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New reports suggest that the U.S.-Saudi discussions on a civil nuclear deal have been halted as Washington focuses on nuclear talks with Tehran.

New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Rep. Josh Gottheimer calls for boosted funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which provides security grants to Jewish shuls and other institutions.

Speaker Mike Johnson on recent antisemitic attacks: “It isn’t about Palestine, it isn’t about Gaza, it isn’t about any particular conflict. It’s because these people want a complete and total extermination of the Jewish people.”

A 73-year-old man from California is facing federal charges after allegedly making repeated threats on social media to assassinate President Trump, including a chilling post where he said he wanted to “blow [Trump’s] brains out,” according to the Department of Justice.

Federal agents arrested Thomas Eugene Streavel on Monday following an investigation that uncovered several online threats he allegedly made. According to a DOJ statement, Streavel “knowingly and willfully threatened to kill and inflict bodily harm on Donald Trump, who then was the President-elect of the United States.”

On November 6, one day after Trump declared victory in the 2024 election, Streavel took to Facebook and wrote that Trump “is a dead man walking for the time being until a patriot like myself blows his [expletive] brains out in the very near future,” according to the DOJ’s statement.

Just under a week later, on November 12, Streavel—who resides in Yucca Valley, located in San Bernardino County—allegedly made another post: he was “willing to make America great again and blow his [expletive] brains out.”

In a subsequent post dated November 19, he escalated the threats further, writing, “Let me put a bullet right between the ears of your president-elect,” adding that this had become his “purpose for living.”

Then on November 28, Streavel reportedly made another alarming statement in which he expressed a wish for Trump’s murder: he was “praying for a successful assassination of your president elect.”

That same day, he allegedly wrote: “My life’s mission is killing the worthless LOSER [expletive] and my mission starts tonight so watch yourself trump, you are a dead [expletive] and I am your assassin,” as detailed by the DOJ.

A federal grand jury has indicted Streavel on three counts for making threats against the president-elect. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to five years in prison for each count.

During his court appearance on Tuesday, Streavel entered a plea of not guilty. He was released on a $10,000 bond. His trial is scheduled to begin on July 28.

“The type of rhetoric and threats made by this defendant are similar to those that led to an attempt on the President’s life last year,” said United States Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli.

“There is no place for political violence or threats of violence in the United States,” he added.

{Matzav.com}

Biden-era White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is coming out with a book in which she announces she is leaving the Democratic Party, having become “disillusioned” with their politics.

A hungry elephant caused havoc in a grocery store in Thailand, when he strolled in from a nearby park and helped himself to the produce on the shelves on Monday.

Agudah activist and Assemblyman Avi Schnall provides an update on efforts to secure a historic national tax credit program for Jewish and other private schools.

Sec. Duffy on re-opening Newark’s runway ahead of schedule: “The Port Authority worked 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to get it online faster than we anticipated… It’s amazing when everyone cares and engages together and business CEOs help us out how fast things can get done.”

A New York man with ties to Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades is at the center of a shocking federal indictment that paints a picture of violent antisemitism, terrorist sympathies, and repeated assaults during anti-Israel protests in Manhattan — including on the campus of Columbia University. Tarek Bazrouk, 20, currently in federal custody, is accused of unleashing a string of hate-fueled attacks on Jewish individuals while maintaining active support for Hamas and Hezbollah through encrypted chat groups and social media propaganda. He now faces three federal hate crime charges that could carry a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. According to federal court filings, Bazrouk was a member of a private chat group that received real-time updates from Abu Obeida, the official spokesman of Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades. Bazrouk’s cellphone was reportedly “littered” with extremist content praising terrorists and included imagery of Yahya Sinwar, mastermind of the Oct. 7 massacre, as well as Hamas and Hezbollah propaganda. Despite having no ties to Columbia University, Bazrouk was a regular presence on campus during the spring 2024 Gaza war protests. Prosecutors say he wore the green headband associated with Hamas and sent messages boasting about lighting flares and expressing a desire to set a Jewish student on fire. “Too many people around,” he wrote, “otherwise I would’ve hurted them.” Federal agents allege Bazrouk’s violent tendencies weren’t just talk. On April 15, 2024 — the same month Columbia students seized a campus building in a widely condemned protest — Bazrouk allegedly assaulted three Jewish individuals near the New York Stock Exchange. One of the victims, a college student carrying an Israeli flag, was kicked in the stomach while Bazrouk was being restrained by police. Later, in a message to a friend, Bazrouk wrote that if he “ever see(s) a Jew,” he’s going to “boom boom them.” In December, prosecutors say Bazrouk sucker-punched Jewish Columbia student Jonathan Lederer in the face after stealing his brother’s Israeli flag. In January, he allegedly assaulted another pro-Israel demonstrator near Union Square, this time with a closed-fist punch while masked in a keffiyeh. During a raid on his family’s Manhattan home following his arrest, federal agents uncovered a disturbing arsenal: a replica firearm, spent shell casings, a switchblade, brass knuckles, four knives, and $750,000 in cash stored in a safe. Authorities say the funds may be connected to a Hartford, Connecticut smoke shop where Bazrouk was previously arrested for “operating a drug factory” and drug possession with intent to sell. Federal prosecutors have urged the court to deny bail, calling Bazrouk a clear danger to the community. In their filings, they cite his support for terror organizations, history of violent threats — including against a Jewish child at a local school — and access to weapons. They also point to his September–October 2024 trip to the West Bank and Jordan, questioning the true purpose of his overseas travel. Columbia University has sought to distance itself from Bazrouk, stating he “is not affiliated with our university in any way” and reaffirming its condemnation of antisemitism. But critics say the campus environment — where masked agitators and antisemitic slogans were allowed to fester for months — became fertile ground for hate. In Gaza, Hamas itself has bragged about the influence of its sympathizers on U.S. college campuses. Hostage Shlomi Ziv, recently freed […]

Early Voting Open Now Through June 8 | Primary Election Day: Tuesday, June 10 Poll Hours: Early Voting Now –Friday, 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM | Sunday, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Primary Day (Tuesday, June 10): 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM Find your polling location: vote4njgov.com The Crisis Facing Our Community For thousands of families across New Jersey, the cost of yeshiva tuition is no longer just a burden. It is a full-blown crisis. With annual tuition ranging from $10,000 to $20,000 per child, and often higher, families are being pushed to their financial limits. Many are going into debt just to keep their children in school. The system is broken, and year after year, nothing changes. Jack Ciattarelli: The Only Candidate With a Real Plan Jack Ciattarelli, the leading Republican candidate for Governor, recently endorsed by President Trump, is the only one who has made tuition relief a central issue in his campaign. “For many parents, tuition isn’t just expensive. It’s crushing,” Ciattarelli said. “I’ve heard it again and again in Lakewood, Toms River, Passaic, and Teaneck. Families are doing everything right and still falling deeper into debt. We need bold action, not more delays.” Ciattarelli has committed to implementing real solutions, modeled on what’s already working in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania so that New Jersey families can finally get the relief they deserve. Find your polling location: vote4njgov.com More Than Just Tuition Ciattarelli’s plan extends well beyond education: Fixing Route 9 and Upgrading Infrastructure in growing communities Cutting Taxes and Red Tape to help small businesses thrive Fighting Antisemitism with real protections for Jewish students and neighborhoods Voting Information: How and Where The Republican Primary is open to both Republicans and Independents. Early Voting is happening now through June 8 Wednesday–Friday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM Sunday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PMYou can vote at any early voting site in your county. Primary Day is Tuesday, June 10 Polls are open from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PMVote at your assigned local polling location. Find your early voting site or Primary Day polling place: vote4njgov.com Your Vote Matters—Now More Than Ever “If our community shows up in full force, we will decide the outcome,” said a senior campaign advisor. “But if we stay home, we leave our future in the hands of people who do not share our values.” This election isn’t about politics. It’s about our children, our schools, and our future! Find your early voting site or Primary Day polling place:vote4njgov.com

Chareidi recruitment talks have reached a deadlock, the Chareidi MKs are taking action to dissolve the Knesset, and the coalition places the blame on Yuli Edelstein, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. According to a senior source involved in the negotiations, Edelstein demanded a blanket denial of yeshiva budgets, even if only 94% of the target is achieved. “He pushed for a draconian version that does not exist against any other sector in the country,” the source said, adding that the demands “violate basic civil rights of the Chareidi public—even if they fulfill their part.” Among the sanctions Edelstein demanded were the following for yeshivah bochurim and avreichim up to the age of 29. Currently, the exemption age is 26, but Edelstein wants to raise it to age 29. “Except for denying the right to vote—he included everything,” the source said. The complete list, as reported by Kikar H’Shabbat: Denial of property tax discounts Denial of tax credit points for working women Denial of housing discounts Denial of discounts on public transportation Denial of tax exemption on purchase of first apartment Revocation of academic studies subsidies Revocation of drivers’ licenses Ban on leaving the country Denial of daycare subsidies Risk of permanent arrest A senior Chareidi source exposed to the list of sanctions told Kikar HaShabbat, “According to what Edelstein and his team want, it turns out that a Bedouin in the Negev will have far more rights than a Jew who learns Torah and sustains the world. This will not happen.” Edelstein wants the sanctions to be imposed against all lomdei Torah, even if they meet the targets. A senior source in Degel HaTorah told Kikar, “This morning he started issuing different briefings, but in a meeting last night he told us that every ben yeshivah up to the age of 29 will be subject to the sanctions, even if they meet the unrealistic targets he set.” As part of the negotiations, a mechanism was proposed in which if 90% of the quota was met, the yeshiva budgets would be reduced by 20%; if 80%, a reduction of 40%, and so on. However, Edelstein insisted: if 95% is not achieved, the entire budget should be denied. “This is an all-or-nothing approach,” the source explained. “94% means the recruitment of about 10,000 Chareidim within two years—an unprecedented achievement. And yet, Edelstein demanded full punishment. There is no incentive to meet the targets if even success is considered a failure.” The source concluded with a sense of disappointment: “The Chareidim have internalized the need for change. But extreme demands, which are disconnected from reality, push even the moderate ones into a corner. If we did not succeed in passing the law during a time of existential war, we probably never will.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Tensions are peaking in the Israeli political arena as the chareidi parties gear up for one of the most dramatic moves in recent memory—their potential withdrawal from the government coalition. While some blame MK Yuli Edelstein for blindsiding them with unexpected sanctions targeting the olam haTorah, others are directing their anger at Prime Minister Netanyahu himself.

Late Tuesday night, Matzav.com revealed that Rav Dov Landau was initially hesitant to topple the government over the conscription bill. However, just hours later, a formal statement from his home indicated a complete turnaround: the decision had been made to dissolve the government. This marked a stunning development.

As reported previously, a critical meeting was held between MK Yuli Edelstein, chairman of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and senior chareidi officials involved in the drafting of the new conscription legislation.

At the start of that meeting, held early in the evening, there was cautious optimism that common ground could be found. Based on this hope, Rav Landau urged patience and decided to wait for the outcome before determining whether to proceed with efforts to bring down the government.

Following the meeting, chareidi representatives briefed Rav Landau’s aides. Throughout the night, urgent consultations took place in the rosh yeshiva’s home. Initially, statements attributed to the rosh yeshiva appeared in the Israeli Yated suggesting a more conciliatory tone: “In these days, the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu is being tested—whether he will fulfill his promises to protect the status of Torah scholars.” But things quickly shifted again.

In the early hours of the morning, as the rest of the country slept, a turning point occurred. Despite a statement from Edelstein’s office declaring the meeting had ended on a positive note, Rav Landau was updated at 5:30 a.m. by his grandson, who explained that no agreement had been reached on the draft bill.

After a brief reflection, Rav Landau instructed his grandson: “Call Rabbi Gafni and tell him in my name—we must dissolve the Knesset and advance legislation to schedule elections immediately. We cannot allow harm to befall our soul’s essence: the bnei yeshiva. They must continue learning Torah without disruption.” The grandson relayed the message promptly.

While these were the technical steps leading to the decision, we have also learned of intense frustration within the chareidi political leadership. Their anger is directed not only at Edelstein but also at Netanyahu, whom they accuse of long-standing deception.

A senior Degel HaTorah figure shared: “The public doesn’t realize how insane this situation is. We’ve been negotiating with Edelstein for over a year regarding the draft law. We agreed to nearly all of his bizarre demands, and then at the last second, he betrays us in an utterly unacceptable way.”

He continued: “Edelstein has clearly made a deal with Bennett. Our assessments show he plans to run on a joint list with him. He’s now leveraging anti-chareidi sentiment to generate headlines. Just today, the same protest groups that demonstrated against him are now planning rallies in his support—because they see he’s the one who can bring down Netanyahu. They’ll elevate him like they tried to do with Galant. Next thing you know, he’ll be Bennett’s number two.”

A senior official in Agudas Yisrael echoed these sentiments: “The real problem is Netanyahu. He always appoints the wrong people to the most sensitive roles. Edelstein, a senior Likud member, was denied a ministerial position due to his strained relationship with Netanyahu and was instead placed at the head of the committee.”

“That appointment gave him the perfect platform to get back at Netanyahu—and now the chareidi public is caught in the crossfire. Edelstein is exactly like [President] Rivlin. He knows he has no future in Likud due to tensions with Netanyahu, so he’s looking for an exit strategy. If not with Bennett, then perhaps he’ll try to become president—with opposition and media support—just to spite Netanyahu.”

Many are now asking: if a government tailored to chareidi interests couldn’t deliver, what good will elections do? Won’t the chareidim lose more than they gain?

A source close to one of the gedolim explained: “The question is backward. What do we have now with Netanyahu? The bizarre sanctions Edelstein proposed won’t survive a High Court challenge. They’re not only discriminatory against Arabs—they’re plainly illegal. Edelstein even said in the meeting he plans to revoke rights even for those who meet the draft quotas!”

“That’s why the premise of the question is wrong,” the source continued. “We want to return to where we were a decade ago—when we held the balance of power. Netanyahu lied to us again and again, and we followed blindly out of loyalty to the right-wing bloc. Now, the fact that we’re willing to go to elections against Netanyahu is a powerful message. It should light a fire under the opposition that we’re open to joining a government led by them.”

He added: “Netanyahu is barely present. He’s consumed by his court hearings and takes the chareidi support for granted. Now he’s realizing this crisis is real—and we won’t just roll over. If he wants us to stay, he better offer a real and fair solution.”

According to insiders from multiple chareidi parties, disentangling from Netanyahu could also improve their legal standing. “If we’re no longer beholden to Netanyahu,” the source explained, “it could make a difference in how the next government and the High Court view the situation. The idea of inflicting harsh sanctions on the olam haTorah is absurd. Secular draft-dodgers still receive all benefits, yet someone who devotes his life to Torah is treated worse than Bedouins or Eritreans—who, by the way, receive far more government assistance.”

Despite the fiery declarations, the chareidi parties are not yet pulling the plug. A key meeting is scheduled tonight between Netanyahu and Edelstein, after which the path forward may become clearer.

As for the timing of potential elections, the chareidi parties are strongly opposed to holding them during Elul—just three and a half months from now—as it would disrupt Elul zeman in the yeshivos. Their preference is for elections to be held around Chanukah time instead.

Whether Netanyahu—often dubbed “the magician”—can reverse course and salvage the coalition remains to be seen.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Vietnam has abolished its long-standing two-child limit on Tuesday to try and reverse declining birth rates and ease the pressures of an aging population. The National Assembly passed amendments scrapping rules that limit families to having one or two children, state media Vietnam News Agency reported on Wednesday. Vietnamese families are having fewer children than ever before. The birth rate in 2021 was 2.11 children per woman, just over the replacement rate required for a population to avoid shrinking over the long term. Since then, the birth rate has steadily declined: to 2.01 in 2022, 1.96 in 2023 and 1.91 in 2024. Vietnam isn’t the only Asian country with low fertility. But, unlike Japan, South Korea or Singapore, it is still a developing economy. Nguyen Thu Linh, 37, a marketing manager in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi, said that she and her husband decided to have only one child because she and her husband wanted to ensure that they could give their 6-year-old son the best education and upbringing that they could afford. “Sometimes, I think about having another child so my son can have a sibling, but there’s so much financial and time pressure if you have another child.” Vietnam introduced rules blocking families from having more than two children in 1988, with the idea that women would spend less time on childcare and more time working. Vietnam’s “golden population” period — when working age people outnumber those who depend on them — began in 2007 and is expected to last until 2039. The number of people who can work is likely to peak in 2042 and, by 2054, the population may start shrinking. All of this could make it harder to grow the economy, since there will be fewer workers while the cost of supporting the needs of the elderly grows. Birth rates in Vietnam aren’t falling evenly. In Ho Chi Minh City — the country’s biggest city and economic hub — the fertility rate in 2024 was just 1.39 children per woman, much lower than the national average. At the same time, nearly 12% of the city’s population was over 60, putting pressure on welfare services. To help, local officials started offering about $120 to women who have two children before turning 35 last December. Vietnam is also dealing with a unbalanced gender ratio, partly because due long-standing preferences for sons. Doctors aren’t allowed to tell parents the baby’s sex before birth, and sex-selective abortions are banned. On Tuesday, the health ministry proposed tripling the fine for choosing a baby’s sex before birth to $3,800, state media reported. China imposed a one-child policy in 1979 amid worries about overpopulation. But as the country faces growing concerns about the long-term economic and societal challenges of an aging population, it has been slowly easing the policy to allow a second child and then a third child in 2021, but with little success at boosting birthrates. (AP)

The Washington Post is preparing to welcome content from Substack authors and other independent contributors, but there’s a new condition: all submissions must first be screened by an artificial intelligence system before reaching the paper’s editorial team, according to four individuals familiar with the initiative who spoke to The New York Times on Tuesday.

This strategic move is part of an effort to revive the newspaper’s financial stability after facing consecutive years of significant financial losses.

“In a presentation to employees on Wednesday morning, Post publisher Will Lewis painted a stark picture of the Post’s finances, revealing that the publication has lost $77 million over the last year and has been bleeding digital readers for several years,” the Post reported in May 2024.

Jeff Bezos, the paper’s owner and Amazon founder, has reportedly been having difficulty reversing the organization’s downturn, according to the Times. The paper now intends to broaden its opinion content by including pieces from freelancers and journalists from smaller regional publications. These submissions are intended to “appeal to readers who want more breadth than the Post’s current opinion section and more quality than social platforms like Reddit and X,” the Times reported.

However, all potential contributors will be required to work with an AI platform called Ember. As the Times described it, Ember will assist writers with various tools, including a “‘story strength’ tracker that tells writers how their piece is shaping up, with a sidebar that lays out basic parts of story structure: ‘early thesis,’ ‘supporting points’ and [a] ‘memorable ending.’”

One source told the Times that the AI program is also designed to suggest prompts to help writers add “solid supporting points.”

{Matzav.com}

In a stirring display of kavod haTorah, thousands gathered at the Ponevezh Yeshiva for a monumental hachnasas Sefer Torah in memory of the late Rosh Yeshiva, HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein zt”l. The event marked a fitting tribute to the towering gadol hador whose life was a beacon of Torah and yiras Shamayim. The event began with the writing of the final letters in the Sefer Torah at the home of the Rosh Yeshiva zt”l. From there, a vibrant procession, led by Ponevezh Rosh Yeshiva HaGaon HaRav Berel Povarsky, commenced at the residence of Yeshiva President HaRav Eliezer Kahaneman. The streets of Bnei Brak came alive with song and dance, culminating in an electrifying scene at the yeshiva square and the iconic Ponevezh Yeshiva. VIDEO AND PHOTOS FOR YWN BY SHUKI LERER

Two Palestinians were apprehended at the Tel Aviv light rail station, found carrying IDF uniforms.

India state minister has stated that several people were killed in a stampede at a cricket game.

Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the man accused of carrying out a violent arson attack in Colorado, appeared in a disturbing video prior to the assault, in which he launched into a series of anti-American and anti-Zionist tirades, stating, “God is greater” than “Zionists” and “America.”

The video, which surfaced on a pro-Hamas Telegram account, was reportedly recorded in Boulder before the incident. It includes erratic jump cuts and audio distortions, making the footage at times difficult to follow.

In the recording, Soliman can be heard saying, “God is greater than everything. God is greater than the Zionists. God is greater than America and its weapons. God is greater than the F35 planes,” delivering his message directly to the camera in what seems to be a self-recorded segment.

He then goes on to question the silence surrounding perceived injustice, asking, “Why remain silent about injustice? Why this humiliation and degradation that we live?”

Soliman, an Egyptian citizen aged 45, is facing several criminal charges including attempted murder, assault, and illegal possession of an incendiary device. Authorities allege he attacked participants at a demonstration in support of releasing Israeli hostages, leaving a dozen people injured.

In addition to state-level charges, Soliman is also being prosecuted on federal hate crime counts.

{Matzav.com}