Fox News fires Diamond & Silk for pushing false coronavirus conspiracies

Fox News has severed ties with Diamond and Silk, the video bloggers and political commentators who bill themselves as President Donald Trump’s “most loyal supporters.”

According to sources, Fox News and streaming service Fox Nation “no longer have a relationship” with the duo.

Earlier this month, Twitter locked their account over a tweet that criticized coronavirus crisis stay-at home orders and suggested that people should be “out in the environment.”

“The only way we can become immune to the environment; we must be out in the environment.” they wrote. “Quarantining people inside of their houses for extended periods will make people sick!”

Twitter said that the tweet was in violation of its coronavirus misinformation policy.

Diamond and Silk also have suggested that the number of coronavirus deaths are inflated and have pushed a conspiracy theory involving Bill Gates and vaccines and another involving 5G technology.

Fox Nation had licensed their show and featured the duo in promotions, but they were not employees of the channel.

The Daily Beast first reported on Fox News’ move. The network cut ties with another personality, Fox Business anchor Trish Regan, in March, following the fallout from comments she made in a segment titled the “Coronavirus Impeachment Scam.”

Their video segments have drawn guests such as Surgeon General Jerome Adams, in which he said that social distancing guidelines were working. They continue to serve as surrogates for Trump’s reelection campaign, including on an advisory board for Black Voices for Trump.

[SOURCE: DEADLINE]

Civil rights and religious leaders urge African Americans to defy governors' efforts to reopen businesses

A coalition of prominent civil rights and black religious leaders is urging African American residents who live in states that are moving swiftly to reopen their economies to stay home in defiance of governors until there's evidence the coronavirus outbreak has eased.

The group, convened by the Conference of National Black Churches and Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network, said some governors are demonstrating "reckless disregard for the health and life of black residents" and called for black churches and businesses to remain closed in those states until there's evidence that it's safe to resume more normal activity.

"We do not take it lightly to encourage members of our communities to defy the orders of state governors," the officials said in a statement. "Our sacred duty is to support and advance the life and health of Black people, families and communities in our country."

Top officials with the NAACP, the National Urban League and the National Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law are among the groups joining the stay-at-home message.

Covid-19 has cut a particularly deadly path through African American communities. Figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show black patients have made up nearly 20% US coronavirus deaths, although African Americans make up about 13% of the nation's population.

[SOURCE: CNN]

Augusta Ga. Mayor warns that things wont just return to normal in Georgia

During an interview with The Hill Augusta, GA Mayor Hardie Davis, Jr. said that "We can't say we're going to open up the state, flip a switch and all of a sudden things are going to turn back to normal. That just doesn't happen at the federal, state, or local level.".

Watch that segment below:

Augusta, GA Mayor Hardie Davis, Jr.: "We can't say we're going to open up the state, flip a switch and all of a sudden things are going to turn back to normal. That just doesn't happen at the federal, state, or local level." pic.twitter.com/fnMnAw9sJe

— The Hill (@thehill) April 25, 2020

San Francisco mayor says city's PPE orders have been diverted & confiscated

San Francisco Mayor London Breed (D) said Friday that her city’s orders for personal protection equipment (PPE) have been diverted to other U.S. cities and foreign countries.

“We’ve had issues of our orders being relocated by our suppliers in China,” she said at a press conference. “For example, we had isolation gowns on their way to San Francisco and they were diverted to France. We’ve had situations when things we’ve ordered that have gone through Customs were confiscated by FEMA to be diverted to other locations.

“We know everyone is dealing with a serious challenge," she continued. "Through Customs, we’ve had situations where those items have been taken and put out on the market for the highest bidder, putting cities against cities and states against states."

Breed said San Francisco has purchased 15 million pieces of PPE and received other tools from the federal government but still does not have the equipment necessary to adequately combat the coronavirus outbreak in the city.

“We wanted to make sure as you hear about some of these challenges, you’re aware of why they are challenges,” she said. “I know it seems as though it should be a lot simpler: We have the money to purchase the PPE, why can’t we purchase the PPE?”

Breed's remarks come as states scramble, and in some cases compete, for PPE from the federal government and other sources. The mayor said the fact that states are still lacking equipment so deep into the outbreak “blows my mind.”

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

Stacey Abrams Says She Could Help Biden By Turning Out More Black Voters

Stacey Abrams, who previously served as the minority leader in the Georgia state House of Representatives, has repeatedly voiced her interest in running as the Democratic Party's vice-presidential candidate. The politician from Georgia reasserted that desire and explained why she'd make a good partner for Biden during an interview with CNN's David Axelrod on the Thursday episode of his podcast The Axe Files.

"I have the deepest respect for every woman who is being talked about and who should be considered for this post," Abrams told Axelrod. "But I know that for communities of color, particularly for the black community, there has got to be a recognition that their needs are met. And we have to have candidates who are able to not only speak to them, but turn them out."

"There has to be an intentionality to turning them out. A lot of folks can do that. I'm one of those people," she said. "And I have proven it by turning out more people of color in an election than anyone in 2018 did. Not by race, but by raw number."

[SOURCE: MSN]