Search inside image

TIES FORGED BY ABRAHAM ACCORDS: UAE, Saudi Arabia Transmitted Intel About Iran’s Attack – The Yeshiva World

Visit

The US, Arab, Israel cooperation in Iran attack – The US has been working for years to forge military cooperation between Israel and Sunni Arab states that share a common alignment against Iran. With a formal military alliance not possible under the existing political situation, the US instead worked to build an informal regional air defense cooperation.3 hours ago

Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, provided intelligence on …

The Times of Israel

https://www.timesofisrael.com › report-gulf-states-inclu…

The News And Times Information Network – Blogs By Michael Novakhov – thenewsandtimes.blogspot.com

The post The US, Arab, Israel cooperation in Iran attack: TIES FORGED BY ABRAHAM ACCORDS: UAE, Saudi Arabia Transmitted Intel About Iran’s Attack first appeared on The News And Times Review – NewsAndTimes.org.

For all the claims that Donald Trump’s net worth supposedly rose as a result of the Trump Media deal, the reality is that his shares are likely to be fairly worthless by the time he’s allowed to sell them. Today we saw more evidence of this.

Shares of Trump Media have dropped another fifteen percent today, amid news that the company is planning to issue more stock, which tends to dilute the share price. As of now, Trump Media shares have dropped by more than sixty percent over the past three weeks.

How much further will the shares drop? That’s hard to say. But the company’s troubled financials and lack of revenue suggest that there’s really no basis for any market value to begin with. So yes, it could bottom out completely before Trump is allowed to sell any of his shares. So much for this boosting his net worth in any meaningful way.

The post Trump Media takes a dump appeared first on Palmer Report.

(WASHINGTON) — On this Tax Day, refunds are looking a bit bigger for taxpayers.

According to the latest IRS statistics, the average income tax refund so far this season is $3,011, up $123 from last year. Two out of three taxpayers expect to receive a refund.

The IRS is promoting the customer service improvements the agency rolled out since receiving tens of billions in new funding dollars through Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act. Getting refunds out faster — to some people in just over a week — is part of the promotion.

[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

So far, the IRS has delivered more than $200 billion in refunds through early April, and the latest agency numbers show that 101 million people have filed returns this tax season.

From cutting phone wait times to digitizing more documents and improving the “Where’s My Refund” tool to show more account details in plain language, agency leaders are trying to bring attention to what’s been done to repair the image of the IRS as an outdated and maligned tax collector.

Read More: When Will I Receive My Tax Refund?

The promotion also in part is meant to quickly normalize a more efficient and effective IRS before congressional Republicans threaten another round of spending cuts to the agency. So time is of the essence for both taxpayers and the agency.

“This filing season, the IRS has built off past successes and reached new milestones,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on a Friday call with reporters. “It’s showing that when it has the resources it needs, it will provide taxpayers the service they deserve.”

“It’s clear that we’re seeing historic improvements in taxpayer service levels, and the agency is rebounding from some very tough and lean years during the past decade,” said IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel.

For most people, April 15 is the last day to submit tax returns or to file an extension.

Read More: How April 15 Became Tax Day

The IRS says call wait times have been cut down to three minutes this tax season, compared with the average 28 minutes in 2022. That has saved taxpayers 1.4 million hours of hold time and the agency has answered 3 million more calls compared with the same time frame. Also, the updated “Where’s My Refund” tool giving more specific information about taxpayers’ refunds in plain language was rolled out to 31 million views online.

Werfel told The Associated Press earlier this year that the agency’s agenda is to deliver “better service for all Americans so that we can ease stress, frustration and make the tax filing process easier — and to increase scrutiny on complex filers where there’s risk of tax evasion.”

“When we do that,” Werfel said, “not only do we make the tax system work better because it’s easier and more streamlined to meet your tax obligations. But also we collect more money for the U.S. Treasury and lower our deficit. The IRS is a good investment.”

Major new initiatives in recent months have included an aggressive pursuit of high-wealth earners who don’t pay their full tax obligations, such as people who improperly deduct personal flights on corporate jets and those who just don’t file at all.

This also is the first tax season that the IRS has rolled out a program called Direct File, the government’s free electronic tax return filing system available to taxpayers in 12 states who have simple W-2 forms and claim a standard deduction.

If Direct File is successful and scaled up for the general public’s use, the program could drastically change how Americans file their taxes and how much money they spend completing them. That is, if the agency can see the program through its development in spite of threats to its funding.

The Inflation Reduction Act initially included $80 billion for the IRS.

However, House Republicans have successfully clawed back some of the money. They built a $1.4 billion reduction to the IRS into the debt ceiling and budget cuts package passed by Congress last summer. A separate agreement will take an additional $20 billion from the IRS over the next two years to divert to other nondefense programs.

Government watchdogs warn IRS funding cuts will reduce the amount of revenues the U.S. collects.

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office reported in February that a $5 billion rescission from the IRS would reduce revenues by $5.2 billion over the next 10 years and increase the cumulative deficit by $0.2 billion. A $20 billion rescission would reduce revenues by $44 billion and a $35 billion rescission would reduce revenues by $89 billion and increase the deficit by $54 billion.

The Iranian attack on Israel was historic. For the first time since the Iranian Revolution of 1979, the Ayatollah regime violated Israeli sovereignty directly without using any of its proxies, such as Hezbollah or Hamas. Iran, in this sense, has created a new equation for its conflict with Israel. Likewise, the ability to counter hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones was also unprecedented, as it resulted from an American-led coalition—which included the U.K., France, Jordan, and other countries—that originated in the Abraham Accords and continued with multiple defense regional agreements. This pivotal moment bore strategic implications that exceeded the sole interest of Israel. Here are the top five.

[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

First, the response to the Iranian attack on Israel could affect geopolitical relations as we know them.

The Iranian attack on Israel was not only a local or regional event but a multinational one. In an era of a global war where the U.S. is on one side and Russia and China are on the other, the Israeli response will reflect the U.S.’s credibility as the leader of the Western world. In other words, it will define Western assurances regarding any country deeming itself part of the free world.

Indeed, President Biden warned Iran from attacking Israel by declaring yet another important “Don’t.” Well, they did. And now the world is watching. An aggressive response may lead to anarchy and force other players in the arena. A soft—or lack of—response could teach Iran and its allies that acts of aggression could occur without consequences. A restrained reaction to such a violent act of aggression in a world in which Russia had already invaded Ukraine may be one step too far. The secret here, hence, will be to find the right balance for deterring potential chaos agents such as Iran, yet not to accelerate the already sensitive reality.

Secondly, Iran endangered its two most significant investments—the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the nuclear program.

The first is an active ongoing project, which embodies not only a core element of the Iranian DNA but also the most significant terror group in the world. The second is an Iranian aspiration that is too close to realization. Israel, which lost substantial portions of its international legitimacy following the continuous war in Gaza, could use the momentum of international support not only to respond to Iran kinetically but to label the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps diplomatically and legally as a terror group. Moreover, it could encourage the entire U.S.-led coalition to compose a joint plan to counter the Iranian nuclear program just before its completion. A vital element of such a program will have to include the encouragement of the Iranian people to demand their liberty alongside unapologetic and decisive moves driven by the understanding that a nuclear Iran is a threat to the free world.

The third implication concerns the potential misuse of international law to undermine countries’ territorial integrity or political independence.

The Iranian narrative during the attack was fascinating, as was its audacity. Looking at the language it chose to use, it was clear Iran attempted to differentiate itself from its terrorist proxy group and portray itself as a legitimate sovereign state in an act of self-defense. Two unexhaustive indications for that were given while the drones were on their way to Israel. The first was a tweet by the Iranian mission to the U.N., which declared the attack was “conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense.” This article embodies one of the two exceptions—alongside a UN Security Council authorization—for prohibiting the use of force. The second indication was an Iranian declaration regarding its intention to hit military targets only. This is, of course, an act-the language of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Accepting the notion that a country could launch 300 missiles and drones “in response to the Zionist regime’s aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus” undermines the core purpose of the U.N., which is to prevent wars from happening in the first place. Allowing this notion will open the gate for any country to cynically use Article 51 in a reality where the U.N. Security Council is under a near-constant deadlock anyway.

The fourth implication is that normalization between the Saudis and the Israelis is more likely than ever.

The world of October 6^th has presented us with the breathtaking possibility of normalization between the two countries. At its core, there was a triangle of interest. Plainly speaking, the Israelis wanted to enjoy a relationship with a regional power; the Americans knew they could place a condition this with advancing a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and the Saudis wanted, in return—among other things—a security agreement with the Americans, resembling those with Japan or South Korea.

The Iranian attack on Israel has provided the Saudis with a display of capability of such an agreement, demonstrated against the very same enemy they wish to protect themselves from: Iran. In this sense, the attack on Israel is likely to enhance normalization with the Saudis, not diminish it.

The fifth implication is that Israel must learn that there are no gifts.

Dependence on allies means the Israeli response will not happen in a vacuum. It will have to consider its allies and their domestic, political, and cultural sensitivities. That doesn’t mean there won’t be a strong reaction, but the rope isn’t as loose as Israel would have liked.

Looking forward to the near future, this means the Israeli ability to manoeuvre, literally, in other areas, such as Lebanon or Gaza, will be even more limited. The outcome may force Israel and its allies to (finally) convene into a joint “Day-After” plan. Such a plan must ensure a Palestinian state isn’t perceived as the direct reward for the October 7th massacre and the Iranian attack on Israel. Still, it must ensure the region has a clear path for the next decade or two.

The task of translating these implications into practical action items is now laid on the shoulders of world leadership. The choices they’ll make will determine if the Iranian attack on Israel will be perceived, in retrospect, as a tragedy or as an opportunity.

NEW YORK CITY (NewsNation) — Jury selection begins Monday in the hush money criminal case against former President Donald Trump in New York City, a trial his daughter-in-law is calling “ludicrous.”

The case revolves around payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels aimed at concealing an alleged sexual encounter with Donald Trump, who was then a presidential candidate in the 2016 election.

A group of 12 people — Trump’s peers, in the eyes of the law — will be chosen to decide whether the former president of the United States is guilty of a crime.

Donald Trump has denied wrongdoing, framing the case as a partisan, political hit job led by Democratic Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. In a Truth Social post days before the trial began, Trump decried the trial as “Election Interference at its Best.”

‘We know the truth’: Lara Trump

Lara Trump, co-chair of the Republican National Committee and Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law, called the charges against the former president “ludicrous,” saying Monday on “Morning in America” that their family knows the truth and there has been no wrongdoing.

She also said it is unclear whether the former president will be taking the stand to testify at trial.

A Trump campaign official said they will take advantage of days off from court on Wednesdays and weekends. Trump is already slated to attend a fundraiser Saturday in North Carolina.

‘Election interference’: Donald Trump

The trial means Donald Trump’s legal troubles and his 2024 White House campaign will collide.

While the former president is set to spend four days a week in court for the next several weeks, his campaign is planning to use virtual appearances, in-person campaign stops on the weekends and an expected flood of media attention on the proceedings to sustain enthusiasm among supporters in the face of what Republicans have decried as a partisan ploy to prevent him from running again.

The Hill contributed to this report.

NEW YORK (NewsNation) — Former President Donald Trump’s trial over alleged hush money payments began Monday.

The case revolves around payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels aimed at concealing an alleged sexual encounter with Trump, who was then a presidential candidate in the 2016 election.

It’s the first criminal trial of a former president and the first of Trump’s four indictments to go to trial. 

Judge Juan Merchan made rulings over several housekeeping and evidentiary issues before jury selection, which was slated to start Monday.

Despite repeated asks from Trump’s legal team, Merchan said he will not recuse himself from the case, adding that he also won’t address the matter further.

Merchan denied prosecutors’ requests to show an infamous “Access Hollywood” video, where Trump is caught talking about grabbing women sexually without their permission, as well as another request to tell jurors about several sexual assault allegations against Trump.

He did, however, allow the prosecution to introduce more evidence about an alleged arrangement Trump had with the National Enquirer, NewsNation partner The Hill reported, as well as evidence that Trump believed a story about another affair he allegedly had with former Playboy model Karen McDougal would hurt his campaign.

A group of 12 people — Trump’s peers, in the eyes of the law — will be chosen to decide whether the former president is guilty of a crime.

Prior to Monday’s proceedings, Trump’s attorneys had filed four motions to delay the trial, all of which were denied. The most recent one was last Friday when the judge rejected their request to adjourn the case because of what they argued was overwhelming pretrial publicity.

Trump spoke to reporters entering the courtroom Monday morning, falsely saying that “every legal scholar” said the case is nonsense and repeating claims that the case is politically motivated.

Protestors were outside the courthouse as well.

How long will jury selection take?

The process of selecting a jury could take several days, if not weeks.

Trump’s lawyers and state attorneys will draw from a large sampling of potential jurors to find those who can be unbiased and render a fair verdict. The goal is to select 12 jurors and six alternates.

Potential jurors are randomly picked from lists of New York registered voters, state driver’s license holders, New York state income tax filers and more. To serve, they must be at least 18 years old, U.S. citizens and residents of Manhattan — where the trial is set to take place. Jurors must also understand English and hold no felony convictions. 

Once the trial begins, the judge says it could last six to eight weeks.

What questions will jurors be asked?

Once the prospective jurors are assembled, Merchan will introduce Trump and the lawyers. The judge will also outline the charges and read off a list of potential witnesses before asking everyone if they wish to be excused. 

“If you have an honest, legitimate and good faith reason to believe that you cannot serve on this case, or that you cannot be fair and impartial, based solely upon what you have heard up to this point, please let me know now,” Merchan will ask. 

The judge has signaled anyone who raises their hand is likely to be excused. 

Lawyers won’t be allowed to ask potential jurors whether they’re Democrats or Republicans, whom they voted for or whether they’ve given money to any political causes.

But, the remaining potential jurors will be asked 42 questions aimed at rooting out whether they lean Republican or Democrat. Among them:

• “Do you currently follow Donald Trump on any social media site or have you done so in the past?”
• “Do you have any political, moral, intellectual, or religious beliefs or opinions which might prevent you from following the court’s instructions on the law or which might slant your approach to this case?”
• “Do you listen to talk radio?”
• “Have you ever attended a rally or campaign event for Donald Trump?”

The survey will not ask about prospective jurors’ political party or if they plan to vote for Trump in November. Trump had sought to glean that information as he faces trial in a borough that President Joe Biden won by nearly 75 percentage points in 2020. 

The attorneys can make challenges for cause that contest a juror’s eligibility. Each side will also be given 10 peremptory challenges they can use to strike a juror without a reason. 

What is Trump charged with?

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records as part of an alleged effort to keep salacious — and, he says, bogus — stories about his sex life from emerging during his 2016 campaign.

The charges center on $130,000 in payments that Trump’s company made to his then-lawyer, Michael Cohen. He paid that sum on Trump’s behalf to keep Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, from going public, a month before the election, with her claims of a sexual encounter with the married mogul a decade earlier.

Prosecutors say the payments to Cohen were falsely logged as legal fees to cloak their actual purpose. Trump’s lawyers say the disbursements were legal expenses, not a cover-up.

Trump has denied the allegations.

What will the jury decide?

Jurors in this trial will listen to testimony and decide whether Trump is guilty of any of 34 counts of falsifying business records. Their decision to convict or acquit must be unanimous.

If they cannot agree on a verdict, the judge can declare a mistrial. If jurors have a reasonable doubt that Trump is guilty, they must acquit him.

If they convict him, the judge will be the one who decides the sentence, not the jurors.

Will Trump be in court?

New York state law requires that Trump attend the entirety of his trial. 

Even when he wasn’t required to attend, however, the former president in recent months has regularly ditched the campaign trail to show up in court alongside his lawyers in multiple cases. 

The judge can remove Trump from the courtroom following a warning if Trump “conducts himself in so disorderly and disruptive a manner that his trial cannot be carried on with him in the courtroom.” 

Trump has indicated he is willing to testify.

The Hill and The Associated Press contributed to this report.