The Times is reporting that President Trump is expected to meet with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa during his visit this week to Saudi Arabia, with discussions expected to include the lifting of sanctions imposed against Syria during the Assad Regime.
Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said today that the Biden administration is to blame for the ongoing air traffic control failures at New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport.
U.S. stocks roared back on Monday after the U.S. and China agreed to temporarily slash tariffs following negotiations over the weekend in Switzerland, raising hopes a trade war won’t push the economy into a recession. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 1,160 points, or 2.8%, staying near its highs for most of the session with buying enthusiasm remaining strong. The S&P 500 popped 3.26%, bringing its gain since its April intraday low at the height of tariff pessimism to more than 20%. The benchmark has cut its year-to-date losses to just 0.6%. The Nasdaq Composite added 4.35%, as the initial China agreement sent technology stocks tied to the country — like Tesla and Apple — flying higher. It was the best day since April 9 for all three indexes.
Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu held talks on Monday with US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and US Ambassador Mike Huckabee just before the expected release of American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander.
After the meeting concluded, Netanyahu had a phone call with US President Donald Trump, during which he expressed gratitude for the president’s role in helping to bring about Alexander’s release.
As reported by the Prime Minister’s Office, the US President affirmed his steadfast support for the State of Israel and emphasized his strong interest in maintaining close coordination with Netanyahu going forward.
In the conversation with Witkoff and Huckabee, Netanyahu reviewed the recent push to finalize a deal to rescue the hostages based on a proposal advanced by Witkoff. This discussion took place ahead of plans to widen military activity in Gaza.
Following the meeting, Netanyahu instructed a team of negotiators to travel to Doha on Tuesday to pursue the matter further.
The Prime Minister’s Office underscored that Netanyahu insisted all negotiations would proceed “under fire.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
The U.S. government advised American travelers age 60 and older not get a chikungunya vaccine as it investigates possible side effects. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration posted notices late last week on the vaccine, Valneva’s Ixchiq. Chikungunya, spread by the bites of infected mosquitoes, is a debilitating tropical illness marked by fever and joint pain. About 100 to 200 cases are reported annually among U.S. travelers. Last year, the government began recommending the vaccine, which is made with weakened chikungunya virus, to U.S. adults who travel to countries where chikungunya is a problem. But last month, a panel of vaccine experts who advise the CDC heard about an investigation into six people 65 and older — most of them with other medical problems — who became ill with heart or brain symptoms less than a week after vaccination. More than 10 other similar cases have been reported in people from other countries. European regulators are also looking into the issue. The U.S. advisers voted to issue a precaution for people 65 and older about getting the vaccine. They also recommended that a second chikungunya vaccine — Bavarian Nordic’s Vimkunya — be made available for people age 12 and older who are traveling to countries where outbreaks of the mosquito-borne illness are occurring. CDC officials have not yet announced whether they will accept those recommendations. (AP)
Israel has released touching video capturing the moment Yael Alexander spoke to her son Edan by phone just after he was freed from captivity in Gaza. The emotional exchange followed his release after nearly two years of being held by Hamas.
“You are strong. You are safe. You are home. We’ll see each other soon. I love you,” said Yael Alexander to her 21-year-old son, an IDF staff sergeant, as their voices finally reunited after 19 harrowing months apart.
In the background, friends and family could be heard erupting in elation, shouting “Oh my God!” as Yael was passed the phone to speak with her beloved Edan, who was finally free.
“You’re out, my dear. That’s it. I’m here waiting for you. Everything’s ok, you’re ok. You’re safe and you’re home, we’re going to meet soon. I love you my dear,” she said, her voice filled with relief and love. The Israel Defense Forces translated and shared the call on social media.
Edan, a dual Israeli-American citizen from New Jersey, was first handed over to Red Cross officials by Hamas before being transferred to the IDF and safely brought back across the border into Israel on Monday night, according to military officials.
He was the last surviving American to remain in Hamas captivity since the terror group launched its brutal October 7, 2023 assault that led to the kidnapping of hundreds.
{Matzav.com Israel}
Emotions run high as Edan meets his family for the first time in 1.5 years, and after unimaginable physical and emotional suffering at the hands of bloodthirsty terrorists.
The IDF releases footage of Edan being handed over by the Red Cross to his fellow soldiers
The first photo of Edan Alexander in IDF hands after being freed from 584 days in Hamas captivity.
While speaking to reporters after delivering a statement in Berlin today, President Isaac Herzog addressed ongoing developments in efforts to broaden peace in the Middle East.
“When we judge historical processes, we cannot just take a specific moment. We should take into account this week: we are looking at President Trump’s visit to the region, we are seeing the release of Edan Alexander, we know that there is an intense dialogue, and I really, truly, hope and pray every second that it will bear fruit. As I said, that’s the key to a major change,” President Herzog said.
He went on to express his personal aspirations regarding normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia. ”There is nothing I want more than to shake the hand of Sheikh Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, as a rapprochement between Jew and Muslim in the region. And I believe that this is the exact historical challenge. Are we moving towards the inclusion of Israel in the region? This is a historic process, which started with President Sadat in 1977, then with Jordan, then with the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco in the Abraham Accords. And what’s the next step? Or are we caving into radical forces who want to block it, and they’re using every possible way with the empire of evil from Tehran and their proxies?”
Herzog emphasized that despite the many obstacles, he remains convinced that the trend is pushing toward deeper regional integration with Israel. “I believe the historic movement is for inclusion of Israel in the region, and we should do everything possible, both employing our capabilities to defend ourselves and extending our hand for peace and dreaming of peace and reaching it. It’s not easy at all in the current circumstances, but that’s exactly why we’re standing here, to show that there’s possible hope.”
{Matzav.com}
British police on Monday were investigating an overnight fire at the London house where Prime Minister Keir Starmer lived before he was elected to lead the country. Since taking office in July, Starmer has lived in the prime minister’s official Downing Street residence, renting out the family home in the Kentish Town neighborhood. London’s Metropolitan Police force said that counterterrorism officers were involved in the investigation. Firefighters were called to “a small fire” just after 1 a.m. (0000 GMT or 8 p.m. EDT), the city’s fire department said. Two engines responded, and the blaze was out within a half-hour. Police said that officers who responded to the scene found damage “to the property’s entrance,” but that nobody was hurt. “The fire is being investigated and cordons remain in place while enquiries continue,” the police force said. A cordon of police tape was visible outside the house on Monday. Starmer’s house has attracted protesters in the past. Last year, three pro-Palestinian activists were arrested and charged with public order offenses after unfurling a banner covered in red handprints outside the building. Starmer’s spokesman, Dave Pares, said that “the prime minister thanks the emergency services for their work.” He said the fire “is subject to a live investigation, so I can’t comment any further.” (AP)
MK Tally Gotliv of the Likud party asserted on Monday that the redacted identity in the classified document transferred by IDF NCO Avi Rosenfeld to Eli Feldstein, an aide to Prime Minister Netanyahu, was none other than the head of Egyptian intelligence.
Speaking during a meeting of the Knesset’s State Control Committee, Gotliv addressed State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman with an impassioned outburst: “There was clearly a military coup here. It’s all written in the indictment against the NCO and Feldstein. The indictment paper says that the NCO wanted to pass on additional information regarding the involvement of X.”
She continued by rejecting the official explanation surrounding the incident. “They tried to claim that it’s this individual, but it turns out that it was the head of Egyptian intelligence. We must assume that there’s no way that 5,000 terrorists can infiltrate Israel,” she emphasized.
{Matzav.com}
In a major development for Orthodox Jewish families across the U.S., the House Ways and Means Committee has included the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA) in its section of the multi-trillion federal tax reconciliation package being considered by the House of Representatives. The proposed legislation would allocate $5 billion in annual federal tax credits to support scholarships that help cover private school tuition—including for yeshivos. The bill’s inclusion marks a key milestone for advocates of school choice, particularly in the Orthodox Jewish community where the cost of chinuch has long been a source of financial strain for families. If passed, ECCA could provide real tuition relief, offering scholarship assistance through Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) to families earning up to 300% of their area’s median income. “This is a major step forward for our community and for Jewish education,” Rabbi Avi Schnall, Agudas Yisrael’s Director of Federal Education Affairs and Assemblyman for New Jersey’s 30th District, said. “But we’re not at the finish line yet. We must remain focused and continue our efforts.” Agudah has been deeply involved in pushing the ECCA forward—meeting with lawmakers, organizing email campaigns, and encouraging frum Yidden to get involved. Thousands responded, and the resulting groundswell played a role in getting the bill this far. If enacted, the ECCA would allow individuals to receive federal tax credits in exchange for donations to SGOs. These organizations would, in turn, offer scholarships to help families cover yeshiva tuition, tutoring, special education services, and other educational expenses. Agudas Yisrael points out that while the bill has cleared an important hurdle, it still faces a full House vote and then a Senate battle. It is tied to the broader budget reconciliation process, which can be politically complex. Rabbi Schnall is encouraging continued involvement: “Now is not the time to sit back. We’re closer than we’ve ever been to real, meaningful change. But we need more tefillos, more outreach, and continued attention until this becomes law.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
President Isaac Herzog watched the release of Israeli-US hostage Edan Alexander on his phone in the final minutes of his meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin this afternoon.
President Donald Trump on Monday signed a sweeping executive order setting a 30-day deadline for drugmakers to electively lower the cost of prescription drugs in the U.S. or face new limits down the road over what the government will pay. The order calls on the health department, led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to broker new price tags for drugs over the next month. If deals are not reached, Kennedy will be tasked with developing a new rule that ties the price the U.S. pays for medications to lower prices paid by other countries. “We’re going to equalize,” Trump said during a Monday morning press conference. “We’re all going to pay the same. We’re going to pay what Europe pays.” It’s unclear what — if any — impact the Republican president’s executive order will have on millions of Americans who have private health insurance. The federal government has the most power to shape the price it pays for drugs covered by Medicare and Medicaid. Trump’s promised new — but uncertain — savings on drug prices, just hours after the Republican-led House released its new plan to trim $880 billion from Medicaid. Taxpayers spend hundreds of billions of dollars on prescription drugs, injectables, transfusions and other medications every year through Medicare, which covers nearly 70 million older Americans. Medicaid, which provides nearly-free health care for almost 80 million poor and disabled people in the U.S. also spends tens of billions of dollars each year for drugs. Top US drugmakers say Trump’s order is bad for patients The nation’s pharmaceutical lobby, which represents the top U.S. drugmakers, immediately pushed back against Trump’s order, calling it a “bad deal” for American patients. Drugmakers have long argued that any threats to their profits could impact the research they do to develop new drugs. “Importing foreign prices from socialist countries would be a bad deal for American patients and workers,” Stephen J. Ubl, the president and CEO of PhRMA, said in a statement. “It would mean less treatments and cures and would jeopardize the hundreds of billions our member companies are planning to invest in America.” Trump’s so-called “most favored nation” approach to Medicare drug pricing has been controversial since he first tried to implement it during his first term. He signed a similar executive order in the final weeks of his presidency, which called for the U.S. to only pay a lower price that other countries pay for some drugs — such as injectables or cancer drugs given through infusions — administered in a doctor’s office. That narrow executive order faced hurdles, with a court order that blocked the rule from going into effect under President Joe Biden’s administration. The pharmaceutical industry argued that Trump’s 2020 attempt would give foreign governments the “upper hand” in deciding the value of medicines in the U.S. Trump says other countries are to blame Trump repeatedly defended pharmaceutical companies, instead blaming other countries for the high price Americans pay for drugs, during a wide-ranging speech at the White House on Monday. The president was flanked by Kennedy, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. Marty Makary and National Institutes of Health director Jay Bhattacharya. He did, however, threaten the companies with federal investigations into their practices and opening up the U.S. drug market to bring in more imported medications from other […]
Col. Adi Ganon, Commander of the Israel Defense Force’s Golani Brigade, addressed his troops via radio tonight after the release Edan Alexander from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip. “Today, as we battle the same ruthless enemy, we learned of Edan’s release. Edan, who fought bravely that terrible morning, is returning home. The Golani family welcomes you back, is deeply moved by your return, and stands with you fully.”
A heartfelt moment occurred when Steve Witkoff passed the phone to Edan Alexander’s mother, enabling her to talk with her son for the first time since being kidnapped 583 days ago.
The decision by Hamas to hand over Israeli-American hostage Idan Alexander should not be seen as an act of mercy but rather as a calculated political step directed at the United States, according to Dr. Amnon Sofrin, a former head of the Mossad intelligence agency.
Speaking on Kan Moreshet, Dr. Sofrin asserted that the release was designed as a message to Washington, possibly crafted to influence President Donald Trump with an eye toward future negotiations. He emphasized that the timing was deliberate, pointing to Hamas’s desire to manipulate how it is perceived globally and to impact the tone of upcoming diplomatic interactions.
Dr. Sofrin also suggested that Hamas’s immediate objective is to secure more humanitarian aid and to push for the reopening of crossings along Gaza’s land borders.
Turning to the broader situation in Gaza and Hamas’s future, Dr. Sofrin painted a bleak picture. “There’s no good solution at this stage,” he stated. He acknowledged that the immediate threat to Israel has diminished — with no active rocket fire or infiltration attempts — but warned that the underlying challenges are far from over.
“Hamas is rebuilding itself, recruiting fighters, recycling explosives – and we are suffering casualties even after 19 months of fighting,” he cautioned. He concluded that while toppling Hamas militarily may eventually be necessary, such a move would come with significant costs.
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Matzav.com Israel}
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday described as “unfair” the decision by the Trump administration to suspend imports of Mexican beef cattle for 15 days due to the detection of screwworm in shipments. Sheinbaum, who has spent the past few months scrambling to offset tariff threats by U.S. President Donald Trump, said she hoped the suspension would not result in another economic blow for her country. “We do not agree with this measure,” she said at her morning press conference on Monday. “The Mexican government has been working an all fronts from the very first moment we were alerted to the screwworm.” The U.S. restricted Mexican cattle shipments in late November following the detection of the pest, but lifted the ban in February after protocols were put in place to evaluate the animals prior to entry into the country. But there has been an “unacceptable northward advancement” of the screwworm, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement Sunday. “The last time this devastating pest invaded the U.S. it took our livestock industry 30 years to recover,” U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on the X social media platform. “This can never happen again.” The screwworm is a larva of the Cochliomyia hominivorax fly that can invade the tissues of any warm-blooded animal, including humans. The parasite enters the skin, causing serious and life-threatening damage and lesions. Mexico’s Health Ministry issued an epidemiological warning this month after the first human case of screwworm myiasis, or parasitic infestation, was confirmed on April 17 in a 77-year-old woman living in the southern state of Chiapas. (AP)
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