Despite growing frustration among the general public over the lack of answers regarding tickets and transportation to Meron for Lag Ba’omer, preparations on the ground are already well underway ahead of the hilula of Rav Shimon bar Yochai.
Photographer A. Eisenbach traveled to Meron early and captured striking images of the fully prepared “Area 89” compound, one of the primary sites of the annual gathering.
This year, Area 89 will host a series of major lighting ceremonies. Among them will be the renowned mashpia Rav Elimelech Biderman, as well as various admorim and rabbanim.

RIYADH — The United States is no longer conditioning civil nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia on the kingdom recognizing Israel, Reuters reports.

Bill Gates says he will donate 99% of his remaining tech fortune to the Gates Foundation, which will now close in 2045, earlier than previously planned. Today, that would be worth an estimated $107 billion. The pledge is among the largest philanthropic gifts ever – outpacing the historic contributions of industrialists like John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie when adjusted for inflation. Only Berkshire Hathaway investor Warren Buffett’s pledge to donate his fortune — currently estimated by Forbes at $160 billion — may be larger depending on stock market fluctuations. Gates’ donation will be delivered over time and allow the foundation to spend an additional $200 billion over the next 20 years.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick: “Donald Trump is going deliver incredibly smart, thoughtful, and rigorous trade deals that are going to be great for America. Remember, we have a $1.2T trade deficit and we cut that only 25%, that means we export another $300B. That’s one point of GDP.”

President Trump is strongly considering Fox News host Jeanine Pirro as interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.

Joe Biden acknowledged that he holds himself accountable for Donald Trump reclaiming the presidency and sharply criticized Trump’s leadership since returning to office.
In his first live television appearance since leaving the presidency, Biden was interviewed on “The View” and was directly asked whether he bears any responsibility for Trump’s win.
“Yes, I do, because, look, I was in charge and he won, so I take responsibility,” Biden responded.
Reflecting on Trump’s time back in office, Biden didn’t hold back, asserting that Trump “has done, quite frankly, a very poor job in the interest of the United States of America.”

Family getting up: Tuesday (5/13/25)Morning Mrs. Miriam ZachterWife R` Albie ZachterBrother R` Mel ZachterBrother R` Alan ZachterSon R` Avraham ZachterSon Mrs Micheelle BenluluDaughter

As fragile nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington teeter on the edge, explosive new satellite imagery has emerged, raising fresh questions about the true nature of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Published Thursday by Fox News, the images reveal a covert facility nestled in Iran’s Semnan Province—an area already dotted with nuclear infrastructure. The site, previously unacknowledged by Iranian authorities, is being called the “Rainbow Site” by the opposition group National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), which alleges that it plays a critical role in a clandestine nuclear weapons program.

The Trump administration proposed a multibillion-dollar overhaul of the U.S. air traffic control system on Thursday in the wake of recent deadly plane crashes and technical failures that have put a spotlight on the outdated network. The plan calls for six new air traffic control centers, along with technology and communications upgrades at all of the nation’s air traffic facilities over the next three years, said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. How much it will all cost wasn’t immediately revealed. “We use radar from the 1970s,” said Duffy, who compared the proposal with upgrading from a flip phone to a smartphone.

Palestinian Authority head Mohammad Mustafa accused Israel of intentionally creating a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, placing direct blame on the Jewish state during a press conference held in Ramallah.
Referring to Israel as “the occupying power,” Mustafa alleged that it was responsible for a prolonged state of starvation in Gaza and deliberately preventing the flow of humanitarian assistance to civilians.
He demanded that the United Nations, and in particular its Secretary-General, act without delay by invoking Article 99 of Chapter 15 of the UN Charter. This clause allows the Secretary-General to alert the Security Council to any issue that could pose a threat to global peace and stability.

VP VANCE ON THE TAX BILL: “The best way to defeat our debt long term is growth… If the economy is growing at 3% or even 4%, that is the way that you solve the problem. What this tax bill accomplishes fundamentally is it grows the American economy, I think, in the biggest way in a generation.”

The more President Donald Trump talks about his efforts to reach deals with America’s trading partners, the more confusing the tariff picture gets. His team seems good with that, saying Trump is using “strategic uncertainty” to his advantage. Trump says the United States does not have to sign any agreements, and that it could sign 25 of them right now. He says he is looking for fair deals on all sides, and that he does not care about other countries’ markets. He says his team can sit down to negotiate the terms of a deal, and that he might just impose a set of tariffs on his own. “I am struggling to make sense of it,” Chad Bown, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, wrote in an email.

Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau: “Today marks a major milestone in aviation for America… We’re all here today to commit to taking bold steps to build a new, world-class air traffic system that is safer, more efficient, more resilient and better prepared to meet the needs of the future.”

Satellite photos have uncovered the existence of a hidden Iranian nuclear installation, Fox News disclosed on Thursday.
The report identifies the location as being in Iran’s Semnan province and states that it is likely involved in the regime’s nuclear weapons program. Internally, Iranian officials refer to the facility by the codename “rainbow site,” and it spans approximately 2,500 acres.
Intelligence suggests the facility has been in operation for more than ten years, disguised as a legitimate chemical manufacturing plant while actually supporting nuclear-related efforts. One of the key activities suspected at the site involves the production of tritium—a radioactive substance that enhances the destructive capability of nuclear arms.

UPDATE: Less than 24 hours after YWN published a lost tefillin alert on Wednesday, the tefillin were successfully located. The owner tells YWN, “Thank you so much for all your help with this! It was through your post that I got in touch with someone who was able to help me locate them!”

Pro-terrorist protesters at Brooklyn College have set up an encampment, shutting down parts of the campus.

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