THEY LOOK HOW YOU THOUGHT THEY LOOKED: DOJ charges 3 suspects in separate Molotov attacks on Tesla properties—each facing up to 20 YEARS in prison. – Elias Marquez – Salem, OR – Jordan Weller – Loveland, CO – Darnell Brooks – Charleston, SC
Slightly more Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, but layoffs remain historically low. U.S. jobless claims filings rose by 2,000 to 223,000 for the week ending March 15, the Labor Department said Thursday. That’s just less than the 224,000 new applications analysts forecast. Weekly applications for jobless benefits are considered a proxy for layoffs, and have remained mostly in a range between 200,000 and 250,000 for the past few years. The four-week average, which evens out some of the week-to-week swings, inched up by 750 to 227,000. The total number of Americans receiving unemployment benefits for the week of March 8 rose by 33,000 to 1.89 million. (AP)
*UPDATE:* A ballistic missile launched at Israel by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen was successfully intercepted by air defenses, the military says. There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage in the attack. The IDF says the missile was shot down before crossing the country’s borders.
As a devastating wildfire burned through a Maui town, killing more than 100 people, emergency management employees traded dozens of text messages, creating a record that would later help investigators piece together the government’s response to the 2023 tragedy. One text exchange hinted officials might also be using a second, untraceable messaging service. “That’s what Signal was supposed to be for,” then-Maui Emergency Management Agency Administrator Herman Andaya texted a colleague. Signal is one of many end-to-end encrypted messaging apps that include message auto-delete functions. While such apps promise increased security and privacy, they often skirt open records laws meant to increase transparency around and public awareness of government decision-making. Without special archiving software, the messages frequently aren’t returned under public information requests. An Associated Press review in all 50 states found accounts on encrypted platforms registered to cellphone numbers for over 1,100 government workers and elected officials. It’s unclear if Maui officials actually used the app or simply considered it — a county spokesperson did not respond to questions — but the situation highlights a growing challenge: How can government entities use technological advancements for added security while staying on the right side of public information laws? How common is governmental use of encryption apps? The AP found accounts for state, local and federal officials in nearly every state, including many legislators and their staff, but also staff for governors, state attorneys general, education departments and school board members. The AP is not naming the officials because having an account is neither against the rules in most states, nor proof they use the apps for government business. While many of those accounts were registered to government cellphone numbers, some were registered to personal numbers. The AP’s list is likely incomplete because users can make accounts unsearchable. Improper use of the apps has been reported over the past decade in places like Missouri, Oregon, Oklahoma, Maryland and elsewhere, almost always because of leaked messages. What’s the problem? Public officials and private citizens are consistently warned about hacking and data leaks, but technologies designed to increase privacy often decrease government transparency. Apps like Signal, WhatsApp, Confide, Telegram and others use encryption to scramble messages so only the intended end-user can read them, and they typically aren’t stored on government servers. Some automatically delete messages, and some prevent users from screenshotting or sharing messages. “The fundamental problem is that people do have a right to use encrypted apps for their personal communications, and have those on their personal devices. That’s not against the law,” said Matt Kelly, editor of Radical Compliance, a newsletter that focuses on corporate compliance and governance issues. “But how would an organization be able to distinguish how an employee is using it?” Are there acceptable government uses of end-to-end encryption apps? The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, has recommended that “highly valued targets” — senior officials who handle sensitive information — use encryption apps for confidential communications. Those communications are not typically releasable under public record laws. CISA leaders also say encrypted communications could be a useful security measure for the public, but did not encourage government officials to use the apps to skirt public information laws. Journalists, including many at the AP, often use encrypted messages when talking to sources or whistleblowers. What are states doing? While some cities and states are grappling with […]
It is with deep regret that YWN informs you of the petirah of Hagaon HaRav Pinchos Kahn ZT”L, a Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshivas Chaim Berlin, who was niftar this morning at the age of approximately 89. A towering marbitz Torah and magid shiur for over four decades, Rav Kahn was mechanech and guided thousands of talmidim who passed through the hallowed halls of the yeshiva, imprinting upon them the derech haTorah and daas Chachomim of his revered rebbi and Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Yitzchok Hutner ZT”L. Rav Pinchos zt”l, who was unwell in recent years and suffered from various ailments, was zocheh to daven Shacharis this morning before returning to his bed, where he was niftar in his sleep – a true misas neshika – leaving behind a large family of talmidei chachomim and marbitzei torah. The levaya is scheduled to take place Friday morning at 10:00 AM at Yeshivas Chaim Berlin, where thousands are expected to give kavod acharon to a gadol b’Torah whose harbotzas haTorah and ameilus spanned generations. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The Defense Ministry has unveiled footage showcasing tests of the Iron Dome, highlighting a major system upgrade. Concurrently, the IDF is amassing substantial reserves of interceptors. Israel is clearly preparing for significant military operations.
Following the closure of soft-sided facilities in Texas and Arizona, CBP is currently dismantling an additional soft-side facility in Otay Mesa, close to San Diego, attributing the decision to the unprecedented low levels of illegal border crossings during the new Trump administration.
WH Press Secretary: “We think it’s egregious that a single district judge is trying to tell the President of the United States who he can and cannot deport from our soil especially when it comes to designated foreign terrorists.”
An American man who was abducted more than two years ago while traveling through Afghanistan as a tourist has been released by the Taliban in a deal with the Trump administration that Qatari negotiators helped broker, the State Department said Thursday. George Glezmann, an airline mechanic from Atlanta, is the third American detainee to be released by the Taliban since January. He was seized by the Taliban’s intelligence services in December 2022 and was designated by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained the following year. In a statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Glezmann was on his way back to the United States to be reunited with his wife, Aleksandra. He also praised Qatar for “steadfast commitment and diplomatic efforts” that he said were “instrumental in securing George’s release.” “George’s release is a positive and constructive step. It is also a reminder that other Americans are still detained in Afghanistan. President Trump will continue his tireless work to free ALL Americans unjustly detained around the world,” Rubio said. Glezmann was being accompanied back to the U.S., through Qatar’s capital, Doha, by Adam Boehler, who has been handling hostage issues for President Donald Trump’s administration. Qatar has hosted negotiations between the U.S. and the Taliban over the years. The release of Glezmann is part of what the Taliban has previously described as the “normalization” of ties between the U.S. and Afghanistan following the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Most countries still don’t recognize the Taliban’s rule. Glezmann’s release follows a separate deal, arranged in the final days of the Biden administration and also mediated by the Qataris, that secured the releases of Ryan Corbett and William McKenty. The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry in Kabul said at the time that those two U.S. citizens had been exchanged for Khan Mohammed, who was sentenced to two life terms in 2008 after being convicted under U.S. narco-terrorism laws. Unlike in that arrangement, the U.S. did not give up any prisoner to secure Glezmann’s release, which was done as a goodwill gesture, according to an official briefed on the matter who insisted on anonymity due to the sensitivity of the negotiations. The Taliban disclosed earlier Thursday that Boehler had been meeting on hostage issues with a delegation that included Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. President Joe Biden contemplated before he left office an earlier proposal that would have involved the release of Glezmann and other Americans for Muhammad Rahim, one of the remaining detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. But Biden told families during a call in January that he would not support trading Rahim unless the Taliban released Afghan-American businessman Mahmood Habibi. U.S. officials believe the Taliban is holding Habibi, but the Taliban has denied it. (AP)
Defense Minister Israel Katz approved the military’s battle plans for the Gaza Strip a short while ago during a meeting with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, his office says. “We already see that the military pressure affects Hamas’s position. We will not stop, until the hostages are released,” Katz says during the assessment.
TRAFFIC ALERT – ELIZABETH, NJ: Heavy traffic reported right off the Goethals Bridge heading from Staten Island to the NJ Turnpike after a tractor-trailer crashed into the toll booths. Drivers are advised to avoid the area. (Updated: 11:45 AM, 3/20)
In a 6-to-1 decision, New York’s highest court ruled against a New York City law that had allowed non-citizens to vote, declaring that voting rights are limited to citizens.
Photos from the Chasunah of HaChosson Chatzkel (son of Reb Yitzchok Zev) Levine to HaKallah Rochi (daughter of Reb Avrohom) Goodman. The Chosson is an Einikle of the late Telz Chicago Rosh Yeshiva, Hagaon HaRav Avrohom Chaim Levin ZT’L. Interesting to note, that the Chosson is named after his great-grandfather, the famed Mirrer Mashgiach, Hagaon HaRav Yechezkel Levenstein ZT’L, whose Yartzheit was the day of the Chasunah (the 18th of Adar).
The IDF and Shin Bet have announced that Rashid Jahjouh, the leader of Hamas’s General Security Apparatus, and Ayman Aslih, who oversaw the Khan Yunis area, have been eliminated. Jahjouh’s group played a critical role in identifying collaborators, protecting Hamas leaders, and carrying out terrorist schemes targeting Israel.
BORDER CZAR: “I found it remarkable… he wanted us to turn planes around in midair, full of terrorists, and bring them back into United States, which is just ridiculous. The district court judge isn’t gonna stop us from making this country safe again.”
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