Deaths of ethnic Azerbaijanis rounded up by police for decades-old murders in a Russian city. The crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet that Baku blamed on Moscow. Growing ties between Azerbaijan and Turkey, along with waning Russian influence in the troubled South Caucasus region. These are among the factors that have led to the escalating tensions between Russia and Azerbaijan, the oil-rich Caspian Sea country where President Ilhan Aliyev has been in power since 2003 — almost as long as the 25-year rule of Vladimir Putin in Russia. Here is a look at the previously warm relationship between Russia and Azerbaijan and what has happened: Economic ties between Russia and Azerbaijan Russia and Azerbaijan developed strong economic and cultural ties after 1993 when Aliyev’s father, Heydar, who also was Azerbaijan’s Soviet-era Communist boss, became president. Like Putin, the younger Aliyev has suppressed political foes and restricted independent media. Azerbaijan has bought oil and natural gas from Russia to meet internal demand while exporting its own energy riches to the West. Russia also has been the main market for Azerbaijan’s fruit and vegetable exports. It also is a key transport corridor for Russia’s trade with Iran and other partners in the Middle East. Azerbaijani businessmen control significant assets in construction, real estate, trade and other sectors of the Russian economy. Russia is home to a sizable Azerbaijani diaspora. A 2021 census listed about a half-million ethnic Azerbaijanis living in Russia, but unofficial estimates put that number as high as 2 million. Relations with Baku have become increasingly important for the Kremlin since it sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, especially as Turkey has become a key economic partner for Russia as it faced sweeping Western sanctions. The Karabakh separatist conflict Just before the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, an open confrontation erupted between two of its former republics in the South Caucasus — Azerbaijan and its neighbor, Armenia. After years of fighting, Armenian-backed separatists won control of Azerbaijan’s region of Karabakh and nearby territories. Russia claimed neutrality in the conflict even though it provided economic assistance and supplied weapons to Armenia that hosted its military base. Moscow cosponsored peace talks under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, but they didn’t produce a deal. In 2020, Azerbaijan’s military, bolstered by weapons supplied by ally Turkey, recaptured broad swaths of territory that were held for nearly three decades by Armenian forces. Russia brokered a truce and deployed about 2,000 peacekeepers to the region. Azerbaijan reclaimed full control of Karabakh in September 2023 after a lightning military campaign. Russia, busy with its war in Ukraine, didn’t intervene, angering Armenia’s leadership that responded by scaling down its ties with Moscow and bolstering relations with the West. The victory in Karabakh has fueled Azerbaijan’s ambitions and prompted Aliyev to take a more assertive stand in relations with his neighbors. The crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight On Dec. 25, 2024, an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet crashed while on a flight from Baku to Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya. Azerbaijani authorities said the jet was accidentally hit by fire from Russian air defenses, then tried to land in western Kazakhstan when it crashed, killing 38 of 67 people aboard. Putin apologized to Aliyev for what he called a “tragic incident” but stopped short of […]
A pair of career criminals behind a series of daring and methodical cash robberies across NYC were arrested Wednesday afternoon by the NYPD, thanks to the sharp vigilance of Boro Park Shomrim volunteers. The takedown occurred near 18th Avenue and Dahill Road, after the suspects targeted a van that had just withdrawn a large sum of money from a check-cashing store in Flatbush and traveled into Boro Park. The scheme was both simple and slick: one suspect, riding a bicycle, followed the van and punctured its tire a few blocks away. As soon as the driver exited to inspect the flat, the second suspect swooped in, climbed into the van, and made off with the cash. Unbeknownst to them, Boro Park Shomrim had already picked up on their suspicious behavior and were quietly tracking their movements. Volunteers coordinated with the NYPD while maintaining a tight visual, leading to the duo’s swift arrest by responding NYPD officers. Sources tell YWN that these two suspects are believed to be connected to a string of similar thefts throughout NYC, including in Williamsburg where they’ve used comparable tactics to target individuals and businesses transporting large sums of cash. Additional charges are expected as detectives continue to piece together the full extent of their operation. Following the arrest, Boro Park Chaverim volunteers and Quick Fix Mobile Tires responded to assist the victim with his slashed tire. THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED ON THE BORO PARK SCOOP STATUS CLICK HERE SIGN UP TO THE BORO PARK SCOOP WHATSAPP STATUS TO BE INFORMED OF BORO PARK NEWS IN LIVE TIME (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
President Donald Trump announced a trade deal with Vietnam Wednesday that would allow U.S. goods to enter the country duty-free. Vietnamese exports to the United States, by contrast, would face a 20% levy. On his Truth Social platform, Trump declared the pact “a Great Deal of Cooperation between our two Countries.” In April, Trump announced a 46% tax on Vietnamese imports — one of his so-called reciprocal tariffs targeting dozens of countries with which the United States runs trade deficits. Trump promptly suspended the reciprocal tariffs for 90 days to allow for negotiations like the one with Vietnam. The pause expires Tuesday, but so far the Trump administration has reached a trade agreement with only one of those countries — the United Kingdom. (Trump has also reached a “framework” agreement with China in a separate trade dispute.) “Vietnam has been very keen to get out from under this,” said Mary Lovely, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. ”This is forcing a smaller country to eat it, basically. We can do that. It’s the big countries that everybody’s keeping their eyes on.” She doubts that Trump will be able to impose such a lopsided agreement on big trading partners such as the European Union and Japan. The United States last year ran a $122 billion trade deficit with Vietnam. That was the third-biggest U.S. trade gap — the difference between the goods and services it buys from other countries and those it sells them — behind the ones with China and Mexico. In addition to the 20% tariffs, Trump said the U.S. would impose a 40% tax on “transshipping” — goods from another country that stop in Vietnam on their way to the United States. Washington complains that Chinese goods have been dodging higher U.S. tariffs by transiting through Vietnam. A February study in the Harvard Business Review found that there was “much less rerouting than previously believed.” In May, Vietnam approved a $1.5 billion project by the Trump Organization and a local partner to build a massive golf resort complex near Hanoi, covering an area roughly the size of 336 football fields. Vietnam was a beneficiary of American efforts to counter China’s influence. Companies looking to diversify their supply chains away from China flocked to Vietnam. In 2023, it became the only country to host both President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping on state visits. That year, the U.S. upgraded Vietnam to its highest diplomatic status—comprehensive strategic partner—placing it on par with China and Russia. (AP)
UPSTATE, NY – August 7, 2025 – Yamim Baim will make Jewish music history at the legendary Bethel Woods with the first ever open-air Jewish concert of this magnitude. Throughout this unforgettable evening of unity and song, Chassidic music icon Avraham Fried, the genre-blending music of Zusha, and soulful rising star Shmuel will join Ishay Ribo onstage throughout his full-length evening concert. More details A Night of Unity, Music, and Connection Making Jewish music history on the storied grounds of the 1969 Woodstock festival, this landmark event will unite New York’s Jewish community around heartfelt and joyous music of connection and prayer. “This event is a landmark achievement for Jewish music,” a producer shares. “The pristine upstate setting, the high production quality, and the powerful moments we’ll share together – there’s never been anything like this.” With tens of thousands of fans worldwide, Ishay Ribo’s music has become the soundtrack of a generation. Yamim Baim will mark his largest North American performance to date, featuring immersive sound, breathtaking visuals, and new arrangements developed exclusively for this event. The evening’s guest artists represent the diverse sounds and stories of today’s Jewish world: legendary Chassidic music icon Avraham Fried’s timeless melodies from the heart, Zusha’s lively and soul-filled innovation, and Shmuel’s soft blend of timeless Jewish song. On a grassy hillside under the open sky, these four artists will captivate an audience of thousands with songs of hope, joy, and the Jewish soul. Yamim Baim is already setting new standards for Jewish music production. From the custom lighting design to a one-of-a-kind acoustic system that preserves the raw beauty of the open air venue while delivering world-class clarity, every technical element is crafted with intention. “Nothing is recycled here,” a producer explains. “Every detail, from the flow of the night’s songs to the sound and visuals, is being custom made for maximum meaning.” Bethel Woods Built on the site of the legendary 1969 Woodstock festival, Bethel Woods stands as one of America’s most iconic venues – a natural amphitheater with world-class acoustics and sweeping outdoor views. Hosting Yamim Baim here marks the first time in history that a Jewish concert of this scale will take place at such a historic site, powerfully celebrating Jewish pride and presence on a stage that is seen as one of the world’s most prestigious. “To come here, a place that defined a whole generation, and fill it with songs of tefillah, emunah, and our unity; it’s a moment of unparalleled power,” a team member reflects. “It’s taken years to make this dream come true.” Bethel Woods offers two distinct ways to experience the concert, each with its own atmosphere: The Pavilion: WIth covered, tiered seating under a roof, excellent sightlines, and an intimate, concert-hall feel, pavilion seating is perfect for fans who want to sit back and take in every moment in comfort. The Lawn: A vast, open grassy hill where you bring your own blanket or low-back chair, enjoying the show under the stars. The lawn creates a more casual, social atmosphere, ideal for families, camp groups, or anyone who wants to relax, dance, and soak up the star-filled night. One Night. One Nation. One Song. Yamim Baim is produced by Davidson Artists Management in collaboration with Bnei Akiva of the United States and Canada, this is an exclusive, one-night-only experience. Whether you’re coming with family, friends, camp, or community, Yamim Baim promises to be the most meaningful Jewish concert event of the year. August 7, 2025, Bethel Woods, […]
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has issued a public apology to New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, backing away from comments she made last week warning that Mamdani had referenced “global jihad” in past statements. The senator’s retreat, first reported by Politico, came after a wave of outrage from left-wing activists and progressive allies determined to shield Mamdani from scrutiny, despite the fact that questions about his record and rhetoric had resonated with many New Yorkers worried about extremism. During a Thursday appearance on WNYC, Gillibrand responded to a caller who pressed her about Mamdani’s alleged support for Hamas, agreeing that voters had reason to be “alarmed” about Mamdani’s statements, specifically mentioning “references to global jihad.” But progressive forces, eager to protect a candidate who would be New York’s first Muslim mayor, quickly went on the attack, denouncing Gillibrand’s remarks as bigoted and inaccurate. Among those piling on was New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who slammed the senator and claimed no one should face “comments that slur their ethnicity [or] religious beliefs,” ignoring legitimate security concerns many voters have raised. By Friday, Gillibrand had already begun backpedaling, telling Rolling Stone that she had “misspoke” on the radio. Then on Monday, in a call with Mamdani, she went even further, apologizing and expressing regret for not separating her views more clearly from the caller’s language. A readout obtained by Politico revealed Gillibrand praised Mamdani’s supposed commitment to protecting all New Yorkers and even agreed with him that Republican attacks on his record were “outrageous and unacceptable.” The senator’s office said she and Mamdani would meet face-to-face in New York City soon to discuss other issues including affordability and public safety. Progressives cheered the apology as a victory, but critics argue Gillibrand caved under political pressure, prioritizing her standing with the activist left over the genuine national-security concerns shared by many of her constituents. In a city still haunted by the specter of terrorism, voters may wonder whether their elected officials are willing to speak honestly about radical threats — or whether they will continue to fold the moment activists cry foul. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
House GOP infighting holds up key vote on Trump tax bill House Republican leadership is racing to get enough GOP lawmakers on board to send President Donald Trump’s megabill to his desk. But Speaker Mike Johnson is facing potential attendance problems due to storms in the Washington area, in addition to stubborn resistance from a handful of his conference members. Any changes to the House version of the bill would send it back to the Senate for approval, almost certainly blowing past Republicans’ self-imposed July 4 deadline.
Sen. Rand Paul says new documents reveal Dr. Anthony Fauci was aware that Gain-of-Function research could be the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Dr. Fauci will be forced to testify under oath
JUST IN: A woman reports that a girl was potentially nearly abducted by a woman outside Hot Bagels on River Avenue this afternoon. Parents: Make sure your children know basic safety rules.
A politically motivated hacker breached Columbia University’s data systems last week, stealing troves of student documents while briefly shutting down the school’s computer systems, a university official said. The June 24 cyberattack prompted widespread network outages on campus, locking students and staff out of their email accounts, coursework and video conference software for several hours. On the same day, images of President Donald Trump’s smiling face appeared on several public monitors across the Manhattan campus. A spokesperson for Columbia declined to elaborate on the political motivations behind the attack. But they described a highly sophisticated “hacktivist” who had gained access to private student records in an attempt to further a political agenda. The spokesperson said it was unclear if the Trump photo display was connected to the data breach. “We are investigating the scope of the apparent theft and will share our findings with the University community as well as anyone whose personal information was compromised,” the school said. The cyberattack comes as Columbia remains in the crosshairs of the Trump administration, which has threatened to pull $400 million in federal funds over the school’s failure to protect Jewish students. Negotiations over a possible settlement are ongoing. The university has already agreed to a host of changes demanded by Trump, including placing its Middle East studies department under new supervision and overhauling its rules for protests and student discipline. In March, a cyberattack against New York University resulted in student admission records briefly appearing on the school’s website. An online hacker who took credit for that action on social media said the intent was to prove the university was not in compliance with the Supreme Court decision banning affirmative action in college admissions. An NYU spokesperson said at the time that the data displayed on its webpage was “inaccurate and misleading,” adding that the university “scrupulously complies with the law.” (AP)
Dick Tracy got an atom-powered two-way wrist radio in 1946. Marty Cooper never forgot it. The Chicago boy became a star engineer who ran Motorola’s research and development arm when the hometown telecommunications titan was locked in a 1970s corporate battle to invent the portable phone. Cooper rejected AT&T’s wager on the car phone, betting that America wanted to feel like Dick Tracy, armed with “a device that was an extension of you, that made you reachable everywhere.” Fifty-two years ago, Cooper declared victory in a call from a Manhattan sidewalk to the head of AT&T’s rival program. His four-pound DynaTAC 8000X has evolved into a global population of billions of smartphones weighing mere ounces apiece. Some 4.6 billion people — nearly 60% of the world — have mobile internet, according to a global association of mobile network operators. The tiny computers that we carry by the billions are becoming massive, interlinked networks of processors that perform trillions of calculations per second – the computing power that artificial intelligence needs. The simple landlines once used to call friends or family have evolved into omnipresent glossy screens that never leave our sight and flood our brain with hours of data daily, deluging us with endless messages, emails, videos and a soundtrack that many play constantly to block the outside world. From his home in Del Mar, California, the inventor of the mobile phone, now 96, watches all of this. Of one thing Cooper is certain: The revolution has really just begun. The phone is about to become a thinking computer Now, the winner of the 2024 National Medal of Technology and Innovation — the United States’ highest honor for technological achievement – is focused on the cellphone’s imminent transition to a thinking mobile computer fueled by human calories to avoid dependence on batteries. Our new parts will run constant tests on our bodies and feed our doctors real-time results, Cooper predicts. “That will let people anticipate diseases before they happen,” Cooper envisions. “People are going to die from old age and accidents but they’re not going to die from disease. That’s a revolution in medicine.“ Human behavior is already adapting to smartphones, some observers say, using them as tools that allow overwhelmed minds to focus on quality communication. The phone conversation has become the way to communicate the most intimate of social ties, says Claude Fischer, a sociology professor at the University of California, Berkeley and author of “America Calling: A Social History of the Telephone to 1940.” For almost everyone, the straight-up phone call has become an intrusion. Now everything needs to be preceded by a message. “There seems to be a sense that the phone call is for heart-to-heart and not just for information exchange,” Fischer says. And this from a 20-year-old corroborates that: “The only person I call on a day-to-day basis is my cousin,” says Ayesha Iqbal, a psychology student at Suffolk County Community College. “I primarily text everyone else.” Child education student Katheryn Ruiz, 19, concurs, saying “texting is used for just like nothing substantial, like nothing personal.” Sometimes the roles are reversed, though. Sixty-eight-year-old Diana Cunningham of Overbrook, Kansas, pop. 1005, uses a group text to stay in touch with her kids and grandkids. Her 18-year-old granddaughter Bryndal Hoover, a senior at nearby Lawrence High School, says she prefers voice […]
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will meet at the White House on Thursday with Edan Alexander, the last living American hostage in Gaza, who was released in May. “The President and First Lady have met with many released hostages from Gaza, and they greatly look forward to meeting Edan Alexander and his family in the Oval Office tomorrow,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. Alexander, now 21, is an American-Israeli from New Jersey. The soldier was 19 when militants stormed his base in Israel and dragged him into the Gaza Strip. Alexander moved to Israel in 2022 after finishing high school and enlisted in the military. He was released on May 12 by the militant group Hamas after 584 days in captivity. Alexander had been in Israel since he was freed until he traveled last month home to New Jersey, where his family still lives. He was among 251 people taken hostage by Hamas in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack that led to the Israel-Hamas war. Trump in early March met at the White House with a group of eight former hostages who had been released by Hamas: Iair Horn, Omer Shem Tov, Eli Sharabi, Keith Siegel, Aviva Siegel, Naama Levy, Doron Steinbrecher and Noa Argamani. Thursday’s meeting comes ahead of a planed visit on Monday to the White House by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Trump pushes the Israeli government and Hamas to negotiate a ceasefire and hostage agreement and end the war in Gaza. (AP)
New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani previously sponsored legislation that would penalize New York shuls and other nonprofits donating to Israeli organizations involved in settlement activity, potentially subjecting them to million-dollar fines or civil lawsuits. The bill, titled the “Not on Our Dime!: Ending New York Funding of Israeli Settler Violence Act,” was first introduced by Mamdani in May 2023 in the New York State Assembly. It sought to prohibit New York–based not-for-profit corporations from providing what it calls “unauthorized support” to Israeli settlement activities, including aid to groups operating in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, or Gaza. The legislation specifically named organizations such as the Central Fund of Israel, and cited donations to groups including ZAKA, United Hatzalah, and the One Israel Fund. Under the bill’s framework, funding these or similar organizations could result in fines of at least $1 million or open nonprofits to civil lawsuits. The proposal defines “unauthorized support” as providing assistance to Israeli armed forces, the government of Israel, or Israeli citizens engaged in “the unlawful transfer of civilians into occupied territory,” or in violent acts, property damage, or land seizures within Palestinian territories. While the initial version failed to advance after facing resistance from legislative leadership, supporters revived efforts to expand and reintroduce the measure in February 2025, when it was sent to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities, and Commissions. The bill would amend the state’s not-for-profit corporation law by barring any such charitable support, and could even dissolve nonprofits that violate the restrictions. It also aims to allow Palestinians harmed by violence linked to these donations to sue New York–based organizations in court. Advocacy groups backing the bill have pointed to examples such as the Long Island–based One Israel Fund, which they say raised millions of dollars for drones and surveillance cameras to assist Israeli settlers. Other cited examples include Israel Gives and JGives, both registered in New York, which reportedly fundraised for Israeli military units, including those active in Gaza. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
U.S. stocks ticked higher on Wednesday to hit another all-time high. The S&P 500 rose 0.5% and set a record for the third time in four days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down by 10 points, or less than 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.9%. Tesla helped drive the market higher and rose 5% after saying it delivered nearly 374,000 of its Model 3 and Model Y automobiles last quarter. That was better than analysts expected, though the electric-vehicle maker’s overall sales fell 13% from a year earlier. Worries have been high that CEO Elon Musk’s involvement in politics is turning off potential Tesla buyers. Constellation Brands climbed 4.5% despite reporting a weaker profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It pointed to slowing growth for jobs in the construction industry and other “4000 calorie+” sectors, which tends to hurt demand for its beer. But the company selling Modelo beer and Robert Mondavi wine nevertheless stuck with its financial forecasts for the full upcoming year. They helped offset a 40.4% drop for Centene. The health care company withdrew its forecasts for profit this year after seeing data that suggests worse-than-expected sickness trends in many of the states where it does business. It was the worst day for the stock since its debut in 2001. All told, the S&P 500 rose 29.41 points to 6,227.42. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 10.52 to 44,484.42, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 190.24 to 20,393.13. In the bond market, Treasury yields were mixed ahead of a highly anticipated report on Thursday, which will show how many jobs U.S. employers created and destroyed last month. The widespread expectation is that they hired more people than they fired but that the pace of hiring slowed from May. A stunningly weak report released Wednesday morning raised worries that Thursday’s report may fall short. The data from ADP suggested that U.S. employers outside the government cut 33,000 jobs from their payrolls last month, when economists were expecting to see growth of 115,000 jobs. “Though layoffs continue to be rare, a hesitancy to hire and a reluctance to replace departing workers led to job losses last month,” according to Nela Richardson, chief economist at ADP. The ADP report does not have a perfect track record predicting what the U.S. government’s more comprehensive jobs report will say each month. That preserves hope that Thursday’s data could be more encouraging. But a fear has been that uncertainty around President Donald Trump’s tariffs could cause employers to freeze their hiring. Many of Trump’s stiff proposed taxes on imports are currently on pause, and they’re scheduled to kick into effect in about a week. Unless Trump reaches deals with other countries to lower the tariffs, they could hurt the economy and worsen inflation. Trump said on Wednesday that he reached a deal with Vietnam, where U.S. products sold in the country will face zero tariffs and Vietnamese-made goods will face a U.S. tariff of 20%. That helped companies that import lots of things from Vietnam, including Nike, whose stock rose 4.1%. Factories in Vietnam made half of all Nike brand footwear in its fiscal year of 2024. Other factors could also be dragging on the job market, such as the U.S. government’s termination of protected status for 350,000 Venezuelans, potentially […]
A federal judge said Wednesday that an order by President Donald Trump suspending asylum access at the southern border was unlawful, throwing into doubt one of the key pillars of the president’s plan to crack down on migration at the southern border. But he put the ruling on hold for two weeks to give the government time to appeal. In an order Jan. 20, Trump declared that the situation at the southern border constitutes an invasion of America and that he was “suspending the physical entry” of migrants and their ability to seek asylum until he decides it is over. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss in Washington said his order blocking Trump’s policy will take effect July 16, giving the Trump administration time to appeal. Moss wrote that neither the Constitution nor immigration law gives the president “an extra-statutory, extra-regulatory regime for repatriating or removing individuals from the United States, without an opportunity to apply for asylum” or other humanitarian protections. The Homeland Security Department did not immediately respond to a request but an appeal is likely. The president and his aides have repeatedly attacked court rulings that undermine his policies as judicial overreach. Moss, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, acknowledged that the government faces “enormous challenges” at the southern border and an “overwhelming backlog” of asylum claims. But he returned several times in his 128-page ruling to his opinion that the president is not entitled to prohibit asylum. Lee Gelernt, who argued the case for the American Civil Liberties Union, called the ruling a significant win. “The decision means there will be protection for those fleeing horrific danger and that the president cannot ignore laws passed by Congress simply by claiming that asylum seekers are engaged in an invasion,” he said. The ruling comes after illegal border crossings have plummeted. The White House said Wednesday that the Border Patrol made 6,070 arrests in June, down 30% from May to set a pace for the lowest annual clip since 1966. On June 28, the Border Patrol made only 137 arrests, a sharp contrast to late 2023, when arrests topped 10,000 on the busiest days. Arrests dropped sharply when Mexican officials increased enforcement within their own borders in December 2023 and again when then-President Joe Biden introduced severe asylum restrictions in June 2024. They plunged more after Trump became president in January, deploying thousands of troops to the border under declaration of a national emergency. Trump and his allies say the asylum system has been abused. They argue that it draws people who know it will take years to adjudicate their claims in the country’s backlogged immigration courts during which they can work and live in America. But supporters argue that the right to seek asylum is guaranteed in U.S. law and international commitments — even for those who cross the border illegally. They say that asylum is a vital protection for people fleeing persecution — a protection guaranteed by Congress that even the president doesn’t have the authority to ignore. People seeking asylum must demonstrate a fear of persecution on a fairly narrow grounds of race, religion, nationality, or by belonging to a particular social or political group. In the executive order, Trump argued that the Immigration and Nationality Act gives presidents the authority to suspend entry of […]
A former FBI agent who was charged with joining a mob’s attack on the U.S. Capitol and cheering on rioters is now working as an adviser to the Justice Department official overseeing its “weaponization working group,” which is examining President Donald Trump’s claims of anti-conservative bias inside the department. The former FBI supervisory agent, Jared Lane Wise, is serving as a counselor to Justice Department pardon attorney Ed Martin Jr., who also serves as director of the working group, according to a person familiar with the matter. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss a personnel matter and spoke on condition of anonymity. A department spokesperson declined to comment. The New York Times was first to report on Wise’s appointment. When Trump returned to the White House in January, he picked Martin to serve as interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. But the president pulled his nomination to keep the job on a more permanent basis two days after a key Republican senator said he could not support Martin for the job due to his defense of Capitol rioters. Martin was a leading figure in Trump’s “Stop the Steal” movement. He spoke at a rally in Washington on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol. He represented three Jan. 6 defendants and served on the board of the nonprofit Patriot Freedom Project, which reports raising over $2.5 million to support riot defendants. Attorney General Pam Bondi called for creating the “weaponization” group in February to investigate claims by Trump and Republican allies that the Justice Department unfairly targeted conservatives during President Joe Biden’s administration. The group’s review includes the work of former special counsel Jack Smith, who led two federal prosecutions of Trump that were ultimately abandoned after Trump was elected to a second term. Fox News host Jeanine Pirro replaced Martin as the top federal prosecutor in Washington, but Martin immediately moved over to his current Justice Department position. Wise, who worked as a special agent or supervisory special agent for the FBI from 2004 through 2017, was arrested in Oregon on Capitol riot-related misdemeanor charges in May 2023. Wise repeatedly shouted, “Kill ’em!” as he watched rioters assaulting officers outside the Capitol, according to an FBI agent’s affidavit. Wise clapped his hands and raised his arms ”in triumph” after he entered the building through the Senate wing door, the affidavit says. He left the building about nine minutes after entering. Police body camera footage showed Wise berating police officers outside the Capitol and repeatedly shouting, “Shame on you!” “I’m former law enforcement,” he told them.” You’re disgusting. You are the Nazi. You are the Gestapo. You can’t see it.” Wise was on trial in Washington when Trump returned to the White House in January and immediately pardoned, commuted prison sentences or ordered the dismissal of cases for all of the nearly 1,600 people charged in the attack. The case against Wise was dismissed before the jury reached a verdict. (AP)
Israel’s Defense Ministry Directorate of Defense Research and Development (MAFAT) has cleared for publication new data on the country’s war with Iran, revealing unprecedented intelligence-gathering efforts and highly effective air defense results. According to MAFAT, Israeli intelligence captured tens of millions of square kilometers of imagery from space during both the lead-up to and the course of the war. This included more than 12,000 satellite images taken over Iranian territory, day and night, providing critical information to support Israeli strikes inside Iran. During the conflict, Israel’s air defense systems intercepted 86% of the Iranian ballistic missiles launched toward its territory, MAFAT reported. Officials added that the country’s layered defense prevented potential 50 billion shekels ($15 billion) worth of property damage – seven times greater than what was actually sustained. In March, Israel had conducted tests of the Iron Dome’s ability to counter a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles, a move that proved decisive as upgraded Iron Dome and David’s Sling batteries went on to intercept 99% of Iranian drones during the war. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
HORROR FOOTAGE: Seven people are unaccounted for as authorites investigate a massive fire and explosion at a fireworks facility in Yolo County, near Sacramento, Cal Fire says.
Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for public affairs Sean Parnell: . “Based on the success of the U.S. and Israeli military strikes, Iran is much further away from a nuclear weapon than they were before the President took bold action to fulfill his promise to the American people that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.”
