In an article discussing the topic of the day – US President Joe Biden’s fitness to be president – White House aides and administration officials spoke to the New York Times about their interactions with the president in the last few weeks. Most agreed that Biden has moments of sharpness but also has increasing moments of confusion and disorientation. In the article, entitled Biden’s Lapses Are Said to Be Increasingly Common and Worrisome, some White House officials rejected doubt about Biden’s ability to lead by providing the example of the night Iran attacked Israel, April 13, when he very forcefully ordered Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu not to carry out a large-scale retaliatory attack against Iran.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is likely to meet US President Joe Biden during the prime minister’s trip to Washington later this month to address Congress, a White House official said. According to a CNN report, the details of the meeting are still being finalized. In response to a query by the Times of Israel, a White House official stated: “The President has known Prime Minister Netanyahu for three decades. They will likely see each other when the prime minister is here over the course of that week, but we have nothing to announce at this time.” Netanyahu’s speech to Congress is scheduled for July 24. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

The recent visit to the U.S. by six senior roshei yeshiva from Eretz Yisroel not only marked an unprecedented moment in Jewish history, but also sparked an equally unparalleled revolution of American Jewry rallying to the support of the Lomdei Torah thousands of miles away in Eretz Yisroel through the newly established Keren Olam Hatorah. Over the course of the roshei yeshiva’s short trip, an astounding $83 million was raised from philanthropists in the tri-state area and Toronto. Of that figure, $14.8 million was raised in Lakewood, $13.3 million in Brooklyn, $12.4 million in Manhattan, $11.5 million in Deal, $9.9 million in the 5 Towns, $8.5 million in Monsey, and $6 million in Toronto.

Three Israelis were injured in a stabbing attack on the second floor of a mall in Karmiel in northern Israel on Wednesday at about noon. Two are in very serious condition and the third is in moderate to serious condition. The terrorist was neutralized at the scene of the attack. This is a developing story. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

A five-week-old infant from the Jerusalem area whose mother refused to get vaccinated for whooping cough during pregnancy died of the disease about a week ago. Two days later, a seven-year-old girl from Netanya, whose parents refused to vaccinate her against tetanus, was hospitalized in the pediatric intensive care unit at Laniado Hospital after contracting the serious and excruciatingly painful disease. Ynet reported that the lowest vaccination rates against whooping cough are found almost exclusively in Jerusalem and in religious and Chareidi communities outside the capital. The report quoted Dr. Maurit Beeri, a pediatrician and the director of ALYN Rehabilitation Hospital for Children and Youth, who slammed parents who neglect their children by refusing to vaccinate them.

A flight from Madrid to Montevideo, Uruguay, operated by Air Europa, experienced severe turbulence on Monday, leaving dozens of passengers injured. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, flight UX045, was forced to make an emergency landing at Natal Airport in northeastern Brazil just after 2:30 a.m. According to the health secretariat of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, around 30 passengers were taken to local hospitals in Natal with minor abrasions or orthopedic traumas. One passenger even became lodged above an overhead bin during the chaos. The interior cabin was left in disarray, with ceiling panels torn off and oxygen masks suspended above seats. Ambulances were waiting outside the cabin window to transport injured passengers. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Former President Donald Trump’s lawyers have asked the New York judge who presided over his hush money trial to set aside his conviction and delay his sentencing, scheduled for next week. The letter to Judge Juan M. Merchan cited the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling earlier Monday on presidential immunity and asked the judge to delay Trump’s sentencing while he weighs the high court’s decision and how it could influence the New York case, according to the letter obtained by The Associated Press. The lawyers argue that the Supreme Court’s decision confirmed a position the defense raised earlier in the case that prosecutors should have been precluded from introducing some evidence they said constituted official presidential acts, according to the letter.

Hunter Biden, the convicted felon and crack-addicted son of President Joe Biden, has been attending meetings with his father and senior White House staff since Monday evening, according to four sources familiar with the matter who spoke to NBC News. Sources close to the White House revealed that Hunter Biden has been advising his father since the family gathered at Camp David over the weekend.

A federal lawsuit has been filed in the US against Iran, Syria, and North Korea on behalf of 125 victims of the October 7 Hamas terror attack, seeking at least $4 billion in damages. The lawsuit, organized by the Anti-Defamation League and Crowell & Moring LLP, alleges that the three countries provided material support to Hamas, enabling the attack that killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. The plaintiffs, including US citizens injured in the attack and relatives of those killed, accuse the three countries of providing financial, military, and tactical support to Hamas. The US government has designated Iran, Syria, and North Korea as state sponsors of terrorism.

Seriously overdue credit card debt is at the highest level in more than a decade, and people 35 and under are struggling more than other age groups to pay their bills. The share of credit card debt that’s severely delinquent, defined as being more than 90 days overdue, rose to 10.7% during the first quarter of 2024, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. A year ago, just 8.2% of credit card debt was severely delinquent. If you’re experiencing delinquency, or at risk of it, experts advise speaking with a nonprofit credit counselor and negotiating with your creditors directly. Here’s what you should know: WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I’M AT RISK OF DELINQUENCY?