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The Petach Tikvah community is mourning the passing of Rabbi Avraham Chaim Grossman zt”l, a beloved askan and baal chessed who was a pillar of chessed and Torah in the city. He was 70 years old.

Rabbi Grossman passed away following a brief and sudden illness, having suffered from pulmonary edema.

His levayah took place Monday evening, departing from his home in Petach Tikvah to the Segulah Cemetery, where he was laid to rest.

Born on 8 Iyarin 1954, Rabbi Grossman was the a of Reb Yitzchok Dovid Grossman zt”l, founder of the Gan Construction Company, and tbl”c Mrs. Pesia Grossman.

As a bachur, he learned in Yeshivas Kol Torah in the Bayit Vegan neighborhood of Yerushalayim and later in Yeshivas Grodna in Ashdod.

He married a daughter of Reb Yaakov Weissehaus and together they built a home of Torah and chessed in the Kfar Avraham neighborhood of Petach Tikvah. Rabbi Grossman was widely known as a man of deep yiras Shamayim, a lover and supporter of talmidei chachamim, and a tzurba meiRabbanan.

In his youth, he was close to the Gerrer Rebbe, the Beis Yisroel zt”l, and later developed close ties with other gedolim, including the famed mekubal Baba Elazar Abuchatzeira zt”l of Be’er Sheva.

Throughout his life, Rabbi Grossman devoted himself to supporting others. He established numerous shiurim and initiatives for the needy, including being one of the founding members of the Kol HaDaf program over four decades ago.

He gave of himself—physically and financially—for countless acts of chessed. He was particularly known for his involvement in shidduchim, where he invested tremendous effort to help finalize engagements that had stalled, often stepping in to resolve complicated or sensitive situations with heart and wisdom.

He accepted his suffering in recent times with emunah and bitachon, living every day with quiet devotion and trust in Hashem.

Rabbi Grossman is survived by his family, including his sons R’ Yisroel, R’ Tzvi, and R’ Mordechai, all known for their own acts of chessed.

He is also survived by his brothers, R’ Nati Grossman, editor of HaPeles, and R’ Eli Grossman.

The family is sitting shivah at the Grossman home, located at 3 Rechov HaMeginim in Petach Tikvah.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com Israel}

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Moshe Roth zt”l, one of the roshei yeshiva of Yeshivas Toras Yaakov in the Kiryat Herzog neighborhood of Bnei Brak. He was 61.

The heartbreaking news came from Maayanei HaYeshuah Hospital in Bnei Brak late Monday night.

Rav Roth was known for his mesirus nefesh in harbatzas haTorah, dedicating his life to teaching Torah and nurturing talmidim with unwavering devotion and care.

Rav Roth was born on 24 Kislev in 1963 to his father, Rabbi Yaakov Roth, and his mother, Mrs. Tova.

From a young age, his brilliance and diligence in learning were apparent. He learned in Yeshivas Kol Torah in Bayit Vegan, Yerushalayim, where he excelled in his limudim. He was part of the first kibbutz  at the renowned Yeshivas Or Yisrael in Petach Tikvah.

Upon reaching marriageable age, he married the daughter of Rav Nosson Cohen zt”l, the revered mashgiach of Yeshivas Kiryas Melech and Yeshivas Ohel Yaakov in Bnei Brak.

For many years, Rav Roth devoted himself fully to the sacred mission of spreading Torah and instilling yiras Shamayim in his talmidim. He served as one of the roshei yeshiva at Yeshivas Toras Yaakov, under the leadership of Rav M. Tzivion. Rav Roth was known for his immense dedication to the yeshiva and its talmidim, never sparing any effort.

He leaves behind a dor yesharim mevorach, a beautiful Torah family of nine children, all raised in the path of Torah v’yirah.

The levayah took place this morning, departing from Yeshivas Toras Yaakov, located on Rechov Meshulam Roth in Kiryat Herzog, Bnei Brak.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com Israel}

U.S. Vice President JD Vance held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday as New Delhi looks to avoid American tariffs, negotiate a bilateral trade deal with Washington and strengthen ties with the Trump administration. Vance, who is on a largely personal four-day visit to India, met with Modi at his residence in New Delhi and the two leaders “reviewed and positively assessed the progress in various areas of bilateral cooperation,” Modi’s office said in a statement. They also “welcomed the significant progress” in the negotiations of an expected trade deal between the two countries, the statement said. The White House in a statement said that Vance and Modi set the terms for ongoing talks, “laying down a roadmap for further discussions.” It’s a sign that talks are moving forward but remain far from finalized, though Trump administration officials also spoke with their counterparts from India in a sign of the high level of engagement. The Trump administration has portrayed its strategy of tariffs as forcing negotiations that could limit the reach and influence of China, the world’s dominant manufacturer. The U.S. is India’s largest trading partner and the two countries are now holding negotiations aiming to seal a bilateral trade agreement this year. They have set an ambitious target of more than doubling their bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030. If achieved, the trade deal could significantly enhance economic ties between the two countries and potentially strengthen diplomatic ties as well. Vance’s first visit to New Delhi came amid the backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump’s partially-paused tariff program against most countries, including India. Earlier in April, Trump announced a 90-day pause in which imports from most countries would face a baseline 10% tax so that there was time to hold talks and possible structure broader deals. Trump has been personally involved in talks with Japan, but India’s size and potential enable it to possible be a counterbalance to China, which is New Delhi’s main rival in the region. Vance is set to deliver a speech on Tuesday from Rajasthan International Centre in Jaipur, India, where he may provide more details on the trade talks. Modi’s office said that the two leaders “noted continued efforts towards enhancing cooperation in energy, defense, strategic technologies and other areas” and “exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest, and called for dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward.” Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Monday that Vance’s visit will “further deepen the India–U.S. comprehensive global strategic partnership.” Vance combines business with pleasure Vance was greeted with an Indian classical dance performance after he arrived at New Delhi’s Palam airport on Monday, following his visit to Rome, where he met with Pope Francis on Easter Sunday, a day before the pontiff’s death. Vance was accompanied by his wife, Usha Vance, a practicing Hindu whose parents are from India, along with their three children and officials from the U.S. administration. The family visited a Hindu temple in New Delhi after their arrival and are expected to tour the iconic Taj Mahal monument and the 12th-century Amer Fort — a UNESCO world heritage site — during their trip. India’s importance in counterbalancing China’s influence India is a close partner of the U.S. and an important strategic ally in combating the rising influence of China […]

Qatar and Egypt have reportedly put forward a fresh initiative aimed at halting the conflict in Gaza and securing the release of the remaining hostages, according to a report published Tuesday by the BBC, which cited a high-level Palestinian Arab source involved in the negotiations.

The proposed arrangement, as outlined in the report, includes a ceasefire lasting five to seven years, the return of all Israeli hostages currently held by Hamas, the release of Palestinian Arab prisoners incarcerated in Israeli facilities, a formal declaration ending the war, and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

According to the official who spoke to the BBC, Hamas has expressed readiness to relinquish control of Gaza, suggesting that governance could be transferred to “any Palestinian entity agreed upon at the national and regional level.” The source said this might mean the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of Judea and Samaria, or potentially a newly established administrative council.

Describing the current round of talks as “serious,” the official emphasized that the terrorist group had demonstrated “unprecedented flexibility” in its stance.

This development comes after Hamas last week rejected an Israeli offer that required the group to disarm in exchange for a temporary six-week ceasefire.

Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas figure leading its negotiation team, criticized the Israeli proposal, stating: “Netanyahu set impossible conditions for a deal that does not lead to the end of the war or full withdrawal. He and his government violated the agreement before its first phase ended.”

He continued, “We are prepared to immediately hold true negotiations for the release of the captives that we hold in return for an agreed-upon number of prisoners being held by the occupation. The occupation in return must totally stop the war and totally withdraw from the Gaza Strip,” he demanded.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian announced on Monday that his country is open to striking a deal with the United States—provided that Iran’s core interests are safeguarded.

“We are ready for an agreement within a defined framework and while ensuring our national interests,” Pezeshkian said during a gathering in Tehran, according to a report from the Xinhua news agency.

He warned, however, that Iran would not accept any deal in which it was treated unfairly. “If they (US representatives) refrain from negotiating with us on equal terms, we will continue on our own path.”

Pezeshkian echoed the cautious tone often voiced by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, clarifying that Iran approaches the negotiations without bias. He remarked that the country is “neither optimistic nor pessimistic” about the outcome.

Reinforcing Iran’s firm posture, he added that the Islamic Republic is not looking to provoke any confrontations but will push back against any threats. “We do not want confrontation with anyone, but we will not tolerate pressure or bullying,” he said.

The Iranian president’s remarks came after the latest round of indirect negotiations with American officials, which took place Saturday in Rome, following earlier talks in Oman.

Officials involved have described both meetings as “constructive.”

President Donald Trump has said that while he would prefer to resolve the nuclear issue through diplomacy, he has not dismissed the possibility of using military force if needed.

“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 told reporters from the Oval Office two weeks ago.

When asked about a timeline for reaching an agreement 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.”

In earlier comments, the President issued a stark warning to Tehran: “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.”

{Matzav.com}

Two lawsuits filed in Los Angeles allege major home insurance companies have colluded to limit coverage in California communities at high risk for wildfires and force homeowners onto the state’s last-resort insurance plan that offers basic coverage and high premiums. Insurers, including State Farm and 24 other companies that hold 75% of California’s home insurance market, were part of an “illegal scheme” in violation of California’s antitrust and unfair competition laws, according to one of the lawsuits, filed last week. The lawsuit said the companies worked together in 2023 to “suddenly and simultaneously” drop coverage or halt writing new policies in fire-prone areas, including in neighborhoods like Pacific Palisades and Altadena that were leveled in the January wildfires that destroyed nearly 17,000 structures and killed at least 30 people. That has forced hundreds of homeowners onto the FAIR Plan that offers limited coverage capping at $3 million, leaving them underinsured and now struggling to rebuild after the fires, says the lawsuit filed by a group of homeowners who lost their houses in the LA fires. The other lawsuit includes all policyholders who obtained the FAIR Plan after January 2023, when the conspiracy allegedly began, the suit says. “Insurance is a product that homeowners hope never to need, but rely on for peace of mind in normal times and for critical help rebuilding after a catastrophe,” Michael J. Bidart, who represents the homeowners, said in a statement. “The complaints allege that, by colluding to push plaintiffs and so many like them to the FAIR Plan, the defendants have reaped the benefits of high premiums while depriving homeowners of coverage that they were ready, willing, and able to purchase to ensure that they could recover after a disaster like January’s wildfires.” The lawsuits come as California is struggling with an ongoing insurance crisis, where companies are boosting rates, limiting coverage or pulling out completely from regions susceptible to wildfires and other natural disasters. In 2023, several major insurance companies either paused or restricted new business in the state, saying they can’t truly price the risk on properties as wildfires become more common and destructive due to climate change. The American Property Casualty Insurance Association, the largest national trade association representing home, auto and business insurers, said it complies with the state’s antitrust laws and monitors its members to ensure they do the same. “These suits defy logic, advance meritless claims, and we are going to focus on solving the challenges in the insurance market in California,” said Stef Zielezienski, the group’s chief legal officer. The state Department of Insurance said it is not involved in the suits but said its focus is on protecting consumers. “Californians deserve a system that works — one where decisions are made openly, rates reflect real risk, and no one is left without options,” department spokesperson Gabriel Sanchez said in a statement. State Farm, the largest home insurer in California with roughly a million policies, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. The FAIR Plan is an insurance pool that all the major private insurers pay into. The plan issues policies to people who can’t get private insurance because their properties are deemed too risky to insure. The plan, with high premiums and basic coverage, is designed as a temporary option until homeowners can find permanent coverage, […]

Coast District police from the Hadera station arrived at the beach early Tuesday morning and renewed the search for the victim who was attacked by sharks on Monday. The victim is a resident of Petach Tikvah in his 40s, married and a father of four, who stopped to fish on his way home from work in northern Israel on Monday. His identity was confirmed after his possessions were found on the beach and his truck was located nearby. Along with the police officers, who are deployed along the beach, additional forces are participating in the search – the IDF, volunteers, municipal patrol inspectors, ZAKA, MDA, firefighters, the Nature and Parks Authority, and others. The police continue to issue warnings to refrain from entering the water in this area, or from other beaches that were closed following the attack, from Hadera to Poleg beach in Netanya. Dr. Adi Barash, a marine biologist with the Sharks in Israel nonprofit and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History at Tel Aviv University, told Ynet that the Hadera incident was largely due to human behavior: “The water conditions — depth, current, visibility — were unsuitable for swimming and a large number of people clustered around the sharks, which is dangerous and prohibited.” She mentioned multiple instances in which swimmers pulled sharks’ tails or entered the water holding children to “play” with them. Videos of swimmers, including children, standing in close proximity to sharks in the days before the attack have been circulating on Israeli social media since the tragic incident. “This is peak feeding season for the sharks, due to increased fish deaths from warming waters and recent holiday rains,” Barash said. “Authorities must take steps to prevent harmful interactions and ensure the safety of these protected animals.” Eliran Ovadia, a veteran diving instructor, dived on Sunday in the same area on the Hadera coast where the man was attacked. He told Ynet that the sharks come there “because there is warm water, currents, food. There are all the conditions for a habitat for an animal of this kind.” He added, “I’ve been taking organized dives there for 13 years as part of my diving school. We take out a lot of people in the winter, dive with them, and there has never been an incident like this.” According to him, the sharks in the Hadera area are well known to divers and can be safely approached, as long as basic safety rules are observed. “For 13 years, we have been diving there with groups and the sharks pass freely by us, at a distance of 10 centimeters, half a meter. They ignore us, sometimes a little curious, but never opened their mouths or tried to attack,” he said. He stressed the importance of maintaining distance from sharks, warning to refrain from feeding them: “A shark does not know how to distinguish between the hand that gave him food and the food itself.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Walgreens has agreed to pay up to $350 million in a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, who accused the pharmacy of illegally filling millions of prescriptions in the last decade for opioids and other controlled substances. The nationwide drugstore chain must pay the government at least $300 million and will owe another $50 million if the company is sold, merged, or transferred before 2032, according to the settlement reached last Friday. The government’s complaint, filed in January in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that Walgreens knowingly filled millions of illegal prescriptions for controlled substances between August 2012 and March 2023. These include prescriptions for excessive opioids and prescriptions filled significantly early. “We strongly disagree with the government’s legal theory and admit no liability,” Walgreens spokesperson Fraser Engerman said in a statement. “This resolution allows us to close all opioid related litigation with federal, state, and local governments and provides us with favorable terms from a cashflow perspective while we focus on our turnaround strategy.” Amid slumping store visits and shrinking market share, Walgreens announced it was closing 1,200 stores around the country last October. Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy at the end of 2023 as it was also dealing with losses and opioid lawsuit settlements. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a similar lawsuit against CVS in December. The complaint says Walgreens pharmacists filled these prescriptions despite clear red flags that the prescriptions were highly likely to be invalid, and the company pressured its pharmacists to fill them quickly. The government alleges Walgreen’s compliance officials ignored “substantial evidence” that its stores were filling unlawful prescriptions and withheld important information on opioid prescribers from its pharmacists. Walgreens then allegedly sought payment for many of the invalid prescriptions through Medicare and other federal healthcare programs in violation of the False Claims Act, according to the government. The U.S. Justice Department has moved to dismiss its complaint in light of Friday’s settlement. “Pharmacies have a legal responsibility to prescribe controlled substances in a safe and professional manner, not dispense dangerous drugs just for profit,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi in a statement. “This Department of Justice is committed to ending the opioid crisis and holding bad actors accountable for their failure to protect patients from addiction.” Walgreen has also entered into an agreement with the Drug Enforcement Administration to improve its compliance with rules around dispensing controlled substances, maintain policies and procedures requiring pharmacists to confirm the validity of controlled substance prescriptions, and maintain a system for blocking prescriptions from prescribers that are producing illegitimate prescriptions. With the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Walgreen has agreed to establish and maintain a compliance program that includes training, board oversight, and periodic reporting to the agency regarding the pharmacy’s dispensing of controlled substances. “In the midst of the opioid crisis that has plagued our nation, we rely on pharmacies to prevent not facilitate the unlawful distribution of these potentially harmful substances,” said Norbert E. Vint, Deputy Inspector General of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, in a statement. The settlement resolves four cases brought by former Walgreens employee whistleblowers. In 2022, CVS and Walgreens agreed to pay more than $10 billion in a multi-state settlement of lawsuits brought against them over the toll of the […]

The Conservative movement in Israel led a fake campaign on Israeli streets in the name of Gedolei Yisrael to convince Chareidim not to vote in the elections for the World Zionist Organization, spending tens of thousands of shekels to print and distribute pashkevilim against participating in the elections, a Kikar Shabbat investigation revealed. As many YWN readers know, a machlokes broke out last month in the Chareidi sector about whether to participate in the WZO elections. Members of the Eretz HaKodesh party presented the support of HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky zt’l, along with other Rabbanim in Israel and the United States who supported voting in the previous election. However, ultimately, the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of America and HaGaon HaRav Dov Landua paskened that it is forbidden to participate in the election. Several weeks ago, pashkevilim appeared in Chareidi neighborhoods in the name of HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau calling out against participating in the elections – an unusual move since most Israeli Chareidim were unaware of the details of the issue. The Kikar investigation revealed that Dr. Yizhar Hess, a member of the Conservative movement, who serves on its behalf as Deputy Chairman of the World Zionist Organization, spearheaded the campaign to try to convince Chareidim in Israel not to vote in the elections, printing and disseminating the fake pashkevilim. An invoice obtained by Kikar showed that Mercaz Olami transferred tens of thousands of shekels to fund the printing and distribution of the pashkevilim.. A Charedi source in the WZO told Kikar that “although they tried in every way to conceal their involvement, the Eretz HaKodesh party, which represents the Torah-observant sector in the WZO, is a political and ideological enemy for them, and they are trying to reduce its power. People from the Conservative movement tried to influence public opinion in the Charedi community in order to harm Eretz HaKodesh and prevent it from succeeding in the elections.” In a twisted move, Dr. Hess even tweeted a photo of the pashkevilim on the Chareidi streets that he himself funded, ostensibly to express his solidarity with his “friends” in Eretz Hakodesh who were being attacked. Beyond the moral aspect, the conduct of the Conservative movement raises legal and ethical questions. A senior legal source involved in the details told Kikar that “the distributors of the pashvekelim may be exposed to libel suits, and if indeed elements related to the movement running in the elections are behind them, this may be considered a violation of election laws. Furthermore, the distribution of anti-Zionist material by an association supported by the WZO may be a violation of its budgetary regulations.” The Kikar investigation also revealed that the pashkevilim are only the latest step in the Conservative movement’s years-long campaign to influence the Chareidi sector against Eretz Hakodesh, including attempts to convince Chareidi journalists to convey messages against voting in the elections, ostensibly in the name of Gedolei Yisrael. Needless to say, most of the journalists and media personalities who received the financially lucrative offers refused to join the campaign after it became clear to them who was behind the offer. “Some time ago, a well-known figure from the Chareidi scene approached me, and indirectly and subtly offered me an opportunity to join a campaign in exchange for a very high salary,” a senior Chareidi […]

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By Rabbi Berach Steinfeld If a person is worried that he won’t remember to count all the days of Sefirah, should he count with a Bracha or not? The Torah tell us to count forty-nine days from the bringing of the Omer until the bringing of the korban of Shtei Halechem. The Rishonim argue whether the Mitzva of counting sefirah is Min HaTorah only during the times of the Bais HaMikdosh or not. The Chinuch in mitzvah 306 says that sefirah is only Min HaTorah during the time of the Bais HaMikdosh. The Rambam in Tmidim Umusafim 7:24 disagrees and says it is Min HaTorah even today. The Rishonim also argue whether each day is a separate mitzvah or whether all forty-nine days together is counted as one long mitzvah. The Behag and Or Zarua say that if one forgot to count one day, he should not count with a Bracha for the rest of the Omer since it is not temimos. The Rosh and Tosfos argue and say there is a new mitzva every single day to count the Omer. The question arises if one forgot one day and did not count. Would that mean that all the brachos he said up until that day are brachos Levatala according to the Behag? The Ritva in Chullin 106b discusses a scenario where one washed his hands with the intention to eat bread and said the bracha al netilas yodayim and then decides that he is not interested in eating anymore. We do not require him to eat to save the bracha levatala. Since he had in mind to eat at the time of washing, the bracha is not levatalah. We could compare this to our case where one counted normally and thereafter forgot one day. The brachos he made were not levatala since he intended to count. One could argue and differentiate between netilas yodayim and sefira. A person completes his mitzvah of netilas yodayim once he washes his hand. In contrast, one does not have temimos until after counting the forty-nine days. The Shailos Utshuvos Rav Paalim in Orach Chaim Vol 3:32 says that if one does less than the shiur of a mitzvah one is still yotze part of the mitzvah and this would not render the bracha levatalah. When a person counted some days, he did less than the shiur; but his bracha is not levatala since he started the mitzvah. Other Achronim disagree and say if one doesn’t complete counting, it is not even less than the shiur of the mitzvah. This is so because if he does not complete the mitzvah, it is as if he did not do the mitzvah at all. The Mishna Berura also concurs and says that therefore women should not make a bracha; it is almost certain they might forget since they don’t daven in shul. Rav Wosner zt”l paskened if one knows he won’t complete sefira he should hear the bracha from someone else and be yotzei that way. If he is not sure, he should start to count with a bracha since it is a double safek. Maybe the mitzva is a new one every day. Perhaps it is considered a chatzi shiur and does not render the bracha levatala. Reb Elyashiv and Reb Shlomo Zalman Auerbach agreed. May we be Zocheh to count Sefirah in the Bais Hamikdosh Min HaTorah. {Matzav.com}

Channel 14 aired footage from a recent interview with Iyad Jaradat, the terrorist responsible for orchestrating the 2003 attack in Gadish that resulted in the murder of the moshav’s security chief. Jaradat, who was serving a life sentence, was freed as part of the most recent hostage exchange.

In the segment, Jaradat reflected on what prison life was like before Itamar Ben-Gvir took over as Israel’s National Security Minister.

When asked by the interviewer to describe the conditions in prison prior to the October 7th massacre, Jaradat replied: “Honestly, there was respect, there were understandings. Ben-Gvir called it a summer camp. People may say Ben-Gvir was exaggerating. If someone wants, they can get mad, but these prisons really were like summer camps.”

He went on to say, “everything [we wanted] was available. Relations with the Israel Prisons Service, the officers, managers, and the police – it was as if we were one family.”

Associates of Minister Ben-Gvir pointed out that since he implemented new prison policies, numerous privileges were revoked. Inmate deposits were halted, canteens were shut down, shower and yard times were reduced, and the food selection was significantly limited. Additionally, the role of inmate “spokesperson” was eliminated, along with access to higher education programs and dental care.

{Matzav.com}

Many Americans were forced to postpone cancer screenings — colonoscopies, mammograms and lung scans — for several months in 2020 as COVID-19 overwhelmed doctors and hospitals. But that delay in screening isn’t making a huge impact on cancer statistics, at least none that can be seen yet by experts who track the data. Cancer death rates continue to decline, and there weren’t huge shifts in late diagnoses, according to a new report published Monday in the journal Cancer. It’s the broadest-yet analysis of the pandemic’s effect on U.S. cancer data. In 2020, as the pandemic began, a greater share of U.S. cancers were caught at later stages, when they’re harder to treat. But in 2021, these worrisome diagnoses returned to prepandemic levels for most types of cancer. “It is very reassuring,” said lead author Recinda Sherman of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries. “So far, we haven’t seen an excess of late-stage diagnoses,” which makes it unlikely that there will be higher cancer death rates tied to the pandemic. Similarly, the number of new cancer cases dropped in 2020, but then returned to prepandemic levels by 2021. The size of the 2020 decline in new cancers diagnosed was similar across states, despite variations in COVID-19 policy restrictions. The researchers note that human behavior and local hospital policies played more of a role than state policy restrictions. Late-stage diagnoses of cervical cancer and prostate cancer did increase in 2021, but the shifts weren’t large. The data analysis goes only through 2021, so it’s not the final word. “We didn’t see any notable shifts,” Sherman said. “So it’s really unlikely that people with aggressive disease were not diagnosed during that time period.” The report was produced by the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, the National Cancer Institute, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Cancer Society. (AP)

Israir Airlines is gearing up to launch direct flights to New York next year, having received initial authorization from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the company confirmed on Monday, according to a report by JNS.

With this move, Israir is set to enter the highly trafficked Tel Aviv–New York route, where it will face competition from established players like El Al, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and its local rival Arkia, which began flying the route earlier this year.

Israir aims to kick off its service in time for Passover, a peak season for travel. According to JNS, the airline is planning to operate six roundtrip flights each week connecting Ben-Gurion International Airport and New York.

To facilitate its new transatlantic operations, Israir will lease an Airbus A330, marking a return to long-haul service for the airline, which last flew to North America more than ten years ago.

The airline, founded in 1989, is part of the Rami Levy Group, a major Israeli holding company best known for its nationwide chain of discount supermarkets. Besides its domestic flights to Eilat, Israir currently serves various destinations across Europe.

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration is currently weighing possible replacements for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, amid a fresh wave of criticism related to allegations of mishandling secure information, according to a U.S. official who spoke to NPR on Monday.

The source, who requested anonymity due to the delicate nature of the conversations, emphasized that the process is in its early stages and that no definitive choice has been made regarding leadership changes at the Department of Defense.

The uproar centers on accusations that Hegseth shared classified military data using Signal, a private encrypted messaging app, with people who were not part of any official defense channels.

Over the weekend, reports emerged identifying the recipients of these messages as Hegseth’s spouse, his brother, and his legal representative. These exchanges allegedly included live operational updates tied to U.S. strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.

The incident is believed to have taken place in March, around the same time Hegseth was also involved in a separate Signal conversation that included high-level White House officials and, inadvertently, journalist Jeffrey Goldberg from The Atlantic. That particular communication reportedly occurred shortly before U.S. military action, sparking unease among national security insiders about the implications for mission secrecy and troop safety. In recent weeks, Houthi fighters have brought down multiple American drones.

Even as the controversy gains traction, administration officials are dismissing speculation that Hegseth could be on his way out. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the situation on X, stating that President Trump “stands strongly” with the current defense secretary. Trump reiterated his backing during public comments.

“He’s doing a great job — ask the Houthis how he’s doing,” Trump said in response to questions about the Signal issue. “Concerns over the Signal chats are a waste of time.”

Hegseth also directly rebutted the allegations while attending the White House’s Easter festivities, flatly rejecting any suggestion of impropriety.

“This is what the media does,” Hegseth said. “They take anonymous sources from disgruntled former employees, and then they try to slash and burn people, ruin their reputation. It’s not going to work with me.”

{Matzav.com}

The Supreme Court seemed likely to uphold a key preventive-care provision of the Affordable Care Act in a case heard Monday. Conservative justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, along with the court’s three liberals, appeared skeptical of arguments that Obamacare’s process for deciding which services must be fully covered by private insurance is unconstitutional. The case could have big ramifications for the law’s preventive care coverage requirements for an estimated 150 million Americans. Medications and services that could be affected include statins to prevent heart disease, lung cancer screenings, HIV-prevention drugs and medication to lower the chance of breast cancer for high-risk women. The plaintiffs argued that requirements to cover those medications and services are unconstitutional because a volunteer board of medical experts that recommended them should have been Senate- approved. The challengers have also raised religious and procedural objections to some requirements. The Trump administration defended the mandate before the court, though President Donald Trump has been a critic of the law. The Justice Department said board members don’t need Senate approval because they can be removed by the health and human services secretary. A majority of the justices seemed inclined to side with the government. Kavanaugh said he didn’t see indications in the law that the board was designed to have the kind of independent power that would require Senate approval, and Barrett questioned the plaintiff’s apparently “maximalist” interpretation of the board’s role. “We don’t just go around creating independent agencies. More often, we destroy independent agencies,” said Justice Elena Kagan said about the court’s prior opinions. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas seemed likely to side with the plaintiffs. And some suggested they could send the case back to the conservative U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. That would likely leave unanswered questions about which medications and services remain covered. A ruling is expected by the end of June. The case came before the Supreme Court after the appeals court struck down some preventive care coverage requirements. It sided with Christian employers and Texas residents who argued they can’t be forced to provide full insurance coverage for things like medication to prevent HIV and some cancer screenings. They were represented by well-known conservative attorney Jonathan Mitchell, who represented Trump before the high court in a dispute about whether he could appear on the 2024 ballot. Not all preventive care was threatened by the ruling. A 2023 analysis prepared by the nonprofit KFF found that some screenings, including mammography and cervical cancer screening, would still be covered without out-of-pocket costs. The appeals court found that coverage requirements were unconstitutional because they came from a body — the United States Preventive Services Task Force — whose members were not nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. (AP)

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) is once again urging the Department of Justice to pursue criminal charges against Andrew Cuomo, accusing the ex-New York governor of deliberately misleading Congress about his administration’s handling of COVID-19 policies that affected nursing homes and resulted in significant loss of life.

Comer issued a renewed referral to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, following the Biden administration’s decision not to act on an earlier referral sent in October under Merrick Garland’s leadership. In a letter dated Monday, Comer wrote that the White House “ignored” the matter despite compelling evidence that Cuomo had misrepresented his involvement.

According to the referral, Cuomo allegedly played a direct role in shaping and approving the July 2020 New York State Department of Health report, which significantly downplayed the number of COVID-related fatalities in nursing homes by nearly half. However, when questioned by Congress, Cuomo denied any participation in the report’s drafting or review—a statement the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic now claims is demonstrably false.

“Andrew Cuomo is a man with a history of corruption and deceit, now caught red-handed lying to Congress during the Select Subcommittee’s investigation into the COVID-19 nursing home tragedy in New York,” said Comer. “This wasn’t a slip-up — it was a calculated cover-up by a man seeking to shield himself from responsibility for the devastating loss of life in New York’s nursing homes.”

Cuomo also denied having conversations about whether the July 2020 report had undergone peer review or whether it was vetted by individuals outside of New York’s health department. However, the referral, spanning 107 pages, includes evidence contradicting those claims.

“Let’s be clear: lying to Congress is a federal crime. Mr. Cuomo must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Comer said. “The House Oversight Committee is prepared to fully cooperate with the Justice Department’s investigation into Andrew Cuomo’s actions and ensure he’s held to account.”

The original referral was submitted by Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), who previously chaired the House’s coronavirus subcommittee. Wenstrup currently serves on President Donald Trump’s Intelligence Advisory Board.

A controversial executive directive issued under Cuomo’s leadership required nursing homes to accept more than 9,000 recovering COVID-19 patients, a move intended to alleviate overwhelmed hospitals. However, critics argue that it needlessly endangered the lives of vulnerable elderly residents.

At the time, the state released a report claiming that outbreaks in long-term care facilities were largely the result of infected staff rather than the governor’s directive—an assertion that has remained hotly disputed.

Following mounting scandals involving both the nursing home policy and multiple allegations of inappropriate conduct, Cuomo stepped down in August 2021. He is now attempting a return to public life, this time with ambitions to lead New York City.

The push to prosecute him comes as Cuomo campaigns to unseat Eric Adams as mayor. While Cuomo is contesting the Democratic primary, Adams is seeking reelection as an independent.

When announcing his candidacy in March, Cuomo avoided any mention of the nursing home controversy and instead praised his administration’s actions during the height of the health crisis. “We faced Covid, which was an historic life-and-death challenge, and we had it first and worst with no warning,” Cuomo said. “We were on our own, and we were pushed to our limits, but we got through it together and we led the nation.”

Responding to the renewed referral, Cuomo’s spokesperson Rich Azzopardi dismissed it entirely. “This is nothing more than a meritless press release that was nonsense last year and is even more so now,” he said, suggesting that the push for criminal prosecution by Trump’s Justice Department is driven by political motives. It remains uncertain whether Attorney General Bondi will decide to pursue charges.

{Matzav.com}

A shocking video published by Channel 14 on Monday reveals one of the terrorists released in one of the recent prisoner release deals describing his enjoyable 22-year imprisonment in Israel, saying it was just like “summer camp.” Islamic Jihad terrorist Iyad Jaradat was sentenced to life imprisonment for dispatching the terrorists who infiltrated Moshav Gadish in 2003 and opened fire, murdering Eli Biton, H’yd, and wounding four others. Jaradat’s “life imprisonment” ended earlier this year when he was released to his hometown of Jenin. In an interview immediately after his release, he publicly praised the Nukhba terrorists who carried out the October 7 massacre. Channel 14 published a video of another interview with Jaradat published last month, during which he described his imprisonment. The interviewer asked: “Before October 7, how was it in prison, honestly?” Jaradat: “There was respect, there were understandings [between us and the Israeli guards]. Ben-Gvir said that the prisons were like summer camps. Perhaps some would say that’s an exaggeration. Whoever wants to gets angry should get angry but they truly were like summer camps.” “Not all, but everything was available. Our relationship with the Prison Services, the officers, managers, and police – it was as if we were one family.” One of the first things that Ben-Gvir accomplished when he entered his position was to strip security prisons of all amenities. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Nadine Menendez was found guilty on Monday for orchestrating a bribery operation alongside her husband, disgraced New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez, trading his political clout for a series of lavish kickbacks, including gold, a luxury vehicle, and cash.

After deliberating for roughly eight hours over the span of two days, the jury convicted the 58-year-old from Englewood Cliffs on all 15 counts of corruption brought against her in federal court.

Clad in black and wearing a pink face mask, Nadine showed no outward response as the jury foreperson delivered the verdict in a nearly empty courtroom in Manhattan.

Her husband, who played a central role in the corruption case, chose not to appear in court during her trial, which stretched over the course of a month.

Bob Menendez had already been convicted in July for abusing his role in the U.S. Senate for personal gain in the same sweeping corruption scheme.

Following his conviction, the New Jersey Democrat resigned from the Senate and is scheduled to begin serving his 11-year prison sentence in June.

Nadine is due to be sentenced just a few days later, on June 12, and could face a lengthy prison term for her involvement.

Prosecutors said she served as the intermediary between her husband and businessmen linked to the governments of Egypt and Qatar who paid off the couple in exchange for political favors.

In return, jurors heard, the senator exploited his role as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to push for the release of $300 million in military aid to Egypt that had been blocked due to human rights concerns, among other favors.

“What else can the love of my life do for you?” Nadine asked an Egyptian contact during a dinner in May 2019 at Morton’s Steakhouse, where she was seated beside her cigar-smoking husband.

Jose Uribe, a former insurance broker from New Jersey, testified that he handed Nadine a 2019 Mercedes-Benz C-300 to influence the senator into intervening in a legal matter on his behalf.

“Congratulations mon amour de la vie, we are the proud owners of a 2019 Mercedes,” Nadine wrote to Bob Menendez via text after she received the first installment toward the car — using French for “love of my life.”

FBI agents later discovered the vehicle in their garage, along with a stash of gold bars worth more than $150,000 in a safe belonging to Nadine. The jury was also shown photos of over $400,000 in cash hidden throughout the house, including inside one of the senator’s government-issued jackets.

As bribes rolled in from Uribe, Wael Hana, and Fred Daibes, prosecutors said Nadine actively enabled the sale of her husband’s political influence, labeling her “his partner in crime.”

“The defendant helped Robert Menendez put his power up for grabs,” prosecutor Paul Monteleoni told the jury in his closing argument. “You saw again and again a clear pattern of corruption.”

Nadine began dating Menendez in early 2018, back when she was still known as Nadine Arslanian. Prosecutors said the illicit dealings began shortly thereafter, including with Hana, a longtime acquaintance of Nadine’s before she even met Bob. The two married in 2020.

Now convicted of multiple crimes, including bribery, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice, Nadine could face a substantial prison term. However, legal experts suggest she may receive a sentence similar to her husband’s 11 years.

Bob Menendez was granted a delay in reporting to prison until June 6 so he could “assist” his wife through her legal battle — though he never actually attended any part of her courtroom proceedings.

Nadine did not offer any comment when approached by reporters after the verdict, nor did she address her husband’s absence during the trial.

Her attorney, Barry Coburn, argued during the proceedings that prosecutors failed to prove she had the necessary “knowledge” or “intent” to break the law, but the jury clearly disagreed.

Originally, Nadine was slated to be tried alongside her husband, Hana, and Daibes. But her case was delayed following a breast cancer diagnosis. Hana has since been sentenced to eight years in prison, while Daibes received a seven-year term.

Uribe, who cooperated with authorities after pleading guilty, is expected to be sentenced later this year.

{Matzav.com}