported on Sunday. In 2004, Hossam Shaheen, a terrorist tied to the Fatah Tanzim terror organization, was sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempted murder and the orchestration of terror attacks in Jerusalem. He was released on February 1, 2025, in a hostage release deal with Hamas. Last month, Shaheen delivered a speech via video call at the People’s Conference for Palestine in Detroit, at a session called The Palestinian Struggle Behind Bars. Another “noted” speaker at the conference, which was attended by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), was Arab Barghouti, the son of the notorious Fatah terror leader Marwan Barghouti. Unlike the other sessions at the conference, which were livestreamed and posted on YouTube, there was no “official” documentation of the speeches by Barghouti and Shaheen. However, the Post confirmed that the two spoke at the conference after reviewing participants’ social media posts. The conference also featured other terrorists, among them Omar Assaf, a former official with the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and convicted U.S. cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal, whose prerecorded speech was broadcast at the conference. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

President Trump has arrived at the US Open in New York City, the second sitting president ever to attend.

A total lunar eclipse is occurring over Israel, casting a red “blood moon” across the sky. Visible from Asia, Europe, Africa, and Australia, the eclipse will peak at 9:12 p.m. Israel time.

Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson is facing a wave of backlash after casting doubt on whether Hamas is anything more than a “political organization.” Carlson made the remarks during a recent episode of The Tucker Carlson Show, his independent podcast, in which he also criticized Israel for striking Gaza’s only Catholic church, an attack that killed three people. Israel has said the incident is under investigation. Discussing the church strike, Carlson argued that the IDF were engaging in “self-destructive behavior” by shelling religious sites. He then pivoted to a broader claim questioning Hamas’s nature. “They’re Islamist extremists, which they also claim. Constantly. I don’t know if that’s true, by the way. Seems more like a political organization,” Carlson said, before adding, “But whatever it is, they’re telling us constantly that they’re Al-Qaeda.” The comments sparked immediate outrage across the political spectrum, given Hamas’s long-documented record of terrorism, suicide bombings, and its own charter calling for jihad and the destruction of Israel. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) blasted Carlson in a sharp post on X: “Now, @TuckerCarlson doesn’t know if Hamas is a terrorist organization. (‘Elmo is just asking questions….’) What the hell happened to Tucker?? He’s turning into Ilhan Omar.” Now, @TuckerCarlson doesn’t know if Hamas is a terrorist organization. (“Elmo is just asking questions….”) What the hell happened to Tucker?? He’s turning into Ilhan Omar. https://t.co/rGCuZ3rGAa — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 6, 2025 Right-wing commentator Mark Levin, a longtime Carlson critic, derisively dubbed him “Qatarlson” — a jab at accusations that Carlson’s commentary aligns with anti-Israel narratives. “Qatarlson doesn’t know if Hamas is a terrorist group,” Levin wrote. Seth Dillon, CEO of the satirical Babylon Bee, also weighed in with a serious rebuke, noting Hamas’s founding ideology includes “jihad as its path” and “‘Death for the sake of Allah’ as its highest aspiration.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

President Trump announced on Sunday that his administration will push forward with an additional package of sanctions against Russia following what officials described as Moscow’s largest aerial bombardment on Ukraine since the start of the conflict.

When questioned by reporters if he was prepared to move into the “second stage” of sanctions targeting Russia, Trump answered in the affirmative.

Speaking briefly from the White House lawn before departing to attend the US Open in New York, Trump did not elaborate on what measures would be included in this so-called “second stage” of sanctions.

Prior to his meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin last month in Alaska, Trump had already signaled that he was prepared to roll out a sweeping set of penalties, including tariffs on nations that continue to purchase Russian oil.

That initiative is aimed at striking a blow to one of Russia’s most vital sources of income, which has enabled its economy to endure despite existing sanctions imposed by Western governments over its war against Ukraine.

After the Alaska summit, Trump struck a hopeful tone about finding a pathway to peace between Russia and Ukraine. Yet in the weeks that followed, Russia intensified its assault, culminating in Sunday’s devastating attacks.

In the overnight hours, Russia launched an unprecedented wave of at least 810 drones and decoys, killing four people, injuring 44 others, and striking Ukraine’s main government complex in Kyiv for the first time.

{Matzav.com}