Jerusalem, Israel – As major fires ravaged multiple regions across Israel on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri took to X to demand harsh action against Palestinians he claims are responsible, urging the IDF to “eliminate from the air” those identified as arsonists. The Shin Bet security agency is investigating the fires’ causes, and several arson suspects were arrested in east Jerusalem and security teams in two other areas arrested suspects in two additional attacks, one in Rosh HaAyin and another in Beit Keshet, a kibbutz in northern Israel. Deri wrote, “Arsonists during wartime are terrorists in every sense.

A long-delayed project promising nonstop rail service between San Francisco and Los Angeles in under three hours may be able to secure the private funding it desperately needs if California agrees to pay the investors back, its chief executive told The Associated Press. Ian Choudri, who was appointed CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority in August, is tasked with reinvigorating the nation’s largest infrastructure project amid skyrocketing costs and new fears that the Trump administration could pull $4 billion in federal funding. “We started this one, and we are not succeeding,” Choudri said, describing what drew him to the job after work on high-speed systems in Europe.

An ISIS member accused of inciting the January 1st terrorist attack on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street, which killed 14 people and injured 57, was arrested in Iraq, the Supreme Judicial Council of Iraq announced Tuesday. The suspect, unidentified in reports, allegedly radicalized Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran from Texas who executed the attack. Jabbar drove a rented Ford F-150 truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street at around 3 a.m., killing 14 and injuring dozens before being killed in a police shootout. Jabbar had declared allegiance to ISIS in social media videos, stating he joined the group before summer 2024. Iraq’s First Karkh Investigation Court reported the suspect, part of ISIS’s Foreign Operations Office, was detained following U.S.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) dismissed concerns about his plummeting 17% approval rating during a tense press conference Tuesday, as CNN’s chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju pressed him on whether he’s become a liability for the Democratic Party. Raju confronted Schumer with a fresh CNN poll revealing a mere 17% favorable rating for Schumer against a staggering 44% unfavorable view among U.S. adults. “Are you concerned that you may be a liability for your party?” Raju asked, citing Schumer’s lower approval compared to other congressional leaders. Schumer brushed off the numbers, saying, “Polls come and go. Our party is united.

Financial markets are volatile. Consumer confidence is at its lowest level in five years. Economists say recession risks are rising. It all adds up to financial uncertainty for a lot of Americans. Roughly half of U.S. adults say that President Trump’s trade policies will increase prices “a lot,” according to a recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center of Public Affairs Research. And about half of Americans are “extremely” or “very” concerned about the possibility of the U.S. economy going into a recession in the next few months. Matt Watson, CEO of Origin, a financial planning app, says it’s a period of uncertainty for everyone, including experts. “No one has a crystal ball.

TRUMP TO BUSINESS LEADERS: “We cut your taxes from almost 40% down to 21%. Now, we’re bringing your taxes down from 21% to 15%, if you build your product, make your product in the USA.”

Remember, it’s free to submit names through Yad L’Achim.HAPPENING RIGHT NOW! HURRY!As a token of our deep appreciation towards our Yad L’Achim supporters, (that means you), we have arranged for a free special tefillah in Kerestir on Thursday, (plus free kvittel)the Yahrtzeit of the tzaddik Reb Shayele of Kerestir zt”l(100th yahrtzeit!) to daven for all our supporters. Submit your names for tefillah (for free) by CLICKING HERE , visit www.YadLAchim.org or calling 1-718-690-2944. Thank you once again for your past and future kindness in helping us rescue trapped Jewish women and children.  👉 Submit Names Now SHARE THIS VIA WHATSAPP Know someone who can benefit from this free tefillah?

The Trump administration is moving to cancel $1 billion in school mental health grants, saying they reflect the priorities of the previous administration. Grant recipients were notified Tuesday that the funding will not be continued after this year. A gun violence bill signed by Democratic President Joe Biden in 2022 sent $1 billion to the grant programs to help schools hire more psychologists, counselors and other mental health workers. A new notice said an Education Department review of the programs found they violated the purpose of civil rights law, conflicted with the department’s policy of prioritizing merit and fairness, and amounted to an inappropriate use of federal money.

A wave of arson attacks has struck Bat Yam, with multiple fires breaking out across the city, including a dangerous blaze at the Beit Belev nursing home. Several residents were trapped as emergency responders battle to contain the situation. According to reports, ten firefighting crews, led by Shift Commander Chief Fire Officer Oshri Basson, were on the scene at the nursing home on Abba Berdichev Street, where thick smoke has engulfed parts of the building. Firefighters are focused their efforts on rescuing trapped individuals from the smoke-filled structure. Medical teams provided immediate assistance, evacuating the injured to a safe area for treatment.