NYC Mayoral Candidate Andrew Yang got himself into a real mess the past 48 hours. It started with a tweet with his support for Israel on Monday night: “I’m standing with the people of Israel who are coming under bombardment attacks, and condemn the Hamas terrorists. The people of NYC will always stand with our brothers and sisters in Israel who face down terrorism and persevere.” But on Tuesday, Yang was accosted by a group of pro-Palestinian protesters while conducting a press conference, who demanded to know why he didn’t support Palestinians. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat who has condemned the “occupation of Palestine,” called Mr. Yang’s statement “utterly shameful,” noting that it came during Ramadan.

Former Westcester County executive Rob Astorino said Tuesday he’ll run for governor in 2022 in what would be his second bid to unseat Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Astorino, a Republican former radio industry professional and two-term Westchester County executive, promised to release an agenda to address New York’s steep job loss stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic on top of government corruption and the state’s high taxes and cost of living. “The state is hemorrhaging people, jobs and hope,” Astorino, 54, said in a news release. “You don’t just offer a band-aid approach in this scenario. You have to be honest and you have to be bold, and I will be. I’ve done it before.” U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin of Long Island announced last month that he is seeking the Republican nomination for governor.

The once-deserted steps outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art are filling up with visitors again. Hotel lobbies are losing their desolate feel. Downtown, people are back to taking selfies with the Charging Bull statue near Wall Street. Tourists who vanished from New York City’s museums, hotels and cultural attractions when the coronavirus pandemic hit a year ago are trickling back in as restrictions loosen. There’s still a long way to go before the still-closed theater district is mobbed with international travelers again. But lately, indicators like hotel occupancy and museum attendance have ticked up, thanks to domestic travelers and day trippers who don’t mind seeing the city operating at less than its usual hectic pace.

A 4-year-old girl who was shot in the leg in Times Square barely cried on the way to the hospital, the New York City police officer who carried the child to safety said. “This little girl was so strong,” Officer Alyssa Vogel told the New York Post. “She didn’t even cry once except when we were putting the tourniquet on. She screamed because it’s very painful.” The 4-year-old Brooklyn girl was one of three people hit by stray bullets when someone opened fire during a dispute in Times Square at about 5 p.m. Saturday. Wendy Magrinat, a 23-year-old tourist visiting from Rhode Island, was shot in the leg, and a 43-year-old woman from New Jersey was shot in the foot. All are expected to recover.

Some New Jersey lawmakers are turning their ire over New York’s plan to charge motorists an additional toll for entering midtown Manhattan into action they say will blunt some of the impact — with out-of-state drivers footing the bill. On Monday, they announced legislation that would charge non-New Jersey motorists an additional fee when they cross from New Jersey into New York on toll bridges and tunnels. The collected money would go into a fund to reimburse New Jersey commuters who could be on the hook for as much as an additional $3,000 a year under New York’s plan.

The NY Post on Monday morning threw their heavyweight support behind Eric Adams in the race for NYC Mayor. The Post says they believe that Adams, is the candidate with the best chance of fixing the city. Some points from the Post: Having been a police officer for 22 years, Adams understands the crisis. He articulates a clear, firm and common-sense route to cleaning up our streets. While Adams has been a fierce critic of the NYPD, he does not believe in defunding the police. Adams would reinstate an anti-crime unit to crack down on guns and gangs. He’d also push Albany – where he served as a state senator – to reform the no-bail law to allow for judges’ discretion to lock up dangerous, recidivist criminals.

A woman who was shot in Times Square during a Mother’s Day trip to New York City with her family said that she prayed that her wound would not be fatal. “I was literally screaming on the floor, ‘I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die, I have a 2-year-old,’” Wendy Magrinat, a 23-year-old Rhode Island resident, told the Daily News. “When I got shot, I told my husband to run because he had my baby girl.” Magrinat was one of three bystanders hit by bullets shortly before 5 p.m. Saturday near West 44th Street and Seventh Avenue. A 4-year-old girl from Brooklyn was shot in the leg and a 43-year-old woman from New Jersey was shot in the foot, police said. None of them is related to the others. All were reported to be in stable condition.

Agudath Israel of America, today, shared a Kol Korei from the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of America: A Letter from the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah: (Free Translation): 29 Iyar 5781 The day which transformed – from joy to grief, from festivity to mourning, from the great light of the celebration of the tanna Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai to darkness – Lag B’omer, is etched in our minds, and the memory of our deceased brothers will not depart from our hearts. We are obligated to feel the pain of the grieving families; let all Jews weep over the destruction Hashem has seen fit to perform.

Ramapo Police are investigating a hate crime in Monsey, Sunday afternoon. Sources tells YWN that they received a call at around 3:00PM reporting hate messages written on a sidewalk on Maple Ave near Decatur Ave. The words “Hitler is coming” was found written in large letters (with chalk) on the sidewalk). Chaveirim notified Rampo Police, and are currently assisting police with retrieving camera footage in the area. If you have any information, please contact Ramapo Police at (845) 357-2400 and Rockland Chaveirim at (845) 371-6333. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Three innocent bystanders including a 4-year-old girl who was toy shopping were shot in New York City’s busy Times Square on Saturday afternoon when someone opened fire during a dispute between several men, Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said. All the victims were expected to recover. The shooting happened shortly before 5 p.m. near the intersection of West 44th Street and Seventh Avenue, police said. The suspects were still at large. Shea said during an evening news conference that police have one person of interest they’re seeking to question. The police department posted video of the man walking away from the scene on its Twitter page. “We have … from numerous witnesses that a dispute occurred on the street involving at least two to four people,” Shea said.