NEW YORK (VINnews) — The editorial board of the New York Post on Saturday sharply criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, arguing that antisemitic incidents in the city are increasing and accusing him of contributing to the climate.

In the opinion piece, the board pointed to several recent incidents, including a confrontation involving Israeli tourists in Times Square and past acts of violence linked to anti-Israel activism, as evidence of what it described as a growing trend.

The editorial also referenced previous comments by Mamdani regarding policing and Israel, arguing they reflect broader political attitudes that, in its view, have fueled tensions.

City officials did not immediately respond to the criticism. Mamdani has previously condemned antisemitism and violence and has said his administration is committed to protecting all communities.

The editorial reflects ongoing political divisions in New York over public safety, protests related to the Israel-Gaza conflict, and the city’s response to hate crimes.

ROME (AP) — In his strongest words yet, Pope Leo XIV on Saturday denounced the “delusion of omnipotence” that is fueling the U.S.-Israel war in Iran and demanded political leaders stop and negotiate peace.

Leo presided over an evening prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica on the same day the United States and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan and as a fragile ceasefire held.

History’s first U.S.-born pope didn’t mention the United States or President Donald Trump in his prayer, which was planned before the talks were announced. But Leo’s tone and message appeared directed at Trump and U.S. officials, who have boasted of U.S. military superiority and justified the war in religious terms.

“Enough of the idolatry of self and money!” Leo said. “Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!”

In the basilica pews was the archbishop of Tehran, Belgian Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu. The U.S. was represented in the diplomatic corps by its deputy chief of mission, Laura Hochla, the U.S. Embassy said.

In the first weeks of the war, the Chicago-born Leo was initially reluctant to publicly condemn the violence and limited his comments to muted appeals for peace and dialogue. But Leo stepped up his criticism starting on Palm Sunday. And this week, he said Trump’s threat to annihilate Iranian civilization was “truly unacceptable” and called for dialogue to prevail.

On Saturday, Leo called for all people of good will to pray for peace and demand an end to war from their political leaders. The evening vigil in Rome, which featured Scripture readings and meditative recitation of the Rosary prayers, was taking place as simultaneous local prayer services were being held in the U.S. and beyond.

Praying for peace, Leo said, was a way to “break the demonic cycle of evil” to build instead the Kingdom of God where there are no swords, drones or “unjust profit.”

“It is here that we find a bulwark against that delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive,” he said. “Even the holy Name of God, the God of life, is being dragged into discourses of death.”

Leaders have used religion to justify their actions in the war. U.S. officials and especially Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have invoked their Christian faith to cast the U.S. as a Christian nation trying to vanquish its foes.

Leo has said God doesn’t bless any war, and certainly not those who drop bombs.

Leo presided over the service sitting off to the side of the altar on a white throne, wearing his formal red cape and liturgical stole and praying with a Rosary in his hands. Many of the priests and nuns in the pews fingered Rosary beads as the “Our Father” and “Hail Mary” prayers were recited.

The Vatican is particularly concerned about the spillover of Israel’s war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, given the plight of Christian communities in the south.

(AP) – Vice President JD Vance said negotiations between the U.S. and the Iranians have ended without a peace deal after the Iranians refused to accept American terms to not develop a nuclear weapon.

The high-states talks ended after 21 hours, Vance said, with the vice president in constant communication with President Donald Trump and others in the administration.

“But the simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” Vance told reporters. “That is the core goal of the president of the United States. And that’s what we’ve tried to achieve through these negotiations.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge must reconsider the possible national security implications of halting construction of President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom, an appeals court ruled on Saturday.

A three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said it did not have enough information to decide how much of the project can be suspended without jeopardizing the safety of the president, his family or the White House staff.

The case was returned to the trial judge who, in a March 31 ruling, barred work from proceeding without congressional approval, but suspended enforcement of that order for 14 days. The appeals court extended that for three days, to April 17, to allow the Trump administration to seek Supreme Court review.

The panel instructed U.S. District Judge Richard Leon to clarify whether — and how — his injunction interferes with the administration’s plans for safety and security.

Government lawyers had argued that the project includes critical security features to guard against a range of possible threats, such as drones, ballistic missiles and biohazards and that holding up construction “would imperil the President and others who live and work in the White House,.”

Leon, in issuing the temporary pause, concluded that the preservationist group behind the legal challenge was likely to succeed because the president lacks the authority to build the ballroom without approval from Congress.

Leon exempted any construction work necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House, but said he reviewed material the government privately submitted before determining that a halt would not jeopardize national security.

The Republican administration’s appeal cited materials that would be installed to make a “heavily fortified” facility and said construction included bomb shelters, military installations and a medical facility underneath the ballroom.

The appeals panel noted that much of the government’s concerns focused on that below-ground security work, which the White House argued was “distinct from construction of the ballroom itself and could proceed independently.”

Now, however, the White House seems to suggest those security upgrades are “inseparable” from the project as whole, the appeals court said, making it unclear “whether and to what extent” moving forward with certain aspects of the ballroom is necessary for the safety and security of those upgrades.

Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said in a statement that the organization awaited further clarification from the district court. She said the group was committed “to honoring the historic significance of the White House, advocating for our collective role as stewards, and demonstrating how broad consultation, including with the American people, results in a better overall outcome.”

The organization sued in December, a week after the White House finished demolishing the East Wing for a 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom that Trump said would fit 999 people. The administration said aboveground construction on the ballroom would begin in April.

Leon concluded last month that the lawsuit was likely to succeed because “no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have.”

“The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families. He is not, however, the owner!” wrote Leon, who was nominated by President George W. Bush, a Republican.

Two days after Leon’s ruling, the ballroom project won final approval from a key agency that Trump had stocked with allies. Another oversight entity constituted with Trump loyalists had approved the project earlier this year. But the president had proceeded with the biggest structural change to the White House in more than 70 years before seeking input from the commissions.

Trump says the project is funded by private donations, although public money is paying for construction of underground bunkers and security upgrades.

The three-judge appeals court panel was made up of Patricia Millett, Neomi Rao and Bradley Garcia. Millett was nominated by President Barack Obama, a Democrat. Rao was nominated by Trump. Garcia was nominated by President Joe Biden, a Democrat.

Rao wrote a dissenting opinion, which cited a statute that allows the president to undertake improvements to the White House.

“Importantly, the government has presented credible evidence of ongoing security vulnerabilities at the White House that would be prolonged by halting construction,” Rao wrote, adding that such concerns outweigh the “generalized aesthetic harms” presented in the lawsuit.

LONDON (AP) — London police arrested more than 200 people on Saturday during a protest against a ban on the group Palestine Action that the government has labeled a terrorist organization.

Metropolitan Police said they had detained 212 protesters between the ages of 27 and 82 for supporting the group.

Britain’s High Court ruled in February that the government’s decision to outlaw the protest group as a terrorist organization was unlawful, but it kept the ban in place while the government appeals.

Police had warned in advance of the protest organized by the group Defend Our Juries that it would make arrests.

Hundreds gathered in Trafalgar Square to show their support for the group, with some holding signs reading, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”

Musician Robert Del Naja of the trip hop group Massive Attack said he held a sign in support of the group despite the possibility that an arrest could jeopardize his ability to travel.

“I thought this is ridiculous and then the police making that U-turn to arrest people again, I thought that is even more ridiculous,” he said. “So I’m going to hold a sign today.”

Protesters yelled “shame on you” at police carrying away protesters and mocked them for arresting the elderly.

“Yeah, she looks like a terrorist, doesn’t she mate?” a woman yelled as police led a protester with a walking stick to a police van.

NEW YORK (AP) — A man with a machete who attacked three people randomly at a major New York City subway station Saturday morning was shot and killed by police, authorities said.

Officers responding to a 9:40 a.m. report of stabbings at the 42nd Street-Grand Central station encountered the man. He was behaving erratically, claiming he was “Lucifer,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at an afternoon news conference. Tisch said he was ordered to drop his weapon at least 20 times but refused to comply.

She said ultimately an officer shot him twice when he advanced toward the officers with the knife extended.

“Our officers were confronted with an armed individual who had already injured multiple people and was continuing to pose a threat,” Tisch said. “They gave clear commands. They attempted to de-escalate. And when that threat did not stop, they took decisive action to stop it and to protect New Yorkers on one of the busiest train platforms in the city.”

Tisch identified the suspect as Anthony Griffin, 44, and said he had three prior unsealed arrests. He was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital.

The three stabbing victims — an 84 year-old male, 65-year-old male and 70-year-old female — sustained injuries that were not thought to be life-threatening, Tisch said. One man sustained “significant lacerations to the head and face,” the other man had similar injuries and an open skull fracture and the third victim had a laceration to the shoulder.

Tisch said the suspect slashed one person on a platform at the Grand Central station before going upstairs and slashing the other victims on another platform.

Chief of Transit Joseph Gulotta said the attacks appear to be random acts.

I have been briefed on an incident that occurred at Grand Central Station this morning. Reports indicate a man slashed three people on the platform with a machete. Officers shot the man when he did not drop the machete. He has since been pronounced dead.

I’m grateful to the NYPD…

— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) April 11, 2026

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said on social media that she was “grateful to our brave officers who acted quickly to stop the suspect. We’re working closely with the NYPD as the investigation unfolds.”

The police department, posting on the social platform X, advised travelers in the morning to avoid the area due to a police investigation and to expect delays and heavy traffic. Subway trains resumed stopping at the station in the afternoon after bypassing it for hours, according to the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s website.

Beau Lardner said he was just swiping in at Grand Central when bangs rang out “loud enough to hear through headphones,” he told the AP in a message. The 34-year-old moved from Manhattan to Long Island a few weeks ago, but he’s been taking the same train from Grand Central for years.

“I know that platform like the back of my hand,” he said.

Lardner described a “wall of people” rushing toward him to get through the turnstiles, and he sprinted back up the stairs. He said he had “never seen a crowd move like that.”

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The United States and Iran concluded a third round of historic, face-to-face negotiations before dawn Sunday in Pakistan, days after a fragile, two-week ceasefire was announced, as the war that has killed thousands of people and shaken global markets entered its seventh week. Two Pakistani officials said discussions between the heads of the delegations will resume after a break.

Some technical personnel from both teams are still meeting, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the press.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military said two destroyers transited the Iran-gripped Strait of Hormuz ahead of mine-clearing work, a first since the war began. Iran’s state media, however, said the joint military command denied that.

“We’re sweeping the strait. Whether we make a deal or not makes no difference to me,” Trump told journalists as talks continued and the time approached 2 a.m. in Islamabad. He called negotiations “very deep.” Iranian state TV noted what it called “serious” differences.

The U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance and the Iranian one led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf discussed with Pakistan how to advance the ceasefire already threatened by deep disagreements and Israel’s continued attacks against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, whose health ministry said the death toll has surpassed 2,000.

Since the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, the most direct U.S. contact had been in 2013 when President Barack Obama called newly elected President Hassan Rouhani to discuss Iran’s nuclear program. Obama’s secretary of state, John Kerry, and counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif later met during negotiations toward the 2015 Iran nuclear deal — a process that lasted well over a year.

Now the far broader talks feature Vance, a reluctant defender of the war who has little diplomatic experience and warned Iran not to “try and play us,” and Qalibaf, a former commander with Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard who has issued some of Iran’s most fiery statements since fighting began.

Iran sets ‘red lines’ including compensation for strikes
Iran’s state-run news agency said the three-party talks began after Iranian preconditions, including a reduction in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, were met.

Iran’s delegation told state television it had presented “red lines” in meetings with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, including compensation for damage caused by U.S.-Israeli strikes that launched the war on Feb. 28 and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.

The war has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, 2,020 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states, and caused lasting damage to infrastructure in half a dozen Middle Eastern countries. Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz has largely cut off the Persian Gulf and its oil and gas exports from the global economy, sending energy prices soaring.

Reflecting the high stakes, officials from the region said Chinese, Egyptian, Saudi and Qatari officials were in Islamabad to indirectly facilitate talks. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.

In Tehran, residents told The Associated Press they were skeptical yet hopeful after weeks of airstrikes left destruction across their country of some 93 million people.

“Peace alone is not enough for our country because we’ve been hit very hard, there have been huge costs,” 62-year-old Amir Razzai Far said.

In his strongest words yet, Pope Leo XIV denounced the “delusion of omnipotence” fueling the war.

US sending forces to help mine-clearing on the strait
Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has proved its biggest strategic advantage in the war. Around a fifth of the world’s traded oil had typically passed through on over 100 ships a day. Only 12 have been recorded transiting since the ceasefire.

On Saturday, Trump said on social media that the U.S. had begun “clearing out” the strait.

“Today, we began the process of establishing a new passage and we will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon,” U.S. Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper later said. The U.S. statement about the destroyers added: “Additional U.S. forces, including underwater drones, will join the clearance effort in the coming days.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had said Tehran was entering negotiations with “deep distrust” after strikes on Iran during previous talks. Araghchi, part of Iran’s delegation in Pakistan, said Saturday that his country was prepared to retaliate if attacked again.

Iran’s 10-point proposal ahead of the talks called for a guaranteed end to the war and sought control over the Strait of Hormuz. It included ending fighting against Iran’s “regional allies,” explicitly calling for a halt to Israeli strikes on Hezbollah.

The United States’ 15-point proposal includes restricting Iran’s nuclear program and reopening the strait.

Israel and Lebanon will have direct negotiations
Israel pressed ahead with strikes in Lebanon after saying there is no ceasefire there. Iran and Pakistan have disagreed.

Negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are expected to begin Tuesday in Washington, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s office has said, after Israel’s surprise announcement authorizing talks despite the countries lack of official relations.

But as thousands in Lebanon protested the planned negotiations on Saturday, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said he had postponed a planned trip to Washington “in light of the current internal circumstances.” His absence should not affect talks as the first round is expected to be at the ambassadorial level.

Israel wants Lebanon’s government to assume responsibility for disarming Hezbollah, much like was envisaged in a November 2024 ceasefire. But the militant group has survived efforts to curb its strength for decades.

Hezbollah joined the war in support of Iran in the opening days. Israel followed with airstrikes and a ground invasion.

The day the Iran ceasefire deal was announced, Israel pounded Beirut with airstrikes, killing more than 300 people in the deadliest day in Lebanon since the war began, according to the country’s Health Ministry.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a recorded statement on Saturday evening regarding the ceasefire with Iran.

“The campaign is not over yet, but already now it is possible to state clearly: We have historic achievements. I want to remind you where we were. Iran tried to encircle Israel in a stranglehold. They wanted to choke us, and we are choking them. They threatened to annihilate us, and now they are fighting to survive.”

“We struck them, and there is more to be done. I approved various operations, most of them covert, to delay Iran, and indeed we delayed them, but the world did not hear.

According to Netanyahu, Israeli and U.S. strikes targeted nuclear facilities, missile stockpiles and launchers, and led to the killing of senior nuclear scientists involved in weaponization efforts.

“We eliminated 12 of their senior nuclear scientists,” he said, adding that further operations later killed additional figures tied to Iran’s nuclear program.

Netanyahu also claimed Israel had destroyed key infrastructure, including centrifuge systems, uranium production facilities and what he described as Iran’s heavy water plant in Arak.

“We reached a situation where Iran does not have a single active enrichment facility,” he said, without providing evidence.

Netanyahu said that he had acted despite opposition to his stance: “Many said, ‘It’s not so terrible.’ Some even said it wouldn’t be so terrible if Iran had nuclear weapons. I heard these voices not only from outside, but also from within. And as the Prime Minister of Israel, the only Jewish state, I could not accept that. The major turning point came on that evening of ‘Operation Rising Lion,’ when I informed you that our brave pilots were flying in Iranian skies and striking targets across Iran.”

Netanyahu added: “We were the first to break the barrier of fear of operating inside Iran itself. I remember how I felt, such excitement, such pride, goosebumps. I know you all felt it too. But if I had told you a year ago that our pilots would be flying over Iran, who would have believed it?”

Netanyahu reiterated that Israel prevented Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, despite assessments and reports that the Islamic Republic could reach nuclear breakout within a matter of months. “We had to remove two existential threats. If we had not launched these two operations against Iran, there would already be atomic bombs. That existential threat we prevented.”

He added that Israeli actions also aimed to weaken Iran’s leadership, describing it as being at its lowest point since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

“We made a huge change here,” Netanyahu said. “There are people who say we have no achievements — but we have enormous achievements.”

He said the impact is reflected in what he described as a weakened Iranian government “begging for a ceasefire,” as well as internal disputes among its leadership and growing difficulty in meeting the needs of its citizens.

“Iran is no longer the same Iran,” Netanyahu said. “And Israel is no longer the same Israel. Those who threatened to destroy us are now fighting for their own survival.”

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]

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.

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) — Eliot Engel, a veteran Democratic lawmaker who represented the Bronx and parts of Westchester County for more than three decades and became a leading voice on foreign policy, died Friday at 79, his family said.

The son of Ukrainian-Jewish immigrants, Eliot Engel brought the best of the Bronx to Congress.

I had the honor of serving alongside Eliot, who fought tirelessly for the people he served.

I’m keeping his family and loved ones in my thoughts today.

— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) April 10, 2026

Engel served 16 terms in the House of Representatives from 1989 to 2021, including as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in his final years. His long tenure ended after a 2020 primary defeat to Jamaal Bowman.

Widely regarded as a strong supporter of Israel, Engel made the U.S.-Israel relationship a central focus of his work in Congress. He consistently argued that the alliance should remain bipartisan and emphasized America’s broader leadership role internationally. His interest in global affairs dated back to his youth, and he often spoke about his desire to shape U.S. engagement abroad.

AIPAC mourns the passing of former Congressman Eliot Engel, a steadfast friend of the pro‑Israel community and an unabashed champion of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Throughout his distinguished 32‑year career in Congress, including as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs…

— AIPAC 🇺🇸🇮🇱 (@AIPAC) April 10, 2026

Engel’s personal story also informed his outlook. Raised in the Bronx, he was the grandson of Jewish immigrants who fled persecution in Eastern Europe. He frequently pointed to his family’s history as reinforcing his belief in the United States as a haven and a force for stability in the world.

AJC mourns the passing of former Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Eliot Engel, a recipient of AJC's Congressional Leadership Award and a steadfast friend of the Jewish people. A proud New Yorker who served 16 terms in Congress, he was a true partner in advancing… pic.twitter.com/G9Kli0Jdoc

— American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) April 10, 2026

Colleagues remembered him as a dedicated public servant with a deep commitment to both his district and international human rights. Ritchie Torres described Engel as a central figure in New York politics and a consistent advocate for democratic values.

Before his time in Congress, Engel served for more than a decade in the New York State Assembly, building a political career that spanned over 40 years.

He died in the Bronx, where he was raised, according to his family.

Today my uncle Congressman Eliot Engel passed away.

I’m not just saying this because he’s my uncle, but you would have to look hard to find a better public servant.

His life was the epitome of the American Dream. Going from the living in the projects in the Bronx, to the… pic.twitter.com/ryt705vrba

— Yaakov (Jack) Kaplan (@JackKaplanNY) April 10, 2026

For decades, Eliot Engel proudly served New Yorkers in Congress. ⁰⁰As a proud member of the Jewish community and the son of immigrants, he represented the best of the America’s promise. ⁰⁰Sending my love to his family and loved ones.

— Speaker Julie Menin (@SpeakerMenin) April 10, 2026

For over three decades, Eliot Engel represented the Bronx, Westchester and parts of Rockland County, bringing a deep understanding of our communities to his work in Congress, including as Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. What a loss for the Hudson Valley. My thoughts… https://t.co/L8hmM1g9VD pic.twitter.com/Ui8fDbB8T5

— Congressman Mike Lawler (@RepMikeLawler) April 10, 2026

My statement on the passing of my dear friend, Congressman Eliot Engel: pic.twitter.com/TgcaBbPcSH

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) April 10, 2026

Eliot Engel was a giant of New York politics and one of the greatest champions the Bronx has ever had in Congress. He served for more than three decades with unyielding dedication, fighting for his constituents and standing up for democracy around the world.

He was a trailblazer…

— Rep. Ritchie Torres (@RepRitchie) April 10, 2026

For over three decades, Congressman Eliot Engel dedicated himself to serving New Yorkers in Westchester and the Bronx, and New York is grateful for his service to our state.

My deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.

May his memory be a blessing.

— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) April 10, 2026

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.

A Frontier Airlines jet nearly collided with two trucks that crossed in front of it earlier this week at Los Angeles International Airport, but unlike last month’s deadly crash in New York while a plane was landing, this incident happened on a taxiway while the plane was moving slowly.

The Frontier pilot was alarmed and used an expletive as he told the tower he had to slam on the brakes to avoid a collision late Wednesday. “It was real close. The closest I have ever seen,” he said in audio posted by ATC.com.

No one was hurt in the incident that is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration. The agency said several vehicles on a service road crossed in front of the plane around 11:25 p.m. Wednesday.

“We thank our crew for their vigilance and professionalism,” Frontier Airlines said in a statement.

On March 22, an Air Canada jet carrying 76 people collided with a fire truck while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, killing both pilots and injuring dozens of people.

In that crash, an air traffic controller cleared the fire truck to cross the runway less than 20 seconds beforehand. Then seconds later the controller frantically called for the fire truck to stop.

The incident in Los Angeles appears to have happened in an area of the airport where the planes are communicating with air traffic controllers about their movements, but ground vehicles are simply supposed to yield to any planes, which are typically moving only about 15 mph (24 kph). Airport officials didn’t respond immediately to questions about what happened and what procedures are in place to prevent collisions.

Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo, who was a longtime United Airlines pilot, said these kind of incidents happen daily on taxiways across the country, but don’t normally get any attention because the collision is avoided. The issue will undoubtedly get more attention now.

“Multiple incidents, accidents happening, just in March alone, I think it’s time to put some serious eyes on what’s going on on the ramp,” Arroyo said.

NEW YORK (AP) — After chants of “run again!” filled the room, former Vice President Kamala Harris told African American activists on Friday that she’s actively considering another presidential bid.

“I might. I am thinking about it,” Harris told Rev. Al Sharpton after he asked directly whether she was going to run for president in 2028.
IMG_7993
Harris’ comments came during the National Action Network’s annual convention, where more than a half-dozen potential candidates appeared this week , hoping to make inroads among Black voters — who comprise one of Democrats’ most powerful blocs.

The Democrats’ next presidential primary season won’t begin in earnest until after November’s midterm elections, but this week’s conference showcased a collection of Democrats already jockeying for position in what promises to be a crowded competition.

For now, at least, there is no clear early favorite. But there did appear to be a favorite at Sharpton’s conference.

Harris, the nation’s first Black female vice president and the Democrats’ presidential nominee in 2024, earned the only standing ovation and the largest crowd of any other 2028 prospect this week. Some in the audience interrupted her remarks with chants of, “Run again!”

Sharpton noted that Harris earned more votes in her losing 2024 campaign than even former Democratic Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

“Whatever she decides to do, she made a point in history,” Sharpton said.

Harris has raised the possibility of another presidential bid before in the 15 months since she left office. She also recently launched a political action committee and began to travel across the United States to support Democrats, especially across the South.

Still, some in the party have shifted their focus to a new generation of Democratic leaders given Harris’ struggle in the last presidential contest.

The convention lineup this week featured Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Rep. Ro Khanna of California, and Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego.

Buttigieg, speaking shortly after Harris left the stage, received soft applause from a room that was about half-empty. Some cheered when he mentioned supporting federal workers and minority businesses, but many attendees had streamed out of the packed auditorium after Harris’ speech in a bid to grab a selfie with the former vice president.

Buttigieg, like many other 2028 prospects this week, laughed off a question about whether he would seek the presidency again.

Harris was more explicit.

Three times she repeated, “I’m thinking about it,” when Sharpton asked her about a 2028 White House run.

“I served for four years being a heartbeat away from the presidency of the United States. I spent countless hours in my West Wing office footsteps away from the Oval Office. I spent countless hours in the Oval Office and the situation room. I know what the job is, and I know what it requires,” Harris said.

She continued: “I am thinking about it in the context of who and where and how can the best job be done for the American people. That’s how I’m thinking about it. I’ll keep you posted.”

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.

WASHINGTON (VINnews) — A federal immigration appeals board has denied an effort by activist Mahmoud Khalil to dismiss his deportation case, advancing proceedings that could lead to his removal from the United States, his attorneys said according to the NY Post.

The Board of Immigration Appeals issued the ruling, allowing the case to move forward within the immigration system. Khalil’s legal team said he will continue to challenge the decision in federal court.

Khalil, a lawful permanent resident and former student at Columbia University, has argued the case is politically motivated and tied to his activism related to the Israel-Gaza conflict.

U.S. officials have raised concerns about his activities, while his attorneys say there is no evidence linking him to any terrorist group. Khalil has denied allegations of antisemitism.

He has said he fears for his safety if deported.

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.”

ISLAMABAD (AP) — It was initially seen as an unexpected mediator, but this week Pakistan has established itself as a key player in bringing Iran and the United States to the negotiating table. Now, it is awaiting representatives from both countries to meet in Islamabad, as the world watches to see whether the talks could lead toward an end to the war.

Since Washington and Tehran agreed to an initial 14-day ceasefire on Tuesday, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and the powerful army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir have been sharing messages about conversations with world leaders, highlighting their role as mediators. President Donald Trump has repeatedly referred to Munir as “my favorite field marshal” since last year, when he helped mediate a ceasefire between Pakistan and India.

Islamabad isn’t often called on to act as an intermediary in high-stakes diplomacy, but it’s stepped into the role this time for a number of reasons, both because it has relatively good ties with both Washington and Tehran and because it has a lot at stake in seeing the war resolved.

Pakistani government officials have said that their public peace effort follows weeks of quiet diplomacy, though they have provided few details. The talks are expected to take place in Islamabad on Saturday following the arrival of both delegations. Pakistan ramped up security across the city with additional troops and police.

Here’s what to know about Pakistan’s mediation effort:

Pakistan helped US deliver an initial 15-point plan to Iran
Pakistan’s role in Iran-U.S. negotiations surfaced a few weeks ago following media reports. Officials in Islamabad later acknowledged that a U.S. proposal had been conveyed to Iran.

It remains unclear who has served as Iran’s point of contact in the indirect talks.

According to Pakistani officials, U.S. messages were being passed to Iran and Iranian responses relayed to Washington, though they did not specify how the process was being handled or who was directly communicating with whom. Pakistan said that Turkey and Egypt were also working behind the scenes to bring the sides to the negotiating table.

A final US ultimatum and an announcement of an agreement
But days passed with no indication of progress. Last weekend, Trump escalated his threats and issued what seemed like a final deadline to Iran, saying that if Tehran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday, “the entire country can be taken out.” That same day, he also said that “a whole civilization will die tonight,” adding, “I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”

Pakistan and other countries were already working behind the scenes to reach an agreement and avoid an escalation.

Then, before the deadline, Sharif tweeted: “With the greatest humility, I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire.” The U.S. and Iran also confirmed it.

Michael Kugelman, a senior fellow for South Asia at the Atlantic Council, said that Pakistan can show to the world it is “an influential regional actor” thanks to its work as mediator.

“Islamabad can also enjoy a measure of vindication: for having defied the skeptics who didn’t think it could pull off such a feat,” he wrote in Foreign Policy magazine this week.

Ties with both US and Iran set Pakistan up for new role
Previous U.S.-Iran negotiations have been facilitated mainly by countries in the Middle East, including Oman and Qatar, but as they came under Iranian fire, Pakistan stepped into the role.

Analysts say Pakistan’s geographic proximity to Iran — it’s one of its neighbors — coupled with its longstanding ties with the U.S., gives it a unique position at a time when direct communication between the two sides remains constrained.

Islamabad also has close strategic ties with Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, with which it signed a defense cooperation agreement last year. However, Pakistan has no diplomatic relations with Israel because of the lingering issue of Palestinian statehood.

Relations between the U.S. and Pakistan have improved since last year, with increased diplomatic engagement and expanding economic ties. Islamabad also joined Trump’s Board of Peace, which aims to ensure peace in Gaza, despite opposition from Islamists at home.

Pakistan has a lot at stake in ceasefire talks
The conflict poses some of “the biggest economic and energy security challenges” in Pakistan’s history, said Islamabad-based security analyst Syed Mohammad Ali.

The country gets most of its oil and gas from the Middle East — and, he said, the 5 million Pakistanis working in the Arab world send home remittances each year roughly equal to the country’s total export earnings.

Rising tensions have already contributed to higher global oil prices, forcing Pakistan to increase fuel prices by about 20% and putting pressure on Sharif’s government.

The war is also adding to domestic turmoil, even as Pakistan has been grappling for months with its own conflict with neighboring Afghanistan. Islamabad has accused the country’s Taliban government of tolerating militant groups that are behind attacks in Pakistan.

Earlier this month, protests erupted across the country following U.S. strikes on Iran, with demonstrators clashing with security forces in several cities. At least 22 people were killed and over 120 injured in clashes in Karachi a day after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Another 12 people were killed after a mob tried to storm the U.S. Consulate in Karachi on March 1.

Khamenei was a central religious and political figure for Shiites worldwide, including in Pakistan.

Pakistan has a record as a mediator
Pakistan’s then-President Gen. Yahya Khan facilitated back-channel contacts that led to U.S. President Richard Nixon’s historic 1972 visit to China. That paved the way for the establishment of diplomatic ties between Washington and Beijing in 1979.

Since then, Pakistan has played a role in several other complex regional conflicts, most notably during the 1988 Geneva Accords that paved the way for the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan. Acting as a front line state and key interlocutor, Islamabad participated in U.N.-brokered negotiations while working closely with the United States and other stakeholders and helped increase pressure on Moscow to pull out its forces.

More recently, Pakistan facilitated contacts between the Afghan Taliban and Washington that led to talks in Doha that culminated in a 2020 agreement and set the stage for the withdrawal of U.S.-led NATO troops and the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.

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.

NETANYA, Israel (VINnews) — A yeshiva student was in critical condition Friday after being rescued from the water off a Netanya beach, while authorities continued searching for his brother who remained missing at sea.

Emergency services said two young men were reported in distress in the water near Kiryat Sanz beach. One was pulled ashore by bystanders and found unconscious, prompting paramedics to perform advanced resuscitation before taking him to Laniado Hospital.

Rescue teams, including specialized diving units, launched a search for the second individual, believed to be his brother, who disappeared in the water.

Authorities said the two are from a haredi family and had gone to the beach together. The search remained ongoing.

Names for prayer: Avraham Yishayahu ben Shoshana. V’Yissachar Dov ben Shoshana.

SAFED (VINnews) – Hezbollah fired several rockets from Lebanon toward the northern Israeli city of Safed on Friday, causing damage to a parking lot even as the Israeli military said most were intercepted or landed in open areas, authorities reported.

No injuries were immediately reported from the strike in Safed, according to rescue services. However, Magen David Adom and local officials confirmed an impact in a parking lot that damaged vehicles and nearby infrastructure.

The Israel Defense Forces said its aerial defense systems intercepted a number of the projectiles, with others falling in open zones. Sirens sounded across Safed and surrounding Galilee communities as the attack unfolded.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the rocket fire, describing it as a response to alleged Israeli ceasefire violations and ongoing strikes in Lebanon. The group has intensified attacks on northern Israel in recent days amid heightened regional tensions following Israeli operations against Hezbollah targets.

The incident comes as Israel continues airstrikes on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. Rescue teams responded quickly to the Safed scene, where footage showed damaged cars and debris scattered in the parking area.

Northern Israel remains on high alert, with frequent rocket alerts. Officials urged residents to follow Home Front Command instructions and stay near protected spaces.

MUNICH (AP) — Authorities believe an antisemitic motive prompted vandalism at an Israeli restaurant in Munich where the windows were broken early Friday, police said. No one was injured.

The owners of the restaurant are Jewish, police told German news agency dpa.

Visuals of the aftermath show that the restaurant is the Eclipse Grillbar, though police did not name it. The restaurant’s website says it is Munich’s first authentic Israeli restaurant; it did not immediately return a request for comment.

Grigori Dratva, the owner’s brother-in-law and an employee, told dpa there hadn’t been any direct threats against the restaurant.

An investigator checks the damage as he stands outside an Israeli restaurant where the windows were broken early Friday, April 10, 2026, in Munich, Germany. (Felix Hörhager/dpa via AP)

They’ve always felt safe in Munich, and plan to reopen, Dratva said. The restaurant had closed for service at 11 p.m. Thursday.

Investigators believe pyrotechnic devices — potentially fireworks — were thrown into the restaurant, breaking the windows in three places. No suspects were discovered in the area after police were called around 12:45 a.m. and it was not clear who the perpetrator or perpetrators are. The damage is estimated at several thousand euros (dollars).

Antisemitism has risen in Germany since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians and took 251 people hostage. Israel and the U.S. have now targeted Iran, though a two-week ceasefire is in effect. Despite that ceasefire, Israel dramatically escalated its attacks in Lebanon against the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

(VINnews) – Used vehicle prices in the U.S. rose again last month, reaching their highest point since mid-2023 as demand continues to outpace supply, according to data from Cox Automotive.

A key wholesale pricing index showed a notable year-over-year increase, signaling that tight inventory and steady buyer interest are keeping prices elevated.

Analysts say demand has held up despite broader economic pressures, with limited supply further supporting higher prices. Inventory levels remain constrained, with fewer vehicles available on dealer lots compared to typical levels.

Consumers continue to turn to used cars as new vehicle prices remain significantly higher, reinforcing demand across the market.

Looking ahead, Cox Automotive slightly raised its forecast for used vehicle sales this year, though overall volumes are still expected to edge lower compared to last year as conditions soften later in 2026.

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.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The largest monthly jump in gas prices in six decades caused a sharp spike in inflation in March, creating major challenges for the inflation-fighters at the Federal Reserve and heightening the political challenges of rising costs for the White House.

Consumer prices rose 3.3% in March from a year earlier, the Labor Department said Friday, up sharply from just 2.4% in February. On a monthly basis, prices rose 0.9% in March from February, the largest such increase in nearly four years.

Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices rose 2.6% in March from a year earlier, up from 2.5% in February. But last month core prices rose a modest 0.2%, suggesting that the gas price shock hasn’t yet spread to many other categories.

The gas price shock stemming from the Iran war has shifted inflation’s trajectory, from a slow, gradual decline to a sharp increase further away from the Fed’s 2% target. As a result, the central bank will almost certainly postpone any cut in interest rates for months. Gas prices are also a highly visible cost that has outsize impacts on consumer confidence and political sentiment.

(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)

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The State Attorney’s Office filed an indictment on Friday morning with the Jerusalem District Court against Moshe Lachovitz, a 21-year-old charedi resident of Jerusalem. According to the allegations, he maintained contact with an individual acting on behalf of Iranian intelligence and carried out a series of tasks for him in exchange for payment. Alongside the indictment, prosecutors requested that he be held in custody until the end of legal proceedings.

According to the indictment, Lachovitz made contact with a person who introduced himself as “Michael” while searching for work. What initially appeared to be an innocent conversation developed into an ongoing relationship, during which “Michael” also spoke with him about his personal life, religion, and the State of Israel, even stating that he liked religious Jews. At some point, he asked Lachovitz to send a photo of his ID card, and Lachovitz complied.

Later, the indictment states, “Michael” instructed Lachovitz to open a digital wallet using the Trust app in order to receive payments for the tasks he would perform. He was then asked to carry out various photography assignments and was instructed to download an application that allows taking photos even when the phone screen is off, effectively turning the device into an “operational phone.”

One of the first assignments was to photograph Liberty Bell Park in Jerusalem. According to the indictment, Lachovitz went to the site, documented the park area, and sent the video to the handler via Telegram. In return, on May 4, 2025, he received approximately $618 in cryptocurrency.

He was later asked to carry out another task in Ra’anana. Although he did not have a driver’s license, he drove there, traveled along a route he was instructed to document, filmed it using the operational phone, and sent the footage to the foreign agent via Telegram. For this task, he allegedly received an additional $909. He was then instructed to purchase a spray paint can at a store while documenting the action, and he sent that footage as well.

According to the prosecution, at a certain stage Lachovitz understood that the individual was acting on behalf of Iran, yet continued to maintain contact and carry out tasks that could assist in gathering information. The indictment states that the activity continued during “Operation Rising Lion” in late June 2025. During that time, he was asked what other locations he could document and suggested a site known as “Pardes Morasha,” near the Morasha Junction. He borrowed a car from a friend, again drove without a license, documented the location, and sent the video to the Iranian handler.

In total, the indictment states, Lachovitz received about $3,276 in cryptocurrency. However, a turning point occurred: in one conversation, the Iranian handler reportedly said that all Jews should die except for the charedim. Following these remarks, Lachovitz decided to cut off contact, stopped responding, and later handed over the operational phone to another woman after changing the SIM card and deleting its contents.

Nevertheless, according to the indictment, the connection did not disappear entirely. On September 28, 2025, the same Iranian handler contacted him again, asking for help locating a person to whom he had allegedly paid $1,000 for a motorcycle but who had since disappeared. Lachovitz replied that he could not assist.

Lachovitz is charged with offenses including contact with a foreign agent, providing information to the enemy, and additional related crimes. This case joins a series of incidents uncovered in recent months in which Iranian operatives attempted to recruit Israelis online using personal conversations, encrypted apps, and payments in cryptocurrency.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) – Israeli troops identified a Hezbollah cell during ground operations in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, leading to an airstrike that eliminated one operative hiding in bushes and a follow-up strike on a fleeing vehicle carrying the rest of the group, the Israel Defense Forces said.

The IDF released footage of the incident involving soldiers from the 769th “Hiram” Regional Brigade operating in their designated area. One terrorist was spotted concealing himself in vegetation. An Israeli Air Force aircraft quickly eliminated him, according to the military.

The remaining Hezbollah operatives were seen escaping in a vehicle, which was subsequently struck and destroyed, the IDF reported.

The operations are part of ongoing efforts to target Hezbollah infrastructure and personnel in southern Lebanon amid continued cross-border threats. The IDF has intensified ground and air actions in the region in recent months to degrade the terror group’s capabilities.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) – IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir declared Thursday that operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon constitute the Israeli military’s main focus of combat, emphasizing that the IDF remains actively at war in the sector despite a fragile regional situation.

“The IDF is in a state of war, we are not in a ceasefire. We continue to fight here in this sector, this is our primary combat zone,” Zamir said during a visit to the outskirts of Bint Jbeil, a Hezbollah stronghold where Israeli forces have engaged in intense battles with the Iran-backed terrorist group.

Zamir added that Israel maintains a ceasefire with Iran but stands ready to resume operations there forcefully if needed.

“In Iran, we are in a ceasefire, and we can return to fighting there at any moment, and in a very powerful way,” he said.

The comments were released Friday morning in a video by the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.

The remarks come amid ongoing Israeli military activity in southern Lebanon aimed at degrading Hezbollah’s capabilities and preventing the group from re-establishing its presence near the border following the escalation that began after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. Israeli forces have conducted targeted operations in villages and areas long used by Hezbollah for attacks on northern Israel.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California officials on Thursday said they uncovered a multimillion-dollar scheme to use stolen identities from people outside the state to charge for hospice services paid for with a government insurance program.

State Attorney General Rob Bonta said officials have charged 21 and have so far arrested 5 people involved as the Trump administration accused California of not doing enough to crack down on fraud.

Federal officials have launched a nationwide effort to target improper spending in federal benefit programs, arresting eight people last week they said were involved in various health care fraud schemes in and around Los Angeles.

“This isn’t a political game for us. This is about protecting taxpayer dollars, protecting the programs that sick and vulnerable Californians rely on, and protecting our state,” Bonta said in a news release.

After the Department of Health Care Services notified state prosecutors of potential fraud, investigators discovered a scheme in which individuals bought personal information for non-California residents from the dark web and enrolled them in Medi-Cal, the state’s equivalent of Medicaid, Bonta’s office said. The program provides free or low-cost health insurance to low-income individuals and families.

Then, those individuals bought 14 hospice companies and began billing for hospice services for the stolen identities. They billed a total of about $267 million, Bonta’s office said.

The individuals are charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, money laundering, and identity theft with aggravated white collar crime and money laundering enhancements.

“For years, California has led the charge to protect public programs from fraud and abuse,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in the news release. “We hold accountable to the fullest extent of the law anyone who tries to rip off taxpayers and take advantage of public programs, particularly those as sensitive as hospice care.

Under Bonta, the state has filed 119 hospice-related criminal cases and secured 51 convictions, his office said.

The Trump administration has made California a focus of its national anti-fraud efforts and zeroed in on Medicare hospice fraud in the Los Angeles area. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March to create an anti-fraud task force led by Vice President JD Vance. Most of the efforts have focused on states run by Democrats, though Republican-led Florida was among those asked to share more information on how they identify, prevent and address Medicaid fraud.

(AP) – Prediction markets let people wager on just about anything — from basketball games to elections. And among more jarring bets recently, the fate of the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran.

Shortly ahead of a fragile ceasefire agreement earlier this week, a new group of accounts on prediction market platform Polymarket made highly specific, well-timed trades betting there’d be an announcement about a halt in fighting for April 7. Some quickly pocketed awards, which amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits combined. Others are still awaiting payouts as an end to the deadly conflict still seems uncertain.

Regardless, the trades once again put the spotlight on a murky — and growing — world of speculative, 24/7 transactions now filling the internet. And some have raised questions about suspicious activity, including an anonymous Polymarket trader pocketing more than $400,000 following the U.S. military’s capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January.

The timing and subjects of such trades have fueled concerns about potential insider trading — with calls increasing among lawmakers for investigations. Popular platforms, including Polymarket, have rolled out added guardrails in efforts to combat insider trading recently, but critics say it isn’t enough.

Meanwhile, because prediction market wagers are categorized differently than traditional forms of gambling, tensions about government oversight have erupted. President Donald Trump’s administration has already thrown its support behind company operators — and sued three states over their efforts to regulate them further.

Here’s what we know:

How prediction markets work
The scope of topics involved in prediction markets can range immensely. Recently, there’s been a surge of wages on elections and sports games. But some users have also bet millions on things like a rumored — and ultimately unrealized — “secret finale” for the Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” whether the U.S. government will confirm the existence of extraterrestrial life and how much billionaire Elon Musk might post on social media this month.

In industry-speak, what someone buys or sells in a prediction market is called an “event contract.” They’re typically advertised as “yes” or “no” wagers. And the price of one fluctuates between $0 and $1, reflecting what traders are collectively willing to pay based on a 0% to 100% chance of whether they think an event will occur.

The more likely traders think an event will occur, the more expensive that contract will become. And as those odds change over time, users can cash out early to make incremental profits, or try to avoid higher losses on what they’ve already invested.

Proponents of prediction markets argue putting money on the line leads to better forecasts and allow you to gauge public opinion as an alternative to polling. And some think there’s value in monitoring prediction markets for potential news, particularly elections.

Still, prediction markets can also be wrong. People investing their money may be closely following certain events, but others could just be randomly guessing.

Who is behind all of the trading is also pretty unclear.

The companies running today’s biggest platforms know who their customers are — as they collect personal information to verify identities and payments. But most users can trade under anonymous pseudonyms on public-facing websites, making it difficult for the world to tell who is profiting off many event contracts.

Critics also stress that the ease and speed of joining these 24/7 wagers leads to financial losses everyday, particularly harming users who may already struggle with gambling.

The major players
Polymarket is one of the largest prediction markets in the world. Users can fund event contracts through cryptocurrency, debit or credit cards and bank transfers.

Restrictions vary by country, but in the U.S., the reach of these markets has expanded rapidly over recent years, coinciding with shifting policies out of Washington.

While prediction markets have found backing from the Trump-controlled Commodity Futures Trading Commission, former President Joe Biden was more aggressive in cracking down. Following a 2022 settlement with the CFTC, Polymarket was barred from operating in the country. That changed under Trump late last year, when Polymarket announced it would be returning to the U.S. after receiving clearance from the commission. American-based users can now join a “waitlist” to access the platform.

Meanwhile, Polymarket’s top competitor, Kalshi, has been a federally-regulated exchange since 2020. The platform offers similar ways to buy and sell event contracts as Polymarket — and it currently allows event contracts on elections and sports nationwide. Kalshi won court approval just weeks before the 2024 election to let Americans put money on upcoming political races and began to host sports trading last year.

The space is now crowded with other big names. Major League Baseball inked a deal with Polymarket last month, following other partnerships in professional hockey and soccer. Meanwhile, sports betting giants DraftKings and FanDuel have launched their own prediction platforms. Trump’s social media site Truth Social has also promised to offer an in-platform prediction market through a partnership with Crypto.com — and one of the president’s sons, Donald Trump Jr., holds advisory roles at both Polymarket and Kalshi.

Last month, The Associated Press agreed to sell its U.S. elections data to Kalshi.

Loose regulation and calls for reform
Because they’re positioned as selling event contracts, prediction markets are regulated by the CFTC. That means they can avoid state-level restrictions or bans in place for traditional gambling and sports betting today.

“It’s a huge loophole,” said Karl Lockhart, an assistant professor of law at DePaul University who has studied this space. “You just have to comply with one set of regulations, rather than (rules from) each state around the country.”

Sports betting is taking center stage. There are a handful of big states — like California and Texas, for example — where sports betting is still illegal, but people can now wager on games, athlete trades and more through event contracts.

A growing number of states and tribes are trying to stop this. But the Trump administration has already pushed back, maintaining that the CFTC has the sole authority to regulate prediction markets. Many lawyers expect litigation to eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

Despite overseeing trillions of dollars for the overall U.S. derivatives market, the CFTC is much smaller than the Securities and Exchange Commission, which regulates the securities industry. And at the same time event contracts are growing rapidly on prediction market platforms, there have been sizeable workforce cuts and leadership departures. CFTC chairman Michael Selig is the sole member filling just one of five commissioner slots.

Meanwhile, Congress members from both sides of the aisle have introduced broad legislation for more guardrails in recent months. Soon after, Kalshi — which has maintained that it’s always banned insider trading — quickly moved to bar political candidates from trading on their own campaigns, and preemptively block anyone involved in college or professional sports from contracts related to the sports they play or are employed by. Polymarket rewrote its rules to clearly say users cannot trade on contracts where they might possess confidential information, or could influence the outcome of an event.

The CFTC can also bar event contracts related to war, terrorism and assassinations, which experts say could put some prediction market trades — including those related to the Iran war — on added shaky ground, at least in the U.S. Lawmakers like Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff are seeking an outright ban of these kinds of trades.

Still, users might find ways to buy certain contracts while traveling abroad, or through connecting to different VPNs.

NEW YORK (AP) — On the road to 2028, the Democratic Party’s leading presidential prospects are warning African Americans that President Donald Trump is actively working to undermine their right to vote in 2026.

That was a central message Thursday as some of the nation’s most ambitious Democratic politicians appeared before Black activists at the National Action Network’s annual convention. In all, more than a half-dozen potential candidates are speaking during the four-day gathering led by Rev. Al Sharpton, aiming to make inroads among Black voters, who comprise one of Democrats’ most powerful blocs.

As they deflected questions about their 2028 intentions, the high-profile Democrats pointed to what they described as an imminent threat from the Trump administration heading into the November midterm elections.

“If we don’t have a fair election in November, we won’t have any more elections,” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker charged. He warned that Trump was going to send Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agents to “scare people away from the polls” — something the administration has denied — and said “we need to go with purpose and push them out of the way, or at least tell them to get out of the way, and go in and vote.”

Pritzker’s comments underscore how the clash over voting rights in the 2026 midterm elections is already shaping the early stages of the 2028 presidential contest.

Trump has been taking unprecedented steps to change how Americans vote based on his false allegations of fraud.

Less than two weeks ago, Trump signed an executive order to create a nationwide list of verified eligible voters and to restrict mail-in voting. The order, which voting law experts say violates the Constitution by attempting to seize states’ power to run elections, also seeks to bar the U.S. Postal Service from sending absentee ballots to those not on each state’s approved list.

Last year, Trump issued another executive order intended to create a proof-of-citizenship requirement, which could disenfranchise millions of Americans who don’t have easy access to such documents, and a mandate that all mail ballots be received by Election Day, eliminating grace periods used in 14 states. The order has been blocked by numerous courts.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks at the National Action Network Convention, accompanied by the Rev. Al Sharpton, in New York, Thursday, April 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who described himself as “hungry but not thirsty” when asked about his personal presidential ambitions, condemned Trump’s actions as an effort “to make the pain permanent.”

“This is voter suppression. This is political redlining. These are the oldest tricks in the books,” Moore said. “The only difference is usually it’s spread out, it’s never done all at once and in broad daylight.”

He added, “We have to make sure that this election is not stolen right before our face.”

The next presidential primary is already underway
The primary season won’t begin in earnest until after November’s midterm elections, but this week’s conference is showcasing a collection of Democrats already jockeying for position in what promises to be a crowded competition.

For now, at least, there is no clear early favorite.

“Everybody’s talking about who may run for president,” said Sharpton, the National Action Network’s founder and president. “I want to first know what their vision is now, and what they’re doing now. So I’ve invited all of the people that could run.”

In addition to Moore and Pritzker, the speaking program features Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Rep. Ro Khanna of California, and Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris, the last Democratic presidential nominee, is scheduled to speak Friday. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, another likely contender, won’t be in attendance because of a previously scheduled family commitment, his team said, noting that he met with Sharpton earlier in the year.

Shapiro was the first to speak and, like others, framed his critique of Trump around morality rather than the kitchen table issues that normally fill stump speeches. He warned that “everyone is less safe” because of Trump’s leadership and blamed him for a nationwide surge in antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and bigotry.

“There’s more chaos, there’s more cruelty in our world,” Shapiro said. “Even if we disagree on health care policy or tax policy or whatever, we should at least, at a baseline, have an honorable president of the United States. We do not have that right now.”

Khanna told The Associated Press that “a 2028 contender needs to articulate and run on a new moral vision for America.” He said progressives should be “speaking to the Civil Rights tradition and offering a vision rooted in Black history.”

Black voters have critical influence
One doesn’t have to look far to see the outsized influence that Black voters wield in Democratic nomination contests.

In 2020, Buttigieg was a top vote-getter in the Iowa caucus and scored a strong second place in New Hampshire — both overwhelmingly white states — before Joe Biden dominated South Carolina on the strength of the Black vote.

Biden’s long-established relationship with the African American community, backed by his perceived electability advantage, ultimately helped him beat back a strong push by progressive favorite Sen. Bernie Sanders.

In an interview, Rep. James Clyburn, said he’s not concerned about whether his home state of South Carolina retains its top spot on the presidential primary calendar so long as the state remains first in the South. He noted that his state’s demographic makeup helps prepare candidates for the general election.

“South Carolina never made a request for that opening slot. That’s a decision that Joe Biden made for whatever reason,” Clyburn told The Associated Press.

He also said it was too early to focus on the Democrats’ early 2028 field given the threat to voting rights that Trump poses this fall.

“I’ve been saying to everybody, and I hope they take heed — 2028 is a very shiny object, 2026 is a necessary process,” Clyburn said. “If we fail to conduct ourselves properly in these off-year elections, there ain’t gonna be a 2028 election.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has updated the charter of a key federal vaccine advisory committee in ways that may increase the voices of anti-vaccine activists, the latest in a series of moves that critics say are undermining confidence in life-saving shots.

The changes published Thursday come after a recent legal defeat that has at least temporarily halted meetings of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which for decades has recommended how best to use the nation’s vaccines.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic, ousted all the members of that committee soon after becoming the nation’s top health official and replaced them with his own picks. The revamped panel then declined to recommend COVID-19 vaccines even for high-risk populations and voted to stop recommending most newborn hepatitis B shots. Separately, under Kennedy, the administration also narrowed the childhood vaccine schedule.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and other health groups sued to block those steps and last month a federal judge agreed. The administration has indicated it planned to appeal but has not yet done so.

The committee, known as ACIP, advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which typically follows its recommendations. Those recommendations, in turn, have long guided state vaccine requirements for schools and whether health insurance covers the shots. Its charter — essentially governing rules — is routinely renewed every two years with little fanfare.

The new charter broadens qualifications for panel members that would allow the inclusion of Kennedy allies. While ACIP has long focused on vaccine safety, the updated charter also echoes wording of vaccine critics about focusing on possible harms, such as studying “gaps in vaccine safety research” and considering “cumulative effects” of shots, which are considered settled science. It would also have the panel consider other countries’ vaccination schedules.

The changes reflect “a continued effort to do more of the same things to undermine ACIP, undermine vaccine policy” and public confidence, said Richard H. Hughes IV, an attorney representing the AAP.

The charter’s renewal deadline coincided with the lawsuit proceedings, but Hughes said it doesn’t resolve the legal challenge.

“The ACIP charter renewal and its publication are routine statutory requirements and do not signal any broader policy shift,” said Health and Human Services spokesman Andrew Nixon.

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.

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.

TEHRAN (VINnews) — Kamal Kharazi, a former Iranian foreign minister and longtime senior diplomatic figure, has died from wounds sustained in strikes attributed to the United States and Israel earlier this month, Iranian state-affiliated media reported.

Kharazi, 81, had been serving as head of Iran’s Strategic Council for International Relations, a body linked to the foreign ministry. According to Iran’s Mehr News Agency and ISNA, he succumbed to injuries late Thursday following what officials described as a “terrorist attack carried out by the American-Zionist enemy.”

Iranian reports said Kharazi was wounded in strikes on April 1 targeting Tehran. His wife was also killed in the attack on their home, according to the same outlets.

Kharazi previously served as Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in New York before becoming foreign minister from 1997 to 2005 under then-president Mohammad Khatami. He was considered a key figure in Iran’s diplomatic establishment for decades.

The reported death comes amid escalating tensions following a series of strikes and targeted killings since late February. Iranian media have claimed that several senior military and political figures, including the country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, have been assassinated in operations attributed to the United States and Israel.

There has been no immediate confirmation or comment from U.S. or Israeli officials regarding the reported strike or Kharazi’s death.

NEW YORK (AP) — A former New York City police sergeant was sentenced Thursday to three to nine years in prison for tossing a picnic cooler full of ice and drinks at a fleeing suspect, who then crashed his motorized scooter and died.

Erik Duran, 38, was convicted of manslaughter in the 2023 death of 30-year-old Eric Duprey. The ex-sergeant said he was trying to protect other officers from the approaching scooter. He is the first former NYPD officer sentenced to prison for an on-duty death in at least two decades.

“I took this job to save lives. I felt terrible once I saw Eric Duprey crash,” Duran told a Bronx judge, saying he “did everything he could” to attend to the man’s injuries.

“I never wanted this to happen,” he added, apologizing to Duprey’s family in Spanish as a court interpreter translated.

Duprey’s mother, Gretchen Soto, wept as Duran spoke. Earlier, she told the court: “There are no words to express what I feel.”

Judge Guy Mitchell said he did not accept the ex-sergeant’s defense that his actions were justified, concluding that Duran hurled the cooler because he “was upset that Mr. Duprey was getting away.” If there was no cooler, the judge said, Duprey “would have driven by” Duran and “could’ve been captured another day.”

Duran was immediately taken into custody after sentencing. His lawyer, Arthur Aidala, said he will ask a court to free Duran on bail while he appeals.

“Nobody’s above the law,” a woman shouted in a courthouse hallway after the sentence was announced.

Afterward, Soto and Duprey’s partner, Pearl Velez, said they did not accept Duran’s apology.

“How you gonna say sorry now?” Velez said.

Duran’s union, the Sergeants Benevolent Association, said thousands of officers signed an online petition calling for him to be spared prison.

“Today will forever be the darkest day of our profession,” union president Vincent Vallelong said. Duran’s prison sentence, he said, “puts in the back of a police officer’s mind that they can lose their freedom” for making a split-second decision.

Officers in NYPD jackets packed the courtroom gallery, while a couple dozen protesters outside demanded justice for Duprey.

Duran’s sentence, less than the maximum of five to 15 years, matched what prosecutors with state Attorney General Letitia James’ office had sought. Prosecutor Joseph Bianco said the ex-sergeant recklessly caused Duprey’s death and attempted to cover up his actions.

Defense lawyer Andrew Quinn argued for no prison time, calling Duprey’s death the “unintended and tragic consequences” of a “reckless decision” Duran made in a span of 2.5 seconds.

Duran grew up in the Bronx and led a “model, exemplary life” prior to Duprey’s death. A married father of three, he joined the NYPD because he wanted to make the borough “cleaner and safer for the kids who came after him,” Quinn said.

“He is now the cooler cop,” Quinn said.

Duran was part of a narcotics policing unit that conducted a “buy-and-bust” operation in the Bronx on Aug. 23, 2023. Police said Duprey sold drugs to an undercover officer, then tried to flee on a scooter.

Surveillance video showed Duprey driving the motorized scooter on a sidewalk toward a group of people. As he approached, the then-sergeant — who wasn’t in uniform — picked up a bystander’s cooler and threw it.

The container struck Duprey, who lost control of the scooter, slammed into a tree and crashed onto the pavement. Duprey was not wearing a helmet. He sustained fatal head injuries and died almost instantly, according to prosecutors.

They argued Duran had enough time to warn others to move, but instead hurled the cooler because he was angry.

Duran, however, testified at his trial that he made a quick decision to keep other officers safe from the scooter speeding toward them.

“He was gonna crash into us,” Duran said then, adding “all I had time for was to try again to stop or to try to get him to change directions.”

Duran opted to have Judge Mitchell, not a jury, decide the case.

Duran worked for the NYPD for 13 years before the crash, which spurred his suspension. He was fired after his conviction in February.

Duprey was a delivery driver and had three young children. Soto, who said she was on a video call with him right before he died, has disputed the police claims that he sold drugs and fled from officers.

She told the judge Thursday her son “is not just a name, not just one more case.”

“It is an unjust incident,” Soto said through a Spanish interpreter. “As a mother, I have to miss him now every day.”

(AP) – A new reality is setting in for travelers worldwide: rising fares and fees, fewer flight options and difficult decisions about whether a trip is worth the cost.

The culprit is volatile oil and jet fuel prices, which have spiked sharply since the war in the Middle East began and fighting near the Strait of Hormuz created a chokepoint for global oil supplies.

“Volatility is the real story here,” said Shye Gilad, a former airline captain who now teaches at Georgetown University’s business school. “Right now, the airlines are trying to make bets on what they think will happen in the future.”

Airlines are responding cautiously, trimming schedules and adjusting prices in ways that experts say will ripple unevenly across the market but ultimately affect nearly every type of traveler.

Budget airlines and the customers who rely on them are likely to feel the pinch first and most acutely, experts say, but even travelers in premium cabins won’t escape the higher prices and less convenient schedules.

Oil prices have swung wildly in recent weeks, briefly topping $119 a barrel at one point, plunging Wednesday below $95 on news of a two-week ceasefire that temporarily reopened the Strait of Hormuz, and then climbing back toward $100 on Thursday as uncertainty over the fragile deal grew. Iran again closed the key artery for global oil shipments in response to Israeli strikes Wednesday in Lebanon.

“When prices move quickly in both directions, it’s very hard for airlines to make predictions,” Gilad said.

In other words, even when oil prices drop, travelers may not see relief right away.

“At this level of fuel, it’s hard to call anything temporary,” Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian told reporters this week after the Atlanta-based carrier raised its checked baggage fees.

Global squeeze, local effects
Bastian said Wednesday as Delta kicked off the earnings season for U.S. airlines that the higher fuel prices are expected to add $2 billion in operating expenses in the second quarter alone. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said in a recent memo to staff that if fuel prices stay elevated, it could add $11 billion in annual costs.

“For perspective,” Kirby wrote, “in United’s best year ever, we made less than $5B.”

According to the International Air Transport Association, the average global jet fuel price rose to $209 per barrel last week, up from roughly $99 at the end of February when the war started. Travelers from the U.S. to Hong Kong and New Delhi are paying the price.

U.S. carriers are embedding the higher operating costs into ticket prices and add-on fees. Delta, United, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue have all increased checked baggage fees.

Both United and American are also moving beyond add-ons to adjust pricing. United said last week it is bringing the “pay for what you want” approach already standard in economy to its premium cabins, turning perks like advanced seat selection and fully refundable tickets into optional extras.

American announced Thursday that passengers in basic economy will have to pay extra to pick their seat beginning May 18, including elite-tier loyalty members. And later this year, basic economy passengers without elite status or an eligible co-branded credit card will be assigned to boarding Group 7, while those with higher status will still board earlier even when purchasing the lowest fare.

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific recently bumped fuel surcharges by roughly 34% across all routes, while Air India on Monday added up to $280 in fees to some flights. Emirates, Lufthansa and KLM have also adjusted fees or fares to keep pace with the price volatility.

Experts say flexibility and careful planning can help offset these costs. Fare-tracking sites can alert travelers to price changes and help them compare multiple options in one place. Booking early and checking nearby airports can lock in better prices, while refundable tickets make it easier to cancel and rebook if fares drop. Traveling light with just a carry-on can also help avoid the rising bag fees.

Flight cuts to cut costs
For business travelers, the costs are already shaping their decisions. Bill Moorehouse, a solutions director who flies for work every four to six weeks, said the uncertainty may keep him closer to home for now.

“When you have business trips and you have a carefully coordinated schedule, you don’t want unknowns and disruptions. And right now, it just feels like it’s more likely that things could go wrong and throw your trip off course,” the Cupertino, California, resident said.

Richard Groberg, an investment banker from Las Vegas who visits clients around the U.S., said he plans to book as early as possible to lock in the best fares.

“There’s sometimes no substitute for in-person meetings and building relationships,” he said. “As travel becomes more expensive, that becomes a tougher decision to make those investments.”

Even family visits are on his mind. Groberg’s brother hopes he’ll stop in Vermont next time he’s in New York for work, but Groberg admits, “I start thinking maybe I should drive instead because this is getting so expensive.”

Airlines, meanwhile, are also adjusting how much they fly.

BNP Paribas estimates that global schedules for April have been cut roughly 5% compared with earlier plans. Most reductions are in the Middle East, the global investment bank said, though smaller cuts were also emerging in Europe, Asia and North America.

United Airlines is cutting about 5% of its planned flights in the near term, trimming less profitable routes and suspending some international service temporarily rather than “burning cash” on trips that can’t absorb the more expensive fuel costs. The airline’s CEO said the cuts will target redeye flights and routes on historically slower travel days such as Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.

Delta is scrapping plans to add more flights and seats in June, leaving about 3.5% fewer seats than originally planned.

Travel plans upended
These moves show why major carriers are better positioned to weather the spike in fuel prices than budget carriers, whose “no frills” model leaves them with less flexibility. Bigger airlines can lean on dynamic pricing, sell more seats at higher fares or swap in larger planes on certain routes, letting them cut flights without losing overall capacity.

“Leisure travelers and budget conscious travelers are going to absolutely feel it first because it may make the difference between going and not going,” Gilad said.

It’s already made the difference for Anna Del Vecchio. The 36-year-old Seattle resident has made it an annual springtime tradition to visit family in Philadelphia before flying to Paris to see friends she’s known since she was a teenager.

Her credit card points typically cover the roundtrip flight, but ticket prices now hover around $1,400 — about double what she has paid in past years.

“It wasn’t even scratching the surface for the flight this time,” she said, “so I decided to delay the trip.”

But if airfare tops $1,500, she might not be able to make a journey she hasn’t missed in years.

“It might be the kind of thing where it just ends up being that I have to travel less.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has notched a string of wins on the Supreme Court ’s emergency docket, in part because the conservative justices believe that blocking executive policies is a blow that can’t be easily fixed, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said Thursday.

The increase in emergency appeals by the Trump administration is “unprecedented in the court’s history,” she said in a speech at the University of Alabama School of Law.

The high court sided with the Trump administration in about two dozen decisions last year, often lifting the orders of lower court judges who found their policies were likely illegal on everything from immigration to steep federal funding cuts.

While designed to be short-term, those orders have largely allowed Trump to move ahead for now with key parts of his sweeping agenda.

The emergency docket, which is made up of appeals seeking quick intervention from the justices in cases that are still playing out in lower courts, is itself a source of disagreement among the justices. That spilled into public view when two other justices, liberal Ketanji Brown Jackson and conservative Brett Kavanaugh, publicly sparred over the emergency docket in an unusual exchange last month.

Sotomayor has disagreed with many of the decisions in Trump’s favor, but the conservatives who form the court’s majority often reason that blocking those policies — or laws passed by Congress — causes legal harm that can’t be easily fixed, she said. It’s a bar that’s tough for the other side to overcome, even for plaintiffs like immigrants who could be newly exposed to deportation or states where schools are losing teacher-training funding.

“If you start with the presumption that there is irreparable harm to one side, then you’re going to have more grants of emergency relief. Because the other side is going to have a much harder time,” she said. “It has changed the paradigm on the court.”

Her comments provided a window into the Supreme Court decisions that are often released with little explanation. While many emergency docket orders have gone Trump’s way, the court also struck down his sweeping tariffs, a central plank of his economic platform, after a longer process of full briefing and oral arguments.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tax refunds this season are up 24% compared with the four-year average of refunds before President Donald Trump took office, his administration said Thursday — a change credited to Republicans’ tax legislation signed into law last year.

As the tax season kicked off in January, the White House had boasted that average returns were projected to rise by at least $1,000. But currently, the average refund amount is $3,521, according to the latest IRS data, which is an 11% increase from last tax year’s $3,170 average refund payment.

A Trump administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide a preview of the data analysis said the increase in refunds is due to tax breaks and spending cuts that impact taxpayers across income brackets, including no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, deductions for car loan interest and certain deductions for seniors.

The official declined to specify which tax deduction had provided the greatest savings for taxpayers. The analysis was based on daily Treasury statements over the 2021-2026 period.

Asked whether the Trump administration is concerned that any potential economic benefit from higher tax refunds could be offset by higher gas prices brought on by the war in Iran and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, the official said money is going into people’s pockets through the increased refunds.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the Republican tax and spending law will add $4.2 trillion to the national debt through fiscal year 2034, according to the latest Budget and Economic Outlook.

The tax season began in January and with the clock ticking, taxpayers have until April 15 to file their taxes or request an extension.

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.

NEW YORK (VINnews) – U.S. stocks climbed for a second straight session Thursday, extending a sharp rebound after a ceasefire announcement helped ease geopolitical tensions and lift investor confidence.

The rally followed a surge a day earlier, when markets jumped after President Donald Trump announced a temporary ceasefire tied to the conflict with Iran.

On Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 275.88 points, or 0.6%, to 48,185.80. The S&P 500 gained 41.85 points, or 0.6%, to 6,824.66, while the Nasdaq composite added 187.42 points, or 0.8%, to 22,822.42.

The gains followed a much larger rally the previous day, when the Dow surged more than 1,300 points and the S&P 500 and Nasdaq each climbed more than 2.5% after the ceasefire news was first announced.

Investors have been encouraged by signs of de-escalation in the region, with hopes that the ceasefire could stabilize energy markets and reduce uncertainty. Major indexes have now posted a multi-day winning streak, reflecting growing optimism on Wall Street.

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.

(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.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday ruled that the Defense Department is violating his earlier order to restore access to the Pentagon for reporters, a setback in the administration’s efforts to impede the work of journalists.

U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman sided with The New York Times for the second time in a month. He had earlier said the Pentagon’s new credential policy violated journalists’ constitutional rights to free speech and due process. On Thursday, he said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s team had tried to evade his March 20 ruling by putting in new rules that expel all reporters from the building unless guided by escorts.

“The department simply cannot reinstate an unlawful policy under the guise of taking ‘new’ action and expect the court to look the other way,” Friedman wrote.

Friedman had ordered Pentagon officials to reinstate the press credentials of seven Times reporters and stressed that his decision applies to “all regulated parties.” The Pentagon building serves as the headquarters for U.S. military operations.

Defense Department spokesperson Sean Parnell said it disagrees with the ruling and intends to appeal. Parnell said in a social media post that the department has “at all times” complied with judge’s orders, reinstating journalists’ credentials and issuing “a materially revised policy that addressed every concern” identified by the judge.

“The Department remains committed to press access at the Pentagon while fulfilling its statutory obligation to ensure the safe and secure operation of the Pentagon Reservation,” he wrote.

Times attorney Theodore Boutrous said Thursday’s ruling “powerfully vindicates both the Court’s authority and the First Amendment’s protections of independent journalism.”

A dispute brewing since October
In October, reporters from mainstream news outlets walked out of the building rather than agree to the new rules. The Times sued the Pentagon and Hegseth in December to challenge the policy.

President Donald Trump has fought against the press on several levels since returning to his second term, suing The Times and Wall Street Journal, and cutting funding for public radio and television because he did not like their coverage. At the same time, he frequently talks to the media and responds to reporters who call him on his cell phone.

In a series of briefings on the Iran War, Hegseth has frequently ignored or insulted legacy media reporters let in to cover the events, while concentrating on questions from friendly conservative media.

Times attorneys accused the Pentagon of violating the judge’s March 20 order, “both in letter and spirit” with its revised policy. The newspaper said that Pentagon was also trying to impose unprecedented rules dictating when reporters can offer anonymity to sources.

Friedman said that the access the Pentagon made available to permit holders “is not even close to as meaningful as the broad access” they previously had.

Government lawyers said the Pentagon’s revised policy fully complies with the judge’s directives. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell has said the administration would appeal Friedman’s March 20 decision.

The Pentagon Press Association, which includes Associated Press reporters, said the Pentagon’s interim policy preserves provisions that Friedman deemed to be unconstitutional while also adding new restrictions on credential holders.

“In effect,” Justice Department attorneys wrote, “Plaintiffs ask this Court to expand the Order to prohibit the Department from ever addressing the security of the Pentagon through a press credentialing policy with conditions that may address similar topics or concerns as the enjoined conditions. The Order does not say that, and this Court should not read it to say that.”

Current Pentagon press corps agreed to policy
The current Pentagon press corps is comprised mostly of conservative outlets that agreed to the policy. Journalists from outlets that refused to consent to the new rules, including from the AP, have continued reporting on the military from outside the Pentagon.

Friedman, who was nominated to the bench by Democratic President Bill Clinton, said recent U.S. military operations in Venezuela and Iran underscore the need for public access to information about government activities.

“Those who drafted the First Amendment believed that the nation’s security requires a free press and an informed people and that such security is endangered by governmental suppression of political speech. That principle has preserved the nation’s security for almost 250 years. It must not be abandoned now,” the judge wrote last month.

Friedman said the challenged policy is clearly designed to weed out “disfavored journalists” and replace them with those who are “on board and willing to serve” the administration.

“That,” he wrote, “is viewpoint discrimination, full stop.”

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — In a potential boost to Middle East ceasefire efforts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that he authorized direct negotiations with Lebanon “as soon as possible” aimed at disarming Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants and establishing relations between the neighbors.

Israel and Lebanon have technically been at war since Israel was established in 1948, and Netanyahu later stressed that there was no ceasefire between them. In a video statement, he said Israel will keep striking Hezbollah until security is restored in northern Israel.

There was no immediate response from Lebanon. But Israel-Lebanon negotiations were expected to begin next week at the State Department in Washington, according to a U.S. official and a person familiar with the plans, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the delicacy of the matter.

The prospect of talks appeared to bolster the tentative ceasefire in the Iran war that has staggered under the weight of Israel’s bombardment of Beirut, Tehran’s continued chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and uncertainty over whether talks can find common ground.

However later Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to cast doubt on the effectiveness of the ceasefire, writing on his social media platform: “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!” Trump wrote.

Netanyahu’s authorization of negotiations with Lebanon came amid disagreement over whether the ceasefire deal included a pause in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, and a day after Israel pounded Beirut with airstrikes, the deadliest day in Lebanon since the war began Feb. 28.

Israel has fought multiple wars and launched several major invasions of Lebanon over the years, most recently sending in troops last month in response to Hezbollah fire on Israel’s northern border communities.

The launch of direct peace talks is a significant achievement, though reaching an agreement will be difficult after decades of hostilities, Hezbollah’s continued presence and longstanding disagreements over the countries’ shared land border.

The talks in Washington are expected to be handled on the American side by the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, and on the Israeli side by the Israeli ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, according to the person familiar with the planning.

It was not immediately clear who would represent Lebanon. The timing and location of the talks was first reported by Axios.

After declaring victory with the ceasefire announcement, both Iran and the U.S. have appeared to apply pressure on each other. Semiofficial news agencies in Iran suggested forces have mined the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for oil that Tehran has closed. Trump warned that U.S. forces would hit Iran harder than before if it did not fulfill the agreement.

Trump expressed concern again Thursday over reports that Iran’s military was charging tolls on tankers seeking to pass through the strait. “They better not be and, if they are, they better stop now!” he wrote on social media.

Questions also remained over what will happen to Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium at the heart of tensions, how and when normal traffic will resume through the strait, and what happens to Iran’s ability to launch future missile attacks and support armed proxies in the region.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a message on Telegram that Iran’s decision to accept a ceasefire “is not a sign of weakness but a way to solidify Iran’s proud victories.”

Despite disputes over the ceasefire, it appears to have halted weeks of missile and drone attacks by Iran on its Gulf Arab neighbors and Israel, with no new launches reported Thursday. There were no reports of strikes by the U.S. or Israel targeting Iran.

JERUSALEM (VINnews)  — Minister Miri Regev announced on Thursday evening that she has chosen Javier Milei, the President of Argentina, to light a torch at Mount Herzl on Israel’s Independence Day.

Milei, who has led Argentina for the past two and a half years, has expressed strong support for Israel through a series of leadership decisions, ranging from recognizing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hezbollah, and Hamas as terrorist organizations, to efforts toward the release of hostages, the decision to rename “Palestine Street” to “Bibas Family Street,” and his active stance in international forums against antisemitism and in support of Israel’s right to defend itself.

Regev stated: “In these very complex times, the State of Israel has found in Buenos Aires a true friend and devoted partner. President Javier Milei is among the prominent leaders of the free world and one of Israel’s closest allies, a true friend and genuine supporter of Zionism, a model of partnership, loyalty, and appreciation for the Jewish people, and one of their greatest allies. Choosing him reflects the deep gratitude of all Israeli citizens for his leadership and our great pride in the warm and close relationship between Israel and Argentina.”

Earlier, additional torch-lighters were announced, including Gal Hirsch, the mediator who orchestrated the release of all of the hostages, alongside Talik Gvilli, who lost her son, police officer Ran (of blessed memory), on October 7. Also selected was Rabbi Avraham Zarviv, a Dayan on a rabbinical court who also serves in reserve military duty and became famous for his exploits in Gaza.

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.”

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.”

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The IDF launched an offensive strike on Wednesday, considered the largest attack across Lebanon since the start of Operation “Roaring Lion.” Within 10 minutes, more than 100 terror targets were struck, including Hezbollah command centers. The IDF stated that the operation was called “Eternal Darkness,” but later clarified that this was only the name of the order, and that it is a direct continuation of activities carried out in Lebanon since Operation “Roaring Lion.”

Images and videos from the strike sites show extensive destruction, while the Al-Mayadeen network claimed that “Israel is massacring Lebanon.” Lebanese Health Minister Rakan Nasser al-Din, affiliated with Hezbollah, told Lebanon’s NBN network: “The number of dead and wounded has exceeded 100.” He later told Reuters that “hospitals are overwhelmed with casualties.” The Red Cross told Lebanon’s LBCI network that “there are many fatalities, many injuries, the situation is severe, and they are doing everything possible to save lives.”

As part of the unusual strike, launched less than 12 hours after the announcement of a ceasefire with Iran, the IDF targeted headquarters, command-and-control centers, and Hezbollah’s military infrastructure. The IDF stated that the targets included intelligence headquarters and central command hubs used by the organization to plan and direct terror operations against IDF forces and Israeli civilians. Also targeted were infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah’s firepower and naval units, responsible for launching missiles at IDF forces on land and at sea, as well as at Israeli territory, along with assets of the Radwan Force and Unit 127 (the aerial unit), considered elite units of the organization.

The strike was based on precise intelligence and had been carefully planned for weeks by personnel from the Operations Directorate, Intelligence Directorate, the Air Force, and Northern Command, with the goal of deepening the damage to Hezbollah.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir was present in the command bunker during the strike and emphasized that this is only the beginning of the operation:
“We will continue to strike the Hezbollah terrorist organization and seize every opportunity. We will not compromise on the security of northern residents. We will continue to attack without pause.”

The IDF stated that “most of the infrastructure targeted was located within civilian population centers, as part of Hezbollah’s cynical use of Lebanese civilians as human shields to protect its operations. Prior to the strikes, steps were taken to minimize harm to uninvolved civilians as much as possible. Hezbollah chose to join the conflict and operate under the sponsorship of the Iranian terror regime, while harming the State of Lebanon and its citizens. The Lebanese state and its citizens must oppose Hezbollah’s entrenchment in civilian areas and its efforts to build up military power.”

Defense Minister Israel Katz later said:
“Hundreds of Hezbollah terrorists were targeted in a surprise strike on headquarters across Lebanon, in the largest concentrated blow Hezbollah has suffered since the pager operation. We warned Naim Qassem that Hezbollah would pay a very heavy price for attacking Israel on behalf of Iran, and his personal turn will come as well.”

Ground forces operating in Lebanon are receiving close air support, as in recent weeks, with conditions now enabling this operation. There is complete separation between the different theaters of operation. Although the operation began immediately after the ceasefire announcement with Iran, it is not a concluding strike; the goal is to deliver a significant blow to all Hezbollah command centers in Lebanon.

The military has set clear objectives and continues to work toward them. Forces are operating in dominant terrain along anti-tank lines and strengthening their hold on the ground. At the same time, strikes against Hezbollah continue across Lebanon, with the aim of creating the conditions necessary for its disarmament.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam criticized the Israeli attack and called for assistance: “While we welcomed the agreement between Iran and the United States and intensified our efforts to reach a ceasefire in Lebanon, Israel continues to escalate its attacks, targeting densely populated residential areas and claiming the lives of innocent civilians across Lebanon, especially in Beirut. Israel is ignoring all regional and international efforts to end the war and is blatantly violating the principles of international law and humanitarian law, which it has never respected. All of Lebanon’s friends are called upon to help us stop these attacks by all means.”

Iran also sharply criticized the Israeli attacks, stating that it would respond to Israel’s “violations” of the ceasefire in Lebanon with further attacks on Israel.

The working assumption within the Air Force and the IDF is that fighting with Iran will resume, requiring forces to act again on short notice. Regarding the temporary ceasefire, the IDF says it provides Iran time to deploy launchers, but not enough to rebuild all the damage to its various systems. Additionally, the United States is not withdrawing forces from the Middle East: “They are maintaining full readiness to continue whenever necessary.” Negotiations with Iran are not being handled at the military level, but the Air Force is prepared for any scenario in accordance with directives from the political leadership.

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.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump pulled back on his threats to launch devastating strikes on Iran late Tuesday, as the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire that includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump swerved to deescalate the war less than two hours before the deadline he set for Tehran to capitulate to a deal or face attacks on its bridges and power plants meant to destroy Iranian “civilization.”

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said it has accepted the ceasefire and that it would negotiate with the United States in Pakistan beginning Friday. Neither Iran nor the United States said when the ceasefire would begin, and attacks took place in Israel, Iran and across the Gulf region early Wednesday.

Israel backed the U.S. ceasefire with Iran but the deal doesn’t cover fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early Wednesday.

His office said in the statement that Israel supported Trump’s decision to suspend strikes subject to Iran immediately opening the Strait of Hormuz and stopping all attacks on the U.S. Israel and countries in the region. His office said Israel also supports U.S. efforts to ensure Iran no longer poses a nuclear or missile threat.

The ceasefire also calls for Israel and Hezbollah to halt fighting in Lebanon, according to the prime minister of Pakistan, which has been mediating talks.

The ceasefire process was clouded in uncertainty after Iran released different versions of the 10-point plan intended to be the basis for negotiations. The version in Farsi included the phrase “acceptance of enrichment” for its nuclear program. But for reasons that remain unclear, that phrase was missing in English versions shared by Iranian diplomats to journalists.

Trump initially had said Iran proposed a “workable” 10-point plan that could help end the war launched by the U.S. and Israel in February. But he later called it fraudulent, without elaborating. Trump has said ending Iran’s nuclear program entirely was a key point of the war.

Pro-government demonstrators in the streets of Iran’s capital screamed: “Death to America, death to Israel, death to compromisers!” after the ceasefire announcement Wednesday morning. They also burned American and Israeli flags in the street.

It shows the ongoing anger from hard-liners, who had been preparing for what many assumed would be an apocalyptical battle with the United States.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said passage through the strait would be allowed under Iranian military management. It wasn’t immediately clear whether that meant Iran would completely loosen its chokehold on the waterway.

The plan allows for both Iran and Oman to charge fees on ships transiting through the strait, according to a regional official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss negotiations they were directly involved in. The official said Iran would use the money it raised for reconstruction.

In addition to control of the strait, Iran’s demands for ending the war include withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from the region, the lifting of sanctions and the release of its frozen assets.

Since the war began, Trump has repeatedly backed off deadlines just before they expire. In doing so again Tuesday, Trump said in a social media post he had come to the decision “based on conversations” with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Gen. Asim Munir, Pakistan’s powerful army chief. Sharif, in a post on X hours earlier, urged Trump to extend his deadline by two weeks to allow diplomacy to advance. He used the same post to ask Iran to open the strait for two weeks.

“Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran, but a two week period will allow the Agreement to be finalized and consummated,” Trump said.

There are concerns in Israel about the agreement, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak to the media. The person said Israel would like to achieve more.

Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium is still buried at enrichment sites. The program had been one of the main issues cited by both Israel and the U.S. in launching the war.

“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” if a deal isn’t reached, Trump said in an online post Tuesday morning. But he also seemed to keep open the possibility of an off-ramp, saying that “maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen.”

Trump’s expansive threat did not seem to account for potential harm to civilians, prompting Democrats in Congress, some United Nations officials and scholars in military law to say such strikes would violate international law.

Tehran’s representative at the U.N., Amir-Saeid Iravani, said the threats “constitute incitement to war crimes and potentially genocide” and that Iran would “take immediate and proportionate reciprocal measures” if Trump launches devastating strikes.

The U.S. and Israel have battered Iran with attacks targeting its military capabilities, leadership and nuclear program. Iran has responded with a stream of strikes on Israel and Gulf Arab neighbors, causing regional chaos and outsized economic and political shock.

Late Tuesday, Pakistan’s prime minister urged Trump to extend his deadline by two weeks to allow diplomacy to advance. In a post on X, Shehbaz Sharif, whose country has been leading negotiations, also asked Iran to open up for two weeks the Strait of Hormuz.

China, which is Tehran’s biggest trade partner, encouraged the Iranians to find a way to a ceasefire as talks progressed, according to two officials who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Before the deadline, airstrikes hit two bridges and a train station, and the U.S. hit military infrastructure on Kharg Island, a key hub for Iranian oil production.

While Iran cannot match the sophistication of U.S. and Israeli weaponry or their dominance in the air, its chokehold on the strait since the war began in late February is roiling the world economy and raising the pressure on Trump both at home and abroad to find a way out of the standoff.

Even as the ceasefire was announced, missile alerts continued in the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait early Wednesday, hinting at the chaos surrounding the diplomatic moves. A gas processing facility in Abu Dhabi was ablaze after incoming Iranian fire, officials said.

Israel was continuing its attacks on Iran, said an Israeli military official who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations. Iran also kept up fire on Israel.

AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports Iran’s leader, who is calling for human chains around power plants as President Trump’s deadline nears, says millions of Iranians have answered calls to volunteer to fight should there be a ground invasion by the U.S.

The U.S. military has halted all offensive operations against Iran but continues defensive actions, said an official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive military operations.

Earlier Tuesday the Israeli military said it attacked an Iranian petrochemical site in Shiraz, the second day in a row it hit such a facility. The military later said it also struck bridges in several cities that were being used by Iranian forces to transport weapons and military equipment.

More than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran since the war began, but the government has not updated the toll for days.

In Lebanon, where Israel is fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, more than 1,500 people have been killed. and more than 1 million people have been displaced. Eleven Israeli soldiers have died there.

In Gulf Arab states and Judea and Samaria, more than two dozen people have died, while 23 have been reported dead in Israel, and 13 U.S. service members have been killed

(AP) – Delta Air Lines announced Tuesday it is raising checked baggage fees, part of a broader wave of U.S. carriers responding to higher jet fuel prices tied to the war in the Middle East.

Beginning Wednesday, most passengers on domestic and short-haul international routes will pay $10 more for their first and second checked bags, and $50 more to check a third. That brings the fees to $45 for the first bag, $55 for the second and $200 for the third, according to Delta.

“These updates are part of Delta’s ongoing review of pricing across its business and reflect the impact of evolving global conditions and industry dynamics,” the carrier said in a statement.

The change marks Delta’s first increase in checked baggage fees on domestic routes in two years. Fees for long-haul international flights are not affected.

CEO Ed Bastian told investors last month that the jump in jet fuel prices had already added about $400 million to Delta’s operating expenses since the conflict began on Feb. 28. Executives at United Airlines and American Airlines reported similar increases.

The average price for a gallon of jet fuel in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and New York was $4.69 on Monday, up from $2.50 just before the war, according to Argus Media. The energy market intelligence company’s U.S. Jet Fuel Index tracks average prices across those major hubs.

Delta said complimentary bags will still be available to customers flying in premium cabins, active-duty military personnel, eligible co-branded credit card holders and members of certain loyalty tiers.

The carrier’s move follows similar announcements from United and JetBlue, both of which raised baggage fees last week while maintaining complimentary first checked bags for some customers.

Airlines around the world have been grappling with volatile oil markets as fighting near the Strait of Hormuz — where roughly a fifth of the world’s oil passes — disrupts global supplies. Because jet fuel is refined from crude oil, swings in energy prices quickly feed into a carrier’s costs. Fuel typically ranks as the second-largest expense after labor.

In addition to raising ticket prices, analysts say U.S. carriers are more likely to lean on ancillary fees to offset the higher expenses, while many non-U.S. carriers are responding by adding or increasing fuel surcharges.

ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV said Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to destroy Iranian civilization was “truly unacceptable” and said any attacks on civilian infrastructure violate international law.

In some of his strongest comments yet against the war, the American pope urged Americans and other people of good will to contact their political leaders and congressional representatives to demand they reject war and work for peace.

“Today as we all know there was this threat against all the people of Iran. This is truly unacceptable,” Leo said as he left his country house in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome.

He was referring to Trump’s threat that a “whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran fails to meet his latest deadline to strike a deal that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Leo recalled his Easter appeal for peace and to reject war, “especially a war which many people have said is an unjust war, which is continuing to escalate, and which is not resolving anything.”

He invited all people of good will to contact their political leaders and congressional representatives to remind them that attacks on civilian infrastructure are “against international law” and also are a “sign of the hatred, the division, the destruction human beings are capable of, and we all want to work for peace.”

In recent weeks, history’s first U.S.-born pope has escalated the tone of his opposition to the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran after initially issuing muted appeals for peace and dialogue.

Last week for the first time, Leo publicly named Trump in saying he hoped the U.S. president was truly “looking for an off-ramp.”

The Vatican has a tradition of diplomatic neutrality and it is rare for a pope to name a political leader or country specifically in a critical way. But the war in Iran has nudged even a reserved pope to break with typical protocol.

On Tuesday, Leo didn’t cite Trump by name but in comments in English he urged people to contact their political leaders and congressional representatives “to ask them, tell them to work for peace and to reject war.”

“We have a worldwide economic crisis, an energy crisis, (a) situation in the Middle East of great instability, which is only provoking more hatred throughout the world,” he said.

He said the message to political leaders should be: “Come back to the table, let’s talk, let’s look for solutions in a peaceful way and let’s remember especially the innocent children, the elderly, sick, so many people who have already become or will become victims of this continued warfare.”

The Vatican is particularly concerned about how the Iran conflict has spread to a renewed war in Lebanon between Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant Hezbollah group. The Vatican fears for Christians in southern Lebanon, who are an important bulwark for the church in the region.

Earlier in the day, the Vatican released a special message from Leo to the residents of Debel, Lebanon after a convoy carrying over 40 tons of aid led by the Vatican was prevented from arriving with an Easter shipment. It was canceled for what Lebanon’s Maronite Church said were “security reasons.”

In the message, Leo expressed solidarity with the “injustices” that the Christians of southern Lebanon are enduring and compared them to Christ’s suffering.

“In your misfortune, in the injustice you endure, in the feeling of abandonment you experience, you are very close to Jesus. You are close to Him also on this Easter Day when He conquered the forces of evil, and which resonates for you as a promise of the future,” read the message, which was written in French and was signed by the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

Leo visited Lebanon late last year on his first international trip as pope.

BAGHDAD (AP) — American journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was kidnapped from a Baghdad streetcorner last week, has been released, two Iraqi officials with direct knowledge of the situation said on Tuesday.

The development came after the powerful Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah said in a statement earlier in the day that it had decided to free Kittleson, who was abducted on March 31. Its condition was that that Kittleson must “leave the country immediately” upon her release.

Two officials within the militia, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly, told The Associated Press that in exchange for freeing Kittleson, several members of the group who had previously been detained by Iraqi authorities would be released.

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Typically, the State Department does not confirm the release of Americans abducted abroad until they have been transferred to U.S. government hands or have safely left a country.

In Wisconsin, Kittleson’s mother said her daughter was not yet free and declined to comment further.

A one-off release
According to one of the two Iraqi officials, Kittleson was freed in the afternoon. The officials, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly, did not share her current whereabouts but said that prior to her release, Kittleson had been held in Baghdad.

In its statement, Kataib Hezbollah said its decision came “in appreciation of the patriotic stances of the outgoing” Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, without giving more details.

It added that “this initiative will not be repeated in the future.”

In Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, Kittleson’s mother told a reporter who knocked on her door that FBI agents were at her home. A number of people could be seen sitting at Barb Kittleson’s kitchen table.

Caroline Clancy, a spokesperson for the FBI’s Milwaukee field office, did not immediately respond to an email asking for more information.

Kataib Hezbollah had not previously acknowledged that it was the one responsible for Kittleson’s abduction, although both U.S. and Iraqi officials had pointed fingers at the group.

A respected journalist in conflict zones
Kittleson, 49, a freelance journalist, had lived abroad for years before the kidnapping, using Rome as her base for a time and building a respected journalism career across the Middle East, particularly in Iraq and Syria. Like many freelancers, she often worked on a shoestring budget and without the protections afforded by large news organizations to staff.

She had entered Iraq again shortly before her abduction. U.S. officials have said that they warned her multiple times of threats against her, but that she did not want to leave.

Iraqi officials have said that two cars were involved in the kidnapping, one of which crashed while being pursued near the town of al-Haswa in Babil province, southwest of Baghdad. The journalist was then transferred to a second car that fled the scene.

Three other Iraqi officials said earlier Tuesday that attempts to negotiate her release had run into obstacles. The two Iraqi security officials and one official from the pro-Iran Coordination Framework political bloc spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the sensitive case publicly.

A shadowy militia group
According to one of the security officials, a member of the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of Iran-backed militias that is nominally under the control of the Iraqi military, had been tasked with communicating with the abductors to secure Kittleson’s release but had run into difficulties in communicating with the Kataib Hezbollah leadership.

“The primary challenge is that the leaders of the Kataib militia — specifically, the commanders of the battalions — are nowhere to be found. No one knows their whereabouts, and the process of establishing contact with them is extremely complex,” the security officials said.

“These leaders have gone underground, maintaining no active lines of communication, out of fear of being targeted,” they added.

According to the officials, a message had been sent to the Kataib leadership to determine their demands in exchange for releasing Kittleson. Iraqi authorities were willing to release six Kataib Hezbollah members who are currently detained, most of them in connection with attacks on a U.S. base in Syria, they said.

Kataib Hezbollah has previously been accused of kidnapping foreigners.

Elizabeth Tsurkov, a Princeton graduate student with Israeli and Russian citizenship, disappeared in Baghdad in 2023. After she was freed and handed over to U.S. authorities in September 2025, she said that she had been held by Kataib Hezbollah.

The group never officially claimed responsibility for kidnapping Tsurkov.

Iran-backed militias in Iraq have also launched regular attacks on U.S. facilities in the country since the beginning of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

NEW YORK (VINnews/Rabbi Yair Hoffman)There is an essential truth that Shvii shel Pesach asks us to confront: Emunah.

The Shira sung at the sea was the moment Klal Yisroel embedded Emunah into their hearts and souls. And the reverberations of that moment have never stopped.

Here are eight things you may not have known about the Shira — and about the extraordinary ruchniusdika power that is available to each of us, every single day.

* * *

1. The Shira Repaired a Catastrophe That Started With Praise

It is one of history’s great ironies. The generation of Enosh did not begin with rebellion. They began with reverence. They looked at the sun, the stars, the majestic sweep of the celestial heavens — and they wanted to honor the One Who made them. So they began honoring the creations themselves.

What started as misdirected gratitude became the spiritual disaster known as avodah zarah — idolatry. An entire civilization slid away from the Creator and toward the created. The damage would echo for millennia.

The Shira at the sea repaired it.

By turning directly, urgently, joyfully to Hashem Himself — ‘Zeh Keli v’anveihu’ — Klal Yisroel did what Enosh’s generation failed to do: they looked past the miracle to the Miracle-Maker. This is why Chazal termed the Shira ‘chochma’ — wisdom. Because true wisdom means knowing Whom to praise.

2. Every Morning, You Have Access to a Complete Spiritual Reset

The Zohar makes a statement so dramatic that it would be easy to read past it if the Mishna Brurah (51:17) did not stop us in our tracks and demand that we take it seriously.

If a person recites Az Yashir each morning with joy — experiencing it as if he himself just walked through the splitting sea — it can wipe out all of his negative spiritual debts. Every single day. Not as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but as a daily gift sitting quietly in the morning davening, waiting to be claimed.

The question each of us must ask is: are we reading past those words, or are we living them?

3. Joy Is the Mechanism — and the Destination

Malachim, the tradition teaches us, are beings of pure spiritual fire. They have no yetzer hara, no struggle, no weight of physical existence. And yet — remarkably — the Shira recited with genuine simcha can catapult a human being to a degree of spirituality that surpasses even the malachim.

The creature formed from dust, who wrestles with temptation every day of his life, who stumbles and falls and gets back up — that person, in a single moment of joyful, wholehearted Emunah, can outsoar the celestial beings on high that surround the Kisei HaKavod -Throne of Glory.

Simcha is not the reward for spiritual achievement. It is the vehicle that gets us there.

* * *

4. Some of Them Sang Before the Sea Even Split

Let’s picture the scene. The Egyptian army is thundering behind them. The sea stretches before them, vast and unyielding. Every rational instinct says: panic. Run. Despair.

And yet — according to the Mechilta (Perek 2) — there were those among Klal Yisroel who began singing the Shira even before the waters parted. Before it happened.

This is bitachon in its purest. Not the trust that says ‘I believe Hashem will help me once I see the evidence.’ But the trust that says ‘I already know how this ends.’ These individuals did not need the sea to split to believe. Their Emunah was the splitting of the sea.

5. There Were Two Completely Different Songs Sung at the Sea

Most people assume the Shira was a single event — a spontaneous outpouring of gratitude after the Mitzrim drowned. But a closer look suggests something far richer.

There are actually two distinct forms of Shira. The first is the act of recognizing what Hashem has done and expressing heartfelt thanks. This is the Shira of relief, of survivors newly freed, of people who witnessed the impossible and responded with praise.

But the second form of Shira is something else entirely. It is a Shira that does not merely acknowledge the past but anchors spiritual elevation into the future — ensuring it will persist across all generations. It is the Shira of arrival, not just survival.

It is entirely possible that these two Shiras were sung at two different moments: the first before Klal Yisroel crossed, and the second only after they stood safely on the other side — transformed, elevated, and locked into a new spiritual reality.

6. The Tzaddikim of the Future Redemption Will Not Wait

The Shla HaKadosh teaches something that should give us all pause — and hope.

When the final redemption comes, the great Tzaddikim of that generation will not wait until they are safe, until the enemies are defeated, until the details are sorted out. The moment they hear the news — just the news — they will begin singing Shira.

This is the standard that Krias Yam Suf set. The Shira was an expression of absolute certainty about Who is running the world. The Tzaddikim of the future will have so internalized that certainty – that the announcement itself will be enough.

7. The Redemption Was Not Complete Until They Crossed

Here is a detail that tends to slip past us, and it should not.

The parting of the sea was not the completion of the redemption. It was the penultimate act. Until Klal Yisroel had crossed to the other side and stood on dry land — until they had arrived — something essential remained unfinished.

On Shvii shel Pesach, we celebrate not just the escape — but the crossing.

* * *

Based on Yareach LaMoadim, Simanim 65–68, by Rav Yeruchem Olshin shlit”a

The author can be reached at [email protected]

NEW YORK CITY (VINnews)-In a stark illustration of rising antisemitism in New York City, veteran comedian Judy Gold confronted and had removed an audience member who heckled her with an antisemitic remark during a stand-up performance at the New York Comedy Club on the Upper West Side.

Gold, a longtime Jewish comedian known for her sharp wit and outspoken advocacy against antisemitism, shared video footage of the incident on social media. In the clip, she directly addresses the heckler after he reportedly shouted something to the effect of “You’re a Jew!” as an insult.

“You’re annoying. Anyway, I’m a Jew? Is that what he said?” Gold responds on stage, turning the moment into material while calling out the bigotry. She continues with lines like “Did you just call me a Jew?” and eventually bids the disruptor farewell with “Bye bye” and “Shalom!” as staff intervene.

The comedian praised the club’s swift response in her accompanying post: “It’s come to this: Antisemites aren’t even ashamed anymore, even on the Upper West Side. I am so grateful to class act Jennifer Piccerilo and the rest of the staff at NY Comedy  lub for acting so quickly and doing the right thing.”

The Upper West Side has long been home to a significant Jewish community, making the open display of prejudice particularly alarming to many observers. Supporters online echoed Gold’s sentiment, noting that the venue’s decisive action—escorting the heckler out—represented a small but meaningful pushback against normalizing antisemitism in public spaces.

This incident comes amid broader concerns about antisemitism in New York City and across the U.S., with reports of increased harassment, protests targeting Jewish events, and verbal attacks becoming more brazen in everyday settings. Gold has frequently addressed these issues in her comedy and public commentary, using humor as both a coping mechanism and a tool for resistance.

The New York Comedy Club, a staple venue for stand-up in Manhattan, has not issued a public statement beyond the actions taken during the show. Gold’s post quickly gained traction, amassing thousands of likes, reposts, and comments reflecting a mix of support for her stance and frustration over the persistence of such bigotry.

As debates over free speech, heckling in comedy, and rising hate continue, moments like this highlight the tension performers and audiences face. Gold’s handling of the situation—blending confrontation, comedy, and gratitude for venue support—serves as a reminder that many are unwilling to let antisemitism go unchallenged, even mid-set.

NEW YORK (VInnews) A suspect identified as Eslam Alsaedi was arrested after a video surfaced online this week showing a man allegedly threatening to target Jewish children in Brooklyn, according to local officials.

Councilmember, Inna Vernikov said in a post on X that the man threatened to come to Brooklyn, find “a big building with Jewish people” and kill Jewish children.

Vernikov said her office contacted the New York City Police Department Counterterrorism Unit after the video came to light. She added that she was informed the suspect was arrested later that night by undercover intelligence officers.

This terrorist threatened to come to Brooklyn, find a BIG BUILDING with JEWISH PEOPLE and KILL JEWISH CHILDREN. He thought he would get away with it. We contacted NYPD’s counter terrorism unit and they were immediately on it! Last night, he was ARRESTED by undercover intel cops.… pic.twitter.com/hYpgoI3GW1

— Councilwoman Inna Vernikov (@InnaVernikov) April 7, 2026

Police sources said a report was “filed for terrorism” on Monday in the 32nd Precinct. Authorities said Alsaedi was arrested on April 6 at about 6:30 p.m.

According to Vernikov, the suspect faces charges of making a terroristic threat, aggravated harassment in the second degree and making a threat of mass harm.

“This must be prosecuted both locally and federally to the fullest extent of the law,” Vernikov wrote, thanking the NYPD and those who reported the threat.

The NYPD has not independently released additional details about the suspect, and the investigation remains ongoing.

WASHINGTON (VINnews) — Donald Trump hosted Orthodox and Haredi Jewish leaders at the White House on Monday during Chol HaMoed Passover, bringing together senior administration officials and communal figures for a reception and policy discussion.

The event was arranged by Jewish liaison Martin Marks and included a reception in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building followed by a private Oval Office meeting with a select group of leaders, according to people familiar with the gathering.

Administration officials in attendance included Howard Lutnick, Lee Zeldin, Will Scharf, Jacob Reis, and Ambassador Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun.

The delegation included Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Rabbi Dovid Zwiebel of Agudath Israel, Rabbi David Niederman, executive director of the United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg, Rabbi Moshe Margaretten, Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, and Gedalya Segedin, village administrator of Kiryas Joel, among others, as well as Holocaust survivor Jerry Wartski, Jonathan Burkan, Jeff Miller and Matt Brooks.

Edan Alexander, a recently released hostage from Gaza, attended with his parents.

Participants said Trump discussed security funding for Jewish institutions, reiterated support for Israel, and addressed tensions involving Iran. He also spoke about the case of Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin, calling his past sentence unjust.

During the meeting, Trump placed a phone call to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, speaking about their involvement in Jewish communal life.

No formal statement was released following the event.

TEHRAN, IRAN (VINnews) — Iranian state-affiliated Mehr News Agency aired footage it said shows damage to a Jewish synagogue in Tehran following Israeli airstrikes early Tuesday, during the holiday of Passover.

Rabbi Younes Hamami Lalehzar, identified as a leader of Iran’s Jewish community, visited the site and said the strike hit a residential area that included a synagogue.

“In a residential area inhabited by normal people, and includes a synagogue, they caused the destruction of an old synagogue,” he said, according to remarks carried by Iranian media.

Members of the Iranian Jewish community inspect what is left of their synagogue in Tehran after Israel bombed it. On Passover… pic.twitter.com/UO775jygfm

— Trita Parsi (@tparsi) April 7, 2026

Homayoun Sameh, a Jewish representative in Iran’s parliament, said the attack took place during a Jewish holiday and alleged the synagogue was destroyed.

“The Zionist regime showed no mercy towards this community during the Jewish holidays and attacked one of our ancient and holy synagogues,” Sameh said. “Unfortunately, during this attack, the synagogue building was completely destroyed, and Torah scrolls remain under the rubble.”

The claims could not be independently verified, and there was no immediate comment from Israeli officials.

Another Jewish community leader in Iran 🇮🇷, Younes Hamami, visited the Jewish synagogue that was targeted by Israeli 🇮🇱 airstrikes early Tuesday morning in the Iranian capital, Tehran, said:

“In a residential area inhabited by normal people, and includes a synagogue, they… https://t.co/OtYLAgdhZ2 pic.twitter.com/9IlSQo3SEo

— Saad Abedine (@SaadAbedine) April 7, 2026

Iran’s 🇮🇷 semi-official Mehr news agency claimed early Tuesday that a U.S 🇺🇸 Israeli 🇮🇱 missile destroyed a synagogue in central Tehran.

The report comes hours after the IDF said that it had completed a wave of airstrikes targeting “Iranian terror regime infrastructure in… https://t.co/oiHO5Bjc8U pic.twitter.com/FIkfUeuYzR

— Saad Abedine (@SaadAbedine) April 7, 2026

Homayoun Sameh, a Jewish Iranian 🇮🇷 representative in the Iranian parliament, reacts to US 🇺🇸 Israeli 🇮🇱 projectile striking a synagogue in Tehran:

“The Zionist regime showed no mercy towards this community during the Jewish holidays and attacked one of our ancient and holy… https://t.co/MFtMQdk3px pic.twitter.com/sy3bffrIa4

— Saad Abedine (@SaadAbedine) April 7, 2026

HERSHEY, Pa. (AP) — The parents of a toddler who suffered a minor injury at a Pennsylvania theme park zoo after squeezing through a fence near a wolf enclosure and making contact with one of the animals have been charged with endangering the welfare of children, police said.

Evidence showed that the parents both walked about 25 to 30 feet (7.6 meters to 9.1 meters) away from the child to a seating area with benches and appeared to be paying attention to their cellphones when they noticed what was happening Saturday at ZooAmerica in the Hersheypark theme park, police said in a news release.

The child went through a small opening in a wooden barrier perimeter fence and entered a restricted area near the wolf exhibit, the Derry Township Police said. The child reached a primary metal fence enclosure and was hurt after placing a hand through that fencing.

“From the injuries sustained, it appears as though one of the wolves in the enclosure instinctively and naturally grabbed onto the child’s hand with its mouth. Several bystanders intervened and helped pull the child away,” police said in the release.

The parents, of Lititz, Pennsylvania, were charged with the misdemeanor offense after an initial investigation and consultation with the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office, police said. Court records posted Monday showed that both await a preliminary hearing on April 28. There were no attorneys listed for them. A phone number associated with one of the parents was not working Tuesday.

The zoo is part of the entertainment complex in Hershey, featuring a chocolate-themed amusement park. The zoo’s website says it has three gray wolves.

The zoo had said in a statement that the wolf’s response “is consistent with natural animal behavior, and was not a sign of aggression.

“Our habitats are designed with multiple layers of protection, and clear signage and barriers are in place to help ensure safe viewing. Guests are expected to remain within designated areas and closely supervise children at all times,” it said.

Hersheypark made headlines last summer when a lost boy wandering a monorail line above a crowd was rescued by a park visitor who climbed onto a building and jumped onto the rails. The child was unharmed and reunited with his family.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian officials on Tuesday urged young people to form human chains to protect power plants, as U.S. President Donald Trump warned that a “whole civilization will die tonight” if Tehran does not meet his latest deadline for the Islamic Republic to agree to a deal that includes reopening the crucial Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, airstrikes hit two bridges and a train station in Iran, and the U.S. struck military targets on the Iranian oil hub of Kharg Island. The attack marked the second time the island was hit by American forces.

Trump has extended previous deadlines but suggested the one set for 8 p.m. in Washington was final, and the rhetoric on both sides reached a fever pitch, leaving Iranians on edge. Trump threatened to destroy all of Iran’s power plants and bridges if Tehran does not allow traffic to fully resume in the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s oil transits in peacetime. Iran’s president said 14 million people, including himself, have volunteered to fight.

It was not clear if the latest airstrikes were linked to Trump’s threat to attack bridges. At least two of the targets were connected to Iran’s rail network, which Israel earlier signaled it might attack. Israel has increasingly carried out strikes that it says are aimed at delivering a blow to Iran’s economy.

Iran, meanwhile, fired on Israel and Saudi Arabia, prompting the temporary closure of a major bridge.

While Iran cannot match the sophistication of U.S. and Israeli weaponry or their dominance in the air, its chokehold on the strait is roiling the world economy and raising the pressure on Trump both at home and abroad to find a way out of the standoff.

Officials involved in diplomatic efforts said talks were ongoing, but Iran has rejected the latest American proposal, and it was unclear if a deal would come in time to head off Trump’s threatened attacks. World leaders and experts warned that strikes as destructive as Trump threatened could constitute a war crime.

As the deadline approaches, rhetoric ramps up
“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” if a deal isn’t reached, Trump said in a post Tuesday morning, while keeping open the possibility of an off-ramp, saying that “maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen.”

Earlier, Iranian official Alireza Rahimi issued a video message calling on “all young people, athletes, artists, students and university students and their professors” to form human chains around power plants.

Iranians have formed human chains in the past around nuclear sites at times of heightened tensions with the West. Some images of people surrounding power plants were posted by local Iranian media Tuesday, though it was unclear how widespread the practice was or if the photos were simply brief shows of government-encouraged defiance.

President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X that 14 million Iranians had answered campaigns urging people to volunteer to fight — and said he would join them — while a general from the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard urged parents to send their children to man checkpoints.

The Guard, meanwhile, warned that Iran would “deprive the U.S. and its allies of the region’s oil and gas for years” and expand its attacks across the Gulf region if Trump carries out his threat.

In Tehran, the mood was bleak. A young teacher said that many opponents of Iran’s Islamic system had hoped Trump’s attacks would quickly topple it.

Now, as the war drags on, she fears U.S. and Israeli strikes will spread chaos. “If we don’t have the internet, and if we don’t have electricity, water, and gas, we’re really going back to the Stone Age, as Trump said,” she said told The Associated Press, speaking anonymously for her safety.

Trump’s threat prompts warnings of war crimes
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot joined a growing chorus of international voices and calling for restraint, saying attacks targeting civilian and energy infrastructure “are barred by the rules of war, international law.”

“They would without doubt trigger a new phase of escalation, of reprisals, that would drag the region and the world economy into a vicious circle,” the minister said on France Info television.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres also warned the U.S. that attacks on civilian infrastructure are banned under international law, according to his spokesperson.

Such cases are notoriously difficult to prosecute, and Trump told reporters he’s “not at all” concerned about committing war crimes.

A wave of airstrikes hits Iran, which fires on Saudi Arabia and Israel
A series of intense airstrikes pounded Tehran, including in residential neighborhoods. Such strikes in the past have targeted Iranian government and security officials.

Israel’s military said it attacked an Iranian petrochemical site in Shiraz, the second day in a row it hit such a facility. Israel also issued a Farsi-language warning telling Iranians to avoid trains throughout the day, likely telegraphing intended strikes on the rail network.

Iranian officials later said that a railway bridge, a train station and a highway bridge were among targets hit in airstrikes. Neither the United States not Israel immediately claimed the attacks.

Details of the U.S. strikes on Kharg Island were not immediately available. Earlier in the war, American forces struck air defenses, a radar site, an airport and a hovercraft base there, according to satellite analysis by the Institute for the Study of War and the American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project.

Saudi Arabia said it intercepted seven ballistic missiles and four drones launched by Iran.

Saudi Arabia temporarily closed the King Fahd Causeway, the only road connection between Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, and the Arabian Peninsula. Iran also fired on Israel.

More than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran since the war began, but the government has not updated the toll for days.

In Lebanon, where Israel is fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, more than 1,400 people have been killed. and more than 1 million people have been displaced. Eleven Israeli soldiers have died there.

In Gulf Arab states and the occupied West Bank, more than two dozen people have died, while 23 have been reported dead in Israel, and 13 U.S. service members have been killed.

Chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz
Iran choked off shipping through the strait after Israel and the U.S. attacked on Feb. 28, starting the war. That stranglehold and Iran’s attacks on the energy infrastructure of its Gulf Arab neighbors have sent oil prices skyrocketing, raising the price of gasoline, food and other basics far beyond the Middle East.

In spot trading Tuesday, Brent crude, the international standard, was above $108 per barrel, up around 50% since the start of the war.

On Monday, Tehran rejected a 45-day ceasefire proposal and said it wants a permanent end to the war. But as Trump’s deadline neared Tuesday, an official said indirect communications between the United States and Iran remained underway. The official said mediators from Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey “are racing against time” to reach a compromise before the deadline.

He said Iran has linked the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to sanctions relief, and the U.S. was open to easing some sanctions, especially on Iran’s oil sector, in part to stabilize the global oil market.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing diplomacy.

(VINnews) – The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday issued an unusual public warning in Farsi urging Iranian civilians to avoid all trains and railway infrastructure nationwide until 9:00 p.m. local time, saying such areas could pose a danger to civilians.

The warning, delivered by the IDF’s Farsi-language spokesperson, emphasized that remaining near rail lines or using trains could “endanger your life,” framing the advisory as a safety measure.

The alert comes amid heightened tensions following remarks by Donald Trump, who warned of possible U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian infrastructure if Iran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday evening.

No immediate response from Iranian authorities was reported.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) Senior US military officials ordered a strike on an underground Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) facility near Tehran during efforts to rescue American airmen whose aircraft was downed in Iran, according to a Fox News report citing high-level sources.

The report stated that during the rescue mission, US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Adm. Brad Cooper authorized the attack on the underground headquarters. The strike was carried out by B-2 bombers using GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, weapons which are designed to destroy fortified targets.

According to the sources cited by the report, the targeted IRGC site was destroyed in the strike, and numerous senior IRGC members were eliminated.

During the course of the rescue operation, US military B-1 bombers dropped approximately one hundred 2,000-pound bombs in the area to deter Iranian forces from approaching the rescue zone, a senior US defense official said.

A senior military source described the action to Fox News by stating that US forces had applied significant force against the IRGC during the operation. The Iranian media sources reported that four IRGC officers had been killed during the operation to save the US pilot.

The Fox News report further indicated that the strike on the IRGC facility occurred between the two rescue efforts of the pilots. The B-2 bombers reportedly flew from Whiteman Air Force Base in the US after receiving time-sensitive intelligence indicating the presence of multiple IRGC commanders inside the underground site.

LONDON (AP) — A senior member of the British government said Tuesday that Ye should “absolutely not” play the Wireless Festival, as the rapper formerly known as Kanye West offered to meet members of the U.K.’s Jewish community and show he has changed since provoking outrage with antisemitic statements.

Ye, who changed his name in 2021, is booked to perform in front of around 150,000 revelers over three nights, July 10-12, at the open-air festival in London’s Finsbury Park.

Organizers are under mounting pressure from sponsors and politicians to cancel the gigs by the rapper, who has drawn widespread condemnation for making antisemitic remarks and voicing admiration for Adolf Hitler.

Last year, he released a song called “Heil Hitler” and advertised a swastika T-shirt for sale on his website. The 48-year-old apologized in January with a letter, published as a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal. He said his bipolar disorder led him to fall into “a four-month long, manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life.”

Wireless sponsors Pepsi, Rockstar Energy and Diageo have pulled out of the festival since Ye was announced as the headliner, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the booking “deeply concerning.”

In a statement Tuesday, Ye said he “would be grateful for the opportunity to meet with members of the Jewish community in the U.K. in person, to listen.

“I know words aren’t enough — I’ll have to show change through my actions,” he said. “If you’re open, I’m here.”

Organizer Festival Republic stood by Ye. In a statement issued Monday, managing director Melvin Benn urged people to offer the performer “forgiveness and hope.”

“We are not giving him a platform to extol opinion of whatever nature, only to perform the songs that are currently played on the radio stations in our country and the streaming platforms in our country and listened to and enjoyed by millions,” the statement said.

U.K. Health Secretary Wes Streeting dismissed the organizers’ statement as “absurd” and said Ye should “absolutely not” perform at Wireless. He said Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is considering whether to ban the rapper from entering the U.K.

Benn acknowledged that Mahmood had the power to revoke Ye’s visa to come to Britain.

“If she does, she does, and then the issue is over,” he told the BBC on Tuesday.

A representative for Ye didn’t reply to a request for comment.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — With U.S. President Donald Trump’s deadline rapidly approaching for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face the massive bombing of the country’s infrastructure, Iran on Tuesday urged youths to form human chains around power plants and its president said 14 million people had answered calls to volunteer to fight.

Trump has threatened to bomb all of Iran’s power plants and bridges if Iran does not meet his Tuesday 8 p.m. EDT deadline to allow shipping traffic to fully resume through the strategic waterway, through which a fifth of the world’s oil transits in peacetime.

“The entire country can be taken out in one night,” Trump said. Trump has repeatedly extended previous deadlines, but suggested this one was final, saying he’d already given Iran enough extra time.

Well before the deadline, renewed American and Israeli airstrikes hit targets across the country, killing nearly three dozen people.

Israel’s military said it had attacked a Iranian petrochemical site in Shiraz, the second day in a row it had hit such a facility after striking an offshore plant at the South Pars natural gas field. Israel also issued a Farsi-language warning telling Iranians to avoid trains, throughout the day, likely telegraphing intended strikes on the rail network.

Another strike hit the Khorramabad International Airport in western Iran, and a strike on an unidentified target in Alborz province, northwest of Tehran, killed 18 people, according to state media.

Iran choked off shipping through the Strait of Hormuz after Israel and the U.S. attacked on Feb. 28, starting the war. It has already rejected a 45-day ceasefire proposal and said it wants a permanent end to the war.

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

The story reads like a geopolitical thriller. An American F-15 is shot down over Iran. One pilot is recovered. A second crew member is unaccounted for. And then — before official American sources have confirmed anything — an Israeli journalist, Amit Segal of Channel 12, publishes the information on his Telegram channel.

President Trump was furious. “National security: Give it up or go to jail,” he declared at a White House briefing, warning that whoever leaked the information about a second missing airman may have alerted Iranian forces — placing the missing serviceman’s life in danger.

Mr. Segal has since confirmed that he was among the first to report the story, though he later walked back his claim to have been definitively first. Either way, he has been unequivocal: he will not reveal his sources.

From an American legal perspective, whether the United States can prosecute an Israeli journalist is an open and contested question. Newsweek has already noted the jurisdictional difficulties inherent in any such prosecution.

But from a Torah perspective, there is a very different and deeply important question: Did Amit Segal’s reporting violate halachah? And specifically — did he violate the eight mitzvos that the Rambam enumerates in connection with the obligation of pidyon shvuyim, the redemption of captives?

That is the question we explore here.

The Missing Airman: The Halachic Stakes

The Torah’s concern for captives — shvuyim — is extraordinary in its scope. The Rambam writes in Hilchos Matnas Aniyim (8:10) that pidyon shvuyim is a mitzvah rabbah, a great mitzvah, surpassing virtually all other forms of tzedakah and communal obligation. The captive who languishes without being redeemed, writes the Rambam, transgresses multiple negative commandments — and those who could have redeemed him and did not, bear responsibility for every one of those transgressions.

But what of one who, through his own actions — even indirectly — places a person in captivity, or worsens the conditions of one already in danger of captivity?  In this case the journalists actions endangered two nation’s armies – fighting to remove a dangerous terrorist state endangering the world.

The Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh Deah 252) codifies the obligation of pidyon shvuyim in great detail. The Beis Yosef and Taz both emphasize that any action that increases the danger to a captive, or that informs captors of information that could be used against a prisoner, is itself a severe violation of multiple Torah prohibitions.

The framework of pidyon shvuyim is instructive here. So let’s review it.

The Eight Mitzvos of Pidyon Shvuyim

The Rambam in Hilchos Matnas Aniyim (8:10) famously enumerates eight mitzvos that are fulfilled through pidyon shvuyim — and conversely, eight mitzvos that one violates by failing to redeem a captive, or by actively contributing to the danger a captive faces. Let us examine each one, and its application to the Segal situation.

1. Lo Sikpatz Es Yadecha — Do Not Harden Your Hand (Devarim 15:7)

The Torah commands, “Do not harden your heart and do not close your hand to your impoverished brother.” The Rambam explains that this prohibition extends to any situation where one refuses to act when a fellow Jew’s life or freedom is imperiled. Was there a hardening of heart here – where the journalistic scoop endangered lives?

2. Lo Tik’potz Es Yadecha — Do Not Close Your Hand (Devarim 15:7)

This is the companion prohibition to the above. The Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 479) elaborates that the Torah’s concern is for the totality of one’s response to another in need — not merely the absence of direct cruelty, but the positive opening of one’s resources and one’s influence. Reporting in a manner that forewarns captors is, in this framework, the closing of the rescuer’s hand — because it makes rescue harder and more dangerous.

3. Lo Sa’amod Al Dam Rei’echa — Do Not Stand Idly By Your Brother’s Blood (Vayikra 19:16)

This is one of the most well-known halachic obligations in the area of life-saving, codified in Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat 426:1 and in the Rambam’s Hilchos Rotzeiach. The Gemara in Sanhedrin (73a) derives from here the obligation to expend one’s own resources to save another’s life. But Rav Yosef Karo and the Sma both note that active contribution to the endangerment of another — even indirectly — can itself constitute a form of amidah al dam, standing by while blood is shed.

The question for Segal is stark: if the Iranian forces were unaware of the second crew member’s existence, and the publication of this information alerted them — then the journalist did not merely stand idly by; he may have actively contributed to the threat.

4. Lo Yirbu Bo Avodah — Do Not Allow Excessive Labor to Be Done to Him (Vayikra 25:43)

This prohibition applies specifically to a Jewish captive or servant, forbidding the infliction of additional burden. The Rambam includes it among the eight mitzvos because any action that worsens the captive’s condition — including alerting captors to information they did not have — increases the burden upon the captive. A missing crew member whose existence is suddenly publicized globally faces an immeasurably more difficult situation than one whose whereabouts remain unknown.

5. Paso’ach Tiftach Es Yadecha — Open Wide Your Hand (Devarim 15:8)

This positive commandment requires proactive intervention for one in need. By extension, the obligation carries within it a corresponding prohibition: do not take actions that undermine the ability of others to fulfill this mitzvah. When a journalist publishes information that hampers a rescue operation, he effectively forecloses fulfilling paso’ach tiftach — the open hand of rescue.

6. V’Chai Achicha Imach — And Your Brother Shall Live With You (Vayikra 25:36)

The Sheiltos of Rav Achai Gaon (She’ilta #37) and the Rambam both identify this verse as a foundational source for the obligation to preserve life. The Ramban in Toras HaAdam extends this to require active intervention to save life in any context where one has the capacity to act. Conversely, action that reduces a person’s chances of living and those fighting on his side — by alerting enemies to their location or existence — runs directly counter to the spirit and letter of this commandment.

7. V’Ahavta L’rei’acha Kamocha — Love Your Neighbor As Yourself (Vayikra 19:18)

The Ramban in Toras HaAdam and the Rambam both cite this mitzvah as a basis for the obligation to save life and to redeem captives. Would it be in the interest of those in active danger to have a journalist seeking to be first with a scoop and endangering others? The answer is self-evident. V’ahavta l’rei’acha kamocha demands that we apply precisely this standard of self-identification to our every action affecting others.

8. V’Hatzeil Tilatzeil — You Shall Surely Save (Mishlei 24:11, as understood by the Rambam)

The Rambam includes within the eight mitzvos the obligation of active rescue — derived from the verse “Save those being taken to death” (Mishlei 24:11). This is a binding halachic imperative. To act in a manner that removes this possibility — by notifying captors of a captive’s existence — is to violate the very spirit of this commandment.

The Broader Danger: Israeli Citizens and the Safety of a Strategic Ally

There is another dimension to this story that demands serious halachic and moral attention, and it may in fact be the most consequential of all.

The United States is not merely a friendly nation to Israel. Other than the Shomer Yisroel, the US is Israel’s vital and strategic ally — the source of its military aid, its Iron Dome resupply, its diplomatic protection at the United Nations, and its most important guarantor of security in an increasingly hostile world. The relationship between the two countries is not merely one of shared interests; it is, the lifeline that Hashem has chosen now for the Jewish people in Eretz Yisrael.

When an Israeli journalist — regardless of his personal intentions — damages the trust between the Israeli press and the American intelligence and military establishment, the consequences ripple far beyond a single news cycle. The Rambam in Hilchos De’os (6:7) teaches that causing tzaar — pain and distress — to a community, and certainly to those upon whom that community depends for its survival, is a grave moral failing. The Maharal in Nesivos Olam similarly emphasizes that shalom — peaceful and trustworthy relations between peoples and nations — is itself a foundational Torah value, and one upon which the safety of Klal Yisrael frequently depends.

The obligations of hakaras hatov — gratitude. The Torah considers ingratitude — kefias tovah — among the most severe character failures a person can exhibit. The Mesillas Yesharim (Chapter 11) treats it as the root of many other moral failures. On a national level, the same principle applies with force. America has stood by Israel through wars, through diplomatic isolation, through existential crises. The Jewish people owe America hakaras hatov of the highest order. Actions by Israeli citizens that embarrass, anger, or undermine the American security establishment are, in this framework, not merely politically unwise — they represent a failure of the most basic moral obligation.

None of this is to say that Amit Segal acted with malicious intent. Journalists operate under their own codes of ethics, and the drive to inform the public is a genuine and important value. But the Torah’s framework is unambiguous: when the safety of a captive, the security of a military ally, and the lives of Israeli citizens are all potentially at stake, the obligation to pause, to consult, and to consider supersedes the competitive pressure to publish first.

Amit Segal is, by all accounts, a serious and respected journalist. This article does not presume to render a definitive ruling on his personal culpability. We do not know with certainty whether his publication increased the danger to the missing airman. We do not know whether the Iranians were already aware of a second crew member. We do not know the full circumstances of how the information reached him.

But the halachic framework is clear, and it is sobering. The Torah cares enormously about the life and freedom of every human being. The eight mitzvos that the Rambam enumerates in connection with pidyon shvuyim are binding obligations that shape how a Torah Jew must think about every action he takes that could affect another person’s captivity, safety, or life.

And beyond the fate of the single missing airman, there is a larger canvas: the safety of millions of Israeli citizens whose security depends, in part, on the trust and goodwill of the United States. Hakaras hatov, shalom, lo sa’amod al dam rei’echa, and the broader obligations of dina d’malkhusa dina all converge on a single conclusion.

Journalists operate in a world of competing pressures: the drive to be first, the obligation to protect sources, the public’s right to know. These are legitimate values in their own realm. But they exist within a higher framework — one that demands we ask, before we publish, before we post, before we broadcast: Could this information place a human being — or an entire people — in greater danger?

That question, the Torah tells us, must always come first.

The author can be reached at [email protected]

ISTANBUL (AP) — Three assailants opened fire at police outside a building housing the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday, sparking a gunfight that left one attacker dead, Turkish officials said. The two other assailants were wounded and captured.

Two police officers sustained slight injuries in the clash, Istanbul Gov. Davut Gul told reporters. The assailants were carrying long-barreled weapons.

Interior Minister Mustafa Cifti wrote on X that the attackers had traveled from the city of Izmit, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of Istanbul, in a rented car. One of the assailants was linked to a group he described as “exploiting religion,” without naming the organization.

The Islamic State group has carried out deadly attacks in Turkey in the past.

The two wounded assailants are brothers, identified as Onur C. and Enes C. The first has a criminal record related to drugs. Both are being interrogated, according to the Interior Ministry.

Video from the attack showed one assailant carrying what appeared to be an assault rifle, wearing a brown backpack and hiding behind a bus when exchanging fire with police. A police officer falls to the ground, apparently having been shot, and then rolls away to get behind a tree for cover.

One of the police officers was wounded in the leg and the other in the ear, the Interior Ministry said.

The consulate is located in a high-rise building in Levent, one of the city’s main business districts. Officials said there are no Israeli diplomats present in Israeli missions in Turkey. Israel withdrew its diplomats amid security concerns and deteriorating relations with Turkey during the war in Gaza.

Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said three prosecutors, including a deputy chief prosecutor, have been assigned to lead an investigation.

Police sealed off the building and blocked several roads, while forensic experts in white protective suits combed the area for evidence.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced what he said was a “treacherous” attack.

“We will resolutely continue our fight against all forms of terrorism, and we will not allow the climate of security in Turkey to be harmed by vile and timed provocations like today’s,” he said.

The U.S. ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, condemned the assault, praising Turkish authorities for “their swift and decisive response.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry similarly condemned the attack and commended Turkish security forces for their rapid action in thwarting it.

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NEW YORK (VINnews/Rabbi Yair Hoffman) – It is Chol HaMoed Pesach. You are in shul. There is a bris happening right after davening. This is common on Chol HaMoed, the intermediate days of Pesach, when a baby boy was born just before the holiday began. The mohel — the specially trained person who performs the circumcision — has a packed schedule. Baruch Hashem, he is in high demand. Three, maybe four brissin today, one after another, in different shuls and halls across the neighborhood.

He cannot be late to any of them.

So the gabbai, the man who runs the shul, is watching the clock. The chazan — the prayer leader — knows to keep things moving. And honestly? The whole congregation is thinking about the food sitting or not yet sitting at home that still needs cooking. It is erev Yom Tov, the day before the final days of Pesach. There is a lot to do.

And then something happens that feels, under these circumstances, like a gift straight from Heaven. The chazan reaches a certain point in Hallel — and stops. Not because anything went wrong. Because that is exactly what halacha — Jewish law — tells him to do.

Half a Hallel. The shul may be quietly exhaling.

But here is the thing. A few months later, on Chol HaMoed Sukkos, that same chazan will say the complete Hallel. Every single word. No stopping, no skipping. The whole thing.

Why? Sukkos is a wonderful Yom Tov — but Pesach is when the greatest miracle in Jewish history happened. The sea split. The most powerful empire on earth collapsed. Two hundred and ten years of brutal slavery ended.

So why does the bigger miracle get the shorter Hallel?

The answer turns out to touch on one of the deepest moral questions in all of Torah: Is it okay to celebrate when your enemies are destroyed?

THE GEMARA’S ANSWER

The Gemara in Arachin (9a) gives us the first answer. It is a technical one, but important. When the Beis HaMikdash — the Holy Temple — stood in Jerusalem, special holiday offerings called korbanos were brought every day. On Pesach, those offerings were exactly the same every single day of the Yom Tov. On Sukkos, they were different each day. Since each day of Sukkos had its own special identity, each day deserved its own full Hallel. On Pesach, since every day was the same, a full Hallel was not required for each day.

That explains part of the picture.

But it does not explain everything. For the deeper answer, we need to go to a Midrash. And it is stunning.

THE MALACHIM WHO WERE SILENCED

The Shibolei HaLeket, quoted by the Bais Yosef (Orach Chaim 490), brings down this Midrash: When the Egyptians were drowning in the Yam Suf — the Red Sea — the malachim, the Heavenly angels, wanted to burst into song. It was an incredible moment. The Jewish people were free. The enemy was gone. Of course the malachim wanted to sing!

But Hashem stopped them. And He said something that has stayed with the Jewish people ever since:

“Maasei Yadai tovim bayam v’attem omrim shira? — My handiwork — My creations — are drowning in the sea, and YOU are singing Hallel?!”

The Egyptians were human beings. They were created by Hashem. Their deaths, even though they were necessary and deserved, were not something to celebrate with a full song of joy.

This raises a big question though. If Hashem silenced the malachim — why do we say any Hallel at all on Pesach? And why is the first day of Pesach different? On the first day we say the full Hallel. Why is Chol HaMoed cut short?

THE TAZ AND CHAVOS YAIR

The Taz (Orach Chaim 490:3) and the Chavos Yair (responsum 225) answer this. The seventh day of Pesach — the day the sea actually split and the Egyptians drowned — cannot have a full Hallel, because of that Midrash. Once the seventh day itself is limited, it would be embarrassing — a bizayon, a disgrace — if Chol HaMoed had more Hallel than the last day of Yom Tov. So Chol HaMoed gets cut short too, to match.

RAV AHARON KOTLER’S BIG PICTURE

So now we have two different reasons. Why do we need both? Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l, one of the greatest Torah leaders of the twentieth century, explains this in his sefer Mishnas Rebbe Aharon, Maamarim (Vol. II, p. 3).

He says there are actually two completely different kinds of Hallel. One kind is said because of Yom Tov — because it is a holiday. The other kind is said because of a Nais — a miracle.

Pesach has both.

The Mussaf offerings explain why the Yom Tov-Hallel does not need to be full. But the miracle of the splitting of the sea is so enormous that the Nais-Hallel would demand a full Hallel — except for the fact that people died. That fact brings the Hallel back down. You need both reasons together to understand the whole picture.

One more interesting point: we call it “half Hallel,” but it is actually about eighty-one percent of the full Hallel — sixty-two lines out of seventy-seven in the ArtScroll siddur. It is not really half. But the name makes a point. Something is missing. Something is being held back on purpose.

TWO VERSES IN MISHLEI THAT SEEM TO CONTRADICT EACH OTHER

Now we get to the really deep part. Shlomo HaMelech — King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived — wrote the book of Mishlei. And in that book, he seems to say two completely opposite things.

In chapter 24, verse 18, he writes: “B’nfol oyvecha al tismach — When your enemy falls, do not rejoice.”

But in chapter 11, verse 10, the very same Shlomo HaMelech wrote: “U’va’avod resha’im rinah — When the wicked are destroyed, there is joy and singing.”

So which is it? Are we supposed to be happy or not when evil people are destroyed?

THE RALBAG: TOO MUCH CELEBRATING IS DANGEROUS

The Ralbag, a great medieval Torah commentator, explains the verse in chapter 24 this way. The problem is not joy itself — it is too much joy. When someone celebrates too wildly over an enemy’s downfall, something dangerous happens: Hashem removes His anger from that enemy and turns it toward the person who is gloating. Celebrate too much, and you might bring trouble on yourself.

The Alshich, in his commentary to Esther (5:3), shows how this actually played out in history. He explains that Esther made Haman happy at her party on purpose — to get him to start gloating. Once Haman started rejoicing over the upcoming destruction of the Jewish people, Hashem’s anger turned against Haman. Esther used this principle as a weapon.

WHAT KIND OF HAPPINESS IS ALLOWED?

So celebrating a little is fine — but what kind of celebrating, exactly?

The Maharsha in Megillah (28a) says the verse “do not rejoice” is talking about someone who is happy because he personally hates his enemy. That kind of joy — joy that comes from hate — is wrong.

Rabbeinu Yonah, in his commentary to Pirkei Avos (4:19), gives us the right kind of joy. He says it is permitted — maybe even required — to feel happy when evil is destroyed, if the happiness comes from Kavod Shamayim — from the honor of Hashem. If you are happy because justice was done and Hashem’s glory was upheld, that is a good and holy feeling.

The Alshich in his commentary to Tehillim (5:11) adds another angle. He says the verse “do not rejoice” only applies to a personal enemy — someone you happen to dislike. But when someone is deeply, fundamentally evil — an enemy of Hashem Himself — rejoicing at their downfall is actually the right thing to do. That is what the verse in chapter 11 is talking about.

THE MESHECH CHOCHMA AND THE GERRER REBBE DISAGREE

Not everyone agrees with those distinctions. The Meshech Chochma (Shmos 12:16) takes a simpler and stricter position. Good people, he says, simply do not celebrate the death of other human beings — period. It does not matter how evil the enemy was. It does not matter what your spiritual level is. It is just not something a person of good character does.

That is why, he explains, we celebrate our freedom on Pesach — not the punishment of Egypt. And on Chanukah, we celebrate the miracle of the oil lasting eight days — not the military defeat of the Greeks. The joy is always about what Hashem gave us, not about what happened to our enemies.

The Gerrer Rebbe, in a Torah thought from Sukkos 5658, made a similar point from a different angle. He noticed that the Torah uses the specific word “Simcha” — joy — when talking about Sukkos, but not when talking about Pesach. Why? Because the deaths of the Egyptians during Pesach make it inappropriate to use the full word of joy in connection with that holiday.

The Yalkut Shimoni (Mishlei 960) says this directly: we do not say full Hallel on Pesach — except for the first day — because of the principle of not rejoicing too much over the deaths of enemies. The same Midrash points out that Noach — Noah — refrained from marital intimacy for the entire duration of the flood, while the evildoers of his generation were being wiped out. He did this out of respect for the very same verse in Mishlei chapter 24.

WAS THIS STANDARD UNIVERSALLY KEPT?

It may be that this elevated standard was not always kept, even by some of the greatest people in Jewish history. The Mishna in Pirkei Avos (4:19) records that Shmuel HaKatan used to quote the verse from Mishlei about not rejoicing at the fall of an enemy. The Rambam and the Bartenura both point out that the Mishna singles Shmuel HaKatan out for this — which implies that this level of restraint was not the norm. If everyone did it, why would one person be singled out for it?

Even more striking: the Midrash Tehillim (7) raises the possibility that Dovid HaMelech himself — the father of Shlomo, the author of Tehillim, one of the greatest figures in all of Jewish history — may have made an error in this very area, when he composed a joyful song at the fall of Kush Ben Yemini. If Dovid HaMelech could stumble here, the rest of us need to be especially careful.

CONCLUSION

We do say Hallel on Chol HaMoed Pesach. But not the full Hallel. The truncation is not an accident of history — it is a moral statement, built into our davening, repeated every single year.

The words of Rabbeinu Yonah give us perhaps a clear path forward. If your joy at the downfall of evil comes from a genuine sense that Kavod Shamayim — the honor of Heaven — has been upheld and that justice has been done, then that joy is not only permitted but holy. But even then, it must be kept in check. Even then, something must be held back.

That is what the half Hallel teaches us every Chol HaMoed Pesach. Sing — but not everything. Rejoice — but not without limit. Remember that the ones who drowned in that sea were Hashem’s creations too.

The author can be reached at [email protected]

NEW YORK (AP) — JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon warned in his annual shareholder letter that a “resilient” U.S. economy could face renewed inflation pressures if the war in Iran disrupts global energy markets.

Dimon described inflation as the potential “skunk at the party” this year, cautioning that turmoil in oil and commodity markets could ripple through the economy, affecting everything from gasoline prices to manufacturing costs. He also warned that sustained inflation could force the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates higher for longer, posing risks to the broader economy and financial system.

“Given our complex global supply chains, countries are experiencing disruptions in shipbuilding, food and farming, among others,” Dimon wrote. “The outcome of current geopolitical events may very well be the defining factor in how the future global economic order unfolds — then again, it may not.”

Dimon has long used his annual letters to weigh in on major economic and policy issues. Past letters have focused on topics such as the COVID-19 pandemic, political upheaval in the United States, the global financial crisis and trade tensions.

Despite the risks, Dimon struck a generally optimistic tone.

“Despite the unsettling landscape, the U.S. economy continues to be resilient, with consumers still earning and spending (though with some recent weakening) and businesses still healthy,” he wrote.

While acknowledging the geopolitical context of the conflict, Dimon pointed to broader risks tied to instability in the region.

“We should not turn a blind eye to the role the current regime in Iran has played in fostering terrorism and killing thousands of people, including Americans and many of its own citizens, over many years,” he wrote.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a measure into law Monday that gives him along with other Florida leaders the ability to label groups as domestic or foreign terrorist organizations and expel state university students who support them.

The law, criticized by free speech advocates, allows a top official at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to designate a group as a domestic or foreign terrorist organization, with the governor and three other members of the Florida Cabinet approving or rejecting the designation. Besides the governor, the Cabinet is made up of the state attorney general, the chief financial officer and the agriculture commissioner, all of whom are elected separately.

Once designated a terrorist organization, a group can be dissolved and it can no longer receive any state funding through school districts or state agencies. Universities also would have to report the status of expelled students attending on visas to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“So this will help the state of Florida protect you. It’ll help us protect your tax dollars,” DeSantis said at a news conference in Tampa. “It’ll help us protect things that should not be happening in the United States of America, but certainly shouldn’t be happening in the free state of Florida.”

DeSantis last December designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim Brotherhoods as foreign terrorist organizations. A federal judge last month temporarily blocked the enforcement of DeSantis’ executive order.

PEN America, a free speech advocacy group, said the new law has vague language that could restrict education programs deemed to be “promoting” terrorism and that it could target student protesters who criticize Florida officials.

The new law “could chill education at every level,” said William Johnson, PEN America’s Florida director. “The implications are fraught.”

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The city of Minneapolis released a video Monday showing a chase and scuffle that ended in a nonfatal shooting in January and the suspensions of two federal officers involved in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota.

The video — from a city-owned security camera — captured part of the incident in which federal officers chased a Venezuelan man to his residence. Another Venezuelan man who lives there was shot during the confrontation. Federal authorities in February dropped all charges against the two immigrants and opened a criminal investigation into whether two immigration officers lied under oath about what had happened.

The city released the video after the New York Times, which obtained a copy earlier, reported that the footage raised questions about why it took weeks for the federal government’s case against the two men to collapse. The Times reported that federal investigators had access to the video within hours of the Jan. 14 shooting, but did not watch it until nearly three weeks after they had charged the two men.

“The video makes it crystal clear that, just like in other situations during Operation Metro Surge, the federal government’s account of what happened simply does not match the facts,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement.

Federal authorities initially accused Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis of beating an ICE officer with a broom handle and a snow shovel during the incident. The officer fired a single shot from his handgun, striking Sosa-Celis in his right thigh. Protesters quickly flocked to the scene and clashed with other officers, who were wearing gas masks and helmets.

The city provided no narrative on what the video depicts except to say that it was “related” to the shooting. A statement added, “The City has no additional information and will not be making further comments at this time.”

The video, shot from a distance in the dark, appears to show a person standing with a snow shovel outside the house, near the street, then retreating toward the house and tossing the shovel into the yard. This happens as a person being chased by another person runs up from the street, falls on the sidewalk, gets up, and keeps heading toward the house.

The three appear to scuffle near the front steps for about 10 seconds. The exact moment when Sosa-Celis is shot isn’t clear. A car with flashing lights pulls up, and another person walks up.

The camera actively panned over to view the street where the incident happened before any vehicles arrived, indicating that someone may have been manually controlling it in real time.

The cases against Aljorna and Sosa-Celis were dropped after a highly unusual motion from the chief federal prosecutor for Minnesota, U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen, who said “newly discovered evidence” was “materially inconsistent with the allegations” that were made in the criminal complaint and with evidence presented at a hearing at their preliminary hearing. He said dismissal with prejudice, which meant the charges couldn’t be refiled, “would serve the interests of justice.”

Rosen and other federal prosecutors involved in the case, as well as the Department of Justice, did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press on Monday.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not mention the video in a statement, but reaffirmed its earlier statement that two officers involved appeared to have given untruthful testimony under oath, and that they were immediately placed on administrative leave pending completion of an internal investigation. Their names were not made public.

“Lying under oath is a serious federal offense. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is actively investigating these false statements,” the ICE statement said. “Upon conclusion of the investigation, the officers may face termination of employment, as well as potential criminal prosecution.”

The statement did not elaborate on the status of their case.

Aljorna’s attorney did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Sosa-Celis’ attorney, Robin Wolpert, said, “The video is evidence in ongoing state and federal investigations so I can’t comment.”

Both men are free while they seek legal status. They were ordered released even before the criminal charges were dropped, but ICE took them back into custody for alleged immigration violations before releasing them, again under court order.

State and county prosecutors have been frustrated by the refusal of federal authorities to share information on the incident, as well as the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal officers. They sued the Trump administratio n late last month for access to evidence they say they need to independently investigate the three shootings.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the video, citing the active investigation.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Federal Reserve official said Monday that an interest rate hike could be appropriate if inflation remains persistently above the central bank’s 2% target, the latest sign that some policymakers are moving away from a bias toward reducing borrowing costs.

Beth Hammack, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, said in an interview with The Associated Press that her general preference is for the Fed keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged “for quite some time.”

And she also said the Fed might have to cut its rate if higher gas prices caused the economy to slow and unemployment to rise. But if inflation remained elevated, a rate hike could be needed, she said.

“I can foresee scenarios where we would need to reduce rates … if the labor market deteriorates significantly,” Hammack said. “Or I could see where we might need to raise rates if inflation stays persistently above our target.”

Hammack’s comments suggest a growing concern among at least some policymakers that inflation, which was elevated before the Iran war, may require rate hikes to tame further. Rate increases by the Fed would be a sharp shift from late last year, when the central bank cut its key rate three times. Rate hikes could lift borrowing costs for consumers and businesses, including for mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards.

Other Fed officials have recently opened the door to rate hikes, including Austan Goolsbee, president of the Chicago Fed. And minutes of the Fed’s meeting in late January said that several of the 19 officials on the rate-setting committee supported altering the post-meeting statement to reflect the possibility of “upward adjustments” to rates.

A rate hike would almost certainly prompt President Donald Trump to lash out at the Fed, which he has harshly criticized for not cutting rates further. He has called for the central bank’s key rate to be lowered to 1%, down from its current level of about 3.6%.

The government will update two inflation measures this week, though only one will likely reflect the impact of the jump in gas prices since the Iran war began Feb. 28. Gas prices averaged $4.12 a gallon nationwide Monday, according to AAA, up 80 cents from a month earlier.

On Friday, the government will issue the March inflation report, providing a first read on the impact of higher gas and energy prices. Economists forecast that annual inflation will worsen significantly, jumping to 3.1% from 2.4% in February, according to a survey by data provider FactSet. On a monthly basis, they expect consumer prices rose 0.8% in March from February, which would be the biggest increase in almost four years.

The Commerce Department will report the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge for February on Thursday, though that won’t incorporate any impact from the Iran conflict.

Hammack said that the Cleveland Fed’s own estimates show inflation could reach 3.5% in April, which would be the highest since 2024. Inflation spiked to 9.1% in June 2022 before slowly declining.

“Inflation has been running above our target for more than five years now,” Hammack said, and a further increase would mean it is “moving in the wrong direction, away from our 2% objective.”

The Federal Reserve is required by Congress to seek low inflation and maximum employment, and higher gas prices could threaten both those mandates, creating a challenging situation for Fed officials.

Consumers may react to higher gas prices by cutting back on their spending elsewhere in the economy, Hammack said, which could lead to weaker growth and layoffs, which the Fed would need to respond to with rate cuts.

How the war impacts the economy will depend on how long it lasts and how high it lifts gas prices and other costs, Hammack said. Now in its sixth week, the conflict has already lasted longer than she expected when the Fed last met March 17-18, Hammack said.

Hammack said rising gas prices stemming from the Iran war are “the No. 1 thing” she hears about from people in her district, which covers Ohio and parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Kentucky.

“We know that causes a lot of pain personally, as it eats up a bigger and bigger share of people’s paychecks. So it’s important for us to stay focused on it,” she added.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma City Police Department has placed officers on leave after reports of an April Fools’ Day prank that sent squad cars in pursuit of a baby being thrown out of a car before the call was revealed as a hoax.

Oklahoma City Police Capt. Valerie Littlejohn confirmed Monday that an internal investigation was ongoing but would not say how many officers were placed on administrative leave or provide details of the accusations.

“We are aware of a reported pursuit involving some of our officers that included serious claims, which has since been determined to be false,” Littlejohn said in a statement. “We take this situation seriously and are committed to ensuring a thorough review is conducted.”

The investigation followed published police radio audio from the night of April 1, reported by Oklahoma City television station KFOR and other stations, in which a dispatcher says that the “city just advised that the suspect threw a baby out the window.”

“The police officer that’s in pursuit does not have a radio. He’s just messaging his location,” the dispatcher says.

After a number of officers responded to the report, a dispatcher can later be heard saying: “It was an April Fools’ prank.”

Another dispatcher says: “Not funny.”

A message left Monday with the president of Oklahoma City police union president seeking comment on the incident was not immediately returned.

Oklahoma law makes it misdemeanor crime to report “knowingly false information which could result in the dispatch of emergency services from any public agency.” Punishment is a fine of up to $500 and an assessment for any costs associated with dispatching emergency personnel.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he’s “not at all” concerned about committing possible war crimes as he again threatened to destroy Iran’s bridges and power plants if Tehran does not meet his Tuesday 8 p.m. ET deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, the president refused to say whether any civilian targets would be off-limits.

Iran on Monday rejected a 45-day ceasefire proposal and said it wants a permanent end to the conflict.

“We only accept an end of the war with guarantees that we won’t be attacked again,” Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of the Iranian diplomatic mission in Cairo, told The Associated Press.

Israel and the United States carried out a wave of attacks on Iran on Monday, killing more than 25 people. Iran responded with missile fire on Israel and its Gulf Arab neighbors.

OMAHA (VINnews) – One of the U.S. military’s E-4B Nightwatch “doomsday planes” took off Monday from Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska and circled the area for hours, flight trackers showed, as President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to accept a peace deal approached.

The Boeing E-4B, designed to serve as an airborne command post for national leaders in the event of nuclear war, departed Offutt at 10:17 a.m. EST. It circled the base at least six times before landing, according to flight tracking data reported by the Daily Mail.

Offutt Air Force Base serves as headquarters for U.S. Strategic Command, which oversees the nation’s nuclear forces.

The flight comes as Trump has set a Tuesday deadline for Iran to agree to his peace plan and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, or face U.S. strikes on the country’s power plants and bridges. Trump has weighed expanded military action against Iran amid ongoing tensions.

The U.S. maintains a fleet of four E-4Bs for continuity of government operations. Each aircraft can carry up to 112 people, has a range exceeding 7,000 miles and features thermal and nuclear shielding. It is equipped with 67 satellite dishes and antennas for global communications.

Similar E-4B flights have drawn attention during past periods of heightened U.S.-Iran tensions, including one last year ahead of joint U.S.-Israel strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. The planes conduct regular training flights year-round to maintain readiness.

WASHINGTON D.C (VINnews) – The same elite U.S. Special Operations units created in the aftermath of the botched 1980 Iran hostage rescue mission carried out a successful 48-hour operation to save two F-15E Strike Eagle airmen in Iran, Fox News Chief National Correspondent Jennifer Griffin reported.

The units — including SEAL Team 6 and Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) — trace their origins directly to Operation Eagle Claw, the failed attempt ordered by President Jimmy Carter to free 53 American hostages held at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

On April 24-25, 1980 — exactly 46 years before the recent rescue — the mission collapsed amid sandstorms and mechanical failures at a remote desert site known as Desert One. A U.S. helicopter collided with a C-130 transport plane, killing eight American servicemen. The disaster prompted major reforms in U.S. special operations capabilities.

SEAL Team 6, officially known as Naval Special Warfare Development Group or DEVGRU, was established in November 1980. JSOC, headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was also formed that year as a direct result of the Eagle Claw failure.

“Incredible coda to this rescue operation for the 2 F15E airmen,” Griffin said. “The very same Special Operations units … are the very same units who performed heroically during this 48 hour rescue operation.”

The recent operation unfolded under conditions that echoed the 1980 mission, including two MC-130 aircraft becoming stuck in wet sand at a makeshift landing strip in Iran, Griffin noted.

The successful rescue marks a poignant historical parallel: elite units born from one of America’s most humiliating military setbacks in Iran returned to the same country decades later to execute a high-risk extraction with precision and success.

NEWTON, Mass. (AP) — Like a lot of young children, Matthew Shifrin loved building Lego sets. But because he was blind, Shifrin had to rely on friends and family to help him complete his creations — sometimes bribing them with tea to get them to come by his house.

That all changed when he was 13. A family friend and babysitter came over to his house in Newton, Massachusetts and handed him a binder filled with accessible instructions for building a Middle Eastern palace. The instructions, written in braille, allowed him to complete the set without having to rely on the brightly colored pictures that typically come with Lego sets.

“This was the first time that I was able to build a Lego set on my own,” Shifrin said at his home, surrounded by sets he has built including a Statue of Liberty figurine and NASA’s Apollo Saturn V rocket. “It was truly an amazing experience because I was completely in control of the whole building process. I knew where the pieces went and I was able to learn about the world around me.”

Inspired to reach more blind Lego builders
After Shifrin’s babysitter died, he wanted to honor her memory. So he set about fine-tuning the instructions the two had posted online to reach other blind builders.

Three years ago, Shifrin launched Bricks for the Blind. The 28-year-old now works with a team of 30 sighted writers and blind testers. His website makes the downloadable instructions available for free to anyone who’s blind or visually impaired. They can either print the step-by-step instructions in braille, use braille computers or turn to screen readers, which are software applications that convert the text into speech.

The instructions allow a blind person to build on their own, but Shifrin’s website also says a sighted person might be needed to sort Lego bricks. Otherwise, the blind builder could turn to one of several apps that identify bricks using artificial intelligence.

So far, the nonprofit has created instructions for more than 540 Lego sets, ranging from a 100-piece car to a 4,000-piece bridge. About 3,000 builders have used their instructions across the United States and as far away as Australia.

Shifrin also approached the Denmark-based Lego Group in 2017 about making their products more accessible, which inspired the company to create audio and braille instructions for a growing number of Lego sets. That launched in 2019.

Separately, the company also introduced Lego Braille Bricks in 2020, which are available in French, English and Spanish, and feature studs on the bricks that correspond to letters, numbers and symbols. It also has introduced several characters in their sets with vision loss.

Blind parents, children and their families find connection
Shifrin, who also is an actor, composer and opera singer, said he has gotten messages from many people who couldn’t build Lego until now.

He’s heard from grandparents who are blind and say they’re now able to build with their grandkids. “We couldn’t build with our kids. They didn’t want our help, but now we can teach our grandkids about Lego,’” Shifrin said. “Or blind parents who say, ‘My kids are sighted, they don’t want my help, but it’s amazing to really understand what all this hype about Lego is about because now I can build on my own

Daniel Millan, who lost his sight in 2024, turned to Bricks for the Blind after a tumor crushed his optic nerves. The 31-year-old master’s student from San Diego, who’s studying to be an assisted technology instructor, first completed a Lego ornament set. Then on his anniversary, he completed a Lego rose set with his wife.

“Being able to do it independently, it’s freedom,” he said, adding that his sudden vision loss left him wondering about what he wouldn’t be able to do again.

But after building Lego sets, he soon learned that “It’s not about what I can’t do anymore. It’s more about what I can do,” he said.

Building with their children
For Natalie Charbonneau, who is blind, the instructions have allowed her to complete sets without relying on her sighted husband. It’s also allowed her to have fun with her 5-year-old son — and build many fire trucks and other vehicles.

“If he has questions, I have the ability to check his work or to follow along instead of saying, ’You have to wait for your dad’ or ‘You have to ask your dad.’ It’s something that I can now do with him as well, which is empowering,” she said. Charbonneau, a tester for Bricks for the Blind, is a doctoral student who lives in Bellingham, Washington.

Teri Turgeon, the education director for community programs at Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts — where Shifrin went as a baby — said the accessible instructions allow blind children to experience the same pleasure as their sighted peers. It also helps them visualize a wider world and develop “fine motor and tactile skills.”

“He’s created a space around innovation and accessibility that was otherwise not there prior and he’s done so with a toy that children play with every day,” she said.

In the founder’s Lego room
Back at his house, Shifrin helped fellow blind builder Minh Ha to build a go-kart. Ha grabbed Lego bricks and elements from two bowls and began to first put together a driver figurine.

“It’s just legs, torso, head, helmet. You’ve built this before. It’s a piece of cake. I believe in you,” Shifrin told her.

“Awesome,” she said with a smile. “All right, I’m gonna put the helmet on the head. And then … put the legs on the body.”

She reflected on a journey that began two years ago when she built a lotus flower.

“A lot of blind people have been left out of this cultural and kind of childhood phenomenon of being able to build Lego, play with Lego,” Ha said. “There is something incredibly satisfying and also relaxing to be able to put together these very intricate, very beautiful and architecturally complex builds.”

JERUSALEM (VINnews) – The Israeli military said the Israeli Air Force carried out “intensive strikes” over the past 24 hours targeting key infrastructure belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Tehran.

According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the strikes hit a “central site” of the IRGC described as responsible for suppressing Iran’s civilian population, along with critical infrastructure at the organization’s headquarters.

Additional targets included key facilities at the headquarters of the IRGC’s air force, the military said.

The IDF also reported that Israeli aircraft struck ballistic missile storage and launch sites, as well as a facility used for the production of air defense systems.

The military did not provide further details on the extent of the damage or whether there were casualties.

There was no immediate comment from Iranian officials.

WASHINGTON D.C (VINnews)-The Commodity Futures Trading Commission said it was suing Arizona, Connecticut and Illinois over WASHINGTON D.C (VINnews) – The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is suing Arizona, Connecticut and Illinois in a dispute over federal authority to regulate prediction markets, as the fast-growing betting platforms draw increasing scrutiny from lawmakers.

The agency said the lawsuits seek to affirm its exclusive jurisdiction over certain event-based contracts offered on prediction market platforms, arguing that a patchwork of state-level rules would undermine consistent federal oversight.

The legal action comes as prediction markets — which allow users to wager on outcomes ranging from elections to economic indicators — surge in popularity across the United States. Their rapid growth has raised questions on Capitol Hill about consumer protections, market integrity and whether the platforms resemble gambling more than traditional financial instruments.

Federal regulators have signaled concern that inconsistent regulation could expose participants to heightened risks, while also complicating enforcement efforts. State officials, however, have increasingly sought to assert their own authority, citing local consumer protection laws and gaming regulations.

The CFTC’s move sets up a potential legal showdown over the boundaries between federal and state oversight in an emerging sector that straddles finance and betting.

Lawmakers are expected to examine the issue more closely in the coming months as the industry continues to expand.

WASHINGTON (VINnews) – CIA Director John Ratcliffe said Monday that Iranian officials were left “embarrassed and ultimately humiliated” by a successful U.S. rescue mission that extracted stranded American airmen from behind enemy lines in Iran.

Ratcliffe made the remarks during a White House briefing as he detailed the CIA’s role in the high-stakes operation, which involved a deception campaign to mislead Iranian forces searching for the downed personnel.

“Our intelligence reflects that the Iranians were embarrassed and ultimately humiliated by the success of this audacious rescue mission,” Ratcliffe said.

The comments came after U.S. forces rescued two airmen, including a weapons systems officer who hid in a mountain crevice following the downing of an F-15E fighter jet in Iran last week. Officials described the effort as a “no-fail mission” that combined human intelligence assets, advanced technology and deliberate misdirection to confuse Iranian search teams.

Ratcliffe credited President Donald Trump’s leadership in directing the operation, which included both human assets and “exquisite technologies that no other intelligence service in the world possesses.” He likened the challenge to “hunting for a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert.”

The rescue unfolded amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran. One airman was extracted in daylight, while the second was recovered Saturday night after evading detection.

No Americans were reported injured in the mission, which Ratcliffe described as a point of pride for U.S. forces and intelligence agencies. Iranian officials have not publicly detailed their losses or reactions to the operation.

VINnews will continue to monitor developments in the ongoing situation in the Middle East.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) – Three teenage hikers were safely extracted Monday morning after spending the night stranded on the dangerous, loose terrain of the Dragot Cliffs in the Judean Desert, authorities said.

The boys, who became stuck near reporting point 12 on the steep cliffs, were rescued by the Lahava airborne rescue team in coordination with a police helicopter from the aerial unit. Due to the hazardous conditions, the helicopter hovered extremely close to the ground in a precision hover rescue, allowing the teens to be lifted directly into the aircraft.

They were flown to a nearby evacuation point where medical teams were waiting. All three were reported in good condition and did not require urgent medical attention.

The incident highlights the risks of hiking in the Judean Desert’s rugged terrain, where loose rock and steep drops can quickly trap even experienced hikers overnight.

WASHINGTON D.C (VINnews) – U.S. Central Command’s top officer directed a strike on an underground Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps headquarters near Tehran while an airman rescue operation was underway, high-level U.S. sources said.

Adm. Brad Cooper ordered B-2 bombers to hit the IRGC facility using Massive Ordnance Penetrators, the same heavy bunker-busting weapons employed in Operation Midnight Hammer, the sources told Fox News.

The strike targeted an underground site near the Iranian capital, according to the account. Details on the timing and outcome of the operation were not immediately available.

The disclosure comes amid heightened U.S. military actions against Iranian targets in the region. Cooper, as CENTCOM commander, has overseen multiple strikes involving B-2 stealth bombers and other assets against Iranian facilities.

The Pentagon and Central Command had no immediate comment on the reported IRGC headquarters strike.

A growing movement inside Israel’s charedi community is reshaping the balance between Torah study, work, and modern life.

Rabbi David Leibel

I
t is no secret that the charedi community in Israel has been in crisis mode for years, even before October 7. The rise of the internet, smartphones, and social media challenged the insular structure of the community, and its leaders initially responded by banning these technologies altogether.

Over time, however, that approach became harder to sustain. As digital tools became essential for many forms of employment, an uneasy compromise emerged: they could be used for “work purposes.” That concession had a far-reaching effect in practice.

It gave rise to a new kind of charedi: ambitious, capable, tech-savvy young men who realized they could not indefinitely remain in kollel while relying on their wives to support the household.

Charedim studying in the Lev Academic Center

Yet even as some found financial stability, their place in the community became more precarious. Many were treated as second-class citizens. Their children were denied admission to schools, and they were often marginalized in communal life.

For many, the result was not just social isolation but spiritual discouragement. Working charedim who wanted to remain committed to Torah life often found themselves with fewer supports than ever before.

Into that void stepped Rabbi David Leibel, a talmid chacham and rosh kollel associated with the classic world of Bnei Brak learning. Educated in Gateshead and Ponovezh, he embodied the traditional model of a full-time Torah scholar.

Yet what he saw deeply troubled him. Many families were struggling financially, and the lack of basic secular education meant their children faced limited opportunities.

About 15 years ago, he founded a kollel for working charedim. It evolved into Achvas Torah, a network designed to provide dignity, community, and serious Torah learning for working men.

“
Everyone needs everyone. The working person needs the avrech, and the avrech needs the working person.

More than just providing a place to learn, Rabbi Leibel offered these men something they had often been denied: honor. He framed their path as a legitimate and meaningful way of life.

He later founded Avratech, combining Torah study with preparation for careers in technology, and L’Ovda, a track focused on practical skills like electrical work.

The movement he helped build is reshaping the conversation around work, dignity, and Torah life in the charedi world, creating an entirely new framework for community.

HAIFA (VINnews) — A family of four was killed Sunday when an Iranian missile scored a direct hit on their residential building in Haifa, collapsing multiple floors as they sought shelter in a stairwell.

The victims were identified Monday day as Lena Ostrovsky Gershovitz, 70, her husband Vladimir Gershovitz, 73, their son Dima Gershovitz, 42, and Dima’s wife Lucille-Jane Gershovitz, 30. Rescue teams recovered their bodies from the rubble after an 18-hour operation.

Just hours before the strike, Dima had brought his father home from a prolonged hospitalization at Rambam Hospital. The family, fearing the elderly couple could not reach the shelter in time, took cover in the stairwell of their first-floor apartment. All four were crushed when the upper floors collapsed onto them.

Lilach Levin, a friend of the family, recounted the tragedy through tears: “A rare family, in a split second everyone’s lives were cut short.”

Levin added that Dima “managed to bring Vladimir back from the hospital, and unfortunately the missile hit the residence and that’s how all four of them were killed.”

Lena Ostrovsky, a veteran voice development teacher at the Nissan Nativ acting studio in Jerusalem, had taught generations of actors for three decades. The actors’ organization MASHAM expressed deep sorrow, describing her as a “legendary” instructor who nurtured students “with dedication, professionalism, and above all, great love.”

Dima, a software engineer at JFrog for the past nine years, was remembered as a gifted individual who studied at the Technion in Haifa and later at Reichman University in Herzliya. “From childhood he stood out as a gifted child, a little genius,” Levin said. “He was fluent in 11 languages, played the piano at a high level, painted, loved to cook, and expressed creativity and excellence in every field he touched.”

Lucille-Jane, originally from the Philippines, met Dima while he was traveling there. The couple married in April 2012. “For years she was afraid to come to Israel, but she chose to follow their love,” Levin said. “They dreamed of a family and children — dreams that will no longer come true.”

Vladimir was retired. The family originally immigrated from Kiev, and Dima was their only son.

According to the IDF, the missile disintegrated in the air after an interception failed. Fragments struck the six-story building, causing the top three floors to collapse onto the lower levels where the Gershovitz family lived. The four were on the first floor when the siren sounded; the nearest protected space required leaving the building.

The strike was part of Iran’s missile barrage on Israel.

JERUSALEM (VINnews) – The Israel Defense Forces said Monday that dozens of Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck three airports in the Tehran area overnight, destroying dozens of Iranian planes and helicopters in a major blow to Iran’s air force and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps air force.

The military said the operation targeted Iranian aircraft and helicopters, along with infrastructure used by the regime’s armed forces for military purposes at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport and two smaller airstrips in the area.

“Dozens of Israeli Air Force fighter jets hit Iranian planes and helicopters, as well as infrastructure ‘used by the regime’s armed forces for military purposes,’” the IDF statement said.

The strikes come amid ongoing Israeli operations against Iranian military targets. The IDF has previously hit sites linked to the Quds Force and other regime infrastructure in the capital region, including areas near Mehrabad International Airport.

No immediate details were available on casualties or the full extent of damage on the Iranian side. Iranian state media has not yet commented on the latest reported strikes.

The operation reflects Israel’s continued efforts to degrade Iran’s air capabilities and military infrastructure during the current conflict.

VINnews will provide updates as more information becomes available.

MIAMI (AP) — The first and only kind of robot approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for dental implant procedures is being used in South Florida, as clinics adopt new technology aimed at improving precision and recovery times.

Neocis, a Miami-based company, developed the Yomi robotic system, which assists dentists in planning and placing implants using digital imaging and real-time guidance. The system uses 3D imaging from X-rays to map out procedures in advance and guides dentists during surgery, helping control drill depth and positioning in real time.

Dr. Reinol Gonzalez, a South Florida dentist using the technology, said the system allows for more precise placement while reducing the need for invasive techniques such as cutting the gums. He said the approach can lead to shorter procedure times, less discomfort and faster healing for patients.

Patients such as Jorge Curebelo, who recently underwent the procedure, said the experience was smoother than expected despite initial concerns about the use of robotics. He said he felt little to no pain during the implant process.

Neocis said about 25 dentists in Florida currently use the system, including 16 in South Florida. While the Yomi system is currently used for dental implants, the company said it expects the technology could expand in the future to support additional procedures such as crowns and fillings.

(AP) – U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee wrote in a social media post on Monday that Israel’s military and Mossad secret service had assisted in the U.S. effort to rescue an airman whose plane was downed by Iran.

Huckabee thanked Israel for helping the U.S. military and intelligence agencies in the post to X.

Israeli officials have said Israel provided support, including intelligence, in the rescue, but troops weren’t actively involved on the ground.

Just met w/ @IsraeliPM to thank @Israel on behalf of American ppl for unprecedented assistance to US Military & Intel agencies who conducted a historic rescue mission of our air crew in Iran. US SF carried out brilliant op. @IDF & Mossad were helpful partners in the mission.

— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) April 6, 2026