Latest news with #RoshHashanah
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
That Time L.A.'s Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Called in a Bomb Threat on His Own City Hall
"False flags" are a staple of conspiracy theories. Many infamous attacks and threats, the theory goes, were cooked up by the government itself to spread fear and justify crackdowns. But a bomb threat against Los Angeles City Hall turned out to be exactly that kind of scheme—albeit a poorly cooked up one. Brian K. Williams, former deputy mayor for public safety, pleaded guilty on Thursday to calling in a bomb threat during a meeting on October 3, 2024. According to his plea deal, Williams used Google Voice to place a call to his work phone, then told the Los Angeles Police Department chief of staff and texted other officials that the "caller" had threatened to blow up city hall. Williams implied that the threat was sent in by a pro-Palestinian activist. "I'm tired of the city support of Israel. I have decided to place a bomb in City Hall. It might be in the Rotunda," he quoted the non-existent caller as saying. The meeting was during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and a few days before the anniversary of the October 2023 attacks on Israel. After police searched city hall and found no bomb, Williams showed them the call record from the Google Voice number. He then texted other officials to say "There is no need for us to evacuate the building." But the investigation of the threat didn't end there. The Los Angeles Times reports that detectives "conducted surveillance that led them to conclude that Williams was responsible for the bomb threat." They then turned over the investigation to the FBI, which raided Williams' house in December 2024. He was placed on administrative leave immediately after. As deputy mayor for public safety, Williams oversaw the Los Angeles Police Department as well as the Fire Department, Emergency Management Department, airport police, and seaport police. He was promoted to the job in February 2023 from his previous post as executive director of the Los Angeles County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission. Williams "not only betrayed the residents of Los Angeles, but responding officers, and the integrity of the office itself, by fabricating a bomb threat," Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office, said in a press release. "Government officials are held to a heightened standard as we rely on them to safeguard the city. I'm relieved that Mr. Williams has taken responsibility for his inexplicable actions." Inexplicable indeed. The plea agreement didn't explain William's motive, and his lawyer Dmitry Gorin simply told the Los Angeles Times that the "aberrational incident was the product of personal issues which Mr. Williams is addressing appropriately, and is not representative of his character or dedication to the city of Los Angeles." It's one thing for the government to exaggerate dangers, mix up different kinds of threats, or get swept up in mass panic. It's another for a government official to make up a lie from scratch. Yet that's what really happened in Los Angeles. The post That Time L.A.'s Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Called in a Bomb Threat on His Own City Hall appeared first on
Business Upturn
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Upturn
Is ‘Nobody Wants This' returning for season 2? Everything we know so far
By Aman Shukla Published on May 8, 2025, 17:30 IST Last updated May 8, 2025, 12:06 IST Netflix's romantic comedy Nobody Wants This took the streaming world by storm with its charming leads, Kristen Bell and Adam Brody, and a heartfelt story inspired by creator Erin Foster's real-life romance. After a cliffhanger-filled Season 1 finale, fans are eagerly asking: Is Nobody Wants This Season 2 happening? Here's everything we know so far about the show's renewal. Is Nobody Wants This Season 2 Officially Happening? Yes, Nobody Wants This Season 2 is officially happening! Netflix announced the renewal on October 10, 2024, just two weeks after the show's September 26, 2024, premiere. The series' massive success, with 26.2 million views in its first 11 days and a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score, made a second season a no-brainer. Production began in Los Angeles on March 7, 2025, signaling that the show is on track for a 2025 release. When Will Nobody Wants This Season 2 Release? While Netflix hasn't confirmed an exact release date, Season 2 is slated to premiere in late 2025, likely between September and December. Erin Foster has hinted at an annual fall launch, possibly aligning with Rosh Hashanah, as she jokingly told The Hollywood Reporter , 'We're just going to be a Rosh Hashanah launch, always.' Given that Season 1 was filmed from January to April 2024 and released in September, a similar timeline suggests a fall 2025 debut, potentially September or October. Aman Shukla is a post-graduate in mass communication . A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication ,content writing and copy writing. Aman is currently working as journalist at
Washington Post
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Pope Francis asked me what keeps me up at night. This is what I learned from him.
The world has lost its most authentic leader and its moral voice. Pope Francis brought clarity to religious leaders: He chose to address poverty, he pursued reconciliation in the church, and he believed in inclusion and compassion. He reminded the world that we are part of one human family and we should love and care for each other and safeguard our planet for future generations. I had the pleasure of meeting Francis in Abu Dhabi on his historic visit there in 2019. There, he signed the Document for Human Fraternity with the grand imam of al-Azhar, Ahmed el-Tayeb, in an event that brought East and West together in an unprecedented manner. Shortly afterward, he appointed a group of religious and secular leaders to put the intentions expressed in the document into practice, and created the Higher Committee for Human Fraternity. I was honored and humbled to be appointed by Francis to this group of leaders. As a result of my appointment, Francis invited me to the Vatican. I flew to Rome during the days between Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the holiest holiday in Judaism. It was quite the experience to have a private audience with the pope. I began to tell him: 'I am Rabbi Lustig, the child of a Holocaust survivor. I grew up in Nashville, Tennessee.' Francis interrupted and said, 'Bruce, may I call you that, I know who you are, you would not be here if I did not know. Now, tell me, what keeps you up at night?' I said 'hate speech,' and for the next hour, we came up with strategies to end hate speech. He listened to me, challenged my views and agreed with me that God spoke the world into being, so speech has the power to create or destroy worlds. I left our audience with a critical lesson learned at the feet of an important teacher. There is only one voice that matters in the end: your own. Francis has journeyed home to be with God, but he has left us his moral voice. It is our responsibility to use that voice to speak out for truth, justice and compassion. That is how we should honor Francis. That is how a moral voice will not be lost. M. Bruce Lustig, Washington The writer is rabbi emeritus of the Washington Hebrew Congregation. The April 22 editorial, 'Pope Francis pulled the church into the 21st century,' was outstanding. It pointed out that Francis 'made the church decidedly more global, modern and inclusive.' It also noted that he didn't condemn Russia's attack on Ukraine, he didn't allow women to be ordained as priests, and he permitted bishops and others complicit in clergy sexual abuse cover-ups to escape accountability. To me, the most illuminating thing about Francis's papacy was his statement regarding a purportedly gay priest: 'Who am I to judge?' That showed a humility completely unexpected from the powerful leader of the 1.4 billion Catholics across the globe. The world would be a much better place if some of its political leaders had a bit of that humility. Vic Presutti, Dayton, Ohio Regarding the April 21 front-page article 'Vance meets pope in private Vatican visit': On the last full day of his life, Pope Francis took the time to meet with Vice President JD Vance. The difference in the figures is striking. Vance has been an attack dog for the Trump administration, advocating a message of exclusion and an aggressive deportation agenda. Francis, in contrast, was a humble man who preached peace, love and tolerance. The pope had rebuked the Trump administration's immigration policy, which Vance justified as aligned with 'ordo amoris,' a medieval Catholic concept that refers to the order of charity. Vance posted on X that the concept is 'basic common sense' because one's moral duties to one's children outweigh those 'to a stranger who lives thousands of miles away.' Washington is ruled by the rich and powerful, but money and power cannot buy entry into heaven. I pray the humility and love espoused by Francis earn him that reward. Diane B. Norton, Fairfax The April 12 front-page article 'A more combative Catholic' explained how Vice President JD Vance tries to justify mass deportations, despite Pope Francis's insistence that the church stand up for the rights of the poor, the suffering, the stranger and the dispossessed — many of whom are immigrants. Vance, along with many Catholic converts among the MAGA right, cites an 'old-school,' 'very Christian concept' according to which Christians should love those they are closest to more than those who are farther away. Vance seems ignorant of the pernicious origins and history of this idea, which gained popularity among Catholics in tandem with rising nationalism and 'scientific' racism, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As quoted in 'From Enemy to Brother' by historian John Connelly, Cardinal Justinian Seredi, leader of the Hungarian church from 1927 to 1945, claimed, 'We must love better those who are nearest to us than those to whom more distant ties bind us: family, nation, religious, etc.' This belief, which eclipsed any notion of the Good Samaritan, underlay the collaboration of Catholics in Germany, Hungary, Croatia and Slovakia with fascists, as well as participation, in some cases, in the Holocaust. After the Second World War, particularly as a result of Vatican II, the church rejected this false doctrine as inhumane and un-Christian. One of the most astonishing things about Christianity is that it posits that each and every human being has a soul and enjoys God's grace. When asked which of the commandments was the most important, Christ answered: to love God with all your heart, soul and mind and to love your neighbor as yourself. And note that 'neighbor' does not mean literal neighbor but other human beings. The Trump administration's policies, including mass deportations, do not represent conservatism or Christian doctrine. Dolores Augustine, Roslyn Heights, New York The writer is professor emerita of history at St. John's University. Sadly, there are Christians who believe that Pope Francis, regardless of his good works, is not destined for heaven because of his Roman Catholicism and liberalism. If God really is as vengeful as some Christians portray Him to be, is anyone — including His supposed ardent followers — truly able to be 'saved'? One could reasonably theorize that He would be especially peeved by those self-professed Christians. He might even deem them frauds. After all, Jesus' teachings are about nonviolence, compassion and love. They also epitomize the primary tenet of socialism: Do not hoard gratuitous wealth in the midst of great poverty. Yet those teachings are not practiced by many so-called Christians, including those who idolize callous politicians who stand for very little or nothing Jesus taught and represents. Frank Sterle Jr., White Rock, British Columbia Pope Francis has been called 'the pope of the people.' All-inclusive. Champion of the marginalized. Call me when women are allowed to become priests. Kimberly Bayer, Silver Spring Regarding the April 23 news article 'Francis's legacy contingent on unpredictable election of his successor': Each of us can follow the example of Pope Francis and be an advocate for feeding the hungry. The pope rallied support for the U.N. World Food Program and other humanitarian agencies. He tried to bring attention to the forgotten conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, where people are facing acute food insecurity. And, more recently, the Vatican's charity called the gutting of the U.S. Agency for International Development 'reckless.' Instead of making cuts to USAID and letting food destined for the hungry rot, we should be increasing humanitarian aid, given the number of war and hunger emergencies taking place worldwide. Ordinary Americans can make that happen by being a powerful voice for the hungry and poor like Francis was. In 1943, Catholic Relief Services was founded by the Catholic bishops of the United States to serve World War II survivors. Churches gathered donations to feed the hungry in postwar Europe and Asia. A similar nationwide relief drive today would be a great way to honor Francis and save the lives of poor and hungry war victims worldwide. William Lambers, Cincinnati The writer partnered with the U.N. World Food Program to write the book 'Ending World Hunger.'
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Commentary: A Jewish appreciation of Pope Francis
On Sept. 11, 2014, at the annual meeting of the Jewish Federation of Chicago, Cardinal Francis George told the audience: 'Before I went to the Conclave of the College of Cardinals this past February to elect a successor to Pope Benedict XVI, I asked Rabbi Poupko, 'What would the Jewish community like to see in the next pope?' He answered: 'We need a pope who knows us.'' This is who was elected pope. As archbishop of Buenos Aires, then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio attended Rosh Hashanah services at the Benei Tikva synagogue in September 2007. Bergoglio told the congregation that he was there 'like a pilgrim, together with you, my elder brothers.' In 2010, Rabbi Abraham Skorka and Bergoglio began memorializing their two decades of conversation in a book. Friends since 1990, the two had much to share. In the introduction to the book they co-wrote, 'On Heaven and Earth,' Francis described their friendship: 'With Rabbi Skorka I never had to compromise my Catholic identity, just like he never had to with his Jewish identity.' The Jewish people have good memories of Francis. One of the gestures of Francis' friendship with the Jewish people came early in his papacy. In 2013, in a letter to journalist Eugenio Scalfari in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Francis responded to the question: 'What should we say to our Jewish brothers about the promise made to them by God: Has it all come to nothing?' 'This question, believe me, is a radical one for us Christians because with the help of God, especially in the light of the Second Vatican Council, we have rediscovered that the Jewish people remain for us the holy root from which Jesus was born. I too have cultivated many friendships through the years with my Jewish brothers in Argentina and often while in prayer, as my mind turned to the terrible experience of the Shoah, I looked to God,' he wrote. 'God has never neglected his faithfulness to the covenant with Israel, and that, through the awful trials of these last centuries, the Jews have preserved their faith in God. And for this, we, the Church and the whole human family, can never be sufficiently grateful to them.' As the Germans murdered 6 million Jews, most of Christendom collaborated actively or passively with Nazism. In that time, the Jewish people gave witness to the one God. We alone were the sole sacred witness to the one God. Francis deepened that because he did not limit admiration and respect for Jewish witness to the period of the Shoah. He refers to 'the terrible trials of these centuries' in which 'the Jews have kept their faith in God.' He refers to the torment inflicted upon us by the Catholic Church and the Reformation churches throughout the ages. He affirms that the church and all of humanity will 'never be sufficiently grateful to them.' The pope affirms that Israel provided unique witness to the one God; that this unique witness came despite all the torment; and that Israel's faithfulness to the one God is a gift both to the church and to humanity. This is a remarkable affirmation of Judaism and the Jewish people. People do not often pay enough attention to performance theology. Instead of issuing formal statements and teachings in well-reasoned theological papers, occasionally a pope will act out, will express in behavior, a religious idea. In an act of performance theology while in Israel in 2014, Francis visited the grave of Theodor Herzl, the founder of Zionism, the Jewish national liberation movement. The honor paid to Herzl at his last resting place is compelling. One hundred and 10 years earlier, on Jan. 26, 1904, Herzl had an audience with Pope Pius X. Herzl sought the pope's support for Zionism. The pope replied, 'We cannot give approval to this movement. We cannot prevent the Jews from going to Jerusalem — but we could never sanction it. The soil of Jerusalem … has been sanctified by the life of Jesus Christ. As the Head of the Church, I cannot tell you anything different. The Jews have not recognized our Lord, therefore we cannot recognize the Jewish people.' Pius X established what was the popular and official Christian attitude to Zionism and the establishment of the state of Israel. Christian theology has had a difficult time accounting for the Jewish return to the ancient homeland. Francis' act of honor and respect to Herzl and to Zionism demonstrated that the Roman Catholic Church no longer holds any theological objection to the Jewish return to sovereignty in the ancient homeland. In every relationship, there are disappointments. It is because of Francis' friendship extended to the Jewish people that several of his statements on Israel's war to prevent Hamas from annihilating Israel were received with pain. The Jewish people will remember that as the sun set on Passover, Francis departed this life. He left behind the great Passover legacy, to ever seek freedom from slavery; to ever fulfill the mitzvah (commandment) to take care of the poor and the stranger. In these days following his passing, we know that his abiding friendship for us will never be forgotten. Judaism holds that good deeds will ever endure. This is his gift and legacy. ____ Rabbi Yehiel Poupko is a Rabbinic scholar at the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Chicago ___
Chicago Tribune
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Rabbi Yehiel Poupko: A Jewish appreciation of Pope Francis
On Sept. 11, 2014, at the annual meeting of the Jewish Federation of Chicago, Cardinal Francis George told the audience: 'Before I went to the Conclave of the College of Cardinals this past February to elect a successor to Pope Benedict XVI, I asked Rabbi Poupko, 'What would the Jewish community like to see in the next pope?' He answered: 'We need a pope who knows us.'' This is who was elected pope. As archbishop of Buenos Aires, then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio attended Rosh Hashanah services at the Benei Tikva synagogue in September 2007. Bergoglio told the congregation that he was there 'like a pilgrim, together with you, my elder brothers.' In 2010, Rabbi Abraham Skorka and Bergoglio began memorializing their two decades of conversation in a book. Friends since 1990, the two had much to share. In the introduction to the book they co-wrote, 'On Heaven and Earth,' Francis described their friendship: 'With Rabbi Skorka I never had to compromise my Catholic identity, just like he never had to with his Jewish identity.' The Jewish people have good memories of Francis. One of the gestures of Francis' friendship with the Jewish people came early in his papacy. In 2013, in a letter to journalist Eugenio Scalfari in the Italian newspaper la Repubblica, Francis responded to the question: 'What we should say to our Jewish brothers about the promise made to them by God: Has it all come to nothing?' 'This question, believe me, is a radical one for us Christians because with the help of God, especially in the light of the Second Vatican Council, we have rediscovered that the Jewish people remain for us the holy root from which Jesus was born. I too have cultivated many friendships through the years with my Jewish brothers in Argentina and often while in prayer, as my mind turned to the terrible experience of the Shoah, I looked to God,' he wrote. 'God has never neglected his faithfulness to the covenant with Israel, and that, through the awful trials of these last centuries, the Jews have preserved their faith in God. And for this, we, the Church and the whole human family, can never be sufficiently grateful to them.' As the Germans murdered 6 million Jews, most of Christendom collaborated actively or passively with Nazism. In that time, the Jewish people gave witness to the one God. We alone were the sole sacred witness to the one God. Francis deepened that because he did not limit admiration and respect for Jewish witness to the period of the Shoah. He refers to 'the terrible trials of these centuries' in which 'the Jews have kept their faith in God.' He refers to the torment inflicted upon us by the Catholic Church and the Reformation churches throughout the ages. He affirms that the church and all of humanity will 'never be sufficiently grateful to them.' The pope affirms that Israel provided unique witness to the one God; that this unique witness came despite all the torment; and that Israel's faithfulness to the one God is a gift both to the church and to humanity. This is a remarkable affirmation of Judaism and the Jewish people. People do not often pay enough attention to performance theology. Instead of issuing formal statements and teachings in well-reasoned theological papers, occasionally a pope will act out, will express in behavior, a religious idea. In an act of performance theology while in Israel in 2014, Francis visited the grave of Theodor Herzl, the founder of Zionism, the Jewish national liberation movement. The honor paid Herzl at his last resting place is compelling. One hundred and 10 years earlier, on Jan. 26, 1904, Herzl had an audience with Pope Pius X. Herzl sought the pope's support for Zionism. The pope replied, 'We cannot give approval to this movement. We cannot prevent the Jews from going to Jerusalem — but we could never sanction it. The soil of Jerusalem … has been sanctified by the life of Jesus Christ. As the Head of the Church, I cannot tell you anything different. The Jews have not recognized our Lord, therefore we cannot recognize the Jewish people.' Pius X established what was the popular and official Christian attitude to Zionism and the establishment of the state of Israel. Christian theology has had a difficult time accounting for the Jewish return to the ancient homeland. Francis' act of honor and respect to Herzl and to Zionism demonstrated that the Roman Catholic Church no longer holds any theological objection to the Jewish return to sovereignty in the ancient homeland. In every relationship, there are disappointments. It is because of Francis' friendship extended to the Jewish people that several of his statements on Israel's war to prevent Hamas from annihilating Israel were received with pain. The Jewish people will remember that as the sun set on Passover, Francis departed this life. He left behind the great Passover legacy, to ever seek freedom from slavery; to ever fulfill the mitzvah (commandment) to take care of the poor and the stranger. In these days following his passing, we know that his abiding friendship for us will never be forgotten. Judaism holds that good deeds will ever endure. This is his gift and legacy.
