News and Headlines: In The News, Politics, World News, Commentary/Opinion.
In The News:
‘How Is This Real’: CBS Slammed For Segment Harassing Ice Cream Truck Driver During Stay-At-Home Order, Encouraging Folks To Call 9-1-1
On Thursday night, CBS Chicago ran a full segment on a local ice cream truck driver for, first and foremost, violating “COVID-19 protocol,” as well as apparently “breaking the law” for being in a part of town that bars ice cream trucks — a fact they “learned” after one of their reporters harassed the worker on a bike.
“No gloves? No Mask? No problem,” CBS Chicago anchor Brad Edwards captioned the segment via Twitter. “This ice cream man is not only ignoring COVID-19 protocol, but he’s breaking the law. Such trucks are forbidden [in] Hoffman Estates.”
“The Village Manager says if you see him, call 9-1-1,” Edwards added.
Edwards was ripped apart for the segment online.
Fact Check: Mike Pence Did Not Deliver Empty Boxes Of PPE To A Hospital As Seen In Jimmy Kimmel Video
Did Vice President Mike Pence deliver empty boxes of PPE to a hospital as a publicity stunt?
No, this is not true: Late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel mocked a video of Pence delivering boxes that were “empty” to a health care center amid the coronavirus outbreak, but the clip he used was edited and taken out of context.
The video that went viral of Kimmel criticizing the vice president saying, “Well, can I carry the empty ones? Just for the camera?”
The full video on C-SPAN shows the Vice President unloading boxes, delivering them to the hospital and making a joke about empty boxes.
Polls Say Millions of Americans Will Refuse COVID-19 Vaccine
President Donald Trump told Fox News recently that he was confident that around the end of the year, a vaccine would be available for COVID-19, the disease caused by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus.
But even when a COVID-19 vaccine is ready, a roadblock on the path to building herd immunity is that around 14 percent of Americans say they won’t get one, according to a poll by Morning Consult.
The survey, conducted May 1-3 on a sample of 2,200 U.S. adults, also shows that 64 percent of Americans said they would get the vaccine, while 22 percent said they didn’t have an opinion on the subject or were undecided.
Further, according to Morning Consult, the age group most likely to say no to a vaccine are people between 35 and 44. Only 53 percent of Americans in this age group said they would get a COVID-19 vaccine when one becomes available, while 18 percent said they would not.
75,000 Americans at Risk of Dying From Overdose or Suicide Due to CCP Virus Despair: Public Health Group
The group is sounding the alarm that the growing unemployment crisis, economic downturns, and stress caused by isolation and lack of a definitive end date for the pandemic could significantly increase so-called “deaths of despair” unless local, state, and federal authorities take action.
“Unless we get comprehensive federal, state, and local resources behind improving access to high quality mental health treatments and community supports, I worry we’re likely to see things get far worse when it comes to substance misuse and suicide,” Well Being Trust’s chief strategy officer Dr. Benjamin F. Miller told CNN.
The Well Being trust released maps showing state and county level projects of these types of deaths based on data from past years due to COVID-19’s impact on unemployment, isolation, and uncertainty.
Doctor: Our voices are being silenced by media and ‘experts’
“My name is Dr. Jeff Barke, and I’m here representing thousands of physicians across the country whose voices are being silenced because we don’t agree with the mainstream media and the experts who are telling us what to do,” he said to cheers Tuesday from protesters in Riverside, California.
Dressed in his scrubs and white coat, a video circulating on social media shows Barke addressing the assumptions behind the lockdowns that have created the worst unemployment since the Great Depression.
“What if the experts are wrong? What if quarantining the healthy doesn’t actually save lives? What if wearing a mask in public is not effective,” said Barke, who practices in Newport Beach, California.
Churches Sue Michigan’s Whitmer, Alleging Lockdown Is Violating First Amendment
The lawsuit argues that the executive order prohibiting gatherings of two or more people who are not part of the same household, including at religious services, violates the religious expression rights of Michigan citizens.
Whitmer’s order exempts religious institutions and their owners from legal penalty for holding services, but it does not exempt individuals who attempt to participate in person from penalties, according to the suit.
The suit asks the court to issue a permanent injunction against the order.
“Plaintiffs are entitled to a declaratory ruling and injunctive relief to protect their constitutional and statutory rights to meet and otherwise freely exercise their religious conscience,” the suit reads.
Marine speaks out after subduing unruly passenger on flight: ‘We eventually decided to step in and help’
The Cedar Rapids, Iowa native was joined by Marine Sgt. John Dietrick of Mechanicsville, Va. and Pfc. Alexander Meinhardt of Sparta, Wis.
The three are with the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
“The three of us were allowed to go home early from deployment for a myriad of reasons. We got approved to move during the military stop order,” he recalled.
“And then, what started out as a normal flight, suddenly about halfway through turned into an interesting one where there was this individual who barricaded himself in the restroom, started yelling some alarming and threatening things, and then we eventually decided to step in and help the flight crew take care of the situation.”
California pastors vow to defy Gov. Newsom and reopen: ‘Churches are part of the answer not the problem’
A network of 3,000 California churches, representing 2.5 million members, plans to defy Gov. Gavin Newsom by resuming in-person services, as pastors insist they’ve been left out of the process.
“Our churches are part of the answer, not part of the problem,” said Danny Carroll, senior pastor at Water of Life Community Church.
“We’re an essential part of this whole journey and we’ve been bypassed … kicked to the curb and deemed nonessential.”
On Tuesday, a federal judge ruled that Newsom had the right to ban churches from opening during the coronavirus outbreak, following a lawsuit from Cross Culture Christian Center in Lodi.
Rhode Island becomes first in Northeast bloc to lift stay-at-home order
The move will permit the reopening of noncritical retail stores and offices, but with capacity limits, the state says. Elective medical procedures also will be allowed to resume.
“My goal is to get as many people back to work as quick as possible without ever jeopardizing our public health and without ever having to go backwards to where we’ve just come from, which is shutting down our economy,” Gov. Gina Raimondo said Thursday.
She is expected to sign an executive order Friday establishing the beginning of phase one of reopening the state’s economy, WPRI reports.
Ted Cruz gets haircut at Dallas salon where owner was jailed
Cruz visited on the first day salons were legally allowed to open, saying he was proud to support Luther.
Luther, crying, thanked Cruz for his support. “When people reach out with true authenticity, it’s huge,” the salon owner said. Both wore masks throughout the visit.
“It’s a nice gesture. His family actually called my boyfriend and prayed for him for 20 minutes while I was in jail. To me that’s not political… that’s just really nice people reaching out and making sure that our family is OK,” Luther told CBS 11 News.
Coronavirus lockdowns: Unrest growing in few remaining states that won’t give firm reopening date
Unrest is growing Friday in the American states that have become the last holdouts in terms of announcing dates when their economies will start reopening during the coronavirus outbreak.
The overwhelming majority of states have given businesses the green light to start reopening in hopes of containing the damage, with some going as far as allowing retail stores, restaurants and hairdressers to start serving customers again in limited capacities.
In Maryland, protests broke out over the weekend with some people calling on Gov. Larry Hogan to lift the state’s stay-at-home order and closures, which as of this Friday remain in effect for many industries and businesses across the state with no clear end date in sight.
Hogan told Fox News on Sunday that while he was sympathetic, the number of confirmed cases in Maryland is continuing to rise.
Murder of Ahmaud Arbery, claims of racism, cronyism thrusts Georgia town into national spotlight
Gregory McMichael, 64, and Travis McMichael, 34, were arrested Thursday night and charged with felony murder and aggravated assault in the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery in Satilla Shores, a sleepy enclave in Glynn County about 15 minutes from downtown Brunswick.
The case was thrust into the spotlight after a cellphone video allegedly shot by the McMichaels’ neighbor William Bryan showing the Feb. 23 killing recently surfaced on social media, prompting outrage against the local authorities.
Lee Merritt, a lawyer representing Arbery’s family, told Fox News that the amount of time local authorities sat on evidence was staggering and underscored simmering prejudices.
Kayleigh Mcenany Tears In To The FBI Over The Michael Flynn Case
Kayleigh Mcenany opened her briefing with a searing statement on FBI leadership after the Michael Flynn case was thrown out.
GOP lawmakers call on Barr to crack down on strict coronavirus orders
“The U.S. Constitution is just as relevant and worth protecting during a national crisis as it during times of peace.
We cannot use the hysteria surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak to provide a pass to state and local leaders who are abusing their authority to shut down their economies, restrict the free movement of American citizens, and impose draconian penalties that far exceed the seriousness of the action,” Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., who introduced the resolution, told Fox News.
“I call on Attorney General Barr to continue reviewing these restricting orders and I call on Americans to stand united in the fight for their inherent rights,” he said.
The resolution says “governors and local officials across the Nation have abused their authorities by infringing on the constitutional rights of Americans, ordering private businesses to close, requiring citizens to stay in their homes, and imposing draconian punishments for violations.”
Sheriff refusing to enforce lockdown: ‘This is not the country I grew up in’
Mohave Arizona sheriff, Doug Schuster, defends his decision to not enforce the state’s stay-at-home orders.
Politics:
Omar Attacked as Insufficiently Anti-Israel
Omar, who has championed anti-Israel causes from her perch in Congress, recently signed on to a congressional letter urging the Trump administration to ensure that an international embargo on Iran’s purchase of advanced military equipment is not lifted later this year.
In a rare display of agreement with her Republican colleagues, Omar lent her name to the letter, which was spearheaded by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the nation’s most prominent pro-Israel group.
Omar’s willingness to partner with AIPAC in its efforts to crack down on Iranian terrorism sent shockwaves through the anti-Israel community, eliciting a range of criticism from activists who heaped praise on Omar when she expressed anti-Semitic views and advocated for economic boycotts of the Jewish state.
Top Liberal Operative Funnels Millions From Super PAC to Her Private Firm
New disclosure forms show that PACRONYM, a super PAC affiliated with McGowan’s nonprofit ACRONYM—the dark money group behind the botched Iowa caucus app—spent close to $2.4 million on anti-Trump ads Wednesday night that will run in the key swing state of Pennsylvania.
The money was sent to a for-profit digital consulting firm, Lockwood Strategy Lab, which is also part of McGowan’s network.
McGowan’s PAC has been active in an effort by Democratic groups to flood battleground states with ads criticizing President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The PAC’s filings show that it has been heavily financed by the same wealthy liberal donors who also provide millions to a number of groups undertaking similar efforts.
Trump meets with GOP members of Congress
Jim Jordan calls for more investigations into Comey
Commentary/Opinion:
House Intel transcripts show top Obama officials had no ‘empirical evidence’ of Trump-Russia collusion; reaction and analysis from Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan.
Obama, Biden Oval Office Meeting On January 5 Was Key To Entire Anti-Trump Operation
Information released in the Justice Department’s motion to dismiss the case it brought against Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn confirms the significance of a January 5, 2017, meeting at the Obama White House.
It was at this meeting that Obama gave guidance to key officials who would be tasked with protecting his administration’s utilization of secretly funded Clinton campaign research, which alleged Trump was involved in a treasonous plot to collude with Russia, from being discovered or stopped by the incoming administration.
A clearer picture is emerging of the drastic steps that were taken to accomplish Obama’s goal in the following weeks and months.
Shortly thereafter, high-level operatives began intensely leaking selective information supporting a supposed Russia-Trump conspiracy theory, the incoming National Security Advisor was ambushed, and the incoming Attorney General was forced to recuse himself from oversight of investigations of President Trump.
At each major point in the operation, explosive media leaks were a key strategy in the operation to take down Trump.
Newly Declassified Rosenstein Memo Reveals Scope of Comey’s Russia Probe
Today on Declassified: Newly Declassified Rosenstein Memo Reveals Scope of Comey’s Russia Probe
Newly declassified portions of the scope memo issued to special counsel Robert Mueller in August 2017 reveal the extent of the FBI’s investigation into the Trump campaign shortly after the firing of then-Director James Comey.
World News:
Pompeo Highlights ‘Unique Suffering of Jewish People’ in Message Marking Victory Over Nazis in Europe
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday marked the 75th anniversary of the Allied victory over the Nazis with a heartfelt message that emphasized the “unique suffering of the Jewish people in the Holocaust.”
Six million Jews were exterminated during the Nazis’ so-called “Final Solution,” along with millions of other victims that included gypsies, Poles, political opponents, disabled people and gay men.
In a statement on the occasion of VE (Victory in Europe) Day, Pompeo said that the US paid “tribute today to all those who stood up for humanity and freedom in the face of tyranny, and we honor the sacrifices of all service members involved in ridding the world of Nazi, fascist, and other aggression.”
US Secretary of State Confirms Israel Trip Next Week, Says Ties Have ‘Never Been Stronger’
Pompeo will be in Israel next Wednesday, May 13, and he will meet in Jerusalem with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Knesset Speaker Benny Gantz “to discuss US and Israeli efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as regional security issues related to Iran’s malign influence,” a State Department statement said.
“The US commitment to Israel has never been stronger than under President Trump’s leadership,” the statement added.
“The United States and Israel will face threats to the security and prosperity of our peoples together.”
“In challenging times, we stand by our friends, and our friends stand by us,” it concluded.
More Evacuations Near Indian Factory After Fatal Gas Leak
Authorities said the evacuation was precautionary, but it triggered panic among people overnight that another gas leak was occurring.
“No, there was not another leakage,’’ National Disaster Response Force spokesman Krishan Kumar said on May 8.
Factory owner LG Chem said it asked police to evacuate residents because of concerns that rising temperatures at the plant’s gas tank could possibly cause another leak.
The company said it was injecting water into the tank and applying other measures to keep temperatures under control.
Former Japan Diplomat Yukio Okamoto, Adviser to Premiers, Dies From CCP virus
After retiring from the foreign ministry in 1991, Okamoto, 74, served as an adviser to then-prime minister Ryutaro Hashimoto on thorny issues related to Okinawa, home to the bulk of U.S. troops in Japan.
He also advised then-prime minister Junichiro Koizumi from 2001-2004 and was a research fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for International Studies.
“This is a shock. And from the CCP virus!” said Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike in a tweet.
Japan has not had the explosive surge of CCP virus infections seen in many countries, but as of Friday midday, it had more than 15,500 confirmed cases including 590 deaths, NHK said.