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New York City’s clampdown on electric bikes and scooters officially began Friday, setting a top speed of 15 miles per hour for e-bikes, e-scooters, and pedal-assist delivery bikes. The rule fulfills a promise Mayor Eric Adams made earlier this summer amid mounting frustration from pedestrians who say the fast-moving vehicles have turned city streets into obstacle courses.

“We’ve all had this experience,” the mayor said. “You know what it’s like trying to cross the street and an e-bike or e-scooter runs you or your family member over.”

While many residents welcomed the move in theory, others argued that the new speed cap will be toothless unless the city figures out how to enforce it. One commuter told 1010 WINS, “There’s got to be a better plan.”

Council Member Robert Holden of Queens voiced similar skepticism, insisting that a speed limit alone isn’t enough. He’s pushing for legislation that would require e-bikes to carry license plates, saying it’s the only way to hold reckless riders accountable.

“If you were to go on the sidewalk and hit someone, there’s some accountability,” Holden said.

The councilman also criticized the city for rolling out restrictions without the means to track offenders. He called it “ludicrous” to have a speed limit on vehicles that can’t be traced by red-light cameras or police.

“How do you identify them if you don’t catch up to them?” he asked. “And the cops are not going to chase them. They’re not going to chase down an e-bike that just blows a red light and almost hits pedestrians.”

For now, New Yorkers will have to rely on voluntary compliance from riders—a strategy that, critics say, is unlikely to slow the surge of zipping e-bikes crisscrossing the city’s crowded streets.

{Matzav.com}

The main wreckage of a cargo plane that veered off a Hong Kong runway and plunged into the sea was recovered from the waters on Sunday, days after the deadly crash. The Boeing 747, flown by Turkey-based ACT Airlines from Dubai, skidded after landing last Monday and collided with a patrol car, sending both vehicles […]

Knesset member Tzvi Succot of the Religious Zionism party sounded an urgent warning this week to the Chief Rabbis and the Chief Rabbinate Council about what he called a “serious loophole” undermining the integrity of Israel’s kashrus system.

Succot revealed that certain importers are exploiting the system by buying meat within Palestinian Authority areas, securing Chief Rabbinate kashrus certification for customs clearance, and then reselling portions of that meat to Jewish consumers in Israel.

The issue was discussed last Thursday at a special session of the Chief Rabbinate’s Kashrut Committee, which convened to address the growing problem of kosher meat imports linked to the Palestinian Authority.

Before the committee meeting took place, Succot sent a letter alerting the Chief Rabbis and Council members that his Knesset subcommittee would soon be tackling the issue as well. “I will soon hold a discussion in a Knesset committee and would be happy for Chief Rabbinate representatives to participate so we can find a solution to the problem of meat smuggling,” he wrote.

Succot pointed out that he has repeatedly encountered the problem of meat entering Israel under the misleading designation of “goods transferred to the Palestinian Authority.” According to him, the situation has reached alarming proportions, with a State Comptroller’s report indicating that 57% of meat imports supposedly bound for the PA never reached it at all but were instead sold inside Israel.

He further warned the Chief Rabbis that “according to the law, once a kosher certificate is issued for the imported meat, the importer can legally sell it as ‘kosher’ within the State of Israel’s borders without violating the ‘Kosher Fraud Prohibition Law.’”

Concluding his letter, Succot expressed deep concern that the Rabbinate’s practice of granting kashrus certification for meat claimed to be heading to the PA is inadvertently enabling widespread abuse. “Since the matter under discussion was brought to my attention, I felt it appropriate to share with the esteemed rabbis the serious concern that issuing kashrus certificates for meat supposedly intended for the Palestinian Authority could, God forbid, worsen the problem of meat being smuggled and marketed as kosher – thereby creating a de facto bypass of the Chief Rabbinate’s oversight of meat entering Israel,” he cautioned.

{Matzav.com}

Israel remains unsure of the location of four of the 13 bodies of hostages still believed to be held in Gaza, according to a report Sunday from Kan. Jerusalem has been urging Washington to prioritize the recovery of all remaining bodies as part of ongoing ceasefire efforts. Over the past week, the United States has […]

SNAP SHUTTING DOWN: The U.S. Department of Agriculture has posted a notice on its website saying federal food aid will not go out Nov. 1, raising the stakes for families nationwide as the government shutdown drags on. The new notice comes after the Trump administration said it would not tap roughly $5 billion in contingency […]

Long lines to vote reported in Lakewood NJ on Sunday, where tens of thousands of Orthodox Jews are hoping to get Republican Jack Ciattarelli elected as Governor. President Trump receiving a staggering 87.7% of the town’s vote and was New Jersey’s Trumpiest Town In 2024.

The Trump administration is preparing to surge illegal alien arrests even higher now that 175,000 Americans have applied to work at ICE. Over 2 million illegals gone so far in 270 days.

The Peleg Yerushalmi announced that it will not participate in the upcoming “Million Rally” organized by the main chareidi parties, citing the absence of any planned public denunciations of the government or the new draft law.

According to senior faction sources, members of the Bnei Torah rabbinic leadership visited the home of Rav Azriel Auerbach, who expressed opposition to the draft legislation being promoted by the chareidi political representatives in the Knesset. The law includes draft quotas and sanctions targeting the yeshiva world.

In a statement issued by the Peleg, it was noted: “When asked by the rabbonim, the Amud HaHora’ah elaborated regarding the planned ‘Million Rally’ organized by the chareidi parties, where no binding words of protest are expected to be heard against the authorities—who arrest G-d-fearing Jews morning and night—and certainly not against the law, which is being shamefully advanced by the chareidi representatives in the Knesset themselves.”

Rav Auerbach declared: “Those who understand among our people realized more than a decade ago that the path of compromise would lead to the complete destruction of the Torah world. Only by standing firmly, without bowing or yielding, as we were taught by our revered roshei yeshiva Rav Shmuel Auerbach and Rav Asher Deutch, will we prevail in this determined battle for the future of Torah.”

As a result, the Peleg will not be taking part in Thursday’s mass rally in Yerushalayim.

Meanwhile, journalist Yoeli Barim reported Sunday night on Channel 13 about a sharp disagreement between the Shas and United Torah Judaism parties regarding the tone and messaging of the upcoming demonstration, whether it should focus on protesting the government or on expressing solidarity with the Torah world.

{Matzav.com}

FORMER DEMOCRATIC NY STATE ASSEMBLYMAN: “I endorsed Curtis Sliwa and while I never thought I’d say this, I am now asking that you vote for Andrew Cuomo. Why? Because if Mamdani wins, the very future of New York City is at stake.”

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop at LAX Sunday morning due to staffing issues. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed and canceled in the coming days as the nation’s air […]

A new poll suggests that more than a quarter of New Yorkers are preparing to pack their bags if far-left Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani becomes the city’s next mayor — a warning sign that his radical brand of politics could trigger an exodus from the five boroughs. The Victory Insights survey, released Friday, found that 26.5% […]

As reported by YWN dozens of times over the past few years — including our March 2024 article “FIFTY BLOWOUTS! 5 Chaveirim Branches Respond To Massive Blowouts Incident In Manhattan” — the ramp off the George Washington Bridge has been a consistent nightmare for motorists, with hundreds of flat tires and blowouts plaguing drivers week […]

For a quarter century, President Vladimir Putin has faced the specter of Russia’s shrinking and aging population. In 1999, a year before he came to power, the number of babies born in Russia plunged to its lowest recorded level. In 2005, Putin said the demographic woes needed to be resolved by maintaining “social and economic stability.” In 2019, he […]

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A collective effort has been established to write four Sifrei Torah in memory of the four boys who were tragically niftar last Motzei Shabbos in the horrific accident: Aharon Nosson Lebovitz, Shloimy Cohen, Yaakov Kilburg, and Chaim Simcha Grossman.

The heartbreaking loss has deeply shaken Klal Yisrael. In response, Yidden across the country are coming together to dedicate new Sifrei Torah as an everlasting zechus — a living continuation of the Torah and kedusha these boys represented.

All are asked to unite in bringing menucha to their families and helping keep their Torah alive.

Contribute now!

An emergency meeting convened today at the Badatz of the Eidah HaCharedis in its full composition under the leadership of Rav Moshe Shternbuch to discuss how to respond to the arrests of yeshiva students amid the ongoing draft controversy.

Rosh Yeshiva Rav Shalom Ber Sorotzkin of Ateres Shlomo took part in the session. Rav Sorotzkin has been leading efforts to unite the various communities on behalf of his talmid, Ariel Shamai, who was detained and is now being held in a military prison.

Participants considered a range of extraordinary measures not previously used by the Edah HaCharedit.

Opening the meeting, Rav Sorotzkin spoke emotionally about the imprisoned talmid, stressing that “this is a young man who sits and learns most hours of the day with great perseverance” and calling for determined action on his behalf. The discussion was then handed over to Rav Yitzchak Shlomo Beloya and ultimately to Rav Shternbuch.

Rav Shternbuch issued a forceful ruling, saying that the community must “go out to fight for the sake of Hashem with self-sacrifice.” He declared that protesting is a Torah obligation and urged the community to show extraordinary commitment so that, God willing, a yeshuah will follow. He stressed that although they do not seek conflict, they see no alternative but to resist what they described as an attack on Torah life.

At the end of the meeting, the Badatz issued a sharp written notice stating that they intend to wage a mitzvah war with complete dedication. The Badatz also announced that anyone who is enticed to join any of the army’s so-called chareidi tracks — whether military or civilian frameworks associated with service — will be boycotted: such individuals’ children will be barred from attending schools and institutions designated for the chareidi public in order to preserve the community’s “fortress wall” between the God-fearing public and the secular masses.

{Matzav.com}

But what if everyone else is under-thinking? If you’ve ever had this thought then you might be an overthinker. When it comes to big decisions though- like choosing the person you’re going to spend the rest of your life with- overthinking can seem reasonable. Responsible even. How can you tell the difference between healthy thinking […]

Final preparations are underway for the massive “Million Man Atzeres” against the draft decree, which is scheduled to take place this Thursday at 2:30 p.m. at the entrance to Yerushalayim, centered around the String Bridge and the nearby streets.

The organizing committee, which includes representatives of all the chareidi parties, held a Zoom session following an earlier meeting at the Bnei Brak municipality. Participants included Chaim Bitton and Yosef Chaim Kalef of Shas, Chanoch Zeibert and Meir Porush of Agudas Yisroel, and Menachem Shapira of Degel HaTorah.

According to details obtained by Matzav.com, the rally will not feature a central stage or amplification trucks. Instead, leading rabbonim will be stationed at various points, with one balcony designated as the focal area from which selichos will be recited.

The program will consist solely of selichos, Tehillim, and the public declaration of Kabbalas Ol Malchus Shomayim.

During the committee discussions, organizers expressed their belief that the police have accepted that the event will indeed proceed and are preparing accordingly. The committee plans to tour the site on Tuesday, and an official notice about the event is expected to appear in the chareidi newspapers tomorrow.

Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, who last week approved the decision to hold the rally following the arrest of yeshiva bochru Ariel Shamai, was updated today by organizers on the logistical aspects of the event. Rav Hirsch instructed that the rally should take place “at any time and location possible, but only with full police approval.”

Earlier, representatives met with police officials, who are preparing for a crowd of at least half a million people. Police sources reportedly emphasized that their role is “to assist and prevent clashes, not to create unnecessary friction.” Officers even asked that the message be conveyed to the public that they “stand with the demonstrators, not against them.”

Among those attending today’s coordination meeting were Shmulik Shapira (Agudas Yisroel–Gur), Tzachi Barim (Deputy Mayor of Yerushalayim), Shimi Blau (Agudas Yisroel–Shlomei Emunim), Menachem Shapira (Degel HaTorah), and Yaakov Orgad (Shas).

Another round of meetings — both among the committee members and with police — is scheduled for tomorrow to finalize remaining details.

{Matzav.com}

More than two dozen people have been indicted on drug-related charges as part of a yearslong investigation into a gang in Philadelphia, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced Friday. Cocaine, fentanyl and heroin were sold in the Kensington area in “one of the most prolific drug blocks in the city” from Jan. 2016 to Oct. […]