Some National Guard units patrolling the nation’s capital at the direction of President Donald Trump have started carrying firearms, an escalation of his military deployment that makes good on a directive issued late last week by his defense secretary. A Defense Department official who was not authorized to speak publicly said some units on certain missions would be armed — some with handguns and others with rifles. The spokesperson said that all units with firearms have been trained and are operating under strict rules for use of force. An Associated Press photographer on Sunday saw members of the South Carolina National Guard outside Union Station with holstered handguns. A statement from the joint task force that has taken over policing in the nation’s capital said units began carrying their service weapons on Sunday and that the military’s rules say force should be used “only as a last resort and solely in response to an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm.” It said the force is committed to protecting “the safety and wellbeing” of Washington’s residents. The defense official who spoke to The Associated Press said only troops on certain missions would carry guns, and that would include those patrolling to establish a law enforcement presence throughout the capital. Those working in transportation or administration would likely remain unarmed. Thousands of National Guard and federal law enforcement officers are now patrolling the district’s streets, drawing sporadic protests from local residents. The development in Trump’s extraordinary effort to override the law enforcement authority of state and local governments comes as he is considering expanding the deployments to other Democratic-led cities, including Baltimore, Chicago and New York. Earlier Sunday, the president responded to an offer by Maryland’s governor to join him in a tour of Baltimore by saying he might instead “send in the ‘troops.’” Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, has criticized Trump’s unprecedented flex of federal power aimed at combatting crime and homelessness in Washington. Moore last week invited Trump to visit his state to discuss public safety and walk the streets. In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump said Moore asked “in a rather nasty and provocative tone,” and then raised the specter of repeating the National Guard deployment he made in Los Angeles over the objections of California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom. “Wes Moore’s record on Crime is a very bad one, unless he fudges his figures on crime like many of the other ‘Blue States’ are doing,” Trump wrote, as he cited a pejorative nickname he uses frequently for the California governor. “But if Wes Moore needs help, like Gavin Newscum did in L.A., I will send in the ‘troops,’ which is being done in nearby DC, and quickly clean up the Crime.” Moore said he invited Trump to Maryland “because he seems to enjoy living in this blissful ignorance” about improving crime rates in Baltimore. After a spike during the pandemic that matched nationwide trends, Baltimore’s violent crime rate has fallen. The 200 homicides reported last year were down 24% from the prior year and 42% since 2021, according to city data. Between 2023 and 2024, overall violent crime was down nearly 8% and property crimes down 20%. “The president is spending all of his time talking about me,” Moore said on CBS’s “Face the […]
At least 15 people were killed in an IDF-attributed strike on Nassar Hospital in Khan Younis, Gazan media reported on Monday. According to reports, several “journalists” and photographers were killed in the attack, including Al-Jazeera channel photographer Mohammad Salama, journalist Muaz Abu Taha, journalist Mariam Abu Dagga, who worked with the Associated Press, and Palestine TV photographer Hussam Al-Masri, who also worked for Reuters. It should be noted that Al Jazeera photographer Mohammad Salama enthusiastically filmed the horrifying Hamas ceremony in which the Bibas family’s bodies were returned to Israel. The IDF has not yet officially responded to the reports. Ynet reported that security officials said, “The IDF identified a threat to IDF forces from the hospital, so it was bombed, but the circumstances are still being investigated.” According to Hamas’s “Health Ministry,” the IDF bombed the same spot on the fourth floor of the hospital twice. Media reports said that a suicide drone exploded on the external stairs on the top floor of the Yassin building, where the hospital’s emergency room is located, and a second attack took place after a rescue team arrived at the site. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
The military police attempted to arrest another ben yeshiva overnight Sunday, at 3:15 in the morning. Three military police officers, in civilian clothes, banged on the door of a Chareidi home in the Ganei Hadar neighborhood of Petah Tikva, seeking to arrest a 22-year-old avreich who recently got married. “They furiously banged on the door,” the father told B’Chadrei Chareidim. “Through the peephole, we saw three men dressed in civilian clothing demanding to open the door, claiming they have a warrant. I asked them to show me the warrant. They refused. I asked them to identify themselves—they refused that too. They told me: ‘Open the door, and then you’ll see the warrant.’ At that moment, I was convinced they were criminals. Who knocks like that in the middle of the night, almost tearing the door off?” He said that when he made it clear that his son does not live at home, the officers demanded to be let in to search the home. He refused, and the officers argued with him for many minutes. Eventually, the three left and walked down to the street and waited there. Meanwhile, the parents called the Ezram U’Magenim organization. Within a short time, Chareidi men arrived at the scene, who began a noisy protest under the house. Faced with the growing pressure, the three officers—who sought to hide their identity behind civilian clothes—left the scene. The parents said that over the past few days, they’ve received mysterious phone calls from every possible number. “Everyone is looking for our son, but he no longer lives here since he got married. He’s a young avreich who is entirely immersed in Torah—he completed Shas. This is unbelievable persecution, reminiscent of the darkest days. They even called us claiming they have a ‘package’ to deliver to him. Who uses such methods? It’s absurd.” The mother says that the panic in the house reached its peak when her husband suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. “My husband recently underwent bypass surgery; his heart is weak. The moment the officers shouted and knocked forcefully, I was afraid he was having a heart attack. It was frightening.” The father added that although the family knew that this day would come, the incident shook them. “We prepared ourselves, but when it really happens, there is no way to remain indifferent. The knocks, the shouts, and the surprise—all together created enormous panic. We pray that these days will pass quickly and that the status of bnei yeshivos will be settled once and for all.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
Kan News spoke with a Yemeni media source identified with the opposition to the Houthis, who asserted that the IDF’s attacks on Houthi infrastructure will not cause the terrorist organization to cease its attacks on Israel. Speaking to Kan following Israel’s attack on Sanaa on Sunday, the source explained that the impact of the strikes in Sanaa is limited. “They affect the electricity by damaging power stations and oil reserves, but the damage is not a ‘game changer,'” he said, asserting that the only game-changer would be harming the Houthi leadership, including its leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi. In June, the IDF tried to assassinate Houthi Chief of Staff Muhammad Abd Gharmari, but he survived the attempt. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday dismissed the prospect of resolving tensions with the United States, vowing that Tehran would never bow to American pressure, even as nuclear talks with European powers are set to resume. “They want Iran to be obedient to America,” Khamenei said in remarks carried by state media. “The Iranian nation will stand with all of its power against those who have such erroneous expectations. This issue is unsolvable.” His comments come two months after Iran and Israel fought a bruising 12-day air war that killed dozens in Israel and left thousands wounded. The conflict erupted after Israel launched sweeping strikes on Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure, which Tehran answered with more than 500 ballistic missiles and some 1,100 armed drones. Khamenei’s declaration comes as France, Britain, and Germany prepare to reengage Tehran in talks aimed at reviving restrictions on its uranium enrichment program. Western powers have warned that unless Iran makes concessions, they could reimpose United Nations sanctions under the 2015 nuclear deal’s “snapback” mechanism. Some Iranian officials are signaling openness to compromise. Reformist factions, led by Supreme National Security Council chief Ali Larijani and backed by President Masoud Pezeshkian, are reportedly pushing to cap enrichment at 20 percent — far below weapons-grade levels but still well above the limits in the 2015 accord. The initiative has drawn sharp resistance from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and hardliners who accuse Larijani of appeasing the West. “Larijani is trying to convince the system to reduce enrichment to avoid another war,” a senior Iranian official told The Telegraph. “He’s concerned that without lowering it or meeting some of the West’s demands, the system will face another major challenge.” Even as nuclear debate rages in Tehran, Iranian officials are threatening fresh conflict with Israel. Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh boasted last week that Iran had developed missiles “with far greater capabilities” than those fired during June’s war, warning: “If the Zionist enemy embarks on the adventure again, we will undoubtedly use them.” Senior IRGC adviser Yahya Rahim Safavi went further, telling Iranian media, “We are not in a ceasefire, we are in a stage of war. I think another war may happen, and after that, there may be no more wars.” Nasirzadeh also claimed Iran has established weapons-manufacturing infrastructure in “several countries,” fueling fears of expanding proxy conflicts across the Middle East. On Saturday, Iranian state media reported that security forces killed six militants in the country’s southeast, accusing them of links to Israel. Although Tehran insists it does not seek nuclear weapons, it continues to enrich uranium to levels without clear civilian use, restricts international inspections, and advances ballistic missile capabilities — actions Israel and Western intelligence agencies say point to weaponization efforts. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The Breslov Union in Uman, which oversees the upkeep of the tziyon of Rebbe Nachman, habe revealed plans for a massive, unprecedented renovation project valued at over $2 million, set to completely transform the tziyon complex from end to end. According to the organization, the renovations are expected to begin during the coming winter of 5786, with the goal of enabling the throngs of mispallelim who travel to Uman year-round to daven without overcrowding or disturbance. The ambitious project spans an area of 1,800 square meters (20,000 square feet) and will address long-standing challenges faced by mispallelim for decades. Among the central upgrades: Permanent Ezras Nashim: For the first time in over two decades, a spacious, dignified ezras nashim will be established, replacing the temporary arrangement that has served until now. Taharah for Kohanim: Special solutions will be implemented to allow kohanim to be present near the tziyon without concerns of tumas meis. Dedicated Batei Tefillah: Three new batei tefillah will be constructed — an Ashkenazi beis tefillah, a Sephardi beis tefillah, and a flexible hall for additional needs — to minimize disruptions and accommodate the diverse crowd that comes to daven. Heichal for Rikudei Simchah: A designated space will be created for dancing and clapping, in accordance with Rebbe Nachman’s guidance, without disturbing those davening directly at the kever. Organized Tefillah Arrangements: A new system will separate minyanim from individual davening at the kever itself, ensuring every mispallel can approach the tziyon without overcrowding. Improved Facilities: The project will include a refreshment corner with coffee, tea, and light snacks, along with newly built women’s restrooms for the first time. With the costs of the renovation exceeding $2 million, in addition to the site’s annual upkeep of more than $800,000 and Rosh Hashanah preparations alone topping $350,000, the Union is preparing a large fundraising campaign. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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The United States has entered uncharted territory: for the first time since the 1960s, its foreign-born population is shrinking. A new analysis by the Pew Research Center reveals that the number of immigrants living in the country dropped by nearly 1.5 million in just the first half of 2025—a reversal that comes after decades of steady growth and coincides directly with President Donald Trump’s aggressive second-term immigration agenda. In January 2025, the U.S. counted a record 53.3 million immigrants. But instead of climbing higher, as it has nearly every year since the Johnson administration, the figure slid downward. Pew’s data shows that more people are now leaving the country than entering it, a reversal not seen in over half a century. At the same time, Pew confirmed that the undocumented population reached an all-time high of 14 million in 2023, a number Trump used relentlessly on the campaign trail to frame both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as weak on border control. The data lands as Trump doubles down on his central campaign promise: reshaping America’s immigration system by force. Since returning to the Oval Office in January, he has signed 181 executive orders on immigration, rolling out mass deportations, ratcheting up border security, tightening student visa rules, and promoting “self-deportation” measures to pressure immigrants to leave voluntarily. These efforts are leaving a measurable imprint. The immigrant share of the U.S. population has slipped from 15.8% in January to 15.4% in June, according to Pew. The workforce is taking the hit as well. Immigrants—both legal and undocumented—make up a critical slice of America’s labor pool. Pew found that immigrant participation in the workforce fell from 20% to 19% in just six months, representing a net loss of more than 750,000 workers. Economists warn the implications could be severe if the exodus continues. Industries that rely heavily on immigrant labor, from agriculture to construction to health care, could face tightening labor shortages. Whether that translates into slower growth or higher prices will depend on how far Trump pushes his enforcement regime in the coming months. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Democratic mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani is campaigning on a radical vision to overhaul law enforcement in New York City—one rooted in the Democratic Socialists of America’s platform that seeks to eliminate the enforcement of all misdemeanor crimes. The DSA, which has endorsed Mamdani’s bid, denounces policing and detention as “instruments of class war” designed to maintain control over working-class communities. Its national platform, adopted in 2021, calls for dismantling the “carceral forces of the state”—from prisons and police to electronic monitoring and parole enforcement. Mamdani, a Queens assemblyman, has echoed those views on the trail, saying police should stop focusing on what he calls “non-serious crimes.” In a campaign video posted Wednesday, he argued: “Right now we’re relying on [police] to deal with the failures of our social safety net, which is preventing them from doing their actual jobs.” The misdemeanors that would be decriminalized or deprioritized under DSA’s vision are not trivial offenses. In New York State, they include theft or shoplifting up to $1,000, drug possession, assault without a weapon, and driving while intoxicated. Critics warn that Mamdani’s approach would open the door to chaos. “They’re driving the city into a hole that’s never going to recover,” the New York Post quoted Greenwich Village resident Susan Ginsburg, who described her neighborhood as a “lawless drug den” since bail reform and lenient prosecution policies took hold. Maria Danzilo, an Upper West Side Democrat and founder of One City Rising, called Mamdani’s agenda “exactly the opposite of what New Yorkers need right now.” Though once an outspoken proponent of “defund the police,” Mamdani has shifted his rhetoric following the Park Avenue massacre. He now promises to maintain NYPD headcount while narrowing its focus to violent crimes. But skeptics say the pivot is superficial. Mamdani has also questioned the very definition of violent crime, telling protesters in 2021 that “violence is an artificial construction” and promising to shut down Rikers Island—a pledge he continues to repeat. Misdemeanor law is set at the state level, but as mayor, Mamdani would wield enormous influence over how laws are enforced. He could direct the NYPD to deprioritize arrests or pressure district attorneys to dismiss cases—just as Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg drew fire for instructing staff to downgrade robbery and drug charges on his first day in office. Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa warned such policies would create “an EZ-Pass for criminals.” He added: “This will cause the quality of life to decline dramatically, leading to a breakdown of law and order.” Governor Kathy Hochul, who has yet to endorse Mamdani, has publicly rejected calls to defund police, setting up a potential confrontation between City Hall and Albany should Mamdani win. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Children in Iran’s rural and nomadic areas who suffer from malnourishment often take long routes to school without breakfast, causing some to collapse during the school days, the reformist Iranian Shargh newspaper reported last week. “These children in practice have no fuel for learning, and teachers and principals, because there is not even a single grocery store near the school, cannot provide them with food and often have no choice but to send students home after such incidents,” the report said. Ronak Rostami, a social activist, told Shargh that malnutrition has become a serious problem in schools. “Many children suffer from stomach aches, abdominal pain, and general weakness, which prevents them from making effective use of classroom time,” she said. According to Iran International, which quoted the report, this isn’t the first time that Iranian media has published alarming reports about children suffering from malnourishment. A recent study cited by Shargh earlier this month said that the Iranian people are suffering from increasing levels of malnutrition amid worsening economic conditions. The report said only 1.7% of households reported daily protein consumption, while 27% of all households said they do not consume any kind of protein. “Essentials like meat, chicken, milk, and cheese are gone. Some used to buy scraps or expired chicken, but now even those are unaffordable. Fruit and vegetables, too, are out of reach,” Shargh quoted Reyhaneh Shirazi, a social activist in Tehran’s Darvazeh Ghar district, as saying. “No one buys meat. If they can afford anything, it’s chicken. Maybe if someone donates meat. Fruit is a luxury except for watermelon, which grows locally,” said a teacher near Kerman. “Vegetables are rarely consumed. Food is mostly lentils and bread. Breakfast is nonexistent. Illnesses tied to nutrition are high, especially in children.” Parisa Ahmadi, a social worker in Shiraz, says iron and vitamin deficiencies are widespread. “Parents are street vendors, and kids also work. Doctors confirm they suffer from severe malnutrition and iron and vitamin deficiency, which affects physical and cognitive development,” she said. “Common meals are eggplant, beans, lentils, and pasta. Meat and eggs once a month. Rice is rare.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
Israeli security forces arrested two Palestinians in Tel Aviv on Sunday after intelligence indicated they were planning a terror attack, police and Shin Bet officials announced. The suspects, who were in Israel illegally, were taken into custody near the Tel Aviv Port during a joint operation by police and the Shin Bet security agency. They have since been transferred for interrogation. According to Hebrew media reports, the Shin Bet issued an urgent warning earlier in the day about a potential terror plot in the city, prompting an hours-long manhunt. Security forces flooded central Tel Aviv and its waterfront area before cornering the suspects. Several additional Palestinians have also been arrested in the city on suspicion of ties to the planned attack, reports said. The arrests come amid heightened tensions and frequent security alerts in Israel’s urban centers. Authorities have warned repeatedly of attempts by Palestinian operatives to infiltrate Israeli cities and carry out attacks in crowded civilian areas. The investigation is ongoing. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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The Daily Mirror, one of the UK’s largest newspapers, deliberately smeared Israel by publishing a report with a photo of a Gazan child with a rare genetic illness to accuse Israel of “starving Gaza’s kids”—making no mention of his illness. Even the state-controlled Turkish Anadolu news agency, which published the photo of the child, Kareem Muaamr, wrote in the report that he suffers from Fanconi syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects the intestines, liver, and kidneys, disrupting the absorption of essential nutrients. The Camera UK media watchdog group wrote, “What makes this libel so egregious is that the community note, noting the baby’s pre-existing disease, cites a report by Anadolu Agency, the Turkish state-run news agency. The fact that even THEY were more honest than the Daily Mirror is astonishing!” Israel’s Foreign Ministry wrote on X. “The Daily Mirror’s manipulation on Gaza is being backlashed by X users: a Community Note saying they concealed important context from their readers about a child from Gaza.” “Daily Mirror, stop spreading Hamas propaganda!” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
The Admor of Kretchnif Siget was rushed to the hospital on Erev Shabbos after suffering a severe stroke in the middle of Mincha at his Beis Medrash in Beis Yisroel. Doctors report that the Rebbe remains in critical condition, sedated and on a respirator, and stress that only tefillos can help. Please daven for the Rebbe, Zaidah Eliezer Zev ben Shifra, for a refuah sheleimah. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Federal investigators say former Trump National Security Adviser John Bolton should be prosecuted for mishandling highly classified material, questioning why the Biden administration quietly shelved the case for years before Trump’s Justice Department revived it, the New York Post reported. On Friday, FBI agents raided Bolton’s Maryland home and Washington, D.C., office, seizing what sources described as “a lot” of sensitive evidence related to allegations he improperly transferred and emailed national security documents through a private server. The probe stems from intelligence first flagged in 2020 that allegedly showed Bolton transferring White House documents—including to his wife and daughter—before he was fired by Trump in September 2019. Senior FBI sources told The Post the intelligence came from a “very specific capacity” and was considered damning. Investigators opened a case separate from the earlier, well-publicized inquiry into Bolton’s 2020 memoir The Room Where It Happened, which the Trump administration had accused of revealing national security secrets. But that case, agents say, was blocked by the Biden-era FBI leadership and effectively buried for four years. “The [Biden administration] had probable cause to know that he had taken material that was detrimental to the national security of the United States, and they made no effort to retrieve it,” one senior FBI official said. The decision to freeze the probe, officials argue, was politically motivated. Bolton has become one of Trump’s most vocal critics, frequently appearing on cable news to blast his former boss. “That was a friendly administration to [Bolton]. They kept bashing Trump for ‘weaponizing law enforcement,’ but by stopping a righteous investigation, they’re the ones who weaponized it,” another official charged. FBI Director Kash Patel, confirmed in February, was reportedly unaware of the investigation until a briefing weeks later. Initially assuming agents were referencing the closed book dispute, Patel was told instead that a separate “airtight” case had been blocked at the highest levels. The raids last week were carried out to collect further proof of alleged mishandling. Agents reported uncovering substantial material at both locations. Sources said Bolton’s family members are not targets of the probe despite earlier intelligence pointing to transfers involving his wife and daughter. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said during a visit to Haifa Naval Base that the IDF has achieved the goals of its “Gideon’s Chariots” operation against Hamas in Gaza, creating the conditions for a potential hostage deal.
The Admor of Kretchnif Siget was rushed to the hospital on Erev Shabbos after suffering a severe stroke in the middle of Mincha at his Beis Medrash in Beis Yisroel. He is in critical condition. Please daven for Zaidah Eliezer Zev ben Shifra.
