On Monday afternoon, Congressman Mike Lawler made a special visit to the Ohel of the Lubavitcher Rebbe in Queens. The visit was organized by Rabbi Chaim Tzvi Ehrenreich of Chabad of The Nyacks and Rabbi Shmuel Gancz of Chabad of Suffern. In attendance were Chabad rabbis from across New York’s 17th Congressional District, representing the Jewish communities in Rockland, Westchester, and Putnam counties. During the visit, the rabbis highlighted the congressman’s longstanding support for the Jewish community. “Congressman Lawler has proven time and again to be a steadfast advocate for our community in Washington,” they told the congressman.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez visited 13th Avenue in Boro Park on Sunday afternoon ahead of the upcoming yom tov of Sukkos. He was joined by elected officials, community leaders, and members of Boro Park Shomrim. The visit highlighted the close collaboration between the DA’s office and the Shomrim team, who work together throughout the year to ensure that local criminals are brought to justice and that the community remains safe. As Sukkos approaches, the partnership is especially focused on maintaining safety and security in the busy neighborhood during the yom tov season.

In a fiery segment of his No Spin News show, former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly slammed New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, declaring that the situation in the state and city has reached “Armageddon.” Pointing to recent polls, O’Reilly highlighted growing frustration among New Yorkers with their leadership. A Siena College poll released last month showed Hochul with a favorability rating of just 34%, compared to 54% unfavorable. O’Reilly attributed these poor numbers to the state’s high taxes and crumbling infrastructure. “New York City is out of control,” he said. “She is doing nothing to improve the situation. New York state is the highest-taxed state in the union.

The death of a homeless man following a brutal attack in a Borough Park grocery store parking lot has underscored the growing homeless crisis in the neighborhood, leaving residents furious and questioning why more hasn’t been done to address the issue. On the night of September 18, two homeless men were viciously assaulted while sleeping in the parking lot of a ShopRite located between McDonald Avenue and Avenue I. According to police, two men armed with metal pipes and a baseball bat approached 38-year-old Cos Jervis Jonas Ajpuac and a 42-year-old companion, striking them repeatedly in the head and body. Both victims were rushed to Maimonides Medical Center. Ajpuac, who suffered severe internal bleeding, succumbed to his injuries and died on October 2.

A 19-year-old Chassidic man was assaulted in Queens, New York, on October 5 in what is being investigated as a possible hate crime. The incident occurred around 2:40 p.m. outside B’Nei Avraham in the Kew Gardens Hills neighborhood. According to police, the unidentified assailant punched the victim, who was wearing traditional Chassidic clothing, in the face before fleeing the scene. The attack left the victim with a bruise, though he did not require medical attention. Surveillance footage released by the NYPD shows the suspect wearing a gray T-shirt and a black baseball cap. The video captures the individual smoking moments before launching the unprovoked attack.

NYPD Commissioner Tom Donlon is expected to resign in the coming days, multiple sources familiar told Politico. Donlon, who was appointed by Mayor Eric Adams just last month, is reportedly preparing to vacate his position amid growing uncertainty about his future with the department. Donlon’s tenure began after the resignation of former Commissioner Edward Caban. Caban was forced to step down following a federal investigation that targeted both him and his brother, James Caban, over allegations of running a protection racket. The scandal intensified when federal agents seized the Caban brothers’ phones as part of their probe, raising questions about the NYPD’s leadership.

Nearly 20,000 women across the globe united for an uplifting evening of chizuk in preparation of Yom Kippur. What has become an annual night of inspiration for the women of the Lakewood NJ area, was once again held with tremendous Siyata D’shmaya. Close to 12,000 women attended the outdoor event, which expanded this year to include 32 out-of-town kollelim across the United States, all participating via live feed. Additionally, women from 10 European cities — including Basel, St. Louis (France), Gibraltar, Borehamwood (England), Berlin (Germany), and Amsterdam — participated the following morning. Altogether, nearly 20,000 women connected through their shared desire to strengthen their ties to Torah, making this event a true kiddush Hashem.

Tens of thousands of children from all across the globe will storm shaarei shomayim on behalf of Klal Yisroel during Misaskim’s annual Aseres Yemei Teshuva asifa on Tuesday, November 9th – a gathering started by legendary askan R’ Yanky Meyer z”l. As in recent years, the main assembly will be held at 1 PM in the Bobover beis medrash on 15th Avenue and 47th Street, where thousands of boys will be davening together and will be joined by gedolim, roshei yeshiva and rabbonim. Hundreds of boys’ and girls’ schools worldwide will be taking part in the asifa via satellite hookup, with more than 12,000 children participating in Boro Park alone.

A former New York City official was charged Tuesday with witness tampering and destroying evidence in a federal investigation that led to Mayor Eric Adams’ bribery indictment. The arrest came amid yet more high-profile departures from Adams’ administration as federal prosecutors delve deeper into allegations that the mayor was involved in a coverup. Mohamed Bahi, who resigned Monday as a liaison to the Muslim community, is accused of encouraging a businessman and campaign donors to lie to the FBI in June and of deleting an encrypted messaging app from his cell phone just as FBI agents arrived to search his home in July. At one point, federal prosecutors said, Bahi told the businessman that Adams believed he wouldn’t cooperate with law enforcement.

Embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Monday that he had accepted the resignation of his deputy mayor for public safety, Philip Banks, the latest senior official to leave as the mayor fends off an indictment and calls to step down. Adams’ director of Asian affairs, Winnie Greco, also resigned and the city fired another former aide, Rana Abbasova, who previously served as the mayor’s liaison to the Turkish community, a spokesperson for City Hall said Monday evening. Federal investigators have seized devices from all three officials — along with several other high-ranking city appointees — as part of apparently separate investigations that have engulfed the Democrat’s administration and prompted an exodus of top officials in recent weeks.