Washington - The top Senate Democrat said Thursday he will oppose President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee and lead a filibuster of the choice, setting up a politically charged showdown with Republicans with far-reaching implications for future judicial nominees. New York Sen. Chuck Schumer criticized Judge Neil Gorsuch, saying he “almost instinctively favors the powerful over the weak” and would not serve as a check on Trump or be a mainstream justice. “I have concluded that I cannot support Neil Gorsuch’s nomination,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “My vote will be no and I urge my colleagues to do the same.” Shortly before Schumer’s announcement, Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, who faces re-election next year in a state Trum...
The Justice Department is investigating Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), the House Ethics Committee revealed in a statement on Thursday. The ethics panel was reviewing alleged campaign finance violations by Hunter but has halted that work at the request of the Justice Department, the panel said.  “The Department of Justice has asked the Committee to defer consideration of this matter and the Committee, following precedent, unanimously voted on March 22, 2017, to defer consideration of this matter at this time,” the House Ethics Committee in a statement. The Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), an independent watchdog for the House, has been looking into potential campaign finance violations, according to the report released by OCE. However, the specific allega...
HHS Secretary Tom Price on why the proposed Obamacare replacement plan, the American Health Care Act, lives up to Trump’s promises, could give Americans access to universal coverage and why groups of Republicans have opposed it.
GOP House leaders delayed their planned vote Thursday on a long-promised bill to repeal and replace “Obamacare,” in a stinging setback for House Speaker Paul Ryan and President Donald Trump in their first major legislative test. The decision came after Trump, who ran as a master dealmaker, failed to reach agreement with a bloc of rebellious conservatives. Moderate-leaning Republican lawmakers were also bailing on the legislation, leaving it short of votes. The bill could still come to a vote in coming days, but canceling Thursday’s vote was a significant defeat. It came on the seven-year anniversary of President Barack Obama signing the Affordable Care Act, years that Republicans have devoted to promising repeal. Those promises helped them keep control of the House and...
President Reuven Rivlin today (Thursday) departed from Hanoi to visit Ho Chi Minh City. The visit marked the first by a President of Israel to the city.  President & First Lady Rivlin opened the special visit to the city by touring a model cow dairy established in 2013 by MASHAV (the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ international development program), together with the Ho Chi Minh regional authorities. The dairy, which houses 200 cows, is based on an Israeli model using technology developed by leading Israeli companies in the field. Israeli experts assisted in training the dairy workers, and continued to provide professional guidance. In addition, the dairy acted as a center of excellence for the local area, and accordingly the staff regularly traveled to other dairies ...
ABC News says three of its Twitter accounts were hacked Thursday morning and sent out profanity-filled tweets to its millions of followers. The tweets have since been deleted and ABC News says it is “working on resolving the problem.” The hacked accounts included the main ABC News one, which has nearly 10 million followers, and two accounts related to its morning show “Good Morning America.” ABC News is owned by Burbank, California-based The Walt Disney Co. San Francisco-based Twitter Inc. declined to comment, saying that it does not discuss individual accounts for privacy and security
Thousands were on hand for the Thursday morning 25 Adar levaya of HaGaon Rav Aharon Zachs ZT”L, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka L’Tzeirim. The rav was niftar in Mayanei HaYeshua Hospital in Bnei Brak during the night. The levaya began at 9:30AM from the yeshiva and then towards the rav’s home on Sokolov Street in Bnei Brak and from there to Beit Knesset Heligman and Kvura on Har HaZeisim. The rav was born 80 years ago to HaGaon Rav Chaim Eliyahu Zalman Zachs ZT”L and Moras Esther Leah A”H. He studied in Slobodka where he was known as an illui at a young age. He was very close to his brother-in-law, HaGaon Rav Dov Landau Shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Slobodka. The rav was hospitalized about two months ago in serious condition following a heart attack.
Baltimore, MD - Mar. 23, 2017 - Pesach dishes in the pantry? Old baby clothes stuffed in the bottom of a drawer? Winter coats and boots hidden away in the back of your closet? Are these items taking up valuable space you could be using for more important things? Not to mention with Pesach around the corner, you need a place to store your miscellaneous chametz items. Now, you no longer have to put up with your space being taken over by possessions that you aren’t using. Luckily, Store It Small, launching this Sunday, March 26th by Baltimore native Moshe Langermann, can take it off your hands and, for a minimal fee, store it in a secure location.  Enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing your valued belongings are being stored with the utmost care, in small sealed cont...
Interior Minister Aryeh Deri has come out again in support of Rabbi Yigal Levinstein, who came under fire from Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman after condemning the IDF’s new policy of integrating women into combat units. Deri met on Thursday morning 25 Adar with prominent dati leumi rav Rabbi Chaim Druckman Shlita, Rosh Yeshivat Yeshivot Bnei Akiva. During the visit Rav Druckman showed Deri a rare printing of the Rambam dating back 400 years. The two discussed the matter of the Defense Minister trying to decertify Bnei David due to Rabbi Levinstein’s remarks, and the fact that Rabbis Levinstein and Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Eli Sadan Shlita were summoned by the Defense Minister Director-General to a hearing on the matter next week. Deri, who used the media to express h...
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-General Gadi Eizenkott met for a number of hours with rabbonim from thje dati leumi community headed by Rabbi Chaim Druckman Shlita and Rabbi Zalman Menachem. Eizenkott listened to their concerns over the integration of females into combat units, informing them that religious officers’ cadets in Base 1 would be accommodated rather than forced to enter a mixed unit. He promised them that separate companies would be established in the Lahav and Nachshon battalions next month. Rav Melamed has recently spoken out about serving in and commanding such units, stating one has to give up one’s parnasa rather than to command a mixed unit. Eizenkott met with 16 rabbonim this week in his office, a meeting that latest a number of hours.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Republican-led Senate has confirmed President Donald Trump's pick to be U.S. ambassador to Israel, ignoring objections from Democrats that David Friedman lacked the temperament for such an important diplomatic post. Senators voted Thursday largely along party lines, 52-46, to approve Friedman's nomination. Only two Democrats – Sens. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Joe Manchin of West Virginia – voted in favor of Friedman. The son of an Orthodox rabbi, Friedman has been a fervent supporter of Israeli settlements, an opponent of Palestinian statehood and staunch defender of Israel's government Friedman, a combative attorney who once worked as Trump's bankruptcy lawyer, generated strident opposition from many Democrats. They pointed to Fr...
Agudath Israel of America, a national Orthodox Jewish organization, supports the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. We urge the Senate to confirm the nomination expeditiously. By all accounts, Judge Gorsuch is an outstanding selection to join the High Court. During his tenure in government, in private practice and on the bench he has distinguished himself by his outstanding scholarship, intellect and temperament. That he has garnered support from Americans of diverse political, ethnic and religious backgrounds is testament to the confidence our citizenry has in Judge Gorsuch's adherence to the fair and faithful application of the law. The prospect of Judge Gorsuch's elevation to the Supreme Court is particularl...
The Washington Post's Bob Woodward warned on Wednesday that there are people from the Obama administration who could be facing criminal charges for unmasking the names of Trump transition team members from surveillance of foreign officials. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., said earlier that he had briefed Trump on new information, unrelated to an investigation into Russian activities, that suggested that several members of Trump's transition team and perhaps Trump himself had their identities "unmasked" after their communications were intercepted by U.S. intelligence officials. The revelation is notable because identities of Americans are generally supposed to remain "masked" if American communications are swept up during sur...
London -  A video filmed by a British lawmaker shows the initial panic inside parliament during Wednesday’s attack in London in which an assailant killed three people nearby. Cries of “Is he coming?” and “Get back, get back” can be heard in the clip from member of parliament David Davies as he runs through a building warning those around. He told British media he was walking with a colleague to parliament’s lower chamber, the House of Commons, from nearby Portcullis House when he heard gunfire. The footage shows him running up an escalator and stairs. British media quoted him saying he ran back to Portcullis House where people were “milling around”. A British-born assailant, once investigated by MI5 intelligence agents over concern...
Former Arab MK Basel Ghattas was convicted of charges pertaining to his bringing cellular telephones to Arab prisoners in Israel. As per the plea bargain agreement, he admitted to his actions and will serve two years in prison. He was convicted in the Beersheva Magistrate court on charges including breach of trust, bribery, and smuggling prohibited electronic contraband to prisoners. Some of his former colleagues including MK Hanin Zoabi were in the court as a showing of support for him.
The Senate's top Democrat will oppose Judge Neil Gorsuch's confirmation to the Supreme Court and urged his Democratic colleagues to block the nomination. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York called on Senate Democrats to block the confirmation by using a filibuster, which takes 60 votes to overcome. The Senate minority leader's decision sets up a quandary for Republicans. The party will need either to win eight Democratic votes or change the rules to eliminate the 60-vote threshold. The Senate minority leader's decision sets up a quandary for Republicans. The party will need either to win eight Democratic votes or change the rules to eliminate the 60-vote threshold. See More Coverage »
Advisor Sebastian Gorka warns President Donald Trump of possible terrorist attacks like the one in London if the US isn't careful enough.
Prime Minister condemns London attack, says Israelis were first to face this type of terrorism. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu strongly condemned the deadly terror attack in London on Wednesday, which took place within the security parameter of the British parliament. In a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office Thursday afternoon, Netanyahu sent his condolences to the families of the three victims murdered in the combination ramming and stabbing attack. The Prime Minister also wished the 40 wounded a speedy recovery. Netanyahu noted the similarities between Wednesday’s attack and the wave of lone-wolf terror attacks combining stabbings with ramming attacks Israel faced from late 2015 through the first half of 2016. "The citizens of Israel were among t...
Italian archaeologists discover part of the so-called Campus Iudeorum, the long-lost cemetery used by Rome’s medieval Jewish community. JTA - Italian archaeologists have discovered part of the so-called Campus Iudeorum, the long-lost cemetery used by Rome’s medieval Jewish community. The discovery of 38 graves, with skeletal remains intact, was announced at a news conference this week at The National Roman Museum. A stone with part of a Hebrew inscription also was found. The site, whose graves date from the 14th century to the early 17th century, was uncovered during excavations carried out during the restructuring of the Palazzo Leonori as the new headquarters of an insurance company. Archaeologists dug down as deep as eight meters below the surface. A picture publishe...
Days after New Jersey Governor Chris Christie eliminated all security funding for nonpublic schools in his proposed budget, Rabbi Avi Schnall, Agudath Israel’s New Jersey director, testified before the Senate budget committee, calling on elected officials to stand up for the state’s 150,000 nonpublic school children and ensure their safety. The final budget appropriation for Fiscal Year 2016 - 2017 included a desperately needed allocation of $7.5 million for security measures at nonpublic schools, which would have allotted $50 per child.   Shortly after signing last year’s budget, Governor Christie signed the Secure Schools for All Children Act, which would have increased that amount to $75 for every student attending a nonpublic school in New Jersey. Rabbi Sc...
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