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House Republicans unveiled the cost-saving centerpiece of President Donald Trump’s “ big, beautiful bill ” late Sunday, at least $880 billion in cuts largely to Medicaid to help cover the cost of $4.5 trillion in tax breaks. Tallying hundreds of pages, the legislation is touching off the biggest political fight over health care since Republicans tried to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, during Trump’s first term in 2017 — which ended in failure. While Republicans insist they are simply rooting out “waste, fraud and abuse” to generate savings with new work and eligibility requirements, Democrats warn that millions of Americans will lose coverage. A preliminary estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the proposals would reduce the number of people with health care by 8.6 million over the decade. “Savings like these allow us to use this bill to renew the Trump tax cuts and keep Republicans’ promise to hardworking middle-class families,” said Rep. Brett Guthrie of Kentucky, the GOP chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, which handles health care spending. But Democrats said the cuts are “shameful” and essentially amount to another attempt to repeal Obamacare. “In no uncertain terms, millions of Americans will lose their health care coverage,” said Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey, the top Democrat on the panel. He said “hospitals will close, seniors will not be able to access the care they need, and premiums will rise for millions of people if this bill passes.” As Republicans race toward House Speaker Mike Johnson’s Memorial Day deadline to pass Trump’s big bill of tax breaks and spending cuts, they are preparing to flood the zone with round-the-clock public hearings this week on various sections before they are stitched together in what will become a massive package. The politics ahead are uncertain. More than a dozen House Republicans have told Johnson and GOP leaders they will not support cuts to the health care safety net programs that residents back home depend on. Trump himself has shied away from a repeat of his first term, vowing there will be no cuts to Medicaid. All told, 11 committees in the House have been compiling their sections of the package as Republicans seek at least $1.5 trillion in savings to help cover the cost of preserving the 2017 tax breaks, which were approved during Trump’s first term and are expiring at the end of the year. But the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee has been among the most watched. The committee was instructed to come up with $880 billion in savings and reached that goal, primarily with the health care cuts, but also by rolling back Biden-era green energy programs. The preliminary CBO analysis said the committee’s proposals would reduce the deficit by $912 billion over the decade — with at least $715 billion coming from the health provisions. Central to the savings are changes to Medicaid, which provides almost free health care to more than 70 million Americans, and the Affordable Care Act, which has expanded in the 15 years since it was first approved to cover millions more. To be eligible for Medicaid, there would be new “community engagement requirements” of at least 80 hours per month of work, education or service for able-bodied adults without dependents. People would also have […]

U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Israeli officials have arrived at the initial receiving point in Re’im, where they will await the arrival of Edan Alexander.

The family of Rabbi Sholom Ber Lipskar zt”l, rov in Bal Harbour, Florida, concluded the shivah mourning period this week.

In the days following his petirah, expressions of grief and support poured in from across Florida and around the globe, as people remembered Rabbi Lipskar’s immense contributions and enduring legacy.

Among the many who came to offer condolences was U.S. Senator Rick Scott, who traveled to Florida immediately after casting a vote in Washington, D.C. He went straight to the shivah house, where he spent time with Rabbi Lipskar’s widow, Rebbetzin Chani Lipskar, and their family.

Senator Scott was joined by Rabbi Shneur Z. Oirechman, director of Chabad of the Panhandle. Others who came to pay their respects included Rabbi Aaron Lipskar, executive director of the Aleph Institute; Maor Elbaz Starinsky, Consul General of Israel in Miami; and Mark Rosenberg, executive director of Chesed Shel Emes.

Rabbi Lipskar was interred at the Old Montefiore Cemetery in Queens, New York. A matzeivah was erected at his gravesite, inscribed with highlights of a life lived with purpose and devotion.

The headstone notes his founding of the Landau Yeshiva in South Beach, his establishment and leadership of The Shul of Bal Harbour in Surfside, and his role in creating the Aleph Institute, an organization dedicated to serving Jewish inmates, military personnel, and their families.

The inscription includes two phrases that captured his essence: the Rebbe Maharash’s call to “Lechatchila Ariber”—to rise above obstacles rather than be deterred by them—and a favorite American motto of his: “Get it done.”

{Matzav.com}

President Trump departs for Saudi Arabia on his first official foreign trip of his second term.

NOW: Hamas has released a statement stating that they have released hostage soldier Edan Alexander. Red Cross vehicles are now making their way to the IDF Base in Gaza for the handover.

[COMMUNICATED]

A historic project is underway to rebuild the only mikvah taharah in Meron—serving every group in Klal Yisroel, in one of the holiest places on earth.

Of all places, you wouldn’t expect this. 

In Meron, the most visited Jewish site in the world, the only mikvah taharah has fallen into deep disrepair and is unfit for use. 

Each year, over a million people pour in, drawn by the kedusha of Reb Shimon.

And yet, just steps away, the only mikvah taharah stands in deep disrepair—its doors closed to those who need it most.

Surrounding Meron are thousands of families in Moshav Meron and nearby communities, some of whom have no other mikvah at all.

Beyond the locals, tens of thousands of women from every part of Klal Yisroel—Chassidish, Litvish, Sefardic, traditional, and secular—come hoping to fulfill this holy mitzvah.

Every night, tens, if not hundreds, of women hope to fulfill a mitzvah that has sustained Klal Yisroel for generations.

But with the mikvah unusable, many cannot. 

And tragically, for women not-yet fully observant, no local mikvah often means no taharah at all.

For the thousands living there and tens of thousands more who visit each year, a usable, welcoming mikvah is not a luxury—it’s a lifeline. 

This can no longer wait. This must be done.

Now, in an urgent and unprecedented initiative, Merkaz L’Taharas HaMishpacha is rebuilding Mikvah Taharah Meron from the ground up—under the direction of leading poskim, with the goal of completion within just three months.

The new mikvah will serve:

* The 1,000 residents of Moshav Meron

* Thousands more in surrounding yishuvim (who have no local mikvah)

* Over one million visitors annually 

And unlike any other mikvah in Eretz Yisroel, Mikvah Meron will serve the full spectrum of Klal Yisroel—from the most connected to the most distant.

The leaders of purity, the builders of worlds. 

This is not a first. 

Merkaz L’Taharas HaMishpacha has been preserving purity for over 83 years. Since 1942, the organization has restored or built more than 1,100 mikvaos across Israel. In community after community, mikvah usage doubles and even triples after a proper facility is built. This is how taharah becomes accessible and lasting.

Supported by Gedolei Yisroel throughout the generations, Merkaz’s work is guided by halachah and powered by those who understand that kedushah is the bedrock of our people.

As we prepare for Lag BaOmer, the urgency couldn’t be greater. 

This is Meron. This is Reb Shimon. This is the one and only mikvah taharah near the tzion of Rashbi. And this is your chance to help build it.

“Rashbi gave his very life for the purity of Am Yisrael. His merit will stand for anyone who strengthens the purity of our people in his place—to be bentched with yeshua and rachamim.”

—Rachmastrivka Rebbe Shlit”a

“Reb Shimon never leaves a debt unpaid. It is a tremendous zechus to become a partner in the purity of Am Yisrael, especially in the place of such a tzaddik.”

—Hagaon Hatzadik Harav Shimon Galei Shlit”a

“Surely his zechus will stand for all who help build this mikvah—they will see bracha, hatzlacha, and shefa in everything they do, because this is truly one of the greatest mitzvos.”

—Maran Rosh HaYeshiva Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch Shlit”a

Can there be a greater mitzvah, in a holier place, at a more special time?

This is Klal Yisroel’s project—and there’s a way for everyone to take part.

Donate $219 (the gematria of taharah)—or spread it out as a monthly gift of $18.25 for 12 months.

Dedicate a room or space in the mikvah as a zechus.

Or simply give whatever you can—any amount helps build the mikvah and open the wellspring of bracha.

However you can take part—you’ll be part of something historic. 

Build the mikvah. Unleash the bracha.

Join now
Taharas.org

info@taharas.org
(855) 824-2727

For dedications, call 732-333-1299

Edan Alexander has reportedly been transferred to Red Cross custody. The Red Cross will bring him to IDF forces in Gaza, who will bring him back to Israel.

First images from the Gaza Strip ahead of the handover of Edan Alexander from Hamas to the Red Cross. The Red Cross is reportedly waiting at the handoff location.

At an emotional event held by the Israeli Consulate in New York, former hostage Agam Berger took the stage before over a thousand attendees, delivering a powerful message about faith, identity, and resilience.

“I sacrificed myself in captivity to preserve who I am, and I never gave up my Jewish identity,” Berger declared. “In the final week before I was released, I was left completely alone. But I only grew stronger in my faith – because that’s what the Jewish people are. ‘And the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread.’ That is the spiritual strength of Am Yisrael. We possess an inner power not just to survive, but to thrive – especially in the face of persecution. They kidnapped me because I am a Jew. I gave everything to hold onto my essence, and I never let go of my Judaism. My freedom of choice cannot be taken – and neither can my Judaism.”

Berger recounted the terrifying moments of her abduction. “When the terrorists stormed the shelter, I whispered over and over the story of my life: ‘Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad.’ I fasted on every fast day while in captivity – Yom Kippur, Tisha B’Av, Ta’anis Esther – even when it wasn’t clear when the next meal would come. I refused to cook for my captors on Shabbos, and I wouldn’t eat meat because of kashrus. When I realized Pesach had arrived, I refused to eat chametz – even though pita was the main food. Saying tefillos each day is what kept me going and protected me.”

She described moments when they were able to listen to the radio and follow the Jewish calendar. “It was important for us to mark the holidays. We knew when Yom HaZikaron for IDF soldiers and victims of terror came. We lit a candle and stood for a minute of silence to honor our heroes who gave their lives for us. We sang Hatikvah. We hoped you were doing everything possible so that the line in the song ‘To be a free people in our land’ would be fulfilled – and that you would do everything for us.”

Berger issued a heartfelt plea to bring back the hostages still held by Hamas. “I will not rest, and I will not be silent until every last one of our captives returns to the holy land – to the country we built together to protect every Jew, no matter where they are. We have a right to live in this land – but we cannot move forward unless we bring all our hostages home. A Jew is a messenger of hope – so be those messengers of hope for our hostages.”

Consul General Ofir Akunis also spoke at the event, declaring: “We are committed to bringing every hostage home and defeating Hamas. To our enemies we say: You are failing – we are winning. We will never abandon our land or our capital, Yerushalayim.”

{Matzav.com}

While signing an executive that will slash prescription drug prices, President Trump heckles an ABC reporter at the same moment.

Residents jumped from the windows of a four-story apartment building in Milwaukee during a Mother’s Day fire that killed four people, critically injured four others and grew so intense that the blaze outmatched the first firefighters to arrive, authorities said. Ladder trucks were used to rescue other residents from windows while some firefighters inside the burning building crawled on hands and knees to get people out, Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski said Sunday. In all, about 30 people were rescued. Authorities have not said how the fire might have started. Lipski said the building did not have a sprinkler system and was built in 1968, predating a law that would have required one, according to the fire chief. “If we had sprinklers in the buidling we would have stopped the fire very, very small. We would not of had to have people jumping out of windows,” he said. Several other residents were treated for lesser injuries in the fire that began sometime before 8 a.m. The blaze rendered the 85-unit building uninhabitable, displacing an estimated 200 people. James Rubinstein, a resident in the building, said he jumped to the ground floor. “There was so much smoke. I climbed out the courtyard with my cat in my backpack,” Rubinstein told television station FOX6 Milwaukee. Emergency operaters received calls that people were trapped and jumping to escape. The first firefighters to arrive were “far, far outmatched” by intense flames, Lipski said. Authorities did not immediately release the identities or ages of the victims. Lipski said the fire began in a common area and spread to multiple floors. Eddie Edwards, another resident of the building, said he also jumped to escape. “I wasn’t thinking about nothing but getting away,” he told Milwaukee television station WISN. “Getting out and saving everyone’s life. It was a scary moment.” (AP)

President Trump on American citizen Edan Alexander being released by Hamas after being held hostage since October 7, 2023.

U.S. markets climbed sharply on Monday morning after a breakthrough in trade discussions between the White House and Beijing led to a temporary agreement to ease tariffs for a three-month period—a move that could signal a turning point in the ongoing economic standoff between the two global superpowers.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged by 1,044 points, marking a 2.5% gain. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 rose 2.9%, and the Nasdaq jumped 4%, fueled by investor optimism over the easing tensions.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the weekend negotiations in Switzerland as “very productive,” revealing that both countries had agreed to a 115% reduction in tariffs for 90 days.

This means that U.S. duties on Chinese goods will now stand at 30%, and China’s tariffs on American products have been scaled back to 10%.

A separate 20% import tax on Chinese goods, which President Trump linked to China’s role in fentanyl trafficking, will remain unchanged.

Bessent also hinted at the possibility of a more comprehensive trade deal being formed soon.

“I would imagine in the next few weeks we will be meeting again to get rolling on a more fulsome agreement,” Bessent told CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”

The tech sector reacted positively, with major gains among companies that manufacture or depend on low-cost Chinese production.

Apple, which assembles most of its iPhones in China, saw its stock rise 5.1%, while Amazon’s share price increased by 8.6%.

Other consumer electronics companies also enjoyed a boost. Dell Technologies jumped 7% on the news.

Retailers specializing in electronics, computers, and smart devices also surged. Best Buy’s stock climbed 8.1% during morning trading.

Carol Schleif, chief market strategist at BMO Private Wealth, said in a note, “The larger-than-expected drop in the tariffs between the US and China, while temporary, and the establishment of a framework for continued discussion, is exactly what the stock market was hoping to see.”

She added that the timing of the truce is ideal for the retail sector, which is gearing up for the crucial back-to-school and holiday shopping periods.

Before the announcement, businesses and consumers were bracing for heavy tariff-related expenses that could have sharply driven up prices on everything from tech gadgets to apparel and toys.

Even though the revised tariff levels still raise costs, they are far more manageable than the 145% levy Trump introduced last month—and China’s retaliatory 125% tax.

With the S&P 500 now sitting above where it was on April 2—the day Trump launched his aggressive “reciprocal” tariff initiative on what he dubbed “Liberation Day”—investors seem to be regaining some confidence.

“While the thawing in the trade war with China is a welcome sign, base level tariffs are still substantially higher than where they started, with some level of damage likely to work its way into the economic data in the months to come,” Schleif said.

The economic effects are already being felt. Gross domestic product contracted in the first quarter of 2025 as U.S. companies scrambled to import goods before the original tariff hikes took effect.

At the same time, Chinese exports to the U.S. have slowed significantly, and small businesses are reporting that higher costs have led to postponed or canceled inventory orders.

{Matzav.com}

The levaya for Tzvi Feldman hy”d, who was killed in the battle of Sultan Yacoub 43 years ago and whose body was retrieved from Syria yesterday in a clandestine IDF/Mossad operation.

POTUS: “The Houthis for the first time ever have ceased firing and they’ve let it be known that they’re not going to be firing at American ships anymore… Nobody was able to do it. We did.”

Magen David Adom has established its medical security headquarters in Meron, as it prepares for tens of thousands of visitors on Lag BaOmer

POTUS: “On Saturday, my Administration helped broker a full and immediate ceasefire — I think a permanent one — between India and Pakistan, ending a dangerous conflict of two nations with lots of nuclear weapons.”

British PM Keir Starmer says the UK risks “becoming an island of strangers” over mass migration.

Prime Minister’s Office said that Netanyahu thanked Trump for his role in freeing Edan Alexander. Trump reiterated his support for Israel and commitment to ongoing close collaboration with Netanyahu.