Secretary Scott Bessent: “We’re setting the stage for long-term economic growth. We were on our way to a financial crisis… With that gigantic government spending, it was unsustainable… We have taken us off that trajectory and we’re putting ourselves back on a sound trajectory.”
As the April 5 deadline approaches for TikTok to find a buyer or face a U.S. ban, Amazon has made a last-minute bid for the popular short-form video app, joining other potential buyers vying for control.
Pinchus Friedman’s kosher import business was booming, but his inventory was a disaster. “We’re juggling three databases and endless spreadsheets,” he said. His operations manager added, “Lost paperwork means products sit in customs. Replacing everything would cost a fortune.” This is a common problem in our community—businesses outgrowing old systems but dreading a full overhaul. At a Lakewood networking event, I shared Pinchus’s dilemma with Ephraim Arnstein from Bitbean. “This is exactly what we do,” Ephraim said. “Most businesses don’t need a massive new system—just targeted fixes.” Bitbean specializes in precision solutions. A Crown Heights diamond wholesaler struggled with tracking stones between setters and polishers—Bitbean built a tool that synced seamlessly with their existing system. A Monsey sheitel manufacturer was drowning in custom orders—Bitbean streamlined order management, cutting fulfillment times in half. “Most solutions cost $15,000 to $25,000,” Ephraim noted, “but they pay for themselves by solving the biggest inefficiencies first.” A month later, I visited Pinchus. “That Bitbean referral was a game-changer,” he said, showing me his sleek new dashboard. Now, all his data—inventory, order tracking, customs clearance—is in one place, with no need for a painful system migration. Success in business isn’t about tearing everything down. Sometimes, it’s about finding the missing piece that pulls your existing pieces together. For more information, contact Alex at Bitbean at alex@bitbean.com or (732) 806-1125.
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir ascended the Har Habayis in Yerushalayim on Wednesday morning, igniting a firestorm of criticism and reigniting tensions over the contentious site just days before Pesach. The visit, Ben-Gvir’s first since rejoining Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s coalition two weeks ago, drew sharp rebukes from rabbanim, political opponents, and Palestinian groups, underscoring the fragile status quo at one of the world’s most sensitive religious locations. Ben-Gvir, leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, arrived at the Har Habayis under heavy police escort early Wednesday morning, flanked by personal bodyguards and a small group of supporters. In a statement posted on X, he declared, “I went up to pray for Israel’s safety, the return of our hostages, and victory over our enemies—Har Habayis is ours, and we will not bow to threats.” The visit coincided with a record surge in Jewish visits to the Har Habayis, with over 50,000 recorded in 2024, a trend Ben-Gvir has championed despite widespread halachic prohibitions from leading rabbanim. The move drew immediate condemnation from Degel Hatorah MK Moshe Gafni, who branded it a “desecration of the sacred site” and a “provocation that risks bloodshed.” Gafni, writing in Yated Ne’eman, reiterated the near-unanimous stance of Gedolei Yisrael—past and present—that entering the Har Habayis is assur. “Ben-Gvir’s actions defy Torah and endanger Jews worldwide,” he warned. “This storming of Al-Aqsa reflects the Zionist agenda to Judaize our holy places,” a Hamas spokesman said said, echoing sentiments from Jordan and the Palestinian Authority, which called for international intervention. The U.S. State Department, recalling its August 2024 condemnation of a similar visit, urged Israel to uphold the status quo, under which Jews may visit but not daven at the site—a policy Ben-Gvir has openly sought to dismantle. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office swiftly distanced itself, stating, “The status quo on the Temple Mount remains unchanged—Minister Ben-Gvir’s actions do not reflect government policy.” The rebuttal came amid Netanyahu’s delicate balancing act with his coalition, bolstered by Otzma Yehudit’s return after a brief exit over a Gaza ceasefire deal. Yet Ben-Gvir’s defiance—he has visited the Har Habayis multiple times since 2023, including davening there in July 2024—has fueled accusations of weakness against Netanyahu from opposition leader Yair Lapid, who said, “Bibi can’t control his own government.” Gedolei HaPoskim throughout the ages including today’s leading rabbanim have ruled it is absolutely forbidden to visit Har Habayis. This is also the ruling of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. This is an Issur Kares. Sixteen years ago on Sukkos, then President Shimon Peres paid a visit to the Sukkah of the late Posek Hador, Maran HaGaon Rav Elyashiv Zt”l, during which Rav Elyashiv called on the president to prevent Jews from visiting Har Habayis, stating it is an act that that is viewed as extremely provocative by the goyim. He said everything possible must be done to avoid a religious war, and the provocateurs are playing with fire. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
While most sectors of Israeli society incite against Chareidim for not serving in the IDF, there is one group that is opposed to it. The chairwoman of the Israel Women’s Network, Prof. Daphna Hacker, recently participated in a joint conference of the University of Haifa and the Hebrew University, where she claimed that the Chareidi Chashmonaim Brigade poses a threat to women, the army, and Israeli society, Channel 14 reported. The report noted that Hacker’s claim, which prioritizes feminist considerations over the recruitment of Chareidim, was met with opposition from other participants at the conference. The Israel Women’s Network responded: “The Israel Women’s Network understands the security challenges facing the IDF, especially at this time, and supports the recruitment of Chareidim into the IDF.” “However, we warn of a serious danger to the equality of female soldiers and commanders. Women have proven their courage and contribution in the war and their significant role in the army. It is absurd that these same women, who defended the borders of the country, will now be excluded and discriminated against simply because they are women.” “We have appealed to the IDF Chief of Staff with an unequivocal demand to ensure that the recruitment of Chareidim does not lead to the creation of spaces sterile of women, a situation that would take the IDF backward and severely damage the principles of equality in the IDF.” Another organization from the opposite strata of society, the Wives of Soldiers For The Kedushah Of The Machaneh organization, responded to the Israel Women’s Network’s attempt to thwart the proper recruitment of Chareidim into the IDF, saying: “Radical feminism harms the IDF and the kedushah of the machaneh (sanctity of the camp).” They issued a statement saying: “We are wives of combat soldiers who are Shomrei Mitzvos who experience firsthand the damage of radical feminism in IDF units throughout the war in the mixing of sexes, and the harm to the ability of our husbands to serve in the army in accordance with halacha.” “Extremist organizations financed by foreign funds have negatively influenced the army through the Yahalam (Adviser to the Chief of Staff on Gender Affairs) and have discriminated against religious and Charedi men who preserve their way of life, thereby harming Israel’s security.” “We call on Defense Minister Katz to remove the influence of radical feminism from the IDF and allow soldiers who are Shomrei Torah to serve according to halachah. Only by fulfilling ‘והיה מחניך קדוש’ will there be Siyata Dishmaya to the soldiers in battle.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
The Army has released the identity of the fourth soldier who died in a training accident in Lithuania, a day after his body was recovered during a weeklong search that took hundreds of troops and other rescue workers from three nations. The 3rd Infantry Division said Wednesday the soldier was Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins, 28, of Battle Creek, Michigan. It said Knutson-Collins and two of the other soldiers who died have been posthumously promoted to the rank of staff sergeant. The other two sergeants who were promoted were Jose Duenez Jr., 25, of Joliet, Illinois, and Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, California. The other soldier who died was Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam. Their three bodies were recovered on Monday after U.S., Polish and Lithuanian armed forces and other rescuers dug their M88 Hercules vehicle out of a peat bog at the expansive Gen. Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in the town of Pabradė, 6 miles (10 kilometers) west of the border with Belarus. All four soldiers were part of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, and were on a tactical training exercise when they and their vehicle were reported missing on March 25, the Army said. The 63-ton armored vehicle was discovered the following day submerged in 15 feet (4.5 meters) of water. It took days to pull it out of the bog. Knutson-Collins, an artillery mechanic, had served in the Army for more than seven years and was assigned to 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment. He deployed to Korea in 2020. “Words cannot express how deeply this loss is felt by everyone in our unit,” said Capt. Jackson Patillo, a commander in the 1st Battalion. “Staff Sgt. Troy Collins was an exceptional friend to all of us and an irreplaceable member to our entire Fox family that we will truly miss.” There will be a formal dignified departure ceremony for the soldiers on Thursday in Vilnius, the capital, which is expected to include top Lithuanian officials and military leaders. They will eventually be transported to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. (AP)
YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of Mrs. Chaya Gutfrab A”H, the wife of Reb Yossele Gutfrab, a prominent and well-known figure in the Zichron Moshe Beis Midrash in Yerushalayim. She was 68. Mrs. Gutfrab was renowned for her exceptional Hachnosas Orchim and Chesed, and was well known by many American Yeshiva Bochrim. Born on the 22nd of Kislev, 5717 (1956) in Yerushalayim, Mrs. Gutfrab was the daughter of Rabbi Eliyahu Yehuda Lubetzky Z”L. She was known to Daven with deep Kavanah for her sons, daughters, family, and the entire Klal Yisroel, serving as an extraordinary example of modesty in her dress and conduct. She shunned worldly pleasures, and her words of wisdom and ethical teachings were likened to pearls and precious gems. Her home in the Makor Baruch neighborhood was a beacon of kindness and warmth, open to all with abundant hospitality. Day and night, she welcomed guests, offering them comfort and listening attentively to their troubles and sorrows. Her Levaya was held on at Shangar, and Kevura was to take place on Har HaZeisim. Boruch Dayan Ha’Emes. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
President Donald Trump announced reciprocal tariffs during a highly anticipated “Make America Wealthy Again” event which he said will restore the American dream and bolster jobs for U.S. workers. “American steel workers, auto workers, farmers and skilled craftsmen,” Trump said from the White House Rose Garden Wednesday afternoon. “We have a lot of them here with us today. They really suffered, gravely. They watched in anguish as foreign leaders have stolen our jobs, foreign cheaters have ransacked our factories, and foreign scavengers have torn apart our once beautiful American dream. We had an American dream that you don’t hear so much about. You did four years ago, and you are now. But you don’t too often.” “Now it’s our turn to prosper, and in so doing, use trillions and trillions of dollars to reduce our taxes and pay down our national debt,” he said. “And it will all happen very quickly. With today’s action, we are finally going to be able to make America great again, greater than ever before or. Jobs and factories will come roaring back into our country and you see it happening already. We will supercharge our domestic industrial base.” Trump was joined by members of his Cabinet for the highly anticipated announcement, which marked the first official presidential event held in the Rose Garden since Trump’s January inauguration. “For nations that treat us badly, we will calculate the combined rate of all their tariffs, nonmonetary barriers and other forms of cheating. And because we are being very kind, we will charge them approximately half of what they are and have been charging us. So the tariffs will be not a full reciprocal. I could have done that. Yes. But it would have been tough for a lot of countries,” he said. Trump pointed to the European Union, and explained the U.S. will charge its nations a 20% tariff, compared to its 39% tariffs on the U.S. Japan will see 24% tariffs compared to the 46% the country charges the U.S., while China will be hit with a 34% tariff compared to the 67% it charges the U.S. Trump rattled off the countries that will face the reciprocal tariffs, which also included nations such as Chile, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and others. Other nations will face 10% baseline tariffs, Trump said. Trump also railed against “non-tariff barriers” imposed on the U.S. Non-tariff barriers are understood as trade restrictions that limit international trade through means other than tariffs, such as quotas or regulations. Non-tariff barriers imposed by other countries on the U.S. commonly focus on agricultural goods, such as limits on meats and fresh produce the nation can export abroad. “For decades, the United States slashed trade barriers on other countries, while those nations placed massive tariffs on our products and created outrageous non-monetary barriers to decimate our industries,” Trump said. “And in many cases, the non-monetary barriers were worse than the monetary ones. They manipulated their currencies, subsidized their exports, stole our intellectual property, imposed exorbitant taxes to disadvantage our products, adopted unfair rules and technical standards, and created filthy pollution havens.” Trump said that for more than 100 years, the U.S. was a tariff-backed nation, which provided a surge of wealth. Trump added that if nations “complain” about the tariffs, they should set up shop in […]
PRESIDENT TRUMP: “My fellow Americans, this is Liberation Day… April 2, 2025 will forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn, the day America’s destiny was reclaimed, and the day that we began to make American wealthy again.”
“It’s pretty amazing when you look at the difference: 190,000 illegal crossings a year ago, 7,100 this year — and not one additional authority does this president have that the last one didn’t.”
Following rocket fire from the northern Gaza Strip on Sderot this evening, the IDF issues an evacuation warning for Palestinians in the Beit Hanoun and Jabalia area.
The owners of what was once Pennsylvania’s biggest coal-fired power plant said Wednesday that they will turn it into a $10 billion natural gas-powered data center campus designed to capitalize on the fast-growing energy demands of Big Tech companies to power artificial intelligence and cloud computing applications. The former Homer City Generating Station, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Pittsburgh, will host seven gas-fired turbines to power data centers on site with up to 4.5 gigawatts of electricity, according to the owners, an investor group named Homer City Development. That amount of electricity is enough to power about 3 million homes and would be the nation’s third-largest power generation facility after the Grand Coulee hydroelectric dam in Washington and the new Plant Vogtle nuclear power plant in Georgia, according to federal data. The project will be the largest capital investment ever in Pennsylvania, said state Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, whose district is home to Homer City. Construction is expected to begin this year and power could start flowing by 2027, the group said in a statement. The cost to prepare the site and build the data centers could exceed the initial $10 billion investment by billions more, the group said. Much of the critical infrastructure for the project is already in place from the shuttered Homer City power plant, including transmission lines connected to the mid-Atlantic and New York power grids, substations and water access, the group said. It could also supply electricity to the wider power grid, it said. The developers were awarded a $5 million state grant to extend a gas line to the property, which sits atop the prolific Marcellus Shale natural gas reservoir. Last month, the group demolished the three cooling towers and four smokestacks still standing from the former coal plant. It shut down in 2023 after 54 years in operation. The owners, Homer City Development, blamed competition with cheaper natural gas, unseasonably warm winters that demanded less power, the rising cost of coal and increasingly expensive environmental regulations. The late 2022 debut of OpenAI’s ChatGPT — built with help from Microsoft’s data centers — ignited worldwide demand for chatbots and other generative AI products that typically require large amounts of computing power to train and operate. That has sent Big Tech companies in search of new power sources, spurred interest in a new wave of nuclear reactors, revived interest in building new gas-fired plants and stoked concerns among states and federal regulators about electricity shortages. It’s also prompted utilities to delay the retirements of aging power plants and to bring nuclear power plants out of retirement, including last year’s announcement that the shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear power plant will reopen under a 20-year agreement to feed Microsoft’s data centers. (AP)
HAPPENING NOW – NYC: Community leaders, elected officials, and law enforcement gathered this afternoon at One Police Plaza in Manhattan for the annual NYPD Pre-Pesach holiday briefing.
The White House is seriously considering Iran’s proposal for indirect nuclear negotiations, even as U.S. military forces surge into the Middle East, preparing for the possibility of military strikes ordered by President Donald Trump, according to a report by Axios. The high-stakes balancing act follows a letter sent from Trump to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in which Trump reportedly delivered an ultimatum: two months to secure a new nuclear deal—or face potential consequences. Iran rejected direct talks but left the door open for indirect negotiations, to be brokered by the Gulf nation of Oman, a longtime quiet mediator between Washington and Tehran. “Iran has responded—but not on U.S. terms,” a senior U.S. official told Axios, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. “They’re not ready to sit at the table, but they haven’t walked away from it either.” While no decision has yet been made, the White House is reportedly divided: one camp pushes for diplomacy, albeit through indirect channels, while another argues the response is insufficient and urges a more forceful military posture to extract concessions. In anticipation of either outcome, U.S. troop movements and naval deployments are accelerating, signaling that Washington is preparing for both negotiation and confrontation. “We are not naïve,” one defense official noted. “Readiness is not provocation—but it is essential.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The first day of the annual Ichud Bnei HaYeshivos conference kicked off on Tuesday at the Galei Tamar Hotel in Ashkelon, bringing together community coordinators, educators, rabbinic emissaries, and Rabbonim from the Ichud representing communities across Israel. The day opened with words of blessing from HaGaon HaRav Chaim Feinstein, followed by a personal address and professional sessions focusing on their Avodas Hakodesh, practical educational tools, vision and goals, and panels featuring community Rabbonim discussing contemporary challenges. In the evening, the Ichud launched its flagship project, “Mechubarim” (Connected), aimed at strengthening the bond between Ichud representatives and yeshiva students. The night continued with a rabbinic roundtable on pressing issues, an inspiring address by HaGaon Rav Shimon Galai, and an uplifting kumzitz led by Reb Hillel Paley. View the gallery from the first day of the conference, captured by photographer Shuki Lerer. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
