The Banter Brief: Joe Biden Is Now The Heavy Favorite For President
This is not good news for Trump. At all.
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1. Most Important Story Of The Week
As Bob Cesca reported for Banter Members, we now know that Trump handed over counterterrorism secrets to Russia — a country that attacked America’s elections and continues to attack them today. Wrote Bob:
According to a bombshell new report published by Just Security, Trump “decided not to confront Putin about supplying arms” to the Taliban. In other words, Trump was informed at some point that Putin was arming the Afghan militants, and, again, did nothing about it. Not even a side-eye. On top of that, journalist Ryan Goodman reports that Trump secretly “directed the CIA to share intelligence information on counterterrorism with the Kremlin despite no discernible reward.”
In any other era, this news would kick off immediate calls for a far reaching investigation and impeachment. But in Trump’s America, it was just another Wednesday thanks to the spineless Republicans protecting him from the consequences of his treasonous behavior.
Go deeper with Banter Members and get a 50% discount:
Trump Gave CIA Secrets To Putin And There's Nothing We Can Do About It - by Bob Cesca
2. Poll Analysis
Biden’s lead over Trump just under four months out from the election is solidifying by the week. US News used reporting with “political observers in the states as well as a look at historical, demographic and polling data” and concluded that Biden now has a “decisive lead over Trump”.
Biden, for the first time this election cycle, now has enough states that are safe, likely or leaning his way that he has more than 270 electoral votes in his favor. That's the minimum number needed to win the Electoral College.
Specifically, 278 electoral votes are now leaning, likely, or safe for Biden, compared to 186 that are leaning, likely or safe for Trump.
Nationally the picture is even bleaker for Trump, who trails Biden by almost 10 points. There is some concern over voter turnout (Trump’s supporters are highly engaged), but the lead Biden is building in crucial swing states presents an enormous challenge for the president heading into November.
3. Quote Of The Week
“Although in 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives issued an apology to Black Americans for slavery, no tangible forms of compensation or reparations have been given. What we have seen a lot of: Donning kente cloth, constructing murals and tearing down confederate monuments. While these actions are meaningful, they do not deconstruct oppressive systems or provide any sort of restitution for the greatest atrocity in American history.”
- Janice Gassam calling for reparations instead of “symbolic gestures” for the crimes of slavery
4. What to Watch
What: ‘The Witches’ - the film based version Roald Dahl’s classic children’s tale directed by Nicolas Roeg and produced by Jim Henson.
Why: Currently trending on streaming services, this 1990 classic is more than a children’s movie. Following 8 year old Luke and his Norwegian grandmother’s attempts to defeat a coven of witches trying to turn England’s children into mice, The Witches is a brilliant, darkly funny piece of filmmaking. The extraordinary acting of Angelica Huston as the Grand High Witch, the ageless storytelling of Roald Dahl, and the enormous creativity of Roeg and Henson creates a delightful yet surprisingly frightening tale of good versus evil. A sequel is in the works for release soon too, and if it’s half as good as the original, it will be worth the 30 year wait.
Where: Netflix
5. Good News
More good news on potentially game changing treatments for COVID-19 that may arrive before a vaccine. Monoclonal antibodies, which are lab-created “super” antibodies are showing enormous promise in treating the disease. Reported CNN:
Just this week, late stage trials were announced for another double antibody cocktail that will be tested in 2,000 people across the United States for their ability to prevent infection and treat those in the early stages of Covid-19. With this drug -- and with the other set of monoclonal antibodies already researched -- there is a question of whether they are going to be effective against a virus like SARS-CoV-2 that lives primarily in the nose and the lungs instead of in the blood. That said, monoclonal antibodies have worked against the respiratory syncytial virus, which has many similarities to SARS-CoV-2.
Much like the vaccines that have showed early promise, these drugs too will need more testing before their safety and efficacy can be proven. But the timeline for testing these drugs is much shorter than for a vaccine, in large part due to how quickly and easily their efficacy can be determined.
Have a great weekend!
Read the latest for Banter Members and get 50% off!:
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Trump Gave CIA Secrets To Putin And There's Nothing We Can Do About It
Trump handed over counterterrorism secrets to a hostile foreign government that attacked our elections and continues to attack our elections today, writes Bob Cesca
