As Canadians headed to the voting booths on Monday to select their next leader, President Donald Trump weighed in by implying that the ideal choice was already seated in the Oval Office.
Trump, whose tariffs and proposal to make Canada the 51st U.S. state have sparked significant outrage across the border, posted a message on Truth Social early Monday offering his take on Canada’s Election Day.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar formally appealed to Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, urging him to convene an immediate meeting to discuss his plan to either invalidate all 200 shekel bills or target certain series of bills that have made their way into the Gaza Strip.
This request comes after Sa’ar had already sent a letter over the weekend to the Governor of the Bank of Israel, and subsequently brought up the matter during a Cabinet session.
In his correspondence with Netanyahu, Sa’ar emphasized, “There is an urgent need to advance an economic war against Hamas. If the Bank of Israel persists in refusing to cooperate, I will propose exploring its advancement through a government decision and legislation if needed.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under President Donald Trump is celebrating what it describes as record-breaking figures in arrests and removals of illegal aliens during the first 100 days of his administration.
According to DHS officials, since President Trump assumed office on January 20, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained over 151,000 illegal aliens across the country. In addition, they report that ICE agents have deported more than 135,000 individuals during the same timeframe.
“This includes 600 members of Tren De Aragua who have been arrested or deported, as well as thousands of MS-13 and 18th Street Gang members who have fled the country,” the DHS statement said.

Bill Maher took aim at Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, slamming him as the “worst thing to hit the Pentagon” since the tragic events of September 11.
During the “New Rule” portion of his HBO show on Friday evening, Maher launched into his criticism of Hegseth.
“New Rule: Pete Hegsteth’s parents have to take away his phone. He can have it back when he’s shown us he’s grown up enough to use it responsibly,” Maher quipped during his monologue.
He continued with a sharp jab, saying, “I’m not saying Pete makes a terrible defense secretary, but he’s the worst thing to hit the Pentagon since Flight 77.”

After Tnuva revealed that it would be raising the prices of its dairy items that are not subject to government regulation, other major dairy companies, Strauss and Tara, have followed suit and announced their own increases.
Strauss stated that its new pricing will be implemented at the start of June, while Tara plans to adjust its prices earlier, on May 18.

For the first time since the outbreak of the war, the artillery units of the 282nd Artillery Brigade, operating under the 36th Division, have entered into active operations inside the Gaza Strip. This follows a period of intense engagement across multiple fronts.
Up to this point, the artillery forces have been providing critical backing to the ground units moving through the “Morag” Corridor. Their missions have included the destruction of weapons stockpiles and missile launching areas used by terror groups within Gaza, as well as the elimination of enemy fighters, all coordinated through the Brigade’s Fire Control Center.

At the JNS International Policy Summit held Monday night at the Waldorf Astoria in Jerusalem, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee issued a blunt warning about Iran’s nuclear threats. He declared that if Iran continues on its path toward acquiring nuclear weapons, President Donald Trump “won’t be dragged into a war, he’ll lead it.” Huckabee stressed the administration’s firm policy, stating, “The president has been very clear that there will never be a possibility for nuclear weapons; he’s been explicit about that.”

A senior Israeli diplomatic official pushed back against suggestions for a lasting ceasefire with Hamas, emphasizing that Israel remains focused on hostage negotiations but is reaching the limits of its patience.
“Ideas are flowing from some of the Arab countries, such as a cessation of the war for five years,” the official said. “There is no way that we will agree to a truce with Hamas that will only allow it to re-arm, recover, and continue its war with even more power.”

New York City’s congestion pricing program raked in $159 million during its first quarter of operation, even as the Trump administration moves aggressively to dismantle the controversial tolling effort.
Drivers are charged $9 during peak hours for entering Manhattan below 60th Street. From the launch of the program on January 5 through March 31, the toll nearly matched its $160 million revenue target, according to data published Monday by the MTA.
The MTA, which operates the city’s public transportation system, oversees the congestion pricing plan, aiming to generate $500 million in 2025. The agency intends to leverage that income to secure $15 billion in bonds for major infrastructure upgrades.

By S. Rosen
I recently heard Rabbi Avi Shafran on Halacha Headlines with Dovid Lichtenstein explain that the primary rabbinic objection to voting in the WZO elections is the technical requirement to confirm that: “I pledge to support the Jerusalem Program and the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.”
Curious, I decided to review the Jerusalem Program myself to see if it was something I could sign. Here are my thoughts, line by line: