New York – New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is considering a run for the White House in 2020, on Monday threatened to fine the Trump Organization $2.1 million a year starting in 2030 unless the president’s business reduces emissions from its buildings. “It doesn’t matter who you are, even the president of the [...]

'Feast Your Eyes' by Myla Goldberg depicts the challenges faced by a mother and daughter when they buck America's social norms in an era before Roe v. Wade

Houston, TX – A bakery in Houston that dates back to Poland in the early 19th century lost its kosher certification after deciding to stay open on Passover. The Three Brothers Bakery was certified by the Houston Kashruth Association but no longer appears on the organization’s website. Owners Bobby and Janice Jucker told the local [...]

Oil futures rose on Monday on increasing concerns about supply disruptions in the Middle East even as investors and traders fretted over global economic growth prospects amid a standoff in the Sino-US trade talks.
Brent crude futures were at $71.77 a barrel by 1134 GMT, up $1.15.
US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures were at $62.49 per barrel, up 83 cents.
Saudi Arabia said on Monday that two Saudi oil tankers were among vessels attacked off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, condemning it as an attempt to undermine the security of global crude supplies.

President Reuven Rivlin met with Prime Minister Netanyahu at the official President’s Residence on Monday morning. At the end of the meeting, the president acceded to the prime minister’s request and granted him a further two weeks to form a government.

New York – New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio staged a chaotic press event Monday in the lobby of Trump Tower in which he said he will announce this week whether he’s running for president. Speaking at a podium steps from the spot where President Donald Trump announced his own presidential run in 2015, [...]

Rep. Ilhan Omar defended fellow freshman Rep. Rashida Tlaib on Monday after President Trump attacked Tlaib on Twitter, accusing him of trying to “sow division between minority communities.”
“You praised people at a neo-Nazi rally,” tweeted Omar, like Tlaib one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress last year. “We don’t have to imagine.”
“This is another transparent attempt to sow division b/t minority communities and distract from your own criminal behavior by smearing a Muslim woman.
No one should fall for it this time.”
Read more at The Hill.
{Matzav.com}

Blue and White leader and potential opposition head says his party will stand in the face of efforts to erode state institutions and the rule of law

A veteran Palestinian negotiator said on Monday she had been denied a US travel visa for the first time, and viewed it as retaliation for her criticism of the Trump administration and Israel.
US diplomats did not immediately respond to the allegations by Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the executive committee of the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) who took part in interim peace talks with Israel dating back decades.
Since they boycotted the Trump administration over its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel‘s capital in late 2017, the Palestinians have seen cuts to US funding that have contributed to economic distress in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.