Elan Carr was sworn in on Thursday as the U.S. Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo administered the oath of office to Carr, who placed one hand over a Hebrew Bible, or Tanach, that was held by his wife, Dahlia. The secretary remarked that the Iraq War veteran and attorney was chosen for “fierceness and vigor that he’ll bring to combating anti-Semitism,” according to a source at the event, which was closed to the press.

Uhrichsville, Ohio – Police say a couple made laxative-laced cookies for striking school employees because they were tired of the noise from the picket line near their home. Authorities in eastern Ohio say none of the striking workers ate the sugar cookies, but the couple was charged with contaminating the treats. Police say the pair [...]

Groups hold own commemoration at Jasenovac, boycotting official ceremony for fourth year because authorities tolerate nostalgia for country’s pro-Nazi past

Washington – President Donald Trump says he is “giving strong considerations” to placing “Illegal Immigrants in Sanctuary Cities only.” He tweeted that on Friday hours after the White House said the idea was no longer under consideration. Trump is accusing Democrats of failing to overhaul immigration laws and tweeting that, “The Radical Left always seems [...]

 Police Arrest East Jerusalem Arab Who Targeted The Elderly At ATMs(VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)
At the beginning of the week, Israeli police arrested a 30-year-old man on suspicion of defrauding thousands of shekels from elderly people while posing as an innocent person trying to help them use an ATM, exploiting their innocence.

Pittsburgh – A prosecutor refused to approve criminal charges Friday against Pittsburgh’s mayor and six City Council members over the passage of firearms restrictions that gun rights advocates say are blatant and deliberate violations of state law. Seven city residents tried to file private criminal complaints against Democratic Mayor Bill Peduto, who signed the legislation [...]

Former FBI Director James Comey said Thursday that he had “no idea” what Attorney General William Barr meant when he testified that he believed the government spied on President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign.
“I have no idea what he’s talking about, so it’s hard for me to comment,” Comey said in response to a question at the Hewlett Foundation’s conference. “Maybe the only thing I can say generally is — I think that his career has earned him the presumption that he will be one of the rare Cabinet members who will stand up for things like truth and facts, and institutional values.”

'Never underestimate' the 'highly intelligent' Israeli PM, says former US president after Likud leader's latest election victory; 'he understands his electorate'

Some 7,000 gather for weekly protests with some throwing rocks and fire bombs at IDF troops who respond with tear gas and occasional live fire

Jerusalem – Four Jewish House Democrats known for their ties to AIPAC warned Israel not to annex West Bank territory days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s election-eve pledge to do that. The statement by Reps. Eliot Engel and Nita Lowey, both D-N.Y., Ted Deutch, D-Fla. and Brad Schneider, D-Ill., did not name Netanyahu, but alluded [...]

President Donald Trump considered nominating his eldest daughter, Ivanka Trump, to be president of the World Bank in part because “she’s very good with numbers,” according to a new interview published Friday.
Speaking to the Atlantic, Trump lavished praised on his daughter, a 37-year-old White House adviser, and suggested she would be suitable for other administration positions, including U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
“She’s a natural diplomat,” Trump said. “She would’ve been great at the United Nations, as an example.”
Asked why he didn’t nominate her, Trump replied: “If I did, they’d say nepotism, when it would’ve had nothing to do with nepotism. But she would’ve been incredible.”

Albany, NY – New York’s governor says legislation that would end the ability of parents to object to vaccinations for their children on religious grounds is “legally questionable.” Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo during interviews this week called the recent surge in measles cases a serious public health concern but said eliminating the religious exemption to [...]

 Measles Victim Calls For Mass Vaccination Events In Frum Communities WorldwideA 55-year-old man named Tzali Friedman recently recovered from the measles in Detroit, and has now gone public with this urgent message.
Read more on Yeshiva World News

Technical problems started several miles above landing spot when spacecraft loses main engine and smashes into lunar surface at over 300 mph

South Korea – Just two hours after Lee Dong Kil’s daughter was born on New Year’s Eve, the clock struck midnight, 2019 was ushered in, and the infant became 2-years-old. She wasn’t alone, though it happened for her quicker than most: Every baby born in South Korea last year became 2 on Jan. 1. According [...]

The Chesed Fund Saves Organizations Over $2 Million in FeesThe numbers are in. With The Chesed Fund reaching a new milestone of $30 million dollars in just three years of running, the amount of money it has saved individuals and organizations who run crowdfunding campaigns on the site is staggering.
Read more on Yeshiva World News

The lead article Thursday on the opinion page of the Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper compared Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the 1940 Nazi antisemitic movie The Eternal Jew.
The article was titled in the paper “The Eternal Netanyahu” in a word play in connection with the antisemitic pseudo-documentary organized by Adolf Hitler’s minister of propaganda Joseph Goebbels and widely-considered to be the most violent anti-Jewish film ever made.
The Rundschau wrote in its apology it is “especially difficult” to find words that are not associated with antisemitism.
Read more at JPOST.
{Matzav.com}

 Off-Duty NYPD Officer Killed In Crash; Jewish Community Joins To Help Wife & Five ChildrenAn off-duty police officer has been killed in a motorcycle crash in Queens.
It happened on the westbound Belt Parkway near the Queens-Nassau border at about 5:30 a.m.

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