WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Monday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes.
- Finally, the time has arrived for the Great Debate. Americans will be making popcorn, waiting to witness the Tuesday night battle of the major political gladiators of our time. The American Demosthenes vs. Antiphon, with powerful insights, crackling wit, weighty considerations, farsighted policy declarations in a battle of intellects worthy of the leading democracy in the world. Something wrong with your router? All you can get is Biden Vs. Trump? Guess that will have to do. Both will come armed with long lists of hoped-for vulnerabilities of the opponent.
- As this great battle of ideas is about to take place, it’s instructive to read how the Fox Web site describes the preparations around Cleveland’s Health Education Campus at Case Western Reserve University: “To keep residents safe, the Cleveland Police Department will close certain roads and increase its presence as well as be joined by state and federal law enforcement personnel. “Cleveland.com’s headline says, “Barriers up, National Guard arrives at Cleveland Clinic for first presidential debate.” Apparently the clash of great ideas can be very dangerous.
- It was also instructive to hear Fox News anchors, obviously hoping the president was watching, give him guidance during the day on how to proceed. Contributor Gus Gutfleld, one of the network’s contributors with a reputation for original thinking, concluded that without The New York Times claiming any laws were broken, and without proof of Russian money, Trump is free and clear and another Times “bombshell” lands with a thud. Accountants, he said, are not paid to cure income inequality. “Anyone who pays more than is legally owed is an idiot.” Dana Perino did concede that the headline about paying only $750 in income taxes might hurt. Jesse Watters said it was the Times that, through the years, helped build the Trump brand, helped get him elected. Amazon, Chevron and others don’t pay any taxes, he said. Besides, Biden helped write the tax law that allowed Trump to avoid – not evade – taxes.
- Over on CNN, of course, the anchors were doing the same favors for Biden. Chris Cuomo was being told by Peter Strozk, the ex-FBI agent Trump has railed against repeatedly, to concentrate on the $73 million in foreign income and the $300 million to $400 million in personal debt owed to foreigners, either of which would have disqualified the president from getting a top security clearance – while Trump fights any disclosure of who’s paying and who’s lending. A CNN political analyst said to remember, Trump paid far more to Stormy Daniels than he paid in taxes.
- The New York Times came up with another story Monday night, saying Vice President Mike Pence’s Chief of Staff Marc Short and Corona Virus Task Force’s Deborah Birx were among those trying to “circumvent” the Centers for Disease Control to downplay the virus hazards for children when they return to in-school instruction. CNN said it confirmed the story. Separately NBC reported that CDC Director Robert Redfield was overheard telling a colleague in a cellphone conversation that the radiology professor who now has the president’s ear on virus matters, Scott Atlas, having replaced the input of the Corona Virus Task Force, is wrong about everything. White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows has already said that blocking the FDA’s extended review of any vaccine is unnecessary. Finally, the NIH’s Anthony Fauci told CNN, generously, to remember the enemy is the virus, not those whose opinions you don’t agree with. He did add, however, “If you listen to Fox News, with all due respect to the fact that they do have some good reporters, some of the things that they report there are outlandish, to be honest with you.”
- More than half of the states are reported to have vaccine cases that are increasing. The NYT virus tracker reported, over the past week there have been an average of 43,111 cases per day, an increase of 23% from the average two weeks earlier. The death toll Sunday was exceptionally low, as often happens on weekends, showing just 267 virus fatalities. During an afternoon White House event to showcase the pending delivery of 150 million Abbott Labs’ BinaxNOW rapid-result test kits to schools and medical personnel, Vice President Pence said, “The American people should anticipate that — that cases will rise in the days ahead.”
- Was there no other news during the day? On Russia’s southern border a second day of fighting in the perpetual hot spot, the Caucasus, where Russia, Turkey and Iran are involved as Armenians and Azeris kill each other. The U.S,, France and Russia compose a mediation group. Russia has supposedly good relations with both Armenia and Azerbaijan, which has an alliance with Turkey, the wild card in the volatile region.
- In the ongoing Breonna Taylor case aftermath, the Kentucky Attorney General has agreed to release the audio recording of the grand jury proceeding. One member of the grand jury filed a lawsuit to release the record, about which the Taylor family has had many questions.
- Upcoming economic statistics include the Johnson-Redbook weekly report on same-store retail sales at 8:55a ET, the Case-Shiller House Price Index at 9a and existing home sales at 10a, Kevin Kastner’s preview of Friday’s jobs report is worth checking out elsewhere on this macenews.com site. N.Y. Fed President John Williams speaks at 9:15a. Dallas Fed President Patrick Harker is at 9:30a.
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