In a dramatic development in Israel’s Qatargate scandal, Judge Menachem Mizrachi of the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court has detailed troubling suspicions involving high-level aides to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. According to Judge Mizrachi’s findings, there is “reasonable suspicion” that Yonatan Urich, a close aide to Netanyahu, and Eli Feldstein, formerly the prime minister’s spokesman, were involved in questionable financial dealings and unlawful ties with Qatar. The allegations include potential financial crimes and money laundering. Central to the investigation is an American lobbying firm, The Third Circle, headed by lobbyist Jay Footlik. The court documents state that Urich established direct connections with the firm to promote Qatar positively regarding its role in negotiating a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. At the same time, Qatar allegedly sought to tarnish Egypt’s image as an impartial mediator in the negotiations. Judge Mizrahi outlined that a covert economic arrangement was allegedly set up, facilitated by Gulf-based Israeli businessman Gil Birger, involving monetary payments from The Third Circle to Feldstein, mediated by Urich. The funds, investigators suspect, were intended to incentivize media coverage sympathetic to Qatar, downplaying Egypt’s constructive role. The judge’s summary explicitly accuses Urich, Feldstein, and Birger of manipulating the media narrative to benefit Qatar, thus “dictating the media agenda” and undermining Egypt’s reputation. The revelations come as Mizrachi lifted a gag order that had repeatedly been breached, declaring that continued secrecy had become detrimental to the “proper conduct of the investigation.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Elected officials are ramping up pressure on Albany to pass the “Stop Super Speeders” bill, which would install “speed limiter” technology on vehicles of drivers with repeated speeding violations. The legislation has lingered in the state capital for years without enough support to become law, even as traffic deaths continue to outpace gun deaths in New York City for the second straight year, according to recent data. The renewed push follows a horrific incident in Brooklyn over the weekend, where a driver with a suspended license fatally struck a mother and her two daughters as they crossed the street. The woman’s son, a fourth victim, remains in critical condition. This tragedy could finally propel the bill forward, bringing it to the forefront of what Brooklyn Assemblymember Emily Gallagher described as a logjam of countless stalled proposals. “A lot of what happens when it comes to getting a bill to the top of the list is really through a movement and folks fighting for the bill,” said Gallagher, a co-sponsor of the legislation. She joined state Sen. Andrew Gounardes, another bill sponsor, and city Comptroller Brad Lander at a press conference Monday on the steps of Borough Hall in Downtown Brooklyn. They stood with members of Families for Safe Streets, demanding swift action. The bill would mandate intelligent speed assistance technology for drivers who rack up 11 or more license points in 24 months or receive six speed or red-light camera tickets in a year. “It’s no longer simply enough to shake our heads in despair when these preventable tragedies occur — it’s time for us to act,” Gounardes said. “The senselessness of this most recent crash is compounded by the fact that this car had dozens of speed and red-light violations, and the driver had a suspended license.” The proposal echoes the unimplemented Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Act, which aimed to require safety courses for repeat offenders or risk vehicle confiscation. It also resembles current state law mandating ignition interlock devices for those convicted of drunk driving. Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office has not yet indicated whether she backs the “Stop Super Speeders” bill, leaving its fate uncertain. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
In the West Bank village of Duma, about 50 Israeli settlers entered, set fire to property, and clashed with Palestinians, injuring several, according to the IDF. Troops and police intervened to disperse the violent confrontation, but no arrests were made, though five suspects briefly escaped custody. The IDF condemned the incident and vowed to maintain security.
The NYPD is currently investigating an assault that took place at the intersection of 13th Avenue and 47th Street. The suspect fled the scene in a white minivan, while EMS is on-scene treating the victim for their injuries.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Tuesday that she has directed prosecutors to seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, following through on the president’s campaign promise to vigorously pursue capital punishment. It is the first time the Justice Department has sought to bring the death penalty since President Donald Trump returned to office in January with a vow to resume federal executions after they were halted under the previous administration. “Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America,” Bondi said in a statement. She described Thompson’s killing as “an act of political violence.” Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family, faces separate federal and state murder charges after authorities say he gunned down Thompson, 50, outside a Manhattan hotel on Dec. 4 as the executive arrived for UnitedHealthcare’s annual investor conference. The killing and ensuing five-day manhunt leading to Mangione’s arrest rattled the business community, with some health insurers hastily switching to remote work or online shareholder meetings. It also galvanized health insurance critics — some of whom have rallied around Mangione as a stand-in for frustrations over coverage denials and hefty medical bills. Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting Thompson from behind. Police say the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were scrawled on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase commonly used to describe insurer tactics to avoid paying claims. Mangione’s lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, said Tuesday that in seeking the death penalty “the Justice Department has moved from the dysfunctional to the barbaric.” Mangione “is caught in a high-stakes game of tug-of-war between state and federal prosecutors, except the trophy is a young man’s life,” Friedman Agnifilo said in a statement, vowing to fight all charges against him. Bondi announced her decision the same day the Trump administration began mass layoffs at federal health agencies. Mangione’s federal charges include murder through use of a firearm, which carries the possibility of the death penalty. The state charges carry a maximum punishment of life in prison. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to a state indictment and has not yet been required to enter a plea on the federal charges. Prosecutors have said the two cases will proceed on parallel tracks, with the state case expected to go to trial first. It wasn’t immediately clear if Bondi’s announcement will change the order. Mangione was arrested Dec. 9 in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) west of New York City and whisked to Manhattan by plane and helicopter. Police said Mangione had a 9mm handgun that matched the one used in the shooting and other items including a notebook in which they say he expressed hostility toward the health insurance industry and wealthy executives. Among the entries, prosecutors said, was one from August 2024 that said “the target is insurance” because “it checks every box” and one from October that describes an intent to “wack” an insurance company CEO. UnitedHealthcare, the largest U.S. health insurer, has said Mangione was never a client. Friedman-Agnifilo has said she would seek to suppress some of the evidence. Former President Joe Biden’s Justice Department filed the federal case against Mangione but left it […]
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth receives a massive welcome at the Naval Academy.
State Department spokesman Tammy Bruce: “The United States is determined to make sure Iran will not acquire a nuclear weapon. Trump has expressed willingness to pursue a deal with Iran. If the Iranian regime does not want to a deal, the President has other options — and those alternatives will be very bad for Iran.”
Netanyahu: “The pre-Pesach cleaning is done—but the cleanup will continue afterwards. Chag Sameach!”
Russia is weighing American cease-fire suggestions for Ukraine with gravity, though it is not ready to agree to the terms currently on the table, a top Russian official stated on Tuesday — signaling that negotiations toward peace remain at a standstill.
“We take the models and solutions proposed by the Americans very seriously, but we can’t accept it all in its current form,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, as reported by Russian state outlets.
“As far as we can see, there is no place in them today for our main demand, namely to solve the problems related to the root causes of this conflict. It is completely absent, and that must be overcome,” Ryabkov continued.
His remarks, published in the Russian journal International Affairs, appear to confirm that the divide between the United States and Russia—first highlighted by President Vladimir Putin last month—has yet to be resolved. At the time, Putin asserted that the US-backed cease-fire blueprint required substantial revision.
Adding to the tension, President Trump recently voiced strong dissatisfaction with Putin’s actions, stating he is “pissed off” and has even floated the idea of slapping sanctions on nations that continue purchasing Russian oil should Moscow drag its feet on broader negotiations.
Meanwhile, Putin has reiterated his position, demanding that Ukraine abandon its aspirations to join NATO and accept Russian authority over four Ukrainian territories already claimed by Moscow.
{Matzav.com}
The post Russia Taking Ukraine Cease-Fire Deal ‘Seriously’ — But Won’t Accept Current Proposal first appeared on Matzav.com.
On April 1st, Knesset member Simcha Rothman posted what he called a satirical legislative proposal, suggesting an official day to mourn the demise of Israeli democracy—an apparent April Fools’ Day prank.
“I am happy to announce that after hard work, we were able to place on the Knesset table one of the laws that I am most proud of,” wrote Rothman on social media. The Religious Zionism party representative has been a central force behind the coalition’s contentious judicial reform efforts, which opponents claim threaten the foundations of Israeli democracy.
He continued, “Immediately after the recess, I intend to present the proposal to the Ministerial Committee for Legislation and ensure that no one in the country forgets where we came from and where we are going.”
The mock legislation outlines a proposed annual remembrance day dedicated to honoring what it describes as the downfall of Israeli democracy—specifically citing the passage of legislation that altered the Judicial Selection Committee. The change, it says, allowed the opposition to have a say in judicial appointments and led to the supposed end of democratic governance.
In a theatrical twist, the bill also mandates an annual Knesset session on the topic, to be inaugurated by none other than Ronen Bar, described tongue-in-cheek as “the eternal head of the Shin Bet.”
Rothman’s post drew comparisons to a parody campaign ad from 2019 in which then-Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked promoted a fictitious perfume named “Fascism”—a pointed jab at critics of her judicial reform initiatives at the time.
{Matzav.com}
The post In April 1 ‘Joke,’ Judicial Overhaul Architect Rothman Touts Bill For ‘Memorial Day For Israeli Democracy’ first appeared on Matzav.com.
YWN regrets to inform you of the petira of Reb Dovid Wolpin Z”L, the Niftar was critically injured after being struck by a vehicle on the evening of Thursday, February 27th, near Saddle River Road and Lanzut Court. He was 81 years old. As previously reported by Monsey Scoop, emergency personnel from Hatzoloh EMS and the Ramapo Police Department responded swiftly to the scene. Reb Dovid Z”L was transported by Rockland Hatzoloh to Westchester Medical Center with paramedics on board. Tragically, despite all medical efforts and the heartfelt tefillos of Klal Yisroel, Reb Dovid Wolpin Z”L was niftar on Tuesday morning. He was known as a humble and ehrliche Yid, dedicated to Torah, tefillah, and chessed. His loss is deeply felt by his family, friends, and all who knew him. The Levaya will take place on Tuesday at 4:30 PM at the Stoliner Beis Medrash, located at 52 Main Street, followed by a Levaya at Tiferes Gedalyah on Saddle River Road, with kevurah at the Monsey Beis HaChaim. Shiva will be observed at the niftar’s home, 81 Saddle River Road Baruch Dayan HaEmes.
Only one person in U.S. history has defied the two-term example set by the first president, George Washington. And voters responded by forbidding future presidents from being elected more than twice. President Donald Trump has alluded to arcane legal arguments in repeatedly suggesting he could seek a third term. Besides challenging long-settled readings of the U.S. Constitution, a Trump move to run in 2028 would challenge the precedent that voters have repeatedly upheld when given the opportunity. Here is an explanation of the historical and legal tradition behind the presidency being a job for a maximum of two terms and two terms only. Washington set the example of voluntary limits It seemed a foregone conclusion that Washington, president of the 1787 convention that yielded the U.S. Constitution, also would become the nation’s first federal executive, even as anti-federalists worried that he’d be reelected again and again, becoming a quasi-king by acclamation. Washington began his presidency in 1789, leading an executive branch of government that the Constitution’s authors balanced with two others: Congress and the judiciary. Besides those structural guards against concentrations of power, Washington put aside his military garb and title, opting for the era’s formal attire and the honorific of “Mr. President” to underscore his status as an elected civilian. He considered not standing for reelection. He even had James Madison draft a farewell address before ultimately seeking and winning another term in 1792. Four years later, he tasked Alexander Hamilton with dusting off and polishing up Madison’s farewell draft as he announced his retirement from public life. There was no legal barrier to a third Washington term. But his decision set the tone. Four of the next six presidents won a second term but passed on a third. The last of that group, Andrew Jackson, was the first president not to have worked with Washington or have known him. Yet by the time Jackson endorsed his own successor, Martin Van Buren, two terms had become the standard. A few pushed against the Washington rule – and failed Historians have debated whether Abraham Lincoln might have pursued a third term after the Civil War had he not been assassinated in 1865 at the outset of his second term. Ulysses S. Grant, Lincoln’s victorious Civil War general and president from 1869 to 1877, led Republican delegates’ initial voting at their 1880 convention. But he could not win a majority. Theodore Roosevelt, elected vice president in 1901, served nearly a full presidential term after William McKinley’s death in 1901. When Roosevelt was elected in his own right in 1904, he promised he would not run for what he called a third term. Delegates at the 1908 GOP convention chanted “four more years,” but Roosevelt kept his word. He backtracked in 1912 but lost the nomination to his successor, incumbent William Howard Taft. Roosevelt launched a failed third-party campaign and lost, pilloried by critics for his broken third-term promise. One scathing political cartoon depicted the ghost of George Washington chiding Roosevelt. FDR used World War II to win additional terms In 1940, Franklin Delano Roosevelt became the only president to successfully win a third election, doing so as World War II raged in Europe ahead of the eventual U.S. entry. Biographer H.W. Brands reasoned that FDR saw the global conflict as a “chance to write his name in bold letters […]
“Telling your wife your needs and wants” is a complete waste of time for married men who want happiness and I’ll tell you why. So many marriage experts claim they have the secret to a happy marriage and that it all comes down to communication, boundaries and bringing in more money. They tell you to help out more at home, talk about the past, go together to a marriage professional but never stop to take inventory of whether ANY of these methods are actually WORKING in creating happiness and joy! I am not saying those strategies don’t work at all, but they are the long… slow… painful way of having a happy home. And for the few that make it with these strategies, they’ve done it while he doesn’t get what he needs, and she doesn’t get what she needs. Meanwhile, we’re helping our clients connect with their wives on the highest level, living lives full of happiness and excitement and it gets more and more joyful by the day where both husband and wife feel happiness and excitement… … all without needing their wife to meet them halfway! To check out how they do this, click below to watch my free presentation where I share all the details … you’re going to thank me for it! 5 Steps Married Men Use to Get Rid of Friction and Create Happiness and Excitement… Without Needing Their Wife to Meet Them Halfway!
Hamas has quietly erased approximately 3,400 previously listed war casualties, including the reported deaths of 1,080 children, from its official figures, according to research by Salo Aizenberg, a board member at Honest Reporting and analyst at NGO Monitor.
Aizenberg’s review revealed that thousands of names appearing in Hamas’s casualty records during August and September 2024 were missing from the most recent report published in March 2025.
“These ‘deaths’ never happened. The numbers were falsified—again,” Aizenberg stated. “What happened? How did 1000s of supposedly confirmed, fully identified deaths just vanish? Were some actually missing persons? Sloppy records? Intentional deception? Hamas’ Ministry of Health was never reliable.”
He pointed out that Hamas has consistently exaggerated civilian and child fatalities in past conflicts. “From day one, Hamas has gamed the fatality data—from including 471 fake ‘deaths’ at al-Ahli Hospital in the official count, to claiming 70% of fatalities were women & children (then quietly backing off). Managed fakery, dressed up as precision—just like in past wars.”
Aizenberg also stressed that the revised numbers should not be interpreted as proof that the current figures are trustworthy. “Is the March 2025 list suddenly credible? No. Dropping names doesn’t equal accuracy. It includes ~8,000 natural deaths; by now it’s clear after 16 months Hamas is not keeping a separate list. Hamas may be adding real IDs to match fake casualty claims then removing them later.”
Throughout the conflict, Hamas has asserted that 70% of those killed in Gaza have been women and children. These figures are frequently cited by global media and human rights groups without clarifying that the data originates from Hamas or its health ministry, despite ample evidence that the organization has repeatedly fabricated statistics.
Israel, meanwhile, has estimated that it has eliminated approximately 20,000 Hamas fighters, making up nearly half of the total fatalities. If accurate, this would represent one of the lowest ratios of civilian to combatant deaths ever recorded in urban warfare, where the United Nations notes that typically nine civilians die for every combatant.
{Matzav.com Israel}
The post Report: Over 1,000 Child Deaths Disappear From Hamas Casualty List first appeared on Matzav.com.
WH Press Secretary: “These Houthi strikes have been incredibly successful. Last time I was at this podium, there were more than 100 successful strikes. There have now been over 200 successful strikes — Iran is incredibly weakened as a result of these attacks.”
Press Secretary Leavitt says tomorrow will be one of the most important days in recent history. “April 2, 2025, will go down as one of the most important days in modern American history.”
Ansarallah military media published a video of the wreckage of an American MQ-9 drone that they shot down yesterday.
KAROLINE LEAVITT: “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, border patrol agents are now back to doing the jobs they signed up for: securing the border rather than serving as travel agents for illegal aliens.”
A fireball that erupted from a burst gas pipeline soared into the sky outside Malaysia’s largest city and injured 145 people as it burned for several hours before being put out, authorities said Tuesday. National oil company Petronas said the fire started at one of its gas pipelines outside Kuala Lumpur. The inferno caused 20-story flames and a huge crater in an empty area near a residential neighborhood. Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad was quoted by the New Straits Times daily as saying 145 people including three children were injured. He said 67 people were still being treated at public hospitals, mostly for second and third-degree burns, while 37 others sought treatment from clinics and private hospitals. The fire department said the fire damaged 190 houses and 148 cars. Investigations were underway into the cause of the fire. Authorities said homes within 290 meters (yards) of the site will remain off-limits for now. “There is a lot of damage across housing areas,” said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who visited affected residents and announced financial aid for victims. He told them the government and Petronas will be responsible for repairing affected homes, which could take months. Some residents said they felt a strong tremor, and homes shook. Lee Weng Ken, whose left leg was burned, said the ceiling of his house collapsed. “I rushed out of my house but fell and suffered burns due to the heat from the blaze,” he told Bernama. Another victim who only wanted to be known as Andy told Bernama he ran out of his home with his children when they felt tremors and saw the fire about 100 meters away. “My 18-year-old daughter injured her foot when she fell while climbing the fence due to the heat,” he said. (AP)
Pages
