Jooish News

MIAMI (AP) — President Donald Trump shared video of a deadly attack allegedly by a Haitian immigrant accused of bludgeoning a woman with a hammer at a Florida gas station, portraying the killing as justification for his administration’s mass deportation agenda.

Rolbert Joachin, 40, was arrested and charged with killing a woman on April 2 in Fort Myers, about 160 miles northwest of Miami. Authorities said the man was from Haiti and arrived in the U.S. in 2022. The woman who was killed was identified as a 51-year-old immigrant from Bangladesh and a mother of two adult daughters.

Trump, who posted the video late Thursday to his Truth Social account, has often sought to portray immigrants as bringing crime to the U.S., and the video emerging from the Florida attack presented him with a new, particularly graphic opportunity to do so. Trump also often paints Democrats and his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, as allowing in immigrants who posed a criminal or national security threat to the U.S.

Critics say the president unjustly paints all immigrants as criminals in an effort to bolster his immigration agenda, when studies have found that people living in the U.S. illegally are less likely than native-born Americans to have been arrested for violent, drug and property crimes.

“The video of her brutal slaying is one of the most vicious things you will ever see,” Trump said in his post, describing the man as an “animal.”

Graphic video captured woman’s killing
The woman who was killed was working as a clerk at the convenience store of the gas station, according to court documents. The killing happened outside the store and the man was arrested the same day.

In security camera footage of her killing posted on the Department of Homeland Security’s X feed, the man can be seen repeatedly slamming the hammer into a black vehicle parked in front of the gas station. Eventually a woman in black pants and a pink shirt comes out and appears to question him.

The man, wearing a yellow shirt and black shorts, walks up to the woman and immediately swings the hammer at her head. The woman falls down on the sidewalk in front of the gas station’s front doors. The man attacks the woman with the hammer multiple times before stepping over her unmoving body and walking away, out of the frame of the camera.

The victim was later ıdentified in a police report as Nilufa Easmın, 51. A GoFundMe started by Samir Bahadur Syed, the President of the Bangladesh Association of Southwest Florida, described her as a “devoted mother who worked tirelessly to provide for her two young daughters.”

Syed said that Easmin arrived in the United States about three decades ago and resided in Miami and Palm Beach before moving to Florida’s west coast. She was a single mother, and her two daughters — one 23 years old and the other about 26 — were born in the U.S., Syed told The Associated Press.

He added that Easmin had been working at the convenience store for nearly five months and that she also held another job.

Fort Myers police said they responded to a report of a woman being hit with a hammer at a Chevron gas station. When officers arrived they found a woman on the ground with blood around her head and multiple cuts.

Officers later located Joachin walking on the street and took him into custody. The police said he has confessed. He was charged with murder and property damage and appeared in court on Wednesday. His arraignment is set for May 4.

An email message sent to the public defender listed in court records as Joachin’s lawyer seeking comment was not immediately returned.

Trump administration criticizes temporary deportation protections
Trump blamed Biden for granting the man temporary protection to stay in the U.S.

Kelly Walker, acting field office director for ICE enforcement and removal operations, Miami field office, said during a news conference Friday that Joachin arrived in a “water vessel” near Key West, Florida in August 2022. He was arrested and given Temporary Protective Status in 2023. That status was revoked this week, Walker said.

The Trump administration has harshly criticized the use of Temporary Protected Status, which can be granted by an administration to citizens of a country that’s going through turmoil or strife. Immigrants who qualify are allowed to stay in the U.S. and work for a temporary period, although Republican critics contend that the Biden administration misused its TPS authorities to broadly allow hundreds of thousands of people to stay in the country.

There are several lawsuits at the federal courts challenging Trump’s efforts to terminate TPS for more than one million people, including 350,000 Haitians. In March, a federal appeals court sided with a lower judge’s ruling against the end of temporary status for Haiti and the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on April 29.

The Department of Homeland Security and the Trump administration have often highlighted crimes committed by immigrants and created a website where people can look up people arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the crimes they’ve committed in the U.S.

The administration often highlights “Angel Families” who have lost family members to crimes committed by immigrants.

On Thursday ICE held an event marking the one-year anniversary of the reopening of an office dedicated to assisting those families, including emotional testimony from some of the surviving family members.

NEW YORK (AP) — Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced Friday that he had become a citizen of Albania, putting him one step closer to his oft-repeated dream of leaving politics behind for a life abroad.

Adams, a Democrat, received the honorary citizenship “at his request,” according to an official decree from the country’s president, Bajram Begaj.

The news was first reported in the Albanian press and confirmed by a spokesperson for Adams, who said the ex-mayor had “long been a friend and ally of the Albanian-American community.”

“The decision by the Republic of Albania to grant Mayor Adams citizenship reflects that enduring relationship and mutual respect,” the spokesperson, Todd Shapiro, said in a text message, adding that the recognition “further strengthens the bond between New York and Albania.”

Adams, who once described himself as an “international mayor,” has previously expressed an affinity for the small Balkan nation. His adult son lived in the country while competing in Albania’s version of “American Idol.” Adams traveled there himself in October — one of several international trips taken in his final months in office.

The purpose, he said at the time, was “to say hello to a friend and learn from a friend and build a relationship with a friendship that will not allow our oceans or seas to divide us.”

It wasn’t immediately clear what, if anything, Adams planned to do with his new citizenship. But he has previously expressed a desire to move far from his hometown of New York City.

“When I retire from government, I’m going to live in Baku,” Adams, then Brooklyn Borough President, said at an event honoring the Azerbaijan community in 2018. A few years later, in an interview with a Jewish publication, Adams said he would like to retire in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

As mayor, Adams’ penchant for international trips to Turkey prompted a federal indictment focused, in part, on allegations that he accepted improper travel benefits from foreign nationals.

Adams denied the allegations, and the case was later ordered dropped by President Donald Trump’s Justice Department. Adams later met with Trump administration officials about the possibility of taking an ambassadorship, which did not materialize.

Shortly after dropping his ailing bid for reelection, Adams embarked on a four-day trip to Albania, meeting with the country’s Prime Minister Edi Rama and members of his Cabinet, along with local business leaders. The trip was paid for in part by the Albanian government.

Since leaving office, Adams has been spotted in Dubai and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He also told reporters that he planned to fly to Senegal for a business opportunity, which he declined to discuss further.

In January, he launched a cryptocurrency coin that he said would beat back antisemitism and “anti-Americanism,” but it drew scrutiny after losing millions of dollars in value.

Eliot Engel, a longtime Democratic congressman representing parts of the Bronx and Westchester County, passed away Friday at the age of 79, his family announced.

Engel, who was Jewish, served 16 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1989 until 2021, after first being elected in 1988. Over more than four decades in public service, he was widely known as a staunch supporter of Israel and a leading voice on foreign policy.

In a statement, his family said he died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones “in the borough that raised him: The Bronx.”

“During his over 44 years in public service, Eliot Engel fought tirelessly for his constituents at home and for peace and security around the world,” the family said. “We love and miss him dearly.”

Engel was among the most outspoken pro-Israel Democrats in Congress, consistently backing key policies in support of the Jewish state and advocating for its security.

He was also a vocal critic of Barack Obama’s 2015 Iran nuclear deal, opposing the agreement over concerns it would not prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

During the latter part of his congressional career, Engel served as both ranking member and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, playing a key role in shaping U.S. foreign policy.

He was defeated in the 2020 Democratic primary by Jamaal Bowman, who went on to win the general election.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A bus carrying passengers collided with a safety barrier on Highway 2 near the Poleg Interchange, leaving 17 people injured, all reported to be in light condition.

Police said they have launched an investigation into the accident.

According to Magen David Adom, a call was received at 4:15 p.m. at its 101 emergency dispatch center in the Sharon region reporting that a bus full of passengers had crashed into a guardrail and was leaning onto its side on Highway 2 near the Poleg Interchange in the southbound direction. The initial report indicated 17 individuals were injured lightly.

MDA medics and paramedics provided treatment at the scene and transported all 17 injured passengers to hospitals for further care, with eight taken to Meir Medical Center and nine to Laniado Hospital.

MDA emergency medical technician Yechiel Yaroslavsky and paramedic Hadass Amir described the scene: “We arrived at the scene of the accident and saw a bus that had collided with a safety barrier. Its front section was crushed and it was leaning onto its side. The passengers were evacuated through the windows, were walking around the scene, and were in light condition. We conducted medical assessments and transported them to Meir and Laniado hospitals for further examination and treatment.”

United Hatzalah’s Central District also responded to the scene, providing initial medical assistance following what was described as a self-involved accident in which the bus struck a guardrail on Highway 2 near the Poleg Interchange. Initial reports from responders indicated 17 individuals were lightly injured.

Naftali David, head of the Netanya branch of United Hatzalah, said: “This was a self-involved accident in which a bus collided with the guardrail. We provided initial assistance to 17 injured individuals in light condition, after which they were transported to hospitals for continued medical care.”

{Matzav.com}

SAN FRANCISCO (VINnews) — Authorities in San Francisco arrested a 20-year-old man Friday after he allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at the home of Sam Altman, the chief executive of OpenAI.

Police said the device sparked a small fire at an exterior gate of the property in the early morning hours. No injuries were reported, and officials said it was unclear whether Altman was at home at the time.

Investigators said the suspect fled on foot but was later found near OpenAI’s offices, where he was detained after allegedly making additional threats. Authorities said charges were being prepared.

OpenAI notified employees of the incident and indicated security would be increased at its facilities.

Altman, who co-founded the company in 2015, leads one of the world’s most prominent artificial intelligence firms. The company and its leadership have faced growing public scrutiny and protests in recent years over concerns about the impact of A.I. technology.

The case remains under investigation.

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Two days before Hungary’s closely-watched elections, over 100,000 people filled a sprawling square and adjacent avenues in the capital for a concert featuring dozens of the country’s most popular performers — a call to action for citizens to cast their ballots on Sunday and vote out the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Over 50 bands, all performers who have used their music to express dissent against Orbán’s nationalist-populist government, played one song each during the seven-hour, “system-breaking” concert on Friday.

The crowd, largely made up of young people, frequently broke into anti-government chants, including “Ruszkik haza!” or “Russians go home!” It was a refrain from Hungary’s 1956 anti-Soviet revolution that has taken on renewed significance as Orbán has forged increasingly close relations with Moscow.

One attendee, Heléna Sugár, 19, said she was drawn to the event by some of her favorite artists, but that the desire for change was the concert’s most crucial aim.

“I listen to these performers every day. But now the most important thing here is the political goal,” she said. “I think it is important to show how many of us think this way, how many of us think that the time for this system is over and it is time for us to change.”

The group organizing the event, the Civic Resistance Movement, wrote that each song to be performed was “critical of the corrupt regime,” and meant to “demonstrate to the masses of voters and make them realize that the era of impunity is over.”

The big turnout on Budapest’s Heroes’ Square, and the concert’s anti-government atmosphere, reflected the broad level of dissatisfaction with Orbán’s government, especially among Hungary’s youth. In addition to the throngs of people in the streets, over 100,000 were following a livestream online.

A generational gap has been widening in Hungary with its young people pushing overwhelmingly for an end to Orbán’s autocratic rule, while the oldest citizens remain loyal to the prime minister.

Orbán and his Fidesz party’s declining popularity comes amid economic stagnation, political and corruption scandals and the rise of a new opposition challenger that is posing the biggest threat to the prime minister’s power in nearly two decades.

That challenger, the center-right Tisza party and its leader Péter Magyar, have galvanized large numbers of voters across Hungary who see him as the most credible challenger yet to Orbán’s 16-year grip on power.

A recent survey by pollster 21 Research Center found that 65% of voters under 30 support Tisza, while only 14% are backing Orbán.

One concertgoer, 22-year-old Noel Iván, said he had immigrated from Hungary to Austria seeking a better life, but that he “would like to move back and plan the future at home, which is currently hopeless and deeply sad.”

He added that although he doesn’t consider himself conservative, he wants to “contribute to regime change by voting for the Tisza party.”

Friday’s performers included some of Hungary’s most popular acts: singer Azahriah, rappers Beton.Hofi and Krúbi, and alternative rock bands Quimby and Ivan and the Parasol.

Another performer, Benedek Szabó, the frontman and lead songwriter for the popular band Galaxisok, told The Associated Press that for him, Hungary’s increasingly close connections with Moscow were tantamount to “selling out the EU allies to Russia.”

“Everyone’s fed up, and everyone’s ready to finally change this system, to finally send a message,” he said. “Not only today, but the day after tomorrow, that we’ve had enough, and we want to belong to Europe.”

Galaxisok performed a song that laments what the band sees as missed opportunities and wasted years under Orbán’s rule.

But in the song’s final stanza, it takes a defiant tone.

“Whispered on trams, written on factory walls, on rain-drenched autumn streets, secretly everyone knows,” the lyrics go. “We’ve had enough, once and for all. In the end, all regimes fall.”

NEW YORK (VINnews) – President Trump’s overhaul of the U.S. visa system for highly skilled immigrants is facing its first major test, with a new $100,000 fee on certain H-1B petitions prompting concerns that foreign tech talent may leave the United States or choose not to come at all.

Bloomberg News correspondent Saritha Rai reported Thursday that India stands to benefit significantly from the policy change, as some Indian-born engineers return home or opt to build careers domestically rather than navigate the heightened barriers.

The Trump administration implemented the steep fee in September 2025 for new H-1B visa applications filed from abroad. The change aims to prioritize higher-paid workers, curb perceived program abuses and protect American jobs and wages. Indians have received about 70% of H-1B approvals in recent years.

Rai’s reporting highlights reverse migration trends, with U.S.-experienced Indian professionals returning to hubs like Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Many are contributing to India’s booming startup scene, particularly in artificial intelligence, fintech and software services. Major U.S. firms, including JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, have already expanded operations in India, with some employing more staff there than in most other countries outside the U.S.

“India is well positioned to benefit,” Rai noted in the Bloomberg segment, pointing to the country’s maturing tech ecosystem, domestic market growth and government incentives for returning talent.

The policy has drawn criticism from U.S. business leaders. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon has voiced concerns about talent shortages and rising costs for American companies. Supporters argue it will encourage investment in domestic STEM education and higher wages for U.S. workers.

Not all affected workers are impacted equally. Many H-1B holders already in the U.S. can extend their visas without facing the full new fee. Legal challenges to the changes continue, adding uncertainty.

The developments echo patterns seen during earlier Trump administration policies and the COVID-19 pandemic, when immigration restrictions accelerated offshoring and talent redistribution. Proponents say the fee will strengthen the U.S. workforce long-term, while critics warn it risks eroding America’s edge in global innovation.

Heavy rocket fire in northern Israel caused significant damage in Tzfas and Dir al-Asad on Friday, with a direct strike hitting a chareidi neighborhood and another impacting a school building, while multiple people were treated for shock.

Sirens sounded in Tzfas and across other northern areas as rockets were launched, some intercepted and others landing in open areas. No physical injuries were immediately reported.

Fire and rescue teams from the Galil-Golan station were dispatched to a strike site in Tzfas, where a direct hit caused extensive damage to several vehicles in a chareidi neighborhood. Firefighters are conducting thorough searches in the area to ensure no one is trapped and are working to eliminate hazards and disconnect energy sources.

The incident commander, Lahav Amal Batash, said: “Firefighters are operating at the scene to disconnect energy sources and carry out searches for casualties among the damaged vehicles, in order to rule out anyone trapped.”

Israel Fire and Rescue Services reiterated their call for the public to follow Home Front Command instructions, avoid approaching impact sites, and remain in protected areas.

In a separate strike, a school in Dir al-Asad in the Galil was hit during the barrage from Lebanon. Magen David Adom teams were sent to the location after reports of damage to the building, shortly before additional sirens were heard in Misgav Am and Metula.

The Al-Ain School in Dir al-Asad sustained a direct hit from the rocket fire. “If there had been students and teachers there, it would have ended in a major disaster,” residents told Ynet. “We are tired of the war, civilians are paying the price. The danger continues and at any moment we can be hit again and again.”

Eight individuals suffering from shock were brought to the Galilee Medical Center from Dir al-Asad and Bi’ina following the incident. Their condition was described as light, and they are undergoing evaluation in the emergency department.

Police said they received reports of fallen munitions in the Upper Galilee region. Damage was caused at the scene, though no injuries have been confirmed at this stage. Officers from the Northern District, Border Police units, and bomb disposal experts are working to secure the area and remove any additional threats. “We call on the public to remain alert and follow instructions, not to approach rocket impact sites or areas of destruction, not to touch interception debris, and to allow police and rescue forces to carry out life-saving operations.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump has reportedly pressed Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu to limit Israel’s military operations in Lebanon and shift toward diplomatic engagement, according to a report.

CNN, citing a U.S. official and another source familiar with the matter, reported that the conversation took place on April 8. During the discussion, Trump encouraged Netanyahu to reduce the intensity of Israeli strikes in Lebanon and instead pursue negotiations with the Lebanese government aimed at addressing the disarmament of the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization.

It is not clear whether Netanyahu agreed to the proposal or merely took note of it.

An Israeli official quoted in the report indicated that a ceasefire is not currently being considered, emphasizing that any diplomatic track would move forward “under fire.”

At the same time, Israeli military operations in Lebanon have continued, including strikes carried out on Thursday. Residents in Beirut’s southern suburbs were instructed to evacuate ahead of expected military action.

Israel’s latest strikes have drawn criticism from several European nations, with reports indicating that the operations have caused civilian injuries and casualties.

Separately, signals from Iran suggest it may reevaluate its understandings with the United States if Israeli attacks in Lebanon persist.

by Simcha R. Klal Yisroel was plunged into mourning late last night with the petirah of the great gaon, Rav Chanoch Aryeh Friedman זצ״ל, Rosh Kollel and Av Beis Din of Kollel Beis Yechiel in the Har Nof neighborhood of Yerushalayim.

Shortly before Purim, Rav Chanoch traveled to the United States to raise funds for the kollel. Despite being in a weakened state, he insisted on making the journey, feeling a responsibility for the yungerleit who depended on him for the kollel’s support. While in Chicago, he fell ill over Purim and remained in critical condition from that time onward.
After battling his illness for approximately a month and a half, he returned his neshamah to its Creator late last night, leaving behind a grieving family, kehillah, talmidim, and the wider Torah world.

Rav Chanoch Friedman was born and raised in Chicago, where he began his Torah education at Skokie Yeshiva. At the young age of 16, he traveled to Lakewood to learn in Beth Medrash Govoha, where he studied under Rabbi Aharon Kotler זצ״ל. He was one of the youngest talmidim of Rav Aharon at th time. During his years in Lakewood, he learned b’chavrusa with Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch, with whom he developed a close friendship.
Rav Chanoch was a towering talmid chacham, whose hasmadah was extraordinary. In addition to being fully immersed in the sugyos studied in the kollel, he would complete Shas Bavli and Shas Yerushalmi annually, marking a siyum each Simchas Torah.

Rav Friedman was the brother of Rabbi Avraham Friedman, Rosh Yeshiva Emerites of Skokie Yeshiva (HTC) and Mrs. Debbie Greenspan.

The levayah is scheduled to take place today, Erev Shabbos, Friday, April 10, at 2:00 p.m. at Congregation Adas Yeshurun, Chicago. A second levayah is scheduled to take place at 10:00 AM on Sunday at BMG in Lakewood, after which arrangements will be made for kevurah in Eretz Yisroel.

Yehi zichro baruch.

New York -(VinNews/Rabbi Yair Hoffman)  “Yes, Mommy, but what does the key mean? Why do we put it in the Challah dough?”
Last Shabbos, we read a fascinating Pasuk in Shir HaShirim — the standard reading for Chol HaMoed Pesach. The verse (Shir HaShirim 5:2) states, “I was asleep but my heart was awake. A voice! My beloved was knocking: ‘Open to me, my sister, my darling, My dove, my perfect one!..'” In this verse, Hashem is talking to Klal Yisroel.
Chazal darshen this pasuk in Yalkut Shimoni (Shir HaShirim 988), “You have become My sister with the observance of the two Mitzvos in Mitzrayim the blood of the Korban Pesach and the blood of Bris Milah..Open for Me an opening like the eye of the needle and I (Hashem) shall open for you like the opening of a wide hall.”
THE GATES HAVE CLOSED
Rav Avraham Yehoshua Heshel of Apt zt”l, known as the Apter Rebbe or Apter Rav (1748-1825) is the author of the Ohaiv Yisroel. In his Likkutim al HaTorah ( Pesach) he explains that during the entire Yom Tov of Pesach, the Tefilos of Klal Yisroel achieved entry into the gates of Heaven. But slowly, they closed. It is now time to re-open them.
HOW TO RE-OPEN?
But how? How do we re-open the gates of Shmayaim so that our prayers can once again receive entry? What is the key?
He answers that the key is through the merit of Shabbos observance. This, according to the Apter Rav is the reason for Schlissel Challah — baking a key inside the Shabbos Challah.
It brings home the fact that it is the merit of Shabbos observance, and honoring it, that will re-open the gates of Shamayaim and bring us bracha — in all areas. Parnassah, Torah, Nachas and all matters.
Anyone who has ever truly experienced Shabbos, knows the following truth: Shabbos is very special. Perhaps the prayer of Lecha Dodi recited every Friday evening captures it best: Ki hi m’keor habracha — Shabbos is the source of all blessing.
Shabbos has always been viewed as the symbol or flag of the Jewish nation. Just as patriots look at their flag as more than a mere dyed cloth with fancy designs, so too is Shabbos viewed in the eyes of the Jewish people. It is a sign of our deep belief in G-d — that it was He who Created the world. But it is more than this too.
Our belief in G-d is not just limited to the notion that an omnipotent entity created the world. No. An integral aspect of Torah theology is that this omnipotent entity is the source of all good.
He rewards good and punishes evil. The Jewish understanding of G-d and His unique Oneness is that ethics and monotheism are intrinsically interwoven with each other.
In other theologies they may be two separate concepts.
Not so in Judaism.
A belief in the Oneness of G-d perforce also includes the notion that He defines what goodness is. Altruism, goodness, and ethical behavior are not the results of evolutionary biology — no, they are part and parcel of the Creator Himself.
Indeed, this is the raison d’être of Creation itself — so that Hashem — G-d can reward those who do good and follow His will.
If, in the path of life, we successfully attempt to emulate G-d — then we will be rewarded. The Observance of Shabbos is thus the flag of the Jewish people — the idea and notion that represents all this.
The Apter Rav’s explanation highlights this remarkable flag of the Torah nation.
The custom of Schlissel Challah has become very widespread, not only in the Chassidish world but in many other communities as well.
There are also other reasons to this custom in Klal Yisroel. Most of the reasons have to do with the Kabbalistic notion of “Tirayin Petichin” that the gates to Heaven are opened. This concept of opened gates is found throughout the Zohar and is discussed by such authorities as the Shla (whose father was a student of the Remah).
The earliest reference is in the works of Rabbi Pinchas Shapiro of Koritz (born 1726), a descendent of the Megaleh Amukos and a student of the Baal Shem Tov. In his work called Imrei Pinchas (#298) he explains that the reason to bake Schlissel Challah on the Shabbos following Pesach is that during Pesach, the gates to Heaven were opened and remain open until Pesach Sheni. The key alludes to the fact that these gates are now open and that we should focus our prayers ever more on that account.
The Apter Rav also mentions other reasons for the Minhag -primarily that Hashem should open His “store house of plenty” for us as he did in Iyar after the exodus.
The Belzer Rebbe (Choshvei Machshavos p. 152) provided the explanation that although the Geulah may not have happened yet as it was scheduled to occur on Nissan, at least the key to Hashem’s storehouse of parnassah and plenty have been opened.
The Taamei HaMinhagim (596 and 597) provides a number of reasons as well. There have been people that have questioned the origins of this minhag. (Unbeknown to many, much of the content upon which many of the attacks were based upon was written by a scurrilous writer who studied in a messianic institution.)

So the next time your child looks up at you with those wide, curious eyes and asks, “Yes, Mommy, but what does the key mean?” — you now have the answer.
“Shayfeleh,” you can tell them, “the key in the Challah is our key. It is the key that we use to knock on the gates of Heaven and ask Hashem to open them for us. And do you know what opens those gates? Shabbos. Our beautiful, holy Shabbos — the Shabbos that we keep every single week — that is the key.”
The child will nod, perhaps not fully understanding. But somewhere, in that young neshamah, a seed has been planted. A seed that says: Shabbos is key. Our tefilos are key. And Hashem is listening — waiting, even — for us to use the key.
Ki hi m’keor habracha. Shabbos is the source of all blessing.
May we all merit to see the gates of Shamayim swing wide open — for parnassah, for refuah, for nachas, and for the ultimate Geulah — speedily in our days.
The author can be reached at [email protected]

Israeli opposition leaders accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday of failing to achieve the war’s objectives and deceiving the public following the ceasefire announcement with Iran, though some softened their tone Thursday after Netanyahu announced direct talks with Lebanon over Hezbollah disarmament.

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett, widely seen as the leading challenger to Netanyahu in upcoming elections, held a press conference Wednesday evening laying out the war’s unfulfilled objectives: the complete and permanent dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program, regional terror infrastructure, and missile capabilities, along with the removal of 460 kilograms of enriched uranium from Iranian territory.

“The campaign will be judged solely by meeting these goals, because failure will leave Israel facing a more vengeful and determined Iran,” Bennett said, arguing that public disappointment over the ceasefire stemmed from the government having “sold illusions” rather than telling Israelis the truth.

“Unfortunately, as every child can see, Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran are still standing,” he added. “This is because a government that is tearing Israel apart from within cannot defeat the enemy from without.”

Bennett’s remarks came directly after Netanyahu said at his own press conference Wednesday that Israel remained in the process of achieving all its war goals despite the ceasefire.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid was equally critical, calling the ceasefire “the greatest political disaster in all of our history” and asserting that Israel had been excluded from key national security decisions. Netanyahu, Lapid said, “failed politically, failed strategically, and didn’t meet a single one of the goals that he himself set.”

Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats, said Netanyahu should have “stood before the nation, admitted the failure of his strategy, and announced his immediate resignation.” Instead, Golan said, “what appeared tonight was a skilled salesman and a failed strategist, armed with a pile of spin, half-truths, and lies.” Former IDF chief of staff and Yashar! Party leader Gadi Eisenkot said Netanyahu had failed to translate military gains into a political arrangement. Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman added Thursday that Israel could not end the war without a decisive outcome.

The tone shifted for some opposition figures after Netanyahu announced Thursday that his cabinet would open direct ceasefire and disarmament talks with Lebanon. Both Golan and Eisenkot welcomed the move.

“Thanks to Trump for forcing Netanyahu to take action,” Golan said. “Reality once again proves what we have always said — political agreements are the way to bring true security to Israel.” Eisenkot called on the government to leverage its military achievements “into an agreement that will lead to the complete dismantling and disarmament of Hezbollah and return full responsibility to the Lebanese government.”

Government ministers pushed back hard on the opposition’s criticism. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich argued the war was not over and its objectives could still be achieved, accusing opposition leaders of competing for the title of “who weakens Israel more.” Education Minister Yoav Kisch asked Bennett, Lapid, and Golan whether they were “tired of pumping out defeatism that echoes the enemy’s media.” Culture Minister Miki Zohar called their remarks “irresponsible populism” and said both Bennett and Lapid had proved themselves unfit for leadership.

Lapid fired back at Zohar, saying the true peak of populism was “going to war, failing to achieve any of its objectives, causing an unprecedented political and diplomatic disaster, and then blaming Lapid and Bennett for noticing it.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A federal immigration appeals panel has issued a final removal order against Mahmoud Khalil, an anti-Israel protest figure and Columbia University graduate, moving forward the Trump administration’s effort to deport him, according to his attorneys.

The Justice Department’s Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) on Thursday rejected Khalil’s request to throw out the proceedings, a decision that marks a major step in the government’s attempt to remove him from the United States.

Khalil, 31, a lawful permanent resident, has become a central figure in a wider federal effort targeting noncitizens involved in anti-Israel demonstrations on college campuses connected to the Gaza conflict. His arrest was the first publicly known case tied to that broader initiative.

His legal team strongly criticized the ruling, calling it “baseless and politically motivated,” and maintaining that the government is punishing him for his speech without sufficient evidence.

“In all my decades as an immigration lawyer, I have never seen such a baseless and politically motivated decision,” Khalil’s lead attorney, Marc Van Der Hout, said in a statement issued by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). “The BIA’s decision has absolutely no support in the record, violates a federal court order, and we’ll be fighting it until the end.”

Officials in the Trump administration have contended that Khalil’s protest activities were “aligned with Hamas,” a position cited by the Department of Homeland Security and other authorities, though they have not publicly outlined detailed proof connecting him to the terrorist organization.

Khalil has rejected claims of antisemitism. Authorities have also relied on a little-used foreign policy provision in immigration law, sometimes referred to as a “Rubio determination,” as well as alleged discrepancies related to his green card application.

Despite the appeals board’s decision, Khalil’s attorneys argue that he cannot be deported while a separate federal habeas case continues to be litigated.

A federal judge in New Jersey had earlier ruled that the government’s basis for holding Khalil was likely unconstitutional and ordered that he be released.

Following his arrest, Khalil spent 104 days in immigration custody, during which time he missed the birth of his first child before being freed under the New Jersey court order.

He later encountered a setback when a U.S. appeals court panel determined that the New Jersey judge exceeded his authority by ordering his release. In a 2-1 ruling, the panel said the case must proceed through immigration court channels before being reviewed in federal court.

His legal team is now asking the full appellate court to revisit that decision and has requested that one of the judges recuse himself due to his previous role in the Justice Department involving investigations of student demonstrators.

Khalil has continued to deny any wrongdoing, describing the case as an effort to silence his views.

“I am not surprised by this decision from the biased and politically motivated Board of Immigration Appeals. I have committed no crime. I have broken no law. The only thing I am guilty of is speaking out against the genocide in Palestine — and this administration has weaponized the immigration system to punish me for it,” Khalil said in a statement released by the ACLU.

“My family is here. My life is here. I reject any attempt to intimidate me out of my home based on lies and ideological attacks,” he said. “This is not justice. This is just another attempt to retaliate against me.”

Khalil, who helped organize anti-Israel demonstrations at Columbia University in 2024 and is now facing deportation efforts by the Trump administration, was first taken into custody in 2025 at his university-affiliated apartment in New York City.

At the time of his arrest, Homeland Security Investigations, part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, informed him that his green card was being revoked, according to his attorney, Amy Greer. He was later transferred to a detention facility in Louisiana.

He was a leading figure in protests against Israel that shook Columbia University in 2024 and represented Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a coalition urging the school to cut financial ties with Israel, in discussions with university officials. He completed his master’s degree requirements at Columbia later that year.

Born in Syria, Khalil is the grandson of Palestinians who were displaced from their homeland, according to court filings. His wife, an American citizen, gave birth to their child while he remained in detention.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt previously defended the administration’s actions following Khalil’s March arrest, alleging that he distributed pro-Hamas propaganda materials on campus.

“This administration is not going to tolerate individuals having the privilege of studying in our country and then siding with pro-terrorist organizations that have killed Americans,” Leavitt told reporters at a White House press briefing at the time, noting that on her desk were the “pro-Hamas propaganda fliers with the logo of Hamas” on them that Khalil allegedly was distributing.

“We have a zero-tolerance policy for siding with terrorists, period,” she said.

{Matzav.com}

A local teen suffered serious injures from fireworks this afternoon, TLS has learned.

Shortly after noon today, a resident received a knock at the door and opened it to find a badly injured teen who asked to immediately call emergency personnel.

The boy, who suffered serious facial injuries, passed out moments after knocking on the door.

Upon arrival, the victim was treated by paramedics and hospitalized.

It’s unclear at this time if the teen was playing with the fireworks alone or with any others.

Police are investigating.

WASHINGTON (AP) — First lady Melania Trump is denying ties to Jeffrey Epstein and knowledge of his sex crimes, saying Thursday that the “stories are completely false” and calling accusations that she was somehow involved “smears about me.”

First Lady Melania Trump’s Statement pic.twitter.com/fSEz24NEyg

— First Lady Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) April 9, 2026

Reading an extraordinary statement at the White House, Melania Trump said she and her attorneys were fighting back against “unfound and baseless lies” in regards to her connections to the late financier, a convicted sex offender who leveraged connections to the rich, powerful and famous to recruit his victims and cover up his crimes.

“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” she said. “The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility and respect. I do not object to their ignorance, but rather I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.”

The seemingly out-of-the-blue message came as her husband, President Donald Trump, and his administration had finally seemed to move past more than a year of controversy surrounding Epstein, especially as the Iran war had become all-consuming in Washington.

The first lady’s comments almost assuredly will serve to push the story back into the political spotlight even as the president urged the public and media to move on from the case.

Nick Clemens, a spokesperson for the first lady, said the West Wing was aware beforehand that she was making a statement. But he deferred to the West Wing on whether the content of what Melania Trump planned to say was known. The White House press office did not respond to requests for comment.

Calls for a congressional hearing for Epstein victims
The first lady spoke for about five minutes, reading her statement in the Grand Foyer, then walked away without taking questions. She did not go into detail on the accusations against her, but said they came from “individuals and entities looking to cause damage to my good name.”

She added that they were financially and politically motivated.

Melania Trump also called on Congress to hold a public hearing centered on survivors of Epstein’s crimes, with a chance to testify before lawmakers and have their stories entered into the congressional record.

“Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public if she wishes,” she said. “Then, and only then, we will have the truth.”

Two of Epstein’s accusers, Maria and Annie Farmer, said in a subsequent statement: “What we want is accountability, transparency, and justice.”

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican and onetime fierce Trump supporter who resigned from Congress after a public falling out with the president, posted on X, “I am grateful to the First Lady for her brave statement today about Epstein and his victims.”

Democrats, meanwhile, jumped on Melania Trump’s comments, saying they agreed with her call for a congressional hearing. In a social media post, Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee that is investigating Epstein, called on the Republican chair of the committee, Rep. James Comer, to schedule a public hearing “immediately.”

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who sponsored a bill prompting the release of millions of Epstein documents, turned attention back to the Justice Department, saying it’s the attorney general’s job to bring in survivors for testimony. Massie, who has pressed for more arrests in the Epstein case, ended a social media post with a call to “PROSECUTE!”

Questions about Epstein’s reach have loomed over the administration and divided Republicans, driving a wedge into Trump’s MAGA base as some pressed for the government to release more files and prosecute figures linked to the financier.

The issue has dogged Trump and fractured some of his alliances, including the one with Greene. Trump dismissed the issue as a “Democrat hoax” but later signed a bill to release files from Epstein’s case.

It was not clear what prompted the first lady to revive the issue. She noted that several individuals and organizations have had to apologize for their “lies about me.” Of the examples she cited, the most recent was in October.

In that case, book publisher HarperCollins UK apologized to the first lady and retracted passages from a book suggesting Epstein played a role in introducing her and Donald Trump.

Melania Trump mentioned her husband several times in her comments. She said Epstein did not introduce her to Trump, and that she met her future husband at a New York City party in 1998.

Email to Maxwell was ‘trivial’
The first lady brought Epstein back to the forefront months after federal authorities released millions of pages of documents under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the law enacted after months of public and political pressure that requires the government to open its files on the late financier and his confidant and onetime girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Lawmakers complained when the Justice Department made only a limited release last month, but officials said more time was needed to review additional documents that were discovered and to ensure no sensitive information about victims was released.

Melania Trump said Thursday that she was not friends with Epstein or Maxwell, but was in overlapping social circles in New York and Florida. She described an email reply she sent to Maxwell as “casual correspondence” without elaborating.

“My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trivial note,” she said.

Among the documents released by the Justice Department was a brief email from 2002 with the sender and recipient blacked out. It begins, “Dear G!” and ends “Love, Melania,” and compliments the recipient on a magazine article about “JE.”

“I know you are very busy flying all over the world,” it says. “How was Palm Beach? I cannot wait to go down. Give me a call when you are back in NY.”

That email was sent the same month that a New York Magazine article was published about Epstein in which Trump called him a “terrific guy.”

Among other documents released was an image from Epstein’s home showing a series of photographs along a credenza and in drawers. In that image, inside a drawer among other photos, was a photograph of Trump, alongside Epstein, Melania Trump and Maxwell.

Epstein killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in New York. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States is preparing for the possibility of renewed military action against Iran, as high-stakes negotiations get underway in Pakistan following a temporary ceasefire.

In remarks to The New York Post, Trump indicated that U.S. naval forces are being equipped with advanced weaponry in case diplomatic efforts collapse. The comments came shortly after Vice President JD Vance departed aboard Air Force Two for Islamabad, where he is set to join special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in an attempt to broker a lasting agreement after the two-week pause in fighting announced earlier in the week.

“We’re going to find out in about 24 hours. We’re going to know soon,” Trump told The Post in a phone interview when asked if he thought the talks would be successful.

He underscored that the U.S. is preparing for all outcomes. “We have a reset going. We’re loading up the ships with the best ammunition, the best weapons ever made – even better than what we did previously and we blew them apart,” he said.

Trump reiterated the point, emphasizing the scale of the military preparations underway. “But we’re loading up the ships. We’re loading up the ships with the best weapons ever made, even at a higher level than we used to do a complete decimation.

“And if we don’t have a deal, we will be using them, and we will be using them very effectively,” he stated.

Iran is expected to send Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to the talks in Islamabad, along with Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Araghchi had previously maintained, even before the recent conflict, that Iran holds an unassailable right to continue enriching uranium.

Trump expressed skepticism about Iran’s intentions. “You’re dealing against people that we don’t know whether or not they tell the truth,” Trump told The Post.

He continued, questioning the consistency of Tehran’s messaging. “To our face, they’re getting rid of all nuclear weapons, everything’s gone. And then they go out to the press and say, ‘No, we’d like to enrich.’ So we’ll find out.”

Later, Trump posted additional comments on his Truth Social platform, criticizing Iran’s messaging strategy. “The Iranians are better at handling the Fake News Media, and ‘Public Relations,’ than they are at fighting!”

In a follow-up post, he added, “The Iranians don’t seem to realize they have no cards, other than a short term extortion of the World by using International Waterways. The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate!”

Negotiators are expected to focus on several core issues, including Washington’s demand that Iran relinquish roughly 1,000 pounds of enriched uranium believed to be stored deep underground, as well as ensuring continued access through the Strait of Hormuz for global shipping. Trump has made clear that reopening the waterway is a central condition for any long-term ceasefire.

Additional topics likely to be addressed include Iran’s backing of regional proxy groups, the future of its ballistic missile program, and Tehran’s push for relief from U.S. economic sanctions.

{Matzav.com}

NEW YORK (VINNews/Shira Miller) – The Railroading of Sgt. Erik Duran — and What It Means for Every Police Officer in New York

His decision took two and a half seconds.

Sgt. Erik Duran had to decide how to stop a drug dealer with a previous narcotics record on a motorized scooter bearing down on his officers and bystanders on a crowded Bronx sidewalk. On Thursday, April 9, 2026, a judge sentenced him to three to nine years in state prison for what he did in those two and a half seconds.

This verdict is an unmitigated travesty of justice. It is wrong legally, wrong morally. And if it stands, every police officer in New York will hesitate the next time a split-second decision is required — and people will die because of it.

What Happened

On August 23, 2023, Sgt. Duran’s Bronx narcotics unit ran a buy-and-bust on Aqueduct Avenue — a stretch where families walk their dogs and children play. Eric Duprey, 30, sold drugs to an undercover officer, then fled on a motorized scooter when detectives moved to arrest him.

Duprey mounted the scooter — without a helmet — and drove it at high speed onto the sidewalk, heading toward the officers and pedestrians. Sgt. Duran grabbed a cooler from a nearby picnic table and hurled it. Duprey lost control, slammed into a tree, and died of the head injuries he sustained — because he chose to run away from police and chose  not to wear a helmet.

 Duprey has a previous arrest for a narcotics case from March, police sources and in a bizarre manner of irony also has an open felony assault case in the Bronx from June 2022 for allegedly throwing a two-liter bottle of soda through someone’s driver-side window.

Duran, to his credit, immediately tried to help Duprey. He said at sentencing: “I took this job to save lives. I felt terrible once I saw Eric Duprey crash. I never wanted this to happen.” He addressed Duprey’s family directly, in Spanish. And then he was taken into custody.

Judge Guy Mitchell, who presided over a bench trial — Duran having waived a jury — concluded that the sergeant was not scared for anyone’s safety, but was simply “upset that Mr. Duprey was getting away.” This armchair retrospective judgment, rendered months after the fact by a judge comfortably seated in a Bronx courtroom, overrode the testimony of a trained officer who was on that sidewalk when a scooter was hurtling toward him.

The Legal Case for Reversal

Legal experts note that New York Penal Law § 35.30(1) is clear. A police officer attempting to prevent an escape “may use physical force when and to the extent he or she reasonably believes such to be necessary… or in self-defense or to defend a third person from what he or she reasonably believes to be the use or imminent use of physical force.” The key word is “reasonably.”

Furthermore, § 35.30(1)(c) specifically authorizes even deadly physical force when “the use of deadly physical force is necessary to defend the police officer or peace officer or another person from what the officer reasonably believes to be the use or imminent use of deadly physical force.” A motorized scooter driven at speed toward a group of people on a sidewalk is precisely that — an instrument of deadly physical force under Penal Law § 10.00(11)’s definition.

This is also where the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386 (1989) comes into play. The Court held that “the reasonableness of a particular use of force must be judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene, rather than with the 20/20 vision of hindsight,” and that courts must allow for the fact that “police officers are often forced to make split-second decisions about the amount of force necessary in a particular situation.”

Judge Mitchell did precisely what Graham forbids: he substituted his own retrospective judgment for a real-time decision made in a crisis.

The Appellate Division, First Department, should grant bail pending appeal and reverse this conviction. The Sergeants Benevolent Association has already called the verdict “clearly against the weight of the credible evidence” — the exact statutory language for reversal under New York Criminal Procedure Law § 470.15. The surveillance video showed the scooter heading toward the officers. The judge simply chose not to believe the officer who was there.

The Message This Sends — and Why It Is Dangerous

Sergeants Benevolent Association president Vincent Vallelong said it plainly at sentencing: “Today will forever be remembered as one of the darkest days in the history of our profession. This puts in the back of a police officer’s mind that they can lose their freedom for making a split-second decision.”

He is right. And the consequences flow directly: officers will hesitate. Suspects will know that flight — especially on a vehicle — is effectively a get-out-of-jail-free card. If an officer who intervenes in 2.5 seconds faces a felony conviction and prison, the rational choice is to stand aside. And innocent people will be hurt as a result.

The Torah commands: “Lo sa’amod al dam re’echa” — do not stand idly by the blood of your fellow (Vayikra 19:16). This is not merely a nice sentiment. It is a direct obligation. A society that punishes those who act on this obligation — who intervene to save others at personal risk, in a moment of crisis — is a society that has lost its moral bearings.

Eric Duprey’s death was a tragedy.

His three young children deserve compassion. But Eric Duprey sold drugs to an undercover officer, had sold drugs previously, had committed felony assault previously, fled police, drove a scooter helmetless at dangerous speed on a sidewalk toward a group of people, and died from injuries caused by his own refusal to wear a helmet.

The entire chain of events leading to his death was initiated and sustained by his own freely-made decisions. Assigning criminal culpability to the officer who acted in two and a half seconds to stop a lethal threat — and sending him to prison for it — is not justice. It is a political verdict dressed as one.

Sgt. Erik Duran’s attorney Arthur Aidala has announced he will seek bail pending appeal. The Appellate Division, First Department must scrutinize this conviction against the plain language of Penal Law § 35.30 and the mandate of Graham v. Connor.

While having empathy for the man and his family our elected officials must demand accountability from an Attorney General’s office that prosecuted a decorated officer for a split-second act of courage. And the appellate courts should do what the trial court failed to do: apply the law as written, not as a political statement.

Muhammad Shahzab Khan (21), a Pakistani national who was living in Canada on a student visa, admitted on Wednesday in federal court in New York to planning a large‑scale terror attack at 770, the Chabad World Headquarters in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

According to the detailed indictment, Khan — who was extradited to the US from Canada— planned to carry out an assault using AR-style rifles around October 7, 2024, the anniversary of the Hamas massacre in Israel.  He chose the Chabad center in Brooklyn, saying that New York is “perfect to target Jews because it has the largest Jewish population in America.”

In messages he exchanged with undercover FBI agents (whom he believed were ISIS supporters), Khan said: “Even if we don’t attack an event, we could easily rack up a lot of Jews… we are going to slaughter them.”

He urged the undercover agents to acquire rifles and hunting knives to “slit their throats,” and gloated over the fact that if the plan succeeds, it will be “the largest attack on U.S. soil since 9/11.”

Khan was arrested in September 2024 in the town of Ormstown, Canada, only about 12 miles from the U.S. border, as he attempted to cross into the US with the help of a human smuggler. The arrest was part of a complex operation by law enforcement authorities in both Canada and the United States, who had been tracking him for many months.

In the recorded conversations, Khan is heard detailing how he planned to purchase automatic weapons, hunting knives, and large quantities of ammunition.

Khan admitted to all charges against him during Wednesday’s hearing, saying that he was motivated to support the Islamic State in retaliation for Israel’s killing of Palestinians in Gaza.

The judge set the sentencing date for August 12, 2026. Under federal law, Khan faces a sentence of up to life in prison.

“Khan planned a mass shooting at a Jewish center in New York City, timed to coincide with the anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attacks, with the explicit goal of killing as many Jews as possible,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg.

“Khan declared that New York City was the ‘perfect’ venue for his attack because of its large Jewish population and boasted that his plot could be the largest attack on U.S. soil since 9/11. The National Security Division will work tirelessly to ensure that terrorists like Khan face the full weight of American law.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

A wave of drone attacks struck multiple countries across the region Thursday night, with explosions reported in Dubai and strikes targeting infrastructure in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

According to reports from the Iraqi “Sabereen” channel, which is affiliated with pro-Iranian militias, explosions in Dubai were the result of a drone attack on U.S. targets in the United Arab Emirates. At the same time, there were reports that air defense systems were activated in several locations inside Iran.

Kuwait also confirmed that it was under drone attack, stating that its air defense systems had been deployed. While authorities have not officially blamed any party, Iran has carried out multiple attacks on Kuwait during the course of the war.

In a statement, the Kuwaiti military said: “Air defense systems are dealing with hostile drone attacks that penetrated the country’s airspace and struck several vital infrastructures.”

Meanwhile, a Saudi Energy Ministry official told the kingdom’s state news agency that a number of oil and gas facilities, refineries, petrochemical plants, and power stations were targeted in repeated attacks attributed to Iran. The strikes hit areas around the capital Riyadh, eastern regions of the country, and the port city of Yanbu on the Red Sea.

The official also confirmed that an oil pipeline connecting production fields to the port of Yanbu was struck, resulting in a loss of approximately 700,000 barrels of exports per day. In addition, two oil wells were damaged, reducing output by about 600,000 barrels per day.

Mordechai (Motty) Twerski, of Lakewood, has been appointed to the National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council (NEMSAC), TLS has learned. The NEMSAC is a federal advisory body that provides recommendations to the U.S. Department of Transportation and helps shape national EMS policy.

After endorsement by many State & County Officials, Twerski, well known in the community for his dedication to public service and advocacy, will join NEMSAC’s board to contribute insight on strengthening emergency medical systems and supporting first responders nationwide.

In his role, Twerski will collaborate with EMS leaders, medical experts, and federal partners as NEMSAC evaluates emerging needs and works to enhance prehospital care across the country.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve on NEMSAC,” Twerski told TLS. “EMS providers play a vital role in every community, and I look forward to contributing to efforts that support them and the lifesaving work they do.”

Twerski has been appointed to the NJ OEMS Board in 2018 by the Governor and has served as one of the Ocean County EMS Coordinators since 2019. He also serves in Hatzolah of Central Jersey for over a decade,

Community members and local officials expressed pride in Twerski’s appointment, noting the significance of having representation from Lakewood and the County on a national EMS advisory body.

Israel has moved to exclude Spain from participating in a key coordination hub tied to President Donald Trump’s regional initiative, citing what it describes as persistent hostility from Madrid toward Israeli policy and interests.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar made the decision on Friday in consultation with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, determining that Spain will no longer be allowed to take part in the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) located in Kiryat Gat, a body established within President Trump’s peace framework.

In a statement explaining the move, the Foreign Ministry said the step was taken due to “the anti-Israel obsession of Prime Minister Sánchez’s government and its serious harm to Israeli (and also American) interests, including during the war against Iran.”

Sa’ar elaborated on the government’s position, stating: “The Sánchez government’s anti-Israel bias is so egregious that it has lost all capability to serve as a constructive actor in implementing President Trump’s peace plan and in the CMCC operating under that plan.”

Spanish officials have already been formally informed of the decision.

Washington was also notified ahead of time about Israel’s intention to remove Spain from the coordination mechanism.

Later in the day, Netanyahu addressed the issue directly, saying: “Israel will not remain silent in the face of those who attack us. Spain has defamed our heroes, the soldiers of the IDF, the soldiers of the most moral army in the world.”

He continued by announcing concrete action: “Therefore, I have instructed today to remove Spain’s representatives from the coordination center in Kiryat Gat, after Spain has chosen repeatedly to stand against Israel. Those who attack the State of Israel instead of terrorist regimes will not be our partners regarding the future of the region.”

Netanyahu added a sharp warning: “I am not willing to tolerate this hypocrisy and hostility. I do not intend to allow any country to wage a diplomatic war against us without paying an immediate price.”

The backdrop to the decision is a growing confrontation between Israel and Spain in recent weeks, as Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has taken a leading role among European leaders criticizing Israel’s actions and the joint U.S.-Israel military campaign targeting Iran. Sánchez has repeatedly labeled the campaign unlawful and cautioned that it could further inflame tensions across the Middle East, urging a diplomatic route rather than continued military operations.

Madrid has backed up its rhetoric with policy steps, declining to permit U.S. forces to utilize Spanish bases for operations connected to strikes on Iran and scaling back cooperation tied to the conflict. According to reports, Spain has also limited the use of its airspace for aircraft involved in such missions.

At the same time, Sánchez has voiced strong opposition to Israel’s broader military activity, including operations in Lebanon, warning that they could result in destruction on a scale similar to Gaza. Spanish officials, however, have pushed back against Israeli claims that their stance aligns them with Iran, maintaining that their position is rooted in opposition to escalation and a commitment to international law.

WASHINGTON (VINnews) — President Donald Trump went scorched-earth on several former media allies and conservative commentators in a social media post Thursday night, unleashing a barrage of criticism.

In the message, Trump targeted figures including Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens and Alex Jones, accusing them of opposing him for years and promoting views he said run counter to his political movement.

Trump sharply criticized the group in personal terms, calling them “stupid people,” “troublemakers,” and “losers,” while arguing they are seeking relevance through podcast platforms after losing influence in traditional media.

He also tied the dispute to foreign policy, particularly Iran, which he described as the “number one state sponsor of terror,” reiterating his position that Iran must not obtain nuclear weapons.

Trump further dismissed favorable coverage of the commentators by outlets including CNN and The New York Times, suggesting the attention was politically motivated.

The remarks highlight an ongoing rift between Trump and several conservative media figures once closely associated with his political base.

A tragic incident unfolded Friday at Tzanz Beach in Netanya when two brothers were caught in the water, leaving one in critical condition and the other unaccounted for as rescue teams continue searching.

ZAKA’s diving unit was called in to aid efforts to locate the missing teen, as emergency crews intensified their operations along the shoreline and surrounding waters.

Paramedics from Magen David Adom treated the brother who had been pulled from the sea after he was found unresponsive. He was transported to Laniado Hospital in Netanya while undergoing ongoing life-saving measures.

Senior MDA medic Yosef Friedman described the scene, explaining that emergency personnel reached the beach using a specialized off-road ambulance and discovered the victim lying on the sand after being removed from the water, unconscious and without vital signs. “We began advanced resuscitation efforts and continued CPR during evacuation to the hospital,” he said.

Authorities are still working to determine exactly what led to the brothers being swept into danger, even as search teams remain focused on finding the missing sibling.

The incident follows another recent drowning tragedy, in which a 48-year-old father lost his life in the Jordan River after trying to save his 9-year-old son, who had been carried off by powerful currents. Rescue personnel later declared the father deceased, while the child was taken to Ziv Hospital in Tzefas in light condition.

An Israeli restaurant in Munich was targeted in a suspected antisemitic attack overnight, after explosive devices were thrown into the establishment, causing significant damage, as a wave of antisemitic attacks continues.

10 April 2026, Bavaria, Munich: A detective stands in front of an Israeli restaurant with a flashlight. The window of the restaurant has been smashed in three places. Photo: Felix Hörhager/dpa (Photo by Felix Hörhager/picture alliance via Getty Images)

The restaurant, Eclipse Grill Bar, describes itself as “the first authentic Israeli restaurant in Munich,” making it an important symbol of Israeli culture and Jewish presence in the city.

The attack occurred around 12:45 a.m., when multiple blasts were reported. Unknown assailants hurled explosive or “pyrotechnic devices” directly into the restaurant, shattering windows and damaging parts of the inside of the restaurant. The restaurant was closed at the time, preventing what would have been a far more serious tragedy, and no injuries were reported.

Police have launched an active investigation and have not yet announced any arrests. Damage to the restaurant is estimated to be thousands of euros, with several windows blown out and serious destruction inside the building.

Despite the attack, the owners have made clear they intend to reopen quickly, to send a message of resilience and that Jews will not be intimidated. Support has already begun pouring in from locals and members of the community, as a show of solidarity.

The levayah of Mrs. Leah Yocheved Singer a”h took place Thursday in Yerushalayim after she was killed in a tragic accident while returning from the kever of the Pele Yoetz in Bulgaria.

During the emotional hespeidim, her husband revealed that just weeks earlier, she had shared a dream in which she saw herself being killed in an accident.

Mrs. Singer, 36, was niftar on Monday, Chol Hamoed Pesach, while traveling back from the kever of the Pele Yoetz. Her aron was brought to Eretz Yisroel earlier Thursday morning on a private plane, following a complex effort led by Eli Pollak, deputy CEO of United Hatzalah, who coordinated all the necessary logistics, approvals, and arrangements.

A large crowd participated in the levayah, which began at the Shamgar Funeral Home in Yerushalayim. Rav Shimon Shisha of Yad Avraham delivered brief opening remarks, noting that the nifteres had volunteered for 12 years at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, where she was involved in countless acts of chesed.

The levayah then passed by the Breslover shul on Rechov HaChoma HaShlishit, where additional hespeidim were delivered. Rav Moshe Bransdorfer, Gavad of Heichal Horaah, addressed the crowd and explained that although the month of Nissan is not a time for formal hespeidim, words meant to inspire are permitted. He described the nifteres as an extraordinary woman devoted to chesed, bringing comfort and joy to families during difficult moments in the hospital.

Her husband, Reb Chaim Singer, spoke with deep emotion and shared that in the past month, his wife had told him about a dream in which she was killed in an accident. At the time, he had dismissed it as “chalomos shav yedabeiru,” but tragically, the dream proved true. He also described how she davened daily with tears to be zocheh to children, and despite her personal struggles, she never showed pain outwardly, instead strengthening and uplifting everyone around her.

Her father, the well-known baal chesed Reb Chaim Cohen, chairman of Linas Hachesed, also delivered a powerful hesped. He noted that she was born while he was returning from the kever of the Noam Elimelech in Lizhensk, and now was niftar while returning from the kever of the Pele Yoetz—at the age of 36, the same age as the Pele Yoetz at his petirah. He urged the tzibbur to take upon themselves a kabbalah tova of achdus and to increase ahavas Yisroel for the next 40 days.

The final maspid was Rav Eliezer Berland, head of the mosdos of Shuvu Bonim, who called on those gathered to learn from the nifteres’s lifelong dedication to chesed. He said that her petirah served to sweeten harsh decrees and protect Klal Yisroel, declaring: “One can see that immediately after she passed away, the war stopped.” He urged everyone to engage in cheshbon hanefesh and to strengthen themselves, particularly in avoiding lashon hara.

Following the hespeidim, the large crowd accompanied the levayah on foot to Har HaZeisim, where she was laid to rest.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A network of militant neo-Nazi “active clubs” from across the United States is participating in combat training with other white nationalist groups in Virginia, as part of what their founder described as a “fascist cultural revolution.”

Social media posts and group chats show that members from clubs in Texas, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania have traveled in recent weeks and months to Lynchburg, Virginia, to train together at a secret compound. The site is operated by the “Vinland Wolves,” a neo-Nazi white nationalist hate group.

Members of the white supremacist group “Patriot Front” and the neo-Nazi skinhead group known as the “Hammerskins” were also present, according to an investigation by the British newspaper The Guardian. The network of white supremacist groups was founded by neo-Nazi Robert Rundo, who served a prison sentence in 2024 for conspiracy to organize riots at political rallies in California.

Experts have warned that these groups, which combine far-right extremism with fitness and combat sports to recruit and radicalize members across communities in the U.S. , pose a potential public safety threat.

An investigation by The Guardian found that participants in the Virginia gatherings included a teacher from Georgia, a former police officer from West Virginia who now runs a gym for children, an emergency medical technician from Tennessee, the son of a prominent activist from Maine, and the owner of a dog-walking business in Vermont.

In recent months, security officials in Canada and Germany, where police raided an active club suspected of illegal weapons possession, have warned that similar groups operating there also pose a potential violent threat to public safety. In January, the FBI linked several active clubs in Tennessee to white supremacists attempting to establish an armed military-style unit.

The founder of the far-right “Wolves” organization, Paul Wagner, organized the Virginia gatherings together with Russell Coleman, a member of the neo-Nazi skinhead group “Hammerskins.” Wagner also hinted that he would physically attack journalists covering the “Wolves” if he encountered them in person.

“They know what will happen to them if I ever get the chance to see them face-to-face,” he was quoted as saying in The Guardian. “They’ll probably have a heart attack before I can even get close to them.” He complained that media coverage of his group could cost them their livelihoods and warned that journalists reporting on them should be very careful.

Members of the “Wolves” have continued to deepen their connections. A group fighting under the name “Curious” traveled to South Carolina at the end of March to participate in a combat tournament organized by “Patriot Front,” according to social media posts.

Rundo, one of the movement’s founders, praised the group combat events, writing in a post: “These events are the starting point for a fascist cultural revolution ; this is the first step in building a parallel system.”

The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to oil traffic, with Iran showing no signs of honoring what the United States said was a non-negotiable condition of Wednesday’s ceasefire, raising urgent questions about whether the truce is worth the paper it’s written on.

A backlog of roughly 3,200 vessels — including 800 tankers and cargo ships — sits stranded west of the strait. Nearly 20,000 mariners remain stuck in the Persian Gulf. No oil tankers have risked the passage in recent days. The waterway that carries one-fifth of the world’s oil supply is, for all practical purposes, shut.

“We’re not seeing any, any, any oil products passing through there,” said Matt Smith, an analyst at Kpler, a data and intelligence company. “So, for all intents and purposes, the strait remains closed. And this is the leverage that Iran has.”

Only a trickle of vessels has moved at all. Three ships passed through Thursday — two Iranian-flagged and one dry bulk carrier. On Wednesday, five vessels transited in total. Those few that are moving are avoiding standard commercial lanes entirely, threading through a corridor near Iran’s Larak Island with some switching off their tracking systems as they pass.

President Donald Trump, who staked the ceasefire deal on Iran’s commitment to reopen the waterway, publicly unloaded on Tehran Thursday. “Iran is doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz. That is not the agreement we have!” he wrote on Truth Social. Trump had announced the ceasefire as contingent on Iran agreeing to the “COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING” of the strait — language that could hardly have been clearer.

The head of Abu Dhabi’s national oil company left no room for diplomatic ambiguity. “This moment requires clarity. So let’s be clear: the Strait of Hormuz is not open,” Sultan Al Jaber wrote on LinkedIn Thursday. “Access is being restricted, conditioned and controlled. Iran has made clear — through both its statements and actions — that passage is subject to permission, conditions and political leverage.”

Iran, it turns out, has demands. According to the Financial Times, Tehran is seeking a toll of $1 per barrel of oil transiting the strait, to be paid in cryptocurrency. Iranian state media said Wednesday the strait would remain closed in retaliation for continued Israeli strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon — attacks Washington insists fall outside the ceasefire’s scope.

Even if Iran were to declare the strait open tomorrow, analysts warn it would take far more than a statement to bring shipping back. “We don’t know whether the Strait of Hormuz is mined. Even if it isn’t, the risk of being hit by a missile or a drone is a big enough deterrent,” Smith said. “No one’s willing to take the chance.” War-risk insurance remains available in some cases but only at steep premiums with added restrictions — costs that make the math unworkable for most operators.

The economic fallout is already spreading. Cargo is being rerouted through ports in Oman and along the UAE’s east coast, tacking roughly two weeks onto voyage times and pushing costs up by about 25%.

With the ceasefire’s central promise unfulfilled, senior US and Iranian officials are set to meet Saturday in Pakistan for talks on a permanent agreement — negotiations that will take place against a backdrop of a strait that, whatever the paperwork says, remains closed.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Across the Arab world, reactions to the ceasefire agreement signed between the United States and Iran early Wednesday morning accused Iran of backing down in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump, describing it as surrender and even defeat.

Ahmed Khalifa, a political commentator from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, wrote on X: “To simplify it: Donald Trump said, ‘Open the Strait of Hormuz or I’ll send Iran back to the Stone Age.’ Iran not only agreed to open the strait, but also accepted a temporary ceasefire after weeks of refusing any pause and demanding a complete end to the war.”

“Now they are trying to spin it and present it in a more positive light to their audience and supporters. That’s their choice. The facts are simple: Trump made a demand, set a clear deadline with a serious threat — and Iran backed down. That’s the whole story.”

⛔️⛔️ Iran victorious! Iranians take to the streets in their thousands to celebrate victory over the US imperialists and Israeli, as Trump backs down and declares unilateral ceasefire. pic.twitter.com/tgDHetFGnY

— Beyond Borders (@beyondborders95) April 8, 2026

Waheed Bahman from Iran’s opposition wrote: “This ceasefire is certainly tactical and temporary. The spring that was stretched by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz had to be released in order to ease pressure on global energy markets. The Islamic Republic has taken the first step toward complete surrender. If it were up to me, even one more day of its existence would be too much, but that’s not in our hands. In short: the Islamic Republic now faces only two options, total surrender or total destruction, and in reality, it has only one choice.”

Lebanese journalist Rasha Khatib wrote: “Iran has been defeated: Opening the Strait of Hormuz: Iran had declared it would not open it except under certain conditions. A temporary ceasefire, while Iran had demanded a full ceasefire. The disconnection of Iran from its proxies in the Middle East, while Iran made clear it would not accept a ceasefire that did not include its proxies. These three points alone are enough to define an Iranian loss.”

Hashem Al-Amar from Jordan wrote: “Before the public in Iran goes out to celebrate ‘victory’: Iran has effectively surrendered, retreated, and given Trump what he wanted. Iran has lost its leadership, from senior figures to lower ranks. Iran has lost its military infrastructure. Iran is expected to give up its support for its regional proxies. Iran has lost its relations with its neighbors. Iran was deterred by Trump’s threats. Iran has suffered the greatest humiliation in its history. And enjoy the knafeh they’ll be handing out.”

The Wall Street Journal reports that Beijing pushed Tehran to go along with a ceasefire in part to improve its standing with President Trump before a planned summit next month, with Xi hoping that any goodwill could help him press China’s position on tariffs, tech controls, and Taiwan.

The key point is that China does not appear to have been the main architect of the ceasefire. According to the Journal, the heavier lifting was done by Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt, while China stepped in diplomatically to encourage Iran and then tried to convert that role into leverage in Washington.

China has every reason to calm the Iran front as it buys large volumes of Iranian oil, wants the Strait of Hormuz stabilized, and prefers to look like a responsible power without taking on the military or political burden of actually guaranteeing the deal. Reuters also reported that China publicly said it stayed in contact with all sides and wants the parties to seize the chance for peace.

The Taiwan angle is the real strategic hook here. The Journal says Xi wants to use any diplomatic credit from Iran to help convince Trump to soften U.S. backing for Taiwan and accept Beijing’s “breakaway province” framing. That remains China’s goal, not a U.S. concession. I did not find any official Trump administration statement endorsing that position.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei released a series of posts on X on Thursday marking forty days since the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, describing the event as the “martyrdom of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.”

He began his message with a verse from the Quran, writing, “Indeed, We have given you, [O Muhammad], a clear victory (Quran 48:1),” and went on to describe the past forty days as following a “dreadful crime” carried out by “enemies of Islam & Iran.”

Khamenei claimed that, in contrast to historical precedents, supporters of his father did not falter but instead “rose up to confront falsehood” and held firm. He added that during this period, followers have behaved “like balls of fire on the heads of the Pharaohs.”

Referring to what he called the “Third Sacred Defense,” Khamenei asserted that “the heroic nation of Iran” is “the definite victor in this battlefield.”

Turning to Iran’s neighbors in the region, he said they were “witnessing a miracle” and urged them to “stand on the right side” by rejecting what he described as “false promises of the devils,” an apparent reference to Israel and the United States. He also stated that Iran is waiting for “an appropriate response” from those countries and suggested that future relations would hinge on their willingness to “renounce the Arrogant Powers.”

Khamenei further warned that Iran would not allow “criminal aggressors” to avoid consequences, saying the country would seek “full reparations for all damages caused,” along with compensation for those killed and injured.

He reiterated Iran’s stance on the Strait of Hormuz, stating that the country intends to move its management “to a new phase,” while emphasizing that Iran does not seek conflict but will not “relinquish” what he described as its rightful claims.

In closing, Khamenei said Iran would continue pursuing what he called justice for the deaths of his father and others, adding that the country remains committed to the path of the “Resistance Front” and to standing “against the Front of Disbelief and Arrogance.”

However, the posts appear to conflict with multiple reports citing U.S. and Israeli intelligence, which claim that Mojtaba Khamenei is currently in Qom, about 87 miles south of Tehran, and in a serious “semi-comatose” or “critical condition” that leaves him unable to make decisions. He has not been seen in public, and some reports have suggested that videos circulating online may be generated using artificial intelligence, with indications that the IRGC is effectively controlling the country.

Rom Braslavski, a survivor of Hamas captivity, said he has been subjected to curses and threats after sharing a personal story about helping Arab municipal workers near his home, sparking a heated public debate online.

In a post published Thursday, Braslavski described an encounter that took place earlier in the day and said he has since faced backlash. “They’re attacking me with curses and threats just because I shared something from the heart,” he wrote.

According to Braslavski, the morning began with the sound of cleaning and gardening work outside his home. At around 9 a.m., he noticed older Arab municipal workers continuing their labor throughout the day and decided, on his own initiative, to approach them. “Something in my instinct was to feel compassion for an older person working so hard,” he wrote.

He said he went into a nearby store to buy a few items and chose to purchase cans of soda and cigarettes for the workers. He then approached them and spoke in Arabic. “They were in shock, they didn’t understand why I bought for them, and how I speak such good Arabic,” he recalled, noting that his wearing a kippah while offering help added to their surprise.

“The looks on their faces—that I’m wearing a kippah, not hating them, and on the contrary wanting to help—were total shock,” he added.

In his post, Braslavski raised broader questions about the state of society, writing: “Why has helping another person become something unusual and out of the ordinary? Why would an older Arab be shocked that a young Jewish man cares for him? Have we become a society with that much hatred between Arabs and Jews?”

He also reflected on his own past, including his experience being kidnapped, but said that should not erase basic humanity. “I was kidnapped by Arabs. Am I in love with them? No. But we must leave room for humanity within all this chaos that we live in,” he wrote.

Braslavski emphasized that he did not seek attention for his actions. “I didn’t tell them who I am, I didn’t take a picture with them. I gave them the can, wished them peace, and left.”

Despite that, he said that once the story became public, he was met with harsh reactions online, including insults and threats. “I did nothing wrong,” he wrote in a follow-up post, expressing frustration over the response.

He concluded with a message directed at both communities: “I wish for Jews to start being humane toward Jews first. And for Arabs—not to see Jews as their enemy. Have a good Thursday.”

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration this week acknowledged it made a significant error in figures it used to help justify a fraud probe into New York’s Medicaid program, a glaring mistake that undercuts a federal campaign to tackle waste, mostly in Democratic-led states.

The error, one of at least a few misrepresentations in its description of the program, prompted health analysts to question how many of the Republican administration’s sweeping anti-fraud efforts around the country were based on faulty findings. It also reflected a common criticism that’s been made of Trump’s second administration — that it tends to attack first and confirm the facts later.

“These numbers could have been cleared up in a phone call, so it’s really slapdash,” said Fiscal Policy Institute senior health policy adviser Michael Kinnucan, whose recent analysis called attention to the Trump administration’s inaccurate claim.

The mistake appeared in comments made last month by Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, in a social media video and in a letter to New York’s Democratic governor announcing the fraud investigation.

Oz claimed that New York’s Medicaid program last year provided some 5 million people with personal care services, which assist people in need with basic activities like bathing, grooming and meal preparation. That would add up to nearly three-fourths of the state’s 6.8 million Medicaid enrollees.

“That level of utilization is unheard of,” Oz said in the video, adding in his post that New York needs to “come clean about its Medicaid program.”

But the real number of New Yorkers who used those services last year was about 450,000, or between 6% and 7% of total enrollees, CMS spokesman Chris Krepich told The Associated Press this week in the agency’s first public acknowledgment of the error. He said the agency misidentified New York’s approach to applying billing codes and had since refined its methodology.

“CMS is committed to ensuring its analyses fully reflect state-specific billing practices and will continue to work closely with New York to validate data and strengthen program integrity oversight,” he said in an emailed statement.

Krepich said the probe was ongoing as the administration still has concerns with New York’s oversight of personal care services and the Medicaid program and is reviewing the state’s response to last month’s letter. CMS had raised other flags about New York’s program, including that it spends more per beneficiary and per resident than the average state, has high personal care spending and employs so many personal care aides that the job category is now the largest in the state.

Health analysts said the state’s high spending reflected both high costs for services in New York and a policy choice to provide robust at-home care. Cadence Acquaviva, senior public information officer for the New York Department of Health, called Oz’s initial mischaracterizations “a targeted attempt to obscure the facts.”

“New York State remains committed to protecting and preserving vital Medicaid programs that deliver high-quality services to New Yorkers who depend on them,” she said.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Gov. Kathy Hochul said, “The initial claim by CMS was patently false, and we are glad they now admit it.”

“Governor Hochul has been clear that New York has zero tolerance for waste, fraud and abuse in Medicaid, or any other state programs, and will continue her efforts to root out bad actors, protect taxpayer dollars, and safeguard the critical programs that New Yorkers rely on,” spokesperson Nicolette Simmonds said.

New York probe is part of a larger crackdown
The Trump administration’s investigation into New York comes as it has similarly approached at least four other states, including California, Florida, Maine and Minnesota, with investigations into potential health care fraud. The anti-fraud effort appears to be expanding as voters in the upcoming midterm elections say they’re concerned about affordability.

Trump last month signed an executive order to create an anti-fraud task force across federal benefit programs led by Vice President JD Vance. As part of that project, Vance announced the administration would temporarily halt $243 million in Medicaid funding to Minnesota over fraud concerns, a move over which the state has since sued.

Kinnucan, the analyst with expertise in New York’s Medicaid program, said he’s concerned that the Trump administration’s adversarial approach to targeting fraud in some states “politicizes” a conversation that should be a team effort.

“We want to think collaboratively among all the stakeholders in the program about how we can actually fix it,” Kinnucan said. “We don’t want to have fraud be this political football.”

Oz made other claims New York advocates say are inaccurate
In his video, Oz made at least two other claims about New York that Medicaid advocates and beneficiaries say distorted the facts.

In one instance, he said the state recently made its screening for personal care eligibility “more lenient by allowing problems like being ‘easily distracted’ to qualify for a personal care assistant.”

Rebecca Antar, director of the health law unit at the Legal Aid Society, said the opposite was true — that the state in a rule change that went into effect last September instead made its program requirements more stringent. She said being “easily distracted” doesn’t appear anywhere among them.

Krepich said the administrator was referring to whether New York’s standard for personal care services was “sufficiently rigorous.”

“When standards are overly permissive, it risks diverting resources away from individuals with the highest levels of need and placing long-term pressure on the sustainability of the Medicaid program,” he said.

Oz in the video also referred to personal care services as “something that our families would normally do for us, like carrying groceries.”

Kathleen Downes, a 33-year-old who has quadriplegic cerebral palsy and uses personal care services in New York’s Nassau County, said she was offended by the notion that all Medicaid beneficiaries have family members who are willing and able to help.

Downes, who has been disabled since birth and needs personal care help for things like showering, using the toilet and eating, said she hires both her mother and outside assistants for personal care services, so her aging mother doesn’t have to take on those tasks full time. She said her mother did the labor unpaid for years, precluding her from pursuing other career opportunities.

“He’s assuming that everybody wants to and can just do it for free forever,” Downes said. “And that’s not feasible for a lot of people.”

Lakewood Airport will receive a grant of $261,610 from the state to help with its master plan improvements.

The grant is one of 11 FY26 Airport Improvement Program grants to 11 airports totaling more than $6.5 million in state funds, and an additional $800,000 in FAA matching grant funds to support airport safety and improvement projects. These grants, which leverage state funding and airport contributions, will support approximately $7.3 million worth of work.

These grants, which leverage state funding and airport contributions, will support more than $7.6 million worth of work.

Grants are awarded through a competitive process, with an emphasis on projects designed to enhance safety, remove obstructions, rehabilitate existing facilities and equipment, and make capital improvements. The projects receiving funds this year include airport master plan development, taxiway design and construction, lighting improvements, obstruction removal, transient apron design & construction and safety improvements at 11 airports in nine counties throughout the state.

The 12 FY25 grants will be funded solely through NJDOT’s Transportation Trust Fund and Airport Safety Fund, with the state providing 90 percent of the eligible cost and the remaining 10 percent covered by the airport owner. Lakewood Airport will contribute $29,067 for this specific project.

Senior IDF officials told lawmakers in a classified Knesset session that Iran’s emerging leadership is more hardline than the previous regime, even as Israel has achieved notable military gains in its recent operation.

During the closed discussion held by the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, military representatives presented an updated assessment of developments in Iran, delivering a mixed message. While highlighting operational successes, they emphasized that Israel is not seeing any moderation in Tehran’s leadership—rather, a shift toward greater extremism. According to the report, officials told lawmakers that “the Iranian regime that is now taking shape is more extreme than its predecessor,” stressing that this change carries direct implications for future security and regional dynamics.

At the same time, IDF officials underscored that the latest operation produced “very significant military achievements,” aimed at degrading the enemy’s capabilities and limiting its operational freedom. However, they also noted signs that Iran is beginning to recover from the initial blow, pointing to new leadership appointments and actions taken in other arenas, including the Strait of Hormuz.

Following the briefing, Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Boaz Bismuth warned that “there is a possibility that the campaign could resume in the coming days,” adding that he views the current situation as only an interim stage rather than a conclusion.

The overall message from the discussion was clear: Israeli officials are not treating recent developments as an endpoint. While the IDF is reporting substantial operational success, lawmakers were also presented with a more cautious outlook regarding the direction of Iran’s leadership and the likelihood that hostilities could flare up again in the near future.

A heavy cloud of mourning has descended upon the city of Ashdod following the petirah of Rav Avrohom Altman zt”l, the rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Ateres Tzvi, who was niftar at the age of 94.

In recent days, his condition had weakened, though over Pesach he was still able to daven in his bais medrash as usual. On Thursday, he suddenly collapsed at his home in Ashdod, and despite resuscitation efforts by emergency responders, he was niftar.

The levayah was held at Ateres Tzvi on Rechov HaAdmor MiGur in Ashdod’s District Zayin, and proceeded to Har Hamenuchos in Yerushalayim, where he wa slaid to rest.

Rav Altman zt”l was born in Argentina on the 9th of Shevat 5692 to his father, Reb Chaim Altman zt”l, and his mother, Mrs. Sheindel a”h.

During his youth in Argentina, he learned under Rav Tzvi Zeidel Semiaticky zt”l of Yeshivas Toras Emes in London, who would travel to Argentina as part of his efforts to strengthen Torah learning worldwide.

After going to Eretz Yisroel in the 1970s, he settled in Ashdod, where he established a mesivta for young talmidim. Over time, he founded Yeshivas Ateres Tzvi, initially for bochurim of Sephardic background, and later expanded it to include hundreds of avreichim in a flourishing kollel. The yeshiva was first located in District Aleph before later relocating to District Zayin.

He established the yeshiva in memory of his revered rebbe, Rav Semiaticky zt”l, naming it Ateres Tzvi in his honor.

Today, hundreds of avreichim are shteiging in the yeshiva, and the rosh yeshiva dedicated himself tirelessly to sustaining the kollel, traveling across the globe to secure its support, to which he devoted himself completely.

Over the decades, the yeshiva produced many talmidim who went on to become rabbonim and leaders of kehillos in both Eretz Yisroel and abroad. Even after transitioning into a kollel, the framework retained the structure and spirit of a traditional yeshiva, with the rosh yeshiva continuing to deliver shiurim and shmuessen.

In addition to being a marbitz Torah, Rav Altman was counted among the prominent rabbonim of Ashdod. From time to time, he would publish words of chizuk and hisorerus on matters requiring attention, often joined by other rabbonim of the city.

He is survived by a distinguished family, led by his son, Rav Eliyahu Meir Altman, rosh kollel of Ateres Tzvi in Ashdod.

Tehei nishmaso tzrurah b’tzror hachaim.

{Matzav.com}

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani acknowledged that his campaign pledge to make buses free citywide will not be implemented this year, marking a significant shift from one of the central promises of his run for office.

Instead, the mayor said he is now focusing on reviving a scaled-down version of a fare-free bus pilot program, confirming that New Yorkers will not see the full rollout of no-cost bus service in the immediate future.

Despite the change in timeline, Mamdani maintained that he remains committed to the broader goal. “We’re encouraged by the conversations we’re having with the governor and legislative leaders to take action on that in 2026 as a first step,” he said.

He added, “Both legislative houses included language within their one-house budget proposals in support of bringing back a free bus pilot program. That is something that we are encouraged by, and it continues to be part of budget negotiations.”

Governor Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers are currently in the midst of budget talks, where the idea of reinstating a limited free bus program is under discussion, according to state Sen. Michael Gianaris.

Gianaris and Mamdani, then a Queens assemblyman, previously worked together in 2023 to launch a pilot program offering free bus service in parts of Queens as part of that year’s state budget.

The program’s success led Mamdani to advocate for expanding the concept across all five boroughs the following year.

However, efforts to broaden the initiative were halted after a dispute with Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, who removed the proposal from the budget following disagreements over an unrelated housing issue, according to sources.

Mamdani later ran for mayor in 2025, highlighting the Queens pilot as a model and pushing for a citywide expansion of fare-free buses under the MTA.

Gianaris said the current proposal under consideration would provide free service on three bus routes in each borough at an estimated cost of $45 million.

The idea has received mixed reactions in Albany, with some skepticism from state leaders, including Hochul, who had expressed reservations about the plan even before Mamdani took office.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Janno Lieber has also criticized the proposal, suggesting it is underdeveloped and could end up costing significantly more than projected.

It remains uncertain whether even a limited version of the program will be included in the state’s $263 billion budget, which is already past its deadline.

Sources indicated that a narrower pilot similar to the earlier Queens program could still be included in the final agreement, despite Hochul’s reluctance to commit additional funding after allocating $1.5 billion to support New York City over the next two years.

Speaking at a separate news conference in Manhattan, Hochul said that housing initiatives and proposed auto insurance reforms are taking priority in the budget discussions over transit changes.

“We’re working on those right now,” she said, adding, “Certainly we have had conversations on some accommodation on the cost of buses.”

MTA officials declined to comment directly, referring inquiries to the governor’s office, which did not respond.

Mamdani’s revised stance on free buses is the latest in a series of policy adjustments during his early months in office.

Last month, he appointed a Deputy Mayor of Community Safety, opting to establish a smaller agency rather than moving forward with his earlier proposal to overhaul how the city handles mental health emergency calls through a new department.

A City Hall spokesperson said the administration remains committed to the long-term goal. “Mayor Mamdani is committed to delivering fast and free buses by the time he leaves office, full stop,” the representative said. “His First Deputy Mayor is in active discussions with the Governor’s office regarding fare free buses. In the meantime, the Mamdani administration will continue to work with our partners at the state and local level to make commutes faster and our transit system more affordable for all New Yorkers.”

Israel’s security cabinet quietly approved the establishment of 34 new communities in Judea and Samaria in what Hebrew reports describe as the largest single approval of its kind ever passed in one cabinet session. The decision, reported first by i24NEWS and echoed by Srugim, would bring the total number of approved communities to 103 from 69, with some of the new sites reportedly slated for remote areas in northern Samaria that even the army reaches only infrequently. 

According to the report, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who was present at the meeting, did not flatly oppose the move but warned about manpower limits and urged a phased rollout rather than opening so many sites at once. That position was not adopted. Two of the communities named in the report, Noya and Emek Dotan, are said to be planned inside Palestinian enclaves between Areas A and B, with Emek Dotan intended to link Sa-Nur, Homesh and Shavei Shomron. 

A tractor disperses food for gray cranes flocking on the banks of Agamon Lake in the Hula Valley Nature Reserve in northern Israel on January 15, 2026. The Hula Valley is home to a unique migration sanctuary for hundreds of millions of birds migrating from Europe and Asia to Africa and back during the spring and autumn seasons. Local farmers feed the birds with corn in a bid to prevent them from destroying their agricultural fields. (Photo by Jack GUEZ / AFP via Getty Images)

The most consequential detail may be buried in the classified annex: infrastructure for electricity and water would reportedly be allowed to move forward even before the land-regulation process is completed, a precedent-setting step that could accelerate facts on the ground well before the usual legal and planning stages are finished. The report says the decision was kept under tight classification in part to avoid U.S. pressure during the Iran campaign; that sensitivity tracks with Reuters reporting from February that the Trump administration had reiterated its opposition to Israeli annexation moves in Judea and Samaria. Defense Minister Israel Katz and Minister in the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich did not comment in the report.

The Trump administration is preparing to implement a new system that would automatically register eligible men for the military draft beginning in December, a move aimed at simplifying the process should conscription be reinstated for the first time in more than five decades.

Under the proposal, the Selective Service System would directly enroll “every male citizen of the United States” between the ages of 18 and 25 into its database, replacing the current requirement that individuals sign up on their own.

Although the United States has not used a draft since 1973 during the Vietnam War, the potential for a prolonged conflict with Iran has raised concerns that conscription could return, prompting the policy shift.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the issue last month, telling reporters that a draft is “not part of the current plan” but emphasized that Trump “wisely keeps his options on the table.”

“There’s no greater priority or responsibility to this president than, of course, protecting the American people and protecting our troops,” she said.

Officials say the change is intended to make registration more efficient. However, reinstating an active draft would still require Congress to revise the Military Selective Service Act to give the president authority to draft civilians during a national emergency.

Federal law already requires all male U.S. citizens between 18 and 25 to register with the Selective Service System, which maintains a list of individuals eligible for potential military service.

The requirement also applies to male immigrants, including those without legal status and refugees, as well as transgender individuals who were born male, dual citizens, Americans living abroad, and individuals with disabilities.

Women are currently excluded from registration under existing law, which only authorizes the enrollment of “male persons.”

However, the Selective Service System has indicated it “is prepared to expand registration” if Congress enacts legislation that would include women in mandatory service.

Certain groups are exempt from registering, including those already serving on active duty, some individuals with disabilities, and those who are incarcerated. Men who previously served but were discharged before turning 26 must still register.

Individuals who claim conscientious objection are still required to register.

Participation in the system has declined in recent years, partly due to the removal of draft registration from federal student loan applications in 2022, according to reports.

Failure to register remains a felony offense.

Those who do not comply can face fines of up to $250,000 or up to five years in prison, and may also lose access to student loans, government employment at all levels, and U.S. citizenship if they are immigrants.

Men are expected to register within 30 days of turning 18, though late registration is accepted until age 26.

If a draft is activated, those registered would be entered into a lottery system, where birthdays are randomly selected to determine the order of induction.

Individuals turning 20 in the year of the lottery would be called first, followed by those aged 21 through 25, then 19-year-olds, and finally those who are 18-and-a-half.

Those selected would be able to request deferments, postponements, or exemptions before reporting to a Military Entrance Processing Station for physical, mental, and moral evaluations.

After completing the process, they would either be inducted into military service or released.

Congress approved automatic draft registration last December as part of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, a key annual measure that funds military operations and personnel.

Currently, 46 states and territories already have systems in place that automatically register eligible men when they apply for driver’s licenses or identification cards.

The Selective Service System submitted its proposed “automatic registration” rule to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on March 30.

According to the agency, the change will result “in a streamlined registration process and corresponding workforce realignment.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday sharply criticized President Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, holding them responsible for rising and unstable energy costs impacting households across the United Kingdom, and said he has grown increasingly frustrated with how global conflicts are driving oil prices.

“I’m fed up with the fact that families across the country see their bills go up and down on energy businesses bills go up and down on energy because of the actions of Putin or Trump across the world,” Starmer told ITV News on Thursday.

Starmer has repeatedly taken aim at Trump in recent weeks, arguing that the ongoing war with Iran has contributed to global instability and driven up costs for ordinary families, even as critics point out that his own government has taken limited direct action to ease the burden.

During the interview, Starmer reiterated that Britain would not be drawn into the conflict, stressing that UK military infrastructure would not be used for broader offensive operations, particularly those targeting civilians.

“From the get-go, we’ve been monitoring this situation. So I’m pretty clear in my own mind about what we’ve agreed and what the use of the bases are,” he said. “I’ve been saying we are not going to be dragged into this war because I say there must be a lawful basis.”

“That matters if you’re going to commit our service personnel to risk their lives,” he added.

His comments come as King Charles III prepares for an upcoming state visit to the United States later this month, a trip that Trump has welcomed but that is viewed in Britain as placing the monarch in a delicate position amid the growing tensions between the two leaders.

Starmer, who is currently traveling in the Middle East, had already angered Trump earlier this year when he rejected a US request to use a British military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for operations related to the conflict with Iran.

Aside from calling for “de-escalation” and encouraging diplomatic engagement, critics say Starmer has not taken significant steps to reduce tensions, instead focusing on coordination with allies and strengthening long-term economic and security resilience.

His administration has prioritized closer cooperation with European partners and efforts to protect key shipping routes, rather than direct military involvement.

Starmer was not alone among British officials in expressing frustration. Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper also criticized Iran’s proposal to impose fees on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

“Countries cannot simply hijack those kinds of international transit routes and unilaterally apply tolls,” she told the BBC. “They cannot do that as part of the laws of the sea and the United Nations arrangements.”

Trump has voiced support for the idea and has even suggested that the United States could take a share of the revenue generated from such tolls.

Before the conflict with Iran escalated, ships were able to pass through the strategically vital strait — a key route for oil and goods moving between the Middle East and Europe — without charge.

Iran has since proposed a fee of $1 per barrel of oil transported through the waterway, a move that could significantly increase costs given that large tankers often carry more than a million barrels per shipment.

Britain is currently leading a coalition of roughly 40 countries working on both military and diplomatic strategies to secure and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, though progress has so far been limited.

Cooper emphasized the broader importance of maintaining open maritime routes, telling the BBC that the freedom of navigation is a “principle that applies right across the globe, and it’s crucial for the cost of living back here at home. It’s crucial for the global economy.”

In a powerful shmuess delivered during Chol Hamoed amid the ongoing war with Iran and its proxies, Slabodka Rosh Yeshiva Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch issued a strong warning against relying on human efforts and advanced defense systems, urging the tzibbur to recognize that everything comes solely from the Ribbono Shel Olam.

Speaking in the beis medrash of Darchei Ish in Bnei Brak, Rav Hirsch addressed at length the responsibility resting on the public during this time, emphasizing the spiritual danger inherent in placing confidence in technological advancements such as air defense systems and interceptions.

He opened with a striking historical account from World War II, when the threat of destruction loomed over the Jewish yishuv in Eretz Yisroel as Nazi forces advanced toward Egypt: “It is known that in 1943 or 1944, the Nazi enemy was ממש in Egypt, on the way to enter Eretz Yisroel, and, chas v’shalom, destroy all those here. And there was a very, very strong tefillah from the public, and in a miraculous way he decided not to enter and turned back. And the Chazon Ish said then that we see here the power of tefillah, and if this is the power of tefillah—what a shame that we did not know this earlier! We did not know everything that was happening in Europe. If we had davened then like we davened now, it could be that all the destruction of Europe would not have happened—that is what the Chazon Ish said.”

Building on that, Rav Hirsch continued with deep pain: “Regarding our situation here, there is a feeling that there is a lack in the ציבור in the power of tefillah—we are not feeling it enough. I think the reason people do not feel so much that tefillah helps is because a person does not see with his eyes each time that tefillah works immediately. In truth, if a person would really feel that if we daven with all our strength it would prevent anything from happening—then our tefillah would look completely different. We do not see among most of the ציבור a fundamental change in the way we daven now. Shemoneh Esrei should be much longer, there should be a fundamental change in the entire form of tefillah, and we do not see that. And that is what I wanted to speak about—to strengthen ourselves, because what we actually need now is tefillah! There are things happening, there are also nissim, but we need tefillah, and there is a lack of tefillah.”

He then explained the יסוד of true tefillah, drawing from the words of the Rishonim and Acharonim: “There is a fundamental condition in tefillah, and everyone agrees to it. The essence of tefillah is submission and ביטול before the Creator, and strengthening the recognition that a person has nothing and that his entire existence depends on the Borei Olam, and he feels himself like a poor and lost person who awaits to receive from Hashem. This is written in the Maharal and the Mabit—the foundation and condition of tefillah is that a person comes to Hashem and says: ‘I am nothing! I have nothing and everything is from You, every single thing is from You!’ And therefore I ask only in this way. Someone who just asks casually—that is not tefillah. Tefillah requires the feeling that I am nothing and everything is from Hashem and therefore I ask.”

At this point, Rav Hirsch delivered his central warning, directly addressing the reality of modern technology: “There are many levels to how much a person truly feels this. Imagine that suddenly some machine would be discovered that could certainly prevent everything—that every missile or cluster bomb that is launched would be stopped in the middle of its path and nothing would reach anywhere—everyone would feel ‘Baruch Hashem, very good.’ But how many would feel that the Ribbono Shel Olam performed a nes here and we must thank Him, or, chalilah, would there be a feeling that naturally we are now saved?

“There is a lack of importance and recognition that everything—everything—is from Hashem! There is a certain feeling that there is a ‘natural way’ that helps us, that all the developments and interceptions we have—that is what helps, that is what is good, and people do not attribute it to ‘Baruch Hashem that Hashem created this reality that we can intercept.’ A person must feel that everything is Hashem! Even if one does not say it out loud, he must feel it. Every small internal feeling that is not connected to Hashem, that we rely on something that is not Hashem—this weakens the כוח of tefillah! The power of tefillah must come from the fact that we are nothing. Nothing. And if Hashem does us a chesed that there are things that help in a natural way—Hashem did that! The moment there is a feeling that now ‘it is easier for us’ in a natural way, and therefore I am ‘not as close’ to Hashem—that itself is a tremendous חסרון in tefillah.”

Rav Hirsch concluded with a heartfelt call to action: “Tefillah must be strong, מתוך a feeling that it is what helps. Tefillah must be with the sense that nothing good happens except through Hashem. Everything that is called ‘natural,’ supposedly because of scientific advancement—that is not really scientific advancement, it is nothing! Everything is Hashem! Hashem did us a chesed that there is some level of advancement so that we do not need open miracles, but everything is from Him.

“If we feel that we depend only on Hashem, that without Him we have nothing, and we daven with all our strength and all our כוח—then, im yirtzeh Hashem, there will be success, there will be no harm, and everything will be good for us. But we must strengthen ourselves in tefillah! To strengthen and feel that everything is from Hashem and we have nothing besides Him, and then siyata d’Shmaya and tefillah will help.”

{Matzav.com}

Iran-linked hacking group “Handala” claimed this morning it breached devices of former IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and released thousands of alleged sensitive images and videos.

The group said it collected over 19,000 files, including footage of military briefings, base visits, and undisclosed meetings, including with Jordanian General Yousef Huneiti and U.S. CENTCOM commander Michael Kurilla.

Some personal materials, including family photos and ID cards, were also leaked, with no immediate response from the IDF as concerns grow over repeated cyber breaches targeting senior Israeli officials.

A senior IDF official said on Thursday evening that the IDF’s Operation Eternal Darkness against Hezbollah on Wednesday was a wildly successful operation comparable in results to the pagers operation, military correspondent Yossi Yehoshua reported.

“A new intelligence capability made it possible to locate Hezbollah’s alternative command centers and strike directly at its leadership,” Yehoshua said. “The result: a broad blow to the core of Hezbollah’s command-and-control system—a surprise strike that had originally been planned as the opening move of the campaign even before the war, and was later adapted after Hezbollah changed its deployment.”

“Within roughly 10 minutes, around 100 command centers were struck, hitting most of the organization’s covert infrastructure.”

“According to assessments, hundreds of terrorists were killed, including many commanders—distinguishing this operation from the pagers operation, in which mainly lower-level terrorists, rather than senior commanders, were killed.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

A report revealed today that Hungary offered to share intelligence with Iran following the 2024 Hezbollah pager explosions that wounded thousands across Lebanon.

According to leaked transcripts, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told Iran’s Abbas Araghchi that Hungarian intelligence had already made contact and would share “every possible document” from its investigation.

Separate leaked audio also suggested Hungary offered Russia sensitive EU-related documents, highlighting growing concerns over Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s alignment with Moscow and Tehran.

NEW YORK (AP) — In his first 100 days in office, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has governed with a star power unusual in politics.

Crowds of supporters show up to his news conferences. Basic municipal services have been infused with newfound excitement. Celebrities help him promote his agenda.

In the process, he’s been able to notch a few notable early wins. And he’s reached a detente — at least for now — with President Donald Trump, a mercurial leader with an affinity for celebrities.

But as Mamdani, a Democrat, marks an early milestone in his mayoralty, it remains to be seen whether he’ll be able to leverage his fame into achieving the progressive policy proposals that propelled him to office.

Though he’s not without staunch critics, many of whom still view his past criticisms of the police department and Israel as major problems, the mayor has been able to ease concerns among at least some skeptics.

“It’s early but so far, so good,” said Jay Jacobs, chair of the state’s Democratic Party, who made waves for not endorsing Mamdani during the election. “We may not agree on everything philosophically, but he is getting the job done.”

‘Work as hard and as fast as New Yorkers’
As the mayor approached his 100th day — long a benchmark for judging an administration’s opening vision — his team has moved to highlight the administration’s commitment to the everyday responsibilities of the job.

While much of those duties are typical for his local office — picking up trash, plowing snow and filling potholes — the 34-year-old mayor has leaned on his knack for viral content creation to drive interest and awareness of government programs.

As a storm bore down on the city this winter, Mamdani’s calls on social media for more snow shovelers helped recruit thousands of new shovelers. Another social media video announcement from the mayor this winter, this time about the city’s emergency alert system, brought more than 50,000 new subscribers to the program in a week, his office said.

Alongside New York Liberty star Natasha Cloud of the WNBA, Mamdani announced a bracket-style competition where people could vote on small repairs they want the mayor to come and personally fix in their neighborhoods. In a few weeks, more than 21,000 votes were cast.

And to hype up his child care program for 2-year-olds, Mamdani recruited Cardi B to help judge a jingle contest that will determine the program’s theme song.

“The challenge that we set out for ourselves was to work as hard and as fast as New Yorkers do,” Mamdani told reporters on his 99th day in office this week.

The celebrity status, though, can also prompt backlash. During a bitter cold snap, his surprise appearance on the “Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon” was seen by some as insensitive at a moment when the death toll of homeless New Yorkers was rapidly rising.

“Too much styling and profiling,” said Curtis Sliwa, a Republican who ran against Mamdani during last year’s election, noting longstanding problems with street homelessness, public housing and infrastructure.

Still, Sliwa, who hammered Mamdani during the campaign but recently appeared in a comedy skit with the mayor during the City Hall press corps’ annual roast, appeared to give Mamdani some credit, even if it came with a caveat.

“We just had Eric Adams, swagger man who’d party to the break of dawn, and now we have a guy who seems like he’s got a normal working schedule,” said Sliwa, referencing the city’s previous mayor. “So having Zohran as the alternative, I think for a lot of people even if they disagree with him, there’s some stability.”

Budget woes
Mamdani has also trained his outsized audience on another routine reality of city governance: budgeting.

Earlier this year, Mamdani held an unusually dour press conference at City Hall about a massive gap in the city budget, saying either the state would have to raise taxes on the wealthy or he would have to increase local property taxes to balance the budget.

The public play from the mayor was widely seen as a strategy to pressure New York Gov. Kathy Hochul into approving a millionaires tax, a key priority for Mamdani and his base. Hochul, a moderate Democrat who is up for reelection this year, has strongly opposed such a measure.

After the City Council released a separate budget proposal that found different ways to close the gap, Mamdani slammed the plan and released a video calling out Council Speaker Julie Menin, resulting in some of his supporters attacking the speaker online.

The city’s budget woes, still unsolved, could prove a major hurdle for Mamdani as he pursues his agenda.

Andrew Rein, president of the fiscally conservative Citizens Budget Commission, said Mamdani has an “extra challenging” budget process ahead of him, but that the mayor’s communications savvy could help him navigate the rough terrain.

“What we’ve seen is him bringing his newer strategies and tools to communications but in a very practical, old-school problem,” Rein said. “When he uses his communications skills to get people more invested and to improve the functioning of government and to help New Yorkers the trade offs that have to be made, that is going to be a great win.”

Still a star among supporters
On the night of Mamdani’s election party, hundreds packed the streets, some spontaneously, waiting for a glimpse of the mayor-elect leaving the venue. Departing campaign aides were cheered, by name, well after midnight. One attendee likened the street party to Beatlemania.

“I feel like I’m at a presidential inauguration,” said Medhavie Agnihotri, a 25-year-old tech consultant. “This is the first time in a while I’ve felt this hope.”

His star power has not appeared to wane since then among some factions.

Outside City Hall, New Yorkers and tourists frequently stop for selfies, peering through the iron gates in search of the mayor.

This week, on the mayor’s 97th day in office, a massive crowd gathered in the lobby of the busy Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, watching as Mamdani announced the city would start sending some people with serious medical illnesses to the hospital from the city’s notorious Riker’s Island jail.

He entered to woos and applause from the large group, many appearing to be hospital staffers who held up cellphones to record videos of the mayor speaking. Dozens more watched along from a set of elevated walkways.

One man, Ricardo Granados, a 67-year-old retiree, was on his way to take his son to a medical appointment but stopped to see what all the hubbub was about. He appeared delighted to learn Mamdani was going to show up, saying he met Mamdani previously when Mamdani was campaigning in Granados’ neighborhood.

“I’m extremely fond of him. I think he’s going to make a real difference,” Granados said. “He wants to find out who needs what and he wants to help.”

The first 100 days of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration have been defined by a push for massive tax increases and a rapid retreat from several of his most prominent campaign promises, leaving both supporters and critics questioning the direction of his mayoralty.
Despite campaigning on a platform of heavily taxing the wealthy to fund a variety of city programs, the socialist mayor has introduced proposals that would exact a combined `$23 billion in new taxes, with significant portions threatening middle-class New Yorkers.

Initially claiming a budget shortfall of 12 billion, later revised down to 5.4 billion, Mamdani shocked many by threatening a 9.5 percent across-the-board property tax increase if his proposals to “tax the rich” were not met. The property tax hike, which would affect an estimated three million residential units owned by New Yorkers earning an average of $122,000 a year, was projexted to generate 3.7 billion annually. Facing swift backlash from the public and the City Council, the mayor has since largely stopped mentioning the proposal.
In Albany, Mamdani’s administration has circulated a wish list of tax hikes that require state approval. These include a controversial plan to slash the estate tax exemption threshold from $7 million down to just 750,000, while raising the top rate from 16 percent to 50 percent. Critics warn this measure would heavily burden middle-class families whose homes often sell for well over the new six-figure threshold, generating an estimated $`4 billion a year for the city.

The mayor is also seeking a two percent income tax hike for New Yorkers earning `$1 billion or more, alongside corporate tax increases to 10.8 percent for financial firms and 10.62 percent for non-financial companies. While Democratic leaders in the state legislature have shown symbolic support, Governor Kathy Hochul has voiced opposition, citing fears of driving wealth and businesses out of the state.

Beyond taxation, the mayor’s first three months have been characterized by a sharp pivot away from his progressive campaign promises.
A heavily promoted pledge to open five city-owned grocery stores to provide wholesale prices has yet to materialize. Instead, the administration has proposed $70 million for the city’s Economic Development Corporation merely to scout locations and build the stores.
Similarly, Mamdani’s promise to create a $1.1 billion Department of Community Safety to replace police with social workers on non-violent 911 calls has fallen short. It has been reduced to a “Mayor’s Office of Community Safety” staffed by two people with a $260 million budget.
On public safety and quality-of-life issues, the realities of governing have forced further reversals:

Law Enforcement: Mamdani campaigned on disbanding the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group (SRG) and abolishing the department’s gang database. Today, both remain operational, with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch defending their use. Mamdani recently noted the SRG remains under “active conversation.”

Homeless Encampments: After promising to end his predecessor’s practice of clearing homeless encampments, Mamdani reversed course following severe winter storms that resulted in at least 29 outdoor deaths. The city has now returned to clearing encampments, provided workers attempt to move individuals into housing for seven consecutive days first.

Housing Vouchers: Seeking to capitalize on progressive anger against former Mayor Eric Adams, Mamdani promised to drop lawsuits blocking the expansion of the CityFHEPS housing voucher program. Once in office, he formally filed an appeal to keep the anti-expansion lawsuit alive.

Libraries: Mamdani pledged to allocate 0.5 percent of the city’s budget to the library system and end the practice of using it as a budget negotiating tactic. He instead slashed library funding by `$30 million in his preliminary budget, allocating only 0.39 percent.

The Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Bnei Brak, Rav Yisroel Hager, delivered an emotional message during a Chol Hamoed tish, expressing deep pain over those who rush to bakeries immediately after Yom Tov to purchase chametz, urging instead that people cherish the lingering kedusha of Pesach. Following his remarks, the well-known Vizhnitzer bakery announced a change to its longstanding post-Pesach practice.

During a tish on Chol Hamoed, the Rebbe addressed the phenomenon of people hurrying out right after Yom Tov ends to buy fresh bread and other chametz items.

At the tish on Sunday, the Rebbe asked for the microphone and spoke with visible emotion: “I want to speak about something that pains me very much and has been bothering me for years. I have heard that there are people who run immediately at nightfall to the bakeries and grab the foods that we do not even mention during Pesach. What is the rush? Can’t one wait a little?” the Rebbe cried out from the depths of his heart.

He continued by emphasizing the importance of holding on to the spirit of the Yom Tov, saying, “One should rejoice that it is still possible to live a little longer with Pesach, like it was by my grandfather, the Imrei Chaim,” and went on to describe how Pesach and the Seder night were observed in his grandfather’s home.

In response to the Rebbe’s words, the owners of the Vizhnitzer bakery—led by Rabbi Yechezkel Cohen, who was present at the tish—decided to alter a long-established custom and delay opening sales of fresh bread to the general public after Yom Tov. Instead of opening immediately at the conclusion of the Yom Tov, the bakery first supplied stores and wholesalers, with retail sales to individuals beginning only later.

Rabbi Cohen announced that despite the expected financial loss, the bakery would remain closed to individual customers right after Yom Tov. During those initial hours, workers would continue operating only to produce and distribute goods to retail networks, while the bakery doors would open to the public at a later time.

{Matzav.com}

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday declared a temporary halt in fighting in Ukraine to mark Orthodox Easter, stating that Russian forces would pause combat operations from Saturday afternoon through the end of Sunday and calling on Kyiv to adopt a similar approach.

According to a Kremlin statement, “In connection with the approaching holiday of Orthodox Easter, a ceasefire is declared from 1600 on 11th April to the end of the day of 12th April.”

The statement added, “We proceed on the basis that the Ukrainian side will follow the example of the Russian Federation.”

The directive was transmitted through Russia’s military command structure, with Defense Minister Andrei Belousov instructing Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov “to stop for this period military action in all directions,” while also emphasizing that Russian forces should remain prepared “to eliminate all possible provocations by the enemy as well as any aggressive actions.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded early Friday, indicating that Ukraine would act in line with the proposed Easter truce.

“Ukraine has repeatedly stated that we are ready for reciprocal steps. We proposed a ceasefire during the Easter holiday this year and will act accordingly,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram after the Kremlin ordered troops to observe a 32-hour ceasefire.

He added, “People need an Easter without threats and a real move towards peace, and Russia has a chance not to return to attacks even after Easter.”

The announcement comes as the war between Russia and Ukraine, which began with Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, continues into its fifth year. Similar ceasefire efforts during religious holidays in the past have largely broken down, with both sides accusing one another of violating the terms.

(AP) – A stairwell roof at a parking garage being built in Philadelphia collapsed suddenly, killing one person, while two others are missing and presumed dead, authorities said.

The section of roof at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s garage fell Wednesday, triggering a “progressive collapse of connected sections across all seven levels,” Mayor Cherelle Parker told reporters.

A seven-story parking garage that was under construction partially collapsed in Philadelphia, killing at least one person. @MolaReports has the latest on the urgent search underway for the two victims still trapped inside. https://t.co/5AfNO4jzqv pic.twitter.com/77hc7cP4BX

— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) April 9, 2026

“Let me be very clear about something at this moment: We are not, we will not give up on these individuals and we will not rest until everyone is accounted for from this tragedy,” she said.

By Thursday, she said search dogs hadn’t found any signs of life at the collapse site.

Crews had initially rescued three people, including one who was critically injured and later died at the hospital, said Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Jeffrey Thompson. Two others were treated and released.

The building is unstable, so crews need to take it apart in order to search the entire structure, Thompson said.

Two construction workers missing after a parking garage partially collapsed in Philadelphia’s Grays Ferry neighborhood are presumed dead.

Mayor Cherelle Parker said four highly trained search dogs inspected the wreckage and found no signs of life.

Parker also said crews will… pic.twitter.com/jBq1BdxVCP

— CBS Philadelphia (@CBSPhiladelphia) April 10, 2026

“We’re actually going to deconstruct and de-layer this building, and that will make it safe for my members to get inside and get down to the lowest levels to ensure that we don’t have any survivors down there,” he said.

All of the project’s required permits were properly issued and inspections were up to date, according to Parker. She said the city will investigate the collapse.

The hospital said in a statement that it is prioritizing the construction workers’ safety and working closely with the city and its construction partners.

First responders gather near a partially collapsed parking garage in Philadelphia, Thursday, April 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

First responders walk near a partially collapsed parking garage in Philadelphia, Thursday, April 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

First responders inspect a partially collapsed parking garage in Philadelphia, Thursday, April 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

First responders inspect a partially collapsed parking garage in Philadelphia, Thursday, April 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian military personnel have shot down Iranian-designed Shahed drones in multiple Middle Eastern countries during the Iran war, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, describing the operations as part of a broader effort to help partners counter the same weapons used by Russia in Ukraine.

Zelenskyy made his first public acknowledgment of the operations Wednesday in remarks to reporters that were embargoed until Friday. He said Ukrainian forces took part in active operations abroad using domestically produced interceptor drones proven in countering Iranian-designed Shahed drones used by Russia in Ukraine.

“This was not about a training mission or exercises, but about support in building a modern air defense system that can actually work,” Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine took part in the defensive operations before the tentative ceasefire in the Middle East was reached among Iran, the United States and Israel this week.

Zelenskyy did not identify the countries involved but said Ukrainian personnel operated across several nations, helping strengthen their air defense systems. He previously said that 228 Ukrainian experts were deployed in the region.

In exchange, Ukraine is receiving weapons to protect its energy infrastructure, along with oil, diesel and, in some cases, financial arrangements, he said.

The Ukrainian leader said the agreements would bolster Ukraine’s energy stability and described the partnerships as something that would “be marketed” as Kyiv seeks to formalize and expand its defense export role.

“We are helping strengthen their security in exchange for contributions to our country’s resilience,” he said. “This is far more than simply receiving money.”

Ukraine will face more pressure
The disclosure comes amid concerns that conflict in the Middle East could divert Western military support from Ukraine, particularly air defense supplies.

But Zelenskyy said that partners were continuing to supply missiles for Patriot systems, adding that a new batch had arrived in recent days and that Ukraine was working with all partners to ensure its air defense remained in place.

He warned that the coming spring and summer would be difficult for Ukraine, with growing political and battlefield pressure as the United States turns to domestic politics and elections.

Zelenskyy said he had urged U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to visit Kyiv and proposed a trilateral format with Moscow. It remains unclear whether they will come or if talks will instead take place in a third country.

U.S.-led talks have made no progress on key issues, as Washington’s attention shifts to the Middle East conflict while Russian and Ukrainian forces remain locked in fighting along the roughly 1,250-kilometer (800-mile) front line.

Separately, Zelenskyy said he expects Western allies to restore full sanctions on Russian oil, warning that any easing could allow Moscow to sustain its war effort and offload key energy assets. Russia has been profiting from a surge in global energy prices, brought on by damage to oil and gas infrastructure in the Gulf and Iran’s blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital sea route for global oil supplies.

Ukraine has stepped up strikes on Russian energy sites to cut oil revenues as prices rose and U.S. sanctions eased. Zelenskyy said partners had urged Kyiv to scale back attacks during Iran’s disruption of the Strait of Hormuz, but he argued Russian oil has a limited impact on global markets.

“I won’t say who asked us to do this. But partners did ask — it’s a fact. They asked at different levels, from political to military leadership.”

Putin declares Easter truce and Ukraine ready to reciprocate
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready to mirror any ceasefire steps after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary Easter truce.

“We proposed a ceasefire during the Easter holidays this year and will act accordingly”, Zelenskyy said Friday on X. “People need an Easter free from threats and real movement toward peace, and Russia has a chance not to return to strikes after Easter as well”.

Putin on Thursday declared a 32-hour ceasefire over the Orthodox Easter weekend, ordering Russian forces to halt hostilities from 4 p.m. Saturday until the end of Sunday.

Previous ceasefire attempts have had little impact, with both sides accusing each other of violations.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described Putin’s move as a “humanitarian” gesture, but said Moscow remains focused on a comprehensive settlement based on its longstanding demands — a key sticking point that has prevented the two sides from reaching an agreement.

Peskov also confirmed that Putin’s envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, is in the United States for meetings focused on economic issues. He noted that Dmitriev is conducting the meetings within the framework of a group on economic issues that he has led, adding that he is not involved in the talks on the war in Ukraine and his trip “doesn’t mean the resumption of the talks.”

Dmitriev’s visit to the U.S. comes just before the termination of the 30-day sanctions waiver for Russian oil.

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City man has been charged in the death of four people, including a toddler, after setting fire to a residential building last month in a fit of rage over losing his job, prosecutors said.

The choice of building was random, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, who called the deadly fire “one of the greatest crimes that this borough has seen in a very long time.”

Prosecutors said Roman Amatitla, 38, was seen entering and leaving the building multiple times on March 16. After buying a box of matches and stealing a beer from a nearby gas station, he returned to the building, lit a piece of paper on fire and placed it on a pile of garbage in the stairwell — then watched the flames spread while drinking a beer outside, according to the criminal complaint.

His attorney did not respond to a request for comment.

The blaze would kill Sihan Yang, who was 3, 49-year-old Chengri Cui and 61-year-old Shin Chie. A fourth occupant, 64-year-old Hong Zhao, died after leaping from a window to escape the flames.

Four others were treated for injuries, some severe, after jumping from the building. Two firefighters were hurt after a staircase collapsed.

Amatitla, also a Queens resident, later told investigators that he knew the building was occupied and that people would be harmed, but said he needed to “get out his rage” after being fired from his job, according to the criminal complaint.

He said the job was unrelated to the building or anyone who lived there, the complaint said.

Amatitla was charged with eight counts of murder in the second degree, arson and other charges. He faces 25 years to life if convicted.

Islamabad was placed under an extensive lockdown on Friday, as Pakistan prepares to host high-stakes talks between the United States and Iran set to begin later in the day. Authorities blocked major roads with shipping containers and barbed wire, while deploying heavy security forces across the capital ahead of the expected arrival of delegations.

The area surrounding the Serena Hotel, where the talks are scheduled to take place, was sealed off in a radius of more than 2 miles. The hotel was cleared of guests and placed under government control, with checkpoints, patrols, and access restrictions extending across the city. Even hiking trails in the hills overlooking Islamabad were closed, while officials declared public holidays in the capital to limit movement.

The United States delegation is expected to be led by Vice President JD Vance, while Iran’s team is headed by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Pakistani officials confirmed the talks will focus on stabilizing a fragile ceasefire and addressing broader regional tensions, including disputes tied to the Strait of Hormuz and ongoing military activity.

The negotiations mark a major diplomatic push by Pakistan, which has positioned itself as a mediator amid escalating tensions. Analysts warned the effort carries significant risk, with one noting that Pakistan has “publicly invested political capital in mediation; if talks collapse, it risks being seen as overpromising and underdelivering.”

The buildup to the talks included the arrival of an advance U.S. security team earlier in the week, as authorities intensified preparations.

The Artemis II mission was set to conclude Friday with a dramatic splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, bringing to a close humanity’s first crewed journey to the moon in more than half a century.

Inside Mission Control, tension steadily increased as the spacecraft carrying four astronauts drew closer to Earth. Engineers and flight teams focused intently on the capsule’s heat shield, a critical component designed to endure extreme temperatures during reentry. During a previous uncrewed test in 2022, the shield returned heavily scarred, raising heightened attention for this mission.

Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen approached Earth traveling at roughly Mach 32, a speed not experienced since the Apollo era. Their Orion capsule, named Integrity, was designed to operate autonomously, with the crew prepared to intervene only in the event of an emergency.

As the spacecraft entered its final phase, mission leaders braced for the most nerve-wracking moments of the descent, including a communications blackout lasting several minutes before parachutes were expected to deploy. Lead flight director Jeff Radigan acknowledged the anxiety surrounding that period, saying he expected some of that “irrational fear that is human nature.” Recovery teams, including the USS John P. Murtha and supporting aircraft, stood ready to retrieve the astronauts upon landing.

The return marked the first collaboration between NASA and the U.S. military for a lunar crew recovery since Apollo 17 in 1972. The capsule was expected to reenter at speeds exceeding 23,000 miles per hour before slowing dramatically to a controlled splashdown.

Since launching from Florida on April 1, the crew had successfully completed a series of milestones, demonstrating key capabilities for NASA’s renewed lunar program aimed at eventually establishing a sustained presence on the moon.

Although Artemis II did not land on the lunar surface or enter orbit, it surpassed previous records, traveling farther from Earth than any human mission before it. At its peak, the crew reached a distance of 252,756 miles. During one of the mission’s most emotional moments, the astronauts requested permission to name two lunar craters in honor of their spacecraft and Wiseman’s late wife, Carroll.

The mission also provided rare and stunning views of the moon’s far side, along with a total solar eclipse visible from space. Reflecting on the experience, Glover said the eclipse “just blew all of us away.”

Images captured during the mission captivated audiences worldwide, including a view of Earth setting behind the lunar horizon, echoing the iconic Earthrise image from Apollo 8. The crew’s reflections and discoveries reignited global fascination with space exploration.

“It just makes you want to continue to go back,” Radigan said on the eve of splashdown. “It’s the first of many trips and we just need to continue on because there’s so much” more to learn about the moon.

The mission drew attention and praise from global leaders and public figures, including President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Britain’s King Charles III, and prominent actors such as Ryan Gosling, Scarlett Johansson, and William Shatner.

Despite its successes, the nearly 10-day journey encountered several technical challenges. Issues arose with the spacecraft’s water and propulsion systems, and a malfunctioning toilet forced the crew to rely on backup methods for much of the flight.

The astronauts downplayed the difficulties, emphasizing the importance of pushing forward despite setbacks. “We can’t explore deeper unless we are doing a few things that are inconvenient,” Koch said, “unless we’re making a few sacrifices, unless we’re taking a few risks, and those things are all worth it.”

Hansen echoed that sentiment, noting, “You do a lot of testing on the ground, but your final test is when you get this hardware to space and it’s a doozy.”

Looking ahead, NASA’s Artemis program will continue to build on this mission. Artemis III is expected to involve docking exercises in Earth orbit, while Artemis IV aims to land astronauts near the moon’s south pole by 2028.

For Wiseman and his crew, the mission carried a deeper purpose beyond its technical achievements. “But we really hoped in our soul is that we could for just for a moment have the world pause and remember that this is a beautiful planet and a very special place in our universe, and we should all cherish what we have been gifted,” he said.

A  pedestrian was struck and killed in a late-night collision on Route 9 in Manalapan, authorities said.

According to Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago, the incident occurred Tuesday, April 7, at approximately 10:56 p.m., when officers from the Manalapan Police Department responded to the southbound lanes of Route 9 near 355 Route 9 and Russell Court.

A preliminary investigation found that a male driver operating a 2018 Nissan Frontier was traveling in the left lane when his vehicle struck a pedestrian, propelling her onto the right shoulder of the roadway.

The victim, identified as 72-year-old Deborah Ross, was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:26 p.m.

The driver remained at the scene following the crash.

The investigation, led by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, along with the Monmouth County Serious Collision Analysis Response Team (SCART) and the Manalapan Police Department, remains active and ongoing.

Anyone with information is urged to contact MCPO Detective Nicolas Logothetis at 732-431-7160 ext. 5412 or Manalapan Police Officer Edward Burns at 732-446-4300.

No charges or summonses have been issued at this time.

(AP) – “Iran is doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing Oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote on his social media site Thursday evening. “That is not the agreement we have!”

Trump had posted earlier about reports of Iran charging fees on ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz.

“They better not be and, if they are, they better stop now!” his post said.

The White House supports reopening the strait as part of the ceasefire deal but says Trump opposes Iran’s military, which continues to control the waterway, from seeking to raise revenue by charging tolls on passing ships.

Trump has not had any public event Thursday.

A 22-year-old Israeli from northern Israel was arrested last month on suspicion of working for Iran and manufacturing explosives as part of an alleged plot to assassinate former prime minister Naftali Bennett, authorities revealed Thursday after the Ashkelon Magistrate’s Court lifted a gag order on the case.

The suspect, Ami Gaydarov of Haifa, was detained along with three other young men from the Haifa area. Investigators say the group carried out serious espionage activities for Iran in exchange for roughly 80,000 shekels, or about $26,000.

According to a joint investigation by Lahav 433 and the Shin Bet, Gaydarov allegedly initiated contact with an Iranian operative in August of last year while searching for ways to earn money. He then began performing tasks for the handler, receiving payment through cryptocurrency and PayPal.

Authorities say the case escalated when the Iranian handler instructed Gaydarov to acquire dual-use chemicals, materials with both civilian and military applications. Under those instructions, investigators say, Gaydarov produced 8–10 kilograms of explosive material in his home. Police believe the explosives were intended for an attack targeting Bennett.

Investigators say Gaydarov tested the material in an underground parking garage, causing a powerful blast, and filmed the experiment with two friends.

Gaydarov also passed sensitive wartime information to his Iranian handler during Iranian missile attacks on Israel. He allegedly provided details about missile impact sites in Haifa, a city with strategic infrastructure including oil refineries and a major port. He also photographed those facilities and relayed information about civil-defense alerts and Home Front Command sirens.

Superintendent Maor Goren, who heads the investigative team, told Ynet that Gaydarov and the Iranian handler began working together in September 2025. The activity paused after several months but resumed in March 2026, days after the war began. From that point until the night before his arrest, Goren said, Gaydarov allegedly carried out assignments that included photographing strategic sites, documenting missile impacts and interceptions, and attempting to locate a U.S. Navy destroyer expected to dock in Haifa.

“He was carrying out operations for the Iranians up until the night before his arrest,” Goren said.

Investigators say Gaydarov initially approached several Iranians on his own before being directed to a single handler. The Shin Bet monitored his activity for months, along with four other young men who allegedly assisted him. Five suspects were initially marked for arrest; one was later released. The remaining four are expected to face serious indictments.

Gaydarov is expected to be charged with contact with a foreign agent, aiding the enemy during wartime, and preparing and possessing explosive material. The other suspects are not accused of direct contact with Iranian intelligence.

According to investigators, Gaydarov responded to Iranian messages through Telegram groups advertising easy money for remote work. They say he was aware that he was contacting Iranian intelligence handlers. At first, he was given simple test missions—taking photos, sending locations—to assess his reliability. Once he was paid, investigators say, he became further entangled.

The operation escalated when Gaydarov was allegedly instructed to buy chemicals from retail pharmacies to manufacture TATP, a highly unstable explosive widely associated with terrorist attacks. Authorities say he bought the materials in Haifa and produced the explosive in an apartment he rented, documenting the process in photos and videos sent to his handler. He also recruited friends to help purchase materials.

At one point, investigators say, Gaydarov and a friend tested the explosive in a parking garage, producing a strong blast. Fearing surveillance, Gaydarov later transferred the explosives to another friend, who disposed of them on his own initiative.

Several additional Israelis from northern Israel, including Sergey Libman and Eduard Shovtiyuk, were arrested for questioning. Investigators say they helped Gaydarov buy materials, hide the explosives, and test them.

During Operation Roaring Lion, investigators say, Gaydarov was instructed to send Iran photographs of Haifa port and missile impact sites, and to locate an apartment overlooking the port where a fixed surveillance camera could be installed.

Authorities say Gaydarov received more than 70,000 shekels, or about $22,000, for his activities.

Superintendent Goren emphasized the danger posed by the quantity of explosive material Gaydarov allegedly produced. He noted that each of the devices detonated last year on buses in Bat Yam contained 300 grams of explosive material and caused an enormous blast. The suspect, he said, produced nearly 30 times that amount.

Goren added that the contact with the Iranian handler had not yet reached the stage of assigning specific targets for planting the device.

Investigators say the real-time information Gaydarov passed during the war directly aided Iran.

“They don’t know where the missile impacts are, and he was passing along reports he gathered from the media or photographed himself,” Goren said. “He was filming interceptions and sending them to the handler, which could clearly help the Iranians analyze the situation.”

Authorities say the suspects initially denied the allegations but later confessed and expressed remorse when confronted with evidence gathered during the covert phase of the investigation.

Gaydarov allegedly directed his four friends, including one who survived the Nova music festival massacre in October 2023, paying each of them several hundred shekels from the money he received.

Raouf Naggar, an attorney with the public defender’s office representing one of the suspects, said: “This is a person suffering from a complex medical and psychological condition. He fully cooperated with investigators. We will respond in detail after receiving the indictment and case materials.”

According to police, Lahav 433 and other units have opened 60 investigations in recent years into Israelis suspected of spying for Iran, all of which resulted in serious indictments.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, sharply criticized Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday after the minister accused Israel of genocide and described it as “evil and a curse for humanity.”

Leiter responded on social media, taking issue with both the rhetoric and Pakistan’s role in ongoing diplomatic efforts between the United States and Iran. “The Ayatollahs chanted ‘Death to Israel’ – and now a so-called ‘mediator’ is echoing the same language,” he wrote. “You are not a mediator Mr. Asif, you are the problem. Even if it is to your dismay, Israel is here to stay. That’s not for negotiation,” he added.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar also issued a forceful response, condemning the Pakistani minister’s statements. “Israel views these blatant antisemitic blood libels very gravely from a government claiming to ‘mediate peace,'” Sa’ar said.

He further warned about the implications of such language, stating that “calling the Jewish state ‘cancerous’ is effectively calling for its annihilation.”

“Israel will defend itself against terrorists who vow its destruction,” Sa’ar vowed.

The Prime Minister’s Office also weighed in, denouncing the remarks as unacceptable. “Pakistan Defense Minister’s call for Israel’s annihilation is outrageous. This is not a statement that can be tolerated from any government, especially not from one that claims to be a neutral arbiter for peace.”

NEW YORK (VINnews) — New York City officials on Thursday proposed a first-in-the-nation rule aimed at making it easier for consumers to cancel subscriptions and avoid deceptive billing practices.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection Commissioner Samuel A.A. Levine said the “click to cancel” measure would require businesses to provide cancellation processes that are as simple as signing up.

The proposal follows an executive order targeting so-called subscription traps and would apply to automatically renewing services and continuous service offers. Officials said companies that violate the rule could face fines starting at $525 and be required to compensate affected consumers.

Under the plan, businesses would also need to provide clear disclosures and straightforward cancellation options, addressing complaints that some companies use confusing or lengthy processes to prevent customers from ending subscriptions.

The proposed rule was published Wednesday and will be open for public comment for 30 days before it can be finalized. If adopted, officials said New York City would become the first municipality in the country to implement such protections.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Israeli political pundit Amit Segal analyzed the current situation for Israel after the surprise two week ceasefire orchestrated by Pakistan between the US and Iran.

The lesson Israel learned from October 7 is that intentions don’t matter, only capabilities do. For years, the IDF ignored the growing terrorist threat on its borders and instead focused on whether the enemy intended to attack or whether it was in its interest to do so. Similarly, although it may be tempting to analyze the mood in Tehran, it is irrelevant. The only real question is whether Iran currently has the capability to pose a serious threat to Israel. After 40 days of war, the answer is: less than it did forty days ago.

In terms of results, Iran had promised it would not agree to a temporary ceasefire, yet it did. It declared that the Strait of Hormuz would not reopen, yet it is expected to reopen. It swore that any agreement would include ending the war in Lebanon, yet Hezbollah suffered hundreds of casualties today. What remains resembles a ceasefire arrangement between the US and Iran that could have allowed the ayatollahs to continue attacking Israel. This is what’s left of the Iranian axis that once cast fear across the Middle East.

The Iranian “victory narrative,” encouraged by large parts of the international media, argues that Iran survived ten rounds against a heavyweight champion. But the real question is: what is that survival worth?

Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah used the perceived draw with Israel in the 2006 Second Lebanon War to receive a blank check from his Iranian patrons and build a formidable “axis of resistance.” What will Iran do now with its sense — real or manufactured — of survival?

After Operation “Rising Lion,” every available Iranian rial was invested in rebuilding its ballistic missile array, seen as its only effective counter to Israel. The result was relatively rapid reconstruction, but also massive public anger, suppressed only through brutal repression and murder of insurgents. Now, there is much more to rebuild and far fewer resources: should Iran invest in a new navy? An air force? More missiles? Rebuild Hezbollah, which is suffering from a severe deficit? Or invest domestically to calm a population whose situation has only worsened?

The condition of what was once the Iranian empire is dire, with no clear signs of improvement ahead.

The Gulf states attacked by Iran have not forgotten the lesson. They are not like Israel, accustomed to periodic rounds of conflict. Generations of Emiratis, Qataris, and Saudis will carry the trauma of running to unprotected areas while tourism, stability, and energy infrastructure went up in flames. Israel stands to gain significantly from this anti-Iran coalition, which has been forcibly pushed off the fence and is unlikely to return anytime soon. It is to be hoped that Trump and Netanyahu will solidify a more stable and open alliance with these Gulf states for the benefit of future generations.

The (temporary?) end of the war also marks the beginning of Israel’s next election campaign. Netanyahu, who had hoped to ride the collapse of the Iranian regime to political survival, now faces a more complex reality than expected when launching the operation.

There is a sense of disappointment among the public over the gap between hopes for regime change and the current outcome. The bigger challenge lies in the northern front, where public sentiment remains bitter — and understandably so — after false promises that Hezbollah had been defeated. Opposition leaders have identified this well, competing to frame the situation as a historic and disgraceful failure, hoping voters will connect more with that narrative than with Netanyahu’s promises of total victory.

For the prime minister, the fall of the Iranian regime in the coming months has become a top priority — not only strategically, but also politically. Everyone hopes the Iranian regime will fall soon; Netanyahu would certainly prefer it happens before October 27 this year.

As Israel prepares to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day alongside the 80th anniversary of the Nuremberg Trials, new figures show that 109,286 Holocaust survivors and related groups are currently living in Israel, with an average age of 88.

Holocaust Remembrance Day this year is being observed against the backdrop of Operation “Shaagas HaAri,” while commemorations around the world are marking eight decades since the Nuremberg Trials, which laid the groundwork for justice following the atrocities of the Holocaust.

Ahead of the memorial day, the Authority for the Rights of Holocaust Survivors in the Prime Minister’s Office released updated data on the final generation that experienced the Holocaust firsthand. The total includes Holocaust survivors, refugees, victims of antisemitic persecution during World War II, and those who suffered disabilities as a result of the war against the Nazis.

This group represents about 34% of all individuals recognized by the authority since its establishment in the 1950s, with a total of 322,997 people acknowledged over the years. More than 50 Holocaust survivors were recently impacted by missile attacks from Iran and Lebanon and were evacuated to hotels or to stay with family members.

The authority currently provides services to three main groups: Holocaust survivors (36,752 individuals) who directly endured the horrors of the Holocaust; Holocaust refugees (38,934 individuals), primarily from the former Soviet Union who immigrated in the 1990s; and victims of antisemitic persecution during World War II (33,521 individuals). Among the latter group are 21,476 people from Morocco and Algeria who faced discrimination and restrictions under the Vichy regime, and 12,045 individuals from Iraq who experienced the Farhud riots in Baghdad.

Additional groups assisted by the authority include 79 individuals recognized as war-disabled due to injuries sustained while fighting the Nazis, whether as part of Allied forces or resistance groups such as the partisans. The authority also supports widows and widowers of Holocaust survivors and war-disabled individuals, providing monthly stipends; currently, 16,190 such beneficiaries receive these payments.

Demographically, approximately 62% of Holocaust survivors in Israel are women (67,555), while about 38% are men (41,652). The proportion of women increases with age, accounting for about 60% of those in their 80s, 65% in their 90s, and roughly 75% among those over 100.

Roughly 70% of survivors are in their 80s, about 29% are in their 90s, and around 1% are over the age of 100. The average age stands at approximately 88, with the youngest group—those aged 80—numbering 775 individuals, and the oldest group—those aged 105—numbering 48.

About 52% of survivors are widowed, while approximately 35% are married. Marriage rates are higher among men than women, at about 69% compared to 31%, while widowhood is more common among women, accounting for 80% compared to 20% among men.

In terms of country of birth, 40,657 were born in the former Soviet Union (about 37%), 18,957 in Morocco (about 17%), 12,045 in Iraq (about 11%), 11,817 in Romania (about 11%), 5,083 in Poland (about 5%), 4,598 in Tunisia (about 4%), 2,987 in Bulgaria (about 3%), 2,780 in Libya (about 2.5%), 2,542 in Algeria (about 2%), and 1,468 in France (about 1%).

Some 96% immigrated to Israel after the establishment of the state. About 30% arrived during the major immigration wave between 1948 and 1951, and roughly 26% came during the 1990s. Since the beginning of this year, three new immigrants in their 80s have arrived in Israel.

The cities with the largest populations of Holocaust survivors include Haifa (7,244), Yerushalayim (6,969), Tel Aviv (5,766), Ashdod (5,513), Netanya (5,452), Beersheva (4,494), Petach Tikva (4,483), Rishon Letzion (4,429), Bat Yam (3,692), and Cholon (3,444).

Regarding health status, about 73% of survivors are classified as requiring nursing care at varying levels. Among those, approximately 75% receive additional support—either nine extra weekly caregiving hours or increased monthly payments—due to higher levels of dependency.

Ronit Rozin, head of the Authority for the Rights of Holocaust Survivors, said: “The rising antisemitism and the threats to the State of Israel in these days remind us every day of the danger that hatred of Jews led to in the past. The authority is committed to caring for Holocaust survivors here and now, and to ensuring that the story of their revival and legacy of hope will never be forgotten and will continue to guide us as a state and as a society.”