News Editor’s Roundup: Kristi Noem Slams Fellow GOP Governors for Backtracking on COVID Lockdown

BY JACK CROWE

July 12, 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.

Kristi Noem Slams Fellow GOP Governors for Backtracking on COVID Lockdown

At the CPAC summit in Dallas, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem accused fellow Republican governors of whitewashing their COVID records, claiming that some are "rewriting history" and pretending that they never curtailed freedoms and shut down businesses.

"We've got Republican governors across this country pretending they didn't shut down their states; that they didn't close their regions; that they didn't mandate masks, that they didn't need to issue shelter in places," Noem suggested in possible reference to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who imposed lockdowns at the genesis of the pandemic like other progressive states.

"Now I'm not picking fights with Republican governors. All I'm saying is that we need leaders with grit. That their first instinct is the right instinct. That they don't backtrack and then try to fool you into the fact that they never made the wrong decision. So, demand honesty from your leaders," the 2024 hopeful contender said.

Biden Administration Renews Trump's Rejection of Beijing's South China Sea Territorial Claims

The Biden administration renewed its support for a Trump-era policy rejecting the Chinese regime's territorial claims on the South China Sea.

In a press statement released Sunday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned China's expansion in the South China sea and aggression towards Southeast Asian coastal states, defending freedom of navigation and the Philippines' right to its previously determined "exclusive economic zone and continental shelf."

The notice echoed the former administration's concern that Beijing is abandoning "rules-based maritime order" and repudiating international law by encroaching on smaller independent states in the region.

Trump Easily Wins CPAC Straw Poll, Again Insinuates Stolen Election in Speech

Former President Trump easily won the Conservative Political Action Conference straw poll for the 2024 presidential election.

Trump received the support of 70 percent of attendees at CPAC in Dallas, Texas, in the informal poll. Florida governor Ron DeSantis was backed by 21 percent, with all other potential receiving less than 1 percent.

… In a speech to close out the conference in Dallas on Sunday, Trump once again insinuated that the 2020 election was stolen by Democrats.

"We were doing so well until the rigged election came along," Trump told attendees.

"You say election fraud, you get cancelled," Trump added. "Unfortunately this was an election where the person that counts the vote was far more important than the candidate."

Richard Branson Flies to Space in His Own Rocket Plane

Billionaire Richard Branson flew to space in his company Virgin Galactic's rocket plane on Sunday.

After takeoff from the Spaceport America facility in New Mexico, the VSS Unity spacecraft detached from the VMS Eve launch plane and passed the "Armstrong Line" about 50 miles above the Earth's surface. The Federal Aviation Administration defines space as beginning at the Armstrong Line.

Branson, who started as a record-store owner in the 1970's and built a fortune over the next several decades as head of Virgin Group, had founded Virgin Galactic in 2004 to facilitate space tourism. While Branson had at the time expected space tourism to be viable within several years, the development process has taken longer than expected.

"We've spent 14 years working on our space program," Branson told Bloomberg Television in 2018. "And it's been tough, and space is tough — it's rocket science."

Charlottesville Abruptly Removes Statue of Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea

The Charlottesville, Va., City Council abruptly voted to remove a statue of Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and Sacagawea on Saturday, the same day statues of Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson were removed from the city.

The council voted unanimously for the statue's removal at an emergency session at noon, and has allocated about $1 million for the removal of all three statues. The statue of the explorers had stood at Charlottesville's West Main Street since 1919.

"The project follows the successful removals of the statues of two Confederate Generals this morning," City Spokesperson Brian Wheeler said in emailed comments to reporters. "The completion of that work ahead of schedule has allowed the removal of the third statue, one which City Council has previously expressed a desire to have removed after a work session with Native American delegations in November 2019."

California to Require Masks in Schools Regardless of Vaccination Status, Despite CDC Guidance

California will continue to require vaccinated students and teachers to wear masks in schools, despite new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention deeming it unnecessary.

State health officials said that mandating masks for all students and teachers would ensure that unvaccinated individuals do not feel they are being treated unfairly. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for all Americans ages 12 and up.

"At the outset of the new year, students should be able to walk into school without worrying about whether they will feel different or singled out for being vaccinated or unvaccinated," California Health & Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said in a statement. "Treating all kids the same will support a calm and supportive school environment."

Judge Blocks Tennessee's Transgender Bathroom Sign Law

A federal judge on Friday blocked a Tennessee law that required businesses to post a notice if they allow transgender people to use bathrooms based on their gender identity rather than their biological sex.

The law requires that bold, uppercase letter signage must be posted outside multi-person bathrooms that transgender individuals are allowed to use based on their gender identity.

Business owners must post a sign that reads, "This facility maintains a policy of allowing the use of restrooms by either biological sex regardless of the designation on the restroom," at the entrance of single-sex public restrooms, locker rooms, dressing areas, or other facilities that are "designated for a specific biological sex . . . where a person would have a reasonable expectation of privacy."

Arizona Governor Signs Bill Banning CRT in Public Schools, State Agencies

Arizona governor Doug Ducey (R.) announced Friday that he signed a bill blocking state-run schools and government entities from requiring training in critical race theory.

Ducey, a Republican, said in a statement after signing House Bill 2906 that CRT suggests that people are "inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously," according to FOX 10 of Phoenix.

"Here in Arizona, we're going to continue to be leaders on civics education and teach important lessons about our nation's history," Ducey said.

Former Obama Ethics Chief: Hunter Biden Art-Selling Arrangement 'Perfect Mechanism for Funneling Bribes'

During an appearance on CNN on Friday, former Obama-era Office of Government Ethics chief Walter Shaub called the White House's arrangement allowing Hunter Biden to sell his art "the perfect mechanism for funneling bribes" to the president.

Shaub's statement comes amid the development that the White House crafted a deal under which the price tags of Hunter Biden's artwork sales, some listing as high as $500,000, will be obscured from the artist to prevent ethical violations.

Per the contract, New York gallery owner Georges Bergès will set the prices for the art and also will conceal related records such as prospective bidders and buyers. Bergès has promised to refuse extraordinary offers far exceeding the asking price or those that he deems suspect, sources first told the Washington Post.