A massive explosion rocked downtown Nashville, Friday morning. Black smoke and flames were seen billowing from the area. Buildings shook in the immediate area and the blast was felt miles away after. Police and fire crews were on the scene. A Nashville Police spokesman says investigators believe explosion in downtown Nashville was an “intentional act” – FBI & ATF are responding The Metro Nashville Office of Emergency Management told Nashville television station WKRN that a parked recreational vehicle exploded and damaged several buildings. No injuries were immediately reported. Buck McCoy, who lives near the area, posted videos on Facebook that show water pouring down the ceiling of his home.

The United States will require airline passengers from Britain to get a negative COVID-19 test before their flight. The U.S. is the latest country to announce new travel restrictions because of a new variant of the coronavirus that is spreading in Britain. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says airline passengers from the United Kingdom will have to get negative COVID-19 tests within three days of their trip and provide the results to the airline. The agency says the order will be signed Friday and go into effect on Monday. The CDC says because of travel restrictions in place since March, air travel to the U.S. from the U.K. has been cut by 90%.

HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Zilberstein, Rav of Ramat Elchanan and a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, publicized a p’sak din halacha on Wednesday on being vaccinated against the coronavirus. HaRav Zilberstein wrote the p’sak after holding a meeting with Prof. Ron Balicer, a member of the Health Ministry’s advisory team on COVID-19, and other medical experts, on the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine. HaRav Zilberstein wrote that since we currently we don’t have a Beis Din of Rabbanim who are oisek in refuah, the Aruch HaShulchan says that during these times we must rely on doctors who have been approved by the government to practice medicine.

Coronavirus czar Prof. Nachman Ash said on Thursday that the two-week lockdown approved by the government on Wednesday night won’t be sufficient to adequately decrease the morbidity rate in Israel. Ash told Ynet that the government made a decision to re-evaluate the situation in two weeks and decide if the lockdown will have to be extended. “This will definitely need to happen,” he added. Later on Thursday, Ash said that the lockdown will last between two weeks and a month and he believes that this will be Israel’s last lockdown as the effects of the vaccination campaign will begin to be felt as the restrictions begin to be lifted. Earlier this week, Ash warned that Israel could mark another 3,000 deaths from the coronavirus if a lockdown is not swiftly implemented.

The Tri-State area will be impacted by thunderstorms, heavy rain and wind gusts topping 70 mph on Thursday night into Friday morning, before colder air sweeps into the tri-state on a blustery Erev Shabbos. Conditions will become increasingly cloudy and very windy during the day Thursday ahead of rain that arrives towards evening, according to AccuWeather. The high will be 59. The rocky weather hits Thursday night into early Friday, when wind gusts will kick up to 50, 60 or even 70 mph. The strongest gusts are possible along the coast. Expect power outages at the height of the storm between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. The low will be 55. A High Wind Warning will be in effect for New York City and Long Island, as well as parts of New Jersey and Westchester, from 6 p.m. Thursday to 10 a.m. Friday.

It has been cleared for publication that a terrorist suspected of murdering Esther Horgan has been arrested following a joint operation of the Shin Bet, Israel Police, and the IDF. The suspect, a Palestinian Arab who lives near Jenin, is being questioned by the Shin Bet. All other details of the investigation are under gag order. Horgan, a 52-year-old mother of six, a resident of Tal Menashe in the Shomron, was found dead in the Reichan forest with signs of severe violence on her body overnight Sunday. She had left her home on Sunday at 1 p.m. to go for a run in the nature reserve in the Reichan forest, next to Tel Menashe, and never returned. When her husband failed to reach her on her phone, he contacted the police and a search began.

HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein went to Mayanei HaYeshua Hospital in Bnei Brak on Tuesday afternoon to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday evening announced 26 new pardons, including ones for longtime ally Roger Stone, former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and White House senior adviser Jared Kushner’s father, Charles. The pardons of Manafort and Stone reward two of the most high-profile and widely condemned former advisers of the President, both of whom were indicted by special counsel Robert Mueller, went to trial and were convicted by juries of multiple crimes. Manafort, who is serving home confinement, initially agreed to cooperate with Mueller then lied to prosecutors, while Stone never cooperated after lying to Congress to protect the President.

Israel is working toward a normalization deal with a fifth Muslim country before President Donald Trump leaves office in less than a month, Regional Cooperation Minister Ofir Akunis (Likud) told Ynet on Wednesday.

New York City will send sheriff’s deputies to the homes or hotel rooms of all travelers coming from the United Kingdom to ensure they comply with the city’s two-week COVID-19 quarantine requirement, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday. De Blasio announced the enforcement action amid concern about a new, fast-spreading strain of the virus that has been detected in the U.K. Airlines flying from London to New York agreed this week to test passengers before they board. All travelers to New York, regardless of where they’re arriving from, are required to fill out forms with contact information and where they’ll be staying. They will then be sent a quarantine order by certified mail, de Blasio said. People who fail to comply will face a fine of $1,000 per day, de Blasio said.