Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Wake-Up Call: U-S Tries To Re-Inforce Gaza Cease-Fire


BLINKEN IN MIDDLE EAST ON TRIP TO BOLSTER ISRAEL-HAMAS CEASE-FIRE: Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel early Tuesday, beginning a Middle East trip aimed at bolstering the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza that went into effect last Friday. The truce ended 11 days of an exchange of rocket fire from Hamas and airstrikes from Israel that left more than 250 people dead, most of them Palestinians, and also caused extensive destruction in Gaza. 


Blinken won't be meeting with Hamas, a militant group that doesn't recognize Israel's right to exist. Instead, he will meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank, even though Abbas doesn't have power in Gaza. Blinken will also go to Egypt and Jordan, which acted as mediators in the latest conflict, including Egypt brokering the cease-fire. President Biden said Blinken would work with regional partners on a effort to provide assistance and focus on reconstruction in Gaza.

➤EUROPEAN UNION TO SANCTION BELARUS AFTER PLANE FORCED DOWN TO ARREST JOURNALIST: European Union nations agreed yesterday to impose sanctions on Belarus, after a RyanAir flight was forced down Sunday in order to arrest an opposition journalist, which EU leaders called a "hijacking." The passenger jet was flying from Greece to Lithuania when the forced diversion took place and Raman Pratasevich, a key opponent of authoritarian Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, was taken into custody. The EU also demanded yesterday that he be immediately released. As part of the sanctions, the EU won't allow Belarus airlines into its airspace or allow them to use airports in the 27-nation bloc. The EU also urged airlines based in the European Union to avoid flying over Belarus. 

In the U.S., President Biden late yesterday condemned what happened as "outrageous" and also called for Pratasevich's release. Biden said he'd asked his administration to develop appropriate options to hold those responsible accountable.

➤25 U.S. STATES HAVE FULLY VACCINATED AT LEAST HALF OF ADULTS: At least 25 states and Washington, D.C., have now fully vaccinated at least half of their adult population, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Four states -- Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont -- have fully vaccinated more than half of their total population, not just adults. Nationally, about 61.3 percent of adults had gotten at least one Covid vaccine shot, and just slightly under half, 49.6 percent, are fully vaccinated. More than 49 percent of the country's total population has gotten at least one shot, and more than 39 percent of the total population is fully vaccinated.

➤INSPECTOR GENERAL..MIGRANT PARENTS FORCED TO LEAVE U.S. WITHOUT CHILDREN: The Department of Homeland Security Inspector General said in a report Monday that under the Trump administration's policy of separating families at the border, some parents were forced to leave the U.S. without their children. That information from the government watchdog contracts claims by Trump administration officials that parents were willingly leaving their children behind. 


The report said at least 348 cases were found in which there were no records showing migrants wanted to leave their children in the U.S, and there were also some cases in which parents were deported even though it was known they wanted to take their children with them. President Biden set up a task force to reunite families that were still separated, an effort that is ongoing.

➤SUSPECT ARRESTED IN SHOOTING AT N.J. BIRTHDAY PARTY THAT LEFT TWO DEAD, WASN'T RANDOM: A 36-year-old suspect has been arrested in a shooting at a birthday party in southern New Jersey late Saturday night that left two people dead and injured 12 others, some of them critically. State Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said the attack at the Fairfield Township party attended by hundreds of people wasn't, quote, "a random act of violence," but didn't discuss a motive. Kevin K Dawkins was arrested on weapons charges, but authorities are asking for information from the public that could help lead to more arrests.

 
➤IS IT BETTER TO DRINK COFFEE IN THE MORNING OR AFTERNOON FOR WORK?:  Coffee can give you a litte energy boost, but is it better to have it in the morning or afternoon if you’re drinking it at work? Studies say your age could play a role in the answer—one study found college students who had coffee before their morning exams showed improved performances, while those given coffee before an afternoon exam did not have improvement. But, another study found that among people ages 65 and up, having a cup of coffee in the afternoon before a test helped them do well on the test. The experts warn though, that it also depends on your biology. Someone with average tolerance to caffeine will generally feel more alert and focused for the next one to six hours after having a cup of coffee, so you can be strategic about when you drink it. Ultimately, scientists say everyone is different, and each body has its own biological clock, meaning there’s no conclusive evidence that points to whether a morning coffee or afternoon coffee is best for all professionals.

➤BBC LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO PRINCESS DIANA INTERVIEW:  The BBC is investigating its editorial culture and practices following a damaging inquiry into the circumstances behind a 1995 interview with Princess Diana.

In a statement, the board said the report was “profoundly sobering.” It found that former reporter Martin Bashir tricked the late Diana into the interview via fake bank statements, and the BBC subsequently never investigated his wrongdoing.

Sir Nick Serota, Ian Hargreaves and Sir Robbie Gibb, who oversees the BBC’s editorial guidelines and standards committee, will launch a new probe, set to conclude and share its findings in September.

“We have confidence that the processes and guidelines in today’s BBC are much stronger than they were in 1995, but we know we must also do what we can to prevent such an incident happening again. As such, we think it is right that we review the effectiveness of the BBC’s editorial policies and governance in detail,” the board said in a statement.


After the report, Prince William blamed the BBC for contributing to his mother’s "fear, paranoia and isolation" in the years before her death.

➤U.S. WARNS AGAINST TRAVEL TO JAPAN, TWO MONTHS AHEAD OF OLYMPICS: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the State Department warned Americans yesterday against traveling to Japan because of a coronavirus surge in the country. The CDC's warning said, "Because of the current situation in Japan, even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading Covid-19 variants and should avoid all travel to Japan," and the State Department's warning was even more forceful, saying, "Do not travel to Japan due to Covid-19." The warning, which doesn't actually ban Americans from going to Japan, comes just two months ahead of the planned start of the Tokyo Olympics. The U.S. Olympic Committee said it still anticipates American athletes will be able to safely compete at the Games.

➤ADL...REPORTS OF ANTI-SEMITIC INCIDENTS UP 68 PERCENT: The Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism says that reports of anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. have increased 68 percent since that latest latest military conflict between Israel and Hamas began earlier this month, according to preliminary data. A spokesperson told Yahoo! News, "Right now we’re getting new reports by the hour and our team at the Center on Extremism is working around the clock to verify these incidents. It’s clear from preliminary data that something nefarious is going on." President Biden posted a tweet yesterda condemning, quote, "despicable" attacks on the Jewish community, saying, "it’s up to all of us to give hate no safe harbor."


➤SUSPICIOUS PACKAGE SENT TO SENATOR RAND PAUL'S HOME: The FBI and Capitol Hill police are investigating after a suspicious package containing white powder was sent to the home of Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky yesterday. The large envelope, which came from an unknown sender, was being examined for harmful substances. Fox News reported the outside of the envelope had a picture of a bandaged Paul with a gun pointed at his head and the message, "I’ll finish what your neighbor started you motherf*****." Paul suffered broken ribs after a neighbor attacked him in 2017.

➤POLL..NEARLY HALF HIDE FAVOREITE SNACKS:  We all have our favorite snacks, but how many like them so much that they hide their stashes to keep others from eating it? It's actually more than you'd think. A new survey of 2,000 Americans found that nearly half -- 48 percent -- say they hidden their favorite snacks around the house. Explaining why, 53 percent of those who've hidden snacks say it's because those they live with would "eat them all" if they knew where they were, and 46 percent said they just "don't want to share." The OnePoll survey further found that among those who said they've hidden snacks, 69 percent said they still do it, and 72 percent said someone's found their stash, leading them to find new hiding spots.

SCIENTISTS WARN..FOOD POISONING CAN BE PASSED ON THROUGH SEX:  Food poisoning is not pleasant, and it turns out it can be passed on in a way you might not expect. University of Oklahoma researchers found that Campylobacter infection, the most common foodborne illness in the Western world, can also be spread via sexual contact. The infection is rarely serious, but can cause vomiting and diarrhea, and can pose more risk for people with underlying health conditions. The experts say the reason it can be passed along to others during sex is likely because people can get infected when only small amounts of this particular bacteria are present. Study leader Dr. Katrin Kuhn adds, “This is an interesting time because COVID-19 has made people more aware of the importance of monitoring infectious diseases in general, not only during a pandemic. There are many infections like the one caused by Campylobacter that make people sick. It’s important that we spotlight the fact that these diseases exist and that we continue to conduct research on their effects and modes of transmission.”




🏌PGA APOLOGIZES TO MICKELSON, KOEPKA FOR FAN SWARM AT 18TH HOLE: PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh said Monday that he'd apologized to winner Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka, who tied for second, for fans rushing past the ropes, marshals and security to swarm around them at the 18th hole during the PGA Championship Sunday. The fans were excited about Mickelson being on the brink of being the oldest to win a major at age 50. Waugh said the PGA regretted the situation had made the two players, quote, "feel vulnerable." Mickelson had called the scene, "a little bit unnerving, but . . . exceptionally awesome too," while Koepka complained that his injured knee got hit by people during the swarm.


🏒WINNIPEG GETS VICTORY IN TRIPLE OT TO SWEEP, ADVANCE TO SECOND ROUND: It took three overtimes, but the Winnipeg Jets finally managed to beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 last night (May 24th) on a Kyle Connor goal to sweep their first-round NHL playoffs series and advance to the second round. Connor scored at 6:52 into the third overtime to end the longest game in Winnipeg’s history.

🏀NBA PLAYOFFS: Results from first-round games yesterday:
  • Milwaukee Bucks 132, Miami Heat 98 - Milwaukee leads 2 games to 0
  • Denver Nuggets 128, Portland Trail Blazers 109 - Series tied at 1-1

🏒NHL PLAYOFFS: Results from first-round games yesterday:
  • Winnipeg Jets 4, Edmonton Oilers 3 (3OT) - Winnipeg sweeps series 4 games to 0
  • New York Islanders 3, Pittsburgh Penguins 2 (2OT) - New York leads 3 games to 2
  • Toronto Maple Leafs 2, Montreal Canadiens 1 - Toronto leads 2 games to 1
  • Florida Panthers 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 1 - Tampa Bay leads 3 games to 2
  • Minnesota Wild 4, Vegas Golden Knights 2 - Vegas leads 3 games to 2

🏀PORTLAND'S LILLARD TIES PLAYOFF RECORD WITH EIGHT THREE-POINTERS IN A HALF: Portland's Damian Lillard made eight three-pointers in the first half of Game 2 of the Trail Blazers' first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets last night, tying an NBA playoff record for most in a half. Toronto's Vince Carter had eight three-pointers in the first half against Philadelphia on May 11, 2001. Overall, Lillard had 32 points in the first half, and finished with 42 points, but it wasn't enough for Portland, which lost to the Nuggets 128-109.

🏀UTAH'S CLARKSON WINS NBA'S SIXTH MAN AWARD: Jordan Clarkson of the Utah Jazz was named the winner of the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award yesterday, beating out teammate Joe Ingles. Clarkson, the only player to come off the bench and score 40 points in a game this season, finished with 65 of the 100 first-place votes by a global panel of reporters who cover the NBA.
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