Israeli launched a series of heavy new airstrikes in Gaza early Monday, with Israel's military saying it attacked the homes of nine Hamas commanders. The barrage came after a series of airstrikes 24 hours earlier in which 42 Palestinians were killed, the deadliest attack in the latest outbreak of violence that's escalated over the past week between Israel and Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, and is the worst in years.
The early Monday airstikes also came hours after a televised address by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which he said the attacks were continuing at "full-force" and would "take time." Hamas has also continued launching rockets from Gaza into Israel, with one hitting a synagogue in the city of Ashkelon. However, no injuries were reported. At least 188 Palestinians have been killed by airstrikes in Gaza, including 55 children, and eight people have been killed in Israel in rocket attacks, including one child.
Israel-Palestinians Conflict:
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 17, 2021
• Israel unleashes a wave of heavy airstrikes across Gaza, says it destroyed miles of militant tunnels.
• Palestinians jolted awake by overnight barrage say it was the heaviest since the war began last week.https://t.co/VyrXe5H6Jk
Meanwhile, there have been increasing calls for a cease-fire, as well as for more efforts by the U.S. to try to push for an end to the violence, including from some congressional Democrats urging the Biden administration to do more. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told an emergency high-level meeting of the Security Council that the U.S. was, quote, "working tirelessly through diplomatic channels" to stop the fighting. But the U.S. has blocked attempts to get the Security Council to issue a statement, saying it would interfere with diplomatic efforts. The Biden administration has also so far refrained from sending a top-level envoy, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken instead sending a deputy assistant to try to help de-escalate the situation.
➤INCREASING CALLS FOR U.S. TO DO MORE TO HELP STOP ISRAEL-GAZA FIGHTING: As the Israel-Gaza fighting has continued to escalate, with Israel launching airstrikes in Gaza and Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, firing rockets into Israel, there have been increasing calls for a cease-fire, and for more efforts by the U.S. to try to push for an end to the violence.
Some congressional Democrats are among those urging the Biden administration to do more. Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said on CBS' Face the Nation yesterday, "I think the administration needs to push harder on Israel and the Palestinian Authority to stop the violence, bring about a cease-fire, end these hostilities, and get back to a process of trying to resolve this long-standing conflict."
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told an emergency high-level meeting of the Security Council that the U.S. was, quote, "working tirelessly through diplomatic channels" to stop the fighting. But the U.S. has blocked attempts to get the Security Council to issue a statement, saying it would interfere with diplomatic efforts.
The Biden administration has also so far refrained from sending a top-level envoy, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken instead sending a deputy assistant to try to help de-escalate the situation.
➤CDC HEAD SAYS CHANGE IN MASK ADVICE NOT MADE DUE TO POLITICAL PRESSURE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Sunday that the unexpected announcement last Thursday advising that people who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus don't need to wear masks outdoors or in most places indoors was made based on science and not because of political pressure. Walensky said on Fox News Sunday, "I'm delivering the science as the science is delivered to the medical journals. And it evolved. I deliver it as soon as I can when we have that information available." The guidance calls for unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people to continue to wear masks, as well as for everyone to still use them in crowded indoor settings, including buses, trains, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters. More than 47 percent of Americans have now gotten at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.
Some congressional Democrats are among those urging the Biden administration to do more. Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said on CBS' Face the Nation yesterday, "I think the administration needs to push harder on Israel and the Palestinian Authority to stop the violence, bring about a cease-fire, end these hostilities, and get back to a process of trying to resolve this long-standing conflict."
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told an emergency high-level meeting of the Security Council that the U.S. was, quote, "working tirelessly through diplomatic channels" to stop the fighting. But the U.S. has blocked attempts to get the Security Council to issue a statement, saying it would interfere with diplomatic efforts.
The Biden administration has also so far refrained from sending a top-level envoy, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken instead sending a deputy assistant to try to help de-escalate the situation.
➤CDC HEAD SAYS CHANGE IN MASK ADVICE NOT MADE DUE TO POLITICAL PRESSURE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Sunday that the unexpected announcement last Thursday advising that people who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus don't need to wear masks outdoors or in most places indoors was made based on science and not because of political pressure. Walensky said on Fox News Sunday, "I'm delivering the science as the science is delivered to the medical journals. And it evolved. I deliver it as soon as I can when we have that information available." The guidance calls for unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people to continue to wear masks, as well as for everyone to still use them in crowded indoor settings, including buses, trains, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters. More than 47 percent of Americans have now gotten at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.
➤CHENEY, OUSTED FROM GOP LEADERSHIP, SAYS JANUARY 6TH-LIKE ATTACK COULD HAPPEN AGAIN: Rep. Liz Cheney, who was removed as House Republicans' third-ranking leader last week for her criticism of former President Donald Trump over the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, said yesterday that a similar attack could happen again if Trump's false claims about the presidential election being stolen aren't challenged. Appearing on Sunday morning news shows, Cheney said, "I think it’s dangerous. I think that we have to recognize how quickly things can unravel." Cheney was also critical of Republican lawmakers who've downplayed the January 6th attack and condoned Trump's false claims, saying they were, quote, "complicit" in undermining democracy. Meanwhile, Rep. Elise Stefanik, who was elected to Cheney's leadership position, on Sunday called Trump "the leader of the Republican Party," and said the GOP is now unified in their goal of defeating Democrats.
➤MAN ARRESTED AFTER FOUR-YEAR-OLD'S BODY FOUND IN DALLAS STREET: Dallas police said Sunday that an 18-year-old man had been arrested after the body of a four-year-old boy was found lying in a street in the Texas city on Saturday morning. Darriynn Brown has been charged with kidnapping and theft, with police saying they expect to bring more charges after the results of a forensic analysis. Assistant Police Chief Albert Martinez said it appeared that the boy, whose name hasn't been released, suffered a violent death, with what he called "an edged weapon" used.
➤IT’S TIME TO DELETE MOST OF YOUR APPS: The Apple App Store has over two million apps—but that doesn’t mean you need them all on your phone. A 2018 report found that the average person launches roughly nine apps per day and interacts with roughly 30 apps over the course of a month. That means the average person needs little more than a single page of apps for normal usage. It can be hard to delete apps, because our brains tend to create illogical, emotional attachments to things we think we might need later. But, deleting apps will not only make your phone more appealing to use and look at, but it can also make it more secure. Old apps that no longer get updates, or those that you haven’t updated in some time because you don’t use them can have serious security flaws. If you still can’t bring yourself to delete stuff, you can get your iPhone to help you out. Got to Settings > General> iPhone Storage, and it will give you an option called “Offload Unused Apps,” which automatically deletes apps you don’t use regularly, but saves the documents and data that go with them. For Android users, the process is a little bit different: go to Settings, Apps & Notifications, and then App info to see a list of your apps and their sizes.
➤MAN ARRESTED AFTER FOUR-YEAR-OLD'S BODY FOUND IN DALLAS STREET: Dallas police said Sunday that an 18-year-old man had been arrested after the body of a four-year-old boy was found lying in a street in the Texas city on Saturday morning. Darriynn Brown has been charged with kidnapping and theft, with police saying they expect to bring more charges after the results of a forensic analysis. Assistant Police Chief Albert Martinez said it appeared that the boy, whose name hasn't been released, suffered a violent death, with what he called "an edged weapon" used.
Prince Harry says parenting style of royal family inflicts "pain and suffering" https://t.co/ijSDYIote7
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 17, 2021
➤IT’S TIME TO DELETE MOST OF YOUR APPS: The Apple App Store has over two million apps—but that doesn’t mean you need them all on your phone. A 2018 report found that the average person launches roughly nine apps per day and interacts with roughly 30 apps over the course of a month. That means the average person needs little more than a single page of apps for normal usage. It can be hard to delete apps, because our brains tend to create illogical, emotional attachments to things we think we might need later. But, deleting apps will not only make your phone more appealing to use and look at, but it can also make it more secure. Old apps that no longer get updates, or those that you haven’t updated in some time because you don’t use them can have serious security flaws. If you still can’t bring yourself to delete stuff, you can get your iPhone to help you out. Got to Settings > General> iPhone Storage, and it will give you an option called “Offload Unused Apps,” which automatically deletes apps you don’t use regularly, but saves the documents and data that go with them. For Android users, the process is a little bit different: go to Settings, Apps & Notifications, and then App info to see a list of your apps and their sizes.
➤THE AVERAGE PERSON’S THUMB TRAVELS THE EQUIVALENT OF TWO MARATHONS A YEAR SCROLLING THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA: If your thumb is ever in pain it could be due to how much scrolling it does. Marketing agency Ilk crunched some numbers, and estimates that we spend 49 minutes per day scrolling through social media sites on our phones. They say that means a person’s thumb travels the equivalent of 52 miles per year, or two marathons. Excessive smartphone use can cause “scroller thumb” or “texting thumb,” where the digit begins to cramp, gets inflamed, or gets stuck in a bent position. Dr. Eugene Tsai is a specialist at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, and says that the condition can lead to eventual arthritis, and notes that scroller thumb may be more associated with smaller phones, while larger smartphones and tablets usually cause pain in the fingers and the wrists. You can avoid scroller thumb by switching to using other fingers, such as your forefinger, for typing; by using the voice control features to dictate messages and emails instead of typing; and by performing daily stretching exercises with your wrists and fingers.
Jeffrey Epstein gave advice to Bill Gates about ending his marriage to Melinda: report https://t.co/38icUO1OJP pic.twitter.com/GGwiAoi6SS
— New York Post (@nypost) May 17, 2021
➤BILL GATES HAD AFFAIR THAT LED TO MICROSOFT INVESTIGATION: Microsoft co-founder and former CEO Bill Gates admitted yesterday that he'd had an affair with a female Microsoft engineer two decades ago that led to an internal investigation in 2020, according to The Wall Street Journal. Gates resigned from the Board of Directors last year before the probe could be finished, but says his departure wasn't related to it. A spokesperson for Gates said, "There was an affair almost 20 years ago which ended amicably." The New York Times also reported yesterday that Gates was known to, quote, "pursue" woman he worked with while married to his wife, Melinda Gates. The couple announced two weeks ago that they are divorcing.
➤BLOOD MOON LUNAR ECLIPSE 2021: WHERE AND WHEN TO WATCH: Early on the morning of May 26th, the Blood Moon, named for its red glow, will be visible from North America. According to NASA, the Blood Moon is visible during a total lunar eclipse when the Earth aligns itself between the moon and the sun. Notably, this Blood Moon will be a combination of May’s full Flower Moon, which is classified as a supermoon, and a total lunar eclipse. As far as seeing it—that’s a bit complicated. While the Blood Moon will be visible over eastern Asia, the Pacific Ocean, and the western U.S., most of the East Coast and central U.S. won’t get the best view as the moon will be below the horizon at the time of the full eclipse. The following supermoon, the “Strawberry Moon” will be visible on the East Coast on June 24th, and there are three more eclipses scheduled to take place before 2022.
➤KID REPORTER WHO INTERVIEWED OBAMA IN 2009 DIES AT 23: A student reporter who interviewed then-President Barack Obama in 2009 when he was just 11 years old died earlier this month at age 23. Damon Weaver's sister, Candace Hardy, told the Palm Beach Post that he died on May 1st of natural causes. He'd been studying communications at Albany State University in Georgia. Weaver interviewed Obama for 10 minutes in August 2009, asking questions that were mostly related to education, including about school lunches, bullying and how to succeed. Weaver later interviewed Oprah Winfrey and athletes including NBA star Dwyane Wade.
➤MISS MEXICO ANDREA MEZA CROWED MISS UNIVERSE: Miss Mexico Andrea Meza was crowned Miss Universe 2020 last night at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, a year after the annual competition wasn't held due to the pandemic. The 26-year-old Meza, who has a degree in software engineering and is a women's rights activist, beat out runner-up Miss Brazil, Julia Gama, and second runner-up Miss Peru, Janick Maceta Del Castillo. The last time the Miss Universe winner was from Mexico was in 2010.
➤NEARLY 60 PERCENT IN JAPAN THINK TOKYO OLYMPICS SBOULD BE CANCELED: The scheduled start of the Tokyo Summer Olympics, which were delayed one year because of the pandemic, is a little over two months away, but a new Kyodo News poll found that just under 60 percent of people in Japan -- 59.7 percent -- think the Games should canceled. That result comes as coronavirus infections continue to surge in the country in a fourth wave that involves more infectious variants, and the vaccine rollout in Japan continues to be slow. Tokyo is among nine Japanese prefectures that are currently under a Covid-19 state of emergency. The survey also found that just over 25 percent said the Olympics should be held without spectators, and 12.6 percent were in favor of having the Games with limited spectators. The Tokyo Olympics organizers have already said no foreign spectators will be allowed.
🏀CURRY EARNS SCORING TITLE FOR SECOND TIME: Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry earned the NBA's scoring title for the 2020-21 season, locking it up with a 46-point performance in a 113-101 win over the Memphis Grizzlies yesterday. The two-time MVP ended the season averaging 32 points per game, beating his previous career best of 30.1 points per game in the 2015-16 season, when he became the first unanimous MVP in league history and won his other scoring title. Curry, at 33, is the oldest scoring champion since Michael Jordan led the league with 28.7 points per game in 1997-98 at age 35.
➤NEARLY 60 PERCENT IN JAPAN THINK TOKYO OLYMPICS SBOULD BE CANCELED: The scheduled start of the Tokyo Summer Olympics, which were delayed one year because of the pandemic, is a little over two months away, but a new Kyodo News poll found that just under 60 percent of people in Japan -- 59.7 percent -- think the Games should canceled. That result comes as coronavirus infections continue to surge in the country in a fourth wave that involves more infectious variants, and the vaccine rollout in Japan continues to be slow. Tokyo is among nine Japanese prefectures that are currently under a Covid-19 state of emergency. The survey also found that just over 25 percent said the Olympics should be held without spectators, and 12.6 percent were in favor of having the Games with limited spectators. The Tokyo Olympics organizers have already said no foreign spectators will be allowed.
Stephen
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 16, 2021
Curry
☔️☔️☔️ pic.twitter.com/50Dw6W7Oyn
🏀IRVING JOINS 50/40/90 CLUB: The Brooklyn Nets' Kyrie Irving joined the 50/40/90 club Sunday as the Nets beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 123-109. That means shooting 50 percent or greater from the field, 40 percent or better from three-point range and at least 90 percent on free throws for the season. Irving shot 50.6 percent from the field this season, 40.2 percent on three-point shot, and was 90.2 percent from the free throw line. He also joined Larry Bird, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant as being the only players to also average at least 25 points per game during a 50-40-90 season
🏒NHL PLAYOFFS: Results from first-round games yesterday (May 16th), after the playoffs began on Saturday:
- New York Islanders 4, Pittsburgh Penguins 3 (OT)
- Minnesota Wild 1, Vegas Golden Knights 0 (OT)
- Tampa Bay Lightning 5, Florida Panthers 4
⚾NINTH VACCINATED WITH YANKEES POSITIVE FOR COVID-19: A ninth member of the New York Yankees organization who was vaccinated against Covid-19 has tested positive. Manager Aaron Boone said Sunday that it was a staff member. The others who've tested positive are shortstop Gleyber Torres, pitching coach Matt Blake, third base coach Phil Nevin, first base coach Reggie Willits and four other members of the team's traveling staff. All were vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson shot. Seven of those infected were asymptomatic, and CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said on ABC's This Week that the mild or nonexistent symptoms showed the benefits of the vaccine.
🏀PIERCE, BOSH, WEBBER, WALLACE HEAD 20201 BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS: Paul Pierce, Chris Bosh, Chris Webber and Ben Wallace headlined the 2021 class of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame that was announced yesterday (May 16th). Among other members is NBA legend Bill Russell, who's already in the Hall of Fame as a player, and is now going in as a coach. The class will be enshrined on September 11th. The 2021 class was announced a day after the 2020 class was inducted on Saturday, delayed because of the pandemic. The late Kobe Bryant was among those inducted, as was Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan.
