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President Trump: “In a few moments, I will sign a historic executive order instituting reciprocal tariffs on countries throughout the world.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “My fellow Americans, this is Liberation Day… April 2, 2025 will forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn, the day America’s destiny was reclaimed, and the day that we began to make American wealthy again.”

“It’s pretty amazing when you look at the difference: 190,000 illegal crossings a year ago, 7,100 this year — and not one additional authority does this president have that the last one didn’t.”

Following rocket fire from the northern Gaza Strip on Sderot this evening, the IDF issues an evacuation warning for Palestinians in the Beit Hanoun and Jabalia area.

The owners of what was once Pennsylvania’s biggest coal-fired power plant said Wednesday that they will turn it into a $10 billion natural gas-powered data center campus designed to capitalize on the fast-growing energy demands of Big Tech companies to power artificial intelligence and cloud computing applications. The former Homer City Generating Station, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Pittsburgh, will host seven gas-fired turbines to power data centers on site with up to 4.5 gigawatts of electricity, according to the owners, an investor group named Homer City Development. That amount of electricity is enough to power about 3 million homes and would be the nation’s third-largest power generation facility after the Grand Coulee hydroelectric dam in Washington and the new Plant Vogtle nuclear power plant in Georgia, according to federal data. The project will be the largest capital investment ever in Pennsylvania, said state Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, whose district is home to Homer City. Construction is expected to begin this year and power could start flowing by 2027, the group said in a statement. The cost to prepare the site and build the data centers could exceed the initial $10 billion investment by billions more, the group said. Much of the critical infrastructure for the project is already in place from the shuttered Homer City power plant, including transmission lines connected to the mid-Atlantic and New York power grids, substations and water access, the group said. It could also supply electricity to the wider power grid, it said. The developers were awarded a $5 million state grant to extend a gas line to the property, which sits atop the prolific Marcellus Shale natural gas reservoir. Last month, the group demolished the three cooling towers and four smokestacks still standing from the former coal plant. It shut down in 2023 after 54 years in operation. The owners, Homer City Development, blamed competition with cheaper natural gas, unseasonably warm winters that demanded less power, the rising cost of coal and increasingly expensive environmental regulations. The late 2022 debut of OpenAI’s ChatGPT — built with help from Microsoft’s data centers — ignited worldwide demand for chatbots and other generative AI products that typically require large amounts of computing power to train and operate. That has sent Big Tech companies in search of new power sources, spurred interest in a new wave of nuclear reactors, revived interest in building new gas-fired plants and stoked concerns among states and federal regulators about electricity shortages. It’s also prompted utilities to delay the retirements of aging power plants and to bring nuclear power plants out of retirement, including last year’s announcement that the shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear power plant will reopen under a 20-year agreement to feed Microsoft’s data centers. (AP)

HAPPENING NOW – NYC: Community leaders, elected officials, and law enforcement gathered this afternoon at One Police Plaza in Manhattan for the annual NYPD Pre-Pesach holiday briefing.

As Pesach approaches, the National Security Council (NSC) has issued a warning that Israelis and Jews traveling internationally could be potential targets for attacks by Hamas, Iran, and extremist organizations like Islamic State.

Many Israelis traditionally travel overseas during the Pesach period.

In light of ongoing global threats, the NSC is advising travelers to remain vigilant, follow security protocols, and consult the NSC’s updated travel alerts before making any international plans.

The NSC indicated that Hamas might intensify efforts to strike Israeli and Jewish individuals or institutions abroad, citing its “deteriorating situation in Gaza and the resumption of fighting” as factors likely to fuel such attacks.

The alert referenced several recent incidents that underscore the threat, including the arrests of Hamas operatives in December 2023 in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands. Authorities suspect they were planning attacks on Jewish targets across Europe. In a related case this April, Bulgarian officials uncovered a hidden stash of weapons tied to four Hamas suspects previously detained in Germany and the Netherlands.

Iran remains, according to the NSC, the primary sponsor of international terror networks focused on harming Jews and Israelis. The statement warned: “Iranian terror operatives have continued attempts to lure Israeli citizens — both domestically and abroad — through deceptive business offers or impersonation, aiming to harm or abduct them.”

In October, Sweden’s security service, Sapo, pointed to Iran’s possible involvement in violent incidents near Israeli diplomatic buildings in Sweden and Denmark. By May, Swedish officials claimed Iran had begun enlisting local gang members to carry out “acts of violence” targeting Israeli and allied interests in the country — a charge that Iranian authorities denied.

On Tuesday, the NSC also raised concerns about the rising threat of attacks from unaffiliated terrorists, spurred on by the growing activities of jihadist groups like Islamic State, al-Qaeda, and al-Shabab, particularly across Europe.

The travel alert cited numerous recent attacks, including arson and a failed car bombing attempt in Australia, a series of Molotov cocktail and firearm assaults on Jewish sites in Canada, a deadly vehicle attack in New Orleans that left fourteen dead, and violence directed at Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters in Amsterdam last November.

The NSC also highlighted the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt as a particularly dangerous zone and urged Israelis to stay away from the area, despite its popularity with tourists.

“The climate of hate against Israelis and Jews due to the ongoing war continues to fuel terrorist efforts, both from organized cells and individual attackers,” according to the NSC.

The NSC further warned that “the potential expansion of war zones” — an apparent reference to ongoing IDF operations in Gaza — could heighten the likelihood of attacks on Israelis and Jewish individuals abroad.

{Matzav.com}

The post Ahead of Pesach, Israelis Are Warned: Hamas, Iran May Target Travelers and Jews Abroad first appeared on Matzav.com.

The White House is seriously considering Iran’s proposal for indirect nuclear negotiations, even as U.S. military forces surge into the Middle East, preparing for the possibility of military strikes ordered by President Donald Trump, according to a report by Axios. The high-stakes balancing act follows a letter sent from Trump to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in which Trump reportedly delivered an ultimatum: two months to secure a new nuclear deal—or face potential consequences. Iran rejected direct talks but left the door open for indirect negotiations, to be brokered by the Gulf nation of Oman, a longtime quiet mediator between Washington and Tehran. “Iran has responded—but not on U.S. terms,” a senior U.S. official told Axios, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. “They’re not ready to sit at the table, but they haven’t walked away from it either.” While no decision has yet been made, the White House is reportedly divided: one camp pushes for diplomacy, albeit through indirect channels, while another argues the response is insufficient and urges a more forceful military posture to extract concessions. In anticipation of either outcome, U.S. troop movements and naval deployments are accelerating, signaling that Washington is preparing for both negotiation and confrontation. “We are not naïve,” one defense official noted. “Readiness is not provocation—but it is essential.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The first day of the annual Ichud Bnei HaYeshivos conference kicked off on Tuesday at the Galei Tamar Hotel in Ashkelon, bringing together community coordinators, educators, rabbinic emissaries, and Rabbonim from the Ichud representing communities across Israel. The day opened with words of blessing from HaGaon HaRav Chaim Feinstein, followed by a personal address and professional sessions focusing on their Avodas Hakodesh, practical educational tools, vision and goals, and panels featuring community Rabbonim discussing contemporary challenges. In the evening, the Ichud launched its flagship project, “Mechubarim” (Connected), aimed at strengthening the bond between Ichud representatives and yeshiva students. The night continued with a rabbinic roundtable on pressing issues, an inspiring address by HaGaon Rav Shimon Galai, and an uplifting kumzitz led by Reb Hillel Paley. View the gallery from the first day of the conference, captured by photographer Shuki Lerer. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Rabbi David Stav, Chief Rabbi of Shoham and head of the Tzohar organization, was among the demonstrators who joined Wednesday’s “March for Conscription” in Yerushalayim, a rally calling for members of the chareidi community to be drafted into the IDF.

In an interview with Arutz Sheva during the event, Rabbi Stav acknowledged that attending public protests is not his typical mode of expression. “My way to express myself is through writing, through talking to the people, not through physical participation in demonstrations.”

This time, however, he felt compelled to join the demonstration in person. “We can not continue anymore without raising our voices, yelling, screaming, praying, because we understand that just this morning we started a new action in Gaza. Another battalion started to participate.”

Rabbi Stav shared the emotional toll he has witnessed within his own circle. “So many of my students and congregants who were called from their universities and yeshivot again to serve for the fourth and fifth time. It’s breaking up families, it’s destroying jobs, and it’s impossible that one tribe will carry the responsibility of the state, and another tribe, which has tens of thousands of men, would not be a part of that mission.”

Referencing Pirkei Avos, he said, “Carrying the burden of our society is one of the 48 ways that the Torah is given to us. The minimum that we can expect is that there would be no tribe that’s excluded from that holy mission.”

Rabbi Stav also criticized both the military and government for what he sees as a lack of initiative in implementing real change. “Instead of that, the government is currently doing the opposite: it encourages people not to go to the army by giving them so many incentives and benefits that there is no reason for them to go to the army. On the other hand, it does not encourage anybody to go to the army.”

He argued that the IDF itself must make serious efforts to integrate chareidim properly. “Show it’s serious by fitting itself and the conditions so they are suitable for the chareidi soldiers, they are not doing enough, and stop lying to the people by telling them that thousands are drafting, when we know that they count people that were chareidi five or six years ago and stopped being observant a long time ago.”

In his view, the two key bodies responsible for leading the charge—Israel’s government and military—are failing to fulfill their role. “These two institutions that are supposed to be the first ones to be interested in drafting the chareidi society, they are not doing their mission. Once they do their mission, at least the big part of the chareidi society will be drafted.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

The post Rabbi David Stav Attacks Yeshiva Bochurim: “No Tribe Should Be Exempt From Holy Mission of Military Service” first appeared on Matzav.com.

A California man will plead guilty to trying to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh at his home in a suburb of Washington, D.C, nearly three years ago, the defendant’s attorneys said in a court filing on Wednesday. Nicholas John Roske, of Simi Valley, California, was arrested near Kavanaugh’s home in Chevy Chase, Maryland, in June 2022. Roske was armed with a gun and a knife, was carrying zip ties and was dressed in black when he arrived in the neighborhood by taxi just after 1 a.m., federal authorities said. Roske, who was 26 when he was arrested, intends to plead guilty to attempting to murder a justice of the United States without reaching a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, according to his lawyers. The charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Roske’s attorneys asked a judge in Greenbelt, Maryland, to schedule a hearing next Monday or Tuesday for him to enter a guilty plea. They say prosecutors have consented to their request. After his arrest, Roske told a police detective that he was upset by a leaked draft opinion suggesting the Supreme Court intended to overrule Roe v. Wade, the landmark abortion case, according to an FBI agent’s affidavit. Killing one jurist could change the decisions of the nine-member court “for decades to come,” authorities said that Roske wrote, adding, “I am shooting for three.” The leaked opinion draft led to protests, including at several of the justices’ homes. Roske’s arrest spurred the House to approve a bill expanding around-the-clock security protection to the justices’ families. Roske also said he was upset over the school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, and believed that Kavanaugh would vote to loosen gun control laws, the affidavit said. Roske was apprehended after he called 911 and told a police dispatcher that he was near Kavanaugh’s home and wanted to take his own life. He was spotted by two U.S. marshals who were part of 24-hour security provided to the justices. A trial for Roske has been scheduled to start on June 9. During a hearing in October 2022, U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte said there was a “very high likelihood” that he would order a mental evaluation for Roske to determine if he was fit to assist his defense, enter a possible guilty plea or stand trial. One of Roske’s attorneys, Andrew Szekely, said during a hearing last August that the defense is not requesting a court-ordered mental evaluation of Roske. U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman inherited Roske’s case after Messitte died in January following a brief illness. (AP)

Benny was born 18 months ago, bringing with him great joy to his parents. A healthy, thriving baby, he was their sunshine. But six weeks ago, he suddenly became sick. Very, very sick. The diagnosis was shattering: colon cancer, advanced. Benny declined quickly, turning from a happy toddler to a child unable to eat, crawl or even sit up. He had to be admitted to PICU, in total quarantine due to his fragile state, his parents can only see him in pictures taken by kind nurses. Desperate and broken hearted, they got a small ray of hope: there is a surgical protocol that might save his life. But it is an innovative procedure, and due to his young age, it will require a series of supportive tests and medical care. Estimated cost: $300,000 The parents do not have this sum. They have tried fervently to accumulate as much as they can, but they have no financial backing, and currently they are not even able work steadily, and need help with day-to-day expenses. But they have no choice but to do everything to save their child. So, reluctantly, they are turning to you to plead for help heal Benny. Who can imagine pain such as this? Enduring seeing their precious baby struggle for every breath, knowing they do not have the means to save him? Begging for pictures of him, and not even being able to hug and comfort him? Please, let’s give them the support they are so desperate for! Let them know they are not alone, that we all care, that we will give them their only wish: Give them the chance to save Benny. Click here to save little Benny

[COMMUNICATED]

Benny was born 18 months ago, bringing with him great joy to his parents. A healthy, thriving baby, he was their sunshine. But six weeks ago, he suddenly became sick. Very, very sick.

The diagnosis was shattering: colon cancer, advanced. Benny declined quickly, turning from a happy toddler to a child unable to eat, crawl or even sit up. He had to be admitted to PICU, in total quarantine due to his fragile state, his parents can only see him in pictures taken by kind nurses.

Desperate and broken hearted, they got a small ray of hope: there is a surgical protocol that might save his life. But it is an innovative procedure, and due to his young age, it will require a series of supportive tests and medical care.

Estimated cost: $300,000

The parents do not have this sum. They have tried fervently to accumulate as much as they can, but they have no financial backing, and currently they are not even able work steadily, and need help with day-to-day expenses.

But they have no choice but to do everything to save their child. So, reluctantly, they are turning to you to plead for help heal Benny.

Who can imagine pain such as this? Enduring seeing their precious baby struggle for every breath, knowing they do not have the means to save him? Begging for pictures of him, and not even being able to hug and comfort him?

Please, let’s give them the support they are so desperate for!

Let them know they are not alone, that we all care, that we will give them their only wish:

Give them the chance to save Benny.

Click here to save little Benny

The post Benny’s Mother Pleads to You: Help Me Save My Child! first appeared on Matzav.com.

Saudi Arabia issued a strong condemnation on Wednesday in response to a visit by Israel’s National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, to the Har Habayis in Yerushalayim.

The statement said, “The Foreign Ministry expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s condemnation in the strongest terms possible of the Israeli Minister of National Security’s storming of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the occupation police and the expulsion of worshippers from the mosque. The Kingdom reiterates its denunciation of the continued blatant Israeli transgressions against the sanctity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

Ben Gvir made the visit to the site following his return to the Israeli cabinet last month amid the ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.

Earlier this year, Ben Gvir had stepped down from his ministerial role after expressing opposition to a ceasefire deal in Gaza.

In the same statement, the Saudi foreign ministry criticized another Israeli action on Wednesday, denouncing a strike on a United Nations facility located in the Jabalia refugee camp. According to Gaza’s civil defense agency, the attack claimed the lives of 19 individuals, including nine children.

“The Kingdom condemns these ongoing Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law, and calls upon the international community to put an end to the Israeli war machine, which does not respect any humanitarian values, laws, or international norms.”

{Matzav.com}

The post Saudi Arabia Blasts Ben Gvir for ‘Storming’ Har Habayis first appeared on Matzav.com.

Syrian media report at least 11 Israeli airstrikes hit the Hama military airport. Simultaneous strikes were also reported on the Scientific Research Center in Damascus and the T4 airbase near Homs.

In-person work attendance in Manhattan has reached 76% of what it was before the pandemic, driven by ongoing return-to-office efforts, according to a new report from the Partnership for New York City. Despite that progress, hybrid work schedules remain the most widespread setup among office employees.

The findings come from a survey conducted between March 5 and March 20, which included responses from 125 large office-based companies in the borough. It revealed that 57% of employees are physically present in the office on an average weekday.

Just 10% of workers are now back to commuting five days a week, while only 8% are fully remote. That leaves the vast majority—82%—working on a hybrid basis, coming into the office anywhere from one to four days a week.

Nick, a financial trader, is part of the small group sticking to a traditional in-office routine. He told 1010 WINS that he believes it’s the best environment for getting work done.
“Working from office is where the highest levels of productivity are and highest levels of efficiency,” he said.

Meanwhile, Erin, who also works in finance, values the flexibility of remote days, saying they actually help boost her performance later in the week.

“I feel more productive a couple of days after I work from home because I have that rest,” she said.

Seventy-five percent of the companies surveyed indicated that their current arrangements are now considered permanent. However, one in four employers plan to tighten in-office attendance requirements within the next year, signaling a gradual increase in physical presence.

Alyssa shared with 1010 WINS that while she prefers coming in regularly, having the option to decide for herself is empowering.

“I think knowing that I can choose makes it feel better, but I would be in 4 days a week most weeks given the choice,” she said.

{Matzav.com}

The post Survey: Manhattan Return-To-Office Reaches 76% Pre-Pandemic Levels, But Hybrid Schedules Are The New Normal first appeared on Matzav.com.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has instructed American diplomats to begin carefully scrutinizing the social media histories of visa applicants, with a special focus on identifying anti-American and anti-Israel sentiment, according to The New York Times. The directive, issued last week, aligns with an earlier executive order from President Donald Trump, signed in January, which demands that all foreign nationals seeking entry to the United States be assessed for their commitment to core American principles. The order calls for ensuring that those entering the country “do not bear hostile attitudes toward its citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles,” and do not advocate for or support designated terrorist groups. Rubio described the effort as “long overdue” and critical to national security, noting that the digital footprints of applicants often reveal more than in-person interviews ever could. “If someone despises the United States, mocks our values, or spreads hateful lies about Israel—one of our most important allies—why should we hand them a visa?” Rubio asked reporters on Thursday. “This isn’t censorship. It’s common sense.” Rubio further revealed that since taking office in late January, the State Department has revoked at least 300 visas, a significant number of them student visas, due to concerning online behavior. The policy reflects a growing recognition that digital threats and ideological hostility don’t stop at a country’s borders. With many radical movements using social media to organize, recruit, and incite violence, U.S. officials say it’s only prudent to treat applicants’ online activity as a serious component of background checks. Supporters of the policy say it strengthens national sovereignty, prevents bad actors from slipping through the cracks, and sends a clear message that America’s welcome mat is not extended to those who wish to undermine it from within. “This isn’t about silencing dissent,” Rubio emphasized. “It’s about ensuring that those who come to this country do so with respect for our laws, our people, and our democratic allies.” The move has been welcomed by pro-Israel groups and national security advocates who argue that foreign nationals should be held to a high standard when it comes to views that contradict the values of the nation they seek to enter. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A new study by ConsumerAffairs has found that teenagers in New Jersey are the safest drivers in the United States, with their peers in New York also ranking high on the list. The analysis focused on fatal car accidents involving teenage drivers.

Using the most recent figures from 2022 provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s fatality reporting system, ConsumerAffairs evaluated each state and ranked them from the most dangerous to the safest for teen drivers.

The evaluation considered four categories per 100,000 individuals aged 15 to 19: overall traffic deaths, deaths caused by impaired teen drivers, deaths tied to speeding, and those attributed to poor driving behaviors such as recklessness, inexperience, or aggressive driving.

New Jersey landed at the very bottom of the list—meaning it had the best teen driver safety record—while New York came in just a few spots higher at 47th. Connecticut placed closer to the middle at number 25.

One reason for New Jersey’s standout performance is its rigorous driver licensing process, which is among the toughest in the nation. Additionally, the state’s heavy traffic and well-developed road systems may naturally deter excessive speeding.

In contrast, the report identified Montana as the most dangerous state for teen drivers, trailed by Wyoming, Delaware, Missouri, and Oklahoma.

To illustrate the disparity, New Jersey recorded zero fatalities per 100,000 teen drivers under the influence. That’s significantly better than Montana’s staggering 7.33 deaths per 100,000, and far below the national average of 0.75.

{Matzav.com}

The post Report: NJ Has The Best Teen Drivers In The Country first appeared on Matzav.com.

A vaccine to fight dementia? It turns out there may already be one – shots that prevent painful shingles also appear to protect aging brains. A new study found shingles vaccination cut older adults’ risk of developing dementia over the next seven years by 20%. The research, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, is part of growing understanding about how many factors influence brain health as we age – and what we can do about it. “It’s a very robust finding,” said lead researcher Dr. Pascal Geldsetzer of Stanford University. And “women seem to benefit more,” important as they’re at higher risk of dementia. The study tracked people in Wales who were around 80 when receiving the world’s first-generation shingles vaccine over a decade ago. Now, Americans 50 and older are urged to get a newer vaccine that’s proven more effective against shingles than its predecessor. The new findings add another reason for people to consider rolling up their sleeves, said Dr. Maria Nagel of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, who studies viruses that infiltrate the nervous system. The virus “is a risk for dementia and now we have an intervention that can decrease the risk,” Nagel said. With Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia on the rise in an aging population, “the implications of the study are profound,” Dr. Anupam Jena, a Harvard physician and health economist, wrote in a Nature commentary. What is shingles? Anyone who’s had ever had chickenpox – nearly everybody born before 1980 – harbors that virus for the rest of their life. It hides in nerves and can break out when the immune system weakens from illness or age, causing painful, blister-like sores typically on one side of the body that last for weeks – what’s called shingles. About 1 in 3 Americans will get shingles, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While most recover, it sometimes causes severe complications. If it infects an eye it can cause vision loss. Up to 20% of shingles patients suffer excruciating nerve pain months or even years after the rash itself is gone. What’s the link between shingles and dementia? It’s not clear exactly how Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia form. But certain viruses that sneak inside the nervous system – especially members of the herpes family including the chickenpox virus — have long been suspected of adding to genetic and other factors that make people more vulnerable. Last summer, doctors at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital reported that an episode of shingles could raise someone’s risk of dementia by about 20%. Partly, it’s because that virus can cause inflammation, bad for organs including the brain. It also can directly infect blood vessels in the brain, causing clots and impeding blood flow, said Colorado’s Nagel, a risk both for strokes and for dementia. More intriguing, her lab also discovered shingles can spur formation of a sticky protein called amyloid that’s one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s. Do shingles vaccines protect against dementia? Adults who get recommended vaccines tend to have other brain-healthy habits including exercising and a good diet, which made it hard to prove an extra benefit. Stanford’s Geldsetzer took advantage of “a natural experiment” in Wales, which opened shingles vaccinations with an age limit: anyone 80 or older on Sept. 1, 2013, was ineligible but those still 79 […]