Cut to the News
Cut through the clutter to today's top news
October 20, 2020
Good morning
Welcome to today's top news.
Leading the News . . .
Trump campaign demands change to final debate topics . . . Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien penned a letter to the commission Monday raising objections with the topics announced by moderator and NBC News correspondent Kristen Welker last week, saying the commission should
observe “long-standing custom” by making foreign policy the central focus of Thursday’s debate.“As is the long-standing custom, and as has been promised by the Commission on Presidential Debates, we had expected that foreign policy would be the central focus of the October 22 debate. We urge you to recalibrate the topics and return to subjects which had already been confirmed,” Stepien wrote. Stepien accused Democratic nominee Joe Biden of being “desperate to avoid conversations
about his own foreign policy record” and said the commission was trying to alter the course of the final debate in order to “insulate Biden from his own history.” Stepien's letter comes days after Welker announced that the topics of the debate would be fighting the coronavirus pandemic, American families, race in America, climate change, national security, and leadership. The Hill
This is Orwellian. They want to get back to the topics where Biden is stronger. Trump has numerous foreign policy successes — peace in the Middle East, anyone? — while Biden cheerleaded China and counseled against killing Osama.
Final debate to feature mute button . . . The final debate will feature a mute button to allow each candidate to speak uninterrupted, organizers said on Monday, looking to avoid the disruptions that marred the first matchup. The Trump campaign voiced objections to the change - made after the president repeatedly talked over both Biden and the moderator at last month’s debate in violation of its agreed-upon rules. Each candidate’s microphone at the
debate in Nashville, Tennessee, will be silenced to allow the other to make two minutes of opening remarks at the beginning of each 15-minute segment of the debate. Both microphones will be turned on to allow a back-and-forth after that time. Reuters
Don't the Democrats already have a mute button, better known as Twitter?
New coronavirus wave in store as Covid fatigue takes hold . . . Everything old is new again in the global battle against the coronavirus, with cases surging in Europe and the U.S. inching toward another devastating wave, as daily case counts reach levels not seen in months and hospital visits rise along with them.“We’re entering the wintertime when more people are indoors for long periods of time,” said William Schaffner, an
infectious disease specialist. At the same time, “COVID fatigue” in the U.S. and abroad is increasing the risk. “They want to put their mask aside and return to the old normal,” Dr. Schaffner said. “Here we have Thanksgiving right around the corner, and families are having these discussions: ‘Are we able to sit around the table?’” Washington Times
Birx confronted Pence about Atlas . . . White House coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx recently confronted Vice President Pence about the increasing influence of Scott Atlas over the administration’s handling of the pandemic. Atlas is not an infectious diseases expert but has emerged as one of Trump’s most influential advisers on the pandemic. Pence asked Birx and Atlas to work out the strife on their own and to present
data to their colleagues supporting their viewpoints. Atlas advocates policies that put him at odds with the mainstream of infectious diseases experts. Most controversially, he praises the herd immunity strategy. The Hill
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Biden to remain in basement until Thursday night debate . . . You’ve got to be kidding me. They have been hiding this guy behind the coronavirus since the start of the general election. Now they are hiding him behind the debates. If they thought it would be good to have people see him, they would have people see him. This is a major experiment by the Biden campaign in not having a candidate for political office campaign.
I think it’s going to backfire. People will get not only that one candidate is more vigorous, but that something is being hidden from them. White House Dossier
What’s in that basement anyway? Morphine? Lobster stuffed with crabmeat? Maybe there are reasons for him to stay down there!
Biden raising more than Trump from wealthy donors . . . While Mr. Biden’s campaign has trumpeted the small donations flooding in at record rates, the elite world of billionaires and multimillionaires has remained a critical cog in the Biden money machine. And as the size of checks has grown, the campaign has become less transparent, declining so far to disclose the names of its most influential check collectors, known as bundlers.
From Hollywood to Silicon Valley to Wall Street, Mr. Biden’s campaign has aggressively courted the megadonor class. It has raised almost $200 million from donors who gave at least $100,000 to his joint operations with the Democratic Party in the last six months — about twice as much as President Trump raised from six-figure donors in that time, according to an analysis of new federal records. New York Times
Roberts sides with liberals as Court refuses GOP effort to block extended Pa. voting . . . The Supreme Court on Monday shut down a GOP-led effort to block an extended period for counting ballots in the crucial presidential swing state of Pennsylvania. Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the high court's three liberals, resulting in a 4-4 tie. Justices Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh sided
with the state GOP. In the event of a 4-4 deadlock, the lower court ruling is affirmed and upheld. In this case, a ruling that favored state Democrats won out. Fox News
You know, sometimes less is more.
Trump was unsure of victory until recently . . . President Donald Trump was unsure he would win re-election until recently, he told his campaign staff on a conference call Monday. “We’re going to win,” he said in a call the campaign invited reporters to join. “I wouldn’t have told you that maybe two or three weeks ago.” Bloomberg
Senate Republicans propose constitutional amendment to block court packing . . . A group of Senate Republicans on Monday announced a constitutional amendment to fix the Supreme Court at a maximum of nine members, playing defense as Democrats ramp up talk of expanding the court to try to swamp President Trump’s nominees. The Republican lawmakers also proposed a backup plan to change Senate rules to
require a supermajority vote in the chamber before changing the size of the high court. Washington Times
Late night hosts tell 97% of jokes about Trump over Biden . . . . Ninety seven per cent of the jokes Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon told about the candidates in September targeted Trump, a study released on Monday found. The researchers found 455 jokes about Trump and 14 about Democrat Joe Biden, according to the Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University. That does not even count 64 jokes made
about Trump's family or administration, the study said. Daily Mail
DNI Ratcliffe shuts down Schiff claim Hunter Biden laptop is Russian disinformation . . . Sorry Rep. Schiff, no Russian collusion adventure this time. According to the Washington Examiner: President Trump’s spy chief repeatedly shot down claims by Democrats such as House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff that the purported emails from Hunter Biden’s laptop published by the New York
Post were part of a Russian disinformation effort. White House Dossier
Hunter Biden signature on Delaware computer shop receipt . . . Documents appear to show Hunter Biden's signature on a receipt for $85 at a Delaware computer shop where he dropped off laptops that included details of his international business deals. Last week a New York Post report claimed that Hunter Biden’s laptop was abandoned at the computer shop in April 2019 for months and was found to contain e-mails that purportedly
implicate Joe Biden in his son's international business dealings during his time as Vice President. Daily Mail
They saw him, they have his signature, and the computer is filled with his stuff. And the Biden campaign doesn't deny it. But let's wait and see if the story is true!
Trump taps 2016 brain trust to stage another comeback . . . Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie, two key players during Trump's first run before they were frozen out of his political organization, have reemerged as key advisers. Bossie was recently dispatched to make peace between a key campaign operative and Ron DeSantis, the governor of must-win Florida. Matt Oczkowski, a 2016 alum and former employee of the controversial Cambridge
Analytica data firm, has taken an expanded role overseeing voter targeting efforts. Politico
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"The Quad" unites against rising China threat . . . The Trump administration’s push for a military alliance among the major democracies of Asia to contain China showed new signs of moving ahead more rapidly than anticipated, with Australian agreeing to join U.S., Indian, Japanese forces in historic joint naval exercises next month. While the four have engaged in a loose diplomatic grouping known as “the Quad”
for years, they has previously struggled to achieve major military or geopolitical coordination amid reservations from India and the uncertain reaction from Beijing. Washington Times
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France to expel 231 radicalized foreigners after teacher killed . . . French officials plan to expel 231 radicalized foreign nationals in a sweeping crackdown after the brutal slaying of a teacher Friday. Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin said he intends to move swiftly in response to the killing of Samuel Paty, a history teacher who was beheaded after showing cartoons of the Prophet
Mohammad in class. President Emmanuel Macron has called the killing an "Islamist terrorist attack." Fox News
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Mnuchin and Pelosi getting closer to stimulus deal . . . Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin “continued to narrow their differences” on a coronavirus relief package, a Pelosi aide said Monday, as time draws short to reach agreement on a bill that could pass by Election Day. “The Speaker continues to hope that, by the end of the day Tuesday, we will have clarity on whether we will be able to pass a
bill before the election,” Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said on Twitter. “The two principals will speak again tomorrow and staff work will continue around the clock.” Bloomberg
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Rush Limbaugh says cancer is terminal . . . Talk radio legend Rush Limbaugh provided listeners a somber update on his condition Monday after recent scans showed “some progression of cancer,” which he said is “not dramatic” but still a step in the wrong direction. Limbaugh announced in February that he was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. “It’s tough to realize that the days where I do
not think I’m under a death sentence are over,” Limbaugh continued. “Now, we all are, is the point. We all know that we’re going to die at some point, but when you have a terminal disease diagnosis that has a time frame to it, then that puts a different psychological and even physical awareness to it.” Fox News
Jeff Bridges reveals he has lymphoma . . . Jeff Bridges has revealed that he’s battling lymphoma. The iconic actor, 70, made the announcement on Twitter Monday night, writing, “As the Dude would say … New s–t has come to light.” “I have been diagnosed with Lymphoma. Although it is a serious disease, I feel fortunate that I have a great team of doctors and the prognosis is good. New York Post
TV news security guard who shot pro-police demonstrator is charged with murder . . . A television station security guard accused of fatally shooting a pro-police demonstrator following opposing rallies was charged Monday with second-degree murder, according to the Denver district court clerk’s office. The charges in the death of Lee Keltner, 49, were filed to the district court against Matthew Dolloff, 30, who was protecting a KUSA-TV producer at the time of the incident. The next hearing is set for Wednesday morning, according to the district court clerk’s office. No attorney has been listed for Dolloff yet in court records. Associated Press
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Liberal CNN legal analyst Toobin masturbated during Zoom conference call . . . The New Yorker has suspended reporter Jeffrey Toobin for masturbating on a Zoom video chat between members of the New Yorker and WNYC radio last week. Toobin says he did not realize his video was on. “I made an embarrassingly stupid mistake, believing I was
off-camera. I apologize to my wife, family, friends and co-workers,” Toobin told Motherboard. “I believed I was not visible on Zoom. I thought no one on the Zoom call could see me. I thought I had muted the Zoom video,” he added. Vice
Yeah, well, who would take the risk that the video mute wasn't on??
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Keith
Keith Koffler
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