As a coalition crisis looms over the stalemate in the Chareidi draft law, the Shas party on Thursday threatened for the first time to withdraw from the coalition in the coming days.

US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday evening presented a new hostage release/ceasefire deal to Israel and the Hamas terror organization. The new outline includes the release of nine living hostages, one less than his previous outline, along with the remains of 18 hostages. In exchange, an undisclosed number of Palestinian terrorists will be released from Israeli prisons. A 60-day ceasefire will be implemented, during which negotiations will take place for the end of the war and the release of the remaining hostages. At the end of this period, Israel will have the option of returning to war if there is no agreement or continuing negotiations in exchange for the further release of hostages.

A federal court delivered a major setback to President Trump’s sweeping tariff initiative on Wednesday, ruling that he had gone beyond the powers granted to him in pushing forward one of his hallmark economic strategies.
The Court of International Trade, based in Manhattan and composed of a three-judge panel, strongly criticized Trump’s tariffs targeting a wide range of foreign nations, stating that his actions were “contrary to law.” Trump had relied on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to justify his actions, claiming that it gave him the authority to unilaterally impose tariffs.

President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that the coming days will determine whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is truly engaging in meaningful talks to resolve the ongoing war in Ukraine—or merely stalling for time.
Following the swearing-in ceremony for Jeanine Pirro as interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, which took place in the Oval Office, Trump took a few moments to speak with members of the press.

  By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

A Mexican national residing unlawfully in the United States has been apprehended by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following threats he allegedly made to assassinate President Donald Trump.
On Wednesday, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem confirmed that ICE agents detained 54-year-old Ramon Morales-Reyes on May 22, after he allegedly made direct threats against the president’s life.
Authorities said that one day prior to his arrest, Morales-Reyes approached an intelligence officer and delivered a handwritten letter containing a violent threat targeting Trump and referencing an intent to leave the country afterward.

Iran has hanged a man convicted of spying for Israel, Iranian state media reported on Wednesday. According to the reports, Pedram Madani was hanged after Iran’s supreme court upheld a death sentence issued by a lower court. The official IRNA news agency said Madani had visited Israel and met Mossad officers to convey classified information about buildings in Iran where “infrastructure” equipment was installed. The report did not elaborate but said Madani received foreign currency and cryptocurrency for the information. It said Madani also met Mossad officers at the Israeli Embassy in Belgium. Israel’s security agency had no immediate comment. Madani, 41, was arrested in 2020. Executions in Iran have escalated in recent months.

Want a COVID-19 vaccination this fall? For many Americans, it’s not clear how easy it will be to get one – or if they’ve lost the choice. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was a longtime anti-vaccine activist, said this week that the shots are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women, usurping a decision normally made by scientific experts, not political appointees. The announcement follows an earlier Trump administration step to limit COVID-19 vaccinations among healthy people under age 65. Until now, the U.S. – following guidance from independent experts who advise the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – has recommended yearly COVID-19 vaccinations for everyone age 6 months and older.