Nissim Saal has released his stirring rendition of Meloich, the timeless composition originally written and recorded by the legendary Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, ז״ל. The recording is dedicated in memory of Shia Mendelowitz, ז״ל, who just months before his passing encouraged the team to bring this moving nusach composition to life. May his נשמה have an aliyah. Production Credits: Produced by: Yochi Briskman Composed by: Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate by a quarter-point Wednesday and projected it would do so twice more this year as concern grows at the central bank about the health of the nation’s labor market. The move is the Fed’s first cut since December and lowered its short-term rate to about 4.1%, down from 4.3%. Fed officials, led by Chair Jerome Powell, had kept their rate unchanged this year as they evaluated the impact of tariffs, tighter immigration enforcement, and other Trump administration policies on inflation and the economy. Yet the central bank’s focus has shifted quickly from inflation, which remains modestly above its 2% target, to jobs, as hiring has grounded nearly to a halt in recent months and the unemployment rate has ticked higher. Lower interest rates could reduce borrowing costs for mortgages, car loans, and business loans, and boost growth and hiring. “Downside risks to employment have risen,” the Fed said in a statement after its two-day meeting. Fed officials also signaled that they expect to reduce their key rate twice more this year, but just once in 2026, which may disappoint Wall Street. Before the meeting, investors had projected five cuts for the rest of this year and next. Just one Fed policymaker dissented from the decision: Stephen Miran, who President Donald Trump appointed and was confirmed by the Senate in a rushed vote late Monday just hours before the meeting began. Many economists forecast additional dissents, and the outcome suggests that Powell was able to patch together a show of unity from a committee that includes Miran and two other Trump appointees from his first term. (AP)
BREAKING: The Federal Reserve just delivered its first rate cut of 2025, lowering interest rates by 25 basis points. This move ends a streak of five consecutive meetings with no policy changes.
Utah Valley University students returning to campus Wednesday clustered silently, staring down at the still-barricaded courtyard where an assassin struck down conservative activist Charlie Kirk in an attack that upended the nation. Care stations offering stuffed animals, candy and connections to counseling dotted the campus on the first of classes since the shooting more than a week ago. On Tuesday, prosecutors charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson with capital murder and announced they will seek the death penalty, saying he confessed in a text with his romantic partner. Prosecutors revealed a series of incriminating messages, a hidden note and DNA evidence that they say connects Robinson to the killing of Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and confidant of President Donald Trump. Since the shooting, the Republican president has threatened to crack down on what he calls the “radical left” and classifying some groups as domestic terrorists. Former Democratic President Barack Obama said this week that Trump has further divided the country rather than work to bring people together. On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee called on the chief executives of Discord, Steam, Twitch and Reddit to testify on how they are regulating their platforms to prevent violence. “Congress has a duty to oversee the online platforms that radicals have used to advance political violence,” said GOP Rep. James Comer, the committee chair, signaling a shift for congressional Republicans, who had previously scrutinized online platforms for policing free speech. Hidden note in suspect’s apartment Investigators say that sometime after Robinson fired a single fatal shot from the rooftop of a campus building overlooking where Kirk was speaking to about 3,000 people on Sept. 10, he texted his partner and said to look under a keyboard. There was a note, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” according to court documents. After expressing shock, his partner who lived with Robinson in southwestern Utah, asked Robinson if he was the shooter. Robinson responded, “I am, I’m sorry.” Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said DNA on the trigger of the rifle used to kill Kirk on the campus in Orem, south of Salt Lake City, matched Robinson. He faced his first hearing in the case Tuesday, appearing on video from jail as a judge read the charges and said he would appoint an attorney to represent him. A message was left Wednesday with the county’s public defender office. Robinson’s family has declined to comment to The Associated Press since his arrest. Investigators looking at whether Robinson had help Law enforcement officials say they are looking at whether others knew about Robinson’s plans or helped. They have not said if his partner is among those being investigated but have expressed appreciation for the partner sharing information. The partner apparently never went to law enforcement after receiving the texts. Robinson remained on the run for more than a day until his parents recognized him in a photo released by authorities. Also getting a closer look is security the day of the attack. Utah Valley is conducting a review, university President Astrid S. Tuminez said Wednesday. Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox met with students and campus leaders near the shooting scene, saying he understands they might still be haunted and angry over what happened. “What you do with that anger, that’s what determines where we go from here,” he said. Was Charlie Kirk targeted over anti-transgender views? Authorities have not revealed a […]
The FBI says it has arrested Donald Henson, accused of ramming the main gate at its Pittsburgh Field Office on Wednesday. Officials say Henson then threw an American flag over the fence before fleeing, calling it a “targeted attack on the FBI.”
Israel’s new high-powered laser defense system, Iron Beam, has officially completed testing and been declared operational. The Defense Ministry says the system successfully intercepted rockets, mortars, and drones, and will be delivered to the IDF by year’s end.
Former New York Governor and current NYC mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo paid a visit to the Ohel on Monday morning in honor of the upcoming New Year. Cuomo was accompanied by Rabbi Yaacov Behrman and community activist Stephanie Knepper Basman during the visit.
School is back in session, bringing new routines — and new milestones for students. For some, this is the year they are allowed to go home to an empty house instead of an after-school program or day care. It’s a decision faced by many parents whose work or other obligations keep them from coming home until long past school release time. With after-school care often expensive and hard to find, parents have reason to encourage independence. But how can they be sure their child is ready to navigate home on their own, even if only for an hour or two? A handful of states have set age minimums. Maryland law, for example, makes it a crime to leave a child younger than 8 years old unattended. But most states leave it up to parents and guardians. Experts say between 11 and 13 years old can be a good starting point, but stress there’s more to the equation than age. And they say what’s right for one child may not be for another, even within a family. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all ordeal. And you really have to take it and understand the bigger picture,” said Jaesha Quarrels, director of child care services at Oklahoma Human Services. “Inadequate supervision is a key factor in many preventable childhood injuries and neglect cases.” Here’s what experts say to consider when deciding whether a child is ready to be home alone: Consider maturity and skills in addition to age The American Academy of Pediatrics says most children are not ready to handle emergencies until about age 11 or 12, so the organization generally recommends structured supervision until then. But it’s not that simple. Parents often want a specific answer on how old their kids have to be, but age is only one of the factors to consider, said Brian Tessmer, director of treatment and operations at Family Resources, a nonprofit agency in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “We really strongly encourage parents to look at many other factors because kids, obviously mature at different rates.” At minimum, children should be able to recite their full name, home address, phone number and the name of a parent, guardian or other emergency contact. They should also know how to reach that person, experts advise. Other things to consider are whether a child can follow rules, handle routines and keep themselves occupied with homework, toys or electronic devices. Can they dial the phone? Fix themselves a snack? Do they know where the bandages are if they need one? What if there’s a tornado warning, if they smell something burning or if a carbon monoxide detector goes off? Do they know how and when to dial 911? They can do it. Do they want to? Even having all that knowledge doesn’t mean a child is ready to get off the school bus at an unoccupied house, experts said. At a time of high anxiety for American children, there is also emotional readiness to consider. “Oftentimes as parents, because it’s convenient — we’re busy, we have things that we have to do — we just kind of leave them alone,” Quarrels said. “But we need to consider how the child feels. Are they confident? Can they handle loneliness, fear or boredom?” Communication is key, Tessmer said. “It’s a great opportunity to explain to the child that this […]
Former New York Governor and current NYC mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo paid a visit to the Ohel on Monday morning in honor of the upcoming New Year. Cuomo was accompanied by Rabbi Yaacov Behrman and community activist Stephanie Knepper Basman during the visit.
We’ve been working on this one for A WHILE, and I am excited to finally share it with you! Benny and Friends. Live in NJ. Sunday, October 12 at Newark Symphony Hall. All I’ll say for now is we have so much up our sleeves that you do not want to miss! Tickets are now live at https://t.ly/sing.ywn #WheeWantToSingWithYou
A passenger jet was chewed out for flying too close to Air Force One and taking too long to adjust course as it passed over Long Island with President Trump on board. Pilots flying Spirit Airlines Flight 1300, traveling from Fort Lauderdale to Boston, were scolded by an air traffic controller Tuesday after they tried warning them they were rapidly closing in on the president’s plane altitude and flight path as it was en route to the United Kingdom. Audibly frustrated, the controller delivered one final tongue-lashing: “Pay attention! Get off the iPad.”
The U.S. House committee has called the CEOs of Discord, Steam, Twitch, and Reddit to testify on October 8 regarding online user radicalization in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, according to an official statement.
President Donald Trump has vowed to do away with voting by mail, but some of his Republican allies in two Western battleground states are taking a more cautious approach. U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, one of two candidates with Trump’s endorsement in the Arizona governor’s race, does not support the elimination of mail voting altogether, though he previously questioned it after Trump’s 2020 defeat. His primary challenger, developer Karrin Taylor Robson, also is backed by Trump but hasn’t gone as far as Biggs to declare where she stands on eliminating mail voting. The dilemma highlights a recurring challenge some GOP candidates face heading into next year’s midterm elections. They’re scrambling to balance their allegiance to Trump against the desire for convenience among many Republican voters. That’s especially sensitive in the Arizona governor’s contest, where Trump has taken the unorthodox approach of giving his full-throated endorsement to both Biggs and Taylor Robson. In an election cycle that historically tends to go against the sitting president’s party, Trump’s sweeping condemnation of mail voting gives swing-state Republicans one more reason to worry. Republicans helped by mail voting GOP strategist Barrett Marson said mail voting helped Republicans win Arizona races in the 2024 election, when Trump won the state overall by more than five percentage points and the party expanded its legislative majority. “President Trump and his campaign had a very successful ballot-chasing program in 2024, and so it would be nice for him to understand sort of the way that works and how successful he was in that endeavor,” Marson said. Trump won about 51% of the 2,882,741 votes cast early in-person and by mail in Arizona. In a television interview last month, state Republican Party Chair Gina Swoboda also said the ballot chase and early vote “helped deliver this election for Republicans.” Although mail voting remains popular with voters, Trump on Truth Social last month called for an end to the practice, with exceptions for those who are very ill and “The Far Away Military.” Earlier this month, he announced the relocation of U.S. Space Command from Colorado to Alabama, calling Colorado’s universal mail voting system a “big factor.” Arizona margins have shrunk, and mail voting skepticism has grown Trump has long cast doubt on mail voting, claiming it’s a pathway to fraud even though there is no evidence of widespread problems. He sent conflicting messages about it in 2024 as Republicans made a strategy shift to focus on early voters ahead of the presidential election. “President Trump is committed to ensuring that every vote cast is done in a secure and transparent fashion to restore trust and integrity back to American elections,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in an email Tuesday. In Arizona, where about 85% of voters statewide cast a mailed ballot, the issue is particularly salient. Taylor Robson and Biggs themselves both have been casting mail ballots for nearly two decades. Arizona Republicans pioneered a vote-by-mail expansion in the 1990s. But in recent years, the state has been whipsawed by election integrity conspiracies, which have thrived in part because of vote-counting delays in Maricopa County, the state’s population center. Trump, for example, lost statewide to former President Joe Biden in 2020 by 10,457 votes, or 0.3% of the nearly 3.4 million ballots cast, and falsely claimed the election was stolen. Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes beat her GOP opponent in a 2022 election recount by only 280 votes, or 0.01 percentage points. Maricopa […]
A joint U.S.-U.K. flyover soared over Windsor Castle during President Trump’s state visit. The aerial display was part of an unprecedented military ceremony marking the strength of the UK-U.S. defense and security relationship
Tensions continue to mount as Israeli authorities have stepped up arrests of bnei Torah seeking to travel to Uman for Rosh Hashanah. According to reports from Peleg Yerushalmi, approximately 25 additional yungeleit and bochurim were taken into custody at Ben Gurion Airport over the past two days. This comes following the arrest of close to 30 individuals earlier in the week, with the group claiming that more than 70 are currently being held by military authorities. Each year, tens of thousands of Yidden from across the globe make their way to the kever of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov in Uman for the Yomim Nora’im. This year’s Rosh Hashanah falls on September 23–24, and many have already begun their journeys. Representatives of Shas and United Torah Judaism have appealed to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and senior officials to ensure that yeshiva bochurim are not prevented from fulfilling the minhag of traveling to Uman due to draft-related arrests. However, Israel’s Attorney General has insisted that the government cannot establish any special arrangement to allow those classified as “draft evaders” to leave the country, declaring such measures “illegal.” At a Knesset hearing on Wednesday, Maj.-Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa, head of the IDF’s Personnel Directorate, acknowledged that despite these arrests, many of the detained bnei Torah ultimately avoid conscription due to loopholes in the system. Nevertheless, the IDF indicated that arrests may intensify in the coming days as more travelers head to the airport. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
