NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT SUNDAY 5/17/2020

"We won't be staying in our cars and you don't have to wear a mask.   There may be a lot of people giving hugs and lots of hand shaking going on.   Doing our part to strengthen the herd immunity against Covid-19"

Libertarian activist Ammon Bundy announcing a worship service "Church In The Park" at 5 pm local time  (7 pm Eastern US time)  today in Meridian, Idaho.     The service taking place in the amphitheater at Julius Kleiner Park, 1900 North Records Avenue.

Video of the service is at this link.......FREEDOM TABERNACLE WORSHIP SERVICE 5/17/2020 MERIDIAN IDAHO

AMMON BUNDY FACEBOOK POST

MEANWHILE THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT IS INVESTIGATING AFTER A COMPLAINT FROM HIKERS ABOUT RYAN BUNDY BUILDING IRRIGATION INFRASTRUCTURE ON LAND TRADITIONALLY USED BY RANCHER CLIVEN BUNDY BUT CLAIMED AS FEDERAL LAND NOW DESIGNATED AS THE GOLD BUTTE NATIONAL MONUMENT.......

THE HIKERS REPORTED THE SITUATION TO THE BLM IN MID-APRIL.   RYAN BUNDY SAYS HE IS UNAWARE OF ANY BLM INVESTIGATION IN HIS IRRIGATION WORK.....E AND E NEWS STORY

ALSO IN THE LINKED STORY THE US NINTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS NEW DATE TO HEAR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S APPEAL OF THE DISMISSAL OF CHARGES AGAINST CLIVEN BUNDY AND OTHERS  FOR GROSS PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT.

THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT'S APPEAL IN CONNECTION WITH THE APRIL 2014 BUNKERVILLE STANDOFF SET FOR A HEARING MAY 29TH IN SAN FRANCISCO.

Thousands protesting at San Diego's Embarcadero Saturday evening calling for an end to the house arrest order of California's Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom......ABC 10 SAN DIEGO VIDEO

Protest in Northern California Saturday with demonstrators calling for the Mayor of Livermore to reopen the city.....KPIX SAN FRANCISCO VIDEO

In Europe police cracking down on reopen protesters this weekend like at this demonstration in Switzerland....POLICE CRACKDOWN ON SWISS PROTEST

ONE MILITARY OFFICER IS DEAD, ANOTHER INJURED IN THE CRASH OF A CANADIAN FORCES  JET IN KAMLOOPS, BRITISH COLUMBIA.     THE PLANE PART OF THE SNOWBIRDS ACROBATIC TEAM TOURING THE COUNTRY TO BOOST MORALE DURING THE COVID-19 SITUATION IN COUNTRY.....CBC NEWS STORY

11 FIREFIGHTERS BURNED IN AN EXPLOSION AS THEY FOUGHT A FIRE IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES AT A HASH OIL FACTORY SATURDAY EVENING.   THREE OF THE FIREFIGHTERS IN CRITICAL CONDITION....ABC 7 LOS ANGELES NEWS STORY

The US Space Command launching a remote controlled plane into orbit from Florida today.   Its the sixth flight for the solar powered X-37B craft with launch delayed a day due to bad weather......NEW YORK POST STORY

"The people wanted unity"

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking in parliament today as a new government took office in Israel with Netanyahu remaining in place but Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz being both Defense Minister Alternate Prime Minister set to take office in 18 months.

Another former Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff from Blue and White,  Gabi Ashkenazi, will be Foreign Minister.

The government of "unity" expanded with 36 cabinet ministers and 16 deputy ministers many of them more moderate Blue and White members, even the Labor Party has a cabinet post.

The Opposition Leader Designate Yair Lapid of the secularist Yesh Atid Party said in part:

"You are today establishing the biggest government in history, are you calling it an emergency government?   At present, there are less than 50 people on ventilators because of the coronavirus." 

A vote to approve the new government 73-46 in Israel's 120 seat parliament.

ASSOCIATED PRESS STORY PUBLISHED BY YNET ISRAEL

CHINA'S AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL FOUND DEAD IN HIS HOME IN A TEL AVIV SUBURB......ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS....58 YEAR OLD DU WEI SAID TO HAVE SUFFERED A HEART ATTACK...YNET NEWS STORY....A WEBSITE THAT PUBLISHES OPPOSITION TO US FOREIGN POLICY PRESENTED A TIMELINE OF EVENTS LEADING TO DU WEI'S DEATH....MOON OF ALABAMA POST

An British flagged tanker repulsed a pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden off the southern coast of Yemen today.......AL JAZEERA NEWS STORY

IN ANTICPATION OF US MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRANIAN TANKERS CARRYING GASOLINE TO VENEZUELA, IRAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER JAVAD HAS SENT A WARNING LETTER TO THE UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTONIO GUTERRES.   

ZARIF SAYS THE US HAS MADE ILLEGAL, DANGEROUS AND PROVOCATIVE THREATS REGARDING FUEL SHIPMENTS TO VENEZUELA AND THAT IRAN HAS THE RIGHT TO TAKE APPROPRIATE AND NECESSARY MEASURES TO COUNTER THE THREATS....OFFICIAL IRANIAN NEWS AGENCY IRNA

A power sharing deal signed today in Afghanistan between President Ashraf Ghani and rival Abdullah Abdullah.    Both men claimed victory after the last presidential election.    Abdullah will lead peace talks with the Taliban under the agreement......AFP NEWS STORY

A deal was reportedly cut between the United States and Iran to install a new government in Iraq recently.    The "Middle East Eye" reports that Iran was given some backdoor sanctions relief in exchange for Shia Muslim factions in Iraq supporting the new government of Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi......MIDDLE EAST EYE STORY

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg spoke with the leader of Libya's Government of National Accord this weekend.    Stoltenberg told GNA Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj that Libya's problems could only be solved by negotiations involving the UN and all parties.    He also said that NATO was willing to build up security and defense institutions in the country.

The UN recognized Government of National Accord is fighting the forces of the eastern Libya based Libyan National Army of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.....ANADOLU TURKISH NEWS AGENCY REPORT

The coronavirus story around the world today as reported by BBC News on its daily blog.......BBC NEWS CORONAVIRUS BLOG 5/17/2020

In other news.......

THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER IS NOW TRACKING TROPICAL STORM ARTHUR OFF THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF THE UNITED STATES WITH A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST...

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS 45 MILES PER HOUR AS OF 11 PM SUNDAY NIGHT,   THE STORM EXPECTED TO MOVE CLOSE TO ON SLIGHTLY ON THE EAST COAST OF NORTH CAROLINA, THEN MOVE OUT TO SEA.......

An Egyptian newspaper editor arrested outside a prison this morning as she interviewed the mother of a jailed activist.    Lina Attalah being held incommunicado at a police station to be questioned tomorrow by prosecutors....THE INDEPENDENT UK NEWS STORY

And that's the way it really is Sunday May 17th, 2020......