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Canada announced Saturday that it will impose retaliatory tariffs against the United States beginning Sept. 8, escalating a rapidly widening trade confrontation after President Donald Trump’s 50% tariffs on approximately $20 billion in Canadian goods took effect and last-minute negotiations between the longtime allies collapsed.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Ottawa will release specifics of the retaliatory package shortly, with the new duties targeting a broad range of American products.

“in the coming days, we will release the details of these new tariff measures, which will come into force the Tuesday after Labor Day.”

Canada plans to retaliate on a dollar-for-dollar basis, with steel, dairy products, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, and electronics among the sectors expected to be targeted.

Carney revealed that during negotiations, Canada had offered to eliminate its remaining retaliatory tariffs on American steel, aluminum and automobiles if Washington substantially reduced its own tariffs. Ottawa was also prepared to encourage Canadian provinces to resume sales of US alcohol.

The prime minister said the final terms sought by Washington were ultimately unacceptable.

“They asked too much and offered too little.”

The deepening dispute is also raising new questions about the future of the broader North American trade framework linking the United States, Canada and Mexico, an agreement upon which major industries in all three countries heavily depend.

Canada had entered the negotiations seeking tariff relief for several key industries, including steel, aluminum, automobiles and lumber.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer placed responsibility for the failed negotiations on Ottawa, arguing that Canadian officials retreated from commitments made earlier in the week.

“Tonight, Canada declined to finalize the trade deal under the terms agreed earlier this week. Despite the U.S. offer to Canada to receive the best treatment of any major exporter to our market, new demands and walk-backs of other commitments by Canada have upended the careful balance reached in the past days,” Greer said in a statement read to reporters shortly before midnight.

Carney offered a sharply different account of why negotiations failed, accusing the Trump administration of changing its demands as the deadline approached.

“last-minute changes in the U.S. proposed terms were unfair, uneconomic, and called into question the reliability of any deal.”

The Canadian leader said his government will also unveil additional measures in the coming days aimed at assisting Canadian businesses and workers affected by the expanding trade battle.

Greer characterized Washington’s proposal as “forward-looking” and said it offered “a historic economic and national security partnership.”

For now, there are no additional negotiations scheduled between the two governments.

The collapse represented a dramatic turnaround from the optimism expressed only two days earlier, when officials on both sides indicated that Washington and Ottawa appeared to be moving toward an agreement.

Carney said Canada had always sought the strongest possible arrangement for the country, “never a deal at any price or on any deadline.”

Ontario Premier Doug Ford threw his support behind Carney’s decision to retaliate. Ford said the prime minister has his “full support” for a response conducted “tariff for tariff, dollar for dollar” and insisted that “everything needs to be on the table.”

The economic stakes are enormous. The United States and Canada exchanged approximately $880 billion in goods and services last year, making their bilateral commercial relationship one of the largest in the world.

Trump’s tariffs had initially been scheduled to take effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. The president extended the deadline by three days as negotiations intensified, but officials ultimately failed to reach an agreement before the new deadline expired.

Trade disputes between Washington and Ottawa are hardly new. The neighboring countries have sparred for decades over issues ranging from Canadian softwood lumber to American access to Canada’s tightly controlled dairy market.

Despite those recurring disagreements, the two countries traditionally maintained an unusually close economic, military and diplomatic relationship. Canadian troops fought alongside American forces in Afghanistan following the Sept. 11 attacks, while the 5,525-mile US-Canada border has remained undefended. Nearly 330,000 people and approximately $2 billion in goods cross the border every day, while roughly 800,000 Canadians reside in the United States.

Trump’s treatment of Canada has represented a significant break from that traditionally cooperative relationship. The president has used tariffs as part of his effort to shift manufacturing back to the United States and has repeatedly generated controversy in Canada by suggesting that the country could become America’s 51st state.

Carney said his government has come to recognize that “America has changed” and that Canada and the United States would “not return to our old relationship.”

Anti-American sentiment has also grown among some Canadians. A petition calling for the expulsion of US Ambassador Pete Hoekstra, a Trump ally, has attracted nearly 248,000 signatures since July 21. Organizers have accused Hoekstra of having “normalized” Trump’s comments about annexing Canada, among other complaints.

Both governments nevertheless faced significant incentives to avoid an escalating tariff war.

Almost 72% of Canadian goods exports went to the United States last year, making access to the American market critical to Canada’s economy. At the same time, the Trump administration faces the possibility that additional tariffs — which are paid initially by American importers and can ultimately be passed on to consumers — could increase prices ahead of November’s midterm elections, when the cost of living remains a major concern for voters.

“Canada likely wanted further sector-specific relief than the U.S. was willing to offer, or Canada’s concessions did not go far enough,” said Ryan Majerus, a partner at King & Spalding and a former U.S. trade official. “Either way, I think both sides will be under immense pressure in the coming days to still find an off-ramp. But if Canada has agreed to also impose tariffs, the off-ramp may be even harder to find.”

Candace Laing, president and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, described the new tariffs as “a body blow to North American competitiveness” and warned that the escalating dispute could increase costs for American consumers while hurting Canadian customers, investment and small businesses.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump announced Friday that his administration will temporarily eliminate tariffs on as much as 300,000 metric tons of imported ground beef, a major effort aimed at bringing down soaring supermarket prices while giving American ranchers additional time to rebuild the nation’s depleted cattle herds.

In a Truth Social post Friday morning, Trump said the tariff relief will remain in place for 90 days. He blamed President Biden for the dramatic decline in the US cattle population, which has fallen to its lowest level in 75 years.

Trump said he has secured a “commitment” for beef to be sold at prices 25% below current market levels, potentially providing significant relief to consumers who have watched beef prices climb sharply in recent years.

Under the existing tariff-quota system, which predates the Trump administration, countries are permitted to ship a limited quantity of beef into the United States while paying a tariff of 4.4 cents per kilogram.

Once imports exceed the established quota, however, they are hit with a much steeper tariff of 26.4%, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

A White House official said Trump plans to sign an executive order within the next two weeks temporarily suspending those higher, out-of-quota tariffs.

The Department of Agriculture said the move demonstrates Trump’s “commitment to lowering the cost of everyday goods” while “cutting regulations for our farmers and ranchers and rebuilding our nation’s cattle supply.”

Administration officials did not specify which countries would provide the additional imported beef or clarify whether those shipments would continue to be subject to the baseline tariff of 4.4 cents per kilogram.

The initiative comes as the Trump administration focuses heavily on stubbornly high food prices ahead of November’s midterm elections. Beef and veal have been among the grocery products experiencing some of the steepest price increases.

Ground beef averaged $6.89 per pound in July, according to Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis data. That represented an increase of 10% from a year earlier and a staggering 57% rise over the previous five years.

Other cuts have also become considerably more expensive. Federal data show roast beef prices climbing 13.5% over the past year, while steak prices increased 9.6%.

Trump’s push to increase foreign beef supplies has drawn strong criticism from some American ranchers and cattle organizations, which contend that domestic producers are already being squeezed by tariffs and rising operating expenses, including elevated fuel costs for diesel-powered farm equipment.

The president had previously moved to reduce barriers on imported beef. In February, Trump signed an executive order increasing beef imports from Argentina by 80,000 metric tons.

Trump has also directed the Justice Department to open an antitrust investigation into the country’s largest meatpacking companies while unveiling plans for $500 million in assistance to smaller meatpacking businesses.

The challenge is that restoring America’s cattle supply cannot happen quickly. Rebuilding a herd typically takes approximately two years, and questions remain over whether ranchers are willing to invest the money and time required to restore their operations to previous production levels.

At the beginning of 2026, the United States had approximately 86.2 million cattle and calves, according to Agriculture Department figures, marking the smallest American cattle herd since the 1950s.

The shortage has also battered major meatpacking companies, including Tyson and JBS. Tyson announced last week that it will close a major beef-processing facility in Illinois, its second plant closure this year.

A combination of weather, disease and economic pressures contributed to the dramatic contraction of the American cattle supply.

In 2024, drought conditions reached record levels nationwide, with particularly serious effects across the Southwest and Northern Plains.

The unusually dry weather reduced grazing grass, forcing ranchers to depend more heavily on costly feed to maintain their herds.

Supply problems were compounded by an outbreak of the flesh-eating New World Screwworm parasite among Mexican cattle, prompting the United States to suspend cattle imports from Mexico in November 2024.

While supplies have fallen, American demand for beef has remained robust. Government projections indicate that Americans are expected to consume approximately 29 billion pounds of beef this year.

Rising cattle values created another complication. With animals commanding increasingly high prices, ranchers had a financial incentive to send more cattle to slaughter rather than retain them for breeding, further reducing the number of animals available to replenish the nation’s herd.

The Agriculture Department announced last month that ports along the southern border would begin reopening to Mexican cattle.

Before imports were temporarily halted, Mexico had been supplying approximately 1 million cattle to the United States annually.

Trump’s new 90-day tariff suspension is designed to provide a short-term influx of beef while domestic producers work through a cattle shortage that could take years to fully reverse, with the president promising consumers that the result will be substantially lower prices at the grocery store.

{Matzav.com}

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that Tehran has emerged victorious in its confrontation with the United States, claiming that the international community has already recognized Iran’s triumph even as President Donald Trump intensifies a sweeping economic campaign aimed at crippling the Islamic Republic.

“The entire world approved our victory, and the U.S. is hated,” Pezeshkian said, according to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency.

Pezeshkian reportedly argued that the conflict with Washington should now be brought to an end because, in his telling, Iran’s victory has already been established and accepted around the world.

His comments came as the Trump administration presented a dramatically different assessment of Iran’s position, saying Tehran is facing devastating financial pressure under a new American campaign that Trump has characterized as an “economic D-Day.”

Trump announced that Washington would unleash an “unprecedented” campaign of economic warfare and international isolation against Iran, with the goal of compelling Tehran to abandon its nuclear program and fully reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz to oil and natural gas tankers.

Separately, Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey, generated controversy Friday when he discussed Israel’s control of the Golan Heights and said Israel “still” occupies the territory despite United Nations resolutions.

Speaking in an interview with Lebanese-Australian entrepreneur Mario Nawfal, Barrack said that “in the Golan, with Syria, they (Israel) still occupy the Golan, against the U.N. resolutions.”

Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and formally applied Israeli law to the territory in 1981.

The United Nations continues to regard the Golan Heights as occupied Syrian territory and considers Israel’s annexation invalid, with UN resolutions calling for an Israeli withdrawal to the line that existed on June 4, 1967.

Trump dramatically altered longstanding American policy in March 2019 when he signed a presidential proclamation formally recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

The American recognition did not alter the territory’s status under international law and initially failed to generate broader recognition from other governments.

That changed this month when Colombia became the second country to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, joining the United States.

Barrack’s comments drew criticism today from conservative activist and Trump ally Laura Loomer, who argued that his description of the Golan contradicted established US policy.

Loomer wrote on X that Barrack “should resign for his lack of understanding of U.S. foreign policy.”

Hackers linked to Iran successfully forced a British power plant offline for four days last month, marking what is believed to be the first known cyberattack to completely shut down a power-generating facility in the United Kingdom, according to a report by The Telegraph.

The breach is being viewed by officials as the most successful cyber operation of its kind against British energy infrastructure to date. Hackers associated with the Iranian regime are suspected of carrying out the attack.

The incident occurred at approximately the same time that water infrastructure across 12 US states was targeted in a series of cyberattacks, developments that reportedly raised concerns within the White House.

British authorities have withheld the identity and location of the power station for security reasons. The facility was reportedly relatively small, and its shutdown therefore posed no significant danger to the country’s overall electricity supply. Workers spent four days restoring operations at the site.

Following the attack, British government officials briefed executives at power companies and reached out to businesses with instructions and recommendations for dealing with potential cyber threats. The National Cyber Security Centre, the public-facing cybersecurity division of GCHQ, was also notified.

The NCSC would not address the specific attack. Intelligence officials in both Britain and the United States have repeatedly cautioned that cyber operatives connected to Iran, Russia, China and North Korea routinely attempt to penetrate government networks and critical infrastructure.

Britain has previously experienced major cyber incidents affecting hospitals and other NHS systems, schools and industrial facilities. Manufacturing operations at Jaguar Land Rover have also been disrupted, while foreign hackers have succeeded in obtaining customer information from retailers and voter data maintained by the Electoral Commission.

Until the latest incident, however, no publicly known cyberattack had succeeded in bringing a British electricity-generating facility completely offline.

According to The Telegraph, the operation apparently was not designed to cause widespread disruption to the British public and attracted little attention while it was unfolding. Investigators are reportedly considering whether the attack was instead intended as a demonstration of capability by hackers connected to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, showing that they could infiltrate British networks and disable sensitive infrastructure.

The United Kingdom operates dozens of smaller generating stations connected to the national electricity grid. Many are gas-powered facilities used only when necessary, including during periods when weak winds reduce the amount of electricity produced by wind turbines.

Because of the structure of Britain’s power network, an extended shutdown at one small facility would generally have little effect on the national grid. Hospitals and some industrial facilities also maintain independent generators to provide electricity when necessary.

The NCSC urged British organizations in March to review and strengthen their cybersecurity defenses amid heightened international tensions.

Richard Horne, chief executive of the NCSC, revealed in June that the agency had responded to more than 200 cyberattacks against Britain’s critical national infrastructure during the preceding year.

A government source sought to emphasize the limited size of the power station involved in the latest incident.

“We have thresholds for important generators to legally notify us of cyber activity, and this site is nowhere near. It’s a very small scale site, less than a rounding error compared to grid capacity.”

A British government spokesman similarly stressed that the cyberattack never posed a broader danger to the country’s power supply.

“The UK has a highly resilient energy system. We work closely with the energy sector to protect infrastructure and ensure the highest security standards. This story refers to an incident impacting a small-scale energy generator, and at no point was there a risk to the wider energy system.”

{Matzav.com}

A federal judge has invalidated the Trump administration’s suspension of immigrant visa processing for citizens of 75 countries, ruling that the sweeping policy unlawfully discriminated against applicants based solely on their nationality and exceeded the authority granted to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The State Department announced earlier this year that immigrant visas would no longer be issued to nationals of Afghanistan, Brazil, Yemen and dozens of other countries. The administration said the affected countries were selected because their citizens were considered more likely to rely on public assistance after immigrating to the United States.

Under the policy, immigrant visas could be withheld even when individual applicants underwent consular review and officers concluded that they were likely to support themselves after arriving in the United States, according to Friday’s ruling by US District Judge Jeannette A. Vargas of the Southern District of New York.

“In many ways, this is not a challenging case,” Vargas wrote.

The judge pointed to the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, which she said prohibits nationality-based discrimination in the issuance of immigrant visas. The administration’s policy, she concluded, denied certain applicants visas “based solely on their nationality.”

As part of her ruling, Vargas cited a US diplomatic cable directing American consulates to reject immigrant visa applications that had already been approved in cases where the physical visas had not yet left the consular office.

Vargas determined that the administration’s policy was “contrary to law” and went beyond Rubio’s legal authority as secretary of state. Her decision vacated the 75-country suspension and also set aside visa denials that had been issued solely under the challenged policy.

Responding to the ruling, a State Department spokesperson said the Trump administration is “protecting the American people by upholding the highest standards of screening and vetting of visa applicants,” while noting that the administration does not discuss pending litigation.

When the visa suspension was initially announced, the State Department said it would “remain active until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people.”

The restrictions were one component of the Trump administration’s larger effort to reduce both legal and illegal immigration into the United States.

Another major immigration initiative suffered a setback in June, when the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional right to birthright citizenship. The justices rejected Trump’s executive order seeking to deny citizenship to children born in the United States whose parents had either entered the country illegally or were legally residing and working in the country on temporary visas. The order had never taken effect after lower courts found it unconstitutional.

Susan Welber, supervising attorney at The Legal Aid Society, which represented plaintiffs challenging the visa restrictions, argued that the administration’s justification for targeting the 75 countries was “premised on a fiction” that immigrants from those nations would be particularly likely to depend on government assistance.

“Any time that we can fight back against policies that are based on fictions and untruths and prejudices, I think we’re making for a more just immigration system,” Welber says.

The plaintiffs included the Catholic Immigration Legal Network and African Communities Together, organizations that provide immigration legal assistance. The case also involved six American citizens who had submitted family-based immigration petitions for relatives and five “intending immigrants” who filed employment-based petitions for themselves.

“The suspension of lawful visa processing across 75 countries separated spouses, parents, and children who were simply following the legal immigration process,” Anna Gallagher, executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, said in a statement.

Attorneys representing the plaintiffs said Vargas’ decision clears the way for their clients to resume moving through the legal immigration system rather than facing an automatic rejection because of their country of origin.

“For 75 countries’ worth of families, this decision means a return to fair, case-by-case review, and a chance to be reunited with their loved ones,” said Antionette Dozier, senior attorney for Western Center on Law & Poverty, which represented the Catholic Legal Immigration Network. “No administration gets to override the law because it deems an applicant’s nationality unacceptable.”

{Matzav.com}

A Texas judge today rejected Karmelo Anthony’s request for a new trial, leaving intact his murder conviction and 35-year prison sentence for the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a high school track meet near Dallas.

Attorneys for Anthony argued that problems surrounding his June trial warranted another proceeding, pointing to restrictive courtroom rules and what they contended were improper jury instructions. The defense and prosecutors also disputed the implications of an agreement between the two sides that limited the evidence presented to jurors about events preceding the deadly confrontation.

Anthony, 19, was convicted of murder on June 9 and sentenced to 35 years behind bars for stabbing Metcalf during the April 2025 track meet.

Anthony did score a victory in court following his conviction when the original judge in the case, John Roach, was removed after publicly commenting on the jury’s verdict.

“Yeah, they did, whatever they say, they got it right,” Roach told WFAA TV.

Anthony did not take the witness stand during his murder trial. His defense maintained that he acted in self-defense when he stabbed Metcalf inside a tent during the track meet.

The confrontation began after Metcalf told Anthony to leave the tent, which had been set up for students from Metcalf’s high school.

Anthony had taken a seat beneath the Memorial High School tent under the bleachers at the multi-school meet. Metcalf and other students repeatedly instructed him to leave the area, according to testimony about the encounter.

As tensions rose, Anthony warned Metcalf, “touch me and see what happens,” according to a police report.

Metcalf then pushed Anthony. Witnesses testified that Anthony had been the aggressor in the confrontation. Anthony subsequently retrieved a knife from his bag and stabbed Metcalf, a standout football player, inflicting the wound that killed him.

The killing and subsequent prosecution attracted national attention, with race becoming a prominent issue surrounding the case because Anthony is black and Metcalf was white.

Both prosecutors and defense attorneys told jurors that the killing was not racially motivated. Nevertheless, relatives of both Anthony and Metcalf reported being subjected to harassment and threats as public attention surrounding the case intensified.

Another significant issue to emerge following the trial involved evidence that jurors never heard. Prosecutors and Anthony’s defense had reached a gentleman’s agreement under which certain material would not be introduced before the jury, and some of that evidence subsequently became public.

Among the material withheld from jurors was a disturbing 2023 text message in which Anthony threatened to carry out a shooting at his school.

“imma shoot the school up tmr,” Anthony wrote in a 2023 text that prosecutors revealed during the hearings to determine of he should receive a new trial.

Saturday’s ruling means Anthony’s conviction remains in place despite his attorneys’ attempt to persuade the court that problems with the original proceedings justified giving him another trial.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump made an impassioned pitch to South Carolina Republicans on Friday to turn out for Sen. Darline Graham in next week’s GOP Senate primary runoff, urging his supporters to vote as though his own name were on the ballot and warning that his agenda could be jeopardized if Graham loses.

Appearing alongside Graham at a packed rally at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, Trump acknowledged that Republicans face a potential turnout problem during the midterms because he himself is not running. Without Trump at the top of the ticket, he suggested, some of the MAGA voters who reliably turn out for him might stay home.

Trump offered his supporters a simple solution.

“What I really want you to do is pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot,” Trump urged voters. “Just come and vote. It’s so important.”

“So just say that I’m on the ballot, one more time, you got to say it, and you got to come out and vote.”

Trump sought to frame the South Carolina contest as much more than a race over a single Senate seat, arguing that the outcome could determine whether the policies enacted under his administration survive. He warned voters that they could “lose everything” if Graham does not prevail.

“You got to come out and vote,” Trump said, “because if we lose, you’re going to lose your border, you’re going to lose your tax cuts, you’re going to lose everything that we’ve done.”

“Think about no tax on tips, no tax on social security for our seniors, no tax on overtime – all of that’s going to be gone,” the president warned.

Trump also predicted that Democrats would seek to impeach him if they capture control of Congress in the midterm elections.

“I’m going to be impeached. They’re going to impeach me. They have no idea why,” the president fumed.

“You’re gonna lose all of your tax breaks. You’re gonna lose everything. So you have to get out of vote,” he added.

Trump spoke for more than an hour before the large Myrtle Beach crowd, with video screens inside the convention center alternating between messages declaring, “South Carolina is Trump Country” and “South Carolina is Graham Country.”

The rally also included a familiar feature from Trump’s years on the campaign trail, as the president recited “The Snake,” the poem he has frequently used as an allegory while making his case against illegal immigration.

At least one protester interrupted Trump during his remarks, causing him to briefly stop speaking before responding with a joke about the heckler’s mother.

“That’s all right. That person’s going home to mom. Gonna get scolded because mom is voting for us. You know, mom is voting for us.”

Trump was joined at the event by a number of prominent Republicans, including White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is scheduled to leave her position at the end of August, Sens. John Barrasso of Wyoming and Tim Scott of South Carolina, Rep. Russell Fry of South Carolina, and Graham. Trump invited several of the guests onto the stage during his address.

When Graham took the microphone, she offered an emotional expression of gratitude to Trump for the tribute he delivered at the funeral of her late brother, Lindsey Graham.

Graham thanked the president for “the beautiful eulogy you gave at Lindsey’s service.”

“That meant the world to me,” she said. It was beautiful.”

“You were one of his closest friends. I hope you know that, and you will forever be part of the Graham family,” the senator added.

Graham entered the Senate following her brother’s death. At Trump’s urging, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed her to fill the vacant seat on July 14, and she is now seeking to win a full six-year term in her own right.

In the first round of the Republican primary on Aug. 11, Graham led the field with 32.7% of the vote. Rep. Ralph Norman finished second with 24.6%, while Fry placed third with 19.7%.

Because no candidate secured enough support to win outright, Graham and Norman will face each other in the Aug. 25 Republican Senate primary runoff.

Before wrapping up his appearance, Trump added one more incentive for South Carolina Republicans to deliver Graham a victory.

After pointing out that Myrtle Beach is “the home of 90 great golf courses,” the president promised that if Graham wins the runoff, he will return to the area and take on the city’s best golfer.

“I’ll make you a deal that if Darline wins, I’ll come down and play the best golfer in Myrtle Beach in a match. We’ll see who wins,” he said.

WATCH:

President Donald Trump’s 50% tariff on roughly $20 billion worth of Canadian imports took effect early today after eleventh-hour negotiations between Washington and Ottawa broke down, setting the stage for a new trade confrontation as Canada vowed to retaliate dollar for dollar.

The sweeping levy applies to an array of Canadian products entering the United States, including wine, hockey sticks and cement, after the two countries failed to finalize an agreement before the deadline.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer blamed Canada for the collapse, saying Ottawa backed away from understandings that had been reached only days earlier.

“Tonight, Canada declined to finalize the trade deal under the terms agreed earlier this week, despite the US offer to Canada to receive the best treatment of any major exporter to our market,” Greer told reporters.

“New demands and walk backs of other commitments by Canada have upended the careful balance reached in the past days,” he added.

The new 50% tariff covers approximately $20 billion in Canadian goods, though energy products and certain essential imports, including fish and critical minerals, will be exempted.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney responded to the breakdown by promising that Ottawa would strike back against the new American tariffs.

“Canada will match those tariffs dollar for dollar to protect our workers and businesses,” he said in a statement.

“In the coming days, the government will introduce additional measures to support Canadian workers and businesses, building on the nearly $25 billion in support provided over the past 18 months,” Carney added.

Trump had initially given the two sides until 12:01 a.m. Wednesday to reach an agreement and avoid the 50% levy. He subsequently extended the deadline until Saturday as negotiations appeared to make progress in their final stages.

Trump administration officials have said the tariffs are intended to address Canada’s “substantial retaliation” and “discrimination” against American products and businesses.

Carney, however, portrayed the dispute as part of a broader transformation in Washington’s approach toward international trade, including its economic relationships with longstanding allies.

“We have recognised from the beginning that America has changed, and that we will not return to our old relationship,” Carney’ statement continued. “Our government understood, before many, that America is altering all its trade relationships. Putting tariffs on its closest allies and charging for access to its vast market.”

The Canadian prime minister blamed the failed negotiations on “last-minute changes in the US proposed terms” that he described as “unfair, uneconomic, and called into question the reliability of any deal”.

Only hours before the tariffs took effect, Trump had publicly expressed confidence that Washington and Ottawa would ultimately reach an agreement, citing his relationship with Carney.

“The deal with Canada is moving along and we should be able to have a deal,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews before departing for a rally in South Carolina.

Trump also revealed that his administration is “starting on a new deal with Mexico” while simultaneously negotiating with its northern neighbor.

“I only make good deals. Much better deal for the United States, both with Canada and Mexico,” Trump declared.

The 50% tariff was first announced last month, shortly after Trump and Carney were seen speaking with one another at the World Cup final in New Jersey.

The two leaders continued their discussions this week, speaking by telephone Monday afternoon as officials attempted to hammer out an agreement.

″We are negotiating,” Carney said of talks with Trump. “The negotiations are very intense and delicate. This is not the time to talk about negotiations in public.”

One of Washington’s objectives during the talks was reportedly to persuade Canada to withdraw retaliatory actions imposed in response to Trump’s earlier tariffs. Those Canadian measures included restrictions on American liquor and tariffs targeting US automobiles.

When Trump announced Wednesday that he was extending the deadline by three days, he also raised the possibility that a trade agreement could include a revival of the long-stalled Keystone XL pipeline project.

“The great Keystone XL Pipeline, long ago killed by Sleepy Joe Biden, may be awoken from the grave!” the president wrote on Truth Social.

Canada, meanwhile, had been pressing Washington for significant reductions in American tariffs affecting some of its most important industries.

Ottawa sought to have the US tariff on Canadian-made automobiles reduced from 25% to 15%, while also pushing for tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum to be cut in half, from 50% to 25%.

Even late Friday, Canadian officials were publicly insisting that negotiations remained alive.

“We have more work to do. We are going to continue working up until the last minute. Our job is not finished,” Canada’s Minister of Internal Trade Dominic LeBlanc said as he left Greer’s office approximately four hours before the deadline.

LeBlanc’s office also communicated with Carney’s US economic advisory team earlier Friday, describing the negotiations as “complex and consequential.”

“I want to be direct with you about where we stand. This is an intense moment. The stakes are significant… That pressure is being felt by Canadians across the country, and those at the table ‌are acutely ⁠aware of it,” the email read.

The stakes are particularly significant because of the enormous volume of commerce flowing between the neighboring countries. Canada is the United States’ second-largest trading partner, and nearly 72% of Canadian goods exports went to the American market last year.

At the same time, the United States recorded a $46.4 billion goods trade deficit with Canada in 2025, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative.

The latest confrontation comes after Trump imposed broad double-digit tariffs on imports from nearly every country last year, after declaring America’s trade deficit a national emergency.

In February, the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs, ruling that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act did not give the president authority to impose the sweeping duties.

For the new Canadian tariffs, the Trump administration has instead turned to Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, a Great Depression-era provision that has never previously been invoked.

Section 338 permits the president to impose tariffs as high as 50% on imports from countries deemed to have discriminated against American businesses. The provision does not require a trade investigation and places no specific time limit on how long such tariffs may remain in effect.

Trump has accused Canada of discriminating against American automobile, alcohol and cheese exports. Canada, along with China, was one of only two countries to impose retaliatory tariffs on the United States in response to Trump’s levies last year.

Greer warned last week that the administration would not allow retaliatory measures against American tariffs to go unanswered.

“If a country retaliates against us, we’re obviously not going to tolerate that,” Greer said. “We’ll take action. My sense is the Canadians, they want to have a more conciliatory approach, but we’ll see.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Defense Minister Yisroel Katz disclosed on Shabbos that Israel struck Syria’s Abu al-Duhur airbase only after warning the Syrian regime against allowing Turkey to establish a military presence at the facility, saying that Israel acted after Damascus failed to heed the warning.

Katz said Israeli intelligence had produced clear information indicating that Turkey was preparing to establish military infrastructure at the Syrian airbase, a development Israeli officials believed could pose a threat to the country’s security.

According to the defense minister, the IDF recommended on several occasions that Israel attack the site. However, before approving military action, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Katz held a series of consultations with senior security officials and decided to first attempt to stop the Turkish move through diplomatic pressure.

Israel subsequently delivered a direct warning to the Syrian regime at the highest levels, making clear that it would not tolerate the planned Turkish presence. Katz said relevant American officials were also notified about the situation.

“When the Syrian regime did not heed the warning, the strike was authorized and successfully carried out,” Katz said. “Erdoğan was caught with his hand in the cookie jar and was forced to back down.”

Katz said the episode demonstrated Israel’s determination to prevent hostile forces from establishing a presence in Syria that could create new security dangers along Israel’s borders.

“We will not allow anyone to endanger the security of the State of Israel, and we will act against every threat. This is one of the central lessons of the events of October 7,” he said.

The defense minister also pushed back against accusations from opposition politicians and media figures who claimed that the timing of the attack was influenced by political considerations ahead of Israel’s elections.

“The attempt to paint a security operation in political colors stems from ignorance, a lack of understanding of Israel’s security interests, and a constant desire to attack the government,” he charged.

Katz separately took aim at Tom Barrack, President Donald Trump’s envoy to Syria, after Barrack suggested that the Israeli operation had been intended to provoke a response from Turkey and referred to Israel as occupying the Golan Heights.

The defense minister said Barrack’s comments were “full of inaccuracies and contradict President Trump’s clear position,” pointing to Trump’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

Katz argued that an official representing the Trump administration could not disregard the administration’s established policy on the strategically important territory.

The disclosures came as Israeli military activity inside Syria continued Saturday. The IDF said it struck a terrorist in the Beit Jinn area of southern Syria who had been advancing terrorist plots that presented an immediate danger to Israeli troops.

Israeli officials reiterated following the operation that the country intends to continue acting across the border whenever necessary to prevent emerging threats and protect Israel’s security.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump launched a blistering attack on three high-profile figures associated with the conservative movement, tearing into Tucker Carlson, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie following a meeting involving the trio and branding them “LOSERS ALL!”

Trump delivered the broadside on social media, directing personal and political attacks at all three while accusing them of having lost their standing within the Republican movement.

The President reserved some of his harshest criticism for Carlson, the media personality and former television host who has repeatedly generated controversy over his anti-Israel views and statements widely condemned as antisemitic. Trump claimed that Carlson’s “‘Views’ have fallen through the floor,” described him as “a very Low I.Q. individual,” and added, “He could barely get out of College, and maybe he didn’t.”

Trump then turned to the possibility of Carlson eventually seeking political office, arguing that the commentator should be subjected to a cognitive examination if he ever launches a campaign.

“He’s got no chance, but could probably take a couple of points away from whatever the Republican ticket happens to be! Tucker is a loser, and always has been!” Trump declared.

Trump also went after Greene, the onetime Georgia congresswoman who had previously been one of his close political allies, referring to her as Marjorie “‘Traitor’ Greene” and characterizing her as “a highly neurotic young woman.”

According to Trump, Greene’s politics underwent a dramatic transformation, saying that she “went from Ultra Conservative to a Liberal ‘Fool,’ all in a matter of weeks.”

The President further argued that Greene’s political fortunes collapsed after he withdrew his backing, asserting that she had been “way down in the Polls in Georgia (because I took away my Endorsement),” and that she “would have had no chance at winning,” prompting her eventually to “QUIT!”

Massie, another frequent Trump critic who previously represented Kentucky in Congress, was also targeted in the President’s lengthy attack.

Trump said Massie “has turned out to be a failed politician, and a real JERK.” He also accused the former lawmaker of building his political identity around reflexively opposing legislation, claiming Massie believed that “it was really wonderful to vote, ‘NO,’ on everything, no matter how good, strong, or proper the Legislation would be.”

Wrapping up the broadside, Trump lumped Carlson, Greene and Massie together as “THREE LOSERS” and suggested that their political future now lies outside the Republican mainstream.

Their only remaining option, Trump argued, was “to join the Radical Left Dumocrats, and try breaking into the Primary System.”

“To all of them I say, PRAISE BE TO ALLAH!” Trump concluded.

{Matzav.com}

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri met Friday morning with the party’s spiritual leader, Rav Yitzchok Yosef, president of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah, as signs continued to emerge that recent tensions surrounding the spiritual leadership of the party have been resolved.

Deri visited Rav Yosef at his home as part of the regular weekly consultations between the two. During the meeting, Deri also heard a lengthy Torah discussion from Rav Yosef on the halachos of Shabbos.

The meeting came following efforts by Deri and others to stabilize his relationship with Rav Yosef and bring an end to uncertainty that had developed over the question of Shas’ spiritual leadership.

According to a previous report, one proposal discussed during the negotiations would have Deri sign a document — or approve a provision to be incorporated into the Shas party bylaws — formally establishing that the party’s Torah decisions will follow the path laid down by its founder, Rav Ovadia Yosef zt”l, as represented today through the leadership of his son, Rav Yitzchok Yosef.

In practical terms, the arrangement would establish Rav Yosef as Shas’ central Torah authority without requiring, at least for now, his formal appointment as president of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah.

The contacts between the sides came alongside a lengthy conversation this week between Deri and Rav Moshe Maya, the senior member of the Shas Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah. The discussion reportedly lasted approximately two hours.

During that conversation, Rav Maya made clear to Deri that he regards the leadership of Shas as being entrusted to Rav Yitzchok Yosef, whom he described as the son and continuation of the path of Rav Ovadia Yosef zt”l.

“I am already weak, and I rely on Maran Rav Yitzchok Yosef for everything. By his word shall everything be decided,” Rav Maya told Deri.

Recent reports have also identified Deri’s brother, Momo Deri, as one of the central figures working behind the scenes to bridge the differences and reach an understanding between the sides. Former minister Ariel Atias was also reportedly involved in the reconciliation efforts.

The developments follow Rav Yitzchok Yosef’s appearance Thursday alongside Deri at the launch of Shas’ election campaign, where the Rishon LeTzion publicly spoke about the relationship between his father, Rav Ovadia Yosef zt”l, and Deri, while calling for Shas to be strengthened ahead of the upcoming elections.

“My father established this movement together with Reb Aryeh,” Rav Yosef said.

Calling upon the public to work on behalf of Shas, he added, “We are approaching the Day of Judgment. How can a person merit favor on the Day of Judgment? By helping this holy movement.”

Rav Yosef also addressed the ongoing battle over the draft status of bnei yeshivos, arguing that the issue demonstrates the importance of maintaining Shas’ political strength.

“After the elections, we will have to deal with the issue of the bnei yeshivos. How will we deal with it if we do not have this holy movement?” he said.

Rav Yosef additionally addressed the Chareidi community’s attitude toward IDF soldiers, stressing that support for the olam haTorah should not be interpreted as hostility toward soldiers.

“We speak a great deal about the bnei yeshivos, about the olam haTorah, but people need to know that we love the soldiers. I myself went from base to base and blessed them, and I saw how moved they were,” Rav Yosef said.

“The media portrayed it as though we are against them. We are against them? We love the soldiers,” he added.

The public appearances and Friday meeting represent the latest indications that the internal tensions surrounding Shas’ spiritual leadership have eased, with Rav Yosef increasingly being positioned as the party’s central Torah authority while Deri continues to lead the movement politically.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu lashed out at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday after authorities in Turkey sought Interpol arrest warrants targeting Netanyahu and dozens of other senior Israeli officials, sharply escalating the already bitter confrontation between Yerushalayim and Ankara.

The Prime Minister’s Office responded to the Turkish move with a blistering attack on Erdogan and his government.

“Erdogan is an antisemitic dictator who has massacred Kurds, harbors Hamas terrorists, occupies half of Cyprus, and jails record numbers of journalists and politicians who oppose him. He now seeks to extend his aggression against Israel into Syria. Israel will not tolerate it,” said a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

“Erdogan’s pathetic attempt to intimidate the leaders and soldiers of Israel, the only true democracy in the Middle East, will go nowhere,” the statement stressed.

The Turkish request for the international warrants was filed in connection with criminal proceedings taking place in the absence of the Israeli defendants at Istanbul’s 11th High Criminal Court.

Reports indicated that the case stems from Israel’s interception of the “Global Sumud” flotilla, which attempted to break the Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces stopped the vessels in international waters before they could reach Gaza. There has thus far been no indication that Interpol has approved Turkey’s request for warrants.

Relations between Israel and Turkey had appeared to be moving toward a diplomatic thaw in the period preceding the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 massacre in southern Israel. The relationship deteriorated dramatically following the attack and the ensuing war, with Erdogan and other senior Turkish officials repeatedly launching harsh attacks against Israel.

In March 2025, Erdogan branded Israel a “terror state” following Israeli preemptive strikes targeting terrorist infrastructure in Gaza. He subsequently accused Netanyahu’s government of being the greatest single threat to stability across the Middle East.

Erdogan stepped up his rhetoric again last week, charging that Israel was attempting to push the Palestinian Arab issue off the international agenda.

The latest dispute also comes amid growing tensions between Israel and Turkey over Syria. Earlier this week, Israel carried out a strike against the Abu al-Duhur airbase in Syria after Syrian authorities came close to violating a security understanding by permitting Turkish forces to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo.

Turkey rejected Israel’s justification for the strike and accused Yerushalayim of using security claims as a pretext for attacking Syrian territory.

Ankara also leveled broader accusations against Netanyahu, claiming that he was pursuing territorial expansion and fueling instability across the region for political reasons ahead of Israel’s elections.

The Turkish effort to secure international arrest warrants now adds another front to the increasingly hostile relationship, with Netanyahu making clear that Israel has no intention of being deterred by Erdogan’s move.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said Friday that military action against Iran remains a possibility, making clear that his administration’s new emphasis on economic warfare against Tehran does not mean the United States has taken the use of force off the table.

Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Trump was asked whether the shift toward an aggressive economic campaign against the Islamic Republic meant that Washington’s military options had become more limited.

“No, not at all,” the President replied. “It just means that we’re seeing what happens. They have no money, they have no navy, they have no air force, they have 350% inflation. So we’re just going to sort of see what happens.”

Trump on Iran:

They would love to make a deal, but they are not ready to make the right deal, in my opinion. pic.twitter.com/YR5yxQu37O

— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 21, 2026

Trump pointed to what he described as overwhelming American control in the region, including around the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, as evidence of the pressure currently being exerted on Tehran.

“We have total control, as you know, of the border. We have total control, if you look at the blockade, we have total control of that entire region having to do with the Strait of Hormuz. And that means well into it, the land areas,” Trump continued.

Despite the mounting pressure, Trump suggested that Tehran remains interested in reaching an agreement with Washington, but said Iranian leaders have not yet shown a willingness to accept terms that he considers satisfactory.

Iran “would love to make a deal, but they are not ready to make the right deal, in my opinion,” Trump said.

The President’s remarks came just two days after he unveiled a sweeping new economic campaign targeting Iran, describing the effort as an “economic D-Day” intended to further isolate and weaken the Islamic Republic.

In announcing the initiative on Truth Social, Trump warned that governments and other entities continuing to provide economic assistance to Iran could themselves face consequences from the United States.

“These maniacs are on the ropes, and these HISTORIC MEASURES will cripple them and their ability to project terror worldwide. IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,” he wrote.

The administration’s latest moves follow the expiration Tuesday of a 60-day negotiating period between Washington and Tehran. Trump said at the time that there were neither active negotiations nor any new talks scheduled between the two countries.

“There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect. The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated.”

Trump’s latest comments underscore that while the White House is currently seeking to squeeze Tehran through economic and strategic pressure, the administration is continuing to preserve the possibility of military action if Iran refuses to reach an agreement acceptable to Washington.

{Matzav.com}

The Belzer community is mourning the sudden petirah of Rav Aryeh Mordechai Frankel z”l, a longtime and beloved mechanech in Bnei Brak who devoted more than four decades to educating young children and was among the earliest volunteers and founders of the renowned chesed organization Ezrah Lemarpeh. He was 73.

Reb Aryeh Mordechai was born on 4 Adar 5714 to his father, Reb Yehuda Frankel z”l, and his mother, Mrs. Tzila Frankel a”h.

After establishing his home with his wife, he devoted his life to chinuch, serving for more than 40 years as a rebbi for young children. Over the decades, hundreds of children received their earliest foundations in alef-beis and Chumash from him.

For many years, he was also responsible for the cherished “Naye Yingele” ceremony held for three-year-old boys upon their formal entrance into cheder at the Belzer cheder at 5 Belz Street in Bnei Brak. Through his warmth and dedication, he helped make those first moments of chinuch memorable for generations of children and their families.

His commitment to helping others extended well beyond the classroom. Reb Aryeh Mordechai was among the first volunteers and founders of Ezrah Lemarpeh, the organization that would eventually grow into one of Israel’s best-known chesed organizations.

In the organization’s earliest days, when Ezrah Lemarpeh was still operating on a small scale out of a private home, Reb Aryeh Mordechai would sit there each day and assist people who came to borrow medical equipment. Long before the organization became what it is today, he was among those quietly doing the work on the ground.

Approximately a decade ago, Reb Aryeh Mordechai suffered a stroke but subsequently recovered. Despite the difficulties he endured, he continued coming every day with extraordinary mesirus nefesh to the central Belzer bais medrash at 5 Rebbe of Belz Street, where he had davened throughout the years.

For many years, he also took upon himself the simple but meaningful responsibility of preparing tea for the mispallelim and lomdim in the bais medrash, ensuring that those who came to daven and learn would have something warm to drink.

Only this week, Reb Aryeh Mordechai had the zechus to enter for a private audience with the Belzer Rebbe and present a kvittel. He was deeply attached to the Rebbe with heart and soul and frequently traveled to be with the Rebbe for Yomim Tovim, Shabbosim and other special occasions.

On Wednesday night, Reb Aryeh Mordechai began feeling unwell and was hospitalized at Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center. His condition deteriorated overnight, and he was niftar shortly before dawn, leaving behind a lifetime of chinuch, chesed and quiet devotion to others.

The levayah was held on Yigal Street in Bnei Brak, proceeding past the central Belzer bais medrash at 5 Rebbe of Belz Street before continuing to the Kahal Machzikei Hadas section of the cemetery in Ashdod, where he was brought to kevurah.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s High Court of Justice agreed Friday to release funding for the Ministry of Religious Services after the ministry warned that a continued budget freeze could force the closure of major holy sites across the country as early as Sunday.

The court announced that funding approved for the Religious Services Ministry would be exempted from a temporary order freezing budget transfers that had been approved by the Knesset Finance Committee earlier this month.

The decision followed an urgent warning submitted to the court by Religious Services Ministry Director-General Yehuda Avidan, who said the ministry was rapidly approaching a financial crisis that could disrupt the operation of holy sites, rabbinical courts and other essential religious services.

The state had earlier warned the High Court that maintaining the freeze on the budget transfers could have far-reaching consequences for the ability of government ministries to continue operating and providing services to the public.

Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich told the court through the state’s submission that he believes the underlying petition should be decided as quickly as possible rather than leaving the matter unresolved while the court considers a request for an interim order.

According to the state, the effects of the funding freeze could become increasingly severe beginning September 1 if the legal dispute remains unresolved.

Particular concern was raised over funding for Israel’s rabbinical courts. The state asked the High Court to exempt those funds from the temporary freeze, warning that beginning August 23, the lack of funding could immediately interfere with computer systems and support services needed for the courts to function.

Avidan presented the court with an even more urgent picture regarding the Religious Services Ministry.

He said the disputed funds are needed for the ministry’s regular operations, the rabbinical courts and holy sites throughout Israel. The money is also required to pay vendors and employees and cover security, cleaning, rent, municipal taxes and computer services.

Avidan noted that the month of Elul is among the busiest periods of the year for the Religious Services Ministry, with thousands of mispallelim expected to visit holy sites throughout the country each day.

Without the necessary funding, he warned, the ministry would be unable to approve the additional security and cleaning services needed to safely accommodate the large crowds.

The most dramatic warning concerned the possibility that some of Israel’s best-known holy sites could be shut down beginning Sunday.

Avidan told the court that if the budget transfer was not approved, he would be forced to inform the High Court that the ministry was beginning the process of closing holy sites around the country.

Among the locations specifically cited were Me’aras Hamachpeilah, Kever Rochel and Kever Rashbi in Meron, along with other holy sites visited by thousands of people each day.

The funding crisis, Avidan said, could also force the ministry to shut down portions of its computer infrastructure, some of which depend on outsourced personnel. Other workers could be forced to stop working, while vendors providing essential services could go unpaid.

Avidan also invoked the Meron disaster in warning of the potential dangers of allowing security and operational funding at crowded holy sites to lapse. He said the ministry had been warning for more than three weeks that the money was urgently needed ahead of Elul and the expected surge in visitors.

The state asked the High Court to establish an expedited timetable for hearing and deciding the broader petition. It also specifically requested that funding for the rabbinical courts be excluded from the temporary order because of the potential consequences for their ability to function as judicial bodies.

The legal dispute stems from controversy surrounding the Knesset Finance Committee’s decision to convene during the Knesset recess to approve the budget transfers, as well as claims that approval from the Knesset’s agreements committee was required.

The state maintains that the budget requests considered by the Finance Committee resulted from government decisions made before the Knesset recess began and that the committee proceedings were conducted in accordance with accepted procedures.

With the legal dispute still pending, the Religious Services Ministry warned that the immediate consequences could be felt within days, with holy sites potentially closing and critical services provided by the rabbinical court system facing disruption.

Following the ministry’s warning, however, the High Court moved to avert that scenario, announcing that the budgets approved for the Religious Services Ministry would be excluded from the temporary freeze.

The decision allows the ministry to receive the funding while the larger legal battle over the disputed budget transfers continues.

{Matzav.com}

The Five Towns Jewish community is reeling following the sudden passing of Allison Rahmani a”h, a 40-year-old mother of four and beloved longtime educator, who passed away today following a tragic accident at her Hewlett home.

Mrs. Rahmani, a teacher and math coordinator at the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway (HAFTR), was critically injured after she apparently lost control of her vehicle, which crashed into the swimming pool on the property.

Despite the unusual circumstances of the accident, Mrs. Rahmani did not drown, according to a source familiar with the family. She remained conscious following the crash and was able to call for help.

Emergency responders rushed to the scene and Mrs. Rahmani was transported by ambulance for emergency medical treatment. Tragically, despite efforts to save her, she passed away while being transported to the hospital.

News of the tragedy spread rapidly throughout the frum community this afternoon, stunning friends, neighbors, fellow educators and the countless families whose children Mrs. Rahmani had taught over the years.

Irving Place Minyan in Woodmere announced Rahmani’s passing Friday afternoon. Her husband, Matthew Rahmani, serves as president of the shul.

Mrs. Rahmani was deeply involved in Jewish education, serving not only as a classroom teacher at HAFTR but also as the school’s math coordinator. In that capacity, she played an important role in shaping the school’s mathematics program and working with both students and fellow educators.

Those who knew Mrs. Rahmani describe her as a dedicated educator whose work extended far beyond teaching mathematics.

The circumstances surrounding the accident remained under investigation..

The levayah is scheduled to take place Sunday at 11 a.m. at Boulevard-Riverside Chapels in Hewlett.

Mrs. Rahmani is survived by her husband, Matthew, their four children, and extended family.

Yehi zichrah baruch.

{Matzav.com}

Lakewood, NJ’s private school transportation crisis escalated dramatically this afternoon, as mosdos across the township began advising parents not to opt in to the LSTA’s non-mandated busing program at the newly imposed $945-per-student rate, a coordinated move that could leave the transportation system without the participation and funding it needs to operate as currently structured, Matzav.com has learned.

The extraordinary recommendation comes amid mounting outrage over the loss of government funding for non-mandated transportation and the resulting decision to more than double the amount charged for each affected student, from $385 last year to $945 for the coming school year.

Rather than accept the massive increase and pass it along to Lakewood families, mosdos are now taking the position that parents should not enroll their children in the non-mandated program at the new rate.

The message is unmistakable: Lakewood parents should not be expected to personally make up for government funding that disappeared.

In an email sent Friday afternoon to Lakewood mosdos by Igud Hamosdos, schools were informed that following discussions with numerous mosdos throughout town, they were being asked to convey a unified message to parents.

“As you are all aware, the LSTA did not receive funding to help cover non-mandated busing. As a result, the fee for non-mandated transportation has been increased to $945 per student,” the email states.

The email then delivers the key recommendation: “Please notify your parents that, at this time, you do not recommend that they opt in to the Non-Mandated Busing program at the newly requested rate.”

“The feeling is that the cost of this transportation should be covered through government funding and should not be placed on the parents,” the email adds.

A sample notice was provided for mosdos to distribute directly to parents, stating that the yeshiva believes the $945 transportation charge should be funded by government rather than Lakewood families.

“Therefore, at this time, our recommendation is that parents NOT opt in to the Non-Mandated Busing program at the new rate,” the proposed message says.

That recommendation began reaching parents Friday afternoon.

In one message sent on behalf of Lakewood Cheder and Bais Faiga, parents were told, “Regarding the LSTA new fee for non mandated students, the Lakewood Cheder and Bais Faiga feel this is a fee that should be covered by government and not the parents. Our recommendation is to NOT opt in.”

The development represents a major new front in the rapidly unfolding LSTA controversy that has Lakewood region residents up in arms.

Until now, the central question confronting families was how they were supposed to absorb an unexpected $945 transportation bill for each child who requires non-mandated busing. For a family with several affected children, the cost could quickly run into thousands of dollars annually, on top of tuition and the already substantial expenses of raising a family.

Now, however, the issue has moved beyond whether individual parents can afford the fee.

If the recommendation from Lakewood’s mosdos results in large numbers of parents declining to opt in, the financial and operational foundation of the non-mandated busing program itself could be thrown into jeopardy.

The LSTA transportation system depends upon a broad network of routes carrying children to private schools throughout Lakewood. If thousands of eligible students are not enrolled because their parents have been advised not to pay the $945 fee, the system could face an unprecedented situation in which the number of participating students — and the revenue associated with them — drops sharply.

That raises the possibility of a breakdown of the current LSTA model and puts enormous pressure on state and local officials to find another solution.

The mosdos’ position effectively turns what had been presented as a financial burden on individual families into a broader battle over who is responsible for funding transportation for Lakewood’s schoolchildren.

Local roshei mosdos are making clear that, in their view, the answer is not parents – nor the mosdos.

The showdown traces back to the failure to secure the government funding that had helped subsidize non-mandated transportation in previous years. Without those funds, the amount required from parents soared from $385 to $945, an increase of $560 per student, or approximately 145%.

The increase immediately sparked alarm throughout Lakewood, particularly among families with multiple children requiring transportation.

For many parents, busing is not an optional convenience. Lakewood’s enormous geographic footprint, heavy traffic and the distances between residential neighborhoods and the community’s numerous mosdos make transportation an essential part of the school infrastructure.

The coordinated recommendation not to opt in dramatically raises the stakes.

If parents follow the schools’ guidance en masse, there will be no easy way to simply shift the missing government funding onto families. Instead, the consequences will land squarely on the transportation system itself, potentially forcing government officials and other stakeholders back to the table.

The timing also adds urgency to the crisis. The new school year has already begun for the boys and will begin soon for the girls, leaving little room for prolonged negotiations or uncertainty over whether thousands of children will have transportation to school.

For now, mosdos are telling parents to hold the line.

What began as a staggering increase in a busing fee has therefore become something considerably larger: A potential standoff over the future of Lakewood’s school transportation system.

The mosdos are saying that families should not be forced to fill a government funding hole by writing checks for $945 per child. And by urging parents not to opt in, they are making clear that they are prepared to challenge the new arrangement rather than quietly accept it.

If enough parents heed that call, the question will no longer be whether Lakewood families can afford the new LSTA fee.

It will be whether the LSTA system can function without them.

{Matzav.com}

New York City won an initial procedural victory Friday in the court fight over Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s two-year rent freeze, as a judge ruled that a lawsuit seeking to overturn the policy was brought in the wrong borough and must be transferred from Staten Island to Manhattan.

The ruling does not resolve the central dispute over whether the Rent Guidelines Board acted lawfully when it froze rents on approximately one million rent-stabilized apartments. Instead, it delays consideration of those arguments, along with pending efforts by groups representing landlords and tenants to intervene in the case.

Staten Island Supreme Court Justice Ralph Porzio ordered the proceeding moved to Manhattan Supreme Court, although he made clear that he had been ready to address the substance of the challenge.

Porzio said he “was prepared to decide the issue on the merits,” pointing to the “enormity and the impact this case has.”

“However, this venue motion… had to be decided, and I’ve decided it this way.”

The legal battle began last month when a coalition of New York City landlords sued the Rent Guidelines Board over its June decision to impose a two-year freeze affecting roughly one million rent-stabilized units. The landlords contend that the process was a rigged “sham” and “unlawful.”

The case was filed by Randy Mastro, who served as first deputy mayor before becoming a prominent legal adversary of the Mamdani administration. Friday’s decision represented an early setback for Mastro and the small landlords he represents.

City attorneys quickly challenged the decision to bring the case in Staten Island, arguing that the lawsuit belonged in Manhattan regardless of the underlying merits of the landlords’ claims.

At issue was a procedural requirement governing Article 78 proceedings, the type of lawsuit used to challenge decisions by government agencies and public bodies. City attorneys maintained that such a case must be brought in the location where the government action being challenged took place. Because the Rent Guidelines Board proceedings at issue occurred in Manhattan, they argued, Manhattan was the proper venue.

“This venue motion has nothing to do with your honor’s ability to hear the case on its merits,” Corporation Counsel Steven Banks said during Friday’s virtual court proceeding. “It has to do with the importance of adhering to the rules.”

Mastro, who told the court that Friday happened to be his birthday, pushed back against the city’s position and argued that Staten Island was an entirely appropriate place to bring the challenge.

He noted that the Rent Guidelines Board’s decision applies citywide and directly affects Staten Island, where approximately 8,200 apartments are subject to rent stabilization.

“Staten Island may be smaller in population than the other boroughs in our city, but it is every bit as important, and it is just as affected by this decision as any other borough,” Mastro argued.

Attorney Deborah Reigel, who is also representing the landlords, warned that accepting the city’s reasoning could create troubling incentives for municipal agencies.

Reigel argued that the contention that Staten Island was an improper venue because the Rent Guidelines Board did not conduct rent-freeze hearings there “really invites bad behavior,” potentially allowing city agencies to avoid holding proceedings in certain boroughs in order to make it more difficult for residents there to challenge their decisions.

Porzio rejected that interpretation, saying the landlords’ attorneys had “misconstrued” the applicable legal standard.

“The material event is not where the impact will be felt, but … where the proceedings were brought,” Porzio said while reading from his order.

The judge’s written ruling similarly concluded that the fact that Staten Island residents will be affected by the rent freeze was not enough to establish the borough as the proper location for the lawsuit.

“While the rent regulations will apply in Richmond County … neither the decision complained, nor the process undertaken to arrive at that determination, have a material connection to Richmond County,” Porizo’s ruling read.

The dispute stems from the Rent Guidelines Board’s June vote to freeze rents for two years on approximately one million stabilized apartments, a decision that delivered Mamdani one of the signature policies he had championed.

Landlords challenging the freeze maintain that the board’s process was improperly engineered to produce the result favored by the mayor and are seeking to have the decision overturned.

Friday’s ruling, however, addressed none of those allegations. It dealt only with where the case must be heard.

As a result, the city’s victory is procedural rather than a ruling upholding the legality of the rent freeze itself. The landlords will still have an opportunity to press their claims and ask a judge to invalidate the Rent Guidelines Board’s action.

Porzio said the litigation will now continue in Manhattan, where a new date is expected to be scheduled for arguments addressing the substance of the landlords’ challenge.

{Matzav.com}

Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that the Trump administration was handed a massive fiscal problem by the Biden administration, describing it as a “debt bomb” while arguing that President Donald Trump’s economic team has a strategy to make U.S. economic growth outpace the growth of the national debt.

Vance made the remarks during an appearance on Newsmax’s “Carl Higbie FRONTLINE,” where host Carl Higbie questioned him about the administration’s approach to the national debt, which recently surpassed $40 trillion.

“There’s a weird way where American taxpayers are getting fleeced because of the very high debt charges,” Vance said.

Vance said the high cost of servicing the federal debt largely took shape during the Biden administration and maintained that the Trump administration has already begun improving the situation.

“By the way, very high debt charges that started under the Biden administration. This is a crisis that we inherited, and I think has gotten better.”

According to Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is pursuing a “very discreet plan,” with Trump’s support, aimed at expanding the economy at a faster rate than the country’s debt burden is growing.

“And if you look, we are on track. So even though the debt is too high, even though we inherited this debt bomb from the Biden administration, we actually do have a plan to get the economy growing faster than the debt. And that’s the most important thing,” Vance said.

Vance argued that the central problem during the Biden years was not simply the size of the debt, but the fact that borrowing was increasing at a faster pace than the overall economy.

“The issue that we’ve had under the Biden administration and what we’re still kind of dealing with is that the debt was growing faster than American GDP [gross domestic product]. That’s the problem.”

Both the Trump and Biden administrations, however, enacted policies that contributed trillions of dollars to projected federal borrowing.

A 2024 analysis by the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimated that policies approved during Trump’s first term would add approximately $8.4 trillion in borrowing over a 10-year period. Policies approved during Biden’s first three years and five months in office were projected to add approximately $4.3 trillion over the same time horizon.

When major COVID-19 relief measures were removed from the calculations, the CRFB estimated that Trump-approved policies would account for roughly $4.8 trillion in additional 10-year borrowing, compared with approximately $2.2 trillion resulting from policies approved under Biden.

The organization also cautioned against simply attributing increases in the national debt during a president’s tenure directly to that president. Federal borrowing can be driven by previously enacted laws, changing economic conditions and other circumstances beyond a president’s direct control.

Vance nevertheless said the current administration recognizes the seriousness of the debt problem and that Bessent has Trump’s full support in attempting to address it.

“That’s something that we’re certainly fixing every single day in the Trump administration. Scott Bessent is very much on top of it,” he said.

“He knows it’s a problem, and he’s got the president’s empowerment to do something about it.”

{Matzav.com}