The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will investigate Columbia University after two janitors accused the school of retaliating against them after they accused protestors of antisemitism, the New York Post reported. Lester Wilson and Mario Torres accused the school of retaliatory harassment for “reporting antisemitic and racist conduct” during the pro-Palestinian protests by students last year. “We welcome the EEOC’s decision to open an investigation into Mario’s and Lester’s charges of discrimination,” former Attorney General Bill Barr, whose law firm is representing Wilson and Torres, told the Post in a statement. “Columbia has a legal and moral obligation to protect the civil rights of its students and employees. It must be held accountable when it fails to do so,” he added.

The United States conducted a fresh wave of airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen on Monday, targeting the Iran-backed militia’s strongholds in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah and the Al Jawf governorate north of the capital, Sanaa. The strikes, reported by the Houthis’ Al Masirah TV, mark an intensification of a U.S. military campaign aimed at curbing the group’s attacks on international shipping lanes, a vital artery for global trade that has been repeatedly disrupted since late 2023. The U.S. Central Command confirmed the operations, stating that the strikes were designed to degrade the Houthis’ ability to threaten maritime security and regional stability.

A top Jackson Township official appears to be entangled in a shocking display of bias against Orthodox Jews, raising serious legal concerns about potential violations of a federal consent order. Documents obtained by Lakewood Alerts, a YWN subsidiary, reveal that Andrew Cheney, Jackson’s Chief of Code Enforcement, lodged a complaint with the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance against Jackson Council President Jennifer Kuhn, accusing her of real estate “steering.” However, Cheney’s allegations—and their eerie similarity to anti-Orthodox rhetoric promoted by the group Jackson Strong—suggest a far more troubling picture: A township official may have weaponized his position to advance an anti-Orthodox agenda.

An overnight search for two missing children in the dense woods of Sullivan County ended in relief early Monday morning when Catskills Hatzolah members located the pair near Weissman Road and Stump Pond Road in Livingston Manor. The search began Sunday evening when two local children, ages 12 and 15, failed to return home after venturing into the heavily wooded area surrounding Livingston Manor. As night fell and temperatures dropped, concerns mounted, prompting Sullivan County Emergency Personnel to activate a full-scale search and rescue mission. More than 10 fire departments, Forest Rangers, and New York State Police mobilized, combing the rugged terrain under the cover of darkness.

Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar responded to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s announcement on Sunday of his intention to dismiss him this week by saying he has no intention of leaving his position. Bar claimed that Netanyahu’s decision to remove him is not based on his failures regarding the October 7 massacre and that he intends to remain in his position until the return of all the hostages and the completion of several investigations.

In a powerful display of Israel’s advancing defense capabilities, Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a stark warning to Israel’s enemies, vowing that any aggression would be met with overwhelming force. During a visit to Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Katz confirmed that the Iron Beam laser interception system—hailed as a revolutionary leap in missile defense—will soon be operational. “Our enemies should know and understand clearly—we have many means to deliver a decisive blow. If they raise a hand against Israel again, that hand will be severed,” Katz declared, standing alongside military leaders and top defense officials. The Iron Beam, set to be deployed later this year, represents a game-changing breakthrough in modern warfare.

In a dramatic move, Prime Minister Netanyahu called Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar to an emergency meeting in his office, notifying him that the cabinet will hold a vote this week to remove him from his position, according to a statement from Netanyahu’s office. Hebrew media outlets report that the vote is slated to occur during a special cabinet session on Wednesday. Netanyahu has been maneuvering for months to push Bar out, allegedly aiming to pin the blame for the October 7 security lapses entirely on the intelligence and security leadership, while deflecting responsibility from the political echelon. STATEMENT FROM PM NETANYAHU: “Citizens of Israel, We are in the midst of a war for our very survival – a war on seven fronts.

The IDF on Sunday identified six Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives it eliminated in northern Gaza’s Beit Lahiya a day earlier, including a Hamas terrorist who participated in the October 7, 2023, massacre in Israel. According to the IDF, two of the operatives were using a drone for attacks on Israeli forces when they were targeted in an initial strike. When a second group arrived to recover the drone equipment, the IDF carried out another precision strike, eliminating additional operatives. In a statement, the IDF revealed that some of the killed terrorists were operating under the guise of journalists, exploiting humanitarian protections to shield their terror activities.

President Donald Trump said he ordered a series of airstrikes on the Houthi-held areas in Yemen on Saturday, promising to use “overwhelming lethal force” until Iranian-backed Houthi rebels cease their attacks on shipping along a vital maritime corridor. The Houthis said 13 civilians were killed in the capital, Sanaa. “Our brave Warfighters are right now carrying out aerial attacks on the terrorists’ bases, leaders, and missile defenses to protect American shipping, air, and naval assets, and to restore Navigational Freedom,” Trump said in a social media post.

The weather in Israel has been unusually warm this week, with temperatures rising to above seasonal averages on Wednesday. The temperatures are expected to continue to rise on Thursday, with hot and dry conditions. There will be another slight rise on Friday, Purim day, and Shabbos. The temperature will continue to climb on Sunday, Shushan Purim, with heatwave conditions in the mountains and inland areas. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)