[What A Day]([link removed])

Monday, August 12, 2024
BY CROOKED MEDIA

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- Singer [Celine Dion and her management]([link removed]) in a statement on Trump’s unauthorized use of the Titanic theme song, “My Heart Will Go On,” at a rally in Montana.

Disgraced former President Trump is struggling to regain his footing in the presidential race as his opponent surges in the polls. Behind the scenes, his top advisers are reportedly “deeply rattled” by his erratic performance.
 

- Trump can’t seem to decide how to go after Vice President Kamala Harris these days. Instead, he’s throwing out random attacks, including some that are downright kooky. Over the weekend, he ludicrously claimed that images of a huge crowd greeting her airplane on the tarmac at the Detroit Wayne County Metropolitan Airport were created by artificial intelligence. “There was nobody at the plane, and she ‘A.I.’d’ it,” Trump wrote on social media platform Truth Social, in a false claim that [was quickly debunked]([link removed]).
 

- Trump is fuming over the fact that he has to run against Harris, rather than President Joe Biden. In private, Trump has repeatedly referred to Harris as a “bitch,” [the New York Times]([link removed]) reported, citing two unnamed sources. He’s also recycling some of his greatest conspiratorial hits, like “Stop the Steal,” and doubling down on his unfounded and widely criticized comments that Harris “became Black.” His erratic moves have his top [advisors “deeply rattled,” Axios reported]([link removed]).
 

- On Monday, Trump resorted to his all-time favorite move in a crisis: tweeting through it. He returned to the platform known as X, formerly Twitter, ahead of an interview this evening with X owner and misinformer-in-chief, Elon Musk. (If you recall Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (R-FL) hilariously botched campaign launch on X, you’ll know this is obviously a super excellent idea!…) Trump relaunched his X/Twitter account by posting a video centered on the FBI’s raid on his Mar-A-Lago estate. After all, why not post a helpful reminder to everyone that he is a convicted felon accused of stashing classified documents in his bathroom, instead of a campaign ad about, say, the border, or the economy? Not Trump! Secret bathroom docs, all the way!

[What A Day]([link removed])

It’s not hard to understand Trump’s angst, given Harris’ surging poll numbers and enthusiastic crowds. 
 

- Harris [has edged out Trump in the critical “Blue Wall” states]([link removed]) of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, winning 50 percent to 46 percent in each of the three states in one recent poll. She has also opened [up a 6 percentage point lead]([link removed]) in Nevada. The Cook Political report shifted, in addition to Nevada, Arizona and Georgia to “toss up” from “lean Republican.” [Voters now say they trust Harris]([link removed]) more than Trump on one his supposedly signature issues: the economy. The vice president is [making inroads with Latino voters]([link removed]). And, notably, [Harris’ favorability among voters 18 to 29]([link removed]) has increased by 16 percentage points since July, in one poll.
 

- Some observers see Trump’s untethered behavior as a clear sign that he’s feeling the heat. “When Donald Trump is at his most vulnerable, when he feels most threatened, he tells fans not to believe their own eyes and ears,” wrote journalist Brian Stelter in [the Atlantic]([link removed]), about Trump’s AI crowd conspiracy theory. “Biden’s abrupt departure deeply unsettled Trump,” wrote Peter Wehner in the same magazine. “His entire campaign was built to defeat Biden. Trump survived an assassination attempt, then met a rapturous reception at the Republican National Convention, and concluded that the race was won. And it was, until Biden stepped aside and Harris stepped up.”

On the other hand, maybe Trump’s rocky campaign fortunes have nothing to do with his petulant vibe. Maybe [he just heard it was “brat summer,”]([link removed]) and he’s going there — his way.

Over 100 pregnant women experiencing some form of medical distress have been turned away from emergency rooms or negligently treated since 2022, after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, [the Associated Press found in a new analysis]([link removed]) of federal hospital investigations. 
 
Emergency rooms in states with abortion bans turned away women with complicated and life-threatening pregnancies, despite Biden administration guidance that hospitals must offer abortion services in such medical scenarios, the AP found. Two women, in Florida and Texas, were left to experience miscarriages in public restrooms. 
 
The report is just the most recent evidence of the harm caused by the Supreme Court’s decision — and a reminder of what’s at stake in this upcoming election.
 

It’s been a little over 2 years since the Dobbs decision overturned Roe vs Wade, removing the constitutional right to abortion. We’re still reeling from the Supreme Court decision to roll the country back a whole 50 years on abortion, but for an entire movement of high-ranking GOP creeps, Dobbs is just the beginning. On this week’s Strict Scrutiny, Kate, Melissa, and Leah look back on that fateful 2022  decision and how it rocked the reproductive world since. They’ll also dig into how severe abortion restrictions tie into the horrifying white-man plans of Project 2025. To learn more about the repercussions of this decision and follow all the news that’s fit to scream about, look for the episode titled “State of the Uterus,” on the Strict Scrutiny feed.

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[The U.S. warned that Iran]([link removed]) or its proxies could stage a “significant” attack on Israel this week in response to recent assassinations of top leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah. An Israeli intelligence assessment also indicated Iran is poised to strike Israel in the coming days, [two unnamed sources told Axios]([link removed]). 

[Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III]([link removed]) recently ordered a guided missile submarine to the Middle East to serve as a deterrent amid escalating tensions. 

[A top Ukrainian commander said his country’s forces now hold 1,000 square kilometers]([link removed]) (383 square miles) of Russian territory, following a surprise cross-border incursion into Russia’s Kursk region days ago. The Ukrainian offensive represents a startling reversal in a conflict that began when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. 

[The F.B.I. launched a probe back in June into alleged hacking attempts]([link removed]) on both the Trump and Harris campaigns. Iran is suspected to be behind the efforts, the agency formally acknowledged on Monday. The hackers are said to have successfully compromised one individual: Roger Stone, the longtime Trump adviser and professional “ratfucker.” Nooo not Roger Stone. Anyone but him. 

[A spokesperson for the Republican ticket refused to deny]([link removed]) the authenticity of what appears to be a picture of Sen. J.D. Vance dressed as a woman and wearing a blonde wig, when asked about it by the Daily Beast. [Vance has sponsored federal legislation to restrict gender-affirming care for minors]([link removed]), and defended his use of the slur “groomer” against LGBTQ people and their allies.  

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[August is Read-A-Romance Novel Month!]([link removed])
 
What steamy romance book are you reading to set the mood? From Emily Henry’s “Funny Story” to “This Could Be Us” by Kennedy Ryan, Bookshop.org has just the book you’re looking for to celebrate your love of love. Their online bookstore is stocked with a range of titles that will keep you entertained for hours. Book recommendations on [Bookshop.org]([link removed]) also come from real people who love books, not algorithms.
 
And the best part? When you purchase from [Bookshop.org]([link removed]), you’re supporting over 2,000 local, independent bookstores across the country. 
 
What A Day is proud to partner with [Bookshop.org]([link removed]) in supporting independent bookstores. Every purchase you make on [Bookshop.org]([link removed]) directly funds local booksellers. Thanks to fellow readers like you, over $32 million has already been donated to help keep local, independent bookstores serving their communities. [Bookshop.org]([link removed]) is a certified B-Corp and all deliveries are carbon-neutral.

Join [Bookshop.org]([link removed]) in uplifting independent bookstores today. AND - for a limited time*, use the code "Romance" at checkout for 15% off select romance books. Happy reading! *Discount code expires August 31, 2024.

[There might be an ocean’s worth of water hiding underneath the dusty surface of Mars]([link removed]), according to new research. Scientists say this doesn’t equate with life on the planet, but it could indicate “that there are environments that could possibly be habitable.” If that’s true please DON’T tell us, we have hit our limit on unprecedented events for the decade. 
 
[A Maine woman hugged and personally thanked Bernie Sanders]([link removed]) at a town hall in Bangor over the weekend for the Vermont senator’s battle with Big Pharma to lower the cost of inhalers. “I've always been used to paying $300, and when they told me $20... I was amazed,” she told him. Thank you, Bernie, and everyone else in Congress who understands that being able to breathe should not cost $300!

[The Biden Administration unveiled the “Time Is Money” initiative aimed at cracking down on interminable hold times or hard-to-cancel subscription services]([link removed]). War on junk fees? War on robotic customer service doom loops? This is Mount Rushmore shit.

[What A Day]([link removed])

[You Survived Today. See You Thursday.]([link removed])

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