The Biden administration has once again engaged in its brilliant diplomatic strategy to deter the Islamic Republic – ordering it not to attack Israel. Despite the fact that Iran is still actively attempting to assassinate Trump administration officials and has promised to repeat another October 7 style attack on Israel, Biden administration officials retain their faith in diplomacy, Reuters reported. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said: “Iran should not respond to Israel’s retaliation. They should not… If they do, we will support Israel in defending itself, but they should not.” The Biden adminsitrations’s faith in diplomatic tactics to restrain Iran is shared by liberal governments in Europe. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
A federal agency was wrong to order that Tesla CEO Elon Musk delete a 2018 social media post that union leaders saw as a threat to employee stock options, a sharply divided federal appeals court has ruled. The case involved a post made on what was then known as Twitter during United Auto Workers organizing efforts at a Tesla facility in Fremont, California. The post was made years before Musk bought the platform, now known as X, in 2022. On May 20, 2018, Musk tweeted: “Nothing stopping Tesla team at our car plant from voting union. Could do so tmrw if they wanted. But why pay union dues and give up stock options for nothing? Our safety record is 2X better than when plant was UAW & everybody already gets healthcare.” The National Labor Relations Board said it was an illegal threat. After Tesla appealed, three judges on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans upheld that decision, as well as a related NLRB order that Tesla rehire a fired employee, with back pay. But Tesla sought a rehearing, and the full 5th Circuit later threw out the earlier decision and voted to hear the matter again. In an opinion dated Friday, the judges split 9-8 in favor of Tesla and Musk. “We hold that Musk’s tweets are constitutionally protected speech and do not fall into the categories of unprotected communication like obscenity and perjury,” the unsigned opinion said. The majority also found the NLRB must reconsider its order that the fired employee be reinstated, saying there was no proof that the person who fired the worker acted out of ill will toward the union. The 11-page opinion was followed by a 30-page dissent on behalf of eight judges, written by Judge James Dennis. “Relevant here, the Supreme Court has consistently held that the First Amendment does not protect threatening, coercive employer speech to employees in the labor organization election context— the precise category of speech Musk disseminated via Twitter,” Dennis wrote. He also argued that the attitude of the supervisor who fired the worker was not relevant to whether he should be reinstated. The worker, Dennis wrote, “was fired for declining to divulge information about protected union activities during an interrogation.” The ruling sent the case back to the NLRB for further action. It was not immediately clear if there would be an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The union didn’t respond to a question from The Associated Press asking about its next move. But on Tuesday night, President Shawn Fain cited the case in an online address to rally union members to vote and take part in the electoral process. Musk, he said, has poured millions into Republican Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. “It’s no coincidence that Elon Musk is one of the most anti-union auto CEOs in history, and he is buying elections to rig the law in his favor,” Fain said. “That’s what happens when the billionaire class makes the rules. And that’s what happens when working class people stay on the sidelines.” (AP)
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Donald Trump has reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he hopes Israel will have resolved the ongoing conflict in Gaza by the time he might return to office, according to two sources who spoke to The Times of Israel this week. The message, sources say, was initially conveyed during a July meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. While Trump has openly urged Netanyahu to aim for a swift resolution in Gaza, this is the first report indicating that he attached a loose timeline, seeking an end to the war before a potential return to the White House. A former Trump administration official noted, however, that Trump’s request was not highly specific and would likely permit “residual” IDF activity in Gaza, provided Israel has formally concluded the war. Netanyahu has emphasized Israel’s intention to maintain security oversight in Gaza, with discussions of a buffer zone and recurring IDF operations if Hamas attempts to regroup. On Monday, he addressed members of his Likud party, disclosing in a leaked recording that Israel cannot currently agree to Hamas’s offer to release hostages in exchange for a ceasefire, signaling the conflict is far from over. In recent weeks, Trump has indicated he would give Israel broader latitude in military decision-making, criticizing President Joe Biden for allegedly constraining Israeli actions following Iran’s recent missile attack. For Trump, a pre-inauguration resolution also includes securing the return of hostages, a priority he underscored at the Republican National Convention in July, warning that any group detaining Americans will face severe repercussions if they are not freed before he takes office. Since their Mar-a-Lago meeting, Trump and Netanyahu have maintained frequent contact. In recent remarks, Trump said Netanyahu had called him two days in a row, underlining their ongoing communication. Two senior Israeli officials expressed concern over Trump’s calls for a swift end to the Gaza conflict, fearing that an inability to conclude the war before his potential inauguration could create tension if Trump wins next week’s election. “There are internal political constraints to ending the war quickly,” a security official stated, referencing the composition of Netanyahu’s coalition, which includes far-right ministers opposing hostage deals that would result in a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Near-unanimous opposition within Netanyahu’s government also complicates the possibility of allowing the Palestinian Authority a governance role in Gaza, adding to the challenges in finding a viable alternative to Hamas control. Some officials speculate that prolonging the war could also strain U.S.-Israel relations if Vice President Kamala Harris wins the presidency. A member of Israel’s opposition, speaking anonymously, noted that “Netanyahu has managed clashes with Democratic presidents without paying a heavy price. But a fight with Trump is something he hasn’t really had to deal with and would likely want to avoid.” However, Netanyahu’s reliance on the support of far-right cabinet ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir could complicate his response to any U.S. pressures to resolve the conflict. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced efforts to secure a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hezbollah conflict, expressing hopes for progress within days. Speaking in an interview on Lebanese channel Al-Jadeed, Mikati stated, “We are doing our best… to have a ceasefire within the coming hours or days,” and shared that he remains “cautiously optimistic” about the outcome.
The question posed to Vladimir Putin in September about the U.S. election drew a wry smile and an arched eyebrow from the Russian president. Asked whether he preferred Donald Trump or Kamala Harris, Putin caught listeners up short with his teasing reply that also included a gentle jab at President Joe Biden. “Our ‘favorite,’ if you can call it that, was the current president, Mr. Biden,” he told the audience at an economic forum in the Far East port of Vladivostok. “But he was removed from the race, and he recommended all his supporters to support Ms. Harris. Well, we will do so — we will support her,” he said sardonically, citing her “expressive and infectious laugh” that shows “she’s doing well.” The election Tuesday carries significant stakes for the Kremlin, and despite Putin’s noncommittal and somewhat teasing answer, it appeared to encapsulate Russia’s view as a choice between two unappealing possibilities. Analysts say neither offers much promise of improving relations that have hit their lowest point since the Cold War. Harris, the current vice president, has taken a hard line against Russia, while Trump, the former president, is known for his admiration of Putin. Still, at the September gathering, Putin complained that when Trump was in office, there were “so many restrictions and sanctions against Russia like no other president has ever introduced before him.” Timothy Colton of the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies said that the Kremlin leadership is “by and large convinced nothing good is going to come in the election from Russia’s point of view.” But he added that on the whole, Trump “is probably their preference; he’s more of a known quantity.” Key issues for Russia as the U.S. election looms: What will happen to aid for Ukraine? Harris is seen as likely to continue the Biden administration’s massive military and economic support for Ukraine as Russia’s invasion stretches toward a third year. Trump has bragged that his rapport with Putin and respect from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are so strong that he could negotiate an end to the war “in 24 hours.” He declines to detail his strategy, but recent remarks criticizing sanctions in general suggest he could lift those against Russia as an inducement to help settle the conflict. During their debate, Trump twice refused to directly answer whether he wanted Ukraine to win the war, while Harris praised Western support for Kyiv and urged it to continue. “Otherwise, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv with his eyes on the rest of Europe. Starting with Poland,” she said. Trump’s running-mate Sen. JD Vance has mentioned proposals that could suggest Trump’s thinking: having Ukraine demilitarize territory occupied by Russia and agree to permanent neutrality. Those terms would be anathema to Kyiv, but Trump has shown little sympathy for Ukraine, saying Zelenskyy “should never have let that war start.” Harris has not specified how her position would differ from Biden’s. The U.S. has provided Ukraine more than $59.5 billion in weapons and assistance since Russia invaded in 2022. She has said previously it would be foolish to risk global alliances the U.S. has established and decried Putin’s “brutality.” A Harris win “likely promises continued U.S. support as long at the administration can maintain congressional backing,” the International Crisis Group said in a commentary, though it said she could seek […]
This morning, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant entered the Gaza Strip, meeting with IDF troops stationed in Rafah and along the Philadelphi Corridor. Accompanied by high-ranking military officials, including the General of the Southern Command and the Commander of the Gaza Division, Gallant was briefed on recent operations and was shown the location where Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was eliminated. In discussions with the troops, Minister Gallant highlighted the importance of sustained pressure on Hamas, emphasizing their recent operational successes: “In any place where Hamas rears its head, it meets the IDF – whether in Rafah, Khan Younis, or Jabaliya – wherever Hamas rises, it is taken down. Your [military] actions led to the conditions that ultimately caused Sinwar to make a mistake [leading to his elimination].” Gallant reiterated the central goal of military operations in Gaza, focusing on the need for tactical pressure to secure the safe return of hostages: “The central issue here is to continue exerting as much [military] pressure on Hamas as possible, in order to create the conditions necessary to ensure the return of the hostages. Your duty is to exert military pressure, and eliminate and imprison terrorists.” Addressing the role of both the military and political arms, Gallant stated, “The political echelon must do what is necessary to bring about a deal. You [referring to the troops] must apply military pressure and do what is necessary to create the conditions required for us to carry out a deal. This is our most important mission in Gaza at this time.” Gallant also highlighted the need for ongoing defensive efforts and operational freedom within Gaza: “We have routine tasks as well – defending Israeli communities and troops, and maintaining our freedom of operation in Gaza. You apply pressure – do what is necessary and we will bring about a deal because you created the conditions for us to carry it out, and I hope that we will do it.” The visit comes amid intensified military actions, with Gallant’s remarks underscoring Israel’s commitment to maintaining military and strategic pressure on Hamas to achieve both tactical and humanitarian objectives in Gaza.
A Chinese space ship carrying a three-person crew docked with its orbiting space station Tuesday as the country seeks to expand its exploration of outer space in competition with the United States, even as it looks for cooperation from other nations. The team of two men and one woman will replace the astronauts who have lived on the Tiangong space station for the last six months, conducting a variety of experiments and maintaining the structure. They are expected to stay until April or May of next year. The new mission commander, Cai Xuzhe, went to space in the Shenzhou-14 mission in 2022, while the the other two, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze, are first-time space travelers. Song and Wang were born in the 1990s and are graduates of the third wave of Chinese astronaut recruitment, having undergone a rigorous testing and training process taking years. Early Wednesday morning, China declared the launch and entry into outerspace a “complete success.” The Shenzhou-19 spaceship carrying the trio blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 4:27 a.m. local time atop a Long March-2F rocket, the backbone of China’s crewed space missions. “The crew condition is good and the launch has been successful,” the state broadcaster China Central Television announced. China built its own space station after being excluded from the International Space Station, mainly because of U.S. concerns over the People’s Liberation Army, the Chinese Communist Party’s military arm’s overall control over the space program. China’s moon program is part of a growing rivalry with the U.S. and others, including Japan and India. The new team will replace the astronauts who have lived on the Tiangong space station for the last six months and will overlap with them for a couple of days or more. They are expected to stay until April or May of next year. The new mission commander, Cai Xuzhe, went to space in the Shenzhou-14 mission in 2022, while the other two, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze, are first-time space travelers, born in the 1990s. Song was an air force pilot and Wang an engineer with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Wang will be the crew’s payload specialist and the third Chinese woman aboard a crewed mission. Besides putting a space station into orbit, the Chinese space agency has landed an explorer on Mars. It aims to put a person on the moon before 2030, which would make China the second nation after the United States to do so. It also plans to build a research station on the moon and has already transferred rock and soil samples from the moon in a first for any nation in decades, and placed a rover on the little-explored far side of the moon in a global first. The U.S. still leads in space exploration and plans to land astronauts on the moon for the first time in more than 50 years, though NASA pushed the target date back to 2026 earlier this year. The new Chinese crew will perform spacewalks and install new equipment to protect the station from space debris, some of which was created by China. According to NASA, large pieces of debris have been created by “satellite explosions and collisions.” China’s firing of a rocket to destroy a redundant weather satellite […]
This summer, Mayor Eric Adams introduced the “NYC Bin,” a new official trash can set to become mandatory for all residential buildings with one to nine units by June 2026. In the interim, starting November 12, residential properties can use any bin up to 55 gallons with a secure lid, with penalties for non-compliance beginning at $50 and escalating up to $200 per violation. The NYC Bin, which became available for purchase in July, is priced at $53.01 for the largest 45-gallon model, with shipping included. The city also offers optional recycling and compost bins, although these are not required. City officials attribute the bin’s reduced price to bulk ordering, making it available exclusively to New York City residents. Each bin comes with a 10-year warranty and is specifically designed for compatibility with sanitation trucks equipped with mechanical tippers, which are expected to lessen worker injuries. Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch noted the initiative’s broader impacts, stating that the switch to bins would “containerize 70% of the city’s trash” and deter rats from feasting on discarded food. She emphasized that nearly half of sanitation workers’ injuries stem from lifting, which the new bin design seeks to alleviate. “This is about taking care of our working-class neighborhoods, where trash on the streets is seen daily,” said Mayor Adams during the bin’s unveiling in front of Gracie Mansion. The contract for the NYC Bin was awarded to a North Carolina-based company aiming to distribute 3.4 million bins, with 1 million targeted for delivery by November 2024. For residents with old bins they wish to discard, the sanitation department advises labeling them as trash and placing them upside down for pickup. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The first place where many migrants sleep after entering Mexico from Guatemala is inside a large structure, a roof above and fenced-in sides on a rural ranch. They call it the “chicken coop” and they don’t get to leave until they pay the cartel that runs it. Migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border have reached a four-year low, but days before the U.S. election, in which immigration is a key issue, migrants continue pouring into Mexico. While U.S. authorities give much of the credit to their Mexican counterparts for stemming the flow to their shared border, organized crime maintains stricter control of who moves here than the handful of federal agents and National Guardsmen standing by the river. Kidnapped migrants who pay the $100 ransom for their release are stamped to signal that they have paid. From January to August, just in this southernmost corner of Mexico, more than 150,000 migrants were intercepted by immigration agents, considered a fraction of the flow. Six migrant families interviewed by The Associated Press, who had passed through an initial abduction and were held until paying, explained how it works. A Mexican federal official corroborated much of it. They all requested anonymity for fear of reprisals. Mexican immigration agents encountered 925,000 undocumented migrants through August of this year, well above last year’s annual total and triple the 2021 total. Yet, they’ve only deported 16,500, a fraction of previous years. Rev. Heyman Vázquez, a priest in Ciudad Hidalgo along the Suchiate river that divides Mexico and Guatemala, sees it daily. “It’s them (the cartel) that says who passes and who doesn’t,” Vázquez said. “The numbers of migrants that they take every day are big and they do it in front of the authorities.” Pay to continue north On Monday morning, Luis Alonso Valle, a 43-year-old Honduran traveling with his wife and two children, climbed off a raft lashed together with truck inner tubes and boards that had carried them across the Suchiate to Mexico. They hadn’t made it 50 yards toward Ciudad Hidalgo before three men approached on a motorcycle to tell them they couldn’t keep walking. Then seeing journalists they left. The family looked scared. In Ciudad Hidalgo’s central plaza, Valle asked for a van that could take them the 23 miles (37 kilometers) to Tapachula, considered the main entry point for southern Mexico. Climbing aboard, the driver asked in a whisper that journalists stop recording. “They (organized crime) are going to stop me,” he said. This is often how migrants arrive at the ranch. Taxi or van drivers working for the cartel take them there and hand them over. They’re forced to sleep on the ground. “There were more than 500 people there, some had been there 10, 15 days,” said a Venezuelan woman who was released Sunday with her husband and two children. “Whoever doesn’t have money stays and whoever decides to pay leaves,” she said. A 28-year-old baker from Ecuador was escorted to a bank to withdraw money to free himself, his wife, daughter and four other relatives. His family was held as insurance until he returned. Once the payment is made, migrants’ photos are taken and their skin stamped. Gunmen stop vans and taxis headed to Tapachula and check for the stamps. Those without them are sent back. Migrants said that […]
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Two bereaved fathers whose children were killed in battle against Hamas published a letter on Wednesday morning calling on their friends in the National Religious sector to stop their attacks on the Chareidi sector. The letter comes against the backdrop of the recent debate surrounding the Chareidi politicians’ attempt to condition their support of the state budget on the passing of a Charedi draft law, an initiative they ultimately dropped due to the low likelihood of its approval. The letter states: “Recently, we’ve been hearing and experiencing increasingly loud voices against the Chareidi sector and its non-participation in military efforts. Furthermore, some voices even declare that this fact is what led to the abandonment of areas in the Gaza Strip after they were conquered, forcing the IDF to risk reclaiming them, and more.” “We are part of the National Religious community, a sector connected to Batei Medrash on one hand, and Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael on the other hand. Our community indeed bears burdens like many other sectors of the Am and has paid a heavy price relative to its size in the current war. Our children, Ori, Hy”d and Gilad, Hy”d, have indeed demonstrated this commitment with their lives and bodies.” “We feel that the unrestrained attacks on the Chareidi sector and the blaming of it as if it solely bears the responsibility for everything we have endured over the past year is disproportionate. We must understand that the failures of the October 7 assault were not related to, nor dependent on, the recruitment of the Chareidi sector to the IDF. The ‘conceptzia’ [the theory that Hamas was deterred] that collapsed, which lulled us all, combined with social divisions and dangerous polarization within the Am, are what led our enemies to breach the flimsy borders that made us feel secure.” “Recruiting a battalion, brigade, or even a division of Chareidi soldiers won’t bring about systemic change, won’t lead to a shift in security perception, and won’t return the residents of the north to their homes tomorrow morning, or restore deterrence.” “Of course, this doesn’t exempt the entire Chareidi sector from taking responsibility. You, who make up a significant part of the population in Israel, need to understand that there’s no more critical time than this. We expect the Chareidi leadership to feel the weight of the moment and the gravity of responsibility, and take the initiative on the issue rather than publicly opposing any proposal or attempt at mediation that arises.” “There is a supreme moral obligation on all of us to stop directing blame at each other and to direct our strength against the real enemies who wish for our destruction. There is room under the stretcher [military burden] that is being carried by all of Israel these days for everyone: for settlers, kibbutznikim, Chareidi people, the left and the right, the rear and the front. None of us has the zechut not to bear part of it. All for one and one for all.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
About 475 damaged ballots were retrieved from a ballot box that was burned early Monday in southwest Washington, a county official said Tuesday. Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey said workers on Wednesday will begin searching through the damaged ballots for voter information in order to contact them about getting a new ballot. He said officials believe that although damaged, the workers will be able to pull voter information from the ballots. The damaged ballots are separate from an unknown number that were destroyed, Kimsey said. Incendiary devices damaged and destroyed hundreds of ballots at a drop box in Vancouver, Washington, and damaged three ballots at a box in Portland, Oregon, in what federal, state and local officials have decried as an attack on democracy before a heated Election Day. Authorities have said that enough material from the incendiary devices was recovered to link the two fires on Monday, as well as an Oct. 8 incident, when an incendiary device was placed at a different ballot drop box in Vancouver. No ballots were damaged in that incident. Surveillance images captured a Volvo pulling up to the drop box in Portland just before security personnel nearby discovered a fire inside the box, Portland Police Bureau spokesperson Mike Benner has said. The incendiary devices were attached to the outside of the boxes. The FBI is among the agencies investigating. U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman and Greg Austin, acting special agent in charge of the FBI Seattle field office, said in a joint statement Tuesday that they wanted to assure residents that they are working together to investigate the fires and will work to hold the person or people responsible “fully accountable.” No arrests had been announced as of Tuesday evening. The fire at the drop box in Portland was extinguished quickly thanks to a suppression system inside the box and a nearby security guard, police said. Several hours later, another fire was discovered at a transit center drop box across the Columbia River in Vancouver. Vancouver is the biggest city in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, the site of what is expected to be one of the closest U.S. House races in the country, between first-term Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Republican challenger Joe Kent. The ballot box in Vancouver also had a fire suppression system inside, but that failed to prevent hundreds of ballots from burning, according to Kimsey. He has urged voters who dropped their ballots in the transit center box after 11 a.m. Saturday to contact his office for a replacement ballot. The office is increasing how frequently it collects ballots and changing collection times to the evening, Kimsey said, to keep the ballot boxes from remaining full of ballots overnight when similar crimes are considered more likely to occur. Officials in at least two other counties in Washington — including in King County, where Seattle is located, — announced Tuesday that ballot drop boxes will be checked more often up until Election Day. (AP)
An anonymous Israeli military official has disclosed that the target of an airstrike on a five-story building in Beit Lahiya, Gaza, on Tuesday, was a spotter operating from the building with binoculars. The airstrike has sparked scrutiny as the IDF maintains its intent was not to demolish the structure but to neutralize the spotter. The building’s collapse, resulting from the impact of the airstrike, led to dozens of casualties, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. However, Israeli officials caution against relying solely on casualty numbers provided by Gaza authorities, noting major discrepancies between Gaza’s reported tolls and Israeli intelligence assessments. According to the military official, the casualties included known terror operatives, although no further evidence was provided to substantiate these claims. The IDF asserts that while their operations focus on military targets and individuals affiliated with terror networks, Hamas’s tactics of embedding operations within civilian-populated areas pose significant challenges to mitigating civilian harm. Military officials note that Hamas’s alleged use of human shields complicates targeting, but acknowledge that, despite extensive precautions, errors have led to civilian casualties. The IDF has launched an investigation into the strike, reiterating skepticism about casualty numbers presented by Gaza’s health ministry, which also does not distinguish between civilian and combatant casualties. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Over the last 15 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 122 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 […]
Four days before Election Day, the government will issue its final snapshot of hiring and unemployment in the United States after a presidential race in which voter perceptions of the economy have played a central role. Yet Friday’s report will include some of the most distorted monthly employment figures in years, with job growth having been held down temporarily in October by hurricanes and worker strikes. So just as voters, politicians and Federal Reserve officials are looking for a clear read on the economy, they instead will get a muddied one. The report arrives as Republican allies of Donald Trump, seeking to cast doubt on the economy’s health, have sought to undercut confidence in the credibility of the monthly jobs reports. Trump and his supporters have repeatedly attacked the Biden-Harris administration for the spike in inflation that peaked two years ago before steadily cooling. Despite healthy job growth, few layoffs and low unemployment, Trump has also charged that the United States is a “failing nation” and has vowed that his plan to implement sweeping tariffs on all imported goods would restore millions of manufacturing jobs. Typically, the monthly jobs data helps clarify how the economy is faring. But economists estimate that Hurricanes Helene and Milton, combined with the effects of the ongoing strike by Boeing machinists, will have reduced hiring last month by a significant number — roughly 60,000 to 100,000 jobs, most of them only temporarily. All told, economists have estimated that Friday’s report will show that just 120,000 jobs were added in October, according to the data provider FactSet. That is a decent number, though less than half of September’s unexpectedly robust 254,000 gain. The unemployment rate is expected to remain at a low 4.1%. Once the impact of the hurricanes and strikes are considered, those figures would still point to a solid job market, one that has shown surprising durability, buoyed by healthy consumer spending, in the face of the Fed’s high interest rates. “This is a really incredibly resilient economy,” said Jane Oates, a former Labor Department official during the Obama administration. “People are spending. That’s what’s keeping this economy going.” Yet there may be other effects that the government has a harder time measuring. The Labor Department, for example, has said it thinks the strike by Boeing machinists, along with a smaller walkout by some hotel workers, reduced job growth by 41,000 in October. But some of Boeing’s suppliers may also have shed jobs as the strike cut into their sales. It’s not clear how much of an impact those job losses might have had on the October employment figures. At the same time, the hurricane might have cost fewer jobs than economists expect. A worker would have to lose pay for an entire pay period — often two weeks — for their job to be considered lost in the government’s data. Though many workers in North Carolina were likely out of work that long, it’s not clear that in Florida, which has had more experience with hurricanes, employees would have missed that much work, Oates said. Economists at UBS noted that the big amusement parks in Orlando — Walt Disney World, Sea World and Universal — were closed only for two days after Hurricane Milton hit. And in some states, people will be hired […]
In a joint effort between the United States and Israel, U.S. Marines have successfully completed their first live-fire training exercise using a new air defense system that integrates the Iron Dome interceptor. The Israel Ministry of Defense announced that this system features an American radar and command-and-control center combined with the Iron Dome’s Tamir interceptor and a mobile launcher developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems in partnership with Raytheon as the prime contractor. During the training, Marines operated the system independently, achieving successful target interceptions. The exercise also tested the system’s capability for continuous launches from a mobile launcher designed specifically for the Marines. This marks a significant step in the Marines’ development and acquisition plan, which aims to implement a new medium-range intercept capability (MRIC). According to Moshe Patel, Director of the Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO), “Iron Dome is a system with extensive operational experience, boasting thousands of successful interceptions for over a decade. Iron Dome continues to save lives even now, during the ‘Swords of Iron’ war. The U.S. Marines’ live-fire exercise further proves the Iron Dome interceptor’s ability and ground infrastructure to quickly and efficiently integrate with any relevant air defense system and intercept various aerial threats in complex scenarios. The Ministry of Defense welcomes any collaboration in air defense with U.S. military branches.” Shlomo Toaff, Senior Vice President and Head of Rafael’s Air Defense Systems Division, emphasized the success of the exercise, stating, “The Iron Dome continues to prove itself as an advanced and unique air defense system, with thousands of successful interceptions in complex operational scenarios. The fruitful cooperation with the U.S. Marine Corps, together with the partnership with Raytheon, demonstrates Rafael’s ability to provide unique and customized solutions that deliver effective and precise defense against various aerial threats. The success of the latest exercise marks an important milestone, and we will continue to work together with the IMoD’s DDR&D to expand air defense capabilities in collaboration with our strategic partners worldwide.” The exercise is seen as a milestone toward the operational deployment of the first Iron Dome prototype battery for the Marines. The Iron Dome’s Tamir interceptor, effective against threats including cruise missiles, UAVs, rockets, artillery, and mortars, has demonstrated its adaptability to complex scenarios, further solidifying its role within Israel’s multi-layered defense system, which also includes David’s Sling and Arrow systems.
A Russian drone attack hit Kyiv’s Or Avner Chabad Jewish school early Tuesday morning, causing structural damage just hours before the arrival of students. Kyiv’s Chief Rabbi, Yonatan Benyamin Markovitch, expressed relief over the timing, calling it a “tremendous miracle” that no one was in the building during the explosion. The Perlina school, part of Ukraine’s Or Avner Chabad network, sustained heavy damage to classrooms, the school’s vehicle, and student rest areas, though no injuries were reported on-site. Windows fortified with protective film prevented further internal destruction. However, some individuals in an adjacent building were wounded. Rabbi Markovitch and his wife, Elke Inna Markovitch, inspected the site with city officials and local police, assessing the impact and planning for the school’s continuation. “We experienced a tremendous miracle that students were not in the building at the time of the explosion,” said Markovitch. “The light of Torah and Jewish education in Kyiv will not be dimmed…we will continue to nurture our children’s souls, even in these challenging times.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
In a landmark decision, a federal appeals court has ruled that California’s exclusion of religious schools from accessing state-administered special education funds violates federal law, delivering a major victory for Orthodox Jewish families who have long sought equal access to education resources for their children with disabilities. In a 3-0 ruling on Monday, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals determined that California’s restriction, which prohibits funds for children with special needs from being used at religious private schools, fails the neutrality test under federal law. The decision was authored by Judge Kim Wardlaw, with Judges Morgan Christen and Mark Bennett concurring. “We easily conclude that the nonsectarian requirement fails the neutrality test,” wrote Judge Wardlaw in the opinion. The ruling centers on the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a law passed in 1975 to ensure that children with disabilities receive appropriate education. IDEA provides federal funding to states for special education programs in public schools and allows this funding to be used in private institutions when public schools are unable to meet the children’s needs. However, California’s interpretation of the law has historically barred religious schools from receiving these funds, impacting families who wish to send their children to faith-based institutions. The issue first reached the courts in 2013, when Becket Law filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Orthodox Jewish families in California. The plaintiffs argued that religious schools should be eligible to receive critical support to accommodate students with disabilities, allowing families to make educational choices aligned with their faith. The case faced a setback in August 2023, when a district court ruled against them. Becket appealed the decision, and on October 28, 2024, the 9th Circuit delivered a favorable ruling, sending the case back to the district court for further proceedings. California now has 90 days to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court. “This is a massive win for Jewish families in California,” said Eric Rassbach, vice president and senior counsel at Becket. “It was always wrong to cut Jewish kids off from getting disability benefits solely because they want to follow their faith.” Rassbach emphasized the significance of the decision, saying, “California politicians are depriving children with disabilities the resources they deserve just because they are Jewish. The court was right to rule against the state’s blatant religious targeting. This is a massive victory for religious freedom and a resounding message to California: Faith can’t be a barrier to educational rights.” Maury Litwack, founder of Teach Coalition, an initiative of the Orthodox Union (OU) that advocates for equitable funding for Jewish day schools, hailed the ruling as a turning point. “Today’s unanimous 3-0 ruling has confirmed that California has long been violating the law by discriminating against religious parents and schools in its special-education programs,” Litwack said. “This is a game-changing moment for our community and for religious families of children with disabilities everywhere—not only requiring change in the state of California but holding nationwide implications as well.” The ruling is expected to have far-reaching consequences, not only for religious families in California but also for similar cases across the United States, where access to state-funded resources in religious institutions remains a contentious issue. “Agudath Israel has spent decades advocating on the federal, state and local level for greater access of special education […]
The thousands of young soldiers North Korea has sent to Russia, reportedly to help fight against Ukraine, include many elite special forces, but that hasn’t stopped speculation they’ll be slaughtered because they have no combat experience, no familiarity with the terrain and will likely be dropped onto the most ferocious battlefields. That may be true, and soon. Observers say some of the troops have already arrived at the front. From the North Korean perspective, however, these soldiers might not be as miserable as outsiders think. They may, in fact, view their Russian tour with pride and as a rare chance to make good money, see a foreign country for the first time and win preferred treatment for their families back home, according to former North Korean soldiers. “They are too young and won’t understand exactly what it means. They’ll just consider it an honor to be selected as the ones to go to Russia among the many North Korean soldiers,” said Lee Woong-gil, a former member of the same special forces unit, the Storm Corps. He came to South Korea in 2007. “But I think most of them won’t likely come back home alive.” Troop deployment is Kim’s ‘big gamble’ Worries about North Korea’s likely participation in the Russian-Ukraine war were highlighted this week when the Pentagon said North Korea has sent about 10,000 troops to Russia, and that they will likely fight against Ukraine “over the next several weeks.” South Korea’s presidential office said Wednesday that more than 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been moved close to battlefronts in western Russia. North Korea’s troop deployment could mark a serious escalation of the almost three-year war. It caught many outside observers by surprise because North Korea has its own security headache, a festering standoff with the United States and South Korea over its nuclear program. Large North Korean troop casualties would be a major political blow for the country’s 40-year-old ruler, Kim Jong Un, whose government hasn’t formally confirmed the deployment. But experts say Kim may see this as a way to get much needed foreign currency and security support from Russia in return for joining Russia’s war against Ukraine. “Kim Jong Un is taking a big gamble. If there are no large casualty numbers, he will get what he wants to some extent. But things will change a lot if many of his soldiers die in battle,” said Ahn Chan-il, a former North Korean army first lieutenant who is now head of the World Institute for North Korean Studies think tank in Seoul. Ordinary soldier’s wage is less than $1, defectors say The Storm Corps, also known as the 11th Corps, is one of Kim’s top units. Its main missions would be infiltrating agents into South Korea, blowing up important facilities in the South and assassinating key figures in the event of war on the Korean Peninsula. Lee, who served in the Storm Corps in 1998-2003, recalled that his unit received better food and supplies than other units, but many members still suffered from malnutrition and tuberculosis. Despite a gradual economic recovery in North Korea over the past 30 years, defectors say the average monthly wage for ordinary North Korean workers and soldiers is less than $1. They say many people engage in capitalist market activities to make a living because the country’s state rationing system remains largely […]
