In the wake of Zohran Mamdani’s stunning first-place finish in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary, President Donald Trump unleashed a scathing and deeply personal tirade against the 33-year-old socialist lawmaker — warning that his rise marks a dangerous new chapter for the Democratic Party and the country at large. “Democrats have crossed the line by elevating a 100% Communist Lunatic,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Wednesday morning, reacting to Mamdani’s upset victory over former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who conceded the race late Tuesday after trailing by roughly 70,000 votes. Trump, never one to hold back, turned his fire not just on Mamdani’s politics but his appearance, intelligence, and supporters. “He looks TERRIBLE, his voice is grating, he’s not very smart, he’s got AOC+3 — Dummies ALL — backing him,” Trump wrote. “Even our Great Palestinian Senator, Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, is groveling over him. Yes, this is a big moment in the History of our Country!” The “AOC+3” label is Trump’s long-used nickname for the progressive congressional bloc led by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, joined by Reps. Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib — all of whom have expressed support for Mamdani’s candidacy. Trump’s broadside follows a night of political whiplash in New York, where Mamdani — a self-described democratic socialist and Queens assemblyman — toppled one of the state’s most recognizable political figures in Cuomo. The upset has sparked elation among progressives and concern across much of the Democratic establishment. In a follow-up post dripping with sarcasm, Trump said the party should go all-in: “The Democrats should nominate Low IQ Candidate, [Congresswoman] Jasmine Crockett, for President, and AOC+3 should be, respectively, Vice President and three High Level Members of the Cabinet. Added together with our future Communist Mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, and our Country is really SCREWED!” Trump’s comments were not without political resonance. In Mamdani, Republicans believe they’ve found a symbol of Democratic extremism heading into 2026 — one they hope to use to fuel their messaging nationwide. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Kan News Arab affairs commentator Roi Kais wrote on X on Wednesday that shortly before the outbreak of the war with Iran, a young Chassidish man from New York visited Jewish kehillos in Iran. Kais wrote, “He documented the visit and left the country before the war broke out.” “The young American, who in the meantime does not want to reveal his identity due to the tensions between the two countries, visited markets in Tehran and other cities while traveling with a local ‘guide’ assigned to him by the regime.” “He videoed himself traveling by train with the ‘guide’ while the songs ‘Mi Shebeirach’ for IDF soldiers and HaTikvah were playing in the background.” The Chassid has visited almost 50 countries throughout the world and documents his adventures on Instagram, Arutz Sheva reported. He visited Iran only two weeks before the war as part of his dream to visit every country in the world. He owns his own communications company and works remotely while traveling around the world with his wife of two years. “I had to go everywhere with a guide who followed me to make sure I wasn’t spying” he said. “The regime is cruel and restricts the movements of tourists.” However, he said he received a warm welcome from Iranians on the street, even after identifying himself as an American Jew. They were excited to meet him and offered him free fruits and vegetables. He added that Iranians were not afraid to denounce the regime to him, telling him that it was “cruel” and they hoped it would be replaced. He wrote on his account, “I left Iran a few days before the war started. I can say the people in Iran were truly welcoming and nice to me. Everyone gave me a smile and invited me to their country.” “YES, the regime/government are terrorists. Even the locals hate them. But Iranians are really nice and normal people. I pray for the civilians in Iran.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
Kan News Arab affairs commentator Roi Kais wrote on X on Wednesday that shortly before the outbreak of the war with Iran, a young Chassidish man from New York visited Jewish kehillos in Iran. Kais wrote, “He documented the visit and left the country before the war broke out.” “The young American, who in the meantime does not want to reveal his identity due to the tensions between the two countries, visited markets in Tehran and other cities while traveling with a local ‘guide’ assigned to him by the regime.” “He videoed himself traveling by train with the ‘guide’ while the songs ‘Mi Shebeirach’ for IDF soldiers and HaTikvah were playing in the background.” The Chassid has visited almost 50 countries throughout the world and documents his adventures on Instagram, Arutz Sheva reported. He visited Iran only two weeks before the war as part of his dream to visit every country in the world. He owns his own communications company and works remotely while traveling around the world with his wife of two years. “I had to go everywhere with a guide who followed me to make sure I wasn’t spying” he said. “The regime is cruel and restricts the movements of tourists.” However, he said he received a warm welcome from Iranians on the street, even after identifying himself as an American Jew. They were excited to meet him and offered him free fruits and vegetables. He added that Iranians were not afraid to denounce the regime to him, telling him that it was “cruel” and they hoped it would be replaced. He wrote on his account, “I left Iran a few days before the war started. I can say the people in Iran were truly welcoming and nice to me. Everyone gave me a smile and invited me to their country.” “YES, the regime/government are terrorists. Even the locals hate them. But Iranians are really nice and normal people. I pray for the civilians in Iran.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
Local immigration police raided a slaughterhouse in the Mirigama area of Sri Lanka on Monday and arrested five shochtim and Rabbanim who were carrying out shechita for the local Jewish community, Kikar H’Shabbat reported. The Rabbanim, from Israel, Australia, and Italy, arrived in the area in recent weeks to help the kehilla perform shechita. According to the police, they were charged with the violation of immigration laws by performing work and religious activity while in the country on a visitor visa only. After their arrest, they were deported from the country. The Jewish kehilla in the island country, which numbers several hundred people, was shocked by the arrests. Sources in the kehilla said that the arrests were the result of malicious betrayal by an individual who harasses the community at every opportunity and involves the government in order to persecute the Jewish community. The sources said that the campaign includes attempts to close one of the Jewish community centers in the country and the use of all existing laws to restrict Jewish activity and prevent the growth of the community. Community officials fear that the arrests are a dangerous precedent that could deter Rabbanim, shochtim, and other senior public figures from coming to Sri Lanka and assisting the kehilla. In their statements, they called on international Jewish organizations to intervene and put pressure on the Sri Lankan government to stop what they call a “systematic policy of persecution.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
When the ceasefire between Israel and Iran went into effect on Tuesday morning, HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Zilberstein spoke briefly after serving as the sandak at the bris milah of his great-grandson. Among other things, he said, “Today is a day of transformation. What nissim Hakadosh Baruch Hu did for us! It’s indescribable. All the nations of the world are against us, and Am Yisrael rises like a lion— doesn’t ask any questions—and defies everyone, like a lion that asks no questions.” “This is a very great day. A transformation has occurred—we’re returning to the yeshivos, returning to avodas hakodesh, returning to complete security. Baruch Hashem, we’re on top. They killed all those who needed to be killed, all the reshaim. These are nissim, like no other, neis after neis.” “The nations of the world have decided that the war is over, no more war. And b’ezras Hashem, we’re now returning to kollel. From here—straight to kollel.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s new vaccine advisers alarmed pediatricians Wednesday by announcing inquiries into some long-settled questions about children’s shots. Opening the first meeting of Kennedy’s handpicked seven-member panel, committee chairman Martin Kulldorff said he was appointing a work group to evaluate the “cumulative effect” of the children’s vaccine schedule — the list of immunizations given at different times throughout childhood. Also to be evaluated, he said, is how two other shots are administered — one that guards against liver-destroying hepatitis B and another that combines chickenpox protection with MMR, the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. It was an early sign of how the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is being reshaped by Kennedy, a leading antivaccine activist before becoming the nation’s top health official. He fired the entire 17-member panel this month and replaced it with a group that includes several anti-vaccine voices. “Vaccines are not all good or bad,” Kulldorff said. “We are learning more about vaccines over time” and must “keep up to date.” His announcement reflected a common message of vaccine skeptics: that too many shots may overwhelm kids’ immune systems or that the ingredients may build up to cause harm. Scientists say those claims have been repeatedly investigated with no signs of concern. Kids today are exposed to fewer antigens — immune-revving components — than their grandparents despite getting more doses, because of improved vaccine technology, said Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The American Academy of Pediatrics announced Wednesday that it would continue publishing its own vaccine schedule for children but now will do so independently of the ACIP, calling it “no longer a credible process.” “The narrative that current vaccine policies are flawed and need ‘fixing’ is a distortion,” said the AAP’s Dr. Sean O’Leary. “These policies have saved trillions of dollars and millions of lives.” The ACIP, created more than 60 years ago, helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determine who should be vaccinated against a long list of diseases, and when. Those recommendations have a big impact on whether insurance covers vaccinations and where they’re available, such as at pharmacies. After Kennedy’s abrupt dismissal of the existing expert panel, a number of the CDC’s top vaccine scientists — including some who lead the reporting of data and the vetting of presentations at ACIP meetings — have resigned or been moved out of previous positions. And shortly before Wednesday’s meeting, a Virginia-based obstetrician and gynecologist appointed to the committee stepped down. According to the Trump administration, he withdrew during a customary review of members’ financial holdings. Scientists show data that COVID-19 vaccines protect pregnant women and kids First on the committee’s agenda Wednesday were COVID-19 vaccinations. Kennedy already sidestepped the panel and announced the vaccine will no longer be recommended for healthy children or pregnant women. Yet CDC scientists told the panel that vaccination is “the best protection” during pregnancy, and said most children hospitalized for COVID-19 over the past year were unvaccinated. COVID-19 remains a public health threat, resulting in 32,000 to 51,000 U.S. deaths and more than 250,000 hospitalizations since last fall, according to the CDC. Most at risk for hospitalization are seniors and children under 2 — especially infants under 6 months who could have some protection if their mom got vaccinated during pregnancy, according […]
The United Kingdom will buy 12 U.S.-made F-35A fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear bombs and will join NATO’s shared airborne nuclear mission, in a major expansion of its nuclear deterrent, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Wednesday. The government called it “the biggest strengthening of the U.K.’s nuclear posture in a generation.” Starmer made the announcement while attending a NATO summit in the Netherlands. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte welcomed the decision, calling it “yet another robust British contribution to NATO.” The U.K. phased out air-dropped atomic weapons in the 1990s after the end of the Cold War. Its nuclear arsenal now consists of submarine-based missiles. Only three NATO members – the U.S., Britain and France – are nuclear powers, while seven nations contribute to the alliance’s nuclear mission by contributing jets that can carry either conventional or weapons or American B61 bombs stockpiled in Europe. The use of nuclear weapons by the U.K. as part of the mission would require the authorization of NATO’s nuclear planning group as well as the U.S. president and British prime minister. Marion Messmer, from the international security program at the Chatham House think tank, said the government had avoided saying whether U.S. nuclear weapons would be based on British soil, a move that would likely be controversial. “The U.K. doesn’t have any nuclear weapons itself that could be deployed via this aircraft,” Messmer said. “Other states in NATO that participate in this mission also host U.S. nuclear weapons on their territory – these weapons remain entirely under U.S. control.” Starmer also announced that the U.K. will provide 350 air defense missiles to Ukraine, funded by 70 million pounds ($95 million) raised from interest on seized Russian assets. The announcements come as the U.K. and other NATO members pledge to increase spending on security to 5% of gross domestic product by 2035. The total includes 3.5% on defense and another 1.5% on broader security and resilience efforts. The U.K. currently spends 2.3% of national income on defense and says that will rise to 2.6% by 2027. (AP)
Legislation introduced Wednesday in Congress would block Chinese artificial intelligence systems from federal agencies as a bipartisan group of lawmakers pledged to ensure that the United States would prevail against China in the global competition over AI. “We are in a new Cold War, and AI is the strategic technology at the center,” said Republican Rep. John Moolenaar of Michigan, chairman of the House Select Committee on China, as he opened a hearing on the matter. “The future balance of power may very well be determined by who leads in AI.” About five months ago, a Chinese technology startup called DeepSeek introduced an AI model that rivaled platforms from OpenAI and Google in performance, but cost only a fraction to build. This raised concerns that China was catching up to U.S. despite restrictions on chips and other key technologies used to develop AI. That race is now a central part of the U.S.-China rivalry, and so much is at stake that the U.S. must win, witnesses told the committee. The two countries are “in a long-term techno-security competition that will determine the shape of the global political order for the coming years,” said Thomas Mahnken, president and CEO of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. Jack Clark, co-founder and head of policy at Anthropic, said AI has built-in values. “I know that AI systems are a reflection of the societies that are built from. AI built in democracies will lead to better technology for all of humanity. AI built in authoritarian nations will … be inescapably intertwined and imbued with authoritarianism,” Clark said. “We must take decisive action to ensure America prevails.” Earlier this year, Chris Lehane, OpenAI’s head of global affairs, told reporters that the U.S. and China were the only two countries in the world that could build AI at scale. The competition, which he described as one between democratic AI and autocratic AI, is “very real and very serious,” and the stakes are “enormous,” he said, for “the global rails of AI will be built by one of those two countries.” The 2025 AI Index Report by Stanford University’s Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence center has the U.S. in the lead in producing top AI models. But the report noted China is rapidly closing the performance gap, reaching near parity in 2024 on several major benchmarks. It also showed that China leads in AI publications and patents. At the hearing, Clark urged the lawmakers to maintain and strengthen export controls of advanced chips to China. “This competition fundamentally runs on compute,” he said. The U.S. must control the flow of powerful chips to China, Clark said, “or else you’re giving them the tools they will need to build powerful AI to harm American interests.” Mark Beall, Jr., president of government affairs at The AI Policy Network, said there are “a number of very glaring gaps” in the U.S. export controls that have allowed China to obtain controlled chips. Lawmakers earlier this year introduced a bill to track such chips to ensure they would not be diverted to the wrong hands. The bill announced Wednesday would ban Chinese AI systems in the federal government. Sponsors are Reps. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., and Darin LaHood, R-Ill., and Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Gary Peters, D-Mich. “The U.S. must draw a hard […]
Trump administration moves to count crypto as a federal mortgage asset The Federal Housing Finance Agency is working to let borrowers use crypto as part of their federal mortgage applications without converting it to cash. Only digital assets held on U.S.-regulated, centralized exchanges will qualify under the new guidance. Fannie and Freddie must design safeguards to account for crypto’s volatility and submit their plans to the FHFA.
Border Czar Tom Homan issues a warning to Zohran Mamdani for vowing to block ICE from deporting criminal aliens if he becomes mayor of NYC: “Good luck. Federal law trumps him every day, hour, and minute. We’re going to be tripling down in NYC.”
Following footage from today showing Hamas militants seizing food trucks that entered the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz instructed the IDF to present plans to prevent Hamas from taking control of the aid, PMO says.
NEW: Sen Chuck Schumer was taken to the hospital Wednesday, his office says. “Leader Schumer was at the Senate gym this morning and got lightheaded. Out of an abundance of caution, he went to the hospital to be treated for dehydration & is now back at work in the Capitol.” His name for Tehillim was not available.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe: “CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran’s Nuclear Program has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes.”
CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed Wednesday that recent U.S. and Israeli strikes caused severe damage to Iran’s nuclear program. In a statement posted to X, Ratcliffe said the CIA has credible intelligence—including from a trusted source—that key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and will take years to rebuild. “CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran’s Nuclear Program has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes,” he wrote. Ratcliffe added that the agency is still gathering intelligence and will keep officials and, when possible, the public informed. The statement directly contradicts leaked reports that suggested the strikes had limited impact. Ratcliffe said those reports were based on illegally sourced information and do not reflect the CIA’s current assessment. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
JACKSON, NJ – A frum entrepreneur from Jackson has launched a groundbreaking new invention that’s already transforming lives: a system that allows people with low vision—including elderly Gedolim—to read and learn again with clarity and ease. The device, called OrahVision, lets users simply place down any sefer, paper, or document. The system instantly adjusts lighting, corrects curvature, sharpens the text, and displays a large, clear, high-contrast image on screen. Users can turn pages, zoom in and out, and even ask questions about the text—all with a single tap. “It’s so intuitive that people in their 90s who’ve never used technology are now using it daily to learn,” says Yisroel Wahl, the creator of OrahVision. Wahl explains that the project began as a personal mission. “A close family member’s vision was deteriorating. He spends his life learning, and the existing magnifiers made it nearly impossible to get through more than a few words. I put my life on hold to build a real solution,” he says. “With tremendous Siyata Dishmaya, here we are.” Once Wahl posted a video of the system in action, the response was immediate. “Calls came in from all over the world. People are desperate for something like this—and until now, it didn’t exist.” The stories have been deeply moving. “There are people who had basically given up,” he says. “One man immediately got emotional. He said he’d be able to learn the Parsha for the first time in four years. An elderly woman who had all but given up on life found her spirit again. The stories don’t stop.” OrahVision is now available to the public in early adopter release. To order or learn more, email yisroel@orahvision.com, call or WhatsApp 732‑637‑9674, or visit OrahVision.com.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs will likely push up inflation in the coming months, even as some Republican senators suggested the chair was biased against the duties. On the second day of his twice-yearly testimony before the House and Senate, Powell said that consumers will likely have to shoulder some of the cost of the import taxes. Most Fed officials support cutting rates this year, Powell added, but the central bank wants to take time to see how inflation changes in the months ahead. “There will be some inflation from tariffs coming,” Powell said under questioning from members of the Senate Banking Committee. “Not yet, but over the course of the coming months.” Powell noted that the duties would likely cost hundreds of billions of dollars annually, and “some of that is going to fall on the consumer. We’re just kind of waiting to see more data on that.” Some GOP senators criticized Powell, however, for characterizing tariffs as a potential driver of inflation. Sen. Pete Ricketts, a Republican from Nebraska, argued that the duties could simply act as a one-time increase in prices that wouldn’t fuel inflation. And Sen. Bernie Moreno, a Republican from Ohio, echoed some of Trump’s complaints about Powell’s reluctance to cut rates and accused Powell of political bias. “You should consider whether you are looking at this through a fiscal lens or a political lens because you just don’t like tariffs,” Moreno said. Powell didn’t respond. But the Fed chair reiterated that most central bank officials do support cutting the Fed’s key rate this year. And Powell added that it is possible that tariffs won’t increase inflation by very much. Trump has sharply criticized Powell for not reducing borrowing costs, calling him a “numbskull” and a “fool.” Trump has pushed for rate cuts in order to reduce the interest costs the federal government pays on its debt. Yet some Fed officials have pushed back against that view, saying that it’s not their job to lower the government’s borrowing costs. Also Wednesday, at a post-NATO summit press conference, Trump said he had candidates in mind to replace Powell, presumably for when Powell’s term as chair ends in May 2026. Trump has previously threatened to fire Powell, but the Supreme Court has signaled that a president probably doesn’t have the legal authority to remove the Fed chair. “I know, within three or four people, who I’m going to pick,” Trump said, calling Powell a “very stupid person.” So far, inflation has steadily cooled this year despite widespread concerns among economists about the impact of tariffs. The consumer price index ticked up just 0.1% from April to May, the government said last week, a sign that price pressures are muted. Compared with a year ago, consumer prices rose 2.4% in May, up from a yearly increase of 2.3% in April. Yet most economists on Wall Street expect that Trump’s tariffs will lift inflation this year, to about 3% to 3.5% by the end of this year. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the senior Democrat on the banking committee, told reporters before the hearing that the Fed would likely be cutting rates if it wasn’t for the threat of higher prices posed by tariffs. When the Fed reduces its key rate, it […]
U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff revealed on Wednesday that additional countries are expected to join the Abraham Accords in the near future. Speaking in an interview with CNBC, Witkoff said, “We think we have big announcements on countries coming into the Abraham Accords,” though he did not name which nations may be involved. Witkoff also addressed ongoing talks with Iranian officials regarding their nuclear program. “There’s a strong sense that Iran is ready,” he said, expressing optimism about reaching a broader peace agreement. According to Witkoff, the current negotiations are centered on establishing a civilian nuclear program in Iran—but with one major condition: “It cannot have enrichment.” He made clear that any return to uranium enrichment by Tehran would be a dealbreaker. “It is a red line if Iran tries nuclear enrichment again,” he stated. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The second to last stop of Keren Olam Hatorah’s monumental campaign took place in Toronto on Monday. Departing from Lakewood to Toronto at daybreak following Shacharis, the delegation included Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rav Dovid Cohen, Rav Malkiel Kotler, and Rav Yosef Chevroni. They were joined by senior organizers of the campaign, including R’ Reuven Wolf, R’ Shimon Glick, R’ Baruch Jeremias, and R’ Yitzchok Rokowsky—each of whom have crisscrossed North America on behalf of the Keren. Their first stop in Toronto was at the home of R’ Ariel Mashiyev, who warmly welcomed the delegation. Mr. Tzvi Belsky, the CEO of Keren Olam Hatorah, shared a remarkable detail: R’ Mashiyev had never been solicited for support. Instead, he approached the Keren on his own the previous year, giving a substantial donation unprompted. “This year, he increased his support even further,” Mr. Belsky noted, “and such generosity, the Midrash says, brings Hashem’s rachmanus upon all of Klal Yisroel.” The delegation continued to the home of R’ Shimshi Gross, where Rav Dovid Cohen spoke. Quoting Chazal, he said, “In the generation when Mashiach will come, there will be increasing opposition to talmidei chachamim and decrees upon decrees. This is chevlei Mashiach. In galus, we have no refuge but the Torah.” The gathering was further uplifted by the presence of Harav Don Segal shlit”a, who addressed the group via video. “Supporting Keren Olam HaTorah is the call of the hour,” Rav Don declared. “Those who take part in this effort will be zocheh to immense siyata d’Shmaya, in both gashmiyus and ruchniyus.” Further visits followed at the homes of R’ Ben Zion Heitner, R’ Dennis Cohen, and R’ Yaakov Kaplan. At each stop, the Gedolim engaged in conversations with their hosts, offering brachos and expressing appreciation for their communal involvement. At the Kaplan residence, Rav Moshe Hillel note that “Limud haTorah strengthens emunah, and that elevates kevod Shamayim in the world.” Rav Dovid Cohen added, “This entire journey is for kevod haTorah. And when hosts open their homes in honor of Torah, they become its partners.” At the home of R’ Barry Reichmann, Rav Moshe Hillel invoked the Midrash that “no one was zocheh Torah unless they were moser nefesh for it.” He explained, “Yissachar sacrifices to learn. Zevulun sacrifices to give beyond what seems possible. That, too, is mesirus nefesh l’kavod Shamayim.” The final private meeting was held at the home of R’ Bentzi Friedman. The campaign concluded with a community-wide asifah attended by thousands. After an electrifying address by Rav Ephraim Wachsman, speaking at the maamad, Rav Moshe Hillel delivered a stirring message: “Our goal in life is to ascend—to rise in madreigah, not remain static. A decline in Torah in Eretz Yisroel would be a tragedy not only for us, but for the Ribbono Shel Olam. Our mission now is to rise higher.” Rav Dovid Cohen added: “Chazal tell us that to be spared from chevlei Mashiach, one must engage in Torah and chessed. Torah is the light that upholds Klal Yisroel. Those who support Torah in Eretz Yisroel will merit to greet Mashiach bimheirah b’yameinu, Amen.”
