An 89-year-old man is in critical condition after his car crashed through a fence and plunged into the water in Brooklyn’s Mill Basin near 2337 56th Drive on Wednesday afternoon. NYPD and FDNY divers pulled the driver from the water just after noon. He was treated and transported to the hospital by Canarsie and Flatbush Hatzolah volunteers with life-threatening injuries. No other vehicles were involved. Sources tell YWN that the victim suffered a medical episode, which caused him to lose control of the vehicle. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Politicians, celebrities, and even the Pentagon took to social media to share their well-intentioned Pesach greetings, and the confusion between Pesach, Chanukah, Tu B’Shvat – and possibly Thanksgiving – was on full display. Leading the parade was Jewish actor William Shatner who wished his followers a “Happy Passover” with a picture of what seemed to be either two slices of sponge cake or inch-thick matzos sitting in front of a 10-branched menorah. Not seven. Not eight. Ten. Shatner may have explored strange new worlds in his sci-fi acting role, but clearly not the one where Pesach and Chanukah aren’t interchangeable. Rep.

Hundreds of Orthodox Jews crowded into Linden, NJ’s City Hall on Tuesday afternoon, during Chol Hamoed Pesach, to protest a series of proposed ordinances that community members say unfairly target and restrict the growth of the Orthodox Jewish population in the city. Men and boys, many dressed in Yom Tov clothing, arrived in packed buses and cars, filling the municipal building beyond capacity. The meeting room quickly became overcrowded, with many people turned away at the door. The meeting, which included second readings on several proposed zoning changes, concluded without a vote—adjourned in the face of the overwhelming turnout from the community.

A senior advisor to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was abruptly escorted out of the Pentagon on Tuesday and placed on administrative leave amid an investigation into unauthorized disclosures of national security information. The advisor, Dan Caldwell, was removed following allegations of an “unauthorized disclosure” linked to an ongoing probe into a series of leaks from within the Pentagon. Reuters first reported Caldwell’s removal, and a DOD official later confirmed the report’s accuracy to Fox News Digital, though declined to offer further details, citing the active investigation. Caldwell, a longtime foreign policy official, previously held positions at the restraint-focused think tank Defense Priorities and at Concerned Veterans for America, an organization once led by Hegseth.

Tax Day arrived on Tuesday with Americans facing a midnight deadline to file their tax returns. However, if they need more time, they can file an extension and get a reprieve until later this year. Taxpayers have until midnight on Tuesday in their respective time zones to file their returns for the 2024 tax year. Still, if a taxpayer needs more time to file, they can request an extension from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to Oct. 15 by using Form 4868. People can file electronically or they can send the form in the mail postmarked by today, April 15. And it is important to note that people are still on the hook for any taxes owed as of April 15 and should be prepared to pay now to avoid penalties and interest.

Yet another Shin Bet affair was revealed on Tuesday morning when an Israeli court lifted the gag order on the case, which began when the Shin Bet leadership and Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara threw a senior Shin Bet agent into jail without access to a lawyer for exposing information that embarrassed them. Several weeks ago, Israeli media outlets reported that Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar had launched a probe into the infiltration of Kahanism into the Israel Police against National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and senior police officials. According to leaked documents, Bar launched the probe even after he was told by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Attorney General Gali Barahav-Miara that there was no legal basis for the investigation.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a prominent Jew and Democratic leader, narrowly escaped an attempted murder early Sunday morning when an arsonist set fire to the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg. The attack, which took place just hours after Shapiro and his family celebrated the first seder of Pesach, has been described by authorities as a “targeted” act of political violence. A suspect, identified as Cody Balmer, 38, of Harrisburg, has been arrested and charged with attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson, and other serious offenses. The incident unfolded around 2 a.m., when Shapiro, his wife Lori, their four children—Sophia, Jonah, Max, and Reuben—and several guests were sleeping in the historic Georgian-style mansion.

The Hamas terror group published a propaganda video of US-Israeli citizen Edan Alexander on Motzei Shabbos, Leil HaSeder. The family approved the release of a screenshot from the video. “As we begin the holiday evening in the USA, our family in Israel is preparing to sit around the Seder table,” the family said in a statement. “Our Edan, a lone soldier who immigrated to Israel and enlisted in the Golani Brigade to defend the country and its citizens, is still being held captive by Hamas.” “So when you sit down to mark Passover, remember that this is not a holiday of freedom as long as Edan and the other 58 hostages are not home.” Alexander grew up in New Jersey and made aliyah at age 18 to serve in the IDF. He was abducted from his base on October 7.

A man was taken into custody early Friday morning after attempting to rob a deli cashier at machete-point near New Utrecht Avenue and 55th Street. The incident unfolded around 1 a.m. when Boro Park Shomrim received a hotline call about a suspicious individual. Volunteers kept a close watch as the suspect entered a local deli. After being refused by the cashier, the man reportedly pulled out a large machete and demanded money. Shomrim immediately alerted the NYPD and helped guide responding officers, who arrested the suspect moments later on 13th Avenue. The large machete was recovered from the suspect’s pocket, as seen in the video below. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.

President Donald Trump on Thursday claimed that negotiations are inching closer to securing the release of hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza, suggesting that a breakthrough may be imminent—though he offered few specifics. “We’re getting close to getting them back,” Trump told reporters during a cabinet meeting. “We’re making progress. We’re dealing with Israel, we’re dealing with Hamas—and it’s a nasty group.” The president described meeting with previously released hostages, some of whom returned in poor physical condition, and emphasized the psychological toll of their ordeal. “A lot of people are very grateful. Some came back in pretty bad shape. They’re okay, but they’re going to be scarred mentally for a long time,” he said.