Yeshiva University now obligated to host LGBTQ+ club on campus

 https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-709452

Judge Lynn Kotler ruled on Tuesday that YU, as a non-religious organization, is subject to the New York City Human Rights Law and directed it to “immediately grant plaintiff YU Pride Alliance the full equal accommodations, advantages, facilities and privileges afforded to all other student groups at Yeshiva University.” In the decision, the judge determined that “Yeshiva University is not a ‘religious corporation,’” and therefore cannot ban a certain group because of the Jewish faith.

According to YU’s independent student newspaper The Commentator, YU will appeal the decision. “While we love and care for our students, who are all – each and every one – created in God’s image, we firmly disagree with today’s ruling and will immediately appeal the decision,” a YU spokesperson told The Commentator.

Trump said he could kill and win – Covid and cheating may prove it

 https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/oct/11/donald-trump-fifth-avenue-shoot-covid-election

“I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters,” Donald Trump boasted in 2016. He thought his almost unlimited bravado, bombast and dominance of any situation allowed him to get away with figurative murder."

Since then, the president’s Fifth Avenue principle has been repeatedly tested – most notably by the Access Hollywood tape, Robert Mueller’s findings that Trump obstructed justice and his campaign aides cooperated with Russia, overt racism, quid pro quo to the president of Ukraine, and impeachment – yet some 40% of American voters have stuck by him notwithstanding.

They’ve stuck by him even as more than 210,000 Americans have died from Covid-19, one of the world’s highest death rates – due in part to Trump initially downplaying its dangers, then refusing responsibility for it, promoting quack remedies for it, muzzling government experts on it, pushing states to reopen despite it, and discouraging people from wearing masks.

The Parameters of Kol Isha by Rabbi Chaim Jachter

 https://www.koltorah.org/halachah/the-parameters-of-kol-isha-by-rabbi-chaim-jachter

Rav Yaakov Breisch (Teshuvot Chelkat Yaakov 1:163), on the other hand, forbids a man to listen to a female voice on the radio. He reasons that the aforementioned Gemara in Sanhedrin 45a does not apply when there is some form of connection with the woman. He argues that a man’s Yetzer Hara is interested even if he only hears a woman’s voice. He rules strictly even in case where the listener is not acquainted with the singer. Rav Shmuel Wosner (Teshuvot Shevet Halevi 3:E.H.181 and Rav Binyamin Silber (Az Nidberu 9:9) also rule strictly on this question.

Observance of the Kol Isha prohibition is quite challenging for us as this prohibition runs counter to the prevailing Western culture. In today’s promiscuous society where outrageous behavior is deemed acceptable, a woman’s singing voice appears innocuous. Moreover, the general culture views this prohibition offensive and demeaning to women. We are challenged to hold firm to our beliefs against the flow of the general cultural tide. This is one of the issues that we must part company with the rest of society, just as Avraham Avinu and Yitzchak Avinu parted with their two servants on the road to Akeidat Yitzchak. Rav Yehuda Amital told me that we should strictly observe the Kol Isha prohibition today precisely because of the deterioration of the moral standards of western society.

Listening to Women Sing

 https://halachipedia.com/index.php?title=Listening_to_Women_Sing

Some are lenient to allow listening to a woman's voice on a tape or radio (and not seeing her image) if one doesn't know what the singer looks like. But if one does know what the singer looks like it is prohibited listen to her voice. Some say that it is only considered knowing what she looks like if one saw her in person and not having seen her picture.[12] Of course, this is only when the song isn't a sexual or inappropriate song.[13]

So the general consensus is that a woman's singing voice is ervah, and during Shema, even a man's wife's voice is ervah. What do our gedolai hador have to say? As found in an article by Rabbi Chaim Jachter aptly named, "The Parameters of Kol Isha", it asks if רגילות takes away the prohibition, since female singing is everywhere nowadays. Rav Ovadia Yosef says that in no way does it lessen the problem- he says that if both the Gemara and the Shulchan Aruch talk about this halacha, then we have no right to say it doesn't apply. When asked about females singing on the radio, one of today's most common questions, he felt that as long as the listener has never even glimpsed a picture of the singer, alive or dead, then listening is permitted. (Rabbi Jachter cites Teshuvos Yabia Omer 1:6).

How the 'MAGA Squad' Is Building Power to Control the Next Congress

 https://time.com/6186037/matt-gaetz-marjorie-taylor-greene-maga-house-republicans/

The MAGA Squad has spent the past year building their power, and now they’re preparing to wield it. If McCarthy—or any other Republican—wants to be Speaker, he’s going to have to go through them. And he’s not getting their votes without meeting their demands, which could include things like prosecuting Fauci, ousting Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, or even impeaching President Biden. The purpose, they say, isn’t amassing power for themselves. It’s shaping the agenda—and reshaping what the Republican Party stands for.

A chief rabbi in Ukraine denies sexual misconduct allegations

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/354917

The Haaretz report was based on correspondence between EJC interim president Ariel Muzicant and Marie van der Zyl, the president of the Board. Those emails, obtained by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, neither name Bleich directly as the accused nor specify the nature of the allegations.

Bleich told Haaretz that the misconduct allegations are part of a smear campaign against him by members of the Karlin-Stolin Hasidic dynasty, with which Bleich used to be affiliated. He has fallen out with the movement and has a real estate dispute with it, he told the Israeli newspaper.

Lawsuit on behalf of alleged victims of Shlomo Carlebach

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/354966

Rabbi Yosef Blau, head mashgiach ruchani (spiritual counselor) at Yeshiva University says: "We should stand with the alleged victims of sexual abuse and harassment from Shlomo Carlebach even though the alleged abuse happened 30 plus years ago and he has since died - the same as if the alleged abuse was perpetrated by Carlebach yesterday."

Detached From Reality’ Is Trump’s Best Defense at This Point

 https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/06/15/detached-from-reality-trump-jan-6-00039641

A criminal case against Trump would be much easier to establish if he privately admitted that he knew his election fraud claims were bogus. But in private, as Barr testified, Trump passionately pushed his fraud claims on anyone who would listen, and he is still pushing the claims now. Trump’s defense would be that he really believed that he won the 2020 election and that he believed his plan to overturn the election was legitimate.

New Mexico secretary of state sues county commission over refusal to certify primary results

 https://edition.cnn.com/2022/06/14/politics/new-mexico-primary-results-otero-county-certification/index.html

New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver on Tuesday asked the state Supreme Court to order a three-member county commission to certify the results of the June 7 primary elections in Otero County -- after commission members refused to do so this week, citing concerns about Dominion vote-counting machines.

The Uvalde shooting conspiracies show how far-right misinformation is evolving

 https://www.npr.org/2022/05/26/1101479269/texas-uvalde-school-shooting-misinformation-conspiracy-far-right

On Gab and other fringe platforms where the far right gather, many asserted without evidence that it was a "false flag" operation staged by federal authorities to justify tighter control of guns, or to deflect from other news stories.

Social Media Posts Make Baseless Claims About Gender Identity of Uvalde Shooter

https://www.factcheck.org/2022/05/social-media-posts-make-baseless-claims-about-gender-identity-of-uvalde-shooter/ 

Police are still investigating the shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, but as of May 26 they had shared no evidence about the shooter’s gender identity. Despite that lack of evidence, Rep. Paul Gosar and others claimed the gunman was transgender. Social media posts making the baseless claim have shared photos of a person unrelated to the attack.

Texas shooting: How false rumours spread that gunman was trans

 https://www.bbc.com/news/61607042

The rumour that he was trans appears to have started on the fringe message board 4chan, and in particular the /pol/ or "Politically Incorrect" board, which has for years been associated with the far-right and mass shootings. A controversial hub of internet subculture, 4chan has been the birthplace of many harassment and trolling campaigns.

A New Approach To Dealing With Israel’s Ultra-Orthodox

 https://en.idi.org.il/articles/2325

Such change from below is already taking place. Today, about half of all ultra-Orthodox men hold jobs; the number of ultra-Orthodox individuals enrolled in colleges and universities has grown several fold; and the percentage of “modern” ultra-Orthodox families who want their sons to receive a general, and not only Torah, education has expanded.

The Closest We Can Come to Knowing Hashem

 https://www.bircas.org/parshas-mishpatim-5781/

On the night of Simchas Torah, the Chazon Ish was walking outside when he saw a man sitting alone on a bench, crying. He asked him what was wrong.

“I am a convert, and I feel that the Jews don’t accept me as one of them,” the man replied.

“It’s Simchas Torah. Perhaps you could sing for me a nigun?” asked the Chazon Ish.

The man thought for a moment and then began singing an upbeat nigun. The Chazon Ish began clapping along, smiling in approval. Passersby stopped to listen, and soon a crowd formed and all were clapping and cheering along as this man sang and the Chazon Ish danced to his nigun.

“More! Another nigun!” the Chazon Ish called out to the man, who had become the center of attention.

When the festivities came to an end, the Chazon Ish and the convert shook hands, each thanking the other for having given so much chizuk.