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The latest jackpot from the New York Lottery’s “$10,000 a Week for Life” scratch-off has officially been collected, and the fortunate player – a frum Jew – decided to walk away with a single cash payout. After taxes, the prize totaled $4,372,060.

The winning ticket was sold at the NO7 Grocery on 18th Avenue in the heart of Boro Park, adding a jolt of excitement throughout the neighborhood as word spread.

The winner, Marc Klein — once the manager at the Ateres Avrohom wedding venue and currently employed at the Manhattan Beach wedding hall — opted to take the one-time payment instead of the long-term weekly structure.

Klein acknowledged all the buzz surrounding him, stating, “Yes, it’s true. I have about 1,500 messages and like 50 missed calls. Baruch Hashem, a huge brocha. Don’t worry, I’m not changing jobs or anything in my life. Thank you all for the mazel tovs.”

{Matzav.com}

There’s no shortage of articles, speeches, and podcasts analyzing the rising cost of frum living. No one denies it anymore—living a Torah lifestyle is expensive. Many factors have been blamed, from the shidduch system to basic market forces, and each plays a role. But one simple truth remains: if we, as a community, work to […]

A federal three-judge panel on Wednesday allowed North Carolina to use a redrawn congressional map aimed at flipping a seat to Republicans as part of President Donald Trump’s multistate redistricting campaign ahead of the 2026 elections. The map targets the state’s only swing seat, currently held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Don Davis, an African American who represents more […]

Bnei Brak is mourning the petirah of Mrs. Esther Rachel Yaakobovitz zt”l, widow of Rabbi Bentzion Yaakobovitz, one of the most prominent members of the Satmar community and a central figure in the development of the Satmar housing complex in the city. She passed away at the age of 103.

Mrs. Yaakobovitz was born in Antwerp, Belgium, to her parents, Rabbi and Mrs. Dov Bertzi Shapira. She later married Rabbi Bentzion Yaakobovitz, who would go on to become one of the leading Satmar chassidim in Bnei Brak. He authored several well-known works, including Tzioni Taharah and Zechor Yemos Olam.

In 1953, the couple immigrated to Israel at the direction of the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Yoel Teitelbaum, whom they had met years earlier in Antwerp. Upon their arrival, they settled in Bnei Brak, where Reb Bentzion invested tremendous effort in building the Satmar institutions from the ground up, ultimately serving for many years as their director.

During her lifetime, Mrs. Yaakobovitz endured the loss of her son-in-law, Rabbi Eliyahu Katz, who served for decades as a rov of the Satmar community in Bnei Brak.

She merited a large and distinguished family of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

The levayah was held tonight at her home at 44 Chazon Ish Street in Bnei Brak, proceeding to the Vizhnitzer Cemetery for kevurah. 

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s air defense network achieved one of the highest interception rates ever recorded in modern warfare during a recent 12-day campaign, neutralizing nearly every hostile drone and most incoming ballistic missiles, according to senior defense officials. Moshe Patel, director of the Homa Directorate at Israel’s Ministry of Defense, revealed the numbers during the UVID 2025 […]

Justice Minister Yariv Levin submitted a harsh response to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, accusing it and Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara of obstructing the investigation of the Sdei Teiman affair, including the role of ex-Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushsalmi and other senior members of the military prosecutor’s office. Levin’s response came after petitions were filed against […]

BREAKING: Multiple law enforcement officials tell CBS News the suspect in today’s attack on two National Guard members in downtown Washington, D.C., has been identified as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who entered the U.S. in 2021.  

Calls of outrage erupted online after MS NOW correspondent Ken Dilanian posited on live television that the man who gunned down two National Guardsmen near the White House might have been acting out of confusion or frustration tied to “controversy” around uniformed ICE officers in American cities. His remarks, delivered during a breaking-news segment, immediately triggered a wave of furious responses accusing him of downplaying a deliberate and brutal attack.

During the broadcast, Dilanian remarked, “[O]f course, you know, there’s so much controversy happening in the United States right now with ICE, who are also wearing uniforms and wearing masks. And so there’s, you don’t know, people walking around with uniforms in an American city. There are some Americans that might object to that. And so apparently this shooting has happened.” Viewers were stunned that he framed the ambush as a reaction to uniform confusion rather than as an act of cold-blooded violence.

Authorities have described the incident as a calculated attack. Two National Guard soldiers suffered devastating injuries, with one reportedly struck in the head, after a gunman suddenly fired on them near 17th and I Street around 2:15 p.m., only a short distance from the White House. Metro Police Department executive assistant chief Jeffery Carroll briefed reporters shortly after the shooting, noting that the suspect “rounded the corner” before opening fire on the unsuspecting Guard members.

Online reactions to Dilanian’s take were blistering, with users accusing him of minimizing the seriousness of what had occurred. One incredulous commenter wrote, “You do realize two people were murdered? Surely you know this.” Another blasted the network with, “Leave it to MS FakeNews to victim blame.” Others vented similar frustration, including a viewer who wrote, “This is an insane take and no pushback. You can’t hate the media enough.” Someone else added, “A day before Thanksgiving, two families have lost their loved ones. How dare you say this?”

Following the attack, President Trump directed an additional 500 National Guard troops to be deployed to Washington, bringing the presence in the capital to well over 2,000. Officials emphasized that the shooter acted independently, and there is no active search for accomplices.

According to Carroll, other Guard members confronted the suspect in what he described as “some back and forth,” during which the nearly-nude gunman was shot and injured before being taken into custody. The assailant, who has not yet been publicly identified, was transferred to federal authorities but is reportedly refusing to cooperate. Law enforcement has not announced any motive for the ambush.

{Matzav.com}

The City of Jerusalem has withdrawn its financial support for a large Chanukah concert in Binyanei HaUma after organizers announced that the event will be held exclusively for men, following guidance from leading litvish Roshei Yeshiva. The decision by Jerusalem officials came after women who had purchased tickets for a designated women’s section were suddenly […]

Federal prosecutors have laid out a disturbing series of incidents involving Elijah Alexander King, a 36-year-old San Luis Obispo resident who used the online alias “Billy Badass” to broadcast violent antisemitic threats. King entered a not-guilty plea on Tuesday to charges that could leave him incarcerated for a decade.

Authorities say the outburst that triggered the federal case occurred on Aug. 28, when King took to his “Billy Badass” account on X and posted a message declaring, “I’m gonna blow up every synagogue in a 20-mile radius.” Prosecutors emphasized that the threat was explicit, direct, and immediately alarming.

Just minutes later, King followed up with an additional message: “This is a real threat send the police and report me for terrorism.” Investigators say that shortly after posting, he began searching for synagogues in his vicinity on his cellphone, adding to the gravity of the situation.

Police quickly located King, placing him into a psychiatric facility for observation. But federal officials say the hateful rhetoric didn’t stop there. Even while under the mandatory hold, he kept posting from the “Billy Badass” handle, continuing to target Jews with venomous language.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, King wrote, “I got arrested and put on a 3 day psych hold for my posts against the jews,” and went on to re-post, “[w]e don’t need gun control. We need jew control.” Officials say these messages were part of a larger pattern of antisemitic behavior.

Prosecutors also noted that this was far from King’s first brush with hateful online conduct. His social media history included praise for Adolf Hitler and images of weapons ranging from handguns to knives to mace. After his release from psychiatric care, he allegedly began harassing the detectives who handled his evaluation, calling and emailing them and leaving racist voicemails.

If convicted on all counts, King could face up to 10 years in federal prison, with an additional potential five-year sentence tied to interstate threat and hoax-related charges. His trial is set to begin on Jan. 13, 2026.

{Matzav.com}

Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader announced Wednesday that he has authorized the U.S. government to operate inside restricted areas in the Caribbean country to help in its fight against drug trafficking. For a limited time, the U.S. can refuel aircraft and transport equipment and technical personnel at restricted areas within the San Isidro Air Base […]

A tense phone call between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and President Trump—set up through behind-the-scenes coordination by White House envoy Steve Witkoff—derailed a plan to provide Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles just hours before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Washington.

Putin phoned Trump on Oct. 16, a day before Zelensky’s scheduled White House meeting, at a moment when Trump was weighing whether to send Ukraine Tomahawks to sharply increase military pressure on Moscow. The Kremlin’s intervention came directly after Witkoff spoke with Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s top foreign policy aide, two days earlier. According to a Bloomberg-released transcript, Witkoff encouraged Ushakov to have Putin flatter Trump over the recent Gaza cease-fire agreement.

“I would make the call and just reiterate that you congratulate the president on this achievement, that you supported it, you supported it, that you respect that he is a man of peace and you’re just, you’re really glad to have seen it happen. So I would say that,” Witkoff told Ushakov. “I think from that it’s going to be a really good call.”

Ushakov replied enthusiastically: “OK my friend. I think that very point our leaders could discuss. Hey Steve, I agree with you that he will congratulate, he will say that Mr. Trump is a real peace man and so and so. That he will say.”

The Kremlin’s readout indicates that Putin followed the script, telling Trump his “successful efforts” in Gaza had earned global praise and noting that Trump’s “peace work has been duly appreciated … around the world.” After the compliments, Putin issued a pointed warning: supplying Ukraine with Tomahawks would “inflict substantial damage to relations between our countries, to say nothing of the prospects for a peaceful settlement.”

Although Witkoff never mentioned Tomahawks in his own discussions with Moscow, he urged the Russians to frame themselves as eager for negotiations. He even outlined how Putin should present the idea: “Maybe he says to President Trump: you know, Steve and Yuri discussed a very similar 20-point plan to peace and that could be something that we think might move the needle a little bit, we’re open to those sorts of things — to explore what it’s going to take to get a peace deal done.”

Witkoff cautioned Ushakov not to have Putin raise Russia’s long-standing demand that Ukraine surrender territory in the Donbas—described by some in the Trump administration as a hard-line “maximalist” position. “Now, me to you, I know what it’s going to take to get a peace deal done: Donetsk and maybe a land swap somewhere,” he told Ushakov. “But I’m saying instead of talking like that, let’s talk more hopefully because I think we’re going to get to a deal here.”

Ushakov originally asked Witkoff whether arranging a phone call would be helpful. Witkoff urged that it take place before Zelensky walked into the Oval Office. “And here’s one more thing: Zelensky is coming to the White House on Friday,” he said. “I will go to that meeting because they want me there, but I think if possible we have the call with your boss before that Friday meeting.” Ushakov confirmed the timing: “Before, before — yeah?” “Correct,” Witkoff responded.

Trump had been signaling strong consideration of providing Tomahawks as a way to break Russia’s resistance to negotiations. Zelensky’s team arrived prepared with detailed target maps—including Russian refineries and weapons sites—to demonstrate how the missiles could bolster Trump’s broader sanctions strategy.

But sources say Putin’s call ultimately persuaded Trump to shelve the plan. When Zelensky met with him the next day, Trump had already abandoned the idea of sending the long-range weapons, holding out hope that Moscow might agree to peace terms without further escalation.

The White House dismissed the significance of the transcript, calling the back-and-forth routine diplomatic engagement. “This story proves one thing: Special Envoy Witkoff talks to officials in both Russia and Ukraine nearly every day to achieve peace, which is exactly what President Trump appointed him to do,” communications director Steven Cheung said Tuesday.

Trump himself defended Witkoff’s conduct as normal for a negotiator. “I haven’t heard it, but that’s a standard thing,” he said. “You know, because he’s got to sell this to Ukraine, he’s got to sell Ukraine to Russia. That’s what a dealmaker does.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli carrier Arkia has launched direct flights to Thailand, storming into one of the country’s most popular routes and undercutting El Al’s prices by hundreds of dollars. Arkia will operate two weekly flights, and plans to expand the service with a new Thailand route next July, signaling that the shake-up is only beginning. Until now, […]

A newly introduced account-transparency tool on X has begun revealing that numerous profiles soliciting money while claiming to be trapped inside Gaza are, in fact, operating from entirely different parts of the world. The discovery has highlighted a growing network of fraudsters exploiting the war for financial gain.

The platform recently rolled out a feature that publicly displays basic background information about an account, including the region in which it is registered. Almost immediately, the tool began uncovering widespread misrepresentation tied to global crises — with Gaza emerging as a major hotspot for deceptive fundraising schemes.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry quickly pointed to the pattern, issuing a statement that read, “New X feature ripped mask off countless fake ‘Gazan’ accounts.” The ministry added, “Some chap posting from Pakistan, another in London. Another manipulative abuser somewhere else. All claiming to be suffering in Gaza while in the comfort of some coffee s—.”

One of the exposed accounts was operated under the username Yasmine.muhamsd, which presented its owner as a Gaza mother trying desperately to keep her children alive. The account frequently posted images of a crying woman holding a hungry newborn and urging viewers to donate.

However, despite its claims, X’s location tag marked the account as being based in India. Shortly after the tool was activated over the weekend, all posts on the profile disappeared.

Another highlighted case involved a profile portraying itself as a Palestinian father named Mahmoud Salma, posting emotional updates about protecting his two daughters amid what he described as relentless Israeli attacks in Gaza.

Investigators found that the user appeared to be impersonating the real Salma family, directing followers to a donation page different from the legitimate fundraiser established by relatives and friends. The location tool flagged the profile as UK-based, unlike the genuine accounts connected to the actual family.

Gaza-based journalist Mostasem A. Dalloul also found himself swept up in the controversy after the Israeli Foreign Ministry accused him of spreading misinformation when X’s feature placed his account in Poland. Dalloul dismissed the allegation in a video posted Saturday, strolling through a bomb-scarred neighborhood and asking whether such scenes “exist in the middle of Poland.”

X cautions that its location indicators are not infallible, stating that a listed country or region “may not be accurate and can change periodically.”

{Matzav.com}

A group of 21 Democrat attorneys general has launched a legal challenge aimed at stopping the Trump administration from enforcing newly tightened SNAP guidelines that went into effect on November 1. The revised policy limits food-stamp access for certain categories of legal immigrants while shutting off benefits to illegal migrants entirely.

New York Attorney General Letitia James is spearheading the lawsuit, which targets an October 31 USDA guidance memo interpreting the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025. The memo clarifies how states must implement the law’s revised eligibility standards for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Under the administration’s directive, most non-citizens are no longer eligible for SNAP—including large numbers of migrants originally allowed into the country under humanitarian parole, asylum processing, or temporary protection categories. The new rules specify that benefits are reserved for citizens, lawful permanent residents meeting established requirements, Cuban and Haitian entrants, and residents of the COFA nations.

The guidance also instructs states to apply far more rigorous verification requirements to ensure those in the country illegally are not receiving food assistance—reversing the broadened eligibility approaches adopted under the Biden administration. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins recently described the department’s stance bluntly, saying her agency notified every state “saying, no more illegal aliens on SNAP, period, full stop. So that’s already a rule of this administration. We’re working to enforce it every single day.”

The attorneys general argue the USDA went beyond its authority by effectively removing food assistance from tens of thousands of people who later became green-card holders after first entering the U.S. through humanitarian categories. They contend the administration improperly recategorized “several groups of legal immigrants” and imposed the changes without providing adequate time for states to adjust.

Their lawsuit, filed in federal court in Oregon, alleges that states were given only one day to comply with the new guidance, a timeline they say could “destabilize SNAP nationwide” and expose states to potential penalties. However, the administration counters that states indeed received the full 120 days required by statute, since Section 10108 of the OBBB became effective the moment the president signed the bill into law.

The complaint was joined by attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

For its part, the Trump administration maintains that the SNAP program was never designed to serve those in the U.S. illegally, and officials say the updated rules simply reinstate long-standing eligibility limits that had been loosened in recent years.

{Matzav.com}

A group of Americans harmed by Hamas’ October 2023 massacre in Israel have launched a sweeping lawsuit against Binance and founder Changpeng Zhao, alleging that the crypto giant played a central role in moving vast sums of money for Hamas and other U.S.-designated terror organizations.

The complaint, which became public on Monday, argues that Binance continued laundering funds for the group even after the company admitted guilt in November 2023 and agreed to pay a massive $4.32 billion criminal fine for violating federal anti-money-laundering and sanctions laws.

In total, 306 plaintiffs — including relatives of those murdered, wounded, kidnapped, or otherwise terrorized by Hamas and affiliated groups — joined the legal action. They say the exchange’s conduct helped empower the attackers responsible for those atrocities.

According to the filing, Binance knowingly allowed Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard to funnel over $1 billion through its platform, including more than $50 million in the months immediately following the October 7 assault.

Zhao’s own guilty plea for anti-money-laundering violations stemmed from the same case, and he later served a four-month prison term. US President Donald Trump pardoned him on October 23.

The lawsuit cites internal patterns it describes as deliberate and reckless: “Binance intentionally structured itself as a refuge for illicit activity,” the complaint states. “To this day, there is no indication that Binance has meaningfully altered its core business model.”

Binance issued a brief statement declining to address the litigation directly, instead asserting that “we comply fully with internationally recognized sanctions laws.” Zhao’s attorney in related proceedings similarly opted not to comment.

The plaintiffs are asking for compensatory damages as well as treble damages and additional remedies permitted under federal law.

The filing gives specific examples of financial activity the plaintiffs say should have raised immediate red flags. In one instance, a Venezuelan woman connected to a small Brazilian livestock company, Fazenda Amazonia, opened a Binance account in 2022 at age 26. The account allegedly saw more than $177 million in deposits and over $130 million in withdrawals — numbers the complaint says are inconsistent with any legitimate business operations.

Attorney Lee Wolosky, representing the victims, said in a statement, “When a company chooses profit over even the most basic counterterrorism obligations, it must be held accountable – and it will be.”

Filed in federal court in North Dakota, the lawsuit points to at least two suspicious crypto transfers routed through online addresses registered in the small town of Kindred, North Dakota, population roughly 1,000.

Meanwhile, Binance and Zhao still face a separate civil suit in Manhattan federal court, brought by other survivors of Hamas attacks. That case claims the company provided a “clandestine” pipeline for Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad to raise and move funds over several years. A judge declined to dismiss that lawsuit in February, allowing it to proceed.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu appeared at the Tel Aviv District Court on Wednesday morning, noting how challenging it is to juggle courtroom obligations while running the country. He told the panel that the frequency of hearings places a strain not only on his schedule but on sensitive national matters that require his attention.

“I have made tremendous efforts to conduct three days of testimony per week,” he informed the judges, explaining that doing so forces him to delay high-level discussions on issues the public hears almost nothing about. “This is an effort that requires postponing critical discussions on issues the public does not know about and only receives a fraction of the details through media reports.”

Netanyahu underscored just how steep the demand is, adding, “I’m not exaggerating in the slightest; it is simple. It is on the verge of impossible to do three times a week.”

His appearance came a day after an unexpected interruption in the proceedings. During Tuesday’s session, an urgent envelope was brought into the courtroom, prompting Netanyahu to pause his testimony. Turning to the judges, he said, “We can’t continue right now, but I also don’t know how long this will take.” Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman approved the request, and the hearing was halted temporarily.

{Matzav.com}

The IDF is preparing to roll out sweeping restrictions on cellphone use among its senior ranks, a move driven by the security lapses exposed during the October 7th Massacre and a broader push to tighten information-security standards across the army.

A report from Galei Tzahal revealed that, until now, officers holding the rank of Colonel and above were issued military cellphones. In recent years, the army phased out Android devices altogether, supplying only iPhones based on the belief that they offered stronger protection and were more difficult for enemy intelligence to breach or track.

Following a fresh internal review, the IDF has decided on two major shifts. The tightened limitations will now apply not only to Colonels and generals, but will be expanded to include Lieutenant Colonels as well.

Along with the broader reach, the guidelines will also prohibit the use of any military device that is not an iPhone. Android phones may still be owned and used personally by officers, but they will be strictly barred from all operational, command, or mission-related activity.

The updated order is expected to be issued in the near future.

{Matzav.com}

West Virginia officials suspended a school vaccination mandate Wednesday after a judge ruled that parents can cite religious beliefs to opt out of vaccines required for their children to attend classes. In issuing a permanent injunction in a lawsuit filed in June, Raleigh County Circuit Judge Michael Froble on Wednesday said children of families who […]

My first-time experience at the Torah Umesorah Convention As a first-time attendee walking into the Torah Umesorah Convention at the Kalahari Resort last week, I didn’t have such high expectations, perhaps an enjoyable Shabbos given as a bonus from my school—nice hotel, decent amenities, a few sessions, and that’s it. Within minutes, I realized this […]