This morning, Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein and NYPD Deputy Chief Richie Taylor arranged a memorable tour for members of Harmony Services, Inc., an adult care program serving individuals with special needs. The visit took place at the NYPD Highway Patrol headquarters on Flatbush Avenue. NYPD Chaplain David Heskiel also joined the group for the special event. Participants enjoyed an engaging and hands-on experience, exploring the Highway Patrol’s impressive fleet of motorcycles and vehicles, learning about the responsibilities of patrol officers, and asking thoughtful questions about highway safety and enforcement. The tour was inspired by a recent visit to Assemblyman Eichenstein’s office, during which members of the Harmony Services community expressed interest in learning more about the work of local police. The Assemblyman reached out to Deputy Chief Taylor, who graciously coordinated the visit. “We were thrilled to visit the NYPD Highway Patrol 2 headquarters with the wonderful individuals from Harmony Services,” said Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein. “Their curiosity and enthusiasm were inspiring, and the gracious patrol officers patiently discussed their work and answered questions. I’m especially grateful to Deputy Chief Taylor for making this meaningful experience possible. It’s a visit that will be remembered for a long time to come.”
Two Washington, D.C.-area statues commemorating the Confederacy will be restored and replaced, in line with President Donald Trump’s pushback on recent efforts to reframe America’s historical narrative. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday that a statue commemorating the Confederacy would be returned to Arlington National Cemetery. The statue, which Hegseth referred to as “The Reconciliation Monument,” was removed in 2023. The National Park Service announced Monday that the statue of Albert Pike, a Confederate brigadier general and a revered figure among Freemasons, would resume its previous position in Washington’s Judiciary Square, a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol. It was the only outdoor statue of a Confederate military leader in the nation’s capital. The statue was pulled down with ropes and chains on Juneteenth in 2020 as part of mass protests following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. Confederate statues around the country were toppled by similar protests while several military bases named for Confederate leaders were renamed. The Pike statue restoration, which is targeted for October, “aligns with federal responsibilities under historic preservation law as well as recent executive orders to beautify the nation’s capital and reinstate pre-existing statues,” the park service said in a statement. Arlington’s Confederate Memorial On social media Tuesday, Hegseth said the Arlington statue “never should have been taken down by woke lemmings. Unlike the Left, we don’t believe in erasing American history — we honor it.” In 2022, an independent commission recommended that the memorial be taken down, as part of its final report to Congress on renaming of military bases and assets that commemorate the Confederacy. The statue, unveiled in 1914, features a bronze woman, crowned with olive leaves, standing on a 32-foot pedestal, and was designed to represent the American South. Some of the figures also on the statue include a Black woman depicted as “Mammy” holding what is said to be the child of a white officer, and an enslaved man following his owner to war. Restoration is part of a larger narrative In March, Trump issued an executive order entitled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” It decried post-Floyd efforts to reinterpret American history, stating, “rather than fostering unity and a deeper understanding of our shared past, the widespread effort to rewrite history deepens societal divides and fosters a sense of national shame.” The order targeted the Smithsonian network of museums as having “come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology.” It also instructed the Interior Department to restore any statue or display that was “removed or changed to perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history, inappropriately minimize the value of certain historical events or figures, or include any other improper partisan ideology.” Pike, who died in 1891, is more known for his decades-long stint as a senior leader of the Freemasons than for his Confederate military career. The Masons lobbied Congress for the right to erect the statue on NPS land in 1901 — provided that he be depicted in civilian, not military, garb. But Pike did lead a regiment for the Confederacy during the Civil War. And as the only outdoor statue of a Confederate leader in Washington, D.C., it had been a source of controversy for decades. Even the brief Park Service page on the statue notes that it has “stirred opposition since it was first planned.” A long […]
Jews were once again the most targeted religious group in America in 2024, according to newly released FBI data that paints a grim picture of surging antisemitism across the country. The FBI’s 2024 Hate Crime Report, published Tuesday, documented 1,938 anti-Jewish hate crime incidents affecting 2,237 victims — a staggering 69% of all religion-based hate crimes recorded nationwide. The number marks a 2% increase from 2023, when Jews were the victims in 1,832 incidents, or 67% of the total. The breakdown is chilling: 67 cases of aggravated assault, 111 simple assaults, 672 incidents of intimidation, 1,130 acts of property destruction or damage, eight arsons, and a dozen other crimes categorized as offenses against society. In most cases, the perpetrators were white. By comparison, anti-Muslim hate crimes — the second highest among religiously motivated offenses — totaled just 228. Other religious groups barely registered in the data, underscoring the uniquely targeted nature of antisemitism in the United States. The numbers go beyond religious hate. Anti-Jewish crimes were the second most common hate crime motivation across all categories, trailing only anti-Black hate crimes, which accounted for 26% of total hate crime incidents. Anti-Jewish hate crimes made up 18% of the total. Geographically, California topped the list for total hate crimes, followed by New Jersey and New York. The data comes amid growing concern that antisemitism is no longer confined to the fringes, but is seeping into mainstream discourse, university campuses, and city streets with increasing brazenness. Law enforcement and Jewish advocacy groups have warned for months that the climate for Jews in America is deteriorating, and the FBI’s report adds weight to those warnings. Despite heightened public awareness, the trend remains persistent: American Jews, who make up just 2% of the population, are the targets in nearly seven out of ten religiously motivated hate crimes. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The Iranian regime has indicted Hassan Younesi — son of former Intelligence Minister Ali Younesi — on charges of supporting Israel, according to a report Tuesday by opposition outlet Iran International. Younesi revealed the indictment on the social media platform X, saying that the accusations stem from pro-Israel posts he had shared online. Tehran’s public prosecutor further charged him with “spreading lies” and “propaganda against the regime.” The younger Younesi’s prosecution signals Tehran’s increasingly aggressive effort to silence perceived dissent following its 12-day war with Israel, which concluded in June. Human rights organizations say Iranian authorities have since arrested hundreds of civilians and executed dozens in a sweeping campaign of intimidation aimed at stamping out public discontent and rooting out alleged collaborators with the Jewish state. Ali Younesi, Hassan’s father, served as intelligence minister under President Mohammad Khatami between 1997 and 2005, and later as a senior adviser to President Hassan Rouhani. A longtime insider turned outspoken critic, Ali Younesi previously warned of the deep penetration of Israel’s Mossad within Iranian institutions, and warned that “every member of the regime should fear for their lives.” Those comments now appear chillingly prescient. The indictment of his son underscores how far the regime is willing to go in its efforts to project strength after the conflict with Israel exposed glaring weaknesses in Iran’s intelligence and military capabilities. Rights groups have sounded the alarm over the regime’s recent actions, warning that the indictments, arrests, and executions are part of a broader campaign to consolidate power and suppress any sign of dissent — particularly any perceived sympathy with Israel. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
A woman widely believed to be Russian President Vladimir Putin’s secret daughter has publicly condemned the man many suspect is her father, accusing him of destroying her life and taking “millions of lives” in a cryptic but unmistakably pointed message. Elizaveta Krivonogikh, 22, a Russian art school graduate living in Paris, posted the remarks on her private Telegram channel, amid her growing openness online after years of retreat. The comments mark her most overt criticism to date of the Kremlin leader at a time when Russia remains mired in a costly and brutal war in Ukraine. “It’s liberating to be able to show my face to the world again,” Krivonogikh wrote. “It reminds me of who I am and who destroyed my life.” Though she didn’t name Putin directly, the subtext was clear — especially given her long-rumored lineage and her use of the name Luiza Rozova, a pseudonym tied to years of speculation about her being Putin’s youngest daughter. Born in 2003, Krivonogikh is reportedly the child of a secret relationship between Putin and Svetlana Krivonogikh, a former housekeeper who became part of the Russian president’s inner circle. While Putin’s name does not appear on Elizaveta’s birth certificate, her patronymic “Vladimirovna” — literally, “daughter of Vladimir” — has fueled persistent rumors. The allegations were first brought to light in 2020 by Russian investigative outlet Proekt, which noted the “phenomenal resemblance” between Putin and the then-teenage Krivonogikh. Soon after, jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny spotlighted her lavish lifestyle on Instagram — replete with yachts, luxury fashion, and elite parties — as further evidence of her privileged ties to the Kremlin. But the war in Ukraine marked a turning point. Krivonogikh went dark on social media following the 2021 invasion, retreating from public life as anti-Russian sentiment surged. Her once-glamorous Instagram was deleted, and she avoided showing her face online for over a year. Far from flaunting wealth, she now works in a Parisian art gallery known for anti-war exhibits and has taken on a second alias, Elizaveta Rudnova — a reference to Oleg Rudnov, a deceased Putin confidant and media baron, in what some observers see as a sardonic jab at her own lineage. She has also used her platform to disavow the excesses of her upbringing and express shame over Russia’s military campaign. “Am I really responsible for the activities of my family, who can’t even hear me?” she wrote in a recent post, defending her presence in anti-war circles despite lingering skepticism from some Ukrainians and exiled Russian dissidents. In addition to Krivonogikh, Putin is rumored to have fathered at least two sons — now 10 and 6 — with former Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva, though the Kremlin has never acknowledged the children. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
COGAT (Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories) published a video of a Gazan market bursting with food amid Hamas’s campaign of lies about Israel’s “intentional starvation of Gazans.” “Bitter truth: Hamas is starving its own people,” COGAT stated. “They steal the food, hoard the aid, and sell it at sky-high prices.” “The food is there. The aid is there. Hamas just keeps it from those who need it most.” Numerous additional videos of bustling food markets and restaurants can easily be found online. Ironically, according to recent data published by the UN, which constantly blames Israel for “starving” Gazans, almost all UN humanitarian aid trucks that entered Israel in the past several months have been commandeered by Hamas. It should be noted that this is the first instance in history that a country is providing aid to its enemy during a war. Additionally, implementing a siege against an enemy is a legal method of warfare under international law. The video below shows a Gazan revealing the truth about the true cause of issues of food access in the Gaza Strip. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
Hiroshima marked on Wednesday the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of the western Japanese city, with many aging survivors expressing frustration about growing support among global leaders for nuclear weapons possession for deterrence. With the number of survivors rapidly declining and their average age now exceeding 86, the anniversary is considered the last milestone event for many of them. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui warned against a growing acceptance to nuclear weapons for national security and military buildups amid Russia’s war in Ukraine and the Mideast conflicts, with the United States and Russia possessing most of the world’s nuclear warheads. “These developments flagrantly disregard the lessons the international community should have learned from the tragedies of history,” he said. “They threaten to topple the peacebuilding frameworks so many have worked so hard to construct.” He urged younger generations to recognize that such “misguided policies” could cause “utterly inhumane” consequences for their future. “We don’t have much time left, while we face greater nuclear threat than ever,” said Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese grassroots organization of survivors that won the Nobel Peace Prize last year for its pursuit of nuclear abolishment. “Our biggest challenge now is to change nuclear weapons states that give us cold shoulders even just a little,” the organization said in its statement. The bombing of Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, destroyed the city and killed 140,000 people. A second bomb dropped three days later on Nagasaki killed 70,000. Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, ending World War II and Japan’s nearly half-century of aggression in Asia. Representatives from a record 120 countries and regions, including Russia and Belarus, were expected to attend the ceremony. A minute of silence was held as the sound of a peace bell rang out at 8:15 a.m., the time when a U.S. B-29 dropped the bomb on the city. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, the city’s mayor and other officials laid flowers at the cenotaph. Dozens of white doves, a symbol of peace, were released after the mayor’s speech. Hours before the official ceremony, survivors and their families started paying tribute to the victims at the peace memorial park as the sun rose over Hiroshima. Kazuo Miyoshi, a 74-year-old retiree, came to pay tribute to his grandfather and two cousins who died in the bombing and prayed that the “mistake” will never be repeated — as the cenotaph inscription says. Nuclear threats have escalated so much recently, he said. “I just hope the situation won’t worsen” a setback from the goal of abolishing nuclear weapons. “We do not need nuclear weapons,” Miyoshi said. Wednesday’s anniversary comes at a time when possession of nuclear weapons for deterrence is increasingly supported by the international community, including Japan. Some survivors said they were disappointed by President Donald Trump’s recent remark justifying Washington’s attack on Iran in June by comparing it to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the mild response from the Japanese government. “It’s ridiculous,” said Kosei Mito, a 79-year-old former high school teacher who was exposed to radiation while he was still in his mother’s womb. “I don’t think we can get rid of nuclear weapons as long as it was justified by the assailant.” Japan’s government has rejected the survivors’ desperate request to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear […]
The IDF says its 282nd Artillery Regiment shelled over 30 Hamas-linked targets in southern Gaza over the past day, including buildings and apartments used to launch attacks on Israeli forces.
TRUMP: The Democrats are lost, they have Trump derangement syndrome so bad that they can’t walk, they can’t talk, they don’t know where they are; Schumer is finished…Schumer, look, I watched him the other day, he’s lost all of his confidence.”
REPORTER: “Why should Americans continue to fund [the Ukrainian] military that’s scraping the bottom of the barrel of its population like this? ” TRUMP: “This is Biden’s war. This is not my war. I’m here to get us out of it.”
On Monday evening, Chaverim of Brooklyn—representing Boro Park, Flatbush, and Williamsburg—held their annual Members Appreciation BBQ. The event was attended by law enforcement, elected officials, and community askonim.
Q: “Do you agree that the heir apparent to MAGA is JD Vance?” POTUS: “I think most likely…I think Marco [Rubio] is also someone that maybe would get together with JD…”
Pres. Trump signs executive order creating the 2028 Summer Olympics task force “to ensure the games are safe, seamless, & historically successful.” “In July 2028, we’ll show the world what America does best, & that’s win.”
Trump: “If DC doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City, and run this City how it should be run, and put criminals on notice that they’re not going to get away with it anymore.”
The US Transportation Department proposed new rules to speed the deployment of drones beyond the visual line of sight of operators, a key change needed to advance commercial deployments like package deliveries
The 9 Days have passed, and I’m left with a gnawing sense of discomfort. Yes, the food was incredible—elevated, creative, and, frankly, delicious. “9 Days Cuisine,” as some have dubbed it, was in a league of its own: gourmet dairy, elegant fish dishes, beautifully plated entrees—many far surpassing the standard offerings of the rest of the year. And no, I didn’t attend any siyumim to get around the meat restriction. But somewhere between the truffle mac-and-cheese and the sesame-crusted salmon, something hit me: What am I doing? Yes, it’s technically within the bounds of halacha. But is this really what the 9 Days are supposed to be about? Halacha tells us not to eat meat during this period as an expression of mourning. And how have we responded? By turning dairy into a culinary art form—going above and beyond, not just to substitute, but to indulge. It’s as if we’ve outwitted the spirit of aveilus with upscale menus and decadent takeout. In our rush to upgrade our meals, did we completely lose the point? We are mourning the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. We are meant to feel its absence. And yet, here we are—comforting ourselves not with introspection or restraint, but with soufflés and sushi. I’m disappointed in myself. I missed the moment. I allowed a time of mourning to turn into a celebration of culinary creativity. Hopefully, we will not have the 9 Days next year and we will instead be celebrating the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash with Mashiach, bimheira b’yameinu. But if, chas v’shalom, we find ourselves in this time again, let’s look in the mirror. Let’s ask ourselves whether we’re treating this period with the seriousness it deserves. Signed, A.M. The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of YWN. Have an opinion you would like to share? Send it to us for review.
NASA aims to beat China and Russia in race to build a nuclear reactor on the moon • NASA should be ready to launch a small nuclear power plant to the moon by late 2029, the space agency’s interim chief said. • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who is also serving as NASA’s acting administrator, warned that China and Russia are aiming to deploy a reactor by the mid-2030s. • Duffy ordered NASA to issue a request for proposals for the reactor within 60 days.
