Deena Yellin

4 days ago | usatoday.com | Kathryn Palmer |Deena Yellin

The last living Israeli-American hostage held in Gaza crossed into Israel on Monday, May 12, after being held by Hamas for over 500 days. Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old and member of the Israel Defense Forces, was released by Hamas amid a pause in fighting in Gaza, according to Reuters.

4 days ago | usatoday.com | Deena Yellin

The sign in front of Tenafly High School in northeastern New Jersey, from which Edan Alexander graduated just three years ago, has a single demand on its display: "Bring Edan Home Now." On May 11, Alexander's family and friends, his hometown and strangers around the world who followed his tragic story rejoiced at the news they'd been yearning for: The 21-year old New Jersey native, believed to be the last living American hostage captured by Hamas in its 2023 attack on Israel, appears to be...

1 week ago | njherald.com | Deena Yellin

2-minute readNew Jersey Catholics expressed shock and joy on Thursday at the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff. A native of Chicago, Pope Leo XIV — the former Cardinal Robert F. Prevost — is a 1977 graduate of Villanova University. Shock and excitement reverberated around New Jersey and the country Thursday afternoon with the news that the cardinals had chosen an American to lead the Roman Catholic Church.

1 week ago | northjersey.com | Deena Yellin

New Jersey Catholics expressed shock and joy on Thursday at the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff. A native of Chicago, Pope Leo XIV — the former Cardinal Robert F. Prevost — is a 1977 graduate of Villanova University. Shock and excitement reverberated around New Jersey and the country Thrusday afternoon with the news that the cardinals had chosen an American to lead the Roman Catholic Church.

1 week ago | northjersey.com | Deena Yellin

Trump said there are now believed to be less than 24 living hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. The president pledged to help free all of the remaining hostages. President Donald Trump was touting his executive order creating a religious liberty commission, when he paused and looked out to the audience that was gathered in the White House for the National Day of Prayer event. "As we defend religious freedom in America, we're also standing up against religious persecution around the world.