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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called off his first visit to Japan and South Korea to focus on Middle East issues

State Department Spokeswoman Tammy Bruce says 90% of USAID foreign aid never actually made it to its intended destination.

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman has shifted gears just a week after announcing his willingness to contribute “hundreds of millions of dollars” to support an alternative to New York City mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani. Late Thursday night, Ackman declared that current Mayor Eric Adams is best positioned to defeat Mamdani in the upcoming race and suggested that Andrew Cuomo should exit the contest.

In a series of posts on X, Ackman revealed that he sat down for separate one-hour meetings on Wednesday with both Adams and Cuomo. He came away convinced that Adams stands the best chance of winning and that Cuomo’s continued presence in the race would hinder that. “My takeaway is that Adams can win the upcoming election and that the Governor should step aside to maximize Adams’ probability of success,” he wrote.

Ackman expressed respect for Cuomo and acknowledged the former governor’s service to New York. However, he felt that Cuomo lacked the passion and vigor needed to wage a tough campaign against Mamdani. “It is abundantly clear in his body language, his subdued energy, and his proposals to beat Mamdani, that he is not up for the fight,” Ackman wrote.

In contrast, he portrayed Adams as full of determination and energy, ready to take on the challenge directly. He praised the mayor’s willingness to confront Mamdani’s radical positions. Adams, a onetime NYPD officer, is “ready to go to battle, guns blazing with enormous energy and clarity on why Mamdani and his socialist/communist (‘We must seize the means of production’) and anti-NYPD policies would be catastrophic for NYC,” Ackman said.

He also lauded Adams’ campaign abilities, describing him as someone who can galvanize support from everyday New Yorkers. While admitting that Adams’ first term had its blemishes, he still found it commendable overall. “He relied too much on friends of Adams to staff his administration; however, when one looks at his record in totality, he has had a strong first term,” Ackman noted.

Ackman pointed out that Mamdani’s far-left platform has had an unexpected effect: it’s motivated numerous skilled professionals to back Adams. He claimed the mayor is attracting “many of our talented citizens with relevant experience” and is dedicated to recruiting the “best and brightest” to help steer both his campaign and the city’s administration forward.

He also emphasized several of Adams’ achievements in public safety, economic growth, and everyday livability in the city. “Under the leadership of the Mayor and Police Commissioner Tisch, major crime is down by double-digit percentages this year,” Ackman stated. “Shootings are down to their lowest level in recorded City history, and murders are down to record lows we haven’t seen since the 1960s. Subway crime is also down by double-digit percentages this year.”

The rebound in employment since the pandemic was another point of pride. Ackman said the city has not only regained the one million jobs lost during the COVID-19 crisis but surpassed previous employment records, with more than 4.86 million residents now working.

He added that New York is experiencing an unprecedented boom in small business growth. “NYC now has a record number of small businesses — more than 183,000 — with 20 percent of those opening during this administration,” he said. Ackman warned, though, that this upward trend could be reversed under Mamdani’s leadership.

Affordability was also part of Adams’ record, Ackman said, noting that the mayor has made significant strides to ease financial pressure on working families. “429,600 of whom had their city income taxes eliminated, and another 152,500 whose taxes were reduced,” he said.

Ackman also praised Adams for preserving critical social support systems. He highlighted the protection of the child care voucher program and the creation of a special 1,500-member NYPD unit dedicated to addressing quality-of-life issues, a move that he said has already yielded “excellent results” and has since been expanded across the city.

He noted that the latest city budget has allocated increased resources for arts, culture, and libraries, as well as initiatives to keep public spaces clean and inviting.

Ackman ended his post with a personal endorsement of Adams’ authenticity, contrasting him with his political rival. “Adams is also always authentically himself — his smile is real unlike the other guy’s — and in my experience, the more authentic candidate always wins.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu paid a visit to Mossad headquarters on Wednesday evening, meeting with Mossad Director David Barnea and the organization’s senior leadership team.

During the meeting, Netanyahu voiced his gratitude to the Mossad personnel for their critical and exceptional role in Operation Rising Lion, as well as for their longstanding work in intelligence and operational activities aimed at countering Iran’s ambitions.

Netanyahu said, “The Mossad operation with the pagers set in motion everything that happened afterward – the elimination of Nasrallah, the collapse of Assad and our subsequent joint action in removing the immediate existential threat.”

He continued, “Your contribution was immense. Under the leadership of Mossad Director David Barnea, the agency proved its deep commitment to eliminating the leading minds and striking the Iranian nuclear program. Your phenomenal achievements combined very well with the great achievements of the IDF. This was a very great force multiplier. I commend you for your major and ongoing contribution to the security of Israel.”

David Barnea, head of the Mossad, addressed the team as well, emphasizing that Israel currently stands in a strategically strong position as a result of close collaboration with the military. He praised both the IDF’s exceptional performance and Mossad’s years of covert preparation against Iran’s threat.

Barnea stated, “Today, the State of Israel is in a powerful and strategic position, thanks to the outstanding cooperation with the military, which showed astounding capabilities, alongside the Mossad, which worked for years, preparing special and intelligence operations against the Iranian threat.”

He added, “There has been throughout responsible military leadership, outstanding civilian leadership, and – of course – diplomatic leadership by you, Mr. Prime Minister.

“I personally thank you for the trust you have placed in the men and women of the Mossad, and its commanders. Without this trust, we would not have achieved what we have to date, or the significant damage we inflicted in the recent campaign.”

Barnea concluded with a note of resolve, saying, “Our mission is not over. We are committed to continuing our efforts with determination in order to prevent future Iranian threats to the State of Israel, and to striving to fully utilize the strategic opportunities before us.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis exposes Zohran Mamdani’s radical record and touts the layout of ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ on ‘Hannity.’

WATCH:

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Over the last 16 years, a new approach and method of limud Hashas has been nurtured and developed in Eretz Yisroel at Reshet Kollelei Shas Yiden. This phenomenon has captured the imagination and electrified lomdei Hatorah throughout the world, and has earned the avid support of Gedolim across the Torah spectrum. 

Shas Yiden in UK & USA

Shas Yiden not only grew from 6 avreichim metzuyonim to 126 avreichim geonim in five kollelim across Eretz Yisroel but, in response to repeated requests from abroad, a Shas Yiden kollel was first established in the UK, in Stamford Hill, London. The Shas Yiden reputation soared in this location and their first Annual Siyum Hashas with Gedolei Torah in attendance reflected the grandeur of those in Yerushalayim.

This foray into Chutz La’aretz has been followed by a long-awaited opening of a Shas Yiden kollel in Flatbush, NY. The Eretz Yisroeldike bren of learning the entire Shas has already had a significant local impact and is a source of inspiration to the local Flatbush kollelim. The incredible devotion to limud gantz Shas and its completion within a year by each avreich at Shas Yiden has encouraged many others to try and emulate this broader study of Shas.

This elevated level of Torah study at Shas Yiden and the ability of the avreichim geonim to face public oral farheren by world recognized Gedolei Torah, together with monthly tests on 225 blatt, is nothing short of remarkable. Shas Yiden has truly raised the bar in the study of Shas. Our unique system of learning, the tight demanding regimen and the motivation emanating from Eretz Yisroel has truly placed Shas Yiden in a Torah league of its own. 

In the Words of Maranan Hageonim

Sar Hatorah, רשכבה”ג Maran Hagadol Harav Chaim Kanievsky, זצ”ל – Nasi, Shas Yiden
I tested them, I know them throughout Shas – a Yissachar-Zevulun pact with Shas Yiden is the most mehudar partnership 

Rosh Hayeshiva, רשכבה”ג Maran Hagadol Harav Gershon Edelstein, זצ”ל
Shas Yiden has raised the bar of Torah learning in both depth and clarity, and its unique method of ameilus in Torah

The Sanzer Rebbe, שליט”א
A first in 2000 years of Jewish history – never before a Torah institution where ALL the avreichim know kol Hashas kulo, Rashi and Tosfos b’al peh

Over 1.6 Million Blatt at Shas Yiden
This Year Alone!

With each of the 122 avreichim geonim at Shas Yiden required to complete a minimum of 13,555 blatt per year, you are helping support some 1,654,000 blatt! 

At the most recent farheren, the reaction of the Gedolei Torah conducting the testing to the prowess of the Shas Yiden was simply one of amazement at the breadth and detailed knowledge and all-encompassing mastery of Shas – remarking: “They know it like others know Ashrei Yoshvei!” The joy of the avreichim geonim and their clear love of Torah electrifies each farher. (To see the different farheren in action, please click on our website: www.shasyiden.com.) It is no wonder that the overall reaction to the Shas Yiden Network is that in its 15 years it has certainly revolutionized and raised the bar in the learning and mastery of Shas. 

Caring for the Avreichim Families

Despite the difficulties of these last few years, Covid etc., Shas Yiden has made sure to keep our commitment to each of the Shas Yiden families to ensure their menuchas hanefesh to be free to focus on Shas.  Each month their salaries have been paid on time. Further, in Tishrei and, now again, for Nissan, they are all paid full extra salary checks to help them meet the extra Yom Tov expenses. 

That we are able to do so, a big ‘thank you‘ is due to you all. You have an eternal stake in the incredible learning of Shas Yiden. Your on-going interest and support in this unique ‘Entire-Shas’ Torah-learning venture is most sincerely appreciated. Collectively and individually, you are singular partners in changing the way the Torah world views the ability to both learn and master the entire Shas. Whatever you can do to help in defraying their extra Yom Tov expenses will be a great chesed to these Bnei Torah who are true bnei aliyah.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., defended her controversial remarks describing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a “terrorist force,” following sharp criticism from the White House and others.

In a Wednesday interview on CNN’s News Central with Brianna Keilar, Jayapal was asked to explain an Instagram post she had shared a day earlier. In that post, Jayapal claimed, “ICE is acting like a terrorist force. People across the country of all legal statuses — including U.S. citizens — are being kidnapped and disappeared off the street by masked men. No oversight, no accountability. Completely lawless.”

Keilar questioned Jayapal specifically about a statement issued by White House press secretary Abigail Jackson, which was provided to Fox News Digital.

Jackson responded forcefully to Jayapal’s accusations, writing, “Jayapal’s disgusting comments warrant an immediate apology. Heroic ICE officers are simply doing their jobs and enforcing federal immigration law, with the utmost professionalism.”

She added, “Dangerous smears by deranged leftists like Jayapal radicalize their supporters to violently attack and obstruct federal law enforcement. Because of comments like Jayapal’s, assaults against ICE agents have increased by 500% this year. And that number will go even higher if Jayapal doesn’t stop with her smears.”

Jayapal rejected those assertions, stating, “What is deranged and cruel and outrageous is that, literally, we are seeing ICE agents, I assume they‘re ICE agents. They say they are. They don‘t have any identification. They‘re wearing masks. They‘re in plain clothes. They are coming and kidnapping and disappearing people on the streets of the United States.”

She continued by saying, “I never in a million years thought that that is something that I would see here in America. And so I think it is the administration that has to apologize to U.S. citizens that have been rounded up to legal, permanent residents, to people with legal statuses across the country who are getting swept up, people who have been here for 20 years and committed no crimes, getting swept up by masked men who are kidnaping them and deporting them.”

Jayapal doubled down on her critique, labeling ICE enforcement operations as “outrageous,” “unconstitutional,” and “illegal.”

She further stated, “It is absolutely terrorizing people, including small businesses, farmers. The round table I had in Spokane was with people from the Growers League, farmers who are terrified, restaurant owners who can‘t have, you know, who are seeing their sales go down because nobody wants to come out and eat. Literally. People are so afraid, Brianna. It‘s never something I thought I would see in the United States of America. The White House owes an apology to the American people for what they are doing.”

Meanwhile, concerns about safety for ICE officers continue to grow. Tom Homan, a key border policy figure, addressed the surge in violence against agents on Monday during an interview on The Will Cain Show. He also spoke out against a new tracking app reportedly called ICEBlock, which alerts users to ICE operations.

“Assault against ICE is up over 500%,” Homan said. “Now you’ve got an app that’s going to tell where ICE operations are going to. It’s only a matter of time before ICE agents are ambushed by some nut, like what happened in L.A., throwing them out a cocktail, throwing bricks at these officers. This is just disgusting at every level.”

{Matzav.com}

Saudi Arabia secretly participated in intercepting Iranian drones during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, according to Gulf sources cited by Yisrael Hayom. The Saudi air force reportedly scrambled helicopters to shoot down unmanned aerial vehicles crossing regional airspace over Iraq and Jordan, halting their advance before they could reach Israel. While Riyadh has not publicly confirmed its involvement — and even condemned Israel’s strikes against Iran — the revelations point to a dramatic realignment in the Middle East, where Sunni powers increasingly see Iran as a shared threat worth countering, even if unofficially.

WATCH: The moment an IDF drone eliminated an IRGC Quds Force operative near the Beirut International Airport.

An Israeli drone struck a vehicle in Khalde, south of Beirut, Lebanese media report. The IDF confirms it eliminated a terrorist operating on behalf of the IRGC’s Quds Force who was smuggling weapons and advancing terror attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has now been speaking for over 5 hours. To date, the longest floor speech in the U.S. House was given by then-Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (8 hrs. and 32 min.) from November 18-19, 2021.

Claire Shipman, who now serves as Columbia University’s acting president, allegedly pushed to add an Arab representative to the school’s board of trustees and privately expressed opposition to keeping a Jewish trustee due to her pro-Israel views, according to internal communications reviewed by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

“We need to get somebody from the middle east [sic] or who is Arab on our board,” Shipman wrote in a WhatsApp message on January 17, 2024. “Quickly I think. Somehow.”

A week later, she criticized trustee Shoshana Shendelman, a vocal opponent of anti-Israel protests on campus, telling colleagues she had been “extraordinarily unhelpful.” Shipman added, “I just don’t think she should be on the board.”

These conversations were revealed in a letter sent Tuesday by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) to Shipman, obtained first by The Washington Free Beacon. The lawmakers asked Shipman to explain the exchanges, which they said “raise troubling questions regarding Columbia’s priorities just months after the October 7th attack, which was the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust,” and flagged possible violations of civil rights law.

The letter noted that if Columbia were to appoint someone to the board “specifically because of their national origin,” the action could “implicate Title VI concerns.”

The documents also detail how, during the pro-Palestinian encampment on Columbia’s campus in 2024, Shipman warned vice-chair Wanda Greene not to engage with Shendelman, whom she claimed was probing for information. “Do you believe that she is a mole?” Greene asked on April 22. “A Fox in the henhouse?” Shipman responded, “I do.”

The Free Beacon reported that Shendelman was among the trustees who urged university leadership to restore order by bringing in law enforcement. Columbia ultimately delayed police involvement until after protesters occupied a building and allegedly held a janitor hostage, leading to dozens of arrests.

During the crisis, Shendelman went to campus to retrieve her daughters and their friends, who were unable to leave Butler Library because of the protest. In a subsequent trustees call, she described the ordeal, but her concerns were allegedly brushed aside. Shipman appeared to reference the incident when writing, “And like driving to campus and loading people into a suv. I just don’t know.”

Other messages revealed further disdain for Shendelman. Greene wrote, “I’m tired of her.” To which Shipman replied, “So so tired.” Shendelman is a biotech CEO whose family escaped Iran during the 1979 revolution.

Lawmakers homed in on the comments about Shendelman, questioning why Shipman appeared eager to oust “one of the board’s most outspoken Jewish advocates at a time when Columbia students were facing a shocking level of fear and hostility.”

A Columbia University spokesperson told Breitbart News the correspondence was being taken out of context. “These communications were provided to the Committee in the fall of 2024 and reflect communications from more than a year ago. They are now being published out of context and reflect a particularly difficult moment in time for the University when leaders across Columbia were intensely focused on addressing significant challenges,” the statement said.

The spokesperson added, “This work is ongoing, and to be clear: Columbia is deeply committed to combating antisemitism and working with the federal government on this very serious issue, including our ongoing discussions to reach an agreement with the Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism. Acting President Claire Shipman has been vocally and visibly committed to eradicating antisemitism on campus; the work underway at the university to create a safe and welcoming environment for all community members makes that plain.”

Following publication of the committee’s findings, The New York Post obtained an email Shipman reportedly sent to close contacts, in which she took responsibility for her words. “Let me be clear: The things I said in a moment of frustration and stress were wrong,” Shipman wrote. “They do not reflect how I feel… It was a moment of immense pressure, over a year and a half ago, as we navigated some deeply turbulent times. But that doesn’t change the fact that I made a mistake.”

She also claimed to have offered a personal apology to Shendelman: “I have tremendous respect and appreciation for that board member, whose voice on behalf of Columbia’s Jewish community is critically important. I should not have written those things, and I am sorry.”

In response, Shendelman told Breitbart News, “The cavalier attitude towards student safety and the casual cruelty that is captured within the texts don’t leave much to interpretation and is understandably alarming to parents of college students nationwide. I can’t control what others do, but I will do my best to change things in a positive way for the sake of our students, our universities and our nation. I will continue to lead by example – to work hard and to do the right thing with moral clarity.”

The committee also included a December 2023 message in which Shipman dismissed congressional scrutiny. Writing to then-president Minouche Shafik, she referred to “the capital [sic] hill nonsense”—presumably referencing Shafik’s testimony before lawmakers investigating campus antisemitism.

“Your reference to ‘capital [sic] hill nonsense’ is disturbing given Congress’s role in conducting oversight to ensure universities are fulfilling their obligations to protect Jewish students,” the committee wrote. “Congress’s efforts to ensure the safety and security of Jewish students—who make up almost a quarter of your campus population—is not ‘capital [sic] hill nonsense.’”

In another exchange dated October 30, 2023, Shipman acknowledged concerns from the Jewish community but seemed to downplay their validity: “people are really frustrated and scared about antisemitism on our campus and they feel somehow betrayed by it. Which is not necessarily a rational feeling but it’s deep and it is quite threatening.”

The committee criticized this description as dismissive, especially “considering the violence and harassment against Jewish and Israeli students already occurring on Columbia’s campus at the time.”

Reacting to Columbia’s claim that the messages were taken out of context, Rep. Walberg pushed back forcefully. “Two years ago, college and university administrators famously stated ‘it depends on the context’ to defend their lack of response to antisemitism on their campuses. Now, Columbia University is using this tired practice of blaming ‘context’ for their acting president’s questionable texts and emails,” he told Breitbart News. “Americans are smarter than these institutions seem to think and can see through this overused line.”

The disclosures come as Columbia tries to recover from a loss of $400 million in federal funding, which the Trump administration revoked in March, citing the university’s failure to protect Jewish students from harassment. In June, federal officials also alleged that Columbia was out of compliance with accreditation requirements and in violation of anti-discrimination laws.

Shipman has reportedly accepted some of the administration’s conditions to restore funding, including a campus mask ban and authorization for university police to detain and remove students as needed, according to The New York Post.

In a private letter, Shipman wrote that Columbia is “committed to restoring our critical partnership with the federal government as quickly as possible, so that thousands of our faculty and researchers and students can get back to the essential work they do on behalf of humanity.”

{Matzav.com}

HORROR: The families of the hostages Maxim Herkin, 37, and Bar Kupershtein, 23, gave permission for a clip of a Hamas propaganda video to be published on Thursday. The clip is from a longer video which is intended to voice the families’ cry against the possibility of a partial hostage release deal that would include “cruel selections” and “separation between blood and blood.” The clip was taken from a video published by Hamas in April, but at that time, the Herkin and Kupershtein families did not approve its publication.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday branded New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani a “Communist Lunatic” and pledged to “save” the city from his leadership, escalating a political brawl between the Republican president and socialist mayoral contender. Writing on Truth Social, Trump lashed out at Mamdani, who clinched the Democratic primary last week, vowing: “As President of the United States, I’m not going to let this Communist Lunatic destroy New York. Rest assured, I hold all the levers, and have all the cards. I’ll save New York City, and make it ‘Hot’ and ‘Great’ again, just like I did with the Good Ol’ USA!” The president’s broadside follows Mamdani’s own rhetorical shots, including labeling himself “Donald Trump’s worst nightmare” during a primary debate. Trump’s threats went far beyond insults. At a Tuesday press conference in Florida, he openly threatened to cut federal funding to New York City if Mamdani takes office, and even floated arresting him should the candidate follow through on promises to eject federal immigration enforcement officers from the city. “We’ll have to arrest him,” Trump declared when asked about Mamdani’s vow to remove ICE agents. Trump also questioned Mamdani’s citizenship status, despite clear documentation showing he was born in Uganda in 1991 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2018. “A lot of people are saying he’s here illegally,” Trump claimed. The threats against Mamdani mark one of the most aggressive interventions by Trump in a local race. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

In a significant step toward ensuring equal enforcement of protest-related laws across all sectors of Israeli society, the Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved a bill on Wednesday aimed at eliminating selective law enforcement against certain populations, including the chareidi community.

The proposed legislation, sponsored by MK Moshe Roth, is designed to establish a clear and equal standard of enforcement for public protests, regardless of the protesters’ background. It seeks to enshrine the principle that the basic right to demonstrate must be upheld fairly for all citizens.

“There is nothing more corrosive to a society than when its citizens feel they are being treated unequally,” the bill states, citing a 1987 Supreme Court ruling. “The feeling of inequality is one of the most damaging. It undermines the forces that unite society and harms an individual’s sense of identity.”

The proposal comes against a backdrop of years-long claims of systemic bias by law enforcement authorities—especially the police, state prosecution, and attorney general’s office—toward certain communities. These include chareidim, residents of the yishuvim (settlements), and members of the Ethiopian-Israeli community.

One case cited in the bill is a February 2025 ruling by Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court Judge Avital Mold, who dismissed charges against a chareidi minor due to what she called “selective enforcement.” The judge noted that similar charges were not brought against non-chareidi youth involved in passive protests.

The bill further claims that protests involving visibly chareidi demonstrators were met with harsher police tactics—such as water cannons laced with foul-smelling “skunk” liquid—while protests on Kaplan Street in Tel Aviv, despite road blockages and violent behavior, did not face the same response.

MK Roth’s bill affirms that all protestors must be treated equally, including in matters such as road blockages, demonstrations near the homes of public officials, the use of crowd control tools, and decisions involving detentions, investigations, arrests, or indictments for disorderly conduct.

To enhance transparency and oversight, the proposal requires law enforcement agencies to report twice a year to the Knesset’s National Security Committee. These reports must include detailed statistics on investigations, arrests, case closures, and indictments related to protests—broken down by demographic group and protest location.

Additionally, the attorney general will be obligated to appear before the committee annually to report on enforcement policies related to protests and to answer lawmakers’ questions.

“This bill sets a fundamental principle: the right to protest belongs equally to everyone, and law enforcement must act accordingly,” said MK Roth. “The law will require regular reporting to the Knesset and allow for real oversight. Selective enforcement is an injustice that must be eliminated.”

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration has accused states and schools of using federal education grants earmarked for immigrants’ children and low-income students to help fund “a radical leftwing agenda.” The administration this week withheld more than $6 billion intended for after-school and summer programs, English language instruction, adult literacy and more, saying it would review the grants to ensure they align with President Donald Trump’s priorities. The freeze sent schools and summer camp providers scrambling to determine whether they can still provide programs like day camps this summer or after-hours child care this fall. On Wednesday, the Office of Management and Budget said an initial review showed schools used some of the money to support immigrants in the country illegally or promote alternative lifestyle inclusion. The administration said it hadn’t made any final decisions about whether to withhold or release individual grants. “Many of these grant programs have been grossly misused to subsidize a radical leftwing agenda,” the Office of Management and Budget said in a statement. It said New York schools had used money for English language instruction to promote organizations that advocate for immigrants in the country illegally. Washington state used the money to direct immigrants without legal status toward scholarships the Trump administration says were “intended for American students.” Grant funds also were used for a seminar on “queer resistance in the arts,” the office said. Officials from New York and Washington state didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Advocates for low-income and immigrant children connected the grant freeze to the Trump administration’s larger crackdown on immigrants. Two of the five federal programs put on hold were appropriated by Congress to help support English proficiency of students still learning the language and migrant children who move with their parents to follow agricultural and other jobs. School districts use the $890 million earmarked for English learners in a wide range of purposes, from training teachers’ aides who work with English learners, to running summer schools designed for them, to hiring family liaisons who speak the parents’ native languages. The $375 million appropriated for migrant education is often used to hire dedicated teachers to travel close to where students live. By “cherrypicking extreme examples,” the administration is seeking to conflate all students learning English with people who are in the country illegally, said Amaya Garcia, who directs education research at New America, a left-leaning think tank in Washington, D.C. In reality, the majority of English learners in public schools were born in the United States, according to data from the Migration Policy Institute. “The way they’re framing it is that we’re using this money for undocumented students and families,” said Margarita Machado-Casas, president of the National Association of Bilingual Educators. “It’s a distraction. A distraction from what’s actually happening: that 5.3 million English learners who speak lots of different languages, not just Spanish, will suffer.” Even if the students lack legal status, states may not deny public education to children in the country illegally under a 1982 Supreme Court decision known as Plyler v. Doe. Conservative politicians in states such as Oklahoma, Texas and Tennessee have pursued policies that question whether immigrants without legal residency should have the right to a public education, raising the possibility of challenges to that landmark ruling. Meanwhile, states and school districts are still trying […]

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When Akiva Zuravin set out to develop Jerusalem Estates, he wasn’t simply building luxury apartments—he was making a statement. Tucked into the historic Schneller compound in the heart of the frum neighborhoods and within walking distance of prominent Chassidic centers, Jerusalem Estates became more than just a sought-after address. It became a symbol of what’s possible when vision, values, and execution align.

“We weren’t just creating buildings,” Zuravin reflects. “We were shaping something that felt deeply connected to its surroundings—authentic, beautiful, and thoughtfully done.”

It was that mindset that set Jerusalem Estates apart—and that continues to define Zuravin’s approach today. With Ir Olam, his most ambitious development yet, the goal is even broader: not just to build homes, but to shape the rhythm of modern life in Jerusalem.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Located adjacent to Givat Shaul, Kiryat Moshe, and Beit Hakerem, and minutes away from Har Nof, Ir Olam rises from the grounds of the old flour mill—once an industrial area and now envisioned as one of Jerusalem’s most forward-looking quarters for living, working, and gathering.

Where Jerusalem Estates was a residential landmark, Ir Olam is a full-scale quarter, featuring three luxury residential towers, two LEED Platinum-certified office buildings, a boutique shopping boulevard, green rooftops, shuls, co-working areas, a school, and a central piazza designed to foster everyday connection.

But beyond design and functionality lies a deeper intention: community. At Jerusalem Estates, Zuravin prioritized buyers who shared common values—people who could not only live alongside one another but thrive together. That same care is being applied at Ir Olam.

“When people share the same rhythm of life,” Zuravin explains, “the entire experience becomes more meaningful. The gym, the shul, the party room—they’re not just amenities. They’re points of connection.”

In Ir Olam, where residents will share workspaces, rooftops, lounges, and lifestyle services, community isn’t just a feature—it’s part of the architecture. The goal is a natural, respectful cohesion that allows for privacy and belonging to coexist.

The project was conceived by Yashar Architects, whose signature blends functionality with elegance, and is being built to international standards of environmental sustainability and urban planning. Every detail has been thoughtfully considered, with user experience at the core.

Crafted for those who know.

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Over the last 16 years, a new approach and method of limud Hashas has been nurtured and developed in Eretz Yisroel at Reshet Kollelei Shas Yiden. This phenomenon has captured the imagination and electrified lomdei Hatorah throughout the world, and has earned the avid support of Gedolim across the Torah spectrum.  Shas Yiden in UK & USA Shas Yiden not only grew from 6 avreichim metzuyonim to 126 avreichim geonim in five kollelim across Eretz Yisroel but, in response to repeated requests from abroad, a Shas Yiden kollel was first established in the UK, in Stamford Hill, London. The Shas Yiden reputation soared in this location and their first Annual Siyum Hashas with Gedolei Torah in attendance reflected the grandeur of those in Yerushalayim. This foray into Chutz La’aretz has been followed by a long-awaited opening of a Shas Yiden kollel in Flatbush, NY. The Eretz Yisroeldike bren of learning the entire Shas has already had a significant local impact and is a source of inspiration to the local Flatbush kollelim. The incredible devotion to limud gantz Shas and its completion within a year by each avreich at Shas Yiden has encouraged many others to try and emulate this broader study of Shas. This elevated level of Torah study at Shas Yiden and the ability of the avreichim geonim to face public oral farheren by world recognized Gedolei Torah, together with monthly tests on 225 blatt, is nothing short of remarkable. Shas Yiden has truly raised the bar in the study of Shas. Our unique system of learning, the tight demanding regimen and the motivation emanating from Eretz Yisroel has truly placed Shas Yiden in a Torah league of its own.  In the Words of Maranan Hageonim Sar Hatorah, רשכבה”ג Maran Hagadol Harav Chaim Kanievsky, זצ”ל – Nasi, Shas YidenI tested them, I know them throughout Shas – a Yissachar-Zevulun pact with Shas Yiden is the most mehudar partnership  Rosh Hayeshiva, רשכבה”ג Maran Hagadol Harav Gershon Edelstein, זצ”לShas Yiden has raised the bar of Torah learning in both depth and clarity, and its unique method of ameilus in Torah The Sanzer Rebbe, שליט”אA first in 2000 years of Jewish history – never before a Torah institution where ALL the avreichim know kol Hashas kulo, Rashi and Tosfos b’al peh Over 1.6 Million Blatt at Shas YidenThis Year Alone! With each of the 122 avreichim geonim at Shas Yiden required to complete a minimum of 13,555 blatt per year, you are helping support some 1,654,000 blatt!  At the most recent farheren, the reaction of the Gedolei Torah conducting the testing to the prowess of the Shas Yiden was simply one of amazement at the breadth and detailed knowledge and all-encompassing mastery of Shas – remarking: “They know it like others know Ashrei Yoshvei!” The joy of the avreichim geonim and their clear love of Torah electrifies each farher. (To see the different farheren in action, please click on our website: www.shasyiden.com.) It is no wonder that the overall reaction to the Shas Yiden Network is that in its 15 years it has certainly revolutionized and raised the bar in the learning and mastery of Shas.  Caring for the Avreichim Families Despite the difficulties of these last few years, Covid etc., Shas Yiden has made sure to keep our commitment to each of […]

Despite increasing pressure to introduce new draft legislation in the coming days, the chareidi parties are expected to oppose the proposed bill, but without threatening the stability of the coalition government, according to a report by Kan News.

With a ticking political clock, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s inner circle is under mounting pressure to present a draft of the new giyus (IDF draft) law to avoid a coalition crisis and fulfill promises made to the chareidi factions. A failure to bring a bill forward by next Wednesday could escalate tensions, as chareidi representatives have warned of taking stronger action if no legislative progress is seen.

According to Kan, a draft version of the law is expected to be submitted in the coming days and presented to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Negotiations with the chareidi parties are in their final stages and are expected to continue tomorrow as part of the process of presenting an initial draft.

One significant change reportedly included in the bill is a clause mandating the enlistment of over 4,800 chareidi men in the first year of implementation, a point of concern within the chareidi community.

While there has been vocal opposition from United Torah Judaism and Shas regarding any legislation that would require thousands of bochurim to enlist in the IDF, senior chareidi sources told Kan that they do not intend to leave the coalition over the introduction of the bill, signaling a pragmatic approach despite ideological objections.

This political development comes as Netanyahu appointed MK Yisrael Eichler as Minister of Housing, under pressure from Agudas Yisrael to return control of the ministry to the party. Eichler will serve in this role until Minister Yitzchak Goldknopf, who stepped down temporarily, is able to resume his position.

Officials in the Prime Minister’s Office have expressed hope that Goldknopf will soon return to his ministerial duties, a move that would further stabilize the coalition and reinforce the government’s efforts to advance the draft law before the looming deadline next Wednesday.

{Matzav.com Israel}

The United States is preparing to authorize the transfer of B-2 stealth bombers and 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs to Israel if Iran renews its nuclear weapons program, under a bipartisan bill introduced this week. The legislation, called the Bunker Buster Act, would give President Trump authority to “take actions to ensure Israel is prepared for all contingencies if Iran seeks to develop a nuclear weapon,” according to sponsors Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Mike Lawler (R-NY). “Iran, the leading state sponsor of terror, and one of America’s top enemies, can never have a nuclear weapon,” Gottheimer said. “They have killed scores of Americans and repeatedly attacked Israel, our key democratic ally. Israel must be able to defend herself and ensure Iran cannot rebuild its nuclear capabilities.” Lawler said the measure would “give the President the authority to equip Israel with the tools and training they need to deter Tehran and make the world a safer place.” The B-2 stealth bomber — which the U.S. has never allowed any ally to operate — is the only aircraft capable of delivering the 20-foot, 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), designed to punch through up to 200 feet of reinforced concrete. Last month, B-2 crews took part in a landmark joint attack with Israel on Iran’s nuclear facilities, dropping 14 bunker buster bombs on three heavily fortified sites. President Trump said the operation “totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program, though U.S. officials have rejected speculation that Tehran moved its stockpiles of enriched uranium before the bombing. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi confirmed this week that Iran’s centrifuges at the Fordow underground facility are “no longer operational” after the strikes. However, he cautioned that Iran’s nuclear infrastructure could bounce back faster than many believe. “The capacities they have are there,” Grossi told CBS. “They can have, you know, in a matter of months, I would say, a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium, or less than that. But as I said, frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared and there is nothing there.” “It is clear that there has been severe damage, but it’s not total damage,” he added. “Iran has the capacities there; industrial and technological capacities. So if they so wish, they will be able to start doing this again.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)