As a longtime and deeply committed supporter of President Donald Trump, I feel compelled to speak out about some of his recent comments. With just days to go until the election, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Our nation stands at a crossroads, and the outcome will likely come down to a few undecided voters in key states. Now is the time to focus on the issues that matter most, not to risk alienating potential supporters with offhand, inflammatory remarks. But on Sunday, Trump made two remarks that left me—and many others—scratching our heads and feeling frustrated. First, he said he thought he “shouldn’t have left” the White House after losing the 2020 election. And then, in what I’m sure was intended to be a joke, he added that “someone would have to shoot through the fake news” to get to him, which he “wouldn’t mind so much.” As a diehard Trump supporter, I know the man doesn’t truly mean this. We’ve seen him mouth off before, trying to fire up his supporters at rallies with heated words and exaggerated rhetoric. It’s part of his style and charisma. But comments like these, just days before the election, are beyond frustrating. In a political climate where every word is scrutinized, anything that can be twisted into a negative soundbite is a gift to his opponents. Trump’s recent remarks are an unnecessary distraction from his policy accomplishments and vision for America, and they risk turning off crucial undecided voters. The truth is, I’m confident Trump wasn’t truly suggesting he should have stayed in office against the will of the people, nor was he encouraging any sort of violence against the media. He’s always been outspoken, and his supporters know that. But many voters on the fence don’t know him as we do, and they take his comments at face value. Right now, what the campaign needs is laser focus on the issues: the economy, national security, healthcare, and more. His record should speak for itself. Voters need to be reminded of how strong America was under Trump’s leadership and how he plans to bring that strength back. Mr. President, please stay on track. You’re your own worst enemy sometimes, and these careless remarks only distract from the real issues. We’re praying and working for a Trump victory on Tuesday. Let’s not leave this to chance or give the media or undecided voters any reason to look the other way. Yosef Levenson – New York NOTE: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of YWN. DO YOU HAVE AN OPINION YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE POSTED ON YWN? SEND IT TO US FOR REVIEW. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Nearly 200 families gathered Saturday along a stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border for heartfelt but brief reunions with loved ones they had not seen for years because they live in opposite countries. Tears flowed and people embraced as Mexican families were allowed to reunite for a few minutes at the border with relatives who migrated to the U.S. Adults and children passed over the Rio Grande to meet with their loved ones. This year, the annual event organized by an immigrant rights advocacy group happened three days before the U.S. presidential election, whose monthslong campaigns have focused heavily on immigration and border security. It also took place under increased security, according to the Network in Defense of the Rights of Migrants. “We did not have barbed wire, we did not have so many soldiers deployed in our community,” said Fernando García, the organization’s director, highlighting the border security changes that the border has seen since the reunions began last decade. “The barbed wire had to be opened so that the families could have this event.” García said he expects migration into the U.S. to continue regardless of who wins Tuesday’s election. Family reunions, he said, will continue, too. “Deportation policy, border policy, immigration policy, is separating families in an extraordinary way and is deeply impacting these families,” he told reporters ahead of the event. (AP)
A man faces a felony assault charge after an unprovoked attack on a fellow passenger who was sleeping during a cross-country flight this week, according to authorities. An FBI agent said Everett Chad Nelson punched the other man repeatedly in the face and head, leaving the man bleeding, before another passenger pulled him off the victim. The attack on a United Airlines flight Monday from San Francisco to Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia lasted about a minute. “Thanks to the quick action of our crew and customers, one passenger was restrained after becoming physically aggressive toward another customer,” United said in a statement. “The flight landed safely and was met by paramedics and local law enforcement.” United said there were 82 customers and six crew members on the flight. According to an FBI affidavit, Nelson left his seat in the rear of the plane and used a lavatory near the front before attacking the other man, who suffered bruises around his eyes and a gash on the nose. Blood was splattered on the the sleeves of Nelson’s windbreaker. The agent said Nelson was moved to a seat near the front of the plane and was watched by the passenger who had stopped the assault. There was no indication that Nelson knew the victim, who was not identified. The public defender listed as Nelson’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A federal magistrate ruled that Nelson should be held in custody until trial, which is scheduled for Dec. 11 in Alexandria, Virginia. The magistrate cited the evidence against Nelson and his history of lacking stable employment and residence. There have been more than 1,700 reports of unruly passengers on planes this year, on pace for an increase in the number of incidents last year. Reports of unruly passengers spiked in 2021 and, although declining the next two years, have remained higher than before the coronavirus pandemic. (AP)
Our Dudi is only two years old, a sweet child with big innocent eyes. But he is already fighting something none of us could have imagined—leukemia. Instead of running and playing he lies in a hospital bed, connected to machines, struggling for every tiny breath. The days are filled with pain and helplessness, and Dudi’s parents’ hearts break every time they see their child suffer. Dudi needs a complex and dangerous surgery to save his life, but they cannot do it alone. Can you imagine helpless feeling of a parent looking into their child’s eyes, not knowing if they’ll get to see him grow up? Celebrate a birthday? Play outside like any other child? Every passing day feels like an eternity. His parents hold his tiny hands, trying to give him warmth, love, and strength, but they need a miracle. They need your help. The family is torn apart by pain, and their only hope lies is to raise the money for the surgery. Dudi shouldn’t have to fight for his life at such a young age. He should be playing with toys, drawing on the walls, and chasing butterflies, not battling such a cruel disease. But there is still hope. Together, we can give Dudi the chance for the life he so deserves. Every donation, every bit of support is not just money—it’s an outstretched hand of compassion and empathy. Please, join our fight for Dudi. Be part of his story, be his hope. Every dollar, every prayer—they are the light at the end of the dark tunnel he’s going through. Together, we can save his life. Donate now
Israeli commandos recently conducted a covert operation in southern Syria, capturing a Syrian man allegedly conducting surveillance activities on behalf of Iran, the IDF revealed Sunday. The operation was led by the elite Egoz commando unit in coordination with field interrogators from the Intelligence Directorate’s Unit 504. The captured individual, identified as Ali Suleiman al-Asi, resided in the village of Saida in Syria’s Daraa Governorate. According to the IDF, al-Asi had been working on Iran’s behalf, gathering intelligence on Israeli military operations along the border with Syria in preparation for potential future attacks. The IDF had been “closely monitoring” al-Asi before his capture, and his arrest reportedly thwarted a future attack, shedding light on Iran’s operational tactics in the Golan Heights region. The IDF states that the operation “prevented and disrupted a future attack and led to the exposure of the modus operandi of Iranian entities on the Golan Heights front.” Footage released by the IDF shows al-Asi during interrogation, where he recounts being approached by an individual with connections to Iran, who instructed him to observe and gather information on Israeli border patrols. “Your area is good, strategic; we can get something from this,” al-Asi recalls the man telling him, adding that he was instructed to operate under the guise of Syria’s military intelligence. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
With less than 48 hours until Election Day, a new series of New York Times/Siena College polls reveal a dead heat between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris across seven crucial battleground states. The polls, conducted among likely voters, show that both candidates are tied in Pennsylvania and Michigan, setting the stage for a highly competitive finish. In Arizona, Trump holds a narrow lead over Harris at 49% to 45%, while Harris leads in Nevada (49-46%), Wisconsin (49-47%), North Carolina (48-46%), and Georgia (48-47%). Notably, among the 8% of voters who only recently made up their minds, 55% reported backing Harris, while 44% chose Trump. However, 11% of voters remain undecided or open to persuasion, a slight decrease from last month’s 16%, reflecting the continued volatility in these key states. Voters identified the economy as their top issue (24%), followed by abortion (18%) and immigration (15%). Despite this focus, Harris is underperforming among younger voters, Black voters, and Latino voters compared to President Biden’s 2020 results, according to the poll. The Senate races in these battlegrounds are equally tight. In Pennsylvania, Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey leads Republican challenger David McCormick 50-45%, though his lead has narrowed from nine points in September. In Wisconsin, Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s lead over Republican Eric Hovde has also diminished, standing at 50-46%. Meanwhile, in Michigan’s open Senate seat race, Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin holds a narrow lead over Republican Mike Rogers, 48-46%. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
New York’s mayor urged residents to take shorter showers, fix dripping faucets and otherwise conserve water, issuing a drought watch Saturday after a parched October here and in much of the United States. A drought watch is the first of three potential levels of water-saving directives, and Adams pitched it in a social media video as a step to try to ward off the possibility of a worse shortage in the United States’ most populous city. “Mother Nature is in charge, and so we must make sure we adjust,” said Adams, a Democrat. He ordered all city agencies to get ready to implement their water conservation plans. He asked the public to do its part by, for example, turning off taps while brushing teeth and sweeping sidewalks instead of hosing them down. The mayor also exhorted residents to report opened-up fire hydrants and other street leaks. The recommendation comes days after the city fixed a leaky Brooklyn hydrant that fed a homespun goldfish pond on the sidewalk. Just 0.01 inches (0.02 cm) of rain fell last month on the city’s Central Park, where October normally brings about 4.4 inches (11.2 cm) of precipitation, National Weather Service records show. City Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Rohit Aggarwala said it was the driest October in over 150 years of records. Complicating the water squeeze, the city is repairing a big, leaky aqueduct that carries water from the Catskill region, so residents are relying more on reservoirs in the city’s northern suburbs. That area got 0.81 inches (2 cm) of rain last month, about one-fifth the October average, the mayor’s office said in a release Saturday. New York City uses an average of 1.1 billion gallons (4.2 billion liters) of water a day. That is about 35% below a 1979 peak. The city attributes the decrease to such factors as improvements in spotting leaks. Last month, nearly half the country was in a flash drought, which means a rapid dry-out from a combination of little precipitation and abnormally high temperatures. The Northeast capped the month with an unusually — one might even say weirdly — warm Halloween, with temperatures hitting the high 70s and low 80s (24 to 28 Celsius) from New York to Maine. Experts attributed the flash drought to a weather pattern that kept moisture from moving north from the Gulf of Mexico. The dry weather constrained shipping on the Mississippi River and contributed to wildfires in the Midwest and the East. The National Weather Service continued Saturday to warn of elevated fire risk in places including Connecticut, where a firefighter was killed last month while battling a dayslong brush blaze apparently sparked by a poorly doused campfire. (AP)
The 2024 presidential contest speeds into its final weekend with Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump locked in a razor-thin contest. At this late stage in the campaign, every day matters. And while few voters might change their minds this late in a typical election, there is a sense that what happens in these final days could shift votes. Harris and Trump are crisscrossing the country to rally voters in the states that matter most. They’re trying — with varying degrees of success — to stay focused on a clear and concise closing message. At the same time, each side is investing massive resources to drive up turnout for the final early voting period. And in these critical days, the flow of misinformation is intensifying. Here’s what we’re watching on the final weekend before Election Day, which is Tuesday: Where will Harris and Trump be? You only need to look at the candidates’ schedules this weekend to know where this election will likely be decided. Note that schedules can and likely will change without warning. But on Saturday, Trump began with an appearance in North Carolina, with one eyebrow-raising stop in Virginia next, and planned to return to the Tar Heel state in the evening. No Democratic presidential candidate has carried North Carolina since Barack Obama in 2008, although it has been decided by less than 3 points in every election since. Trump’s decision to spend Saturday there suggests Harris has a real opportunity in the state. But Trump is also trying to convey confidence by stopping in Virginia, a state that has been safely in the Democratic column since 2008. There is perhaps no more important swing state than Pennsylvania, where Trump is expected to campaign Sunday. But he also has another appearance scheduled for North Carolina in addition to Georgia, another Southern state that has leaned Republican for almost three decades — that is, until Joe Biden carried it by less than a half percentage point four years ago. Harris campaigned in Atlanta on Saturday before a rally in North Carolina’s capital — signs that her team is sensing genuine opportunity in the South. She’s planning to make multiple stops in Michigan on Sunday, shifting to a Democratic-leaning state in the “blue wall” where her allies believe she is vulnerable. Do they stay on message? Trump’s campaign leadership wants voters to be focused on one key question as they prepare to cast ballots, and it’s the same question he opens every rally with: Are you better off today than you were four years ago? Harris’ team wants voters to be thinking about another: Do they trust Trump or Harris to put the nation’s interests over their own? Whichever candidate can more effectively keep voters focused on their closing arguments in the coming days may ultimately win the presidency. Yet both candidates are off to a challenging start. Trump opens the weekend still facing the fallout from his recent New York City rally in which a comedian described Puerto Rico as a “floating pile of garbage.” Things got harder for Trump late Thursday after he raised the prospect of Republican rival Liz Cheney’s death by gunfire. It was exactly the kind of inflammatory comment his allies want him to avoid at this critical moment. Harris’ campaign, meanwhile, is still working to shift the conversation away from President Biden’s comments earlier […]
In a targeted raid based on precise intelligence, Israeli troops from the 36th Division, alongside elite Shayetet 13, Yahalom, and Oketz units, supported by the 282nd Brigade, struck a Hezbollah terrorist compound planned for launching infiltrations and attacks on Israeli soil. Inside the site, troops uncovered underground infrastructure stocked with logistical and medical supplies, military tents, and weapons caches prepared for extended operations. They destroyed rocket launchers, high-powered explosives, anti-tank missiles, mortar shells, and an AK-47 arsenal. A surface-to-air missile launcher concealed in a mountainside track, positioned to target civilian areas in northern Israel, was also dismantled. During the mission, Israeli forces encountered and neutralized a terrorist within an underground hideout. Secondary explosions were observed as forces completed the dismantling of the compound’s aboveground and subterranean areas.
False reports that surfaced on Motzei Shabbos claimed that several local kehillos were considering retracting their endorsements of Rep. Mike Lawler. The report alleged that the communities were reacting to a supposed mailer from Lawler attacking Democratic Assembly candidate Aron Wieder. However, multiple sources have confirmed to Monsey Scoop that this account is entirely unfounded. Firstly, it has been verified that Rep. Lawler’s campaign did not send out any mailers targeting Wieder. Instead, the mailers were issued by the NY State Republican Party and were not associated with Lawler’s campaign. Furthermore, rumors of a meeting to reconsider endorsements of Lawler have also been proven false. According to Monsey Scoop, there is no scheduled meeting, nor are there any ongoing discussions within the kehillos to revoke their support for the congressman. The public – and news outlets – are urged to verify information before accepting or spreading unsubstantiated claims.
Hatzolah of Passaic/Clifton (HoPC), along with virtually every other EMS organization in New Jersey, is run by EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) who treat and transport patients in need to the hospital. Their training includes vital monitoring, bleeding control, some medication administration, and other lifesaving measures. EMTs fall under the BLS, or Basic Life Support, category. Paramedics have additional training that allows them to perform and interpret EKGs, secure advanced airways (such as intubation), perform electrical therapy, and carry over 40 lifesaving medications. In New Jersey, paramedics work under the supervision and direction of hospitals and fall under the ALS, or Advanced Life Support, category. About 3.5 years ago, Hatzolah of Passaic-Clifton began working with a local hospital to create an ALS division. At that time, and still today, only one other organization in New Jersey has a similar program. Four paramedics underwent a program that included two years of schooling, labs, training, and a year gaining experience as licensed NJ paramedics. This long process took three years, thousands of hours, and tens of thousands of dollars. Over the last year, these paramedics worked with St. Clare’s Hospital’s EMS department, further strengthening the relationship between HoPC and St. Clare’s. Additionally, several other New York paramedics living and working in Passaic-Clifton are joining HoPC’s team through the reciprocity process. HoPC collaborated with St. Clare’s Hospital over six months to create this program, including obtaining approval from the entire St. Clare’s and Prime Healthcare teams. The contract was recently signed, making it the only agreement of its kind in the state in the last 15 years. HoPC has purchased a vehicle, uniforms, cardiac monitors, ALS equipment, and supplies, totaling over $400,000, mostly raised through private donations. Operations began at the start of Succos, and HoPC is excited to embark on this new endeavor, with gratitude to everyone involved in making it a reality.
Outspoken, right-leaning lawmaker Kemi Badenoch was named leader of Britain’s opposition Conservatives on Saturday, as the party tries to rebound from a crushing election defeat that ended its 14 years in power. The first Black woman to lead a major British political party, Badenoch (pronounced BADE-enock) has pledged to bring the right-of-center Tories “renewal” by pushing for a smaller state and rejecting identity politics. Badenoch defeated rival candidate Robert Jenrick in an online and postal ballot of party members, securing 57% of the almost 100,000 votes cast, to Jenrick’s 43%. Badenoch, 44, replaces former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who in July led the Conservatives to their worst election result since 1832. The new leader’s daunting challenge is to restore the party’s reputation after years of division, scandal and economic tumult, hammer Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s policies on key issues including the economy and immigration, and return the Conservatives to power at the next election, due by 2029. “The task that stands before us is tough but simple,” Badenoch said in a victory speech to a roomful of Conservative lawmakers, staff and journalists in London. She said the party’s job was to hold the Labour government to account, and to craft pledges and a plan for government. Addressing the party’s election drubbing, she said “we have to be honest — honest about the fact that we made mistakes, honest about the fact that we let standards slip.” “The time has come to tell the truth, to stand up for our principles, to plan for our future, to reset our politics and our thinking, and to give our party, and our country, the new start that they deserve,” Badenoch said. A business secretary in Sunak’s government, Badenoch was born in London to Nigerian parents and spent much of her childhood in the West African country. The former software engineer depicts herself as a disruptor, arguing for a low-tax, free-market economy and pledging to “rewire, reboot and reprogram” the British state. Like her rival Jenrick, she has criticized multiculturalism and called for lower immigration, though unlike him she has not demanded that Britain leave the European Convention on Human Rights. A self-proclaimed enemy of wokeness, Badenoch opposes identity politics, gender-neutral bathrooms and government plans to reduce U.K. carbon emissions. During the leadership campaign she drew criticism for saying that “not all cultures are equally valid,” and for suggesting that maternity pay was excessive. Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London, said the Conservative Party was likely to “swing towards the right both in terms of its economic policies and its social policies” under Badenoch. He predicted Badenoch would pursue “what you might call the boats, boilers and bathrooms strategy …. focusing very much on the trans issue, the immigration issue and skepticism about progress towards net zero.” While the Conservative Party is unrepresentative of the country as a whole — its dwindling membership of 132,000 is largely made up of affluent, older white men – its upper echelons have become markedly more diverse. Badenoch is the Tories’ fourth female leader, after Margaret Thatcher, Theresa May and Liz Truss, all of whom became prime minister. She’s the second Conservative leader of color, after Sunak, and the first with African roots. The center-left Labour Party has a more diverse membership […]
The Boro Park Center is renowned for their superior service and care, and for hosting exciting events that bring the residents, their families, and the community together. Elul and Tishrei at the Boro Park Center were filled with meaningful celebrations and joyful events that were shared by the residents and their families to create many special memories. During the year, and especially on Yom Tov, the Boro Park Center focused on family-friendly events and entertainment to bring families together. Throughout the Yomim Tovim and on Chol Hamoed the Center encourages residents’ children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to come to the Center to spend quality time with their parents and grandparents. Many families joined the Center for the delicious, gourmet seudas, and spent Chol Hamoed enjoying various activities and shows together with their grandparents. In Elul the Boro Park Center held weekly lectures every Sunday that uplifted all the residents. The speakers included choshuve rabbanim such as Rabbi Paysach Krohn, Rebbi Moshe Tovia Lieff, and Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser, who shared inspiration for the Yomim Noraim. For the convenience of the residents, the Center brought down kapparos to their building so that the residents were all easily able to shlug kapparos. Additionally, for the first time since COVID-19, wheelchair-accessible buses were seen lined up outside the center to transport the residents to the water at 1st Avenue and 58th Street for tashlich. They were accompanied by singer Volvy Tauber who inspired them with soul-stirring Yomim Noraim songs. Several local schools were doing tashlich at that time as well, and the children joined in the singing and danced with the residents, some of whom even met their grandchildren. Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur were meaningfully celebrated at the Center with beautiful, hartzig tefillos led by Rabbi Wajsfeld. Rabbi Mandelbaum, a grandchild of the famed Chazzan R’ Yossele Mandelbaum, led Mussaf on Rosh Hashana and several tefillos on Yom Kippur. The tefillos warmed the hearts of everyone there and set the tone for a hopeful new year ahead. The festivities continued on Sukkos with a huge, beautifully decorated Sukkah that was filled with laughter and singing from all the families who ate with their grandparents. Chol Hamoed was truly an experience at the Boro Park Center, with non-stop entertainment for the residents and their families. Children and adults enjoyed the activities and shows every day, including face painting, a fun petting zoo, and a fascinating parrot show by the “Parrot Rebbe” that delighted audiences of all ages. The celebrations reached new heights with a lively concert by Dovid Fleishman and Yossi Eidlisz, whose music filled the Center with warmth and energy. Tanzers and jugglers added to the joyous atmosphere, and their infectious spirit and enthusiasm made the evening a truly unforgettable experience. Simchas Torah at the Boro Park Center was an experience like no other. Rabbi Wajsfeld led the spirited hakafos, ensuring that every resident got an aliyah and a chance to dance with the Torah. In addition to family members, several people from the community joined the spirited dancing and assisted those who are wheelchair-bound. As residents, family members, grandchildren, and community members all danced round and round with the Torah, celebrating our heritage in a heartwarming scene, it was easy to see why many residents described the Yomim Tovim at the Center as Gan Eden.
The Supreme Court on Friday rejected an emergency appeal from Republicans that could have led to thousands of provisional ballots not being counted in Pennsylvania as the presidential campaigns vie in the final days before the election in the nation’s biggest battleground state. The justices left in place a state Supreme Court ruling that elections officials must count provisional ballots cast by voters whose mail-in ballots were rejected. The ruling is a victory for voting-rights advocates, who had sought to force counties — primarily Republican-controlled counties — to let voters cast a provisional ballot on Election Day if their mail-in ballot was to be rejected for a garden-variety error. While the Supreme Court action was a setback for Republicans, the GOP separately claimed victory in a decision by Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court. That court rejected a last-ditch effort by voting rights advocates to ensure that mail-in ballots that lack an accurate, handwritten date on the exterior envelope will still count in this year’s presidential election. The rulings are the latest in four years of litigation over voting by mail in Pennsylvania, where every vote truly counts in presidential races. Republicans have sought in dozens of court cases to push the strictest possible interpretation for throwing out mail-in ballots, which are predominantly cast by Democrats. Taken together, Friday’s near-simultaneous rulings will ensure a heavy emphasis on helping thousands of people vote provisionally on Election Day if their mail-in ballot was rejected — and potentially more litigation. As of Thursday, about 9,000 ballots out of more than 1.6 million returned have arrived at elections offices around Pennsylvania lacking a secrecy envelope, a signature or a handwritten date, according to state records. Pennsylvania is the biggest presidential election battleground this year, with 19 electoral votes, and is expected to play an outsized role in deciding the election between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris. It was decided by tens of thousands of votes in 2016 when Trump won it and again in 2020 when Democrat Joe Biden won it. A voting-rights lawyer in Pennsylvania who helped bring both cases said it is almost certain that another case over undated ballots will be back before the state Supreme Court within days after the presidential election if it is close. “It’s almost certain that this is going to be raised again after the election, especially if it’s a close election,” Witold Walczak, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, said in an interview. In its unsigned, two-page order, the state’s highest court put a lower court ruling on hold that would have required counties to count the ballots. The high court said the case won’t apply to the presidential election being decided next week, but held out the possibility that it would still rule on the case at a later time. The rulings came as voters had their last chance Friday to apply for a mail-in ballot in a bellwether suburban Philadelphia county while a county clear across the state gave voters who didn’t receive their ballot in the mail another chance to get one. A judge in Erie County, in Pennsylvania’s northwestern corner, ruled Friday in a lawsuit brought by the Democratic Party that about 15,000 people who applied for a mail ballot but didn’t receive it may go to the […]
According to the latest Israeli intelligence assessments, 51 of the 101 hostages still held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip are believed to be alive. The update, based on extensive intelligence gathered since October 7, 2023, combines public sources with classified data to inform Israel’s response as military operations intensify in Gaza. Officials fear that the actual number of surviving hostages could be even lower, given the harsh conditions in captivity and ongoing military pressures. In a closed session with the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in September, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared that intelligence suggested roughly half of the hostages were alive. Families of hostages have been kept informed of these assessments, though responses vary. While some have accepted the grim conclusions, others await definitive proof. This intelligence is critical for planning operations to minimize unintended casualties. Commanders are working to prevent both accidental harm to hostages from IDF strikes and deliberate actions by Hamas, which has reportedly instructed its members to kill hostages at any sign of rescue attempts. The recent execution of six Israeli hostages in a tunnel in Khan Yunis underscored Hamas’s threats. Intelligence indicates that 27 hostages have been killed in custody, and at least seven others died due to IDF actions in Gaza. Israel’s government remains says it is committed to securing the return of all hostages, whether alive or deceased. While negotiations have focused on retrieving living captives, the shrinking number of survivors has intensified calls for an immediate deal. Israeli security officials are pushing for urgent negotiations amid ongoing risks to the remaining hostages. To this end, CIA Director Bill Burns recently proposed a 28-day ceasefire in exchange for Hamas releasing eight hostages and Israel freeing dozens of Palestinian prisoners. Axios reports that Burns presented this plan during talks last Sunday in Doha with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani and Mossad Director David Barnea. However, the proposal, which does not include Hamas’s demands for an Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, is considered unlikely to be accepted before the U.S. presidential election on November 5. On Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stressed the rescue of the hostages as the IDF’s “most important mission” in Gaza. Speaking from the site where Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was recently killed, Gallant stated that Israel is applying “as much pressure on Hamas as possible” to create the conditions necessary for the hostages’ release. “The government must do what is necessary to bring about a deal,” Gallant said. “This is our most important mission in Gaza at this time.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
LaGuardia Airport, once infamous for its subpar conditions, has been named the best airport in the U.S. by Forbes Travel Guide, following a $8 billion transformation. This same airport was once compared to a “third-world country” by President Biden, but after years of extensive renovations, it now ranks at the top of the list. A survey of 5,000 travel experts and frequent flyers recognized LaGuardia’s remarkable improvements, which include updated customer amenities, expanded gate areas, and state-of-the-art terminals. Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton credited the public-private partnerships with Delta Air Lines and LaGuardia Gateway Partners for turning the once-derided airport into a modern marvel. “Today’s award… is further proof that we have created a new LaGuardia Airport that is no longer a national laughingstock,” Cotton said. LaGuardia’s overhaul began in 2015, with a vision to reimagine the airport and create a cohesive terminal system. The improvements have already earned multiple prestigious awards, including Skytrax naming Terminal B as the World’s Best New Airport Terminal earlier this year. The airport’s drastic makeover has led it from being a symbol of frustration to one of the top travel hubs in the country. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Notorious white supremacist Richard Spencer is calling on his followers to support Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential election. Spencer, known for his racist, antisemitic views and prominent role in the 2017 Charlottesville rally, praised Harris as the “best manager of the American empire” in a recent video posted on social media. In the nearly 12-minute video, Spencer explained his preference for Harris over former President Donald Trump, whom he criticized for his unwavering support of Israel. Spencer noted that while Harris has expressed support for Israel, her stance also acknowledges Palestinian rights, which he sees as a more balanced approach. “At the DNC, she said that she 100% supports Israel. She’ll give Israel lethal aid. She also said that Palestinians deserve their own state,” he commented, contrasting this with Trump’s policies. “If there is a regional conflict between Israel and Iran, Trump seems much more likely to not only support Israel in this, but take part in it,” Spencer added. Spencer also praised Harris for what he sees as her “go with the flow” approach to governance, which he believes aligns with a centrist vision. “In my mind, that flow is going towards centrism, towards rational government, towards a sort of democratic hegemony…This is something that I can responsibly support. So, I’m happily voting for Kamala Harris,” he said, also suggesting that Harris would likely adopt a supportive stance toward Ukraine. In addition to endorsing Harris, Spencer announced plans to vote for Democrats down the ballot in his home state of Montana, including Senator John Tester and House candidate Monica Tranel. Spencer’s support for Harris highlights a broader trend of white supremacists showing interest in certain anti-Israel Democrats. Former KKK leader David Duke recently praised Rep. Ilhan Omar as “the most important member of the US Congress.” Spencer, who backed Trump in 2016, expressed disappointment with the former president, stating that Trump “closed off discussion of important ideas” and “amplified idiocy.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
