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A correctional officer pleaded guilty to manslaughter Monday in connection with the killing of inmate Robert Brooks, whose brutal beating while handcuffed at an upstate New York prison was recorded by officers’ body cameras. Christopher Walrath, 36, was one of six guards charged with second-degree murder in the Dec. 9 beating at the Marcy Correctional Facility. He pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter during a hearing at state court in Utica. The plea deal calls for him to get a 15-year prison sentence. Under questioning by Judge Robert Bauer and a prosecutor, Walrath admitted that he beat Brooks, put him in a chokehold and struck his body and groin. He also admitted that he lied to investigators about what happened. Walrath appeared somber with his hands clasped in front of him as he answered the questions with either “yes” or “correct.” Remaining free on posted bail, Walrath and his attorney did not comment while leaving the courthouse. He is the first of the six guards charged with murder to take a plea deal. His sentencing is set for Aug. 4. A special prosecutor, Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick, said, “I felt based on the evidence I had of Mr. Walrath’s involvement and the extent of the blows that he inflicted on Mr. Brooks — which, in my judgment, were non-lethal — that by his plea admitting that he acted in concert with the other defendants, I think it may expedite the other individuals to enter pleas, or may not.” Brooks’ son Robert Brooks Jr., who was at the hearing, said in a statement afterward that, “This is one important but modest step on the long road to justice for my father.” “Now, Mr. Walrath’s life is in the hands of prison officials. This must be a terrifying prospect for him and his family, knowing what staff is capable of, and how little the system values the lives of incarcerated people,” the victim’s son said. “I pray that Mr. Walrath has the opportunity in prison to rehabilitate himself, and come out a better man.” In addition to the six guards who were charged with murder, three workers at the prison about 180 miles (290 kilometers) northwest of New York City were charged with manslaughter and another was charged with evidence tampering. Four prison workers, including Walrath, have reached plea agreements, according to prosecutors. Brooks began serving a 12-year sentence for first-degree assault in 2017. He was transferred to Marcy from a nearby lockup shortly before he was beaten to death. The bodycam videos show officers beat Brooks, who was on a medical examination table with his hands cuffed behind his back. Officers are seen striking him in the chest with a shoe, lifting him by the neck, and dropping him. Brooks died the next day. The beating drew widespread condemnation and calls for reforms. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who said she was “outraged and horrified” by the videos, appointed a new superintendent for the prison. She also ordered state officials to initiate proceedings to fire 13 correctional officers and a nurse implicated in the attack. Fitzpatrick also is prosecuting guards in the fatal beating of Messiah Nantwi on March 1 at another Marcy lockup, the Mid-State Correctional Facility. Ten guards were indicted in that case last month, including two who are charged […]

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President Donald Trump addressed the growing Israeli military campaign in Gaza on Monday, offering remarks about the unfolding humanitarian crisis in the region.

“We’re going to help the people of Gaza get some food. People are starving, and we’re going to help them get some food,” Trump said in response to a question about his stance on Israel’s current military actions.

He went on to criticize Hamas for worsening the situation. “A lot of people are making it very, very bad. If you look, Hamas is making it impossible because they’re taking everything,” he stated.

Trump emphasized that his concern lies with the suffering civilians in Gaza, asserting, “We’re gonna help the people of Gaza, because they’re being treated very badly by Hamas.”

{Matzav.com}

A high-ranking defense official gave a detailed briefing on the upcoming phase of military operations in Gaza, named “Operation Gideon’s Chariots.” He clarified that the mission’s ultimate objective is “to defeat and subdue Hamas in Gaza and release all hostages.”

The official explained that the strategy was developed by the IDF Chief of Staff and top commanders, and it has received the green light from both the Defense Minister and the Prime Minister. “In accordance with the plan formulated by the Chief of Staff and the IDF Command and approved by the Minister of Defense and the Prime Minister, the IDF will increase its forces and act forcefully to defeat and subdue Hamas and destroy its military and governmental capabilities, while creating strong pressure for the release of all the hostages. A strong protective envelope will be provided to the forces maneuvering from land, air, and sea, while using heavy equipment to neutralize explosive devices and destroy threatening structures.”

A core component of the strategy, the source added, involves minimizing civilian casualties and separating the civilian population from combatants. “A central component of the plan is the broad evacuation of the entire Gazan population from the fighting zones, including northern Gaza, to areas in southern Gaza, while creating a separation between them and Hamas terrorists – in order to allow the IDF operational freedom of action. Unlike in the past, the IDF will remain in any area that is conquered, in order to prevent the return of terrorism, and will handle any area that is cleared in accordance with the Rafah model, where all threats were eliminated and it became part of the security zone.”

He also addressed concerns about humanitarian needs during the operation, saying a carefully monitored plan has been designed to ensure aid reaches civilians without strengthening Hamas. “A humanitarian plan will be implemented, as presented yesterday by the IDF and approved by the cabinet, that distinguishes between the aid and Hamas by using civilian companies and designating areas that will be secured by the IDF. This includes a sterile zone in the Rafah area beyond the Morag route, where entrants will be screened by the IDF to prevent Hamas operatives from gaining access.”

The official emphasized that the IDF will not launch the full-scale ground operation until President Donald Trump finishes his regional trip in ten days. That window, he said, provides Hamas with one last opportunity to agree to the terms of a hostage deal. “The military’s preparations ahead of the ground maneuver will create a window of opportunity — until the end of the US president’s visit—for a hostage deal under the ‘Witkoff model.’ In such a scenario, Israel will seek to retain territory that has been cleared and incorporated into the buffer zone beyond the March lines. Under any temporary or permanent arrangement, Israel will not withdraw from the security buffer zone around Gaza, which is intended to protect Israeli communities and prevent weapons from being smuggled to Hamas.”

He concluded with a warning: if Hamas refuses to accept a deal within the timeframe, the full-scale assault will commence. “If no hostage deal is reached, Operation ‘Gideon’s Chariots’ will begin with great force and will not end until all its objectives are achieved.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

The Trump administration says it is going to pay immigrants in the United States illegally who’ve returned to their home country voluntarily $1,000 as it pushes forward with its mass deportation agenda. The Department of Homeland Security said in a news release Monday that it’s also paying for travel assistance and that those people who use an app called CBP Home to tell the government that they plan to return home will be “deprioritized” for detention and removal by immigration enforcement. “If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest. DHS is now offering illegal aliens financial travel assistance and a stipend to return to their home country through the CBP Home App,” Secretary Kristi Noem said. President Donald Trump has made immigration enforcement and the mass deportation of immigrants in the U.S. illegally a centerpiece of his campaign, but that is a costly, resource-intensive endeavor. While the Republican administration is pushing Congress for a massive increase in resources for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement department responsible for removing people from the country, it’s also pushing people in the country illegally to “self-deport.” (AP)

A record-breaking number of participants took part in the latest World Zionist Congress elections, with over 238,000 individuals casting their votes, according to the American Zionist Movement (AZM), which oversaw the process.

This vote plays a crucial role in deciding how billions of dollars in funding are distributed annually to Jewish and Israeli institutions and programs.

The election, which was conducted online over an eight-week period and concluded yesterday, saw nearly double the number of voters compared to the 2020 elections, AZM reported.

The final tally will also include several thousand paper ballots submitted by mail, with official results expected in the coming weeks.

This election shattered previous records for Jewish American participation in Zionist elections, overtaking the prior high set in 1987 when 210,957 people voted exclusively by paper ballot.

American representatives selected in this election — totaling 152 delegates, about a third of the global body — will play a decisive role in formulating the policies of the Zionist movement and steering the allocation of more than $1 billion each year via key organizations such as the World Zionist Organization (WZO), the Jewish Agency (JAFI), the Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF), and Keren Hayesod.

“This turnout is not just historic — it’s a message,” said AZM Executive Director Herbert Block. “American Jews are saying loud and clear: We’re here, we care, and we’re voting for the future of the Jewish people.”

Voting took place through the website zionistelection.org and was open to American Jews 18 and older who are either U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Voters could not be participants in Israeli Knesset elections.

This year’s election featured an unprecedented 22 competing slates, representing a broad ideological spectrum. Participants included groups ranging from progressive Zionists and environmental activists to chareidi factions and those staunchly opposed to the two-state solution.

The 39th gathering of the World Zionist Congress is slated to take place in Yerushalayim from October 28 to 30, 2025.

With more than 2,900 candidates from 43 states and territories vying for a place at the table, this election could represent a watershed moment, not only for the future direction of Zionist institutions, but also for shaping the dynamic between Israel and Jewish communities across the globe.

{Matzav.com}

The Israeli cabinet has resolved to postpone the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the circumstances that enabled the October 7th massacre, opting to delay action despite Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara’s insistence that an immediate decision was needed.

In a formal communication addressed to the Prime Minister and other ministers, Baharav-Miara emphasized that “a state commission of inquiry is the proper mechanism considering the issues discussed, the commission’s authority, and its expertise.”

Nevertheless, the cabinet dismissed the recommendation, citing the current military escalation in Gaza as justification for holding off on a probe. “Now is not the time to investigate,” the ministers concluded in their decision.

Instead of launching a commission straightaway, the cabinet said that it and the Knesset would begin the process of drafting legislation that would “create a special state commission of inquiry that will represent the various opinions and will be trusted by the majority of the public.”

This approach carries weighty implications, as passing a dedicated law to form such a commission is a complex and potentially time-consuming legislative process.

Additionally, the cabinet informed the Supreme Court that it intends to submit an update on the matter within 90 days, instead of by the May 11th deadline previously set by the Attorney General.

Responding to the delay, Opposition Leader MK Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid said: “The only meaning of not establishing a commission of inquiry is that October 7th will happen again and again.”

Lapid further criticized the Prime Minister for similarly trying to avoid investigations in previous cases such as the Meron tragedy and the Submarine Scandal. However, he insisted, “A state commission of inquiry will certainly be created.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Photographer Doug Mills wins the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography with this photo of President Trump at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

President Trump signs Executive Order to rebuild U.S. prescription drug manufacturing.

Former Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday repeatedly invoked the Constitution and said it is what “binds us all together” after receiving the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. Pence received the award for his refusal to go along with President Donald Trump’s efforts to remain in office after losing the 2020 election. The award recognizes Pence “for putting his life and career on the line to ensure the constitutional transfer of presidential power on Jan. 6, 2021,” the JFK Library Foundation said. “To forge a future together, we have to find common ground,” Pence said. “I hope in some small way my presence here tonight is a reminder that whatever differences we may have as Americans, the Constitution is the common ground on which we stand. It’s what binds us across time and generations. …. It’s what makes us one people.” His comments came hours after an interview with Trump aired in which he was asked whether U.S. citizens and noncitizens both deserve due process as laid out in the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution. Trump was noncommittal. “I don’t know. I’m not, I’m not a lawyer. I don’t know,” Trump said when pressed in an interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker. It was taped Friday at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida and aired Sunday. Pence never mentioned Trump during his 10-minute speech but made several references to the Trump administration. Referencing what he called “these divided times, in these anxious days,” he acknowledged that he probably had differences with the Democrats in the room but also with his own Republican Party “on spending, tariffs and my belief that America is the leader of the free world and must stand with Ukraine until the Russian invasion is repelled and a just and lasting peace is secured.” Trump pressured Pence to reject election results from swing states where the Republican president falsely claimed the vote was marred by fraud. Pence refused, saying he lacked such authority. When a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, some chanted that they wanted to “hang Mike Pence.” Pence was whisked away by Secret Service agents, narrowly avoiding a confrontation with the rioters. “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify,” Trump wrote at the time on X, formerly Twitter, as rioters moved through the Capitol and Pence was in hiding with his family, aides and security detail inside the building. Pence rejected the Secret Service’s advice that he leave the Capitol, staying to continue the ceremonial election certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential victory once rioters were cleared. In describing his role, Pence told the audience that “by God’s grace I did my duty that day to support the peaceful transfer of power under the Constitution of the United States of America.” “Jan. 6 was a tragic day but it became a triumph of freedom. History will record that our institutions held,” he said in his speech. “Leaders in both chambers, in both political parties reconvened the very same day and finished democracy’s work under the Constitution.” JFK’s daughter, Caroline Kennedy, who along with his grandson Jack […]

President Trump is presented with an Electoral College vote record for the 2024 election from the House of Representatives:

Massive fires are currently raging at Hodeidah Port, Yemen after tonight’s heavy Israeli airstrikes.

New wild footage shows the massive Israeli airstrikes targeting Yemen tonight.

A Jewish man from Turkey has been taken into custody after traveling to Israel in April, according to a report by the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS).

Umut Ataseven, 29, who had been employed as a visa and passport officer for Turkish Airlines at Istanbul Airport, spent several days in Israel as a tourist from April 6 through April 12. While there, he uploaded a photo to social media showing himself posing with an Israeli flag in Tel Aviv.

The image sparked backlash on X, with users falsely claiming that Ataseven was an Israeli national, a soldier in the IDF, and involved in what they described as a “genocide” being carried out in Gaza.

After returning to Turkey, Ataseven was immediately dismissed from his position at Turkish Airlines and was placed under arrest just a few hours later. Although he was released shortly after, he is still facing legal action. He is now required to check in with police twice weekly and is barred from leaving the country.

Under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rule, Turkey has increasingly embraced Islamist policies and authoritarian governance. Since the Hamas-led atrocities on October 7, Erdogan has aligned himself with.

{Matzav.com}

Several dozen roshei yeshiva representing the Litvish, Chassidish, and Sefardic Torah worlds in Eretz Yisroel gathered on Monday at the home of the venerable sar haTorah, Maran Rav Dov Landau shlit”a, to confront the escalating gezeiros against yeshivos. With government threats looming — including the potential arrest of yeshiva bochurim for refusing army enlistment — the rabbanim convened to deliberate next steps. After lengthy discussion, a consensus was reached: the situation demands immediate international action. Plans are now underway for a second Keren Olam HaTorah mission to the United States, following the historic success of last year’s campaign. Despite his advanced age of 95 and recent surgery following a broken bone, Rav Dov shlit”a expressed an unwavering desire to participate once again, saying he wants to do everything he can for Keren Olam HaTorah. Rav Dov requested tefillos from the tzibbur that he should have the strength to travel once more to America on behalf of the yeshivos. The meeting was marked by remarkable achdus, with roshei yeshiva from all backgrounds joining together with one voice and one mission: to secure the future of Torah in Eretz Yisroel. Askanim involved say the trip is tentatively planned for shortly after Shavuos. Last year’s inaugural campaign brought in over $100 million for yeshivos and drew tens of thousands of participants to events across the U.S., Canada, and South America. Updates on the campaign and Rav Dov’s health will be forthcoming in the weeks ahead. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A radar and communication outage at Newark Liberty International Airport left air traffic controllers blind and deaf for a harrowing minute and a half, according to a source who spoke with The New York Post. The cause was reportedly a burnt copper wire that shorted out a critical system.

The breakdown, which occurred on April 28, incapacitated the Federal Aviation Administration’s control capabilities and has since led several air traffic controllers at the Philadelphia operations center to take leave due to psychological distress, according to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA).

United Airlines has placed the blame for widespread delays at Newark — the second most active airport in the New York metro area — on the FAA, citing that roughly 20% of controllers “walked off the job” after the incident. The airline says this staffing gap forced them to cancel dozens of flights daily.

“Air traffic controllers in Area C of the Philadelphia TRACON (PHL), who are responsible for separating and sequencing aircraft in and out of Newark Airport (EWR), temporarily lost radar and communications with the aircraft under their control, unable to see, hear, or talk to them,” a NATCA spokesperson explained in a statement.

Those affected by the situation took time off under the Federal Employees Compensation Act, which provides support for federal workers who suffer physical or emotional trauma due to work-related incidents.

Since the start of the crisis last Friday, Newark Liberty has seen over 400 flight cancellations and nearly 2,000 delayed departures and arrivals.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) demanded a federal probe into the incident, noting the scale of the disruption at an airport that handled 49 million passengers last year.

“The technology is old and must be updated. One of the things that happened at Newark is a copper wire burnt. Why are we using copper wire in 2025? Have they heard of fiber?” Schumer remarked.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also criticized the FAA’s outdated technology as a key reason for the chaos.

“We use floppy disks. We use copper wires,” he said. “The system that we’re using is not effective to control the traffic that we have in the airspace today.”

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby addressed the airline’s customers in a letter, stating that the relocation of Newark’s control operations to Philadelphia last summer was intended to alleviate traffic congestion at other nearby airports, but staffing issues have plagued the facility for years. He also identified the technical malfunction as the trigger for the cascading problems.

Kirby announced that United would be trimming its Newark schedule by 35 roundtrip flights per day and reiterated the claim that 20% of the airport’s controllers had “walked off the job” following the incident. That claim, however, was strongly denied by the controllers’ union.

{Matzav.com}

New York Attorney General Letitia James is backing federal intervention in a case she says exposes “profoundly disturbing” discrimination against Orthodox Jews in the Town of Forestburgh, NY — a small Hudson Valley municipality now at the center of an explosive civil rights battle. In a letter sent Monday to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Attorney General James threw her support behind federal involvement in Lost Lake Holdings, LLC v. Town of Forestburgh, a lawsuit alleging that town officials deliberately weaponized zoning laws and administrative red tape to block a major housing development intended for Chasidic Jewish families. “The assertion that the Town of Forestburgh denied land use applications based on the religious identity of the developers and the potential use of the property by Orthodox Jewish residents is profoundly disturbing,” James wrote, urging prosecutors to enforce the Fair Housing Act and other federal anti-discrimination statutes. The letter follows a March filing by the U.S. Department of Justice, which issued a scathing Statement of Interest in support of the developers, arguing that the town’s actions amount to systemic religious discrimination. DOJ attorneys allege that Forestburgh officials—motivated by anti-Semitic bias—reopened a 14-year-old environmental review, imposed inflated tax assessments, and repeatedly denied building permits in a coordinated effort to sabotage a 2,627-home project by Lost Lake Holdings. Internal emails cited by the DOJ reveal the chilling extent of the town’s animus. In one, a planning board chair urged colleagues, “Don’t be scared about the Hasidic threat—we’re energized and have the cash to fight and make their lives miserable.” Another widely circulated email called Orthodox Jews a “sect notorious for misogyny and child abuse,” warning of their community’s alleged “destruction” of Forestburgh. Attorney General James has previously demanded that Forestburgh revise Local Law 3, which imposes what her office described as discriminatory zoning restrictions specifically targeting houses of worship and Orthodox Jewish residents. Agudath Israel of America has also been active in challenging the town’s conduct. Representatives including Rabbis Avi Schnall, Yeruchim Silber, and Shragi Greenbaum, along with klal askan Chaskel Bennett and the Sullivan County JCC, have all spoken out before the town board — only to be ignored. The lawsuit alleges millions in lost revenue and reputational damage for Lost Lake Holdings, while raising urgent concerns about the weaponization of local government against minority faith groups. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A teenager who admitted being “addicted to speed” behind the wheel had totaled two other cars in the year before he slammed into a minivan at 112 mph (180 kph) in a Seattle suburb, killing the driver and three of the five children she was transporting for a homeschool co-op. After sentencing Chase Daniel Jones last month to more than 17 years in prison, the judge tacked on a novel condition should he drive again: His vehicle must be equipped with a device that prevents accelerating far beyond the speed limit. Virginia this year became the first state to give its judges such a tool to deal with the most dangerous drivers on the road. Washington, D.C., already is using it and similar measures await governors’ signatures in Washington state and Georgia. New York and California also could soon tap the GPS-based technology to help combat a recent national spike in traffic deaths. “It’s a horror no one should have to experience,” said Amy Cohen, who founded the victims’ advocacy group Families for Safe Streets after her 12-year-old son, Sammy Cohen Eckstein, was killed by a speeding driver in front of their New York home more than a decade ago. Turning tragedy into activism Andrea Hudson, 38, the minivan driver who was killed when Jones ran a red light, was building a backyard greenhouse with her husband to help educate several kids who shuttle between homes during the school day, her father, Ted Smith, said. Also killed in the March 2024 crash near Hudson’s home in Renton, Washington, were Boyd “Buster” Brown and Eloise Wilcoxson, both 12, and Matilda Wilcoxson, 13. Hudson’s two children were sitting on the passenger side and survived, but they spent weeks in a hospital. “You always hear of these horrific accidents, and it’s always far away, you don’t know anybody. But all of a sudden, that’s my daughter,” Smith said. “This guy did not swerve or brake. And it was just a missile.” Smith knew Washington state Rep. Mari Leavitt, who reached out to offer condolences and tell him she was sponsoring legislation to mandate intelligent speed assistance devices as a condition for habitual speeders to get back their suspended licenses. Leavitt predicts it will have an even more powerful impact than revoking driving privileges, citing studies showing around three-quarters of people who lose their licenses get behind a wheel anyway. Between 2019 and 2024, the state saw a 200% increase in drivers cited for going at least 50 mph (80 kph) over the speed limit, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. “I guess I don’t understand why someone is compelled to want to drive that fast,” Leavitt said. “But if they choose to drive that fast with the speed limiter, they can’t. It’s going to stop them in their tracks.” The measure, which Washington legislators passed last month and Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson is expected to soon sign, is called the BEAM Act, using the first letters of the names of the four victims: Buster, Eloise, Andrea and Matilda. Because Jones, 19, didn’t receive a speeding ticket in his two previous crashes, he likely wouldn’t have been required to use the speed-limiter ahead of the fatal one. And because it could be 2029 before the law takes effect, the judge’s requirement at sentencing only applies to his time on probation after being released from […]

At a gathering of his political faction, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir outlined a new approach to the issue of humanitarian aid for Gaza.

“The only aid that should enter Gaza is to allow them voluntary emigration. As long as we have hostages languishing in tunnels, I don’t understand why we are even discussing this,” said Ben-Gvir.

He emphasized that no form of humanitarian relief should be granted by any means. “Aid should not be allowed through humanitarian organizations, private organizations, or assistance through the IDF. As long as there are hostages, the enemy should not receive food, electricity, or any other assistance.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Democrats gear up for more visits to El Salvador and even Honduras to visit deported criminal aliens.