US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Israel would be the “leader” if the US and Israel strike Iran’s nuclear sites if talks between Washington and Tehran fail. Speaking at the White House, Trump responded to a question about whether he is considering using military means against Iran. “If it requires military, we’re going to have military,” he said. “Israel will obviously be very much involved in that — it’ll be the leader of that,” but then immediately clarifying: “Nobody leads us. We do what we want to do.” Trump also said that he has a deadline for talks, emphasizing that he won’t allow Tehran to drag out negotiations. Various media outlets reported that Trump is allowing two months for the talks. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Eric Adams has revealed the new political banner he’ll campaign under as he mounts an uphill fight for reelection: Safe Streets, Affordable City.
Speaking to 1010Wins on Wednesday afternoon, the former Democrat shared that he intends to appear on that line in the general election, having opted not to participate in the Democratic primary this time around.
“Those are the issues that are important to New Yorkers,” Adams said of his third-party name. “They want a safe city. They want an affordable city. And I want them to know that is what I produced for them.”

Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, in coordination with Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, stated on Thursday that the reservists who signed a letter against the war in Gaza will be dismissed from active reserve duty. About 950 Air Force reservists, mainly retired, signed a letter against the war that was published as a full-page ad on Thursday morning in several leading media outlets. Only 10% of the signatories are active reservists, most of them volunteers. The letter was published despite the fact that the impending publication of the letter was brought to the attention of the Air Force leadership in recent days, and Air Commander Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar convened several meetings with those leading the initiative to try to prevent the letter’s publication.

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as the Trump administration’s ambassador to Israel. Israel supporter John Fetterman was the only Democrat to join Republicans in voting for Huckabee, with the final vote tally 53 to 46. Huckabee, a religious Christian and a staunch supporter of Israel, insists on calling the “West Bank” by its popular biblical name of Yehudah and Shomron. A frequent visitor to Israel, he even expressed interest in the past in buying a vacation home in the Shomron.

as reformulated by Rabbi Yair Hoffman The Plague of the Firstborn: Who Was Punished and Why?   During the final plague in Mitzrayim, Hashem struck down all the firstborn.

Michelle Obama has addressed the swirling rumors about her relationship with former President Barack Obama, attributing the divorce chatter to her recent embrace of personal autonomy and decision-making.
Speaking on the “Work in Progress” podcast hosted by Sophia Bush, the 61-year-old former first lady responded to the speculation that intensified after she missed several significant public events earlier in the year — most notably, the inauguration of President Trump.
“The interesting thing is that, when I say ‘no,’ for the most part people are like, ‘I get it, and I’m OK,’” she shared, explaining her decision to decline prominent invitations.
She went on to touch on a broader struggle many women face when setting boundaries and prioritizing themselves.

An extraordinary moment took place on Thursday morning at the Bais Medrash of Caulfield in Sydney, Australia, as a Siyum Masechta was held — not just any Siyum, but one made by Reb Berysz Aurbach, who, at the remarkable age of 104, was mesayem Maseches Chagigah, allowing bechorim who participated to eat. Reb Berish, born Gimmel Elul 5680 (1920), hails from a Chassidishe family in Biala Podlaska, Poland — a town with deep roots in Gerrer Chassidus. He was raised in a home filled with warmth, Torah, and mesorah, together with his siblings — three older brothers, a sister, and a half-brother. He still remembers learning as a child in the local Talmud Torah — memories from a world that would soon be destroyed.

Russia expressed frustration on Wednesday over the continuous threats directed at Iran, warning that airstrikes would do little to foster stability and pointing out that Tehran was already taking precautionary steps in response to the situation.
With nuclear discussions scheduled over the weekend between Iran and the United States, Iranian sources told Reuters on Tuesday that their government is entering the negotiations with skepticism, uncertain of any positive outcome and harboring deep doubts about America’s true motives.

Investor Kevin O’Leary is urging former President Donald Trump to go even further in his hardline approach to China, calling for dramatically increased tariffs as the administration stays firm on its trade stance amid intense market swings.
“104% tariffs against China are not enough. I’m advocating 400%,” O’Leary said in an interview on CNN. “I do business in China. They don’t play by the rules. They’ve been in the WTO for decades. They have never abided by any of the rules they agreed to when they came in for decades. They cheat, they steal, they steal IP, I can’t litigate in their courts.”