Rabbi Menachem (Mendy) Raitport z”l, a beloved Crown Heights figure known both for his presence in the local food industry and his efforts in klal engagement, tragically lost his life in a fatal accident Tuesday night. He was 57 years old.
Rabbi Raitport was the father of eight and the husband of Esther. He once operated the Crown Kosher Meat Market on Kingston Avenue, a cornerstone of the community for many years.
More recently, he served as a menaker in the shechitah process, providing his expertise under several prominent hechsherim, including CHK and Skver, among others.

President Trump sharply criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, accusing him of obstructing diplomatic efforts to reach a resolution with Russia. The comments came after Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine would never accept Russia’s seizure of Crimea, stating that it remains sovereign Ukrainian land.
Using his Truth Social platform, Trump dismissed Zelensky’s assertion regarding Crimea, writing that the region was “lost years ago” and “is not even a point of discussion.”
According to reports, Trump has floated a plan offering U.S. recognition of Russia’s 2014 takeover of Crimea as part of a broader peace framework. That proposal was reportedly shared separately with both Moscow and Kyiv last week.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent leveled harsh criticism at the operations of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund on Wednesday even as he tried to reassure nervous investors that the United States would maintain its global leadership role. “America first does not mean America alone,” he said in a speech to the Institute of International Finance. “To the contrary, it is a call for deeper collaboration and mutual respect among trade partners.” Although Bessent said the IMF and the World Bank are “falling short,” he stopped short of calling for the U.S. to withdraw from the institutions as some conservatives have advocated.

Senator Dick Durbin, Democrat of Illinois and the second-ranking Democrat in the Senate, announced Wednesday that he will not be running for re-election in 2026.
Durbin, who has served in the Senate since 1996, shared the news in a video message posted to X. At 80 years old, he reflected on the weight of the decision.
“The decision of whether to run for re-election has not been easy,” Durbin stated.
“I truly love the job of being a United States Senator. But in my heart, I know it’s time to pass the torch. So, I am announcing today that I will not be seeking re-election at the end of my term.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Sco

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is reportedly considering a move that would mark a major shift in national vaccination policy: removing the Covid-19 vaccine from the federal list of recommended childhood immunizations, according to two individuals briefed on the matter who spoke with POLITICO.
If implemented, this change would take the Covid vaccine off the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s official childhood immunization schedule — a guide that many pediatricians use to determine which shots to administer and when. It would be the most consequential alteration Kennedy has pursued so far in his efforts to challenge mainstream vaccine protocols.

Last night, Minister Itamar Ben Gvir was given a warm welcome at Mar-a-Lago.

FDA Commissioner: “I don’t think we appreciated the potential risks to human health and child health when they were first introduced… the studies have caught up with the introduction of these petroleum-based chemical food dyes and the data doesn’t look good… we are erring on the safe side and moving to remove these from the U.S. food supply.”