Marriage Certificate written in Judeo-Arabic and signed by Rabbi Meir Abuchatzeira during his tenure as Rav of Erfoud, Morocco. Rabbi Yehuda Simchon and Rabbi Masoud Mallul signed as witnesses and their signatures are followed by the handwritten signature of the Baba Meir.
Renewed Anti-Hamas protests erupted in Khan Yunis today, with residents filling the streets, chanting “We want to live,” and denouncing Hamas’ use of civilians as human shields.
President Trump goes off on Democrat Rep. LaMonica McIver following her getting charged for assaulting law enforcement in Newark: “That woman was out of control. Shoving federal agents. The days of that crap are over. We’re going to have law and order.”
Manchester, England’s Jewish community was thrust into mourning as news spread of the sudden and tragic death of Lipa Tomlin z”l, a well-known musician and father of four. R’ Lipa was niftar after falling from a height while on vacation in Cyprus with his wife and a relative. The incident occurred just days after the niftar celebrated his 37th birthday. Tomlin was widely known and deeply admired within the frum kehilla in Manchester and beyond. A talented performer, he brought joy to countless weddings and simchas through his heartfelt music and uplifting presence. “He was a gifted artist who used his talent to uplift and inspire,” a heartbroken friend recalled. “He had a unique ability to touch people’s hearts with his voice and his soul.” Askanim are working on extraditing the meis from Cyprus for a levaya and kevurah. Baruch Dayan HaEmes. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
POTUS: “I’m cutting drug prices by 85%… Because I did something that nobody was willing to do. Other countries pay a tiny fraction of what we do, and I instituted favored nations. We’re now going to pay the lowest in the world.”
ELON MUSK: “DOGE team has done incredible work, but the magnitude of the savings is proportionate to the support we get from Congress and from the executive branch of the government in general. So we’re not the dictators we all the advisors.”
HATE IN THE UK: Shomrim NW London has been alerted to multiple incidents of mezuzahs being deliberately removed from outside Jewish homes in Golders Green, in what appears to be a deliberate act of antisemitism. Shomrim is actively collecting CCTV footage and working closely with police to identify and locate the suspect.
For the first time in the United States, a utility is asking federal regulators for a permit to build a small nuclear reactor. The nation’s largest public power company, the Tennessee Valley Authority, announced Tuesday it submitted a construction permit application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a small, modular nuclear reactor. It wants to develop next-generation nuclear power in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, at its Clinch River site. TVA President and CEO Don Moul said that by going first, they can show other utilities a way to accelerate the development of small nuclear reactors. “Nuclear is very reliable, very resilient. It is carbon free,” he told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview Monday. “It is, what I would consider, one of the highest quality generating sources we have. And so starting a path forward not only helps others in America follow, but it can also help America lead the world in the new technology.” The federally owned utility provides electricity to seven states and operates three traditional, large nuclear power plants, which provide 40% of the Tennessee Valley’s power. The region’s population is growing, industries are replacing fossil fuels with electric alternatives and there’s more manufacturing. The TVA is planning for the demand for electricity to increase by up to 26 gigawatts by 2035, which is enough to power roughly 15 million homes. Its board launched a program in 2022 to develop and fund small modular nuclear reactors as part of its strategy to dramatically reduce planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, and has provided $350 million for it so far. U.S. electric utilities have been reluctant to invest in new nuclear construction because of large cost overruns and delays in Georgia, as Georgia Power Co.’s Plant Vogtle was expanded from two of the traditional large reactors to four, said Jacopo Buongiorno, professor of nuclear science and engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The TVA decision is meaningful because it may be the start of a trend, Buongiorno added. The United States does not have any next-generation reactors operating commercially. The NRC is currently reviewing applications from companies that want to build these reactors to begin providing power in the early 2030s. A project to build the first was terminated in 2023, as costs increased and not enough local power providers signed up to be part of it. This month, the power company in Ontario, Canada, began building the first of four small nuclear reactors. Ontario Power Generation chose the same reactor the TVA wants to build, GE Hitachi’s design for a small modular reactor that uses light water like all large U.S. commercial reactors. In Ontario, they’re expecting the first to cost $6.1 billion, along with $1.6 billion for equipment to build all four. The cost is expected to decline with each subsequent reactor. TVA’s cost estimates are in the same range, Moul said, but he declined to give specifics and said the utility is looking for partners to help with the initial costs. The nonprofit Environmental Working Group says far cheaper, safer and cleaner electricity can be delivered much faster through investments in proven renewable sources like solar rooftops, battery storage and wind power. There’s “no bigger example of a money pit than the fantasy of small modular reactors” as a viable source of energy in the […]
The UK on Tuesday froze negotiations for a new free trade agreement with Israel, implemented sanctions on Jewish organizations in the Shomron, and summoned Israeli Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely for a reprimand in response to Israel’s war in Gaza against murderous terrorists. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced the suspension of free trade talks due to Israel’s “egregious policies in the West Bank and Gaza.” Sanctions were announced against the Nachala movement, the Coco’s Farm outpost, Daniella Weiss, Harel Libi Coco and his construction company, the Neria’s Farm outpost, and Zohar Sabah. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Middle East Hamish Falconer summoned Amb. Hotovely to express the UK’s “complete opposition to the wholly disproportionate escalation of military activity in Gaza” and the “cruel and indefensible” blockade of Gaza. Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Oren Marmorstein responded by stating: “Following the UK’s announcement that it will suspend free trade agreement negotiations with Israel and impose sanctions on settlers: Even prior to today’s announcement, the free trade agreement negotiations were not being advanced at all by the current UK government. More than that, the agreement would serve the mutual benefit of both countries. If, due to anti-Israel obsession and domestic political considerations, the British government is willing to harm the British economy — that is its own prerogative.” “The sanctions against residents of Judea and Samaria are unjustified, and regrettable, especially at a time when Israel is mourning yet another victim of Palestinian terror — Tzeela Gez, H’yd, who was murdered on her way to the delivery room. Doctors continue fighting for her newborn’s life in hospital.” “The British Mandate ended exactly 77 years ago. External pressure will not divert Israel from its path in defending its existence and security against enemies who seek its destruction.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
President Donald Trump arrived on Capitol Hill early Tuesday to try to seal the deal on his big tax cuts bill, using the power of political persuasion to unify divided House Republicans on the multitrillion-dollar package that is at risk of collapsing before planned votes this week. Trump called himself a “cheerleader” for the Republican Party and praised the leadership of Speaker Mike Johnson as he headed behind closed doors to rally Republicans. He also criticized at least one of the holdout Republicans as a “grandstander” in a warning to others. “We have a very, very unified party,” Trump said in hallway remarks at the Capitol. “We’re going to have available one big beautiful bill.” The president arrived at a pivotal moment. Negotiations are slogging along and it’s not at all clear the package, with its sweeping tax breaks and cuts to Medicaid, food stamps and green energy programs, has the support needed from the House’s slim Republican majority. Lawmakers are also being asked to add some $350 billion to Trump’s border security, deportation and defense agenda. Conservatives are insisting on quicker, steeper cuts to federal programs to offset the costs of the trillions of dollars in lost tax revenue. At the same time, a core group of lawmakers from New York and other high-tax states want bigger tax breaks for their voters back home. Worries about piling onto the nation’s $36 trillion debt are stark. “I think it’s pretty obvious that they’re going to need more time,” said Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus. “These are complicated issues with trillions of dollars,” he said. “We’ve got to do this thing right.” Trump’s visit to address House Republicans at their weekly conference will test the president’s deal-making powers. The Republican speaker, Johnson, is determined to push the bill forward and needs Trump to provide the momentum, either by encouragement or political warnings or a combination of both. With House Democrats lined up against the package, GOP leaders have almost no votes to spare. A key committee hearing is set for the middle of the night Tuesday in hopes of a House floor vote by Wednesday afternoon. Democrats argue the package is little more than a giveaway to the wealthy at the expense of health care and food programs Americans rely on. “They literally are trying to take health care away from millions of Americans at this very moment in the dead of night,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. “If this legislation is designed to make life better for the American people, can someone explain to me why they would hold a hearing to advance the bill at 1 a.m. in the morning?” Trump has been pushing hard for Republicans to unite behind the bill, which has been uniquely shaped in his image as the president’s signature domestic policy initiative in Congress. Asked about one of the conservative Republicans, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Trump lashed out. “I think he is a grandstander, frankly,” the president continued. “I think he should be voted out of office.” The sprawling 1,116-page package carries Trump’s title, the “ One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” as well as his campaign promises to extend the tax breaks approved during his first term while adding new ones, including no […]
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Democrats chairman Yair Golan’s outrageous lies that “Israel kills babies as a hobby” made it to the headlines of numerous Arab media outlets on Tuesday, who were delighted to quote one of Israel’s own about so-called IDF atrocities. His statements, some of them exaggerated to appear even worse than the originals, appeared in the headlines of dozens of media outlets throughout the Middle East, stating that “Israel kills children as a hobby” or other variations, with the articles stating that the words of Golan, a “senior Israeli official” or “senior Zionist,” are confirmation of Israel’s crimes. Ironically, the Mujahideen Brigades, the terror group that brutally murdered Shiri Bibas, H’yd, and her young son and baby, issued an official statement, claiming that Golan’s words constitute “further confirmation of Israel’s war crimes,” and called for the implementation of international sanctions against Israel. Yoseph Haddad, an Arab-Israeli pro-Israel activist, published a photo of Golan’s words quoted by Al Jazeera, writing: “Here Yair Golan, I hope you are satisfied. You became a star in the Arab world today. You’re in the headlines of Al Jazeera and every Arab channel. And most of the reactions are the same, about how a senior party leader in Israel is telling the truth that they have been saying all along. The damage you have brought upon us and the fuel you have given to this blood libel against IDF soldiers and the State of Israel is simply unbelievable. A thousand firefighters won’t be able to put out the fire you started by spreading your lies and slander…I hope you are satisfied. What is certain is that Hamas is pleased, you did [Hamas spokesperson] Abu Obaida’s job for him.” Kol B’Ramah journalist Avi Moskoff wrote:” In Iran, Lebanon, Gaza, all along the axis: All media outlets in the Arab world extensively and proudly quoted Yair Golan’s outrageous remarks this morning.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Delta Air Lines is set to restart daily flights between Ben Gurion Airport and JFK Airport starting today, May 20, 2025. On May 4, Delta halted all flights to Tel Aviv after a ballistic missile from Yemen struck Ben Gurion Airport. The decision follows “an exhaustive security assessment,” with Delta stating it will “continue closely monitoring the situation in the region in close coordination with government officials and other stakeholders.” The airline’s return comes as other carriers, like United Airlines, also plan to resume US-Tel Aviv routes in June, signaling cautious optimism despite persistent regional instability.
The IDF confirms carrying out a drone strike in the Lebanese town of al-Mansouri, close to Tyre, earlier today, killing a Hezbollah operative. According to the military, the operative was the commander of Hezbollah’s forces in al-Mansouri.
POTUS: “This is what I want on Medicaid; we’re not touching anything. All I want is one thing — three words — we don’t want any waste, fraud or abuse. Very simple.”
POTUS: “The only thing we’re cutting is waste, fraud and abuse… We’re not changing Medicaid, and we’re not changing Medicare, and we’re not changing Social Security.”
President Trump arrives at the Capitol to speak with House Republicans and push them to fall in line and back his Big Beautiful Bill. “I think we are a very unified party. It’s the biggest bill ever passed and we are getting it done.”
