Self-driving taxis may soon take over New York’s streets, signaling a dramatic shift that could phase out the city’s legendary yellow cabs.
Waymo, the autonomous ride-hailing company backed by Google’s parent firm Alphabet, rolled its high-tech vehicles into New York City this week—not yet offering rides, but beginning street-mapping missions. For now, a human remains behind the wheel as the company awaits a legislative green light for fully autonomous operations.
“We’re on the move in the Big Apple,” the company announced Monday night on X. “We’ve begun testing in New York – be sure to give us a wave and snap a pic if you see us in the city.”

In a highly unusual and disturbing incident, a two-week-old Israeli infant was abducted from the neonatal unit of Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital in Yerushalayim and later found abandoned in a hotel in Yericho, within Palestinian Authority territory.
According to details released by authorities, the baby’s mother, an Israeli Jewish woman, removed her child from the hospital’s neonatal ward and traveled with him to Yericho. Upon arrival, she checked into a local hotel, where she left the infant alone in one of the rooms before fleeing.

After a recent psak halacha suggesting that cholent should ideally be reserved for Shabbos, Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein has now clarified that there is no prohibition against serving the dish during the week in yeshivos or at simchos. He emphasized that his earlier statement was intended as guidance for enhancing Shabbos, not as a sweeping ban.
The clarification was published by Rav Zilberstein’s grandson, Rav Chaim Malin, who noted that “in response to many inquiries” following the widely circulated ruling on Matzav.com. Rav Zilberstein wanted to make clear that it is certainly permissible for yeshiva students to enjoy cholent during the week.

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rabbi Yaakov Fruchter z”l, the longtime editor of Olomeinu magazine and a devoted member of the Torah Umesorah team, leaving behind a legacy of creativity, warmth, and unwavering dedication to chinuch.
For decades, Rabbi Fruchter resided in Kensington, Brooklyn, where his presence was a fixture of the neighborhood’s Torah atmosphere. In recent years, he moved to Lakewood.

In a forceful editorial published Wednesday morning in the Israeli Yated newspaper, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was cautioned against turning a blind eye to critical internal matters facing the country.
The editorial, headlined “Lessons of the Past,” drew a pointed comparison between Netanyahu and Winston Churchill, Britain’s wartime leader. While acknowledging Churchill as “a great statesman, an admired politician, and a brilliant commander who led Britain to victory,” the writer stressed that “it quickly became clear that no matter how brilliant and talented his performance was, during wartime, it was not enough to define him as a ‘leader.’”

California-based chipmaker Nvidia has officially become the most valuable company in the world, beating Silicon Valley rivals Microsoft, Apple, and Google to become the first company valued at over $4 trillion. The tech giant is the first company to ever achieve this market value, beating Apple’s previous record-setting market cap in December, reported the Associated Press.

Knesset member Ofer Cassif of the Hadash-Ta’al party was suspended from parliamentary activity for two months by the Knesset Ethics Committee on Wednesday. The decision came after a wave of complaints were submitted regarding Cassif’s statements criticizing Israeli military actions in Gaza. His suspension covers attendance at both plenum sessions and committee meetings from October 19 to December 19, and his salary will be reduced for two weeks. One major source of contention was his public call for the International Criminal Court to investigate Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu for alleged war crimes.

Israel has reportedly been informed by Qatari intermediaries that Hamas is actively gearing up for a possible truce. According to Channel 12, these preparations include not only strategic military adjustments but also steps toward freeing the hostages, as part of a broader push for an agreement currently underway in Doha.
Qatar believes that an accord is within reach, with only one remaining obstacle to be resolved — namely, the location and extent of Israel Defense Forces redeployments, Channel 12 further notes.
Despite these developments, Hamas is publicly disputing the notion that meaningful progress is being made. The group claims that it is Israel, not Hamas, that is impeding the negotiations.

Although there has been some movement in the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas, insiders familiar with the discussions say major obstacles still remain that could prevent an agreement.
Roughly 80% of the points under negotiation have been settled in principle, according to those involved. However, the remaining disputes involve the most sensitive and potentially deal-breaking issues. Chief among them are disagreements over how humanitarian aid will be distributed during the ceasefire, and where the IDF will be positioned throughout the planned 60-day halt in combat.

While in Washington, DC, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu addressed the press corps traveling with him and emphasized that he and President Donald Trump are closely aligned in their objectives regarding the situation in Gaza. “The release of the hostages and the end of Hamas rule in Gaza,” he stated, are mutual priorities.
Netanyahu elaborated on the nature of their collaboration, saying, “We have a shared strategy and shared tactics for this. This includes full coordination. President Trump wants a deal, and I want a deal, but not at any cost.”
For his part, President Trump expressed cautious optimism during his remarks. “There is a chance we will announce a deal in Gaza either this week or next week, but nothing is certain,” he said.
{Matzav.com}