McCarthy can’t shield Republicans from getting concerned in Trump’s rebellion

Despite Trump’s January 6th seditious conspiracy was the worst attack on America by domestic terrorists since the civil war, ReCustoms officers are hell-bent on protecting people most responsible; and you have good reason to do so.

House minority leathe Kevin McCarthy is just as guilty as Trump and his seditious cabal for the attempted coup Status in January 6th. This is true in spite of McCarthys begging desperate phone callTrump card cancel Attack on the Capitol.

For one, McCarthy would have exclaimed Trump’s lies about the election stolen from him long before he pled with Trump to the Insurgents of attackng the capitol – but of course not.

Now that Republicans as a unit to have blocked a bipartisan commission to investigate Trump‘s revoltIt fell to the Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi sets up a special committee to get answers; although everyone already has all the answers You need to know who is in charge. So what is minority leader McCarthy doing?? He threatens to punish any Republican who occupies a position in the The special committee claims it is purely political and will definitely attendsan exercise.

Kevin McCarthy is not just a tool, heis a tool that makes no sense; if Republicans at the Houses detection, it can be impossible labeled “Political” or “partisan”. But McCarthy isn’t worried about Partisanship.

Here is the thin oneG: There was an agreement to found a “non-partisan” comission that the Republicans were against it and shot down in the Senate. In fact, McCarthy hired them Senior Republican on the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee, Rep. John Katko of New York to broker an agreement on the commission With Home of SecuriChairman of the Commission Bennie Thompson (D-MS). INo Fact, Part of the deal included several Democratic concessions requested by McCarthy and agreed without objection.

So what?t does McCarthy to do after an agreement? He right youUndercuts Representative Katkos Approval; ostensibly to provide cover to other Republicans in the House of Representatives to vote against a against non-partisan commission. A clerkwhat wasn’t political or partisan, and one who met each of McCarthy’s demands.

McCarthy is a real one Work and its motive for the oppositionthe commission is clear and it was Noot solely about giving his caucus cover to vote against.

McCarthy certainly knows section 3 of the 14 ofthe Change, and if not This is exactly where any Republican involved in the seditious plot to overthrow the constitutional order of the United States should be scared. Section 3 says.

“No one may be a senator or representative in Congress, or electoral president or vice president, or hold any civil or military office under the United States or under any state that has previously taken an oath as as a member of Congress or as an official of the United States or as a member of any state legislature or as an executive or judicial officer of a state in order to endorse the United States Constitution; involved in revolts or rebellions against them or given help or consolation to their enemies.”

That means quite a few Republicans in Congress face the real possibility of being disqualified from service in the office according to the Constitution 14the Modification. It is definitely the case because they all swore an oath to support the Constitution and then given, and pass on, Help for Trump’s uprising against the UNConstitution of the States.

Make no mistake about being a select committee identify every last traitorous Republican in Congress and in the state legislature who incited Trump’s acolytes to the Capitol with the only one Intention to fall Constitution – and lynching of then Vice President Mike Pence.

As a member of the select committee Jamie Raskin (D-MD) said:

“Our job is to determine the events of January 6th and the causes of those events. When we are ready, the role of The President of the United States in these events we must certainly be ready to consider the role of everyone else relevant actors played. We want nothing but the facts. “

The facts will show that an overwhelming majority of Republicans in Congress actually participated in the seditious conspiracy of Help with the organization of the “Stop the Steal” rally and spend two months feeding Trump’s supporters a barrage of lies designed to spur them into action; Action that led to a fatal one Uprising and Attack on the Capitol for the purpose of overthrowing the constitutional order. Your actions are a Violation of the Constitution that should hit every Republican who has supported and comforted Trump and his uprising Removed from office and charged with seditious conspiracy.

Sound engineer and trainer for SAE. Writes op / ed comments that support secular humanist concerns and expose the oppression of women, the poor, and minorities. An advocate for religious freedom and especially religious freedom.

Born in the South, raised in the Midwest and California to get a comprehensive look at America; it does not look good.

Former clergyman, lifelong musician, Mahayana Zen Buddhist.

LeBron James advisor exhausted from Me Too, Black Lives Matter

NBA player LeBron James and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in Los Angeles, California.

Chelsea Lauren | FilmMagic | Getty Images

The longtime white advisor to Black NBA superstar LeBron James was caught on tape telling a white ESPN reporter, “I’m exhausted. Between Me Too and Black Lives Matter, I got nothing left,” a report revealed Sunday.

The blunt comments by powerhouse communications maven Adam Mendelsohn — which referenced catchphrases used respectively for the movements seeking to reduce sexual violence against women, and police killings and brutality against Black people — came during a recorded phone call he had last summer with ESPN’s NBA reporter Rachel Nichols, The New York Times reported.

Mendelsohn apologized for those specific comments in an email to CNBC after being asked about them Sunday.

Nichols, who is white, had griped to Mendelsohn during that July 2020 call about a Black reporter, Maria Taylor, getting the hosting spot for NBA finals pre- and postgame shows from their sports cable TV network, a spot that Nichols had expected would be hers, The Times reported.

Nichols on that tape suggested Taylor was awarded that gig to Nichols’ disadvantage because Taylor is Black — and because ESPN was under pressure to have more racial diversity in its lineup of on-air talent.

In his first comments on the statements about Black Lives Matter and Me Too, Mendelsohn told CNBC, “I made a stupid, careless comment rooted in privilege and I am sincerely sorry.”

“I shouldn’t have said it or even thought it,” Mendelsohn said in an email.

“I work to support these movements and know that the people affected by these issues never get to be exhausted or have nothing left. I have to continue to check my privilege and work to be a better ally.”

Nichols apparently was unaware that the conversation was captured by a video camera that transmitted images and audio from her hotel room at a resort at Walt Disney World in Florida. Walt Disney Company is ESPN’s majority owner.

The video from the camera, which she had been using to appear on the network’s shows, fed into ESPN’s control room in Bristol, Connecticut. A tape of the call later circulated within ESPN and was leaked.

Mendelsohn has been an advisor to James for more than decade. Last year, he co-founded James’ Black voter promotion group More Than A Vote, and is senior advisor to the group.

More Than a Vote’s website notes that the group “launched amid the Black Lives Matter protests following the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Our goal: Energizing, educating, and protecting Black voters.”

Taylor joined More Than a Vote last summer and as a member of the group recorded videos supporting the group’s efforts.

Mendelsohn is also a senior advisor to the private equity firm TPG, where he previously worked as managing director for global communications. He previously was deputy chief of staff to then-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The Times reported that the video of the call lasts more than 20 minutes, with “continuous conversation.” The newspaper posted just two audio snippets online, lasting a combined 2 minutes and 47 seconds.

Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Quinn Cook #28 of the Los Angeles Lakers kneel during the National Anthem with VOTE shirts on prior to the start of the game against the Denver Nuggets in Game Three of the Western Conference Finals during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on September 22, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Mike Ehrmann | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images

The Times article said that “many employees were outraged upon watching the video” because of their perception that Nichols was echoing “a common criticism used by white workers in many workplaces to disparage nonwhite colleagues — that Taylor was offered the hosting job only because of her race, not because she was the best person for the job.”

And The Times reported that ESPN workers had also said Nichols made Taylor’s job harder because Taylor needs to deal with Mendelsohn to get interviews with people in pro basketball.

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This past May, The Times reported, the stars of ESPN’s “NBA Countdown” discussed whether they would refuse to appear on it in protest over changes made to the production, which they believed were made to Nichols’ benefit.

Those changes included making Nichols the lead game sideline reporter, which in turn led to three sideline reporters of color getting lesser assignments.

The bombshell report comes weeks before Taylor’s contract with ESPN is due to expire.

The New York Post last week reported that Taylor last year turned down a contract proposal that would have increased her current $1 million annual salary eventually to nearly $5 million annually. Taylor reportedly was holding out for significantly more money.

The Post also reported that ESPN’s current offer to Taylor is believed to be in the range of $2 million to $3 million annually. The lower amount reflects a move by the network to reduce salaries across the board, according to The Post.

Nichols had the July 13, 2020 call to Mendelsohn to ask for an interview with James and another Lakers player, Anthony Davis, who is another client of James’ agent, Rich Paul. Mendelsohn also is an advisor to Paul, who is black.

Nichols also took the time in the same call to ask Mendelsohn for advice about how to handle the situation at ESPN, and her being denied the assignment that went to Taylor.

“I wish Maria Taylor all the success in the world — she covers football, she covers basketball,” Nichols said during the call with Mendelsohn, audio portions of which were posted online by The Times.

“If you need to give her more things to do because you are feeling pressure about your crappy longtime record on diversity — which, by the way, I know personally from the female side of it — like, go for it. Just find it somewhere else. You are not going to find it from me or taking my thing away.”

She also noted that the assignment to host NBA finals coverage “is in my contract in writing,” the newspaper reported.

After Nichols said she planned to await ESPN’s next move, Mendelsohn paused, and then said, “I don’t know. I’m exhausted. Between Me Too and Black Lives Matter, I got nothing left.”

Nichols then laughed in response, the tape reveals.

Mendelsohn then suggested Nichols “frame” the situation as ESPN having pitted two women, Nichols and Taylor, against each other.

“About how it’s just so very white male for them to turn two women on each other to compete over the one spot that they’re dangling over them,” Mendelsohn said.

“A broader conversation about all the spots that should be under consideration.”

Nichols then said on the tape: “There isn’t just one seat at the table for a minority of whichever version this week we’re trying to please.”

Mendelsohn said in response: “If you think about it, this is precisely the problem we’ve been talking about for a long time, which is white men — it is an example of the one Black person in the boardroom … You don’t get to have a Black woman in a prominent spot and feel like, OK, the whole work is done.”

“And you certainly don’t get to say, ‘OK, we have a white woman, we have a woman in a critical seat, and now that we’re going to put a Black woman in that same seat,” he said.

“The question is, what are the other seats that white males are in.”

The Times reported that he told the newspaper for its article, “I will share what I believed then and still believe to be true. Maria [Taylor] deserved and earned the position, and Rachel [Nichols] must respect it.”

“Maria deserved it because of her work, and ESPN recognized that like many people and companies in America, they must intentionally change,” Mendelsohn said.

“Just because Maria got the job does not mean Rachel shouldn’t get paid what she deserves. Rachel and Maria should not be forced into a zero-sum game by ESPN, and Rachel needed to call them out.”

The Times reported that Mendelsohn did not answer follow-up questions about the recorded call.

In his statement to CNBC, Mendelsohn said: “I will reiterate what I believe, counseled Rachel in the call, and told the Times.  Maria deserved and earned the position and Rachel needed to respect it. If Rachel wanted to challenge ESPN, she needed to focus on their overall culture.”

ESPN has declined to say if any employee was disciplined in connection with the case.

The Times reported that the only person known to be punished was a Black digital video producer who was suspended for two weeks without pay after telling ESPN’s human resources division that she sent the video to Taylor.

Josh Krulewitz, ESPN’s spokesman, declined to comment to CNBC, but referred to statements he gave to The Times for its article.

“A diverse group of executives thoroughly and fairly considered all the facts related to the incident and then addressed the situation appropriately,” Krulewitz said.

“We’re proud of the coverage we continue to produce, and our focus will remain on Maria, Rachel and the rest of the talented team collectively serving N.B.A. fans.”

Krulewitz also told the newspaper that ESPN emphasizes diversity, inclusion and equity, and that the company “arguably has the most diverse array of talented professionals in the sports media business, including those behind the scenes.”

5 issues it’s best to know earlier than the inventory market opens on Thursday July 1st

Here are the top news, trends, and analysis investors need to start their trading day:

1. Stock futures stable after a strong first half of 2021

The New York Stock Exchange welcomes Clear Secure, Inc. (NYSE: YOU) executives and guests to celebrate its IPO on June 30, 2021.

NYSE

US stock futures were stable on Wall Street on Thursday, the first day of the third quarter. Investors hope the second half of 2021 will remain as strong as the first half. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 210 points on Wednesday and was within 0.8% of its last record high in early May. Dow stock Walgreens Boots Alliance rose roughly 2% early on the market after the drugstore chain announced strong quarterly results and outlook. It also revealed more details about its turnaround strategy. The S&P 500 ticked higher on Wednesday for its fifth record close in a row. The Nasdaq fell slightly from a record high in the previous session.

2. Wall Street numbers for June, second quarter and year to date

Wednesday was the last day of June, the second quarter and the first half of the year.

  • Ahead of the new trading day, the S&P 500 rose 14.4% year-to-date. The Dow and Nasdaq are each up more than 12% so far in 2021. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq made gains in June. The Dow fell modestly. All three benchmarks made solid gains in the second quarter.
  • US oil prices rose around 2.5% on Thursday to over $ 75 a barrel, their highest level since 2018. After the deal on Wednesday, West Texas Intermediate crude rose sharply in June and the second quarter. WTI increased by more than 51% over the course of the year.
  • Bitcoin fell about 3% on Thursday but stayed above $ 33,000. The world’s largest cryptocurrency by market value, which hit an all-time high near $ 65,000 in April and recent lows below $ 29,000 last week, closed the first half of the year with a drop of about 47% from its record.

3. Bond yields rise after the low unemployment claims of the new Covid era

The 10-year government bond yield, which started below 1% in 2021 and climbed to a 14-month high of over 1.77% in March, rose to around 1.47% on Thursday. Before the bell came, investors got one more reading on the US job market. After two consecutive weeks of over 400,000, the government reported fewer than expected 364,000 new claims for unemployment benefits last week, a new low in the pandemic era. The government released its June employment report on Friday.

4. Krispy Kreme’s IPO prices are below the expected range and will debut again

Krispy Kreme donuts go into production at the opening of the store at Harrods in London, Great Britain, 03 October 2003.

David Bebber | Reuters

Krispy Kreme returns to the public markets on Thursday morning after trading 29.4 million publicly traded shares below the expected range of $ 17 per share. The IPO raised nearly $ 500 million and valued the donut chain at $ 2.7 billion. Krispy Kreme, founded in 1937, was privatized in 2016 by Keurig owner JAB Holding in a $ 1.35 billion deal. The IPO took place in 2000. The company is to be traded on Thursday on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “DNUT”.

In the largest US listing of a Chinese company since 2014, ride hailing giant Didi started trading Wednesday morning and ended the day with a valuation of more than $ 68 billion. A number of other companies, including Clear Secure and LegalZoom, made their debut on Wednesday.

5. Trump Organization and its CFO indicted by Manhattan Grand Jury

Allen Weisselberg, Chief Financial Officer of the Trump Organization, watches then-US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a press conference at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York, on Jan.

Carlo Allegri | Reuters

The Trump Organization’s chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, surrendered to Manhattan prosecutors on Thursday after a grand jury indicted him and former President Donald Trump’s company in criminal proceedings over its business relationships. The charges against the company and Weisselberg, filed by a New York grand jury, are expected to be unsealed in Manhattan Thursday afternoon, a Trump representative told NBC News. NBC had previously reported that the charges were based on allegations by Weißelberg and other Trump Organization executives who received benefits without properly disclosing them on their tax returns.

– NBC News and Reuters contributed to this report. Follow all market activity like a pro on CNBC Pro. Get the latest on the pandemic with coronavirus coverage from CNBC.

Brandy apparently confirms the upcoming collaboration between her and JoJo

Roomies, what do you call it when nostalgia and singing collide? Well, in the case of Brandy and JoJo, we’ll have to wait and see! JoJo posted a photo next to Brandy with the headline “Hi Queen”. In response, Brandy slipped into her comment section to announce an upcoming collaboration!

“I can’t wait for people to see what we have in store,” Brandy wrote. “You are so special to me and the music. We are so happy that we had the opportunity to connect. “

In her words, Brandy gives just enough to make everyone wonder what exactly this couple has in store for fans. While both ladies are known to knock down with singing, the photo posted gives no indication that the collaboration had anything to do with music. In fact, it’s hard to tell when this photo was taken, but Brandy’s Connect comment could mean it was a recent link.

In the photo, Brandy is wearing a black, patterned long-sleeved blouse. She is shown smiling with her hair straightened. In the meantime, JoJo has opted for lighter colors in their fit. She wore a buttoned white polka dot blouse with a bright orange tank top underneath. JoJo equipped with a small necklace. By Saturday, the photo had received over 105,000 likes on Instagram.

Meanwhile, fans can look forward to Brandy’s confirmed project “Queens”. She was cast to star in the ABC drama pilot as a member of a fictional 90s hip hop group. She has worked with big names like Eve, Naturi Naughton and Nadine Velazquez.

Last year we reported exclusively on an excerpt from a collaboration between JoJo and Tory Lanez. The song titled “Comeback” came from JoJo, who fantasized about the intensity of sleeping with her ex. The singer picked Tory as the first choice for the feature and said, “I sent him the song and he raised the stake by putting in a verse that exceeded my expectations.”

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Demolition of the collapsed condo tower in Florida is scheduled to start Sunday night

In this handout image dated July 2, 2021, search and rescue workers are working on the site of a collapsed Florida condominium complex in Surfside, Miami, USA.

MIAMI DADE FIRE DEPARTMENT | about REUTERS

The demolition of the partially collapsed residential tower in Surfside, Florida will begin search operations on Sunday evening once the site is safe, according to Miami-Dade County’s Mayoress Daniella Levine Cava.

The demolition will take place between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m., Levine Cava said during a press conference on Sunday evening. According to the Miami-Dade police, residents in the protection zone should stay indoors with immediate effect.

The on-site protection order will be lifted two hours after the demolition is complete, Levine Cava said. Residents should close all windows, doors and air intakes, she said.

“The demolition is limited to the immediate vicinity of the building,” said the mayor. “However, there is dust and other particles that are an inevitable by-product of all types of demolition, and as a precautionary measure, we ask residents in the immediate vicinity to stay indoors during the demolition.”

Search and rescue operations on the building were temporarily suspended on Saturday afternoon in preparation for demolition, which included drilling the building’s remaining pillars. Levine Cava said Sunday the search would resume immediately after the building is shut down and the site is believed to be safe.

“The controlled demolition of the building is critical to expanding our search area, as you know in the pile, and allowing us to search the area closest to the building, the one for the teams given the great risk to ours Teams was inaccessible. ” First responders because of the instability of the building, “said Levine Cava.

No one has been rescued since the first hours after the Champlain Towers South collapsed 11 days ago. The death toll rose to 24 by Saturday, 121 are still missing. Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis said during a press conference early Saturday that the state will pay for all costs of the demolition.

The demolition is carried out through a technique called “energetic felling,” which relies on gravity to demolish the building with small designations and limit the collapse to the area of ​​the building, according to Levine Cava.

The officials initially thought it could take weeks to demolish. Plans to demolish the remaining structure were accelerated, however, amid concerns that the effects of the weather from Tropical Storm Elsa could hit Florida early next week and further threaten the unstable structure with heavy rains and winds.

The cause of the collapse of the Champlain Towers South, built in the 1980s, is still unknown. However, an engineering firm filed a 2018 report warning of cracks and major structural damage under the building’s pool deck.

Fb chief Mark Zuckerberg odd Fourth of July Instagram publish

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg rides an electric surfboard holding the American flag. July 4, 2021.

Mark Zuckerberg, Instagram

Make America Weird Again.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Sunday posted a wacky American-flag waving, surfboard-riding video on Instagram to celebrate Independence Day.

“Happy July 4th!” Zuckerberg wrote on the post of the video.

It features him deftly skimming along atop an electric foil surfboard on an idyllic-looking lake, toting the Stars and Stripes as John Denver’s anthem to West Virginia, “Take Me Home, Country Roads” plays as a soundtrack.

Facebook, which the 37-year-old mega-billionaire co-founded, owns Instagram.

“This is some meme materials,” one follower of “Zuck” wrote in response to the post.

“Fantastic!” another follower wrote.

A third wrote, “When you get your antitrust lawsuit thrown about by a judge. Let’s GOOOOO Zuck!

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Renée Zellweger and Ant Anstead noticed collectively for the primary time

Renée Zellweger and Ant Anstead made their unofficial public debut as a couple.

On the weekend of July 4th, the 52-year-old Oscar-winning actress and 42-year-old British television personality were hanging out at his new oceanfront home in Laguna Beach, California. His boy joined them Hudson London Anstead, the 20-month-old son he shares with ex-wife and flip or flop star Christina Haack.

On Friday July 2nd, Renée and Ant were photographed alone on his balcony, which overlooks a public street and the sea. It was the first time the two had been seen together since last month it was reported that the two had dated after meeting while filming an episode of the new Discovery + show Celebrity IOU: Joyride.

On the balcony, the couple dressed casually, the actress wearing her hair in a loose ponytail and holding a mug that said “Home Is Where Dad Is”.

On Sunday July 4th, Renée and Ant were photographed walking together in Laguna Beach, this time with his son he was carrying. The actress wore a purple top and orange baseball cap for her outing.

Biden welcomes 21 new US residents to the White Home naturalization ceremony

United States President Joe Biden watches as people take the oath of allegiance during a naturalization ceremony for new citizens ahead of Independence Day in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on July 2, 2021.

Almond Ngan | AFP | Getty Images

President Joe Biden hosted a citizenship ceremony Friday to swear in and welcome 21 new U.S. citizens ahead of Independence Day.

“It is the dreams of immigrants like you that build America and continue to bring new energy, vitality and strength,” said Biden at the ceremony in the East Room of the White House.

The President was attended by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who told the story of his immigrant parents’ journey to the United States as refugees.

“Our country is also better today because you have strengthened its identity and structure as an immigrant nation,” said Mayorkas after the new citizens were sworn in.

Tracy Renaud, the acting director of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, conducted the swearing-in ceremony. USCIS announced Thursday that it would hold 170 naturalization ceremonies in the first week of July.

The jubilant ceremony at the White House belied the challenge the Biden administration is facing to contain the ongoing migrant crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border.

The president came on with the promise to pursue a more humane and orderly immigration policy than his predecessor, former President Donald Trump.

At Friday’s ceremony, Biden commended the immigrants for their contribution to the country, noting that many were serving in the military or as health and frontline workers during the pandemic.

The president also presented an award to Sandra Lindsay, a Long Island nurse who immigrated to the United States from Jamaica at the age of 18.

Lindsay was the first person in America to be fully vaccinated outside of clinical trials, Biden said. Her scrubs will be part of a future exhibit on Covid at the Smithsonian Institution, he added.

“Since our nation was founded, the basic idea in America has been nurtured and driven by the contributions and sacrifices of so many people, almost all of whom were immigrants,” said Biden.

The President also took the opportunity to pay tribute to his government’s efforts to reform the immigration system.

He stressed his support for the Immigration Reform Bill tabled by the Democrats in February, which includes improved border management and security, as well as a route to citizenship for 11 million undocumented people in America.

He also praised Vice President Kamala Harris’ efforts to identify the “root causes” of the recent surge in Central American migrants on the US-Mexico border.

Harris visited the southern border earlier this month but was criticized by Republicans for not going there earlier.

At the heart of the wave of migrants was an unprecedented increase in the number of unaccompanied minors arrested at the border and placed in pre-trial detention by the US government while suitable guardians were found.

But that number has steadily declined since it peaked in March this year. As of Tuesday, 14,400 unaccompanied minors were in the custody of the U.S. government, a 35% decrease from two months ago when the Department of Health and Welfare hosted more than 22,000 minors.

Democrats and pro-immigrant activists urge Biden to further reduce border enforcement and do more to ensure humane treatment of migrant children and families on the southern border.

Pope Francis will bear colon surgical procedure in Rome hospital

Pope Francis waves during his weekly general audience in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican on October 14, 2020.

Alberto Pizzoli | AFP | Getty Images

Pope Francis was hospitalized in Rome on Sunday for what the Vatican said was scheduled surgery for an abnormal narrowing of the large intestine of the 84-year-old Roman Catholic leader.

“This afternoon His Holiness Pope Francis went to the A. Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome where he will undergo a scheduled surgery for a symptomatic diverticular stenosis of the colon,” said Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See’s press office, in a statement.

Stenosis is an abnormal narrowing.

“The surgery will be performed by Prof. Sergio Alfieri. At the end of the surgery a new medical bulletin will be issued,” Bruni said.

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The Argentina-born Roman Catholic pontiff was elected as the first pope from the Americas in February 2013. He succeeded German-born Benedict XVI, who retired because of advancing age.

The announcement that Francis was entering the hospital came just hours after the pope made a public appearance before crowds in St. Peter’s Square.

A week ago, at the same regular appearance there, Francis had asked people for special prayers for himself. During that earlier event, he said he plans to visit Hungary and Slovakia in September.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Why many Uber and Lyft drivers aren’t coming again

A ride share driver picks up passengers at O’Hare Airport on April 10, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois.

Scott Olson / Getty Images

After a dramatic decline in traveling this past year, people are moving again. Yet, despite offering cash incentives, rideshare giants Uber and Lyft are still struggling to bring drivers back to full speed, leading to longer wait times for customers and soaring prices.

Uber and Lyft have put millions into these efforts, but some former drivers aren’t even looking at these stimulus packages or trying to get in on surge pricing. A large percentage who are still holding out.

“Drivers are in a low-key strike,” Nicole Moore, a volunteer organizer with Rideshare Drivers United, told CNBC.

“Right now it’s a mini debacle for Uber and Lyft in terms of driver shortages and surge pricing throughout the US,” Wedbush’s Dan Ives said in an email. “Drivers are ~40% below capacity.”

Former ride-sharing drivers are staying off the road for a variety of reasons.

For many it’s fear of the continued pandemic, which is what made them stop driving in the first place. Currently, less than 50% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated against Covid-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“This thing is not over yet, people can still get sick,” Louis Wu, a Texas resident and former rideshare driver, told CNBC. According to Uber, 80% of drivers planned to come back once vaccinated. The company has also heavily invested resources into getting people vaccinated, offering free rides to vaccine spots through early July, as a part of its effort to get people back on the road.

Others, wanting to stay in the gig economy but fearful of transmission, have switched to food or grocery delivery. That’s also allowed them to put less wear-and-tear on their cars, especially as gas prices and car parts prices increase.

“In times of Covid, there’s a lot less customer interaction with food delivery vs transporting a passenger in your backseat,” Harry Campbell, who runs The Rideshare Guy blog, said in an email. “You also put less miles on your car as a delivery driver since people order from nearby restaurants vs a full-time ride-hail driver that can easily do 1,000 miles per week or more. A lot of ride-hail drivers just get tired of dealing with people too.”

Some drivers have also remained on unemployment benefits, which are set to expire later this year. For those former drivers, they may be coaxed back into offering services once extended benefits phase out in the fall.

“September will be the big tell tale sign if drivers were holding out because of unemployment,” said Chris Gerace, a driver and contributor to Campbell’s blog.

Better jobs

Uber and Lyft said they thought the supply and demand problems would see recovery in the third quarter, which started July 1. However, if demand continues to outpace supply, it could pressure the rideshare companies to make more fundamental changes to cater to drivers.

Uber, for example, is considering funding education and career-building programs, according to The Wall Street Journal. Lyft is also exploring ways to reduce drivers’ expenses, according to the report published Friday.

But many drivers have gotten a taste of what working outside of the gig economy is like. Moore said she knows former drivers who have since gotten office jobs or switched to driving semi trucks, with no intention of coming back.

Some gig workers have become increasingly frustrated with how the rideshare giants pay out, especially as surge pricing continues.

The Washington Post reported last month that despite the high rates passengers are paying, drivers aren’t getting their cut. And drivers have continued to call out the companies, saying it’s increasingly difficult to make a living on the apps, especially when compared with the early days of the companies.

“When I started driving, I was guaranteed 80% of the fare,” Moore said. “If that’s where we were right now, you would see a very different equation on the road. Drivers are seeing 20, 30, 40% of the fare at times.”

But it’s a question of if rideshare companies will listen and be open to fundamental changes, Gerace said.

The shortage also comes parallel with Uber’s and Lyft’s promises to reach profitability on an adjusted EBITDA basis by the end of the year, and pressure on the balance sheet could make that goal even harder.

“If these companies had a paradigm-shifting core belief, you could have good pay for drivers, you could have good competitive rates and you could become profitable and have that win-win-win, but you have to take that initiative and be open to trying new things,” Gerace said.

Uber declined to comment, pointing to an April blog post on its $250 million stimulus. A Lyft spokesperson pointed toward comments its president, John Zimmer, made in late May, saying the company was “extremely confident” in supply recovery.