City Council member Inna Vernikov arrested after bringing gun to Brooklyn College
‍New York City Council member Inna Vernikov, who represents parts of South Brooklyn, including the section of Midwood that is home to significant Orthodox and Haredi communities, was arrested on Friday and charged with criminal possession of a firearm, reports the New York Times. Images posted on social media had shown Vernikov carrying a gun in her waistband at a pro-Palestinine rally at Brooklyn College, exactly the type of event from which the September 2022 legislation prohibits all firearms.

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Lawmakers work to bring home New Yorkers stuck in Israel
‍U.S. Congressman Dan Goldman and New York State Assemblymember Simcha Eichenstein – both of whose districts include Boro Park – are working to get New Yorkers who are stuck in Israel home, CBS News reported last week. Many Haredim went to Israel for Sukkot and were unable to return when their flights were canceled as a result of the terror attacks and the ensuing war. "We've had literally hundreds of people call the office, call me personally, that they're stuck in Israel," Eichenstein said.

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Haredi communities pray for people of Israel
‍Multiple Haredi communities held pro-Israel prayer services earlier this month, including one hosted by the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic community on Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, and one hosted by a Litvish school in Lakewood, New Jersey. "Everyone in the community has a relative that either lives in Israel or knows someone who has been affected by this directly," said Rabbi Motti Seligson, the director of media at Chabad, in an interview with CBS News.

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Write-in candidate challenges Rockland District Attorney Thomas Walsh
‍Write-in candidate Theresa DiFalco is challenging Rockland District Attorney Thomas Walsh in the upcoming general election, reports Lohud. DiFalco has support among people upset with Walsh for agreeing to a no-jail sentence for two rabbis who had admitted to causing a fatal fire in 2021.

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Mayor’s office sends out robocalls in Yiddish
‍People are getting robocalls in Yiddish from the voice of Mayor Eric Adams, even though he doesn’t speak the language, reports the Forward. Artificial intelligence technology allows the mayor’s office to send constituents messages ostensibly from the mayor himself, but in their native languages. The first round of calls let people know about job opportunities with the city.