Cut to the News
Cut through the clutter to today's top news
October 1, 2020
Good morning
Welcome to today's top news.
Leading the News . . .
Americans increasingly believe violence justified if other side wind presidential election . . . In September, 44 percent of Republicans and 41 percent of Democrats said there would be at least “a little” justification for violence if the other party’s nominee wins the election. Those figures are both up from June, when 35 percent of Republicans and 37 percent of Democrats expressed the same sentiment. Similarly, 36 percent of Republicans and 33
percent of Democrats said it is at least “a little” justified for their side “to use violence in advancing political goals”—up from 30 percent of both Republicans and Democrats in June. The share of Republicans seeing substantial justification for violence if their side loses jumped from 15 percent in June to 20 percent in September, while the share of Democrats jumped from 16 percent to 19 percent. Politico
Mnuchin and Pelosi make progress on Covid-19 relief bill . . . The lead negotiators haggling for another round of emergency coronavirus relief met in person Wednesday for the first time in weeks, with both sides citing headway in the search for an elusive compromise — but no deal to report. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin huddled for roughly 90 minutes in the Speaker’s office in the
Capitol, emerging with hopes that an evasive bipartisan agreement is within their grasp. “We’re gonna go back and do a little more work again,” Mnuchin said. “I think we’ve made a lot of progress in a lot of areas.” The Hill
|
|
Biden prepares ad onslaught to try to finish off Trump . . . Former Vice President Joe Biden and his Democratic allies are preparing an advertising blitz that threatens to overwhelm President Trump in the closing weeks of the race for the White House, an onslaught of cash aimed at blowing up what Trump campaign officials once called their Death Star. Biden’s campaign alone has reserved nearly a
quarter billion dollars in advertising over the next five weeks in 18 swing states. Outside groups that support Biden have blocked off $112 million in their own airtime. All told, Biden and his backers have reserved $360 million in late television. Trump and his supporters have blocked off $170 million in airtime. The
Hill
Trump's problem: Biden seemed aware of his surroundings for 90 minutes . . . I was shocked. After all the meandering, mumbling performances we had seen by Joe Biden over the past year, even while reading from a teleprompter, I would have thought that whatever mental decline he may have been experiencing would have progressed to a catastrophic point by now. Instead, Biden was pretty much on his game during Tuesday night’s debate. While not
in the running for any awards for elocution, the former vice president expressed coherent thoughts and strung them together in related sentences. At times, he was even forceful and borderline eloquent. His mind is not lightening sharp, but it wasn’t doing too badly for much of the night. White House
Dossier
Whatever they gave him, it works for an hour and a half.
GOP lawmakers gloomy . . . Senate Republicans, who are battling to cling to their fragile majority, were left frustrated and gloomy after Tuesday night’s chaotic debate between President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden that left them talking about controversies they had hoped to put behind them. Tuesday’s night debate was a comedown for many Republicans who were flying high after the Senate GOP conference
quickly unified behind Trump’s Supreme Court pick. The Hill
Debate commission may allow moderator to cut off candidates' mics . . . The debate commission announced that it will adopt changes in order to avoid a repeat of Tuesday night’s clash between the candidates, which has been referred to as a “dumpster fire” and a “sh–storm.” One change being discussed is giving the moderator the ability to cut off the microphone of one of the debate participants while his opponent is talking. New York Post
I wonder who is going to get silenced . . .
Trump says he doesn't know who the Proud Boys are . . . Trump Wednesday said he didn’t know who the right-wing extremist Proud Boys are, one day after he was pilloried for saying during Tuesday night’s debate that they should “stand back and stand by.” Trump’s comments were interpreted, including by the Proud Boys themselves, as suggesting they should hold back and await further orders. But Trump suggested Wednesday that it was just random
Trumpspeak and that he only meant for them to get out of the way of law enforcement. “I don’t know who the Proud Boys are, if you want to give me a definition,” he told reporters at the White House. “I can only say they have to stand down, let law enforcement do their work." White House Dossier
Kyle Ritenhouse to sue Biden for libel . . . An attorney representing alleged Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse has announced plans to sue Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his campaign for libel on his client's behalf after Biden shared a video that appears to suggest the teenager is a White supremacist. Lin Wood, Rittenhouse’s civil attorney, confirmed to Fox News on Wednesday his intention to sue the
former vice president and his campaign on his client’s behalf, just hours after Biden posted the 50-second clip to Twitter. The tweet, which had garnered more than 48,000 retweets and 148,000 likes by 2:35 p.m. EST, boasts the caption: “There’s no other way to put it: the President of the United States refused to disavow white supremacists on the debate stage last night.” Fox News
Facebook removes Trump campaign ad . . . Facebook has removed a new Trump coronavirus campaign ad and has banned ads supporting QAnon and militarized movements, in its latest effort to tackle the spread of misinformation and extremism ahead of the presidential election. The social media giant on Wednesday confirmed it took down ads from the Trump campaign that had claimed taking in refugees would increase the risks of COVID-19.
Daily Mail
Comey pleads ignorance of Steele Dossier problems . . . Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded ignorance throughout a Senate hearing on Wednesday regarding significant problems with the Steele dossier, which the bureau used as part of its investigation of the Trump campaign. Comey repeatedly told Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee that his staff at the FBI did not notify him of issues pertaining to Igor Danchenko, the
primary source for dossier author Christopher Steele. “Not that I recall,” he said when asked if he knew about Danchenko’s statements in FBI interviews in January 2017. Daily Caller
Michelle Obama urges people to vote for Biden in "numbers that cannot be denied" . . . Former first lady Michelle Obama urged Americans not to be turned off of politics by Tuesday night's trainwreck of a presidential debate, arguing that would be playing into President Donald Trump's hands. 'But we can’t let him win by tuning out altogether,' she wrote Wednesday evening on Instagram. 'We've got to vote for Joe [Biden] in
numbers that cannot be denied.' Daily Mail
Trump to cut refugee admissions . . . The Trump administration said on Wednesday it intends to allow only 15,000 refugees to resettle in the United States in the 2021 fiscal year, setting another record low in the history of the modern refugee program. The State Department said the proposal reflected the Trump administration’s prioritizing of the “safety and well-being of Americans, especially in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.”
The refugee cap was cut to 18,000 last year, but only roughly half that many refugees were let in as increased vetting and the coronavirus have slowed arrivals. Reuters
Parscale resigns from Trump campaign . . . Brad Parscale has announced he is taking time away from his role in the Trump re-election campaign, days after he was tackled by a SWAT team and involuntarily committed to a hospital for threatening to harm himself. 'I am stepping away from my company and any role in the campaign for the immediate future to focus on my family and get help dealing with the overwhelming stress,' Parscale said. The
44-year-old ex-Trump campaign manager was hospitalized on Sunday after barricading himself inside his Fort Lauderdale house with a gun. Daily Mail
Biden nominated for Nobel Peace Prize . . . If Donald Trump is going to get a Nobel Peace Prize nomination, then left-wing lawmakers will ensure that Joe Biden, a man who holds no public office, will get one too. Chris Bryant, a member of Britain’s Parliament, told the London Evening Standard that he had exercised his right as a national lawmaker to forward Mr. Biden’s name to the Norwegian panel that awards the prize.
Washington Times
Maybe it's for saying "shush" during the debate.
Trump signs spending bill to prevent shutdown . . . Trump signed a spending bill early Thursday to prevent an imminent government shutdown. The Senate voted 84-10 to pass the bipartisan bill, extending federal agency funding to Dec. 11 and avoiding a potentially nasty fight ahead of the Nov. 3 election. The House already passed the bill in a 359-57 vote last week. Trump signed the bill after returning to the White House from a campaign event
in Minnesota, right as federal funds ran dry. New York Post
|
|
Gender-neutral Navy SEALs are no longer a "brotherhood" . . . The Navy has removed gendered words including 'brotherhood' and 'man' from its official SEAL ethos, changing them to 'citizen' and 'warrior'. Alterations have also been made in the Special Warfare Combatant Crewmen creed. One change in the first paragraph of the SEAL ethos now reads: 'I am that warrior.' It had read: 'I am that man.' Another states:
'Common citizens with uncommon desire to succeed.' That did say: 'A common man with uncommon desire to succeed.' Daily Mail
|
|
Venezuela's food chain is breaking, millions go hungry . . . A widespread scarcity of gasoline is the latest blow to domestic food production in Venezuela, preventing goods from getting to market and farmers from filling up their tractors. Food production in this oil-rich nation had already been hobbled by shortages of seeds and agrochemicals, price controls that made raising crops unprofitable, and the seizures of
farms and food-processing plants by the socialist government. Venezuelans aren’t the only ones going hungry. Across Latin America the economic blow caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has thrown millions out of work and into poverty. From Mexico City to Santiago, people are skipping meals, lining up at soup kitchens and begging, United Nations agencies say. Wall Street Journal
Pope denies Pompeo an audience . . . The Vatican said on Wednesday it had denied a request from Mike Pompeo for an audience with Pope Francis, and accused the Secretary of State of trying to drag the Catholic Church into the U.S. presidential election by denouncing its relations with China. The extraordinary remarks from the two top diplomatic officials at the Vatican came after Pompeo accused the Church in an article and a series of tweets this
month of putting its “moral authority” at risk by renewing an agreement with China over the appointment of bishops. Reuters
|
|
Hollywood warns that movie theaters may not survive pandemic . . . After more than six months of struggles amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Hollywood issued a dire message about the state of the movie theater industry— the nation’s cinemas “may not survive” without help. Groups representing movie studios, theater owners and directors on Wednesday called on Washington lawmakers to provide “specific relief” for film
exhibitors, saying that nearly 70% of small and mid-sized theater companies would be forced to declare bankruptcy or go out of businesses without government assistance. Los Angeles Times
Maybe if they sold me a Mars Bar for less than $7 I'd feel a little bad about it.
American, United set to cut 32,000 jobs . . . American Airlines United will start laying off thousands of employees as originally scheduled, spurning an appeal from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin as he negotiates with Congress about extending payroll support for U.S. carriers. Both airlines vowed to reverse the furloughs if the government agrees to provide additional aid in the next few days, according to memos to workers issued
late Wednesday by the carriers. American is furloughing 19,000, while United is laying off about 13,000. Bloomberg
|
|
California law requires diversity in corporate boardrooms . . . Hundreds of California-based corporations must have directors from racial or sexual minorities on their boards under a first-in-the-nation bill signed Wednesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The diversity legislation is similar to a 2018 measure that required boardrooms to have at least one female director by 2019. Like that measure, it could
face court challenges from conservative groups who view it as a discriminatory quota. Fox Business
California task force will look into reparations for slavery . . . California has become the first state in the country to adopt a law to study and develop proposals for potential reparations to descendants of slaves. Gavin Newsom, governor of California, on Wednesday signed a bill which would establish a task force to look into the issue. The task force must hold its first meeting by June 2021. Newsom said the discussion was necessary,
and 'long overdue'. Daily Mail
Man charged with shooting of two Compton cops . . . A man has been charged with attempted murder in the ambush shooting of two Compton police officers earlier this month, two weeks after he was involved in an armed standoff with cops over an alleged carjacking. Deonte Lee Murray, 36, was charged Wednesday with two counts each of willful, deliberate and premeditated attempted murder of a peace officer and possession of a firearm by a felon
after he allegedly walked up to a police cruiser and shot the two deputies multiple times on September 12. Daily Mail
|
|
Court rules Subway sandwiches not bread . . . The Supreme Court has found that the bread in Subway's heated sandwiches has too much sugar in it to meet the legal definition of being bread. The court ruled that with a high sugar content, the sandwich could not be deemed a staple food which attracts a zero VAT rate. It rejected arguments by a Subway franchisee that it was not liable for VAT on some of its takeaway products,
including teas, coffees and heated filled sandwiches. The Irish Independent
Neanderthal genes linked to sever Covid-19 . . . A group of genes passed down from extinct human cousins is linked with a higher risk for severe COVID-19, researchers say. When they compared the genetic profiles of about 3,200 hospitalized COVID-19 patients and nearly 900,000 people from the general population, they found that a cluster of genes on chromosome 3 inherited from Neanderthals who lived more than 50,000 years ago is linked with 60%
higher odds of needing hospitalization. Reuters
I knew liberals were at greater risk.
|
|
Do you love Cut to the News? Let your family and friends know about it! They'll thank you for it. Spread the word . . .
By Email - use the message that pops up or write your own. On Facebook - On FB, write your own message
Have a great day.
Keith
Keith Koffler
If you enjoy Cut to the News, please help support it. You can make a single contribution or set up regular payments, like a voluntary subscription. Donate here today. Thank you for your generosity.
Got this from a friend? Subscribe here and get Cut to the News sent to your Inbox every morning.
|
|
|
