*Report: Netanyahu Took 2 Hours to Reach IDF HQ, 3 Hours to Speak With Chief*
JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not speak with then-IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi until about three hours after he was alerted that Hamas had launched its Oct. 7, 2023, attack, according to a report by The Times of Israel citing Israel’s Channel 12 television news.
*🇮🇱-IDF says it struck Hezbollah terrorists and infrastructure after drone attack*
The IDF says its airstrikes last night in southern Lebanon, in response to a Hezbollah drone attack, targeted members of the terror group and its infrastructure.
Lebanese health authorities reported three dead in Israeli strikes near Nabatieh and Rmadiyeh.
Last night, the military said that Hezbollah launched a drone at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. The drone was shot down by troops, and there were no injuries, according to the IDF.
“In response to the launching of a drone toward our forces in the security zone, the IDF struck terrorists and infrastructure belonging to the Hezbollah terror organization in southern Lebanon,” the military says in a statement this morning.
Among the targets were weapon depots belonging to Hezbollah that the IDF says were intended to be used in attacks on Israel.
*Worker Rescued From Nepal Tunnels 10 Days After Disaster, Hundreds More May Be Alive*
KATHMANDU (VINnews) — In a dramatic rescue that has offered a rare ray of hope amid Nepal’s catastrophic floods, rescuers pulled a Chinese worker alive from a tunnel 225 meters underground, 10 full days after he became trapped by the massive flood that devastated the Himalayan border region.
*Gafni and Maklev Set to Retire as Rabbis Push Major Leadership Shake-Up In Degel HaTorah*
JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A major shake-up is taking shape at the top of Israel’s Degel HaTorah party, with longtime lawmakers Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev expected to be left off the party’s list for the next Knesset.
*IDF Strikes Hezbollah In Southern Lebanon After Explosive Drone Attack On Troops*
JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The Israel Defense Forces said Friday it was carrying out a wave of strikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon after the Iran-backed terror group launched an explosive drone at Israeli troops.
*Ken Griffin Reportedly Buying Mana Wynwood From Moishe Mana In Deal Valued At $700 Million-Plus*
MIAMI (VINnews) — Billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin is nearing a purchase of the Mana Wynwood complex from Israeli-born developer Moishe Mana in a transaction rumored to be worth $700 million to more than $1 billion, sources told The Real Deal, in what would rank among the largest real estate deals in South Florida history.
*Trump Administration Drafts Post-War Plan To Contain Iran And Expand Israel Normalization*
WASHINGTON (VINnews) — The Trump administration has begun drafting a post-war Middle East strategy centered on containing Iran and expanding diplomatic normalization between Israel and its neighbors, according to two U.S. officials and two other sources familiar with the discussions.
*🇺🇸-President Trump Threatens To Cut Off Trade Unless Fed Lowers Rates*
President Trump doubled down Friday on a new ultimatum for the Federal Reserve.
He said the U.S. should stop trading with countries that run trade surpluses against America unless the Fed cuts interest rates.
The warning came after a stronger-than-expected August jobs report showing 162,000 jobs added.
Trump called the numbers “great,” then said high rates put the country at an “unfair disadvantage.” In a Truth Social post, he wrote that the U.S. should have the lowest interest rate in the world. He also said stopping trade with deficit countries would be “better than tariffs.”
The Fed meets later this month. Markets now see a rate hike as more likely after the jobs data.
🇺🇸-Reporter: “[Iran] certainly doesn't feel like small potatoes, Mr. President… 18 service members have died. We’re seeing record-long deployments…”
President Trump: “Why is it record long? How long were we in Vietnam? How long were we in Vietnam?”
Reporter: “We're seeing record —”
President Trump: “No, no. How long were we in Vietnam? We're in five months now. And you know what we did in five months? They're not going to have a nuclear weapon. That's what we did. Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. Because if they did, you probably wouldn't be standing here very long.”
*Reporter: “When will your Super PAC, MAGA Inc. start spending on Ken Paxton?”*
President Trump: “We already did yeah… I think I have close to a billion dollars in the Super PAC. And I’m allocating about $400-$500M… We’ll be spending.”
“We’re going to be spending a lot of money [in the midterms] because we don’t want to lose our country.”
🇺🇸-Reporter: The Vice President said yesterday the conflict with Iran is not a war. If it’s not a war, explain to the American people what it is?
President Trump: “A lot of people don’t call it a war. I call it a military conflict because it’s small potatoes for us. It’s not a big thing… In Venezuela, we lost nobody. In this, we lost 18 people.”
*Activist Mohsen Mahdawi Freed From Prison After Judge Orders His Release*
WASHINGTON D.C (VINnews) — U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., on Friday condemned news coverage of a Columbia University protester who a new investigative report says once claimed he liked to kill Jews, arguing that some media outlets have wrongly recast the man as a victim.
*Williamsburg Developer Ordered to Repay More Than $6 Million to Condo Buyers*
BROOKLYN (VINnews) — More than $6 million in restitution and purchase credits will be provided to New Yorkers who paid deposits on condominium apartments in Williamsburg but were left without their homes or money for years, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Thursday.
President Trump responded to the August jobs report by calling on the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates.
The report showed employers added 162000 jobs, a figure that surpassed most forecasts. Trump argued that a stronger United States economy and credit standing now justify cheaper borrowing costs comparable to those seen in earlier decades.
He warned that if the central bank refuses to cut rates he would halt trade with nations that run surpluses against the United States.
Trump described high rates as placing the country at an unfair disadvantage and instructed the Fed to act smarter and more patriotically.
The comments add to existing debate over the proper boundary between presidential influence and Federal Reserve independence.
*🇺🇸-Bryan Leib Says Most Americans Still Stand With Israel And Jewish Communities*
Florida Republican consultant Bryan Leib told i24NEWS host Benita Levin on The Rundown that most Americans continue to stand with Israel and with Jewish communities in the United States.
Leib framed the comment as a message of solidarity, saying support for Israel remains tied to support for Jewish families here at home.
The interview is circulating among viewers looking for a short take on U.S. public opinion after months of tense debate.
*From Loss To Purpose: Wounded IDF Veteran Helps Amputees Feel Seen With Adidas Initiative*
NEW YORK (VINnews) — An Israel Defense Forces veteran who lost his left leg after being critically wounded while serving near Gaza has helped promote a new Adidas program in Israel that allows amputees and others with lower-limb differences to buy a single shoe at half the price of a pair.
*Around 30 Jews Missing in Nepal Disaster as Local Chabad Emissaries Scrambles To Locate Them*
KATHMANDU(VINnews) — Around 30 Jews, including at least two Israelis, are among thousands of people still missing following the catastrophic floods along the Nepal-China border, with the Chabad House in Kathmandu turning its attention from preparations for Rosh Hashanah to an urgent effort to locate the missing and ensure that any Jewish victims receive a proper Jewish burial.
*🇺🇸-Donny Deutsch: Hasan Piker Event At UT Austin Should Be Removed*
Raging antisemite Hasan Piker is scheduled to speak at Deutsch's daughter’s school, The University of Texas at Austin.
He was scheduled to speak at the University of Washington.
That event was canceled.
This UT event is not sponsored by the university. It is being hosted by a student group, University Democrats, on September 30 at the William C. Powers Student Activity Center. Even so, his hate will still be associated with the university.
Deutsch isstrongly urging UT to cancel this event and asking concerned parents to reach out to the university.