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A towering life-sized statue honoring Charlie Kirk is scheduled to be unveiled in New York City’s Times Square on Sept. 10, exactly one year after the Turning Point USA co-founder was assassinated, in what the sculptor says is meant to be both a memorial and a statement in defense of free speech.

The monument was created by Sergio Furnari, a sculptor born in Sicily who has spent the past 35 years living in New York. He said the unveiling is planned for 2:23 p.m., the exact time Kirk was shot and killed while addressing a campus gathering at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, one year earlier.

“You know, I’m a New Yorker, so Times Square is like La Piazza,” Furnari told the New York Post. “Everything happens in the city, in the center of the town.”

Although he has not revealed the precise location where the statue will stand, Furnari said it will be displayed “really high on a truck so that everybody can see.”

Promoting the event on Instagram, Furnari wrote: “It’s going to be in the middle of Times Square, the center of the universe.”

He also encouraged those who admired Kirk to attend the ceremony, saying, “If you were a big fan of Charlie, this will be your opportunity to maybe find a little bit of peace or harmony.”

The sculpture portrays Kirk holding a microphone while wearing a sweatshirt bearing the word “FREEDOM,” a tribute to the campus speeches and debates that helped make him one of America’s best-known conservative activists.

Furnari explained that the current version was constructed with a metal framework and industrial resin, though he hopes to eventually recreate it in stainless steel so it is “bulletproof.”

The artist emphasized that his motivation was rooted in defending the principle of free expression rather than endorsing Kirk’s political views.

“It’s not like I was a fan or somebody that followed him. Actually, I didn’t agree with many of his things, but it’s about freedom of speech,” he told the Post.

Kirk, 31, was murdered on Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking before a large audience at Utah Valley University. His death sparked nationwide attention, leading to tributes from conservative figures across the country and renewed discussions about political violence and security at public events.

After co-founding Turning Point USA in 2012, Kirk helped build it into one of the nation’s largest conservative youth organizations, establishing chapters on high school and college campuses while organizing major political conferences and voter engagement initiatives.

Meanwhile, the criminal prosecution of the man accused of carrying out the killing continues in Utah. Tyler Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder, and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

Earlier this month, prosecutors wrapped up a weeklong preliminary hearing in which they introduced surveillance video, forensic evidence, and witness testimony they say connects Robinson to the shooting. Defense attorneys disputed the credibility of critical DNA and ballistic evidence.

Closing arguments are scheduled for Sept. 1 before Utah state District Judge Tony Graf, who will decide whether prosecutors have presented enough evidence for the case to move forward to trial.

If everything proceeds as planned, the Times Square unveiling will take place on the first anniversary of Kirk’s assassination and is expected to attract supporters from across the country. Furnari said he hopes the memorial will honor Kirk’s legacy while serving as a lasting symbol of the importance of free speech.

{Matzav.com}

House Speaker Mike Johnson is preparing a strategy that could set the stage for another major budget battle with Democrats, as Republicans look to combine government funding with election integrity measures in the months leading up to November’s midterm elections.

According to reports, Johnson said Thursday that the House’s next major legislative effort will be a continuing resolution to keep the federal government operating beyond the Sept. 30 fiscal year deadline. The temporary funding measure would likely extend spending into the post-election lame-duck session, Politico reported.

The approach reportedly follows private discussions in which Johnson encouraged President Donald Trump to support the plan. Republicans believe another fight over federal spending could put Democrats on the defensive over key GOP priorities, particularly election security, before voters head to the polls.

When asked whether the Republican-backed SAVE America Act would be included in the temporary spending bill, Johnson indicated that no final decision has been made.

“We haven’t decided all that yet,” Johnson said when asked whether the Republican-backed SAVE America Act would be attached to the stopgap bill.

Johnson made clear, however, that the legislation remains central to the Republican agenda.

“The SAVE America Act is the No. 1 priority for us, and we’re going to attach it to everything that makes sense,” Johnson said. “So we’ll have to see.”

Republicans have increasingly pushed to link major legislation with the SAVE America Act, which would require individuals to provide proof of U.S. citizenship before registering to vote in federal elections. Although the House approved the proposal earlier this year, it has yet to advance in the Senate.

Politico reported that GOP leaders are debating whether to package the election integrity provisions with the funding bill, believing such a move would force Democrats to publicly oppose measures that have become a hallmark of President Trump’s legislative agenda. Some Democrats, however, are expected to favor a straightforward funding extension without additional policy provisions.

Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, argued that lawmakers should simply keep the government funded until after the election, saying it would be “the adult thing” to do because Congress is unlikely to complete all of its appropriations work before the fiscal year expires.

At the same time, House Republicans are also working to move a separate $95 billion reconciliation package before lawmakers leave Washington for the August recess.

According to The Hill, the proposal would provide $73 billion for defense and intelligence programs, $12 billion for agricultural assistance, and another $10 billion to implement Trump-backed election integrity initiatives modeled after the SAVE America Act.

Not all Republicans are on board with the proposal. Fiscal conservatives have objected that the legislation does not adequately offset the new spending.

Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, predicted the framework would be “DOA,” while Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said he remained undecided, cautioning that advancing the legislation too quickly would be a mistake.

House Republican leaders argue the scaled-down reconciliation package reflects negotiations with both the White House and Senate Republicans while addressing urgent military requirements in the aftermath of the conflict with Iran.

Vice President JD Vance has also urged House Republicans to rally behind the measure, arguing that it would bolster national security, provide assistance to American farmers, and advance election integrity efforts after Democrats declined to support the SAVE America Act in the Senate.

{Matzav.com}

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is dramatically increasing its investment in the United States, announcing plans to pour another $100 billion into expanding its American manufacturing operations as soaring demand for artificial intelligence chips drives record-breaking earnings.

The new commitment raises TSMC’s total planned U.S. investment to approximately $265 billion. The company also boosted its full-year revenue outlook after posting its strongest quarterly profit ever, fueled by the explosive growth of AI technologies.

As the world’s largest contract chip producer and one of the most valuable companies on the globe, TSMC is widely viewed as a bellwether for both the semiconductor industry and the rapidly expanding AI sector. Its performance comes as investors continue debating whether the AI market’s rapid rise can be sustained.

To keep pace with surging demand for AI processors, TSMC has continued expanding its manufacturing footprint in the United States, Japan, and Taiwan. The company also increased its projected capital spending for the year, raising its investment budget to between $60 billion and $64 billion, up from its previous forecast of $52 billion to $56 billion.

TSMC manufactures advanced chips for some of the world’s biggest technology companies, including Nvidia and Apple. Before Thursday’s announcement, the company had already committed $165 billion toward constructing six semiconductor fabrication plants in Arizona.

According to Chairman and CEO C.C. Wei, the additional investment is intended to “support the strong multiyear demand from our leading U.S. customers,” he said during the company’s quarterly earnings conference Thursday.

“We believe this investment will help to further foster the development of the U.S. semiconductor ecosystem, strengthen the supply chain and support an increasing number of high-tech, high-paying jobs in the United States,” he said.

Wei also said demand tied to artificial intelligence remains exceptionally strong around the world, noting that AI-related growth continues to accelerate.

AI-related demand globally continues to be “extremely robust,” Wei added, as the “AI megatrend continues to drive the need for more and more computation.”

The company reported net income of 706.6 billion New Taiwan dollars—roughly $22 billion—for the April through June quarter, representing a 77% increase from the same period last year. The record-setting results exceeded Wall Street expectations and underscored the continuing strength of the AI-driven semiconductor market.

{Matzav.com}

This year’s Bein Hazemanim in the month of Av is expected to mark one of the busiest wedding seasons in the history of Yeshivas Ponevezh, with more than 50 bochurim from the yeshivah scheduled to marry over the course of the break.

The unusually large concentration of weddings stems from the longstanding directive established by the rosh yeshivah, Rav Elazar Menachem Man Shach zt”l, discouraging weddings during the month of Elul. Because Elul is devoted to preparation for the Yamim Nora’im and marks the beginning of one of the most intensive periods of the yeshivah year, weddings have traditionally been concentrated during Bein Hazemanim instead.

Among the most prominent celebrations will be several weddings involving members of the yeshivah‘s leadership. On the first day of Bein Hazemanim, the son of the mashgiach, Rav Avrohom Rothschild, will marry a great-granddaughter of Rav Avrohom Noach Garbuz zt”l. On the final day of Bein Hazemanim, the son of Rav Reuven Shmulevitz will wed.

Additional notable weddings include the grandson of Rav Boruch Elyashiv, head of the Tiferes Bochurim kollel network, and great-grandson of Rav Aryeh Shmulevitz zt”l, one of the senior roshei yeshivah of the Mir, who will marry a granddaughter of Rav Gershon Yosef Levi, son-in-law of Rav Aharon Feldman, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel of Baltimore.

Also scheduled are the wedding of a granddaughter of Rav Moshe Shmulevitz to the son of Rav Melech, a maggid shiur at Yeshivas Daas Tevunos in Bnei Brak; the wedding of a great-great-grandson of the gaon av beis din of Kiryat Sefer, Rav Meir Kessler, and grandson of Rav Shmuel Meir Walach zt”l to a granddaughter of Rav Yaakov Marmarosh, rav of Bnei Brak’s Shikun Gimmel neighborhood; and the wedding of the daughter of Rav Aryeh Zelivansky, rosh yeshivah of Yeshivas Meor HaTalmud, to a grandson of Rav Shmuel Chaim Soloveitchik, head of the Vaad HaKashrus of the Eidah HaChareidis.

Meanwhile, the exceptionally busy wedding season has led to an innovative transportation solution among the bochurim. As has become customary in recent years, rather than each chosson arranging and paying for chartered buses to transport guests from around the country, many are purchasing monthly unlimited public transportation passes for bochurim who commit to attending a designated number of weddings throughout Bein Hazemanim. This system has significantly reduced transportation costs while making it easier for friends to participate in the unusually large number of simchos this summer.

{Matzav.com}

As Bein Hazemanim approaches, organizers of summer camps for yeshivah bochurim in Israel say that preparations are moving ahead despite ongoing concerns over the possibility of arrests under Israel’s military draft law. They say the decision to continue the programs was made following consultation with leading gedolei Yisrael.

Speaking on Kol Chai Radio’s Tzav Ma’atzar program, camp director Moishy Safra discussed this year’s preparations with host Gudi Silman. Asked whether buses filled with bochurim could face police inspections or arrests while traveling, Safra said the issue had been carefully weighed by gedolei Yisrael, who concluded that the camps should proceed.

“The decision was that, at this point, the concern is not so significant. Certainly when traveling as a large group, the level of concern is not great,” Sapra said.

According to Safra, interest in attending the camps is actually stronger this year than in previous summers.

“There is a greater desire among the bochurim to go out,” he said, explaining that the war and security situation had significantly limited recreational outings in recent years, leaving many eager to take advantage of Bein Hazemanim this summer.

He added that, in his view, gedolei Yisrael place particular importance on the camps this year because “the bochurim need it more,” and because they want “to give the bochurim the feeling that they deserve it,” amid the public debate and the difficult circumstances confronting bnei yeshivah.

Safra also addressed the financial challenges facing many yeshivos following reductions in government funding.

“Clearly it has an impact,” he said, noting that “everything now requires more thought” in order to maximize limited financial resources.

Despite rising costs, he said the camps will continue operating this year, although participants in many cases will face higher fees. At the same time, organizations and private donors have stepped forward to help offset expenses.

“There are various sponsorships… because supporting yeshivah bochurim will strengthen the yeshivah bochurim, without question,” he said.

Silman used the interview to encourage business owners, swimming pools, adventure parks, and other organizations to support the camps financially and assist bnei yeshivah.

“We want to uplift the yeshivah bochurim,” he said.

Safra added that organizers currently do not anticipate significant problems with outings or trips because of potential arrests. However, he noted that the camps’ programming has been adjusted this year. In addition to the traditional recreational activities, the schedule now includes expanded Torah programming, inspirational talks, and kumzitzen focused on strengthening bochurim spiritually and helping them navigate the challenges they currently face.

While acknowledging that this year’s atmosphere is different and the circumstances more complex, Safra said the goal remains to conduct the camps in much the same format as in previous years, providing bochurim with a meaningful and uplifting framework during Bein Hazemanim while fostering confidence, encouragement, and spiritual growth.

{Matzav.com}