In light of the recent rise in hate crimes against Jews in the Tri-State area, a high-level security meeting took place in Connecticut. Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, who has a close relationship with the Waterbury Jewish community, met with the Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbonim, and community Askonim from Waterbury regarding safety and security for the Waterbury Jewish community. The Governor made it clear that he would not tolerate any hate against Jews in the State, and that extra security and additional measures have already been taken to ensure the safety of the Jewish communities around the state. The Waterbury Jewish Community has more than 300 families living in it.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he opposes a Senate resolution asserting that President Donald Trump must seek approval from Congress before engaging in further military action against Iran. McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said Monday that the Senate will “soon” debate a measure sponsored by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia. The measure, co-sponsored by two Republicans, would send the wrong message to U.S. allies after the Trump administration killed Iran’s top general earlier this month, McConnell said. Tehran responded to the U.S. attack by launching missiles at two military bases in Iraq that house American troops. No casualties were reported.

Popular anger swelled Monday in Iran over the accidental shootdown of a Ukrainian jetliner and the government’s attempt to conceal its role in the tragedy, as online videos appeared to show security forces firing live ammunition and tear gas to disperse protests in the streets. Iranians, already suffering under crippling U.S. sanctions, expressed shock and outrage over the plane crash that killed scores of young people. They also decried the misleading statements from top officials, who only admitted responsibility three days later in the face of mounting evidence. The country began last week engulfed in mourning after a U.S. drone strike killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who led Iran’s regional military interventions. Then on Jan.

A subtle design feature of the AR-15 rifle has raised a technical legal question that is derailing cases against people who are charged with illegally buying and selling the gun’s parts or building the weapon. At issue is whether a key piece of one of America’s most popular firearms meets the definition of a gun that prosecutors have long relied on. For decades, the federal government has treated a mechanism called the lower receiver as the essential piece of the semiautomatic rifle, which has been used in some of the nation’s deadliest mass shootings. Prosecutors regularly bring charges based on that specific part. But some defense attorneys have recently argued that the part alone does not meet the definition in the law.

The New Right party announced on Monday afternoon that it is running independently in the upcoming elections. The announcement comes after many predictions and reports that the New Right, led by Defense Minister Naftali Bennett and MK Ayelet Shaked, was merging with the other national religious right-wing parties to form a united bloc. “The New Right will run independently in the upcoming elections as a party of the ideological, liberal right,” the party stated.

American troops were informed of an impending missile barrage hours before their air base in Iraq was struck by Iran, U.S. military officials said Monday, days after the attack that marked a major escalation between the longtime foes. At 11 p.m. on Jan. 7, U.S. Lt. Col. Antoinette Chase gave the order for American troops at Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq, to go on lockdown. Military movements froze as her team, responsible for emergency response at the base, sent out alerts about the threat. At 11:30 p.m., she gave the order to take cover in bunkers. The first strike landed sometime after 1:35 a.m. on Jan. 8 and the barrage continued for nearly two hours. Half way through the attack, Chase learned the missiles were being launched from Iran.

Rabbi Yitzy Hurwitz, the tzadik from California, has been suffering with ALS for years. He has been a source of inspiration to thousands despite his tremendous challenges. Tall and trim, with broad shoulders and a wide smile, Yitzy Hurwitz, the 42 year-old Chabad rabbi, was nursing big plans for his community in Temecula when he began having trouble speaking. It took months of tests to rule out other possibilities before a diagnosis of ALS was confirmed. Also known as Lou Gherig’s disease, ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. This evening at Reb Yitzi bedside singers Abie Rottenberg and Shlomo Simcha will be having an amazing Kumzits – which will be streamed right here – live on YWN!

In past years, Jerusalem Estates has evolved as an internationally renowned residential luxury brand – a breathtaking, historic project that has become a status symbol among Chareidi Jewry. Now, we are wrapping up a similarly successful fiscal year, presenting our progress, as well as a staggering sales graph of $250 million. The key reason for the impressive market advances, together with a large dose of Siyata Dishmaya, was the incredible increase in sales, beyond the most optimistic of business forecasts. To date, 75% of early sales estimates were sold in Stages 1 and 2. Sales managers reported a dramatic increase in apartment demand and sales in 2019 – total sales stand at a quarter of a billion dollars!

Britain’s pragmatic queen brokered a deal Monday to secure the future of the monarchy, charting a course for Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, that allows them to live part time in Canada while still remaining firmly tied to the House of Windsor. The decision followed a summit at Queen Elizabeth II’s Sandringham estate in eastern England that sought to resolve the conundrum of what to do with royals who only want the job part time. The British monarch said in a statement that the summit of senior royals was “constructive,” and that it had been “agreed that there will be a period of transition″ to sort things out during which Meghan and Harry will spend time in both Canada and the U.K.

Israel’s military said on Monday that heavy rainfall last week caused extensive flooding at an air force base, resulting in damage to eight warplanes. The military said in a statement that “several planes were damaged, they were fixed and will return to flying in the coming days.” The military said floodwater seeped into an underground storage facility where the fighter jets were parked. It said operational capabilities were never compromised. The military declined to comment on the extent of the damage to the planes, but Israeli media reported that it amounted to tens of millions of dollars. Details of the damage were placed under a gag order by Israel’s military censor in the immediate aftermath of Thursday’s rains.