Did I mention I'm from Scranton? Biden participated in a CNN-hosted town hall in Pennsylvania moderated by Anderson Cooper Thursday night. Some of the highlights: Biden saying Trump should "step down," slamming Attorney General Bill Barr's comments saying pandemic lockdowns were an intrusion on liberty as "sick," and condemning riots while saying Trump needed to denounce far right militias. Atlas attacks Really instills confidence in the Trump administration's ability to handle this pandemic when members of the White House coronavirus task force are running around undermining each other, but here we are. The latest intra-administrative kerfuffle was Dr. Scott Atlas, Trump's coronavirus adviser, taking aim at CDC Director Robert Redfield, expressing doubt in statements that Redfield made under oath about masks and a realistic timeline for a vaccine. Wait, what? The View derailed on Friday after GOP House candidate Kim Klacik accused host Joy Behar of parading “around in Blackface,” prompting the hosts to swiftly cut Klacik’s interview short. Watch the whole scene here. And learn more about Klacik, who's becoming a new media darling for the right, here. Rock dinosaur Musician Van Morrison -- who our own Colby Hall not-so-affectionately has dubbed a "rock dinosaur" -- is releasing a new set of protest songs. Is he protesting against racial injustice or war? Maybe environmental devastation? Nope, he doesn't want to wear a face mask and is unhappy with government restrictions enacted during the pandemic. Unsurprisingly, Twitter had a Wild Night mocking Morrison's aggrieved lyrics. Save the Sunshine Florida Men want Florida time -- Florida's two Senators, Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, have filed a bill to allow the Sunshine State to keep daylight saving time year round. They put out a press release noting all the potential benefits, including reduced car accidents, less seasonal depression, and energy savings. If they fail, Floridians will join the rest of America in turning clocks back an hour on November 1. Time's up for TikTok Social media app TikTok has been deemed a national security "threat" and banned for Americans to download, starting on Sunday. Read why here. Woodward a Win for Morning Joe Morning Joe scored its third-highest ratings in show history on Wednesday, thanks to its interview during the 7:00 a.m. hour with Bob Woodward, who discussed his new White House insider book, Rage. The MSNBC morning show edged out its Fox News competition in total viewers, although Fox & Friends did win the morning in the coveted 25 – 54 age demographic. Check out the latest numbers across the cable news media world here.
Not a + reader? Get all the information and sign up for Mediaite+ here. Troye trounces Trump The list of former Trump White House staffers who are now publicly criticizing the president is long, but the most recent former member of the administration to spill the tea is noteworthy for two reasons: she's only 43 years old and is risking years of a political career still ahead of her, and her job put her in the room for coronavirus task force meetings. Her name is Olivia Troye, and she was Vice President Mike Pence’s former top advisor on Homeland Security. Troye left the White House last month and says she will be voting for Biden. She's had some very sharp criticisms of the White House's handling of the pandemic and specifically called out Trump for expressing relief that he would no longer "have to shake hands with these disgusting people" and for caring more about Fox News than Americans dying from Covid-19. Of course, the White House is trashing her as just another disgruntled ex-staffer, but Dr. Anthony Fauci praised her as a “good person” who was “an important part” of the team. 6.5.0 |