A major investigation is underway after Sullivan County Emergency Radio Frequencies were interfered by children using illegal radios. Law enforcement sources tell YWN, that multiple times over the past few days, children have been interfering with the Sullivan 911 Frequency, the Sheriff Department and other emergency frequencies in the area. The Sheriff Department has since contacted the FCC, and a heavy investigation is underway. YWN sources confirm that the interference is coming from the Monticello area, and law enforcement are pretty close to finding the culprit(s), as they have narrowed down the area. YWN is in possession of recordings of the radio communication, and we can confirm that it is unfortunately children of the Orthodox Jewish Community – most likely Hasidic children.

New York state health officials said Friday that mask-wearing will be optional in K-12 schools starting Monday, but the country’s largest school system, New York City, plans to keep its universal mask policy in place. New York will move forward with the plan unless the CDC provides data or science that “contradicts” that change before Monday, state Health Commissioner Howard Zucker wrote in a Friday letter to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Republicans had urged Cuomo to drop the mandate this week. The release of the letter on Friday afternoon caught school leaders and teachers unions by surprise.

Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, announced Tuesday he is seeking the Republican nomination for governor of New York, potentially setting up a battle with third-term incumbent Democrat Andrew Cuomo. “Giuliani vs. Cuomo. Holy smokes. It’s Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier,” the 35-year-old said in an interview with the New York Post. He also posted a video on Twitter that assailed Cuomo for, among other things, barring gatherings and closing businesses and schools as the coronavirus began killing thousands of New Yorkers last March. “At the first sign of a problem, they chose to shut us down. They take away our freedoms. They quarantine healthy people,” Giuliani said.

As is their annual “Minhag”, the Neturei Karta members living in Meah Shearim protested against the State of Israel on Thursday evening. The group of around 200 people, many of them identified as local misfits, consisted of half adults, and half children. Some were wearing sackcloth as they mourned the 73rd birthday of Israel. Most were holding black flags, while others held Palestinian flags. Some children held posters in Arabic, while others held signs in English. One man holding a bullhorn and leading the massive protest, chanted remarks which were followed by the usual “Gevald!” reponse from the crowd.

As YWN reported before Pesach, students who were studying in Israel before Pesach will be allowed to return to Israel afterward if they have valid visas and they have documentation that they were vaccinated in Israel or recovered from the coronavirus. There is now more good news as Israel has also now approved the return of married students accompanied by unvaccinated children, the Chaim V’Chessed organization stated on Wednesday. This accomplishment is due to the considerable efforts of Rabbi Nechemia Malinowitz of the Igud of Yeshivas and Seminaries. Currently, only the Igud can obtain permits for yeshivah bochurim and seminary students. Students should contact their institution, which will submit their information to the Igud.

HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky visited the Kosel on Monday, the first day of Chol Hamoed in Israel, for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, HaRav Chaim visited the Kosel twice a year, on Chol Hamoed Sukkos and Pesach. Thousands excitedly waited for HaRav Chaim to approach the Kosel, eager to catch a glimpse of the Gadol HaDor on a rare trip outside Bnei Brak. The visit was documented by photographer Ezra Tervalisi. As per his minhag, HaRav Chaim also visited the home of his talmid, HaRav Yisrael Meir Druck, in the Givat Shaul neighborhood of Jerusalem. כמידי חג בחג: מרן שר התורה הגר"ח קנייבסקי הגיע כעת לביקור בבית תלמידו הגרי"מ דרוק בשכונת גבעת שאול בירושלים.

On Monday morning, the first day of Chol Hamoed in Israel and exactly a year after the Chareidi sector in Israel was amid the worst coronavirus outbreak in the country and the city of Bnei Brak entered its first lockdown, the Health Ministry confirmed 128 new coronavirus patients, with only one of those cases from the Chareidi sector. Furthermore, the positivity rate in the Chareidi sector is only 0.8%, while the rate in the general population has decreased to 1.5%. The reproduction or R number in the general population in Israel had dropped to 0.55% in the general population and it stands at 0.44% in the Chareidi sector. All Chareidi cities, including Bnei Brak, Beitar Illit, Modiin Illit, Elad, Rechasim, Emanuel and Telzstone, continue to be “green,” with very low infection rates.

(By Sandy Eller) Businesses, caterers and volunteer groups are among the many who are geared up for a busy Pesach in Orlando, with as many as 100,000 people making their way to Central Florida for yom tov. With few formal hotel programs operating and an ideal Chol Hamoed for day tripping, this year’s Pesach created the perfect storm, with Orlando at its epicenter. COVID-weary families eager for a change of pace set their sights on the Sunshine State months ago, with some looking to enjoy a relatively simple yom tov, while others have found ways to create a more luxurious experience.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 22-year-old man has been indicted for assault, reckless endangerment and other charges for allegedly causing a car crash that seriously injured a Brooklyn mother of six. A dashboard camera captured the driver allegedly running a red light at a Bedford-Stuyvesant intersection and colliding with a livery cab that carried the 32-year-old victim. District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant chose to drive his car in a highly dangerous and reckless manner, allegedly speeding and ignoring a traffic light, and caused a devastating crash that nearly killed a beloved mother. We believe this was not an aberration – videos he allegedly posted online show him driving the same vehicle in an extremely reckless fashion.

The United States launched airstrikes in Syria on Thursday, targeting facilities near the Iraqi border used by Iranian-backed militia groups. The Pentagon said the strikes were retaliation for a rocket attack in Iraq earlier this month that killed one civilian contractor and wounded a U.S. service member and other coalition troops. The airstrike was the first military action undertaken by the Biden administration, which in its first weeks has emphasized its intent to put more focus on the challenges posed by China, even as Mideast threats persist. Biden’s decision to attack in Syria did not appear to signal an intention to widen U.S. military involvement in the region but rather to demonstrate a will to defend U.S. troops in Iraq.