Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday directed the active duty military to shed 20% of its four-star general officers as the Trump administration moves forward with deep cuts that it says will promote efficiency but that critics worry could result in a more politicized force. Hegseth also told the National Guard to shed 20% of its top positions and directed the military to cut an additional 10% of its general and flag officers across the force, which could include any one-star or above or officer of equivalent Navy rank. The cuts are on top of more than a half-dozen top general officers that President Donald Trump or Hegseth have fired since January, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. CQ Brown Jr.

At a dramatic emergency meeting held Monday evening at the home of Rav Dov Landau, rosh yeshiva of Slabodka, dozens of prominent roshei yeshiva convened to raise their voices against the ongoing legal and governmental pressure facing the Torah world in Eretz Yisroel.
The urgent meeting was opened with Tehillim by Rav Betzalel Pinchasi, rosh yeshiva of Birchas Ephraim.
In his opening remarks, Rav Eliezer Kahaneman, nosi of the Ponovezh Yeshiva, spoke about the financial straits in which yeshivos find themselves, and the essential role that the Keren Olam HaTorah has played in allowing Torah institutions to continue functioning this past year.

Dozens of demonstrators affiliated with the Retzafnikim faction gathered Monday evening in central Yerushalayim, staging a protest that quickly escalated into confrontation with security forces.
The protestors blocked the intersection of Sarei Yisrael and Yafo Streets in the heart of the city.
In response, police units were dispatched to the scene, including mounted officers and a water cannon vehicle, in an effort to disperse the crowd.
The demonstrators were forcibly removed by police as tensions flared between the protestors and law enforcement. Eyewitnesses reported shouting, resistance, and scuffles as protestors refused to vacate the area voluntarily.

Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who was pardoned by Donald Trump for his conviction related to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, said he met with the president over the weekend in Florida. Tarrio posted about the meeting on his X account Sunday morning. “Yesterday, I had the honor of meeting the President of the United States, a moment I never could have imagined in my darkest days,” Tarrio wrote. In other posts, he said he was at Mar-a-Lago, the president’s club, and that he had a “great conversation” with the president after Trump called him and his mother over during dinner. A White House official said the meeting was not planned; rather, Tarrio had been at the club to dine with a member, who introduced him to Trump.

I24NEWS military analyst Tzvi Yechezkeli referred to the Israeli preparations for an attack in Yemen as an “American trap.” “The trap we are in is mainly an American trap,” Yechezkeli said. “The Americans have taken it upon themselves to attack the Houthis with very, very serious and intensive attacks. But in practice, we’re getting what we already know from before—that it’s impossible to subdue the Houthis from the air.” “And no matter how much the Americans try, including bringing in Yemeni forces opposed to the Houthis on the ground, it’s not working.” “If we didn’t have the interception means, we might have already rolled up our sleeves and dealt with the problem, but the trap is that we gave it to the Americans, and this must be seen in the Iranian context.

Multiple Orthodox Jewish passengers on Lufthansa flight LH1397 from Prague to Frankfurt tell YWN they were singled out and forced to check their carry-on luggage, while other passengers with larger bags were allowed to board without issue. The incident occurred Monday afternoon at Václav Havel Airport, shortly before the scheduled 2:30 PM departure. According to firsthand accounts, the passengers — identifiable by their religious attire — were approached at the gate and asked if they were comfortable sitting in the emergency exit row. Upon agreeing, they were immediately told their hand luggage would need to be checked, allegedly for failing to fit easily into the sizing rack.

The shoe company Skechers is being acquired for more than $9 billion to be taken private by the investment firm by 3G Capital. The deal comes amid growing uncertainty over how U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on foreign goods will affect companies who make their products overseas, particularly in China. Athletic shoe makers have invested heavily in production in Asia. The offer of $63 per share represents a premium of 30% to Skechers’ 15-day volume-weighted average stock price. The deal was unanimously approved by Skechers’ board. Skechers shares jumped nearly 25% Monday, to $61.56. In a press release announcing the deal, the companies did not mention the potential impacts of Trump’s tariffs on its business going forward.

President Trump is set to issue an executive order cutting off all federal dollars from funding gain-of-function research in nations like China and Iran, unless those experiments are under stringent supervision. This move comes more than five years after the outbreak of COVID-19, which U.S. intelligence agencies now believe likely stemmed from a mishap in a laboratory.
The directive will apply retroactively and prospectively, stopping support for any current or upcoming gain-of-function studies. It will also task the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies with flagging biological research that could endanger public health or pose a threat to national security.