Cut to the News
Cut through the clutter to today's top news
September 30, 2020
Good morning
Welcome to today's top news.
Leading the News . . .
Trump, Biden clash in contentious first debate . . . President Trump and Joe Biden clashed over the Supreme Court, the coronavirus and the economy in a debate marked by interruptions and insults from both candidates Tuesday—with the Republican leader telling his rival that for “47 years you’ve done nothing” and the Democratic challenger calling Mr. Trump “the worst president that America has ever had.” The two candidates constantly spoke
over each other in a number of contentious exchanges, more notable for rancor than policy nuance. Mr. Trump repeatedly interrupted his rival and questioned Mr. Biden’s accomplishments during nearly 50 years in public life. Mr. Biden, who at one point told the president to “shut up,” found fault in the Republican’s stewardship of the economy and his coronavirus response. Later, he raised his voice to defend his son Hunter after the president criticized his military discharge over drug use.
Wall Street Journal
Trump condemns white supremacists but backs Proud Boys . . . Moderator Chris Wallace, who moderated the first showdown between Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden, asked the president if he was willing to denounce white supremacists. The president responded, “Sure, I’m willing to do that, but I would say almost everything I see is from the left-wing, not the right-wing,” Trump said. “I am willing to do anything. I want to see peace.” The
president’s response sparked a shouting match with the former vice president.
“Who do you want me to condemn?” Trump said. "What do you want to call them? Give me a name." Biden interrupted and said: "Proud Boys." “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by," Trump said. Fox News
Biden won't say if he supports Court packing . . . Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden refused to say whether he will add seats to the Supreme Court should he prevail in the November election. "I'm not going to answer the question," Biden said when pressed by President
Donald Trump. Biden has similarly rebuffed calls to release a list of prospective Supreme Court nominees, saying only that his first appointment would be an African-American woman. Washington Free Beacon
"I guess I'm debating you": Trump clashes with moderator Chris Wallace . . . Trump went head-to-head with Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden during the first presidential debate Tuesday night. But, it seemed at times, Trump was also sparring with debate moderator Chris Wallace. The Fox News anchor became visibly flustered as the candidates repeatedly talked over him and he seemed unable to maintain the
question-and-answer flow of the debate. "Frankly, you’ve been doing more interrupting,” Wallace told Trump, at one time asking the president if he would like to change seats and become the moderator. USA Today
Chris Wallace was an active participant in the debate, arguing policy points with the candidates, particularly Trump.
Biden can't name single police group that backs him . . . Biden didn’t name a single law enforcement group or agency that has endorsed him during the presidential debate Tuesday night. Biden chose not to respond to the question posed by President Donald Trump during a discussion on law and order. Trump noted that several law enforcement groups have endorsed his reelection campaign. “He has no law enforcement support,” Trump said of Biden. “Who do
you have? Name one group that supports you.” Daily Caller
Trump goes after Hunter Biden . . . Trump twice leveled slashing attacks on Joe Biden's son Hunter about his business dealings and drug problem at Tuesday night's debate – and both times it was a line by Biden that prompted him to go on offense. Trump, aided by fresh research from a Republican-run committee, tore into Hunter Biden's overseas business arrangements including deals while Joe Biden was serving as vice president. But after one
angry attack, Biden sought to turn the tables, vaguely referencing Trump's kin and telling the camera: 'This is not about family. It's about your family.' Daily Mail
Hunter Biden is a huge scandal the media mostly refuse to cover. Created a major conflict of interest for his dad, who had to deal with foreign countries that were benefiting his son.
"Game changing" 15-minute Covid-19 test cleared in Europe . . . Becton Dickinson and Co.’s Covid-19 test that returns results in 15 minutes has been cleared for use in countries that accept Europe’s CE marking, the diagnostics maker said Wednesday. The test is part of a new class of quicker screening tools named for the identifying proteins called antigens they detect on the surface of SARS-CoV-2. Becton Dickinson
expects to begin selling the test, which runs on the company’s cellphone-sized BD Veritor Plus System, in European markets at the end of October. It will likely be used by emergency departments, general practitioners and pediatricians. Bloomberg
Moderna vaccine appears safe, works in older adults . . . Results from an early safety study of Moderna Inc’s coronavirus vaccine candidate in older adults showed that it produced virus-neutralizing antibodies at levels similar to those seen in younger adults, with side effects roughly on par with high-dose flu shots, researchers said on Tuesday. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, offers a more complete picture of the
vaccine’s safety in older adults, a group at increased risk of severe complications from COVID-19. Reuters
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Debate unlikely to move the needle for Trump . . . Down in the opinion polls with five weeks to go until the November election, U.S. President Donald Trump sought to use the first presidential debate to bully his way back into the race. Repeatedly interrupting and sparring with opponent Joe Biden, the Republican Trump tried to knock the Democratic former vice president off his feet Tuesday night and alter the dynamic of a contest he has been losing
for months. It was unlikely the president succeeded, largely because of his own combative and chaotic behavior but also because the insult-filled and often fact-free affair may have left the few undecided voters watching at home more dispirited than engaged. Reuters
The biggest problem for Trump out of the debate is that Biden did not seem senile.
CIA asked FBI to investigate Clinton campaign for stirring up Russia scandal . . . The CIA in 2016 asked the FBI to investigate whether Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign had approved a plan to distract from her email troubles by “stirring up a scandal” claiming Russian interference in the election, according to new information declassified Tuesday. Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, in a letter to Congress, said the
referral went to then-FBI Director James B. Comey and Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence Peter Strzok. The referral was based on information American intelligence gleaned from Russian intelligence alleging that Mrs. Clinton “had approved a campaign plan to stir up a scandal against U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump by tying him to Putin and the Russians’ hacking of the Democratic National Committee.” Washington Times
Video || Police forcibly detain former Trump campaign manager Parscale
Biden made nearly $1M in 2019 and paid $300K in taxes . . . Prefectly timed for the debate Tuesday evening. Looks like Biden plans to go to town on Trump’s avoidance of paying taxes. As in the past, the Bidens tax returns show they contributed very little to charity, just about 1.5 percent of their income. Kamala Harris and her husband also released their returns, raking in a cool $3 million, mostly from his law practice. White House Dossier
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North Korea has miniature nukes . . . North Korea has successfully built miniature nuclear weapons, a new United Nations report has claimed. The UN also found that the DPRK is continuing to build ballistic missiles and continues to dodge sanctions placed on the country. The report, conducted by monitoring experts appointed by the Security Council, said that the regime has continued to find ways of buying and
selling forbidden items despite the sanctions and its isolation during the coronavirus pandemic. Daily Mail
US military jet crashes after midair fueling collision . . . A U.S. military jet crashed Tuesday in California, after a mid-air collision with a KC-130J aircraft. According to the military, the crash occurred around 4 p.m. after the F-35B hit the KC-130J during an air-to-air refueling. A radio dispatch of emergency personnel on the ground reported that the F-35's pilot and co-pilot were able to safely
eject before the plane crashed in Thermal, Ca. The pilot of the F-35 is being treated and all crew members aboard the KC-130 were reported safe. Fox News
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China taking over multilateral institutions . . . When China curtailed political freedoms in Hong Kong this summer, two rival declarations circulated at the United Nations Human Rights Council. One, drafted by Cuba and commending Beijing’s move, won the backing of 53 nations. Another, issued by the U.K. and expressing concern, secured 27 supporters. China’s show of strength was just the latest diplomatic triumph in
Beijing’s drive to sway the system of international organizations in its direction. Beijing is pushing its civil servants, or those of clients and partners, to the helm of U.N. institutions that set global standards for air travel, telecommunications and agriculture. Gaining influence at the U.N. permits China to stifle international scrutiny of its behavior at home and abroad. Wall Street Journal
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Disney to lay off 28,000 employees . . . Walt Disney said it would lay off about 28,000 employees at its domestic theme parks, making the announcement shortly after the state of California signaled that Disneyland Resort would likely have to remain closed for the foreseeable future due to Covid-19 concerns. The layoffs are the latest example of ongoing tension between governments trying to keep the new coronavirus in check
and businesses struggling to make ends meet amid restrictions on the way they can operate. The laid-off workers have been on furlough since April, the company said, collecting health benefits but not pay. Wall Street Journal
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Police cuts lead to rise in murders . . . Major cities across the United States are seeing a 'dramatic and widespread spikes in homicides' after police funding cuts, according to one expert. Paul Cassell, a professor at S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah has dubbed the rise in crime the 'Minneapolis effect'. The city council in Minneapolis voted to dismantle the police and slash its budget after the
May 25 death of black man George Floyd while in custody. Cassell estimates that 'as a result of de-policing during June and July 2020, approximately 710 additional victims were murdered and more than 2,800 victims were shot'. Daily Mail
Helen Reddy dead at 78 . . . Helen Reddy, the Australian singer whose early Seventies song “I Am Woman” has served as an empowering feminist anthem for several generations, has died. Born in Melbourne, Australia, Reddy grew up in a show-biz family with actor parents. She performed as a child and later won a singing contest that brought her to New York to audition for a record contract. In the Seventies, several of her songs made the Top 40,
with three hitting Number One, including her enduring hit “I Am Woman.” The song earned a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Her other Number One bowing hits, include her rendition of Alex Harvey’s “Delta Dawn” and Alan O’Day’s “Angie Baby.” In 1974, she garnered a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Rolling Stone
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Google searches for "move to Canada" spike after debate . . . The presidential debate may send people up north instead of the ballot box. Google searches for moving to Canada spiked after the 2020 presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Queries for “how to apply for Canadian citizenship” skyrocketed about an hour into the yelling match between the two men, peaking at around 10:30
p.m., according to Google. The search was most popular in the state of Massachusetts, followed by Ohio and Michigan. New York Post
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Keith
Keith Koffler
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