Former US Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden prevented a move to mention Israeli “occupation” in the Democratic Party’s platform, Foreign Policy reported on Thursday. In early July, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and other influential progressives were convinced that they had secured a critical concession from Biden’s campaign by having the platform asserting that Palestinian Arabs had a right to live free of foreign “occupation,” a scarcely veiled reference to Israel. But days before a draft platform was released on July 15, the presumptive Democratic nominee personally weighed in, according to three sources familiar with the discussion, ordering his advisors not to include any reference to Israeli “occupation.&r...
California public-health officials have resorted to counting new cases of COVID-19 infections by hand after the electronic system for tallying positive tests broke down, the Los Angeles Times reports. The slowed-down method may mean that the numbers of new cases reported to the public by some counties are undercounted. “The information you’re giving to the public over the last few days gives people the sense that we are doing better, and that they can relax. That might not be true,” said Bob Kocher, a former member of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s testing task force. “We reported to the public that they went from 10,000 to 5,000 a day. If you’re looking at the data, you think we’re doing better. You might be less vigilant.” Several counties...
President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order Thursday that would encourage the production of certain drugs and medical supplies in the U.S., following shortages during the Covid-19 pandemic. The order urges purchasers to buy American-made products and loosens federal drug-safety and environmental regulations that the administration says disadvantage domestic producers, among other measures. The drugs and devices covered by the order are expected to include medicines used to respond to a public-health emergency or biohazard attack, among others. White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said on a call with reporters that the Food and Drug Administration will come up with the list of essential medicines covered by the order, but he didn’t say by when. Read more at NEWS...
Baltimore, MD - Aug. 6, 2020 - Dr. Bert Miller will be giving a shiur entitled, "How We Built the Baltimore Eruv." Rabbi Berger's shul, Kol Torah, this Sunday morning, August 9, 10:15-11:30 in the social hall.
A day after two blasts—one of them an enormous—ripped through Beirut, causing untold destruction, it’s still not possible to grasp the true scope of the calamity, a former Israeli Military Intelligence chief has said. Speaking by video conference to journalists, Maj. Gen. (res.) Amos Yadlin, who served as former deputy commander of the Israeli Air Force and is now executive director of the Institute for National Security Studies, noted that Israel has offered medical assistance to Lebanon. “This is a terrible, terrible disaster. The big question is how many people are missing. The numbers are between 1,000 to 4,000.” Analyzing the incidents that led to the explosion, Yadlin said it “started from a small explosion at what looks like a fireworks storage ...
'Over the next two weeks, we will make efforts to lower the rate,' Netanyahu said in Jerusalem Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that the state is making all efforts to lower the spread of the resurgent coronavirus in the country as the Health Ministry reported 1,689 new cases over the past 24 hours.    Delivering remarks during a joint press conference with Israel's coronavirus czar, Prof. Ronni Gamzu, in from the Share Tzedek hospital in Jerusalem, said that despite the high morbidity rate, the government will not reimpose a nationwide lockdown for now.   “No country with our infection rate didn’t impose lockdowns, but we are aware of the socio-economic situation,” Netanyahu said during the press conferenc...
The 34-year-old suspect is believed to have a history of mental illness Police in the city of Le Havre, France say a man has taken at least half-a-dozen hostages during a bank robbery and is demanding the release of "Palestinian children imprisoned by Israel."  The unidentified suspect, believed to be 34-years-old, is also demanding that men under the age of 40 be allowed to pray at the Temple Mount, located in the Old City of Jerusalem.  There are no reports of anyone being injured in the incident. Read more at i24
All-electronic tolling now permanent at all MDTA facilities Full-time all-electronic tolling is now permanent across Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Thursday. The cashless tolling is in place statewide at the following facilities: John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway (Interstate 95) Fort McHenry Tunnel (I-95) Baltimore Harbor Tunnel (Interstate 895) Nice/Middleton Bridge (U.S. Route 301) With all-electronic tolling, drivers do not stop to pay tolls. Instead, tolls are collected through E-ZPass and video tolling. The Maryland Transportation Authority implemented temporary all-electronic tolling statewide in March as part of its coronavirus response, and made all-electronic tolling permanent at the Bay Bridge in May with the installation of a new tolling gantry. Oth...
DUNDALK, MD — Some people in the Baltimore area have waited two weeks or more for mail delivery. Residents in Dundalk have started lining up at the post office every day to try to get bills, checks and other important notices. They said it's beyond frustrating to go to the post office and wait in a line day after day, especially for those waiting on checks that will help pay their bills. Kasandra Peros lined up with dozens of others Thursday at the Dundalk Post Office with the hope of picking up their mail. She has been waiting on her unemployment debit card. "We haven't been receiving any mail at the house for like two weeks now," Peros said. "Bills aren't getting paid. My car insurance has been due. I got bills that need to be paid, and I can't pay them beca...
And it will be, if you hearken to My commandments that I command you this day to love the Lord, your God...  Each day we recite this paragraph which reiterates the obligation to love G-d.  Rashi adds on this directive, לאהבה את ד', to love the Lord : You should not say: I will learn in order to become rich, or in order to be referred to as Rabbi, or in order that I receive a reward. Rather, whatever you do, do out of love, לבא וסוף הכבוד , and ultimately, the honor will come.  These last words of encouragement seem to negate the whole notion expressed immediately prior to it, that one should serve G-d for no other reason than pure and selfless love.  Clearly, Rashi’s intention in quoting from the Sifrei and Talmud (נדרים מב...
People are increasingly testing negative for the coronavirus, Maryland health officials say, as the state confirms more than 93,000 cases. MARYLAND — More than half of Marylanders who tested positive for the coronavirus in the last day were under 35 years old, according to authorities. The positivity rate for those younger than 35 is 5.5 percent, which is higher than their counterparts; the positivity rate among Marylanders older than 35 is 3.27 percent, state health officials said. For the second straight day, Maryland is reporting its lowest positivity rate during the coronavirus pandemic. It has dropped to 4.03 percent, officials say, the lowest on record. Baltimore City's positivity rate is the lowest it has been in nearly a month. Officials said it was 5.44 percent, th...
[Ed. Note] Out of the respect and recognition of the impact made by longtime BJL friend and contributor, Reb Shaya Gross, z’l, we will maintain a living memoriam to Shaya through the sweet words and thoughtful insights of  his Divrei Torah. BJL readers will remember his weekly column on the Parsha and on various Torah ideas and concepts. These meaningful words will help us remember this special young man who will be sorely missed and for those who did not merit to know him, this will be the most appropriate way for them to become familiar with who he was. In Parshas Eikev, we read the verse stating that Hashem’s eyes are on Eretz Yisrael "from the beginning of THE year to year's end" [mayrayshis HAshana vi'ad acharis shana]. Rav Shimon Schwab asks, why, when t...
Baltimore, MD - Aug. 6, 2020 - Reminder: we’re looking forward to seeing you at the Jersey pickup this evening! Due to a delivery delay, please don’t arrive before 8:15 - we will continue giving out jerseys (to those who have raised their commitment in full) until 11:00pmThe jerseys haven’t arrived yet & the delivery time has been updated to 8:00 - due to Hurricane Isaias they were delayed in transit from FL & have not arrived yet.  On the bright side, guess what will be delivered on time... hot chulent 😋 !!!
White House coronavirus task force coordinator Deborah Birx is warning of an uptick in coronavirus cases in nine U.S. cities. “Many of the Sun Belt states have made substantial progress with their mitigation efforts,” Birx told state and local officials on Wednesday, according to a copy of the call obtained the Center for Public Integrity, referring to a slew of Southern states that experienced surges earlier this summer.  But Birx said that the percentage of coronavirus tests coming back positive is increasing in nine U.S. cities as well as California's Central Valley.  "We are concerned that both Baltimore and Atlanta remain at a very high level. Kansas City, Portland, Omaha, of course what we talked about in the Centr...
Federal prosecutors and judges would get the ability to carry concealed firearms if a bill introduced by a trio of southern Republican senators is made law. Sens. Tom Cotton, Marsha Blackburn and Kelly Loeffler introduced the Protect Our Prosecutors and Judges Act on Tuesday to allow federal prosecutors and judges to have a concealed carry license. The bill would expand the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act, which allows current and retired law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms, to include current and retired federal; judges, and state, local, and federal prosecutors. Read more at Fox News.
Israel’s coronavirus cabinet voted late on Wednesday to open the country’s sky for travelers starting from August 16. The vote, which reportedly followed five long hours of discussions, also saw the weekend restrictions on business activities lifted. Read more at i24NEWS.
If elected into the White House in November 2020, Joe Biden will seek to restore the US diplomatic engagement with Iran, his aide said, Jerusalem Post reports. The newspaper cited Aaron Keyak, the Jewish engagement director with Joe Biden’s campaign, as saying that as president, Biden will aim to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. The efforts on this front “will include re-engaging Iran in a diplomatic solution,” he clarified, as per the JPost, saying a Biden administration will look for ways to bring Iran back to compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal. Read more at i24NEWS.
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