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The Royal Train will soon leave the station for the last time. King Charles III has accepted it’s time to decommission the train, whose history dates back to Queen Victoria, because it costs too much to operate and would have needed a significant upgrade for more advanced rail systems, Buckingham Palace said Monday. “In moving forwards we must not be bound by the past,’’ said James Chalmers, the palace official in charge of the king’s financial affairs. “Just as so many parts of the royal household’s work have modernized and adapted to reflect the world of today, so too the time has come to bid the fondest of farewells, as we seek to be disciplined and forward-looking in our allocation of funding.’’ The train, actually a suite of nine railcars that can be hitched to commercial locomotives, will be decommissioned sometime before the current maintenance contract expires in 2027. That will bring to an end a tradition that dates back to 1869, when Queen Victoria commissioned a pair of special coaches to accommodate her travels. The decision was announced during the palace’s annual briefing for reporters on the royal finances. The royal family will for the fourth consecutive year receive public funding of 86.3 million pounds ($118 million), including 34.5 million pounds to fund the remodeling of Buckingham Palace, in the 12 months through March 2026. This money comes from a mechanism known as the Sovereign Grant, which sets aside 12% of the net income from the Crown Estate to fund the official duties of the king and other members of the royal family. The Crown Estate is a portfolio of properties that are owned by the monarch during his reign. The properties are professionally managed and the king cannot dispose of the assets. The Crown Estate is one of the many relics of Britain’s feudal past. King George III, who ruled during the American Revolution, surrendered management of the crown lands to Parliament in 1760 in return for a fixed payment from the Treasury. The royal finances remain a topic of public debate, with Charles pledging to slim down the monarchy and cut costs as he seeks to ensure the institution’s survival. Buckingham Palace was quick to point out that while the Sovereign Grant has been unchanged for the past four years, inflation has eroded its value. If the grant had increased in line with inflation, it would have been about 106 million pounds this year, the palace said. The basic grant was supplemented with 21.5 million pounds ($29.5 million) of income generated by properties outside the Crown Estate. This income increased by 1.7 million pounds, driven by a record year for visitors to Buckingham Palace and special tours of the newly renovated East Wing. Craig Prescott, a constitutional law expert at Royal Holloway, University of London who focuses on the political role of the monarchy, said funding for the royals is relatively small when compared to the overall cost of the British state and it provides tangible benefits for the country. “It’s something that puts Britain on the world stage in a way that few other things do,’’ he said, noting that Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral was the largest gathering of world leaders in history and the coronation was broadcast around the world. “It’s one of those things […]

Qatar has put forward a new offer to Israel proposing a two-month truce, during which eight living hostages would be freed on the very first day, and an additional two would be released on the 50th day of the ceasefire.

According to two diplomats familiar with the proposal, the deal outlines a 60-day pause in fighting. On day one, eight living captives would be released, followed by two more on day 50 of the truce period.

Kan News provided further details, reporting that the plan also includes the phased return of the remains of 18 hostages who are confirmed dead. The plan would unfold in three stages. As part of the broader outline, the IDF would withdraw from the Morag axis, and the level of humanitarian assistance allowed into Gaza would be expanded significantly.

Those close to the ongoing talks suggest that the chances of reaching a deal have improved, though some disagreements between the involved parties have yet to be resolved.

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has been conducting several rounds of high-level security meetings in recent days, with a strong focus on the hostages. Families of those still in captivity have voiced fears that during the conflict with Iran, their loved ones would be pushed off the national agenda and that efforts to secure their return might stall.

Negotiations had been largely frozen for several weeks, with no notable movement. But recently, President Donald Trump has shared a more hopeful tone, indicating that a breakthrough could be imminent. Earlier today, he said, “There may be a ceasefire next week.”

There are currently 50 hostages believed to still be in Gaza. Of those, roughly 20 are thought to be alive.

{Matzav.com}

Saudi Arabia is making it clear that any potential normalization agreement with Israel hinges on the complete removal of Hamas from power in Gaza, according to a report from i24NEWS. A source with direct ties to the Saudi royal court conveyed this position to Middle East correspondent Ariel Oseran.

“Without removing Hamas, there will be no peace,” the source emphasized, underscoring Riyadh’s firm stance that Hamas must be dismantled entirely before any diplomatic breakthrough with the Jewish State can occur.

The report adds that Saudi Arabia envisions the Palestinian Authority, under the leadership of Mahmoud Abbas, taking over governance in Gaza once Hamas is ousted. This transition is seen as a necessary step for the region’s future stability and for progress toward formal ties with Israel.

This marks the first public indication that halting military operations before Hamas is fully defeated could undermine broader regional diplomacy—particularly efforts by the Trump administration to broaden the Abraham Accords and secure new normalization deals with additional Arab and Muslim countries.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump commented on Tuesday that a ceasefire agreement might be achievable as early as next week. He also reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that every remaining Israeli hostage is brought home safely.

Trump added that he plans to be “very firm” with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu about bringing the conflict in Gaza to a close when they meet in Washington next week.

{Matzav.com}

Air raid sirens echoed throughout Yerushalayim and across central regions of Israel on Tuesday evening following the launch of a missile from Yemen aimed at the country.

According to the IDF, the missile was successfully neutralized in mid-air by the Israeli Air Force using the Arrow missile defense system. Authorities reported that no injuries occurred as a result of the attempted strike.

In response to the incident, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is set to gather the political-security cabinet in Yerushalayim on Motzoei Shabbos. The meeting will focus on ongoing discussions surrounding the proposed hostage agreement and the continued military campaign in Gaza.

Reacting to the missile threat, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee shared his thoughts on social media: “We thought we were done with missiles coming to Israel, but Houthis just lit one up over us in Israel. Fortunately, Israel’s incredible interception system means we go to the shelter & wait until all clear. Maybe those B2 bombers need to visit Yemen!”

{Matzav.com}

In honor of the upcoming July 4th holiday, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visited the Kosel on Tuesday morning alongside his wife, Janet Huckabee, for a time of reflection and prayer.

The visit began with a heartfelt prayer of thanks, recited together with Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, rov of the Kosel, and Mordechai (Suli) Eliav, director of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation. They gave thanks to God for the miracles bestowed upon the Jewish people and the State of Israel during Operation Rising Lion.

During their time at the site, a special prayer was offered for the continued success and welfare of President Donald Trump, as well as for peace and security in both Israel and the United States.

After the prayers concluded, the ambassador joined Rav Rabinowitz for a more personal conversation in the rov’s office. The rov used the opportunity to express appreciation for the ambassador’s unwavering backing—and that of President Trump—of Israel and the Jewish people, especially during recent events.

Rav Rabinowitz handed the ambassador a personal letter addressed to the President, expressing heartfelt thanks and admiration. He also extended an invitation for the ambassador to return soon for an official visit to the Kosel.

Concluding his time at the site, Ambassador Huckabee toured the archaeological excavations beneath the Kosel.

{Matzav.com}

Federal authorities have charged two Chinese nationals with operating as unregistered agents of Beijing in an alleged effort to spy on U.S. military facilities and recruit American military personnel on behalf of Chinese intelligence services. The complaint, unsealed Monday in federal court in San Francisco, outlines a range of covert activities carried out by the pair, including photographing a naval base, coordinating a cash dead-drop, and seeking to identify Navy recruits who might be willing to collaborate with Chinese intelligence. Attorney General Pam Bondi described the charges as further evidence of China’s “sustained and aggressive effort to infiltrate our military and undermine our national security from within.” Bondi vowed that the Justice Department would expose foreign operatives and hold them accountable. According to prosecutors, the defendants are Yuance Chen, 38, who arrived in the United States on a visa in 2015 and later obtained legal permanent residency, and Liren “Ryan” Lai, 39, who lives in China but traveled to Texas this spring to oversee the espionage scheme on behalf of China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS). The two were arrested on charges of acting as agents of a foreign government without registering with the Justice Department as required by law. It was not immediately known if they had obtained legal representation. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. An FBI affidavit filed with the case states that Lai had been cultivating Chen as an intelligence asset since at least mid-2021. Prosecutors allege that together they organized a dead-drop payment of $10,000 in cash to another operative, and carried out surveillance at a Navy recruiting station in California and a naval base in Washington state, including taking photographs and videos sent to Chinese intelligence. Investigators say Chen also obtained the names and hometowns of recent Navy recruits while touring a Navy installation. Many recruits listed China as their hometown, and the FBI believes that information was transmitted to Chinese authorities. The arrests are the latest in a string of prosecutions targeting Chinese intelligence activities on American soil. In recent years, U.S. officials have charged Chinese nationals in several espionage-related cases, including five students accused of surveilling a Michigan military site in 2022, and two Navy sailors charged last year with providing classified naval operations data to Chinese handlers. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

An Iran-linked hacking group that previously breached President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign is now threatening to release another trove of emails it claims to have stolen from Trump associates, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and longtime ally Roger Stone. The group, known by the pseudonym “Robert,” told Reuters in online conversations over the weekend that it had obtained approximately 100 gigabytes of emails connected to Wiles, Stone, and Trump lawyer Lindsey Halligan, among others. The hackers suggested they might sell the material but did not provide specifics about its contents. The announcement came on the same day that the Trump administration released a bulletin warning about the ongoing threat posed by Iranian cyber actors to U.S. companies and critical infrastructure. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) described the new threat as a “calculated smear campaign” in a statement posted on X. CISA spokesperson Marci McCarthy called the hackers a “hostile foreign adversary” that is seeking to “distract, discredit and divide” the American public by exploiting stolen and unverified material. “This so-called cyber ‘attack’ is nothing more than digital propaganda,” McCarthy said, adding that the attempt was “designed to damage President Trump and discredit honorable public servants.” She vowed that those behind the attacks “will be found and will be brought to justice.” The U.S. Justice Department previously indicted three Iranians last September for allegedly working with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to carry out the 2024 Trump campaign hack. Hackers claiming to be “Robert” told Reuters they had not planned further cyberattacks until tensions flared with Israel this year, culminating in a 12-day conflict with Iran. That conflict ended in a ceasefire brokered by Trump following U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. During the 2024 campaign, Iranian-linked hackers were considered a more aggressive threat than Russia, which had previously carried out a high-profile hacking and disinformation campaign during the 2016 presidential race. Microsoft identified several Iranian groups last year engaged in both cyberattacks and influence operations aimed at shaping the outcome of the 2024 U.S. election. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Zohran Mamdani has won New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary, a new vote count confirmed Tuesday, cementing his stunning upset of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and sending him to the general election. The Associated Press called the race after the results of the city’s ranked choice voting tabulation were released and showed Mamdani trouncing Cuomo by 12 percentage points. Mamdani said he was humbled by the support he received in the primary and has started turning his attention to November. “Last Tuesday, Democrats spoke in a clear voice, delivering a mandate for an affordable city, a politics of the future, and a leader unafraid to fight back against rising authoritarianism,” he said in a statement. Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist and member of the state Assembly since 2021, was virtually unknown when he launched his candidacy centered on a bold slate of populist ideas. But he built an energetic campaign that ran circles around Cuomo as the older, more moderate Democrat tried to come back from the sexual harassment scandal that led to his resignation four years ago. Mamdani’s win had been widely expected since he took a commanding lead and declared victory after the polls closed a week ago, but fell just short of the 50% of the vote needed to avoid another count under the ranked choice voting model. The system allows voters’ other preferences to be counted if their top candidate falls out of the running. He will now face a general election field that includes incumbent Mayor Eric Adams as well as independent candidate Jim Walden and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Cuomo conceded defeat on the night of the primary but is contemplating whether to run in the general election on an independent ballot line. After the release of Tuesday’s vote count, Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said: “We’ll be continuing conversations with people from all across the city while determining next steps.” “Extremism, division and empty promises are not the answer to this city’s problems, and while this was a look at what motivates a slice of our primary electorate, it does not represent the majority,” Azzopardi said. The results of the primary have already sent a shockwave through the political world. Mamdani’s campaign — focused on lowering the cost of living, promising free city buses, free child care, a rent freeze for people living in rent-stabilized apartments, government-run grocery stores and more, all paid for with taxes on the wealthy — claims it has found a new blueprint for Democrats who have at times appeared rudderless during President Donald Trump’s climb back to power. The Democratic establishment has approached Mamdani with caution. Many of its big players applauded his campaign but don’t seem ready to throw their full support behind the young progressive, whose past criticisms of law enforcement, use of the word “genocide” to describe the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza and “democratic socialist” label amount to landmines for some in the party. Born in Uganda to Indian parents, Mamdani came to the U.S. at age 7 and became a citizen in 2018. If elected, he would be the city’s first Muslim mayor and its first of Indian American decent. He would also be one of its youngest. Cuomo’s campaign centered on his extensive experience, casting himself as the only candidate capable of saving a […]

President Donald Trump offered strong words of support for New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ bid for re-election on Tuesday, while delivering a sharp warning to Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic socialist leading the mayoral race. Trump threatened potential legal consequences for Mamdani should he interfere with federal immigration enforcement.

Speaking from the “Alligator Alcatraz” migrant holding facility in Florida, Trump had high praise for Adams, calling him “a very good person” and suggesting that he had intervened to help the mayor through his legal troubles.

“I helped him out a little bit,” Trump said, referencing the Justice Department’s decision to drop Adams’ corruption case. “He had a problem, and he was unfairly hurt over this question. That was a Biden indictment. I said, ‘Don’t feel bad. I got indicted five times.’”

Adams had been charged with bribery and corruption in what he and Trump both claimed was retaliation for publicly criticizing President Joe Biden’s handling of the border crisis.

The investigation that resulted in Adams’ indictment was already underway before his public comments, but Trump stood by the notion that the charges were politically motivated.

Turning his attention to Mamdani, Trump intensified his attacks, warning the left-wing candidate that he could face criminal consequences if he attempts to interfere with federal immigration operations.

“We’ll have to arrest” Mamdani if that happens, Trump said.

Trump also addressed the broader mayoral contest, suggesting he was leaning toward supporting Adams, who is running as an independent, despite being a registered Democrat.

“You would think that a Republican would be able to win, or you have a good independent running for mayor,” Trump said.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump has unveiled a new line of self-branded fragrances, promoted Monday as a luxury collector’s item with a bottle topped by a gold statue of Trump himself. “Trump Fragrances are here,” Trump announced on Truth Social, introducing the line under the name Victory 45-47 and describing it as celebrating “Winning, Strength, and Success.” He encouraged supporters to buy the product for themselves and their loved ones, adding, “Enjoy, have fun, and keep winning!” The limited-edition fragrance collection is priced at $249 per 100ml bottle and includes separate versions for men and women. The men’s cologne is advertised as offering “rich, masculine notes with a refined, lasting finish,” aimed at men “who lead with strength, confidence, and purpose.” The women’s scent is described as a “sophisticated, subtly feminine fragrance” designed to capture “confidence, beauty, and unstoppable determination.” The new product follows previous Trump-branded merchandise including Trump Sneakers and Trump Bibles, all sold by 45Footwear LLC, the same licensing company behind the fragrance. The company also markets a separate “FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT” fragrance with Trump’s signature etched on the bottle, as well as other novelty colognes inspired by the former president. Trump first teased the new fragrance line in December 2024, adding to earlier perfume and cologne products under his name. A disclaimer on the sales website clarifies that “Trump Fragrances are not designed, manufactured, distributed or sold by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization or any of their respective affiliates or principals.” It notes that 45Footwear LLC uses Trump’s name, image, and likeness under a license agreement, and states that the online store is “not political and has nothing to do with any political campaign.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The IDF has identified missile launched from Yemen toward Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat.

Agudath Israel of America celebrates the Senate’s inclusion of a permanent and unlimited scholarship tax credit.

Earlier today, the United States Senate voted to include a permanent scholarship tax credit in the budget reconciliation bill. The groundbreaking federal school choice proposal survived two attempts to eliminate it and had to be revised in order to comply with the ruling of the Senate parliamentarian.

“On Friday, news reports proclaimed that the school choice provision in the reconciliation bill was dead,” said Rabbi A.D. Motzen, Agudath Israel of America’s National Director of Government Affairs. “Thanks to Senator Ted Cruz and Senate champions, the report of its demise was greatly exaggerated. The Senate saved school choice for American families.”

The bill provides a dollar-for-dollar tax credit to donors who contribute to a nonprofit scholarship granting organization (SGO). The SGOs then take the pooled funds and distribute scholarships to eligible students for qualified educational expenses. The beneficiaries can include most families as the income threshold is above $300,000 in many areas (see chart).

The revised version allows every taxpayer to receive a credit of up to $1700 and removed the annual cap on donations among other changes. Agudah expects that this will help generate hundreds of millions of dollars in K-12 scholarships for those wishing to attend Jewish schools.

The revised bill must now pass the House before being sent to the President for his signature.

A letter from Agudath Israel’s Rabbi AD Motzen:

Dear Friends,

Earlier today, the United States Senate voted to include a permanent and unlimited scholarship tax credit in the budget reconciliation bill.

The groundbreaking school choice proposal survived two attempts to eliminate it and was forced to be revised, but the bottom line for you, it’s still in!

If passed, we expect this credit to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in K-12 scholarships for our communities alone!

What happened?

On Friday morning, we woke up to the news that the Senate removed the school choice provisions from the Big, Beautiful Bill. Not because the Republican Senate majority wanted to, but because the parliamentarian, a Senate staffer, ruled that it would be deemed “out of order” and not eligible to be included.

Reconciliation budget bills have unique rules about what is and what isn’t allowed to be included. The minority party traditionally challenges many of the provisions of a reconciliation bill and the parliamentarian is tasked with ruling on those challenges. The majority party then either listens to her, tries to convince her to change her mind, or rewrites the affected section. Overruling the parliamentarian is extremely rare. In this case, thanks to a joint effort of Agudah, its coalition partners, and most importantly, Senator Ted Cruz and other Senate champions, a solution was found. Senator Cruz refused to back down and ultimately rewrote sections of the bill to satisfy her concerns.

What’s in the bill?

The bill provides a dollar-for-dollar tax credit to donors who contribute to a nonprofit scholarship granting organization (SGO). The SGOs then take the pooled funds and distribute scholarships to eligible students for qualified educational expenses. The beneficiaries can include most families as the income threshold is above $300,000 in many areas (see chart).

The revised version allows every taxpayer to receive a credit of up to $1700 and removed the annual cap on donations among other changes. This means that if every person and every community comes together to contribute towards the chinuch of the next generation, we can raise hundreds of millions of dollars in tuition scholarship funds each year at no cost to the donors.

Agudah will host a webinar on tonight at 8:30 pm EDT to explain the current bill in more detail, what changed, and next steps. Register here.

What’s next?

The bill now moves back to the House for a vote before it can be sent to the President for his signature. The tax credit would take effect January 2027.

Thank you for your advocacy and support

Sincerely,

AD Motzen

National Director of Government Affairs

Agudath Israel of America

{Matzav.com}

Senate Republicans narrowly pushed through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on Tuesday after a marathon session that lasted 27 hours, clearing the way for the legislation to head to the House for a final vote.

With the vote split down the middle at 50-50, Vice President JD Vance cast the decisive vote, allowing the bill to move forward. This puts the Republican-led Congress on pace to get the legislation to President Trump before the July 4th deadline, assuming the House remains united behind it.

Republican Senators Susan Collins, Rand Paul, and Thom Tillis broke ranks and sided with all 47 Democrats to oppose the measure.

The comprehensive package, which spans nearly 900 pages, maintains the bulk of Trump’s tax reforms from 2017, introduces tax breaks for tips and overtime income, ramps up funding for defense, border control, and energy initiatives, and trims entitlement programs.

The legislation faced hurdles throughout its journey in Congress, with critics from within the Republican ranks expressing dissatisfaction over various elements of the bill.

After prolonged debate, the Senate altered the bill that had passed the House, adding deeper cuts to Medicaid, expanding corporate tax breaks, increasing the debt limit by $5 trillion, and removing federal restrictions on states that want to legislate artificial intelligence.

Some GOP senators, including Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, initially voiced serious concerns over the bill’s projected effect on federal deficits, threatening to hold up its approval.

To win over Johnson, Republican leadership added steeper Medicaid reductions than those included in the House-passed version.

“I’m convinced they’re committed to returning to reasonable pre-pandemic spending, and I’ll be highly involved in a process to achieve and maintain it,” Johnson told “Fox & Friends” Monday morning.

At the same time, Republican leaders needed to address resistance from centrist lawmakers who were alarmed by the potential impact of the Medicaid and SNAP (food stamps) changes.

“We can’t be cutting health care for working people and for poor people in order to constantly give special tax treatment to corporations and other entities,” Sen. Josh Hawley told NBC News last week.

Despite his concerns, Hawley ultimately supported the legislation, giving GOP leaders the numbers they needed to push it through.

One major sticking point had been the proposed 10-year freeze on state-level AI regulation, which was included in the House version of the bill.

That clause met fierce pushback from Sen. Marsha Blackburn and representatives like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who discovered the provision only after the bill cleared the House.

Following failed attempts at a compromise, senators decided to remove the AI-related language entirely from the final version.

Meanwhile, House Republicans from high-tax states continued to raise alarms over the existing $10,000 cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions.

To address those concerns, the Senate raised the SALT cap to $40,000 for most individuals earning under $500,000 annually. However, this higher limit will gradually expire over five years.

Still, House conservatives remained dissatisfied, with the House Freedom Caucus denouncing the changes as “not what we agreed to.” Rep. Keith Self criticized the updated version as “fiscally criminal.”

Senators also amended the original bill to make key tax breaks for businesses permanent, rather than allowing them to expire after five years.

According to projections from the Congressional Budget Office, the Senate’s version of the bill would add roughly $3.3 trillion to the deficit over 10 years. When interest payments on that debt are included, the number is expected to rise to around $3.9 trillion.

The White House has attempted to calm deficit hawks by pledging that additional spending cuts will be addressed during the fall budget process and insisting that revenue from tariffs and economic growth will help bring the deficit down.

Republican leadership is eager to avoid the mistakes of the past, with House Speaker Mike Johnson noting that delays in passing Trump’s 2017 tax legislation cost Republicans during the 2018 midterms.

Moreover, the bill serves as the primary vehicle for increasing the national borrowing limit, which would otherwise be breached in late summer or early fall.

The Senate-approved plan raises the debt ceiling by $5 trillion, an increase from the $4 trillion cap included in the House version.

GOP lawmakers utilized the reconciliation process in the Senate to pass the measure with a simple majority, limiting what they could include but allowing them to sidestep a filibuster.

If the House makes any changes to the Senate bill, both chambers will need to convene a conference committee to hammer out a unified version of the legislation, which would then have to be approved once more by both the House and Senate.

{Matzav.com}

Casting mailed ballots remained popular among voters in last year’s presidential election, even as President Donald Trump has tried to undercut the process through a wide-ranging executive order. A report released Monday by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission also found a surge in early in-person voting and robust use of ballot drop boxes, which have been a target of conspiracy theorists since the 2020 election. The findings, based on data collected at the local level and submitted by states, illustrate the sustained popularity of alternate voting methods even as they have come under attack in recent years from Republicans. “Notwithstanding the rhetoric from some, our election process continues to reflect the expectations voters have about where, when and how to vote,” said David Levine, a former county election official in Idaho who is now a senior fellow at the University of Maryland’s Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement. “Once voters try voting before Election Day, they often continue to do so for future elections.” Overall, more than 158 million ballots were counted for the November 2024 presidential election, according to the report. Turnout was 3 percentage points lower than in 2020 but nearly 4 percentage points higher than during the 2016 presidential election. Mail voting is popular despite rhetoric Roughly 30% of voters last fall used a mail ballot, a decline from the 43% who did so during the pandemic election in 2020 but higher than pre-pandemic elections, when mail ballots typically accounted for about 25% of votes cast. The report noted that four states – Democratic-leaning Washington and Republican-leaning Indiana, South Dakota and Utah — saw higher percentages of mail voting in 2024 than four years earlier. Trump has long complained, without providing evidence, that mail voting opens a pathway to fraud. The election executive order he signed in March, which is facing several lawsuits, targets mail voting by saying all ballots must be received by Election Day. Currently, 18 states and Puerto Rico accept mailed ballots received after Election Day as long they are postmarked on or before that date. Oregon and Washington, where elections are conducted almost entirely by mail, filed their own lawsuit against the order fearing that tens of thousands of their voters could be disenfranchised if it is allowed to stand. During a news conference announcing the lawsuit, Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said more than 300,000 ballots in his state arrived after Election Day in 2024. Popularity of early in-person voting surges The report found the 2024 presidential election saw a drop in Election Day voting and a corresponding increase in early, in-person voting. Election Day voting declined from 49% in 2022 to roughly 37% in 2024, when 35% took advantage of voting early. Republican-dominated South Carolina and Democratic-leaning Delaware had the largest increases in early, in-person voting compared to four years ago. Republicans last year mounted a campaign to reverse years of conservative criticism of early voting methods and persuade their voters to cast ballots before Election Day, a strategy that helped Trump win a second term. Ballot drop boxes used heavily where they are allowed Since Trump’s loss in 2020, conservative activists and conspiracy theorists have zeroed in on ballot drop boxes as a potential source of fraud despite no evidence of that occurring in that year’s elections. Some Republican-led states have since blocked their use or reduced their availability. But they remain popular in other parts of the country. The report found drop boxes were in […]

Esther Drillick is Recognized by the AICPA and NASBA with Prestigious Elijah Watt Sells Award The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) announced this year’s winners of the Elijah Watt Sells Award and Touro alum Esther Drillick (Lander College of Arts & Sciences 2024) was among the 11 outstanding performers who received this honor. The Elijah Watts Sells Award is granted to CPA candidates who obtain a cumulative average score above 95.50 across four sections of the Uniform CPA Examination. The 11 extraordinary individuals who met the criteria for the award were selected from 74,000 test takers who sat for the CPA Exam in 2024. “The Elijah Watt Sells Award represents one of the highest honors in the CPA profession, and this year’s recipients are not only technically exceptional, they are also poised to shape the future of the profession. As the accounting landscape evolves, their leadership, integrity, and drive for excellence will play a vital role in upholding public trust and guiding businesses through complexity and change,” said Susan Coffey, CPA, CGMA, CEO of public accounting at the AICPA. A Love of Logic Propels An Accounting Career Esther Drillick earned her Bachelor of Science in accounting at Touro University’s Lander College of Arts & Sciences and is currently employed as a fiscal officer with YVY ECC in Brooklyn. Drillick, a graduate of Bais Yaakov D’Rav Meir and Mesores Rochel Seminary in Israel, chose accounting because she loves logic and math. She chose Touro because she wanted a school with “a great academic reputation and a Jewish environment.” Drillick’s father is a hedge fund manager, one grandfather is a CPA and the other held a PhD in mathematics and so coming from a numbers-driven family, it was no surprise that she took to the field right away. She appreciated the rigorous accounting program at Touro that ultimately prepared her for the CPA exam. She was amazed as she began studying for the CPA– a process that took her a full year—that there was very little new material on the test. “It was mostly a review of what I had learned at Touro,” says Drillick. She took three months to study for each part of the exam and when she saw how well she did on the first part, she thought about trying for the award but at first, didn’t think she wanted the pressure. After taking the second part of the exam and scoring quite well, she thought “maybe I should go for it! I decided then to challenge myself to achieve this goal. At that point, I just had this feeling I could do it,” shares Drillick. “I had a lot of support as my whole family was rooting for me.” One of the professors who used simulated CPA exams in his homework and classwork and truly prepared students for the high-stakes test was an Elijah Watts Sells Award winner himself. Professor Shulem Rosenbaum, now a partner at Roth & Co, was one of Touro’s previous winners of this prestigious national award over a decade ago. According to Drillick, “Professor Rosenbaum and all of my accounting professors really cared about the success of their students. Not just in terms of learning the material, but also in terms of networking and finding […]

Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist known for his anti-Israel rhetoric, has emerged as the winner of the New York City Democratic mayoral primary, the Associated Press reported. His campaign’s momentum and widespread appeal pushed him to a decisive victory.

The announcement came Tuesday afternoon, following the release of the ranked-choice voting results by the city’s Board of Elections. The updated count confirmed Mamdani’s clear lead in the race.

With the final tally showing Mamdani securing 56 percent of the vote, he outpaced former Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, who ended up with 44 percent. The election board is scheduled to formally certify the results in the middle of July.

Currently serving as an assemblyman representing Queens, Mamdani, 33, will now prepare for the November general election. His opponents will include Eric Adams, the current mayor who bypassed the Democratic primary and is running as an independent; Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate and founder of the Guardian Angels; and Jim Walden, an independent candidate and attorney.

Although Cuomo is also listed on the ballot as an independent, he has yet to announce whether he will remain in the race through the fall. All three independent candidates are registered Democrats, but Mamdani is expected to have the upper hand given the city’s overwhelming Democratic majority.

Mamdani’s success stemmed from his ability to galvanize a fresh wave of voters, boosted by a vibrant campaign fueled by his dynamic personality, skillful use of social media, and a remarkably large and dedicated volunteer force—something rarely seen in recent city elections.

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Senate Republicans hauled President Donald Trump’s big tax breaks and spending cuts bill to passage Tuesday on the narrowest of margins, pushing past opposition from Democrats and their own GOP ranks after a turbulent overnight session. The outcome capped an unusually tense weekend of work at the Capitol, the president’s signature legislative priority teetering on the edge of approval or collapse. In the end that tally was 50-50, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. Three Republican senators — Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky — joined all Democrats in voting against it. “The big not so beautiful bill has passed,” Paul said after the vote. The difficulty it took for Republicans, who have the majority hold in Congress, to wrestle the bill to this point is not expected to let up. The package now goes back to the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson had warned senators not to deviate too far from what his chamber had already approved. But the Senate did make changes, particularly to Medicaid, risking more problems as they race to finish by Trump’s Fourth of July deadline. The outcome is a pivotal moment for president and his party, which have been consumed by the 940-page “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” as it’s formally titled, and invested their political capital in delivering on the GOP’s sweep of power in Washington. Trump acknowledged it’s “very complicated stuff,” as he departed the White House for Florida. “I don’t want to go too crazy with cuts,” he said. “I don’t like cuts.” What started as a routine but laborious day of amendment voting, in a process called vote-a-rama, spiraled into a round-the-clock slog as Republican leaders were buying time to shore up support. The droning roll calls in the chamber belied the frenzied action to steady the bill. Grim-faced scenes played out on and off the Senate floor, amid exhaustion. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota was desperately reaching for last-minute agreements between those in his party worried the bill’s reductions to Medicaid will leave millions without care, and his most conservative flank, which wants even steeper cuts to hold down deficits ballooning with the tax cuts. The GOP leaders have no room to spare, with narrow majorities. Thune could lose no more than three Republican senators, and two — Tillis, who warned that millions of people will lose access to Medicaid health care, and Paul, who opposes raising the debt limit by $5 trillion — had already indicated opposition. Attention quickly turned to two other key senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Collins, who also raised concerns about health care cuts, as well as a loose coalition of four conservative GOP senators pushing for even steeper reductions. Murkowski in particular became the subject of the GOP leadership’s attention, as they sat beside her for talks. She was huddled intensely for more than an hour in the back of the chamber with others, scribbling notes on papers. Then all eyes were on Paul after he returned from a visit to Thune’s office with a stunning offer that could win his vote. He had suggested substantially lowering the bill’s increase in the debt ceiling, according to two people familiar with the private meeting and granted anonymity to discuss […]

An Israeli hostage died after suffering a heart attack under torture while being interrogated by Hamas, his brother told lawmakers Monday, describing details shared with the family by intelligence officials a day earlier. Dani Elgarat, speaking during a heated meeting of the Knesset House Committee, said his brother, 68-year-old Itzik Elgarat, was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz during Hamas’s October 7 attack. Elgarat said Hamas suspected Itzik was a pilot because he had an eagle tattoo on his arm. “They took him for interrogation and he never came back,” Dani Elgarat told the committee. According to the family, Itzik Elgarat was shot through the door of his safe room and wounded before being captured. He was initially held with Edan Alexander, a U.S.-Israeli IDF soldier who was later freed in a goodwill gesture to President Donald Trump. Alexander reportedly asked where Itzik was after he was taken away, and guards replied, “He has gone.” “Itzik died, was murdered, he suffered a heart attack during interrogation under torture,” Dani Elgarat told the committee, without elaborating further. Hamas returned Itzik’s body to Israel in February as part of a ceasefire deal that included the release of both living and deceased hostages. He was buried near his home in Nir Oz. At the funeral, Dani Elgarat accused Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of having “dug his grave” due to government policies toward Hamas. During Monday’s Knesset hearing, security guards removed Dani Elgarat after he loudly accused Netanyahu of having funded Hamas, referencing the transfer of Qatari cash to Gaza before the October 7 attack as part of an arrangement to maintain a fragile ceasefire. Tensions were already running high at the committee meeting. Hadash-Ta’al MK Ofer Cassif was twice ejected after clashing with bereaved father Itzik Bonzel, who lost his son in Gaza, during a debate over a move to impeach Hadash-Ta’al chairman Ayman Odeh for remarks equating Israeli hostages with Palestinian security prisoners. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Agudath Israel of America celebrates the Senate’s inclusion of a permanent and unlimited scholarship tax credit. Earlier today, the United States Senate voted to include a permanent scholarship tax credit in the budget reconciliation bill. The groundbreaking federal school choice proposal survived two attempts to eliminate it and had to be revised in order to comply with the ruling of the Senate parliamentarian. “On Friday, news reports proclaimed that the school choice provision in the reconciliation bill was dead,” said Rabbi A.D. Motzen, Agudath Israel of America’s National Director of Government Affairs. “Thanks to Senator Ted Cruz and Senate champions, the report of its demise was greatly exaggerated. The Senate saved school choice for American families.” The bill provides a dollar-for-dollar tax credit to donors who contribute to a nonprofit scholarship granting organization (SGO). The SGOs then take the pooled funds and distribute scholarships to eligible students for qualified educational expenses. The beneficiaries can include most families as the income threshold is above $300,000 in many areas (see chart). The revised version allows every taxpayer to receive a credit of up to $1700 and removed the annual cap on donations among other changes. Agudah expects that this will help generate hundreds of millions of dollars in K-12 scholarships for those wishing to attend Jewish schools. The revised bill must now pass the House before being sent to the President for his signature