YWN regrets to inform you of the shocking Petira of Hagaon HaRav Shlomo Halioua, the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Chaim Berlin in Flatbush. His passing is a painful blow to Chaim Berlin, and the larger Olam Hayishivos. He was 66. Rav Halioua had just assumed the position of Rosh Yeshiva following the passing of his father in law, Hagaon HaRav Aharon Schechter ZT”L, just a year and a half ago. The Rosh Yeshiva had delivered a “maymar” at the Yeshiva just last week on Chol Hamoed Sukkos, but was taken to the hospital shortly after. His condition deteriorated over the second days of Sukkos. Levaya details and additional information will be published shortly.

A recent Supreme Court decision doesn’t mean New York can’t enforce laws banning firearms from “sensitive” places such as public transportation, hospitals and schools, a federal appeals court said Thursday, repeating findings it made a year ago. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan wrote that it had complied with a high court request that it review its December 2023 decision in light of a June ruling by the Supreme Court in another gun case. The Supreme Court also asked seven other state and federal courts to reexamine their decisions, the 2nd Circuit noted. The appeals court said the Supreme Court case involved a regulation of firearms “quite different” than New York’s.

Fox News’ Carley Shimkus visited Madison Square Garden as supporters lined up in anticipation of former President Donald Trump’s rally on Sunday. Hundreds of would-be rally goers could be seen waiting outside the stadium even in the earliest hours of Sunday morning. Trump’s rally is not set to begin until the evening. Trump’s campaign is hoping to sway voters in New York, a state that hasn’t voted for a Republican presidential nominee in decades. Nevertheless, polls show Vice President Harris performing well below the typical Democrat in the state. Trump’s rally will feature big names from politics as well as celebrities like Elon Musk and UFC CEO Dana White. Tickets for the rally sold out in just hours. The stadium seats a maximum of 19,500 people. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A makeshift aquarium that popped up this summer in a puddle beneath a leaky fire hydrant has been paved over, to the dismay of neighbors who turned the area into a hangout spot and goldfish shrine. The city’s Department of Environmental Protection has long said the dribbling hydrant created a safety hazard. Workers filled the earthen area that formerly held the puddle Friday morning, and yellow tape cordoned off a patch of freshly poured concrete around the repaired hydrant, leaving it looking like the city’s smallest-ever crime scene. “Oh my God,” said Sofia Talavera, her hands raised to her head as she looked at the spot. “People actually took their time and their money to make it beautiful.

A multi-car collision occurred Monday morning on Ocean Parkway near Avenue V in Brooklyn, involving five vehicles and resulting in 13 people being transported to the hospital by Flatbush Hatzolah. Fortunately, none of the injuries were life-threatening. Security camera footage captured the dramatic moment (see below) when a speeding vehicle collided with several others, leading to the pileup. The NYPD is currently investigating the incident to determine the cause of the crash and any potential charges. Emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene to provide medical assistance, and traffic on Ocean Parkway was temporarily affected.

To some New Yorkers, he’s the white vigilante who choked an innocent Black man to death on the subway. To others, he’s the U.S. Marine Corps veteran whose attempt to subdue a mentally ill man ended in tragedy. A Manhattan jury will soon have its say on Daniel Penny, who is charged with manslaughter for placing Jordan Neely in a fatal chokehold on May 1, 2023. Jury selection in Penny’s trial begins Monday. The court proceedings, which are expected to last six weeks, will shed light on a killing that was a flashpoint in the nation’s debate over racial injustice and crime. Neely’s death also divided a city grappling with what to do about people experiencing mental health crises in a transit system where some subway straphangers still don’t feel safe, despite a drop in violent crime rates.

Flatbush Shomrim has been contacted by the NYPD and asked to convey this very important message. Last night during the simchas Beis Hashoeva celebration in Crown Heights, several boys were arrested from the Flatbush Community. These are not Crown Heights boys, rather boys who decided to attend and cause havoc. This included fist fights with other boys and incredibly assaulting police officers. This is a huge Chilul Hashem! These boys who are going from Flatbush to Crown Heights to cause trouble, WILL be arrested, and will have records that will follow them moving forward. It’s not worth it!!

Manhattan’s famed luxury store row Fifth Avenue is in line for a major makeover. New York City officials unveiled a plan this week to transform a central portion of the thoroughfare between Bryant Park and Central Park into a more pedestrian-centered boulevard. They propose doubling the size of sidewalks, reducing traffic lanes from five to three, as well as adding seating areas and hundreds of trees and planters, among other improvements. The vision is to emulate iconic strolling and shopping boulevards such as the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

Struggling New York Community Bancorp said Friday that it is cutting 700 jobs at its Flagstar subsidiary as it tries to return to profitability after being rescued by investors earlier this year. The bank said the cuts amount to 8% of its head count. It’s also selling its mortgage-servicing business to mortgage company Mr. Cooper, which will mean trimming another 1,200 employees from its payroll. Most of those employees will be offered the chance to transfer to Mr. Cooper, NYCB said. Shares of Hicksville, New York-based NYCB fell 1.6% to close Friday at $12.18. NYCB got a lifeline of more than $1 billion from a group of investors in March of this year its stock plunge by more than 80%.

An elderly Jewish man became the target of a brutal attack in Boro Park after being pepper sprayed while exiting a sukkah on 50th Street near New Utrecht Avenue. The man had just stepped out of the sukkah, intending to head to his car, when a Middle Eastern man approached him without warning and unleashed a stream of pepper spray. The victim was left in agony, his eyes swelling rapidly from the effects of the attack. Within moments, Boro Park Hatzolah arrived at the scene, swiftly transporting the elderly man to a nearby hospital for urgent treatment. As chaos unfolded, Boro Park Shomrim sprang into action. They quickly reviewed surveillance footage from the area and managed to identify not only the make and model of the suspect’s car but also captured a clear image of the perpetrator.