Jooish News

ARIZONA – At a September 12 Trump rally in Tucson, several attendees reported eye injuries with no clear explanation. Six people seated behind the former president experienced eye irritation, with three speaking on camera.

Mayra Rodriguez, a former Planned Parenthood official turned pro-life advocate, said her eyes began burning after the event. Initially, she thought it was allergies, but ER staff suggested exposure to a substance. Others seated nearby reported similar symptoms, including severe eye discomfort and facial flushing.

Rodriguez informed the campaign, which is investigating. The Secret Service, previously unaware of any threats, is now gathering information and looking into the incident.

HIGHLAND MILLS, NY – A man sought for attacking a laundromat employee in Brooklyn was killed by state troopers in upstate New York on Wednesday. The incident occurred after he crashed a stolen vehicle and fled into the woods, according to authorities.

The pursuit concluded Wednesday afternoon when Ali Ali, who was deemed a threat and armed, was shot around 2 p.m. near Trout Brook Road in Highland Mills, Orange County. The New York State Police confirmed the fatal shooting in a statement.

Earlier in the day, troopers attempted to apprehend Ali, who was driving the stolen car. The vehicle crashed and ignited near milepost 49 on the New York State Thruway. Ali then fled on foot into the nearby forest.

Ali turned violent when he learned his clothes were not ready.

A shelter-in-place alert was issued for residents after he was spotted on a trail camera around 12:35 p.m. in the Highland Mills area. After searching the woods, troopers had a confrontation with Ali, resulting in at least one officer firing their weapon, which led to Ali’s death.

Ali was previously sentenced to probation in May for sexual abuse, which was set to last until 2034. His criminal history also includes arrests for forcible touching, robbery, and criminal mischief.

The manhunt began following an incident on Monday at a Brooklyn laundromat. Ali, upset that his clothing wasn’t ready, attacked a 50-year-old female employee, slashing her neck and arms. The victim was later hospitalized in stable condition.

The New York State Police and NYPD have been contacted for further details on the case.

Stolen vehicle that crashed and burned on Thruway

An atzeres tefillah will be held this coming Sunday, September 22, at 450 Broad Street in Newark, NJ, in response to the ongoing giyus (military draft) crisis in Eretz Yisroel.

The event will run from 1 PM to 5 PM.

Admorim and gedolei roshei yeshivos have expressed support for the atzeres tefillah, with details at this prior Matzav.com report.

The gathering, which posters titled “זעקת הגולה,” is being organized with the participation of various kehillos.

The posters promoting the event emphasize the seriousness of the situation, calling on the broader Jewish Diaspora to stand in solidarity with their brethren in Eretz Yisroel. The slogan on the posters, “כולכם נקבצו באו לך,” encourages widespread attendance to raise a collective voice in tefillah.

Participants will come together in Newark to daven for a favorable resolution to this crisis and for the safety and preservation of Yidden and Torah institutions in Eretz Yisroel.

{Matzav.com}

As I watched a video clip of the deep cleaning going on at Gottlieb’s in Williamsburg ahead of a possible visit by Trump today, I had a thought and figured I’d share it.

The owners, eager to make a good impression, are scrubbing every surface and polishing every fixture – both inside and outside the old shop – in preparation for the President’s visit.

This scene reminded me of a far more significant and personal cleansing process we undertake each year, going on now during the month of Elul.

As Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur approach, we embark on a journey of introspection and self-refinement, cleansing our souls and hearts in preparation for the guaranteed King of Kings’ presence and judgement.

Just as Gottlieb’s is meticulously cleaned to possibly welcome the President, we too strive to purify our thoughts, words, and actions to welcome the Divine Presence. We reflect on our past deeds, seek forgiveness, and recommit to living a life of righteousness.

In this sense, the President’s visit serves as a powerful reminder of the greater significance of our own spiritual cleansing process ahead of the Yomim Nora’im.

Wishing you a meaningful and transformative Elul.

TLS welcomes your letters by submitting them to [email protected]

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — In an apparent Hezbollah response to the Israeli beeper attacks in Lebanon, two antitank missiles were launched Thursday morning from Lebanon towards the Upper Galilee, slamming into the village of Tel Hai.

Initial reports said that five people were injured in the strike; later reports raised the number to eight. Six of the injured were evacuated to Ziv Medical Center, suffering moderate and light injuries.

Two victims were evacuated to Rambam Health Care Campus and are undergoing examinations. According to Rambam, both victims were taken for operations and their conditions are moderate to serious, but stable.

Additionally, Moshav Margaliot on the northern border reported a direct hit on the chicken coop, causing extensive damage.

The IDF has stressed that despite the strike, there is no change in the guidelines for the home front.

In a public statement on social media, Squad member and anti-Israel U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) condemned Israel for allegedly launching a “pager attack” in Lebanon, which she claims resulted in the detonation of handheld devices in public spaces, leading to severe injuries and civilian deaths.

“Israel’s pager attack in Lebanon detonated thousands of handheld devices across a slew of public spaces, seriously injuring and killing innocent civilians,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.

She went on to describe the attack as a clear violation of international law, stating, “This attack clearly and unequivocally violates international humanitarian law and undermines US efforts to prevent a wider conflict.”

Ocasio-Cortez called on Congress to investigate the incident, particularly looking into whether the U.S. government had any role in aiding the development or deployment of the technology used in the attack. “Congress needs a full accounting of the attack, including an answer from the State Department as to whether any US assistance went into the development or deployment of this technology,” she wrote.

The exact nature of the “pager attack” is unclear. There has been no official statement from the Israeli government or military.

{Matzav.com}

Three kedoshei elyon had one common concept when it came to learning Torah – they were the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh (Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar 1696-1743) when he came to Eretz Yisroel; the Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto 1707-1746) when he lived in Padua, Italy;  and Hagaon, Harav Chaim Volozhiner, (1749-1821) the famous talmid of the Gaon of Vilna.

They each had a yeshiva with ‘around-the-clock’ Torah learning, 24-hours a day, so that there would be no minute when the sound of Torah learning would not be heard in this world. The 24-hour period would be divided into shifts, and as one ended the next would begin.

Torah-24

A “Torah-24” Center has been opened in Yerushalayim and the Nasi is Maran Sar Hatorah, Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l.

Under ONE ROOF, from 6:00 am – 6:00 am, 10 kollelim fill successive learning shifts. Each kollel focuses on a specific area of in-depth Torah study. The “Torah-24” Kollelim include: Boker (Gemora), Yerushalmi, Bavli, Zeraim-Taharot, Dalet Chelkei Shulchan Aruch, Erev (Gemora), Chatzos- Zohar/Kabbolah, Erev Shabbos (Chumash / Medrash b’iyun). 

Already there are 52 avreichim metzuyonim, and a large number of candidates are vying for the remaining slots in the kollelim. All the avreichim are required to take rigorous monthly tests.

Endorsements & Letters

Endorsements include Maranan Hagaonim shlit”a: Harav Gershon Edelstein, Harav Berel Povarsky, Harav Shimon Badani, Harav Dovid Cohen, Harav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi, Harav Chaim Feinstein, Harav Shimon Galai, Harav Shraga Shteinman.

Letters of support-encouragement have been received from Maranan Hagaonim, shlit”a: Hamekubal Harav David Bazri, Hamashpia Hagadol Reb Elimelech Biderman, Hamekubal Harav Yaakov Meir Schechter, Harav Moishe Sternbuch, Harav Yitzchak Tuvia Weiss.

For more “Torah-24” information click on: www.torah-24.com or call 718-766-5022

Just months before Luis Miguel Calzadilla-Rojas — a Venezuelan migrant and alleged member of the Tren de Aragua gang — was detained after a shooting outside a probation office in Aurora, Colorado, he had gained entry to the United States through a controversial immigration initiative launched by the Biden-Harris administration, the NY Post reports.

Calzadilla-Rojas entered the country by using CBP One, an application designed to offer asylum seekers a lawful way into the United States.

He is one of the 1.3 million migrants who have been permitted to enter the U.S. through legal channels established by the Biden-Harris administration over the past two years.

These programs were initiated without input or approval from Congress.

Sources within Homeland Security have revealed to The Post that minimal vetting takes place for many migrants, particularly if their countries of origin — such as Venezuela, Haiti, and Cuba — do not cooperate with U.S. law enforcement agencies.

“It doesn’t surprise me that gang members get in so easily and frequently,” one source commented to The Post.

Calzadilla-Rojas is not the only person who has made it through the loopholes in the CBP One program.

In June, federal authorities arrested three suspected ISIS members from Tajikistan who had used the CBP One app to gain entry into the U.S., as per data from the Department of Homeland Security provided to the House Judiciary Committee.

Additionally, the program enabled the entry of two other suspected members of the Tren de Aragua gang, who were later arrested in connection with an attempted murder in Aurora in late July.

The Biden-Harris administration introduced the CBP One app in January 2023, with President Biden asserting that it would help manage the flow of migrants entering the country illegally.

The app allows migrants to schedule appointments with immigration officials to review their requests for entry into the U.S. Applicants are required to be outside the country — typically across the border in Mexico — when applying.

President Biden argued that by offering asylum seekers a legal route into the country, they could undergo screening and avoid having to rely on cartel-run human smugglers.

However, critics, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who filed a lawsuit against the policy, claimed the administration was “inviting illegal aliens to cross the border.”

Following the policy’s implementation, there was a dramatic increase in illegal border crossings, with over 2 million migrants entering the U.S. between February 2023 and April 2024, peaking at 117,000 crossings in May alone.

Since January 2023, the app has facilitated the entry of approximately 813,000 migrants through southern border ports of entry.

The overwhelming demand for the CBP One system has led the Mexican government to assist by busing migrants to the U.S. border, allowing them to reach their appointments with CBP more swiftly.

In addition to the app, the Biden administration has permitted 30,000 Cuban, Haitian, Venezuelan, and Nicaraguan migrants to fly into the U.S. via commercial flights. To date, 530,000 migrants have arrived in the U.S. on such flights.

Although the flight program was briefly paused due to widespread fraud, it has since resumed.

Altogether, these programs have allowed 1.3 million migrants into the country.

While these entry methods continue to bring in thousands of migrants each month, the Biden-Harris administration has touted its success at the border. According to the administration, illegal crossings have fallen to their lowest levels since Biden took office, following the introduction of new restrictions on asylum seekers.

After three years of record-high illegal crossings, encounters with Border Patrol agents dropped to approximately 83,000 in June, 56,000 in July, and 58,000 in August, according to federal statistics.

“CBP continues to enforce the Securing the Border interim final rule and deliver strong consequences for illegal entry, and encounters between ports of entry remain at their lowest level in years,” Troy Miller, the acting chief of Customs and Border Protection, said in a recent statement.

The controversial CBP One app has faced harsh criticism from Republicans, who argue that it grants legal entry to migrants with no legitimate right to be in the U.S.

Former President Donald Trump has vowed to “terminate the Kamala phone app for smuggling illegals (CBP One App).”

Mark Green, the Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, expressed his disapproval at a border hearing on Wednesday, accusing the Biden-Harris administration of orchestrating a “shell-game” and using entry programs as part of “a sleight of hand to skew the numbers.”

Critics maintain that the recent arrests of gang members and terror suspects demonstrate that CBP One has not enhanced border security.

When Calzadilla-Rojas utilized the CBP One app, he entered the U.S. through the Paso Del Norte port of entry in El Paso, Texas, in August 2023, according to sources within Homeland Security.

Although officers processing Calzadilla-Rojas conducted the required background checks, they found no records on him — likely due to the absence of information-sharing agreements between the U.S. and Venezuela, sources added.

He was granted entry into the U.S. on a two-year parole status, with the chance to seek an extended stay at a court hearing scheduled for April 2026, sources said.

Later, Calzadilla-Rojas was one of ten members of the violent Venezuelan street gang apprehended in connection with a January 3 shooting outside the Arapahoe County Probation Office in Aurora, Colorado, an area with a significant migrant population, according to police.

He has since been identified by the Aurora Police Department as a “documented member of TdA.”

Although he initially informed federal authorities that he would reside in Madison, Wisconsin, Calzadilla-Rojas was arrested nearly 1,000 miles away outside of Denver — a major hub for the Venezuelan gang in the U.S.

On Wednesday, September 18, at approximately 10:41 pm officers of the Manchester Township Police Department were dispatched to the area of State Highway 70 and Wilbur Avenue for a report of a pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle.

Upon arrival officers observed a blue 2016 Hyundai Accent with extensive front passenger side damage. Officers observed a single pedestrian lying in the roadway, later identified as 37-year-old Catherine L. Camargo of Manchester, NJ. The driver of the Hyundai was identified as 48-year-old Adam J. Lilley of Manchester, NJ. Camargo was pronounced deceased on scene upon the arrival of first responders. Lilley reported no injuries on scene.

The preliminary crash investigation revealed that the Hyundai was traveling west on State Highway 70 prior to the crash. Shortly after passing the Green Acres Road intersection, the Hyundai impacted Camargo who was standing in the westbound lane of travel under low-light conditions. The Hyundai appeared to be in satisfactory operating condition, and had all required lamps activated prior to the crash. Following the crash, Lilley pulled to the side of the road and dialed 9-1-1.

Assisting at the scene were EMT’s from the Manchester Township Division of Emergency Medical Services, Paramedics from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, firefighters from the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company and members of the New Jersey Department of Transportation Diversion Team. Additionally, detectives from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigations Unit, a representative from the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office and the New Jersey State Police assisted in the investigation. This crash is being investigated by Patrolman Michael O’Hara and Patrolman Keith Douglas of the department’s Traffic Safety Unit.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The price of the charedi vandalism against the Green Line of the Jerusalem light rail system has spiralled to 326 million NIS, according to reports revealed in the Knesset finance committee.

During a discussion about increasing the 2024 budget, the finance ministry attempted to divert 78 million NIS to “public transport” – although in the explanatory booklet the request was for security and payment of damages to the contractors of the light rail. This sum is in addition to 248 million NIS which have already been transferred to pay for the heavy damage incurred by contractors since 2020, thus making the total damages 326 million NIS.

In response to opposition member’s complaints about prioritizing the light rail, The finance ministry argued that the money must be transferred in order that the entire 13.8 billion NIS light rail project can be completed. “They burnt equipment and delayed the contractors operations, causing them significant losses. These need to be reimbursed,” a finance ministry official said.

The damage has also delayed the planned opening of the new light rail route from the end of 2025 to the middle of 2026. The route traverses northern Jerusalem, connecting the Hebrew University on Mt. Scopus to the Givat Ram campus. Charedi residents near Bar Ilan St. claim that the train will lead to the cancellation of bus routes and will force them to travel with secular residents of the capital.

Opposition members at the committee questioned why police were not making more arrests to curb the violent demonstrations and prevent the damage and the need for security which greatly increases costs. MK Naama Lazimi (Labor) fumed that the budget was similar to that required to rehabilitate the entire northern region, yet the light rail was preferred in the meantime. Other MKs asked why the money should not be used for preventing road accidents, in a year which has seen the highest number of casualties in 20 years.

The police responded, stating that “Police are working determinedly against violence and vandalism regarding the opposition of extremist elements to the light rail work. Since the beginning of the construction work on the route, more than 200 suspects have been arrested for causing disorder, violence and vandalism and tens of indictments have been issued. Civil damage suits have also been submitted against a number of people involved. Police presence has been increased and this has  led to a significant drop in vandalism in the area, and police activity will continue until completion of the work.”

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz

Though it may be cliché to say that we are living in troubling times, it is true. Over the past few years, we have lost many of our great men and leaders. If you think about it, the number of people we looked up to and turned to for guidance who are no longer with us is tragically overwhelming. We peer into the void and wonder if, and how, it can be filled. Just recently, we lost a leading, towering rosh yeshiva, who was a mentor and guide to thousands, and a rebbe who was respected as a talmid chochom and tzaddik.

Tragedies abound. Young people hover between life and death, and just this past Sunday, there was a levayah for a young mother who suddenly took ill and passed away shortly thereafter.

Eretz Yisroel has been at war for almost a year, facing attacks from the north, south, east and west, with prospects for more attacks and a more intense double-pronged war developing. The country is unstable and ripping itself apart.

As Elul, the month of rachamim (mercy), is upon us, it appears that we have been in a period of din for too long now. What can we do to earn Hashem’s mercy so that He brings an end to our pain, suffering and losses?

This week’s parsha discusses the brachos that were delivered at Har Gerizim and the klalos that were delivered at Har Eivol. The people who follow the mitzvos of Hashem would be blessed and those who wouldn’t would be cursed.

The posuk (28:47) states that the reason the curses would befall a person is because he did not serve Hashem through joy and happiness. Many wonder why performing a mitzvah without simcha causes a person to become cursed and punished. After all, he did perform the mitzvah.

We will offer an explanation.

Last week, in Parshas Ki Seitzei, we studied 74 mitzvos, the most contained in any parsha. The most intriguing mitzvah there is the one that Chazal say never happened, namely, the ben sorer umoreh, the deviant son.

While the posuk states that he didn’t obey his parents, the Gemara (Sanhedrin 71a), quoted in Rashi, teaches that the mitzvah relates to a 13-year-old boy who stole and ate meat and wine. He is brought to bais din, and if the charges are proven, he is put to death.

What did he do to deserve the ultimate penalty? Rashi quotes the Gemara (ibid. 71b) that he is punished al sheim sofo, because if he engages in this activity, he will eventually commit acts that are punishable by death.

The Ramban gives two reasons for his severe punishment. One is that he mocked his parents and rebelled against them, and the second is that he is a zollel vesovei, a glutton. “By doing so, he is transgressing the commandment of kedoshim tihiyu, to be a holy people (Vayikra 19:2). He has also transgressed the commandments earlier in Devorim (13:5) of “ve’oso sa’avodu…uvo sidbokun – to serve Hashem and to connect to Him.”

He continues: “As I explained (Devorim 6:13), this indicates that we are to know Hashem [and include Him] bechol derocheinu, in all we do, and a person who eats and drinks such as this one will not know the derech Hashem, the path of Hashem.” The one who conducts himself in this way has veered from the path of Hashem and will never be able to get back onto it.

Not only doesn’t he have his priorities straight, but the ben sorer umoreh thinks that life is about having a good time and seeks ways to increase enjoyment. He doesn’t understand that the purpose of a Jew’s life is, as the Ramban writes, to serve Hashem and follow the path that He set out for us.

Someone who spends his days seeking pleasure will never be satiated. He’ll never have enough and he’ll never be happy. There will always be another restaurant to try out, another plane to procure, a bigger and more upscale home to move to, and a faster, nicer, more comfortable car to be driven in.

In this introspective month of Elul, we work on perfecting ourselves. One of the prime seforim people study to guide them in this pursuit is the classic Mesillas Yeshorim, written by the Ramchal. He opens the sefer by stating that at the root of being a meritorious person who properly serves Hashem is to know and understand our obligation in this world, to serve Hashem and to enjoy basking in the light of His presence.

We all know, and it should be obvious, that the world did not come into existence by itself. Through a cursory examination of a tiny fly, with its legs, wings, brain, eyes, digestive system, and more, it becomes evident that even such a small creature is far too complex to have simply evolved by chance.

Look at a tree growing in your backyard and reflect on its growth and internal irrigation system—how it sprouts fresh green leaves in the spring, which then change color and fall off in autumn—and it becomes obvious that this process didn’t happen by itself.

Since Hakadosh Boruch Hu created the world, He did so with a purpose. If the purpose of creation were simply for people to enjoy themselves, why is there so much pain and suffering in the world? Why does each person experience sadness, grief, anguish, and loss? There must be a higher reason for Hashem’s creation, especially of Am Yisroel, who Chazal teach are the very purpose of creation.

We are here as Hashem’s children, as the posuk says, “Bonim atem laHashem Elokeichem” (Devorim 14:1). We were created to observe Hashem’s mitzvos, to study His Torah, and to walk on the path He has paved for us. We must know that this is our purpose in life and behave accordingly. Those who do so earn the blessings of Hashem, as expressed in the Torah and specifically in this week’s parsha.

Additionally, by fulfilling our obligations, we become satisfied with ourselves and feel content in knowing that we are succeeding in life. Doing what we are meant to do nourishes our neshamos and brings us joy, gratification and a sense of attainment.

A person who understands that by performing mitzvos he brings brocha upon himself and fulfills the very purpose of his life will approach each mitzvah with joy. Someone who truly appreciates the inherent value of mitzvos will eagerly seize every opportunity to perform them. Procuring an esrog, for instance, is not seen as a burden; rather, he happily goes from place to place, seeking the finest esrog he can afford. He eagerly anticipates making the brocha and shaking it together with the lulav, hadasim, and aravos. With gratitude, he thanks Hashem for granting him the life and merit to perform this mitzvah, and he shakes them with joy and pride. This is true for every mitzvah.

Our original question is now answered. A person who does not perform mitzvos with joy reveals a lack of understanding of his true purpose in life. He fails to appreciate that the Creator, who sustains him, has asked him to fulfill these mitzvos. To paraphrase the Ramban’s words regarding the ben sorer umoreh, such a person does not know the derech Hashem, the path of Hashem upon which good people walk.

A most important task for parents is to be mechanech children to understand the correct priorities in life. This is not only crucial for their growth and success. It goes to the very core of their being and lives as bnei and bnos Yisroel.

The yeitzer hora is cunning, and young people who are not yet aware of its tricks can easily become entangled in material desires and peer pressures. We must guide them to follow the right path and emphasize Torah values that provide lasting fulfillment and joy. They need to understand that, as children of the Melech Malchei Hamelachim, they should conduct themselves with the dignity of royalty.

The most effective way to instill these values is through example, by learning with them and sharing meaningful divrei Torah and stories.

There is a new, fascinating sefer on the life of the Chofetz Chaim written by Rav Dov Eliach. He discusses that the Chofetz Chaim would wear simple clothes, but they were always perfectly clean and fitting, for he was a “ben Melech” and always conducted himself as such. All through the day, everything he did was for Hashem. He always sought to be connected with Hashem and was never distracted from his task of walking in the derech Hashem and acting as Hashem would want.

When he would get dressed, he would say, “I am doing this lesheim Hashem.” When he aged and began encountering difficulty in putting on his shoes, he said each time, “Ribono Shel Olam, I am doing this for Your honor.”

When he washed himself, he said, “Lesheim Hashem,” and when he wrote a letter, he would dip his pen into the bottle of ink and proclaim, “Lechvod Hashem.”

Everything was about Hashem, for he knew that his purpose in this world was to serve Hashem, and he knew that he was a favorite son to the Melech.

We need to follow his example and learn the lesson of the ben sorer umoreh, understanding what Hashem wants from us and consistently walking His path with the dignity of royalty. By doing so, we will merit Hashem’s brachos and experience true happiness, regardless of our circumstances. We will recognize that Hashem created the world and placed us in it for a supreme purpose.

We would dedicate our time to pursuing mitzvos and acting with kindness towards others. We would speak appropriately, dress properly, always be neat and clean, avoid places we don’t belong, and strive to be righteous and exemplary in all our actions.

We would earn the brachos listed in this week’s parsha, as would our children and others who follow our example.

And if we err, or fall from the path, we would get back on. We would regret our mistakes, do teshuvah, and be welcomed back into Hashem’s embrace.

We can all reach that level. We can all aspire to be like the Chofetz Chaim and other great tzaddikim, growing in Torah and avodah, if we maintain proper, eternal priorities and avoid being misled by trivial pursuits. Chasing fleeting pleasures that quickly disappear and offer little lasting value will only leave us with an empty feeling.

Elul, the Chassidic masters taught, stands for “lo anachnu.” We are Hashem’s. “Lo anachnu” – we are not for ourselves.

Elul is the time to forsake our silly wants and desires, and to recognize that we are Hashem’s. If we acknowledge that we are His, He will respond by affirming our connection and showing us mercy, just as a parent shows mercy to his children.

We have just passed the midway point of Elul. There is still much to do, but if we are on the derech Hashem and take steps towards rectifying our actions and bringing ourselves closer to Hashem, He will reach out to us, bring us all the way aboard, and grant us a kesivah vachasimah tovah. Kein yehi ratzon.

{Matzav.com}

NEW YORK CITY (VINnews)-The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has joined a lawsuit against Intel after an employee accused the tech company of failing to act on repeated instances of antisemitism in the workplace. The lawsuit stems from allegations that one employee publicly displayed antisemitic behavior, and Intel took no action in response. The ADL, which has a long history of advocating against hate and bigotry, expressed concern over Intel’s apparent inaction and decided to lend its support to the case.

In a statement, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt emphasized the importance of accountability in corporate environments when it comes to fighting antisemitism and discrimination. Greenblatt said that companies like Intel have a responsibility to address such issues swiftly and effectively to ensure a safe and inclusive workplace for all employees.

The U.S. State Department revealed on Wednesday that adult U.S. passports can now be renewed online, eliminating the need for the previous process, which required applicants to print forms and send checks by mail.

In a statement, the State Department explained, “By offering this online alternative to the traditional paper application process, the Department is embracing digital transformation to offer the most efficient and convenient passport renewal experience possible.” They also noted that “thanks to increased staffing, technological advancements, and a host of other improvements, the average routine passport is being processed today in roughly one-third the time as at the same point last summer, and well under the advertised six to eight weeks processing times.”

The online renewal system, which began as a public beta in June, is now fully operational and available around the clock.

Although the method for renewing a passport has changed, the requirements remain the same. Users must upload a passport photo, pay the associated fees, and meet certain deadlines. Just like with the mail-in process, only passports that expired within the last five years are eligible for online renewal.

Currently, this online option is only open to adults residing in the United States or its territories. Children’s passports, as well as those of Americans living abroad, cannot yet be renewed through the new system.

Rena Bitter, the assistant secretary of consular affairs, informed the media on Wednesday that passport processing times are still between six to eight weeks.

“The benefit of online passport renewal is that it’s a more convenient service,” Bitter emphasized. “We don’t expect to have a different service standard for people who apply online versus people who apply by mail. We just want to make sure that we give the American people a choice to be able to do either.”

In 2021, due to staffing shortages related to the COVID-19 pandemic and other issues, the time required for passport renewals surged to 18 weeks, despite lower demand. By 2023, with more Americans traveling internationally again, the system became further strained. However, the State Department later announced that processing times had returned to normal.

As of 2023, about 48% of U.S. citizens possessed passports, a notable rise from just 5% in 1990, according to the State Department.

{Matzav.com}

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — It was revealed for publication that an Israeli citizen was recruited by intelligence agencies in Iran to initiate the assassination of Israeli public personalities. The citizen, who has not been named, was smuggled twice into Iran and received payment for carrying out missions.

In a combined countermeasure operation by the General Security Service (Shin Bet) and the Lahav 433 department of the Israel Police, the Israeli citizen was arrested during August 2024 on suspicion of committing security offenses related to establishing contact with intelligence agencies in the Iranian regime, according to a report by Arutz Sheva.

The investigation found, as part of the inquiry conducted by the Shin Bet and the IDF, that the citizen was a businessman. He had lived in Turkey for an extended period of time and had business and social ties with people of Turkish and Iranian origin.

The citizen agreed in April 2024 to meet with a rich businessman living in Iran named Edi, through the mediation of Turkish officials Andrey Farouk Aslan and Junaid Aslan, in order to promote business activity.

In order to promote his business activity, the citizen traveled to the city of Samandag in Turkey, where he met with two representatives sent on behalf of Edi and held a telephone conversation with Edi, as the latter could not leave Iran.

The investigation also revealed that following this meeting, in May 2024 the citizen went to Turkey, where he met with Andrey, Junaid and two of Edi’s representatives. When it became clear that Edi could no longer leave Iran for Turkey, the Israeli citizen was smuggled by car over the Turkish bordernear the city of Van, which is located in eastern Turkey, into Iran. There he met with Edi and another man named Haja, who was introduced to him as an activist on behalf of the Iranian security forces.

The Israeli citizen held two meetings in Iran. During these meetings, Edi offered the Israeli to carry out various security missions in Israel’s territory on behalf of the Iranian regime, including: transferring money or a gun to pre-determined locations, photographing various crowded places in the country and sending the photographs to the Iranian authorities, threatening other Israeli citizens employed in the country on behalf of the Iranian regime who did not carry out the requested tasks. The Israeli citizen asked to look into the matter.

His investigation also revealed that during August 2024, the Israeli citizen entered Iran for the second time while being smuggled through the border crossing hidden in a truck cabin. During his stay at Edi’s house in Iran, he met other Iranian intelligence officials, and was asked by them to carry out terrorist activities for Iran on Israeli soil. He was also asked to promote assassination attacks on the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu or Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant or  Shin Bet head Ronen Bar.

The Iranian intelligence officials also asked him to investigate the possibility of assassinating other senior figures, such as former Prime Minister Mr. Naftali Bennett, and other public figures, which they regarded as revenge for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil in July 2024, which was attributed by the Iranian authorities to the State of Israel.

The Israeli citizen demanded an advance payment of one million dollars before taking any action.

The next day, the Israeli held another meeting with the Iranian intelligence officials, in which they repeated their proposal to assassinate senior officials, explored the possibility that he would deposit funds in certain locations in Israel for others, work to locate Russian and US officials for the purpose of eliminating opponents of the Iranian regime in Europe and the US, and recruit a Mossad agent who would agree to work as a “double agent.” During this meeting as well, the Israeli demanded an advance payment of one million dollars, but the Iranian agents refused his request and informed him that they would contact him in the future. Before leaving Iran, he received 5,000 Euros from Edi and a representative of Iranian intelligence for his participation in the meetings.

On September 19, 2024, a high-level security indictment was submitted in this case.

A senior Shin Bet official: “This is a very severe case that is an example of the great efforts the Iranian intelligence agencies take to recruit Israeli citizens in order to promote terrorist activities in Israel. The security officials believe that the Iranians will continue their efforts to recruit operatives in Israel for the purpose of gathering intelligence and carrying out terrorist missions in Israel, while also turning, among other things, to those with a criminal background in order to carry out the missions.”

“At a time when the State of Israel is fighting a war on several fronts, an Israeli citizen goes to an enemy country on two different occasions, meets with Iranian intelligence agents and agrees to carry out serious acts of terrorism on Israeli soil. His actions helped Iran and its intelligence agents in their war against Israel. This is to emphasize that cooperation of Israelis with Iranian elements during war constitutes a serious security offense, even when the motive for the contact is for criminal or business purposes.

“The Shin Bet regards with the utmost seriousness any contact by Israelis with Iranian elements, while the motive for the contact in the first place being a business pretext or a criminal platform does not diminish the severity of the acts and the risk inherent in them, much less any cooperation with these agencies.

“The General Security Service, in cooperation with the Israel Police and other security agencies, will continue their efforts to monitor Iranian activity to recruit and activate Israeli elements and arrest them, while bringing the perpetrators to justice.”

YWN regrets to inform you of the petirah of R’ Shalom Yosef Gottlieb z”l, the owner of Gottlieb’s restaurant in Williamsburg, which Donald Trump is scheduled to visit later today.

R’ Shalom Yosef, 75, was the longtime proprietor of the popular food establishment, and widely known as a kind and caring man who performed tremendous amounts of chesed b’tzina.

His sudden petirah on Wednesday morning has sent shockwaves through Williamsburg and the Orthodox Jewish community in the tri-state area, who had expected him to be standing alongside Trump today.

YWN previously reported that Secret Service agents scoped out the restaurant earlier this week to ensure it would meet security protocols ahead of the Republican nominee’s visit.

There is no word yet on whether Trump’s visit will be canceled or rescheduled.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Shabbos Kestenbaum, a Jewish Harvard alumnus and lifelong Democrat, made headlines recently when he filed a lawsuit against Harvard University for what he described as rising antisemitism on campus, particularly following the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel. In a surprising political turn, Kestenbaum delivered a passionate speech at a Trump rally held at Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, where he addressed a packed crowd.

Kestenbaum’s appearance at the rally caught the attention of many, given his traditionally Democratic alignment. However, his involvement is a reflection of his growing concern over antisemitism and other issues affecting American Jews, which he feels are not being adequately addressed by current leaders in his party.

https://yeshivaworlds3.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/19093032/WhatsApp-Video-2024-09-19-at-12.28.33-AM.mp4

Following his speech, Kestenbaum shared his thoughts on the platform X (formerly Twitter), acknowledging his differences with the former president:

“I disagree with President Trump on most issues. Yet, I agreed to speak at his rally tonight. Please watch, and share my speech with those who similarly find themselves politically homeless, to understand why. Certainly, political disagreement is vital for our democracy. I encourage all Americans, regardless of politics, to unite against the scourge of anti Americanism and antisemitism plaguing our institutions of higher learning. On the most important issues, I am in lockstep with President Trump. Reforming higher education, standing up for American Jews, and a strong foreign policy that deters terrorism.”

Kestenbaum’s speech was met with applause and underscored the increasing concern among many American Jews regarding antisemitism on college campuses. His willingness to cross party lines speaks to a broader sense of frustration and political alienation, a sentiment shared by many who feel that their concerns are being overlooked by traditional political divides.

Earlier this year, Kestenbaum also made waves when he addressed the Republican National Convention in July. In his speech, he urged voters to elect a president who would confront terrorism and instill a sense of patriotism in schools, emphasizing the need for a stronger stance against antisemitism and terrorism. While Kestenbaum did not explicitly endorse a candidate at the time, his appearance hinted at his growing alignment with Republican values, especially on issues related to foreign policy and combating antisemitism.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

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​​For more info, email [email protected].

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How did Israel booby-trap the Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies that exploded over the past two days in a daring operation that enthralled the world?

“It manufactured them as part of an elaborate ruse,” the New York Times reported.

The report, quoting 12 current and former defense and intelligence officials who were briefed on the operation, described the plan behind the explosions as complex and long in the making.

At least two to three years ago, even before Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah decided to go “low-tech” and halt the use of cell phones among his operatives, Israel began establishing a shell company that would appear as an international pager producer.

B.A.C. Consulting appeared to be a Budapest-based company with a contract to manufacture devices for a Taiwanese company, Gold Apollo, but it was actually part of an Israeli front company, three intelligence officers briefed on the operation said. At least two other shell companies were also established to mask the true identities of the employees manufacturing the pagers: Israeli intelligence officers.

B.A.C. did accept regular clients, for which it produced various pagers. But the only significant client was Hezbollah, and its pagers “were far from ordinary.” Hezbollah’s pagers were manufactured separately and were outfitted with batteries laced with the explosive PETN.

B.A.C. began shipping the pagers to Lebanon in the summer of 2022 in small quantities. After Nasrallah banned cell phones in February 2024, it quickly stepped up its production.

Some of Nasrallah’s fears were spurred by reports that Israel invested millions in developing new technology and had new means to hack into phones to spy on their owners. He decided that all cell phone communication — even encrypted messaging apps — was risky and not only banned cell phones from all Hezbollah meetings but ordered that Hezbollah plans or movement never be communicated via cell phones. He ordered all Hezbollah officers to carry pagers and said that if a war broke out, pagers would be used to transmit order to all operatives.

B.A.C received increased orders for pagers from Hezbollah over the summer and eagerly filled them. Thousands of the “enhanced” pagers (at no extra charge!) quickly arrived in Lebanon and were distributed to Hezbollah terrorists and their allies.

Israeli intelligence officers referred to the pagers as “buttons” that could be pushed when the time was right.

On Tuesday, when Israel was forced to prematurely activate the plan, the order was given to “press the buttons.”

Israel caused the pagers to beep and sent a message in Arabic that appeared to be from Hezbollah’s senior leadership.

Seconds later, Lebanon was in chaos.

For the Lebanese, the second wave of explosions was confirmation of the lesson from the day before: They now live in a world in which the most common of communication devices can be transformed into instruments of death.

One woman, Um Ibrahim, stopped a reporter in the middle of the confusion and begged to use a cellphone to call her children. Her hands shaking, she dialed a number and then screamed a directive:

“Turn off your phones now!”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

A major theft occurred at an IDF infantry training base in the Negev region late last week, with 18 containers full of military equipment stolen, according to Israeli media reports. The stolen items include rifle ammunition, bulletproof vests, night-vision apparatus, and specialized gear used by elite units. The incident, which took place at Base 906—one of three Negev bases of the School for Infantry Corps Professions and Squad Commanders—has raised serious concerns, particularly given the ongoing war.

While theft from IDF bases has been a recurring problem, the scale of this recent incident is particularly alarming. Channel 14 described it as “especially serious” due to the amount of equipment taken during wartime.

Military Police, in coordination with the Israel Police, have launched an investigation, but no arrests have been made so far. According to Naomi Kahn, director of the International Division of Regavim, a think tank focused on land and security issues, Bedouin thieves are likely responsible. “Past experience has taught us that there is no other direction to look in. Let’s put it that way,” Kahn told JNS.

For years, Regavim has been working to bring attention to the ongoing issue of theft from IDF bases. In some cases, trenches have even been built around bases to deter thieves. According to Kahn, entire military exercises have had to be canceled because Bedouin thieves were stealing not only spent ammunition but also metal targets, old vehicle frames, and other equipment. For a long time, a jurisdictional gap allowed thieves to operate with impunity, as IDF soldiers could not arrest civilians, and police were not permitted on military bases.

In response to the rampant thefts, the IDF and police formed a joint special unit in 2022 called “Magen HaNegev” (Negev Shield), which successfully confiscated 145 million shekels’ ($39 million) worth of military equipment and thwarted smuggling operations worth an additional 10 million shekels ($2.7 million). However, the unit was suspended when the war broke out on October 7, as its personnel were redeployed to other areas, leading to a resurgence in thefts.

Kahn emphasized the need to reinstate the Negev Shield unit, particularly in wartime, as weaponry is continuously cycled in and out of bases for repair and refitting. “It made a serious dent in all of this activity, and then as soon as the Oct. 7 war broke out, the unit was essentially suspended,” she explained, adding that the absence of the unit has allowed theft to return “with a vengeance.”

Kahn also called for greater accountability when thefts occur, a point echoed by Knesset member Yitzhak Kroizer of the Otzma Yehudit Party. Kroizer recently submitted a bill that would hold IDF commanders responsible if weapons were stolen from their bases, underscoring the seriousness of these security breaches. “There has to be not only responsibility when theft happens, but authority to stop it because it’s a security threat. Every man, woman, and child is endangered by this kind of thing,” Kahn warned.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Hezbollah fired several explosive drones at Israel early Thursday afternoon, injuring several Israelis near the moshav of Ya’ara in the western Gail.

It is the second Hezbollah attack on Thursday which left casualties. Eight Israelis were injured, two seriously, in an anti-tank missile attack on Thursday morning.

The victims are being treated at the scene.

A drone also scored a direct hit on the moshav of Beit Hillel. Baruch Hashem, no one was injured but the impact sparked fires.

Another drone hit a house in Kiryat Shmona, which is largely empty of its residents. No one was injured in the incident.

Kiryat Shmona

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

(VINnews) — The New York Times has published a long article, revealing stunning new details about Israel’s “modern day Trojan Horse” — aka exploding pagers. One major revelation the article describes about Israel’s strategy, not previously reported, is that Israel did not intercept the pagers before they were delivered, as some have reported. Rather they did something far more ingenious.

The Times quoted 12 defense and intelligence officials who were briefed on the attack who described the operation as complex and long in the making.

According to the article, Hezbollah leadership had been distraught for years, due to Israel locating and targeting terrorists using advanced technology. That led to the need for pagers.

Hezbollah paid for the pagers that were used against them.

AGAIN: An Israeli Intelligence-run Shell Company SOLD the pagers to Hezbollah.

HAHAHAHA. https://t.co/khfSwQj012

— Yossi Gestetner (@YossiGestetner) September 19, 2024

The Times wrote:

In Lebanon, as Israel picked off senior Hezbollah commandos with targeted assassinations, their leader came to a conclusion: If Israel was going high-tech, Hezbollah would go low. It was clear, a distressed Hezbollah chief, Hassan Nasrallah, said, that Israel was using cellphone networks to pinpoint the locations of his operatives.

“You ask me where is the agent,” Mr. Nasrallah told his followers in a publicly televised address in February. “I tell you that the phone in your hands, in your wife’s hands, and in your children’s hands is the agent.”

Then he issued a plea.

“Bury it,” Mr. Nasrallah said. “Put it in an iron box and lock it.”

He had been pushing for years for Hezbollah to invest instead in pagers, which for all their limited capabilities could receive data without giving away a user’s location or other compromising information, according to American intelligence assessments.

The Times then described Israel’s brilliant strategy to create a shell company manufacturing pagers.

Even before Mr. Nasrallah decided to expand pager usage, Israel had put into motion a plan to establish a shell company that would pose as an international pager producer.

By all appearances, B.A.C. Consulting was a Hungary-based company that was under contract to produce the devices on behalf of a Taiwanese company, Gold Apollo. In fact, it was part of an Israeli front, according to three intelligence officers briefed on the operation. They said at least two other shell companies were created as well to mask the real identities of the people creating the pagers: Israeli intelligence officers.

B.A.C. did take on ordinary clients, for which it produced a range of ordinary pagers. But the only client that really mattered was Hezbollah, and its pagers were far from ordinary. Produced separately, they contained batteries laced with the explosive PETN, according to the three intelligence officers.

The pagers began shipping to Lebanon in the summer of 2022 in small numbers, but production was quickly ramped up after Mr. Nasrallah denounced cellphones.

Some of Mr. Nasrallah’s fears were spurred by reports from allies that Israel had acquired new means to hack into phones, activating microphones and cameras remotely to spy on their owners. According to three intelligence officials, Israel had invested millions in developing the technology, and word spread among Hezbollah and its allies that no cellphone communication — even encrypted messaging apps — was safe anymore.

Not only did Mr. Nasrallah ban cellphones from meetings of Hezbollah operatives, he ordered that the details of Hezbollah movements and plans never be communicated over cellphones, said three intelligence officials. Hezbollah officers, he ordered, had to carry pagers at all times, and in the event of war, pagers would be used to tell fighters where to go.

Over the summer, shipments of the pagers to Lebanon increased, with thousands arriving in the country and being distributed among Hezbollah officers and their allies, according to two American intelligence officials.

To Hezbollah, they were a defensive measure, but in Israel, intelligence officers referred to the pagers as “buttons” that could be pushed when the time seemed ripe.

That moment, it appears, came this week….

…Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would do whatever was necessary to enable more than 70,000 Israelis driven away by the fighting with Hezbollah to return home, according to reports in Israeli news outlets. Those residents, he said, could not return without “a fundamental change in the security situation in the north,” according to a statement from the prime minister’s office.

On Tuesday, the order was given to activate the pagers.

The article added:

Powered by just a few ounces of an explosive compound concealed within the devices, the blasts sent grown men flying off motorcycles and slamming into walls, according to witnesses and video footage. People out shopping fell to the ground, writhing in agony, smoke snaking from their pockets.

Mohammed Awada, 52, and his son were driving by one man whose pager exploded, he said. “My son went crazy and started to scream when he saw the man’s hand flying away from him,” he said.

By the end of the day, at least a dozen people were dead and more than 2,700 were wounded, many of them maimed. And the following day, 20 more people were killed and hundreds wounded when walkie-talkies in Lebanon also began mysteriously exploding

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US CAPITOL (JNS) — Moments after Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that every Republican member of the panel asked in February for a hearing on antisemitism but instead got one more than six months later “generically on hate,” antisemitic protesters interrupted the proceedings.

“This is the kind of anger and hate that is encouraged. You’re now seeing the hate manifesting right here,” Cruz said, gesturing toward the protesters, whom officers removed from the room on Tuesday morning. “We now have a demonstration of antisemitism. We have a demonstration of the hate.”

“This is the kind of anger and hate that is encouraged. You’re now seeing the hate manifesting right here. We now have a demonstration of anti-Semitism. We have a demonstration of the hate.”

— Ted Cruz after protestors interrupt and are removed from hate crimes hearing pic.twitter.com/puYYs601nm

— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) September 17, 2024

Protesters could also be found outside the room, and some sought out senators in the halls of the Capitol after the hearing had concluded.

The hearing was the first ostensibly about Jew-hatred at the Senate since Oct. 7, after the House held some 10 hearings on the topic. One of the latter, which centered on Jew-hatred on campus, centered on the testimony of three university presidents, two of whom have since resigned.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, opted for a hearing about hate crimes broadly, and not just antisemitism.

Mark Goldfeder, an attorney, Orthodox rabbi and director of the National Jewish Advocacy Center, told JNS after his testimony during the hearing that he “was told that there was some confusion as to what the hearing was going to be about.”

“What we tried to do was explain that antisemitic hate crimes are often a canary in the coal mine of intolerance—that what starts with the Jews never ends with the Jews, that antisemitism is a threat to democracy everywhere,” he told JNS. “All communities need to show support.”

The hearing’s “all lives matter” approach, which critics said addressed Jew-hatred only as part of a broader story and not a sufficient concern in its own right, left some expecting a significant focus on hate crimes against Muslims and Arabs.

The activist group Code Pink, which frequently protests in the Capitol and which supports boycotting the Jewish state, had a visible presence both in the Dirksen Senate Office Building and in the halls of the Capitol, where its co-founder Medea Benjamin and others accosted senators as they entered the room.

Prior to the beginning of the hearing, which ran late, a man whose attire identified him with Code Pink, yelled that Durbin was 20 minutes late, because “the Jewish lobby had him on the phone, and told him he can’t talk about anything but antisemitism.”

“He was trying to figure out what to do,” the anti-Israel protester claimed, of the senator.

When Medea and others found Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) in the halls and accused him of being beholden to the Jewish state, the senator called Code Pink the “China-funded people,” as reporting in the New York Times and elsewhere has noted that one of the group’s large benefactors, who has close ties to Chinese, is married to a Code Pink co-founder.

“Who funds you?” Benjamin asked Hawley. “AIPAC. The pro-Israel lobby.”

“There you go again with the antisemitism,” Hawley responded. Before he entered a members-only elevator, the senator said it was an honor to be protested by Code Pink, which is made up of “supporters of the Holocaust.”

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) accused those who accosted him in a hallway of having “blood on your hands.”

‘It could, ironically, help us’

Goldfeder told JNS that despite the drama at the hearing, the committee members were attentive to his concerns.

“All of them really displayed a degree of care and concern about vulnerable communities that are being targeted,” he said. “I was especially appreciative of senators, who focus on the fact that while all hate crimes are important, there really is an acute problem right now, and this is a matter of triage for the Jewish community.”

Nathan Diament, executive director of the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center, wrote to Durbin and to Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the committee’s top Republican, ahead of the hearing. In the letter, he said he is disappointed that the committee didn’t call students and educators, who are at the front lines of rising Jew-hatred on campus, as witnesses and that the hearing shifted from being about Jew-hatred to broader hate.

“Now that the Judiciary Committee is having this hearing, the majority seems determined to reinforce the message to American Jews that antisemitism is, in their view, a second-class civil rights issue,” Diament wrote.

“Chairman Durbin hasn’t called any of the many victims of the wave of hate on university campuses or city streets to testify, nor has he called a leader of a mainstream American Jewish organization,” he added. “Moreover, as far as the committee’s majority is concerned, the biggest surge of antisemitism in this country’s history can’t be the sole topic of the hearing. Maybe ‘better late than never’ just doesn’t apply to this situation.”

Diament told JNS that he attended meetings on Capitol Hill on Tuesday but was not at the committee hearing.

The OU official thinks that the controversy about the hearing could help push forward several pieces of House-passed legislation that address rising Jew-hatred, including the Anitisemitism Awareness Act and bills that would strip tax benefits from nonprofits that support terror and would demand greater clarity about foreign funding of educational institutions.

“I had a couple of hallway conversations with some Democratic senators, who were not at the hearing but were surprised to hear how the hearing was set up,” Diament told JNS.

“It could, ironically, help us get the legislation across the finish line,” he said. “This hearing was not received well.”

LONDON, England (VINnews)-Jonathan Conricus, a former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson, expertly educated Candace Owens on the complexities of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Conricus provided a detailed and factual overview, dismantling misinformation and clarifying the intricacies of the decades-long conflict. Owens, known for her controversial takes, appeared outmatched during the exchange, unable to effectively counter Conricus’s points.

According to sources, Owens fell silent during key moments of the debate, reportedly unable to find supporting evidence on her laptop to back her claims. This rare moment of quiet from the outspoken commentator has sparked online discussions, with many praising Conricus for his clear and fact-based presentation.

The Shin Bet on Thursday revealed that a Jewish-Israeli citizen was arrested in August 2024 for allegedly committing severe security offenses after being recruited by Iran to assassinate senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar.

The suspect was twice smuggled into Iran and met with Iranian intelligence and security officials and received payments for carrying out missions.

The operation, carried out by the Shin Bet and the Lahav 443 unit of the Israel Police, revealed that the suspect, a businessman who had lived for an extended period in Turkey, maintained business and social ties with individuals of Turkish and Iranian descent.

As part of these connections, in April 2024, the suspect agreed, mediated by Turkish operatives Andrei Farouk Aslan and Gunaid Aslan, to meet with a wealthy businessman living in Iran named Eddy for the purpose of promoting business activities.

To facilitate the business dealings, he traveled to the city of Samandag in Turkey, where he met with two representatives sent by Eddy who conducted a phone call with him as Eddy was unable to leave Iran.

The investigation further indicated that in May 2024, the suspect traveled to Turkey, where he met with Andrei, Gunaid, and Eddy’s two representatives. After it became clear that Eddy could not leave Iran for Turkey, the Israeli suspect was smuggled by car through a land border crossing near the eastern Turkish city of Van into Iran, where he met Eddy and another person named Hajah, who was introduced as an operative on behalf of Iranian security agencies.

The Israeli and others traveled to Eddy’s home in Iran, where he was introduced as an Israeli citizen. During this meeting, Eddy outlined to the suspect various security missions within Israel for the Iranian regime, including: transferring money or a gun to predetermined locations, photographing crowded places in the country and sending them to Iranian agents, and threatening other Israeli citizens operating in the country on behalf of the Iranian regime who had not completed their tasks. The Israeli citizen requested to look into the matter.

It further emerged during the investigation that in August 2024, the Israeli suspect entered Iran for the second time, having been smuggled through the border crossing while hidden inside a truck cabin. During his stay at Eddy’s house in Iran, he met with additional Iranian intelligence operatives, who asked him to carry out terrorist activities for Iran on Israeli soil, including promoting assassination attempts against Netanyahu, Gallant, and Bar.

Iranian intelligence officials also requested to explore the possibility of targeting other high-profile individuals, such as former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and other public figures as a form of revenge for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil in July 2024.

The Israeli suspect, in turn, demanded an advance payment of one million dollars before carrying out any action.

The next day, the Israeli suspect held another meeting with Iranian intelligence officials during which they reiterated their proposal to assassinate senior figures, discussed the possibility of him hiding funds in safe locations in Israel for others, and spoke about locating Russian and American figures to eliminate opponents of the Iranian regime in Europe and the United States while recruiting a Mossad operative to become a “double agent.” The suspect again insisted on an advance of one million dollars but the Iranian agents refused his request and informed him they would contact him in the future. Before leaving Iran, he received 5,000 euros for his participation in the meetings.

On September 19, 2024, the suspect was charged with severe security charges at the Be’er Sheva District Court.

A senior official in the Shin Bet stated: “This is a very serious affair that exemplifies the immense efforts of Iranian intelligence to recruit Israeli citizens for the advancement of terrorist activities in Israel. Security officials estimate that Iran will continue its efforts to recruit operatives in Israel for intelligence gathering and executing terrorist missions, including approaching individuals with criminal backgrounds to fulfill these tasks.”

“While Israel is at war on multiple fronts, an Israeli citizen has, on two separate occasions, traveled to an enemy state, met with Iranian intelligence agents, and expressed a willingness to carry out serious terrorist acts on Israeli soil. His actions have aided Iran and its intelligence apparatus in their campaign against Israel.”

“It is important to emphasize that cooperation between Israelis and Iranian agents during wartime constitutes a serious security offense, even if the motive for the contact is criminal or business-related.

“The Shin Bet takes any interaction of Israelis with Iranian agents very seriously, asserting that the initial pretext of a business engagement or criminal platform does not lessen the severity of the actions and the inherent risks, not to mention collaborating with these entities.

“The Shin Bet, in cooperation with Israel Police and other security bodies will continue its efforts to monitor and thwart Iranian activities aimed at recruiting and activating Israeli operatives – while ensuring that the offenders face justice.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

For the first time in nearly three decades, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters won’t endorse a candidate in the presidential race – a blow to the Democratic Party, which has reliably received the union’s approval for years.

The Teamsters confirmed the decision not to endorse Wednesday, as the union’s executive board met in Washington to consider an endorsement.

The non-endorsement comes two days after union leaders and members met privately with Vice President Kamala Harris and she laid out her case for an endorsement, underscoring the current administration’s many achievements for unions.

“Unfortunately, neither major candidate was able to make serious commitments to our union to ensure the interests of working people are always put before Big Business,” said Teamsters president Sean O’Brien in a statement. The union had “sought commitments from both Trump and Harris” specifically about their union campaigns, core industries and right to strike, but “were unable to secure those pledges,” he added.

Lauren Hitt, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign, said in a statement that the “Vice President’s strong union record is why Teamsters locals across the country have already endorsed her – alongside the overwhelming majority of organized labor.”

Hitt also referenced a recent comment Trump made about firing striking workers in a conversation with Elon Musk, adding that Harris “will look out for the Teamsters rank-and-file no matter what – because they always have been and always will be the people she fights for.”

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The decision arrives as the powerful transportation workers union, with its 1.3 million members, has forged inroads with the GOP. O’Brien addressed the Republican National Convention in July, becoming the first labor leader to do so and sending shock waves through Democratic circles.

The Teamsters have a strong presence in battleground states and could play an outsize role in the election.

The non-endorsement underscores a major division within the Teamsters, as well as other American unions with diverse membership. The results of two surveys of Teamsters membership released Wednesday by the Teamsters showed rank-and-file members strongly favoring a Trump endorsement over Harris – while several powerful Teamsters local chapters have broken with his leadership to urge members to vote for Harris.

“This election is likely to come down to a handful of votes in the ‘blue wall’ states,” said Steve Rosenthal, a Democratic political strategist in the labor movement for decades. “The Teamsters have a significant number of members in each of those states. … Their endorsement coupled with a program aimed at mobilizing their members could be a deciding factor.”

No endorsement “likely means the difference between their members voting 50 percent for Harris versus close to 60 percent,” he said, adding that “in a close race, that could be significant.”

Yet, the absence of an endorsement is unlikely to have a noticeable impact on Harris’s campaign financing given the substantial amount of donations her campaign has received, Democratic strategists say. The Harris campaign is flush with cash, raising $615 million in the first six weeks after she joined the race. The Teamsters have donated more than $800,000 so far this election cycle, with more than 92 percent going to Democratic PACs, according to OpenSecrets, a nonprofit that tracks campaign finance.

This election cycle, many unions endorsed President Joe Biden much earlier than is typical, reflecting his administration’s efforts to champion labor. When Biden dropped out of the race in July, those unions swiftly rallied behind Harris, citing her role in the administration’s accomplishments for labor.

The Teamsters union typically waits to endorse until after both political conventions have taken place, and this year, O’Brien said the union would not stray from that tradition.

That decision has sparked an internal rift within the union.

“We’ve made a huge mistake,” John Palmer, a Teamsters executive board member and vice president at large who has been openly critical of the union’s burgeoning relationship with Republican nominee Donald Trump, said this week. “We’ve lost out on an opportunity to try to get our members to understand why they shouldn’t be voting for [Trump].”

After Monday’s meeting with Harris, O’Brien praised “her willingness to meet with rank-and-file Teamsters face-to-face,” and said the union was weighing its endorsement.

The Teamsters have endorsed the Democratic ticket in every presidential election since 1996, when they did not endorse a candidate. The union had closer ties to the GOP decades ago, endorsing Richard M. Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

Teamsters leadership had taken a different approach to this presidential election, meeting with several candidates, including Biden, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and academic and activist Cornel West. O’Brien met privately with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in January and held a roundtable with the former president at the union’s headquarters. The union also donated $45,000 to both the Democratic National Convention and Republican National Convention, the latter marking the first major contribution to the GOP in years.

The budding relationship between the Teamsters and the GOP drew an uproar from progressive Teamsters, highlighting political divisions within the union’s membership, as well as Democrats in Washington. But O’Brien had explained the union’s strategy as an effort to carefully assess its options, saying that his members’ votes “will not be taken for granted.”

The indignation culminated with O’Brien’s prime-time address at the RNC, where he both praised Trump days after an assassination attempt – calling him “one tough SOB” – and railed against corporate greed, pledging to work with anyone who would support union priorities. Critics of O’Brien said his RNC address gave conservative members tacit approval to vote for Trump. Supporters say O’Brien’s efforts could move the GOP, which has been flirting with right-wing populist ideas, to the left on labor issues.

O’Brien had also requested to speak at the DNC but did not receive an invitation, according to the union. Democrats invited rank-and-file Teamsters whose pensions were saved by the Biden-Harris administration to speak on the convention stage.

Since then, the Teamsters National Black Caucus, as well as six union locals, went ahead and endorsed Harris anyway, urging their members to vote for her.

Local Teamsters union leaders have sent scathing letters to O’Brien, demanding a Harris endorsement: “I am completely disappointed and appalled at your decision to court one of the most anti-union, anti-worker politicians in history, Donald Trump,” Josh Zivalich, president of Teamsters Local 769 in Miami, wrote to O’Brien on Aug. 14.

Some labor experts say O’Brien has adopted a more bipartisan approach under pressure to consider the membership’s diverse political leanings. He won the union’s top office in 2021 after running as a reform candidate who promised more member involvement in union decision-making. O’Brien is also aware that many rank-and-file Teamsters are Trump supporters, experts say.

The Biden-Harris administration is widely viewed by historians as one of the most pro-union in modern U.S. history. The administration appointed a pro-labor leader to the National Labor Relations Board and has enacted three major spending bills with pro-union provisions. Plus, in a major victory for the Teamsters, the White House secured a pension bailout that restored retirement accounts for about 600,000 union members.

Trump has called himself “pro-worker.” And his selection of Sen. JD Vance as running mate reflects mounting pressure within the Republican Party to embrace populist right-wing politics intended to capture working-class votes. Still, as president, Trump supported a labor agenda that severely restricted union power, including installing NLRB appointees whose policies and rulings made it harder for workers to join unions.

The Teamsters released the results of an electronic poll of Teamsters members, which showed 59.6 percent supporting a Trump endorsement compared to 34 percent supporting a Harris endorsement.

The Teamsters also conducted a separate poll of Teamsters members, by phone, which they reported also gave Trump a similar lead.

Both polls were conducted by a third-party union polling service, according to the Teamsters, which did not provide information on the polling size or methodology.

(c) Washington Post

Hezbollah fired two anti-tank missiles from Lebanon at the Upper Galil on Thursday morning, injuring five people.

The victims were treated at the scene and evacuated to nearby hospitals.

IDF forces responded with artillery fire at the source of the launches.

Overnight Wednesday, Israeli Air Force fighter jets attacked Hezbollah terror sites in southern Lebanon.

On Wednesday, Hezbollah fired over 60 rockets at Tel Chai and the Chermon area. Baruch Hashem there were no injuries. Some rockets were intercepted but others fell, causing fires.

Following two consecutive days of Israeli-attributed explosions of Hezbollah walkie-talkies and beepers in Lebanon, Israel is preparing for a major escalation in the north.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Rep. Mike Waltz, a Republican from Florida, joins ‘Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Pete Hegseth to discuss the exploding Hezbollah pagers.

(AP) – A Philadelphia teenager who authorities say wanted to travel overseas and make bombs for terrorist organizations will be tried as an adult.

The District Attorney’s office made the announcement Wednesday as it disclosed more details of the allegations against Muhyyee-Ud-din Abdul-Rahman, who was 17 when he was arrested in August 2023. He is now 18, and his bail has been set at $5 million.

It was not immediately clear who is representing Abdul-Rahman. Court records for the case could not be located via an online search, and the District Attorney’s office did not immediately respond to a query about whether he has a lawyer. His father, Qawi Abdul-Rahman, a local criminal defense attorney who previously ran for a judgeship, was not in his law office Wednesday and did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Prosecutors say Abdul-Rahman conducted at least 12 tests on homemade bombs near his family’s home before he was arrested and was close to being able to detonate devices with a blast radius of several hundred yards (meters).

And as his knowledge of explosives increased, authorities allege, he conducted online searches that indicated at least some interest in striking targets including the Philadelphia Pride parade and critical infrastructure sites such as power plants and domestic military bases.

Law enforcement began investigating Abdul-Rahman after they received electronic communications between him and terrorist groups in Syria, prosecutors said. The communications indicated that Abdul-Rahman wanted to become a bombmaker for these groups, identified as Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad (KTJ) and Hay’at Tahrir al Sham (HTS).

KTJ is officially designated by the U.S. State Department as a global terrorist organization and is affiliated with Al-Qaeda, prosecutors said. HTS also has a similar designation.

As the investigation into Abdul-Rahman continued, authorities learned he was buying military and tactical gear as well as materials that could be used in homemade bombs, prosecutors said.

Abdul-Rahman faces charges including possessing weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy, arson and causing or risking a catastrophe. Prosecutors said they sought to move his case to adult court due to the gravity of the charges and because the juvenile system was not equipped to provide adequate consequences or rehabilitation.

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana inaugurated Israel’s newly reopened embassy in Paraguay on Wednesday, ahead of the Latin American country’s planned relocation of its embassy to Yerushalayim later this year.

The sequence of events was an unflinching boost of support for Israel in Latin America at a time when the Jewish state has been facing international opprobrium over the nearly year-old war in the Gaza Strip triggered by the Hamas terrorist attacks on Oct. 7.

Ohana, who is also traveling to neighboring Argentina, addressed the Paraguayan parliament on Tuesday in the presence of bereaved families, becoming the second only Israeli parliamentary speaker to be afforded such an honor in Latin America since the establishment of the modern State of Israel in 1948.

Paraguayan Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano told JNS last week that the Latin American country will open its embassy in Yerushalayim by the end of 2024. He added that preparations were underway for a state visit by Paraguayan President Santiago Peña to Israel this fall for the embassy inauguration.

Holding a picture of murdered hostage Ori Danino, 25, as his father, Elhanan, sat in the room, Ohana told the Paraguayan parliament: “Ori is not just Elhanan’s son. These are our children.”

He urged the international community to pressure Hamas to release the approximately 100 hostages still being held in Gaza.

“Mr. Speaker, when you return to your country with your delegation, give a message from us to the parents of the victims and the hostages: You are not alone,” says Ohana’s Paraguayan counterpart, Raúl Luís Latorre Martinez.

“We support you. Even if we are the only ones to support you, we will support you and stand by our brother—Israel.”

The two parliaments also signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation, and Martinez gave Ohana Paraguay’s top congressional award.

Paraguay first moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Yerushalayim in 2018, following then-President Donald Trump’s lead and becoming the third country to do so after the United States and Guatemala.

Months later, the embassy was returned to Tel Aviv, setting off a diplomatic crisis with Israel. The surprise decision led Israel to shutter its embassy in Asunción, which is now being reopened.

During his election campaign last year, Peña pledged that he would return the embassy to Yerushalayim.

“The State of Israel recognizes Jerusalem as its capital,” he said. “The seat of the parliament is in Yerushalayim, the president is in Jerusalem. So who are we to question where they establish their own capital?”

Landlocked Paraguay has a long history of friendship with Israel, dating back to its vote for the establishment of the Jewish state at the United Nations in 1947.

Five countries currently have their embassies in Israel’s capital: the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo and Papua New Guinea. All of the other countries that have ties with Israel maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv or in Tel Aviv suburbs due to the political sensitivities over the holy city.

Trump’s landmark decision to move the U.S. embassy to Yerushalayim in 2018 set the stage for other countries to follow suit in the following years, with additional nations expected to make similar announcements after a delay caused by the war against Hamas.

On Friday, the Knesset speaker will visit Argentina and meet with Javier Milei, who has also pledged to move his embassy to Yerushalayim.

(JNS)

Washington D.C (VINnews)-In a recent statement, U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has publicly condemned Israel, accusing the nation of launching a “pager attack” in Lebanon. The alleged attack, according to Ocasio-Cortez, involved the detonation of thousands of handheld devices, resulting in significant civilian casualties across various public spaces in the country.

“Israel’s pager attack in Lebanon detonated thousands of handheld devices across a slew of public spaces, seriously injuring and killing innocent civilians,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a pointed statement.

The congresswoman expressed deep concern about the potential involvement of U.S. resources or technology in the development of such a device and called for a thorough investigation by the U.S. State Department.

“Congress needs a full accounting of the attack, including an answer from the State Department as to whether any U.S. assistance went into the development or deployment of this technology,” she stated.

To date, Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack, and no formal statement has been issued by its government on the incident. Without direct acknowledgement, the details of the attack remain murky, with conflicting reports and speculation about the nature and origins of the devices involved.

The source of the Hezbollah electronic pagers that exploded in Lebanon, killing at least 12 people and injuring as many as 2,800 others, remained a mystery on Wednesday, after a Taiwanese company and the government of Hungary denied links to the devices.

Two photos published to social media after the Tuesday explosions show the burned and damaged back panels of pagers with “GOLD” written in text above a model number, “AR-9.” The design of the text matches that emblazoned on the back of the “AR-924” pager model produced by Taiwanese pager manufacturer Gold Apollo Co.

Gold Apollo, however, said it did not design or manufacture the devices in question. It said those pagers were “entirely handled” by a Hungarian company called BAC Consulting KFT, which was authorized to use Gold Apollo’s brand trademark in some regions.

The Washington Post could not reach BAC for comment. But Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs contested Gold Apollo’s account, posting on social media that BAC is a “trading intermediary, with no manufacturing or operational site in Hungary. It has one manager registered at its declared address, and the referenced devices have never been in Hungary.”

Kovacs added that Hungarian national security services were “cooperating with all relevant international partner agencies and organizations.”

Experts have said that the electronic pagers – used by the Hezbollah militant group because they were considered more secure than cellphones – were probably rigged with explosives at some point before they were delivered to Lebanon.

Hezbollah blamed Israel and threatened to retaliate. The Israel Defense Forces, which does not typically announce operations abroad, declined to comment on whether it was responsible.

Hsu Ching-kuang, Gold Apollo’s founder, told reporters at the company’s headquarters in New Taipei City on Wednesday that he had no idea how a pager could be turned into an explosive. “I’m just doing my business, why am I getting involved in a terrorist attack?” Hsu said.

The electronic pagers only have a receiving function, and the battery inside is approximately the size of a AA battery, with no possibility of causing an explosion that could lead to casualties, according to Gold Apollo.

Hsu said that BAC had been selling the pagers using Gold Apollo’s brand for less than two years.

BAC Consulting KFT was established in 2022, according to documents filed at the Justice Ministry. Its main job was listed as consulting, but it also was registered to do other things, including produce electric devices and parts of electric devices and work with telecommunications.

BAC’s website, which was accessed by The Post before it was taken down Wednesday, said its mission was to work “internationally as agents of change with a network of consultants.” The site listed BAC’s founder and CEO as Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacono. The site said she studied in Britain at the London School of Economics, SOAS and University College London, where she earned a PhD in physics. A LinkedIn profile associated with a Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacono says she speaks seven languages and also worked as an independent expert at the European Commission.

The Post was unable to reach her via emails, phone calls or WhatsApp messages. NBC News said that when it reached a woman by that name on the phone, she said, “I don’t make the pagers. I am just the intermediate. I think you got it wrong.”

The Post also visited two Budapest addresses listed in the BAC company filings.

At the first, identified as the company’s headquarters, an A4 sheet of paper in a window pane on the front door read “BAC Consulting.” But when a reporter for The Post knocked on the door – on Wednesday afternoon during working hours – no one answered. The place appeared empty.

The building is in an area known for its sports club and its swimmers and water polo team.

The second address in the company filings was a block of apartment buildings, about 40 minutes away on public transportation. A neighbor on the listed floor, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, said that she knew the family that lived there “very well” but that the apartment, which had a security door with three locks, was usually empty. She hadn’t seen Bársony-Arcidiacono in three or four years, she said.

The neighbor said Bársony-Arcidiacono had been educated in physics and at one point was trying to get a job in Italy, where her mother was based.

Questions about where the digital pagers originated, and whether they had been tampered with at some point in the supply chain, began to swirl immediately after Tuesday’s explosions. Those questions multiplied after a second wave of explosions on Wednesday that included handheld radios, according to Lebanese health officials and the state news agency.

Taiwan’s Economy Ministry said in a statement earlier Wednesday that it had contacted Gold Apollo about the pagers, which “questioned whether the product was indeed theirs after reviewing the media reports and images, and they judged that the pager may have been tampered with after being exported.”

Founded in 1995, Gold Apollo is one of the primary producers of pagers in the world. New Taipei City’s Economic Development Department said the company has no record of violations of laws or regulations.

Gold Apollo exported 260,000 pagers from 2022 through last month, including almost 41,000 sets this year alone, according to data from the ministry. Most were exported to Europe and the United States, and there were no records of direct exports to Lebanon, the ministry said. This did not, however, rule out shipments through a third-party company.

The incident has alarmed many on the island about the implications of being involved in a global conflict with the backdrop of having to deal with its own problem of growing threats from China.

While Taiwan has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine during Russia’s invasion, the government has remained relatively silent on the war in Gaza. Hsiao Hsu-tsen, director of the foundation of former president Ma Ying-jeou, called on the Taiwanese government to release the details of its investigation to prevent potential “retaliation” from Hezbollah. Ma belongs to the Taiwanese opposition Kuomintang and has been a vocal critic of President Lai Ching-te’s administration.

Security experts pointed out the difficulties in strengthening the security level of the pagers.

“Preventing such attacks is very difficult,” said Yang Ming-hour, a computer engineering professor at Chung Yuan Christian University in Taiwan. He noted that pagers have very limited functions and few users, making it impractical to implement complex security monitoring on these simple and cheap devices.

“If more security measures were required, it would heavily burden manufacturers as meeting security standards would raise device costs,” Yang said.

“Pagers are not high-tech equipment, nor are they subject to export controls. Therefore, the regulatory intensity for them is naturally lower,” said Tzeng Yisuo, an associate research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, a state-funded think tank in Taipei.

– – –

(c) Washington Post

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Health officials warned Wednesday that the Los Angeles area is seeing more dengue fever cases in people who have not traveled outside the U.S. mainland, a year after the first such case was reported in California.

Public health officials said at least three people apparently became ill with dengue this month after being bitten by mosquitoes in the Baldwin Park neighborhood east of downtown Los Angeles.

“This is an unprecedented cluster of locally acquired dengue for a region where dengue has not previously been transmitted by mosquitoes,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

Other cases that stemmed from mosquito bites originating in the U.S. have been reported this year in Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, where officials have declared a dengue epidemic. There have been 3,085 such cases in the U.S. this year, of which 96% were in Puerto Rico, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cases of dengue have been surging globally as climate change brings warmer weather that enables mosquitoes to expand their reach.

Dengue fever is commonly spread through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes in tropical areas. While Aedes mosquitoes are common in Los Angeles County, local infections weren’t confirmed until last year, when cases were reported in Pasadena and Long Beach.

Before then, the cases in California were all associated with people traveling to a region where dengue is commonly spread, such as Latin America, said Aiman Halai, director of the department’s Vector-Borne Disease Unit.

So far this year, 82 such cases have been reported in L.A. County by people returning from traveling, Halai said. Across California, there have been 148 cases.

Dengue can cause high fevers, rashes, headaches, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, and bone and joint pain. About one in four people infected will get symptoms, which usually appear within five to seven days of a bite from a dengue-carrying mosquito. One in 20 people with symptoms will develop severe dengue, which can lead to severe bleeding and can be life-threatening.

Public health officials will be conducting outreach to homes within 150 meters (492 feet) of the homes of people who have been bitten. That’s the typical flight range of the mosquitoes that transmit the virus, according to Ferrer.

Ferrer recommended that people use insect repellent and eliminate standing water around their houses where mosquitoes can breed.

Officials have been testing mosquitoes for the disease and so far have not found any in the San Gabriel Valley with dengue.

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TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Democratic Newark City Council President LaMonica McIver has defeated Republican small businessman Carmen Bucco in a contest in New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District that opened up because of the death of Rep. Donald Payne Jr. in April.

McIver will serve out the remainder of Payne’s term, which ends in January. She and Bucco will face a rematch on the November ballot for the full term.

McIver emerged as the Democratic candidate in a crowded field in the July special election. A member of the city council of New Jersey’s biggest city since 2018, she also worked for Montclair Public Schools as a personnel director and plans to focus on affordability, infrastructure, abortion rights and “protecting our democracy,” she told The Associated Press earlier this summer.

Bucco describes himself on his campaign website as a small-business owner influenced by his upbringing in the foster system. He lists support for law enforcement and ending corruption as top issues.

The 10th District lies in a heavily Democratic and majority-Black region of northern New Jersey. Republicans are outnumbered by more than 6 to 1.

It’s been a volatile year for Democrats in New Jersey, where the party dominates state government and the congressional delegation.

Among the developments were the conviction on federal bribery charges of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, who has denied the charges, and the demise of the so-called county party line — a system in which local political leaders give their preferred candidates favorable position on the primary ballot.

Democratic Rep. Andy Kim, who’s running for Menendez’s seat, and other Democrats brought a federal lawsuit challenging the practice as part of his campaign to oust Menendez, who has resigned since his conviction.

The battle with bureaucracy continues for a project to construct an education complex to teach as many as 2,500 Frum children.

The Jackson Township Planning Board in New Jersey rejected a proposal by 394 Chandler Holdings to build four private Jewish schools. As such, the company’s attorney, Donna Jennings, announced plans to sue.

The Aug. 19 decision resulted from a disagreement over whether the government should classify a road to the property as public or private. The latter designation would require future approval from the township council for exemptions on local zoning laws.

The board requested time to confer with the township council on resolving the road dispute, an extension Jennings opposed. In response, the board voted to reject the proposal without prejudice, which enables a resubmission of the application for another chance to get approval.

Jennings called the board’s decision “absolutely ridiculous.”

“I’ve never had a town tell me to go to another governmental entity first and then come back,” she said.

The construction project has taken time to secure approval; the developer applied in November 2022.

(JNS)

Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, announced on Wednesday that his office reached an agreement with Christopher Brown, 23, to plead guilty “for possessing a firearm as part of a planned terror attack on the New York Jewish community in 2022.”

Brown pleaded guilty in New York State Supreme Court to a count of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree as a crime of terrorism, Bragg’s office said. It added that Brown is slated to be sentenced on Nov. 13 “to a promised sentence of 10 years in state prison, followed by five years post-release supervision.”

“Christopher Brown has been held accountable for his plan to commit a violent, antisemitic terrorist attack,” Bragg stated. “Thankfully, we were able to intervene and prevent him from following through.”

“I want Manhattan’s Jewish community to know that we are remaining extremely vigilant against threats of violence during this time of rising antisemitism, and our terrorism and hate-crimes units are continuing to conduct proactive investigations to keep everyone safe,” he added.

Brown admitted in the plea agreement that he wrote antisemitic posts on social media, including “God wants me to shoot up a synagogue and die” and “gonna ask a priest if I should become a husband or shoot up a synagogue and die,” in November 2022. He also “used social media to express support for Nazi ideology and accelerationism, a form of racially and ethnically motivated extremism,” per Bragg’s office.

He also “discussed getting tattoos of Nazi insignia, including a swastika on his heart,” the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office stated, and “expressed support for and a desire to emulate Brenton Tarrant, who attacked two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019.”

When officers arrested Brown on Nov. 18, 2022, at Penn Station in New York City, he had a knife, a swastika armband and a ski mask in his backpack. He had purchased a loaded gun in Pennsylvania for $650, the DA’s office said.

(JNS)

When Ilan Buaron, a delivery driver for the popular delivery app Wolt, set out to deliver a pizza in Ramat Gan at 2am on Tuesday night, he had no idea the dramatic turn his delivery would take.

Buaron, aged 22, picked up the pizza from a restaurant, and was driving his moped towards the destination when he received a message on his cell phone. Buaron, who has been volunteering the past few years for Magen David Adom, received a message that a women was giving birth inside her home nearby.

Realizing the address was only two blocks away from his location, Buaron zoomed over to the women’s house, pizza in tow. Inside the home, he found a women in an advanced stage of labor. While this was the first time Buaron had been in an active labor situation, he nevertheless successfully delivered the new baby boy.  Baruch Hashem the baby is safe and well.

Despite all that was going on, Buaron even managed to contact to Wolt service center to let them know that the pizza he was carrying was likely not going to make it to its destination.

Buaron said: “I received a notification of an active birth on the way to the delivery address, I stopped here and helped the woman deliver her baby and I’m going to stay here a little longer.” A new pizza was sent to the customer, and when an ambulance soon arrived on the scene, the crew got to enjoy the fresh pizza from their local delivery man.

{Matzav.com}

Dear Editor,

I wanted to bring attention to an ongoing issue with AT&T service in parts of Lakewood, particularly in a few specific buildings. Over the past week and a half to two weeks, I’ve noticed a complete lack of data service when inside these buildings—where there used to be perfectly fine reception. It’s frustrating to suddenly have no connection at all when other service providers are working just fine in the same areas.

What’s even more troubling is that AT&T doesn’t seem to be offering any solutions. I’ve reached out to them, but so far, no real help has been provided.

I’m curious if other readers have been experiencing the same problem. Is this happening in other parts of Lakewood as well? Please share your thoughts and any suggestions in the comments—especially if you’ve found a way to fix or work around this issue. If enough of us are having trouble, maybe we can push AT&T for a resolution together.

Thank you

TLS welcomes your letters by submitting them to [email protected]

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

Artscroll’s latest English Halacha sefer is entitled, “The Priceless Treasure of  Bircas Kohanim” – but the name applies to the sefer as well.  This sefer, replete with more than 550 Teshuvos from Maran HaRav Chaim Kanievskt zt”l is a priceless treasure in and of itself.  It is not just a halacha sefer, it is a kol-bo.  It is filled with inspiration, stories, history and minhagin.  This type of combination-format, in this author’s opinion, is path-breaking and will possibly entirely re-define how halacha seforim can be written. Most of all, anyone reading it is is overcome by a tremendous urge to run out for Shacharis to a sefardic minyan to attend Bircas Kohanim.

Somewhere in the introduction, the author,  Rabbi Naftali Weinberger, explains that he had asked Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l which sefer should be published first – the one on Shidduchim or the one on Bircas Kohanim. Everyone thought that he would certainly answer Bircas Kohanim – because of the Mitzvah of vekhibadto – that one must honor a Kohain.  In fact, Rav Chaim zatzal used to sort his letters by names that could possibly be that of a Kohain in order to respond to them first.  To everyone’s shock, Rav Chaim responded that the Shidduchim sefer should be published first because the delay in our girls getting married causes enormous damage to Klal Yisroel.  Wow.

Each page of this remarkable is filled with remarkably inspiring nuggets of information.  The Alter of Slabodka had formed his own, quicker minyan for Ne’ilah so that he could hear Bircas Kohanim before shkiyah.  But when the Yeshiva saw what the Alter was doing – the main minyan followed suit (p. 107). 

Rav Nachum zt”l, yes the famed Rav Nachum, explained that the Mir Yeshiva’s minhag of going faster through Ne’ilah was to give the tzibbur an extra Chessed of helping out the Kohanim fulfill their three Mitzvos.  The z’chus that the Tzibbur receives is on account of this Chessed  – to the Kohanim.  Wow.

It is reminiscent of Rav Chatzkel Levenstein zt”ls explanation of mechalkel chaim b’chessed – Rav Chatzkel Levenstein zt”l explains the three words we are all so familiar with in the shmoneh esreh differently than others do.  Mechalkel chaim b’chessed – Hashem sustains life with chessed.  What do these words mean?  Some have it that through Hashem’s middah of chessed – He sustains life. Others have it as Hashem could sustain life in many ways – but He does so with extras – with steak instead of with macaroni.  Rav Chatzlel zatzal explained it differently – He explained that it is the acts and the performance of Chessed which is the life-sustaining, life-giving force that sustains and gives purpose and direction to life and to the universe itself.

Some interesting halachos are that an Ashkenazic Kohain living in the USA may never duchen in an Ashkenazic minyan except for on Yom Tov – without exception (p. 142).  An Ashkenazic Jew may attend a sefardic minyan in the USA – even for the express purpose of hearing Bircas Kohanim.  Chapter fourteen of this sefer goes into great detail all of the explanations as to why Kohanim do not duchem in Chutz LaAretz.  In Chapter eight, the author deals with the D’oraisah form of the bracha – wherein it must be delivered by two Kohanim. The Rabbinic form of the Mitzvah is just with one Kohain.

Uman – The Exception

The author notes that Dayan Fisher zt”l ruled that in Uman, where the shuls were established primarily for those visiting from Eretz Yisroel for a short period of time – the Israeli Kohanim may duchen. Uman is not the only exception.  In the Hague, they also did duchen because they thought it protected them from the Cholera epidemic.  The practice ended at the second World War.

But Where do the Fingers Go?

Most people that learned through Mishna Brurah Seder when they were in Yeshiva remember the 5 air spaces Avirim that are discussed in Siman 128:12 but didn’t pay to much attention to where the five space were.  Rabbi Weinberger brings two different readings of the Mishna Brurah on this issue. (The pictures, drawn by Yoav Ilan, are on p. 301 – where all 7 different minhagim are depicted.) Of course the first and last spaces are between the middle finger and the ring finger on each hand.  The second and fourth spaces are between the thumbs and the index finger?  But where is the third space? The simple reading is that it is in the concave area below where the thumbs touch.  But the alternative reading is that the thumbs form an X and area 3 is at the top of the X. (The author does not address the fact that according to the alternative reading there would be a fourth concave area at the bottom of the X). The Zohar’s view is that the thumbs don’t touch at all.

The fact of the matter is that this Sefer is an essential read before Yom Tov and this reviewer predicts that it will be an instant  sellout.  Artscroll will have to reprint very soon. Also, for all wives of Kohanim out there – it is the perfect gift, just be prepared not to see your husband for two days.

The one deficit of this remarkable Sefer is that it is currently missing its index, but no doubt in the next printing – Artscroll will rectify that.  So for those looking for any mention of Yehudah Leib Ben Mordechai, it probably will not be found. 

The reviewer can be reached at [email protected]

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after a Delta Air Lines flight leaving Salt Lake City last weekend developed cabin pressure issues and left some passengers with bleeding eardrums, headaches and bloody noses.

The flight was traveling Sunday from Salt Lake City to Portland, Oregon, when pilots of the five-year-old Boeing 737-900ER aircraft noticed a pressurization problem and made an emergency landing back in Utah’s capital, according to the flight log.

Passengers told television station KSL they noticed people bleeding as the plane decreased in elevation over the Great Salt Lake. Pilots announced they were returning to the airport but did not explain why, passenger Caryn Allen said. Oxygen masks did not deploy.

Allen described watching her husband cover his ears in pain while other passengers tried to help a man on the other side of the aisle who had an uncontrollable bloody nose.

Another passenger, Jaci Purser, told KSL it felt like someone was stabbing her inner ear.

“I grabbed my ear, and I pulled my hand back, and there was blood on it,” she said.

Paramedics met passengers at the gate and identified at least 10 people out of the 140 on the flight who required medical attention. They recommended that anyone who was bleeding go to the hospital for further evaluation, and Delta offered to cover those transportation costs, the airline said.

“We sincerely apologize to our customers for their experience on flight 1203 on Sept. 15,” Delta said in a statement. “The flight crew followed procedures to return to SLC where our teams on the ground supported our customers with their immediate needs.”

The airline said the plane was taken out of service Sunday and went back into service Monday after technicians resolved an issue that made the plane unable to pressurize above 10,000 feet, Delta said.

The Boeing aircraft involved in Sunday’s emergency landing is not part of the manufacturer’s newer MAX fleet, which came under investigation this year after a door plug blew off during a Jan. 5 Alaska Airlines flight while the plane was at 16,000 feet over Oregon.

However, the FAA in late January recommended more thorough inspections of other Boeing aircrafts including the 737-900ER involved in the incident over Salt Lake City because it shares the same door plug design as the MAX jets.

NEW YORk – Food multinational supermarket chain Aldi continues its march across America’s supermarket battleground. Earlier this year, the group made steps to secure more territory, acquiring Southeastern Grocers with its Harvey Supermarket and Winn-Dixie chains.

Meanwhile, the German grocery giants announced intentions to open 800 new stores in the United States by 2028. This expansion caps off one of America’s brightest retail success stories. Aldi store openings have more than doubled since 2011 — as of February, 2,356 stores are now operational in the U.S., according to Statista.

Inspiring Growth

“Our growth is fueled by our customers, and they are asking for more Aldi stores in their neighborhoods nationwide,” writes CEO Jason Hart in a corporate statement. “With up to 40% savings on groceries, new customers are inspired to try us out, and existing customers keep coming back.”

This release follows the early 2023 arrival of Aldi’s regional headquarters in Loxley, Alabama. A Supermarket News report depicts the 564,000-square foot distribution center’s opening; the resource is built to serve the near-100 stores in the Southeastern U.S. The new center is an emblem of Aldi’s successful journey in the grocery world.

A German-American Dream

The story began in Germany. In 1961, brothers Karl and Theodor Albrecht — led by a mostly uncredited mother, Anna — opened their first discount grocery store. In the years since then, the company grew fast: 1976 saw Aldi’s first American venture in Iowa.

Now, the company owns 26 distribution centers across the United States and shows no signs of stopping. Aldi stores sell anything from fresh produce and meats to kitchenware and sneakers, and customers are loyal.

Where does this triumphant formula originate? The company website promotes a self-labeled “no-frills” shopping experience designed to make grocery purchases easier. Aldi’s model offers products at “everyday low prices” alongside “timely customer service” and “high-quality food.”

No-Frills But Great Prices

The Aldi method also alters the physical grocery-buying experience. Reduced floor space from smaller stores complements another cost-saving device. In Aldi stores, customers retrieve their goods from the original shipping boxes “to save on restocking shelves.”

This approach also radiates throughout another part of the Aldi family, Trader Joe’s. Aldi acquired the Californian grocery chain just three years after opening its first U.S. premises.

Split after a conflict between the two brothers, the grocery empire now functions as two different groups: Aldi Süd and Aldi Nord. Each group works within certain countries.

Aldi Süd covers the following regions:

• The United Kingdom
• Hungary
• Switzerland
• Austria
• Ireland
• Slovenia
• Italy
• Australia

Aldi Nord covers territories including:

• France
• The Netherlands
• Portugal
• Spain
• Belgium
• Denmark
• Poland
• Luxembourg

Trader Joe’s falls into Aldi Süd’s territory, making the United States the only country where both branches of Aldi operate.

Split Down The Middle

In 1961, the Albrecht brothers disagreed over selling nicotine products in their stores, eventually splitting the Aldi group in two. The same year the Berlin Wall went up, Aldi followed suit — one might say it has never been more disconnected.

Like with many corporate dynasties, the Aldi legacy has brushed shoulders with controversy on several occasions. To begin, Theo Sr. was kidnapped in 1971. The subsequent ransom of seven million Deutschmarks even became a tax-deductible expense following his plea to the German tax authorities.

Betraying the Albrecht Ethos

In 2016, Theodor Albrecht’s son, Theo Albrecht Jr., went public with his disdain for his late brother Berthold’s family. Years after Berthold died in 2012, the usually reclusive Theo Jr. spoke out against his in-laws in light of their spending habits and public decorum in a Stern interview.

“It was obvious to us that we would fulfill our father’s legacy and continue to run the Aldi Nord group of companies in his spirit,” said Albrecht. “That means: the company always comes first. Our families must also take a back seat.”

A Family Estranged

Only one year after Berthold’s death, his family withdrew excessive amounts from their inherited Jakobus Foundation.

In 2021, Nicolay sued his family for embezzlement, claiming they used their boardroom number superiority to extract millions from the trust. The plot thickened even more when Nicolay injured himself in an accident. He ended up legally forced into a psychiatric hospital by his siblings and mother.

Unrivaled Retail Legacy

Nevertheless, while these conflicts leave a sad imprint on the Albrecht brothers’ legacies, the Aldi brand clearly remains untouched. Moreover, the company’s trajectory leaves Aldi on a strong footing. The retailer’s recent publicity has been mostly positive.

Meaghan Yuen of EMarketer reported last year how Aldi’s recent store openings dwarfed its American-based grocery retail competitors. Through 2022 and 2023, Aldi opened more than double the number of new retail outlets of its nearest rival. Employee-owned supermarket sensation Publix was the closest competitor.

Hot Property

Aldi also made fifth spot on the National Retail Federation ‘s “2024 Hottest Retailers” list. The Schwarz Group, owner of Aldi’s chief German rival, Lidl, sits in second place.

For the moment, though, Aldi remains king of the American grocery world.

This article was produced by Media Decision and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.

Standing at the precipice of despair, your world crumbles beneath your feet. The whispers of darkness grow louder, drowning out any flicker of hope. This is the reality for countless individuals in our community—people grappling with the suffocating weight of mental health crises, addiction, trauma, and abuse. In these moments of utter darkness, when all seems lost, there’s one beacon that refuses to let the light go out: Amudim.Amudim: Not a Helpline, A Lifeline

Amudim isn’t just an organization; it’s a constant presence, a lifeline that reaches into the abyss, grasping firmly to pull you back from the brink. When someone reaches out—voice trembling, spirit broken—they’re not met with cold statistics or impersonal advice. They’re embraced by a dedicated clinical case manager who becomes their unwavering ally in the fight for their life and hope for their future.

Saving Lives, Every Case, Every day.

For Amudim’s case managers, each ring of the phone is a new challenge, a new opportunity to make a difference. These dedicated professionals are more than just trained experts; they’re companions, confidants, and guides. They’re there every step of the way, providing support, important resources, and a listening ear.

Meet Sarah, an Amudim case manager. Last month, she received a call from a young mother contemplating suicide. Sarah didn’t just talk her off the ledge; she became the ledge—a solid foundation of support that lasted well beyond that harrowing night. For weeks, Sarah was there, guiding not just the mother but her entire family through the turbulent waters of recovery, one day at a time.

Take David’s story. Trapped in the merciless grip of addiction, he had lost his job, his family, and nearly his will to live. His Amudim case manager, Michael, didn’t just point him towards rehab—he walked every step of the journey with him. From late-night crisis calls to accompanying him to court dates, Michael was the constant presence that reminded David that he was worth fighting for.

A Network of Support

Amudim’s impact extends far beyond individual cases. With case managers stationed in communities across 66 countries, they’re a network of support that’s always within reach. 

Amudim is on the case to prevent crises and build stronger communities. Through education and awareness, they aim for prevention and to create our world as a place where lifesaving support for those struggling with mental health, abuse, addiction and trauma is easily obtainable. With thousands of new cases a year,  our annual campaign is the lifeblood of our organization, fueling our ability to assign case workers to each person in need and to serve our people.

The Power of You

Now, imagine yourself standing not at the edge of that abyss, but at the precipice of change. The work Amudim does is monumental, but they can’t do it alone. It takes Amudim. It takes their tireless case managers. And it takes you—yes, you—to make miracles happen.

Your support isn’t just a donation; it’s a lifeline thrown to someone drowning in despair. It’s the difference between a child lost to addiction and a family reunited. It’s the whisper of hope in the darkest hour that says, “You are not alone.”

Get on The Case

The time to act is now. Will you answer the call? Will you stand with Amudim and declare that in our community, no one fights alone?

Your support can help save lives, every case, every day. It can be the hand that pulls someone back from the brink, the voice that breaks through the silence of suffering, the light that pierces the darkest night.

Amudim is On the Case- By their side, every day; Our case managers are giving them the strength to stand again.

With thousands of new cases a year, our annual campaign is the lifeblood of our organization, fueling our ability to assign case workers to each person in need and to serve our people.

It’s a case of life and death.  Of helplessness or hope.

And you can be part of the deciding factor.

Get on the Case Today.

Showcasing the Best of Amudim

**September 22- 23
**

Join us for 

36 HOURS OF ENTERTAINMENT AS WE RAISE ESSENTIAL FUNDS!

UNITETOHEAL.COM

The owners of the cargo ship that crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge earlier this year, collapsing the span and killing six workers aboard it, prioritized profits over safety and knowingly let a dangerous, unseaworthy vessel loose on the open water, Justice Department attorneys asserted in a court filing Wednesday.

The court filing – signed by attorneys for the Justice Department and the U.S. attorney’s office in Maryland – revealed new details of mechanical problems on the Dali container ship and described how its owners took a “Band-Aid approach” to fixing some of them before the crash. It came as part of a civil case in which the ship’s owner, Grace Ocean Private Limited, and operator, Synergy Marine Pte Ltd, are trying to cap how much money they could be asked to pay in liabilities at about $43.6 million.

“The ship’s owner and manager-who now ask the Court to limit their liability to less than $44 million-sent an ill-prepared crew on an abjectly unseaworthy vessel to ply the United States’ waterways,” attorneys wrote in the filing. “They did so to reap the profits of conducting business in American ports, while at the same time cutting corners in ways that risked lives and infrastructure so that they could save time and money. Those responsible for the vessel must be held fully accountable for the catastrophic harm they caused, and punitive damages should be imposed to deter such misconduct.”

A spokesperson for Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a press call Wednesday, Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin Mizer called the deaths of the six construction workers “needless and heartbreaking.” He said the Justice Department is seeking $100 million in economic damages as well as unspecified punitive damages, a rare move for the government in civil cases but one officials made in the Dali case because of the “egregious facts” they discovered during their investigation.

Erek Barron, U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland, said Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine must “answer for their negligence” and “shoulder the burden” of the $100 million that U.S. government agencies, including the Coast Guard, the Navy, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Labor, had to spend to clean the bridge wreckage and reopen the Port of Baltimore, one of the nation’s key shipping hubs.

The filing comes just before a Tuesday deadline for involved parties to object to the owner’s request for a damages cap in a case that is likely to be litigated for years, with potentially billions of dollars at stake.

The city of Baltimore and business owners in the region have also challenged the Dali owner’s and operator’s attempts to limit their monetary liability. In the coming days, attorneys for the families of those killed, as well as the state of Maryland, are also expected to make similar arguments in court against the requested cap.

The FBI has opened a criminal investigation into whether the ship’s crew and owner allowed the Dali to leave port knowing the vessel had serious system problems, though no one has yet been charged criminally with any wrongdoing. Justice Department officials declined to answer questions Wednesday about the status of the criminal case, but the civil filing makes clear that U.S. officials believe that laws were violated.

“This tragedy was entirely avoidable,” Justice Department attorneys wrote. “The electrical and mechanical systems on the DALI were improperly maintained and configured in a way that violated safety regulations and norms for international shipping.”

The ship also experienced power loss the day before the crash – a matter that, by law, should have been reported to the Coast Guard, but was not, according to the filing.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which is also investigating the incident, has said previously that the Dali suffered two electrical blackouts the day before the collision and experienced two more blackouts that disabled critical equipment, causing it to careen into a massive bridge spanning the frigid Patapsco River where an eight-person construction crew was doing road repairs.

The Justice Department filing, though, offers a far more detailed and plainspoken account of maintenance issues on the ship and what caused them, as well as a timeline of the minutes before the Dali hit the bridge.

All four backstops meant to help control the ship – the propeller, rudder, anchor and bow thruster – failed to work in the critical moments before the crash because, the department alleged, the Dali was unseaworthy.

The department alleged that about four minutes before the Dali collided with the Key Bridge, its key “number 1” electrical transformer tripped and cut power. That transformer, according to the filing, had long suffered the effects of heavy vibration, which is known to cause systems failures. But rather than fixing the problem, the department said, the ship’s owner and operator “took a Band-Aid approach.”

“They retrofitted the transformer with anti-vibration braces, one of which had cracked over time, had been repaired with welds, and had cracked again,” Justice Department attorneys wrote. “And they also wedged a metal cargo hook between the transformer and a nearby steel beam, in a makeshift attempt to limit vibration.”

The Justice Department alleged that vibration problems on the ship were “not isolated.” A former chief officer reported that they were shaking loose the ship’s cargo lashings, and engineers reported they were cracking equipment in the engine room, according to the filing. Those “heavy vibrations” had been reported to Synergy, according to a prior Dali captain.

When the number 1 transformer failed on March 26 – plunging the crew into complete darkness – power should have transferred automatically to a backup, “number 2” transformer within seconds, Justice Department attorneys asserted. But that automated function, they wrote, had been “recklessly disabled,” leaving engineers struggling in the dark to manually reset tripped circuit breakers, a process that took a full minute as the ship surged closer to the bridge.

At the same time, a separate emergency generator should have turned on automatically and restored power steering – a backstop that maritime regulations require to kick in within 45 seconds of an outage. But it did not activate for well over a minute, Justice Department attorneys wrote, causing “more time wasted.”

Once power was restored to the ship’s steering system – known as the helm – a Maryland state pilot who had come aboard in port began issuing orders to steer the ship away from the bridge support beams. But the failed transformers meant the Dali’s propeller still was not working.

Then the ship lost power again.

This time, the Justice Department alleged the cause was an improper fuel pump, called a “flushing pump,” which the attorneys said the ship’s owners used “to save money and for their own convenience.”

“It was not designed to recover automatically from a blackout, a critical safety feature of the proper fuel pumps that the DALI should have been using,” department attorneys wrote, calling the choice to use a flushing pump instead “grossly negligent.”

After both blackouts, the pilot resorted to the left anchor, giving an emergency order to release it in hopes of forcing the Dali away from the bridge, according to the filing. But the anchor “was not ready for immediate release in an emergency, as required by law,” and by the time it dropped, it was too late, the attorneys alleged.

In a separate, “last-ditch” attempt to avoid a crash, the department said the pilot ordered the crew to apply full power to the ship’s bow thruster – a propeller on the front of the vessel that helps it move side to side. But when nothing happened, according to the filing, the pilot was told the bow thruster was unavailable.

At 1:28 a.m., the ship slammed into the bridge.

Six people were killed and two were injured as the roadway fell into the river below, cutting off the Port of Baltimore’s shipping channel for months as the state and federal government worked to recover the bodies of the construction workers and remove massive chunks of debris.

The Justice Department blamed Grace Ocean and Synergy in the filing for mismanaging the Dali and failing to train its crew, adding that during a recent inspection, officials found “loose bolts, nuts, and washers and broken electrical cable ties inside of both step-down transformers and electrical switchboards.” The ship’s electrical equipment “was in such poor condition that an independent testing agency discontinued further electrical testing due to ‘safety concerns,’” the filing said.

(c) Washington Post

Hashem Safieddine, head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council and cousin of the group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah, issued a warning of retribution following a second day of explosions targeting Hezbollah communications devices. Blaming the attacks on Israel, which has maintained official silence, Safieddine vowed that Hezbollah would exact a “bloodily unique revenge.”

“These attacks will certainly be uniquely punished; there will be a bloodily unique revenge,” Safieddine declared in a public statement, signaling the group’s intent to retaliate in response to the recent explosions.

Though Safieddine refrained from elaborating on Hezbollah’s plans, he hinted at further developments to come. “I won’t talk about this at length,” he said, adding, “tomorrow, the leader of Hezbollah will speak and all will be revealed. And we will be in a new situation and a new confrontation with this enemy.”

Safieddine said Hezbollah is resilient, asserting that the terrorist organization remains unshaken. “The enemy should know that we are not beaten, that we will not break, that will not withdraw, and will not be influenced by what this enemy is doing.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The International Brotherhood of Teamsters declined Wednesday to endorse Kamala Harris or Donald Trump for president, saying neither candidate had sufficient support from the 1.3 million-member union.

“Unfortunately, neither major candidate was able to make serious commitments to our union to ensure the interests of working people are always put before Big Business,” Teamsters President Sean M. O’Brien said in a statement. “We sought commitments from both Trump and Harris not to interfere in critical union campaigns or core Teamsters industries — and to honor our members’ right to strike — but were unable to secure those pledges.”

The Teamsters’ rebuff reflected a labor union torn over issues of political identity and policy, one that mirrors a broader national divide. Vice President Harris has unmistakably backed organized labor, while former President Trump has appealed to many white blue-collar workers even as he has openly scorned unions at times. By not endorsing anyone, the Teamsters are essentially ceding some influence in November’s election as both candidates claimed to have support from its members.

Harris campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt noted in an emailed statement that more than three dozen retired Teamsters spoke last month in Chicago at the Democratic National Convention, having endorsed Harris. Their pensions were saved through the 2021 passage of the Butch Lewis Act that President Joe Biden and Harris championed.

“While Donald Trump says striking workers should be fired, Vice President Harris has literally walked the picket line and stood strong with organized labor for her entire career,” Hitt said. “The Vice President’s strong union record is why Teamsters locals across the country have already endorsed her — alongside the overwhelming majority of organized labor.”

The Teamsters said Wednesday that internal polling of members showed Trump with an advantage over Harris, a fact that the Republican’s campaign immediately seized upon by sending out an email that said the “rank-and-file of the Teamsters Union supports Donald Trump for President.”

Harris met Monday with a panel of Teamsters, having long courted organized labor and made support for the middle class her central policy goal. Trump also met with a panel of Teamsters in January and even invited O’Brien to speak at the Republican National Convention, where the union leader railed against corporate greed.

In an interview Wednesday on Fox News, O’Brien said lack of an endorsement tells candidates that they have to back the Teamsters in the future. “This should be an eye opener for 2028,” he said. “If people want the support of the most powerful union in North America, whether you’re a Democrat or Republican, start doing some things to support our members,” he said.

The Teamsters’ choice to not endorse came just weeks ahead of the Nov. 5 election, far later than endorsements by other large unions such as the AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Teachers and the United Auto Workers that have chosen to devote resources to getting out the vote for Harris.

With O’Brien facing a backlash from some Teamsters’ members after speaking at the Republican National Convention, it’s no surprise that the union decided not to make an endorsement, said Art Wheaton, director of labor studies at Cornell University.

Trump’s praise of Tesla CEO Elon Musk for firing workers who supposedly went on strike really made a Trump endorsement very unlikely, Wheaton said. “The members were not in total agreement,” he said.

Marick Masters, a business professor emeritus at Wayne State University in Detroit who follows labor issues, said the Teamsters lack of an endorsement suggests a realignment within the union’s membership.

For many workers, issues such as gun control, abortion and border security override Trump’s expressions of hostility to unions, Masters said.

The Teamsters detailed their objections to the candidates in a statement, starting with their objection to a contract implemented by Congress in 2022 on members working in the railroad sector.

The union wanted both candidates to commit to not deploying the Railway Labor Act to resolve contract disputes and avoid a shutdown of national infrastructure, but Harris and Trump both wanted to keep that option open even though the Teamsters said it would reduce its bargaining power.

Harris has pledged to sign the PRO Act, which would strengthen union protections and is something the Teamsters support. Trump, in his roundtable with the Teamsters, did not promise to veto a proposal to make it harder nationwide to unionize.

Other unions have shown trepidation about endorsing either presidential candidate. The United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America on Friday ultimately endorsed Harris with a caveat that “the manner in which party leaders engineered Biden’s replacement at the top of the ticket with Vice President Kamala Harris was thoroughly undemocratic,” union leadership said in a statement.

But the Teamsters lack of endorsement also suggests an indifference to the Biden-Harris administration, which signed into law a measure that saved the pensions of millions of union retirees, including many in the Teamsters.

As part of its 2021 pandemic aid, the administration included the Butch Lewis Act to save the underfunded pensions of more than 1 million union workers and retirees’ underfunded pensions. The act was named after a retired Ohio trucker and Teamsters union leader who spent the last years of his life fighting to prevent massive cuts to the Teamsters’ Central States Pension Fund.

The U.S. State Department’s internal inspector general determined that suspended Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley was improperly allowed to access classified materials after his suspension, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

According to a report obtained by the AP, the department “deviated” from its standard procedures in handling the case and created “significant confusion as to what work Mr. Malley was authorized to do following the suspension.”

“The department failed to consistently notify employees who regularly interacted with Mr. Malley that he was no longer allowed to access classified information,” the report said. “These conditions likely led to special envoy Malley engaging on issues outside the limited scope of issues on which he was authorized to work.”

Malley was allowed to participate in a classified White House call on Iran one day after his suspension was enacted but before he was informed about it, according to the report. Senior State Department officials also successfully restored access to his suspended, unclassified email account.

The inspector general report was circulated within the department on Tuesday and delivered to Congress on Wednesday.

Malley has been on leave without pay from the State Department since June 2023, when media reports revealed that he was under FBI investigation for potentially mishandling classified information. In August 2023, Malley accepted a visiting professorship at Princeton University and a senior fellowship at Yale University despite still being listed by the State Department as its special envoy for Iran.

As the Biden administration’s point man on negotiations with the Islamic Republic, Malley led efforts to return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—the formal name for the 2015 Iran nuclear deal—that he helped negotiate during the Obama administration.

Republican lawmakers have repeatedly complained about the lack of transparency regarding Malley’s suspension. In July, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), the chairman and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, respectively, wrote to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to threaten the department with a subpoena if it was not more forthcoming about Malley’s suspension.

“The department’s failure to cooperate with our repeated inquiries dating back to June 2023 into the suspension of Mr. Robert Malley’s security clearance is deeply troubling,” McCaul and Risch wrote. “Mr. Malley’s alleged misconduct is serious, and the department’s lack of transparency and blatant disregard for the urgency of our requests is unacceptable.”

The State Department has previously declined to comment on the matter beyond confirming that Malley is on leave and that his job responsibilities have been taken over by Abram Paley, the deputy special envoy for Iran.

The State Department did not immediately respond to JNS’s request for comment.

(JNS)

Sen. Bernie Sanders is preparing several resolutions that would stop more than $20 billion in U.S. arms sales to Israel, a longshot effort ahead of the first year anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war.

In a letter to Senate colleagues on Wednesday, Sanders said the U.S. cannot be “complicit in this humanitarian disaster.” The action would force an eventual vote to block the arms sales to Israel, though majority passage is highly unlikely.

“Much of this carnage in Gaza has been carried out with U.S.-provided military equipment,” Sanders wrote.

While it’s doubtful the politically split Senate would pass the measures, the move is designed to send a message to Netanyahu that its war effort is eroding the U.S.’s longtime bipartisan support for Israel. Sanders said he is working with other colleagues on the measures.

Sanders’ resolutions would halt sales of missile systems, tank rounds and other weaponry, some that has been singled out for causing some of the most severe destruction in Gaza, and new fighter jets. Congress had temporarily stalled some arms sales to Israel earlier this year, as lawmakers have tried to warn against the rising death toll.

Netanyahu was invited earlier this year to speak before the U.S. Congress, and he delivered a address that put the growing divide in the U.S. over his war effort on public display.

House Speaker Mike Johnson initiated the invitation to Netanyahu, but several Democrats boycotted the speech. Many top Democratic leaders spoke critically of the tone and content of Israeli prime minister’s address to Congress.

Under the Senate rules, once Sanders introduces the resolutions next week, he can force a vote almost instantly for consideration. The measures are being proposed as a joint resolution of disapproval of the arms sales, which is a mechanism that allows congressional oversight of foreign affairs.

Sanders said he would have some backing for his proposal. But it is not expected to have support from a majority, 51 votes, in the Senate to pass.

In the House, blocking the Israeli arms sales would face even tougher odds, where Republicans hold the majority, and have largely sided with Netanyahu’s approach to the war with Hamas.

(AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Iranian hackers sent people associated with President Joe Biden’s campaign unsolicited information that had been stolen from Republican Donald Trump’s campaign, the FBI and other federal agencies said Wednesday.

The announcement marks the latest effort to call out what officials say are Iran’s brazen, ongoing efforts to interfere in the 2024 election, including a hack-and-leak campaign targeting Trump’s campaign.

President Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America, will deliver remarks at a rally in Uniondale, New York on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. EST.

Electric vehicles made by General Motors have gained access to Tesla’s Superchargers, GM said Wednesday, marking another step forward for efforts to settle on a universal public charger network for battery-powered cars and trucks in the United States.

The update expands the number of vehicles compatible with the North American Charging Standard developed by Tesla. It could also allay some GM customers’ concerns about a lack of charging options.

The new changes take effect immediately, along with sales of the GM-approved power adapters.

“GM’s ongoing efforts to help accelerate the expansion of public charging infrastructure is an integral part of our commitment to an all-electric future,” Wade Sheffer, vice president of GM Energy, said in a statement.

The deal makes roughly 17,800 Tesla Superchargers available to drivers of GM-manufactured vehicles such as the Chevy Bolt, Cadillac Lyriq and Silverado EV, with the help of an adapter that costs $225.

Some Tesla chargers won’t work with GM’s adapter, according to a GM fact sheet. Customers can use their mobile apps to locate compatible chargers, the company said.

GM estimates that the partnership with Tesla contributes to an overall network of 231,800 fast chargers across the United States available to drivers of its vehicles. GM is also part of IONNA, a joint venture of eight automakers that plans to build at least 30,000 high-powered chargers nationwide.

Wednesday’s announcement comes more than a year after General Motors first announced it would adopt the North American Charging Standard.

Several other automakers have agreed to work with the Tesla standard. Ford and Rivian have started distributing adapters for their EVs, while others, such as BMW, Honda, Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz have promised to start making their vehicles compatible this year or next.

But the move to standardize EV charging infrastructure comes as sales of fully electric vehicles have been slowing industry-wide, leading some automakers to de-emphasize EVs in favor of hybrids.

General Motors delivered 38,355 electric vehicles in the first half of 2024.

(c) Washington Post

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is moving to clarify how homeowners and businesses can receive lucrative tax credits for installing electric vehicle chargers.

A rule proposed Wednesday by the Treasury Department would make credits worth up to $1,000 for individuals and $100,000 for businesses available for each EV charger that is installed. If finalized, the new rule would be especially valuable to businesses that plan to install multiple chargers and would be eligible for significant credits to offset the expense.

“In order to help more Americans go electric, we need to make sure they can charge their EVs where they live, work and shop – from inner-city neighborhoods to rural areas,” said John Podesta, White House senior advisor for international climate policy. The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act is expanding charging access by saving families and businesses up to 30% off the cost of installing EV chargers, he said.

The proposal announced Wednesday follows guidance issued in January that made tax credits for installing EV chargers available in about two-thirds of the country. The guidance responded to a directive from Congress in the climate law to ensure that the credits for EV chargers are limited to low-income or non-urban areas.

Treasury chose an expansive definition for census tracts covered by those terms to include about two-thirds of the country. The guidance issued in January did not address exactly which parts of an EV charging installation are eligible for the credit. The plan announced Wednesday again opts for an expansive definition — targeting individual charging ports rather than a single credit for a multi-port installation.

Advocates have said the tax credits could play a significant role in expanding use of EVs and reducing pollution from the transportation sector, which accounts for the single-largest source of U.S. climate-warming emissions.

“We appreciate the Treasury’s movement on this important incentive, which will help ensure that Americans can benefit from the electric vehicle” provisions of the 2022 climate law, said Katherine García, director of the Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All program.

Together with other EV provisions in the climate law and the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, “this charging incentive will accelerate the transition to clean vehicles, create good-paying jobs and help our nation meet our climate and clean-air goals,” Garcia said.

Congress approved $7.5 billion in the 2021 infrastructure law to meet President Joe Biden’s goal to build a national network of 500,000 publicly available chargers by 2030. The public charging ports, along with a network of private ports, are crucial to the Biden-Harris administration’s effort to encourage drivers to move away from gasoline-powered cars and trucks that contribute to global warming.

There are over 192,000 publicly available charging ports nationwide as of late last month, the Transportation Department said — more than double the amount in January 2021 when Biden took office.

The new tax credit will be particularly valuable to communities living near warehouses, who are often exposed to toxic vehicle pollution from gas-powered delivery trucks that pass through their neighborhoods every day, Garcia said, adding that the tax incentives should be particularly attractive for warehouse owners to install EV chargers for thousands of commercial delivery trucks across the U.S.

Albert Gore, executive director of the advocacy group Zero Emission Transportation Association, said the new tax plan would boost the use of chargers where people live and work.

“One of the great things about driving an EV is that drivers can charge while their vehicle is parked, rather than adding another errand to their busy day,” said Gore, the son of former Vice President Al Gore.

The alternative-fuel vehicle tax credit, known as “30C” for its location in the U.S. tax code, is designed to provide an incentive for individuals and businesses to build charging infrastructure in homes, businesses and retail locations. “By issuing this proposed rule, Treasury and the IRS are beginning to provide the regulatory certainty needed to move these investments forward,” Gore said.

The proposed rule will be open for public comment until mid-November, and a public hearing will be scheduled if requested. A Treasury spokesman declined to say when the rule would become final.

The following is an ‘Ask The Mayor’ question submitted to TLS, and the Mayor’s response. Email your questions for the Mayor to [email protected].

Question:

Dear Mr. Mayor,

Is there any way your engineers could make Route 9 from Route 88 to Central Avenue a double lane? It would alleviate a lot of the bottleneck at Rte. 88 and Rte 9. If the right lane can be used to exclusively make a right turn onto Central Avenue, many cars who go that way would leave room for the cars continuing straight. Additionally, when cars are making a left turn from Central onto Rte 9 North, with the left turn signal, would it be possible to have a right turn signal for those cars waiting to make a right from Rte 9 onto Central Avenue going west? The cars wait there and there is no other traffic heading in that direction while the Central to Rte 9 North cars are moving on the signal. Thank you.

Response from Mayor Coles:

Good morning. We are currently working with the DOT on that project. Committeeman Lichtenstein has been coordinating several projects with them in town. We told them this is the highest priority for us. That being said it will be difficult because the expansion would be across the lake, but DOT officials told us they feel it is doable.

Thanks

Ray

Question:

Good afternoon,

Can a turning light be added to the intersection of route 9 and central? (For cars on route 9)

Thanks!

Response from Mayor Coles:

The state is working on a redesign of that intersection.

Thanks

Ray

Question:

Hi Mr. Mayor,

I am writing to you again about Route 88. I appreciate the crossing guard at 88 and Linden and I’m sure many vehicles find it very helpful and more safe. However, it causes an extreme backup on the 88. As someone who drives down the 88 every morning I witness this every day. The crossing guard stops traffic on the 88 to allow vehicles on Linden to turn onto the 88. However, I don’t think it is done with enough time to allow the vehicles on the 88 to go. I’m sure vehicles on Linden find it extremely helpful but not the vehicles on the 88. The crossing guard has to understand that the 88 needs more time with the “green signal”.

Thank you.

Response from Mayor Coles:

I will ask Traffic and safety to work with the guard and help smooth things out.

Question:

Dear Mayor,

In the early 1800’s in the city of London they put groves in the streets to make it easier for street cars to travel on the unpaved street. Around WW2 cities began to rip up there street car tracks and replace them with buses. One of the reason was because it was a lot easier and cheaper to change the route. You only had to draw it on a paper not rip up track.

The WestGate Shuttle has been running for over 20 years on the same route. I have heard that some people in A Country Place wont a township bus to there complex. If that is the case maybe it’s time to reroute the WestGate Shuttle to accommodate them?

I have added a map that shows how easy it would be to reroute the WestGate shuttle.

Thanks

Ray

Response from Mayor Coles:

Thank you. We are always looking to improve our service. I will send this to our route coordinator and ask him to see what we can do.

Take Care

Ray

—————–

Have a question for the Mayor? Send it to [email protected]

Have a question for the Chief? Send it to [email protected]

The Israel Defense Forces has entered a new stage in the conflict against Iran’s regional terrorist proxies, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Wednesday, speaking shortly before a second wave of explosions hit Hezbollah communications devices across Beirut and Southern Lebanon.

“I estimate that we are at the beginning of a new period in this war,” he declared, speaking at the Ramat David Airbase near Haifa.

“The center of gravity is moving to the north. This means that we are moving forces, resources and energy to the north,” the defense minister said. “We did not forget the hostages, and we did not forget our missions in the south. This is our duty, and we carry it out simultaneously.”

Regarding the looming war with Hezbollah, he said “this operation is carried out by all the [security] bodies, and the mission is clear and simple: To bring the residents of the north back to their homes safely.”

The IDF is making “excellent achievements together with the Shin Bet [internal security agency], together with the Mossad,” Gallant noted.

“The prime minister, the chief of staff, the head of the Shin Bet, of the Mossad, and the defense minister, all of them are participating in a joint effort, with one goal in mind, to bring the residents back,” he added.

Hezbollah, a proxy of Iran, “is not Hamas … and we need to take this into account. We need consistency over time. This war requires courage, determination and perseverance,” according to the defense minister.

Gallant’s office released the remarks shortly after more communications devices used by Hezbollah exploded across the terrorist organization’s main strongholds in Beirut and Southern Lebanon, killing at least nine.

According to the Lebanese government, more than 300 Hezbollah operatives sustained wounds in the latest series of device blasts.

On Tuesday, 2,700-plus Hezbollah operatives were wounded and at least 12 were killed in Lebanon when their pagers exploded, with the terrorist organization saying it held the Jewish state “fully responsible.”

The Israel Defense Forces declined to comment on Tuesday’s incident, which came just hours after the Israeli Cabinet added the return of citizens displaced from their homes in the north to the country’s war goals, bringing a potential major clash with Hezbollah closer to reality.

Iran-backed Hezbollah has attacked Israel nearly daily since Oct. 8, firing thousands of rockets, missiles and drones. The attacks have so far killed more than 40 people and caused widespread damage. Tens of thousands of civilians remain internally displaced due to the violence.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi on Wednesday night approved “attack and defense plans for the north,” the army said.

“We still have many capabilities that we have not yet activated, I repeat, we have not yet activated. We saw some of these things here,” Halevi stated in remarks made at the Northern Command base in Tzfas.

“The rule is that every time we work on a certain stage, the next two stages are already ready to advance. At each stage, the price for Hezbollah must be high,” the Israeli army chief concluded.

Earlier on Wednesday, IDF Northern Command Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin said the army is striving to subdue Hezbollah’s threat on the northern border and “change the security reality as soon as possible.”

A U.S. official told ABC News on Tuesday that Hezbollah and its Iranian patrons will likely retaliate against Israel for the pager attacks, but “it could take them time to do so while they assess what happened.”

Israeli security officials also believe that Hezbollah is preparing for a large-scale assault in response to the attack attributed to Yerushalayim, the Israeli Kan News public broadcaster reported on Tuesday night.

(JNS)

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) has come under fire for her criticism of Israel’s covert actions in Lebanon. In a post on X, Ocasio-Cortez condemned the explosion of devices allegedly detonated by the Mossad, which, according to her, caused significant civilian casualties. She asserted that the devices were detonated “across a slew of public spaces, seriously injuring and killing innocent civilians.”

AOC went further in her critique, claiming the attack “clearly and unequivocally violates international humanitarian law and undermines US efforts to prevent a wider conflict.” She called for accountability, requesting “a full account of the attack, including an answer from the State Department as to whether any US assistance went into the development or deployment of this technology.”

The congresswoman also shared a post from fellow progressive Senator Bernie Sanders, in which he announced the filing of “Joint Resolutions of Disapproval to stop the sale of U.S. arms to Israel and end our complicity in this disaster.”

AOC has conveniently ignored Hezbollah’s indiscriminate firing of thousands of missiles and drones at northern Israeli communities, forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents who are still displaced and living out of hotels. She has also completely ignored one specific missile attack which landed in the town of Majdal Shams, killing 12 Bedouin children. But when Israel blows up the devices of Hezbollah terrorists, she runs to condemn it as a “war crime.” Just in case you were wondering where her allegiances lie…

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Jerusalem’s Old City and Yehuda and Shomron must be judenrein within a year, according to a Palestinian-drafted resolution, which the U.N. General Assembly passed on Wednesday.

The resolution, which passed by a 124-14 margin with 43 abstentions, is meant to give force to a July advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice, which declared Israeli presence to be illegal in any area over the 1949 armistice line.

More than 40 countries sponsored the resolution, which was the first that Palestinians filed after being granted unprecedented privileges, for a non-U.N. member, earlier this year.

The resolution calls on the Israel Defense Forces to withdraw completely from Yehuda and Shomron, eastern Yerushalayim and Gaza within 12 months, which means evacuating all Jewish communities beyond the armistice line, including Yerushalayim’s Old City.

It also bans arms sales to the IDF of any equipment that would be expected reasonably to be used in the territory over the 1949 lines and calls for a boycott of all products produced by Jews in those areas.

The resolution text lacks any mention of Israeli security concerns, historic ties to the lands or Hamas’s terror attacks in Israel on Oct. 7.

The vote came after a day of debate on Tuesday.

Argentina, Czechia, Fiji, Hungary, Malawi, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Tonga, Tuvalu and the United States joined Israel in opposing the resolution.

Notably, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Ukraine and Australia were among those who abstained.

General Assembly resolutions have no legal force, but the resolution’s passage on Wednesday is expected to be used in international courts and other fora to seek additional action against the Jewish state.

It is widely expected that the Palestinians will request that the U.N. Security Council take up the issue. Security Council resolutions are binding, but the United States would be expected to thwart such an effort, including with its veto power.

Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, called it “a shameful decision that backs the Palestinian Authority’s diplomatic terrorism.”

He added that the General Assembly “continues to dance to the music of the Palestinian Authority, which backs the Hamas murderers.”

Before the vote, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres told reporters he would back the implementation of the resolution should it pass.

Seth Riklin and Daniel Mariaschin, president and CEO respectively of B’nai B’rith International, said that the international nonprofit is “appalled” by the “atrocious” resolution.

“B’nai B’rith International strongly condemns the U.N. General Assembly’s passage of the first resolution officially sponsored by Palestinians days after they became the first non-member state group further upgraded to many member state privileges at the U.N. General Assembly, despite the world body’s own rules and practices,” the duo stated.

“Coming from an assembly in which Arab and other pro-Palestinian governments wield an automatic majority to annually condemn Israel more than all other countries combined, the motion is unprecedented in its shamelessly one-sided endorsement of Palestinian claims and political demands, and further erodes the U.N.’s credibility as a serious contributor to promoting conflict-resolution and universal human rights,” they added.

“Shame on all countries that enabled this atrocious affront to justice and peace as part of the latest UNGA ’emergency session’ on the Middle East that does nothing to help seriously address and settle the emergency,” Riklin and Mariaschin said.

Arsen Ostrovsky and Nadav Steinman, CEO and board chair respectively of the International Legal Forum, stated that “today, simply put, the United Nations has become the diplomatic arm of Hamas” and that the resolution “is just the latest in a litany of obscenely one-sided anti-Israel resolutions at the U.N. since Oct. 7.”

“All it does is reward the murderers, rapists and abductors of Hamas while pouring further fuel on worldwide antisemitism and eroding whatever remaining credibility of the already problematic and politicized International Court of Justice, upon which this resolution is meant to be based,” they added. “Ultimately, peace will only prevail when Hamas is defeated and the hostages are released, not through tiresome antics and pyrrhic Palestinian ‘victories’ at the U.N.”

(JNS)

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) reaffirmed on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia would not recognize Israel without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. In one of his strongest condemnation of Israel since the Oct. 7 massacre, MBS denounced what he described as the “crimes of the Israeli occupation” against Palestinians.

“The kingdom will not stop its tireless work towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital,” MBS said during his annual address to the Shura Council. He added, “We affirm that the kingdom will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that.”

These remarks come after Saudi Arabia paused US-backed plans to normalize ties with Israel following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas in October. According to sources familiar with the kingdom’s diplomatic priorities, the conflict prompted Riyadh to delay normalization efforts as it reassessed its approach to regional relations.

Just weeks before the fighting erupted, MBS had indicated that Saudi Arabia was making progress toward an agreement with Israel. However, following the violence, sources noted that the US-backed talks aimed at normalization would likely face delays. Despite the potential setbacks, the kingdom remains focused on securing a US defense pact, which it sees as a key prize in exchange for any future diplomatic ties with Israel.

MBS delivered his remarks on behalf of his father, King Salman, during the annual Shura Council session, where council members also swore an oath of office before the crown prince.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

(JTA) — The genetic testing company 23andMe has agreed to pay $30 million to American plaintiffs to settle a lawsuit over a data breach last year that specifically targeted customers of Ashkenazi Jewish and Chinese ancestry.

The breach, which occurred last October, affected more than 6.9 million customers and included users’ personal details such as their location, name and birthdate, as well as some information about their family trees. That data was shared on BreachForums, an online forum used by cybercriminals.

According to court documents, the data breach was revealed Oct. 6 after a hacker going by the pseudonym “Golem,” a reference to the Jewish mythical defender made of clay, published a link to a database labeled “ashkenazi DNA Data of Celebrities.” According to the lawsuit, the hacker referred to the list as “the most valuable data you’ll ever see,” though most of the names were not famous.

In total, 999,998 individuals with Ashkenazi heritage were included on the list, which also contained data from another 100,000 people with Chinese ancestry. “Golem” also claimed to possess the data of 350,000 users with Chinese heritage and offered to sell data from both sets of information for a fee.

According to the complaint, 23andMe did not disclose the full extent of the breach to its customers until December, when the company stated that the hackers were able to access the large number of accounts by initially hacking a smaller number of accounts, and then gaining access to information from other accounts through the site’s “Family Tree” and “DNA Relatives” features.

Complainants alleged in court documents that in addition to their data being stolen, 23andMe misrepresented how secure its users’ data was. They alleged that the data “is now in the hands of cybercriminals and is readily available to download by anyone with access to the hacking forum.”

In a statement to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 23andMe said, “We continue to believe this settlement is in the best interest of 23andMe customers, and we look forward to finalizing the agreement.”

In her first solo and unscripted interview since succeeding Joe Biden atop the Democratic Party, Vice President Kamala Harris touted the Biden administration’s decision to pause the delivery of certain munitions to Israel as the country continues its 11-month war with Hamas in Gaza.

Speaking at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) conference in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Harris pointed to the suspension of 2,000-pound bombs as a key move by the White House to push Israel toward a ceasefire. “One of the things that we’ve done that I’m entirely supportive of is the pause that we put on the 2000-pound bombs,” Harris stated, emphasizing that the administration had used its leverage to encourage a peaceful resolution. “So, there is some leverage that we have had and used,” she added.

“I absolutely believe that this war has to end, and it has to end as soon as possible,” she said.

https://yeshivaworlds3.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/18082851/WhatsApp-Video-2024-09-18-at-7.20.05-AM.mp4

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly criticized the U.S. decision to delay munitions in a social media post from mid-June. He likened the situation to World War II, invoking Winston Churchill’s plea to the U.S. for weapons to defeat the Axis powers. “Give us the tools and we’ll finish the job a lot faster,” Netanyahu said, calling the Biden administration’s actions “inconceivable.”

The White House defended its stance, with national security communications adviser John Kirby saying, “It was perplexing to say the least, certainly disappointing.” Kirby noted that no other country has done more to support Israel in its fight against Hamas. He reiterated that while the administration paused delivery of the 2,000-pound bombs, other weapon systems were not withheld.

However, shortly after Netanyahu’s comments, Republican Senators Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) echoed the prime minister’s concerns, accusing the Biden administration of delaying a broader range of arms sales to Israel, including F-15 fighter jets and smart bomb kits. They argued that the administration had withheld formal notifications required to finalize these sales, thus delaying their delivery.

Cotton further criticized the administration’s handling of the situation, accusing it of engaging in “sleight-of-hand” tactics. “Your administration has manipulated this requirement by withholding formal notification to Congress of approved weapons sales,” Cotton said, claiming that the administration was playing politics with the nation’s honor and Israel’s security.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Tupperware, a household brand once so popular it became the name of an entire product category, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Tuesday as consumers’ evolving shopping behaviors and increased competition led to slumping sales.

“Over the last several years, the Company’s financial position has been severely impacted by the challenging macroeconomic environment,” Laurie Ann Goldman, president and chief executive of Tupperware, said in a statement. “As a result, we explored numerous strategic options and determined this is the best path forward.”

Tupperware, which came close to finding itself in this position last year, will seek court approval to start a sale process for the business to protect its brand and advance its “transformation into a digital-first, technology-led company,” the company said.

The Orlando-based food storage company will also seek court approval to continue operating during the bankruptcy process, including continuing to pay employees, as well as compensating vendors and suppliers for goods and services provided on or after the filing date.

“We plan to continue serving our valued customers with the high-quality products they love and trust throughout this process,” Goldman added.

A retailer or another homewares group may be interested in purchasing the brand, said Neil Saunders, managing director of analytics firm GlobalData, but only for a low price, given the brand’s waning growth prospects.

The news comes just more than a year after the company narrowly avoided bankruptcy. In August 2023, four months after Tupperware expressed “substantial doubt” about its viability amid declining sales, the company announced a deal to restructure its debt. Tupperware reduced its interest payments on debt by $150 million, secured a borrowing capacity of up to $21 million, cut its debt by $55 million and got a deadline extension to repay $348 million in interest and fees to the 2027 fiscal year.

Executives were “confident” in the restructuring plan, chief financial officer Mariela Matute said in a news release at the time.

A year later, the plan didn’t have legs to sustain the company. In June, Tupperware reported it was shuttering its only U.S. facility, in Hemingway, S.C., and would start laying off almost 150 employees later this month and through early next year, Retail Dive reported.

Founded in 1946 by chemist Earl Tupper, the food container brand quickly became a household name as women began selling the product in their homes in what was coined Tupperware parties.

But the business model that once enabled the company’s rise eventually led to its fall. Despite adapting to direct-to-consumer sales and stocking shelves in Target, increased competition and diminishing nostalgia around the brand led to declining sales.

Consumers are also seeking inexpensive alternatives, Saunders said. “Competition has intensified over recent years with the rise of cheaper platforms like Temu, and with retailers like Target innovating more with their own home storage and kitchenware brands,” he said.

(c) Washington Post

Americans can now renew their passports online, bypassing a cumbersome mail-in paper application process that often caused delays.

The State Department announced Wednesday that its online passport renewal system is now fully operational.

“By offering this online alternative to the traditional paper application process, the Department is embracing digital transformation to offer the most efficient and convenient passport renewal experience possible,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

After staffing shortages caused mainly by the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in lengthy passport processing delays, the department ramped up hiring and introduced other technological improvements that have reduced wait times by about one-third over last year. It says most applications are now completed in far less than the advertised six weeks to eight weeks and the online renewal system is expected to further reduce that.

The system will allow renewal applicants to skip the current process, which requires them to print out and send paper applications and a check by mail, and submit their documents and payment through a secure website, www.Travel.State.Gov/renewonline.

(AP)

CANNAN LIDOR (JNS) — Roughly two months after the expiration of the mandate of both of Israel’s chief rabbis, their acting replacement is also out of a title as of Monday, along with the rest of the Chief Rabbinate Council.

The result of a political power struggle between the Rabbinate and the High Court of Justice over women’s representation and the clergy’s independence, this development may affect kosher certification and several other areas of life in Israel unless it’s addressed soon, according to both critics and advocates of the Rabbinate.

Beyond its practical implications, the temporary breakdown within the Chief Rabbinate underlines growing tensions between an interventionist judiciary that critics say is excessively liberal, and state-employed clerics who opponents say are too rigid and inattentive to the needs of the public.

On Monday, the government submitted a bill that would extend the mandate of the Chief Rabbinate’s Council, the Rabbinate’s governing body, until Dec. 31. Separately, elections for chief rabbis are scheduled to be held this month.

The Council lost its legal mandate because of the rabbinate’s refusal to hold elections under the terms dictated in January by the High Court of Justice. Ruling on a petition by a feminist group, the court cited equality grounds in ordering the Rabbinate to consider appointing women to an elections-related position that the Rabbinate designates for rabbis only. Women cannot serve as rabbis in Orthodox Judaism.

The Rabbinate declined to hold elections under those terms, leading to the expiration of the mandate of the Sephardic and Ashkenazi chief rabbis on July 1 without successors. The court appeared to back down from this demand, facilitating the scheduling of elections for later this month. Meanwhile, though, the mandate of the Council, whose makeup is also determined in the elections, expired on Sept. 16, voiding the authority of its chair from continuing to fulfill the duties of the chief rabbis.

The bill extending the Council’s mandate will ensure the saga’s resolution, Yehuda Avidan, the director-general of the Religious Services Ministry, told JNS on Tuesday. He blamed the “overzealous court” for the impasse and added that the Rabbinate’s handling of the situation blocked judicial encroachment without compromising people in need of the institution’s services.

At stake are important areas of life entrusted to the Rabbinate, which in Israel is a state organ. It regulates kosher certification, conversion to Judaism and family and marital issues for Jews through the rabbinical court system, which is part of the judiciary and functions as a family court.

Kosher meat certification will not be affected because certification crews are already overseeing the production abroad (Israel imports most of its meat), according to a source within the Rabbinate. The crews will complete their missions, and the Council will have regained its mandate by the time they return, the source assured JNS.

Ritual circumcision, or milah, as well as divorces and marriages, are handled by religious councils, which are local municipal branches of the Rabbinate, the source added. The expiration of the Council’s mandate does not affect the local branches’ work but it does prevent the appointment of new staff, according to the source.

“In essence, you have a small gap that will be resolved quickly and remain unnoticeable to those who rely on the Rabbinate’s services,” said Avidan.

Avidan defended the decision not to hold elections in the Chief Rabbinate under terms dictated by the court.

“It was a classic slippery slope. The court’s demand that women be appointed to a position reserved for rabbis would have created a precedent that before long would lead to new demands to appoint women city rabbis and ultimately women chief rabbis. We value women and respect them but this does not comply with Jewish tradition, whose preservation the Rabbinate is entrusted to maintain,” Avidan told JNS.

The Rabbinate this month agreed to hold elections on Sept. 29 in Jerusalem. The decision to hold elections followed a High Court of Justice ruling on Aug. 8 that effectively lifted the court’s previous requirement that women be considered to serve under the title of “rabbi” on the Chief Rabbinate’s electing assembly of 150 people.

In the context of a 1980 law regulating the Chief Rabbinate’s work, the designation of “rabbi” may apply also to women versed in Jewish law, the court ruled in January. The Rabbinate must therefore consider appointing women to a category of 10 rabbis whom chief rabbis may by law appoint to the electing assembly, according to the ruling. Its Aug. 8 ruling cleared the path for scrapping the entire category of 10 appointed rabbis and allowed an election with only 140 delegates.

Half of the remaining 140 delegates comprise 70 municipal rabbis affiliated with the Chief Rabbinate, who are all men. The other half is made up of delegates who are not rabbis, including mayors, lawmakers, cabinet ministers, and other public representatives, some of whom are women.

“The court eventually realized it could not coerce the Rabbinate to declare women as rabbis or consider them for rabbinical positions, opening the road to an election. Better late than never,” said Avidan.

By Idy Perl

Earlier this year Mayor Adams announced the first annual Urban Rat Summit, at which experts from around the states and Canada will come together find solutions to deal with New York City’s rat problem, as was reported by BoroPark24 back in May. 

The summit will be taking place this week, from September 18-19. Mayor Adams has announced additional details about the event, including some of the speakers who will be presenting. The first day of the summit will start with introductory remarks by NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan and Dr. Matt Frye from the NYS Integrated Pest Management Program at Cornell University, followed by presentations from multiple researchers and experts. The second day of the summit will focus on rat mitigation methods that can be implemented in parks, sewers, alleys, yards and construction sites. 

“I’m excited to welcome my fellow generals in the ‘War on Rats’ to our great city for the inaugural National Urban Rat Summit,” Mayor Adams said. “Thanks to our citywide integrated pest management strategy and our ‘Trash Revolution,’ we are giving rats the boot, driving down rat sightings, and improving quality of life across the five boroughs. We’re looking forward to sharing new strategies and best practices for rat mitigation and reduction over the course of the summit.”

WASHINGTON — (VINnews) A large Jewish advocacy group is urging Democratic Governor Jay Inslee to take action after Jewish students, faculty, and community members were “evacuated” from a meeting at the University of Washington. The administration handed over the building to anti-Israel protesters.

At a meeting of the university’s board of regents,the protesters shouted down speakers who were there to testify about the antisemitism Jewish students face on campus, as well as BDS support.

🧵EXCLUSIVE: Jewish students and community members, @UW faculty, administration and Board of Regents were evacuated today after anti-Israel activists took over a meeting

The antisemitic activists were not removed and staged a sit in pic.twitter.com/PWwxkXHDg0

— Ari Hoffman (@thehoffather) September 12, 2024

One of the speakers was Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle CEO Solomon Kane whose “remarks were met with one of the most vile, outrageous displays of antisemitism to be witnessed at a public meeting in the United States of America in recent memory,” said Jewish Federations of North America Chair Julie Platt and President and CEO Eric D. Fingerhut in the letter to Inslee.

They added, “To make matters worse, the board, a public body duly chartered by the State of Washington, did nothing to remove the disrupters, but instead chose to adjourn the meeting rather than to ensure the right of this speaker and the others who had planned to speak to proceed. The board has so far taken no legal or disciplinary action against the disrupters,” and noted that Kane had to be escorted by police from the premises for his physical safety.

The letter concluded, “These are all basic expectations that shouldn’t need to be requested. Nothing short of these steps can hope to restore confidence in the integrity of the university or its intention to uphold the values of free speech, mutual respect, and opposition to antisemitism that are cornerstones of American civil society.”

Inslee and Washington’s Democratic Attorney General Bob Ferguson, both UW alumni, have been slammed for their inaction and silence as antisemitism has spread not only on the campus but across the state.

Outgoing Board of Regents Chair David Zeeck and Incoming Board of Regents Chair Blaine Tamaki spoke with Seattle radio host Ari Hoffman.

In a statement to the show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, they said, “Speakers addressing labor issues and those calling for divestment from Israel had spoken without interruption, but when Jewish speakers opposed to divestment and concerned about antisemitism on campus began their comments, protestors repeatedly interrupted and shouted them down. Despite repeated warnings to stop and clear the room, protestors continued their chants to shut down the meeting.”

Last school year Jewish students and faculty were harassed and blocked from walking on campus, Israeli and American flags were stolen and destroyed, antisemitic slurs were used against Jewish students, buildings were vandalized with antisemitic and anti-cop graffiti, and vigils and rallies were held for terrorists.

Students who engaged in vandalism and antisemitic attacks suffered no disciplinary action.

Israeli Air Force fighter jets early on Wednesday shot down a drone from Iraq that was approaching the Kinneret, the military said.

The Kinneret is situated in the northeastern part of the country between the Golan Heights and the Galil regions.

The interception came after sirens sounded in Tiveryah and several other communities between 4:32 and 4:36 a.m. local time. Sirens again sounded after the UAV was shot down due to the possibility of falling shrapnel.

There were no injuries reported in the incident.

Also on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces reported the interception of a drone that crossed from Lebanon into the area off the coast of Rosh HaNikra. Since the UAV was shot down over the Mediterranean Sea, no sirens were activated.

Sirens that sounded in the area of Metula near the Lebanese border and in the Upper Galil area in the morning hours were false alarms, according to the IDF.

During its nearly year-long war against Hamas in Gaza, Israel has faced attacks from multiple fronts, including at times from the eastern border. An example of the latter was a drone intercepted by Israel’s aerial defense array on the night of Sept. 3.

The drone did not cross into Israeli territory and no injuries were reported, according to the military. According to Israeli media reports, it was shot down over Jordan.

A group of Iranian-backed militias calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that it had launched drones at the Port of Chaifa.

A naval base building in the southern Israeli city of Eilat was lightly damaged by a drone attack earlier this year.

The UAV was launched from Iraq and entered Israeli territory from Jordan.

“IDF soldiers identified a suspicious aerial target that crossed from the east towards Israeli territory. The target fell in the area of the Gulf of Eilat. No injuries were reported and there was light damage caused to a building,” the IDF said at the time.

(JNS)

Beverly Hills, CA – The Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce (OJC) marked the launch of its Western Region office with an exclusive event in Beverly Hills, celebrating the installation of Rabbi Pini Dunner, senior rabbi at Beverly Hills Synagoge, as its new Chair. The gathering, which took place at a private Beverly Hills residence, brought together a diverse group of influential business leaders, including investors, family office representatives, investment bankers, high-tech companies, trade representatives from Poland, Hungary, Israel, and consul generals, underscoring the Chamber’s dedication to fostering economic growth and collaboration across various sectors.

In his address (see below) the Rabbi outlined his vision for the Chamber’s future. He emphasized the importance of building networks, creating synergies, and leveraging opportunities to strengthen both local and global Jewish business communities. Rabbi Dunner’s address was complemented by remarks from Duvi Honig, Founder and CEO of the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce, who spoke about the Chamber’s expanding role in advocating for Jewish business interests and promoting pro-business policies.

The event also featured special presentations to Beverly Hills Vice Mayor Sharona Nazarian and Beverly Hills Police Department Chief Mark Stainbrook, acknowledging their significant contributions to the community. Both honorees expressed their appreciation and spoke about the importance of unity, safety, and economic development in Beverly Hills, aligning with the Chambers values.

Special guest Professor Asher Cohen, President of Hebrew University in Jerusalem, delivered the keynote address, sharing insights into the innovative developments at Hebrew University and the vital role academic institutions play in driving business and technological advancements.

During the event, Rabbi Dunner announced two significant initiatives aimed at expanding the Chamber’s impact. The first is the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce Business & Trade Mission to Israel**,** planned for early 2025, with the possible inclusion of the UAE. The mission will provide participants with unique opportunities to meet business leaders, explore start-up opportunities, and engage with government officials.

The second initiative is the launch of a West Coast Pavilion at the upcoming JBiz Expo, scheduled to take place on December 9-10, 2024, at Harrah’s Waterfront Conference Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The West Coast Pavilion will showcase businesses from the Western Region, highlighting innovation and talent to national and global markets. The JBiz Expo is a premier business-to-business networking event organized by the OJC, featuring industry experts, government collaborations, and numerous opportunities for growth and partnership.

L-R: BHPD Chief Mark Stainbrook, Hungary Consul General István Gróf, event host Natalie Wizman, Beverly Hills Vice Mayor Sharona Nazarian, OJC Global Ambassador Karen Setian, OJC CEO Duvi Honig, OJC Western Region Chair Rabbi Pini Dunner, Head of Foreign Trade Poland Consulate Anna Debecka, Polish Investment & Trade Agency representative Aleksander Skrzypek, Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce CEO Todd Johnson

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly strongly supported a nonbinding Palestinian resolution Wednesday demanding that Israel end its “unlawful presence” in Gaza and the West Bank within a year.

The vote in the 193-member world body was 124-14, with 43 abstentions. Among those in opposition was the United States, Israel’s closest ally.

The resolution was adopted as Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza approaches its first anniversary and as violence in the West Bank reaches new highs. Troubled efforts to broker a cease-fire deal in Gaza are pressing ahead, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meeting fellow mediators Wednesday in Egypt, even as attacks elsewhere in the region raise fears of escalating conflict in the Middle East.

The disgusting and flagrant resolution submitted by the Palestinian Mission to the @UN targeting the Jewish State of Israel and its rightful control over its historic homeland is a clear insult to the Jewish people and anyone who understands history.

Today, I joined… https://t.co/yX5Ocxj1nT

— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) September 18, 2024

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. ambassador, called the vote a turning point “in our struggle for freedom and justice.”

“It sends a clear message that Israel’s occupation must end as soon as possible and that the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination must be realized,” he said.

Israel’s U.N. Ambassador, Danny Danon, slammed the vote as “a shameful decision that backs the Palestinian Authority’s diplomatic terrorism.”

“Instead of marking the anniversary of the Oct. 7 massacre by condemning Hamas and calling for the release of all 101 of the remaining hostages, the General Assembly continues to dance to the music of the Palestinian Authority, which backs the Hamas murderers,” Danon said.

The U.S. mission to the U.N. called the resolution “one-sided,” pointing to its failure to recognize that Hamas, “a terrorist organization,” still exerts power in Gaza and to state that Israel has a right to defend itself from acts of terrorism.

“This resolution will not bring about tangible progress for Palestinians,” the U.S. said. “In fact, it could both complicate efforts to end the conflict in Gaza and impede reinvigorating steps toward a two-state solution, while ignoring Israel’s very real security concerns.”

While the resolution is not legally binding, the extent of its support reflects world opinion. There are no vetoes in the General Assembly, unlike in the 15-member Security Council.

The resolution also demands the withdrawal of all Israeli forces and the evacuation of settlers from the occupied Palestinian territories “without delay.” And it urges countries to impose sanctions on those responsible for maintaining Israel’s presence in the territories and halt arms exports to Israel if they’re suspected of being used there.

In addition, the resolution calls for Israel to pay reparations to Palestinians for the damage caused by its occupation and urges countries to take steps to prevent trade or investments that maintain Israel’s presence in the territories.

It comes in response to a ruling by the top United Nations court in July that said Israel’s presence in the Palestinian territories is unlawful and must end. The court’s opinion also is not legally binding.

In the sweeping condemnation of Israel’s rule over the lands it captured during the 1967 war, the International Court of Justice said Israel had no right to sovereignty over the territories and was violating international laws against acquiring the lands by force.

The General Assembly’s consideration of the resolution began Tuesday with Mansour stressing that any country that thinks the Palestinian people “will accept a life of servitude” — or that claims peace is possible without a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — is “not being realistic.”

The solution remains an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side in peace and security with Israel, he said.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International also urged Israel to heed the call to end its occupation.

The resolution asks U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to submit a report to the General Assembly within three months on putting the resolution in place, “including any actions taken by Israel, other states and international organizations, including the United Nations.”

“We fully abide by the decisions of the International Court of Justice,” Guterres told reporters. “I will implement any decision of the General Assembly in that regard.”

Mansour said most likely Israel won’t pay attention to the resolution and that the Palestinians will then follow up with a stronger one.

By Idy Perl

Last night a frightening incident took place on OceanParkway near Cortelyou Road.

A suspect approached a man sitting on a bench and asked himfor money. When the person declined, the perp started aggressively yelling athim, which made the man start to walk away.

As they approached Avenue C and East 3rd, thesuspect pulled out a gun and threatened to kill the man. He then quickly tookout a knife and stabbed the victim in the side of his head and robbed him.

The perp fled and was gone before the police arrived on thescene. The victim was transported to Maimonides Hospital in stable condition.

The suspect is described as an Indian male with a ponytail andwas wearing all black. He is still at large.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday criticized Republican Donald Trump’s promise to deport millions of people who are in the United States illegally, questioning whether he would rely on massive raids and detention camps to carry it out.

Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, told the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s annual leadership conference that the nation can find both a pathway to citizenship for those who want to come and at the same time secure the border.

“We can do both, and we must do both,” she said.

Trump, for his part, was heading to Uniondale on New York’s Long Island as both candidates took a break Wednesday from campaigning in the toss-up states that will likely decide the Nov. 5 election.

Harris harked back to the Trump administration’s immigration policies as she bid for Hispanic support.

“While we fight to move our nation forward to a brighter future, Donald Trump and his extremist allies will keep trying to pull us backward,” Harris said. “We all remember what they did to tear families apart, and now they have pledged to carry out the largest deportation, a mass deportation, in American history.”

“Imagine what that would look like and what that would be? How’s that going to happen? Massive raids? Massive detention camps? What are they talking about?” she said.

Former president Trump has promised to carry out “the largest deportation operation in the history of our country” if he’s elected in November. He has offered no details on how such an operation would work.

Trump, who has leaned into immigration as a top campaign issue, has an advantage over Harris in opinion polling on whom voters trust to better handle the issue.

Trump was expected in Uniondale later in the day, visiting an area that could be key to Republicans maintaining control of the House. His party is trying to protect 18 Republicans in Democratic-heavy congressional districts that Joe Biden carried in 2020, particularly in coastal New York and California, and going on offense to challenge Democrats elsewhere.

Long Island in particular features one of the most closely watched races, between first-term Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito and Democrat Laura Gillen. D’Esposito is a former New York Police detective who won in 2022 in a district that Biden won by about 15 percentage points in 2020.

Trump posted Tuesday on his Truth Social platform that the GOP has “a real chance of winning” New York “for the first time in many decades.” In that same post, Trump also pledged that he would “get SALT back,” suggesting he would eliminate a cap on state and local tax deductions that were part of tax cut legislation he signed into law in 2017.

The so-called SALT cap has led to bigger tax bills for many residents of New York, New Jersey, California and other high-cost, high-tax states, and is an important campaign issue in those states, particularly among those New York Republicans serving in districts Biden won.

Harris’ speech to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute marked the second day in a row that she has tended to constituencies considered key to the Democratic Party.

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates Wednesday by a half-point, turning the page on an era of dangerously high inflation and marking a major shift at the central bank that could bring relief for households and businesses alike.

The rate cut, announced at the end of the Fed’s two-day policy meeting, marks the first time officials trimmed borrowing costs since the pandemic’s early days. And while officials were practically guaranteed to cut rates this week, it was unclear how aggressively they were going to move.

The Fed’s benchmark rate now sits between 4.75 and 5 percent.

At 2:30 p.m., Fed Chair Jerome H. Powell will appear at what will be a closely watched news conference. He’ll be pressed for a diagnosis of the job market, and on whether he thinks Fed policy is responsible for the recent pullback in hiring. Powell will also probably get questions on how much Fed officials expect to lower rates in the coming years to get to a more “neutral” setting, where policy isn’t stifling the economy or pumping it up.

Officials at the central bank have shifted their attention from high inflation to a slowing job market, mindful that they have fallen behind the curve before. In 2021, Fed leaders thought rising inflation would be a temporary blip of the covid economy – only to be proved wrong, which led them to rush to hoist interest rates at the fastest pace in decades. Now, the fear is that people could quickly lose their jobs and the unemployment rate could climb further if the Fed delays much more.

“We do not seek or welcome further cooling in labor market conditions,” Powell said in his most important speech of the year at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium last month.

This week’s decision came at an especially consequential time ahead of the presidential election. The Fed closely guards its independence from politics, and officials go to great lengths to stick to their mandate of stable prices and full employment. But a rate cut of any size gives some juice to the economy as Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump are pitching their economic visions to voters. The Fed is also widely expected to cut rates again at its next meeting, in November – the week of the election.

The Fed’s deliberate, at-times sluggish approach had economists expecting a quarter-point cut. But in the past few days, financial markets leaned more toward a half-point move, especially after August inflation data showed continued progress toward the Fed’s 2 percent target. (According to the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, prices were up 2.5 percent in July.)

Momentum on inflation meant that for much of the year, officials have talked about a balance of risks: If they cut rates too soon, they run the risk of inflation creeping back up. Or if they wait for total assurance that inflation is cruising to normal levels, they could unnecessarily hurt the job market.

A recent string of data made those hypothetical scenarios more real. July jobs numbers came in way below expectations, and while August’s figures were more in line with expectations, the unemployment rate remains above 4 percent. Big revisions to government data also showed hiring was much slower than previously understood in 2023 and early 2024. That all has prompted Fed officials to change their tune.

“In light of the considerable and ongoing progress toward the [Fed’s] 2 percent inflation goal, I believe that the balance of risks has shifted toward the employment side of our dual mandate, and that monetary policy needs to adjust accordingly,” Fed governor Christopher Waller said in a speech earlier this month.

Some in Washington called for the Fed to go even further. On Monday, three Democratic senators – Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.) and John Hickenlooper (Colo.) – called for a three-quarter-point cut, arguing Powell’s “delays have threatened the economy and left the Fed behind the curve.” While Warren and others started urging for cuts long before Fed officials were ready, such a big move is incredibly rare outside emergency situations.

(c) Washington Post

Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-NY) is still waiting for a response from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding his inquiry into the ongoing suspension of flights to Israel by U.S. airlines. Molinaro, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, requested clarification from FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker on whether the agency had advised or encouraged airlines to halt flights to Israel. The congressman set a deadline of Sept. 6 but has yet to receive a reply.

“With no answers and Jewish travelers left in limbo, there’s a growing perception that the FAA and Department of Transportation are involved in anti-Israel politics. They fear this is a boycott,” Molinaro said in a statement to Jewish Insider.

An FAA spokesperson responded to the inquiry, saying the agency would “respond directly” to the congressman.

Last month, Molinaro sent a letter to Whitaker asking for details on any official or unofficial communications between the FAA, U.S. airlines, and the International Civil Aviation Organization over the last two months. He also requested information on how the FAA ensures that political considerations do not influence its decision-making process.

Molinaro noted the frustration of his constituents, many of whom had flights to Tel Aviv canceled with no clear timeline for resumption. He highlighted that non-U.S. airlines continue to fly into Israel without issue, while American carriers remain grounded. “Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv is considered one of the safest airports in the world,” he added.

The congressman also pointed out that the FAA’s last warning regarding Israeli airspace was issued in October 2023, following Hamas’ attack on Israel. Since then, there have been no new FAA advisories, yet U.S. airlines have maintained their suspension of flights, raising questions about the reasons behind the continued disruption.

The issue gained further attention after Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) sent a letter to the CEOs of American Airlines, Delta, and United, urging them to reconsider their flight suspensions to avoid “discrimination against the Jewish State.” Torres’ staff has reportedly been in contact with the airlines, but no official response has been provided.

The flight suspensions were extended after Iran launched missile attacks on Israel in April, which were intercepted by Israeli defense systems. American Airlines recently announced it would continue suspending flights to Israel until April 2025, while Delta has pushed its return to service until September 30, 2024. United Airlines has indefinitely suspended flights to Israel after a brief resumption earlier this year, leaving El Al as the only airline flying directly from the U.S. to Israel.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that OceanFirst Bank, N.A. has agreed to pay over $15 million to resolve allegations that it engaged in a pattern or practice of lending discrimination by redlining predominantly Black, Hispanic and Asian neighborhoods in Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean Counties.

Redlining is an illegal practice in which lenders avoid providing credit services to individuals living in communities of color because of the race, color or national origin of residents in those communities.

In October 2021, Attorney General Garland and Assistant Attorney General Clarke launched the Justice Department’s Combating Redlining Initiative, a coordinated enforcement effort to address this persistent form of discrimination against communities of color.

The initiative is expanding the department’s reach by strengthening partnerships with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country, regulatory partners, and its partners in state Attorneys General offices. Since 2021, the department has announced 13 redlining resolutions and secured over $137 million in relief for communities of color that have been the victims of lending discrimination across the country.

The Justice Department’s complaint, which was filed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, alleges that, from 2018 through at least 2022, OceanFirst Bank failed to provide mortgage lending services to predominantly Black, Hispanic, and Asian neighborhoods in Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean Counties and discouraged people seeking credit in those communities from obtaining home loans.

Specifically, the complaint alleges that OceanFirst disproportionately focused its outreach and advertising on majority-white communities, placed its branches in majority-white neighborhoods, and closed its only branches in the majority-Black, Hispanic, and Asian neighborhoods in those counties.

The Justice Department has resolved its claims via a proposed consent order, which is subject to court approval. Additionally, OceanFirst and HUD have entered into a conciliation agreement with equivalent terms. In those resolutions, OceanFirst has agreed to do the following:

• Invest at least $14 million in a loan subsidy fund to increase access to home mortgage, home improvement, and home refinance loans for residents of majority-Black, Hispanic, and Asian neighborhoods in Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean Counties;
• Spend $400,000 on community partnerships to provide services related to credit, consumer financial education, homeownership, and foreclosure prevention for residents of predominantly Black, Hispanic, and Asian neighborhoods in those counties;
• Spend $700,000 on advertising, outreach, consumer financial education, and credit counseling focused on predominantly Black, Hispanic, and Asian neighborhoods in those counties;
• Open a loan production office and maintain the bank’s recently opened full-service branch, both located in predominantly Black, Hispanic, and Asian neighborhoods in those counties, with at least one mortgage loan officer assigned to each location;
• Conduct a community credit needs assessment, evaluate its fair lending compliance management systems, and conduct staff trainings on fair lending; and
• Hire a director of community lending who will oversee the continued development of home mortgage lending in communities of color.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey opened their investigation into OceanFirst’s lending practices after receiving a referral from the bank’s regulator, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. OceanFirst cooperated with the investigation and worked with the Justice Department and HUD to resolve the redlining allegations.

(AP) – General Motors is now offering adapters to help its electric vehicle owners access Tesla chargers.

The Detroit automaker said Wednesday that it is opening up access to more than 17,800 Tesla Superchargers for its customers, with the use of a GM approved NACS DC adapter. Customers in the United States will be able to buy the adapter for $225 through GM vehicle brand mobile apps.

By using the Tesla Supercharger network, GM EV vehicle owners will have access to more than 231,800 public Level 2 and DC fast chargers in North America.

“Enabling access to even more publicly available fast chargers represents yet another way GM is focused on further improving the customer experience and making the transition to electric more seamless,” Wade Sheffer, vice president of GM Energy, said in a statement.

GM said that approved NACS DC adapters will be made available to U.S. customers first, followed by Canadian customers later this year.

RIYADH – On Wednesday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stated that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will not recognize Israel until a Palestinian state is established. He also denounced the “crimes of the Israeli occupation” against Palestinians.

“The Kingdom remains dedicated to working towards the creation of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. We emphasize that the Kingdom will not pursue diplomatic relations with Israel until this condition is met,” declared Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, often referred to as MbS.

Following the outbreak of conflict last October between Israel and the Hamas militant group governing Gaza, Saudi Arabia suspended U.S.-backed initiatives to normalize relations with Israel, as noted by two sources familiar with Riyadh’s perspective. This shift in priorities redefined the Kingdom’s diplomatic approach.

MbS, who acts as the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia, had indicated progress towards a potential deal with Israel shortly before the conflict began. According to the sources, there will be delays in the U.S.-backed negotiations regarding Saudi-Israel normalization, which are seen as a preliminary step for Saudi Arabia to secure a U.S. defense agreement.

MbS shared these comments during his annual address to the Shura Council, which he delivered on behalf of his father, King Salman. Prior to the speech, the council took an oath of office in front of MbS.

Senator Bernie Sanders is working on a series of resolutions that aim to block over $20 billion in U.S. arms sales to Israel, a bold move that, while unlikely to succeed, marks the strongest opposition from Congress regarding the destruction in Gaza. This comes ahead of the first anniversary of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

In a letter addressed to fellow senators on Wednesday, Sanders emphasized that the U.S. cannot be “complicit in this humanitarian disaster.” His actions would prompt a vote to halt arms sales to Israel, though it is improbable that a majority would support it. “Much of this carnage in Gaza has been carried out with U.S.-provided military equipment,” Sanders, an independent from Vermont, stated.

As the conflict approaches its second year and with President Joe Biden’s attempts to negotiate a cease-fire and secure the release of hostages still uncertain, Sanders’ resolutions aim to curb Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s offensive on Gaza. The war has claimed around 41,000 lives in Gaza following Hamas’s surprise attack on October 7, which killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and led to the abduction of 250 people, with militants still holding around 100 hostages.

Though the divided Senate is unlikely to pass the measures, Sanders’ effort seeks to signal to Netanyahu’s government that its military actions are undermining the historically strong bipartisan support for Israel in the U.S. Sanders mentioned that he is coordinating with other colleagues on these initiatives.

Several prominent Senate Democrats have urged the Biden administration to take steps to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas, with particular concern for the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza, where countless homes, hospitals, schools, and entire Palestinian families have been devastated.

The resolutions proposed by Sanders would stop sales of missile systems, tank ammunition, and other weapons, some of which have been identified as responsible for some of the most extreme devastation in Gaza. New fighter jets are also included in the halt. Earlier this year, Congress had already temporarily delayed certain arms sales to Israel, as legislators expressed concern over the escalating death toll.

Earlier this year, Netanyahu addressed the U.S. Congress after being invited by House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican. His confrontational speech highlighted the growing rift in the U.S. over his military campaign. Several Democrats chose to boycott the address, and many leading Democratic figures openly criticized the tone and message of Netanyahu’s speech.

According to Senate rules, once Sanders presents his resolutions next week, he can quickly trigger a vote to consider the measures. These proposals take the form of a joint resolution of disapproval regarding the arms sales, a tool that grants Congress the ability to oversee international dealings.

Although Sanders believes he will gather some support for his resolutions, they are unlikely to achieve the 51 votes required to pass in the Senate. In the House, where Republicans hold a majority and generally support Netanyahu’s strategy against Hamas, the chances of stopping the arms sales are even slimmer.

{Matzav.com}

Orange County, NY – The New York State Police and local police agencies have successfully apprehended a suspect who was being sought for several violent felony crimes out of New York City, state police announced Wednesday.

The manhunt led to a “cautionary lockout” at Monroe-Woodbury High School, Monroe-Woodbury Middle School, Central Valley Elementary, and Smith Clove Elementary. Students were dismissed an hour later than usual while the search was underway. Parents were advised to avoid picking up their children until further notice, and all after-school activities, including Club Kid, were canceled.

Following a massive police search and a major alert to all residents, the suspect, identified as Ali Ali, was considered armed and dangerous. Described as a medium-skinned Indian man, approximately 5’5” tall and 180 lbs, Ali was last seen wearing a black shirt, black pants, and no shoes. Earlier, he had attempted to evade capture by fleeing from a stolen vehicle that crashed and caught fire at NYS Thruway milepost 49, north of Exit 16.

After running into a wooded area, he was located and apprehended around 2 PM near Mineral Springs and Troutbrook.

New York State Police expressed their gratitude to the community for their cooperation and assistance during the search.

BREAKING NEWS: Massive manhunt underway in Town of Woodbury for suspect wanted for violent crimes in NYC. Police say the suspect, Ali Ali, escaped into a wooded area off I-87 after a police pursuit and fiery crash in a stolen vehicle and is believed to be armed and dangerous. pic.twitter.com/XA1liqBCKm

— Blaise Gomez (@BlaiseGomez12) September 18, 2024

MITCHELL, S.D. (AP) — The gold-leafed ceilings and crystal chandeliers of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort are a long way from the small town of Murdo, South Dakota, where Sen. John Thune grew up. But that’s where the senator found himself this spring as he launched a bid to become the next Senate Republican leader.

Even before Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced he would end the longest leadership tenure in Senate history, Thune, 63, had approached the contest with the same quiet intensity — fueled by an aversion to losing — he learned on the basketball court and track of Murdo’s high school.

The outcome of the secret leadership ballot, expected after the November election, is deeply uncertain. It’s a weighty choice for Senate Republicans as they leave the McConnell era, creating a test of whether someone like Thune, who defines himself by the party’s traditional values and has at times defied Trump’s wishes, can still rise to power.

Senators John Cornyn of Texas, a former whip and strong fundraiser, and Rick Scott of Florida, a Trump ally, are also running for leader. Others could still jump in the race.

Thune acknowledges moments of doubt about his place in the party. He agonized over whether to run again in 2022, even as a clear path to Senate leadership awaited him.

“You tire of just the day-to-day combat,” Thune said of his deliberations. “I may not be best-suited to the times in terms of the style, the way I do things. But I just felt like the country was going to need some common-sense leadership, particularly if Sen. McConnell stepped aside.”

So it was that Thune made the journey to Mar-a-Lago. It’s his hope the visit — along with his endorsement of Trump for president — will help convince Trump they can work together.

Thune told The Associated Press he views their potential relationship “very professionally,” and if they both win their respective elections, “then we’ve got a job to do.”

“I think he understands where I’m coming from, so we’ll see what happens,” Thune added with a chuckle.

Throughout his political career, the South Dakota Republican has shown an athlete’s grit and sense for being in the right place at the right time. He struck up a mentorship in high school with former South Dakota Sen. James Abdnor that led to his start in politics. He came back from a gut-wrenching 2002 Senate race loss to successfully challenge then-Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, a Democrat, and rise to hold the Senate whip position, No. 2 in GOP leadership.

This year, Thune — much like he ran the 800-meter race in high school — has jumped out to a pace meant to exhaust his rivals. He pledged a record-setting $4 million to the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, held meetings this spring with every colleague to lock in support and crisscrossed the country to boost Republicans’ bid to win a Senate majority.

But the drive to become leader has forced Thune into a delicate pose: contrasting Trump’s style of politics, but stopping short of the direct confrontations that have ended the careers of other Republicans.

Thune’s rebuke of Trump in late 2020 — in which he asserted that Trump’s efforts to overturn his election loss would “go down like a shot dog” in the Senate — prompted the former president to try, unsuccessfully, to recruit a primary opponent against him in 2022.

Now, Thune argues that Trump can be trusted with the presidency, while acknowledging the transfer of power “was hard, painful and tumultuous in many ways.”

“I think with respect to democratic norms, my expectation is that he’s going to … follow them. He’s going to do things clearly his own way,” Thune said of Trump.

“Stylistically, it might not be the way I would do it or the way any other former president has done it. But in the end, the Constitution, the rule of law, governs this country. That’s our bedrock principle, and we can’t deviate from that.”

Thune also just hates to lose.

He grimaced when discussing his 2002 Senate race loss by 524 votes, tallied late into election night.

He choked up when recalling how his coach comforted him as he sat in the locker room after his potentially game-winning shot clanked off the rim in the final seconds of his high school basketball career.

When it came to basketball — a sport his father, a decorated WWII fighter pilot, had played at the University of Minnesota — Thune never held back.

“He would do whatever it took to win,” said Chris Venard, who played center alongside Thune for the Jones County Coyotes.

On winter nights, the basketball games drew practically the entire town of Murdo, population less than 1,000 and a pit stop for truckers and tourists making the crossing between the Missouri River and the Black Hills.

Thune’s father, Harold, a teacher and girls’ basketball coach at the high school, would take his sons to the gym on Saturday mornings to sharpen their skills. Thune still remembers the game he scored 36 points, yet his dad, who hated ball hogs, singled out a play when he took a shot rather than pass to Venard who was open under the basket.

“My first instinct was always: score,” Thune said. “A lot of times he would try and constrain that impulse.”

Thune’s sense of the world was also formed by the evangelical Christian faith he inherited from his parents. He and his siblings attended Biola University, a Christian college in southern California.

Thune said those lessons compelled him to seek “a life of purpose” while approaching politics with “kindness and truth.”

Like many, the Thune family was drawn into the GOP fold by President Ronald Reagan and his skepticism of “big government.” Thune remembers casting his first vote for Reagan and liking how he exhibited “a sense of humor, a lightness of spirit and a joyfulness.”

In over a dozen interviews, colleagues, former staff and friends described Thune as a driven competitor, yet someone who also values forthrightness, teamwork and humility.

“John is a first-class gentleman,” said former Sen. Bill Nelson, who led Democrats on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee while Thune was chair from 2015 to 2019.

As he worked the crowd at a fairground in South Dakota on a recent August day, it was easy to see why Thune was encouraged by Republican Senate colleagues to explore a 2012 presidential run he did not ultimately pursue.

Lean with a smile that spreads over a chiseled face, Thune slapped backs, recalled names and grasped hands with a firm grip. People felt comfortable enough to call out “John” and the senator received a good-natured ribbing when he accidentally cut in line to put barbecue sauce on his ribeye sandwich.

But the Republican Party has changed since 2012.

During another visit with a Sioux Falls volunteer club, one man wanted to know: What are you doing to get Trump back in the White House?

“Well, we’re doing everything we can,” Thune began.

“No, you,” came the reply. “I want to know what you are doing?”

With elections approaching, Thune is tapping into the mentality of an 800-meter runner on the final lap.

“It’s a brutal race,” he said. “But you’ve got to gut it out.”

Three U.S. citizens, including a Jewish man, have been sentenced to death in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for their involvement in a failed coup attempt earlier this year. The men were among 37 individuals sentenced by a military tribunal last week for their participation in the May 19 effort to overthrow the Congolese government.

The coup attempt, led by a Congolese political exile and long-time U.S. resident, ended in disaster when security forces foiled the plan, killing six people, including the ringleader. The attack was partially livestreamed before it was thwarted. Following the failed operation, Congolese forces captured the three Americans and dozens of others as they attempted to flee the presidential complex via the Congo River.

Among the Americans convicted is Binyamin Reuven Zalman-Polun, a native of the Washington, D.C. area and father of three. Zalman-Polun, who had previously been a member of the Washington Hebrew Congregation, a Reform synagogue in the U.S. capital, had relocated to South Africa with his family several years ago. He was reportedly a business associate of the coup’s leader.

The three men have testified that their statements were coerced under duress and without the presence of an interpreter during their interrogation. Despite their pleas, they now face the death penalty, which was reinstated in the DRC earlier this year.

The three U.S. citizens are expected to appeal their sentences this week.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — Prosecutors in Southern California have charged 10 people, including two professors, with failing to disperse during a pro-Palestinian protest last spring at the University of California, Irvine that led to a clash with police, officials said Wednesday.

The Orange County District Attorney’s office said those charged included two UCI professors and four students. All are due to appear in court on Oct. 16 to be arraigned on misdemeanor charges, the office said.

“The right to peaceful assembly is a constitutional right and we encourage protestors to exercise their right to peaceful assembly on any issue,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement. “However, criminal activity which transcends peaceful assembly will not be tolerated.”

Prosecutors are continuing to review evidence to determine whether charges will be filed against the remaining 40 people arrested during the May incident on campus, the statement said.

The university said in a statement that all members of the campus community are subject to “all applicable laws, policies and relevant codes of conduct while engaging in protest activities.”

In the spring, university officials said they had allowed a peaceful encampment to remain on campus even though it violated school policies, but called in police after a small group barricaded themselves inside a lecture hall, supported by a large group of community members outside. Police in riot gear who were sent to the scene made dozens of arrests.

Protest camps sprang up across the U.S. in the spring, including at University of California campuses, as students demanded that their universities cease doing business with Israel or companies they said supported the war in Gaza.

University of California, Irvine is located in central Orange County and has more than 36,000 students.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve on Wednesday cut its benchmark interest rate by an unusually large half-point, a dramatic shift after more than two years of high rates helped tame inflation but that also made borrowing painfully expensive for American consumers.

The rate cut, the Fed’s first in more than four years, reflects its new focus on bolstering the job market, which has shown clear signs of slowing. Coming just weeks before the presidential election, the Fed’s move also has the potential to scramble the economic landscape just as Americans prepare to vote.

The central bank’s action lowered its key rate to roughly 4.8%, down from a two-decade high of 5.3%, where it had stood for 14 months as it struggled to curb the worst inflation streak in four decades. Inflation has tumbled from a peak of 9.1% in mid-2022 to a three-year low of 2.5% in August, not far above the Fed’s 2% target.

The Fed’s policymakers also signaled that they expect to cut their key rate by an additional half-point in their final two meetings this year, in November and December. And they envision four more rate cuts in 2025 and two in 2026.

In a statement, the Fed came closer than it has before to declaring victory over inflation: It said it “has gained greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2%.”

Though the central bank now believes inflation is largely defeated, many Americans remain upset with still-high prices for groceries, gas, rent and other necessities. Former President Donald Trump blames the Biden-Harris administration for sparking an inflationary surge. Vice President Kamala Harris, in turn, has charged that Trump’s promise to slap tariffs on all imports would raise prices for consumers even further.

Rate cuts by the Fed should, over time, lower borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans and credit cards, boosting Americans’ finances and supporting more spending and growth. Homeowners will be able to refinance mortgages at lower rates, saving on monthly payments, and even shift credit card debt to lower-cost personal loans or home equity lines. Businesses may also borrow and invest more.

Average mortgage rates have already dropped to an 18-month low of 6.2%, according to Freddie Mac, spurring a jump in demand for refinancings.

The Fed’s next policy meeting is Nov. 6-7 — immediately after the presidential election. By cutting rates this week, soon before the election, the Fed is risking attacks from Trump, who has argued that lowering rates now amounts to political interference. Yet Politico has reported that even some key Senate Republicans who were interviewed have expressed support for a Fed rate cut this week.

The central bank’s officials fought against high inflation by raising their key rate 11 times in 2022 and 2023. Wage growth has since slowed, removing a potential source of inflationary pressure. And oil and gas prices are falling, a sign that inflation should continue to cool in the months ahead. Consumers are also pushing back against high prices, forcing such companies as Target and McDonald’s to dangle deals and discounts.

Yet after several years of strong job growth, employers have slowed hiring, and the unemployment rate has risen nearly a full percentage point from its half-century low in April 2023 to a still-low 4.2%. Once unemployment rises that much, it tends to keep climbing. Fed officials and many economists note, though, that the rise in unemployment this time largely reflects an influx of people seeking jobs — notably new immigrants and recent college graduates — rather than layoffs.

At issue in the Fed’s deliberations is how fast it wants to lower its benchmark rate to a point where it’s no longer acting as a brake on the economy — nor as an accelerant. Where that so-called “neutral” level falls isn’t clear, though many analysts peg it at 3% to 3.5%.

By Idy Perl

Yesterday afternoon multiple Boro Park residents were harassed by two men riding around on a moped together. 

One Boropark24 reader shared that the men stopped in front of her house at around 3:30 in the afternoon, and one of them got off the moped and started walking toward her. She quickly turned around, and when the man realized she didn’t have a pocketbook he returned to the moped and they sped away. 

There are reports of several other residents being harassed by the men as they attempted to snatch pocketbooks from women.

Boro Parkers are advised to be vigilant and aware of their surroundings while walking on the streets at all hours of the day .

WASHINGTON (AP) — Representatives for former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris ‘ transition teams met for the first time at the White House, the Biden administration announced Wednesday, as the outgoing administration plans to smooth the handoff to whomever wins in November.

Chief of Staff Jeffrey Zients hosted a meeting Tuesday of the White House Transition Coordinating Committee — the government’s senior-most transition planning group — and for the first time this year included Harris and Trump aides. The meeting and invitation to both parties’ representatives are required under the Presidential Transition Act, which mandates that the designated candidate representatives serve in an advisory capacity.

The Roosevelt Room meeting lasted about an hour, the White House said, and included updates on various transition preparations, which include plans to provide office space for the nominees, identifying acting career officials to fill vacant political appointee roles during the transition and the preparation of memos on agency operations for the eventual president elect’s team.

Yesterday, Israeli Intelligence cleared for publication that former Defense Minister and Chief of Staff Moshe (Bogie) Ya’alon
was targeted by Hezbollah in an assassination attempt last year.

On Rosh Hashanah last year, a bomb exploded in Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv. Investigations into the explosion led to the arrest of 8 suspects, who placed a claymore bomb in the part in an attempt to assassinate the former Israeli Defense leader.

Reacting to the news, Ya’alon said: “It’s not the first time someone has tried to kill me.”

The news of the attempted assassination of Ya’alon comes as the ISA cleared for publication that it had prevented an assassination attempt by Hezbollah, targeting a former Defense official. This second assassination attempt also used a claymore bomb, this time attached to a remotely operated device with a cellphone camera, so it could be remotely detonated by Hezbollah from within Lebanon.

{Matzav.com}

A newly released poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) reveals that a majority of Gazans now believe that Hamas’ decision to launch the Oct. 7 attack on Israel was incorrect. The poll, published on Tuesday, shows a significant shift in public opinion, with 57 percent of respondents in Gaza opposing the decision, while 39 percent still support it.

This marks the first time since the Oct. 7 assault that a PSR poll has found a majority in Gaza expressing opposition to the attack. In contrast, a previous PSR poll conducted in June showed that 57 percent of Gazans believed the attack was the right decision.

In the West Bank, support for the Oct. 7 attack remains higher, with 64 percent of respondents considering it the correct decision, although this also represents a drop in favorability. The PSR poll surveyed 1,200 people face-to-face, including 790 in the West Bank and 410 in Gaza, with a margin of error of 3.5 percent.

Since Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza, support for Hamas and its actions has steadily declined in the territory, with the poll showing that only 35 percent of Gazans now support the terrorist group, down from 38 percent.

The poll also revealed that despite support for the Oct. 7 attack, nearly 90 percent of respondents believe that Hamas fighters did not commit the atrocities shown in videos from that day. However, extensive documentation has since confirmed that Palestinian terrorists led by Hamas committed mass violence, including assaults against women and torture.

The findings also show that Hamas remains more popular than the Fatah movement, led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, in both Gaza and the West Bank. PSR noted that the poll is the first to show a significant drop in support for the attack in both territories since the conflict began.

This shift in public opinion comes amidst accusations from the IDF that Hamas attempted to falsify PSR poll results to inflate support for the group. PSR has investigated the claims and stated that no data manipulation was detected in its findings.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The U.S Federal Reserve has enacted its first interest rate cuts in four and a half years, cutting the federal funds rate by 50 basis points.

It’s the first cut to the federal funds rate since March 2020, bringing rates down to 4.75% – 5% from the 5.25% to 5.5% range they have been at since last July, which in turn had been the highest rates since 2001.

“The Committee has gained greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2 percent, and judges that the risks to achieving its employment and inflation goals are roughly in balance,” the fed said in its statement.

Higher interest rates make it more expensive for companies and individuals to borrow funds, which in turn, restricts access to cash and constrains their ability to spend, reducing pressure on prices.

Mortgages are also tied to yields for government bonds, and have an affect on housing prices as well.

Mortgage rates havr been falling slowly in recent months and already hit a 19-month low last week of 6.2% on 30-year fixed loans, ahead of today’s expected decision.

Former President Donald Trump has declared that anyone involved in voter fraud during this year’s election will face “the fullest extent of the Law” once he returns to the White House.

Trump, who is the Republican candidate for president, is competing against Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, in the November 5 election that will determine who will assume the presidency in January.

The ex-president, who has claimed that President Joe Biden’s win in the 2020 election was tainted by fraud in key battleground states, stated that he and many others will be closely monitoring this year’s election.

“CEASE & DESIST: I, together with many Attorneys and Legal Scholars, am watching the Sanctity of the 2024 Presidential Election very closely because I know, better than most, the rampant Cheating and Skullduggery that has taken place by the Democrats in the 2020 Presidential Election,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday.

“It was a Disgrace to our Nation! Therefore, the 2024 Election, where Votes have just started being cast, will be under the closest professional scrutiny and, WHEN I WIN, those people that CHEATED will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law, which will include long term prison sentences so that this Depravity of Justice does not happen again.”

Trump further stated: “We cannot let our Country further devolve into a Third World Nation, AND WE WON’T! Please beware that this legal exposure extends to Lawyers, Political Operatives, Donors, Illegal Voters, & Corrupt Election Officials. Those involved in unscrupulous behavior will be sought out, caught, and prosecuted at levels, unfortunately, never seen before in our Country.”

The initial mail ballots for the general election were distributed on Wednesday, following a debate between Trump and Harris. Early in-person voting is scheduled to begin as early as Friday in certain states.

Typically, the first set of mail ballots is sent to military and overseas voters. Federal regulations require this to be completed at least 45 days before the election, which falls on September 21 this year.

State and local election officials have raised concerns about potential issues with the country’s mail delivery system, warning that it might disenfranchise voters in the upcoming presidential election and informing the U.S. Postal Service that longstanding problems remain unresolved.

{Matzav.com}

The IDF and Shin Bet revealed on Wednesday that former IDF Chief of Staff Bogie Ya’alon was the intended target of the attempted bombing attack in Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv on Erev Rosh Hashanah 2023.

“On September 15, 2023, there was an explosion of a device in Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv,” the Shin Bet and IDF said. “There were no casualties. The investigation was assigned to the Central Unit of the Tel Aviv District and the Shin Bet. As part of the investigation, suspicions arose that the activation of the device was a terrorist attack attempt aimed at harming civilians who were in Yarkon Park at that time.”

“With the progress of the investigation, the investigators from the Central Unit and Shin Bet succeeded in identifying the network involved in planting the explosive device and arrested eight suspects. The understanding of the security officials was that the device was intended to harm a senior official.”

“The investigation, which included reviewing footage from cameras in the area around relevant individuals who frequented the attack site at that time, led to the conclusion that the target of the attack was the Chief of Staff and former Defense Minister – Moshe ‘Bogie’ Ya’alon.”

Ynet reported that Ya’alon took a morning run every day through the park. The detained suspects were Israeli-Arabs who were directed by a Hezbollah operative in Lebanon. “Two suspects admitted to smuggling a bag containing numerous explosive devices, weapons and drugs,” said Elazar Rozilio, an officer with Tel Aviv’s Central Investigations Unit. “The investigation revealed other suspects who helped conceal the materials.”

The suspects had “installed a camera on the device to enable remote monitoring of motion through the park pathways. The device was activated on a person mistakenly identified as Moshe Ya’alon but no one was harmed.”

“As stated, intensive investigative activity using technological means led to the resolution of the security incident and the arrest of eight suspects. The detention of the suspects was extended periodically and a comprehensive gag order was placed on the investigation. Today, the gag order was lifted and we can now publish the details of the investigation and the security incident.”

On Tuesday, the Shin Bet announced that it thwarted another attempt by Hezbollah to assassinate a former senior security official. The identity of the official has not yet been revealed.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans can now renew their passports online, bypassing a cumbersome mail-in paper application process that often caused delays.

The State Department announced Wednesday that its online passport renewal system is now fully operational.

“By offering this online alternative to the traditional paper application process, the Department is embracing digital transformation to offer the most efficient and convenient passport renewal experience possible,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

After staffing shortages caused mainly by the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in lengthy passport processing delays, the department ramped up hiring and introduced other technological improvements that have reduced wait times by about one-third over last year. It says most applications are now completed in far less than the advertised six weeks to eight weeks and the online renewal system is expected to further reduce that.

The system will allow renewal applicants to skip the current process, which requires them to print out and send paper applications and a check by mail, and submit their documents and payment through a secure website, www.Travel.State.Gov/renewonline.

Some 3,000 Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon were seriously injured after pagers used for communication exploded. A Hezbollah spokesperson said it was the “biggest security breach yet.” Hezbollah claimed that the pagers were blown up by Israel. Here is analysis from Andrew Marr.

WATCH:

Join us Sunday, Sep 22 at 7 pm at the Grunin Theater for an uplifting evening of Elul inspiration with Carnegie hall performer Joni Miller. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

In partnership with Unite, a non-for-profit aimed at cultivating a community of belonging for single women to thrive, Joni Miller hits the stage with fellow Unite member Sarah Shasho, for a night filled with song and soul. 

From performing at Carnegie Hall at age four to becoming fully observant later in life, Joni’s story is filled with inspiration, song, and divine providence. Returning to music now under the guise of her religious observance, Joni brings her world-class musical skills to the sphere of Jewish melody.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Sure to tug at your heart strings, this is a night you don’t want to miss if you love music, inspiration and singing your heart out. Save the date and tell your friends!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

JERUSALEM — Israel’s defense minister has declared the start of a “new phase” of the war as Israel turns its focus toward the northern front against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

Speaking to Israeli troops on Wednesday, Yoav Gallant made no mention of the mysterious explosions of electronic devices in Lebanon in recent days. But he praised the work of Israel’s army and security agencies, saying “the results are very impressive.”

He said that after months of war against Hamas militants in Gaza, “the center of gravity is shifting to the north by diverting resources and forces.”

“We are at the start of a new phase in the war – it requires courage, determination and perseverance,” he said.

Gallant’s comments came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was huddling with top security officials at Israeli military headquarters in Tel Aviv.

BUDAPEST – On Wednesday, Hungary’s government, under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, firmly rejected any connection to the pager devices implicated in the mass detonations in Lebanon. The government emphasized that these devices were never present in Hungary.

Gold Apollo, a Taiwanese pager manufacturer, clarified that the pagers used in the Hezbollah attack were produced by Budapest-based BAC Consulting. However, Gold Apollo stated that it had merely licensed its brand to BAC Consulting and had no role in the manufacturing of the devices.

Hungarian government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs unequivocally stated on Facebook that the company involved is solely a trading intermediary without any manufacturing or operational facilities in Hungary, reinforcing that Hungary has no involvement with the devices used in the attacks.

‼️ 🇭🇺 The Hungarian government’s position on the "pager issue": authorities have confirmed that the company in question is a trading intermediary, with no manufacturing or operational site in Hungary. It has one manager registered at its declared address, and the referenced…

— Zoltan Kovacs (@zoltanspox) September 18, 2024

REPORTER: “What’s the white House response to the exploding walkie-talkies in Lebanon today?”

KIRBY: “What I can tell you is we were not involved in yesterday’s incidents or today’s in any way, and I don’t have anything more to share.”

https://yeshivaworlds3.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/18163345/WhatsApp-Video-2024-09-18-at-4.14.44-PM.mp4

Senior gedolei Torah in Eretz Yisroel—Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman, Rosh Yeshivas Rashbi; Rav Dov Landau, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka; Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka; Rav Aviezer Piltz, Rosh Yeshivas Tifrach; Rav Chaim Feinstein, Rosh Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo; and Rav Dovid Cohen, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron—have written special letters to kehillos in the United States, calling on them to join an upcoming tefillah gathering against the draft decree in Eretz Yisroel.

Earlier today, Matzav.com shared a poster containing the names of American rebbes and roshei yeshivas calling for an atzeres tefillah. As mentioned, both Satmar factions will unite, with both brothers, the two Satmar Rebbes, Rav Aharon Teitelbaum and Rav Zalman Leib Teitelbaum, participating together in the rally, whose date and location have not yet been announced.

Now, the gedolei Torah of Eretz Yisroel have joined in calling for participation in the rally.

In his letter, Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman writes, “To my dear brothers and friends, the Torah community and yeshiva students in the Diaspora of America, God-fearing and God-honoring individuals, and every Jew. The terrifying warning of my father-in-law, Rabbeinu HaGadol, the Avi Ezri zt”l, is already well known, that the decree of drafting yeshiva students is a decree of spiritual annihilation and religious coercion. This is a matter of ‘Yeihareg v’al ya’avor’ (one must be killed rather than transgress), as explicitly stated in the laws of Kiddush Hashem in Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De’ah. He asked that this be publicized in his name. Every Jew is obligated to do everything in their power to save the nation, lest they be among those who did not come to the aid of God among the mighty.”

In his letter, the Rosh HaYeshiva addresses the yeshiva students who refuse to appear at the draft offices: “All of Klal Yisroel should honor and elevate the yeshiva students in the Holy Land, the mighty warriors standing on the front lines of the battle, who do not report and do not cooperate at all with the military authorities.”

Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch wrote: “From the mountains of Tzion comes the call that to our deep sorrow, in recent times, the hand of those who fight against our holy Torah and the preservation of Judaism in the Holy Land has intensified. They do not recognize that our nation is a nation only by virtue of its Torah, as Rav Saadia Gaon said. They pursue and impose harsh decrees on yeshiva students and kollel scholars, uprooting them from the study halls and severing them from the source of life, burdening their families and threatening the survival of the yeshivas, which are the foundation of the Jewish home, so that they may falter, and the honor of the Torah and its scholars is brought to the dust.

“Therefore, it is of great importance and benefit to raise a loud and unified cry of protest from all the communities in their places of residence across the globe, to raise the banner of our faith in the Torah and its scholars, to frighten and protest against their evil schemes, and to call a rally in the public square to pour out prayers and supplications, so that the decree is removed from the sanctuaries of our lives—the Torah institutions and their students.”

In their letter, Rav Aviezer Pilz, Rav Chaim Feinstein, and Rav Dovid Cohen write: “We are raising a cry from the sanctuary of Hashem in Tzion to those who fear Hashem and tremble at His word regarding the hand of the wicked that has been raised against the Torah scholars, the precious yeshiva students and kollel scholars. With force and coercion, they work to uproot them from the tents of Torah, sever them from the source of life, and throw them into the abyss. They also burden the families of the Torah scholars and the survival of the yeshivas and kollelim, so that they may falter, and the honor of the Torah is brought low.

“Our brethren in the Diaspora, wherever they dwell, come to the aid of Hashem among the mighty in their fight for the foundations of the Jewish home. Raise the banner and proclaim that our nation is a nation only by virtue of its Torah. Torah scholars are the purpose of creation, its crown, and its splendor, and all their evil schemes will not succeed. Raise your voices, cry out, and rally in the public square, stand by your brothers, for this will greatly benefit the success of this existential struggle for the soul of the Jewish home. We pray before the Giver of the Torah that the path of the wicked will not succeed, and their schemes will not come to fruition, and we will merit to see the return of Hashem to Tzion, like precious stones shining with splendor, speedily in our days.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Wednesday test-fired multiple ballistic missiles toward its eastern seas, the South Korean and Japanese militaries said, adding to its military demonstrations as tensions with Washington and neighbors escalate.

The launches come days after North Korea offered a rare view into a secretive facility built to enrich uranium for nuclear bombs as leader Kim Jong Un called for a rapid expansion of his nuclear weapons program.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected North Korea firing multiple short-range ballistic missiles from north of its capital, Pyongyang, and said they traveled about 400 kilometers (244 miles) while flying toward the northeast.

The joint chiefs said it was closely communicating with the United States and Japan while analyzing the launches but didn’t immediately provide further flight details.

Japan’s defense ministry said it detected at least two launches but didn’t immediately say what types of missiles they were and how far they flew.

Japan’s coast guard said the missiles were believed to have already fallen into waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan and urged vessels to watch out for falling objects. Japan’s NHK television said the missiles were believed to have landed outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

The South Korean joint chiefs condemned the launches as a provocation that “seriously threatens peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.” It said in a statement that South Korean and U.S. militaries were closely monitoring North Korean activities while maintaining a combined defense posture “to respond overwhelmingly to any provocation.”

Hours after the launches, South Korean officials said North Korea was again flying suspected trash-carrying balloons toward South Korean territory, extending a Cold War-style psychological warfare campaign that has worsened animosities between the rivals.

The local government of South Korea’s capital, Seoul, issued text alerts advising citizens to be cautious of objects falling from the sky.

North Korea since May has launched thousands of balloons toward the South to drop paper scraps, plastic bottles and other trash, in what it has described as a retaliation against South Korean civilian activists flying anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets toward the North.

North Korea is extremely sensitive to outside criticism about Kim’s government and his family’s dynastic rule.

North Korea didn’t immediately confirm Wednesday’s missile launches. They followed a previous round of ballistic tests last week as Kim vowed to have his nuclear force fully ready for battle with its rivals.

The North said the launches on Sept. 12 involved its “super-large” 600mm multiple rocket launchers, which it describes as capable of delivering tactical nuclear warheads. Experts say North Korea’s large-sized artillery rockets blur the boundary between artillery systems and ballistic missiles because they can create their own thrust and are guided during delivery.

Since 2022, North Korea has ramped up its weapons testing activities to expand and modernize its arsenal of nuclear missiles targeting the U.S. and South Korea. The allies have expanded their combined military exercises and are updating their nuclear deterrence strategies based on U.S. assets to counter the North’s growing threat.

Analysts say Kim’s long-term goal is to force the United States to accept the idea of the North as a nuclear power and negotiate economic and security concessions from a position of strength.

While disclosing the uranium enrichment facility last week, Kim called for stronger efforts to “exponentially” increase its number of nuclear weapons in the face of what he described as U.S. threats. State media published photos that showed Kim talking with military officials and scientists between long lone lines of centrifuges used to produce weapons-grade uranium, but the reports didn’t say where the facility was located or when Kim made the visit.

Analysts say North Korea could conduct a nuclear test explosion or long-range missile test ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November with the intent of influencing the outcome and increasing its leverage in future dealings with the new U.S. administration.

The U.S. State Department announced today that its online passport renewal system is now fully available to the public, a significant step forward in ensuring that Americans can more easily access passport services.

Instead of printing a paper application and mailing it with a check, Americans can now renew their passports through a secure process that will save time and effort.

Adults 25 or older who have had a U.S. passport that expired within the last 5 years or will expire in the coming year, will no longer have to fill out or print a paper application, mail a check, or make an appointment.

Users will need to create an account to start the application process on the State Department’s website, enter your old passport information and upcoming travel plans.

In addition, applicants can now upload their photo and apply it completely online without having to do anything in person or send anything in the mail.

The photo cannot be a selfie, must be taken with a white background and needs to be recent.

The digital renewal system was first introduced in 2021 through an executive order from President Joe Biden, but later halted applications indefinitely in 2023 due to the backlog of delays and renewals and after many users voiced difficulties using the site. You can apply online here.