New York
A 51-year-old man faces multiple hate-crime charges, including two counts of second-degree attempted murder, after allegedly stabbing two men while shouting “Allahu Akbar” in separate attacks on the Upper West Side.
Morales first approached an Asian man from behind near West 84th Street and Central Park West, shouted “Allahu Akbar,” and stabbed him in the back with a knife. He then walked several blocks, passing a synagogue while again yelling “Allahu Akbar” and “Justice for Islam,” before stabbing a Jewish man in the chest with a screwdriver as he left The Jewish Center after Tishah B’Av services. Both victims were treated at Mount Sinai Morningside and are expected to survive. The suspect was ordered held without bail.
A group of New York City landlords filed a lawsuit in Staten Island Supreme Court seeking to overturn the Rent Guidelines Board’s June decision to freeze rents on roughly one million stabilized apartments. The complaint alleges that Mayor Mamdani improperly influenced the nine-member board by appointing members predisposed to support a freeze and that the panel ignored evidence of rising building operating costs. Landlords contend that the board’s 7-1 vote for zero increases on one- and two-year leases was “arbitrary and capricious” and relied on manipulated data. The suit further claims that the city spent millions of dollars to pack public hearings with tenant advocates in order to fulfill Mamdani’s campaign promise of a rent freeze. The freeze is scheduled to take effect for leases beginning October 1.
Mayor Mamdani announced that New York City will open five taxpayer-funded municipal grocery stores, one in each borough, with a core basket of everyday items priced 30 percent below typical retail prices. The discounted goods will include all fresh produce, meat, and seafood, along with roughly 20 pantry staples, dairy products, and refrigerated items, with prices set once a month and held steady for the full period. Officials project that the discounts will reduce the average New Yorker’s grocery bill by about 15 percent, or roughly $90 a month. The first store is scheduled to open by the end of 2027 at Hunts Point in the Bronx, with a second planned for La Marqueta in East Harlem and the remaining three expected by the end of the mayor’s first term. The city has allocated $70 million in capital funds to cover construction and will waive rent and property taxes for private operators selected through a request for proposals to manage daily operations.
Families of victims killed in the 9/11 attacks have launched an online petition urging organizers of the 25th-anniversary ceremony at Ground Zero to exclude Mayor Mamdani. The effort, organized by Giovanni Galante, whose wife Grace died in the World Trade Center, cites concerns over Mamdani’s public positions, associations, and perceived reluctance to condemn rhetoric such as “globalize the intifada.” The Change.org petition has gathered nearly 30,000 signatures, including those of hundreds of victims’ relatives who describe his potential presence as disrespectful to the solemn purpose of the event. Mamdani responded that he intends to attend, stating that he will “proudly honor the families, the survivors, the first responders forever impacted by that horrific terror attack by standing alongside them.”
Mayor Mamdani signed Executive Order 19, directing the Department of Citywide Administrative Services to equip the city’s non-emergency municipal vehicle fleet with new safety technology. The order requires audible pedestrian alerts to be installed on approximately 4,000 existing non-emergency municipal trucks by June 2029. These devices connect to turn signals and emit warnings to alert pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users when a truck is about to turn. All newly purchased or leased non-emergency city vehicles and trucks must also include both pedestrian alerts and intelligent speed-assistance systems that limit acceleration once a vehicle exceeds the local speed limit or a preset threshold.
Mayor Mamdani’s administration has published a searchable Department of Finance database listing properties that could be subject to New York’s new pied-à-terre tax on non-primary residences valued above $1 million. The public roll includes the full names and addresses of owners and covers more than 960,000 residences and individuals citywide, far exceeding the roughly 31,000 homes originally projected to face the levy. High-profile names such as director Woody Allen, former Vogue editor Anna Wintour, and actress Cynthia Nixon appear on the list, alongside many middle-class properties and even some commercial addresses. City officials stated that the release fulfills a state-law requirement for public inspection of the property roll and that not every listed owner will ultimately receive a tax notice. Council Minority Leader David Carr, whose own home is included, called the disclosure reckless.
Nassau County Executive and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman was blocked from speaking at the Bronx Dominican Day Parade after Assemblywoman Amanda Septimo refused to allow him to use the microphone. Blakeman, who said he had been invited by Dominican community leaders, watched as Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams addressed the crowd on the Grand Concourse. Septimo openly acknowledged the decision, stating that Blakeman “represents” the Trump administration and describing him as someone who has “spewed such rhetoric,” adding that she would never platform him even if he were running for dog catcher. Blakeman responded that the episode showed “exactly what life under socialism is like,” where “free speech is prohibited, and only one party gets to communicate with the public.” Blakeman later said he still enjoyed meeting members of the Dominican community and celebrating their contributions.
U.S.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced that a software error at the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission improperly registered roughly 6,600 noncitizens to vote between June 2023 and June 2024. Approximately 400 of those individuals later cast ballots in state elections. The affected people had indicated on forms that they were not U.S. citizens when applying for driver’s licenses or identification cards, yet the system still added them to the voter rolls. Sherrill said that the error was corrected in June 2024 and ordered the names removed from the rolls while launching an investigation. She noted that the issue occurred under the prior administration and stated that there is no evidence that any election outcomes were affected. The governor also said that the state is working to replace the software vendor responsible.
The House of Representatives passed the Stop Insider Trading Act by a 232-198 vote, prohibiting members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from purchasing individual stocks issued by publicly traded companies. The legislation allows lawmakers to retain and sell stocks they already own, provided that they file public notice between seven and 14 days in advance of any sale. Penalties for violations include a fee of $2,000 or 10 percent of the transaction value, whichever is greater. Republicans attached an unrelated provision requiring photo identification for voters in federal elections, which has drawn Democratic opposition and clouds the bill’s prospects. The measure now advances to the Senate, where its future remains uncertain amid partisan differences. Thirteen Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the package.
New Jersey Gov. Sherrill signed the Fair Price Protection Act into law, prohibiting grocery stores and third-party delivery platforms from using algorithms to charge individual shoppers different prices for the same products. The legislation bars businesses from relying on personal data such as online activity, location, purchasing history, or other collected information to set prices based on what an algorithm predicts a shopper is willing or able to pay. The ban applies to groceries and other foodstuffs while preserving loyalty programs, promotional discounts, and group-based offers for seniors, veterans, or teachers. It also imposes a one-year moratorium on the installation of new electronic shelf labels while the New Jersey Innovation Authority studies their impact. Existing electronic labels may continue to be used, repaired, or replaced.
Former NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci acknowledged in newly released diary entries that he held several private discussions with longtime senior adviser David Morens, whom he had previously disavowed under oath. Sen. Rand Paul released the entries, revealing that Fauci planned a phone call with Morens to discuss claims linking him to the Wuhan Institute of Virology and potential gain-of-function research. In a June 2024 House subcommittee appearance, Fauci testified that he “knew nothing of Dr. Morens’s actions regarding Dr. Daszak, EcoHealth, or his emails” and that Morens was not a functional adviser on policy. The diary notes also reference conversations involving Morens and others about systemic vaccination efforts. Morens was indicted in May on charges of concealing and deleting federal records related to COVID-era communications. Fauci is scheduled to testify before Paul’s Senate committee this week.
Khalid Satary, 54, was arrested in the Middle East after more than three years as a fugitive on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters List. The U.S. Department of Justice announced that Satary faces charges stemming from a 2019 indictment in the Eastern District of Louisiana for allegedly orchestrating a scheme that billed Medicare more than $547 million for medically unnecessary genetic tests between 2016 and 2019. Prosecutors say that he owned and operated multiple diagnostic laboratories and paid millions in illegal kickbacks and bribes to doctors and patient recruiters. Satary fled after failing to appear for a court hearing in 2022 and was found in possession of a fake Mexican passport under a false name at the time of his capture. He was returned to the United States and made an initial court appearance. The FBI added him to the Most Wanted list in June, leading to his apprehension less than a month later.
Ashley Jackson, daughter of the late civil rights leader and Baptist minister Rev. Jesse Jackson, has revealed that she converted to Judaism after a years-long spiritual journey. In a personal essay published in The Washington Post, Jackson wrote that she completed the conversion on June 12 following extended study, reflection, and participation in Jewish communal life. She described her father embracing the decision and attending a Shabbos service at her Los Angeles synagogue two years before his death, where he sat with her and received a standing ovation from the congregation. Jackson adopted the Hebrew name Miriam Yiskah, chosen in part as a feminine echo of her father’s name. She said that the conversion reflected the values of faith leading to action with which she had been raised in her family.
Israel
Two Palestinian terrorists stabbed an Israeli civilian near the community of Itamar while he and others were fighting a nearby fire. An armed civilian at the scene shot and killed both attackers. Hours later, a third terrorist stabbed an IDF paratrooper in the Ganim area before other soldiers returned fire and eliminated him, bringing the total number of terrorists killed to three. The civilian was seriously wounded, and the soldier was lightly injured; both were evacuated for medical treatment, and the soldier’s family was notified. IDF forces have imposed closures and are conducting searches and counterterrorism operations in Beit Furik and Tubas, the hometowns of the attackers.
OpenAI has selected Sheba Medical Center as its first hospital partner outside the United States for its healthcare AI program. The agreement was signed with Nate Gross, OpenAI’s head of health, and will give Israeli physicians early access to the company’s clinical models, including ChatGPT Health. Sheba teams will help shape the development of these tools and integrate the hospital’s own treatment protocols into systems designed to support medical decision-making, research, and hospital operations. The models, currently limited to a small number of U.S. facilities, are intended to assist clinicians with evidence-based care. A Sheba delegation is scheduled to visit OpenAI’s headquarters in August for meetings with senior executives.
Israel’s diamond exports fell to a historic low of $2.4 billion in the first half of 2026. The total marks the weakest performance in the industry’s recorded history and continues a multiyear decline driven by weaker global demand, competition from lab-grown diamonds, and a new 10 percent U.S. tariff. Total trade volume, including rough imports and polished exports, also dropped to approximately $4 billion. Industry leaders have cited competitive disadvantages relative to centers such as Dubai and Belgium.
A municipal beach worker searching for lost jewelry and keys on Ashdod Beach discovered an exceptionally rare, 2,500-year-old silver-plated coin minted in the ancient Cypriot city of Salamis. The intact coin, identified as a Persian-period siglos from the mid-fifth century BCE, is the first of its kind ever found in Israel. Experts noted that the coin is made of base metal coated with silver, a practice common in Cypriot coinage of the era due to silver shortages on the island. One side depicts a reclining ram, while the reverse shows a ram’s head within a sunken square, alongside a laurel branch and Cypriot syllabic symbols.
World
Toronto police are investigating two separate hate incidents that occurred at different locations of the same Jewish-owned bakery chain. One site was struck by gunfire that damaged a window, while the second sustained window damage with no evidence of shots being fired. No injuries were reported at either location. Investigators are examining whether the incidents are connected and are working to identify those responsible. The Hate Crime Unit and the Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force are leading the probe.
A man armed with two kitchen knives stabbed three women on a street in northern Paris. The victims included one who was pregnant; two suffered serious wounds to the lower back and abdomen but were not in life-threatening condition. Bystanders and an off-duty police officer restrained the attacker at the scene. While being held down, the suspect declared, “It is Allah who commanded me.” The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office is monitoring the case, though a formal terrorism inquiry had not been opened.
Greece is moving forward with a roughly €3 billion acquisition of Israeli air-defense systems that will form the core of its new “Achilles’ Shield” integrated defense network. The package centers on the Barak MX, David’s Sling, and SPYDER systems, which will be linked with Greece’s F-35 and F-16 Viper aircraft, Belharra frigates, and existing Patriot batteries under a unified command-and-control architecture. The multilayered network is designed to counter aircraft, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones across Greek territory. Greek officials have described the project as one of the country’s largest military modernization efforts in decades, with delivery expected in stages over approximately 35 months.
The house in Braunau am Inn, Austria, where Adolf Hitler, y”s, was born has officially reopened as a police station. Austrian authorities converted the 17th-century building to prevent it from becoming a pilgrimage site for neo-Nazis and others who seek to glorify the Nazi dictator responsible for the Holocaust. The renovated building now houses local and district police units, and its exterior has been altered to remove visible associations with him. A memorial stone from the former Mauthausen concentration camp remains outside, bearing the inscription: “For freedom, democracy and liberty. Never again fascism. Millions of dead remind us.” An official said the project reflects Austria’s responsibility to confront its Nazi past and ensure that the site is never used to honor the murderous ideology it represents.
Six men are expected to face charges in connection with a suspected plot to attack a synagogue in the Paris suburb of Sarcelles. France’s National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office said that the suspects were linked to a vehicle containing weapons, including a machine gun, that was discovered near the synagogue on July 11, prompting the evacuation of about 300 people. The six individuals, whose identities have not been disclosed, are suspected of participating in the transport of the vehicle or the supply and delivery of the arms. The prosecutor described the plot as Islamist-motivated.
A van-ramming and subsequent stabbing attack near a Berlin festival left one person dead and at least 29 others injured. The incident is believed to have been an Islamic extremist terrorist attack. The suspect, identified as 21-year-old Abdul Ballout, a German citizen with Lebanese roots who was known to authorities for ties to the Islamist scene, fled the scene after driving a van into a crowd and attacking pedestrians with a bladed weapon.
French lawmakers adopted a bill banning children under 15 from using social media, making France the first country in the European Union to approve a blanket prohibition on the platforms. Both chambers of Parliament voted in favor of the measure, a key priority of President Emmanuel Macron’s second term, driven by growing concerns over the effects of digital content on minors. The legislation also extends existing restrictions by banning the use of mobile phones in high schools. New social media accounts for those under 15 will be blocked starting September 1, while the ban on existing accounts takes effect January 1, 2027.
