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Artificial intelligence chatbot makers OpenAI and Meta say they are adjusting how their chatbots respond to teenagers and other users asking questions about suicide or showing signs of mental and emotional distress. OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, said Tuesday it is preparing to roll out new controls enabling parents to link their accounts to their teen’s account. Parents can choose which features to disable and “receive notifications when the system detects their teen is in a moment of acute distress,” according to a company blog post that says the changes will go into effect this fall. Regardless of a user’s age, the company says its chatbots will redirect the most distressing conversations to more capable AI models that can provide a better response. EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. The announcement comes a week after the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine sued OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, alleging that ChatGPT coached the California boy in planning and taking his own life earlier this year. Meta, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, also said it is now blocking its chatbots from talking with teens about self-harm, suicide, disordered eating and inappropriate romantic conversations, and instead directs them to expert resources. Meta already offers parental controls on teen accounts. A study published last week in the medical journal Psychiatric Services found inconsistencies in how three popular artificial intelligence chatbots responded to queries about suicide. The study by researchers at the RAND Corporation found a need for “further refinement” in ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude. The researchers did not study Meta’s chatbots. The study’s lead author, Ryan McBain, said Tuesday that “it’s encouraging to see OpenAI and Meta introducing features like parental controls and routing sensitive conversations to more capable models, but these are incremental steps.” “Without independent safety benchmarks, clinical testing, and enforceable standards, we’re still relying on companies to self-regulate in a space where the risks for teenagers are uniquely high,” said McBain, a senior policy researcher at RAND. (AP)

An exciting new initiative is making it easier for shuls to strengthen the kedushah and focus of tefillah with a free, elegant acrylic sign reminding mispallelim to avoid phone use during davening.

These professionally designed signs are available completely free of charge and come in three stunning styles — White, Gold, and Clear — to suit any shul’s décor and ambiance. The signs are offered in both English and Hebrew, making them an ideal fit for any community.

Ordering a sign is simple. Just fill out the short form at the link below, and a beautiful acrylic sign will be shipped directly to your shul at no cost:

Click here to order your free sign.

This initiative aims to enhance the atmosphere of tefillah by creating a respectful and distraction-free environment, encouraging everyone to focus fully on their connection to Hashem.

If you have any questions about the program or would like to sponsor signs for additional shuls, you can reach out directly by emailing: nophoneduringdavening@gmail.com.

Don’t wait — get one for your shul today and help elevate the experience of davening for your entire kehilla!

{Matzav.com}

TRUMP: I am very disappointed in Putin. We will be doing something to help people live.

President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, urging him not to stand in the way of federal assistance being sent to Chicago to help address the city’s surge in violent crime, calling it “the murder capital of the world.” He made it clear to Pritzker: “We’re coming.”

After a violent Labor Day weekend left Chicago reeling, Trump criticized Pritzker’s resistance to federal involvement, saying that rejecting or obstructing support designed to restore order is both politically unwise and “dangerous” for residents.

“At least 54 people were shot in Chicago over the weekend, 8 people were killed,” Trump posted Tuesday morning on Truth Social. “The last two weekends were similar. Chicago is the worst and most dangerous city in the world, by far. Pritzker needs help badly, he just doesn’t know it yet. I will solve the crime problem fast, just like I did in D.C. Chicago will be safe again, and soon. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Trump also turned his attention to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a longtime political opponent, but surprisingly praised her decision to work with his administration on public safety efforts. He contrasted her approach with other Democratic leaders who oppose federal help.

“Wow! Mayor Muriel Bowser of D.C. has become very popular because she worked with me and my great people in bringing crime down to virtually nothing in D.C.,” Trump wrote in a Labor Day post on Truth Social. He went on to criticize officials such as Pritzker, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson for refusing similar cooperation.

“Her statements and actions were positive, instead of others like Pritzker, Wes Moore, Newscum, and the 5% approval rated Mayor of Chicago, who spend all of their time trying to justify violent crime, instead of working with us to completely eliminate it, which we have done in Washington, D.C., NOW A CRIME FREE ZONE,” Trump added. “Wouldn’t it be nice to say that about Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and even the Crime Drenched City of Baltimore???”

Trump insisted that the dramatic crime reduction seen in Washington, D.C., can be replicated in other cities struggling with violence if local leaders are willing to collaborate.

“It can happen, and it can happen fast!” Trump declared. “Work with us!!!”

In a rare moment of acknowledgment for Bowser, Trump highlighted that her willingness to accept federal resources not only improved safety but also boosted her popularity among residents.

“Mayor Bowser’s ratings have gone up, in a short period of time, 25%, and the people of D.C. are thanking her for stopping crime wherever she goes,” Trump continued. “It’s not a miracle, it’s hard work, courage, and being SMART.”

Trump also mentioned that even in Los Angeles, led by Democratic Mayor Karen Bass, some officials quietly welcomed federal involvement to address spiraling issues like homelessness, gang violence, and illegal immigration.

“The top law enforcement officer in L.A. said, during the riots, and when I sent the troops in early, that they couldn’t have done it without us,” Trump added. “They were completely overwhelmed! If we hadn’t gone in early, on top of the Palisades plus fires, L.A. would have lost the Olympics.”

While offering praise, Trump cautioned Bowser that the ultimate responsibility for maintaining public safety in the capital rests on her administration, warning her not to reverse course politically.

“Congratulations to Mayor Muriel Bowser, but don’t go woke on us,” Trump concluded.

{Matzav.com}

BREAKING: Senator JONI ERNST (R-IOWA) is officially retiring. She’s not seeking reelection in 2026.

A document signed by Brig. Gen. (res.) Guy Hazut, head of the Ground Forces’ instruction division, warns that the IDF’s current plan for Gideon’s Chariots B, the conquest of Gaza City, does not include essential steps required for victory, Yisrael Hayom reported Hazut says that the combat methods chosen for the operation are contrary to operational logic and known IDF recommendations from the past, and that the lack of implementation of these steps may prevent tangible achievements even in the upcoming phase. Contrary to the prevailing claims in the IDF that it is impossible to defeat a guerrilla force, Hazut asserts that it can be achieved through the implementation of steps that have not been taken, such as a total siege, cutting supply lines, and severing the guerrilla force from the civilian population. Senior IDF officials responded to the allegations: “The IDF encourages critical discourse, and in the discussions held in the General Staff forum and between the ranks, different opinions arise regarding the operational patterns to be adopted in the fighting in the Gaza Strip. Operation Gideon’s Chariots met its objectives. During the operation the IDF completely dismantled the terror infrastructure in the places where it operated. The operation increased the military pressure on Hamas and led to the IDF’s control of three-quarters of the Gaza Strip and the elimination of about 2,000 terrorists. The commander of the Ground Forces held a clarification with Brig.-Gen. (res.) Guy Hazut, as the content of the presentation and its findings were not written with authority and did not represent the IDF’s position as expected from an official document transferred to the reserve forces.” Col. (res.) Chezi Nechama, one of the founders of the Forum of Reserve Commanders and Soldiers, responded to the report by stating that “for anyone who was wondering whether the ‘conceptzia’ is still here, the IDF spokesperson’s response arrived and proved that it is here to stay. When Brig.-Gen. Guy Hazut puts his conclusions in writing after 20 months of leading the IDF’s learning process division, the IDF summons him for clarification. In short, why deal with the message when you can shoot the messenger? We deeply regret this, but we will continue to shout the cry of tens of thousands of officers and soldiers.” Hazut was also the author of the leaked IDF document stating that the first phase of Operation Gideon’s Chariots was a dismal failure. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Dovid Menachem Mintzberg, who sat in military prison for 40 days for the “sin” of limmud Torah, was greeted with a jubilant crowd when he was finally released last week. Mintzberg is one of three avreichim arrested at a protest against the chillul kevarim at an ancient beis kevaros in Yehud and then transferred to military prison. The other two avreichim are still in prison. Mintzberg spent a significant portion of his imprisonment in isolation for refusing to wear a military prisoner uniform for religious reasons. Upon his exit from the prison gates, he was greeted with singing and dancing by relatives, friends, and neighbors and reunited with his infant son. On the way to his home in Beit Shemesh, the crowd stopped at the Bnei Yerushalayim shul, at the entrance to the city, where a l’chayim and lively singing and dancing were held in his honor. Later, they arrived at the Sha’arei Rama Beis Medrash, and more dancing took place on the streets.   (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

President Donald Trump said in an interview released Monday that while Israel “may be winning the [Gaza] war, they’re not winning the world of public relations,” warning that the ongoing conflict is eroding global support for Jerusalem even among U.S. allies and young Americans. Trump, speaking to the Daily Caller, repeated his call for Israel to bring the war to a close quickly. “They’re gonna have to get that war over with… It is hurting Israel,” he said, adding that global opinion was shifting in ways that threaten the country’s long-term standing. The remarks underscore a tension in Trump’s position: he has endorsed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to press ahead with an extended operation to seize Gaza City — a campaign Israeli military planners say could take up to five months — but he has also warned that a prolonged war risks inflicting severe reputational damage. “They may be winning the war, but they’re not winning the world of public relations,” Trump said. “There’s no question about it.” Trump acknowledged that Israel’s once-formidable influence in Congress has waned. “Israel was the strongest lobby I’ve ever seen. They had total control over Congress,” he said, before noting that this was no longer the case. “They’ve been hurt, especially in Congress.” He pointed to rising skepticism among Americans, including Republicans, and warned that many have already “forgotten about October 7th,” likening denial of Hamas’s massacre to Holocaust denial. The president’s remarks come as Israel faces escalating criticism in Europe. On Monday, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy delivered a searing speech in parliament, accusing Israel of blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza and presiding over what he called a “man-made famine.” “This is not a natural disaster,” Lammy said. “It’s a man-made famine in the 21st century.” He added that Israel’s standing is “diminishing in the eyes of young people across the globe who look at this with horror.” Lammy urged Israel to halt its looming Gaza City operation and called for an immediate ceasefire paired with the release of hostages. Britain, along with France and other European nations, plans to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations later this month. “Recognition is rooted in the principle of a two-state solution which Hamas rejects,” Lammy said. “We see no contradiction between the two-state solution and our deep commitment to Israeli security. Because security comes from stable borders, not indefinite occupation.” The UK is also moving to evacuate critically ill children from Gaza for treatment in British hospitals and fast-tracking visas for Palestinian students awarded scholarships at UK universities. The coordinated European pressure highlights the international isolation Israel faces as its military campaign grinds on. Trump, while continuing to call himself Israel’s strongest defender, signaled that Jerusalem must weigh the costs of continuing a war that is now defining its image on the world stage. “They’re gonna have to get that war over with,” he said flatly. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Sudan appealed for international aid on Tuesday after a landslide wiped out an entire village in western region of Darfur, killing an estimated 1,000 people in one of the deadliest natural disasters in the African country’s recent history. The village of Tarasin was “completely leveled to the ground,” the Sudan Liberation Movement-Army said as it appealed to the U.N. and international aid groups for help to recover the bodies. The tragedy happened Sunday in the village, located in Central Darfur’s Marrah Mountains, after days of heavy rainfall. “Initial information indicates the death of all village residents, estimated to be more than 1,000 people,” the rebel group said in a statement. ”Only one person survived,” it added. Abdel-Wahid Nour, the group’s leader, made an appeal on Tuesday for international help. “The scale and magnitude of the disaster are immense and defy description,” he said. The ruling Sovereign Council in Khartoum said it mourned “the death of hundreds of innocent residents” in the Marrah Mountains’ landslide. In a statement, it said “all possible capabilities” have been mobilized to support the area. Footage shared by the Marrah Mountains news outlet showed a flattened area between mountain ranges with a group of people searching the area. Luca Renda, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, said he was “deeply saddened” by the reported landslide, adding that local sources indicated that “between 300 and 1,000 people may have lost their lives.” He said the U.N. and its partners were mobilizing to support the impacted communities at the scene. A local emergency network, which has been providing support to communities across Sudan during the war, said its teams recovered the bodies of at nine people on Tuesday. Search teams were facing challenges to reach the area because of bad weather and lack of resources, it added. ‘Unprecedented tragedy’ Al-Amin Abdallah Abbas, a farmer from Ammo — a cluster of villages that includes Tarasin — said the area has seen weeks of heavy rainfall, with Tarasin among the worst hit. He said tribal and community leaders in nearby areas have moblized efforts to recover and bury the victims. “The village and its people disappeared,” he said. “It’s an unprecedented tragedy.” Mohamed Abdel-Rahman al-Nair, a spokesman for the Sudan Liberation Movement-Army, told The Associated Press that the village where the landslide took place is remote and accessible only by foot or donkeys. Tarasin is located in the central Marrah Mountains, a volcanic area with a height of more than 3,000 meters (9,840 feet) at its summit. A world heritage site, the mountain chain is known for its lower temperature and higher rainfall than surrounding areas, according to UNICEF. It’s located more than 900 kilometers (560 miles) west of the capital city, Khartoum. Sunday’s landslide was one of the deadliest natural disasters in Sudan’s recent history. Hundreds of people die every year in seasonal rains that run from July to October. Last year’s heavy rainfall caused the collapse of a dam in the eastern Red Sea Province, killing at least 30 people, according to the U.N. The tragedy came as a devastating civil war has engulfed Sudan after tensions between the country’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, exploded into open fighting in April 2023 in the capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere in the country. ‘Deprived of adequate assistance’ Most of the […]

[COMMUNICATED]

by Rabbi Eliezer Sandler

The concept of the Yissachar-Zevulun Torah Learning Pact goes back well over 3,500 years, to the time of Yaakov Avinu and his sons. It is named for the Torah pact between two of his sons – Yissachar the scholar and Zevulun the merchant. Not only was it an equal pact but, Chazal explained, the deed of Zevulun/the Sponsor is considered even greater than that of Yissachar, because without the support of Zevulun, Yissachar would not have had the wherewithal to study Torah undisturbed.”

It is well-known that when it comes to learning Torah, people who sponsor the learning, often do so, not just as a donation. By financially supporting specific Torah scholars, they enter into a binding, written, signed and sealed learning partnership pact whereby the Sponsor (the Zevulun) is deemed by Halacha as if he personally studied the Torah completed by the Scholar (the Yissachar). (See below.) 

Thus, those who support the Talmidei Chachomim at Shas Yiden via a Yissachar-Zevulun Pact merit a portion in every daf of the entire Talmud Bavli and associated texts that they study, and complete the entire cycle in the space of ONE year. Some of the Sponsors opt to continue sponsoring repeat cycles of Shas which accrue to them.

Sar Hatorah, Maran Hagaon Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l, Nasi Shas Yiden, emphasized: The most mehudar Yissachar-Zevulun pact to support in our times is that offered by Shas Yiden – it comprises the entire Shas, Rashi and Tosfos – all in just one year!

Rav Chaim explained why this pact with Shas Yiden is the most mehudar. Chazal say that the highest level of learning is when one understands what he is learning b’iyun u’ve’amkus. However, even higher than that is when one remembers b’al peh all what he has learned. I have farhered the Shas Yiden avreichim geonim many times and can attest ZEI KENNEN SHAS (they know Shas)!

YES! YOU CAN MAKE

your OWN SIYUM on the ENTIRE Shas, Rashi & Tosfos IN JUST ONE YEAR!

The Yissachar-Zevulun Pact in Halacha

The Shulchan Aruch in Yoreh De’ah Chapter 246 regarding the efficacy of the Yissachar-Zevulun Sponsorship Pact for the Zevulun (the Sponsor) states clearly:  It is deemed as if he (the one sponsoring the learning) himself learned all the Torah studied under the pact. 

All the learning under the Shas Yiden Yissachar-Zevulun Pact is yours בעוה”ז ובעוה”ב (in both This World and the World to Come)! Concerning this, the Netziv of Volozhin comments that in Olam Habah, the Zevulun sponsor will sit together with the Gedolei Torah of the past and merit to participate in their discussions and pilpulim on all the Torah learned.

Achieve Almost 7 million Mitzvos in One Year

The Vilna Gaon in Shnos Eliyahu Pe’ah 41 states that one should hold precious every word of Torah that he learns because each word is considered a mitzvah of its own. 

Thus, since in Talmud Bavli, Rashi and Tosfos there are 6,608,891 words, that translates into almost 7 million mitzvos accruing through Yissachar-Zevulun at Shas Yiden. 

Official Shtar from Shas Yiden

Each Yissachar-Zevulun pact is confirmed by an official contract (shtar) from Shas Yiden specifying the learning of the entire Shas, and is witnessed by talmidei chachomim.

All who wish to enter into a Yissachar-Zevulun Pact for the entire Shas during ONE year should contact Shas Yiden to make arrangements: 718-702-1528.

The opportunity to complete the entire Shas has been a cherished way to honor family members and others as a prized achievement. It has also proven to be a source of comfort for mourners to obtain such a zechus for their dear ones during the year of mourning – a siyum of the entire Shas can be completed on the yahrzeit!

Yissachar-Zevulun Pact –

Beyond the Grave

The legendary visionary and “Father of Yeshivos”, Reb Chaim of Volozhin, was the founder of the famous yeshiva in the town of Volozhin and the beloved talmid of the Vilna Gaon. 

Reb Chaim had an ongoing Yissachar-Zevulun pact with a local shoemaker – a man who was not learned but who dearly valued Torah learning. They had a ‘deal’ whereby the shoemaker would pay the monthly financial support needed for Reb Chaim and his family. For this financial support, the shoemaker would have an equal share in all Reb Chaim’s daily Torah study – both in the mitzvah of Torah study בעוה”ז and that the knowledge of the Torah learned would continue to be his בעוה”ב (in the World to Come).

One day the shoemaker passed away suddenly. During the shiva period, Reb Chaim was facing a perplexing halachic question and researched high and low for a solution. That night the shoemaker appeared to him in a dream and gave him the full solution that he sought. Reb Chaim was amazed and commented, “Azoi gich, Azoi Gich – So quickly, so quickly has he acquired the zchus and knowledge of the Torah that I have studied!”

In the words of Gedolei Torah:

Maran Hagaon Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l, Nasi Shas Yiden:

“In just ONE year, through Yissachar-Zevulun at Shas Yiden, you can be zoche to the entire Shas forever – בעוה”ז ובעוה”ב (in olam hazeh and olam habah).

“Moreover, whoever supports Shas Yiden is zocheh to fulfill both Yissachar-Zevulun and support of aniyei (the poor of) Eretz Yisroel in the fullest sense of the word.

“Those who support Shas Yiden will be saved from chevlei (the travails of) Moshiach – spiritually and materially, and will be zoche to have ehrlicher bonim u’vanos yir’eishomayim ”

Maran Hagaon Harav Dov Lando, shlit”a, Rosh Yeshiva, Slabodka:

“Who compares to the Shas Yiden? Incredible talmidei chachomim geonim who raised the bar in limud Hashas b’iyun u’v’amkus. Blessed are those who enter a Yissachar-Zevulun pact with them.”

Hamashpia Hagadol Reb Meilech Biederman, shlit”a:

 “Yissachar-Zevulun at Shas Yiden – best possible deal, and in just 1 year! 100% partnership! 100% Shas x 5 times! 100% Shisha Sidrei Mishna – בעוה”ז ובעוה”ב”

Sanzer Rebbe, shlit”a:

“A first in 2000 years of Jewish history! Until Shas Yiden, never a Torah institution where ALL the avreichim metzuyonim v’geonim know the entire Shas by heart”

Harav Yaakov Hillel, shlit”a:

“Therefore, the great mitzvah to support the efforts [of the Talmidei Chachomim] with generous donations in order that they should continue diligently with their studies to enhance the greatness of the Torah and its glory. 

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to visit Israel in about two weeks.

An alarming case has come to light in the Belgian town of Knokke, where a 9-year-old girl seeking treatment at a local hospital discovered that her medical file contained what appears to be an antisemitic remark.

The child had been treated for “traumatic pain in the lower part of the left arm.” However, in the section of the official report listing allergies, the attending physician recorded the entry as “Jewish (Israeli)” — a statement entirely unrelated to her medical condition and without any clinical basis. The fact that this was written in an official medical document has raised serious concerns about professional misconduct.

According to the JID organization, which monitors and combats antisemitism, the doctor involved is of Middle Eastern origin and has previously shared anti-Israel messages in Arabic on his social media accounts. JID announced that it plans to file formal complaints with both Belgian law enforcement authorities and the country’s medical regulatory board.

“This is not only an antisemitic slur recorded in a child’s medical file, but also a blatant violation of medical ethics,” JID said in a statement. “Such actions by a medical professional tarnish the integrity of the entire Belgian healthcare system.”

The organization further stressed that this incident reflects a larger, troubling trend that has been emerging across Europe, particularly since October 7. Jewish patients in several countries have reported feeling increasingly unsafe when seeking medical care. JID cited additional reports from Ireland, Britain, Norway, and elsewhere, where Jewish individuals have encountered bias or felt compelled to conceal their identity out of fear of discrimination.

“Antisemitism must never become the norm, especially not in official medical documentation concerning a child,” JID urged. “We expect the hospital and the Belgian Medical Council to address this matter with the utmost seriousness.”

Ralph Pace, chairman of JID, described the situation as “a case of maximum severity,” vowing to pursue all possible legal and disciplinary actions against the doctor. “Writing such a note in a medical report crosses every red line,” he declared.

{Matzav.com}

For the first time in 96 years, Yidden have returned to the Casbah (Old City) of Chevron. Bochurim from Yeshivas Shavei Chevron entered the very home from which Jews were expelled after the 1929 massacre.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) declared that another electoral win for Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition would spell “the end of Zionism” and the Jewish state.

“We are in an election year. Since 1948, there has not been a more critical year for the fate of the nation,” Lapid told activists at a party gathering, warning that if Netanyahu wins, “the state will fall apart.”

“There are two possibilities,” the opposition leader continued, “Either a successful, first-world country, loved worldwide, with liberal values and a love for tradition, or a violent and backward third-world country that turns Judaism into racism and seeks to dismantle our democracy.”

Lapid outlined Yesh Atid’s vision for an alternative government, vowing reforms including a constitution, education investment, anti-corruption measures, stronger protections for the judiciary and law enforcement, and “above all,” returning the remaining 48 hostages still held in Gaza.

Lapid urged voters to unite behind the Yesh Atid, “send home the Oct. 7 government” and prevent young Israelis from leaving the Jewish state, claiming that “there will be nothing left to save” two years from now if Netanyahu’s conservative government secures another election win.

Israel’s next national vote is scheduled to take place in 2026 unless the Netanyahu-led government collapses and early elections are called.

Netanyahu told i24News last month that “the public decided that, for now, I can bring security, stability, and peace,” saying his political fate could only be decided in an election. “When I think I have done all the things I need to do, I still have many tasks, [so] I will continue,” he said. JNS

{Matzav.com}

Rudy Giuliani has been released from the hospital and “is progressing well” after being injured when the vehicle he was riding in was struck from behind on a highway in New Hampshire, a spokesman said Tuesday. The former New York City mayor, 81, was injured Saturday shortly after stopping “to assist a person in urgent need of help,” spokesman Ted Goodman said in a statement. “He has since been discharged from the hospital and deeply appreciates the love, well wishes, and prayers he has received,” Goodman’s statement said. “The mayor also extends his gratitude to the New Hampshire State Police, paramedics, Elliot Hospital, and all of the physicians and nurses who provided him with outstanding care.” Goodman was behind the wheel, with Giuliani as a passenger, when their rented Ford Bronco was struck from behind on Interstate 93 by a Honda HR-V driven by a 19-year-old woman, New Hampshire State Police said in a statement. Both vehicles hit the highway median and were “heavily damaged,” the statement said. Goodman and the 19-year-old suffered “non-life-threatening injuries” and were taken to hospitals for treatment, the agency said. Giuliani was taken by ambulance to a nearby trauma center for treatment of a fractured thoracic vertebra, multiple lacerations and contusions, as well as injuries to his left arm and lower leg, according to a statement posted on X by Michael Ragusa, Giuliani’s head of security. The thoracic vertebrae are part of the spine. State police said the cause of the crash was under investigation. No charges were filed. Prior to the accident, Giuliani and Goodman were “were flagged down by a woman on the side of the road, just south of Exit 9N, who reported to them she had been involved in a domestic violence incident,” state police said in a news release. Goodman reported the incident to law enforcement and he and the former mayor remained at the scene until troopers arrived. The reported domestic violence and crash were believed to be unrelated, investigators said. “Thank you to all the people that have reached out since learning the news about my Father,” Andrew Giuliani, Rudy Giuliani’s son, wrote in a post on X. “Your prayers mean the world.” The onetime Republican presidential candidate was dubbed “America’s mayor” in light of his leadership in New York after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001. Giuliani later became President Donald Trump’s personal attorney and was a vocal proponent of Trump’s allegations of fraud in the 2020 election, which was won by Democrat Joe Biden. Trump and his backers lost dozens of lawsuits claiming fraud, and numerous recounts, reviews and audits of the election results turned up no signs of significant wrongdoing or error. Two former Georgia elections workers later won a $148 million defamation judgment against Giuliani. As they sought to collect the judgment, the former federal prosecutor was found in contempt of court and faced a trial this winter over the ownership of some of his assets. He ultimately struck a deal that let him keep his homes and various belongings, including prized World Series rings, in exchange for unspecified compensation and a promise to stop speaking ill of the ex-election workers. (AP)

A French court has issued arrest warrants for former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and six former officials over the 2012 shelling of Homs that killed American journalist Marie Colvin and French photographer Rémi Ochlik.

Syria announced it exported 600,000 barrels of heavy crude oil from the port of Tartus yesterday, the first known official export of Syrian oil in 14 years.

WATCH: A water main breaks in Kiryat Yovel, Jerusalem, flooding the roadway within seconds

President Donald Trump’s administration violated federal law by sending National Guard troops to Southern California during immigration enforcement operations and accompanying protests, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco did not require the remaining troops to be withdrawn, however. He set his order to go into effect on Friday. The order comes after California sued, saying the troops sent to Los Angeles over the summer were violating a law that prohibits military enforcement of domestic laws. Lawyers for Trump’s Republican administration have argued the Posse Comitatus Act doesn’t apply because the troops were protecting federal officers, not enforcing laws. They say the troops were mobilized under an authority that allows the president to deploy them. The judge’s decision comes as Trump has discussed National Guard deployments in Democratic-led cities like Chicago, Baltimore and New York. He has already deployed the guard as part of his unprecedented law enforcement takeover in Washington, where he has direct legal control over the District of Columbia National Guard. Trump federalized members of the California National Guard and sent them to the second-largest U.S. city over the objections of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and city leaders. Trump did so under a law that allows the president to call the guard into federal service when the country “is invaded,” when “there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government,” or when the president is otherwise unable “to execute the laws of the United States.” Roughly 4,000 National Guard soldiers and 700 Marines were deployed to Los Angeles in early June to deal with protests, over the objections of state and local officials. All were pulled back by the end of July except about 250 National Guard troops. Trump has pushed the bounds of typical military activity on domestic soil, including through the creation of militarized zones along the U.S.-Mexico border. Newsom posted on X, in an all-caps reflection of the president’s own social media style, “DONALD TRUMP LOSES AGAIN. The courts agree — his militarization of our streets and use of the military against US citizens is ILLEGAL.” The White House and the Defense Department did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. Breyer’s scathing ruling accused the Trump administration of “willfully” violating the law, saying it used troops for functions that were barred by their own training materials, refused to “meaningfully coordinate with state and local officials” and “’coached’” federal law enforcement agencies on the language to use when requesting assistance. “These actions demonstrate that Defendants knew that they were ordering troops to execute domestic law beyond their usual authority,” he wrote. “The evidence at trial established that Defendants systematically used armed soldiers (whose identity was often obscured by protective armor) and military vehicles to set up protective perimeters and traffic blockades, engage in crowd control, and otherwise demonstrate a military presence in and around Los Angeles.” Breyer also noted the Trump administration’s possible plans to call National Guard troops into other U.S. cities. In Los Angeles, National Guard members joined an operation at MacArthur Park in downtown Los Angeles intended as a show of force against people in the U.S. illegally and those protesting the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. They also accompanied federal immigration officers on raids at two state-licensed marijuana […]

A man has been taken into custody in north London after a series of violent incidents targeting Orthodox Jewish women and a small child in Stamford Hill, according to Shomrim.

The attacks unfolded on Monday afternoon around the Clapton Common area, where the suspect was captured on camera riding an e-scooter along the pavement. In one reported incident, he allegedly rammed into a 21-year-old Orthodox Jewish woman while shouting an antisemitic insult. She suffered a broken arm, leg bruising, and facial wounds and was transported to the hospital for treatment.

A short time later, the same man was filmed shoving his scooter into another woman, aged 24, as she walked with her three-year-old daughter. The force of the collision caused both mother and child to fall to the ground. The young girl was described as “shocked and traumatized” following the ordeal.

Shomrim condemned the attacks, calling them “unprovoked antisemitic assaults” and describing the events as “a shocking act of rogue violence against women and girls.”

Volunteers from the organization tracked the suspect until officers arrived at the scene. The Metropolitan Police later confirmed that he had been arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated common assault and common assault.

{Matzav.com}