Assemblyman Schnall celebrates the House’s passage of Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” which could result in hundreds of millions of dollars worth of tax credits flowing to yeshivos and other private schools nationwide.

“USA!” chants from the crowd at the America250 kick-off celebration event in Des Moines, Iowa

President Trump has arrived in Iowa for the America 250 anniversary celebration.

TRUMP: “There could be no better birthday present for America” than the One Big Beautiful Bill… With this bill, every major promise I made to the people of Iowa in 2024 became a promise kept.”

Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist New York City mayoral candidate, is facing intensifying scrutiny as past statements and resurfaced videos reveal an agenda indistinguishable from old-school communist dogma. While Mamdani has brushed off accusations of being a “communist” as cheap distractions, footage paints a far more radical picture. In a 2021 speech to socialist activists, Mamdani explicitly urged allies not to compromise on “seizing the means of production,” language long synonymous with communist revolutionary movements. In another video, released that same year by The Gravel Institute, Mamdani laid out a sweeping plan to transform housing in New York City from a private commodity into a public asset.

Republicans muscled President Donald Trump’s tax and spending cut bill through the House on Thursday, the final step necessary to get the bill to his desk by the GOP’s self-imposed deadline of July 4th. At nearly 900 pages, the legislation is a sprawling collection of tax breaks, spending cuts and other Republican priorities, including new money for national defense and deportations. Democrats united against the legislation, but were powerless to stop it as long as Republicans stayed united. The Senate passed the bill, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tiebreaking vote. The House passed an earlier iteration of the bill in May with just one vote to spare. It passed the final version 218-214. Here’s the latest on what’s in the bill.

One year ago, Torah in Eretz Yisroel stood at the brink. A sudden government freeze left more than 1,400 yeshivos and kollelim without vital support. Yungeleit went unpaid, meals were cut, and the entire infrastructure of limud haTorah was in danger of collapse. Klal Yisroel responded with extraordinary achdus and mesirus nefesh. Under the guidance of Gedolei Yisroel, and with the support of over 30,000 donors around the globe, $115 million was raised to keep the flame of Torah burning bright. We had hoped the crisis would pass. But the war in the north and south still rages, the draft law remains unresolved, and the funding freeze continues. There is no political solution in sight, and no safety net in place.

American-Israeli Edan Alexander, the last living U.S. hostage freed from Hamas captivity in May, met with President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the White House on Thursday. Alexander, 21, who was abducted from the Kissufim military base on October 7, 2023, during Hamas’ attack on Israel, thanked Trump for his efforts in securing his release, which he described as life-saving. “I came to thank the person who is responsible for saving my life,” Alexander told reporters after the meeting. During their 30-minute conversation, Alexander shared details of his captivity and expressed concern for the roughly 50 hostages still held in Gaza.

The Supreme Court on Thursday cleared the way for the deportation of several immigrants who were put on a flight in May bound for South Sudan, a war-ravaged country where they have no ties. The decision comes after the court’s conservative majority found that immigration officials can quickly deport people to third countries. The majority halted an order that had allowed immigrants to challenge any removals to countries outside their homeland where they could be in danger. The court’s latest decision makes clear that the South Sudan flight can complete the trip, weeks after it was detoured to a naval base in Djibouti. There, the migrants who had previously been convicted of serious crimes were held in a converted shipping container.

It’s wedding season once again. Baruch Hashem, simchos abound, and nearly every night brings another opportunity to be mesameiach a chosson and kallah. And yet, if we’re being honest, the experience often comes with a sense of tension and frustration. We leave our homes early, brave traffic, search for parking, and make our way into yet another hall—only to find ourselves… waiting. Waiting through the extended picture session. Waiting for the first dance to begin. Waiting between courses. Waiting as the band sets up, resets, and pauses again. Hours pass, and while we’re happy to take part in someone else’s simchah, there’s a gnawing feeling that our evening could have been more productive—more uplifting. We want to give, but not at the expense of our own spiritual rhythm.