Need to Know for Jan. 16

KKK fliers, breast cancer drug, Merriweather’s collapsed roof

Racist, anti-Semitic fliers dropped in Virginia before MLK Day

Racist and anti-Semitic fliers published by the Ku Klux Klan were delivered in a Virginia neighborhood. The fliers were placed in plastic baggies and held down with a piece of candy on the doorsteps of homes in Leesburg, Va., over the weekend. One of the fliers reads “Join the United States Army and Fight for Israel.” The caricature shows an American soldier standing in front of a balding, bulbous nosed man in plaid shorts holding an Israeli flag. It also accuses Jews of controlling the media and provides a list of “high ranking Jews who control the media.” Another flier reads “On Martin Luther King Day you are honoring a Communist alcoholic pervert.” The flier is addressed to Loyal White Knights and provides a web address for a KKK website. Police told local media that there is no indication any of the households who received the fliers were specifically targeted. It is believed the fliers were distributed over the weekend due to the Martin Luther King Day observance. Last Halloween, Leesburg residents received bags filled with candy and messages warning of “white extinction.” Those messages villainized African-Americans, Jews and liberals, and included the insignia for the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.–JTA

Military clothing — Thousands of articles of military clothing, including boots, winter coats and equipment vests, bound for Gaza were seized at the Ashdod Port on Jan. 15, 2018. (Courtesy of Israel Tax Authority)

Military gear bound for Gaza seized

Thousands of items of military gear bound for Gaza were discovered and seized by customs personnel at Ashdod port in southern Israel. The cargo included military clothing, including vests for holding military equipment, and thousands of pairs of military boots and winter jackets in camouflage colors, according to the Israel Tax Authority spokesman. The Gazan importer of the consignment, which originated in China, was due to receive the cargo through the Kerem Shalom crossing, the only commercial crossing open between Israel and Gaza, which was closed on Sunday after the discovery of a Hamas terror tunnel running directly under the crossing. All items were handed over to the military, according to the Tax Authority. Thousands of items for military use have been seized in the past year, the statement said.—JTA

Bomb discovered at Joseph’s Tomb

Israeli security forces discovered and destroyed in a controlled detonation a bomb planted at Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus. The bomb hidden in a cellphone was discovered during a security check late Monday night ahead of a visit by 1,000 Jewish worshippers. Following the destruction of the bomb, the early Tuesday morning pilgrimage took place as planned. As the group was leaving the site, Palestinian protesters threw rocks at the buses as well as the soldiers guarding them. No injuries were reported, though the buses were damaged. Joseph’s Tomb is holy to Jews, Muslims and Christians. Israeli Jews must receive permission to visit the purported burial place of the Jewish patriarch; the visits must be coordinated with the Israel Defense Forces. Jewish worshippers, in coordination with the IDF, make monthly nocturnal pilgrimages to the site. –-JTA

Mammography — Some Ashkenazi Jewish women who carry a particular BRCA-1 genetic mutation have a 65 percent chance of developing breast cancer. (Media for Medical/UIG via Getty Images)

FDA approves drug for women with breast cancer

Regulators in the United States have approved a drug for women with advanced breast cancer caused by BRCA gene mutations, which disproportionately affects Ashkenazi Jewish women. The Food and Drug Administration approved AstraZeneca PLC’s Lynparza for patients with inherited BRCA gene mutations who have undergone chemotherapy, the FDA said in a statement. The approval was announced on Friday. The drug has been on the market since 2014 for ovarian cancer, and recently has been approved to treat breast cancer. It is the first time any drug has been approved to treat certain patients with metastatic breast cancer who have a BRCA gene mutation. Approximately 20-25 percent of patients with hereditary breast cancers and up to 10 percent of patients with any type of breast cancer have a BRCA mutation. BRCA genes are involved with repairing damaged DNA and normally work to prevent tumor development. However, mutations of these genes may lead to certain cancers, including breast cancers, the FDA statement said. Lynparza will cost $13,886 per month without insurance, the Associated Press reported, citing AstraZeneca.

Updated 1/17/18: Ban on screening ‘The Post’ overturned in Lebanon

Lebanon’s interior ministry has overturned a ban on screening the newspaper drama “The Post,” directed by Steven Spielberg. Lebanon’s censorship board had made the decision to ban the film based on a “boycott Israel” list, which Spielberg appears on since he shot some scenes from the 1993 film “Schindler’s List” in Jerusalem, the Hollywood Reporter reported Sunday, citing a source involved with the movie’s international rollout. But on Wednesday, the interior ministry decided not to sign off on the decision. “Interior Minister Nohad Mashnouk is going to allow the film to be shown,” a senior ministry official told the French news agency AFP. The company distributing the film in Lebanon confirmed to AFP that the film about the Washington Post’s pursuit and publishing of the Pentagon Papers would be released in movie theaters in the capital of Beirut and elsewhere on Thursday. In the last three years, at least five films directed or produced by Spielberg were screened in Lebanon, including “The BFG,” and “Bridge of Spies.” AFP reported that a second film was censored by Lebanon this week. The film, “Jungle,” starring Daniel Radcliffe, is the story of about Israeli adventurer Yossi Ghinsberg who got lost in an uncharted part of the Bolivian Amazon in 1981. The film already had been playing in theaters for two weeks when it was censored and removed. In addition to the main character in the film being Israeli, one of the film’s producers also is Israeli. —JTA

Actor donates Woody Allen movie salary

The star of “Call Me By Your Name” has announced he is giving his entire salary for appearing in Woody Allen’s next film to charity, according to BBC News. “I don’t want to profit from my work on the film,” wrote Timothee Chalamet on Instagram. The 22-year-old is one of a number of actors who have distanced themselves from Allen over historic accusations that he molested his adopted daughter. Allen, 82, has repeatedly denied the claims and has never been prosecuted. Chalamet worked with Allen last year on the director’s forthcoming film, “A Rainy Day in New York.” Jude Law, Selena Gomez, Elle Fanning and Rebecca Hall also have roles in the Amazon Studios production, which is scheduled for release later this year. Last week, Hall said she now regretted her decision to appear in the film – adding that she had donated her salary to the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund.

Merriweather’s roof collapses

The roof of the Frank Gehry-designed Merriweather Post Pavilion collapsed on Jan. 13. The roof was in the process of being lifted as part of a five-year renovation project. Seth Hurwitz, chairman of IMP and operator of Merriweather released a statement on Twitter:

pic.twitter.com/M2A3Tz3VYx
— Merriweather Post (@MerriweatherPP) January 13, 2018

The venue stressed that no one was injured and that it intends to go forward with the 2018 schedule as planned.

Happy National Nothing Day

That is all.

J-Word of the Day:
Chaim Yankel (Yiddish)
Meaning: A country bumpkin, or any Tom, Dick and Harry
Usage: “Look, any Chaim Yankel can run for office. But it takes a genius to run a country.”

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