Cut to the News
Cut through the clutter to today's top news
December 23, 2020
Good morning
Thank you so much to all of you who contributed to Cut to the News. Yesterday afternoon, we reached the $7,000 goal that I had set. I am deeply appreciative. This funding will allow us to continue Cut to the News and the website White House Dossier, which will each perform vital roles providing you information holding the Democrats and the Biden and Harris administration accountable. That is, until it becomes the Harris and Ocasio-Cortez administration.
Actually, fortunately, she's too young. For now. It's so nice to have such generous readers who understand the peril this country faces. The battle continues, and with your help, these publications will continue to be a part of it.
Leading the News . . .
Trump threatens to veto Covid relief bill . . . President Donald Trump threatened on Tuesday to not sign an $892 billion coronavirus relief bill that includes desperately needed money for individual Americans, saying it should be amended to increase the amount in the stimulus checks. U.S. government operations are being funded on a temporary basis through Dec. 28, waiting for the $1.4 trillion in federal spending for fiscal 2021 that is also part
of the bill. Failure to either pass another stopgap bill or override a possible Trump veto of the legislation could result in a partial government shutdown. The threat by the outgoing Republican president, who has less than a month left in office, throws into turmoil a bipartisan effort in Congress to provide help for people whose lives have been upended by the pandemic. Reuters
Pelosi to Trump on $2K checks: "Let's do it" . . . House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Tuesday night responded to President Trump's call for an increase in stimulus funds following Congress's passage of the COVID-19 relief package this week, saying she's ready to push for the $2,000 checks the president requested. "Republicans repeatedly refused to say what amount the President wanted for direct checks," Pelosi tweeted,
placing the blame on GOP lawmakers. "At last, the President has agreed to $2,000 — Democrats are ready to bring this to the Floor this week by unanimous consent. Let’s do it!" The Hill
US close to deal with Pfizer for millions more vaccine doses . . . The U.S. government is close to a deal to acquire tens of millions of additional doses of Pfizer’s vaccine in exchange for helping the pharmaceutical giant gain better access to manufacturing
supplies. A person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the deal is under discussion and could be finalized shortly. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to describe ongoing deliberations. Associated Press
US Hospitals overwhelmed before holidays . . . Americans were warned again on Tuesday not to travel for Christmas as the latest COVID-19 surge left hospitals struggling to find beds for the sick and political leaders imposed restrictions to try to curb new infections, making for a grim
holiday season. A new, even more contagious variant of the coronavirus quickly spreading across Britain caused more fear in Americans already weary from nine months of the pandemic and prompted talks among top U.S. officials to ban travel from the United Kingdom. Reuters
Birx to retire after ignoring own travel rules . . . Dr. Deborah Birx has announced she plans to retire after being outed on Sunday for not following her own holiday travel guidance, calling the experience “overwhelming.” In an interview with Newsy, the White House
coronavirus task force coordinator said she would help the incoming Biden administration but then planned to head for the exits. New York Post
No doubt planning giant Christmas party.
Fauci says he'll have a better relationship with Biden than with Trump . . . Dr. Anthony Fauci has said he expects to have a better relationship with Joe Biden than he did with Donald Trump, saying he will likely be 'dealing with him directly much
more'. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he was currently spending much of his time trying to reassure people that the vaccination is safe, and encourage them to continue to take COVID-19 seriously. Daily Mail
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Trump pardons Papdopoulos, two former GOP Reps . . . President Donald Trump granted a pardon late Tuesday to George Papadopoulos, a former campaign aide who admitted lying to the FBI. Trump also granted pardons to former Reps. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., and Chris Collins, R-NY. Hunter pleaded guilty to misusing campaign funds in 2019. Collins pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to commit
securities fraud and making false statements to the FBI and is currently serving a 26-month sentence The names were among 15 pardons and five commutations announced Tuesday. USA Today
More Republicans back Electoral College challenge . . . A growing number of House Republicans say they will challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election when Congress meets to certify the Electoral College results on Jan. 6. The latest Republican to say he will do so is Rep.-elect Madison Cawthorn (N.C.), who will be a part of the House when it convenes in early January. He implored other Republicans to also challenge
the results in a video message. The Hill
Biden: "Darkest days" ahead on coronavirus . . . President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday warned about the dangers of COVID-19 in the U.S., telling Americans "Our darkest days are ahead of us, not behind us." "One thing I promise you about my leadership during this crisis: I'm going to tell it to you straight. I'm going to tell you the truth. And here's the simple truth: Our darkest days in the
battle against COVID are ahead of us, not behind us," Biden said. Fox News
Actually, many dark days on a variety of issues are ahead.
Harris suggests rethinking US history so Americans can "right what has been wrong" . . . Kamala Harris Monday signed onto the view that U.S. history is a horror show that requires revision. “Let us require that as a nation we run our laws in a way that take into account the real history of America and do what is necessary to right what has been wrong,” she said during an appearance on behalf of Democratic Senate candidates in Georgia. She
made the comment after speaking about the need for police reform, but it is clear she means other issues too. Does Joe Biden agree with this? White House Dossier
Biden to reporter who asked about Hunter: "You're a one-horse pony" . . . Well, that’s “one-trick pony.” But I guess ponies can have one horse. Or something. Look for reporters who aggressively cover the Hunter Biden case to get demeaned, ridiculed, and accused of wearing tin foil hats, both by the Democrats and by their colleagues in the media. Because none of these people are looking forward to having the shoe on the other foot. Hunter
Biden is a big problem for the Big Guy. And unlike the “Russia collusion” case, there are serious indications of wrongdoing by Hunter Biden. And at the very least, the optics are bad for Joe. White House Dossier
Biden calls Hunter probe "Russia misinformation" . . . Biden said Tuesday that the federal tax probe targeting his son Hunter Biden’s murky financial dealings is “Russian misinformation,” and called the reporter who asked for comment on the probe a “one horse pony.” As he walked off stage after a press conference in Wilmington, Del., Biden was asked by Fox News if he still believed The Post’s exclusive reporting on the
contents of his son Hunter Biden’s laptop was “Russian misinformation,” in the wake of reports that some of those damaging emails were part of the federal probe. New York Post
Pelosi to "pull" Trump from the White House "by his hair" . . . House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took aim at President Trump, saying she can’t wait for him to leave office and firing off insults about his physical appearance. “I’m counting down the hours ‘til he’s gone,” Pelosi said. “I plan to pull him out of there by his hair, his little hands, and his feet.” Washington Examiner
Biden education secretary pick created Critical Theory class for high schoolers . . . Joe Biden's likely pick for education secretary helped create a mandated, statewide minority-studies course that "analyze[s] how race, power, and privilege influence group access to citizenship, civil rights, and economic power." Miguel Cardona, the current Connecticut commissioner of education, played a key role in creating the curriculum for
Connecticut's required course in African-American, Black, Puerto Rican, and Latino studies. The curriculum supposedly helps students "consider the scope of African American/Black and Puerto Rican/Latino contributions to U.S. history, society, economy, and culture" and is rooted in "critical race theory," which claims that America is intrinsically racist. Washington Free Beacon
Prepare for four years of getting called racist and horrible by your government.
Dominion Voting Systems employee sues Trump campaign, OANN, Newsmax, Giuliani . . . A Dominion Voting Systems employee is suing the Trump campaign, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell as well as news networks OANN and Newsmax for defamation over their claims that the company's voting machines rigged the 2020 election. Eric Coomer, director of product strategy and security for the company, filed the lawsuit in Denver, Colorado on
Tuesday. Daily Mail
Newsom picks Alex Padilla to fill Kamala Harris seat . . . California Gov. Gavin Newsom selected Secretary of State Alex Padilla on Tuesday as the state's next U.S. senator, a historic pick that sends a Latino to the Senate for the first time in the state's history. While Padilla had been the favorite, a video released by Newsom's office shows him getting emotional after Newsom offered him the job, reflecting on the hard work of his
parents, who came to the United States from Mexico and worked as a cook and a housekeeper. USA Today
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White supremacists plotted to attack US power grid . . . White supremacists plotted to attack power stations in the southeastern U.S., and an Ohio teenager who allegedly shared the plan said he wanted the group to be "operational" on a fast-tracked timeline if President Donald Trump were to lose his re-election bid, the FBI alleges in an affidavit that was mistakenly unsealed. The teen was in a text group with more than
a dozen people in the fall of 2019 when he introduced the idea of saving money to buy a ranch where they could participate in militant training, according to the affidavit. USA Today
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Israel heads to new election as government collapses . . . Israel’s divided government collapsed early Wednesday, triggering the country’s fourth election in under two years and bringing an unprecedented threat to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's lengthy grip on power. Netanyahu, who is used to labeling his opponents as weak leftists, finds himself confronted by a trio of disgruntled former aides who share his
hard-line ideology, led by a popular lawmaker who recently broke away from the prime minister's Likud party. Fox News
Three police killed in France . . . Three French police officers were fatally shot Wednesday as they attempted to rescue a woman during a domestic violence call. The shooting occurred in Puy-de-Dome, which is in central France. The gunman was described as a 48-year-old man. Another officer was reportedly injured. The three officers were aged 21, 37 and 45 years old, the French Interior ministry said in a statement. Fox News
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US sues Walmart, alleging role in fueling opioid crisis . . . The Trump administration sued Walmart Tuesday, accusing the retail giant of helping to fuel the nation’s opioid crisis by inadequately screening for questionable prescriptions despite repeated warnings from its own pharmacists. The Justice Department’s lawsuit claims Walmart sought to boost profits by understaffing its pharmacies and pressuring employees
to fill prescriptions quickly. That made it difficult for pharmacists to reject invalid prescriptions, enabling widespread drug abuse nationwide, the suit alleges. Wall Street Journal
Effort underway to unionize Amazon . . . Energized by protests at Amazon’s U.S. warehouses and a more labor-friendly administration assuming office, unions are campaigning at the world’s largest online retailer to see if its warehouse or grocery workers would like to join their ranks. A major test is expected early next year when workers at one warehouse decide whether to unionize. The company has not faced a union election in the United States
since 2014, and a “yes” vote would be the first ever for a U.S. Amazon facility. Reuters
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Detroit sues Black Lives Matter . . . The city of Detroit is trying a new tack during a year in which it, like many other U.S. cities, saw violent protests and destruction in the streets. Detroit has filed a lawsuit against Black Lives Matter activists, alleging a "civil conspiracy" and claiming the protests in the city "have repeatedly turned violent, endangering the lives of police and the
public." The city claims the activists participated in the conspiracy, "defamed" the mayor and police, and contends that the city should be awarded damages. Fox News
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Hundreds of nude photos of Thai king's mistress leaked to activists . . . Anti-monarchy activists reportedly received around 1,400 leaked photos of the king of Thailand’s mistress, the Daily Beast reported Tuesday. Several of the photos of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s mistress and official consort, Sineenat “Koi” Wongvajirapakdi, 35, were sexually explicit. British commentator Andrew MacGregor Marshall and Thai academic and
frequent critic of the monarchy Pavin Chachavalpongpun both received the supposedly elicit photos. Daily Caller
Hundreds? I don't even think I have a hundred photos of myself in clothes.
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Keith
Keith Koffler
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