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Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump, must report to prison by July 1 to serve his four-month sentence for defying a subpoena from the House committee that investigated the U.S. Capitol insurrection, a federal judge ruled Thursday. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington granted the Justice Department’s request to make Bannon begin his prison term after a federal appeals court panel last month upheld his contempt of Congress conviction. Bannon is expected to seek a stay of the judge’s order, which could delay his surrender date. “I’ve got great lawyers, and we’re going to go all the way to the Supreme Court if we have to,” he told reporters outside the courthouse. Bannon cast the case as politically motivated, saying “this is about shutting down the MAGA movement.” “There’s not a prison built or jail built that will ever shut me up,” Bannon said. Bannon was convicted nearly two years ago of two counts of contempt of Congress: one for refusing to sit for a deposition with the Jan. 6 House Committee and the other for refusing to provide documents related to his involvement in Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Nichols, who was nominated to the bench by Trump, a Republican, had initially allowed him to remain free while he fought his conviction because the judge believed the case raised substantial legal questions. But during a hearing in Washington’s federal court, Nichols said the calculus changed after the appeals court panel said all of Bannon’s challenges lack merit. “I do not believe the original basis for my stay exists any longer,” Nichols said. Bannon can appeal his conviction to the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. Prosecutor John Crabb told the judge it was “very unlikely” Bannon would succeed in getting his conviction thrown out. Bannon’s lawyer at trial argued at trial that the former adviser didn’t ignore the subpoena but was still engaged in good-faith negotiations with the congressional committee when he was charged. The defense has said Bannon had been acting on the advice of his attorney at the time, who told him that the subpoena was invalid because the committee would not allow a Trump lawyer in the room and that Bannon could not determine what documents or testimony he could provide because Trump has asserted executive privilege. Defense lawyer David Schoen told the judge it would be unfair to send Bannon to prison now because he would complete his entire prison sentence before he exhausted his appeals. Schoen said the case raises “serious constitutional issues” that need to be examined by the Supreme Court. “In this country, we don’t send anyone to prison if they believe that they were doing something that complied with the law,” he told reporters. A second Trump aide, trade adviser Peter Navarro, was also convicted of contempt of Congress. He reported to prison in March to serve his four-month sentence. Navarro, too, had maintained that he couldn’t cooperate with the committee because Trump had invoked executive privilege. But courts have rejected that argument, finding Navarro couldn’t prove Trump had actually invoked it. The House Jan. 6 committee’s final report asserted that Trump criminally engaged in a “multi-part conspiracy” to overturn […]

Intense controversy and criticism was directed on Thursday at the IDF’s rules of engagement, after it was reported that soldiers waited to fired upon, before opening fire on the terrorists who attempted to invade Israel from the Rafah area. An IDF soldier was killed in the incident.

The IDF stated: “The IDF force that carried out scans in the area of ​​the fence identified a number of suspects who approached the border from the Gaza Strip and moved towards Israeli territory in an attempt to cross the barrier area in the Rafah area. The force that carried out scans in the area encountered the terrorists who opened fire on them, and fired back at the terrorists.”

Almog Boker of Channel 13 News wondered why the air force did not launch a strike against the terrorists and thereby prevent the death of Warrant Officer Zeed Mazarib.

Boker wrote: “If it wasn’t clear until today, and it’s sad that it was, it must be clear from now on: Every Gazan who approaches the fence, and I don’t care if he is ‘involved’ or ‘uninvolved’, should understand that he is not coming home. Attack from the air and end the incident.”

He continued saying: “We should not endanger our forces. Attack from the air. Destroy them. Today we paid a heavy price for [not doing] it. No more. What exactly are we waiting for? For the squad armed with Kalashnikovs and RPGs to arrive in a town and murder more residents. It’s either them or us. Shouldn’t this have been clear already???”

Ofra Lax, another journalist, wrote: “I’ve been racking my head since this morning about the IDF spokesperson’s announcement that the terrorists opened fire on them first. The instructions on opening fire are shocking. They were never appropriate for the Gaza border and today they certainly aren’t.”

{Matzav.com}

The IDF says that soldiers from the 828th Infantry Training School Brigade, under the command of the 162nd Division, have been conducting targeted operations in the Rafah area over the past few weeks. The operations, which have been precise and intelligence-based, have resulted in the location of weapons, the elimination of terrorists, and the destruction of terrorist infrastructure. In one incident, the troops found a tunnel shaft inside a child’s room, along with a butcher’s knife next to it – highlighting once again the willingness of terrorists to put innocent lives at risk in pursuit of their goals. In addition, the troops identified six terrorists near a school in the area, who were subsequently eliminated by a combination of UAV and tank fire. The 828th Brigade Combat Team has now completed its mission in the Rafah area and is preparing for future operations. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The great Abie Rotenberg immortalized the importance of the annual Lag Ba’Omer Yeshiva and Beis Yaakov trips of our youth with his song The Ninth Man. After all, it was the bases loaded homerun hit by their Rebbe that changed the lives of those “Bums from the East Side” forever. For most, that trip was last week, but for a select group of special children, they finally had their opportunity to experience their trip earlier today. You see, the children that we speak of are not regular Yeshiva kids, rather these are the children of the Ditmas Children’s Center. Most of them have never seen the outside of their adopted home, other than for medical appointments and Chas V’Shalom hospital visits. With the incredible success of last years Tashlich event fresh in their mind, the Administration of the Center decided that a Lag Ba’Omer trip would be the perfect respite needed by the patients and their families. After searching high and low while trying to find the right venue, they realized that the answer was practically right in front of them. They reached out to the New York City Parks Department with an unusual request. Would the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens be willing to host a group of approximately 20 special needs children and their families for a few hours? The request was approved and the planning began in earnest. The logistics involved were enormous. Many of the children were dependent on ventilators and other medical devices. Additional facility staffing would need to be brought in to ensure that all of the children would be properly cared for outside of the facility. Extra equipment would be needed in case of a device failure. Transportation would need to be arranged for all the patients and the staff. Medical personal would be required to operate the equipment and be there in case of an emergency. One by one, items on the list were checked off and the plan began to fall in place. There was one minor detail, however, that seemed beyond anyone’s control, and that was the weather. Early on, it appeared that there was a possibility of rain. As the event approached, the slight chance of rain grew into an almost certainty of morning of showers. One after another, alternate venues were considered and discarded and the mood turned somber. With no other choice, a decision was made to stick to the original plan and hope for the best. Those involved davened with extra Kavanah for a little Siyata DiShmaya. Morning broke with rain and clouds throughout the area. As the time arrived to assemble the situation looked bleak. But as we know, HaKadosh Baruch Hu takes cares of His children, especially the special ones, and clearly, He had other plans. Suddenly the rain stopped and the clouds began to disperse. The excitement in the air was palpable as the care providers assisted in loading their little charges into their rides for the day. In a procession befitting of visiting dignitaries, they were off! By the time children arrived at the Gardens there was nary a cloud to be seen. With well-choregraphed precision, the children were transferred to their special strollers and wheel chairs. And what a sight it was. Parents, alongside caregivers, walked their strollers through the park and settled […]

Since Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre, Israeli hospitals have observed a two- to fivefold increase in cases of “broken heart syndrome,” a rare condition that can be triggered by intense emotional or physical stress, according to studies recently presented to the Israel Heart Society.

The syndrome, which is also known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy, mainly affects women and causes symptoms similar to a heart attack via a sudden and rapid weakening of the left ventricle. The condition is temporary and most patients recover within two months.

Broken heart syndrome occurs in about 2% of people treated for a heart attack, though researchers believe the true number of cases is higher.

In the weeks following the Oct. 7 massacre—in which Hamas terrorists murdered 1,200 people while raping, torturing, burning and mutilating their victims—the Barzilai Hospital in the southern city of Ashkelon recorded five cases, up from one during the same period in 2022.

In addition, while usually only 20% of patients suffer heart failure-like complications, Barzilai doctors recorded an uptick in more severe cases in the period after Oct. 7, with some two-thirds suffering complications.

A second study included data from six hospitals throughout Israel—Barzilai, Assuta Ashdod Medical Center, Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera, Shamir Medical Center in Be’er Ya’akov, Wolfson Medical Center in Holon and Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba—and recorded 30 cases between October-December 2023, up from 16 the year before.

“So far, most of the descriptions of patients with broken heart syndrome have been reported following personal crises such as the death of a relative,” said professor Eli Lev, who heads Assuta Ashdod’s cardiology department and spearheaded the study together with Dr. Yuval Kachila.

“I am not aware of a description in the professional literature of takotsubo cases following a national trauma, and this is the major innovation in our research,” he said, adding: “Our research shows that not only residents of the south, but the entire country suffered.”

Israel Heart Society chairman professor Amit Segev told Hebrew media that he had expected the findings and was “surprised it wasn’t much more.”

“Broken heart syndrome is related to an increase in stress, and in all kinds of situations where there is an increase in stress, it is expected that there will be an increase in this syndrome,” Segev explained. “For example, following the earthquake in California, they saw a huge increase in heart attacks, some of which were broken heart syndrome.”

In late October, Israeli media reported that ZAKA volunteer Motti Botzkin suffered a stress-induced heart attack after days of searching for human remains in the Gaza border communities. He was said to have been hospitalized in critical condition, but eventually recovered.

Around the same period, Israel Defense Forces bereavement officer Capt. (res.) Sivan Sekeli Ben Zichri went into a stress-induced cardiac arrest upon witnessing 17 freshly dug graves at a funeral.

“I couldn’t feel my left side, my right hand was paralyzed, and my heart felt like someone was ripping it out of my chest,” she recalled in an interview. “My heart literally broke from the psychological stress. It’s not just me saying it. My cardiologists also say that is what is happened.”

Israel Hayom reported that one of the studies was rejected by an international scientific journal, allegedly due to the publication’s bias against the Jewish state. Researchers were reportedly told they should have focused on Gaza instead of Israel.

{Matzav.com}

An air traffic’s controller’s faulty assumption that a Southwest Airlines jetliner would take off from a Texas airport before a landing FedEx plane reached the runway caused the planes to come within less than 200 feet of colliding in thick fog last year, federal investigators said Thursday. The National Transportation Safety Board said the Southwest pilots contributed to the close call in Austin by not telling the controller they needed time on the runway before beginning their takeoff roll. The air traffic controller had cleared both planes to use the same runway. A potential disaster was avoided at the last moment, when the FedEx pilots glimpsed the silhouette of the Southwest jet —carrying 128 passengers and crew members— and climbed out of harm’s way. “This incident could have been catastrophic if not for the heroic actions of the FedEx crew,” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said during the hearing. Board member Michael Graham called the incident a failure of aviation safety. “We had two aircraft within 200 feet of each other, and that should not happen,” Graham said. He noted the lack of airport ground radar or technology to warn pilots of the potential for collision, and said the air traffic controller and Southwest crew showed poor judgment and decision-making. “If it was not for FedEx crew’s last minute go-around, we might be having a different discussion today,” Graham said. In its unanimously adopted probable-cause findings, the five-member board also faulted the Federal Aviation Administration for not requiring the Austin airport to have technology that would have helped air traffic controller Damian Campbell track the planes. He told investigators he could not see the Southwest jet as it taxied to the runway. The board also said a lack of recent training by Austin controllers on operating in poor visibility contributed to the close call. The FedEx plane was making its final approach to land at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport when it nearly hit the top of the Southwest Boeing 737, which was roaring down the runway for takeoff in thick fog. Campbell told investigators that he had expected the Southwest jet to take off more quickly. In hindsight, the controller said, he could have made the Southwest crew wait until the FedEx Boeing 767 landed. NTSB investigators said controllers in Austin had not recently trained for nor worked in low-visibility conditions. “As a result,” investigator Brian Soper said, Campbell “was not adequately prepared to handling the traffic” that morning. Investigators pointed out that the Austin airport lacked radar-based ground-tracking technology — in use at 43 other U.S. airports — that would have helped the controller track the planes. The FAA has announced plans to make GPS-based tracking technology available to more airports, including Austin. Investigators also noted that the Southwest pilots were still 550 feet short of the runway when they said they were ready to take off. When they reached the runway, they held longer to run up the engines. The pilots should have told the controller they needed more time, said investigator Warren Abrams, a former airline captain. FedEx co-pilot Robert Bradeen Jr. was in the audience Thursday and received an ovation. FedEx captain Hugo Carvajal III, who was not at the hearing, previously told investigators he was irritated and perplexed when he heard the controller clearing the Southwest jet […]

The U.S. State Department is sanctioning the Palestinian terrorist group Lions’ Den, Foggy Bottom announced on Thursday.

The department called the group, which Washington does not designate as a foreign terrorist organization, “a militant Palestinian group centered in Nablus’s Old City in the West Bank.”

Matthew Miller, the State Department spokesman, noted that Lions’ Den claimed responsibility for “several” drive-by shootings in the area of Nablus in October 2022.

“Lions’ Den members opened fire at Israeli vehicles driving close to the nearby settlement of Elon Moreh, injuring a taxi driver and damaging vehicles,” Miller added. “In a separate attack, numerous shots were fired toward the West Bank settlement of Har Bracha.”

Miller added that Lions’ Den “fighters” hurt and killed Palestinian civilians “during clashes between Palestinian fighters and Palestinian Authority security forces in Nablus.”

“In April 2024, Palestinian media reported that Lions’ Den fighters targeted Israeli forces with small arms at an Israeli checkpoint in Nablus,” he added.

Miller did not say why Washington was sanctioning the group in June when the department cited attacks dating back to October 2022.

“The United States condemns any and all acts of violence committed in the West Bank, whoever the perpetrators, and we will use the tools at our disposal to expose and hold accountable those who threaten peace and stability there,” he said.

U.S. officials in the Biden administration typically use the term “West Bank” to refer to what the Israeli government calls Yehuda and Shomron — the Jewish names for that land.

Earlier in the day, the Associated Press reported that U.S. sanctions of individual Jews in Yehuda and Shomron amounted, to those sanctioned, to “at most, an annoyance.”

{Matzav.com}

FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday, warning that the threat from foreign terrorists has increased significantly since the October 7 Hamas massacre in southern Israel. Wray requested additional funding for the FBI to combat the growing threat, saying that “we’ve seen the threat from foreign terrorists rise to a whole ‘nother level after Oct. 7.” Wray highlighted the increased risk of violence in the US, citing the potential for a major terrorist incident similar to the ISIS-K attack on a Moscow concert hall in March. He noted that Jewish Americans have faced record levels of antisemitic hate crimes since October 7, with a 60% surge in incidents. The FBI director emphasized that Jewish individuals, houses of worship, and institutions are being targeted by foreign jihadist-inspired terrorists, Shia terrorists, and domestic violent extremists. He warned that without additional funding, the FBI would be unable to fulfill its staffing needs and thwart burgeoning terror threats, which could have devastating consequences for American Jews. Wray said, “We need funding to continue protecting America from terrorism… That’s fewer tips and leads followed; fewer terrorist attacks detected. That’s a significant concern in a heightened terrorist threat environment.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A new study suggests that COVID vaccines might be partially responsible for a rise in “unprecedented” excess deaths in the US and other Western countries over the past three years since the pandemic began.

Researchers from the Netherlands’ Vrije Universiteit analyzed mortality data from 47 Western countries and found that excess mortality has “remained high” since 2020, despite the extensive rollout of COVID vaccines and various containment measures.

The scientists expressed “serious concerns” about this trend and called on government leaders and policymakers to “thoroughly investigate the underlying causes of persistent excess mortality,” as reported in their study published in BMJ Public Health.

“Although COVID-19 vaccines were provided to guard civilians from suffering morbidity and mortality by the COVID-19 virus, suspected adverse events have been documented as well,” the researchers wrote.

“Both medical professionals and citizens have reported serious injuries and deaths following vaccination to various official databases in the Western World.”

“During the pandemic, it was emphasized by politicians and the media on a daily basis that every Covid-19 death mattered and every life deserved protection through containment measures and Covid-19 vaccines. In the aftermath of the pandemic, the same moral should apply,” they added.

The study identified more than 3 million excess deaths across the US, Europe, and Australia since 2020.

Of these excess deaths, over 1 million occurred in 2020 at the pandemic’s peak. The numbers remained high in subsequent years, with 1.2 million in 2021 and 800,000 in 2022, the researchers noted.

These death toll figures include fatalities directly caused by the virus, as well as “indirect effects of the health strategies to address the virus spread and infection,” according to the study.

The researchers also documented serious side effects of the vaccines, including ischemic strokes, acute coronary syndromes, and brain hemorrhages.

“This commonality hinders clinical suspicion and consequently its detection as adverse vaccine reactions,” the study stated.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1.1 million Americans have died from COVID since the pandemic began.

{Dov T. Heller – Matzav.com}

The head of the U.S. Secret Service said Thursday that security plans for the Republican National Convention are still being determined as protesters blasted restrictions they claimed will violate free speech with just weeks until the event. Roughly 30,000 visitors are expected in Milwaukee next month when former President Donald Trump is slated to become the Republican party’s official presidential nominee. Largescale demonstrations are expected, but how close protesters will be allowed to the downtown Fiserv Forum convention site is up in the air. Top RNC officials have expressed safety concerns and protesters have sued the city of Milwaukee over rules laying out where demonstrations will be allowed. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle said law enforcement agencies have been making safety plans for more than a year, including working with businesses on potential impact and creating a secure zone around the convention site. She said further details would come in two weeks. “We’re fully prepared,” she told reporters at a briefing with Milwaukee police and fire officials. “We realize that there most likely will be demonstrations but we’re prepared to address those.” Cheatle said she is in communications with RNC officials but sidestepped direct questions about their safety concerns. RNC leaders have sent a letter to the Secret Service asking officials to keep protesters back farther from the site than had been originally planned, arguing that an existing plan “creates an elevated and untenable safety risk to the attending public.” In March, the Milwaukee Common Council unanimously approved rules that, among other things, requires people protesting within the convention’s general security zone to march a specified route. But the route and other details regarding demonstration sites aren’t yet public. Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s spokesman Jeff Fleming said the city hosted online signups for groups to demonstrate and more than 70 groups have done so. He said final details will come within weeks. “Milwaukee has few restrictions on demonstrations throughout the city — so if a group wants to hold up signs and chant on a street corner a few blocks from the convention location, the city will make reasonable accommodations,” he said. The Coalition to March on the RNC, which makes up dozens of organizations, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin filed a lawsuit over the ordinance on Wednesday. They allege Milwaukee’s rules governing parade and protest activity violate the First Amendment by unlawfully limiting where protesters can parade and exercise their right to free speech. “Milwaukee has been rolling out the red carpet for the Republican National Convention and all its attendees, spending millions on their security,” Tim Muth, a staff attorney with the ACLU, said in a statement Thursday. “But sadly, the city does not appear to demonstrate that same commitment to protecting the First Amendment rights of people who want to express opposing views on the streets of Milwaukee during the RNC.” Fleming said the city is “fully prepared to answer the court filings” and has operated in good faith with the organizations involved. Earlier this week, Cheatle was in Chicago for a security briefing on the Democratic National Convention, which the city will host in August. More visitors — roughly 50,000 — and protests are expected. Protesters there have voiced similar concerns about restrictions and filed lawsuits. Chicago police say they’re prepared to handle crowds […]

Dear Editor@Matzav.com,

 

Imagine if I agreed to be honored annually at my children’s school dinner. Would I have the audacity to send out a request every single year, asking my friends and family to place an ad for me?

The obvious answer is: absolutely not!

No one would have the nerve to do that; they would feel utterly ridiculous. It’s just inappropriate and socially awkward. So, can someone please explain why it’s acceptable to send out multiple solicitations via text, email, or WhatsApp every year for your children’s yeshiva, your shul, your kollel, and any other cause you deem important?

It’s equally as inappropriate and socially awkward as being honored multiple times a year and asking the same people for ads.

Just because it’s easier to click a link and donate with a credit card doesn’t make it right.

Especially if it’s for your daughter’s school or high school—why should I feel obligated to contribute to that? This behavior is out of control and needs to stop!

Frustrated

Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia were set to get seats on the U.N. Security Council in a secret ballot Thursday in the General Assembly. In the Freedom In The World 2024 report, Somalia, which was rated NOT FREE, received the the second to worst rating in the world regarding political rights and the sixth worst rating regarding civil liberties. Its general rating was 8/100. Just one paragraph from the US Report on Human Rights Practices reveals the “significant human rights issues” in Somalia, including credible reports of: arbitrary or unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killings; torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by the government; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest or detention; serious problems with the independence of the judiciary; political prisoners or detainees; arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy; serious abuses in a conflict, including reportedly unlawful or widespread civilian deaths or harm, enforced disappearances or abductions, torture, physical abuses, and conflict-related punishment; unlawful recruitment or use of children in armed conflict by the government and nonstate groups; serious restrictions on freedom of expression and media freedom, including violence or threats of violence against journalists, unjustified arrests or prosecutions of journalists, censorship, and the enforcement of criminal libel laws to limit expression; serious restrictions on internet freedom; substantial interference with the freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of association; inability of citizens to change their government peacefully through free and fair elections; serious and unreasonable restrictions on political participation; serious government corruption; extensive gender-based violence, including domestic or intimate partner violence, sexual violence, female genital mutilation/cutting, and other forms of such violence; crimes involving violence or threats of violence targeting members of ethnic minority groups; laws criminalizing consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults, although information regarding their enforcement was unclear; and existence of the worst forms of child labor. Pakistan was rated PARTLY FREE in the Freedom in the World 2024 and received a total rating of 35 out of 100. The 193-member world body is scheduled to vote to elect five countries to serve two-year terms on the council. The 10 non-permanent seats on the 15-member council are allotted to regional groups who usually select their candidates but sometimes can’t agree on one. There are no such surprises this year. Last year, Slovenia soundly defeated Russia’s close ally Belarus for the seat representing the East European regional group, a vote that reflected strong global opposition to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This time, the regional groups put forward Somalia for an African seat, Pakistan for an Asia-Pacific seat, Panama for a Latin America and Caribbean seat, and Denmark and Greece for two mainly Western seats. The five council members elected Thursday will start their terms on Jan. 1, replacing those whose two-year terms end on Dec. 31 — Mozambique, Japan, Ecuador, Malta and Switzerland. They will join the five veto-wielding permanent members — the United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom and France — and the five countries elected last year — Algeria, Guyana, South Korea, Sierra Leone and Slovenia. All five countries expected to win seats on Thursday have served previously on the Security Council – Pakistan seven times, Panama five times, Denmark four times, Greece twice and Somalia once. Virtually every country agrees that almost eight decades after the United Nations was established […]

President Vladimir Putin warned Germany that if Ukrainian forces use German weapons to attack targets within Russia, it would be considered a “dangerous step.” He further stated that Moscow might then supply long-range weapons to other groups to target Western sites.

Such actions by the West would further destabilize international security and could result in “very serious problems,” he remarked.

“That would mark their direct involvement in the war against the Russian Federation, and we reserve the right to act the same way,” Putin added.

Putin pointed out that the use of Western weapons against Russian territory involves military personnel from those countries managing the missiles and designating targets. Consequently, he suggested that Moscow might take “asymmetrical” actions, potentially including providing such weapons to others to attack facilities of those respective countries worldwide.

“If they consider it possible to deliver such weapons to the combat zone to launch strikes on our territory and create problems for us, why don’t we have the right to supply weapons of the same type to some regions of the world where they can be used to launch strikes on sensitive facilities of the countries that do it to Russia?” he said.

“We will think about it,” he said.

Germany, alongside the United States, has recently allowed Ukraine to use long-range weapons to hit some targets on Russian soil. The delivery of German tanks to Ukraine has particularly unsettled many in Russia, according to Putin.

“Now if they use missiles to strike facilities on the Russian territory, it will completely ruin Russian-German relations,” he said.

On Wednesday, a Western official and a U.S. senator indicated that Ukraine has utilized U.S. weapons to conduct strikes within Russia, following new directives from President Joe Biden. This guidance permits the use of American arms strictly for defending Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. The official, who was not authorized to discuss the sensitive issue publicly, spoke anonymously.

During his first session with international journalists since beginning his fifth term last month, Putin asserted that Russia-U.S. relations would remain unchanged regardless of whether Biden or Donald Trump wins the upcoming U.S. presidential election in November.

“We will work with any president the American people elect,” Putin said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

“I say absolutely sincerely, I wouldn’t say that we believe that after the election something will change on the Russian track in the American politics,” he added. “We don’t think so. We think nothing that serious will happen.”

Putin also remarked that Trump’s recent felony conviction in his hush money trial was an instance of “the use of the court system as part of the internal political struggle.”

During the session, Putin answered questions on various topics from senior leaders of international news agencies, including The Associated Press, although the ongoing conflict in Ukraine was the primary focus.

When asked about Russian military losses, Putin asserted that no nation would disclose such information during active conflict but claimed, without providing specifics, that Ukraine’s losses are five times greater than Russia’s.

He also claimed that Ukraine has over 1,300 Russian soldiers in captivity, whereas Russia is holding more than 6,400 Ukrainian troops.

{Matzav.com}

A World War II Navy veteran was being mourned Thursday following his death while en route to France to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, a trip friends said he’d talked excitedly about making. Robert “Al” Persichitti of Fairport, New York fell ill during a stop in Germany last week and died in a hospital, his longtime priest and friend, the Rev. William Leone, said. Persichitti was 102. “He’s been to most of the World War II remembrances down in Washington and Louisiana, and he wanted to get to the D-Day remembrance ceremony, too,” Leone, pastor of the Church of Saint Jerome in East Rochester, where Persichitti attended Mass every week, said by phone. “But the Lord took him in Germany. He was on his way to France, but he didn’t make it.” A friend who was traveling with Persichitti said a doctor was with him when he died on May 30. “She put his favorite singer, Frank Sinatra, on her phone and he peacefully left us,” Al DeCarlo told WHAM in Rochester. The National WWII Museum in New Orleans called Persichitti a “longtime friend.” After enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1942, Persichitti was assigned as a radioman to the USS Eldorado and in 1944 sailed to the Pacific where he took part in the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, according to the museum. He was in the harbor at Iwo Jima to witness the raising of the U.S. flag atop Mount Suribachi, and had returned there in 2019, just before his 97th birthday. In an interview with WROC in Rochester before he left for Europe, Persichitti said he’d been in his cardiologist’s office when he learned about the trip. “And he says, `Go!’” he recalled his doctor telling him. “I’m really excited to be going,” he said. A retired public school teacher, Persichitti regularly spoke about his wartime experiences in schools and community gatherings, Leone said. He also wrote an autobiography for his family in 2015. Persichitti led the Pledge of Allegiance at this year’s Memorial Day remembrance in East Rochester. “He wanted,” Leone said, “to keep the memory of the sacrifices that had been made alive.” (AP)

New York City was about to launch America’s first experiment in congestion pricing – a toll for drivers entering crowded parts of Manhattan that would have cut traffic and funded much-needed improvements to the city’s public transit system.

But New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) abruptly derailed the plan Wednesday. “After careful consideration I have come to the difficult decision that implementing the planned congestion pricing system risks too many unintended consequences,” she told reporters.

The goal had been to reduce traffic in the most heavily congested city in the United States, where average travel speeds have slowed to 7 mph. Nearly every driver entering lower Manhattan would have paid a $15 toll, which was expected to raise $1 billion a year for public transportation while also reducing air pollution.

In theory, when the cost of congestion and pollution is transferred to the drivers who create it, they will cut back and use trains and buses instead of their cars. Hochul’s shift shows how difficult it will be in the United States to implement congestion pricing – a climate-friendly policy that has worked around the world in cities including London, Singapore and Stockholm.

“If New York City can’t even do this, which is a place that has viable transit alternatives to driving, then this is going to be even more difficult in other regions that don’t have good alternatives,” said Zakhary Mallett, a research fellow in city and regional planning at Cornell University.

Studies have shown congestion pricing can reduce air pollution and sometimes bring significant health benefits, such as reduced rates of childhood asthma, to urban areas that see less traffic.

The policy also would have helped New York City meet its goal of cutting greenhouse gas pollution 80 percent by 2050. Transportation is the second-biggest source of the city’s CO2 emissions behind buildings, accounting for nearly a third, according to city data.

The lost toll revenue upends plans for long-delayed upgrades to public transit in New York.

“Public transit riders, millions of us every single day, were depending on congestion pricing to deliver the reliable and accessible subway we deserve, speed up our slowest-in-the-nation buses and clear up our air,” said Danny Pearlstein, policy and communications director at the Riders Alliance, an organization of transit riders. “Now we can’t depend on any of that. It’s a massive betrayal.”

Climate activist Bill McKibben criticized Hochul’s decision for its environmental impact. “This is one of the most aggressive anti-environmental (and anti quality of urban life) actions ever undertaken by a Democratic governor,” he tweeted.

– – –

Pushback from drivers and neighboring states

New York’s congestion pricing plan faced lobbying opposition and eight lawsuits from groups representing drivers and the governor of neighboring New Jersey. Hochul – who said two weeks ago at the Global Economic Summit in Ireland that the approach was a way of “making cities more livable” – said she changed her position because she worried the tolls would hurt New York’s economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan (N.Y.), who is running for reelection in a suburban district outside the city, cheered Hochul’s announcement. “Since Day 1, I’ve fought alongside countless Hudson Valley families against this unfair, uninformed and unacceptable congestion pricing plan,” he said in a statement. “Today, I’m proud to say we’ve stopped congestion pricing in its tracks.”

But Pearlstein said the shift represents a victory for wealthier suburban drivers over public transit commuters. “Call it the revenge of the 8 percent,” he said, “because 92 percent of people are coming in already by public transit from every assembly district around the city.”

– – –

Pulling the rug from under transit funding

Nixing congestion pricing leaves the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), which is responsible for buses, commuter rail lines and the subway system, in a financial hole. The expected toll revenue would have allowed the MTA to raise a $15 billion bond to fund a subway expansion, new electric buses and rail cars, and other basic upgrades to decades-old transit infrastructure.

“Having the rug pulled out from under them is a big problem,” said Nicholas Klein, an assistant professor of city and regional planning at Cornell. “It’s unclear where the money is going to come from to replace this, or if it will at all.”

– – –

Losing an example

Hochul’s decision also derails what would have been the only example of congestion pricing in the United States.

“I think it makes it harder when Chicago or San Francisco or L.A. can’t point to New York City and say, ‘They implemented congestion pricing and it worked out,’” Klein said. “It’s harder to say ‘Look at Stockholm or Singapore or London,’ because invariably people will say ‘Well, it worked in London, but will it work in the U.S.?’”

New York was supposed to be the easiest place to try congestion pricing because so many of its residents already use public transit.

“Every other city was going to face a much steeper climb,” Pearlstein said. “It didn’t seem like congestion pricing was going to spread like wildfire, but now the situation looks immeasurably worse.”

– – –

The fight continues

Activists have been pushing for some version of congestion pricing in New York City for decades, and the most recent plan, approved in 2019, was roughly a decade in the making.

While Hochul said she directed the MTA to “indefinitely pause the program,” transit activists and researchers say they’ll keep fighting to revive it.

“The pushes are going to keep going,” Mallett said. “Whether it will happen under Kathy [Hochul]’s watch, I am uncertain, but the effort is not dead, I can promise you that.”

(c) 2024, The Washington Post · Nicolás Rivero, Oliver Staley 

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin harshly criticized Israel for its actions in Gaza, claiming they amounted to the “complete elimination of the civilian population” in the area.

Speaking with representatives from international news organizations, including AFP, Putin remarked, “What is currently happening in Gaza in response to the terrorist attack on Israel does not resemble a war at all. It is akin to the complete elimination of the civilian population.”

Putin further stated that no single nation should dominate the pursuit of peace in the Middle East, and emphasized Russia’s efforts to contribute to these peace initiatives.

He highlighted that the United States also plays a crucial role and emphasized the need for cooperation between Washington and Moscow to reach agreements.

This instance marks another occasion where Putin has openly criticized Israel regarding the conflict in Gaza.

In December, Putin addressed the situation in Gaza, saying, “What is happening there is a catastrophe – if you look at the special military operation in Ukraine, you can see the difference. What is happening in Gaza, is not happening in Ukraine at all.”

Previously, Putin had commented on the Gaza conflict, stating, “This is not acceptable to me. Two million people live there. Not all of them support Hamas.”

At that time, Kan 11 News reported that Israel had communicated a strong message to Russia, expressing its dissatisfaction and disappointment with the reactions of Russian senior officials towards the war against Hamas.

{Matzav.com}

In the wake of the decisions of Attorney-General Gali Biharav-Miara and the Supreme Court to revoke the budgets of yeshivos with talmidim who are eligible for the draft, yeshivos are facing an unprecedented financial crisis, which is growing worse and worse. Meanwhile, the Attorney-General is currently holding talks on canceling all subsidies for yeshivah bochurim, avreichim, and even at-risk Chareid youth. A number of baalei tzedaka suggested an outline to HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch for the establishment of a special fund that will raise huge sums and cover the funds being revoked by the government. After weeks of discussions, HaRav Hirsch agreed to the establishment of the fund and will serve as its Nasi. B’Ezras Hashem, the Rosh Yeshivah will travel to the US immediately after Shavuos, Chag Matan Torah, on a historic trip, that will begin with HaRav Hirsch delivering the main speech at the Lakewood Yeshivah’s Adirei HaTorah event. In addition, a special event will later be held which will be attended by additional Roshei Yeshivos from Eretz Yisrael along with prominent baalei tzedaka, at which the establishment of the fund will be officially announced. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

The Israeli military estimates that the operation in Gaza’s Rafah city will be completed within a few weeks, in line with initial estimates.

The operation is “progressing and precise,” and its objectives will be fully achieved by the end of the month, with a focus on the underground infrastructure both in Rafah itself and under the Philadelphi Corridor, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

Concurrently, IDF operations continue elsewhere in Gaza.

With the conclusion of the intensive operation in Rafah, decisions will need to be made regarding both the Gaza Strip and the situation along Israel’s northern border.

The military is preparing for campaign in the north against Hezbollah, however it has clarified that a recent call-up of an additional 50,000 reservists is related to the Rafah operation, not the situation in the north. JNS

Former President Donald Trump suggested in an interview with Newsmax on Tuesday that Democrats may face prosecution in the future, following his own conviction in the New York criminal hush money trial. Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee for November, floated the idea that his prosecution could set a precedent for political opponents to be targeted. “Does that mean the next president does it to them? That’s really the question,” Trump said. “And wouldn’t it be really bad like, as an example, Hillary with the hammering of her cellphones and all of the things she did, but wouldn’t it be terrible to throw the president’s wife and the former secretary of state — you think of it, the former secretary of state, but the president, the president’s wife, into jail?” Trump continued, “Wouldn’t that be a terrible thing? But they want to do it. So, you know, it’s like it’s, it’s a terrible, terrible path that they’re leading us to. And it’s very possible that it’s gonna have to happen to them.” Trump’s comments come after he was found guilty on 34 felony counts last week, related to falsifying business records as part of a hush money scheme during the 2016 campaign. He has said he plans to appeal the decision and has claimed that his legal problems have been orchestrated by President Biden and his administration, despite no evidence to support this claim. Attorney General Merrick Garland called Trump’s rhetoric “dangerous” in remarks on Tuesday, warning against using the justice system for political revenge. Trump, however, has continued to suggest that he could use the justice system to target his political opponents if he is re-elected, including President Biden and his family. “If elected, I would appoint a real special ‘prosecutor’ to go after the most corrupt president in the history of the USA, Joe Biden, the entire Biden crime family, & all others involved with the destruction of our elections, borders, & country itself!” Trump has said. Despite this, he has tried to downplay the idea that he’s out for revenge, saying in recent months that “success” would be his ultimate retribution. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Former President Donald Trump’s campaign has started gathering information from his prospective vice presidential candidates. Over recent weeks, they have sent vetting forms to several top contenders, according to two individuals knowledgeable about the effort.

 

One of these sources, who requested anonymity to discuss the process, revealed that North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott are among those who received requests.

Additionally, Florida Representative Byron Donalds, New York Representative Elise Stefanik, and Ben Carson, who was Trump’s competitor in 2016 and later a cabinet member, are reportedly on the list.

Various forms of paperwork have been exchanged with each candidate, according to the second source.

Representatives for the candidates did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday. Trump’s aides have noted that the list is flexible and subject to change, with the final decision resting with Trump himself.

This development follows a week after Trump was convicted by a jury in Manhattan on 34 counts of falsifying business records in his criminal hush money case. His sentencing is scheduled for next month.

Trump has indicated that he is not in a rush to announce his running mate and may wait until the Republican National Convention in July to reveal his choice for the GOP ticket.

During a Tuesday night appearance on Newsmax, Trump mentioned Scott, Burgum, Rubio, Vance, and Carson as being in the running.

{Matzav.com}