NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT THURSDAY 4/30/2020

(SERVICE WHEN ABLE THROUGH LATE THURSDAY)

Another incident involving New York City police moving in on Orthodox Jewish mourners this afternoon.   NYPD moving in to disperse a crowd and send away a vehicle carrying a coffin in Brooklyn's Borough Park neighborhood.    

The situation considered to be in violation of "social distancing" rules in the city leading to the police attempt to disperse the funeral.  Comments made by New York Mayor Bill DeBlasio over another funeral in violation of those rules earlier this week a source of major controversy .....ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS STORY (WITH VIDEO EMBEDDED)......YOU TUBE VIDEO LINK: NYPD VIOLATES JEWS RIGHTS.....

Hundreds of protesters at Michigan's State Capitol in Lansing today demanding an end to the state of emergency declared over the coronavirus.   Governor Gretchen Whitmer replaced a previous emergency order set to expire today with a new one that ends on May 28th.

Protesters made their way into the building where only 275 were allowed because of "social distancing".       They stood outside legislative chambers and were in the galleries above them.    Some mainstream media reporting emphasized the exercise of the 'right to keep and bear arms' by some protesters.    Firearms are allowed in the State Capitol......CNN REPORT....BBC REPORT

ISRAELI HELICOPTERS STAGED AIR STRIKES IN SOUTHERN SYRIA TONIGHT.   THE SYRIAN STATE NEWS AGENCY REPORTS NO CASUALTIES BUT MATERIAL DAMAGE.....TASS NEWS REPORT.....SYRIAN ARAB NEWS AGENCY REPORT

"This purely political act is another example of the administration using the US government to advance a personal vendetta against Amazon"

The reaction from the corporate giant Amazon to the US government move to place five overseas Amazon websites on a list of "notorious markets" that sell counterfeit or pirates items.

Amazon linking the action to President Trump's hostility to Amazon's founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos.....BBC NEWS STORY

3.8 MILLION NEW APPLICATIONS FOR UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE US LAST WEEK BRINGING THE TOTAL TO OVER 30 MILLION IN THE LAST SIX WEEKS.....

(WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT)   DEMOCRAT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AND FORMER VICE-PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN WILL APPEAR ON THE 'MORNING JOE' PROGRAM ON MSNBC FRIDAY MORNING.    BIDEN WILL SPEAK ABOUT THE SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATION OF TARA READE.     READE SAYS THAT SHE WAS DIGITALLY PENETRATED BY  BIDEN IN THE SPRING OF 1993 WHILE A MEMBER OF HIS STAFF.

A shooting attack at the Cuban Embassy in Washington early this morning.     The suspect, now in custody, said to have fired 30 shots at the building from the outside according to people that live in the neighborhood.

The shooting started at around 2 am.  The suspect drove an SUV with Texas license plates and an American flag on the roof.       He was said to have been wrapped in a flag during the shooting.   Charges for the suspect are possession of an unregistered firearm,  assault with intent to kill and possessing a high-capacity magazine.

No injuries but the Cuban Embassy said there was material damage to the building.......THE INDEPENDENT UK NEWS STORY

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the US is still technically part of the JCPOA Iran nuclear deal even though President Trump announced the withdrawal of the US from the deal in 2018.   Russian diplomat Mikhail Ulyanov says US attempts to now portray itself as part of JCPOA 'have no future'.

The US move to call itself a JCPOA member again is linked to US attempts to scuttle the deal and impose even harsher sanctions on Iran......TASS NEWS STORY

GERMANY CONFORMING ITS POLICY ON THE IRANIAN BACKED HEZBOLLAH MOVEMENT IN LEBANON TO THAT OF THE UNITED STATES.   INTERIOR MINISTER HORST SEEHOFER ISSUING A BAN ON ALL ACTIVITIES OF THE GROUP IN GERMANY TODAY.

POLICE CONDUCTING RAIDS ON MOSQUES AND OFFICES ASSOCIATED WITH HEZBOLLAH ACROSS GERMANY.......POLITICO STORY

"Frankly I would call it forcibly imprisoning people in their homes against all their constitutional rights..that's my opinion"

Tesla's Elon Musk offered his view of the coronavirus situation Wednesday noting that Tesla faces challenges because of coronavirus restrictions, challenges that will put smaller companies out of business....BBC NEWS STORY

The Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has tested positive for the coronavirus.   President Vladimir Putin signing an executive order to place a First Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the government while Mishustin recovers......TASS NEWS STORY.......BBC NEWS STORY

The BBC News coronavirus blog continues to provide reporting from the UK and around the world on Covid-19.......BBC NEWS CORONAVIRUS BLOG 4/30/2020

In other news........

The eastern Libyan National Army says that its ceasing hostilities in conjunction with Ramadan that began April 24th.     The latest LNA move follows a speech by its leader, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, proclaiming control over the country.

The LNA has been suffering military reverses in recent weeks as the Government of National Accord based in Tripoli has made advances on the battlefield backed by Turkish military support including Syrian jihadists recruited to fight for the GNA.......SPUTNIK NEWS STORY

The political fight continues in Brazil with a Supreme Court judge blocking President Jair Bolsonaro from appointing a family friend as federal police chief.    An investigation has been authorized following last week's resignation of Justice Minister Sergio Moro.    Moro accused Bolsonaro of trying to interfere in police investigations......AFP NEWS STORY

One quick note no special "Unplugged" post today.....

That's the way it really is Thursday April 30th, 2020