May, 2021 | últimas notícias

Cheney slams Trump’s attempt to brand 2020 election ‘the Big Lie,’ sparking new calls for her to leave GOP leadership – The Washington Post

“Unfortunately, Liz appears to be an anomaly when it comes to that focus, and I think that’s what’s frustrating so many of our members, is that while the rest of us are focused on winning back the majority, she’s focused on proving her point and is focused on the past,” he said in an interview Friday, reflecting on comments Cheney made in recent weeks.

Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/cheney-trump-election-mccarthy/2021/05/03/41ca672c-ac21-11eb-ab4c-986555a1c511_story.html

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Marine Corps general says amphibious vehicle accident that killed nine was ‘preventable’ – CNN

By Ellie Kaufman, CNN

Updated 3:44 PM ET, Mon May 3, 2021

Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/03/politics/general-amphibious-vehicle-accident-preventable/index.html

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Sheriff: Wisconsin casino shooter was fired employee – The Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A man who shot and killed two people and wounded a third at a northeastern Wisconsin tribal casino restaurant had been fired from the eatery and ordered by a court to leave his former supervisor alone, according to court records.

Bruce Pofahl, 62, walked into the Duck Creek Kitchen and Bar in Green Bay on Saturday and shot Ian Simpson, 32, and Jacob Bartel, 35, at a wait station at close range with a 9 mm handgun as dozens of patrons looked on, Brown County Sheriff Todd Delain said Monday during a news conference in Green Bay.

Pandemonium erupted inside the complex, the sheriff said. As people were yelling and screaming, Pofahl went outside and shot another restaurant employee, 28-year-old Daniel Mulligan, the sheriff said. A team of Green Bay police officers opened fire on Pofahl moments later, killing him.

Mulligan was in serious but stable condition at a Milwaukee hospital on Monday, Delain said. The sheriff defended the officers’ decision to fire on Pofahl, saying “certainly this individual was a threat.”

The restaurant is part of an Oneida Nation hotel, casino and conference center complex on the tribe’s reservation just west of the city of Green Bay. The complex employs 150 to 200 people.

Pofahl’s supervisor at the restaurant, Elizabeth Walker, took out a restraining order against him in March, online court records show.

She wrote in her petition that Pofhal had recently been fired for “a few things, including harassment,” and had been sending her texts and emails threatening her and her family for several weeks. One message read “times (sic) up” and another warned he would ruin her sister’s wedding, Walker wrote. He also sent her photos of her home, she wrote.

Pofahl declined to attend a hearing on the order, saying in a note to the court that he suffered from high blood pressure and diabetes and was afraid he’d catch COVID-19 in the courtroom. A court commissioner granted the restraining order but did not prohibit Pofahl from possessing a firearm.

It’s unclear if Walker was Pofahl’s target on Saturday night. Authorities said Pofahl was looking for a specific person when he arrived at the restaurant but that the person wasn’t there. They didn’t name that person.

Delain said again Monday that the attack was “targeted,” but he declined to elaborate beyond saying that investigators were looking into Pofahl’s relationships with former co-workers.

Walker wrote in her restraining order petition that the Oneida were aware of Pofahl’s threats. The tribe’s vice chairman, Brandon Stevens, declined to discuss what he called “personnel matters” during the news conference, saying investigators were still gathering information.

Online court records didn’t list any other civil or criminal cases against Pofahl.

Oneida Chairman Tehassi Hill told WLUK-TV on Sunday that he was in “disbelief” and called the shooting “scary.” He said the tribe prohibits firearms on its properties but that “(mass shootings are) kind of a regular thing in this country.”

Hill said he feels security is tight at the casino, but that the tribe may have to consider tougher protocols for the complex depending on investigators’ findings. Stevens noted Monday that the complex has multiple entrances and exits.

The Oneida are one of 11 tribes that operate casinos in Wisconsin under agreements with the state called compacts. Essentially, the tribes pledge a percentage of their gaming revenue to the state in exchange for the exclusive right to offer casino gambling.

Tribal gaming in Wisconsin generated nearly $1.3 billion in gross revenue in the 2018-2019 fiscal year but suffered deep losses in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.

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Follow Todd Richmond on Twitter: https://twitter.com/trichmond1

Source Article from https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-shootings-business-c38250bb36402e68997fbb2792e1b798

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CPS CEO Janice Jackson announces resignation – WGN TV Chicago

CHICAGO — Janice Jackson is leaving her post as CEO of Chicago Public Schools when her contract expires at the end of June.

Jackson made the announcement in a letter to CPS staff, saying in part, “While I feel there is still more work to be done in CPS, I also believe it is time to pass the torch to new leadership for the next chapter. Therefore, after careful deliberation, I have made the tough decision not to renew my contract as CEO, which expires on June 30, 2021.”

In a press conference Monday, the former Social Studies teacher, chief academic officer, district parent said, “This job has been all that I’ve dreamt of and sometimes a little bit more than that.”

“As I looked back on what we’ve done I am both proud and humbled and also a little tired if I’m being honest,” she added.

Jackson has led CPS since former Mayor Rahm Emanuel appointed her in July of 2015. She presided over increasing graduation rates and an expansion of academic programming. But there was turbulence from a 2019 Chicago Teachers Union strike, to an abuse scandal to last year’s COVID-19 shutdown.

Her departure along with the exit of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer leaves the district without its top three officials.

Mayor Lightfoot, in what sounded like a peace offer extended to the Chicago Teachers Union, discussed what comes next.

“Now is the time to turn the page and begin the next leg in our journey,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said. “We will restore relationships that have been harmed by a painful legacy that includes closing 50 of our schools in a way that in my view disregarded and disempowered parents’ voices.”

As Lightfoot begins a nationwide search is for the new CEO, the CTU is raising concerns about the CPS shakeup.

“The mass exodus of staffers from Mayor Lightfoot’s CPS leadership team cannot be a deterrent to addressing the needs of our school communities, which have been exacerbated in this pandemic. We are hopeful the mayor can improve on her ability to work collaboratively and cohesively with others.”

Read CEO Jackson’s full letter to CPS staff below:

Dear CPS Family:

One of my earliest memories in life was arriving in a CPS Head Start classroom over 40 years ago. I recall this vividly because I was very saddened by the fact that I could not attend school that day due to registration. However, to my delight, I returned the following day and enjoyed a fun-filled day of learning. I remember the brightness and excitement in the room as we played and sat in reading circles, listening attentively to our teacher read a story. The fact that one of my earliest memories in life has CPS at the center foreshadowed a lifelong love for our district and undying passion for education. CPS has been an integral part of my life first as a student, most importantly as a parent, and most humbly as the CEO. It is with that adoration that I have led this great school district as CEO for the past four years. While I feel there is still more work to be done in CPS, I also believe it is time to pass the torch to new leadership for the next chapter. Therefore, after careful deliberation, I have made the tough decision not to renew my contract as CEO, which expires on June 30, 2021.

For the past seven years, I’ve served in senior leadership roles in CPS and feel proud of the many accomplishments that have been achieved through the hard work of our students, teachers, counselors, administrators and staff and with the strong, ongoing support of Mayor Lightfoot and our Board. We have accomplished so much together including nationally recognized gains in student achievement, dramatic increases in graduation rates, college enrollment and completion rates, and the expansion of more academic programming across the city including the largest capital investment in CPS history that prioritized communities on the Southside and Westside of Chicago.

With equity at the core of our five-year vision, our incredible team has launched several initiatives that will help us achieve our goal of a high quality educational experience for all children. One of the most fulfilling accomplishments as CEO is creating high quality educational opportunities in communities that have experienced historic disinvestment. The development of an academic program expansion process led to the growth of rigorous programming throughout the city and the creation of Englewood STEM High School and Bronzeville Classical, two high-quality schools that are both on the Southside of Chicago. We did this in partnership with the Community Action Councils and other residents in the community. Those projects demonstrated the power of collaboration and investing in our neighborhoods, and it is my hope that it will continue with even more vigor in the coming years as many more communities in the city need and deserve more high quality educational options.

My tenure has not been without its adversity. However, from day one, I committed to own and face all of our district’s challenges head on. I thank each of you who played a role in helping us navigate those challenges by showing up daily with unwavering commitment to Chicago’s children. Despite a disruptive year, CPS is emerging stronger than ever. Fiscally we have made great improvements including increasing school funding equity and making significant investments in schools and students with a focus on underserved communities.
As I close out the next few months in CPS, our collective focus will be on ensuring a successful and safe reopening of schools full time in the fall. This includes implementing our comprehensive plan to help our schools recover from the pandemic by addressing academic and social and emotional needs and investing in supports that bring transformative change. It will be a down payment on the bright future and big things to come for CPS.

When I began this journey, I made a commitment to lead with integrity, courage, and excellence while bringing much needed stability to the district. I have delivered on that promise and will continue to advocate for the children of Chicago. I want to express my sincerest gratitude to Mayor Lightfoot and the residents of Chicago for trusting and supporting my leadership throughout my tenure in CPS.

It has been an honor to serve Chicago’s children.

CPS CEO Janice Jackson

Source Article from https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/chicago-public-schools-ceo-janice-jackson-to-resign/

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Florida Gov. DeSantis suspends all local COVID emergency mandates – CBS News

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is taking executive action to suspend all local COVID-19 emergency mandates immediately and is issuing an executive order to outlaw all local COVID-19 emergency mandates in the state effective July 1.

DeSantis cited the ample availability of vaccines in the Sunshine State and said supply has now eclipsed demand. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, 20.9 million doses have been distributed to the state, and 15.5 million shots have been administered in a state with a population of roughly 21.5 million people. DeSantis made the announcement as he signed a bill that bans entities, including private businesses, from requiring so-called “vaccine passports” and that amends the state’s Emergency Management Act by placing limits on local emergency powers.

“What I’m going to do is sign the bill, it’s effective July 1,” DeSantis said at the bill signing Monday in St. Petersburg. “I will also sign an executive order pursuant to that bill invalidating all remaining local emergency COVID orders effective on July 1. But then to bridge the gap between then and now, I am going to suspend, under my executive power, the local emergency orders as it relates to COVID. I think that’s the evidence-based thing to do.”

DeSantis said his administration wants people to “enjoy themselves” and “live freely in the state of Florida.”

Can businesses require proof of vaccination? Experts say yes

DeSantis had already unilaterally banned even private businesses from requiring proof of vaccination to enter. The law banning vaccine passports, effective July 1, entails a $5,000 fine any time a business or school requires proof of vaccination for entry.

DeSantis, a Republican and potential 2024 presidential contender, has been among the governors quickest to drop COVID-19 safety protocols.

But other, more liberal jurisdictions are making moves towards nixing COVID-19 restrictions, too. New York City expects to return to fully capacity by July 1. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky has said she thinks July 1 is a reasonable target for essentially returning to normal, if vaccinations continue to increase at the rate they have been and if cases continue to drop at the same pace.

More than 100 million Americans are now fully vaccinated, the White House announced last week.

Jack Renaud contributed reporting.

Source Article from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/desantis-florida-covid-local-emergency-mandates/

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Cheney stokes GOP rift with ‘big lie’ rebuke of Trump – POLITICO

Rep. Liz Cheney speaks with reporters following a GOP strategy session on Capitol Hill. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo

Rep. Liz Cheney on Monday escalated her feud with former President Donald Trump and his supporters in Congress, issuing a less-than-subtle swipe at the former president’s latest attempt to claim the 2020 election was stolen from him.

On Monday morning, Trump issued a statement from his Save America PAC proclaiming that the presidential election “will be, from this day forth, known as THE BIG LIE!” — an attempt to appropriate the label given to the false claim by Trump and his Republican allies that last November’s election was in fact won by the former president.

Less than an hour later, Cheney (R-Wyo.), who faces renewed pressure from Trump-aligned forces within the Republican caucus to remove her from House leadership over her direct rebukes of the former president’s falsehoods, swiped back on Twitter.

Source Article from https://www.politico.com/news/2021/05/03/liz-cheney-donald-trump-gop-feud-485215

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Funeral held for Andrew Brown Jr.: Live updates – CNN

Courtesy Ben Crump Law

Authorities have released few details about what led to the shooting on April 21, when Andrew Brown Jr. was fatally shot by Pasquotank County deputies who were trying to execute a warrant. An independent autopsy commissioned by Brown’s family and their attorneys said Brown suffered five gunshot wounds — four to the right arm and one to the back of his head.

State law requires a court order for the release of body camera footage. A North Carolina judge ruled last Wednesday that Brown’s family would be allowed to see body camera footage of the shooting, but the videos would not be made public for 30 days.

Earlier in the week, Brown’s family was able to view a short snippet of footage, about 20 seconds long, which a family attorney said depicted an “execution.”

Only two family members, including Brown’s son, Khalil Ferebee, were able to see the footage along with legal representatives, Harry Daniels, one of the family’s attorneys told CNN on Sunday.

The family and the district attorney have given different accounts of what occurred, with the latter saying in a court hearing last week that deputies fired when the car Brown was driving made contact with law enforcement. But the family and their attorneys said Brown was driving away to save his life.

The shooting is under investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. The FBI has also opened a federal civil rights investigation into the shooting, according to the bureau’s Charlotte field office.

“I want y’all to hear the pain in this community. The pain, the yelling that y’all hear, the agony that y’all hear — this is pain,” family attorney Chantel Cherry-Lassiter said in a news conference last Tuesday. “And a lot of time pain is interpreted as rebellion or whatever people want to interpret it as. Call it what it is. It’s painful for this family. It’s painful for this community.”

Brown’s funeral service today follows those of at least two other Black people killed in encounters with law enforcement in recent weeks: Daunte Wright and Ma’Khia Bryant.

Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/andrew-brown-jr-funeral-05-03-2021/h_feaae3278831a18652d5f08acf6c515d

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McConnell: No Senate Republicans will back Biden on $4T | TheHill – The Hill

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnell Lincoln Project taunts Trump, saying he lost to ‘swamp,’ McConnell The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Emergent BioSolutions – Biden sales pitch heads to Virginia and Louisiana Vaccine hesitancy among lawmakers slows return to normalcy on Capitol Hill MORE (R-Ky.) said on Monday that he expected no Republicans would support President BidenJoe Biden 1.6 million US air passengers fly in a day for first time since last March Biden administration eyeing long-term increase in food stamps: report Conspiracy against the poor MORE‘s sweeping infrastructure package, indicating GOP lawmakers are open to a roughly $600 billion bill.

“I think it’s worth talking about but I don’t think there will be any Republican support — none, zero — for the $4.1 trillion grab bag which has infrastructure in it but a whole lot of other stuff,” McConnell said in a press conference in Kentucky.

Biden has proposed a sweeping roughly $4 trillion infrastructure package broken up into two pieces: A $2.3 trillion jobs package and a $1.8 trillion families package. While the package includes money for roads, bridges and broadband, it also expands into manufacturing, in-home care, housing, clean energy, public schools and manufacturing.

Democrats are likely to have to go it alone under reconciliation — which allows them to bypass the 60-vote filibuster — to pass most, if not all, of Biden’s package.

A group of Senate Republicans, led by Sen. Shelley Moore CapitoShelley Wellons Moore Capito The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Emergent BioSolutions – Biden sales pitch heads to Virginia and Louisiana Adviser says Biden wants GOP support for infrastructure if ‘possible’ Biden-affiliated nonprofit group launches ad blitz in swing states MORE (R-W.Va.), have proposed a $568 billion package. Biden and Capito talked late last week, both expressing an interest to keep negotiating and potentially setting up another White House meeting.

McConnell signaled Republicans were willing to go slightly higher, but still significantly smaller than the plan being envisioned by Democrats.

“We’re open to doing a roughly $600 billion package which deals with what all of us agree is infrastructure,” McConnell said. “If it’s going to be about infrastructure, let’s make it about infrastructure.”

Aside from the gulf between the two parties on spending, there are also deep divisions over how to pay for any plan.

Biden’s proposing paying for his plan through a combination of higher taxes for wealthy individuals, corporations and on capital gains.

But McConnell warned on Monday that it was a non-starter, saying that Republicans “are not going to revisit the 2017 tax bill,” which the Senate GOP leader called the “most significant domestic accomplishment” from the Trump-era other than judicial nominations. Republicans, as part of the 2017 bill, lowered the corporate tax rate to 21 percent.

“We’re not willing to pay for it by undoing the 2017 bill,” McConnell said.

Source Article from https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/551465-mcconnell-no-senate-republicans-will-back-biden-on-4t

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E.U. proposal would allow vaccinated American tourists by the end of June – The Washington Post

Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/eu-vaccine-travel-passports/2021/05/03/4fc0281c-a8f2-11eb-a8a7-5f45ddcdf364_story.html

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Suspected Oneida Casino complex shooter was former employee – Fox11online.com

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3 killed, 27 hospitalized after boat capsizes off San Diego – The Associated Press

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A packed boat being used in a suspected human smuggling operation capsized Sunday and broke apart in powerful surf along the rocky San Diego coast, killing three people and injuring more than two dozen others, authorities said.

Lifeguards, the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies responded around 10:30 a.m. following reports of an overturned vessel in the waves near the rugged peninsula of Point Loma, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

The original call was for a handful of people overboard but as rescuers arrived in boats and jet skis they quickly realized “it was going to be a bigger situation with more people,” said San Diego Lifeguard Services Lt. Rick Romero.

“There are people in the water, drowning, getting sucked out the rip current there,” he said.

Seven people were pulled from the waves, including three who drowned, said Romero. One person was rescued from a cliff and 22 others managed to make it to shore on their own, he said.

“Once we arrived on scene, the boat had basically been broken apart,” Romero said. “Conditions were pretty rough: 5 to 6 feet of surf, windy, cold.”

A total of 27 people were transported to hospitals with “a wide variety of injuries” including hypothermia, Romero said. Most of the victims were able to walk themselves to ambulances, he said.

Officials said the group was overcrowded on a 40-foot (12-meter) cabin cruiser that is larger than the typical open-top wooden panga-style boats often used by smugglers to bring people illegally into the U.S. from Mexico.

“Every indication from our perspective was this was a smuggling vessel. We haven’t confirmed their nationality,” said Jeff Stephenson, a supervising agent with U.S. Border Patrol.

Under a pandemic-related order in effect since March 2020, migrants from Mexico and people from Central American countries of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras picked up at the border are immediately expelled to Mexico without an opportunity to seek asylum. President Joe Biden has exempted unaccompanied children from expulsions but the vast majority of adults are quickly sent back without facing any consequences.

Border Patrol agents went to hospitals to interview survivors of the capsizing, including the boat’s captain who Stephenson described as a “suspected smuggler.” Smugglers typically face federal charges and those being smuggled are usually deported.

San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesman Jose Ysea said when he arrived on scene near the Cabrillo National Monument there was a “large debris field” of splintered wood and other items in the choppy waters.

“In that area of Point Loma it’s very rocky. It’s likely the waves just kept pounding the boat, breaking it apart,” he said.

There were life preservers on board, but it wasn’t known how many or whether any passengers were wearing them, officials said.

Among the rescuers was an unnamed Navy sailor who was in the area with his family and jumped in the water to assist someone in an effort described by Romero as a “huge help.”

Officials believed everyone on board was accounted for right away, but crews in boats and aircraft continued to search the area for several hours for other possible survivors, Ysea said.

On Thursday, border officials intercepted a panga-type vessel traveling without navigation lights 11 miles (18 kilometers) off the coast of Point Loma with 21 people on board. The crew took all 15 men and six women into custody. Agents determined all were Mexican citizens with no legal status to enter the U.S., according to a statement released by Customs and Border Protection. Two of the people on the boat, the suspected smugglers, will face charges, it said.

Border Patrol on Friday said law enforcement officials would be ramping up operations to disrupt maritime smuggling off the coast of San Diego this weekend.

As warmer weather comes to San Diego, there is a misperception that it will make illegal crossings safer or easier, the agency said in a statement.

In early March, an SUV packed with migrants collided with a tractor-trailer in the farming community of Holtville, California, about 125 miles (200 kilometers) east of San Diego. The crash killed 13 of 25 people inside 1997 Ford Expedition, including the driver, in one of the deadliest border-related crashes in U.S. history.

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Weber reported from Los Angeles.

Source Article from https://apnews.com/article/san-diego-69acce7180aa881b7e411f830263841e

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India accounts for 1 in 3 new Covid cases being recorded. Here is its second wave in 5 charts – CNBC

India’s second wave of Covid-19 infections shows no signs of slowing down as the country’s overwhelmed health-care system faces supply shortages for hospital beds, oxygen, medicines and vaccines.

The World Health Organization said last week that one in every three new coronavirus cases globally is being reported in India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is facing criticism for allowing large crowds to gather for religious festivals and election rallies in various parts of the country. Commentators said the mass gatherings likely turned into super spreader events.

Cases in the second wave started rising in February, when India reported an average of about 10,000 infections a day. But the situation progressively worsened in April, ending the month by repeatedly setting new global records for daily cases. India kicked off May by reporting more than 400,000 new cases.

Nearly 7 million cases were reported for the month, a huge share of the more than 19 million India has recorded during the entire pandemic, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

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Scientists say the spike in cases is partially due to variants of the coronavirus circulating in India at the moment.

“There is at least emergence of two important dominant variants, one is a U.K. variant, one is an Indian variant,” Manoj Murhekar, director of the National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai, told CNBC on Friday.

The Indian government reportedly said last month that 80% of cases in Punjab were due to the highly contagious U.K. variant, which is known as B.1.1.7.

Meanwhile, the Indian variant is known as B.1.617 and has multiple sub-lineages with slightly different characteristic mutations. The WHO classified it as a variant of interest in its epidemiological update on the pandemic last week.

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Maharashtra, which is home to India’s financial capital Mumbai, is the hardest hit state and also the epicenter for the second wave.

India’s richest state went into a lockdown in mid-April to break the chain of transmission. Reports said Maharashtra’s state government extended restrictions until May 15.

Murhekar told CNBC that at the moment, very little is known about what proportion of the infected cases are due to a variant. He said India needs to step up its surveillance for variants so that there’s meaningful data from each region and state on which variants are circulating in each.

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In April, India crossed 200,000 reported deaths. JHU data showed more than 48,000 people lost their lives to the disease last month.

Though the death rate is comparatively low, it is likely that there is an undercounting of fatalities as multiple media reports suggest crematoriums and burial grounds are overwhelmed with bodies of those who died from Covid-19.

The international community has responded with promises to send help to India, including $100 million in medical aid from the United States.

Experts have said that India’s best shot at tackling the outbreak is by stepping up its vaccination efforts.

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Since launching its mass inoculation drive in January, India has administered more than 154 million vaccine doses as of April 30, according to government data.

That implies a little over 10% of the population has received at least one of the two shots required. But the percentage of people who have completed their vaccination is only about 2% of the total population, at around 27.9 million as of April.

Starting in May, India is opening vaccinations to anyone age 18 and older.

Murhekar said that the kind of herd immunity India needs to reduce transmission can only be achieved through vaccination.

“It will take many days and many months, basically, till we have a critical mass, which is vaccinated against Covid,” he added.

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But the country is facing vaccine shortages and several states have reportedly run out of supply.

The supply crunch is expected to last through July, according to the CEO of India’s top vaccine maker, Serum Institute, which is producing AstraZeneca’s shot. Adar Poonawalla recently told the Financial Times that his firm is set to increase vaccine production capacity from about 60 million to 70 million doses a month to 100 million.

The other vaccine being administered is Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.

New Delhi has recently approved the Russia-developed Sputnik V and authorized foreign-made vaccines that have been granted emergency approval by the U.S., U.K., European Union, Japan and World Health Organization-listed agencies.

— CNBC’s Nate Rattner contributed to this report.

Source Article from https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/03/india-covid-crisis-charts-show-the-severity-of-the-second-wave.html

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Biden pursues GOP infrastructure deal as anxious Democrats watch the clock – NBC News

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Texas Congressional election heads to runoff with two Republicans in the lead – CBS News

Two Republicans are leading in Texas’ 6th congressional district, likely shutting out Democrats out from from competing in the runoff in what they hoped would be a competitive seat in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs.

Susan Wright was the top vote-getter on Saturday night. Her husband, Ron Wright, previously held the seat before dying from COVID-19 and a battle with lung cancer.

“I can’t tell you how honored I am to be the first-place finisher in this special election to succeed my husband Ron,” she said in a statement. Wright was boosted in the last week of the campaign with an endorsement from former President Trump on Monday. She already had backing from local party officials and other Texas Republican Congressmembers.

“Congratulations to Susan Wright on her great surge yesterday which made her NUMBER ONE,” Mr. Trump said Sunday in a statement. “Susan surged after I gave her an endorsement last week. Her wonderful husband is looking down, and is very proud of her!”

In this January 3, 2019 file photo, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., poses during a ceremonial swearing-in with Rep. Ron Wright, R-Texas, fourth from right, on Capitol Hill in Washington during the opening session of the 116th Congress.

Susan Walsh / AP

As of Sunday afternoon with 99% of the vote tallied, Republican Texas state Representative Jake Ellzey was in second place, leading Democrat Jana Lynne Sanchez by less than 400 votes. Sanchez issued a concession letter on Sunday.

Twenty-three candidates, including 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats, ran in the open primary. Wright and Ellzey advancing forward marked a loss for the anti-Trump wing of the Republican Party, after Marine Michael Wood got just 3.19% of the vote.

Wood was backed by Congressman Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, and was a self-proclaimed anti-Trump candidate.

Dan Rodimer, a former WWE wrestler and Nevada congressional candidate in 2020, made a splash when he rode a bull and sported a Texas accent in his campaign launch. He got 2.66% of the vote.

The Republican shut out is a missed opportunity for Democrats, who pointed to changing demographics in districts like the 6th as a reason Texas could turn blue down the line. President Biden lost the seat by just 3 points.

National Democrat involvement was absent in the race, except for an endorsement for Sanchez by BOLD PAC, the campaign arm for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Sanchez was the Democratic candidate in 2018, and lost to Ron Wright by 7.7 points.

Facebook / Jake Ellzey

“Democrats have come a long way toward competing in Texas but we still have a way to go. Unfortunately, we came up short,” she said in a statement.

The race now turns to a Republican runoff, which will take place at a to-be-determined date after May 24. Wright’s campaign already targeted Ellzey in a statement on Saturday night.

“Ellzey is now winless 0-3 against the Wright family after second place finishes to Ron in the 2018 primary, Ron in the 2018 runoff, and now Susan in the 2021 special,” said Wright campaign consultant Matt Langston. “He’s going to make it a clean 0-4 sweep next month in the runoff.”

Source Article from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-6th-congressional-district-susan-wright-jake-ellzey/

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A Canadian oil firm thinks it has struck big. Some fear it could ravage a climate change hotspot – CNN

By David McKenzie and Ingrid Formanek, CNN
Video by Peter Rudden

Updated 4:23 AM ET, Mon May 3, 2021

Watch this story on CNN International’s One World with Zain Asher on Monday at 12 p.m. ET/5 p.m. BST/6 p.m. Johannesburg time.

Kavango East, Namibia (CNN)Syringa trees rise out of the Kalahari sand in the wild expanse of Kavango East, as the humid heat warns of afternoon showers. It’s easy to imagine this place has looked the same for a hundred years.

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Journalist John Grobler and CNN’s Ivana Kottasová contributed to this article.

Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/03/africa/namibia-oil-exploration-intl-cmd/index.html

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Tornadoes rip across Mississippi: Destructive storms cause ‘life threatening situation’ in Tupelo – Daily Mail

Multiple hurricanes ripped through Mississippi on Sunday, blowing the roofs off homes, felling trees and tearing down power lines in the city of Tupelo and elsewhere.

Images shared on social media showed trees pulled out from their roots by the enormous twister, which was moving at 45mph, which also left a Tupelo gas station in tatters.

Footage captured by residents revealed the size of the cloud tunnel, which dwarfed nearby homes and brought high winds that shook street lights.

‘Emergency crews are currently assessing the degree of damage,’ the mayor’s office said in a statement on Facebook, urging people to stay in their homes.

‘Please do not get out and drive. It is dangerous – there are reports that power lines are down in the roads,’ it said.

A video shared on social media showed the enormous tornado swirling menacingly behind some homes in Tupelo as sirens wailed in the background

A destructive tornado ripped through Tupelo, Mississippi on Sunday, blowing the roofs off homes, felling trees and tearing down power lines

There were no immediate reports of injuries but images shared on social media showed extensive damage, including to this gas station

Damage to a building and some trees is seen on Front Street and Rea Street in Tupelo on Sunday

‘Prayers that all are safe, and please keep our crews and first responders in your prayers also.’

There were no immediate reports of injuries but images shared on social media showed extensive damage to homes and power lines in Tupelo, where the streets were swamped with debris.

Tupelo Middle School sustained some damage, as well as a gas station, which was seen lying in ruins in an image shared on Twitter.

‘This is a life-threatening situation,’ the National Weather Service (NWS) wrote on Twitter.

‘Please take shelter in the Tupelo area.’

An NWS warning issued shortly before 10pm said the tornado had been moving northeast at 45mph.

Residents have been urged to stay in their homes while emergency crews assess the damage. Several trees and power lines have been compromised by the storm

Tupelo Middle School (pictured) sustained some damage as the tornado passed through the city on Sunday

Footage shared on Twitter showed the enormous twister swirling behind some homes as sirens wailed in the background.

Another video, which appears to be security camera footage from the city’s Main Street, showed a streetlight and trees being buffeted by high winds and rain as debris was blown across the road.

Local media reported that there was extensive damage around the Elvis Presley Museum Area in Tupelo, which is Presley’s birthplace. It is not clear whether the museum itself sustained any damage.

High winds from the tornado damaged buildings and felled trees in the city, where emergency crews are assessing the extent of the damage

A fallen power line in Tupelo after a tornado ripped through the city on Sunday afternoon and evening

In the coming says, survey crews from the organisation will examine the damage to determine the exact strength, width and path length of each of the tornadoes, AccuWeather reported. Pictured: Fallen trees in Tupelo

Multiple tornadoes were reported across Mississippi as a line of severe storms rolled through the state on Sunday afternoon and into the nighttime hours. Pictured: Damage in Tupelo

Tupelo resident Tyquan Wofford told WTVA that he was playing video games when the tornado arrived.

Momma said It was a tornado getting ready to come through,’ the 17-year-old said.

‘Then all I heard was a tornado siren going off. And then I just heard “roof, roof, roof,” and then I heard boom, boom, boom, boom.

‘I didn’t know what was going on. I walked outside, and I saw trees down and everything.’

Multiple tornadoes were reported across Mississippi as a line of severe storms rolled through the state on Sunday afternoon and into the nighttime hours.

Active tornado warnings remained in place on Sunday night.

News outlets also reported tornadoes near Yazoo City, Byram and Tchula earlier in the day.

The town of Calhoun City, about 50 miles southwest of Tupelo, also suffered damage from the tornadoes.

CNN reported that several trees had fallen onto homes and vehicles but there were no reports of injuries.

NWS’s Storm Prediction Center said that 19 tornados had been detected in Mississippi on Sunday, with one spotted in Louisiana.

In the coming says, survey crews from the organisation will examine the damage to determine the exact strength, width and path length of each of the tornadoes, AccuWeather reported.

A video, which appears to be security camera footage from the city’s Main Street, showed a streetlight and trees being buffeted by high winds and rain as debris was blown across the road

Source Article from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9536815/Destructive-tornado-rips-Tupelo-Mississippi-causing-life-threatening-situation.html

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Tupelo, Mississippi, takes direct hit from large nighttime tornado – Yahoo News

This radar image captured shortly before 10 p.m. CDT Sunday, May 2, 2021, shows a tornado-warned thunderstorm tracking toward Tupelo, Mississippi. (AccuWeather)

Nearly 100,000 Mississippi residents were under a tornado emergency on Sunday night, including the city of Tupelo, as a confirmed large and destructive tornado tore through the region.

Shortly before 10 p.m. CDT, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a dire warning for the city of Tupelo, calling the situation particularly dangerous and life threatening as a confirmed tornado charged toward the city.

A tornado emergency can be issued when a large, destructive tornado has been on the ground for an extended period of time and is approaching a populated area.

“At 9:52 p.m. CDT, a confirmed large and destructive tornado was observed over Tupelo, moving northeast at 45 mph. TORNADO EMERGENCY for Tupelo. This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. TAKE COVER NOW,” the NWS warning said.

Local law enforcement has reported extensive residential damage around the Elvis Presley Museum Area in Tupelo, along with downed trees and power lines. Tupelo is the birthplace of Elvis Presley.

Around the Highway 151 area of town, local media reported a roof was torn off an apartment building.

The city of Tupelo’s Mayor’s Office released a statement on Facebook on Sunday night, stating that damage had been reported throughout the city.

“Emergency crews are currently assessing the degree of damage. Please do not get out and drive. It is dangerous–there are reports that power lines are down on the roads. We will update you as soon as we know the extent of damage. Prayers that all are safe, and please keep our crews and first responders in your prayers also,” the statement said.

Forecasters noticed a “debris ball” signature on radar as the storm charged toward Tupelo, indicating debris being picked up by a strong tornado and lofted high into the atmosphere.

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Adding to the severity of the situation was the timing of the tornado. At night, tornadoes are extremely difficult to see.

“In parts of the south-central and southeastern United States, nighttime tornadoes are more common than in any other region of the nation,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Mike Doll said.

Screen captures of a Mississippi Department of Transportation camera along Interstate 22 at Veterans Memorial Bridge showed what appeared to be a large tornado illuminated only by a flash of lightning, or possibly a power flash.

Tupelo was not the only place in Mississippi that endured damaging tornadoes on Sunday. The NWS’s Storm Prediction Center reported a preliminary total of 19 tornadoes in the state, along with one tornado in Louisiana.

The town of Calhoun City, Mississippi, was hit particularly hard about two hours prior to the devastation that ensued in Tupelo.

“The town of Calhoun City was hit hard tonight. Light poles have been snapped off. Trees in a few homes. Trees on vehicles. Damage to several businesses. Fortunately we have had no reports at this time of injuries. We are asking that you PLEASE STAY OFF THE ROADS AT THIS TIME. Emergency personnel are working feverishly to open the roads as quickly as possible,” the Calhoun County’s Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook.

Survey crews with the NWS will examine the extent and severity of the damage to determine the exact strength, width and path length of each of the tornadoes in the coming days.

In the meantime, forecasters urge residents to remain weather aware this week, as more rounds of severe weather are expected across the eastern-half of the nation through Tuesday.

Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.

Source Article from https://news.yahoo.com/tupelo-mississippi-takes-direct-hit-035326820.html

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Suspected Smuggling Boat Tragedy in San Diego Adds to Biden’s Migrant Crisis Woes – Newsweek

A boat thought to be illegally smuggling humans into the United States capsized Sunday morning off the coast of San Diego, leaving three people dead and 27 others injured. Though smuggling humans by sea isn’t a new trend, Sunday’s tragedy shines a new light on the border crisis, and it will likely put more pressure on the White House with recent record numbers of illegal crossings.

Local and federal authorities feel certain this was another mission to illegally bring migrants into the U.S. by way of sea.

The United States Customs and Border Patrol said it has every reason to believe this was a human smuggling operation, and that they have begun questioning the boat operator they believe is the chief smuggler

“The man who we believe was the operator, agents are with him, and is the suspected smuggler, but the investigation is still unfolding,” Border Patrol agent Jeff Stephenson said.

This operation comes just a few days after USBP Chief Agent Aaron Heitke said his agency would increase its patrols this weekend to help curb smuggling by sea.

“We were putting more resources out in the water to interdict vessels like this and we announced it in advance to try to deter as much as we could to try and send a message to smugglers,” Stephenson said Sunday at a press conference.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks as U.S. President Joe Biden listens during an event on the American Rescue Plan in the Rose Garden of the White House on March 12, 2021 in Washington, DC. President Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act into law that will send aid to millions of Americans struggling from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

The 40-foot cabin cruiser carrying 30 people overturned Sunday morning off Point Loma Coast, according to KTLA. Rescue crews arrived at the scene and found that the boat had “basically broken apart,” according to San Diego Lifeguard Lt. Rick Romero.

Lifeguards, fire and rescue crews began arriving at the scene in boats and jet skis around 10 a.m. local time on Sunday, only to find the boat in tatters and that it was going to be a more arduous rescue task on the rugged and rough peninsula.

“There are people in the water, drowning, getting sucked out the rip current there,” Romero said.

The area where the boat was maneuvering is diced with splintered wood and other debris in choppy waters.

“In that area of Point Loma it’s very rocky. It’s likely the waves just kept pounding the boat, breaking it apart,” San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesman Jose Ysea said.

Debris is littered along the shoreline off Cabrillo Monument on May 2, 2021 in San Diego, California. Two people died and Twenty were rescued after a vessel overturned on Sunday afternoon off Point Loma area of San Diego
Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump used the migrant crisis on the southern border as his rallying cry to help him get elected in 2016. As illegal border crossings plummeted toward the end of his administration, the new administration under Joe Biden relaxed some stringent border tactics. Since then, illegal border crossings have hit new highs.

There were 172, 331 border encounters in March this year, which dwarfs any month during the Trump administration. And it was only Biden’s second full month as president.

Biden appointed Vice President Kamala Harris to be in charge of the new migrant crisis. Since her appointment, Harris has not been to the southern U.S. border, which has drawn expected heavy criticism from Republicans, but also from the left already.

Hawai’i Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono said the border and migrant scenarios are a “crisis,” and that the vice president should see it with her own eyes.

“I think the president calls it a crisis,” Hirono said. “I would call it a crisis. We can call it a challenge. But we know what the factors are. We know what is happening. So whatever you call it, we’re going to need to deal with it. We’re going to need to address it in a humane way.”

Source Article from https://www.newsweek.com/suspected-smuggling-boat-tragedy-san-diego-adds-bidens-migrant-crisis-woes-1588176

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The Covid-19 hospital in India so bad patients want to get out – CNN

By Sandi Sidhu, Julia Hollingsworth, Clarissa Ward, Elizabeth Joseph and Tanya Jain, CNN

Updated 3:58 AM ET, Mon May 3, 2021

Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/03/india/hospital-coronavirus-deaths-oxygen-delhi-intl-hnk-dst/index.html

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3 Dead, Dozens Injured After Suspected Smuggling Boat Capsizes Near San Diego – NPR

Wreckage from a capsized boat washes ashore at Cabrillo National Monument near where a boat capsized off the San Diego coast Sunday. Authorities say three people were killed and two dozen others injured.

Denis Poroy/AP

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Denis Poroy/AP

Wreckage from a capsized boat washes ashore at Cabrillo National Monument near where a boat capsized off the San Diego coast Sunday. Authorities say three people were killed and two dozen others injured.

Denis Poroy/AP

At least three people are dead and dozens injured after a suspected human smuggling boat capsized and split into pieces off the coast of San Diego on Sunday.

In a Sunday news conference, authorities said the boat broke apart after colliding with a reef. Officials said it had 30 people packed on board.

“It’s a tragic event,” said the city’s lifeguard chief, James Gartland, adding that it’s probably one of the worst tragedies he’s seen in his 26-year career.

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, local lifeguards, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Border Patrol and other agencies responded to reports of an overturned vessel near the peninsula of Point Loma Sunday morning, close to the shoreline surrounding the Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego.

SDFD said that 27 people were rescued and taken to hospitals for treatment, while three people did not survive.

San Diego Lifeguard Lt. Rick Romero said the “wide variety” of injuries range from hypothermia to wounds sustained in the boat crash.

Authorities said they assume the journey was “illegal migration.”

“Every indication from our perspective is that this was a smuggling vessel,” said Jeff Stephenson, supervisory Border Patrol agent, who said the boat was “severely overcrowded.”

The person believed to be operating the boat, a suspected smuggler, is in custody now, officials said.

After facing waves 5-6 feet high and rocking into the reef, Romero said the 40-foot cabin cruiser “slowly disintegrated into a bunch of pieces. It’s just debris now.”

The Coast Guard continues to do a cursory search for more survivors.

Border Patrol agent Stephenson said there’s been a steady increase in maritime apprehensions this year. Between October 2019 and September 2020, the number of those apprehensions jumped by 92% — about 1,200 more than the previous fiscal year.

He believes the boat was attempting to blend in with commercial vessels.

The ages and nationalities of those aboard the boat are currently unknown, authorities said.

Source Article from https://www.npr.org/2021/05/02/992921202/2-dead-and-23-taken-to-hospitals-after-boat-capsizes-near-san-diego

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2 Dead And 23 Taken To Hospitals After Boat Capsizes Near San Diego – NPR