Cut to the News
Cut through the clutter to today's top news
May 12, 2021
Good morning
Welcome to today's top news.
Leading the News . . .
Battered Biden under siege as crises confound the White House . . . The world is on fire. Israel is erupting, Americans are utterly confused when masks should be worn for COVID-19 protection and then there are the agita-inducing long lines for gasoline. The latest employment tally revealed nearly three-quarters-of-a-million jobs lower than expected; just 266,000 jobs created and unemployment unexpectedly rising to 6.1%. The Colonial Pipeline,
which transports nearly half of the East Coast's fuel supplies up from Texas, had been turned off, the victim of a ransomware cyberattack by a group of nasty hackers who might be working with the Russian government.
Palestinians had begun violently clashing with Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, an escalation of tensions that had been simmering and boiling over for weeks. Hamas began launching rocket attacks into Israel, which responded by bombing Gaza. An echo of the violence had spread to the streets of New York, where there were dustups between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian supporters in front of the Israeli consulate. U.S. Customs and Border Protection revealed Tuesday that
migrant encounters jumped yet again this past April: over 178,000 in all, nearly a tenfold increase from 2020. New crises broke out all over the place, with beleaguered President Biden unable to muster much in the way of defense. Fox News
Democratic fissures start to show after Biden's first 100 days . . . Fissures within the Democratic Party are starting to open up after a three-month period in which liberals and centrists showed impressive unity at the opening of Joe Biden’s presidency. In recent days and weeks, the divides in the party that have always been present have opened up over issues near and far, from foreign policy to tax and spending issues central to Biden’s
domestic agenda. There is growing sniping over whether the Biden administration should pressure Israel to stop the eviction of Palestinian families from East Jerusalem, an issue that puts Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), a longtime staunch ally of Israel, in the spotlight. The
Hill
Cheney faces ouster as other pro-impeachment Republicans stay quiet . . . Seventeen congressional Republicans supported the second impeachment of former President Donald Trump. Unlike Liz Cheney, most of them want to move on. As Cheney faces ouster from House GOP leadership on Wednesday for continuing to rebut Donald Trump, other Republicans who deemed him guilty of inciting insurrection on Jan. 6 are taking an approach that largely
spares them intra-party retribution. They're focused on strengthening their party’s message against Democratic control of Washington. Politico
Controversial voting laws add to Dems' midterm obstacles . . . The proliferation of controversial voting measures in state legislatures is adding another layer of uncertainty for Democrats. Nearly a dozen states, including battlegrounds like Florida and Georgia, have already enacted new voting laws this year, and there are more on the way. The Texas state House of Representatives approved an omnibus bill on Friday that calls for a host of
new voting restrictions. The new measures present just one more obstacle for Democrats heading into 2022, when they will have to defend their slim majorities in the House and Senate. The Hill
Trump hails UK voter ID proposal as model for US . . . Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday touted a voter identification proposal in the United Kingdom as a model for what should be done in the United States. The announcement on Tuesday of a proposal to require U.K. voters to show a photo ID to vote was made as part of the "Queen's Speech," an address delivered by Queen Elizabeth II. "The Government of the United Kingdom is
proposing that anyone who wants to vote in a British election should show photo ID to eliminate any corruption and fraud and 'ensure the integrity of elections,'" Trump said. "This is exactly what we should do in the United States, unlike the Democrats who want to abolish Voter ID laws with passing their horrible HR 1 Bill. Washington
Examiner
US incurs the most illegal immigration in more than two decades . . . Federal law enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border stopped 178,622 people trying to enter the country illegally in April, the highest amount in more than two decades. The April total is up 3% from 172,331 in March, which was a 20-year high for the number of people who tried to get into the United States by sneaking over between land crossings or were denied entry at border
checkpoints. White House Dossier
Tens of thousands are simply being released into the country. They are mostly future Democratic voters. No wonder the White House is not saying it’s a crisis!
ICE Nominee Worked With BLM to Push False Claim That White Man Murdered 7-Year-Old Black Girl . . . The Texas sheriff nominated to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement pushed a false claim that a white man murdered a seven-year-old black girl from Houston. Ed Gonzalez, the Harris County sheriff and the Biden administration's choice for ICE director, worked closely with Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King to identify Jazmine
Barnes's killer. Gonzalez amplified the family's claim that the gunman was white even after he received a tip that Barnes's killers were black.
This year, Gonzales proposed releasing 1,500 county jail inmates, hundreds of whom faced charges for violent crimes. Washington Free Beacon
Biden takes credit for stimulus checks after Dems slammed Trump for doing so . . . President Joe Biden, eager to get credit from voters for federal aid funded by Democrats’ $1.9 trillion coronavirus spending package, is resorting to sending letters to recipients even after his party slammed former President Donald Trump for previous checks. The letters, dispatched roughly a month after Congress passed the American Rescue Act, contradict
Democrats’ rebukes of Trump, who insisted that his signature appear on checks disbursed during his term. White House Dossier
|
|
Four Governors Declare States Of Emergency Due To Gasoline Shortage . . . Four governors declared states of emergency in response to gas shortages brought on by the Colonial Pipeline hack. Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency on Monday due to his state’s gas shortage. Republicans Govs. Brian Kemp of Georgia and Ron DeSantis of Florida, and Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam declared states of
emergency on Tuesday. Daily Caller
Beyond Colonial Pipeline, Ransomware Cyberattacks Are a Growing Threat . . . The cyberattack that knocked offline an essential U.S. gasoline pipeline shows how the dangerous, professional-scale hack-for-ransom threat is spreading rapidly, targeting companies, schools, hospitals and other institutions.
While ransomware has been a challenge for small businesses for years, a confluence of factors have emboldened attackers in the past year, culminating in the shutdown Friday of a critical gasoline pipeline to the U.S. East Coast. Attacks are growing in number and scale as millions of people across the country work or attend school remotely, in some cases opening back doors to networks without corporate or institutional security protections. Wall Street Journal
Global cybersecurity leaders say they feel unprepared for attack . . . A majority of global chief information security officers (CISOs) surveyed as part of a report released Wednesday said they feel their organizations are unprepared to face a cyberattack, despite many believing they will face an attack in the next year. The report, compiled by cybersecurity group Proofpoint, was based on a survey of 1,400 CISOs in 14 different countries
including the United States. The Hill
'We're trying to figure out what works': U.S. seeks Russia penalty that will stop cyberattacks . . . Major cyberattacks with links to Russia have grown bolder even in the face of escalating U.S. economic sanctions, presenting a high-stakes dilemma for President Biden as he weighs how to respond to the devastating assault on the Colonial Pipeline and what tools America may have at its disposal to punch back. Washington over the past decade
has leveled more than 140 targeted economic sanctions against Russian individuals and entities for hacking and other cybercrimes. But analysts say the tactic has done hardly anything to deter the Kremlin and Russian-linked gangs operating across Eastern Europe from hacking U.S. companies and government assets. Washington Times
More than a decade since Russia's first devastating cyber attack on US government and military systems, the feds are still "trying to figure out what works," as far as deterring Moscow and defending out networks.
Biden should just add more sanctions on "killer" Putin - perhaps this time it will work. You just never know.
Newt Gingrich: President Biden is Realizing Pipelines Do Matter . . . The hacking of the Colonial Pipeline is a clear warning sign that needs to be taken as seriously as the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York and the Pentagon — and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941. Really smart hackers can make millions of dollars at virtually no risk breaking into private or government systems with no significant consequences. We should
look seriously at a law that would make hacking a death penalty in the United States. The money you can make out of hacking is so enormous that unless you find some way to make it prohibitively expensive for the hacker, we’re going to have more and more situations like the taking down of the Colonial Pipeline. There’s going to be more and more dangerous, more and more destructive. And we are not prepared to engage in this kind of conflict with the Chinese and the Russians. – Newt
Concur with Speaker Gingrich 100%. The feds are woefully unprepared to deal with a real-life conflict with Russia or China. The probability of such a conflict - or even simultaneous conflicts - is no longer a theoretical exercise.
|
|
Joe Rogan: Lockdown politicians created 'sinking ship' cities, 'irreversibly f----d' as people flee . . . Newly minted Texan Joe Rogan says hardcore lockdown politicians left citizens no choice but to flee “sinking ship” cities that may be “irreversibly f——d.” The podcasting star — who exited California during Gov. Gavin Newsom’s tenure — told comedian Dave Chappelle that major cities aren’t likely to recover from
stringent COVID-19 lockdown measures anytime soon. “I think there’s some there’s some sections in L.A. — I don’t know how the f— they’re gonna bounce back,” the famous UFC commentator continued May 7. “You drive down the street and you see everything boarded up.”Mr. Rogan added that New York City under Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo was in a similar metaphorical boat. “You get the sense like it’s an abandoned ship,” he said. “Like it’s a sinking ship. … [Citizens] start looking at other
states where things are open, ‘maybe we should just move.’” Washington Times
Love Joe Rogan. He tells it how it is. Drives 'woke' millennials batty over at Spotify.
|
|
A 4,600 mile Army airborne message drop to Russia . . . The U.S. military illustrated on Friday why America remains the instrumental global force for freedom. It did so by delivering the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division 4,600 miles from its Fort Bragg home base to Estonia. Without stopping to rest or refuel, approximately 750 paratroopers were dropped into northern Estonia in a simulated forcible entry operation. Once
on the ground, they were just 70 miles from the Russian border and 150 miles from Vladimir Putin's home city of St. Petersburg. The U.S. paratroopers jumped alongside B company, 2nd Battalion of the British Army's Parachute Regiment. Washington Examiner
Netanyahu declares state of emergency in Israeli city over riots . . . Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a state of emergency in the city of Lod late Tuesday after mass riots broke out amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hamas. Netanyahu visited the mixed Jewish-Arab town overnight on Tuesday, decrying the “anarchy” in the streets that left 12 people injured. “It’s anarchy from rioters that we cannot
accept,” he said, adding, “Without the rule of law, there is nothing.” New York Post
White House includes Israel in casting blame for violence . . .
The Biden White House, unlike that of Donald Trump, is taking a “both sides to blame, both sides are victims” approach. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that plans to evict dozens of Palestinians from an east Jerusalem neighborhood work “against” U.S.-Israeli interests in finding a solution to the conflict and condemned “extremism that has inflicted violence on both communities.” Psaki reiterated the administration’s support for a two-state solution. White House Dossier
Didn't the leftists accuse Trump of being an anti-semite?
|
|
Gas Prices Reach 6-Year High Amid Shortages . . . The national average gas price hit a six-year high Tuesday amid shortages across the Southeast. The national average jumped up to $2.985, the highest price since November 2014, when it was $2.99, according to the American
Automobile Association. Gas stations across the South are reporting they have no gasoline, including 7 percent of stations in Virginia and 5 percent of stations in North Carolina. AAA forecasts that prices will continue to increase this week after Colonial Pipeline, which provides 45 percent of the East Coast's fuel supply, shut down operations Friday following a ransomware attack. Washington Free Beacon
Many Americans Fall Victim to Unemployment Aid Fraud . . . Generous unemployment benefits put in place by the CARES Act and subsequent relief packages have become an easy target for identity thieves and other criminals since the beginning of the pandemic last year. Most states have been
hit by fraud committed on a vast scale, mainly by international organized crime rings. In March, the Labor Department inspector general’s office estimated that more than $63 billion in unemployment benefits was paid out improperly through fraud or errors since the beginning of the pandemic. Epoch Times
Billionaires Peter Thiel and Alan Howard back new $10bn crypto exchange . . . Billionaires Peter Thiel, Louis Bacon and Alan Howard are among the backers of a new cryptocurrency asset exchange that will bet heavily on decentralized finance radically reshaping trading and investment in
digital assets. The venture, run by blockchain software company Block.one, will be called Bullish Global and has been capitalized with more than $10bn in cash and digital assets ahead of its launch later this year. The decentralized finance, or DeFi, market has grown from about $15bn to $65bn since the start of the year, according to analysts at JPMorgan. Financial Times
|
|
COVID-19 pet boom has veterinarians backlogged, burned out . . . Many veterinary clinics have become puppy fests, overrun with new four-legged patients. The 2020 COVID-19 pet boom brought many first-time pet owners. To meet the demand, vets have extended hours, hired additional staff and refused to take new patients, and they still can’t keep up. Burnout and fatigue are such a concern that some practices are hiring counselors to
support their weary staffs. Approximately 12.6 million U.S. households got a new pet last year after the pandemic was declared in March 2020, according to a COVID-19 Pulse Study by the American Pet Products Association. Associated Press
My vet friend PF has been telling me how overwhelmed her practice has become. She has been working non-stop throughout the pandemic, performing surgeries on animals and dealing with anxious pet owners, despite her own concerns about getting infected with COVID. The fact that her school-age kids have not been in school for a year has put extra pressure on the family. Vets, just like doctors and other front line workers, have been heroes during this CCP virus
nightmare. Too bad that government run schools have not stepped up to the plate to help the working families.
Starbucks Demands More Facebook Censorship . . . Starbucks has just about had it with Facebook, as the world’s largest coffee company is reportedly threatening to remove its presence from the social media platform. Starbucks’s beef with FB, however, is not about lack of free speech; it’s about the tech giant’s lack of censorship. That’s right: Starbucks is upset that Facebook has allowed “insensitive” and “negative” comments regarding its
“woke” messaging to remain posted. According to a Facebook employee, “Starbucks is in the process of evaluating their organic presence on FB, and whether they should continue to have a presence on the platform at all. Anytime they post (organically) in regards to social issues or their mission & values work (e.g. BLM, LGBTQ, sustainability/climate change, etc.) they are overwhelmed by negative/insensitive, hate speech [and] related comments on their posts.” Patriot Post
Can't make this up.
|
|
Biden Worried Gas Shortages May Hurt Carter’s Chances Against Reagan . . . As fuel shortages cause long lines at gas stations across the country, President Biden admitted he was worried that this may hurt Carter's chances against Reagan in the upcoming election. "Listen, it's a real problem," said President Biden to his bathtub, which he had mistaken for his press pool. "People need gas. All the Latinx and poor kids
need gas-- even the white kids. I'm just worried President Carter may not get reelected. Reagan's comin' on pretty strong."
Solutions proposed by Biden include building some sort of an "extra-large pipeline" to carry more gas into the country or making everyone exchange their automobiles for bicycles.
"We have to do something before Reagan catches Jimmy Carter in the polls!" said Biden. White House sources report Biden is "fully committed" to solving the gas problem, and that he knows it's 2021 and he's the president. Babylon Bee
NOT a satire. Gotcha! Still satire. :-)
|
|
Do you love Cut to the News? Let your family and friends know about it! They'll thank you for it. Spread the word . . .
By Email - use the message that pops up or write your own. On Facebook - On FB, write your own message
Thank you for doing it.
Have a great day.
Rebekah
Rebekah Koffler
Got this from a friend? Subscribe here and get Cut to the News sent to your Inbox every morning.
|
|
|
