Cut to the News
Cut through the clutter to today's top news
August 11, 2020
Good morning
It's great to be back! Welcome to today's top news.
Leading the News . . .
Most Americans won't be able to get coronavirus vaccine until well into 2021 . . . Even if the most optimistic projections hold true and a Covid-19 vaccine is cleared for U.S. use in November, the vast majority of Americans won’t be able to get the shots until spring or summer next year at the earliest. That likely timeline, based on interviews with and remarks from top specialists including Anthony Fauci, means businesses,
schoolchildren and families will continue to wait. “I would hope that by the time we get well into the second half of 2021 that the companies will have delivered the hundreds of millions of doses they have promised,” said Fauci. The reasons are many. U.S. health regulators will have only a tiny sliver of the usual safety and efficacy data. The leading products require two doses, which will limit how many people early supplies can help. And government health officials are still developing a plan
for who will get the shots, how they’ll be distributed, and how their effectiveness and safety will be tracked afterward. Bloomberg
Putin says Russia approves first coronavirus vaccine . . . President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia had become the first country in the world to grant regulatory approval to a COVID-19 vaccine after less than two months of human testing, a move hailed by Moscow as evidence of its scientific prowess. The vaccine still has to complete final trials, raising concerns among some experts at the speed of its approval, but the Russian business
conglomerate Sistema has said it expects to put it into mass production by the end of the year. Reuters
Well, I'm definitely not taking that. Although Putin says his daughter has been injected with it.
Trump considers barring re-entry by citizens who may have coronavirus . . . President Trump is considering new immigration rules that would allow border officials to temporarily block an American citizen or legal permanent resident from returning to the United States from abroad if the authorities have reason to believe the person may be infected with the coronavirus. In recent months, Mr. Trump has imposed sweeping rules that ban entry by
foreigners into the United States, citing the risk of allowing the virus to spread from hot spots abroad. But those rules have exempted two categories of people trying to return: American citizens and foreigners who have already established legal residence. New York Times
New cases drop to lowest level in a month . . . New coronavirus cases in the United States are at the lowest they have been in a month despite surpassing the five million mark - as infections in previously out-of-control hotspot states start to decline. The average number of new infections across the country is currently just over 53,000 a day, which is the lowest since July 10 before the Sunbelt states saw a surge that saw single daily
highs of more than 70,000 cases, according to Covid Tracking Project data. Daily Mail
Study: N95, surgical, and cotton masks are best . . . Results showed that N95 masks, which are designed to prevent 95 percent of particles from getting in or out, were the most effective. Knitted masks and bandanas provided very litter protection while wearing a neck fleece was worse than no mask because it turned large droplets into smaller droplets Three-layer surgical masks and homemade cotton masks, which people made at home, also
prevented particles from getting out. Daily Mail
Coronavirus cases decline to lowest level in a month . . . New coronavirus cases in the United States are at the lowest they have been in a month despite surpassing the five million mark - as infections in previously out-of-control hotspot states start to
decline.
The average number of new infections across the country is currently just over 53,000 a day, which is the lowest since July 10 before the Sunbelt states saw a surge that saw single daily highs of more than 70,000 cases, according to Covid Tracking Project data. Daily Mail
Iodine mouthwash could protect against coronavirus . . . Iodine mouthwash could destroy the coronavirus and prevent Covid-19 or reduce its effects if someone is already sick, scientists have claimed. Researchers said that specific types of mouthwash - made with the chemicals povidone and iodine - can have 'significant virucidal activity'. Testing on a small group of patients with Covid-19, they found that using the mouthwash reduced the
number of viruses that were in their saliva. Daily Mail
I wonder if just drinking straight hard liquor works too. I'm going to test this theory out on myself over the next few days — you know, as an experiment, and as a service to mankind. I'll let you know how it goes.
"Fuck that coronavirus shit": Smash Mouth performs to mass crowd at biker rally . . . Thousands of people turned up to a concert headlined by Smash Mouth in South Dakota on Sunday night amid the coronavirus pandemic. The 90s pop-rockers and their fans at the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally didn’t seem worried about gathering together during the viral outbreak that’s killed at least 160,000 Americans. “We’re all here together tonight! F–k
that COVID shit!” front-man Steve Harwell said on stage, earning cheers from the crowd. New York Post
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Biden expected to announce VP pick today or tomorrow . . . Joe Biden has told allies that he has interviewed every finalist in his vice-presidential search, and his advisers are planning an announcement for the middle of the week, people briefed on the selection process said on Monday. In a sign that the choice is now in Mr. Biden’s hands alone, the four-member committee that screened his potential running mates is said to have
effectively disbanded — its work is complete, Biden allies said, and there is little left to do except for Mr. Biden to make up his mind. Mr. Biden’s political team has prepared rollout plans for several of the finalists, and he is expected to announce his decision as soon as Tuesday, though more Democrats expect it to come on Wednesday. New York
Times
Omar facing unexpectedly tough challenge . . . Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) is locked in a bitter primary battle against Antone Melton-Meaux as voters head to the polls in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District on Tuesday to decide whether the progressive lawmaker will serve a second term in office. The biggest names in progressive and Democratic politics, from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to Speaker Nancy
Pelosi (D-Calif.), are backing Omar. The state Democratic party is pulling out all the stops to support her, and Omar’s progressive allies are marshaling their resources to ensure she’s reelected. The Hill
We'll see if some people can do something about her.
Today's Trump schedule
Trump to deliver acceptance speech from Gettysburg or the White House . . . President Trump will deliver his GOP nomination acceptance speech from either the White House grounds or the battlefield at Gettysburg, he announced Monday. “We have narrowed the Presidential Nomination Acceptance Speech, to be delivered on the final night of the Convention (Thursday), to two locations — The Great Battlefield of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania,
and the White House, Washington, D.C.,” the commander-in-chief tweeted. “We will announce the decision soon!” he continued. New York Post
Trump whisked from briefing after man shot outside the White House . . . The man shot near the White House on Monday — briefly halting the president’s press briefing — “ran aggressively” towards a Secret Service agent and claimed to have a weapon, authorities said. The shooting of the 51-year-old suspect by a federal officer happened at 5:50 p.m. right outside the White House. The president was just minutes into his briefing
shortly before 6 p.m. when a Secret Service agent whispered in Trump’s ear and asked him to leave the podium along with other administration officials who were in the room. Reporters in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room were briefly placed into lockdown and Secret Service surrounded the West Wing. New York
Post
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China increases military drills as tensions with US heat up . . . China is stepping up military drills around East Asia as a war of words with the United States heats up over Washington's military activities and the visit of a US cabinet secretary to Taiwan. One Chinese think tank even says the People's Liberation Army (PLA) may consider live-fire exercises near the US island of Guam. Beijing has stepped up the pace of
its war games in recent weeks, after the US sent two aircraft carrier strike groups on rare dual-carrier exercises in the South China Sea twice in the month of July. CNN
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Lebanese demand change after government quite over Beirut blast . . . Angry Lebanese said the government’s resignation on Monday did not come near to addressing the tragedy of last week’s Beirut explosion and demanded the removal of what they see as a corrupt ruling class to blame for the country’s woes. A protest with the slogan “Bury the authorities first” was planned near the port, where highly explosive material stored for
years detonated on Aug. 4, killing at least 163 people, injuring 6,000 and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. Reuters
Belarusian opposition leader flees the country . . . Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanouskaya said on Tuesday she had fled abroad for the sake of her children, after two nights of clashes following the contested re-election of strongman President Alexander Lukashenko. Tikhanouskaya, a 37-year-old former English teacher, emerged from obscurity to mount the biggest challenge in years to Lukashenko, taking her husband’s place in the
campaign after he was jailed. Reuters
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Trump considering reduction in capital gains taxes . . . President Donald Trump said he’s “very seriously” considering a capital gains tax cut, a move he decided against last September after saying it wouldn’t do enough to help the middle class. “We’re looking at also considering a capital gains tax cut, which would create a lot more jobs,” Trump said Monday. The president can’t unilaterally cut the 20% long-term
capital gains rate without Congress, but some advisers tell him he could issue an executive order that would slash tax bills for investors when they sell assets. Revamping capital gains taxes through a rule or executive order likely would face legal challenges. Bloomberg
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Seattle police chief resigns following cuts . . . Seattle’s police chief says she is stepping down, a move made public the same day the City Council approved reducing the department by as many as 100 officers through layoffs and attrition. Carmen Best, the city’s first Black
police chief, said in a letter to the department that her retirement will be effective Sept. 2 and the mayor has appointed Deputy Chief Adrian Diaz as the interim chief. Councilmembers had approved the cuts Monday. Associated Press
New Yorkers getting their guns . . . New York City rifle permit applications and pistol license requests have surged this year, according to New York Police Department data obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. NYC residents submitted nearly 149% more handgun permits and nearly 340% more
rifle/shotgun permits from Jan. 1 to June 28 compared to the same period in 2019, according to data provided to the DCNF by NYPD spokeswoman Sgt. Jessica McRorie. A total of 2,338 people applied for handgun licenses from January to the end of June this year, compared to 1,571 last year in the same time frame. Daily Caller
Teachers fret conservative parents may hear them brainwashing students online . . . In one of the creepiest yet most revealing Twitter threads ever to be posted on the platform, a teacher recently fretted out loud that virtual classes might allow parents to hear him brainwashing their kids. Matthew R.
Kay, an educator and author of a book on “how to lead meaningful race conversations in the classroom,” worried that “conservative parents” would be able to interfere with the “messy work” of indoctrinating children into critical race theory, gender theory, and other left-wing dogmas. Daily Wire
Now, with online learning, the public school indoctrination program will be open for all to see and hear. Talk about a silver lining.
Powerful storm leaves devastation throughout the Midwest . . . A rare storm packing 100 mph winds has left more than 1.1million Americans without power across the Midwest as it caused widespread destruction with blown over trees, flipped vehicles, property damage and several severe weather warnings as
it turned toward embattled Chicago. The derecho, a widespread weather system with a long line of storms packing high winds, descended upon the Central U.S. on Monday with wind speeds comparable to a major hurricane as it spent several hours tearing through parts of Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin. Daily Mail
Fired McDonald's CEO deleted dozens of nude photos of employees: Lawsuit . . . A McDonald's lawsuit claims that the company's fired CEO Stephen Easterbrook deleted dozens of nude photos that were sent using his work email and phone as part of a coverup so he wouldn't be caught as the fast-food
chain tries to recoup tens of millions of dollars in severance and benefits.The 53-year-old was fired from his $16 million-a-year job in November last year after he admitted to having an inappropriate relationship with a female employee who he exchanged videos and text messages with.
Well, there's a lesson for you. Managers need to learn to keep their nude photos of their employees on their private emails.
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For $700, you can buy a designer shirt that doesn't exist . . . “Contactless fashion” line Tribute Brand is banking on customers happily forking over $699 for their “Zezy” shirt, a plasticky-looking blouse with flared short
sleeves in either neon green or red — that they’ll never physically receive. What they get instead is a “photo they have uploaded, with the digital garment fitted to it” according to Tribute’s Web site, plus a “digital certificate of authenticity as a proof of owning the digital product.” Basically, you’re paying to have someone digitally superimpose a piece of clothing onto a selfie. New York Post
Circus selling big cat crap to survive . . . One creature’s droppings can be another’s treasure, as Germany’s Krone Circus is finding out during the new coronavirus pandemic. Home to 26 lions and tigers, the circus has found an unusual side income and raised money despite coronavirus-related restrictions: selling jars of big cats’ droppings. Customers have told lion tamer Martin Lacey they swear by the stuff. “I am told it keeps cats
away from the garden, and since then we have learned that also it keeps the animals away from the car, where they eat all the electric cables,” Lacey said. Reuters
I don't know about you, but at the first smell of lion crap, I'm outta there.
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Keith
Keith Koffler
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