New York – The pleasing sight of Starbucks tables strewn with the day’s paper will be no more. The coffee chain will quit selling The New York Times, Wall Street Journal or Gannett papers like USA Today in September, citing “changing customer behavior.” Starbucks has sold The Times since 2000 and other papers since 2010. [...]

Washington – When he resigned as defense secretary last December, Jim Mattis thought it might take two months to install a successor. That seemed terribly long at the time. Seven months later, the U.S. still has no confirmed defense chief even with the nation facing potential armed conflict with Iran. That’s the longest such stretch [...]

The Har Hamor Yeshiva, led by Rabbi Tzvi Tau, is preparing to launch its own political party, under the name “Noam: Am Normali BeArtzenu” [A Normal People In Our Own Land].
Channel 2’s Yair Cherki released the first images of the new party’s logo Friday, along with excerpts from a recent speech by Rabbi Tau which suggest the party’s focus will be on traditional values and social conservatism.

New York City’s expanded camera program will go into effect on Thursday as the city continues its effort to achieve “Vision Zero” and decrease traffic fatalities.
The legislation, signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in May, aims to increase the number of speed cameras at 750 school zones, especially in areas with high number of people killed or injured. Transportation officials and other elected officials are expected provide more details Thursday on the installation of hundreds of new cameras at East Tremont Avenue and Anthony Avenue in the Bronx.

A Lakeview synagogue has unearthed a 3,000-pound mystery, and professional locksmiths are welcome to come and take a crack at it.
Plumbers found it while digging in the parking lot at the Anshe Emet Synagogue back in June when they found the massive safe buried in the ground.
“I’ve been in the trade for 30 years, and this is my first safe,” construction worker Russ Moen said.
It has become the talk of the construction site while crews work around it.
“Is there gold in there? Is there nothing in there?” Moen said. “You know, the old Al Capone theory, and talking about getting Geraldo out here.”
Jay Quinn, site superintendent for Bulley & Andrews construction said the safe proved to be a tempting find.

The Jerusalem District Planning Committee has approved the plan for the construction of 216 residential units in the southern Gilo neighborhood of the capital.
Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon says “This is another significant step for the young people of the city.
Read more on Yeshiva World News

HAWAII — The skydiving company that was operating a plane that crashed and killed 11 people last month did not have the proper state permits to take people skydiving.
Documents released by the state Wednesday show Oahu Parachute Center was “not in good standing” with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs as of April.

President Donald Trump unloaded via Twitter on Republican former House Speaker Paul Ryan after Ryan’s comments critical of Trump appeared in excerpts from a new book.
Ryan condemns Trump in “American Carnage,” by Tim Alberta of Politico, in excerpts running in various publications.

Trump says 'I hate to see this happen' after Acosta quits following renewed scrutiny over deal he gave financier to secretly end probe involving at least 40 teenage girls