Yeshiva World News

Harav Yitzchak Yosef shlit”a, the nasi of the Moetzes Chachmei Hatorah, seen visiting the Ohr Chaim kehilla in Montreal, Canada.

WATCH: A building that was previously targeted in an IDF air strike in Burj Al-Barajan, Beirut, has been fully demolished.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir met with troops in the Gaza Strip earlier today, telling them of plans he recently approved to expand several units and change the military’s structure.

President Trump on California governor Gavin Newsom: “All I want him to do is do a good job. I’d rather have him do a good job than a bad job…It is the one of the worst-run places. We have a lot of them — and in almost all cases, run by Democrats.”

Speaker Mike Johnson will address a special session of the Israeli Knesset on June 22 at the invitation of Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana.

Antisemite Greta Thunberg returns to Sweden, celebrated by other pro-terrorist supporters as a hero after what they claim is her “victory” over Israel.

El Al is facing a bombshell class action lawsuit accusing the national carrier of exploiting a time of national tragedy for massive financial gain. Filed Wednesday in the Central District Court in Lod, the lawsuit alleges that El Al engaged in widespread price gouging in the immediate aftermath of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, when most foreign airlines suspended operations and El Al became the dominant — and often only — option for air travel in and out of Israel. The suit, led by attorney Ilan Verednikov and backed by legal heavyweights Dr. Tal Rotman and Adi Zitron of the Perl Cohen law firm, accuses El Al of leveraging its monopoly status to hike ticket prices well beyond what was justified by operational costs. The legal filing describes El Al’s conduct as “immoral, illegal, and deeply cynical,” taking advantage of a national emergency to line its own pockets. According to the lawsuit, by the end of Q1 2024, El Al’s pricing practices had caused an estimated 600 million shekels in damages to Israeli consumers — a figure that continued to grow as the war progressed. The lawsuit is bolstered by expert economic analysis from Professor David Gilo, a former Commissioner for Competition, who examined 24 key flight routes and found El Al held a dominant share in 20 of them. Gilo’s report asserts that the airline’s price increases were not due to rising costs — which actually declined during the period — but were purely profit-driven. In a wartime economy where thousands of Israelis were desperate to travel or reunite with loved ones, ticket prices on major routes surged by over 14%, the suit claims. El Al, in turn, posted record-breaking financials: a staggering $554 million in net profit in 2024, compared to $113 million the previous year. While Israeli families bore the financial burden, El Al’s top brass thrived. CEO Dina Ben Tal Ganancia received a 10.2% salary increase, and other executives also saw substantial raises. Employees were awarded a historic $103 million in bonuses, all while consumers paid inflated fares. Verednikov argues the airline’s actions not only inflicted financial harm, but also dealt a serious blow to the social fabric of the nation. “At a time when solidarity was most needed, El Al chose profit over people,” he stated. “We’re asking the court to ensure that no company is allowed to exploit a national emergency for personal gain — and that those who were harmed are compensated.” The lawsuit has ignited widespread public anger and drawn the attention of both the Competition Authority and the Consumer Protection and Fair Trade Authority, which have launched investigations into the airline’s practices. However, these agencies are limited in their ability to secure compensation — which is why, Verednikov says, court intervention is crucial. If successful, the case could see hundreds of millions of shekels in excess wartime profits returned to Israeli consumers. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

President Donald Trump is looking to cancel $9.4 billion in spending already approved by Congress. That’s just a sliver of the $1.7 trillion that lawmakers OK’d for the budget year ending Sept. 30. The package of 21 budget rescissions will have to be approved by both chambers of Congress for the cuts to take place, beginning with a House vote expected Thursday. Otherwise, the spending remains in place. The White House is betting that cutting federal investments in public media and some foreign aid programs will prove politically popular. Republicans say if this first effort is successful, they hope more rescission packages will follow as they look to continue work by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency once run by billionaire Elon Musk. Democrats describe the cuts as inhumane and say they would rip life-saving support from hungry and sick people across the globe. Republicans are describing the cuts as “modest” and say the U.S. will continue to play a critical role in helping the world’s most vulnerable people. Here’s a look at some of the spending the White House is trying to claw back: Public media on the chopping block The Republican president has asked lawmakers to rescind nearly $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which represents the full amount it’s slated to receive during the next two budget years. Congress has traditionally provided public media with advanced funds to reduce political pressures. The corporation distributes the money mostly to public television and radio stations around the country, with some assigned to National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting System to support national programming. The White House says the public media system is politically biased and an unnecessary expense. Much of the conservatives’ ire is focused on NPR and PBS. “We believe that you all can hate us on your own dime,” said Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, during a hearing in March. But about two-thirds of the money goes to more than 1,500 locally owned public radio and television stations. Nearly half of those stations serve rural areas of the country. “They want to punish the national guys, that’s fine,” said Rep. Mark Amodei, a Republican who said he was undecided going into this week’s vote. “But I’m trying to get a handle on what it means for my stations in Nevada, because the ability to fundraise at the national level ain’t the same as the ability to fundraise in Reno.” The association representing local public television stations warns that many of them would be forced to close if the GOP bill passes. Those stations provide emergency alerts, free educational programming and high school sports coverage and highlight hometown heroes. Meanwhile, local radio stations say their share of the allocation provides funding for 386 stations employing nearly 10,000 people. Dozens of stations rely on the public grants for more than half of their budget. Many others for nearly half. Some Republicans say they worry about what the cuts would mean for local public stations but tough decisions are necessary. Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., said South Dakota Public Broadcasting does a “really good job of covering the state Legislature” and other public affairs. “So these rescissions are not going to be comfortable for South Dakota to deal with,” Johnson said. “That being said, we’re $37 trillion in debt.” Funding to combat diseases Trump’s administration […]

Three kedoshei elyon had one common concept when it came to learning Torah – they were the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh (Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar 1696-1743) when he came to Eretz Yisroel; the Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto 1707-1746) when he lived in Padua, Italy;  and Hagaon, Harav Chaim Volozhiner, (1749-1821) the famous talmid of the Gaon of Vilna. They each had a yeshiva with ‘around-the-clock’ Torah learning, 24-hours a day, so that there would be no minute when the sound of Torah learning would not be heard in this world. The 24-hour period would be divided into shifts, and as one ended the next would begin. Torah-24 A “Torah-24” Center has been opened in Yerushalayim and the Nasi is Maran Sar Hatorah, Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l. Under ONE ROOF, from 6:00 am – 6:00 am, 10 kollelim fill successive learning shifts. Each kollel focuses on a specific area of in-depth Torah study. The “Torah-24” Kollelim include: Boker (Gemora), Yerushalmi, Bavli, Zeraim-Taharot, Dalet Chelkei Shulchan Aruch, Erev (Gemora), Chatzos- Zohar/Kabbolah, Erev Shabbos (Chumash / Medrash b’iyun).  Already there are 52 avreichim metzuyonim, and a large number of candidates are vying for the remaining slots in the kollelim. All the avreichim are required to take rigorous monthly tests. Endorsements & Letters Endorsements include Maranan Hagaonim shlit”a: Harav Gershon Edelstein, Harav Berel Povarsky, Harav Shimon Badani, Harav Dovid Cohen, Harav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi, Harav Chaim Feinstein, Harav Shimon Galai, Harav Shraga Shteinman. Letters of support-encouragement have been received from Maranan Hagaonim, shlit”a: Hamekubal Harav David Bazri, Hamashpia Hagadol Reb Elimelech Biderman, Hamekubal Harav Yaakov Meir Schechter, Harav Moishe Sternbuch, Harav Yitzchak Tuvia Weiss. For more “Torah-24” information click on: www.torah-24.com or call 718-766-5022

U.S. inflation picked up a bit last month as food costs rose, though overall inflation remained mostly tame. Consumer prices increased 2.4% in May compared with a year ago, according to a Labor Department report released Wednesday. That is up from a 2.3% yearly increase in April. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices rose 2.8% for the third straight month. Economists pay close attention to core prices because they generally provide a better sense of where inflation is headed. The figures suggest inflation remains stubbornly above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, which makes it less likely that the central bank will cut its key short-term interest rate. President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged the central bank to reduce borrowing costs. There were scattered signs that Trump’s tariffs may have contributed to some price increases, but the cost of some imported goods, such as clothing, fell in May from the previous month and many services, such as airline fares and hotel rooms, also dropped in price. On a monthly basis, overall prices ticked up just 0.1% from April to May, down from 0.2% previous month. Core prices also dropped to 0.1% from 0.2%. Grocery prices rose 0.3% from April to May, and are up 2.2% in the past year. Fruits and vegetables, breakfast cereals, and frozen foods all rose in price. Egg costs fell 2.7%, their second straight drop though they are still more than 40% more expensive than a year ago. Last week, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, which compiles the inflation data, said it is reducing the amount of data it collects for each inflation report. Economists have expressed concern about the cutback, and while it isn’t clear how sharp the reduction is, most analysts say it is likely to have a minor impact. Still, any reduction in data collection could make the figures more volatile. Inflation has cooled in the past year and, excluding the impact of tariffs, economists say it would be on track to return to the Fed’s target, which would allow the central bank to cut its key interest rates. Yet core prices have been more stubborn and were stuck between 3.2% and 3.4% for nearly a year until February, when they started to decline. They have now been at 2.8% for three straight months. Nearly all economists expect Trump’s duties will make many things more expensive in the second half of this year, including cars and groceries, though by how much is still uncertain. Trump said Wednesday the U.S. will place 55% tariffs on all imports from China, up from the previous level of 30%. He has also imposed a 10% baseline tariff on imported goods from every other country, and 50% import taxes on steel and aluminum. Given the potential for higher prices in the coming months, Fed Chair Jerome Powell and other Fed officials have made clear they will keep their key rate unchanged until they have a better sense of how tariffs will affect the economy. (AP)

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that the United States will get magnets and rare earth minerals from China under a new trade deal and that tariffs on Chinese goods will rise to 55%. In return, Trump said, the U.S. will provide China “what was agreed to,” including allowing Chinese students to attend American colleges and universities. The Republican president had recently begun to clamp down on the presence of Chinese nationals on U.S. college campuses. The new 55% tariff rate would mark a meaningful increase from the 30% levy set in Switzerland during talks in May. “OUR DEAL WITH CHINA IS DONE, SUBJECT TO FINAL APPROVAL WITH PRESIDENT XI AND ME.,” Trump wrote Wednesday on his social media site. He said full magnets and any necessary rare earths will be supplied up front by China. “WE ARE GETTING A TOTAL OF 55% TARIFFS, CHINA IS GETTING 10%. RELATIONSHIP IS EXCELLENT!” Trump wrote. Senior U.S. and Chinese negotiators announced late Tuesday in London that they had agreed on a framework to get their trade negotiations back on track after a series of disputes that threatened to derail them. The announcement came at the end of two days of talks in the British capital that wrapped up late Tuesday. It came as an international rights group said that several global brands are among dozens of companies at risk of using forced labor through their Chinese supply chains because they use critical minerals or buy minerals-based products sourced from the far-western Xinjiang region of China. The report by the Netherlands-based Global Rights Compliance says companies including Avon, Walmart, Nescafe, Coca-Cola and paint supplier Sherwin-Williams may be linked to titanium sourced from Xinjiang, where rights groups allege the Chinese government runs coercive labor practices targeting predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities. The report found 77 Chinese suppliers in the titanium, lithium, beryllium and magnesium industries operating in Xinjiang. It said the suppliers are at risk of participating in the Chinese government’s “labor transfer programs,” in which Uyghurs are forced to work in factories as part of a long-standing campaign of assimilation and mass detention. Asked about the report, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that “no one has ever been forcibly transferred in China’s Xinjiang under work programs.” The named companies didn’t immediately comment on the report. (AP)

Google has offered buyouts to staff in several divisions in a fresh round of cost cutting, according to a company statement and reports from several news outlets. It’s not clear how many employees are affected, but the offers were made to staff in Google’s search, advertising, research and engineering units, according to The Wall Street Journal. “Earlier this year, some of our teams introduced a voluntary exit program with severance for U.S.-based Googlers, and several more are now offering the program to support our important work ahead,” a Google spokesperson, Courtenay Mencini, said in a statement. “A number of teams are also asking remote employees who live near an office to return to a hybrid work schedule in order to bring folks more together in-person,” Mencini said. The tech company started trimming its headcount in 2023, when it announced that it was laying off 12,000 staff as the economic boom that fueled demand for online services during the COVID-19 pandemic started to fade.’ (AP)

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk issued a rare public mea culpa Wednesday, admitting that his social media attacks on President Donald Trump last week had crossed the line. “I regret some of my posts about President Donald Trump last week. They went too far,” Musk wrote on his platform X, just days after igniting a firestorm by suggesting that Trump was named in the sealed Jeffrey Epstein files and had suppressed their release. Musk also endorsed calls for Trump’s impeachment, urging his removal in favor of Vice President J.D. Vance — a post that has since been deleted. The clash between the world’s richest man and the most powerful political figure in America spiraled last week into a full-blown war of words, with Trump slamming Musk’s behavior and Musk deriding Trump’s tax and spending bill as a “disgusting abomination.” Trump, when asked on Sunday if his once-warm relationship with Musk was salvageable, responded bluntly: “I would assume so, yeah.” In an interview with a New York Post podcast published early Wednesday, Trump said: “Look, I have no hard feelings. I was really surprised that that happened. He went after a bill that’s phenomenal. …He just — I think he feels very badly that he said that, actually.” Musk’s tone has noticeably shifted since his attacks on the president. In a conciliatory olive branch, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO voiced staunch support for Trump’s controversial deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles in response to ongoing riots — a move that earned him praise from right-wing commentators and may signal an attempt to restore his standing with the White House. But the damage may already be done. With Trump allies enraged and Musk’s posts drawing international headlines, the tech mogul finds himself in uncharted political territory — navigating the fallout of a feud that could have implications for his business empire and political ambitions alike. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)