News Editor’s Roundup: McCarthy Backs Stefanik for House GOP Conference Chair

BY JACK CROWE

May 10, 2021

Good morning and welcome to the News Editor's Roundup, a weekly newsletter that will ensure you're up to date on the developments in politics, business, and culture that will shape the week's news cycle — as well as those that might escape mainstream attention.

McCarthy Backs Stefanik for House GOP Conference Chair

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) officially endorsed Representative Elise Stefanik (R., N.Y.) for House GOP Conference Chair in a Sunday interview on Fox News's Sunday Morning Futures.

"Yes I do," McCarthy said when asked by host Maria Bartiromo whether he plans to back Stefanik. "We need to be united, and that starts with leadership….That's why we will have a vote next week."

The endorsement comes amid GOP frustration with Liz Cheney (R., Wyo.), the current Conference Chair and third-highest ranking Republican in the House. The vote to oust Cheney is expected to be held Wednesday, Politico reported.

Sanders Urges Biden to Abandon Infrastructure Negotiations, Proceed without GOP Support

Senator Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) urged President Biden to push ahead with the administration's infrastructure package without Republican support, in comments to Axios on HBO on Sunday.

Host Jonathan Swan asked Sanders to react to Biden adviser Steve Ricchetti's comments on the package to the Washington Post.

"We have a little more time for the consideration of this, and the percolation of these proposals, to have broader consultation and dialogue," Ricchetti said last week. "There's more receptivity on the Republican side to having that dialogue, and they also see the potential to reach some common ground here."

"In general I don't agree with that," Sanders told Axios. "The bottom line is the American people want results."

Disney Employee Training Claims U.S. Was Founded on 'Systemic Racism,' Includes 'White Privilege Checklist'

The Walt Disney Corporation has launched a "diversity and inclusion program" which teaches employees that America was founded on "systemic racism" and asks employees to complete a "white privilege checklist."

According to whistleblower documents obtained by City Journal, Disney's new initiative is called "Reimagine Tomorrow" and includes training on so-called systemic racism, white privilege, white fragility, white saviors, microaggressions, and antiracism.

The training claims that the U.S. has a "long history of systemic racism and transphobia" and pushes employees to "take ownership of educating yourself about structural anti-Black racism" and "not rely on your Black colleagues to educate you," which is "emotionally taxing."

Cyberattack Shuts Down U.S. Pipeline That Transports 45 Percent of East Coast Fuel

The Colonial Pipeline, the top U.S. fuel pipeline operator, has shut down its entire network after being hit with a cyberattack, the company said in a statement on Friday.

Colonial, which says it transports roughly 45 percent of fuel consumed on the East Coast, became aware on Friday that it had fallen victim to a cyberattack and "took certain systems offline to contain the threat, which has temporarily halted all pipeline operations."

The company said it has contacted federal agencies and law enforcement and is working with a third-party cybersecurity firm to manage the threat, which affected some of its IT systems.

Fauci: Seasonal Mask-Wearing 'Quite Possible'

During an appearance on NBC News Meet the Press Sunday, U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci commented that seasonal mask-wearing is "quite possible."

"It is conceivable that in a year or two, that during certain seasonal periods with respiratory-borne diseases, people might elect to wear masks," Fauci said.

He noted that many people have become accustomed to wearing face-coverings. Fauci cited the case study of Australia and their history of mask use and efficacy, attributing their mild flu season to diligent mask-wearing.

"When you have the ability of a particular virus to go further than just a few feet, clearly one of the most important things is proper ventilation, and number two, mask-wearing," Fauci said of ways to minimize aerosol transmission.

Commerce Secretary Denies Expanded Unemployment Relief behind Poor Jobs Report

During an appearance on CBS News Face The Nation, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo refuted the notion that the Biden administration's expansion of unemployment benefits contributed to the poor April jobs report that missed economist expectations by 800,000 jobs.

When host John Dickerson asked whether unemployment relief was hurting the jobs market, Raimondo responded, "There is nothing in the data that would suggest that is the reason people are out of work. "

"This unemployment insurance has been a lifeline of survival for so many Americans," she continued.

Andrew Yang Criticizes 'Defund The Police' after NYC Shooting

During an appearance at the Crossroads of the World Sunday morning, NYC mayoral candidate Andrew Yang said the city cannot afford to "defund the police," after an shooting incident involving three bystanders happened the day prior.

"The truth is that New York City cannot afford to defund the police," Yang said. "When I talk to New Yorkers I get a very different message every single day."

"New Yorkers are concerned about rising rates of violent crime, petty crime, street homelessness. This is what we are seeing, and we need our city's leaders to step up right now," he continued.

Virginia School Leaders Accused of Setting the Ground for 'Anti-Racist' Indoctrination

A prominent journalist and author turned anti-indoctrination advocate is accusing leaders of the Fairfax County school district in Virginia of setting the ground for woke activists to begin pushing "anti-racist" ideology and critical race theory on students.

In an impassioned speech at Thursday's school board meeting, Asra Nomani took issue with the district's just-announced decision to change a policy that guides how controversial topics can be taught in schools. She called it "the one policy that parents have to defend their students from indoctrination and activism."

"You have to just think for yourself, if you have to remove a policy like that, how can you possibly be doing anything good?" Nomani, a former writer for The Wall Street Journal, told the school board. Nomani is now the vice president of Parents Defending Education, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting classroom indoctrination and activist-driven agendas in schools.

California Population Fell by More Than 180,000 in 2020, State's First Ever Yearly Drop

California's population dropped in 2020 for the first time in the state's recorded history.

The Golden State lost 182,083 people in 2020, according to data from the state Department of Finance. State officials attributed the decline to a combination of COVID-19 deaths, a decreasing birth rate, and a reduction in immigration while announcing the figure on Friday.

Last week, the U.S. Census Bureau announced California would lose a congressional seat because of the unprecedented low growth rate.