Cut to the News
Cut through the clutter to today's top news
June 17, 2020
Good morning
Welcome to today's top news.
Leading the News . . .
Cheap, widely available drug helps treat those seriously ill with COVID-19 . . . The World Health Organization said it was moving to update its guidelines on treating people stricken with COVID-19 to reflect results of a clinical trial that showed a cheap, common steroid can help save critically ill patients. Trial results announced on Tuesday showed dexamethasone, used since the 1960s to reduce inflammation in diseases such as arthritis, cut
death rates by around a third among the most severely ill COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital. For patients on ventilators, the treatment was shown to reduce mortality by about one third, and for patients requiring only oxygen, mortality was cut by about one fifth, according to preliminary findings shared with WHO. The benefit was only seen in patients seriously ill with COVID-19 and was not observed in patients with milder disease. Reuters
Record high rates of infection continue in six states . . . New coronavirus infections hit record highs in six U.S. states on Tuesday, marking a rising tide of cases for a second consecutive week as most states moved forward with reopening their
economies. Arizona, Florida, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas all reported record increases in new cases on Tuesday after recording all-time highs last week. Nevada also reported its highest single-day tally of new cases on Tuesday, up from a previous high on May 23. Hospitalizations are also rising or at record highs. Reuters
Flushing toilets can spread coronavirus . . . Particles sent into the air by excrement being flushed down a toilet could spread the virus fueling the pandemic, according to researchers at China’s Yangzhou University, who published their findings in the Journal of Fluids. “University found that fecal samples from some confirmed patients tested positive by nucleic acid detection, which provides evidence that SARS-CoV-2 has the possibility of fecal–oral transmission,” the study states. People who use public washrooms or “family bathrooms” are believed to be at greatest risk. Toilet
water particles can travel nearly 3½ feet into the air and “cause large area spread,” according to the study, which recommends those who use a shared commode close the lid before flushing. New York Daily News
Well, most people at places I've worked don't seem to flush the toilet anyway, so how is this a problem? Also, uh, The Journal of Fluids? But . . . on the serious side, it does present an issue for bringing people back on the job.
Unhappiness reaches historic highs . . . Beaten down by coronavirus lockdowns and soaring unemployment, America has descended into a gloomy mood, with more people saying they’re unhappy than at any other time in 48 years of record-keeping, according to a new survey. Some 23% of Americans polled in late May said they felt less than happy, a historic surge for a figure that has stuck to a band between 10% and 14% for almost two decades, according to NORC, a pollster at the University of
Chicago. The share of people who characterized themselves as very happy dove to 14%, the lowest rate for the question since its introduction in 1972. New York Daily News
There is plenty to be unhappy about.
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McConnell rejects Pelosi call to remove Capitol's Confederate statues . . . Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday rebuffed Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s calls for nearly a dozen Confederate statues to be removed from the Capitol, saying it was an attempt to “airbrush” history. “What I do think is clearly a bridge too far is this nonsense that we need to airbrush the Capitol and scrub out everybody from years ago who had any
connection to slavery,” the Kentucky Republican told reporters, noting that a handful of former American presidents owned slaves. He said he was open to renaming military bases named for Confederate generals, though. Politico
Trump signs executive order of defunding the police . . .President Trump appeared in the Rose Garden Tuesday where he made remarks and signed an executive order that is part of an effort to ward off “defund the police” efforts and show that he is doing something on police “reform.” I’m sure the police could use some reform. But everyone knows that the main problems affecting all groups in the country – white, black, and otherwise – are cultural.
And those are a much, much tougher task to work on than adhering the bandaid of some police reform. And “reforming” the police could also backfire in ways that increase crime and that get many more people – especially blacks – killed. White House Dossier
Voters oppose defunding the police . . . Most voters believe police departments need to be seriously overhauled but don’t back the “Defund the Police” movement. In the poll, conducted Friday through Sunday, a combined 59 percent say police departments across the country need either a complete overhaul (22 percent) or major reforms (37 percent). Just over 1-in-4, 27 percent, say police departments need a minor overhaul, and only 5 percent think they
don’t need any reforms at all. But by a nearly 2-to-1 margin, more voters oppose the movement to “Defund the Police” (57 percent) than support it (29 percent). Politico
Mother of slain black jogger: Trump "very compassionate" . . . Wanda Cooper-Jones, the mother Ahmaud Arbery, said President Trump was "very compassionate" when he met with various families behind closed doors on Tuesday, prior to signing an executive order geared toward reforming the country's policing tactics. "I was very, very emotional throughout the whole conference," she said.
"[Trump] was very compassionate. He showed major concern for all families. Not just one family, but for all families." Arbery was a black man who was shot dead on Feb. 23 while out jogging in Brunswick, Ga. Trump met with families of other victims of racially-charged violence, as well. Fox News
I guess she'll get plenty of shit for saying this.
Ivanka calls black churches "forces for justice" . . . Ivanka Trump Tuesday traveled to Pittsburgh, where she distributed relief supplies for families suffering because of the coronavirus. While there, she praised black churches. Not sure how many black churches she’s been to. But, you know, it’s nice, though it will hardly soothe those who are sure her dad is a racist. "Black churches are great forces for justice, equality and human dignity
in our nation," she tweeted. "I was grateful to listen and learn from faith & community leaders how together we can bring about healing and holistic revitalization to underserved communities across the nation." White House Dossier
Trump administration sues Bolton over memoir . . . The Trump administration on Tuesday filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent John Bolton from publishing a highly anticipated memoir describing his 17 months serving as President Trump’s national security adviser. The lawsuit alleges that Bolton’s book, due to be released on June 23, contains classified information that stands to compromise national security if published
before a government review is completed. The Hill
Trump may sue niece over tell-all book . . . This past Sunday, news broke that the president’s niece, Mary Trump, was on track to publish a “harrowing and salacious” book this summer about her world-famous uncle. By Sunday
night, the president had been privately briefed on what he could expect from the upcoming book. By Tuesday, he had begun discussing siccing his lawyers on his niece. One of the sources with knowledge of the situation said that in the past couple of days, the president appeared irked by news of her book and at one point mentioned that Mary had signed an NDA years ago. The Daily Beast
Nebraska Democrats renounce Senate pick over sexist comments . . . The Nebraska Democratic Party called on its U.S. Senate nominee to drop out of the race Tuesday after he made sexually repugnant comments about a campaign staffer in a group text with her and other staffers. Chris Janicek, the owner of an Omaha cupcake bakery, is challenging Republican Sen. Ben Sasse. At one point, he wrote that he had argued with her and then asked whether
the campaign should spend money on “getting her laid.” “It will probably take three guys,” he wrote, before describing in graphic detail an imagined group sex scene involving the female staffer. Associated Press
Young wife of Kentucky congressman dies suddenly . . . Eleanor Carol Leavell Barr, the wife of U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, died unexpectedly in the family’s home Tuesday, according to Barr’s office. She was 39. “During this tragic time, we respectfully ask for privacy for Congressman Barr and his family to grieve Mrs. Barr being called home to heaven,” Barr’s Chief of Staff Mary Rosado said. Barr, who went by Carol, went to the University of
Kentucky. The couple married in 2008 and had two young girls. Lexington Herald-Ledger
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Trump administration targets VOA Persian, alleging pro-Iran bias . . . The Trump administration is seeking to implement a series of major reforms at Voice of America's Persian News Network, an effort that comes after years of complaints alleging the outlet has exhibited a pro-Iran bias in its reporting. VOA Persian, a taxpayer-funded news service that broadcasts in Farsi with the mission of countering the hardline Iranian
regime's anti-U.S. propaganda, has long been a source of frustration for Iranian dissidents and anti-regime voices in Congress. Its broadcasts, critics allege, consistently portray Iran's government in a glowing light, undermining the outlet's mission of providing an unvarnished view of the Middle East. Washington Free
Beacon
How controversial. Trump has decided to make the Voice of America the Voice of AMERICA.
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China collecting DNA of tens of millions of men and boys . . . The police in China are collecting blood samples from men and boys from across the country to build a genetic map of its roughly 700 million males, giving the authorities a powerful new tool for their emerging high-tech surveillance state. With this database, the authorities would be able to track down a man’s male relatives using only that man’s blood, saliva or
other genetic material.
An American company, Thermo Fisher, is helping: The Massachusetts company has sold testing kits to the Chinese police tailored to their specifications. Some officials within China, as well as human rights groups outside its borders, warn that a national DNA database could invade privacy and tempt officials to punish the relatives of
dissidents and activists. New York Times
India and China blame each other in deadly clash . . . India and China said they wanted peace but blamed each other on Wednesday after soldiers of the two sides savagely fought each other with nail-studded clubs and stones on their Himalayan border, killing at least 20 Indian
troops. “We never provoke anyone,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on national television, referring to Monday’s hand-to-hand fighting. Indian media quoted officials as saying at least 45 people were dead or injured on the Chinese side. Reuters
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Trump pushing $1 trillion infrastructure bill . . . The Trump administration is preparing a nearly $1 trillion infrastructure proposal as part of its push to spur the world’s largest economy back to life, according to people familiar with the plan. A preliminary version being prepared by the Department of Transportation would reserve most of the money for traditional infrastructure work, like roads and bridges, but would also set
aside funds for 5G wireless infrastructure and rural broadband, the people said. President Donald Trump is scheduled to discuss rural broadband access at a White House event on Thursday. Bloomberg
Note, this is not quite a stimulus, it's money spent over ten years.
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Google penalizes conservative news sites over "derogatory content" . . . Google has cut off advertising revenue to one conservative website and threatened to do so with another because their comments sections contain “derogatory” race-based content, the company said Tuesday. Google said user posts on ZeroHedge and The Federalist failed to meet its standards and that the sites would be blocked from using the Google Ad platform if
they didn’t remove the offensive comments. The company has already cut off ZeroHedge and plans to do the same for The Federalist if it does not act soon. Both sites have published articles that are critical of the Black Lives Matter movement and recent demonstrations following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, but Google said its actions were not related to the sites’ articles. Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, who has accused Silicon Valley companies of anti-conservative
bias in the past, took aim at the decision in a tweet Tuesday. Politico
This is why there are laws against monopolies in this country. Why they were enforced against oil and steel barons and not internet magnates, I have no idea. I guess the latter are more woke.
California lawmakers to remove Christopher Columbus from state capital . . . Top California lawmakers on Tuesday ordered the removal of a marble sculpture depicting explorer Christopher Columbus and his patron, Queen Isabella, from the Capitol Rotunda.
The statue has been in the Capitol for more than a century. Top lawmakers called for its removal a day after a statue showing white settler John Sutter was taken down in front of the Sacramento hospital that bears his name. “Christopher Columbus is a deeply polarizing historical figure given the deadly impact his arrival in
this hemisphere had on indigenous populations. The continued presence of this statue in California’s Capitol, where it has been since 1883, is completely out of place today,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement. Sacramento Bee
NYC Man who shoved 92-year-old woman to ground arrested over 100 times . . . A career criminal with more than 100 arrests to his name was busted for cruelly shoving a 92-year-old woman into a Manhattan fire hydrant — leaving his victim too scared to walk alone in her own
neighborhood. The injured elder, a Bronx native named Geraldine, spoke to The Post on Tuesday after cops arrested convicted sex offender Rashid Brimmage, 31, and charged him with attacking her. “I thought a brick hit me or something hit me on the left side of my head, and I went right down and hit my head against the hydrant,” Geraldine, who asked that her last name be withheld for safety reasons, said of the attack. Geraldine, who has lived in Manhattan for more than 50
years. New York Post
Maybe at the 50th arrest someone could have guessed that he should not be let out again. Anyway, I'm just relieved the police are still arresting people.
Father arrested after kids died in truck is released . . . An Oklahoma father whose two young children died in his hot truck was released from jail Tuesday, after video showed the children climbed into the truck on their own and never got out, the Tulsa District Attorney's
Office said. Dustin Dennis, 31, was arrested Saturday after police say he took his two children, ages 3 and 4, to a convenience store around noon that day. After returning home, Dennis took a nap and said he could not find his children in the house after he woke up. He discovered them after he checked the floorboard of the truck. CNN
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Giant rats terrorizing Dublin . . . A “large increase” in rats leaving the sewers and infesting city streets and suburbs has emerged during the coronavirus pandemic as pest control teams have been curtailed, Dub lin City Council has said. Rats, described by one councillor as big enough to “put a saddle on”, are eating through brickwork and circumventing traps to infest homes, gardens and even cars. Recent warm weather, fewer people on the streets and increased illegal dumping had encouraged more rats into the open, the council said. However its
ability to tackle infestations had been reduced as the Health Service Executive pest control services were restricted during the pandemic. The Irish Times
Oh, sure, go ahead, defund the police.
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Keith
Keith Koffler
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