A federal board has voted to rename two Alaska landmarks with offensive names. Nazi Creek and Nip Hill (an anti-Japanese reference) will now carry names meaning “Gizzard Creek” and “Gizzard Hill” in the local Unangam Tunuu language.
The U.S. Supreme Court permitted Trump to proceed with scaling back the Department of Education by lifting a lower court order that had reinstated nearly 1,400 laid-off employees and blocked the transfer of key functions to other federal agencies.
The IDF has publicly confirmed the deaths of three soldiers who were killed during combat operations in Gaza. The fallen soldiers are Staff Sergeant Shoham Menahem, Sergeant Shlomo Yakir Shrem, and Sergeant Yuliy Fakto.
Alongside the tragic loss of the three servicemen, an officer from the 52nd Battalion of the 401st Armored Brigade sustained critical injuries during the same confrontation. He was transported to a medical facility for urgent care, and his family has been informed.
The Efrat municipality released a statement honoring one of the soldiers, saying, “Shlomo was a tank crewman in the 401st Brigade, the son of Shaul and Hindi, residents of Rimon. Our hearts go out to his family in their difficult time and we send our condolences to his parents, sister and two brothers. The members of the council will be by the side of the family and will accompany them hand in hand on their difficult and painful journey.”
In tribute to his sacrifice, the town has announced plans to line the roads with Israeli flags as a gesture of solidarity and mourning during his funeral procession.
Sergeant Shlomo Shrem will be buried on Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. in the military cemetery located in Kfar Etzion. Prior to that, a funeral service will be held at the family’s residence, located at 4 Ma’ale Ya’ara Street in Efrat.
{Matzav.com}
U.S. President Donald Trump will make an unprecedented second state visit to the U.K. between Sept. 17 and 19 when he will be hosted by King Charles II and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace said Monday. Trump, who is a big supporter of the royal family, particularly of the monarch, will be accompanied by his wife, Melania Trump during the three-day visit, the palace confirmed. No U.S. president has been invited for a second state visit. Trump previously enjoyed the pomp and pageantry of the state visit in 2019 during his first term when he was hosted by Charles’ late mother, Queen Elizabeth II. The invitation for the second state visit from the king was hand-delivered by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in February during a meeting at the White House. After reading it, Trump said it was a “great, great honor” and appeared particularly pleased by the fact he will be staying at Windsor Castle, to the west of the capital. “That’s really something,” he said. Precedent for second-term U.S. presidents who have already made a state visit is usually tea or lunch with the monarch at Windsor Castle, as was the case for George W. Bush and Barack Obama. State visits are ceremonial meetings between heads of state that are used to honor friendly nations and sometimes smooth relations between rivals. While the king formally issues the invitation for a state visit, he does so on the advice of the elected government. The visit is seen as part of Starmer’s effort to keep Trump close and lessen the impact of some of his polices on the U.K. The relationship between the two appears amicable, and has helped the U.K. from facing the sort of hefty U.S. tariffs that other nations are seeing. But like Trump’s previous visit, it’s unlikely he will be welcomed by all. Last time, a day of protests saw the flying of a giant blimp depicting Trump as an angry orange baby from outside Parliament. Lawmakers from Starmer’s Labour Party have also questioned whether the honor should be extended to Trump at a time that he is supporting Israel’s war in Gaza and threatening the sovereignty of allies such as Canada and Greenland. Charles could also face some challenges during the visit because he is head of state of both the United Kingdom and Canada, which Trump has suggested should become the 51st U.S. state. During a speech to the Canadian parliament in May the king highlighted Canada’s “unique identity” and “sovereignty,” while echoing the words of the country’s national anthem when he said “The True North is indeed strong and free.” State visits to Britain are particularly prized by heads of state because they come with a full complement of royal pomp and circumstance, including military reviews, carriage rides and a glittering state banquet hosted by the monarch. The events normally take place in and around Buckingham Palace in central London. But like last week’s state visit from French President Emmanual Macron and his wife Brigitte, the Trumps will stay at Windsor Castle. Buckingham Palace is undergoing extensive remodeling. (AP)
In a landmark decision that is already sparking widespread debate, Israel’s High Court of Justice has ruled that women must be permitted to sit for the rabbinical ordination exams administered by the Chief Rabbinate. Justice Noam Sohlberg, delivering the ruling, ordered that a previous conditional injunction be converted into a binding, final order—effectively obligating the Rabbinate and the Religious Services Ministry to open the exams to women, even if they are not intended to serve as rabbis.
The ruling states: “Preventing women—darshaniyot, tzidkaniyot, and chachmaniyot—from taking the tests administered by the Chief Rabbinate constitutes unlawful discrimination. There is no sufficient justification for this exclusion—indeed, no justification at all.”
Justice Sohlberg sharply criticized what he described as a double standard in the current policy: “The Chief Rabbinate and the Ministry for Religious Services seek to have it both ways—on the one hand, barring women from the exams by claiming they are only meant for rabbinic ordination, which they argue is unavailable to women; on the other hand, allowing any man to sit for the exams and receive certificates and various benefits, regardless of whether he actually intends to serve as a rabbi. This approach is clearly untenable.”
The petition, filed by a group of women who have studied halacha in various institutions, argued that barring them from the exams is a violation of the principle of equality. The Rabbinate responded that the exams are solely for official rabbinical positions, roles to which women are not appointed under current guidelines. But Justice Sohlberg rejected this argument, stating that without a separate testing mechanism for women, there is no legitimate basis to exclude them from the existing system.
{Matzav.com Israel}
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday he will campaign for mayor of New York City as an independent candidate, staying in a crowded field running against surging left-wing Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani. In a video, Cuomo, who last month suffered a bruising loss to Mamdani in the Democratic primary, announced he was making another run to combat the progressive Mamdani, who he said “offers slick slogans but no real solutions.” “The fight to save our city isn’t over,” Cuomo said. “Only 13 percent of New Yorkers voted in the June primary. The general election is in November and I am in it to win it.” Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams also is running as an independent in the general election and Curtis Sliwa — founder of the 1970s-era Guardian Angels anti-crime patrol — is again on the Republican line. People opposed to Mamdani’s progressive agenda, which includes higher taxes on the wealthy, have called on donors and voters to unite behind a single candidate for the November election. They fear multiple candidates will splinter the anti-Mamdani vote, increasing the Democrat’s chances to win. The decision to continue on in the race is the latest chapter in Cuomo’s comeback attempt, launched almost four years after he resigned as governor in 2021 following a barrage of harassment allegations. He denied wrongdoing during the campaign, maintaining that the scandal was driven by politics. Cuomo was treated as the presumed frontrunner for much of the Democratic primary, with the former governor boasting deep political experience, universal name recognition and a juggernaut fundraising operation. He limited media interviews, held few unscripted events and avoided mingling with voters. That strategy contrasted with Mamdani’s energetic street-level campaign centered around affordability issues. The 33-year-old amassed a legion of young volunteers who blanketed the city to build support, while the candidate’s savvy social media persona won him national acclaim. Lagging behind Mamdani in the vote count, Cuomo conceded the race last month on primary night. Final results released after the city ran through its ranked choice voting calculations showed Mamdani besting the former governor by 12 percentage points. Despite the Democratic primary loss, Cuomo had also qualified to run on an independent ballot line in November under a party he created called “Fight and Deliver.” As he weighed whether to stay on as an independent, Cuomo began losing support from traditional allies. Key labor unions backed Mamdani and the Rev. Al Sharpton, an influential Black leader, urged Cuomo to step aside. Some deep-pocketed contributors have meanwhile aligned behind Adams, who is running as an independent. Although he’s still a Democrat, Adams pulled out of the primary shortly after a federal judge dismissed a corruption case against him at the request of President Donald Trump’s Justice Department, arguing that the case had sidelined him from campaigning. Cuomo, 67, served as governor for over a decade and modeled himself as a socially progressive Democrat who got things done. He pushed through legislation that legalized alternative marriages and tackled massive infrastructure projects, like a three-mile bridge over the Hudson River that he named after his father. Cuomo’s national profile peaked in the early days of the nation’s coronavirus outbreak during his televised daily briefings. The governor leavened stern warnings for people to wear masks with heartfelt expressions of concern for his […]
The IDF issued an unusual statement on Monday stating that the Air Force attacked several Syrian tanks in the area between A-Sijin and Samia in southern Syria. A security source said that the attack was directed at a number of Syrian tanks that crossed the border that Israel defined in the buffer zone near the border on the Golan Heights. The Syrian tanks were seen near the areas of unrest in the A-Suwayda province, where fierce clashes have erupted in recent days between local Druze and armed Bedouin groups, some with the backing of the Syrian regime. Dozens of Druze were killed in the fighting, and dozens were injured. The IDF attack on forces of Syria’s new government was intended to protect the local Druze. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
President Donald Trump stated that progress is being made regarding the situation in Gaza, hinting that a breakthrough may be on the horizon. “We’re doing pretty well on Gaza,” he said, adding, “we could have something fairly soon to talk about.”
Back on June 27, Trump had forecast that a ceasefire might be reached “within the next week,” signaling optimism about a potential resolution.
While speaking from the Oval Office, Trump made critical remarks about Israel’s 2005 disengagement from Gaza, referring to the decision as “one of the worst real estate deals ever made.”
“They gave up the oceanfront property… [and] it was supposed to bring peace… [but] it brought the opposite,” Trump says.
{Matzav.com}
The IDF has announced the deaths of three soldiers and the serious injury of an officer during heavy fighting in the Jabaliya area of northern Gaza earlier today. The incident occurred around noon and involved a tank belonging to the 401st Armored Brigade’s 52nd Battalion. The IDF initially believed the tank had been struck by RPG fire launched by Hamas. However, the military now suspects the explosion may have been caused by a malfunctioning shell that detonated inside the turret. The fallen soldiers were identified as: Staff Sgt. Shoham Menachem hy”d, 21, of Yardena Sgt. Shlomo Yakir Shrem hy”d, 20, of Efrat Sgt. Yuliy Faktor hy”d, 19, of Rishon Lezion All three served in the same battalion and were taking part in the IDF’s ongoing ground operations against Hamas and other terror groups entrenched in Gaza. The wounded officer was evacuated to an Israeli hospital in serious condition. His family has been notified. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Millions of people receive a federal tax deduction for the interest they pay on home loans. Under President Donald Trump’s new tax-cut law, many people for the first time also could claim a tax deduction for interest on their vehicle loans. The new tax break will be available even to people who don’t itemize deductions. But there are some caveats that could limit its reach. The vehicles must be new, not used. They must be assembled in the U.S. And the loans must be issued no sooner than this year, to list just a few qualifications. Here are some things to know about the new auto loan interest tax deduction: Candidate Trump promised an auto loan interest tax break Trump pledged while campaigning last year to make interest on car loans tax-deductible. He said it would make car ownership more affordable and “stimulate massive domestic auto production.” The idea made it into the big tax-cut bill passed by Congress, which Trump signed into law July 4. The law allows taxpayers to deduct up to $10,000 of interest payments annually on loans for new American-made vehicles from 2025 through 2028. It applies to cars, motorcycles, sport utility vehicles, minivans, vans and pickup trucks weighing less than 14,000 pounds, a threshold referred to as light vehicles. But it only applies to vehicles purchased for personal use, not for fleets or commercial purposes. The tax break can be claimed starting on 2025 income tax returns. But the deduction phases out for individuals with incomes between $100,000 and $150,000 or joint taxpayers with incomes between $200,000 and $250,000. Those earning more cannot claim the tax break. Millions of buyers could benefit, but millions of others will not U.S. automobile dealers sold 15.9 million new light vehicles last year, a little over half of which were assembled in the U.S, according to Cox Automotive. It says around 60% of retail sales are financed with loans. After excluding fleet and commercial vehicles and customers above the income cutoff, an estimated 3.5 million new vehicle loans could be eligible for the tax break this year, if purchasing patterns stay the same, said Jonathan Smoke, chief economist at Cox Automotive. It’s the assembly plant, not the automaker’s headquarters that matters The tax break applies to vehicles assembled in the U.S., no matter where the company making them is headquartered. All Tesla vehicles sold in the U.S. are assembled in this country. But so are all Acura brands, the luxury model of Japanese automaker Honda. Last year, 78% of Ford vehicles sold in the U.S. were assembled in this country, according to Cox Automotive. But customers wanting the tax break will need to pay attention to specific models. While the Ford Mustang is assembled in Michigan, the Mustang Mach-E is built in Mexico. General Motors assembles all of its Cadillacs in the U.S. But just 44% of its Chevrolets sold last year were assembled in the U.S., and just 14% of Buicks, according to Cox Automotive. That’s a lower U.S-assembled rate than Honda (60%), Toyota (52%) and Nissan (48%), which all are headquartered in Japan. Taxpayers could save hundreds of dollars a year The average new vehicle loan is about $44,000 financed over six years. Interest rates vary by customer, so the savings will, too. In general, the tax deduction will decline after […]
Gardenia Blue has been approved by the FDA as the 4th natural food dye to replace replace synthetic dyes: “Today I am announcing the FDA is approving gardenia blue as a natural food dye with natural ingredients.”
After Trump’s remarks on Russia, the Moscow Stock Exchange index rose over 2.5%, climbing from 2,640 to 2,700 points. Analysts note the market expected harsher measures from Trump.
Initial images show a destroyed AN/FSC-78 Satellite Communications Terminal, part of the U.S. Air Force’s Modernization Enterprise Terminal at Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, following last month’s Iranian ballistic missile attack.
More than a thousand avreichim from the “Chofetz Chaim B’Iyun” Kollel network, under the leadership of HaGaon HaTzaddik Rabbi Mordechai Shmuel Edelstein, gathered this week for their annual conference at the Armonot Chen Hall in Bnei Brak. The major event was graced by the presence of Gedolei Yisroel, members of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, Roshei Yeshiva, rabbanim, and marbitzei Torah who deliver Torah to the masses. The central keynote address was delivered by the Rosh Yeshiva, HaGaon Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch. PHOTOS FOR YWN VIA SHUKI LERER
The simmering coalition crisis surrounding the chareidi draft law has erupted into a dramatic showdown. On Monday night, Degel HaTorah lawmakers were instructed to immediately resign from the government and coalition following an urgent letter from Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch and Rav Dov Landau. The unprecedented directive includes stepping down from all parliamentary roles.
The move came after it became clear that Likud has no intention of advancing the draft law in the form that had been previously promised to the chareidi parties. In anticipation of a full withdrawal, Degel HaTorah MKs gathered at the office of MK Moshe Gafni to begin preparing resignation letters.
The handwritten note declared: “Since the governing authorities are showing an intent to degrade lomdei Torah and have failed to uphold their commitments — my view is that participation in the government and coalition must cease immediately.”
At the same time, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu — furious over the delay in moving the draft bill forward — personally went to the office of Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yuli Edelstein on Monday evening, entering through a rear entrance to avoid media attention.
Sources indicate that Netanyahu attempted to apply direct pressure on Edelstein to finalize and present the law. A senior coalition official commented: “Edelstein is behaving like Yoaz Hendel — stalling for time, pretending to be statesmanlike, while the government is collapsing from within.”
Despite the chaos, coalition insiders remain cautiously hopeful. “The chareidi pressure has had an effect,” one source said. “We’re hopeful that a draft version of the law will finally be presented tonight.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
More than 20 states sued President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday over billions of dollars in frozen education funding for after-school care, summer programs and more. Some of the withheld money funds after-school and summer programming at Boys & Girls Clubs, the YMCA or public schools, attended by 1.4 million children and teenagers nationwide. Congress set aside money for the programs to provide academic support, enrichment and child care to mostly low-income families. But Trump’s administration recently froze the funding, saying it wants to ensure recipients’ programs align with the Republican president’s priorities. Led by California, the lawsuit alleges withholding the money violates the Constitution and several federal laws. Many low-income families will lose access to after-school programs if the money isn’t released soon, according to the suit. In some states, school restarts in late July and early August. Darleen Reyes drove through a downpour last week to take her son to a free Boys & Girls Club day camp in East Providence, Rhode Island. She told camp administrators the flash flood warning would have kept her away, but her son insisted on going. Before kissing his mother goodbye, Aiden Cazares, 8, explained to a reporter, “I wanted to see my friends and not just sit at home.” Then he ran off to play. After-school programs for the fall are in jeopardy In Rhode Island, the state stepped in with funding to keep the summer programs running, according to the Boys & Girls Club of East Providence. Other Boys & Girls Clubs supported by the grants have found ways to keep open their summer programs, said Sara Leutzinger, vice president for communications for the Boys & Girls Club of America. But there isn’t the same hope for the after-school programming for the fall. Some of the 926 Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide that run 21st Century Community Learning summer and after-school programs stand to close if the Trump administration doesn’t release the money in the next three to five weeks, Leutzinger said. The YMCA and Save the Children say many of the centers they run are also at risk of shuttering. “Time is of the essence,” said Christy Gleason, executive director of the political arm of Save the Children, which provides after-school programming for 41 schools in rural areas in Washington state and across the South, where school will begin as soon as August. “It’s not too late to make a decision so the kids who really need this still have it.” Schools in Republican-led areas are particularly affected by the freeze in federal education grants. Ninety-one of the 100 school districts that receive the most money from four frozen grant programs are in Republican congressional districts, according to an analysis from New America, a left-leaning think tank. Of those top 100 school districts, half are in four states: California, West Virginia, Florida and Georgia. New America’s analysis used funding levels reported in 2022 in 46 states. Republican officials have been among the educators criticizing the grant freeze. “I deeply believe in fiscal responsibility, which means evaluating the use of funds and seeking out efficiencies, but also means being responsible — releasing funds already approved by Congress and signed by President Trump,” said Georgia schools superintendent Richard Woods, an elected Republican. “In Georgia, we’re getting ready to start the school year, so I call on federal […]
A senior Egyptian official has voiced sharp opposition to Israel’s proposed military redeployment in Gaza, warning that the plan could jeopardize regional stability and even prompt a reassessment of the Camp David peace accords. In an interview with Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the official — a member of Egypt’s security delegation involved in ongoing ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas — condemned Israel’s plan to maintain a military presence throughout Rafah and establish a sprawling tent city for displaced Gazans near the Egyptian border. “This would create a human bomb at the Egyptian border, which would pose a clear threat to Egypt’s national security,” the official said. He revealed that Egypt has already bolstered its military presence in Sinai’s Zone C — an area where military deployment is limited under the Camp David Accords — in direct response to what it views as Israeli violations of the agreement. “This buildup is a message,” the official said, noting that Egypt may reconsider its decades-old peace treaty with Israel if it concludes that Israeli actions in Gaza present a concrete threat to its security. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The town of Efrat issued a statement Monday evening mourning the loss of Sergeant Shlomo Shrem, who fell in combat while serving in Gaza.
“Shlomo was a tank crew member in the 401st Brigade, the son of Shaul and Hindi, residents of Rimon. Our hearts go out to his family in their difficult time and we send our condolences to his parents, sister and two brothers. The members of the council will be by the side of the family and will accompany them hand in hand on their difficult and painful journey,” the message from the municipality stated.
In tribute, the municipality expressed its intention to line the streets with Israeli flags as a sign of respect as Shlomo is brought to his final resting place.
The funeral for Shlomo Shrem will take place on Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the military cemetery in Kfar Etzion. The levayah will begin from the family’s home, located at 4 Ma’ale Ya’ara Street in Efrat.
{Matzav.com Israel}
U.S. Ambassador to NATO: “We moved the burden off the American taxpayer for European defense, and onto European taxpayers, where it should be. The traditional defense of Europe is now going to be borne by the European population.”
U.S. Ambassador to NATO: “The days of the United States sending unlimited taxpayer dollars to defend Ukraine are over… President Trump has made a very smart decision and agreement with NATO, which says Europe and Canada will pay for the weapons — the United States will manufacture them.”
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