Q: “Are you still committed to article 5 of NATO?” TRUMP: “Depends on your definition…I’m committed to life & safety. I’m going to give you an exact definition when I get there. I just don’t want to do it on the back of an airplane.”

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is reportedly considering calling early elections following Israel’s military campaign against Iran, which has garnered widespread domestic support and is being hailed as a strategic victory.
According to Channel 12, members of Netanyahu’s inner circle are urging him to capitalize on the success of the operation and the resulting bump in public approval to bolster his standing in a potential election.
The report noted that Netanyahu would likely campaign on a platform focused on forging diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia and blocking the creation of a Palestinian state.

At a trucking school in New Jersey, students are maneuvering 18-wheelers around traffic cones. Other future drivers look under hoods to perform safety checks, narrating as they examine steering hoses for cracks and leaks. An instructor glides between speaking Spanish and English as he teaches Manuel Castillo, a native Spanish speaker, how to inspect a school bus. They’re using a printed script of English phrases to practice what Castillo would say during a roadside inspection. Brushing up on English has taken on new urgency for future and current truck drivers after President Donald Trump issued an executive order saying truckers who don’t read and speak the language proficiently would be considered unfit for service.

Steve Bannon is a raging antisemite. He just needs someone to help him come out of the closet and say it.

We would like to take this opportunity to publicly commend our team for their exceptional work and dedication over the past few weeks. Over the past 13 days, the YWN Live Blog consistently maintained an audience of over 10,000 concurrent viewers – 24 hours a day! During this period, our dedicated team published an impressive total of 1,100 articles in live time, keeping you all informed with the most accurate and important updates. Simultaneously, more than 1,300 posts were shared via the YWN WhatsApp status, which is followed by nearly 94,000 individuals, along with over 1,000 posts on the YWN WhatsApp Communities, which has nearly 50,000 participants. Additionally, the YWN homepage had record traffic, with hundreds of thousands of readers visiting multiple times each day.

A halachic debate has emerged over whether weddings may be held during Bein HaMetzarim—the three-week period between the 17th of Tammuz and Tisha B’Av—amid the ongoing war between Israel and Iran.
While Sephardic Chief Rabbi Rav Yitzchak Yosef has ruled leniently in light of the national crisis, permitting weddings for both Sephardim and Ashkenazim during this time, Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Rav Kalman Ber has published a formal halachic response presenting the opposite view.

“Jihad in NYC is Electing One of Our Own”: Queens Imam Sparks Outrage with Political Call Queens, NY — A fiery statement from Imam Ali of Queens is drawing sharp reactions after he declared during a recent speech that “Jihad in NYC is electing one of our own — Zohran Mamdani — for mayor.” The imam emphasized that “Jihad is not only fighting in Palestine; they need it to defend themselves. Jihad here is different.” He explained that in the local context, it means political engagement and Muslim unity, highlighting a larger strategy to increase Muslim political power in New York. Ali praised the community’s growing cohesion: “If London made it, why can’t NYC make it?” — a reference to London’s Muslim mayor, Sadiq Khan.

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City on Tuesday closed the arrival center fo

In a fiery speech delivered Sunday night, the Satmar Rebbe, launched a scathing rebuke of the Israeli government and those who express admiration for Israel’s military might in its current war against Iran, known as Operation Am K’Lavi.
Speaking at a siyum on Maseches Bechoros organized by the Satmar Zichru learning initiative in Boro Park, the Rebbe warned against falling into the trap of believing in kochi v’otzem yadi—human power and might—rather than in Divine salvation.

NEW YORK (AP) — Extensive triple digit heat, broken temp

The Federal Reserve will continue to wait and see how the economy evolves before deciding whether to reduce its key interest rate, Chair Jerome Powell said Tuesday, a stance directly at odds with President Donald Trump’s calls for immediate cuts. “For the time being, we are well positioned to wait to learn more about the likely course of the economy before considering any adjustments to our policy stance,” Powell said in testimony Tuesday before the House Financial Services Committee. Powell is facing two days of what could be tough grilling on Capitol Hill, as Trump has repeatedly urged the Fed to reduce borrowing costs. Powell has often received a positive reception before House and Senate committees that oversee the Fed, or at least muted criticism.

With Israeli airports shuttered due to the ongoing war with Iran, a wave of travelers sought unconventional and costly means to leave the country, many through the Sharm el-Sheikh airport in Egypt. Some have paid staggering sums, often upwards of tens of thousands of dollars, for private jet charters.
Among those who flew in was the Gerrer Rebbe, whose travel arrangements have drawn particular attention.
In an unusual scene in Williamsburg, one of America’s top frum travel agents was summoned to the private residence of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe. The agent had just received a call from the Rebbe’s personal assistant and promptly closed his office to make his way over. Unsure of what urgent matter awaited him, he entered the Rebbe’s room with curiosity.

New York City Democrats will decide Tuesday whether to reboot Andrew Cuomo’s political career, elevate liberal upstart Zohran Mamdani, or turn to a crowded field of lesser-known but maybe less-polarizing candidates in the party’s mayoral primary. Their choice could say something about what kind of leader Democrats are looking for during President Donald Trump’s second term. The vote takes place on a sweltering day about four years after Cuomo resigned as governor following a harassment scandal. Yet the 67-year-old has been the favorite throughout the race, with his deep experience, nearly universal name recognition, strong political connections and juggernaut fundraising apparatus.

Hakeem Jeffries on delayed Iran briefing: “Why are Republicans hiding facts and the the truth from America with respect to the possibility that their actions will drive us into another catastrophic war in the Middle East.”

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