HaRav Simcha Kaufman, longtime Magid Shiur at Yeshiva Torah Temimah in Flatbush, visiting Hagaon HaRav Shmuel Kamenetsky on Chol Hamoed Pesach, in Baltimore – where the Rosh is for Yom Tov.
In a startling revelation, a bag of Kosher L’Pesach lentils (kitniyos, permissible for Sephardim during Pesach) was inspected by a mashgiach at a hospital in Northern Israel, only to uncover numerous kernels of wheat. The lentils, certified by Badatz Beit Yosef and another kosher supervisory body for Pesach, were intended for use during Yom Yov. The Mashgiach says he checked the lentils five times. The Badatz Eidah Chareidis, which provides year-round certification for the product, explicitly states that the lentils are not certified for Pesach and must be thoroughly checked before use. This is why people do not eat Kitniyos and helps you understand why many people use almost no processed products to ensure strict adherence to Kosher for Pesach standards. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The Trump administration issued an order Wednesday to stop construction on a major offshore wind project to power more than 500,000 New York homes, the latest in a series of moves targeting the industry. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to halt construction on Empire Wind, a fully-permitted project. He said it needs further review because it appears the Biden administration rushed the approval. The Norwegian company Equinor is building Empire Wind to start providing power in 2026. Equinor finalized the federal lease for Empire Wind in March 2017, early in President Donald Trump’s first term. BOEM approved the construction and operations plan in February 2024 and construction began that year. Trump has been hostile to renewable energy, particularly offshore wind. His first day in office, Trump signed an executive order temporarily halting offshore wind lease sales in federal waters and pausing the issuance of approvals, permits and loans for all wind projects. Last month, the administration revoked the Clean Air Permit for an offshore wind project off the coast of New Jersey, Atlantic Shores. Construction on that wind farm had not yet begun. Equinor said Wednesday it had just received a notification from BOEM and it will engage directly with the agency and the Interior Department to understand the questions raised about the permits. A spokesperson declined to comment on the fate of the project, which is located southeast of Long Island, New York. The energy company has over $60 billion in investments across the U.S., including substantial oil, gas and renewable projects. While Trump is focused on energy abundance, the American Clean Power industry association said halting construction of fully-permitted energy projects is the “literal opposite” of that agenda, and it sends a “chilling signal” to all energy companies. Climate Jobs New York, a coalition of labor unions, said New York needs offshore wind and other clean energy projects to help address rising energy costs and create jobs. “It is out of touch to suggest that killing good jobs and energy sources is a good idea when working New Yorkers are struggling with rising costs of living and our grid needs stability,” the coalition said in a statement. The United States can’t be energy independent without offshore wind, it added. The Biden administration sought to ramp up offshore wind as a climate change solution, setting national goals to deploy offshore wind energy, holding lease sales and approving nearly a dozen commercial-scale offshore wind energy projects. The nation’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm opened a year ago, a 12-turbine wind farm called South Fork Wind 35 miles (56 kilometers) east of Montauk Point, New York. Trump began reversing the country’s energy policies his first day in office with a spate of executive orders aimed at boosting oil, gas and coal. The administration is reviewing all existing and pending offshore wind permits. (AP)
Watch as Joey Newcomb and Aron Gerstel (known as the “Baal Hak’elah”) do K’elah in Panama on Chol Hamoed. (Only our Ashkenazic followers will get this one, sorry!) VIDEO FOR YWN BY ELLY K.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff are meeting now with French President Emmanuel Macron and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot in Paris at the Elysee presidential palace.
Golani Brigade troops in the Morag Corridor, between Rafah and Khan Younis in southern Gaza, demolished a Hamas Shaboura Battalion training camp, which included a mock Israeli tank, captured a weapons cache, and destroyed other Hamas infrastructure, according to the IDF.
Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. warned that children in the U.S. are being diagnosed with autism at an “alarming rate,” promising on Wednesday to conduct exhaustive studies to identify any environmental factors that may cause the developmental disorder. His call comes the day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report that found an estimated 1 in 31 U.S. children have autism, a marked increase from 2020. Autism experts applaud efforts to further understand the condition, but say the number of reported cases began to balloon as the definition of the condition expanded to include mild cases. “Autism destroys families,” Kennedy said. “More importantly, it destroys our greatest resource, which is our children. These are children who should not be suffering like this.” Kennedy described autism as a “preventable disease,” although researchers and scientists have identified genetic factors that are associated with it. Autism is not considered a disease, but a complex disorder that affects the brain. Cases range widely in severity, with symptoms that can include delays in language, learning, and social or emotional skills. Some autistic traits can go unnoticed well into adulthood. Those who have spent decades researching autism have found no single cause. Besides genetics, scientists have identified various possible factors, including the age of a child’s father, the mother’s weight, and whether she had diabetes or was exposed to certain chemicals. Kennedy said his wide-ranging plan to determine the cause of autism will look at all of those environmental factors, and others. He had previously set a September deadline for determining what causes autism, but said Wednesday that by then, his department will determine at least “some” of the answers. The effort will involve issuing grants to universities and researchers, Kennedy said. He said the researchers will be encouraged to “follow the science, no matter what it says.” The Trump administration has recently canceled billions of dollars in grants for health and science research sent to universities. The CDC’s latest autism data was from 14 states and Puerto Rico in 2022. The previous estimate — from 2020 — was 1 in 36. Boys continue to be diagnosed more than girls, and the highest rates are among children who are Asian/Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaska Native and Black. To estimate how common autism is, the CDC checked health and school records for 8-year-olds, because most cases are diagnosed by that age. Other researchers have their own estimates, but experts say the CDC’s estimate is the most rigorous and the gold standard. On Wednesday, Kennedy criticized theories that the rise in autism cases can be attributed to more awareness about the disorder. Autism researchers have cited heightened awareness, as well as medical advancements and increased diagnoses of mild cases. “The reasons for increases in autism diagnosis come down to scientific and health care progress,” said Annette Estes, director of the autism center at the University of Washington. “It’s hard for many people to understand this because the causes of autism are complex.” The Autism Science Foundation said Kennedy’s emphasis on environmental factors contradicted the findings in the CDC’s report. “This report is the most convincing evidence yet that changes in factors like access to services and de-stigmatization of (autism spectrum disorders) are leading to the increases in prevalence,” said Autism Science Foundation Chief Science […]
The Gadol HaDor, Hagaon HaRav Dov Landau shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka, emerged onto the balcony of his home on Rechov HaRav Sher during Chol Hamoed to address the throngs of Yidden waiting patiently for his Bracha—and to ask for mechila. After more than an hour of tirelessly receiving Yidden from all walks of life—each one seeking a moment, a smile, a Bracha for the Yom Tov—Rav Dov, already well into his upper nineties, stepped outside to speak directly to those still waiting. In his characteristic warmth and sincerity, the Rosh Yeshiva addressed the assembled crowd: “Yidden yekarim! I apologize to you. I am tired and must stop. I give you my heartfelt Bracha—for menuchas hanefesh, simcha, and kol tuv.” The moment was brief, but powerful. Here stood the leader of a generation, revered across Klal Yisroel, who despite his physical weakness and advanced age, felt the need to personally apologize to fellow Yidden for being unable to continue giving Brachos. On Chol Hamoed, it is a long-standing minhag for Yidden to flock to the homes of Gedolei Yisroel, Admorim, and Rabbanim, to receive Brachos and to connect—even if only for a fleeting moment—with those who carry the ruchniyusdik weight of the generation. In Bnei Brak, the home of Rav Dov Landau shlit”a becomes a destination point for many during Yom Tov. Tens of thousands have streamed through the area throughout Pesach, eager to wish the Rosh Yeshiva a “Gut Yom Tov” and receive his Bracha in return. PHOTO CREDITS VIA DANIEL NEFOUSSI (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
A political firestorm erupted in Israel on Thursday following the bombshell New York Times report that President Donald Trump blocked a proposed Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities—igniting a fierce round of finger-pointing, denouncements, and accusations of political cowardice at the highest levels of Israeli leadership. Opposition Leader Yair Lapid led the charge, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of repeatedly freezing in moments of strategic urgency. “Back in October, I proposed a strike on Iran’s oil infrastructure,” Lapid declared. “Netanyahu was afraid—and stopped it.” While Israeli officials reportedly had a fully developed plan to carry out the attack in May 2023, pending U.S. coordination, the operation was ultimately shelved as the Trump administration veered toward diplomacy with Tehran. Lapid’s remarks were quickly echoed—and escalated—by Netanyahu’s right-wing rival, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who suggested that Netanyahu himself may have been behind the leak to the Times. “This is classic Netanyahu,” Bennett said. “Threaten, threaten, threaten—and then leak that you were stopped by someone else. It’s theater. Dangerous theater.” Bennett warned that Israel may not get another chance to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “There won’t be another such opportunity. And this pattern of threats with no follow-through is a dangerous illusion.” The debate has quickly crystallized into a referendum on Netanyahu’s place in the lineage of Israeli leaders who have confronted existential nuclear threats with decisive action. Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman also blasted Netanyahu. “I read the entire New York Times leak,” he said, “and I thought how lucky we were that during the bombings of the nuclear reactors in Syria and Iraq, Netanyahu was not prime minister.” Liberman was referencing the legacy of former prime ministers Menachem Begin and Ehud Olmert—each of whom ordered airstrikes to neutralize emerging nuclear threats from Iraq in 1981 and Syria in 2007, respectively. Both operations were carried out without U.S. approval, and both were hailed as turning points in Israeli strategic doctrine. Labor MK Naama Lazimi joined the chorus of criticism from the opposite end of the political spectrum, accusing Netanyahu of both strategic paralysis and historical failure. “Not only did he miss every opportunity to strike Iran—he’s responsible for the fact that Iran is now on the cusp of becoming a nuclear state,” Lazimi charged. According to the Times report, Israeli officials were prepared to launch a military operation designed to set back Iran’s nuclear breakout capability by at least a year. The proposed plan reportedly relied on U.S. involvement to help execute the strike and shield Israel from an inevitable Iranian counterattack. But after months of deliberation and internal division, Trump’s advisers reportedly advised against the operation. Tehran, they argued, had shown signs of willingness to negotiate. Prime Minister Netanyahu has remained publicly silent on the report. But within his coalition, Likud MK Tally Gotliv attempted to tamp down the outrage, suggesting that patience—not paralysis—was the true strategy. “Attacking Iran is not a matter of yes or no—it’s a matter of timing,” she wrote on X. “What I know, the Prime Minister knows. Patience is not a dirty word. Neither is vigilance.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The State Department has shut down its office that sought to deal with misinformation and disinformation that Russia, China and Iran have been accused of spreading. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement Wednesday that he had closed what had been known as the Global Engagement Center because it had taken actions to restrict freedom of speech in the United States and elsewhere. The center has been a frequent target of criticism from conservatives for calling out media and online reports that it said are biased or untruthful. At times, it has identified U.S. websites and social media accounts that it argued were amplifying misinformation, particularly related to the Russia-Ukraine war. “It is the responsibility of every government official to continuously work to preserve and protect the freedom for Americans to exercise their free speech,” Rubio said, charging that the office worked “to actively silence and censor the voices of Americans they were supposed to be serving.” Rubio said that is “antithetical” to the principles that “we should be upholding.” Congress had supported the center’s work, as had previous State Department leadership. “This is a deeply misleading (and) unserious portrayal of an organization focused on identifying foreign — primarily Russian — disinformation ops,” former State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a post on X. (AP)
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The IDF and Shin Bet confirmed Tuesday the elimination of Yahya Fathi Abd al-Qader Abu Shaar, the head of Hamas’s smuggling network, in a targeted airstrike in southern Gaza. Abu Shaar, who had been a key figure in the terror group’s logistics and weapons procurement efforts, was responsible for funneling arms and military equipment into Gaza over the last several years — including the stockpiles used in Hamas’s brutal October 7 massacre. Israeli officials say Abu Shaar’s role was central to sustaining Hamas’s war machine, helping the organization circumvent international restrictions and continue its terror operations against Israeli civilians. The IDF released aerial footage of the airstrike, showing the precise moment the vehicle carrying Abu Shaar was struck in Khan Younis. Surveillance and intelligence gathered over time led to the operation, which Israel says was carried out with “surgical accuracy.” “Abu Shaar’s elimination is a significant operational achievement,” a senior IDF official said. “He was not only a smuggler — he was the artery through which deadly weapons flowed into Gaza and into the hands of terrorists.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
President Donald Trump slammed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Thursday, reiterating his frustration that the Fed has not aggressively cut interest rates and saying that the central bank leader’s “termination cannot come fast enough.” Trump hinted at moving to fire Powell, whose term does not expire until next year. The Republican president’s broadside comes a day after Powell signaled that the Fed will keep its key interest rate unchanged while it seeks “greater clarity” on the impact of policy changes in areas such as immigration, taxation, regulation and tariffs. Powell’s comments contributed to a drop in stock prices Wednesday. “Oil prices are down, groceries (even eggs!) are down, and the USA is getting RICH ON TARIFFS,” Trump said in a social media post. Referring to the European Central Bank, he added that Powell “should have lowered Interest Rates, like the ECB, long ago, but he should certainly lower them now. Powell’s termination cannot come fast enough!” The European Central Bank on Thursday lowered its key interest rate from 2.5% to 2.25%. Powell was initially nominated by Trump in 2017, and he was appointed to another four-year term by President Joe Biden in 2022. At a November news conference, Powell indicated he would not step down if Trump asked him to resign. He has also said that the removal or demotion of top Fed officials was “not permitted under the law.” Trump’s comments come with the backdrop of a legal case headed to the Supreme Court that could determine whether presidents can fire the heads of independent agencies such as the Fed. Powell said Wednesday he was watching the case. “A sudden crystallization of the threat to Fed independence would … intensify market stress,” Krishna Guha, an analyst at investment bank Evercore ISI, wrote on Thursday. “If you liked the tariff debacle in markets, you’d love the loss-of-Fed-independence trade.” Powell started Trump’s second term in a relatively secure spot with a low unemployment rate and inflation progressing closer to the Fed’s 2% target, conditions that could have spared the U.S. central banker from the president’s vitriol. But Trump’s aggressive and haphazard tariffs have increased the threat of a recession with both higher inflationary pressures and slower growth, a tough spot for Powell, whose mandate is to stabilize prices and maximize employment. With the economy weakening because of Trump’s choices, the president appears to be looking to pin the blame on Powell. Powell, in his remarks at the Economic Club of Chicago on Wednesday, said the Fed will base its decisions solely on what is best for all Americans. “That’s the only thing we’re ever going to do,” Powell said. “We’re never going to be influenced by any political pressure. People can say whatever they want. That’s fine, that’s not a problem. But we will do what we do strictly without consideration of political or any other extraneous factors.” “Our independence is a matter of law,” Powell continued. “We’re not removable except for cause. We serve very long terms, seemingly endless terms. So we’re protected into law. Congress could change that law, but I don’t think there’s any danger of that. Fed independence has pretty broad support across both political parties and in both sides of the Hill.” Trump has unleashed a rash of tariffs that have put the U.S. economy […]
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with freed hostage Sasha Troufanov, whose release from Hamas captivity was facilitated, according to Putin, through Russia’s relationship with the terror group. Sasha Troufanov, along with his mother Elena and partner Sapir Cohen—who were all taken hostage during the brutal October 7th attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz—were received at the Kremlin this week. The attack killed Sasha’s father, Vitaly Hy”d. In a televised segment aired on Russian state media, Putin openly acknowledged Russia’s longstanding ties with Hamas. “The fact that you managed to go free is the result of the fact that Russia has stable, long-term relations with the Palestinian people, with its representatives, and with a wide variety of organizations,” he said, referring to Hamas not with condemnation but with respect. Even more jarring to many was his expression of “gratitude to the leadership of the political wing of Hamas” for what he called a “humanitarian act.” The meeting—which included Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar and Federation of Jewish Communities President Alexander Boroda—was broadcast with Kremlin footage and official commentary. Troufanov emotionally recounted his ordeal, describing 498 days of captivity in Gaza. Putin reportedly sighed heavily at the number. Troufanov, an Israeli-Russian dual citizen, was freed in February—his release occurring soon after senior Russian diplomats met with Hamas representatives in Moscow and pressed for the release of Troufanov and fellow hostage Maxim Herkin. Troufanov’s mother and grandmother had been released months earlier during a short-lived ceasefire. His partner, Sapir Cohen, was reportedly freed with him. The meeting was presented as a gesture of Russia’s humanitarian role—but the subtext is deeply concerning. While most Western countries cut off all ties with Hamas—designated by both the United States and the European Union as a terrorist organization—Russia has chosen a different path, preserving diplomatic access that it now touts as leverage in sensitive hostage negotiations. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The joy of Chol Hamoed nearly turned to tragedy this week, when an unauthorized horse-and-buggy operation—run without municipal oversight, veterinary clearance, or any legal permit—was making rounds through Bnei Brak’s crowded streets, and wound up hurting a baby. According to police, a toddler sustained moderate injuries when one of these unlicensed horse-drawn carriages struck him as it moved through a public area. Emergency services responded swiftly, preventing what could have been a far more tragic outcome. In response, Bnei Brak’s municipal police units, in coordination with the regional veterinary authority and the Agriculture Ministry’s enforcement division, launched an aggressive crackdown on the rogue operator. Authorities report that the individual committed, under threat of legal and administrative action, not to continue operating the carriage without obtaining prior approval. Failure to comply may result in both criminal prosecution and fines from tax enforcement agencies. Remember: Chol hamoed entertainment should never come at the expense of sakanas nefashos or disregard for communal safety. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Rep. Elise Stefanik, a member of House Republican leadership and onetime nominee for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, is considering a run for New York governor, according to a person close to her. The person was granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. The state’s current governor, Democrat Kathy Hochul, was elected in 2022 and is running for reelection next year. Stefanik, a close ally and fierce defender of President Donald Trump, had been nominated to represent the U.S. at the United Nations. But her nomination was pulled last month amid concerns about leaving a Republican House seat vacant when the party has such a narrow majority in the chamber. Trump, in a Wednesday morning post on his social media platform Truth Social, wrote, “Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is GREAT!!!” In recent days, Stefanik has been encouraged to run by major New York donors, state Republican officials and White House officials, according to the person close to her. She considered running for governor in 2022 and will make a decision on a candidacy this time around in the coming months. Stefanik, who represents a sprawling congressional district in northern New York, released a statement Wednesday afternoon that didn’t address a potential run for governor but lambasted Hochul as the “Worst Governor in America” and said “we must FIRE Kathy Hochul in 2026 to SAVE NEW YORK.” If Stefanik does enter the race, she might face off in a Republican primary against Rep. Mike Lawler, who has been teasing a run for several months. But Stefanik allies believe her strong name ID in the state, ability to raise cash and ties to the Trump White House would clear the GOP field. The last Republican governor in New York was former Gov. George Pataki, who served three terms and left office almost two decades ago. Lee Zeldin, current head of the federal Environmental Protection Agency and former congressman from Long Island, mounted a serious challenge to Hochul in the governor’s race in 2022, nearly landing what would have been a major upset in the heavily Democratic state. Asked by reporters about a possible Stefanik candidacy, Hochul said, “No matter the GOP nominee next year that I’ll be running against, it’s going to be an extreme MAGA Republican, and I look forward to that fight.” Hochul herself is expected to face a contested primary. Her lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado, earlier this year announced he would not run for reelection alongside the governor next year, hinting instead at his own gubernatorial candidacy. Rep. Ritchie Torres is also rumored to be considering a run and has emerged as one of the governor’s most pronounced Democratic critics. (AP)
Five years after COVID-19 triggered national lockdowns, economic uncertainty and killed millions, the World Health Organization’s member countries agreed on a draft “pandemic treaty” that sets guidelines for how the international community might confront the next global health crisis. After the world’s largely disastrous response to the coronavirus, countries tasked the WHO with overseeing a pandemic treaty in 2021. Negotiations concluded early Wednesday on an agreement expected to be adopted next month at the U.N. health agency’s annual meeting in Geneva. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus heralded it as a historic moment, saying countries have proven that “in our divided world, nations can still work together to find common ground and a shared response.” Following U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the country from the WHO in January, American officials were barred from participating in the talks by the Trump administration and are not expected to sign the treaty. During COVID-19, it was largely American research and development that produced the most effective vaccines and medicines. Weeks after Trump’s decision, Argentina’s President Javier Milei also exited the WHO, citing “profound differences” with the U.N. agency. Rachael Crockett, of the advocacy group Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative, described the draft pandemic treaty as “a product of compromise.” She said it contained strong provisions, but only if countries chose to implement them: “This could change what we saw in COVID, when some populations didn’t get access to what they needed.” The draft treaty notably includes a provision to guarantee that countries that share critical virus samples receive any resulting tests, medicines and vaccines, with the WHO to hold up to 20% of such products to ensure poorer countries get supplies. Negotiations on this provision are expected to continue after the treaty is likely accepted by member countries in May. Crockett acknowledged that, as is often the case with international law, there are few consequences for countries that don’t comply: “There’s not much that can be done if countries choose not to ratify or abide by it.” Yuanqiong Hu, of aid organization Doctors Without Borders, said that if disputes arise between countries, the treaty includes a mechanism for them to use diplomatic channels, followed by arbitration. Countries are already legally bound by the International Health Regulations to do things like quickly report dangerous new outbreaks. But those have been flouted repeatedly, including by African countries during Ebola and other outbreaks, China in the early stages of COVID-19 and arguably the U.S. amid its ongoing bird flu epidemic. (AP)
