U.S. job openings rose slightly to 8.1 million in May despite the impact of higher interest rates intended to cool the labor market. Vacancies rose from a revised 7.9 million in April, the first reading below 8 million since February 2021, the Labor Department reported Tuesday. April openings were marked down from an originally reported 8.1 million. Layoffs rose to 1.65 million in May from 1.54 million in April. The number of Americans quitting their jobs — a sign of confidence in their prospects — was basically unchanged. “The report was another sign that the labor market is holding firm … The expansion looks solid,’’ said Robert Frick, economist at the Navy Federal Credit Union. The U.S.

A shul and synagogue in Toronto were vandalized on Sunday in what police are calling “hate-motivated” attacks. The Pride of Israel Synagogue, which is conservative, and Kehillas Shaarei Torah were both targeted, with rocks thrown through their windows and stained glass panels shattered. The first incident occurred at the Pride of Israel Synagogue, where congregants arrived Sunday morning to find several windows broken and stones scattered on the bimah. The suspect, caught on security camera, was seen getting off a motorcycle and throwing rocks at the building before fleeing the area. The second incident occurred at Shaarei Torah, which has been targeted twice since April. A vandal threw a rock through a window, and the suspect was seen fleeing the area on a motorcycle.

North Korea said Tuesday it had test-fired a new tactical ballistic missile capable of carrying “a super-large warhead,” a claim quickly disputed by South Korean officials and experts who speculate the North likely fabricated a successful test to conceal a botched launch. It’s the second time that South Korea has questioned North Korea’s claim on the development of new weapons in recent days, as the rivals are locked in heightened animosities over the North’s testing activities. The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said that Monday’s test involved the Hwasongpho-11 Da-4.5 missile, which can carry a 4.5 ton-class warhead.

The mother of Noa Argamani, Liora Argamani, z’l, who was rescued from captivity in Gaza last month died on Tuesday morning at the age of 61 in Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv. Liora’s death came after a three-year battle with brain cancer. After her daughter was abducted on October 7th, Liora tirelessly fought for her last wish – for her daughter to be released so she could reunite with her before her death. She wrote letters to US President Joe Biden and appeared on various media outlets. Sadly, by the time Noa was rescued, Liora was unable to communicate. However, family members and hospital staff believed that she understood that her daughter had returned home. Noa was able to stay at her mother’s side in the weeks before her death.

Inflation in the United States is slowing again after higher readings earlier this year, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Tuesday, while adding that more such evidence would be needed before the Fed would cut interest rates. After some persistently high inflation reports at the start of 2024, Powell said, the data for April and May “do suggest we are getting back on a disinflationary path.” Speaking in a panel discussion at the European Central Bank’s monetary policy conference in Sintra, Portugal, Powell said Fed officials still want to see annual price growth slow further toward their 2% target before they would feel confident of having fully defeated high inflation.

Reb Yishai Engelman, a Rosh Mesivta in the hesder yeshivah in Ma’ale Adumim was seriously injured on Monday in Gaza. He is sedated and ventilated in the ICU at Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva. His father, Rav Aharon Engelman, a Rav in the Ma’alot Yeshivah, asked for tefillos for his son, whom he said was injured by an explosive device. Please daven for a refuah sheleimah for Yishai ben Miriam b’toch sha’ar cholei Yisrael. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

The U.S. government will pay the vaccine maker Moderna $176 million to develop a pandemic vaccine that could be used to treat bird flu in people as cases in dairy cows continue to mount across the country, federal officials announced Tuesday. The funds are targeted for release through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and will pay for continued development of a vaccine that uses the same mRNA technology that allowed rapid development and rollout of vaccines to protect against COVID-19. The award was made through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, a program that focuses on medical treatments for potential pandemics.

President Biden’s family is laying the blame for his poor debate performance squarely on his staff, according to reports. The family, including First Lady Jill Biden, children, and grandchildren, gathered at Camp David on Sunday to urge the President to stay in the race and keep fighting, despite his performance. Sources familiar with the discussions told The Associated Press that some family members criticized how Biden’s staff prepared him for the debate, saying they didn’t adequately prepare him to go on the attack and focus on his vision for the next four years. The family also complained that the staff allowed the President to become overworked without enough rest beforehand.

Hurricane Beryl roared through open waters on Tuesday as a monstrous Category 5 storm on a path that would take it near Jamaica and the Cayman Islands after earlier making landfall in the southeast Caribbean, killing at least four people. A hurricane warning was in effect for Jamaica and a hurricane watch for Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. Beryl was forecast to start losing intensity on Tuesday but still to be near major hurricane strength when it passes near Jamaica on Wednesday, the Cayman Islands on Thursday and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

A stampede among thousands of people at a religious gathering in northern India killed at least 60 and left scores injured, officials said Tuesday, adding the toll could rise. Attendees had rushed to leave the makeshift tent following an event with Hindu figure Bhole Baba, local media reported. Video of the aftermath showed the structure appeared to have collapsed. Women wailed over the dead. Deadly stampedes are relatively common around Indian religious festivals, where large crowds gather in small areas with shoddy infrastructure and few safety measures. Police officer Rajesh Singh said overcrowding may have been a factor in the stampede in a village in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh state, about 350 kilometers (220 miles) southwest of the state capital, Lucknow.