President Donald Trump says he will not participate in the second presidential debate this October 15th after the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that they are changing the debate format to a virtual town-hall in which “candidates would participate from separate remote locations,” reports Axios. 

The bipartisan commission made these changes shortly after President Trump and several of his campaign staff members tested positive for coronavirus, in order “to protect the health and safety of all involved with the second presidential debate,” according to their statement. 

The President responded to the news, saying, “I’m not going to waste my time on a virtual debate. It’s not what debating is all about. … It’s ridiculous.” Trump Campaign Manager Bill Stepien took a more accusatory stance, complaining that the decision was “extremely suspect,” and that the campaign would “pass on this sad excuse to bail out Joe Biden and do a rally instead.” 

Joe Biden’s campaign says they are willing to participate in the virtual debate, but that they would find an appropriate place to take voter questions if the President chooses not to participate. They also asked the Commission on Presidential Debates to change the third presidential debate, scheduled for October 22nd, to a town-hall format as well, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Co-chairman of the Commission on Presidential Debates, Frank Fahrenkopf, told USA Today that they cannot force the President to participate in the debates. “There’s no way you can force a presidential candidate to debate,” Fahrenkopf said. “It’s up to them whether they debate or not.”

Top Trump advisor, Larry Kudlow told Fox News that he expects the virtual debate to be “renegotiated” if Trump manages to present several negative COVID-19 tests prior to the debate, reports Mediaite. Bill Stepien echoed that sentiment, saying, “President Trump will have posted multiple negative tests prior to the debate, so there is no need for this unilateral declaration.” Nonetheless, the Trump campaign has offered an alternative solution; Stepien has suggested moving both of the scheduled presidential debates back a week to October 22nd and the 29th. 

“Voters should have the opportunity to directly question Biden’s 47-year failed record of leadership,” said Stepien. “We agree that this should happen on Oct. 22, and accordingly, the third debate should then be shifted back one week to Oct. 29.”

Fahrenkopf says that the Commission will stick to an in-person debate on October 22nd. When the 25-year veteran of the Commission on Presidential Debates was asked about the controversial decision, he said “I heard this morning, ‘Well, they should have consulted us.’ We never consult on these sorts of things, and we’ve been saying from the very beginning that we are going to follow the advice of the medical people who are advising us, the Cleveland Clinic.” He added, “They supported what we are doing. We are doing this for the safety of everyone involved.”

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, executive producer Dave Mandel, and the cast and crew from the hit HBO show ‘Veep’ in a virtual reunion fundraiser that raised more than $500K for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin on Sunday, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Mandel, who took over as showrunner and executive producer for the last three seasons, was approached by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin about a month before the event, shortly after the organization had helped sponsor a similar “Princess Bride,” reunion fundraiser. The invite promised that, “Anything you donate will be used to ensure that Trump loses Wisconsin, and thereby the White House.”

Mandel phoned the show’s star and co-producer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and the two of them sent an email to the rest of the cast — including Anna Chlumsky, Reid Scott, Sam Richardson, Tony Hale, Tim Simons, Clea DuVall and Matt Walsh, and surprise guests Dan Bakkedahl and Nelson Franklin — who were all happy to participate.

During the reunion, cast members answered fan questions, performed a virtual table read of five deleted scenes and a cast-wide competition to deliver the best Jonah Ryan insult (Gwen Moore won with a “real-life Wisconsin congresswoman”). One fan asked the cast, “What really happened on Labor Day?” — but Mandel refused to answer while teasing, “You never know when we’re going to be back and filming!”

The event, which had been planned several weeks ahead, was almost overshadowed after President Trump announced he tested positive for coronavirus the Friday before. The irony wasn’t lost on the production, which often joked about how to hide behind a shift in the news cycle. “It really upstaged us in a very almost Tom Hanks kind of way,” Mandel said, nodding to a major punchline in the show’s finale.

However, the cast-wide event decided to take the “high road” when it came to the President’s illness, focusing instead on urging voters and democratic supporters to help support the fight in Wisconsin, a key battleground state in the upcoming election. “When Trump got sick, we made a very conscious decision to say, let’s just leave him out of it,” said Mandel.

True to their word, the event included “an expletive-filled plea of electoral wisdom for Wisconsin voters from the duo of Congressman Roger Furlong (Bakkedahl) and his aide Will (Franklin),” writes Jackie Straus of The Hollywood Reporter, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus explained the importance of Wisconsin in the general election: “All roads to the White House go through the great state of Wisconsin. Trump can’t win reelection if he doesn’t win Wisconsin. So, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin has built an unprecedented voter mobilization operation and they need resources in these final days to deliver Wisconsin to Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Harris. The future of democracy is on the line, people, and that’s why the cast of Veep is getting together for a virtual reunion with some special guests, too. You don’t want to miss this.”

In 2016, Hillary Clinton led in the polls against Donald Trump, much like Joe Biden is now, however the President won the state by fewer than 23,000 votes. “Wisconsin is going to be close, and it’s the best way to get Joe Biden in the White House,” Julia Louis-Dreyfus reminds the audience.

Still, the President did receive a few passing remarks, usually in reference to the serendipitous parallels between the fictional main character, Selina Meyer, and the bigger than life reality star in the Oval Office. “Selina began as somebody who was very self-centered and that focus on herself was completely reinforced by everyone around her,” said Julia Louis-Dreyfus of her character. “Nobody shut her down ever. Who does that sound like? So that massive ego grew and grew and grew until she absolutely did herself in with her own self at the end of the series.”

Mandel expressed frustration with running the show in the age of Trump. “Our best day doesn’t compare to the stuff this White House does on a regular hourly basis of incompetence and stupidity,” Mandel said. He also offered some poignant advice for the show’s fans: “Look, the show doesn’t exist with this guy in the White House. So, if people really want more Veep, it’s something to think about!” But at the end of the day, the showrunner was just happy to contribute to the fight against the sitting president, “It’s nice to be able to contribute. I’m doing everything I can here at the Mandel house. But there’s something really nice about being a part of something that could make a difference — and that half a million dollars in Wisconsin and people signing up to volunteer could do it.”

As the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread among staffers close to the President, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany announced that she has tested positive for coronavirus, Axios reports.

McEnany joins the ranks of at least 18 notable White House staff, journalists and Republican Congressman who have also tested positive after close contact with President Trump, including Campaign Manager Bill Stepien, Assistant to the President Nicholas Luna, Senior Advisor Kellyanne Conway and Senators Mike Lee, Thom Tillis and Ron Johnson. Before testing positive, McEnany told reporters that the White House would not disclose a full list of staffers who had tested positive citing “privacy concerns.” McEnany said, “We take seriously safeguarding the information of personnel here in the White House.”

President Trump announced that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive in the wee hours of the night following a fundraising trip to New Jersey last Thursday. During the morning before, public relations advisor Hope Hicks tested positive for coronavirus just before the President boarded Marine One for the fundraiser. Fox News reports that staff that were in close contact with Hicks were pulled from the trip, including Spokesman Judd Deere. McEnany was not on that trip. Trump’s personal physician, Dr. Sean Conley told reporters that the President had a “mild cough and some nasal congestion, fatigue,” before getting on the helicopter, reported Yahoo News.

In a press conference over the weekend, McEnany refused to clarify when President Trump’s last negative test had occurred prior to testing positive. “I’m not going to give you a detailed readout with time stamps every time he is tested,” she said. “He is tested regularly and the first positive test he received was after his return from Bedminster.”

Meanwhile, President Trump has posted several pictures of himself continuing to work at Walter Reed Hospital on Twitter, in hopes of maintaining an appearance of strength. Among the posts is a picture of President Trump signing a paper which appears to be blank, and a short video in which a cough was poorly edited out. Sunday, the President stirred controversy when he left Walter Reed in a motorcade to reassure and wave to supporters waiting outside the hospital.

Dr. Conley has presented an optimistic outlook for Trump’s illness over the weekend, however, after refusing to give any specific details about President Trump’s vitals, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows contradicted the President’s physician saying, “The president’s vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care. We’re still not on a clear path to a full recovery.” Sources also confirmed that Donald Trump had received oxygen at the White House Friday at noon, not too long after receiving his positive test, despite Conley refusing to give many details on the matter.

The President tweeted that he is planning to be discharged by 6:30, Monday afternoon. However, there is still skepticism as to whether he is in recovery. According to Axios, Brian Garibaldi, a John Hopkins doctor familiar with President Trump’s situation, hinted that the President may leave the hospital while continuing treatment.

Contradictions and unclear messaging out of the White House has resulted in the emergence of conspiracy theories about the President’s condition, reports Yahoo News. David Simon, creator of “The Wire,” suggested that the entire story might be a staged incident in hopes of sparking an “October surprise” event. Simon suggested that, “Trump is claiming a positive test, will present as asymptomatic, or claim himself cured with bleach, then dismiss COVID again as a Democratic hoax? I’m wrong, right?”

Trump supporter and Conservative author Kurt Schlichter echoed this suggestion, writing “I’m not saying that Donald Trump is pretending to have COVID to cause the left to freak out in a frenzy of murder wishes and to wash all the garbage stories off the front page, but I’m not saying I’m not saying that.”

The fringe conspiracy group QAnon have also offered their opinion, saying that Donald Trump contracted coronavirus on purpose as a part of a grand scheme to arrest Hillary Clinton, reports Vice.

Local Fox News, MSNBC and CNN affiliates banned ads featuring deepfakes of Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un meant to air during last night’s debate, reports Media Post.

Deepfakes are a controversial technology that uses AI overlays to make actors look and sound like whoever the advertisers want. In this case, the ads showed Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un warning Americans about the threat they posed to democracy while encouraging people to go out and vote. Both ads have the fake “dictators” telling Americans that “I don’t have to do anything. You’re doing it to yourselves,” referencing the potential for a chaotic election process this November. Both ads end with the disclaimer, “This footage is not real, but the threat is.”

The ad was developed by the non-profit RepresentUs in partnership with creative agency Mischief @ No Fixed Address as a part of a campaign meant to protect voter rights. President and Co-founder of RepresentUs, Joshua Graham Lynn, told reporters at Insider that “by featuring two leaders who have a vested interest in the collapse of our democratic system, we are putting the American people face-to-face with just how fragile our democracy really is. We hope it inspires Americans to come together to fight for this one issue that unites us all.”

The ads were designed to be provocative and attention grabbing so that they may shock their audience into taking actions such as checking their voter registration or volunteering for the polls. “There is so much noise in this political environment that people can be overwhelmed and left feeling it’s all out of their hands, there’s nothing they can do,” explains Greg Hahn, the co-founder and chief creative officer at Mischief @ No Fixed Address. “Apathy is actually the intent of the noise. It was really critical to cut through all of that in a way that provokes.”

This reasoning marks a departure from how experts are used to thinking about deepfakes, notes Karen Hao from MIT Technology Review. “It flips the script on the typical narrative of political deepfakes, which experts often worry could be abused to confuse voters and disrupt elections,” she writes.

Local Washington D.C. affiliates of Fox News, CNN and MSNBC all gave no reason for dropping the ads at the last minute after they were initially pre-approved. Karen Hao suggests that “the sensitive nature of using deepfakes in a political context” left the networks hesitant to air the advertisements. The ads still aired on various social media platforms with support from influencers including Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Jennifer Lawrence, Ed Helms, Alyssa Milano, and Kathy Griffin.

You can watch the ads here and here.

Craig Newmark the founder of Craigslist has become an important philanthropist giving to media, academia and veterans causes. Howard University and Mr. Newmark  announced his $2.5 million donation for Howard University’s Cathy Hughes School of Communications to help support aspiring young journalism students, reports Howard University’s Newsroom.

Although Newmark made most of his money through Craigslist, in recent years he’s been spending most of his time focusing on his philanthropic work. In an interview with the Nob Hill Gazette, Newmark said that he is no longer doing customer service for Craigslist, “but I’m busier than I’ve ever been with my philanthropic work, and I do customer service there.” He later explains that, “One approach in philanthropy is to share power. My variation of that is that I give away power rather than accumulating it because I have no interest in accumulating power and I could be way more effective by giving it away. That’s power as expressed in dollars and influence.”

 

This most recent donation will be gifted to the school via Craig Newmark Philanthropies to support several areas of need within the school, including $1.5 million for The Craig Newmark Journalism Endowed Opportunity Scholarship Program which will target primarily junior and senior student journalists with demonstrated financial needs; and The Craig Newmark Journalism Endowed Student Experience Fund which will promote professional development opportunities and job availability for graduating students.

“We are honored and humbled to receive this generous donation from Craig Newmark and Craig Newmark Philanthropies to support students in our journalism program,” said Gracie Lawson-Borders, Ph.D., dean of the Cathy Hughes School of Communications. “We are at a pivotal moment in society in which good journalism serves as a cornerstone that supports democracy reporting history as it unfolds and giving voice to Blacks and other marginalized communities. Fifty years after the 1968 Kerner Commission report, our relevancy is heightened by the tenor of our times. It is essential that our school continues to prepare student journalists to provide context and give voice to all communities across this country. In the School of C, our awarding-winning faculty work to train and prepare successful journalists for the application of their craft.  Thank you, Mr. Newmark.”

While this is one of the biggest donations Newmark has made to support journalism this year, it is not the first. At the end of January, the American Press Institute announced a grant of $388,000 from Craig Newmark Philanthropies to “build a real-time network of newsroom leaders, civic and academic institutions, and outside experts who will communicate throughout the 2020 election to combat disinformation and other threats to honest reporting, election integrity and voter suppression,” according to Craig Newmark Philanthropies Newsroom.

Just last month, Newmark went on the Digiday Podcast to explain why he’s giving millions to schools and journalistic programs across the country. “In the 1970s, my high school U.S. history and civics teacher taught us about the importance of a free press,” Newmark told Digiday Podcast host, Brian Morrissey. “A trustworthy press is the immune system of democracy.” 

In his announcement with Howard University, Newmark echoed this sentiment: “All Americans deserve fair treatment, and to that end we need journalism that tells the truth, the diverse truth, in a way that benefits everyone. The Howard University journalism program will play a large role in telling that truth.”

Newmark, who got his start as a programmer for tech-giant IBM before moving on to start Craigslist, has also urged other major tech platforms to help with the fight against disinformation and declining journalism. “I think the big guys [Google and Facebook] should be doing more to help journalism,” said Newmark on Digiday’s Podcast. He went on to say, “I’d encourage the social media giants to do the easy stuff, to do what their own people are telling them they want, and then to be prepared to take a certain amount of heat. I can tell you it’s no fun to take that heat, especially if you’re subject to disinformation or even dirty tricks. But right now the country’s survival relies on the social media giants to stand up and do the right thing.”

In a recent change of pace, President Donald Trump told “Fox and Friends” that he expects former Vice President Joe Biden “to do great” at the first debate set to take place in Ohio on September 29th, reports The New York Post. 

“I think he’s a professional. I don’t know if he’s all there, but I think he’s a professional,” Trump said to the “Fox and Friends” panel of hosts. “I have to assume that he’s a professional and that he can debate.” 

This comes at a stark contrast to statements the President has made earlier about Joe Biden’s performance during the primary debates, which Trump called, “worst debate performances I’ve ever seen.” Just last week, without evidence, Trump suggested to the same trio of hosts on “Fox and Friends” that Joe Biden was using drugs to enhance his debate performance against Bernie Sanders.

According to The New York Post article, Trump said, “I won’t say what but a lot of people think that something happened and you can’t do that kind of stuff, you just can’t do that kind of stuff.”

When pressed as to whether Trump was insinuating that Biden was taking something to “pep him up,” the President responded, “I do, he’s taking something… that gives him some clarity.”

Top Trump aides and campaign advisors have been building a debate prep strategy since early August. Forbes notes that Trump’s change in tune may have come as advisors remind him that, historically, presidential campaigns will raise expectations for their opponents leading into the debates. 

Longtime Republican pollster Frank Luntz says, “Joe Biden has had mixed results of speaking off the cuff in the last few months, but he has been elevated by such low expectations,” reports Politico. “I don’t understand why the Trump people and Trump himself make fun of Biden’s inability to complete a sentence. That makes it easier for him to claim victory.”

Following one of the most remarkable presidential campaign seasons our country has ever seen, former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump are preparing for a climactic series of debates leading up to election day, November 3rd. Here’s what you need to know.

The Commission of Presidential Debates, a bi-partisan non-profit corporation committed to preserving the integrity of the debates since 1987, released the schedule for the 2020 Debates earlier this month, along with the list of moderators selected to oversee each one, reported CBS News. Each debate is set to go live 9 to 10:30 p.m. ET.

The first presidential debate, scheduled for Tuesday, September 29th, will be moderated by Fox News Sunday’s Chris Wallace at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. According to a report from Politico, this first debate will be divided into six 15-minute discussion areas, including Trump’s and Biden’s records, the Supreme Court, the coronavirus pandemic, race and violence in cities, election integrity, and the economy. The topics were selected by Chis Wallace.

Up next, the one and only vice presidential debate will take place the following week on Wednesday, Oct. 7th at University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. This debate will be moderated by USA Today’s Washington Bureau Chief, Susan Page.

The second presidential debate will be on Thursday, October 15th at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida with Steve Scully, C-SPAN’s political editor, moderating. 

The last debate will occur the following Thursday, October 22nd, at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee and will be moderated by NBC News White House correspondent Kristen Welker.

You will be able to tune in to the debates on a number of major broadcast networks, including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, C-SPAN, Fox News, and MSNBC. There will also be a free live stream available on ABCNews.com or here on YouTube, according to CNET.

Democrats have announced their official lineup of speakers for the 2020 Democratic Convention that starts Monday. The DNC’s virtual convention will feature 2 hours of prime-time television, 9 to 11, for four straight days. Democrats have said that they will also feature talks from everyday Americans, several which have been leaked already. 

Organizers say that no out-of-town speakers are allowed to deliver their speeches from Milwaukee, where the convention was planned before it went virtual. However the event “still highlights the great city of Milwaukee,” says DNC Chairman Tom Perez, reported by NBC. 

The line up goes as follows, as reported by NPR:

Monday: Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, former Ohio Gov. John Kasich (a former Republican Governor who ran against President Trump in the 2016 primaries) and former first lady Michelle Obama.

Tuesday: Former acting Attorney General Sally Yates, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, former President Bill Clinton and Jill Biden.

Wednesday: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, former President Barack Obama and Kamala Harris, whom Biden has just picked to be his Vice President, as reported by New York Times.

Thursday: New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, California Sen. Kamala Harris, the Biden family and, last but not least, the presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

Several of Biden’s former primary competitors made it onto the stage, but with a few notable exceptions. Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, former housing Secretary Julián Castro and venture capitalist Andrew Yang.

The former presidential candidate Andrew Yang expressed his disappointment in not being added to the DNC’s lineup on Twitter saying, “I’ve got to be honest I kind of expected to speak.”

After following up with Yang, Dave Weigel of the Washington Post tweeted the following: Just talked to @AndrewYang about this tweet. He’ll be “involved in the convention video package,” but said the lack of a higher-profile speech “makes my job harder to appeal to the 42% of my supporters who said they weren’t going to vote for Joe.”

Democrats are bringing in a wide range of voices, from everyday Americans to prominent Democratic figures, and even a former Republican governor, hoping to appeal to their base during the Democratic National Convention this year.

According to a list of speakers received first by The Washington Post, the convention will feature talks from a former Trump supporter from Pennsylvania, a paramedic and immigrant from Mexico City, a bus driver from Atlanta and an autoworker from Michigan. Officials hope that by pairing relatable Americans with Democratic heavy weights like Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Warren, set to speak Wednesday, and Bernie Sanders speaking Monday, they may present a unified image of the Democratic Party.

“There are people from all parts of the country, all walks of life — different professions, different financial situations — all dealing with similar things. It’s really the story of what’s happening across America right now,” said Stephanie Cutter, the program executive for the convention.

“It’s different from 2016 where Trump was just a celebrity,” she went on. “He’s now a failed president, leaving everyday Americans in his wake. Those stories are the stories we’re going to tell.”

John Kasich, a former Republican governor of Ohio and harsh Trump critic, will also be giving remarks at the convention on Monday. Bill Clinton and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo are expected to have prominent roles as well, reports Bloomberg.

Gerald Lang, the 47-year old autoworker from Lake Orion, Michigan and vice president of UAW Local 5960, will be talking to voters about presumptive nominee Joe Biden’s record supporting General Motors and Chrysler through the fallout of the 2008 recession. He’s already had some kind words for the former vice president. 

“Joe Biden understands that auto workers are the heart of the economy in Michigan. And he’s spent his career fighting for us,” Lang said, according to The Detroit Free Press. 

“He helped rescue the auto industry as vice president and now he has a plan to create a million new auto manufacturing jobs to ensure that American workers are powering the future of auto manufacturing across the world.”

The convention is also expecting to have Barack and Michelle Obama deliver their own speeches respectively. A time slot has yet to be announced, but some have speculated that Barack may introduce his former vice president to the stage. Meanwhile, convention planners expect Michelle’s speech to attract the widest viewership outside of Biden, particularly after the success of her 2012 convention speech, reports The New York Times.

The DNC announced that the 2020 Democratic National Convention would be moved entirely online this year after several people at the Milwaukee site tested positive for COVID-19, reports the Daily Beast.

“As testing increased this week, our system detected three cases which have been reported to the health department and given instructions to self-isolate,” a convention aide said.

The presumptive democratic nominee, Joe Biden will now broadcast his nomination acceptance speech from a site in Delaware. Additionally, the massive in-person electoral training that Democrats had planned to hold at the convention in Milwaukee will be moved online as well.

Politico reported that Biden’s campaign would be teaming up with the progressive group Arena and Wisconsin’s Democratic Party to “provide free online training to activists to teach them how to get out the vote and persuade swing voters during the convention.”

“In the age of coronavirus, the path to victory for Democrats up and down the ballot has shifted dramatically,” said the executive director of Wisconsin’s Democratic Party, Nellie Sires. “The Democratic Party of Wisconsin and Arena are proud to have the opportunity to pull back the curtain and equip Democratic volunteers across the country with the tools they need.”

This decision comes shortly after RNC officials suggested that the press would be banned from the Republican National Convention out of concern for North Carolina’s social distancing restrictions. Responding to criticism on the decision, Trump has recently suggested accepting his own nomination at the White House instead so that the press would be able to cover the event.

“I’ll probably do mine live from the White House,” Trump said on Fox and Friends. “If for some reason somebody had difficulty with it, I could go with someplace else,” he added.

This did in fact receive pushback from both Democrats and Republicans alike who were concerned about the legal and ethical i

mplications of hosting a political event at the White House, says the Washington Post. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that an acceptance speech “won’t happen” at the White House, while Sen. John Cornyn acknowledged that it would be “problematic.” Sen. Ron Johnson said that a White House acceptance speech is “probably not allowed” and that they “probably shouldn’t do it.” 

When asked about Republican concerns about the legality of the White House hosting the event, Trump merely said, “It’s legal,” before moving on.