WH Pushes Tech Industry to Shut Down Market for Sexually Abusive AI Deepfakes

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05/29/2024

Tachnology - WH Pushes article — Ploughing through companies’ data protection policies is a time-consuming and ongoing task (Depositphotos)

By: Sara Miller

Just how secure is data provided to companies when paying for their services – and what about the companies who are doing the buying?

How do we know we can really trust entities on either side to protect the most sensitive information of their partners?

Israeli startup Hoggo has created an AI-driven platform that combs through and assesses a company’s publicly available policies on consumer protection – a process that when done manually can be an arduous and time-consuming affair.

The Software as a Service (SaaS) platform then creates an individual privacy protection outline and grade for that company, which prospective buyers and sellers can access and decide for themselves on their level of trustworthiness.

“We build a passport for them, which is basically like a resume,” Hoggo co-founder & COO Noa Kahalon tells NoCamels. “[Companies] can basically assess it with one click, and also monitor them in the long term.”

Because the information used to create the passport is publicly available, Hoggo can access the data and evaluate companies without even having to liaise with them.

Using its publicly available data, Hoggo has even created a passport for Amazon Web Services, the eponymous cloud computing platform used by almost 1.5 million businesses, including Disney, Johnson & Johnson and General Electric.

But, says Kahalon, companies who do want to work with Hoggo can improve their grade by claiming their passport and being more open about their policies and practices – including with whom they are sharing sensitive data.

“The more transparent you are, the better your trust grade is,” she says.

And according to Hoggo, 90 percent of consumers say they would not buy from a website if the seller did not adequately protect their personal data.

Kahalon has had a long-term interest in data protection, having discovered its pitfalls when setting up her own company as a teen. She has even just written a book for young children about the importance of keeping personal information private when interacting with others online.

So far, some 200 companies have signed up for passports. For now, the service is only available for companies (B2B) but there are plans to expand to offer it to individual consumers as well.

The service is currently entirely free but Hoggo is also developing a more advanced platform that would include a fee.

The company, which is less than two years old, spent a year and a half working on the technology before its live launch around three months ago.

Funding came from the German government, where Kahalon says data protection is taken “very seriously.”

Indeed, the European Union says its General Data Protection Regulation, which monitors how sensitive information is safeguarded, forms “an important component of EU privacy law and human rights law.”

The United States also has robust data protection legislation, although it is less uniform and changes from state to state. This can make it harder to understand which statutes are observed by which companies and in which locations across the US, which again is where Hoggo comes in.

Kahalon says she and her co-founders – CEO Samuel Solberg and CTO Toni Stjepanovic – wanted to upend the arduous process of verifying a company’s compliance policies on data protection.

“I was getting really frustrated with how things are being handled,” she recalls. “It’s a lot of manual work, a lot of lawyerly work.”

(NoCamels.com)

The Truth About That 10-Year Follow-up Colonoscopy

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05/29/2024

Health - The Truth article — Anatomy of human body with digestive system. 3d illustration

Researchers delving into the timing of subsequent colonoscopies found that for some people, the risks are no different if they wait 15 years instead of 10.

By: Amy Denney

The invasive and expensive nature of colonoscopies makes determining how to maximize their usefulness—particularly when it comes to follow-up screenings—a prominent topic of research. It’s undisputed that the surgical-based test can save lives, but the timing remains a moving target.

Three years ago, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force lowered the recommended age for the first colorectal cancer screening by five years—from 50 years of age to 45. Now, the gap between the first and second tests is being scrutinized.

Long-term data used in a JAMA Oncology study published May 2 suggests it may be time to move the follow-up screening back five years in certain circumstances. Specifically, the study indicates that anyone who doesn’t have a family history of colorectal cancer and whose first colonoscopy was free of polyps—abnormal tissue growth that can lead to cancer—could have their second screening test in 15 years, rather than the current recommendation of 10 years.

More than 152,000 people in the United States are expected to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this year, and an estimated 53,010 will die, according to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. It’s the second-leading cause of cancer deaths but one of the most preventable.

“What we know about colon cancer is it’s very slow growing. Screening for it is never urgent, but it’s very important because we can diagnose it very early,” Dr. Carl Bryce, a family physician, told The Epoch Times. “The sooner the treatment, the much better the outcomes.”

The reasoning behind 10-year screenings is that it takes about that long for polyps to transform into tumors. The test is invasive, comes with risks, and is costly—all reasons researchers continue to study whether the timeline can be expanded. In the new study, a statistical analysis found waiting 15 years in between screenings brought minimal risks.

Proceed With Caution

However, that doesn’t mean everyone should wait 15 years before a second screening.

The finding is a bit nuanced, not to mention entirely unofficial—two reasons Dr. Cedrek McFadden of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance medical scientific advisory committee has concerns about the study. The alliance’s mission is to raise screening rates, improve survival rates, and invest in research to end colorectal cancer.

While an accompanying JAMA editorial offered an enthusiastic perspective for the proposed change to 15 years between screenings, the recommendation hasn’t been adopted by any U.S. organizations that set guidelines for colorectal cancer screenings such as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, American College of Gastroenterology, or American Cancer Society.

Additionally, Dr. McFadden noted the study was conducted in Sweden—meaning it may not hold true in the United States. He’s also concerned about narrow qualifications being misconstrued by the media or overlooked by patients who make decisions based on “headlines” or social media content, rather than conversations with their doctors and official guidelines.

“If it sounds like I’m not ready to take up this recommendation, that’s absolutely true. I don’t think this is a study that is generalizable to the patients I take care of,” Dr. McFadden, a board-certified surgeon specializing in the large intestine, told The Epoch Times. “While it’s worthwhile to look into, I don’t think it’s ready for prime time.”

Family History Matters

Family history remains one of the biggest risk factors for colorectal cancer, which is why anyone who’s had a family member affected should begin screening for the disease before the recommendation at age 45. Those with an immediate family member with colorectal cancer have a two to four times greater risk of developing it themselves.

The JAMA study recommendation not only considered family history but confirmed there is a lower risk for people without an immediate family member affected by colorectal cancer.

The study examined 29 years of patient data going back to 1990, looking at a group of 110,000 patients in a Swedish database who had no family history of colorectal cancer and had initial colonoscopies with negative results—meaning they had no diagnoses of polyps, cancer, or adenoma, benign tumors.

They were then each compared to 18 age-matched controls of the same gender who also had colonoscopies with negative results. For the first 10 years, the risk of colorectal cancer and colorectal cancer death were lower by 72 percent and 55 percent respectively in the group with no family history and negative findings.

Ten-year statistics were the baseline for determining risk at the 15-year mark and every year afterward up to 20 years. Researchers found that 2.4 more cases of colorectal cancer per 1,000 people may be missed by extending the screening interval to 15 years. That rate jumped to 4.5 more per 1,000 at year 16 and increased gradually to 11.9 additional cases per 1,000 people by year 20.

Colorectal cancer deaths had a similar but less steep trend. The statistics showed a possible 1.4 additional deaths per 1,000 people by extending colonoscopies to 15 years from 10 years. At year 16, the rate increased to two more deaths per 1,000 people, and at 20 years, the rate was 3.6 additional deaths per 1,000.

The authors noted that “almost 1,000 colonoscopies per 1,000 individuals could be avoided. Therefore, our recommendation of a 15-year colonoscopy screening interval would avoid many invasive colonoscopy examinations with a minimal toll.”

Most at Risk

Though colorectal cancer has a high survival rate when it’s discovered early, Dr. Bryce noted that not much is known about those people who develop colorectal cancer in between screenings.

“It is a bit of controversy lately regarding the screening intervals and how much time is the right spot because certainly there are interval cancers that develop between the screenings,” he said. “It takes many years to study, and they don’t really know yet.”

Dr. Bryce, who is among a small percentage of family doctors who also perform screening colonoscopies, once had a younger patient come in for his first test and end up with a cancer diagnosis that same day. He encourages his patients to get at least one screening.

Beyond that, it’s a complicated decision that blends agreed-upon factors—like stopping colonoscopies at age 75 or when the patient’s life expectancy is under 10 years—with more nuanced “timing that makes sense for the patient,” Dr. Bryce explained.

He uses the American Gastroenterology Association’s guidelines published in 2020 in the journal Gastroenterology as a template. It includes flow charts that factor in patient age, size and number of polyps, family history, and other considerations to determine follow-up screenings.

“It’s a multi-specialty guideline that looked at all the studies and approaches. Ultimately what they decided on is a consensus interval,” Dr. Bryce said. “There’s still some answers out there we need to find. Does it improve mortality? Does it save lives? We think so, but the research is still ongoing.”

More Conversations

Those guidelines acknowledge a plethora of complications—including gaps in research and evolving knowledge that shows lengthening the time between screenings is becoming more common, particularly for patients with only one or two small polyps. They note that it can be emotionally difficult for physicians and patients to bump back appointments, particularly those made before the guidelines changed. They have the option to discuss it and decide on which timeline is best.

“Evidence to support best practices for surveillance colonoscopy has strengthened and has helped to support close follow-up for some groups, as well as less intense follow-up for others,” the guidelines state. “More work is needed to fully understand which patient populations are most likely to benefit from surveillance, and the ideal surveillance interventions to apply for optimizing [colorectal cancer] prevention and early detection.”

Because of the confusing and changing nature of guidelines, Dr. McFadden said not only do doctors and patients need to talk to one another more, but patients also need to have conversations with family, too.

He noted that his patient population is oftentimes unaware of their family history.

“The individualized nature of colon screenings is unique. In many ways it may be as unique as your fingerprint,” he said. “A part of that is knowing your history and your family’s history. We have to encourage our families to speak up and tell the stories of the health of the other family members, of our own health so we can all make better choices and have more information when we’re making these decisions.”

Beyond Colonoscopies

There are tools other than colonoscopies to detect colorectal cancer—including stool studies. While colonoscopies are common in the United States, other countries tend to lean more on stool and even blood testing to screen for colorectal cancer.

Those tests identify hemoglobin proteins, DNA biomarkers, and blood. There are also virtual colonoscopies using CT scans to determine whether there are polyps or abnormalities in the colon.

Those tests should be considered in light of the invasiveness of colonoscopies, according to a 2022 review in Nature Reviews Gastroenterology and Hepatology, as well as the fact that only 67 percent of U.S. patients are “up to date” on colonoscopies.

“There is an unfulfilled need for multiple-modality [colorectal cancer] screening that can improve current [colorectal cancer] screening rates. Newer technologies might be resource-effective strategies when used to select patients for colonoscopy,” the article stated.

(TheEpochTimes.com)

Researchers Discover New Mechanism Linking Diet and Cancer Risk

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05/29/2024

Health - Researchers Discover article — This discovery provides valuable insights into how one’s dietary habits can impact their risk of developing cancer and forges a clear path to understanding how to reverse that risk with food choices. (CI Photos/Shutterstock)

MGO, a glucose metabolite, can temporarily destroy the BRCA2 protein, reducing its levels in cells and inhibiting its tumor-preventing ability.

By: Jennifer Sweenie

You may have heard that sugar feeds cancer cells, and evidence supports that. However, the missing link in this narrative has been a thorough understanding of just “how” sugar feeds cancer—until now. A recent study published in Cell in April uncovers a new mechanism linking uncontrolled blood sugar and poor diet with cancer risk.

The research, performed at the National University of Singapore’s Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, and led by professor Ashok Venkitaraman and Li Ren Kong, a senior research fellow at the University of Singapore, found a chemical released when the body breaks down sugar also suppresses a gene expression that prevents the formation of tumors.

This discovery provides valuable insights into how one’s dietary habits can impact their risk of developing cancer and forges a clear path to understanding how to reverse that risk with food choices.

Methylglyoxal – A Temporary Off Switch

It was previously believed that cancer-preventing genes must be permanently deactivated before malignant tumors can form. However, this recent discovery suggests that a chemical, methylglyoxal (MGO), released whenever the body breaks down glucose, can temporarily switch off cancer-protecting mechanisms.

Mr. Kong, first author of the study, told The Epoch Times in an email: “It has been shown that diabetic and obese individuals have a higher risk of cancer, posing as a significant societal risk. Yet, the exact cause remains debatable.

“Our study now unearthed a clue that may explain the connection between cancer risk and diet, as well as common diseases like diabetes, which arise from poor diets.

“We found that an endogenously synthesized metabolite can cause faults in our DNA that are early warning signs of cancer development, by inhibiting a cancer-preventing gene (known as the BRCA2).”

BRCA2 is a gene that repairs DNA and helps make a protein that suppresses tumor growth and cancer cell proliferation. A BRCA2 gene mutation is associated primarily with a higher risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers, as well as other cancers. Those with a faulty copy of the BRCA2 gene are particularly susceptible to DNA damage from MGO.

However, the study showed that those without a predisposition to cancer also face an increased risk of developing the disease from elevated MGO levels. The study found that chronically elevated levels of blood sugar can result in a compounded increase in cancer risk.

“This study showcases the impact of methylglyoxal in inhibiting the function of tumour suppressor, such as BRCA2, suggesting that repeated episodes of poor diet or uncontrolled diabetes can ‘add up’ over time to increase cancer risk,” Mr. Kong wrote.

The Methylglyoxal and Cancer Relationship

MGO is a metabolite of glucose—a byproduct made when our cells break down sugar, mainly glucose and fructose, to create energy. MGO is capable of temporarily destroying the BRCA2 protein, leading to lower levels of the protein in the cells and thus inhibiting its ability to prevent tumor formation. The more sugar your body needs to break down, the higher the levels of this chemical, and the higher your risk of developing malignant tumors.

“Accumulation of methylglyoxal is found in cancer cells undergoing active metabolism,“ Mr. Kong said. ”People whose diet is poor may also experience higher than normal levels of methylglyoxal. The connection we unearthed may help to explain why diabetes, obesity, or poor diet can heighten cancer risk.”

MGO is challenging to measure on its own. Early detection of elevated levels is possible with a routine HbA1C blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months and is typically used to diagnose diabetes. This new research may provide a mechanism for detecting early warning signs of developing cancer.

“In patients with prediabetes/diabetes, high methylglyoxal levels can usually be controlled with diet, exercise and/or medicines. We are aiming to propose the same for families with high risk of cancers, such as those with BRCA2 mutation,” Mr. Kong said.

More research is needed, but the study’s findings may open the door to new methods of mitigating cancer risk.

“It is important to take note that our work was carried out in cellular models, not in patients, so it would be premature to give specific advice to reduce risk on this basis. However, the new knowledge from our study could influence the directions of future research in this area, and eventually have implications for cancer prevention,” he said.

“For instance, poor diets rich in sugar or refined carbohydrates are known to cause blood glucose levels to spike. We are now looking at larger cancer cohorts to connect these dots.”

The Diet and Cancer Connection

Dr. Graham Simpson, medical director of Opt Health, told The Epoch Times in an email: “It’s genes loading the gun, but your lifestyle that pulls the trigger. Every bite of food you take is really information. It’s either going to turn on your longevity genes or it’s going to turn on your killer genes. So cancer is very much in large part self-induced by the individual diet.”

A 2018 study published by Cambridge University Press found an association between higher intakes of sugar-sweetened soft drinks and an increased risk of obesity-related cancers. Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2020 concluded that sugars may be a risk factor for cancer, breast cancer in particular. Cancer cells are ravenous for sugar, consuming it at a rate 200 times that of normal cells.

Healthy Dietary Choices for Reducing Cancer Risk

A consensus on the best dietary approach for reducing cancer risk has yet to be determined, and further research is needed. However, the new findings of the Cell study on MGO support reducing sugar intake as a means to mitigate cancer risk. A study published in January in Diabetes & Metabolism shows that a Mediterranean diet style of eating may help reduce MGO levels.

In 2023, a study published in Cell determined that a ketogenic diet may be an effective nutritional intervention for cancer patients as it helped slow the growth of cancer cells in mice—while a review published in JAMA Oncology in 2022 found that the current evidence available supports a plant-enriched diet for reducing cancer risk.

Dr. Simpson stressed the importance of real food and healthy macronutrients with a low-carb intake for the health of our cells. “The mitochondria is the most important signaling molecule and energy-producing organelle that we have in our body. [Eat] lots of vegetables, healthy proteins, and healthy fats, fish, eggs, yogurt,” he said.

“Lots of green, above-ground vegetables, some fruits, everything that is naturally grown and is not processed.”

(TheEpochTimes.com)

High-Potency Cannabis Linked to Increased Psychosis Risk in Young Adults: Study

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05/29/2024

Health - High Potency Cannabis article — New UK research shows adults who consumed high-potency cannabis between ages 16 and 18 are twice as likely to experience psychotic episodes like hallucinations and delusions by their mid-20s compared to those using low-potency strains or abstaining. (Louella938/Shutterstock)

By: Cara Michelle Miller

During breaks from his deployments in the Afghanistan war, Craig turned to smoking cannabis to alleviate stress, just as he had done as a teenager. However, one evening, things took a turn when he barricaded himself and his two young daughters in the master bedroom.

“He thought the house was surrounded by terrorists,” Jennifer Thomas, the girls’ mother, recounted while speaking to The Epoch Times. “That night was bad; he said they were under attack. The other times before that were mostly him seeing auras and aliens talking.”

Military police took Craig to a psychiatric hospital, where he was diagnosed with schizophrenia at 26.

Craig’s story is one among an increasing number of cases, primarily involving men, where cannabis use has contributed to a schizophrenia diagnosis occurring in one’s 20s.

The Cannabis–Psychosis Link

New UK research shows adults who consumed high-potency cannabis between ages 16 and 18 are twice as likely to experience psychotic episodes like hallucinations and delusions by their mid-20s compared to those using low-potency strains or abstaining. The longitudinal study, published in Addiction, highlights cannabis’ risks to adolescent brain development.

“Young people using higher-potency forms of cannabis are twice as likely to have experiences associated with psychosis, such as hallucinations and delusions,” lead author Lindsey Hines, a professor from the University of Bath Department of Psychology with a doctorate in epidemiological psychiatry, stated in a press release.

Over the past several decades, illicit marijuana products have become significantly more potent. The concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)—the psychoactive compound in cannabis responsible for the “high” sensation and one linked to psychotic experiences in some people—increased from around 10 percent in 2009 to roughly 14 percent by 2019, according to a scientific review published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging.

“This is the problem,” Yasmin Hurd, director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai in New York, told The Epoch Times. “Many people don’t realize that the cannabis that is consumed today—the majority or all of it—is high-potency.”

The researchers examined data from the University of Bristol’s Children of the 90s (ALSPAC) study, the most comprehensive birth cohort study of its kind. The study collected information and data from about 14,000 adolescents between 16 and 18. Then, when they were 24, the participants were asked to disclose the types of cannabis they used and any psychotic experiences, such as hallucinations or delusions, they may have experienced.

The study found that 6.4 percent of young people using cannabis had new psychotic experiences, compared to 3.8 percent of nonusers. Furthermore, after starting to use cannabis, 10.1 percent of young people using higher-potency cannabis reported new psychotic experiences, while 3.8 percent using lower-potency did.

“Importantly, the young people we asked had not previously reported these experiences before starting their cannabis use,” said Ms. Hines. ”This adds to the evidence that use of higher-potency cannabis may negatively impact mental health.”

Stronger THC a Ticking Time Bomb for Mental Health

Cannabis poses a greater psychosis risk than tobacco or alcohol, according to Ms. Hurd, who noted that the new findings align with numerous studies linking cannabis use to psychosis.

A 2017 study in The American Journal of Psychiatry found that people experiencing even one cannabis-induced psychotic episode have a 47 percent higher chance of developing schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, with self-harm after such episodes indicating the highest risk. Of those experiencing substance-induced psychosis, half of them developed schizophrenia within three years, while the other half converted to bipolar disorder within almost 4.5 years.

Both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are thought to involve imbalances in brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) and abnormalities in brain structure and function. These neurological factors may contribute to the development of psychotic symptoms, such as hallucination and delusions, in both disorders.

A study published in Molecular Psychiatry analyzed genetic markers to assess the cannabis-psychosis relationship and found that “use of cannabis is causally related to risk of schizophrenia,” meaning that cannabis is a factor influencing the occurrence of the disorder.

A 2023 Danish study reported cannabis use disorder (CUD) as a major schizophrenia risk factor for young males, estimating that 30 percent of cases among men aged 21 to 30 could be prevented by preventing CUD, a diagnosis of problematic cannabis abuse or dependence that affected 14.2 million Americans aged 12 and over in 2020.

While not all young cannabis users develop psychosis, Ms. Hurd said that factors like starting before 16, frequent use, and higher potency increase risk, potentially triggering conditions in genetically predisposed people, as a 2018 study using 23andMe data found.

The increased psychosis risk from more potent cannabis “must be taken seriously, especially in light of the current mental health crisis,” Ms. Hurd and colleagues wrote in a 2024 commentary in The American Journal of Psychiatry.

Challenges Ahead

Despite evidence linking cannabis to psychosis, teen use soared 245 percent between 2000 and 2020, according to research published in Clinical Toxicology. The authors attributed the rise to popular edible products, with legalization making cannabis seem safer and more accessible to teens, even though it is only legal for adults in 24 states and Washington, D.C.

Tax revenue from the cannabis industry must fund prevention strategies to mitigate impacts on developing brains, Ms. Hurd and her colleagues wrote in the commentary.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) recently proposed to move cannabis to a Schedule III drug, which would reduce the penalty for selling or delivering the drug in states where it remains criminalized.

The legalization of medical marijuana in more states over the past few years has made cannabis widely accessible. However, Ms. Hurd noted that the current highly addictive strains are not benign. “The adolescent time period is a critical window for CUD risk,” she said, adding that this only makes the need for public health education and intervention more critical.

While “we should not criminalize the use,” she said, the move to make it legal and reduce penalties ignores the fact that the current strains are purposely made to be addictive because “like everything else, it’s a business, and the business is to get more customers,” she added.

(TheEpochTimes.com)

Grand Opening of “The Bar” & Lounge at NJ’s Wave Resort at Pier Village Kicks Off Memorial Day Weekend

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05/29/2024

WAVE RESORT - PIC 1 — The founder and principal designer of Ovadia Design Group, Jack Ovadia, described his inspirations for the design concept at the heart of the renovations of the Wave Resort. Credit: Ovadia Design Group

Edited by: TJVNews.com

The Wave Resort, a coastal escape in the jewel box of Pier Village, along the Jersey Shore held a much anticipated grand opening today on Friday for their new lounge area and “The Bar.”

From chic aesthetics to coastal tones, The Wave Resort promises a unique and elevated experience for guests. Credit: Ovadia Design Group

The Wave Resort has received a fresh renovation, with newly-refurbished spaces by the interior design firm Ovadia Design Group, founded by Principal Designer, Jack Ovadia. Based in New York City, the firm showcases a portfolio of projects along the unique locale of the Jersey Shore, illustrating their skill in bringing the essence of summer to life.

The Wave Resort has reimagined selected areas, including the lobby lounge, featuring a den/game area, and “The Bar”, alongside the resort’s newest hotspot for Instagram-worthy moments, “Call Your Bubbi Bagels”. Embracing the coastal ambiance tailored for The Wave Resort, Ovadia Design Group has seamlessly designed these areas to reflect the timeless allure of the seaside. Every detail evokes the tranquility of ocean living, promising a unique and elevated experience for guests.

Where seaside charm meets timeless appeal, The Wave Resort invites guests to experience the essence of summer. Credit: Ovadia Design Group

The Wave Resort’s latest renovation introduces a palette of vibrant pastels and incorporates natural elements, elevating the chic aesthetics and coastal appeal. The reinvented spaces not only invite visitors to indulge in unforgettable experiences but also serve as picturesque backdrops, ensuring lasting memories of The Wave Resort’s newly founded ambiance and serene design.

The Wave Resort is one of three Kushner-owned hotels at Long Branch’s beachfront, according to the Asbury Park Press. The others are The Bungalow, a 24-room boutique hotel and the 102-room Onada Surf Club. Due to the major role played by Kushner Cos in development on the Jersey Shore, Pier Village has become a popular destination for luxury oriented vacationers and beach goers from around the world.

“The Bar” intertwines vibrance and the inviting nature of the sea, integrating natural elements reminiscent of waves and sails for a harmonious balance. Credit: Ovadia Design Group

On Memorial Day weekend back in 2019, Nicole Kushner Meyer, principal of the New York-based Kushner real estate development group, kicked things off with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting for the six-story, 67-room Wave Resort.

Kushner, the sister of former White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner said that those involved in the project were “focused on developing Pier Village into a year-round Town Center for Long Branch.” Her father, Charles Kushner, formerly owned a home in the area.

Construction of the boutique hotel at Pier Village began in January 2018. The project also features 245 high-end condos called The Lofts, which carry a price tag ranging from $569,000 to $2.4 million.

Wave Resort’s rooms were designed by Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA). Each room is configured to provide views of the Atlantic Ocean from terraces and through floor-to-ceiling, wall-to wall windows. Blackened wood finishes and rope details were integrated throughout, according to Hotel Management Magazine.

The Kushner Company’s luxurious Wave Resort, located in the heart of Pier Village along the Jersey Shore, debuted right before Memorial Day, and is receiving universal praise. Photo Credit: Kushner.com

“Upon entering the living room-style lobby, eyes will immediately be drawn to a bespoke, gallery-worthy concrete reception desk,” is how Hospitality Design described it. “Framed vistas juxtaposed with natural, warm raw materials; color-blocked, dusty, sunset-toned fabrics; and crisp graphic designs make for an interactive and inviting foyer space that is perfect for relaxing with a cocktail or playing pool with friends. Each restaurant and bar, from the boardwalk café to the richly toned brasserie-style fine dining room to the second-floor pool deck, serve as a collection of communal lounging spaces that seamlessly transition from work to play throughout the day.”

Its seven food and beverage outlets include seasonal fine dining seafood and coastal casual restaurants; a boardwalk coffee shop; swim-up pool bar; and a hybrid burger-and-taco shop. The dining venues were influenced by Pier Village’s boardwalk.

The exquisite pool at the luxurious Wave Resort on the Jersey Shore.

The founder and principal designer of the eponymously named Ovadia Design Group, Jack Ovadia, described his inspirations for the design concept at the heart of the renovations of the Wave Resort.

“Visiting the shore over the summer my entire life, I wanted to give summer escapists a retreat–a space where they could experience the essence of summer: it’s vibrancy, breeziness, and joy of the seaside,” explained Mr. Ovadia.

The lobby of the Kushner Company owned Wave Hotel in Pier Village on the Jersey Shore

Mr. Ovadia added that, “Immersing ourselves in the vibrant community of Pier Village, our team meticulously studied how visitors and residents interact with the locale. It became evident that there was a need for a refined setting where adults could unwind, whether catching up on work during the day or winding down with a nightcap after dinner. “The Bar” embodies this vision.”

With a palpable enthusiasm in his voice, Mr. Ovadia said, “Our goal was to bring a unique sense of Miami to the Jersey Shore, intertwining a vibrant palette and a timeless allure that embodies this elevated coastal style.”

Breathtaking rooms at The Wave Resort on the Jersey Shore. Credit: Booking.com

He added that “Our concept was to evoke the Jersey Shore with a Miami-inspired ambiance, seamlessly blending a lively color palette with timeless charm to capture this elevated coastal style. At our core, we’re not just about design; we’re about creating unforgettable experiences”.

Renowned for creating timeless environments to withstand time, Jack Ovadia is a multifaceted interior designer, architect by trade, and known for his business acumen.

The Wave Resort’s latest renovation introduces a palette of vibrant pastels and incorporates natural elements, elevating the chic aesthetics and coastal appeal. The reinvented spaces not only invite visitors to indulge in unforgettable experiences but also serve as picturesque backdrops, ensuring lasting memories of The Wave Resort’s newly founded ambiance and serene design. Credit: Booking.com

In 2022, Mr. Ovadia’s firm was featured as the summer cover of Design Magazine and mentioned by Business of Home. Most recently, Mr. Ovadia has been recognized by the American Society of Interior Designers and publications such as Haute Residence, Design Et Al, and more. Mr. Ovadia’s daring approach is powered by functional design and an innate ability to seamlessly merge luxury interiors with architectural design. Based in the heart of New York City, Ovadia Design’s headquarters serves as a global hub where Mr. Ovadia leads his firm to embrace design, elevating and enhancing the art of living for each client. In 2023, Mr. Ovadia collaborated with Propel Network, participating in a live panel representing local design entrepreneurs and encouraging design enthusiasts to excel in shaping the evolution of the design industry.

Israeli jiu-jitsu fighter dedicates gold medal to friend slain on Oct. 7

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05/29/2024

406277018_18241460923237029_7964086352855038973_n-1320x880 — Israeli jiu-jitsu fighter Yarin Shriki. Credit: Courtesy. Facebook Twitter

(JNS) “I dedicated my championship medal to my best friend Yochai who I grew up with. I’ve won a gold medal three times, but this was different,” Israeli jiu-jitsu fighter and Oct. 7 survivor Yarin Shriki told JNS on Tuesday.

“I wanted to sing ‘Hatikvah,’ I wanted everybody to listen. I did not fight for myself, I fought for my flag, for my country and for my friends who died,” he added.

Over the weekend, Shriki won a gold medal at the European Championship in Germany. He entered the final against Belgian Florian Bayili, ranked No. 1 in the world. He was the underdog, but was able to surprise his opponent during the fight.

As during previous fights, the athlete wore an outfit with the inscription “Yochai, 7/10/2023.”

On Oct. 7, Shriki was recovering from ear surgery and was told to rest from strenuous activity for a month, when his brother invited him to attend the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im.

“I wasn’t sure I wanted to go. Two days before I bought a ticket. Both of my brothers drove in one car and I got in another with one of my friends,” recounted Shriki.

“We arrived at around 2 a.m. and at 6:30 a.m., the assault started. We ran to the parking lot and started to drive. Everyone drove in different locations, I fled to Tze’elim and my brothers drove to Beit Kama. I couldn’t join them because there were terrorists everywhere,” he added.

One of Shriki’s friends who serves in an IDF combat unit and trained with him three years before the massacre, fled on the same road as him. He drove ahead and fended off dozens of terrorists allowing Shriki to survive.

“We were 10 friends at the party,” Shriki said, “four of them were killed,” including Yochai. Shriki remained in Tze’elim for seven hours, and at nightfall, he drove back to his hometown of Netanya.

“I rested for one day only before starting to train for the European championship,” Shriki told JNS.

Late last month, he won a gold medal in the men’s under-69 kg Gi category at the Paris Jiu Jitsu 2024 Grand Prix.

“My message to Jews around the world is that we need to unite, be stronger and win this war. We are not only fighting in Gaza, we are fighting in the media and we are fighting those in the world who believe nonsense,” he said.

Peter Doocy Asks KJP Point-Blank If White House Is ‘In Full-Blown Freakout Mode’ Over Bad Poll Numbers

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05/29/2024

Nicole Silverio(Daily Caller)

Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked point-blank if the White House is in “full-blown freakout mode” over President Joe Biden’s dire polling numbers ahead of the November election.

Doocy cited a Politico report titled, “Dems in full-blown ‘freakout’ over Biden,” detailing Democrats’ “pensive sense of fear” of the potential outcomes of the 2024 election due to the president’s low polling numbers.

“Are you guys here at the White House in full-blown freakout mode?” Doocy asked during Tuesday’s press briefing.

“What are you talking about?” the press secretary asked. “What are you talking about, Peter?”

“There’s a Politico story, it sounds like Democrats outside, the quote is ‘Biden’s stubbornly poor polling and the stakes of the election are creating the freakout,’” Doocy continued.

The press secretary refrained from commenting on the election itself and instead touted the president’s economic legislative actions which she said are helping families with “kitchen table” issues.

“So, again, I’m being mindful. I’m not gonna comment on the 2024 election, but I will say this. The president has never forgotten where he came from, who he is, he understands what the American people are going through at the kitchen table. You hear the president talk about his time growing up where he watched his family at the kitchen table have to make incredibly difficult decisions, and the president has always said he’s going to fight for communities that have been forgotten and you see that in the economic policies that he’s put forward,” she said.

Anxiety is soaring among Democrats and staffers with the Biden campaign as former President Donald Trump’s lead among battleground states is growing more prominent as the election draws closer. A series of polls have found Trump garnering a significant lead in Nevada and Arizona, while further leading in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.

A New York Times/Sienna College poll showed Biden’s lead among black and Hispanic voters — a Democratic-leaning demographic — has narrowed between the two candidates by record numbers. Across the six swing states, Biden is leading Trump 70% to 18% among black voters, as well as by 47% to 42% among Hispanic voters. The president won the black and Hispanic vote by 75 and 33 points in 2020, according to Edison Research.

Trump has also outpaced Biden in fundraising by $25 million in April, including raising a record $50.5 million at an event in Palm Beach, Florida, according to Politico.

“You don’t want to be that guy who is on the record saying we’re doomed, or the campaign’s bad or Biden’s making mistakes. Nobody wants to be that guy,” an anonymous Democratic operative told Politico, adding the low polling numbers are causing “the freakout.”

Trump is narrowly ahead of the national polls 41.3% to 39.9% as of Tuesday, according to FiveThirtyEight.

NYC Man Accused of Randomly Punching Strangers Is Indicted on Hate-Crimes Charges

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05/29/2024

(AP) — A man who was arrested in March on charges of randomly hitting a woman walking down a street in New York City has been indicted on hate crime charges for that assault and several others, prosecutors said Tuesday.

NYC – a man is caught on film following a group of residents into a Union Square building shouting “you’re gonna die … die Jews die”.

Recognize him? DM us! pic.twitter.com/TrqpZNC7qE

— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) November 22, 2023

Skiboky Stora, 40, of Brooklyn, is charged with assaulting, stalking and harassing strangers in a series of anti-female, anti-white, and antisemitic incidents between September of 2023 and March of this year, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said.

The March 25, 2024 assault on a 23-year-old woman in the Chelsea neighborhood attracted wide attention after the victim posted about it on TikTok and several other people described similar attacks in social media posts.

The victim in that case fell to the ground and suffered pain and swelling on the left side of her head, Bragg said.

That attack came months after two other assaults in the same neighborhood, prosecutors said.

On Sept. 20, 2023, Stora elbowed a 17-year-old student in the neck and said, “You people think you can do whatever you want,” using a curse word, according to the indictment.

Then on Oct. 26 he elbowed a 37-year-old woman’s left shoulder, causing pain and bruising, prosecutors said.

And on Nov. 18, a husband and wife, both 28, were walking their dogs near Union Square when they saw Stora tearing down posters of Israeli hostages and stopped to take a photo, prosecutors said.

Noticing the couple looking at him, Stora followed them shouting anti-white and antisemitic threats and insults including, “Die, Jews, die!” according to the indictment.

Bragg said in a statement that Stora “allegedly committed a series of hate-motivated incidents against several individuals based on their perceived gender, race and religion.”

Stora was arraigned Tuesday on charges including assault as a hate crime and stalking as a hate crime.

He had been charged previously with assault in connection with several cases and pleaded not guilty.

He said outside the courtroom Tuesday, “They’re (trying to) indict me man…this guy Alvin Bragg he’s corrupted,” according to WNYW Fox 5.

Stora said authorities had “no probable cause” to arrest him, the TV station reported.

Stora is representing himself in court and has no attorney, the district attorney’s office said. His next court date is Aug. 6.

A message seeking comment on the charges against him was left on Stora’s Instagram page.

What Is Manhattanhenge and When Can You See It?

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05/29/2024

(AP) — Twice per year, New Yorkers and visitors are treated to a phenomenon known as Manhattanhenge, when the setting sun aligns with the Manhattan street grid and sinks below the horizon framed in a canyon of skyscrapers.

The event is a favorite of photographers and often brings people out onto sidewalks on spring and summer evenings to watch this unique sunset.

Manhattanhenge happens for the first time this year on May 28 at 8:13 p.m. and May 29 at 8:12 p.m., and will occur again on July 12 and 13.

Some background on the phenomenon:

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson coined the term in a 1997 article in the magazine Natural History. Tyson, the director of the Hayden Planetarium at New York’s American Museum of Natural History, said he was inspired by a visit to Stonehenge as a teenager.

The future host of TV shows such as PBS’ “Nova ScienceNow” was part of an expedition led by Gerald Hawkins, the scientist who first theorized that Stonehenge’s mysterious megaliths were an ancient astronomical observatory.

It struck Tyson, a native New Yorker, that the setting sun framed by Manhattan’s high-rises could be compared to the sun’s rays striking the center of the Stonehenge circle on the solstice.

Unlike the Neolithic Stonehenge builders, the planners who laid out Manhattan did not mean to channel the sun. It just worked out that way.

WHEN IS MANHATTANHENGE?
Manhattanhenge does not take place on the summer solstice itself, which is June 20 this year. Instead, it happens about three weeks before and after the solstice. That’s when the sun aligns itself perfectly with the Manhattan grid’s east-west streets.

Viewers get two different versions of the phenomenon to choose from.

On May 28 and July 13, half the sun will be above the horizon and half below it at the moment of alignment with Manhattan’s streets. On May 29 and July 12, the whole sun will appear to hover between buildings just before sinking into the New Jersey horizon across the Hudson River.

WHERE CAN YOU SEE MANHATTANHENGE?
The traditional viewing spots are along the city’s broad east-west thoroughfares: 14th Street, 23rd Street, 34th Street, 42nd Street and 57th Street. The farther east you go, the more dramatic the vista as the sun’s rays hit building facades on either side. It is also possible to see Manhattanhenge across the East River in the Long Island City section of Queens.

IS MANHATTANHENGE AN ORGANIZED EVENT?
Manhattanhenge viewing parties are not unknown, but it is mostly a DIY affair. People gather on east-west streets a half-hour or so before sunset and snap photo after photo as dusk approaches. That’s if the weather is fine. There’s no visible Manhattanhenge on rainy or cloudy days.

DO OTHER CITIES HAVE ‘HENGES’?
Similar effects occur in other cities with uniform street grids. Chicagohenge and Baltimorehenge happen when the setting sun lines up with the grid systems in those cities in March and September, around the spring and fall equinoxes. Torontohenge occurs in February and October.

But Manhattanhenge is particularly striking because of the height of the buildings and the unobstructed path to the Hudson.

Saudis condemn Israel for ‘continuous genocidal massacres’

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05/29/2024

AP_20339655083453-750x400 — Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud (AP/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Saudi Arabia turned up the diplomatic heat Monday in possibly its strongest denunciation to date of Israel’s conduct of its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

“Saudi Arabia condemns and denounces in the strongest terms the continuous genocidal massacres committed by the Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian people without deterrence by continuing to target the tents of defenseless Palestinian refugees in Rafah,” its Foreign Ministry stated.

Riyadh also accused the IDF of “continuous blatant violations of all international and humanitarian resolutions, laws, and norms” and “exacerbate[ing] the magnitude of the unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe experienced by the Palestinian people.”

Blaming only Israel for the conflict, it demanded that the international community step in “to stop the massacres” and “hold those responsible accountable.”

The harsh statement followed a Sunday night airstrike that assassinated two top Hamas commanders near the southern Gaza city of Rafah, Hamas’ last stronghold in the Strip.

A fire was set off, killing some 45 Gazan civilians according to Hamas officials, and countries around the world leapt to condemn Israel for the tragedy.

Even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized for their accidental deaths, the IDF began examining the incident in depth.

Chief spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari then told reporters Tuesday that the air force had used two precision munitions containing only 17 kilograms of explosive material each. These small missiles were not capable of causing the deadly conflagration, he said.

It was more likely that “weapons stored in a compound” next to the target ignited as a result of the airstrike, he continued.

Hagari provided evidence for this contention, an intercepted phone recording in which two Gazans are talking about “an ammunition warehouse” exploding.

“The Jewish bombing wasn’t strong, it was a small missile, because it didn’t create a large hole. And afterward a lot of secondary explosions,” one man said to the other.

Saudi Arabia had reportedly been on its way to normalizing relations with Israel in the summertime in a deal being crafted by the Biden administration that would have included closer defense ties with the US but no pressure for establishing a Palestinian state.

Many Middle East experts believe that this initiative was the major impetus for Hamas’ invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023, in which its fighters and other terrorists massacred 1,200 people and abducted 253 Israelis and foreign nationals, setting off the war.

ISRAEL WILL ‘UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES’ END WAR FOR HOSTAGE DEAL
Although the kingdom kept quiet as the war began, Riyadh has been steadily increasing its harsh rhetoric against Israel.

It has also made definitive movement towards a Palestinian state a condition for agreeing to engage in a formal diplomatic relationship with Israel.

Netanyahu’s firm rejection of such a “terror state,” as he has put it, which is backed by a solid majority of 64% of Israelis, was “a matter of extreme concern,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told reporters in Belgium Sunday night.

Pro-Hamas rioters set fire to Israeli embassy in Mexico

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05/29/2024

israel-embassy-mexico-750x400 — Pro-Hamas supporters lit fires and hurled rocks at police officers outside the Israeli embassy in Mexico. (Twitter Screenshot)

By JNS

Pro-Hamas rioters on Tuesday set fire to the Israeli Embassy in Mexico during a protest ostensibly against the Israeli military operation in the southern Gazan city of Rafah.

Masked protesters threw stones at security forces who had created a barricade preventing access to the diplomatic mission in the Mexican capital’s Lomas de Chapultepec neighborhood.

Around 200 people participated in the “Urgent action for Rafah” demonstration, dozens of whom attempted to break down the barriers, according to Agence France-Presse.

Video posted to social media showed fires raging outside the embassy complex.

There were unverified reports of up to six people injured in the chaos.

Prob #Hamas Protesters set the #Israeli embassy on fire using ##molotovCocktails #MexicoCity #Mexico https://t.co/mUGZsc7nXS

— The Jewish Voice (@TJVNEWS) May 29, 2024

Protesters set fire to the Israeli embassy in Mexico City with Molotov cocktails
The demonstrators also threw stones at the police who cordoned off the building. It is reported that as a result of the unrest, six people were burned and several journalists were injured. pic.twitter.com/CqwnQsQusi

— S p r i n t e r F a c t o r y (@Sprinterfactory) May 29, 2024

The riot came after Mexico filed a declaration of intervention in South Africa’s “genocide”

The ICJ, the principal United Nations judicial arm, located in The Hague, issued a 13 to two ruling on Friday that the Jewish state must “immediately halt its military offensive and any other action in the Rafah governorate, which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.”

Protesters set fire to the Israeli embassy in Mexico City with Molotov cocktails
The demonstrators also threw stones at the police who cordoned off the building. It is reported that as a result of the unrest, six people were burned and several journalists were injured. pic.twitter.com/CqwnQsQusi

— S p r i n t e r F a c t o r y (@Sprinterfactory) May 29, 2024

🇲🇽🇮🇱💥 — Chaos in front of the Israeli Embassy in Mexico: hooded individuals throw Molotov cocktails and attempt to remove barriers pic.twitter.com/nFATrcnfUf

— Uncensored News (@Uncensorednewsw) May 29, 2024

]

💥 — Chaos in front of the Israeli Embassy in Mexico: hooded individuals throw Molotov cocktails and attempt to remove barriers pic.twitter.com/nFATrcnfUf

— Uncensored News (@Uncensorednewsw) May 29, 2024

On Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the IDF would continue to press its offensive in Rafah in order to free the hostages held by Hamas and destroy the terrorist group.

Israeli officials insist that the military operations in the enclave are being conducted in conformity with Friday’s ICJ ruling.

VIDEO: Clashes broke out between police and protesters outside the Israeli embassy in Mexico, rallying against the country’s military offensive in the southern Gazan city of Rafah, @AFP journalists report.

Some protesters covered their faces and threw stones at riot police who… pic.twitter.com/S7QulayLC2

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) May 29, 2024

Harvard Graduation Marred by Anti-Semitism Controversy as Speaker Accuses Critics of Smearing Her for ‘Money and Power’

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05/29/2024

Alana Goodman(Free Beacon)

Harvard University’s commencement ceremonies were disrupted last week when the keynote speaker, Maria Ressa, a 2021 Nobel Peace Prize recipient and the president and CEO of the Philippines-based Rappler, employed an anti-Semitic trope to attack her critics, arguing that they are after “money and power.”

“Because I accepted your invitation to be here today, I was attacked online and called anti-Semitic by money and power because they want money and power,” she told Harvard graduates during the May 23 ceremony.

Ressa’s reference was to critics, including Rep. Elise Stefanik (R., N.Y.), who had accused her of anti-Semitism following a Washington Free Beacon report on an editorial published by the Rappler in November 2023 that likened Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza to Hitler’s persecution of the Jews during World War II.

Ressa’s remarks from the dais, which echoed anti-Semitic tropes about Jewish wealth and influence, led Harvard Chabad Rabbi Hirschy Zarchi, who was seated on stage for commencement proceedings, to walk off the stage, according to the Harvard Crimson.

Zarchi, the head of Harvard’s Chabad Center for Jewish Life, told the Free Beacon that he “approached [Ressa] as the ceremony was coming to an end to ask her to consider taking the opportunity to clarify—publicly—what she meant by saying that she was accused of being antisemitic ‘by power and money, because they want power and money.'”

“When she tried to justify and explain her characterization, it became clear to me that there was nothing more for me to say in that moment and I promptly walked off.”

Originally published in Tagalog, a language spoken in the Philippines, the Rappler’s executive editor, Glenda M. Gloria, told Time magazine that the Free Beacon had misrepresented the article and had not provided an “accurate translation.”

But a second translation commissioned by the Free Beacon from Anna Katarina Rodriguez, the former executive director of the Commission on Filipino Language, confirms the accuracy of the original translation cited in the May 3 Free Beacon report.

Rodriguez’s translation indicates the Rappler’s November 2023 editorial stated the following:

It is with great irony that the race that for centuries, suffered oppression, even genocide at the hands of Adolf Hitler, is the same race that is now depriving the Palestinians of this same dream. According to [sociologist Randy] David, ‘Yesterday’s oppressed have become today’s oppressors.’

Comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany, as well as holding Israel to standards not applied to other countries, could be considered anti-Semitic under the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition.

“Her classic anti-Semitic rhetoric was all the more revealing when she went on in her address to slander Israel by falsely including Gaza on her list of places where a genocide is occurring,” added Zarchi, a reference to remarks Ressa made in her May 23 Harvard address. “Of course, she said nothing about the greatest massacre against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, and the continued genocidal attempts on the Jewish people by Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran.”

After the event, Ressa told the Crimson that her remarks were directed at Stefanik, who had cited the Free Beacon’s May 3 about the Rappler’s comparison of Israel’s conduct to that of the Nazis.

A spokesman for Harvard, Jonathan Swain, didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The Rappler editorial included additional attacks on Israel, including claims that the Jewish state has “paleolithic instincts” when it comes to war.

“It is clear that Israel has taken a disproportional response, not merely intended to retaliate but to wage an all-out war,” said the editorial. “Israel, by deploying its godlike technology, reveals its paleolithic instincts by disregarding the distinctions between civilians and its enemy, the Hamas.”

The paper called for an Israeli ceasefire, and concluded the editorial with another reference to Hitler.

“We want to believe that our world is more modern, enlightened, and compassionate compared with the time of Adolf Hitler or the dropping of the atomic bomb upon Hiroshima,” the editorial said. “It appears that this is the challenge of our times, humanity must rise to the occasion and demonstrate that we are, by equal measure, human and humane

Jamaal Bowman Campaigns With Defund Police Groups as Primary Vote Nears

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05/29/2024

New York - NY Congressman's Decision article — Jamaal Bowman D-N.Y. (AP/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Meghan Blonder(Free Beacon)

In the final push of his primary campaign, embattled New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D.) is leaning on the help of groups that support defunding the police.

Bowman on Monday touted a coalition of progressive groups, including the New York Working Families Party and The Jewish Vote, that is working to push him across the finish line in his June primary race. These groups repeatedly called to defund the police, including in New York City—a portion of which is represented by Bowman.

Bowman posed for a picture with members of the left-wing groups, whom he described as a “multiracial, working-class movement” for “people power.”

“I’m inspired by the multiracial, working-class movement we’re building! From Co-op to Larchmont we’re building a movement for jobs and education, not bombs and incarceration!” Bowman tweeted. “Shoutout to everyone who showed out [sic] yesterday. This is what people power looks like.”

Bowman’s allies support the fringe position of defunding the police.

“We must defund and demilitarize the police,” the New York Working Families Party wrote in June 2020.

“The NYPD isn’t just employing a few bad apples—it’s deliberately cultivating bad apples at the expense of Black and brown New Yorkers,” the group wrote in a post one month later. “Defund police, invest in our communities.”

“Defund the police,” The Jewish Vote wrote in May 2020.

Eight months later, the groups called on presidential candidates to endorse defunding the police to get their vote.

“If @AndrewYang wants to win our votes, he should focus on #TaxTheRich, Defund the Police, a #GreenNewDeal—NOT equating a nonviolent human rights tactic to literal Nazis,” the group wrote.

Democrats in New York’s 16th Congressional District will choose their congressional nominee on June 25. Westchester County executive George Latimer has shown to be a formidable law-and-order, pro-Israel Democratic challenger to Bowman. The race’s results could shed light on how other elections will play out in swing districts where the Israel-Hamas war is a salient issue.

Bowman in a Sunday Instagram story highlighted Felicia Singh, who was a leading organizer and works as the director of policy and government relations at the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families. Singh posted a photo of the group of campaigners, writing “Working Families Party. I’m right next to [Bowman].”

Bowman responded to Singh, who has personally advocated for defunding the police, with a “hand heart” emoji.

Singh called to defund the police as recently as April.

“I hope that what people seeing happen to students by the NYPD becomes a MASSIVE learning for people who were afraid of the word ‘defund’ but understand it now,” Singh wrote in an April 30 post.

“How can @NYCCouncil vote to ban chokeholds when they’re still happening in our black communities? Reforms don’t work alone,” Singh wrote in a June 2020 post. “Defund the police now.”

Two months later, she highlighted the Austin, Texas, city council’s decision to cut $100 million from the police budget as an example of defunding the police in action.

“We can’t say that we have zero examples of how to defund the nypd [sic] and reinvest in communities. We can’t say it’s impossible. We can’t say it won’t work. We can only say the NYC is behind in centering the #blacklivesmatter movement and that’s a damn shame,” Singh wrote.

The city of Austin reversed those budget cuts one year later amid a crime spike.

Bowman has collaborated with The Jewish Vote before, attempting to rehabilitate his image among Jewish voters in light of his anti-Israel rhetoric following the Oct. 7 attack.

The group is the electoral arm of Jews for Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ), a left-wing nonprofit that has routinely disparaged the Jewish state and argued against sending anti-Semitic hate criminals to jail.

In its Oct. 7 statement on “escalating violence in Israel-Palestine,” JFREJ said Hamas’s slaughter of innocent Israelis was not “unprovoked,” citing “decades of occupation” and “the stifling blockage of Gaza.” Days later, the group’s executive director, Audrey Sasson, accused Israel of “genocide.”

Bowman, much like The Jewish Vote, blamed Hamas’s attack on Israel’s “blockade of Gaza” and went on to accuse the Jewish state of “mass murder,” “genocide,” and “ethnic cleansing.” Those comments have incensed local Jewish leaders. Twenty-six rabbis in Bowman’s district, for example, wrote a letter in October urging Latimer to launch a primary campaign against Bowman, citing the congressman’s “effort to erode support for Israel on Capitol Hill and within the Democratic Party.”

“Many of us tried to engage the Congressman early in his term, seeking constructive dialogue about the damaging positions he took—especially on matters related to America’s relationship with Israel,” the rabbis wrote. “Regrettably, Congressman Bowman disregarded our outreach and doubled down on his anti-Israel policy positions and messaging.”

Bowman has also been intertwined with the Working Families Party since he began his political career in 2020. The party’s New York chapter endorsed his primary campaign at the time, citing him as an “excellent” alternative challenger to then-incumbent Eliot Engel, who had held the seat for over 30 years.

“Jamaal Bowman is going to be an excellent congressman—pass it on,” the Working Families Party wrote in a post before the 2020 primary.

Bowman did not return a request for comment.

Bowing to Hamas, Biden and Mob Demands Would be Suicidal Israelis Say

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05/29/2024

Op-Ed - American Calls article - pic 6 — Hamas’s cross-border attacks on Oct. 7

Bowing to Hamas, Biden and Mob Demands Would be Suicidal Israelis Say

Never Again means Never Again! How dare they resist us? say Israel haters.

By: Paul Driessen

Sir Nicholas Winton epitomized the Power of One. As World War II loomed, he organized a rescue operation, found sponsors and foster homes, and ultimately brought nearly 700 Jewish Czech children to Britain. The ninth train was intercepted by Nazi troops the day war broke out; only two of the 250 children onboard survived Holocaust death camps.

It’s painfully ironic that the new film One Life, retelling this uplifting saga, opened March 15 – five months after Hamas’s October 7 butchery, during Israel’s 75th anniversary year and its war to end Hamas’s reign as a terrorist force, and amid the worst anti-Israel, anti-Semitic “protests” in US history.

The raging placards and chants defy belief. We are Hamas. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. (Or the Arabic version: From the river to the sea, Palestine will be Arab – free of Jews, Christians, Bahais and other infidels.) Globalize the Intifada (violent uprisings and terrorism).

Death to America! Hamas, we love you! Resistance by any means necessary. Al-Qassam, you make us proud. Kill all Zionists! (Al-Qassam is Hamas’s October 7 terrorists. The vast majority of US Jews and Christians are Zionists, supporters of Israel’s right to exist and defend itself.)

This is “intersectionality” in its most disgusting and dangerous form: Marxism, Fascism, anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism and Atifa. Hatred of America, Israel, capitalism and Western civilization.

These mobs intimidate and assault Jewish students. They rabidly support: Hamas terrorists, the numerous Gazan men, women and even children who joined the 10/7 slaughter, the 72% of Gazans who say those massacres were justified, and the 93% who say Hamas committed no war crimes on 10/7.

No war crimes or atrocities? Look at these photos and videos (here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here). Watch Sheryl Sandburg’s documentary (especially at 28:00, 30:45, 32:25 and 39:20).

Hamas leaders say “Israel has no place on our land.” Until Israel is eradicated, “everything we do is justified.” “Nobody should blame us for the things we do on October 7, October 10, October 1,000,000.”

“Our land” means all of Israel. It reflects the Islamist belief that once an area is Muslim, it must always be Muslim (even Spain and Portugal). It refers to Koran verse 2:91. “Kill them wherever you come upon them and drive them out of the places from which they have driven you out.”

Spontaneous protests? The campus mobsters and their gear are covertly funded by billionaire foundations. Professional agitators trained the mob bosses before 10/7, so they’d be ready when opportunities arose.

The mobs are loud, shrill and often violent. But they are tiny minority; 80% of registered American voters support Israel in this war against Hamas. But college administrators still kowtow to the mobs, and President Biden needs their votes too much to condemn them, reverse his ongoing pressure against Israel or stop appeasing Iran, the ultimate sponsor of Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthi terrorism.

Israel is guilty of genocide? Hamas wants to kill or drive out every Jew in Israel. Its terrorists targeted, raped, mutilated and murdered thousands of Israeli civilians – and promise to repeat their massacres until Israel is gone. Campus mobs want to “Kill all Zionists.” That is genocide.

In sharp contrast, Israel goes out of its way to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza, where Hamas built hundreds of miles of terror tunnels under its cities. Where Hamas hides its “militants” and weapons in virtually every home, apartment, school, hospital, mosque and office.

Where it actively “persuades” civilians to remain as human shields, to ensure high casualties. Where some families refuse to leave, even when warned of impending military actions. “We want to die. We love death the way you love life,” one family patriarch said.

That has meant destructive, deadly urban warfare. And yet civilian death tolls in Gaza are one-sixth those in other recent urban warzones.

A 2022 UN report concluded that 90% of wartime casualties were civilians in Afghanistan, Africa, Ukraine and the Middle East. That’s nine civilians for every combatant. Gaza tolls have been 1.5 civilians per combatant. Military experts like Col. Richard Kemp (U.K., Ret.) confirm this.

Using Hamas Health Ministry claims (up to 34,000 deaths through April) – and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claims that it has killed over 12,000 Hamas fighters – the ratio is 1.8 civilians per fighter. But Hamas doesn’t separate terrorists from civilians killed by Israel, by Hamas rockets that exploded in Gaza or even deaths by natural causes. It classifies military-age men as children.

Moreover, Hamas has now admitted that one-third of its previously published Gaza death statistics are “incomplete” and unsupported by actual records. The actual ratio could thus be 1:1 or less – still tragic, but even further below any other urban war.

However, President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken and Defense Secretary Austin say any further civilian deaths are unacceptable. They demand that Israel restrict operations in Rafa to limited “surgical” strikes, which will never eliminate the 8,000 “warriors” in Hamas’s last stronghold. The administration then blocked shipments of precision munitions needed for surgical strikes – in defiance of Congress.

These actions will make it far more likely that Hamas will survive and able to launch more terror attacks – likely in conjunction with Hezbollah, Houthis and soon-to-be-nuclear Iran. Israel would be vastly more imperiled than it is today. Many suspect this is what the Biden Administration wants.

Team Biden’s increasingly sorry record is compounded by a State Department report accusing Israel of causing a “severe humanitarian crisis” by displacing Palestinians, and of committing other human rights violations – such as subjecting Hamas prisoners to “inhumane treatment,” like forcing them to undress to their underwear to prevent suicide bombings. It and the UN are silent about the humanitarian crisis and war crimes in Ukraine inflicted by Russia’s increasing attacks on homes, hospitals and energy systems.

On Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, the White House trumpeted a supposed treaty between Hamas and Israel, but deliberately failed to mention that Hamas had changed the Israeli-Egyptian draft agreement. The worst was requiring that Israel permanently end the war, withdraw from Gaza and release imprisoned terrorists before Hamas released any hostages – or just corpses of hostages.

The prevailing Biden, campus mob and global attitude seems to be: How dare Jews fight back, after 2000 years of letting enemies slaughter them, the way they did during the Crusades, pogroms and Holocaust? How dare Israel demonstrate that its promise of Never Again! really means Never Again!

Israelis and Jews everywhere know bowing to Hamas, Biden and mob demands would be suicidal.

Vote for Trump for President- Your Life as an American Jew Depends on it!

US Suspends Gaza Aid Shipments After Biden Admin’s Problem-Ridden Floating Pier Damaged By Bad Weather

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05/28/2024