Feed aggregator

Pro-Hamas students at San Francisco state University have taken over part of the campus library, “renaming” it the “Hossam Shabat Atrium.”

During the initial 100 days of President Trump’s administration, only nine illegal immigrants were permitted entry into the United States, according to border enforcement leader Tom Homan. In stark contrast, under then-President Biden during the same timeframe the previous year, that number skyrocketed to 184,000.

These eye-opening statistics were released as the administration touted a virtually complete elimination of “gotaways” — migrants who evaded capture at the border — which the White House described as “the top threat to public safety.”

“In that same time frame that we released nine, [the Biden administration] released 184,000 illegal aliens in the country,” Homan stated during an appearance Tuesday morning on “Fox and Friends.”

“President Trump is a game changer,” Homan declared.

“What’s happening on the border, he did in seven weeks what Joe Biden couldn’t — or wouldn’t — do in four years.”

Homan explained that each of the nine individuals who were released under President Trump’s watch had specific and serious justifications. Four were key witnesses involved in active criminal investigations, another four required urgent medical care, and the final individual was released for undisclosed humanitarian reasons.

By comparison, Homan said that under Biden’s administration, the border saw as many as 15,000 illegal crossings daily. But now, he noted, the figures have dropped dramatically.

“You know what the number was yesterday? 178 … 178 across 2,000 miles of border,” Homan said, citing the steep plunge in illegal border activity. According to the White House, illegal crossings have decreased by 95%.

Homan, speaking during a Monday press briefing, announced that the Trump administration has removed around 139,000 individuals from the country since the president assumed office again. “The numbers are good,” he added.

He estimated that over 20 million undocumented immigrants currently reside in the U.S., but said the administration is honing in on the approximately 700,000 with criminal charges or convictions.

“That’s who we’re looking for now, that’s [what we’re] prioritizing, them and national security threats,” Homan explained.

In March, illegal crossings at the southern border totaled just 11,000 — the lowest ever recorded — surpassing the prior record low set the previous month.

The White House hailed the statistics as evidence that President Trump has “ushered in the most secure border in modern American history.”

“President Trump has made good on the promises he made on the campaign trail to usher in an unprecedented era of homeland security.”

{Matzav.com}

Fox News host Mark Levin and Harvard Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz delivered tore into Harvard University on Sunday night, accusing the Ivy League institution of harboring “anti-Americanism, anti-Semitism, and anti-Zionism” while applauding President Donald Trump for taking action to hold universities accountable. Appearing on Fox News’ Life, Liberty & Levin, Dershowitz condemned Harvard’s lawsuit against the Trump administration over a recent federal funding freeze. Harvard claims the freeze threatens critical research and represents an unconstitutional attempt to “micromanage” higher education. Dershowitz called the university’s defense a farce. “Harvard cannot use academic freedom as an excuse and justification for teaching anti-Americanism, anti-Semitism, and anti-Zionism,” Dershowitz declared. “It’s a structural problem — it goes deep. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs are anti-Semitic to their core. Intersectionality, racial theory, queer theory — these are all part of an effort to promote a worldview that is fundamentally hostile to America and to Jews.” Drawing a powerful historical parallel, Dershowitz compared Harvard’s invocation of academic freedom to the shameful defenses used by southern universities during the Jim Crow era. “In the 1950s, university presidents said, ‘All we want to do is teach white supremacy and have the Ku Klux Klan come onto campus — that’s our academic freedom.’ No! Then the federal government had to step in, and it must step in again today,” he said. Levin also forcefully defended Trump’s actions, emphasizing that it is Trump — not Harvard’s leadership — who is fighting for Jewish students and preserving true academic freedom. “Donald Trump deserves enormous credit,” Levin said. “It’s Donald Trump who believes in free speech and academic freedom, and it’s Donald Trump who is trying to protect Jewish students on these increasingly hostile campuses. Harvard isn’t protecting them — Trump is.” Levin further criticized left-wing Jewish organizations that, he said, are undermining Trump’s efforts and emboldening anti-Semites. Dershowitz also slammed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats for dismissing Republican concerns over campus antisemitism as mere political maneuvering. “No!” Dershowitz exclaimed. “Donald Trump cares deeply about fighting anti-Semitism. He cares about protecting the American public, and he deserves to be praised for standing up to universities that are becoming propaganda mills against American values and Israel.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A newly released White House memo reveals that President Donald Trump’s economic performance in the early days of his second administration has been overshadowed by the ongoing conversation around tariffs. According to the administration, robust job creation and falling prices across key industries have marked the first 100 days since his inauguration on January 20.

In an economic progress report issued by the Council of Economic Advisers, the Trump administration highlighted several indicators that they say demonstrate a strengthening economy. “345,000 jobs created, including 188,000 (54%) neither government nor government-adjacent,” the memo states, listing a breakdown of employment growth across multiple sectors.

Gains include 2,000 new positions in mining and logging, 27,000 in construction, and 9,000 in manufacturing — a stark turnaround from the monthly loss of 6,000 factory jobs seen between January 2023 and December 2024. Meanwhile, 15,000 federal government positions have been eliminated.

Labor participation among individuals without a high school diploma has seen a 0.7% rise, and the unemployment rate among veterans dropped from 4.2% in January to 3.8% in March.

March alone saw 228,000 jobs added, exceeding forecasts and ranking as the fourth-highest month for private sector employment gains in two years. The number of federal workers engaging in remote work has dropped more than 16 percentage points compared to the same time last year.

The cost of prescription drugs has declined over 2%, including what the memo notes as the largest monthly drop on record. Gasoline prices fell 7% based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), while energy costs dropped 2%, and wholesale egg prices plunged by about half.

February inflation figures revealed the smallest annual rise in core inflation since March 2021. CPI data from both February and March came in lower than predicted, with March showing only the second monthly decline in inflation in two and a half years.

These positive trends are contrasted with economic conditions under President Joe Biden. The memo states that during Biden’s term, Americans endured the highest annual inflation rate in four decades. “On Biden’s watch, grocery prices rose 23%, and energy prices rose 34%.” The memo adds that real wages dropped about 2.4% over that period.

More recently, the prices of airfare, used vehicles, and car insurance have all declined. Wholesale prices also trended downward last month, with goods falling nearly 1% and services dropping 0.2%, changes expected to lower consumer costs in the near future.

The report also notes that retail egg price inflation has continued to slow. For middle- and lower-income earners, real average hourly wages have risen by 0.4%, while workers in the manufacturing industry have seen a 1% increase.

Auto sales posted their most significant monthly jump in over a year this March, with the administration pointing to this as further proof of economic vitality.

Mortgage rates have eased by approximately 0.4 percentage points. For someone purchasing a home at today’s median price with a standard 20% down payment and a 30-year mortgage, that translates to savings of around $32,400 over the life of the loan, or about $1,080 per year.

Industrial production was recorded at its seventh-highest level ever in March, with only six months — all under Trump’s previous term or this one — registering higher outputs.

New commitments for investment in the U.S. since Trump returned to office have surpassed $5 trillion, stemming from both foreign governments and private companies, according to the report.

One of Trump’s earliest acts was to cancel all pending regulations from the previous administration, a move that the memo claims saved American households over $180 billion, or roughly $2,100 for a family of four over ten years. The administration also launched a wide-ranging regulatory rollback to slash costs across the board. Notable among these efforts are changes to EPA vehicle emissions standards, projected to save $667 billion, and adjustments to the Department of Transportation’s fuel efficiency rules, expected to save another $88 billion.

Combined, these actions amount to $755 billion in projected savings — over $8,800 for a typical family of four — with overall deregulatory efforts estimated to bring in $935 billion in total relief over the next decade, equating to nearly $11,000 per family of four.

To enforce these initiatives, the Trump administration is applying a 10-to-1 deregulatory ratio: for each new rule or guidance introduced, ten existing ones must be rescinded. This approach builds on the policy from Trump’s first term, which required at least two regulations to be repealed for every new one, although the actual average then was 5.5 rules removed per major new rule.

So far, over 20 major deregulatory actions — in the form of executive orders, proclamations, and memoranda — have been signed by President Trump, underscoring his commitment to reshaping the federal regulatory landscape.

{Matzav.com}

PIJ has released footage of one if its terrorist firing a missile towards IDF troops.

UPS announced plans to cut 20,000 jobs worldwide and close 73 facilities by June 2025, citing a significant business decline from its largest customer, Amazon, according to its earnings press release.

UPS is looking to slash about 20,000 jobs and close more than 70 facilities as it drastically reduces the amount of Amazon shipments it handles. The package delivery company said Tuesday that it anticipates making the job cuts this year. It anticipates closing 73 leased and owned buildings by the end of June. UPS said that it is still reviewing its network and may identify more buildings to be shuttered. “The actions we are taking to reconfigure our network and reduce cost across our business could not be timelier,” CEO Carol Tomé said in a statement on Tuesday. “The macro environment may be uncertain, but with our actions, we will emerge as an even stronger, more nimble UPS.” In January UPS announced that it had reached a deal with Amazon, its biggest customer, to lower its volume by more than 50% by the second half of 2026. During UPS’ fourth-quarter earnings conference call in January, Tomé said that the company had partnered with Amazon for almost 30 years and that when its contract came up this year, UPS decided to reassess the relationship. “Amazon is our largest customer but it’s not our most profitable customer,” Tomé said at the time. “Its margin is very dilutive to the U.S. domestic business.” Tomé said that UPS considered various options and determined that the volume reduction was the best alternative. The company employs about 490,000 workers, according to FactSet. United Parcel Service Inc. also reported its first-quarter financial results on Tuesday. The Atlanta-based company earned $1.19 billion, or $$1.40 per share, in the quarter ended March 31. Stripping out certain items, earnings were $1.49 per share. That’s better than the $1.44 per share that analysts polled by Zacks Investment Research were calling for. Revenue totaled $21.55 billion, beating Wall Street’s estimate of $21.06 billion. UPS said that it wasn’t providing any updates to its previously announced full-year outlook, given current macroeconomic uncertainty. The company previously said that it expected 2025 revenue of approximately $89 billion. (AP)

BREAKING: Multiple people have been shot and killed in Uppsala, Sweden. Details are currently scarce.

The U.S. Senate comfirms David Perdue to the be the next Ambassador to China, 67-29.

Theo Trump, one of the president’s Jewish grandsons (child of Jared and Ivanka) playing piano at the White House for his proud zaidy. Sound removed due to sefirah.

Reporter: “Amazon will soon display a number next to the price of each product that shows how much the Trump tariffs are adding. Isn’t that a perfect demonstration that it’s the American consumer who is paying for these policies?” Leavitt: “This is a hostile and political act by Amazon.”

The Atlanta Fed now thinks the U.S. economy shrank more than expected at the start of 2025 — down 2.7%. After adjusting for gold imports and exports, it’s more like a 1.5% drop. If this continues next quarter, it could mean the U.S. is heading into a recession.

BREAKING: Citibank, used by 200 million Americans, has been hit by a nationwide outage. The cause is still unknown.

Michelle Obama voiced deep concern about President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement policies during her appearance on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast.

Speaking alongside her brother, Craig Robinson, Obama reflected on the challenges they faced regarding racial issues growing up. When asked about the most difficult recent moment tied to those fears, she pointed directly to the current climate surrounding immigration.

“In this current climate, for me it’s, you know, what’s happening to immigrants,” she said, noting that while her own safety is less of a concern today due to her public profile, she remains worried for those without such protection.

“I drive around in a four-car motorcade with a police escort. I’m Michelle Obama. I do still worry about my daughters in the world even though they are somewhat recognizable,” she shared. “So, my fears are for what I know is happening out there in streets all over the city.”

Obama went on to accuse the Trump administration of unfairly deciding “who belongs and who doesn’t” based on subjective criteria.

“And we know that those decisions aren’t being made with courts and with due process,” she said, suggesting that appearances, rather than legality or criminal background, have become the deciding factor for immigration authorities.

“And you know that it’s being made like this cop that pulled my brother over when he was twelve. You don’t look like somebody that belongs. I can determine just by looking at you that you’re a good person or you’re not a good person,” she claimed.

She also warned that “so much bias and so much racism and so much ignorance that fuels those kinds of choices” plays a role in shaping these outcomes, adding that she fears for the safety of “people of color all over this country.”

“And I don’t know that we will have the advocates to protect everybody,” Obama said. “And that makes me, that frightens me. It keeps me up at night.”

She described often scanning the faces of strangers while traveling through Los Angeles, contemplating the fear many must experience. “And I know that there are, and I see that when I’m driving around L.A. I’m just looking in the faces of folks who could be victim, and I’m wondering, how are you feeling? How do you feel standing on the bus stop? Do you how do you feel comfortable going to work, going to school when you know that there could be people out here judging you and who could up end your life in a second?” Obama asked. “You know, that’s who I worry for right now.”

Meanwhile, the reality on the ground reflects that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has mainly focused on arresting illegal immigrants with criminal records. To highlight its efforts, the White House displayed around 100 mugshots of individuals ICE had detained, with offenses ranging from child sexual assault to murder and rape, committed by nationals from Mexico, El Salvador, and Laos.

It is worth noting that during President Barack Obama’s time in office, estimates indicate that approximately 5.3 million deportations took place, combining removals from the interior of the country and at the border.

{Matzav.com}

A young chareidi man who had been classified as a deserter for the past two years recently showed up at an IDF draft office seeking to enlist, but instead of being inducted, the IDF placed him under arrest and sent him to a military prison.

According to a report by journalist Yinon Shalom Yitach for i24news, the young man comes from a community where the idea of joining the IDF is virtually unimaginable. Nevertheless, when he voluntarily presented himself at the draft office in an attempt to enlist, the IDF refused to immediately process his induction and insisted that standard procedures be followed.

For now, the young man has been serving his sentence in a military prison for nearly a week and is expected to remain in detention for at least another 12 days before his case is reviewed again.

The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit confirmed the details, stating: “The draft-age individual has been held in detention at the incarceration base since April 23, 2025, due to his unauthorized absence from military service for over 650 days. His detention has been extended by the District Military Court until May 4, 2025.”

The IDF further explained, “On April 24, 2025, at his request, he was referred for an evaluation to determine his suitability for integration into service and to assign him a medical profile. If he is found suitable, he will be released from custody under conditions that include a commitment to serve in the IDF. Should he meet the conditions for one year, he will avoid a criminal record and will not face additional imprisonment. The IDF encourages the return of deserters to military service and gives significant consideration to this in determining the appropriate course of action in each case.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI) has formally introduced articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, who was decisively reelected by the American people to advance his platform, accusing him of a series of offenses ranging from obstruction of justice to abuse of power.

On Monday, Thanedar announced via a post on X that he had officially submitted a resolution seeking the impeachment of President Trump.

Fox News Senior Congressional Correspondent Chad Pergram shared on X that one of his colleagues had verified Thanedar’s submission of the impeachment articles.

The charges outlined in the impeachment resolution reportedly include “obstruction of justice/violation of due process, usurpation of appropriations power, abuse of trade powers and international aggression, violations of the First Amendment, creation of an unlawful office, bribery and corruption, and tyranny.”

Thanedar’s move to introduce impeachment articles comes just as President Trump nears the milestone of completing his first 100 days in office during his historic second nonconsecutive term, following his overwhelming victory in November 2024, when he carried the Electoral College, the popular vote, and swept all battleground states.

Since returning to the White House, President Trump has prioritized immigration enforcement, invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to expedite the deportation of migrants, leading to the removal of several alleged gang affiliates to prisons in El Salvador, even as courts have attempted to push back against his efforts.

In a related development, the FBI last week arrested Judge Hannah Dugan of Wisconsin, who stands accused of helping an illegal immigrant evade detention.

“No one is above the law,” stated FBI Director Kash Patel in a post Friday on X.

Democrats expressed outrage following the FBI’s unexpected arrest of the liberal judge, prompting White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller to highlight that Democrats “spent the last 8 years stripping Americans of due process to jail them for protected political activity” and were “illegally spying on the Trump Campaign.”

Miller continued by alleging that Democrats had “using the FBI and intelligence apparatus to pursue political enemies” and “launching a coup against President Trump and his Administration,” among other serious accusations.

He went further, accusing Democrats of orchestrating “a mass invasion of the United States by foreign cartels and enemy terrorists, resulting in immense casualties and suffering across the nation.”

“And now these same Democrats howl with rage when the invasion is returned and those who criminally harbor the invaders and feloniously obstruct their removal are held accountable under law,” Miller declared.

Meanwhile, Tom Homan, who serves as Trump’s border czar, issued a stern warning on Monday, cautioning that any official or judge found sheltering illegal migrants would face prosecution.

“Protest all you want, but when you cross that line — I’ve said this one thousand times — when you cross that line to impediment or knowingly harboring or concealing an illegal alien migrant, you will be prosecuted, judge or not,” Homan said.

In his first few months back in the Oval Office, President Trump has also been aggressively reshaping America’s trade policies to secure more advantageous deals for the country.

Earlier this month, President Trump introduced a broad range of tariffs that targeted almost every nation exporting goods to the United States, including a significant 34 percent tariff on Chinese imports.

Shortly after the announcement, every targeted nation except China entered negotiations with the U.S., leading the administration to delay tariffs on those negotiating countries for a 90-day period, according to the White House.

While talks with other countries moved forward, the Trump administration raised tariffs on Chinese imports to 145 percent and eliminated a long-standing loophole that Chinese businesses had been using to bypass American trade laws.

Last week, President Trump revealed in an interview with Time magazine that China’s leader Xi Jinping, often criticized for his brutal rule, reached out to him to initiate discussions over trade.

{Matzav.com}

A historic letter has been obtained from a correspondence in 2020 between Hagaon Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva of Philadelphia, and Hagaon Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l, regarding participation in the World Zionist Organization (WZO) elections. Rav Kamenetsky explains that he had heard from reliable sources that Rav Chaim had encouraged to take part in the WZO elections, “specifically to protect and preserve the kedusha of Eretz Yisroel.” In his letter, Rav Kamenetsky addresses all the concerns that have been raised regarding taking part in the WZO elections. The letter mentions the concerns that were raised regarding this guidance, as it seems to contradict the long-standing tradition of the gedolei hador to distance oneself from the Zionist movement and its ideology. Moreover, the letter points out that in order to vote in the WZO elections, one must become a member of the organization – through the now-well-known Jerusalem Program – thus affirming allegiance to its principles. Rav Kamenetsky asks about the concern that such participation could lead to a chillul Hashem, and asks whether Rav Chaim truly issued such an instruction or if he relied on others for this opinion. The letter goes on to emphasize the gravity of the matter, stating that since it concerns the broader Klal Yisroel, it is necessary to clarify Rav Chaim’s stance and to ensure that the report regarding his opinion is accurate. Rav Chaim’s response to the letter from Rav Shmuel was brief and succinct: “יש לעשות כנ”ל One should act as mentioned” thereby confirming his guidance to participate in the election even under these exceptional circumstances. This letter is being released now, during the final days when people can still vote in the Zionist Congress elections. It comes after reports that Conservative Movement members Yizhar Hess and his assistant Eyal Ostrinsky funded a large campaign and paid Charedi contacts to stir up controversy against the “Eretz Hakodesh” group. “Throughout this time, I’ve kept this letter private,” says someone who has possessed the letter for several years. “I didn’t share it with anyone because the religious leaders (gedolei yisroel) decided that voting instructions for Eretz Hakodesh should remain private guidance shared person-to-person rather than through a public campaign. However, now that we’ve discovered that outside groups deliberately created controversy to upset the Charedi community in the United States, there’s no reason to let them benefit from our discretion. Therefore, I’ve received permission from our religious authorities (Da’as Torah) to make these instructions public.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

On the yahrtzeit of the tzaddik Rav Nesanel Weil zt”l, author of the Korban Nesanel commentary on the Rosh, Jews from various communities gathered at his gravesite in Karlsruhe, Germany to offer tefillos.

Organizers of the event described the atmosphere as deeply emotional and spiritually uplifting.

“The pilgrimage to the kever was filled with excitement and a unique sense of kedusha. The participants recited tefillos and words of hodaah, thanking Hashem for blessing Klal Yisroel with the light of Rav Nesanel’s Torah, and they pleaded that his great merit serve as a protection for all of Klal Yisroel. Many candles were lit and the heartfelt recitation of Tehillim could be heard from the assembled crowd,” organizers said.

One participant noted that the tefillos included special supplications for the success of Israel’s security forces “until the complete victory and the release of all the hostages.”

Throughout the gathering, rabbonim spoke about the towering stature of the Korban Nesanel — his greatness in Torah, his humility, and his unwavering dedication to Klal Yisroel. They described how he authored his profound commentary on the Rosh, illuminating the path of Torah learning for generations of talmidei chachomim.

Chabad emissary Rabbi Mordechai Mendelson, who serves in Karlsruhe, welcomed the visitors, many of whom had traveled from across Europe and from Eretz Yisroel. Among the groups was a large contingent of bochurim from the Satmar Yeshiva of Antwerp.

{Matzav.com}

Pepsi has announced that they are removing artificial ingredients from their products to align with HHS Secretary RFK JR.’s ban on synthetic food dyes. The products are to be phased out by the end of 2025.

You shouldn’t have to cross your fingers and hope for a strong stock market to coincide with your short-term goals. And right now, you probably wouldn’t want to. Because you’re working within a short time frame—think two to six years—investing for shorter-term goals like buying a house or paying for a wedding should look different from the portfolio you build for retirement. But don’t stop putting away money for your long-term goals while you’re working toward your short-term ones. So, how do you balance saving for both? How to think about funding short-term and long-term goals Don’t forgo saving for the long term to meet your short-term goals. Thanks to the power of compounding over time, saving early can have a large impact on your long-term outcomes. The longer the time frame, the greater the potential impact. You should put retirement front and center, especially as you approach your midcareer. Earlier in your career, you might shift your savings somewhat to shorter-term goals, but retirement should still be part of the equation. At least, take advantage of any retirement match that your employer might offer. To some extent, what you’re saving for can tip the balance as well. You might direct more of your savings away from retirement if you’re saving for a house than if you’re saving for a vacation. Account types that work for short-term investing It’s helpful to separate your short-term portfolio from your retirement portfolio, but there are some accounts that you can use to multitask. Depending on your situation, you might use a tax-deferred account, like a Roth IRA, or a taxable brokerage account. Traditional IRAs are less appealing for short-term investing because there are tax penalties when you withdraw from the account before age 59 and a half. Unlike traditional IRAs, Roth IRA contributions can be withdrawn at any time and for any reason without taxes or penalties. That makes a Roth IRA a perfect “multitasking” account for younger investors who need to build up both an emergency fund and retirement assets. Roth IRAs also allow you to withdraw up to $10,000 of earnings (in addition to any contributions) to help pay for a down payment on a first home if the account has been open for at least five years. Finding the right investments to meet near-term goals Unlike a long-term portfolio, which has a timeline of 10-plus years, the main goal of a short-term portfolio should be to outpace inflation while protecting what you’ve saved. Maximizing portfolio growth is less of a priority because the added risk likely isn’t worth the reward. Being able to buy a home in three years feels very different from affording it in seven because your investments lost value in the interim. Common mistakes that investors make are either in taking on too much risk or not enough. Some investors might assume that because stocks have beaten other asset classes over long time periods, they’re also a good choice for the short term—but they aren’t. Other investors might stick with guaranteed products, like CDs or money market accounts, because they’re concerned about protecting their savings. This approach leaves them at a disadvantage because inflation will eat into the value of those savings. Holding cash-type investments is a good idea if your timeline is super short—less than two years. Short-term investment portfolio examples Explore model portfolios […]