Israeli police arrested nine Jewish men on Monday after they attempted to bring a young goat onto Har HaBayis in what appears to have been an effort to bring a Korban Pesach on Pesach Sheini. The group, reportedly consisting of young men from Yerushalayim and Yehudah v’Shomron, was stopped near one of the entrances to Har HaBayis while carrying a goat hidden in a Rami Levy shopping bag. A confrontation ensued as the group tried to force their way past security forces stationed at the entrance. Footage of the incident shows one of the men chanting Shema as police restrained members of the group. A scuffle with a Muslim man near the gate was also captured in the video. The attempt took place on Monday, Pesach Sheini, the date when, in the times of the Beis Hamikdash, those who were tamei or otherwise unable to bring a Korban Pesach on Erev Pesach were given a second opportunity to fulfill the mitzvah. In recent years, groups advocating for the restoration of korbanos have made similar attempts to offer a Korban Pesach on this day, often facing arrests and police intervention. Police confirmed that the suspects were taken in for questioning and that the goat was transferred for veterinary care. Har HaBayis remains under strict halachic and legal restrictions, and mainstream poskim have unequivocally said that ascending Har Habayis today is assur. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
A dilapidated industrial site in the Czech Republic where German businessman Oskar Schindler saved 1,200 Jews during the World War II is coming back to life. The site, a former textile factory in the town of Brněnec, about 160 kilometers (100 miles) east of Prague, was stolen by the Nazis from its Jewish owners in 1938 and turned into a concentration camp. This weekend it welcomed the first visitors to the Museum of Survivors dedicated to the Holocaust and the history of Jews in this part of Europe. The opening was timed to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. It was also in May 1945 that Schindler received a golden ring from grateful Jewish survivors, made with gold taken from their teeth. The ring was inscribed with the Hebrew words from Talmud, saying “Whoever saves one life saves the world entire.” Schindler’s story was told in Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning movie, “Schindler’s List.” Daniel Löw-Beer was a driving force behind the project. His predecessors lived in this part of Czech Republic for hundreds of years, acquiring the plant in Brnenec in 1854 and turning it into one of Europe’s most important wool factories. “We had to flee for our lives, lost a bit of our history, so putting a little bit of history back to a place and hopefully bringing out as well the history of Oskar Schindler and the village is what we’re doing today,” Löw-Beer told The Associated Press. Today, his family members are scattered around the world. “I’m pleased to put a little bit, of course emotionally, of my family back in the place because they were survivors. My grandfather lived here, my father lived here, and then the world was shattered one day in 1938,” he said. Glass wall separates past and present The museum, housed in part of a renovated spinning mill, displays the history of Schindler, his wife Emilie, the Löw-Beer family and others linked to the area, together with the testimonies of Holocaust survivors. It includes a space for exhibitions, lectures, film screenings and concerts, as well as a café. A transparent glass wall between this part and the bigger, still ruined area behind it separates the present and history. “It’s a universal place of survivors,” Löw-Beer said. “We want those stories to be told and people to make their own opinions.” In 2019 Löw-Beer set up the Arks Foundation to buy the warehouse and turn it into a museum, investing money and renewing a partnership with the local community to revive the neglected site. The regional government contributed funds, while a grant from the European Union brought children from five European countries to Brněnec to come up with ideas that helped shape the museum design. The official opening on the weekend completed the first step but a lot remains to be done. The remaining buildings are still waiting to be fully restored. They include Schindler’s office where the town hall plans to create an information center, the barracks of the SS troops, which will provide more exhibition spaces, and the entire building of Schindler’s Ark where the Jewish prisoners lived and worked. Currently, the museum is not open on a daily basis and focuses on education activities for schools. Previous projects to restore the site failed due to a […]
President Donald Trump announced Sunday evening that he will be signing an executive order Monday that will force pharmaceutical companies to match the lowest global prices on prescription drugs for American consumers.
“I will be instituting a most favored nation’s policy whereby the United States will pay the same price as the nation that pays the lowest price anywhere in the world,” Trump declared.
In a lengthy Truth Social post, he expanded on the reasoning behind the decision:
For many years the World has wondered why Prescription Drugs and Pharmaceuticals in the United States of America were SO MUCH HIGHER IN PRICE THAN THEY WERE IN ANY OTHER NATION, SOMETIMES BEING FIVE TO TEN TIMES MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE SAME DRUG, MANUFACTURED IN THE EXACT SAME LABORATORY OR PLANT, BY THE SAME COMPANY???
It was always difficult to explain and very embarrassing because, in fact, there was no correct or rightful answer. The Pharmaceutical/Drug Companies would say, for years, that it was Research and Development Costs, and that all of these costs were, and would be, for no reason whatsoever, borne by the “suckers” of America, ALONE.
Campaign Contributions can do wonders, but not with me, and not with the Republican Party. We are going to do the right thing, something that the Democrats have fought for many years.
Therefore, I am pleased to announce that Tomorrow morning, in the White House, at 9:00 A.M., I will be signing one of the most consequential Executive Orders in our Country’s history.
Prescription Drug and Pharmaceutical prices will be REDUCED, almost immediately, by 30% to 80%. They will rise throughout the World in order to equalize and, for the first time in many years, bring FAIRNESS TO AMERICA!
I will be instituting a MOST FAVORED NATION’S POLICY whereby the United States will pay the same price as the Nation that pays the lowest price anywhere in the World.
Our Country will finally be treated fairly, and our citizens Healthcare Costs will be reduced by numbers never even thought of before. Additionally, on top of everything else, the United States will save TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
Trump also hinted that this announcement was among the most significant of his career on Truth Social.
“My next TRUTH will be one of the most important and impactful I have ever issued. ENJOY!” he posted just prior to the announcement.
The proposal primarily targets high-cost treatments provided through Medicare, including specialty infusions and injectable medications used for serious illnesses such as cancer. While its scope is limited, the financial implications for the government could be dramatic.
Medicare currently insures close to 70 million Americans aged 65 and older. For years, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have criticized the disproportionately high cost of U.S. prescription drugs, but bipartisan frustration has yet to yield a legislative breakthrough.
Under Trump’s plan, prices paid by Medicare would be benchmarked against those paid by economically comparable nations — the foundation of the “most favored nation” concept.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, in a recent interview on Newsmax, foreshadowed this move.
“The United States of America pays for drugs, and the rest of the world free rides,” Lutnick told “Rob Schmitt Tonight” in an exclusive interview. “You know how you can understand the rest of the world?
“We pay for the drug, and they pay the copay.
“They’re paying like the $10, $20, $30.”
Still, the pharmaceutical industry is expected to resist the policy aggressively.
Trump had pushed for a similar regulation during his presidency, signing an executive order near the end of his term. However, that effort was derailed by a court decision, and the policy was never implemented under the Biden administration.
An internal report from the Trump White House found that U.S. Medicare spending on these types of drugs was twice as high as in other developed nations. In 2021 alone, Medicare Part B expenditures on these drugs exceeded $33 billion.
{Matzav.com}
President Donald Trump is ready to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet as a gift from the ruling family of Qatar during his trip to the Middle East this coming week, and U.S. officials say it could be converted into a potential presidential aircraft. The Qatari government said a final decision hadn’t been made. Still, Trump defended the idea — what would amount to a president accepting an astonishingly valuable gift from a foreign government — as a fiscally smart move for the country. “So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane,” Trump posted on his social media site on Sunday night. “Anybody can do that!” ABC News reported that Trump will use the aircraft as his presidential plane until shortly before he leaves office in January 2029, when ownership will be transferred to the foundation overseeing his yet-to-be-built presidential library. The gift was expected to be announced when Trump visits Qatar, according to ABC’s report, as part of a trip that also includes stops in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the first extended foreign travel of his second term. Before Trump’s post trumpeting the idea, Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar’s media attaché, said in a statement that the “possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One is currently under consideration between Qatar’s Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense.” “But the matter remains under review by the respective legal departments, and no decision has been made,” the statement added. Meanwhile, administration officials, anticipating ethics concerns, have prepared an analysis arguing that accepting the plane would be legal, according to ABC. The Constitution’s Emoluments Clause bars anyone holding government office from accepting any present, emolument, office or title from any “King, Prince, or foreign State,” without congressional consent. One expert on government ethics, Kathleen Clark of the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, accused Trump of being “committed to exploiting the federal government’s power, not on behalf of policy goals, but for amassing personal wealth.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer poked fun at Trump’s “America first” political slogan. “Nothing says ‘America First’ like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar,” the New York Democrat said in a statement. “It’s not just bribery, it’s premium foreign influence with extra legroom.” Even some conservatives expressed dismay online, noting that an aircraft being offered by a foreign government could present security risks if used by a U.S. president. Air Force One is a modified Boeing 747. Two exist, and the president flies on both, which are more than 30 years old. Boeing Inc. has the contract to produce updated versions, but delivery has been delayed while the company has lost billions of dollars on the project. Trump intends to convert the Qatari aircraft into a plane he can fly on as president, with the Air Force planning to add secure communications and other classified elements to it. But it will still have more limited capabilities than the existing planes that were built to serve as Air Force One, as well as […]
Elon Musk, who chairs the Department of Government Efficiency Commission, acknowledged in a brief social media post that a preliminary version of President Donald Trump’s gold visa card program is currently underway. The visa, priced at $5 million, is being tested before a wider release.
“We’re doing a quiet trial to make sure the system works properly. Once it is fully tested, it will be rolled out to the public with an announcement by the President,” Musk wrote Sunday on X in response to a Wired report.
President Trump originally introduced the concept in February, promoting it as a strategy to bring affluent international investors into the U.S.
As reported by Newsweek, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick shared that the initiative had already drawn 250,000 applicants and seen the sale of 1,000 cards within a single week, resulting in $5 billion in revenue in just one day. He also mentioned that those who secure these visas would not be subject to U.S. taxes on income earned outside the country.
“It’s going to be a route to citizenship,” Trump said, “and wealthy people will be coming into our country by buying this card. They will be wealthy, they will be successful, they will be spending a lot of money and paying a lot of taxes.”
Lutnick, a key advocate of the plan, suggested to Wired that this new visa could serve as an alternative to the longstanding EB-5 investor visa program.
The EB-5 program, which dates back to a 1990 act of Congress, is the most comparable existing initiative. According to Wired, EB-5 permits about 10,000 foreign nationals annually to qualify for green cards through investments of $1.05 million—or $800,000 in underserved areas—as long as the funds support at least ten full-time jobs.
The EB-5 program was specifically structured to block “corrupt oligarchs to unfairly buy their way into the United States,” as noted in the report.
Doug Rand, who previously served as a senior adviser at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services during the Biden administration, stated, “There’s a whole unit in” U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services “filled with economists and national security experts” who review EB-5 applications.
Rand further remarked that the mountain of documentation involved in those applications was so excessive that it physically weighed down the building’s floors at USCIS headquarters.
It appears unlikely that Trump’s gold card program will be subject to such detailed review or oversight.
When Trump was asked in February whether a Russian oligarch would be able to obtain the visa, he reportedly responded from the Oval Office, “yeah, possibly, hey I know some Russian oligarchs that are very nice people.”
{Matzav.com}
President Donald Trump’s plan to change the pricing model for some medications is already facing fierce criticism from the pharmaceutical industry before he’s even signed the executive order set for Monday that, if implemented, could lower the cost of some drugs. Trump has promised that his plan — which is likely to tie the price of medications covered by Medicare and administered in a doctor’s office to the lowest price paid by other countries — will significantly lower drug costs. “I will be instituting a MOST FAVORED NATION’S POLICY whereby the United States will pay the same price as the Nation that pays the lowest price anywhere in the World,” the Republican president posted on social media on Sunday, pledging to sign the order on Monday morning at the White House. But the nation’s leading pharmaceutical lobby on Sunday pushed back, 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 will cut billions of dollars from Medicare with no guarantee that it helps patients or improves their access to medicines,” Stephen J. Ubl, the president and CEO of PhRMA, said in a statement. “It jeopardizes the hundreds of billions our member companies are planning to invest in America, making us more reliant on China for innovative medicines.” 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, but a court order later blocked the rule from going into effect under President Joe Biden’s administration. The pharmaceutical industry has argued that Trump’s 2020 attempt would give foreign governments the “upper hand” in deciding the value of medicines in the U.S. It’s likely that Trump’s executive order Monday will only impact drugs covered by Medicare Part B, the insurance for doctor’s office visits. Medicare beneficiaries are responsible for picking up some of the costs to get those medications during doctor’s visits, and for traditional Medicare enrollees there is no annual out-of-pocket cap on what they pay. A report by the first Trump administration found that the U.S. spends twice as much as some other countries in covering those drugs. Medicare Part B drug spending topped $33 billion in 2021. Trump has played up the announcement, saying it will save taxpayers big money. “Our Country will finally be treated fairly, and our citizens Healthcare Costs will be reduced by numbers never even thought of before,” Trump added. But many Americans won’t see the savings. Trump’s proposal would likely only impact certain drugs covered by Medicare and given in an office — think infusions that treat cancer, and other injectables. But it could potentially bring billions of dollars in savings to the government — not necessarily the “TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS” Trump boasted about in his post. Medicare provides health insurance for roughly 70 million older Americans. Complaints about U.S. drug prices being notoriously high, even when compared with other large and wealthy countries, have long drawn the ire of both major political parties, but a lasting fix has never cleared Congress. More common prescription drugs filled at a pharmacy would probably not be covered by […]
Ceasefire negotiations aimed at ending the war in Gaza will take place immediately after the release of US-Israeli hostage Eden Alexander, CNN reported on Monday. “We’re going to go into immediate peace deal negotiations,” a source knowledgeable about the talks between the US and Hamas said. The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing Arab sources, that indirect talks between Hamas and Israel are being held regarding the release of additional hostages, a ceasefire, and the resumption of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. According to these sources, Israel will send a delegation to Cairo later on Monday to participate in the negotiations. In response to the report, sources in Israel said, “The matter has not yet been agreed upon, but we are prepared for an immediate departure of a delegation if necessary.” Following the news on Sunday about Alexander’s impending release, Trump wrote on TruthSocial: “I am grateful to all those involved in making this monumental news happen. This was a step taken in good faith towards the United States and the efforts of the mediators — Qatar and Egypt — to put an end to this very brutal war and return ALL living hostages and remains to their loved ones. Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict. I look very much forward to that day of celebration!” Israeli senior officials have emphasized that the war in Gaza will continue following Alexander’s release. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, US officials told Israel that Alexander’s release is expected to lead to negotiations for a broader hostage release deal, according to the original Witkoff plan, which Israel has already accepted. “Under Israel’s policy,” the statement said, “negotiations will take place under fire, with a full commitment to achieving all the objectives of the war.” The Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement on Monday morning saying that Israel did not agree to a ceasefire or a release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Alexander’s release, but did agree to secure a safe passage for his release. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
U.S. and Chinese officials said Monday they had reached a deal to roll back most of their recent tariffs and call a 90-day truce in their trade war for more talks on resolving their trade disputes. Stock markets rose sharply as the globe’s two major economic powers took a step back from a clash that has unsettled the global economy. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the U.S. agreed to drop its 145% tariff rate on Chinese goods by 115 percentage points to 30%, while China agreed to lower its rate on U.S. goods by the same amount to 10%. Greer and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the tariff reductions at a news conference in Geneva. The two officials struck a positive tone as they said the two sides had set up consultations to continue discussing their trade issues. Bessent said at the news briefing after two days of talks that the high tariff levels would have amounted to a complete blockage of each sides goods, an outcome neither side wants. “The consensus from both delegations this weekend is neither side wants a decoupling,” Bessent said. “And what had occurred with these very high tariff … was an embargo, the equivalent of an embargo. And neither side wants that. We do want trade.” “We want more balanced trade. And I think that both sides are committed to achieving that.” China’s Commerce Ministry said the two sides agreed to cancel 91% in tariffs on each other’s goods and suspend another 24% in tariffs for 90 days, bringing the total reduction to 115 percentage points. The ministry called the agreement an important step for the resolution of the two countries’ differences and said it lays the foundation for further cooperation. “This initiative aligns with the expectations of producers and consumers in both countries and serves the interests of both nations as well as the common interests of the world,” a ministry statement said. China hopes the U.S will stop “the erroneous practice of unilateral tariff hikes” and work with China to safeguard the development of their economic and trade relations, injecting more certainty and stability into the global economy, the ministry said. The joint statement issued by the two countries said China also agreed to suspend or remove other measures it has taken since April 2 in response to the U.S. tariffs. China has increased export controls on rare earths including some critical to the defense industry and added more American companies to its export control and unreliable entity lists, restricting their business with and in China. The full impact on the complicated tariffs and other trade penalties enacted by Washington and Beijing remains unclear. And much depends on whether they will find ways to bridge longstanding differences during the 90-day suspension. But as trade envoys from the world’s two biggest economies blinked, finding ways to pull back from potentially massive disruptions to world trade and their own markets, investors rejoiced. Futures for the S&P 500 jumped 2.6% and for the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 2%. Oil prices surged more than $1.60 a barrel and the U.S. dollar gained against the euro and the Japanese yen. Jens Eskelund, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, welcomed the news but expressed caution. The tariffs only were suspended for […]
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a federal civil rights investigation into a Muslim-centered planned community around one of the state’s largest mosques near Dallas, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn said Friday. Cornyn requested the federal probe of the development last month, citing concerns it could discriminate against Christians and Jews. He announced in a post on X that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi had notified him of the investigation. The developers of the proposed planned community tied to the East Plano Islamic Center, which has not yet been built, have said they are being bullied because they are Muslim. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment or to confirm Cornyn’s announcement. A federal probe would further escalate pressure on the proposed EPIC City, which is already facing mounting criticism and multiple investigations from Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and other GOP state officials who claim the group is trying to create a Muslim-exclusive community that would impose Islamic law on residents. Among its chief critics is the state’s hard-right Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is challenging Cornyn for his Senate seat in 2026. “Religious discrimination and Sharia Law have no home in Texas,” Cornyn, of Texas, wrote in his post on X. “Any violations of federal law must be swiftly prosecuted, and I know under (President Donald Trump’s) administration, they will be.” Dan Cogdell, an attorney for EPIC City who defended Paxton in his 2023 impeachment trial when he was acquitted by the state Senate, said the developers have “done nothing illegal and we will cooperate fully with all investigations-regardless of how misguided and unnecessary they are.” The state investigations include whether the development is violating financial and fair housing laws and whether the mosque has conducted illegal funerals. Cogdell has said none of the investigations would be happening if the community was planned around a church or temple. The attacks on the project about Islamic law and other claims “are not only completely without merit and totally misleading but they are dangerous as well,” Cogdell said Friday. “These folks are US Citizens, law abiding and Texans.” The Council on American-Islamic Relations in the Dallas area also has criticized the state probes as bullying the Muslim community and a violation of constitutionally protected religious expression. Plans for the mixed-used development include more than 1,000 homes and apartments, a faith-based school for kindergarten through 12th grade, a community college, assisted living for older residents and athletics fields. EPIC City would be near the community of Josephine, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of Dallas. (AP)
Yael and Adi Alexander, residents of New Jersey, have been fighting for the release of their son, Eden, since he was abducted from his army base during the October 7 assault. The news that their son was to be immediately released caught his parents by complete surprise on Sunday. They were aware that the Trump administration was holding talks with Hamas about their son’s release but the breakthrough took them by surprise. “The entire family is now together on the way to Israel,” said Eden’s father, Adi Alexander. ” We were completely surprised to receive the call from Witkoff. We knew about the talks, but not about such a dramatic development. It’s very symbolic and moving to receive this news, especially on Mother’s Day.” After being informed of the news by US special envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff, Eden’s family took off to Israel from the US on Sunday night, accompanied by US hostage deal Adam Boehler. They are expected to arrive in Israel at 2 p.m. Boehler wrote on X on Sunday evening: “On this Mother’s Day, it is my honor to travel with Edan Alexander’s mom, Yael for reunion of her son from Hamas. Thank you President Trump for your commitment to bringing all Americans home.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
The Hamas terror organization on Monday morning announced that US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander will be released on Monday, but did not disclose the time and location. The Trump administration is exploring the possibility that, following Alexander’s release, US special envoy Steve Witkoff will fly him and his parents to Qatar to meet President Trump, Ynet reported. However, such a scenario is dependent on Alexander’s condition upon his release. A hostage release ceremony will not be held before Alexander is handed over to the Red Cross, a Hamas official told AFP. IDF forces are preparing to secure a safe passage in Gaza for Alexander’s release. A senior Israeli source said: “We’re preparing to receive Edan Alexander sometime today. But in the meantime, we have no specific information about either the location or the time.” “We have completed preparations for his reception in Israel according to the protocol for receiving hostages. Contact has already been made with the Red Cross, which will receive him according to the familiar procedure. Red Cross vehicles will enter the collection point, transfer him to the perimeter, and hand him over to IDF forces. From there, he will be transferred to Re’im, meet his family, and be airlifted to a hospital for examinations. The full details of his handover to the Red Cross and the transfer to IDF forces have not yet been finalized. We will ensure a safe passage for his release.” Alexander will be transferred to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv after his release. The Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement on Monday morning saying that Israel did not agree to a ceasefire or a release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Alexander’s release, but did agree to secure a safe passage for his release. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
People taking Eli Lilly’s obesity drug, Zepbound, lost nearly 50% more weight than those using rival Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy in the first head-to-head study of the blockbuster medications. Clinical trial participants who took tirzepatide, the drug sold as Zepbound, lost an average of 50 pounds (22.8 kilograms) over 72 weeks, while those who took semaglutide, or Wegovy, lost about 33 pounds (15 kilograms). That’s according to the study funded by Lilly, which was published Sunday in the New England Journal of Medicine. Both drugs are part of a new class of medications that work by mimicking hormones in the gut and brain that regulate appetite and feelings of fullness. But tirzepatide targets two such hormones, known as GLP-1 and GIP, while semaglutide targets GLP-1 alone, said Dr. Louis Aronne, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medicine. “Two drugs together can produce better weight loss,” said Aronne, who led the study and presented the findings Sunday at the European Congress on Obesity in Spain. While tirzepatide won out in what Aronne said many view as “a drag race of efficacy,” both are important tools for treating obesity, which affects about 40% of American adults. “The point of these medications is to improve health,” he said. “The majority of people won’t need the most effective medication.” The trial included 751 people from across the U.S. who were overweight or had obesity and at least one other weight-related health problem, but not diabetes. Participants received weekly injections of the highest tolerated doses of Zepbound, either 10 milligrams or 15 milligrams, or Wegovy, 1.7 milligrams or 2.4 milligrams. By the end of the trial, those who took Zepbound lost about 20% of their body weight on average, compared with a nearly 14% loss for those who took Wegovy. The tirzepatide group trimmed about 7 inches (17.8 centimeters) from their waist circumference, compared to about 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) with semaglutide. In addition, nearly 32% of people taking Zepbound lost at least a quarter of their body weight, compared to about 16% of those taking Wegovy, the study found. Weight loss was about 6% lower in men than in women in both groups, the authors noted. As participants in both groups lost more weight, they saw improvements in health markers such as blood pressure, blood fat and blood sugar levels. More than three-quarters of patients taking both drugs reported at least one side effect, mostly mild to moderate gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, constipation, diarrhea and vomiting. About 6% of participants taking Zepbound left the trial because of adverse events, compared with 8% of those taking semaglutide. The GLP-1 drugs have become increasingly popular, with at least 1 in 8 U.S. adults reporting their use, according to a 2024 survey by KFF, a independent health policy research organization. Zepbound generated $4.9 billion in global sales last year. Wegovy brought in nearly $8.8 billion (58.2 billlion Danish kroner). Access and affordability have limited wider use of the drugs. Tirzepatide and semaglutide were removed recently from a list of drug shortages by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Both manufacturers recently released programs that cut costs to about $500 per month or less, depending on the dose. Other factors can affect access. This week, CVS Health said Wegovy will become the preferred option […]
Likud MK Tally Gotliv and Deputy Minister Almog Cohen (Otzma Yehudit) sent an official request to State Attorney Amit Aisman on Sunday morning demanding an immediate criminal investigation against Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. The demand comes in the wake of reports that Baharav-Miara committed an “offense of fraud and breach of trust at the most severe level,” by hiding a romantic relationship, which, according to them, lasted over six years, with state witness in the Netanyahu trial, Jackie Ashel. Their letter states: “The Attorney General, who heads the criminal prosecution system, acted in a way that amounts to an act of fraud and breach of trust that harms the public, at the most severe level. The personal connection she maintained with a key state witness is a clear conflict of interest, which would have required her to refrain from any involvement in this case.” They also wrote that Baharav-Miara did not report the relationship in the conflict of interest document submitted to the search committee prior to her appointment to her position, nor did she declare it throughout her tenure. “This is a serious criminal act that harms public trust,” they wrote. “This cannot be ignored.” They forwarded the request to Justice Minister Yariv Levin, chairman of the Constitution Committee Simcha Rothman, and Police Commissioner Danny Levy. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Holocaust survivor Magda Baratz a”h, was niftar at age 96 just days after learning of the petirah of her beloved great-grandson, Master Sergeant Asaf Cafri Hy”d, who fell in battle while defending Israel in Gaza. Baratz, a survivor of both Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, was in Germany as the guest of honor at a Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony marking 80 years since the liberation of the infamous Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, when the tragic news was delivered. Her grandson Hagai, the father of Asaf, had accompanied her on the trip. He received word of his son’s death shortly after their arrival. Asaf, 26, a resident of Beit Hashmonai and a reserve soldier in the IDF’s Armored Corps, was killed by sniper fire from a Hamas terror cell in Beit Hanoun. His unit came under heavy enemy fire, including sniper fire and anti-tank missile attacks, leaving three others wounded. “She faded after that,” her son Ehud Baratz said of Magda following her return from Germany. “But it meant everything to her that she was able to return to Bergen-Belsen with three generations of her family. That was her victory over the Nazis — to show that she had survived, built a family in Eretz Yisrael, and raised doros who are moser nefesh for Am Yisrael.” Magda had a particularly close kesher with Asaf, who she often praised as a source of nachas and pride. “She said it was deeply painful, but she was proud — proud that he stood up when his people needed him, just as she had done in her own way decades earlier,” Ehud recalled. Born in Hungary, Magda endured unimaginable suffering during the Holocaust. She was deported to Auschwitz, survived the death march to Bergen-Belsen, and built a new life after liberation. She worked as a ganenet for many years and then helped her husband in his small metal workshop, all while raising a beautiful Torah-true family in Bat Yam. In 2020, she was photographed alongside Asaf for Rishon Lezion’s Holocaust memorial campaign. The caption read simply: “Magda’s personal victory.” The campaign sought to show how survivors rebuilt their lives — and Magda was its embodiment. Mayor Raz Kinstlich noted the painful symbolism of her great-grandson falling in Gaza on Yom HaShoah. “The past and present merged in the most heartbreaking way,” he said. “Her story reminds us of the power of Jewish survival — and the price we still pay for our right to live as Jews in our Land.” Asaf was the oldest of four brothers — Yoav, Itai, and Idan. He was studying engineering at Ariel University and had already completed three rounds of reserve duty. On October 7, without hesitation, he donned his uniform and ran to the front lines. “He said this was his generation’s turn to protect Klal Yisrael,” said his aunt, Hadas. “He stayed in Gaza even over Pesach, missing the Seder. We had a Zoom with him, sent pictures, but his absence was felt at the table.” Just hours before his petirah, he spoke with his kallah, Lihi. “She kept hoping, kept davening — but then the knock came,” said Hadas. Magda Baratz leaves behind three children, ten grandchildren, and seventeen great-grandchildren. Among them, a soldier who gave his life al kiddush Hashem. Their stories are one — from the ashes […]
During an appearance on this week’s “Fox News Sunday,” Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) asserted that the Iranian leadership lives in fear of President Donald Trump.
Host Shannon Bream brought up the ongoing negotiations with Iran, currently being led by U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff, and cited a recent statement he made to Breitbart: “We’ve stated our position the Iranians cannot have a bomb. They have stated back to us that they don’t want one. So we’re going to for the purposes of this discussion take them at their word that that’s actually how they feel. Do you take them at their word?”
Responding to that, Cotton said, “He’s been very clear what President Trump’s position is. Iran cannot have the ability to enrich uranium. That’s really the critical path to getting a nuclear weapon. So they can’t have centrifuges. They can’t enrich uranium at all. Because if you enrich to any level, you can ultimately enrich to weapons-grade levels. That’s the unified position of the American government. That’s been our position for many years. And again, that’s the example of what strong American leadership looked like. That would be a good, strong deal.”
Cotton then contrasted the current policy with that of the Obama administration, saying, “Barack Obama’s deal allowed them to have centrifuges and a vast nuclear infrastructure to enrich uranium. What you see here is the difference between, on the one hand, President Trump’s America first approach, which recognizes the mortal threat that a nuclear Iran poses to the United States, and what you might call the blame America first mindset, which blames America for the tensions we have with Iran, says that, well, a bad deal is better than going to war, and that’s our only other choices. That’s what Barack Obama used to say. President Trump rejects that mindset. He believes it’s possible to get a deal with Iran because of the pressure we’ve put on them, because of the economic pressure we’ve put on them, and because frankly the ayatollahs are scared to death of Donald Trump, and they have been for eight years. That’s why they tried to kill him last year on the campaign trail.”
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Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu vowed on Sunday to return all of the country’s hostages and missing people, speaking at a Cabinet meeting after security forces returned the remains of an Israel Defense Forces soldier that had been missing since the 1982 First Lebanon War.
“I just returned from visiting the family of Sgt. 1st Class Tzvika Feldman, of blessed memory, an IDF Armored Corps fighter who fell in battle at Sultan Yacoub 43 years ago,” said the prime minister ahead of his government’s weekly Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem.
“For these 43 years, Tzvika was considered missing in action, and if you remember, there were two of his comrades as well: Zechariah Baumel, of blessed memory, and Yehuda Katz. We worked for years to bring them back,” he stated, noting that Katz remains unaccounted for.
“I can say that as prime minister, I approved many operations, many missions, many avenues we explored to find out what happened to them and to bring them home, as we understood they fell in battle,” he said.
“I say to you today that we are also working to bring back Yehuda Katz, and all our hostages and missing. It isn’t just lip service—it’s a massive effort by all Israeli security and intelligence agencies,” he continued.
“I especially want to thank the coordinator for the captives and missing in the Prime Minister’s Office, Gal Hirsch, who is doing a wonderful job. And praise God, we did it. Now we can say: ‘They shall return from the enemy’s land, and Your children shall return to their own borders,’” concluded the premier, citing from the biblical book of Jeremiah.
Fifty-nine abductees remain captive in Gaza, according to official Israel Defense Forces figures. It is believed that up to 24 of them are still alive, with heavy question marks over one Israeli and two foreign nationals. JNS
{Matzav.com Israel}
US hostage envoy Adam Boehler seen escorting Edan Alexander’s mother to Israel ahead of her son’s slated release on Monday.
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