Senate Democrats scuttled a scaled-back GOP coronavirus rescue package on Thursday as the parties argued to a standstill over the size and scope of the aid, likely ending hopes for coronavirus relief before the November election. The mostly party-line vote capped weeks of wrangling that gave way to election-season political combat and name-calling over a fifth relief bill that all sides say they want but are unable to deliver. The bipartisan spirit that powered earlier aid measures is all but gone. Democrats said the measure shortchanged too many pressing needs. Republicans argued it was targeted to areas of widespread agreement, but the 52-47 vote fell well short of what was needed to overcome a filibuster.

Following the violence at the Kever of Reb Nachman of Breslov in Uman earlier this week, two Israelis were expelled from Ukraine. Deputy Minister at the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs Anton Herashchenko said, “The national police and the immigration authority have decided to expel two Israelis who were acting aggressively and incited violence. If actions such as these, that are akin to hooligan actions, are perpetrated by other foreign citizens, they too will be expelled from the country.” The Minister posted to social media and said, “Pilgrims, please remember that you are guests in Ukraine. Ukrainians are a tolerant people but we will not tolerate rude and uncivil behavior and violence on your part.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Emergency Pikuach Nefesh Request My father was a successful businessman whose life took a downward spiral when my mother Z’l passed away from cancer. Soon after, my dad was diagnosed with skin cancer and his business began to falter. He fell into debt, and several of the checks he sent to Arab vendors bounced. Those bounced checks are now a threat to his very existence. The Arab Mafia want their money, and they are ready to take my father’s life to get it. Click here to donate! I know this sounds like a movie, but this is no movie; it’s our reality. We contacted the police and they said: “Sorry. The mob is out of our control.” My father is now hiding from the mafia in a safehouse. He is still battling skin cancer and cannot undergo proper treatment. We are at breaking point.

New York-based businessman Meir Gurvitz flew to Israel on Tuesday for a brief visit to hold meetings regarding his bid to acquire El Al, Globes reported. This is Gurvitz’s second visit to Israel to meet with El Al’s board. In order to avoid the need to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival to Israel, Gurvitz held his meetings at Ben-Gurion airport and then flew back to the US. Unlike Eli Rozenberg, who has bid $100 million for 45% ownership of El Al, Gurvitz is proposing a “friendly” purchase offer, in which he is willing to share ownership with Knafaim Holdings Ltd., the current controlling shareholder, which is a much more attractive offer to El Al than that of Rosenberg.

Rachel Spray is still grieving the loss of her fellow nurse who died after being exposed to the novel coronavirus at Kaiser Permanente Fresno Medical Center. Now, as she stands in front of the gleaming glass and concrete hospital, she says she “dreads going in there” and fears she’ll be next. That’s because like those in many U.S. hospitals, management is rationing supplies, she says, keeping medical-grade masks under lock and key. White House officials say U.S. hospitals have all the medical supplies needed to battle the deadly virus, but frontline health care workers, hospital officials and even the Food and Drug Administration say shortages persist.

On Thursday morning, a train inspector at the Bat Yam train station ordered a Chareidi couple not to board the train. “Chareidim don’t board,’ he shouted. Secular bystanders intervened, telling the couple to board the train anyway and started filming the scene while the inspector shouted at them not to record it. The video was uploaded to social media, where it created quite a stir on Israeli media. Chareidi politicians slammed it as another display of anti-Chareidi sentiment and Transportation Minister Miri Regev ordered an immediate investigation into the matter. But as it turned out, the “train inspector” was an imposter.

Try as he might to change the subject, President Donald Trump can’t escape the coronavirus. In April, the president tried to shift the public’s focus to the economy. In July, to defending the country’s “heritage.” In September, to enforcing “law and order.” But all along the way, the death toll from the coronavirus continued to mount. And now, Trump’s own words are redirecting attention to his handling of the pandemic when he can least afford it — less than two months before Election Day. “I wanted to always play it down,” Trump said of the threat from the virus.

Technology and energy companies led a broad sell-off on Wall Street Thursday that wiped out nearly all of the market’s gains from a strong rally the day before. The S&P 500 lost 1.8% after having been up briefly by 0.8% in the early going. The slide cut deeply into the benchmark index’s 2% gain on Wednesday. The latest gyrations follow a wild stretch where the S&P 500 careened from its worst three-day slump since June to its best day in nearly three months. Tech stocks accounted for the biggest share of the broad sell-off. The sector has been at the center of the market’s swings, hurt by criticism that their recession-defying surge in recent months was overdone.

A tragedy that began 10 days ago got worse as Dr. Shirley Almassi Ariel A”H, the 34-year-old bride who collapsed at her own wedding after she suffered a cardiac arrest, was Niftar in Soroka hospital on Wednesday. Ariel, a renowned pediatrician, was brought to Soroka hospital last week as EMS crews fought to save her life. Doctors at the hospital tried to revive her and managed to stabilize her enough to keep her alive for the next ten days. “First responders brought Shirley to Soroka hospital while conducting CPR on her. Our trauma team continued the CPR and Shirley was brought to the pulmonary surgical intensive care unit in extremely critical condition. Numerous doctors were guests at the wedding that was held in a private home.

President Donald Trump’s comments about the threat from the novel coronavirus attracted widespread attention after excerpts from journalist Bob Woodward’s book “Rage” were released. The excerpts also provide new details about the president’s thoughts on North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, racial unrest and a mysterious new weapon that Trump claims other world powers don’t know about.