RINGSIDE POLITICS – MAY 13, 2021

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Welcome to another edition of Ringside Politics with Jeff Crouere

Today’s Hot Topics:

1) Colonial Pipeline Co. likely paid more than $4 million to hackers in order to get its pipeline back up and running.

“The payments have been made to the terrorists,” billionaire John Catsimatidis, told FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo on Thursday morning. “I understand from my sources that $4 million was paid.”

A restarting of the pipeline will in the next few days help restore the flow of gasoline across the Eastern part of the U.S where fuel shortages are abundant. The 5,500-mile Colonial Pipeline, which transports more than 100 million gallons of fuel per day, or almost half of the East Coast’s supply, was taken offline on Friday by a Russian hacking group called DarkSide that demanded $100 million ransom.

2) People who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus “don’t have to wear a mask outside,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday, adding that it would only be necessary for “a very unusual situation.”

“If you were vaccinated, you don’t have to wear a mask outside,” he said on CBS “This Morning.” “It would be a very unusual situation if you were going into a completely crowded situation where people are essentially falling all over each other. Then you wear a mask. But any other time, if you are vaccinated and you are outside, put aside your mask, you don’t have to wear it.”

Fauci, the White House’s chief medical advisor, made his comments days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was accused of exaggerating the risk of virus transmission while outdoors. The New York Times reported that while the agency maintains the risk of transmission is “less than 10%,” the reality of the percentage is closer to 1%.

3) In the wake of conservative Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming’s ouster from her House GOP leadership position, roughly 150 Republican or former Republican leaders who are opposed to former President Trump’s continued strong grip over the GOP have signed a letter threatening to leave the party if it does not reform and return to its “founding American principles.”

The group’s statement of principles – titled a “Call for American Renewal” – was unveiled Thursday. It outlines 13 principles to guide a “rebirth of the American cause.”

4) President Biden is still pitching his multitrillion-dollar spending plans to Congress, even amid the threat of surging inflation, after consumer prices in April saw the biggest increase in decades.

The Labor Department reported that U.S. consumer prices for goods and services surged 0.8% in April, the largest monthly increase in more than a decade and the fastest year-over-year jump since 2008. Excluding the volatile food and energy data, core inflation rose 0.9% in April and 3% over the past 12 months.

Today’s Guests:

1) Col. Allen West, Chairman of the Texas Republican Party – calls in the state of affairs in the Republican Party and the nation as a whole.

2) Woody Jenkins, Chairman of East Baton Rouge Republican Party

3) Alan Dershowitz, Author of “Cancel Culture, the Latest Attack on Free Speech and Due Process”

4) Steve Konos, Ringside Politics Creative Director; Ringside Politics Parody of the Week – joins the show to share and discuss his weekly political parody.

5) Josh Bernstein, Ringside All-Star – joins the show to opine with callers and discuss the events of the week.

6) Leslie Ehm, Author of “Swagger”