As Yom Kippur approaches and we all seek to increase our zechusim so that we may be zocheh b’din, YWN would like to inform our readers of an incredible opportunity to help tip the scales in our favor. YWN has only twice before promoted a specific tzedakah, but our team is now raising funds for three families – one of whom is very close to the YWN family. We have personally and exhaustively verified the authenticity and urgency of their respective plights. HaRav Elya Brudny, the Rosh yeshiva of the Mirrer Yeshiva, personally knows two of them, and knows the situation first hand. All three of these families truly require our assistance, and providing them with it will surely present a powerful zechus for us in Shamayim. We know that we all have a ton of Tzedkaha requests, but YWN doesn’t charge for our service, providing breaking news 24 hours a day for 22 years. In turn, please open your generous hearts for this cause! The first family is one in which the father, an incredible talmid chochom, is suffering from a multitude of serious health issues. Due to his illness, he has been unable to provide sufficient income for his family. The second family is one that has been a close friend of YWN for many years. The father has multiple health issues for many years and is unable to work – and and his wife (who was the one making the Parnassah) has now been diagnosed with a dreaded illness. The situation is desperate – and literally have no money for basic necessities. Their bills are in the tens of thousands, and they are long past their credit line! The third is also a family close to YWN who are Marbitzei Torah, who have devoted their lives to Chinuch. One of the parents was recently diagnosed with a serious illness, and half of their income has been lost. Hundreds of thousands of people trust YWN to deliver them the news – appropriately, sensitively, and free-of-charge. Now, we are simply making one request: Please help us help these three pure families who are silently suffering. Please open your hearts before Yom Kippur and provide them with much-needed reprieve. In doing so, we have no doubt that the Ribono Shel Olam will make our lives easier and better, as well. The words of U’nesaneh Tokef call to us: U’Teshuva U’Tefillah U’Tzedakah Maavirin Es Roah Hagezeirah. Let us not let this opportunity pass us by. Wishing you all a Gmar Chasima Tova. CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO HELP THESE THREE PEOPLE
The current New York City mayoral race has created what I believe to be unnecessary tension within the frum community. Much of this has stemmed from letters urging our community to back one candidate over another — Eric Adams, Curtis Sliwa, or Andrew Cuomo. (Of course, Adams is no longer in the race.) These endorsements often focus on fine distinctions between preferred candidates, while leaving unspoken the one point on which we should all agree: we must not allow Zohran Mamdani to become mayor. Mamdani is a radical, openly pro-Hamas, anti-Israel politician who proudly calls himself a “socialist Democrat.” He has proposed government-run grocery stores, endless promises of “free” services, and even threatened to arrest Prime Minister Netanyahu — all without any explanation of how such extreme policies would be paid for. His agenda is dangerous not just for our community, but for the future of New York City. At present, Mamdani is leading in the polls, with Andrew Cuomo as his closest rival. Yet because Cuomo remains deeply unpopular among many frum voters, some have argued that our community should throw support behind other candidates, such as Sliwa. While I understand the frustration, this argument overlooks how the Ranked Choice Voting system works. Here’s how it works: voters list their preferences in order — first, second, third, and so on. If no candidate wins an outright majority (50%+1) in the first round, the lowest-ranked candidate is eliminated, and those votes transfer to the next choice on each ballot. This continues until one candidate crosses the 50% threshold. What this means for our community is simple: If you dislike Cuomo, you can rank someone else (like Curtis Sliwa) as your first choice. But if you dislike Mamdani even more — as every frum voter should — then Cuomo should still be ranked as a backup choice, even second or third, to prevent Mamdani from winning by default. Most importantly: never rank Mamdani at all. Ranked Choice Voting does not require you to rank every candidate. Leaving him off your ballot entirely is the clearest way to reject him. The bottom line: we cannot afford to split our community’s vote in a way that helps Mamdani slip through. Whatever our differences, we must recognize that he poses a grave threat to our city and our community, and our ballots must reflect that reality. Sincerely, D.G. The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of YWN. Have an opinion you would like to share? Send it to us for review.
OpenAI is turning ChatGPT into a virtual merchant that can help sell goods for Etsy and Shopify as the artificial intelligence company looks for new revenue in online commerce. ChatGPT users can now buy directly from Etsy sellers while interacting with the chatbot and will soon be able to do the same with Shopify sellers. Competing with the likes of Amazon and Google for purchase fees from digital shopping could be a new source of money for OpenAI. The company hasn’t made a profit and has relied on investors to back the costs of building and running its powerful AI systems. OpenAI said it is working with payments company Stripe on the technical standards that will enable purchases through the “Instant Checkout” system. A number of payment companies have been working with AI developers on so-called AI agents that, given a credit card, could find and make purchases on a shopper’s behalf. OpenAI said ChatGPT won’t favor these items in its product results. “When ranking multiple merchants that sell the same product, ChatGPT considers factors like availability, price, quality, whether a merchant is the primary seller, and whether Instant Checkout is enabled, to optimize the user experience,” the company said in a statement. (AP)
Ryanair said Tuesday it will not resume flights to Tel Aviv this winter, accusing Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport of stonewalling the airline’s bid for flight slots for the summer 2026 season. The Irish low-cost giant, which had operated 22 routes to and from Israel last winter, blasted airport authorities for what it called “absurd” delays in confirming its historic slots, even as schedules for summer 2026 are already on sale across Europe. “We are not willing to restart loss-making flights to/from Tel Aviv for the winter season, without the certainty that our summer 2026 historic slots have been confirmed,” a Ryanair spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “We are fed up having our low-fare flights repeatedly messed around by Ben Gurion Airport – it is absurd that they refused to confirm our summer 2026 slots.” The carrier warned that until Israeli authorities “honor their low-cost agreements with Ryanair,” Tel Aviv would lose access to its bargain fares and broad route network. The standoff marks the latest chapter in Ryanair’s rocky relationship with Israel, which predates the Gaza war. Earlier this month, CEO Michael O’Leary said the airline might not return even once regional violence subsides. Ryanair had already extended its suspension of Tel Aviv services through October 25, citing the ongoing conflict. The move leaves Israel’s flag carrier El Al and European rivals with one less competitor on routes that had brought tens of thousands of budget-conscious travelers through Ben Gurion Airport in recent years. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Israeli authorities announced Tuesday the arrests of two men accused of spying for Iran. The Shin Bet and police’s Lahav 433 major crimes unit confirmed that a prosecutor’s declaration had been filed earlier in the day against the suspects, both 26-year-old residents of Holon. The primary suspect, Maor Kringel, was taken into custody in August after allegedly engaging in espionage activities for seven months. Investigators say Kringel maintained contact with an Iranian handler since early this year, photographing military bases and other sensitive sites across Israel. During June’s war with Iran, he allegedly reached out to his handlers offering to carry out additional operations. According to the investigation, Kringel also communicated with operatives linked to VIPemployment, a front organization Tehran has used to recruit Israelis online for intelligence work. Authorities say Kringel managed to enlist another Holon resident, Tal Amram, into spying on Iran’s behalf. Both men were arrested as part of the same investigation. Police emphasized that the case reflects Iran’s ongoing campaign to penetrate Israel’s security apparatus by exploiting ordinary citizens through online fronts and direct recruitment. State prosecutors are expected to file formal indictments against Kringel and Amram in the coming days. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Israel’s top general said Tuesday the military is prepared to give the country’s political leadership wide latitude in determining the next phase of the Gaza war, after President Donald Trump unveiled his long-awaited peace plan. Touring Gaza City with senior commanders, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir described the ongoing offensive as a turning point. “The campaign in Gaza City leads to new opportunities and brings us closer to achieving the goals of the war,” Zamir said, according to remarks released by the army. Joined by Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, Military Advocate General Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, and 162nd Division commander Brig. Gen. Sagiv Dahan, Zamir highlighted both military resolve and political flexibility. “We must continue to excel in military action and lead with professionalism,” Zamir said. “The IDF will enable the political echelon flexibility in any decision regarding the conduct of the campaign.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
A man who worked for a prominent German far-right lawmaker in the European Parliament was convicted Tuesday of spying for China for more than four years, according to German news agency dpa. Jian Guo, a German citizen, was accused of working for a Chinese intelligence service and of repeatedly passing on information on negotiations and decisions in the EU Parliament between September 2019 and April 2024, when he was arrested. He was sentenced Tuesday to four years and nine months in prison, dpa reported. He denied wrongdoing during a court hearing last week. China’s foreign ministry last year said reports in Europe about Chinese spying are all “hyping up with an aim to smear and suppress China.” Guo also snooped on Chinese dissidents in Germany and gathered information on prominent politicians with the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD. The federal prosecutor has named him as Jian G., in line with the country’s privacy rules. His former boss, far-right lawmaker Maximilian Krah, previously identified him. Krah was a witness in Guo’s trial and said he did not have any knowledge of his former aide’s activities, dpa reported. Earlier this month, Germany’s parliament lifted Krah’s immunity in connection with allegations that he also has had ties to China and was involved in corruption and spying scandals. Lifting his immunity as a lawmaker was a necessary step for authorities to prosecute him. Authorities searched his home and offices under a court order. Krah denies wrongdoing, and says the allegations are politically motivated. AfD last year banned Krah from EU elections weeks after he told an Italian newspaper that not all members of the Nazis’ elite SS unit, which was involved in major war crimes during World War II, were war criminals. Still, he won a seat in the German parliament earlier this year as part of the party’s historic gains in the Bundestag during the national election. AfD’s second-place finish cemented the party’s status as a factor that other politicians can’t ignore, but mainstream German parties have upheld the so-called “firewall” by refusing to work with it. (AP)
Yesterday, Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, Executive Vice President of Agudath Israel of America, testified before the Religious Liberty Commission. Established by President Trump in May, the Commission was created to safeguard and advance America’s founding principle of religious freedom. This was its third meeting, and the focus was on the importance of protecting religious liberty in K–12 and higher education. Rabbi Zwiebel, a member of the Commission’s Advisory Board of Religious Leaders, participated in a panel addressing the protection of religious autonomy for faith-based schools. He highlighted the remarkable growth of the Orthodox Jewish community in the United States following the Holocaust and underscored the community’s commitment to providing children with a strong religious education. In his remarks, Rabbi Zwiebel reflected on the 100th anniversary of Pierce v. Society of Sisters, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down an Oregon law requiring all children to attend public schools. He warned that current government efforts, particularly in New York, to impose “substantial equivalency” standards on private schools represent a modern-day threat to the independence of faith-based education. Rabbi Zwiebel quoted two sentences from the Pierce decision that are highly relevant to modern day challenges: “The fundamental theory of liberty upon which all governments in this Union repose excludes any general power of the State to standardize its children by forcing them to accept instruction from public teachers only. The child is not the mere creature of the state; those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations.” The Agudah leader cautioned: “To insist today that private schools, including Jewish and other religious schools, become carbon copies of public schools, is just the latest iteration of the state’s effort to standardize its children. It’s 100 years after Pierce; we ought to know better.”
A survey shows overwhelming Israeli support for President Donald Trump’s proposed framework to end the Gaza war — but deep skepticism over whether the plan will ever materialize. The poll, conducted after Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s joint press conference unveiling the peace initiative on Monday, found 71 percent of Israelis support the plan. Among Arab citizens, backing was even stronger, with 93 percent in favor. Yet despite the broad approval, only 12 percent of respondents said they believe the plan has a high probability or certainty of being carried out. The gap highlights a recurring dynamic in Israeli politics: popular support for American-led diplomacy coupled with doubts about its feasibility. The survey also probed reactions to Netanyahu’s apology to Qatar’s prime minister following an Israeli airstrike in Doha that targeted Hamas political leaders. Israelis were sharply divided — about half said the apology was the right move given Qatar’s role in mediation and regional ties, while right-wing voters mostly opposed it. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
A new poll has revealed alarming levels of tolerance for antisemitic violence among Italians, as demonstrations against Israel’s offensive in Gaza continue to sweep the country. According to the survey, conducted September 24–26 by pollster SWG and published Tuesday, around 15 percent of Italians said they consider physical attacks on Jewish people “entirely or fairly justifiable.” The findings did not stop there. Eighteen percent of respondents said they believe antisemitic graffiti in public spaces is a legitimate form of expression. Roughly one in five Italians also stated it was reasonable to attack professors who voiced pro-Israeli positions or for businesses to turn away Israeli customers — views that mirror incidents already reported by Italian media. The poll underscores what Jewish leaders and watchdog groups have described as a dangerous surge in antisemitism in Italy. The results highlight how protests over the war in Gaza are being used as a backdrop for rhetoric — and in some cases actions — that target Jewish people directly, rather than Israeli policy. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Five homes in Buxton, North Carolina, collapsed into the ocean between 2 and 3 p.m. on Tuesday during high surf and waves from Hurricane Imelda and Hurricane Humberto. A total of 17 homes on the Outer Banks have been lost to the ocean since 2020.
POTUS: “I’m thrilled to sign a very historic Executive Order to massively accelerate pediatric cancer research and harness the extraordinary potential of Artificial Intelligence to fight this terrible disease.”
With weeks to go in New Jersey’s high-stakes governor’s race, key members of Democrats’ diverse coalition, including union and Black leaders, have been raising concerns — even when they’re not supposed to. New Jersey state Democratic Chair Leroy Jones Jr. spoke on a recent Democratic National Committee conference call that was designed to project strength ahead of the fall elections. Yet he concluded with a warning. “As a Black man, not just as a Black chair, we have to do better,” Jones said, referencing challenges messaging with the state’s Black community. New Jersey voters on Nov. 4 will decide an election that has drawn intense interest from both major political parties — and the White House. The race, along with an election for Virginia governor, will be seen as an early sign of how voters are feeling about President Donald Trump and Republicans’ leadership. Trump hopes that a victory from his Republican loyalist Jack Ciattarelli over Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill will send a resounding message to the nation that his GOP is as strong as ever. And as Election Day nears, Trump and his allies are growing increasingly confident in their party’s outlook in New Jersey, even more so than in Virginia, which currently has a Republican governor. Trump, who has endorsed Ciattarelli, was optimistic about his bid in a social media post last week. “Jack is tough on crime and cutting taxes, two things that people really demand today. He will be a GREAT Governor,” Trump wrote. A presidential visit before Election Day has not been ruled out, according to Trump’s allies. Meanwhile, Democratic leaders are working to downplay expectations in the race to succeed Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who will finish his second term at the end of the year. They’re quick to note that Democrats have not won three consecutive governor’s elections in New Jersey since 1961. New Jersey has reliably supported Democrats in presidential and U.S. Senate races but has swung between Republicans and Democrats during its odd-year gubernatorial elections. Four years ago, Murphy defeated Ciattarelli in a closer-than-expected race, winning by about 3 percentage points. “New Jersey governor’s races are always highly competitive,” said Meghan Meehan-Draper, executive director of the Democratic Governors Association. “We’ve known all along that this would be a close race.” Democrats’ loosening grip on labor Traditionally, organized labor has backed Democrats. That’s not necessarily the case in the Trump era — a potential problem for Democrats in a state with one of the nation’s highest rates of labor union membership. Abi Ortiz, a 61-year-old Teamsters local president in southern New Jersey, said he’s seen a definite shift among members toward the GOP in recent years. “I thought I’d never see it,” said Ortiz, who started as a Teamster in 1987 as a UPS truck driver. “But now what we’re doing is we’re actually demanding the candidates say, ‘What are you going to do for the working class?’” Democratic state Sen. John Burzichelli said Democrats’ loosening grip on workers is a red flag. The way through the problem, he said, is more conversations with members and voters. “The national Democrat brand I don’t think is in a good place,” Burzichelli said. “Having the support of (union) leadership is one thing, but having the support of rank and file is another. We need to make sure they’re reminded […]
Hagaon HaMekubal Rav Abish Tzinewirt Issues Historic Letter in Support of Torah-24’s Kollel Kabbalah b’Chatzos YS GOLD In the stillness of the night in the holy city of Yerushalayim, a group of illustrious gaonim and mekubalim can be found delving into the secrets of Torah, the kabbalah of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, the Arizal, Rabbi Chaim Vital, and their successors. They do so in holiness and purity, with toil and with intensity, during these most auspicious hours of the day—following the tradition of the mekubalim of Yerushalayim of yore over the centuries. The Kollel is a golden link in the glorious chain—the network of Kollelim known as “Torah-24.” Founded by Hagaon Rav Avraham Eisen, shlit”a, the eleven kolelim in this network feature gaonim and talmidei chachomim who toil in all areas of Torah literally around the clock. Their Torah learning of the mekubalim at Kollel Kabbalah b’Chatzos has recently culminated in a siyum on the entire sefer haZohar and its commentaries, as well as the kabbalistic sefer Orchos Chaim from Rabbi Chaim Vital in the home of the great tzaddik Rav Yaakov Meir Schechter who greatly lauded their relentless toil in kabbalah in purity and in holiness. Following this event, the mekubal Rav Abish Tzinewirt, shlit”a—a personality who has himself engaged in the study of kabbalah with deep intensity for decades—issued a letter of endorsement for Kollel Kabbalah b’Chatzos. In it, he cites from obscure sources in Kabbalah about the greatness of those who engage in Torah study in the overnight hours, and the way their Torah pierces all the heavens, arriving directly at the Kisei HaKavod. Great is the lot of those who take part in this incredible endeavor—supporting the loftiest of Yerushalayim’s residents as they engage in the study of the loftiest Torah secrets with utter and complete mesirus nefesh. Join today in support of Torah-24 and Kollel Kabbalah b’Chatzos. https://www.torah-24.com/ The merit of supporting the Torah of esteemed mekubalim and talmidei Chachamim will surely stand by you and your family as we enter the exalted day of Yom Kippur.
After President Trump posted a fake AI video, Rep Jeffries had this to say: REP. JEFFRIES: “The next time you have something to say about me, don’t cop out through a racist & fake AI video. When I’m back in the Oval Office, say it to my face!”
Leader Thune: “We are not going to be held hostage for over a trillion dollars in new spending on a Continuing Resolution…There isn’t anything here to negotiate. This is a routine funding resolution to keep the government open…”
CAN’T MAKE THIS UP: Biden was so demented that his staff gave him notecards with photo reminders of who people were, & the questions reporters would ask.
If it seems like its getting more expensive to replace a broken door, kitchen fixtures or upgrade a major appliance, you’re not wrong. The cost of home repair and remodeling projects is up compared to a year ago and running ahead of inflation overall, according to a report from data analytics company Verisk. The firm’s latest Repair and Remodeling Index jumped 3.4% in the April-June quarter compared to the same period last year. That’s a bigger annual increase than the 2.7% rise in inflation in the same period, as measured by the Consumer Price index. The index, which tracks costs for more than 10,000 home improvement products, including appliances, doors, plumbing and windows, showed a roughly 0.6% increase from the January-March quarter. “While costs did continue to rise, they rose at a slower rate than in the first quarter,,” said Greg Pyne, vice president of Pricing at Verisk Property Estimating Solutions. Much of the increase in home repair and remodeling costs appears to be driven primarily by higher labor costs for repair and remodeling work, Verisk noted. The second-quarter jump in costs for home improvement products coincided with the Trump administration’s broad rollout of tariffs on imported goods from many of the nation’s major trading partners. But the tariffs didn’t have the expected impact given they were postponed several times and didn’t fully take effect until early August, midway through the third quarter. However, homeowners looking to replace cabinetry could soon see prices increase sharply, following a new volley of tariffs announced by President Donald Trump last week that includes a 50% import tax on kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities due to kick in on Wednesday. The most labor-intensive types of home repair or remodeling work registered the biggest quarterly increases in labor costs. For example, the cost of replacing tile flooring rose 1.2%, while the cost of remodeling a primary bath or replacing vinyl siding each rose 1% in the April-June period from the previous quarter. Nearly all of the 31 categories of repair and remodeling work tracked by Verisk saw costs increase at least slightly. The latest index puts costs for repair and remodeling at almost 62% higher than they were 10 years ago and more than 73% higher than the first quarter of 2013, when the index debuted. After declining the past two years, homeowner spending on maintenance and home improvement projects increased in the first half of this year, according to researchers at Harvard University. The university’s Joint Center for Housing Studies’ most recent leading indicator of remodeling activity, or LIRA, estimates spending hit $510 billion in the second quarter, a 1.8% increase from a year earlier. However, the researchers project that growth in spending on home improvement and maintenance will slow in 2026, citing weakness in the housing market and slower construction of new homes. The housing market has been in a slump since 2022, when mortgage rates began climbing from historic lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes sank last year to their lowest level in nearly 30 years. And, so far this year, sales are running below where they were at this time in 2024. (AP)
CNN: “Do you think what President Trump has been doing has been making your job tougher?” SINAOLOA CARTEL: “Oh yeah. Yes.” CNN: “It’s becoming more difficult?” CARTEL: “Yep.”
