Utah has become the first state to ban fluoride in public drinking water, despite widespread opposition from dentists and national health organizations. Republican Gov. Spencer Cox signed legislation late Thursday that bars cities and communities from deciding whether to add the mineral to their water systems. Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Utah lawmakers who pushed for a ban said putting fluoride in water was too expensive. Cox, who grew up and raised his own children in a community without fluoridated water, compared it recently to being “medicated” by the government. The ban comes weeks after U.S. Health Secretary Robert F.

Americans are less likely to see Canada and the U.S. as close allies than they were two years ago, the latest indication that President Donald Trump’s tariff threats and talk of taking over a neighboring ally are souring a critical economic and military relationship. The U.S. shift in viewpoint comes primarily from Democrats, though Republicans are less likely to see Canada as America’s ally now too, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. While about 7 in 10 Democrats saw Canada and the U.S. as close allies before Trump returned to office, now that number is down to about half. For Republicans, the number dropped from 55% to 44%. Although most still see the countries’ relationship as at least “friendly,” just under half of U.S.

According to The Wall Street Journal, President Donald Trump warned the heads of several leading car manufacturers against increasing their prices because of tariffs. He emphasized that such a move would be viewed negatively by the White House, which led some of these executives to worry about possible retaliation if they did decide to raise prices.
On Wednesday, Trump declared a 25% tariff on auto imports, a decision the White House claims would support the growth of domestic manufacturing. However, this could also create financial pressure on carmakers who rely on international supply chains for production.

On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a grim warning to Ukrainian forces, saying he would “finish off” their troops, following his decision to launch attacks on a Ukrainian energy facility. This move came despite a previous ceasefire arrangement, backed by the United States, which called for a temporary halt to hostilities.
The assault targeted a Ukrainian position in Kherson on Thursday, violating a delicate agreement meant to pause military activity in the Black Sea region and suspend long-range strikes on critical energy infrastructure.
Despite earlier promises to stop targeting Ukrainian energy facilities, Putin insisted that Russian forces continue their offensive into Ukraine and even intensify their strikes.

An inflation gauge closely watched by the Federal Reserve remained high last month even before the impact of most tariffs has been felt. Americans’ spending increased after a steep fall last month but remained weak, suggesting consumers have turned more cautious this year. Friday’s report from the Commerce Department showed that consumer prices increased 2.5% in February from a year earlier, matching January’s annual pace. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices rose 2.8% compared with a year ago, higher than January’s figure of 2.7%. Economists watch core prices because they are typically a better guide of where inflation is headed. The core index has barely changed in the past year.

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman in honor of the birth of an Alpert einekel and the Minkowich einekel It is a question that has plagued the minds of many a wife buying beer for a grandchild’s Shalom Zachar.  Where did the custom to drink beer at a Shalom Zachar come from?

BROOKLYN – The NYPD is actively searching for two vandals who were caught on camera carving a swastika and the word “Nazis” into the side of a Tesla Cybertruck parked in Brooklyn

President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on autos not made in the U.S. and certain auto parts are sending more tremors through an industry already being pummeled by steel and aluminum import duties and on-again, off-again 25% levies on Canada and Mexico. The new tariffs, announced Wednesday, are likely to jack up new vehicle prices and will also impact the used car market. Trump has been itching to tax foreign autos for years. In his first term, he declared auto imports a threat to national security giving him the authority to impose tariffs on them. It’s the latest in a number of auto industry maneuvers by Trump during his first weeks back in the White House.