Cut to the News
Cut through the clutter to today's top news
August 13, 2020
Good morning
Welcome to today's top news.
Leading the News . . .
Biden-Harris ticket debuts . . . Kamala Harris made her campaign-trail debut as Joe Biden’s Democratic running mate on Wednesday, delivering a strong rebuke of President Donald Trump’s leadership and highlighting the historic significance of her new role. Harris said Biden, the former vice president under President Barack Obama, had recognized the critical moment being faced by the country by picking her to be the first Black woman and Asian
American on a major-party U.S. presidential ticket. “Today, he takes his place in the ongoing story of America’s march toward equality and justice as the only person who served alongside the first Black president, and has chosen the first Black woman as his running mate,” said Harris. Reuters
MSM declares Harris a "moderate" . . . ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos is the latest member of the media to portray Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., as a moderate choice for Joe Biden's running mate. "Kamala Harris comes from the middle of the road, moderate wing of the Democratic party," the anchor said to a panel. On Tuesday, The New York Times raised eyebrows for referring to the California senator as a "pragmatic
moderate." An op-ed from The Washington Post on Wednesday similarly declared her as a "small-c conservative." Fox News
Brett Baier: Harris may have been the most liberal member of the Senate . . . The Trump campaign will be guilty of some severe political malpractice if it lets the MSM portray Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as moderates. I mean, sure, compared to Trotsky. But these two are as liberal as they come, and their administration, pulled to the left by the forces now running the Democratic Party, will be little different than a socialist regime. White House Dossier
Harris is not popular, polling shows . . . Recent polling by YouGov finds that since Kamala Harris has entered into the public consciousness and began aggressively campaigning for president last year, she has not been particularly popular with voters. According to YouGov, her unpopularity reached a peak at the end of November with close to 50 percent expressing a negative view of her and just 35% saying they had a favorable opinion. White House Dossier
So with all the commentary about her charisma and the strength she may bring to the Biden ticket, it seems she has the same problem he does: The less seen, the better.
Harris may stay in the basement too . . . Biden's campaign is contemplating the advent of Team Basement. The Californian flopped on the campaign trail in the primaries. The dilemma now facing Mr. Biden: Is Ms. Harris a better value on the trail or huddled with him in the basement out of
concern that she could flop again? Washington Times
Kamala wants your guns . . . Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has done something unprecedented with his pick of Sen. Kamala Harris (D., Calif.) as his running mate: put a candidate on the presidential ticket who publicly supports gun confiscation. During her failed primary campaign, Harris was
one of only a handful of candidates to explicitly advocate for the confiscation of what she estimated to be tens of millions of legally owned firearms. Washington Free Beacon
Satire: White House Dossier obtains transcript of Biden offer to Harris to be VP
Trump introduces task force member as antidote to Fauci . . . President Donald Trump on Wednesday again acknowledged Dr. Scott Atlas at a coronavirus event, turning over the floor to his new advisor who has argued against lockdowns and school closings and wants to hasten 'herd' immunity. Trump turned to Dr. Atlas at an event on reopening schools, even as the nation grapples with infections among young
people even on campuses starting to reopen. Atlas is a trained neuro-radiologist at the Hoover Institution known for his appearances on Fox News. Daily Mail
China says frozen chicken wings from Brazil positive for the coronavirus . . . The infected poultry was discovered in the city of Shenzhen during routine screenings of imported meat and seafood carried out since June, the city government said in a notice. The screenings were implemented after a coronavirus outbreak in Beijing was linked to a seafood market. People who may have come into contact with the chicken wings, along with food products
stored near the batch, were tested by Shenzhen’s health authorities. All those results came back negative. New York Post
No problem. I get all my frozen chicken wings from Argentina.
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Harris may hurt Biden in the crucial Rust Belt . . . Republican strategists say they have become more optimistic about President Trump’s prospects after Joe Biden anointed Sen. Kamala Harris his running mate, claiming the liberal Californian would derail the presumptive Democratic nominee’s momentum in key Midwestern battlegrounds. Biden has Trump on his heels from Iowa to Pennsylvania. GOP operatives say Harris would blunt
Biden’s appeal with voters in exurban and rural communities, citing her occasional support for abolishing private health insurance and embrace of a federal ban on fracking, a major source of jobs in states such as Pennsylvania. Washington Examiner
Trump within six points of Biden in six battleground states . . . Biden leads Trump by 6 points in Florida, 50 to 44 percent, and the former vice president leads by 5 points in Michigan, 48 to 43 percent, according to the "States of Play" survey from CNBC and Change Research. Biden is also up by 4 points in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, 48 to 44 percent and 47 to 43 percent, respectively. The former vice president's
lead is slimmer in Arizona, where he is ahead of Trump, 45 to 44 percent. Trump, meanwhile, holds a narrow lead over Biden in North Carolina, 48 to 47 percent. The Hill
Here's my rule: If Trump is within three points in a poll just before Election Day, he definitely wins the state. Even within five points, he has a good shot.
Soros sees "revolutionary moment in pandemic . . . Billionaire liberal activist George Soros told an Italian newspaper that he sees the coronavirus epidemic as a “revolutionary” opportunity. Soros also denounced President Trump as a “transitory
phenomenon” but expressed hope that the COVID-19 crisis has opened up politics in a radical direction. “I would describe it as a revolutionary moment when the range of possibilities is much greater than in normal times,” he said. “What is inconceivable in normal times becomes not only possible but actually happens. People are disoriented and scared.” Washington Times
AOC getting just one minute at the Democratic convention . . . The New York Democrat reacted on Twitter to reports that she’ll get just 60 seconds to speak when she participates next week in the Democratic Party’s mostly online national convention. Ocasio-Cortez quoted from “God’s Minute,” by the late civil rights leader Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, whose poem was a commentary on the brevity of life. “I only have a minute. Sixty seconds
in it. Forced upon me, I did not choose it, But I know that I must use it,” the poem reads. Fox News
It's still too long.
Woodward book to describe "love letters" between Trump and Kim Jong Un . . . According to Simon & Schuster, in one letter "Kim describes the bond between the two leaders as out of a 'fantasy film.'" "Rage" also reveals Trump's blunt opinions of former presidents and whether he thinks he will win re-election in November. The book's title comes from a quote during an interview Trump did. "I bring rage out," Trump said. "I
do bring rage out. I always have. I don't know if that's an asset or a liability, but whatever it is, I do." CNN
Trump celebrates QAnon backer who won GOP primary . . . President Trump hailed QAnon conspiracy supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene as a "future Republican Star" after her victory in the Republican primary runoff for Georgia's 14 Congressional District, which she is heavily favored to win. "Congratulations to future Republican Star Marjorie Taylor Greene on a big Congressional primary win in Georgia against a very tough and
smart opponent," Trump tweeted Wednesday. "Marjorie is strong on everything and never gives up - a real WINNER!" Greene called QAnon "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to fight a "global cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles." Washington Examiner
Trump promises to abolish payroll tax . . . President Trump promised to abolish the payroll tax if reelected in November, saying he would protect Social Security by taking money from the Treasury’s general fund to pay for it. “At the end of the year, the assumption that I win, I’m going to terminate the payroll tax, which is another thing that some of the great economists would like to see done,” he said. “We’ll be paying into Social
Security through the general fund, and it works out very nicely." Washington Examiner
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US general wants of ISIS resurgence . . . The Pentagon’s top officer for the Middle East warned Wednesday that the U.S. will face “huge problems” from a resurgent Islamic State over the coming decade unless Washington develops a sweeping initiative to deradicalize young men and women in several Middle East
hot spots. Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie, who heads U.S. Central Command, sounded the alarm that the group remains active and bent on recruiting a new generation of jihadis. Analysts say ISIS remains fully capable of conducting smaller-scale terrorist strikes while pursuing deeper strategic aims. Washington Times
Trump to remove Defense Secretary Esper after election . . . President Donald Trump has privately said that he intends to replace Secretary of Defense Mark Esper after the November election, according to people familiar with internal discussions. One person said Esper has told people close to him that he
intends to leave regardless of the election’s outcome, meaning he could exit the administration about two months before Trump does, if the president loses. Trump has been frustrated that Esper, who became secretary in July 2019, hasn’t done more to publicly defend him on key issues, including reports that Russia paid Taliban fighters “bounties” for the killing of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Bloomberg
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Modi's key ministers hit by coronavirus as the pandemic grips India . . . Several Indian ministers in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet have tested positive for Covid-19 in the past few days, underscoring the spread of the virus in the world’s second most populous nation. Five ministers including Modi’s key aide and minister for internal security Amit Shah have contracted the virus which has infected nearly 2.4 million
Indians. The south Asian nation has the highest death toll after U.S., Brazil and Mexico. Some of the ministers, including Shah, are in hospitals while others are recovering at home. Bloomberg
Israel stops fuel shipments to Gaza over fire balloons . . . Israel said on Thursday it would stop shipments of fuel into Gaza in response to Palestinians in the enclave launching incendiary balloons that have torched tracts of farmland on the Israeli frontier. Palestinians in Islamist Hamas-ruled Gaza have launched dozens of helium balloons laden with incendiary material in recent days to pressure Israel to ease its blockade of the
territory. Reuters
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Restaurant chains on the coronavirus chopping block . . . The owners of chains like Outback Steakhouse, Applebee’s and The Cheesecake Factory are on a newly updated list of national restaurants that are facing the highest likelihood of not paying back their debts. When companies default on loans, they are often forced to file for bankruptcy protection, close locations or occasionally liquidate. One chain, California
Pizza Kitchen, already filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with plans to close some locations. IHOP and Dave $ Buster's also face peril. USA Today
Deficit at nearly $3 trillion and counting . . . The U.S. budget deficit climbed to $2.81 trillion in the first 10 months of the budget year, exceeding any on record, the Treasury Department said Wednesday. The nation's budgetary shortfall is expected to eventually reach levels for the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30 more than double the largest annual deficit on record. Daily Mail
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Chicago looters smashed Ronald McDonald House as sick kids huddled inside . . . Chicago's Ronald McDonald House had its doors smashed during rioting and looting that took place on Monday night while children were inside the home. The facility provides a shelter and resources to families while a child receives treatment at local hospitals. 'We were very concerned there was a lot of activity right in front of the house,
people making choices that could put them at risk and put our families at risk so the staff was frightened,' said Lisa Mitchell, of Ronald McDonald House Charities. Daily Mail
Trump to relax rules for showers after complaints about flow . . . The U.S. Energy Department proposed easing water efficiency requirements for shower heads Wednesday following multiple complaints from Trump about how low water flow is impeding his ability to properly wash his hair. The plan would allow manufacturers to bypass a 2.5 gallon-per-minute maximum flow rate set by Congress in the 1990s. The rule comes after Trump has railed
against shower heads that go “drip, drip, drip,” as well as low-flow toilets and faucets among other appliances. Bloomberg
This is easily the best news of the day. I'm using a shower head that is probably 30 years old. Is there seriously a water shortage?? I'm going to celebrate by running the shower all morning long, with nobody in it.
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Wisconsin forces state employees to wear masks during Zoom events . . . The head of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is telling employees to wear face masks on teleconferences — even when they’re not around others and at no risk of spreading the
coronavirus. Natural Resources Secretary Preston Cole said every DNR employee must wear a mask while in a DNR facility. “Also, wear your mask, even if you are home, to participate in a virtual meeting that involves being seen — such as on Zoom or another video-conferencing platform — by non-DNR staff,” Cole told his employees. “Set the safety example." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Obviously Cole is not wearing a mask all the time because he needs to remove it to get high on pot or take hallucinogens.
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Keith
Keith Koffler
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