NEW YORK NEWS
Daniel Christopher Hyden, a 44-year-old substance abuse counselor and author of The Sober Addict, was ordered held without bail after allegedly driving drunk with a suspended license and killing three people while injuring eight others at a Fourth of July celebration on the Lower East Side. Hyden, whose license had been suspended four times, attempted to evade sobriety tests by closing his eyes after the crash. He faces multiple counts of vehicular homicide and a potential 25-year prison sentence. The crash, which occurred after Hyden was refused entry to a bar for being too drunk, has sparked outrage, particularly from relatives of the victims, who include a disabled woman, her son, and another woman.
Two teenage sisters, aged 17 and 18, have died after being pulled from the water at Coney Island Beach in critical condition following a rescue effort on Friday evening. Emergency calls reported three people needing help, but only the sisters were found after a search. Initially believed to be another missing swimmer, police later confirmed there was no third individual. This incident, along with recent drownings at Jacob Riis Park and several Florida beaches due to rip currents, has heightened concerns over water safety. Experts advise swimmers caught in rip currents to remain calm, signal for help, and swim parallel to the shore.
Nearly a dozen Long Island school districts are suing social media giants like Facebook, TikTok, and Snapchat, alleging that their “addictive and dangerous” platforms cause mental health issues in children, leading to significant financial and resource burdens for the schools. They seek compensation for hiring mental health professionals, altering lesson plans to address social media dangers, and investigating online threats. These lawsuits join a broader wave of legal actions against social media companies, including a lawsuit by New York Attorney General Letitia James accusing Meta of intentionally installing addictive features to engage young users. The school districts, part of a multidistrict federal lawsuit, accuse the companies of negligence and creating a public nuisance, and demand stronger age-verification processes and better monitoring of children’s online activity. Representatives of the social media companies have responded, with Google and Snapchat defending their efforts to create safer online environments for youth.
Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch unveiled New York City’s first official trash bin outside Gracie Mansion on Monday, announcing that from November 12, landlords of residential buildings with one to nine units must use trash bins with secure latching lids. These “NYC Bins,” costing under $50, aim to keep streets cleaner and reduce the rat population by eliminating exposed black trash bags. Adams highlighted the boldness of the city’s rodents and the need for change. By November 12, 70% of the city’s 14 billion pounds of annual trash will be containerized, with a mandate for all such buildings to use official bins by June 1, 2026, ensuring faster, safer, and cleaner trash collection.
US NEWS
Tropical Storm Beryl, initially a Category 1 hurricane, wreaked havoc on Houston on Monday, transforming streets into rivers, causing widespread power outages for over two million Texans, and resulting in at least four deaths. Despite weakening as it moved north, Beryl’s impact was severe, prompting officials to warn residents to stay indoors as if a tornado was imminent. The storm felled trees, damaged homes, and forced the closure of Houston’s airports. Power restoration could take days, exacerbating the discomfort with forecasts of 90-degree temperatures. Beryl follows a trend of increasingly frequent and early-season storms, raising concerns about the upcoming hurricane season.
Nearly 180 gravestones at the Tifereth Israel and Beth Hamedrash Hagadol cemeteries in Cincinnati were vandalized between June 25 and July 1, including gravestones dating back to the late 1800s and at least six belonging to US veterans. The FBI, Cincinnati Police, and Green Township authorities are investigating, with no known suspects. President Joe Biden condemned the antisemitic act amid a national rise in such incidents. Sue Susskind, executive director of the Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati, described the scene as horrendous. Two monument companies have offered to help restore the gravestones, and families are inspecting the graves of their loved ones. Janson Becker, whose family’s graves were safe, urged affected families to find peace, emphasizing the community’s resilience and determination to restore the cemeteries’ sanctity. The FBI is offering a reward of $10,000 for information that leads to the arrest of the vandal or vandals.
Dr. Kevin Cannard, a neurologist specializing in movement disorders from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, visited the White House eight times between July 2023 and March 2024, with visits documented in official logs. These visits included meetings with President Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, raising questions about whether Dr. Cannard was consulting on the president’s health. While Dr. O’Connor confirmed that Biden had seen Dr. Cannard three times during his presidency as part of his annual physical exams, he stressed that there were no signs of Parkinson’s disease or other central neurological disorders. Despite growing concerns and speculations about Biden’s health following a poor debate performance, the White House maintains that the president’s regular duties serve as a daily cognitive test, and no additional neurological examinations have been deemed necessary since his last checkup.
Boeing will plead guilty to a criminal fraud charge related to the two fatal 737 Max crashes that killed 346 people, the Justice Department announced on Sunday. This plea deal follows allegations that Boeing misled regulators about the aircraft’s flight-control system and pilot training requirements. Under the agreement, which still requires court approval, Boeing will pay a $243.6 million fine—matching the amount from a 2021 settlement that the DOJ claims Boeing violated—and invest at least $455 million in safety and compliance programs over the next three years. The deal also includes the appointment of an independent monitor to oversee these initiatives. The plea pertains solely to pre-crash violations and does not shield Boeing from future legal challenges or address the January 2024 emergency exit panel incident on an Alaska Airlines flight. While the settlement resolves charges against the corporation, it does not implicate individual Boeing officials, and some families of the crash victims are urging the court to reject the agreement. The deal comes after the DOJ found Boeing in breach of the 2021 settlement terms, which had protected the company from prosecution under the condition of meeting specific legal and regulatory requirements. Legal experts note that a criminal conviction could impact Boeing’s federal contracting status, but the plea deal does not directly address this issue. Boeing, a major defense contractor and a key player in the aerospace industry, has faced criticism for its safety practices, and recent whistleblower allegations and Senate hearings have further scrutinized the company’s record.
The Republican National Committee’s platform committee approved a new GOP platform for 2024 that moderates the party’s stance on abortion, reflecting former President Donald Trump’s influence. The revised platform opposes “Late Term Abortion” but supports prenatal care, birth control access, and IVF, diverging from previous platforms that endorsed a federal 20-week abortion ban. The 2024 platform asserts that the 14th Amendment guarantees the right to life and liberty, and that states should decide abortion laws, aligning with Trump’s preference for state-level abortion regulations rather than a national ban. This shift marks a significant change from the 2016 and 2020 platforms, which featured stricter anti-abortion language. Trump, who endorsed the new platform, praised it as a “forward-looking Agenda” on his social media platform. The platform’s softening of abortion policies comes as the party gears up for a closely contested election against President Joe Biden. While the platform does not include a national abortion ban, it affirms a commitment to pro-life principles through the 14th Amendment. Critics, including some pro-life advocates, argue that the new language is insufficient, while RNC Chairman Michael Whatley defended it as a robust pro-life stance. The Biden campaign seized on the platform’s changes to argue that Trump’s policies would severely restrict reproductive rights if he were re-elected.
CNN will no longer accept work from a Gaza-based freelance journalist who was previously employed by Hamas and boasted about his ties to the U.S.-designated terrorist organization on Facebook. This comes after a report by the media bias watchdog HonestReporting has accused Gaza-based CNN freelance journalist Abdel Qader Sabbah of having ties to Hamas and engaging in pro-terrorist activities. According to the report, Sabbah, who has worked for CNN and the Associated Press, has been seen in photographs with high-ranking Hamas officials like Mahmoud A-Zahar and has expressed support for violent acts against Israel. His Facebook posts reportedly celebrate terrorists and share propaganda for Hamas, including a video promoting a Hamas security academy. The report raises concerns about the journalistic integrity of the media networks that have platformed Sabbah, questioning their vetting processes and the broader implications for media standards in conflict reporting.
Vandals tore down Israeli hostage posters outside Rep. Brad Schneider’s Capitol Hill office, a week after pro-Palestinian activists staged a noisy, early-morning protest at his home, accusing him of supporting “genocide” due to his pro-Israel stance. Schneider, who is Jewish and an outspoken supporter of Israel, condemned the vandalism as an antisemitic act and criticized the timing of the protest during Shabbat in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood. The incidents are part of a series of July 4 protests by pro-Palestinian groups across the U.S.
The parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue, HBC, has finalized a $2.65 billion acquisition of upscale rival Neiman Marcus Group, which owns Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, creating a new luxury retail entity called Saks Global. This new company will continue to operate under the existing brand names while benefiting from a $1.15 billion financing deal from Apollo and a $2 billion loan facility led by Bank of America. Amazon will hold a minority stake and contribute its logistics and technology expertise, while Salesforce will also invest. The merger aims to reduce operating costs, enhance negotiating power with vendors, and offer a more personalized shopping experience through advancements in technology. Saks Global will manage a $7 billion real estate portfolio and is expected to better compete in a fragmented luxury market where consumers are increasingly turning to online shopping and brand-owned stores.
Israel NEWS
The IDF demolished the homes of Muhammad and Kathem Zawahra, two of the three Palestinian terrorists involved in a February shooting attack near a Jerusalem checkpoint that killed Matan Elmaliah and injured 11 others. The brothers, who were killed during the attack, had their homes demolished in the Bethlehem-area town of Za’atara as part of Israel’s policy to retaliate against those responsible for deadly terror attacks. The third terrorist, Ahmed Al-Wahsh, was captured. Additionally, the IDF has arrested about 4,200 wanted Palestinians in the West Bank since October 7, including over 1,750 affiliated with Hamas.
Dr. Yitzhak (Itzik) Yifat, one of the paratroopers famously photographed at the Western Wall during the 1967 Six-Day War, died on Saturday at 81. Yifat, who was the young soldier in the center of David Rubinger’s iconic image of the recaptured Wall, later became a gynecologist and lived in Kiryat Malachi and Ge’a. In his later years, Yifat reflected on the emotional and complex legacy of the Six Day War, expressing both pride in the historical moment and concerns over the ongoing conflict with the Palestinians. He will be buried in his hometown of Ge’a. Yifat is survived by three daughters and ten grandchildren.
Two Israeli citizens from Ar’ara, Abdel Mahdi Gabarin, and Naim Gabarin were indicted on Monday for attempting to join the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria. The State Attorney’s Office revealed that the men were arrested last month at Ben-Gurion Airport as they sought to travel to Turkey and then enter Syria. The charges allege that the suspects were influenced by ISIS propaganda, including violent videos, and had engaged in combat training in Israel. The case follows recent efforts by Israeli security forces to thwart ISIS-related terror plots, reflecting ongoing concerns over radicalization and jihadist activities.
A 26-year-old man in Israel, who was only the second person in the country to be diagnosed with Naegleria fowleri, has died from the infection. The rare amoeba, known as the “brain-eating amoeba,” causes a severe and often fatal brain infection when water containing it enters the nose. The man had likely been exposed to the amoeba while swimming at Gai Beach in Tiberias and was initially treated at Sharon Hospital before being transferred to Beilinson Hospital. Despite investigations revealing no contamination at the beach, the infection resulted in the man’s death. This case follows a similar fatal infection in Israel in August 2022.
WORLD NEWS
Iran’s Sahand naval destroyer sank while undergoing repairs at a port near the Strait of Hormuz, according to state media reports. The vessel, which had been launched in December 2018 and was equipped with advanced missile systems and radar capabilities, lost balance due to water infiltration into its tanks. While injured personnel were transferred to the hospital, the shallow waters at the site may allow for the ship’s recovery. This incident follows the sinking of another Iranian destroyer, Damavand, in the Caspian Sea in January 2018.
Keir Starmer, long viewed as a dull figure, has achieved a historic triumph as Britain’s new prime minister, marking the Labour Party’s first national election win since Tony Blair’s three consecutive victories beginning in 1997. Starmer, 61, led Labour to a decisive victory over Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives by promising change and stability after 14 years of Conservative rule. With a background as a human rights lawyer and a tough prosecutor, Starmer transitioned from being a critic of the Labour leadership under Jeremy Corbyn to a pragmatic leader who has refashioned the party toward the political center. His campaign emphasized restoring public trust and addressing the cost-of-living crisis, though he has faced criticism from both left and right for moderating some Labour policies and for his stance on Brexit. Starmer, the first knighted prime minister since 1963, will now lead the government with a focus on public service reform and economic stability.
In a dramatic turnaround, France’s left-wing coalition, the New Popular Front, achieved a stunning victory in the recent parliamentary elections, overcoming the right-wing National Rally and marking a significant shift in French politics. The New Popular Front, a coalition of communists, socialists, and greens, won 182 seats, outpacing President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist coalition, Ensemble, which ended with 163 seats. Despite this victory, no single group secured a parliamentary majority, creating a complex and unstable political environment. Macron’s coalition had strategically collaborated with the left to withdraw 200 candidates, a move that provoked National Rally leader Jordan Bardella’s ire. The National Rally, despite increasing its seats from 89 to 143, fell short of expectations for a majority. The election results sparked nationwide riots and unrest, with roughly 30,000 riot police deployed as tensions flared. French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced his resignation in response to the electoral outcome, acknowledging the unprecedented political uncertainty facing the country.
An ancient Hebrew tombstone discovered in Ramanthapuram, Tamil Nadu, India, dates back to around January 1224 or 1225 CE, making it older than the previously known oldest Hebrew tombstone in India. Discovered by chemical engineer Hathim Ali and deciphered by Hebrew calligrapher Thoufeek Zakriya, the tombstone’s inscription reveals a historical Jewish presence in southern India, potentially influenced by Yemenite Jewish traditions. This find offers new insights into India’s Jewish heritage and revises the historical narrative of Jewish communities in the region. The tombstone’s design and historical context connect it to the broader Hellenistic world of the Seleucid era and highlight the rich, though often overlooked, history of Jews in India.