Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Tuesday afternoon visited the Migdal Nofim nursing home in Jerusalem, together with Welfare Minister Meir Cohen (Yesh Atid) and Social Equality Minister Meirav Cohen (Yesh Atid). "You are protecting the 120,000 most vulnerable people," Bennett began. "I want to tell the citizens of Israel: We have made a goal for ourselves to keep the economy and society as open as possible. As much as we can avoid lockdowns and the open-shut accordion that is so hard for the citizens of Israel, we will do it." "The navigation is tight and flexible. It's tight, in the sense of daily work, but it's as flexible as possible. We are looking at the data, including at the number of people hospitalized and at the ECMO machines. The number of confirmed cases do...
On a Zoom session that was held by the Israeli News Network prior to Rosh HaShanah, Roni Daniel told a story. I did not really hear what he was saying while he raised a toast, yet I felt that he had told a gem. Therefore, I called him the next day and he happily repeated and expanded upon his words from the previous evening. Roni, the veteran military affairs commentator, known for his caring nature, suddenly passed away yesterday from cardiac arrest at the age of 73.  I found the words I had typed during our telephone conversation. They are dedicated to his memory and to the elevation of his soul on high:"When I was 12 years old, Haim Gouri wrote for the newspaper 'LaMerhav'. He had a weekly column on Fridays whose headline was 'Ma Omrim?' (What do you say?). He o...
The rising coronavirus cases coupled with a lag in vaccinations have some wondering if Gov. Larry Hogan will re-impose a statewide mask mandate. On Monday, Hogan pushed back on imposing another mask mandate. Instead, he said the only action the state needs to take is to get more people vaccinated. Only around 58% of the state's total population is vaccinated. Right now, nearly 77% of Maryland's adult population has at least one dose of the vaccine.
The president on Monday announced his nominee to become the next U.S. attorney for Maryland. President Joe Biden nominated Prince George's County Delegate Erek Barron, D-District 24, who would be the first Black U.S. Attorney in Maryland's history. Barron is a partner at the law firm of Whiteford Taylor and Preston LLP, and he has been a member of the Maryland General Assembly since 2015 and chairs the Prince George’s County House Delegation. He co-authored the Justice Reinvestment Act, which was bipartisan legislation to overhaul the state’s sentencing and corrections practices. House Speaker Adrienne Jones tweeted a statement, saying, "Delegate Barron has been a champion of criminal justice reform while serving in the Maryland House of Delegates. His wo...
 Certain people may want to avoid strenuous activity or outdoor exercise Tuesday, July 27. The Maryland Department of the Environment issued a code orange air quality alert that takes effect Tuesday. The Maryland Department of the Environment declares air quality "code orange" when pollution concentrations may be unhealthy for sensitive groups. Children, older adults, heart/lung disease sufferers and asthmatics are considered sensitive; to minimize the effects from the air quality, officials advise avoiding outdoor and strenuous activities.
 Businesses across the country are experiencing staffing shortages and Baltimore County is no exception. Staffing shortages within Baltimore County government have led to delays in trash, recycling and yard material collection, particularly in the Catonsville area. "We went to the hauler and asked what the situation is," Michael Beichler, bureau chief of Baltimore County's solid waste management department, told Fox45. "He's having a rather common issue at this time. Lack of staffing ... From unemployment compensation to people just who don't want to do the work anymore." Beichler told FOX45 News the solid waste management department has been trying to help companies who are short-handed by pairing them with haulers who have been able to recruit and retain ...
City health officials said Monday they are concerned over the COVID-19 delta variant's impact in some areas of Baltimore. Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Letitia Dzirasa said there are areas of higher transmission of COVID-19 where there are areas of low vaccination rates, including the 21223, 21216, 21207 and 21213 ZIP codes. The mayor's briefing comes as COVID-19 cases are increasing in the city, which are up 115% from four weeks earlier, according to the city's COVID-19 dashboard. Monday's briefing was the first since the city's state of emergency was lifted at the beginning of the month. When asked whether he's considering re-instating an indoor mask mandate, the mayor said he will do so after monitoring the metrics. "We are hope...
Experts are warning that the greatest threat to the pandemic recovery in the United States are the large swaths of Americans who remain unvaccinated.  Over the past few weeks, the U.S. has seen a surge of coronavirus cases across the country in the wake of the highly infectious delta variant. The new strain has particularly wreaked havoc in states with low vaccination rates. The state of Missouri has recently become a U.S. hot spot, averaging more than 2,100 cases per day over the last seven-day period, according to data from The New York Times. About 41 percent of the state population is fully vaccinated. Florida, Arkansas, Louisiana and Nevada have also seen an increase in coronavirus cases. The nationwide vaccination rate has also dropped following the mad d...
The US Centers for Disease Control on Monday raised its travel alert level in Israel due to rising coronavirus cases. Israel is now listed by the CDC at Level 3, the second highest, due to the rate of new daily cases per capita. A notice on the CDC website said travelers to Israel should be fully vaccinated and that anyone who is not should avoid non-essential trips. “Because of the current situation in Israel, all travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants,” it said. The notice also applies to the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid announced on Sunday the appointment of Amir Hayek as Israel’s first ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. Hayak has previously served as director-general of the Economy and Industry Ministry and the Israel Manufacturer’s Association, as well as president of the Israel Hotel Association and chairman of the ELA Recycling Corporation. “With his vast experience and knowledge in the fields of economy and tourism, Amir Hayek is the right person to establish the bridge between Israel and the Emirates. Following the opening of the embassy, the time has also come to appoint the first ambassador to the United Arab Emirates,” said Lapid in a statement. Hayek thanked Lapid, saying it was a “great honor for me to be the first ambass...
Baltimore, MD – July 26, 2021 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Chana Rosenbluth and Ben Towler (Silver Spring) on their upcoming marriage this Thursday in Eretz Yisrael. Chana & Ben are both Lone Soldiers in the IDF. Mazel Tov Rabbi Avi & Sheina Rosenbluth and Drs. Eric and Patty Towler יה"ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן!
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday warned against travel to Spain, Portugal, Cuba, Cyprus and Kyrgyzstan because of a rising number of COVID-19 cases in those countries. The CDC raised its travel advisory to "Level Four: Very High" for those countries telling Americans they should avoid travel there. Spain reopened its borders to U.S. tourists in June. The CDC also raised concerns about the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, lifting its travel health notice by two levels to "Level 3: High." In June, the CDC had lowered its travel advisory rating for Israel to "Level 1: Low." CDC also raised Armenia to "Level 3." The "Level 3" rating says unvaccinated travelers should avoid nonessential travel to that country and is one ...
The decision by ice cream giant Ben & Jerry's to pull its business beyond the Green Line means that under US law its parent company, Unilever, has lost the right to protect the brand's trademark in Judea and Samaria, the Shurat Hadin-Israel Law Center announced over the weekend. The NGO said it plans to apply for trademark licensing of a similar brand under the name "Judea and Samaria's Ben & Jerry's" with the explicit intent of rivaling the original. Last week's decision by Ben & Jerry's, widely panned as a capitulation to the anti-Israeli boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, was slammed by lawmakers from across the political spectrum, as well as by Jewish groups worldwide. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett vowed to fight the...
Chinese officials on Monday went on the offensive amid high-level talks with the U.S., blaming Washington for causing a “stalemate” in relations between the two countries. Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng accused the Biden administration of attempting tamp down Chinese development during talks with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, The Associated Press reports. Sherman is the highest-ranking Biden administration official to visit China. According to Xie, the U.S. portrays China as an “imagined enemy,” straining relations between Beijing and Washington. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters that China sought out the U.S.’s cooperation on climate change and the nuclear programs in ...
The final victim of the condo building collapse in Florida has been identified, a relative said Monday, more than a month after the middle-of-the-night catastrophe that ultimately claimed 98 lives. Estelle Hedaya, a'h, an outgoing 54-year-old with a love of travel, was the last victim identified, ending what her relatives described as a torturous four-week wait. Her younger brother, Ikey Hedaya, confirmed the identification to The Associated Press. The news comes just days after rescuers officially concluded the painstaking and emotionally heavy task of removing layers of dangerous debris and pulling out dozens of bodies. “She always mentioned God anytime she was struggling with anything,” he said. “She had reached a different level spiritually, which allowed her ...
There have been least 50 incidents in which NGOs falsely blamed Israel for civilian casualties in the 11 day conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza in May, according to a report by NGO Monitor. The majority of the cases involved terrorist operatives who were falsely listed as civilian casualties, while a minority of cases include civilians who were killed by errant Hamas or Islamic Jihad rockets that fell short in Gaza but were still reported as having been killed by Israel. In one case, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights reported on the death of a father and son in an Israeli airstrike without mentioning the fact that the father was a field commander in the Izz Ad-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas terrorist organization. Many other combatants were falsely l...
Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked granted this week permanent residency to A., a Palestinian man who saved the lives of three members of the Ettinger family who were shot at by terrorists on a highway in Judea and Samaria in 2016. The father of the family, Mark, lost his life in the attack, but wife Chava, son Pedaya and daughter Tehila survived thanks to the first aid provided by A. and his wife, who also alerted law enforcement. News of a Palestinian who helped save the lives of Jews traveled fast to Ramallah, and A.'s family began to receive death threats. In an effort to protect his loved ones, A. fled to Israel, leaving his parents, wife and newborn son behind. For three years, he lived without a roof over his head, scraping for food and living under bridges. Sometime ...
U.S. population growth is slowing, approaching zero, and even reversing in half of all states in 2020, The Wall Street Journal reported. Early estimates are the U.S. population amid COVID-19 grew by just 0.35% for the year ending July 1, 2020, and more people died than were born in half of U.S. states, up from just five in 2019, according to the report. That growth is already the lowest ever documented and some experts predict the U.S. population for 2020, with the impact of COVID-19, might have shrunk for the first time ever.
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