JPMorgan Chase unveiled its new 60-story headquarters to the public on Monday, one of the first major office buildings to be constructed after the COVID-19 pandemic and one that will remake the New York City skyline for decades. The bronze and steel tower at 270 Park, which reportedly cost $3 billion, replaced the Union Carbide Building, which sat on a full city block at 48th Street and Park Avenue for nearly 60 years. JPMorgan expects to house roughly 10,000 of its 24,000 New York-based employees in the new building, with employees starting their first workday at the tower at the same time as the company holds its ribbon cutting ceremony. “For 225 years, JPMorgan Chase has always been deeply rooted in New York City. The opening of our new global headquarters is not only a significant investment in New York, but also testament to our commitment to our clients and employees worldwide,” said Jamie Dimon, CEO and chairman of JPMorgan, in a statement. The building contains 2.5 million square feet and a block’s worth of public space. The bank also commissioned five new artworks for the building, adding to the bank’s already substantial art collection. The bank will house its trading operations in the building across eight floors. At 1,388 feet, the new building is taller than the Empire State Building’s roofline and is now the fourth-largest building in Manhattan. The building was a major engineering and architectural undertaking by Norman Foster, the building’s lead architect and Tishman Speyer. Engineers had to systematically demolish the old Union Carbide building over a period of two years — the site sits above the rails of the Metro North Railroad and the Long Island Rail Road that run underneath Park Avenue. For years, JPMorgan has worked out of several buildings around Grand Central Station, a result of the bank’s growth and acquisitions over the years. Corporate execs and investment bankers still use 383 Madison Ave, the former headquarters of Bear Stearns, and 277 Park, which housed Chemical Bank, also a predecessor of the current JPMorgan Chase. Parts of JPMorgan started using 270 Park in the mid-1990s, but the bank always struggled to fit all its operations in the building. With 270 Park finished, the bank says it will now start a renovation of 383 Madison. The completion of 270 Park is a major accomplishment for Dimon, who has been one of loudest voices about the need for employees to report to an office for work. The building was designed before the COVID-19 pandemic and was completed after the pandemic, when remote work became more common. (AP)
House Republicans are preparing to release a report on the findings of their investigation into former President Joe Biden and what they allege is potential misuse of the presidential autopen during his term. The report, which is likely to be released in the coming weeks, centers on contested and thus far unsubstantiated claims that Biden not only visibly aged while in office, but that his mental state declined to a degree that allowed White House officials to enact policies without his knowledge. “The House Oversight Committee has uncovered how the Biden Autopen Presidency ranks among the greatest scandals in U.S. history,” Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said in a statement. “As President Biden declined, his staff abused the autopen to carry out unauthorized executive actions. We have concluded interviews with key Biden aides and will soon report our findings to the American people.” The Republican-led committee declined to offer instances where investigators may have heard testimony or otherwise found instances when the autopen — a mechanical device that is used to replicate a person’s authentic signature — was abused. A spokesperson for the Republican majority on the committee said the cases would be detailed in the report but offered no further details. The committee has interviewed more than a dozen former senior Biden administration officials as part of the investigation, pressing them for information on Biden’s mental fitness while in office. Oversight Democrats have dismissed the investigation as a distraction and say the committee is turning a blind eye to wrongdoing by the Trump administration. Biden has strenuously denied that he was unaware of his administration’s actions. He has also dismissed claims that he had mentally declined to a degree that inhibited his ability to lead as president while in office. “Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations,” Biden said in a statement over the summer. “Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.” What the committee heard in testimony Some Biden officials who were subpoenaed cited their Fifth Amendment rights and declined to answer questions, including Biden’s former physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor; Anthony Bernal, former chief of staff to first lady Jill Biden; and Annie Tomasini, a former senior adviser to Biden. Other aides spoke to the committee. Several aides admitted that the pace of Biden’s schedule slowed over the course of his term, according to a person familiar with the private testimony who was granted anonymity to discuss it. Jeff Zients, who was chief of staff, said Biden’s decision-making slowed during the administration. Decisions that once required three meetings eventually required a fourth, he said. Zients also discussed how to confirm the president’s mental fitness to the public. Senior officials, including O’Connor, discussed whether Biden should undergo a cognitive exam, which O’Connor said he would take into consideration. But even as they described signs of Biden’s advancing age — he was 82 when he left office — some Biden officials also strongly pushed back on the central premise of the Republican investigation — namely that staff effectively usurped the powers of the presidency for themselves. “There was no nefarious conspiracy of any kind among the president’s senior staff, and there was certainly no conspiracy to hide the president’s mental condition from the American people,” Steve Ricchetti, […]
BDE: YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of Mrs. Leba Werdiger A”H, beloved mother of noted philanthropist and Agudath Israel Chairman, Reb Shloime Werdiger. She was 97. Mrs. Werdiger was a longtime resident of Boro Park and leaves behind a large Mishpacha known for their extraordinary acts of Chesed and community leadership. The Levaya will take place at 12:30 PM at Shomrei Hadas. תהא נשמתה צרורה בצרור החיים.
Thousands of mispallelim entered Kever Yosef in Shechem overnight, ahead of Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan, in a large and organized visit coordinated with IDF forces. Among those present were the Kaliver Rebbe, MK Michal Woldiger, MK Tzvi Sukkot, and Shomron Regional Council head Yossi Dagan.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says the U.S. has arrested more than 480,000 criminal illegal immigrants this year, with about 70% having prior convictions or charges.
Vice President J.D. Vance is en route to the temporary U.S. military headquarters in Kiryat Gat, established to oversee and coordinate the Gaza ceasefire.
YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of Mrs. Leba Werdiger A”H, beloved mother of noted philanthropist and Agudath Israel Chairman, Reb Shloime Werdiger. She was 97. Mrs. Werdiger was a longtime resident of Boro Park and leaves behind a large Mishpacha known for their extraordinary acts of Chesed and community leadership. The Levaya will take place at 12:30 PM at Shomrei Hadas. תהא נשמתה צרורה בצרור החיים. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The IDF says that during an overnight operation on Sunday, troops from the 810th “Mountains” Regional Brigade, including reservists and combat engineers, demolished several Hezbollah posts on the Lebanese side of Mount Dov. The military says the posts were destroyed to prevent Hezbollah from using them to entrench itself in the area in the future.
Prime Minister Netanyahu met today in Jerusalem with the head of Egyptian intelligence. The meeting focused on advancing President Trump’s regional framework, strengthening Israel-Egypt relations, and other regional matters.
Roughly half of the hostages freed and returned to Israel last week met Tuesday morning in Tel Aviv with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior White House adviser Jared Kushner. Among those who took part in the meeting were Omri Miran, Gal Berman, Ziv Berman, Yosef Chaim Ohana, Matan Angrest, Bar Kuperstein, Segev Kalfon, Nimrod Cohen, and Eitan Horn — all recently discharged from the hospital after their return from Gaza.
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy reported to La Santé Prison in Paris on Monday to begin serving a five-year sentence. Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012, was convicted for his involvement in a plot to secure illegal campaign financing from Libya during his 2007 election bid.
Most U.S. adults are worried about health care becoming more expensive, according to a new AP-NORC poll, as they make decisions about next year’s health coverage and a government shutdown keeps future health costs in limbo for millions. About 6 in 10 Americans are “extremely” or “very” concerned about their health costs going up in the next year, the survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds — a worry that extends across age groups and includes people with and without health insurance. Many Americans have other health care anxieties, too. The poll found that about 4 in 10 Americans are “extremely” or “very” concerned about not being able to pay for health care or medications they need, not being able to access health care when they need it, or losing or not having health insurance. Medicare beneficiaries are already shopping for next year’s coverage, and open enrollment periods for many other health plans are approaching quickly in November. Federal policies have left millions of people at risk of skyrocketing health insurance premiums or of losing their health insurance altogether. The findings show that many Americans are feeling vulnerable to spiking health care costs, with some expressing concerns about whether they’ll have coverage at all. Latoya Wilson, an independent nurse consultant in Lafayette, Louisiana, currently uses a health insurance plan from the Affordable Care Act marketplace. But in the past two weeks, the 46-year-old has applied for more jobs than she had previously in her life, largely because she’s concerned about her premiums going up and wants the stability of employer-sponsored insurance. “Even before these health care cuts came into play, I was already having a significant issue getting the care that I needed this year,” she said. “Anything worse than what I already have is pretty scary.” Health care remains important to Americans when it’s center stage in Washington About 8 in 10 U.S. adults say the issue of health care is “extremely” or “very” important to them personally. That includes about 9 in 10 Democrats and three-quarters of Republicans, and it puts health care next to the economy among Americans’ top issue priorities. That significant attention on the issue raises the political stakes in what’s already been a crucial moment for federal health policy in the nation’s capital. President Donald Trump’s mega-bill passed this summer cuts more than $1 trillion from federal health care and food assistance over a decade, largely by imposing work requirements on those receiving aid and by shifting certain federal costs onto the states. Republicans say the cuts will prevent people who don’t need aid from gaming the system, but the cuts will ultimately result in millions of people losing health insurance coverage, according to projections from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. More urgently, a congressional deadlock over Affordable Care Act subsidies that expire this year has thrown the federal government into a shutdown that’s dragged into a fourth straight week with no end in sight. Democratic lawmakers want any funding bill they sign to extend the subsidies, which have made ACA premiums less expensive for millions of people. Republicans in Congress have expressed willingness to negotiate on the issue, but only after the government is reopened. In interviews, some Americans said they doubted government leaders would take the necessary action to address their concerns on health care. “It is the federal government’s job to provide a better way of life […]
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived at a prison in Paris on Tuesday to begin serving a 5-year sentence for a criminal conspiracy to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya — a historic moment that makes him the first ex-leader of modern France to be imprisoned. Sarkozy, 70, was greeted by hundreds of supporters when he walked out of his Paris home hand-in-hand with his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. He embraced her before getting into a police car. On his way to prison, Sarkozy released a statement on social media declaring that “an innocent man” was being locked up. Minutes later, the vehicle passed through the gates of the notorious La Santé prison — where Sarkozy will now serve his sentence in solitary confinement. Sarkozy was convicted last month for criminal conspiracy in a scheme to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya. He contests both the conviction and a judge’s unusual decision to incarcerate him pending appeal. His lawyers said Tuesday that they filed an immediate request for his release. “It’s an ominous day for him, for France, and for our institutions, because this incarceration is a disgrace,” Sarkozy’s lawyer Jean-Michel Darrois told reporters soon after his incarceration. Solitary confinement Sarkozy’s lawyers said he will be kept away from all other prisoners for security reasons. Sarkozy told Le Figaro newspaper that he would bring three books — the maximum allowed — including Alexandre Dumas’ “The Count of Monte Cristo,″ in which the hero escapes from an island prison before seeking revenge. His lawyers said he packed a bag with a few sweaters because the prison is cold and earplugs because it’s noisy. Christophe Ingrain, another of Sarkozy’s lawyers, denounced “a serious injustice.” “It’s a very difficult time, but the president has stood strong,” Ingrain said. “He doesn’t complain, hasn’t asked for anything, no special treatment.” Sarkozy will be allowed to go outdoors one hour per day alone in the prison yard and to get three visits per week from his family, Ingrain said, adding that he is planning to write a book about his prison experience. An outpouring of support for the ex-president Sarkozy’s journey from the presidential Elysée Palace to La Santé prison has captivated France. After leaving their home, Sarkozy and his wife walked slowly to join family members, including his children and grandchildren, outside his home. “I’m very proud to share his name, and very proud of how he’s reacting,” said his brother, Guillaume Sarkozy. “I’m truly convinced that he is innocent.” Hundreds of supporters applauded and chanted “Nicolas, Nicolas” and sang the French anthem. Two French flags were hung on a nearby fence, with the words “Courage Nicolas, return soon” and “true France with Nicolas.” Parisian resident Virginie Rochon, 44, came in support of Sarkozy, calling it “scandalous” to see ”a former president being taken away while still presumed innocent.” Another supporter, Véronique Maurey, 50, said “it’s just not possible. And on top of that, calling it a ‘criminal conspiracy’ kind of makes all of us feel like criminals too because we voted for him. It’s not right to say that.” Meeting with Macron Embattled centrist President Emmanuel Macron hosted the conservative Sarkozy at the presidential palace last week. ‘’I have always been very clear in my public statements about the […]
Prime Minister Netanyahu met Tuesday afternoon in Jerusalem with the head of Egyptian intelligence, his office announced. The meeting, held at the Prime Minister’s Office, was attended by Netanyahu’s senior professional staff. Discussions centered on advancing US President Donald Trump’s regional framework, strengthening ties between Israel and Egypt, and other key regional matters aimed at promoting stability and peace.
Sometimes, lost items have a way of finding their way home—even after years have gone by. Earlier this week, a Far Rockaway boy was chatting with his school bus driver, mentioning that he was preparing for his upcoming bar mitzvah. The conversation took an unexpected turn when the bus driver recalled that her husband had worked at JFK Airport about seven years ago—and had once found a pair of lost tefillin. Inexplicably, he took the tefillin home and safeguarded them for the past seven years. This week, she brought the tefillin to the boy, thinking it might be meaningful to him. The set is in good condition, with the initials E.H. inscribed on it. If you—or someone you know—lost tefillin at JFK Airport around seven years ago, this may be your chance to get them back. Please contact Yeshiva World News (YWN), who will connect you with the person currently safeguarding the tefillin. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
