Israeli President Isaac Herzog is not expected to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at this stage, according to senior Israeli officials cited by The New York Times. Instead, Herzog is pushing for mediation between Netanyahu’s defense team and prosecutors, a move aimed at shifting one of Israel’s most explosive legal questions away from an all-or-nothing presidential ruling and toward a negotiated endgame.

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL – OCTOBER 13: U.S. President Donald Trump poses with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion International Airport before boarding his plane to Sharm El-Sheikh, on October 13, 2025 in Tel Aviv, Israel. President Trump is visiting the country hours after Hamas released the remaining Israeli hostages captured on Oct. 7, 2023, part of a US-brokered ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The decision matters because Netanyahu’s pardon request sits at the intersection of law, war, politics and national unity. Netanyahu is the first sitting Israeli prime minister to face criminal charges, and his long-running trial includes allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three separate cases. He denies all wrongdoing and has repeatedly described the case as a political witch hunt by hostile legal, media and law-enforcement forces.

Israel’s president has the authority to grant pardons, but doing so before a verdict is considered rare and exceptional. Herzog’s office previously called Netanyahu’s request an “extraordinary” matter with major implications and said the Justice Ministry’s Pardons Department would collect opinions before the president’s legal adviser makes a recommendation.

Herzog does not want the matter reduced to a binary choice between approving or rejecting a pardon. His office said he views an amicable resolution between the parties as an important public interest, while stressing that any decision on the pardon itself would be made under Israeli law, guided by conscience and Israel’s national interest.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged Herzog to pardon Netanyahu, arguing that the case is politically driven and that Israel’s wartime leader should not be dragged through court while managing major security and diplomatic challenges. Trump also sent Herzog a formal letter calling for a full pardon, describing Netanyahu as a decisive wartime prime minister and saying it was time to let him “unite Israel.”

(L to R) Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Parliament (Knesset) Speaker Amir Ohana, and far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir attend the funeral of Israeli hostage Ran Gvili, whose remains were finally brought back to Israel on January 26, in the southern town of Meitar on January 28, 2026. Hundreds of tearful mourners packed a stadium in southern Israel on January 28, 2026, for the funeral of Ran Gvili, the last Gaza hostage whose burial marks the end of a painful national saga triggered by Hamas’s 2023 attack. Israeli forces on January 26 brought home the remains of Gvili, who was killed in action and whose body Palestinian militants took into Gaza during their October 7 attack, which triggered a devastating two-year war. (Photo by Chaim Goldberg / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

But Herzog appears determined to avoid a move that could be seen as bending Israel’s legal system under political or foreign pressure. A direct pardon without a verdict, guilt admission or agreed legal framework would almost certainly ignite a constitutional and public firestorm. A plea deal, by contrast, could give every side a controlled off-ramp, though the terms would be brutal to negotiate.

Lakewood, NJ (VINNEWS/Rabbi Yair Hoffman) This past Shabbos morning, hundreds of mispallelim at Beth Medrash Govoha’s Bendheim “Yoshon” building on 7th Street in Lakewood were ordered by police to evacuate. A man in the area had made specific threats against the yeshiva.

In the Yoshon Bais Medrash, the order came right in the middle of Mussaf Shemoneh Esrei. The tzibbur left the building and met up again across the street at Bais Yitzchok, where they finished davening. In the Mizrach Bais Medrash, where Mussaf had not yet started, the kehilla split up to nearby places.

A K-9 sweep was done with the help of four agencies — Lakewood Police, the Ocean and Monmouth County Sheriffs’ Offices, and Jackson Township Police. In the end, the threats were determined to be not credible.

The suspect was taken into custody, and charges are pending.

What follows is not the news story but the halachic question the news story raises. When a tzibbur is ordered to evacuate mid-Shemoneh Esrei because of a threat that turns out to be not credible — where, exactly, does each person pick up?

The Source: Snake and Scorpion

The first Mishna of the fifth perek of Maseches Brachos (30b) gives a rule. If a snake wraps itself around a person’s ankle during Shemoneh Esrei, the person may not make a hefsek. The Gemara (Brachos 33a) draws a contrast: if a scorpion is coming close, one does interrupt.
Why does this matter in practice? Someone who interrupts when he should not have — the snake case — must restart Shemoneh Esrei from the very beginning. Someone who interrupts when he was supposed to — the scorpion case — picks up where he left off.
The Rambam (Peirush HaMishnayos) explains the reason behind the rule. Most of the time, a snake that wraps around an ankle does not actually bite. That fact is enough to take the case out of the category of pikuach nefesh.
The Powerful Question
The Gemara in Yuma (84b) teaches a basic rule: delo halchu b’pikuach nefesh achar harov. In matters of life and death, halacha does not follow the majority. So how can the Mishna use a majority argument in the snake case? And what really makes the snake different from the scorpion?
The Poskim give at least seven answers. Each one has direct meaning for what happened at BMG.
Seven Approaches
1. Rav Elchonon Wasserman zt”l (Kovetz Shiurim, Pesachim #32) explains that someone in the middle of Shemoneh Esrei is a shliach mitzvah. The Gemara in Pesachim (8a) teaches that shluchei mitzvah einam nizokin — those doing a mitzvah are not harmed. But there is a catch: this protection does not apply to common dangers. A scorpion is likely to sting, so the protection does not hold. A snake is unlikely to bite, so the protection holds. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l, quoted in Shemiras Shabbos K’Hilchasa (chapter 25, footnote 15), disagrees with how Rav Elchonon defines shluchei mitzvah.
Applied to the Yoshon case: the question is whether the kind of threat that caused the evacuation is the type that usually turns out to be real. If specific verbal threats against a Jewish institution after October 7 do, on average, lead to actual danger, the evacuation was correct, and the mispallelim pick up where they left off. If most such threats turn out to be fake — like this one did — then by Rav Elchonon’s logic, those who interrupted may have done so for nothing and would need to restart Shemoneh Esrei from the beginning. A police command, however, may be considered halachically required, and that may change the picture.
2. Rav Tzvi Elimelech Spira of Dinov zt”l (1783–1841), the Bnei Yissaschar and nephew of the Rebbe Reb Elimelech of Lizhensk, gives a very different answer in his sefer Vehaya Bracha. The halacha about snakes is one of a kind. There is a special pasuk in Mishlei (16:7): birtzos Hashem darchei ish, gam oyvav yashlim ito — when Hashem is pleased with a person’s ways, even his enemies make peace with him. The Midrash (Bereishis Rabbah 54:1) explains that the “enemy” in that pasuk is the snake. The rule about not interrupting Shemoneh Esrei for a snake comes from this pasuk — and applies to nothing else.
Applied to the Yoshon case: a real threat against a building has nothing to do with the pasuk in Mishlei about snakes. The hefsek for evacuation was justified on its own, and the mispallelim pick up where they stopped.
3. The Klausenberger Rebbe zt”l (Divrei Yatziv, Orach Chaim Siman 61) points to a drasha in Yuma (19b) about Krias Shema: vedibarta bam — “in them” you may speak, and not in Tefillah. From here, the rules of hefsek in Tefillah are uniquely strict, and the regular logic of rov simply does not work there.
Applied to the Yoshon case: this approach matters in a special way for the Mizrach Bais Medrash situation, where some people may have already started Pesukei D’Zimra or earlier parts. It also matters for any similar case with Krias Megillah or other devarim sheb’kedusha. The special strictness in Shemoneh Esrei may not apply elsewhere — meaning the bar for allowing a hefsek in those other cases is lower, and picking up where one left off is easier to defend.
4. Rav Avrohom Stern zt”l, in Kisvei Aish (Volume V, Siman 6), learns from the Bartenura that the snake case is built on a double majority. Most snakes do not bite, and most snakebites are not deadly. The combined low chance takes the case out of pikuach nefesh entirely.
Applied to the Yoshon case: there is no similar double majority protecting mispallelim from a specific threat made against the building they are sitting in, with police on scene taking it seriously enough to bring in a K-9 unit. The basic danger is real, even if the specific threat turns out not to be. The hefsek is justified, and the tzibbur picks up where they left off.
5. Rav Avrohom Dirnfeld zt”l, Rav and Rosh Mesivta of Puppa, in his Bais Yosef on Brachos, quotes the Chasam Sofer (YD #245) for the rule that when the small chance of danger is not visibly there, halacha does follow the rov.
Applied to the Yoshon case: the mispallelim did not see the threat. They were told by police that one existed. By the Chasam Sofer’s logic, this case may be governed by rov, and the question becomes a question of numbers. In all the “specific threats called in against Jewish institutions in the United States,” what percentage turn out to be real? If most do not, then by this approach, the hefsek would have been wrong after the fact, and Shemoneh Esrei would have to be restarted.
This is maybe the most sobering of the seven views — and the one that leans hardest on data the average mispallel does not have.
6. The Rashash holds that there are cases where halacha does follow rov even in pikuach nefesh (see Shulchan Aruch OC 618:3). In this view, the difference between snake and scorpion is not all-or-nothing but a question of probability — a question of how high the danger needs to be before rov gets pushed aside.
Applied to the Yoshon case: a posek would have to look at the actual chance of harm given the specific threat. Given the post-10/7 environment, the seriousness with which four agencies treated the call, and the use of a K-9 unit, the bar was almost certainly met. Hefsek was justified; pick up where you left off.
7. The Magadim Yekarim of Rabbi Shlomo Menachem Schwartz looks at this through the lens of Chillul Hashem. To leave Shemoneh Esrei for a far-off, unlikely danger creates a Chillul Hashem; therefore, halacha does not allow it.
Applied to the Yoshon case: the calculation goes the other way. Showing that Torah values life over ritual — that a thousand mispallelim will leave a bais medrash mid-Mussaf when police identify a threat — is not Chillul Hashem. It is Kiddush Hashem. The hefsek is appropriate, and the tzibbur picks up where they left off.
What Counts as a Hefsek?
Before figuring out where to pick up, there is an earlier question: was leaving the building actually a hefsek?
The Talmidei Rabbeinu Yonah rule that a hefsek in Shemoneh Esrei happens only through speech, not through walking. The Rema (OC 104:3) holds this way. The Taz and the Vilna Gaon disagree — they hold that walking is also a hefsek. The Vilna Gaon quotes the Rosh (Siman 3) that the whole snake discussion must be talking about walking, since speech alone would do nothing against a snake.
For someone who was evacuated silently from the Yoshon building — walking quickly to the exit without speaking — the Rema’s view gives strong grounds to say that no hefsek happened at all, and Shemoneh Esrei could simply be finished in the new place, picking up exactly where it stopped.
The Rivevos Ephraim on Alarms
Rav Ephraim Greenblatt zt”l (Rivevos Ephraim Vol. 8 #311) ruled directly on a similar case: a fire alarm during Shemoneh Esrei. His ruling is clear — one must leave. He only adds that a history of false alarms might change the picture. Kal v’chomer, he writes, when a missile siren goes off in Eretz Yisroel, one must leave at once.
A police evacuation order in response to specific threats against a named yeshiva is at least as serious as a fire alarm, and probably more so — there is a human authority on the scene actively assessing the risk and giving the order.
Practical Conclusion
Putting it all together, the main pesak across almost all the approaches above — and clearly according to the Bnei Yissaschar, Rav Avrohom Stern, the Rashash, the Magadim Yekarim’s Kiddush Hashem framing, and the Rivevos Ephraim’s kal v’chomer — is that the mispallelim ordered out of the Yoshon building did exactly what halacha demanded. The hefsek was justified. They pick up Shemoneh Esrei from where they left off.
Even according to the framings of Rav Elchonon and the Chasam Sofer, where the analysis depends more on background statistics, the nature of post-October 7 threats against Jewish institutions, the use of multiple agencies, and the K-9 sweep all weigh on the side of treating this as a real pikuach nefesh assessment by the proper authorities — to which the only halachic response is to listen.A sheilas chacham should be addressed to one’s own posek for any specific application.
The author can be reached at [email protected]

A Jewish resident of Brussels was assaulted on the Brussels metro by three assailants who beat him while violently pulling off his necklace with a Magen Dovid pendant.

The victim, David Sierzant Acitores, 41, wrote about the disturbing incident on social media, describing how three men approached him and asked for directions, which he now believes was just a ploy to distract him.

They then attacked him, knocked him to the ground, and repeatedly punched his face—knocking off his glasses—while ripping his Magen Dovid necklace off his neck.

“They talked about Jews while they were hitting me, and it wasn’t exactly a compliment,” David wrote, noting that the thugs didn’t try to steal his wallet or phone.

David filed a complaint with the police following the attack. He also posted on Facebook asking the public to keep an eye out for his Magen Dovid necklace, which was a gift from his late father.

After describing the necklace, he wrote: “This model is not standard. If you see this piece of jewelry at a jeweler’s, in a gold‑buying shop, or on a selling platform (2ememain, Vinted, Marketplace…), please notify me by private message or contact the police.”

“It had been in the family for nearly 30 years and was a gift from my late father, who wore it for a long time. Thank you very much for your help.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

LISTEN:

https://matzav.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Bitachon4Life-Shiur-1756-Semichah-Part-56-My-Actions.mp3

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

The man suspected of opening fire at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner has been identified as Cole Thomas Allen, a 31-year-old resident of the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance who worked as a part-time tutor and video game developer.

Law enforcement officials said he has no criminal record. Following his arrest, he told police officials that he wanted to shoot Trump administration officials, CBS News reported.

His LinkedIn photo shows him in a cap and gown after graduating with a master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Allen, 31, earned a bachelor’s degree in 2017 in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. He listed his involvement there in a Christian student fellowship and a campus group that battled with Nerf guns.

Bin Tang, a computer science professor at California State University-Dominguez Hills, told The Associated Press that Allen took a few of his classes before graduating.

“He was a very good student indeed, always sitting in the first row of my class, paying attention, and frequently emailing me with coursework questions. Soft spoken, very polite, a good fellow. I am very shocked to see the news,” Tang wrote in an email.

A local ABC station in Los Angeles included an interview with Allen during his senior year of college as part of a story about new technologies to help people as they age. He had developed a prototype for a new type of emergency brake for wheelchairs.

Allen contributed $25 to a Democratic Party political action committee in support of Kamala Harris for president in 2024, according to federal campaign finance records.

Allen’s online resume says he worked for the last six years at C2 Education, a company that offers admissions counseling and test preparation services to aspiring college students. A 2024 post on the company’s Facebook page listed Allen as the company’s teacher of the month. The company did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Saturday night.

Allen also posted that he had developed a video game for the Steam platform based on molecular chemistry. A post under Allen’s name said he was working to develop a new “top-down shooter” combat game set in outer space.

NBC News quoted a former high school volleyball teammate who described Allen as a “borderline genius” and “super stable.”

“Other people study hard,” said the ex-teammate, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear it could affect his career. “He didn’t have to study. It would just come to him. He was really, really smart.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem & AP)

LISTEN:

https://matzav.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Stories4Life-Shiur-564-Vasikin-R-Zundel-Kroizer.mp3

Lakewood (VINNEWS/Rabbi Yair Hoffman) “Mah rabu maasecha Hashem, kulam b’chochmah asisa” — How many are Your works, Hashem; You made them all with wisdom (Tehillim 104:24).

Dovid HaMelech wrote these words after looking at the wonders of Hashem’s world. A fantastic example of this is the Australian walking stick insect. This little creature gives us one of the clearest signs that the world had to be designed by a Borei Olam.

Here is its story. By the end, most thinking people will likely agree.

A Seed That Isn’t a Seed

Picture in your mind’s eye being deep in the forests of eastern Australia. A small object falls from a tree. It looks just like a seed. Ants find it on the ground, pick it up, and carry it down into their underground nest. They nibble off a tasty little cap on top, and then leave the rest of the “seed” alone in their nest.

Butm unbeknownst to that ant – that “seed” is no seed at all. It is the egg of the Australian walking stick insect.

Real seeds in that forest have a fatty bump on top called an elaiosome. The ants love to eat it. The walking stick’s egg has a bump on top too, called a capitulum. It is made of different stuff, but it does the same job — it tricks the ants into thinking the egg is a seed and carrying it home.

Why does the insect want its egg in an ant nest? Because the ant nest has the perfect humidity for the egg to develop. And the ants chase away parasites and predators that would eat the egg if it were left out in the open. It is the safe there, safer than the nursery in community hospital in Lakewood, New Jersey.

A Nymph That Pretends to Be an Ant

About four months later, something strange crawls out of the ant nest. It does not look like a stick insect. It looks like a red-headed spider ant.

The baby walking stick has never met its mother. It hatched alone underground. Yet somehow it knows how to look like an ant, walk like an ant, run like an ant, and even pose like an ant — curling its tail up over its back the way ants do when they are angry.

Why pretend to be an ant? Because birds and other predators leave ants alone. Ants bite. They sting. And they swarm. And red-headed spider ants taste terrible — like rotten coconut or bad cheese. So when a bird sees this little nymph racing up a tree, it flies away in disgust.

The disguise only needs to last but a few days. The red color on its head fades, and the nymph keeps climbing higher into the safety of the trees.

An Adult That Looks Like a Leaf

Over the next month, the insect sheds its skin some six times. Each time it changes more and more. The fast, jerky ant movements slow down. By the time it becomes an adult, it has turned into something completely different — a big, slow creature that looks exactly like a eucalyptus leaf.

It even sways back and forth like a leaf moving in the wind, even when there is no wind. Some adults grow as long as a human hand. Some are brown, some green, some look like crinkly lichen growing on a branch. Predators look right past them.

How do they find a shidduch when they are ready to emerge from the “freezer?” Surely they are so well hidden tht it would likely cause a shidduch crisis? They send out pheromones — special chemical scents that only walking sticks can smell.

After having found the shidduch, the female drops her seed-shaped eggs to the forest floor. The ants come along, think they have found seeds, and carry them home. And the amazing cycle starts over again.

The Problem for Evolution

Now how could all of this have happened by accident?

Evolution teaches that creatures change slowly, one tiny step at a time. Each small change has to give the animal some advantage, or else it will not be passed on to the next generation.

But look at the egg. For the ants to carry it underground, everything has to be exactly right. The egg has to be the right size. The right shape. The right color. And most importantly, the bump on top has to smell like a real seed’s elaiosome — because ants find seeds by smell, not sight.

What good is an egg that is almost like a seed? None at all. If the smell is wrong, the ants ignore it. If the shape is off, they leave it. The egg either works or it does not.

There is no halfway.

So how could it have slowly evolved? Each tiny step on the way to becoming a fake seed gives the insect no advantage at all.  The answer is that there is a Borei Olam.

The same problem comes up with the baby ant disguise. A nymph that almost looks like an ant gets eaten. A nymph that almost moves like an ant gets eaten. A nymph that almost poses like an ant gets eaten. The disguise only saves a life if it is essentially perfect.

And the leaf disguise of the adult? Same problem. A bug that kind of looks like a leaf is just a bug. The whole package has to come together at once.

Three Disguises in One Life

Here is what makes the walking stick so impossible to explain by chance: it does not have one of these tricks. It has three.

It is a seed when it is an egg. It is an ant when it is a baby. It is a leaf when it is an adult.

Each disguise targets a different danger. Each disguise has to be coded into the insect’s body and brain from birth. And all three have to work together, because if any one of them fails, the species dies out.

How would random mutations build a fake seed, a fake ant, and a fake leaf — all in the same insect, all in the right order, all matching three different things in the very same forest where this insect happens to live?

The chance is zero.

Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky on Built-In Instincts

Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky zt”l, in his sefer Emes L’Yaakov on Bereishis (1:21), addresses this very problem from a Torah perspective. Commenting on the creation of the animal kingdom, Rav Yaakov explains that Hashem built into each creature, from the very moment of its creation, the exact instincts and tools it needs to survive in its world. These instincts, he stresses, cannot have been acquired bit by bit over time. A half-formed instinct is no instinct at all. An animal that almost knows how to flee from a predator gets caught. An insect that almost knows how to disguise itself gets eaten.

Rav Yaakov writes that the only way to make sense of the animal world is to recognize that Hashem implanted the complete survival package into each species at the moment of yetzirah. This is a profound idea, and it speaks directly to what we see in the Australian walking stick.

The insect does not learn its three disguises. It does not practice swaying like a leaf or posing like an ant. It comes out of the egg already programmed with behaviors that only work if they are essentially perfect from the start.

This is precisely what Rav Yaakov zt”l was teaching. Built-in, fully formed instincts are the signature of a Designer, not of slow accidental change.

The Rambam writes in Moreh Nevuchim (3:25) that everything Hashem creates has a purpose, and that the wisdom we see in nature points back to the Wisdom that put it there. The Chovos HaLevavos, in Sha’ar HaBechinah, teaches that anyone who really studies even one of Hashem’s creatures with honest eyes will see the Designer behind it.

The Vilna Gaon is said to have taught that a person who does not see Hashem’s hand in nature has not really learned how to look. The Australian walking stick is a wonderful teacher. There is no need for a microscope or a science degree to see the problem. One just needs to watch this little insect live its three lives — seed, ant, leaf — and ask honestly: could this really have happened by accident?

Mah rabu maasecha Hashem, kulam b’chochmah asisa.

The author can be reached at [email protected]

A scary event took place in Lakewood on Shabbos morning, when police evacuated the BMG Yoshon building in the middle of davening.

The incident occurred at approximately 10:00 AM, with the building filled to capacity as Shabbos davening was underway. Officers entered and ordered an immediate evacuation of both the Yoshon building on 7th Street and the adjacent Mizrach hall, due to a potential security threat.

The evacuation came during Musaf Shemoneh Esrei, forcing those in the beis medrash to stop and exit the building. Many crossed the street to the Beis Yitzchok building, where they resumed and completed davening. In the nearby Mizrach hall, where Musaf had not yet begun, the minyanim quickly dispersed, with participants relocating to surrounding batei medrashim to continue.

Police secured the premises and conducted a thorough search of the buildings, keeping the area closed as they worked to determine whether any real threat was present. After completing their sweep, they confirmed that there was no immediate danger, and the buildings were reopened, allowing normal activity to resume.

Law enforcement officials say a suspect has been taken into custody following the April 25 shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner attended by President Donald Trump and the first lady, with multiple national outlets identifying the individual as a 31-year-old man from California.

The New York Times, CBS, the Associated Press, and other media organizations reported that the suspect is Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, citing unnamed law enforcement sources. USA TODAY said it has not independently confirmed the identity.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro told reporters that the suspect is expected to appear in federal court on April 27, where he will face charges including using a firearm during a crime of violence and assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon. She said additional charges, including terrorism, have not been ruled out.

“If there’s anything like that we will find it, and we will file it,” she said.

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser said the suspect was taken to a hospital for evaluation, and confirmed that a Secret Service agent who was struck in his bulletproof vest was also transported for medical care.

Bowser and Jeffrey Carroll, the interim chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, said investigators believe the individual in custody acted alone.

Carroll added that the suspect is believed to have been staying as a guest at the Washington Hilton, where the event took place.

President Trump, who was escorted out of the ballroom after gunfire was reported in the lobby area, told reporters that the suspect “charged 50 yards” in an attempt to bypass a security checkpoint and was carrying multiple weapons.

He also shared security footage showing a person running past security and another clip depicting the individual being subdued on the ground.

Kash Patel said the suspect was armed with a long gun. Police in Washington, D.C., reported that the individual was carrying a shotgun, a handgun, and several knives.

“The evidence response unit is examining all the ballistics that were found on scene to include the long gun and the shell casings,” he told reporters in the White House briefing room.

Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the investigation remains active, with authorities working to secure search warrants as part of the ongoing probe.

“I promise you justice will be served,” Blanche said.

{Matzav.com}

US President Donald Trump canceled a planned trip to Islamabad by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Saturday, citing frustration with Iran’s leadership and stalled negotiations following the departure of Iran’s foreign minister from Pakistan.

Announcing the move on social media, Trump pointed to disarray within Iran’s leadership. “Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work! Besides which, there is tremendous infighting and confusion within their ‘leadership,’” he wrote. “Nobody knows who is in charge, including them. Also, we have all the cards, they have none! If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!”

In an interview, Trump reinforced the decision, saying, “I’ve told my people… ‘Nope, you’re not making an 18-hour flight to go there… We have all the cards. They can call us anytime they want, but you’re not going to be making any more 18-hour flights to sit around talking about nothing.’”

He later clarified that the move does not necessarily signal renewed fighting. “It doesn’t mean that,” Trump said. “We haven’t thought about it yet.”

Trump added that Iran submitted a revised proposal shortly after the trip was canceled, calling it improved but still insufficient. “The Iranians gave us a paper that should have been better… They offered a lot but not enough,” he said.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Pakistan after meetings with top officials, saying it remains unclear whether Washington is serious about diplomacy. He stated that Iran had presented “a workable framework to permanently end the war.”

An Iranian diplomatic source told the Times of Israel that Tehran would not accept “maximalist demands,” while US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran still has a chance to reach a “good deal,” urging it to abandon nuclear ambitions in verifiable ways.

Tensions remain high as the US and Iran stay at an impasse, with disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz impacting global shipping and energy markets. Iran has reduced maritime traffic significantly and warned it would respond to continued US actions in the region.

Despite a ceasefire, both sides are weighing next steps, with reports indicating Israel and the US are preparing contingency plans should hostilities resume.

Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital is pushing back against allegations that it misled the public regarding the timing and disclosure of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s prostate cancer treatment earlier this year.

Netanyahu revealed only this week that he had undergone treatment, after which Hadassah Ein Kerem confirmed the diagnosis. The hospital said the cancer was discovered “a few months ago,” that Netanyahu received radiation therapy approximately two and a half months ago, and that a recent follow-up showed the disease had “disappeared.”

Channel 12 health reporter Yoav Even claimed he had inquired with the hospital about Netanyahu’s condition roughly 10 days earlier and was told there was “no significant medical event… being kept hidden from the public.” Even called that response “a lie” in light of the newly disclosed treatment.

In response, Hadassah firmly denied any wrongdoing, stating it has “always only told the truth,” while emphasizing that responsibility for releasing details about the prime minister’s medical condition lies solely with the Prime Minister’s Office.

“The hospital’s role is solely to give the best medical treatment to all, including the prime minister,” the statement said.

Even also noted that during his earlier inquiry, he was not referred to the Prime Minister’s Office for clarification.

The controversy echoes a previous incident in 2023, when questions were raised over the handling of information related to Netanyahu’s pacemaker procedure at Sheba Medical Center.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Canadian York Regional Police are currently searching for a male suspect following an attempted forced entry and assault at the Sephardic Kehila Centre in Thornhill, just north of Toronto. The incident, which occurred on Shabbos morning, is being investigated by authorities as a hate crime.

According to police, the suspect attempted to force his way into the shul, located on Bathurst Street just north of Steeles Avenue West, at approximately 9:30 a.m. The suspect assaulted a victim during the incident before fleeing the scene. Baruch Hashem, investigators confirmed that the victim was not injured.

Local officials and community organizations have expressed outrage over the attack, emphasizing the alarming rise in hostility directed at the Jewish community.

Vaughan Mayor Stephen Del Duca stated he had been made aware of the “deeply disturbing assault” and is in contact with police, urging anyone with information to come forward.

“At a time when antisemitism and Jew hatred is on the rise, we must be vigilant and do everything possible to support and protect our Jewish residents,” Del Duca wrote in a statement on social media. “This remains a top priority for me as mayor of Vaughan.”

The UJA Federation of Greater Toronto noted that the incident was promptly reported to the Jewish Security Network (JSN), which ensured York Regional Police were notified and are supporting the investigation.

“We are relieved our community member was not seriously injured,” the UJA stated. “That does not lessen the seriousness of the attack, which reflects a continued pattern of antisemitic violence targeting our community. The Jewish community, like all Canadians, deserves to live in peace and security. As these incidents become more normalized, they erode public safety and our way of life as Canadians. This cannot be tolerated.”

The Greater Toronto Area has seen a sharp uptick in antisemitic incidents since the Hamas massacre in Eretz Yisrael on October 7, 2023. This latest assault follows a string of violent acts targeting Jewish institutions in the area.

Earlier this month, a Jewish-owned restaurant in Toronto was riddled with over ten rounds of gunfire, shattering the display window. In early March, shots were fired at the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto (BAYT) in Vaughan, as well as the Shaarei Shomayim shul in Toronto.

While no physical injuries were reported in those shootings, the buildings sustained damage.

Data released by the Toronto Police Service recently found that the city experienced a historic high in reported hate crime incidents, with the Jewish community remaining the leading target. In response to the growing threat, the federal government of Canada recently announced it will allocate $10 million to help Jewish communities strengthen security at their institutions.

An international flotilla seeking to breach the blockade on the Gaza Strip is currently en route to the coastline, declaring its mission as delivering humanitarian assistance to Palestinians, though previous flotila projects served chiefly as symbolic, provocative moves without significant amounts of aid being transported.

The “Global Sumud” flotilla departed from Barcelona, Spain, in mid-April, and reached the port of Syracuse in Sicily, Italy, on Thursday.

A flotilla organized by the same group in September of last year was met with decisive Israeli action, including a naval interception in international waters, the detention of hundreds of activists aboard, and their subsequent deportation from Israel. That operation was later found to have ties to the Hamas terror group.

The current convoy includes members of civil society groups, activists, and volunteers from multiple countries. Some participants told a Turkish news agency that their objective is to establish a humanitarian corridor into Gaza, support rebuilding efforts, and show solidarity with residents of the Gaza Strip.

Roughly 100 vessels are expected to participate in the flotilla, with ships originating from Turkey and Greece.

A dramatic decision is looming over the annual Lag BaOmer gathering in Meron, as Israeli officials weigh whether to significantly scale back — or even cancel — the massive event due to ongoing security concerns.

Prime Minister Netanyahu is set to convene a high-level meeting Sunday afternoon following the weekly cabinet session, bringing together senior ministers and top security officials to determine the fate of the event, which typically draws up to 200,000 participants.

Among those expected to attend are Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, Transportation Minister Miri Regev, and MK Meir Porush. Senior officials from the IDF and police, including the Home Front Command chief and Northern District police commander, will also participate, along with Meron project coordinator Yossi Deitch and key government ministry directors.

Officials say multiple scenarios will be discussed, ranging from holding a limited event under strict restrictions to a complete cancellation, amid heightened tensions along Israel’s northern border.

Reports late last week suggested that the defense establishment had instructed a freeze on preparations for the event. However, the Jerusalem and Heritage Ministry quickly denied any official directive to halt planning, emphasizing that no such order had been issued by the Home Front Command or security agencies.

The ministry confirmed that preparations have continued in coordination with police and security forces, with infrastructure work at the site still underway in order to preserve the option of holding the event if conditions improve.

Despite the ongoing work, uncertainty remains high. Officials acknowledged that the final decision will depend on updated security assessments in the coming days, particularly in light of continued instability and sirens in the north.

The government has already invested over 100 million shekels in preparations for this year’s gathering.

A final determination is expected following Sunday’s meeting.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Pharmacies don’t want to sell drugs to kill people, so what’s a government bent on carrying out the death penalty to do?

President Donald Trump had promised to reinstate the death penalty for federal offenses, and shortly before his first term ended, 13 executions were carried out, compared to a total of three for the previous 50 years.

When he took office for the second time, Trump reversed former President Joe Biden’s moratorium on the death penalty. However, it can take years for potential death penalty cases to become eligible.

Meanwhile, states with the death penalty on the books are struggling to perform executions, as the drugs are hard to get — with reluctant pharmacies presenting the biggest obstacle. So some states have added other methods, such as death by firing squad, which has become the primary method in Idaho. Since 2024, five states have adopted a method whereby nitrogen gas is forced into the condemned person’s airways through a face mask.

There are not a lot of ways to kill someone painlessly. Even lethal injections have resulted in botched executions — autopsies have shown, for example, that the lungs of those injected with phenobarbital suffered torturous drowning until they died.

So the Trump administration announced Friday that it will be adding other methods, such as the firing squad, gas asphyxiation, and electrocution, to make up the shortfall.

While it’s understandable that pharmacies don’t want to be branded as selling drugs of death, their refusal might lead to even more painful and cruel ways to administer the death penalty.

President Donald Trump delivers remarks following his evacuation from the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.

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CHICAGO (AP) — A police officer died and another was critically injured after a man in police custody and receiving treatment at a Chicago hospital opened fire on them Saturday, according to officials.

“Officers transported an individual over to the Swedish hospital for an observation, at which time two of our officers were shot,” Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling said at a news conference in the afternoon. “One was shot critically. It (the death) was pronounced. The second officer right now is fighting for his life in the hospital behind us.”

The officer remained in critical condition Saturday evening, authorities said in a statement.

The suspect, who was not publicly identified, fled the Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital after the shooting at around 10:50 a.m. He was later detained and a gun was recovered, police said.

Police officers work the scene outside Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital in Lincoln Square, on Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Anthony Vazquez/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

The hospital said its campus was placed on lockdown, and patients and staff at the health facility were safe.

“Today is a real difficult moment for our city. It’s a tragedy,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said at the news conference. The city is providing mental health support services to police officers so they can do their jobs, he said.

Snelling said there is an ongoing investigation, and he could not provide details. But the hospital said in a Facebook posting that an individual in custody of law enforcement was brought to the emergency department for treatment and was “wanded upon arrival,” following the protocols. He was escorted by law enforcement at all times, the hospital said.

It said that the man later fired shots at the law enforcement officers and exited the hospital building. He was later apprehended.

Police officers work the scene outside Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital in Lincoln Square, on Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Anthony Vazquez/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

“Those officers were there as transport officers,” Snelling said, referring to the police officer who died and the one who was injured. A weapon was recovered, he said.

He noted that the names of the officers were not released because they want to be sure that their families have been notified. One of them was a 38-year-old officer who had been working for 10 years in the department. The other is a 57-year-old officer with 21 years of service, Snelling said.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A small plane crashed just after taking off from Crystal Airport north of Minneapolis on Saturday, killing a North Dakota state legislator and the pilot, authorities said.

North Dakota state Rep. Liz Conmy, of Fargo, was killed in the crash, her colleague, state Sen. Tim Mathern, told the Star Tribune.

Authorities are investigating after a small plane reportedly crashed just north of the Crystal Airport shortly before noon. The aircraft had two occupants, according to initial police radio dispatches, and a wide area has been blocked to traffic while investigation takes place. A… pic.twitter.com/XqAqZD5uWz

— MN CRIME (@MN_CRIME) April 25, 2026

The North Dakota Democratic–Nonpartisan League Party, an affiliate of the national Democratic Party, confirmed Conmy’s death in a social media post, calling her a champion for public education, the environment, and transparency.

“We are completely heartbroken and gutted by the loss of Representative Liz Conmy. Her death is a profound loss for our state,” the party said in a post on X.

Officers responded to a report of a small airplane crash at 11:51 a.m. and found an aircraft that had crashed and caught fire in a park in the city of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, shortly after taking off, Brooklyn Park Police Inspector Matt Rabe said.

FAA(Update): 2 people aboard small plane that crashed in residential area near Crystal Airport, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, shortly after noon Sat. Conditions unknown. #Crash https://t.co/8Xhp2BZqOb pic.twitter.com/fSLz24P1Kf

— GeoTechWar (@geotechwar) April 25, 2026

Rabe said the plane crashed shortly after taking off. He wouldn’t say how many people were on the plane. The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that two people were aboard.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating a crash involving a Beech F33A airplane and expects investigators to arrive at the scene soon.

A rare and historic event is set to take place at Ponovezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, as Slabodka rosh yeshiva Rav Dov Landau is expected to deliver a shiur klali and words of chizuk in the yeshiva’s main bais medrash on Sunday evening at 6:30 p.m.

The upcoming shiur has generated significant excitement among the yeshiva’s hanhalah and talmidim, as it marks an exceptionally uncommon occurrence—an outside rosh yeshiva delivering a shiur klali between the walls of Ponovezh.

In preparation for the event, the nosi of the yeshiva, Rav Eliezer Kahaneman, personally visited Rav Landau in recent days to extend an invitation for the special occasion. Rav Landau agreed to participate, setting the stage for the highly anticipated shiur.

Matzav.com has learned that during that meeting, Rav Kahaneman noted that such an event has only taken place twice in the past, when shiurim were delivered by Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer zt”l and Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l, making the upcoming shiur the third instance of its kind.

{Matzav.com}

City leaders and education officials in Bnei Brak held an emergency meeting to address a growing wave of arson incidents involving youths, announcing strict new measures—including suspensions from cheder—for students found involved.

The urgent gathering, held at City Hall, brought together dozens of principals from Talmudei Torah across the city in an effort to present a unified response to troubling behavior that has become increasingly common among local teenagers. The main focus was a series of fires set in different parts of the city by students, creating real danger to lives, causing property damage, and disrupting emergency response efforts.

Deputy Mayor Chanoch Zeibert opened the meeting by outlining the severity of the issue, warning that fires in residential areas are harming residents due to heavy smoke and creating a public disgrace in the eyes of emergency and security forces. He stressed that such conduct is unacceptable for students who are expected to reflect proper values, and called on school administrators to ensure that students return home immediately after classes rather than wandering through the city in the evening hours.

The keynote speaker, Rav Yehuda Aryeh Dinner, described his personal distress as someone living near the affected areas and witnessing the scenes firsthand. He spoke about the serious harm caused to neighbors and the disruption to Torah study, and urged school leaders to act with firm and uncompromising measures to restore order. He emphasized the seriousness of the situation and the damage being caused by such behavior among youth raised in a Torah environment.

During the meeting, participants held an in-depth discussion and acknowledged the complexity of the situation. They ultimately agreed on a series of strict disciplinary steps, including immediate suspension for any student found in areas where the incidents are occurring. Schools will also issue urgent warnings to students through their internal systems to deter involvement in fire-setting, and staff will conduct proactive patrols in areas known to be at risk.

At the same time, a letter was sent to parents calling for full cooperation. The notice outlines the legal consequences of arson and includes a written commitment that parents are required to sign. Parents will be expected to monitor when their children return home and prevent them from having access to materials that could be used to start fires.

City officials Menachem Shapiro, Shlomo Elharar, and Avraham Binder said they will back the schools in enforcing these tough measures, emphasizing that strong action is necessary to stop the ongoing disturbances in the city’s streets.

{Matzav.com}

LONDON (VINnews) — The U.S. Embassy in London has issued a security alert urging Americans in Britain to exercise increased caution following a series of suspected arson attacks targeting Jewish institutions and other sites in the United Kingdom.

The advisory urged U.S. citizens to remain aware of their surroundings, particularly when visiting Jewish houses of worship, community centers and sites linked to American interests.

The warning follows several recent incidents, including a fire that damaged Hatzalah ambulances near Machzike Hadath Synagogue in London’s Golders Green neighborhood, as well as attempted firebombings at synagogues and other locations.

Authorities have also been investigating incidents involving suspicious devices or incendiary materials near Jewish and Israeli-linked sites, though some devices reportedly failed to fully ignite or caused only limited damage.

A group believed by some analysts to have ties to Iranian interests has claimed responsibility for some threats, though officials have not publicly confirmed responsibility for the attacks.

The alert comes amid heightened concern in Britain’s Jewish community over security at religious institutions. British authorities have increased patrols in some affected areas as investigations continue.

Mike Pence said President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff policies are contributing to economic difficulties in the United States, even as he credited Republicans for extending tax cuts that he said helped limit the damage.

Speaking on MSNBC’s “Way Too Early,” Pence argued that while the continuation of tax cuts provided some relief, the administration’s tariff strategy has created additional economic pressure.

Pence said, “I give Republicans in Congress and the president a great credit for extending those tax cuts in full. I think had they not done that, had those taxes gone up while tariffs were going up, I think our economy would be would be struggling even more than it is today.”

Host Ali Vitali noted the current economic challenges, saying, “You see the economy that’s struggling right now.”

Pence responded by pointing to uncertainty surrounding the tariff policy as a key factor weighing on economic performance.

“I think the economy has been impacted by the uncertainty around the president’s broad-based tariffs from Liberation Day. Advancing American Freedom was one of the few groups that went into the courts to challenge those policies on constitutional grounds.”

He also welcomed a recent legal development involving the policy.

“I was heartened that the Supreme Court of the United States, overturned the president’s Liberation Day tariffs.”

Vitali remarked on Trump’s reaction to the ruling, saying, “He was quite critical of that.”

Pence acknowledged the president’s stance but emphasized his own constitutional interpretation.

“I know he’s not happy about it, but Constitution’s quite clear that taxes originate in the Congress, not by the president, and that that includes what our Founders called imposts, which are tariffs.”

A nearly year-long investigation into crystal methamphetamine distribution in Lakewood Township has led to multiple arrests and the dismantling of a significant drug operation, authorities tell TLS.

Dubbed “Operation Honey Pot,” the investigation culminated in the execution of multiple court-authorized search warrants at residences, vehicles, and individuals tied to the operation.

As a result, law enforcement seized large quantities of suspected cocaine and crystal methamphetamine, along with additional narcotics pending laboratory analysis.

Investigators also recovered multiple firearms, a substantial amount of U.S. currency, and several vehicles, all of which are now pending forfeiture proceedings.

Three individuals were taken into custody: Geovanni Torres De Los Santos, 32, of Lakewood; Juan Torres Flores, 31, of Lakewood; and Mauricio Garcia Monterosa, 42, of Lakewood.

All three are facing a range of serious charges, including drug distribution, weapons offenses, and money laundering.

“This operation is a direct result of the hard work and coordination between our Street Crimes Unit and our law enforcement partners at every level,” said Chief Gregory H. Meyer. “The amount of narcotics, weapons, and cash removed from our community is significant. This case highlights our continued commitment to targeting those responsible for distributing dangerous drugs in our township.”

The investigation was led by the Lakewood Police Department Street Crimes Unit, with support from the department’s Special Response Team and a wide network of law enforcement partners. Assisting agencies included the Jackson Township SRT and K-9 Unit, Toms River SRT, Ocean County Regional SWAT Team, Ocean County Narcotics Strike Force, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, Brielle Police Department K-9 Unit, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, New Brunswick Police Department Detective Bureau, and the Middlesex County SORT Team.

Officials credited the success of the operation to the seamless coordination between agencies at the local, county, and federal levels.

The investigation remains active, and authorities say additional charges are possible as laboratory results are finalized.

[Video below.] Hakeem Jeffries found himself momentarily surprised when a child posed a pointed question about Democrats’ public image during a Capitol Hill event.

The exchange took place during a Take Your Child to Work Day program, where children of members of the press were invited to question lawmakers directly.

The moment quickly drew attention after one young participant raised a blunt issue that reflects a broader political challenge for Democrats as they approach a crucial election season.

The first question came from the daughter of CNN correspondent Manu Raju, who asked Jeffries, “Why do voters view Democrats so poorly?”

The question prompted laughter from the audience, while Jeffries appeared taken aback and jokingly asked whether the question had been suggested in advance by her father.

WATCH:

He quickly added that it was “a great question.”

“It’s a great question in that — I’m gonna have words with you after this, Manu,” Jeffries said.

Jeffries then offered a detailed response, pointing to a broader sense of frustration among Americans toward institutions.

“I think that we exist in an era right now where the American people are understandably frustrated with institutions because far too many people in this country are struggling to live paycheck to paycheck,” he said.

“They can’t thrive and can barely survive. And so there’s a frustration with Congress. There’s frustration with institutional political parties, whether that’s Democrats or Republicans. certainly a frustration with the courts, with organized religion, with the media, frustration with institutions of higher education and, of course, frustration with the current president of the United States of America.

“There’s a great frustration that applies to every organized institution in this country, and Democrats are not immune from that,” he continued. “And we do have a responsibility to continue to convince the American people that, as a party, we’re actually focused on making their life better.”

Jeffries, who has led House Democrats since 2023, is playing a central role in shaping the party’s message as it works to respond to Republican criticism and reconnect with voters concerned about economic pressures and the cost of living. Recent polling and analysis have highlighted concerns about the party’s standing with key constituencies, adding weight to the question raised during the event.

The exchange highlighted the communication hurdles Democrats face heading into a pivotal election cycle, with even an unscripted question from a child echoing broader concerns among voters.

{Matzav.com}

A new controversy has emerged among hundreds of volunteers from the Gerer chassidus who serve as responders with Magen David Adom after the community’s rabbinic technology committee issued a formal letter questioning the permissibility of certain operational devices.

In the letter sent to MDA leadership, the committee stated that the POC devices—commonly referred to by volunteers as the “yellow device”—no longer meet the chassidus’s accepted standards. The announcement has left many volunteers grappling with both hashkafic and technological concerns.

According to the document, the decision followed a thorough review by experts working with the committee, who concluded that the devices are not fully secure. “We hereby inform you that MDA POC devices (the yellow device) are not approved for use by Gerer chassidic responders due to the existing breach,” the letter stated.

The committee pointed to a specific issue that led to its ruling: the Waze navigation app. According to the rabbonim, it is possible to access an external, unfiltered network through the app, creating what they described as a serious breach in the community’s technological safeguards.

At the same time, the committee emphasized that the decision is not meant to impose an impossible standard, and that it is open to dialogue in order to find a technical solution that would allow volunteers to continue their work. Any device would need to undergo further testing or receive certification from an approved oversight body before being permitted for use, the committee clarified.

Sources familiar with the matter said the letter was not intended to immediately pull devices out of service or halt volunteer activity, but rather to highlight the issue to MDA leadership so that stronger filtering solutions can be implemented in line with the chassidus’s strict requirements.

The issue now rests with MDA officials, who rely on hundreds of chareidi volunteers nationwide. The organization will need to balance maintaining operational readiness and constant communication with dispatch centers against the stringent religious standards set by rabbinic authorities.

Within the chassidus, there is hope that ongoing discussions with MDA will produce a workable solution, one that ensures the life-saving device is free of any technological concerns, allowing volunteers to continue their critical work under rabbinic guidance.

{Matzav.com}

Gadi Eisenkot issued a warning to Shin Bet chief David Zini, cautioning that political elements may attempt to interfere with upcoming elections, while also delivering a sharp critique of the government’s security and political decisions.

Speaking at a political conference, Eisenkot directed pointed criticism at both the political leadership and the security establishment, according to a report by Ynet, focusing heavily on concerns over the integrity of the electoral process.

Addressing Zini directly, Eisenkot warned of possible attempts to undermine the vote. “Zini needs to open his eyes. There will be political actors who will try to sabotage these elections. After what I saw in terms of political organizing around the Supreme Court, my assumption is a strict one—that there will be political actors who will try to disrupt these elections.”

He stressed that the opposition must prepare in advance to oversee the process. “Therefore, as an opposition, we have spoken about the need to establish teams that will monitor every polling station across the State of Israel, from the Central Elections Committee and below, and not assume that there are people of integrity who accept Israeli democracy.”

Eisenkot linked his concerns to broader developments, arguing that recent events signal a challenge to democratic norms. “We are seeing a challenge to Israeli democracy, and therefore we must assume that there needs to be very tight supervision, because those who try to disrupt proceedings in the Supreme Court and cause a situation where Supreme Court justices have to be evacuated during a hearing must be assumed to have no limits. They will do everything to preserve this regime into the future, and therefore the test is a test of action. We need to be very meticulous and assume that this will happen.”

He also launched a direct attack on government policy in Judea and Samaria, placing responsibility on Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. “I want to say clearly: the one who sowed the wind and we are now reaping the storm is Binyomin Netanyahu, through the most recent coalition agreement. He dismantled the authority of the IDF as the sovereign force in Judea and Samaria, gave Smotrich control over the Civil Administration, and Ben Gvir control over the police in the Judea and Samaria district. In practice, today there is an inability for the military commander to control Judea and Samaria, and therefore we are seeing anarchy.”

Eisenkot also called for decisive action against nationalist violence, urging security officials to acknowledge what he described as a real threat. “I condemn violence and certainly terrorism, and I call on the head of the Shin Bet to open his eyes and not say there is no Jewish terrorism. There is Jewish terrorism. It is a minority, but a minority of hundreds that must be fought.”

He further appealed to Defense Minister Israel Katz to restore administrative detention powers to the IDF, describing them as a key tool in combating terrorism. Referring to recent violent incidents, he said: “To see ten Jews come to a home and set it on fire with its occupants inside—eight people were injured—is something that must be fought with an iron fist.”

In closing, Eisenkot addressed the political arena and his communications with Naftali Bennett. “I see him as a central partner,” he said. “We are corresponding, speaking, even two or three days ago. We have a shared goal—to replace this government and bring a state-oriented Zionist government that will lead the State of Israel and carry out deep reform. Even if we currently have disagreements about the path…”

“What guides me is how to win the elections, period. Ego—I promise—will not be a factor, and I promise I will do everything necessary to win.”

{Matzav.com}

(AP) – President Donald Trump says he told top U.S. envoys not to travel to Pakistan to negotiate with Iran, telling Fox News that ″they can call us anytime they want.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Pakistan on Saturday evening, two Pakistani officials told The Associated Press.

Trump said Thursday that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah by three weeks after talks at the White House. The meeting was the second high-level negotiation between the two countries since last week. The initial 10-day ceasefire, which took effect last Friday, had been due to expire Monday.

The Trump administration is placing economic sanctions on a major China-based oil refinery and roughly 40 shipping companies and tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil. The move, announced Friday, actualizes the administration’s threat to impose secondary sanctions on entities that do business with Iran, an effort to cut off Iran’s key source of revenue — its oil exports.

Zohran Mamdani stood by his decision to single out billionaire Ken Griffin in a viral video promoting a proposed pied-à-terre tax, saying Friday he has no regrets as tensions grow between City Hall and the hedge fund giant.

Speaking to reporters in Brooklyn, Mamdani declined to express regret for referencing Griffin’s Manhattan penthouse in the video, which was filmed outside the Citadel founder’s 24,000-square-foot residence on Central Park South—purchased for $238 million in 2019.

“That home, when it was purchased, was the most expensive home in the United States of America, publicly reported, and it was described as such,” Mamdani said when pressed by reporters during an unrelated press conference in Brooklyn.

“And in a political environment where there is always an attempt to describe any increase in taxes as if it would be one that would apply to all, we wanted to make very clear that this applies to a very select group of properties,” he said.

The remarks followed Mamdani’s April 15 video, in which he declared “today, we’re taxing the rich,” highlighting Griffin’s luxury apartment as a prime example of properties that would fall under Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed levy on high-end secondary homes in New York City.

The comments drew a sharp response from Citadel, where a senior executive criticized the mayor in a strongly worded internal email and raised the possibility of pulling back from a major development project in Manhattan.

“From his comments, it is apparent that the Mayor’s view is that these individuals do not contribute enough to the greater good,” Citadel COO Gerald Beeson wrote in the message.

“It is shameful that he used Ken’s name as the example of those who supposedly aren’t carrying their fair share of the burdens associated with New York City’s often costly and wasteful spending,” he wrote.

“In doing so, the Mayor has once again manifested the ignorance and disdain of the elite political class towards those who have been consistently committed to building one of the greatest cities in the world.”

Beeson also suggested Citadel could reconsider its plans for a $6 billion redevelopment at 350 Park Avenue, a project he said would generate thousands of jobs.

“The project – if we move forward – will entail more than $6 billion dollars of spending,” he wrote.

Asked whether he was concerned about the potential loss of the project, Mamdani did not directly address the possibility but emphasized his broader support for economic growth and business success in the city.

“I want New Yorkers to succeed. I want them to build businesses, to grow our economy and to create good paying jobs. And Ken Griffin has been a part of that. He’s an important employer and business leader in our city, and as I do with every New Yorker, I do want him to succeed, as mayor,” he said.

“I will continue to work with business leaders, including Mr. Griffin, as partners in building a city that continues to be the economic engine, not just of this state, but also of this country,” he continued — before pivoting to what he called the nation’s “fundamentally broken” tax system.

When asked again about naming Griffin in the video and whether he would meet with him, Mamdani sidestepped the question about regret but said he is open to dialogue.

“I’d be happy to speak with many business leaders across the city,” he said.

“We all want this city to succeed, and that is something that I’m committed to, no matter a question of unanimity on every single political issue,” he said.

He also avoided answering whether he had personally reached out to Griffin, instead pointing to broader economic concerns facing the city, which he described as a “a generational fiscal crisis” exceeding the severity of the 2008 downturn.

Mamdani said his focus is on balancing the city’s finances by asking wealthier individuals and corporations to contribute more.

“And that means Ken Griffin, and that means so many others across the city, and that also means those who would love to join us.”

Pressed again on whether he regretted singling out Griffin—especially in light of recent high-profile violence against corporate figures—Mamdani instead reiterated that his intent was to illustrate the limited scope of the proposed tax.

“And the reason that I gave other examples of this is that this piece of legislation is not motivated by any one individual. Rather, it is one that applies broadly without exception,” he said. “And so the next day, I spoke about a Saudi prince who bought an apartment for $90 million a Russian auto dealer who bought an apartment for close to $30 million in cash.

“I say these things not because I do not want these individuals to be here in New York City or to purchase property in New York City,” he insisted, “but rather to outline that we are talking about a proposal that will have a very narrow impact, and one that is being driven by an intention to ensure that everyone can remain in the city, including those that are taxed.”

{Matzav.com}

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinians voted on Saturday in the first elections held in part of Gaza in more than two decades, while tens of thousands of Palestinians cast ballots in the West Bank.

The vote in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah was a largely symbolic “pilot” election, officials said, part of the Palestinian Authority’s effort to politically link Gaza and the West Bank. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, unpopular in the West Bank and frozen out of U.S.-led postwar plans for ending Hamas rule in Gaza, hopes to establish an independent state in both territories.

Hamas did not field candidates in Deir al-Balah, which was damaged by airstrikes but spared an Israeli ground invasion in more than two years of war. More than 70,000 people were eligible to vote for the municipal government.

Though turnout was low, voters said they were driven to the polls amid a near-total absence of public services. There and throughout the West Bank, voting determines the makeup of local councils tasked with overseeing water, roads and electricity.

“I came to vote because I have a right to elect members to municipal council so they can provide us with services,” said Ashraf Abu Dan in Deir al-Balah.

The West Bank turnout was near the level of previous local elections, surprising observers who expected that a low participation rate would signal apathy and eroded faith in elected office. Election officials reported a preliminary 53.4% overall turnout after polls closed and 22.7% in Deir al-Balah.

Results in individual races are expected on Sunday.

Voters said they wanted a say over local decision-making.

“Municipal laws need to be enforced so people feel there’s justice,” said Khalid al-Qawasmeh, a voter in the West Bank city of Beitunia.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that Hezbollah is attempting to disrupt emerging efforts toward a potential peace process with Lebanon, as Israeli forces carried out additional strikes in southern Lebanon following rocket fire toward northern Israel.

In a statement issued ahead of Shabbos, Netanyahu said Israel is continuing to reshape the Middle East while working closely with the Trump administration to pressure Iran. “I promised you that we would change the face of the Middle East – and that is exactly what we are doing,” he said.

The prime minister reported that he held what he described as a productive conversation with President Donald Trump, emphasizing that the United States is maintaining strong pressure on Iran through both economic and military means. “We are operating in full cooperation,” Netanyahu said.

Addressing developments on the northern front, Netanyahu said Israel has begun a process aimed at achieving what he called a historic peace between Israel and Lebanon, but warned that Hezbollah is actively trying to sabotage those efforts. “It is clear to us that Hezbollah is trying to undermine this. We are maintaining full freedom of action against any threat, including emerging threats,” he said.

Referring to ongoing military activity, Netanyahu added, “We struck yesterday and we struck today. We are determined to restore security to the residents of the north.”

Separately, the IDF confirmed that the Israeli Air Force carried out strikes on military structures in the village of Deir Aames, located north of the forward defense line in southern Lebanon. The attack followed rocket launches the previous night from the area toward the community of Shtula in the western Galilee.

According to the IDF, the targeted sites were used by Hezbollah to advance plans for attacks against Israeli forces and the State of Israel. The strike is part of continued efforts to eliminate threats to northern communities and to enforce the ceasefire.

The military said it will continue to act decisively against any threats to Israeli civilians and IDF troops, in accordance with directives from the political leadership. During recent operations in southern Lebanon, Israeli forces have uncovered extensive Hezbollah infrastructure, including underground command centers and rocket launch systems.

The ongoing operations come as President Trump announced an extension of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon by an additional three weeks, alongside a commitment to work with Lebanon to protect it from Hezbollah.

Heavy weapons use during the recent conflict with Iran has significantly depleted key U.S. munitions stockpiles, with officials and analysts warning it could take years to fully replenish supplies, according to a new report that is fueling debate over long-term military readiness.

The findings point to the strain placed on American resources during a high-intensity campaign, prompting fresh concern about the country’s ability to sustain another major conflict—particularly against a peer adversary such as China.

U.S. forces have fired more than 1,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles and as many as 2,000 advanced air-defense interceptors, including Patriot and THAAD systems, since fighting began in late February, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Officials say replacing those weapons could require several years, leading to internal discussions about how to revise contingency planning in light of the reduced inventories.

While leaders do not see an immediate threat to U.S. security, the focus has shifted to longer-term preparedness.

Some officials cautioned that if tensions with China escalated in the near future, the United States could encounter a temporary “munitions gap,” potentially increasing risks for American forces in a high-end conflict such as a defense of Taiwan.

Despite those concerns, officials in the Trump administration rejected suggestions that the military is underprepared.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the warnings, emphasizing the strength of U.S. capabilities.

“The United States of America has the most powerful military in the world, fully loaded with more than enough weapons and munitions,” she said, the Journal reported.

Pentagon leaders echoed that message, underscoring that the U.S. maintains a “deep arsenal” and has carried out operations across multiple regions without jeopardizing national security.

Independent defense experts, however, say the situation is more nuanced.

A recent analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies found that the Iran conflict drew down substantial portions of critical missile reserves, including about one-quarter of Tomahawk supplies and more than half of certain defensive interceptor systems.

“It’s going to be years before we can rebuild those inventories,” CSIS senior adviser Mark Cancian said.

The report highlights a broader strategic issue: a potential future conflict with a nation like China would likely demand even larger quantities of sophisticated weapons, particularly long-range strike capabilities and missile defense systems.

Even so, military officials say the campaign against Iran has also yielded benefits, including valuable operational experience and a demonstration of U.S. combat effectiveness.

Adm. Samuel Paparo, who commands U.S. forces in the Pacific, told lawmakers he does not see any immediate degradation in America’s ability to deter China.

In the meantime, the Pentagon has begun taking steps to restore its stockpiles.

The Trump administration has proposed significant new funding to expand the defense-industrial base, aiming to increase production capacity and shorten delivery timelines.

Major defense firms, including Lockheed Martin and RTX Corporation, have already announced plans to ramp up missile manufacturing in the coming years.

Analysts say that while the U.S. remains capable of sustaining current operations, rebuilding inventories and preparing for future large-scale conflicts will require ongoing investment and careful strategic planning.

The overall picture, they say, is that the U.S. military continues to hold a dominant position, but the pace and demands of modern warfare are placing increasing pressure on its arsenal.

{Matzav.com}

A large majority of Americans say Donald Trump is responsible for the recent spike in gasoline prices, a trend that is creating political challenges for Republicans ahead of the November midterm elections, according to a Reuters/Ipsos survey.

The poll, completed earlier this week, found that 77% of registered voters believe Trump holds at least some responsibility for the increase in fuel costs, which followed his decision to enter a war with Iran alongside Israel.

That sentiment cut across party lines, with 55% of Republicans, 82% of independents, and 95% of Democrats saying the president is to blame for higher gas prices.

The survey also showed that 58% of voters—including about 20% of Republicans and roughly two-thirds of independents—said they would be less inclined to support candidates in the November 3 elections who back Trump’s handling of the Iran conflict.

The United States and Israel launched a surprise offensive against Iran in February, resulting in the death of the country’s leader and thousands of casualties. Iran retaliated by striking U.S. allies in the region, damaging oil infrastructure and disrupting about 20% of global oil shipments. Since then, gasoline prices in the U.S. have climbed to roughly $4 per gallon, about $1 higher than before the war began.

The prolonged conflict is putting pressure on household budgets and adding to concerns among Republicans heading into the midterms, where the party faces a difficult path to holding onto its majority in the House and risks losing the Senate as well.

“Right now, it’s bad. People are upset,” said Sarah Chamberlain, strategist and president of the Republican Main Street Partnership that advocates for conservative lawmakers.

“Republicans are obviously very concerned about maintaining the House, but if we can get through the Iran situation by summertime and gas prices drop back down, or at least go down maybe not to quite the level they were prior to the war, then I think we have a really good shot.”

According to the poll, 77% of Americans view fuel prices as a major concern, and respondents were more than twice as likely to expect prices to rise over the next year than to fall.

Trump won the 2024 election after promising to tackle inflation, which had been a major issue during the administration of Joe Biden. He has continued to describe the U.S. economy as strong, including remarks in Las Vegas on April 16, while the White House website promotes what it calls a “GOLDEN AGE.”

However, 70% of those surveyed disagreed with the idea that the economy is booming, and 82% said inflation remains a significant concern.

“Trump has made affordability and bringing down prices a cornerstone of the Make America Great Again movement, and with costs going up in the country, that is a hard circle to square, messaging wise,” said Erin Maguire, a Republican strategist.

Maguire added that Republican candidates will need to carefully balance their messaging on the Iran war while emphasizing the administration’s efforts to reduce taxes.

The poll also indicated that Republicans’ traditional advantage on economic issues has narrowed considerably. The latest survey, conducted between April 15 and April 20, found that 38% of voters favor the Republican approach to the economy, compared to 37% who prefer the Democrats. That one-point margin is a sharp drop from the 14-point lead Republicans held shortly after Trump began his second term in January 2025.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll surveyed 4,557 adults nationwide, including 3,577 registered voters, and carries a margin of error of two percentage points.

Pollster John McLaughlin criticized redistricting efforts led by Democrats in New York, arguing that while both parties engage in drawing political maps, Democrats have been inconsistent in how they address the issue.

Speaking on Newsmax’s “Ed Henry The Big Take,” McLaughlin pointed to recent adjustments to congressional districts in New York, saying the changes had a direct impact on Republican representation.

Referring to the 2024 election cycle, he said Democrats moved to redraw the maps after Republicans made gains under court-drawn lines.

In New York in 2024, “the Democrats redistricted because the judge drew fair lines and Republicans won 11 seats.

“And guess what [New York Gov. Kathy] Hochul did? They came back. They did a redistricting thing in spite of referendums that passed statewide,” he added.

Redistricting in New York has been the focus of ongoing legal and political battles in recent years, with courts stepping in ahead of the 2022 midterms to revise district boundaries.

Republicans saw improved results under those court-ordered maps, picking up additional seats.

According to McLaughlin, later changes to the maps reversed some of those Republican gains.

“They redrew the lines, which cost us Brandon Williams’ seat in Syracuse,” he said. “And it cost us New York District 3 because they all of a sudden they started redrawing the lines again in 2024.”

He also took aim at Kathy Hochul for criticizing redistricting efforts in other states.

“Then Gov. Hochul has the nerve to attack Gov. [Greg] Abbott for redistricting in Texas,” McLaughlin said.

Redistricting takes place every ten years following the U.S. Census and often leads to partisan disputes, as both Democrats and Republicans are frequently accused of gerrymandering to gain an advantage in states they control.

Greg Abbott and other Republican leaders have defended their state’s redistricting process as lawful, while Democrats argue that such maps weaken minority representation and solidify GOP control.

Donald Trump warned that the United States will respond with significant tariffs if Britain continues imposing its digital services tax on major American technology companies.

The dispute centers on the United Kingdom’s 2% levy on digital revenues, introduced in 2020, which has drawn criticism from both Trump and Joe Biden.

Speaking to reporters at a White House event, Trump made clear that further action could follow if the policy remains in place.

“If they don’t drop the tax, we’ll probably put a big tariff on the UK,” the president told reporters ⁠during a White House event.

The comments come just days before a planned visit by King Charles III to the United States.

Trump said he believes the king could play a role in easing tensions between Washington and London, as relations between the two allies have shown signs of strain in recent months.

The United States intends to extend an invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin for the upcoming G20 summit in Miami, according to a U.S. official, though Donald Trump said he is skeptical that Putin will actually show up.

Such an invitation would signal a notable shift in how Western nations are dealing with Putin, who has largely been isolated internationally since launching the 2022 invasion of Ukraine—though not by Trump.

As host of this year’s Group of 20 gathering, the United States is preparing for a high-profile summit scheduled for December in Florida, a state Trump calls home.

“All G20 members will be invited to attend ministerial meetings and the leaders’ summit,” a senior Trump administration official said in a statement.

When asked later about the invitation, Trump appeared uncertain about whether Putin would participate.

“I don’t know that he’s coming. I doubt he’d come, to be honest with you,” Trump said.

Still, Trump indicated he would welcome Putin’s presence, arguing it could be beneficial.

“If he came, it would be probably very helpful.”

He also revisited his criticism of former President Barack Obama for removing Russia from what was then the G8, a group of major industrialized democracies, after Moscow’s 2014 move into Ukraine.

“President Putin, he was very offended by that – rightfully,” Trump said.

Trump pointed to a prior meeting with Putin in Alaska in August, marking the Russian leader’s first visit to Western territory since the start of the war.

Since returning to the White House, Trump has made efforts to reopen diplomatic channels with Moscow in hopes of bringing the Ukraine conflict to an end.

Although he initially pledged to resolve the war within 24 hours, those efforts have yet to produce significant breakthroughs, despite multiple rounds of talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials.

Trump has frequently faulted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, accusing him of refusing to give up territory as part of a potential settlement.

Earlier Thursday, the Kremlin said no decision has been made regarding Putin’s attendance at the summit.

“No such decisions have been made yet,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in Moscow.

Russia has received an invitation at “the highest level” for the Dec. 14–15 summit in Miami, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin, as reported by the state news agency RIA Novosti.

Putin has avoided travel to certain countries since 2023, when the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest related to the war, raising the possibility of detention in nations that recognize the court’s authority.

The United States is not a member of the ICC and has opposed its actions under Trump’s leadership.

Putin has not attended a G20 leaders’ summit since 2019, first due to the coronavirus pandemic and later because of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

As mental health awareness continues to grow within the Orthodox Jewish community, the availability and quality of services have expanded significantly to meet the increasing demand.

Today, Lakewood and its surrounding areas are home to a wide range of highly skilled professionals and organizations, all committed to supporting individuals facing both simple and complex mental health challenges.

At the same time, this growth has created a new challenge: an overwhelming array of options and a lack of cohesion between the many providers and resources serving the community.

To address this, Dr. Yossi Shafer, Ph.D., founder and director of Empower Health Center, has launched EmpowerEd, a new division built on a clear and focused vision. The initiative is designed to elevate the standard of mental health education through consistent, high level trainings and specialty trainings, while also bringing together all those involved in mental health care under one unified platform.

This includes psychotherapists, psychiatric providers, medical professionals, Rabbanim, organizational leaders, and others who play a role in supporting individuals and families.
The goal is to create a structured, accessible platform for education, collaboration, and ongoing professional development that raises the standard of care and positions therapists as the gold standard in the field.

**In collaboration with leading organizations including Ray of Hope, Amudim, Touro College, and MASK, EmpowerEd will be hosting its Spring Mental Health Summit at the Beru Grand in Lakewood on Sunday, May 3.
**
This summit presents a unique opportunity for professionals to engage with experts across disciplines, participate in high level trainings, and build meaningful connections that enhance their ability to serve the community.

A central focus of the summit is bridging the gap between medical professionals, mental health clinicians, and Rabbanim. By fostering collaboration across these fields, the program aims to strengthen communication, align treatment approaches, and support the development of cohesive plans that address clinical, medical, and halachic considerations in a coordinated manner.

An important component of this initiative is addressing the ongoing educational requirements of mental health professionals. Providers are required to complete 40 CE credits every two years.

EmpowerEd has been intentionally structured as a biannual platform to meet this need through consistent, high quality trainings, eliminating the need for extensive travel and reducing reliance on less professional trainings that do not meet the standard clinicians are seeking.

In addition, efforts are underway to secure continuing education credits for medical doctors and psychiatric providers, further expanding the scope and value of these trainings.

To broaden access even further, these trainings will also be available via Zoom, allowing frum therapists across the United States and internationally to participate. This ensures that the impact of EmpowerEd extends far beyond the local community, creating opportunities for connection, learning, and collaboration on a much larger scale.

The response from the community has been remarkable, with over 200 registrants already and widespread engagement from organizations across Lakewood and beyond.

There is a clear recognition of the need for a structured and consistent system that brings together the many existing resources in a coordinated and efficient way.

The vision of EmpowerEd is to establish a reliable platform for mental health trainings, education, and community awareness, while ensuring that providers are knowledgeable about the many high quality resources available.

Rather than having organizations invest time and resources creating separate initiatives, this model allows for a unified system that maximizes what already exists and strengthens the entire network of care.

In addition, all panel discussions, including the Rabbanim panel, Medical Doctor panel, and other featured panels, will be available free of charge with registration.
Due to limited capacity, this opportunity is open to Rabbanim, mechanchim, medical providers, chosson rebbeim, and kallah teachers, offering access to critical conversations and collaboration across disciplines.

This event represents the formal launch of a biannual structure and platform that will continue to grow and evolve.

Upcoming programming is already scheduled, including a one day summit on Sunday, October 25, as well as additional expanded trainings designed to meet the needs of both novice and advanced clinicians, along with Rabbanim, mechanchim, and community leaders.

Moving forward, these summits will follow a consistent schedule, taking place approximately three weeks after Pesach and three weeks after Succos, creating a predictable and dependable rhythm that professionals can rely on year after year.

This structured timing aligns with key points in the professional calendar, when clinicians are actively building connections, expanding their caseloads, and seeking opportunities for growth.

Early bird registration pricing is available through tomorrow, Sunday, April 26.

We are all thankful to EmpowerEd for establishing a new standard for mental health education and collaboration, one that is organized, accessible, and built to support the evolving needs of the community with clarity, consistency, and of gold standard.

Call / Text / Whatsapp: 732-666-9898

Email: [email protected]

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Friday that he will veto legislation aimed at protecting educational institutions from protests, while allowing a separate bill concerning houses of worship to move forward—prompting sharp criticism from several leading Jewish organizations.

Mamdani said he will permit the worship-related bill to take effect, noting that it passed with a veto-proof majority, unlike the schools measure, which lacked sufficient support to override a veto.

The proposals have sparked significant debate, touching on tensions between free speech and assembly rights on one hand, and concerns about religious freedom and discrimination on the other.

Left-leaning advocacy groups, including some Jewish organizations aligned with Mamdani, opposed both measures, arguing they would limit free expression.

The mayor had not previously revealed his intentions, leading to weeks of speculation over whether he would block one or both bills.

The legislation was introduced following two heated demonstrations outside synagogues in New York City, including one in Queens that also took place near a school. Both bills were approved by the City Council last month.

They are part of a broader legislative effort led by City Council Speaker Julie Menin to address antisemitism in the city.

The worship-focused bill originally proposed a buffer zone of up to 100 feet around religious institutions, but that provision was removed after the NYPD raised concerns about enforcement challenges.

In a statement, Mamdani said he will “allow it to become law,” though he did not specify whether he would formally sign it. If he takes no action, the bill will automatically take effect once the 30-day review period expires.

“It initially raised constitutional concerns. However, the final version of the bill that passed is narrower in scope and effect,” Mamdani said in a statement. “Following a thorough legal review, I do not believe it poses the same risks it once did, and that is why I will allow it to become law. That said, I disagree with its framing of all protest as a security concern.”

Mamdani drew a distinction between the two measures, arguing that the bill addressing schools carried broader implications.

“As the bill is written, everywhere from universities to museums to teaching hospitals could face restrictions,” he said. “This could impact workers protesting ICE, or college students demanding their school divest from fossil fuels, or demonstrating in support of Palestinian rights.”

“That is why I am vetoing this legislation,” he said. As of Friday afternoon, the formal veto had not yet appeared in City Council records.

Despite being described as “buffer zone” bills, the legislation does not mandate fixed distances, and law enforcement already establishes perimeters at protest sites. During one demonstration outside Park East Synagogue in November, protesters were permitted to gather near an entrance—an incident the police later acknowledged as a mistake and pledged would not be repeated. A separate protest in Queens was held more than 100 feet from the synagogue.

Under the proposed framework, police would be required to create “security perimeters” designed to prevent obstruction, intimidation, and interference, while still protecting free speech and assembly rights. Officers would also be tasked with developing plans to manage such risks, submitting them to the mayor and the City Council speaker, and making them publicly available online.

Organizers behind the synagogue protests said their demonstrations were aimed at events tied to West Bank settlements. However, reports indicated that protesters harassed Jewish individuals, directed antisemitic remarks at congregants, and chanted calls for violence, including slogans supporting Hamas and a “global intifada.”

In New York City, Jews are targeted in hate crimes more than any other group combined. Councilmember Eric Dinowitz, who sponsored the schools bill, said during a recent antisemitism hearing that roughly a quarter of such incidents in the city involve children.

Mamdani noted that various organizations, including reproductive rights groups, had also opposed the legislation. While New York law already protects access to abortion facilities, a separate proposal to establish 100-foot buffer zones around clinics has not faced similar resistance.

The mayor’s decision further strains his already tense relationship with major Jewish organizations and highlights ongoing friction between City Hall and City Council leadership, which have clashed on some issues while cooperating on others.

Leading Jewish groups responded by saying they were deeply disappointed with the decision.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — BDE:Thousands from all communities and backgrounds attended on Saturday night the levaya of Nesia Karadi HYD who passed away on Friday evening after a month during which doctors fought for her life. She had been critically injured by an Iranian missile that struck her home on Rimon Street in Bnei Brak on Erev Pesach.

The first to eulogize at the levaya was her uncle, Rabbi Michael Lasri, a renowned charedi Darshan and public speaker, who spoke about the great spiritual strengthening that took place over the past month, during which many people took upon themselves to welcome Shabbat earlier. “She had merits with all the great rabbis of the land. I have been involved in bringing people closer to Judaism for forty years, and she accomplished it in just a few weeks,” he said. Rabbi Lasri asked that she pray for the family: “Because we need many miracles and wonders, we don’t know what will be.”

Rabbi Yigal Cohen, a member of the Chief Rabbinate Council, said: “This soul brought thoughts of repentance to the people of Israel. Her only ‘crime’ was that she was born a Jew in the Land of Israel. Sadly, almost a month after the incident, despite the parents tearing the heavens with their prayers, Nesia was called to the heavenly academy.”

“This pure child, who completed her mission in this world, took with her to heaven so many prayers,” Rabbi Cohen added.

Her father, Rabbi Elazar Elchanan Karadi, then eulogized her and accepted the divine judgment: “I want to say thank you to the Creator of the world for giving me a daughter who taught me what true joy is, what love of Torah is. She was our happiness in life. Thank you to G-d, to the rabbis, to the people of Israel, to Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, to the doctors, to the ‘Ezer Mizion’ organization, and to every person in Israel who took upon themselves even the smallest good deed. Thank you to all those who donated blood, your blood will save lives among the people of Israel.”

“Our daughter Nesia merited to illuminate the people of Israel with complete repentance, and we are the only parents in the world who could accept this with love from G-d. I ask the dear people of Israel to continue strengthening themselves, to continue reciting Psalms and studying Mishnah in her memory, and to take on a small good deed in memory of Nesia bat Hila. Go before the Throne of Glory and implore for your father, mother, brothers and sisters, for your grandmother, and for all the people of Israel, that He send complete healing to all.”

“We ask your forgiveness, we did everything we could for you, but G-d wanted otherwise. We are sure you will watch over and influence all of Israel.”

May her blood be avenged.

An Iranian F-5 fighter jet bombed Camp Buehring in Kuwait during the opening phase of the Iran war, according to NBC News, a stunning breach because the base had air defenses in place and because the F-5 is not some cutting-edge stealth platform. It is an old, U.S.-designed fighter from another era, kept alive by Tehran through decades of sanctions, improvisation and cannibalized parts.

NBC reported that the F-5 attack marked the first time in years that an enemy fixed-wing aircraft struck an American military base. The target, Camp Buehring, is a major U.S. staging and logistics hub in Kuwait, tied into America’s wider Gulf posture and located near other key U.S. facilities. NBC did not publicly confirm whether the aircraft returned to Iran or was later shot down.

NBC, citing U.S. officials, congressional aides and an American Enterprise Institute assessment, reported that Iranian retaliatory strikes caused far more damage to U.S. bases and equipment across the Middle East than Washington has publicly acknowledged. The targets reportedly included warehouses, command headquarters, aircraft hangars, satellite communications systems, runways, high-end radar systems and dozens of aircraft across seven Middle Eastern countries.

AEI’s assessment reportedly found that Iran hit more than 100 targets across 11 U.S. bases, with infrastructure repair costs estimated at well over $5 billion. That figure does not appear to fully capture the replacement cost of destroyed or damaged aircraft, radars, weapons systems and specialized military equipment. NBC also reported damage to at least two air-defense systems, while earlier reporting said U.S. losses included aircraft such as MQ-9 Reaper drones, MC-130 tankers, helicopters and other high-value platforms.

Senior Trump administration officials had publicly described Iran’s military capability as shattered, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth saying Iran’s air force had been “wiped out” and that the U.S. “own[s] their skies.” Gen. Dan Caine also said U.S. forces had struck more than 13,000 targets and flown more than 10,000 missions during Operation Epic Fury. Those claims may still reflect the scale of American offensive success, but the reported F-5 bombing shows Iran retained enough combat capability to land a symbolic and operationally embarrassing blow.

The Pentagon has not released a full public battle-damage assessment. An official told NBC that the military does not discuss battle damage assessments for operational security reasons, while TASS separately reported that Pentagon officials said they did not yet have a final number for damage to overseas installations or the cost of rebuilding them. That silence has only sharpened frustration among some lawmakers, especially as the Pentagon seeks major new funding for repairs, replenishment and future readiness.

A night of Independence Day celebration in Petah Tikva has turned into one of Israel’s most disturbing youth-violence cases, after police arrested seven minors in connection with the killing of 21-year-old Yemanu Binyamin Zelka, a Pizza Hut worker and recently released IDF soldier who was stabbed after asking a group of teens to stop spraying party foam inside the restaurant. Police said the suspects, ages 13 to 17, were arrested after coordinated raids on several addresses. The main suspect, reportedly 15, was found hiding in an apartment in central Israel and tried to flee when officers broke in. His parents were also detained on suspicion of helping him hide and obstructing the investigation.

According to police and Hebrew media reports, Zelka was working the late shift at the Pizza Hut branch in Petah Tikva’s Kfar Ganim neighborhood when a group of youths entered and began spraying foam at customers. He asked them to stop and leave. Investigators suspect the group later waited outside until he finished his shift, then attacked him. Kan reported that one minor allegedly stabbed him while others beat him or stood by as he bled. Zelka was taken to Beilinson Hospital in critical condition, where doctors later pronounced him dead.

The case has drawn national shock not only because of the brutality, but because of the age and behavior of the suspects. Police sources told Hebrew media the teens acted “like veteran criminals” after the attack, turning off their phones and staying away from their homes to avoid arrest. Some of the suspects were already known to police, and Kan reported that several are linked to the same family, including relatives of known criminals. A partial gag order remains in place because minors are involved.

Zelka was remembered by friends, coworkers, and neighbors as gentle, hardworking, and deeply loved. He had worked at the pizzeria since he was 16 to help support his family and left behind his parents and five siblings. Former coworkers described him as patient, funny, and protective, someone who treated younger workers like family and cared deeply about the business. Outside the restaurant, residents lit candles, placed flowers, and left messages in his memory.

President Donald Trump says the U.S. Navy is clearing Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz, a vital sea route for oil shipments whose disruption is increasingly threatening the global economy.

Sweeping for underwater explosives could take months despite a tenuous ceasefire between the United States and Iran in the weekslong war, experts say. Any future claims that the U.S. cleared the waterway where 20% of the world’s oil typically passes might fail to convince commercial freighters and their insurers that it is finally safe.

“You don’t even have to have lain mines — you just have to make people believe that you’ve laid mines,” said Emma Salisbury, a scholar at the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s National Security Program.

“And even if the U.S. sweeps the strait and says everything’s clear, all the Iranians have to do is say, ‘Well, actually, you haven’t found them all yet,’” said Salisbury, who is also a fellow at the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre. “There’s only so much the U.S. can do to give that confidence back to commercial shipping.”

Seeking out mines is one of the latest tactics announced by the Trump administration to get traffic moving again through the strait as rising energy prices and wider economic effects pose a political risk. The U.S. also has blockaded Iran’s ports and seized ships tied to Tehran, but the president said Saturday he had instructed his envoys not to travel to Pakistan for the latest ceasefire talks after Iran’s top diplomat left Islamabad.

Pentagon officials told lawmakers it would likely take six months to clear the mines that Iran has set in the strait, according a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive information. The information was delivered during a classified briefing at the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.

When asked about the estimate, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters Friday that the military would not speculate on a timeline, but he did not deny it.

“Allegedly that was something that was said,” Hegseth said at a Pentagon news conference. “But we feel confident in our ability, in the correct period of time, to clear any mines that we identify.”

Trump said he has ordered the Navy to attack any boat laying mines in the strait.

“Additionally, our mine ‘sweepers’ are clearing the Strait right now,” the president said on social media Thursday. “I am hereby ordering that activity to continue, but at a tripled up level!”

Adm. Brad Cooper, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, recently told reporters that the military would be working to clear mines from the strait. He did not offer details.

There is no indication that the U.S. military is using warships, its most visible mine-clearing assets, in the strait now.

But the Navy also has divers and small teams of explosive ordnance disposal technicians in the region that are capable of clearing mines. They are a less obvious target than a large warship.

Experts also say some mine-clearing equipment could be moved off ships and deployed from land.

It is unclear whether a single mine has been deployed. Iran has mentioned only the “likelihood” of mines in the strait’s prewar routes.

Estimates of Iran’s mine stockpiles are in the low thousands, said Salisbury, of the Foreign Policy Research Institute. Most of its underwater explosives are believed to be older Soviet models. Some of its newer ones may be from China or made domestically.

“Minelaying is a lot easier than minesweeping, so you can literally push these things off the back of a speedboat,” Salisbury said, though she noted the U.S. could likely see that.

Iran also has small submarines that can lay mines and are much harder to detect, Salisbury added. She said she has not seen indications that they have been destroyed in the war.

If Iran has set mines in the strait, they are not the spiky balls floating on the surface seen in the movies, Salisbury said. The explosives are likely sitting on the seabed or moored to it by a cable and floating under the surface. They can be triggered by the water pressure changing when a ship passes or by the sound of its engine.

The U.S. Navy now has two littoral combat ships in the Middle East that are capable of sweeping for mines, said a defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military movements.

Two U.S. Avenger-class minesweepers based in Japan also have departed for the Middle East but were in the Pacific Ocean as of Friday, the official said.

Steven Wills, a retired lieutenant commander who served on an Avenger-class ship, said the Navy is likely looking for sea explosives in order to create a safe channel through the strait. Minesweeping is a slower process that usually occurs after a conflict.

“Minehunting is walking through your yard pulling individual weeds and dandelions so that you can walk safely from one side to the other. Minesweeping is more like mowing the grass,” said Wills, an expert at the Center for Maritime Strategy at the Navy League of the United States.

Scott Savitz, a researcher with the RAND Corp. who focuses on naval operations and mine clearing, said the Navy does not necessarily have to remove every last mine.

“There’s still areas that have not been cleared from World War II — and in some cases, World War I — just because it is so resource intensive and it takes a lot of time,” he said.

Teams on the Navy’s littoral combat ships can deploy remotely operated, uncrewed vehicles that use sonar and other technology to find mines, Wills said. They also carry charges to destroy the explosives.

U.S. Navy ships may also have explosive ordnance disposal teams, including divers, that can hunt for and destroy mines, Wills said. Helicopters can search for mines using lasers.

Shipping companies are weighing the risks
Eventually, shipping companies will be willing to take some risks to travel through the strait “particularly given how lucrative it is,” Savitz said.

Under Iran’s approval procedure for vessels wanting to transit the strait, ships must take a different route than before the war — to the north, near Iran’s coastline.

Insurers are adding a clause that requires ship owners to contact Iranian authorities to ensure safe passage, said Dylan Mortimer, U.K. marine war leader for insurance broker Marsh.

That certification does not mention mines specifically and is intended to protect against the entire spectrum of threats, including missile and drone attacks or seizures, Mortimer said.

But mines do, at the very least, play a psychological role, a phenomenon Mortimer called the “specter of threat.”

“That plays in the Iranians’ favor, because whether there are mines there or not, people think there’s mines there and they will operate accordingly,” Mortimer said.

Those fears could mean it takes longer to restore confidence that the strait is safe even after the war.

(AP)

(YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis ha’Shabbos in Israel)

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu ordered the IDF to strike Hezbollah in Lebanon “forcefully” after multiple ceasefire violations in the previous 24 hours, the Prime Minister’s Office said on Motzei Shabbos.

Hezbollah launched two rockets at northern Israel on Shabbos afternoon, triggering sirens in Manara, Margaliot, and Misgav Am in the Galil. One rocket was intercepted, and the other fell in an open area.

About an hour later, Hezbollah fired drones at northern Israel, triggering sirens in several yishuvim in the Galil. The IDF said that two drones crossed into Israel. One was intercepted, and contact with the other was lost.

The IDF also reported the interception of a Hezbollah drone fired at the security zone in southern Lebanon, where IDF soldiers are operating.

Later, the IDF announced that Hezbollah fired several explosive drones at IDF troops in the security zone. The drones exploded near the soldiers, but b’Chasdei Hashem, did not cause any injuries.

(YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis ha’Shabbos in Israel)

An Asbury Park man has been sentenced to state prison for a fatal shooting outside a Toms River hookah lounge that left one man dead and two others injured.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that Eric Manzanares, 26, of Asbury Park, was sentenced on April 24, 2026, by the Honorable Guy P. Ryan to 20 years in New Jersey State Prison in connection with his guilty plea to aggravated manslaughter stemming from the 2022 incident.

In addition, Manzanares received seven-year prison sentences for each of two counts of aggravated assault tied to the same case. All sentences will run concurrently and are subject to the No Early Release Act, requiring him to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole. Manzanares pleaded guilty to all charges on February 27, 2026.

The charges stem from a shooting that occurred on August 27, 2022, at approximately 1:20 a.m., when officers from the Toms River Township Police Department responded to Top Tier Hookah Lounge for reports of gunfire.

When officers arrived, they found three victims suffering from gunshot wounds. Nymere Tinsley sustained a gunshot wound to his lower abdomen and was transported to Community Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased shortly afterward.

Two additional victims survived their injuries. Anthony Miller, 30, of Neptune Township, suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach and was treated and released. Jamal Bland, 26, of Asbury Park, suffered a gunshot wound to the elbow and was also treated and released.

Investigators from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Toms River Township Police Department Detective Bureau, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit determined that Manzanares was responsible for shooting all three victims.

He was initially charged on the day of the shooting with murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and his information was entered into the National Crime Information Center database.

Manzanares remained a fugitive until April 7, 2023, when he was apprehended by law enforcement in Prince William County. He was held at the Prince William-Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center before being extradited to Ocean County on January 24, 2024. He has remained lodged in the Ocean County Jail since that date.

Prosecutor Billhimer credited Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Jamie Schron and Senior Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Burke for handling the case, and commended the multiple law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation and apprehension.

The U.S. government has moved to block approximately $344 million in cryptocurrency believed to be linked to Iran, intensifying financial measures against Tehran even as the outlook for diplomatic progress remains unclear, CNN reported.

Officials at the Treasury Department said the action focused on several digital wallets as part of a wider effort to disrupt funding streams connected to Iran.

Authorities pointed to blockchain tracking that identified transactions tied to Iranian exchanges, as well as accounts associated with the country’s central bank.

The asset freeze was executed with the cooperation of Tether, which said it took action after being provided with intelligence from U.S. agencies indicating suspected illicit activity.

Analysts noted that while the move is notable, it is unlikely to have a major impact on Iran’s overall financial standing, as the country has repeatedly adjusted to sanctions and has increasingly turned to cryptocurrency as a way to work around restrictions.

Hatzolah of Los Angeles confirmed that 78 year old Jeanne Rus Litvin has been found alive and well after days of intense searching.

According to the update, Jeanne Rus Litvin had been taken in by a local hospital as a Jane Doe before being positively identified.

Hatzolah of LA released a statement: “With gratitude to Hashem I would like to inform the community that she has been found alive and well. The efforts of the entire community is very much appreciated and recognized.”

Earlier this week, Rockland Chaverim deployed dozens of volunteers to Los Angeles to assist in the search after Jeanne Rus Litvin, who is believed to suffer from dementia, went missing on April 15.

Approximately 30 volunteers traveled cross country with specialized search equipment, including drones and surveillance technology, in a coordinated effort alongside local emergency teams.

A remarkable ending to a massive community driven search.

(AP) – Speculation about links among a handful U.S. scientists who have died or disappeared in recent years was largely confined to niche online communities less than two months ago. As of Friday, the number had grown to at least 12 and was at the epicenter of U.S. government, with both the FBI and Congress investigating possible connections.

At a press gathering April 16, President Donald Trump was asked about “10 missing scientists with access to classified stuff, nuclear material, aerospace, they’ve all gone missing or turned up dead in the last couple of months” and whether he thought there were ties among them.

“Well, I hope it’s random, but we’re going to know in the next week and a half, ” Trump said.

Those speculating about the cases suggest that the individuals were targeted, perhaps by global U.S. adversaries, because of the sensitive nature of their work related to topics such as astrophysics, nuclear weapons and pharmaceuticals. But so far no evidence has been found that definitively links them or establishes coordinated foul play.

Jen Golbeck, a professor at the University of Maryland who studies conspiracy theories, said the idea of a sinister connection between tragedies involving scientists is a common trope within conspiracy theory communities.

“There are a lot of people who work for national labs and universities and government research centers and some of them will go missing or commit suicide or die,” she said. “Any year you could take a bunch of those and name them as something sinister if you wanted to.”

The path from niche online communities to the mainstream
The deaths and disappearances in question garnered suspicion from online sleuths as they occurred, but it was the disappearance of 68-year-old William “Neil” McCasland, a retired Air Force general, on Feb. 27 that fueled a wider belief that there could be a nefarious connection between these incidents, spurred in part by his high-ranking military work and connection to the UFO community.

Around this time people began pointing to other examples of scientists who had died or gone missing, ultimately going as far back as June 2022.

The Daily Mail published an article on March 22 naming five individuals and reporting that “a chilling pattern has emerged after a string of US scientists died or went missing in recent months.”

On April 15, a question about the missing or dead individuals came up at a White House press briefing and by the next day Trump said he had met with advisers and the issue was being investigated. FBI Director Kash Patel reiterated the importance of looking for connections in these cases Sunday on Fox News. The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is conducting its own investigation.

“That’s pretty typical for how a lot of this stuff works, is that there are these fringe online spaces, they start it, it spreads, it gets picked up by … the more conspiratorial-minded politicians who do have platforms and makes its way onto more mainstream social media and then grabs that attention,” said Golbeck.

Callie Kalny, co-director of the Center of Media Psychology and Social Influence at Northwestern University, agreed that these conspiracy theories are following a familiar pattern of starting in more niche venues before finding their way into the national conversation.

“Once it’s made it to the mainstream and once we experience this repeat exposure to it, it sort of just embeds into our minds as something that maybe we just take as fact or we just take as something that is common knowledge without ever really critically thinking well, where did this come from to begin with? And is there any validity to this?” she said.

Correlation does not imply causation
There are some parallels among the dozen or so individuals at the heart of these conspiracy theories, such as associations with Los Alamos National Laboratory and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and some of those named had specialized knowledge and high-level security clearances. But the list contains many reasons to doubt the claims spreading online.

In some of the cases, investigations had already been conducted, with suspects identified or charged. In others, no connections were apparent or evidence was lacking or not as convincing as it first appeared.

For example, Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a physicist and fusion scientist who was a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is on the list. He was fatally shot on Dec. 15 by Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, who was also responsible for a mass shooting at Brown University days prior. Neves Valente took his own life. A motive has not been established, but the two men knew each other decades earlier as classmates in Portugal studying physics.

Carl Grillmair, an astrophysicist at the California Institute of Technology who discovered water on a distant planet, was fatally shot on Feb. 16, according to local reports. Authorities charged 29-year-old Freddy Snyder with Grillmair’s murder and carjacking. Snyder is being held on a multimillion-dollar bond.

Melissa Casias, then 53, went missing on June 26 in New Mexico. She worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory and while some online assumed she was a scientist there, according to her LinkedIn profile Casias actually worked as an administrative assistant.

As for McCasland, he left home without his phone, prescription glasses and wearable devices, according to the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. His hiking boots, wallet and a .38 caliber revolver could not be found at the house. There is no evidence indicating foul play and he remains missing.

McCasland’s wife, Susan Wilkerson, wrote in a Facebook post on March 6 responding to online rumors that since his retirement 13 years ago, McCasland “has had only very commonly held clearances” and that “it seems quite unlikely that he was taken to extract very dated secrets from him.” She added that although he “had a brief association with the UFO community,” he does not have any privileged knowledge about aliens.

“In the face of tragedy or uncertainty, people seek patterns and explanations rather than accepting ambiguity or coincidence,” said Donnell Probst, executive director of the National Association for Media Literacy Education. “Narratives suggesting hidden connections or intentional wrongdoing can feel more satisfying than incomplete or evolving information, even without supporting evidence.”

Donald Trump sharply criticized the Southern Poverty Law Center after a federal indictment was unsealed, saying that if the accusations are confirmed, the results of the 2020 presidential election should be “permanently wiped from the books.”

In a post on Truth Social on Friday, Trump described the SPLC as “one of the greatest political scams in American history” and called the case “another Democrat hoax,” tying the allegations to broader concerns about left-leaning advocacy groups and their fundraising practices.

The comments followed news that a federal grand jury in Alabama charged the SPLC with 11 counts, including wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to prosecutors, the organization allegedly redirected about $3 million in donor funds to individuals connected to extremist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazi organizations over a period spanning 2014 through 2023.

The indictment claims the SPLC concealed these payments through the use of shell companies and deceptive financial reporting, while continuing to present itself publicly as an organization dedicated to fighting extremism.

Prosecutors said the nonprofit misrepresented how donations were used, raising serious concerns about its transparency and accountability to contributors.

“The SPLC was not dismantling these groups,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said during a Justice Department press briefing.

“It was instead manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose by paying sources to stoke racial hatred.”

The case represents one of the most significant federal prosecutions ever brought against a well-known civil rights organization and comes amid long-standing criticism from conservatives who argue the SPLC operates with political bias against right-leaning individuals and groups.

Trump pointed to the indictment as confirmation of those criticisms, suggesting that the alleged conduct could have broader implications.

“If it is true, the 2020 Presidential Election should be permanently wiped from the books and be of no further force or effect!” Trump wrote.

The president’s remarks reflect his ongoing challenges to the legitimacy of the 2020 election, which he has repeatedly questioned, pointing to claims of voter fraud.

Trump and his allies have maintained that emerging information about political organizations and influence efforts justifies renewed scrutiny.

The indictment outlines what prosecutors describe as a long-running scheme in which money was routed through disguised accounts and fictitious businesses to compensate informants placed within extremist groups.

In some instances, prosecutors allege, payments reached into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, including funds sent to an individual associated with the 2017 Charlottesville rally, an event that resulted in one death and became a major flashpoint in national debates over extremism and political violence.

Officials with the SPLC have denied the allegations, saying their use of confidential informants was a lawful method of gathering intelligence on dangerous groups.

The organization said it intends to contest the charges in court.

WASHINGTON (AP) — An appeals court on Friday blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order suspending asylum access at the southern border of the U.S., a key pillar of the Republican president’s plan to crack down on migration.

A three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found that immigration laws give people the right to apply for asylum at the border, and the president can’t circumvent that.

The court opinion stems from action taken by Trump on Inauguration Day 2025, when he declared that the situation at the southern border constituted an invasion of America and that he was “suspending the physical entry” of migrants and their ability to seek asylum until he decides it is over.

The panel concluded that the Immigration and Nationality Act doesn’t authorize the president to remove the plaintiffs under “procedures of his own making,” allow him to suspend plaintiffs’ right to apply for asylum or curtail procedures for adjudicating their anti-torture claims.

“The power by proclamation to temporarily suspend the entry of specified foreign individuals into the United States does not contain implicit authority to override the INA’s mandatory process to summarily remove foreign individuals,” wrote Judge J. Michelle Childs, who was nominated to the bench by Democratic President Joe Biden.

“We conclude that the INA’s text, structure, and history make clear that in supplying power to suspend entry by Presidential proclamation, Congress did not intend to grant the Executive the expansive removal authority it asserts,” the opinion said.

White House says asylum ban was within Trump’s powers
The administration can ask the full appeals court to reconsider the ruling or go to the Supreme Court.

The order doesn’t formally take effect until after the court considers any request to reconsider.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, speaking on Fox News, said she had not seen the ruling but called it “unsurprising,” blaming politically-motivated judges.

“They are not acting as true litigators of the law. They are looking at these cases from a political lens,” she said.

Leavitt said Trump was taking actions that are “completely within his powers as commander in chief.”

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said the Department of Justice would seek further review of the decision. “We are sure we will be vindicated,” she wrote in an emailed statement.

The Department of Homeland Security didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Advocates welcome the ruling
Advocates say the right to request asylum is enshrined in the country’s immigration law and that denying migrants that right puts people fleeing war or persecution in grave danger.

Lee Gelernt, attorney with the ACLU, who argued the case, said in a statement that the appellate ruling is “essential for those fleeing danger who have been denied even a hearing to present asylum claims under the Trump administration’s unlawful and inhumane executive order.”

Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, welcomed the court decision as a victory for their clients.

“Today’s DC Circuit ruling affirms that capricious actions by the President cannot supplant the rule of law in the United States,” said Nicolas Palazzo, director of advocacy and legal Services at Las Americas.

Judge Justin Walker, a Trump nominee, wrote a partial dissent. He said the law gives immigrants protections against removal to countries where they would be persecuted, but the administration can issue broad denials of asylum applications.

Walker, however, agreed with the majority that the president cannot deport migrants to countries where they will be persecuted or strip them of mandatory procedures that protect against their removal.

Judge Cornelia Pillard, who was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama, also heard the case.

In the executive order, Trump argued that the Immigration and Nationality Act gives presidents the authority to suspend entry of any group that they finds “detrimental to the interests of the United States.”

The executive order also suspended the ability of migrants to ask for asylum.

Trump’s order was another blow to asylum access in the U.S., which was severely curtailed under the Biden administration, although under Biden some pathways for protections for a limited number of asylum seekers at the southern border continued.

Migrant advocate in Mexico expresses cautious hope
For Josue Martinez, a psychologist who works at a small migrant shelter in southern Mexico, the ruling marked a potential “light at the end of the tunnel” for many migrants who once hoped to seek asylum in the U.S. who ended up stuck in vulnerable conditions in Mexico.

“I hope there’s something more concrete, because we’ve heard this kind of news before: a district judge files an appeal, there’s a temporary hold, but it’s only temporary and then it’s over,” he said.

Meanwhile, migrants from Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela and other countries have struggled to make ends meet as they try to seek refuge in Mexico’s asylum system that’s all but collapsed under the weight of new strains and slashed international funds.

This week hundreds of migrants, mostly stranded migrants from Haiti, left the southern Mexican city of Tapachula on foot to seek better living conditions elsewhere in Mexico

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department will adopt firing squads as a permitted method of execution as the Trump administration moves to ramp up and expedite capital punishment cases, officials said Friday.

The Justice Department is also reauthorizing the use of single-drug lethal injections with pentobarbital that were used to carry out 13 executions during the first Trump administration — more than under any president in modern history. The Biden administration had removed pentobarbital from the federal protocol over concerns about the potential for unnecessary pain and suffering.

The moves were announced as part of a broader push to step up federal executions after a moratorium under the Biden administration. Only three defendants remain on federal death row after Democratic President Joe Biden converted 37 of their sentences to life in prison, though the Trump administration has so far authorized seeking death sentences against 44 defendants.

“The prior administration failed in its duty to protect the American people by refusing to pursue and carry out the ultimate punishment against the most dangerous criminals, including terrorists, child murderers, and cop killers,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. “Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Justice is once again enforcing the law and standing with victims.”

The federal government has not previously included firing squad as a method of execution in its protocols, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Five states currently allow executions by firing squad: Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah.

The pentobarbital protocol was adopted by Bill Barr, attorney general during Trump’s first term, to replace a three-drug mix used in the 2000s, the last time federal executions were carried out before Trump’s first term in office.

Attorney General Merrick Garland in the final days of the Biden administration withdrew the pentobarbital lethal injection policy after a government review of scientific and medical research found there remains “significant uncertainty” about whether its use causes unnecessary pain and suffering.”

In 2020, under Barr’s leadership, the Justice Department published a rule in the Federal Register to allow the federal government to conduct executions by lethal injection or use “any other manner prescribed by the law of the state in which the sentence was imposed.”

A number of states allow other methods of execution, including electrocution, inhaling nitrogen gas or death by firing squad.

The Trump administration, in a report released Friday, said the Biden administration “got the standard and the science wrong.” The Biden administration’s findings, among other things, “failed to address the overwhelming evidence” that an injected with pentobarbital quickly “quickly loses consciousness—rendering him unable to experience pain,” the report said.

Currently on death row are are Dylann Roof, who carried out the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; 2013 Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue in 2018, the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history.

A recent change to Canada’s citizenship rules is opening the door for millions of Americans to qualify for dual citizenship, sparking a sharp rise in applications and inquiries across both countries.

Immigration attorneys report being overwhelmed since the law took effect on December 15, as Americans rush to determine whether they qualify under the expanded criteria. Legal offices in both the United States and Canada say they have shifted resources to handle the growing volume of citizenship-related cases.

The updated law significantly broadens eligibility by allowing citizenship to be passed down through multiple generations. Previously limited to one generation, the new framework enables individuals with a direct Canadian ancestor — including grandparents, great-grandparents or even more distant relatives — to qualify. Those who meet the criteria are already considered citizens under Canadian law but must apply for official recognition.

Applicants born after December 15 must still meet an additional requirement, proving that their Canadian parent lived in Canada for at least 1,095 days.

The change has fueled widespread interest among Americans motivated by a mix of factors, including political tensions, economic opportunities, and family heritage. Many are exploring whether obtaining a Canadian passport could provide greater flexibility for work, travel, or long-term security.

While the application fee for proof of citizenship is relatively low — about 75 Canadian dollars — costs can increase significantly for those who require legal or genealogical assistance to track down documentation such as birth, marriage, and death records.

Processing times are also lengthy. Canadian authorities say it can take around 10 months to receive a citizenship certificate, with tens of thousands of applications currently pending. In the weeks following the law’s implementation, thousands of individuals had already been confirmed as citizens through descent.

The surge comes after a year in which tens of thousands of Americans obtained dual U.S.-Canada citizenship, a number expected to rise further under the new rules.

In Canada, reaction has been mixed. While many welcome new citizens, some have expressed concern that a spike in applications from Americans could strain the system and slow processing for refugees and asylum seekers. Others have raised questions about individuals obtaining citizenship despite having only limited ties to the country.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. (AP) — Josh Shapiro may be heavily favored to win reelection as Pennsylvania governor, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot on the line for him this year.

Shapiro, who is just beginning to hit the campaign trail, wants voters to give Democrats control of the state legislature for the first time in decades. And he’s pushing his favored candidates in competitive congressional primaries, an attempt to mold his party’s slate in the midterm elections that will determine control of Washington.

All of this means that, much like other potential Democratic presidential candidates, Shapiro is testing his political capital in ways that could shape his future and the party’s.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker successfully boosted his favored candidate in his state’s U.S. Senate primary. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore failed to convince lawmakers to redraw the state’s congressional map, while California Gov. Gavin Newsom achieved redistricting through a voter referendum last year.

Shapiro brushed off questions — and Republican criticism — about burnishing his credentials for a White House run.

“The only thing I am focused on is beating my opponent for governor and helping other Democrats get elected here and sending a clear message to Donald Trump that the chaos, cruelty and corruption that he’s been engaged in is not something that we support here in Pennsylvania,” Shapiro told The Associated Press after speaking to Democrats at a packed coffee shop in small-town Lock Haven.

Shapiro has never said whether he’s interested in running for president. But he does say he wants a voice in his party’s future. Democrats need to figure out how to “get stuff done” to make people’s lives better, he said, and he wants to be “part of that conversation.”

Stacy Garrity, the Republican state treasurer who is running for governor, said Shapiro can’t hide his ambition — and it’s bad for the state.

“We all know that he’s more interested in Pennsylvania Avenue than helping Pennsylvania families,” she said in an interview. “He thinks if he can hand Pennsylvania on a platter to the Democratic Party, then maybe they take a harder look at him.”

An opportunity to demonstrate strength
They just might.

Pennsylvania is a hard state to succeed in politically, and Democrats around the country are taking note of Shapiro because of that, said Paul Begala, a Democratic campaign strategist, commentator and senior aide to Bill Clinton when he was president.

The election gives Shapiro an opportunity to demonstrate strength.

“Right now, Democrats, the thing they want the most is a winner, and a very close second is a fighter,” Begala said. “This election is an opportunity for him to show that.”

Ahead of this year’s campaign, Shapiro put his stamp on the Pennsylvania Democratic Party by getting committee people to elect his hand-picked chair and plunging more than $900,000 so far this election cycle into the organization’s accounts.

He’s on track to break his own state fundraising record and tells voters that Pennsylvania is the “center of the political universe” in the fight for control of the U.S. House.

Democrats want to flip four House seats in Pennsylvania. Shapiro’s endorsed candidates include Paige Cognetti, mayor of Scranton; Bob Brooks, president of the state firefighters’ union; and Janelle Stelson, a former television news personality who narrowly lost two years ago.

Shapiro already cut an ad for Brooks, who is running in a hotly contested four-way primary for the chance to challenge freshman Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie.

Contested primaries and GOP surrogates
Shapiro’s endorsements haven’t scared off Democratic rivals.

Ryan Crosswell, a former federal prosecutor running against Brooks, issued a campaign memo that — in a veiled reference to the governor — said Crosswell has “no party machine behind him, no power broker network, no favors to call in.”

For his part, Shapiro said: “I’m just focused on trying to elevate good people. Hopefully they’ll all win.”

Republicans, meanwhile, have their own surrogates.

Garrity said the White House asked her for a list of people she wants to visit in Pennsylvania.

Trump, Vice President JD Vance and a number of Cabinet secretaries have already visited the state’s contested congressional districts. Earlier this month, House Speaker Mike Johnson made a fundraising swing through Pennsylvania.

“We know the majority runs through Pennsylvania and the speaker is focused on doing everything he can to help those members defend their seats,” said Greg Steele, a spokesperson for Johnson’s political operation.

It’s quite likely Johnson will be back: Pennsylvania was his last campaign stop before the 2024 election.

Trump and Vance could return, too, and in the meantime, the president is keeping an eye on Pennsylvania. On Tuesday night, he took to social media to take credit for a decision by owners of two coal-fired power plants not to close in what he called a “BIG WIN for the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which I love.”

Shapiro starts hitting the campaign trail
As he begins to campaign, Shapiro is proving himself to be a draw even in Pennsylvania’s out-of-the-way areas. Earlier this month, he helped pack a ballroom for Centre County Democrats and the coffee shop for Clinton County Democrats.

“I saw brand-new people, I saw people who have not been engaged in the party in years,” Bre Brannan, Clinton County’s Democratic Party chair, said. The crowd included Republicans and independents, too, she said.

With a Democratic “trifecta,” Shapiro tells audiences he could get more done, citing legislation Republicans have stalled. That includes raising Pennsylvania’s rock-bottom minimum wage and expanding legal protections for LGBT residents. He also has a housing affordability plan he’s pushing this year.

Consolidating control of the state Legislature would be no small feat. Democrats hold a one-seat majority in the state House and haven’t held the state Senate majority in over three decades.

Few Democrats in the party’s 2028 presidential sights have an opportunity to demonstrate political strength and party-building aptitude in swing states.

The opportunity could help Shapiro prove his mettle when the presidential campaign season cranks up and would-be candidates go in search of institutional support, endorsements and donor commitments.

Pouring money into down-ballot races and flipping seats may not help Shapiro with the average voter. But activists, donors and other elected officials care a great deal about that, strategists say.

Success would strengthen Shapiro’s hand at a time when candidates are trying to win the “perception campaign” that they are the strongest candidate, Democratic campaign strategist Mike Mikus said.

“It doesn’t guarantee anything,” Mikus said. “But it is definitely something to bring to the table when you’re lining up donors, endorsements and finance chairs, things like that. It’s compelling to them.”

NEW YORK CITY (VINnews) – Google plans to invest $10 billion in Anthropic, the artificial intelligence company behind the Claude chatbot, at a $350 billion valuation, with the potential for an additional $30 billion if performance targets are met, the startup announced Friday.

The investment strengthens ties between Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Anthropic, which are partners in cloud computing and AI infrastructure but also competitors in the race to develop advanced AI models. Anthropic said the initial $10 billion cash infusion comes at the same pre-money valuation as its February funding round.

A further $30 billion could follow contingent on Anthropic hitting certain milestones, and the deal includes support for expanding the startup’s computing capacity, according to the announcement.

Bloomberg reporter Shirin Ghaffary, who covers AI, discussed the drivers behind the move on “Bloomberg Tech” with host Ed Ludlow. The segment highlighted surging demand for AI infrastructure and Anthropic’s rapid revenue growth amid intense competition with rivals like OpenAI.

Anthropic, founded in 2021 by former OpenAI executives including CEO Dario Amodei, has seen its valuation soar in recent rounds. It previously raised funds at lower valuations, including around $183 billion in late 2025. Google already held a stake in the company through prior investments totaling about $3 billion.

The deal comes as the AI sector attracts massive capital amid breakthroughs in generative models and enterprise adoption. Anthropic has reported strong revenue run rates in recent months, fueled by demand for its Claude models in coding, research and business applications.

No immediate comment was available from Google on the investment’s impact on its balance sheet or strategic AI plans. Anthropic has partnerships with other tech giants, including Amazon, but continues to deepen its Google Cloud relationship for compute resources.

Shares of Alphabet were little changed in Friday trading. The investment underscores Wall Street’s continued enthusiasm for AI leaders despite high valuations and regulatory scrutiny.

The Department of Justice has decided to terminate its criminal investigation into Jerome Powell over the soaring cost of renovations at the Federal Reserve’s Washington headquarters, transferring the matter to internal oversight instead.

U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Jeanine Pirro, announced Friday that the Federal Reserve’s inspector general will now examine the ballooning construction expenses, which have climbed into the billions and are ultimately borne by taxpayers.

“The IG has the authority to hold the Federal Reserve accountable to American taxpayers,” Pirro said. “I expect a comprehensive report in short order and am confident the outcome will assist in resolving, once and for all, the questions that led this office to issue subpoenas.”

“Accordingly, I have directed my office to close our investigation as the IG undertakes this inquiry,” she added, warning she would “not hesitate to restart a criminal investigation should the facts warrant doing so.”

Earlier this year, Pirro’s office issued subpoenas to Powell in connection with testimony he gave to Congress regarding the $2.5 billion renovation project at the central bank.

Plans tied to the overhaul reportedly included upscale features such as rooftop garden terraces and even Italian beehives, according to reporting first published last year.

Those subpoenas were halted by a federal judge last month, effectively pausing the criminal inquiry.

The investigation began in January after Powell denied before the Senate Banking Committee that the upgrades included high-end additions that were driving costs beyond initial projections.

“There’s no VIP dining room, there’s no new marble. There are no special elevators,” Powell testified. “There are no new water features, there’s no beehives, and there’s no roof terrace gardens.”

In a video statement released Jan. 11, Powell addressed the probe, saying: “The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the president.”

Donald Trump visited the construction site last July, donning a hard hat and telling reporters that his background in real estate would make him unafraid to remove Powell if costs continued to rise.

Trump has repeatedly pressured Powell to lower interest rates during his second term and has, on several occasions, threatened to dismiss him over policy disagreements.

The Federal Reserve has also been grappling with financial losses, reporting a cumulative deficit of approximately $233 billion between 2022—the year after the renovation project received approval—and 2025.

Critics have blasted the scope of the renovation, with Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott and a former Fed official likening it to a “Palace of Versailles” on the National Mall.

The central bank operates two main buildings—the Eccles Building and the adjacent Federal Reserve Board East Building—both currently undergoing renovation led by architect Paul Cret.

Planning documents describe features including Georgian white marble, skylights, elaborate water elements, and a modern elevator system leading to a VIP dining suite, along with a private art collection housed in the basement.

Originally estimated at $1.9 billion in 2019, the project’s cost has since risen by roughly 32%, with completion expected in 2027.

Powell’s term as Fed chair is set to expire next month, while his proposed successor, Kevin Warsh, has faced delays in confirmation after Thom Tillis blocked consideration in protest of the DOJ investigation.

“American taxpayers deserve answers about the Federal Reserve’s fiscal mismanagement, and the Office of the Inspector General’s more powerful authorities best position it to get to the bottom of the matter,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement.

“The White House remains as confident as before that the Senate will swiftly confirm Kevin Warsh as the next Federal Reserve Chairman to finally restore competence and confidence in Fed decision-making.”

Pete Hegseth and Dan Caine briefed reporters on Friday, outlining what they described as major progress in Operation Epic Fury and signaling the campaign is shifting into a new stage focused on diplomacy and continued pressure on Iran.

During the press conference, Hegseth said the operation delivered a “decisive military result” in a short period of time, stressing that the overarching goal remains to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. He indicated that the next phase will test whether Tehran chooses to engage in negotiations.

“Iran has an important choice, a chance to make a deal – a good deal, a wise deal,” Hegseth stated.

He pointed to the growing U.S. naval presence in the Strait of Hormuz, calling the blockade “ironclad,” and noted that an additional aircraft carrier will soon be deployed to the region. Hegseth said the effort is continuing to expand.

“Our blockade is growing and going global,” he said, adding that 34 vessels not affiliated with Iran have been allowed to transit the strait, although overall maritime traffic remains well below normal levels.

Addressing recent Iranian activity, Hegseth accused Tehran of targeting commercial shipping, describing the incidents as involving “random ships” approached by Iranian speedboats. Referring to orders issued by Donald Trump authorizing force against attempts to lay naval mines, he emphasized that U.S. forces are operating under clear engagement rules.

“If Iran is putting mines in the water or threatening American shipping or forces, we will shoot to destroy. No hesitation,” he said.

Caine outlined enforcement actions under the blockade, reporting that numerous ships have reversed course. He said one vessel, the M/V Touska, had been taken into custody, and two tankers tied to Iran were intercepted in the Indo-Pacific. Their crews remain detained by U.S. authorities.

“We will continue maritime interdictions in the Pacific and Indian Oceans against Iranian vessels,” Caine said.

While a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is still formally in place, friction continues as both sides vie for influence over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global energy supplies. Iran has reportedly sought to impose fees and seize ships, while U.S. forces have stopped several vessels connected to Tehran.

President Trump said Thursday that the United States has “total control” over the waterway and reiterated that military action could resume if Iran declines to negotiate, though he signaled he is not rushing the process.

“I want to make the best deal,” Trump said.

In a separate development, a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was extended after discussions at the White House, reflecting broader regional dynamics involving Iran and its allied groups.

At the same time, leadership changes continued at the Pentagon, as Navy Secretary John Phelan stepped down following direction from President Trump and Hegseth.

{Matzav.com}

HONG KONG (AP) — DeepSeek, the Chinese artificial intelligence startup that shook world markets last year, launched preview versions of its latest major update Friday as the AI rivalry between China and the U.S. heats up.

DeepSeek’s V4 has been keenly anticipated by users keen to test how it compares to U.S. competitors like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini. Anthropic and OpenAI have accused DeepSeek of unfairly building its technology off their own.

Some industry analysts had expected the new model to arrive more than a month earlier at the start of the Lunar New Year.

DeepSeek says the new V4 open-source models, which include “pro” and “flash” versions, have big improvements in knowledge, reasoning and in their “agentic” capabilities – the ability to perform complex tasks and workflows autonomously.

V4 is a successor to V3, an AI model that DeepSeek released in late 2024.

But it was DeepSeek’s specialized “reasoning” AI model, called R1, that took markets by surprise with its release in January 2025. DeepSeek claimed it was more cost-effective than OpenAI’s similar model and it became a symbol of how China was catching up with the U.S. in technological advancements.

DeepSeek said the “V4 Pro Max” version has “superior performance” in terms of standard reasoning benchmarks relative to OpenAI’s GPT-5.2 model and Google’s Gemini 3.0-Pro. It falls “marginally” short of GPT-5.4 and Gemini 3.1-Pro, it said.

In terms of “agentic” capabilities, the Chinese company said the V4 “pro” version could outperform Claude’s Sonnet 4.5 and approaches the level of Claude’s Opus 4.5 model based on its own evaluation.

The “flash” version of V4 performs on a par with the “pro” version on simple agent tasks and has reasoning capabilities closely approaching it, DeepSeek said.

“Based on the benchmark results, it does appear DeepSeek V4 is going to be very competitive against its U.S. rivals,” said Lian Jye Su, chief analyst at the technology research and advisory group Omdia.

Marina Zhang, an associate professor at the University of Technology Sydney, said DeepSeek’s V4 rollout is as a “pivotal milestone for China’s AI industry”, especially as global competition intensifies in the pursuit of self-reliance in critical technologies.

DeepSeek offers a free‑to‑use web and mobile chatbot. Unlike the top models from Anthropic, Google and OpenAI, it describes its technology as “open source” in the way that it enables developers access to modify and build on its core technology.

Both the V4’s “pro” and “flash” versions have a 1 million token context window, a parameter of how much information an AI model can process and recall, and run on a more efficient basis, the startup said. That is a significant improvement from before, since the V3 supported a 128,000 token context window.

A report from Microsoft in January showed use of DeepSeek has been gaining ground in many developing nations.

However, some analysts remain skeptical. Ivan Su, a senior equity analyst at Morningstar, said while V4 is a “competent” follow-up, it’s not as big a breakthrough as the rollout of R1.

“Domestic competition has intensified significantly since R1’s release,” Su said. “Against U.S. models, DeepSeek’s own evaluation suggests its capabilities largely match on most fronts, but independent evaluations are needed before final conclusions can be drawn.”

In February, Anthropic accused DeepSeek and two other China-based AI laboratories of “industrial-scale campaigns” to “illicitly extract Claude’s capabilities to improve their own models.” It said they did that using a technique called distillation that “involves training a less capable model on the outputs of a stronger one.” OpenAI made similar allegations in a letter to U.S. lawmakers.

This week, Michael Kratsios, chief science and technology adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, also accused foreign tech companies “principally based in China” of distilling leading U.S. AI systems and “exploiting American expertise and innovation.”

China’s embassy in Washington hit back at the allegations, describing them as “unjustified suppression of Chinese companies by the U.S.”

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

Question:

Dear Chief,

I’m writing because I’m deeply concerned about a serious safety issue I keep seeing on school buses. I’ve observed multiple buses driving with students standing, moving in aisles, and even leaning out windows.

As a school bus driver myself, I hold a firm policy that I will not move the bus until every child is seated. It is unacceptable to see this kind of behavior happening, and it puts kids at risk.

I need to know what steps are being taken to enforce the rules. I believe if drivers see real consequences—like citations or inspections—this will send a strong message and help keep everyone safer.

Please let me know what actions will be taken. I appreciate your prompt attention to this.

Sincerely,

**
The Chief’s response:**

Hi Linda,

Thank you for your submission regarding bus safety for students. We will reach out to the bussing companies and coordinators and remind them that safety comes first and that the driver is obligated to make sure the kids comply.

Thank you again,

Chief Meyer

————-

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

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

WASHINGTON  D.C (VINnews ) – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a memorandum of understanding with European Union Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič on Friday establishing a strategic partnership on critical minerals, aiming to diversify supply chains and reduce reliance on China.

The agreement, formalized at the State Department in Washington, seeks to strengthen transatlantic cooperation on the resources essential for economies and national security.

“This shows a growing awareness and commitment throughout the world, particularly with our allies in Europe, the importance of supply chains and critical minerals to the success of our economies and our national security,” Rubio said.

He added: “The over-concentration of these resources — the fact that they’re dominated by one or two places — is an unacceptable risk.”

The pact comes amid broader U.S. and allied efforts to secure resilient supply chains for minerals used in technology, infrastructure, defense and the green energy transition. China currently dominates global processing of many critical minerals.

Officials described the signing as a key step in building diversified, secure networks among partners. No immediate details on specific projects or timelines were released.

Omer Shem Tov, who spent more than 500 days in Hamas captivity, is pushing back forcefully against student leaders at University of California, Los Angeles after they criticized his recent appearance on campus for Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Shem Tov, who was kidnapped during the October 7 attacks and freed in February 2025, told The California Post that he addressed the backlash following a statement issued by UCLA’s Undergraduate Students Association Council. The council argued that his remarks reflected a “single narrative” and did not include a Palestinian viewpoint, contending that such programming promotes what it described as selective storytelling that overlooks broader realities.

Responding to the criticism, Shem Tov warned against what he sees as an effort to suppress direct testimony. He said that rejecting the voice of someone who lived through such an ordeal in order to preserve a certain perspective points to a deeper problem, stressing that fundamental values should not be sacrificed for ideological agendas.

Student body president Diego Bollo later clarified that the council’s statement passed by a slim margin and acknowledged procedural shortcomings. He said an internal review would examine how official statements are prepared and released, while reiterating his support for free expression and the inclusion of a range of viewpoints on campus.

Even amid the controversy, Shem Tov’s team described the campus event as positive and respectful, emphasizing that students with differing opinions engaged in meaningful conversation. UCLA’s administration also expressed backing for the event, citing its emphasis on resilience, human rights, and dignity, and said it would evaluate how the student council’s statement was handled, calling the criticism out of step with the university’s values.

The episode unfolds against the backdrop of ongoing unrest at UCLA, where protests tied to the war in Gaza have continued and where the Trump administration has increased scrutiny over concerns about antisemitism and the broader campus climate.

Jewish students are estimated to account for about 9% of UCLA’s undergraduate body, totaling roughly 3,100 to 4,000 individuals.

Anti-Israel hooligans struck a security guard with a sledgehammer, causing spinal injuries — and now they face the courts.

Members of Palestine Action, a pro-Hamas group that had been banned in the United Kingdom the previous year, broke into a factory of Israeli defense company Elbit Systems near Bristol in August 2024. They were found not guilty of aggravated burglary, but a retrial was called because the jury was undecided about other charges.

All the defendants but one presented evidence at the first trial, saying that they broke into the building with sledgehammers, but had not “in any circumstances intended to injure security staff” with the hammers. Prosecutors accused the group of swinging sledgehammers at the security guards, swearing at them and striking them. The defense attorney said that the defendants were surprised to encounter the guards and were “completely out of their depth.”

The six activists participated in a hunger strike while in prison.

At the time, the jury at Woolwich Crown Court deliberated for more than 36 hours but failed to reach a verdict on the other charges, which included a charge of criminal damage against all six and a charge of violent disorder against the three who were not among those found not guilty of that charge.

One of the six was charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent after an alleged assault on a security guard, but the jury failed to reach a verdict in this case as well.

The conclusion of the trial drew criticism from British Jewish advocacy groups such as the Board of Deputies of British Jews, which expressed dismay over the precedent the lax verdict would set in cases of attacks against Jews and Jewish-owned businesses.

Samuel Corner, a 23-year-old defendant in the case, told the court that he charged in with a sledgehammer because he heard someone screaming and thought one of his companions was hurt. More than two years later, the officer still suffers from a fractured spine and can’t return to full duties.

“It seemed reasonable to do something, and I had to act quickly,” Corner said at trial, though he acknowledged that the officer wasn’t in fact hurting anyone and that, upon reflection, he admitted he took extreme action.

Let’s hope he gets the verdict he deserves.

LONDON (AP) — A proposed bill to allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales to choose to end their lives failed Friday as parliamentary time ran out, nearly a year since elected members of parliaments gave their backing.

Though the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was passed by the House of Commons last June, the U.K.’s revising chamber, the House of Lords, effectively talked it out since then.

Proponents of what has been termed “ assisted dying ” — sometimes referred to as “assisted suicide” — hoped it would mark the biggest change to social policy in the U.K. since abortion was partially legalized in 1967.

But opponents in the House of Lords have managed to hold up its passing by filing more than 1,200 amendments. That is believed to be a record high number for a piece of legislation that was tabled by a backbencher rather than by the government. Bills proposed by backbenchers can only be debated on a Friday, limiting the time available.

Campaigners for assisted dying have expressed their anger at the sight of unelected politicians holding up the will of the elected chamber. They have insisted that they intend to bring the bill back in the next parliamentary session, which begins after King Charles III outlines the government’s upcoming program in a speech to both houses of Parliament on May 13.

The sponsor of the bill in the House of Lords, Charlie Falconer, said he felt “despondent” that a piece of legislation, which he said was “so important to so many, has not failed on its merits, but failed as a result of procedural wrangling.”

He said many terminally ill people and their relatives “have shown such courage and forbearance” and have been “utterly bewildered by the way we have behaved.”

The bill that’s been making its way through parliament over the past 18 months or so had proposed allowing adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death subject to the approval of two doctors and an expert panel.

Those tabling amendments in the House of Lords said they have been providing necessary scrutiny to strengthen the legislation. Some have branded it unsafe and unworkable, citing their concerns around potential coercion of vulnerable people and a lack of safeguards for those with disabilities.

Kim Leadbeater, who introduced the Bill to the House of Commons in late 2024, has said she will “keep pushing for a safer, more compassionate law until Parliament reaches a final decision.”

Last month, lawmakers in the Scottish Parliament rejected legislation that would have made Scotland the first part of the United Kingdom to allow terminally ill adults to end their lives. Scotland has a semiautonomous government that has authority over many areas of policy, including health.

Assisted suicide — where patients take a lethal drink prescribed by a doctor — is legal in countries including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and parts of the U.S., with regulations on qualifying criteria varying by jurisdiction.

Just as the uproar surrounding his appearance at the state torch-lighting ceremony had begun to settle, “Rabbi” Eyal Tzionov stirred fresh controversy with a new video in which he unveiled a different appearance and delivered dramatic proclamations about the coming of Moshiach.

In footage released Thursday night, Tzionov is seen abandoning the familiar robe associated with the Rishon LeTzion and instead dressed in white garments with a matching head covering. Seated on an ornate, gold-accented chair, he appears emotional and animated as he addresses viewers with urgency. “Morai verabosai, we are at the time of the coming of Moshiach in his revelation!” he declares. He continues emphatically: “The time has come, on the 5th of Iyar, Yom Ha’atzmaut, that Moshiach is revealed. It has arrived.”

Tzionov goes on to explain the reason behind his new attire, presenting it as part of the unfolding redemption. “And when Moshiach comes, one wears such a garment. Now the time has come! We are wearing this garment, and may it be the will that all of Klal Yisroel merit to wear such a garment. Not only I wear it—everyone. It is not only my garment,” he says.

Tzionov has become one of the most widely discussed figures online in recent days following the stir he caused at the official torch-lighting ceremony on Har Herzl. During the nationally broadcast event, cameras focused on him while he was dressed in a robe and headpiece strongly identified with the Rishon LeTzion.

His presence led to significant confusion among attendees. Some participants approached him seeking a bracha, believing he was the sitting Rishon LeTzion, Rav Dovid Yosef. At the same time, officials within the Rabbanus sharply criticized the incident, with one source stating that “this is a clown who walks around like this, and more than once creates problems.”

Responding to the backlash, Tzionov said the outfit began as a gift. “My talmidim bought me this robe as a present,” he explained in an interview on Kol Barama radio. “I started wearing it on Purim and saw that the public very much connected to it and liked the appearance. Since then, people have been inviting me to Torah events and shiurim specifically when I am dressed this way.”

Addressing claims that the clothing could be misleading, he insisted there was no issue. “There is no legal problem with this. I am not impersonating the Chief Rabbi or the Rishon LeTzion, and I do not intend to change my clothing because of these and other reasons.”

The incident also raised questions about security at the ceremony, but the Shin Bet moved quickly to clarify that no breach had occurred. In an official statement, the agency said Tzionov was identified upon arrival as not being the Chief Rabbi and underwent standard security screening like all attendees.

Officials added that “at no stage did he enter the secured area where the Prime Minister was located, and there was no danger to any of the protected individuals at the ceremony.”

The torch-lighting controversy is not the first time Tzionov has drawn attention. In recent weeks, he reportedly ascended Har Habayis wearing the same distinctive attire. The incident prompted a Shin Bet official to contact the office of Rav Dovid Yosef—who is known for his opposition to such visits—to clarify the situation. The office confirmed that the Rav had not been present, and it was later understood that it was Tzionov.

A tornado — multiple tornadoes, according to some reports — tore through Enid, Okla., Thursday, churning up earth, destroying about 40 homes, and injuring at least 10 people.

The aftermath of the violent storm resembled a bombed-out war zone.

The National Weather Service will determine the scale of the tornado, but meteorologists are unofficially rating it as EF-4 or EF-5. The ratings show the intensity of the storm — the higher the number, the more severe the tornado. For example, an EF-4 rating means a violent tornado with winds of 166 to 200 miles per hour. While such severe tornadoes make up less than 2 percent of all tornadoes, they cause about 70 percent of tornado-related deaths.

The tornado also ripped its way through Vance Air Force Base, forcing its closure. Only essential personnel are working at the base to restore power and water.

Authorities declared a tornado watch until 11 p.m., and severe weather is expected throughout the weekend. Local officials expressed relief that there were no fatalities but urged everyone to stay safe.

“I am very grateful to report that while homes have sustained significant damage, there have been no fatalities and only minor injuries sustained,” the mayor, David Mason, said.

“Cindy and I are praying for all Oklahomans in harm’s way tonight as severe storms, damaging winds, and tornadoes move across our state,” said Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.).

Tornadoes also affected Iowa and Kansas, with 17 reports of tornadoes across all three states.

NEW YORK (VINnews) — New York City transportation officials have begun construction on a long-delayed bus lane project along Madison Avenue aimed at improving service for tens of thousands of daily riders.

The New York City Department of Transportation said work started this week to extend double bus lanes from 42nd Street south to 23rd Street, a corridor where officials say buses can move as slowly as 4.5 miles per hour.

City officials said the redesign is intended to improve travel times and reliability for roughly 92,000 riders using local and express bus routes serving commuters from across the five boroughs.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn said the project, which had previously been delayed, is part of a broader push to improve mass transit and reduce car dependence in Manhattan.

Transportation officials pointed to similar bus lane upgrades on nearby Fifth Avenue, where data showed bus speeds improved after dedicated lanes were added.

The Madison Avenue work is expected to continue over the coming weeks, weather permitting.

NEW YORK (VINnews) — A New York City police officer is facing scrutiny after a report found his personal vehicle was linked to hundreds of speeding and red-light camera violations on Staten Island, prompting renewed calls for tougher penalties for repeat offenders.

The report by Streetsblog said Officer James Giovansanti’s pickup truck accumulated more than 500 automated traffic violations since 2022, many near school zones.

Advocates seized on the report to push for the proposed “Stop Super Speeders” legislation in Albany, which would require some chronic violators to install speed-limiting devices in their vehicles.

A spokesperson for the New York City Police Department said, according to the report, the violations were unrelated to the officer’s duties. No public disciplinary action has been reported.

The allegations have fueled criticism from traffic safety advocates, who say the case raises broader concerns about accountability and enforcement as New York debates stronger measures aimed at dangerous repeat drivers.