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Rent-stabilized tenants in New York City could see their monthly housing costs rise this fall, after the city’s Rent Guidelines Board voted Wednesday in favor of proposed rent increases for one- and two-year leases. The board approved a range of potential hikes: 1.75% to 4.75% for one-year leases and 4.75% to 7.75% for two-year leases. The final rates will be determined in a binding vote scheduled for June. If approved, the changes would apply to leases beginning on or after October 1. The preliminary decision comes as the board weighs how to support the financial stability of building owners while protecting tenants from cost-of-living increases. Over the past three years, the board has greenlit cumulative rent hikes totaling 9%. Mayor Eric Adams called the vote a “challenging decision,” stressing the importance of maintaining building quality without placing “unreasonable” burdens on renters. He expressed concern over the upper end of the proposed range, saying, “A 7.75% increase is far too unreasonable of a burden for tenants,” especially in the midst of a worsening affordability crisis across the city. Landlord advocates, however, blasted the board’s proposed increases as insufficient. Kenny Burgos, CEO of the New York Apartment Association, which represents owners of roughly 400,000 rent-stabilized apartments, said the adjustments fall short of what is needed to keep buildings operational. “Following this inadequate adjustment, we now need elected officials to step up and lower the costs they can control – like property taxes, water and sewer payments, and energy prices,” Burgos said. “If they do not take action, then thousands of rent-stabilized buildings will fail in the next year.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Elon Musk confirms that DOGE is here to stay: “If we take our eye off the ball, the fraud will come roaring back.” DOGE Engineer Edward Coristine notes that the government payment system incentivizes wasteful spending due to the lack of oversight when approving requests for funding.

The Trump Organization has signed a deal to build a luxury golf resort in Qatar, marking its first real estate venture there since Trump’s return to the White House. The project will include beachside villas and an 18-hole golf course.

VP VANCE ON MIKE WALTZ: “He is being made ambassador to the United Nations — which, of course, is a Senate-confirmed position … We brought Mike on to do some serious reforms to the National Security Council. He has done that.”

In yet another explosive controversy rocking New York City’s embattled public school system, the Department of Education is under fire for distributing an official newsletter that accused Israel of committing “genocide in Gaza”—a claim that outraged Jewish educators and advocates are calling a dangerous escalation of anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric within the city’s classrooms. According to a NY Post report, the inflammatory statement appeared in the spring 2025 edition of the “Teacher Career Pathways” newsletter—an internal publication bearing the logos of both the NYC Department of Education and the United Federation of Teachers (UFT)—which was distributed to hundreds of “master teachers” across the city’s 1,800 public schools. “The genocide in Gaza, among other global injustices, emphasized the urgent need for student voices to be centered and heard,” the newsletter read, citing a student protest in the Bronx held on March 28 as a model of activism. But Jewish educators say the message crossed a line—falsifying history, glorifying antisemitic demonstrations, and turning schools into ideological battlegrounds. “This newsletter needs to be removed and someone needs to apologize immediately,” said one Jewish teacher, who asked to remain anonymous. “Does the DOE expect me, a Jewish educator, to pass along this kind of language in good conscience?” Pro-Israel teachers say that the referenced protest was not a benign call for peace, but a chaotic pro-Hamas rally rife with antisemitic tropes and slogans calling for the destruction of Israel. “To frame this as a noble catalyst for leadership is both revisionist and reckless,” said another concerned educator. This is not the DOE’s first foray into controversy over anti-Israel messaging. Just weeks ago, the chancellor’s office was forced to apologize for a separate DOE-linked publication that promoted a “Stop Gaza Genocide Toolkit,” urging educators to support calls to “Stop arming Israel” and “Free Palestine.” The latest incident sparked harsh rebuke from elected officials and education watchdogs alike. “This is simply inexcusable and unconscionable,” said Manhattan Councilwoman Julie Menin. “We were clear with the chancellor that this must never happen again—and yet here we are. DOE gets an F.” Karen Feldman, co-founder of the NYC Public School Alliance and a 26-year teaching veteran, echoed the sentiment. “This is not genuine social justice—it is the spread of hate disguised as activism. Our schools should be spaces of inclusion and learning, not platforms for radical, inflammatory propaganda.” Michelle Ahdoot, director at the advocacy group #EndJewHatred, called the newsletter part of a “clear pattern of Jew-hatred in official DOE communications,” accusing the chancellor of “deliberate indifference” to the danger Jewish educators and students face. She demanded a full investigation and public accountability. DOE officials acknowledged the language had been removed after it was flagged but declined to name the author. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Polling data from John Zogby Strategies offers an early snapshot of the 2028 presidential race, with Independent Senator Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump Jr. emerging as the current front-runners in their respective political parties.

During an appearance on Newsmax’s “Greg Kelly Reports,” pollster John Zogby discussed the newly released findings, shedding light on early voter sentiment heading into the next presidential cycle.

“Well, I did it, I guess, to quote a former president because I could,” Zogby remarked when asked about the motivation for conducting such an early survey. “But I did it because we have done that early on in nonpresidential years, looking ahead to the future. Usually, these are based on name recognition, you know, obviously, but in this instance, I think it told a story.”

According to the poll, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders leads among Democrats. Though he will be 86 years old in 2028 and is not expected to run, Zogby said Sanders represents a symbolic figure for progressives, sharing that space with New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

“That’s the left wing of the party. And the left wing of the party is in the ascendancy right now,” Zogby explained. “Who holds up the more establishment side of the party? That’s [former Transportation Secretary] Pete Buttigieg together with [Sen.] Cory Booker [D-N.J.] and [California Gov.] Gavin Newsom. What I’m impressed about is that there’s five people there in double digits, meaning this is wide open.”

Donald Trump Jr. leads among Republicans in the poll, and Zogby drew a historical parallel to a similar moment in political history.

“What’s really interesting is that Donald Trump Jr. is parallel to what we saw at this point in time in 1997,” he said. “George W. Bush, who was still relatively new governor of Texas, came in first in a field of Republicans that included, you know, some heavyweights.”

Zogby reflected on the 1997 polling results, noting that many voters at the time mistakenly thought George W. Bush was actually his father, President George H.W. Bush, and supported him out of a belief that the elder Bush had been unfairly treated in the 1992 election. He suggested that a similar phenomenon could be contributing to the numbers favoring Trump Jr.

When pressed on whether Trump Jr.’s polling success was simply a product of name familiarity, Zogby acknowledged that factor but said it doesn’t tell the whole story.

“Of course,” he said. “But behind the numbers, he does better than [Vice President JD] Vance. He gets 35% support among self-identified Republicans. Whereas those independents who said that they would vote in the Republican primary in their state favor Vance 2-to-1.”

{Matzav.com}

A record 1,120 people accused of being in the U.S. illegally were arrested in less than a week during sweep orchestrated by federal, state and local authorities in Florida, an operation officials credited on Thursday to the burgeoning number of local police departments and state agencies that have joined President Donald Trump’s drive for mass deportations. That cooperation was on display Thursday when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis joined officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to tout the arrests. “We will continue to engage in broad interior enforcement efforts,” said DeSantis at a joint press conference with federal officials. “This is just the beginning.” Local police can make immigration arrests and detain people for immigration violations under specific agreements. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had 135 agreements across 21 states in December. That number has since jumped to 506 deals across 38 states, with an additional 74 agencies pending approval. As the Trump administration ramps up cooperation with state and local agencies, it is moving to retaliate against those that limit helping immigration authorities. On Monday, the president signed an executive order to publish a list of “sanctuary” jurisdictions and reiterated threats of criminal charges against state or local officials who thwart federal policy. Advocates who oppose local officials getting into immigration enforcement say the practice violates a clause in the U.S. Constitution that makes federal, not state, authorities responsible for it. “This is finding methods to terrorize communities,” said Katie Blankenship, an immigration attorney and co-founder of Sanctuary of the South, adding that local law enforcement officers aren’t trained to handle immigration issues “in any sort of just manner.” Trumps deportation goals may be too big for ICE alone ICE, which has about 6,000 deportation officers, needs help achieving Trump’s goal of deporting many of the roughly 11 million people in the country illegally, a conservative estimate. Texas, whose Republican governor, Greg Abbott, has closely allied himself with Trump on immigration, has 76 enforcement agreements on record, the second-largest number of any state. They include one inked April 10 with the state National Guard. Texas has also signed an agreement with U.S. Customs and Border Protection for its National Guard to arrest people at the border. Georgia and North Carolina have also joined Trump’s cause, but no state approaches Florida’s cooperation, with agencies from all 67 counties signing on. Some participating institutions appear to have little, if anything, to do with immigration enforcement, including the Florida Department of Lottery Services and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. No such agreements were signed during the Biden administration. Many of the new pacts adhere to a “task force model” under which police arrest immigrants on the streets and in communities, as opposed to a “jail enforcement model” under which ICE takes custody of people only when they are put in state and local jails or prisons. On Thursday, DeSantis and federal officials offered some details of “Operation Tidal Wave,” the multiagency law enforcement operation that, according to ICE, culminated with arresting the largest number of people in the U.S. illegally in a single state in one week since the agency was created in 2003. “While this may be the first … operation of its kind, thanks to the governor, it’s not going to be the last,” said Madison Sheahan, ICE deputy director. “We will […]

The Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Bnei Brak, Rav Yisroel Hager, who was in Los Angeles for the past two and a half months following a complex surgery, departed last night on a private jet bound for Switzerland, where he will be staying for a period of rest and recuperation.

The Rebbe took off from Los Angeles at 10:45 p.m. local time on Wednesday night, en route to Davos, where he is expected to remain for ten days.

Barring any changes, the Rebbe is scheduled to return to Eretz Yisroel at the start of the week of Lag BaOmer.

Upon his return, a major welcome event is planned, featuring a grand kabbalas panim by all the talmidim of Vizhnitz’s talmudei Torah schools across the country.

In Eretz Yisroel, preparations are already underway for a high-profile conference of the Vizhnitz institutions, set to take place in Rosh Pina. The exclusive gathering will bring together prominent philanthropists and dignitaries from around the world, with the participation of the Rebbe himself.

Additionally, the main Lag BaOmer event in Bnei Brak, including the traditional bonfire lighting, is scheduled to take place under the leadership of the Rebbe. However, the exact location of the event is still under discussion, as organizers expect a massive turnout from across the country, especially as it will be the Rebbe’s first major public appearance since his surgery.

In advance of the Rebbe’s arrival in Switzerland, a group of six outstanding yeshiva students—described as the “lions” of the Vizhnitzer yeshivos—were selected to accompany him and maintain their full Torah study schedule during the stay in Davos. The talmidim were carefully chosen by the administrations of the yeshivos in Kiryat Vizhnitz, Brachfeld, and Elad. Among them is Tzvi Elimelech Askal, son of Rabbi Ephraim Askal, a prominent chassid, who recently completed the entire Shas. He merited the Rebbe’s participation at the siyum celebration held at Yeshivas Yeshuos Moshe-Vizhnitz in Brachfeld.

All are asked to continue davening for Rav Yisroel ben Leah Esther for his swift return to full strength.

{Matzav.com Israel}

China accused the United States on Wednesday of being the true source of COVID-19, as tensions over the origins of the virus once again flared into the international spotlight. The accusation came in the form of a sharply worded white paper released by the Chinese government, claiming that the U.S. is “shamelessly politicizing” the pandemic and attempting to deflect from its own failings. Beijing’s fiery rebuttal followed a recent push from the White House suggesting that the virus likely leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, where gain-of-function research was allegedly being conducted. A section of a newly updated government webpage explicitly claims that “a lab-related incident” is now considered the most probable origin of the deadly pandemic that has claimed millions of lives. “The U.S. government, instead of facing squarely its failure in response to COVID-19… has tried to shift the blame and divert people’s attention,” the Chinese paper declared. The document insists that “substantial evidence” suggests the virus may have been circulating in the U.S. before China’s first known outbreak in Wuhan in late 2019. The renewed battle over COVID’s origins comes as multiple U.S. agencies—including the CIA and FBI—have leaned toward the lab leak theory, though the CIA maintains “low confidence” in its assessment and admits that a natural origin remains possible. A House panel has also weighed in, citing growing concerns over the security of gain-of-function research and the inadequacy of current global oversight mechanisms. Still, China stood by the results of a 2021 joint study conducted with the World Health Organization, which deemed a lab leak “extremely unlikely” and concluded the virus likely jumped from bats to humans via an intermediary species. Beijing went further, accusing the U.S. of undermining global cooperation during the pandemic and lambasting its public health response. “It has severely undermined joint international efforts… and become a weak link in global public health governance,” Chinese officials wrote. The report also alleged the U.S. has failed to adequately address questions surrounding its own COVID timeline and response. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A group of 23 U.S. lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, headed by Representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida and Don Bacon of Nebraska, sent a letter to Wikipedia CEO Maryana Iskander demanding answers about how the site plans to uphold its editorial standards, crack down on bias among its editors, and stop antisemitic and pro-terror material from appearing in its articles.

The members of Congress highlighted Wikipedia’s far-reaching impact, despite being a freely editable, user-driven platform. With millions relying on its entries for information—and its content serving as a source for search engines and artificial intelligence tools—they underscored the site’s unique power to shape public perception.

The letter comes on the heels of findings by the Anti-Defamation League, which revealed significant levels of antisemitic and anti-Israel slant across Wikipedia pages in various languages. Of particular concern were articles involving Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which appeared to reflect an orchestrated attempt to insert pro-Hamas propaganda.

“Evidence points to a startling lack of enforcement of Wikipedia’s most basic rules and editorial safeguards. Given the immense influence that Wikipedia articles have over our online and real-life global conversations, far more editorial responsibility and transparency are needed, immediately,” said Wasserman Schultz. “My hope is that our bipartisan questions and concerns can curb a suspected coordinated campaign to manipulate Wikipedia content that drives antisemitic content and biases.”

“Antisemitism and anti-Israel views have increased on Wikipedia due to their lack of enforcing their own rules and standards, and they need to take steps immediately to fix the problem,” said Bacon. “Wikipedia has such a broad reach, and people take what is posted there as 100 percent truth, when it always isn’t. I’m glad to join Rep. Wasserman Schultz on this bipartisan letter, in the hopes we can get Wikipedia to fix this.”

“Earlier this year, research from the ADL Center for Technology and Society raised immense concerns regarding antisemitism, anti-Israel bias, and abuse of Wikipedia by coordinated actors,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO & National Director. “The majority of Wikipedia users assume the material on the platform is reliable. The reality is millions are being exposed to dangerous misinformation on contentious topics. I deeply appreciate Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz and Congressman Bacon for leading this crucial bipartisan effort, demanding answers from Wikipedia on how they are enforcing their own rules and pushing for greater transparency and accountability.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli President Yitzchak Herzog called the 2005 disengagement from Gaza a “mistake” during a speech on Monday, marking the 20th anniversary of the controversial withdrawal. Speaking at an event hosted by the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI), Herzog reflected on the decision to evacuate all Israeli settlements and military forces from the Gaza Strip, a move that has shaped Israel’s security landscape for two decades. The disengagement saw Israel unilaterally withdraw from Gaza, dismantling 21 settlements and evacuating approximately 8,500 residents, many forcibly removed by Israeli security forces. The move aimed to reduce friction with Palestinians and advance peace prospects, but Herzog argued it failed to achieve those goals. “Looking back, I believe the disengagement was a mistake,” Herzog said, citing the subsequent rise of Hamas’s control over Gaza and the persistent rocket attacks on southern Israel. He noted that the withdrawal, intended to bolster Israel’s security and international standing, instead led to increased hostilities, including the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and triggered the ongoing war. The president said national unity is needed to address Gaza’s future, advocating for a “sober and honest” reassessment of Israel’s policies. He suggested that any future peace efforts must involve pragmatic agreements ensuring Israel’s safety, referencing the Abraham Accords as a model for regional cooperation. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Shortly after resigning from his National Security Advisor role, Mike Waltz was nominated to be UN ambassador by President Donald Trump.

“I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations,” Trump posted to Truth Social Thursday.

“From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation’s Interests first. I know he will do the same in his new role. In the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as National Security Advisor, while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department. Together, we will continue to fight tirelessly to Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

From Fox News:

The announcement comes after news broke on Thursday morning that Waltz was no longer serving as the administration’s national security advisor.

A handful of names had been floated for the role after [Elise] Stefanik withdrew her nomination in March, including former U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman, former deputy special envoy to monitor and combat anti-semitism at the State Department under the first Trump administration, Ellie Cohanim and special presidential envoy Richard Grenell. Grenell said he was a “hard no” on serving in the U.N. ambassador role ahead of Trump’s announcement.

Trump announced Stefanik as his original choice for the role back in November 2024, just days after his successful election against former Vice President Kamala Harris. The New York congresswoman, however, pulled her nomination last month as concerns mounted in Trump’s orbit that the GOP’s slim majority in the House would grow smaller in her absence.

Waltz responded to the nomination for the new role on X, saying “I’m deeply honored to continue my service to President Trump and our great nation.”

{Matzav.com}

Video shows the Druze community protesting in middle of the Amiad Junction in Northern Israel.

RFK JR.: “The farmers of this country are our partners. We have to make sure that their lives are sustainable, that they can have these farms and hand them to their families, that we can continue to feed our country… high quality food to Make America Healthy Again.”

REPORTER: Why not arrest leaders of sanctuary cities who are harboring illegal aliens? TOM HOMAN: “Wait ‘til you see what’s coming.”

Trump says any country that buys oil from Iran will not be allowed to do business with U.S.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz: “If the attacks on the Druze in Syria do not stop, we will respond very severely.”

Inah Canabarro, a Brazilian nun and teacher who was the world’s oldest person, died on Wednesday just weeks short of turning 117. Canabarro died at home of natural causes. She was confirmed in January as the world’s oldest person by LongeviQuest, an organization that tracks supercentenarians around the globe. She would have turned 117 on May 27. According to LongeviQuest, the world’s oldest person is now Ethel Caterham, a 115-year-old British woman. As a child, Inah Canabarro was so skinny that many people didn’t think she would survive into adulthood, Cleber Canabarro, her 84-year-old nephew, told The Associated Press in January, Her great-grandfather was a famed Brazilian general who took up arms during the turbulent period following Brazil’s independence from Portugal in the 19th century. She spent two years as a teenager in Montevideo, Uruguay, before moving to Rio de Janeiro and eventually settling in her home state of Rio Grande do Sul. A lifelong teacher, among her former students was Gen. Joao Figueiredo, the last of the military dictators who governed Brazil between 1964 and 1985. She was also the beloved creator of two marching bands at schools in sister cities straddling the border between Uruguay and Brazil. Canabarro took the title of the oldest living person following the death of Japan’s Tomiko Itooka in December, according to LongeviQuest. She ranked as the 20th oldest documented person to have ever lived, a list topped by Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who died in 1997 at the age of 122, according to LongeviQuest. (AP)

Hundreds seen packed into the tziyon of Reb Shayale in Kerestir, beseeching him to be po’el yeshuos and be a meilitz yosher for klal yisroel.

At a White House gathering held in honor of the National Day of Prayer on Thursday, President Donald Trump spoke about the hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, indicating that fewer than two dozen remain alive.

While addressing those in attendance, Trump turned his attention to the parents of Edan Alexander, a dual American-Israeli citizen who is currently being held hostage. “I can not imagine your pain, but we’re all alongside you, we stand by you, and we’re going to do everything possible in the very short period of time. As you know, things are heating up. I’ve gotten a lot of hostages out. But they (Hamas) want to do it as slowly as possible because they use them as pawns.”

He reassured them of the government’s efforts, saying, “We’re working very hard to save your son. We’ve got news coming out both good and bad, but we’re working very hard.”

Trump recounted that he had personally met with relatives of the hostages, as well as with individuals who had already been freed.

He described one meeting in which a freed hostage was wearing a shirt with the number 59 to represent the total still held at the time. “I asked if they’re all living, they said, ‘No, 24 are living.’ I said ‘24?’ So 24 of the 59 are living, and they knew because they had just gotten out, and the others are all dead.”

Reflecting on conversations with families whose loved ones had already been confirmed dead, Trump remarked, “and as much as you want your beautiful boy out, they want their beautiful boys out so badly. Almost as much as if he were alive. It was amazing to see the level of love for the children.”

He concluded with a grim update on the current reality. “Think of that, out of 59, you had 24 that were living, and now I understand that it’s not even that number.”

{Matzav.com}