Some 1,300 men and women converged upon Ateres Chaya Hall in Borough Park on Thursday night to attend an event sponsored by Agudath Israel’s KnowUs division. The goal of the event, titled Dina D’malchusa Dina, was to raise awareness of how, as Torah Jews, we can uphold the highest standards of ethical and financial rectitude, especially when interacting with secular society. It is a longstanding priority of the Agudah to attune the community to areas where extra vigilance and ehrlichkeit can be exercised. In fact, yesterday’s event was modeled after similar asifos that took place years ago, also preceding Tisha B’av, a time reserved for introspection of our place in golus.

It’s a 2024 election battleground where millions of dollars are being spent and big names in American politics are popping up. But it’s not in the Rust Belt. And it isn’t Georgia or Nevada, either. It’s Long Island, a suburban stretch east of New York City, home to some 3 million people who might have an outsized role in choosing which party controls Congress. Democrats are just a few seats shy of winning a majority in the U.S. House and the island, just a train ride from liberal Manhattan, has emerged as an improbable stage for some of the most contested races this year. The region is also an unlikely center of Republican power in deep blue New York.

Nassau County, a suburban county in New York, has passed a bill banning the wearing of masks at public protests, aiming to prevent pro-Palestinian demonstrators from hiding their identities. The Republican-controlled county legislature approved the bill on Monday, with all 12 Republicans voting in favor and 7 Democrats abstaining. The bill, which makes wearing a facial covering to hide one’s identity a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine, is intended to prevent violence and antisemitism by protesters. However, civil rights advocates argue that it infringes on free speech rights. Exemptions are made for health or medical reasons, as well as for “religious and cultural purposes.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Gone is the bullhorn. Instead, New York City emergency management officials have turned high-tech, using drones to warn residents about potential threatening weather. With a buzzing sound in the background, a drone equipped with a loudspeaker flies over homes warning people who live in basement or ground-floor apartments about impending heavy rains. “Be prepared to leave your location,” said the voice from the sky in footage released Tuesday by the city’s emergency management agency. “If flooding occurs, do not hesitate.” About five teams with multiple drones each were deployed to specific neighborhoods prone to flooding. Zach Iscol, the city’s emergency management commissioner, said the messages were being relayed in multiple languages.

Outdoor tables saved thousands of New York City restaurants from ruin when they were forced to close their dining rooms during the COVID-19 pandemic. But four years into an experiment that transformed New York’s streetscape — briefly giving it a sidewalk cafe scene as vibrant as Paris or Buenos Aires — the freewheeling era of outdoor dining has come to an end. Over the weekend, restaurants hit a deadline to choose between abiding by a strict set of regulations for their alfresco setups or dismantling them entirely — and thousands chose to tear down the plywood dining structures that sprouted on roadways in the pandemic’s early days.

Former President Donald Trump has gained a slight lead among Jewish voters in deep-blue New York, according to a new Siena Research Institute poll. The poll, released on Tuesday, shows Trump securing 50% of the vote among likely Jewish voters, narrowly surpassing Vice President Kamala Harris, who received 49%. This shift marks a significant change from earlier in the year when President Joe Biden held a lead over Trump among Jewish voters, 52% to 46%. However, the political landscape has changed considerably since then, with Biden withdrawing from the race and Harris securing the Democratic nomination. Traditionally, Jewish voters have leaned heavily Democratic.

A New York City journalist was arrested on felony hate crime charges Tuesday after filming a pro-Palestinian protest earlier this summer in which activists hurled red paint at the homes of top leaders at the Brooklyn Museum. Samuel Seligson, an independent videographer, was not involved in the vandalism and is only accused of documenting it, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the case. The official spoke with The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation. Leena Widdi, an attorney for Seligson, said New York Police Department officers twice raided Seligson’s Brooklyn apartment in the past week before he turned himself in early Tuesday.

Intense thunderstorms struck the New York City area on Tuesday afternoon, bringing heavy downpours and a risk of flooding that is expected to persist into the evening. Rainfall rates from the storm could exceed two inches per hour in some areas, with total accumulations of 2 to 4 inches common. Severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for the Bronx, Manhattan, and Westchester County in New York, as well as several counties in New Jersey, including Bergen, Essex, and Middlesex, lasting until 6 p.m. Flash flood warnings were also in place for parts of New Jersey, including Mercer and Monmouth counties, extending until 8:15 p.m.

A devastating five-alarm fire swept through Queens Village on Saturday, injuring 14 people, including 11 firefighters, and damaging multiple buildings, leaving dozens of residents without homes. The blaze began at 4 p.m. at a two-story residence on Francis Lewis Boulevard and quickly spread to seven buildings, with over 200 firefighters and emergency responders battling the flames. FDNY First Deputy Commissioner Joseph Pfeifer described the fire as “very fierce,” with the majority of the injured suffering heat-related injuries. Residents described the scene as chaotic, with thick black smoke filling the air and multiple buildings damaged. The fire was brought under control in about two hours, but not before leaving a trail of destruction and displacement in its wake.

As reported by YWN when the Sefer Torah was stolen in Far Rockaway, NY, the NYPD has made an arrest and recovered the Torah! Detectives of the NYPD’s Major Case Squad worked diligently on this complex case to bring the individual responsible, Saul Colon of Queens New York, into custody. NYPD Deputy Chief Richie Taylor of the Community Affairs Bureau told Yeshiva World News that immediately after this crime occurred, Police Commissioner Edward Caban, Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, Deputy Commissioner Mark Stewart & Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny personally ensured that all appropriate investigative police resources were utilized to bring the offender into custody, which resulted in this arrest and recovery of the Torah.