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December 16, 2018 at 7:31 am
The largest diamond ever discovered in North America was unearthed in October, Canadian mining company Dominion Diamond Mines announced in a Thursday news release.
Weighing in at 552 carats, the yellow diamond was recovered at the Diavik Diamond Mine, located in Northern Canada about 135 miles south of the Arctic Circle. Bloomberg News reports that the largest gems are typically found in mines in southern African, and that this discovery is the seventh-biggest this century.
The stone is apparently the size of a chicken egg, according to Bloomberg.
“Abrasion markings on the stone’s surface attest to the difficult journey it underwent during recovery, and the fact that it remains intact is remarkable,” the release read.
Dominion Diamond Mines, which calls the gemstone &...
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December 16, 2018 at 7:29 am
The White House and a number of federal agencies have started advanced preparations for a partial government shutdown, as President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats appear unlikely to resolve their fight over a border wall before some government funding lapses at week’s end.
GOP leaders are scrambling to find a short-term alternative that could stave off a shutdown, which would start on Dec. 22 absent a deal. But White House officials signaled to lawmakers Friday that they would probably not support a one- or two-week stopgap measure. Some congressional Republicans support such a “continuing resolution,” but the White House rejection has dramatically increased the odds of a spending lapse.
“We could be headed down the road to nowhere,” said Senate Ap...
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December 16, 2018 at 7:29 am
Rep.-elect Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) announced she plans to wear a traditional Palestinian gown when she is sworn into Congress next month.
She made the announcement in a post on Instagram featuring a photo of the thobe on Friday.
“Sneak peek: This is what I am wearing when I am sworn into Congress,” Tlaib captioned the photo, in addition to the hashtags #PalestinianThobe and #ForMyYama — which means mother in Arabic.
Read more at The Hill.
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December 16, 2018 at 7:29 am
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) signed legislation Friday that made his state the first in the nation to ban the use of wild and exotic animals in traveling acts.
The legislation, also known as “Nosey’s Law,” is named after a 36-year-old African elephant with arthritis that was forced to travel across the country, including New Jersey, for traveling circus acts while also suffering abuse, the governor’s office said in a press release.
“I am proud to sign ‘Nosey’s Law’ and ensure that New Jersey will not allow wild and exotic animals to be exploited and cruelly treated within our state,” Murphy said in a statement.
“These animals belong in their natural habitats or in wildlife sanctuaries, not in performances where their safety ...
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December 16, 2018 at 7:28 am
The Palestinian Authority (PA) on Saturday strongly criticized Australia’s announcement of its recognition of western Yerushalayim as Israel’s capital.
Yusuf al-Mahmoud, a spokesman for the PA cabinet, said that the Australian government’s decision to recognize western Jerusalem as the capital of Israel was a “wrong step” and showed an incorrect understanding of the political reality and decisions of the international institutions on Jerusalem since 1947.
Mahmoud called on other countries not to relocate their embassies to Jerusalem and to recognize the Arab city of Al-Quds as the natural capital of the “state of Palestine” in accordance with UN resolutions that established that “the West Bank and East Jerusalem are part of the Palestinian ...
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December 16, 2018 at 4:35 am
The IDF soldier seriously injured in Thursday's attack outside Givat Assaf has been identified as Nethanel Felber, son of Joseph & Judy Felber, originally from Kemp Mill in Silver Spring, Maryland. He moved to Raanana several years ago with his family.
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December 15, 2018 at 7:18 pm
Baltimore, MD – Dec. 11, 2018 - It is with deep sadness that BaltimoreJewishLife.com informs the community of the petirah of Rabbi Yoel Feldman, Z’L, beloved husband of the late Shoshana Feldman (nee Poupko); devoted father of Reuven (Irina) Feldman, Eliezer (Leah) Feldman, Zvi Feldman, Aviva (Moshe) Orlian and Avraham (Temima) Feldman; dear brother of Rabbi Emmanuel Feldman and Rabbi Aron Feldman; loving son of the late Shayna and Joseph Feldman; also survived by many grandchildren and many great grandchildren.
Rabbi Aharon Feldman, shlita, will be sitting shiva at 421 Yeshiva Lane, Apt 3A, Baltimore, MD 21208
Shiva Details for the Rosh HaYeshiva, shlita:
Shacharis 7:15am, Mincha 2:30pm, and Maariv 6:35pm, and receiving visitors from 9am-1pm and 4pm-10pm
...
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December 15, 2018 at 7:09 pm
An Ohio woman diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2009 is cancer-free after taking part in a groundbreaking clinical trial.
Denise Keenan, 66, of Youngstown, said she began getting used to the idea of "not being here anymore."
"She's convinced me probably a hundred times over the years that she was a goner," her husband Jim Keenan told WJW-TV.
Pet scans showed how Denise Keenan's cancer spread throughout her lungs and chest.
She had been in and out of remission several times over the last decade.
Keenan participated in a trial known as "CAR T-cell Therapy." She took part in the trial at Seidman Cancer Center at University Hospitals of Cleveland.
Doctors now say the mother and wife is cancer free.
“The jury’s still out as far as how long this is goin...
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December 15, 2018 at 6:58 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Saturday is the last day to sign up for health insurance next year under the Affordable Care Act in most of the country.
For 2019, premiums are stable, more plans are available, and millions of uninsured people can still get financial help. But so far sign-ups have been lagging when compared to last year.
Consumers can enroll online at HealthCare.gov or by reaching the federal call center at 1-800-318-2596.
People can also sign up through approved community organizations, online insurance sellers, and insurance companies.
The deadline is 12 a.m. Pacific time in states served by the HealthCare.gov website. A few states that run their own enrollment campaigns may have later deadlines. Consumer advocates say interested customers should check carefully and avoid pro...
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December 15, 2018 at 6:56 pm
SYDNEY (AP) — Australia has decided to formally recognize west Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, but won’t move its embassy until there’s a peace settlement between Israel and the Palestinians, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Saturday.
Morrison said in a speech that Australia would recognize east Jerusalem as Palestine’s capital only after a settlement has been reached on a two-state solution. The Australian Embassy won’t be moved from Tel Aviv until such a time, he said.
While the embassy move is delayed, Morrison said his government would establish a defense and trade office in Jerusalem and would also start looking for an appropriate site for the embassy.
“The Australian government has decided that Australia now recognizes west Jerusalem...
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December 15, 2018 at 6:53 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s relationship with the truth tends to be borderline, at best, when it comes to the border.
So it was this past week when he made a flurry of false or unsupported statements about immigration. He said, with no evidence, that migrants are plagued with disease. He asserted that Mexico has in effect agreed to pay for his border wall, even as he threatens a partial government shutdown if Congress doesn’t approve billions of dollars to build it. He twisted federal statistics to claim the recent arrest of 10 terrorists who don’t exist.
On another front, Trump tried to cast doubt on whether his former national security adviser had lied to the FBI even after the aide pleaded guilty to doing just that.
A look at recent rhetoric and...
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December 15, 2018 at 6:49 pm
Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, Agudath Israel Exec Vice President, joined R Avi Schnall and R Shai Markowitz for #AgudahLive to discuss the far reaching impact of the NYSED Guidelines for Yeshivos and nonpublic schools.
#AgudahLive - far reaching impact of the NYSED Guidelines for ALL Jewish schools from Agudath Israel on Vimeo.
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December 15, 2018 at 6:49 pm
THE FOLLOWING IS VIA YWN
On Motzei Shabbos, police raided a building in the Beis Yisroel neighborhood of Yerushalayim. The raid took place after police were tipped off that a drug laboratory was working in the Charedi neighborhood.
A number of police cruisers arrived at the scene and officers rushed into the building which is located on Hanagar Street. Due to the incident a large throng of local residents took to the streets to see what was happening.
Students from the nearby Mir Yerushalayim told Bechadrei Charedim that they have been suspecting some suspicious activity coming from the building for some time. They saw two youngsters riding motorcycles coming and going from the building on a continuous basis over the past few weeks. Read more at YWN
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December 15, 2018 at 6:38 pm
A scary scene in front of Chabad of North Hollywood, yesterday evening. It looks like he was also filming his threat. These pictures were taken by Noah Oiknine, who said “I took these pictures and just witnessed A man with his head covered in a turban with a huge hatchet and sword was making threatening gestures towards the Chabad and the Jewish people! EVERYONE BE ON HIGH ALERT! I already called the police and made a report. Share this message and post and call all your Shul’s and make sure they have armed security in front! I have also called local rabbis to spread the word. I saw him drive off in a white Toyota Corolla, couldn’t catch the plates.”
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December 15, 2018 at 6:25 pm
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58301d14-1b1e-4949-a0ac-15728fbdbc56 from BaltimoreJewishLife.com on Vimeo.
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December 15, 2018 at 6:21 pm
Lawyers for the family of a 7-year-old girl who died while in U.S. Border Patrol custody say she did not suffer from a lack of food or water before being picked up by authorities.
Their account disputes earlier information released by U.S. officials, who said the girl had not had anything to eat or drink for days.
Border Patrol officials did not immediately comment Saturday.
Jakelin Caal and her father were taken into custody Dec. 6 near Lordsburg, New Mexico, by Border Patrol agents. She began vomiting and later stopped breathing while being transported to a Border Patrol station. She died at a hospital.
A statement from the family’s lawyers says her father, 29-year-old Nery Gilberto Caal Cuz, made sure his daughter had food and water as they traveled through Mexico.
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December 15, 2018 at 6:05 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, facing federal investigations into his travel, political activity and potential conflicts of interest, will be leaving the administration at year’s end, President Donald Trump said Saturday. In his resignation letter, obtained by The Associated Press, Zinke said “vicious and politically motivated attacks” against him had “created an unfortunate distraction” in fulfilling the agency’s mission.
Trump, in tweeting Zinke’s departure, said the former Montana congressman “accomplished much during his tenure” and that a replacement would be announced next week. The Cabinet post requires Senate confirmation.
Zinke is leaving weeks before Democrats take control of the House, a shift in pow...
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December 15, 2018 at 6:05 pm
Jerusalem - Israeli forces have demolished the home of a Palestinian charged with killing a soldier during an Israeli raid in the West Bank earlier this year.
Troops used two controlled explosions to destroy Islam Abu Hmaid’s home in Ramallah on Saturday, in an operation involving dozens of soldiers and military vehicles.
The military says Palestinians hurled rocks toward the forces, who responded with “riot dispersal means,” which usually refers to rubber-tipped bullets and tear gas.
Israel has stepped up raids in the West Bank as it searches for those behind two recent deadly attacks in the occupied territory. It has arrested dozens of members of the Islamic militant group Hamas.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the expedited demolition ...
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December 15, 2018 at 6:03 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Demonstrated loyalty. Political savvy. Personal rapport.
And, as a bonus, a decent golf game.
President Donald Trump had long made clear the qualities he was looking for in his next chief of staff. And when his first pick turned him down, sparking a frantic search, the president turned to the man he’d already tapped for two previous jobs in his administration: Mick Mulvaney, a blunt, fast-talking former South Carolina congressman turned budget chief who had told Trump months ago he wanted the job.
It was an obvious choice to many outside the administration that reflects the challenges ahead: Trump will soon be fighting for re-election as he contends with a House controlled by Democrats eager to use their new subpoena power to investigate his administration ...
