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November 23, 2017 at 9:55 am

Menendez Attorney: Hung Jury Supported Friendship Defense

The fact that the jury in the trial of Sen. Bob Menendez couldn’t reach a verdict and was apparently in favor of acquitting the Democrat and a wealthy friend supported the defense’s theory that their friendship carried more weight than the criminal allegations, a defense attorney in the case said Wednesday. In the first extended comments by the defense team since last week’s mistrial, Jonathan Cogan also said he doesn’t expect the Department of Justice to spend a long time determining whether to retry the pair, though he didn’t expect a hasty decision. The department hasn’t divulged its plans, and a spokeswoman didn’t comment Wednesday. There has been no deadline set by the judge for the government to say whether it will seek a retrial. Men...

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November 23, 2017 at 9:53 am

Will Coalition Enter Crisis Over Shabbos Train Works?

The coalition crisis surrounding the work on the Tel Aviv Light-Rail has shifted into a new gear within the Charedi parties themselves. Interior Minister and Shad faction head Aryeh Deri was infuriated with the UTJ faction head and Health Minister Yaakov Llitzman after Litzman threatened to resign over the desecration of Shabbos that occurs each week. Even from within Litzman’s own party he faced opposition in the form of MK Moshe Gafni who objected to Litzman’s polemic against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu following this past weekend’s turn of events. Deri and Gafni have come out and said that the proper way to fight the battle for the sanctity of Shabbos, is via the creation of laws and governmental decisions enshrining the holiness of the day. They believe th...

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November 23, 2017 at 9:43 am

Mobsters’ Daughter Gets A Jewish Burial In Las Vegas

The rabbi thought nothing of the Flamingo Hotel as he passed it on his way to a Las Vegas area hospice. Despite the glitz and glimmer that draws people to the desert city—and the grimy edge that sometimes keeps them there for good—Las Vegas is a big place, home to real people with real (and regular) lives, and Rabbi Mendy Harlig was on his way last week to do what rabbis often do: meet with a Jewish woman breathing her last. Harlig, a Chabad-Lubavitch rabbi, regularly visits Jewish patients in municipal hospitals and hospices. This time, a family he did not know had requested a rabbi, and Compassion Care Hospice had called him. There, he met the woman, Millicent Rosen, and her family. He helped her recite the prayers for one’s final moments, which concludes with the Shem...

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November 23, 2017 at 9:37 am

Parshas VaYaitzei - The Power of the Womb; The Power of Prayer

There is an almost universally shared “first photo” in modern baby albums – the somewhat blurry image captured on a pregnant woman’s first ultrasound. The observations, “He looks like you!” “She’s got your eyes!” are bandied about in good humor as parents, grandparents, friends and family begin the process of welcoming a new member to the family and community. In addition to these early images, there are also numerous genetic tests to determine that the fetus does not have one of any number of terrible diseases. If these tests come back positive, the parents-to-be are confronted with a wrenching decision about whether to continue the pregnancy. Some social commentators have a dark, dystopian view of the possibil...

International News

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November 23, 2017 at 9:35 am

Belgian Rabbis To Appeal Anti-Shechita Laws

Next week Rabbis from all over Belgium are expected to present an appeal to the local parliament in an effort to remove the ban on Jewish Shechita in various regions throughout the country. The Rabbis are hoping that the judges will see the issue as impinging upon their religiu freedoms. Shoud the appeal be rejected, Halachic Shechita will be outlawed permanently throughout the country. Chief Rabbi of Brussels, Rabbi Avraham Gigi, spoke to Israeli media outlet Kikar HaShabbat regarding the preparations that are being taken ahead of the appeal submission. “Belgium is a country that is divided into distinct regions. There are three major regions and each region has its own autonomy and its own self-governing body for the most part. Each governing body can institute laws for the...

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November 22, 2017 at 7:47 pm

Administrative Charges Dropped For Baltimore Police Sgt. Alicia White

Baltimore police have dismissed administrative action for Sgt. Alicia White in connection of Freddie Gray's death. Baltimore police released a statement on the dismissal of administrative charges, Wednesday evening, saying: "Commissioner Kevin Davis has dismissed the scheduled administrative hearing board for Sergeant Alicia White. She will face no further administrative actions. We now have the experience of two administrative trials. A trial is the best test of evidence. Two separate boards have examined the evidence and have reached the same conclusion. The evidence and allegations against Sergeant White are the same. Commissioner Davis feels proceeding with this administrative hearing would not be in good faith, and has dismissed the charges. We look forward to continuing the ...

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November 22, 2017 at 7:39 pm

Holocaust Memorial Erected Outside German Nationalist’s Home

A group of artists has erected a Holocaust memorial outside the home of a nationalist politician who suggested Germany should end the decades-long tradition of acknowledging and atoning for its Nazi past. The Center for Political Beauty, known for its provocative stunts, said Wednesday that its members placed 24 concrete blocks on a property adjacent to the home of Alternative for Germany lawmaker Bjoern Hoecke over the weekend. The concrete blocks are modeled after those at the country’s main memorial in Berlin to the six millions Jews killed by Nazi Germany. Hoecke, who heads the nationalist AfD’s caucus in the Thuringia state assembly, caused uproar in January when he described the Holocaust memorial in Berlin as a “monument of shame.&rdquo...

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November 22, 2017 at 7:39 pm

Watch: An IDF Tank On Fire In An Undisclosed Facility (Video)

In the following video, we see a tank that caught fire in an undisclosed IDF facility. B’chasdei Hashem, there are no reports of any injuries in the incident.

International News

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November 22, 2017 at 7:38 pm

North Korea Criticizes US Over Designation As Terror Sponsor

North Korea on Wednesday called U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to relist it as a state sponsor of terrorism a “serious provocation” that justifies its development of nuclear weapons. In the country’s first public response to its return to the American blacklist, the official Korean Central News Agency said North Korea has no connection to terrorism and does not care “whether the U.S. puts a cap of ‘terrorism’ on us or not.” It said the U.S. action shows North Korea should continue to “keep the treasured nuclear sword in our hands more tightly” to protect itself from American hostility. “By re-listing (North Korea) as a ‘state sponsor of terrorism,’ the U.S. openly revealed to the whole world its ...

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November 22, 2017 at 5:45 pm

Changes at BWI-Marshall in place for busiest holiday travel time

BWI-Marshall expecting record number of travelers for Thanksgiving week LINTHICUM, Md. — Based on summer traffic, Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport officials said they are expecting this week to be the biggest Thanksgiving travel season in the history of the airport.Thanksgiving week is one of the busiest travel weeks of the year, and the Maryland Department of Transportation is taking some extra precautions and making some changes at BWI-Marshall Airport. "This week in the airport industry, and here at BWI-Marshall, represents what we call our Super Bowl," said Ricky Smith, executive director of BWI-Marshall Airport. This year, officials said they are more prepared than they've ever been. "(The Transportation Security Administration) is predicti...

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November 22, 2017 at 5:41 pm

Watch: Kabolas Ponim For The Rishon L’Tzion In California (Video)

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, In the following videos, we see the kabolas ponim for Rishon L’Tzion Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef Shlita upon his arrival in California. The rav traveled to the US along with HaGaon HaRav David Yosef, who is a member of the Shas Moetzas Gedolei Yisrael, to give a chizuk to the tzibur. There has also been a website activated providing the schedule for the Rishon L’tzion during his stay over the coming days.

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November 22, 2017 at 5:41 pm

Davis: Slain Detective Shot With His Own Gun, Was Set To Testify Before Grand Jury

Baltimore, MD - Nov. 22, 2107 -The Baltimore police detective who was fatally shot in the line of duty last week was shot with his own gun, Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said Wednesday. Detective Sean Suiter was shot in the line of duty on Nov. 15. He died the next day. Davis also said there was evidence of a struggle on Suiter's clothing. Davis said this remains a homicide investigation. Davis said that the acting U.S. attorney told him that Suiter was set to testify the day after he was killed in a grand jury investigation involving some Baltimore police officers who were indicted, but he was not targeted because of that. In course of his career with the Baltimore police, Suiter worked cases with two members of the Gun Trace Task Force in at least 25 cases, mostly dr...

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November 22, 2017 at 5:34 pm

Security Tight For Thanksgiving Parade In Terror-Wary NYC

Security for New York’s annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will once again be tight, especially since it comes less than a month after a deadly truck attack in lower Manhattan. Every intersection along the 2 ½-mile parade route will be blocked to traffic. And dozens of city sanitation trucks will be lined up at intersections and other strategic spots along the route to create barriers to terror. In addition, officers with assault weapons and portable radiation detectors will walk among the crowds, and sharpshooters on rooftops will scan for anything unusual. Authorities say there’s no confirmation of a credible threat and have repeatedly urged spectators not to be deterred. The 91st annual parade begins at 9 a.m. and will be broadcast live on NBC.

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November 22, 2017 at 5:26 pm

Hatzalah Founder Eli Beer Saves Man’s Life on El Al Flight (Video)

“This morning I had the privilege to save a life in mid-air. I was flying back to Israel from Newark this morning, and while I was sleeping someone alerted me to a person who was having a medical emergency a few rows in front of me. I jumped up from my seat and ran to where the person was seated. I saw a man who was about 65 years old, with convulsions, who had a cold sweat, was very pale and had a very high pulse rate. The man had difficulty speaking. I tried to communicate with him and was unable to do so. I asked the flight crew to bring me the airline medical bag and equipment. After a short check of his vital signs, even prior to obtaining the bag I was able to assess that the man was probably suffering from hypoglycemia. His lack of glucose was so severe that it appeared he wou...

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November 22, 2017 at 5:25 pm

Pugh: Baltimore Needs Hundreds More Police Officers (4 Videos)

Crime is scattering itself all across Baltimore City and Mayor Catherine Pugh says the city needs more police officers. "[We have] officers working 14 to 15 hours a day and it's just too much," Pugh told Bryan Nehman on WBAL News Now. Pugh said she believes the city needs 300 to 400 more police officers. With the shooting of police detective Sean Suiter still unsolved after a week has passed, Pugh says she will see police Commissioner Kevin Davis later on Wednesday for an update on the situation. "My prayer is that it doesn't go unsolved," Pugh said. "I believe that they are doing everything they can...this weighs heavy on my heart." When asked on how she feels the last year as mayor has gone, Pugh said the most difficult part has been d...

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November 22, 2017 at 5:25 pm

Following The Rainstorm In Israel On Tuesday, 3 Kislev (Video)

Following are photos and videos from the rainstorm in Israel on Tuesday, 3 Kislev. One video shows flash flooding on the road to the Dead Sea. Another shows the first snow accumulation, albeit minimal, in the Mt. Hermon area of the Golan Heights.

International News

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November 22, 2017 at 4:22 pm

Watch: Dramatic Video Shows Norea Korean Defector Escaping, Shot And Rescued (Video)

A North Korean soldier races for the border in a jeep and then on foot before his former comrades shoot him at least five times as he limps into South Korea, where he collapses and is dragged to safety by southern soldiers on a dramatic video released by the U.S.-led U.N. command Wednesday. The defection, subsequent surgeries and slow recovery of the soldier have riveted South Korea, but it will be a huge embarrassment for the North, which claims all defections are the result of rival Seoul kidnapping or enticing North Koreans to defect. Pyongyang has said nothing about the defection so far. North Korea’s actions during the defector’s Nov. 13 escape at Panmunjom violated the armistice agreement ending the 1950-53 Korean War because North Korean soldiers fired across and...

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November 22, 2017 at 4:17 pm

Watch: Hagaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky, shlita, Saying Tehillim For Maran HaRav Shteinman (Video)