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Coast District police from the Hadera station arrived at the beach early Tuesday morning and renewed the search for the victim who was attacked by sharks on Monday. The victim is a resident of Petach Tikvah in his 40s, married and a father of four, who stopped to fish on his way home from work in northern Israel on Monday. His identity was confirmed after his possessions were found on the beach and his truck was located nearby. Along with the police officers, who are deployed along the beach, additional forces are participating in the search – the IDF, volunteers, municipal patrol inspectors, ZAKA, MDA, firefighters, the Nature and Parks Authority, and others. The police continue to issue warnings to refrain from entering the water in this area, or from other beaches that were closed following the attack, from Hadera to Poleg beach in Netanya. Dr. Adi Barash, a marine biologist with the Sharks in Israel nonprofit and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History at Tel Aviv University, told Ynet that the Hadera incident was largely due to human behavior: “The water conditions — depth, current, visibility — were unsuitable for swimming and a large number of people clustered around the sharks, which is dangerous and prohibited.” She mentioned multiple instances in which swimmers pulled sharks’ tails or entered the water holding children to “play” with them. Videos of swimmers, including children, standing in close proximity to sharks in the days before the attack have been circulating on Israeli social media since the tragic incident. “This is peak feeding season for the sharks, due to increased fish deaths from warming waters and recent holiday rains,” Barash said. “Authorities must take steps to prevent harmful interactions and ensure the safety of these protected animals.” Eliran Ovadia, a veteran diving instructor, dived on Sunday in the same area on the Hadera coast where the man was attacked. He told Ynet that the sharks come there “because there is warm water, currents, food. There are all the conditions for a habitat for an animal of this kind.” He added, “I’ve been taking organized dives there for 13 years as part of my diving school. We take out a lot of people in the winter, dive with them, and there has never been an incident like this.” According to him, the sharks in the Hadera area are well known to divers and can be safely approached, as long as basic safety rules are observed. “For 13 years, we have been diving there with groups and the sharks pass freely by us, at a distance of 10 centimeters, half a meter. They ignore us, sometimes a little curious, but never opened their mouths or tried to attack,” he said. He stressed the importance of maintaining distance from sharks, warning to refrain from feeding them: “A shark does not know how to distinguish between the hand that gave him food and the food itself.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Walgreens has agreed to pay up to $350 million in a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, who accused the pharmacy of illegally filling millions of prescriptions in the last decade for opioids and other controlled substances. The nationwide drugstore chain must pay the government at least $300 million and will owe another $50 million if the company is sold, merged, or transferred before 2032, according to the settlement reached last Friday. The government’s complaint, filed in January in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that Walgreens knowingly filled millions of illegal prescriptions for controlled substances between August 2012 and March 2023. These include prescriptions for excessive opioids and prescriptions filled significantly early. “We strongly disagree with the government’s legal theory and admit no liability,” Walgreens spokesperson Fraser Engerman said in a statement. “This resolution allows us to close all opioid related litigation with federal, state, and local governments and provides us with favorable terms from a cashflow perspective while we focus on our turnaround strategy.” Amid slumping store visits and shrinking market share, Walgreens announced it was closing 1,200 stores around the country last October. Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy at the end of 2023 as it was also dealing with losses and opioid lawsuit settlements. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a similar lawsuit against CVS in December. The complaint says Walgreens pharmacists filled these prescriptions despite clear red flags that the prescriptions were highly likely to be invalid, and the company pressured its pharmacists to fill them quickly. The government alleges Walgreen’s compliance officials ignored “substantial evidence” that its stores were filling unlawful prescriptions and withheld important information on opioid prescribers from its pharmacists. Walgreens then allegedly sought payment for many of the invalid prescriptions through Medicare and other federal healthcare programs in violation of the False Claims Act, according to the government. The U.S. Justice Department has moved to dismiss its complaint in light of Friday’s settlement. “Pharmacies have a legal responsibility to prescribe controlled substances in a safe and professional manner, not dispense dangerous drugs just for profit,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi in a statement. “This Department of Justice is committed to ending the opioid crisis and holding bad actors accountable for their failure to protect patients from addiction.” Walgreen has also entered into an agreement with the Drug Enforcement Administration to improve its compliance with rules around dispensing controlled substances, maintain policies and procedures requiring pharmacists to confirm the validity of controlled substance prescriptions, and maintain a system for blocking prescriptions from prescribers that are producing illegitimate prescriptions. With the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Walgreen has agreed to establish and maintain a compliance program that includes training, board oversight, and periodic reporting to the agency regarding the pharmacy’s dispensing of controlled substances. “In the midst of the opioid crisis that has plagued our nation, we rely on pharmacies to prevent not facilitate the unlawful distribution of these potentially harmful substances,” said Norbert E. Vint, Deputy Inspector General of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, in a statement. The settlement resolves four cases brought by former Walgreens employee whistleblowers. In 2022, CVS and Walgreens agreed to pay more than $10 billion in a multi-state settlement of lawsuits brought against them over the toll of the […]

The Conservative movement in Israel led a fake campaign on Israeli streets in the name of Gedolei Yisrael to convince Chareidim not to vote in the elections for the World Zionist Organization, spending tens of thousands of shekels to print and distribute pashkevilim against participating in the elections, a Kikar Shabbat investigation revealed. As many YWN readers know, a machlokes broke out last month in the Chareidi sector about whether to participate in the WZO elections. Members of the Eretz HaKodesh party presented the support of HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky zt’l, along with other Rabbanim in Israel and the United States who supported voting in the previous election. However, ultimately, the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of America and HaGaon HaRav Dov Landua paskened that it is forbidden to participate in the election. Several weeks ago, pashkevilim appeared in Chareidi neighborhoods in the name of HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau calling out against participating in the elections – an unusual move since most Israeli Chareidim were unaware of the details of the issue. The Kikar investigation revealed that Dr. Yizhar Hess, a member of the Conservative movement, who serves on its behalf as Deputy Chairman of the World Zionist Organization, spearheaded the campaign to try to convince Chareidim in Israel not to vote in the elections, printing and disseminating the fake pashkevilim. An invoice obtained by Kikar showed that Mercaz Olami transferred tens of thousands of shekels to fund the printing and distribution of the pashkevilim.. A Charedi source in the WZO told Kikar that “although they tried in every way to conceal their involvement, the Eretz HaKodesh party, which represents the Torah-observant sector in the WZO, is a political and ideological enemy for them, and they are trying to reduce its power. People from the Conservative movement tried to influence public opinion in the Charedi community in order to harm Eretz HaKodesh and prevent it from succeeding in the elections.” In a twisted move, Dr. Hess even tweeted a photo of the pashkevilim on the Chareidi streets that he himself funded, ostensibly to express his solidarity with his “friends” in Eretz Hakodesh who were being attacked. Beyond the moral aspect, the conduct of the Conservative movement raises legal and ethical questions. A senior legal source involved in the details told Kikar that “the distributors of the pashvekelim may be exposed to libel suits, and if indeed elements related to the movement running in the elections are behind them, this may be considered a violation of election laws. Furthermore, the distribution of anti-Zionist material by an association supported by the WZO may be a violation of its budgetary regulations.” The Kikar investigation also revealed that the pashkevilim are only the latest step in the Conservative movement’s years-long campaign to influence the Chareidi sector against Eretz Hakodesh, including attempts to convince Chareidi journalists to convey messages against voting in the elections, ostensibly in the name of Gedolei Yisrael. Needless to say, most of the journalists and media personalities who received the financially lucrative offers refused to join the campaign after it became clear to them who was behind the offer. “Some time ago, a well-known figure from the Chareidi scene approached me, and indirectly and subtly offered me an opportunity to join a campaign in exchange for a very high salary,” a senior Chareidi […]

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By Rabbi Berach Steinfeld If a person is worried that he won’t remember to count all the days of Sefirah, should he count with a Bracha or not? The Torah tell us to count forty-nine days from the bringing of the Omer until the bringing of the korban of Shtei Halechem. The Rishonim argue whether the Mitzva of counting sefirah is Min HaTorah only during the times of the Bais HaMikdosh or not. The Chinuch in mitzvah 306 says that sefirah is only Min HaTorah during the time of the Bais HaMikdosh. The Rambam in Tmidim Umusafim 7:24 disagrees and says it is Min HaTorah even today. The Rishonim also argue whether each day is a separate mitzvah or whether all forty-nine days together is counted as one long mitzvah. The Behag and Or Zarua say that if one forgot to count one day, he should not count with a Bracha for the rest of the Omer since it is not temimos. The Rosh and Tosfos argue and say there is a new mitzva every single day to count the Omer. The question arises if one forgot one day and did not count. Would that mean that all the brachos he said up until that day are brachos Levatala according to the Behag? The Ritva in Chullin 106b discusses a scenario where one washed his hands with the intention to eat bread and said the bracha al netilas yodayim and then decides that he is not interested in eating anymore. We do not require him to eat to save the bracha levatala. Since he had in mind to eat at the time of washing, the bracha is not levatalah. We could compare this to our case where one counted normally and thereafter forgot one day. The brachos he made were not levatala since he intended to count. One could argue and differentiate between netilas yodayim and sefira. A person completes his mitzvah of netilas yodayim once he washes his hand. In contrast, one does not have temimos until after counting the forty-nine days. The Shailos Utshuvos Rav Paalim in Orach Chaim Vol 3:32 says that if one does less than the shiur of a mitzvah one is still yotze part of the mitzvah and this would not render the bracha levatalah. When a person counted some days, he did less than the shiur; but his bracha is not levatala since he started the mitzvah. Other Achronim disagree and say if one doesn’t complete counting, it is not even less than the shiur of the mitzvah. This is so because if he does not complete the mitzvah, it is as if he did not do the mitzvah at all. The Mishna Berura also concurs and says that therefore women should not make a bracha; it is almost certain they might forget since they don’t daven in shul. Rav Wosner zt”l paskened if one knows he won’t complete sefira he should hear the bracha from someone else and be yotzei that way. If he is not sure, he should start to count with a bracha since it is a double safek. Maybe the mitzva is a new one every day. Perhaps it is considered a chatzi shiur and does not render the bracha levatala. Reb Elyashiv and Reb Shlomo Zalman Auerbach agreed. May we be Zocheh to count Sefirah in the Bais Hamikdosh Min HaTorah. {Matzav.com}

Channel 14 aired footage from a recent interview with Iyad Jaradat, the terrorist responsible for orchestrating the 2003 attack in Gadish that resulted in the murder of the moshav’s security chief. Jaradat, who was serving a life sentence, was freed as part of the most recent hostage exchange.

In the segment, Jaradat reflected on what prison life was like before Itamar Ben-Gvir took over as Israel’s National Security Minister.

When asked by the interviewer to describe the conditions in prison prior to the October 7th massacre, Jaradat replied: “Honestly, there was respect, there were understandings. Ben-Gvir called it a summer camp. People may say Ben-Gvir was exaggerating. If someone wants, they can get mad, but these prisons really were like summer camps.”

He went on to say, “everything [we wanted] was available. Relations with the Israel Prisons Service, the officers, managers, and the police – it was as if we were one family.”

Associates of Minister Ben-Gvir pointed out that since he implemented new prison policies, numerous privileges were revoked. Inmate deposits were halted, canteens were shut down, shower and yard times were reduced, and the food selection was significantly limited. Additionally, the role of inmate “spokesperson” was eliminated, along with access to higher education programs and dental care.

{Matzav.com}

Many Americans were forced to postpone cancer screenings — colonoscopies, mammograms and lung scans — for several months in 2020 as COVID-19 overwhelmed doctors and hospitals. But that delay in screening isn’t making a huge impact on cancer statistics, at least none that can be seen yet by experts who track the data. Cancer death rates continue to decline, and there weren’t huge shifts in late diagnoses, according to a new report published Monday in the journal Cancer. It’s the broadest-yet analysis of the pandemic’s effect on U.S. cancer data. In 2020, as the pandemic began, a greater share of U.S. cancers were caught at later stages, when they’re harder to treat. But in 2021, these worrisome diagnoses returned to prepandemic levels for most types of cancer. “It is very reassuring,” said lead author Recinda Sherman of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries. “So far, we haven’t seen an excess of late-stage diagnoses,” which makes it unlikely that there will be higher cancer death rates tied to the pandemic. Similarly, the number of new cancer cases dropped in 2020, but then returned to prepandemic levels by 2021. The size of the 2020 decline in new cancers diagnosed was similar across states, despite variations in COVID-19 policy restrictions. The researchers note that human behavior and local hospital policies played more of a role than state policy restrictions. Late-stage diagnoses of cervical cancer and prostate cancer did increase in 2021, but the shifts weren’t large. The data analysis goes only through 2021, so it’s not the final word. “We didn’t see any notable shifts,” Sherman said. “So it’s really unlikely that people with aggressive disease were not diagnosed during that time period.” The report was produced by the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, the National Cancer Institute, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Cancer Society. (AP)

Israir Airlines is gearing up to launch direct flights to New York next year, having received initial authorization from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the company confirmed on Monday, according to a report by JNS.

With this move, Israir is set to enter the highly trafficked Tel Aviv–New York route, where it will face competition from established players like El Al, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and its local rival Arkia, which began flying the route earlier this year.

Israir aims to kick off its service in time for Passover, a peak season for travel. According to JNS, the airline is planning to operate six roundtrip flights each week connecting Ben-Gurion International Airport and New York.

To facilitate its new transatlantic operations, Israir will lease an Airbus A330, marking a return to long-haul service for the airline, which last flew to North America more than ten years ago.

The airline, founded in 1989, is part of the Rami Levy Group, a major Israeli holding company best known for its nationwide chain of discount supermarkets. Besides its domestic flights to Eilat, Israir currently serves various destinations across Europe.

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration is currently weighing possible replacements for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, amid a fresh wave of criticism related to allegations of mishandling secure information, according to a U.S. official who spoke to NPR on Monday.

The source, who requested anonymity due to the delicate nature of the conversations, emphasized that the process is in its early stages and that no definitive choice has been made regarding leadership changes at the Department of Defense.

The uproar centers on accusations that Hegseth shared classified military data using Signal, a private encrypted messaging app, with people who were not part of any official defense channels.

Over the weekend, reports emerged identifying the recipients of these messages as Hegseth’s spouse, his brother, and his legal representative. These exchanges allegedly included live operational updates tied to U.S. strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.

The incident is believed to have taken place in March, around the same time Hegseth was also involved in a separate Signal conversation that included high-level White House officials and, inadvertently, journalist Jeffrey Goldberg from The Atlantic. That particular communication reportedly occurred shortly before U.S. military action, sparking unease among national security insiders about the implications for mission secrecy and troop safety. In recent weeks, Houthi fighters have brought down multiple American drones.

Even as the controversy gains traction, administration officials are dismissing speculation that Hegseth could be on his way out. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the situation on X, stating that President Trump “stands strongly” with the current defense secretary. Trump reiterated his backing during public comments.

“He’s doing a great job — ask the Houthis how he’s doing,” Trump said in response to questions about the Signal issue. “Concerns over the Signal chats are a waste of time.”

Hegseth also directly rebutted the allegations while attending the White House’s Easter festivities, flatly rejecting any suggestion of impropriety.

“This is what the media does,” Hegseth said. “They take anonymous sources from disgruntled former employees, and then they try to slash and burn people, ruin their reputation. It’s not going to work with me.”

{Matzav.com}

The Supreme Court seemed likely to uphold a key preventive-care provision of the Affordable Care Act in a case heard Monday. Conservative justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, along with the court’s three liberals, appeared skeptical of arguments that Obamacare’s process for deciding which services must be fully covered by private insurance is unconstitutional. The case could have big ramifications for the law’s preventive care coverage requirements for an estimated 150 million Americans. Medications and services that could be affected include statins to prevent heart disease, lung cancer screenings, HIV-prevention drugs and medication to lower the chance of breast cancer for high-risk women. The plaintiffs argued that requirements to cover those medications and services are unconstitutional because a volunteer board of medical experts that recommended them should have been Senate- approved. The challengers have also raised religious and procedural objections to some requirements. The Trump administration defended the mandate before the court, though President Donald Trump has been a critic of the law. The Justice Department said board members don’t need Senate approval because they can be removed by the health and human services secretary. A majority of the justices seemed inclined to side with the government. Kavanaugh said he didn’t see indications in the law that the board was designed to have the kind of independent power that would require Senate approval, and Barrett questioned the plaintiff’s apparently “maximalist” interpretation of the board’s role. “We don’t just go around creating independent agencies. More often, we destroy independent agencies,” said Justice Elena Kagan said about the court’s prior opinions. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas seemed likely to side with the plaintiffs. And some suggested they could send the case back to the conservative U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. That would likely leave unanswered questions about which medications and services remain covered. A ruling is expected by the end of June. The case came before the Supreme Court after the appeals court struck down some preventive care coverage requirements. It sided with Christian employers and Texas residents who argued they can’t be forced to provide full insurance coverage for things like medication to prevent HIV and some cancer screenings. They were represented by well-known conservative attorney Jonathan Mitchell, who represented Trump before the high court in a dispute about whether he could appear on the 2024 ballot. Not all preventive care was threatened by the ruling. A 2023 analysis prepared by the nonprofit KFF found that some screenings, including mammography and cervical cancer screening, would still be covered without out-of-pocket costs. The appeals court found that coverage requirements were unconstitutional because they came from a body — the United States Preventive Services Task Force — whose members were not nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. (AP)

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) is once again urging the Department of Justice to pursue criminal charges against Andrew Cuomo, accusing the ex-New York governor of deliberately misleading Congress about his administration’s handling of COVID-19 policies that affected nursing homes and resulted in significant loss of life.

Comer issued a renewed referral to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, following the Biden administration’s decision not to act on an earlier referral sent in October under Merrick Garland’s leadership. In a letter dated Monday, Comer wrote that the White House “ignored” the matter despite compelling evidence that Cuomo had misrepresented his involvement.

According to the referral, Cuomo allegedly played a direct role in shaping and approving the July 2020 New York State Department of Health report, which significantly downplayed the number of COVID-related fatalities in nursing homes by nearly half. However, when questioned by Congress, Cuomo denied any participation in the report’s drafting or review—a statement the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic now claims is demonstrably false.

“Andrew Cuomo is a man with a history of corruption and deceit, now caught red-handed lying to Congress during the Select Subcommittee’s investigation into the COVID-19 nursing home tragedy in New York,” said Comer. “This wasn’t a slip-up — it was a calculated cover-up by a man seeking to shield himself from responsibility for the devastating loss of life in New York’s nursing homes.”

Cuomo also denied having conversations about whether the July 2020 report had undergone peer review or whether it was vetted by individuals outside of New York’s health department. However, the referral, spanning 107 pages, includes evidence contradicting those claims.

“Let’s be clear: lying to Congress is a federal crime. Mr. Cuomo must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Comer said. “The House Oversight Committee is prepared to fully cooperate with the Justice Department’s investigation into Andrew Cuomo’s actions and ensure he’s held to account.”

The original referral was submitted by Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), who previously chaired the House’s coronavirus subcommittee. Wenstrup currently serves on President Donald Trump’s Intelligence Advisory Board.

A controversial executive directive issued under Cuomo’s leadership required nursing homes to accept more than 9,000 recovering COVID-19 patients, a move intended to alleviate overwhelmed hospitals. However, critics argue that it needlessly endangered the lives of vulnerable elderly residents.

At the time, the state released a report claiming that outbreaks in long-term care facilities were largely the result of infected staff rather than the governor’s directive—an assertion that has remained hotly disputed.

Following mounting scandals involving both the nursing home policy and multiple allegations of inappropriate conduct, Cuomo stepped down in August 2021. He is now attempting a return to public life, this time with ambitions to lead New York City.

The push to prosecute him comes as Cuomo campaigns to unseat Eric Adams as mayor. While Cuomo is contesting the Democratic primary, Adams is seeking reelection as an independent.

When announcing his candidacy in March, Cuomo avoided any mention of the nursing home controversy and instead praised his administration’s actions during the height of the health crisis. “We faced Covid, which was an historic life-and-death challenge, and we had it first and worst with no warning,” Cuomo said. “We were on our own, and we were pushed to our limits, but we got through it together and we led the nation.”

Responding to the renewed referral, Cuomo’s spokesperson Rich Azzopardi dismissed it entirely. “This is nothing more than a meritless press release that was nonsense last year and is even more so now,” he said, suggesting that the push for criminal prosecution by Trump’s Justice Department is driven by political motives. It remains uncertain whether Attorney General Bondi will decide to pursue charges.

{Matzav.com}

A shocking video published by Channel 14 on Monday reveals one of the terrorists released in one of the recent prisoner release deals describing his enjoyable 22-year imprisonment in Israel, saying it was just like “summer camp.” Islamic Jihad terrorist Iyad Jaradat was sentenced to life imprisonment for dispatching the terrorists who infiltrated Moshav Gadish in 2003 and opened fire, murdering Eli Biton, H’yd, and wounding four others. Jaradat’s “life imprisonment” ended earlier this year when he was released to his hometown of Jenin. In an interview immediately after his release, he publicly praised the Nukhba terrorists who carried out the October 7 massacre. Channel 14 published a video of another interview with Jaradat published last month, during which he described his imprisonment. The interviewer asked: “Before October 7, how was it in prison, honestly?” Jaradat: “There was respect, there were understandings [between us and the Israeli guards]. Ben-Gvir said that the prisons were like summer camps. Perhaps some would say that’s an exaggeration. Whoever wants to gets angry should get angry but they truly were like summer camps.” “Not all, but everything was available. Our relationship with the Prison Services, the officers, managers, and police – it was as if we were one family.” One of the first things that Ben-Gvir accomplished when he entered his position was to strip security prisons of all amenities. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Nadine Menendez was found guilty on Monday for orchestrating a bribery operation alongside her husband, disgraced New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez, trading his political clout for a series of lavish kickbacks, including gold, a luxury vehicle, and cash.

After deliberating for roughly eight hours over the span of two days, the jury convicted the 58-year-old from Englewood Cliffs on all 15 counts of corruption brought against her in federal court.

Clad in black and wearing a pink face mask, Nadine showed no outward response as the jury foreperson delivered the verdict in a nearly empty courtroom in Manhattan.

Her husband, who played a central role in the corruption case, chose not to appear in court during her trial, which stretched over the course of a month.

Bob Menendez had already been convicted in July for abusing his role in the U.S. Senate for personal gain in the same sweeping corruption scheme.

Following his conviction, the New Jersey Democrat resigned from the Senate and is scheduled to begin serving his 11-year prison sentence in June.

Nadine is due to be sentenced just a few days later, on June 12, and could face a lengthy prison term for her involvement.

Prosecutors said she served as the intermediary between her husband and businessmen linked to the governments of Egypt and Qatar who paid off the couple in exchange for political favors.

In return, jurors heard, the senator exploited his role as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to push for the release of $300 million in military aid to Egypt that had been blocked due to human rights concerns, among other favors.

“What else can the love of my life do for you?” Nadine asked an Egyptian contact during a dinner in May 2019 at Morton’s Steakhouse, where she was seated beside her cigar-smoking husband.

Jose Uribe, a former insurance broker from New Jersey, testified that he handed Nadine a 2019 Mercedes-Benz C-300 to influence the senator into intervening in a legal matter on his behalf.

“Congratulations mon amour de la vie, we are the proud owners of a 2019 Mercedes,” Nadine wrote to Bob Menendez via text after she received the first installment toward the car — using French for “love of my life.”

FBI agents later discovered the vehicle in their garage, along with a stash of gold bars worth more than $150,000 in a safe belonging to Nadine. The jury was also shown photos of over $400,000 in cash hidden throughout the house, including inside one of the senator’s government-issued jackets.

As bribes rolled in from Uribe, Wael Hana, and Fred Daibes, prosecutors said Nadine actively enabled the sale of her husband’s political influence, labeling her “his partner in crime.”

“The defendant helped Robert Menendez put his power up for grabs,” prosecutor Paul Monteleoni told the jury in his closing argument. “You saw again and again a clear pattern of corruption.”

Nadine began dating Menendez in early 2018, back when she was still known as Nadine Arslanian. Prosecutors said the illicit dealings began shortly thereafter, including with Hana, a longtime acquaintance of Nadine’s before she even met Bob. The two married in 2020.

Now convicted of multiple crimes, including bribery, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice, Nadine could face a substantial prison term. However, legal experts suggest she may receive a sentence similar to her husband’s 11 years.

Bob Menendez was granted a delay in reporting to prison until June 6 so he could “assist” his wife through her legal battle — though he never actually attended any part of her courtroom proceedings.

Nadine did not offer any comment when approached by reporters after the verdict, nor did she address her husband’s absence during the trial.

Her attorney, Barry Coburn, argued during the proceedings that prosecutors failed to prove she had the necessary “knowledge” or “intent” to break the law, but the jury clearly disagreed.

Originally, Nadine was slated to be tried alongside her husband, Hana, and Daibes. But her case was delayed following a breast cancer diagnosis. Hana has since been sentenced to eight years in prison, while Daibes received a seven-year term.

Uribe, who cooperated with authorities after pleading guilty, is expected to be sentenced later this year.

{Matzav.com}

Harvard University announced Monday that it has filed suit to halt a federal freeze on more than $2.2 billion in grants after the institution said it would defy the Trump administration’s demands to limit activism on campus activism on campus. In a letter to Harvard earlier this month, the Trump administration had called for broad government and leadership reforms at the university as well as changes to its admissions policies. It also demanded that the university audit views of diversity on campus, and stop recognizing some student clubs. Harvard President Alan Garber said the university would not bend to the government’s demands. Hours later, the government froze billions of dollars in federal funding. “The Government has not — and cannot — identify any rational connection between antisemitism concerns and the medical, scientific, technological, and other research it has frozen that aims to save American lives, foster American success, preserve American security, and maintain America’s position as a global leader in innovation,” the university wrote in its lawsuit, filed in Boston federal court. “Nor has the Government acknowledged the significant consequences that the indefinite freeze of billions of dollars in federal research funding will have on Harvard’s research programs, the beneficiaries of that research, and the national interest in furthering American innovation and progress,” it added. The Trump administration did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press requesting comment. In its letter dated April 11, the administration told Harvard to impose tougher discipline on protesters and to screen international students for those who are “hostile to the American values.” It also called for broad leadership reforms at the university, changes to admissions policies and the removal of college recognition for some student clubs. The government also demanded Harvard audit its faculty and student body to ensure wide viewpoints in every department and, if necessary, diversify by admitting additional students and hiring new faculty. Last Monday, Harvard said it would not comply, citing the First Amendment. The following day, Trump took to his Truth Social platform, questioning whether the university should lose its tax-exempt status “if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting ‘Sickness?’” The Trump administration also threatened to block the university from enrolling international students. The university frames the government’s demands as a threat not only to the Ivy League school but to the autonomy that the Supreme Court has long granted American universities. For the Trump administration, Harvard presents the first major hurdle in its attempt to force change at universities that Republicans say have become hotbeds of liberalism and antisemitism. The conflict is straining the longstanding relationship between the federal government and universities that use federal money to fuel scientific breakthroughs. Long seen as a benefit to the greater good, that money has become an easy source of leverage for the Trump administration. “Today, we stand for the values that have made American higher education a beacon for the world,” Garber wrote Monday to the Harvard community. “We stand for the truth that colleges and universities across the country can embrace and honor their legal obligations and best fulfill their essential role in society without improper government intrusion,” he wrote. “That is how we achieve academic excellence, safeguard open inquiry and freedom of speech, and conduct pioneering research—and how we advance the boundless exploration […]

​Harvard University has initiated legal proceedings against the Trump administration, challenging the federal government’s decision to freeze $2.2 billion in research funding. The university contends that this action is an attempt to exert undue influence over its academic operations. In a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, Harvard argues that the administration’s demands—such as auditing faculty for plagiarism, reporting international students accused of misconduct, and ensuring “viewpoint diversity” in academic departments—are unconstitutional and threaten the institution’s independence.

Harvard President Alan Garber stated that the government’s actions would have “severe and long lasting” consequences, particularly affecting critical health research projects. He emphasized that the administration’s approach bypasses established legal procedures and infringes upon the university’s First Amendment rights.

The Trump administration has justified the funding freeze by citing concerns over antisemitism on campus. However, Harvard maintains that it has taken significant steps to address such issues and that the government’s measures are disproportionate and politically motivated.

The lawsuit names several administration officials as defendants, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Education Secretary Linda McMahon, and Attorney General Pamela J. Bondi. Harvard seeks a court order to lift the funding freeze and prevent further governmental overreach into its academic affairs .​

This legal action underscores the escalating tensions between the federal government and higher education institutions over issues of academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and the role of political considerations in educational policy. The outcome of this case may have significant implications for the relationship between universities and the federal government moving forward.

{Matzav.com}​

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was the victim of a theft at a Washington, D.C., restaurant over the weekend, according to officials.

ABC News reported that Noem’s purse was taken by a masked individual while she was dining with her family. The bag reportedly contained $3,000 in cash, her passport, makeup kit, apartment key, a DHS access card, and various personal items.

A DHS representative confirmed that the suspect approached the table during a holiday outing and quickly fled the scene after grabbing the secretary’s purse.

According to CNN, the Secret Service reviewed surveillance video and identified the alleged thief as an unidentified white male who had been wearing a surgical mask at the time.

During Monday’s White House Easter Egg Roll, Noem acknowledged the incident and confirmed that authorities had yet to resolve the case. “The theft has not yet been solved,” she said.

ABC also noted that prescription medication belonging to Noem was among the contents of the stolen purse.

The Secret Service has launched an investigation, which remains ongoing.

{Matzav.com}

The Education Department will begin collection next month on student loans that are in default, including the garnishing of wages for potentially millions of borrowers, officials said Monday. Currently, roughly 5.3 million borrowers are in default on their federal student loans. The Trump administration ’s announcement marks an end to a period of leniency that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. No federal student loans have been referred for collection since March 2020, including those in default. Under President Joe Biden, the Education Department tried multiple times to forgive millions of people’s student loans, only to be stopped by courts. “American taxpayers will no longer be forced to serve as collateral for irresponsible student loan policies,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said. Beginning May 5, the department will begin involuntary collection through the Treasury Department’s offset program, which withholds payments from the government — including tax refunds, federal salaries and other benefits — from people with past-due debts to the government. After a 30-day notice, the department will also begin garnishing wages for borrowers in default. The decision to send debt to collections drew criticism from advocates. “This is cruel, unnecessary and will further fan the flames of economic chaos for working families across this country,” said Mike Pierce, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center. Already, many borrowers have been bracing for obligations coming due. In 2020, President Donald Trump paused federal student loan payments and interest accrual as a temporary relief measure for student borrowers. The pause in payments was extended multiple times by the Biden administration through 2023, and a final grace period for loan repayments ended in October 2024. That meant tens of millions of Americans had to start making payments again. Borrowers who don’t make payments for nine months go into default, which is reported on their credit scores and can go to collections. In addition to the borrowers already in default, around another 4 million are between 91 to 180 days late on their loan payments. Less than 40% of all borrowers are current on their student loans, department officials said. For borrowers in default, one step to avoid wage garnishment is to get into loan rehabilitation, said Betsy Mayotte, president of The Institute for Student Loan Advisors. Borrowers need to ask their loan servicer to be placed into a loan rehabilitation program. Typically, servicers ask for proof of income and expenses to calculate a payment amount. Once a borrower has paid on time for nine months in a row, they are taken out of default, Mayotte said. A loan rehabilitation can only be done once. Biden oversaw the cancellation of student loans for more than 5 million borrowers. Despite the Supreme Court’s rejection of his signature proposal for broad relief, he waived more than $183.6 billion in student loans through expanded forgiveness programs. In her statement Monday, McMahon said Biden had gone too far. “Going forward, the Department of Education, in conjunction with the Department of Treasury, will shepherd the student loan program responsibly and according to the law, which means helping borrowers return to repayment — both for the sake of their own financial health and our nation’s economic outlook,” she said. (AP)

In a dramatic declaration to the High Court on Monday, Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar claimed that his dismissal was rooted in Israel Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s demand for personal allegiance — not just professional duty — and that he had been implicitly instructed to prioritize loyalty to Netanyahu over the rule of law in the event of a constitutional standoff.

Bar, in a formal response to petitions challenging his removal, asserted that he was pushed out for refusing to align himself with the prime minister’s political interests. He pointed to a series of sensitive decisions, including declining to shield Netanyahu from testifying in his corruption trial, launching probes into the conduct of Netanyahu’s inner circle, and the fallout from the October 7 Hamas attack, as factors behind the firing.

He also denied claims by Netanyahu and his allies that the Shin Bet had prior intelligence warning of the October 7 assault and failed to relay it in time. Bar provided a timeline outlining the actions taken by his agency in the hours leading up to the invasion based on the intelligence they had at the time.

Although Bar indicated he would soon announce his resignation, he emphasized that the court’s ruling on his termination would have more lasting implications than his personal exit.

Netanyahu rejected Bar’s version of events, calling it “a false statement.” The Prime Minister’s Office followed up by saying that Bar’s own admission of security failings validated the decision to remove him. The court has asked Netanyahu to formally respond to Bar’s remarks.

Bar’s dismissal was finalized on March 21, following a cabinet vote prompted by Netanyahu’s recommendation. The prime minister cited a loss of confidence in Bar’s leadership. However, critics and legal watchdogs argue that the firing was marred by conflicts of interest and procedural flaws, given Shin Bet’s active investigations into Netanyahu’s aides.

The High Court temporarily blocked the firing and urged both the government and the Attorney General to resolve the legal missteps, while inviting Bar to present his account.

Bar responded by submitting an eight-page public statement via the State Attorney’s Office, accompanied by a 31-page classified annex with supplemental documentation.

In his public remarks, Bar said tensions with Netanyahu did not emerge until late 2024. The shift, he claimed, stemmed from Netanyahu’s expectation of “personal loyalty” rather than a breakdown in professional performance. He noted that Netanyahu had previously lauded the Shin Bet’s contributions during the war, including rescuing hostages and neutralizing terrorists across multiple fronts.

Bar identified November 2024 as the critical turning point. That month, he authorized an investigation into leaked materials from the Prime Minister’s Office, declined to assert that Netanyahu could skip his court testimony on national security grounds, supported the position that political leaders bore some responsibility for the October 7 failures, and endorsed the establishment of a state commission of inquiry. He also launched an investigation into the so-called Qatargate affair, in which Netanyahu’s aides allegedly lobbied for Qatar — a nation linked to Hamas.

“This sequence of events is what brought about a turning point in the prime minister’s attitude to me, and it alone stands at the foundation of the demand to end my tenure,” Bar wrote.

On Qatargate, Bar insisted the involvement of individuals linked to a state that backs Hamas in sensitive Israeli decision-making circles demanded scrutiny — especially given Qatar’s role as a mediator in negotiations with the terror group. He warned that suspected interference by Netanyahu’s associates could jeopardize national security and hostage release efforts.

Bar also revealed that Netanyahu had asked him to take action against citizens participating in anti-government protests and requested intelligence on activists who had monitored cabinet ministers and members of the prime minister’s family.

“The expectation to monitor ‘protest funders’ was made clear to me,” Bar stated, making it known that he refused to carry out such demands.

According to Bar, these requests were made after formal meetings had ended and once military aides and record-keepers had exited the room — a tactic that would leave no official trace of the conversations.

“The prime minister addressed me multiple times in a manner that made clear his expectation that the Shin Bet act against citizens involved in protest action and demonstrations against the government,” wrote Bar.

Bar added that in Netanyahu’s official response to the court, the prime minister acknowledged that one of his grievances was Bar’s refusal to act against those organizing widespread army reserve duty boycotts — a major part of the protest movement against judicial reform.

“This shows how the prime minister viewed the job of the head of the Shin Bet and his expectations that he activate the authorities of the agency in connection with open and public demonstrations of public protest against the government and its policies in which there is no clandestine activity or threat of violence,” Bar told the court.

Bar further alleged that during discussions about these protests, he was told that in the event of a constitutional crisis, he would be expected to “obey the prime minister and not the Supreme Court,” though he did not specify who conveyed that directive.

He said that more details about that issue would be included in his classified filing.

The threat of a constitutional breakdown has loomed large throughout the current government’s push to overhaul Israel’s judiciary, sparking mass protests and deep political rifts.

Bar reiterated previous claims that Netanyahu had pressured him to submit false security justifications to the Jerusalem District Court in order to excuse the prime minister from testifying in his criminal trial.

Bar said Netanyahu “repeatedly” urged him to issue orders that would prevent the prime minister from making public appearances and from being exposed to security risks — a move that would have effectively delayed or derailed the trial.

He disclosed that a draft memo had even been prepared, which he said was likely authored by Netanyahu or his staff, and that he was asked to present it as the Shin Bet’s official position.

Bar said the full details of that episode would be laid out in his confidential filing.

Bar flatly denied allegations from Netanyahu and his allies that the Shin Bet had knowledge of Hamas’s attack plans in advance and failed to alert the necessary authorities. He provided a detailed account of the agency’s actions before and during the start of the assault.

While acknowledging operational shortcomings, Bar said claims that he failed to brief the prime minister were part of a coordinated campaign to discredit him and the agency.

He noted that months earlier, the Shin Bet had warned the government that internal divisions — largely sparked by the judicial overhaul — were being interpreted by Israel’s enemies as a window of opportunity to strike. The agency had recommended targeted military actions to reestablish deterrence.

Bar also recalled warning Netanyahu in July 2023 about a dangerously deteriorating security landscape, even issuing a rare “war alert” — something nearly unprecedented from a Shin Bet director.

He said that after detecting “unusual but not unambiguous” indicators on the night of October 6, his agency alerted top IDF officials, including those overseeing Gaza and the Southern Command, at 11 p.m.

By 3:03 a.m. on October 7, the Shin Bet issued a general alert to all security branches about possible hostile activity by Hamas, though Bar conceded that the level of warning fell short — a failure he acknowledged.

He said he arrived at the Shin Bet’s headquarters at 4:30 a.m. and instructed that Netanyahu’s military secretary be notified by 5:15 a.m.

“It is with pain that I emphasize that no one evaluated that an attack like this would erupt and certainly not on that morning,” Bar wrote. “However, the attack was ‘not coordinated by us,’ our teams were not ‘sent in order to save Shin Bet personnel,’ and on that night nothing was ‘hidden from the security establishment or the prime minister,’” he emphasized.

“Out of a deep concern for the State of Israel in general and the ability of the Shin Bet to function in particular, I saw it as my duty to bring before the court in a full and public manner the sequence of events,” Bar concluded.

“This is my duty to my successor, so that their ability to fulfill their role with professionalism, with commitment to the country, and while insisting that the authorities of the agency and its tools be used for their intended purposes alone, be preserved, and so as to clearly delineate between the trust required in democratic systems and loyalty that characterizes other regimes.”

In a blistering response, the Prime Minister’s Office declared Bar’s testimony was “full of lies,” claiming he only informed Netanyahu’s military aide at 6:13 a.m.

“Bar confirms the assertion of all government ministers that he failed miserably on October 7,” said the statement from Netanyahu’s office. “This reason alone is cause for his termination.”

The PMO added that just two days prior to the Hamas onslaught, Bar had claimed that “renewal of understandings between Israel and Hamas based on the principle of quiet in exchange for concessions reveals the potential for preserving stability in the Gaza Strip.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Israir Airlines has received preliminary approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to begin operating flights to the United States, marking a major milestone in the airline’s push to expand its international footprint. The DOT’s authorization, granted Monday, is a temporary permit that could become permanent once Israir meets all safety and operational requirements set by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The airline expects to secure full approval by June 2025, according to a timeline shared with its board of directors. Israir plans to launch nonstop Tel Aviv–New York service using Airbus A330 aircraft, with flights operated by its own flight and maintenance crews. Israir says it plans to launch the Tel Aviv-New York route by Pesach 2026 El Al, Israel’s national carrier, has enjoyed near-monopoly status during the ongoing war with Hamas, particularly as foreign airlines suspended service. El Al has positioned itself as the “Spirit of Israel” to maintain customer loyalty, but Israir’s entry into the U.S. market is poised to offer consumers a competitive alternative. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)