New York
A gunman, identified as 27-year-old Shane Tamura from Las Vegas, opened fire at 345 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, killing four people, including NYPD officer Didarul Islam.
Tamura, who had a documented mental health history, drove cross-country, arriving in New York City hours before the attack. Surveillance footage captured him entering the building’s lobby with an M4 assault rifle, immediately shooting Officer Islam, a 36-year-old immigrant from Bangladesh who was working security. Tamura also killed a woman, a man, and a Blackstone executive, Wesley LePatner, before fatally shooting himself on the 33rd floor. One person survived with critical injuries. Islam, a three-and-a-half-year NYPD veteran, leaves behind a pregnant wife and two young sons.
A large construction crane collapsed at a new-home construction site on Acres Road in Kiryas Joel, Orange County, crushing a 15-passenger van at the intersection of Acres Road and Bakertown Road. The incident prompted a swift response from Kiryas Joel Hatzolah, Kiryas Joel Fire Department, KJ Public Safety, and New York State Police. Three individuals, including the crane operator, sustained minor injuries; the operator was extricated from the cab and treated at the scene, while two others were transported to Good Samaritan Hospital. A secondary search confirmed no additional victims in the van. The collapse, which damaged a nearby sidewalk, is under investigation by state and federal authorities to determine the cause.
Columbia University disciplined over 70 students for storming Butler Library during a pro-Palestinian protest in May, disrupting final exams. Approximately two-thirds of the students received suspensions of up to three years, while the rest faced permanent expulsion. The protest involved chanting, flag-waving, and physical altercations, resulting in injuries to two campus security officers. The New York Police Department was called to intervene and restore order. The university’s actions followed a review of the incident, which violated campus conduct policies. Eric Adams, running as an independent mayoral candidate, has not publicly commented on the university’s response to the protest.
Columbia University agreed to pay a $221 million settlement to the Trump administration to resolve civil rights investigations regarding antisemitism on campus. The settlement includes $200 million over three years to address discriminatory practices and $21 million to settle claims of antisemitic employment discrimination against Jewish faculty. The agreement reinstates federal research funding, previously cut by $400 million, following allegations of the university’s failure to address antisemitism during the Israel-Hamas war. Columbia will adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism and reform campus protest rules, with oversight from an independent monitor. The university denies wrongdoing but acknowledges the need for reform.
Domagoj Patkovic, a 31-year-old from Portland, Oregon, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for making hoax bomb threat calls targeting Jewish hospitals and care centers in New York City and Long Island. Between May and September 2021, Patkovic made at least six threatening calls, using antisemitic slurs and claiming to have planted explosives, including C-4 in maintenance closets. One call in September 2021 led to a partial evacuation and lockdown of a Long Island hospital. He livestreamed the calls on Discord, amplifying his actions. No explosives were found. The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York prosecuted the case.
Michael Gann, a 55-year-old resident of Inwood, faces federal charges for manufacturing at least seven improvised explosive devices using precursor chemicals purchased online. He allegedly stored five of these devices, along with four shotgun shells, on rooftops of residential buildings in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. Gann is accused of throwing a sixth device onto the subway tracks of the Williamsburg Bridge, endangering public safety. On June 5, authorities arrested him in SoHo, recovering a seventh device on his person. He falsely claimed to have disposed of his explosives in a dumpster.
Two New Jersey Transit buses, each carrying 35 passengers, collided on an entrance ramp to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan at around 8:50 a.m. The crash occurred near West 41st Street and Dyer Avenue, close to the Lincoln Tunnel exit. At least 29 people sustained minor injuries, with 27 transported to local hospitals and three refusing treatment. Surveillance footage indicates one bus may have rear-ended the other while accelerating up the ramp. The FDNY and Port Authority Police responded, and the incident caused temporary delays for NJ Transit commuters. The investigation into the cause remains ongoing.
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against New York City, Mayor Eric Adams, and other officials, challenging the city’s sanctuary policies. The lawsuit, filed in the Eastern District of New York, claims these policies obstruct federal immigration enforcement by limiting cooperation between local and federal authorities. The DOJ alleges that city laws prevent police from honoring ICE detainer requests without a judicial warrant and restrict information sharing about undocumented immigrants’ release from custody. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that these policies have led to the release of thousands of criminals, citing a recent shooting of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer.
U.S.
President Donald Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from UNESCO, effective December 31, 2026, citing anti-American and anti-Israel bias and the organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. A 90-day review ordered in February examined alleged antisemitism and bias, finding UNESCO’s actions, such as designating Jewish holy sites as “Palestinian World Heritage” locations and referring to Israel as an occupying power, problematic. The White House also criticized UNESCO’s pro-Palestinian and pro-China leanings, noting China’s role as the second-largest donor. The decision follows a similar withdrawal in 2017, reversed by President Biden in 2023. Israeli officials, including Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, welcomed the move.
The United States and the European Union reached a framework trade agreement, imposing a 15% tariff on most EU goods entering the U.S., including cars and pharmaceuticals. The EU committed to purchasing $750 billion in U.S. energy over three years and investing $600 billion in the U.S., alongside buying American military equipment. The deal eliminates EU tariffs on U.S. industrial goods and maintains zero tariffs on aircraft, plane parts, certain chemicals, and some agricultural products. The agreement, announced by President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, averts a potential trade war. Steel and aluminum face a 50% U.S. tariff.
Tulsi Gabbard revealed that the intelligence community had no direct evidence supporting the conclusion in the January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) that Russian President Vladimir Putin aspired to help Donald Trump win the 2016 election. The report details that an initial December 2016 assessment, including a Presidential Daily Brief for then-President Barack Obama, concluded Russian and criminal actors did not impact election results through cyber activities against infrastructure, and any actions were likely intended to undermine credibility rather than influence outcomes. It alleges that Obama administration officials, including CIA Director John Brennan and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, directed revisions to the ICA to emphasize Putin’s preference for Trump, based on four pieces of evidence deemed insufficient or “ridiculous” by the committee, such as indirect sourcing and assumptions about Putin’s motivations. The report portrays this as politicization to undermine Trump’s legitimacy, with Gabbard describing it as evidence of a “treasonous conspiracy” by Obama-era leaders to manufacture intelligence for a “years-long coup.”
The Trump administration reduced the Internal Revenue Service workforce by approximately 26,000 employees, representing a 25% cut from its 103,000 staff. The reductions included 4,600 employees accepting buyouts and 17,000 opting for early retirement, with 300 layoffs through reduction-in-force actions. The cuts affected tax examiners, revenue agents, IT staff, and management, with losses of 27%, 26%, 23%, and 28% respectively. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration reported the IRS workforce at 77,428 by May. The reductions reversed staffing increases from the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act.
CBS announced the cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” ending its 33-year run in May 2026. The network cited financial losses, with the show reportedly losing $40 million to $50 million annually, despite being the top-rated late-night program with 2.417 million viewers. Colbert, who took over from David Letterman in 2015, learned of the decision the night before his announcement. The cancellation followed Colbert’s on-air criticism of a $16 million settlement by CBS’s parent company, Paramount, with President Donald Trump over a “60 Minutes” lawsuit. Paramount denied political motives, stating the decision was purely financial.
Israel
The Israeli Knesset passed a resolution with 71 votes affirming Israel’s historic and legal claim to Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley. The measure describes these areas as integral to Jewish heritage and rejects the establishment of a Palestinian state, citing security concerns. The resolution, supported by Religious Zionism, Likud, and Yisrael Beytenu parties, underscores the regions’ importance to Israel’s national identity. It reflects a significant majority of Israeli Jews opposing Palestinian statehood, aligning with historical territorial claims.
Israeli forces captured Abed al-Karim Snober in Nablus after a months-long manhunt for his role in a failed bus bombing in central Israel. On February 20, three empty buses exploded in Bat Yam and Holon, with two additional undetonated devices found. No injuries occurred. Snober was located after an explosion in Nablus, likely caused by mishandling explosives, led troops to his hideout. Wounded, he fled, but a 19-hour pursuit by IDF, Shin Bet, and Border Police ended in his arrest. Additional primed explosive devices were found and destroyed at the site.
Eight IDF soldiers were injured when a terrorist rammed his car into a bus stop near Kfar Yona. Two soldiers sustained moderate injuries and were treated at Laniado Hospital, while six others had light injuries. The attacker fled the scene, abandoning his vehicle nearby. Police launched a manhunt, supported by helicopters, to apprehend the suspect.
Hundreds of Israelis aboard a Mano Maritime cruise ship were stranded at the port of Syros, Greece, after pro-Palestinian protesters blocked their disembarkation. The protest disrupted the ship’s schedule, leaving passengers unable to leave the vessel. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar contacted Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, requesting intervention to resolve the situation.
IDF troops detained several suspected weapons dealers during an overnight raid in southern Syria. Operatives from the 210th “Bashan” Regional Division and Unit 504 of Military Intelligence conducted the operation based on intelligence linking the suspects to arms transfers. Several weapons were seized at the scene. The raid reflects Israel’s ongoing efforts to counter illicit arms trafficking in the region, particularly in areas close to its borders.
Tel Aviv University digitized rare 15th-century Ethiopian Jewish texts known as the Orit, comprising the Torah’s first five books, Joshua, Judges, and Ruth. Written in Ge’ez and preserved by Jewish priests (kesim), these manuscripts were found in private homes of Ethiopian Jews in Israel. The project makes these culturally significant texts accessible for research and preservation, highlighting the heritage of Ethiopia’s Jewish community.
An IDF drone identified the grave of a Jewish soldier from 1941 in a British cemetery in Gaza. The discovery, made during routine surveillance, provides historical insight into Jewish military service during World War II. The grave’s location within the cemetery underscores the region’s complex historical ties. Efforts are underway to document and preserve the site for historical records.
WORLD
Vueling Airlines removed 50 French Jewish children and their summer camp director from a flight at Valencia Airport after the group sang Hebrew songs, leading to accusations of antisemitism. Israeli Minister Amichai Chikli stated that the crew called police when the singing began, resulting in the director’s arrest. Witnesses reported the children remained calm throughout the incident. Vueling denied any bias, attributing the removal to safety concerns and failure to follow instructions. The Kinneret Club, organizer of the trip, plans legal action against the airline. Investor Bill Ackman called for accountability, highlighting Qatar’s 25% ownership in Vueling’s parent company, IAG.
A Jewish father and his six-year-old son were accosted by a mob at a gas station near Milan after the boy’s kippah and tzitzit were noticed. The crowd shouted “Free Palestine” and “murderers” while making obscene gestures. The father shielded his son during the verbal assault, which escalated when he refused to delete video footage. The incident occurred at a rest area near Lainate, leaving the father injured from kicks and trampling. Footage of the event, shared by Black and Jewish Unity, circulated widely online.
Hungary banned the Irish-language rap group Kneecap from entering the country due to their anti-Israel statements. The immigration authority declared the Belfast trio a national security risk, citing antisemitic hate speech and praise for Hamas and Hezbollah. The ban lasts three years and prevents their performance at the Sziget Festival on August 11. Hundreds of figures from Hungary’s music and cultural community signed a petition supporting the cancellation. The group lambasted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán over the decision.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will recognize a Palestinian state in September. The move positions France as the first G7 nation to formally recognize Palestinian statehood. The announcement drew criticism from Israel and the United States. Macron stated the recognition aligns with efforts to address the Middle East conflict. France hosts Europe’s largest Jewish and Muslim communities.
Syria will hold parliamentary elections between September 15 and 20, as announced by Mohammed Taha al-Ahmad, chairman of the Higher Committee for People’s Assembly Elections. The vote marks the first election since the fall of former President Bashar Assad in a rebel offensive in December. An electoral college will select 140 of the 210 members of the People’s Assembly to ensure provincial representation. The process occurs under the new authorities led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The announcement reflects the transitional government’s efforts to establish governance.
