An expert panel on Tuesday advised the Israeli government to begin offering a fourth vaccine dose to everyone over the age of 18, citing research showing it helps prevent COVID-19 infection and severe illness. The advisory committee said research shows a fourth dose provides three to five times the level of protection against serious disease and double the protection against infection compared to three doses. The Health Ministry’s director must approve the recommendation. Israel is already offering a second booster to everyone over the age of 60 and those at high risk as it struggles to contain a wave of infections fueled by the highly contagious omicron variant. It began offering third doses to the general population last summer.

After an over-50-year ban on milchig foods being cooked in army kitchens, the IDF is taking steps to repeal the ban established by Rabbi Shlomo Goren when he served as the Chief Rabbi of the Military Rabbinate of the IDF (from 1948-1968). Since the ban, no milchig foods have been cooked in IDF kitchens due to the impossibility of being properly mashgiach on the separation of milchig and fleishig in all army kitchens. Only fleishig food is cooked in IDF kitchens and milchig food is served cold. According to an Artuz Sheva report, the IDF’s Technological and Logistics Directorate is pushing for the change. The report added that the change is a cause of great concern to military Rabbanim.

The hits for President Joe Biden just keep on coming. In a new poll from Harvard CAPS/Harris, the president’s approval rating has dropped to 39%, with 53% saying they “somewhat” or “strongly” disapprove of his job performance. Biden’s approval rating is down 6 points from the last Harvard CAPS/Harris poll conducted in November, while his disapproval rating rose by 2 points. The president’s sinking numbers comes as the White House faces crises and struggles across multiple fronts, ranging from soaring inflation to Democrats’ inability to get their voting rights legislation passed in Congress. Biden also has another challenge on his hands now: a bullyish Russia poised to invade Ukraine, in a move that could test Biden’s loyalty to US allies and NATO.

Agudath Israel of America, today, shared a Kol Korei from the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of America: (Free translation) Shevat 5782 We hear cries of pain from our brothers who dwell in Eretz Yisroel as the Israeli government plans decrees that will seriously affect the Torah population there.

A NYPD officer is in hot water after he videoed himself beating up and ranting at another motorist while he was off-duty. According to NY Post sources, the cop, Riggs Kwong, got into a kerfuffle with motorist Abdul Motalab when the latter tried to make a U-turn on Church Ave. near Ocean Parkway in Kensington. Kwong then used his own private vehicle to block Motalab from turning, prompting the disgruntled driver to get out of car and take pictures and hit Kwong’s vehicle. That’s when Kwong lost it. He exited his vehicle and knocked Motalab to the ground, pummeling him with his fists. “Terrorist! “Al Qaeda! Mohammed! ISIS!” he yelled. Kwong turned the footage over to the NYPD following the incident. He has been charged with assault and suspended from duty.

A dramatic fire near a chemical plant burned through the night and into Saturday in northern New Jersey but led to no evacuation orders or serious injuries — just heavy smoke that was seen and smelled in nearby New York City. The fire at Majestic Industries and the Qualco chemical plant in Passaic was in buildings housing plastics, pallets and chlorine, officials said, but catastrophe was averted. Crews battled pockets of the blaze into the morning, Passaic Mayor Hector Lora said, but it was contained. The fire was prevented from reaching the main chemical plant, which could have endangered the densely populated New York City suburbs of New Jersey, Lora said.

Nikki Fried, the Florida Agriculture Commissioner and Democratic candidate to challenge Ron DeSantis for the governorship, thought it was appropriate to compare her political rival to Adolf Hitler. “Instead of listening and trying to govern with the people, he is trying to govern over the people, and, you know that, I’m sorry, I’m a student of history too. I saw the rise of Hitler,” Fried said on Florida public radio on Friday. When the host asked if she was making a direct comparison between DeSantis and Hitler, Fried said, “In a lot of ways, yes.” “I have studied Hitler and how he got to power, you know, wanting his own militia,” she continued.

A new Quinnipiac poll found that President Joe Biden’s approval rating among Americans continues to drop and now stands at a dismal 33%. Quinnipiac polls released over the past several months have shown the president’s approval steadily – and precipitously – declining, as Americans get frustrated with his handling of a variety of issues, including Covid-19 and inflation. Republicans are unsurprisingly unhappy with President Biden, but the latest drop in approval for the president comes mainly from independent voters. Just 25% of independents said they approve of Biden’s job performance, while 57% disapprove. The president is also seeing his approval among Democrat voters significantly decline.

Serious clashes broke out between police forces and attendees of the hilula of the Baba Sali, who were being blocked from the Netanya site due to Israel’s Covid-19 regulations. An agreement between police and organizers of the event – under which only a handful of visitors would enter the tziyon at one time – quickly fell apart as thousands streamed to the tziyon of the revered mekubal. As the crowd increased, some began surging towards the tziyon, and clashes with police broke out. At least three attendees were arrested by police for disorderly conduct and assaulting police officers. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

A massive protest took place in Yerushalayim Wednesday night after police reportedly threatened to cut off all contact with the chareidi community over hafganos against cell phone stores in the Geulah neighborhood. The hafganah Wednesday night took place in front of the “Cellular Giant” store and attracted thousands of demonstrators from Meah She’arim and surrounding neighborhoods. Police dispersed the demonstrators with water cannons, and a number of chareidim were injured by police forces during the protest. Earlier in the day, a smaller protest took place in front of the store, during which 8 of 20 chareidi protesters were arrested by police. After several hours of protesting, the police reportedly agreed to keep communication with the chareidi community open.