@ruthdahn1 מנהג מעניין במקסיקו גם בתי הספר היהודים והגויים חייבים כל חודש לשיר את המנון מקסיקו וטקס כבוד לדגל🙏♥️ #אחייןשלי♥️ ♬ צליל מקורי - רות דהן473
“I don’t speak because I have the power to speak; I speak because I don’t have the power to remain silent.” Rav Kook z"l
@ruthdahn1 מנהג מעניין במקסיקו גם בתי הספר היהודים והגויים חייבים כל חודש לשיר את המנון מקסיקו וטקס כבוד לדגל🙏♥️ #אחייןשלי♥️ ♬ צליל מקורי - רות דהן473
The US economy wasn’t as hot as it seemed between early this year and early 2023, according to revised figures released by the feds.
The nation’s labor market likely created 818,000 fewer jobs during the 12 months ended in March — the largest preliminary downward revision to US payroll figures since 2009, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics said Wednesday.
That means that the reported job growth during that period — 2.9 million non-farm payroll positions amounting to 242,000 jobs per month — was likely around 30% less, or 174,000 jobs per month, according to new data gathered from state unemployment tax records.
The massive markdown — short of the 1 million downward revision some economists had feared, but well beyond more optimistic forecasts of 300,000 — fuels concerns that the Federal Reserve has waited too long to start cutting interest rates.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell is expected to give more hints about the central bank’s rate cut plans on Friday in a hotly anticipated speech in Jackson Hole, Wyo.
Former President Donald Trump reacted to the downward revision on his Truth Social account on Wednesday, calling it a “massive scandal.”
Earlier this month, a weak July jobs report ignited concerns that the nation’s labor market isn’t as healthy as economists thought.
The unemployment rate, meanwhile, has risen four months straight.
Wednesday’s report is part of a yearly process in which the Labor Department updates its monthly employer surveys using more comprehensive data from state unemployment tax records.
The update is only preliminary and subject to a final revision in February.
A PBS senior correspondent apologized Wednesday after falsely telling her audience that former President Trump tried to talk Israel out of a cease-fire amid its ongoing war in Gaza.
Judy Woodruff passed off blame for the blunder by “clarifying” that she based the flimsy scoop on outside reporting she had read before broadcasting from the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago on Monday.
“The reporting is that former President Trump is on the phone with the Prime Minister of Israel, urging him not to cut a deal right now, because it’s believed that would help the Harris campaign,” Woodruff told a PBS roundtable.
“Who knows whether that will come about or not, but I have to think that the Harris campaign would like for President Biden to do what presidents do, which is work on that one.”
Woodruff caught plenty of flak online for the comment — overwhelmingly from those who pointed out that the rumors she was citing were proven false days before she regurgitated them live on air.
On Wednesday, the former “NewsHour” host said she wanted to “clarify” the remarks she made about the ongoing ceasefire talks.
“As I said, this was not based on my original reporting; I was referring to reports I had read, in Axios and Reuters, about former President Trump having spoken to the Israeli Prime Minister,” Woodruff wrote on X
“In the live TV moment, I repeated the story because I hadn’t seen later reporting that both sides denied it. This was a mistake and I apologize for it.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office told The Jerusalem Post Wednesday that Woodruff’s statements were a “complete lie.”
The Axios story Woodruff was referring to was published Aug. 14 and cited two sources who claimed Trump, 78, spoke on the phone with Netanyahu, 74, about the Gaza hostage and cease-fire deal.
Reuters reshared the story on its site — but neither reports claimed Trump urged Netanyahu to hold off on a deal.
The day after the story was published, Netanyahu’s office published a statement denying that any phone call between the prime minister and Trump existed.
That same day, both Axios and Reuters published new stories to reflect the new denials — four days before Woodruff regurgitated the false information to her live audience.
PBS did not respond to messages from The Post.
Trump, however, has maintained that he did speak with Netanyahu.
At a press conference, the Republican presidential nominee claimed he encouraged the prime minister to end the war, but he criticized the terms of the proposed cease-fire.
“He knows what he’s doing, I did encourage him to get this over with,” Trump said.
“It has to get over with fast — get your victory, and get it over with. It has to stop, the killing has to stop.”
Searches are underway in Flagstaff, Arizona after a nine-year-old Jewish boy went missing on Wednesday.
According to Yeshiva World News, the boy was last seen walking with his family towards a parking lot near a forested area when he suddenly disappeared.
Local authorities have put together search teams which are being assisted by Chaverim of Rockland and Rabbi Dovi Shapiro of the Chabad of Flagstaff in coordinating a search effort.
As of Wednesday evening, efforts to locate the child are ongoing, with volunteers and searchers combing the area.
Yocheved Djerbi, whose grandson was wounded in battle twice, walked passed a demonstration against haredi conscription in Jerusalem on Wednesday and was assaulted by protesters.
Djerbi was appalled by the protesters' behavior and shared with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News: "My grandson was wounded twice and is currently in rehab after being seriously wounded, and I walk past by on the street and see these haredi protesters. They have no share in our country."
She added: "They must enlist and carry the yoke like all of the grandchildren, children, and the entire nation of Israel. As I walk by, they throw water and spit at me as I tell them that they have no share or part in the State of Israel."
In conclusion, she stated: "My demands are that everyone must bear the yoke of the entire nation. I am shaking, unfortunately. It pains me to see this situation."
He chanted Am Yisrael Chai before being rushed away by organizers.
I took over a pro Hamas rally at the Democratic National Convention pic.twitter.com/v3eT78CnSd
— Ami Horowitz (@AmiHorowitz) August 21, 2024
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) spoke out against “Islamophobia” at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Tuesday night.
During his seven-minute speech, he notably did not mention Israel or the hostages held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
“As the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in American history, I want my grandkids and all grandkids to never, never face discrimination because of who they are,” the 73-year-old Capitol Hill veteran told the United Center audience, before quickly pivoting to attacking the Republican nominee for the White House in this November’s election.
“But Donald Trump, this is a guy who peddles antisemitic stereotypes. He even invited a white supremacist to Mar-a-Lago,” Schumer said.
“And unfortunately, his prejudice goes in all directions. He fuels Islamophobia and issued a Muslim ban as president,” he added.
The New Yorker then pointed to a blue, square pin on his lapel from the “Stand Up to Jewish Hate” campaign initiated by the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, founded by billionaire CEO of the Kraft Group and owner of the New England Patriots Robert Kraft in 2019.
“Tonight folks, I’m wearing this blue square to stand up to antisemitism. To stand up to all hate,” Schumer declared.
In a speech to Jewish supporters at his private golf club in New Jersey last week, Trump said that once, attacking Israel would have resulted in the end of a politician’s career. “The most powerful lobby in this country by far was Israel and Jewish people,” he added.
Today, however, “it’s like what happened?” he continued. “What happened to Schumer? What happened to all these people? Schumer is like a Palestinian.”
In March, the senator called Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu “an obstacle for peace” and called for new Israeli elections, drawing backlash from Republican lawmakers and even one Democrat in Congress—Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who is retiring at the end of this term.
“Israel has long been a beacon of democracy in the Middle East, and it’s imperative that we trust in the resilience and wisdom of its citizens at the ballot box and beyond,” the Jewish Maryland Democrat stated in part. “As allies and friends, we must support the Israeli people in their efforts to shape their own destiny and chart the course of their post-war nation.”
Progressive Jewish Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont who caucuses with the Democrats, also spoke.
The Brooklyn native said that “we must end this horrific war in Gaza,” drawing boisterous applause from the thousands of delegates in the arena.
“Bring home the hostages,” Sanders continued. “And demand an immediate ceasefire,” drawing one of the loudest applause lines of the night.
Other Jewish speakers included Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff. JNS no one mentioned Israel
Former President Donald Trump has reclaimed a narrow lead over Kamala Harris in Polymarket’s 2024 presidential election forecast, marking a sharp turnaround following her surprise appearance the Democratic National Convention in Chicago Monday.
The Nate Silver-backed prediction market and betting platform is now giving Trump a two-point edge over the Vice President, 50% to Harris’ 48%.
Trump led Harris in the forecast by as much as 10% when she clinched the party’s nomination for president Aug. 5.
Harris quickly narrowed the gap, after her campaign got a boost of momentum, taking the lead in the forecast for the first time on Aug. 8, when the odds favored her over Trump by a margin of 50% to 48%.
The California Democrat’s lead steadily widened, peaking at 54% to 44% a week later on Aug. 15 before quickly sliding back to a near even split, where the rivals have remained until her unannounced appearance at the DNC paying tribute to President Biden Monday night.
The forecast’s odds are evenly split between the candidates among six key swing states. Trump leads in Arizona, Nevada and Georgia, all of which Biden carried in 2020. The Republican’s lead in Georgia is the highest of the three, where he tops Harris 59% to 41%.
A California woman who was sick of repeatedly losing her mail to thieves helped police nab two offenders after she cleverly mailed herself an Apple AirTag
The unidentified woman kept a mailbox at the Los Alamos Post Office in the Santa Maria Valley and had been the victim of mail theft on several occasions, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
Police responded to the post office on Tuesday around 7:15 a.m. after the woman reported the latest theft. She told police she had mailed herself a package that included a small Apple AirTag device that she was able to track.
Cops quickly located the two suspects in Santa Maria, who were found with the victim’s mail — including the package with the AirTag.
They also had items believed to be stolen from more than a dozen additional victims, according to the sheriff’s office.
“The Sheriff’s Office would like to commend the victim for her proactive solution, while highlighting that she also exercised appropriate caution by contacting law enforcement to safely and successfully apprehend the suspects,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Virginia Francesca Lara, 27, of Santa Maria and Donald Ashton, 37, of Riverside were charged with possession of checks with intent to commit fraud, identity theft, credit card theft and conspiracy.
Lara was held on a $50,000 bond at the county’s Northern Branch Jail.
Terry, who was also booked on several theft-related warrants out of Riverside County, is being held on a $460,000 bond.
The case remains under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office and detectives are working to contact additional victims.
In May, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the city would be dishing out free Apple AirTags to residents as part of an effort to pump the brakes on surging car thefts.
A Toronto man whose SUV was stolen in Aug. 2023 tracked the vehicle some 6,800 miles across the globe to the Middle East with the tech where it ultimately ended up in a car lot near Dubai.
Agudath Israel hosted an event on the sidelines of the DNC in Chicago bringing together elected officials and stakeholders from federal, state, and local government including, Senator Debby Stabenow (D- Michigan), NJ Governor Phil Murphy, NJ Congressman Josh Gottheimer, NY Congressman Pat Ryan, Illinois Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiss, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, and numerous state and local officials from across the country to highlight the alarming rise of antisemitism and the growing electoral strength of Orthodox Jewish community.
Agudah Chairman Shloime Werdiger opened the packed event with a straightforward explanation:
“The Jewish people are living through very trying times. As the banners around the room sadly show, the rise of antisemitism is extremely alarming. The identifiable Orthodox Jewish communities we represent have been subjected to an unprecedented level of antisemitic incidents over the past few years.
“You may have noticed that outside of this convention, not too far away from here, there are thousands of anti-Israel protesters. Perhaps they thought they could intimidate us so that we would not be here so that our voices would be silenced. And that’s exactly why we are here. We are the children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors, and we will never cower or be silenced. On the contrary, we intend to stand up for our rights and for our freedoms, and we need you to stand with us now against this hate and antisemitism.”
Despite the event not being advertised and tightly controlled by invitation only, anti-Israel protestors nearly crashed the gathering before being repelled by the heavy security, ironically adding an exclamation point to the event meant to highlight antisemitism.
The most emotional moment of the afternoon came from the parents of hostage Omer Neutra, who made an emotional bipartisan plea to bring their son, held hostage by Hamas for over 10 months, home. Tehillim was led by Mr. Neutra.
The omission of any mention of Israeli victims of terrorism from an International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism display at the visitors’ hall of United Nations headquarters is nothing short of despicable.
The U.N. informs us that “Acts of terrorism propagating a wide-range of hateful ideologies continue to injure, harm and kill thousands of innocent people each year,” and that the international body “has an important role in supporting Member States to implement the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy by standing in solidarity and providing support to victims of terrorism.”
And, indeed, the visitors’ welcome area’s display of large photographs of such victims includes tributes to victims of 9/11 and of terrorist attacks in Boston, Indonesia and Kenya, among other places.
Conspicuously missing, though, is any mention of the countless Jewish victims of Islamist terror over so many years. And this, less than a year since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israelis, the most deadly attack on Jews since the Holocaust.
Many have long judged the U.N. as a hypocritical, corrupt and useless institution. Ample evidence for that contention is displayed at the U.N. today.
After meetings in fellow mediating countries Egypt and Qatar, Blinken said that because Israel has accepted a proposal to bridge gaps with the Hamas group, the focus turns to doing everything possible to “get Hamas on board” and ensure both sides agree to key details on implementation.
“Our message is simple. It’s clear and it’s urgent,” he told reporters before leaving Qatar. “We need to get a cease-fire and hostage agreement over the finish line, and we need to do it now. Time is of the essence.”
Few details have been released about the so-called bridging proposal put forth by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar. Blinken said it is “very clear on the schedule and the locations of (Israeli military) withdrawals from Gaza.”
Hamas earlier Tuesday called the latest proposal a reversal of what it had agreed to, accusing the U.S. of acquiescing to new conditions from Israel. There was no immediate U.S. response to that.
Blinken’s comments on ending his latest Israel-Hamas peace mission were notably bare of the optimism that Biden administration officials expressed going into his trip, and earlier.
The upbeat tone through much of the spring and summer — with U.S. officials at times describing a cease-fire and hostage deal as nearer than ever — reflected necessary messaging, at least in part, said Jonathan Panikoff, director of the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Program.
“If they don’t project optimism then it won’t create … even the potential for sufficient momentum to keep things going,” Panikoff said.
Americans have little alternative to continuing to push Israel and Hamas to agree to a negotiated end to fighting, but it’s fundamentally about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and new Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who helped mastermind the Oct. 7 attacks, Panikoff said. And they are “the two people that have been, frankly, most skeptical from the beginning” about making peace.
Blinken’s meetings in Egypt, which borders Gaza, and in Qatar, which hosts some Hamas leaders in exile, came a day after he met Netanyahu. Wide gaps appeared to remain between Israel and Hamas, though angry statements often serve as pressure tactics during negotiations.
Both men have seen their political standing rise at home, as Israelis turn their attention from the war in Gaza to a threatened wider conflict with Iran and Hamas stabilizing a little with Sinwar now at the helm, lessening pressure on them to close a deal, Panikoff said.
Charedie Boys from Beit Shemesh are on their way to be Givati and paratroopers ▪︎
The program called "Tachlis" has successfully recruited them
The hostages are Alex Dancyg, 75, Yagev Buchshtav, 35, Chaim Peri, 79, Yoram Metzger, 80, Nadav Popplewell, 51, and Avraham Munder, 78.
Dancyg and Buchshtav had been confirmed dead by the IDF in late July, while Peri, Metzger and Popplewell were declared dead by the army in early June. The five were believed to have been killed in Khan Younis in early 2024, although the causes of death were not known.
Munder had not been previously declared dead by the IDF, although the army had some information that led it to have concerns for his wellbeing.
With the bodies recovered, the IDF says it will continue to investigate the causes of death, including the possibility that the hostages were killed by Israeli fire.
The IDF says it had accurate intelligence that allowed troops with the 98th Division and members of the Shin Bet security agency to reach a tunnel in Khan Younis and recover the bodies, amid a new offensive in the city in the southern Gaza Strip.
Munder, Dancyg, Peri and Metzger were all abducted by Hamas from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, while Buchshtav and Popplewell were taken hostage from Kibbutz Nirim.
It is now believed that 105 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of 34 confirmed dead by the IDF.
Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released before that. Seven hostages have been rescued alive by troops, and the bodies of 30 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military as they tried to escape their captors.
Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014.