Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoes GOP bill aimed at banning all future mask mandates
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas bill that would ban mask mandates from any government institution on any public health matter is circling the drain following a veto from Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.
Kelly announced the veto late Friday on the grounds that the legislation would constrain public health authorities from responding to outbreaks of any illness.
“I have consistently opposed vaccine passports and mandating any COVID-19 vaccination. However, this bill goes beyond COVID-19 and implements a one-size-fits-all approach for all infectious diseases. It significantly limits any government entity’s response to any infectious disease outbreak,” Kelly said in a veto message.
The move wasn’t a surprise. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Kelly said she was against any laws that would tie the hands of public health officials in the future.
—The Kansas City Star
Pence to headline Georgia rally for Kemp in new break with Trump
ATLANTA — Former Vice President Mike Pence will headline a get-out-the-vote rally with Gov. Brian Kemp on the eve of Georgia's May 24 primary, marking a new split with Donald Trump as each maneuver for a possible 2024 White House run.
Pence called Kemp "one of the most successful conservative governors in America" in a statement announcing the May 23 rally to help the incumbent stave off a Trump-backed challenge from former U.S. Sen. David Perdue.
The event announced Friday underscores a growing proxy fight in Georgia between establishment forces backing Kemp and the Trump loyalists who want to remake the state Republican party in the former president's mold.
Trump has put Kemp at the top of his revenge list, falsely blaming him for his 2020 election defeat. His vendetta has spread beyond the governor, too, as he's built a pro-Trump slate of candidates who are challenging Kemp allies down the ballot.
—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Man faces charges for driving through a 'Stop Asian Hate' rally and yelling racial slurs
LOS ANGELES — A Diamond Bar, California, man who drove his car through a "Stop Asian Hate" rally and yelled racial slurs has been indicted by federal prosecutors.
Steve Lee Dominguez, 56, cut off several protesters in a crosswalk, including a 9-year-old, almost hitting them with his black Honda at the March 2021 rally in Diamond Bar, according to prosecutors.
Dominguez yelled racial slurs, including "Go back to China" and "F— China," to protesters, some of whom were Black or Asian American, the indictment said.
The indictment, dated April 29 and unsealed Thursday, charges Dominguez with intimidating pedestrians on a public road with his car — a dangerous weapon — on the basis of their race.
He faces a second count of intimidating and interfering with people who were exercising their right to free speech and assembly to protest racially motivated violence.
—Los Angeles Times
Violence at Al-Jazeera reporter's funeral in sparks outrage
RAMALLAH, West Bank — The behavior of police at the funeral of an Al-Jazeera journalist killed this week while reporting on an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank sparked outrage on Friday.
Images shared online and broadcast on TV channels appeared to show Israeli police beating people attending the funeral procession in Jerusalem.
Thousands attended the funeral of Shireen Abu Akleh, who is well-known in the Arab world. She was shot dead during an Israeli operation in Jenin on Wednesday.
Police said hundreds of demonstrators had turned violent during the funeral procession, throwing stones at officers. Security forces had responded with flash grenades, according to Palestinian sources.
—dpa
