A coalition of state attorneys general sued the Trump administration on Tuesday over its decision to cut $11 billion in federal funds that go toward COVID-19 initiatives and various public health projects across the country. Attorneys general from 23 states filed the suit in federal court in Rhode Island. They include New York Attorney General Letitia James and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, as well as Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and the District of Columbia. The lawsuit argues the cuts are illegal, and that the federal government did not provide “rational basis” or facts to support the cuts. The attorneys general say it will result in “serious harm to public health” and put states “at greater risk for future pandemics and the spread of otherwise preventable disease and cutting off vital public health services.” The lawsuit asks the court to immediately stop the Trump administration from rescinding the money, which was allocated by Congress during the pandemic and mostly used for COVID-related efforts such as testing and vaccination. The money also went to addiction and mental health programs. “Slashing this funding now will reverse our progress on the opioid crisis, throw our mental health systems into chaos, and leave hospitals struggling to care for patients,” James said Tuesday in a news release. The U.S. Health and Human Services Department, which began serving employees dismissal notices on Tuesday in what’s expected to total 10,000 layoffs, said it does not comment on ongoing litigation. HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon pointed to the agency’s statement from last week, when the decision to claw back the money was announced. The HHS said then that it “will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a non-existent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago.” Local and state public health departments are still assessing the impact of the loss of funds, though the lawsuit points to the claw back putting hundreds of jobs at risk and weakening efforts to stem infectious diseases like flu and measles. California could lose almost $1 billion, according to a statement from state Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office. That money supports a number of public health initiatives, including substance use disorder prevention programs, vaccination efforts and bird flu prevention. Health officials in North Carolina, which joined the lawsuit, estimate the state could lose $230 million, harming dozens of local health departments, hospital systems and universities, and rural health centers. At least 80 government jobs and dozens of contractors would be affected, according to state health officials. “There are legal ways to improve how tax dollars are used, but this wasn’t one of them,” North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson said. “Immediately halting critical health care programs across the state without legal authority isn’t just wrong — it puts lives at risk.” Already, more than two dozen COVID-related research grants funded by the National Institutes of Health have been cancelled. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from March shows that COVID-19 killed 411 people each week on average, even though the federal public health emergency has ended. (AP)
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has officially registered a new political party under the interim name “Bennett 2026,” a move widely interpreted as a step toward reentering Israeli politics ahead of the next national election. In a statement cited by Channel 12, Bennett stopped short of confirming his candidacy, saying, “If and when I decide to actually run for the elections, an announcement will be made on the matter.” Despite the ambiguity, the move drew support from figures across the political spectrum. Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, who previously served alongside Bennett in a short-lived unity government, congratulated him on the new party. “Israel needs a good government,” Lapid wrote on social media. Reports of Bennett’s return have circulated for months. Channel 12 revealed last September that the former national-religious leader had been laying the groundwork for a new political movement, reaching out to more than 100 former activists. He has also held meetings with key political players, including New Hope chairman Gideon Sa’ar and Yisrael Beytenu head Avigdor Liberman, both of whom have acknowledged discussions about a potential alliance. “To replace this government, we need more seats,” Liberman said last October. “If we see in the polls that running together will bring more seats, we will run together.” Bennett, who previously led the now-defunct Yamina party, has been out of office since 2022 when his ideologically diverse coalition government collapsed. That coalition briefly ended Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s 12-year hold on power and was heralded as a rare moment of unity in Israel’s politically fractured landscape. However, Bennett recently indicated a different approach should he return to office. Speaking to a private audience of U.S. students in March, he said that any future government he leads would not include Arab parties. “This time around, the government must be Zionists,” he said. According to a recent Channel 12 poll, Bennett may pose the most significant electoral threat to Netanyahu. In a direct matchup, 38% of respondents said Bennett was better suited to serve as prime minister, compared to 31% for Netanyahu. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
BOOKER FINALLY YIELDS: Senator Cory Booker pays tribute to the late John Lewis as he yields the Senate floor, concluding his historic, 25 Hour record-breaking marathon speech.
Jewish Republican Senator Randy Fine won Florida’s 6th Congressional District special election, defeating Democrat Josh Weil despite Democrats spending millions to flip the deep-red seat vacated by Mike Waltz.
Housing Minister and UTJ chairman Yitzchak Goldknopf came out with a sharp condemnation Tuesday after footage emerged of a group of Chareidi youths shouting at IDF soldiers touring the streets of Bnei Brak earlier in the day. The video, which quickly spread on social media, shows a few bochurim yelling at soldiers as they walked through the mostly Chareidi city. However, not all present displayed such behavior. One young man was seen stepping forward to shake a soldier’s hand respectfully, even as others shouted from the sidelines. “I strongly condemn the criminal behavior of fringe youths who attacked IDF soldiers in the city of Bnei Brak today,” Minister Goldknopf wrote on X. “This is not the derech of Torah Yidden. We owe hakaras hatov to IDF soldiers, who put their lives on the line to protect Klal Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael.” The Bnei Brak municipality also released a statement denouncing the incident, emphasizing that such conduct does not reflect the values or attitudes of the broader Chareidi tzibbur. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
President Donald Trump ‘s administration has acknowledged mistakenly deporting a Maryland man with protected legal status to a notorious El Salvador prison but is arguing against returning him to federal custody in the United States because of alleged gang ties. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials admitted in a court filing on Monday night to an “administrative error” in deporting the 29-year-old man, generating immediate uproar from immigration advocates. Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia was arrested on March 12 after completing a shift as a sheet metal worker apprentice at a construction site in Baltimore, according to a complaint filed in federal court by his lawyers. Abrego Garcia was then sent to a notorious prison in his home country, the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, which activists say is rife with abuses and where inmates are packed into cells and never allowed outside. He was placed at CECOT despite an immigration judge’s ruling in 2019 that he not be deported to El Salvador because he had established it was “more likely than not that he would be persecuted by gangs,” according to his lawyer’s complaint. Abrego Garcia “left El Salvador when he was around sixteen years old, fleeing gang violence,” according to the complaint. “Beginning around 2006, gang members had stalked, hit, and threatened to kidnap and kill him in order to coerce his parents to succumb to their increasing demands for extortion.” “Although he has been accused of general ‘gang affiliation,’ the U.S. government has never produced an iota of evidence to support this unfounded accusation,” the complaint stated, adding that Abrego Garcia is neither a member of nor affiliated with MS-13 or any other criminal or street gang. Abrego Garcia’s wife later saw him in photos and video of him at the prison, identifying her husband through his distinctive tattoos and two scars on his head, the complaint stated. The Trump administration said in its court filing that ICE “was aware of his protection from removal to El Salvador,” but still deported Abrego Garcia “because of an administrative error.” The administration argued against his return to the U.S., citing alleged gang ties and claiming that he is a danger to the community. The administration stated that his gang ties were confirmed at a 2019 bond proceeding and upheld by the Board of Immigration Appeals. “This was an oversight, and the removal was carried out in good faith based on the existence of a final order of removal and Abrego-Garcia’s purported membership in MS-13,” Robert Cerna, ICE’s acting field office director of enforcement and removal operations, wrote in a statement to the court. (AP)
Newly appointed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced snap elections in his country. This has set the stage for what many analysts are calling one of the most crucial votes in Canadian history. With key issues on the table and numerous tightly contested ridings (voting districts), the outcome of this election could shape the country’s future in significant ways. Beyond the general importance of this election, it is also considered especially critical for Canada’s Jewish community. Among those who could play a decisive role in the election are Canadian citizens residing in Israel. Chaim V’Chessed has learned that many of these Canadians hail from some of the most hotly contested electoral districts, making their votes particularly impactful. As a result, eligible Canadian voters living in Israel are being strongly encouraged to participate in the election. With various policies and political shifts at stake, Jewish leaders and organizations have emphasized the need for community members to exercise their democratic rights. To facilitate voting for Canadian citizens in Israel, a dedicated website – www.israelvotes.ca – has been launched. The site provides clear guidance on how to register and cast a ballot from abroad, ensuring that voters can easily navigate the process. It is important to note that, by Canadian law, besides being a citizen, one must have LIVED in Canada at some point of their life to be eligible to vote. With the election set to be a defining moment in Canadian politics, officials and community leaders alike stress the importance of every eligible citizen making their voice heard—no matter where in the world they reside.
The Trump administration announced Monday a major federal review of $9 billion in grants and contracts at Harvard University, citing the school’s failure to protect Jewish students from antisemitic discrimination. The review, conducted as part of the Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, will involve audits by the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, along with the U.S. General Services Administration. Federal officials will scrutinize over $255.6 million in contracts between Harvard and the U.S. government, in addition to more than $8.7 billion in multi-year grant commitments. U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon delivered a sharp rebuke of Harvard’s handling of antisemitic incidents on campus, warning that the university’s reputation is at stake. “Harvard has served as a symbol of the American dream for generations—the pinnacle aspiration for students all over the world to work hard and earn admission to the storied institution,” McMahon stated. “Harvard’s failure to protect students on campus from antisemitic discrimination—all while promoting divisive ideologies over free inquiry—has put its reputation in serious jeopardy.” She added that Harvard has an opportunity to “right these wrongs” and restore itself as an institution dedicated to academic excellence and truth-seeking, but that federal intervention would proceed if necessary. The administration’s announcement follows a similar crackdown on Columbia University, which resulted in the school agreeing to nine federal demands, including a ban on masked protests. That agreement ignited controversy and led to the resignation of Columbia’s interim president last week. Now, the Trump administration is sending a clear signal that Harvard could face similar consequences. Federal officials warned that stop-work orders could be issued on Harvard’s contracts, and if the university is found noncompliant with federal regulations, its federal funding could be terminated entirely. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
BREAKING: Sen. Cory Booker has broken the Senate’s record for longest floor speech set in 1957 when Strom Thurmond spoke against the Civil Rights Act. Booker began speaking at 7 p.m. yesterday and has just passed the 24 hour mark.
IRGC Deputy Commander Ali Fadavi warns: Iran will strike back hard if provoked. “We control the Strait of Hormuz—40% of global oil passes through it. The U.S. is highly vulnerable at sea.”
3 of 4 soldiers from Fort Stewart, Georgia who died during a training exercise while overseas last week have been identified as Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr., Sgt. Edvin F. Franco and Pfc. Dante D. Taitano.
Six years ago Mexico’s president disbanded the country’s Federal Police and handed security responsibilities fully to the military. Now, his successor has quietly begun to build an elite civilian investigative and special operations force to fight the drug cartels. President Claudia Sheinbaum had already shown a willingness early in her presidency to move away from former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s oft-criticized “hugs, not bullets” strategy. It focused on addressing the social roots of crime rather than directly confronting Mexico’s powerful cartels. Sheinbaum’s security chief, Omar García Harfuch, is drawing on his law enforcement contacts — mostly from the former ranks of the Federal Police — to claw back security capabilities from the armed forces with a civilian force under his direct command. The government has yet to formally announce the new National Operations Unit, known by its Spanish initials UNO, but its existence is an open secret among former members of the Federal Police, where García Harfuch started his career. Three Mexican officials, all of whom requested anonymity to speak about the still unannounced force, confirmed its existence to The Associated Press. Security analyst David Saucedo, who has spoken with people who have joined the force, said he believes García Harfuch’s main objective is to have an armed force that allows him to meet demands from Washington. UNO takes shape The unit began to form shortly after Sheinbaum took office. It now has 250 members and hopes to have 800 by the end of the year, said one federal official, who is familiar with many of the unit’s details. On Monday, while García Harfuch was in Washington meeting with the Trump administration, the security ministry published a call for college graduates to make up “the first generation of investigative and intelligence agents,” only saying they will be part of a specialized group to strengthen the country’s security. UNO will have three branches distributed geographically across Mexico, as well as a high-impact team that will be the “elite of the elite,” the federal official said. Its current members are mostly former Federal Police and members of the special operations team García Harfuch created when he was Mexico City’s police chief. Most have previously received training from security forces from the United States, Colombia, Spain or France. His challenge is rebuilding the trust of his U.S. counterparts after López Obrador limited U.S. agents’ movements in Mexico and do it as President Donald Trump pressures Mexico to step up the fight against fentanyl trafficking. A controversial past Shortly after taking office, López Obrador replaced the Federal Police with a new force, the National Guard, that he sold to the public as civilian, but that was always led by and made up of the armed forces. He lambasted the Federal Police as too corrupt to save and made Mexico’s former security chief Genaro García Luna, then facing trial in the U.S. and eventually convicted of working for the Sinaloa cartel, the poster child. He cut funding for training and equipping local police. What followed were six years of what critics decried as militarization that effectively concentrated unprecedented authority in the hands of the armed forces. Despite that, levels of violence remained stubbornly high and critics said the cartels grew stronger, fueled by soaring revenue from fentanyl. One of the main criticisms of the […]
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Delta Air Lines resumed flights to Israel on Tuesday, becoming the latest major airline to restart services that had been suspended due to the Israel-Hamas war. Delta’s decision comes two weeks after its competitor, United Airlines, reinstated flights to Tel Aviv, and just ahead of the busy Pesach travel season. The Atlanta-based airline will have daily flights to Tel Aviv from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, providing nearly 2,000 additional weekly seats on this high-demand route. United Airlines, based in Chicago, currently operates two daily flights to Israel from its hub at Newark, maintaining its position as the U.S. carrier offering the most flights to Israel prior to the conflict. Meanwhile, American Airlines, headquartered in Dallas, remains the only major U.S. legacy carrier yet to resume flights to Israel since suspending services following the Hamas-led terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023, that sparked the ongoing conflict. Additionally, Israel’s Arkia Airlines recently launched flights to New York three times a week at fixed pricing, while Israir has announced plans to resume its own service to New York, a route it previously operated last decade. The re-entry of Delta and United effectively ends the temporary monopoly held by Israel’s national carrier, El Al, on the transatlantic route. This monopoly led to huge fare increases amid allegations of price gouging, though fares are expected to decrease following the Pesach travel period. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Hagaon HaRav Shimon Galey at a Kumzitz tonight with Rav Hillel Paley at the annual conference with coordinators and Rabbonim from the איחוד בני הישיבות taking place in Ashkelon.
THIS JUST HAPPENED: A group of baalei batim and their Rov, Rabbi Srour, from Midrash Zion in Brooklyn, are currently in Israel, and visited HaRav Tzvi Kushlefsky, Rosh Yeshivas Heichal HaTorah. The Rosh Yeshiva has been giving many people Chizuk after he was zocheh to his first child at the age of 88, in July of 2024.
The IDF and Shin Bet uncovered a bomb-making laboratory in the city of Tulkarm last week, the military announced on Tuesday. The facility contained landmines, explosives, explosive-making materials, and a welding machine, highlighting ongoing concerns over terror infrastructure in the West Bank. In a series of coordinated operations over the past 24 hours, Israeli forces also arrested 12 wanted individuals in the towns of Tammun and Kabatiya. An additional 15 suspects were detained across the West Bank, with authorities seizing two firearms and other weapons during the raids. All detainees and confiscated materials were transferred to Shin Bet and the Yehuda and Shomron District Police for further investigation. The arrests form part of Israel’s ongoing campaign to dismantle terrorist networks and reduce violence in the region. On Monday, the IDF, Shin Bet, and Israel Police conducted a joint operation in Nablus, apprehending a Palestinian terror cell allegedly backed by Hamas’s headquarters in Turkey. The group was reportedly planning shooting and bombing attacks. Security forces seized an M16 rifle and $60,000 in cash during the operation. In a separate operation on Friday, the IDF, Israel Police, and Border Police arrested eight additional suspects and confiscated an M16 rifle, a tactical vest, magazines, and ammunition. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
