A judge has rejected former New York state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's latest bid to toss out corruption charges against him.
Federal Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan ruled Friday that prosecutors have sufficiently described charges in an indictment brought against Silver after his January arrest.
Silver's lawyers say they're reviewing the ruling and are looking forward to a trial, which they say will clear his name.
Prosecutors say the case involves bribes and kickbacks. The judge says she's not buying the defense's depiction ...
On the eve of Tisha B’Av, Gesher released the first- ever comprehensive index of social attitudes towards Israeli unity. The Israel Unity Index, commissioned as part of the Jerusalem Unity Prize In Memory of Eyal, Gilad and Naftali HY”D, will serve as an annual gauge for what is largely considered Israel’s biggest social challenge. While revealing a high level of concern over ...
Full Story »
One of two felony indictments against former Texas Gov. Rick Perry was tossed out Friday, giving the Republican presidential candidate a potentially huge legal victory in the face of flagging polling numbers for the 2016 race.
The 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin sided Friday with Perry's high-powered legal team in ruling that the charge of coercion of a public servant essentially ...
Full Story »
In a stunning attack on a leader of his own party, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz accused Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of lying to him and said he couldn't be trusted.
Cruz, a Texan who is running for president but ranks low in early polling, delivered the broadside in a speech on the Senate floor Friday, an extraordinary departure from the norms of Senate behavior that demand ...
Full Story »
Republican presidential candidates have been holding mock debates, hunkering down with advisers and finessing policy answers. But their most pressing concern heading into the first debate of the 2016 presidential primary season is one man: Donald Trump.
The billionaire businessman has dominated the primary race in recent weeks. He's expected to play an outsized role on national ...
Full Story »
The latest TGI poll, released on Wednesday 6 Menachem Av, shows that Kol Chai Radio’s listening audience has increased, taking the lead from the Shas-affiliated Kol Berama Radio. The poll refers to the first half of 2015, measuring listening habits of the chareidi community.
Kol Berama held the first place slot for a number of years but the poll shows things have changed in 2015. ...
Full Story »
[COMMUNICATED CONTENT]
Some are calling it 'the boat event', some are referring to it as a concert, or a dinner, while some are just considering it a night out.
We wanted to hear what it really is, so we got in touch with some of the coordinators and performers of the 'Amidst The Ocean' event.
"It's all of the above" says an Elite Prod Events coordinator. "Our planned itinerary ...
Full Story »
A judge has ordered the release of a summary of misconduct findings against the New York City police officer who held Eric Garner in a fatal chokehold.
The New York Times says state Supreme Court Justice Alice Schlesinger granted a freedom of information request from the Legal Aid Society. The ruling was released late Wednesday.
Legal Aid had asked for the number of complaints ...
Full Story »
In a move that will no doubt save many lives, the Illinois state legislature passed a bill that will give Chicago’s Hatzolah the same legal dispensations at other recognized ambulance services.
“This bill was all about saving lives,” said Lou Lang, a member of the Illinois legislature and co-sponsor of the bill. “Rarely do we get a chance to pass a law that does so much to ...
Full Story »
A major power outage at LaGuardia Airport's Terminal C has caused dozens of flight cancellations.
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey spokesman Steve Coleman says 45 flights were cancelled and five were delayed at the Delta terminal after power went out at 4:30 a.m. Friday.
He says the FAA is reporting Delta delays of approximately 2 hours.
The outage occurred when a ...
Full Story »
A GOP-controlled Senate panel has voted to lift a decades-long ban on travel to Cuba, giving a boost to President Barack Obama's moves to ease travel restrictions and open up relations with the Castro-governed nation.
The Senate Appropriations Committee also voted to block enforcement of a law prohibiting banks and other U.S. businesses from financing sales of U.S. agricultural ...
Full Story »
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx says the government has opened a price-gouging investigation involving four airlines that allegedly raised airfares in the Northeast after an Amtrak crash in Philadelphia in May disrupted rail service.
Foxx tells reporters the Transportation Department sent letters to the airlines seeking information on Friday.
The four airlines are Delta, ...
Full Story »
Two independent government investigators have asked the Justice Department to look into whether sensitive government information was transmitted through Hillary Rodham Clinton's personal email server, federal officials said Friday.
A Justice Department official confirmed that the department had received a criminal referral from the inspectors general of the State Department, where ...
Full Story »
By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times
For the Refuah Shleimah of the author's brother-in-law Boruch Zev ben Bracha
“Can we take those pre-fasting pills on Shabbos or is that considered hachanah?”
“Do I really bring my Tishah B’Av shoes to shul on Friday?”
“Is it true my cholent pot must remain unwashed until Sunday afternoon?”
“Is it ...
Full Story »
Jerusalem police officials announced on Thursday, 7 Menachem Av, that preparations for the 9 B’Av weekend have been completed. Police and border police along with volunteers in the Jerusalem district will take part in the special Tisha B’Av deployment. Jerusalem Police Chief Moshe Edri released a statement to the media that police will be out in force to maintain order with an ...
Full Story »
[COMMUNICATED CONTENT]
Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim, also known as Rabbinical Seminary of America, is well recognized for the emphasis it places on ameilus baTorah, havanas haTorah, limud hamussar, andchachmas hamussar. This focus produces a “Chofetz Chaim talmid”, well equipped to face the many challenges life presents.
Talmidim leave the Yeshiva with a clear grasp of ...
Full Story »
After the arrival of a Nefesh B’Nefesh aliyah flight from N. America last week, 203 new immigrants from France are scheduled to arrive in Israel Monday evening, 10 Menachem Av. More than 3,000 immigrants are expected to arrive in ISarel from France during July and August.
The new arrivals will be greeted by Minister of Aliyah & Immigrant Absorption Ze'ev Elkin and Chairman of ...
Full Story »
In Tammuz police announced the arrests of suspects
in the arson attack against the Church of the Multiplication on the northwestern shore of the Kinneret. A gag order was placed on the investigation, with ...
Full Story »
Many residents of the southern community of Kadima are scratching their heads in disbelief and anger after police ‘cracked down’ on 15-year-old who was operating a summer drink stand. The young man is known to community residents, who explain he has set up his table and cold drink stand in the past, simply trying to make some pocket money during summer vacation. The stand literally ...
Full Story »
After two month during which the Dayanim Appointment Committee did not convene and years of negligence the state’s batei din are now short 80 dayanim. Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked promises to bring an end to this and appoint tens of dayanim in the immediate future. The lack of dayanim has resulted in an enormous backlog of cases in the rabbinical court system.
Shaked promises 31 ...
Full Story »
Police arrested Arabs from the Galil community of Kfar Kara who were part of a ring that would travel to the Binyamina train station and take weapons from IDF soldiers, mostly on weekends. They would follow soldiers to their homes and when no one was home, they would steal their weapons which they sold on the black market.
In the video we hear the voice of Coastal District Police ...
Full Story »
In his capacity representing the Conference of European Rabbis (CER), Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt has called on Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked to legislate laws permitting sanctions against recalcitrant husbands from Europe who flee to Israel. Rabbi Goldschmidt also serves as the Chief Rabbi of Moscow and in other public positions.
A bill has been formulated by the Chief Rabbinate of ...
Full Story »
Countering Republican criticism, Secretary of State John Kerry declared Thursday it is "fantasy plain and simple" to claim that President Barack Obama failed to insist on enough restraints on Iran's nuclear program before agreeing to lift economic sanctions long in place.
"So what's your plan? ... Totally go to war?" he challenged lawmakers who want to torpedo the ...
Full Story »
With reports the nation’s batei din affiliated with the Chief Rabbinate of Israel lack 80 dayanim, Tzohar Rabbonim leader Rabbi David Stav released a statement that he does not believe the newly appointed dayanim must be from the dati leumi community. Rabbi Stav issued a call to members of the committee to select the most qualified dayanim and not to become concerned with the hashkafa ...
Full Story »
New Jersey Democrats are taking aim at Gov. Chris Christie with a pair of bills stemming from his presidential run, but their efforts look likely to fail.
Democratic senators on Thursday considered two bills.
One requires Christie to resign as governor because he's running for president.
The other prohibits public funding to be used for travel and security for any activity not ...
Full Story »
Three demonstrators detained on Tuesday, 5 Menachem Av at a demonstration on Begin Boulevard in Jerusalem in protest of the planned destruction of homes in Beit El were released from remand the following day.
The police initially requested a five-day remand extension. However after the judge accepted Honenu attorney David HaLevi's opinion that there was not sufficient evidence that ...
Full Story »
New York's governor says the conviction of the second-ranking Republican in the state Senate is a "sad, sad personal tragedy."
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday on public radio's "Capital Pressroom" that Sen. Thomas Libous made a mistake but was a "quality public servant" for many years.
A federal jury found Libous guilty of lying to the FBI about arranging a high-paying job for his ...
Full Story »
According to the experts in the University of Haifa, approximately 30% of the population suffer from fatty liver disease, the commonest liver disease in the Western world. The disease can lead to inflammation and cirrhosis of the liver. A joint study by the University of Haifa and the Tel Aviv Medical Center has found that gym training, and not only aerobic exercises, can help reduce ...
Full Story »
While it may have been an unavoidable component of the renewed trade agreement signed between Israel and Canada, by affixing his signature to the document Economy Minister Aryeh Deri has facilitate the importing of seafood.
The new agreement replaces the $500 million annual 1997 agreement, with experts explaining today, trade between Israel and Canada climbed to $1.6 billion I 2014. ...
Full Story »
Big-money political groups don't have to worry about the IRS imposing new rules on their campaign activities before the 2016 presidential election.
IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said Thursday the tax agency won't adopt any new regulations for the political activities of tax-exempt groups until 2017. He said the IRS doesn't want to be seen as trying to influence the outcome of the ...
Full Story »
Turkey has agreed to let the U.S. military use a key air base near the Syrian border to launch airstrikes against the Islamic State, senior U.S. officials said Thursday, giving a boost to the U.S.-led coalition while drawing Turkey deeper into the conflict.
President Barack Obama and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan finalized the deal in a phone call Wednesday, officials said, ...
Full Story »
Rock-throwing attacks continue in the capital despite the
passing of the new law that rock-throwing carries a five year prison term. Police on Wednesday evening 6 Menachem Av arrested one young Arab stone-thrower, an 8-year-old ...
Full Story »
Scandal-tarred former congressman Anthony Weiner has a new job as a part-time consultant to a public relations firm.
The firm MWW announced Thursday that Weiner will join the company's board of advisers.
MWW said Weiner will be a consultant on public policy and new business development and will not service clients directly.
Weiner represented a Brooklyn-Queens district in ...
Full Story »
Doctors are working to understand an infection that claimed the life of an 18-month-old in Ziff Hospital in Tzfas this week. The child arrived in the hospital in grave condition. Samples of the deadly bacteria have been sent to the lab in the Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer Hospital in Tel Aviv for analysis.
It is explained that when the toddler arrived in the hospital some of ...
Full Story »
[COMMUNICATED CONTENT]
Rabbi Aryeh Nivin’s Personal Development Chaburas educate and empower you to live with vitality, transcendence, and powerful joy. The Chabura is the oldest continuous virtual personal development workshop. Members meet by phone or webinar once a week (additional weekly processing groups will soon be available). Rabbi Nivin brings 30 years’ experience teaching ...
Full Story »
In what is being reported as a “first in the world”, twin sisters married twin brothers and the sisters gave birth to girls in Israel 20 minutes apart. The proud grandmother explained to the press “The Tzaddik from Yavniel told me ‘you will become a savta (grandmother) in one shot’”.
In the Breslov community in Yavniel the Tzaddik of Yavniel, HaGaon HaRav Eliezer Shlomo ...
Full Story »
It was reported that during the predawn hours Thursday, 7 Menachem Av,
IDF soldiers were attacked while trying to make an arrest in Beit Omer in the Hebron district. B’chasdei Hashem soldiers were not injured but ...
Full Story »
A statistic that has many dati leumi rabbonim feeling proud shows 85% of hesder yeshiva talmidim enter IDF combat units. Hundreds of hesder talmidim will be heading for an induction center next month.
A number of hesder soldiers have entered the current induction to the Kfir Brigade, followed by engineering, armored corps, Golani, field intelligence, artillery and ...
Full Story »
A GOP-controlled Senate panel has voted to lift a decades-long ban on travel to Cuba, giving a boost to President Barack Obama's moves to ease travel restrictions and open up relations with the Castro-governed nation.
The Senate Appropriations Committee also voted to repeal a law prohibiting banks and other U.S. businesses from financing sales of U.S. agricultural exports to ...
Full Story »
MK Uri Maklev during a session of the Knesset Economics Committee addressed sweeping reforms to improve the Israel Postal Authority. Maklev explained that it all of the changes made will not accomplish the desired goal for as long as the postal authority remains clueless to customer service.
Maklev spoke of the unacceptably long lines in post officers, the chronic lack of service, ...
Full Story »
Written by Rabbi Ari Sytner
As the afternoon hours of the fast day marched on, the 17th of Tamuz felt as if it would never end. Being among the longest and hottest fast days of the year, I closed my eyes in the hopes of embracing a much-awaited nap.
However, I was suddenly stirred by the ringing of my phone. Seeing that the call was coming from my sister in Israel, I quickly ...
Full Story »
RSS