News and Headlines: In The News, Politics, World News, Commentary/Opinion.
In The News:
Affidavit: Oklahoma Walmart shooting happened after one victim was ‘walking too slowly’ in parking lot
While en-route to the scene, an officer said he spotted a pickup truck that matched the alleged suspect’s getaway vehicle and was attempting to pull the driver over.
After the truck stopped near the Guthrie Fire Department, authorities learned that the suspected shooting, Arthur Cloud, was behind the wheel with a victim, his wife, in the passenger’s seat.
The victim was suffering from a gunshot wound to her abdomen
FDA approves potential COVID-19 vaccine for second-stage study
May 7 (UPI) — U.S. regulators have cleared a potential COVID-19 vaccine developed by Moderna Therapeutics for a second phase of clinical trials, officials said Thursday.
The Food and Drug Administration said it’s completed its phase-one safety review for Moderna’s mRNA-1273 vaccine candidate and has authorized the start of a second stage study, the company said in a quarterly financial statement.
The study is set to begin shortly while protocols for a pivotal phase-three study are expected to begin in early summer, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said.
Ohio restaurants, bars get green light to reopen in May: Here are the details, guidelines
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced today that the state’s restaurants and bars can reopen beginning this month with a few restrictions in place.
Outside dining will be allowed starting Friday, May 15, DeWine said. Inside dining can begin Thursday, May 21.
The rules and restrictions governing the re-openings are posted on the Ohio Health Department’s coronavirus website.
Highlights include:
Dad stabs passerby who tries to help in crash — then tosses baby off cliff, CA cops say
Around 8:30 a.m., police responded to a report of a stabbing in an Indian Wells parking lot where deputies found a woman with a number of injuries from a “domestic violence incident,” Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.
Deputies said the suspect left the parking lot with a young child, the Palm Springs Desert Sun reported.
Police identified the suspect as Adam Slater, 49, and released his description as well as one of the car he was driving, according to the release.
Not long after, California Highway Patrol received a report of a crash on Highway 74 involving a car similar to the one involved in the Indian Wells incident, the release said.
4 arrested after explosion at butane honey oil lab
San Leandro police officers and firefighters from the Alameda County Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire, authorities said.
Investigators from both agencies inspected the scene and confirmed there was evidence on the property associated with a butane oil lab operation, according to police.
Two men were transported to a hospital where they were treated for minor injuries, police said.
The other two males were arrested and transported to the San Leandro Jail for alleged offenses relating to the illegal production of concentrated cannabis, according to police.
President Trump Delivers Remarks at White House National Day of Prayer Service
President Trump Delivers Remarks at White House National Day of Prayer Service.
Most Americans Say They’ve Taken Economic Hit From CCP Virus, Survey Finds
Sixty-nine percent of the 1,000 individuals interviewed between April 23 and 27 said their family’s income had been reduced significantly by the disease pandemic that has killed more than 74,000 Americans in 2020, according to the foundation that released the survey results on May 7.
A majority of the respondents, 56 percent, said they expect the nation’s economic recovery from the pandemic will take a year or longer, compared to 44 percent who think the recovery will require less than 12 months.
Only 60 percent of those interviewed said they have worn a mask in public during the pandemic, but 65 percent said they have avoided public places.
Those figures were little changed from the month prior, and 26 percent said they have done nothing due to the virus.
Coronavirus in New Jersey: National Guard being called in to help long-term care facilities
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is calling on the National Guard to assist long-term care facilities in his state that have been struggling to keep pace with the coronavirus outbreak.
The announcement comes as 513 long-term care facilities across New Jersey have been affected by the coronavirus, with a combined 24,639 cases and 4,505 deaths, statistics show.
“Over 120 soldiers will be in the first tranche of assistance and we are working with our long-term care centers to backfill the need they are not able to fill on their own,” Murphy said Thursday, according to NJ.com.
Indianapolis chief: No bodycam video of 2 police shootings
Chief Randal Taylor of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department also said there was no dash camera video of either the Wednesday evening shooting or one hours later early Thursday.
Taylor promised during a news conference that the department would conduct thorough, transparent investigations into both shootings, as well as a Wednesday traffic crash in which an Indianapolis police officer struck and killed a pregnant woman who was walking on an expressway ramp.
He acknowledged that the “tragic” incidents had shaken the public’s trust.
Rogue tourists arrested as Hawaii tries to curb virus spread
(AP Photo/Caleb Jones, File)
A newlywed California couple left their Waikiki hotel room repeatedly, despite being warned by hotel staff, and were arrested.
Others have been arrested at a hotel pool, loading groceries into a vehicle outside a Costco and bringing take-out food back to a hotel room.
More than 100 hotels have suspended operations and workers laid off from their jobs wait in long lines at food distribution sites.
It makes those who ignore the rules especially offensive, said Honolulu City Councilmember Kym Pine, who wants travelers tracked via their cellphones or tested for the virus before boarding planes for Hawaii.
Florida sees 60 percent drop in new unemployment claims
DEO’s dashboard showed nearly 1.83 million total claims have been filed, but notes that number includes applications from “individuals (who) may have submitted an application through multiple methods” and “include duplicate or triplicate claim counts.”
Some Floridians returned to work this week when phase one of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ reopening plan started Monday.
Nationally, 3.17 million Americans filed for new unemployment benefits for the week ending May 2 – down 677,000 from the previous week’s revised level but well above the numbers seen before the coronavirus outbreak led to the shutdown of most of the national economy.
Brian Howe, hard rock singer who fronted Bad Company, dies aged 66
John Atashian/Getty Images
He had a heart attack at his Florida home.
Howe’s manager Paul Easton said: “It is with deep and profound sadness that we announce the untimely passing of a loving father, friend and musical icon.”
Howe was born in 1953 in Portsmouth, and initially performed with heavy metal band White Spirit.
He was hired to perform vocals with US guitarist Ted Nugent, touring with him and singing on his 1984 album Penetrator.
Following his subsequent spell with Bad Company, he released three solo albums and briefly collaborated with Megadeth.
He suffered an earlier heart attack in September 2017, later saying: “It was a bad one, apparently – I don’t remember anything about it. I was driving.
And I was found in my car at a stop sign, unconscious … It took me a long time to recover.”
US Space Force released its first recruitment ad – here it is
The video is cut with footage of people preparing rocket launch pads for eventual space launches, mission control rooms managing equipment in space and an X-37B space plane landing.
“Maybe you weren’t put here just to ask the questions,” the video’s narration continues. “Maybe you were put here to be the answer. Maybe your purpose on this planet, isn’t on this planet.”
The recruitment video comes as the Space Force has largely been pulling from U.S. Air Force resources and personnel to get its manpower start.
At Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, five Air Force units comprising approximately 1,840 Air Force jobs are being transferred over to the newly formed Space Force.
‘The Year The Bill Of Rights Became Selfish Behavior’: Larry The Cable Guy Weighs In On Jailed Salon Owner
The comedian, born Daniel Lawrence Whitney, took to Twitter to voice his frustration after Texas salon owner Shelly Luther was sentenced to jail time for defying lockdown orders and reopening her salon.
“People are now going to jail for trying trying to save their business while criminals are being let out to keep them covid free.
America 2020! The year the Bill of rights became selfish behavior. Thanks to all the brave politicians with American flag lapel pins that are silent,” he tweeted.
Whitney went on to call it “beyond crazy” that people were being attacked on social media simply for defending the Bill of Rights.
“The fact that we now literally have to wonder what our elected officials (that work for us) will ‘allow’ us to do is literally Orwellian,” he added.
Earl Thomas Allegedly Held At Gunpoint By His Wife After Being Caught Cheating
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Nina rolled up on Earl, his brother Seth and another woman in bed April 13 at an Airbnb in Austin, Texas.
That’s when all hell broke loose and his wife allegedly was armed during the confrontation.
Eventually, the NFL star was able to get the weapon away from her. When police arrived, Nina was allegedly running around with a knife and Earl had the gun.
Air Force veteran, 93, hitchhikes to store for Hershey bars, says he and girlfriend split one ‘every night’
The man, identified only as Mike, says he splits a Hershey bar with his girlfriend Doris every night, but he’s been having trouble getting to the store amid the coronavirus health crisis.
On Tuesday, however, he tried his luck with hitchhiking, only for local resident Rich Farmer to stop and pick him up.
Farmer said he couldn’t ignore Mike, who quickly stuck his thumb out as Farmer drove by. Farmer swung a U-turn and rolled down his window to ask if the elderly gentleman needed any help.
“He said he was trying to get to the 99-cent store,” Farmer told Fox News.
LA city council votes to name hotels that refuse to house homeless, may ‘commandeer’ them
Only 1,582 people have been placed in hotels, far short of the city’s goal of housing 15,000, FOX 11 in Los Angeles reported.
“Each hotel brings new hope, each room could save a life,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said of Project Roomkey, according to KABC-TV.
The council also plans to investigate if hotels refusing to house homeless have received tax breaks from the city recently.
Bonin told KABC he doesn’t think “fancy hotels” should be exempt. “As we look to hotels to step up, those that have benefited from public investment and public largess – those are the first that we should be looking towards.”
Group targets Army chaplain for sharing ‘Coronavirus and Christ’ book
(Military Religious Freedom Foundation)
A senior U.S. military chaplain in South Korea is under fire for an email he sent last month to 35 other chaplains under his command at Camp Humphreys, mentioning Christian author John Piper’s book, “Coronavirus and Christ.”
Mikey Weinstein, the president and founder of Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), a watchdog group often at odds with military chaplains, sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on April 29 demanding Kim “be officially, swiftly, aggressively, and visibly investigated and disciplined in punishment for his deplorable actions.”
Mike Berry, general counsel for First Liberty Institute, the nation’s largest religious freedom law firm, told Fox News there is absolutely nothing wrong with what Kim did and that MRFF is going overboard.
Video of Georgia mall brawl shows man ‘fly-kicking’ woman on first day of coronavirus reopening
The cell phone video recorded Tuesday outside the Cumberland Mall in Atlanta showed a mall security guard – wearing his yellow uniform and a face mask – attempt to pull three women off one another.
“Get off, or I’ll have to pepper spray both of you,” the security guard says, getting between two women now on the ground in the parking lot as they pulled each other’s hair.
A man suddenly jumps into frame and “fly-kicks’ the third woman in the chest, knocking her down. He then pushes the security guard off the other two women, scoops up one of them and runs away with her across the parking lot.
Texas Supreme Court orders Dallas salon owner released as Abbott bans jailing citizens for lockdown violations
Shortly after Abbott’s announcement, the Supreme Court of Texas ordered Luther’s release. An attorney for Luther, who is with her at the jail, told Fox News they don’t know the timing yet of when she will be freed.
“Throwing Texans in jail who have had their businesses shut down through no fault of their own is nonsensical, and I will not allow it to happen,” Abbott said in a statement.
“That is why I am modifying my executive orders to ensure confinement is not a punishment for violating an order.
This order is retroactive to April 2nd, supersedes local orders and if correctly applied should free Shelley Luther.”
Where’s my stimulus check? Answers to common payment questions
Some taxpayers who are still awaiting their checks may be uncertain about what’s causing the hold up.
At the same time, getting help from the IRS is proving fruitless because the agency’s phone assistance is shut down due to the pandemic.
For those still waiting or with other questions, here are a few answers:
Tucker: Elites don’t want you to question their coronavirus policies
Commentary/Opinion:
They want you to shut up, obey and do what you’re told.
Politics:
Senate fails to override Trump veto on Iran war powers
The Senate needed a two-thirds majority but came up short with a 49-44 vote, meaning Trump’s veto stands. Seven GOP senators joined with Democrats.
Trump vetoed the war powers resolution Wednesday, calling the bipartisan measure “insulting” and argued that it was part of a ploy by Democrats to divide Republicans and oust him from office in November.
This was Trump’s seventh veto of his presidency.
Sen. Burr’s Brother-in-Law Sold Off Stocks on Same Day Senator Did
Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Gerald Fauth sold between $97,000 and $280,000 shares of stocks in six companies on Feb. 13, according to stock sale disclosures.
Fauth is a board member on the National Mediation Board, a U.S. government agency that helps resolve labor-management disputes in the rail and airline industries.
The board didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from it or Fauth.
Fauth, who is married to Burr’s sister Mary, was appointed to the board by President Donald Trump in 2017.
AP Exclusive: Justice Dept dropping Flynn’s criminal case
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Thursday said it is dropping the criminal case against President Donald Trump’s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, abandoning a prosecution that became a rallying cry for Trump and his supporters in attacking the FBI’s Russia investigation.
The move is a stunning reversal for one of the signature cases brought by special counsel Robert Mueller.
It comes even though prosecutors for the last three years had maintained that Flynn had lied to the FBI about his conversations with the Russian ambassador in a January 2017 interview.
Prosecutor abruptly quits handling case against ex-Trump adviser Michael Flynn
Prosecutor Brandon Van Grack did not provide an explanation for why he was withdrawing from the case in a court filing.
Van Grack also on Thursday withdrew from handling other cases for the Justice Department, according to court filings. A DOJ spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Van Grack’s departure comes less than three months after Attorney General William Barr said he was appointing Jeffrey Jensen, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, to review the Justice Department’s handling of the case.
Tammy Bruce slams De Blasio for holding city ‘hostage’ until he gets federal bailout
Commentary/Opinion:
“It was essentially a threat,” said Bruce on “Fox and Friends” in reaction to the mayor’s remarks.
“[De Blasio] said that the nation’s economy was not going to rebound — in a message to President Trump — unless New York’s economy rebounds.
And until he gets that federal money that’s just not going to happen. He’s not going to open.”
Bruce also observed that New York City has been in “financial dire straits for years,” and de Blasio may see a federal stimulus package as a way for the city to dig itself out a hole.
They’re drunk on power’: Crenshaw blasts coronavirus restrictions
Commentary/Opinion:
Texas Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw weighs in on the salon owner jailed for opening her shop.
World News:
Why Are Countries Breaking With the Chinese Regime?
Commentary/Opinion:
One would think that Beijing would see that unleashing a global pandemic is no way to gain favor with the world.
Lying about doing so doesn’t help, either; nor does blaming others for the outbreak.
And exporting tainted medical supplies to nations asking for help, while criticizing them for failing to protect their people from the pathogen doesn’t make for an effective diplomatic strategy, either.
But that’s the playbook, believe it or not, that Beijing is following in its global campaign to become the new leader of the world.
Sure, vigorous propaganda blaming the United States, Italy, etc., is part of the plan, too. But few countries, if any, are buying it.
There’s just too much toxicity, in all its forms, coming from Beijing.
Is it any wonder that European countries, and others, are now breaking with China?
Iran threatens U.S.; Israel Court rejects petitions vs Netanyahu – TV7 Israel News 07.05.20
1) The Israeli Supreme Court announces its decision to reject all petitions against Premier Benjamin Netanyahu and the coalition agreement; heralding the imminent formation of Jerusalem’s national emergency government.
2) U.S. President Donald Trump has vetoed a resolution that would have limited his ability to wage war against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
3) Iranian President Hassan Rouhani threatened the United States with a “crushing response” if it would move ahead with plans to extend an international embargo on Iran’s trade of conventional weapons.
China’s Services Sector Contracts for 3rd Month as Job Losses Hit Record: Caixin PMI
The third straight month of contraction for China’s services sector, an important generator of jobs and which accounts for about 60 percent of the economy, suggests a still turbulent period ahead after the collapse in economic activity in the first quarter, when gross domestic product shrank 6.8 percent.
It also raised worries about the outlook as a sharp global downturn dampens demand for Chinese goods and services.
Major economies, including the United States and Europe, remain in the grip of the pandemic amid rising infections and deaths.
The sweeping impact of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, has many worried that a worldwide recession could be far more damaging than first thought.
Experts: Near-complete North Korean missile facility proves Pyongyang continues ICBM development
The Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) Tuesday revealed the near-complete Sil-li Ballistic Missile Support Facility, citing satellite imagery.
According to CSIS, the site, located near Pyongyang International Airport, includes a high bay building capable of housing any of North Korea’s known ballistic missile types in its arsenal.
It also was built near an underground facility large enough to fit all known North Korean missiles, including launchers and support vehicles.
“Taken as a whole, these characteristics suggest that this facility is likely designed to support ballistic missile operations,” the report said.
Global report: France to ease lockdown as Russia becomes coronavirus hotspot
Another record rise in coronavirus infections has propelled Russia past Germany and France to the fifth highest tally in the world, as the French government confirmed the country would start gradually lifting its strict eight-week lockdown from Monday.
With much of Europe now easing itself out of confinement, Russia has become the continent’s new Covid-19 hotspot. More than half of the country’s 177,160 cases are in Moscow and the capital’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said research suggested the actual number was nearer 300,000, more than triple the official figure.
France’s prime minister, Edouard Philippe, said the country would begin emerging from lockdown from 11 May as planned.
Shops will reopen but cafes and restaurants will stay shut, and people will be able to leave home without a form stating the reason.
Britain heading for a limited easing of lockdown next week
Jessica Taylor/Handout via REUTERS
Johnson is due to announce the next steps in Britain’s battle to tackle the novel coronavirus on Sunday following a review by ministers of the current measures that have all but shut the economy and kept millions at home for over six weeks.
“Any changes in the short term will be modest, small, incremental and very carefully monitored,” foreign minister Dominic Raab said during the government’s daily news conference.
Commentary/Opinion:
Hollywood Stars Call Coronavirus a Chance for ‘Radical Transformation’
They should talk about “coherence.”
It’s rich to hear some of the world’s wealthiest individuals condemn the “pursuit of consumerism and obsession with productivity” when they owe their extremely lucrative careers to the disposable income the masses enjoy thanks to those very things.
To hear from a crowd that routinely flies private jets crow about the dangers of pollution and climate change is infuriating.
And to hear the same crowd that extolls the virtues of abortion start to yammer about “the value of life itself” borders on incomprehensible.
Consistency is not their forte.