Families of hostages in Gaza gathered on Tuesday outside the Knesset in Jerusalem amid reports of an emerging deal for the release of their loved ones. The families formed a human chain to send a message: no hostage should be left behind.
"The families of the hostages have anxiously followed media reports about a potential deal that could bring their loved ones home," the Hostages and Missing Families Forum stated.
"The families are hopeful that any deal, even a limited one, represents an important first step toward a comprehensive agreement. They are grateful for every hostage who returns home and see each release as progress toward their ultimate goal: the return of all hostages - the living for rehabilitation and the deceased for proper burial. We remain hopeful that each step brings ...
No final answer was given from Hamas regarding a hostage deal, an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
Earlier, the Associated Press reported, citing two officials involved in the negotiations, that Hamas has agreed to the proposed ceasefire deal in Gaza and the release of numerous hostages.
According to the report, an Israeli official noted that while progress had been made, the final details were still under discussion.
The Associated Press obtained a copy of the draft agreement, which was authenticated by both an Egyptian and a Hamas official.
All three officials spoke anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the closed-door negotiations.
Qatar, a key mediator in the talks, described the current situati...
Three-quarters of New Yorkers support banning masks in public as activists frequently wear masks at hateful anti-Israel protests, the New York Post reported, citing a recent survey.
The survey, which was conducted by the Mercury Public Affairs organization for the civil rights coalition #UnMaskHateNY, found that 75% of New Yorkers support a mask ban. In addition, 68% of respondents said that the value of free expression must be balanced with public safety.
74% of Jewish respondents said that discrimination and harassment based on bigotry is worse than before the October 7 massacre, compared to 60% of all respondents. 76% of Jewish respondents said that they feel less safe now, compared to 50% of all respondents.
In June, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) called for a ban on wea...
In an interview with Israel National News-Arutz Sheva, Republicans Overseas Israel Chairman Marc Zell calls on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to politely refuse the deal with Hamas that President-elect Trump is pressing on Israel to reach before he takes office. "Israel's interests must come first," Zell stated.
We ask Zell if Trump's threats are aimed also or even mostly at Israel, and if maybe, for that reason Netanyahu is rushing to reach the deal before the inauguration. Zell answers that he does not want to see it as threats or pressure on Israel, but rather a deal between Israel and the US which is the true deal here.
"Trump is a man of deals and negotiations," says Zell and notes that his two main interests at the moment are to fulfill his promise to the American...
Annapolis, MD - Jan. 14, 2025 - Gov. Wes Moore will unveil his proposal to close the state’s nearly $3 billion budget deficit, but depending on who you talk to, the reason why Maryland is facing the massive financial hole is up for debate.
When lawmakers arrived back at the State House on the first day of session, there had already been talk about how the General Assembly and Gov. Moore would address the looming budget crisis. Gov. Moore said in an interview that he planned to introduce $2 billion in cuts, leaving the additional $1 billion to make up the difference a big unanswered question in Annapolis. Republicans, however, were quick to point to their counterparts on the other side of the aisle.
“This is a self-inflicted wound. We are very much aware of what was going on,&...
Baltimore, MD - Jan. 14, 2025 - Over the last two decades, cell phones have become more common in schools.
Challenging administrators to come up with plans to maintain focus on instruction and not what's happening on social media.
Insert a bipartisan bill to create a pilot program to limit phone use during the school day.
"It's clear now to parents and teachers and school administrators that phones are bad for kids. Especially in academic settings and so I think for some reason there is some resistance previously to get rid of phones in schools but now teachers, administrators, and parents are ready to do so," said Senator Jeff Waldstreicher, a Democrat from Montgomery County.
"You know, everybody has a cell phone now and kids have it and it's become a huge issue i...
Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates has filed a response to Adnan Syed's request for a sentence reduction under the Juvenile Restoration Act.
His conviction was overturned and he was released from incarceration by the Circuit Court in 2022. But his conviction currently still stands, pending a repeat vacatur hearing that hasn't yet been scheduled.
In the meantime, he's filed for relief under the Juvenile Restoration Act, as he was 17 at the time of the murder.
On Sunday, Bates filed a motion requesting the court grant Syed's request for a hearing and his request for a sentence modification.
He also requests that the sentence be modified to "Life suspend all but time served with a period of probation."
Bates, in his motion, requests a hearing on either Fe...
Code Blue Issued Tuesday (1/14) through Thursday morning (1/16)Baltmore, MD - Jan. 13, 2025 - The Health Commissioner declares a Code Blue Extreme Cold Alert during periods of extremely cold weather. Code Blue Extreme Cold is a multi-agency effort to reduce hypothermia deaths during the winter months by protecting the health and safety of all residents, especially individuals experiencing homelessness, older adults, and other vulnerable populations from extreme cold weather.
The Health Commissioner may declare a Code Blue Extreme Cold Alert based on the following criteria:
When temperatures, including wind chill, are expected to be 13˚F or below. This threshold can be reached by having a temperature at or below 20˚F with 5 mph sustained winds or a temperature at or below...
Baltimore, MD - Jan. 13, 2025 - Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott spent time in Annapolis on Wednesday for the start of the 2025 legislative session. He explained on The C4 and Bryan Nehman show how he plans to advocate for the city.
The mayor said he plans to continue to address the opioid overdoses, keeping with an executive order established in August 2024 to manage the city’s opioid settlement funds.
He says he is putting a board together.
“We’ll be doing tours, right, listening tours, and not just your typical town hall,” Scott said. “We’ll be doing those kind of focus groups with those who have been impacted by by the overdose epidemic and going specifically also to those people and hearing from them.”
The mayor says it will continue to ...
US President-elect Donald Trump spoke to Fox News on Monday evening and commented on the talks for a hostage release deal, amid reports that a deal is close.
"We're very close to getting it done - and they have to get it done. If they don't get it done, there's going to be a lot of trouble out there - a lot of trouble like they have never seen before," said Trump.
He added, “They will get it done. I understand there’s been a handshake and they’re getting it finished and maybe by the end of the week. But it has to take place.”
Earlier on Monday, US President Joe Biden said there has been progress in the talks between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire and hostage release deal.
"I have learned in many years in public service to neve...
Baltimore, MD - Jan. 10, 2025 - For the fourth consecutive year, Bais Yaakov Middle School’s 8th-grade students have secured their spot at the top in the CIJE Girls Middle School Robotics Tournament!!This year’s competition, hosted at Bnos Aliyah in Manhattan, brought together fierce competition, featuring 9 schools and 43 robots. Yet, even with new team members and fresh challenges, our talented students dominated the event, winning both first and second place.Traveling by Amtrak and bus to the competition, our students arrived ready to compete with creativity, determination, and teamwork. While the competition was tough, the Bais Yaakov teams proved they were up to the challenge. Guided by our incredible coaches, Mrs. Rochelle Goldberg and Miss Chana Grier, high school assist...
The Saudi outlet Al-Hadath reports that Hamas is demanding the body of slain leader Yahya Sinwar in the first stage of the hostage deal.
Israel is expected to swap hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners in exchange for some 33 hostages in the emerging deal.
Israeli troops killed Sinwar, the mastermind of the October 7, 2023 assault, in southern Gaza in October.
A hostage deal is "closer than we've ever been," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a Monday afternoon interview with MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell, carefully noting the deal's been close before but fell through.
Blinken reiterated the deal's framework is based on the agreement President Biden put forward in May, though he declined to discuss any of the specifics.
When Biden put out the framework, according to Blinken, he made clear that during the first six weeks of the phased agreement, the conflict will stop, and Israel will pull back its forces and release some hostages in exchange for the release of hostages.
During this time, humanitarian assistance will surge into Gaza, and partners will try to finalize an agree...
Five soldiers were killed in northern Gaza, the IDF announced Monday evening.
The soldiers have been named as Captain Yair Yakov Shushan, Staff Sergeant Yahav Hadar, Staff Sergeant Guy Karmiel, Staff Sergeant Yoav Feffer, and Staff Sergeant Aviel Wiseman.
The IDF added that eight other soldiers from the Reconnaissance Battalion of the Nahal Brigade were also wounded in the same incident, which is still being investigated.
Staff Sergeant Yoav Feffer, 19, from Herzliya
Yariv Fisher, the mayor of Herzliya, said, "Yoav Feffer was not just a neighbor; he was an integral part of our community – a young man of values."
"It is difficult to digest the loss. Our city and our community have lost a true hero."
His funeral will take place on Tuesday at the old ...
Baltimore, MD - Jan. 13, 2025 - The Baltimore City Democratic State Central Committee is currently accepting resumes for the position of Maryland State Senator for the 41st Legislative District, following the resignation of Senator Jill P. Carter, effective January 3, 2025. Interested individuals must submit their applications by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, January 15.
The Baltimore City Democratic State Central Committee is currently accepting resumes for the position of Maryland State Senator for the 41st Legislative District, following the resignation of Senator Jill P. Carter, effective January 3, 2025. Interested individuals must submit their applications by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, January 15.
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Highly Popular Program That Makes Torah Learning Cool, Fun, and Accessible Has Quadrupled in Size in Three Years
With myriad extra-curricular activities to choose from, one Torah-learning program is overwhelmingly popular among middle schoolers across the U.S: The Orthodox Union’s All Mishnah Jr. (AMJ) is inspiring over 2,100 students in sixth through eighth grade to learn two Mishnayot daily during their free time.
“All Mishnah Jr. reflects the OU's commitment to making Torah learning accessible, engaging, and meaningful for all ages,” says OU Executive Vice President Rabbi Moshe Hauer. “By cultivating a love and excitement for Torah learning among young students, this program lays the foundation for a lifelong and consistent commitment to limud Torah.&rdq...
U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon on Monday allowed the release of the volume of special counsel Jack Smith’s report dealing with President-elect Trump’s efforts to block the peaceful transfer of power.
In a five-page ruling, Cannon denied an effort by Trump and his two co-defendants in the Mar-a-Lago documents case to block the release of both volumes of the report, noting that prosecutors argued the election inference report has little to do with the ongoing trial against the two men.
“Based on these representations, the Court sees an insufficient basis to grant emergency injunctive relief as to Volume I,” Cannon wrote.
However, Cannon ordered a Jan. 17 hearing on whether to release the Mar-a-Lago report, something Attorney General Merrick ...
