3 rockets fired from Syria toward Israel, 1 of which fell in Syria, IDF says

https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1393283450581495808

Time to bomb Syria, say they fired rockets

GOHMERT: Biden Needs To Realize There Have Been Worse Things Than Unarmed Election Protesters ‘Coming Into a Building’

"You know, I just want the President to understand, there have been things worse than people without any firearms coming into a building"

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) made a statement of objective truth that others have been reluctant to share on Friday, noting that President Joe Biden and his politically motivated federal prosecutors need to understand that “there have been things worse than people without any firearms coming into a building” on January 6.

“When Pearl Harbor occurred, that was more, and thousands – two to three thousand people – were killed, that was more of an attack on democracy than the protests of January 6,” Gohmert said. “When 9-11 occurred, and I know it’s been so long ago that a lot of people have forgotten apparently about 9-11, three thousand people killed, the Pentagon was hit, the two World Trade Centers were hit, thousands died. That was more of an attack on democracy.”

“You know, I just want the President to understand, there have been things worse than people without any firearms coming into a building,” Gohmert added.

For more context, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) cited Pearl Harbor and 9/11 as "more of an attack on democracy." pic.twitter.com/cS9p0LyLlP

— The Recount (@therecount) May 14, 2021

Biden’s Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation have embarked on a zealous campaign of hunting and arresting election integrity protesters that has been described by many experts as political persecution.

In April, an Alaska couple’s house was stormed by an armed FBI team, and ransacked while agents refused to show a warrant for several hours and demanded to know the location of Nancy Pelosi’s missing laptop:

An Alaska couple were rudely awakened on Wednesday April 28 when an armed FBI squad broke down their door and stormed their house while they were still asleep, handcuffing the couple at gunpoint and interrogating them for over two and a half hours while refusing to provide a search warrant.

Inn & Spa owners Paul and Marilyn Hueper had their front door broken down at approximately 9 a.m. without warning, though FBI agents claimed they had knocked on the door twice.

“It was a little alarming when I turned around the corner,” Paul said, describing a scene where at least seven firearms were trained on him and his wife. “The first thing they did was start barking out commandments.”

“We sat there really for the first hour, not knowing what’s going on,” Paul added. “They never offered for us to be comfortable. It was very harshly done.”

The agents ransacked the house after leaving a large hole in the front door, and confiscated multiple laptops and cellphones.

https://nationalfile.com/gohmert-biden-needs-to-realize-there-have-been-worse-things-than-unarmed-election-protesters-coming-into-a-building/

House Republicans Intro Bill To Declassify ALL Wuhan Lab Leak Intel.

House Republicans introduced a bill that would require the Director of National Intelligence to declassify information pertaining to the origin of COVID-19, focusing on the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Introduced by Representative Mike Gallagher, the bill posits there is “reason to believe the COVID–19 pandemic may have originated at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.” It would, therefore, require the “Director of National Intelligence to declassify information relating to the origin of COVID–19” – specifically the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

The bill follows a Trump-era State Department fact sheet linking the virus to the Wuhan lab, requiring the declassification of “any and all information relating to potential links between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the origin of COVID-19.

Among the areas of interest are joint activities conducted by the Wuhan Institue of Virology and the People’s Liberation Army, coronavirus research occurring at the lab, and any researchers at the facility who feel ill in Autumn 2019.

“Now we know certain facts, too, that stack up in favor of the lab leak hypothesis,” Gallagher said in an interview with Fox News. “There is the nature of the disease itself. If it were truly of zoonotic or animal origin, you would expect it to be most infectious in the host species, i.e. bats, less infectious in intermediate species like pangolins and least infections in humans,” Gallagher said.

https://thenationalpulse.com/breaking/gop-intro-bill-to-declassify-wuhan-intel/

507784563-COVID-19-Origin-Act

https://www.scribd.com/document/507891695/507784563-COVID-19-Origin-Act#from_embed

Coast Guard Reopens Lower Mississippi River After Closure Sparks Massive Barge Jam

Update (1327ET): The US Coast Guard has reopened part of the lower Mississippi River to vessel traffic near Memphis Friday afternoon after being shut down for two days following the discovery of a bridge crack.

The river's closure created a logistical shitshow as more than1,000 barges filled with farm goods were unable to traverse the waterway.

"Based on the information provided to us by the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the Coast Guard has determined that transit under the I-40 bridge is safe for maritime traffic," said Coast Guard Capt. Ryan Rhodes, captain of the Port of Memphis.

Meanwhile, on land, with the I-40 bridge likely closed for weeks, if not months, traffic hell has been unleashed.

https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/nearly-800-barges-stuck-lower-mississippi-river-bridge-crack

It’s the Right Thing to Do: John Kerry Admits Poisonous Solar Panels Are Made in China by Uyghur Slaves

John Kerry spoke before Congress this week about his green energy plan to move American manufacturing to China for a junk product made by slave labor.

John wants to save the world — via cheap slave laborers.

It’s the right thing to do.

During questioning, John Kerry admitted the solar panels are being made by the Uyghur slaves.

How do these people sleep at night?

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/05/right-thing-john-kerry-admits-poisonous-solar-panels-made-china-uyghur-slaves-video/

Watch Israeli Jews, Arabs Stage Joint Rallies to Try to Stop Spiraling Violence

Cities across Israel have been consumed by violent altercations after weeks of protests by Arab Israelis over Jerusalem authorities’ move to restrict access to a key Muslim holy site. The situation was exacerbated further by back-and-forth rocket and missile strikes by militants in Gaza and Israeli warplanes that have left over 150 people dead.

Israeli Jews and Arabs staged joint rallies across multiple cities in Israel on Friday demanding an end to the recent spate of inter-ethnic violence between their communities.

One of the rallies, dubbed ‘Jews and Arabs – Refusing to Be Enemies’, took place in a square in Eilat, southern Israel, with protesters carrying signs reading “Stop,” “We are Hope” and “Love Thy Neighbour as Thyself.”

Another event took place in Jaffa outside Tel Aviv, with dozens of people, mostly women, gathering near the town’s clock tower with anti-war signs and chanting “No More War” in English, Hebrew and Arabic.

Friday’s protests followed a spate of joint Jewish-Arab demonstrations across nearly three dozen locations on Thursday, with hospital workers and schoolteachers staging coordinated rallies in several cities, and local peace activists also staging protests at major traffic junctions in the central and northern Israel.

The peace demonstrations come after days of escalating violence this week between Jewish and Arab-Israeli communities, with rock attacks, fire bombings, shootings, arson and street altercations reported in cities across the country from Monday onward. The tensions have been exacerbated by Gaza militants’ launch of hundreds of rockets into Israel, and the Israeli military’s campaign of air and missile strikes into the besieged territory.

This week's violence came after nearly a month of escalating tensions in Jerusalem over Israeli authorities’ 12 April decision to put up barriers around Al-Aqsa Mosque – one of the holiest sites of Islam, ahead of the Ramadan holiday, while leaving access to Jewish holy sites unobstructed. The decision caused weeks of street protests, with tensions ramped up further ahead of the Israeli Supreme Court’s expected ruling to evict Palestinian families from their homes in an east Jerusalem neighbourhood and be replaced by Jews.

https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202105141082892464-watch-israeli-jews-arabs-stage-joint-rallies-to-try-to-stop-spiraling-violence/

Neo-Nazi group National Socialist Network leader Thomas Sewell arrested in counter-terrorism raid

Police have arrested the leader of a neo-Nazi group in an early morning counter-terrorism raid at his Melbourne home.

The leader of neo-Nazi group National Socialist Network, Thomas Sewell, has been arrested in a counter-terrorism raid on his Melbourne home.

Counter Terrorism Command investigators arrested two men while executing search warrants at the Eildon Parade address in Rowville on Friday morning.

In a statement, Victoria Police said the investigation followed an alleged armed robbery at Taggerty in Victoria’s east on Saturday, May 8.

“A 28-year-old and 22-year-old, both from Rowville, are currently in custody and assisting police with their inquiries,” a spokesperson said.

The investigation is ongoing.

Mr Sewell communicates to his followers on an encrypted messaging chat where he posted at 4.59am on Friday: “Getting raided”.

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/crime/neonazi-group-national-socialist-network-leader-thomas-sewell-arrested-in-counterterrorism-raid/news-story/f6e438ae773f06ea13304218bbadc15c

Hamas Attacked Israeli Chemical Plant With ‘Shehab’ Suicide Drone

On May 14, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas Movement, announced that it had targeted an Israeli chemical plant.

In a brief statement, the Palestinian group said that the plant, which is located in the settlement of Nir Oz, was targeted with a Shehab Suicide drone. The group didn’t provide further details on the attack. However, observers speculated that the target was the Nirlat chemical plant.

Israeli authorities issued drone infiltration alerts in Nahal Oz as well as in the nearby settlements of Alumim and Be’eri. Nevertheless, no interceptions were reported.

The Shehab suicide drone, which appears to be a downgraded copy of Iran’s Ababil-2, was recently unveiled by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. The drone was used in two attacks on May 12 and 13. It’s specifications and capabilities are yet to be revealed.

Meanwhile, Palestinian factions continue to launch rockets from the Gaza Strip at Israel. In the last few hours, several settlements, including Kiryat Malachi, Herzliya and Ashkelon, were targeted with dozens of rockets.

Some of the rockets bypassed the Iron Dome system, which resulted in several impacts. However, no casualties were reported by Israeli sources.

A day earlier, an Israeli woman from a settlement near the city of Ashdod died from an accident resulting from a rocket impact. The death raised the total number of people killed in Israel by Palestinian rocket fire since May 10 to seven. Up to 200 others were injured.

Despite reports of a ground offensive on the Gaza Strip, Israeli operations are still limited to aerial and artillery strikes. This may change soon.

https://southfront.org/hamas-attacked-israeli-chemical-plant-with-shehab-suicide-drone/

Republicans and Democrats strike deal on '9/11-style' commission to investigate Jan. 6 attack on US Capitol

House lawmakers have reached a deal to create a bipartisan, independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 "domestic terror attack on the United States Capitol" and to recommend changes to protect the building in the future.

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) announced the legislation to create the commission on Friday, which will be co-sponsored by committee ranking member Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.).

"There has been a growing consensus that the January 6th attack is of a complexity and national significance that what we need an independent commission to investigate. I am pleased that after many months of intensive discussion, Ranking Member Katko and I were able to reach a bipartisan agreement," Thompson said.

The commission will be responsible for studying the facts and circumstances that led to the events of Jan. 6, when supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying the Electoral College results and declaring President Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 election. Rioters trespassed in the Capitol building and assaulted several Capitol Police officers during the day's events. One woman, Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, was shot by Capitol Police and later died of her injuries.

The makeup of the Jan. 6 commission will be similar to the 9/11 commission, featuring 10 commissioners, five Republicans and five Democrats, who will be appointed by House and Senate leaders in both parties.

"Commissioners must have significant expertise in the areas of law enforcement, civil rights, civil liberties, privacy, intelligence, and cybersecurity. Current government officers or employees are prohibited from appointment," Thompson's announcement said.

The commission will have the authority to issue subpoenas in the course of its investigation with joint agreement between the chair and vice chair or a vote by a majority of commission members.

A final report on the commissions findings and recommendations to prevent a future attack on the Capitol will be due by Dec. 31, 2021.

"Inaction – or just moving on – is simply not an option. The creation of this commission is our way of taking responsibility for protecting the U.S. Capitol. After all, the Capitol is not just a historic landmark, it is where our constituents come to see their democracy in action," Thompson said. "As such, we owe it to the Capitol Police and all who enter our citadel of democracy to investigate the attack. The timing of this action is particularly poignant with this being National Police Week, when we honor those who gave their lives to protect us."

Katko praised the agreement in a statement.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/republicans-and-democrats-strike-deal-on-9-11-style-commission-to-investigate-jan-6

CDC Education Guidelines are a Disaster for Children

The latest CDC guidelines for education will put America’s children even further behind the rest of the world in basic learning. Teachers have long known how important it is for children to learn together. After ordering schools closed for over a year, the CDC is finally allowing them to be reopened. Yet now, the CDC is pressuring schools to arrange classrooms so that all the pupils are “socially distanced” as well as masked and it is suggested also shielded from one another, as well as from their teacher. Shall we now throw out the window everything we know about child development in favor of social correctness?

Toward the end of his career, an obscure Russian psychologist named Lev Vygotsky discovered an extremely important truth about learning: that children absolutely need to work together in order to learn. He called this “scaffolding.” American teachers learned of his ideas from Mind in Society, a collection of Vygotsky’s essays translated into English in 1980. Since then, a generation of teachers has applied his theory of the Zone of Proximal Development with great success, seating their pupils in pairs and small groups for lessons that included cooperative activities the students completed together.

Enter the appalling “learning environment” being imposed by the CDC upon the American classroom in the name of “social distancing.” Pupils are to be masked there goes any opportunity for real communication. It also greatly complicates learning for autistic, ESL, and hearing-deprived students. Students are to be spaced “at least” three or even six feet apart (depending upon the CDC publication) and sit only in their assigned seats there goes any real chance for group work. Desks are to face in the same direction rather than facing each other there goes any opportunity for pair work. No amount of “colorful tape X’s” on the floor can help, especially since children are to be admonished “not to sit in X zones” there goes any chance of getting children out of their seats for large-group discovery. Not even equipment or supplies are to be shared – there goes any opportunity for discovery stations with computers or microscopes or hands-on materials. Woe to any child who does not come to school fully prepared; sharing is to be strictly limited, an exceedingly difficult situation for underprivileged children whose parents do not tend to provide so much as a pencil. Indeed, in my experience, very few children come to school fully prepared, so that this rule impacts them all.

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2021/05/cdc_education_guidelines_are_a_disaster_for_children.html

Owner of Oil Chem Inc. Sentenced for Clean Water Act Violation

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/owner-oil-chem-inc-sentenced-clean-water-act-violation

Phoenix HSI agents arrest 2 alleged sexual predators

PHOENIX, Ariz., — Special agents from the Phoenix office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), arrested two alleged child sexual predators and identified two victims under the age of 16 years old late last month. Both defendants face multiple counts of state child sexual exploitation and molestation.

“HSI focuses on identifying victims of these alleged heinous crimes,” said Scott Brown, special agent in charge for HSI Phoenix. “Arresting and prosecuting alleged predators hopefully brings some comfort to those who suffered abuse and to the community in general.”

Jerome Evard, 32, of Phoenix was arrested by HSI special agents April 26, based on a referral from the HSI Ottawa office who detected explicit sexual conversations in a parent control application downloaded on two smart phones. HSI Phoenix quickly determined the location and executed a state search warrant at Evard’s residence. Based on the interview and images of sexual assault of a minor found on his electronic devices, special agents arrested Evard. At the time of the arrest, Evard disclosed another adult male had a sexual relationship with the minor. He was booked into the Maricopa County Jail.

Following the tip of an additional alleged child predator, HSI special agents executed a search warrant April 29, which subsequently lead to the arrest of Jarrod Harrington, 32, of Mesa, Arizona, and the discovery of another child victim. Harrington was arrested on state charges of sexual conduct with a minor and molestation. Harrington was booked into the Maricopa County Jail.

The two minor victims have been identified and are currently receiving the appropriate medical and mental care by licensed professionals.

Both cases are being prosecuted by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

Like all defendants, those accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-347-2423 or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

HSI is a directorate and the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HIS’s workforce of over 10,400 employees consists of more than 7,100 Special Agents assigned to 220 cities throughout the United States, and 80 overseas locations in 53 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.

https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/phoenix-hsi-agents-arrest-2-alleged-sexual-predators

Federal Government Won’t Impose Vaccine Mandate, But Private Companies Can, Psaki Says

President Joe Biden’s administration had no plans to impose a federal vaccination mandate or database, White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed at a Friday press briefing.

Vaccine mandates or vaccine passports have become a divisive issue as the pandemic winds down and more and more Americans are receiving doses of coronavirus vaccines.

Democrat-led States like New York have already begun encouraging the practice of requiring proof of vaccination before participating in certain events.

Other states, such as Republican-led Florida and Texas, have gone so far as to ban private companies from requiring proof of vaccinations.

In lieu of the dissonance, Psaki confirmed once again that the federal government had no plans to require or support vaccine mandates, but clarified that private companies are free to do what they see fit.

The announcement came less than a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that fully-vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks outdoors or even indoors in most situations. The White House responded by ending its mask mandate for vaccinated people within the complex.

Psaki first established the administration’s opposition to a federal mandate in early April, arguing the federal government had no role in requiring a vaccine credential.

https://dailycaller.com/2021/05/14/jen-psaki-biden-vaccine-mandate-federal-private-companies/

Elise Stefanik: Americans are ‘Suffering Under the Far-Left Radical Socialist Policies’ of Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi

House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) said the Republican conference is united to take back the House during the midterms and took aim, during her first press conference as the number three in leadership, at the “far-left radical socialist policies” hurting Americans.

In her new post, Stefanik has already targeted the “far-left radical socialist policies” under House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and President Joe Biden. In the first 100 days, Biden has already caused an economic crisis, a border crisis, and a national security crisis without remorse, the conference chair went on to say. Stefanik was elected to the leadership spot Friday morning by a secret ballot vote.

In her full remarks, Stefanik said:

[F]irst, I wanted to thank my colleagues for the opportunity to serve as the House Republican Conference chair. I have prioritized listening to all members of our Republican conference, and my focus is on unity because that’s what the American people and that’s what our voters deserve.

I also want to take this leadership team I look forward to working with them in partnership, shoulder to shoulder, to make sure that we are fighting on behalf of hard-working Americans. I also want to thank President Trump for his support; he is a critical part of our Republican team. And, of course, most importantly, I want to thank the voters of New York Twenty-First Congressional District, whom I’m honored to represent each and every day and fight for them.

The American people are suffering under the far-left radical socialist policies of President Joe Biden and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In just over 100 days, we have an economic crisis we have a border crisis and we have a national security crisis. The economic crisis: we see the worst jobs report in over 20 years, unemployment is all small businesses are struggling to hire workers, and Speaker Pelosi and Joe Biden solution to that is to pay people to stay out of work rather than incentivizing people to get back to work.

As Republicans, we are fighting to re-open the economy, to create jobs, we are fighting against the trillions of dollars of tax increases in the trillions of dollars of reckless spending.

The border crisis: this is not only a national security and homeland security crisis, this is a humanitarian crisis. We see historic concerning numbers when it comes to human trafficking on the border; when it comes to drug trafficking on the border. Every single state in the nation is a border state and feels that impact. At home in my district, the northern border is being impacted because border patrol officers are being transferred from the northern border to the southern border. Republicans stand for border security.

And, of course, the national security crisis: we are seeing our strongest ally, Israel, under attack, and we have seen Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi not step up to stand by and support Israel and prioritize outreach to adversaries like China and Iran.

So, I am very excited for this opportunity. We are unified, working as one team, and the American people know that the stakes are incredibly high. We are going to fight for them, each and every day, against the destructive radical, far-left socialist agenda of President Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi that’s destroying America.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/05/14/elise-stefanik-americans-are-suffering-under-the-far-left-radical-socialist-policies-of-joe-biden-and-nancy-pelosi/

Former President Trump: ‘Devastating Letter on Voting Irregularities, and Probably Fraud, in Maricopa County’

Former President Donald Trump released a statement Thursday about new developments in the Arizona State Senate audit of the November 2020 election results in Maricopa County.

“A devastating letter written by Arizona Senate President Karen Fann on voting irregularities, and probably fraud, in Maricopa County during the 2020 Presidential Election. Even the database was illegally deleted after the subpoena to produce the information,” the former president said in the statement.

As Breitbart News reported:

The president of the Arizona State Senate asked the chairman of the Maricopa Board of Supervisors in a letter on Tuesday to address “three serious issues that have arisen in the course of the Senate’s ongoing audit of the returns of the November 3, 2020 general election in Maricopa County. ”

Arizona State Senate President Karen Fann identified those three issues in her letter to Maricopa County Supervisors Board Chairman Jack Sellers as: (1) ongoing non-compliance with legislative subpoenas, (2) chain of custody and ballot organization anomalies, and (3) deleted data bases.

“Senate President Fann has invited Maricopa County officials to a public hearing on May 18 to allow them the opportunity to try to explain what happened to the missing databases, ballots, and other significant issues,” former President Trump continued in Thursday’s statement.

“The Fake News and Lamestream Media is doing everything they can not to cover this major story. They just refuse to talk or report about it. They don’t want the United States or World to see what is going on with our corrupt, third world election,” the former president concluded.

The stage is now set for a potentially dramatic meeting between State Senate President Fann and Chairman Sellers of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors at the Arizona State Capitol on Tuesday.

President Joe Biden was certified the winner of Arizona’s 11 electoral college votes in the November 2020 election over former President Donald Trump by a margin of fewer than 11,000 votes out of 3.3 million votes cast.

Two million of those votes were cast in Maricopa County, where Biden’s margin over Trump was a little more than 45,000 votes.

Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election when a joint session of Congress convened on January 6-7, 2021, and counted 306 Electoral College votes for Biden and 232 for Trump.

Had Trump won Arizona’s 11 electoral college votes (where Biden’s margin of victory was less than 11,000 votes), Georgia’s 16 electoral college votes (where Biden’s margin of victory was less than 12,000 votes), and Wisconsin’s 10 electoral college votes (where Biden’s margin of victory was less than 21,000 votes), the Electoral College contest would have been a 269 to 269 tie, which would have thrown the election into the House of Representatives, where each state delegation has one vote.

When the 117th Congress convened in Washington, DC on January 3, 2021, 27 state delegations in the House of Representatives were Republican majority, 20 were Democrat majority, and three (Michigan, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania) were equally split between Democrats and Republicans, indicating that a presidential contest thrown into the House of Representatives due to an Electoral College tie would have resulted in the re-election of Donald Trump as president.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/05/14/former-president-trump-devastating-letter-on-voting-irregularities-and-probably-fraud-in-maricopa-county/

Biden Admin Revokes Trump’s Executive Orders to Protect Monuments and Combat Online Censorship

The Biden administration has revoked more of former President Donald Trump’s executive orders, including the “Preventing Online Censorship” and “Protecting American Monuments” orders from last May and July.

The administration also revoked the Building and Rebuilding Monuments to American Heroes, Rebranding United States Foreign Assistance To Advance American Influence, Building the National Garden of American HeroesBuilding the National Garden of American Heroes, and Protecting Americans From Overcriminalization Through Regulatory Reform executive orders.

The administration announced the revocations in a statement:

“The following Presidential actions are revoked: Executive Order 13925 of May 28, 2020 (Preventing Online Censorship), Executive Order 13933 of June 26, 2020 (Protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues and Combating Recent Criminal Violence), Executive Order 13934 of July 3, 2020 (Building and Rebuilding Monuments to American Heroes), Executive Order 13964 of December 10, 2020 (Rebranding United States Foreign Assistance To Advance American Influence), Executive Order 13978 of January 18, 2021 (Building the National Garden of American Heroes), and Executive Order 13980 of January 18, 2021 (Protecting Americans From Overcriminalization Through Regulatory Reform).”

Trump’s order about preventing online censorship stated that “free speech is the bedrock of American democracy. Our Founding Fathers protected this sacred right with the First Amendment to the Constitution. The freedom to express and debate ideas is the foundation for all of our rights as a free people.”

The order directed the Commerce Department to file a petition with the Federal Communications Commission to craft new regulations limiting the scope of protections provided to tech companies under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Under the current Section 230 rules, online platforms are not liable for content their users post because they are considered platforms, not publishers. It also ordered the attorney general to develop a proposal for federal legislation to promote the order’s policy goals.

The Protecting American Monuments order reinforced that it “is the policy of the United States to prosecute to the fullest extent permitted under Federal law, and as appropriate, any person or any entity that destroys, damages, vandalizes, or desecrates a monument, memorial, or statue within the United States or otherwise vandalizes government property.” It also limited federal grants for jurisdictions and law enforcement agencies that permit the desecration of monuments, memorials or statues.

The Biden order states that any personnel positions, committees, task forces, or other entities established pursuant to the Presidential actions identified in this order shall be abolished, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/05/breaking-biden-admin-revokes-trumps-executive-orders-protect-monuments-combat-online-censorship/

Dominion, Maricopa County Rebuff Arizona Senate’s Attempt To Get Election Machine Passwords

Dominion Voting Systems and Maricopa County officials are refusing to hand over passwords for election machines to auditors in Arizona.

Dominion said in a statement to news outlets on Thursday that it would comply with the audit, but Cyber Ninjas, the firm hired by the Arizona Senate to conduct it along with three other companies, is not accredited by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.

“Releasing Dominion’s intellectual property to an unaccredited, biased, and plainly unreliable actor such as Cyber Ninjas would be reckless, causing irreparable damage to the commercial interests of the company and the election security interests of the country,” Dominion said. “No company should be compelled to participate in such an irresponsible act.”

Cyber Ninjas did not respond to a request for comment.

Maricopa County officials previously said that they did not have passwords to access administrative functions on Dominion Voting Systems machines that were used to scan ballots during the election, according to the Senate’s audit liaison, former Republican Secretary of State Ken Bennett.

“They’ve told us that they don’t have that second password, or that they’ve given us all the passwords they have,” Bennett told One America News at the site of the audit in Phoenix last week.

The county is also withholding routers from auditors, claiming security concerns.

Both routers or router images and access to election machines were part of the materials the state Senate subpoenaed late last year. A judge in February ruled that the subpoenas were valid and should be obeyed.

Arizona Senate President Karen Fann, a Republican, recently threatened to subpoena county officials if they didn’t stop their noncompliance with the subpoenas, but backed off the threat in a letter on May 12.

Instead, she asked Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Sellers, also a Republican, to cooperate voluntarily by attending an upcoming meeting at the state Capitol to go over the audit issues.

Fann said auditors have found discrepancies in the ballot count, including one batch that was supposed to be 200 but only numbered 165. She also said the audit teams found an entire database directory from an election machine had been deleted, and that the main database for the election management system software was not located anywhere on the machine, suggesting that the main database for all data related to the 2020 election had been removed.

Sellers on Thursday indicated he would not attend the meeting and disputed the allegations.

Deleting files off the server “would be a crime—and it is not true,” he said.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/dominion-maricopa-county-rebuff-arizona-senates-attempt-get-election-machine-passwords

Psaki: Palestinians ‘suffering as a result’ of Hamas ‘terrorists’

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday that Palestinian civilians are “suffering as a result” of Hamas “terrorists” who this week launched a barrage of rockets from Gaza into Israel, prompting Israel Defense Force retaliation.

Psaki repeatedly denounced the Islamic fundamentalist party during her daily press briefing — after President Biden on Thursday said Israel wasn’t overreacting by responding with airstrikes.

“As the president conveyed in his statement, Israel has the right to self-defense. Our focus remains on continuing to use every lever at our disposal to de-escalate the situation on the ground. I think it’s also important to remind people, Hamas is a terrorist organization,” Psaki said.

“Hamas does not represent the views, the families, the people who are suffering — all of the Palestinian people who are suffering as a result of this violence. But there’s no justification for 1,500 rockets coming from Hamas into Israeli community — communities in Israel either.”

Psaki defended Biden’s unlocking this year of $75 million in aid to Palestinians, saying it was for humanitarian purposes.

“That was humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people. Again, Hamas is a terrorist organization. The Palestinian people are also suffering as a result of the actions of this terrorist organization and the steps — the rockets that they have launched into Israel,” Psaki said.

The White House has defended Israel despite an emerging pro-Palestinian faction among left-wing Democrats.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) slammed Biden for taking Israel’s side.

By only stepping in to name Hamas’ actions — which are condemnable — & refusing to acknowledge the rights of Palestinians, Biden reinforces the false idea that Palestinians instigated this cycle of violence,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. “This is not neutral language. It takes a side — the side of occupation.”

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) accused Israel of “terrorism” against Palestinians.

Hamas, since a 2007 Palestinian civil war, has controlled the densely populated and poverty-stricken Gaza Strip. The group launched rockets toward Jerusalem and Tel Aviv following clashes in East Jerusalem after an Israeli court ordered the eviction of non-paying tenant Arab families from homes on land claimed by Jews that changed hands in earlier wars.

Israeli airstrikes have caused some large buildings in Gaza housing Hamas leaders’ offices to collapse.

Gaza officials say the death toll is 122 from the conflict. Six Palestinians were fatally shot by Israeli troops in the West Bank. At least six Israeli civilians died from the Hamas rocket barrage.

https://nypost.com/2021/05/14/wh-palestinians-suffering-as-a-result-of-hamas-terrorists/

VIDEO: Fauci, FDA’s Peter Marks Admit 40-50% Of NIH and FDA Employees Are Refusing COVID Vaccine

Much lower percentage of federal medical professionals taking vaccine than previously thought

When pressed by Sen. Richard Burr about the percentage of CDC and FDA employees who have elected to receive the COVID vaccine, Biden medical adviser Anthony Fauci and the FDA’s Peter Marks admitted that the number who have chosen not take the vaccine is close to half. CDC director Rochelle Walensky dodged the question.

“Okay, this question I’m gonna go to Dr. Fauci, Dr. Marks, and Dr. Walensky,” Burr said. “What percentage of employees in [Fauci’s] institute, [Walensky’s] Center, or [Mars’] agency, of your employees, has been vaccinated.”

“You know, I’m not a hundred percent sure, senator, but I think it’s probably a little bit more than half, probably around sixty percent,” Fauci said.

“I can’t tell you the exact number, but it’s probably in the same range, some people vaccinated at our facility, and others at, uh, outside of the facility,” Marks said.

When the same question was posed to Walensky, she replied, “We’re encouraging, um, our employees to get vaccinated, we’ve been doing town halls and education seminars, um, we have, our staff have the option to report their vaccination status but it’s you, un-understand [sic] the federal government is not requiring it so we do not know.”

https://nationalfile.com/video-fauci-fda-director-admit-40-50-of-nih-and-fda-employees-are-refusing-covid-vaccine/

Former deputy chief doc warns: Australia must reopen borders, prepare for the return of COVID-19

Australia’s former deputy chief medical officer has challenged doctors to smash the “false idol” of COVID-19 eradication and prepare the public for the next critical phase of the pandemic: open international borders and the return of the virus in the community.

In a speech at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeon’s annual scientific meeting, Dr Nick Coatsworth admonished a “hardcore rump of activist doctors” spreading misinformation and undermining vaccine confidence. He condemned a “rotten, but vocal, few” doctors who used social media to abuse their colleagues, administrators and politicians.

His warning came as almost half of the 150 Australians booked on the first repatriation flight from India on Friday were barred from boarding after 42 tested positive for COVID-19, forcing them and their close contacts to remain in the COVID-ravaged nation.

“We once again have a responsibility as a profession to calmly reassure the community that vaccines must be taken up when they are offered, that waiting is not a valid option either individually or for the public health, and that ultimately when we allow COVID-19 back on our shores and it circulates in our community, that we are prepared and comfortable for that to happen,” said the infectious disease physician – one of the Commonwealth government’s most prominent public health spokespeople throughout 2020.

“I know that will make some, maybe most, in this room and online today uncomfortable.”

On Friday, health security experts warned large numbers of Australians wanting to board repatriation flights will test positive for COVID-19 and the federal government had a duty to implement strategies to bring them home regardless.

One passenger with a ticket booked on the first flight from India to Australia since the travel ban, who spoke anonymously for fear of losing his spot, said not all passengers had been told their final test results.

“We heard that news [that 40 passengers had tested positive] and now we’re very scared,” the passenger said from his hotel room in Delhi.

“It’s nerve-racking because I’m pretty sure I don’t have it, but I’m still stressing about it.”

Pandemic planning and global health security expert Associate Professor Adam Kamradt-Scott said both the federal and state governments had a moral responsibility to let all stranded citizens return.

“We should be bringing them home, full stop,” he said. “The risk is that they will succumb to the illness and die.”

https://www.smh.com.au/national/former-deputy-chief-doc-warns-australia-must-reopen-borders-prepare-for-the-return-of-covid-19-20210514-p57s1u.html

Trader Joe's ditches mask mandate; Walmart, Target, and others keep it for now

Trader Joe's on Friday became the first major U.S. retailer to drop its mask requirement for fully vaccinated customers after the CDC said it was safe for vaccinated Americans to ditch their masks.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday issued new guidance that said fully vaccinated Americans are no longer recommended to wear masks indoors or outdoors, except where local regulations or businesses require them. In response, Trader Joe's updated its COVID-19 policies to comport with the CDC's new recommendations.

"We encourage customers to follow the guidance of health officials, including, as appropriate, CDC guidelines that advise customers who are fully vaccinated are not required to wear masks while shopping," the company said.

A spokesperson for Trader Joe's told USA Today that customers will not be required to show proof of vaccination to enter their stores without a mask. Employees are still required to wear masks for the time being.

Other major U.S. retailers, including Walmart, Target, and Home Depot, are still requiring customers to wear masks, even if they have been fully vaccinated.

Target said in a statement the company "will continue to require all of our coronavirus safety measures in all stores, including masks and social distancing" while they review the new CDC guidance.

Walmart credited mask-wearing requirements with mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in its stores in a statement saying the requirements will not be lifted.

"We serve millions of Americans every week and believe our policy of requiring associates and customers to wear masks in our stores has helped protect them during the pandemic, and we're not lifting those measures at this time," the company said.

Pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens have elected to keep their mask mandates in place because they provide COVID-19 vaccinations, reasoning that unvaccinated people who come to get the vaccine still have a chance of carrying the virus.

"As a destination for COVID vaccine and testing we have decided to keep our current face covering policy in place for the time being," said Walgreens spokeswoman Emily Hartwig-Mekstan in a statement. "The safety of our team members and customers is our top priority and will continue to guide our decision process."

Labor unions criticized the CDC's new guidance and demanded clarity on how store workers are supposed to enforce the new requirements.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/trader-joes-ditches-mask-mandate