In response to Israel’s expanded operations in Gaza, the Houthis declared a complete air blockade on Israel, promising repeated strikes on airports, particularly Ben Gurion, while urging airlines to cancel flights and condemning Israeli actions in Lebanon and Syria, vowing Yemen’s defiance.
Levaya underway now at 770 for HaRav Sholom Dovber Lipskar zt”l, the longtime Rav of The Shul of Bal Harbour and founder of the Aleph Institute, who was niftar on Shabbos. An additional Levaya amd Kevura will take place shortly at the Ohel of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, 226-20 Francis Lewis Blvd., Cambria Heights, NY 11411.
The White House plans to cut staffing at the CIA and other intelligence agencies, including the National Security Agency, Trump administration officials told members of Congress, The Washington Post reported Friday. A person familiar with the plan but not authorized to discuss it publicly confirmed the changes to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The administration plans to reduce the CIA workforce by 1,200 over several years, and cut thousands of positions at the NSA and other intelligence agencies. The Post reported that the reductions at the CIA include several hundred people who have already opted for early retirement. The rest of the cuts would be achieved partly through reduced hirings and would not likely necessitate layoffs. In response to questions about the reductions, the CIA issued a statement saying CIA Director John Ratcliffe is working to align the agency with Trump’s national security priorities. “These moves are part of a holistic strategy to infuse the Agency with renewed energy, provide opportunities for rising leaders to emerge, and better position CIA to deliver on its mission,” the agency wrote in the statement. A spokesperson for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Gabbard’s office oversees and coordinates the work of 18 agencies that collect and analyze intelligence. The CIA and NSA have already offered voluntary resignations to some employees. The CIA also has said it plans to lay off an unknown number of recently hired employees. The new administration has also eliminated diversity, equity and inclusion programs at intelligence agencies, though a judge has temporarily blocked efforts to fire 19 employees working on DEI programs who challenged their terminations. Trump also abruptly fired the general who led the NSA and the Pentagon’s Cyber Command. Ratcliffe has vowed to overhaul the CIA and said he wants to boost the agency’s use of intelligence from human sources and its focus on China. (AP)
“Telling your wife your needs and wants” is a complete waste of time for married men who want happiness and I’ll tell you why. So many marriage experts claim they have the secret to a happy marriage and that it all comes down to communication, boundaries and bringing in more money. They tell you to help out more at home, talk about the past, go together to a marriage professional but never stop to take inventory of whether ANY of these methods are actually WORKING in creating happiness and joy! I am not saying those strategies don’t work at all, but they are the long… slow… painful way of having a happy home. And for the few that make it with these strategies, they’ve done it while he doesn’t get what he needs, and she doesn’t get what she needs. Meanwhile, we’re helping our clients connect with their wives on the highest level, living lives full of happiness and excitement and it gets more and more joyful by the day where both husband and wife feel happiness and excitement… … all without needing their wife to meet them halfway! To check out how they do this, click below to watch my free presentation where I share all the details … you’re going to thank me for it! 3 Steps Married Men Use to Get Rid of Friction and Create Happiness and Excitement… Without Needing Their Wife to Meet Them Halfway!
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas accused Hamas-affiliated gangs of looting humanitarian aid in Gaza, calling the theft a national disgrace during a time of immense suffering. “The looting and theft carried out by criminal gangs targeting warehouses and storage facilities of humanitarian aid is unacceptable,” Abbas said in remarks published Friday by the P.A.’s official Wafa news agency. Abbas pointed the finger squarely at “Hamas-affiliated gangs,” accusing them of being “primarily responsible” for pillaging the aid meant for Gaza’s war-ravaged civilians. “Palestinians will not forgive these disgraceful acts committed in such a critical time,” Abbas warned, adding that the perpetrators are “well known to the public” and would be held accountable “at the appropriate time.” The remarks come amid reports that Hamas has seized and redistributed up to 60% of aid entering the Gaza Strip, often diverting food and medical supplies for its own fighters or for sale on the black market. Israel suspended its aid flow on March 2 after Hamas rejected yet another U.S.-backed ceasefire and hostage deal. The condemnation adds fuel to the long-simmering feud between Abbas’s Fatah party — which rules parts of Yehuda and Shomron — and Hamas, the terror group that violently overthrew the P.A. in Gaza in 2007. Attempts at reconciliation, including a Chinese- and Egyptian-brokered unity government proposal earlier this year, appear to have collapsed once again. Abbas’s outburst also took a sharp turn when, in a rare moment of public frustration, he seemed to lash out at Hamas for holding hostages. “Why don’t you hand over the American hostages?” he asked rhetorically. “Sons of dogs, release those you are holding and put an end to this story. Shut down their [Israel’s] excuses. End this!” His comments did not clarify whether he was calling for the release of all the remaining 59 hostages from the October 7th massacre, or only the Americans among them. Ironically, Abbas’s own Fatah-aligned Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades took part in the October 7 attacks, and the P.A. continues to pay stipends to the terrorists involved through its notorious “pay-for-slay” policy. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The United States has given initial approval to sell $3.5 billion worth of air-to-air missiles for Saudi Arabia’s fighter jets, the latest proposed arms deal for the region ahead of President Donald Trump ‘s planned trip to the region later this month. The sale, announced early Saturday, likely will be one of several heralded by Trump on his visit to the kingdom. Saudi Arabia has already said it wants to invest $600 billion in the United States over the next four years, likely as a way to woo Trump to again pick the kingdom for his first formal trip as president. Trump traveled to Italy briefly for Pope Francis’ funeral. Trump’s 2017 trip to Saudi Arabia upended a tradition of modern U.S. presidents typically first heading to Canada, Mexico or the United Kingdom for their first trip abroad. It also underscored his administration’s close ties to the rulers of the oil-rich Gulf states as his eponymous real estate company has pursued deals across the region. The arms sale involves 1,000 AIM-120C-8 advanced medium range air-to-air missiles, guidance sections and other technical support. The missiles will be built by RTX Corp of Tucson, Ariz. The Royal Saudi Air Force has the world’s second-largest fleet of F-15 fighter jets after the U.S. “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a partner country that contributes to political stability and economic progress in the Gulf Region,” the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement. The proposed sale now goes to the U.S. Congress. Lawmakers typically weigh in on such sales and, in some cases, can block them. Saudi Arabia has faced intense Congressional scrutiny for years, first for launching a war on Yemen’s Houthi rebels back in 2015 that saw the kingdom’s airstrikes kill civilians. Then a Saudi assassination team killed Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018. The U.S. intelligence community concluded the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who likely will meet Trump on his visit this month and met with President Joe Biden in his term, ordered the operation against Khashoggi. The kingdom insists the prince was not involved in the killing. Trump maintained close ties to the Gulf states after leaving office. His second administration has already given initial approval for the energy-rich Mideast nation of Qatar to buy eight armed MQ-9B Reaper drones for its military, a purchase estimated to be worth nearly $2 billion. (AP)
The Aron carrying HaRav Sholom Lipskar ZT”L is on its way to 770 Eastern Parkway for the Levaya after landing at JFK Airport on a Hatzalah Airplane from Miami.
After years of defending Sen. John Fetterman through health scares, debate debacles, and questions about his fitness for office, the same media that once shielded him is now turning on him — and the timing is no mystery. In a bombshell New York Magazine exposé, current and former staffers paint a picture of a “bizarre” and “erratic” senator battling serious mental health challenges, facing tensions at home, and alienating his staff. But the real shock? Much of the criticism began only after Fetterman broke ranks with the progressive wing of his party and became an unapologetic defender of Israel. The hit piece, titled “All By Himself: John Fetterman insists he is in good health, but staffers past and present say they no longer recognize the man they once knew”, catalogs a series of incidents, including reports of Fetterman wandering the Capitol, nearly being struck by a car, and being “catatonic” during a conversation with then-Sen. Sherrod Brown. The account raises alarms about his mental state — even claiming he hasn’t had bloodwork in months and has physically stumbled into people in the Capitol complex. But these same outlets had no interest in raising the alarm during the campaign, when Fetterman — fresh off a debilitating stroke — could barely get through a debate against Dr. Mehmet Oz without visibly struggling to form sentences. At the time, the media rushed to assure Americans he was sharp, lucid, and perfectly capable of serving in the U.S. Senate. Now, after Fetterman emerged from his hospitalization and began pushing back against the far-left flank of his party — including vocally supporting Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas — the knives have come out. According to the piece, internal staffers lashed out at Fetterman over his support for the Jewish state, calling it a “gutting betrayal,” while his wife Gisele reportedly confronted him personally, questioning: “Jerusalem [is] bombing refugee camps — how can you support this?” Gisele also reportedly raised complaints directly with his Senate staffers. The coordinated media pivot was not lost on political observers. The backlash isn’t just about health. It’s about ideological betrayal — or at least, that’s how the progressive left sees it. Fetterman, once a darling of the populist wing, has taken an increasingly independent stance, calling for Sen. Bob Menendez’s resignation, backing Israel, and refusing to parrot extremist narratives. Some now speculate this public takedown is a preemptive political hit ahead of a possible 2028 primary clash between Fetterman and fellow Pennsylvanian Gov. Josh Shapiro. “Funny how they didn’t run these hit pieces or question Fetterman’s mental health during the campaign,” one observer noted. “But now that he’s not a deranged Trump hater, a psychotic terrorist lover, or an obedient progressive, suddenly they’re starting to question his mental acuity.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Houthi Media is reporting that the Houthis have evacuated staff from Sana’a Airport, anticipating air strikes from Israel following the missile attack near Ben Gurion.
When Warren Buffett announced at his annual shareholder meeting Saturday that he is stepping down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway at the end of the year, he elevated a low-key 62-year-old Canadian executive named Greg Abel who has long been one of his top lieutenants. For the past seven years, Abel has been overseeing Berkshire’s BNSF railroad and its treat makers See’s Candies and Dairy Queen along with dozens of other manufacturing and retail businesses that Buffett acquired over the years. He grew up in Canada as a hockey player and learned the value of hard work as he redeemed discarded bottles and worked for a small company filling fire extinguishers. Now he finds himself at the top of the food chain in the investment world. Berkshire confirmed Abel as Buffett’s successor in 2021 after former Vice Chairman Charlie Munger let it slip at the annual meeting. Since then, Abel has largely remained in Buffett’s shadow although shareholders have had a chance to get to know him a bit when he appeared alongside Buffett at the annual meetings and in interviews. Berkshire’s board will now vote on whether to formally approve Abel as the new CEO to take over at the end of 2025. At the annual meeting in Omaha, Buffett said he expects that to occur by a unanimous vote. Abel will step forward to take responsibility for all of Berkshire’s eclectic assortment of businesses with their nearly 400,000 employees and the conglomerate’s massive stock portfolio. Buffett and members of Berkshire’s board who for years have devoted much of their time to finding Buffett’s successor have praised Abel’s brilliance and knack for understanding all kinds of businesses. Buffett once said Berkshire is “so damn lucky” to have Abel ready to take over, but he will have trouble coming close to Buffett’s remarkable track record of outpacing the market. Whereas Buffett grew Berkshire over the decades by making well-timed deals and stock investments at attractive prices, Berkshire’s massive size has made it that much harder lately to find anything big enough to change the conglomerate’s bottom line. Abel has big shoes to fill, but no one expects him to match the accomplishments of Buffett that made him a billionaire many times over and one of the wealthiest investors of the past century. Longtime Berkshire board member Ron Olson said two days before the announcement that he believed Abel was ready to take over. “Is he another Warren Buffett? No, there is no other Warren Buffett that I know. But he has so many of the fundamentals of Warren,” Olson said. “He is for sure high integrity. He is a hard worker. He is a strategic thinker.” Buffett has said for years that Abel’s main job when he becomes CEO will be to preserve Berkshire’s unique decentralized culture built on independence, integrity and trust. In fact, Munger’s comment that gave away Abel’s future role was that “Greg will keep the culture.” Executives at a diverse mix of Berkshire subsidiaries, including sneaker maker Brooks Running, flooring giant Shaw and Borsheims jewelry have said they all turn to Abel whenever they face tough questions in their businesses related to strategy or operating details, and he’s always available when they need him though he will challenge them. “When I think about Greg, he not […]
A lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court alleges that United Airlines diverted a transatlantic flight mid-air not because of a safety issue — but because the plane was filled with visibly Jewish passengers. The April 22, 2023, flight from Newark to Tel Aviv was abruptly turned back to New Jersey “after hours of flight for no valid reason,” according to the suit, which names nearly 60 Jewish passengers as plaintiffs. The passengers, many of whom were traveling to Israel for Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut, claim that anti-Jewish bias played a key role in the crew’s decision. According to the complaint, the incident began when one Jewish passenger briefly sat in a flight attendant’s jump seat while waiting to use the restroom. Instead of resolving the matter calmly, the “ill-trained and/or unvetted” United crew reportedly escalated the situation, choosing to turn the plane around and blaming the broader group of Jewish passengers for the disruption. “If one person is acting bad, it doesn’t mean everyone around them is responsible,” said attorney Yoram Nachimovsky, who is representing the plaintiffs. “This wasn’t about safety. This was about prejudice.” The suit claims that United staff made openly discriminatory remarks, including one instance where a passenger seeking assistance was allegedly told by a flight attendant to “go ask your own kind.” Upon returning to Newark, the Jewish passengers say they were offered no help or rebooking assistance, leaving many stranded and unable to make it to Israel for the national commemorations. “These skies were anything but friendly toward Jews,” the suit asserts. United Airlines has denied the allegations, calling the claims “meritless” in a statement. “One passenger who was a safety and security risk caused the flight to return to Newark,” United said. “Our crew put safety first and exhibited professionalism in managing this matter, and we will vigorously defend against these false allegations.” But the plaintiffs say the airline’s response only underscores the need for sensitivity training and accountability, not just damage control. “This wasn’t an isolated mistake,” Nachimovsky added. “It was a chilling example of collective punishment based on religion and appearance — and it can’t be allowed to stand.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
In recent weeks, including Sunday morning’s attack on Ben-Gurion, the Houthis from Yemen have increased their launch of ballistic missiles toward Israel at the same time as the US has been carrying out waves of airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. Ynet quoted Israeli officials as saying: “The Americans are the ones who are acting. The fact that the Houthis are still launching missiles doesn’t mean much— the American operation is very effective.” Ynet military commentator Ron Ben Yishai noted that Israeli security officials estimate that the recent increase in the number of Houthi launches stems from the fact that the US has improved the quality of its intelligence in Yemen and the accuracy and efficiency of its attacks, targeting Houthi launch sites and missile and UAV depots. In addition, the US has succeeded in thwarting the smuggling of UAVs from Iran to Yemen, which has led to a severe depletion of the Houthis’ inventory. As a result, the Houthis are rushing to use their remaining inventory before the US attacks additional launch sites and UAV and missile depots. “The Houthis launch the missiles and UAVs when the sun is rising, because at night it is easier for the US to identify the launch flash and strike it with high accuracy,” Ben-Yishai wrote. “The Houthis are quick to launch before the system is destroyed.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Prime Minister Netanyahu, in a meeting with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, reiterated his strong criticism of Qatar, calling on Israel’s allies to exert pressure: “We urge others to push not only Hamas but also Qatar, which has significant influence over Hamas, to act and secure the hostages’ release.”
The prime minister of Yemen’s internationally recognized government said Saturday he was resigning due to political struggles, underscoring the fragility of an alliance fighting Houthi rebels in the Arab world’s most impoverished country. Prime Minister Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak announced the decision in a post on social media, attaching a resignation letter directed to Rashad al-Alimi, head of the ruling presidential council. The internationally recognized government is based in the southern city of Aden. Bin Mubarak, named prime minister in February 2024, said he was resigning because he was unable to take “necessary decisions to reform the state institution, and execute the necessary Cabinet reshuffle.” Within hours of the announcement, the presidential council named Finance Minister Salem Saleh Bin Braik as prime minister, according to the state-run SABA news agency. The council also named Bin Mubarak as an advisor to the ruling body, without addressing his claims. Ahmed Nagi, a senior Yemen analyst at the International Crisis Group think tank, said Bin Mubarak’s resignation capped months of simmering tensions between the prime minister and the ruling council over the mandate of each party. He said Bin Bubarak was in part a scapegoat for the government’s failure to address the towering economic challenges in the government-held areas, including soaring prices and repeated power outages. Yemen has been embroiled in civil war since 2014, when Iranian-backed Houthi rebels seized the capital of Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognized government into exile in Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led coalition intervened months later and has been battling the rebels since 2015 to try and restore the government. The war has turned into a stalemated proxy conflict. The seven-member presidential council was appointed in 2022 with the aim of unifying the anti-Houthi block, but has since been divided into two main blocs. One is loyal to council member Aydarous al-Zubaidi, who chairs the secessionist Southern Transitional Council, an umbrella group of heavily armed militias propped up by the United Arab Emirates since 2015. The second is loyal to Saudi Arabia and includes al-Alimi and Sheikh Sultan al-Aradah, the powerful governor of energy-rich Marib province. Bin Mubarak’s resignation came as the United States has increased its attacks on the Houthis in Yemen. The U.S. military has launched nearly daily strikes in Houthi-held areas since March 15, when President Donald Trump ordered a new, expanded campaign against the rebels. (AP)
The Department of Justice sued Colorado and Denver on Friday for allegedly interfering with federal efforts to enforce immigration laws, the latest attempt by the Trump administration to crack down on what some call sanctuary cities and policies. The lawsuit claims the state and its most populous city, Denver, have passed “sanctuary laws” violating the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution. “The United States has well-established, preeminent, and preemptive authority to regulate immigration matters,” according to the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Denver. There is no strict definition for sanctuary policies or sanctuary cities, but the terms generally describe limited local cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE enforces U.S. immigration laws nationwide but seeks state and local help, particularly for large-scale deportations, and requests that police and sheriffs alert ICE to people it wants to deport and hold them until federal officers take custody. The Department of Justice has filed similar lawsuits against Chicago and Rochester, New York. Justice Department attorneys argue Colorado’s “sanctuary policies” allowed the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua to seize control of an apartment complex in the Denver suburb of Aurora. Local officials have called Trump’s claims that the gang had taken over large swaths of the city exaggerated, but acknowledged the apartment complex was terrorized, including by people linked to Tren de Aragua. Friday’s lawsuit lists as defendants Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, the state Legislature, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser. Polis spokesperson Conor Cahill said in an email that Colorado is not a sanctuary state and regularly works with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. “If the courts say that any Colorado law is not valid then we will follow the ruling,” he said. “We are not going to comment on the merits of the lawsuit.” Republicans in Congress have pressured officials in Democratic-led cities to cooperate with the Trump administration’s immigration agenda. Lawmakers summoned the mayors of Denver, Boston, New York and Chicago to testify last month before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The mayors pushed back, defending their communities as welcoming places, not lawless danger zones, and called on Congress to pass immigration reform. (AP)
Following a Houthi missile strike at Ben Gurion Airport, Prime Minister Netanyahu endorsed President Trump’s position on X, and said “Israel will respond to the Houthi attack against our main airport AND, at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters.”
WATCH: Heavy flash flooding is reported in southern Israel as intense rainfall hits the Arava and Negev deserts, including the main road leading to Eilat.
A baby girl was born on Friday—just before Shabbos—to the almanah of R’ Raphael Mordechai ben R’ Moshe Fishoff Hy”d, who was brutally murdered in a terror attack in Hadera this past Erev Yom Kippur. The newborn is the seventh child in the Fishoff family and will, heartbreakingly, never meet her father—an exceptional talmid chacham who gave his life al kiddush Hashem. R’ Raphael Mordechai, just 35 years old at the time of his murder, was stabbed in a horrific multi-location terror attack on October 10, 2024. He was critically wounded and later succumbed to his injuries at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, leaving behind a grieving wife and six yesomim. Now, just months later, his widow gave birth to a baby girl. Chazal teach in Yerushalmi Moed Katan that when a new child is born during the year of aveilus, it softens the midas hadin upon the family. Some poskim say this applies to the birth of a daughter as well, and even to any simchah that enters the home. R’ Raphael Mordechai was known for his extraordinary tzidkus, his complete separation from olam hazeh, and his tireless devotion to Torah. From his early years in Yeshivas Darkei Moshe in Bnei Brak to his ascent as a leading ben Torah in Yeshivas Knesses Yitzchok in Hadera, he lived with a palpable sense of kedushah and purpose. Even after marriage, he remained fully immersed in limud haTorah, admired by his peers and roshei yeshiva. During the brief shivah, held just before Yom Kippur, his almanah shared a powerful insight with HaRav Yehoshua Ehrenberg, Rosh Yeshivas Knesses Yitzchok: “All his life, my husband would say that he wanted to be zocheh to die al kiddush Hashem.” That awe-inspiring aspiration was fulfilled in the most tragic way. Yehi zichro baruch. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
