ISRAEL, HAMAS CONTINUE TO EXCHANGE FIRE: Israel and Hamas again exchanged fire early Tuesday, with Israel launching more airstrikes in Gaza and Hamas militants firing rockets into Israel as the latest military conflict enters a second week. One of the Israeli airstrikes brought down a six-story building, which AP described as being home to libraries and educational centers belonging to the Islamic University. Israel said its targets included rocket launchers, fighters, and Hamas commanders' homes, and stated it had heavily damaged a vast network of Hamas tunnels. The death toll in Gaza has risen to 212 people, including 61 children, while in Israel it stands at 10 people including one child. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday, "We will continue to operate as long as necessary in order to return calm and security to all Israeli citizens."
"Hamas fighters would burst into the AP’s Gaza bureau and threaten the staff — and the AP wouldn’t report it."
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) May 18, 2021
The AP took care to avoid publishing stories that would reflect negatively on Hamas, a former reporter for the outlet alleged in a 2014 column. https://t.co/WD228eCTX2
President Biden had a call with Netanyahu yesterday in which he expressed support for a cease-fire. However, Biden, who's been coming under pressure, including from Democrats in Congress, to do more to try to stop the conflict, stopped short of going further and calling for an immediate end to the violence by both sides. However, Biden expressed increased concern about the attacks, with the White House saying in its readout of the call that the president, quote, "encouraged Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians." AP cited an administration official as saying the U.S. not explicitly demanding a cease-fire reflects the administration's determination to support Israel's right to defend itself from Hamas.
Biden "expressed his support for a ceasefire" in call to Israeli Prime Minister https://t.co/l61WvYJMdJ
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 18, 2021
➤U.S. BOOSTING COVID VACCINES BEING SHARED BY 20 MILLION: President Biden said yesterday that the U.S. will share an additional 20 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines with other nations over the next six weeks, bringing the total to 80 million doses after having previously committed to share 60 million. Being sent will be doses of Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines, adding on to the commitment for 60 million AstraZeneca doses. Speaking at the White House, Biden said, "We know America will never be fully safe until the pandemic that’s raging globally is under control," stating, "Our nation’s going to be the arsenal of vaccines for the rest of the world."
➤REP. GAETZ ASSOCIATE PLEADS GUILTY TO SEX TRAFFICKING CHARGES: Florida politician Joel Greenberg, a former county tax collector and longtime associate of Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, pled guilty to sex trafficking charges yesterday and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors as part of a plea deal. Greenberg, a central figure in the Justice Department's sex trafficking probe of Gaetz, pled guilty to six of the nearly three dozen charges he'd faced, including sex trafficking of a minor, and admitted he'd paid at least one underage girl to have sex with him and other men. Prosecutors are reportedly investigating whether Gaetz and Greenberg paid underage girls and escorts or offered them gifts in exchange for sex. Gaetz was not mentioned in the plea deal and has denied the allegations.
➤SUPREME COURT AGREES TO HEAR MAJOR ABORTION CASE: The Supreme Court agreed yesterday to hear a major abortion case that pro-choice activists say is a threat to abortion rights. The case is over Mississippi asking to be allowed to enforce a law that bans abortion after 15 weeks or pregnancy, with the issue being whether states can ban abortions before a fetus is able to survive outside the womb. Lower courts had blocked the law as violating Supreme Court precedent protecting a woman's right to abortion before that time. If the high court rules in favor of Mississippi, it could open the door to states enacting more restrictive laws that could ban abortions as early as when a fetal heartbeat is detected, which could be just six weeks into pregnancy. The case is likely to be argued this fall.
Space Force officer relieved of command after criticizing military diversity and inclusion trainings on a conservative podcast https://t.co/pGBqjPfL1I
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 18, 2021
➤PRINCE HARRY CRITICIZED FOR CALLING 1A 'BONKERS': Prince Harry is facing criticism after he called the First Amendment "bonkers" in a recent interview. Appearing on Dax Shepard's The Armchair podcast last Thursday, Harry spoke about the paparazzi and what he described as a media "feeding frenzy" when he and Meghan Markle moved to Los Angeles. He then referred to the First Amendment, presumably because of its protections of such activity, saying, it's, quote, "bonkers." He stated, "I’ve got so much I want to say about the First Amendment as I sort of understand it, but it is bonkers. I don't want to start sort of going down the First Amendment route because that's a huge subject and one in which I don't understand because I've only been here a short period of time. But, you can find a loophole in anything. And you can capitalize or exploit what’s not said rather than uphold what is said." Among those criticizing Harry was Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who tweeted of him that it's, quote, "nice that he can say that." The View co-host Meghan McCain tweeted, "We fought a war in 1776 so we don’t have to care what you say or think. That being said, you have chosen to seek refuge from your homeland here and thrive because all of what our country has to offer and one of the biggest things is the 1st amendment – show some utter respect."
In the wake of the announcement that Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda French Gates, plan to divorce after 27 years of marriage, a series of news reports have complicated his celebrity persona and raised questions about his personal life. https://t.co/f3AhOXML75
— NBC News (@NBCNews) May 18, 2021
➤SURVEY..AMERICANS MORE CONTENT WITH FED GOV'T THAN ANY TIME SINCE 2004: Americans are feeling better about the federal government than they have in a while, with a new Pew Research Center survey out yesterday finding they are more content with the federal government than at any time since 2004. That doesn't necessarily mean that numbers are huge, however. A majority still say they are "frustrated" by the government, while 29 percent say they are "basically content." Just 17 percent say they are "angry." Last fall, 18 percent said they were content with the government and 24 percent were angry. Going back further, only 12 percent were content with the government in 2013, and 30 percent were angry. Unsurprisingly, partisanship had a significant effect on the results. There was a 34 percentage point increase in being content with the federal government among Democrats from 2020, from nine percent to 43 percent. Similarly, just 13 percent of Republicans are content with the government now, but the drop from when former President Donald Trump was in office isn't as sharp as the rise among Democrats.
But... Men CAN'T give birth. https://t.co/mOXM1EOGsN
— Larry O'Connor (@LarryOConnor) May 18, 2021
➤BIKE-LINKED HEAD INJURIES PLUMMET FOR KIDS, BUT NOT ADULTS: Riding a bike is fun, but it can also be dangerous. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s National Center for Injury Prevention (NCIP) says rates for bicycle-related injuries have declined among kids but barely budged among the growing number of adult bike riders. Between 2009 and 2018, increasing helmet use, construction of dedicated bike lanes in cities and other safety interventions have greatly reduced bike-related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), especially among kids ages 10 to 14. The researchers say that the rate of emergency department visits for bicycle-related TBIs decreased by about 49 percent among children, and by 5.5 percent among adults. The data also shows that TBIs related to bicycling were three times as likely among males, and boys and men were also more likely to die from a bike accident than girls and women were. The experts believe that more education about bicycling safety is needed, targeted specifically at men and boys. Dr. Robert Glatter, who practices at Lenox Hill Hospital adds, “With an increasing number of adults commuting to work in both urban and rural settings combined with escalating congestion in bikes lanes, the potential for TBIs but multisystem trauma is the reality.”
➤BIDEN, HARRIS RELEASE TAX RETURNS: President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses released their tax returns yesterday, returning to a longtime presidential tradition that former President Donald Trump didn't follow during his four years in office. Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, who's a teacher, earned $607,366 last year and paid 25.9 percent in federal taxes. They donated $30,704 to charity. Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, earned $1,695,225 and paid 36.7 percent in federal taxes. They donated $27,006 to charity. Emhoff was an entertainment lawyer, but now teaches law at Georgetown University.
➤SOCIAL MEDIA APP PARLER, POPULAR WITH CONSERVATIVES, BACK ON APP STORE: The social media app Parler, which is popular with conservatives, is back on the Apple App Store after having been removed in the wake of the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol because Apple said the app wasn't removing hate speech posts and others inciting violence. Apple allowed the app back after determining appropriate changes had been made to Parler's content moderation policies. Parler's interim CEO, Mark Meckler, said, "Parler has and will always be a place where people can engage in the free exchange of ideas in the full spirit of the First Amendment. The entire Parler team has worked hard to address Apple's concerns without compromising our core mission."
Amazon reportedly in talks to buy movie studio MGM for $9 billion https://t.co/LIvLtYYTyc
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) May 18, 2021
🏀NBA'S PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT BEGINS TODAY: The NBA is having a play-in tournament ahead of the playoffs for a second year that begins today (May 17th). Teams seeded seven through 10 will play in a two-round tournament that will decide which two teams are named the Number 7 and 8 seeds in the playoffs. The Number 7 seed will play the Number 8 seed in each conference, and the Number 9 seed will play the Number 10 seed. The winner of the 7/8 game will automatically get the Number 7 playoff spot and the loser will face the winner of the 9/10 game. The loser of the 9/10 game is eliminated from the playoffs. The winner of the second game will get the Number 8 spot and the loser is also eliminated. The matchups will be:
May 18th
- No. 10 Charlotte Hornets @ No. 9 Indiana Pacers
- No. 8 Washington Wizards @ No. 7 Boston Celtics
- No. 10 San Antonio Spurs @ No. 9 Memphis Grizzlies
- No. 8 Golden State Warriors @ No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers
- Winner of Game 1 @ Loser of Game 2
- Winner of Game 3 @ Loser of Game 4
🏒NHL PLAYOFFS: Results from first-round games yesterday:
- Boston Bruins 4, Washington Capitals 3 (OT) - Series tied at 1-1
- Carolina Hurricanes 5, Nashville Predators 2 - Carolina leads series 1 game to 0
- Colorado Avalanche 4, St. Louis Blues 1 - Colorado leads 1 game to 0
🏇NEW YORK SUSPENDS BAFFERT PENDING RESULTS OF MEDINA SPIRIT PROBE: New York State suspended racehorse trainer Bob Baffert yesterday pending the result of the investigation into the failed post-race drug test of Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit. Baffert is barred from entering horses at New York racetracks, and won't be allowed to stable horses at Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack and Saratoga Race Course. The ban includes Belmont Park, where the Belmont Stakes is being held on June 5th. Medina Spirit finished third in the Preakness on Saturday. Baffert has had five violations involving impermissible levels of medication in his horses over the past 13 months.
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| WFAN Website Screenshot |
⚾METS PILLAR HIT IN THE FACE BY A PITCH: New York Mets outfielder Kevin Pillar was hit in the face by a fastball yesterday from Atlanta Braves reliever Jacob Webb in the seventh inning, leaving him with blood pouring out of his nose and forcing him out of the game. Mets manager Luis Rojas said Pillar underwent a CT scan, and that they'd find out more about his injury on Tuesday. Pillar tweeted that he was, quote, "doing fine." The Mets won the game 3-1.
Scary moment here for Kevin Pillar. pic.twitter.com/ry76F8dQ3e
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) May 18, 2021
⚾BRAVES PITCHER YNOA FRACTURES HAND AFTER PUNCHING BENCH: Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Huascar Ynoa was put on the injured list Monday after he fractured his right the day before. Ynoa suffered the injury when he punched the bench in the dugout in frustration when he left in the fifth inning after allowing five runs in the game. The 22-year-old is expected to miss several months.
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| Marv Albert |
➤HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCER MARV ALBERT RETIRING: Hall of Fame sports announcer Marv Albert, who's covered all kinds of sports but is most known for calling NBA games, will retire after the Eastern Conference finals, ending a six-decade career that began in 1963. Albert will call the series for TNT. The 79-year-old Albert said yesterday, "My 55 years of broadcasting the NBA has just flown by and I’ve been fortunate to work with so many wonderful and talented people. Now, I’ll have the opportunity to hone my gardening skills and work on my ballroom dancing."
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