The nonprofit organization JewBelong has launched a new billboard campaign near major U.S. airports to raise awareness about antisemitism during the holiday travel season. Starting Monday, billboards reading, “If you think turbulence is scary, try wearing a Jewish star,” were placed near Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The campaign, projected to reach an estimated 19 million travelers, comes in response to a troubling trend. The Anti-Defamation League reported December 2023 as the worst month for antisemitic incidents last year.

A Baltimore court on Tuesday sentenced 19-year-old William Holloman to life in prison with all but 50 years suspended for the 2021 fatal shooting of Israeli visitor Efraim Gordon hy”d. The emotional sentencing hearing marked a somber conclusion to a case that deeply affected both the victim’s family and the Jewish community in Baltimore and beyond. Holloman was convicted in July on charges of first-degree murder, attempted armed robbery, and gun offenses. Gordon, who was in northwest Baltimore for a cousin’s wedding, was fatally shot in the chest during an attempted robbery as he walked to his relatives’ home on Fords Lane. Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn, who presided over the case, also recommended Holloman be sent to the Patuxent Youth Program.

Massive U.S. airstrikes on Islamic State militants in Syria were meant in part as a message to the group and a move to ensure that it doesn’t try to take advantage of the chaos following the overthrow of President Bashar Assad’s government. The U.S. and its partners want to make sure the Islamic State group, which still has a presence in Syria, can’t step into the leadership void and once again exert control over wide swaths of the country, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said Monday. The U.S. on Sunday struck about 75 IS targets in the Syrian desert. The U.S. has had troops in Syria for the last decade to battle IS. The tumult following a rebel offensive that toppled Assad has raised fears of an Islamic State resurgence.

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz is reportedly poised to become an anchor for the pro-Trump One America News Network (OAN) after withdrawing from his nomination for U.S. attorney general in the Trump administration. CNN national correspondent Kristen Holmes reported Monday that Gaetz is “expected to join One America News Network as an anchor,” citing a source familiar with the matter. Gaetz’s wife, Ginger Gaetz, appeared to hint at the move in a social media post on Sunday, sharing a photo of the former congressman with the caption, “Big news coming next week!” Gaetz resigned abruptly from Congress last month after being tapped by President-elect Donald Trump for the attorney general role.

A new policy implemented by the Meuchedet health fund is causing consternation amongst English speakers in Israel. The new policy requires all online correspondence with doctors — including the submission of medication names — to be written exclusively in Hebrew. This change, reportedly introduced as a directive from Israel’s Ministry of Health, has sparked concern among English-speaking olim, whose Hebrew is often limited. It has also raised broader health and safety issues. Efforts to Reverse the Policy After unsuccessfully reaching out to Meuchedet officials for clarification and resolution, Chaim V’Chessed, the NGO which assists the integration of English speakers in Israel, escalated the issue to senior government officials.

A former South Korean defense minister was formally arrested Wednesday over his alleged collusion with President Yoon Suk Yeol and others in imposing martial law last week, as authorities investigate whether their acts amount to rebellion. Martial law, the first in more than 40 years, lasted only about six hours but has triggered a domestic firestorm and large street protests. Yoon and his associates face criminal investigations and impeachment attempts. The Justice Ministry has banned Yoon and eight others from leaving the country as authorities see them as key suspects in the martial law case. It’s the first time that a sitting president in South Korea has received a travel ban.

CNN’s Clarissa Ward provided a striking glimpse into the opulent lifestyle of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, reporting from one of his garages filled with luxury vehicles, including Aston Martins and Lamborghinis. The report highlighted the sharp contrast between Assad’s wealth and the dire conditions endured by much of Syria’s population. Speaking with anchor John Berman, Ward described Assad as “literally living like a king” while millions in Syria struggled to meet basic needs. The garage, just one of many owned by Assad, housed an extensive collection of armored cars, which Ward noted seemed excessive. “I don’t know how anyone would need so many armored cars,” she remarked.

The grinding war between Ukraine and its Russian invaders has escalated ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration, with President Joe Biden rushing out billions of dollars more in military aid before U.S. support for Kyiv’s defenses is thrown into question under the new administration. Russia, Ukraine and their global allies are scrambling to put their side in the best possible position for any changes that Trump may bring to American policy in the nearly 3-year-old war. The president-elect insisted in recent days that Russia and Ukraine immediately reach a ceasefire and said Ukraine should likely prepare to receive less U.S. military aid. On the war’s front lines, Ukraine’s forces are mindful of Trump’s fast-approaching presidency and the risk of losing their biggest backer.

Women should have the option of taking their own test samples for cervical cancer screening, an influential health panel said Tuesday. Draft recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force are aimed at getting more people screened and spreading the word that women can take their own samples to check for cancer-causing HPV. Women in their 20s should still get a Pap test every three years. But after that — from age 30 to 65 — women can get an HPV test every five years, the panel said. And those HPV tests can be done with samples collected either by a doctor or by the patient herself in a mobile clinic or medical office. Women ages 30 to 65 can still opt for a Pap test done by a doctor every three years.

The IDF on Tuesday completed the main part of the extensive operation across Syria, named “Bashan Arrow,” during which 70% to 80% of the Assad regime’s strategic capabilities were destroyed. The operation began this week overnight Motzei Shabbos, after the political-security cabinet approved the IDF’s proposal, before Assad’s regime had completely fallen. IDF Chief of Staff Hertzi Halevi visited Ramat HaGolan and confirmed the plans, after which ground forces swept in and took control of the buffer zone in Ramat HaGolan. That night, 350 Air Force planes launched a wave of comprehensive strikes, severely damaging the Syrian Air Force. During the operation, 320 strategic targets were destroyed, from Damascus, the capital of Syria, to Tartus, the country’s second-largest port city.