Wednesday 5/1/19: Griff Jenkins, James Carafano, Cal Thomas, Rep. David Trone, Tom Fitton, Mercedes Schlapp and Newt Gingrich
6am – A INTERVIEW – JAMES CARAFANO – vice president of foreign and defense policy studies The Heritage Foundation. @JJCarafano – analyzed the situation in Venezuela.
NYT: Venezuelan Opposition Leader Steps Up Pressure, but Maduro Holds On
Trump, Seeking to Put Pressure on Maduro, Threatens a Full Embargo on Cuba
Pompeo claims Russia stopped Maduro leaving Venezuela for Cuba
SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO’S MESSAGE TO VENEZUELA’S MADURO: ‘FIRE UP THE PLANE’
Venezuela’s Maduro denies Pompeo’s claim that he sought to escape to Cuba after day of clashes that left 1 dead, dozens hurt
White House national security adviser John Bolton on Venezuela clashes: “The Cubans, we believe, have played a very significant role in propping Maduro up today, possibly with help from the Russians. That’s the speculation, certainly in Caracas”
MADURO KICKS CNN OFF THE AIR AS VENEZUELANS REVOLT AGAINST HIM
Venezuela in chaos: Opposition leader Juan Guaidó has called for a new round of mass protests on Wednesday after a day of violent uprising in Venezuela against disputed President Nicolas Maduro. After being absent for most of the day, Maduro took to the airwaves to proclaim that Guaidó’s rebellion had been defeated. However, that did not stop Guaidó, who is recognized by the U.S. and more than 50 other nations as Venezuela’s rightful president, from calling for more protests. Opposition forces hope that fed-up Venezuelans will be so angered by broadcast images of armored vehicles plowing into protesters that they will continue to riot in the streets. And in a blow to Maduro, Manuel Ricardo Cristopher Figuera, the head of Venezuela’s feared secret police, turned his back on the disputed leader in an open letter made public Tuesday night.
6am – B UNC Charlotte: Suspect facing multiple charges in deadly campus shooting, family says he is student. (Fox News) – The suspect in the deadly shooting on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte on Tuesday was reportedly charged with two counts of murder and other charges as authorities search for a motive. Trystan Andrew Terrell, 22, was charged early Wednesday of two counts of murder, four counts of attempted murder, four counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, possession of a firearm on educational property and discharging a firearm on educational property, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department confirmed. The suspect’s grandfather Paul Rold of Arlington, Texas, said that Terrell and his father moved to Charlotte from the Dallas area about two years ago after his mother died. Rold said his grandson was attending UNC-Charlotte. Police Chief Jeff Baker told reporters late Tuesday that campus police received a call about a suspect who was armed with a pistol who “had shot several students.” After officers responded to the scene within minutes, the suspect was disarmed and taken into custody. A total of six people were shot by the suspect. Of those six, two were killed while three remain in critical condition with the fourth suffering from non-life threatening injuries, Baker said. Students were among the victims, but officials would not say how many. The school’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) tweeted just before 9 p.m. on Tuesday that a lockdown across campus was still active, despite the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department tweeting that the scene was “secure.” Before 6 p.m. the OEM said that shots had been reported near the school’s Kennedy Building. “Run, Hide, Fight. Secure Yourself immediately,” the office tweeted. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper was quickly briefed on the situation at UNCC, according to his Twitter account. Vi Lyles, the mayor of Charlotte, tweeted that news of the shooting was shocking. Librarian Laura McShane told The Charlotte Observer that she was working at the school’s Atkins Library when she “heard a ruckus” nearby.
6am – C ‘No plans’ for Jussie Smollett’s ‘Empire’ character to return as series is renewed, Fox says. (Fox News) — Fox Entertainment’s hit show “Empire” was officially picked up for a sixth season — but without one of its controversial mainstays, Jussie Smollett. “By mutual agreement, the studio has negotiated an extension to Jussie Smollett’s option for season six, but at this time there are no plans for the character of Jamal to return to ‘Empire,’” Fox Entertainment and 20th Century Fox TV issued in a statement to Fox News on Tuesday. A spokesperson for Smollett also told Fox News: “We’ve been told that Jussie will not be on Empire in the beginning of the season but he appreciates they have extended his contract to keep Jamal’s future open. Most importantly he is grateful to Fox and Empire leadership, cast, crew and fans for their unwavering support.” Smollett was spotted vacationing in Hawaii earlier this month after he had 16 felony disorderly conduct charges dropped against him in Chicago for his alleged role in a hate-crime scandal. He also was seen last week having lunch with “Empire” showrunner Brett Mahoney in North Hollywood. In a stunning reversal, the Cook County State Attorney’s office announced on March 26 that all felony counts against Smollett were being dropped and the record in the case sealed. Smollett voluntarily forfeited his $10,000 bond, and Smollett’s attorney, Patricia Brown-Holmes, said the funds would likely go to the city of Chicago.
6am – D INTERVIEW – CAL THOMAS – Syndicated Columnist – discussed the Chuck/Nancy meeting and Biden presidential campaign rollout.
6am – E Bernie Sanders Urges Disney to Use ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Profits to ‘Pay Its Workers a Middle-Class Wage’ (Breitbart) — Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said that Disney should be spending its $1 billion-plus profits from the Avengers: Endgame film on paying all it’s employees middle-class wages. “What would be truly heroic is if Disney used its profits from Avengers to pay all of its workers a middle class wage, instead of paying its CEO Bob Iger $65.6 million – over 1,400 times as much as the average worker at Disney makes,” Bernie Sanders said. Sanders’ statement comes after Roy Disney’s granddaughter Abigail Disney criticized Disney CEO Bob Iger over his salary. “When [Iger] got his bonus last year, I did the math, and I figured out that he could have given personally, out of pocket, a 15% raise to everyone who worked at Disneyland, and still walked away with $10 million,” she said. “So there’s a point at which there’s just too much going around the top of the system into this class of people who–I’m sorry this is radical–have too much money. There is such a thing.” Avengers: Endgame certainly has been a huge box office success — earning over $1 billion globally in its opening weekend. Of course, the stars of the film, like many in Hollywood, have used the popularity of the movie to promote their social justice views.
6am – F NATS HAT GUY REPRESENTIN’ D.C. WHILE SHOOTING AT MADURO’S FORCES: Defected soldiers and protesters exchange gunfire with troops in Venezuela. A guy wearing a Nationals hat and shirt is shooting up the place, going after Maduro’s people.