The number of Israelis diagnosed with the coronavirus rose to seven after two Israelis who returned from Italy a week ago were diagnosed with the virus on Friday. One of the Israelis, a resident of the Kabri kibbutz in the Galil returned to Israel from Rome a week ago on Alitalia flight AZ810 from Rome to Israel at 3 a.m. and was at several public places before being diagnosed with the coronavirus, including a coffee café on Route 2, an electrical products store in the village of Sheikh Danun, a sportings goods store in Kiryat Ata and a restaurant in Nahariya.

Billionaire Mike Bloomberg said Thursday that he might not spend money to assist Bernie Sanders if Sanders is the Democratic presidential nominee, a walk back of previous comments that he would use his fortune to boost whoever faces President Donald Trump in November. Bloomberg’s comments come after Sanders adviser Jeff Weaver said several days ago that it would be a “hard no” on accepting Bloomberg’s financial assistance. “What do you mean, I’m going to send a check to somebody and they’re not going to cash the check? I think I wouldn’t bother to send the check,” Bloomberg told the Houston Chronicle on Thursday. The back-and-forth is part of a larger escalation between the two campaigns as a slew of Tuesday primaries approach, marking the first time Bloomberg will appear on ballots.

Yet another embarrassing chapter in Baltimore’s extremely troubled history ended Thursday when the city’s former mayor was sentenced to federal prison for fraudulently selling her self-published children’s books to nonprofit organizations to promote her political career. Catherine Pugh accepted “full responsibility” for her actions and apologized through tears during the roughly 10 minutes she spoke in federal court in Baltimore before she was sentenced. The veteran Democratic politician said that “no one is more disappointed than me” and added that she did not want to bring “any more shame” to the city.

A man who has twice sued the New York Police Department over stop-and-frisk practices has settled with the city for $10,000. David Ourlicht, 32, initially sued the department in 2008, alleging he was wrongfully stopped, as part of a class action suit that helped curb “stop and frisk,” a policing tactic that has been found to disproportionately affect minorities. Ourlicht sued the city for the second time 10 years later after he and a friend were stopped by two police officers who accused them of smoking marijuana. Ourlicht settled his second case with the city for $10,000 in early February, the New York Daily News reported Thursday. “There’s no amount of money that can make up for these type of experiences. But something is better than nothing,” Ourlicht said.

Are you hosting this week? Imagine – your phone rings. It’s a friend, asking if you’re hosting this shabbos. There’s a family who needs your help. The father works long hours, the mother is sick, they have a few little kids, and they’re just not making it work. Shabbos is the hardest – while other families enjoy challah with dips, chicken and side dishes, and even cholent, this family has the bare minimum. Each kid is limited to one small piece of chicken. Are you able to have them for a meal? Of course you would say yes – if you, like most of klal yisroel today, are blessed to have a delicious meal on shabbos. But what if the family wasn’t coming to your house?

As Israel prepares for the third election in a year, much of the public has has enough of political spin and maneuvering. However, those who believe in Hashem and His Torah cannot afford to be complacent. As secular politicians become more and more disconnected from traditional values and threaten to erase the Jewish state of all vestiges of Judaism, the Gedolim have instructed that voting for a party that supports Torah values is obligatory, a mitzvah de’oraisa that must be carried out before breakfast and even before davening Shacharis if one’s shul is further away than their designated voting station.

Schools across the United States are canceling trips abroad, preparing online lessons and even rethinking “perfect attendance” awards as they brace for the possibility that the new coronavirus could begin spreading in their communities. Districts have been rushing to update emergency plans this week after federal officials warned that the virus, which started in China, is almost certain to begin spreading in the U.S. Many are preparing for possible school closures that could stretch weeks or longer, even as they work to tamp down panic among students, parents and teachers.

Federal and state officials have yet to find a compromise to allow New Yorkers back into federal trusted travelers programs even as a Department of Homeland Security official said that the governor’s latest offer looks “promising.” Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf said Thursday his agency is in talks with the governor’s office about Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to allow federal immigration and border officials to access state Department of Motor Vehicles data without social security numbers. “We believe this proposal could lead to a solution for New York,” he said in a statement.

Fear of the spreading coronavirus has led to a global run on sales of face masks despite evidence that most people who aren’t sick don’t need to wear them. Many businesses are sold out, while others are limiting how many a customer can buy. Amazon is policing its site, trying to make sure sellers don’t gouge panicked buyers. In South Korea, hundreds lined up to buy masks from a discount store. Rumors that toilet paper and napkins could be used as masks have emptied store shelves in Asia of paper goods over the past few weeks. People trying to protect themselves from the outbreak and medical centers alike are facing shortages.

Israeli researchers are weeks away from developing a vaccine against COVID-19, Science and Technology Minister Ofir Akunis stated, adding that the vaccine could be ready within three weeks and enter the marketplace 90 days later. “Congratulations to MIGAL [The Galilee Research Institute] on this exciting breakthrough,” Akunis said. “I’m confident that there will be further rapid progress, enabling us to provide a needed response to the grave global COVID-19 threat.” Scientists at the MIGAL Galilee Research Institute have been developing a vaccine for four years against a coronavirus in poultry called infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) and recently proved its effectiveness in clinical trials.