BORO PARK: A Chanukas Habayis was held at the Gur Cheder on 12th Avenue and 63rd Street, with the Gerrer Rebbe Shlita in attendance.

The House has just voted 213-207 to advance President Trump’s first round of $9.3B in DOGE cuts.

As Israel braces for a possible dramatic late-night Knesset vote on a bill to dissolve the government, tensions between key members of the coalition continue to escalate, with harsh accusations and private confrontations further unraveling the fragile alliance.
Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yuli Edelstein, a central figure in the ongoing political crisis, issued a stern warning to chareidi lawmakers earlier today: “Don’t come to me before you remove the threat of toppling the government.”

Stocks ended the day mostly lower on Wednesday, as mounting fears over instability in the Middle East unsettled investors. Meanwhile, inflation data came in softer than expected, easing concerns about rising prices due to U.S. tariffs, while market watchers waited for further clarity on U.S.-China trade negotiations.
Markets gave up earlier gains after reports emerged that the United States was preparing to partially evacuate its embassy in Iraq amid escalating regional threats. Earlier in the day, a top Iranian figure warned that if nuclear talks with Washington fail, U.S. military installations in the area could become targets.
Tech giants Amazon and Nvidia, which had seen notable recent surges, slipped and dragged down the S&P 500 as a result.

NEW YORK (AP) — More than 460 laid-off employees at the nation’s top public health agency received notices Wednesda

A string of recent cyberattacks and data breaches involving the systems of major retailers have started affecting shoppers. United Natural Foods, a wholesale distributor that supplies Whole Foods and other grocers, said this week that a breach of its systems was disrupting its ability to fulfill orders — leaving many stores without certain items. In the U.K., consumers could not order from the website of Marks & Spencer for more than six weeks — and found fewer in-store options after hackers targeted the British clothing, home goods and food retailer. A cyberattack on Co-op, a U.K. grocery chain, also led to empty shelves in some stores. Cyberattacks have been on the rise across industries.

Israeli security forces announced on Wednesday that they had retrieved the remains of two people held captive in Gaza, among them was Yair (Yaya) Yaakov, who had been killed during the October 7 Hamas attack and taken into Gaza. The second victim has yet to be publicly identified, though the family has been notified. According to official estimates, 54 hostages are still being held by Hamas, with 20 of them believed to be alive.