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Israir Airlines announced on Sunday that it will be adjusting its baggage and seat selection fees starting June 1.

According to the airline, passengers will soon have to pay $25 to bring a carry-on trolley per person, each way, compared to the current fee of $20. The price for checking a first suitcase weighing up to 23 kilograms (approximately 50 pounds) will be raised to $50, up from $45. The fee for checking a second suitcase of the same weight will remain unchanged at $80.

Israir also shared that there will be a special promotional offer for travelers checking two suitcases, each weighing up to 23 kilograms, at a combined rate of $90. Meanwhile, checking in a suitcase weighing up to 30 kilograms (roughly 66 pounds) will now cost $65, a $5 increase from the previous rate of $60.

Fees associated with reserving seats in advance are also climbing. The cost of selecting a standard seat will increase to $18, up from $15, while choosing a preferred seat will now cost $55 instead of $50.

The airline noted that the new pricing will be in effect for tickets booked through its website, customer support center, or travel agencies, up to nine hours before the flight’s departure.

This adjustment represents Israir’s second fare increase within half a year. On January 1, the airline had previously upped the price for a carry-on from $18 to $20, the rate for two checked bags from $70 to $75, and the fee for a heavier bag (up to 30 kilograms) from $60 to $65.

{Matzav.com Israel}

One person has died and at least a dozen people were injured Sunday when a boat crashed into a ferry off the Memorial Causeway Bridge and then fled the scene, authorities said. The Clearwater Police Department posted on X that there were multiple injuries and the crash had been declared “a mass casualty incident” by the Clearwater Fire & Rescue Department due to the number of injuries. All of those injured were aboard the ferry. Police did not provide any information about the person who died. The ferry came to rest on a sandbar just south of the Memorial Causeway bridge and all patients and passengers have been removed. The U.S. Coast Guard said in a social media post that on-scene reports indicate that all 45 people on the ferry and all six people on the boat were accounted for. In an update on Monday morning, the Coast Guard said 12 people were taken to a local hospital. Sunday was the last day of the Sugar Sand Festival, a 17-day sand sculpting festival in Clearwater Beach. Police did not immediately provide any information about the boat that fled the scene. “All local hospitals have been notified. Multiple trauma alerts have been called with helicopters transporting two of the more seriously injured,” the post said. Videos on social media showed several first responders rushing to the scene with lights flashing. Police cautioned drivers to avoid Memorial Causeway. The Coast Guard said the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission will lead the investigation into the cause of the crash. (AP)

After enacting sweeping layoffs throughout federal agencies and slashing budgets for health care, welfare, and education, President Donald Trump’s Justice Department has turned its attention to Wikipedia, challenging its nonprofit status.

The Trump administration contends that the Wikimedia Foundation, which oversees Wikipedia, is allegedly being influenced by “foreign actors” and permits them “to manipulate information and spread propaganda to the American public.”

Last week, Wikimedia was served with a formal notice from Ed Martin, the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia and a Trump appointee. In the letter, Martin accused the organization of failing to comply with the requirements necessary to maintain its tax-exempt status.

Martin, a veteran Republican political strategist, charged that Wikipedia enables foreign interference in editing historical accounts and American political biographies, among other actions he described as “subverting the interests of American taxpayers.” He argued that such “masked propaganda” fundamentally conflicts with Wikimedia’s stated educational goals.

Martin also alleged that Wikimedia’s leadership, being “composed primarily of foreign nationals,” compromises the interests of American taxpayers. He further suggested that the organization may be involved in activities that violate U.S. laws regulating nonprofit institutions.

The Justice Department’s letter demands detailed information and documentation regarding Wikipedia’s editorial practices and its safeguards against foreign meddling. Wikimedia must respond by May 15.

This escalation is seen as part of a larger push by the Trump administration and its supporters against platforms and institutions accused of harboring liberal biases. The Free Press, which first reported on the letter, noted that conservative criticism of Wikipedia has been building, given the site’s open editing model run by thousands of volunteers around the world.

In June 2024, a study by the conservative Manhattan Institute reported “suggestive evidence” that Wikipedia displayed a “slight to moderate” left-wing bias in its treatment of American public figures. Meanwhile, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has criticized Wikipedia for what it describes as significant antisemitic and anti-Israel biases, particularly following a downgrade of Israel-related topics’ credibility ratings.

A source close to Martin told the publication that Wikipedia edits concerning the Israel-Hamas conflict “are clearly targeted against Israel to benefit other countries.”

In a statement issued Friday, Wikimedia defended its operations, emphasizing that Wikipedia hosts over 65 million articles designed “to inform, not persuade.” The foundation highlighted that its editorial standards prioritize accuracy, fairness, and neutrality, and that roughly 260,000 volunteers contribute to maintaining those standards. “Our vision is a world where every person can freely share in the sum of all knowledge,” the statement said.

Molly White, a longtime Wikipedia editor and prominent American technology critic, commented Friday that Martin’s letter appears to reflect a broader attempt by the Trump administration and its allies to “weaponize the law” against independent, high-quality information sources.

Martin has employed similar tactics in other cases. In recent weeks, he has sent letters to several respected scientific journals, accusing them of political bias and shutting out “competing viewpoints” from publication.

Martin is also known for threatening legal actions against media outlets critical of personnel from the “Department of Government Efficiency,” a department led by Elon Musk. Musk, who owns X and Tesla, has been openly hostile toward Wikipedia, labeling it “Wokepedia” — a play on the slang word “woke” — and claiming that it serves as “an extension of legacy media propaganda.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu revealed on Sunday that Israel accelerated a critical operation against Hezbollah after receiving intelligence that three pagers sent from Lebanon were being analyzed in Iran.

During remarks at the Jewish News Syndicate conference in Yerushalayim, Netanyahu shared, “In the third week of September, we learned that Hezbollah had sent three pagers to Iran for scanning. I was told it would take them a day. I said: we need to act.”

Originally scheduled for October, the mission was fast-tracked. “We launched the campaign in Lebanon three weeks earlier than planned, while the military still needed time to prepare for war,” he said. “I told them to prepare for war immediately.”

Netanyahu described the choices Israel faced: they could either wait to see the outcome with the pagers, initiate a large-scale military offensive, or combine multiple strategies. He poked fun at one idea he dismissed as “conquering Bulgaria,” a mocking reference to what he said was a proposal from IDF officials to storm Beirut and overtake Lebanon.

Instead, Netanyahu explained that he opted for a different course of action: “target the ballistic missile stockpile that [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah built over years inside private homes.”

He further revealed that Israel had attacked an explosive scanner that Iran intended to transfer to Lebanon to inspect the pagers. “We bombed the scanner,” Netanyahu said. “That’s how we confirmed they were sending the pagers to Iran for inspection.”

Netanyahu noted that to minimize civilian casualties, Israel interrupted Lebanese television broadcasts with warnings before launching airstrikes. “Within six to seven hours, we destroyed most of the weapons Nasrallah had stockpiled over 30 years,” he said. “Nasrallah counted on us not attacking homes — and he was right. But we did attack.”

He also disclosed that shortly after he finished his address at the United Nations, his military secretary passed him a slip of paper with the word “executed,” signaling the successful completion of the mission. “Eliminating Nasrallah broke the axis,” Netanyahu said, adding, “some people are irreplaceable — and so far, he has no replacement.”

Netanyahu said he had thought about informing the Americans beforehand but eventually decided not to. “[Former defense minister] Yoav Gallant and [former IDF chief of staff] Herzi Halevi were relieved when they realized I wasn’t going to,” he said sarcastically.

He continued, revealing that Israeli F-16s had been scrambled to intercept Iranian planes headed for Damascus in order to protect the Assad regime from collapse. “Without our help, Assad’s regime wouldn’t have fallen,” Netanyahu stated. He emphasized that Israeli forces had destroyed 90% of Iranian weapons smuggled into Syria to stabilize Assad’s rule.

Switching to the topic of Iran’s nuclear ambitions amid talks between Washington and Tehran, Netanyahu argued that only a full dismantling of Iran’s enrichment program would effectively prevent it from obtaining nuclear arms. “There are ways to achieve this: a deal that neutralizes their nuclear infrastructure,” he said.

He pointed out that Israel’s actions had set back Iran’s nuclear development by approximately ten years, although they had not completely eliminated the threat.

Netanyahu warned that Iran had achieved significant milestones in both uranium enrichment and weaponization technology. “It’s not enough to prevent enrichment — they must lose the capability altogether,” he stressed, saying that the destruction of centrifuges and the removal of enriched uranium from Iran were absolutely necessary.

He cautioned that any agreement permitting Iran to restart enrichment at a later stage would “lead to the opposite result.” Netanyahu underscored, “One way or another, Iran will not have nuclear weapons.”

The prime minister also attacked the Palestinian Authority, asserting that it shares Hamas’s ultimate goals. “Hamas says: we’ll destroy them militarily now. The PA says: we’ll push them back to the 1967 lines and then conquer them militarily,” Netanyahu said. “There’s no difference in approach between the Palestinian national movement before and after Israel’s founding.”

Rejecting the notion of creating a Palestinian state, Netanyahu called the idea “nonsense.” Referring to previous experience in Gaza, he said, “We tried that already.” He made clear that even if Hamas is defeated, Israel will not hand control of Gaza to the PA.

“Hamas won’t be there. But we’re not putting the PA there either,” Netanyahu declared. “Why replace one regime sworn to destroy us with another regime sworn to destroy us?” He made it clear that Israel intends to retain military control over Gaza after the fighting concludes.

Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s objectives in the current conflict: the eradication of Hamas and the safe return of all hostages. He firmly stated that these goals remained unchanged.

He also raised concerns about threats inside Israel itself, warning about entrenched bureaucratic elements that he said endanger democratic governance. “We have another front: the deep state,” he said. “Very deep, like the ocean. It threatens democracy and prevents citizens from forming governments that act on their behalf.” Netanyahu did not specify which agencies or entities he was referencing.

Earlier that day, Netanyahu welcomed a group of United Nations ambassadors from around the world to his Yerushalayim office, with Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon accompanying them.

According to Netanyahu’s office, the ambassadors — who hailed from Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America — received a comprehensive briefing from the prime minister regarding Israel’s diplomatic battles, its military actions in Gaza, the ongoing efforts to rescue hostages, and the broader fight against antisemitism.

{Matzav.com}

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar held a press conference in Jerusalem on Monday, addressing the hearing that began earlier in the day at the International Court of Justice regarding Israel’s obligations to facilitate aid to the Gaza Strip via international organizations, including the UN and UNWRA. Israel is facing claims that it violated international law by refusing to allow aid into the Gaza Strip until Hamas returns all the hostages. After Israel passed a series of laws last year banning the UNWRA from the country, the UN General Assembly requested that the ICJ issue an “advisory opinion” on Israel’s obligations regarding aid. Legal representatives of over 40 countries and international organizations are scheduled to argue against Israel before a full panel of 15 judges at a week of hearings. Although Israel is the focus of discussions, no Israeli representative will present its position at the hearing. Sa’ar convened a press conference for the foreign media to explain the reasons for this decision. Photos of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini were displayed on the stage next to the headline “J’Accuse” [“I Accuse”] – a reference to the famous letter written by the French writer Émile Zola following the Dreyfus affair in 1898. “At this very moment, the International Court of Justice is beginning deliberations in another shameful proceeding against Israel,” Sa’ar began. “This time, its ‘advisory opinion’  is sought regarding the matter of UNRWA, an organization infiltrated beyond repair by terrorism. Israel decided not to take part in this circus.” “It is another attempt to politicize and abuse the legal process to persecute Israel. The goal is to deprive Israel of its most basic right to defend itself. It is not Israel that should be on trial,” Sa’ar asserted: “It is the UN and UNRWA.” “The UN has become a rotten, anti-Israel, and antisemitic body. Clear evidence shows that under the UN and its Secretary-General, UNRWA employed terrorists who took an active part in the October 7th massacre. He then covered it up.” “This case is part of a systematic persecution and delegitimization of Israel. It is abusing the international legal system and politicizes it. No country—democracy or non-democracy—has been brought before the court as much, and as often, as Israel. No country is subject to such double standards. “Israel is a democratic country with a strong commitment to the rule of law, including international law. It has an independent judiciary and a robust military justice system. Its Attorney General is a participant in security cabinet meetings. Yet this is the fourth proceeding relating to Israel in the Court since the October 7th massacre!” “First, they used the court to spread the blood libel against Israel – that Israel is committing genocide. Second, they used the court to try to prevent Israel from obtaining the arms it needs to defend itself. Third, they tried to deny Israel’s historic right to its ancient land. They tried to determine that what they call an ‘occupation’ in our homeland is illegal. And now, they are abusing the court, once again, to try and force Israel to cooperate with an organization that is infested with Hamas terrorists.” “And it won’t happen! What do these have in common? An attempt to deny Israel its basic rights. Rights that every sovereign country has. Above […]

As pressure grows to get artificial colors out of the U.S. food supply, the shift may well start at Abby Tampow’s laboratory desk. On an April afternoon, the scientist hovered over tiny dishes of red dye, each a slightly different ruby hue. Her task? To match the synthetic shade used for years in a commercial bottled raspberry vinaigrette — but by using only natural ingredients. “With this red, it needs a little more orange,” Tampow said, mixing a slurry of purplish black carrot juice with a bit of beta-carotene, an orange-red color made from algae. Tampow is part of the team at Sensient Technologies Corp., one of the world’s largest dyemakers, that is rushing to help the salad dressing manufacturer — along with thousands of other American businesses — meet demands to overhaul colors used to brighten products from cereals to sports drinks. “Most of our customers have decided that this is finally the time when they’re going to make that switch to a natural color,” said Dave Gebhardt, Sensient’s senior technical director. He joined a recent tour of the Sensient Colors factory in a north St. Louis neighborhood. Last week, U.S. health officials announced plans to persuade food companies to voluntarily eliminate petroleum-based artificial dyes by the end of 2026. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called them “poisonous compounds” that endanger children’s health and development, citing limited evidence of potential health risks. The federal push follows a flurry of state laws and a January decision to ban the artificial dye known as Red 3 — found in cakes, candies and some medications — because of cancer risks in lab animals. Social media influencers and ordinary consumers have ramped up calls for artificial colors to be removed from foods. A change to natural colors may not be fast The FDA allows about three dozen color additives, including eight remaining synthetic dyes. But making the change from the petroleum-based dyes to colors derived from vegetables, fruits, flowers and even insects won’t be easy, fast or cheap, said Monica Giusti, an Ohio State University food color expert. “Study after study has shown that if all companies were to remove synthetic colors from their formulations, the supply of the natural alternatives would not be enough,” Giusti said. “We are not really ready.” It can take six months to a year to convert a single product from a synthetic dye to a natural one. And it could require three to four years to build up the supply of botanical products necessary for an industrywide shift, Sensient officials said. “It’s not like there’s 150 million pounds of beet juice sitting around waiting on the off chance the whole market may convert,” said Paul Manning, the company’s chief executive. “Tens of millions of pounds of these products need to be grown, pulled out of the ground, extracted.” To make natural dyes, Sensient works with farmers and producers around the world to harvest the raw materials, which typically arrive at the plant as bulk concentrates. They’re processed and blended into liquids, granules or powders and then sent to food companies to be added to final products. Natural dyes are harder to make and use than artificial colors. They are less consistent in color, less stable and subject to changes related to acidity, heat and light, Manning said. Blue is especially difficult. There aren’t many […]

The weeks since President Donald Trump returned to office have been a whirlwind of activity to show Americans that his administration is relentlessly pursuing his promises. With a compliant Republican-controlled Congress, Trump has had a free hand to begin overhauling the federal government and upending foreign policy. As Trump hits his 100th day in office Tuesday, his imprint is everywhere. But the long-term impact is often unclear. Some of the Republican president’s executive orders are statements of intent or groundwork to achieve what has yet to be done. On Day 1, for example, he declared an energy emergency to spur production. But he’s not promising a payoff until next year, when he told voters to count on a big drop in their utility bills. Trump’s goals occasionally conflict with each other. He promised both to lower the cost of living and to impose tariffs on foreign goods, which will most likely increase prices. Other issues are languishing. Very much unsettled is whether Trump has run up his scorecard lawfully. He has faced lawsuits over some of his actions, meaning much of what he’s done could be undone as cases play out. Here’s a look at where progress on his promises stands: He promised to be a price-dropper Inflation has been falling since a peak of 9.1% in 2022. It was at 3% in January, the month Trump was inaugurated, and 2.4% in March. “We already solved inflation,” Trump boasted. But the Federal Reserve warned that the president’s tariff plans will most likely lead to higher prices by taxing foreign imports. In addition, it’s unlikely Trump will manage to “pay off all our debt.” His plans for tax cuts would reduce revenue to cover the country’s bills. Besides, he made a similar pledge in 2016, and then the national debt ballooned during his first presidency. He’s cracked down on illegal immigration Trump has clearly made progress on a signature promise to control the border. The number of people trying to cross illegally into the U.S. from Mexico dropped steeply in President Joe Biden’s last year, from a high of 249,740 in December 2023 to 47,324 in December 2024. Under Trump, the numbers sank to only 8,346 in February and 7,181 in March. It’s unclear whether Trump is matching Biden’s aggressive deportation record last year — the numbers are not yet in. Meanwhile, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is arresting large numbers of people across the country. Many who assert their innocence have been deported without due process. The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia is one of those hanging in the balance. He was deported to a Salvadoran prison despite having no criminal record and no hearing into whether he’s a gang member as alleged by the administration. He promised to slash energy bills In the campaign, Trump gave voters a pledge they’ll be able to judge for themselves, simply by looking at their utility bills. He promised to reduce their energy costs by half to three-quarters in 12 to 18 months. At times, he hedged: “If it doesn’t work out, you’ll say, ‘Oh, well, I voted for him, and he still got it down a lot.’” Other times, he didn’t hedge. “Under my plan, we will cut energy and electricity prices in half,” he told a Mint Hill, North Carolina, rally in September. He brought on the tariffs […]

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North Korea on Monday confirmed for the first time that it has sent troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine. U.S., South Korean and Ukraine intelligence officials have said that North Korea last fall dispatched about 10,000-12,000 troops to Russia. But North Korea hadn’t confirmed or denied its reported troop deployments to Russia until Monday. In a statement provided to North Korea’s state media, the North’s Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers’ Party said leader Kim Jong Un had decided to send combat troops to Russia under a mutual defense treaty. It cited Kim as saying that the troops’ deployment was meant to “annihilate and wipe out the Ukrainian neo-Nazi occupiers and liberate the Kursk area in cooperation with the Russian armed forces.” “They who fought for justice are all heroes and representatives of the honor of the motherland,” Kim said, according to the statement. In February, South Korea’s spy agency said North Korea appears to have sent additional troops to Russia, after its soldiers deployed on the Russian-Ukraine fronts suffered heavy casualties. In January, the NIS said about 300 North Korean soldiers had died and another 2,700 had been injured. Zelenskyy earlier put the number of killed or wounded North Koreans at 4,000, though U.S. estimates were lower at around 1,200. (AP)

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Israeli fighter jets on Sunday attacked and destroyed a Hezbollah warehouse for precision missiles in Beirut. Before the attack, the IDF spokesperson in Arabic warned residents of several buildings and streets in the Dahiyeh quarter to immediately evacuate the area. IDF fighter jets also carried out two warning strikes before dropping the munitions on the target. The attack was the third time the IDF carried out airstrikes in Beirut since the ceasefire with Lebanon began in November 2024. Later on Sunday, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz confirmed the attack, saying in a joint statement: “Under the direction of Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz, the IDF attacked infrastructure in Beirut where Hezbollah’s precision missiles were stored which posed a significant threat to the State of Israel.” “Israel will not allow Hezbollah to grow stronger and create any threat against it, anywhere in Lebanon. The Dahiyeh quarter in Beirut will not serve as a safe haven for the Hezbollah terror organization. The Lebanese government bears direct responsibility for preventing these threats. Israel will stand by its war goal of safely returning the residents of the north to their homes.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Israeli warplanes last year intercepted Iranian aircraft headed toward Syria, preventing them from delivering troops meant to assist the country’s embattled president at the time, Bashar Assad, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday. The remarks in a speech gave a new glimpse into Israel’s thinking in the final days in power for Assad, a longtime enemy who was overthrown by insurgents last December. Speaking to a conference hosted by the Jewish News Syndicate, Netanyahu said that Iran wanted to save Assad after watching the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group in neighboring Lebanon suffer heavy losses in fighting with Israel. “They had to rescue Assad,” Netanyahu said, explaining that Iran wanted to send “one or two airborne divisions” to help the Syrian leader. “We stopped that. We sent some F-16s to some Iranian planes that were making some routes to Damascus,” he said. “They turned back.” He gave no further details. (AP & YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

A former Taliban commander pleaded guilty Friday to providing weapons and other support for attacks that killed American soldiers and for key roles in the 2008 gunpoint kidnapping of a reporter for The New York Times and another journalist. Speaking through an interpreter, Haji Najibullah entered the plea in Manhattan federal court to providing material support for acts of terrorism and conspiring to take hostages. The bearded Najibullah, wearing a black skull cap over his shaved head, told Judge Katherine Polk Failla that he provided material support including weapons and himself to the Taliban from 2007 to 2009, knowing that his support “would be used to attack and kill United States soldiers occupying Afghanistan.” “As a result of material support I provided to the Taliban, U.S. soldiers were killed,” Najibullah said. He said his material support also included his role as a Taliban commander in Afghanistan’s Wardak Province, “where the fighters under me were prepared to, and sometimes did, conduct attacks against U.S. soldiers and their allies using suicide bombers, automatic weapons, improvised explosive devices and rocket propelled grenades.” Najibullah, 49, said he also participated in the hostage taking of David Rohde “and his companions” so demands could be made for ransom and for the release of Taliban prisoners held by the U.S. government. “I created proof-of-life videos of David Rohde and his companions in which they were forced to convey the Taliban’s demands,” he said. The former Times reporter and Afghan journalist Tahir Ludin were abducted when they were on their way to interview a Taliban leader. Both men made a dramatic escape from a Taliban-controlled compound in Pakistan’s tribal areas more than seven months after their Nov. 10, 2008, kidnapping. Their driver, Asadullah Mangal, was a third kidnapping victim. He escaped a few weeks after Ludin and Rohde. Rohde, a Pulitzer Prize winner who now works as senior executive editor for national security at NBC News, attended the plea proceeding. “I am pleased that he admitted his guilt today and grateful to all the U.S. officials who brought him to justice,” he said in an email to The Associated Press after his sentencing. “Most of all, my heart goes out to the families of the three U.S. soldiers and the Afghan translator who were killed.” After the plea, Najibullah was led from the courtroom in shackles and handcuffs by U.S. marshals to face an Oct. 23 sentencing. Federal sentencing guidelines, as acknowledged by a plea agreement signed by Najibullah and prosecutors, recommend a life prison sentence. New York Times spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha expressed gratitude to U.S. authorities for pursuing Najibullah, and she noted the dangers journalists face worldwide. “More than 120 journalists were killed in 2024, the most on record,” she said. “Journalists go to dangerous places to uncover the facts that citizens need. Governments can and should protect journalists by investigating all attacks against reporters and publicly condemning threats.” (AP)

The Sanzer Rebbe, who once again has opted not to take a vacation this year, came close to collapsing on Shabbos, echoing a similar incident from several months ago.

The episode occurred during Shacharis on Shabbos morning, at the conclusion of Shemoneh Esrei. As the Rebbe attempted to step back, he suddenly halted after taking just one step. His gabbai, quickly recognizing the severity of the situation, immediately rushed to bring a chair for the Rebbe.

The Rebbe remained seated through the recital of Kedusha, after which he quietly exited to his adjacent room.

Following a medical evaluation, it was determined that the Rebbe had narrowly avoided a collapse due to physical weakness, similar to the episode he suffered a few months ago.

After resting in his private quarters for about half an hour, the Rebbe was brought back to his home in a wheelchair. Later in the day, he participated in seudah shlishis as usual, delivering his customary hour-long derashah.

Despite his frailty, the Rebbe has once again declined to spend time recuperating at his residence in Caesarea, as he did in previous years immediately following Pesach.

As previously reported, the Rebbe also chose not to take a break last year, out of solidarity with the pain of the hostages, soldiers, and the ongoing war. This year, he has once again refused to take a vacation, continuing to share in the anguish of Klal Yisroel.

{Matzav.com Israel}

A Jewish candidate running against Andrew Cuomo for NYC mayor lashed out at him on Sunday, accusing the former governor of being dishonest about an antisemitism-fighting group he launched that has barely made an impact.

Scott Stringer, speaking at the West Side Institutional Synagogue, took aim at Cuomo’s “Never Again, NOW!” group, saying it was marketed as a force to battle antisemitism but ended up serving as a springboard for Cuomo’s political revival.

“He actually showed up in people’s living rooms and promised to set up an organization that would run commercials, host symposiums and – with money raised from the Jewish donor community – join the fight against rising antisemitism,” said Stringer, who previously served as city comptroller and Manhattan borough president.

“But he never lifted a finger. There were no commercials. Nothing,” Stringer added. “This organization was a vehicle for his mayor’s race – and everybody knows it.”

Cuomo had addressed the same synagogue a few weeks earlier, where he charged that several of his opponents in the Democratic primary either turned a blind eye to antisemitism or were complicit themselves.

“He knew not to call me out. That would have been a mistake,” Stringer said to the audience. “But still, I was appalled by his cynical – and frankly pitiful – attempts to divide the city and this community.”

Stringer further criticized Cuomo for what he considered a glaring silence after Hamas launched its brutal October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

“He didn’t tell you that he came to this community in our darkest moment, during our hour of need – after more than 1,200 people were murdered by the terrorist organization Hamas, with hundreds of hostages held in Gaza – and he lied to us,” Stringer said.

“This was the worst attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Our hearts were broken,” he said. “And he sold us all a bill of goods in our darkest moment, during our hour of need … he thinks he’s getting one over on us. But we know better.”

“This was the worst attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Our hearts were broken,” he said. “And he sold us all a bill of goods in our darkest moment, during our hour of need … he thinks he’s getting one over on us. But we know better,” Stringer emphasized.

During his remarks, Stringer also turned to the Talmud to issue a warning about Cuomo’s true intentions.

“‘Be careful about the government, as they approach a man only when they need him. They seem like good friends in good times, but they don’t stay for him in time of his trouble,’” he said.

Despite Stringer’s criticisms, “Never Again, NOW!” did eventually release a video ad condemning Hamas in July 2024, according to a report by The Post.

Cuomo continues to dominate the race, holding a commanding lead in the polls as the June 24 Democratic primary quickly approaches — a fact that has made him the main target for rivals like Stringer, who remains stuck in the low single digits.

The ex-governor has had to weather fierce criticism during his campaign over his 2021 resignation, which came amid the looming threat of impeachment after numerous allegations of sexual harassment — accusations he firmly denies.

In addition, Cuomo has been hammered for his controversial management of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly a March 2020 directive that required nursing homes to accept hospital patients recovering from the virus.

In response to Stringer’s broadside, the Cuomo campaign released a statement from Assemblyman Sam Berger, a supporter of Cuomo within the Jewish community.

“Governor Cuomo has shown his support for the Jewish community with action, not just words. Scott Stringer played footsie with the anti-Israel, anti-democratic DSA [Democratic Socialists of America] and their allies who won’t condemn hate,” Berger said.

“When Queens faced a choice for DA between a Jewish pro-Israel candidate [Melinda Katz] and a card-carrying DSA member [Tiffany Caban], Stringer chose DSA. We need a mayor who’ll fight for us — not one who just panders when convenient.”

The Cuomo team also pointed to his record as governor, highlighting actions such as signing the nation’s first executive order prohibiting state agencies from working with companies that support boycotts against Israel, boosting punishments for hate crimes, securing millions in funding for security improvements at shuls and yeshivas, and leading a solidarity mission to Israel during a 2014 conflict with Hamas.

Separately, at a church service in Brooklyn on Sunday morning, Cuomo defended his pandemic-era decisions.

“We beat COVID and saved lives,” he told the congregation.

{Matzav.com}

Syria’s foreign minister attended a U.N. Security Council briefing Friday after raising his country’s new flag at the international body’s headquarters. It was the first public appearance by a high-ranking Syrian government official in the United States since the fall of President Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive in December. Asaad al-Shibani is part of a delegation of authorities from Damascus’ new government who have traveled to the United States this week in hopes of receiving relief from harsh sanctions that were imposed by America and its allies after Assad’s brutal crackdown on anti-government protests in 2011 that spiraled into a civil war. “The brutal policies of that era deepened divisions, forcing entire families to immigrate and leaving behind their hopes and dreams that were reduced to ashes,” al-Shibani said in his remarks to the Security Council. “However, I’m here today to represent that new Syria.” His arrival marks a stunning new chapter for the war-torn country, which has spent the better part of the last several decades isolated and ostracized from the rest of the world. Marking the arrival of a new Syria The presence of the new Syria was evident outside the U.N. headquarters as al-Shibani watched the three-starred flag previously used by opposition groups replace the two-starred flag of the Assad era as the country’s official emblem. “This flag is not a mere symbol but rather a proclamation of a new existence … embodying a future that emerges from resilience and a promise of change after years of pain,” al-Shibani said. Members of the Security Council, the U.N.’s most powerful body, welcomed the new interim minister, saying his attendance is a “positive step” toward a more prosperous Syria. But many countries and U.N. officials warned there is still much more work to be done to heal the country’s wounds. “Syria has moved beyond a caretaker government to a new, expanded and more diverse cabinet,” Geir Pedersen, the U.N. special envoy for Syria, told the council. “This is an improvement from what went before. Yet it is still not a fully inclusive framework for political transition. And this leaves many Syrians unsure of their place in the emerging new Syria.” The U.N.’s deputy humanitarian chief, Joyce Msuya, described the situation on the ground in Syria as among the “world’s largest” humanitarian crises, with nearly three-quarters of the population requiring assistance, more than half of the country facing food insecurity and at least 7 million people displaced. “Millions of refugees and internally displaced persons who have expressed their desire to return home will continue to be dissuaded by a lack of basic services and livelihood opportunities,” Msuya said, urging U.N. members to deliver the basic funding required to address these issues. The US hasn’t recognized the new government yet Other Syrian officials attended meetings at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund this week in Washington, but it was unclear if Trump administration officials would meet al-Shibani during the visit. Dorothy Shea, the deputy U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said in her remarks Friday that the U.S. “continues to closely monitor the actions of the Syrian interim authorities,” while remaining hopeful that the interim cabinet ”represents a positive step.” But, she added, the U.S. expects “to see additional action and the appointment of more qualified and representative individuals to serve in critical positions.” She also […]

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, President Donald Trump voiced confidence that an agreement could soon be reached between the United States and Iran regarding Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

“On the Iran situation, I think we’re doing very well. I think a deal is going to be made there. That’s going to happen. Pretty soon it’s going to happen,” Trump told the press.

He added, “We’ll have something without having to start dropping bombs all over the place.”

Trump’s remarks came after a third round of negotiations between US and Iranian officials, which took place yesterday in Oman. Both sides agreed to meet again on May 3.

A US official told Axios that the discussions “were positive and productive. There is still much to do, but further progress was made on getting to a deal.”

Additionally, a senior American source confirmed that the talks are scheduled to continue next week, this time in Europe.

Although Trump has consistently emphasized that he would rather reach a diplomatic solution with Iran, he has also made it clear that the option of military force remains on the table if necessary.

Just two weeks ago, President Trump said that should it come to military intervention to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, Israel would take a leading role in the effort.

“With Iran, if it requires military, we’re going to have military. Israel will be the leader of that. But nobody leads us, we do what we want to do,” Trump said during a meeting in the Oval Office.

When asked if he had a specific timeline for reaching a deal with Iran, Trump responded, “I can’t really be specific, but when you start talks, you know if they’re going along well or not, and I would say the conclusion would be when I think they’re not going along well.”

Trump has previously warned the Iranian regime that refusing to negotiate would bring about devastating consequences.

“If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing — and it will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before,” he cautioned.

In a separate interview on Friday with Time Magazine, Trump reiterated that it is possible to forge a nuclear agreement without resorting to strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.

He added that although he remains prepared to authorize military action if required, he is also open to a direct meeting with Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in an effort to avoid conflict.

{Matzav.com}

It is with great sadness that Matzav.comreports the petirah of Rebbetzin Chaya Miriam Weinberger a”h, widow of the Gaavad of Tchaba, author of Birchas Shalom. She was 84.

Rebbetzin Weinberger was born on 2 Teves in 1940, a daughter of Rav Dovid Yosef Ungar.

She married her illustrious husband, the Gaavad of Tchaba, Rav Shalom Meshulam Weinberger, renowned author of Birchas Shalom, who was niftar in Cheshvan 2014.

Rebbetzin Chaya Miriam merited to raise a distinguished family, leaving behind a generation of bnei and bnos Torah. Among them is her only son, Rav Yitzchok Yaakov Weinberger, Gaavad of Tchaba. Her sons-in-law include Rav Chaim Shlomo Horowitz, father of the current Kaliver Rebbe; Rav Nachman Biderman, noted mashpia; Rav Menachem Mendel Zelmanowitz, Av Beis Din of Akko; and Rav Boruch Berezovsky, son of the Slonimer Rebbe.

The levayah was held tonight at Beis Medrash Ateres Shmuel-Tchaba on Eliezerov Street in the Gush Shemonim neighborhood of Yerushalayim. Rebbetzin Weinberger was laid to rest beside her husband in the chelkas harabbonim on Har Hamenuchos.

Yehi zichrah boruch.

{Matzav.com Israel}

President Donald Trump is badgering the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, but even if the Fed gave in to the pressure, it wouldn’t necessarily lead to lower borrowing costs for consumers. In fact, economists say, Trump’s ongoing attacks on Fed Chair Jerome Powell and his tariff policies could keep the longer-term interest rates that matter for consumers and businesses higher than they otherwise would be. A less-independent Fed can lead, over time, to higher borrowing costs, as investors worry that inflation may spike in the future. As a result they demand higher yields to own Treasury securities. Trump has repeatedly urged Powell to cut the short-term interest rate that the central bank controls. The Fed typically reduces its rate during an economic downturn to encourage more borrowing and spending, and raises it to cool the economy and fight inflation when prices rise. But long-term rates on things like mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards are largely set by market forces. And in recent weeks, fears that Trump’s sweeping tariffs could raise inflation, along with the administration’s threats to the Fed’s independence, have led markets to push those longer term rates higher. It’s not clear that the Fed can fully reverse those trends by itself. “It’s not automatically true that even if the Fed were to cut rates, that you would see a measured decline in long-term interest rates,” Francesco Bianchi, an economist at Johns Hopkins University, said. “This kind of pressure on the Fed might backfire…if markets don’t believe the Fed has inflation under control.” Trump renewed calls on Wednesday and Thursday for Powell to reduce the Fed’s short-term rate, telling reporters that the chair is “making a mistake” by not doing so. And last week, Trump suggested he could fire Powell, while a top aide said that the White House was “studying” whether it could do so. Stock markets plunged in response, the yield on the 10-year Treasury bond rose, and the dollar fell, an unusual combination that suggested investors were selling most American assets. Markets recovered those losses after Trump said on Tuesday that he had “no intention” of firing the Fed chair. Still, the threats to the Fed’s independence unnerved Wall Street investors, because they see a Fed free from political pressure as critical to keeping inflation in check. An independent Fed can take unpopular steps, such as raising rates, to fight inflation. “Threatening the Fed doesn’t soothe markets — it spooks them,” said Lauren Goodwin, chief market strategist at New York Life Investments. “And the result is often the opposite of what any administration wants to see: higher rates, weaker confidence, and more market turmoil.” Since Trump began imposing tariffs in early March, when he slapped duties on Canada and Mexico, the 10-year Treasury yield has risen from 4.15% to about 4.3%. The yield is a benchmark for mortgage rates and other borrowing. Mortgage rates, in turn, have increased during that time, from 6.6% to 6.8%. While Trump says he is negotiating over tariffs with many countries, most economists expect some level of duties to remain in place for at least this year, including his 10% duties on nearly all imports. The 10-year yield did fall Thursday when two Federal Reserve officials said that rate cuts are possible as soon as this summer, should the […]

During Friday night’s episode of HBO’s “Real Time,” New York Times columnist Bret Stephens reflected on the early months of President Trump’s second term, arguing that although the situation is troubling, it may actually be a positive development for the country.

Stephens told host Bill Maher that “I think that my summary of the first 100 days is that the bad news is, it’s the worst first 100 days in U.S. presidential history. I can’t think of a presidency that had it worse. But the good news, I think, for the country is it’s the worst first 100 days in the U.S. presidential history, for precisely the reason that you suggest, Bill, which is that, a lot of the country that voted for President Trump because they didn’t like the course of the country under his predecessor because they were mad, because they thought stuff needed to be broken up and disrupted are waking up to the reality of just how much worse it can get.”

He went on to say that “a lot of the country that voted for President Trump because they didn’t like the course of the country under his predecessor because they were mad, because they thought stuff needed to be broken up and disrupted are waking up to the reality of just how much worse it can get,” adding that if President Trump’s early days had gone more smoothly, it could have masked serious threats to basic legal and democratic norms. “If it had been a successful first 100 days, if it had been just a little less bad, people would say, well, what’s the problem if we’re not observing due process or what’s the problem if we’re defying the Supreme Court?”

Stephens continued, saying, “And I’m hearing from so many friends who voted for Trump, who remember the first Trump administration as being an era — at least until COVID — of prosperity and saying, hang on a second, 100% tariffs? I’m losing half of my workforce, I can’t afford things, the price of consumer goods is still going up, this is not what I voted for. And that’s a relief, because if it had been a successful first 100 days, if it had been just a little less bad, people would say, well, what’s the problem if we’re not observing due process or what’s the problem if we’re defying the Supreme Court? That would be even more worrisome than what we have now.”

{Matzav.com}