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Trump Agrees To ABC Debate ... And Two More?

Your unbiased daily news brief

Author

James Kratch
August 09, 2024

Good Friday morning. Have you ever gotten fired up over finding a great deal? A study found the average American enjoys a "high" for over three hours after bargain shopping. Have a great weekend!

In Today’s Brief

  • Chicago: Airport death

  • Austria: Eras Tour plot details

  • Swing states: New ratings

  • S&P 500: Huge day

  • Olympics: Hoops comeback

... and more

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Top Tips

1) The Trump show

Former President Donald Trump tried to blunt Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign momentum by playing the hits and making some news.

  • What happened: Trump held a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, jousting with reporters for over an hour and putting fact-checkers to work. The major development: He recommitted to participating in ABC's Sept. 10 presidential debate after recently dropping out. The former president also announced he has agreed to a Fox News debate on Sept. 4 and an NBC debate on Sept. 25.

  • Up in the air: Harris said she was looking forward to the ABC debate and did not rule out other debates, but did not commit to them either. Harris answered a handful of on-the-record questions, her first comments to the media since becoming the Democrats' presumptive nominee almost three weeks ago. Trump and Republicans have been critical of Harris for not speaking to reporters.

  • Also of note: Trump said he believes presidents should have a say in Federal Reserve policy, including interest rate decisions. He continued to portray Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, her running mate, as left-wing extremists while alleging the size of his rally crowds is intentionally downplayed by the media.

2) Bump and run

Spain was roiled by the return, and escape, of a fugitive politician.

  • What happened: Carles Puigdemont, a former Catalonia separatist leader, left his self-imposed exile in Belgium after seven years and appeared at a rally in Barcelona. He gave a speech to supporters and slipped away before police could apprehend him on embezzlement charges; one cop was arrested for allegedly assisting his exit plot.

  • Key context: Puigdemont is a major player in the decades-old effort for Catalonia, an autonomous region, to break away from Spain. He fled the country in 2017 after being charged with organizing an illegal independence referendum when he led the region's government. 

  • Big picture: The incident is an embarrassment for Spain and the Catalan police force since Puigdemont announced his return days prior and a plan was supposedly in place to nab him. He is trying to pressure authorities to include him in amnesty legislation regarding the failed 2017 referendum attempt, as well as reassert his party as the face of the independence movement as the Socialist Party prepares to form a government.

3) Red tech

Federal prosecutors said a Nashville man helped North Korea raise money to fund its weapons programs.

  • The news: Matthew Isaac Knoot, 38, was arrested and charged with generating revenue for Pyongyang. The Department of Justice said his efforts aided North Korea's arsenal of weapons of mass destruction and other programs. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

  • The scheme: DOJ said Knoot helped North Koreans evade sanctions and obtain remote information technology work with American and British companies. Prosecutors said Knoot helped the North Koreans pose as a U.S. citizen using a stolen identity and operated a U.S.-based "laptop farm" that allowed the workers to deceive employers. He also helped launder hundreds of thousands in payments into bank accounts tied to Chinese and North Korean actors.

  • Big picture: North Korea has leveraged remote IT work under false auspices to fund its weapons programs and other facets of Kim Jong Un's regime while deceiving unwitting companies. Documents released earlier this year alleged North Korean illustrators and graphic designers had done work for U.S. film studios.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

  • A woman died at Chicago's O'Hare Airport after getting caught in a baggage carousel. Police said she was a member of the public and entered a restricted area several hours before she was found (More)

  • The air in the New York subway system is hazardous, according to a new study. New York University researchers said the average subway platform exceeds has a particulate pollution exposure standards over a 24-hour period that is four times worse than federal standards (More)

  • An Ohio woman claims she saw a famed Virgin Mary statue close and open its eyes during a tour stop in Canton. Local Catholic Church leaders have expressed skepticism over the miracle report (More)

World News

  • Austrian police said terror suspects planned to launch a suicide bombing attack on the crowd outside a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna. One of the alleged plotters worked with stadium security; U.S. intelligence alerted Austria and Europol to the scheme (More)

  • Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has blocked internet access to X for 10 days. The strongman has repeatedly attacked the social media platform and its CEO, Elon Musk, following the country's contested presidential election (More)

  • African health officials are expected to declare a continental health emergency over Mpox. Sixteen countries have reported cases of the disease this year and close to 500 people have died; over 90% of reported cases are in the Democratic Republic of Congo (More)

Campaign News

  • The Cook Political Report said Arizona, Georgia and Nevada are now considered toss-up battleground states. The election handicapper had rated the states as leaning toward former President Trump before Vice President Harris entered the race (More)

  • New Jersey Rep. Bill Pascrell was discharged from a month-long hospital stay. The 87-year-old Democrat is a heavy favorite for re-election in the state's 9th Congressional District; he will be the oldest House member next year if he wins (More)

  • Texas Democrats will meet next week to determine the party's special election nominee in the state's 18th Congressional District. Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has emerged as the favorite to succeed late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (More)

Business & Markets

  • Major indexes closed higher yesterday, with the S&P 500 posting its best day since 2022. The markets were comforted by last week's unemployment report being revised downward (Dow +1.76%, Nasdaq +2.97%, S&P 500 +2.30%).

  • Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg will work at company headquarters in Seattle. The new boss started yesterday; he said he wants to be close to the production floor given the aerospace giant's run of safety issues (More)

  • Nasdaq is considering stricter delisting rules for penny stocks. Current protocol effectively allows non-compliant members to remain listed for over a year with a share price below $1 (More)

Entertainment & Sports

  • The U.S. men's basketball team will play France for the gold medal tomorrow at the Paris Olympics. Team USA overcame a 17-point deficit to beat Serbia, 95-91, in yesterday's semifinal round (More)

  • Paramount Global will cut about 15% of its U.S. workforce. The layoffs will impact 2K employees as it preps for a merger with Skydance Media; the entertainment giant took a $6B write-down on its cable networks in Q2 (More)

  • Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone broke her own world record while defending her 400m hurdles Olympic title. The track star has lowered the record six times in her career; American teammate Anna Cockrell took silver (More)

Quick Hitters

  • Very Cute: An orphaned black bear cub was rescued in Yosemite National Park after spending 10 days alone. She is now on the mend and extremely adorable.

  • Be Safe: BMW has recalled over 105K vehicles due to a motor defect that may cause overheating and fire risks. Several makes and models are impacted.

  • Take Note: The daily news cycle can be a lot. Trust us! But if you find yourself unnerved by the constant deluge of controversy and danger in current events, here are some self-care tips.

  • Go Deep: Your microwave may have its own microbiome. A new study discovered some organisms are strong enough to sustain the radiation that heats food, prompting questions about how effective the appliance is at zapping foodborne illnesses.

  • Life Hack: We would call a professional if our gas stove stopped igniting. But if you prefer to get things done yourself, here is how to fix the issue without needing a single tool.

A trailer for Saturday Night, an upcoming film dramatizing the behind-the-scenes mayhem before the first episode of Saturday Night Live, has been released. The movie debuts Oct. 11.

Looking Ahead …

That confusing instruction manual for the new purchase you need to assemble? Add it to the list of things artificial intelligence may soon eliminate.

Question of the Day — Friday Trivia

Another network program called Saturday Night Live predated the famous sketch show. Who was its host?

Make your pick!

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Yesterday’s results:

Trivia: Who was the only Vice President directly elected by the Senate?

Virginia’s electors refused to vote for Richard Mentor Johnson after the 1836 presidential election despite being pledged to him. That left Martin Van Buren’s running mate one vote shy of a Electoral College majority, forcing Congress’ upper chamber to step in.