Cut to the News
Cut through the clutter to today's top news
July 21, 2020
Good morning
Welcome to today's top news.
Leading the News . . .
A wave of promising new studies raises hope for a coronavirus vaccine . . . Early data from trials of three potential COVID-19 vaccines released on Monday, including a closely-watched candidate from Oxford University, increased confidence that a vaccine can train the immune system to recognize and fight the novel coronavirus without serious side effects. Whether any of these efforts will result in a vaccine capable of protecting billions of
people and ending the global pandemic that has claimed more than 600,000 lives is still far from clear. All will require much larger studies to prove they can safely prevent infection or serious disease. The vaccine being developed by British drugmaker AstraZeneca along with the Oxford University, induced an immune response in all study participants who received two doses without any worrisome side effects. A coronavirus vaccine under development by CanSinoBiologics Inc and China’s
military research unit, likewise showed that it appears to be safe and induced an immune response in most of the 508 healthy volunteers who got one dose of the vaccine, researchers reported. Reuters
Coronavirus mortality rate is .5% to 1% . . .
Researchers, initially analyzing data from outbreaks on cruise ships and more recently from surveys of thousands of people in virus hot spots, have now conducted dozens of studies to calculate the infection fatality rate of Covid-19. That research, which includes unreported cases—suggests that Covid-19 kills from around
0.3% to 1.5% of people infected. Most studies put the rate between 0.5% and 1.0%, meaning that for every 1,000 people who get infected, from five to 10 would die on average. A comparison of 26 studies pinpointed an overall rate of around 6.8 deaths per 1,000 infections. Wall Street Journal
Fauci to deliver first pitch at Yankees-Nationals game
Trump says it is patriotic to wear a face mask . . . Trump, who was not seen publicly wearing a face covering until months after the health crisis began, posted the black-and-white picture of himself wearing a dark mask that featured the presidential seal on Monday. “We are United in
our effort to defeat the Invisible China Virus, and many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can’t socially distance. There is nobody more Patriotic than me, your favorite President!” he wrote. Washington Examiner
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Trump to reverse an Obama regulation he says is destroying the suburbs . . . President Trump plans this week to reverse an Obama-era regulation designed to encourage more low-income units in the country’s mostly White suburbs, putting him squarely at odds with Democratic rival Joseph R. Biden over affordable housing. The president is taking aim at the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, a 2015
regulation requiring communities that accept certain federal funding to identify and address housing policies that have a “discriminatory effect.” “People work so hard to live in a certain community. We shouldn’t be destroying that community,” the president said. Washington Times
Today's Trump Schedule
Biden says schools should teach more about Islamic faith . . . Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden says it’s time for U.S. schools to ramp up Islamic curriculum across the nation. The presidential hopeful’s remarks came during the “Million Muslim Votes Summit” hosted by Emgage Action. “Look, one of the things that I think is important is I wish we taught more in our schools about the Islamic faith,” he said Monday. Washington Times
Trump to send feds to cities like Chicago and New York . . . President Trump Monday said he plans to send more federal law enforcement officers into cities to reduce crime and combat rioting. From remarks he made Monday in the Oval Office: "Portland was totally out of control. The Democrats — the liberal
Democrats running the place had no idea what they were doing. They were ripping down — for 51 days, ripping down that city, destroying the city, looting it. The level of corruption and what was going on there is incredible." White House Dossier
Trump to return to center stage with Coronavirus Task Force briefing revival . . . President Trump said Monday will return to the White House briefing room every day to give updates on the coronavirus, and no doubt whatever else he feels like talking about. It doesn’t take a
political genius to figure out why. The briefings provided an incredible platform for him, and since he abandoned the events, Joe Biden has gained in the polls. What’s more, even though he is trying to pretend the plague is getting better, voters remain deeply concerned about it, polls show. The briefings begin Tuesday afternoon and will be at 5 pm. “We had a good slot. A lot of people were watching,” he said. White House Dossier
Video || All the times the White House shut down CNN's Jim Acosta
Hillary says Trump pardoned Roger Stone to shut him up . . . Hillary Clinton has claimed that President Donald Trump commuted the sentence of his former adviser as 'a continuation of the cover-up' into the Russia probe. The former Secretary of State opened
up on Joy Reid's inaugural The ReidOut show on MSNBC Monday night, telling the host that the controversial move was 'to basically shut up Roger Stone.' The political operative's 40-month prison sentence for lying to operatives and witness tampering in the Robert Mueller-led probe into Russia meddling on the 2016 election was commuted by Trump on July 10. Daily Mail
Video || Black woman paints over BLM sign outside Trump Tower
Jacksonville officials start to urge GOP to cancel convention . . . City officials in Jacksonville say the GOP moved the Republican National Convention to the Florida city too late and they're likely not to pull it off. 'If I were them, I'd start thinking about going virtual or scaling down even more than they've done,' Jacksonville City Council President Thomas Hazouri said. Jacksonville's Sheriff Mike Williams warned that
they were 'past the point of no return' of being able to get proper security protocols in place to host a widely attended, in-person convention starring the president of the United States. Daily Mail
Biden unveils tax-hiking $775B child care plan . . . Joe Biden on Tuesday unveiled a $775 billion plan to bolster child care and care for the elderly that would be financed by taxes on real estate investors with incomes of more than $400,000 as well increased tax compliance by high-income earners. The Biden campaign did not fully explain how the plan for a “caring economy” would be financed, but officials highlighted some tax breaks they would seek
to eliminate to raise revenue. Bloomberg
Kasich to speak in support of Biden at Dem convention . . . Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich is expected to speak at the Democratic National Convention on Joe Biden’s behalf next month — one of several prominent Republicans being courted to back the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, a report said Monday.
Biden’s team would not confirm specific discussions with Kasich, but deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield told the Associated Press that the campaign has begun working with Republicans, just as it had worked with progressives in recent months. New York Post
Kanye says Kim Kardashian tried to lock him up . . . Presidential hopeful Kanye West said that Kim Kardashian tried to “lock me up” during a bizarre rant on Twitter Monday night. “Kim tried to bring a doctor to lock me up with a doctor,” the rapper tweeted. “If I get locked up
like Mandela… Ya’ll will know why.” Kanye, who claims to be running for president, also appeared to blast Kardashian’s mom Kris Jenner. “Kriss don’t play with me you and that calmye are not allowed around my children Ya’ll tried to lock me up,” the artist wrote. New York Post
Looks like the campaign is off to a rocky start.
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US-China rivalry heats up with Mars missions . . . The rivalry between the U.S. and China assumes cosmic proportions this month, as both countries prepare to send spacecraft to Mars within days of each other. The head-to-head Mars missions are the latest sign that China is ready to challenge the U.S. in space exploration, in recent decades an American preserve. China’s first mission to another planet, the Tianwen-1 is set to
blast off this week—the exact day has yet to be announced—on a seven-month journey to Mars. It will orbit the red planet for two to three months before deploying a rover that will conduct scientific experiments on the Martian surface. The U.S. mission, due to launch July 30, will land the Perseverance rover on Mars. It will also deploy the Ingenuity Mars helicopter—the first craft capable of powered flight on another planet. Wall Street Journal
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China uses Uighur forced labor to make face masks . . . Chinese health equipment producers are using a government labor program that forces Uyghur minorities to work against their will. At least 17 companies participate in the labor program, which transports the Muslim minorities to factory and service jobs, the Times found. Though the participating firms mostly produce
products for domestic consumption, a shipment of personal protective equipment produced by one of the firms was found in the state of Georgia. Washington Free Beacon
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Democrats, White House to meet on next Covid aid bill . . . Advisers to President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats were set to discuss the next steps in responding to the coronavirus crisis on Tuesday, with congressional Republicans saying they were working on a $1 trillion relief bill. In a meeting on Monday at the White House, Republican lawmakers and administration officials said they were making progress toward fresh
legislation aimed at cushioning the heavy economic toll of the pandemic. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said the Republican proposal would include a cut to the payroll tax on workers’ gross earnings, which funds national retirement programs. Reuters
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Majority say US society is racist . . . Voters in growing numbers believe that Black and Hispanic Americans are discriminated against, and a majority of 56% holds the view that American society is racist, a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll finds. The poll finds that Americans of all races and age groups share significant concerns about discrimination nearly two months after George Floyd, a Black man,
was killed in police custody in Minneapolis. Nearly three-quarters of Americans, 71%, believe that race relations are either very or fairly bad, a 16-point increase since February. Wall Street Journal
The majority is wrong. What we are doing is creating a victimization culture that is going to both increase racial strife and stymie blacks from getting ahead.
Americans oppose removing confederate statues . . . A Washington Post/ABC News poll finds that 52 percent of Americans oppose removing public statues honoring Confederate generals, while 43 percent support their removal. That includes an 80 percent majority of Republicans and 56 percent of independents in opposition, while 74 percent of Democrats support the removal of these statutes. There’s even wider opposition
to the government paying black Americans whose ancestors were enslaved, with 63 percent saying the government should not pay reparations. Currently, 31 percent favor reparations, up from 19 percent in a 1999 ABC News poll. On the issue of police funding, for example, 55 percent of Americans oppose moving funds from police departments to social services — and 43 percent say they oppose it “strongly.” The Black Lives Matter movement has the support of 63 percent.
Washington Post
Missouri governor to pardon St. Louis couple who wielded guns at BLM protestors . . . . Missouri Gov. Mike Parson told "Hannity" on Monday that "without a doubt," he will pardon Mark and Patricia McCloskey, hours after St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner
filed felony charges against them. The charges stemmed from the McCloskeys wielding firearms after a crowd entered their gated neighborhood, and some allegedly threatened them and their property. The McCloskeys argued that they broke an iron gate to get onto the private street. Parson, a Republican, said Missouri was one of several states with a "castle doctrine" principle wherein people could protect themselves, their family and/or their property in certain situations. Fox News
Possible key to longevity discovered . . . By studying yeast, the University of California, San Diego scientists discovered that cells take one of two paths as they age. One of the two paths leads to healthy aging, while cells that go the other route decline much more quickly as their
machinery stutters and churns out broken proteins. And the scientists found the molecular 'switchboard' that determines which fate cells will have. With this newly found information, the team made a computer model for cellular aging - and found DNA tweaks that could make yeast cells live about twice as long, thus extending the organism's lifespan. Daily Mail
Man who shot judge was anti-feminist with terminal cancer . . . The anti-feminist lawyer who allegedly killed a federal judge's 20-year-old son and injured her husband, before shooting himself in his car, suffered from terminal cancer and had trashed her in a self-published book he
wrote this year. Roy Den Hollander was named by multiple police sources on Monday as the gunman who shot dead Daniel Anderl, 20, and injured 63-year-old Mark Anderl after arriving at the home they share with Judge Esther Salas in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Daily Mail
Lawsuit accuses ex-Fox News anchor Ed Henry of rape . . . Former Fox News anchor Ed Henry has been accused of 'violently raping' one woman and sexually harassing another in a bombshell new lawsuit. The federal suit was filed by Jennifer Eckhart, a former associate producer at Fox
Business, and Cathy Areu, a frequent guest on the network. Eckhart claims that Henry - who was fired from the network on July 1 after an unnamed employee accused him of sexual misconduct - handcuffed her and raped her in a hotel room in 2017 after trying to coerce her into a sexual relationship. Areu also claims she was sexually harassed by Henry, 49, and several other men at the network - including star anchors Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson and journalists Howard Kurtz and Gianno
Caldwell. Fox News and Henry deny the charges. Daily Mail
Tucker Carlson blasts New York Times for intent to reveal his address . . . “Last week, The New York Times began working on a story about where my family and I live,” Carlson said. “As a matter of journalism, there is no conceivable justification for a story like that. The paper is not
alleging we’ve done anything wrong and we haven’t. We pay our taxes. We like our neighbors. We’ve never had a dispute with anyone.” Carlson speculated that the intent behind an article of that nature could only be “to hurt us, to injure my wife and kids so that I will shut up and stop disagreeing with them.” “They believe in force,” he said. “We’ve learned that.” Daily Caller
Apparently "All the News that's Fit to Print" includes Tucker's address. This is not journalism, it's an effort to harm an influential and effective conservative, populist voice.
Major League baseball defends kneeling . . . Major League Baseball came out in defense of players who knelt during the national anthem on Monday evening, taking on critics and tweeting in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Several members of the San Francisco
Giants took a knee during the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner during a preseason game hosted by the Oakland Athletics before an empty stadium filled with cardboard cutouts. The Giants proudly tweeted out the protest: Amidst much criticism online, the league’s Twitter account began defending the protest and issued tweets in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Breitbart
Stop watching sports if you have to. Don't make this okay.
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Italian police find cocaine hidden inside coffee beans . . . Police in Italy said they searched a package addressed to a fictional mafia boss and discovered it contained 4.5 ounces of cocaine hidden inside hollowed-out coffee beans. The Guardia di Finanza financial police said customs officers checked the contents of the package after they noticed it was addressed to Santino D'Antonio, a fictional organized crime boss
from the movie John Wick: Chapter 2. Investigators discovered the package contained more than 500 coffee beans that had been hollowed out, filled with cocaine, and reassembled with dark brown tape. UPI
Well, that certainly will wake you up in the morning.
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Keith
Keith Koffler
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