Yeshiva World News

Elon Musk sitting at the cabinet meeting wearing a “Trump was right about everything” hat

Secretary Brooke Rollins: The prices of eggs under the four years of Joe Biden increased 237% … We released a very significant plan about a month ago about how to bring the price of eggs down… since that time, the wholesale price of eggs has come down 53%.

Six rockets were launched at Metula on Shabbos, the first rocket fire at Israel for months amid a tenuous ceasefire. The rocket fire was initially attributed to Hezbollah but according to a Walla report, a Palestinian terror group affiliated with Hamas was behind the rocket fire. The terror group tried to mislead the Lebanese army and the IDF into thinking Hezbollah launched the rockets by placing a Hezbollah flag and a photo of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah near the rocket launchers. IDF sources told Walla that Hezbollah’s sequence of denials and disavowal of the rocket launch indicate the new reality in Lebanon. One source said that “not only did the Shiite organization deny any connection to the launch, it made it unequivocally clear that it is committed to the ceasefire agreement.” However, the IDF also confirmed that “from the beginning of the ceasefire agreement until last weekend, IDF forces, from the ground and from the air, killed more than 100 terrorists in Lebanese territory after they committed violations of the agreement or threatened IDF forces in the border area and the buffer zone.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

TRUMP: “It won’t be that long before the states will be really running the Department of Education. Our teachers are going to be taken very well care of… I think you’re going to see a tremendous change very quickly having to do with education.”

Two rockets launched from the Gaza Strip at southern Israel were successfully intercepted by air defenses, the military says.

President Donald Trump on Monday named his one-time defense attorney and current White House counselor Alina Habba to be the top federal prosecutor in New Jersey. Habba, who turns 41 Tuesday, takes over the interim post from John Giordano, whom the president said he’s naming to be the U.S. ambassador for the southwestern African country of Namibia. A partner in a small New Jersey law firm near Trump’s Bedminster golf course, Habba served as a senior adviser for Trump’s political action committee, defended him in court in several civil lawsuits and acted as a spokesperson last year as he volleyed between courtrooms and the campaign trail. She lists no prosecutorial experience in an online biography. Habba said she looked forwards to working with Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue the president’s agenda of “putting America first,” and going after the people “we should be going after.” She criticized Democrats Sen. Cory Booker and Gov. Phil Murphy for their stewardship of the state. “If you look at what happened in crime, what’s going on in Newark, what’s going on in Camden, this has been a neglected state. It is one of the most populated states for its size and it needs to stop. We’re gonna do a bang up job,” Habba said Monday. Spokespeople for Booker and Murphy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Camden officials said earlier this year that violent crime rates reached a 55-year low, crediting the county police department. Officials in Newark, the state’s largest city, said late last year that homicide rates had fallen but other crime levels had increased in 2024. Habba was one of Trump’s most visible defense attorneys, appearing on cable TV news as his “legal spokesperson.” She represented Trump in 2024 in the defamation case involving E. Jean Carroll. But Habba has had limited federal court experience, practicing mainly in state-level courts. During the Carroll trial, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan chided Habba for botching procedure, misstating the law asking about off-limits topics and objecting after he ruled. Habba and Trump were fined nearly $1 million in 2023 for filing what a Florida judge called a bogus lawsuit against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Giordano was sworn in as New Jersey’s interim U.S. attorney earlier this month. He previously served as a counselor to the assistant attorney general for the Environment and Natural Resources Division. Giordano also served as a federal prosecutor in Virginia. (AP)

VP VANCE: “When you think about what happened with the Abraham Accords, one of the great diplomatic breakthroughs under the first Trump administration — The Biden administration did absolutely nothing with it. Built on it not at all. Added zero additional countries. Purely out of political spite…”

*SECRETARY RUBIO: “The American people should be proud that we have a president that’s promoting peace and the end of conflict on this planet.”

EPA Lee Zeldin: “The EPA has now cancelled over $22 billion worth of contracts — $2 billion going to this NGO that Stacey Abrams was tied to. They received only $100 in 2023 and then the Biden administration gave them $2 billion — The director of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund saw his former employer get $5 billion — So $20 billion went to just eight NGOs.”

The Orthodox Union Advocacy Center (OUA), the public policy arm of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, submitted a letter this morning urging the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to confirm Governor Mike Huckabee’s nomination as U.S. Ambassador to Israel. In a letter to Chairman James Risch (R-ID), Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and all Senators on the Committee, OUA emphasizes Gov. Huckabee’s longstanding support for Israel’s security and his recognition of the Jewish people’s historical connection to the land of Israel, positions shared by many American Jews, particularly following the October 7 Hamas attack. Read the letter here. While the Orthodox Union does not generally take positions on nominees, it made an exception because some Jewish groups have claimed to speak for all American Jewry in opposing and misrepresenting Gov. Huckabee’s views. Nathan Diament, Executive Director of OU Advocacy, addressed misconceptions about Huckabee’s views, highlighting Huckabee’s alignment with many in the American Jewish community. “Governor Huckabee brings a profound understanding of the security challenges confronting Israel and an unwavering commitment to the U.S.-Israel alliance,” said Diament. “His perspective is vital at a time when American policy must address the ongoing threats from Iranian-backed terror groups, a reality made painfully clear since the October 7th Hamas attack.” Rejecting claims that Huckabee’s views are extreme, the Orthodox Union asserts that meaningful peace requires Palestinian recognition of Israel’s legitimacy. The organization also expresses gratitude for the Christian Zionist community’s support against rising antisemitism and affirms Huckabee’s commitment to defending Israel’s right to exist in peace and security. “We deeply value the support of the Christian Zionist community, including Governor Huckabee, in standing against antisemitism and defending Israel’s right to exist in peace and security,” Diament added. “His nomination reflects a principled commitment to these issues, which is especially vital at this critical moment.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

President Trump at the cabinet meeting: “Many companies are now moving into the United States … We have probably identified maybe $4 trillion worth of companies moving back or going to move back.”

New York Governor Kathy Hochul confirms New York State Police will not cooperate with ICE to deport violent criminal illegal immigrants — and says counties that do cooperate are “renegade”

Hamas has released a video showing signs of life from Yosef Chaim Ohana and Elkana Bohbut

Hamas has released a propaganda video featuring Israeli hostages Elkana Bohbot and Yosef-Haim Ohana, both abducted from the Nova festival on October 7th and still captive in Gaza. The video shows signs of life from the two young men. Israel has condemned Hamas’ tactic of releasing such hostage videos as a cruel form of psychological warfare, a practice the group has employed before with other captives. The Hostage Families Forum has requested that media refrain from airing the video or sharing still images from it until the families of Elkana Bohbot and Yosef-Haim Ohana grant their approval. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

As President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk work to overhaul the federal government, they’re forcing out thousands of workers with insider knowledge and connections who now need a job. For Russia, China and other adversaries, the upheaval in Washington as Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency guts government agencies presents an unprecedented opportunity to recruit informants, national security and intelligence experts say. Every former federal worker with knowledge of or access to sensitive information or systems could be a target. When thousands of them leave their jobs at the same time, that creates a lot of targets, as well as a counterespionage challenge for the United States. “This information is highly valuable, and it shouldn’t be surprising that Russia and China and other organizations — criminal syndicates for instance — would be aggressively recruiting government employees,” said Theresa Payton, a former White House chief information officer under President George W. Bush, who now runs her own cybersecurity firm. Many agencies oversee crucial data Each year an average of more than 100,000 federal workers leave their jobs. Some retire; others move to the private sector. This year, in three months, the number is already many times higher. It’s not just intelligence officers who present potential security risks. Many departments and agencies oversee vast amounts of data that include personal information on Americans as well as sensitive information about national security and government operations. Exiting employees could also give away helpful security secrets that would allow someone to penetrate government databases or physical offices. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, for instance, maintains information on trade negotiations that could help an adversary undercut the United States. Federal records house data on clandestine intelligence operations and agents. Pentagon databases contain reams of sensitive information on U.S. military capabilities. The Department of Energy oversees many of the nation’s most closely guarded nuclear secrets. “This happens even in good times — someone in the intelligence community who for personal financial or other reasons walks into an embassy to sell America out — but DOGE is taking it to a whole new level,” said John Schindler, a former counterintelligence official. “Someone is going to go rogue,” he said. “It’s just a question of how bad it will be.” Only a tiny fraction of the many millions of Americans who have worked for the federal government have ever been accused of espionage. The overwhelming number are conscientious patriots who would never sell out their country, Payton said. Background checks, employee training and exit interviews are all designed to prevent informants or moles — and to remind departing federal employees of their duty to preserve national secrets even after leaving federal service. Even one person can do serious damage It takes only one or two misguided or disgruntled workers to cause a national security crisis. Former FBI agent Robert Hanssen and former CIA officer Aldrich Ames, who both spied for Russia, show just how damaging a single informant can be. Hanssen divulged sweeping information about American intelligence-gathering, including details that authorities said were partly responsible for the outing of U.S. informants in Russia who were later executed for working on America’s behalf. The odds that one angry former employee reaches out to a foreign power go up as many federal employees find themselves without a job, experts said. What’s not in doubt is that foreign adversaries are looking for […]

A jury in Georgia has ordered Monsanto parent Bayer to pay nearly $2.1 billion in damages to a man who says the company’s Roundup weed killer caused his cancer, according to attorneys representing the plaintiff. The verdict marks the latest in a long-running series of court battles Monsanto has faced over its Roundup herbicide. The agrochemical giant says it will appeal the verdict, reached in a Georgia courtroom late Friday, in efforts to overturn the decision. The penalties awarded include $65 million in compensatory damages and $2 billion in punitive damages, law firms Arnold & Itkin LLP and Kline & Specter PC said in a statement. That marks one of the largest legal settlements reached in a Roundup-related case to date. Plaintiff John Barnes filed his lawsuit against Monsanto in 2021, seeking damages related to his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Arnold & Itkin attorney Kyle Findley, the lead trial lawyer on the case, said the verdict will help put his client in a better position to get the treatment he needs going forward. “It’s been a long road for him … and he was happy that the truth related to the product (has) been exposed,” Findley told The Associated Press on Sunday. He called the verdict an “important milestone” after “another example of Monsanto’s refusal to accept responsibility for poisoning people with this toxic product.” Germany-based Bayer, which acquired Monsanto in 2018, has continued to dispute claims that Roundup causes cancer. But the company has been hit with more than 177,000 lawsuits involving the weedkiller and set aside $16 billion to settle cases. In a statement, Monsanto said Friday’s verdict “conflicts with the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence and the consensus of regulatory bodies and their scientific assessments worldwide.” The company added that it continues “to stand fully behind the safety” of Roundup products. For a variety of crops — including corn, soybeans and cotton — Roundup is designed to work with genetically modified seeds that resist the weedkiller’s deadly effect. It allows farmers to produce more while conserving the soil by tilling it less. Some studies associate Roundup’s key ingredient, glyphosate, with cancer, although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said it is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans when used as directed. Still, numerous lawsuits over the weedkiller allege glyphosate does cause non-Hodgkin lymphoma, arguing that Monsanto has failed to warn the public about serious risks for years. Findley said that evidence relating to Barnes’ case show “many years of cover-ups” and “backroom dealings.” He accused Monsanto of ignoring several scientific studies related to the toxicity of Roundup and said the company “tried to find ways to persuade and distract and deny the connection between this product and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.” Friday’s decision marks the fourth Roundup-related verdict that Findley’s team has won to date — the largest of which was awarded in Philadelphia in January 2024, with damages totaling $2.25 billion. And he said his law firm has “many more clients who are similarly situated as Mr. Barnes.” Monsanto, meanwhile, also maintains that it “remains committed to trying cases” — and argues its wider record of Roundup-related litigation continues to reinforce the safety of its products. The company said it has prevailed in 17 of the last 25 related trials, while some previous damage awards have been reduced. Bayer […]

Air Force aircraft on Monday carried out targeted strikes against Hamas vehicles in the Gaza Strip. As part of the operation, dozens of vehicles were attacked throughout the Strip, including pickup trucks and commercial vehicles belonging to terrorists in various areas of the Strip. According to a Kan News report, the operation is a focused IDF attack on Hamas’s vehicle fleet, as confirmed by a security source. A short time ago, the terrorist organization published a notice to its operatives that they should stay away from Toyota vehicles due to IDF attacks against them. The message read: “The occupation attacked all Toyota jeeps. We warn you not to approach jeeps of this type.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Over the last 16 years, a new approach and method of limud Hashas has been nurtured and developed in Eretz Yisroel at Reshet Kollelei Shas Yiden. This phenomenon has captured the imagination and electrified lomdei Hatorah throughout the world, and has earned the avid support of Gedolim across the Torah spectrum.  Shas Yiden in UK & USA Shas Yiden not only grew from 6 avreichim metzuyonim to 126 avreichim geonim in five kollelim across Eretz Yisroel but, in response to repeated requests from abroad, a Shas Yiden kollel was first established in the UK, in Stamford Hill, London. The Shas Yiden reputation soared in this location and their first Annual Siyum Hashas with Gedolei Torah in attendance reflected the grandeur of those in Yerushalayim. This foray into Chutz La’aretz has been followed by a long-awaited opening of a Shas Yiden kollel in Flatbush, NY. The Eretz Yisroeldike bren of learning the entire Shas has already had a significant local impact and is a source of inspiration to the local Flatbush kollelim. The incredible devotion to limud gantz Shas and its completion within a year by each avreich at Shas Yiden has encouraged many others to try and emulate this broader study of Shas. This elevated level of Torah study at Shas Yiden and the ability of the avreichim geonim to face public oral farheren by world recognized Gedolei Torah, together with monthly tests on 225 blatt, is nothing short of remarkable. Shas Yiden has truly raised the bar in the study of Shas. Our unique system of learning, the tight demanding regimen and the motivation emanating from Eretz Yisroel has truly placed Shas Yiden in a Torah league of its own.  In the Words of Maranan Hageonim Sar Hatorah, רשכבה”ג Maran Hagadol Harav Chaim Kanievsky, זצ”ל – Nasi, Shas YidenI tested them, I know them throughout Shas – a Yissachar-Zevulun pact with Shas Yiden is the most mehudar partnership  Rosh Hayeshiva, רשכבה”ג Maran Hagadol Harav Gershon Edelstein, זצ”לShas Yiden has raised the bar of Torah learning in both depth and clarity, and its unique method of ameilus in Torah The Sanzer Rebbe, שליט”אA first in 2000 years of Jewish history – never before a Torah institution where ALL the avreichim know kol Hashas kulo, Rashi and Tosfos b’al peh Over 1.6 Million Blatt at Shas YidenThis Year Alone! With each of the 122 avreichim geonim at Shas Yiden required to complete a minimum of 13,555 blatt per year, you are helping support some 1,654,000 blatt!  At the most recent farheren, the reaction of the Gedolei Torah conducting the testing to the prowess of the Shas Yiden was simply one of amazement at the breadth and detailed knowledge and all-encompassing mastery of Shas – remarking: “They know it like others know Ashrei Yoshvei!” The joy of the avreichim geonim and their clear love of Torah electrifies each farher. (To see the different farheren in action, please click on our website: www.shasyiden.com.) It is no wonder that the overall reaction to the Shas Yiden Network is that in its 15 years it has certainly revolutionized and raised the bar in the learning and mastery of Shas.  Caring for the Avreichim Families Despite the difficulties of these last few years, Covid etc., Shas Yiden has made sure to keep our commitment to each of […]

The Gerrer Rebbe paid a significant visit to the Chidushei HaRim Yeshiva of Gerrer Chassidus in Tel Aviv on Sunday. During his visit, he led a L’Chaim Tisch and participated in a public farher for the yeshiva’s talmidim. Following the visit, the Rebbe traveled to Kiryat Shaul Cemetery, where he davened at the kever of his late father-in-law, ZT”L. Renowned photographer Shuki Lerer accompanied the Rebbe on this journey and captured footage of the visit for YWN.