The fifth round of nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran, which commenced Friday at the Omani Embassy in Rome, appears unlikely to produce a breakthrough agreement, according to a CNN report citing two Iranian sources. The Iranian sources told CNN that Tehran’s participation in this round is primarily to “gauge Washington’s latest stance rather than pursue a potential breakthrough.” They expressed growing doubts about U.S. sincerity, saying, “The media statements and negotiating behavior of the United States has widely disappointed policy-making circles in Tehran.” The sources pointed to the U.S. insistence on zero uranium enrichment as a major sticking point, arguing that Washington’s position—knowing Iran will not accept such terms—suggests the U.S.

In the wake of the deadly shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum that claimed the lives of two Israeli Embassy staffers, a coalition of over 40 Jewish organizations is urging the U.S. government to allocate $1 billion to the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) to bolster security at Jewish institutions nationwide. The coalition, including major groups like the Jewish Federations of North America, the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee, and the Orthodox Union, issued a joint statement describing the shooting as a “direct consequence of rising antisemitic incitement” on college campuses, at city council meetings, and across social media platforms.

An appointee to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Fiscal Sustainability Working Group, Ishan Daya, resigned just hours after his selection was announced, following criticism over a 2023 video showing him tearing down posters of Israeli hostages. Daya, a community organizer focused on public safety and mental health, was one of 20 appointees to the mayor’s advisory committee tasked with addressing Chicago’s fiscal challenges. However, his appointment sparked immediate outrage from Jewish organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League and the Chicago Jewish Community Relations Council, as well as Alderman Debra Silverstein, the city’s only Jewish alderwoman.

A new Senate report released by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) alleges that U.S. health officials were aware of the risks of myocarditis, a form of heart inflammation, linked to COVID-19 vaccines but delayed informing the public, potentially jeopardizing the health of young Americans. According to the report, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was notified by the Israeli Ministry of Health in February 2021 of multiple reports of myocarditis, particularly in young people, following administration of the Pfizer vaccine. By April 2021, CDC officials were discussing “safety signals” for myocarditis linked to mRNA vaccines, based on data from the U.S. Defense Department and Israel. Despite this, the report claims, no immediate steps were taken to warn the public.

A horrific tragedy unfolded early Friday morning in Lakewood, when a vehicle carrying five bochurim crashed and erupted into flames on Hope Chapel between Clearstream and New Central, tragically resulting in the petirah of two of the occupants. Preliminary reports indicate that the vehicle, a Toyota Sienna, was traveling along Hope Chapel Road when it struck a deer, causing the driver to lose control. The minivan veered off the roadway and crashed, bursting into flames. A passerby who came upon the harrowing scene reportedly saw the vehicle engulfed in flames and immediately called 911. Emergency services were dispatched, with Hatzolah being called in for backup. Two of the bochurim were tragically niftar at the scene.

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman It is rainy. You are travelling upstate for a Shabbos, or a retreat or Shabbatone. The roads are slippery.

The brutal murder of two Israeli embassy staffers, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night has been met with a bloodcurdling response from pro-Hamas groups, who have hailed the killings as a “heroic attack.” The victims, a young couple on the cusp of engagement, were gunned down by 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez as they left an American Jewish Committee (AJC) event aimed at fostering dialogue on the Gaza crisis. Rodriguez, who shouted “Free Palestine” during his arrest, fired 21 shots at the couple, killing them in a targeted act of antisemitic terrorism. Yet, instead of universal condemnation, pro-Hamas groups have repulsively glorified the attack.

The Trump administration has terminated Harvard University’s certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), effectively barring the institution from enrolling international students for the 2025-2026 academic year. The decision, announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Thursday, requires current international students at Harvard to transfer to other institutions or face loss of their legal status in the United States. The move follows a series of disputes between the Trump administration and Harvard, centered on allegations of noncompliance with federal demands for records related to student protests and disciplinary actions.

An inman in the heart of Oklahoma told his congregation that throughout history, “the cowardly Jews just want to attack women and children.” “This is how they were and this is how they will aways be,” he said during a Friday sermon in Norman, the third most populous city in the state. MEMRI, the Middle East Media Research Institute, which often translates similar videos from Arabic to English, published the video with subtitles—no translation needed in this case. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Democrats chairman Yair Golan was videoed on Thursday evening in a physical confrontation with a resident of Kiryat Shmona, during a conference in the city. In the footage, residents of the city are seen condemning Golan for the statements he made on Tuesday, implying that “IDF soldiers kill babies as a hobby.” Golan started yelling back at one of the protesters who called on him to remove his military ranks. Golan then approached the elderly man and pushed him. Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich stated: “Yair Golan’s true and violent face continues to be revealed.