Cut to the News
Cut through the clutter to today's top news
July 8, 2020
Good morning
Welcome to today's top news.
Leading the News . . .
Kanye says he is running for president and that he has a plan. Sort of . . . Over the course of four rambling hours of interviews on Tuesday, the billionaire rapper turned sneaker mogul revealed: That he’s running for president in 2020 under a new banner—the Birthday Party—with guidance from Elon Musk and an obscure vice presidential candidate he’s already chosen. “Like anything I’ve ever done in my life,” says West, “I’m doing to win.” That he no
longer supports President Trump. “I am taking the red hat off, with this interview.” That he’s ok with siphoning off Black votes from the Democratic nominee, thus helping Trump. “I’m not denying it, I just told you. To say that the Black vote is Democratic is a form of racism and white supremacy.” That he’s never voted in his life. That he was sick with Covid-19 in February. That he’s suspicious of a coronavirus vaccine, terming vaccines “the mark of the beast.” That he believes “Planned
Parenthoods have been placed inside cities by white supremacists to do the Devil’s work.” That he envisions a White House organizational model based on the secret country of Wakanda in Black Panther. Forbes
The Birthday Party! Just maybe, he's running to elect Trump. And sell some sneakers.
Texas doctors rank riskiest activities . . . The Texas Medical Association’s COVID-19 Task Force and Committee on Infectious Diseases ranked 37 activities on a scale of 1-10. Opening the mail? The lowest risk activity, with a score of 1. Going to a bar? High risk – scoring a 9. Joining going to a bar as the riskiest activities are attending a large concert, going to a sports stadium and attending a religious service
with more than 500 worshipers. Other low-risk activities include getting takeout from a restaurant, pumping gas, playing tennis or going camping. Each of those scored a 2. Going grocery shopping was ranked only slightly riskier, but getting a haircut, shaking hands and going to the gym all carry much greater risk. Fox News
Also very risky: Saying what you actually think.
Florida ICUs reach capacity as virus surges . . . Intensive care units in Florida hospitals have reached capacity in 21 counties as the Sunshine State tackles a new surge in coronavirus cases, reports said Tuesday. Data from the Agency for Health Care Administration shows 43 ICUs across 21 counties have hit their capacity and have zero beds available. Another 32 hospitals are dangerously close to reaching capacity, showing just 10% or less
availability, the outlet reported. New York Post
Scientists warn of potential coronavirus brain damage . . . Scientists warned on Wednesday of a potential wave of coronavirus-related brain damage as new evidence suggested COVID-19 can lead to severe neurological complications, including inflammation, psychosis and delirium. A study by researchers at University College London (UCL)described 43 cases of patients with COVID-19 who suffered either temporary brain dysfunction, strokes, nerve
damage or other serious brain effects. Reuters
WHO acknowledges evidence of airborne spread . . . The World Health Organization on Tuesday acknowledged “evidence emerging” of the airborne spread of the novel coronavirus. “We have been talking about the possibility of airborne transmission and aerosol transmission as one of the modes of transmission of COVID-19,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead on the COVID-19 pandemic at the WHO. The WHO has previously said the virus that causes
the COVID-19 respiratory disease spreads primarily through small droplets expelled from the nose and mouth of an infected person that quickly sink to the ground. Reuters
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Trump says Confederate flag a matter of "freedom of speech" . . . President Trump on Tuesday described displaying the Confederate flag as "freedom of speech" while saying it was "up to" NASCAR to make the decision on whether to allow the symbol at races. The comments came a day after he chastised the racing circuit on Twitter for banning the flag from its properties
and targeted Bubba Wallace, one of the sport's top Black stars. "My stance is very simple: It’s freedom of speech," Trump said. "NASCAR can do whatever they want, and they’ve chosen to go a certain way, other people choose to go a different route." The Hill
Niece's book says Trump paid friend to take SATs for him . . . The big revelation I’ve seen so far from the new book by President Trump’s niece Mary Trump is that Trump as a young man paid someone to take the SATs for him. According to the Washington Examiner: "Trump “worried that his grade point average, which put him far for the top of his class, would scuttle his efforts to get accepted” at the University of Pennsylvania, where he
has “set his sights,” Trump approached a friend for help." The White House late Tuesday strongly denied it. White House Dossier
Trump to pressure states to open schools . . . President Trump on Tuesday said that his administration would be “putting a lot of pressure” on US governors to reopen public schools in the fall.
“We’re very much going to put pressure on governors and everybody else to open the schools, to get them open,” Trump said at a White House event featuring health experts, educators and politicians on school reopenings. “Everybody wants it. The moms want it. The dads want it. The kids want it. It’s time to do it.” New York Post
Tucker Carlson battle with Tammy Duckworth heats up . . . Tucker Carlson claimed that decorated war veteran Sen. Tammy Duckworth was a 'coward' for not wanting to appear on his show. Following comments he made Monday, Duckworth - who became a double amputee after
losing her legs while serving in Iraq - suggested on Twitter that Carlson 'walk a mile in my legs.' The statement quickly went viral, prompted a furious response from the host. 'Senator Duckworth was asked if we should tear down statues of George Washington,' the Fox host said. 'We played that for you last night and we noted how grotesque it was. Only someone who hates the country would suggest ripping down monuments to its founder.' Daily Mail
Ilhan Omar calls for "dismantling" our "economy and political systems"
But only after her husband gets paid:
Omar funneling campaign funds to husband's firm . . . Rep. Ilhan Omar has continued quietly funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars to her new husband’s consulting film, including a $189,000 windfall in March — just weeks after they announced they had tied the knot, campaign data shows. The payments between the Minneapolis Democratic congresswoman and Tim Mynett prompted at least one ethics complaint in 2019 after The Post first revealed allegations — made by Mynett’s then-wife in her divorce filing — that Omar was having an affair with the member of her political consulting team. New York Post
Sarah Palin and husband Todd finalize divorce . . . Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her husband of more than 30 years, Todd Palin, quietly finalized their divorce this spring, according to court records. Though the case has long been sealed from public view, the publicly available docket shows their divorce was granted on March 23 after a non-contested hearing. Todd first filed for divorce on Sept. 6 — his 55th
birthday. In his initial complaint, he cited “incompatibility of temperament between the parties such that they find it impossible to live together as husband and wife.” People
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China making large-scale effort to subvert US . . . Chinese intelligence agents and diplomats are actively subverting U.S. policies through bribery, blackmail and covert influence operations, FBI Director Christopher A. Wray said Tuesday in a major policy address. The operations, the FBI chief said, are part of large-scale intelligence activities by China to recruit spies and
steal information. “The greatest long-term threat to our nation’s information, intellectual property and to our economic vitality is the counterintelligence and economic espionage threat from China,” Mr. Wray told an audience at the Hudson Institute think tank. Washington Times
Is the press going to be all over the story or China helping Biden get elected?
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Hong Kong's top cop got tough and it worked . . . As Hong Kong fretted over tough new national security legislation Beijing was fashioning earlier this year, Chris Tang enthusiastically supported the move.
Last week he got his wish. The ruling Communist Party imposed the law, in the process arming Tang with a range of powerful tools to quell popular dissent. The effect was immediate.
Within 24 hours, Tang’s officers had arrested 10 people under the new law along with about 360 others suspected of existing offenses as protests erupted over Beijing’s move. China’s most open and free-wheeling city began to clam up. Political groups disbanded. Activists fled overseas. Shops ripped down posters supporting the
protests that convulsed the city last year. And public libraries pulled books written by some pro-democracy authors from their shelves. Reuters
The one place I would definitely support defunding the police.
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As businesses reopen, consumers plan to spend less . . . With many states reopening despite the recommendations of public health experts, new data show consumers may not be prepared to return to pre-pandemic spending levels. More than 40% of people who spent money on movies, event tickets or at bars before the pandemic now plan to spend less on those activities, according to a new survey for
CreditCards.com. Bloomberg
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Writers and scholars stand up for free speech . . . More than 100 writers and scholars — including Noam Chomsky, J.K. Rowling and Malcolm Gladwell — have signed a public letter decrying cancel culture. The letter argued that the recent “needed reckoning” on racial and social justice has also “intensified a new set of moral attitudes and political commitments” that tend to stifle the norms of public debate and tolerating
differences. “The free exchange of information and ideas, the lifeblood of a liberal society, is daily becoming more constricted,” the letter states.Censorship, while something “we have come to expect this on the radical right,” is also spreading more widely on the left. New York Post
Soros-backed DA charge couple with hate crime for painting over "Black Lives Matter" . . . Contra Costa County, California, District Attorney Diana Becton, who was backed by left-wing billionaire George Soros in 2018, has charged a couple with a “hate crime” for painting over a “Black Lives Matter” mural on the road. In a press release Tuesday afternoon, Becton’s office announced that Martinez, California, residents Nichole Anderson
and David Nelson were being charged with three misdemeanors for their actions, including “violation of civil rights.” Breitbart
Don Lemon suggests fixing Mount Rushmore by adding Obama to it . . . CNN host Don Lemon said President Barack Obama should be added to Mount Rushmore. "though a rich diversity of people helped build the country, and many of us, meaning ancestors, for free — did not get paid for it, could not get an education, could not build wealth, are not on statues, Confederate or otherwise, are not on Mount Rushmore," he said. "I think, listen … if they are
going to put someone on Mount Rushmore, considering the history of the country, the first black president should be front and center.” Anchor Chris Cuomo said, “Add to Mount Rushmore. I think that’s first of all, it’s a more salable idea than the idea of taking away Founding Fathers.” Breitbart
Bird watcher won't cooperate with police against Central Park "Karen" . . . The man at the center of the Central Park ‘Karen’ fiasco has said he will not cooperate with the Manhattan District Attorney’s investigation, according to a new report. Christian Cooper said on Tuesday that Amy Cooper, 41, has suffered enough since the May encounter that destroyed her career and reputation. Amy Cooper was charged on Monday with falsely reporting
an incident in the third degree. “On the one hand, she’s already paid a steep price,” Mr. Cooper, 57, told the paper, referring to the criminal charge. “That’s not enough of a deterrent to others?” New York Post
Beginning to feel bad for women named "Karen." And I just got over feeling sorry for women named "Alexa."
Chief Justice Roberts was hospitalized after injuring head in a fall . . . Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. suffered a fall at a Maryland country club last month that required an overnight stay in the hospital, a Supreme Court spokeswoman confirmed Tuesday night. The 65-year-old chief justice was taken by ambulance to a hospital after the June 21 incident at the Chevy Chase Club, which was serious enough to require sutures. He stayed at the
hospital overnight for observation and was released the next morning. Roberts has twice experienced seizures, in 1993 and in 2007, but Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathleen Arberg said doctors ruled out that possibility in the latest incident. Doctors believe he was dehydrated, she said. Washington Post
I know what you're thinking. But no, the liberal drift started before he hit his head.
Extreme heat to bake US for rest of July . . . Extreme heat will bake the US for the rest of July with health officials warning of heat strokes as meteorologists predict temperatures between 90 and 110 degrees until the end of the month. Much of the country will see temperatures top the 90s, with a staggering 270 million Americans - around 84 percent of the population - experiencing such heat at least one day this week. People in Western Nebraska,
Oklahoma and Texas will bear the brunt of the heat, with areas reaching a feel-like temperature of around 110 degrees Fahrenheit by next week. Daily Mail
Sony releases personal air conditioner . . . Sony has released a new personal air conditioner designed to be stored inside a person's shirt collar, creating a cool envelope around their torso even when they're outside. Called the Reon Pocket, the wallet-sized device weighs just three ounces and can be controlled through a companion smartphone app. Sony is also selling custom t-shirts with small pockets sewn into the back collar of the shirt to hold
the device.Sony claims the device can lower the body surface temperature of the person wearing it by up to 23 degrees Fahrenheit. Daily Mail
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter celebrate their 74th wedding anniversary . . . The former president and first lady celebrated their 74th wedding anniversary Tuesday, adding to their record as the longest-married presidential couple in our nation's history. The Carters officially clenched the title in October after passing the previous record held by former President George H.W. Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush, who were married 73 years and
111 days when Barbara died in April 2018. USA Today
Mary Kay Letourneau, jailed for raping student she later married, dies at 58 . . . Mary Kay Letourneau, who married her former sixth-grade student after she was convicted for raping him, has died. She was 58. Her lawyer David Gehrke told multiple news outlets Letourneau died Tuesday of cancer. He did not immediately return an email from The Associated Press. Letourneau was a married mother of four having difficulties with her marriage in 1996
when Vili Fualaau was a precocious 12-year-old in Letourneau's class at Shorewood Elementary in Burien, a south Seattle suburb. USA Today
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How Thailand got massage right . . . Unlike Swedish massage or Hawaiian lomi lomi massage, where the patient is a passive participant, in Thai massage, the patient – who remains fully clothed – bends, stretches and moves their limbs with the help of the therapist to boost flexibility. Some therapists in Thailand will even step on the patient’s back to more deeply massage the muscles. Chiselled into the marble on the Wat Pho
plaques are representations of sen lines – crisscrossing energy paths on the body that therapists follow when placing their hands, feet or elbows on a person – which are believed to be conduits of “life force”. BBC
I definitely do not want to participate in my massage. I want to lie there and get rubbed. And I definitely do not want all my clothes on. Let's be honest here. Thailand got food exactly right, massage completely wrong.
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Keith
Keith Koffler
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