A 72-year-old man from Rishon Lezion, identified as Bezalel Carmi, lost his life in what is being investigated as a possible truck ramming incident near Glilot earlier today. Authorities are still working to confirm whether the crash, in which an Arab-Israeli truck driver from Qalansawe drove into a group of people at a bus stop, injuring over 30, was an intentional attack. The driver’s family denies any motive for terrorism and has requested an autopsy to investigate whether a medical emergency may have triggered the accident.
Democrats backing Rep. Colin Allred’s bid to defeat Texas Sen. Ted Cruz are investing $5 million in an ad campaign focused on abortion, making a late-campaign play for what’s seen as a safely Republican seat. The announcement by Senate Majority PAC comes as Democrats face a challenging set of races nationwide to maintain control of Congress’ upper chamber. Several Democrats are running in states favored to go for Republican nominee Donald Trump next month. Texas has not elected a Democrat statewide since 1994. That streak has held even as several races over the years have drawn national attention — perhaps notably Cruz’s last reelection fight against Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who became a sensation among liberals and raised huge amounts of money. Cruz beat O’Rourke by just over 2 percentage points. Senate Majority PAC said its ad would focus on reproductive rights and highlight the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to strike down a nationally guaranteed right to abortion. Texas has since banned all abortions. The ad will start running in major state media markets Friday — the same day that both parties’ presidential nominees will visit the state. Trump will sit for a taping with podcaster Joe Rogan and hold a press conference in Austin focused on immigration issues. Vice President Kamala Harris, meanwhile, goes to Houston for a large rally featuring Beyoncé, the star singer who grew up in the nation’s fourth-largest city. (AP)
Extensive coverage of the Yeshiva’s “Ne’ilas Hachag” event in Rishon Lezion: Thousands of talmidim of “Ateret Shlomo” rose up on the bleachers at the culmination of an uplifting and inspiring Yomtov in Kiryat Yeshiva led by the Rosh Hayeshiva, HaGaon Reb Shlom Ber Sorotkin Shlita and HaGaon Reb Chaim Mordechai Osband Shlita with the participation of the Rabbanim of the yeshiva.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on Iranian officials to respond with “strength, will, and initiative” to Israel’s airstrike on Iranian military targets, a move that has escalated tensions in the Middle East. Speaking through Iran’s official IRNA news agency on Sunday, Khamenei said, “The evil committed by the Zionist regime two nights ago should neither be downplayed nor exaggerated… They should understand the strength, will, and initiative of the Iranian nation.” In a post on X/Twitter, Khamenei echoed his sentiments: “The Zionist regime made a wrong move… We must make them understand the power, determination, and initiative of the Iranian people.” Emphasizing that it is up to Iranian officials to decide on the best course of action, he added, “Our officials should assess and precisely determine what needs to be done… and do whatever is in the best interests of this country and nation.” The remarks come after Israel launched airstrikes on what it identified as strategic Iranian military sites. Iran initially downplayed the attack, claiming it caused only minor damage, yet prominent Iranian leaders have warned of an inevitable response. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaking during a closed session, reportedly stated, “Tehran’s response to Israel will be inevitable.” The Iranian Foreign Ministry, referencing Article 51 of the UN Charter, affirmed Iran’s right to self-defense, calling the strikes acts of aggression. “The Islamic Republic of Iran considers itself rightful and duty-bound to defend against foreign acts of aggression,” read the ministry’s statement via the semi-official Tasnim News. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
New York City Mayor Eric Adams defended former President Donald Trump against claims from prominent Democrats, including Kamala Harris, likening him to a fascist, with comparisons to Adolf Hitler. “I have had those comments hurled at me by some political leaders in the city; my answer is ‘No,’” Adams said when asked about the accusations directed at Trump. Following up his defense of Trump, Adams called for a more tempered approach to political discourse. “I know what Hitler has done, and I know what a fascist regime looks like,” he asserted. “I think we can all dial down the temperature,” he added. Adams’ comments came as he outlined heightened security measures in place for Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, including a “large police presence.” Trump has recently faced attacks from Democrats, including Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden, after a report alleged he praised Hitler while in office. Retired Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly, Trump’s former chief of staff, claimed to The Atlantic that Trump questioned why his generals didn’t resemble those of Hitler’s regime. Harris amplified this claim at a recent CNN town hall, describing Trump as a fascist and warning, “He admires dictators.” Further fueling the controversy, Hillary Clinton suggested that Trump’s upcoming MSG rally was reminiscent of a Nazi rally held at the same venue in 1939. Adams, however, pushed back, emphasizing the importance of free speech. “This is America. This is New York, and I think it’s important that we allow individuals to exercise their right to get their message clear to New Yorkers,” he said. “Our job as a city and as a Police Department is to make sure they can do that in a peaceful way.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Two weeks after setting a nationwide deadline for removal of lead pipes, the Biden administration is imposing strict new limits on dust from lead-based paint in older homes and child-care facilities. A final rule announced Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency sets limits on lead dust on floors and window sills in pre-1978 residences and child-care facilities to levels so low they cannot be detected. Paint that contains lead was banned in 1978, but more than 30 million American homes are believed to still contain it, including nearly 4 million homes where children under the age of 6 live. Lead paint can chip off when it deteriorates or is disturbed, especially during home remodeling or renovation. “The science is clear: There is no safe level of lead,” said Michal Freedhoff, EPA’s assistant administrator for chemical safety and pollution prevention. “It is time to finally rid the country of the scourge that lead paint has posed to our children’s health” for generations, she said. The EPA estimates the new rule will reduce the lead exposures of up to 1.2 million people per year, including 178,000 to 326,000 children under age 6. Lead is a neurotoxin that can irreversibly harm brain development in children, lower IQ, cause behavioral problems and lead to lifelong health effects. It also affects other organs, including the liver and kidneys. The new rule, which takes effect early next year, targets levels of lead dust generated by paint. Currently, 10 micrograms per square foot is considered hazardous on floors, and a concentration 10 times that high is considered hazardous on window sills. The new rule brings both of those levels down to no detectable lead. The proposed rule also would reduce what level is allowed when a lead-abatement contractor finishes work on a property where lead has been identified as a problem. These levels would be 5 micrograms per square foot on the floor and 40 micrograms per square foot for sills. Individuals and firms that perform abatement work must be certified and follow specific work practices. Testing is required afterward to ensure dust-lead levels are below the new standards. Environmental justice and public health experts called the EPA rule long overdue, noting that lead poisoning disproportionately affects low-income communities and communities of color. “We can all breathe a little easier now that the EPA has significantly lowered its dust lead standard to protect children,” said Peggy Shepard, co-founder and executive director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice, a New York-based advocacy group. Shepard, who serves on the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, said New York state leads the nation in cases of children with elevated blood levels. Black children in Harlem living below the poverty line are twice as likely to suffer from lead poisoning as poor white children, she said. The U.S. government has gradually been reducing the standard for what counts as poisonous levels of lead in children’s blood, with the most recent change occurring in 2021. But the EPA rule, first proposed last year, marks an effort to take more proactive action. “When you are relying on the blood lead level in children to indicate whether there is lead in the environment, we are basically using the children as canaries in the mine,” said Dr. Philip Landrigan, a Boston College biology professor who […]
YWN regrets to inform you of the shocking Petira of Hagaon HaRav Shlomo Halioua, the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Chaim Berlin in Flatbush. His passing is a painful blow to Chaim Berlin, and the larger Olam Hayishivos. He was 66. Rav Halioua had just assumed the position of Rosh Yeshiva following the passing of his father in law, Hagaon HaRav Aharon Schechter ZT”L, just a year and a half ago. The Rosh Yeshiva had delivered a “maymar” at the Yeshiva just last week on Chol Hamoed Sukkos, but was taken to the hospital shortly after. His condition deteriorated over the second days of Sukkos. Levaya details and additional information will be published shortly.
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday that he will lead his Liberal Party into the next election, dismissing a request by some party members to not run for a fourth term. Trudeau met with his Liberal members of Parliament for three hours Wednesday, where he learned that more than 20 lawmakers from his party signed a letter asking him to step down before the next election. He said there were “robust conversations” ongoing about the best way forward, but “that will happen with me as leader going into the next election.” No Canadian prime minister in more than a century has won four straight terms. Trudeau’s Cabinet ministers have said he has the support of the vast majority of the 153 Liberal Party members of the House of Commons. Sean Casey, one of the Liberal lawmakers who signed the letter asking Trudeau to step down, said he was disappointed Trudeau didn’t take the time to reflect but said he now considers the matter done and he’s moving on. Casey said Trudeau listened but he wasn’t swayed. “This was a decision he had every right to make and he made it,” Casey told reporters. “I did my job in voicing what I was hearing from constituents and now I have to direct my energy to winning my seat and not internal party matters. As far as I’m concerned it is closed.” Casey said he wouldn’t call it delusional but said Trudeau “is seeing something I don’t see, that my constituents don’t see.” The Liberals trail the Conservatives by 38% to 25% in the latest Nanos poll. The poll of 1,037 respondents has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. The Liberals recently suffered upsets in special elections for seats representing two districts in Toronto and Montreal that the party has held for years, raising doubts about Trudeau’s leadership. The federal election could come anytime between this fall and next October. The Liberals must rely on the support of at least one major party in Parliament, as they don’t hold an outright majority themselves. The leader of the opposition Bloc Québécois has said his party will work with the Conservatives and the New Democratic Party, of NDP, to bring down the Liberals and force an election if the government doesn’t boost pensions. Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, said pressure is building on Trudeau but that some of his unhappy lawmakers don’t have much power to force him out. “Trudeau holds all the cards. It is up to him if he wants to stay. The Liberal Party revised its rules in 2016 so that the party leader is immune to any challenge to his leadership so long as he is prime minister,” said Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto. Trudeau channeled the star power of his father in 2015 when he reasserted the country’s liberal identity after almost 10 years of Conservative Party rule. But the son of late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau is now in trouble. Canadians have been frustrated by the rising cost of living and other issues like immigration increases following the country’s emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic. (AP)
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi announced that his country has suggested a 48-hour ceasefire in Gaza aimed at facilitating a swap of four Israeli hostages for Palestinian detainees. El-Sissi’s remarks were made during a joint press briefing in Cairo with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. The proposal coincides with scheduled talks in Doha involving Israeli, American, Egyptian, and Qatari officials to revive stalled truce negotiations.
The IDF and Shin Bet announced the killing of Muhammad Abu Attawi, a commander in Hamas’s elite Nukhba Force, in an airstrike on the Gaza Strip. Attawi was reportedly responsible for the deadly October 7 assault near Kibbutz Re’im, where Nova music festival-goers who had taken shelter from attacks were targeted, leaving multiple casualties and taking numerous hostages. Attawi, who held a position in Hamas’s Bureij Battalion, had allegedly been employed by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) since July 2022. The IDF says he commanded the assault on a roadside bomb shelter, where many had fled from the Nova festival. During the attack, four people, including Hersh Goldberg-Polin, were kidnapped, 16 were killed, and seven managed to survive before being rescued. The IDF also reports that Attawi engaged in recent attacks against Israeli forces in Gaza. Following his identification as an UNRWA employee, COGAT (Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories) representatives have called for an international and UN inquiry into any potential involvement of UNRWA personnel in the October 7 attacks and other hostile activities against Israel. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
A recent Supreme Court decision doesn’t mean New York can’t enforce laws banning firearms from “sensitive” places such as public transportation, hospitals and schools, a federal appeals court said Thursday, repeating findings it made a year ago. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan wrote that it had complied with a high court request that it review its December 2023 decision in light of a June ruling by the Supreme Court in another gun case. The Supreme Court also asked seven other state and federal courts to reexamine their decisions, the 2nd Circuit noted. The appeals court said the Supreme Court case involved a regulation of firearms “quite different” than New York’s. Last December, a three-judge panel of the 2nd Circuit said New York could continue enforcing laws banning firearms in 20 categories of “sensitive” locations and could require handgun owners to be of “good moral character.” It also disallowed a requirement that handgun license applicants reveal their social media accounts and blocked a ban on concealed weapons in places such as shops, supermarkets and restaurants. In 2022, the Supreme Court struck down New York’s old rules, which had restricted guns being carried outside the home to people who could show they had a special need for protection. A New York gun law passed after that decision made it easier for more people to get handgun licenses but also restricted where guns could be carried. The law, which was passed after a white supremacist killed 10 Black people at a supermarket in Buffalo, also banned guns in places such as zoos, playgrounds, schools, theaters, bars, voting locations, buses and airports. In a footnote, the 2nd Circuit said its ruling comes “at a very early stage of this litigation.” It said its decision does not determine the ultimate constitutionality of the challenged aspects of the law because the provisions must now be subjected to further argument by lawyers along with historical analysis and any evidence unearthed as the case proceeds. Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement that the appeals court upheld the “common-sense measure” she signed into law two years ago. She said the law was “saving lives across New York” and was a factor in New York having one of the nation’s lowest firearm mortality rates. Gun Owners of America, a lobbying organization involved in the litigation, called Thursday’s decision “an incredibly frustrating ruling.” “The Second Circuit got it wrong the first time, SCOTUS told them so and said try again, and this nearly identical ruling is a slap in the face to the Justices and every gun owner across New York,” Erich Pratt, the group’s senior vice president, said in a statement. Sam Paredes, speaking on behalf of the group’s board, said it might again ask the Supreme Court to intercede. “This ruling will continue to leave innocent New Yorkers, who simply want the ability to protect themselves and their loved ones, defenseless,” he said. New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement that the ruling was “another victory in our effort to protect all New Yorkers from the scourge of gun violence.” She added: “After repeated attempts to weaken our gun safety regulations, once again we have prevailed.” David Pucino, legal director of the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a gun […]
A Jewish man on his way to shul on Shabbos morning was shot in Chicago’s West Rogers Park neighborhood, triggering a tense standoff between police and the gunman – who may have shouted “Allah Akbar!” as he fired at officers, footage obtained by YWN shows. The incident unfolded around 9:35 a.m. Shabbos morning in the 2600 block of North Washtenaw Avenue, an area home to a large Orthodox Jewish community. The 39-year-old victim was walking in the neighborhood when he was approached from behind by an armed suspect, who opened fire, striking him in the shoulder, according to the Chicago Police Department (CPD). Around 9:55 a.m., the suspect, who had fled into an alley, returned and began firing shots at police and paramedics. Police reported that an ambulance was hit by gunfire during the chaotic exchange, which lasted for approximately two and a half minutes as the suspect fired from multiple locations in the area. The standoff ended near the 6800 block of North Washtenaw Avenue, where officers returned fire, hitting the suspect several times. The suspect, whose identity has not been released, was transported to St. Francis Hospital in critical condition. Officers recovered the firearm used in the shooting, police said. The injured victim received treatment at a nearby hospital and has since been released. Authorities reported no injuries to officers during the incident. Jewish community activists are furious that Chicago police have made zero mention of the victim being Jewish, nor have they provided or even suggested any motive for the shooting, which appears to have directly targeted Jews – at the conclusion of a major holiday, Sukkos. Activists are now demanding answers from police officials to explain their apparent indifference to the worrying details of the unprovoked and – unless it was terrorism – inexplicable attack. DOES THE SUSPECT SCREAM ALLAH AKBAR? LISTEN TO THE VIDEO BELOW WITH THE EXCHANGE OF GUNFIRE (Allah Akbar at 42 Seconds) The shooting happened following the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret/Simchas Torah, and it took place in a West Ridge neighborhood that holds the city’s largest population of Orthodox Jewish residents. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Fox News’ Carley Shimkus visited Madison Square Garden as supporters lined up in anticipation of former President Donald Trump’s rally on Sunday. Hundreds of would-be rally goers could be seen waiting outside the stadium even in the earliest hours of Sunday morning. Trump’s rally is not set to begin until the evening. Trump’s campaign is hoping to sway voters in New York, a state that hasn’t voted for a Republican presidential nominee in decades. Nevertheless, polls show Vice President Harris performing well below the typical Democrat in the state. Trump’s rally will feature big names from politics as well as celebrities like Elon Musk and UFC CEO Dana White. Tickets for the rally sold out in just hours. The stadium seats a maximum of 19,500 people. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Health officials said Thursday that there’s no evidence bird flu is spreading between people after investigating a mysterious infection in Missouri. The illness reported last month was different from the 30 other bird flu infections in people in the U.S. so far this year. Those cases have been in farmworkers who had contact with infected dairy cows or chickens. There was no known contact with an infected animal in the Missouri case, but health officials said Thursday that’s the only remaining explanation. “There is no evidence of person-to-person transmission,” said Dr. Demetre Daskalakis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The H5N1 bird flu has been spreading widely in the U.S. among wild birds, poultry, cows and a number of other animals. Its growing presence increases the chances that people will be exposed, and potentially catch it, officials say. The most recent of the 31 confirmed human cases are two workers at a commercial egg farm in Franklin County, in southeast Washington state. The rest: 15 in California, 10 in Colorado, two in Michigan, one in Texas and the unusual one in Missouri. Symptoms have been mostly mild, including eye redness. Few details have been released about the Missouri case. The person had preexisting health problems and was hospitalized in late August. The patient was given a test for flu that was positive for influenza A, a broad virus category. Further testing found partial genetic sequences similar to bird flu viruses from U.S. dairy cows. Because the Missouri person did not work at a farm and had no known contact with an infected animal, health officials have been looking into the possibility it had come from another person with an undetected infection. That kind of spread would be a worrisome sign the virus might be turning into a more common threat to humans. They did complicated blood testing of the patient, five hospital workers, and a person described as a “household contact” of the patient — looking for antibodies that would serve as proof of a past infection. The household contact got a stomach illness at the same time as the patient, but was not initially tested. On Thursday, CDC officials said test results were negative for the health care workers. The patient and the household contact showed signs of past infection in one round of testing, but not in others. Neither met the World Health Organization’s blood testing threshold for a bird flu case. The household contact is not part of the U.S. tally. Since they both got sick at the same time, officials believe the patient and the contact were exposed together to some unknown animal or animal product — ruling out spread of the virus from one of them to the other, Daskalakis said. (AP)
The IDF announced on Sunday evening that Sgt. Maj. (res) Shaul Moyal, H’yd, 47, from Karnei Shomron, was killed in combat in southern Lebanon on Shabbos. Moyal, z’l, who served in the 8207th Battalion of the 228th Brigade, was killed in combat along with four other reservists whose deaths were announced earlier. The IDF also announced that Staff Sgt. Malachi Yehuda Harari, H’yd, 22, from Even Shmuel passed away on Sunday morning from wounds he incurred in combat in the northern Gaza Strip on October 18. Harari, z’l, served in the Givati Brigade’s Rotem Battalion. Hashem Yikom Damam. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
The Biden administration said Thursday it is launching a broad public inquiry on the state of competition in air travel, including the effect of mergers and joint ventures between airlines. The inquiry is being handled by the Justice Department’s antitrust division and the Transportation Department. The administration has successfully blocked three airline deals in the past four years, and President Joe Biden has criticized airlines for charging “junk fees.” However, the timing of Thursday’s announcement — less than three months before Biden leaves office, and with the race to succeed him considered a toss-up — casts uncertainty over the fate of the review. “Unfortunately, the timing of this ‘broad inquiry’, which was announced 12 days before a national election, suggests political motivations,” trade group Airlines for America said in a statement. Four airlines dominate the U.S. airline industry — United, Delta, American and Southwest. They are the product of mergers that eliminated several major airlines. The airline industry says that there is plenty of competition, however. The industry points to Transportation Department data that shows average U.S. airfares have generally declined for many years, although that has been partly offset by higher fees for baggage, premium seats and other items. “Survey after survey shows that airline customer satisfaction is at an all-time,” Airlines for America said. “Air travel is at an all-time high.” In the second quarter of this year, the average ticket was $382, according to the government figures. That is down from $404 in the same quarter of last year and $438 in the same period of 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic. The departments said they would they also look into the way air travel is priced and sold, and airline frequent-flyer programs. The agencies said they would take public comments until Dec. 23. (AP)
Mossad Director David Barnea is traveling to Doha for discussions with CIA Director Bill Burns and the Qatari PM. The meetings will explore potential strategies to resume negotiations for the release of hostages held by Hamas.
A minister’s office has informed The Times of Israel that the security cabinet is set to convene at 7 p.m. in the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv. This marks the first meeting of the forum following Israel’s early morning strike on Iran yesterday.
In a rare move, the Pentagon strongly pushed back Thursday against misinformation spread on social media that falsely suggests U.S. troops have been authorized to use force against American citizens during the election. The misinformation — spread online by former Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn and former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., among others — suggests that a Defense Department policy revision released in late September was timed to interfere with the Nov. 5 presidential election. Use of force by federal troops on U.S. soil against U.S. civilians is against the law — except in cases of self-defense — and is outlined in the Posse Comitatus Act. Kennedy, who ended his presidential bid and backed Republican former President Donald Trump, tweeted the false narrative to his 4 million followers. It falsely claims that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, pushed through a Defense Department directive allowing lethal force against Americans who protest government policies. The revision in question is Department of Defense Directive 5240.01, and it does not allow troops to use force on U.S. citizens. The timing of its release was not related to the election, Pentagon spokeswoman Sue Gough said. “The policies concerning the use of force by DOD addressed in DoDD 5240.01 are not new, and do not authorize the DOD to use lethal force against U.S. citizens or people located inside the United States, contrary to rumors and rhetoric circulating on social media,” Gough said in a statement to The Associated Press. The Pentagon regularly updates its directives. This update was intended to align the language on use of force from other policies into 5240.01, which only applies to defense intelligence personnel. It describes what sort of support those personnel can provide to civilian law enforcement in situations where a confrontation or lethal use of force is likely. Defense intelligence personnel can provide intelligence, analysis, training, equipment and even weapons to civilian authorities. But they are still restricted from using force themselves in those situations. (AP)
