New York News
New York State corrections officers ended an illegal strike involving 15,000 workers across 36 of 42 state prisons, protesting unsafe conditions and the HALT Act. Governor Kathy Hochul announced a resolution after 11 days, mediated by Martin F. Scheinman with NYSCOPBA.
The deal raised overtime pay to 2.5 times the regular rate for 30 days, suspended parts of HALT for 90 days, and promised salary grade reviews. Officers returned to work by Saturday to avoid discipline, following the unauthorized strike banned under the Taylor Law. The National Guard, deployed during the crisis, began withdrawing as staffing normalized, after legal actions targeted 380 officers with restraining orders.
Nassau County legislators unanimously voted 17-0 to rename a section of Manetto Hill Road in Plainview, New York, “Captain Omer Neutra Way,” honoring Omer Neutra, a local killed in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. The stretch, near the Mid-Island Jewish Community Center, commemorates the 21-year-old IDF tank commander, initially thought kidnapped but confirmed dead in December 2024, with his body still in Gaza. Sponsored by Legislator Arnold Drucker, the bill passed with one legislator absent. Neutra’s parents, Ronen and Orna, thanked the county for preserving his memory. He was posthumously promoted to captain, and the renaming reflects his sacrifice.
Andrew Cuomo, former New York Governor, announced his candidacy for NYC mayor via a 17-minute video on his website and X, entering the June 24 Democratic primary. After resigning in 2021 amid harassment claims, he addressed crime, homelessness, and migrants, promising more police and housing. He joins incumbent Eric Adams, whose corruption charges may be dropped by the Trump DOJ. Polls give Cuomo 33% support, backed by a $7.7 million war chest and a “Fix the City” super PAC, despite his past controversies. His decade as governor bolsters his bid in a ranked-choice voting race, with the general election set for November.
The NYPD is launching a “Quality of Life” commission to tackle rising 311 complaints about open-air drug use, aggressive panhandling, and disorderly behavior on NYC streets and subways. Commissioner Jessica Tisch highlighted a 2,700% surge in panhandling complaints from 2018 to 2024, with overall 311 calls nearly doubling. Illegal parking complaints rose 202%, noise complaints climbed 119%, and homeless encampment reports soared 557% over six years. The commission will use a CompStat-like system to track these issues and address community concerns. Tisch noted that scooters, public urination, and unruly vending fuel a sense of chaos. The initiative, led by a “chief of citywide quality of life,” will be finalized soon.
The U.S. Department of Transportation, under the Trump administration, ordered the MTA, New York State DOT, and NYC DOT to stop congestion pricing tolls by March 21, following the Federal Highway Administration’s cancellation of prior approval. The program charges most vehicles $9 to enter Manhattan below 60th Street during peak hours, a decision reversed due to the ended Value Pricing Pilot Program agreement. The MTA refuses to halt tolls without a court order and has sued in federal court to maintain the program. Governor Kathy Hochul supports this stance, noting the $50 million earned in the first month. The ongoing legal battle will decide if the tolls end as directed.
About 7,000 Jewish teens from 60 countries gathered in Times Square for the 17th annual CTeen International Shabbaton, hosted by Chabad’s CTeen network, marking the world’s largest annual Jewish teen event. Representing 841 chapters, including 350 from Israel, they celebrated their heritage with singing, dancing, and the Shema, led by Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky. Participants came from areas hit by war, antisemitism, and disasters like wildfires. The Shabbaton featured Shabbat in Crown Heights, workshops, and visits to Jewish sites, ending in a bold display of unity. Teens filled the iconic hub, showcasing pride amid neon lights and crowds, undeterred by global challenges.
Mansuri Manuchekhri, 34, from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, was arrested after his ex-wife tipped off the New York State Terrorism Tips Hotline. He faces charges of conspiring to support ISIS and ISIS-K, illegal firearm possession, and immigration fraud. Prosecutors say he sent about $70,000 to ISIS affiliates in Turkey and Syria from December 2021 to April 2023, including funds tied to a January 2024 Istanbul church attack claimed by ISIS-K. Entering the U.S. from Tajikistan in 2016 on a tourist visa, he overstayed and attempted a sham marriage in 2017 for legal status, which failed. He trained with firearms, sent videos to an ISIS contact, and had AK-47 photos on his iCloud. He faces up to 45 years in prison and is detained.
US NEWS
The Trump administration has halted all U.S. military aid to Ukraine, pausing $3.85 billion in equipment like artillery and rockets approved under Biden. The decision followed a tense meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with Trump pushing for peace talks with Russia. The White House said the pause aligns aid with peaceful outcomes, offering no resumption timeline. Ukraine claims it can sustain operations for weeks with current stockpiles but warns of battlefield risks without new aid. European allies like France and Britain criticized the move and pledged more support. This shift strains U.S. ties with Kyiv and NATO partners significantly.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio expedited $4 billion in military aid to Israel using emergency powers, bypassing Congress. The Trump administration has approved nearly $12 billion in arms sales to Israel, reversing Biden’s partial embargo. The Pentagon confirmed a $3 billion sale of bombs and demolition kits as part of this push. This is the second emergency weapons transfer to Israel recently, amid a fragile Gaza ceasefire with Hamas. The administration also canceled a Biden rule requiring reports on U.S. weapons use by allies like Israel under international law. The actions highlight Trump’s commitment to strengthening Israel’s security amid regional tensions.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection data reveal a steep decline in illegal border crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border in February 2025, with Border Patrol recording 8,326 encounters between ports of entry—the lowest since at least 2000. This marks a drop of over 90% from February 2024’s 140,641 encounters, 95% from February 2023’s 156,630, and 96% from February 2022’s 166,010. These figures reflect apprehensions of migrants crossing without authorization, excluding official port entries. The significant reduction follows policy shifts under the Trump administration, though full CBP data for February 2025 remains pending as of now.
Mexico extradited 29 cartel leaders to the U.S., including Rafael Caro Quintero, convicted of the 1985 murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena, in the largest single-day transfer ever. President Trump and Secretary Rubio drove the operation, which included Los Zetas leaders Miguel and Omar Treviño Morales and Juárez Cartel’s Vicente Carrillo Fuentes. Flown from Mexican prisons to eight U.S. cities, they face charges like drug trafficking and murder. Ex-DEA official Mike Vigil called it unprecedented. The move followed U.S.-Mexico talks amid Trump’s 25% tariff threats. Caro Quintero pleaded not guilty in Brooklyn federal court to trafficking and murder charges.
The Trump administration pledged $1 billion to lower egg prices by tackling avian flu, which has culled 166 million hens since 2022, spiking prices to $4.95 per dozen. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins detailed a plan with $500 million for farm biosecurity, $400 million for farmer relief, and $100 million for vaccine research, plus reduced regulations and egg imports. Unlike Biden’s culling-focused approach, this aims for stability in three to six months. Turkey will export 420 million eggs to the U.S. this year to boost supply. Rollins criticized past efforts for failing to stop recurring outbreaks, prioritizing long-term solutions.
The Trump administration launched a “Gold Card” program, offering wealthy foreigners U.S. citizenship for $5 million, replacing the EB-5 visa program that required $800,000 to $1.05 million investments to create 10 jobs. Unlike EB-5, the Gold Card skips job creation rules, providing instant legal residency with Green Card privileges like living and working in the U.S., plus a citizenship path. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick called it a cleaner alternative to the fraud-plagued EB-5. Trump said it targets rich individuals to boost spending and taxes, with funds aimed at cutting the deficit. Set to roll out soon, its legality is debated since Congress controls citizenship rules. Applicants face vetting to confirm they’re “world-class global citizens.”
The House passed a $2 trillion budget resolution with a 217-215 vote, advancing President Trump’s agenda featuring $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, including extensions of his 2017 tax breaks, and stricter immigration policies. The bill allocates over $100 billion for border security and immigration enforcement, alongside a significant boost in defense spending. It also targets $2 trillion in spending cuts over a decade, potentially affecting programs like Medicaid. The narrow victory came after intense GOP negotiations, with only one Republican opposing and no Democratic support. The resolution now moves to the Senate, where Republicans aim to use reconciliation to bypass a filibuster and enact the plan with a simple majority.
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States, marking the first time the country has a federally recognized national language in its nearly 250-year history. The order rescinds a Clinton-era mandate requiring federal agencies and funding recipients to provide language assistance to non-English speakers. Agencies now have discretion to decide whether to offer documents and services in other languages. The White House states this move promotes unity, streamlines government operations, and encourages civic engagement through a shared language. Over 30 states already recognize English as their official language, though more than 350 languages are spoken nationwide. The order aligns with Trump’s long-standing rhetoric tying language to national identity and immigration policy.
Aidan Harding, 20, from the Pittsburgh area, has been charged with possessing child abuse material, not specifically for distributing antisemitic flyers, though federal prosecutors allege he targeted Pittsburgh’s Jewish community with such flyers. Prosecutors claim Harding adheres to a racially motivated violent extremist ideology and owns over 20 firearms. They also say he previously expressed online a desire to commit a “high kill-count” attack, citing mass casualty events like the Tree of Life synagogue shooting. Harding was adjudicated delinquent in juvenile court for terroristic threats. He remains detained without bond, deemed an “unacceptable danger” after a hearing last month.
Terror supporters at the University of Michigan vandalized a memorial known as “The Rock,” a large boulder painted orange to honor the Bibas family, including 9-month-old Kfir and 4-year-old Ariel, kidnapped during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. The vandalism included “Free Palestine” graffiti and an inverted red triangle, a symbol used in Hamas propaganda to mark targets. The memorial also commemorated Shiri Bibas, the boys’ mother, killed along with her children while in captivity in Gaza. The defacement occurred days after the rock was painted, prompting outrage from Students Supporting Israel in Michigan, who called it morally depraved. The university has not reported arrests related to this incident, though antisemitic vandalism has been recurrent on campus.
Honda has shifted production of its next-generation Civic hybrid from Mexico to Indiana, influenced by President Trump’s proposed 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods. The company had initially planned to manufacture the Civic in Guanajuato, Mexico, but will now build it at its Indiana Auto Plant in Greensburg. Annual production is expected to reach 210,000 vehicles, starting in May 2028. This move follows Honda’s sale of over 240,000 Civics in the U.S. last year, making it the company’s second-best seller. About 40% of Honda’s U.S. vehicle sales currently come from Mexico and Canada. If Indiana production falls short, Honda may import from countries unaffected by tariffs. The decision reflects efforts to avoid tariff-related cost increases.
President Donald Trump announced that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, will invest $100 billion in the United States to expand its manufacturing capabilities. The investment will fund the construction of five new advanced chip fabrication facilities in Arizona, bringing TSMC’s total U.S. investment to $165 billion. TSMC CEO C.C. Wei joined Trump at the White House to unveil the plan, which includes producing cutting-edge semiconductors for AI and smartphones. The move adds to TSMC’s existing Arizona projects, where its first factory began mass production of 4-nanometer chips late last year. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated the investment reflects companies’ efforts to avoid Trump’s proposed 25% tariffs on imported chips. The expansion is expected to create thousands of high-paying jobs.
Kingda Ka, once the tallest and fastest roller coaster globally, was demolished by implosion Friday morning at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. The coaster, a park staple since its debut in 2005, stood 456 feet tall and reached speeds of 128 mph, delivering over 12 million rides. Its demolition clears space for two new attractions: The Flash: Vertical Velocity, set to open in 2025 as North America’s first super boomerang coaster, and a multi-record-breaking launch coaster planned for 2026. The implosion occurred just before 7 a.m., reducing the iconic green structure to rubble. Alongside Kingda Ka, the Green Lantern coaster was also retired to accommodate these high-profile additions to the park.
Israel NEWS
Thousands of Israelis gathered to mourn the Bibas family as their funeral procession traveled nearly 40 miles from Rishon Lezion to Tsoher Regional Cemetery near Kibbutz Nir Oz. Shiri Bibas, 32, and her sons, Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 9 months, kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023, were killed in captivity in Gaza. Mourners lined the streets with Israeli flags and orange balloons, honoring the red-haired boys who became symbols of the hostage crisis. The private burial followed a livestreamed eulogy, with crowds also assembling in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square to watch. The bodies were returned last week under a ceasefire deal, alongside Oded Lifshitz, an 83-year-old peace activist also murdered in captivity.
The IDF and Shin Bet disrupted a terrorist plot involving a 100 kg bomb in Kabatiya, located in the northern West Bank. Nahal Brigade troops, guided by Shin Bet intelligence, executed a counterterrorism operation targeting the threat. The mission involved searching dozens of sites linked to terrorist infrastructure, resulting in the arrest of 15 suspects and the seizure of weapons. The operation successfully dismantled explosives, including the powerful 100 kg improvised explosive device intended for use against Israeli forces. This action was part of a broader effort named Operation Iron Wall, which also saw an Israeli Air Force strike on a terror cell in Kabatiya earlier this month. The IDF and Shin Bet continue efforts to neutralize ongoing terrorist activities in the region.
The IDF conducted airstrikes on military targets in southern Syria, focusing on command centers and sites containing weapons. The operation involved Nahal Brigade troops under Shin Bet direction, targeting infrastructure in Kabatiya as part of a broader counterterrorism effort named Operation Iron Wall. The strikes aimed to neutralize threats posed by military assets in the region, with the IDF confirming hits on multiple locations. This action follows a pattern of Israeli military operations in southern Syria to counter perceived security risks near its borders. The targets were linked to previous Syrian regime forces, though specific casualty details remain unreported. The IDF continues to monitor and address threats emanating from the area.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have ordered the IDF to prepare to defend Jaramana, a Druze-majority city near Damascus, Syria, amid reports of attacks by Syrian regime forces. The directive follows clashes between Syrian authorities and local Druze gunmen in Jaramana, a suburb with a mixed Druze and Christian population. Katz stated that Israel will not permit the Syrian regime to harm the Druze, warning that any such actions will prompt a response from Israel. The leaders emphasized their commitment to protecting the Druze community, both in Israel—where about 150,000 Druze live—and across the border in Syria. This move comes as Israel maintains a presence in a buffer zone in southern Syria, captured after the fall of the Assad regime last year.
An Israeli resident of Beersheba, Doron Bokobza, 29, has been indicted for contacting Iranian operatives via Telegram and offering to sell information about the Dimona nuclear reactor. Arrested last month in a joint Israel Police and Shin Bet operation, he allegedly sent photos, videos, and public data, falsely claiming access to the facility over several months. Bokobza, a technician at a chemical factory, faces charges of contacting a foreign agent and transferring information to an enemy, aware his actions could harm national security. The investigation confirmed he initiated contact with Iranian intelligence, posing as an electronics engineer.
The Druze community in Israel strongly condemned a terror attack in Haifa, where Yitro Shahin, a Druze from Shfar’am, stabbed a 60-year-old man to death and injured four others on Monday. Shahin, armed with a knife, was killed by security forces during the attack near a bus station. Druze leaders disavowed him, stating he will not be buried in Shfar’am and that no community members will attend his funeral. They declared Shahin neither Israeli nor Druze, emphasizing their rejection of his actions. The leaders underscored the deep bond between the Druze and Jewish communities, vowing not to let such acts damage it. Shahin had no prior security record, and police are investigating his motives.
WORLD NEWS
Iran has sharply increased its stockpile of near-weapons-grade uranium, as reported by the International Atomic Energy Agency in a document seen by the Associated Press. As of February 8, Iran holds 274.8 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%, up by 92.5 kilograms from November. This level of enrichment is a technical step away from the 90% purity required for nuclear weapons. The IAEA notes this is enough material, if further enriched, to potentially produce multiple nuclear bombs. Iran’s total enriched uranium stockpile reached 8,294.4 kilograms, a rise of 1,690 kilograms since the last quarterly report. The agency expressed serious concern, highlighting Iran as the only non-nuclear-weapon state enriching uranium to this degree.
Rabbi Avrohom Gurwicz, head of Beis Yosef Yeshiva in Gateshead and a prominent European rabbi, warned London’s Jewish community that a proposed bill could force Jews to leave the UK. The legislation, under review in Parliament, requires Orthodox schools like yeshivas to teach secular subjects deemed contrary to Torah values. It also mandates parents to report details of their children’s education to authorities, with oversight to ensure compliance. Gurwicz, leading Europe’s largest yeshiva, stated this poses a severe threat to traditional Jewish education, urging the community to resist the measures. The bill has passed its first and second readings and awaits a third vote, after which it would proceed to the House of Lords for final approval.
The USS Carl Vinson, a nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier, arrived at the South Korean port of Busan, accompanied by the guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton and destroyer USS Sterett. This deployment followed North Korea’s test-launch of strategic cruise missiles in the Yellow Sea, overseen by Kim Jong Un, to showcase its counterattack capabilities. The South Korean navy stated that the carrier strike group’s presence demonstrates the strong U.S.-South Korean military alliance amid ongoing North Korean threats. It marked the first U.S. aircraft carrier visit to South Korea since June, involving Carrier Strike Group One. North Korea views such deployments as provocative, often responding with further weapons tests. The operation aims to enhance the allies’ combined military readiness in the region.
The Metropolitan Police have relocated a weekly anti-Israel protest by the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network from Swiss Cottage to King’s Cross in London after reports of over 60 alleged criminal offenses tied to the demonstrations. The protests, held near Swiss Cottage’s Jewish community hub, disrupted local residents and endangered nearby synagogues. The decision followed pressure from Jewish groups and documentation of offenses, including antisemitic harassment and public order violations. Starting Sunday, police will enforce the new location to reduce disturbances and protect the community. Jewish residents in Swiss Cottage welcomed the move, citing months of tension. The Met stated the change balances protest rights with public safety, with officers maintaining a presence to monitor compliance at King’s Cross.
Slovak police are investigating the vandalism of a Jewish cemetery in Humenne, a town in eastern Slovakia where nearly all Jews were killed during the Holocaust. Two headstones were found spray-painted with swastikas, discovered by Juraj Levicky, one of the town’s eight remaining Jews who voluntarily maintains the site. The cemetery, one of Slovakia’s oldest and largest, spans nearly two hectares and holds over 900 graves dating back to 1776. Before World War II, Humenne had over 2,000 Jews, most of whom were deported to Auschwitz in 1942, with only 176 surviving. The vandalism was reported after Levicky visited with a British journalist, prompting a police probe into the desecration of this historic resting place.
