As grim as the political scene is in Israel today – with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition bulldozing through contentious and damaging legislation on the final days of the Knesset before the October election – the view on the other side of the world in Washington regarding Israel is just as worrisome.
Washington
Match Forecast: Seattle Reign FC Set to Take on Washington Spirit on Friday — Seattle Reign FC
This Friday, the Reign are back home at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington to take on the Washington Spirit. It has been nearly a year since the fifth place Spirit and sixth place Reign have gone head-to-head.
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. PT at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington.
WHERE TO WATCH: Fans can tune in on Prime Video or get tickets to attend the match in person HERE.
2025 NWSL REGULAR SEASON RECORDS AND STANDINGS (W-L-D): Seattle Reign FC: 4-3-2 (14 points, 6th place), Washington Spirit: 5-3-1 (16 points, 5th place)
Key Info Ahead of the Match:
1. LAST MEETING – The Reign and Spirit last met in May 2024 at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. The match got off to a rough start for the Reign, who conceded three goals in the first 45 minutes of play. In the dying minutes of the first half, the Reign pulled one goal back. Defender Phoebe McClernon crossed a ball into the box and forward Veronica Latsko headed it into the back of the net.
In the second half, the Reign held the home side to zero goals and scored one of their own, once against in stoppage time. This time, veteran midfielder Jess Fishlock earned the assist on forward Emeri Adames’s volley.
All time, the Reign lead the head-to-head series with 14 wins, 10 losses and eight draws, and have outscored the Spirit 47-36.
2. SCOUTING WASHINGTON SPIRIT – The Washington Spirit are just one spot ahead of the Reign in the NWSL standings, with five wins, three losses and one draw. The team most recently took on Utah Royals FC at Audi Field and drew 3-3, recording their first draw of the 2025 season.
The Spirit conceded a goal just nine minutes into the match but quickly found their footing and equalized in the 17th minute on a strike from forward Ashley Hatch, before taking the lead in the 19th minute when midfielder Meg Boade scored her first career goal. Three minutes later, Utah pulled level and then retook the lead on a Spirt own goal before halftime. It wasn’t until 12 minutes into second half stoppage time that defender Casey Krueger managed to score for Washington and salvage a point from the match.
3. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS – Lumen Field will play host to a variety of activations on Friday night for this can’t-miss match. The club is set to celebrate AANHPI Heritage around the stadium, with special performances, local AANHPI-owned food trucks and more!
The club is also excited to welcome our Healthcare Heroes out to the match with this special promotional offer, featuring an exclusive crossbody bag.
Once you’re in the stadium, there are family friendly games, poster making stations and more, and an additional opportunity to socialize with other Reign fans at Cityside bar. Hear from Reign FC Chief Business Officer Maya Mendoza-Exstrom, Founder of Intentionalist Laura Clise and Co-Owner of Hood Famous Chera Amlag.
4. SCORELESS IN SEATTLE – Seattle Reign and the Washington Spirit have a long history of heated meetings since 2013, including several high stakes matches. Prior to the Spirit’s narrow victory last May, the teams had played to three straight scoreless draws in all competitions in Seattle. Washington is the only opponent Seattle has kept four straight home clean sheets against in all competitions in club history.
This season, the Reign have conceded just three total goals at Lumen Field and recorded two shutouts, while the Spirit have recorded a dominant 4-0-0 record on the road this season.
5. PLAYERS TO WATCH – For the Reign, it’s no secret that forward Maddie Dahlien has been a rising star in the final third, most recently scoring her second career goal to propel the Reign past Racing Louisville FC. The forward took three shots in the match, directing all three on target. She leads the league in shot accuracy among players who have taken at least five shots, putting 83% of those shots on target. On defense, Phoebe McClernon remains a crucial part of the backline with a 92% tackle success rate.
For Washington, defender Tara McKeown has been strong all season, holding down the backline while also contributing one goal to the Spirit’s 2025 campaign. Meanwhile, forward Ashley Hatch is tied for second amongst goalscorers in the league, with five goals in nine games, in addition to one assist.
The Washington Nationals recalled catcher Harry Ford from Triple-A Rochester on Friday. Additionally, Washington reinstated right-handed pitcher Max Kranick from the 60-day Injured List and placed catcher Drew Millas on the 10-day Injured list (retroactive to July 12) with a left index finger fracture on Wednesday. Nationals President of Baseball
Two events overnight Wednesday emerging from the US Capitol, one a vote and the other an interview, exemplified the rockslide – turning into an avalanche – of anti-Israel sentiment that has taken hold in the hallowed halls of decision-makers.
The degree to which both the Republican and Democratic parties are sharpening their claws against Israel and hyper-focusing on it to the exclusion of critical issues indicates that the long-standing US-Israel bond is in a real crisis.
Nearly half of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, 103, voted for an amendment to cut off aid to Israel. The amendment was defeated 314-104. It was sponsored by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky), whose disagreement with his party on Israel is his signature issue. He recently lost the GOP primary to run for reelection in the November midterms.
Lest we breathe a sigh of relief that Republicans en masse voted against the amendment, US Vice President JD Vance demonstrated that Israel has just as much to worry about from the Right in the US.
Vance claims Israeli ‘influence campaigns’ affect US political decisions
In an interview with highly popular America First podcaster Joe Rogan, who has labeled Israel’s war efforts in Gaza as “genocide,” Vance suggested that shadowy Israeli “influence campaigns” exist in the US.
“I definitely think you have seen this very discreet, extremely well-funded campaign to try to derail the negotiation and try to derail the deal,” he told Rogan.
An article in Time magazine on Tuesday was “worth reading because it lists a bunch of people who have quite literally been paid by a former Trump campaign person, who was himself paid by certain elements within the Israeli government,” Vance said. “And those people are attacking me viciously for quite literally trying to accomplish the negotiation objective that the president set for the country.”
“Many of the people who were receiving that money were actually attacking me in completely dishonest ways,” he said. “You know, my response to that is: ‘Go to hell.’ I’m going to do what I have to do for the American people. I represent Americans first.”
Vance shares claim spread by far Right influencers linking Jeffrey Epstein to Israeli intelligence
Vance, who is seen as a prime contender to be the Republican nominee for president in 2028, also waded into the conspiracy surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted sex offender. Epstein “clearly had connections to the highest levels of Israeli intelligence,” he said, reiterating a claim that has been refuted and discredited.
The embrace by such a senior Trump administration official of conspiracy theories about Epstein’s ties to Israeli intelligence, which have proliferated in the years since his death and often have veered into antisemitism, is part and parcel with Vance’s increasing alignment with the far Right base populated by the likes of Tucker Carlson, Nick Fuentes, and Candace Owens.
Taken separately, the vote in the House of Representatives and the Vance interview are worrisome signs that the “special” relationship between Israel and the US is on life support at best. Taken together, they should be an alarming wake-up call that the days of the “kishkes” identification test with Israel – as exemplified diversely by the late Lindsey Graham and former president Joe Biden – are long gone.
Although it’s easy to place the blame elsewhere – and there are a plethora of strong arguments to be made in retort to both Democratic and Republican detractors of Israel – we must also look inward and see what can be done to reverse the tide of sentiment against us.
We can surely criticize the headline-provoking gambit by US Rep. Ro Khanna (D-California) last week, who chose to only hear and see the Palestinian side of life in the West Bank. But we can also acknowledge that vigilante Jewish groups are patrolling the area in a heavy-handed and lawless fashion that creates potentially lethal friction points and does irreparable damage to Israel’s image.
We can criticize Rahm Emmanuel for haughtily coming to Israel and warning us about what needs to be done to repair the US-Israel relationship, while acknowledging that some of his points were spot-on and unfolding before our very eyes in the House vote and Vance interview.
Jerusalem can no longer ignore or downplay the growing trends in the US of having to endorse the “Israel is genocide” trope to become a candidate, or of blaming Israel for getting the US entangled in Iran. The unsettling news this week demonstrates that with stark clarity.
Washington DC air quality could deteriorate Friday
Wildfire smoke from Canada may push DC to Code Red Friday (AQI 151–200); even healthy people may feel effects.
Washington DC’s air quality has worsened this week as wildfire smoke from Canada traveled hundreds of miles south, prompting air quality alerts and creating hazy skies across the region.
There’s belief by some forecasters that the worst is yet to come.
Here’s what they say about Friday’s forecast, which Capital Weather says could feature “the worst air quality in years” in DC.
Could air quality reach Code Red levels in Washington DC?
Washington DC’s air quality reached Code Orange this week, meaning conditions are unhealthy for sensitive groups, including children, older adults and people with heart or lung disease.
Forecasters warn conditions could deteriorate further Friday as a thicker plume of wildfire smoke settles over the region. The Maryland Department of the Environment’s forecast suggests parts of the DC metro area could reach Code Red — an AQI of 151 to 200 — if the heaviest smoke reaches the surface.
“A weak cold front will move south Thursday night and Friday morning, ushering in a significant amount of smoke into Maryland that will persist all day Friday due to weak, recirculating winds,” officials said.
Capital Weather Gang reported that smoke concentrations are expected to peak Friday afternoon into Friday evening, when air quality could deteriorate to levels not seen in three years.
Other forecasters indicate the highest concentrations of smoke are expected late Friday before conditions gradually improve over the weekend.
What do Code Red air quality levels mean?
Many areas north of DC are already in a Code Red, meaning anyone could experience health effects from the air quality, not just sensitive groups.
On the Air Quality Index (AQI) scale, Code Red represents levels between 151 and 200. At those levels, even healthy people may experience eye or throat irritation, coughing or difficulty breathing after prolonged exposure.
If the DC area were to reach that level, residents should limit their time outdoors. If you must spend an extended period outdoors, DC Health recommends wearing a well-fitting N95 or KN95 mask.
People with asthma, heart disease or other respiratory conditions, as well as children, older adults and pregnant people, may be especially vulnerable to wildfire smoke and should take extra precautions. Anyone who develops symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain or difficulty breathing should move indoors and seek medical attention if symptoms become severe.
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