A massive sinkhole roughly 165 feet deep and spanning nearly 10,000 square feet opened near Vajira Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, on Wednesday. The collapse swallowed cars and electricity poles, shocking commuters and bringing traffic in the busy area to a complete standstill.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas: “The Gaza Strip is an integral part of the State of Palestine… We are ready to bear full responsibility for governance and security there.”
The IDF announced on Thursday morning that an IDF soldier was killed by a Hamas sniper in Gaza City on Wednesday. He was identified as Staff Sgt. Chalachew Shimon Demalash, H’yd, 21, from Be’er Sheva. He served in the Nachal Brigade’s 932nd Battalion and was shot by a sniper while serving on guard duty. He is the second IDF fatality since the IDF launched Operation Gidoen’s Chariots B in Gaza City. Hashem Yikam Damo. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
Tom Homan: This morning, a gunman was targeting an ICE facility in Dallas, Texas… it’s the third shooting that’s occurred in Texas against immigration officials… This is clearly a targeted attack against ICE.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller: Democrats have been clear — they will not fund law enforcement, the military, or public safety, unless they get free health care for illegals. “We will see if there’s enough Democrat senators who are dumb enough to follow Chuck Schumer off the edge of that cliff.”
President Trump has accused the United Nations of presiding over what he called “triple sabotage” during his address to the General Assembly this week, pointing to a series of mechanical and technical failures that marred his appearance before nearly 150 world leaders. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump alleged that three separate incidents — an escalator malfunction, a teleprompter blackout, and sound system issues — combined to undercut his moment on the world stage. The president demanded an investigation, called for security footage to be preserved, and urged the arrest of those he claimed were responsible.
Pres. Trump says he expects an apology from Kamala Harris for claiming 2024 was the “closest Presidential Election in the 21st Century.” “Kamala Harris, who is DUMB AS A ROCK…”
HAPPENING NOW: Prime Minister Netanyahu boarding plane to the United States to address the United Nations and meet with President Trump. “I will discuss with President Trump the need to complete the goals of the war — to bring back all our hostages, to defeat Hamas, and to expand the circle of peace that has opened to us following the historic victory in ‘Am K’Lavi’ and other successes we have achieved.”
A man accused of shining a laser pointer at Marine One with President Donald Trump aboard the helicopter has been arrested on a federal criminal charge, according to a court filing on Monday. Jacob Samuel Winkler is charged with aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft, a felony punishable by a maximum prison sentence of five years. Online court records don’t list an age or hometown for Winkler or say if he has an attorney representing him. Marine One was airborne on Saturday near the White House when a U.S. Secret Service patrol officer spotted Winkler walking on a sidewalk, shirtless and loudly talking to himself, the officer wrote in an affidavit. The officer said he shone a flashlight at Winkler, who apparently retaliated by flashing a red laser beam at the officer’s face. As Marine One flew over their heads, Winkler looked up and shined the laser pointer at the helicopter, according to the officer. After the officer handcuffed him, Winkler repeatedly talked about apologizing to Trump, the affidavit says. The court filing doesn’t say if anybody aboard the helicopter noticed the laser. But the officer said Winkler’s conduct could have temporarily blinded or disoriented a pilot, placing Marine One at risk of an airborne collision with other helicopters in the area. Winkler told investigators that he points the laser “at all kinds of things, such as stop signs,” and didn’t know he couldn’t point it at Marine One, the affidavit says. Investigators also found a small knife in his possession, according to the officer. (AP)
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NASA introduced its newest astronauts Monday, 10 scientists, engineers and test pilots chosen from more than 8,000 applicants to help explore the moon and possibly Mars. For the first time, there were more women than men in an incoming astronaut class. They included a geologist who worked on NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover and a SpaceX engineer who’s already rocketed into orbit, flying on a billionaire-sponsored mission that featured the world’s first private spacewalk last year. The six women and four men will undergo two years of training before becoming eligible for spaceflight. Acting Administrator Sean Duffy said one of them could become one of the first to step on Mars. He also stressed that the U.S. will win this second race to land astronauts on the moon. “You are America’s best and brightest, and we’re going to need America’s best and brightest because we have a bold exploration plan for the future,” Duffy said at Monday’s ceremony at Johnson Space Center in Houston. “Some are challenging our leadership in space, say like the Chinese … We are going to win.” It is the 24th astronaut class for NASA since the original Mercury Seven made their debut in 1959. The previous class was in 2021. Only 370 people have been selected by NASA as astronauts, making it an extraordinarily small and elite group composed mostly of men. The latest additions will join 41 active U.S. astronauts currently serving in the corps. NASA’s flight operations director Norm Knight said competition was stiff and called the newcomers “distinguished” and “exceptional.” They include several military pilots, a former SpaceX launch director and a medical doctor. Air Force Maj. Adam Fuhrmann said he got the call inviting him into the astronaut corps while driving home in rush hour traffic. He took the first exit and pulled into a parking lot “just to make sure I was hearing” right. Another Air Force pilot, Maj. Cameron Jones, was just settling into his new empty home after a cross-country move. Yet another pilot, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Erin Overcash, got the news while relaxing at home. Her first words? “No way. I mean, I mean, yes, of course. But like no way.” She figures her experience stuck on a ship in the middle of the ocean with 5,000 others will serve her well dealing with space travel. Anna Menon, who accompanied billionaire Jared Isaacman on a SpaceX flight last September, is NASA’s first astronaut candidate to have already visited orbit. She’ll be in good company at Johnson: Her husband, a former SpaceX flight surgeon, was chosen in NASA’s last astronaut class. The U.S. Geological Survey’s Lauren Edgar worked with the Curiosity rover at Mars and, most recently, the science team behind the first moon landing by astronauts under the Artemis program that’s targeted for 2027 at the earliest. “I am so excited to be officially part of the NASA family,” she said. (AP)
New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani is doubling down on his pledge to raise taxes on corporations and New York’s wealthiest residents — staking out a position that could put him on a collision course with his newest political ally, Gov. Kathy Hochul. Speaking at a rally in The Bronx alongside members of 1199SEIU, an influential health care union, Mamdani claimed: “The proposal we put forward would raise $9 billion and we would also raise an additional $1 billion from savings and reforms that can be done at the city level.” The Queens assemblyman, who identifies as a democratic socialist, has made the tax hikes a cornerstone of his campaign, arguing that higher levies on corporations and the top 1 to 2 percent of earners would bring New York in line with neighboring states. He has promised to use the windfall to fund free buses, childcare, and city-run grocery stores, while also pledging to slash NYPD overtime spending, which now tops $1 billion annually. The proposal sits uneasily with Hochul, who in June flatly rejected raising state taxes, warning that such moves risk driving wealthy New Yorkers to “Palm Beach.” The governor, who formally endorsed Mamdani earlier this month, has avoided spelling out how her administration would mesh with a mayor intent on upending her tax posture. The tension underscores a tricky political dynamic: Hochul is gearing up for a tough 2026 reelection fight against Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, with her suburban support already fraying, even as she seeks to consolidate progressive voters in New York City by backing Mamdani. Mamdani enters the final stretch of the race with a commanding lead ahead of the Nov. 4 general election in the heavily Democratic city. His rivals include Republican Curtis Sliwa, as well as Democrats running as independents — including embattled incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Despite her endorsement, Hochul has yet to explain how she intends to navigate policy disputes with a potential Mamdani administration, particularly on taxes. For Mamdani, however, the issue is non-negotiable — and one he shows no sign of tempering even as he prepares to assume the city’s top job. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
President Donald Trump’s declared this week that Russia is a “paper tiger”, reflecting newly surfaced U.S. intelligence suggesting the Kremlin faces deepening economic decline and mounting battlefield losses in Ukraine, the New York Post reported. The president’s pronouncement — made Tuesday after his address to the United Nations General Assembly — is being characterized inside the administration as a deliberate tactic to squeeze Russian President Vladimir Putin into considering negotiations, even as Moscow continues to resist Western overtures. In a Truth Social post following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN summit, Trump argued that once Russian citizens “find out what is really going on with this war” economically, Ukraine would not only be able to reclaim its occupied territory but could “maybe even go further than that.” Asked Wednesday if the president’s words were a “strategic move aimed at stirring up negotiations,” a senior White House official replied: “Yes, that is correct.” Another source close to the administration added: “It doesn’t signal any substantive policy change. It’s a clear and obvious negotiating tactic to push Russia.” Zelensky and his top adviser Andriy Yermak both said that Trump is increasingly recognizing the limits of Moscow’s military power. “It’s our job … to speak, to consult, to repeat, to give the evidence, to exchange the information,” Yermak told reporters Tuesday. Zelensky went further, saying Putin’s claims of battlefield dominance were nothing more than “fairy tales.” According to the Institute for the Study of War, Russia has advanced just 1,910 square kilometers inside Ukraine since May — while sustaining more than 130,000 killed and wounded, an “extremely heavy casualty rate.” The Kremlin is also reeling from shrinking oil revenues and depleted reserves. Russian export earnings fell to $13.5 billion in August, down from $14.4 billion in July, according to the International Energy Agency. Overall, oil export revenue for the first eight months of 2025 was down 16 percent from the same period a year earlier. On Wednesday, Russia’s Finance Ministry proposed raising the value-added tax from 20 percent to 22 percent and slashed its economic growth forecast to 1 percent — a sharp drop from 4.3 percent in 2024. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries have triggered gas shortages inside Russia. “As his economy becomes pressurized, [Putin] has to pick between paying for the war machine or paying for the people who have given him a solid majority in his country,” Mark Montgomery, a retired Navy rear admiral and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said. Trump’s rhetoric was reinforced by senior administration officials. “The president is making it very clear that Russia is in a very weak position,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Tuesday night. “They are a massive country with a massive military. They are a war economy. But it’s been three-and-a-half years and look at how Ukraine has been able to defend itself.” Vice President JD Vance echoed the point Wednesday: “It’s not a shift in position. It’s an acknowledgement of the reality on the ground.” For now, however, Putin has shown no sign of entertaining peace talks — even as Trump doubles down on his effort to project U.S. confidence in Ukraine’s ability to prevail. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
WATCH: Zelenskky after Trump shifts positions, saying Ukraine can win the war “He wants to support Ukraine to the very end.” “We are ready to finish this war.”
Tax incentives that saved U.S. residents thousands of dollars on home efficiency upgrades, clean energy installations and electric vehicles are expiring this year. That means people who want to take advantage of them before they disappear have to act quickly. “There is still time, but the clock is ticking,” said Zach Pierce, head of policy at Rewiring America, a nonprofit focused on electrification. With thousands of dollars on the line and mere days or months to claim them, we’ve got some tips on how to maximize savings. Refresh my memory. What are these incentives? The Inflation Reduction Act that passed in 2022 includes a slew of tax credits for electric vehicles and home efficiency upgrades. The credits had two main goals: to help people afford cleaner alternatives like heat pumps and electric vehicles that can save them money, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are the largest driver of climate change. In addition to EVs, home upgrades that qualify include home energy audits, heat pumps, solar panels, water heaters, appliances, battery storage, car chargers and improvements to windows, doors, skylights, insulation and electrical panels. Payback comes at tax filing time. For example, if you buy a heat pump and qualify for a $2,000 tax credit, you document that expense on your tax return, and you owe $2,000 less in taxes that year. Some incentives have a cap. You can only get $1,200 of credit per year for most of the home improvements like insulation and efficient windows, and $2,000 of credit for heat pumps and water heaters. The big expenses, including geothermal heat pumps, rooftop solar and battery storage, aren’t capped. Those tax credits are 30% of the purchase price. So a new $20,000 rooftop solar system earns you a $6,000 tax credit. Most of these credits were originally set to expire between 2032 and 2034. But the budget passed by Congress this year ends them far sooner. When are they expiring? Most of them expire at the end of this year. But there are some exceptions. The clean vehicle tax credit worth $7,500 for new EVs and up to $4,000 for used ones expires Sept. 30. Pierce said with a deadline that tight, people shopping for a new vehicle that qualifies should get on that “as soon as you hear this message.” Olivia Alves, senior associate with the nonprofit clean energy advocacy group RMI, said it’s also the one IRA credit you can typically get upfront. “You use the clean vehicle tax credit, you can work with your dealership to get that money off the day that you make the purchase. So it operates like a point of sale rebate,” she said. The car doesn’t need to be parked in your driveway by the deadline. A buyer simply needs to enter into a contract and make a down payment or trade-in to qualify. The credit for EV chargers, which is up to $1,000 for qualifying residents, is good through June 30 of next year. Everything else expires on Dec. 31. If I’m focused on my home, what should I prioritize? Start with the home energy assessment, Alves said. “That is really the bread and butter for a lot of these types of retrofits,” she said. “Those are done by professionals that can help you map out what those projects would look like.” Pierce […]
