LGBTQ Activist Group Asks Anheuser-Busch to Further Support of Trans Community

Townhall: Anheuser-Busch has dug itself into a deep hole after playing politics with its beer. Since significant backlash stormed the company for partnering with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Bud Light has faced a downward spiral of issues, including a drastic drop in sales. Now the trans community is coming for the company, pressuring it to publicly double down on supporting transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney. In a letter addressed to the head of Anheuser-Busch’s human resources department, senior vice president at The Human Rights Campaign Jay Brown demanded Anheuser-Busch not stop catering to the LGBTQ community (Townhall). Hill: Anheuser-Busch has declined several meeting requests from HRC in the wake of right-wing pushback over its partnership with Mulvaney, according to an individual with knowledge of the situation. Anheuser-Busch did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment. The letter also recommends that Anheuser-Busch meet with its LGBTQ employees to discuss and “understand their concerns” and conduct workplace transgender inclusion training for company executives (Hill).

Democrat Chris Coons Defends VP Harris: "The vice president is ready to run and ready to be president"

Hill: Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) defended Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday as she faces questions amid President Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign, arguing she has not received the credit she deserves for her accomplishments in the administration. Harris has faced criticism from the beginning of the Biden administration, with her approval rating usually lagging below the president’s. Her current average approval rating is 42.1 percent, according to an aggregation by FiveThirtyEight, and it has dipped as low as 29 percent over the last two years. And with a chief executive who is in his 80s, the quality of the vice president is under an unusually strong microscope (Hill). RNC Research: Democrat Senator Chris Coons: “The vice president is ready to run and ready to be president” (Twitter).

California Will Ban Diesel Vehicles by 2036

Associated Press: New big rigs and buses that run on diesel would not be sold in California starting in 2036, according to new rules approved by state regulators Friday to wean the state off fossil fuels and combat climate change. The rule would tackle pollution from heavy trucks used to transport goods through ports and require companies to disclose their use of these so-called drayage trucks by 2024. The rule cannot be implemented without approval by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. But it’s related to standards the Biden administration already approved last month to phase out diesel-powered box trucks, semitrailers and large passenger pick-ups. If the EPA approves California’s rule, other states could later adopt the same standards. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom touted Friday’s move as a chance to show “the world what real climate action looks like” (Associated Press). Fox Business: California approved one of the world’s first regulations last year requiring all of new car sales to be zero emissions vehicles by 2035, including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The Biden administration hopes to have half of all new vehicle sales be electric by 2030. The state – poised to become the world’s fourth-largest economy – is investing $9 billion toward the transition, through the California Climate Commitment (Fox Business).

Alejandro Mayorkas Defines “Secure Border”

NBC: Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday that he is focused on getting congressional support to fix the “broken immigration system” in the U.S. as the Biden administration braces for what is expected to be a record surge in migration across the southern border. The Biden administration and its border officials are bracing for a massive surge in migrants when the Covid restrictions, known as Title 42, end on May 11. Federal immigration authorities said last week that local officials are already short on the money and space needed to handle migrants (NBC). RNC Research: A new definition of “secure border” just dropped: “What’s the definition of a secure border to you?” Alejandro Mayorkas: “It is maximizing the resources that we have available to us to deliver the most effective results” (Twitter). Washington Examiner: The poll from the Trafalgar Group for Convention of States Action found a bipartisan consensus on putting responsibility for the border on the federal government, though Republicans had a somewhat higher percentage. Roughly 91.4% of Republicans said it was the responsibility of the federal government to manage the current influx of migrants, compared to 82.9% of Democrats and 84.5% of Independents. Altogether, 86.8% of respondents believed it was the responsibility of the federal government over the states (Washington Examiner).

Bernie Sanders Suggests Government Should Take All Profits Above $999 Million

Daily Wire: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said in an interview this week that he believes that all money people make over $999 million per year should be confiscated by the government (Daily Wire). RNC Research: “Are you basically saying that once you get to $999 million, the government should confiscate all the rest?” BERNIE SANDERS: “I’m saying that we should go back to a very progressive tax policy.” “Over $1 billion basically all goes to the government?” SANDERS: “Yeah” (Twitter).

Megyn Kelly Lambasts Dylan Mulvaney for Insulting Women by His Antics

Daily Wire: Podcast host Megyn Kelly slammed controversial transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney for complaining that some companies just want to partner with him because he is transgender. Kelly’s remarks come after she slammed Mulvaney earlier this week after Mulvaney complained about being labeled as a man by some news outlets. “Move to Canada Dylan,” Kelly wrote. “You’ll love it.” Kelly’s comment appears to refer to a Canadian court’s ruling from 2021 that stated deliberate misgendering in the workplace is a human rights violation (Daily Wire). Megyn Kelly: You tried that. It didn’t work. Then you declared you are “a girl” & got corporate $$ galore. Now you want ppl to say what’s interesting about you is not your womanface but the person behind it who was already rejected? How much pretending would you like us to do (Twitter)?

Illinois Assault Weapon Ban Struck Down by Federal Judge

Washington Examiner: A judge in Illinois has blocked enforcement of the state’s assault weapons ban, ruling that the law was in violation of the Second Amendment. United States District Judge Stephen McGlynn ruled on Friday to suspend the implementation of the Protect Illinois Communities Act, arguing it could be in conflict with two Supreme Court cases. The latest ruling marks another bump in the road the law has experienced since it was signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) in January (Washington Examiner). National Review: In addition to prohibiting the possession of semi-automatic rifles such as the AR-15, the law granted local enforcement authorities the power to add additional firearm bans in the future. The legislation also forced firearm owners of the restricted weapons to register with state police (National Review).

Jeffrey Epstein’s Appointment Calendar Shows Meetings with Current CIA Director, Other Prominent Government Officials

National Review: A review of the private calendar of Jeffrey Epstein has revealed that the convicted sex offender and financier had meetings not previously reported on with several prominent Americans, including the current CIA director. Epstein had meetings scheduled with now-director of the Central Intelligence Agency William Burns, President Barack Obama’s White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler, Bard College president Leon Botstein, and Professor Noam Chomsky. None of the names the new documents have revealed appear in Epstein’s now-public “black book” of contacts or in the flight logs of passengers who traveled on his private jet (National Review). Townhall: Three scheduled meetings were slated to occur after Epstein was jailed in 2008 in Washington D.C. and Epstein’s townhome in Manhattan, New York. However, it is unclear if each scheduled meeting took place or the purpose of the sessions. A CIA spokesperson claimed Burns had met with Epstein because, in 2014, the director wanted to leave his current government position (Townhall).

FAA Report Reveals Airlines Responsible for Canceled Flights Rather Than Inclement Weather

Townhall: A new report revealed that airlines, not weather, was the leading cause of canceled flights, leaving thousands of people stranded at airports. Investigators with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released findings from a new government report that found that the surge in flight cancellations post-pandemic was due to factors that airlines have control over, including cancellations for maintenance issues or lack of a crew (Townhall). Fox News: Staffing shortages have contributed to the problem. Although Congress provided about $54 billion for airlines to retain their employees during the pandemic, they reduced their workforce with early retirements or other incentives to lower costs (Fox News).

Illegal Immigrant Who Shot Neighbors in Texas Still at Large

HotAir: Francisco Oropeza is a suspect in a mass shooting Friday in a rural Texas neighborhood. He is the next-door neighbor of his shooting victims. Oropeza shot four members of a family execution-style in their home. A fifth person, an 8-year-old child, was flown to a hospital and later died. As I write this on Sunday morning, the manhunt is still underway. San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said they were able to identify Oropeza through his Mexican consulate card and a doorbell camera. What isn’t being said in reporting is whether or not Oropeza is in this country legally. The consulate card indicates to me that he is still a Mexican citizen. Is there an elephant in the room here? The press has a bad habit of not giving the most basic of facts when it comes to legal and illegal immigration (HotAir). Bill Melugin: Per ICE source, Francisco Oropesa, the Mexican national who police who say fatally shot 5 of his neighbors in TX, is in the U.S. illegally. I’m told he’s been previously deported, has “multiple” illegal re-entries on his record, and was last encountered by ICE in 2016 (Twitter).