New York, NY - A former Dechert associate has filed suit against the firm claiming it exaggerated the extent of its corporate work in order to woo him, did not provide the touted opportunities, and then fired him in part because he is an Orthodox Jew. In his complaint--filed in New York trial court by attorney Neil Brickman--the ex-Dechert associate, Marc Lubin, says that Dechert, especially...

New York City - Stocks ended sharply lower Friday as traders briefly celebrated the House's approval of the Wall Street bailout, then yanked their positions ahead of the weekend. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended down 157.15, or 1.5 percent, at 10325.70, after being up nearly 300 points at one point. ...

Akron, OH - A 90-year-old Akron, Ohio, woman who shot herself as sheriff's deputies tried to evict her from her foreclosed home became a symbol of the nation's home mortgage crisis Friday. Addie Polk is being treated at Akron General Medical Center after shooting herself at least twice in the upper body Wednesday afternoon, her city councilman said. U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio...

Brooklyn, NY - Forget Times Square and Lady Liberty - how about touring the Brooklyn Navy Yard? The city is hoping the 300-acre industrial park, which has been off limits to the general public since opening two centuries ago, will become a tourist hotspot. Free bus tours will be offered tomorrow and Sunday. They'll include stops at historic buildings, including the dry dock where the Civil...

New York City - There are 43 holidays this year (some overlapping) on which alternate side of the street parking is suspended in New York City — 10 days in October alone. Some are national (Independence Day). But most are religious. There are so many that — for the first time in anyone’s memory — four religious holiday parking days just happened in a row: the two days for Rosh Hashana on...

Tzfas, Israel - Sima Zelmanov, principal of the Bais Chana Chabad High School in Tzfas, and grandmother of seven, gave birth recently to her nineteenth child a week after marrying off her sixth child. In doing so, Mrs. Zelmanov, 47, bore an uncle to her grandchildren, the oldest of whom is four. Mrs. Zelmanov is in the unique situation of having both a five-yea-old daughter and this four-year-old...

Washington - The House approved a revised $700 billion financial rescue package, ending a weeklong battle over a controversial measure after lawmakers came under pressure to head off a growing financial crisis. The plan, which was already approved by the Senate, would allow the government to spend billions of dollars to buy bad mortgage-related securities and other devalued assets from...

New York - An internet video produced under the name "Israelis for Obama" is circulating. Among the footage of various Israelis speaking in support of Barack Obama's candidacy, the video contains footage from a previously broadcast Israeli news broadcast in which OU/IPA director Nathan Diament is shown (although not heard speaking). The footage and identification may mislead some viewers to...

New York - Governor David Paterson today pledged not to raise taxes despite the financial crisis slamming Wall Street, the state's main industry, and thus could cause tax collections to crater. The Democratic governor, speaking at an economic summit with legislative leaders, ruled out tax increases for the current and next year's spending pact. He added later: "I don't believe in taxes, I don't...

New York, NY - Mayor Bloomberg is cutting services, threatening to raise taxes and bending rules to stay in office - but voters still want to hand him four more years, a poll out today shows. New Yorkers favor extending term limits so he can run again 54% to 42%, according to a Quinnipiac University poll. The survey also shows that more people warmed up to the idea of adding a third term...

Washington - President Bush enacted a law that extends benefits for elderly refugees. The act signed Wednesday, extending supplementary security benefits for two years, was championed by a number for Jewish groups led by the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society and United Jewish Communities. It affects close to 50,000 "humanitarian" immigrants who failed to achieve citizenship in the requisite...

New York - We are well aware of the dictum “U’teshuvah, u’tefillah, u’tzedakah ma’avirin es ro’a ha’gezeirah”—“Penance, prayer, and charity will remove the bad decree.” There are books on how exactly to repent, and there are plenty of siddurim and machzorim with beautiful translations. The question is, to whom do we give our charity money? Our mailboxes (and telephone...

Petah Tikva, Israel - Is Genadi Borshevsky the new hope of secular residents of the central city of Petah Tikva? At least according to his platform he is. Borshevsky, a council member on behalf of Yisrael Beiteinu, promises to allow the opening of stores selling pork in the city center and to operate public transportation on Shabbat. And how does he plan to reach the mayor's office in...

New York - Here is one incredible exchange between the host of a network news commentary program and a member of Congress. Be sure to strap on your helmet and elbow pads before watching this one. Bill O'Reilly, of FOX's O'Reilly Factor, has called for Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts to step down from his position as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee because of a now-clear...

Sacramento, CA - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, alarmed by the ongoing national financial crisis, warned Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson on Thursday that the state might need an emergency loan of as much as $7 billion from the federal government within weeks. The warning comes as California is close to running out of cash to fund day-to-day government operations and is unable to...