Joe Biden is even more of a ‘master of disaster’ than Jimmy Carter

President Joe Biden entered office poised to oversee a record recovery and a return to the booming economy and all-round stability of pre-pandemic life. Instead, he’s turned out to be a master of disaster, with self-inflicted crises across the board threatening to set America back to the 1970s — with that era’s infamous “stagflation” as well as a foreign policy in flames.

When Biden took office in January, the nation was on the mend from a post-holiday surge in COVID cases and seeing a light at the end of the tunnel with the vaccines produced at unprecedented speed and nearly a million jabs a day going into American arms. With the unemployment rate — 3.5 percent — at a five-decade low in February 2020, Biden inherited a strong pre-pandemic economy that was already bouncing back strong as the pandemic and lockdowns began to end.

President Donald Trump had also done him a favor at the southern border, getting what was once a real crisis under control by prioritizing strong border security, negotiating a Remain in Mexico policy that saw asylum-seekers await the conclusion of their cases outside the country and instituting a public-health order that kept migrants out while we focused on eradicating the virus.

US consumer confidence fell unexpectedly this month as rising prices, a hiring slowdown and energy uncertainty hit hard. On Friday, the University of Michigan said its Index of Consumer Sentiment declined to 82.8, from 88.3 in April. Economists had predicted it would rise to 90.4.

It wasn’t the first disappointment for prognosticators this month. Economists expected the country to tack on 1 million jobs in April after seeing gains of 770,000 in March. Instead, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported just 266,000, as the unemployment rate rose to 6.1 percent.

And then it announced that consumer prices rose 4.2 percent year-over-year in April — far worse than economists had predicted. It was the largest such jump since September 2008, when the financial crisis was at its height. Oh, and core inflation rose 0.8 percent from March to April, the biggest rise in nearly four decades.

Source: Joe Biden is even more of a ‘master of disaster’ than Jimmy Carter

Hundreds March Through Pittsburgh In Solidarity With Palestine – CBS Pittsburgh

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Amid the ongoing violence in Gaza, hundreds marched through the streets of Pittsburgh in solidarity with Palestine.

The march began in East Liberty and ended in Oakland.

Organizers of the march say it was necessary amid the rising tensions in the Middle East.

Source: Hundreds March Through Pittsburgh In Solidarity With Palestine – CBS Pittsburgh

Israeli strikes kill 26, topple buildings in Gaza City

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City flattened three buildings and killed at least 26 people Sunday, medics said, making it the deadliest single attack since heavy fighting broke out between Israel and the territory’s militant Hamas rulers nearly a week ago.

The Gaza Health Ministry said 10 women and eight children were among those killed, with another 50 people wounded in the attack. A rescuer could be seen shouting into a hole in the rubble. “Can you hear me?” he called out. “Are you OK?” Minutes later, first responders managed to pull a survivor out and carried him off on an orange stretcher.

Earlier, the Israeli military said it destroyed the home of Gaza’s top Hamas leader, Yahiyeh Sinwar, in a separate strike in the southern town of Khan Younis. It was the third such attack in the last two days on the homes of senior Hamas leaders, who have gone underground.

Israel appears to have stepped up strikes in recent days to inflict as much damage as possible on Hamas as international mediators try to broker a cease-fire. But targeting the group’s leaders could hinder those efforts. A U.S. diplomat is in the region to try to de-escalate tensions, and the U.N. Security Council is set to meet Sunday.

The latest outbreak of violence began in east Jerusalem earlier this month, when Palestinians protested attempts by settlers to forcibly evict a number of Palestinian families from their homes and Israeli police measures at Al-Aqsa Mosque, a frequent flashpoint located on a mount in the Old City revered by Muslims and Jews. Hamas fired rockets toward Jerusalem late Monday, triggering the Israeli assault on Gaza.

The turmoil has also spilled over elsewhere, fueling protests in the occupied West Bank and stoking violence within Israel between its Jewish and Arab citizens, with clashes and vigilante attacks on people and property.

At least 181 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including 52 children and 31 women, with 1,225 wounded. Eight Israelis have been killed, including a 5-year-old boy and a soldier.

The military said Sunday it struck Sinwar’s home and that of his brother Muhammad, another senior Hamas member. On Saturday it destroyed the home of Khalil al-Hayeh, a senior figure in Hamas’ political branch.

Hamas’ upper echelon has gone into hiding in Gaza, and it is unlikely any were at home at the time of the strikes. Hamas’ top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, divides his time between Turkey and Qatar, both of which provide political support to the group.

Hamas and the Islamic Jihad militant group have acknowledged 20 fighters killed since the fighting broke out Monday. Israel says the real number is far higher and has released the names and photos of two dozen alleged operatives it says were “eliminated.”

An Egyptian diplomat said Israel’s targeting of Hamas political leaders would complicate cease-fire efforts. The diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations, said Cairo is working to broker an end to the fighting. A U.S. diplomat has also been dispatched to the region and the U.N. Security Council is set to meet Sunday.

The Egyptian diplomat said the destruction of Hamas’ rocket capabilities would require a ground invasion that would “inflame the whole region.” Egypt, which made peace with Israel decades ago, has threatened to “suspend” cooperation in various fields, the official said, without elaborating.

Hamas and other militant groups have fired some 2,900 rockets into Israel. The military said 450 of the rockets had fallen short or misfired, while Israeli air defenses intercepted 1,150.

The interception rate appeared to have significantly dropped since the start of the conflict, when Israel said 90% were intercepted. The military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Israel has meanwhile carried out hundreds of airstrikes across impoverished Gaza, which is home to more than 2 million Palestinians and has been under an Israeli and Egyptian blockade since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007.

Israel has leveled a number of Gaza City’s tallest office and residential buildings, alleging they contain Hamas military infrastructure. On Saturday, Israel bombed the 12-story al-Jalaa Building, where the office of The Associated Press was located. The building also housed the TV network Al-Jazeera and other media outlets, along with several floors of apartments.

“The campaign will continue as long as it is required,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. He alleged that Hamas military intelligence was operating inside the building.

Israel routinely cites a Hamas presence as a reason for targeting certain locations in airstrikes, including residential buildings. The military also has accused the militant group of using journalists as human shields, but provided no evidence to back up the claims.

The AP has operated from the building for 15 years, including through three previous wars between Israel and Hamas. During those conflicts as well as the current one, the news agency’s cameras from its top floor office and roof terrace offered 24-hour live shots as militants’ rockets arched toward Israel and Israeli airstrikes hammered the city and its surroundings.

“We have had no indication Hamas was in the building or active in the building,” AP President and CEO Gary Pruitt said in a statement. “This is something we actively check to the best of our ability. We would never knowingly put our journalists at risk.”

In the afternoon, the military called the building’s owner and warned a strike would come within an hour. AP staffers and other occupants evacuated safely. Soon after, three missiles hit the building and destroyed it, bringing it crashing down in a giant cloud of dust.

“The world will know less about what is happening in Gaza because of what happened today,” Pruitt said. “We are shocked and horrified.”

He said the AP was seeking information from the Israeli government and was engaged with the U.S. State Department to learn more.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken later spoke by phone with Pruitt, offering his support for independent journalists and media organizations, and the White House said it had communicated directly with Israel to urge safety for journalists.

The Biden administration has affirmed its support for Israel while working to de-escalate the crisis. U.S. diplomat Hady Amr is in the region as part of efforts to broker a truce.

___

Krauss reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo, Isaac Scharf in Jerusalem and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed.

Source: Israeli strikes kill 26, topple buildings in Gaza City

Pittsburgh police free elderly couple from car on railroad tracks | TribLIVE.com

Pittsburgh first responders on Saturday morning freed an elderly couple from a car that was found on railroad tracks on West Carson Street.

A Pittsburgh police officer noticed the car, a four-door Mercury, on the tracks shortly before 9 a.m.

Medics and firefighters were able to get the man and woman out of the car and carry them over the railing.

They were taken to an area hospital and were considered to be in stable condition.

Police believe the car may have entered the CSX tracks from a service road in McKees Rocks.

Paula Reed Ward is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Paula by email at pward@triblive.com or via Twitter .

Source: Pittsburgh police free elderly couple from car on railroad tracks | TribLIVE.com

Inflation, Gas Shortage Highlight Peril That Could Threaten Biden’s Agenda : NPR

President Biden continues to get good marks for his handling of the most pressing issue of the day — the coronavirus pandemic. He also remains on average above 50% for his handling of the economy, which is closely tied to COVID-19.

But as things start to open up more and get back to normal — with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new mask guidance for fully vaccinated people leading the way — there are crises or potential crises looming on the horizon.

For a couple of months, it’s been clear that Americans have less confidence in the president’s handling of immigration, for example. There has been a surge of migrants, including unaccompanied minors, at the southern U.S. border, and the Biden administration has struggled to respond.

This week, some new things got added to Biden’s plate, including inflation, a run on gas and renewed fighting in the Middle East between Israel and Palestinians. They threaten to derail an agenda that has so far, for the most part, stayed on the tracks.

Source: Inflation, Gas Shortage Highlight Peril That Could Threaten Biden’s Agenda : NPR

Neo-Nazi arrested after dumping 3 dead bodies at Albuquerque hospital: FBI – Raw Story – Celebrating 17 Years of Independent Journalism

“A suspected white supremacist is facing charges after allegedly ditching a bullet-riddled car containing three dead men in the parking lot of an Albuquerque hospital this week,” The Daily Beast reported Saturday. “Richard Kuykendall, a 41-year-old with an “apparent association” with the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang, was charged Friday with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition for his role in the Wednesday triple homicide, according to a criminal complaint filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for New Mexico.”

“Prosecutors allege that after a deadly shootout in a nearby alley, Kuykendall drove to Presbyterian Kaseman Hospital with the victims, removed his shirt and told a security officer ‘that there were three dead guys in the Chevy’ before he walked away,” The Beast reported. “The criminal complaint—first obtained by Seamus Hughes, a researcher at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism and a Daily Beast contributor—notes that authorities only believe Kuykendall ‘may be responsible for the death of one of the three men.'”

Source: Neo-Nazi arrested after dumping 3 dead bodies at Albuquerque hospital: FBI – Raw Story – Celebrating 17 Years of Independent Journalism

Bill Maher tests positive for COVID-19 – CBS News

Bill Maher has tested positive for COVID-19, forcing the cancellation of the Friday taping of his HBO show “Real Time with Bill Maher,” the show announced Thursday. The comedian is fully vaccinated, asymptomatic and “feels fine,” the show said.

No other staff or crew members have tested positive, the show said. Neil deGrasse Tyson, Max Brooks and Dan Carlin were the guests scheduled for the canceled show on Friday.

Maher, 65, thanked fans concerned about his health and expressed disappointment at missing his show and ending his streak of consecutive tapings.

Source: Bill Maher tests positive for COVID-19 – CBS News

China lands a rover on Mars, state media says – CNN

(CNN)China has successfully landed its rover on Mars, according to state media, becoming the second country in history to have a rover on the red planet.

The rover, Zhurong, named after a god of fire in Chinese mythology, landed Saturday morning at the pre-selected area in Utopia Planitia on Mars, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.

The six-wheel solar-powered Zhurong rover weighs about 240 kilograms (529 pounds) and carries six scientific instruments. It will be later deployed from the lander for a three-month mission in search of signs or evidence of ancient life on Mars’ surface.
The Tianwen-1 Mars orbiter will relay its signal to the rover during its mission and then conduct a global survey of the planet for one Martian year. The probe has spent three months in orbit reconnoitering the landing area before releasing the rover to the surface.
Tianwen-1 was launched by a Long March 5 rocket from the Wenchang space launch center in Hainan on July 23 last year, and spent seven months en route to Mars before entered its orbit in February.
The spacecraft sent back its first photo of the planet from more than a million kilometers (621,371 miles) away.

Source: China lands a rover on Mars, state media says – CNN

WATCH: Police looking for witnesses following shootout in Swissvale that was caught on camera

Video from a Ring Camera shared with Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 shows a shooting on Friday afternoon.

The gunfire came from two cars near Columbia and Westmoreland avenues at around 12:30 p.m. The video from the home surveillance camera shows one person hanging out of the window shooting at another car.

“It really surprised me because it was in the middle of the day and you just don’t expect that,” said Duane Seaman, who heard the gunshots.

Neighbors said the shots continued after they turned onto another street. The bullets left holes in at least one car parked on the street.

“I heard a bunch of bangs outside the door and I knew right away it was gunshots,” Seaman said.

He said he rushed to lock his door after hearing the gunshots.

The Swissvale Police Department is investigating the shooting. A supervisor told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 that there are no reports of injuries.

The department is looking for witnesses along with more videos of the shooting that Seaman hopes is the neighborhood’s first and last.

“You don’t really see this on our street ever,” he said. “You got to wonder is it going to get, is it going to happen again?”

Source: WATCH: Police looking for witnesses following shootout in Swissvale that was caught on camera

Israeli airstrike on Gaza home kills 10, mostly children

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — An Israeli air raid in Gaza City killed at least 10 Palestinians, mostly children, early Saturday in the deadliest single strike since the battle with Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers erupted earlier this week. Both sides pressed for an advantage as cease-fire efforts gathered strength.

The latest outburst of violence began in Jerusalem and has spread across the region, with Jewish-Arab clashes and rioting in mixed cities of Israel. There were also widespread Palestinian protests Friday in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli forces shot and killed 11 people.

Source: Israeli airstrike on Gaza home kills 10, mostly children

Police: Woman in van ran down man during argument in Johnstown | WTAJ – www.wearecentralpa.com

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WTAJ) — A woman is in Cambria County Prison after police say she drove onto a sidewalk to hit a man with her van.  It was about 5:45 p.m. Wednesday when Jo…

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WTAJ) — A woman is in Cambria County Prison after police say she drove onto a sidewalk to hit a man with her van.

It was about 5:45 p.m. Wednesday when Johnstown police were called out to Coopersdale Homes after 22-year-old Yamonnie Pressley got into an argument with her sister’s boyfriend and drove into him with a 2019 Dodge Caravan, according to the charges.

Police indicated she then fought with the man’s sister who arrived to drive him to the hospital.

Pressley told police the man she is accused of hitting with her van started arguing with her when she tried to get her belongings and she claimed he threw a brick and hit her van. Police pointed out in the charges that there was a dent in the bottom of the driver’s side rear door with particles of brick in it.

Source: Police: Woman in van ran down man during argument in Johnstown | WTAJ – www.wearecentralpa.com

‘Shadow President’: Richard Grenell Warns Ex-Obama Official Is Taking Over Behind the Scenes

So, who is acting on his behalf? Who is actually running this country? Some might think it’s Vice President Kamala Harris or perhaps House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

But former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell believes it’s Susan Rice, who served as former President Barack Obama’s national security advisor.

In an interview on “CPAC Now,” Grenell spoke to Matt Schlapp, the chairman of the American Conservative Union, and his wife, Mercedes, the former White House director of strategic communications for the Trump administration.

He noted that Susan Rice, who was appointed as Biden’s domestic policy advisor, is actually a foreign policy expert. There were reports that she might fill the secretary of state role, but she didn’t have the Senate confirmation votes to get there.

Source: ‘Shadow President’: Richard Grenell Warns Ex-Obama Official Is Taking Over Behind the Scenes

How to Protect Your Home Network From ‘FragAttacks’

 

 

 

Hearing your wireless devices are vulnerable to something called “FragAttacks” doesn’t exactly inspire joy. However, the word is scarier than the risk; there’s no evidence that anyone is actively exploiting wireless devices via these vulnerabilities, even given the millions that could be susceptible to FragAttacks—short for “fragmentation and aggregation attacks.”

The name “FragAttack” actually refers to a group of vulnerabilities related to frames, or packets of data, that can be exploited to either steal someone’s information as it passes between networked devices, or to take over a device entirely—whether that’s a simple IoT smart switch or that old laptop you use to browse the web at home. Attackers can either inject unwanted, unencrypted frames into a network, or they can take advantage of how frames are aggregated together (or how aggregates are split apart) to inject and execute data that wasn’t there in the first place.

The best way to keep your network as safe as possible against FragAttack vulnerabilities is to keep your devices updated—and you’ll note this is the same advice we give everyone about every security vulnerability ever. Make sure your routers, smart devices, laptops, phones, or whatever else are all running the most up-to-date firmware and software updates you can find. If you’re lucky, your devices’ manufacturer will have a means for updating them automatically. Otherwise, you’ll need to make sure you’re checking on a regular interval (say, quarterly) for critical updates that can patch up vulnerabilities like these.

Read Source: How to Protect Your Home Network From ‘FragAttacks’

Dogecoin rallies on Elon Musk tweet, anticipated Coinbase listing

Dogecoin’s price soared as high as 56 cents early Friday, according to Coin Metrics data.

  • Dogecoin’s price soared as high as 56 cents early Friday, according to Coin Metrics data.
  • Elon Musk tweeted that he was working with dogecoin developers to improve the efficiency of transactions.
  • Crypto exchange Coinbase said Thursday it would offer dogecoin support in the next six to eight weeks.

Source: Dogecoin rallies on Elon Musk tweet, anticipated Coinbase listing

Your guide to the May 18 Pittsburgh mayoral primary election – The Pitt News

By Millicent Watt, Senior Staff Writer

Challengers Ed Gainey, Tony Moreno and Mike Thompson will face off against Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto in next Tuesday’s primary elections, after a heated campaign season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In-person voting takes place on May 18 between 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and all requested mail-in or absentee ballots must be turned in before 8 p.m. on Election Day. Unless a Republican enters the race for mayor, the winner of the Democratic primary will run unopposed in November’s general election.

Ballot Questions:

Allegheny County Proposed Ordinance

If approved, the Allegheny County Code will be amended to prohibit solitary confinement (more than 20 hours per day) in the Allegheny County Jail, except for limited circumstances and not to be used as punishment.

Proposed Home Rule Charter Amendment

If approved, Pittsburgh’s Home Rule Charter would be amended to prohibit the City police from executing warrants at any residence without knocking and announcing themselves first.

Statewide Referendum – Act 2020-91

This question asks Pennsylvanians to vote on making municipal fire departments and emergency medical companies with paid employees eligible to apply for loans from an existing state program.

Proposed Constitutional Amendment 1

If approved, this amendment would allow the General Assembly to end or extend all or part of a disaster emergency declaration without needing the governor’s approval.

Proposed Constitutional Amendment 2

If approved, this amendment would restrict the governor’s emergency powers in several ways.

Proposed Constitutional Amendment 3

If approved, this amendment would protect Pennsylvania citizens against denial of equal rights based on their ethnicity or race.

Details In Source: Your guide to the May 18 mayoral primary election – The Pitt News

Pittsburgh man arrested, charged with arson in four-alarm blaze at historic South Side building

The building was home to the South Side Chamber of Commerce offices, a barbershop and six apartments.

Pittsburgh police said Christian Ross (pictured below), 25, of Pittsburgh was arrested and faces the following charges: aggravated arson, two counts of arson endangering persons, two counts of arson endangering property, one count of criminal mischief and one count of causing a catastrophe.

Pittsburgh police, Christian Ross

According to the criminal complaint, Ross was a former tenant in an apartment on the second floor. Investigators said he broke into the apartment multiple times last year after he moved out.

On the day of the fire, investigators said he was allowed back inside to remove his belongings while unsupervised.

May 5, police said Ross handed over a written confession note as an inmate inside the Allegheny County Jail for an unrelated incident.

However, before the confession note, police said surveillance cameras captured Ross leaving the building while it was on fire.The cameras are mounted on the side of the First National Bank building next door.

Investigators also said Ross used a small propane/butane torch to start the fire and he later left it behind at a friend’s house.

The criminal complaint said Ross did not say why he set the fire but did say he only confessed because the incident had been “weighing on him.”

Police said Ross is currently being held in the Allegheny County Jail on separate charges.”

This arrest and corresponding charges were made possible thanks to the seamless cooperation between our Fire Investigation Unit, the ATF, and the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office. I thank everyone for their hard work in bringing this case to a close,” Department of Public Safety Director, Wendell Hissrich said in a news release.

Source: Pittsburgh man arrested, charged with arson in four-alarm blaze at historic South Side building

Providence shooting: Nine people injured in shooting that Rhode Island police chief says was between feuding groups – CNN

(CNN)Nine people in Rhode Island’s capital were injured in a shooting Thursday, Providence Police Chief Hugh Clement said during a news conference.

Three victims are “very seriously injured, maybe critically,” Clement said.
Only one patient was taken to the Rhode Island Hospital by ambulance while the rest arrived in private vehicles, according to Clement.
Police responded around 6:47 p.m. ET to reports of shots fired at a home, according to Clement.
Clement said the assailant vehicle pulled up outside a home and the occupants began shooting. Those at the home returned fire, according to the chief.
The people involved in the shooting are known to police and are part of two feuding groups, Clement said. The chief added that officers were sent to the hospital for security because of the possibility that victims from opposing groups were there.
Clement said the ages of those involved range from 19 to 25.
Several dozen shots were fired in the incident, he said.
“This was not random. It was targeted at that address,” he told reporters.
No arrests have been made at this point and the investigation is ongoing, the chief said.
Clement said there were at least four or five guns involved in the shooting.

Source: Providence shooting: Nine people injured in shooting that Rhode Island police chief says was between feuding groups – CNN

New cars in Pittsburgh in short supply as microchip shortage persists – WPXI

PITTSBURGH — Purchasing or leasing the new car of your dreams might prove challenging in the months ahead, as dealers face unprecedented supply issues.

“It’s something we just never would have even foreseen,” said Mike Engle, general manager of Jim Shorkey Auto Group.

It’s a problem impacting dealerships nationwide, and it’s caused by a global microchip shortage.

“They run everything from the infotainment system to blind spot monitoring, back up cameras, everything that we want in our vehicles now, are all the result of these microchips,” Engle said.

Engle said certain manufacturers have been impacted more than others.

For some, new car availability is down 70%, while others are down 40 or 50%. Several manufacturers have cut back on incentives, meaning you could pay more for a new car than anticipated.“

Overall, it’s a tight supply,” said Mark Smail, one of the owners of Smail Auto Group in Greensburg.

Smail said some manufacturers are simply ordering the retail units that customers want. “They’re prioritizing those instead of for stock units, so it’s maybe a shift in how we’re going to retail cars too going forward,” he said.

Source: New cars in Pittsburgh in short supply as microchip shortage persists – WPXI

Pandemic emergency program offers $50 off your broadband internet bill – CBS News

Americans can begin applying for $50 off their monthly internet bill on Wednesday as part of an emergency government program to keep people connected during the pandemic.

Jessica Rosenworcel, the acting chairwoman of the FCC, said the program is aimed at helping people who have had to sit in parking lots or outside a public library to catch a wifi signal, as well as free up household budgets that have been squeezed by the pandemic’s economic impact.

The program will be open to households that already participate in a pandemic or low-income relief program offered by a broadband service, as well as people already enrolled in the FCC’s Lifeline program for low-income people, and households with children receiving free or reduced-price school meals. Additionally, the program will be open to people who have lost jobs and had their income reduced in the past year, the agency said.

Source: Pandemic emergency program offers $50 off your broadband internet bill – CBS News

Ex-military brass question 2020 election result, Biden’s health

More than 120 retired generals and admirals have published an open letter questioning the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election as well as President Biden’s fitness to be commander-in-chief.

The letterfirst reported by Politico, bears the heading of a group calling itself “Flag Officers 4 America” and says the United States “is in deep peril,” with Americans “in a fight for our survival as a Constitutional Republic like no other time since our founding in 1776.”

Among the letter’s 126 signatories are retired Rear Adm. John Poindexter, national security adviser under President Ronald Reagan, and retired Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin, who spent five years as deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence under President George W. Bush and is now executive vice president of the Family Research Council.

Source: Ex-military brass question 2020 election result, Biden’s health

The president said that U.S. intelligence does not believe the Russian government was involved in the cyberattack on the pipeline. | US News

“I know seeing lines at the pumps or gas stations with no gas can be extremely stressful, but this is a temporary situation,” Biden said in prepared remarks delivered from the White House. “Do not get more gas than you need the next few days. As I said, we expect the situation to begin to improve by the weekend and into early next week, and gasoline supplies coming back online, and panic-buying will only slow the process.”President Joe Biden delivers remarks about the Colonial Pipeline hack, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Thursday, May 13, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Biden said there is strong reason to believe the group behind the cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline, which runs from Texas to New Jersey and delivers about 45% of the fuel consumed on the East Coast, is based in Russia. However, he said U.S. intelligence does not believe the Russian government was involved in the attack.

Source: https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2021-05-13/biden-urges-calm-as-colonial-pipeline-restarts-but-gasoline-shortages-continue

Source: Political Cartoons on the Democratic Party | US News

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene aggressively confronts Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, accuses her of supporting ‘terrorists’ – The Washington Post

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) followed Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) off the House floor and accused her of supporting “terrorists and antifa.”

Source: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene aggressively confronts Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, accuses her of supporting ‘terrorists’ – The Washington Post

Israel steps up Gaza offensive, kills senior Hamas figures

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel on Wednesday pressed ahead with a fierce military offensive in the Gaza Strip, killing as many as 10 senior Hamas military figures and toppling a pair of high-rise towers housing Hamas facilities in airstrikes. The Islamic militant group showed no signs of backing down and fired hundreds of rockets at Israeli cities.

In just three days, this latest round of fighting between the bitter enemies has already begun to resemble — and even exceed — a devastating 50-day war in 2014. Like in that previous war, neither side appears to have an exit strategy.

But there are key differences. The fighting has triggered the worst Jewish-Arab violence inside Israel in decades. And looming in the background is an international war crimes investigation.

 

Source: Israel steps up Gaza offensive, kills senior Hamas figures

A mysterious ‘hum’ vibrates interstellar space. Voyager 1 has a recording of it. | Live Science

Voyager 1, launched in 1977, left the bounds of the solar system — known as the heliosphere — in 2012. The heliosphere is the bubble of space influenced by solar wind, the stream of charged particles that emanates from the sun. Since popping out of this bubble, Voyager 1 has been periodically sending back measurements of the interstellar medium. Occasionally, the sun sends off a burst of energy known as a coronal mass ejection that disturbs this medium, causing the plasma, or ionized gas, of interstellar space to vibrate. These vibrations are quite useful, as they allow astronomers to measure the density of the plasma — the frequency of the waves through the plasma can reveal how close together the ionized gas molecules are.

Now, though, researchers have realized that Voyager 1 is also sending back a far more subtle signal: the constant “hum” of the interstellar plasma. This low-level vibration is fainter, but much longer-lasting, than the oscillations that occur after coronal mass ejections. According to the new study, published May 10 in the journal Nature Astronomy, the hum lasts at least three years. That’s good news for gaining a better understanding of the interstellar plasma.

Source: A mysterious ‘hum’ vibrates interstellar space. Voyager 1 has a recording of it. | Live Science

The PS5 Is Starting to Look Like the Revolution It Promised | WIRED

SIX MONTHS AFTER its November 12 debut, the PlayStation 5 is well on its way to being a success story for Sony. As of March 31, the company had sold 7.8 million of the new video game consoles worldwide—enough, in both units and dollars, to make it the biggest console launch in US history. Bigger than the Nintendo Wii. Bigger than the Xbox One. Bigger than even the PS4. And who knows what that number might be if everyone who wanted one was actually able to buy one.

Source: The PS5 Is Starting to Look Like the Revolution It Promised | WIRED

‘It’s scary,’ Bethel Park residents on high alert after early morning break-ins

BETHEL PARK, Pa. — People who live in Bethel Park are on high alert after two homes were broken into while homeowners were inside.

Someone broke in the back door of two homes: one on Old Ox Road, the other on Cambridge Road.

Source: ‘It’s scary,’ Bethel Park residents on high alert after early morning break-ins

Campaign signs stolen in Westmoreland County

State police said a 64-year-old man from Pittsburgh is responsible for the theft of multiple campaign signs for several Republican candidates in eastern Westmoreland County.

Police were contacted about the incident in April and learned of seven victims.

Witnesses were able to provide police with pictures of the person responsible and his vehicle.

Police said no specific candidate was targeted.

Charges have not yet been filed in the case.

Source: Campaign signs stolen in Westmoreland County

Maryland billboard raises stink

This “vulgar” Maryland billboard is causing a real stink — for calling President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris “s–theads.”

The sign on Route 4 in Huntingtown shows the cartoon faces of the smiling commander-in-chief and his number two stuck on top of large emoji-style drawings of poop.

“DON’T BLAME TRUMP! YOU ARE STUCK WITH THESE TWO S–T HEADS!!!” it reads.

Sending the message home with two more poop images, the billboard is signed “from all of your deplorables in Calvert County,” referring to Hillary Clinton’s now-infamous putdown of Donald Trump supporters.

The crass sign, on private property and of legal size, does not appear to break any local laws — but has sparked mass outrage, especially among local

Source: Maryland billboard calling Biden, Harris ‘s–theads’ raises stink

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