Rocket alert sirens blared in the Gaza border area shortly after noon on Wednesday. Following the sirens, the IDF spokesperson said that two rockets were identified crossing into Israel from the central Gaza Strip. One rocket was intercepted and the second exploded in an open area near Netivot. B’Chasdei Hashem, there were no reports of injuries. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

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One hundred Gazans left the Strip on Tuesday to work in Indonesia as part of the first pilot program to encourage voluntary migration from Gaza, Channel 12 reported. The project is intended to encourage thousands of Gazans to relocate to Indonesia to work in the construction industry. According to international law, anyone who leaves the Gaza Strip to work will be allowed to return. However, the goal of the program is for the Gazans to choose to settle permanently in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country. Indonesia does not maintain official diplomatic ties with Israel, although there are discreet trade and tourism relations between the countries.

In the wake of the terror attack in northern Israel on Monday in which an Israeli Arab murdered Moshe Horn, H’yd, 85, and seriously injured an IDF soldier, the Hakol HaYehudi media outlet examined the data to find out how many terror attacks have been perpetrated by Arab-Israelis since the October 7 massacre. The data showed that nine people were murdered by Arab-Israelis since October 7, 2023, [plus one Israeli murdered by a mentally ill Druze man], only two less than the number of people murdered by Palestinian Authority terrorists. It should be noted that there were many more Israeli-Arabs who planned to murder Jews but b’Chasdei Hashem, their plots were thwarted by Israeli security services.

Sgt. Yosef Chaim Tzvi Serlin, z’l, 19,  collapsed and died overnight Tuesday after participating in routine combat training in northern Israel, the IDF spokesperson announced on Wednesday morning. Serlin, z’l, from Jerusalem, was serving as a combat soldier in Unit 504. After collapsing, he received immediate medical treatment by medical professionals at the scene who administered resuscitation techniques while transporting him to the hospital. His death was pronounced at the hospital. The Military Police opened an investigation into the circumstances of the incident. After the investigation, the findings will be transferred to the Military Advocate General for review. He was posthumously promoted from the rank of Corporal to Sergeant.

Democratic state Sen. Simcha Felder is the winner of the 44th Council District special election in Brooklyn.
According to the city’s Board of Elections, with 98.82% of the vote counted, Felder received 81.69% of the vote, while Republican Heshy Tischler garnered 17.31%.
Felder previously held the seat before joining the state Senate in 2013.
Tischler, a conservative radio host and activist, has run for public office multiple times.
The district includes Borough Park, Midwood, and parts of Gravesend.
Kalman Yeger previously held the seat, but he resigned at the end of 2024 after winning an election for the state Assembly’s 41st District.

As part of a broader restructuring, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is dissolving its office dedicated to long COVID, according to an internal message shared by the office’s leader.
Ian Simon, who oversees the Office of Long COVID Research and Practice, did not inform employees about whether they would continue working in other parts of the federal government. He also didn’t specify when the office would officially cease operations, Politico reported after reviewing the email.

Vice President JD Vance announced Tuesday that he will visit Greenland later this week as part of a high-profile U.S. delegation, following renewed calls from President Donald Trump for the United States to take over the vast Arctic island.
Trump has repeatedly stated that Greenland holds strategic value for U.S. national security and that Washington should pursue control of the territory. However, the idea has been firmly rejected by both the governments of Greenland and Denmark, with polls consistently showing that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States.
“Looking forward to visiting Greenland on Friday,” Vance posted on the social media platform X, along with a video in which he elaborated on the purpose of the trip.

Yeshiva University President Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman issued a statement Tuesday evening addressing the recent outrage surrounding the university’s policies, following the announcement of the Hareni same-gender club as an officially recognized undergraduate student group. “I deeply apologize to the members of our community—our students and parents, alumni and friends, faculty and Rabbis—for the way the news was rolled out,” Berman wrote.

The U.S. Postal Service is facing an uncertain future after the resignation this week of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and the suggestion by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency, that the mail service could be privatized. Unions representing postal workers have balked at the idea of privatization, staging protests across the country. While they support modernization efforts, including those initiated by DeJoy, union leaders warned that allowing private corporations to run the U.S. mail will ultimately harm everyday citizens, especially the estimated 51 million people living in rural areas who depend on the Postal Service. “It’s a terrible idea for everyone that we serve,” National Association of Letter Carriers President Brian L.


Texas legislators are reviewing a proposal that would restrict individuals using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) from spending those funds on unhealthy food choices. This legislative move comes as former President Donald Trump’s administration pushes forward with its Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative.
The legislation under review, known as Senate Bill 379, was introduced by Republican State Senator Mayes Middleton of Galveston. The bill would prohibit SNAP recipients from using their benefits on items such as soda, candy, cookies, chips, and energy drinks, according to a report by Fox 4, a Dallas-Fort Worth news station.

State Senator Simcha Felder has been elected to the New York City Council, securing the seat for the 44th District in a closely watched race against Heshy Tishler. The district includes portions of Boro Park, Midwood, and Flatbush. Felder fills the vacancy left by former Councilman Kalman Yeger, who was elected to the New York State Assembly earlier this year. Felder’s City Council term will run through the end of 2025, after which he will need to compete in the June primaries and November general election to win a full four-year term. The outcome marks Felder’s return to the City Council, where he previously served before moving on to the State Senate.

JUST IN: State Senator Simcha Felder has been elected NYC Councilman for the 44th District, defeating Heshy Tishler and filling the vacant seat previously held by Kalman Yeger, who became a New York State Assemblyman earlier this year. The 44th District covers parts of Boro Park, Midwood, and Flatbush. Felder’s term will run through the end of the year, after which he must run in the June primaries and win the general election to secure a full four-year term. A special election is also expected to be scheduled for his now-vacant Senate seat.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday pardoned a former business partner of Hunter Biden who was convicted of participating in a conspiracy to defraud a Native American tribe. Devon Archer later became a key figure in the congressional inquiry into the Biden family businesses, telling lawmakers behind closed doors that the younger Biden sold the “illusion of access” to his father. Before signing the pardon, Trump said Archer was treated “very unfairly.” White House staff secretary Will Scharf said the “tone and tenor” of the prosecution changed after Archer began to cooperate with congressional investigators in the Biden family inquiry. Archer was convicted in 2018 in a scheme to defraud the tribe that involved the sale of bonds.

CNN’s senior data analyst Harry Enten shared on Tuesday’s “News Central” that the current level of optimism among Americans about the nation’s direction is remarkably high during President Donald Trump’s second term.

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