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President Donald Trump has directed federal health officials to conduct a new review of the nation’s childhood vaccination schedule, a move that could lead to additional changes in the vaccines routinely recommended for American children and teenagers.

The executive order, signed Friday, builds on a scientific evaluation issued earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. That report highlighted that the United States recommends a larger number of childhood vaccines than other developed nations and administers significantly more doses than some countries in Europe.

Following the release of that assessment, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised its childhood immunization guidance in January, reducing the number of routinely recommended vaccinations from 17 to 11. The decision drew strong opposition from many medical organizations and public health experts.

Under the updated CDC recommendations, vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), hepatitis A, hepatitis B, dengue fever, meningococcal ACWY, and meningococcal B are generally recommended only for children considered to be at elevated risk.

The agency maintained its existing recommendations for protection against 11 illnesses, including measles, mumps, rubella, whooping cough, tetanus, diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae type b, pneumonia, polio, human papillomavirus (HPV), and chickenpox.

Trump’s executive order instructs the CDC and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to reexamine both the January HHS report and the most recent clinical research. The review is intended to determine whether further revisions should be made to the national vaccine schedule for children and adolescents.

In a fact sheet released alongside the order, the White House said: “President Trump is reaffirming his commitment to gold-standard science, ensuring Americans receive the best possible medical advice, and empowering patients and doctors with maximum flexibility.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics took a different approach after the January CDC changes, issuing its own immunization guidelines that continue to recommend routine protection against 18 diseases. Those recommendations include vaccines for RSV, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rotavirus, influenza, and meningococcal disease.

AAP officials have argued that comparisons between the United States and other countries can be misleading because vaccine recommendations are based on each nation’s unique public health conditions and healthcare infrastructure.

“We don’t follow Denmark’s vaccine recommendations because we don’t live in Denmark,” Dr. Jose Romero, a member of AAP’s committee on infectious diseases, said in a statement last year. “Children in the United States are at risk of different diseases than children in other countries. We also have a completely different health system.”

The American College of Physicians also voiced concern over the administration’s latest action, warning against replacing longstanding U.S. guidance with policies modeled after those of other countries.

“This is the second time the administration has attempted to unilaterally substitute vaccine guidance from other countries to replace the U.S. vaccine schedule which was developed for the specific needs of the U.S. population,” ACP President Dr. Jan Carney said in a statement. “The U.S. childhood vaccine schedule was designed through years of transparent, scientific review focused on preventing serious illness, outbreaks and deaths among our country’s large, diverse population with uneven access to health care services.

“The evidence is clear: vaccines are safe and effective at preventing deaths, hospitalizations and the spread of disease,” she added. “The changes that this executive order directs cannot be allowed to move forward.”

{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] A Frontier Airlines flight traveling from Puerto Rico to Chicago was forced to make an emergency diversion to Miami after a passenger allegedly attempted to open an aircraft exit door and later tried to gain access to the cockpit during a frightening disturbance in the air.

The incident occurred Sunday aboard Frontier Flight 3345, which had departed from San Juan and was en route to Chicago O’Hare International Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration said the crew reported a “passenger disturbance” during the flight.

According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, flight attendants and passengers observed a man behaving erratically and attempting to open one of the aircraft’s exit doors. Witnesses told authorities that the passenger repeatedly said he wanted to get off the plane.

Officials said crew members instructed the man to remain seated and stop his disruptive behavior, but he allegedly refused to comply. Instead, he reportedly moved toward the front of the aircraft and attempted to enter the pilots’ compartment.

As the situation escalated, an off-duty flight attendant who was traveling as a passenger volunteered to sit near the man in an effort to help monitor him and keep the situation under control.

Authorities said the encounter turned physical when the off-duty attendant briefly left his seat to use the restroom. During that time, the disruptive passenger allegedly attempted to grab the attendant’s bag and then tried to choke him.

Flight attendants and several passengers ultimately intervened and were able to restrain the man while the aircraft was redirected to Miami International Airport.

The plane landed safely shortly before noon local time. Upon arrival, law enforcement officers boarded the aircraft, took the passenger into custody, and arrested him. Authorities said he has not yet been publicly identified and was charged with misdemeanor battery.

Frontier Airlines later confirmed the incident and said the disruption caused only a temporary interruption to the flight’s journey.

“Law enforcement boarded the aircraft in Miami and removed the passenger, and the flight subsequently continued on to Chicago a few hours later,” a Frontier Airlines spokesperson said.

After the passenger was removed, the flight resumed service and departed for Chicago later that day.

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{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed cautious confidence Tuesday that negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program could move forward, even as renewed regional tensions and a fragile ceasefire have cast doubt on the prospects for broader diplomatic progress.

Appearing before lawmakers in his first public testimony since the outbreak of the Iran conflict, Rubio said Tehran has shown a new willingness to discuss elements of its nuclear activities that had previously been off limits during negotiations. However, he stopped short of predicting whether the talks would ultimately produce an agreement.

“They have agreed to negotiate aspects of their nuclear program that just a month ago, just a year ago, they were refusing to even mention,” Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He did not elaborate.

Rubio cautioned that progress at the negotiating table does not necessarily mean a final accord is within reach, noting that uncertainty and internal instability within Iran’s leadership continue to complicate efforts to secure a lasting arrangement.

He added, however, that it’s “not a guarantee that ultimately it will lead to a deal that’s acceptable” and that these negotiations have been made difficult by the instability of Iran’s leadership.

Those comments came as reports emerged from two semi-official Iranian news agencies claiming that Tehran had suspended contacts with mediators after Israel warned it could target Beirut amid its ongoing military campaign against Hezbollah.

The developments coincided with a new round of State Department-sponsored discussions between Israel and Lebanon. Those talks are taking place against a backdrop of escalating clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, further clouding hopes of preserving an already tenuous ceasefire.

Rubio’s appearance before Congress quickly turned into a broad examination of the Trump administration’s foreign policy challenges. Lawmakers pressed him on a range of issues, including reductions in foreign aid programs, anti-drug operations in Latin America, and diplomatic initiatives in several global hotspots.

Although the hearings were formally intended to address the State Department’s annual budget request, much of the attention centered on the ongoing conflict with Iran and the increasingly uncertain truce that has been tested by continued exchanges of attacks.

Rubio and other administration officials have repeatedly defended President Donald Trump’s decision to enter the conflict, despite longstanding pledges to avoid prolonged military entanglements in the Middle East. At the same time, critics have pointed to shifting administration objectives as a source of confusion and concern.

The secretary’s testimony marked his first public appearance before Congress since fighting erupted on February 28. Shortly after the initial American and Israeli strikes, Rubio participated in classified briefings for lawmakers, where Democrats criticized the lack of congressional authorization while most Republicans voiced support for the military action.

As the war enters its third month, questions about its cost and long-term economic impact have begun to attract bipartisan attention. A growing number of Republicans have joined Democrats in raising concerns about the conflict’s financial burden as the midterm election season approaches.

One of the most significant economic consequences has been disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of globally traded oil and natural gas normally passes. Reduced tanker traffic has contributed to higher fuel prices and broader concerns about energy markets.

Last month, momentum against the war reached a new level when the Senate advanced legislation that would have required Trump to end U.S. involvement in the conflict. The measure gained support after Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy sided with Democrats shortly after losing a primary contest in which Trump had backed his challenger.

A similar effort in the House never reached the floor. Republican leaders blocked a vote on a war powers resolution after concluding they lacked sufficient support within their own ranks to defeat it.

The episode underscored growing divisions within the GOP, as increasing numbers of Republican lawmakers have shown a willingness to break with Trump over the handling of the conflict.

After testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a House Appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday, Rubio is scheduled to return to Capitol Hill on Wednesday for appearances before the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Appropriations subcommittee overseeing State Department funding.

Rubio, whose parents emigrated from Cuba, is also expected to face questions about the administration’s increasingly confrontational posture toward Havana. The issue has drawn heightened attention after Trump suggested Cuba could become a future target once operations involving Iran conclude.

As Rubio entered a Senate briefing room, protesters interrupted the proceedings with chants urging him to “stop killing Cubans.” Security personnel quickly removed the demonstrators from the chamber.

The protesters were quickly pulled from the room. Their chants also included “Let Cuba live!”

Tensions between Washington and Havana have intensified despite ongoing contacts between officials from both countries. The administration recently escalated the dispute by announcing criminal charges against former Cuban President Raúl Castro.

Responding to the indictment, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel accused Washington of manufacturing a pretext for future military action, condemning the charges as a political maneuver designed only to “justify the folly of a military aggression against Cuba.”

Throughout his years in Congress and now as America’s chief diplomat, Rubio has consistently argued that Cuba poses a national security concern because of its relationships with U.S. adversaries. He has maintained that the Trump administration remains committed to confronting that challenge.

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{Matzav.com}

As Israel continues its military campaign and ground operations in Lebanon, former Prime Minister and former IDF Chief of Staff Ehud Barak delivered a blistering critique of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his government, accusing them of deceiving the public about the war’s progress and achievements.

Barak argued that Israeli leaders are presenting a distorted picture of the campaign against Hezbollah while the country faces what he described as an unprecedented political and security crisis. He maintained that the military is being pushed beyond its limits and that the government is fostering unrealistic expectations regarding the impact of its actions in Lebanon.

“This is a government that misleads the public; Netanyahu is counting bodies,” Barak claimed without evidence. “They didn’t kill 800 terrorists, nor 400 terrorists-it’s all nonsense. During funerals in Israel, Netanyahu said that we were delivering a crushing blow to Hezbollah. He said that Hezbollah had been pushed back by decades.”

Rejecting the government’s portrayal of the campaign, Barak contended that claims of significantly weakening Hezbollah are detached from reality. He said the organization cannot be eliminated without a full conquest of Lebanon, a scenario he described as neither practical nor achievable.

Barak also criticized the destruction of Lebanese villages and statements suggesting a prolonged Israeli presence in southern Lebanon. In his view, such actions do not diminish Hezbollah’s influence. Instead, he argued, they strengthen the group’s standing within Lebanon and weaken opportunities for diplomatic progress.

According to Barak, every Israeli military operation inside Lebanese territory enhances Hezbollah’s image among segments of the Lebanese population, who increasingly view the organization as “the defender of Lebanon.”

The former premier further asserted that Iran and its regional allies have been successful in applying pressure on Washington. He said the only viable path forward is a coordinated international effort involving Israel, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, France, the United States, and Syria to strip Hezbollah of any legitimacy for maintaining an armed force.

Drawing on Israel’s past experience in southern Lebanon, Barak questioned the rationale behind the current military strategy and warned against repeating mistakes made during Israel’s previous presence in the security zone.

“There is a deep concern that going there is not connected to practical considerations,” Barak said. “The real question regarding the withdrawal from Lebanon is not why it took place in 2000, but why it did not take place 15 years earlier. Hezbollah developed because we were inside Lebanon.”

Barak concluded by arguing that Israel’s leadership has lost sight of the broader purpose of military action. He said warfare must ultimately serve diplomatic and political objectives, and asserted that either Naftali Bennett or Gadi Eisenkot would be better suited than Netanyahu to lead the country.

{Matzav.com}