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The United States and the European Union on Thursday issued a joint statement that frames the ongoing deal between the trading partners and solidifies some trade commitments. “This Framework Agreement will put our trade and investment relationship — one of the largest in the world — on a solid footing and will reinvigorate our economies’ reindustrialization,” the document reads. Together, the U.S. and the EU have 44% of the global economy. Key points in the letter include a 15% U.S. tariff rate on most European goods, with specifics on auto tariffs tied to EU legislative actions. In addition, the EU agrees to eliminate tariffs on industrial goods and many agricultural products, while the U.S. will reduce tariffs accordingly. The agreement also covers $750 billion in energy purchases and $600 billion in EU investments by 2028. The agreement also addresses non-tariff barriers, digital trade and environmental regulations. In July, President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met briefly at Trump’s Turnberry golf course in Scotland and announced a sweeping trade deal that imposes 15% tariffs on most European goods, warding off Trump’s threat of a 30% rate if no deal had been reached by Aug. 1. Before the Republican U.S. president returned to office for his second term, the U.S. and the EU maintained generally low tariff levels in what is the largest bilateral trading relationship in the world, with about $2 trillion, around 1.7 trillion euros, in annual trade. (AP)

A letter of semicha for ‘chaver’ signed by Rabbi Yechezkel Landau, Av Beis Din of Prague, and the members of his Beis Din, from the earliest days of the Noda BiYehuda’s tenure in Prague. The Noda BiYehuda began serving in the rabbinate of Prague at the start of 1755, and this document is from the end of 1756. This certificate was given to a student of the Prague Yeshiva, Reb Dovid son of Reb Isaac Bindlesh, on the 28th of Tammuz 1756.

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A letter of semicha for ‘chaver’ signed by Rabbi Yechezkel Landau, Av Beis Din of Prague, and the members of his Beis Din, from the earliest days of the Noda BiYehuda’s tenure in Prague. The Noda BiYehuda began serving in the rabbinate of Prague at the start of 1755, and this document is from the end of 1756. This certificate was given to a student of the Prague Yeshiva, Reb Dovid son of Reb Isaac Bindlesh, on the 28th of Tammuz 1756.

A huge neis occurred on Thursday morning when a terrorist opened fire at several Jewish farmers riding a tractor near Shilo, in Binyamin, but his gun jammed after shooting one bullet that missed the target. The terrorist then ran toward the Jews and tried to physical assault them they managed to fend him off via the fortified Ranger [tractor] they were driving, which was recently provided to Jewish farmers in the area as a protective measure from the Ministry of Settlement and the Settlement Division. During the scuffle, one of the Jews, 20, was lightly wounded in his head. He was treated at the scene and evacuated to the hospital for treatment. The incident occurred between the yishuvim of Adi Ad and Malachei HaShalom, an area where there have been quite a few attacks in the past. IDF forces arrived at the scene and launched a manhunt. “IDF forces are currently surrounding the village of Al-Mu’ghayir and other villages and conducting a manhunt for the terrorist,” the IDF spokesperson said. The head of the Binyamin Regional Council, Yisrael Ganz, said: “This was a planned ambush that ended in a neis. We salute the security forces and the heroic farmers who operate in Binyamin. The farmer’s Ranger he was driving was provided just a few weeks ago by the Settlement Division and has already saved lives.” “The farmers have proven again how important their presence is in the open areas between the Jordan Valley and Jerusalem and that they are protecting the lands of our country. This is further proof that we must now complete the mission and apply sovereignty over all of Yehuda and Shomron.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

An 18-year-old bochur from Monsey is in critical condition after suffering a severe electrical incident at a camp in Kerhonkson, NY. Catskills Hatzalah Paramedics arrived on the scene and found him in cardiac arrest. Paramedics b”h managed to get his pulse back and rushed the young bochur to a hospital in Poughkeepsie, where doctors were working to stabilize his condition before transferring him to Westchester Medical Center for further treatment. The bochur’s name for Tehillim is Yosef Yehoshua ben Frumit Baila. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

At least 600 employees of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are receiving permanent termination notices in the wake of a recent court decision that protected some CDC employees from layoffs but not others. The notices went out this week and many people have not yet received them, according to the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents more than 2,000 dues-paying members at CDC. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday did not offer details on the layoffs and referred an AP reporter to a March statement that said restructuring and downsizing were intended to make health agencies more responsive and efficient. AFGE officials said they are aware of at least 600 CDC employees being cut. But “due to a staggering lack of transparency from HHS,” the union hasn’t received formal notices of who is being laid off,” the federation said in a statement on Wednesday. The permanent cuts include about 100 people who worked in violence prevention. Some employees noted those cuts come less than two weeks after a man fired at least 180 bullets into the CDC’s campus and killed a police officer. “The irony is devastating: The very experts trained to understand, interrupt and prevent this kind of violence were among those whose jobs were eliminated,” some of the affected employees wrote in a blog post last week. On April 1, the HHS officials sent layoff notices to thousands of employees at the CDC and other federal health agencies, part of a sweeping overhaul designed to vastly shrink the agencies responsible for protecting and promoting Americans’ health. Many have been on administrative leave since then — paid but not allowed to work — as lawsuits played out. A federal judge in Rhode Island last week issued a preliminary ruling that protected employees in several parts of the CDC, including groups dealing with smoking, reproductive health, environmental health, workplace safety, birth defects and sexually transmitted diseases. But the ruling did not protect other CDC employees, and layoffs are being finalized across other parts of the agency, including in the freedom of information office. The terminations were effective as of Monday, employees were told. Affected projects included work to prevent rape, child abuse and teen dating violence. The laid-off staff included people who have helped other countries to track violence against children — an effort that helped give rise to an international conference in November at which countries talked about setting violence-reduction goals. “There are nationally and internationally recognized experts that will be impossible to replace,” said Tom Simon, the retired senior director for scientific programs at the CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention. (AP)

Massive protests organized by the Peleg Yerushalmi brought traffic to a standstill for nearly two hours on Wednesday evening, following a wave of arrests targeting yeshiva students who refused to report to the draft offices.

The demonstrations took place simultaneously at three central junctions, causing chaos across the country’s main highways.

The large-scale disruption was made possible thanks to a clever deception maneuver. Organizers announced in advance that the main protest would take place outside Prison 10, near Beit Lid, where several detainees are being held. Police forces were deployed heavily in that area to prepare for clashes. However, at the last moment, buses carrying the demonstrators stopped several miles before the declared “target,” unloading hundreds of protesters directly onto key intersections on Highway 2, Highway 4, and Highway 6, effectively shutting them down.

The demonstrations, which began around 6:00 p.m., quickly escalated into tense confrontations between protesters and frustrated drivers caught in the massive traffic jams. In several locations, angry motorists exited their vehicles and physically confronted demonstrators blocking the roads.

At one protest site, the situation nearly turned deadly when a driver attempted to ram into a group of protesters. Several demonstrators jumped onto the vehicle, and one of them clung to the roof as the driver continued driving forward before eventually stopping.

While opposition politicians condemned the Peleg Yerushalmi protests and called on demonstrators to enlist in the army, Knesset Finance Committee Chairman MK Chanoch Milvitzky shifted the focus toward what he called blatant double standards.

Posting on X, Milvitzky wrote in Hebrew: “The hatred of chareidim being fueled by left-wing politicians is achieving its goal. People now feel free to get out of their cars and physically assault chareidi demonstrators who are blocking the roads. They would never dare behave this way toward left-wing protesters who regularly disrupt our daily lives. It is expected of the police to bring the attackers to justice and put an end to this madness.”

His remarks sparked debate online, with many in the chareidi community accusing authorities and the media of applying one set of rules for left-wing demonstrators and a different one for protests led by religious groups.

The protests came in response to recent arrests by the military police of yeshiva students and avreichim who failed to appear at draft offices. Some of the detainees are currently being held in Prison 10, located near the area where police had anticipated the main demonstration.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Hundreds of Chassidim gathered again last night outside Prison 10 for a large-scale demonstration against the arrest and incarceration of yeshiva students and avreichim in the military prison. The protest, which has been taking place nightly in recent weeks, drew participants from multiple Chassidishe communities.

Last night’s demonstration was led by Rav Dovid Alter, son of the Gerer Rebbe, who joined alongside many rabbonim. The protesters voiced strong opposition to what they describe as the ongoing persecution of lomdei Torah in Eretz Yisroel.

The campaign is organized by an apolitical action committee representing major Chassidishe groups, including Ger and Vizhnitz, and has become one of the most significant protest movements in recent months.

Four Avreichim Still Held in Military Prison

According to organizers, four yeshivaleit remain imprisoned for refusing IDF service:

• Rafael Yitzchakov, talmid at Yeshivas Meoros HaTorah
• Elazar Kaufman
• Dovid Menachem Mintzberg
• Dov Aryeh Mordechai Rabinowitz

At the same time, several others have recently been released. Roi Helman, a talmid of Yeshivas Etz Chaim in Yerushalayim, was freed yesterday following an appeal.

Meir Yona of Yeshivas Be’er Yehuda was released on Motzaei Shabbos, and Baruch Yitzchakov, also from Meoros HaTorah, gained his freedom earlier this week and visited leading Sephardic gedolim upon his release.

Despite these developments, dozens of attempted arrests of yeshiva students and avreichim have reportedly taken place late at night in their homes, with new detentions attempted again this week.

The demonstration outside Prison 10 was attended by Chassidim from Ger, Vizhnitz, Bobov, Dzhikov, and Strikov, along with Rav Yitzchak Moshe Erlanger, the renowned mashpia.

{Matzav.com}

TEHILLIM: An 18-year-old is in critical condition following an electrical incident at a camp in Kerhonkson. Catskills Hatzolah transported the victim to a hospital in Poughkeepsie. Updates will follow, and Catskills Scoop will provide the name for Tehillim once available.

VP VANCE: “You’ve got to stop putting the interests of foreigners who don’t have the right to be here over the interests of American citizens. That is the entire point and purpose of the Democrat Party.”

VP Vance on the upcoming Midterms: “Take nothing for granted…Democrats are still trying to register illegal aliens. They still explicitly say that they want illegal aliens to vote in federal elections.”

JD Vance dismissed a Wall Street Journal report claiming Elon Musk might back him in 2028, calling it “completely fake” and insisting he has never discussed 2028 with Musk or any other donor.

Vice President Vance says it would be a ‘huge mistake’ for Elon Musk to proceed with relying on a third party.

VP VANCE: on possible pathways to peace in Ukraine: “No matter what form this takes, the Europeans are going to have to take the lion’s share of the burden. It’s their continent, it’s their security, and the President has been very clear they’re going to have to step up.”

WATCH:

VP VANCE: “The President says, ‘We’ve had a pretty good meeting. I’m going to go call Vladimir Putin and see what he says about it.’ Everybody’s like, ‘Oh, you’re going to call him next week?” And he’s like, ‘What time is it in Moscow? Let’s call him right now.'”

BREAKING: Texas House passes the GOP redistricting map, adding five Republican seats. It now heads to the Senate for the final vote.

The IDF announced it recently struck several Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, including weapons depots and a rocket launcher.

Moscow’s latest demands are threatening to derail President Trump’s efforts to arrange a high-level summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, even as the White House pushes to finalize plans for face-to-face talks aimed at ending Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.

Kremlin officials are seeking sweeping concessions, including veto power over any Western-backed security guarantees for Kyiv and strict conditions for the structure of any summit between the two leaders.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday that Putin only agreed to “consider raising the level of heads of delegations” from previous Istanbul negotiations — but only if certain requirements are fulfilled.

Lavrov added that any eventual meeting between Putin and Zelensky must be “honest” and stressed that a direct encounter could only happen after substantial progress in negotiations, insisting it must serve as a “period” at the conclusion of talks rather than “make negotiations worse.”

The new demands complicate two major wins Trump secured in recent days — his Friday meeting with Putin in Alaska and his Monday summit at the White House with Zelensky and top European officials.

At the White House, Trump announced that Putin had agreed to meet Zelensky in person and that there was progress toward a framework for “NATO-like” forces inside Ukraine to enforce terms of a potential peace deal — a move celebrated by several US allies.

Trump, 79, and Zelensky, 47, are pushing for the summit to happen within weeks and have already begun discussing potential venues for the historic meeting with Putin, 72.

Lavrov also said Wednesday that Moscow wants the talks to address “political” dimensions of any settlement, though he declined to explain what specific issues he was referencing.

He emphasized that how Kyiv responds to this aspect — which Lavrov said Trump would personally convey — would be a “critical step” in advancing talks toward a broader summit between top Russian and Ukrainian officials that could settle “key questions.”

The Russian diplomat also criticized Trump and European leaders for moving forward with security guarantee discussions without Moscow’s participation, calling it an impossible path forward.

“We cannot agree with the fact that now it is proposed to resolve questions of security, collective security, without the Russian Federation. This will not work,” Lavrov said. “I am sure that in the West and above all in the United States they understand perfectly well that seriously discussing security issues without the Russian Federation is a utopia, it’s a road to nowhere.”

Despite Moscow’s objections, Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special presidential envoy who attended Friday’s Alaska meeting, said Sunday that Russia had already agreed “in principle” to NATO-style security assurances designed to deter any future invasion.

“We got to an agreement that the United States and other nations could effectively offer Article 5-like language to cover a security guarantee,” Witkoff said during an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union.

Witkoff explained that the arrangement would give Ukraine NATO-level protections without requiring it to formally join the alliance, a compromise designed to address Putin’s long-standing demands.

“Putin has said that a red flag is NATO admission, right? And so what we were discussing was — assuming that the Ukrainians could agree to that and could live with that … we were able to win the following concession: that the United States could offer Article 5-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in NATO,” he said.

“So we sort of were able to bypass that and get an agreement that the United States could offer Article 5 protection, which was the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that.”

However, Lavrov signaled Wednesday that Moscow now wants to revive a stalled proposal first discussed under Joe Biden, which would designate the five permanent members of the UN Security Council — including Russia and China — as official security guarantors for Ukraine.

He called the draft proposal, presented in Istanbul in 2022, a “very good example” of the kind of arrangement Russia prefers regarding Ukraine’s future security.

European leaders pushed back on the idea, pointing out that placing Russia — the aggressor in the conflict — in charge of protecting Ukraine from further attacks would be nonsensical.

“Trusting Russia to prevent Russia from reinvading is a logical fallacy,” a European official told The Post.

“Unfortunately, this is not very surprising, considering that Putin has always tried to avoid any serious peace talks,” another senior European diplomat said. “That is why we need to continue pursuing a peace-through-strength approach with Russia.”

Monday’s White House meeting brought together leaders from the European Commission, NATO, France, Germany, Italy, the UK, and Finland, alongside Trump and Zelensky.

While no official security guarantees have yet been finalized, Trump suggested Tuesday morning that the US could assist Ukraine with air defense systems.

He clarified during a Fox & Friends interview that there would be “no US boots on the ground,” although European powers such as France and the UK have previously expressed willingness to deploy peacekeeping forces in Ukraine to deter further Russian attacks.

On Tuesday evening, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Cain hosted his military counterparts from the UK, France, Finland, Germany, and Italy to continue shaping potential frameworks for these guarantees, according to a senior US official.

Zelensky, speaking to reporters Monday, emphasized that Ukraine would require commitments from Europe to sustain a “strong” military, as well as approval for the US to purchase battle-tested Ukrainian drones and provide $90 billion in American-made weapons through NATO-backed programs.

Lavrov, meanwhile, reiterated his opposition to any arrangement that empowers Ukraine militarily, warning that such initiatives would undermine the credibility of an eventual summit:

“The Russian president has repeatedly said that we are ready to work in any format, provided that the work is honest and does not boil down to attempts — as the leaders of leading European countries are doing — to create conditions that would drag the US into an aggressive, belligerent campaign to preserve and strengthen Ukraine as a tool to contain Russia and wage war against Russia and everything Russian in the region, including Ukraine,” Lavrov said.

A White House official, responding to Moscow’s demands, reaffirmed Trump’s commitment to diplomacy: “President Trump and his national security team continue to engage with Russian and Ukrainian officials towards a bilateral meeting to stop the killing and end the war,” the official told The Post Wednesday. “As many world leaders have stated, this war would have never happened if President Trump was in office. It is not in the national interest to further negotiate these issues publicly.”

{Matzav.com}