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Trump Grants Early Release from Prison to Disgraced Ex-Congressman, Wishing Him a Bright Future

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Trump Grants Early Release from Prison to Disgraced Ex-Congressman, Wishing Him a Bright Future

US President Donald Trump has commuted the sentence of George Santos, a former Republican congressman serving seven years in prison for fraud and identify theft.

In a post on social media, Trump said Santos “has been horribly mistreated”, adding: “Therefore, I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have a great life!”

The former lawmaker was only the sixth in US history to be expelled from Congress, after a damning ethics report in 2023.

Santos, who admitted to stealing the identities of 11 people – including from his own family members, was serving his sentence at a minimum-security jail in New Jersey. He was released on Friday night, US media report.

“God bless President Donald J Trump,” said one of Santos’s lawyers, Joseph Murray, following Trump’s announcement.

In April when Santos was sentenced a judge told him: “You got elected with your words, most of which were lies.”

He reportedly cried in court and begged for forgiveness, saying: “I cannot rewrite the past, but I can control the road ahead.”

Prosecutors argued that the novice politician had lied about his background and misused campaign funds to finance his lifestyle.

In his post, Trump justified the move by criticising a Democratic lawmaker, Senator Richard Blumenthal, whom he accused of fabricating his US military service.

“This is far worse than what George Santos did, and at least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!” Trump wrote.

Trump has previously called for an investigation into Blumenthal over the claim. The Democrat has acknowledged that he misspoke on numerous occasions about his time in the military, but has said the mishaps were more than a decade old.

“This allegation of 15 years ago has been really rejected by the voters of Connecticut three times, overwhelmingly re-electing me,” Blumenthal told CNN earlier this month.

Santos’s downfall began in 2022, after the New York Times published an investigation revealing the freshman congressman had lied about his CV, including having a university degree and working for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs.

From there, the lies continued to pile up, including allegations that he stole money from a fundraiser for a dying dog and that he lied about his mother surviving the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Shortly afterwards, local and federal officials began to investigate.

He was eventually charged with 23 federal felony crimes, and in 2023 became the first expelled member of Congress in more than 20 years, and only the sixth in history.

A report from the House ethics panel accused him of misusing campaign funds for personal benefits, including Botox and subscriptions on the OnlyFans website.

Santos defeated a Democratic incumbent in 2022, flipping the district that encompasses parts of New York’s Long Island and Queens, where he grew up.

Earlier this week, Santos published an open letter to Trump in the South Shore Press newspaper in Long Island, repeating his plea to be pardoned.

The letter, which was titled a “passionate plea to President Trump” asked for “the opportunity to return to my family, my friends, and my community.”

He wrote that he had been kept in solitary confinement after a death threat in August, and apologised for his actions.

“Mr President, I am not asking for sympathy. I am asking for fairness – for the chance to rebuild,” he wrote.

“I know I have made mistakes in my past. I have faced my share of consequences, and I take full responsibility for my actions.

“But no man, no matter his flaws, deserves to be lost in the system, forgotten and unseen, enduring punishment far beyond what justice requires.”

Santos begun serving his sentence in July.

Trump has issued pardons to at least two other former Republican lawmakers since returning to office in January.

In May, he pardoned former congressman Michael Grimm, who pleaded guilty in 2014 to tax crimes.

He also pardoned former Connecticut Governor John Rowland, who pleaded guilty in 2004 to corruption and fraud charges.

Commutations do not void criminal convictions, unlike a pardon.

Lost Too has joined the chat…

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Lost Too has joined the chat…

Yesterday (October 16), Music Business Worldwide published a collection of views from leaders in the global independent music distribution space on a significant industry topic: Universal‘s proposed $775 million takeover of Downtown.

That takeover, which would see UMG acquire Downtown and subsidiaries such as CD Baby, Curve, and FUGA, is currently the subject of an anti-competition investigation by the European Commission (EC).

Our article yesterday collated comments on the deal from leaders of standout indie distributors/music delivery specialists such as UnitedMasters, OneRPM, Believe, AudioSalad, Zebralution, IDOL, Ditto, Symphonic Distribution, and more.

Most distributors quoted in the feature stated they were unfazed by the prospect of UMG acquiring Downtown/FUGA, despite the obvious competitive challenge the deal may lay at their door.

Indeed, most company founders were hopeful they might even gain business, as they look to poach Downtown/FUGA clients who may look to leave should UMG complete the transaction.

Konrad Von Löhneysen, CEO of Germany’s Zebralution, summed up this view when he told MBW: “We have our own supply chain, so we’re not fazed about FUGA being taken over by Universal… if the FUGA/Virgin/Downtown setup isn’t an appealing offering for some independent labels, we’ll make sure they know about us.”

“I’ve seen a lot of focus on what this means for Virgin and UMG, but to me, this is an even bigger win for Downtown. Entrepreneurs building sustainable companies in the independent space should be celebrated for reaching meaningful outcomes like this, not criticized for them.”

Gregory Hirschhorn, Too Lost

A significant player that wasn’t quoted by MBW was Too Lost – one of the fastest-growing independent distribution and publishing companies in the world, and a striking success story for music entrepreneurialism over the past five years.

New York-headquartered Too Lost, founded in 2020, serves over 300,000 labels and artists, and has released music from acts including Teddy Swims, Tory Lanez, Pink Sweat$, Chief Keef, Royel Otis, KAYTRANADA, and Alex Warren.

The profitable company confirmed earlier this year that it is on track to surpass $100 million in annual revenue in 2025, having achieved 130%+ YoY growth in 2024.

Too Lost co-founder and CEO, Gregory Hirschhorn, was travelling when MBW asked for comment on UMG/Downtown earlier this week, but has now stated his views on the record.

Unsurprisingly, they add a thoughtful and sharp perspective, and you can read them below. (We’ve also added them to yesterday’s round-up.)

Says Hirschhorn: “The independent sector remains the fastest-growing part of the global music business, and [the UMG/Downtown] merger highlights just how valuable that ecosystem has become.

“I’ve seen a lot of focus on what this means for Virgin and UMG, but to me, this is an even bigger win for Downtown. Entrepreneurs building sustainable companies in the independent space should be celebrated for reaching meaningful outcomes like this, not criticized for them.”

“Too Lost is well-positioned to continue growing regardless of consolidation among larger players… Competition has always been part of our DNA.”

Gregory Hirschhorn, Too Lost

He adds: “From my perspective, Too Lost is well-positioned to continue growing regardless of consolidation among larger players.

“When I started the company, there were already dozens of distributors in the market. Competition has always been part of our DNA.

“We’ve never worked with Downtown or FUGA, so there’s no direct impact to our operations. And for clients who prefer to remain fully independent of the major label system, companies like Too Lost offer strong, scalable alternatives.

“We’ve already welcomed several former Downtown clients who share that vision, and I expect we’ll see more to come.”

In the past few weeks, Too Lost has made two seven-figure investments (one into an indie label, Rebellion Records, and another into a catalog acquisition company, AntiFragile Equity Partners) while also inking a partnership with superfan platform, EVEN.

Significant independent music companies opposing Universal’s takeover of Downtown include Beggars Group, Secretly Group, and Exceleration Music.

The EC’s Phase II investigation into the deal is currently paused, with its ultimate verdict now expected to arrive as late as Q1 2026.Music Business Worldwide

Russian diplomat suggests building ‘Putin-Trump tunnel’ to connect Russia and US | Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine conflict

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Russian diplomat suggests building ‘Putin-Trump tunnel’ to connect Russia and US | Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine conflict

Siberia-Alaska link could ‘unlock’ resources and be built with Elon Musk’s The Boring Company, says Kirill Dmitriev.

A Kremlin envoy has proposed building an undersea tunnel linking the United States and Russia, suggesting it could be built with the help of US billionaire Elon Musk’s The Boring Company.

Kremlin investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev said that the 112-kilometre (70-mile) “railroad and cargo link” between Siberia and Alaska would “unlock joint resource exploration” between the two countries.

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US President Donald Trump, who has promised to “drill, baby drill” during his second term, told reporters on Friday that he thought the proposal was “interesting” during a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

During their meeting, Trump turned to Zelenskyy, asking for his thoughts on the tunnel. The Ukrainian leader responded that he was “not happy with this idea”.

Dmitriev, who is also the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, has also suggested that the US could join Russia and China in joint “hydrocarbon projects in the Arctic”, referring to expanded drilling for oil.

“Certainly, Russia is eyeing the opportunity of joint Russia-China-US projects, including in the Arctic region, specifically in the energy sector,” Dmitriev said last month, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.

Russia and other Arctic countries are reportedly planning to expand mining operations in the region as climate change sees polar ice receding.

Dmitriev also proposed that Musk’s The Boring Company could become involved in the project, tagging Musk in a post on X, a social media platform owned by the South Africa-born billionaire.

“Let’s build a future together,” Dmitriev wrote to Musk on X, in a post also touting the project as “symbolising unity”.

“Imagine connecting the US and Russia, the Americas and the Afro-Eurasia with the Putin-Trump Tunnel,” Dmitriev wrote.

Musk had not publicly responded to Dmitriev’s post as of Friday evening, US time.

Dmitriev’s posts promoting the tunnel project came as Trump and Putin held a two-hour call on Thursday night in advance of a planned meeting in Hungary’s capital, Budapest, which Trump says will take place within two weeks.

The Kremlin has also confirmed the meeting.

The Bering Strait, 82km (51 miles) wide at its narrowest point, separates Russia’s vast and sparsely populated Chukotka region from Alaska.

Proposals to link them have been around for at least 150 years.

The small Diomede Islands, one Russian and one belonging to the US, sit in the middle of the strait, only 4km (2.4 miles) apart.

Dmitriev said a plan for a “Kennedy-Khrushchev World Peace Bridge” over the strait had been floated during the Cold War.

He posted a sketch from that era of the route it might have taken, with a graphic showing the route the new tunnel could take.

“The time has come to do more and connect the continents for the first time in human history,” Dmitriev said.

 

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Blocking Foreigners from Healthcare: The Anti-Migrant Movement

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Blocking Foreigners from Healthcare: The Anti-Migrant Movement

BBC A mean in a dark sun hat and T-shirt that says "Vote Operation Dudula, Mass Deportation" walks in from of a queue of people.BBC

Operation Dudula has transformed from an anti-migrant pressure group into a political party

A community clinic just north of Johannesburg has become the frontline of a battle in South Africa over whether foreigners can access public health facilities.

What started as a small local action in one area in 2022 has spread, with activists from the avowedly anti-migrant group, Operation Dudula, picketing some hospitals and clinics in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. They check identity cards and stop anyone who is not South African from entering.

“Dudula” means to remove something by force in the Zulu language.

Despite some arrests, the authorities seem unable to prevent the pickets.

The site of their latest campaign is in Dieplsoot – a poor township of more than 200,000 people near the country’s commercial hub.

On a cool, spring Thursday morning, Sicelokuhle Moyo, dressed in a blue-and-beige skirt, thick windbreaker and a black headwrap, set out early for the clinic.

The Zimbabwean, who has lived in South Africa since 2006, was going there, as she often did, to collect her medication for a chronic condition.

But this time, when she reached the gate, things were different.

Two men wearing white T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan “Operation Dudula – Mass Deportation” were stationed at the entrance. They demanded that everyone produce their documents before being allowed inside.

“I said that I had a passport. They said, they don’t take passports. They want IDs only,” Ms Moyo said, hiding her frustration behind a polite smile.

Despite this being a potential flashpoint, there was a strange calmness and resignation as people knew that Operation Dudula activists had been violent in the past.

Anyone unable to produce a South African ID book was turned away.

Slowly walking from the entrance, Ms Moyo joined a group of women by the roadside, young children tied to their backs, waiting with uncertainty for what would happen next.

Tendai Musvava, a woman in her 40s, faced the same fate.

“I was standing in the queue and then they said, they [only] need some people with IDs. Me, I don’t have an ID. I have a passport, I am from Mozambique. So, I can’t get my medication because I don’t have an ID,” she said.

Ms Musvava, dressed in a bright orange winter jumper and a white hat, appeared despondent.

“I just feel like they do what they want because it’s their country. I don’t have a say. For now I have to follow whatever they say. I don’t have a choice.”

A side view of a man in a black tracksuit top and dark sunhat facing a woman holding a baby. The man is checking some documents.

South Africa is home to about 2.4 million migrants, just less than 4% of the population, according to official figures. Most come from neighbouring countries such as Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, which have a history of providing migrant labour to their wealthy neighbour.

Xenophobia has long been an issue in South Africa which has been accompanied by occasional outbursts of deadly violence, and anti-migrant sentiment has become a key political talking-point.

Having started as a campaign, Operation Dudula, which has, at times, been accused of using force to make its point, is now a political party with ambitions to contest next year’s local government elections.

Party leader Zandile Dabula insists that what her organisation is doing at public clinics in Johannesburg and other parts of the country is justified.

“We want prioritisation of South Africans. Emergency care – we understand that you must be treated – but if you are illegal you must be handed over to the law enforcers,” she told the BBC.

When challenged with the fact that many migrants are in the country legally, she pivots to the argument that South Africans need to be prioritised because there are minimal resources.

“Life comes first, we don’t deny that, but it cannot be a freebie for everyone. We cannot cater for the whole globe. We don’t have enough.”

The constitution guarantees the right to access healthcare for everyone in the country, regardless of nationality or immigration status.

But Ms Dabula says the public health system, which caters for almost 85% of the population, is overburdened.

She says that some people have to wake up at 04:00 to join long queues at their local clinic because they know that if they don’t get there on time, there will be no medication left.

South Africa is a profoundly unequal society, with much of the country’s wealth held in only a few hands. Unemployment and poverty levels are high and migrants, who often live in poor communities, are blamed by some for the problems people find themselves in.

A close-up of a hand holding a South African ID card and checking it against details in a booklet. The sleeve of a T-shirt with the South African flag can also be seen.

Operation Dudula’s methods have found a sympathetic hearing among some Diepsloot residents.

One of them, South African Sipho Mohale, described Operation Dudula’s campaign as “a positive change”.

“The previous time when I was here, the queue was very long. But this time around, it only took me a couple of minutes to get my stuff and get out,” he said.

Another resident, Jennifer Shingange, also welcomed the activists’ presence in Diepsloot.

“As South Africans, we would come to the clinic, only to find that the medication we need is not available. But since foreign nationals stopped using the clinic, there has been a difference,” she said.

Ironically, some South Africans have not been spared from the anti-migrant campaign.

They too have been turned away from public health facilities because they could not produce an ID book – more than 10% of South Africans are thought not to have proper documents proving their nationality.

But it is the flouting of the constitution in Operation Dudula’s actions that angers activists on the other side of the argument.

“To have a group that is not sanctioned by the state to make decisions about who gets in and who gets out is deeply problematic,” said Fatima Hassan, a human rights lawyer from the organisation Health Justice Initiative.

“Unless government gets a handle on this situation quite soon, it’s going to lose the ability to do law and order itself.”

Deputy Health Minister Joe Phaahla told the BBC that his government was against the targeting of foreign nationals or anyone else trying to use local clinics and hospitals.

“We don’t agree with that approach because health is a human right. As much as we understand the fact that the provision of services must be properly organised, you don’t organise it through bullying kind of methods,” he told the BBC.

Several major political parties, including the Economic Freedom Fighters and the Democratic Alliance, have also condemned Operation Dudula.

But a recent attempt to take it to court by the South African Human Rights Commission failed on a technicality, effectively allowing the group to continue its campaign.

Several Operation Dudula members have been arrested in recent weeks for blocking the entrances of public health facilities. They were later released with a warning. The police’s action, however, does not appear to have deterred the group.

Ms Hassan believes that stronger action is required saying that “the police and the military should have been there on day one to prevent [the picketing] because that is simply lawlessness”.

Dr Phaahla said this measure was being explored but the police have said resources are “stretched in terms of being able to monitor and intervene timeously when such incidents occur”.

While the state hesitates over what to do, Operation Dudula appears emboldened and is turning its attention to public schools, saying that it is part of a campaign to fight illegal immigration.

But in Diepsloot, the group’s action leaves people without the medical help they need.

Ms Musvava, who was turned away, is now looking for alternatives. Despite her meagre resources, she is considering going to the private sector.

“I think I’ll have to go to the doctor. I will pay the money. I will have to sacrifice to get it,” she said.

She had no idea how much it would cost her.

“I don’t have money, but I will have to make a plan.”

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Getty Images/BBC A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News AfricaGetty Images/BBC

Magnetar Funds Offload $33.3 Million Worth of CoreWeave (CRWV) Shares

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Magnetar funds sell CoreWeave (CRWV) shares worth $33.3 million

Hamas returns remains of another Israeli captive, promises to return the rest | Israel-Palestine conflict Update

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Hamas returns remains of another Israeli captive, promises to return the rest | Israel-Palestine conflict Update

Hamas has handed over the remains of an additional captive it recovered in the ravaged Gaza Strip, as the Palestinian group urges mediators and the international community to pressure Israel to open border crossings and allow aid in.

The armed wing of Hamas, the Qassam Brigades, said in a statement on Friday that its fighters handed over the remains at 11pm local time (20:00 GMT), without elaborating on where the body was retrieved.

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According to the group, the remains were pulled out earlier in the day and were those of an “occupation prisoner”, suggesting they belonged to an Israeli rather than one of the captives of several other nationalities also taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed a short while later that Israel had received the coffin of a captive after it was handed over to the Red Cross by Hamas in Gaza.

The coffin will be transferred to Israel’s Ministry of Health’s National Center for Forensic Medicine, where a formal identification process will be conducted before the family is informed.

The Israeli military requested that “the public act with sensitivity and wait for the official identification”. It also added that “Hamas is required to uphold the agreement and take the necessary steps to return all the deceased hostages”.

Hamas has said it’s committed to the terms of the United States-mediated ceasefire deal, including the handover of captive bodies still unaccounted for under Gaza’s ruins. It has repeatedly said it has returned all the bodies it was able to recover, but needs help locating remaining captives trapped under the rubble following Israeli strikes.

“There are still 18 bodies held inside Gaza,” said Al Jazeera’s Hamda Salhut, reporting from Amman on Friday. “Hamas says that they’re waiting for the assistance they need in the help in the form of heavy machinery and teams on the ground.”

Israel is ‘not cooperating’

Former Israeli ambassador Alon Liel said the return of the bodies of the dead captives is being treated very emotionally in the country, creating pressure on the government.

He said many Israelis believed that Hamas was cheating on the ceasefire agreement by not returning all the bodies of the deceased captives. “There is a lot of anger,” Liel said.

In a statement earlier on Friday, Hamas said some captives’ remains were in tunnels or buildings that were later destroyed by Israel, and that heavy machinery was required to dig through rubble to retrieve them. It blamed Israel for the delay, saying it had not allowed any new bulldozers into the Gaza Strip.

Most heavy equipment in Gaza was destroyed during the war, leaving only a limited number as Palestinians try to clear massive amounts of rubble across the bombarded territory.

Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh, reporting from Amman, said Israel is “not cooperating with countries that are lending help to possibly look for those remains”.

“Turkiye, for example, was ready to send 81 experts in the retrieval of bodies, and Israel has not allowed it to enter. It has also not allowed it to provide equipment that could possibly facilitate that,” Odeh said.

On Friday, two bulldozers ploughed up pits in the earth as Hamas searched for captives’ remains in Hamad City, a complex of apartment towers in Khan Younis. Israeli forces repeatedly bombarded the towers during the war, toppling some, and troops conducted a weeklong raid there in March 2024.

US President Donald Trump has warned Hamas that he would greenlight Israel to resume the war on Gaza if the group does not live up to its end of the deal and return all captives’ bodies, totalling 28. So far in the past days, Hamas handed over the remains of nine captives, along with a 10th body that Israel claims was not that of a captive.

The return of the 10th dead captive on Friday comes as Gaza’s civil defence said more than 10,000 slain Palestinians remain trapped under debris and rubble across the enclave. Only 280 have so far been retrieved.

Hamas has urged mediators to ensure the increased flow of essential aid into Gaza, expedite the opening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt and start reconstruction. Despite the ceasefire deal agreed last week, Israel has yet to allow the entry of aid in scale and is still operating in about half of the Gaza Strip, as attacks continue in some areas.

Auto delinquencies in the U.S. have increased by 50% compared to 15 years ago.

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Auto delinquencies in the U.S. have increased by 50% compared to 15 years ago.

Car loans have gone from the safest consumer credit products to among the riskiest over the last 15 years as delinquencies rose more than 50%, driven by soaring car prices and rising interest rates, a new study shows. 

Consumers across all income categories are struggling to make monthly car payments, according to VantageScore, a credit-scoring company.

Auto loans were once a safe haven, with drivers prioritizing payments on their transportation above other debts. But delinquencies on car loans, defined as 60 days or more past due, jumped 51.5% from the first quarter of 2010 through the first quarter of 2025. The opposite is true for credit cards, personal loans and most other forms of consumer credit.

The study found that 1.6% of total auto loans were 60 days or more past due as of July 2025, while credit card and first mortgage loan delinquencies are less than 1%. US consumers purchased about 16 million new cars last year and the majority were financed. There are close to 300 million cars on the road in America.

VantageScore found that, in relative terms, monthly car payments are increasing faster than mortgage payments. 

“We’re seeing the cost of cars and the cost related to car ownership increase enormously,” Rikard Bandebo, VantageScore’s chief economist, said in an interview. “In the past five years, it has increased even faster.”

Since 2019, new car prices have risen more than 25% and now top $50,000 on average, according to researcher Cox Automotive. The average monthly payment on a new car was $767 in the third quarter, and one in five borrowers pay more than $1,000 a month, according to automotive researcher Edmunds.com. Interest rates on new car loans now top 9%, exacerbating an automotive affordability crisis.

“That’s a double whammy,” Bandebo said. “You’ve been hit by the increased cost of the car and then the financing cost of the car.”

No income group is immune. Prime and near-prime borrowers, who typically have good credit scores, are actually missing car payments at a faster rate than subprime consumers since lenders tightened financing criteria for the lowest-rung borrowers three years ago, the study found.

“The higher income you have, you tend to at least feel that you can own a more expensive car,” Bandebo said.

The average auto loan balance has grown 57% since 2010, outpacing all other credit products, VantageScore found.

To get a more affordable monthly payment, car buyers are stretching the length of loans to seven years or more. That is leaving an increasing number of consumers “upside-down” on their loans, meaning they owe more than the car is worth.

The trend of missing car payments is unlikely to reverse with American consumers continuing to buy more expensive trucks and sport-utility vehicles. Automakers are also offering fewer affordable models.  

“Consumers now are in a more precarious position than they’ve been since the last recession,” Bandebo said. “We’ve seen this growing trend over the last several years of more and more consumers struggling to make ends meet, and it’s looking like that trend is going to continue into next year.”

Red Cross recovers body of deceased hostage in Gaza, according to Israel

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Red Cross recovers body of deceased hostage in Gaza, according to Israel

Israel’s military says a coffin of a deceased hostage has been transferred to the Red Cross in the southern Gaza Strip and is now “on the way to IDF [Israel Defence Forces] troops” in the territory.

Posting on X, the IDF urged the public to “act with sensitivity and wait for the official identification, which will first be provided to the families”.

It stressed that Hamas was required to “return all the deceased hostages” in accordance with a Gaza ceasefire agreement.

This follows an earlier Hamas statement that it would hand over the body of an Israeli hostage on Friday.

Hamas this week returned the bodies of nine of the 28 dead hostages in Gaza, and freed all 20 living hostages.

There has been fury in Israel that Hamas has not returned all the bodies in line with last week’s ceasefire deal – though the US has downplayed the suggestion it amounts to a breach.

In its posts on X late on Friday, the IDF gave no further details where the hostage’s coffin would be taken after its transfer by the Red Cross.

Meanwhile, the Times of Israel reported that a small ceremony – led by a military rabbi – would be held in Gaza, and the remains would then be taken to Tel Aviv for identification.

Hamas has said it remained committed to the ceasefire, including “keenness to hand over all remaining corpses”.

The Palestinian group accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of impeding its ability to search for hostages’ remains by not allowing heavy machinery and diggers into Gaza.

Speaking at a memorial for victims of the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attack, Netanyahu said he was “determined” to secure the return of the dead hostages still in Gaza, and that the country would continue to fight terrorism with “full force”.

As part of the US President Donald Trump-brokered ceasefire deal, Israel freed 250 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and 1,718 detainees from Gaza.

After Hamas said it was unable to retrieve all the bodies, two senior Trump advisers said preparations to move to the next phase of the ceasefire deal were continuing.

The advisers told reporters that the US government did not so far believe Hamas had broken the agreement by not retrieving more remains, and said the group had acted in good faith by sharing information with interlocutors.

While the full text of the agreement between Israel and Hamas has not been made public, a leaked version which appeared in Israeli media appeared to allow for the possibility that not all of the bodies would be immediately accessible.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the attack, in which Hamas-led gunmen killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel and took 251 others hostage.

At least 67,967 people have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures are seen by the UN as reliable.

Recap of Day 1 Prelims at the 2025 Swimming World Cup in Westmont

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Recap of Day 1 Prelims at the 2025 Swimming World Cup in Westmont

By Spencer Penland on SwimSwam

2025 WORLD AQUATICS SWIMMING WORLD CUP – Westmont

Here we are: stop #2 of the 2025 World Cup. We’ve traveled across state lines from last week’s stop in Carmel to Westmont, IL. This morning’s action should be just as competitive as it was last week, so we should be in for a treat.

Gretchen Walsh should be one of the stars of this stop once again. Walsh will be racing the 50 back and 100 IM this morning. Walsh is already the World Record holder in the 100 IM, and she’s very close to the 50 back record mark.

Hubert Kos comes in as the top seed in the men’s 200 back by a wide margin. Kos is just 0.02 seconds off the World Record mark in the 200 back.

Women’s 400 Freestyle – Slow Heats

Results From Slow Heats:

Out of the slow heats, USC’s Minna Abraham (Hungary) led the way with a 4:03.44. That swim stands as a career best for Abraham, and we’ll see where it lands her tonight, once the fastest heat has swum. She was out fast, splitting 1:58.21 on the opening 200m, then she fell off that pace a bit, coming home in 2:05.23 on the back half.

Another Trojan, Justina Kozan, was 2nd in this morning’s heat, swimming a 4:06.97. Chloe Stepanek rounded out the top 3 this morning, clocking a 4:07.02.

Men’s 400 Freestyle – Slow Heats

  • World Record: 3:32.25 – Yannick Agnel, FRA (2012)
  • World Junior Record: 3:37.92 – Matthew Sates, RSA (2021)
  • World Cup Record: 3:32.77 – Paul Biedermann, GER (2009)
  • U.S. Open Record: 3:35.99 – Kieran Smith, USA (2022)

Results From Slow Heats:

Luke Hobson led the way out of the slow heats of the men’s 400 free this morning. Hobson popped a 3:38.90, marking a huge lifetime best. Hobson blew away his previous mark of 3:43.87, which he swam last weekend in Carmel. We’ll see how his time stacks up against the fastest heat tonight, but he should finish fairly high.

Brendon Smith (Australia) was 2nd out of this morning’s heats, swimming a 3:42.28. Great Britain’s Max Litchfield came in 3rd this morning with a 3:43.03.

Women’s 50 Backstroke – Heats

TOP 8:

  1. Mollie O’Callaghan (Australia) – 25.73
  2. Katharine Berkoff (USA) – 25.84
  3. Kaylee McKeown (Australia) – 25.87
  4. Gretchen Walsh (USA) – 25.99
  5. Kylie Masse (Canada) – 26.07
  6. Sara Curtis (Italy) – 26.33
  7. Rhyan White (USA) – 26.50
  8. Roos Vanotterdijk (Belgium) – 26.58

Mollie O’Callaghan led an excellent field in the women’s 50 back this morning. O’Callaghan popped a 25.73, putting her exactly half a second off the World Record mark of 25.23. She was also just off the 25.80 she swam for 2nd at last week’s stop of the World Cup.

Katharine Berkoff, Kaylee McKeown, and Gretchen Walsh were all under 26 seconds this morning as well. McKeown was the winner in the this event last week in Carmel, where she clocked a 25.42.

Berkoff was 3rd last week with a 25.82 and nearly matched that time this morning, swimming a 25.84.

Walsh will be the wild card in this race tonight, as she didn’t compete in the 50 back last week. As pure a sprinter as there is, Walsh could easily upset this field of some of the fastest backstrokers in the world tonight. She holds a career best of 25.37, which she swam last year.

Men’s 200 Backstroke – Heats

  • World Record: 1:45.63 – Mitch Larkin, AUS (2015)
  • World Junior Record: 1:48.02 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2017)
  • World Cup Record: 1:46.11 – Arkady Vyatchanin, RUS (2009)
  • U.S. Open Record: 1:48.40 – Shaine Casas, USA (2022)

TOP 8:

  1. Hubert Kos (Hungary) – 1:50.68
  2. Thomas Ceccon (Italy) – 1:51.21
  3. Enoch Robb (Australia) – 1:51.57
  4. Joshua Edwards-Smith (Australia) – 1:52.03
  5. Alexandre Desangles (France) – 1:52.07
  6. Tomoyuki Matsushita (Japan) – 1:52.15
  7. Yeziel Morales (France) – 1:52.23
  8. Kacper Stokowski (Poland) – 1:52.32

Hubert Kos led the way in the men’s 200 back prelims this morning, swimming a 1:50.68. After winning the event last week in 1:46.84, Kos was back in action this morning, posting the top time of the morning.

While he won’t have his training partner, Leon Marchand, there to push him tonight, he does have Thomas Ceccon this time around. Ceccon, the World Record holder in the LCM 100 back, swam his career best of 1:51.21 this morning to take 2nd overall. We don’t know exactly what Ceccon is capable of in this race tonight in finals, but it stands to reason that he could pop a big swim.

Australia’s Enoch Robb rounded out the top 3 this morning with a 1:51.57.

Women’s 200 Butterfly – Heats

TOP 8:

  1. Regan Smith (USA) – 2:04.48
  2. Brittany Castelluzzo (Australia) – 2:06.97
  3. Laura Lahtinen (Finland) – 2:07.42
  4. Emily Richards (Great Britain) – 2:07.58
  5. Ellen Walshe (Ireland) – 2:08.16
  6. Bella Grant (Australia) – 2:08.59
  7. Ella Jansen (Canada) – 2:09.13
  8. Mio Narita (Japan) – 2:11.43

After her World Cup Record breaking performance last week, Regan Smith is back in action here in Westmont. Smith posted a 2:04.48 this morning, which is well off the 2:00.28 she swam to win the event last week, but was still enough for her to take the top seed for finals tonight by over 2 seconds. She was out in 59.40 on the first 100 this morning, which we can expect to be considerably quicker tonight.

Australia’s Brittany Castelluzzo came in 2nd this morning with a 2:06.97. Castelluzzo finished 4th last week in Carmel, where she swam a 2:05.49 in finals.

Ireland’s Ellen Walshe was the bronze medalist in this race last week, and she’ll look to repeat or improve on that finish this time around. Walshe went 2:08.16 this morning, taking 5th overall and earning her way into finals. She went 2:05.07 last week in Carmel.

Men’s 100 Butterfly – Heats

  • World Record: 47.71 – Noe Ponti, SUI (2024)
  • World Junior Record: 49.03 – Ilya Kharun, CAN (2022)
  • World Cup Record: 48.40 – Noe Ponti, SUI (2024)
  • U.S. Open Record: 48.53 – Noe Ponti, SUI (2025)

TOP 8:

  1. Ilya Kharun (Canada) – 49.16
  2. Noe Ponti (Switzerland) – 49.94
  3. Ksawery Masiuk (Poland) – 50.05
  4. Finlay Brooks (USA) – 50.42
  5. Josh Liendo (Canada) – 50.51
  6. Trenton Julian (USA) – 50.52
  7. Simone Stefani (Italy) – 50.64
  8. Kamil Sieradzki (Poland) – 51.02

Ilya Kharun clocked the fastest time of the morning in the men’s 100 fly, touching in 49.16. The World Junior Record holder in the event from back in 2022, Kharun was just off his career best of 49.02, which he swam last week in Carmel.

This morning has set up another showdown between Kharun and Noe Ponti. Ponti won the race last week in 48.53, setting a new US Open Record in the process. He’s also the World Record holder in the event, holding a career mark of 47.71.

Ksawery Masiuk, Josh Liendo, and Trenton Julian are all returning finalists from last week as well. Liendo came in 4th last week with a 50.20, and was 50.51 this morning for 5th overall.

Masiuk was faster this morning than he was in finals last week, swimming a 50.05 this morning after taking 5th last week in 50.30.

Women’s 200 Breaststroke – Heats

TOP 8:

  1. Kate Douglass (USA) – 2:18.34
  2. Rebecca Meder (South Africa) – 2:19.92
  3. Alex Walsh (USA) – 2:20.07
  4. Mona McSharry (Ireland) – 2:20.12
  5. Ella Ramsay (Australia) – 2:21.10
  6. Anastasia Gorbenko (Israel) – 2:23.08
  7. Sophie Angus (Canada) – 2:23.26
  8. Brearna Crawford (New Zealand) – 2:23.97

Kate Douglass is back in action this week after setting the US Open Record in the 200 breast last week in Carmel. Douglass clocked a 2:18.34 this morning, which is well off the 2:13.97 she went last week to win the event, but she was still plenty fast enough to earn the top spot this morning.

South Africa’s Rebecca Meder was also under 2:20 this morning, swimming a 2:19.92 for 2nd. Meder earned the bronze medal last week in Carmel, where she swam a 2:18.14 in finals.

Alex Walsh made her debut at this stop of the meet, swimming a 2:20.07 for 3rd this morning. Walsh came in 4th in finals last week with a 2:18.96.

Men’s 100 Breaststroke – Heats

TOP 8:

  1. Caspar Corbeau (Netherlands) – 56.24
  2. Van Mathias (USA) – 57.10
  3. Shin Ohashi (Japan) – 57.48
  4. Josh Matheny (USA) – 57.51
  5. Ilya Shymanovich (NAA) – 57.52
  6. Brian Benzing (USA) – 57.57
  7. Adam Peaty (Great Britain) – 57.73
  8. Yamato Fukasawa (Japan) – 57.92

Caspar Corbeau won the men’s 100 breast last week in Carmel, and went even faster this morning. Corbeau popped a 56.24 this morning to earn the top seed, which was almost half a second faster than the 56.67 he swam to win the event last week. He was out quick, splitting 26.11 on the opening 50m, then came home in 30.13.

Van Mathias came in 2nd this m0rning with a 57.10. Mathias came in 3rd last week with a 57.26, but that time came after he went his career best of 56.72 in prelims.

Japan’s Shin Ohashi went 57.48 this morning, which was good for the 3rd seed for finals tonight. Last week, Ohashi wound up 8th in finals with a 57.91.

Ilya Shymanovich was the silver medalist last week and came in 5th this morning with a 57.52.

Women’s 50 Freestyle – Heats

TOP 8:

  1. Alexandria Perkins (Australia) – 23.78
  2. Katarzyna Wasick (Poland) – 23.82
  3. Taylor Ruck (Canada) – 24.00
  4. Marrit Steenbergen (Netherlands)/Mollie O’Callaghan (Australia) – 24.02 (Tie)
  5. –
  6. Florine Gaspard (Belgium)/Olivia Wunsch (Australia) – 24.18 (Tie)
  7. –
  8. Katharine Berkoff (USA) – 24.36

Australia’s Alexandria Perkins led the way in the women’s 50 free this morning with a 23.78. Perkins came in 2nd last week with a 23.50 in finals.

Poland’s Katarzyna Wasick, the champion in this event last week, was 2nd this morning with a 23.82. Wasick won the event in 23.29 last week in Carmel.

Taylor Ruck has entered the equation this week, having gone 24.00 this morning. That time would have been good for 4th in finals tonight.

After clocking the top time of the morning in the 50 back to start this session off, Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan made this final as well, swimming a 24.02. O’Callaghan earned the bronze medal last week with a 23.96 in finals.

Men’s 50 Freestyle – Heats

TOP 8:

  1. Dylan Carter (TTO) – 20.97
  2. Van Mathias (USA) – 21.12
  3. Josh Liendo (Canada) – 21.17
  4. Ilya Kharun (Canada) – 21.18
  5. Jack Alexy (USA) – 21.19
  6. Chris Guiliano (USA) – 21.24
  7. Ruslan Gaziev (Canada) – 21.33
  8. Ralf Tribuntsov (Estonia) – 21.37

Dylan Carter clocked the top time in what was a very tight field of the men’s 50 free this morning. Carter was the only swimmer to go under 21 seconds, stopping the clock in 20.97. He came in 4th last week in Carmel with a 21.12 in finals.

Chris Guiliano, the champion in this event last week, was 6th this morning with a 21.24, almost half a second off the 20.83 he swam to win the race last week.

In a stunningly tough double, Van Mathias managed a 2nd place finish in the 50 free after coming in 2nd in the 100 breast. With just the women’s 50 free in between his races, Mathias managed to put up a career best by kore than half a second in the 50 free.

Josh Liendo and Ilya Kharun both made the final in the 50 tonight after also making the 100 fly final earlier in the session.

Women’s 100 IM – Heats

TOP 8:

  1. Kate Douglass (USA) – 57.29
  2. Gretchen Walsh (USA) – 57.35
  3. Roos Vanotterdijk (Belgium) – 58.13
  4. Anastasia Gorbenko (Israel) – 58.47
  5. Phoebe Bacon (USA) – 58.52
  6. Marrit Steenbergen (Netherlands) – 58.54
  7. Rebecca Meder (South Africa) – 58.83
  8. Ella Ramsay (Australia) – 59.24

Training partners Kate Douglass and Gretchen Walsh led the way in prelims of the women’s 100 IM this morning. Douglass swam a 57.29 this morning, which is within a second of the 56.34 she swam for silver in this event last week.

Meanwhile, Walsh is the World Record holder in this event, and she set the US Open and World Cup Records last week with a 55.91. This morning, she went 57.35.

Marrit Steenbergen pulled off a tight double like Van Mathias on the men’s side. Steenbergen took 4th in the 50 free before coming in 6th in the 100 IM this morning with just the men’s 50 free in between her races.

Douglass will also be working a double tonight, as she’s in the 200 breast final. Rebecca Meder is in the same boat as Douglass, also having the 100 IM final tonight.

Men’s 100 IM – Heats

  • World Record: 49.28 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2020)
  • World Junior Record: 50.63 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2018)
  • World Cup Record: 49.92 – Leon Marchand, FRA (2024)
  • U.S. Open Record: 50.86 – Shaine Casas, USA (2025)

TOP 8:

  1. Luke Barr (USA) – 51.53
  2. Hubert Kos (Hungary) – 51.74
  3. Noe Ponti (Switzerland) – 51.92
  4. Thomas Ceccon (Italy) – 52.05
  5. Grant House (USA) – 52.07
  6. Finlay Knox (Canada) – 52.13
  7. Shaine Casas (USA) – 52.36
  8. Nikola Miljenic (Croatia) – 52.37

Luke Barr clocked the top time of the morning in the men’s 100 IM, swimming a 51.53. That performance marks a career best for Barr, bettering the 52.09 he swam last week in Carmel. Barr came in 7th in finals last week with that 52.09.

Hubert Kos was back in action here, swimming a 51.74. Both Kos and Thomas Ceccon will be racing this final tonight after having already swum the 200 back final.

Shaine Casas, who set the US Open Record in this event last week with a 50.86, came in 7th this morning with a 52.36.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2025 Swimming World Cup – Westmont: Day 1 Prelims Live Recap

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