Friday morning news: May 3, 2024

Hanes testimony on global threats » A deepening alliance between China and other authoritarian regimes poses a growing threat to the United States.

That’s what Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told a Senate panel.

HAINES: China is working to develop its own form of multilateralism while deepening its relationship with Russia and Iran in particular.

Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, who leads the Defense Intelligence Agency, told senators he shares Haines’s concerns.

KRUSE: There are a growing number of adversaries who are interacting and partnering in ways and toward ends that we have not seen before.

Intel officials expect China to strengthen its nuclear and cyber capabilities and keep working to divide the U.S from its allies.

Kirby on Russia/North Korea » And U.S. officials say there is one more actor in this coalition of dictatorships: North Korea.

The Biden Administration says Russia is sending alarming amounts of refined petroleum to Pyongyang raising new concerns about the North’s nuclear weapons program.

White House National Security Council spokesman Communications Advisor John Kirby…

KIRBY: Russia’s actions are unprecedented for a member of the P5 and break a longstanding effort by the United Nations Security Council to support denuclearization and nonproliferation efforts.

P5 is shorthand for the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.

The U.N. caps the amount of refined petroleum that can be sent to North Korea at 500,000 barrels a year, but Kirby says…

KIRBY: In March alone, Russia shipped more than 165,000 barrels of refined petroleum to the DPRK.

The White House says that Russia, in turn, is getting weapons and ammo for its war in Ukraine.

Kirby says the U.S. will impose new sanctions on any countries involved in the shipments of the weapons or the petroleum.

Hamas to continue cease-fire talks » Hamas says it's sending a delegation to Egypt for further talks about a possible cease-fire deal in Gaza.

U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters that Israel has compromised on many of its long-held positions and met several demands by the terror group.

MILLER:  The deal that they demanded that has been offered, they should accept and move forward is Hamas. That is the only barrier to a ceasefire right now.

Israel says Hamas is still holding around 100 hostages. The proposal only calls for the terror group to release a third of those captives.

Campus unrest latest » Police have now arrested more than 2,000 Anti-Israel/Pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses across the country… over the last two weeks.

PROTESTERS: Free Palestine! Free, free, free Palestine.

Protesters heard there on the UCLA campus in California as police moved in to clear out their encampment Thursday.

That was one of several campuses where the protests turned violent.

At Columbia University in New York, where protesters took over and barricaded themselves in a building on campus this week, police now say more than 30 of the suspects arrested were not affiliated with the school.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams…

ADAMS: While those who broke into the building did include students, it was led by individuals who are not affiliated with the university.

Student organizers dispute Adams’ claim that outside agitators led the takeover of the building.

Biden addresses campus unrest » President Biden has broken his silence on the campus chaos after taking heat from Republicans for not speaking out sooner.

He told reporters at the White House that every American has the right to protest peacefully.

BIDEN: But it doesn't mean anything goes. It needs to be done without violence, without destruction, without hate, and within the law.

He also said that forcing the cancellation of classes or even graduation ceremonies infringes on the rights of other students.

And Biden added that destructive demonstrations are not only against the law, they’re also unpersuasive. One White House reporter asked the president …

 REPORTER:  Have the protests forced you to reconsider any of the policies with regard to the region?

BIDEN: No.

Trump on campus unrest, campaigning, trial » Meantime, Biden’s Republican rival Donald Trump once again denounced the unruly campus protests.

TRUMP:   These are radical left lunatics and they got to be stopped now because it's going to go on and on and it's going to get worse and worse and you know, they take over countries, okay? And we're not letting them take over the USA. 

He also praised police who have responded to the protests in New York, Los Angeles and elsewhere.

Arizona abortion » As expected, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has signed a measure repealing a law protecting unborn children from abortion in almost all cases.

HOBBS: This ban needs to be repealed. I said it in 2022 when Roe was overturned, and I said it again and again as governor.

The longstanding statute was dormant for decades after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion nationwide. However, the Arizona Supreme Court recently ruled that the law could once again be enforced after the reversal of Roe v Wade.

With the repeal of the law the state will revert to another law protecting the unborn starting at 15 weeks.

I’m Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: Culture Friday with Katie McCoy. Plus, Ask the Editor.

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