Monday, May 3, 2021

Light News Mon/Tues/Wed/Thurs/Fri/Sat/Sun

Lakers guard Dennis Schroder is expected to miss 10-to-14 days due to health and safety protocols
https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1389241504678375425

Biden administration to propose first rule requiring cut in climate pollutants: The new Environmental Protection Agency rule targets a set of greenhouse gases called hydrofluorocarbons, which are thousands of times more powerful than CO2
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/05/03/epa-climate-hfcs/

The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday took its first significant step under President Biden to curb climate change, moving to sharply reduce a class of chemicals that is thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide at warming the planet. In proposing a new regulation, Michael S. Regan, the E.P.A. administrator, said the agency aimed to reduce the production and importation of hydrofluorocarbons, which are used in refrigeration and air-conditioning, in the United States by 85 percent over the next 15 years. It's a goal shared by environmental groups and the business community, which jointly championed bipartisan legislation passed by Congress in December to tackle the pollutant. | The move is important because it will be the first time the federal government has set national limits on HFCs, which were used to replace ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons in the 1980s but have turned out to be a significant driver of global warming. More than a dozen states have either banned HFCs or are formulating some restrictions.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/03/climate/EPA-HFCs-hydrofluorocarbons.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/21/climate/climate-change-stimulus.html

The 2020 presidential election was not stolen. Anyone who claims it was is spreading THE BIG LIE, turning their back on the rule of law, and poisoning our democratic system.
https://twitter.com/Liz_Cheney/status/1389225154639695881

Lakers star LeBron James will miss tonight's back-to-back vs. Denver with sore right ankle
https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1389285147820888068

The top U.S. general says he is open to considering a proposal to take decisions on sexual assault prosecution out of the hands of military commanders, a potentially significant shift in the debate over combating sexual assault in the military.
https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-e343b149e17bfa5cc104ea354bdf8065

Democrats went from hoping to ride a blue tide to victory to being entirely shut out of the race. Almost all the voters - including Democrat voters - split their votes among all the Republican nominees, blowing the Democratic nominee off the map. | Texas's 6th is a microcosm of the sort of place Democrats need to capture to establish a dominant majority. The seat is based in the southern suburbs of Fort Worth and moved rapidly to the left in presidential elections during the Trump era. Mitt Romney won it by 16 percent in 2012, but Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) won it by only three points against Beto O'Rourke in their 2018 Senate race, a showing Donald Trump repeated last year. As a result, Democrats were mildly optimistic that they could gain the seat when it became vacant after Republican Rep. Ron Wright died in February after being diagnosed with covid-19. Saturday's results dashed those hopes. Two Republicans — the late congressman's widow, Susan Wright, and state Rep. Jake Ellzey — took the top two positions and advanced to the runoff. Democrats went from hoping to ride a blue tide to victory to being entirely shut out of the race. But that wasn't even the worst news to come out of the evening for Team Blue. Republicans combined outpaced Democrats by a whopping 25 points, 62 percent to 37 percent, when all votes were tallied. That's an even greater advantage for Republicans than had been the case last decade when this area — and many similar suburbs nationwide — were considered safe territory for Team Red. If this result is a harbinger of the midterms, Democrats are in for a bloodbath as the suburbs snap back into Republican lockstep. | Despite all the favorable news coverage of Biden's first 100 days in office and the prospect of enacting a far-reaching agenda, Democratic voters weren't motivated to vote. Nor did swing voters, apparently, and those who did vote clearly cast Republican ballots rather than stick with the party they had backed in the past two races. It seems winning control of government and casting Trump out of office both took the steam out of Democratic voter enthusiasm and depressed swing-voter anger at Republicans. | Shor projects that Democrats will win 48 percent of the midterm vote. If that does happen, and Texas's special election suggests it will, Democrats could lose 10 to 20 House seats and probably the Senate majority as well.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/05/03/republicans-shut-out-democrats-texass-special-election-thats-bad-omen-team-blue/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/election-results/texas-2021/

RHP Shohei Ohtani has been scratched as tonight's starting pitcher. LHP Jose Quintana will now start for the Halos.
https://twitter.com/LAAngelsPR/status/1389297021824081922

Biden set to raise refugee cap to 62,500 after blowback
https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/03/politics/refugee-cap/index.html

Green Groups Sue Army Corps of Engineers Over Nationwide Pipeline Permit - "There's simply no justification for allowing destructive and dangerous pipelines to avoid rigorous environmental review."
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/05/03/green-groups-sue-army-corps-engineers-over-nationwide-pipeline-permit
________________________________________

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/05/03/statement-by-president-joe-biden-on-the-occasion-of-world-press-freedom-day/

Statement by President Joe Biden on the Occasion of World Press Freedom Day
May 03, 2021    • Statements and Releases    

Thirty years ago today, in the face of constant pressure and violence, African journalists came together to issue the Windhoek Declaration, which asserted that, "[t]he establishment, maintenance and fostering of an independent, pluralistic and free press is essential to the development and maintenance of democracy in a nation, and for economic development."  Then, as now, we celebrate the courage of truth-tellers who refuse to be intimidated, often at great personal risk, and we reaffirm the timeless and essential role journalism and a free media play in societies everywhere.

Journalists uncover the truth, check the abuse of power, and demand transparency from those in power. They are indispensable to the functioning of democracy. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, journalists and media workers have been on the front lines to keep the public informed, at significant risk to their own health.  And, at a time when the truth is increasingly under attack, our need for accurate, fact-based reporting, open public conversation, and accountability has never been greater.

It is incumbent on all of us to counter these threats to a free and independent media, including physical risk and arbitrary detention. The Committee to Protect Journalists found that, in 2020, a record number of journalists were imprisoned globally. Online abuse and harassment of journalists, particularly women and journalists of color, continues to increase. Authoritarians are striving to undermine the free press, manipulate the truth, or spread disinformation even as a shrinking news industry is creating more and more "news deserts," areas without local media, around the world. These attacks are nothing less than a threat to democracies everywhere.    

Today, on World Press Freedom Day, we celebrate the fierce bravery of journalists everywhere. We recognize the integral role a free press plays in building prosperous, resilient and free societies. And we recommit to protecting and promoting free, independent, and diverse media around the world.
________________________________________

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/05/03/statement-by-president-joe-biden-on-refugee-admissions/

Statement by President Joe Biden on Refugee Admissions
May 03, 2021    • Statements and Releases    

Today, I am revising the United States' annual refugee admissions cap to 62,500 for this fiscal year. This erases the historically low number set by the previous administration of 15,000, which did not reflect America's values as a nation that welcomes and supports refugees. The new admissions cap will also reinforce efforts that are already underway to expand the United States' capacity to admit refugees, so that we can reach the goal of 125,000 refugee admissions that I intend to set for the coming fiscal year.

It is important to take this action today to remove any lingering doubt in the minds of refugees around the world who have suffered so much, and who are anxiously waiting for their new lives to begin.

The United States Refugee Admissions Program embodies America's commitment to protect the most vulnerable, and to stand as a beacon of liberty and refuge to the world. It's a statement about who we are, and who we want to be. So we are going to rebuild what has been broken and push hard to complete the rigorous screening process for those refugees already in the pipeline for admission.

The sad truth is that we will not achieve 62,500 admissions this year. We are working quickly to undo the damage of the last four years. It will take some time, but that work is already underway. We have reopened the program to new refugees. And by changing the regional allocations last month, we have already increased the number of refugees ready for departure to the United States.

The budget that I have submitted to Congress also reflects my commitment to the goal of 125,000 refugee admissions in the first fiscal year of my presidency. That goal will still be hard to hit. We might not make it the first year. But we are going to use every tool available to help these fully-vetted refugees fleeing horrific conditions in their home countries. This will reassert American leadership and American values when it comes to refugee admissions.

###
________________________________________

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/05/03/memorandum-for-the-secretary-of-state-on-the-emergency-presidential-determination-on-refugee-admissions-for-fiscal-year-2021-2/

Memorandum for the Secretary of State on the Emergency Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2021
May 03, 2021    • Presidential Actions    

In Executive Order 14013 of February 4, 2021 (Rebuilding and Enhancing Programs to Resettle Refugees and Planning for the Impact of Climate Change on Migration), I directed numerous actions to rebuild, expand, and improve the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).  On February 12, 2021, the Department of State submitted a report to certain congressional committees and, with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services, consulted with the Congress regarding a proposal to re-allocate admissions among refugees of humanitarian concern and to increase Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 refugee admissions from 15,000 refugees to 62,500 refugees due to an unforeseen emergency refugee situation in countries around the globe since the signing of Presidential Determination 2021-02 on October 27, 2020 (Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2021) (PD 2021-02).

In Presidential Determination 2021-05 of April 16, 2021 (Emergency Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2021) (PD 2021-05), I changed the allocation of admissions in PD 2021-02 based on a determination that new allocations were necessary to respond to the unforeseen emergency refugee situation.  Based on this change, USRAP partners are beginning travel preparations for more than 2,000 refugees who were excluded under PD 2021-02, but who can now be admitted to the United States.  

In PD 2021-05, I did not change the pre-existing number of refugee admissions permitted for FY 2021, which remained at 15,000.  I also stated that I would consider raising the worldwide refugee admissions ceiling before the end of FY 2021, should the pre-existing level be reached and the emergency refugee situation persist.  When I signed PD 2021-05, my intent was to adjust only the allocation of admissions and to address the appropriate number of refugees in a separate determination.  Upon additional briefing and a more comprehensive presentation regarding the capacity of the executive departments and agencies charged with administering USRAP to increase refugee admissions while responding to other demands, and given the ongoing unforeseen emergency refugee situation, I now determine, consistent with my Administration's prior consultation with the Congress, that raising the number of admissions permissible for FY 2021 to 62,500 is justified by grave humanitarian concerns and is otherwise in the national interest.

The number of refugee admissions authorized by this determination under section 207(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1157(b)) sends the important message that the United States remains a safe harbor for some of the most vulnerable people in the world.  This number also sets a goal for USRAP and the non-governmental and international organizations with whom USRAP partners to resettle refugees.  Given the gravity of the global refugee crisis, the number of authorized refugee admissions must be ambitious enough to challenge the United States Government and its partners to build their capacity to serve more refugees.  In my judgment, a refugee admissions determination of 62,500 reflects these values, is justified by grave humanitarian concerns, and is otherwise in the national interest of the United States.  

The FY 2021 allocations set forth in section (b) of PD 2021-05 are adjusted as follows:

Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  22,000
East Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  6,000
Europe and Central Asia . . . . . . . . . . . .  4,000
Latin America and the Caribbean . . . . . . . .  5,000
Near East and South Asia . . . . . . . . . . .  13,000
Unallocated Reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,500

The provisions of PD 2021-05 are retained, except to the extent superseded by this determination.

You are authorized and directed to publish this determination in the Federal Register.
________________________________________

Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain are returning tonight for the Milwaukee Brewers, according to a source familiar with the situation.
https://twitter.com/ByRobertMurray/status/1389320335133233156 

The data I'm looking cross-eyed at are the new differential privacy demonstration product the Census Bureau recently released...I need to do more sanity checks 'cuz if what I'm seeing is correct, hoo-boy we're in for a world of hurt in local redistricting || In Alabama's lawsuit over the Census Bureau's schedule for new redistricting data & differential privacy plans, the 3-judge court has set a 5/6 deadline for a court filing on docs Alabama submitted as potential evidence (via @kdgassiott reporting from Montgomery, Ala.)
https://twitter.com/ElectProject/status/1389329704755339265
https://twitter.com/hansilowang/status/1389328110445867008

https://twitter.com/JasonLeopold
https://twitter.com/BuzzFeedNews

Dustin May's season is over. He will undergo Tommy John surgery on Tuesday to repair his UCL.
https://theathletic.com/news/dodgers-pitcher-dustin-may-to-undergo-right-elbow-surgery/oxzwwOY1guyc

Dodgers' Brusdar Graterol hasn't thrown a baseball since being placed on the IL. He'll be getting an MRI tomorrow.
https://twitter.com/BlakeHarrisTBLA/status/1389330395657691136

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by the state of Alabama and Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., that attempted to exclude unauthorized immigrants from census numbers that the Constitution says must include the "whole number of persons in each state"
https://documentcloud.org/documents/20697098-state-of-alabama-may-3-2021-order-of-dismissal

Tornados, hail, flooding downpours, damaging wind gust: The first week of May is beginning quite active on the severe weather front, with hundreds of millions of Americans across the eastern half of the nation at risk for dangerous thunderstorms. The severe weather dangers on Monday and Tuesday follow an outbreak of tornadoes across Mississippi to end the weekend, including one large nighttime tornado that struck the city of Tupelo. Potent storms with hail, damaging winds and a few tornadoes were also reported across Colorado's Front Range and the central Plains Sunday. Forecasters expect the storms early this week to pose similar hazards over much broader and even more populated areas. |  Several disturbances high in the atmosphere, coupled with warm, humid air out of ahead of these systems, will be the catalyst for the widespread downpours and thunderstorms anticipated. Late Monday into Monday night, a system ejecting out of the Rockies is expected to fire up severe thunderstorms from eastern Oklahoma into southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. The threat is forecast to extend into the lower Ohio Valley. | A surge of very humid air expanding northward through the Gulf states will collide with a storm moving up along a front from east Texas to the Ohio Valley. This will result in an outbreak of thunderstorms that will likely linger well into Tuesday night, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson.
https://www.accuweather.com/en/severe-weather/millions-of-americans-to-face-severe-weather-risks-through-tuesday/941414

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn announces Luis Robert is expected to be held out of baseball activities for the next 12-16 weeks
https://twitter.com/jrfegan/status/1389339882607284228

Just unbelievably bad injury luck this year. Eloy, Engel, Timmy for a couple weeks, Lynn for a couple weeks, Crochet, now Robert....I'm probably forgetting somebody too.....

Suspected jihadists killed several dozen people in an attack Monday in eastern Burkina Faso, local and security sources said, in what would be one of the worst such attacks in the country's history. A large number of armed individuals attacked the village of Kodyel in the district of Foutouri
https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20210503-dozens-killed-in-suspected-jihadist-attack-in-eastern-burkina-faso

5 charged in alleged smuggling operation after police find 97 undocumented people in Houston "stash house"
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/human-smuggling-five-charged-houston/

Westbrook with a full-court assist to Beal. Westbrook is up to 12 assists in the game, with three minutes left in the first half
https://streamable.com/xtcnui

Curry goes coast to coast for the layup featuring Black Panther and Captain Marvel
https://streamable.com/3d4z74

Sen. Susan Collins says she supports D.C. retrocession to Maryland instead of D.C. statehood, even though 79% of D.C. residents want statehood.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/03/politics/dc-statehood-susan-collins-maryland/index.html

Westbrook gets his 21st assist
https://streamable.com/wehfvf

Melo hits the three + the foul to move into 10th in all time scoring
https://streamable.com/lvqg55

Russell Westbrook now has 32 triple-doubles this season, passing 1967-68 Wilt Chamberlain for 4th-most in a season all-time. Westbrook has 3 of the top 4 single-season totals in NBA history.

Steph with the crossover and the 3 in Zion's face, giving him 17 in the opening quarter and extending the Warriors lead to 20
https://streamable.com/295waq

Chicago Has Seen 217 More Shooting Victims In 2021 So Far, Compared To 2020
https://www.newsweek.com/chicago-has-seen-217-more-shooting-victims-2021-so-far-compared-2020-1588303 

Native women appointed to White House's climate justice table
https://indiancountrytoday.com/news/native-women-appointed-to-white-houses-climate-justice-table

Biden administration taps Warren ally Richard Cordray to lead Office of Federal Student Aid, a promising sign for efforts to wipe out student debt
https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-admin-taps-richard-cordray-lead-office-federal-student-aid-2021-5

Mexico City subway overpass collapses, killing 20 and injuring dozens
https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/04/americas/mexico-subway-collapse-intl-hnk/index.html

Biden waiving restriction blocking aid to Azerbaijan over Armenia conflict
https://thehill.com/policy/international/551577-biden-waving-restriction-blocking-aid-to-azerbaijan-over-armenia

A bomb exploded near a school in Farah, in western Afghanistan on Monday and wounded 21 people. At least 10 of those injured were students as young as 7, a provincial official said. | In the last two days there have been almost 300 Taliban attacks in more than two dozen provinces across Afghanistan, according to the Afghan Ministry of Defense.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/bomb-explodes-school-western-afghanistan/story?id=77471493
https://mod.gov.af/en/press-release

Steph Curry tonight: 41/4/8, 14-26FG, 8-18 3PT

Westbook just revealed that he played with a torn quad earlier this season. Wow.
https://twitter.com/BenMehicNBA/status/1389405173903241218

Three Spurs players are scared away from the rim by Gobert, much to Gobert's amusement
https://streamable.com/h4kg4r

Campazzo adds Davis to his collection
https://streamable.com/0q384y

The Knicks have won 12 of their last 13. They are 21-8 with Derrick Rose this season

Grizzlies rage quit and get 5 technicals in 30 seconds against the Knicks
https://streamable.com/gdqjxm

Curry pump fakes 3 perimeter defenders, then touch passes to JTA after drawing 3 interior defenders
https://streamable.com/ywurdf

Draymond Green tonight : 10 Points, 13 Rebounds, 15 Assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks

Anthony Davis crushes himself trying to jump over Jokic. Post-game Jokic: "if he dies, he dies."
https://streamable.com/d1shwx

Congrats: With Denver clinching a spot in the first round, Nikola Jokic will now earn a $500,001 bonus. The incentive was deemed likely before the season and will not impact the salary cap for the Nuggets.
https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42/status/1389403160943464450

Zion needs a map as Curry splashes another 3
https://streamable.com/bqhw01

Nikola Jokic: "I think we all forget who Marc Gasol is. The guy who won two defensive players of the year."
https://twitter.com/msinger/status/1389458044480892930

Portland crashing: The Atlanta Hawks (36-30) defeat the Portland Trail Blazers (36-29), 123 - 114

Wakanda Wiggins with the spin and the tough lay in
https://streamable.com/jhsd9y

Danilo Gallinari tonight: 28/8/2/3 steals shooting 9/15 from the field including 7/10 from three

Russell Westbrook first 19 games of the season: 19ppg/9rpg/10apg on 47% TS, and the Wizards went 5-14. Westbrook in the 39 games since: 23ppg/12rpg/12apg on 52% TS, and the Wizards have gone 21-18

Austin Rivers with lockdown defense in the closing possessions
https://streamable.com/n39xmd

Mo Bamba off bench vs Pistons: Careers highs 22 points and 15 boards on 9-15 shooting

"The biggest thing that I respect about Steph is, he has had to modify his game a little bit after those MVP runs," former Warrior Andrew Bogut said on the Dubs Talk Podcast. "I mean, two-time MVP and then lets in a guy who is essentially one of the best basketball players in the world and then would share the spotlight of being one of the best guys on the team. He rolled with it. He took on a lesser role to an extent. He knew he would take less shots, he wouldn't have the ball in his hands as much, and to go from that to back to where he is now, to flip that switch of I'm the guy again, I need to be a 30-point plus scorer, that's hard to do." Bogut knows firsthand how difficult it can be to switch your role on a team at the drop of a pin. When he was with the Milwaukee Bucks from 2005 to 2012, he was their first or second scoring option. When he came to Golden State in 2012, the Warriors saw him as a fourth or fifth option. After his time in the NBA was done, Bogut went back to play in Australia, where they saw him as a primary scorer again. "I wasn't at that level when I played," Bogut said. "The fact that Steph has been able to still play at an elite level within different roles, it's a credit to him not only as a player but as a person," Bogut said. "I can say that no matter how much guys in the NBA talk about 'We want to win a championship' and all that stuff, all of the sudden if it's not you on the billboard all of the time when you're supposed to be the franchise guy, 99 percent of the guys don't like that. As much as they'll lie to the media, they don't. He genuinely was one guy that was like 'Hey, it's going to win us more games.'" https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/andrew-bogut-explains-how-steph-curry-adapted-different-roles

With tonight's performance (26 points), Bradley Beal's scoring average has dropped from 31.03 ppg to 30.94 ppg. Curry on the other hand (41 points) is now averaging 31.43 ppg

With the Warriors victory over the Pelicans tonight, they now move to a 28-1 record in regular season games where Draymond Green has a triple double. Their only loss came in December 2019, in an overtime loss to the Knicks. 

Ian Happ's injury is a rib contusion after the collision with Hoerner, Ross says. He is not in concussion protocol.
https://twitter.com/M_Montemurro/status/1389610079771561987

Police in Colombia open fire on citizens protesting tax reforms, killing at least 19 people.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-56983865

Charlie Crist, a Florida Democrat, will run against DeSantis for governor
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/04/us/charlie-crist-florida-governor.html

Bee Nguyen, Georgia Democrat, Enters Race for Secretary of State | Ms. Nguyen, the daughter of Vietnamese refugees, is the first major Democrat to announce a bid for the seat held by Brad Raffensperger, the Republican who defied former President Donald Trump.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/04/us/politics/bee-nguyen-georgia.html

Corps: Dakota Access oil pipeline to illegally and unconstiutionally stay open during review because the natural resource extraction industry controls the incompetent heavily Republican failed Army Corp of Engineers. Hopefully it doesn't have one of those undetected slow leaks like the pipeline in North Carolina that resulted in one of the largest leaks of gasoline in US history over the past few months
https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-technology-environment-and-nature-business-def7da947332c265c04596d8d32cf367

Ken Paxton tells The New York Times he doesn't support Greg Abbott for reelection then tweets that he does
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/05/04/texas-ken-paxton-greg-abbott/

Biden extends ban on fentanyl-like substances
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/biden-extends-ban-fentanyl-substances-n1266283

A juror in the Derek Chauvin trial attended a protest last year with a shirt saying 'Get your knee off our necks,' possibly complicating the officer's guilty verdict
https://www.insider.com/derek-chauvin-juror-attended-protest-blm-shirt-2021-5
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/photo-of-chauvin-juror-wearing-blm-t-shirt-at-march-raises-questions-of-impartiality-experts-say/

Cubs place Arrieta, Hoerner, Winkler on IL. The Chicago Cubs have placed starting pitcher Jake Arrieta, infielder Nico Hoerner and reliever Dan Winkler on the 10-day injured list, the team announced Tuesday.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/31388831/chicago-cubs-place-jake-arrieta-nico-hoerner-dan-winkler-10-day-il

Javy Báez came into today's game with a 1.0% walk rate, the lowest among position players in baseball. Clayton Kershaw came into today's game with a 3.3% walk rate, 6th best among starting pitchers in baseball. So, naturally, Kershaw walked Báez in the first inning.
https://twitter.com/BleacherNation/status/1389651256667480069

This is only the 2nd time in Clayton Kershaw's career that he's allowed 4 runs in the first inning; he allowed 5 1st inning runs on August 28, 2008 against the Nationals.
https://twitter.com/jesserogersespn/status/1389653712898076674

Clayton Kershaw final line vs Cubs: 1.0 IP / 4R / 4H / 2K / 2BB - Shortest outing of his MLB career. Game was only a 7 inning game because new rules for double headers.

Steph Curry on Kevin Porter Jr. and how he can improve: "That man had 50. I don't gotta tell him nothing."
https://streamable.com/6o76ii

Clayton Kershaw in the dugout lookin' like he lost his soul.
https://twitter.com/BleacherNation/status/1389656824857645063
https://twitter.com/BleacherNation/status/1389656824857645063/photo/1

President Biden today will announced targeted steps to reach rural residents with COVID vaccines, including getting doses to family doctors and pediatricians, which will be "particularly critical" if FDA authorizes Pfizer for 12-15 y/olds.
https://npr.org/2021/05/04/993270974/why-lagging-covid-vaccine-rate-at-rural-hospitals-needs-to-be-fixed-now

"Our goal by July 4th is to have 70% of adults Americans with at least one shot and 160 million Americans fully vaccinated."
https://c-span.org/video/?511468-1/president-biden-remarks-covid-19-response-vaccine-program

New emails and a previously unreported whistleblower complaint show that State Department officials were repeatedly asked to illegally and unconstitutionally help organize Pompeo's political events in Kansas, just as he was mulling a Senate run.
https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/white-house/article251155334.html

Schumer Readies Plan B To Push Immigration Changes Unilaterally
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/03/us/politics/immigration-infrastructure-budget-reconciliation.html

Giuliani allies have been pressing for Trump team to pay Rudy' legal bills
https://nytimes.com/2021/05/04/us/politics/rudy-giuliani-warrant-trump.html

Refugees are not "illegal migrants." They are approved to move to the US after an extensive vetting process
https://uscis.gov/humanitarian/refugees-and-asylum/refugees/refugee-processing-and-security-screening

Steve Kerr on Wiggins: "I love coaching Wiggs. I love having him on this team, because he's a winner. He's just there for you. He's Mr. Consistent. He's there every night." Wiggins is the only Warrior to play in all 65 games this season

Great #FOIA work by @CREWcrew. A judge ordered DOJ to turn over a memo former Attorney General William Barr cited as his reasoning to not charge Donald Trump with obstruction of justice.
https://www.citizensforethics.org/news/press-releases/judge-orders-doj-release-trump-obstruction-memo/

Capitol rioters are still being arrested four months after the insurrection. 400+ have been arrested so far.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/04/capitol-riot-protests-continue-four-months-after-deadly-insurrection.html

Unemployment Benefits Are Not Creating A Worker Shortage
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/worker-shortage-unemployment-benefits_n_609056c3e4b09cce6c21a850

Lakers star LeBron James is expected to miss back-to back games on Thursday (Clippers) and Friday (Blazers) to rest his right ankle. James will proceed cautiously with ankle injury as playoffs approach.
https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1389671847575293960

_________________________________________

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/05/04/a-proclamation-on-the-60th-anniversary-of-the-freedom-rides-2021/

A Proclamation on the 60th Anniversary of the Freedom Rides, 2021
May 04, 2021    • Presidential Actions   

On May 4, 1961, thirteen Americans set out on Greyhound and Trailways buses from Washington, D.C., to peacefully protest the scourge of segregation.  They came from 9 different States and the District of Columbia; they were Black and white, men and women, ranging in age from 18 to 61, sitting side by side in a simple affirmation of shared humanity.  They were teachers and students, carpenters and architects, ministers and servicemembers.  Frances and Walter Bergman, Albert Bigelow, Ed Blankenheim, Reverend Benjamin Elton Cox, James Farmer, Genevieve Hughes, Jimmy McDonald, James Peck, Joe Perkins, Charles Person, Hank Thomas, and a 21-year-old student at the American Baptist Theological Seminary named John Lewis.

By the time of the first Freedom Rides, Thurgood Marshall and other heroes of the early Civil Rights Movement had already persuaded the Supreme Court to strike down the devastating doctrine of 'separate but equal,' which had given legal cover to the horrors of Jim Crow for more than half a century.  But for far too many Americans, that promise of equality was slow to arrive.  As their buses arrived in each segregated town, the Riders were brutally attacked by vicious, hateful mobs of white supremacists.  They were kicked and beaten unconscious, assaulted with bats and batons, and arrested under laws that had already been declared illegal by the Supreme Court — but which festered nevertheless.  One of the two buses had its tires slashed and windows smashed before it was firebombed.

The Freedom Riders remained devoted to nonviolence, displaying extraordinary physical courage and unflinching moral conviction.  Despite the brutality they faced, they were joined by five other Riders along the route, and then by hundreds more joining similar rides in the months to come.  The public attention they brought to a pernicious cancer in our society further inspired millions of Americans across the country, including generations of Americans who have continued the fight for civil rights in the years since.  Their message of bravery, hope, and unity in diversity continues to inspire us.

John Lewis was the first to withstand a physical attack, just 6 days into the trip.  It was not his first act of courageous leadership and sacrifice, nor his last.  Across his lifetime of service in and out of Government, John Lewis was the moral compass of our Nation — though he absorbed the force of human nature's cruelty, he emanated dignity and grace.  On the anniversary of his journey on the Freedom Rides, I am reminded of the message he shared with me before he passed away last summer:  that we must stay focused on the work left undone to heal this Nation.  It is a call to all Americans to follow the example he set.

My Administration is committed to advancing the values and aspirations of John Lewis and the Freedom Riders.  On my first day in office, I signed an Executive Order establishing a comprehensive initiative to address racial equity and redress systemic racism in Federal policies, laws, and programs.  I also signed a Memorandum stating that the Federal Government has a responsibility to prevent racism, xenophobia, and intolerance against anyone in the United States — as well as an additional Executive Order on Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation.  I have directed Federal agencies to preserve and strengthen the sacred right to vote using their existing legal authority.  My Administration also supports further legislation to protect that most fundamental right — to make our democracy more equitable and accessible for all Americans, and to enact a new Voting Rights Act in John Lewis's name.

Today, we honor the Freedom Riders who took a stand against injustice 60 years ago.  And we are inspired by the power and purpose of a dedicated few who helped spark a movement — to make us a better Nation, and to build a more perfect union for all of us.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 4, 2021, as the 60th Anniversary of the Freedom Rides.  I call upon all Americans to participate in ceremonies and activities that honor the Freedom Riders, those who struggled for equal rights during the Civil Rights Movement, and those working still to advance civil rights across the Nation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of May, in the year of our L-rd two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
_________________________________________

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/05/04/a-proclamation-on-missing-and-murdered-indigenous-persons-awareness-day-2021/

A Proclamation on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day, 2021
May 04, 2021    • Presidential Actions   

Today, thousands of unsolved cases of missing and murdered Native Americans continue to cry out for justice and healing.  On Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day, we remember the Indigenous people who we have lost to murder and those who remain missing and commit to working with Tribal Nations to ensure any instance of a missing or murdered person is met with swift and effective action.

Our failure to allocate the necessary resources and muster the necessary commitment to addressing and preventing this ongoing tragedy not only demeans the dignity and humanity of each person who goes missing or is murdered, it sends pain and shockwaves across our Tribal communities.  Our treaty and trust responsibilities to Tribal Nations require our best efforts, and our concern for the well-being of these fellow citizens require us to act with urgency.  To this end, our Government must strengthen its support and collaboration with Tribal communities.

My Administration is fully committed to working with Tribal Nations to address the disproportionately high number of missing or murdered Indigenous people, as well as increasing coordination to investigate and resolve these cases and ensure accountability.  I am further committed to addressing the underlying causes behind those numbers, including — among others — sexual violence, human trafficking, domestic violence, violent crime, systemic racism, economic disparities, and substance use and addiction.  Federal partnerships to address the number of missing and murdered Indigenous peoples will be governed by the Nation-to-Nation foundation of our relationship with Tribal governments and respect for Tribal sovereignty and self-determination.  The challenges in Tribal communities are best met by solutions that are informed and shaped by Tribal leaders and Tribal governments.

Tribes across the United States have long worked to provide solutions for their communities.  In April, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Indian Reservation, the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Montana, and the FBI announced the Nation's first Tribal Community Response Plan, part of a Department of Justice pilot project to address emergent missing person cases in their community.  When someone goes missing, it is often an urgent and time-sensitive situation.  The Tribal community response plan lays out a blueprint for how Tribal law enforcement; local, State, and Federal law enforcement; and community members can respond when someone goes missing from a Tribal community — resolving important issues of jurisdictional overlap and gaps in order to respond swiftly and effectively.  Other Tribes and Native villages such as the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in Oklahoma, Native Village of Unalakleet in Alaska, and the Bay Mills Indian Community in Michigan, are working with Federal partners on their own community response plans.

My Administration has made a priority of helping to solve the issues surrounding Native Americans who go missing and those who are murdered across the United States — including high rates of Native women and girls, including transgender women and girls.  We recognize there is a level of mistrust of the United States Government in many Native communities, stemming from a long history of broken promises, oppression, and trauma. That is why we are pursuing ways to build trust in our Government and the systems designed to provide support to families in need.  We must bridge the gap for families in crisis, provide necessary support services, and support opportunities for healing through holistic community-driven approaches.

I am committed to building on the successes of the 2013 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) by supporting the passage of the VAWA Reauthorization of 2021. Among other protections, this bill reaffirms inherent Tribal authority to prosecute certain non-Indian offenders — extending protections from domestic violence and dating violence to Native American victims of sexual violence, stalking, trafficking, child abuse, elder abuse, and assault against law enforcement or justice personnel when crimes are committed on Tribal territory.  Additionally, through the American Rescue Plan we provided an additional $35 million in grants for Tribes to provide temporary housing, assistance, and supportive services to victims of domestic and dating violence, as well as supplemental funding for the StrongHearts Native Helpline, and additional funding for services for sexual assault survivors.

My Administration has also committed to effectively implement the requirements of Savannah's Act and the Not Invisible Act, legislation focused on combating the issues surrounding missing or murdered Indigenous persons.  The Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives continues to convene the Department of Justice, the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Health and Human Services, to address the issues from a combined public health–public safety partnership.  Furthering the efforts of the task force, the White House Council on Native American Affairs will bring together all relevant Federal agencies to work with Tribal Nations on exploring additional ways to enhance prevention efforts and improve access to safety and justice.

Furthermore, informed by Tribal input, the Department of the Interior recently established the Missing & Murdered Unit (MMU) within the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services to provide leadership and direction for cross-departmental and interagency work involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives.  The MMU will help bring the weight of the Federal Government to bear when investigating these cases and marshal law enforcement resources across Federal agencies and throughout Indian country.

Our commitment to addressing these issues and to strengthening these critical partnerships is unwavering.  For too long, there has been too much sorrow and worry.  United by our mutual investment in healthy, safe communities, we will work together to achieve lasting progress.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 5, 2021, as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day.  I call on all Americans and ask all levels of government to support Tribal governments and Tribal communities' efforts to increase awareness of the issue of missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives through appropriate programs and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of May, in the year of our L-rd two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
_________________________________________

Former MI6 spy Christopher Steele produced a 2nd dossier on Trump while he was president. Steele produced for the FBI a second dossier on Trump during his presidency, which lasted from January 2017 to January 2021. This is the FBI that was under Trump, still investigating Trump. And the FBI under Trump was confident in Steele's research. Now I am curious what Steele's 2nd dossier said about Trump.
https://www.businessinsider.com/christopher-steele-second-trump-dossier-report-2021-5

Reminder: This decision seems very, very significant. Judge Jackson is an incredibly careful jurist. This is a big deal. Judge orders release of DOJ memo justifying not prosecuting Trump
https://politico.com/news/2021/05/04/trump-obstruction-justice-doj-485360

Trump was banned from Facebook and Twitter, but his new "platform" has buttons where his statements can be shared by others to Facebook and Twitter...

https://www.espn.com/mlb/playbyplay/_/gameId/401227490

We all know about the death of George Floyd. But what about his life? On this special episode of "Post Reports," we tell the story of Floyd's family, his upbringing and how racism hobbled his ambition — a story reflecting the lives of so many Americans.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/podcasts/post-reports/the-life-of-george-floyd/

Jacob deGrom won't make his scheduled start tonight, per source. Unclear whether this is an issue that's likely to linger. Mets will be addressing it later.
https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1389686386308100106

Jacob deGrom's injury, deemed by one source as right-side tightness, isn't believed to be serious. Another source said the expectation is deGrom will miss only one start. Still, anything having to do with deGrom's health is taken extraordinarily seriously — and understandably so.
https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1389687238565548035

Three minutes before his mandate for forming a new government expired Prime Minister Netanyahu's announced he is returning it to President Rivlin without being able to put together a coalition. Starting Wednesday President Rivlin will have 3 days for renewed consultations with the different parties before he decides who gets the mandate next. Rivlin is most likely going to give the mandate to opposition leader Yair Lapid. If Lapid gets the mandate he will continue negotiating with Naftali Bennett on a power sharing government. Bennett will serve as prime minister for two years and then rotate with Lapid who will serve as prime minister for another two years. Lapid and Bennett already agreed that the right wing bloc in the power sharing government with only 13 seats will have a disproportionate number of ministers in the government in comparison the center left bloc which has 45 seats. If a Lapid-Bennet government is formed it will focus on post covid19 recovery and reuniting the country. It is expected to refrain from dealing with controversial ideological issues. All government decisions will have to be decided in consensus, and each bloc will have veto power.

Following a 7% performance by his party in the Madrid regional election, left-wing Spanish politician and former Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias announces he is retiring entirely from politics
https://www.elmundo.es/elecciones/elecciones-madrid/2021/05/04/60919da5fdddff73978b4620.html

As the coronavirus pandemic devastates India, the government has announced it will draft final year medical students to help tackle a shortage of medical staff
https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1389537035417919491

The fractured state party faces a difficult path forward and one looming Las Vegas congressional primary race in particular threatens to further expose the raw nerve in Nevada Democratic politics.
https://newsweek.com/splintered-nevada-democrats-still-busy-fighting-each-other-ahead-midterms-1588562

Pelosi says Troy Carter, the Democrat elected to replace Cedric Richmond, will be sworn in next Tuesday, giving House Democrats' dwindled majority some breathing room.
https://twitter.com/AndrewSolender/status/1389696024449585152

AG Garland presses Congress for increased funding on a variety of Justice Dept. priorities, including combating domestic terrorism, protecting civil rights, prosecuting hate crimes and battling the opioid epidemic.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/attorney-general-calls-increased-funding-combat-domestic-terrorism-n1266315 

Milwaukee council approves $750K settlement with ex-Milwaukee Bucks player Sterling Brown | The Milwaukee Common Council on Tuesday approved a $750,000 settlement in a lawsuit brought by Sterling Brown over his 2018 arrest in which he was taken to the ground and shocked with a Taser
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31389622/milwaukee-council-approves-750000-settlement-sterling-brown

A second wave of severe weather in as many days was hammering the Southern states on Tuesday. AccuWeather meteorologists warn that storm dangers will stretch from the Carolinas to Louisiana and portions of northeastern Texas into Tuesday night, while robust storms will also continue to erupt across parts of the Ohio Valley and central Appalachians. The storms in the Southern states have the greatest potential to produce tornadoes and some communities can be hit by more than one round of severe weather. Tornado-ravaged Mississippi will lie within the heart of the severe weather risk area, along with the major metro areas of New Orleans, Nashville and Atlanta. Humid air surging northward will collide with this storm and result in another outbreak of thunderstorms that will likely linger well into Tuesday night, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson. Severe thunderstorms were already on the prowl early Tuesday morning across portions of Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky, with downpours extended westward into Missouri.
https://www.accuweather.com/en/severe-weather/severe-weather-danger-continues-for-southeastern-us/941949

The Brewers are putting Christian Yelich back on the 10-day IL
https://twitter.com/AdamMcCalvy/status/1389695638388969472

Kyle Hendricks vs the Dodgers in Game 1 of the double header: CG (7 innings) 7H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 6Ks, 1HR

Reds P Amir Garrett suspended 7 games "for inciting a benches-clearing incident" Saturday vs Cubs. He's appealing.
https://twitter.com/BillShaikin/status/1389709963929407489

Regarding The Refusal Of NHL Player Safety To Suspend Tom Wilson
https://twitter.com/NYRangers/status/1389704210288152576/photo/1

Derek Chauvin files motion for new trial in George Floyd case alleging jury misconduct
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/derek-chauvin-files-motion-new-trial-george-floyd-case-alleging-n1266341

Jose Altuve gets booed as he steps in
https://streamable.com/l6r2nw

Broncos' OT Ja'Wuan James suffered a season-ending torn Achilles working out today away from the team facility
https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1389687618019880964

Environmental pollution caused by uncontrolled human activity is occurring on a vast and unprecedented scale around the globe.
https://phys.org/news/2021-05-plastic-pollution-deep-sea-geological.html

Jimmy Butler (flu like symptoms), Tyler Herro (foot) and Victor Oladipo (knee) have all been ruled out of tonight's game vs the Mavs.
https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1389704680977088515 

Steph loses the ball, drives in on 4 defenders, gets the layup and the foul
https://streamable.com/6dk0ey

Steph gets the shooters roll
https://streamable.com/6fv3sp 

Kawhi Leonard: "Why did the mushroom go to the party? Because he's a fun-gi."
https://streamable.com/aje7vl

The Milwaukee Bucks (41-24) defeat the Brooklyn Nets (43-23), 124 - 118

Lonzo Ball tonight vs Warriors: 33 points 6 rebounds 4 assists on 11/23 shooting from the field and 7/13 from beyond the arc.

In a game with big seeding implications for both conferences, Tim Hardaway Jr. drops 10 threes to lead the Dallas Mavericks (37-28) to defeat the Miami Heat (35-31), 127-113

Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton has no ligament damage to his left knee, an MRI revealed, but likely will miss the rest of the season. Haliburton won't require surgery and is expected to make a full recovery.
https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1389767871602044930

Steph Curry tonight: 37pts on 13/31 FG, 8/20 3pt
Steph Curry missed 11 of his final 12 shots. Tough second half for Steph. Lots of his shots were short, you could tell he was tired.

Build Back Together, a pro-Biden admin. group, is not wasting any time as it tries to win back support among the Hispanic community, targeting key constituencies with ads to remind that Democrats are helping their families out of the pandemic | Build Back Together, a not-for-profit that recently launched to advocate Biden's agenda nationally, has launched a six-figure English and Spanish ad buy across Nevada, Arizona, Florida and Pennsylvania touting the administration's achievements during the first 100 days, including $1,400 relief checks, a $10 billion investment to help communities most affected by the pandemic and securing 200 million vaccinations. A 30-second ad will play on television in Tucson, Yuma and Phoenix and across Las Vegas and Reno in two states where the Hispanic community helped Biden to victory. Floridians and Pennsylvanians will see a shorter version of the ad on digital channels like Pandora, Facebook and Instagram, as well as YouTube in the Keystone State.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/05/05/joe-biden-live-updates/#link-GZWEOASZHRE4VL5EP4XRFE454I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aC82DialZMg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH8XXTB_uV0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpV38r5HgRk 

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and six other people who risked their own health and safety to help and protect others during the coronavirus-19 pandemic will receive Profile in Courage awards next month, the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation has announced. The recipients, who also include a grocery story owner, a delivery driver, a nurse and an activist, were selected from among thousands of nominations submitted by people around the country, the foundation said in a statement. Mitt Romney also being awarded for impeaching Trump twice.
https://www.jfklibrary.org/about-us/news-and-press/press-releases/covid-courage-award-announcement

Olympics bans 'Black Lives Matter' apparel, could punish athletes for social protests
https://wgntv.com/news/olympics-bans-black-lives-matter-apparel-could-punish-athletes-for-social-protests/

Cleveland manager Terry Francona on what he said to umpire Angel Hernandez after that bizarre call: "I just kind of told Angel, 'Why's it always happening when you're here?'"
https://twitter.com/byryanlewis/status/1389801582359887872

Terry Stotts Expected To Be Fired by Blazers After Season; Garbage Jason Kidd Linked
https://theathletic.com/2567482/2021/05/05/inside-early-nba-hot-seat-situations-five-coaches-who-need-to-finish-strong-from-the-bucks-to-the-wizards/

Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer is likely gone unless there's a deep playoff run.
https://twitter.com/theathletic/status/1389930540409794570

Trump Facebook ban remains
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/05/technology/facebook-trump-ban-upheld.html

Luca Vildoza, one of the top playmaking guards in Europe, has agreed-in-principle to a four-year, $13.6M deal with the New York Knicks
https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1390003182647103500

In 2017, she was one of the first parents to be deliberately separated from her children at the border under Trump. Yesterday, she became the first parent to enter the US under a parole granted by the Biden reunification task force.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-immigration/a-mother-separated-from-her-children-at-the-border-comes-home

Five former IRS commissioners: "President Biden's proposal would restore our tax administration system to make it far fairer and more effective. This would benefit everyone who pays their taxes."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-former-irs-commissioners-bidens-proposal-would-create-a-fairer-tax-system/2021/05/04/c4ee8346-acfc-11eb-ab4c-986555a1c511_story.html

The Biden administration plans to support a temporary waiver on patents and other intellectual property rules preventing developing countries from mass-producing COVID-19 vaccines
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/biden-covid-19-vaccine-patent-waiver_n_6092ed8fe4b0b9042d9a1008?i28

Worried about the precedent set by the Facebook Oversight Board for booting heads of state who incite violence, huh
https://twitter.com/khamenei_ir/status/1390016838801690628

Cows so tired of y'all tryna make it something it's not😭😭 it never asked to be a burger, a steak, a sausage or minced. It just wants to live in its sentient, living being truth
https://i.redd.it/wk1plbvdtax61.jpg

Joey Votto suffered a fractured thumb
https://twitter.com/ctrent/status/1390037740855742464

In the time it took Giannis to shoot one clutch free throw, LaMelo made two with 5 seconds to spare
https://streamable.com/wjgbv4

And the party crying about "cancel culture" is stripping one of their most prominent female representatives (whom also has encylopediac knowledge of the legislative process.....) of her assignments for not pushing the lie that Trump won the elections

Here's a reminder that the political party crying about "the death of free speech" has introduced 81 bills to ban protesting in 34 states, including a law in Oklahoma protecting drivers who run over protesters.

Trump won, there is no Republican war, Republican voters and a large segment of Democratic voters intentionally and knowingly voted for Trump, America died the moment the Twin Towers collapsed

________________________________________

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/05/05/liz-cheney-republican-party-turning-point/

Liz Cheney

May 5, 2021 at 5:05 p.m. EDT

Liz Cheney, a Republican, represents Wyoming's at-large congressional district in the U.S. House.

In public statements again this week, former president Donald Trump has repeated his claims that the 2020 election was a fraud and was stolen. His message: I am still the rightful president, and President Biden is illegitimate. Trump repeats these words now with full knowledge that exactly this type of language provoked violence on Jan. 6. And, as the Justice Department and multiple federal judges have suggested, there is good reason to believe that Trump's language can provoke violence again. Trump is seeking to unravel critical elements of our constitutional structure that make democracy work — confidence in the result of elections and the rule of law. No other American president has ever done this.

https://www.politico.com/amp/news/2021/04/27/trump-rhetoric-capitol-rioters-legal-fight-484787

The Republican Party is at a turning point, and Republicans must decide whether we are going to choose truth and fidelity to the Constitution. In the immediate wake of the violence of Jan. 6, almost all of us knew the gravity and the cause of what had just happened — we had witnessed it firsthand.

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) left no doubt in his public remarks. On the floor of the House on Jan. 13, McCarthy said: "The president bears responsibility for Wednesday's attack on Congress by mob rioters. He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding." Now, McCarthy has changed his story.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/04/26/kevin-mccarthys-bizarre-attempt-rewrite-narrative-jan-6/?itid=lk_inline_manual_8
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/04/26/kevin-mccarthys-bizarre-attempt-rewrite-narrative-jan-6/?itid=lk_inline_manual_8

I am a conservative Republican, and the most conservative of conservative values is reverence for the rule of law. Each of us swears an oath before G/d to uphold our Constitution. The electoral college has spoken. More than 60 state and federal courts, including multiple Trump-appointed judges, have rejected the former president's arguments, and refused to overturn election results. That is the rule of law; that is our constitutional system for resolving claims of election fraud.

The question before us now is whether we will join Trump's crusade to delegitimize and undo the legal outcome of the 2020 election, with all the consequences that might have. I have worked overseas in nations where changes in leadership come only with violence, where democracy takes hold only until the next violent upheaval. America is exceptional because our constitutional system guards against that. At the heart of our republic is a commitment to the peaceful transfer of power among political rivals in accordance with law. President Ronald Reagan described this as our American "miracle."

https://www.msnbc.com/mtp-daily/watch/reagan-in-1981-called-transfer-of-power-in-u-s-a-miracle-92473925851

While embracing or ignoring Trump's statements might seem attractive to some for fundraising and political purposes, that approach will do profound long-term damage to our party and our country. Trump has never expressed remorse or regret for the attack of Jan. 6 and now suggests that our elections, and our legal and constitutional system, cannot be trusted to do the will of the people. This is immensely harmful, especially as we now compete on the world stage against Communist China and its claims that democracy is a failed system.

For Republicans, the path forward is clear.

First, support the ongoing Justice Department criminal investigations of the Jan. 6 attack. Those investigations must be comprehensive and objective; neither the White House nor any member of Congress should interfere.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/capitol-breach-investigation-resource-page/100-days-january-6th-attack-capitol

Second, we must support a parallel bipartisan review by a commission with subpoena power to seek and find facts; it will describe for all Americans what happened. This is critical to defeat the misinformation and nonsense circulating in the press and on social media. No currently serving member of Congress — with an eye to the upcoming election cycle — should participate. We should appoint former officials, members of the judiciary and other prominent Americans who can be objective, just as we did after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The commission should be focused on the Jan. 6 attacks. The Black Lives Matter and antifa violence of last summer was illegal and reprehensible, but it is a different problem with a different solution.

https://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/index.htm

Finally, we Republicans need to stand for genuinely conservative principles, and steer away from the dangerous and anti-democratic Trump cult of personality. In our hearts, we are devoted to the American miracle. We believe in the rule of law, in limited government, in a strong national defense, and in prosperity and opportunity brought by low taxes and fiscally conservative policies.

There is much at stake now, including the ridiculous wokeness of our political rivals, the irrational policies at the border and runaway spending that threatens a return to the catastrophic inflation of the 1970s. Reagan formed a broad coalition from across the political spectrum to return America to sanity, and we need to do the same now. We know how. But this will not happen if Republicans choose to abandon the rule of law and join Trump's crusade to undermine the foundation of our democracy and reverse the legal outcome of the last election.

History is watching. Our children are watching. We must be brave enough to defend the basic principles that underpin and protect our freedom and our democratic process. I am committed to doing that, no matter what the short-term political consequences might be.
________________________________________

Liz Cheney inappropriately injected her views on Black Live Matter, "wokeness", Immigration, spending, and inflation.  If she really wants to stand against her Republican colleagues as a matter of fundamental principle, she should have limited her comments to those principles.  Instead, she used the opportunity to push "whataboutism" and attack Democrats.

Gary O'Connor's resignation for "oreo" comment rejected by local Democrats. The Lamar County Democratic Party is not accepting the resignation of its chair. | "Lamar County Democrats recommit ourselves to conduct our private conversations and our public social media discussions with anti-racist, pro-reconciling attitudes and language," the party wrote in a statement. "We strongly condemn bigotry of any kind and will continue our historic efforts to work for justice and equality for all our fellow citizens."
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/05/04/gary-o-connor-oreo-texas-democrats/

Army to put civilian in charge of criminal probes
https://apnews.com/article/politics-government-and-politics-80f6812a8f9a3d31cd8be526bbc9e448

Republicans, through Joe Biden's eyes:
"You'll see an epiphany occur" (May 14, 2019)
"We need an opposition that's principled and strong" (Jan 9, 2021)
"I have no idea if there will be a Republican Party. Do you?" (March 25)
"I don't understand the Republicans" (May 5)

Brandon Ingram suffered a low ankle sprain. He will not play Friday against Philly but will be day-to-day.
https://twitter.com/_Andrew_Lopez/status/1390065344426004482

5/5/21, Mitch McConnell: "100% of my focus is on stopping this new administration."
10/23/10, Mitch McConnell: "The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president."
https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1390078858448232457

If Liz Cheney would just shut up and stop responding to Trump's lies about the 2020 election, more voters would hear about the Republicans' serious message for 2022.
https://twitter.com/McCormackJohn/status/1390054452879667206/photo/1
https://twitter.com/GOPLeader/status/1368011754425483265

Tucker Carlson wants me to yell at kids with masks on. Is this even a political party anymore?

Marcell Ozuna hits the second grand slam in two nights for the Braves.
https://streamable.com/dfwkcs

Republicans lawmakers are promoting the debunked claim that the clause in the Constitution counting slaves as three-fifths of a person actually was a step toward ending slavery. Here's a look at the historical roots of the clause.
https://apnews.com/article/electoral-college-slavery-election-2020-race-and-ethnicity-government-and-politics-0ef97970a86255bf89c897838fcdb335

The beautiful game
https://twitter.com/i/status/1390082617245118467

Incidents of airline passengers being unruly — ignoring instructions, fighting & refusing to wear a mask — have been surging, according to the FAA, even while the number of Americans flying on commercial planes remains about 40% below pre-pandemic levels.
https://latimes.com/business/story/2021-05-05/airline-passengers-mask-rules-faa-fine-zero-tolerance

Angels slugger Albert Pujols was upset that he wasn't in lineup to face Rays bulk LHP Ryan Yarbrough last night, and that the decision to bench him came from front office, not MGR Joe Maddon. Pujols was 6 for 9 with 2 HR, 2 2Bs, 7 RBIs vs. Yarbough.
https://ww.twitter.com/MikeDiGiovanna/status/1390365742256721922

An Ex-Blackwater Employee Tied To Erik Prince Provided Security For Rudy Giuliani In Ukraine | The security assistance, which has not been reported previously, came as Giuliani ramped up his campaign to get President Volodymyr Zelensky's administration to open investigations that could damage Biden ahead of the 2020 election, and as Prince pursued a business deal in Ukraine that would grow his personal portfolio and assist the Trump administration in its foreign policy goal of limiting China's power and influence, according to four sources familiar with his business endeavors. | The newly surfaced connection between Prince — the brother of Betsy DeVos, Trump's education secretary — and Giuliani comes as federal authorities are investigating the former New York City mayor's dealings in Ukraine and ties to its powerful oligarchs and political operatives. Last week, FBI agents searched Giuliani's Manhattan apartment and office and seized several electronic devices.
https://buzzfeednews.com/article/christopherm51/rudy-giuliani-erik-prince-blackwater-bodyguard-ukraine

New York AG Sues Jacob Wohl for $2.75 Million Over Robocalls
https://www.thedailybeast.com/ny-ag-letitia-james-sues-jacob-wohl-jack-burkman-over-alleged-robocall-plot

500 Elephants Are To Be Murdered By Trophy Hunters In Zimbabwe
https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/22/africa/zimbabwe-elephants-hunting-intl-hnk/index.html
https://allafrica.com/stories/202104240086.html
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/zimbabwe-selling-shoot-many-500-110735205.html

Spoiler: the bad outweighs the good, who could have known? Most of the positive claims come like that it helps conserving species comes from hunting organizations and most of the countries that offer trophy hunting have shady, corrupt structures that make it impossible to see where the money goes. On top of that lions are raised in tiny cages in South Africa to provide hunters with a guaranteed kill. And even old, sick or even aggressive animals have a purpose and killing them is not necessarily good. And of course the hunters could simply donate instead of killing animals if they actually cared about conservation
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/trophy-hunting-killing-saving-animals

In the summer of 1938, small ads starting appearing in the Manchester Guardian from Jews in Nazi-run Vienna looking for families in Britain to take in their children. My dad was one of them and was saved. I set out to find what happened to the others.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/may/06/guardian-200-ad-that-saved-jewish-father-from-nazis

The Office of the New York Attorney General documented in a new report that a campaign funded by the broadband industry submitted millions of fake comments supporting the 2017 repeal of net neutrality.
https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-technology-business-9f10b43b6aacbc750dfc010ceaedaca7
https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/oag-fakecommentsreport.pdf

The architects of the Trump administration's extreme, anti-immigrant agenda may not be in power any more but several of them, including Stephen Miller & Gene Hamilton, are trying to prevent the Biden administration from reversing the damage they caused.
https://www.americanoversight.org/former-trump-administration-official-gene-hamiltons-contacts-with-far-right-anti-immigration-groups

Fan Favourite Jose Altuve puts the Astros ahead with a 3 run homer in the 8th
https://bdata-producedclips.mlb.com/74c6f6e5-54eb-4b04-b72d-cf8068cb5a2d.mp4

League of Women Voters, Black Voters Matter sue all 67 Florida counties over new election restrictions signed by Gov. DeSantis
https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/politics/voter-law-lawsuit-florida-desantis/67-df12a6ed-a0bd-4a21-9b77-fddbbde6a7ca

Good: Twitter suspending accounts that are sharing posts from Trump's blog
https://www.abc15.com/news/national/twitter-reportedly-suspending-accounts-that-are-sharing-posts-from-trumps-blog

Mets set franchise record for most LOB in a nine-inning game: 17. Despite this, they won 4-1 over St. Louis today in part due to drawing 11 walks.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/playbyplay/_/gameId/401227520

In total, the #Rockets currently have 13 players on their injury report. It's much easier to list who is NOT on it: Armoni Brooks, Anthony Lamb, KJ Martin, and DaQuan Jeffries (2 2-ways, a rookie and a 2nd year player)
https://twitter.com/BenDuBose/status/1390422163165827077

Pamela S. Karlan, who heads the Justice Department's civil rights division, wrote a letter to the president of the Arizona state Senate on Wednesday suggesting that the recount of nearly 2.1 million ballots in Maricopa County by a private contractor may not comply with federal law, which requires that ballots be securely maintained for 22 months following a federal election. "We have a concern that Maricopa County election records, which are required by federal law to be retained and preserved, are no longer under the ultimate control of elections officials, are not being adequately safeguarded by contractors, and are at risk of damage or loss," she wrote. In her letter, Karlan also asked questions about a plan by the private contractor hired to lead the audit, Florida-based Cyber Ninjas, to interview voters and ask them whether they cast ballots in November, as county records show. Karlan said such interviews could violate federal laws prohibiting voter intimidation. | Chris Sautter, a political strategist who teaches election law at American University, said that if federal officials believed ballots were in danger of not being preserved, they could file a lawsuit in federal court and ask a judge to stop the audit or order changes. He noted that federal law carries criminal penalties for elections officials who do not comply.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/arizona-recount-justice-department/2021/05/06/fbe4793c-ae87-11eb-b476-c3b287e52a01_story.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/justice-department-letter-on-arizona-audit/78a4aef5-99e8-48c0-967d-b320004e792c/

Biden Administration Orders FEC To Drop Case Reviewing Trump Hush-Money Payments to Women | The case had examined whether Donald Trump violated election law with a $130,000 payment shortly before the 2016 election to an adult film actress by his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/06/us/politics/trump-michael-cohen-fec.html

Golden State Warriors swingman Kelly Oubre Jr. will not require surgery on his ailing left wrist and is expected to be sidelined 1-2 weeks
https://twitter.com/chrisbhaynes/status/1390442791742803968?s=21

Rockies Colton Welker has been suspended 80 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.
https://twitter.com/wboor/status/1390449254469017600

The Los Angeles Angels are releasing future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols today, per sources. Pujols is in the final year of his 10-year, $253 million contract.
https://twitter.com/Feinsand/status/1390362348708319232

About 149.5 million people – about 45% of the US population – have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, and nearly 109 million people – about 33% of the US population – is fully vaccinated, CDC data shows.

So unindicted co-conspirator Trump gets away with it but Michael Cohen had to go to jail? Bullshit.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/06/us/politics/trump-michael-cohen-fec.html

Complete meltdown at today's hearing for Capitol rioter Landon Copeland. He's charged with 4 counts, including assaulting officers. He is a veteran with PTSD. Shouted at the judge, called court officials "evil," argued about his case number, and ended with, "f--- all of y'all."
https://twitter.com/MarshallCohen/status/1390415025983131648

House Democrats Ask Judge To Order Donald Trump To Comply With Subpoena For His Personal Financial Documents
https://lawandcrime.com/trump/house-democrats-ask-judge-to-order-donald-trump-to-comply-with-subpoena-for-his-personal-financial-documents/
   
Litigation Tracker: Pending Criminal and Civil Cases Against Donald Trump
https://www.justsecurity.org/75032/litigation-tracker-pending-criminal-and-civil-cases-against-donald-trump/

Frank Vogel says Talen Horton-Tucker (calf strain) will miss the Lakers' back to back against LAC and POR
https://twitter.com/mcten/status/1390464696474476544

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms won't run for reelection | In a stunning announcement Thursday night, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms told supporters that she will not run for reelection this year.
https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/breaking-atlanta-mayor-keisha-lance-bottoms-wont-run-for-reelection/AOC6CO6TKRGXDLQAZ33XWE2OEQ/ 

Russell Westbrook is the first player in NBA history to record 50 rebounds and 50 assists over a three-game span

Siakam tonight dropped 44/11/7 on 60% from the field and 33% from 3

KD has a conversation with the ref Ed Malloy about Doncic hooking his arms and getting the foul call
https://streamable.com/k0iv7q

Damion Lee said he tested positive for COVID-19 two weeks ago after getting the vaccine in early March. Said he's been told it's one of the 6,000 "breakthrough" cases among the millions vaccinated to test positive post vaccine. Said there is no current timetable for his return. Golden State forward Damion Lee reveals that he became one of the rare people who is fully vaccinated and still tested positive for COVID-19. He explains all the symptoms he went through and is still experiencing, like "brain fog", in this clip
https://streamable.com/tulitv

Draymond tells Juan Toscano-Anderson to run a fake dribble handoff with Steph resulting in an easy dunk
https://streamable.com/myumpk

Steph Curry in 3 quarters against OKC: 34 points & 7 assists on 71% TS (11/21 FG, 6/13 3PT, 6/7 FT)

Kyrie Irving vs Dallas tonight: 45/5/4/4 on 17-30 from the field and 7-12 from three

Ohtani destroys a baseball for home run #10
https://bdata-producedclips.mlb.com/4b6ee65b-750d-43f9-b8a8-02d375f448a2.mp4

Zunino clears both bullpens in Angel Stadium with his 6th homer to put the Rays on the board
https://bdata-producedclips.mlb.com/e484253b-16b0-4451-b9f5-146caf1b603e.mp4

In major move, South Africa to end captive lion industry
https://apnews.com/article/africa-south-africa-lions-environment-and-nature-d8f5b9cc0c2e89498e5b72c55e94eee8

Brazil: At least 25 people were killed in a police raid Thursday morning in what police and researchers are calling one of the deadliest police shootings in the history of this notoriously violent oceanside metropolis. | Police violence and crime has in recent years been one of Brazil's most polarizing political discussions. Police forces kill thousands of Brazilians every year, the overwhelming majority of whom are Black and poor. In 2019 alone, police killed some 5,800 people.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/05/06/brazil-police-rio-favela-killings/

2,000-year-old marble head of Rome's first emperor discovered
https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/rome-emperor-marble-head-scli-intl-scn/index.html

Pro-Trump Republican Double-Digit Millionaire Brett Favre hasn't repaid $600,000 of $1.1 million from Mississippi welfare fund. Favre: "My agent handles all my contracts." Favre's Agent: "I had nothing to do with Favre accepting welfare funds."
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/05/06/report-brett-favre-hasnt-repaid-600000-of-1-1-million-from-mississippi-welfare-fund/

So here is the union's counterargument to the NFL saying Ja'Wuan James was hurt away from the team facility. The NFLPA is saying he was "under a program recommended to him by his coach." No idea if that would hold up in a grievance over the money but that's their stance.
https://twitter.com/mikegarafolo/status/1390408986810277888

Wyoming coal industry threatens threat to sue states that refuse to buy coal
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/may/07/wyoming-coal-threat-mining-republican-governor 

At least 139 Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) and 44 civilians were killed in Afghanistan the past week, the highest death toll in a single week since October. The Taliban intensified their attacks all over the country.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/06/world/asia/afghan-war-casualty-report-may-2021.html

45,000 apply for 12 spots to murder the Grand Canyon bison
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/552203-45000-apply-for-12-spots-to-shoot-grand-canyon-bison

South Carolina Becomes 2nd State To Drop Federal Unemployment Benefits
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/south-carolina-unemployment-benefits_n_60949517e4b05bee44c7d0b4

Medicaid expansion for uninsured Texans had bipartisan support, but lawmakers won't pass it this session
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/05/07/texas-medicaid-expansion-legislature/

The vast majority of adults who want to be vaccinated either already are or at least have their first dose. The vast majority of people without vaccines don't want it.

In March 2017, an email of a "Report of Significant Incident" seemingly set off a flurry of responses from HHS staff. The email was about a minor, detained at a facility in Arizona, who that morning had begun a pregnancy termination procedure. The documents further detail how Scott Lloyd, an anti-abortion advocate who was then the director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, attempted to manage the reproductive health of those in his office's care, including by tracking pregnancies.
https://americanoversight.org/new-details-about-trump-era-efforts-to-block-pregnant-minors-in-immigration-detention-from-accessing-abortions

The Golden State Warriors are planning next week to convert two-way forward Juan Toscano-Anderson into a standard NBA contract, and sign Jordan Bell into the vacant two-way deal
https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1390715648469311488

U.S. Treasury releases $21.6 bln rental assistance, aims to aid renters directly | The Treasury said that new guidance to local agencies administering rental assistance programs allows them for the first time to offer aid directly to renters first, before offering it to landl-rds. It also now requires that aid funds must be offered directly to renters when landl-rds do not participate in such programs. | The Treasury's announcement follows a federal court ruling on Wednesday that threw out an eviction moratorium imposed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a setback for millions of Americans who have fallen behind on rent payments during the pandemic. The same judge put a temporary hold on her ruling as the government seeks to overturn it on appeal. | Under the assistance program, Treasury said its guidance now requires local agencies to prohibit eviction of renters for non payment during months in which they receive rental assistance.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-treasury-releases-216-bln-rental-assistance-aims-aid-renters-directly-2021-05-07/

Court Records Show 14-Year-Old Boy In Derek Chauvin's Second Civil Rights Case Also Said He Couldn't Breathe
https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/14-year-old-boy-in-derek-chauvins-second-civil-rights-case-also-said-he-couldnt-breathe-court-records-show/
https://lawandcrime.com/live-trials/live-trials-current/george-floyd-death/federal-grand-jury-indicts-derek-chauvin-and-three-other-ex-officers-on-civil-rights-charges-in-george-floyds-death/
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/four-former-minneapolis-police-officers-indicted-federal-civil-rights-charges-death-george
https://mncourts.gov/mncourtsgov/media/High-Profile-Cases/27-CR-20-12646/Memorandum10122020.pdf

The whole Liz Cheney saga is pure terrorism by Republicans. She's as conservative and anti-Democrat and anti-liberalism and anti-progressivism and anti-moderation and anti-centrism as they come. Her only sin was to call BS on Trump's election fraud. For that, she will be expelled as a Republican House leader.

Deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon hit a record last month, the government reported with figures that belie President Jair Bolsonaro's pledge to crack down on such destruction. The rainforest that was destroyed marked a new high for the month of April and a 42.5 percent year-on-year rise
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210507-deforestation-of-brazilian-amazon-hits-record-in-april

Scientists OK plan to release one million tonnes of nuclear waste water from Fukushima. If it's safe, then why not just release it on-site instead of into the ocean? Because it's radiated.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01225-2 

 (c)  The purpose of the CCSO shall be to perform the specific project of supporting bilateral and multilateral engagement to advance the United States initiative to address the global climate crisis, led by the Department of State and in coordination with other executive departments and agencies, consistent with Executive Order 14008 of January 27, 2021 (Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad). The CCSO shall support the Department of State, including the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, in United States efforts to elevate and underscore the commitment my Administration will make towards addressing the global climate crisis. (d)  In carrying out its purpose as set forth in subsection 1(c) of this order, the CCSO shall:          (i)    support the Department of State and other executive departments and agencies, as appropriate, in leading diplomatic engagement on climate change, exercising climate leadership in international fora, increasing international climate ambition, and ensuring that climate change is integrated into all elements of United States foreign policy-making decision processes;            (ii)   support efforts that go beyond the climate work currently carried out by the Department of State across a wide range of international fora that address clean energy, aviation, shipping, the Artic, the ocean, sustainable development, and migration; and          (iii)  perform such other functions related to the specific project set forth in subsection 1(c) of this order as the Secretary may assign.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/05/07/executive-order-on-the-establishment-of-the-climate-change-support-office/

Justin Verlander says he doesn't believe the timeline would allow him to be a starter this year, but he has hope of returning this year.
https://twitter.com/brandonkscott/status/1390747360138076169

Biden-Harris Administration Reinstates Visitor Log Policy, Will Be First Administration to Post Records from First Full Year in Office
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/05/07/biden-harris-administration-reinstates-visitor-log-policy-will-be-first-administration-to-post-records-from-first-full-year-in-office/

This set, from January 20 to 31, 2021, includes 400 records.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/disclosures/visitor-logs/

_______________________________________________

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/05/07/a-proclamation-on-national-hurricane-preparedness-week-2021/

A Proclamation on National Hurricane Preparedness Week, 2021
May 07, 2021    • Presidential Actions   

In 2020, the United States experienced a record year for extreme weather, with an unprecedented 30 named storms in the Atlantic Basin alone.  Twelve of these storms, six of which were hurricanes, made landfall in the United States.  These storms and hurricanes unleashed their devastating power on the individuals and communities in their paths.  Their frequency and impact also highlight the existential threat posed to our Nation by climate change.  During National Hurricane Preparedness Week, we encourage all Americans living in potentially affected areas to take precautions to ensure that they, their families, and their communities are best prepared for hurricanes, and commit to improving our resilience to climate-related catastrophes.

The costs exacted by these storms, in lives, livelihoods, and property damage, are staggering.  Seven of last year's 30 named storms claimed 86 lives and caused $40 billion dollars in damage.  Over the past two decades, tropical storms and hurricanes have taken over 6,000 lives in the United States and caused $853 billion in damage.  These storms accounted for 60 percent of the costs of our most damaging weather events.  In addition to the highly-visible damage, hurricanes also exact an unseen and long-lasting emotional toll; the trauma of a lost loved one, the sadness of losing treasured possessions, the stress of a financial setback.  This is compounded for low-income communities and communities of color who are more likely to live in areas that make them vulnerable to flooding and other climate-related weather events, and less likely to have the funds to prepare for and recover from extreme weather events.

As changes in our climate lead to additional extreme weather events, we must pursue research and resilience policies that keep us safe and strengthen our resilience.

Since taking office, I have directed my Administration to put the climate crisis and the communities most vulnerable to it at the center of our domestic and foreign policy.  This includes investing in weather forecasting and climate research to bolster our understanding of how our changing climate is altering the behavior of hurricanes, as well as ensuring every community has the resources to prepare for and respond to these changing storms.  Although hurricanes cannot be prevented, we can predict and prepare for them.

We are constantly improving our forecasts and communications with the public about the dangers posed by hurricanes.  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasters work around the clock and collaborate with State, local, Tribal, and territorial emergency managers and government officials to provide actionable information before, during, and after a hurricane.  NOAA also collaborates with key decision makers in Federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  Such collaborative work ensures that communities standing in a storm's path have the information and resources they need to adequately prepare.  After the storm, NOAA provides stakeholders with essential information for damage assessments and to re-open ports and coastal waterways critical to our Nation's commerce.

In addition to work being done by Federal, State, local, and Tribal governments, Americans should prepare themselves before a hurricane hits.  Keep up with weather forecasts and have an evacuation kit prepared in case you ever need to relocate in advance of a hurricane.  More information and preparedness plan templates are available from FEMA's ready.gov website.

Everyone has a role to play in hurricane preparedness and making us a Weather-Ready Nation.  When hurricanes strike, that's how we will save lives, lessen the damage to our homes, communities, and infrastructure, and recover stronger and faster.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 9 through May 15, 2021, as National Hurricane Preparedness Week.  I urge all Americans to help build our Weather-Ready Nation, so that individuals are empowered and organizations can fulfill leadership roles in their communities.  I call on our Federal, State, Tribal, territorial and local government agencies to share information that will protect lives and property.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventh day of May, in the year of our L-rd two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.

                             JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
_______________________________________________

SIGH............: Pelicans star Zion Williamson has a fractured left ring finger and will be sidelined indefinitely
https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1390774643657691141

Walk Talk Smile Charm Love Personality
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyd_Price

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucinda_Franks

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs is receiving protection after fielding multiple death threats amid the election audit in Maricopa County
https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/07/politics/katie-hobbs-arizona-secretary-of-state-death-threats/index.html

 Please read the #HowWeHelp section on http://theovalpawffice.com. In our first #100days we did raise a total of
9,448 for animal welfare orgs we love, even though April was not a great month. We want to thank all our friends here fur their suppawrt. Awooof! #AdoptDontShop
https://twitter.com/TheOvalPawffice/status/1390782203974520834
https://theovalpawffice.com/
https://humanesociety.org/
https://twitter.com/HumaneSociety
https://www.instagram.com/humanesociety/
https://theovalpawffice.com/
https://awionline.org/
https://bestfriends.org/
https://www.spca.org/

How this works: most of the pawceeds from the pawducts you purchase will go to an organization that helps protect, save and heal animals, domestic and wild. We pick organizations with diverse pawjects, so that your kindness reaches not only orphan shelter pets, but also abused farm animals or helps protect endangered species in North America. The rest of the pawceeds go into purchasing, designing and printing new/more pawducts to enable us to repeat the pawcess. In our first month, we have raised $1,270 for the Animal Welfare Institute, In February, we raised $3,760 for Best Friends Animal Society, and in March we have raised $3,675 for the pawsome SPCA of Texas The donation receipts are posted on our social media.

.@RepKinzinger: "We had a real opportunity to leave [Donald Trump] behind, and instead we just basically put the paddles on him and he's back to life in the party." http://hill.cm/RCtDi7S
https://twitter.com/i/status/1390783915615531014
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/552239-loyalty-trumps-policy-in-stefaniks-rise-cheneys-fall

We are the United States and Oceans of America. Clean water and healthy beaches are vital to our communities. But plastic, offshore oil drilling, pollution and sea level rise are threatening this precious resource. You can help -> https://surfrider.org/usoa #USOA  @Surfrider

On episode#418: It's a Boy of Summer teaser with the fantastic, funny, 3th generation Los Angeleno-native Eric Balfour ("Country Comfort" and OH MY HEAVENS SO MUCH MORE) and a conversation too good to be missed (so what are you waiting for, buddies?)!
http://thejvclub.org/episodes/2021/episode-418-eric-balfour
https://twitter.com/jvclubpodcast/status/1387769287478288391

Apple and partners launch first-ever $200 million Restore Fund to accelerate natural solutions to climate change
Investment builds on the company's forestry and responsible packaging innovations to deliver new financial and climate returns | Apple today announced a first-of-its-kind carbon removal initiative — called the Restore Fund — that will make investments in forestry projects to remove carbon from the atmosphere while generating a financial return for investors. Launched with Conservation International and Goldman Sachs, Apple's $200 million fund aims to remove at least 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually from the atmosphere, equivalent to the amount of fuel used by over 200,000 passenger vehicles, while demonstrating a viable financial model that can help scale up investment in forest restoration. | "Nature provides some of the best tools to remove carbon from the atmosphere. Forests, wetlands, and grasslands draw carbon from the atmosphere and store it away permanently in their soils, roots, and branches," said Lisa Jackson, Apple's vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives. "Through creating a fund that generates both a financial return as well as real, and measurable carbon impacts, we aim to drive broader change in the future — encouraging investment in carbon removal around the globe. Our hope is that others share our goals and contribute their resources to support and protect critical ecosystems."
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2021/04/apple-and-partners-launch-first-ever-200-million-restore-fund/

_______________________________________________

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/05/07/a-proclamation-on-peace-officers-memorial-day-and-police-week-2021/

A Proclamation on Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week, 2021
May 07, 2021    • Presidential Actions   

Every day, we ask a great deal of the men and women of our Nation's law enforcement agencies; from ensuring public safety, to serving as front-line workers, to responding to incidents involving domestic violence, substance use disorders, mental health challenges, and homelessness, often with limited resources.  Every morning, our Nation's law enforcement officers pin on a badge and go to work, not knowing what the day will bring, and hoping to come home safely.  This year, even as the COVID-19 pandemic took a physical, mental, and emotional toll, our officers, deputies, and troopers demonstrated courage and dedication in continuing to support our communities.  As we recognize Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week, we honor those who lost their lives in the line of duty, and thank them on behalf of this grateful Nation for their service.

The economic toll of the COVID-19 pandemic has strained State, local, and Tribal budgets — forcing many communities to stretch their funding, consider layoffs, and reduce public services.  My Administration will support our Nation's law enforcement agencies and officers and work to ensure they have the resources and research tools they need to do their jobs successfully and the funding necessary to enhance officer safety and wellness, including improving access to mental health services.  We will also continue to bolster initiatives that protect our law enforcement officers' physical safety — including those that provide for bulletproof vests and active shooter training.

This year, we also recognize that in many of our communities, especially Black and brown communities, there is a deep sense of distrust towards law enforcement; a distrust that has been exacerbated by the recent deaths of several Black and brown people at the hands of law enforcement.  These deaths have resulted in a profound fear, trauma, pain, and exhaustion for many Black and brown Americans, and the resulting breakdown in trust between law enforcement and the communities they have sworn to protect and serve ultimately makes officers' jobs harder and more dangerous as well.  In order to rebuild that trust, our State, local, and Federal Government and law enforcement agencies must protect constitutional rights, ensure accountability for misconduct, and embrace policing that reflects community values and ensures community safety.  These approaches benefit those who wear the badge and those who count on their protection.

We must also stop tasking law enforcement with problems that are far beyond their jurisdictions.  From providing emergency health care to resolving school discipline issues, our communities rely on the police to perform services that often should be the duty of other institutions.  We then accuse the police of failure when responsibility lies with public policy choices they did not make.  Supporting our law enforcement officers requires that we invest in underfunded public systems that provide health care, counseling, housing, education, and other social services.

There are many ways we can demonstrate appreciation for our law enforcement heroes.  We recognize acts of bravery through the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor and the Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery.  We must also acknowledge the challenge and value of their service through the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act of 2017 and the Supporting and Treating Officers in Crisis Act of 2019.  Should tragedy strike, Public Safety Officers' benefits must be available for the families of officers who lose their lives or are catastrophically injured in the line of duty.

This country asks much of our Federal, State, Tribal, and local police officers and deputies, and it is our solemn responsibility to ensure that those who protect and serve have the training, resources, and support they need to do their jobs well.  My Administration will do everything we can to support the men and women who so courageously protect us.

By a joint resolution approved October 1, 1962, as amended (76 Stat. 676), and by Public Law 103-322, as amended (36 U.S.C. 136-137), the President has been authorized and requested to designate May 15 of each year as "Peace Officers Memorial Day" and the week in which it falls as "Police Week."

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 15, 2021, as Peace Officers Memorial Day and May 9 through May 15, 2021, as Police Week.  I call upon all Americans to observe these events with appropriate ceremonies and activities.  I also call on the Governors of the United States and its Territories, and appropriate officials of all units of government, to direct that the flag be flown at half-staff on Peace Officers Memorial Day.  I further encourage all Americans to display the flag from their homes and businesses on that day.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventh day of May, in the year of our L-rd two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.
                       

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
_______________________________________________

Andrew Wiggins' numbers after Stephen A Smith said he'd give him 'away for a box of cookies: 23.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.6 BPG, 50% FG, 42% 3PT, 92% FT

Also, David Griffin said Brandon Ingram's injury is a left ankle inversion sprain and "that injury is going to sideline him indefinitely. He's continuing to try to progress to play." Pels had said BI was day-to-day.
https://twitter.com/_Andrew_Lopez/status/1390785088795906051

Negotiators on a police-overhaul bill have reached preliminary agreement on military gear, chokeholds and no knock warrants
https://www.wsj.com/articles/police-overhaul-bill-draws-bipartisan-agreement-on-key-issues-11620424491

Audit won't include canvassing of voters' homes (illegal and unconstitutional)
https://www.azmirror.com/2021/05/07/fann-tells-doj-she-scrapped-audit-plans-to-canvass-voters/

The Ohio Republican Party censures U.S. Rep. Anthony Gonzalez and nine other Republican representatives from other states for voting in February to impeach fmr. President Trump.

Charlie Morton's final line against the Phillies: 0.2 IP 4H 2BB 6R/6ER 1K, fucked by the umpire

D.C. Will Pay $1.6M To Resolve Lawsuits Alleging Police Misconduct During 2017 Inauguration Protests
https://dcist.com/story/21/04/26/dc-settles-police-misconduct-allegations-lawsuits-inauguration-2017/

Trump Justice Dept. sought the phone records of three Washington Post reporters for calls they made during three months in 2017 while reporting on Russia's role in the 2016 presidential election, DOJ says.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/trump-justice-department-sought-phone-records-washington-post-reporters-n1266733

China has urged United Nations member states not to attend an event planned next week by Germany, the United States and Britain on the repression of Uyghur Muslims and other minorities in Xinjiang, according to a note seen by Reuters on Friday
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/exclusive-china-urges-un-states-not-attend-xinjiang-event-next-week-2021-05-07/

80 percent of Pakistan's pangolins lost to illegal hunting, illegal trade mainly with China: World Wildlife Fund
https://www.dawn.com/news/1622211

COVID19 is killing 120 people an hour in India, and it could stay "really grim" for months
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/india-covid-crisis-deaths-vaccine-oxygen/

Jack Flaherty hits a solo homer against the Rockies to put the Cardinals up 3-0
https://bdata-producedclips.mlb.com/e1828783-bef3-4c47-876b-99882fa9603c.mp4

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E05jnjTXsAMoLuv?format=jpg 

The Colonial Pipeline, the main conduit carrying gasoline and diesel fuel to the U.S. East Coast, said it had halted all operations after being hit with a cyberattack. A cyberattack forced the shutdown of one of the largest pipelines in the United States, in what appeared to be a significant attempt to disrupt vulnerable energy infrastructure. The pipeline carries refined gasoline and jet fuel up the East Coast from Texas to New York.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/cyberattack-forces-closure-of-largest-u-s-refined-fuel-pipeline-11620479737
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/08/us/cyberattack-colonial-pipeline.html

In which a deputy (now facing discipline) tells woman she's being evicted, for which he has no power to do and presents no papers of any kind, and blocks her driveway with his cruiser, weirdly saying in all this that he's there as a private citizen.
https://nola.com/news/courts/article_025d474a-7ddb-11eb-be08-ffdcab5ee5e7.html

Yeah this guy's not a deputy no more. The gentleman's "resign before he can be fired" arrangement, alas
https://nola.com/news/article_9f260baa-aebb-11eb-a3c8-f3cba6133811.html

We discovered something new about the Oath Keepers: although it's a nonprofit, it is NOT an IRS-recognized tax-exempt entity. That means it doesn't have to publish its financials & that donations are NOT tax deductible.
https://buzzfeednews.com/article/kenbensinger/finances-membership-for-oath-keepers

Afghan Interior Ministry says bomb explodes near school in western Kabul, killing at least 25 and wounding over 50.
https://twitter.com/ZekeJMiller/status/1391030348587352067
https://wbng.com/2021/05/08/bomb-kills-at-least-25-people-near-school-in-afghan-capital/

Chinese-Americans poured more than $80,000 into a Proud Boy crowdfunder before Jan 6 insurrection
https://www.businessinsider.com/proud-boys-received-generous-donations-from-chinese-americans-report-2021-5

Biden reverses last-minute Trump effort to loosen Arctic drilling restrictions
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/biden-trump-drilling-arctic-climate-b1844187.html

Kyle Kuzma the last 5 games: 2 points, 24 points, 6 points, 25 points, 4 points.

Celtics announce that Jaylen Brown will miss today's 1 p.m. game vs. Heat with right ankle sprain. For Heat, only player ruled out is Victor Oladipo. Andre Iguodala questionable with a quad contusion.
https://twitter.com/Anthony_Chiang/status/1391370382121263108

Indigenous leaders launch $2.1 billion class-action lawsuits against Canada over lack of drinking water
https://thenarwhal.ca/first-nation-class-action-lawsuit-canada-drinking-water/

At least 68 killed, 165 injured in Afghan school blast. Families bury victims. On 8 May 2021, a car bomb occurred in front of Sayed al-Shuhada school in Dashte Barchi, a predominantly Hazara area[1] in western Kabul, Afghanistan,[2] leaving 68 people dead[3] and more than 160 injured.[4] [5][6][7] The majority of the casualties were girls between 13 and 15 years old.[8][9]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Kabul_school_bombing

The Miami Heat (37-31) defeat the Boston Celtics (35-33), 130-124

Jimmy Butler hits a clutch rare three against the Celtics in a must win game. Sound familiar?

Wizards star Bradley Beal is out Monday vs. Hawks with left hamstring strain.
https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1391496051803181056

Biden plans to name Thea Lee, a former AFL-CIO trade official and EPI president, to head the Labor Department's international affairs division.  She will have a say in Mexico labor rights and China forced labor issues.  https://wsj.com/articles/biden-administration-to-name-thea-lee-to-top-labor-department-post-11620585638

I'm told that, along w/attending an Arctic Council meeting in Iceland this month, SecState Antony Blinken will visit Greenland & Denmark. He may meet separately w/Russian FM Sergey Lavrov in Iceland. (Putin-Biden summit prep?) No word on if he'll make an offer for Greenland.
https://twitter.com/nahaltoosi/status/1391477143461302273

Former chief doctor at Russian hospital that treated Navalny is missing
https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/09/europe/alexander-murakhovsky-missing-navalny-intl/index.html

The New York Knicks (38-30) defeat the Los Angeles Clippers (45-23), 106 - 100

Kyle Kuzma (lower back tightness) has been downgraded to out for tonight's contest vs. Phoenix.
https://twitter.com/mcten/status/1391527625303023620

____________________________________

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/05/09/readout-from-nsc-spokesperson-emily-horne-on-national-security-advisor-jake-sullivans-call-with-israeli-national-security-advisor-meir-ben-shabbat-regarding-the-situation-in-jerusalem/

Readout from NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Call with Israeli National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat Regarding the Situation in Jerusalem
May 09, 2021    • Statements and Releases   

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke by phone today with Israeli National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat to express the United States' serious concerns about the situation in Jerusalem, including violent confrontations at the Haram al-Sharif / Temple Mount during the last days of Ramadan.

Mr. Sullivan highlighted recent engagements by senior U.S. officials with senior Israeli and Palestinian officials and key regional stakeholders to press for steps to ensure calm, deescalate tensions, and denounce violence. Mr. Sullivan also reiterated the United States' serious concerns about the potential evictions of Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. They agreed that the launching of rocket attacks and incendiary balloons from Gaza towards Israel is unacceptable and must be condemned.

Mr. Sullivan encouraged the Israeli government to pursue appropriate measures to ensure calm during Jerusalem Day commemorations.

Mr. Sullivan expressed the administration's commitment to Israel's security and to supporting peace and stability throughout the Middle East, and assured Mr. Ben-Shabbat that the U.S. will remain fully engaged in the days ahead to promote calm in Jerusalem.

###
____________________________________ 

Can't make this stuff up. Alexander Murakhovsky, the health minister of Russia's Omsk region (the same doctor who managed the hospital that treated Navalny for poisoning last year), is lost in the woods where multiple bears have been sighted.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-politics-navalny-doctor/siberian-doctor-who-treated-kremlin-critic-navalny-goes-missing-police-say-idUSKBN2CQ0DN

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tawny_Kitaen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmut_Jahn
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eula_Hall

Dodgers have now lost 5 consecutive series for the first time since August-September of the 2017 season

The New York Knicks now have a better record than the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers

Luka ejected for flagrant 2 vs the Cavaliers. Flagrant 2 for "an aggressive strike to the groin area" of Collin Sexton. That does not count toward Doncic's technical total, so it won't trigger an automatic one-game suspension.
https://streamable.com/ix0ref

This sets up a pretty definitive gap between Bernie and the AFL-CIO, which seems poised to fully back police unions:
https://inthesetimes.com/article/afl-cio-police-reform-unions-black-lives-matter


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