President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States did not pay any money to North Korea, which had issued a $2 million bill for the hospice care of American Otto Warmbier, the comatose University of Virginia student sent home from Pyongyang in 2017.
“No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else,” Trump said in a tweet in which he suggested he has taken a different approach to hostage negotiations than his predecessor.
Trump reiterated the point two hours later as he spoke to reporters outside the White House.
“We did not pay money for our great Otto,” Trump said. “I haven’t paid money for any hostage. . . . We don’t pay money for hostages.”

Researchers have developed a mechanism to translate brain activity into simple sentences, a breakthrough that could lead to new tools for people who are unable to communicate through speech.
In a paper published in Nature this week, a team from the University of California, San Francisco explained how they created a “neural decoder” that can create speech. The team included neurosergeon Edward Chang, computer scientist Gopala Anumanchipalli, and PhD student Josh Chartier.
“Our central goal was to make an ‘artificial vocal tract,'” Chartier told The Washington Post via email on Friday. “Not a real physical one, but a computer one that could generate full sentences, not just words.”
“Our goal is to help those who cannot speak to say what they wish to say,” he said.

Former Democratic New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind was having none of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s condolences following the shooting that killed one in the Chabad of Poway, California.
“My heart is breaking after today’s deadly shooting at Chabad Congregation in San Diego—on the last day of Passover and 6 months to the day after the Tree of Life shooting. We as a nation must confront the terrifying rise of religious hate and violence. Love trumps hate,” Omar tweeted.
Hikind, who has previously taken the Somali Congresswoman to task for anti Israel tweets was quick to respond.

The condition of HaGaon Rav Nissim Karelitz, who was hospitalized Thursday at Bnei Brak’s Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center, improved over Shabbos.
Earlier this week, Rav Nissim, 92, suffered blood pressure issues and shortness of breath. He spent the last day of Pesach in the hospital’s intensive care unit surrounded by hospital staff, family members, and others close to him.
Sources close to Rabbi Karelitz said they hope he will be released home Sunday.
The public is asked to pray for Rav Shmaryahu Yosef Nissim ben Basya.
Read more at Arutz Sheva.
{Matzav.com}

The victim killed in the Chabad shul shooting has been identified as Lori Gilbert-Kay.
The three injured in Saturday’s shooting are in stable condition, authorities said. Among the injured was Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein. In the picture above, the Gilbert-Kay is seen  standing next to the heroic Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, who was injured when he tried to stop the gunman.
Sheriff Gore said the rabbi was wounded in the hand and is undergoing surgery.
Minoo Anvari, a member of the congregation, told CNN that “[Goldstein] did not leave his congregation until he was finished speaking to them – calming their fears and pledging resilience.”
Please daven for Yisroel Ben Chana Priva.
{Matzav.com}

http://matzav.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/VID-20190427-WA0004.mp4
President Trump expressed his condolences for the victims of a shooting at the Chabad shul in Poway, Calif., earlier on Saturday, while praising law enforcement for their response.
Soon after appearing at a campaign rally in Wisconsin, Trump addressed the shooting, which resulted in one person killed and several wounded.
“Today America’s heart is with the victims of the horrific synagogue shooting in Poway, California,” Trump told supporters

An anti-Semitic open letter was posted online under the name of a man suspected of opening fire at Chabad of Poway Saturday. The letter was posted on an online far-right message board hours before the attack.
According to NBC News the letter was posted by a user identifying himself as John Earnest. The letter is definded by the reports as “a white nationalist open letter”.
The NBC News report noted that the online post appears near identical to the one Brenton Tarrant left hours before opening fire at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, and that Tarrant and Pittsburgh synagogue shooter Robert Bowers are listed as a direct inspiration in the letter.
The highly disturbing letter can be found here.

Political and religious leaders condemned Saturday’s attack and voiced their support of the Jewish community.
Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., tweeted: “Yet again a place of worship is the target of senseless gun violence and hate. Anti-Semitism is real in this country and we must not be silent – enough is enough.”
Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., also posted on the social platform, condemning the act of violence: “Tragic news that a gunman has attacked Chabad of Poway synagogue, on this, the last day of Passover, a day that is supposed to be a celebration of faith and freedom. I am thinking of, and praying for, those hurt and affected.”