Cut to the News
Cut through the clutter to today's top news
August 25, 2020
Good morning
Welcome to today's top news.
Leading the News . . .
Republicans renominate Trump and issue a dire warning about Biden . . . Republicans nominated President Trump as their candidate at a scaled-back convention in North Carolina and Washington, with the president and his allies offering ominous warnings about electing Democrats in November. Throughout the daylong, two-city event Monday, speaker after speaker praised the president—particularly for his handling of the coronavirus
pandemic and the economy—and painting of a grim picture if Democratic nominee Joe Biden wins, conjuring images of riots in the street, an uptick in crime and a flood of policies that could bankrupt taxpayers. On Monday afternoon, Mr. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence traveled to Charlotte, N.C., where more than 300 delegates gathered for a unanimous roll-call vote on their nominations, underscoring the grip the president has on a party that only four years ago harbored deep reservations
about his candidacy. Wall Street Journal
Don Jr. brands Biden "the Loch Ness Monster of the Swamp" . . . Donald Trump Jr. labeled Joe Biden as the “Loch Ness Monster of the swamp” during the first night of the Republican National Convention as he warned voters against the sort of left-wing radicalism that would stop the economy in its tracks. President Trump’s eldest son trawled the Democratic nominee’s long history in Washington to accuse him of trying to “crush the working man
and woman” with globalist policies.
Instead, he offered a positive vision of unfettered economic growth and intellectual freedom in a second Trump term. Washington
Examiner
Video || Nikki Haley: "America is not a racist country"
That right there is the difference between the Democratic convention and the Republican.
Campaign reaches out to minorities . . . Donald Trump's Republican Party sought to present a diverse image of the candidate's support by showcasing endorsements from two African American supporters – including a state lawmakers who accused Democrats of running a 'mental
plantation.' Former NFL great Herschel Walker lent his famous name and football swagger to his endorsement, while also recalling a time he bonded with Trump at Disney World. Daily Mail
Black GOP Sen. Tim Scott tells how family went "from cotton to Congress" . . . Sen. Tim Scott, the only black Republican in the Senate, told his personal story at the GOP convention Monday of how his family went from 'cotton to Congress' – as he made a case for the 'goodness of America'
and ripped Joe Biden for recent flubs on race. Scott, a South Carolina senator who says he was raised by a single mother and dropped out of school in ninth grade only to return to complete his education, spoke of his connection to his grandfather, who got to witness his own rise. 'Growing up, he had to cross the street if a white person was coming,' said Scott. Daily Mail
FDA director walks back claims for blood plasma therapy . . . The head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration walked back his claim that an experimental therapy had provided a dramatic benefit to Covid-19 patients, a rare reversal for an agency that has prided itself on rock-solid science and public trust. On Sunday night at a press conference with President Donald Trump, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said that blood plasma
from Covid-19 survivors given to new patients could save huge numbers of lives. Bloomberg
AstraZeneca tests Covid antibody treatment . . . British drugmaker AstraZeneca has begun testing an antibody-based cocktail for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, adding to recent signs of progress on possible medical solutions to the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The London-listed firm, already among the leading players in the global race to develop a successful vaccine, said the study would evaluate if AZD7442, a
combination of two monoclonal antibodies, was safe and tolerable in up to 48 healthy participants between the ages of 18 and 55 years. Reuters
The University of Alabama records more than 500 coronavirus cases . . . The University of Alabama reported more than 500 new coronavirus cases from tests administered since classes resumed last Wednesday. The university’s main campus in Tuscaloosa registered 531 infections between students, faculty and staff, according to updated data posted on the school’s website. The new cases do not include entry testing, which at
the main campus found 310 positive cases among its nearly 30,000 students. New York Post
Covid outbreak at South Korea Starbucks spares employees who wore masks . . . After a woman with the coronavirus visited a Starbucks cafe north of Seoul this month, more than two dozen patrons tested positive days later. But the four face mask-wearing employees escaped
infection. The Aug. 8 outbreak in the South Korean city of Paju is another example of how rapidly the SARS-CoV-2 virus can spread in confined, indoor spaces -- as well as ways to minimize transmission. Bloomberg
Hong Kong reports first documented Covid reinfection . . . A Hong Kong man who recovered from COVID-19 was infected again four-and-a-half months later in the first documented instance of human re-infection, researchers at the University of Hong Kong said on Monday. The findings
indicate the disease, which has killed more than 800,000 people worldwide, may continue to spread amongst the global population despite herd immunity, they said. The 33-year-old male was cleared of COVID-19 and discharged from a hospital in April, but tested positive again after returning from Spain via Britain on Aug. 15. He was found to have contracted a different coronavirus strain from the one he had previously contracted and remained asymptomatic for the second infection. Reuters
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Biden camp apologizes to Muslim Democrats after condemning Linda Sarsour . . . The Joe Biden campaign appears to be publicly condemning anti-Israel activists while privately pandering to them. Team Biden went into damage control Sunday to shore up support with Muslim-American Democrats after the campaign condemned controversial Palestinian-American activist Linda Sarsour and suggested she was an anti-Semite. Top
Biden aides made the mea culpa in a private phone call with dozens of prominent Muslim and Arab surrogates who had been angered by the campaign’s attempt to distance itself from the anti-Israel activist Sarsour. New York Post
Truly fake news site spreads Democratic propaganda . . . Courier Newsroom, a "news" site bankrolled by a major Democratic fundraising network, has undertaken a seven-figure ad campaign to push flattering pieces about vulnerable House Democrats, garnering millions of impressions on social media. The eye-popping number is evidence of a new frontier in political advertising as political organizations operating under the guise of
news outlets push content to impressionable swing-state voters. The candidates Courier boosts on Facebook overlap substantially with the candidates backed by top Democratic donors Laurene Powell Jobs—the billionaire widow of Apple pioneer Steve Jobs—and LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman. The so-called newsroom, by pushing pieces that mirror the candidates' own press releases, provides a complementary outlet for Democrats to pursue their political goals. Washington Free Beacon
Trump investigated over valuation of assets . . . New York is investigating whether President Donald Trump’s company falsely reported the value of his assets to secure loans and get tax benefits as claimed last year by Trump’s former personal lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, who has fallen out with his ex-boss. New York Attorney General Letitia James said Monday that she took legal action to enforce seven subpoenas seeking thousands of
documents and testimony from multiple witnesses. They include Eric Trump, one of the president’s sons and executive vice president of the Trump Organization, who refused to show up for a subpoena interview last month, she said. Bloomberg
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China's economy is bouncing back and gaining ground on the US . . . As much of the world struggles to contain the coronavirus, China’s recovery is gaining momentum, positioning it to further close its gap with the U.S. economy. Across China, restaurants and gyms are busy again. Subway cars and airport departure lounges are packed. Children are preparing to return to classrooms with few of the restrictions U.S. officials
say will be hallmarks of post-coronavirus life. In some schools, children are being asked to bring masks—but they don’t have to wear them. Wall Street Journal
They gave us the virus, and now they will profit from it.
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German doctors confirm Russia opposition leader was poisoned . . . Russian opposition leader and Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was poisoned, according to a German hospital where he is being treated while in a medially induced coma after being transferred from Siberia, according to reports. “The team of doctors examined the patient in detail after his arrival. The clinical findings indicate poisoning by a substance from the group of active substances called cholinesterase
inhibitors,” the Charité hospital in Berlin said in a statement Monday, Reuters reported.“His health is serious, but there is currently no acute danger to his life,” the statement said. New York Post
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US and China make commitment to Phase 1 trade deal . . . Top U.S. and Chinese trade officials have reaffirmed their commitment to a Phase 1 trade deal, which has seen China lagging on its obligations to buy American goods, giving a boost to financial markets on Tuesday. The pledge was made in a telephone call between U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese Vice Premier Liu
He - their first formal dialogue since early May - amid concern the deal could be on shaky ground because of worsening U.S.-China ties. Reuters
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Massive wildfires grow in northern California . . . Massive wildfires grew in Northern California on Monday, as the state braced for more hot and windy conditions that have fueled a devastating week of blazes. The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings Monday morning for much of the state’s north, where thunderstorms were expected to bring little precipitation but could produce dry lightning that could spark
new fires or spread existing ones. Already, two of the blazes in Northern California—one in wine country north of San Francisco and the other to the south in the Santa Cruz Mountains—were the second- and third-largest wildfires in the state’s history. As of Monday morning, they had collectively burned nearly 700,000 acres, an area twice the size of Los Angeles. Wall Street Journal
Kenosha in flames as riots over police shooting continue . . . Arsonists set buildings ablaze and torched much of the Black business district in a second night of unrest in the city of Kenosha, Wisconsin, triggered by the wounding of a Black man shot in the back by officers as his three young sons looked on. Smoke billowed over central Kenosha after police in riot gear clashed with protesters who defied a dusk-to-dawn curfew on Monday night and
into Tuesday morning, blocks away from where police gunned down Jacob Blake on Sunday. Blake, 29, survived the shooting, which was captured on video, and was in stable condition following surgery, his father said. Reuters
Democrats are already condemning the shooting. Can we at least wait for the facts to come in before we burn the city down?
Pool boy says Jerry Falwell Jr. watched while he had sex with Falwell's wife . . . In a claim likely to intensify the controversy surrounding one of the most influential figures in the American Christian conservative movement, a business partner of Jerry Falwell Jr has come forward to say he had a years-long sexual relationship involving Falwell’s wife and the evangelical leader. Giancarlo Granda says he was 20 when he met Jerry and Becki
Falwell while working as a pool attendant at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel in March 2012. Starting that month and continuing into 2018, Granda told Reuters that the relationship involved him having sex with Becki Falwell while Jerry Falwell looked on. Granda showed Reuters emails, text messages and other evidence that he says demonstrate the sexual nature of his relationship with the couple, who have been married since 1987. Reuters
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KFC suspends iconic "Finger Lickin' Good" slogan . . .KFC is to pause the use of its classic Finger Lickin' Good slogan after 64 years as it admitted that the message 'doesn't quite fit' following the outbreak. The company has released new images of advertising posters and packaging with the well-known slogan blurred and pixelated. It said the slogan will return 'when the time is right' but it will shift its messaging in the
meantime. Daily Mail
I don't get it. How do you get Covid from licking your fingers after eating your chicken? Did that slogan mean that people should be licking each others' figures? "Oh, you had the chicken, but I just had fries. Let me lick your fingers."
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Keith
Keith Koffler
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