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Good news for Israel’s skies, Lufthansa Group is preparing a gradual return to Tel Aviv, with flights to and from Ben Gurion Airport set to restart in stages after a comprehensive safety and security assessment. Official Lufthansa updates confirm the group plans to begin restoring Tel Aviv service in June while continuing to monitor the regional security situation with authorities.  

Tel Aviv,Israel -September,12, 2011: Airplane of United at front of the terminal building in the summer day at the Ben Gurion Airport Israel

Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa Cargo are expected to lead the return on June 1. Lufthansa and SWISS are planning to resume flights on July 1, with Eurowings expected back in mid-July. Brussels Airlines is staying out longer, extending its suspension of Ben Gurion flights through October 24.  

The move is a major signal for Israel’s aviation recovery after months of foreign-airline pullbacks tied to the war with Iran and regional instability. It also follows Europe’s aviation safety agency softening its warning on Israeli airspace, helping clear the way for more carriers to return.  

Passengers should still check directly with the airline before booking or heading to the airport. Lufthansa Group says changes may still happen because of the dynamic situation, and affected travelers will be updated if their contact details are stored in the booking.

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Three Israeli civilians were injured by an explosive drone launched by Hezbollah that fell in Israel near the border on Thursday.

Two were seriously wounded, and one was lightly wounded.

The victims received emergency medical treatment at the scene and were evacuated to the Galil Medical Center in Nahariya.

The IDF said the incident is “a blatant violation of the ceasefire understandings.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

A furor arose in Israel after IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir on Wednesday ordered severe and unprecedented disciplinary action against an IDF soldier for wearing a “Moshiach” patch on his combat vest.

Not only was the soldier punished with a 30-day military prison sentence, but his commanders were also severely disciplined. The soldier’s platoon commander was sentenced to a 14-day suspended prison sentence, and the battalion commander received a formal command reprimand that was added to his personal record.

The incident began when Zamir visited a Nachal Brigade company stationed in Sa-Nur in the northern Shomron. During the tour, he noticed the soldier wearing the patch and ordered immediate disciplinary action for violating army regulations prohibiting unauthorized symbols on uniforms.

The harsh disciplinary measures sparked outrage from many religious and right-wing figures, and even from many secular military journalists, who noted that in past similar cases, the IDF simply issued a warning or ordered the symbol removed.

“Sending a combat soldier to prison for a month because of a ‘Moshiach’ patch is insanity,” Ynet military correspondent Yossi Yehoshua wrote.

“For smashing a statue of Jesus while committing three or four criminal offenses and causing a major international crisis—21 days in military detention. Demanding proportional punishment is not defending the act.”

Channel 12 military correspondent Nitzan Shapira summed up his view in one sentence: “My opinion, in short: extreme overreach.”

Veteran military correspondent Menachem Horowitz wrote: “This is certainly a serious disciplinary offense, but Zamir should know that what strengthens quite a few soldiers risking their lives in combat is precisely this patch, so perhaps he could have been less strict, especially these days when the IDF is lacking so many soldiers.”

Likud MK Boaz Bismuth stated: “The decision to punish a soldier for wearing a ‘Moshiach’ patch is severe and outrageous. Only a year ago, Chief of Staff Zamir spoke very differently. He must explain what has changed and whether political or media pressure is being placed on the IDF’s senior command. The army must maintain discipline, but also fairness. Release the soldier now!”

Many Israelis, including religious soldiers and their relatives, view the drastic punishment as an effort by the IDF’s senior command to impose secular-liberal norms while ignoring the religious feelings of soldiers on the front lines. Is religious faith viewed as such a great threat that the price is a month in prison?

Noam chairman Avi Moaz has repeatedly slammed Zamir for calling for Chareidim to enlist, while on the other hand, refusing to accommodate their religious needs and giving in to far-left and progressive agendas. Religious Zionist MK Ohad Tal revealed earlier this week that Zamir has been refusing for months to meet with Dati Leumi Rabbanim over this issue of the integration of women into tank units.

It should be noted that this is not the first time that religious soldiers have been handed unprecedented punishments.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

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HaTzaddik HaRav Dov Kook was rushed to Poriya Medical Center in Tiveria on Wednesday after a serious deterioration in his medical condition.

The Rav is suffering from pneumonia and is currently sedated and on a ventilator at the hospital.

One of the Rav’s close talmidim, Rabbi Yekutiel Ohev Zion, issued an emotional plea to the public to daven for him.

“Rav Kook is very ill. He has no teeth from years of fasting. The Rav was taken to the hospital—he is suffering and in pain. Please daven for him,” he said.

The public is asked to daven for the refuah sheleimah of Rebbe Dov HaKohen ben Shoshanah b’toch sha’ar cholei Yisrael.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Coalition chairman Ofir Katz submitted a bill on Wednesday evening to dissolve the 25th Knesset, signed by all coalition faction leaders.

According to the proposal, the date of the elections will be determined during discussions in the Knesset House Committee, a step intended to allow the coalition to control the timetable rather than allowing the opposition to lead the process.

The bill is expected to reach the Knesset plenum for a preliminary vote next Wednesday, where it is expected to pass.

However, behind the agreement to dissolve the Knesset lies a major dispute over the election date. UTJ is pushing for elections as early as September 1, Shas prefers September 15, and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is seeking to delay the vote until October 27, the latest possible legal date.

Coalition sources say that the struggle over the date is not merely technical, but has broad political significance, from the parties’ preparation for the campaign to the attempt to complete final political and legislative moves before the actual dissolution of the Knesset.

The launch of the election process comes after the Degel HaTorah party informed Netanyahu that it is calling for the dissolution of the Knesset in the wake of the failure to advance the draft exemption law.

Senior figures in Degel HaTorah went even further, declaring that they no longer feel committed to the traditional right-wing bloc.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Amid intensifying political turmoil ahead of expected elections, senior charedi sources are now claiming that the recent public clash between Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu and charedi leaders—including threats of coalition collapse and a sharply worded letter from Hagaon Rav Dov Landau—may not reflect a genuine break, but rather a coordinated political move behind the scenes, Matzav.com has learned.

In recent days, the political system reached a boiling point after Litvishe charedi leadership declared that “Netanyahu is a liar” and signaled an end to their automatic alignment with his bloc. However, according to high-ranking charedi insiders, the public narrative may not fully reflect what is actually taking place.

Several months ago, following the easing of tensions after the Iran conflict and relative calm on the northern front, Netanyahu appeared interested in advancing legislation addressing the draft issue. Discussions were held, and draft proposals circulated between Knesset committees and leading rabbinic authorities.

As the legislative process dragged on—with progress repeatedly stalling—Netanyahu was seen by charedi representatives as disengaged, leading to growing frustration. In closed-door conversations, some argued that had it been a priority comparable to other coalition demands, the law could have been advanced much more quickly.

At the same time, as previously reported, charedi lawmakers and rabbinic representatives began exploring alternatives to Netanyahu, holding meetings with figures such as Naftali Bennett, Gadi Eisenkot, and Benny Gantz in an effort to assess possible future coalitions.

While Shas has officially remained aligned with Netanyahu and avoided formal negotiations with other political figures—partly due to concern over losing support among traditional voters—it has signaled that discussions remain possible if necessary to protect the Torah world.

With the outbreak of the war with Iran, charedi representatives came to the conclusion that any remaining chance of passing a draft law had effectively disappeared. The political pressure on figures like Bezalel Smotrich and members of Likud made such legislation unlikely in the current climate, especially with elections approaching.

Within charedi parties, urgent internal discussions focused on how to respond, particularly in light of the looming legal consequences for yeshiva students and avreichim without formal arrangements with the military, who could soon face criminal exposure.

Contacts with opposition figures, including Bennett and Yair Lapid, continued, increasing pressure on Netanyahu’s circle. Charedi representatives made it clear that the long-standing alliance was under threat due to the failure to pass the draft law and what they described as disregard for the community.

One senior charedi source explained the dilemma: “We understood that something had to come to an end. We have become the joke of the Knesset and the government. Every time we threaten with an empty gun and then back down because we have no real choice. We had two options—either to put Netanyahu in his place so he understands he cannot treat the charedim this way, or to actually move toward the other bloc and close deals with them.”

The same source added that the charedi community had historically functioned as a political swing factor, but that alignment with Netanyahu—especially for Shas—had weakened that leverage. He pointed to what he described as significant setbacks for the community, including legal and financial pressures, particularly on Torah learners and institutions.

Another senior figure described what he said was the real dynamic behind the current crisis. According to him, Netanyahu’s camp acknowledged in internal discussions that passing a draft law at this stage was not feasible, but suggested a coordinated political strategy that would benefit all sides.

“The charedi withdrawal from the government right now is complete fake, and everyone knows it,” the source claimed. He noted that the election date would ultimately be set by Netanyahu, who is believed to prefer September over October—a timeline that coincidentally aligns with the interests of Shas leader Aryeh Deri during the Elul season.

The source went further, alleging that the public confrontation serves a political purpose for both sides. According to his account, charedi parties would publicly attack Netanyahu over the draft law and appear to leave the coalition, thereby demonstrating to their voters that they took action, while Netanyahu would head into elections portraying himself as standing firm against charedi pressure.

He also suggested that Rav Landau’s letter, while sharply worded, could serve to energize Netanyahu’s base by raising concerns that charedi parties might align with the left and secure more favorable draft terms.

The source argued that multiple political actors stand to benefit from the arrangement: Smotrich avoids making the draft law a central campaign issue, Netanyahu gains politically from appearing independent, and charedi parties can claim they stood up for their constituents—even if the practical outcome remains unchanged.

In conclusion, the source said the dramatic developments of the past day may not represent a fundamental shift. While Rav Landau’s letter was indeed strong, he noted that similar sentiments have been expressed for over a year. According to this view, the current situation reflects a familiar pattern in which charedi parties project a tough stance publicly while maintaining underlying political coordination with Netanyahu as elections approach.

{Matzav.com}

A vehicle crashed moments ago at the intersection of Route 88 and New Hampshire Avenue in Lakewood, prompting a police response and a brief search for the driver who fled the scene on foot.

The driver ran from the area immediately following the crash but was later located nearby by responding officers.

No serious injuries were reported in connection with the crash.

Lakewood Police are investigating.

A bill that would ban non-Orthodox prayer at the Kosel and criminalize violations with a seven-year prison sentence is advancing in the Knesset, with a key committee expected to take it up as early as next week.

The legislation, sponsored by MK Avi Maoz of the Noam party, would grant Israel’s two chief rabbis final authority over all mekomos kedoshim. Any activity conducted contrary to their instructions, including the mixed-gender gatherings currently held at the Ezrat Yisrael section of the Kosel, would be classified as a “desecration” under the law.

The bill passed a preliminary reading in the Knesset plenum 56-47 in March, despite Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu having canceled a Ministerial Committee for Legislation meeting days earlier in an apparent effort to prevent the government from officially backing it. The move was widely seen as an attempt to avoid friction with Diaspora Jewish communities. Netanyahu’s office had signaled the bill would not clear the preliminary reading. It did.

The Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, chaired by MK Simcha Rothman, will now prepare the bill for its first full Knesset reading. A date has not yet been set, but a committee spokesperson said it is expected to be scheduled as early as next week.

The Ezrat Yisrael section, located near what is known as Robinson’s Arch, currently operates in a legal gray area. It falls technically under the authority of the Kosel’s chief rabbi but is permitted to function as an egalitarian prayer space by prime ministerial order. Reform and Conservative groups have used it for years, though they have long complained of inadequate facilities and the inability to pray while touching the actual stones of the Kosel.

A separate but related bill is also in play. Legislation sponsored by Rothman that would amend the Law of Return to recognize only halachic conversions for purposes of aliyah and citizenship was slated for a committee vote Sunday but was postponed for 30 days at Netanyahu’s request. For decades, Israel has extended Law of Return eligibility to those converted by Reform and Conservative movements abroad, and since 2021, to non-Orthodox conversions performed within Israel as well. Rothman’s bill would end that.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Gulf Arab nations have arrested more than 100 Shiite residents on treason charges in the wake of Iran’s attacks during the recent war, the New York Times reported.

The arrests, which have taken place across the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain, target individuals accused of loyalty to Tehran. The crackdown reflects deep anxieties among Gulf states that came under sustained Iranian assault during the conflict and are now moving aggressively against suspected fifth-column activity within their borders.

Kuwait has disclosed the most specific details, announcing the dismantling of three cells linked to the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror organization, including one allegedly plotting to assassinate Kuwaiti leaders. Dozens more Shiite suspects have been detained in Bahrain and the UAE.

The legal proceedings have largely been shielded from public scrutiny. Trials are mostly closed to the press, and counterterrorism statutes are being applied broadly, in some cases covering conduct that would otherwise be classified as political dissent.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The IDF announced that a Hamas terrorist who took part in the October 7 attack on the Nachal Oz military base has been killed in an airstrike in Gaza.

The strike last Wednesday targeted Hamza Sharbasi, a commander in Hamas’s Shejaiya Battalion. The military said Sharbasi had participated in the assault on Nachal Oz, where dozens of soldiers were killed and abducted, and had more recently been operating near the yellow line to advance terror plots against IDF troops in the area.

Also killed in the strike, though not the intended target, was Azzam al-Hayya, the 23-year-old son of Hamas chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya. The IDF identified the younger al-Hayya as a member of Hamas’s elite Nukhba Force who “recently held a central role in the organization.”

The Nukhba Force was the Hamas unit that led the October 7 massacre, carrying out the most direct assault on Israeli communities and military positions.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A wave of grief has spread through the chassidic world following the passing of Rebbetzin Rochel Rosenbaum a”h, the wife of the Mezhibuzher Rebbe, who was niftar Wednesday at Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center after a prolonged illness.

The rebbetzin, who passed away at a relatively young age after years of battling a serious disease, was known for her dignity, faith, and refined character.

She was the daughter of the mekubal Rav Mattisyahu Safrin zt”l, who also passed away at a young age after suffering from the same illness, and the granddaughter of the Komarna Rebbe of Yerushalayim.

In a poignant moment earlier in the day, her grandfather, the Komarna Rebbe of Yerushalayim, came to her bedside at the hospital shortly before her passing to bid farewell.

Throughout her life, she stood alongside her husband, supporting the growth and maintenance of the chassidus and serving as a source of chesed and guidance to many who turned to her.

In her final hours, surrounded by close family members and many chassidim mourning the tremendous loss, she returned her pure soul to its Creator.

Yehi zichrah boruch.

{Matzav.com}

A federal judge in Brooklyn has sentenced the head of a violent neo-Nazi network from Eastern Europe to 15 years in prison after prosecutors said he directed multiple terror plots aimed at Jews and other minority groups.

Michail Chkhikvishvili, a 22-year-old citizen of Georgia who used the nickname “Commander Butcher,” was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to charges connected to soliciting hate crimes and sharing instructions for creating deadly explosives and poisons, according to NBC News.

U.S. District Judge Carol Bagley Amon handed down a 180-month prison sentence, stressing during the hearing that the punishment was tied to the defendant’s direct efforts to encourage violence and murder.

“The defendant is not sentenced because of his warped views,” Judge Amon noted during the proceedings. “He is being sentenced for his calls to action.”

Federal authorities identified Chkhikvishvili as the leader of the “Maniac Murder Cult,” an extremist organization operating out of Russia and Ukraine that spreads neo-Nazi ideology online. Prosecutors said the group used encrypted messaging services, including Telegram, to recruit and radicalize supporters internationally.

Investigators said Chkhikvishvili wrote a document called “Hater’s Handbook,” which outlined methods for carrying out mass killings and school shootings.

U.S. Attorney Nocella said the defendant deliberately focused on vulnerable communities in New York, including Jewish children.

“The defendant is a hate-mongering menace who intended to hurt and kill children in the Jewish community and in other minority communities in New York City,” Nocella stated. “Today’s sentence sends a strong message to hateful extremists, wherever you are, who seek to spread fear through unspeakable violence: we will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”

Court filings described several disturbing plots tied to the case. One alleged scheme involved having an associate dress as Santa Claus on New Year’s Eve and hand out poisoned candy to minorities in New York City. Prosecutors said the plan later evolved into a targeted conspiracy to poison children attending Jewish schools in Brooklyn.

Authorities said Chkhikvishvili went beyond online propaganda. In 2023, he allegedly communicated with an undercover FBI agent whom he believed was a potential recruit, urging the agent to commit murders and bomb attacks.

After being arrested in 2024, Chkhikvishvili was extradited to the United States the following year to stand trial.

Defense attorneys argued that years of bullying and personal difficulties contributed to his radicalization. Prosecutors rejected that explanation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Reich describing the case as one involving “sustained and deliberate solicitation of violence.”

Appearing in court in prison clothing, Chkhikvishvili expressed remorse over the suffering students faced and acknowledged that they should never have been subjected to such threats of violence.

{Matzav.com}

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(AP) – For five hours, the 11 survivors of a plane crash off the coast of Florida floated on a life raft, with no means of calling for help and no idea if anyone was coming to save them. As a thunderstorm approached, they gathered under a tarp for whatever protection it might offer.

Then, search and rescue crews from the U.S. military appeared overhead, members of those crews recounted during a news conference Wednesday.

“You could tell just by looking at them that they were in distress — physically, mentally and emotionally,” said Air Force Capt. Rory Whipple, a combat rescue specialist who jumped into the water and swam to the survivors. “You have to imagine the emotional injuries that they sustained out there, not knowing if someone was going to rescue them.”

The plane, a Beechcraft 300 King Air turboprop, was on its way from Marsh Harbour, on the Bahamian island of Great Abaco, to Grand Bahama International Airport in Freeport when it suffered engine failure Tuesday, authorities said. The pilot ditched the plane in the water about 50 miles (80 km) off Vero Beach, Florida, and managed to get its 10 passengers, three with minor injuries, onto a yellow life raft.

Air Force Reserve Maj. Elizabeth Piowaty credited those efforts, saying the pilot would have been concerned about ocean swells and slowing the plane as much as safely possible before impact.

“I’ve not known anyone to survive a ditching in the ocean,” said Piowaty, who commanded a HC-130J Combat King II plane that assisted with the rescue. “From what I’ve seen, for all those people to survive is pretty miraculous.”

The downed plane’s emergency beacon alerted the U.S. Coast Guard to its location. At the time, the Air Force Reserve’s 920th Rescue Wing had a crew already airborne conducting a training mission in a HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter. The crew was redirected to help with the search.

Piowaty said that after locating the survivors, her aircraft passed overhead and dropped a survival kit that included two additional rafts, food and water. The survivors were then able to spread out, and the crew of the HH-60W, including Whipple, was able to hoist them to safety amid 3- to 5-foot (1- to 1.5-m) swells, raising the last survivor just a few minutes before the helicopter would have been forced to refuel.

There was no sign of the downed aircraft, Piowaty said.

All 11 survivors were flown to awaiting emergency medical services at Melbourne Orlando International Airport, authorities said. All were reported to be in stable condition.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said it would investigate the crash.

A charedi man from Bnei Brak recently made a dangerous trip into Houthi-controlled Yemen, spending a short time there before returning safely to describe his experiences from one of the most hostile places for Israelis.

The man, identified only as Yaakov and holding foreign citizenship, spoke anonymously after completing the journey. He was interviewed in recent days by Kan 11 Arab affairs correspondent Roy Kais, who sought to understand how he managed to reach the Houthi stronghold.

Travel to Yemen—and especially to its capital, Sanaa, a center of Houthi control—is widely considered extremely dangerous for Israelis and Jews. Nevertheless, Yaakov managed to enter the country for a limited period and return without being identified.

Asked what motivated him to travel there, Yaakov said, “It’s crazy. Bnei Brak is a place unto itself, a completely different culture. I want to get to know many other cultures. I’ve visited quite a few places before Yemen. There’s a kind of glass ceiling even among travelers who go to unconventional places, like Lebanon and Syria.”

According to the report, Yaakov began his journey by flying to Jeddah in western Saudi Arabia. From there, he continued to Seiyun in southern Yemen, an area associated with opponents of the Houthis. He then made the long and dangerous drive to Sanaa, one of the most hostile locations for Israelis and Jews.

When asked whether he was afraid of being exposed, Yaakov said, “It’s a terrifying fear. It’s stressful. To the point that you cut tags out of your clothes beforehand, bring receipts from the United States that you collect to prove where you live, carry a different phone, and leave your own phone in Dubai.”

Yaakov said he stayed in Sanaa only briefly, explaining, “The local guy told me, if you stay here overnight, it will be your last night.”

He also described visiting a military academy in the city, saying, “It’s a jihad culture. I was in their school (in Sanaa), and one of the books with the most copies was Hitler’s Mein Kampf.” He added that he presented himself as an American journalist and promised to portray them as freedom fighters.

Asked what surprised him most during the trip, Yaakov said he was struck by how eager people were for some sort of agreement with the United States, while expressing deep hostility toward Israel. One of the most tense moments, he said, was secretly bringing and putting on tefillin in the Yemeni capital.

In addition to visiting Houthi-controlled areas, Yaakov also traveled to the southern city of Taiz, where clashes continue between the Houthis and their opponents, and even briefly attended a local wedding.

Despite completing the journey safely, Yaakov does not recommend that others follow his path. Still, it appears he may already be thinking about his next high-risk destination in the Middle East.

{Matzav.com}

Dear Reader,

“Yisgadal v’yiskadash Shemei Rabbah…”

This past week, Rabbi Chaim Abadi was niftar, and with his passing, a piece of the heart of Lakewood was lost.

There are people who build buildings.  There are people who build organizations.
And then there are rare people who build people.

Rabbi Abadi built people.

Broken people. Confused people. Hurting people. People others had given up on.
People who no longer believed in themselves.

And somehow, with a smile, a bowl of cholent, a late-night phone call, or simply by sitting beside someone and caring, he rebuilt neshamos.

Thousands of words have already been written about the incredible chessed he did, the boys and girls he saved, the homes he helped rebuild, the lives he changed, and the countless crises he stepped into without hesitation.

But perhaps if there is one phrase that captures who he truly was, it is the opening words of Kaddish: “Yisgadal V’Yiskadash Shemei Rabbah” – May Hashem’s Name be exalted and sanctified.

Because that was Rabbi Abadi’s life.

Everything he touched became a Kiddush Hashem.

Whether he was speaking to a struggling teenager, a Rosh Yeshivah, a police officer, a building inspector, a judge, a politician, or a broken parent crying for help — people walked away feeling the beauty of Torah, the beauty of a Yid, and the beauty of Hashem.

Not because he preached, but because he cared.

That was his greatness.

He entered places many were uncomfortable entering. He dealt with situations others avoided.
But he never made people feel judged, small, or unwanted.

He made them feel seen.

And when a person feels seen, he begins to believe he matters. When he believes he matters, he begins to heal. And when he begins to heal, the Shechinah returns to his life.

That is Kiddush Hashem.

In a distracted world, Rabbi Abadi gave people presence. In a world quick to criticize, he gave acceptance. In a world where many people are busy fixing others, he gave love first.

And perhaps that is why so many tears were shed this week.

Because deep down, every person wants to know:
“Do I matter?”
“Is someone there for me?”
“Can someone still see goodness in me?”

Rabbi Abadi answered those questions for thousands of people, not through speeches, but through his life.

While thinking about Rabbi Abadi and the legacy he leaves behind, I was reminded of a haunting story brought by Rabbi Yechiel Spero.

A Holocaust survivor who had drifted far from Yiddishkeit once bought his son an old handmade menorah from an antique shop. The owner explained that it had been painstakingly carved by a Yid in the concentration camps from tiny scraps of wood collected over many months.

At some point, the menorah accidentally broke, and as they tried to repair it, a hidden note fell out.

The note was written by the man who built it.

He wrote that he did not know if he would survive another day. He did not know if he would merit lighting the menorah even once. But if someone someday found it, he begged them:
“Please light it every night of Chanukah, every single year.”

The survivor looked at the signature, turned pale, and then fainted.

Because the note was signed by his own father.

Suddenly, from deep within the broken menorah, his father was speaking to him again.

And perhaps that is what tzaddikim do even after they leave this world. Their voice continues speaking. Their life becomes a message.

And if Rabbi Abadi left us a note hidden inside the lives he touched, perhaps it would read something like this:

Love another Yid. Believe in people. Do not define someone by where they currently are.
See the neshama beneath the struggle. Make people feel wanted.  Lift people instead of labeling them.  And in every interaction, create a Kiddush Hashem.

My father says a beautiful pshat that expounds on this idea.

At the end of the tefillos of Hoshana Rabbah, we repeatedly say:
“Kol mevaser mevaser v’omer”- The voice announces and says…

But if you stop and think about it, it never actually says what the voice is announcing. My father explains that the answer comes immediately afterward, with the Kaddish:

“Yisgadal v’yiskadash Shemei Rabbah.”

The greatest announcement a Yid can make with his life is that Hashem’s Name should become greater, holier, more beloved in this world.

Many of us say those words, but Rabbi Abadi lived them.

And now, perhaps the greatest zechus we can give him is not only to say Kaddish for him — but to continue his Kaddish.

To walk into this world and leave behind more love. More patience. More understanding.
More dignity.  More acceptance. More Kiddush Hashem.

And perhaps that is the question Rabbi Abadi leaves each of us with.

How do we walk into a room? How do people feel after speaking to us?
Do our employees feel respected?  Do our spouses and children feel seen?
Do people feel judged around us — or uplifted by us?

A Kiddush Hashem is not created only through grand acts.

Sometimes it is created through a smile. Through patience. Through answering gently when you are stressed. Through giving someone the benefit of the doubt. Through noticing the fellow sitting alone in shul. Through calling someone who is quietly struggling. Through making another person feel important. Every interaction is an opportunity to either close a heart or open one.

Rabbi Abadi spent his life opening hearts.

Perhaps the greatest way to honor him is to continue doing the same.

Because that is how a person truly lives on.

Yehei Shmei Rabbah mevorach l’olam ul’almei almaya.

Binyomin Heinemann

(AP) – Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani returned to his regularly scheduled show on Wednesday evening for the first time after being hospitalized for viral pneumonia earlier this month.

The 81-year-old opened his conservative talk show, “The Rudy Giuliani Show,” with assurances to his audience that he was on the mend — though not yet fully recovered. In early May, Giuliani was in critical condition and placed on a ventilator at a hospital in Palm Beach, Florida.

Reports of his illness were met with an outpouring of support and well-wishes from a range of high profile politicians across the political spectrum.

“I have to thank everyone who sent me prayers and good will,” he said. He specifically mentioned his gratitude to his family, the medical staff that tended to him and U.S. President Donald Trump, who Giuliani said called him after he became sick.

“It feels good to be back,” Giuliani said before cutting to his first break.

Giuliani was previously hospitalized last September after suffering a fractured vertebra and other injuries in a car crash in New Hampshire.

After Giuliani’s eight-year tenure as mayor, which was punctuated by the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, the longtime Republican politician ran unsuccessfully for president in 2008 and eventually became a personal attorney and adviser to Trump.

Giuliani was a vocal proponent of the president’s allegations of fraud in the 2020 election, which was won by Democrat Joe Biden. Trump and his backers lost dozens of lawsuits claiming fraud, and numerous recounts, reviews and audits of the election results turned up no signs of significant wrongdoing or error.

Two former Georgia election workers later won a $148 million defamation judgment against Giuliani. As they sought to collect the judgment, the former federal prosecutor was found in contempt of court and faced a trial this winter over the ownership of some of his assets.

Giuliani ultimately struck a deal that let him keep his homes and various belongings, including prized World Series rings, in exchange for unspecified compensation and a promise to stop speaking ill of the ex-election workers.

Last year, Trump said he was awarding Giuliani the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

NEW YORK (VINnews) – U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York announced Wednesday that a New Jersey man pleaded guilty to damaging religious property after repeatedly ramming his vehicle into the headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in Brooklyn earlier this year.

Federal prosecutors said Dan Sohail, 36, of Carteret, New Jersey, entered the guilty plea in federal court before U.S. District Judge Eric N. Vitaliano. He faces prison time and restitution at sentencing.

According to court filings and statements made during the plea hearing, the attack occurred on the night of Jan. 28 at Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters on Eastern Parkway as the site hosted a gathering marking the anniversary of the death of the movement’s leader.

Prosecutors said Sohail exited his vehicle, moved protective barriers near the entrance and motioned for congregants to move away before repeatedly driving his car into a side entrance of the building. Authorities said he rammed the entrance five times, ultimately knocking the door off its hinges.

U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said the defendant “intentionally damaged the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters, a globally significant Jewish religious institution.”

“This prosecution underscores our Office’s commitment to ensuring that worshippers can gather safely and those who threaten religious institutions will be held accountable,” Nocella said.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon called the incident “a targeted attack on the religious liberty and peace of worship to which every American is entitled.”

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said attacks on houses of worship create fear far beyond the physical damage caused.

“At a time of rising threats against Jewish New Yorkers, attacks on places of worship carry deep fear far beyond the immediate damage they cause,” Tisch said.

We regret to inform you of the Petirah of Reb Yosef Chaim Lieberman Z”L, a longtime resident of Brooklyn who recently relocated to the Brookhill section of Lakewood. He was 98 years old.

Reb Yosef Chaim was a Talmid of Rav Aharon Kotler ZT”L.

Tentatively, the Levaya is scheduled to take place at 2:30 PM at the Lakewood chapel, followed by Kevurah in Deans.

Additional details will be published as they become available.

Baruch Dayan Ha’emes.

WASHINGTON D.C – William Paul, the son of Sen. Rand Paul, drunkenly accosted Rep. Mike Lawler at a Capitol Hill bar Tuesday night and unleashed a tirade of antisemitic insults, according to the New York Republican congressman and a reporter who witnessed the exchange.

Paul, visibly intoxicated, approached Lawler at the Tune Inn restaurant and bar and blamed “your people” if Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., loses his Republican primary, Lawler told reporters Wednesday on the steps of the Capitol.

“My people?” Lawler responded.

“Yeah, you Jews,” Paul said, according to Lawler’s account.

Lawler, who is Catholic and of Irish-Italian descent, replied that he is not Jewish.

“Oh wow, I’m so sorry for calling you a Jew,” Paul said, before continuing with a roughly 10-minute diatribe in which he called Jews “anti-American” and accused Lawler and his “Jewish supporters” of serving Israel more than America, witnesses said.

Lawler said Paul also expressed hatred for Jewish and LGBTQ people and stated he did not care if they died. At one point, Paul shoved his finger in Lawler’s face before stumbling out of the bar, knocking over a stool.

The confrontation occurred as Lawler was speaking with NOTUS reporter Reese Gorman. Paul identified himself as the Kentucky senator’s son and interjected into their conversation about the upcoming May 19 primary challenge to Massie.

On Wednesday, William Paul posted a statement acknowledging he was drunk and saying he is seeking help for a drinking problem.

Lawler described the incident as “reprehensible” and “f***ing disgusting.”

Neither Sen. Rand Paul nor his office immediately responded to requests for comment. William Paul, a former congressional staffer with prior alcohol-related incidents, has three brothers.

The episode drew swift condemnation from Jewish organizations and pro-Israel advocates, who highlighted rising antisemitic rhetoric amid tensions over U.S. support for Israel and domestic political battles. VINnews will continue to monitor developments.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Allegiant Air said Wednesday it has completed its purchase of Sun Country Airlines, finalizing a deal that combines two low-cost carriers at a turbulent time for the budget airline industry following the recent shutdown of rival Spirit Airlines.

Las Vegas-based Allegiant said the transaction closed after receiving required regulatory and shareholder approvals. When the deal was first announced in January, Allegiant said it was valued at about $1.5 billion, including debt.

“Today marks a defining moment in Allegiant’s history as we officially join forces with Sun Country,” Allegiant CEO Gregory Anderson said in a statement, adding that the new combined airline is positioned to offer broader access to affordable travel.

The deal comes as both airlines and travelers are grappling with a sharp run-up in jet fuel costs driven by the war in the Middle East, a jump that is already showing up in higher fares and fees across the industry. That increase is hitting low-cost airlines especially hard, since they have less room to absorb rising costs.

The pressure was especially acute for Spirit Airlines. The ultra low-cost carrier shut down after 34 years May 2, its collapse accelerated by the sharp rise in fuel costs following years of financial strain, including heavy debt, repeated restructuring efforts and ongoing cash-flow problems.

Against that backdrop, Allegiant and Sun Country say their tie-up gives them more ways to generate revenue. Along with passenger flights, Sun Country brings into the fold cargo flying for Amazon, as well as charter trips for sports teams, casinos and the U.S. Department of Defense,.

Allegiant says the expanded network is also expected to give travelers more options, especially in smaller and mid-sized markets, with about 195 aircraft serving nearly 175 cities and more than 650 routes.

For now, travelers shouldn’t expect any changes. Both airlines will continue to operate separately, and customers can keep booking, checking in and managing trips just as they do today.

Allegiant said it will take time to bring the two airlines together. Over the long term, the combined company is expected to operate under the Allegiant name and remain headquartered in Las Vegas, while adding new options and connections across its broader network.

Minneapolis–St. Paul, where Sun Country is based, will remain an important hub for the airline.

A diplomatic dispute erupted Wednesday after the United Arab Emirates officially denied reports of a secret visit by Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu, just hours after his office confirmed that the trip had taken place during Operation “Roaring Lion.”

In a sharply worded statement, the UAE Foreign Ministry rejected the reports outright, saying, “The United Arab Emirates denies the circulating reports regarding a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu to the country, or the reception of any Israeli military delegation on its territory.” The statement added that “the country emphasizes that its relations with Israel are open relations, established as part of the Abraham Accords, and are not based on secrecy or hidden arrangements.”

The Emirati denial came in response to reports detailing a covert meeting said to have taken place on March 26 in the city of Al Ain, near the UAE-Oman border. According to those reports, Netanyahu met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed for several hours at a location roughly 250 kilometers from Iran’s coastline.

The conflicting accounts have created a complicated diplomatic situation. Netanyahu’s office said earlier in the evening that “during Operation ‘Roaring Lion,’ Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu visited the United Arab Emirates in secret and met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. This visit led to a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the UAE.”

However, the UAE Foreign Ministry insisted in its statement that “any claim of unannounced visits or arrangements has no basis, unless officially announced by the relevant authorized entities in the United Arab Emirates.”

{Matzav.com}

A new Channel 13 News poll released Wednesday night suggests that even after the consolidation of the center-left camp, the opposition still falls short of being able to form a government on its own and would need the support of all Arab parties to reach a majority – a move that several potential coalition parties have ruled out.

According to the survey, the “Together” party headed by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid would emerge as the largest faction with 26 seats, while Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud would follow closely behind with 25 seats.

The poll projects 12 seats for Gadi Eisenkot’s “Yashar!” party. Otzma Yehudit and Shas each receive 10 seats, while The Democrats are projected to win 9. United Torah Judaism and Yisrael Beytenu each receive 7 seats, followed by Hadash-Ta’al and Ra’am with 5 seats apiece. The Religious Zionist Party is projected to secure 4 seats.

Blue and White, the Reservists Party and Balad all fall below the electoral threshold in the survey.

According to the bloc totals, the current coalition parties would hold 56 seats, compared to 54 seats for the opposition bloc, while the Arab parties would control the remaining 10 seats.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright warned Wednesday that Iran is nearing the ability to produce weapons-grade enriched uranium, describing the threat as “frighteningly close.”

Speaking before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Wright said Iran’s uranium stockpile — which President Donald Trump has vowed to seize — places the regime only weeks away from reaching the level needed for a nuclear weapon.

“They are a small number of weeks away to enrich that to weapons-grade uranium. There’s still a weaponization process that happens after that, but they’re quite close,” he told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Special envoy Steve Witkoff previously stated publicly that Iran had accumulated enough uranium enriched to 60% purity to potentially produce 11 nuclear bombs if the material were further enriched to 90%.

Nuclear experts note that reaching 60% enrichment represents a far more difficult technical achievement than advancing from 60% to 90%, the level considered weapons-grade.

Iran is believed to currently possess roughly 1,000 pounds of uranium enriched to 60%.

During the hearing, both Wright and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) agreed that the Islamic Republic is “only weeks away” from refining the material to weapons-grade levels.

Officials also noted that Iran maintains an additional 11 tons of uranium enriched at lower levels.

The remains of the second U.S. Army soldier who went missing during military exercises in Morocco have been recovered, the Army said Wednesday, ending a multinational search operation that deployed air, naval and artificial intelligence assets.

The soldier was identified as Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington of Taveres, Fla., the U.S. military Europe and Africa said in a statement. She was 19 years old.

“Royal Moroccan Armed Forces transported the Soldier’s remains by a Moroccan helicopter to the morgue of Moulay El Hassan Military Hospital in Guelmim, Morocco,” the statement said.

Collington served as an air and missile defense crewmember and was assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, U.S. Army Europe and Africa said.

Collington entered the Regular Army’s Delayed Entry Program in 2023 before beginning active-duty service in 2024. She completed Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sill in Oklahoma, as a 14P air and missile defense crewmember. She reported to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, in Ansbach, Germany, in February 2025 and was promoted to specialist on May 1, 2026.

Her awards and decorations include the Army Service Ribbon.

The announcement came days after the military said the remains of another soldier, 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., a 14A Air Defense Artillery officer, had been recovered. The two soldiers fell off a cliff during an off-duty recreational hike in Morocco. Their remains are en route to the United States.

A spokesperson for U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa told The Associated Press that the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.

The two soldiers were reported missing May 2 after participating in African Lion, an annual multinational military exercise held in Morocco. Their disappearance triggered a search operation involving more than 1,000 U.S. and Moroccan military and civilian personnel, the SETAF-AF spokesperson added.

Assets deployed during the operation included a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, unmanned aerial systems, thermal and ISR sensors, an unmanned underwater vehicle, side-scan sonar, a Moroccan multibeam echosounder and U.S. Coast Guard drift modeling capabilities, according to the spokesperson.

African Lion 26, is a U.S.-led exercise launched in April across four countries – Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal – with more than 7,000 personnel from over 30 nations.

In 2012, two U.S. Marines were killed and two others injured during a helicopter crash in Morocco’s southern city of Agadir while taking part in the exercises

(AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu has decided not to take part in discussions at the President’s Residence aimed at reaching a plea agreement, according to a report broadcast Wednesday night on Channel 12, following a prolonged internal debate over how to respond to President Isaac Herzog’s proposal.

The report stated that Netanyahu did not respond to Herzog’s initiative for ten days, during which a deep divide emerged between his legal team, who supported entering talks, and his family members and close advisers, whose position ultimately led to the decision to reject the offer.

Senior officials close to Netanyahu sharply criticized the president’s initiative, calling it “a spin” and “complete nonsense.” They described it as “a staged production meant to drag out time and avoid dealing with the pardon request,” adding that Netanyahu is close to making a final decision to reject the proposal and instead continue pressing Herzog on the issue of a pardon.

Netanyahu’s decision stands in contrast to the view of his attorneys, who believe that participating in discussions at the President’s Residence would be in his legal interest. Despite their position, the stance of his inner circle appears to have prevailed in favor of rejecting negotiations toward a plea deal.

Earlier in the day, Herzog addressed the matter at the President’s Conference for a Shared Israeli Future, referring to the pardon request as “an elephant in the room.” “I am touching on very painful issues, an issue that is a kind of elephant in the room,” he said. “The issue of a pardon for the prime minister or a request for a pardon. Why do I call for dialogue and explanation, for talks toward an arrangement? Because I truly believe that in these heavy issues that burn at the heart of Israeli society and divide it, the right path, as much as possible, is to reach understandings and agreements. I believe in this.”

Herzog added that he expects both sides to be willing to engage in discussions. “In this case as well, it is difficult for everyone. The moment one side said it is willing to come into the room, I expect the other side to come into the room as well.”

{Matzav.com}

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (VINnews) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration is urging China to use its influence to rein in Iran’s actions in the Persian Gulf, where Chinese vessels have been stuck following an incident involving one of its cargo ships.

“The Chinese have ships stuck in the Persian Gulf,” Rubio told Fox News host Sean Hannity in an exclusive interview aboard Air Force One. “A Chinese cargo got hit over the weekend. I’m sure Iran didn’t do it deliberately but they did it, it happened. And so that’s why these Chinese ships are stuck in there.”

Rubio described the situation as a major source of instability that threatens to destabilize Asia, a region heavily reliant on the Persian Gulf straits for energy shipments.

“It’s in [China’s] interest to resolve this,” he said. “We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to walk away from what they’re doing now and trying to do now in the Persian Gulf.”

The comments come amid heightened tensions in the region, with Iranian actions disrupting commercial shipping. Rubio’s outreach to Beijing reflects the administration’s strategy of leveraging China’s economic stakes in stable Gulf waters to pressure Tehran indirectly.

No immediate reaction from Chinese or Iranian officials was available.

Officials inside the White House are reportedly considering a proposal for President Donald Trump to grant as many as 250 pardons in connection with the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary celebrations later this year.

The report, first published by The Wall Street Journal, cites unnamed sources familiar with internal discussions.

According to the Journal, a White House official acknowledged that conversations are ongoing about how best to implement the president’s priorities, while emphasizing that Trump will ultimately decide whether and how to proceed with any clemency actions.

Among the dates being considered for a possible announcement are June 14—Flag Day and Trump’s birthday—or July 4.

If carried out, the move would further expand Trump’s use of presidential pardon authority during his second term.

The Journal reported that some within the administration have expressed concern about issuing a large number of pardons ahead of this year’s midterm elections.

Trump has tied a number of initiatives to the country’s 250th anniversary, known as the semiquincentennial.

Those plans include the creation of a National Garden of American Heroes featuring 250 statues, a nationwide athletic competition for high school students called the “Patriot Games,” and upgrades to national monuments in Washington.

The report also noted that leaders throughout history have occasionally used milestone anniversaries and commemorative events as occasions to grant pardons or other forms of clemency.

Ed Martin, Trump’s appointed pardon attorney at the Justice Department, has previously written that the power to grant pardons has long played a meaningful role in justice systems.

Trump has already issued several notable pardons during his current term, including clemency for individuals connected to the January 6, 2021 Capitol incident, as well as pardons for former Binance executive Changpeng Zhao, Nikola founder Trevor Milton, and Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht.

Justice Department figures show that more than 16,000 formal pardon applications were submitted last year, the highest total recorded since at least 1937.

Several high-profile individuals have publicly sought clemency. The attorney representing Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted in connection with Jeffrey Epstein, has openly discussed the possibility of pursuing a pardon in exchange for cooperation related to the case.

Trump previously said he would consult with the Justice Department when asked about the possibility of granting Maxwell clemency.

“I have a lot of people who’ve asked me for pardons,” Trump told reporters last year.

{Matzav.com}

As reported on TLS Communities yesterday, a car rolled over completely during an accident on Cedarbridge Avenue.

The accident, which happened shortly before 6:00 PM, sent a car rolling over – but it landed back on its wheels.

Today, TLS exclusively obtained dashcam video of the incident – see below.

Sen. Rand Paul said Tuesday that Dr. Anthony Fauci should still be prosecuted, even after receiving a broad preemptive pardon from President Joe Biden on his final day in office.

“We would like to see him prosecuted,” Paul told “Rob Schmitt Tonight.” “We think you shouldn’t get away with doing this, and you shouldn’t get away with lying about it.”

Paul argued that potential legal exposure for Fauci goes beyond accusations that he misled Congress in 2021 when he denied funding gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

“We know there are other charges besides just lying to Congress,” Paul said. “There’s destroying records, there’s telling others to destroy records. And then there’s also the potential, as you said, of a conspiracy charge. So, I think charges still actually loom.”

The Kentucky senator also raised doubts about the validity of the pardon Biden issued in January 2025, which covers any federal offenses Fauci may have committed between January 1, 2014, and January 19, 2025.

“The biggest question, though, is whether this blanket pardon, a pardon that is for a 10-year period and no specified crimes. I think it’s worth challenging in court,” Paul said. “I don’t know how you can pardon people for an unspecified crime.”

Paul said he has already sent “three letters of criminal referral” to both the Biden and Trump Justice Departments calling for Fauci to be prosecuted.

His remarks come as the Justice Department is reportedly examining whether additional charges could still be pursued, despite the expiration Monday of the five-year statute of limitations tied to Fauci’s May 11, 2021, Senate testimony about gain-of-function research funding.

According to a report in The New York Post, federal officials are reviewing whether conspiracy-related charges or other alleged actions could still leave Fauci open to prosecution.

Paul also cited the recent indictment of Dr. David Morens, a former Fauci adviser, who is facing federal charges that include conspiracy against the United States and the destruction and concealment of records related to investigations into the origins of COVID-19.

Looking ahead, Paul said a whistleblower is expected to testify before Congress regarding the origins of the pandemic. He claimed that intelligence agencies relied on scientists with potential conflicts of interest while rejecting the lab-leak theory.

“This is the kind of circle of experts who all knew each other, but it was all orchestrated by Anthony Fauci,” Paul said. “He’s the linchpin. He’s the head of the organization, basically.”

{Matzav.com}

Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday announced new steps in the Trump administration’s initiative to root out fraud in federal health programs, including a $1.3 billion deferral in Medicaid funding to California.

“How long are people going to pay into programs if they know that that money doesn’t go to a low-income kid who needs healthcare, but that money goes into a fraudster getting rich?” Vance said during an event at the White House, adding that taxpayers and program beneficiaries are victimized by such fraud.

The Republican administration also is imposing a six-month freeze on some new Medicare enrollments and warning states to investigate Medicaid fraud or risk losing funding, officials said.

The moves are part of Vance’s anti-fraud task force, which has been taking more aggressive steps to investigate states before the November elections. The panel set up by President Donald Trump seeks to crack down on potential misuse of public money.

Vance, a potential 2028 White House hopeful, has used the high-profile assignment from Trump to remind Americans struggling with high costs that he is trying to claw back taxpayer dollars. Vance has promoted the task force’s work during campaign stops for Republican candidates and is expected to focus on the effort Thursday in Maine, which has closely watched primary races scheduled for June 9.

The steps come as people across the United States have raised concerns about rising health costs and barriers to access, sometimes from the federal government’s own actions. New work requirements in Medicaid, for example, are expected to strain hospitals around the country and result in millions of enrollees losing their health coverage.

The administration contends its vigorous fraud-busting efforts will help prevent wrongdoing in Medicaid and Medicare while preserving funding and resources for those most in need.

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Deferring $1.3 billion in California payments

Dr. Mehmet Oz, who leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the administration was making the “largest deferral we’ve ever made” in Medicaid funds and that it was justified.

He claimed the administration had identified questionable expenditures and anomalies, such as a higher rate of growth in California’s home care program compared with other states. He did not provide concrete examples of documented fraud.

“We’d like the state to at least come to the table and explain to us how these outlier payments have been generated,” he said.

The press office of Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., disputed Oz’s claims and said the state’s home care program grew because the state is “keeping more people OUT of far more expensive nursing homes.”

“We hate fraud,” the office wrote on X. “But that’s NOT what this is.”

The total cost of California’s Medicaid program, including state and federal funding, is expected to be about $222 billion for the budget year that starts July 1.

Nationwide freeze on some new Medicare provider enrollments

Oz’s agency also announced a nationwide six-month moratorium on all new Medicare enrollments by providers of hospice and home care.

“Today we’re shutting the door on fraud — preventing new bad actors from entering Medicare while we aggressively identify, investigate, and remove those already exploiting them,” he said in a statement.

Existing hospice and home healthcare providers will continue to operate as usual. But CMS said it will “intensify targeted investigations, deploy advanced data analytics, and accelerate the removal” of providers in the category that are suspected of fraudulent activity.

Such a freeze is not unprecedented, said Tricia Neumann, a senior vice president and executive director for the program on Medicare policy at the healthcare research nonprofit KFF. She said President Bill Clinton’s Democratic administration also imposed a temporary moratorium on home health agencies.

“A brief moratorium gives the administration time to crack down on true fraud and prevent new fraudulent entities from popping up,” she said.

Several alleged fraud schemes have been prosecuted in the hospice and home healthcare categories, and states have acknowledged that it is a legitimate concern. But some have pushed back on the administration’s aggressive tactics and raised concerns that the catchall efforts could needlessly punish law-abiding providers that are trying to serve patients.

The country’s largest organization advocating for home healthcare providers, the National Alliance for Care at Home, said in a statement that it supports efforts to root out fraud. But it said it prefers targeted strategies to a sweeping moratorium, which it said raises concerns about access to care as well as reduces competition and slows innovation.

Also Wednesday, the Department of Health and Human Services’ internal watchdog sent letters to state attorneys general warning them to vigorously investigate possible fraud or risk losing federal money.

Moves are part of monthslong federal push

In recent months, CMS has suspended payments to hundreds of hospice and home care agencies in Los Angeles over alleged fraud and issued another six-month moratorium on suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and certain other supplies in Medicare.

The administration also has approached at least five states with investigations into potential healthcare fraud and halted some $243 million in Medicaid payments to Minnesota over fraud concerns. Last month, Oz announced CMS would add to that oversight by requiring all 50 states to share how they planned to revalidate some of their Medicaid providers.

In at least one case, the administration has erred in its accusations against states. In April, CMS acknowledged to The Associated Press that it made a significant error in figures it used to help justify a fraud probe in New York. The acknowledgment deepened doubts about the administration’s methods and raised a common criticism of the second Trump administration — that it tends to attack first and confirm the facts later.

(AP)

NEW YORK (VINnews) — U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., sharply criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday, accusing him of permitting violence against Jews in the city and demanding accountability from Democratic leaders.

In a statement posted on social media, Scott said Mamdani’s leadership has contributed to an environment where antisemitic attacks have proliferated.

“Mayor Mamdani allowing violence against Jews in his city. I guess we can’t be surprised. It’s disgusting,” Scott wrote. “It’s time for ACCOUNTABILITY. Will Sen Schumer stand up for the Jewish community in NY and condemn this?”

The remarks come amid reports of a significant rise in antisemitic hate crimes in New York City. Data from the NYPD showed a 182% surge in such incidents during Mamdani’s first month in office in January 2026 compared with the previous year, even as overall violent crime declined.

Mamdani, who took office on Jan. 1, 2026, as the city’s first Muslim and Asian American mayor, has publicly stated his commitment to combating antisemitism and hate crimes. He has called antisemitism a “crisis” and proposed initiatives like a Department of Community Safety focused on anti-hate programs.

Scott’s comments echo broader concerns from some Jewish community leaders and officials about the handling of rising antisemitism under the new administration, which has faced scrutiny over its response to protests and incidents targeting Jews.

Neither Mamdani’s office nor Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s office immediately responded to requests for comment.

Scott, a vocal supporter of Israel and critic of progressive policies in blue cities, has repeatedly targeted Mamdani’s socialist-leaning agenda in recent months. The Florida senator has warned that Mamdani’s approach risks driving away businesses and exacerbating urban challenges in New York.

New Jersey American Water will begin door-to-door outreach in Lakewood Township next week as part of its statewide Lead Service Line Replacement Program. The utility’s local, qualified contractor, CDM Smith, will conduct service line material assessments and inspections moving through the community over the next few months.

This effort supports a 2021 state law requiring all water providers to identify and replace both the utility-owned and customer-owned portions of lead and galvanized steel service lines by 2031. Identifying and replacing lead and galvanized steel service lines is an important step in reducing potential exposure and protecting public health. New Jersey American Water launched its Lead Service Line Replacement Program in 2022 to meet this mandate, and these service line assessments will help ensure compliance across its footprint.

“We appreciate New Jersey American Water’s proactive efforts to protect public health and improve infrastructure in our town in a professional, culturally sensitive manner,” said Lakewood Township Mayor Ray Coles. “This is an important process and Lakewood Township will continue to do whatever we can to help ensure it proceeds safely and smoothly for all involved.”

As part of the assessment process, inspectors will knock on doors in designated neighborhoods to request permission to visually inspect water service line materials and briefly speak with customers. Customers may participate by allowing an inspection during canvassing when they are home, or by proactively scheduling an inspection appointment online by visiting calendly.com/njaw.

“Customer participation plays a critical role in helping this work move forward efficiently,” said Lindsey Olson, senior director of operations for New Jersey American Water’s Coastal Region. “When residents self‑identify their service line materials or allow a brief inspection, it helps our teams complete this work quickly while minimizing disruption for customers. These steps are necessary to meet state requirements and advance lead service line replacement efforts across the community.”

Customers also have the option to identify their water service line material themselves by completing a short survey at newjerseyamwater.com/leadsurvey. If a service line is confirmed to be lead or galvanized steel, New Jersey American Water will coordinate replacement in accordance with its statewide plan.

New Jersey American Water and CDM Smith will conduct direct customer outreach through mailed letters and postcards, customer alerts and emails, and digital and social media messaging to notify residents about upcoming service line identification and inspection opportunities. These communications explain the Lead Service Line Replacement Program, outline inspection and self‑reporting options, and emphasize that all inspections are free and performed by authorized staff.

To protect customer safety and prevent fraud, New Jersey American Water reminds residents that all assessments are conducted at no cost. CDM Smith staff will carry official company photo ID badges and wear logoed, high-visibility vests. They will never request payment, fees, or personal financial information. This outreach effort has been coordinated with Lakewood Township to support public awareness and safety.

Lakewood residents may continue to use their water as usual. Water provided by New Jersey American Water continues to meet all state and federal water quality standards, including those for lead. Additional program resources, an interactive service line inventory map, and tools to self-identify service line materials are available at newjerseyamwater.com/leadfacts.

(AP) – Safety experts recommended Wednesday that airlines develop realistic training to prepare their pilots to deal with smoke filling the cockpit like what happened on a Southwest Airlines plane after a bird strike.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the pilots who safely landed that plane back in New Orleans told investigators that the situation they encountered was far more challenging than anything they had ever experienced in training.

“If such an event occurred at night or in instrument meteorological conditions, the consequences could be catastrophic,” the NTSB determined.

The Federal Aviation Administration receives reports of smoke in the cockpit almost daily, but the NTSB said the agency still doesn’t require airlines to conduct realistic smoke-in-cockpit simulations. Instead the training usually just consists of a discussion of what to do in that situation. The FAA didn’t immediately respond Wednesday to the new recommendation.

The Southwest pilots at the controls during this incident in December 2023 said they had trouble seeing their instruments and checklists. They quickly donned oxygen masks and followed emergency procedures to land. None of the 139 people aboard were hurt.

Southwest and the Airlines for America trade group didn’t immediately respond to the new report.

Last year, the NTSB urged Boeing and engine maker CFM to quickly develop a software fix for the engines on the 737 Max to help prevent smoke from filling the cockpit or cabin after a safety feature is activated following a bird strike.

The plane and engine makers didn’t immediately provide an update Wednesday on the fix.

Astronomers have uncovered what could be more than 10,000 previously unknown planets beyond our solar system, a discovery that could dramatically expand the known number of worlds orbiting distant stars.

Researchers say the universe is already filled with such bodies—known as exoplanets—but only a little over 6,000 have been officially confirmed so far.

Using a new approach that incorporates artificial intelligence, scientists were able to identify a vast number of additional candidates. If confirmed, the finding would represent a major step forward in the ongoing effort to locate planets that may resemble Earth and possibly support life.

The discovery also comes as NASA prepares for a potential 2026 launch of its advanced Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which is expected to accelerate the search for new planets even further.

What are exoplanets?

Scientists have identified thousands of exoplanets—planets that exist outside our solar system—throughout the galaxy. Because of their distance, most cannot be observed directly, but researchers have determined that they come in many forms, ranging from small rocky planets to massive gas giants, as well as water-rich worlds and extremely hot planets.

Exoplanets are simply planets located beyond Earth’s solar system and are sometimes referred to as extrasolar planets.

While most orbit stars, much like Earth orbits the sun, some—known as rogue planets—drift freely through space without being tied to any star.

As of May 2026, NASA’s Exoplanet Science Institute reports that 6,286 exoplanets have been confirmed. In addition, nearly 8,000 more candidates are awaiting verification, and scientists believe that billions more exist throughout the universe.

In the latest breakthrough, researchers developed a method that enabled them to detect more than 10,000 additional possible planets that had previously gone unnoticed.

To do so, they relied on data from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which has already been responsible for identifying nearly 900 exoplanets. By applying a machine learning system to data collected during TESS’s first year of operation in 2018, scientists were able to identify 10,091 new objects that may be planets.

TESS detects potential planets by monitoring the brightness of stars. When a star’s light dims from the satellite’s perspective, it may indicate that a planet is passing in front of it, an event known as a transit.

Unlike earlier efforts that focused mainly on brighter stars, the research team broadened its analysis to include 83 million fainter stars previously observed by TESS. Although these newly identified objects remain candidates until further confirmation, the study—published on the research platform ArXiv and still awaiting peer review—marks a significant advancement in how astronomers search for new worlds.

Since the first exoplanet was discovered in 1995, scientists have been cataloging a wide variety of distant worlds.

However, one key goal remains unmet: identifying a planet that closely resembles Earth. Finding such a world would be a major milestone in the search for life beyond our planet.

Researchers came close to such a breakthrough in April 2025.

An exoplanet known as K2-18b drew widespread attention when scientists reported finding in its atmosphere “the strongest evidence yet” that life might exist elsewhere in the universe. However, other experts later questioned the findings, tempering excitement over the possibility that humanity had discovered definitive proof of extraterrestrial life.

Efforts to find life are not limited to distant stars but are also underway within our own solar system.

Mars remains a key focus as a potential record of ancient life, while several moons orbiting Jupiter and Saturn are also considered promising targets. NASA missions are studying these environments, including Jupiter’s moon Europa, where a spacecraft is expected to arrive in 2030 to examine its icy surface and subsurface ocean for signs of habitability.

Another candidate is Saturn’s moon Enceladus, which scientists believe may also possess conditions suitable for life.

Looking ahead, NASA plans to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope in 2026. The observatory is expected to identify thousands of additional exoplanets, primarily using a method known as gravitational microlensing, further expanding humanity’s understanding of the universe.

{Matzav.com}

Two rare ancient coins smuggled out of Israel have been returned by the United States following a joint enforcement operation, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Wednesday.

The coins were handed over at a ceremony in New York City on Monday, the result of a collaboration between the IAA’s Theft Prevention Unit, Homeland Security, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Antiquities Trafficking Unit. After being illegally excavated and smuggled to the United States, the coins were listed for auction. IAA intelligence on the pending sales prompted American authorities to open an investigation, leading to the coins’ confiscation and repatriation.

The first coin dates to the reign of Mattisyahu Antigonus, the last Chashmonean king, who ruled Jerusalem from 40 to 37 BCE. One face bears a depiction of the seven-branched menorah from the Bais Hamikdash, marking the earliest known artistic rendering of the menorah and the only Jewish coin to portray it. The reverse shows the shulchan.

Scholars believe Antigonus chose distinctly Jewish symbols to shore up popular support in his struggle against Herod, who held Roman backing. Because of its rarity and its status as the final coin of Chashmonean independence, coins of its type are classified as Items of National Importance and are prohibited from export.

The second coin is a silver tetradrachm (selah) minted in ancient Ascalon, modern-day Ashkelon, dating back more than 2,500 years to the Persian period. Only one other example is known to exist, currently held in the Israel Museum. The coin features the helmeted woman on one side and a wing-spread owl on the other, with the Phoenician letters for “Ascalon” inscribed above it.

“These extraordinary coins represent an important piece of history that is finally coming home,” said Colonel Matthew Bogdanos of the Manhattan DA’s Antiquities Trafficking Unit at the handover ceremony.

IAA officials used the occasion to highlight the broader problem of antiquities smuggling, calling it a “distressing international phenomenon” that fuels looting and damages cultural heritage worldwide. Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu called the theft of antiquities “an attempt to erase this history of ours and cut us off from our roots,” and vowed continued international cooperation to combat it.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — A Utah mother who published a children’s book about grief after the death of her husband will serve a life sentence without the possibility of parole for his murder, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Kouri Richins was convicted in March of aggravated murder for lacing her husband Eric Richins’ cocktail with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl at their home near Park City in 2022. A jury also found her guilty of four other felonies, including insurance fraud, forgery and attempted murder for trying to poison her husband weeks earlier on Valentine’s Day with a fentanyl-laced sandwich.

Prosecutors said Richins, a 35-year-old real estate agent with a house-flipping business, was millions in debt and planning a future with another man. She had opened numerous life insurance policies on her husband Eric Richins without his knowledge and falsely believed she would inherit his estate worth more than $4 million after he died.

Judge Richard Mrazik handed down the sentence on the day that Eric Richins would have turned 44.

The prosecution had urged Mrazik to impose a life sentence without the possibility of parole, saying Richins’ three sons “should never worry that they may one day encounter her.” The boys also said in a memo to the judge that they would feel unsafe if their mother was ever released from prison.

A new analysis from the Congressional Budget Office indicates that President Donald Trump’s proposed space-based missile defense system, known as the “Golden Dome for America,” could carry a price tag of about $1.2 trillion over two decades—far exceeding the $175 billion figure the president cited last year.

The report, released Tuesday by the nonpartisan CBO, stresses that its findings are based on a hypothetical framework and represent “one illustrative approach rather than an estimate of a specific Administration proposal.”

Trump ordered development of the advanced defense system through an executive order during his first week in office, stating at the time that he expected it to be “fully operational before the end of my term,” which concludes in January 2029.

“Over the past 40 years, rather than lessening, the threat from next-generation strategic weapons has become more intense and complex with the development by peer and near-peer adversaries of next-generation delivery systems,” Trump said in his executive order, explaining the rationale behind the initiative.

According to the CBO, uncertainty surrounding the scope of the project—particularly the number and type of systems to be deployed—makes it difficult to determine the full long-term cost. The report notes that the War Department has not yet provided sufficient detail, “making it impossible to estimate the long term cost” of the Golden Dome system.

The idea behind the program draws partly from Israel’s layered missile defense network, commonly referred to as the “Iron Dome,” which has been instrumental in protecting against rocket and missile attacks from Iran and allied groups during the ongoing conflict.

The envisioned U.S. system would combine both terrestrial and space-based technologies capable of identifying, tracking and intercepting missiles at multiple stages of an attack.

Lawmakers have already approved approximately $24 billion in funding for the initiative through a Republican-backed tax and spending package signed into law last summer.

Gen. Michael A. Guetlein, who oversees the Golden Dome project, addressed cost concerns during congressional testimony last month, pushing back against some of the higher estimates.

He told lawmakers that various groups estimating costs “just take the cost of a legacy system and they multiply it out and they get these really large numbers and they say, well, that must be it.

“That is not what Golden Dome is doing,” the U.S. Space Force general said. “We are laser focused on affordability.”

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., who requested the CBO review, sharply criticized the program following the report’s release, arguing that it benefits defense contractors at taxpayers’ expense.

He said the project is “nothing more than a massive giveaway to defense contractors paid for entirely by working Americans.”

When Trump first introduced the Golden Dome concept last May, he estimated its cost at $175 billion. However, even earlier projections from the CBO suggested that the space-based components alone could reach as much as $542 billion over a 20-year period.

{Matzav.com}

NEW YORK (VINnews) – A chunk of debris fell from an overpass on the Cross Bronx Expressway early Monday, striking a car and injuring one person, authorities said.

The FDNY responded to a report of a person struck by falling debris near Exit 1 around 7:50 a.m. The victim was transported to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey closed all westbound lanes leading to the lower level of the George Washington Bridge for investigation and repairs. As of Wednesday afternoon, those lanes remained closed, with significant delays on the upper level.

Traffic Updates (as of mid-afternoon Wednesday):

All westbound lanes on the Trans-Manhattan Expressway approach to the GWB lower level are closed. Motorists should use the upper level.

The 181st Street exit is closed; drivers are being redirected to the Jerome Avenue and Major Deegan Expressway exits.

Upper level westbound to New Jersey faced delays of up to 45-75 minutes due to diverted traffic and emergency maintenance.

Motorists are advised to allow extra travel time, use alternate routes or check 511NY.org or the PANYNJ app for real-time updates.

This is the second such incident in recent days. Last week, a large piece of debris fell onto the roadway near the GWB in a separate location, damaging a vehicle but causing no injuries.

The Port Authority is investigating the cause of Monday’s debris fall and has stated it will complete necessary repairs promptly. No structural damage has been reported in preliminary assessments of similar prior events.

Officials have not released the victim’s identity.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday denied a CNN report that the CIA was carrying out deadly operations in Mexican territory, accusing the U.S.-based news organization of attempting to “hurt the government and the people of Mexico.”

CNN reported Tuesday that the CIA facilitated a targeted assassination of a member of the Sinaloa cartel on a highway outside Mexico City, fueling a firestorm in Mexico. The New York Times later reported that Mexican forces carried out the attack and the CIA provided planning and support.

Sheinbaum called the CNN report a “lie.” Asked about the New York Times report during her morning press briefing, she called it “a fiction the size of the universe.”

Liz Lyons, a spokesperson for the CIA, also lambasted the CNN report, posting on X that “this is false and salacious reporting that serves as nothing more than a PR campaign for the cartels and puts American lives at risk.”

A CNN spokesperson said the CIA had been presented with details of the report prior to publication and had declined to comment. While the network did not directly address Sheinbaum’s statements, it said it stands by its reporting.

“After publication, CIA spokesperson Liz Lyons released a statement to CNN saying, ‘This is false and salacious reporting that serves as nothing more than a PR campaign for the cartels and puts American lives at risk,’ without specifying what aspect of the reporting is false,” the CNN spokesperson said.

The New York Times did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

While Sheinbaum’s mentor and predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, regularly attacked journalists in his morning news briefings, going as far as to dox critical reporters, Sheinbaum has taken a more measured tone in the face of criticism.

But the president has been plagued by scandals involving the United States in recent weeks as she comes under pressure to maintain a strong relationship with Washington in the face of renegotiating a free-trade agreement and threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to take action on cartels.

Sheinbaum has underscored Mexico’s sovereignty, a narrative that increasingly has been questioned.

Last month, two CIA agents were killed in a car crash along with local Mexican investigators on their return from an anti-narcotics operation in the northern state of Chihuahua. Sheinbaum said she had no knowledge of the operation, and Mexican and U.S. authorities contradicted themselves for days.

A week later, a New York court charged Sinaloa’s governor — a high-ranking member of Sheinbaum’s party and ally of López Obrador — with drug trafficking and weapons offenses, accused of aiding in the massive importation of illicit narcotics into the U.S.

Kevin Warsh was confirmed Wednesday as the next chairman of the Federal Reserve, stepping into the role at a moment when rising inflation is placing the central bank in a difficult position.

The Senate approved President Donald Trump’s nominee by a 54-45 vote, with Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania standing as the only Democrat to support him. Just one day earlier, Warsh had secured confirmation to a 14-year term on the Fed’s Board of Governors in a tight 51-45 vote.

Warsh is set to take over from outgoing Chair Jerome Powell by the end of the week, inheriting an economic landscape where inflation is climbing even as Trump continues to advocate for lower interest rates.

Powell’s term as chair ends Friday, but he is expected to remain on the board as a governor—an uncommon arrangement that could lead to friction within the institution as Warsh begins to steer monetary policy at a time when inflation pressures are expected to increase amid the Iran war.

“The Fed has a predicament,” Derek Reisfield, co-founder and original chairman of MarketWatch, told The Post.

“While there is a lot of pressure to lower rates, typically in a rising inflation environment, the Fed would be hesitant to lower rates. That might fuel inflation more.”

New government data released this week showed consumer prices rising 3.8% in April compared to a year earlier, marking the highest annual increase since mid-2023 and a notable jump from March’s 3.3% rate.

Core inflation, which strips out volatile items, rose 2.8% year over year, while the Fed’s preferred core PCE measure remains above 3%.

Skanda Amarnath, executive director of Employ America and a former Fed economist, said inflation has been stronger than expected for months, even excluding swings in gasoline prices, and warned that conditions may worsen.

“Even the more flattering inflation measures Warsh pointed to at his confirmation hearing are now turning the other way,” Amarnath told The Post.

Warsh has long argued that the Fed damaged its credibility by maintaining loose monetary policy following the pandemic.

During his confirmation hearing last month, he criticized the central bank’s 2020 framework, saying it contributed to “the inflation surge … we’re still living with.”

He also faulted Fed officials for signaling their rate decisions too clearly in advance.

“We need central bankers who are humble, who are nimble, who are open-minded, who can react,” Warsh told lawmakers.

At the same time, Warsh has suggested that advances in artificial intelligence could eventually boost productivity enough to ease inflationary pressures and allow interest rates to decline over time.

Powell is remaining on the board in part due to ongoing questions surrounding the Fed’s costly headquarters renovation project.

The issue prompted a Justice Department investigation into whether Powell misled Congress about rising costs. Although prosecutors dropped the criminal case, Powell has said he intends to stay until the matter is “well and truly over” and to ensure the Fed’s independence is safeguarded from political interference.

Justice Department officials have indicated they could revisit the case if the Fed’s Office of Inspector General uncovers evidence of wrongdoing.

Reisfield said one of the main contributors to the recent inflation spike has been disruptions tied to the Strait of Hormuz, where instability has pushed up energy prices and disrupted supply chains for key materials from the Persian Gulf.

“These are all basic supply inputs to a ton of things, like fertilizer, computer chips, etc.,” Reisfield said. “So everything that relies on those inputs, which is pretty much everything in our economy, is going to cost more.”

A central question for the Fed, Reisfield said, is whether policymakers believe the current inflation spike will be short-lived.

“If the Iran war is over soon, those prices will drop,” he said. “One question will be how quickly.”

Amarnath noted that markets may still be underestimating the likelihood that the Fed could raise rates again if inflation remains elevated.

“The debate now is why or why not hike — not why or why not cut,” he said.

Such a move would put the central bank on a collision course with Trump, who has repeatedly criticized Powell for not lowering rates more aggressively.

An Israeli woman was killed and four Israelis were injured in a crash in Panama Wednesday.

The woman, whose name has not been released, was traveling in a minivan with the other tourists when it crashed into a parked bus on a highway at the outskirts of La Chorrera at 5:30 a.m., according to local reports and Hebrew media.

The injured Israelis were transferred to a local hospital for treatment, where two were listed in serious condition and two in moderate condition.

Immediately upon hearing the news report, the international division of Israel’s ZAKA search and rescue organization contacted ZAKA Panama, which dispatched its team to the crash site and the hospital, according to Hebrew media.

ZAKA Panama is working with Israel’s Foreign Ministry to ship the woman’s remains home for burial in Israel.

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By BoroPark24 Staff

A 44-year-old man was struck and killed by a northbound F train at the Avenue P station (near McDonald Avenue), according to authorities.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials told BoroPark24 the man had not yet been identified pending family notification.

Police said the investigation remains ongoing, though no suspicious activity is suspected at this stage.

F train service in both directions was temporarily suspended following the incident.

Photos: Dovid Jaroslawicz

Two New Jersey Republican legislators are urging their fellow legislators to temporarily suspend the state’s gas tax as fuel prices continue climbing.

Assembly members Vicky Flynn and Gerry Scharfenberger are asking the Legislature and Governor Mikie Sherrill to enact a gas tax holiday until fuel prices stabilize and return to what they described as pre-spring levels.

“While Gerry and I continue to advocate for a permanent reduction of the gas tax and more transparency and oversight of how that money is spent, drivers need relief now,” Flynn said in a statement. “Let’s give our residents even a temporary fix to the state’s perennial affordability crisis. Any little bit helps.”

According to the lawmakers, gas prices in New Jersey have risen 54% since late February, climbing from an average of $2.91 per gallon to $4.52 today. They said the average driver is now spending roughly $60 more per month on fuel, with some analysts predicting prices could exceed $5 per gallon by Memorial Day weekend.

The renewed push comes as New Jersey’s gas tax just experienced another increase. As of January 1, the state’s gasoline tax increased by 4.2 cents per gallon, bringing the total state tax on gasoline to 49.1 cents per gallon. That includes 38.6 cents from the petroleum products gross receipts tax and 10.5 cents from the motor fuels tax.

The tax revenue, projected to total about $2.1 billion in fiscal year 2026, is constitutionally dedicated to the state’s Transportation Trust Fund, which finances road, bridge and transit projects, including operations at the New Jersey Department of Transportation and NJ Transit.

New Jersey consistently ranks among the states with the highest gas taxes in the nation.

The proposal mirrors efforts in several Republican-led states, including Georgia, Indiana and Utah, which have temporarily reduced or suspended fuel taxes in response to rising gas prices.

At the federal level, U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew has introduced legislation that would suspend the federal 18.3-cent gasoline tax for 18 months, aligning with calls by President Donald Trump for a temporary federal gas tax moratorium.

Sherrill, however, has expressed skepticism about suspending New Jersey’s gas tax, arguing the state relies heavily on the revenue to fund transportation infrastructure projects. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the governor indicated the administration is focused more broadly on affordability measures and holding the federal government accountable for rising energy costs rather than freezing the state gas tax.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled his $124.7 billion budget proposal Tuesday, presenting it as a solution to a multibillion-dollar shortfall, but critics say the plan leans heavily on temporary fixes and a range of quiet fee increases.

While the mayor highlighted closing the gap and described the budget as a turning point, watchdog groups quickly challenged that claim, pointing to what they say are questionable savings and new ways the city intends to bring in $1.7 billion over the next two years.

Opponents dismissed the approach as relying on accounting maneuvers, even after Mamdani backed away from a proposed 9.5% property tax increase that had drawn widespread opposition.

“Banking on yet to be determined revenue-raising gimmicks and identifying fake savings are not wins,” a Democratic operative said.

Mamdani, who ran on lowering costs for residents, said his administration spent months identifying efficiencies through newly appointed “Chief Savings Officers,” though some of the projected gains involve higher charges on residents and businesses.

Among the proposals, City Hall intends to increase ambulance transport fees to bring in nearly $25 million annually and begin charging for EMS responses even when patients are not transported, which is expected to generate an additional $10 million, according to budget documents.

Other projected revenue sources include stepping up enforcement of bus lane violations, increasing oversight of the trade waste sector and wholesale markets, and raising fees related to tree replacement, according to city records.

The plan also calls for stricter enforcement of the STAR property tax credit and increased audits tied to abatement compliance, with an expectation of collecting roughly $24 million more each year.

One insider expressed skepticism about the overall impact of the measures.

“There’s not enough savings at all.”

“The only good thing is he gave on property tax and the rainy day fund,” the politico said. “Otherwise, the budget is not where it needs to be at all.”

Several departments are also implementing relatively small cuts, including the Department of Veterans’ Services, which is set to reduce certain events to save $60,000, and the Sanitation Department, which plans to eliminate a battery disposal program to save $353,000.

Some of the projected savings come from revised revenue estimates, including higher expected income from handgun permits, Landmark Preservation Commission applications and Taxi and Limousine Commission license renewals.

A large portion of the projected savings is tied to the Department of Education, with officials relying heavily on broadly defined cost-containment efforts.

The budget anticipates $149.5 million in savings this fiscal year through “improved financial controls,” with a projected $922 million in savings next year tied to similar measures, including $30.3 million from procurement “reform.”

Speaking at a press conference Tuesday, Mamdani said his administration worked to identify every possible efficiency.

“It is evidence of a new era of government in our city, one that can balance both ambition and fiscal responsibility, one that can invest in housing, child care, libraries, parks, schools and climate resiliency, while also cutting waste and finding efficiencies,” he said.

“One that does not accept austerity as the only answer to adversity, one that refuses to kick structural challenges down the road for someone else to have to solve.”

During his remarks, Mamdani outlined $94 million in savings from renegotiating or canceling contracts and another $28 million from updating city technology and software licenses.

He also pointed to $368 million in savings from improving service efficiency and reducing overtime and outdated programs, along with $947 million from what he described as better financial management and more accurate revenue and expense projections.

Additional savings are expected through consolidating city operations, reducing unused space, combining leases and leaving some positions unfilled.

City officials also said the budget gap would be narrowed by restructuring pension payments, saving $2.3 billion over two years, and introducing a tax on high-end second homes expected to generate $500 million, though that estimate has faced scrutiny.

The administration further projected hundreds of millions in savings by slowing the growth of spending on special education reimbursements and housing vouchers, though it offered few concrete details on how those reductions would be achieved.

Mamdani’s proposed Office of Community Safety is allocated $270 million, significantly less than the $1.1 billion he had pledged during his campaign for a new department focused on responding to mental health crises.

City Comptroller Mark Levine cautioned that the budget still depends heavily on short-term measures.

“relies on $2.8 billion in one-time measures and $2.3 billion in short-term pension savings, without solving for the fact that City government continues to spend more than we take in, even in a year of record revenues.”

Andrew Rein, president of the Citizens Budget Commission, acknowledged some progress but said deeper changes are needed.

“Holistic transformation is the best path for the excellence in government the Mayor rightly promotes and New Yorkers need,” he said in a statement.

“Unfortunately, we get the types of maneuvers we’ve seen in the past.”

The proposal now heads to the City Council, where negotiations will take place ahead of the July 1 start of the new fiscal year.

NEW YORK (AP) — About 70,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year — about 14% fewer than the previous year, according to preliminary government data.

It was the third straight annual drop, making it the longest decline in decades, according to federal data released Wednesday. The 2025 total is about the same as the tally in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Declines were seen across a number of drug types, including fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine. Overdose deaths fell in the vast majority of states, although seven saw at least slight increases, including jumps of 10% or more in Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico, the preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed.

“I’m cautiously optimistic that this represents really a fundamental change in the arc of the overdose crisis,” said Brandon Marshall, a Brown University researcher who studies overdose trends.

But the number of Americans dying from overdoses is still high, and deaths declined at a slower pace last year. A number of things could cause deaths to rise again — including government policy changes or a shift in the drug supply, Marshall and other researchers say.

“If deaths are going down rapidly, that means they can increase just as rapidly if we take our foot off the gas,” Marshall said.

Overdoses rose during the height of the pandemic
U.S. overdose deaths were generally rising for decades, but they shot up dramatically during the pandemic, peaking at nearly 110,000 in 2022. The pandemic spike was associated with social isolation and difficulties accessing addiction treatment.

Deaths declined as the pandemic waned. Researchers have pointed to numerous possible factors: an increase in the availability of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone, expanded addiction treatment, shifts in how people use drugs, and the growing impact of billions of dollars in opioid lawsuit settlement money.

Some research also suggests the number of people likely to overdose has been shrinking, as fewer teens take up drugs and many illicit drug users have died. Another theory suggests regulatory changes in China a few years ago appear to have diminished the availability of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl.

The nation’s decades-long overdose epidemic has played out at different paces in different parts of the country, due at least in part to differences in the illicit drug supply and what people are using. The death increases last year in Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico could stem from more combined use of fentanyl and methamphetamine recently in those places, Marshall guessed.

New substances are showing up in the US drug supply
Health and law enforcement officials in recent months have been sounding alarms about newer drugs that were increasingly detected in 2025.

Alex Krotulski is director of the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education, a federally funded toxicology lab in Horsham, Pennsylvania, that is an important part of a national illicit drug early warning system.

In all of last year, the lab identified 27 new drugs. Less than five months into 2026, the lab already has identified 23, he said.

Among the drugs on the lab’s radar is cychlorphine, a potent synthetic opioid described as up to 10 times stronger than fentanyl. Experts say it is being used as a cutting agent, added to other illicit drugs, without the buyer’s knowledge.

“The drug supply continues to change and evolve,” Krotulski said.

Trump administration cuts some programs
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has been cutting programs designed to reduce overdose deaths and infections tied to drug use. In a letter last month, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration notified federal grant recipients that the government would no longer pay for test strips and kits that help drug users see if their drugs contain highly-lethal additives.

Officials say they are shifting away from services that facilitate illicit drug use, including clean syringes and hotlines that people can dial into while they use drugs.

Last week, a group of women who lost children to overdoses spoke with reporters to protest government policies that emphasize punishment and incarceration.

Kimberly Douglas founded one group, Black Moms Against Overdose, after her 17-year-old son died.

“We are starting to see overdoses go down in some places and that’s because of harm reduction” services like those being targeted by the Trump administration, she said.

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It wasn’t only Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Bet chief David Zini who secretly visited the UAE: an Israeli security delegation led by Defense Ministry Director-General Amir Baram visited the Emirates during preparations for the war against Iran, Kan News reported early Wednesday evening.

In the days leading up to the start of the war against Iran, as Israel and the United States prepared for Operation Roaring Lion, a senior Israeli defense delegation headed by Baram arrived in Abu Dhabi for meetings with top Emirati defense officials.

The senior Defense Ministry officials and professional staff met with their Emirati counterparts and other senior figures in the Gulf state as part of preparations for the joint Israeli-American operation against Iran.

Earlier Wednesday, reports revealed that Barnea visited the UAE at least twice during the war with Iran — in March and April — to coordinate military operations.

Later reports also revealed that Zini conducted a landmark visit to the UAE in recent weeks, amid the ceasefire and ongoing tensions with Iran — another sign of the deepening security ties between the two countries.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Shots rang out in the Philippine Senate Wednesday as chaos unfolded after a man wanted by the International Criminal Court staked out an office in the Senate as his hiding place and called on his supporters to block his arrest.

The ICC had unsealed a warrant Monday for the arrest of Senator Ronald dela Rosa, a former police chief in his sixties who formed the bulwark of the enforcement of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody crackdown on illegal drugs. Both men are accused of crimes against humanity, and Duterte is already awaiting trial at the ICC for that charge. Dela Rosa has denied any involvement in illegal killings during Duterte’s administration.

No casualties have been reported, and President ‌Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged calm while assuring the public that the government was not involved and would get to the bottom of this.

“We will get to the bottom of this,” he said in a recorded video message. “Was this encounter part of destabilization? We will need to know.”

Hours earlier, dela Rosa took to Facebook to appeal for help.

“I am appealing to you, I hope you can help me. Do not allow another Filipino to be brought to The Hague,” he said in a video on Facebook from his Senate office hideout, where he was placed under legislative protection.

Shortly thereafter, more than a dozen shots rang out in the Senate, causing legislators to scramble for cover. The senate secretary accused the justice ministry of sending its agents to infiltrate the Senate, who then fired shots as they retreated, but the ministry denied sending any agents to the Senate.

The Senate was already under heavy guard protection as protesters arrived to call for dela Rosa’s arrest. Dela Rosa appealed to Marcos not to hand him over to the ICC after returning to the Senate Monday for the first time following his disappearance from public view in November. Marcos filed a petition with the Supreme Court requesting it block dela Rosa’s transfer to The Hague. The court gave all parties 72 hours to respond.

photos: Achim Lanchevsky

The U.S. Army is confronting a budget deficit estimated between $4 billion and $6 billion, driven largely by the costs of the Iran war and expanded efforts to secure the southern border.

Internal records reviewed by ABC News indicate that Army leadership is moving quickly to cut expenses, reducing training programs and scaling back operations as it tries to manage the growing financial burden tied to President Donald Trump’s broadened security missions both domestically and overseas.

These cost-cutting measures have already led to sudden cancellations of specialized military courses, a reduction in flight hours for pilots, and tighter oversight of spending across various Army units, even though several months remain before the fiscal year concludes on September 30.

A significant contributor to the funding gap is the Army’s increased operational presence, including deployments connected to the conflict with Iran as well as ongoing border security assignments.

The service has also had to cover expenses resulting from funding shortfalls at the Department of Homeland Security during a recent 76-day shutdown.

Even as the Army works to manage these financial pressures, the Trump administration has put forward a proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal year 2027, aimed at restoring and strengthening U.S. military power following what War Secretary Pete Hegseth described as years of insufficient funding by prior administrations.

“We are delivering on President Trump’s commitment to expand American military dominance for decades to come,” Hegseth said while announcing the budget proposal.

The proposal allocates substantial funding for missile defense systems, drone capabilities, naval construction, cyber operations, and border security. It also includes $2.3 billion specifically designated to maintain heightened enforcement at the southern border.

Despite these long-term plans, Army officials are raising concerns about immediate readiness challenges.

Forecasts suggest that III Armored Corps, which accounts for nearly half of the Army’s combat strength, could experience declines in aviation readiness and overall combat effectiveness as budget reductions take hold.

In response to financial constraints, the Army has reportedly cut some pilots’ flight hours down to the minimum required levels, sparking concern given ongoing scrutiny over aviation safety and incidents linked to fatigue.

Among the programs affected by the cuts are a planned Army Sapper Course and an artillery training program at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, both of which were canceled as commanders tightened their budgets.

On Capitol Hill, lawmakers expressed worry Tuesday that proposed reductions in aviation funding under the Army Transformation Initiative could harm the defense industry and weaken overall military preparedness.

During congressional testimony, Hegseth acknowledged that certain aviation cuts may need to be reconsidered.

“We need to make sure we’ve got something there before you divest,” Hegseth told lawmakers, referring to aircraft such as the Apache, Black Hawk, and Chinook helicopters still heavily relied upon by U.S. forces, Breaking Defense reported.

Army officials maintain that, despite financial challenges, the service remains focused on preserving combat readiness while continuing to meet the expanding demands of Trump’s national security agenda.

{Matzav.com}

CNN’s chief data analyst warned that Democrats may be squandering a political opening, even as President Trump’s approval ratings sink to historic lows.

Harry Enten, appearing on CNN News Central, was asked by anchor John Berman whether Democrats were capitalizing on widespread public frustration over rising costs. A CNN poll showed 77% of Americans blame Trump for higher costs of living. Enten’s answer was a cold dose of realism for the party.

“I think this poll serves as a big time reality check for Democrats, and that is it ain’t over yet, especially with the redistricting when we look ahead to the 2026 race for Congress,” Enten said. “You would have thought that the Democrats’ lead would expand on the generic congressional ballot. It didn’t happen.”

Aggregate polling shows Democrats’ advantage on the generic congressional ballot has actually narrowed, dropping from plus-six points in March of last year to plus-three points now. Enten argued the numbers should be far stronger given the political environment, particularly following Trump’s decision to strike Iran.

“It is within the margin of error. So, despite all of the talk about Donald Trump’s unpopularity, the fact is, Republicans very much remain in the game when it comes to the congressional midterms,” Enten said.

When Berman pressed him on why Democrats aren’t gaining more ground, Enten pointed to the party’s own dismal approval numbers. Trump sits 36 points underwater on average in approval ratings, but Democrats are matching that unpopularity in their own survey numbers.

“Just because Donald Trump is unpopular doesn’t make Democrats popular. And when you match Democrats against Republicans, all of a sudden it is a dead heat,” Enten said. On the economy specifically, he noted that registered voters trust both parties equally. “Which party is trusted more on the economy? It’s a tie among registered voters.”

The takeaway, Enten argued, is that a toxic incumbent does not automatically translate into a winning opposition. With redistricting complicating the 2026 map and Democratic approval ratings failing to climb, Republicans have more reason for optimism than the national mood might suggest.

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(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

(AP) – Does the high price of gas have you considering a hybrid for your next vehicle? We don’t blame you, especially if you drive a lot. Fortunately, there are lots of hybrids to choose from, and many don’t cost much more than their non-hybrid counterparts. But to recoup the extra cost of a hybrid the quickest and start saving money, we don’t recommend purchasing just any hybrid. The car experts at Edmunds outline four tips that will give you the tools you need to find a hybrid that will maximize your savings.

Aim for hybrids with the shortest payback periods
New hybrids typically cost more than similar gas-only vehicles, so aim for a hybrid that doesn’t cost much more than its non-hybrid sibling. With this strategy, you will offset the price difference more quickly with the fuel savings a hybrid provides. For example, the SE hybrid version of the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe, which is one of Hyundai’s three-row SUVs, costs just $1,350 more than the regular Santa Fe. According to the EPA, the hybrid version can save you $850 a year in fuel costs compared to the regular Santa Fe if you drive 15,000 miles a year. So, depending on how much you drive, the fuel savings could cover the extra cost in less than two years.

The Ford Maverick, which is Ford’s compact pickup, and the Lexus NX small luxury SUV are two other models that will pay you back quicker than most if you get the hybrid version. In contrast, some hybrids may take several years to recoup their extra cost. For example, a hybrid version of the Honda Civic costs $2,700 more than a comparable non-hybrid Civic, and the EPA estimates that you’ll save just $450 a year by getting the hybrid.

To find out how long it will take to recover the extra cost of the hybrid you want, visit the EPA’s mpg comparison tool. But if the hybrid you want isn’t there, you can find out for yourself by comparing the price difference between the hybrid you want and the non-hybrid version of it. Then, compare the estimated annual fuel cost of each by entering the vehicles in the EPA’s fuel economy website.

Find models that are mpg standouts
If you aren’t worried about price differences and just want to start saving money on gas, focus on getting a vehicle with high fuel economy estimates. The 2026 Toyota RAV4 is a great choice for a small SUV because it comes exclusively as a hybrid and gets up to an EPA-estimated 43 mpg combined.

Want something smaller than a RAV4? The Kia Niro delivers up to 53 mpg. And what if you want the most efficient hybrid for 2026? The answer is something you’ve probably heard of: the Toyota Prius. A 2026 Prius can get up to an EPA-estimated 57 mpg combined.

Go used or certified pre-owned for a better deal
If you’re OK with a used hybrid, then you can potentially avoid the hybrid price premium entirely. A hybrid model that has more miles or is a year or two older can cost the same or less than a comparable non-hybrid. To help offset the higher mileage or age, aim for a certified pre-owned hybrid because it typically includes an additional warranty.

In some cases, you might be able to find a hybrid that’s priced the same as a non-hybrid regardless of age or mileage if it’s been on the dealership lot for an extended time. Dealerships tend to discount vehicles that aren’t selling quickly to move inventory.

New three-row hybrid SUVs can save you more
Hybrid-powered three-row SUVs are a great choice if you’ve got a large family and want to save on gas. There are also more hybrid models on the market than ever before. The all-new 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid SEL, for example, can save you up to $1,100 a year versus the non-hybrid version, assuming you drive 15,000 miles a year. With savings like that, you recoup the extra cost in about two years. The Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid is another roomy three-row SUV that could pay for itself in about two years.

Edmunds says
Saving money is just one of the advantages of owning a hybrid. Many hybrids are also more powerful than non-hybrids and deliver a smoother driving experience. They also produce lower emissions and have less brake wear because of their regenerative braking system.

More than 5,000 mispallelim entered Kever Yosef in Shechem overnight in organized bus convoys, where a massive minyan for Shacharis took place early in the morning.

During the visit, Bezalel Smotrich called for a permanent Jewish presence to return to the site.

Meanwhile, Tzvi Succot held a chalaka for his son at Kever Yosef. Succot is the grandson of HaRav Hillel Lieberman Hy”d, who was murdered while making his way to Kever Yosef following the site’s abandonment during the early years of the Second Intifada.

Yossi Dagan said, “The path to victory in the war is a full return to the tziyun of Yosef Hatzaddik,” and thanked Defense Minister Israel Katz for approving daytime tefillos at Kever Yosef.

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(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Signs are mounting that the United States may be heading back to war with Iran, with the Pentagon quietly preparing to rename its military operation there as ceasefire negotiations appear on the verge of collapse.

According to a report Tuesday by NBC News, the Defense Department is considering rebranding the conflict from “Operation Epic Fury” to “Operation Sledgehammer,” though other names remain under consideration. Two U.S. officials told NBC News they anticipate the ceasefire collapsing, with the Pentagon’s rebranding effort reflecting that expectation.

The timing carries major legal implications. Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, the president must notify Congress within 48 hours of initiating combat operations, triggering a 60-day clock to either withdraw forces or obtain congressional authorization. Operation Epic Fury was paused at the 40-day mark when Trump declared it concluded and both sides entered ceasefire talks. A new operation name could allow Trump to argue that the clock resets entirely, bypassing the need for congressional authorization under the existing timeline.

The legal maneuvering comes as Trump has grown increasingly combative in his public statements about the status of the ceasefire. He blasted Iran’s proposals as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!” on Truth Social and told reporters the ceasefire was on “massive life support” after rejecting what he called a “garbage” deal from Tehran.

The picture is further complicated by conflicting signals from within the administration itself. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week that Operation Epic Fury was “over” and “concluded.” Yet NBC News found that the Pentagon has continued describing the conflict under that name in public updates, and one Pentagon official told the outlet that Epic Fury is ongoing and that the ceasefire has merely paused major combat operations.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned the murder convictions and life sentence of disgraced lawyer Alex Murdaugh in the shooting deaths of his wife and younger son.

In a unanimous ruling, the justices said the conduct by the court clerk “egregiously attacked Murdaugh’s credibility” by suggesting to jurors his testimony could not be trusted. They also said the trial judge went too far in allowing evidence of Murdaugh’s financial crimes into his murder trial

But Murdaugh won’t be getting out of prison. The 57-year-old pleaded guilty to stealing around $12 million from his clients and currently is serving a 40-year federal sentence.

Still, the state Supreme Court ruling is a win for Murdaugh, who admits to being a thief, liar, insurance cheat and bad lawyer, but has adamantly denied killing his wife Maggie and younger son Paul since he found their bodies outside their home in 2021.

The justices ruled Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill, assigned to oversee the evidence and the jury during the trial, influenced jurors to find Murdaugh guilty. She hoped to improve sales of a book she was writing about the case. She has since pleaded guilty to lying about what she said and did to a different judge.

Murdaugh’s lawyers also argued before the high court that the judge at his 2023 trial made rulings that prevented a fair trial, such as allowing in evidence of Murdaugh stealing from clients that had nothing to do with the killings but biased jurors against him.

They detailed the lack of physical evidence — no DNA or blood was found splattered on Murdaugh or any of his clothes, even though the killings were at close range with powerful weapons that were never found.

Prosecutors argued that the clerk’s comments were fleeting and the evidence against Murdaugh was overwhelming. His lawyer said that didn’t matter because the comments a juror said she made — urging jurors to watch Murdaugh’s body language and listen to his testimony carefully — removed his presumption of innocence before the jury ever deliberated.

Murdaugh’s legal drama continues to captivate. There have been streaming miniseries, best selling books and dozens of true crime podcasts about how the multimillionaire Southern lawyer whose family dominated and controlled the legal system in tiny Hampton County ended up in a maximum security South Carolina prison.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Tuesday a major expansion of the city’s antisemitism prevention funding, proposing to increase the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes budget from roughly $3 million to $26 million annually beginning in 2027. City Hall said the proposal would form part of New York’s first comprehensive strategy to combat antisemitism, expected later this year.

Most of the new funding would go toward expanding existing anti-hate programs and grants for community organizations, including the city’s Partners Against Hate FORWARD initiative run alongside the NYC Commission on Human Rights. Officials said the final allocation details are still being finalized, but described the plan as a large-scale investment in prevention rather than only law enforcement response after incidents occur.

The announcement comes as antisemitism remains the largest category of reported hate crimes in New York City. According to NYPD data, antisemitic incidents accounted for 57% of all hate crimes reported in 2025. The Anti-Defamation League also said New York recorded the third-highest total of antisemitic incidents in its history last year despite an overall decline from 2024.

“Too often, the only response offered to a hate crime is exactly that, it’s a response,” Mamdani said while presenting the proposal. “Today we want to also do the work of preventing those hate crimes.”

The funding announcement followed renewed tensions surrounding anti-Israel demonstrations near Jewish institutions across the city, including clashes Monday night outside an event at a Shul in Brooklyn’s Midwood neighborhood. Mamdani condemned “antisemitic, anti-Muslim and racist rhetoric” following the incident while also defending the constitutional right to protest.

The ADL said Jews in New York “were targeted in more hate crimes than all other groups combined” last year and welcomed the mayor’s proposed “866% increase” in hate-crime prevention funding. The New York City Council recently also passed legislation requiring enhanced synagogue security planning and clearer NYPD response procedures around demonstrations near houses of worship.

[Video below.] President Donald Trump landed in Beijing on Wednesday for a major summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with the war in Iran, trade tensions and American arms sales to Taiwan expected to be at the center of the talks.

The main portion of the visit is scheduled for Thursday, when Trump and Xi are set to hold bilateral discussions, tour the Temple of Heaven, where Chinese emperors once prayed for strong harvests, and attend a formal state banquet.

China welcomed Trump with an elaborate arrival ceremony, including a red carpet rolled out after Air Force One touched down in the Chinese capital.

Greeting the president were Chinese Vice President Han Zheng; Xie Feng, China’s ambassador to Washington; Ma Zhaoxu, executive vice minister of foreign affairs; and David Perdue, the U.S. ambassador to Beijing.

The ceremony featured a military honor guard, a military band and about 300 Chinese young people waving Chinese and American flags while chanting, “Welcome, welcome! Warm welcome!” as Trump walked toward his waiting limousine.

The youth greeters wore white and robin’s egg blue outfits that matched the colors of the presidential aircraft.

“We’re the two superpowers,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House on Tuesday for the long flight to Beijing. “We’re the strongest nation on Earth in terms of military. China’s considered second.”

Trump has sought to project strength, but the trip comes at a sensitive point in his presidency, with his domestic standing hurt by the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and inflation that has climbed as a result of the conflict.

The Republican president is looking for a diplomatic and economic success, with hopes of securing Chinese agreements to purchase more American soybeans, beef and aircraft. He said trade would be discussed “more than anything else.”

The Trump administration is also seeking to begin the creation of a Board of Trade with China, aimed at managing disputes between the two countries. Such a body could help keep last year’s trade war from reigniting after Trump’s tariff increases and China’s response through its control of rare earth minerals. The standoff resulted in a one-year truce last October.

Still, Trump’s visit comes as Iran remains a major issue in Washington. The war has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, leaving oil and natural gas tankers stranded and pushing energy prices to levels that threaten to damage global economic growth.

Trump said Xi does not need to help bring the conflict to an end, even though Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was in Beijing last week.

“We have a lot of things to discuss. I wouldn’t say Iran is one of them, to be honest with you, because we have Iran very much under control,” Trump told reporters Tuesday.

Taiwan is also expected to be a central point of discussion, as Beijing has objected to U.S. plans to sell weapons to the self-governing island, which China claims as part of its territory.

Trump said Monday that he planned to discuss with Xi an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan that his administration approved in December but has not yet begun delivering. It is the largest weapons package ever authorized for Taiwan.

At the same time, Trump has shown more uncertainty about Taiwan than some previous U.S. leaders, raising questions about whether he may be willing to reduce American support for the island democracy.

Taiwan’s importance has also grown because it is the world’s leading chipmaker and central to artificial intelligence development. The United States has imported more goods from Taiwan than from China so far this year, while Trump has used Biden-era programs and his own agreements to push for more semiconductor manufacturing in America.

Ahead of Trump’s arrival, the Chinese Communist Party’s People’s Daily published a sharply worded editorial declaring that Taiwan is “the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-U.S. relations” and “the biggest point of risk” between the two countries.

Trump was already presenting the trip as a success before leaving the White House. He spoke about Xi’s expected return visit to the United States later this year and complained that the White House ballroom now under construction would not be finished in time to properly host the Chinese leader.

“We’re going to have a great relationship for many, many decades to come,” Trump said of the U.S. and China.

Trump traveled to Beijing aboard Air Force One with a group that included senior aides, family members and leading business figures, among them Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk. During the flight, Trump posted on social media that his “first request” to Xi would be for China to expand opportunities for American companies operating there.

“I will be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to ‘open up’ China so that these brilliant people can work their magic, and help bring the People’s Republic to an even higher level!” Trump wrote.

Despite Trump’s public confidence, China is approaching the summit from “a much stronger place,” said Scott Kennedy, a senior adviser on Chinese business and economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

Beijing’s goals include easing technology restrictions on access to computer chips and finding ways to lower tariffs.

“But even if they don’t get much on any of those things, as long as there’s not a blow-up in the meeting and President Trump doesn’t go away and look to re-escalate, China basically comes out stronger,” Kennedy said.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met Wednesday at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, to discuss economic and trade matters, according to China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency.

Trump is also expected to bring up the possibility of a nuclear arms agreement among the United States, China and Russia that would limit each country’s arsenal, according to a senior Trump administration official who briefed reporters before the trip. The official spoke on condition of anonymity under rules set by the White House.

China has previously shown little interest in joining such an agreement. Pentagon estimates say Beijing has more than 600 operational nuclear warheads, far fewer than the United States and Russia, which are each believed to have more than 5,000 nuclear warheads.

The last nuclear arms agreement between the United States and Russia, the New START treaty, expired in February, ending limits on the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals for the first time in more than 50 years.

As the treaty neared its expiration, Trump turned down Russia’s call to extend the bilateral agreement for another year and instead called for “a new, improved, and modernized” agreement that includes China.

The Pentagon estimates that China will have more than 1,000 operational nuclear warheads by 2030.

{Matzav.com}

Yisroel R.

As summer approaches and more New Yorkers prepare for vacations, road trips, and family travel, firearm owners are being reminded to review concealed carry and transport laws before traveling with a legal handgun.

In recent months, more and more heimishe yidden have applied for concealed carry permits amid continued security concerns and rising antisemitism. However, firearm attorneys and state guidance continue warning that many permit holders may not fully understand certain concealed carry and transport laws once they begin traveling outside their local area.

New York law prohibits concealed firearms in many sensitive locations, including schools, public transportation, government buildings, parks, libraries, and other restricted areas. Permit holders are being reminded to carefully review where concealed carry is legally permitted before traveling.

Another major area of confusion involves New York City. Firearm owners are being reminded that a New York State concealed carry permit does not automatically allow someone to carry a handgun in New York City unless they have the proper city authorization and licensing approval.

Crossing state lines create harsh legal complications as well. Firearm attorneys continue warning that every state has its own firearm laws and permit requirements, meaning a New York concealed carry permit does not automatically apply in neighboring states such as New Jersey.

Certain states, including New Jersey, have limited exceptions for people passing through the state with a firearm without a New Jersey permit, but strict transport rules still apply. The firearm must remain unloaded and locked away separately from ammunition inside a secure case or trunk while traveling. Every state has different laws, so people are urged to review each state before entering. Gun owners are also urged to understand local disclosure requirements and what they must tell police during a traffic stop depending on the laws of the state they are entering.

Firearm owners are also being reminded that New York law prohibits magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds, even though larger magazines may be legal in other states. State guidance also requires firearms left unattended inside vehicles to be unloaded and secured inside a locked container hidden from view.

The broader message from firearm instructors and attorneys remains simple: concealed carry laws can vary significantly between New York State and neighboring states, and permit holders should carefully review local laws before traveling this summer to avoid serious criminal charges or misunderstandings during a traffic stop.

Senior Shin Bet officials recently expressed serious concerns ahead of Israel’s upcoming election campaign over fears of potential fraud and attempts by internal actors to manipulate the results, Army Radio reported on Wednesday morning.

The issue has reportedly been designated a major “flagship project” within the agency, with extensive resources being allocated to address it.

Senior figures within the organization privately described the risk as “a genuine concern” and emphasized that the Shin Bet is treating the issue with exceptional seriousness, dedicating extensive resources to the enforcement, prevention, and disruption of any attempts to undermine the democratic process.

The Shin Bet declined to comment on the report.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Last year, TLS exclusively reported about CHEMED’s plans to open a medical village in Lakewood. Today, CHEMED Health has announced the development of The Medical Village, an approximately 60-acre, purpose-built healthcare campus in Lakewood.

Officials tell TLS the Village will be built in the Airport Road area.

This outpatient-focused campus is designed to integrate a broad range of individualized primary care and specialty services in one location, making healthcare more accessible and coordinated for families in the region.

The new campus represents a bold shift in healthcare delivery: an outpatient-first model where each provider and service operates within a single, connected system. This allows families to experience top-quality healthcare without unnecessary delays and the hassles of navigating multiple facilities. The campus is purposefully planned to facilitate communication and coordination between care teams, avoiding the need for patients and their families to travel between multiple locations.

“We’re reimagining the very experience of care in a way that’s never really been done before,” said CHEMED CEO Dr. Dovid Friedman. “The need is real, the demand is urgent, and we have the insight and infrastructure to make it happen. Our goal is full-spectrum, whole-family healthcare — seamlessly delivered through a single, integrated system where every provider is in sync and every family feels seen, supported, and prioritized.”

In order to address the needs of the community, the Village will include more than 50 specialties, including primary care, dental care, mental health services, pediatric specialties, women’s health, a standalone emergency department, an ambulatory surgery center, and a state-of-the-art diagnostic radiology center. Patients and their families will be able to select a practice with a provider aligned to their individualized preferences in a private setting.

While the Village is an exclusively outpatient and non-hospital facility, CHEMED Health is actively speaking with potential hospital partners to coordinate access to all levels of care.

The Medical Village is currently conducting due diligence and will be working closely with regulatory agencies to ensure compliance with all applicable requirements and licensing for the project.

About CHEMED

CHEMED (Center for Health Education, Medicine & Dentistry) is the largest Federally Qualified Health Center in New Jersey. Since 2008, CHEMED has provided comprehensive, compassionate care to families across Lakewood and surrounding communities — integrating medical excellence with accessibility, dignity, and community well-being.

Board Vacancy Public Notice - Gonzalez- Resignation- May 7 2026

LONDON (AP) — Meta Platforms said Wednesday it’s rolling out an “incognito” mode for WhatsApp users to have private conversations with its AI chatbot, a move intended to ease privacy concerns about sensitive information that users share in chats.

The social media company said in a blog post that incognito chat mode provides a way to have private, temporary conversations with Meta AI, its artificial intelligence assistant that’s been available on WhatsApp for a few years.

Messages will be processed in a “secure environment” that even Meta can’t access, won’t be saved by default and will disappear when exiting a session, Meta said.

Generative AI systems have been dogged by privacy concerns because the large language models that underpin these systems are trained on vast troves of data, sometimes including personal information provided by users themselves in their conversations with AI chatbots.

Rival chatbot makers already have some privacy features. Google’s Gemini chatbot has the option to disable chat history and opt out of allowing one’s data to be used in training its AI models. ChatGPT has similar controls.

Meta says it’s rolling out incognito chats because users often ask chatbots sensitive questions or include private financial, personal, health or work data in their questions.

“We’re starting ask a lot of meaningful questions about our lives with AI systems, and it doesn’t always feel like you should have to share the information behind those questions with the companies that run those AI systems,” Will Cathcart, Meta’s head of WhatsApp, told reporters.

Incognito chat mode has safety features to prevent the chatbot from answering questions about harmful topics, Cathcart said.

It will “steer the user towards helpful information if it can and then refuse (to answer) and eventually even just stop interacting with the user completely,” Cathcart said.

Users will only be able to type in questions and get text responses; they won’t be able to upload or generate images. They’ll also have to confirm their age because Meta doesn’t allow users under 13 on its platforms.

Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein strongly criticized the growing practice of people driving short distances to shul instead of walking, saying those who are physically able to walk should not choose the convenience of a car for such brief trips.

The remarks were delivered during a small shiur in Rav Zilberstein’s home attended by close talmidim. The senior posek addressed the issue at length, citing multiple halachic sources emphasizing the importance of walking to shul whenever possible in order to receive sechar pesios — reward for the effort of walking to perform a mitzvah.

Discussing people who live only minutes away from shul yet still choose to drive, Rav Zilberstein spoke sharply against the practice.

“There is a question here that is completely contrary to the way the world behaves,” Rav Zilberstein said. “There are people who go to shul during the week with their car. For example, he lives on the nearby block, a five-minute walk, and there are those who always drive. One must know that this is a complete prohibition, similar to what is written in the possuk: ‘B’veis Elokim nehalech b’rogesh.’ These people come in luxury… Walk with feeling, with your feet. This is a ביזוי of the honor of the shul, and there is also sechar pesios. Sechar pesios means walking by foot, without a car.”

Rav Zilberstein pointed to several classic halachic sources supporting the idea that traveling to shul specifically by foot is preferable whenever feasible.

He cited the Ben Ish Chai in Torah Lishmah (siman 40), who brings several proofs that one should specifically walk to shul rather than ride an animal or use other means of transportation when possible.

The Ben Ish Chai concludes: “Therefore certainly also regarding the mitzvah of going to shul, one should be careful that it specifically be done by foot whenever he is able to walk, and he should not be concerned for honor in the eyes of onlookers, even if he is a respected wealthy person.”

Rav Zilberstein also referenced the responsa B’Tzel HaChochmah and Tzitz Eliezer, both of which write that a person who is capable of walking should not use a vehicle merely for added convenience, and instead should perform the mitzvah in its proper form and receive the reward for the effort involved.

One participant asked Rav Zilberstein what distance would justify driving instead of walking.

“The measure is if most people say it is too far and requires a car,” Rav Zilberstein replied.

The questioner noted that previous generations would not have considered even a 40-minute walk reason enough to drive.

“Every generation is according to what most people say,” Rav Zilberstein responded. “If most people say it is a somewhat far distance, he may drive. If not, he is obligated to walk, and one who drives is not acting properly.”

He added that many people unfortunately stumble in this area by driving even for extremely short trips.

“For a tiny trip he gets into a car. Why are you getting into a car?” Rav Zilberstein said. “How do we determine it? Every generation according to the estimation that the rav must decide.”

When asked whether age changes the equation, Rav Zilberstein answered that the standard depends on what most people in that age bracket would normally do.

Another participant suggested that weather conditions such as extreme heat or rain might justify driving.

“If he goes in a car, he is considered as disgracing Hashem!” Rav Zilberstein responded. “There are a few steps — why are you going with a car?”

The discussion also touched on whether someone should intentionally choose a farther shul in order to gain additional sechar pesios.

“One who does that receives reward, but it is not obligatory,” Rav Zilberstein said. “But to drive by car is against the honor of the shul.”

One participant then asked about a person who lives only four minutes away from shul but chooses to drive because he needs to rush to work immediately after davening.

“That is not a reason,” Rav Zilberstein answered. “It will take time — so it will take time.”

{Matzav.com}