Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday he will campaign for mayor of New York City as an independent candidate, staying in a crowded field running against surging left-wing Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani. In a video, Cuomo, who last month suffered a bruising loss to Mamdani in the Democratic primary, announced he was making another run to combat the progressive Mamdani, who he said “offers slick slogans but no real solutions.” “The fight to save our city isn’t over,” Cuomo said. “Only 13 percent of New Yorkers voted in the June primary.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett fiercely rejected explosive allegations that convicted predator Jeffrey Epstein had worked for Mossad, calling the claim “categorically and totally false” and accusing right-wing media personality Tucker Carlson of trafficking in conspiracy theories. The dramatic exchange erupted following Carlson’s remarks at the Turning Point USA conference this past weekend, where he suggested—without evidence—that Epstein may have run a blackmail operation on behalf of Israeli intelligence. “Were you working on behalf of Mossad?” Carlson asked hypothetically during his speech. “Were you running a blackmail operation on behalf of a foreign government?” He added, “By the way, every single person in Washington, D.C.

Millions of people receive a federal tax deduction for the interest they pay on home loans. Under President Donald Trump’s new tax-cut law, many people for the first time also could claim a tax deduction for interest on their vehicle loans. The new tax break will be available even to people who don’t itemize deductions. But there are some caveats that could limit its reach. The vehicles must be new, not used. They must be assembled in the U.S. And the loans must be issued no sooner than this year, to list just a few qualifications. Here are some things to know about the new auto loan interest tax deduction: Candidate Trump promised an auto loan interest tax break Trump pledged while campaigning last year to make interest on car loans tax-deductible.

The IDF has announced the deaths of three soldiers and the serious injury of an officer during heavy fighting in the Jabaliya area of northern Gaza earlier today. The incident occurred around noon and involved a tank belonging to the 401st Armored Brigade’s 52nd Battalion. The IDF initially believed the tank had been struck by RPG fire launched by Hamas. However, the military now suspects the explosion may have been caused by a malfunctioning shell that detonated inside the turret. The fallen soldiers were identified as: Staff Sgt. Shoham Menachem hy”d, 21, of Yardena Sgt. Shlomo Yakir Shrem hy”d, 20, of Efrat Sgt.

The IDF issued an unusual statement on Monday stating that the Air Force attacked several Syrian tanks in the area between A-Sijin and Samia in southern Syria. A security source said that the attack was directed at a number of Syrian tanks that crossed the border that Israel defined in the buffer zone near the border on the Golan Heights. The Syrian tanks were seen near the areas of unrest in the A-Suwayda province, where fierce clashes have erupted in recent days between local Druze and armed Bedouin groups, some with the backing of the Syrian regime. Dozens of Druze were killed in the fighting, and dozens were injured. The IDF attack on forces of Syria’s new government was intended to protect the local Druze. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

More than 20 states sued President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday over billions of dollars in frozen education funding for after-school care, summer programs and more. Some of the withheld money funds after-school and summer programming at Boys & Girls Clubs, the YMCA or public schools, attended by 1.4 million children and teenagers nationwide. Congress set aside money for the programs to provide academic support, enrichment and child care to mostly low-income families. But Trump’s administration recently froze the funding, saying it wants to ensure recipients’ programs align with the Republican president’s priorities. Led by California, the lawsuit alleges withholding the money violates the Constitution and several federal laws.

More than a thousand avreichim from the “Chofetz Chaim B’Iyun” Kollel network, under the leadership of HaGaon HaTzaddik Rabbi Mordechai Shmuel Edelstein, gathered this week for their annual conference at the Armonot Chen Hall in Bnei Brak. The major event was graced by the presence of Gedolei Yisroel, members of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, Roshei Yeshiva, rabbanim, and marbitzei Torah who deliver Torah to the masses. The central keynote address was delivered by the Rosh Yeshiva, HaGaon Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch. PHOTOS FOR YWN VIA SHUKI LERER

A senior Egyptian official has voiced sharp opposition to Israel’s proposed military redeployment in Gaza, warning that the plan could jeopardize regional stability and even prompt a reassessment of the Camp David peace accords. In an interview with Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the official — a member of Egypt’s security delegation involved in ongoing ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas — condemned Israel’s plan to maintain a military presence throughout Rafah and establish a sprawling tent city for displaced Gazans near the Egyptian border. “This would create a human bomb at the Egyptian border, which would pose a clear threat to Egypt’s national security,” the official said.

Tens of thousands of centuries-old books are being pulled from the shelves of a medieval abbey in Hungary in an effort to save them from a beetle infestation that could wipe out centuries of history. The 1,000-year-old Pannonhalma Archabbey is a sprawling Benedictine monastery that is one of Hungary’s oldest centers of learning and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Restoration workers are removing about 100,000 handbound books from their shelves and carefully placing them in crates, the start of a disinfection process that aims to kill the tiny beetles burrowed into them. The drugstore beetle, also known as the bread beetle, is often found among dried foodstuffs like grains, flour and spices. But they also are attracted to the gelatin and starch-based adhesives found in books.

Last week, the wedding of the grandson of the Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok took place at the Machnovka-Belz Beis Medrash in Bnei Brak. For many years, the Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok Rebbe has longed for the opportunity to receive an aliyah from the ancient Sefer Torah of the holy Baal Shem Tov, which is preserved in the archives of the Machnovka-Belz court. On the night of the wedding, the Rebbe remained in Bnei Brak, lodging at the home of HaGaon HaRav Yaakov Yehoshua Englander, Rosh Yeshiva of Machnovka-Belz, on Ohr HaChaim Street. The following morning, the Rebbe arrived at the Machnovka-Belz Beis Medrash, where he emotionally embraced the historic Sefer Torah and was called up for an aliyah, fulfilling his long-held aspiration with great excitement. PHOTOS FOR YWN VIA SHUKI LERER