Wednesday April 2 News Updates Lakewood

 Weather: 48° A mix of clouds and sun early followed by cloudy skies this afternoon.

- Lakewood Police checkpoints for cell phones while driving Rt 9 and rt 88 and other areas. Gridlock traffic Pine St area rt 9 with road closures 

- "Our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world. We will be the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer. We're going to reclaim our wealth. This is the beginning of Liberation Day in America." –President Trump

- Josh Gottheimer: Trump’s tariff plan is nothing but a direct TAX on hardworking Jersey families, whacking them with at least $2,000 a year in EXTRA costs. I’m introducing legislation to fight back against these reckless tariffs so we can make life more affordable for Jersey families.

-Dow futures tumble 1,100 points on fear Trump’s tariffs will spark trade war:

-Bloomberg: US stock futures plunged almost 4% after President Donald Trump outlined a slate of tariffs on US trading that raises the likelihood of a full-blown trade war that could plunge the US economy into a recession. Contracts on the S&P 500 fell 3.7% to 5,502 at 6:20 p.m. in New York, while Nasdaq 100 contracts sank 4.5%.

- Among other countries, Trump imposes 17% tariffs on imports from Israel. Even though Israel has canceled all tariffs on the US.  The United States will impose a 34% tariff on China, 26% on India, and 20% on the European Union.

- Trump: "My fellow Americans, this is LIBERATION DAY -- April 2, 2025 will forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn, the day America's destiny was reclaimed, and the day that we began to make America wealthy again."

- Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch at the Ichud Hayeshivos  event: Bochurim are walking around with the fear that they will be arrested. You need to know that those responsible who are working on this are constantly thinking about them. 

- Amazon submitted a bid to acquire TikTok. Unless a majority of the company is acquired, a ban will occur in the US.

- WZO: Yated Neeman Hebrew edition quotes a drasha recently given by Rav Elya Brudny shlita that our Mesorah is clear אין לך אלא שופט שבימיך we follow the gedolim of our time. As this time around Rav Dov Landau shlita who is recognized as the gadol hador by the moetzes gedolei Hatorah in America said in a letter that you can not join or vote in the WZO elections, how can anyone do differently? 

- Pesach Bein hazmanim kollel Chazu learning programs at neighborhood shuls.

- Hachtara of Rav Yaakov Yosef Gewirtzman shlita who was appointed as Rav at the Khal Jackson 21 shul in Jackson. The Hachtara event will take place tomorrow evening at the Jackson 21  clubhouse.

- Jack Ciattarelli says Lakewood Shmura Matzah tastes better than Boro Park and don't be fooled by those who say a republican can't win in New Jersey see video below

- Shiva  for Rav Moshe Schwab ZTL several sons sitting in Lakewood today only at 147 Liberty drive 

- Frozen items Zichron Esther Shaindel chometz drop off call 732-886-5409 for location info.

- Trump tells cabinet members Elon Musk will be stepping back and  leaving soon per Politico.

- Att NJ Drivers To avoid the $13.50 charge and get the $9 E-ZPass congestion pricing rate, make sure all license plate and vehicle registration information with E-ZPass is current.

- Trump: IT’S LIBERATION DAY IN AMERICA! As tariffs kick in April 2nd.

- A Syrian source tells i24 that US President Trump is scheduled to meet new islamist Syrian ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa (Julani) during his mid-May visit to Saudi Arabia. The meeting was reportedly brokered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin 

- Is New Jersey heading for a fiscal catastrophe? Budget analysts sound the alarm.

New Jersey’s finances are holding steady at the moment, but if spending continues at this rate, the state will deplete almost all of its $6.3 billion surplus account within the next two years, budget analysts said Tuesday.(NJ)

- NJ towns with the highest property taxes per county Monmouth County Highest: Deal Average Tax Bill: $23,250

Ocean County Highest: Mantoloking Average Tax Bill: $24,422

- Lakewood township upgrades the L shuttle  with new larger buses that service the satmar And Belz developments

- New Jersey electricity customers will see their bills rise on June 1 due to increased wholesale electricity prices.JCP&L and Atlantic City Electric have proposed additional rate increases to fund infrastructure improvements, which are pending regulatory approval.

- Woman who drowned her two toddlers last  summer found not guilty by reason of insanity remain committed to a psychiatric institution

- The Satmar Rebbe Rav Aaron Teitelbaum handed out $6,000 in cash to Kolel Yungerleit who were tested on their learning, donated by Hanagid Brach. 40 Yungerleit are from Satmar in Eretz Yisroel.(Belaaz)

- BDD: Petirah of Rav Yitzchok Spitzer zt”l, one of the prominent dayanim of the Skverer kehillah in New Square. He was 67 years old. Rav Spitzer collapsed in the midst of his avodas hakodesh of certifying the kashrus of a private mikvah in the community. A large levaya was held yesterday in Skver.

- New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ historic federal corruption case has been tossed — leaving him free to campaign for a second term without the threat of jail hanging over his head.

- The U.S. Department of Education took aim at New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy this week over cut education funds.In a social media post, the federal agency said Murphy's "COVID slush fund" was ending after the governor accused the Trump Administration of gutting $85 million in federal infrastructure funding from New Jersey schools. Murphy "doesn't know what he's talking about," the X account @EdPressSec posted.  New Jersey is continuing to receive all recurring federal education funds – but his (Murphy's) COVID slush fund is over," the account posted.

Photo: Annual cleaning kvitlach at the Kosel