A firestorm of outrage has erupted across social media after veteran “60 Minutes” host Lesley Stahl asked a question that many are calling shocking—and even sympathetic to terrorists—during a Sunday night segment with American-Israeli hostage Keith Siegel, recently released from nearly 500 days in Hamas captivity. In the emotional interview, Siegel recounted being starved, beaten, and humiliated by his Hamas captors. He recalled how, after his wife Aviva was released, “they became very mean and very cruel and violent.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s common-sense proposal to increase penalties for masked agitators who harass or threaten violence is facing a surprising roadblock in the state Senate, where lawmakers are balking—out of what sources describe as “heightened concern” for student demonstrators, even as threats against Jewish communities continue to rise. The governor’s measure, which would target individuals who purposely conceal their faces while engaging in menacing behavior, was introduced during closed-door budget negotiations in a bid to finally take action on an issue long demanded by Jewish leaders, civil rights groups, and public safety advocates.

Wall Street shuddered, and a level of shock unseen since COVID’s outbreak tore through financial markets worldwide Thursday on worries about the damage President Donald Trump’s newest set of tariffs could do to economies across continents, including his own. The S&P 500 sank 4.8%, more than in major markets across Asia and Europe, for its worst day since the pandemic crashed the economy in 2020. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,679 points, or 4%, and the Nasdaq composite tumbled 6%. Little was spared in financial markets as fear flared about the potentially toxic mix of weakening economic growth and higher inflation that tariffs can create. Everything from crude oil to Big Tech stocks to the value of the U.S. dollar against other currencies fell.

Many in Bnei Brak are in shock after learning of the sudden passing of R’ Avraham Leibush Levi z”l, a well-known figure in the city and a prominent volunteer with Yedidim, Ichud, Zaka, Shomrim and many other Chesed organizations. He was 35. Sources tell YWN that he suddenly collapsed at home and was Niftar. In Bnei Brak, R’ Avraham was known as an extraordinary man of kindness, always eager to assist others. Anyone in need of help would call him, and he made himself available 24 hours a day to everyone. Many knew him where he worked at Kalman’s Deli in Bnei Brak, where he served customers with dedication and loyalty.

The IDF and Shin Bet announced Thursday that they successfully struck a key Hamas command and control center in Jabalia—eliminating multiple high-ranking terrorists, including individuals directly involved in the October 7 massacre. The strike, carried out on Wednesday, targeted a central hub used by Hamas both for strategic coordination and as a gathering place for senior operatives. Among those killed was Shadi Diab Abd Al-Hamid Falouji, a terrorist from Hamas’ East Jabalia Battalion who infiltrated Israeli territory and took part in the brutal attacks of October 7.

U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) sent a sharply worded letter to Lebanon on Wednesday urging the  Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to accelerate the implementation of the US-brokered ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel or face a possible “reasssment” of US military aid. “We are at a critical moment in Lebanon. The Lebanese people have an opportunity to break Iran’s stranglehold on Beirut,” they wrote. The lawmakers expressed frustration over the LAF’s “too slow” implementation of the fulfillment of the ceasefire conditions. “The US should be prepared to expand assistance to the LAF to support expeditious fulfillment of the ceasefire obligations.

Over the past three weeks, Bobbie’s Place has received 16,976 phone calls. That’s not a typo. 16,976 phone calls in just three weeks. Many are from parents calling to make an appointment for their children to get clothing for Yom Tov. Others are calling to sign up to receive assistance from Bobbie’s Place. To help meet this demand, a donor has offered to provide Bobbie’s Place with $100,000 – but there’s a catch. They have to raise $100,000 from other donors to receive his contribution. With your help, we can do that. But we need to act quickly, so please donate here. Follow the advice of the leading Roshei Yeshiva – donate to Bobbie’s Place. For thousands of families, Bobbie’s Place is a clothing store, a house of chesed and a source of simcha all in one.

Mayor Eric Adams, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and other NYPD and Mayoral officials joined with community leaders for a Passover Security Briefing at Police Headquarters on Wednesday April 2, 2025. The NYPD Honor Guard presented the colors after which World Renowned Cantor Nissim Saal beautifully sang the National Anthem for the crowd of over 400 people. Mayor Eric Adams spoke about public safety and the strong working relationship between the NYPD and the Jewish community, especially after the horrific October 7th terrorist attack in Israel. Commissioner Tisch stated there will be an increased police presence at synagogues and the nobility of policing. Chief Chaplain Rabbi Dr. Alvin Kass spoke about the beauty of Pesach and the meaningfulness of freedom after slavery.

Colleges and universities that allow events promoting antisemitism could lose federal funding under a bill reintroduced in both chambers of Congress this week. The Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act, sponsored by Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), would bar federally funded institutions from authorizing, facilitating, funding, or otherwise supporting events that promote antisemitism, as defined by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). “The intention of taxpayer dollars for universities is to educate students, not promote and foster hate,” Scott said in a statement.