Yeshiva World News

US Home Sales Slowed Again In September, Falling To Weakest Annual Pace In Nearly 14 Years

Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes slowed in September to the weakest annual pace in nearly 14 years even as mortgage rates eased and the supply of properties on the market continued to climb. Existing home sales fell 1% last month, from August, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.84 million, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday. That marks the second straight monthly decline and the slowest annual sales pace since October 2010 when the housing market was still in a deep slump following the late-2000s real estate crash. Sales fell 3.5% compared with September last year. On a regional basis, sales fell in the Northeast, South and Midwest last month from a year earlier, but rose in the West. Overall, the latest home sales were short of the 3.9 million pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet. “The factors that would drive higher home sales —- such as mortgage rates meaningfully lower now compared to one year ago, inventory beginning to increase and, of course, jobs continuously being added to the economy —- and yet home sales are stuck at low levels,” said Lawrence Yun, the NAR’s chief economist. Despite the slower sales pace, home prices increased on an annual basis for the 15th consecutive month. The national median sales price rose 3% from a year earlier, to $404,500. While the rate of price growth has been slowing, the latest median sales price is 49% higher than it was five years ago, before the pandemic. By comparison, wages grew 25% in the same period, Yun noted. Years of soaring home prices have helped put homeownership out of reach of many Americans, making housing a key political issue for voters in next month’s election. The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump dating back to 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Existing home sales sank to a nearly 30-year low last year as the average rate on a 30-year mortgage surged to a 23-year high of nearly 8%, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac. Mortgage rates mostly eased since July in anticipation of last month’s move by the Federal Reserve to cut its main interest rate for the first time in more than four years and to signal further cuts through 2026. While the central bank doesn’t set mortgage rates, its policy pivot cleared a path for mortgage rates to generally go lower. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage fell to 6.08% four weeks ago — its lowest level in two years — but has edged higher since then, reaching 6.44% last week. “Falling mortgage rates in July and August were expected to bring more buyers into the market, but some home shoppers may be holding out for rates to fall further,” said Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist at Bright MLS. “Others may be taking a wait-and-see approach in the lead up to the presidential election.” Economists generally expect mortgage rates to remain near their current levels, at least this year. Fannie Mae projects the rate on a 30-year mortgage will average 6.2% in the October-December quarter and decline to an average of 5.7% in the same quarter next year. As sales have slowed, the inventory of homes for sale has kept ticking higher. There were 1.39 million unsold homes at the […]

Wild Interview on Jewish N’ Joyful: From Christian to Muslim to a Proud Jew

Exclusive Interview on Jewish n’ Joyful:  From Church to Mosque to Shul In this interview, Aryeh Fingerer sat down with Efraim Nachman a man who grew up as a devout Christian. In his teenage years, he took a dramatic turn by converting to Islam. After still not feeling fulfilled, he found the truth and discovered Judaism. Eventually, he converted, leaving behind everything. Today, he is a proud Jew inspiring others with his incredible adventures and stories. Watch on YouTubeWatch on Torah AnytimeListen on SpotifyListen on Apple PodcastsVisit our website parshaknowledge.comJoin the exclusive Jewish n’ Joyful group! Watch More!

Shin Bet Chief Pledges Accountability For October 7 Failures At Massacre Remembrance

At a solemn ceremony on Mount Herzl marking one year since the devastating October 7 Hamas attack, Shin Bet head Ronen Bar addressed the ongoing investigation into Israel’s security failures and committed to ensuring future protection for Israeli citizens. Bar acknowledged the agency’s shortcomings in preventing the attack, calling the incident “a failure in [Israel’s] most basic responsibility — protecting its citizens.” “We are in the middle of a deep, penetrating investigation that will leave no stone unturned,” Bar stated, emphasizing that the Shin Bet is actively analyzing and correcting its protocols to prevent similar failures. He noted that while the agency has already begun implementing changes, the ongoing probe is aimed at identifying the deeper issues that allowed the attack to occur without sufficient warning. “The attack did not harm our determination… it only increased it,” he said. Bar also pledged that the Shin Bet is tracking down every individual involved in the October 7 attack. “We are bringing to justice all those who carried out that horrible massacre, one by one, until we reach everyone,” he said, while also vowing that the agency’s efforts will continue “until the very last hostage returns home.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

HaGaon HaRav Hirsch Instructs All Bein HaZemanim Trips To Be Canceled

דם ישראל נשפך כמים… Following the recent terror attacks in Israel, the deaths of many IDF soldiers in combat, and the difficult security situation in general, HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, the Rosh Yeshiva of Slabodka has instructed that all Bein HaZemanin trips for yeshivah bochurim should be immediately canceled. The Rosh HaYeshivah said: “All the plan for Bein HaZemanim trips should be canceled and the bochurim should sit in the Batei Medrash and learn Torah as a zechus for Klal Yisrael, for the return of the hostages, and the quick recovery of the wounded.” HaRav Yosef Korlanksy, the Mashgiach in Yeshivas Beis Medrash Elyon, and one of the Rabbanim in the Ichud Bnei Yeshivos, announced in the name of HaRav Hirsch to cancel all tiyulim. Following the Rosh Yeshivah’s instructions, the Ichud immediately canceled all its Bein HaZemanim projects and trips for thousands of yeshivah bochurim despite incurring a loss of over a milltion shekels and months of work. The municipalities of Chareidi cities, such as Bnei Brak and Beitar Illit, also canceled their Bein HaZemanim plans and projects, incurring significant financial losses. Various reports say that HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau is considering canceling Bein HaZemanim altogether. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

“SHAME ON YOU!”: Netanyahu Confronted By Families Of Oct. 7 Victims At Memorial Ceremony [VIDEO]

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu encountered a tense moment during a memorial ceremony for civilian victims of the October 7 Hamas attack and ensuing conflict, as grieving family members interrupted his speech with vocal expressions of anger and sorrow. The interruption came as Netanyahu addressed the crowd, only to be met with cries of “Shame on you!” The prime minister briefly paused as event organizers moved to calm the gathering and escorted some of the upset family members from the venue. He resumed his speech shortly afterward, though the event remained charged with emotion. Sunday marked the second day of memorial ceremonies, but like the initial event held earlier this month, it was marred by controversy over the government’s handling of the October 7 attack and perceived inadequacies in securing the release of hostages taken by Hamas. The decision to organize this second memorial day initially sparked anger among bereaved families when reports suggested that speeches by family members directly affected by the October 7 tragedy would not be included. Amid a public outcry, the program was revised to include a representative from the bereaved families, allowing them a platform to share their voices. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

North Carolina Government Officials Calculate Hurricane Helene Damages At $53 Billion

The catastrophic flooding and destruction caused by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina likely caused at least a record $53 billion in damages and recovery needs, Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration said Wednesday. The state budget office generated the preliminary figure for direct or indirect damages and potential investments to prevent similar destruction in future storms. Cooper told reporters the state’s previous record for storm damage was $17 billion from Hurricane Florence, which struck eastern North Carolina in 2018. “It is no exaggeration to describe Helene as the deadliest and most damaging storm ever to hit North Carolina,” Cooper said while unveiling his request to the General Assembly for $3.9 billion to help pay for repairs and revitalization. He called it a “down payment on western North Carolina’s future.” North Carolina state officials have reported 96 deaths from Helene, which brought historic levels of rain and flooding to the mountains in late September. The storm and its aftermath caused 1,400 landslides and damaged over 160 water and sewer systems, at least 6,000 miles (9,650 kilometers) of roads, more than 1,000 bridges and culverts and an estimated 126,000 homes, the budget office said. Some 220,000 households are expected to apply for federal assistance. “This jaw-dropping damage figure reminds us that we are very much on the front end of this recovery effort,” the Democratic governor said. The report with Cooper’s spending request was released the day before the Republican-controlled legislature planned to meet for a one-day session to advance additional Helene recovery legislation. Lawmakers unanimously approved two weeks ago a $273 million package that also included language to provide flexibility to state agencies, displaced residents and officials running elections in 25 western counties. Thirty-nine of the state’s 100 counties are within the federally declared disaster area. State government coffers include several billon dollars that can be accessed for future recovery spending. Almost $4.5 billion is in the state’s savings reserve alone. Legislative leaders had not disclosed as of late Wednesday afternoon specifics about what they would attempt to pass Thursday. Lawmakers were still reviewing Cooper’s request that they received Tuesday, according to Lauren Horsch, a spokesperson for Senate leader Phil Berger. Any legislation is unlikely to be the full package presented by Cooper and State Budget Director Kristin Walker. After Thursday, legislators are expected to return to Raleigh on Nov. 19. The damage report projects $48.8 billion in direct or indirect damages, along with $4.8 billion of anticipated mitigation expenses. The budget office estimates the federal government will cover $13.6 billion, with private and other sources covering $6.3 billion. Most of the losses won’t ever be recovered, Walker said. The private-source share of expenses likely will be relatively low because so few homeowners and farmers in the disaster areas had flood or crop insurance. Close to 93% of homes with flood damage verified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency lacked flood insurance, the report said. Cooper’s request includes $475 million for a two-phase recovery program for businesses in the hardest-hit areas, with grants from $1,500 to $50,000 in the first phase and up to $75,000 in the second phase. Other highlights include $289 million in matching funds to access federal money to repair utilities and debris removal; $225 million for grants to farmers for uninsured losses; and $100 million for public school […]

British Killer Nurse Lucy Letby Loses Appeal Bid For Attempted Baby Murder Conviction

British killer nurse Lucy Letby lost her bid Thursday to challenge her conviction for the attempted murder of a baby girl in her care. Letby, 34, is serving multiple life sentences with no chance of release after being convicted of murdering seven babies and trying to murder seven others while working as a neonatal nurse at the Countess of Chester Hospital in northwestern England between June 2015 and June 2016. Her attorney argued that her retrial in July on a charge of attempting to kill an infant identified in court as Child K in February 2016 should not have gone ahead because it was overshadowed by “overwhelming and irremediable prejudice” from news coverage of her first trial in 2023. The retrial was held after Manchester Crown Court jurors failed to reach a verdict on the charge involving Child K. Letby, who testified that she never harmed a child, has continued to proclaim her innocence. She watched the hearing from a prison video link and showed no emotion when judges denied her petition to appeal. The court issued a similar decision in May in her effort to appeal her multiple earlier convictions. The ruling comes as an inquiry is underway to examine failures by the hospital to recognize why babies were dying in the neonatal unit and to stop Letby sooner. (AP)

Victim Identified In Truck Attack

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 Invest $5 Million To Try To Defeat Republican Ted Cruz In Texas Senate Race

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)

Thousands of Talmidim on the Bleachers: Ne’ilas Hachag Tish at “Ateret Shlomo”

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 Vows “Inevitable Response” To Israeli Retaliatory Attack That Severely Damaged Military Targets

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)

ONE SANE DEMOCRAT: NYC Mayor Adams Defends Trump From Harris’ ‘Fascist’ Claims, Urges To Stop Comparing Him To Hitler

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)

EPA Imposes Stricter Standards To Protect Children From Exposure To Lead Paint

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 […]

SHOCKING PETIRA: Rosh Yeshivas Chaim Berlin, Hagaon HaRav Shlomo Halioua ZT”L Niftar

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 Trudeau Vows To Lead His Liberal Party Into The Next Election

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)

Egypt Proposes 48-Hour Ceasefire for Hostage Exchange

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.

IDF Forces Kill Hamas Commander Who Killed Civilians Hiding In Shelters On October 7 At Kibbutz Re’im

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)

Federal Appeals Court Upholds New York’s Ban On Guns In “Sensitive Places”

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 […]

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