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New York area will lift capacity restrictions May 19
The New York tri-state area will jointly lift most of the coronavirus capacity restrictions on businesses and restaurants starting May 19, governors announced Monday.
Govs. Andrew Cuomo (D) of New York, Ned Lamont (D) of Connecticut and Phil Murphy (D) of New Jersey said retail stores, food services, theaters, fitness centers, amusement parks, hair salons, museums and other businesses will be allowed to operate at full capacity for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.
“The tide is turning against COVID-19 in New York, and thanks to our increasing vaccination rates, as well as our successful, data-based regional approach, we’re able to take more steps to reopen our economy, help businesses and workers, and keep moving towards returning to normal,” Cuomo said in a statement.
The announcement of May 19 represents a significant acceleration from the July 1 target for full reopening set by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) just four days ago.
A day later, Cuomo declared that indoor capacity would increase for restaurants and bars statewide from 50 to 75 percent starting on May 7.
Walgreens launching mobile clinics, walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations
Walgreens’ mobile clinics and select stores will offer vaccinations with no appointment needed. Also Monday, Illinois officials reported 2,049 new, confirmed COVID-19 cases and 28 more deaths, raising the state death toll to 22,047.
Walgreens on Monday launched mobile clinics in Chicago to bring COVID-19 vaccines to underserved communities — no appointments necessary.
And starting Wednesday, some Walgreens locations also will offer walk-in vaccinations, with no need to book online in advance.
Details on where the mobile clinics will be set up, or on which store locations will offer walk-in vaccinations, were not immediately available.
“We understand the important role Walgreens has and will continue to play in removing access barriers to the COVID-19 vaccine,” John Standley, president of Walgreens, said in a statement. “Mobile clinics and the other models we use will allow us to bring vaccines to the heart of the most impacted communities, as well as addressing common barriers like transportation and convenience for those who want to get vaccinated.”
Austin residents vote to ban homeless encampments
More than half of Austin residents voted Saturday to reinstate a ban on homeless encampments in the city.
Fifty-seven percent of voters in the Texas state capital said they were in favor of reinstating criminal penalties for camping in public spaces via Proposition B, the Austin American-Statesman reported.
The controversial measure was one of eight proposals on the ballot. More than 150,000 Austin residents cast a vote, with 85,830 voting in favor and 64,409 against, according to the paper.
The vote comes after the city’s mayor, Stever Adler, and the city council in July 2019 canceled a more than 20-year-old ordinance that banned camping in public spaces.
Denmark Ditches J&J COVID Vaccine, Says Benefits ‘Do Not Outweigh Risk’ of Blood Clots
Denmark on Monday became the first country to exclude Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) COVID vaccine from its vaccination program over a potential link to blood clotting disorders.The Danish Health Authority said in a statement it had concluded “the benefits of using the COVID-19 vaccine from J&J do not outweigh the risk of causing the possible adverse effect in those who receive the vaccine,” Reuters reported.
Danish health officials noted the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) conclusion that “there is a possible link between rare but severe cases of blood clots and the COVID-19 vaccine from J&J,” referring to an investigation last month into eight U.S. reports of rare blood clots — one of which was fatal — that occurred after recent vaccination.
Unlike the Danish Health Authority however, the EMA concluded the benefits of using the J&J vaccine outweigh the risks. The EMA did recommend adding a warning to J&J’s vaccine label, and the company said it would comply with that measure.
“Taking the present situation in Denmark into account, what we are currently losing in our effort to prevent severe illness from COVID-19 cannot outweigh the risk of causing possible side effects in the form of severe blood clots in those we vaccinate,” the health authority said.
Denmark stopped using AstraZeneca’s vaccine last month after European regulators found a possible link between AstraZeneca’s COVID vaccine and “very rare” blood clots.
Both J&J and AstraZeneca vaccines use a modified adenovirus vector technology as opposed to the mRNA technology used in the Moderna and Pfizer’s COVID vaccines.
Florida Gov. DeSantis Suspends Local COVID-19 Emergency Orders, Bans Vaccine Passports
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill banning COVID-19 vaccine passports and also announced an executive order that suspends all local pandemic emergency mandates effective July 1.
DeSantis signed Senate Bill 2006, passed by Florida state lawmakers last month granting DeSantis the ability to override local emergency orders. The bill also includes a ban on vaccine passports that would levy fines of $5,000 per violation.
“I’m going to sign the bill. It’s effective July 1. I’ll also sign an executive order pursuant to that bill invalidating all remaining local emergency COVID orders effective on July 1,” the Republican governor said in a news conference in St. Petersburg on Monday. “But then, to bridge the gap between then and now, I’m going to suspend, under my executive power, the local emergency orders as it relates to COVID.”
Describing his executive orders as the “evidence-based thing to do,” DeSantis said that proponents of lockdowns “really are saying you don’t believe in the vaccines, you don’t believe in the data, you don’t believe in the science.” He added: “We’ve embraced the vaccines. We’ve embraced the science on it.”
The order suspending local emergency mandates only affects governments, not businesses.
The ‘Left’ Has Learned, The Quickest Way To Shut Down Your Opponent’s Objections Is To Call Them A ‘Racist’ | Just Ask ‘Minorities’ | “GOP Whip Montoya Blasts ‘race-baiting’ In Session”
House Minority Whip Rod Montoya, R-Farmington
SANTA FE — House Minority Whip Rod Montoya, R-Farmington, had some harsh words for legislative leaders this week as the special session got underway, accusing lawmakers of “aggressive race-baiting” and unjustified allegations of bullying and sexism.
He outlined his thoughts in a three-page letter to Democratic and Republican leaders in both chambers of the Legislature.
Montoya said that as a Hispanic man married to a Native American woman, he is tired of white progressives offering platitudes about climate change as Navajo coal miners and others lose their jobs.
“Members of the Democrat Party regularly use such terms as ‘marginalized peoples,’ ‘institutional racism,’ and ‘implicit bias’ to avoid having to answer legitimate policy questions,” Montoya said. “While this may be an effective way to shut down opposition, it does not benefit us as a lawmaking body.”
Bannon’s War Room | Morning Edition Hour 1 | Recorded May 3, 2021 | Video: 48 Minutes 24 Seconds
Episode 917 – The Great Reset to the Great Realignment … (w/ Cpt. M. Bannon, Gracia, Rachmuth).
“Ilegals are having gun battles on their ranches, they’re finding dead bodies, their homes are being broken into,” Gracia said. “They don’t have the manpower to address this.” Guests are: Cpt. Maureen Bannon, Bianca Gracia, Sloan Rachmuth.
Anti-Woke Faction Opposed To Critical Race Theory Wins Texas School Board Race
- Candidates opposed to critical race theory swept Saturday’s race in Southlake
- School district had been embroiled in bitter controversy for nine months
- Last summer, plans for diversity training were announced after offensive video
- Conservative parents fiercely opposed plan, saying it called for ‘diversity police’
- Others insisted new curriculum was needed to battle racism and inequity
- Now, candidates opposing the diversity plan win board seats by wide margins
- It comes amid a national debate over critical race theory in classrooms
Candidates opposed to teaching ‘critical race theory’ in the classroom have swept a local school board election in Texas, following a bitterly contested campaign that saw passions rise on both sides.
In Saturday’s election in Southlake, candidates opposed to the new curriculum won the two open seats on the Carroll Independent School District board overwhelmingly, with nearly 70 percent of the vote.
The election followed a harsh dispute over plans the district introduced last summer to require diversity and inclusion training after a video went viral showing some of its high school students laughing as they shouted the N-word.
Parents packed school board meetings to oppose the plan, arguing it would create ‘diversity police’ and discriminate against white children. Some even pulled their kids out of the district, and one mother sued, pausing the plan’s implementation.
Bannon’s War Room | Morning Edition Hour 2 | Recorded May 3, 2021 | Video: 48 Minutes 16 Seconds
Episode 918 – Shut Up and Get Your Gene Therapy…NY Times and Fauci Move the Herd Immunity Goal Posts.
“They’re saying shut up and get your vaccination,” Kassam said. “Or shut up and get your gene therapy, I should say.” Guests are: Cpt. Maureen Bannon, Mike Lindell, Marylyn Todd, Dustin Cournoyer, Mark Finchem.
Bannon’s War Room | Evening Edition | Recorded May 3, 2021 | Video: 40 Minutes 16 Seconds
Episode 919 – It’s a Small World of Election Rigging … Raffensberger Ties in NH. Heather Mullins, of Real America’s Voice, reports on the battle over the forensic audit in New Hampshire. Mullins reveals another reason for uproar against Verified Voting: its head worked with Brad Raffensberger in Georgia. Guests are: Cpt. Maureen Bannon, Boris Epshteyn, Mark Finchem.