Six employees of New York City’s public school system took their children or grandchildren on trips to Disney World, New Orleans and other locations using tickets that were meant for homeless students, investigators said in a newly released report. The trips intended as enrichment for students living in shelters and other temporary housing also included excursions to Washington, D.C., Boston and Broadway shows, said Anastasia Coleman, the special commissioner of investigation for New York City schools. According to the report released this month, Linda Wilson, the Queens regional manager for the office that supports students in temporary housing, took her own children on trips that were paid for through grants for homeless students and encouraged employees she supervised to do the same but to keep quiet about it. “What happens here stays with us,” one staffer quoted Wilson as saying. Contacted by the New York Post, Wilson denied bringing her two daughters on trips or encouraging staff members to bring their children. Wilson called the special commissioner’s probe “a witch hunt.” The investigation began after a whistleblower brought a complaint in March 2019. The special commissioner’s report, which concerned trips that took place between 2016 and 2019, was completed in January 2023 but only made public on Sept. 9. The special commissioner’s office said in an emailed statement that the report was not released because of the pending administrative actions. According to the report, Wilson forged permission slips to bring family members on trips and evaded city Department of Education oversight by using an outside agency to book travel arrangements. Some of the trips were intended as college tours, but the students and chaperones never actually visited the campuses, witnesses told the investigators. A group including Wilson and one of her daughters as well as other staff members and their children ate lunch at Syracuse University during a June 2018 trip but never toured the school, witnesses said. They left and went to Niagara Falls instead, according to the investigation. The special commissioner’s office recommended that Wilson and the other staff members faulted in the report be fired and that they be required to reimburse the school system for their family members’ trips. Wilson told the Post that she retired and was not fired. Department of Education spokesperson Jenna Lyle said in a statement, “All staff identified in this report are no longer employed by New York City Public Schools.” (AP)
The next generation of Buffetts — Howard, Susie and Peter — is poised to become one of the most powerful forces in philanthropy when their 94-year-old father, the legendary businessman and leader of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett, eventually passes away. But it wasn’t always going to be that way. Buffett announced in June that he would donate his fortune, now valued at nearly $144 billion, to a charitable trust managed by his three children when he dies, instead of giving it to the Gates Foundation, as he indicated 18 years ago. The next generation of Buffetts will then have 10 years to give the money away, Warren Buffett said. In the meantime, the elder Buffett continues to make huge annual donations to the Gates Foundation and his four family foundations, which will continue throughout his lifetime. He first mentioned plans for a new charitable trust in November. Howard Buffett told The Associated Press he’s learned what his father told him and his siblings about philanthropy was true: “It’s not so easy to give away money if you want to do it smart, if you want to be intelligent about it.” The middle Buffett child, Howard said his father is as sharp as ever and that he hopes he lives a long time, adding: “It’s pretty amazing that he’s giving us this opportunity.” Buffett has entrusted Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates with significant annual gifts to their foundation since 2006 — a remarkable $43 billion to date . “Wealthy people don’t tend to give their money to other people to give away,” said James Ferris, founding director of The Center on Philanthropy and Public Policy at the University of Southern California. But many of the wealthiest people are also hesitant to hand over their fortunes to the next generation over concerns that it hampers their ingenuity, he said. Ferris thinks the story of Buffett’s changing philanthropic intentions is a positive one. “It shows how a donor is making choices and is adapting to circumstances,” he said. The Gates Foundation did not say when it learned of Buffett’s decision or what the impact will be on its budget. It previously said in a statement that “Warren Buffett has been exceedingly generous,” and that he has “played an invaluable role in championing and shaping the foundation’s work to create a world where every person can live a healthy, productive life.” Over the years, Buffett gave the Gates Foundation large annual donations, but also donated billions to foundations run by his three children and a fourth family foundation. Their work offers some insight into the priorities of the next generation of Buffetts. The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, named after Warren Buffett’s first wife, is the largest in terms of donations. It supports organizations that provide reproductive health care and access to contraception and abortion around the world. Susie Buffett, 71, is its board chair and Peter Buffett, 66, is a board member. Susie Buffett also leads The Sherwood Foundation, a major supporter of early childhood development nationally that gives grants to organizations and projects within Omaha, Nebraska, the Buffetts’ hometown. Peter Buffett’s NoVo Foundation has been an important funder of organizations advocating for the autonomy of girls and women and against gender-based violence. In 2020, Peter and his wife, Jennifer, decided to reorient […]
Elon Musk has deleted a post on his social media platform X in which he said “no one is even trying to assassinate” President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in the wake of an apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump while he was playing golf. Musk, who has nearly 200 million followers on the social media site he bought for $44 billion in 2022, has increasingly embraced conservative ideologies in recent years and endorsed Trump for president. While he has removed posts in the past, Musk has also kept up and even doubled down on other such inflammatory comments. Last week, he made a joke about impregnating Taylor Swift after the singer posted an endorsement for Harris. Early Monday, after taking down the post about the apparent Trump assassination, the 53-year-old billionaire wrote on the platform: “Well, one lesson I’ve learned is that just because I say something to a group and they laugh doesn’t mean it’s going to be all that hilarious as a post on X.” The original post was in response to DogeDesigner, one of the 700 accounts that Musk follows, who asked: “Why they want to kill Donald Trump?” Musk’s reply was quickly condemned by many X users, and “DeportElonMusk” began trending on X on Monday morning. “Violence should only be condemned, never encouraged or joked about,” said White House spokesperson Andrew Bates in response to Musk’s post. “This rhetoric is irresponsible.” The Tesla CEO has previously posted conspiracy theories and feuded with world leaders and politicians. X is currently banned in Brazil amid a dustup between Musk and a Brazilian Supreme Court judge over free speech, far-right accounts and misinformation. He’s also received criticism in the past for what critics said were posts encouraging violence. Last month, for instance, the British government called on Musk to act responsibly after he used X to unleash a barrage of posts that officials said risked inflaming violent unrest gripping the country. Musk said when he bought the platform then known as Twitter that protecting free speech — not money — was his motivation because, as he put it, “having a public platform that is maximally trusted and broadly inclusive is extremely important to the future of civilization.” Sarah Kreps, director of Cornell University’s Tech Policy Institute, noted that Musk has long been trying to “push the boundaries of free speech, in part by engaging in impulsive, unfiltered comments on a range of political topics.” (AP)
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has stated that his organization is ready for an extended conflict with Israel. He conveyed this message to Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who are supported by Iran, as the Gaza war nears its one-year mark.
“We have prepared ourselves to fight a long war of attrition that will break the enemy’s political will,” Sinwar said. He expressed confidence that Hamas, along with Iran-backed groups in Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen, would ultimately defeat Israel.
In his communication to Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Huthi, Sinwar added: “I congratulate you on your success in sending your missiles deep into the enemy entity, bypassing all layers and defense and interception systems.”
He emphasized the shared objectives of Hamas and their allies in the region, stating: “Our combined efforts with you” and with groups in Lebanon and Iraq “will break this enemy and inflict defeat on it.”
{Matzav.com}
Rav Avraham Noach Paley and his wife, Devorah, welcomed the birth of a baby boy this past Thursday – the second child born to the couple following the tragic loss of their sons, Asher Menachem hy”d and Yaakov Yisrael hy”d, who were killed in a devastating car-ramming attack in the Ramot neighborhood of Yerushalayim a year and a half ago. The birth comes on the heels of another simcha the family made last week: the bar mitzvah of their son, Moshe, who miraculously survived the same attack. Moshe was just a few feet away from R’ Alter Shlomo Lederman hy”d, another victim who tragically lost his life in the incident. Additionally, the Paley family also recently celebrated the engagement of their eldest daughter to Shlomi Shtenharter, a talmid of the Beit Mattityahu yeshiva. Rav Avraham Noach, who was critically injured in the attack but a remarkable recovery, now serves as the Rosh Kollel of Toras Asher V’Yaakov, named in memory of his murdered sons. The Kollel is located in the Ramot neighborhood of Yerushalayim, where the family lives. Just a month after the attack, the Paleys welcomed their first son after the tragedy, naming him Yehonasan Raphael. Now, the family celebrates the arrival of another son. In another celebration this week, Chaya Henig, the widow of R’ Alter Yaakov Lederman hy”d, remarried on Tuesday. She wed Menachem Aryeh Koenigshofer, a member of the Chernobyler Chassidus, at the Armonot Ohr wedding hall in Yerushalayim. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Prominent columnists have resigned from the Jewish Chronicle newspaper over allegations that it published fabricated articles about the Israel-Hamas war. The resignations on Sunday came after the London-based newspaper removed multiple articles by a freelance journalist and apologized to readers, saying it conducted an investigation into the writer and was “not satisfied with some of his claims.” The newspaper didn’t specify which articles by the journalist, Elon Perry, were problematic. Among other claims, Perry — who described himself as a commando in the Israel Defense Forces — alleged that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar planned to smuggle himself and Israeli hostages out of Gaza through the border area with Egypt known as the Philadelphi corridor. Israeli media initially circulated the article, but later came to question its sourcing. The report has drawn speculation that it may have been part of a disinformation campaign in support of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu because the claims largely mirrored those made by the leader about the Philadelphi corridor earlier this month. Long-time Jewish Chronicle columnist Jonathan Freedland resigned in protest on Sunday, saying “the latest scandal brings great disgrace on the paper” and that it has “departed from the traditions that built its reputation as the world’s oldest Jewish newspaper.” “Too often, the JC (Jewish Chronicle) reads like a partisan, ideological instrument, its judgements political rather than journalistic,” Freedland posted on X. Fellow columnists Hadley Freeman and David Aaronovitch also announced they were quitting, while a spokesperson for author and comedian David Baddiel said he had “no plans to write any more columns for the paper.” Freeman said in a post that she resigned because “recent events have made it impossible for me to stay.” The newspaper’s editor, Jake Wallis Simons, said it was “every newspaper editor’s worst nightmare to be deceived by a journalist” and that the newspaper has cut all ties with Perry. “His work has now been removed from our website. Readers can be assured that stronger internal procedures are being implemented,” he wrote on X. Perry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. The Observer and other British outlets cited him over the weekend as saying that the Jewish Chronicle “made a huge mistake with its statement” and calling the criticism a “witch-hunt.” (AP)
The man suspected in an assassination attempt against Donald Trump appears to have been in the area around the former president’s golf course for 12 hours before a Secret Service agent spotted his rifle and opened fire, according to a federal criminal complaint unsealed in Florida on Monday.
A Secret Service agent protecting Trump, the Republican nominee in the November election, saw a gun poking out of the tree line near where Trump was golfing and fired in that direction.
Law enforcement officials, according to the complaint, suspect the man wielding that weapon was 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh. Routh fled the scene and left behind his phone, his loaded SKS-style rifle with a scope and some food, according to the complaint.
Law enforcement officials found Routh’s cellphone number in one of his Facebook posts and were able to quickly track his phone data, which suggested he could have been hiding in the bushes from around 2 a.m. until about 1:30 p.m., when the Secret Service saw him, the complaint said.
Routh appeared before a judge in federal court in Florida on Monday morning as officials charged him with two crimes: possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
The obliterated serial number makes it harder for authorities to track the weapon and could mean a slower process to determine how Routh obtained it. The FBI agent who wrote the affidavit supporting the criminal complaint said the type of weapon Routh had is not manufactured in Florida, and the agent suspects it was obtained from another state or abroad.
Routh is expected to enter his plea of guilty or not guilty at his arraignment Sept. 30.
Federal law enforcement officials have not released a motive, but they have said they are investigating the incident as a possible assassination attempt.
While the initial charges against Routh do not accuse him of trying to kill Trump, the ongoing investigation could result in additional charges.
If the case is determined to be an attempted assassination, it would be the second one on Trump in about two months. On July 13, a man shot and injured Trump at a Pennsylvania rally. The Secret Service shot and killed the gunman.
Routh is not suspected to have fired a shot on Sunday, and was uninjured by the Secret Service agent who shot at him.
A witness saw Routh fleeing Trump’s golf course, the complaint states. About 45 minutes after that, local law enforcement pulled Routh over as he was speeding north along Interstate 95.
When officers pulled him over, they asked if he understood why he was being stopped, according to the complaint. Routh allegedly responded that he understood.
Martin County Sheriff William Snyder told local station WPEC on Monday that when his deputies spotted Routh driving along I-95, “he was smart, he was just driving with the Florida traffic. I think he may have thought he got away with it.”
Synder said the case raises questions that federal authorities will have to answer.
“How does a guy from not here get all the way to Trump International, realize that the former president is golfing and is able to get a rifle in that vicinity?” the sheriff said. “Is this guy part of a conspiracy? Is he a lone gunman? … If he’s part of a conspiracy then this whole thing really takes on a very ominous tone.”
According to the complaint, the license plate affixed to Routh’s Nissan is registered to a “2012 white Ford truck and has been reported stolen.”
(c) 2024, The Washington Post · Perry Stein, Devlin Barrett, Mark Berman
U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy assured state election officials in a letter released Monday that he’ll work with them to handle their warnings of problems with election mail delivery during the primary season, while insisting that the Postal Service will be ready for the flood of mail-in ballots ahead of the November election. The Postal Service already dealt with most concerns raised by election officials, he said, after they warned that properly addressed election mail was returned — a problem that can cause voters to be automatically placed on inactive status — and that mail-in ballots were postmarked on time but arrived after election deadlines. DeJoy said that training is already being beefed up for postal employees and that the Postal Service is already in constant contact with election officials and will work them to address quality problems that caused incorrect deliveries or mail to be returned to sender. He also said he’d work with them to avoid a repeat of “flawed ballot envelope designs,” though many envelopes were already designed and printed, officials said. The Postal Service also has teams in place to tackle mail flagged as “undeliverable as addressed,” or any other problem that might arise with election mail, DeJoy wrote. The concerns were raised by the National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors, even as former President Donald Trump continues to falsely claim he won in 2020 and seized upon the mail delivery troubles to sow doubts about the upcoming election. He repeated his claim Sunday on social media that the Postal Service is not up to the task. In 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic, election officials reported sending just over 69 million ballots in the mail, a substantial increase from four years earlier. While the numbers this year may be smaller, many voters have embraced mail voting and come to rely on it. And both Democrats and Republicans have launched efforts to push supporters to vote early, either in person or by mail to “bank” their votes before Election Day on Nov. 5. In a sign of how quickly Election Day is approaching, the first batch of mail ballots were sent last week to absentee voters in Alabama. Steve Simon, president of the National Association of Secretaries of State, on Monday stood by his assessment that the Postal Service has been slow to respond to concerns. He said that localized problems can be easily addressed but that “larger issues still remain.” “If the nation’s election officials felt these issues had been properly addressed with USPS staff over the last year, then there would have been no need for our letter,” he said, referring to the airing of concerns last week. In his response, DeJoy acknowledged that a massive network reorganization caused some temporary problems but assured the two bipartisan groups that changes are being paused to avoid slowing election mail ahead of the November election. He suggested that Postal Service’s performance in past elections should speak for itself. Postal Service officials said that nearly 98% of ballots were returned to election officials within three days and that 99.9% of ballots were delivered within seven days in the last presidential election — at the height of the pandemic in 2020. “As demonstrated consistently in previous elections, election mail routinely outperforms […]
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has managed to elude targeted assassination attempts for nearly a year by utilizing a basic communication system, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal published on Monday.
The article states that ever since the October 7 attacks, which were carried out under Sinwar’s orders, he has deliberately avoided using phones, text messages, or any form of digital communication to prevent Israeli forces from pinpointing his location.
Instead, Sinwar relies on a network involving handwritten messages, coded language, and couriers to relay his instructions. Notes are passed from one courier to another until they reach their destination, often containing secret codes. This method mirrors one he devised during his incarceration for terrorist activities.
This low-tech system has even been used to convey orders to Arab mediators visiting Gaza or to Hamas members abroad. Sinwar has refused to use electronic communication, even when it causes delays in ceasefire negotiations due to the slow relay of messages between him and other parties.
Following the assassination of Saleh al-Arouri, a senior Hamas official, in Beirut earlier this year, Sinwar reinforced this approach. He has limited his communication to only a few voice recordings, shared with a very small circle of trusted aides.
{Matzav.com}
In a statement published on Monday, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar commended the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen for their recent missile attack on Israel. The congratulatory letter, posted on the Hamas website, celebrated the Houthis’ missile strike, which targeted central Israel on Sunday. The attack set off sirens across a wide area, from east of Tel Aviv to Modiin. The Houthis, who control northern Yemen, fired a ballistic missile that was intercepted by an Israeli defense missile. However, the missile was not entirely destroyed, breaking apart in midair and causing minor damage from falling debris, according to an Israeli Air Force report. Despite the Israeli probe concluding that the missile was not hypersonic, as the Houthis had claimed, the Yemeni group doubled down on their assertion. On Monday, they released a nearly two-minute video, claiming it documented the missile launch, which they called “Palestine 2.” The Houthis have previously launched over 220 missiles and drones toward Israel, most of which were intercepted or missed their targets. In his letter, Sinwar praised the Houthis’ success, writing to their leader Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, “Congratulations on your success in reaching the depth of the enemy entity.” Sinwar also reassured his counterpart about Hamas’ resilience in its ongoing conflict with Israel, saying, “I can assure you the resistance is fine. We have prepared ourselves to fight a long battle of attrition.” He dismissed reports suggesting Hamas was struggling, labeling them psychological warfare. In his letter, Sinwar also invoked the broader regional alliance against Israel, highlighting the involvement of other Iranian-backed groups, including Hezbollah. “Our efforts, along with the resistance in Yemen, Lebanon, and Iraq, will defeat the enemy,” Sinwar declared, pointing to a wider axis of Iranian proxies across the Middle East. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
If Kamala Harris is expecting her upcoming sit-down with Oprah Winfrey to quell critics who say she avoids tough inquiries, she might find herself unsatisfied. However, as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, Harris will certainly have a platform to outline her positions during a “Unite for America” online event scheduled for Thursday, where she will be interviewed by the “Queen of All Media.”
The two-hour conversation will be filmed at a private location in Michigan, according to Harris’s campaign.
It’s no mystery where Oprah’s loyalties lie in the 2024 presidential race; she delivered a speech endorsing Harris at the Democratic National Convention. The event is being coordinated with the support of the Win With Black Women volunteer organization, and around 140 grassroots groups have received invitations to participate.
At the same time, Donald Trump’s team confirms that he will also be in Michigan on Thursday. Now, if Oprah were to interview Trump—that would certainly be a spectacle.
{Matzav.com}
The U.S. government and TikTok will go head-to-head in federal court on Monday as oral arguments begin in a consequential legal case that will determine if – or how — a popular social media platform used by nearly half of all Americans will continue to operate in the country. Attorneys for the two sides will appear before a panel of judges at the federal appeals court in Washington. TikTok and its China-based parent company, ByteDance, are challenging a U.S. law that requires them to break ties or face a ban in the U.S. by mid-January. The legal battle is expected to reach the U.S. Supreme Court. The law, signed by President Joe Biden in April, was a culmination of a years-long saga in Washington over the short-form video-sharing app, which the government sees as a national security threat due to its connections to China. But TikTok argues the law runs afoul of the First Amendment while other opponents claim it mirrors crackdowns sometimes seen in authoritarian countries abroad. In court documents submitted over the summer, the Justice Department emphasized the government’s two primary concerns. First, TikTok collects vast swaths of user data, including sensitive information on viewing habits, that could fall into the hands of the Chinese government through coercion. Second, the U.S. says the proprietary algorithm that fuels what users see on the app is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who can use it to shape content on the platform in a way that’s difficult to detect. TikTok has repeatedly said it does not share U.S. user data with the Chinese government and that concerns the government has raised have never been substantiated. In court documents, attorneys for both TikTok and its parent company have argued that members of Congress sought to punish the platform based on propaganda they perceived to be on TikTok. The companies also claimed divestment is not possible and that the app would have to shut down by Jan. 19 if the courts don’t step in to block the law. “Even if divestiture were feasible, TikTok in the United States would still be reduced to a shell of its former self, stripped of the innovative and expressive technology that tailors content to each user,” the companies said in a legal brief filed in June. “It would also become an island, preventing Americans from exchanging views with the global TikTok community.” Opponents of the law stress a ban would also cause disruptions in the world of marketing, retail and in the lives of many different content creators, some of whom also sued the government in May. TikTok is covering the legal costs for that lawsuit, which the court has consolidated with the company’s complaint and another filed on behalf of conservative creators who work with a nonprofit called BASED Politics Inc. Though the government’s primary reasoning for the law is public, significant portions of its court filings include classified information that has been redacted and hidden from public view. The companies have asked the court to reject the secret filings or appoint a district judge who can ferret through the material, which the government has opposed because it will cause a delay in the case. If admitted into the court, legal experts say those secret filings could make it nearly impossible to know some of […]
MSNBC host Alex Witt raised the question of whether former President Trump’s campaign might urge a reduction in “rhetoric” following a shooting that occurred outside his golf club on Sunday.
In response to early reports of gunfire near Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, Witt asked if Trump’s campaign would take the opportunity to encourage supporters to “tone down the violence.”
“Do you expect there to be calls from within the Trump campaign to do that?” Witt inquired. “Because he will reach out to his supporters and say let’s take this down. We do not know the source of any gunshots or gunshots. We do not know who is responsible for this. The whole thing has yet to be 100% confirmed from start to finish how this all played out.”
She went on to ask, “But do you expect to hear anything from the Trump campaign about toning down the rhetoric? Toning down the violence? Or would that be atypical of the former president?”
MSNBC political analyst Elise Jordan chimed in, recalling, “Well, remember back to the assassination attempt from President Trump’s life and how there was talk of a new tone and the Republican convention was, by Trumpian standards, muted, and it did seem like he was trying to take it down a few notches. But then by the end of the convention speech, we were back to where we started.”
Jordan continued, saying, “I don’t know how long this moment of unity for the country where we come together and say ‘I don’t want any political opposition to be under threat of violence. We don’t want that.’ I would love for us to have a unity-type moment, but I think it is probably going to be fleeting, as we have seen in the past.”
She also speculated whether individuals on “both sides of the aisle” would be able to help “lower the temperature.”
“How have we gotten to this point when the demonization of the other side… it is no longer politics. It has gotten bigger than that, the calls for violence, the violent rhetoric and look at what happens. This heated rhetoric can only go so far before, unfortunately, it has led to violence on both sides of the aisle. So I think it is something that Democrats and Republicans have to be very cognizant about. What can we all do to take the temperature down?” Jordan questioned.
Initial reports from the shooting suggested that the gunfire involved two individuals targeting each other and that Trump was not the intended victim. However, as more details emerged, the FBI released a statement indicating that this appeared to be another assassination attempt on the former president.
The suspect, identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, was allegedly armed with a rifle when agents engaged him, according to law enforcement sources confirmed by Fox News.
Authorities stated that Routh managed to push the muzzle of his gun through the chainlink fence surrounding the golf club.
Routh was positioned 300 to 500 yards away from Trump when the Secret Service spotted him and returned fire.
Though Routh initially escaped, he was later apprehended by authorities and arrested.
Routh was discovered with two backpacks and a GoPro camera. The rifle he used was later found in the bushes near the golf course.
This incident follows an assassination attempt on Trump that occurred approximately two months earlier during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
{Matzav.com}
A rare and exquisitely illustrated Chumash from the 14th century will soon be showcased to the public, following its recent sale at Sotheby’s New York for an impressive $6.7 million. The Shem Tov Chumash was sold on September 10 at the high end of its estimated value of $5 to $7 million. Described as “a tour de force of biblical and kabbalistic scholarship and a precious witness to the medieval tradition of Sephardic book art,” the Shem Tov Chumash was completed in 1312 by Rabbi Shem Tov Ibn Gaon in the northern Spanish city of Soria. Its intricate artistry and historical significance make it one of the most important Hebrew manuscripts of the medieval period. Sharon Liberman Mintz, Sotheby’s international senior Judaica specialist for books and manuscripts, highlighted the Chumash’s unique blend of scholarship, mysticism, and art. “The architectural features mirror the mudéjar art of the time, while at the same time using artistic vocabulary from French gothic,” she explained. The Chumash also incorporates various streams of Jewish thought, including references to the Hilleli codex—a legendary, lost Chumash—and contains around 2,000 Kabbalistic letters imbued with secret meanings. The Shem Tov Chumash’s historical journey is equally remarkable. “I think the journey is so exciting because it’s out of Spain by 1315, so it escapes the riots and massacres of 1391 and then the expulsion [of the Jews] from Spain in 1492, when many books were lost,” said Liberman Mintz. “Then it gets to Israel, which is overrun by the crusaders … [and] it manages to escape that. It goes to Baghdad, and we know that the Jewish community of Baghdad witnessed all kinds of upheavals. It somehow makes its way to Tripoli. It’s in London during the Second World War—or probably in Letchworth—and it survives the war. It’s had a miraculous journey of survival.” The Chumash’s mystical reputation adds another layer to its allure. In the late 19th century, it was used as a kameiah for women in difficult labor and was said to alleviate their pains upon entering their home. It was later acquired by David Solomon Sassoon, a renowned collector, in the early 20th century. The Chumash held a central place in his collection, and as he neared death in 1942, Sassoon famously instructed his son to speak to the Shem Tov Chumash and his Sifrei Torah, telling them, “We will return to you, and you will return to us; we will not forget you, neither in this world nor in the World to Come.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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On Monday, the FBI disclosed that Ryan Routh, the suspect in the second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, had been the subject of a tip to the FBI back in 2019. This new information emerged during a press conference held by Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri. “Following up on the tip, the alleged complainant was interviewed and … did not verify providing the initial information. The FBI passed that information to local law enforcement in Honolulu,” Veltri stated. According to Veltri, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office took custody of the 58-year-old suspect, Ryan Routh, who was then transferred to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. “Our FBI agents then attempted to interview him, and he invoked his right to an attorney,” Veltri said. During the investigation, agents seized various items, including a video recording device, cell phones, a vehicle, and other electronic devices from Routh’s previous known addresses, while executing search warrants. Veltri also mentioned that the FBI’s Honolulu and Charlotte field offices have been conducting interviews with several family members and former colleagues of the suspect. The FBI’s Evidence Response Team is actively collecting and processing evidence, which includes an SKS rifle with a scope, electronic devices, and ceramic tiles. “We’re continuing to conduct analysis, and we’ll be compiling the subject’s movements in the days and months leading up to September 15th,” Veltri noted. He further stated that the suspect had an “active online presence,” and the FBI is currently reviewing his online activity, including posts and searches. Veltri also revealed that Routh had been previously charged and convicted in 2002 in North Carolina for possession of a weapon of mass destruction. Between 1997 and 2010, he faced multiple felony charges related to stolen goods. However, the FBI does not believe that Routh acted with anyone else. “The FBI does not have information indicating that Routh acted with anyone else,” Veltri said. Authorities confirmed that Routh did not fire any shots during the assassination attempt while Trump was golfing in Florida. The suspect didn’t have a clear line of sight on the former president. Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe, during the press conference, explained that a U.S. Secret Service agent spotted Routh, armed with what appeared to be a firearm, while sweeping the area. “The subject, who did not have line of sight to the former president, fled the scene,” Rowe said. “He did not fire or get off any shots at our agents.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The man arrested for plotting to assassinate Donald Trump while he was golfing in Florida may have received inside information about the former president’s schedule, according to a former FBI official, who described the possibility as “scary.”
Chris Swecker, a retired FBI assistant director, told Newsweek that federal agents and other law enforcement agencies are investigating how the suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, seemingly knew Trump would be at his West Palm Beach, Fla., golf club on Sunday.
“The biggest question that needs answering is: ‘How did the would-be assassin know to be at that location at that time?’” said Swecker, who has extensive experience in FBI criminal investigations.
“There are only three possible explanations: He made a lucky guess; he conducted surveillance and followed Trump to the golf course; or he had inside information regarding Trump’s schedule.”
He continued, “The third possibility is frightening, as it suggests someone else may have been involved.”
Routh, a resident of Hawaii, was apprehended after Secret Service agents, positioned a few holes ahead of the 78-year-old former president, spotted the muzzle of an AK-style rifle protruding from the bushes lining the course on Sunday afternoon, authorities reported.
The alleged shooter, who was reportedly armed with the rifle and had a GoPro camera seemingly set up to capture the attempted assassination, managed to position himself between 300 and 500 yards from Trump.
The FBI is leading the investigation and is working to uncover any possible motive, authorities said.
Despite an increase in security since the last attempt on Trump’s life in July, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw noted that Trump’s protection remained relatively light because he is not currently a sitting president.
“If Trump were still president, the entire golf course would have been lined with law enforcement,” Bradshaw explained.
“I suspect that next time he visits the golf course, there will likely be more people around the perimeter,” he added.
“But the Secret Service did exactly what they were supposed to do.”
Swecker described the suspect as an apparent “wing nut” with a deep-seated disdain for authority. This assessment came after it was revealed that Routh had previously voiced anti-Trump sentiments on social media and commented on threats to democracy.
“We know this suspect has made posts about Trump being a danger to democracy and has been involved in some bizarre missions: for instance, traveling to Ukraine to try to recruit Afghan fighters. So, his motive is becoming clearer — he’s a wing nut who doesn’t respect authority, as shown by his past arrest for resisting arrest during a two-hour standoff,” Swecker remarked.
Over the years, Routh has had several legal issues — including a standoff with police in 2002, which led to his conviction for possessing a “weapon of mass destruction,” according to online records.
{Matzav.com}
Trying to defend their narrow Senate majority with a challenging slate of contests on Republican-leaning turf, Democrats are pumping $25 million into expanded voter outreach across 10 states. The new spending from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, first shared with The Associated Press, comes less than two months until the Nov. 5 election and as Democrats are benefiting from a fundraising surge since President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid in July and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the party standard-bearer. “A formidable ground game makes all the difference in close races,” DSCC Chairman Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan said in a statement. “We are reaching every voter we need to win.” The latest investment will be distributed across Arizona, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin. The money will go toward efforts to defend five Democratic incumbents and open seats in Michigan, Maryland and Arizona that are currently included in Democrats’ majority, as well as efforts to unseat GOP incumbents in Florida and Texas. Plans for the money will vary by state but will include hiring more paid field organizers and canvassers; digital organizing programs targeting specific groups of voters online; texting programs; and in-person organizing events targeting younger generations and nonwhite voters. Democrats currently hold a 51-49 Senate advantage, a split that includes independent senators who caucus with Democrats. But of the 33 regular Senate elections this November, Democrats must defend 23 seats, counting the independents who caucus with them to make their majority. They’ve devoted few national resources to West Virginia, a Republican-leaning state where Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat-turned-independent, is retiring. The playing field gives Democrats little margin for error. If they lose West Virginia and hold all other seats, they still would have to upset Florida Sen. Rick Scott or Texas Sen. Ted Cruz to win a majority or hope Harris wins the presidential election — an outcome that would allow her running mate, Tim Walz, to cast the tiebreaking vote for Democrats as vice president, as Harris did in a 50-50 Senate during the first two years of Biden’s administration. The DSCC declined to disclose a state-by-state distribution of the $25 million. But it’s no secret that Democrats’ defense of the majority starts with tough reelection contests for Sens. Jon Tester of Montana and Sherrod Brown of Ohio. Both are relatively popular, multiterm incumbents, but they’re running in states where Donald Trump, the former president and current Republican nominee, has twice won by comfortable margins. That means Tester and Brown would need a considerable number of voters to split their tickets between Trump and their Senate choice. Senate Democrats already have financed field offices in Montana and Ohio, since those are not presidential battleground states where the Harris campaign leads Democrats’ coordinated campaign operations. And even with the money coming from national coffers, the additional on-the-ground spending will reinforce the two Democratic senators’ strategies of distancing themselves from Harris and the national party. Five of the 10 states getting money, meanwhile, overlap with the presidential battleground map: Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Biden won all of them four years ago, while Trump won all except Nevada in 2016. Both presidential campaigns see the states as tossups this fall. The voter outreach spending comes alongside an ongoing $79 million advertising […]
Former President Donald Trump, well-known for his strong support among Orthodox Jews, is set to visit the heart of Williamsburg, Brooklyn this Thursday, according to sources.
The visit is expected to include a stop at the iconic Gottlieb’s Restaurant, the kosher establishment located on Roebling Street that has long been a favorite among locals and tourists alike.
Secret Service agents have reportedly already begun preparations in the area, working diligently to ensure the former president’s security during the visit.
Streets around the restaurant and nearby intersections are expected to be closely monitored, with local law enforcement coordinating efforts to manage crowds and minimize disruption to the neighborhood’s daily routine.
Trump’s visit to Williamsburg is expected to draw large crowds, as residents look forward to welcoming a figure they see as having supported their values and interests during his time in office and afterwards
While it remains unclear whether the former president will address the public during his visit, the excitement in Williamsburg is palpable.
{Matzav.com}
A Secret Service agent tasked with overseeing former President Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13 “was known to be incompetent” and “did not pass a critical exam during their federal law enforcement training,” according to new whistleblower claims made public by Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.).
The whistleblowers revealed that the agent had set up “flags around the Butler stage and catwalk, which obstructed visibility” — despite such items being “usually forbidden because they interfere with the sightlines of agents assigned to spot potential threats,” according to Hawley’s 21-page report, released on Monday.
The report further indicates that intelligence teams from the Secret Service “were missing from the Butler rally,” which could have helped “avoid” the communication breakdown that took place just moments before Trump, 78, took the stage and was shot in the right ear by an assailant.
“The hospital where former President Trump received medical care following the shooting lacked adequate security,” the report continues. “The Secret Service agent in charge of security at the hospital was unaware of the situation and unable to answer fundamental questions regarding security measures.”
{Matzav.com}
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