A federal judge on Thursday rejected Saudi Arabia’s bid to throw out a long-running lawsuit brought by families of 9/11 victims, clearing the way for the case to move toward trial. U.S. District Judge George Daniels found the plaintiffs had presented enough evidence to support their claims that Saudi Arabia played a role in assisting the hijackers who carried out the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil. The case, consolidated over years of litigation, alleges that Riyadh backed an extremist support network inside the United States that helped the hijackers navigate the country in the months leading up to the September 11, 2001 attacks. Saudi Arabia has repeatedly denied the accusations. In his opinion, Daniels said the kingdom’s “attempts to offer seemingly innocent explanations or context” for its alleged actions were “either self-contradictory or not strong enough to overcome the inference” that Saudi Arabia had employed Omar al-Bayoumi and Fahad al-Thumairy to assist the hijackers. Court filings describe Thumairy, then a Saudi diplomat in Los Angeles, as a designated contact for al Qaeda who worked closely with Bayoumi to establish a support system for the hijackers when they first arrived in California. Saudi Arabia has countered that Bayoumi was merely a devout student associated with a San Diego mosque, whose congregants offered the newcomers hospitality without knowing their intent. At a hearing last year, Saudi attorney Michael Kellogg argued that any aid provided by Bayoumi was “limited and wholly innocent,” citing his deposition, FBI interviews and the 9/11 Commission report. The plaintiffs’ legal team — including co-lead attorneys Jodi Westbrook Flowers and Donald Migliori of Motley Rice LLC — hailed the decision as a milestone. “Today’s landmark decision in the September 11, 2001 case marks an important day for justice,” they said in a statement. “The court concluded ‘the total evidence creates a high probability as to Bayoumi and Thumairy’s roles in the hijacker’s plans, and the related role of their employer [Saudi Arabia]’ and noted that a public trial will determine the rest.” Terry Strada, chair of 9/11 Families United, called it “another powerful step toward justice,” vowing to present “the full scope of evidence in court, so that the truth is undeniable and justice is finally delivered.” Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals. While Riyadh has consistently denied any government involvement and U.S. administrations have long maintained al Qaeda acted independently, suspicions of Saudi complicity have lingered for two decades. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
President Donald Trump has told House Speaker Mike Johnson that he won’t be spending $4.9 billion in congressionally approved foreign aid, effectively cutting the budget without going through the legislative branch. Trump, who sent a letter to Johnson, R-La., on Thursday, is using what’s known as a pocket rescission — when a president submits a request to Congress to not spend approved funds toward the end of the fiscal year, so that Congress cannot act on the request in the 45-day timeframe and the money goes unspent as a result. It’s the first time in nearly 50 years a president has used one. The fiscal year draws to a close at the end of September. The letter was posted Friday morning on the X account of the White House Office of Management and Budget. It said the funding would be cut from the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, an early target of Trump’s efforts to cut foreign aid. The last pocket rescission was in 1977 by then-President Jimmy Carter, and the Trump administration argues that it’s a legally permissible tool. But such a move, if standardized by the White House, could effectively bypass Congress on key spending choices and potentially wrest some control over spending from the House and the Senate. The 1974 Impoundment Control Act gives the president the authority to propose canceling funds approved by Congress. Congress can vote on pulling back the funds or sustaining them, but by proposing the rescission so close to Sept. 30 the White House ensures that the money won’t be spent and the funding lapses. Trump had previously sought to get congressional backing for rescissions and succeeded in doing so in July when the House and the Senate approved $9 billion worth of cuts. Those rescissions clawed back funding for public broadcasting and foreign aid. The Trump administration has made deep reductions to foreign aid one of its hallmark policies, despite the relatively meager savings relative to the deficit and possible damage to America’s reputation abroad as foreign populations lose access to food supplies and development programs. In February, the administration said it would eliminate almost all of USAID’s foreign aid contracts and $60 billion in overall assistance abroad. USAID has since been dismantled, and its few remaining programs have been placed under State Department control. The Trump administration on Wednesday appealed to the Supreme Court to stop lower court decisions that have preserved foreign aid, including for global health and HIV and AIDS programs, that Trump has tried to freeze. (AP)
Vice President JD Vance insisted Tuesday that President Donald Trump, the oldest man ever sworn in for a first or second presidential term, remains vigorous and fully capable of carrying out his duties — but acknowledged that he has been preparing himself to step in if necessary. “I’ve gotten a lot of good on-the-job training over the last 200 days,” Vance told USA TODAY in an interview. Asked if he was ready to assume the presidency in the event of a crisis, the 39-year-old vice president replied, “If, God forbid, there’s a terrible tragedy, I can’t think of better on-the-job training than what I’ve gotten.” Trump, now 78, has faced renewed questions about his health since the White House disclosed in July that he had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a circulatory condition that can cause leg swelling. White House physician Sean Barbabella called the condition “benign and common” and attributed visible swelling to “minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking.” Democrats — and even some Republicans — have seized on Trump’s age. During the GOP primary, Nikki Haley’s campaign aired an ad titled “Grumpy Old Men” portraying both Trump and Joe Biden as stumbling seniors. Vance, however, dismissed the doubts. “The president is in incredibly good health. He’s got incredible energy,” he said. “He’s the last person making phone calls at night, and he’s the first person making phone calls in the morning.” Trump’s longevity has become a matter of national security after two assassination attempts during the 2024 campaign. In July, he was shot in the ear at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, surviving what could have been a fatal attack. Weeks later, Secret Service agents foiled another attempt when a man with a rifle was spotted in shrubbery near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. “Yes, terrible tragedies happen,” Vance said. “But I feel very confident the president of the United States is in good shape, is going to serve out the remainder of his term and do great things for the American people.” Vance downplayed speculation about his own ambitions, joking about the Oval Office drapes being “dark and gloomy” during his first visit but insisting he is not “measuring them for a future turn” behind the Resolute Desk. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Israeli airstrikes in Yemen on Thursday reportedly killed the prime minister of the Iran-backed Houthi movement, in what would mark Israel’s highest-level strike yet against the Iran-backed terror group that has waged a campaign of missile and drone attacks on Israel and international shipping. Yemen’s Al-Jumhuriya channel and the Aden Al-Ghad newspaper reported that Ahmed al-Rahawi, the Houthis’ prime minister, was killed in an Israeli attack on an apartment in Sanaa. Several of his aides were also said to have been killed. Israel has not confirmed the strike. The reported killing appeared to be separate from another Israeli strike Thursday that targeted what intelligence sources described as a gathering of 10 senior Houthi ministers outside the capital, where they had assembled to hear a speech by group leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi. Israeli media suggested the operation may have succeeded in eliminating much of the Houthis’ top political and military leadership, though results remain unverified. Among those said to be in the crosshairs were Defense Minister Muhammad Nasser al-Attafi, the Houthis’ top military figure since 2016 with close ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah, and Chief of Staff Muhammad al-Ghamari, who survived a previous Israeli strike in June. According to reports, Israeli intelligence supplied real-time tracking of the officials’ movements, enabling the coordinated assault. The Houthis denied the claims, saying Israel was striking “civilian targets and the Yemeni people because of their positions supporting Gaza.” Earlier Israeli airstrikes largely focused on Houthi infrastructure, but Thursday’s bombing raids suggest an escalation toward decapitating the group’s leadership. An Israeli official told Channel 12 the military had been prepared to act earlier in the week but delayed until conditions aligned Thursday. Since March 18, when Israel resumed major operations in Gaza, the Houthis have fired 72 ballistic missiles and at least 23 drones toward Israel, according to official figures. A July missile strike killed one civilian and wounded several others in Tel Aviv, triggering Israel’s first major bombardment of Yemeni targets. Thursday’s operation marked Israel’s 16th strike in Yemen since November 2023, when the Houthis first began launching attacks in solidarity with Hamas. The group’s slogan openly calls for “Death to America, Death to Israel, [and] a Curse on the Jews.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Israeli forces have recovered the body of slain hostage Ilan Weiss during a joint IDF and Shin Bet operation in the Gaza Strip. Weiss, 56, was killed on October 7 while defending Kibbutz Be’eri as part of its civilian emergency squad. His body was located alongside the remains of another hostage whose identity has not yet been made public. The second set of remains is undergoing identification at the Abu Kabir National Institute of Forensic Medicine. Weiss’s wife Shiri and daughter Noga were also taken captive during the Hamas-led assault and later freed as part of a November 2023 truce and hostage-release deal. According to the IDF, the recovery mission was carried out under the Southern Command, using intelligence from the Military Intelligence Directorate, the Shin Bet, and the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. The army described the operation as “complex,” citing coordination across multiple branches. Prime Minister Netanyahu issued condolences to the families and praised the security forces for their “determination and courage,” vowing that Israel “will not rest until all hostages are returned — the living and the dead.” As of now, Israeli officials estimate that 48 hostages remain in Gaza, including 20 believed to be alive. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
A 71-year-old man has been charged after a woman in her 70s was brutally stabbed inside a kosher grocery store in Ottawa on Wednesday afternoon, in an attack now under review by the Hate and Bias Crime Unit. Police said the assault unfolded just after 1:30 p.m. at the Loblaws supermarket that houses the city’s main kosher section. The victim, who had entered the store with a friend, was suddenly approached and stabbed by the suspect, leaving her with serious injuries. Store staff rushed to her aid until paramedics arrived. She was transported to the hospital, treated, and later released. Authorities confirmed the suspect and the victim were strangers. “The suspect was taken into custody at the scene,” Ottawa police said in a statement. “Detectives continue to investigate the matter to ensure all aspects of the case are understood, and additional charges are expected.” The attack has rattled Ottawa’s Jewish community. In a statement on Facebook, the Jewish Federation of Ottawa described the victim as a “cherished” community member and confirmed she is recovering, though they withheld further details to protect her privacy. The Federation said the incident took place in the kosher section of the Loblaws on Isabella Street, a hub for Jewish residents seeking kosher products. While police have not released a motive, the Hate and Bias Crime Unit is assisting the investigation. The incident comes amid a rise in antisemitic incidents reported across Canada, leaving Jewish leaders urging vigilance. The accused, whose name has not been released, remains in custody as police build their case. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has opened a sweeping investigation into alleged manipulation of Wikipedia, citing mounting evidence that coordinated groups—including hostile foreign actors and U.S.-based operatives—have used the world’s largest online encyclopedia to shape public opinion on politically sensitive issues. Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chairman of the committee, and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), chair of its Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology and Government Innovation, announced the probe Wednesday. In a letter to Maryana Iskander, CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation, lawmakers demanded documents and internal records on efforts by editors accused of violating platform rules, as well as the foundation’s response to organized disinformation campaigns. The inquiry follows reports that Wikipedia entries have been systematically targeted to advance antisemitic, anti-Israel, and pro-Kremlin narratives. A recent Anti-Defamation League study found that at least 30 Wikipedia editors had coordinated to insert anti-Israel bias and antisemitic language into articles on the platform. Separately, an Atlantic Council report flagged evidence of “hostile nation-state actors” using Wikipedia and related platforms to amplify pro-Russian and anti-Western propaganda. “Multiple studies and reports have highlighted efforts to manipulate information on the Wikipedia platform for propaganda aimed at Western audiences,” Comer and Mace wrote. Larry Sanger, co-founder of Wikipedia and a longtime critic of the project, welcomed the congressional scrutiny. “I am glad that Congress is investigating the use of foreign and U.S. government funds to pay for biased editing on Wikipedia,” Sanger told JNS. He revealed that in February he urged President Donald Trump and entrepreneur Elon Musk, who heads the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, to enact rules prohibiting federal workers from editing Wikipedia on government time and blocking taxpayer dollars from being used for online edits. Sanger further argued that the Wikimedia Foundation effectively acts as a “publisher” rather than a neutral platform, making broad editorial decisions on what sources are deemed reliable while shielding the identities of its most influential editors. “The Wikimedia Foundation could address the situation but does not,” he said, adding that former leaders of the foundation have admitted to coordinating with government agencies on “disinformation.” The Anti-Defamation League praised the launch of the congressional inquiry. “As our research showed earlier this year, antisemitism and anti-Israel bias on Wikipedia are a significant problem,” the ADL said in a statement. “We welcome the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform opening an investigation into this issue and thank Rep. Comer for his leadership efforts to address this hate.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
A missing 12-year-old boy with autism, whose body was discovered in a New Orleans canal following a nearly two-week-long search, died from “blunt force due to an alligator” and drowning, police said Wednesday. Bryan Vasquez was first reported missing on the morning of Aug. 14, after he reportedly escaped through a bedroom window in the East side of the city, the New Orleans Police Department said. The nonverbal boy was seen on doorbell camera footage, wearing only a diaper and walking down the street alone, around 5:20 a.m. that morning. His body was found on Tuesday, located by a drone. The boy’s mother, Hilda Vasquez, had told The New Orleans Advocate/The Times-Picayune that her son would often sneak away from their home to head to a playground nearby. However, they’d recently moved to a new house. Bryan’s disappearance prompted a massive search that included multiple agencies, volunteers, airboats and bloodhounds. As local and state crews combed the area, criticism mounted over the New Orleans Police Department’s delayed response. Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said that there was a nearly five-hour gap between when the boy was reported missing and an officer arriving at the scene. Kirkpatrick said the police department has launched an internal investigation into the lapse. A coroner’s autopsy determined that Bryan drowned after he sustained trauma from an alligator, Kirkpatrick said at a news conference on Wednesday. The boy was found about 200 yards (183 meters) from where the search had started. Kirkpatrick said it is possible his body resurfaced after he died, which is common in drowning deaths. “Bryan was a bright, charismatic, and energetic young boy whose joy and spirit touched the lives of his family, friends and community,” city officials said in a press release. Kirkpatrick said she has asked the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to remove “nuisance” alligators from the area where Bryan was found. According to the wildlife agency, hunters capture and remove more than 1,000 nuisance alligators every year in an effort to minimize encounters between the alligators and humans. Louisiana is home to the largest alligator population in the country. (AP)
The nation’s top public health agency was left reeling Thursday as the White House worked to expel the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director and replace her with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ‘s current deputy. The turmoil triggered rare bipartisan alarm as Kennedy tries to advance anti-vaccine policies that are contradicted by decades of scientific research. Two administration officials said Jim O’Neill, the second-in-command at the Department of Health and Human Services, would supplant Susan Monarez, a longtime government scientist. O’Neill, a former investment executive who also served at the federal health department under President George W. Bush, does not have a medical background. The officials, who confirmed the change, requested anonymity to discuss personnel decisions before a public announcement. A flashpoint is expected in the coming weeks as a key advisory committee, which Kennedy has reshaped with vaccine skeptics, is expected to issue new recommendations on immunizations. The panel is scheduled to review standard childhood shots for measles, hepatitis and other diseases. Two Republican senators called for congressional oversight and some Democrats said Kennedy should be fired. He is scheduled to testify on Capitol Hill on Sept. 4. No explanation given for CDC director’s ouster Kennedy has not explained the decision to oust Monarez less than a month after she was sworn in, but he warned that more turnover may be ahead. “There’s a lot of trouble at the CDC and it’s going to require getting rid of some people over the long term, in order for us to change the institutional culture,” Kennedy said at a news conference in Texas. The White House has only said that Monarez was “not aligned with” President Donald Trump’s agenda. Monarez’s lawyers said she refused “to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts.” She is fighting her dismissal, saying the decision must come directly from Trump, who nominated her in March. The president has not said anything publicly about the matter. It’s unclear if O’Neill, who was just sworn in as HHS’ deputy secretary, will remain in both roles as acting CDC director. Monarez tried to block political interference, departing CDC officials say The saga began Wednesday night with the administration’s announcement that Monarez would no longer lead the CDC. In response, three officials — Dr. Debra Houry, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis and Dr. Daniel Jernigan — resigned from senior roles at the agency. The officials returned to the office Thursday to collect their belongings, and hundreds of supporters gathered to applaud them as they left the Atlanta campus. There were bouquets of flowers, cheers and chants of “USA not RFK.” Daskalakis, who resigned as head of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said, “I fear that children will be hurt by poor decision making around vaccines.” “You cannot dismantle public health and expect it to still work,” he said. Jernigan stepped down as director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases and Houry quit her post as the agency’s deputy director and chief medical officer. Houry told The Associated Press that Monarez had tried to guard against political meddling in scientific research and health recommendations. “We were going to see if she was able to weather the storm. And when she was not, we were done,” Houry said. Dr. Richard Besser, a former CDC acting director, said Monarez told him that she had refused […]
Former Major League Baseball star Mark Teixeira announced Thursday that he’s running for the Republican nomination for a House seat in Texas. The former slugger for the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees said he’s running for the 21st District seat currently held by Republican Rep. Chip Roy. Roy has said he’s not seeking reelection and is running for Texas attorney general. “As a proud Texan and lifelong conservative who loves our country, I’m ready to fight for the principles that make Texas strong and America exceptional,” Teixeira said in a statement posted on X. “It takes teamwork to win, and I’m ready to help defend President Trump’s America First agenda, Texas families and individual liberty.” Teixeira began his career with the Rangers, and was the 5th overall pick in the 2001 MLB draft. His 14-season career included three All-Star Game appearances, five Gold Gloves, three Silver Sluggers and a World Series title with the Yankees in 2009. Teixeira and his family moved back to Texas in 2021 after he retired from baseball. In his announcement, Teixeira pledged to work with Trump to secure the border and end “radical woke indoctrination.” The district’s GOP primary already has another contender — Daniel Betts, who ran unsuccessfully for Travis County district attorney last year, has filed paperwork to run. The 21st Congressional District covers a deeply conservative area west of both Austin and San Antonio. Teixeira announced his bid days after Republicans in the state Legislature approved a redistricting map meant to favor the GOP in the 2026 election. (AP)
Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is urging Democrats to take a page from mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s playbook, arguing that the socialist’s focus on affordability and cost-of-living issues could be the key to electoral success across the country. In an interview Tuesday on Fox News’s Hannity, de Blasio praised Mamdani’s communication style, saying his straight talk about the struggles of working families propelled him to a decisive primary win. “If Democrats talked the way Zohran Mamdani does about everyday affordability and the cost of living … Democrats would be winning all over the country,” de Blasio said. Host Sean Hannity challenged de Blasio, highlighting Mamdani’s past statements and policy stances that skew further left than the average voter. But de Blasio pushed back, arguing Mamdani’s appeal transcended ideology. “The people in New York City … conservative ones, liberal ones, everyone in between — they voted overwhelmingly for him because they believed he was actually speaking to their reality,” de Blasio said. He singled out Mamdani’s push for free city buses as an example of a policy voters can immediately connect to. “That’s like a kitchen table issue,” de Blasio said. Mamdani currently leads the general election by a commanding margin. A Siena College poll released earlier this month showed him at 44%, nearly 20 points ahead of former Governor Andrew Cuomo at 25%. Republican Curtis Sliwa trailed with 12%, and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, running as an independent after skipping the Democratic primary, polled at just 7%. Despite Cuomo’s loss in the Democratic primary and Adams’s decision not to run under the party’s banner, both remain registered Democrats as they mount independent campaigns. For de Blasio, Mamdani’s success proves that progressive populism framed around affordability resonates broadly — even in a city with a diverse Democratic base. “New York City is not affordable enough,” de Blasio said. “Here’s a guy who said, ‘I’m going to do something about it.’ And people listened.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
President Donald Trump has fired one of two Democratic members of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board to break a 2-2 tie before the body considers the largest railroad merger ever proposed. Board member Robert E. Primus said on LinkedIn that he received an email from the White House Wednesday night terminating the position he has held since he was appointed by Trump in his first term. The vacancy would allow Trump to appoint two additional Republicans to the board before its decision on the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger though the Senate would have to confirm them. Primus was the only board member to oppose Canadian Pacific’s acquisition of Kansas City Southern railroad when it was approved two years ago because he was concerned it would hurt competition. He was named Board chairman last year by former President Joe Biden and led the board until Trump, after his election, elevated Board member Patrick Fuchs to Chairman. This follows Trump’s previous firings of board members at the National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Reserve, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which are all supposed to be independent agencies. “Robert Primus did not align with the President’s America First agenda, and was terminated from his position by the White House,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said. “The administration intends to nominate new, more qualified members to the Surface Transportation Board in short order.” Primus said he doesn’t think the firing is valid because the White House didn’t offer any cause for it, and he plans to fight. He also rejected their explanation for the move because he has long tried to encourage railroads to serve every industry better and help them grow, but he has already been removed from the STB website. “I’ve been pro growth across the board in terms of encouraging growth in the freight rail network, which in turn will grow our national economy. So if that’s not being in line with America first, then I don’t know what America he’s saying is first,” Primus said to The Associated Press. He said the firings at all these agencies threaten their independence and credibility. Primus said in his tenure the STB always strove to be impartial and apolitical. The nation’s largest railroad union that represents conductors, SMART-TD, quickly condemned the firing. “The explanation provided for this decision — that his position has been “eliminated” — is nothing short of outrageous. Appointed bodies established through federal code are not designed to be erased at the whim of powerful corporate interests,” the union said. “This action is unprecedented, unlawful in spirit, and reeks of direct interference from hedge funds and the nation’s largest rail carriers.” The board is set to consider Union Pacific’s $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern in the next two years before deciding whether to approve the nation’s first transcontinental railroad and reduce the number of major freight railroads in the U.S. to five. Primus said the biggest problems in the industry are the lack of growth and poor service after all the deep cuts railroads have made over the last decade in the interest of efficiency and improving profitability. He hasn’t taken a position on the UP-NS deal, but he doesn’t think mergers will necessarily improve competition. “We don’t need to merge to increase competition. We need to […]
The Israeli Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition that sought to cancel enlistment orders sent to approximately 5,500 yeshiva bochurim. The petition had been filed by the organization Emes LeYaakov, which argued that the draft notices were issued through an improper process, relying on information allegedly obtained unlawfully from the National Insurance Institute. The group maintained that the procedure was both illegal and discriminatory, and it requested that the original enlistment orders be annulled and reissued through proper channels. The justices rejected the claims, noting that the IDF has since altered its policy and no longer uses data from the National Insurance Institute when issuing draft notices. Instead, the army is now sending enlistment orders to approximately 54,000 candidates for military service without relying on outside data. Because of this change in procedure, the Court ruled that the petition was no longer relevant and ordered it dismissed. A hearing that had been scheduled for September 11 was canceled. Each side was ordered to bear its own legal expenses. Despite the ruling, Emes LeYaakov voiced concern over the fate of the thousands of yeshiva bochurim who already received enlistment orders under the earlier system. According to the organization, many of those bochurim are now classified as “draft evaders,” exposing them to potential arrest or penalties from military police. The petitioners emphasized that if the court had canceled the original orders, those affected would have received a temporary reprieve—shielding them from being labeled as evaders for several months, even if new orders were issued right away. Emes LeYaakov said they will continue pursuing the matter through additional petitions in the near future, seeking to protect the rights of bnei yeshiva facing the draft issue. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) has announced the discovery of a massive dam dating back nearly 2,800 years, to the days of Malchei Yehudah. The dam, unearthed just outside the Old City walls in Ir Dovid, is believed to have been built during the reign of King Yoash or King Amatziah. Standing some 40 feet tall, over 25 feet wide, and stretching nearly 70 feet long, the monumental structure was excavated over the last two years. Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science, working with the IAA, used advanced carbon-dating methods to confirm its age. The dam was designed to hold back and raise the level of water flowing from the Gichon Spring and the valley runoff leading to Nachal Kidron. Experts say it served a dual role: preventing dangerous flooding while also channeling water to sustain the growing city. According to the IAA, this structure was central to the building of the Shiloach Pool described in Tanach. “This is one of the most impressive and significant remains from the period of the First Beis Hamikdash to be found in Yerushalayim,” said Eli Eskusido, director of the IAA. “Its preservation is extraordinary, and it allows us to better understand the wisdom and sophistication of Yerushalayim in that era.” The discovery joins two other water systems from the same period in Ir Dovid, underscoring the advanced urban planning of the time. The findings will be presented publicly at the annual City of David Conference in Yerushalayim. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Several dozen Jewish activists rallied outside the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) headquarters in lower Manhattan, accusing the city’s most powerful teachers union of ignoring antisemitism in public schools and abandoning Jewish educators, parents, and students. Protesters, some of them UFT members themselves, carried signs reading “UFT leadership: Failing Jewish students. Failing New York” and “Educate against hate,” while chanting “Enough is enough.” A number of participants wore official union shirts but scrawled on the back: “UFT doesn’t represent me.” The demonstrators accused UFT leadership of a “pattern of silence and inaction” on antisemitic incidents, pointing to the union’s political endorsements — including that of Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani — as emblematic of the union’s betrayal. Karen Feldman, a co-founder of the New York City Public School Alliance, said she had been a dues-paying union member for 26 years before leaving over growing antisemitism in the school system. Organizers called on the UFT to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, ban classroom content that demonizes Jews, Zionism, or Israel, provide mandatory antisemitism training to members, withdraw endorsements of politicians who use or condone antisemitic slogans such as “Globalize the intifada,” and conduct a full audit of union materials for antisemitism. The demonstration was organized by a coalition of groups fighting antisemitism in schools and on campuses, including the New York City Public School Alliance, the Lawfare Project, EndJewHatred, Parents Against Antisemitism, and SAFE Campus for Equality. The UFT has not yet issued a response to the protesters’ demands. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
VP: “If you are a politician & two beautiful babies just got murdered while praying, & your politics force you to condemn prayer in response to it, you ought to get new politics because something very wrong has gone on inside your soul.”
WATCH: Father of 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel, killed in Minneapolis school shooting, gives statement. “Please remember Fletcher for person he was, not act that ended his life…Give your kids an extra hug & kiss today. We love you, Fletcher. You’ll always be with us.”
Bicur Joilim (Bikur Cholim), the oldest shul in Santiago, Chile, was vandalized on Friday while mispallelim were still inside, as three masked vandals spray-painted anti-Israel graffiti, splashed red paint, and hung posters depicting Netanyahu with a bullet hole in his head and messages accusing Jews of complicity in “genocide.” The Jewish community noted this was the fourth such attack on the shul since the October 7 massacre.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Joe Thompson: “The shooter expressed hate toward black people.” “The shooter expressed hate toward Mexican people.” “The shooter expressed hate toward Christian people.” “The shooter expressed hate toward Jewish people.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey calls for a ban on “assault weapons.” “There is no reason that someone should be able to reel off 30 shots before they even have to reload.”
