Ukraine ceasefire call aimed at forcing Putin to reveal his war goals to Trump

 https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/10/europe/ukraine-ceasefire-call-intl-latam

It’s a proposal that the Kremlin can neither reject nor accept, but one that may force it into an awkward choice, revealing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s true appetite for his brutal war of choice.

Europe’s leaders have grasped the nettle of whether peace talks over Ukraine can lead anywhere meaningful, to force Moscow into a pause in violence, precisely when it seems to seek to escalate assaults in the summer months ahead.

It also gives Europe’s largest army – Ukraine - just over 30 hours to prepare their frontline forces for perhaps a month of tense peace, and then hopefully weeks of serious negotiation, in which the borders of their country will be decided.

New York Takes a Troubling Turn With Assisted-Suicide Bill

 https://www.city-journal.org/article/new-york-assisted-suicide-medical-aid-in-dying-ac

On Tuesday, April 29, the New York State Assembly passed the inaptly named Medical Aid in Dying Act by a vote of 81-67, with some 20 Democrats breaking ranks to join Republicans in opposition. Though it must still pass the senate and receive Governor Kathy Hochul’s signature, this is the first time that an assisted-suicide bill has cleared one of the state’s legislative chambers, signaling a troubling turn in New York’s approach to end-of-life care.

As written, the bill would allow patients to make a written request for a lethal drug cocktail if they have “an incurable and irreversible illness or condition” that gives them six months or less to live. Approval is subject to the judgment of two physicians, who must “examine the patient and the patient’s relevant medical records” to confirm that he has such a terminal illness.

NY state Assembly passes controversial assisted suicide bill after 5 hours of emotional debate

 NY state Assembly passes controversial assisted suicide bill after 5 hours of emotional debate

It’s unclear if Gov. Kathy Hochul would support the measure if it passed in both chambers.

The proposal has been slowly gaining support in Albany over the last decade.

But the vote on Tuesday marked the first time the bill has ever passed either house of the Legislature.

Hegseth cancels Israel trip to join Trump on Air Force One

 https://www.axios.com/2025/05/09/pete-hegseth-trump-israel-middle-east

Trump inviting Hegseth to travel with him to the Middle East is a signal that the president continues to embrace his secretary of defense even amid the storms that have surrounded him over the last three months.

The many big things Trump ‘didn’t know’ about

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/05/10/trump-second-term-unaware/

Repeatedly in his second term, Trump has pleaded ignorance about major events and suggested he’s not involved in major decisions.

One of the major themes of President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign was the idea that Joe Biden had no idea what was happening around him.

Trump called then-President Biden a “vessel” for others who were really running the country. “He has no idea what’s going on,” Trump said in early 2024. He remarked in 2022 that Biden “has no idea what he’s doing, and he’s got no idea what he’s saying or where he is. Other than that, he’s doing a fantastic job.”

But less than four months after taking over from Biden, it’s Trump who, in his own telling, is often unaware of major events surrounding him and directly involving his administration.

At other times, Trump has distanced himself or appeared distant from his administration’s major and consequential decisions, as if he had little or nothing to do with them.

Covid-19 Likely Originated From Wildlife Trade, Not Lab Leak, Researchers Claim

 https://www.ndtv.com/science/covid-19-likely-originated-from-wildlife-trade-not-lab-leak-researchers-claim-8362093

A new genetic study suggests Covid-19 likely originated from the wildlife trade, specifically in Wuhan's markets, rather than a lab leak.

Is Trump Out-of-Touch, Senile, Nuts or Something Worse?

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/is-trump-out-of-touch-senile-nuts-or-something-worse/

It takes a degree of insanity to think sharing a picture of yourself as Pope or as Luke Skywalker is somehow helping raise your plummeting poll numbers.

It was the cringiest of times. It was the craziest of times.

Welcome to a moment in which one of the most consequential debates Americans (and people the world across) are having is about whether the President of the United States is just a national embarrassment or has full-on blown a gasket. Is Donald Trump just three fries short of a happy meal, or is he full-on howling-at-the-moon mad?

Trump Promised to End Two Wars Quickly. In Private, He Admits He’s Frustrated.

 https://www.wsj.com/politics/trump-israel-gaza-russia-ukraine-war-f847b04a?mod=hp_lead_pos5

The president has told donors resolving the conflicts has been more difficult than he thought

When President Trump spoke to a room of top donors at his Florida club last week, he described ending Russia’s war in Ukraine as a growing frustration that keeps him up at night, people in the room said. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin was particularly tough to negotiate with, and wanted “the whole thing,” Trump said, referring to Ukraine, according to an attendee. His comments came in response to a donor’s question about his biggest foreign-policy concerns.

Trump Stages a Trade-War Retreat

 https://www.wsj.com/opinion/u-s-u-k-trade-deal-donald-trump-tariffs-keir-starmer-428c87b6?mod=hp_opin_pos_2#cxrecs_s

President Trump continues to walk back his trade war by degrees, and markets continue to cheer. That’s the big story in Thursday’s announcement that the U.S. and the United Kingdom have struck a new trade deal.

Many details need to be worked out, but the deal marks another step back from Mr. Trump’s “liberation day” tariffs of April 2. The President and his advisers promised no exceptions at the time, but the markets staged a revolt. Mr. Trump then offered a 90-day reprieve to everyone but China to negotiate deals that pull the U.S. and the world back from the trade-war abyss.

‘Honey, he’s had enough of you’: Trump’s Mideast moves increasingly seem to sideline Israel

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/honey-hes-had-enough-of-you-trumps-mideast-moves-increasingly-seem-to-sideline-israel/

On Friday, a popular Hebrew X account called “News From a Year Ago” tweeted a short video of Donald Trump, then running for US president, from May 2024.

“If any Jewish person voted for Joe Biden, they should be ashamed of themselves,” Trump said in the video. “He’s totally abandoned Israel and nobody can believe it.”

One year later, if there’s a president many Israelis are viewing with disbelief, it’s Trump himself. Trump — who campaigned on his record of good relations with Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — has spent the past month building out a vision for US policy in the Middle East that appears to be sidelining the country and its leader.

Hitting Students

Igros Moshe (YD IV #30.4) Question: Can a student be hit?Answer It is clear and obvious that it is prohibited to hit a child with a stick and anything that can cause serious damage with a strong blow. Even a light blow is prohibited or even to threaten to hit him And a teacher should not even be holding a stick in his hand. Rather he should have available a small strap with which a father or teacher can hit when he misbehaves.(Rambam Talmud Torah 2:2). In fact one who hits with a stick transgresses a clear Torah prohibition which applies even for a light blow. Since it is prohibited to beat the child with a stick it is no different than hitting an adult even if no harm is caused. It is clear that a angry blow is prohibited with a stick or strap.  In this matter the father is equated to the teacher. They are different in that the teacher can hit a student only for issues that interfere with his learning. In contrast the father can also hit for other issues sometimes even minor ones as is stated in the gemora (Makkos 8a). Obviously there has to be a reason. 

Michtav M’Eliyahu (3:361): My nephew told me that he saw in a sefer that even if the child obeys his parents it is still proper to find an excuse in order to hit him at least a small amount. … the Ibn Ezra (Shemos 20:14) has written that it is not relevant to talk about the love of a peasant to the king’s daughter. Also when the king punishes the peasant with a beating the peasant never thinks about taking revenge against the king and the only lesson he learns from being punished is to be more submissive. That is because it is obvious that he is totally subordinate to the king and the king has the right to punish - but not him. Similar when it is ingrained in a child’s heart the idea that the father is the ruler and total master over him and that he is subservient to his father then because of this subservience he will never learn to hit others just because his father hits him. However our education has become corrupted because the teachers now think that they need to be friends of their students and parents also think this and everything centers on the independence of the children. Because of this, when a father beats his son, the son will retaliate and hit his father or his small brothers… However the secular researchers in their search for new understanding and their desire to destroy the principle of education which were known even by non‑Jews and whose source is in G‑d’s Torah and Prophets - produce things which bring about a reversal of all these basic principles. They are educating future Nazis and brazen people. From this we see to what degree it is necessary to be careful with all aspects of innovation of the secular researchers concerning psychology and education and it is necessary to evaluate and ascertain whether their approach contradicts the words of Chazal and the Rishonim or Jewish practice which itself is Torah. If contradictions are found it is necessary to reject complete all their filthy innovations and not accept anything from them without first examining it with sharp examination and to evaluate it in the light of Torah and Chazal and the words of the gedolim of the Rishonim and Achronim.

Rambam (Hilchos Talmud Torah 2:2): A child is enrolled in school at that age of 6 or 7 depending upon his level of understanding and physical strength. He should not be placed in school if he is younger than 6. The teacher should hit him in order to create proper awe and fear of the teacher. However the teacher should not hit them with angry violent blows. Consequently he should not hit them with a whip or a rod but rather with a small strap…

Makkos(8a): Although the son is already taught [replied Raba], it is still obligatory on the father to chasten, because it is written, Correct thy son and he will give thee rest, yea he will give delight to thy soul.

Rav has no Olam habah Rav Yakov Emden

 

Sheailas Yaavetz (# 71) This that you view the statement in Avos DeRabbi Nosson as difficult as smoke in the eyes or vinegar to the teeth since it says that a person who renders judgements and decides halacha has no Olam Habah. I have previously explained this in my commentary to the Talmud. It simply means that these seven have no Olam Habah only when they don’t do their jobs properly, which in fact most of them do in fact act properly.  In addition it seems that the city daayan even in the time of our Sages was corrupt.

Trump says he’s not planning to stop in Israel on next week’s Mideast trip

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-says-hes-not-planning-to-stop-in-israel-on-next-weeks-mideast-trip/

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he doesn’t plan to stop in Israel during his trip to the Middle East next week.

“We’re not planning on stopping in Israel. We will be doing it at some point, but not [on] this trip,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office during the ceremonial swear-in of Steve Witkoff as his special envoy to the Mideast.

Trump will depart for Saudi Arabia on Monday before making stops in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. He is slated to return on Friday, May 16.

Health Ministry intensifies measles vaccination efforts amid spread concerns

 https://www.ynetnews.com/article/mjfs4eysb

The Health Ministry is intensifying efforts to vaccinate against measles amid concerns over the disease's continued spread - particularly ahead of next week's Meron pilgrimage celebrations. YNet has learned that the head of Public Health Services at the Health Ministry, Prof. Sharon Alroy-Preis, has instructed health maintenance organizations and well-baby clinic providers to ensure vaccination appointment availability and support the effort by opening clinics during evening hours.